South Africa: SAPS PPE corruption accused granted bail

Some 10 people have been granted bail in the Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court where they appeared in a matter related to the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment for the South African Police Service (SAPS).

There are at least 15 accused in the case  including former police officials and officers, officers who were still employed by the police and businesspeople.

According to National Prosecuting Authority Investigating Directorate spokesperson, Sindiswa Seboka, the cohort allegedly committed theft, fraud, forgery and corruption in relation to the awarding of SAPS contracts worth at least R1.9 million.

Sebok said bail was granted for accused businessperson, Lorette Joubert, Kumarasen Prithiviraj, Volan Prithiviraj, Maricha Joubert, former police officers Ramahlapi Mokwena, Lesetja Mogotlane, Veeran Naipal, Alpheus Makhetha and Kysamula Mabasa and SAPS clerk Marcell Marney.

The group was granted bail of R20 000 each. The court ruled that they are to hand over their passports and not be in communication with Muthray and Associates law firm, or the court will not hesitate to revoke their bail.

The reason for the gang not to reach out to the law firm is because, in another matter, the law firm represented some of the accused and legal services paid for by the company claimed (Siyanqoba) to have unduly benefitted from cover quoting contracts within SAPS, Seboka said.

Seboka said at least two others were denied bail in the hearing.

The pair [Kishene Chetty and former police manager Brigadier James Ramanjalum] were denied bail on the basis of having allegedly committed corruption while out on bail in other matters.

The state did not oppose bail for three [others] who are retired police officer Isaac Ngobeni and serving police officer Stephinah Mahlangu and civilian Salamina Khoza, who were granted bail last week, she said.

Seboka explained that the accused were nabbed last week in a joint operation by a task team of the National Police Commissioner and the NPAs Investigating Directorate.

The arrests follow an investigation into the capture of the SAPS procurement and supply chain to aid front companies to score lucrative contracts and facilitate kickbacks to SAPS senior officials. This is the sixth case by the ID tackling the scourge of corruption within the police service, she said.

The accused are expected back in court next month.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-02-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
News  Vietnam

ASEAN senior officials meet face to face in Phnom Penh


The ban has sparked fears of further marginalization among the Muslim community of Karnataka who constitute around 12 percent of the states population.

Muhammad Raafi | TwoCircles.net

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KARNATAKA  Aliya Mehar was crestfallen when the teachers at her school in Shivamogga district in Karnataka asked her to remove her Hijab before entering the school. Mehar, (16), a student of Karnataka Public School had to appear in her Class 10 exams on Monday. She couldnt appear as she was forced to return home.

I was depressed with what I had just experienced, Mehar told TwoCircles.net. She said she would prefer Hijab over her exams.

On Wednesday, protests erupted at some places in the state as college girls refused to remove their Hijab. The girl students also marched on the streets demanding that they be allowed to wear Hijab.

Students in #kolar were also seen protesting demanding them to be allowed inside clasrooms wearing #HijabRow #KarnatakaHijabControversy pic.twitter.com/T5xLL6lmDV  Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) February 16, 2022

Over the last two months the controversy around the Hijab, in at least three government-run institutions of Karnataka has left Muslim students disheartened after several Hindu students started demanding that the Hijab should not be allowed in the schools. The controversy started in late December after a teacher at PU College in the Udupi district refused entry of Hijab wearing students inside a classroom.

The picture of the girls sitting on the stairs of the PU College went viral on social networking sites triggering a backlash.

The Muslim students said the ban on hijab violates their religious freedom guaranteed under the constitution of India. The US ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom on Friday said the hijab ban would stigmatize and marginalize women and girls.

Mehars father Ibrahim told TwoCircles.net that the ban on Hijab in schools and colleges is tantamount to attacks on Muslim symbols and practices and is part of the Hindu far-right agenda of imposing majoritarian values on minorities.

The Muslim students were never subjected to this humiliation ever in Karnataka, he said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which rules the state has backed the discriminatory ban.

Ibrahim said that he would rather prefer to send his daughter to a private school.

On Tuesday, Muslim girl students and teachers wearing hijab were barred from entering schools and colleges across the south Indian state. The pictures and videos of Muslim women being forced to remove hijab outside their schools created an outcry with social media users calling it humiliation.

#Mandya dist administration has instructed even the teachers to be not allowed inside campus with #hijab. They should remove the hijab at the gate itself before entering school or college. #KarnatakaHijabRow #HijabControversy #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/bt33RTTmgp  Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) February 14, 2022

Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of the Human Rights Watch tweeted the ban on Hijab violates international law obligations to uphold the right to express religious beliefs and the right to education without discrimination.

Meanwhile, in Karnataka Public School Meher and her Muslim classmates who were wearing Hijab, were bundled into a classroom. The students were told that they cannot appear in their exams. The teachers said if we dont remove our hijab we will miss our exams.

The students responded by saying that they will not compromise on the Hijab.

Former Chief Minister and leader of the opposition, Siddaramaiah, termed the ban on Hijab as inhuman which is aimed at denying education to Muslim girls.

On Tuesday, the opposition delegation met chief minister Basavraj Bomai demanding that the students should be allowed to attend their educational institutions.

Kaneez Fatima, a Congress lawmaker who was part of the delegation, told TwoCircles.net that the chief minister told them that they will have to abide by the court ruling.

Fatima said that she was apprehensive that the issue will spill over to other spheres of life if it was not resolved soon. She was, however, hopeful that the court will rule in the favour of Muslim girls.

The ban has sparked fears of further marginalization among the Muslim community who constitute around 12 percent of the states population.

Saddam, a father of two daughters, aged 3 and 4, said that if the Hijab ban is upheld by the court he would prefer sending his daughters to a Madrassa. Hijab is essential to the tenets of Islam and hence uncompromisable.

The Hijab issue is pending with the Karnataka High Court where hearings are underway. Last week, the court issued an interim order banning religious clothing including Hijab inside the classrooms. Days later, there were many instances of Muslim girls and women, including teachers being forced to remove their Hijab outside schools and colleges.

It has triggered outrage among the community with many saying that the court directions are restricted to classrooms only.

When TwoCircles.net asked the Vice Principal of Karnataka Public School in Shivamooga district, Susheela, why the court rulings were being violated. She said, I am following the direction of the Education department.

Speaking with the TwoCircles.net, the spokesperson of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ganesh Karnik termed the Hijab row a conspiracy and said that the government has no role in deciding the uniform in institutions and it is up to the college management.

Muhammad Raafi is a journalist based in New Delhi. He tweets at @mohammadraafi
The Dane County District Attorneys Office wont file charges against a Madison police officer who inadvertently shot another officer during an arrest on State Street in October, police said Tuesday.

Madison police officer Keith Brown fired his gun Oct. 10 in response to a suspect, Katoine Richardson, drawing a firearm during an arrest, police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said. Brown ended up shooting another officer who was in physical contact with Richardson while trying to arrest him in the 500 block of State Street.

Richardson, 19, also allegedly fired his gun, but did not hit anyone, according to police and a criminal complaint. The Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory found a shell casing on the scene that had been fired from Richardsons gun, Fryer said. Richardson is facing several felony charges related to the incident.

The District Attorneys Office determined on Nov. 8 that there was no potential criminal liability on the part of the Madison police officers involved, Fryer said. The conclusion was made after a review of police reports, diagrams, surveillance video and other evidence.

The police department is announcing that decision now  more than three months after the DAs office came to its conclusion.

District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said his office did not make its determination public back in November because of Richardsons ongoing court case. Ozannes office is ethically barred from talking about specifics of an open case.

When there are open cases, we will not send out a press release to the press until all the documents have gone out in discovery, Ozanne said.

Ozanne said he would have notified the Madison Police Department of his decision, and at that point its up to the department whether it wants to share more information with the public.

Richardson has been charged with one count of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, two counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, carrying a concealed weapon, resisting an officer, bail jumping and possessing a firearm as an adjudicated delinquent of a felony, according to court records.

Richardson has entered not-guilty pleas for the charges. His next court date is scheduled for late March.

Brown will return to serving as a patrol officer in the near future, Fryer said. An internal review found no violations of Madison polices operating procedures, which authorize the use of deadly force to protect another person from what is reasonably believed to be an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm, Fryer said.

This case highlights the dangers officers and the public face when confronting individuals armed with illegal firearms, Fryer said.

A criminal complaint against Richardson states police monitoring street cameras noticed Richardson on State Street during hours in which he was supposed to be under a curfew and attempted to stop him, but a foot chase ensued, during which Richardson pulled out a handgun.

Officer Edward McKinley was the sole witness to testify at a preliminary hearing on Oct. 21. He said Richardson pointed the gun at him and pulled back the slide to put a bullet in the guns chamber.

McKinley said he grabbed the gun with both of his hands. He said Richardson had the gun in his left hand and his finger was on the trigger guard. As McKinley tried to push the gun down with his hands, he heard a gunshot, saw a muzzle flash and felt the gun recoil in his hands.

McKinley told the agents Richardson tried to chamber another round but he was able to prevent him from doing so until other officers disarmed Richardson. The complaint states police tackled Richardson and were able to get the gun away from him and handcuff him.

The Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation, which investigates police shootings, led the investigation of the incident.

Fryer said the police department will not be releasing any comments or further information on the shooting while the criminal case against Richardson proceeds to ensure he will receive a fair trial.

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A man whose family says he was shot five times by police despite being unarmed and cooperative during an arrest two weeks ago was wanted on a state Department of Corrections warrant for a parole violation, according to DOC records released Wednesday.

The Feb. 3 warrant for Quadren L. Wilson, 38, was issued the day he was arrested and lists history of firearms as a reason for officers to be cautious. But the document sheds little light on why 21 officers from five local, state and federal agencies were needed to take him into custody just after 8 a.m. on Madisons Far East Side.

Five other warrants, also known as requests for apprehension, had been issued for Wilson since he was released from state prison in February 2020, according to the records released to the Wisconsin State Journal through a public records request.

Four of those also were for parole violations, including three apparently related to problems with his GPS monitoring device. The first warrant issued for him after his release lists threats as the reason for seeking to take him into custody. It was issued on Aug. 11, 2020.

DOC spokesperson John Beard said it wasnt clear if Wilson had been taken into custody on the five previous warrants, but all had been canceled and resolved prior to the one issued on Feb. 3.

Its possible some of the issues could have been resolved without him being taken into custody, he said.

Wilsons vehicle was sandwiched between two law enforcement vehicles Feb. 3 when two officers from the state Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation opened fire. His family says he was shot five times in the back, was wearing an ankle monitor and was due to meet with his probation officer the next day. Wilson is Black; his family says the two officers who shot him are white.

The Dane County Sheriffs Office, which is conducting an investigation into the incident, has released limited information about the shooting, including withholding what led up to it, and has gone so far as to avoid saying specifically that Wilson was shot by law enforcement. The Sheriffs Office and DOJ did not immediately respond to a question Wednesday about why 21 officers and multiple agencies were needed to arrest Wilson.

But Wilson does have a history with police that suggests why they may have viewed him as a threat.

In December 2005, Madison police reported an officer was injured in a struggle with Wilson at a Dennys restaurant where Wilson was causing a disturbance and refusing to leave.

It took several officers and deploying a Taser to arrest Wilson in that case, which left an officer with numerous cuts and bruises, police said.

In October 2017, Madison police reported surrounding a home and using a tactical response to arrest Wilson on suspicion of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and being a felon in possession of a firearm charges, although there was no sign from that report that he resisted arrest.

No new charges have been filed against Wilson since he was charged in August with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and making phone threats. Those are the only cases against him in Wisconsin that are currently open.

A witness to the shooting reported that vehicles were seen screeching out of a nearby parking lot before Wilsons vehicle was stopped. Another said police broke Wilsons vehicles window as they approached.

Wilson was moved from the hospital to the Dane County Jail on Feb. 6. His family has called for him to be returned to the hospital for better medical treatment.

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In an election season heated by controversy surrounding COVID mitigation policy and K-12 curriculum, Dane Countys largest school board race appeared split, with voters pushing through a raft of newcomers while ousting one longtime incumbent and advancing another during Tuesdays primary election.

The race for Mount Horeb School Board was whittled down from a field of 11 candidates to the top six vote-getters, which included newcomers Adam Mertz, Carleen Fisher, Joel Craven, Jeff Shields and Kristen Karcz. Incumbent Leah Lipska, who had previously survived a COVID-19-related recall effort, finished third in the primary.

All six will move forward in the competition for three open seats during the spring election. The top three vote-getters in the spring election will advance to the board.

Incumbent Jeff Hanna, who had been on the board for 20 years, finished eighth and lost his bid for reelection.

Superintendent Steve Salerno attributed the large field of primary candidates to efforts by the district to increase interest in the job  not necessarily due to frustration with COVID mitigation policies, though he said two or three of the primary candidates may have been spurred to put their hat in the ring due to their dissatisfaction with mask mandates or equity and diversity efforts in curriculum.

The vast majority of people you see on the (primary) slate are people whom weve reached out to personally and asked them to consider taking on a leadership role in the district, he said. I dont think its in large measure  maybe some of it is  that theyre dissatisfied with something but rather in response to the boards desire really for us to bring about some new talent.

Salerno said the district began reaching out to community members in January 2020 to drum up interest in running for school board. The people they reached out to, he said, had demonstrated leadership in the past through serving on other boards, have contributed productively to the community, or have shown a penchant for caring about children and their needs.

The most pressing issues faced by the district, Mertz, Fisher, Lipska and Craven agreed, include teacher retention and attraction; mental health and wellness of students and staff as the district continues along the road to pandemic recovery; and addressing funding concerns with a flat revenue limit passed by the Legislature in the biennium.

Shields, Karcz and Mary Nelson, three of the eleven candidates going into the primary, had organized their campaigns together and conferred about not responding to questionnaires sent out by local media and voter advocacy groups ahead of the primary.

Nelson  who finished seventh in the primary  said she was motivated to join the race because the school district needs a change.

Its not the same district I grew up in, she said Everything needs to change, there needs to be more transparency between what the school district is spending their money on and whats happening with taxpayers.

She said she is in support of the district adopting a mask-optional stance and would also like to tackle bullying between students. Shields and Karcz did not respond to request for comment.

In Madison

Interest surrounding the seats on the Mount Horeb School Board, a district of roughly 2,500 students, is markedly different than that in nearby Madison, where roughly 25,000 students are enrolled. There were no primary elections for any of the open seats on the Madison School Board, and two out of the three races will be contested  one of which with a registered write-in candidate.

Madison School Board President Ali Muldrow, who is up for reelection but was running unopposed until Feb. 7, said interest in serving on the board, or any local office, is like the swing of a pendulum based on the political climate. The district hasnt faced much public outcry over its COVID mitigation or equity policies.

Madison is a really progressive city. ... And I do think progressives are tired, she told the Wisconsin State Journal in early February. Voter engagement is going to matter a lot, and I do think Republicans in more purple parts of the state are going to work really hard this year to establish contrast campaigns.

Conservative commentator and former Dane County Board member David Blaska is now seeking to run against Muldrow as a write-in candidate.

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The Madison School District on Wednesday declined to say whether it still plans to eliminate stand-alone honors courses for ninth- and 10th-graders after a media report saying the plan had been put on hold.

On Tuesday, Isthmus reported that the district had decided the courses would continue.

We have put a pause on the removal of stand-alone honors to allow for more time to review this strategy, obtain student and community input, and board involvement, District spokesperson Tim LeMonds told the newspaper.

Asked to confirm the report Wednesday, LeMonds instead told the State Journal that there has been some confusion around this as well as recent discussions and planning on the issue and those discussions are continuing this week.

He said the district planned to make Superintendent Carlton Jenkins available Monday to provide additional clarification and details.

Under a plan proposed by administrators last year, beginning with the 2022-23 school year, ninth-graders would only be able to earn honors credit through the districts earned honors program, which places all students in the same classes but allows those who want to earn honors credit to do so if they meet a set of criteria showing mastery of the content. The same would apply to 10th-graders beginning in the 2023-24 school year.

The shift away from stand-alone honors classes was pitched by administrators as a way to boost racial equity, as students of color historically have been less likely to take honors-only classes, although they are open to all students. Those racial disparities have been closing in recent years.

Between the 2017-18 school year and the 2020-21 school year, the number of students of color in stand-alone honors courses grew from 670 to 881, while the number of students of color in earned honors courses grew from 149 to 437. The number of low-income students in stand-alone honors courses grew from 435 to 551 between the 2017-18 and 2020-21 school years, while the number of low-income students in earned honors grew from 111 to 319.

Forty-one percent of students of color were enrolled in honors courses compared to 59% of their white peers during the 2018-19 school year, according to the district. The gap between white and nonwhite students participating in honors classes and earned honors combined has shrunk notably over the past decade, largely because a smaller percentage of white students are choosing honors courses.

The earned honors alternative started with the launch of a program in 2017 that allows students to choose a career-focused pathway as part of their high school studies. The Personalized Pathways program currently has two such pathways, health care and information technology.

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UW-Madison will lift its mask mandate when spring break starts March 12, a move criticized by some on campus as too soon to begin easing up on the COVID-19 safety measure.

While University of Wisconsin System campuses have the ultimate say in setting mask policies, spokesperson Mark Pitsch said, System President Tommy Thompson announced Wednesday that he is working with chancellors to phase out their requirements as soon as March 1 and no later than spring break.

Thompson cited a rapid decline in COVID-19 cases across the state and campuses high vaccination rates as reasons for campuses to drop their mask mandates. More than 95% of the campus community is vaccinated at UW-Madison.

UW-Madison decided to keep its mask mandate in place through midterm exams, which end March 11. A message to the campus community said a growing number of communities are dropping mask requirements, including Dane County, which is lifting its mandate March 1.

The research strongly suggests that individuals who are vaccinated, boosted and wearing a high-quality mask have a high degree of protection, regardless of what other individuals around them may choose, the message said. That means were at a point where responsible behavior is up to the individual to decide.

The lifting of campuses mask mandates will mark a significant change in UWs pandemic response. While there were a few months last summer when masks were not required on campus, face coverings were a fixture for the entirety of the 2020-21 school year and have been throughout this school year, too. The safety measure has brought a sense of comfort to many instructors.

Geoscience teaching assistant Rudy Molinek has managed to avoid COVID-19 up to this point, which he largely attributes to the mask mandate and his vaccination status. The universitys looming policy change makes him concerned about the disruption the change may bring to the classroom.

If students get sick, we can support and accommodate that, he said. But if the instructors get sick, thats when learning outcomes suffer. I think that masking indoors during class is such a low-effort way to prevent that chaos, and to keep learning on track.

UW-Madisons student government said their four student representatives serving on a COVID-19 advisory board to administrators voted this week to keep the mandate in place through the end of the spring semester. The organization also noted that Dane County is still classified as having high COVID-19 transmission rates that based on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance calls for wearing masks in public, indoor settings.

Some students may be ready to ditch their uncomfortable masks regardless of CDC guidelines, the Associated Students of Madison said in a statement. However, campus policy decisions must also account for our most vulnerable students and staff. Many valued members of our campus community have health conditions preventing them from safely engaging with in-person academics, especially if masks are not present.

The graduate student union went further, calling the removal of the mask mandate reckless.

Others, however, welcomed UW-Madisons move.

If these policies are ever going to stop, they should stop now, freshman Jonathan Draeger wrote in a Badger Herald op-ed published Tuesday. Enough is enough.

UW-Madison officials said they recognize that individuals will have different reactions to the change and for some, it may be stressful. Campus testing will remain available. Students and staff can still wear a mask if they wish.

Of the 13 other schools in the Big Ten, it appears the University of Iowa is the only one currently without a mask mandate, according to a Wisconsin State Journal review of the institutions COVID-19 policies.

Madison Area Technical College is keeping its mask mandate in place through March 13 and will assess next month whether to extend it.

Edgewood College officials are discussing if and when the colleges mask mandate should be lifted, spokesperson Ed Taylor said.

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Opponents of a proposed Dane County solar farm say utilities should not be allowed to buy the project because it depends on leases that may violate the Wisconsin Constitution.

Invenergy, a Chicago-based developer, is seeking a permit to build a solar-plus-storage facility on about 2,400 acres west of Cambridge, which three utilities, including We Energies and Madison Gas and Electric, want to purchase for $649 million.

The town of Christiana and two residents who are against the project filed a motion Tuesday asking the Public Service Commission to dismiss the utilities application on the grounds that the leases are void under a little-known clause in the state Constitution that limits leases on agricultural land to 15 years.

According to the application, Invenergy secured land for the project with 25-year leases that can be extended for another 25 years.

The opponents argue projects that depend on legally void leases cannot be in the interest of the ratepayers, or anyone else and should be stopped.

Now that the issue has been exposed, it makes no sense for the PSC to approve solar facilities, said Frank Jablonski, an attorney representing town residents Roxann Engelstad and Edward Lovell.

The language in question comes from Article 1, Section 14, which states in part, Leases and grants of agricultural land for a longer term than fifteen years in which rent or service of any kind shall be reserved, and all fines and like restraints upon alienation reserved in any grant of land, hereafter made, are declared to be void.

In support of their argument, the opponents submitted a one-page primer on agricultural lease law prepared by a UW-Extension professor who died in 2018 that says a lease of agricultural land for more than 15 years is void.

Jablonski said the provision was brought to his attention by people not happy with their communities being overrun by energy sprawl.

After researching it and confirming his reading with two other attorneys, Jablonski said hes confident the UW-Extension summary is accurate and that the leases for the project, known as the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center, are void, which he contends invalidates the application.

But there could be other legal interpretations of the 174-year-old document, and there are no court rulings to offer guidance.

UW-Madison law professor Heinz Klug said opponents may be misreading the clause, which was designed to prevent feudal tenure, a system of servitude, rather than restricting a landowners ability to lease out land.

Report: Warming climate threatens Wisconsin way of life The past two decades have been the warmest on record, and the 2010s the wettest, with sharp increases in extreme storms that lead to loss of life, property and agricultural production.

Its unclear how a constitutional ban might affect other recently approved solar projects, such as the 300-megawatt Badger Hollow farm in Iowa County, that have employed similar 25-year leases with extension options.

Spokespeople for MGE and We Energies, which jointly own Badger Hollow, said they were still reviewing the motion Wednesday. An Invenergy spokesperson had not responded to a request for comment.

Even if the developers and the utilities argue otherwise, there is just too much risk for ratepayers, Jablonski said. At this point, with the issue exposed, there may be too much risk for developers too.

Mapping tool aims to ease clean energy, wildlife conflicts The Site Renewables Right tool provides a way for developers and communities to advance the clean energy transition while minimizing harm to habitats and species being threatened by climate change.

Tuesdays motion marks the opponents second effort to derail the Koshkonong project, which has sparked fierce opposition from neighbors and the nearby village of Cambridge, which wants to develop some of the farmland for future housing.

In November, the commission rejected a motion to dismiss the permit application on the grounds that Invenergy and the utilities were exploiting a legal loophole to avoid regulatory scrutiny.

Thats because unregulated companies like Invenergy dont have to justify the need or cost of a project or show that it is the most cost-effective solution. Utilities like MGE, which pass on the costs to their ratepayers, are held to a higher standard.

Invenergy and the utilities insist the so-called site and acquire method, which has been used in eight of the 11 large-scale solar projects approved by the PSC, follows the letter of the law.

[Correction: In an earlier version of this story, who attorney Frank Jablonski represents was wrong.]

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State election officials on Wednesday pushed back against the unverified, fantastical claims of widespread election fraud in Wisconsins 2020 election at an informational hearing with the GOP-led committee that has provided a forum for many of the allegations.

Claims of sweeping election fraud have persisted since the 2020 election, due in part to former President Donald Trumps baseless assertions that the election was stolen.

The ongoing debate over Wisconsins election has fomented a rift among legislative Republicans. Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, who has called for a full forensic audit of the states 2020 election, called out Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, for referring several election-related bills to the Assemblys state affairs committee  legislation that would traditionally be taken up by her committee.

Claims of fraud

Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe and technology director Robert Kehoe provided more than two hours of testimony before the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections, which is chaired by Brandtjen.

The commission officials tried to answer ongoing questions regarding Wisconsins statewide voter registration database WisVote, while also addressing unfounded claims of fraud, including those made last week before the committee by Peter Bernegger, who was convicted in Mississippi federal court in 2009 for making fraudulent claims to investors in his business.

A lot of concerns about the November 2020 presidential election are based on assumptions that lack a full understanding of election policies, laws and technologies, Kehoe said. Other concerns expressed to this committee have alleged startling claims of fraud without providing adequate evidence.

Recounts and court decisions affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the battleground state by almost 21,000 votes.

Among the evidence Bernegger cited last week was his inability to find a registered voter named Ambrose Aadventure, suggesting the name may have been a fake. But Aadventure, formerly known as Cory Wierl, is a real person who changed his name in June 2020.

In the end, it took me a few minutes on a public website to solve the case of Mr. Aadventure, Kehoe said. Thats what due diligence looks like. No supercomputer required.

Bernegger was one of several individuals invited by the committee to provide testimony over the last several months. Others include Erick Kaardal, a Republican attorney for the conservative Thomas More Society who has challenged the use of private grant funding provided to cities to help administer the 2020 election; former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, a Republican who has been hired by the Legislature to conduct a GOP-ordered review of the election; and Doug Frank, an Ohio scientist who made baseless claims that Wisconsins election likely was stolen.

The committee last invited commission staff to testify almost a year ago, in March 2021.

Wolfe said the commission has seen questions and complaints related to elections skyrocket since the 2020 vote, creating challenges for the agencys limited staff.

Call for clarity

Rep. Ron Tusler, R-Harrison, took issue with calling claims of fraud sensational and fantastical and called on the commission to make more of an effort to proactively respond to such questions  something commission officials said they already do.

Each one of these allegations for the most part would be pretty terrible if they were true, Tusler said. Folks that have these concerns, they dont strike me as poorly intended. But I think a lot of times they need information that they dont have and we rely on WEC to provide that.

Kehoe also pointed to Berneggers claim that more than 300 people registered to vote at an address that no longer exists, noting that the address in question belongs to a UW-Parkside apartment complex on a street that has since been renamed. In another instance, Bernegger cited hundreds of registered voters at 437 N. Frances St., one of the largest apartment complexes in Madison.

Some people are using these voters to support their claim that tens of thousands of fake voters were created to cast ballots in the 2020 general election, Kehoe said. Again, thats a shocking and frightening claim, still without one single example.

GOP debate

State Republicans have continued to question the results of the 2020 election, despite multiple recounts, lawsuits and reviews affirming there was no widespread fraud.

Following pressure from Trump, Vos hired former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, at a cost of $676,000 to taxpayers, to review the 2020 election. Vos has said the GOP-ordered review should be completed in a matter of weeks.

Despite that, others in the Legislature, including Brandtjen and Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, have pressed for a full forensic audit of the election.

Both Ramthun, who is running for governor based largely on his claims of widespread fraud, and Brandtjen spoke at a rally in the Capitol Tuesday seeking to take back the states 10 electoral college votes already certified for Biden. Nonpartisan legislative attorneys have said such a maneuver is impossible. Rallygoers held signs that read Toss Vos during the demonstration, signifying the protesters criticism of the longtime Republican leader.

The following day, Brandtjen said Vos had referred several election-related bills meant for her committee to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs.

In a statement, Brandtjen took aim at Vos and Republican Sen. Kathy Bernier, who chairs the Senate elections committee, for severely downplaying the significance of the voter fraud that the elections committee, the special counsel, and numerous independent groups have uncovered.

To take away the Assembly Committee on Campaign and Elections ability to provide the level of scrutiny that these bills require, and the citizens of Wisconsin deserve, is unconscionable and irresponsible, Brandtjen said. My question is simple: What are Robin Vos and Kathy Bernier afraid of?

Brandtjens spokesperson Bill Savage said the office did not receive any communication from Vos before the bills were referred. The proposed legislation pertains to the states voter registration database, absentee ballot applications, indefinitely confined voter status and election fraud, among other measures.

Vos responds

In an email responding to Brandtjens criticism, Vos described the state affairs committee as the Legislatures most versatile, flexible committee, handling a myriad of issues in a very timely matter. Vos also pushed back against Brandtjens claim that the referral was done to kneecap her committee.

There is no kneecapping happening to Rep. Brandtjens committee, he said, adding that the plan is to bring the bills before the full Assembly for a vote next week.

Bernier, a former elections clerk who is not seeking reelection this fall, has been one of the few legislative Republicans defending the 2020 election results.

Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, previously described any ongoing effort to decertify the 2020 election, which has been accepted and counted by Congress, as the dumbest thing I have ever heard of in my life.

Vos disciplined Ramthun earlier this year by removing his lone staff member, but not for Ramthuns comments about who won the states 2020 election. Rather, the removal of Ramthuns staffer stemmed from his false accusations that Vos had signed a deal with attorneys for former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to authorize absentee ballot drop boxes, Vos office said.

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In the final State of the State address of his first term, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called on lawmakers to take up his plan to spend a portion of Wisconsins projected surplus on schools, caregivers and $150 checks for every resident in the state  a proposal Republicans plan to reject.

Evers, who is seeking a second term this November, also touted the billions of dollars of federal stimulus funds he has allocated over the course of the pandemic to businesses and farmers. Adding to that, he announced on Tuesday plans to spend $25 million of those funds to freeze tuition at University of Wisconsin System for two years and another $5 million to expand counseling and provide mental health programs for members of the Wisconsin National Guard.

Evers plans to sign an executive order Wednesday calling for a special session, which Republicans who control the Legislature have previously disregarded. Lawmakers are required to gavel in to a special session called by the governor, but they do not have to hold debate and can immediately adjourn.

Indifference in this building is getting expensive, folks. And let me be frank: The people who will bear the burden of inaction are almost certainly not the people sitting in this chamber tonight, Evers said in a packed Assembly chamber with Democrats masked and Republicans unmasked. So dont sit here in a white, marble building with state coffers that are full and tell Wisconsinites who are working hard every day that we cant afford to do more. Thats baloney.

In addition to sending $150 checks to every Wisconsinite, Evers proposal would also allocate more than $130 million in child care and caregiver tax credits and $750 million to schools.

Republicans have criticized Evers proposal as a reelection gimmick and have said they plan to use the states $3.8 billion projected surplus on tax cuts in the next budget process. Evers opposed election-year tax rebates when proposed by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker during his unsuccessful 2018 reelection bid.

It seems that what the governor is doing is trying to condition people to get checks from the government and what were looking at doing is making sure people get to keep their own money, not give it to the government and then the government sends it back, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, said after Evers speech.

In and out

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said the Senate will gavel in and immediately adjourn Evers special session, as Republicans have done in the past.

Other proposals announced by Evers dont require GOP approval, like plans to allocate $30 million for emergency medical service providers in the state and $15 million for mental health services in schools using federal funds.

This pandemic didnt just expose the need for us to expand access to rural health care, Evers said. It also highlighted that our kids need more mental health support in our schools, and this pandemic only made those needs more urgent.

He also unveiled plans to create a Blue Ribbon Commission on Veteran Opportunity to create additional supports for education and employment for the more than 300,000 veterans in the state.

Tonights address highlighted the fact that Governor Evers listens to the people of Wisconsin, Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, said in a statement. His investments in military personnel and veterans services, student mental health, and rural healthcare services show he is truly listening to the people of our state.

Steineke agreed that some of the priorities touched on by Evers are important, but added the real difference between us is how much we can afford to spend?

Evers speech comes as he seeks a second term this November with a campaign focused on the kitchen table issues that helped him unseat Walker in 2018. Republicans, who hold majorities in the Assembly and Senate and have clashed with Evers since before he took office, view the Nov. 8 general election as an opportunity to unseat the governor and reclaim full control of state government.

The Democratic governor has touted the accomplishments of his first three years, including increased spending on roads, broadband expansion and education. He also signed the states 2021-23 biennial budget last summer, which included more than $2 billion in GOP-authored income tax cuts. The budget also funds two-thirds of the cost of public schools, though it achieves that by largely cutting property taxes.

Vos fires back

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, declared Evers speech as another example of revisionist history.

Over the course of the past three years, Gov. Evers has never truly led on a single topic, Vos said. What we saw again tonight was the exact same empty rhetoric and campaign promises that are nothing more than focused on his 2022 reelection and not on what the real needs of Wisconsin are.  We need to figure out how to deal with inflation in the long term, not $150 one-time checks.

Republicans also criticized Evers for not mentioning crime in the state, a topic that GOP lawmakers have focused in on leading up to the 2022 election.

The soft-on-crime bail policies plaguing our state have put car thefts and murders in Milwaukee on pace to break records, LeMahieu said. Gov. Evers refuses to act while people around the state suffer. That is not the strong leadership Wisconsin needs.

A growing list of Republicans have lined up to challenge Evers this November, including former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and anti-establishment candidates Rep. Timothy Ramthun and Marine veteran Kevin Nicholson. Small-business owner and entrepreneur Jonathan Wichmann is also seeking the party nomination in the Aug. 9 primary.

Last year, Evers became the first governor in 74 years to not be physically present in the Capitol to deliver his address, which he delivered in a video message. Legislative Republicans viewed Evers address at the Capitol that year, with Vos delivering the GOP response from the Assembly dais where the governor usually speaks, another break from tradition.

Evers dedicated last years speech to the 5,000 Wisconsin residents who had died from the COVID-19 pandemic, a number that has since more than doubled. In his speech Evers lamented how things dont always go the way we planned.

If wed had our way, 11,637 Wisconsinites would still be here with us today  theyd be at our dinner tables, theyd be in our classrooms, our hospitals, our churches, our farms, and our factories, and theyd still be here celebrating more birthdays, more holidays and more milestones with us, Evers said.

Focus on workforce

Republicans have keyed in on the states ongoing workforce challenges this year, with Vos and Senate President Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, describing the labor shortage as one of the biggest struggles across our state in a State of the State invitation letter sent to Evers late last year.

A survey of 265 employers late last month by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the states largest business organization, found that 88% of respondents reported difficulty hiring enough employees, with the large majority of those business owners looking to wage increases to attract talent.

More than eight in 10 employers said they plan to raise wages by 3% or more this year. Just over one-third of respondents also said they planned to raise wages by more than 4% this year, an increase from the roughly 25% of respondents who made the same claim last summer.

Asked why they are having trouble hiring employees, 44% of respondents said it was because of a lack of qualified applicants, 36% blamed the labor shortage and 9% said it was due to overly generous unemployment benefits.

Meanwhile, Republicans who control the Legislature plan to vote in the Assembly this Thursday on a package of workforce-related bills that would, among other measures, tie the number of weekly unemployment benefits an individual could receive to the states overall unemployment rate. At the current rate, unemployed individuals would only be eligible for 14 weeks of benefits, which top out at $370 per week.

Other bills in the package would prohibit individuals who turn down job offers from receiving Medicaid coverage and require the state Department of Health Services to enforce a federal work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents in order to take part in the states FoodShare program, which helps people with limited money buy food.

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More than a year after Wisconsin launched a mobile app to alert people of exposure to COVID-19, many residents have signed up but its not clear how many close contacts of those testing positive have been notified.

Since WI Exposure Notification started in December 2020, the app has been downloaded or enabled nearly 2.2 million times, according to the state Department of Health Services. The state has nearly 5.9 million residents.

Through Bluetooth technology, phones with the app exchange anonymous signals with other phones with the app that are nearby for at least 15 minutes. Users who test positive for COVID-19 receive codes. If they enter the codes, their phones notify others who were near them when they may have been contagious.

More than 430,600 codes have been distributed, health department spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt said. But because of privacy concerns, the state doesnt track when people get exposure notifications, so its not clear how often the app has alerted close contacts.

However, we know informing close contacts so they can not only can get the help they need, but also avoid exposing others to the virus, is key to helping reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, Goodsitt said. Staying home when sick is one piece of a layered strategy that also includes getting vaccinated and getting a booster when eligible, wearing a mask, and getting tested will help keep our communities healthy.

Justin Singleton, an attorney who lives in Milwaukee and works in Waukesha, said he is puzzled by never having received an exposure notification. He said he has been near people who have tested positive for COVID-19, but hes not sure how many had the app.

Ive talked to a lot of people, and I dont know anybody who has gotten an actual exposure notification from it, Singleton said.

Goodsitt said the program has not cost the state any money, as it is a no-cost solution offered to states by Apple/Google.

Meanwhile, the state on Wednesday reported a daily average of 1,629 new cases of COVID-19, down from a daily average peak of 18,811 on Jan. 19, with the omicron variant surge having ebbed. All counties have very high case activity except for Douglas County in northwest Wisconsin, which has critically high activity.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association on Wednesday said 814 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, including 161 in intensive care, the lowest levels since August.

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Artists in New York can now get paid $1,000 a month to create  no strings attached. The Empire State is rolling out a $125 million program called Creatives Rebuild New York, which is intended to give artists more freedom to focus on their work without the burden of financial uncertainty.

To be eligible for the money, artists must be able to demonstrate financial need. Ultimately, 2,400 people will be accepted into the program and receive the stipend. Another 300 artists will receive jobs with community organizations that pay $65,000 per year.

The program bills itself as an investment in stability.

Artists need and deserve to be paid predictable and regular incomes, the website reads.

The initiative is yet another experiment in guaranteed income, a cousin of universal basic income (aka UBI). Both policies have been around for decades, but theyre gaining mainstream popularity again thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, which has exacerbated financial difficulties for millions of Americans, as well as support from outspoken political candidates like Andrew Yang.

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The idea is simple: Give people cash, without any restrictions or rules. The difference between UBI and guaranteed income is that the former generally distributes cash to broad swaths of people, while the latter tends to be targeted at specific groups, like artists or low-income folks.

Proponents of the policies say they can help reduce poverty and narrow the wealth gap by providing a financial cushion to help with basic needs and unexpected expenses. That reduces stress and makes it easier to stay out of debt, among lots of other benefits. Opponents say the policies are expensive, have the potential to undermine other social assistance programs and will discourage people from participating in the labor market.

Other states and cities have undertaken similar initiatives.

San Francisco and St. Paul, Minnesota, also have guaranteed income programs for artists, while Columbia, South Carolina, is piloting a program that will give $500 a month to fathers for two years. Durham, North Carolina, has a guaranteed income program aimed at formerly incarcerated people.

In 2018, the city of Stockton, California, tested a program that paid $500 per month to some of the citys lowest-income residents, which studies showed ultimately improved participants job prospects and health. A similar program is underway in Newark, New Jersey.

Of course, the federal government has recently employed the guaranteed income concept on a much larger scale through its COVID-19 stimulus checks and advance monthly payments of the expanded child tax credit.

A December analysis by Bloomberg CityLab found that at least 20 guaranteed income programs have started nationwide since 2018. The same report estimates that monthly payments of up to $1,000 are now reaching more than 5,400 people and families.

The deadline to submit applications for New Yorks new program is March 25. Participants will be announced in June.

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OAKLEY  Critchfield released her county co-chairs list which covers all 44 Idaho counties. Taking in every county in the state, election chairs will lead local efforts to elect Debbie. As for supporters, some are long time friends and others are new to the effort.

Ada County co-chair, S. Max Brown shared his support by saying, Idaho needs real solutions for our students. Education shouldnt be politicized. Improving the systems, instruction and options for our kids requires creativity and collaboration  bringing people together if we want meaningful results. To get it done, experience and credibility are required  Debbie has both.

Kootenai county co-chair, Casey Morrisoe adds, I have had the opportunity to interact with Debbie on many occasions in my role as a school board trustee. She has always been accessible and willing to engage to find solutions to improve the educational opportunities and outcomes for Idaho students. Debbie has the right blend of experience, dedication, vision, and leadership to serve Idaho as State Superintendent.

After doing my research and meeting with Debbie, I believe in her mission for education here in Idaho, Lewis County co-chair Kellie Hunt shares after joining the team.

Organizational efforts continue to grow with one or more point person in each county. Critchfield is excited by the grass roots efforts occurring statewide. This campaign continues to be energized by local support and participation and motivated volunteers.

Bonneville county co-chair, Doug Swanson summed up his push to elect Debbie by noting, Critchfield is for our children, our future.

Campaign Grassroots Chair Ashley Brittain Aven says the first thing I noticed about Debbie is that she is willing to work harder than anyone else to ensure that every child receives a quality education. I am so excited to help spread her message across the state, to finally give Idaho education the support it deserves.

The full list will be posted on Critchfields website debbie4Idaho.com.

Debbie Critchfield is a Republican candidate for Idaho State Superintendent of Public instruction. She is a proud parent, former Chair of the Cassia County Joint School District Board of Trustees, and the former President of the Idaho State Board of Education. Learn more about her campaign at debbie4idaho.com

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The Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber Ambassadors hosted a ribbon cutting at Magic Valley Elite All Star Cheer to commemorate their grand opening.

They are located at 1414 Overland Ave. and can be reached at 208-293-6282. This is the second location for Sara Weber, who also has a location in Twin Falls.
BURLEY  A Boise man is charged with attempted first-degree murder after police said he strangled and beat a woman at an Interstate 84 rest area in Cassia County.

Michael Ray Ramsey, 39, is also charged with felony counts of battery with the intent to commit a serious felony, unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, drug trafficking in methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Court records say the Cassia County Sheriffs Office was called on Feb. 10 to the westbound I-84 rest area and port of entry at milepost 229. When police arrived, they found a woman in the drivers seat of a red Tesla with fresh and dried blood on her face and bruising and swelling on her neck, forehead and around her eye.

Clumps of the womans hair were found outside the vehicle and in the passengers seat, police said.

The woman told officers she was traveling from Salt Lake City to Idaho when she began having trouble with her vehicles battery.

The woman said she had a phone conversation with Ramsey and told him about the vehicle trouble. He told her he was concerned for her safety. She told police she told him she would meet him in Twin Falls and that she did not really want to meet with him and she was afraid of him due to his previous violent behavior.

The woman said Ramsey showed up at the rest stop in a silver GMC SUV with a passenger in his vehicle.

Ramsey got into the Tesla on the passengers side and began talking to the woman before he grabbed her by the neck and began strangling her, she said. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the passengers seat, where he continued to strangle her and began striking her in the face, court records said. The woman said he also put his hand over her nose and mouth while applying pressure around her neck.

The woman said her vision blurred but she did not pass out. She was able to get away and kick open the drivers door.

She told police Ramsey then got out of the vehicle and got back into his SUV and drove away.

The woman got back into her vehicle and called 911. She found that Ramsey had dropped his phone in her car. She was able to unlock it and found a text conversation where Ramsey said he was going to put her in a dumpster, court records said.

The woman said hed previously made a statement about dumping her at the dairy.

Idaho State Police found Ramsey in Jerome. Police reported finding a 9 mm handgun, 216 grams of a white substance and six used drug smoking devices in his SUV, they said.

A preliminary hearing is set for Friday in Cassia County Magistrate Court.

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TWIN FALLS  An eye-opening commemoration of the nations internment of Japanese Americans during World War II will be presented on Saturday, Sunday and Monday at three southern Idaho venues.

Eighty years ago this month, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the forced removal of 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes on the West Coast because they  two-thirds of whom were American citizens  were deemed a threat to national security. Nearly 13,000 of those who were ripped from their homes were held at the Minidoka Relocation Center north of Eden.

Latter generations condemned the governments actions and, encouraged by the Japanese-American community for more than a decade, Congress created the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which gave surviving Japanese Americans reparations. In addition, President Ronald Reagan formally apologized for the countrys actions taken nearly 50 years prior.

But the resulting wounds to the Japanese American community  and the American psyche  have yet to heal.

Jon Osakis 2019 film Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066, which will be screened in Twin Falls, Ketchum and Boise, calls Roosevelts order a scandal of epic proportions and a complete failure in democracy.

The film exposes the lies used to justify the order and the cover-up that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, publicity statements say. The film also examines the parallels to the current climate of fear, attitudes towards immigrant communities, and similar attempts to abuse the powers of the government.

In 2016, Osaki took his family on a pilgrimage to the Tule Lake, California, Relocation Center, where his father and his wifes parents had been incarcerated during the second world war.

The pilgrimage had a deep impact on my children to be able to stand on the site where their grandparents were incarcerated, he said.

Osaki took a video of his family at Tule Lake and later put it together with old footage of his father and father-in-law talking about their experiences at the Tule Lake internment camp.

While doing research to make sure I had all my facts straight, he said in a related video, I came across a report called Personal Justice Denied. When I started reading this report, I was shocked at how much I didnt know.

Later during that election year, he saw growing indications of history repeating itself through the nations fear of immigrants.

The incarceration of Japanese Americans is about a story of the unwanted immigrant, Osaki said.

It never occurred to me that the incarceration of Japanese Americans could one day be weaponized and used to justify taking actions against another group, he said, and it was at that point that I decided I needed to do something about it.

And this film is me doing something about it.

After the film presentations, Osaki and community leaders will participate in panels to discuss lessons learned from Executive Order 9066.

The presentations are free, but space is limited.

Today more than ever, Americans need to know the truth, the films trailer says. They need to know that not only were Japanese Americans rounded up and incarcerated based on completely false information but that the government knew it. These facts were deliberated covered up for decades.

Minidoka Historic Site to hold grand opening of new visitors center on Saturday Seventy-eight years ago, FDR authorized the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans at so-called relocation camps across the nation, including the Hunt Camp in Jerome, where a new visitor center opens Saturday.

Hunt Camp chief interpreter to talk about Japanese American war incarceration Minidoka National Historic Site Hunt Camp interpreter to talk about the Japanese American incarceration at the Minidoka County Historical Museum.

Return to Minidoka: Hunt Camp pilgrims gather to pay honors Mira Nakashima was in her mothers womb when the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service bombed Pearl Harbor, launching the United States into World War II.

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BOISE  Crisis standards of care have been deactivated in the three Idaho health districts that make up much of the southern part of the state, officials announced Tuesday afternoon.

The entire state is now free of the crisis designation as the omicron wave wanes, even though hospitals are still facing large numbers of severely ill patients.

Crisis standards had been reactivated in much of Southern Idaho  Southwest District Health, Central District Health and South Central Public Health  on Jan. 24. Hospitals faced large numbers of employees calling out sick, as well as a nationwide blood supply shortage and an influx of patients.

The staffing and blood supply issues have stabilized, said Dave Jeppesen, the director of the Department of Health and Welfare, on Tuesday.

The omicron waves effect on hospitals has not completely passed, though, and many are operating at contingency standards, which is one step below crisis standards.

It will be some time before health care systems return to full normal operations, Jeppesen said.

The states declining test positivity rate still stands at 25.1% for the week of Jan. 30, which is five times the figure aimed for by health officials to indicate control of a respiratory virus.

Thousands of new Idaho infections are still being reported each day, and local health districts continue to work through a backlog of more than 32,000 positive tests that have not been processed in recent weeks.

Since early February, the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units has risen, even as the number of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 has decreased, according to state data. As of Feb. 10, there were 118 COVID-19 patients in intensive care and 484 patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in Idaho hospitals.

Health care systems in the state remain very stretched, Jeppesen said. We are not out of the woods yet, he said.
BOISE  Idaho retailers are hoping the Legislature will give the green light to lowering the age a teenager can serve or handle alcohol on the job from 19 years of age to 17 to help with the labor crisis facing businesses across the state.

Pam Eaton, president and chief executive officer of the Idaho Retailers Association, presented Senate Bill 1308 to the Senate State Affairs Committee on Friday and said the change would immediately help restaurants and other establishments that serve alcohol. Under existing Idaho law, workers who are 19 and older can sell, serve, possess and dispense liquor, beer and wine as part of their employment. It does not permit alcohol to be sold or distributed to the worker.

Between COVID(-19) and the labor shortage, our industry has been hit as hard, if not harder than most industries throughout Idaho, Eaton said. Im bringing forward this (bill) because its something easy that can be done that could go a long way in helping these industries today with what theyre facing.

Businesses across the state have reported struggles with hiring over the past year as Idahos unemployment rate continued to drop to historically low levels. Amid all of that, Eaton said teenagers are the one group of employees that businesses have been able to hire in recent months. The association had considered a proposal to lower the age to 16 but thought the Legislature might be more willing to accept 17 as the threshold.

Only Maine has alcoholic serving age set at 17

According to the Alcohol Policy Information System, most states across the country set the age to serve beer, wine and liquor at 18, while others such as Alaska and Utah set the age at 21. If Idaho lowered the age to 17, it would join Maine as one of two states with that age limit. Some states require a supervisor to be present for the teenager to legally serve alcohol, but Idaho does not.

Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, said he had some reservations about the idea, and asked if the teenagers in question would be working under Idahos training wage, which is a minimum of $4.25 per hour that can be paid to employees under 20 years of age for the first 90 calendar days of employment.

Eaton said she doesnt think any teenagers working in retail jobs across Idaho right now are making the training wage because of the shortage. Workers are needed and they are being paid well, she said.

Burgoyne also asked why the bill did not include a sunset clause that would revert the age back to 19 when the pandemic and labor shortages have receded. Eaton said she didnt think it was necessary because the change would open more doors to teen workers.

This is actually giving the opportunity for teenagers to access a greater variety of positions and actually help them work their way up in the business much quicker than they can today, because there are so many areas in our businesses where its just too difficult to have a teenager work in those positions because of our current laws, Eaton said.

The committee voted to introduce the bill, and it could be heard in the coming days of the session.

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Its our job to define morality in this state, declared Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, in early February. The debate was about taxes for same-sex couples. If she represents the dogma of a religion, she could be correct. However, in a legislature, she is misinterpreting the constitutional role of the body.

Websters defines morality as the principles defining the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. Ethics are moral principles that define a persons activity or the conducting of an activity. Dogma is the principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true. Our founders only used the language of dogma, attributed to our Creator, in the Declaration of Independence. We are endowed by our Creator with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. By tradition and popular preference, we consider that God is the nations guide in seeking to forge a peaceful society. Some, using Christian theology as dogma, evoke the name of Jesus as the same thing as God. Others use different terms for the Creator, but God is generally accepted.

I crafted the former paragraph with care. It is important to remember that our constitution is not dogma; it is civil law. The religions taught by the many religious institutions influence the content of our laws. Each person has the freedom to consider their religions beliefs superior to public morality and ethics unless our laws forbid it. Morality and ethics are human rationality applied to rulemaking.

Dogma and civil law often collide with an individuals preferences for their life. Other ways of doing things are tempting and giving in to that temptation produces guilt. Civil laws, through due process, determine punishment for that guilt. When noticed by the authority proclaiming the dogma, disobedience results in censure and even separation from the group.

Prohibition was an attempt to remove temptation from those who misused alcohol. A society or nation living by religious law attempts to banish any attractive alternatives from the group. Removing displays of the naked body in various ways is thought to remove the temptations associated with lust. The literature of Science Fiction often depicts societies ruled by moral dogma, and the storys tension revolves around the attempt to impose dogma or rebel against it. Utopia, it seems, is impossible to achieve.

Idaho has a significant minority of citizens who sincerely believe that the bible is the basis of the law or that it should be. English common law formed the base of our judicial system. A secular institution writes the laws, administers the laws, and judges the application of the laws. Interested citizens debate and vote on the substance of enacted law.

Our state and federal constitutions protect the right of individuals to live within their religious beliefs, with few exceptions. We are allowed our beliefs, preferences, and traditions if we do not injure others. When there is conflict, the law steps in, hopefully without bias.

I do not want to diminish the thought that every individual is more content believing in a higher power. Knowing that I am not God prevents me from all sorts of problems. Knowing that God loves me as much as anyone else on this planet prevents me from assuming unwarranted privilege. It is essential for our civil law to consider loving God and our neighbor. I accept that as dogma.

I believe that I understand why Heather Blanchard spoke as she did. Tax policy often promotes social goals. The promotion of families with children and stable relationships is one reason for tax policy to give an advantage to marriage. If you think same-sex marriage is wrong, you wouldnt want the couple to have the gift. Federal law now disagrees. Individuals may have different beliefs, but civil law rules.

Living in a representative democracy requires us to respect each others religious beliefs and obey our civil laws. It requires the majority of people to make the laws. Unlike an autocratic government, we also protect the rights of the minority.

The religious war must stop. The cultural war must stop. We can have differences, and we may not decide to cede to the other side. In any debate about what everybody must do, we must ask ourselves what harms us if our neighbors beliefs differ from ours. Correcting some harm in a fair way should be the only basis for law.

Linda Brugger, retired from the Air Force Reserve, leaning Democrat and community activist can be reached at IdahoAuthor@outlook.com.

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The matter at hand: Where will the future litigation proceedings on reversion be held and who will hear them.

The verdict: Before a three-judge panel in Martinsville Circuit Court.
As the country recovers from the COVID-19 recession, numerous questions are being raised about the future course of the economy. One of them involves international trade. While international trade has been embraced in recent decades, questions are being asked about its relative benefits and costs. It may be time to have a new debate about trading with other countries.

In general, economists strongly support all forms of trade. Indeed, trade is a key  some may say, the key  part of the economy. Trade is based on the idea of specialization. Individuals have different talents and skills. If individuals specialize in what they do best, and then trade with others having different skills, then trading can make everyone better off.

When I was teaching introductory economics to undergraduates, heres the example I used. Assume Darius is a great cook, but knows nothing about fixing vehicles. Darius neighbor, Leslie, has a father who is a mechanic, so she knows much about vehicle repair, but she never found cooking to be fun.

One day, Darius finds his car wont start. He could try to find the problem himself, but this would likely be a waste of his time. Darius remembers Leslies skill with engines. He asks Leslie if she would look at his car, and in exchange, hell cook her a fabulous meal. Leslie happily agrees. She quickly finds the problem with Darius car is simply a loose connection. After making the repair, she sits down to a home-cooked meal of grilled chicken, twice-baked potatoes and salad covered by Darius secret dressing.

What happened here was both Darius and Leslie used their expertise in cooking and car repair to trade services. Theyre both better off as a result.

Specialization and trade are pervasive in our economy and  economists argue  these concepts allow us to get the most from our resources, which leads to a higher standard of living.

Specialization and trading can also be used to explain international trade. If Country A can make trucks cheaper than Country B, but Country B can make clothing less costly than Country A, then theres a natural motivation for A to trade trucks to B in exchange for clothing. Both get trucks and clothing, but at a cheaper cost than if each produced trucks and clothing on their own.

When I was in college 50 years ago studying economics, this was the view of international trade. It was viewed as simply an extension of domestic trade between people and companies. International trade, like domestic trade, allowed the economic pie to grow larger.

As a result, over the last quarter century, the U.S. has entered several agreements that fostered free and unfettered international trade. Two important ones for North Carolina were NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and an agreement to allow China to join the World Trade Organization.

Proponents said these agreements would lower costs to consumers, and studies show they did. But studies reveal there were also significant job losses in many manufacturing sectors, including in North Carolina. Textiles, apparel and furniture  industries that propelled North Carolina throughout much of the 20th century  were devastated as foreign producers with much lower costs undercut them on price. Many workers who were released had to take jobs in lower-paying service sectors. Middle-income jobs shrunk while higher-income and lower-income jobs grew. The result was widening income inequality.

Federal programs were established to help displaced workers, but they werent enough to prevent many workers, households and communities from falling behind.

Theres another worry about international trade, particularly with China. China is now our largest trading partner for products. However, China sells $300 billion more each year in products to us than we sell to them. Some worry this trade surplus is helping China develop its military and espionage capabilities that could be used against our country and our allies.

The conclusion is there are significant socioeconomic and political implications to international trade that make the simplistic view I was taught 50 years ago outdated. Does this mean we should reduce foreign trade and rebuild the industries we have lost, even if it means we may pay more for products? You decide.

Mike Walden is a William Neal Reynolds distinguished professor emeritus at N.C. State University.
The kingdom of Jordan will start exporting electricity to Lebanon, hit by the energy crisis, from next month.

Minister of Energy Saleh Al-Kharabsheh made the announcement Tuesday, adding that a funding agreement with the World Bank has been finalized.

Both countries signed on Jan. 28 two agreements allowing Lebanon to import electricity from Jordan through Syria in an effort to alleviate its energy crisis, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) notes.

The first agreement is to provide Lebanon with 250 megawatts while the second was signed with the Syrian regime to use its network for the electricity bound for its coastal neighbor, the media adds.

Lebanon is currently unable to meet its domestic demand in electricity estimated at more than 3,000 megawatts.

The shortage has led to a crisis that has been exacerbated by the countrys economic meltdown.
Egypt and Yemen have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in several fields including oil, natural gas, and mining, Arab Finance reports.

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek El Molla signed the agreement with his Yemeni Abdul Salam Baaboud on the sidelines of the 5th edition of the Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS).

Also per the agreement, both countries will exchange practical, technical, and technological expertise in the oil and gas sector.

EGYPS, a three-day event, is taking place in Cairo during the period from February 14th until February 16th, under the theme North Africa and the Mediterranean: Delivering Energy Today.
In an audio document authenticated by several sources, UFR leader Timan Erdimi speaks with a special minister and advisor to the Central African Republic president, Aboulkhassim Algoni Tidjani. The Chadian rebel leader can be heard expressing his desire to convince the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, which is very active in the Central African Republic where it intervenes alongside the government of that country, to help him oust the president of the Transitional Military Committee in Chad, Mahamat Idriss Deby

Who leaked this audio document on social networks a few days ago? Why did it happen? Many questions remain unanswered so far.

In the recording, the rebel also refers to his contacts with the Central African Minister of Agriculture, and even announces that he tried to reach President Michel-Archange Touadera, who was at the AU summit in Addis Ababa ten days ago, without success.

For the Chadian government, one thing is clear: there is no question of sitting at the same table as Timan Erdimi, who wants to make a pact with the Wagner group, the devil in its eyes. He now believes that the leader of the UFR has excluded himself from the Doha pre-dialogue. Under the pretext that he wants to chase France, he wants to chase the Transitional Military Council. But if Timan Erdimi is capable of making a pact with the devil to come and sow trouble, to come and sow destabilization in the country, this is an extremely serious thing. We will not accept that this man who plans to wage war at a time when people want to make peace can attend a pre-dialogue, said spokesman Abderaman Koulamallah.

For this, he relies on the special technical committee and Qatar, which is responsible for organizing the pre-dialogue with Chadian armed groups scheduled to take place in Doha in a dozen days.

The Chadian government also points to the link between Timan Erdimi and a special advisor to the Central African president who is also the minister of agriculture. It is surprised to see him in possession of Faustin-Archange Touaderas telephone number

The Chadian government now believes that the UFR leader excluded himself from the Doha pre-dialogue and is demanding an explanation from Bangui.
The junta leader Paul-Henri Damiba visited two regions hard hit by terrorism to encourage soldiers engaged in the fight against jihadists.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba visited Toeni, in the Boucle du Mouhoun, Ouahigouya and Solle in northern Burkina Faso on Monday.

This visit, which was kept secret until early evening, was announced on the 8 oclock news on national television. These locations have suffered several terrorist attacks, killing dozens of civilians and military personnel.

In Ouagadougou, this visit by the new leader of Faso has raised a lot of hope among the population.

It was normal for him to go there, he is the first of the Burkinabe, he had to go on the ground, take the temperature of the situation, galvanize the troops and meet the local population. This trip is welcome. It is timely, added a Burkinabe.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba is to be sworn in on Wednesday before the Constitutional Council as President of Faso, Head of State, Supreme Chief of the Armed Forces.
An opposition figure in Zimbabwe, former Finance minister Tendai Biti, was detained Monday for several hours while campaigning for parliamentary by-elections in Harare, a spokeswoman for his party said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the 2017 successor to Robert Mugabe who ruled with an iron fist for 37 years, is regularly accused of trying to muzzle any dissenting opinion. Mr. Bitis arrest has reignited fears of a new wave of arrests of opposition members.

Biti, vice president of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), formerly the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-Alliance), was arrested by three police officers while campaigning in a suburb of the capital, said party spokeswoman Fadzayi Mahere.

He was taken to the police station and eventually released without charge, Mahere said, denouncing an arbitrary arrest.

Parliamentary by-elections are scheduled in March to fill 133 local and parliamentary seats, a test vote before the 2023 general elections.

Bitis arrest comes a day after the current president attempted a show of force with a large party rally in Harare during which he firmly stated that the country was not ready for the opposition to ever come to power.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Expectant parents are encountering misinformation about children's vaccinations on social media and in small inner circles because they feel inadequately informed by some healthcare professionals who lack sensitivity, according to new research.

Pregnancy should be an ideal time to provide education on both pregnancy and childhood vaccinations but a new study at Flinders University looking at the reasons behind jab refusals has highlighted the immediate need to provide more information and improved education on vaccinations.

Published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, a review of thirty-one existing papers from high to middle income countries from around the world, including Australia, determined concerns about vaccine safety cause considerable anxiety amongst expectant parents with fears of adverse reactions and long-term side effects.

Measles has resurfaced recently in Australia largely due to pockets of low immunization uptake. Despite the potential of death associated with Measles, it's often considered by parents to be a minor childhood illness, according to the authors.

Lead author of the study, Susan Smith from the College of Nursing & Health Sciences, says poor healthcare relationships can result in vaccine refusal because of safety and other concerns.

"In Australia for example, childhood immunization uptake is high recently, achieving over 95% coverage for five-year-old children, but there is significant uptake shortfall in some communities, as well as in the uptake of antenatal immunisations. This shortfall in immunization uptake suggests varying degrees of vaccine hesitancy," says Mrs Smith.

"The research indicates multiple factors influence decisions to accept or reject vaccines based on perceived safety concerns including false reports of autism links in the case of measles concerningly persist despite significant evidence to debunk this theory.

Importantly, some healthcare professionals report feeling inadequately prepared for the role of immunization promotion and provision so we can safely assume they feel further training and t support is needed."

The review also reveals that education and support in vaccine decision making is best provided during pregnancy for expectant mums, and midwives are best placed to deliver information, but many feel underprepared for this role.

"There is no doubt that educating and informing parents is a complex task so improved healthcare provider education, and a consistent approach may help in addressing this.

Australia has adopted a consistent approach by refusing to accept non-medical exemptions to vaccination, however, this is not the case in other countries. Eighteen states in the U.S. still allow non-medical reasons for exemption, including religious and philosophical reasons for vaccine exemptions which don't help build confidence.

The research also shows the desire for a more natural lifestyle, often described as salutogenic parenting, has been associated with hesitancy around vaccination.

"Parents have reported using a focus on health and wellbeing parenting as a means of supporting the wellbeing of children and this is an area where healthcare professionals are well placed to address concerns and correct misinformation."

Explore further Expectant first-time mothers uncertain about vaccinating their children

More information: Susan E. Smith et al, Decision making in vaccine hesitant parents and pregnant women  An integrative review, International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances (2022). Susan E. Smith et al, Decision making in vaccine hesitant parents and pregnant women  An integrative review,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnsa.2022.100062
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Stories of stress and burnout among healthcare workers, particularly nurses, continue to make news during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, new research shows these mental health problems could be contributing to decreased quality of patient care.

The study, published recently in the journal Healthcare, found that the more severe the mental health symptoms reported by nurses, the more likely they will rate the quality of care in their work units in hospitals, long-term care homes and community health centers as poor.

We spoke to lead author Dr. Farinaz Havaei, an assistant professor of nursing at UBC, about these findings and what they mean for nursing care during COVID-19 and beyond.

How did you come up with your conclusions?

My colleagues and I relied on data from two surveys of nurses working in B.C. conducted in a partnership between UBC nursing researchers and the B.C. Nurses Union. The first survey was completed in December 2019 and involved 5,512 nurses, and the second survey was done in June 2020 and attracted 4,523 nurses.

Nurses were asked to assess their anxiety, depression, PTSD and burnout, ranging from none to mild, moderate or severe. They were also asked to rate the overall safety of their primary unit, on a scale ranging from "failing" to "excellent," to rate the general quality of nursing care they delivered to patients with options ranging from "poor" to "excellent," and to state how likely they would recommend their unit to friends and family for care, on a scale ranging from "definitely no" to "definitely yes."

What trends and patterns did you find most striking?

Nurses rated quality of care during the pandemic lower compared to the pre-pandemic periodsomething that likely reflects their heavier workloads during the pandemic. In fact, one study of Canadian nurses showed that nurses reported walking longer distances to work during COVID-19, as well as increased mental workloads, and more instances of missed patient care.

What's even more troubling is that the more significant their mental health symptoms, the lower their ratings of quality and safetyboth before and during the pandemic. For example, when nurses reported high emotional exhaustion, their ratings of quality and safety of patient care delivery dropped eightfold.

For us, this highlights how closely linked nurses' health and patients' health really is.

What are your recommendations in light of these results?

Our findings show that lower mental health among nurses is associated with lower ratings of quality of care and safety, and vice versa. These findings also support longstanding issues in the nursing workforce that have been reported for decades and worsened by the pandemic.

Providing safe, quality patient care is impossible without a healthy nursing workforce. We should pay close attention to work environment factors such as heavy workloads and inadequate staffing that are known risk factors to nurses' mental health.

We also recommend that nurses' mental health should be included as part of a comprehensive set of quality indicators in hospitals, tracked over time and publicly reported in an aggregated format. Patients and members of the public can then use the information to identify high-performing healthcare organizations.

Nurse have been on the front lines of our COVID-19 response for more than two years now. We urgently need to protect their mental health for their wellbeing and that of the communities that they serve.

More information: Farinaz Havaei et al, The Association between Mental Health Symptoms and Quality and Safety of Patient Care before and during COVID-19 among Canadian Nurses, Healthcare (2022). Farinaz Havaei et al, The Association between Mental Health Symptoms and Quality and Safety of Patient Care before and during COVID-19 among Canadian Nurses,(2022). DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10020314
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Farmers' mental health was already at a critical point prior to COVID-19, which widened existing cracks in support according to new research.

Researchers from the University of Reading, the University of Exeter and Sheffield University found that while COVID-19 led to worsening mental health among farmers, those surveyed said that they were already struggling prior to the pandemic. Incoming changes to the basic payment system to support farmers following Brexit were a major factor for worsening mental health, alongside heightening issues such as isolation, bureaucracy, and climatic conditions.

MPs, agricultural leaders and academics heard today about results from the Landscapes of Support for Farming Mental Health project, which was funded by the ESRC in response to the global pandemic and the impact it had on farmers.

Neil Parish MP, Chair or the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee who attended the presentation of the research said:

"I'm glad to be attending this workshop tackling mental health issues in rural communities. Farmers and others in these communities often face stress caused by isolation, insecure incomes and unpredictable weather.

"My parliamentary committee has launched an inquiry into rural mental health and I'm hoping we'll learn valuable lessons from the 'Landscapes' project.

"Expert research into this issue from the 'Landscapes' team and others will help inform the recommendations we'll eventually make to the Government about how its support to rural communities on mental health matters can be improved."

Dr. David Rose, Elizabeth Creak Associate Professor of Agricultural Innovation and Extension at the University of Reading who led the research said:

"Like many people in society, COVID-19 had a profound effect on the agricultural community, but one of the biggest impacts was to widen the already existing cracks between farmers and their support networks, and exacerbated the poor mental health that many farmers were already experiencing.

"COVID itself was just the tip of the iceberg, with the biggest change to agriculture as a result of Brexit beginning in January 2021. Against the backdrop of huge regulatory change, the first wave of the global pandemic was especially hard on farmers with the driest spring on record, the removal of formal and informal support networks and major shifts in patterns of consumption and demand."

Charities, trade and governmental bodies normally play an important role in supporting agricultural communities, but the research highlights how usual touch points for those services and informal help were unavailable.

During the presentation, the research team identified how the wide range of formal and informal sources of support are usually available for farmers. They noted that formal support channels are often signposted by peers, friends, and roles such as vets or merchants.

Charities and organizations that support farmer welfare suffered major loss of income and affecting of services like many in the third sector. The team also found that the unique context that farmers and families who often live in isolated, rural communities face contributed to mental health stressors.

Dr. Caroline Nye, Research Fellow at the Centre for Rural Policy Research at the University of Exeter said:

"Formal support systems for the agricultural community have long played a vital role towards maintaining not only business resilience but also personal wellbeing. The challenges currently faced by farmers continue to put pressure on their business, their resources, and their health.

"It is important to understand how farmers might best be supported into the future, and how support organizations' sustainability is impacted by major crises like COVID-19, as the sector faces some of the most important transitions in agriculture of this generation."

Dr. Ruth Little, Lecturer in Human Geography and member of the Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield said:

"In addition to COVID-19, post-Brexit policy uncertainty weighs heavily on the minds of farmers and their familiesit has created a 'perfect storm' in terms of fuelling stress and anxiety. This project points to important evidence on both the need for support mechanisms to be in place and indicates ways to ensure that this support is effective, well-funded and as joined up as possible."

Due to particular demands that rural agricultural communities face, the researchers recommend that mental health first aiders are urgently trained to provide signposting and support for farmers. Furthermore, the shift to online provision for many support services and charities makes the digital divide on broadband access more urgent to ensure that provision can reach farmers, their families and supporters.

Explore further COVID fallout hit farmers hard, and they need better mental health support
Credit: The Conversation

Depression in young people is vastly undertreated. About two-thirds of depressed youth don't receive any mental health care at all. Of those who do, a significant proportion rely on antidepressant medications.

Since 2003, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned that young people might experience suicidal thinking and behavior during the first months of treatment with antidepressants.

The FDA issued this warning to urge clinicians to monitor suicidal thoughts at the start of treatment. These warnings appear everywhere: on TV and the internet, in print ads and news stories. The most strongly worded warnings appear in black boxes on medication containers themselves.

We are professors and researchers at Harvard Medical School, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and University at Buffalo. For over 30 years, we have been studying the intended and unintended effects of health policies on patient safety.

We have found that FDA drug warnings can sometimes prevent life-threatening adverse effects, but that unintended consequences of these warnings are also common. In 2013, working for the FDA itself, we published a systematic review of the effects of previous FDA warnings on a variety of medications. We found that about a third backfired, resulting in underuse of needed care and other adverse effects.

In our more recent study from 2020, we found that the FDA antidepressant warnings have led to reduced mental health care and increased suicides among youtheven though researchers have yet to find a clear link between antidepressants and increased suicidality in young people.

Further, despite the warnings, monitoring by clinicians of suicidal thoughts at the start of treatment has not increased from its tiny rate of less than 5%.

Youth suicides rose following FDA warnings

For our 2020 study, we obtained 28 years of data, between 1990 and 2017, on actual suicide deaths in the U.S. among adolescents and young adults. We used data from the WONDER Database, maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which contains mortality counts based on death certificates for U.S. residents and population counts for all U.S. counties.

We found that during the pre-warning period, there was a 13-year stable downward trend in youth suicides, following availability of new and safer antidepressants.

That trend reversed, we found, soon after the FDA began antidepressant warnings in late 2003. Youth suicide deaths increased significantly.

Then we applied our findings to the whole U.S. population of adolescents and young adults. The results of that analysis suggest that there were almost 6,000 additional suicide deaths in just the first six years after the FDA issued the boxed warnings, from 2005 through 2010. The rates also continued to rise thereafter.

Over this same time period, older adultswhose depression is not targeted by the warningsexperienced much lower increases in suicide.

Credit: The Conversation

Fewer depressed youths got treatment

Our findings align with a growing body of research that confirms these warnings have had serious unintended effects: scaring many patients, as well as their parents and doctors, away from both antidepressant medications and psychotherapy that can reduce major symptoms of depression.

These studies include a rigorous 2017 study that analyzed mental health care trends among 11 million youths who rely on Medicaid for insurance coverage. This research documented that immediately after the FDA warnings began in 2003, there was a sudden and sustained 30%40% drop in youth visits to doctors for all depression care, including antidepressant prescriptions.

Seven years after the first FDA warning, doctor visits for depression by young people had dropped by around 50%, compared with the pre-warning trend, thus severely reducing treatment and suicide prevention.

That trend included Black and Latino youths, who have already long suffered from undertreatment.

Almost simultaneously, youth poisonings via prescription drugs, such as sleeping pills, went up. Research has shown that prescribed medications are a widespread method by which young people attempt suicide. This finding adds to the evidence that the antidepressant warnings increased suicidal behavior.

In 2018, researchers reported on two patients in their 20s whose experiences illustrate the potential real-life impacts of the black-box warnings. Both young adults had been prescribed antidepressants for major depression and severe panic attacks, but they refused to take them because of the FDA's message.

Their conditions worsened, and eventually both attempted suicide. Fortunately, family members were able to intervene in time, and each young adult was then hospitalized.

After they accepted the reassurances of hospital psychiatrists that the benefits of the medications would likely exceed any risks, both patients began to take their prescribed antidepressants. These medications, combined with talk therapy, alleviated their symptoms without intensifying suicidal thoughts.

Reevaluating the warnings

As scientists, we are trained to always seek potential alternative explanationssome additional factor not included in the researchthat could explain the reduction in care or increase in suicides that we and others have recorded in our studies.

However, the sudden, simultaneous and large effectsall of which directly reduced treatment and increased suicidal behaviorstrongly suggest this is not a coincidence. It is unlikely that any outside factor can account for the multiple parallel effects on depression care, suicidal behavior and suicide deaths.

A large and growing body of evidence shows that the FDA's black-box warnings on antidepressants need to be reevaluated.

More generally, there's a need for independent researchers to monitor the effects of FDA warnings on public healthboth intended and unintended.

Explore further Suicide deaths among youth following antidepressant boxed warnings

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Gay and lesbian adults have greater confidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and are more likely to be vaccinated than heterosexuals, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Based on survey data, more than 94 percent of non Hispanic white gay men reported being vaccinated, but vaccinations were found to be lowestat 57.9 percentamong non Hispanic Black lesbian women.

The University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health contributed to the report that could help public health experts address lingering vaccine hesitancies in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The LGBT population often works in places that risk coronavirus exposure, and are more likely to have health conditions, such as heart disease, certain cancers, smoking and obesity, that could make them severely ill if they were to contract COVID-19. But it's difficult to know how vaccination efforts have impacted the population because most immunization records don't collect information on sexual orientation or gender identity.

"Race intersects powerfully with sexual orientation and gender," said Noel Brewer, Gillings Distinguished Professor of Health Behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health who co-authored the report. "Our findings show that almost all white gay men were vaccinated against COVID-19, but only a little more than half of Black lesbians got the vaccine. Public health experts can use this insight to tailor education and outreach strategies."

The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report cites data analyzed from a national COVID-19 immunization survey of more than 143,000 adults conducted between August 2021 and October 2021.

The survey asked whether participants described their sexual orientation as heterosexual or straight, lesbian or gay, bisexual, or something else; and whether they identified as transgender or non-binary.

Results indicate that 85.4 percent of people who identified as gay or lesbian received one or more dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 76.3 percent of heterosexual respondents. Bisexual adults had the same rate of vaccination as heterosexuals.

A higher percentage of gay, lesbian or bisexual adults were concerned about COVID-19 and felt positive about the importance and safety of vaccination compared to heterosexuals.

Higher percentages of transgender and non-binary respondents also believed the vaccine offered important protection compared to cisgender respondents.

Rates did not differ based on race or ethnicity among transgender, non-binary or cisgender respondents.

Additional research could help determine if differences in vaccination rates are associated with race, socioeconomic or health care access issues.

"The difference in COVID-19 vaccination rates between white gay men and Black lesbian women is one of the largest we have seen," Brewer said. "If vaccine surveillance efforts focus on capturing more precise information, it would help local public health agencies overcome barriers that prevent LGBT people from getting the vaccines they need."

Explore further People living with HIV need tailored COVID-19 vaccination information

More information: A.D. McNaghten et al, COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Vaccine Confidence by Sexual Orientation and Gender IdentityUnited States, August 29October 30, 2021, MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2022). Journal information: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report A.D. McNaghten et al, COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Vaccine Confidence by Sexual Orientation and Gender IdentityUnited States, August 29October 30, 2021,(2022). DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7105a3
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. Credit: Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is conferring with Germany's 16 state governors Wednesday to map a way out of coronavirus restrictions as official figures show new infections beginning to drift downward.

Germany saw infections caused by the omicron variant, which is highly contagious but generally causes milder illness than previous variants, surge later than in several other European countries.

Officials have attributed this to restrictions that include curbs on private gatherings, the closure of night clubs and requirements for people to show proof of vaccination or recovery to enter restaurants and bars.

But other countries, including neighboring Denmark, also have moved faster to lift restrictions, and there are growing calls for Germany to follow suit. Already, many German states have moved to scrap rules that prevented people without proof of vaccination or recovery from visiting nonessential stores.

At Wednesday's meeting, Scholz and the governors are expected to consider proposals to drop most restrictions by March 20, moving in several steps.

Germany's national disease control center has reported several days of slight drops in the country's infection rate, though it remains far above pre-omicron levels.

A doctor vaccinates an employee of MKT Krankentransport OHG in a mobile vaccination station at Wettersteinplatz in Munich, Germany, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Mobile vaccination station change the location in the city every day and offer vaccination against the coronavirus to citizen. Credit: Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP

"We are past the peak of the omicron wave, pretty much exactly on the day I predicted a month ago," Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told the Bild daily on Tuesday. That, he said, makes "modest loosening" of restrictions possible.

As Germany moves toward easing its latest restrictions, prospects of a vaccine mandate for all adults appear to be receding. Scholz came out in favor of such a mandate just before he became chancellor in December, but his three-party coalition is divided on the issue and he left it to parliament to come up with proposals.

At present, it's unclear when lawmakers will vote on legislation and what if any kind of mandate would muster a majority.

Even already-approved legislation requiring health sector workers to present proof of vaccination or recovery by mid-March has run into difficulties, although Germany's highest court last week refused to temporarily block its implementation.

Explore further Germany mulls new COVID restrictions as omicron advances

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed the media after a meeting with the federal state governors on measures to battle the coronavirus pandemic at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Credit: Michele Tantussi/Pool via AP

Germany's leaders on Wednesday announced plans to end most of the country's coronavirus restrictions by March 20, a decision that coincided with moves by neighboring Austria and Switzerland to drop many of their curbs sooner.

A three-step plan was endorsed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the country's 16 state governors as official figures show Germany's COVID-19 infection rate beginning to drift downward.

"The peak has now probably been reached," Scholz said, adding that "a constantly improved situation" can be expected in the coming weeks.

The easing is to start with scrapping rules that prevented people without proof of vaccination or recovery from visiting nonessential stores and the lifting of limits on private gatherings of vaccinated people.

Beginning on March 4, requirements to enter restaurants and bars will be relaxed, with a negative test sufficing rather than, as in many areas at present, proof of vaccination or recovery plus a test or a booster shot. Nightclubs will be allowed to reopen, albeit with entry restrictions.

And "all far-reaching protective measures" are to be dropped on March 20 "if the situation in hospitals allows," according to Wednesday's decision. An obligation to allow people to work from home will be dropped as well. But Scholz said that mask-wearing and distancing requirements will remain in place.

People present their vaccination status as they queue in front of the famous department store 'KaDeWe' (Department Store Of The West) in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is conferring with Germany's 16 state governors Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022 to map a way out of coronavirus restrictions as official figures show new infections beginning to drift downward. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Sohn,file

Germany saw infections caused by the highly contagious omicron variant surge later than in several other European countries. Officials have attributed this to the restrictions that have been in place since December.

But other countries, including neighboring Denmark, also have moved faster to lift restrictions, and there have been growing calls for Germany to follow suit. Earlier Wednesday, Austria announced that it will drop most of its restrictions on March 5 and Switzerland said most of its curbs will go this week.

Germany's national disease control center has reported several days of slight drops in the country's infection rate, though it remains far above pre-omicron levels.

As Germany moves toward easing its latest restrictions, prospects of a vaccine mandate for all adults appear to be receding. Scholz came out in favor of such a mandate just before he became chancellor in December, but his three-party coalition is divided on the issue and he left it to parliament to come up with proposals.

A doctor vaccinates an employee of MKT Krankentransport OHG in a mobile vaccination station at Wettersteinplatz in Munich, Germany, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Mobile vaccination station change the location in the city every day and offer vaccination against the coronavirus to citizen. Credit: Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lifts a thumb prior to the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Credit: Kay Nietfeld/DPA via AP, Pool

At present, it's unclear when lawmakers will vote on legislation and what if any kind of mandate would muster a majority. Scholz pressed for lawmakers to find a solution.

"We must not forget the next fall and winter, and so it is still right not just to advocate vaccination but to prepare the legislative measures for a general vaccine mandate," he said. "It will be necessary when the weather gets colder, when the days get darker and when infections could increase again."

Even already-approved legislation requiring health workers to present proof of vaccination or recovery by mid-March has run into difficulties, although Germany's highest court last week refused to temporarily block its implementation.

Explore further Germany to chart way out of coronavirus restrictions

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Too little research is being conducted into problem gamblingand what research there is, is often funded by the gambling industry rather than by independent means, say a team of experts. They argue in favor of a 1% statutory levy on the gambling industry that could be administered by one of the UK's main research funders.

Writing in The Lancet Psychiatry, a group of clinicians and scientists set out their priorities for tackling the pervasive problem of gambling addiction, or 'gambling disorder'.

Gambling disorder is a recognized mental health condition, a form of addiction that can have a serious impact on the lives of individuals and their families. It can lead to financial, emotional, and relationship problems, including interpersonal violence, and in some cases, engagement in illicit activities to fund their addiction.

Between four and nine people in 1,000 are estimated to experience problem gambling. The disorder appears to be more common in men compared to women and often develops during adolescence and young adulthood. For reasons that are unclear, some groups appear to be disproportionately affectedfor example, in the UK, some research suggests it is more common among Black British people.

People with gambling disorders have high rates of other mental health conditions, including anxiety and mood disorders, substance abuse disorders, impulse control disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), though these are often undiagnosed. It is also associated with a considerably increased risk of suicide.

Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge said: "Gambling disorders are a serious problem in the UK yet remain low on the list of priorities in UK healthcare. There's a chronic lack of investment and only belated acknowledgment of the problem, which means that the true extent of gambling-related harm and the related resource pressure are ignored or unrecognized.

"While in the past, gambling largely took place in establishments such as betting shops or casinos, it has now become much easier to access in secret, particularly on smartphones and computers, so we're seeing numbers increase particularly among adolescents and women. In short, it's no longer necessary to leave your home to gamble."

In 2020, a group of clinicians and scientists set up the National UK Research Network for Behavioral Addictions (NUK-BA) to identify unmet needs in terms of research and treatment provision for behavioral addictions, including gambling disorder, in the UK. The organization does not accept any funding from the gambling industry.

In their article today, experts writing on behalf of NUK-BA say there is "a marked lack of dedicated explicit independent funding for research into Gambling Disorder". The limited funding available now tends to be linked to the gambling industry: at present, funds for gambling research in the UK are collected by a voluntary levy on companies, and these funds are then administered through a specific organization whose existence is dependent on this industry funding.

Professor Sam Chamberlain from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton said: "To many in the research world, funding that's linked to the gambling industryeven when it's administered through a third partyis compromised. It creates potential conflicts of interest and institutional rules that mean many universities, researchers and clinicians in the UK cannot accept funding administered through this route.

"With so little understood about gambling disorder, we clearly need much more research if we're going to help those affected. For the purposes of transparency and to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest, this research needs be funded by independent bodies, such as the government or independent charities, and not by the gambling industry."

The NUK-BA has called for the government to implement a 1% statutory levy on industry earnings and says this should be administered by an independent research body unrelated to the gambling industry, such as the Medical Research Council, part of UK Research & Innovation, a non-departmental government body.

In their article, the NUK-BA sets out its top priorities for UK research into gambling disorder:

Conduct independent longitudinal research on prevalence of gambling disorder and at-risk gambling, and gambling harms, including in vulnerable and minority groups. Select and refine the optimal pragmatic measurement tools. Identify predictorsvulnerability and resilience markersof disordered gambling in people who gamble recreationally, including in vulnerable and minority groups, longitudinally. Conduct randomized controlled trials on psychological interventions and drug treatments for gambling disorder. Optimize our understanding of the neurobiological basis of gambling disorder, including genetics, impulsivity and compulsivity, and other biomarkers. Develop clinical guidelines based upon the best possible contemporary research evidence to guide effective clinical interventions.

The researchers argue that our understanding of the prevalence and course of gambling disorder is further limited by a lack of appropriate expert consultation, noting that despite the Gambling Commission stating in its recent consultation that experts had been consulted, not a single member of NUK-BA group reported having been consulted.

Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, from the National Problem Gambling Clinic & National Center for Gaming Disorders and the University of Cambridge, said: "The UK is fortunate to have world leading experts in the study of addiction as well as behavioral addiction. This places us in an excellent position to further our understanding and to develop new treatments. With sufficient independent funding, we will be able to make great progress in preventing problem gambling and improving the quality of life and wellbeing of those recovering from behavioral addictions and their families."

Explore further Gambling and obsessive-compulsive behaviors linked

More information: Bowden-Jones, HL et al. Gambling Disorder in the United Kingdom: key research priorities and the urgent need for independent research funding. Lancet Psychiatry; 15 Feb 2022. Journal information: The Lancet Psychiatry Bowden-Jones, HL et al. Gambling Disorder in the United Kingdom: key research priorities and the urgent need for independent research funding.; 15 Feb 2022. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00356-4
The statement from the G7 finance ministers indicates that they are prepared to impose collective economic and financial sanctions against Russia, February 14, 2021. /CFP

By Freddie Reidy

Finance ministers of the G7 on Monday issued a joint statement outlining the financial support Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States intend to offer Ukraine.

The statement of support, drafted to "underline our (the G7's) readiness to act swiftly and decisively to support the Ukrainian economy," was also coupled with a threat designed to counter hostilities.

"We are prepared to collectively impose economic and financial sanctions which will have massive and immediate consequences for the Russian economy."

Over the weekend, NATO leaders had warned that an incursion in the Donbas region in Ukraine was imminent, with the U.S. stating that aerial bombardments could commence "at any time." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also announced the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Kyiv to Lviv toward Ukraine's western border due to the increased threat.

UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss also advised UK citizens in Ukraine to "leave now" while commercial flights were still in operation.

However, despite the presence of "130,000 Russian troops" on the border, as reported in some Western media, and increasing alarm among Western leaders, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed during a call on February 14 that not all diplomatic pathways had yet been exhausted.

These sentiments were echoed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said, "There's always a chance" when Russian President Vladimir Putin asked him about the prospect of securing a diplomatic agreement that would allay Russia's regional security concerns during a recent televised meeting.

If, as Lavrov says, "shaking up" the debate regarding Russia's concerns in the region has yielded "a willingness to enter into serious negations," Russia should embrace this "crucial window of opportunity as various parties are still striving for a diplomatic solution.

A failure to do so would indicate an inclination toward ulterior motives. Where Moscow has ratcheted up the pressure with troop deployments, NATO's economic package of sanctions also carries a significant threat.

Any sovereign state retains the right to challenge, through diplomatic means, military build-ups on their borders. That is true of Russian forces on Ukraine's border and NATOs deployed forces on Russia's. Moscow has the right to challenge such a presence but also the obligation to work within a diplomatic framework to come to a mutual understanding under international law.

The substance of such an undertaking will form the bedrock of what is widely seen as "final talks" against a febrile diplomatic backdrop.

With such tensions at the forefront of world leaders' minds, all efforts must be undertaken to ensure that sanctions, whether military or economic, are conveyed as deterrents to hostilities and not used as a diplomatic cudgel to secure concessions.

If economic and military security are the objectives, then all efforts must be undertaken to avoid open conflict that is bound to inflict the majority of suffering on ordinary Russian and Ukrainian citizens.

Conflicts begin quickly but are seldom resolved with any haste. For veterans of the Soviet Union and NATO, the shared experience of Afghanistan is a testament to that fact and should serve as a timely reminder of the grave risk and folly of conflict.

Editor's Note: Freddie Reidy is a freelance writer based in London. He studied history and history of art at the University of Kent, Canterbury, specializing in Russian history and international politics.
This image conveys the idea that when some brain regions have a structural deficit (areas in red) leading to functional difficulties, other regions (in yellow) can show structural changes to compensate for the deficits. Such a process may explain the findings in this study. Credit: University of Western Ontario

A new study from Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and collaborators from West China Hospital in Chengdu, is challenging long-held notions about brain deterioration in patients with psychotic disorders, and may help improve treatment protocols.

Psychotic disorders such as psychosis are often characterized as progressively worsening, with the brain deteriorating as the condition recurs through time.

The study, led by Dr. Lena Palaniyappan, psychiatry professor and scientist at Robarts Research Institute, showed brain tissue actually increases in certain areas in patients with psychosiseven before they receive treatment.

This could indicate that the brain's attempts to rebuild itself may start even before a patient receives medical , Palaniyappan said.

Studying this phenomenon further may help researchers improve treatment protocols and eventually have impacts on how we view and treat other youth-onset mental disorders.

"When a young person develops psychosis, their family often fears what will happen in the future," explained Palaniyappan. "It's usually not a single episode. There's a high chance people will continue to be unwell, and relapse is likely."

It's that aspect of the disorderthe ongoing recurrence of episodes of psychosisthat Palaniyappan said contributes to the view of the illness as progressive.

"Things do go downhill after psychosis first hits," he said. "For 150 years, our conception of psychosis is that there is a lot of evidence to support the idea of deterioration through time."

But what does the brain do to recover? That's the key question Palaniyappan sought to answer.

"The brain is not passive, but a plastic organit tries to combat, to some extent, the trauma and stress inflicted by psychiatric conditions," he explained.

Palaniyappan's team studied people with psychosis before they started receiving treatment to better understand how the brain responds.

For 11 years, the team examined 340 patients who had not yet received any anti-psychotic medications at a partner hospital in West Chinaand made a remarkable discovery.

While the team's results did confirm a reduction in brain tissue in patients with psychosis compared to healthy peopleeven before receiving any treatmentthey also observed increases in brain tissue in several parts of the brain, with correlations to better patient outcomes.

"The higher the increase, the better some of the outcomes are," Palaniyappan said. "The symptoms are less severe, duration of illness is shorter, and those with more increases in brain tissue perform better in cognitive tasks."

The results show two major findings: First, before medical intervention, the brain may already be attempting to reduce the impact of psychosis. Second, this rebuilding process may not be enough to fully stave off the disorder.

"What this finding suggests is that psychosis is not a condition like dementia, where brain changes are degenerative, without any evidence of a reversal," Palaniyappan said. "There are reversals already happening in the brain, to a small extent, by the time a person knocks at a doctor's door with psychosis. If we can understand why and how this occurs, we may be able to improve it."

However, Palaniyappan said this study does not offer experimental proof and is limited by the fact that only one brain scan was obtained from each patient. While researchers do not know if the observed changes persist over time, the discovery opens the door to looking at psychosis treatments in a different way.

"Most of the research to find new therapeutics and interventions in psychosis depend on the framework that the brain changes are signs of a damage," he said. "If we shift our focus from brain damage and understand the mechanisms behind the brain's attempts to recover and compensate, maybe we can achieve better outcomes."

Another important clue in the future of psychosis treatment is that about one in six patients will only ever have one psychotic episode in their lifetime, but it remains unclear why and there's no way to predict who that might be.

"Most severe psychiatric disorders, about 75 percent, start in teens or pre-teens and then become a life-spanning illness," he said. "Almost all of the treatments we have are only symptom control measures; they are not curative. We do not know how to reverse the underlying processes."

As next steps, Palaniyappan said his team can look at replicating these studies in other large-scale samples. Studies in animal models to attempt to induce changes in brain tissue could also play a role in better understanding the brain's compensation process.

"Understanding compensatory processes will open the door to new ways of addressing many mental health problems," he said.

Explore further Antioxidants in brain linked to improved psychosis treatment

More information: Mingli Li et al, Ameliorative patterns of grey matter in patients with first-episode and treatment-naive schizophrenia, Psychological Medicine (2022). Journal information: Psychological Medicine Mingli Li et al, Ameliorative patterns of grey matter in patients with first-episode and treatment-naive schizophrenia,(2022). DOI: 10.1017/S0033291722000058
The two co-authors Fangfang Chen (r.) and Fakhar Waqas continue with the project. Credit: TWINCORE / Grabowski

An important task of the human immune system is to maintain the critical balance between efficient defense against a pathogen on the one hand and protection of affected tissues on the other. Disease patterns of viral infections are often characterized by "too much" defense, an excessively strong inflammation that damages the tissue. The resulting damage can be greater than that caused by the pathogen itself. As a rheumatologist, the physician Frank Pessler, head of the research group Biomarkers for Infectious Dieseases at TWINCORE in Hanover, is particularly interested in these facets of infectious diseases known as immunopathology, which play an important role especially in influenza and COVID-19.

During inflammation, some defense cells produce itaconic acid. It has an inhibitory effect on bacteria that survive inside these cells. For several years, researchers have also observed that this highly reactive organic molecule dampens important pro-inflammatory signals in the immune system. In the current study, Frank Pessler and his team at TWINCORE describe the function of itaconic acid during an infection with the influenza virus.

They observed that in lung tissues of mice, as in humans, itaconic acid is produced during an infection with the influenza virus. It offers mice protection against the severe effects of the infection. In contrast, if the enzyme that produces the molecule is missing, the inflammatory reaction in the lungs is more pronounced and the disease is more likely to be fatal. In the tissues studied, the researchers saw that the synthesis of itaconic acid and the enzyme needed for it was accompanied by a lowering of inflammation. When they treated mice with itaconic acid as a "drug" during influenza infection, the inflammation in the lungs almost completely stopped.

To find out which immune cells are the source of the itaconic acid, the researchers use state-of-the-art single-cell sequencing methods. They found that in human blood, monocytes, the cells that can develop into phagocytes, become infected with the flu virus and then produce itaconic acid. Monocytes and other immune cells also reduced the production of pro-inflammatory factors when itaconic acid was added from the outside. "We were able to show for the first time changes in various pro-inflammatory signaling cascades that itaconic acid causes in the defense system during an influenza infection," says Frank Pessler.

Monocytes become infected, but do not release new virus particles. The researchers made an astonishing observation on somatic cells that productively multiply the influenza virus and resemble lung tissue: "When we infected these cells in the laboratory and treated them with itaconic acid, they produced significantly fewer new virus particles," says Pessler. Itaconic acid thus seems to be a kind of molecular all-rounder that not only has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, but can also inhibit the multiplication of influenza viruses.

"In this study, we present results from seven years of scientific investigations to which researchers from Germany, Egypt, China and Pakistan have contributed," says Pessler. "All our findings point in one clear direction: itaconic acid can throttle the defense reaction and prevent organ damage without thereby promoting virus replication."

This makes the substance a promising starting point for the development of therapeutic agents. "It could favorably influence the course of the disease, for example, in people who have a deficiency of the body's own itaconic acid." Pessler is now thinking one step further: together with researchers from the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), he wants to use "intelligent drug design" to optimize itaconic acid-like substances that block viral replication even more efficiently.

The research was published in PLOS Pathogens.

Explore further Team creates microbe to turn waste into useful chemicals

More information: Aaqib Sohail et al, Itaconate and derivatives reduce interferon responses and inflammation in influenza A virus infection, PLOS Pathogens (2022). Journal information: PLoS Pathogens Aaqib Sohail et al, Itaconate and derivatives reduce interferon responses and inflammation in influenza A virus infection,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010219

Provided by Zentrum fur Experimentelle und Klinische Infektionsforschung
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Preventing mental disorders in young people might reduce or delay the burden of dementia in older people, according to a new study.

Investing in good mental health care for young peopleincluding evidence-based interventions for mental health problemscould help reduce the burden of neurodegenerative disease, say researchers from the University of Michigan, Duke University and the University of Auckland.

Their study of 1.7 million New Zealandersaged 21 to 60 years at baselinefollowed across three decades (1988 to 2018) tested whether individuals with mental disorders are at increased risk for subsequent dementia.

Much research and treatment in geriatrics focuses on physical diseases and ignores mental health, says Leah Richmond-Rakerd, assistant professor in U-M's Department of Psychology and the study's lead author.

Richmond-Rakerd and colleagues chose New Zealand for its capacity to link medical records and other administrative databases at the population levelsomething not possible in the United States.

The long-term, follow-up use of hospital records, and the ability to establish that mental disorders preceded dementia set this study apart from others.

Among the study's findings:

Mental disorders were more strongly associated with dementia than chronic physical diseasesan outcome the researchers did not expect.

The association between mental disorders and dementia was not explained by preexisting chronic physical illness or socioeconomic deprivation.

The connection between mental health problems and dementia was seen for both men and women, for both early-onset and later-onset dementias, for different types of mental health conditions and for both Alzheimer's and non-Alzheimer's dementias.

Richmond-Rakerd says mental disorders are salient early-warning signs for subsequent dementia. People with mental disorders could be encouraged to engage in health behaviors to reduce dementia riskfor instance, to increase their physical activity, which so far is one promising way to potentially help prevent dementia, the researchers say.

The mechanism for the association is not clear, but could involve several factors, says co-author Avshalom Caspi, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke.

For instance, a lifelong brain vulnerability may manifest itself as mental health problems earlier in life and dementia later in life. Or medication for mental disorders (such as antipsychotics) might increase the risk for dementia, he says.

The researchers caution that most people with mental-health problems will not develop dementia.

"Mental health problems are not a 'life sentence' that always results in dementia," Richmond-Rakerd said.

The study, which appears in JAMA Psychiatry, was also co-authored by Stephanie D'Souza and Barry Milne of the University of Auckland, and Terrie Moffitt of Duke University.

Explore further Mental disorders and chronic physical disease may be linked

More information: Leah S. Richmond-Rakerd et al, Longitudinal Associations of Mental Disorders With Dementia, JAMA Psychiatry (2022). Journal information: JAMA Psychiatry Leah S. Richmond-Rakerd et al, Longitudinal Associations of Mental Disorders With Dementia,(2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.4377
PET scan of a human brain with Alzheimer's disease. Credit: public domain

Advocates on both sides of a debate over dramatically restricting Medicare's coverage of an expensive and controversial Alzheimer's treatment are waging competing campaigns to influence a final decision in April.

The dispute also raises larger questions about whether lawmakers and regulators will revisit the fast-track pathway the drug was approved under, with the issue even entangling Robert Califf's embattled nomination to lead the Food and Drug Administration.

In January, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed restricting coverage of Aduhelma new monoclonal antibody treatment from Biogen and Eisai that targets brain plaquesto patients participating in approved clinical trials only. If finalized, the decision would also extend to future amyloid products for Alzheimer's disease.

The comment period that closed last week pitted patient access groups and drug manufacturers against progressive advocates in a race to generate the most responses to CMS. The proposal garnered more than 8,300 comments total.

Patient groups, many of which have close ties to drugmakers developing treatments, say the move will block most of the country's 6 million Alzheimer's patients from a potential opportunity to slow cognitive decline, while chilling future innovation in the drug class. Eli Lilly and Co. recently delayed the completion of its FDA application for a similar drug.

But progressive advocates view the $28,200 treatment as the poster child for a broken regulatory system that allows drugmakers to gouge consumers with ineffective products. Advocacy group More Perfect Union, largely run by former staffers for Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led likely the largest response urging CMS to hold firm on its plan.

The group does not accept donations from corporate- or union-related organizations, a spokesperson said, but does receive money from philanthropies like the Open Society Foundations run by billionaire Democratic donor George Soros. More Perfect Union alerted its 150,000-person email list to the cause after Biogen encouraged counteradvocates to make their voices heard.

"Given the lack of scientific evidence that Aduhelm provides any clinically meaningful benefit in terms of cognitive function outcomes in Alzheimer's disease patients, the drug cannot possibly be deemed reasonable and necessary for treatment of such patients," the comments said.

That prompted GCI Health, a communications firm hired by Biogen, to proactively flag for reporters that CMS considers such campaigns to be a single comment because they are "not useful."

Biogen also accused the agency of exceeding its authority by refusing to cover an FDA-approved drug.

"The draft decision does not consider the burden and harm of its proposed policy  including the effective denial of treatment to all but a few thousand Alzheimer's disease patients for an unlimited period of timeand is therefore arbitrary and capricious," the company wrote.

Fierce fight

The backlash against Aduhelm, or aducanumab in its generic form, centers on the lack of evidence that it slows the progression of Alzheimer's. The drug reduces brain plaques and abnormal proteins associated with the disease, earning a green light from the FDA through an accelerated pathway meant for products that are reasonably likely to show a clinical benefit. Biogen is required to conduct a follow-up study confirming the drug's efficacy, which is expected to be completed in four years.

The drug has a high risk of serious side effects like brain swelling and bleeding, and scientists are split over whether targeting brain plaques will reduce the severity of Alzheimer's.

The controversy is sparking scrutiny on Capitol Hill, where Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., secured commitments from Califf, the FDA nominee, to strengthen oversight of the accelerated program in exchange for Wyden's support.

Califf told Wyden that ensuring confirmatory trials were done in a timely manner would be a "high priority" for him if confirmed and he would work with Congress on additional authorities.

The issue has divided some Democrats and Republicans. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., called for a closer look at accelerated approval during a recent Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing, while top Republicans like Energy and Commerce ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Ways and Means ranking member Kevin Brady, R-Texas, urged the agency to reverse the coverage proposal.

Some Democrats also question the coverage decision. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., tweeted against the proposal when it was unveiled last month. Rep. Nanette Barragan, D-Calif., is working to recruit lawmakers to send CMS a bipartisan protest letter. Barragan's 81-year-old mother has late-stage Alzheimer's, and does not qualify for Aduhelm.

"Every six months we have a follow-up with my mom's neurologist, and every six months I go to him and I say, is there anything we can take to slow this down? Is there anything you can give her? What do you mean there's no option? You're telling me I can't do anything at all?" she told CQ Roll Call. "And that is something that I'm experiencing, but every other family member who has a loved one with Alzheimer's is experiencing."

Paul Aisen, the Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute director at the University of Southern California and a co-chair of the steering committee for Biogen's phase 3 trial, said accelerated approval is critical for new therapeutics. Aisen disagreed with the CMS decision because he said it was partially based on a meta-analysis of other ineffective monoclonal antibodies, and because it ignores Aduhelm's clinical potential for early-stage patients.

Researchers are also now studying experimental therapies in earliest-stage patients with the potential to develop Alzheimer's through build-up of brain plaques, but who have not yet shown signs of memory impairment. Demonstrating long-term clinical benefit to these types of patients requires a different way of thinking, he argued.

"We need the accelerated approval pathway," he said. "Should there be additional discussion and education about this pathway? Definitely. But do we need it? I think we absolutely need it."

Equity and discrimination concerns also hang over the agency. The proposal would exclude from the clinical trials any people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, like Down syndrome, and many chronic conditions. A requirement that qualifying trials meet diversity requirements does not satisfy some advocates.

Gretchen Wartman, vice president for policy and program at the National Minority Quality Forum, called the decision "problematic" during an Alliance for Aging Research briefing.

"I can summarize our concerns by stating that, in an intolerably cynical and disingenuous manner, they are weaponizing the result of a history of bias and betrayal of particular population cohorts to justify bias toward and betrayal of a particular patient cohort," she said.

Both the Alliance for Aging Research and the National Minority Quality Forum count Biogen among their corporate sponsors.

Looking back and ahead

The final decision in April will cap a lengthy saga that started when the FDA approved the drug under the accelerated pathway last June. The agency's advisory board recommended it be rejected from the traditional pathway, and three members quit over the FDA's decision.

Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock eventually requested an independent review of the approval. The Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission are conducting separate investigations into the company's approval and marketing of the drug.

Few doctors are prescribing the drug so far. The public backlash prompted Biogen to slash the annual price in half, from $56,000 to $28,200. Aduhelm brought in just $3 million in revenue for 2021, and the company has reportedly undergone layoffs.

The debate over experimental treatments will likely continue, regardless of how the Aduhelm story concludes. Lawmakers are attempting to create another multibillion-dollar health research agency at President Joe Biden's behest that would be responsible for advancing "platform technologies" to help speed innovative therapies to market.

Amyloid treatments are one example of the type of research the agency could conduct, former Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency official Geoffrey Ling recently told the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee. The agency could work with private companies, "so that they can better use the data that's available to make it better and easier for them to conduct their clinical trials," he said.

That could save money, he said, and "determine more quickly what, in fact, is the benefit."

2022 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Last month the British Medical Journal published an editorial calling for racism to be listed as a leading cause of death among Black people in the United States.

The authors argue reporting excess deaths by race and ethnicity will "galvanize action and promote accountability." They write: "There is no biological reason, independent of social context, that Black people should die younger than White people. The excess premature deaths are the cumulative difference in death between Black and White people across every specific cause of death."

This call echoes the global shift to declare racism a public health crisis, after the confluence of COVID and the Black Lives Matter movement showed how it affected the lives of Black and Indigenous peoples.

We commend these calls. But measuring the impact of racism by the number of excess deaths raises concerns about how we deal with the racialised health disparities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to experience.

If racism is only understood in terms of excess death, it risks perpetuating racialised imaginings of Indigenous peoples as "destined to die."

The findings of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the failure to implement recommendations, shows Indigenous deaths don't galvanize action or promote accountability in this country.

Measuring racism via excess deaths also fails to account for the ways race bears down heavily upon the lives of Indigenous peoples from birth to death. This is the problem with seeking to measure something that remains poorly defined and only measured by its worst possible outcome: death.

Clarity is needed, not more data

Race operates as a structure of power. Our understanding of it is not well served by only telling the statistical story of death. What is needed is not "more data," but a better understanding of power. The refusal to pursue a deeper understanding of race sustains the existing power structureeven in efforts that claim to improve it.

For instance, despite the investment in Indigenous health research in recent decades, there has yet to be a focused investment in studies examining the operation of race and racism in this realm. This is disturbing given the efforts of Closing the Gap are intended to remedy a range of disparities marked by race.

Perhaps this explains why Closing the Gap is widely considered a policy failure. Each year the account of Indigenous ill health is reported on in the floors of parliament. Yet this tragic failure is often attributed to Indigenous peoples as though they haven't taken "proper responsibility" for their health and used as justification to maintain power over Indigenous peoples' lives.

Chelsea Watego: "I think of myself as a Black speed bump of the capital B kind. A cautionary disruption to an otherwise smooth ride."

The BMJ editorial authors claim biological understandings of race have been abandoned by medical science. We argue such understandings have been replaced with a behaviouralist explanation that is also racist.

Both approachesthe biological and the behavioralfocus on blaming the Black body. It is to be measured, monitored and ultimately controlled. The individual behavioral approach in public health has been widely criticized in global efforts as a form of victim-blaming because it doesn't address the structural conditions that create health disparities.

Public health researchers and policymakers can no longer claim to be neutral observers to this reality.

The "new paternalism" of Indigenous affairs has led to increased controls over Indigenous peoples in the name of public health. Some of these measures have needed the suspension of the Race Discrimination Act to enact them.

Over the past few months, the Australian Human Rights Commission's (AHRC) Race Discrimination Commissioner has invited public submissions surrounding the formation of a National Anti-Racism Framework, and put forward a "concepts paper" detailing eight national outcomes.

Included was a call for better data which describes the nature, prevalence and incidence of racism. But the AHRC provides no conceptual clarity around the very thing they wish to measure and eradicate. What is clear, is that more of the same is not enough to address racism in this country.

Indigenous lived experience is the answer, not death

Recognizing the public health crisis of racism, and the formation of a national anti-racism framework demands a richer understanding of how racism "originates in the operation of established and respected forces" of society and the ways it impacts lives.

Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy prioritizes an "increased awareness of the historical roots of racism and discrimination, and their impacts on communities and Indigenous peoples." This centers the expertise of Indigenous peoples and communities.

While excess Black deaths may tell a certain truth about the ongoing violence of racism, it is in Black living that a richer understanding of how race works materializes. It is also in the expertise and actions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that we can see more meaningful anti-racist efforts emerge that attend to the structural nature of racism.

Sadly, we've a long way to go in this country for there to be a foregrounding of the lived experiences and expertise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in developing an understanding of the realness of race. This is what speaks so clearly to how big the racism crisis really is in this place.

Explore further Racism linked to poor health among Indigenous Australians

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A woman wearing a face mask to curb the spread of coronavirus walks past a health campaign poster from the One NGO, in an underpass leading to Westminster underground train station, in London, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. Most coronavirus restrictions including mandatory face masks were lifted in England on Thursday, after Britain's government said its vaccine booster rollout successfully reduced serious illness and COVID-19 hospitalizations. From Thursday, face coverings are no longer required by law anywhere in England. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham

British authorities will offer a coronavirus vaccine to almost six million children from age 5 to 11, officials said Wednesday.

The government said young children will be offered a low-dose COVID-19 shot on a "non-urgent" basis beginning in April in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also announced similar measures.

"Parents can, if they want, take up the offer to increase protection against potential future waves of COVID-19 as we learn to live with this virus," Health Secretary Sajid Javid said.

The government's independent vaccine advisory committee said while the virus does not pose a threat to most children, a very small number who are infected will develop serious disease.

Around 85% of those 12 and older in the U.K. have been fully vaccinated, but the country has lagged behind the United States and European countries like France, Germany and Italy in vaccinating younger children. Currently, children 11 and under are only eligible for a vaccine if they have medical conditions that put them at serious risk of complications from coronavirus.

Authorities said Wednesday that young children will be offered two 10-microgram doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with an interval of at least 12 weeks between doses.

Brian Ferguson, an immunology professor at Cambridge University, said the government's vaccine advisory body has been "exceptionally cautious in recommending childhood COVID vaccination" even as millions of children in other countries have had the vaccine with little or no side effects.

"There is an argument that it is now too late to offer the vaccine to this age group, as COVID has torn through primary schools this winter," he said. "However, there are children who have not yet been exposed to COVID who will benefit from immunization, and immunological data indicates that vaccination following infection generates powerful, broadly-neutralizing antibodies."

New daily coronavirus infections have fallen in many parts of the U.K., although the number of cases by age group remained the highest among schoolchildren. The official statistics agency reported Wednesday that around 1 in 13or 7.6%of children ages 2 to 11 were likely to have had COVID-19 last week.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to outline his government's long-term strategy for "living with COVID" on Feb. 21. Johnson said last week that all remaining domestic restrictions in England, including the legal requirement for infected individuals to self-isolate, could be lifted within weeks.

England has already scrapped most restrictive measures, such as mandatory face masks and vaccine passports for entering nightclubs and large events. Northern Ireland has lifted all legal restrictions.

Scotland has taken a more cautious approach. Face coverings still are required in indoor public spaces and nightclubs check people's vaccine passports.

Explore further England lifts COVID restrictions as omicron threat recedes

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder where red blood cells become sickle/crescent shaped. It causes frequent infections, swelling in the hands and legs, pain, severe tiredness and delayed growth or puberty. Treatment typically focuses on controlling symptoms and may include pain medicines during crises; hydroxyurea to reduce the number of pain episodes; antibiotics and vaccines to prevent bacterial infections and blood transfusions.

While a remedy for this severe disease has remained elusive, a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine (Biologic and Clinical Efficacy of LentiGlobin for Sickle Cell Disease/Kanter et. al.), if proven applicable, may be a possible cure.

In an editorial in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, Martin Steinberg, MD, professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, comments on the results of the study which was the first successful gene therapy for sickle cell disease that adds a gene to patient blood stem cells that prevents complications of sickle cell disease. "Gene therapy with autologous stem cells extends the possibility of a cure to all patients without the need for immunosuppression," explains Steinberg who also is hematologist at Boston Medical Center.

While patients in the study no longer had symptoms of sickle cell disease, Steinberg points out that most continued to have a shorter than normal lifespan of their red blood cells which he thinks could be associated with some complications in the longer-term.

Steinberg believes that for patients to accept this difficult and very expensive treatment it must be curative or nearly curative and last a lifetime. "At this point we do not yet know the sustainability of the results but based on this study the prospects seem good," he says.

Steinberg acknowledges that any highly effective gene therapy will not improve the health of most people with sickle cell disease throughout the world. "Most patients with this disease live in Africa and India where access to highly technological health care is limited. What is needed are more drugs that can be taken orally and increase fetal hemoglobin levels. This will have a higher likelihood of benefiting populations suffering the most from this disease."

This editorial appears online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Explore further Understanding sickle cell disease

More information: Julie Kanter et al, Biologic and Clinical Efficacy of LentiGlobin for Sickle Cell Disease, New England Journal of Medicine (2021). Julie Kanter et al, Biologic and Clinical Efficacy of LentiGlobin for Sickle Cell Disease,(2021). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2117175 Fetal-like Hemoglobin in Sickle Cell Anemia, New England Journal of Medicine (2022). Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine
Floors can be tested to predict the level of COVID-19 in an environment. Credit: Oliver Hale/Unsplash, CC BY-SA

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing COVID-19, over the past two years has been nothing short of devastating. Although widespread vaccination and new antiviral therapies are helping to mitigate the worst outcomes of the disease, the recent evolution of the highly transmissible omicron variant has only added to the strain on our health-care systems.

Omicron spreads so quickly that it is no longer feasible to use individual testing to track how many people are infected in a population. And that means we no longer have the basic information we need to inform public health mitigation policies.

New strategies for keeping tabs on the virus are needed.

One approach is to look for the virus in the environment rather than people. Infected individuals shed viral particles, either in their stool or by breathing or coughing, and viral particles collect in environmental reservoirs like sewage or surfaces such as furniture or floors.

Sampling wastewater or the built environment allows us to detect trace viral particles, providing a window into the burden and location of infection without having to test individuals directly.

Wastewater testing has been used extensively since the beginning of the pandemic by municipalities worldwide. The viral genome concentration in wastewater has proven to be an accurate predictor of human case burden, providing an early-warning signal for public health officials. Wastewater sampling provides a bulk measure of viral load across a large geographic area, but isn't as useful at smaller scales, like in rooms within a school or office building. This is where surface testing could be useful.

Floors and surfaces

We started exploring this idea by focusing on a place where we know there are lots of people infected with COVID-19: hospitals. We wanted to know whether we could detect the virus in the built environment where COVID-19 patients normally reside and whether this information revealed anything about the number of infected individuals.

Our approach was simple. We used a sterile swab, which looks like a typical cotton swab you might buy at a local pharmacy, wiped it across the surface in question, and then stored it in a special solution that preserved the sample for transport back to the lab. We then used standard molecular biology techniques to test the sample for the presence of SARS-CoV-2.

Global News looks at wastewater testing as a way to measure the presence of COVID-19.

After confirming we could recover the virus from acrylic, vinyl and stainless steel surfaces touched regularly in a hospital, we set out to collect samples from two area hospitals. We swabbed surfaces from COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards in two Ottawa hospitals over the course of about 10 weeks, collecting close to 1,000 swabs in total. We focused on high-touch objects like door handles, elevator buttons and computer terminals, as well as floors and benches.

Reassuringly, we rarely detected the virus on high-touch surfaces, presumably because these were being cleaned regularly. The floors, though, were another story.

We recovered the virus from the floors of COVID-19 wards far more frequently than from non-COVID-19 wards. We suspect this is because virus particles released into the air from infected people then settle on the floor where they accumulate steadily over time and the floors are cleaned less frequently than other objects like door handles or computer keyboards.

COVID-19 patients don't move around much once they enter the hospital, so there is plenty of opportunity for the virus to accumulate in the environment around them. This result tells us that by sampling floors, we can identify sites within a building where infectious individuals are present or not.

Surfaces were cleaned regularly, resulting in fewer traces of COVID-19. Credit: Shutterstock

Changing case numbers

Cases reported from individual testing declined in the hospital and across Ottawa during our study period. This trend provided us with a good test case for our approach. If there are fewer cases being admitted to the hospital, we should recover the virus less often from the floors of COVID-19 wards and the viral burden in wastewater outflows from the hospital should also decline.

This was exactly what we saw: both surface and wastewater testing indicated a steady drop in viral prevalence over time, mirroring the data we saw from conventional individual testing. Surface testing seems to be a reliable approach to viral surveillance, one that gives a more spatially refined view as to where the virus is, and where it is not, in areas where infected people might gather.

As promising as this approach is, our study was restricted to hospitals where patients and staff are already screened regularly for the virus. The real test of its value is whether it can be useful in settings where individual screening cannot be done on a regular basis, and whether it provides a signal of infection in advance of cases.

We are working to provide answers through a much larger study of long-term care homes, schools and daycares. Preliminary results are promising: floor samples can detect the virus up to a week before cases are reported in some of these facilities. If these results hold up, we will have a new tool to guide us in managing a safe return to life.

Explore further CDC turns to wastewater data to track COVID's spread

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Figure 1. Transcriptomic and bioinformatics analyses demonstrate activation of TGF- signaling in OI type III bone. (A) Principal component analysis (PCA) plot of transcriptomic data from non-OI and OI type III bones in 3-PC dimensions. (B) Hierarchical clustering based on Euclidian distance using RPKM of all non-OI and OI type III bone data. Blue: down-regulated; yellow: up-regulated. (C) Gene set enrichment plot demonstrated activation of TGF- signaling. NES: normalized enrichment score. C18, C14, C15 represent three biologically distinct non-OI bone samples. OI85, OI33, and OI31 represent three biologically distinct OI type III bone samples. FDR: false discovery rate. The expression pattern of genes involved in the TGF- gene set in the analysis database. Blue: down-regulated. Red: up-regulated. Credit: DOI: 10.1172/JCI152571

A new study led by Baylor College of Medicine identifies an underlying mechanism of pathogenesis for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) in human bone. The report, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, also shows the results of a Phase 1 clinical trial testing the safety and effectiveness of an antibody treatment targeting that pathway.

Osteogenesis imperfecta is the most common skeletal dysplasia and causes bone fragility in children and adults. There is no FDA-approved treatment for OI. Previous research conducted at Baylor has shown that a protein called transforming growth factor- (TGF-) is upregulated in bones and connective tissues of mouse models of common forms of OI, suggesting a common signaling pathway in OI and a potential therapeutic target.

Through the Brittle Bone Disorders Consortium, a part of the NIH-funded Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network, Baylor researchers conducted a new study to prove that the results of their animal studies could be replicated in humans. They examined human bone samples from OI patients at consortium sites at Baylor/Texas Children's Hospital and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. A multiomic approach analyzing RNA and protein expression revealed that TGF- was upregulated when compared to non-OI bone.

To translate these findings to the clinic, the Baylor team tested fresolimumab, a monoclonal antibody therapy that neutralizes TGF- in a Phase 1 clinical trial conducted at BBDC sites at Baylor and Oregon Health & Science University. Eight adults with moderate to severe OI received a single infusion of fresolimumab provided by Sanofi.

"In patients with moderate forms of OI, we saw a significant increase in bone density at three and six months, which is a really dramatic effect after only a single infusion," said Dr. Brendan Lee, corresponding author of the study, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Robert and Janice McNair Endowed Chair in Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor. "This could be an effective therapy targeting the mechanisms underlying disease in OI."

Fresolimumab has been used before to treat other diseases, including cancer, and it can have significant side effects. But in this study, the drug was well tolerated with only minor side effects. Lee says targeting bone offers potential safety advantages.

"Human bone turns over every three to six months, which allows us to decrease the administration frequency as the therapeutic effect on bone lasts beyond the time the drug is in the body," said Lee, who also is principal investigator of the BBDC.

The data showed a stronger effect in patients with moderate OI, indicating that dosage may need to be adjusted based on severity of disease in future trials. Plans for additional trials are already underway, with Sanofi set to lead a larger Phase 1b clinical trial to test safety, tolerability and impact on bone density (NCT05231668).

According to Lee, this therapy could have additional benefits for OI patients.

"In OI patients, TGF- is found at higher levels in connective tissues like the lung as well as bone," Lee said. "We hope future trials will determine whether fresolimumab can help with other OI symptoms affecting connective tissue."

Explore further Understanding the cause of joint and tendon dysfunction in osteogenesis imperfecta

More information: I-Wen Song et al, Targeting transforming growth factor-  (TGF-) for treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2022). I-Wen Song et al, Targeting transforming growth factor-  (TGF-) for treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta,(2022). DOI: 10.1172/JCI152571 Ingo Grafe et al, Excessive transforming growth factor- signaling is a common mechanism in osteogenesis imperfecta, Nature Medicine (2014). DOI: 10.1038/nm.3544 Journal information: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is the largest health care system in the United States, with 171 hospitals and more than 1,000 clinics that provide care for more than 9 million military veterans and their families. Since its establishment in 1930, there has been debate over quality and accessibility of care. A new study found that veterans transported by ambulance to VA hospitals had better 30-day survival rates than veterans transported to non-VA hospitals. The survival advantage was greater for Black and Hispanic patients and for patients with a history of receiving care at the hospital to which they were taken.

The study was conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It will appear in The BMJ.

Most prior studies on the quality of VA healthcare compare veterans receiving care in the VA system with non-veterans receiving care elsewhere, an approach that can produce biased results if these patient populations are fundamentally different in nature. "Veterans are a distinctive group, and available information sources likely do not allow researchers to control for important underlying differences in the health status of veterans and non-veterans," explains Lowell Taylor, professor of economics at CMU's Heinz College, who coauthored the study. "A better way to evaluate the relative effectiveness of VA and non-VA healthcare systems is to evaluate outcomes for veterans who qualify for treatment in both systems."

To obtain a more balanced comparison of treatment quality in VA and non-VA hospitals, in this study, researchers tracked 30-day mortality in a cohort of veterans aged 65 years or older who met two criteria: They were enrolled in both the VHA and Medicare, and their care began with a 911-initiated ambulance ride to obtain emergency treatment. These veterans' eligibility to receive care in both VA and non-VA hospitals, coupled with the emergency nature of their visit, reduced the potential for self-selection into one type of hospital or the other. The study also accounted for other factors, including veterans' residence, previous care, and demographics, and ambulances' life support capabilities, which can skew comparisons.

In all, the study examined emergency visits by ambulance by more than 580,000 veterans to 140 VA and 2,622 non-VA hospitals in 46 U.S. states and the District of Columbia from 2001-2018. Researchers also measured deaths in the 30-day period after the ambulance ride.

The adjusted mortality rate at 30 days was 20% lower among patients taken to VA hospitals than among patients taken to non-VA hospitals. The mortality advantage was consistent across men and women, patient age groups, and different types of pre-existing conditions, but the advantage was particularly pronounced among Black patients and Hispanic patients.

"Our findings indicate that within a month of being treated with emergency care at VA hospitals, dually eligible veterans had a substantially lower risk of death than those treated at non-VA hospitals," says David Chan, associate professor of health policy at Stanford University and a physician economist at the VA, lead author on the study.

Among the limitations of the study, the authors note that although the design of their study reduces the risk of confounding, it does not necessarily eliminate it. Also, since the study was of older veterans, the results may not generalize to younger veterans or to episodes of care not initiated by emergency treatment. Finally, the authors say that the nature of the mortality advantage identified warrants further investigation.

"Widely publicized concerns about quality and capacity of the VA systems have fueled public perceptions that the VA health system falls short of providing appropriate care to the many veterans who depend on it," says David Card, professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, who coauthored the study. "Our findings suggest that, for the system overall, those perceptions do not match reality.

"This conclusion has important implications for health policy," Card continues. "Enabling or encouraging veterans to obtain care outside the VA system could lead to worse, not better, health outcomes, particularly for veterans with established care relationships at VA facilities."

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Explore further Lower risk of death for Black Veterans with heart failure and pneumonia in VA system

More information: David C Chan et al, Mortality among US veterans after emergency visits to Veterans Affairs and other hospitals: retrospective cohort study, BMJ (2022). Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ) David C Chan et al, Mortality among US veterans after emergency visits to Veterans Affairs and other hospitals: retrospective cohort study,(2022). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2021-068099
ZAMBOANGA CITY  Eight villages in the southern Philippine province of Sulu are now free from the influence of the pro-ISIS group Abu Sayyaf...
With more than 50 features and 100 shorts, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival has more to take in than time allows.

Nonfiction movies, like life and art, are filled with surprises, though, and the most memorable film you see likely wont be the one that you thought.

Features programmer Michael Workman said they want the festival to be a curatorial force that champions work that isnt necessarily going to have popular appeal. While certain types of series or celebrity-oriented films have become extremely popular on streaming services, they want Big Sky to be a home for work that is intimate and raw and artistic and takes challenges.

Films that are really subtle in the synopsis are sometimes the most powerful, he said.

To help narrow down the program, the schedule is divided into strands by theme  Made in Montana, Activism and Justice, and Peace and Conflict, as a guide. Also check out the competitions to see which films stood out to festival judges.

Features

In An Accidental Life, director Henna Taylor sketches out the recovery of her friend, Quinn Brett, a professional climber, who was paralyzed after a fall on El Capitan.

They focused on her as a human, Workman said, and her recovery and efforts to find her direction. Taylor does bold things with the structure, including the timeline of events and even asking Brett her thoughts on the movie, at the beginning of the movie. Gregg said the film handles the issue of risks in climbing, too, making it obvious how high they are, and the collective cost to the community when accidents occur. (Wilma, Feb. 22, 5:45 p.m.)

Relative is, Workman said, provocative and challenging, as the director Tracey Arcabasso Smith delves into intergenerational sexual abuse in her own family. A world premiere. Its not at all a true crime film, as she is trying to talk about these things with her family for the first time.

The viewer is watching some epiphanies happen on screen, which I think is one of the most amazing things in documentaries, when you can capture moments that are  possibly pivotal in somebodys understanding of their life, he said. Executive Director Rachel Gregg said it will leave you thinking about it long after. (Roxy, Feb. 24, 6:15 p.m. and Feb. 26, 1 p.m.)

Some of the films tracked their subjects over remarkable lengths of time. Jian Fans After the Rain trains its lens on parents in China who lost their children during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The government gave them permission to have another child, and the film tracks them for a decade, as they raise their children while grappling with their own grief. (ZACC, Feb. 19, 7:45 p.m.)

For lighter fare, see Cat Daddies, Mye Hoangs portrait of male cat owners and their kitties. Her subjects span the U.S., from a trucker who takes his cat out on hiking trails to an unhoused man in New York and Lucky, who he found as a wounded street kitten.

Krimes is a portrait film of Jesse Krimes, a promising art student who was sentenced to five years for drug crimes. While inside, he created numerous conceptual projects, including a Bosch-like recreation of purgatory, heaven and hell in the form of a wall-spanning mixed-media mural on individual contraband bed sheets that he mailed out of the prison one by one. Director Alysa Nahmias follows Krimes over the course of five years, as hes released and must find a way to keep pursuing art, raise a son and avoid the trip wires that could return him to prison. (ZACC, Feb. 19, 11:45 a.m. and Feb. 21, 7:15 p.m.)

Brooke Pepion Swaney's "Daughter of a Lost Bird" recounts Missoula resident Kendra Mylnechuk Potter's childhood  her mother, who is Indigenous, put her up for adoption and she was raised by white parents. Now an adult, she seeks to reconnect with her birth mother. (Wilma, Feb. 20, 3:15 p.m.)

In-person and online

More than 200 filmmakers, subjects or representatives of films are coming to Missoula to participate in Q&As and other events starting Friday, as case levels are going down.

In the days ahead of the event, it just keeps dropping and dropping, so its quite a relief, Gregg said.

The festival is being held with in-person screenings at the Wilma, the Zootown Arts Community Center, the MCT Center for the Performing Arts and the Roxy Theater. Theyll have limited capacity and require masks.

Its still really wise to keep our gatherings more limited, Gregg said. Its nice that we have the virtual option, since seating will be limited.

The virtual festival runs from Feb. 21 to March 3. Short films will be available during that entire window, and features will stream for four days, starting the day after its in-person premiere. Last year, the virtual-only event brought in viewers from around Montana and farther away.

To help with any contact-tracing efforts, theyre requiring ticket holders for the in-person shows to register. The process can take a little bit, so its better to buy tickets in advance online. Also, because the smaller venues have limited capacity, its recommended to purchase in advance anyway.

A lot of screenings in the smaller venues are about half-sold, Gregg said. And sales have been healthy across the board.

Submissions, too, have been high. The entries for the Big Sky Pitch, in which filmmakers make their case for funding, had triple the number of submissions this year. Overall, entries to the broader festival have increased as well.

The DocShop filmmaking forum and conference, which brings in professionals from the industry, will be held in the Missoula Public Library. Its free and open to all but registration is required. The theme this year is Art and Activism.

Opening night film

The festival is kicking off with a film thats relevant to locals whether here in Missoula or around the West, A Decent Home, which is having its Northwest premiere.

Director Sara Terrys film tracks residents of mobile home parks that are being bought up by private investors and equity firms. It sets about exposing the underbelly of these kinds of development and redevelopment projects surrounding trailer parks and addresses issues of affordable housing more generally, Workman said.

They hope it will agitate and facilitate discussions about the issue, Workman said. Terry will be on hand for a Q&A with NeighborWorks Montana.

(Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Wilma and Feb. 21, at 11:45 a.m. at the ZACC.)

Shorts

While streaming services may have trained you to expect a story to be told in an hour to 10 hours, the shorts category will show you otherwise, with powerful films that go by in less than 30 minutes.

Some highlights Workman mentioned include:

Joshua Seftels Stranger at the Gate takes as its subject a U.S. Marine who began plotting a terrorist attack on a mosque. In an unforeseen twist of fate, he converts to Islam. (Wilma, Feb. 19, 2:45 p.m. and Feb. 23, at 3:15 p.m.)

In Groundhog Town, director David Zucker visits the community of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, as they prepare for the first-ever Groundhog Day without in-person events due to the pandemic. It expertly weaves in themes about the decline of coal towns and American folklore, told with dry humor, Workman said. (ZACC, Feb. 20, 5 p.m. and Wilma, Feb. 22, at 3:30 p.m.)

In Strange Bedfellows, director Maxwell Mueller seemingly sets out to make a film about two hippie puppeteers, yet they begin probing the filmmaker on his own romantic relationships, in a funny and surprising fashion, Workman said. (ZACC, Feb. 24, 8:15 p.m.; Wilma, Feb. 24, 1 p.m.)

In Dad Jokes, comedian Jo Welch sets out to reunite with her father, whos been in prison for years. Welch, who co-directed with Daniel Hartigan, will be in town to do some stand-up for the screening. (Wilma, Feb. 22, 3:30 p.m.; Roxy, Feb. 25, 9:15 p.m.)

One special event this year is the Reciprocity Project, a film and multimedia organization that is presenting a curated selection of Indigenous shorts. Composer Jennifer Kreisberg (Tuscarora) of North Carolina will perform. (Wilma, Feb. 25, 6 p.m.)

Closing night film

While the schedule has plenty of movies that have direct interest to Missoulians and Montanans, the closing spot is reserved to highlight something universal but subtle in Charm Circle. (Wilma, Feb. 27, 8 p.m.)

One of the best things about the festival is that people go for something they're interested in, and then see a few other things and be really surprised, Workman said.

They wanted to focus on a film that really uses the documentary form to its full potential, he said. He said its beautiful, funny and moving but sounds subtle in the synopsis: Director Nira Burstein attempts to bridge the fractured relationships between herself and her family.

It has elements of humor (it was executive produced by Fred Armisen) along with heart and devastation, which are all more powerful because its able to dance between those.

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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Misinformation about COVID-19 abounds, and cancer patients who are currently receiving treatment are more likely to believe COVID lies than cancer survivors who've completed treatment and people who've never had cancer, a new study says.

The findings are from a survey of nearly 900 U.S. adults about evenly divided into the three groups.

"These findings help us better understand the threat of COVID-19 misinformation in an already vulnerable population," said study lead author Jeanine Guidry, an assistant professor in Virginia Commonwealth University's Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture.

"Understanding who is more likely to believe certain types of misinformation brings us closer to understanding why this is the case, which, in turn, may help us address this concerning issue," Guidry explained in a university news release.

The researchers outlined a number of possible reasons for their findings.

"It may be that survivors currently undergoing treatment have heightened anxiety about how the current pandemic will impact their course of survival, leading them to seek out more information on the internet or via social media where they are more exposed to misinformation," they wrote.

Also, increased information seeking may impact cancer patients information-processing abilities. They may jump to conclusions, rather than use "more critical, central processing routes of assessing information credibility."

The study also found that cancer survivors who are no longer in treatment may have greater experience evaluating online information.

"Our cancer survivors, theyve gone through this journey and come out the other end, knowing you can't believe everything you read on the internet -- they know you have to talk to your doctor and other people who are knowledgeable about these issues," said study senior author Bernard Fuemmeler, a chair in cancer research at VCU Massey Cancer Center.

The findings suggest that health care providers need to be aware that cancer patients undergoing treatment are susceptible to COVID-19 misinformation.

A previous study by the same team found that parents of children with cancer were more likely to believe COVID-19 misinformation than parents of children with no cancer history.

The new study was published in the February print issue of Patient Education and Counseling.

More information

To get the facts on COVID-19, see the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: Virginia Commonwealth University, news release, Feb. 11, 2022

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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Could a therapy used to treat chest pain ease the debilitating symptoms of long COVID?

Yes, claims a small but promising study that found it helped ease fatigue, shortness of breath and other symptoms in people who can't shake side effects that haunt them long after their original coronavirus infection.

As many as 50% of people who recover from COVID-19 may experience a constellation of such symptoms, and there's not much that doctors can do for these patients because long COVID is such a new entity.

Exactly why some people develop long COVID and others don't isn't fully understood yet, but researchers suspect that endothelial dysfunction  which occurs when large blood vessels on the heart's surface constrict instead of dilate  may play a role, explained study author Sachin Shah.

Enter enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP), said Shah, chief scientific officer at Flow Therapy, a nationwide EECP provider based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Folks who undergo EECP are fitted with three sets of cuffs on their calves, thighs and lower hips. These cuffs are inflated sequentially, from the calves up to the hips, when the heart is at rest. This action pushes oxygen-rich blood throughout the heart and to the rest of the body, and stimulates the formation of small branches of blood vessels to bypass narrowed arteries, he explained.

"The increased flow to the heart helps develop small vessels called collaterals that are a natural defense to heart disease, and the increase of blood flow throughout the body increases the overall health of the entire cardiovascular system by increasing the dilation and reducing inflammation of the blood vessels," Shah said.

Treatment with EECP lasts one hour, and people may need up to 35 sessions over seven weeks for maximum results, he said. The cost  roughly $9,500 for 35 treatments at Flow Therapy  may not be covered by insurance for treating long COVID, but Shah said he is working with insurers to get them to foot the bill.

The new study included 33 people with long COVID (average age 54), including 18 patients with no history of heart disease, who underwent EECP.

Everyone showed improvements in fatigue, breathing difficulties and chest discomfort after undergoing 15 to 35 hours of EECP therapy, even in those without a history of heart disease, the study showed. EECP benefits can last several years for people with angina, but more research is needed to see how long these improvements might last for people with long COVID, Shah said.

"Long COVID patients with and without coronary artery disease [CAD] who are suffering from marked limitations with ordinary activity in the form of fatigue, shortness of breath, chest discomfort and/or brain fog are the ideal candidates," Shah said. "Of course, in patients without long COVID having symptomatic CAD, EECP can do wonders for them."

The study was presented at a virtual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held from Feb. 16 to 19. Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

"This is an interesting concept that needs to be studied more," said Dr. Erica Spatz. She is an associate professor of cardiology at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., and a member of the ACC Science & Quality Committee.

"We do think there is a component of endothelial dysfunction with long COVID that may cause chest pain and exercise intolerance that is not detected on standard imaging tests," said Spatz. Making a diagnosis of endothelial dysfunction requires invasive testing, she added.

While it does seem to show promise for treating long-COVID, EECP is not widely available at this time, she noted.

More information

Find out what the U.S. National Institutes of Health is doing to better understand long COVID.

SOURCES: Sachin Shah, PharmD, chief scientific officer, Flow Therapy, Fort Worth, Texas; Erica Spatz, MD, associate professor, cardiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., member, ACC Science & Quality Committee; American College of Cardiology's Cardiovascular Summit, virtual meeting, Feb. 16 to 19, 2022

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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- In a sign that the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on routine health care, many of the nearly one-third of older Americans who had a medical procedure, primary care visit or dental appointment canceled or postponed due to COVID still haven't received that care, a new poll finds.

"Whether they chose to postpone or their provider did, these patients missed opportunities for preventive care and for early detection and effective management of chronic conditions, not to mention operations and procedures to address a pressing health need," said Dr. Jeffrey Kullgren, associate director of the National Poll on Healthy Aging and an associate professor of internal medicine at University of Michigan-Michigan Medicine.

"The fact that half or more unvaccinated people have not yet rescheduled those disrupted appointments is especially concerning, because every encounter with a health care provider is also an opportunity to talk about the benefits and safety of COVID vaccination for older adults," Kullgren added in a university news release.

Of the more than 1,000 adults aged 50 and older who were surveyed online or by phone in late January, 14% said they had postponed, rescheduled or canceled a procedure, operation or test in the past year, and another 8% said their provider had done so.

Among those who had an appointment scheduled to have a procedure, test or operation in 2021, 28% said it was disrupted due to COVID.

Of those who had a test, procedure or operation delayed due to COVID in 2021, most had already received the delayed care by the time of the survey (34%) or had scheduled it for a future date (38%). Another 16% said they planned to reschedule but havent done it yet, and 10% weren't planning to reschedule.

Vaccinated and boosted adults were much more likely to have rescheduled a test, procedure or operation (81%) than unvaccinated adults (44%).

The poll also found that 15% of respondents said they had postponed, rescheduled or canceled a visit to their primary care provider due to COVID in the past year, while 11% said their provider had done so.

Of those who had a primary care visit disrupted, 56% have had a makeup visit, 20% have scheduled one, 14% haven't rescheduled and 8% aren't planning to. Vaccinated (74%) and vaccinated/boosted people (85%) were much more likely to have rescheduled a primary care appointment than unvaccinated people (53%).

The story was the same when it came to dental visits.

Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) of respondents said they had postponed, rescheduled or canceled a dental appointment in the past year due to COVID, and 8% said their provider had postponed, rescheduled or canceled their appointment. Vaccinated and boosted people were much more likely (64%) to have rescheduled a disrupted dental appointment than unvaccinated people (30%), according to the poll.

Older adults need to understand that seeking care -- even if it means removing a mask temporarily to get dental work done -- carries benefits, and that being vaccinated and boosted provides strong protection, said poll director Dr. Preeti Malani.

"Even as the pandemic continues, it's important for everyone to remember that COVID-19 is not the only risk to health," she said in the release. "It's important to make sure we are taking care of all the health needs of older adults, including care that may have been disrupted."

More information

The Mayo Clinic offers advice on seeing your doctor during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOURCE: Michigan Medicine-University of Michigan, news release, Feb. 15, 2022

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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 grow more effective in the months after a person gets the Pfizer COVID vaccine, according to a new study.

In sheer numbers, antibody levels did decline over the months after vaccination. However, the new findings showed that antibodies that remained became steadily stronger and more precisely targeted against the virus.

That means that even low levels of antibodies would continue to provide some protection against the original strain of the virus, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

"If the virus didn't change, most people who got two doses of this vaccine would be in very good shape," said study senior author Ali Ellebedy, an associate professor of pathology and immunology.

What researchers saw was exactly what they'd expect from a robust immune response, he said.

"We never thought that six months following that second injection, many people would still be actively improving the quality of their antibodies," Ellebedy said in a university news release. "To me, that is remarkable. The problem is that this virus keeps evolving and producing new variants. So, the antibodies are getting better at recognizing the original strain, but unfortunately the target keeps changing."

The researchers analyzed blood samples from 42 people and lymph node samples from 15. The samples were collected before participants received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine, and three, four, five, seven, 15 and 29 weeks afterward.

Bone marrow samples were also taken from 11 people 29 and 40 weeks after their first shot. Eight people provided all three kinds of samples. These eight did not catch COVID, so their antibody response came from vaccination alone.

The researchers found that the quality of antibodies improved after six months. Early after vaccination, only 20% of antibodies bound to a protein from the virus, compared with nearly 80% six months later, according to findings published Feb. 15 in the journal Nature.

"When you look at antibodies, quantity should not be your only concern, Ellebedy said. "The antibodies at six months might be less in quantity, but they are much better in quality. And that refinement of the antibody response happens on its own. You get your shot, maybe your arm hurts for a day, and then you forget about it. But six months later your germinal centers are still ongoing and your antibodies are still getting better and better."

However, Ellebedy noted that the quality of the antibodies is measured against the original virus used to create the vaccine.

"Everything changes when a new variant comes," Ellebedy said. "You have to retrain your immune system. It's like updating your anti-malware software to make sure it matches the newest computer viruses that are going around. It doesn't mean the old software was bad. It just means it no longer completely matches the viruses it is going to encounter."

In light of that, the researchers are studying how variant-specific boosters affect the antibody response to vaccination.

More information

There's more on COVID-19 vaccines at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, news release, Feb. 15, 2022

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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A woman with HIV who received an umbilical cord blood transplant has become the third person in the world to be cured of the virus that causes AIDS.

The two others, both men, were cured after receiving bone marrow transplants from donors who carried a mutation that blocks HIV, The New York Times reported.

The woman -- who is of mixed race -- was diagnosed with HIV in 2013 and took antiretroviral drugs to keep her virus levels low. She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2017 and received the cord blood transplant that year to treat the cancer, along with blood from a close relative to give her temporary immune protection while the cord blood transplant took hold, said researchers. They presented information on the case Tuesday at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver.

The cord blood contained a mutation that blocks HIV's entry into cells and came from a partially matched donor. That's in contrast to similar procedures using bone marrow transplants, where there's the need to find a donor of similar race and ethnicity, the research team noted.

The cord blood procedure could therefore be a major advance in efforts to develop a cure for HIV, according to the researchers.

The fact that shes mixed race, and that shes a woman, that is really important scientifically and really important in terms of the community impact, Dr. Steven Deeks, an AIDS expert at the University of California, San Francisco, told the Times.

It's believed that HIV infection progresses differently in women than in men, but women account for just 11% of participants in trials testing cures, despite making up more than half of HIV cases worldwide the Times said.

The success of the umbilical cord blood transplant also suggests that it may be possible to cure HIV in more people of varying racial backgrounds than before, the Times reported.

Along with being more available than adult stem cells typically used in bone marrow transplants, cord blood does not need to be matched as closely to the recipient. Most cord blood donors are white, but this case shows that even a partial match can cure HIV, the scientists noted.

In the two previous cases of an HIV "cure," both men were pummeled by punishing side effects from the bone marrow transplants, including graft versus host disease, a condition in which the donors cells attack the recipients body. The first patient nearly died after his transplant. The second patient's treatment was less intense, but he lost nearly 70 pounds, developed hearing loss and survived multiple infections in the year after his transplant, according to his doctors, the Times reported.

In comparison, the woman in the latest case left the hospital just 17 days after her transplant and did not develop graft versus host disease, said Dr. JingMei Hsu, the patients physician at Weill Cornell Medicine. The combination of cord blood and her relatives cells might have spared her much of the brutal side effects of a typical bone marrow transplant, Hsu said, the Times reported.

Despite that, Deeks said cord blood transplants to cure HIV aren't likely to become commonplace.

These are stories of providing inspiration to the field and perhaps the road map, he told the Times.

Worldwide, nearly 38 million people have HIV, and about 73% are receiving treatment with antiretroviral drugs. But a cure is viewed as the only way to end the decades-long HIV pandemic.

More information

Visit hiv.gov for more on HIV.

SOURCE: The New York Times

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Its a time of reflection and new leadership at a local nonprofit that serves tens of thousands of county residents.

After seven years at the helm, Aaron Brock has announced plans to step down as executive director of the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center.

Meanwhile, the organization's board of directors has announced current staff members Jessica Allred and Kelli Hess will serve as interim co-executive directors beginning on Friday, Feb. 25.

Brock can look back on all kinds of memories during his time at the food bank, but undoubtedly the most significant event was the grand opening in 2017 of the current 22,500-square-foot headquarters at 1720 Wyoming Street.

The organization had been located in a cramped little space on Third Street near downtown for many years, and the new headquarters marked a huge shift in treating clients with dignity. The old space often had standing-room-only lines and wait times as long as 90 minutes before customers could access services. It was also extremely limited on the types of foods it could provide.

After a $6.5 million capital campaign led by Brock and others, the organizations new location now has a kids space, a health clinic, a community center and a demonstration kitchen. And the staff has grown from 10 employees to 21.

Im so proud of the work that has happened here at the food bank and I feel humbled and grateful to have been a part of these past seven-plus years, Brock said. It has been a privilege to work with this talented team and so many generous and skilled volunteers and partners, and I will always have a very special place in my heart for the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center.

The organizations board has made concrete moves to act on stated values in the last few years, he noted. For example, they voted to change the bylaws to require that half the board members at time of recruitment live in a household that meets the federal definition of very low income." They wanted those closest to the issues of food insecurity and poverty to be leading the conversations about solutions.

In 2020, the food bank hired a director of organization and equity and established an anti-racism task force to help identify and address racial equity gaps.

Building this building was amazing and then also the shift into equity and organizing work, you know, those have been like really big highlights, Brock explained. "Those have been really fun things that we've been digging our teeth into over a long process."

The organization serves the basic food needs of more than 36,000 people every year, which is one out of every four in the county. They saw a 20% increase in demand for services in 2020 compared with 2019 and saw only a tiny decrease in demand in 2021, according to Brock.

"We're still way above where we were in 2019," he noted.

Kari Schauss, the organizations board chair, said Brock's shoes will be hard to fill.

The board is so grateful for Aarons leadership and service, and knows that he will be missed," she said.

Brock, who spent several years at the food bank as director of development, is taking on a similar role for the Nature Conservancy.

We wish Aaron all the best in his future adventures, and express our sincere appreciation for his leadership and vision, said Ashley Ostheimer Hilliard, the food banks chair elect, in an email. In his seven-and-a-half years with (the food bank), he exemplified our core values and supported the organization in fighting food insecurity, dismantling racism and promoting equity. We wish him all the best as we look forward to all (the food bank) can continue to accomplish through community support.

Allred and Hess have worked at the food bank for a combined 17 years. Allred serves as the director of development and advocacy and Hess is the operations director.

We are grateful for this opportunity, they said in a joint emailed statement. The Missoula Food Bank and Community Center has an incredible team of staff and volunteers, and we look forward to supporting continuity in providing compassionate services and working to address the causal issues of hunger in our community.

Allred said that starting in March, the food bank will be working with Missoula County to set up pop-up food distribution sites in Bonner and Clinton on the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

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The Delaware Chancery Court has upheld a recent decision by Lee Enterprises Board of Directors to reject a director nomination notice that was submitted by New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital.

The vice chancellor noted in the Tuesday decision that, among other things, Lees Board of Directors acted reasonably in enforcing a validly adopted bylaw with a legitimate corporate purpose and that Alden could easily have met the bylaws record holder and  by extension  form requirements had it not delayed in preparing its nomination notice.

According to a statement from Lee officials, the ruling means Aldens director nominations will be disregarded, and no proxies or votes in favor of its purported nominees will be recognized or tabulated at Lees 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on March 10.

We are pleased that the Delaware Court of Chancery has affirmed the importance of orderly annual shareholder meetings and confirmed the decision by the Lee Board of Directors to reject as invalid the notice of nominations delivered by Alden," Lee's Board of Directors said in a prepared statement.

Lee, which owns dozens of newspapers across the U.S., including several in Montana, has nominated three directors for re-election: Lees former chief executive officer Mary E. Junck, Herbert W. Moloney III and current chief executive officer Kevin D. Mowbray.

Alden had proposed two directors to replace Junck and Moloney, but Lee maintained Alden didnt properly nominate the board members. Alden sued in the Delaware Court as a result.

Alden released a statement after the courts ruling, urging shareholders to block the reelection of the two board members it had hoped to replace. Alden said it plans on launching a campaign that will focus on forcing their resignation.

"Our 'Vote No' campaign will act as a referendum on this entrenched duo's many failures and will act as a platform for stockholders to send a clear message that the corporate governance at Lee must be rectified, Aldens statement read.

Lee Enterprises, which has described Alden as a vulture hedge fund,'' publishes the Billings Gazette, Missoulian, Helena Independent Record, The Montana Standard and Ravalli Republic in Montana.

Lee is the third-largest owner of newspapers in the United States. Alden Global Capital is a privately held New York City-based investment firm founded in 2007. Through acquisitions, it is now the second-largest owner of newspapers, behind Gannett.

Lee's board previously rejected a takeover bid from Alden, saying it wasn't in the best interest of the company. Alden is widely known in the newspaper industry for cost-cutting beyond industry norms.

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Focusing on housing, criminal justice reform, health care and creating policies that work for everyone is at the center of SJ Howell's run for a seat in the state Legislature for House District 95.

Howell, 41, is the executive director of Montana Women Vote and has been an advocate in the Legislature for the last decade.

HD 95 is currently held by Danny Tenenbaum (D-Missoula), who is not seeking reelection.

"I've come to realize this year it's really important that we are sending folks to Helena who both are bringing experience with some of the core issues that we are grappling with as a state and those who are able to really get to work and see policies across the finish line," Howell said.

"I think all of my personal experience  I'm a member of the LGBTQ community, I'm a parent, I'm a renter, I'm a Montanan from Billings  I think these personal experiences and my professional experience, that this is my life's work, make me a good candidate for this particular moment."

Howell spoke at length about health care and criminal justice reform, and would like to see Medicaid become a program that truly works for people and has less red tape and fewer hoops to jump through.

Services in outlying districts and rural areas in Montana were also discussed. Howell also mentioned the success of a 24/7 crisis center in Billings that provided a third option for people experiencing mental health issues that is not jail or the emergency room.

Wealth is a factor in people receiving adequate health services and options for mental care are also few and far between for many people, Howell said.

"The truth of the matter is, if you are well-resourced you can find mental health care and you can find substance use disorder treatment," Howell said. "If you are not, you're looking at waiting lists, you're looking at having to leave the state for services.

"I think we have to address that both from the perspective of access for people who need that service and also addressing the provider shortage. And I think we do that by raising provider rates and making sure that the providers of those services are being paid and reimbursed properly."

Usage of state American Rescue Plan Act money to address the issue is one thing Howell suggested as a path forward. Addressing previous state budget cuts, the state's safety net needs to be addressed.

Bail reform, crisis response and jail diversion programs were also brought up.

"There are some more moderate reforms that I think we should be looking at, including categorizing crimes ... (we need) clear guidance from the state level about what can land somebody in jail and what shouldn't," Howell said.

Housing is also a major topic for Howell, who said the state can take more action on affordable housing as it has been pushed to municipalities to handle.

Vacation rentals such as Airbnb is a topic that needs to be discussed, as is property tax relief reaching renters and not just landowners, Howell said. Another common concern voters have relayed is being priced out due to newcomers coming to Montana.

"In my perspective, a lot of the folks who are nervous about the changes happening in Montana would rest easy and welcome their new neighbors if their needs were being taken care of by the state as well," Howell said. "I don't think it has to be an either-or competition, I just think we need to do the work to make sure that the folks coming in aren't displacing other folks."

Howell filed as a Democrat and is the only person to have filed for the position so far. Rebecca Dawson, a city council candidate in last year's municipal elections, ran against Tenenbaum in 2020.

The primary is June 7 and the general election will take place on Nov. 8. State House of Representative terms are for two years. Legislators are paid $100.48 each day while in session.

House District 95 is in Missoula and encompasses much of the Westside, reaching the railroad tracks to the northeast and just past Orange Street to the east.

Jordan Hansen covers news and local government for the Missoulian. Shout at him on Twitter @jordyhansen or send him an email at Jordan.Hansen@Missoulian.com

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The window is closing for the Montana Legislature to reconvene in Helena to redraw districts for the Public Service Commission, but the top two Republican leaders say they support a special session, while questioning an effort to add "election integrity" issues to the agenda.

Montanas five PSC districts havent been updated in nearly two decades, creating unconstitutional disparities between the number of voters that now reside in them. A federal court may soon step in to re-draw the district map, in response to a lawsuit filed by voters in January. The Legislature is saddled with the responsibility to redraw the districts after each census, but hasnt done so since 2003.

Lawmakers can call themselves back into session if enough of them support it through a legislative poll. But that could prove time-consuming, with lawmakers given 30 days to respond. Approaching deadlines may now leave the possibility of a special session in the hands of the governor, who can unilaterally call the Legislature back to Helena.

I would say that we remain very concerned about the courts overstepping their authority and inserting themselves into this map situation  thats not their purview, House Majority Leader Sue Vinton, R-Billings, said. Leadership from both the House and the Senate, weve been in discussions almost every single day in the last few weeks, so as far as that goes were still working on it and hoping that we can come up with a consensus amongst our caucus.

Federal judges overseeing the PSC map case have set a trial for March 4, and the candidate registration deadline is March 14. Adding to the time crunch, the Legislative Services Division ideally needs 14 days' notice to prepare for lawmakers to reconvene.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte has said he is willing to call a special session "for the sole purpose of PSC redistricting" if lawmakers can agree on a new map ahead of time.

To that end, Republicans have been circulating and debating a number of potential maps to equalize the PSC districts before it falls to a panel of federal judges.

Expanding the call

Rep. Derek Skees, a Kalispell Republican who has been an outspoken supporter of a special session, this week circulated a proposed map and a draft letter to the governor asking him to reconvene lawmakers to pass a new PSC map. He also asked that the session allow the Legislature to appoint and fund a special interim committee "created with investigatory powers and charged with confirming the election integrity of Montana."

The latter issue has been a goal of some GOP lawmakers who signed onto a letter asking for the committee last September. But many Republicans  including some who signed the September letter  have said they won't support a special session if it bleeds into other issues.

In his email, Skees asked fellow legislators to sign on in support of the letter, which he wrote will be sent to Gianforte on Friday. The letter asks the governor to convene lawmakers no later than Feb. 28 to beat the federal court's March 4 deadline.

Tuesday afternoon, Senate President Mark Blasdel and House Speaker Wylie Galt sent a letter to legislators supporting a special session to address the PSC districts, while questioning attempts to add election issues onto the agenda. Writing that cost estimates for the committee have ranged "from $50,000 to $500,000 according to different legislators," the two Republicans asked for clarity on the actual cost, how the money would be spent and what investigative powers aren't already provided to existing committees.

"What specifically will it be investigating and what does it seek to achieve?" they wrote. "Are there specific policy proposals that will be brought forward to the committee?"

They also cited a half-dozen bills passed by Republicans last year that they said "improve the integrity of Montana's elections."

"As you know, special sessions are very brief and require a lot of coordination to be successful," they continued. "... Legislators should have a clear and full understanding of the special select committee proposal prior to being expected to sign onto a letter calling for a special session addressing that topic."

Their comments appeared to echo concerns expressed by Democrats and some Republicans that calling lawmakers back to Helena is expensive. Legislative Services estimates a special session would cost $108,000 for the first day, plus $56,000 for each subsequent day.

And in a letter sent to House and Senate leaders Tuesday afternoon, Gianforte doubled down on his stance that hell only call a special session to address the PSC issue.

I take seriously our role as elected officials to be responsible stewards of taxpayer resources and also recognize, with a citizen legislature, the individual responsibilities of your members outside of regular legislative sessions, he wrote. For those reasons, I do not take calling a special session lightly.

The push for an expanded special session has a number of Republicans wary of agreeing to reconvene at all. Once a special session is underway, it's possible lawmakers could vote to expand the scope into other issues, like probing the state's election security. Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, has remained staunchly opposed to calling a special session, and said such votes could provide fodder for primary opponents from the right wing to run attack ads and mailers against incumbents in the upcoming primary elections.

"The average person doesn't really understand what was discussed, what was said or why somebody thought it was a bad idea," he said. "... It's a postcard vote, they take them all the time, and you bet that is a big fear. There's some pretty hot races in June."

Included in Skees' email, which was sent to both Republicans and Democrats, was a link to a PSC map Skees is asking lawmakers to support. It would create one distinct district in northwestern Montana, anchored by Flathead County and including Missoula. The current PSC map has two districts running north-to-south in that fast-growing region.

While the current districts vary in population by as much as 53,000 residents, the proposed map would create a difference of 3,144 residents between the most populated and least populated districts.

That map would also draw Skees outside the district he's campaigning in this year, and place him inside the one held by Commissioner Jennifer Fielder, a Republican not up for reelection until 2024.

That political consideration surfaced publicly last month, when fellow Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, R-Great Falls, told the audience at a public meeting that party leadership had hammered out a deal in which Skees would support such a map if "election integrity" issues were also addressed in a special session. Skees has said it was only a suggestion, and his support isn't contingent upon the election committee.

Skees declined to comment for this story. In a Jan. 26 interview, he told the Montana State News Bureau he would be willing to throw his support behind a map that precluded him from running in 2022, if it creates a stronger district and allows for better representation for the constituents that I represent in the Flathead. As treasurer of the Montana GOP, Skees is one of the top officers in the state party leadership.

For their part, minority Democrats in the House and Senate have called the special session proposals a waste of time and money, and argued the 2023 legislative session would be the proper time to address new PSC districts.

Other maps in circulation

Four other maps, obtained through public records requests by the Montana State News Bureau, offer a glimpse into a process that has largely played out behind the scenes. Lawmakers contacted about those maps noted that debates over district lines have produced many iterations in recent weeks, and the proposals have likely shifted since January.

One, drafted on Jan. 18 by legislative staff at Ankney's request, draws similar lines to the map supported by Skees, but excludes Missoula from the northwestern district.

That proposed map also creates a single northwestern district with the Flathead as the main population center. Three districts would be anchored by the large population centers around Missoula, Bozeman and Billings, with vast, sparsely populated stretches of eastern and north-central Montana lumped in with Great Falls. Ankney said he requested it in the hopes that the courts might consider using it.

A map more closely resembling the one circulated by Skees was emailed Jan. 28 to legislators by Rep. Wendy McKamey, R-Ulm. It draws both Missoula and the Flathead into a single northwestern district, with a large southwestern district extending from just outside Missoula to the Gallatin County line. It has distinct eastern, south-central and north-central districts, with Billings in the east.

In an interview last week, McKamey said she didnt know the origin of her preferred map. And she added that shes seen scant evidence that lawmakers were anywhere near a consensus on any of the proposals in circulation.

On Jan. 18, Skees emailed a different PSC map proposal to Republican leaders in the House. It closely resembles the current PSC map, with an expanded footprint for District 1, which includes Great Falls and many of the states more rural counties in northeast and north-central Montana. In his email, Skees said it was created by Jeff Essman, a Republican member of the state Districting and Apportionment Commission.

That map would also preserve his ability to run in District 5 this year, as does a similar map submitted to Vinton on Jan. 20 by Terry Nelson, chair of the Montana GOPs redistricting committee. Neither Essman nor Nelson responded to requests for comment.

Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, said chatter about a special session had seemed to die down recently. That doesnt necessarily mean others arent closing in on a map that can unite enough Republicans to form majorities in both chambers, he added. But he said theres a reason PSC maps havent been updated in so long that the courts are now preparing to step in.

No one wants to agree on a map, he said. Thats why were in this quandary now.

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State and federal mine regulators ignored environmental requirements when approving a 70.8-million-ton expansion of Montanas Rosebud mine, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan recommended Friday that the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement correct its violations of the National Environmental Policy Act within a year. Otherwise, approval of the Area F expansion at Rosebud mine would be revoked. The ruling comes from U.S. District Court in Billings. Judge Susan Watters must approve the recommendation for it to take hold.

Specifically, Cavan found that OSM and Montanas Department of Environmental Quality approved the expansion without considering the environmental consequences of burning another 70.8 million tons of Rosebud coal at neighboring Colstrip Power Plant. Included in the consequences disregarded were the negative impacts of drawing another 176,000 to 400,000 acre-feet of Yellowstone River water needed by the steam-electric generator.

The judge also faulted the agencies for weighing the economic benefits of the mine expansion, while disregarding all of the negatives. Instead of a cost-benefit analysis, the governments analyzed the benefits and skipped the costs, specifically greenhouse gas emissions.

The agencies ignored the requirements of NEPA, and six plaintiffs sued: the Montana Environmental Information Center, Indian Peoples Action, 350 Montana, Sierra Club, and WildEarth Guardians.

The Court finds OSM failed to take a 'hard look' at the costs of greenhouse gas emissions, Cavan ruled. The relationship between the mined coal and environmental impacts of the power plant was too direct to ignore.

In this case, the operations of the mine and the power plant are intricately connected. The mine is the sole source of coal for the power plant. Substantially all the coal from the mine is transported by a conveyor system directly to the plant. Therefore, if coal is mined from Area F, it will be combusted at the Colstrip Power Plant. The power plant burns the coal to boil water to produce electricity, and that water  between 22,000 and 50,000 acre-feet  is withdrawn annually from the Yellowstone River.

Intervening defendants in the case, namely mine owner Westmoreland Rosebud Mining, LLC and the International Union of Operating Engineers had argued that the greenhouse gas emissions and water use were irrelevant because Colstrip wouldnt be using water or emitting pollution at a faster rate.

However, Cavan ruled that extra years Area F added to the power plants supply were what mattered, saying that even if the rate of water withdrawals at the Power Plant would not change, the Area F expansion will result in the combustion (using Yellowstone River water) of an additional 70.8 million tons of coal for an additional eight years.

The court will vacate the agencys approval of the expansion if OSM doesnt correct its work within 365 days.

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Tom Richmond, a former Montana state senator and long-time administrator of the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, has died.

Few people were as involved in shaping Montana's energy policy as Richmond. He was a 30-year employee of the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, including the early years of the Bakken oil boom when Eastern Montana was briefly more active than the North Dakota side of the formation.

Richmond, a Republican, helped shape the states disclosure laws for chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing of oil wells as a legislator. A petroleum engineer, Richmond was adamant that fracking could be done safely.

Tom was one of those guys who was definitely a problem solver, said Alan Olson, director of the Montana Petroleum Association. He was a work horse, not a show horse. He never sought out recognition. He never grandstanded on an issue, just quietly got things done. He was way better than 99% of the politicians, thats for damn sure.

Olson worked for the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation for 19 years, during which time Richmond was Olsons boss. Emailing Montana Petroleum Association members about Richmond's death the other evening, Olson described his friend's battle with pancreatic cancer as short but hard-fought. Richmond was diagnosed less than a month ago, Olson said. Richmond is survived by his wife, Rene Richmond, of 52 years.

Olson said he never felt like he was working for Richmond. Rather, they were working together.

Richmond was sought out for his experience on groundwater issues, Olson said. A Great Falls native, Richmond served on the Groundwater Protection Council for 15 years. The council is a group of state groundwater program managers and oil and gas officials. During Richmonds tenure the council developed a fracturing data management program, which he oversaw. That work was cited by Montana Tech when it gave Richmond a distinguished alumni award.

It wasnt until last decade that Richmond entered politics. Jeff Essmann, a former state legislator and Montana GOP chairman, described Richmond as a Chamber of Commerce Republican, a moderate with expertise.

I was struck by the amount of bills that he carried, focused on what he knew, which was the energy industry, Essmann said. He focused on oil and gas and water quality bills and a good share of them passed.

I think Toms service shows the strength of the Montana Legislature, which in my opinion is that its still a citizen Legislature. People that run bring their life experiences to serve their fellow Montanans. Thats a real strength. Its not a permanent legislature, like a lot of other states.

Essmann said he first met Richmond while knocking on doors during the 2006 election. Eight years later, Richmond was challenging Virginia Court in the 2014 race for Billings House District 50. Court, the incumbent, prevailed, but another House seat opened when Jonathan McNiven of Huntley resigned to manage the Yellowstone County News.

Yellowstone County Commissioners appointed Richmond as the replacement for the McNiven district, which included Huntley, Lockwood, and Blue Creek.

In 2016, Richmond ran for state Senate. He quickly became one of the better energy experts in the Republican caucus. In 2019, he became the primary sponsor of Republican bills concerning Colstrip Power Plant and NorthWestern Energy.

Richmond served just one term in the Senate. He was 71 in the spring of 2020 when he was unseated in the primary election by Republican Brad Molnar.

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You dont have to be a parent to care about your local school. But recently there are groups popping up around Montana who refer to themselves as the parental rights movement, as though they have more of a stake in public education than those who dont have kids in the school system.

The parental rights movement is a relatively small group of people with an axe to grind and clearly dont represent most parents. Recently they have been attacking masks, vaccines and how we teach history. In their view, they should be able to mandate school policies, because they know what is best for their kids.

But they dont have any more rights than the rest of us. Montanas schools are funded by taxes all of us pay. There are about 145,000 students in public schools in Montana while the total population is over 1 million people. That means lots of people without children in the system are paying for schools.

And the issue is deeper than tax dollars. Despite the protests from the right wing that schools shouldnt teach values, the truth is thats exactly what an education system is supposed to do. Simple things like wait your turn, help your neighbor and be a good sport are all practical applications of values we need to function in society. Moreover, schools provide the basic skills needed to be a productive citizen. We all have a stake in the performance of our schools.

Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of American Democracy is the creation of a public education system that is open to all citizens. Historically, education was only available to the wealthy. The rest of us were shuffled to the bottom end of the economy to provide the cheap labor needed for economic expansion. More than anything else, our universal public education system set the table for the rapid growth and expansion of the American economy. Despite the criticism from the far right, American public education is an overwhelming success.

Unfortunately, schools are fodder for right-wing political forces. There are some who dont want their kids (or anyone elses for that matter) exposed to ideas, information and people they dont like. There is also a lot of money in the public school system that many people would like to take for their own private businesses (i.e. charter schools). Others want to strangle public education by cutting property taxes to benefit their own wallets. These controversies build an agitated base of political activists. It is no accident that the anti-tax crowd, in addition to Republican officials like Elsie Arntzen and Austin Knudsen, have entered the fray, urging people to challenge and even sue their local school.

None of this is new. Thirty years ago, the bogeyman was Goals 2000. Then along came people, like our governor, who want to teach Christianity as science. Others didnt want education about human sexuality, and now we are even hearing about some people who want to teach both sides of the Holocaust. The internet (which wouldnt exist without American public education) provides an unfiltered platform for these people to meet each other, swap stories, build conspiracy theories, and mobilize their followers.

Controversy around educating our kids makes it harder to teach children. Local school board meetings are turning into a gladiators arena of angry culture warriors armed with placards and bullhorns. They come to make a point and to intimidate their fellow citizens who serve, without pay, on the school board. They are, in a word, bullies. Like we all learned in public school ... we must stand up to bullies.

Ken Toole had three children complete education in Montanas public schools, and has two grandchildren enrolled. He served six years in the Montana Senate and four years on the Public Service Commission. He is currently the chair of Big Sky 55+, a nonprofit group that advocates for older Montanans.

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In censuring Representatives Liz Chaney and Adam Kinzinger for their audacity in serving on the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, the Republican National Committee (RNC) declared that the select committee was persecut[ing] ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.1

Just so we are all on the same page about the event being referred to by the RNC, this would be the one where a mob of some 10,000 people (variously described as domestic terrorists, insurrectionists or tourists  depending who is doing the describing), fired up by Donald Trump and other members of his cult, stormed the nations Capitol building in an apparent effort to disrupt the Congresspersons and officials engaged in counting the electoral college votes and confirming that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. The ultimate goal of this effort was to re-install Mr. Trump as president, notwithstanding that he lost both the electoral college vote and the popular vote.

As a result of this event, 10 people died, over half of those peace officers, and about 150 peace officers were injured. About 2,000 people forced entry into the Capitol, and the building itself was severely damaged  offices were ransacked, property was destroyed, feces was smeared on the Capitols walls, and a scaffold was constructed to hang Vice President Mike Pence (because he rebuked Mr. Trumps effort to overturn the official vote count). Prosecutors contend about $1.5 million damage was caused (exclusive of substantially more than that to harden the Capitol building against future attacks and pay for National Guard troops called up).

Jaw-dropping as this is, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the nations Capitol and those within it was, according to the Republican Party, legitimate political discourse by ordinary citizens.

Keep in mind that legitimate political discourse is protected free speech under the First Amendment. Indeed, Mr. Trump obviously also thinks so because he recently pledged that, if elected in 2024, he would pardon the rioters.

Also keep in mind that if the RNC and Mr. Trump are right and that the described conduct is legitimate political discourse  and, thus, protected free speech under the First Amendment  then certain consequences flow from that.

For instance, say ordinary citizens get fed up with Montanas present governor, Legislature and attorney general. Apparently, the Republican Party would agree that these ordinary citizens could form a mob, forcibly enter Montanas Capitol building, ransack offices, break furniture, smear feces on the Capitols walls, and, God forbid, kill or injure peace officers trying to defend against the riot.

Say it isnt so, but if this sort of legitimate political discourse is protected free speech under the First Amendment, then, a fortiori, it would be protected free speech under Article II, section 7 of Montanas Constitution, as well.

That said, and while the RNC, Donald Trump, fascists, Nazis, Bolsheviks and anarchists might believe that riots and insurrections are legitimate political discourse, in truth, this belief along with the RNCs and Mr. Trumps statements to that effect, are of the same quality as the stuff the ordinary citizens smeared on the Capitols walls  the old s word, pure and simple.

Redefining criminal conduct  insurrection and riot  as legitimate political discourse doesnt make it so, the declarations of the RNC and Donald Trump to the contrary, notwithstanding.

More concerning, however, that these official pronouncements have been handed down by a major political party  the Republican one  should be a red-flag warning to all the rest of us ordinary citizens that an authoritarian takeover of our government is right around the corner.

Then see how much legitimate political discourse youll have.

James C. Nelson is a retired Montana Supreme Court justice.

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" " Many times, a noncompete agreement isn't presented to an employee until their first day on the job. William Potter/Getty Images

If you're working for a company you don't like and decide to work for its competitor, will that first company come after you for switching jobs? That might depend on whether you signed a noncompete agreement.

A noncompete agreement is a type of contract that prevents an employee from working for a competitor within months or even years after leaving the company. In other words, noncompete clauses are designed to protect an employer against workers taking their talents and trade secrets to the competition.

That might make sense for high-paid corporate executives, TV anchors or tech workers, whose sudden departure to the competition would pose a real threat. But the crazy thing about noncompete agreements is that American employers have asked all types of workers at all wage levels to sign them: home health workers, sandwich shop employees, even dog walkers.

According to 2020 data published in the Journal of Law and Economics, around one in five American workers are bound by a noncompete agreement. In early July 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to ban or limit the use of noncompete agreements in employee contracts.

"You'll find noncompete agreements in every corner of the U.S. labor market," says study co-author Evan Starr, an assistant professor of management and organization at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. "They're being signed by interns, minimum wage workers, even volunteers for nonprofits in states like California that won't even enforce noncompete agreements."

According to Starr's research, nearly 40 percent of 11,505 U.S. workers he surveyed have signed a noncompete agreement at some point in their careers, and 18 percent are currently bound by one. That includes one-third of workers earning $40,000 or less. Another study by the Economic Policy Institute found that 29 percent of employers paying less than $13 an hour required their workers to sign noncompete agreements. Of the folks in the top tier of their study (those earning $22.50 and above), 36.5 percent had signed noncompetes.

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Do Noncompete Agreements Serve a Legitimate Purpose?

The classic argument in favor of noncompete agreements is that they take some of the risk out of hiring and training new employees. Companies invest time and resources in training new workers, and part of that training includes sharing inside information, maybe even trade secrets, about how the companies do business.

"If the worker is allowed to walk across the street and join a competitor, then that puts the firm at a competitive disadvantage," says Starr. "The company had to create that information and spend lots of money developing it."

As the pro-business Maryland Chamber of Commerce put it, "Noncompete agreements are essential to the growth and viability of businesses by protecting trade secrets and promoting business development."

Another argument in favor of noncompete clauses is that workers aren't forced to sign them. They can be negotiated as part of the overall employment contract. If a worker feels like they're giving up too much by signing a noncompete clause, they can ask for a higher salary or walk away.

In reality, through, very few people ever pause to consider the ramifications of signing a noncompete agreement and ever fewer are in a position to negotiate.

"Less than 10 percent of workers negotiate over their noncompete agreement," says Starr. "More than 85 percent of the time, when a worker is presented with a noncompete agreement, they simply sign it."

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Do Companies Really Enforce Noncompete Agreements?

If you're one of the millions of Americans who have signed a noncompete agreement, you might assume that very few of these contracts are ever enforced. Companies would only go after the big fish, right? Nope.

"There are about 1,000 noncompete lawsuits a year and you'll find all sorts of workers that you'd never expect to be in the legal record," says Starr. A Wall Street Journal analysis found that noncompete lawsuits increased by 60 percent from 2002 to 2013.

Consider the home health aide who was sued by his Pittsburgh-based agency when he tried to leave and work for a rival company. Or the famous case of the janitor who was sued by her billion-dollar employer, Cushman & Wakefield, when she tried to work for a rival cleaning business. (The company dropped the case after a public outcry).

As of right now, various types of noncompete agreements are enforceable in 47 states. Only California, North Dakota and Oklahoma have outlawed noncompetes for all workers. A handful of other states, like Maryland, have also banned noncompete agreements for low-wage workers. In Florida, however, you can still be held to a noncompete agreement even if you were fired from your job, Starr says.

The truth is that relatively few noncompete lawsuits ever go to court. The very existence of these noncompete agreements, and the broad language they use, is usually enough to intimidate workers, whether you are a janitor or a manager, from leaving for a better-paid job with the competition.

One such contract was signed by a clerk with a Philadelphia home health agency. The five-page contract prohibited the employee from working for any of its clients in a 35-mile (56-kilometer) radius within five years of leaving the job, and to pay the company's legal fees if the case went to court.

"How many of these workers have the wherewithal to fight a legal battle?" asks Starr, who says that workers who dare to leave for greener pastures will receive threatening letters from the company's lawyers. "Ninety percent of the time, these threatening letters tend to resolve the issue. What you see in the courts is a small, small sliver of what's actually going on."

Noncompete agreements are not only bad for the workers who sign them, argues Starr, but also for the entire U.S. labor market, including employers.

"Let's say that in a certain market sector, 50 percent of the workers are bound by a noncompete agreement," says Starr. "If you're a firm trying to fill a position, it's going to be really hard to hire an experienced worker, because everybody's bound by noncompete agreements."

The negative effects of noncompete agreements are even felt by workers who aren't bound by them. The mere existence of noncompete agreements "gums up" the labor market, Starr's research shows, driving down wages, slowing the hiring process, and making it less likely to receive a job offer.

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Will Biden's Executive Order Change Anything?

The FTC now has to consider how aggressively it wants to take on noncompete agreements. It could ban them from being used in low-wage jobs, which other states have done, or it could impose rules to make the process more transparent. For example, lots of workers are asked to sign noncompete agreements on their very first day on the job when they've already negotiated their pay and benefits. The FTC could require early notice for such agreements.

Starr believes that in most cases, noncompete agreements aren't necessary at all. If a company really wants to protect its trade secrets, then have workers sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs). If a business wants to protect its investment in clients, then have workers sign a nonsolicitation agreement, which would forbid an employee from soliciting customers of the business they just left for a period of time. For job sectors that require months or years of training, there are even contracts that require a worker to pay back a portion of their training costs if they leave within two years.

"The key difference is that all of those other agreements are directly tied to the interest that the business is trying to protect," says Starr, "but unlike noncompete agreements, they don't restrict where workers can go."

Now That's Interesting Judges generally stick to the "janitor rule" when determining the enforceability of a noncompete agreement. A contract is unenforceable if it's so broad that it prevents a worker from taking any job with a competitor, including a janitor.
Burke County Public Schools has issued changes to its COVID-19 policies in response to new guidance from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services outlined in the Strong Schools NC Toolkit.

According to the new guidance released Thursday, schools will no longer be required to contact trace and exclude potential close contact exposures from schools. Instead, the toolkit focuses on strategies that have been demonstrated to be the most effective in reducing the spread such as masking, vaccines and testing.

BCPSs new policies, developed in response to toolkit revisions, call for an end to exclusions from school for asymptomatic close contact exposures, said Cheryl Shuffler, the systems public information officer. Students and staff who test positive or develop symptoms of COVID-19 will still be required to stay home for at least five days after the onset of symptoms. They will be allowed to return to school on day six as long as they have been fever-free for more than 24 hours and their other symptoms are improving.

Students and staffers who had been excluded will still be required to mask on days six through 10.

Shuffler also said that families and staffers will still be required to notify the school during school hours of positive cases and symptoms. School nurses will continue to track and notify individuals of return-to-school and mask-through dates. Nurses also will be required to maintain a spreadsheet of positive cases to be shared with teachers, principals and data managers to aid in communication with families.

Dr. Mike Swan, the systems superintendent, said he is confident that the new policies will bring relief to the districts overburdened school nurses.

We could hear a collective sigh of relief from our school nurses when the changes to the toolkit were announced last week, he said. This will take an enormous workload off of our nurses and other school staff. ... After nearly two years of being on the frontlines of COVID-19 and pulling away from regular school nurse duties, our nurses can now return to taking care of students with allergies, asthma and bee stings, as well as ensuring medical documents and immunizations are up-to-date.

The school system has also enlisted the help of Carolina Community Tracing Collaborative to help with the COVID-19-related duties school nurses will still need to perform, Shuffler said, adding that there will be no cost to the district as the state provides these services.

The Burke County Health Department also is collaborating with the school system to offer an after-hours vaccination in clinic at elementary schools. Times, dates and locations of clinics are being finalized.

Finally, Shuffler said that the school system will continue to maintain and update the COVID-19 dashboard on the BCPS website. It will continue to report the total number of weekly positive cases. Principals also will continue to report weekly positive totals during their weekly announcements to family.

Wendi Craven, Burke County Board of Education chair, said that the board has no plans for a meeting to address any of the new policies.

Apparently (county Health Director Danny Scalise) feels comfortable with the toolkit as it is, so thats what well go with, she said.

Scalise did not have any comments about Mondays meeting.

Craven also said the board does not currently have any plans to revisit a mask mandate before the next regular meeting despite the revised guidance continuing to recommend all students and staff to wear masks consistently when indoors in areas of high or substantial transmission.

Craven said she reads the toolkits masking guidance as a recommendation rather than a requirement and sees no need to revisit the issue at this time and said the board would discuss masking again during its next regular meeting March 14.

Burke Countys new COVID-19 policies will go into effect Monday.

Jason Koon is a staff writer and can be reached at jkoon@morganton.com or 432-8907.
That hissing sound heard all over Washington recently was the air escaping from the MAGA 2024 balloon after Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered an unmistakable message to his party that its time to separate its future and fortunes from those of ex-president Donald Trump.

Describing the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol as a violent insurrection by a mob of Trump loyalists determined to overturn the presidential election outcome, McConnell made the clean break from Trump that many in the party hoped for.

After enduring and ignoring Trumps coarse and abusive remarks addressed at him for months, McConnell spied his opening when the Republican National Committee, in an unfathomable act of self-immolation, defended the Jan. 6 rioters as engaging in legitimate political discourse.

Recognizing this was his moment, McConnell pounced: We saw it happen. It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next.

In 32 words, McConnell rejected Trumps promise to pardon any rioters should they be convicted and drove a stake through the former presidents evidence-free claims that the election was stolen from him.

A cannier politician than Trump could ever aspire to be and who is far superior at reading the room  judging the mood of the electorate  McConnell understood the peril to Republican candidates in the midterm congressional elections if they stood silently while the ex-president controlled a narrative that was untenable and strategically unsound.

The Republican National Committees censure of two House members  Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois  for serving on the committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot also produced a backlash from a number of congressional Republicans, who were aghast at its damaging impact.

But it was McConnells blunt comments and the implicit warning they conveyed to the party that were far more telling. His public call for putting distance between Republicans and Trump might have been overdue, but it is now on the record: Running as a member of the cult of Trump foreshadowed disaster and jeopardized regaining control of Congress for the first time since 2014.

But it was the three words  legitimate political discourse  that overshadowed all else, including the censure of two sitting members of the House.

Tens of millions of Americans watched  transfixed and horrified  as a howling mob smashed doors and windows, assaulted and fought with police, broke into offices, stole personal property and sent members of Congress fleeing to safety.

The American people did not see legitimate political discourse. Rather, they saw the unthinkable  their fellow countrymen descending on the nations symbol of democracy, vandalizing it while demanding a free and fair election be overturned.

It was the stuff of dictatorial governments determined to cling to power at any cost. It couldnt happen here  until it did.

Democratic congressional candidates will use the legitimate political discourse language as a blunt instrument to pummel their GOP opponents and demand they either condemn or condone it. For Republicans, it will become a case of when youre explaining, youre losing.

McConnell understood all too clearly the danger facing the partys candidates, and set out to inoculate them from it as effectively as possible. And that meant a clean and public break from Trump  no more bending the knee in the direction of Mar-a-Lago.

To be sure, the ex-president will retain a bloc of party loyalists and continue to issue verbal rockets from his Florida redoubt. Hes raised significant sums of money to spend on himself and favored candidates. He cannot be completely discounted.

At stake, though, is the soul of the Republican Party, a soul that still glimmers despite the assault on it. McConnells rejection of Trumpism is a major step toward that end.

Carl Golden is a senior contributing analyst with the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University in New Jersey. Email him at cgolden1937@gmail.com.
ANACONDA  Veterans, their families, and their caregivers are invited to join the Montana VA and the Anaconda VA Clinic team Wednesday, Feb. 16, to discuss the Anaconda VA Clinic's move to a new Butte VA clinic.

The state-of-the-art Butte VA Clinic (located in Butte at 5 Three Bears Drive) will be almost four times larger than the current clinic and will include more staff to better serve veterans.

The Butte VA clinic is designed around the veteran-centric Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model. With the PACT model, Veterans can connect with their healthcare team and services based out of a single exam room. This optimizes a patients face-to-face time with caregivers who are centrally co-located in a teamwork zone and are a door away. Instead of a Veteran going to each provider, each provider comes to the Veteran.

For more than 25 years, our Montana VA healthcare teams have worked diligently to give Veterans the best healthcare possible in Anaconda, said Montana VA Executive Director Dr. Judy Hayman. As more Veterans sought care, our teams grew, and the space became too small to provide the quality care Veterans deserve. Now, Veterans will be able to receive care in a state-of-the-art clinic that was designed specifically to streamline and optimize their healthcare services.

The town hall conversation will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. To join, veterans and other attendees should call in at 866-478-3358 or livestream the townhall at www.access.live/MontanaVATownHall or from Montana VAs Facebook page. Afterward, the recorded town hall will be available on the Montana VA Facebook page and webpage. To attend in-person, Veterans must register with their Anaconda VA team. To maintain COVID-19 safety protocol, in-person attendance is limited to 50 people. Preference for in-person attendance will be given to veterans who receive Montana VA care from the current Anaconda VA clinic. In-person attendees will be screened for COVID-19 and are required to correctly wear a medical grade mask.

This town hall will include updates on the clinics move, what services will be available at the Butte VA Clinic, community appointment information, and transportation resources. The second part of the town hall is reserved to answer veterans questions.

Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled Veterans across Montana  an area roughly 147,000 square miles in size. Veterans are cared for by a staff of 1,400 at 18 sites of care across the state. One-third of Montana VA employees are veterans.

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Three men were indicted Tuesday for allegedly killing two brothers within one week in Baltimore in January 2020, according to state prosecutors.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said in a news release that Christopher Brown, 21, Daran Horton, 22, and Jimmy Murphy, 27, are charged with first-degree murder and firearm offenses. Investigators are searching for Horton, who prosecutors described as a fugitive.

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Two more young men have been murdered. The indictments charge three other young men, Mr. Brown, Mr. Horton and Mr. Murphy with homicide in retaliation for a beef about drugs, Frosh said in a news release. It is tragic to witness the likely waste of 5 young lives due to gun violence, but we are grateful to the hard work of our law enforcement partners that led to these indictments and who protect our communities at risk to themselves.

Prosecutors say Cordelle Bruce was shot and killed in the 1100 block of E. Belvedere Ave. in the Glen Oaks neighborhood in North Baltimore on Jan. 14, 2020. His brother, Cornelius Bruce, was found six days later in a burning car in the 2800 block of St. Lo Drive in Clifton Park in Northeast Baltimore.

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Cordelle Bruce was at the Alameda Shopping Center with Brown and Horton when the group got into an argument about a botched marijuana sale. Shortly after leaving the shopping center, prosecutors said, an unnamed individual shot and killed Cordelle.

In the following days, prosecutors said, Cornelius Bruce, Murphy and an unknown person sought revenge. Prosecutors said they conducted a retaliatory shooting that left Cornelius dead from Murphy shooting him.

Murphy then set the car on fire with the body inside in an attempt to cover up the shooting, prosecutors said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of Horton. Anyone with information is asked to contact ATF at 888-ATF-TIPS or ATFtips@atf.gov. He is a Black man with black hair and brown eyes. He weighs about 200 pounds and is about 5 feet 5. He is known to frequent the Alameda Shopping Center.
The state has suspended the insurance license of Butte bail bondsman Jay Steven Hubber, who has been charged in a mans shooting death that occurred during a botched bounty hunt in December.

But state Auditor and Insurance Commissioner Troy Downing said regulatory authority over bondsmen is limited to insurance matters, and a bigger fix is needed for wide open fugitive recovery tactics in Montana ripe for abuse.

As it stands, he told The Montana Standard, there are virtually no regulations on what bondsmen and bounty hunters can and cant do in Montana when trying to nab fugitives and others who have skipped bail, and that is leading to abuses.

Law enforcement currently have more restrictions on their ability to investigate and arrest than recovery agents, Downing said. This unregulated authority to pursue and arrest fugitives creates dangerous situations.

Downing said the Montana Legislature should put requirements in law, and even though they might fit better under the purview of the Montana Department of Labor or other agency, he is willing to push the issue in the next legislative session.

A lot of people have been somewhat jaded watching the glorification of this line of business on TV without (it) really having any sideboards on the books in Montana, he said. I think there should be at least some requirements.

Its debatable where you draw that line  but this needs to be fixed. It has been abused and I think it does put public safety at risk.

On Tuesday, his office suspended the surety insurance license Hubber had through Alibi Bail Bonds in Butte for allegedly violating insurance provisions and creating a significant risk to the public based on the violent nature of what occurred in Butte on Dec. 19.

Palmer Hoovestal, Hubbers attorney, said Wednesday that the insurance allegations are just wrong and his client would present evidence at a hearing disputing them. He also said Hubber is innocent of the criminal charges against him.

According to prosecutors, Hubber and Nicholas Jaeger barged into William Harris house on Dec. 19 in an attempt to nab alleged bail-jumper David Sandoval. Harris, Sandoval and several others were in the house on South Main Street at the time.

Sandoval was tased and as he was wrestling with Hubber, Jaeger allegedly grabbed a gun from Hubber and shot Harris. Jaeger said Harris possibly had a pair of scissors in one hand and had threatened to kick him, but no other witnesses said he was armed.

Prosecutors charged Hubber and Jaeger with deliberate homicide and aggravated burglary and they pleaded not guilty to the charges last week. Hubber posted bond after his arrest but as of Wednesday, Jaeger remained in jail.

Jaeger was a convicted felon when he and his brother agreed to help Hubber apprehend Sandoval, and that in itself is not against the law, officials say.

But Hubber had posted a previous $2,000 bond for Jaeger, and according to statements from Jaeger and his brother, Hubber agreed to knock off some of that debt if Jaeger assisted with the apprehension that night.

According to Downings office, there are regulations under state law that prohibit that kind of arrangement.

The insurance license was suspended because of that, according to a notice issued by Downings office, and it cited a significant risk that Hubber will commit similar violations in making and enforcing bail bonds.

The notice also cited a significant risk to the public safety and welfare based on the violent nature of the instant arrest attempt on Dec. 19, and said Hubber also failed to notify the office of a previous assault conviction of his own.

The notice said Hubber could contest the suspension at a hearing if requested within 10 days, could do so in person or via video, and had a right to have an attorney at the hearing.

Hoovestal said the insurance allegations were wrong and there would be a hearing. In particular, he said, Hubber did not agree to reduce Jaegers bond debt in exchange for his assistance.

As to the criminal charges, Hoovestal said his client had everything under control, or close to control during the attempted apprehension and had no idea or reason to foresee that Jaeger would grab a gun Hubber had in his holster and shoot someone.

Downings calls for a bigger legislative fix to fugitive recoveries echo those a Missoula District Court judge made a few years ago while presiding over a bounty-hunting case.

It stemmed from an incident in 2017 in which a team of six bounty hunters went into the home of a Lolo family because a man owed a bond company $115 after missing a court hearing. They entered a bedroom and drew guns on the man, his wife and daughter.

The man who led the bounty hunt on behalf of a bail company was later given a three-year deferred sentence for criminal endangerment. A federal lawsuit that the ACLU of Montana and two law firms filed against that man, the bail company and its insurance companies was ultimately settled.

But there are no regulations in Montana on bounty hunting, meaning no licensing and training requirements, and no laws imposing any limits. In May 2018, the judge in the Missoula case called on the Legislature to fix that.

State Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, has backed efforts to do that but they fizzled out during the 2019 and 2021 legislative sessions. She told the Standard recently that she is termed out but hopes other lawmakers take up the issue in the 2023 session.

That is what Downing is calling for.

The problem with the whole system in Montana is the (fugitive) recovery part is pretty loosey-goosey, he said. I think one of the reasons we have so many issues on the recovery side is there really are no requirements.

He said there was a bill in the 2013 legislative session that would have imposed licensing and regulations like many states have but it was tabled. He said he wasnt sure why but there were some good concepts in there and they should be pursued in the 2023 session.

There are some good operators in Montana, he said, but there are also those using whatever tactics they think are appropriate that a lot of people would consider extreme.

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ARCHIVED - Snow Moon will illuminate the sky in Spain this month



The spectacular celestial event will occur on February 16

A full moon is always a spectacular event, especially on a clear night, and stargazers are in for an even more special treat this month with the arrival of the Snow Moon on Wednesday February 16.

According to the Astronomical Agenda of the National Geographic Institute (IGN), the main event is set to begin at 5.56pm in Spain , but the moon will look equally extraordinary the day before and after because it will rise in the east, coinciding with the sunset.

Februarys full moon was coined the Snow Moon by tribes native to the north east of the United States because of the heavy snowfall that is typical of this time of year. In fact, so bad was the usual weather in February that hunting was made very difficult, thus the celestial events other name  the Hunger Moon. According to NASA, the Cree, a Native American tribe, described the Snow Moon as a time when animals do not move around much, and trappers have little chance of catching them.

Theres not much chance of snow in Spain this week, with sunny skies and warm weather forecast at least until Friday , but the Snow Moon still promises to be a spectacular sight.

Image: NASA
The Delaware Chancery Court has upheld the decision by Lee Enterprises' Board of Directors to reject the director nomination notice submitted by Alden Global Capital.

The vice chancellor wrote in the decision Tuesday that Lees Board of Directors acted reasonably in enforcing a validly adopted bylaw with a legitimate corporate purpose and that Alden could easily have met the bylaws record holder andby extensionform requirements had it not delayed in preparing its nomination notice.

We are pleased that the Delaware Court of Chancery has affirmed the importance of orderly annual shareholder meetings and confirmed the decision by the Lee Board of Directors to reject as invalid the notice of nominations delivered by Alden," Lee's Board of Directors said in a statement.

Lee officials said in a statement that Aldens director nominations will not be recognized and any votes for them will not be tabulated at Lees 2022 annual meeting March 10. Lee has nominated three directors for re-election: Lee's former CEO Mary E. Junck, Herbert W. Moloney III and current CEO Kevin D. Mowbray. Alden had proposed two directors to replace Junck and Moloney, but Lee maintained Alden didn't properly nominate the board members. Alden sued in the Delaware court.

Following the ruling, Alden officials said it plans a "Vote No" campaign in an attempt to force the resignations of Junck and Moloney.

Now that the Delaware Court of Chancery has confirmed what we knew all along  that the Lee Board made a proper decision in rejecting Aldens attempted nominations  Alden has invented entirely new, hollow governance complaints in its continuing and transparent attempt to destabilize the Board and the Companys leadership to help advance its grossly undervalued hostile offer for Lee," Lee officials said in response. "We have confidence that Lees shareholders will see through these disingenuous arguments and support Lees Board.

Davenport-based Lee Enterprises is publisher of the Muscatine Journal, Quad-City Times, Moline Dispatch-Argus and dozens of other newspapers nationwide. It's the third-largest owner of newspapers in the United States. Alden Global Capital is a privately held New York City-based investment firm founded in 2007. Through acquisitions, it is now the second-largest owner of newspapers, behind Gannett.

Lee previously fought off a takeover bid from Alden, saying it wasn't in the best interest of the company. Alden is widely known in the newspaper industry for cost-cutting beyond norms.

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MUSCATINE  Every year Muscatine Community College President Dr. Naomi DeWinter works with the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society at the college to help them with community projects that are part of their charter. This year, she didnt realize at the same time they were nominating her for an honor.

DeWinter recently learned she will be a recipient of the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction from the international Phi Theta Kappa during the PTK Catalyst 2022 in Denver, Colo. April 7- 9. The award is presented to college presidents who have shown strong support of student success on their campus by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high achieving students at their colleges. DeWinter was selected out of 617 presidents and CEOs nationwide.

It was quite a thrill and a surprise, DeWinter said. Phi Theta Kappa is a national student honors organization specifically for community colleges. We have a chapter on our campus that has been very vibrant. I had a chance to engage with the students year after year. I had no idea they had put together the application materials for me to receive this honor but I can tell you that when I received it that it was quite a thrill and surprise. To be nominated by students is something we all strive for.

She said the honor will be the highest honor she has achieved in her career.

DeWinter regularly meets with members of Phi Theta Kappa to coordinate service projects and introduce them to community needs. When she's not helping in that capacity, she can be seen on campus attending the groups events, such as invocations. She says she feels PTK offers students a way to be connected to an international organization and begin to think beyond Muscatine and Iowa.

The first time DeWinter became familiar with the award was when a colleague from Clinton Community College was nominated and received the award. DeWinter remembers being impressed at the time. She reflected on her colleagues full career of accolades.

To think I am in that same ball field is very thrilling, she said.

In addition to being president, DeWinter also serves as the districts Vice Chancellor for Student Development. In this role, she works to provide support services to students. Most notably, she has helped disburse millions in Cares funds to students, pivoted to offer remote services during the COVID-19 health crisis, and increased mental health support services to students.

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WAPELLO  The majority of homes in Oakville were impacted by major flooding in 1993 and 2008, leading to a population drop that city officials and volunteers are continuing to struggle to reverse over a decade after the last major flood event.

According to online population figures, Oakvilles 1990 population was 442. Despite the 1993 flood, the population in the southern Louisa County community remained stable with 439 people listed as residents in 2000. Two years after the major 2008 flood hit and a new U.S. Census was taken, the population had fallen to 173. An unofficial online figure for 2020 indicated the population was starting to rebound, with 200 residents now estimated to be residents of the community.

During its meeting on Tuesday, the Louisa County Board of Supervisors approved a request from the Oakville Volunteer Foundation (OVF) that may help with the effort to continue the population reversal.

The supervisors tentatively agreed to donate one county-owned lot in the city and transfer tax sale certificates for another four parcels to the OVF. The county-owned lot was acquired as a 1993 flood buy-out, while taxes stopped being paid on the others between 2009 and 2013.

Tonya Lanz of the OVF told the supervisors the properties would be used for public usage or offered as future building sites for new homes. She said the OVF was currently investigating to obtain a Homes For Iowa (HFI) residence that is provided through an Iowa Prison Industries program.

OVF already has title to over 20 properties in the city and Lanz indicated if the HFI home is acquired, it would be placed on one of those sites.

If our funds stay good, maybe well do another one, she said, pointing out if the OVF is able to acquire the lots and resell them to private individuals, it will eventually boost the tax roles.

The citys population will also continue to rebound.

The board agreed to move forward with the request and will schedule a future public hearing on the proposal.

We appreciate your support, Lanz told the board following its decision.

In other action, the board received monthly department updates from conservation board executive director Katie Hammond, mental health and disabilities services director Bobbie Wulf and general assistance director Cyndi Mears.

Mears reported Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds recent announcement ending the state of emergency in Iowa would impact several food assistance and other programs.

She said normal requirements for the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) would begin in April. Also, clients planning to pick up USDA provided food at a local food pantry will also need to begin signing a food assistance form at Mears office.

Wulf updated the board on the status of the procedures that continue to be developed for when the state of Iowa assumes all mental health expenses July 1. Under the current system, counties assess property taxes for mental health costs, with regional mental health consortiums administering local programs.

The new system will have the state funding those costs, with the regional systems still conducting the administration. Wulf said 28E agreements still needed to be finalized with the regions, along with memorandums of understanding with individual counties.

Hammond reported she was continuing to work with officials to get portions of the Indian Slough Wildlife Area enrolled in the federal Emergency Wetland Program.

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For the younger generation, education isnt just beneficial or a tool for them to use to get a job later down the line. For some, it can be life-changing and even life-saving, and for others, school may be their only safe space.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, the Florida Senate Education Committee passed the Parental Rights bill, although some have also dubbed it the dont say gay bill. Through this bill, school districts in Florida would be banned from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill would also require school district personnel to give parents all information related to a student's "mental, emotional or physical health or well-being.

Although school staff would not have to disclose information if they believed a disclosure would result in abuse, teachers dont necessarily know everything about a students family, and someones true feelings regarding certain subjects can be hidden well. Additionally, parents would be able to sue districts that dont follow these requirements, making teachers all the more likely to just follow the bills guidelines, so that potential danger is still there.

What potential danger is that? Simple. If a young student is showing "mental or emotional" distress relating to their identity (or face harassment because of their identity), Florida teachers would essentially have to out those students to their parents.

For some students the results may include getting kicked out of their homes, and other abuse or discredited types of harsh treatment in an attempt to "fix" them. If people ignore this potential danger, brushing it off as a parents right even if that so-called right can hurt kids, then people are essentially turning their backs on those kids.

Regarding the educational side of things, besides the fact that LGBT+ subjects are not "inappropriate" this bill would also just be yet another barrier for LGBT+ students to deal with. This bill would not only prevent them from having an essential support system at school, but would also essentially shame them for being who they are. How are kids supposed to feel proud of who they are if they arent allowed to talk about it with their peers, teachers or counselors?

The way I see it, if a child is old enough to take sex education, and if theyre old enough to want to discuss relationships and romance, then theyre old enough to learn about the LGBT+ community. Because as much as some people may like to pretend otherwise, there are still LGBT+ kids out there. Some figure it out in elementary school, others in middle or high school, and others in college and beyond.

But no matter the age, why should they not be allowed to learn about their orientation, or even learn that its an option? Why should they be made to feel ostracized or abnormal for certain thoughts or feelings? Why should they have to grow up feeling abnormal, and furthermore why should their classmates be discouraged from supporting them?

I know there is always going to be a debate as to whether or not LGBT+ topics are appropriate for kids, but I cant help but be frustrated by the double standard. Im frustrated that LGBT+ people or relationships are automatically sexualized by others while straight relationships have the privilege of being seen as "normal" and "wholesome."

Simply put, hiding LGBT+ people from kids isnt going to stop kids from being gay or bi or ace or trans. Those kids are still going to exist, theyre just going to struggle more because not only are they going to feel less informed (and less supported) than their peers, but theyre also going to feel like they have to hide themselves  possibly indefinitely. LGBT+ kids without information and support dont grow up to be straight, they grow up to have struggles and personal acceptance issues that they have to then spend time dealing with before they can actually be happy.

Also, I feel like this should be obvious but apparently it is not: Teaching a kid that gay people exist isnt going to magically turn them gay. I know kids can be impressionable, but I feel like thats being just a little condescending to them. Some may use new information to reflect on themselves, yes, but no kid is going to force themselves to be something they arent just because they now know what that thing is.

While Florida may be several states away from Iowa, I for one am always up for discussing these types of issues here and now  if only so we can possibly prevent a future similar bill from passing in our own state. Bills like this are pushed as being favorable to parents and families, but we cannot disregard the kids in these scenarios. We cant turn our backs on them just because a few parents care more about feeling informed and having control more than their own childrens feelings of safety and self-worth.

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President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Russia and Ukraine from the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 15, 2022.
Government will provide 10GB of free data to every South African household, similar to the allocation of basic municipal water and electricity services, communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has promised.

Indigent households qualify for 6,000 litres of water, 50kWh of electricity, and free sewerage and sanitation.

However, according to Ntshavheni, the 10GB basic data allocation will be given to all households regardless of income.

She did not provide timelines for the rollout of this basic data service.

Data has become a new utility like water and electricity that our home needs, Nthsavheni said at the joint State of the Nation debate at the City Hall in Cape Town on Tuesday.

At some point, South Africa will say despite whether you are rich or poor, whether you are employed or unemployed, [every household] have access to 10GB per month without failure because thats what this government will deliver.

In addition to promising a free basic data allocation, Ntshavheni said that the days of South Africas telecommunications operators shirking their universal service obligations are at an end.

Network operators hoping to get their hands on sought-after radio frequency spectrum will have three years to provide connectivity for schools, medical facilities, and traditional authorities.

Spectrum is the raw network capacity that allows mobile devices to communicate with cellular towers.

An auction for spectrum suitable for 4G and 5G networks is currently scheduled for 8 March 2022  albeit with an axe hanging over it in the form of a High Court challenge brought by Telkom.

Six network operators are in line to bid on the spectrum: Cell C, MTN, Vodacom, Telkom, Rain, and Liquid.

According to Ntshavheni, these six operators will be required to provide connectivity to 18,520 schools, 5,731 clinics and hospitals, and 8,241 offices of traditional leaders or traditional authorities that hold certificates of recognition.

The extension of broadband to traditional authorities is part of governments commitment to strengthen the role of traditional leaders as service delivery centres of government, Ntshavheni stated.

In the past, we have seen the telecommunications operators ignoring social obligations and opting to pay negligible penalties instead of connecting our people, she continued.

This time around [industry regulator Icasa] will include the fulfilment of service obligations as part of the licensing conditions without an option of a penalty.

Should networks fail to deliver on their social service obligations, their spectrum licence will be at risk.
Cape Town has threatened to scrap contracts with companies including EY, PwC, EOH Holdings Ltd. and Nedbank Group Ltd. after the firms were named in a judicial probe on alleged graft relating to business done with the national government.

In a letter to the companies, seen by Bloomberg, the city asked them to explain why the contracts should not be cancelled after they were mentioned in reports compiled by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry Into Allegations of State Capture.

The investigation probed corruption involving the government during former President Jacob Zumas administration that the state estimates cost the country R500 billion ($33 billion).

The City of Cape Town, which is run by the opposition Democratic Alliance urgently requires your response to those allegations, the letter said.

On receipt of your response the city will consider whether or not it should cancel the contract, it said.

The inquiry by a panel overseen by Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is a key plank of President Cyril Ramaphosas plan to implement his pledge to crackdown on corruption.

Ramaphosa has until the end of June to respond to the panels findings and say what action will be taken.

EY, PwC and Nedbank denied malfeasance. News24, a website that reported on the letter earlier, said that it was also sent to companies, including a unit of Bidvest Group Ltd.

The city sent letters seeking clarification from its current service providers whose names are mentioned in the said report, Greg Wagner, media manager for the mayors office, said by email.

It is incumbent on the city to carry out its own due diligences and reputational assessments.

Company denials

The letter from the City makes incorrect statements about EY in that the Zondo report makes no findings of any malfeasance and/or corruption on the part of EY, the company said in a response to questions.

Nedbank said it was engaging with the city, and no adverse findings had been made against the bank.

The inquiry said that some transactions between Nedbank and the state-owned Airports Company South Africa were disturbing.

PwC said its considering whether to reply to the municipality.

Earlier, the company said it was disappointed to be criticized in the report.

The accountancy firm conducted audits for South African Airways, the national carrier that went bankrupt amid allegations of graft, between 2012 and 2016.

The lender worked on those transactions with Regiments Capital, a company linked to the Gupta family, whose members are alleged to have leveraged their relationship with Zuma to win deals with state companies.

The Guptas and Zuma have denied wrongdoing.

EOH has exited employees implicated in wrongdoing and has made voluntary disclosures to the commission and law enforcement agencies and believes that EOHs contracts with the City of Cape Town should not be at risk, Fatima Newman, group chief risk officer at the company, said by email.

KPMG, McKinsey

Bidvest didnt respond to requests for comment.

KPMG and McKinsey & Co. saw their South African units lose business after they were linked to questionable contracts or practices with state companies and bodies. Both companies apologised and returned money.
Energy minister Gwede Mantashe has berated Shell and BP for their decision to pause operations at their South African Petroleum Refineries (Sapref) and consider selling the facility.

During Tuesdays debate on the 2022 state of the nation address, Mantashe said the decision threatened South Africas plans to establish an upstream petroleum industry to support economic growth and meet energy needs.

Highlighting the importance of securing fuel stocks, Mantashe warned the developments between Western countries and the Russian Federation in the Ukraine matter could send fuel prices surging, negatively affecting local consumers and transport users.

In light of this, he called the resistance against oil exploration by Shell and ENI on South Africas coast ill-informed clamour.

Environmental groups managed to secure court interdicts against both companies carrying out seismic surveys in the countrys waters.

Both have since discovered oil in Namibia and Ivory Coast after being booted out by environmental lobbies, Mantashe stated.

But while Mantashe supported Shell for its interest in the countrys potential oil deposits, he came out swinging against Shell Downstream South Africa and BP South Africa for their decision to pause operations at Sapref by the end of March 2022.

Shell and BP have claimed they cannot invest further in the facility.

Sapref is the biggest crude oil refinery in South Africa, accounting for 35% of the countrys capacity.

The companies attempted to reassure security of supply through existing assets and trading arrangements, suggesting they would import more petrol.

Mantashe said the greed and arrogance of certain petroleum entities that want to shut local refineries and import their product would cause job losses, cost the economy dearly, and lead to uncertainty of supply.

Mantashe said the government was taking drastic measures regarding the planned closure of the refinery for the countrys national and economic security. However, he did not explain what these measures were.

The minister remained adamant in his defence of coal, gas, and nuclear, citing two specific pieces of support for the governments Just Energy Transition requiring reliance on these power sources.

Energy security is critical for economic reconstruction and recovery, particularly for a developing economy like ours, that seeks to industrialise, Mantashe stated.

An economist Chris Hart cautioned that shutting down coal-fired power stations will mean costlier electricity, fewer jobs and a country with a quasi-third-world economy being relegated to the fourth-world division, Mantashe said.

The minister also leaned on the opinion of former IRR CEO John Kane-Berman, who asserted that Mantashe was right and the DA was wrong when it came to South Africas nuclear and coal contributions.

Kane-Berman had labelled the DAs Kevin Mileham as out of touch regarding the transition to renewable energy.

Hence our support for a just transition instead of a pendulum swing from coal to renewables that is unworkable, Mantashe said.

Net-zero emissions only coming in decades

Mantashe alleged lobbyists with unspecified incentives wanted to entice South Africa to jettison its current energy sources overnight.

Doing so is detrimental to our economy, our industrialisation, and our global competitiveness, he stated.

Notably, in Glasgow, developed and developing countries committed phasing down to net-zero emissions in 2050, 2060 and even 2070.

Critically, every one of the industrialised countries continues to use fossil fuels, in the form of coal and gas.

He warned the country should not subject itself to be a guinea pig for costly technologies by developed economies.

Now read: Eskom employee nailed for theft
Baltimore Police and the company involved in a controversial, now-defunct surveillance plane program will expunge all of the records and data collected as part of a lawsuit settlement.

The police department and Persistent Surveillance Systems, the company that ran the planes out of Martin State Airport during a six-month testing period, will dispose of all records with the exception of those that are part of ongoing prosecutions, as part of an agreement filed this week in a federal lawsuit brought against the police department in 2020.

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Program data shall be expunged from BPD records once every criminal prosecution which relies upon information or evidence obtained or derived from the AIR [Aerial Investigation Research] program is final, and the direct appeal of all such prosecutions has been exhausted or rendered untimely, the agreement said.

Its not clear how many cases will use data from the program, or when police will begin expunging the data. Baltimore Police and the Baltimore States Attorneys Office did not provide the number of cases potentially affected Wednesday.

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Eric Melancon, chief of staff for the Baltimore Police Department, left, and Ross McNutt, founder of the Persistent Surveillance Systems, look over the plane before it started flying over Baltimore. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun/TNS)

The surveillance program had been sold initially as a tool to help police investigate murders, nonfatal shootings, armed robberies and carjackings. But it quickly became criticized as excessive government overreach.

The Maryland chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union sued the police department in April 2020 over the program, citing privacy concerns, and sought an injunction to ground the planes. Last June, the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.

Allowing the police to wield this power unchecked is anathema to the values enshrined in our Fourth Amendment, Chief Judge Roger Gregory wrote in the opinion.

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The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, a grassroots city think tank; Erricka Bridgeford, co-founder of the Baltimore Ceasefire 365 project; and Kevin James, a community organizer and hip-hop musician.

Dayvon Love, the director of public policy for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, said Wednesday that the organization is satisfied with the settlement.

Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle decided to be plaintiffs in the lawsuit because it was important for us to push back against the government attempts to undermine social movements, he said.

An outside review was completed last year of the program that flew three Cessna planes over Baltimore during a six-month trial in 2020. The report found that 1,532 crimes occurred during that period, but only 158 crimes had evidence collected from the planes.

The planes were limited when they could fly, only flying during the day and during certain weather conditions. Of the 158 crimes that captured footage, only 38 were cleared by arrest or exception, the report said.

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The trial program had been funded by a pair of Texas philanthropists. The citys Board of Estimates voted to cancel the contract for the program in February 2021.

As part of the lawsuit settlement, the city has agreed to pay $99,000 to cover the plaintiffs attorneys fees for the suit, which was approved by the Board of Estimates last month.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) presented several potential interventions to address the carnage on South Africas roads  including speed limit reductions.

Should the interventions be adopted, South Africa will see its 60km/h residential speed limit dropped to 50km/h and its 120km/h limits reduced to 110km/h.

We also have, as part of the overall 365 campaign, a focus on speed reduction, the RTMC said.

According to the RTMC, the campaign would focus on urban areas where there are high levels of conflict between vulnerable users, such as cyclists and pedestrians, and motor vehicles.

RTMC chief communication officer Simon Zwane said the proposed speed limit adjustments are in line with recommendations made by the United Nations to reduce speed by 10km/h to bring down the number of fatalities.

Zwane told BusinessTech that this decision was binding for South Africa as a member of the UNs roads council, and the government is favouring the lower speed limits.

However, he noted that authorities have not yet begun a formal process to change the regulations.

The Department of Transport and the RTMC had aimed for 10% fewer fatal car crashes in 2021 than in 2020, but last year saw a 5.6% increase in deadly road incidents.

There were 1,295 lethal crashes on South African roads in 2021  69 more than in 2020.

The RTMC highlighted that 2020 was an unusual year for road travel due to the strict lockdown restrictions implemented at different stages during the year.

Speeding offences increased by 7%, despite South Africas population of registered vehicles only increasing 2%  from around 12,698,000 in 2020 to approximately 12,957,000 in 2021.

The RTMC also explained the other aspects of its 365 campaign, including pedestrian safety, drunk driving, and seatbelt and restraint compliance.

Regarding pedestrian safety and restraint compliance, the RTMC plans to heighten awareness and educate the public through social media and billboard messaging.

The RTMC has also partnered with aware.org to educate South Africans on the dangers and consequences of drunk driving.

This is not the first time that the Department of Transport and RTMC have proposed reduced speed limits in South Africa.

In late 2019 the two organisations proposed reducing speed limits by 20km/h, effectively dropping highway and main road speed limits to 100km/h and 80km/h, respectively.

Residential speed limits would have dropped from 60km/h to 40km/h.

Our road safety strategy has considered all these factors. Legislation is being reviewed to address and bring in place an edifice of various interventions to respond adequately to the challenge that South Africa is facing, a transport department spokesperson said at the time.

Among these, a review of the international best practice on speed reductions, as is the case in countries such as Sweden and Australia. Due to the unique situation in South Africa, these cannot just be implemented without an impact assessment study.

The proposed baseline speed limit adjustments were never implemented.
A fatal head-on traffic collision on Highway 29 just south of Diamond Mountain Road resulted in the death of a 56-year-old Calistoga man on the morning of Feb. 10.

Primitivo Romero was driving a GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck and crossed over double yellow lines at a high rate of speed into oncoming traffic, directly into the path of a Ford-E250 van at around 9:20 a.m., said California Highway Patrol spokesperson Jaret Paulson. According to a CHP press release, Romero was going southbound and the van driver was going northbound.

Romero, the sole occupant of the pickup truck, was pronounced dead at the scene, and both passengers of the van sustained injuries, Paulson said. The van driver, a Napa resident who sustained a major injury, was transported by air to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. The van passenger, also a Napa resident, was transported to Providence Queen of the Valley Hospital, according to the CHP.

The accident temporarily closed Highway 29 just south of Diamond Mountain Road  near Calistoga.

Highway 29 opened back up at about 11:52 a.m., according to a social media post from the Napa County Sheriff's Office. The roadway was blocked for about two hours as the CHP investigated the incident.

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Vitalant will hold a blood drive from 11:30 to 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, at the Napa Valley Masonic Lodge #93, 1335 Main St. in St. Helena.

Theres a critical blood shortage of all blood types, and blood donations are being distributed to hospital patients faster than donors are giving. In an emergency, its the blood already on hospital shelves that saves lives.

Advance appointments are strongly encouraged. Donors must wear masks or cloth-based face coverings.

To schedule an appointment, visit vitalant.org and enter the unique Blood Drive Code: St Helena.

For more information, call Kim at 890-1458.
Like a probiotic phoenix rising from gluten-free ashes, Nature Select Foods is being reborn under new ownership.

Kelly Morris is planning to reopen the store on Feb. 27, weeks after proprietor John Palmer closed it, citing population trends that had reduced the number of local-serving customers.

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A native of Baltimore who now lives in Angwin, Morris has a background in marketing, technology and Christian ministry. He was most recently director of operations for Howell Mountain Enterprises, the arm of Pacific Union College that manages Howell Mountain Market, Ace Hardware, the Angwin Chevron station, and Preferred Images.

He said hed been driving past Nature Select for years but never dropped in until he heard it was closing. He had his first meeting with Palmer on Jan. 24.

That week we worked on the possibility of me taking over the businesses, Morris said. Everything lined up really well because Im in a place where I can dedicate the time and effort to keep the store open.

Morris plans to rebrand the store, but hes keeping the Nature Select name because its familiar and because he wants to honor the legacy of store founder Ivo Matijaca.

The new Nature Select will carry many of the same products. Morris is still deciding on new offerings, primarily focusing on immune health.

The former juice bar will be replaced with a vegan cafe offering juices, milkshakes, smoothies, vegan soft serve, and light food such as wraps.

Morris also wants to hold community events, including after-hours fundraisers with a portion of sales going to a different nonprofit every week.

Hes also planning to launch a rewards program and work with vendors to offer discounts on certain products.

I really care for the community, Morris said. Were going to be doing strategic sales where we find ways to save the money on the products they need and want. I'm looking for ways to create more value for the community and serve them better.
The St. Helena City Council and Planning Commission will hold a joint meeting via Zoom from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, to discuss the Draft Housing Opportunity Sites Inventory.

City staff and consultants will be looking for feedback on the draft sites as they continue to make progress on the Housing Element update.

The sites inventory is a required component of the Housing Element that identifies sites that can meet the 254 units contained in St. Helena's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), plus a 20% buffer.

The requirements for what qualifies for the sites inventory is very narrow; land suitable for residential development must be appropriate and available for residential use during the eight-year planning period.

Identified sites that require rezoning may be included in the inventory, provided the housing element includes a program to accomplish the rezoning early within the planning period.

Other characteristics to consider when evaluating the appropriateness of sites include physical features (e.g. susceptibility to flooding, slope instability, or other environmental considerations) and location (proximity to transit, jobs, and public or community services). Any housing unit constructed during the RHNA cycle period will be counted towards the Citys RHNA obligation whether it is included in the site inventory or not.

The selected sites serve to show that St. Helena has the appropriately zoned land to accommodate its RHNA obligation; it doesn't preclude housing from being built on other appropriate sites in the City.
Some of St. Helenas problems are easy to spot, like the pothole that gives your car a painful jolt or the sidewalk that leaves you scrambling to keep your balance.

Yet some of the most insidious and expensive problems are buried underground or tucked away at remote city facilities. Those are easy to miss  at least until our taps stop flowing and our toilets stop flushing.

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With voters likely to vote on an infrastructure bond in June, the Star recently tagged along with Public Works Director Mark Rincon on a tour of some of St. Helenas most critical water and wastewater systems.

Among the recurring themes: semi-functional equipment, temporary fixes that became permanent, outdated systems that have been pushed beyond their useful lifespan for years or even decades, a lack of redundancy in case something goes wrong, and an understaffed department forced to rely on consultants.

Our streets need investment too, and everybody can see that, Rincon said. But they might not know that the stormwater pipeline underneath that street is decrepit and about to collapse. What is unseen is unvoiced in terms of priorities.

Rincon began the tour by showing a printout of the Public Works Departments organizational chart. Twelve positions are vacant, amounting to nearly half of the department.

I need this for project delivery, Rincon said, pointing to one slot. I need this for operations, he said, pointing to another.

As a civil engineer  currently the citys only one  Rincon has designed and planned projects from Puerto Rico to Cloverdale. He said St. Helenas underinvestment in infrastructure is very typical among California cities, especially since Proposition 13 limited property tax increases in 1978.

Were playing a shell game, funding one thing this year and hoping well have funding for something else the next year, he said. The federal government seems to have stepped away from local infrastructure funding.  By the time that money trickles down to us its just pennies.

Rutherford pump station

About a third of St. Helenas water supply originates in Napa and passes through the Rutherford pump station.

The more than 60-year-old mechanism is housed in a dilapidated cargo container that Rincon suspects was acquired for free at the Port of Oakland. The container was intended as a short-term solution until a permanent structure could be built, which never happened.

When Napa is sending water from the Jamieson Canyon Water Treatment Plant, the Rutherford pump station increases the pressure from 27 psi to 120 psi. When the water is coming from Lake Hennessey, the water comes in at 84 psi, which puts less strain on the pump.

Or at least thats what happens when the pump is working, which at the moment its not. It gave out three months ago. A new one is on order and should be installed later this month.

Once the new pump is in place, the pipeline will become the systems biggest vulnerability. Installed by day laborers, with less than exacting construction standards, the 12-inch steel pipe is too small to handle the amount of water that flows through it.

Wastewater Treatment Plant

Chace Clock is the last employee standing at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The rest of the plants staff trickled away one by one, opting for jobs with higher pay or shorter commutes.

That story is a familiar one in the states wastewater industry, the product of strict permitting requirements and the elimination of entry-level training programs, according to Alan Planje, the consultant from Operational Technical Services (OTS) whos now the plants chief operator.

The most experienced plant operators are aging out and retiring and theres no young blood to replace them, Planje said. Clock said he spent two years volunteering to accumulate the 1,860 hours he needed to become fully certified.

Staffing troubles aside, the plant is shaping up to be a success story. The city cobbled together the money necessary to upgrade the plant and meet new treatment standards imposed by the state. Construction is likely to start within weeks.

Considered state of the art when it was built in the 60s, the plant was designed as an experiment in low-energy, passive wastewater processing. It uses sunlight and naturally occurring microbes to treat wastewater as it passes through a series of holding ponds before being sprayed onto adjacent fields or released into the Napa River.

The new plant will still use the spray fields, at least until the city builds the infrastructure it needs to distribute recycled water to city parks, school fields and other sites that currently use potable water for irrigation. The proposed infrastructure bond would fund a pump and a network of purple pipe to get that water to customers.

Sending recycled water to customers instead of applying it to the spray fields will reduce demand for potable water and cut down on maintenance at the spray fields. Being heavily watered, the grass has to be mowed for four hours a day five days a week.

It generally takes about three weeks to do all 80 acres  less than that now that the redwood tree farm is there, Clock said. After three weeks itll be knee-high.

Clock cant wait for the new plant to come online. The recycled water wont be approved for drinking, but he would feel perfectly comfortable showering in it.

Its going to look like drinking water. Its so clean, Planje said. This is going to be money well spent.

Water Treatment Plant

As the tour arrived at the 42-year-old Louis Stralla Water Treatment Plant in Deer Park, the main plant had lost contact with several outlying facilities, forcing the staff to drive out there to take manual readings of tank levels and water quality data. The emergency notification system was refusing to send alerts to a plant operator's cell phone because the system isnt equipped to make a long-distance call. The plant itself was operating at 50% capacity because of a mechanical problem.

There was no sense that this was an atypical day at the plant.

Weve gotten 40 years out of this technology, Rincon said. You cant depend on electrical and mechanical systems for more than 20, 25 years at most. For telecommunications youre lucky to get 10 years.

Rincon noted that with the Rutherford pump station down and the Water Treatment Plant operating at 50% capacity, St. Helenas current water supply is heavily dependent on groundwater from the Stonebridge wells. The situation underscores the lack of water systems lack of redundancy, he said.

The problems extend beyond the plant to the nearby reservoir. The bond measure would fund the rehabilitation of the spillway, and the city is trying to secure a FEMA grant to replace the structurally unsound intake tower. The dam is in good shape, but the state is likely to ratchet up its seismic standards at some point, leaving it in need of upgrades.

With the problems piling up at the plant, Rincon has hired a consultant to assess how much more time the city can get out of the facility, as well as the steel pipeline that carries water from the plant to St. Helena across the Pratt Avenue Bridge.

Were going to need to look at replacing this plant in the next 10 years, and its going to be another big, big project, Rincon said. And we need to replace that pipeline instead of waiting for it to fail.

The plant is entirely staffed by an OTS team headed by Leo Larkin, whod just delivered a stack of unfunded invoices to City Hall and clearly relished the opportunity to enumerate the facilitys countless defects.

He said some of the equipment is so old that the original manufacturer has stopped supporting it, leaving him to scrounge Amazon and eBay for spare parts.

The walls of a sediment basin are caked with a thick layer of white sludge. A crucial valve has failed, knocking half of the plant out of operation, and a replacement valve is at least 10 weeks away. Shiny new parts are lying around, purchased under the plants previous management but never installed; the city plans to hire a consultant to finish the job.

How many more years can the main plant survive? Five years? Twenty years?

I cant answer that, Larkin said, before adding yesterday.

The plant needs fixing, and if the city chooses not to, they need to get somebody in here who will have that same attitude, Larkin said. It wont be me.

It wont be me either, Rincon said.

You can reach Jesse Duarte at 967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com.

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American journalists have been watching the progress of Sarah Palins libel case against the New York Times with queasy foreboding, but the stakes are even higher for readers like you.

Let me explain.

Freedom of the press wasnt an issue the Founding Fathers took lightly. Its the third freedom listed in the Bill of Rights, after religion and speech.

Thomas Jefferson said, Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it. John Adams, who rarely missed an opportunity to disagree with Jefferson, called a free press essential to the security of the state.

The courts have accordingly stacked the deck in favor of news outlets by setting an exceedingly high bar for libel cases.

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) ruled that public figures suing a newspaper for libel must prove two things. One, that the paper printed false and defamatory information about said public figure. And two, that the paper did so with actual malice, defined as knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.

Being human, journalists will inevitably print inaccurate information from time to time. Thats what corrections and retractions are for.

But actual malice? Good luck proving that in an American courtroom.

Knowing that theyre protected as long as theyre scrupulous about sticking to the facts, reporters have exercised their freedom with gusto, exposing the secret crimes of public figures from Richard Nixon to Jeffrey Epstein.

At the local level, reporters like me are free to publish unflattering information about public figures, including when it comes to their handling of public resources. If, say, I had hard evidence that a city councilmember had voted on a matter in which he or she had a direct financial interest, I could print that information without fear of being sued.

Journalists enjoy having a wide berth, but the ultimate winners are readers who come away better informed about how powerful people conduct themselves when they dont think anybodys looking.

That brings us to Sarah Palin, whos alleging that the New York Times printed false information about her in a 2017 editorial.

In that limited sense, shes right. They did, incorrectly connecting the 2011 shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords to a map published by Palins political action committee and saying the link to political incitement was clear. They corrected the online version of the editorial 12 hours after it went live and published a correction in print the next day.

The obstacle for Palin is proving the Times acted with actual malice. Sloppy editing, yes  an editor inserted the offending passage at the last minute amidst a rush to publish the editorial in the next day's print edition. You could also make the case that New York Times opinion writers were not exactly chartering their own chapters of the Sarah Palin Fan Club.

But actual malice as defined in Sullivan? Nope. Not according to the judge, who took the unusual step of announcing last Monday that he would dismiss Palins case regardless of the jury's ruling. The jury ruled in the Times' favor the next day.

The danger, for journalists and especially for readers, lies in what might happen on appeal. Will the Supreme Court throw out the actual malice standard set by the Sullivan case and set a lower bar for libel cases?

Maybe the court will decide that the Sullivan precedent is outdated and that public figures need an extra layer of protection against defamation in this era of Twitter, instant hot takes, viral misinformation and hyperpartisan media. Maybe that new bar will be so low that Ill need to have a lawyer vet any story that casts a public figure in a critical light.

Maybe that lawyer will decide that my hypothetical story about a city councilmember's undisclosed conflict, while factual and of legitimate public interest, just isnt worth going to court over.

In that scenario, Palin will have won and you  the taxpayer, voter and citizen who relies on the media to report the truth about the people running your city, your state and your country  will have lost.

You can reach Jesse Duarte at 967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com.

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Some issues and controversies repeatedly come full circle, taking us two steps forward and one or two steps back on the American Journey.

It seems like only yesterday when conservative critics of higher education were condemning safe zones and trigger warnings, supposedly perpetrated by liberal educators enforcing political correctness to shield fragile students from difficult topics and uncomfortable situations.

Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt were so troubled they wrote a 2018 book, The Coddling of the American Mind, wherein they denounced safetyism for producing hypersensitive young people programmed to wither at the slightest aggravation.

In response, history professor Jonathan Wilson notes, Some educators are overprotective. But, in general, anxious critics dont describe the higher education system  or the students  I know.

Wilson argues that attacks on trigger warnings can trivialize very real traumas some students have experienced. For example, he admits to delivering such warnings for military student-veterans before showing horrific slides in class: The next slide shows dead soldiers  

Today, some of the same voices that protested educational systems breeding a generation of snowflakes are now pushing politicians to pass laws requiring the elimination of educational experiences that might cause students to feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress.

Chicago Tribune columnist John Warner does not recognize such fragility in a generation that includes the greatest number of Americans who faced pepper spray, tear gas, beatings, and rubber bullets as they protested in the wake of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.

Worries about discomfort, anguish, distress. My first thought: Where were these concerns when I was being required to take Latin, geometry, and chemistry?

Before the current controversy over courses and curricula, self-described Chief Provocateur Grant Lichtman wrote an article, Getting Comfortable with Discomfort, wherein he observes, Learning requires change, which often means discomfort.

In the August 21, 2019, Harvard Business Review, Peter Bregman observes, While the act of learning is primarily intellectual and behavioral, the experience of learning is primarily emotional. Bregman describes the inescapable growth pains that come with learning, adding, If you are willing to feel embarrassment, shame, failure, and awkwardness, you can do anything.

Current efforts to control and restrict academic subject matter primarily involve the teaching of history and civics from K-12 through college.

A German parent recently responded to U.S. media reports about intimidating demonstrations at school board meetings and raucous state legislature sessions:

Hardly anyone in Germany would support the idea that the Holocaust should not be taught in German schools, or concentration camp school trips canceled because the cruelty of the Nazi regime is so painfully obvious. The reason we continue teaching about this horrid time in our history is so generations of students never forget and dont believe Holocaust deniers.

If German schoolchildren are tough enough to study Hitler and the Third Reich, and Spanish schoolchildren strong enough to learn about the Inquisition, it is condescending and disrespectful to believe that American children are not resilient enough for exposure to some inconvenient truths in U.S. history.

In response to charges that students are being taught to hate America, history teacher Lindsay Marshall cautions, Kids hate being lied to and can get cynical when you tell them about George Washington and the cherry tree, then they read a book and realize there was a lot more to him than that.

In his book, Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence, Columbia Professor Derald Wing Sue makes an observation that might explain much of the tumult about which stories constitute U.S. history.

For some, the story of these United States is mostly about brave English, European, and Scandinavian immigrants fleeing to these teeming shores in pursuit of freedom and opportunity, free from persecution and class-based feudal systems that denied them the fruits of their labor and relegated their offspring to generations of poverty.

For others, the story of this nation is one of having ancestral lands invaded, of losing rather than gaining freedom, of being regarded as less than human to systematically justify raising some people up while holding others down. It includes stories of soul-searing tragedy and heroic triumphs.

The idea of not teaching facts to keep from hurting feelings is little more than an excuse for erasing history. If we can learn to listen, lean into discomfort, and embrace the truths in one anothers stories, we might come a little bit closer to achieving that more perfect union  

Tom Brown is a St. Helena resident who served as a dean at Saint Marys College of California for 27 years. He currently is a consultant and speaker at colleges and universities that are seeking to keep more of the students they enroll. Send comments, questions or suggestions for future columns to: thedean@tbrownassociates.com
The theft of a catalytic converter early Tuesday morning in Napa led to the arrests of three East Bay residents, according to Napa Police.

Shortly before 4:30 a.m., a resident of the 600 block of the Silverado Trail reported that the catalyst had been stolen off his truck by three people who then entered a Jeep and drove south, police Lt. Chase Haag said in an email.

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Officers stopped one Jeep whose driver was found not to be involved in the theft, but at about the same time, another Jeep was stopped outside the Safeway at 103 American Canyon Road in American Canyon, according to Haag. Inside that vehicle was a catalytic converter along with a Sawzall reciprocating saw, brass knuckles and suspected drug paraphernalia, Haag said.

Police arrested Richmond residents Jose Robles, 34, and Alysia Diane Duran, 47, as well as 29-year-old Angelica Paula Funes of San Rafael. They were booked into the Napa County jail on various allegations including burglary, vehicle tampering and criminal conspiracy.

Robles, who faces a Sonoma County warrant, continued to be held at the jail Tuesday morning. Duran and Funes were released at about 9:15 a.m., according to jail records.
Chinese envoy calls for further improvement of UN peacekeeping

Xinhua) 15:23, February 15, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called for the further improvement of UN peacekeeping.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on, unilateralism, the Cold War mentality and bullying are also on the rise, leading to more challenges in the field of international peace and security, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, adding that in this context, there is a need to continue to improve UN peacekeeping operations and better leverage their role.

At the General Debate of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, Dai stressed the need to optimize overall planning, better protect peacekeepers, improve peacekeeping performance, and build stronger partnerships.

Calling the peace operations led by the African Union (AU) a useful practice to solve African problems by Africans in African ways, Dai said they are an important supplement to UN peacekeeping operations.

According to the envoy, China supports the provision of sufficient, predictable and sustainable financial support to AU-led peace operations and backs continued discussions by relevant parties to find a viable funding solution.

He pointed out that main funding partners should continue and step up their level of support to avoid a reversal in achievements made by AU-led peace operations.

China is a major troop contributor and the second-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, with an 8,000-strong standby force, said Dai.

Last year, China organized the "Shared Destiny-2021" international peacekeeping field exercise, launched the Group of Friends on the Safety and Security of UN Peacekeepers and donated 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to peacekeepers.

China will also hold an international forum on peacekeeping in due course to pool ideas and forge synergy, he added.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Baltimore Police are searching for a man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl as well as brutally stabbing a woman on two separate occasions.

Police said they have an arrest warrant charging 20-year-old Marquise Henry Jr. with attempted murder, and asked the publics help in locating him.

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Police said Henry stabbed a 21-year-old woman 14 times on Dec. 20, causing damage to her liver, lung, neck and arms. Police said the womans injuries required care from a hospitals intensive care unit.

The attack occurred in the 3700 block of Cottage Ave. in Northwest Baltimore, police said.

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Then, on Feb. 10, police were called to the 100 block of Saint Paul St., where the same victim had been stabbed multiple times in the throat. Police said the victim still is recovering from her injuries.

20-year-old Marquise Henry Jr., is wanted for two separate incidents of domestic related attempted murder and the rape of a 13 year-old girl. (Baltimore Police Department)

Police said the attacks are domestic in nature, but did not specify the relationship between Henry and the victim.

Another warrant is filed against Henry for a Dec. 15 rape of a 13-year-old girl in East Baltimore, police said.

The Baltimore Police Department continues to need the help of the community to get violent offenders off the streets, Commissioner Michael Harrison said at a news conference Tuesday.

Harrison said investigators on Tuesday were working to obtain a third warrant against Henry in connection with the Feb. 10 stabbing.

We want you to know that your police department is aggressively pursuing violence offenders, Harrison said.

Anyone with information regarding Henrys whereabouts is urged to contact investigators at 443-923-9800 or 911.
Napa County on Tuesday announced the confirmation of 384 new coronavirus cases in the past four days, as the winter infection surge driven by the Omicron variant continues to ebb.

The countys latest update, which covers positive tests confirmed since Friday, was delayed a day because of a technical glitch that blocked Napa Countys access to the California disease reporting database, according to county spokesperson Leah Greenbaum.

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While Napa Countys weekly case count of 1,379 positive COVID-19 tests through Thursday was just 1% lower than the week before, county officials said that figure was inflated by significant delays in reporting older cases and estimated the weeks true number of new infections at about 350.

Based on the dates of laboratory reports, Napa Countys COVID-19 positive tests per day have dropped from a high of 454 on Jan. 12 to 54 on Thursday, according to the countys informational website.

Local hospitalizations linked to the virus fell sharply during the weekend, from 22 on Friday to 11 Tuesday, the county reported. Forty-two percent of Napa Countys intensive-care beds were available.

COVID-19 cases also have decreased in the Napa Valley Unified School District for a third consecutive week, according to the district website. New cases during the week of Feb. 7 totaled 203  including 187 students and 16 employees  compared to 273 positive tests in the previous week and a high of 590 for the week of Jan. 17.

You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or hyune@napanews.com

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A man whose punch resulted in a neighbors death a year ago this week is believed to have acted in self-defense, according to Napa Police.

Sgt. Pete Piersig on Friday announced conclusions from the departments inquiry into the death of 46-year-old Jason Tygart, who in February 2021 was punched by an older neighbor, fell and hit his head outside the Soscol Avenue apartment complex where both men lived.

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Although Tygarts cause of death is listed as a homicide, Napa Police detectives believe the older man acted in self-defense, Piersig wrote in an email about the 53-year-old man, who was not identified.

No arrests have been made in the case, which police plan to send to the office of Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley for review.

Napa Police is not requesting charges against Tygart's neighbor, but the District Attorney's Office could choose to pursue prosecution, Piersig said Monday.

A report on the case had not yet been received by Haleys office as of Tuesday, according to Assistant District Attorney Paul Gero.

At about 10:36 a.m. Feb. 18, 2021, police and medical personnel were sent to the 2800 block of Soscol after reports of a disturbance at the apartments. Officers found Tygart bleeding from the head and mouth, and he was taken by ambulance to Queen of the Valley Medical Center, where he was taken off life support and died at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19, according to police and previous Napa Valley Register reports.

In his statement Friday, Piersig said a resident told police that Tygart had used offensive racial slurs while approaching him, then punched at him. The neighbor threw at least one punch while defending himself, and Tygart fell backward onto the back of his head, according to Piersig.

No evidence of a continued assault or a weapon was found at the scene, Piersig added.

Napa Police: 46-year-old man dies after altercation Police are wanting to talk to anyone who might have information about the incident on Feb. 18 outside apartments on Soscol Avenue.

Despite a search of the area and a check for cameras and witnesses, police detectives found no one who reported seeing the incident or having video of it, although a third resident reported hearing Tygart yell racial slurs just before the punches were thrown, according to Piersig.

A forensic pathologist with the Napa County Sheriffs Office determined that Tygarts death was consistent with falling backward from his height, and hitting the back of his head one time on a hard fixed object such as the concrete where he was found, Piersig said.

Napa Police last week received the final report on Tygarts autopsy, and the county coroners office will provide the report to Tygarts family, according to Piersig.

You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or hyune@napanews.com

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Updated at 9:31 a.m. Wednesday  Police and fire personnel were called out to more than a dozen small fires Tuesday night in the city of Napa, authorities confirmed. The source of the fires remained under investigation Wednesday morning.

The first fire that drew a response from a Napa Fire crew was reported at about 8:45 p.m. off Soscol Avenue and First Street near downtown, and was followed in quick succession by numerous others to the north near the Napa Valley Vine Trail, according to Matt Colburn, spokesperson for the city fire department. In all, the agency responded to about 15 fires in the course of about two hours, although it was unclear if all the blazes were directly related, he said.

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Napa Police Sgt. Brian Donahue confirmed fire reports near Jefferson Street and Pueblo Avenue; California Boulevard and Central Avenue; and near the Highway 29 interchange with Trancas Street and Redwood Road.

All of the fires were relatively small and were extinguished, and presented no immediate health or safety threat, according to Colburn. However, police briefly shut down Pueblo Avenue between Jefferson and California Tuesday night during firefighting efforts, according to Donahue.

No injuries were immediately reported.

Arson investigators are looking into the cause of the fires, but it was not immediately known whether an accelerant was used in the incidents, Colburn said.

As of 9:15 a.m., booking logs at the Napa County jail did not show any arrests made overnight for anyone suspected of arson.

Although Napa County was not under a weather advisory Tuesday night, Colburn called on Napa residents to be mindful of winds and unusually dry winter weather that can raise the risk of fires during the California drought. Temperatures were in the mid-50s at Napa County Airport, with 12 mph northwest winds gusting as high as 25 mph when the first fires were reported, according to the National Weather Service.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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One man died and eight other people were hospitalized in serious condition after unknowingly drinking Champagne spiked with Ecstasy at a bar in Bavaria, German prosecutors said, AP reported.

The man who died was 52, and the others were between 33 and 52, police told the German news agency dpa.

There were things in it that normally are not in Champagne, senior prosecutor Gerd Schaefer said. It had a toxic, a poisonous effect.

Schaefer said toxicological tests showed the poisonous substance in considerable concentration in the Champagne was Ecstasy, but said it was not yet clear how the drug got into the bottle.

Police said the incident happened Saturday night in the Bavarian town of Weiden, shortly after a group of people had ordered and shared one bottle of champagne. When police arrived at the bar, they found people lying on the ground with cramps and eight of them had to be hospitalized.

The 52-year-old man died shortly after he was admitted to the hospital.

One of the hospitalized victims was able to go home, and police were able to question some of the others who were still at the hospital.

Schaefer said there was a suspicion of negligent homicide, but it did not appear that the poisoning was a targeted attack. He did not elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation.
Honduran ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez has been arrested on drugs charges, BBC News reported.

Police were deployed to his house in the capital Tegucigalpa hours after the US requested his extradition to prevent him leaving.

They moved in when an arrest warrant was issued. He surrendered and was escorted from his home in handcuffs.

Hernandez governed Honduras from 2014 to January this year. He denies the charges against him.

He is accused of having been involved in a drug-trafficking ring which included his younger brother, Tony Hernandez, who last year was sentenced in the US to life in prison.

During Tony Hernandez's trial, prosecutors alleged that the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman had personally handed Tony Hernandez $1m.

According to the prosecutors, "El Chapo" Guzman told the younger Hernandez to pass the money on to his brother Juan Orlando as a bribe.

Honduras has for years been a key transit country for drugs smuggled from South America to the United States, and more recently has also become a place where cocaine is produced.

Juan Orlando Hernandez has always maintained that he did everything in his power to fight drug trafficking and during the administration of President Donald Trump, he enjoyed the support of the US government.

But his relationship with the US soured under President Joe Biden.

Last week, the US state department revealed that Hernandez had been added to a list of people barred from entering the US over alleged corrupt activities.
U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Washington believes a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still very much a possibility, and he appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue talks, or risk severe consequences, VOA reported.

In Washington, Biden addressed the fast-moving developments in a mid-afternoon speech Tuesday.

World War II was a war of necessity, Biden said. But if Russia attacks Ukraine, it would be a war of choice, or a war without cause or reason. I say these things not to provoke but to speak the truth, because the truth matters. Accountability matters. If Russia does invade in the days and weeks ahead, the human cost for Ukraine will be immense, and the strategic costs for Russia will also be immense. If Russia attacks Ukraine, it will be met with overwhelming international condemnation. The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction. Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound. The United States and our allies and partners will respond decisively.

On Tuesday, Putin said he is ready for negotiations with the U.S. and its NATO allies over missile deployments and military exercises in Europe, after Moscow announced it is withdrawing some troops from along the Ukraine border.

That would be good, Biden said, echoing skepticism voiced by Ukrainian and NATO officials, but we have not yet verified that. We have not yet verified the Russian military units are returning to their own bases. Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position. And the fact remains right now Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine and Belarus and along Ukraine's border.

And if Russia takes action, he saideven through a virtual invasionBiden warned of steep consequences.

We're not seeking direct confrontation with Russia, Biden said. I have been clear that if Russia targets Americans in Ukraine, we will respond forcefully. If Russia attacks the United States or our allies through asymmetric means, like disruptive cyberattacks against our companies, or critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond.
Queen Elizabeth II's son Prince Andrew will pay more than 12m ($16.2m) in a pre-trial settlement to American Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of rape, the Daily Telegraph reported the news on Wednesday, citing sources.

On Tuesday, a letter from Prince Andrew's lawyer David Boyce, 61, was published in the US federal court records database for the Southern District of New York, showing that the parties were able to settle the claims in pre-trial proceedings. The letter indicated that the Duke of York would make a contribution to Giuffre, but the amount in question was not named.

According to the newspaper, payments of 12 million will be partly paid by the 95-year-old Queen, who has already privately helped her second son to cover legal costs estimated to be several million pounds. The lawyers were paid from money they receive from the disposal of real estate in the Duchy of Lancaster, which is owned by the monarch: they total about 23 million (more than $30 million) a year. Buckingham Palace hopes Giuffre's payments will draw a line under the scandal, which threatened to overshadow this year's celebration of Elizabeth II's 70th year on the throne.

The newspaper stressed, however, that it would be hard for the Duke of York himself to pay the costs as he lives on the "modest military pension" he receives as a vice-admiral in the British Navy, as well as a 250,000 a year ($340,000) stipend from the Queen. The lawsuit by Giuffre has forced Prince Andrew to put his only asset, a chalet in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, which he bought in 2014 with a loan and with help of his mother, up for sale.

According to the newspaper's sources, Prince Andrew and Giuffre's lawyers negotiated a pre-trial agreement for 10 days, a deal was reached last weekend. It is noted that the compensation payments are due to be paid into the American woman's account within the next 30 days.
The Askeran regional department of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Police on Tuesday received a report on the Azerbaijani armed forces violation of the ceasefire and once again targeting the civilian population, Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned from the Artsakh Police.

The police officers found out that at around 3:30pm on the same day, while Khnapat village resident K.M. (born in 1983) was plowing in Khramort village with a tractor, one of the latters tires was damaged by the shots fired at him from the combat position of the adversary.

Representatives of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh also were sent to the scene.

Materials are being prepared to file a criminal case into this incident.
A total of 260 foreign nationals applied for asylum in Armenia in 2021, the State Migration Service said in response to a query from Armenpress.

Most of these asylum seekers (118 persons) are Iranian citizens. Of these 118, 42 were denied asylum while 35 had their applications suspended or dropped. 40 Iranians were granted refugee status, and three others had their refugee status revoked.

A total of 52 Iraqi citizens applied for asylum in Armenia in 2021, with 9 being granted refugee status and 4 having their application suspended or dropped.

Furthermore, 20 of the 27 Syrian citizens who applied for asylum in Armenia were granted refugee status, and two had their application suspended or dropped.

In addition, 14 Cuban citizens applied for asylum in Armenia: 7 were rejected, 1 was granted refugee status, and the applications of 2 others were suspended or dropped.

Seven Russian citizens also applied for asylum in Armenia: 4 were rejected and 1 application was suspended.

Six citizens of Turkey are also among the asylum seekers. Of these applications, 1 was denied, 1 was suspended, and only 3 were granted refugee status in Armenia in 2021.

Two Azerbaijani nationals were denied asylum in Armenia, and another such application was suspended last year.

Citizens of China, Ukraine, Jordan, Georgia, and several other countries were also among asylum seekers in Armenia in 2021.

To note, considerably more foreign nationals sought asylum in Armenia in 2021 than in 2020 and 2019.
STEPANAKERT.  President Arayik Harutyunyan convened a working consultation dedicated to the elaboration of the concept of development of the healthcare system in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Office of the Artsakh President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The Head of the State emphasized that quality, available and free medical care and other healthcare services guaranteed by the state are among the priorities of the Artsakh government, and the task of those responsible for the sphere is to take all measures to implement the program properly and on time. The President instructed to elaborate a concept for the development of the system, involving experienced professionals, and taking into account the concerns and suggestions of all beneficiary groups.

The coronavirus situation in Artsakh and some other issues facing the healthcare sector were also discussed during the meeting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that he welcomed a security dialogue with the West, and his military reported pulling back some of its troops near Ukraine. But U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. had not verified Russias claim and that an invasion was still a distinct possibility.

Putin said he does not want war and would rely on negotiations as he presses his demand for the West to halt Ukraines bid to join NATO. At the same time, he did not commit to a full pullback of troops, saying Russias next moves in the standoff will depend on how the situation evolves.

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In remarks at the White House, Biden promised that the U.S. would continue to give diplomacy every chance to prevent a Russian invasion, but he struck a skeptical tone about Moscows intentions. Biden also insisted that the U.S. and its allies would not sacrifice basic principles respecting Ukraine sovereignty.

Two paths are still open, Biden said. But let there be no doubt: If Russia commits this breach by invading Ukraine, responsible nations around the world will not hesitate to respond. If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, well surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.

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Putins overtures soothed global markets that have been on edge amid the worst East-West tensions in decades. Washington and its European allies remained cautious, saying they want to see evidence of a Russian pullback. Biden said 150,000 Russian forces are now massed near Ukraine and in Belarus, an increase from an earlier U.S. estimate of 130,000 troops.

President Joe Biden speaks about Ukraine in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Russias claim that it pulled back troops would be good, but we have not yet verified that, Biden said. Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.

The U.S. and NATO, which continue to warn that Russia could invade at any time, have sent troops and military supplies to shore up alliance members in Eastern Europe. Russia has denied having such plans. It wants the West to keep Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations out of the alliance, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe.

The U.S. and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.

Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures  issues that Moscow put on the table years ago.

He said Russia is open to discuss some of those elements, but added that it would do so only in combination with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.

Asked if there could be a war in Europe, Putin said Russia doesnt want it but that Ukraines bid to join NATO posed a major security threat to his country.

While Scholz reiterated that NATOs eastward expansion is not on the agenda  everyone knows that very well, Putin retorted that Moscow will not be assuaged by such assurances.

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They are telling us it wont happen tomorrow, Putin said. Well, when will it happen? The day after tomorrow? What does it change for us in the historic perspective? Nothing.

Scholz also said diplomatic options are far from exhausted, and he praised the announcement of a troop withdrawal as a good signal, adding: We hope that more will follow.

The Russian Defense Ministry released images of tanks and howitzers rolling onto railway platforms and more tanks rolling across snowy fields. It did not disclose where or when the images were taken, or where the vehicles were headed, other than to places of permanent deployment.

Biden acknowledged the likelihood that sanctions imposed on Russia in retaliation for an invasion would have significant blowback on the American economy, including possible price hikes and disruption to the nations energy supply.

The American people understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost, Biden said. I will not pretend this will be painless.

He said the administration was trying to preempt supply issues by working with energy producers and shippers on contingency plans. The president said he would work with Congress on unspecified additional measures to protect consumers and address the impact of prices at the pump.

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Russian forces continue to threaten Ukraine along the eastern border and from the Black Sea Crimean peninsula that Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014, the year when it also backed a separatist insurgency in the countrys east. More Russian troops loom over Ukraine in Belarus, where they were deployed for sweeping joint drills.

Ukraine expressed skepticism about Russias statements of a pullback.

We wont believe when we hear, well believe when we see. When we see troops pulling out, well believe in de-escalation, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that so far, we have not seen ... any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine, adding that the alliance wants to see a significant and enduring withdrawal of forces, troops and heavy equipment.

Meanwhile, a series of cyberattacks on Tuesday knocked out the websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry and major banks. There was no indication that the relatively low-level denial-of-service attacks might be a smokescreen for more serious cyber mischief. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. has not yet determined who was behind the attacks.

Few Russians expect a war, following the Kremlins dismissal of Western warnings as hysteria and absurdity.

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In a village in Russias Belgorod region, about 18 miles from Ukraines border, residents carried on with life as usual, even as more military personnel have been passing through village streets.

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We are friends with Ukraine, villager Lyudmila Nechvolod said. We are really on the border, we really have relatives here and there, everyone has somebody there (on the Ukrainian side). No one wants war.

Diplomatic efforts continued Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a call with Lavrov, and Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday about the evolving crisis.

Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers urged Putin to recognize rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine as independent states. The State Duma, Russias lower house, voted to submit an appeal to Putin to that effect.

Putin said the request reflects the Russian publics sympathy for the suffering of people trapped in the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed over 14,000 since 2014. He noted, however, that Russia continues to believe a 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany should serve as the main vehicle for a settlement of the separatist conflict.

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Putins statement signaled that he wasnt inclined to back the parliament proposal that would effectively invalidate the 2015 agreement, which marked a major diplomatic coup for Moscow and asked Kyiv to offer broad self-rule to the separatist territories. It has been resented by many in Ukraine, and its implementation has stalled.

Karmanau reported from Kyiv, Ukraine and Madhani from Washington. Dasha Litvinova in Moscow, Angela Charlton in Paris, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Jill Lawless in London, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Robert Burns, Matthew Lee and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was concerned that Russia might take aggressive action against Ukraine as early as this week, despite Moscow's announcement that it had withdrawn some of its forces from the Ukrainian border, the Voice of America reported.

We are deeply concerned that Russia could take action against Ukraine as early as this week, Blinken said in an interview with French television.

All we see is the deployment of Russian troops around Ukraine, from all sides Ukraine, leads us to this conclusion, continued the head of American diplomacy.

Instead of de-escalation, Russia is escalating, introducing more and more forces, he said. And we are deeply concerned.

Some units from Russian military districts adjacent to Ukraine are returning to their permanent deployment locations after the end of exercises, Russia's defence ministry said Tuesday.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted the military as saying that while large-scale exercises across the country continue, some units from the Southern and Western military districts have completed their tasks and have started to return to bases.

Russia has concentrated more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders, raising fears of a possible invasion, especially since joint exercises with Belarus, scheduled for 10-20 February, mean Ukraine is almost completely surrounded by the Russian military.

Blinken noted that the diplomatic route is still open.

We are doing everything possible to convince Russia that it should follow the diplomatic path, the path of dialogue, in order to resolve all existing differences peacefully, but if it decides to resort to aggression, we are fully prepared for this, and we will act in close coordination with all our European allies and partners, Blinken said.

Asked whether Russia could attack Ukraine on Wednesday, as predicted by some media, Blinken said: Unfortunately, this is quite possible, because Putin has gathered everything necessary for the implementation of aggression against Ukraine. We see more and more Russian troops surrounding Ukraine, over 100,000 troops. This is extremely worrisome, including what is happening with the deployment of troops in Belarus, north of Ukraine.

According to Blinken, Russia has no reason to behave in this way.

"We need to consider this in a historical context. This has happened before, in 2014, with the annexation of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine. Knowing this history, we are very concerned when we see what is happening near the borders of Ukraine, he concluded.
The erroneous deportation of an Armenian citizen born in Azerbaijan to the latter was prevented as a result of cooperation between the Prosecutor General's Offices of Armenia and Russia, Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned from the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia.

In view of the fact that this person had committed an administrative offense in Russia, a Russian court had ruled that this individual should be held administratively liable and be deported from Russia.

But in the introductory part of this decision, the court had erroneously stated that this person was an Azerbaijani citizen, in which case there was a risk of deportation to Azerbaijan.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia took measures to stop this deportation processand by engaging the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia and the authorized state agencies of Armenia in resolving this matter.

With the assistance of the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia, this matter was presented to the Russian court that had made the above-mentioned decision. As a result, this court changed the inaccuracy in this decision, and this person was returned to Armenia.
Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block road from Vayots Dzor to Yerevan

Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block Gyumri-Yerevan highway

Sirusho: Today I will join our compatriots in France Square

Third meeting of Armenia and Turkey special representatives held in Vienna

Dollar rises slightly after long decline, euro also goes up in Armenia

Civil disobedience actions in regions: Yerevan-Goris highway blocked

Azerbaijan settling occupied Armenian Hadrut, Shushi cities of Artsakh

New colors and new services: Team Telecom Armenia completes rebranding

Armenia legislature speaker receives France-Armenia Friendship Group delegation

France senator: We are leaving for Armenia with Senate group

Putin signs decree on economic measures against unfriendly countries

Armenia legislature speaker: Authorities have repeatedly proposed dialogue to opposition

Backpack action of protest being held outside Armenia parliament (PHOTOS)

Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD statement does not correspond to reality

Armenia defense minister receives Kansas National Guard delegation

Armenia Police: Yerevan-Sevan motorway reopened

Ned Price: Mirzoyan-Blinken meeting will launch US-Armenia strategic dialogue

Mirzoyan, Nuland discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement process

Civil disobedience actions are carried out in some Armenia cities

Armenia 2nd-President Kocharyan, ex-deputy PM and now lawmaker Gevorgyan trial to resume

Pashinyan to Morawiecki: This year we mark 30th anniversary of Armenia-Poland diplomatic relations

No new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia Central Bank leaves refinancing rate unchanged at 9.25%

Demonstrators demanding PM Pashinyan's resignation block Sevan-Yerevan motorway

Police: 117 demonstrators apprehended in Yerevan

Kansas National Guard leadership visiting Armenia

Bloomberg: EU new gas partners

Armenian member of Turkey legislature says he was thrown at table of wolves

Italian PM slams Lavrov for his 'Hitler' statements in interview with local television

South Korea and US plan to start air force exercises on May 9

Police special forces apprehend Armenia ex-president Robert Kocharyans son

Police: 70 people apprehended from Yerevan streets

World Press Freedom Index 2022: Journalism as a profession is humiliated in Armenia

Newspaper: Armenia ruling party MPs are worried

Borrell speaks on possible disconnection from SWIFT of new Russian banks

Cyprus becomes first EU country with full 5G coverage

Police apprehending participants of civil disobedience actions in Yerevan

State Department: Deepening US-Armenia cooperation in nuclear energy will strengthen bilateral relations

Peaceful disobedience actions resume in Yerevan early morning

Mirzoyan: Armenia appreciates US support for developing energy sector

Blinken underscores US commitment to help Armenia, Azerbaijan find sustainable peace, prosperity

Eurozone economic sentiment falls much more than expected in April

Apple faces big fine

Armenia ex-president joins discussion in France Square

Poland wants the EU to set a clear date for stopping Russian oil imports

Armenia FM meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Armenia FM meets with Director of USAID Samantha Power

Ann Linde says Finland will almost certainly apply for NATO membership

Police beat reporters, obstruct their work in Yerevan

European Commission may relieve Hungary, Slovakia of embargo on Russian oil purchase

Resistance Movement to continue large-scale civil disobedience actions on 3 May in Yerevan and regions

EU countries to continue to pay in euros or dollars for Russian gas

Resistance Movement participants return to France Square

Russian and Turkish defense ministers discuss current situation in Ukraine

Ukrainian intelligence accuses Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan of helping Russia evade Western sanctions

NEWS.am digest: Turkey says they have agreements with Armenia on border clarification

Toivo Klaar informs about meeting of Armen Grigoryan and Hikmet Hajiyev in Brussels

PACE initiates resolution on threats to journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan

Diplomat kidnapped in Haiti

Hungarian president asks Orban to form new government

Georgia PM hands over first part of questionnaire answers for accession to EU

Resistance Movement participants march in central Yerevan

Half of Japanese oppose change of peaceful constitution

Resistance movement rally on France Square in Yerevan

Blinken and Armenia FM sign memorandum on strategic cooperation in nuclear energy

Another earthquake registered on Armenian-Georgian border

FLYONE ARMENIA launches regular direct flights between Yerevan and Tbilisi

Georgia abolishes requirement to wear masks in closed spaces

One dollar drops below AMD 450, euro also falls in Armenia

Georgia PM receives Justice Minister of Armenia

Armenia MFA says there is no discussion, agreement on re-demarcating border with Turkey

Cavusoglu claims there is agreement to clarify Armenia-Turkey border

Azerbaijan president receives Brice Roquefeuil

Armenia ex-defense minister: These authorities are able to use force inside the country

Police: 244 people apprehended in Yerevan as of 2pm

Incident involving disobedience march participants occurs at Armenian State Pedagogical University

Yerevan Police apprehend opposition MP

Police: 199 people apprehended in Yerevan as of noon

Armenia defense ministry refutes Azerbaijan MOD statement

Resistance Movement coordinator says they will assemble at France Square in downtown Yerevan at 6pm
Any reasonable personI will not even say from Armeniaunderstands that this criminal case cannot have any international legal grounds. The Minister of Justice of Armenia, Karen Andreasyan, told this to reporters Wednesday, referring to the fact that the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan has launched a criminal case against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Arayik Harutyunyan, and declared him wanted.

"The self-defense carried out by our people, the people of Artsakh as a result of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan, to prosecute here for self-defense, it seems to me, is illogical. Moreover, I cannot make even more detailed remarks now because I am not familiar with that so-called 'criminal case' which was written about in the press," Andreasyan added.
Turkey's Fatih drill ship on Wednesday launched a new phase of exploration work in the Black Sea to search for natural gas reserves, TASS reported.

The ship will carry out its exploration for natural gas for two and a half months at a depth of 5,000 meters below sea level, Turkish Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Fatih Donmez confirmed.

On 21 August, 2020 the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced about the discovery of a large natural gas field in the Black Sea off the coast of Sakarya Province. In the near future, the president said at the time, the authorities will solve the technical issues concerning the production of gas in the field and start drilling immediately. The market value of the new gas reserves explored at the time was tentatively estimated at $180 billion.

Turkish company Turkiye Petrolleri plans to drill 40 wells in the Sakarya field on the Black Sea shelf, the explored reserves of which are estimated at 540 billion cubic meters. Turkey intends to carry out these developments independently, without attracting foreign companies.
A Myanmar military jet has crashed in the Sagaing region in the north of the country, the Myanmar Ministry of Information reported on Wednesday.

It said the plane, which departed from a military base near the Myanmar city of Mandalay, lost connection around 10:43 am local time.

The cause of the crash was a "technical malfunction."

There was only the pilot on board the plane. Emergency services are currently conducting a search and rescue operation.
It is highly probable that Kyiv will embark on a combat operation in Donbas, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, TASS reported.

"The attention of our interlocutors is drawn in every possible way to this dangerous concentration [of the Ukrainian troops at the engagement line in Donbas] and the attention of our interlocutors is drawn to the fact that a military operation and an attempt to resolve problems with the use of force in the southeast [of Ukraine] are quite real. This probability is high and real and, unfortunately, all of us and the entire world were witnesses when Kyiv unleashed a military operation in Donbas, that is, it started a civil war in the country," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Peskov also said that despite weeks of intensive international talks on de-escalation in Ukraine, the degree of tension between Kyiv and Moscow has not diminished. "The high level of danger [of Ukraine attacking the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics] persists," the Kremlin press secretary said, adding that this probability was not subsiding.
Baltimore officials are reevaluating proposals from nonprofits and city agencies to receive some of the citys $641 million in American Rescue Plan money as members of City Council continued to press Tuesday for more details on how the money has been allocated thus far.

The second round of reviews was prompted by the January release of a final set of rules from the federal government dictating how the federal coronavirus relief money can be spent.

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In some cases, the new rules expand eligibility requirements, said Shamiah Kerney, head of the citys Office of Recovery Programs, and proposals must be reviewed to make sure theyre still compliant.

The new rules allow Baltimore to use some American Rescue Plan funds to pay for traditional government services because the city lost revenue during the pandemic. Baltimore officials calculated a $93.6 million revenue loss in fiscal year 2020.

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Members of City Council, who do not control spending of the American Rescue Plan funds but have sought additional oversight, are eagerly awaiting the results of the reevaluation as they hope to endorse projects that are under consideration. The deadline for area nonprofits to apply closed on Dec. 31, and city departments have until March 31 to submit their applications.

Kerney said she hopes to get a list of all eligible nonprofits that have applied to the members of City Council by sometime in March. Council members can endorse 10 projects each to boost the likelihood they get funded. Council President Nick Mosby has 15 endorsements to award.

Kerney said the city needs to strictly scrutinize proposals to make sure they are not ineligible. Otherwise Baltimore could be on the hook to repay the federal government, she said.

We understand theres a lot of interest and inquiring around the proposals, she said.

While the reevaluation process is underway, much of Baltimores American Rescue Plan money has been committed to various city agencies by Mayor Brandon Scott. The citys health department was awarded $80 million for COVID-19 testing and prevention efforts and $50 million for violence reduction projects.

A $55 million allocation to fund workforce development and economic recovery programs also has been announced, as has $35 million to the Mayors Office of Broadband and Digital Equity to expand public internet access inside and outside city recreation centers, among other projects.

An additional $130 million has been set aside to balance upcoming city budgets, hit hard by pandemic-related costs.

Council members had numerous questions for city leaders Tuesday about additional grants awarded by the Mayors Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, which controls the $50 million allocated for violence prevention.

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Nearly $18 million of that pot, allocated in October, is now being distributed among community groups to perform the citys violence prevention work, Scotts office announced Tuesday. Recipients include We Our Us, TurnAround Inc., Roca, Healing City Baltimore and Sage Wellness among others.

Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer, a Democrat who represents Northwest Baltimore, said he was concerned about nonprofits receiving American Rescue Plan money without having to go through the citys application process.

Whats the difference between the organization applying to you and applying to them? Schleifer asked. Why are there two separate channels? Youre doing scoring. Youre doing applications. Why do we have a separate channel?

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Kerney said the organizations receiving funds from the Mayors Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement do work that is specific to the groups mission for the money. City Administrator Chris Shorter added that the office is working with nonprofits that may not have the ability to spend the $250,000 minimum to apply directly for American Rescue Plan funds.

At least six groups awarded funds by the neighborhood safety office, however, received more than $250,000, according to figures released by the mayors office.

Councilman Eric Costello, a Democrat and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, also said he was concerned about the dual application process.

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Youve got this very in-depth process laid out citywide, then we have a specific agency thats going through a different process than youve laid out, Costello said.

Costello also questioned city officials about their plans to comply with a City Council bill that became law in February requiring the administration to provide monthly, quarterly and annual updates to City Council on American Rescue Plan spending.

Kerney pointed out that she and others in the administration opposed the bill and argued previously that it would be difficult to provide accurate reports on a monthly basis.

We fully intend to comply, she said. We just need to have conversations with agencies about whats doable and whats reliable.
The US escalation of the war threat has hit Ukraine's economy and social stability, China hopes that the spread of disinformation will stop, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a briefing on Wednesday, RIA Novosti reported.

China accused the United States of "playing up the threat of warfare and creating tension."

He also noted that such US actions have increased friction between the parties concerned, hindering the advancement of dialogue and negotiations.

"We hope relevant parties will stop such disinformation campaigns and do more to benefit peace, mutual trust and cooperation," he said.

The Chinese side, he said, "drew attention to the Russian sides recent statement that the West has engaged in information terrorism on the Ukrainian issue. February 15 marks the day when the US and the West failed in propaganda," said Wang.

"It is some people in the US and the West who continue to incite and spread false information, adding more turbulence and uncertainty to this already challenging world and intensifying mistrust and division," he concluded.
The EU has taken extensive precautions in case the supplies of Russian gas to Europe will be interrupted, the President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen told journalists in Strasbourg, dpa reported.

According to her, to reduce the risk of disruptions to the raw materials, the European Commission has held talks in recent months with key exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), such as the United States, Qatar and Egypt, to increase their LNG volumes.

In addition, consultations were held with key LNG importers, particularly Japan and South Korea, so that they provide the EU with raw materials from their own stocks. As the head of the European Commission pointed out, these efforts of Brussels resulted in the EU importing a record 10 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas in January.

As Deutsche Welle writes, the noticeable growth of gas prices in Europe began in the spring of 2021, when the average TTF spot price ranged from $250 to $300 per 1,000 cubic meters. In the last days of summer the day-ahead contract price crossed the $600 threshold, and in early October it exceeded $1,000. In December the prices rose twice, reaching a historical maximum of $2,190.

Europe has never had such high prices in the history of natural gas.

More than 40 percent of Europe's gas comes from Russia, which currently seems to have "no interest in increasing supplies, despite peak prices," Ursula von der Leyen noted in early February.
NATO has accused Russia of sending more troops for a massive military buildup around Ukraine, although Moscow has said it is withdrawing troops and is open to diplomacy, Reuters reported.

At the start of two days of talks between NATO defense ministers, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, said," We have not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces. And of course, that contradicts the message of diplomatic efforts," Stoltenberg said. "What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way."

Stoltenberg warned that the Russians often redeployed military equipment and troops during the buildup.

NATO will consider new steps to contain Russia on its eastern flank.

Allies are also likely to provide additional troops and equipment to NATO members in Eastern Europe. Diplomats said 4,000 new troops could be deployed in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. The ministers will also consider nuclear deterrence, although discussions are strictly confidential.

"The escalation of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border is increasing and significant, and implores us as an alliance to continue to work together," Canada's Defence Minister Anita Anand said as she arrived for the meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a comprehensive settlement of the Ukraine issue through dialogue and consultation, Xinhua reported.

During a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, Jinping said that the parties concerned should adhere to the general direction of the political settlement of the Ukrainian issue.

The Chinese president also said that the parties concerned should make full use of multilateral platforms, including the Normandy format, and strive for a comprehensive settlement of the Ukrainian issue through dialogue and consultations.
The way the new law on Media was adopted is "disappointing", the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger said, Turan News Agency reported.

He said that the opinions of all stakeholders and experts' suggestions to improve the document were not taken into account while working on the bill.

The US Embassy is in close contact with government officials, media and journalists.

We have been open about our concerns. Much will depend on how this law is applied in practice. If the authorities use him to restrict freedom of the press, it will be very disappointing. If the authorities will use the law as they promise - to raise the level of the press and the professionalism of journalists, this is another matter, the ambassador said.
There are only a few days left for Iran to accept an agreement on its nuclear program at the talks in Vienna, said the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, noting that a major crisis will erupt if an agreement is not reached, Reuters reported.

It is not a question of weeks, it is a question of days, said French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. They [Iran] have a very clear choice, either they unleash a serious crisis in the next days or they accept an agreement that respects the interests of all the parties, he told the French Senate.

Le Drian said there's a need for political solutions from the Iranians to comply with its nuclear nonproliferation commitments and in exchange for the lifting of sanctions by the United States.
Kennesaw State student balances coursework, deployment and job with positive attitude

KENNESAW, Ga. (Feb 16, 2022)  Dylan Sandovals path toward a bachelors degree in construction management from Kennesaw State University has come with some unexpected detours, including one that sent him 7,500 miles away.

Sandoval is a Georgia native and first-generation college student who moved to Kennesaw to attend KSU. After his freshman year, Sandoval enlisted in the National Guard and expected to serve locally. When he returned from basic training in 2018, however, he received life-changing news.

The unit I got sent to told me that we were getting activated and deployed to Afghanistan in early 2019, Sandoval said. I wasnt sure what to expect when I enlisted, but I did not think I would be immediately deployed.

He had to put his coursework on hold and switch gears to a very different experience across the globe.

I got to learn a lot about the peoples culture over there, Sandoval said. The Afghans we worked with were very nice, humble people. We did run into a lot of danger, but it was a very eye-opening experience.

Sandoval returned to the U.S. on July 31, 2019, and jumped right back into his coursework at Kennesaw State the next month at the start of fall semester. Though he was back at home, Sandoval had National Guard activations that took him to Atlanta and Washington, D.C. in 2020 and 2021. He credits his own positive outlook on life and his professors at KSU with helping him conquer a multitude of responsibilities.

I was actually really surprised when I came home from deployment, how my professors helped me ease in and transition back into regular college life, Sandoval said. When I was activated in Atlanta and in Washington, D.C. they never gave me a hard time for missing class and helped me catch up.

Many faculty members were also surprised to learn that in addition to being a college student in the National Guard, Sandoval has a part-time job and serves as a hands-on mentor for his two younger siblings. Construction management professor Jacqueline Stephens taught Sandoval in several classes and has been consistently impressed with his work.

Dylan is a dedicated student who works diligently on all assignments, Stephens said. He has strong leadership skills and is very engaging in the class. Dylan is a joy to teach.

When asked how he handles the many pressures he faces on top of schoolwork, Sandoval said he is a naturally positive person.

Regardless of what situation I am in, I always think ahead, he said. "Im always looking toward the future. I think about my future goals, and I know that if I push through, I will get there.

Sandoval is currently looking toward graduation in May and already has a job with a Georgia construction company waiting for him after completing his studies. His message to other students in the military, or those who are balancing several responsibilities outside of their coursework, is to stay mentally strong.

Im not saying its easy, but try to stay positive, he said. Dont give up. Nothing is impossible if you stay strong, keep your head up and look toward the future.

 Abbey OBrien Barrows

Photos by David Caselli

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
Eight-year-old Emma Gomez has watched the Walt Disney animated movie Encanto 13 times. She loves to sing and dance to the movies catchy song We Dont Talk About Bruno, and knows the rest of the musical score by heart.

She even asks me to play the film as she is falling asleep, said her mother, Marcia Gomez, a lecturer in the University of Miami School of Communication.

Marcia Gomez with her daughter, Emma.

Emma is not alone. The movie has received three Oscar nominations and its catchy song, We Dont Talk About Bruno, has surpassed Frozens Let It Go by reaching the fourth spot in the Hot 100 song chart.

But Encanto has also received massive praise for the accurate way it portrays the Hispanic Madrigal family and the depiction of its many characters to fully represent the complexity of the Hispanic culture.

The movie tells the story of the Madrigal family. They live in Colombia and their children each inherit a magical giftall except Mirabel, one of the youngest grandchildren.

The animated film has sparked a wave of social media posts, featuring photos and videos of young kids smiling next to the main characters in the film because they see themselves in them.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kenzo B. (@katchingupwithkenzo)

Hannary Araujo, mother to 2-year-old Manu Araujo Marques, shared a video on BuzzFeed of her daughter watching Encanto for the first time. In the video, Manu looks at the TV and sees the main character, Mirabel, and recognized her right away. Its me, mommy! the little girl exclaimed, according to BuzzFeed. Manu looks just like Mirabel.

Most classic Disney animated movies feature a white princess who eventually finds her Prince Charming, according to Gomez. The straying from the traditional depiction of a princess who needs to be rescued is also a message that is important to highlight for children, but especially girls, Gomez pointed out.

From The Princess and the Frog to Mulan and Moana, Disney princesses have been slowly showing up in different races and sizes, and with stronger characteristics. But Encanto not only features Disneys first all-Latino cast but a main character who wears glasses. In addition, the film features several of Mirabels relatives who are mixed-race.

I feel like Disney did a good job of being authentic and depicting the different versions of what Hispanics look like, said Gomez. We come from varied races and some of us have straight hair and others curly hair and different features.

Camilo Rodriguez

Camilo Rodriguez, a lecturer at the Frost School of Music, was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. He watched Encanto with his 10-year-old nephew and enjoyed the film.

It is kind of unique because Colombians do not always get the best representation in films and the big films about Colombians are usually about [drug lord] Pablo Escobar or drugs and a lot of Colombians are reluctant to see them, he said.

But in Encanto, Rodriguez found the music of the accordion and cumbia (musical rhythm and dance) of his childhood and at times could hear the musical beats of the Barranquilla carnival. He had not heard those sounds in a film before, he said. The animated films music and lyrics were composed by Germaine Franco and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Another song from the movie, Dos Oruguitas, received an Oscar nomination for best original song.

Rodriguez was also drawn in by the word Encanto, which translates as enchanted, but has overtones of magic realism, a literary genre where magic or supernatural elements become part of everyday life.

I loved how the house in Encanto is alive, he said.

Vanessa Bonilla

Vanessa Bonilla, a junior who is president of PorColombia, a 230-person-strong student organization that holds events to celebrate its ethnic background, loved the film.

I was very scared of going to see Encanto because I am a big Disney fan and many of my Colombian friends felt the same, she said. If they would have misrepresented Colombian culture or used stereotypes, my love for Disney would have changed. But thankfully, they represented our culture beautifully.

She particularly enjoyed how the film captured the essence of Colombian family life, where the extended family is important.

Mirabel is very connected with her cousins and her tias (aunts) and her uncles in a way that you dont see as much in the U.S., she said. She also thought that the authentic way the movie portrayed the Colombian foodbunuelos, arepas, and ajiaco, gave the story an authentic flavor.

Most of the movies characters have a gift that makes them special. Luisa, the middle Madrigal sister, is described as the rock of the family.

Gomez identifies with Luisa. She carries the weight of the family on her shoulders, and she is the one who removes obstacles, said Gomez. I feel I fulfill that role in my family.

Gomez said that she believes the film is making an impact with a large audience because it is about universal issues, such as family and accepting oneself.

It has hit a nerve with its overall message that we need to accept ourselves as we are and accept that we all have gifts even if we dont feel like we have them, she said. The movie is about hope and family and accepting ourselves and all our unique gifts.
A performance by Frost School of Music student Jameson Falconer of Lift Evry Voice and Singwidely acknowledged as the Black national anthemwill herald in the 2022 edition of the University of Miami Black Alumni Society (UMBAS) reunion, to be held virtually on Feb. 18-19.

The theme for this years reunion is Fantastic Voyage: Across the Diaspora. Attendees will make informative and enlightening virtual stops at diasporic ports of call, taking a closer look at Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Ghana, to appreciate the beauty and strength that lie beyond their shores. The reunion will also look back at the trail blazed by the Universitys first Black students, faculty, and administrators.

The opening keynote session, Remember the Time, will be moderated by distinguished Miami educator and double alumnus George Koonce, and it will shed light on the experiences of key University administrators engaging with students at the U during the 1960s and 1970s. Panelists include alumna Dorothy Fields, founder of Miamis Black Archives, History, and Research Foundation; Whittington B. Johnson, professor emeritus of history and the Universitys first Black professor; double alumna Nancy Wilson Young; and alumnus Ted Nichols.

As a prelude to the keynote discussion, UMBAS President Patricia Dunac-Morgan will speak, and the gathering will pause to recognize the Taylor Family/UTrailblazers Experience, located in the Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. Breezeway on the Coral Gables Campus. Made possible by a gift from alumnus and University trustee Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., this interactive kiosk, which will be officially unveiled in August, highlights the significant contributions of Black students and faculty and staff members at the University. Donald Spivey, special advisor to President Julio Frenk, will also update the attendees about the progress being made with the Universitys pursuit of racial justice.

The reunions first day will also feature a session on art and fashion in the diaspora, presented by alumna Alana Smith and featuring Evelyn Onyejuruwa, owner of Ankara Miami and Ankara Delights Boutique. Norman Scales, fashion designer, will discuss how they and other Black designers incorporate the styles and materials of the motherland into their work.

Alumni Gary Pinnock, Noelle Baldwin, and David Solis will explore a powerful new travel movement that has emerged among people of color and will provide Black travelers with advice, inspiration, and the sense of community to explore the world.

Closer to home, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Black communities are embracing the rituals, traditions, and healing modalities of their ancestors that, along with modern medicine, can create a healthy balance of mind, body, and spirit. Miami-based pediatrician and alumna Dr. Kimberly Hunter-Reynolds will lead a discussion on how to integrate holistic well-being into everyday life.

The first day will conclude with a virtual cooking and mixology session led by alumna Cassandre Davilmar, owner of Brooklyns Lakou Cafe, and UMBAS President-Elect Astin Hayes of Remy Cointreau USA.

The reunions fantastic voyage takes center stage the second day, with a discussion moderated by Donette Francis, associate professor of English and director of the Universitys American studies program. Panelists include Bahamas-born alumna Tanisha Tynes-Cambridge; Neval Greenidge, consul general of Barbados; Edmund Abaka, associate professor of history and international studies, who grew up and studied as an undergraduate in Ghana; Laurent Lamothe, former prime minister of Haiti; and businessman and double alumnus David Mullings, whose family hails from Jamaica.

The second day will also feature a glimpse at the Universitys Caribbean connections and a preview of the Center for Global Black Studies, one of multiple initiatives underway across all areas of the University to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. Then, after a performance by OLEKU, the Universitys African dance team, the reunion will conclude with student-led breakout sessions with the African Student Union, United Black Students, and Brothers Overcoming Negativity and Destruction.

Register now for the UMBAS 2022 reunion, Fantastic Voyage: Across the Diaspora.
Frank Pistol Pete Eaton to be honored at Western Heritage Awards

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Editorial Coordinator | 405-744-5540 | news@okstate.edu

The National Cowboy Museums Hall of Great Westerners will soon induct famed lawman Frank Eaton  the inspiration for Oklahoma State Universitys Pistol Pete mascot. Eaton is among honorees who will be recognized at the 61st Western Heritage Awards, April 8-9 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

The story of the American West is alive, with people from all walks of life still contributing to the culture of the West we know and love, said Natalie Shirley, museum president and CEO. This years inductees and award winners include extraordinary men and women who influenced their communities and the world through their work and through the way they lived their lives.

The Western Heritage Awards honors individuals who have made significant contributions to Western heritage through creative works in literature, music, television and film, and serves as the induction ceremony for the National Cowboy Museums Hall of Great Westerners and Hall of Great Western Performers. Also presented annually is the Chester A. Reynolds Award, named in honor of the founder of the Museum and presented to a living honoree or group that has notably perpetuated the legacy of the American West.

Each inductee and honoree receive a Wrangler, an impressive bronze sculpture of a cowboy on horseback created by Oklahoma artist and 2017 Hall of Great Westerners inductee Harold T. Holden.

During his life Frank Pistol Pete Eaton was a lawman, an Indian scout, and a settler. He worked on ranches and herded cattle over the Chisholm and Santa Fe Trails. He was later a deputy United States Marshall. Eaton earned the nickname Pistol Pete at the age of 15 when he went to Fort Gibson to perfect his shooting skills. He learned how to track, and to survive Indian Territory when he was adopted by a half Delaware Indian at the age of 18. After settling in Perkins, Oklahoma, where he died on April 8, 1958, at the age of 97, he became the inspiration for Oklahoma State Universitys mascot.

Being inducted alongside Eaton this year are entrepreneur Gerald Timmerman; actors Burt Reynolds, Bing Russell and Kurt Russell; folklorist James Hoy, museum board member Linda Mitchell Davis; and philanthropist Foster Friess.

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City is Americas premier institution of Western history, art and culture. Founded in 1955, the Museum collects, preserves and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts while sponsoring dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the American West. The Museum is located only six miles northeast of downtown Oklahoma City at 1700 Northeast 63rd Street.
Ukraine defies invasion threat, Nato sees no pullback

Ukraine defies invasion threat, Nato sees no pullback

Ukraine's leader vowed on Wednesday that his country would stand tall against any invasion, as both he and Nato warned they could see no sign that Russia is withdrawing its forces.



President Volodymyr Zelensky watched troops training with some of their new Western-supplied anti-tank weapons on a range near Rivne, west of the capital.



Then he travelled to the frontline port city of Mariupol, and gave a speech to mark what he had declared Ukraine's "Day of Unity", wearing a military-style olive green coat and vowing resistance.



"We are not afraid of forecasts, we are not afraid of anyone, of any enemies," Zelensky said. "We will defend ourselves."



The demonstration of Ukrainian firepower and rhetoric contrasted with images on Russian state media that were said to show Moscow's forces bringing an end to a major exercise in occupied Crimea.



But Zelensky denied that this was a sign of a Russian pullback.



"We are seeing small rotations. I would not call these rotations the withdrawal of forces by Russia. We cannot say that," he said in televised comments, adding: "We see no change."



In Rivne, missiles pounded targets and armoured vehicles manoeuvred and fired on the yellowing moorland, while in Kyiv hundreds of civilians marched in a stadium with an enormous national banner.



The "Day of Unity" displays came as the Kremlin called for "serious negotiations" with Washington, and European leaders pushed hard for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.



But Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg, who hosted a meeting of the alliance's defence ministers in Brussels, dismissed suggestions that the threat on the border had diminished.



He said the alliance would shore up its eastern defences with forward deployments in member states bordering Ukraine.



"Moscow has made it clear that it is prepared to contest the fundamental principles that have underpinned our security for decades and to do so by using force," he said.



"I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe."



And on reported Russian troop movements, he said: "So far we do not see any sign of de-escalation on the ground; no withdrawals of troops or equipment.



"Russia maintains a massive invasion force ready to attack with high-end capabilities from Crimea to Belarus."



Russia's huge build-up of troops, missiles and warships around Ukraine is being billed as Europe's worst security crisis since the Cold War.



Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine be forbidden from pursuing its ambition to join Nato and wants to redraw the security map of eastern Europe, rolling back Western influence.



But, backed by a threat of crippling US and EU economic sanctions, Western leaders are pushing for a negotiated settlement, and Moscow has signalled it will start to pull forces back.



In the latest such move, on Wednesday the Russian defence ministry said military drills in Crimea - a Ukrainian region Moscow annexed in 2014 - had ended and that troops were returning to their garrisons.



Washington has demanded more verifiable evidence of de-escalation, but US President Joe Biden has nevertheless vowed to push for a diplomatic solution.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed this, telling reporters: "It is positive that the US president is also noting his readiness to start serious negotiations."



German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, arriving at the Nato talks, said reports of a partial Russian pullback "are signals that at least give us hope. But it is important to observe closely whether these words are followed by deeds."



EU leaders, already gathered in Brussels for a summit with their African counterparts, are now to hold impromptu crisis talks on Russia and Ukraine on Thursday.



Zelensky has downplayed threats of an immediate Russian invasion, but is attempting to rally his people with the "Day of Unity" celebrations under Ukraine's blue and gold banner.



On Wednesday, after the Rivne drills, he visited Mariupol, a frontline port city near a breakaway region held by Russian-backed separatists.



Ambassadors from the European Union, Germany, Estonia, Poland and Spain headed to Mariupol with the president.



Meanwhile, some wealthy business leaders who had been urged by the government to show solidarity with the country announced their return.



Ukraine's richest man, 55-year-old billionaire industrialist Rinat Akmetov, who was born in Donetsk in an area now held by separatists, was in Mariupol.



"We continue to build, we continue to invest," he said, promising his firm would boost salaries and support a local university.



On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country's defence ministry and armed forces as well as private banks had been hit by a cyberattack of the kind that US intelligence fears would precede a Russian attack.



"It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," Ukraine's communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia.



Peskov denied that Moscow had any role in the cyber assault. "We do not know anything. As expected, Ukraine continues blaming Russia for everything," he said. (AFP)
New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI/ATK): In an attempt to serve mankind and uplift the nation, Bluestark Enterprise LLP has come forward to introduce sustainable measures that could benefit the larger masses. The latter is stepping forward to help those affected by the covid through medical and financial assistance. Hardik Visani has served the nation by providing more than two lakh community meals to the people in need, sanitaries to all orphanages, Medical kits to all the community centres with the support of 23 NGOs. He further participated in building 100 Tribal marts for Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for improving the economical conditions of the people with United First and joined one million plantation movements in 15 States and 2 UTs in India. Bluestark Enterprise LLP has been setting a new standard in the BPO Industry for over a decade. The firm aims to provide creativity, productivity beyond the expectation aligned with informative services to meet their needs. All the employees are hired and trained exclusively by the company and are dedicated exclusively for the corporations aligned. Bluestark Enterprise LLP believes in going the extra mile, they also train their customers to make them aware about the entire process from start to finish, and this will is key to their success. With a strong reason for serving the nation in just a decade, his company served more than 20 states, 2 UT and more than 6 countries which includes the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Middle East, UAE and many more. Hardik Visani has simplified and set up a very easy eco system for national and international clients by making a three simple step process for Bluestark. The first step is to Contact Business Development of his company, the second step is the team will develop a Solid Program to match the needs of the corporates and the final step which delivers massive success is they will get the right trained Team, to make perfect fit, and strive for success. Over a decade Bluestark has been serving industry by their extraordinary deliverable in Customer queries and complaints, Telemarketing, Product Services, Back Office Processing, Payroll, Billing, Form Processing, Data Entry, Accounting, Chat Support, Tech Support, Web Designing / Development, Inbound / Outbound Services, Telesales and many more. With a skilful mind and outstanding vision to leave a benchmark in the society, Hardik Visani has joined hands with United First to work upon with all his experience on social projects contributing India towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030. He is joining hands with more people to create an impact through his work and make people aware towards the importance of sustainability. This story is provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK)
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 16 (ANI/NewsVoir): The Murugappa Group, well known among quizzing enthusiasts for creating innovative quizzes is back again with a brand-new event - 'The Good Quiz'. Hosted by renowned Quizmaster, Dr Navin Jayakumar, 'The Good Quiz' will be an exclusive online quiz that aims to test people's knowledge of all that is good - be it people, places, animals or things! The event will be held virtually on Saturday, February 19th from 11 am onwards. 'The Good Quiz' is open to all ages and people from all locations. A preliminary round followed by a live final round will be conducted on the same day. The winners of the preliminary and finals will be awarded with gift vouchers worth Rs. 45,000 by Murugappa Group. All participants will receive a digital participation certificate. The audiences from across geographies can join in to watch the excitement and also get an opportunity to participate and win audience prizes. The Final round of 'The Good Quiz' will be webcast live on Murugappa Group's YouTube channel youtube.com/MurugappaGroup from 4 pm on 19th February. Founded in 1900, the INR 417 Billion (41,713 Crores) Murugappa Group is one of India's leading business conglomerates. The Group has 29 businesses including ten listed Companies traded in NSE & BSE. Headquartered in Chennai, the major Companies of the Group include Carborundum Universal Ltd., CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd., Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Ltd., Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd., Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd., Coromandel International Ltd., Coromandel Engineering Company Ltd., E.I.D. Parry (India) Ltd., Parry Agro Industries Ltd., Shanthi Gears Ltd., Tube Investments of India Ltd. and Wendt (India) Ltd. The Group holds leadership position in several product lines including Abrasives, Technical Ceramics, Electro Minerals, Auto Components & Systems, Bicycles, Fertilisers, Sugar, Tea and Spirulina (Nutraceuticals). The Group has forged strong alliances with leading international companies such as Groupe Chimique Tunisien, Foskor, Mitsui Sumitomo, Morgan Advanced Materials, Yanmar & Co. and Compagnie Des Phosphat De Gafsa (CPG). The Group has a wide geographical presence all over India and spanning 6 continents. Renowned brands like BSA, Hercules, Montra, Mach City, Ballmaster, Ajax, Parry's, Chola, Gromor, Shanthi Gears and Paramfos are from the Murugappa stable. The Group fosters an environment of professionalism and has a workforce of over 53,000 employees. For more details, please www.murugappa.com. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Gurugram (Haryana) [India], February 16 (ANI/NewsVoir): BML Munjal University (BMU), a Hero Group initiative, today announced that they are hosting a two-day virtual Leadership Summit 2022 on February 17 and 18, 2022. The summit, in its second season, will be attended by policymakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs to reflect on the theme of "Global Sustainability & the Corporation" and deliberate on how businesses can transition towards greater sustainability at large. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited would be the keynote speaker on 17 Feb, and Sunil Kant Munjal, Chancellor, BMU & Chairman, Hero Enterprise would be the keynote speaker on the 18 Feb, in a two-day virtual summit. The summit will see participation from a galaxy of eminent professionals from India's largest corporations, educators from India and abroad and sustainability experts The current alarming global scenario has urged the industry to reconsider how we combine our pursuit of economic growth with our efforts to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDGs) by 2030. The BMU Leadership Summit 2.0 will also focus on the role of government policies in encouraging investors to engage in socially conscious businesses. While pursuing a sustainable future is unavoidable, there is one significant component that organizations need to zero in on -- an outlook change. Transformation of business and entrepreneurship towards sustainability will shape and forever change how enterprises create value. Thus, sustainable alternatives are no longer an option but a need and the Summit intends to highlight related issues and throw insightful views. The first day of the summit will bring forth a direction for the new business imperative, which is the need to adopt sustainable business practices and thus will touch upon topics such as Sustainability & Business Performance, Developing Organisational Capabilities to Meet Sustainability Goals as well as Learning & Development for Sustainability. The second day will focus around Sustainable Business Models for the Future and related themes such as The balance between Sustainability and Entrepreneurship, A Policy Framework: Creating the Sustainable Organisation and how CSR is transitioning from the traditional philanthropic approach to a more sustainable one. Talking about the Leadership Summit, Prof. (Dr.) Manoj Arora, Vice Chancellor, BML Munjal University said, "We're glad to announce that this year's Leadership Summit is centered around one of the most compelling issues of our times. Building a sustainable future requires more than just a mindset change, it requires surface level execution. In line with this, the panelists at the summit are all set to address how organizations can leverage sustainability in every function of the company. It is an honest attempt on the university's part to highlight these concerns and start a much-needed conversation around them." To know more about the summit, please (bit.ly/33jHRb7) Named after the late Founder Chairman of the Hero Group, BML Munjal University (BMU) is a state private university founded by the promoters of the Hero Group. BMU is mentored by Imperial College London and is engaged in creating, preserving, and imparting internationally benchmarked knowledge and skills. The university seeks to transform higher education in India by creating a world-class innovative teaching, learning and research environment across Schools spanning the disciplines of law, management, economics, commerce and engineering. The School of Management at BML Munjal University has been ranked 41st among all management institutions All India in the NIRF Rankings 2021. The university offers undergraduate to doctoral programmes comprising BA (Hons) in Economics, BBA, BCom (Hons), BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), BBA, Integrated BBA-MBA at the undergraduate level and MBA, LLB (Hons) and PhD at the post-graduate level. For more information, log in to www.bmu.edu.in. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI/NewsVoir): A unique cloud-based real estate platform, eXp India, organised a virtual event to upskill and train real estate agents so that they can become market-ready professionals of the future. According to the company, real estate agents are the first link between the brands and the customers; therefore, helping them learn the art of sales and effective communication skills can help them to gain a competitive advantage and become market-ready. The virtual event was graced by the presence of Shashank Vashishtha, Executive Director, eXp India, Michael Valdes - President, eXp Global, Meghan Kelly - VP, Global Operations and Ilaria Profumi - Regional Director, EMEIA. Being an agent-centric company, eXp India is committed to helping real estate agents achieve personal growth so that they can be more productive in what they do. The organization focuses on providing soft skills training to its agents so that they can capitalize on the massive growth potential of India's real estate industry. Therefore, to help its agents get to the next level, eXp roped in the renowned motivational speaker Dr Bhupendra Singh Rathore, who left the participants enthused with his influential ideas on life and happiness. As part of the interactive session, Dr Rathore explained how the agents can become the face of the company and help themselves as well as eXp reach higher levels of success. "The Indian real estate sector today has become the strongest pillar that is strengthening the foundation of India's economic growth. It is one of the largest employment generators, and here it becomes imperative to provide assistance, training and upskilling to the real estate agents who act as a bridge between real estate brands and the customers. We believe such initiatives are important and will greatly help our agents to become competitive and better in the market," said Shashank Vashishta, Executive Director, eXp India. During the event, Dr Bhupendra Singh Rathore, a renowned motivational speaker, said, "I am grateful for the opportunity provided to me by eXp. A booming industry like real estate offers ample growth opportunities. However, only a handful of people know how to take advantage of the existing opportunities." The ace motivational speaker added, "Through this motivational event for head trainers, my sole intention is to enthuse long-term real estate agents as well as aspiring real estate investors and provide them with the best mantra for a successful career in the real estate industry. " eXp India and its global brokerage, eXp Realty, is one of the fastest-growing real estate tech companies in the world with more than 75,000 agents in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, India, Mexico, Portugal, France, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Italy, Hong Kong, Colombia, Spain, Israel, Germany, Dominican Republic and Panama. As a publicly-traded company, eXp World Holdings provides real estate professionals the unique opportunity to earn equity awards for production goals and contributions to overall company growth. eXp World Holdings and its businesses offer a full suite of brokerage and real estate tech solutions, including its innovative residential and commercial brokerage model, professional services, collaborative tools and personal development. The cloud-based brokerage is powered by an immersive 3D platform that is deeply social and collaborative, enabling agents to be more connected and productive. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Dubai [UAE], February 16 (ANI/NewsVoir): India will pitch to become the preferred sourcing partner for the global food processing industry during the fortnight and host various seminars and conferences to deliberate on ways to explore international collaborations and further strengthen its export potential. Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, will inaugurate the 'Food, Agriculture and Livelihood' fortnight at the India Pavilion in EXPO2020 Dubai on February 17. The fortnight will showcase India's prowess in sectors like food processing, horticulture, dairy, fisheries, and organic farming and the vast investment opportunities that it offers. As part of the key theme - 'Millets', the fortnight will witness the millets food festival, the launch of Millets Book, and various seminars focusing on its health and nutritional benefits. It is noteworthy here that the UN General Assembly has recently adopted the resolution, sponsored by India and supported by more than 70 countries, declaring 2023 as the 'International Year of Millets'. Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest livelihood provider in the country. The sector contributes a significant share of around 21% to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP). With total exports of agricultural and allied products at US$ 41.25 billion in FY21, India is among the 15 leading exporters of agricultural products in the world. To harness the untapped potential of this sector, the Government has allowed 100% FDI in the marketing of food products and food product e-commerce under the automatic route. An incentive outlay of Rs 10,900 crore (US$ 1,484 million) for the food processing sector has also been approved under the PLI scheme. In addition, the comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy has been introduced to increase India's agricultural export to US$ 60 billion by 2021-22 and US$ 100 billion in the next few years. The sector is set to witness increased investment in agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, warehousing, and cold storage, with global consumption reaching the pre-pandemic level. The fortnight will also see participation from several senior government officials who will be present during the various sessions. The 'Food, Agriculture and Livelihood' fortnight will conclude on March 2nd. To know more about India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai, please visit: Website - www.indiaexpo2020.com Facebook - www.facebook.com/indiaatexpo2020 Instagram - www.instagram.com/indiaatexpo2020 Twitter - twitter.com/IndiaExpo2020?s=09 LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/india-expo-2020/?viewAsMember=true YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UC6uOcYsc4g_JWMfS_Dz4Fhg/featured Koo - www.kooapp.com/profile/IndiaExpo2020 To know more about EXPO2020 Dubai, please visit - www.expo2020dubai.com/en. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Like others, actor Ravi Kishan is also heartbroken after learning about Bappi Lahiri's death.

In a conversation with ANI, Ravi paid his heartfelt condolences to Bappi Lahiri's family and recalled working with him.

"It's sad for all of us. I was, am, and will always remain Bappi Lahiri's huge fan. He had sung many songs in my Hindi and Bhojpuri films. He popularised disco culture in our country and now that culture has ended with his demise. I will always remember his smile that he had on his face all the time. He always kept the child inside him alive," Ravi grieved.

Bappi Lahiri died in a hospital in Mumbai on Tuesday night at the age of 69. He had been hospitalised for a month and was being treated for multiple health issues. He passed away due to OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). (ANI)
Music composer Lalit Pandit visited late legendary composer Bappi Lahiri's house on Wednesday to pay his last respects to Bollywood's 'Disco King'. Expressing his grief on Bappi Da's demise soon after the death of Lata Mangeshkar, Pandit told ANI, "These are two huge attacks of COVID on our industry. First Lata Ji and now out Bappi da has passed away." Pandit also talked about his close relationship with the late composer. He shared, "Bappi Da was like family to us. He provided many singing opportunities to my elder sister Sulakshana Pandit and I had been visiting his recordings ever since I was a child. He was like an elder brother to me." Reminiscing Bappi Da's work, Pandit added, "He was a very hardworking man. There was a time when he used to be recording three songs at the same time in different studios. His working style was with great ease and love. There is hardly any composer like him nowadays who can deliver all superhit songs in a single film. Such was his talent." Bappi Lahiri died in a hospital in Mumbai on Tuesday night at the age of 69. He had been hospitalised for a month and was being treated for multiple health issues. He passed away due to OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). (ANI)
Sanjay took to his Twitter handle to share a throwback picture of the late actor, and wrote, "Shocked to hear about #BappiLahiri Ji's demise. Bappi Da, you have left the world, but you will stay in our hearts forever. Deepest condolences to the family. Om Shanti."

For the unversed, Lahiri has crooned one of the most iconic pop songs of Indian cinema- 'Tamma Tamma', that was picturised on Sanjay and Madhuri Dixit from their 1990 action film 'Thanedaar.'

Lahiri's iconic songs also include 'Disco Dancer', 'Pyar Bina Chain Kahaan Re', 'Pag Ghungroo Bandhe', 'Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy', 'Tune Maari Entriyan' among others.

Bappi Lahiri passed away at the age of 69 in Mumbai's CritiCare Hospital on Tuesday night due to OSA (obstructive sleep apnea).

His cremation ceremony will take place on Thursday morning. (ANI)
Taking to her Instagram handle, Mohena, who is the princess of the former royal state of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, posted adorable pictures along with her husband, flaunting her baby bump.

In the caption, she wrote, "Beginning of a new beginning. Sharing the Good News with All."

Fans and fellow members of the industry flooded the post with congratulatory messages.

Nakuul Mehta dropped a heart emoticon.

"Congratulations," Mukti Mohan wrote, adding heart emoticons.

In another post, she shared photoshoot pictures in which she can be seen wearing a yellow and maroon saree.

She penned the caption, "Embracing the new phase. Thanking god for her grace."

Mohena and Suyesh got married on October 14, 2020, in Dehradun. The couple threw a grand reception in Delhi, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI)
Paramount has planned to enter negotiations for 'Star Trek' stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho and Simon Pegg to return for their fourth tour of duty in the venerable sci-fi franchise 'Star Trek'. According to Variety, the announcement was made by JJ Abrams during the Paramount Investors Day Presentation on February 15. "We are thrilled to say that we are hard at work on a new 'Star Trek' film that will be shooting by the end of the year that will be featuring our original cast and some new characters that I think are going to be really fun and exciting and help take 'Star Trek' into areas that you've just never seen before," Abrams said. He added, "We're thrilled about this film, we have a bunch of other stories that we're talking about that we think will be really exciting, so can't wait for you to see what we're cooking up. But until then, live long and prosper." The six actors first stepped into their respective iconic roles as Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Bones, Sulu and Scotty in 2009's 'Star Trek', directed by Abrams, which reset the 'Trek' timeline and allowed for the reboot to exist unencumbered from the hundreds of hours of 'Trek' continuity that had come before. The actors returned in two sequels, 2013's 'Star Trek Into Darkness', also directed by Abrams, and 2016's 'Star Trek Beyond', directed by Justin Lin. Abrams is producing the new, as-yet-untitled film through Bad Robot, with Matt Shakman directing from a screenplay by Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires based on a earlier draft by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. Paramount was close to bringing back this cast once before. In 2018, S.J. Clarkson had signed up to direct a sequel that would have reunited Pine's Kirk with his late father, played by Chris Hemsworth reprising his performance from the 2009 'Star Trek'. That film never materialized, however, after Paramount reportedly couldn't close a deal with Pine and Hemsworth. Since then, insiders say the studio has done market research to determine audience interest in the rebooted cast, given the long wait period between 'Beyond', which lost money for Paramount and a prospective new 'Trek' film. Execs determined that there was still lasting audience enthusiasm for Pine, Quinto and the rest of the cast in their established roles, which allowed the studio to feel comfortable with moving forward with bringing them back. One member of the 2009 'Trek' cast, however, sadly cannot join them. Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov, died in an accident in June 2016, a month before 'Beyond' opened in theaters. As per Variety, at that film's premiere at San Diego Comic Con, the cast, filmmakers and invited guests sat in a full minute of silence in tribute to the late actor. (ANI)
In the pictures posted on the official Instagram handle of Kapoor's company ALTBalaji, Kangana looked beautiful, dressed in a royal blue suit. Ekta opted for a pastel green suit.

Kangana will be hosting the upcoming show, in which 16 controversial celebrities will be put together in a lock-up for months and will be stripped of their amenities.

Produced by Endemol Shine India, the show premieres on ALTBalaji and MX Player on February 27. (ANI)
In the memory of Guru Ravidas's birth anniversary, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the saint was dedicated to uniting the society by giving equal rights and justice to every person. Taking to Twitter, Shah said, "The life of Sant Ravidas ji was dedicated to uniting the society by giving equal rights and justice to every person. I bow at the feet of the revered saint Shri Ravidas ji, a symbol of harmony and harmony, on his birth anniversary." "He showed the path of the welfare of mankind by awakening spiritual consciousness in the society with his thoughts and creations. His message of unity, equality and karma primacy will always guide us," senior BJP leader said in a tweet. The Home Minister also stated that the Centre is working continuously to raise the standard of living by making every section a partner in development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Under the leadership of @narendramodi ji, the central government is working continuously to raise the standard of living by making every section a partner in development, realizing the ideas of Sant Ravidas ji," Shah tweeted. PM Modi will also visit the Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham temple in Delhi's Karol Bagh today. Sant Ravidas belonged to the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century and his hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. He is considered the founder of the 21st-century Ravidassia religion. Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day of the Magh month as per the Hindu calendar. (ANI)
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday appealed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Anti Corruption Bureau of Maharashtra government to jointly investigate Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya for his alleged 'extortion racket'. "Skeletons are tumbling out of the closet. Self-proclaimed crusader Kirit Somaiya himself is alleged of blackmailing. Victims of Somaiya's extortion racket are now speaking up. I appeal the #CBI & #anticorruptionBureau of Mah'tra govt to jointly investigate Kirit's dirty extortion game," said Raut in a tweet. Notably, Somaiya on February 5 had alleged that Shiv Sena workers assaulted him inside the premises of Pune Municipal Corporation. An FIR was filed against eight Shiv Sena workers including the party's Pune district President Sanjay More for allegedly assaulting the leader. Later in a letter on February 10, Somaiya urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to review his security arrangements on the grounds that he was allegedly being attacked by Shiv Sena workers despite being under "Z plus" security of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The BJP leader charged that he has become a target for the Shiv Sena activists after he sought to expose the Uddhav Thackeray government in the state and its various scams. "It is felt that the gundas of Shiv Sena have increased their activities to harass and assault me," he said. On February 10, BJP MPs along with party leader Kirit Somaiya met Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla over the alleged attack on Somaiya in Pune by Shiv Sena workers. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday lauded Delhi Police for fair investigation in the North East Delhi riots. Addressing the 75th Raising Day of the Delhi Police, Shah also praised Delhi Police for its role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking on the occasion, Shah said, "I congratulate Delhi Police for the role it played during the COVID pandemic and the Delhi riots, particularly for fair investigations." He further said that the Delhi Police should prepare a roadmap for the next five years and also for 25 years with well-defined goals. "Delhi Police not only did an exceptional job during the COVID pandemic, which is an inspiration for police jawans across the country, but it also thwarted several terror incidents during this period," said Shah. Union Home Minister attended the 75th Raising Day programme of Delhi Police held at Police Lines in the national capital and released a special postage stamp commemorating its platinum jubilee. Shah also took the salute at the 75th Raising Day Parade of Delhi Police. He also gave medals to Delhi Police personnel on the occasion of its platinum jubilee raising day. On the occasion, Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said that women's safety is top priority for the Delhi Police. "Our target is to increase the participation of women police personnel by one-fourth by 2025," said Asthana. He said that the Delhi Police has always proved itself in every field. A total of 79 police personnel had lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, he added. "Delhi Police is providing 30 types of digital services to residents in the capital city, which include E-Beat Book, Save City Project, Complaint Monitoring System, ERSS112, and many others," he said. Asthana further said that Delhi Police has given more than 5,000 promotions, 48 were also given out-of-turn promotions, 45 police personnel were also awarded with exceptional work awards, and gave a special medal to police personnel who died in the North East riots. "A total of 164 eligible family members of the deceased police personnel were inducted in Delhi Police on compassionate grounds," he added. The Police Commissioner said that efforts are also being made to fix duty hours for the personnel. "Skill centers have been set up for youth community policing activities for those who have deviated from the socially accepted behaviour, and are prone to crime to bring them to the mainstream. More than 50000 youth have been trained and brought back to the mainstream," he said. Asthana said that the PCR response time has also been reduced from eight minutes to four minutes. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Former Managing Director and CEO of YES Bank Rana Kapoor's bail petition in Rs 466.51-crore money laundering case being probed by the agency. The Bench of Justice MK Ohri sought a response from the financial probe agency and slated the matter for March 11, 2022, for further hearing. Advocate Siddharth Aggarwal along with Advocate Stuti Gujral appeared for Kapoor in the matter while Advocate Amik Mahajan appeared for Enforcement Directorate. Last month, the trial court had refused to grant bail to Kapoor. The same court earlier had also dismissed the bail petition of businessman Gautam Thapar, promoter of Avantha Group. Thapar's bail plea is presently being examined by the Delhi High Court. Thapar was arrested by the ED in August last year and is currently in judicial custody. The trial court in October last year, took cognizance of the ED charge sheet (Prosecution Complaint) filed against Avantha group promoter Gautam Thapar involving Yes Bank's Rana Kapoor and several employees in connection with money laundering case. The trial court had said, "Hereby take cognizance of offence as there are sufficient grounds to proceed against the accused persons arraigned in the present complaint." According to the ED, an FIR was registered against Gautam Thapar, Avantha Realty Ltd, Oyster Buildwell Pvt Ltd and others alleging criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery for diversion or misappropriation of public money during the period 2017 to 2019. Earlier, ED had told the Delhi Court that, "Investigation revealed that approximately Rs 500.11 crores proceeds of crime, were laundered through Oyster Buildwell Pvt Ltd (OBPL), Jhabua Power Limited (JPL), Jhabua Power Investment Ltd (JPIL), Avantha Power and Infrastructure Ltd (APIL), Avantha Realty Ltd (ARL), etc which are being controlled and beneficially owned directly or indirectly by Gautam Thapar." (ANI)
The counting of votes for 108 municipalities going to polls on February 27 will be held on March 2, announced West Bengal State Election Commission on Wednesday. "On being satisfied that in the Municipal General Elections to the 108 Municipalities, 2022 the Counting of Votes cannot conveniently be done immediately after the close of the poll at the polling stations as provided under Section 12 of the West Bengal Municipal Elections Act, 1994 for the said Constituencies under the above-noted Municipalities, the West Bengal State Election Commission, in the exercise of the power conferred by Article 243ZA (I) of the Constitution of India and as per proviso to Rule 41 of the West Bengal Municipalities (Conduct of Elections) Rules, 1995 (hereinafter referred to as the said Rules), hereby directs that the Municipal Returning Officers concerned shall arrange strong rooms for storing of polled EVMs and counting of votes on 02.03.2022 at a central place of the respective Municipal areas to be fixed and notified by them in terms of Rule 61B of the said Rules," the Election Commission said. The elections to 108 municipalities in the state will be held on 27 February. (ANI)
First-ever, over 25 per cent women police officers are selected in a 69 member-panel listed for the United Nations Mission Services-2022-2024 or United Nations Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (UNSAAT) 2022-2024, said top government sources. Of these 69 members belonging to various paramilitary forces, Central Police Organisations (CPOs) and police officers of different states 19 are women, a Home Ministry Official told ANI on condition of anonymity. This new 69-member qualified team is now part of UNSAAT- 2022-2024 panel, and the members of the panel will be deputed in five Indian missions abroad that include Cyprus, South Sudan and Mali. The maximum deployment tenure of each one of the 69 members in Indian missions will be one year, said another officer of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Earlier, 264 members of various police forces were nominated for UNSAAT. The MHA on February 25 segregated the team to 150 following a request from the United Nations. The United Nations decided to reduce the number of UNSAAT-2022-2024 candidates to 150 considering the situation of COVID-19 and its potential impact on the upcoming Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT) visit. "Of the total 150 nominated candidates from MHA, only 127 were reported for the Assessment of Mission(AMS) conducted between January 31 and February 7. Two of the 127 members were disqualified-- one due to COVID and the other during documentation. Finally, only 125 appeared for AMS and 69 were selected for the United Nations Mission Services after completing various rounds of tests," said the MHA officer. All the 69 qualified police officers had to go through various tests that comprise vehicle handling, urban driving, computer skill, competency-based interview and weapon handling. These 69 police officers belong to Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal as well as Assam Rifles, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Railway Police Force (RPF), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). (ANI)
This comes after Thackeray extended support to KCR's call for unity among non-BJP CM's to fight the anti-federal policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government.

Chief Minister's Office Telangana, in an official statement, said, "Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on February 20 at the invitation of CM Thackeray. Maharashtra CM has expressed his full support for the fight being waged by CM KCR for federal justice."

Recently, Chandrashekar Rao had hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that it should be "expelled" from the country or else the country will be "ruined".

He called for political forces to come together to "oust" the BJP from power.

"The whole country is silent on the hijab issue, What will happen if this type of hatred in Karnataka is spread across the nation? Hate politics should be avoided. All the political forces in the country should unite and oust the BJP," he had said.

KCR had also said that he would play a major role in uniting political parties opposed to BJP. (ANI)
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal slammed Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for his purported appeal to the people to stop people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from coming to the state. Saying that the statement is "shameful", Kejriwal claimed that the Punjab Chief Minister calls him a "Kala (black)". "The comments are really shameful. We strongly condemn comments aimed at any individual or any particular community. He also calls me 'Kala' (black)," said Kejriwal while addressing a press conference in Mohali. Punjab Chief Ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann was also present at the press conference. Earlier, during a political rally, Channi had said, "'Don't let UP, Bihar ke bhaiya enter Punjab" Kejriwal announced that the sitting mayor from Amritsar, Karamjit Singh Rintu, had joined AAP and urged people in Amritsar to vote for them so that they could make efforts to make Amritsar a 'World Icon City'. "There have been a lot of demands that Amritsar should be made the 'World Icon City'. Mann and I have talked about this and Rintuji has also been working on this for a long time. We assure you that efforts will be made to ensure that Amritsar is made a 'World Icon City'," Kejriwal said. He assured the businessmen that the party will create a great atmosphere for them to work in Punjab, devoid of any troubles or intimidation from the police. "Earlier, 'hissa' (portion) was charged from the businessmen, but we will give them 'hissedaari (participation)'," he added. Kejriwal remarked that just like his party ended 'inspector-raj' and 'raid-raj' in Delhi, it will also eliminate 'parcha-raj' in Punjab. "There are a lot of fake parchas on businesmen too. Ransom is collected from them via jo-jo tax and many other things. They are threatened with raids if they do not pay money to officers. We will put an end to all this, old, fake 'parchas' against all will be cancelled," he added. Mann, the Chief Ministerial candidate in the state, said that once voted to power, the party will take action against an MLA or Minister if they call up people to demand something from them or to threaten them. Kejriwal said that during its tenure of five years, Congress ruined the atmosphere in the state and alleged that the party was in collusion with the accused in incidents of Bargari sacrilege and bomb blasts in Ludhiana and Maur. Regarding comments made by the opposition at him during their election campaigns, Kejriwal said, "Rahul Gandhi calls me a terrorist. Channi calls me 'Kala' (black) and says my clothes are bad. They will all get to know on February 20 whether I am truly a terrorist or 'kala' or my clothes are bad." Notably, Punjab will go to the Assembly polls on February 20 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday held a discussion with Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla over the issue of peace talks with the banned militant outfit Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC). "Following the required process to take forward the peace talks with HNLC, met the Home Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs to discuss the same. The Government of Meghalaya is committed to see this through," Sangma tweeted after the meeting. The move comes days after the HNLC offered to sit down for peace talks with the Central and the Meghalaya state governments without any pre-conditions. The outlawed militant made the announcement through a press release. On February 8, in a statement issued by HNLC general secretary-cum-publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said that the organization has decided to give peace a chance after receiving a lot of requests from elders and social organizations over the past few days. "After consultations with some elders recently, we have decided to come to a peaceful agreement with the GOM (Government of Meghalaya) and the GOI (Government of India)," the militant group had said, adding, "As of now we are ready to talk within the ambit of the Indian constitution and we are ready to have talks without any pre-conditions." HNLC did not, however, mention whether they would consider relinquishing arms and armed attacks. It said the peace process was derailed after last year's killing or the 'fake encounter' of the militant's former GS (L) Cherishterfield Thangkhiew. Nongtraw said that Thangkhiew's death brought sadness to the whole Hynniewtrep region, adding, "Che was also in favor of the peace talks and he was assigned the task to carry forward their message to the Government of India." The militant group had previously been resolute on its demand for any negotiations to include the subjects of the Standstill Agreement and Instrument of Accession and Annexation, which brought the erstwhile Khasi states into the Indian Union following independence in 1947. The HNLC further called on the government to appoint an official interlocutor to show its seriousness to the cause of peace. (ANI)
The announcemnt was made by Dev's father K.M. Nandakumar who said the families have met and discussed the wedding which will take place soon.

The two have known each other since student days and while working in the Students Federation of India (SFI).

Twenty-eight-year-old Dev won from the Balussery constituency in Kozhikode district by defeating Congress candidate and film star Dharmajan Bolghatty.

He is currently the All India joint secretary of the SFI.
Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday took a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over his "CM has all the power" remark and said that the latter's statement shows the sign of "dictatorial nature of the Congress". Vij also said that there is no omniscient in a democracy. Haryana Health minister took to his official Twitter account and tweeted, "Congress's declared CM candidate in Punjab, Charanjit Channi's statement, that the CM has all the power, is a sign of the dictatorial nature of the Congress. No one is omniscient in a democracy. People have their own MLAs and MLAs always have an impact on their Chief Minister." Vij's remarks came after Channi's statement which said, "CM has all the power, so this time in Punjab the fight is for the CM's face." Vij further said, "Democracy is built on the formula of check and balance and every step is influenced by each other, so a person with such thinking should not fray in the election and participate in this festival of democracy." While urging the people of Punjab Vij said, "Even if a person with such mentality, stood in the election, then the people of Punjab should show them the land and bring their ideology to the right place". Vij further said that the illegal activities of drug, sand mafia, land mafia have increased under the regime of Congress. While taking a dig at the Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the Haryana Minister said, "For five years Congress is ruling Punjab, instead of blaming others, Rahul should tell that he has stopped the activities of the drug in Punjab and what his party actually worked on." (ANI)
Family of a missing Merchant Navy cadet Dhananjay Arora has approached the Delhi High Court seeking an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and monitoring of the same by the court. A resident of Delhi, Dhananjay was on duty on a ship that was on the voyage from Angola to China and had gone missing on September 13, 2020. Justice V Kameswar Rao on Tuesday issued notice to CBI, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Directorate General of Shipping, and other respondents on the petition moved by the mother and Sister of Dhananjay. Standing Counsel Vikram Jaitley accepted notice on behalf of MEA and Director General of Shipping. The high court has listed the petition for the next hearing on April 22, 2022. Advocate Mir Adnan Zahoor, the counsel for the petitioner, argued that the cadet Dhananjay went missing from a ship registered overseas with Hong Kong-based company Fleet Ship Management. He was recruited to the overseas company through Elegant Marine Services Private Limited of Gurugram. Other than investigation from CBI, the family of the victim has sought direction from the court to the companies concerned to provide investigation reports regarding the missing cadet. The bench, therefore, also issued notices to both Fleet Ship Management Inc and Elegant Marine Services Private Limited. The family of Dhananjay has filed the petition through Advocate Ashish Deep Verma. The bench observed, "The issue raised by the counsel is with regard to the missing son and brother of petitioners who were employed on a ship as cadet which was being operated by Fleet Ship Management Inc. Hong Kong." The Counsel submitted that Dhananjay went missing from the ship on September 13, 2020, and his whereabouts are not known till date. In this regard, an application seeking direction for registration was filed in the lower Court but that was dismissed. The petition alleged that on September 13, 2020, Cadet Dhananjay went mysteriously missing around 11 PM from the ship namely New Horizon while on a voyage carrying crude oil from Angola to China. The Deputy General Manager of Elegant Marine Services Private Limited gave the first information via call at midnight of September 13, 2020, about the disappearance of Dhananjay to his father Virender Arora. Virender Arora wrote various emails to the company and its employees, but his effort proved futile. The petition stated that Dhananjay was harassed by an officer of the ship. He had shared a few photographs of the Chief Officer of the ship 'New Horizon' on WhatsApp with his sister on the same day of his disappearance and asked her to keep the photographs for future reference. The petition stated Virender Arora had approached various security agencies but was returned unattended. He filed a complaint at the Police Station in Vivek Vihar of Delhi on January 7, 2021, which was disposed of without any satisfactory investigation. (ANI)
Exuding confidence over BJP's victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the BJP government in the state means "control over rioters, 'mafiaraj' and 'Gunda raj', and protection of women". Addressing a public rally here, Prime Minister said, "A BJP government in Uttar Pradesh means constant control over rioters, mafiaraj, and gundaraj. BJP government in Uttar Pradesh means freedom to celebrate the festivals. BJP government in Uttar Pradesh means protection of sisters and daughters from eve-teasers. BJP government in Uttar Pradesh means Centre's schemes being implemented at double speed." Paying tribute to Sant Ravidas, Prime Minister said, "It is a matter of happiness for me that I am the MP of Kashi where Sant Ravidas ji was born. I am fortunate that God has made me a medium for the sacred work of beautification of his temple complex in Varanasi. I got a chance to decorate that campus." He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s government is running on the mantras of Sant Ravidas. "With the inspiration of Sant Ravidas ji, our government is running on the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas. Our schemes are focused on the welfare of the poor, downtrodden, exploited, backward and deprived. Those who ran the government in Uttar Pradesh before 2017 were jealous of Sant Ravidas ji," said Prime Minister. He said the double engine government is working with double power to empower the poor and make Uttar Pradesh an "Uttam Pradesh". "I come from a poor family. I did not hear the speeches of poverty, I have come from poverty. I reached here going through the life of the poor," he added. Seven-phase Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh commenced on February 10, and the polling for the first two phases took place on February 10 and 14 respectively. The third phase of UP polls will be held on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)
The training was conducted under the Civic Action program organized by the BSF in bordering villages in the Ferozepur sector of Punjab from February 8 to February 15.

"During the training, both theoretical, as well as practical knowledge, was imparted to the villagers about various aspects of horticulture, Greenhouse plantation, Organic fertilizers, floriculture and use of various agricultural tools, etc," reads the official statement.

After completion, of course, certificates were distributed to all trainees, said the BSF.

BSF apart from guarding 3,323 km of the India-Pakistan border is also committed to training locals residing in border areas to empower them for self-employment, said the BSF. (ANI)
On the birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh runs on the principles of the saint, whereas the previous governments led by the Opposition parties in the state "did not like" Sant Ravidas. Addressing a public rally here, Prime Minister said, "It is a matter of happiness for me that I am the MP of Kashi where Sant Ravidas ji was born. I am fortunate that God has made me a medium for the sacred work of beautification of his temple complex in Varanasi. I got a chance to decorate that campus." He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s government is running on the mantras of Sant Ravidas. "With the inspiration of Sant Ravidas ji, our government is running on the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas. Our schemes are focused on the welfare of the poor, downtrodden, exploited, backward, and deprived. Those who ran the government in Uttar Pradesh before 2017 did not like Sant Ravidas ji," said Prime Minister Modi. He said there was the rule of mining mafia and land mafia in Uttar Pradesh before 2017. Attacking the Opposition parties, Prime Minister said, "I come from a poor family. I did not hear the speeches of poverty, I have come from poverty. I reached here going through the life of the poor. When there is no rule of law, the poor suffer the most. The poor are not heard under mafiaraj. The government of 'Parivaarvadis' in Uttar Pradesh had maintained such an atmosphere." "For so many years, these 'Parivaarvadis' ignored the skills of local artisans and craftsmen and insisted on imports from abroad. Opposition leaders feel sad about speaking on 'vocal for local'. They feel credit will go to Modiji or Yogi ji if 'vocal for local' is spoken," added PM Modi. Sant Ravidas belonged to the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century and his hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day of the Magh month as per the Hindu calendar. Two phases of the seven-phased polls in Uttar Pradesh have concluded, while the state will have another five phases of polling. Polling for the remaining five phases will take place on February 20, 23, 27, March 3, and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)
Shiv Sena leader and Rajyasabha MP Sanjay Raut has moved a petition before the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him on December 12, 2021, for allegedly using abuses and expletives while giving an interview to a Marathi News channel. The matter was listed for hearing on 15 February 2022 before the bench of Justice Mukta Gupta. The High Court issued notice and listed the matter for 6 April 2022 for hearing. The petitioner was represented by Shreeyash U. Lalit and the State was represented by Nandita Rao. The FIR was registered on a complaint filed by Deepti Bharadwaj, the National General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha. The petition stated that on September 9, 2021, Raut participated in a TV9 Marathi live interview involving discussions on the performance of the current government. In this interview, the Petitioner was interviewed with regard to a photograph being circulated on Twitter where he had offered a chair to the President of NCP, Sharad Pawar. During the interview, the reporters mentioned that some of the workers from BJP had alleged that Sanjay Raut, by offering a chair to Sharad Pawar, had shown that his allegiance was slowly shifting from Late Balasaheb Thackeray to Sharad Pawar. Responding to these allegations, Raut stated in the interview that it is Maharashtra's culture to respect elders and that he would have offered a chair even if Late Vajpayee or even LK Advani had been there when the interviewer asked a few more questions on this subject, Raut responded with certain expletives and abuses. In this context, a complaint was filed by Bharadwaj alleging that Sanjay Raut had outraged the modesty of the female political workers. Consequently, an FIR was registered under Sections 500 and 509 of the IPC before PS Mandawli Fazal Pur, Delhi. In response, Sanjay Raut filed a petition under Section 482, CrPC seeking quashing of the FIR before the Delhi High Court. In this petition, Sanjay Raut pleaded that the uncontroverted facts in the FIR did not establish any offence under Sections 500 and 509 of the IPC. It was further averred that upon evaluating these utterances objectively, no reasonable person would ever conclude that these utterances had a pernicious effect on the reputation of any person, let alone any generic class of political workers, or had the effect or tendency to outrage the modesty of any particular female political worker or class of workers. It was further argued that the words used were not defamatory or targeted towards insulting any woman. Moreover, it was also stated that the uncontroverted facts in the FIR stood covered under Section 95 of the IPC, especially since the matter was so trivial that no ordinary person would complain of such harm. He further argued that the allegations made against him were frivolous and made with an ulterior motive. (ANI)
Senior Advocate Ravivarma Kumar, appearing for the petitioners challenging the ban on hijab, submitted before Karnataka High Court on Wednesday that discrimination against Muslim girls is purely based on religion. A bench of the three judges, comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khazi, was hearing various petitions challenging the ban on hijab in educational institutes in the state on Tuesday. Mentioning that Hindu girls wearing bangles and Christian girls wearing cross are not sent out, the senior advocate asked why the government was picking on hijab alone. Kumar submitted that no other religious symbol was considered in the impugned government order. "Why only hijab? Is it not because of their religion?" he questioned and further added that discrimination against Muslim girls is purely based on religion. Advocate Kumar said that the state education Act said that when an educational institution intends to change uniform, it has to issue notice one year in advance to parents. He argued that if there is a ban on hijab then it should have been informed one year in advance. He also said that there are no provisions under the Karnataka Education Act nor rules of a ban on wearing a hijab. The Court remarked that there are no provisions for carrying the Kirpan or anything which is objectionable to the classroom. The Court said that because these are not mentioned in the Act need not mean it might be permitted. The Court further said that it is also true that it does not say hijab should be permitted or not permitted but it has to be independently argued. Advocate Kumar said that there is no prohibition against Hijab and the question arises that under what authority or rules students have been kept out of the class. He further added that an MLA will be representing a political party or a political ideology and can students welfare be entrusted to a political party or a political ideology? Kumar added that the constitution of a committee of this nature gives a death blow to our democracy. Meanwhile appearing for another petitioner, senior Advocate Yusuf Muchhala argued that the purpose of the Education Act is not to create dissent among students. The Karnataka High Court will continue hearing on Thursday various petitions challenging the ban on headscarves in educational institutes. The Hijab protests in Karnataka began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab. Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district. The pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges. (ANI)
Attacking the ruling Congress ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday referring to the security lapse incident during PM Narendra Modi's visit to the state last month said that Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had blocked the PM's route instead of welcoming him, while Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party remained silent over it. Addressing a public rally here, Shah said, "Prime Minister Modi had chosen Ferozepore for election campaigning and his rally was scheduled here. But Congress was scared of his rally, so they hired people in an attempt to stop his rally. You can neither stop us like this nor will people of Punjab like your tactics." "When a guest like Narendra Modi comes to Punjab, should he not be welcomed? Instead of welcoming, Punjab Chief Minister blocked his route. Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party remained silent. I would like to tell all three of them - how will those who cannot secure the route of Prime Minister, secure Punjab and secure the nation?" stated the Union Home Minister. Exuding confidence in the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) victory in the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls, Shah said BJP's lotus will bloom in every household in the state in the next five years. "Under PM Modi's leadership, BJP is contesting independently along with its two allies. For years, we contested only on 22 seats. I have come to tell Hindu and Sikh brothers and sisters that it is the beginning. In the next five years, we will bring BJP's Lotus in every household," he added. On January 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was stuck atop a flyover for 15-20 minutes while on his way to Ferozepur in Punjab due to the road being blocked by some protesters. The Ministry of Home Affairs had termed it as a "major lapse" in his security. The polling in Punjab will take place in a single phase on February 20. The votes will be counted on March 10. (ANI)
Campus News

Engaging in hard conversations at Beyond the Knife lecture

Historian and author Deirdre Cooper Owens delivers the keynote lecture to the 200 people who attended the talk in person in the M&T Lecture Hall in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Another 400 attended virtually. Photo: Sandra Kicman

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM

We can create the kind of nation that is not the most dangerous place in the high-income earning world for Black women to give birth, but in fact could be a haven for Black women and birthing people and their children. 

Hard conversations. Thats what Steven Schwaitzberg said was the purpose of the second annual Beyond the Knife lecture last Thursday evening.

What we are doing today is engaging in the hard conversations, said Schwaitzberg, professor and chair of the Department of Surgery in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, confronting realities rather than quietly passing by the facades that others would like us to believe. One of those facades is that health care is delivered equitably to all.

Schwaitzberg launched the Beyond the Knife series in 2020 with colleagues as part of his departments Anti-Racism and Health Equity Initiative.

I am committed to having our school be a leader in directly addressing structural racism in medicine and how we teach, direct research and care for patients, Allison Brashear, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, said in welcoming remarks. The discussions were having tonight are critical to achieving the goals of abolishing structural racism.

The keynote lecture, What History Reveals in Our Understanding of U.S. Medicine, was delivered by medical historian Deirdre Cooper Owens, the Charles & Linda Wilson Professor in the History of Medicine, director of the Humanities in Medicine Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and author of Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology.

More than 600 students, faculty and community members attended, including about 200 people in person in the M&T Lecture Hall in the Jacobs School.

Cooper Owens has spent her career putting enslaved people at the center of their histories. She discussed the evolution of American gynecological and surgical methods in the South, which, she said, is contrary to the popular belief that most technological advances occurred in the North. These advances, she said, were happening in the South largely because of their access to enslaved bodies, almost 4 million of them.

She proceeded to describe what enslaved women experienced literally at the hands of some of the men considered the pioneers of American medicine.

In the 19th century, J. Marion Sims, called the father of American gynecology, invited local townspeople to watch while he conducted surgeries on naked women with no painkillers because of the widely held belief that Black people didnt feel pain.

Ephraim McDowell, considered the father of the ovariotomy, conducted surgeries on enslaved women to remove ovarian tumors, the first example of abdominal surgery where the patient lived. When he published in 1817 about his surgeries on these women, he was widely derided, Cooper Owens said, with one British critic writing in the Lancet: Well, of course these patients would have survived. Negresses bear pain and cutting with the impunity of dogs and rabbits. Cooper Owens pointed out the critic was making the comparison with animals known for their ability to reproduce quickly.

Francois Marie Prevost, a French physician, developed the Caesarean section first on women in Haiti and then on enslaved women in Louisiana. Cooper Owens noted that while history isnt always linear, historical practices are. Louisiana had used Black womens bodies for C-sections, more so than any other state in the union. They were number one in the disproportionate use of Black women and birthing peoples bodies for C-sections. She said that only in the past five years or so was Louisiana knocked down from being number one to now being just behind Mississippi in the disproportionate use of C-sections on Black women.

Mississippi, she noted, has the highest Black population in the U.S. to this day.

In tracing those developments in surgery and gynecology, Cooper Owens linked what many in the audience saw as the horrors of a bygone era to the horrors of today.

She shared a contemporary poster showing the face of a Black woman and the stark headline: Black women are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.

Cooper Owens shared statistics from Erie County that show that between 2016 and 2018, 11.3 % of Black infants born in Erie County die vs. 4.7% of white infants. A Black child in Erie County is more than twice as likely to die in the first year of life than a white child.

It is important to point out, she said, that even for Black women with higher socioeconomic status, neither their status nor income level protects them from the inequities of the health care system.

Its not race thats creating this, its anti-Black racism, she said. When patients have providers that look like them, the mortality rates are cut by 50%.

She said she was encouraged by the UB Department of Surgerys efforts to create pipeline systems that deal with structure and that will help attract more people of color to health care and medicine. In addition to programs that target students in medical school and in high school, the department is building a program where it adopts an elementary school and works with children to begin inspiring them toward STEM careers. Such efforts, she said, are key to building a health care provider workforce that looks more like the patients being treated, in turn, making health care work for everyone who needs care.

We can create the kind of nation that is not the most dangerous place in the high-income earning world for Black women to give birth, said Cooper Owens, but in fact could be a haven for Black women and birthing people and their children.

Her talk was followed by a Q&A with panelists including:

Mayowa Adebiyi, a member of the Jacobs School Class of 2024.

Beth Harvey, UB surgery resident.

Henry-Louis Taylor Jr., UB professor of urban and regional planning in the School of Architecture and Planning and director of the Center for Urban Studies.

Thomas J. Ward Jr., assistant dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Farmingdale State College.

Rita Hubbard-Robinson, CEO of NeuWater & Associates LLC and a member of UBs Community Health Equity Research Institute.

India Walton, former nurse, community activist and organizer, and Buffalo mayoral candidate.

Vanessa M. Barnabei, UB professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and associate dean for faculty affairs in the Jacobs School

Michael Lamb, research assistant professor of surgery at UB, was the moderator.

Support for the Beyond the Knife series is provided by UBMD Surgery and the Department of Surgery, and as of this month, the multinational corporation Stryker, a global medical technology company.

Stryker is proud to be joining current sponsors UBMD Surgery and the Department of Surgery in supporting the bold Beyond the Knife series, said Anthony Arena, Strykers director of medical education and professional affairs. Strykers strong commitment to innovation and diversity-by-design aligns closely with the principles on which this pioneering series is based. We look forward to a productive partnership with UBs forward-looking surgeons, students and trainees.
"As an industrialist and philanthropist, he has made exceptional contribution towards furthering cancer care in Assam," aid the Assam Chief Minister.

The "Assam Baibhav" Award" carries a citation, a medal, and a cash amount of Rs 5 lakh.

Earlier, the Assam government gave the state's three highest civilian awards to 18 distinguished personalities in different fields. But, Ratan Tata couldn't attend the official award ceremony, which was held in Srimanta Sankaradev Kalakshetra, Guwahati on 24 January.

The award ceremony was facilitated by Governor Jagdish Mukhi.

Earlier Ratan tata was also awarded Padma Vibhushan in the year 2008 and Padma Bhushan in the year 2000. (ANI)
Senior counsel for Khalid Saifi, accused in the Northeast Delhi violence case argued on his bail plea before the Delhi court saying "why is prosecution trying to communalize narrative". Additional Session Judge Amitabh Rawat on Wednesday reserved the order on the bail plea of Khalid Saifi after Senior Senior counsel John submitted her rebuttals to the arguments of Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad. Meanwhile, the Court will hear the defense argument on the bail plea of Umar Khalid on Friday. Both of them are accused in a larger conspiracy case related to northeast 2020 Delhi violence. Rebecca John submitted that the prosecution is relying on some WhatsApp chats that took place in the Delhi Protest Support Group (DPSG). During the arguments, John shared a message sent by Khalid Saifi in the group which reads that "The CM must be held accountable for open, clear, the inaction of police during the violence. Protest must be held outside his residence." She argued that how this incriminates me (Khalid Saifi) is beyond my reasoning or imagination. John refers to the submission made by the prosecution that protest was communal and not organic. She asked "So what? Every protest is organized. Even if it was not organic, it doesn't help their case. The protest was communal? The protest was not communal except that the persons who were against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) belonged to a particular community." She objected to the attempt made by the prosecution to "take messages in isolation by saying that there are messages about Delhi Police and Paramilitary force attacking peaceful protestors. Why is the prosecution attempting to communalize the narrative? Don't lay the narrative on one community. Don't brush aside the actions of Delhi Police, that too are apparent from reading this WhatsApp group." John referred to a message which reads that Delhi Police are breaking public cameras to avoid accountability. "But no investigation was made into this", she added. "Don't put meaning to messages. We can read messages and take the literal meaning. But we can't say 'ab ye chup the, ab ye bolne lage' (they were silent when this thing was discussed and started speaking when other thing is being discussed). We have to take the message for what they are. The prosecution is basing arguments on conjectures," counsel argued. Senior Counsel further argued that when provisions like sections 14 and 17 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) says that prosecution has to categorize roles that necessitate invocation of UAPA. "Every violence and every riot does not attract Sections of UAPA," she argued. "What has to be shown is that how my action was intended to bring disruption in the territory of India," she added. She further submitted that None of the ingredients under section 15 (terrorist act) and section 17 (terror funding) of UAPA are met. Even Section 18 ( conspiracy to commit Terrorist Act) of UAPA is not satisfied. She argued that the prosecution is trying to build the entire case only on the basis of certain WhatsApp messages by giving their own meaning to messages. Around 53 people lost their lives in the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi after clashes between two opposing factions over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). (ANI)
Oslo [Norway], February 15 (ANI/Sputnik): Norway will contribute to the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence in Lithuania by sending up to 60 troops for three months amid the tense situation in Ukraine, Norwegian Defense Minister Odd Roger Enoksen said on Tuesday. "We want to contribute to a strengthened Allied presence and security in the Baltics to show solidarity with our allies. For our part, this is best done by strengthening the force contribution we already have in Lithuania," Enoksen said in a statement. According to the statement, the Norwegian personnel will redeploy to Lithuania quickly and for a period of three months, but the period can be extended. "Norway is strengthening its force contribution in the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Lithuania with up to 60 soldiers with a core of one mechanized infantry unit," Enoksen added. The security situation in Europe is challenging, Enoksen noted, adding that the alleged Russian build-up on the border with Ukraine and the demands of the United States and Europe also affect Norway, so the country is keeping a close eye on the situation. Tensions around Ukraine have escalated in recent months as Kiev and the West have accused Russia of intending to attack its neighbor, citing a troop buildup at the common border, claims that Moscow has repeatedly dismissed, pointing to NATO's military activities in Eastern Europe as a threat to Russia's security. (ANI/Sputnik)
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday (local time) said that Washington is ready to respond decisively to the Russian attack on Ukraine. "We are ready to respond decisively to the Russian attack on Ukraine which is still very much a possibility," Biden said in remarks at the White House. President Biden acknowledged reports on Tuesday that Russia has ordered the partial withdrawal of its troops near Ukraine's borders, but stressed that the US has "not yet verified" the Kremlin's claims and that an invasion remains "distinctly possible." "We have not yet verified the Russian military units are returning to their home bases -- indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position, and the fact remains right now Russia has more than 150,000 troops circling Ukraine and Belarus, and along Ukraine's border and invasion remains distinctly possible." "We are not seeking direct confrontation with Russia though I have been clear if Russia targets Americans in Ukraine, we will respond forcefully," the US President asserted. In remarks televised nationally, Biden emphasized that the path to diplomacy and de-escalation remains open but said if Russia invades Ukraine in the coming days or weeks "it will be met with overwhelming international condemnation." "Accountability matters. If Russia does invade in the days and weeks ahead, the human cost for Ukraine will be immense. And the strategic cost for Russia will also be immense. If Russia attacks Ukraine, it will be met with overwhelming international condemnation. The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction," the US President said in White House remarks. Biden's speech came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow's security concerns should be addressed and taken seriously. Biden told reporters if Russia invaded Ukraine there would be crippling sanctions that could impact the American economy, that could suffer from disruption to energy supply and price hikes in the likely event that sanctions were levied on Russia in response to any invasion of Ukraine. "If Russia decides to invade that will also have consequences here at home, Biden said in remarks at the White House. "The American people understand that defending democracy and liberty is never without cost." He said the US was prepared to respond to other attempts at inflicting pain on Americans, including in cyberspace. "We are not seeking direct confrontation with Russia, though I have been clear that if Russia targets Americans in Ukraine, we will respond forcefully. If Russia attacks the United States or allies through asymmetric means, like disruptive cyberattacks against our companies or critical infrastructure, we're prepared to respond," Biden said. Amid the ongoing tensions that started in November at the Ukraine-Russia border, President Biden made it clear that the United States is not seeking to add to the volatility. "Let me be equally clear about what we are not doing: The United States and NATO are not a threat to Russia," said Biden, speaking from the White House. "Ukraine is not threatening Russia. Neither the US nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not, do not have plans to put them there as well. We're not targeting the people of Russia. We do not seek to destabilize Russia. To the citizens of Russia: you are not our enemy. I do not believe you want a bloody, destructive war against Ukraine," he said. Noting that Russia and the United States teamed up in World War II -- which he called "a war of necessity" -- Biden drew a distinction between the current state of affairs. "If Russia attacks Ukraine, it will be a war of choice, or a war without cause or reason. I say these things not to provoke, but to speak the truth, because the truth matters. Accountability matters," Biden said. "If Russia does invade in the days and weeks ahead, the human cost for Ukraine will be immense," he added. Diplomatic efforts continued Tuesday between US and Russia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a call with Lavrov, according to a State Department. Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday about the evolving crisis. (ANI)
UK on Tuesday (local time) said that it will co-host an upcoming United Nations virtual pledging summit to help address the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The international aid conference will be organized next month to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, reported Tolo News. In a press release, the UK government said the virtual pledging conference is aimed to help the UN raise USD 4.4 billion for Afghanistan, the largest amount it has ever requested for a single country. The UN has repeatedly warned of the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and has called on the international community to support the people of Afghanistan in this difficult time, reported Tolo News. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said, "We are very grateful to the UK for co-hosting this important event to mobilize international support for the humanitarian needs of Afghanistan. We welcome donors from around the globe to join together to save the lives and futures of Afghans." Last month, the UN launched an appeal to raise USD 4.4 billion in aid to help over 24.4 million Afghans needing urgent humanitarian support to survive, reported Tolo News. Donor countries, UN agencies and members of the Afghan civil society are expected to participate in the virtual event, the UK government said. "The conference is a critical moment for the international community to step up support in an effort to stop the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The scale of need is unparalleled, and consequences of inaction will be devastating," UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. Last year, the UK committed Pound 286 million to support Afghans, reported Tolo News. Following the collapse of the former government, Afghanistan's central bank's assets were frozen abroad, and the international development assistance was cut off. Since then, Afghanistan has faced a dire economic and humanitarian situation. Meanwhile, on Friday, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling for half of the USD 7 billion of the Afghan frozen funds to be used for compensation for victims of 9/11. (ANI)
Diplomats in the embassy refuted the media reports about the meeting, reported The Khaama Press.

Earlier, it was claimed that Lieutenant-General Nadeem Anjum, chief of ISI has met with a number of Afghan Jihadi leaders and has discussed the establishment of an "inclusive government" in Afghanistan.

This comes as officials of the Taliban have urged Afghan politicians in exile to "return to the country and live peacefully". (ANI)
Pakistan appeals court on Tuesday acquitted Qandeel Baloch's brother, Waseem Baloch, who confessed to killing social media star. Waseem was freed after three years. He was convicted of killing Qandeel for "bringing dishonour" to the family, reported CNN. Qandeel 's murder in 2016 sparked a national outcry and promoted changes in the country's so-called 'honour killing' laws. Waseem Baloch was arrested within days of the murder and confessed on video to killing his 25-year-old sister at her family home in the city of Multan in Pakistan's Punjab province. Despite his admission, he pleaded not guilty in court and in 2019 was sentenced to life imprisonment, reported CNN. In a confession video, Waseem Baloch said he was "proud" of killing his sister, adding that having his friends share her pictures and video clips was "too much" for him. "I drugged her first, then I killed her," he said. "Girls are born to stay home and follow traditions. My sister never did that." At the time of Qandeel Baloch's murder, Pakistan law allowed a murder victim's family to pardon a convicted killer. Rights activists feared this law would be used to spare Waseem Baloch. Three months after Qandeel Baloch's death, Pakistan lawmakers responded to the public outcry and passed legislation against the controversial practice -- a landmark ruling welcomed by rights activists and lawyers. But Waseem Baloch's acquittal Monday has outraged women's rights activists in Pakistan, reported CNN. "This man who confessed of killing Qandeel, his own sister, is a free man today in the same country where Qandeel couldn't live her life freely," wrote lawyer and activist Nighat Dad on Twitter Monday. "This is the sorry state of not so sorry State...we are sorry Qandeel. Shocked and speechless," she said. Sanam Maher, the author of "A Woman Like Her: The Short Life of Qandeel Baloch," also expressed her anger on Instagram. "In a society that takes great pleasure in the punishment of women who break the rules, it should come as no surprise that each suspect in this case has been acquitted," Maher said. "After today's verdict, we may ask, who killed her? Nobody, it seems. In accepting that answer, we are all complicit in the crime of failing to protect women." (ANI)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the prime minister, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and discussed ways to build a more stable Middle East region. This is the first official visit by an Israeli premier to Bahrain. "I think we discussed many ways to build new bridges and architecture for a stronger and more stable region. I expect to continue the excellent relationship between us," Bennett told the king. "I see a very big opportunity here," he said. "This is the first official visit by an Israeli prime minister to Bahrain. I come from Israel with a spirit of goodwill, cooperation, of standing together in the face of common challenges, and I think our goal in this visit is to turn this peace from a peace between governments to a peace between people, and convert it from something ceremonial to something meaningful." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also appreciated the visit and tweeted, "This week's visit by @IsraeliPM to Bahrain was another important step towards a better tomorrow for the Middle East. We welcome the momentous visit and look forward to building new partnerships together." Arriving at the crown prince's office in Manama, he was welcomed by a military band playing "Hatikvah," Israel's national anthem. Bahraini monarch said, "Because of [Bennett's] determination and leadership, this was a productive and successful visit,". According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, Bennett's conversation with the King extended beyond the allotted time, leaving no time for their teams to meet. "All responsible nations must make an effort to achieve peace," the crown prince said, according to a statement from Bennett's office. Upon arrival, at the airport, Bennett was met by a guard of honour, Bahrain's foreign and industry ministers, the Israeli ambassador to Bahrain and other high-ranking officials. Notably, Bahrain normalized ties with Israel in late 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements between Israel and Arab states backed by Washington. (ANI)
Washington [USA], February 16 (ANI/Sputnik): The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday held wide-ranging discussions with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama of mutual interests, including concerns over the Ukraine situation, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. Earlier in the day, President Joe Biden at a presser said it would be "good" if reports are true that Russia pulled some troops from the Ukraine border. He said the US is ready to engage in diplomacy with Russia but also claimed that an invasion is still possible. "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Washington, DC," Price said in a press release on Tuesday. "The Secretary noted our strong cooperation at NATO and on the UN Security Council, and thanked Prime Minister Rama for Albania's clear support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russian aggression," added Price. Blinken also reaffirmed the United States' support for Albania's EU accession and regional economic integration, but he underscored a need for reform efforts to combat corruption in the country, Price said. Over the past few months, the United States and its European partners have grown worried about Russia's military activity near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion." Moscow has denied the accusation, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said it has the right to move troops within its national territory. (ANI/Sputnik)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday slammed the Russian Government over the trial of Alexei Navalny that could see his jail time extended by up to 15 years. Navalny, one of Russia's most prominent opposition leaders, on Tuesday, went on trial in his maximum-security prison outside Moscow and faced a new slew of charges that could result in his jail time being extended. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rebuked the Russian government operatives for poisoning Navalny and urged the authorities to release Navalny and stop the harassment of his supporters. Taking to Twitter, he said, "I'm troubled by dubious new charges against Aleksey @Navalny. Mr. Navalny was already issued a politically motivated sentence last year when he returned to Russia after recovering abroad because Russian government operatives poisoned him with a nerve agent." "@Navalny and his associates are targeted for their work to shine a light on official corruption. This time, he goes to trial in a penal colony, out of public view. Russian authorities should release Aleksey Navalny and end their harassment and prosecution of his supporters.", he added. Notably, Navalny, in August 2020 had been poisoned in a nerve agent attack and was sent to Germany for medical treatment. He was detained by Russian authorities upon his return to the country. In February 2021, Navalny was ordered to serve two years and eight months in prison for breaching his parole terms while he was hospitalized in Germany for nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. The US government assessed that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) officers used the nerve agent Novichok to poison Navalny, causing him to fall gravely ill while he was travelling back to Moscow after campaigning in Tomsk and Novosibirsk. Following the assessment, the US imposed additional sanctions on Russia under the US Chemical and Biological Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) including restrictions on the permanent imports of certain Russian firearms. (ANI)
Buffalo, WY (82834)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to occasional showers during the afternoon. High 56F. SE winds shifting to N at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 42F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Higher wind gusts possible.
Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) and the Customs in a joint operation seized 625 kilograms of drug consignment during a raid in the Northern Arabian Sea which is estimated at PKR 6.25 billion in the international market. This was a raid over a foreign boat in the Northern Arabian Sea where 625 kilograms of narcotics was seized, said an official of the PMSA. "In the open sea raid seven smugglers were also arrested," deputy director-general maritime security Shahid Jalil has said, reported ARY News. "Arrested persons included five foreign nationals and two people having dual nationality," a PMSA official said. "The seized drugs value has been estimated at PKR 6.25 billion in the international market," the official said. Seized drugs and arrested smugglers have been handed over to customs, PMSA official said. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan's Sindh Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control Department confiscated drugs worth USD 1.4 billion from a vacant plot situated in Karachi's Surjani Town. The anti-narcotics department launched an operation in Surjani Town's Sector 70-D, recovered drugs and apprehended one person from the crime scene. Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Sindh Minister for Excise & Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, said the heroin was concealed in plastic bags during a news briefing. According to him, a case has been filed against the accused, and additional investigation is underway. Pakistan is one of the highest drug-consuming nations in Southwest Asia. Drug abuse is taking a heavy toll on the youth in Pakistan, especially students, and fuelling a life of addiction and crime. The country's Anti-Narcotics force has said that children as young as 9-12 have already started consuming tobacco and some as young as 13 and 14 are said to be turning to drugs. (ANI)
Answering the question whether the Russian side plans to temporarily move the embassy to Kharkov or Odessa amid the transfer of Western embassies from the capital of Ukraine, the source said: "No, our foreign missions continue to work."

"There are no such plans," he said. (ANI/Sputnik)
According to the G1 news outlet, the casualties occurred in the town of Petropolis north of Rio de Janeiro, reported Sputnik.

The death toll is reportedly feared to grow further.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently on an official visit to Moscow, said on Twitter that he tasked his ministers with assisting the victims of floods in Petropolis, reported the news agency. (ANI)
The commander said as he visited National Defence College (NDC) in New Delhi on Tuesday, as part of his visit to India and interacted with NDC Commandant Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Mago.

Taking to Twitter, the Ministry of Defence said, "Commander, Royal Saudi Land Forces, Lt Gen Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair visited National Defence College, New Delhi on February 15, 2022, as part of his visit to India. He interacted with NDC Commandant Lt Gen MK Mago and the faculty members."

"The Saudi Commander lauded NDC for preparing the officers to be strategic leaders entrusted with the task of national security and policy formulation," the Minister of Defence added.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the commander called on Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane where both sides discussed ways to further enhance the bilateral defence cooperation.

Taking to Twitter, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information of Indian Army, said, "Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair, Commander, Royal Saudi Land Forces, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia called on General MM Naravane #COAS & discussed ways to further enhance the bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries."

The commander received the Gaurd of Honour at the majestic South Block Lawns in New Delhi. "Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair, Commander, Royal Saudi Land Forces, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia received a Guard of Honour at the South Block, New Delhi," said ADG PI.

Furthermore, earlier, on February 9, Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane held a telephonic interaction with Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair and discussed aspects of bilateral defence cooperation. (ANI)
Recent attacks in which many killed Pakistani soldiers were killed suggest that there is a surge of terror activity in the country since the Taliban took over Kabul, last year. An Islamabad-based think tank, the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, recently published a report endorsing the fear that Pakistan has been slowly sliding into chaos and instability for the last couple of years, reported Diplomat, an international magazine. In January alone, several terrorist incidents rocked Pakistan as major cities including Islamabad and Lahore were targeted. On January 25, in an attack in Kech, Balochistan over 10 Pakistani military personnel were killed. Just over a week later, on February 2, the Noshki and Panjgur districts of the same province saw the killing of seven military personnel, including an officer. Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group in Balochistan, claimed the responsibility for the attack. They claimed to have killed "more than 100 enemy personnel" in Noshki and Panjgur. In another terrorist attack, unidentified motorcyclists shot a Christian priest and injured his companion in Peshawar. Police suspect the Islamic State (IS) to be behind the attack. These attacks were mostly carried out by banned outfits including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), reported the magazine. Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad during his appearance on a TV talk show said, "I think that TTP, Daesh [the local name for IS] and other separatist groups are carrying out these activities in collaboration." A U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team report says that between 3,000 and 5,000 fighters of the TTP are still active in Afghanistan. Moreover, Pakistan's recently released National Security Policy has failed in its mandate to tackle non-traditional security threats. It fails to address the core issue of how Islamabad will eradicate extremism and radicalization, reported the magazine. Islamabad-based security expert Muhammad Wali says that the Afghan economy is on the verge of collapse, and the country is still believed to be a haven for different terrorist outfits. He said that all these developments in Afghanistan should be a reason of concern for Pakistan as well. (ANI)
A convoy with military equipment of the Russian Southern Military District units crossed the Crimean bridge on the way to the places of permanent deployment following the planned drills in Crimea, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. "The units of the Southern Military District, which have completed participation in tactical exercises at the test sites of the Crimean Peninsula, are heading to the points of permanent disposition by rail. The personnel of the unit conducted the loading of caterpillar-tracked armored vehicles -- tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and self-propelled artillery weapons on railway platforms at entraining stations," the ministry said in a statement, reported Sputnik. Furthermore, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that some of the troops gathered around Ukraine are being sent back to their bases. However, other drills, including in Belarus and off Ukraine's Black Sea coast, were continuing. On this US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that Washington is ready to respond decisively to the Russian attack on Ukraine. "We are ready to respond decisively to the Russian attack on Ukraine which is still very much a possibility," Biden said in remarks at the White House. President Biden acknowledged reports on Tuesday that Russia has ordered the partial withdrawal of its troops near Ukraine's borders, but stressed that the US has "not yet verified" the Kremlin's claims and that an invasion remains "distinctly possible". "We have not yet verified that the Russian military units are returning to their home bases -- indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position, and the fact remains right now Russia has more than 150,000 troops circling Ukraine and Belarus, and along Ukraine's border and invasion remains distinctly possible." "We are not seeking direct confrontation with Russia though I have been clear if Russia targets Americans in Ukraine, we will respond forcefully," the US President asserted. Notably, over the past few months, the United States and its European partners have grown worried about Russia's military activity near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion." Moscow has denied the accusation, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said it has the right to move troops within its national territory. (ANI)
Petroleum transporters have announced that they will hold an indefinite protest from Wednesday onwards if the government does not increase fares of fuel transportation that have remained unchanged since 2011 and warned to cut fuel supplies across the country. Israr Ahmed Shinwari, spokesman of All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association (APOTOA) said if their demands are not met within a week of protest, then they will give a call for a wheel-jam strike. "Our 40,000 members are part of the protest," he added, reported the Express Tribune. Notably, there are around 40,000 oil tankers engaged in transporting oil from Karachi to the upcountry areas. If the wheel-jam strike takes place, it will trigger an oil crisis in the country as oil trucks and tankers are a big source of fuel transportation from seaports to the rest of the country, reported the newspaper. Shinwari said that the sit-in protest will continue outside the headquarters of a state-owned oil marketing company. "We have given call for an indefinite peaceful protest", he said. "We will call off the protest only after the government accepts our demands and increase fares of fuel transportation that have remained unchanged since 2011," reported the newspaper. Furthermore, the APOTOA spokesperson said that the "Police officials have approached us to call off the protest so that they (police) could connect us with the officials concerned," adding "However, we have refused to withdraw the protest call." (ANI)
Anisa K. Mbega, High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania, Isse Abdillahi Assoweh, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti, Sinisa Pavic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia and Slobodan Uzunov, Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia presented their credentials to the President, according to a press release by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Following the presentation of credentials, the President interacted with the four envoys separately. He congratulated them on their appointments and highlighted the warm and friendly relations that India shared with the countries and the multifaceted relationship that India enjoyed with each of them.

The President also wished them success in strengthening bilateral ties and for their well-being and progress and prosperity of the friendly people.

Through the High Commissioner and the Ambassadors, the President also conveyed his personal regards to their leaderships. Envoys present at the event reiterated their commitment to work closely to strengthen their ties with India, said the press release. (ANI)
Puneet Singh Chandhok, President of the Indian World Forum on Wednesday, wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, seeking "immediate intervention" for the safety of minorities living in Pakistan as they are repeatedly facing atrocities and are victims of heinous crimes in the country. In a letter, Chandhok said, "I am writing to you today for seeking your immediate intervention for the safety of minorities living in Pakistan. They are repeatedly facing atrocities and are victims of heinous crimes there. Minorities, in particular, belonging to Hindu and Sikh religions which have close bonds with India are being persecuted." Chandhok in the letter highlighted the persecution of Sikhs and Hindus living in Pakistan. "Yesterday, alarming reports were received from Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wherein a Papinder Singh, a local Sikh hakim, was shot and brutally injured along with another Sikh passerby who also sustained a bullet injury in a bid to resist an armed robbery by militants belonging to IS-KP an affiliate of Islamic State," said Chandhok, adding "these militias are operating in collusion with the Government of Pakistan." In 2010, Jaspal Singh, a native of Peshawar, was abducted and beheaded. In 2016, Swaran Singh, Member of Provincial Assembly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former President of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandak Committee was shot dead and in 2018 Charanjit Singh Sagar, a local Sikh leader of Peshawar, was also shot dead. Again last year Satnam Singh, a prominent Sikh hakim in Peshawar, was shot dead, read the letter. "These atrocities ranging from abduction, extortion, state-sponsored killings of minorities to forceful conversion into Islam of young Hindu and Sikh girls is a matter of great concern. The decrease in demographics of minorities there portrays a lack of compliance of Pakistan to the UN Charter," said the President of the Indian World Forum in the letter. He said that irrespective of several appeals and complaints by their parents and guardians to local authorities, the Pakistan government has failed to take any preventive measure or responsive action and on contrary, the administration of Pakistan is instrumental in protecting and shielding all those accused involved in heinous crimes against minorities living there. At instances the government there has been successful in misleading the International community but however due to the emergence of strong social media the facts and ground reality can't be ignored or hidden, the President of the Indian World Forum said. The letter further stated that many, including international organizations, have appealed and demanded the Pakistan government hand over the Hindu temples and Gurdwaras and estate to the exclusive control and administration of minorities living there but on the contrary, the administration there has failed to act and protect the sanctity of the same. This comes after an alarming incident that took place at Sri Nankana Sahib in 2020. "In 2020 an alarming incident took place at Sri Nankana Sahib which has shaken the entire globe. A state-sponsored mob pelted stones and attacked the Gurdwara Janam Asthan, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, and widely threatened the religious minorities of Hindu and Sikhs living in the area with dire consequences and propagated wiping out of minorities all across from Pakistan. This act is an open abuse of charter of United Nations," the letter said. President of the Indian World Forum in the letter further stated that the Pakistan government through its various agencies, including its Inter-State Intelligence (ISI), and other organisations repeatedly have purported and funding activities, including militant insurgency and unlawful activities, to sabotage peace and communal harmony in our country, including purporting Kashmir and Khalistan movement. "It is an open fact that Kashmiri, Khalistani Terrorists and underworld syndicates, including Dawood Ibrahim, have been provided safe heaven there and operate from the Islamic nation. This is a matter of great concern for the International community considering the heinous activities taking place there," said the letter. Moreover, the President of the Indian World Forum requested the United Nations to immediately investigate the ongoing atrocities on minorities living in Pakistan. "United Nations is fully empowered to act upon these and considering the same, I request your good self to immediately investigate the ongoing atrocities on minorities living in Pakistan and may also to direct Government of Pakistan to ensure safety and well-being of Hindu and Sikhs and other faiths living there, including protection of their rights," said Chandhok. Pakistan government must facilitate foolproof sanctity of historical shrines and estates located there and you may take any appropriate action as deemed fit, including enforcing an international ban on Kashmiri and Khalistani terrorists and others, Chandhok added. (ANI)
The JUI-F leader Maulana Obaid-ur-Rehman led the protesters, who staged a sit-in at the GPO Chowk, carrying placards and banners, Dawn newspaper reported.

Addressing the protesters, the JUI-F leader accused the district administration and the election commission of rigging the polls, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

Obaid-ur-Rehman said they were given Form-17 of 173 polling stations, but results of more polling stations were given on plain paper. He demanded that the election commission hold the elections afresh, Dawn newspaper reported.

Meanwhile, the candidates contesting the Takht-i-Nusrati tehsil mayor seat along with their supporters blocked the Indus Highway in Karak against alleged rigging in the re-polling, Dawn newspaper reported.

It further reported that the protesters led by former provincial minister Malik Qasim Khan Khattak marched to the Indus Highway, and blocked it at the Amberi Kallay Chowk.

The protesters alleged Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had directly interfered in the election process and forced the district administration to ensure that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidates won the three tehsil mayors' slots in Karak district, the Pakistani newspaper reported. (ANI)
The fighter jet crashed into a lake east of Ohn Taw village, Sagaing region at about 10:43 a.m. local time (0413 GMT) on Wednesday, Xinhua reported citing a military spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the crash was attributed to a technical malfunction.

The single-seat fighter jet crashed after losing contact with the Tada-U airbase of the Myanmar Air Force, he added. (ANI)
Minsk [Belarus], February 16 (ANI/Sputnik): Minsk is ready for a dialogue with Kiev on sensitive issues, including security, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said on Wednesday. "We have always said that we are open for dialogue, we are ready to talk on all issues, especially on sensitive ones, which are now attracting the attention of the whole world, I mean the tense situation related to security issues, a situation that some are trying to present as an attempt at aggression from the territory of Belarus. We have always stood for dialogue," Makei told a briefing. (ANI/Sputnik)
US Consulate General in Kolkata Melinda Pavek visited Jharkhand on Monday where she called on Chief Minister Hemant Soren and discussed opportunities for India-US collaboration in the state. During her visit, she also met Governor Ramesh Bais. "This is my first opportunity to come to Jharkhand in order to get to know the people, place, economics, politics, and also learn about the people of the state. I wanted to meet the Governor, Chief Minister, and Chief Secretary...It was a wonderful visit. I really enjoyed the opportunity to have tribal food at a restaurant (Azam Amba). Food was delicious and Rice Beer was wonderful too," said Pavek. "Main issue discussed with government functionaries was opportunities for India-US collaboration in Jharkhand. We already have many programs on which we're working in Jharkhand...We are looking for more opportunities," she added. Currently, many US-based programmes are going on in Jharkhand such as US Agency for International Development working with Jharkhand Pollution Control Board, the US Environmental Protection Agency working with Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI). She said she enjoyed the weather of Jharkhand because it is cold as compared to Kolkata where it's humid. (ANI)
Fierce clash has erupted near the Nepal Parliament on Wednesday as a group protesting on the street clashed with police as the protestors were trying to enter the restricted area. The group led by various political parties opposing a US grant assistance clashed with police as they made attempts to storm into the area near Parliament which has been ordered a no-demonstration area by the local administrations. The Nepal opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) on other hand has continued to obstruct the house for 162nd day leading to the adjournment of proceedings till 1 pm, Friday. The meeting of the House of Representatives which started Wednesday after 59 days also witnessed lawmakers of the main opposition CPN (UML) walking down to the well, shouting slogans. Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota repeatedly sought to calm down the shouting UML lawmakers but failed. The opposition has been demanding the resignation of Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota, accusing him of not fulfilling his duties by not removing the 14 lawmakers from their posts against whom the CPN-UML had requested the Speaker to take action. The UML has been protesting in the House of Representatives sessions demanding its demands be addressed. (ANI)
Moscow [Russia], February 16 (ANI/Sputnik): Moscow considers US President Joe Biden's readiness for negotiations with Russia on security issues to be positive and hopes for the start of the negotiation process, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. "It is important for us that when discussing those rational grains, rational aspects that the Americans noted, they should be discussed in direct connection with those topics that are of priority to us. We hope that this negotiation process will begin," Peskov told reporters. There is diplomacy in order to look for possible points of contact and promote the rapprochement of those positions that at first glance seem to be diametrically opposed, the official said. "In this case, President [Vladimir] Putin also emphasizes our desire and readiness to enter into such negotiations, and it is probably positive that the US president also states his readiness to start such serious negotiations," Peskov said. Commenting on Biden's Tuesday remarks on Russia and Ukraine, the spokesman said that Moscow does not see anything reprehensible in Biden's address to the Russian people, but without threats, it would impress much more. "And besides, of course, this speech would be even more impressive if the US president also addressed the Ukrainian people and called on the Ukrainian people never to shoot at each other. That would be very cool," Peskov said. He added that Putin does not plan to address the people of other countries, following the example of Biden. (ANI/Sputnik)
Control rooms in the embassy as well as in the Ministry of External Affairs are being set up to respond to queries of Indian nationals in Ukraine and their families in India, according to the sources.

Earlier, Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked its citizens, particularly students whose stay is not essential, to leave Kyiv temporarily.

In an advisory issued on Tuesday, India also requested its nationals to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence to enable the Embassy to reach them where required.

Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of planning to invade. But Moscow continues to deny such claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country.

White House spokesperson had earlier said that the US would welcome any country's attempt to play a role in de-escalation of mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including India. (ANI)
Baig, who has been critical of the government's policies, is the second arrest made by the law enforcement agencies during the past week over anti-government commentary, The News International reported.

The federal agency raided Baig's house in Islamabad today along with the police and took him into custody.

"Police commandos are standing outside the house of journalist Mohsin Baig in Islamabad. He was arrested this morning, now police want to enter his house for a search. Lady police is also there. Son of Mohsin Baig is injured and police want to arrest him for resisting against FIA," senior Pakistan journalist Hamid Mir tweeted.

Baig's son said that FIA officials came to the house and arrested his father.

"Initially, we thought that they (FIA personnel) are thieves and opened fire in the air but later they introduce themselves as law enforcers. We also asked them to show arrest warrants but they didn't have. Meanwhile, a police party also came at our house," Baig's son told Geo News.

On Monday, the FIA had arrested a social media activist for "running trends" against the country's prime minister Imran Khan on social media.

A case had been registered against the accused after the FIA conducted an operation in Lahore. (ANI)
This statement comes after Taliban delegates led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Motaqi held talks with European Union's representatives in Doha on Tuesday.

The Foreign Ministry in a press release said that the Afghan delegation discussed with European representatives the humanitarian situation, humanitarian assistance, women's and minorities rights, women's education and working opportunities, and the participation of all ethnic groups in the government, Khaama Press reported.

The visiting Afghan delegation has also briefed European envoys about the reopening of schools and universities in the country, according to the statement.

The Afghan delegation has assured European envoys of their commitment to the rights of all Afghans, Khaama Press reported.

The visit of the delegation comes as another Taliban delegation is busy visiting the United Kingdom, the latter is also supposed to co-host a summit of the UN over the Afghanistan crisis. (ANI)
Ahead of the FATF Plenary and Working Group Meetings in Paris, analysts have said that Pakistan is likely to slip into the 'black list' of the global anti-terrorist financing and anti-money laundering watchdog for non-compliance. Pakistan has been on the Paris-based FATF's grey list for deficiencies in its counter-terror financing and anti-money laundering regimes since June 2018. This greylisting has adversely impacted its imports, exports, remittances, and limited access to international lending. Since coming to power, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been campaigning for Pakistan's removal from the FATF's greylisting without any success. Experts believe the Pakistani government has failed to take action against terror organizations. On the contrary, it has been capitulating before Islamist outfits such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In an analytical piece, Global Strat View said that decisions taken by the Pakistan government may have violated the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) mandates. "If the FATF puts Pakistan on the 'black list,' economic penalties and other restrictive measures will be imposed. This will be a big blow to the struggling economy of Pakistan whose economy has witnessed a cumulative decline of about $38 billion during 2008-2019 as a result of FATF's grey-listing," the report said citing Pakistani economist Dr. Naafey Sardar. According to the Global Strat View, there are strong signals that it could be placed in the 'black list'. "The Islamabad government has decided to start the Afghanistan Relief Fund to collect funds from the world, primarily from Muslim countries. However, the decision was criticized in Pakistan as financing the new Taliban regime would not go well with the western bloc and may result in sanctions from the FATF." Last October, Global financial watchdog FATF had retained Pakistan on its 'grey list'. This decision was announced after the FATF three-day plenary to discuss key issues in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. "Pakistan remains under increased monitoring (grey list). The Pakistan government has two concurrent action plans, with a total of 34 action plan items. It has now addressed or largely addressed 30 of the items," FATF President Dr Marcus Pleyer had said. Pakistan was retained on the FATF 'grey list' for failing to effectively implement the global FATF standards and over its lack of progress on investigation and prosecution of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups. FATF President had said Pakistan will remain on the grey list till it addresses all items on the original action plan agreed to in June 2018 as well as all items on a parallel action plan handed out by the watchdog's regional partner - the Asia Pacific Group (APG) - in 2019. Pleyer had noted that "Pakistan has made significant progress and it has largely addressed 26 out of 27 items on the action plan it first committed to in June 2018." He, however, had added that the item on financial terrorism still needed to be addressed which concerned the "investigation and prosecution of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups". (ANI)
Pakistan's poor foreign exchange reserves and lack of financial reforms have increased its dependency on China, according to a media report. "Pakistan's problem is it does not have enough foreign exchange reserves because the economy isn't growing fast enough for it to get money," VOA quoted Aparana Pande, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, as saying with regard to the recent visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to China and the deepening relation between Islamabad and Beijing. Islamabad is refusing to undertake structural reforms, which would enable the second and third tranches of the IMF and enable other foreign investors to invest money, Pande said. Experts have also raised concerns over the rising debt of China on Islamabad with some saying that the relation between Beijing and Pakistan is a clear case of the communist regime's debt-trap diplomacy. However, Madiha Afzal, a Brookings Institution fellow, cautioned against concluding too quickly that Chinese loans are bad for the Pakistani economy. "It will depend on the terms of the loans, and China has proven to be a player which ... holds Pakistan to the terms of the loans. So Pakistan can't necessarily defer payments on those loans, even if it needs to or wants to," VOA quoted Afzal as saying. It came after Islamabad and Beijing released a joint statement on February 6 following Imran Khan's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. The leaders of the two countries held an in-depth exchange of views on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as the regional situations and international political landscape. The meetings were marked by traditional warmth, strategic mutual trust and commonality of views that characterize the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, according to the joint statement. Reiterating his felicitations on the centenary of the Communist Party of China, Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the role of CPC leadership with President Xi Jinping at its core for China's growth and prosperity and appreciated President Xi for his personal contribution to promoting the enduring Pakistan-China partnership, the statement read. The meeting between the two leaders comes in the wake of the US-led diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games to protest the allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which China denies.The high-profile meeting was meant to showcase support for Beijing in this period of diplomatic tension, according to VOA. The US-based publication also said that a series of new financial agreements between China and Pakistan are signalling a shift in political alignments in the region with implications for South Asian neighbours, the United States and for the economic future of Pakistan itself. (ANI)
Celebrations for Lantern Festival held in S China's Sanya attract many visitors

People's Daily Online) 17:55, February 15, 2022

Photo shows decorations of a fete for the Lantern Festival in Sanya city, south China's Hainan Province. (People's Daily Online/Niu Liangyu)

Various events were held in a fete in Sanya city, south China's Hainan Province, to celebrate the Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 15 this year, attracting many visitors.

Many tourists in Hanfu, or Han-style costumes, guessed lantern riddles, tried archery, and took photos at the fete which was lit up by colorful lanterns. Traditional shows such as dragon and lion dance performances, art performances on stilts, and drum performances were a visual feast for guests. In addition, the tourists were able to taste local food, experience local customs and cultures, and purchase cultural products with features of local Li and Miao ethnic groups.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Hong Kong is struggling to contain an outbreak of the more contagious, but less lethal, COVID-19 omicron variant, with hospitals running over-capacity, according to Hong Kong Free Press.

On Wednesday, the territory reported 4,285 new COVID-19 cases, its highest ever daily tally since the pandemic began more than two years ago.

The city has reported 26,670 infections and 224 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic over two years ago, said Hong Kong Free Press.

Overwhelmed, understaffed and ill-equipped, Hong Kong hospitals are currently struggling to deal with the city's fifth wave of COVID-19.

In a press briefing, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said the new cases comprised 21 imported infections and 4,264 local ones, according to China Daily.

The city's officials have said that Hong Kong is stepping up its efforts to bolster its COVID-19 testing capacity with support from Chinese mainland authorities, as the city races to rein in the marauding fifth wave of the virus outbreak. (ANI)
Violence against women is on the surge in Pakistan as officials in Lahore have arrested the two people involved in the abduction of girls and selling them in other provinces, reported local media. Two people involved in the abduction of girls and selling them in other provinces have been arrested, Dawn quoted SSP Investigations Lahore Imran Kishwar in a press conference at his office here on Tuesday. The arrested suspects were proclaimed offenders (POs) and were identified as Faisal and Ashfaq Butt. In the recent past, they had lured a 19-year-old girl, Diya Akram, on the pretext of giving her a job and took her to Karachi, said the Pakistani publication. According to Dawn, from there, they shifted her to Balochistan and sold her to a feudal of Jhal Magsi Balochistan. They were also wanted in other cases, the SSP said and added that one of the arrested suspects extracted over Rs10 million from a citizen after posing as an FIA officer. Police arrested a man posing as an Elite official at the Shera Kot check post. The suspect identified as Zia-ul-Rehman posed as a cop of Elite force. On suspicion, police investigated and found him an imposter. Police arrested him and recovered a weapon after registering a case. It came a report last year underlined that nearly a thousand minor girls and women from Pakistan's religious minorities including Hindus and Christians face violence and in most cases they are abducted, forcefully converted to Islam and are married off every year. Citing an inquiry done by the British-led All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), Islam Khabar reported that the figure is an estimation based on extensive probe, but not accurate since "true numbers may never be ascertained. "The report, which was published in September 2021 focuses on the cases of Christian and Hindu girls between the ages of 12-25, of religious minorities including Hindus (1.59 per cent) and Christians (1.60 per cent) of Pakistan's 220 million population, Islam Khabar reported. Buddhists, Sikhs and Kalash are also surveyed with the help of their representative bodies, field surveys and by individuals who appeared before the probe body. (ANI)
The Indian embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday advised its citizens to maintain calm and not give rise to panic amid the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia. Answering some frequently asked questions (FAQs) from Indian citizens, the embassy said, "It is important to maintain calm and not give rise to panic. Those desirous of travelling back to India are advised to book available commercial flight tickets. Ministry of External Affairs is also in discussions with Ministry of Civil Aviation and various airlines for expanding flights between India and Ukraine." The embassy further emphasised that tickets should be purchased from verified and reliable sources only. "You are also advised to keep monitoring Embassy Twitter and Facebook page and website for updates on the matter. Do not forward unverified news, and beware of potential scams." On whether visa and consular services are functional, the embassy said the embassy continues to function normally to provide all services to Indian nationals in Ukraine. On the issues concerning the Indian students studying in Ukraine, the embassy said that they are engaging with concerned Ukrainian authorities for appropriate regularization of the education process. Earlier, Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked its citizens, particularly students whose stay is not essential, to leave Kyiv temporarily. In an advisory issued on Tuesday, India also requested its nationals to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence to enable the Embassy to reach them where required. Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border. The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of planning to invade. But Moscow continues to deny such claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country. (ANI)
Former HCNR chairman Abdullah Abdullah met with women activists in Kabul today and discussed their demands for political and social rights. At the meeting, it was pledged that the demands would be addressed, Abdullah tweeted, Tolo News reported.

The UN Mission in Afghanistan on Sunday had welcomed the release of the four women activists, who went missing last month.

"After a long period of uncertainty about their whereabouts and safety, the four 'disappeared' Afghan women activists, as well as their relatives who also went missing, have all been released by the de facto authorities. UNAMA calls for the rights of every Afghan to be respected," the UN Mission in Afghanistan tweeted.

Earlier, there was global outrage over the fate of missing Afghan women activists who were participating in protests to demand fundamental rights for women from the Taliban.

According to media reports, the Taliban continue to threaten and harass women activists.

Even as the Taliban tries to persuade the world to recognize it and financially support its government, the regime has embarked on a violent crackdown on dissent. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan will hold a Virtual Summit on February 18, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed on Wednesday. The MEA in a press release said the two leaders will discuss bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. "Both leaders are expected to lay out their vision of the historic and friendly relations between the two countries, at a time when India is celebrating 75 years of its Independence as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and UAE is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its foundation," the MEA said in a press release. In recent years, bilateral relations between India and the UAE have strengthened in all areas, and both sides have embarked upon a comprehensive strategic partnership. Prime Minister visited UAE in 2015, 2018, and 2019 while the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi visited India in 2016 and 2017. Ministerial visits between the two sides have also continued, including three visits of External Affairs Minister and a visit of Commerce and Industry Minister to UAE in 2021. Both sides have collaborated closely during the Covid-19 pandemic in critical areas of healthcare and food security. Bilateral trade, investment, and energy relations have remained robust. The two sides are also strengthening their cooperation in new areas of renewable energy, start-ups, fintech, etc. India is participating with one of the largest pavilions in the Dubai Expo 2020. A major initiative in bilateral relations is the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Negotiations for CEPA were launched in September 2021 and have been completed, the MEA said. The Agreement will take India-UAE's economic and commercial engagement to the next level. UAE is India's third-largest trade partner, and bilateral trade and investment ties are expected to see significant enhancements. UAE hosts a large Indian community which numbers close to 3.5 million. Prime Minister has expressed India's appreciation to the leadership of UAE for supporting the Indian community during the pandemic. UAE leadership has also been appreciative of the contribution of the Indian community in its development. Both sides had agreed on an Air Bubble Arrangement in 2020 during the pandemic which has enabled the movement of people between two countries despite the challenges posed by Covid-19. (ANI)
Underlining that the energy requirement of India is expected to double in the next 20 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that denying this energy to the people of India will be denying life itself to millions. Delivering the inaugural address at TERI's World Sustainable Development Summit, PM Modi said sustainable development has been a key focus area for him during his time in public office. "Environment and sustainable development have been key focus areas for me all through my 20 years in office, first in Gujarat and now at the national level. ...Our commitments to the planet, to nature, have also been fragile. A lot has been said over the last 50 years, since the 1972 Stockholm conference... very little has been done. But in India, we have walked the talk," he said. Stressing that equitable energy access to the poor has been a cornerstone of his environmental policy, the Prime Minister said through Ujjwala Yojana, more than 90 million households have been provided access to clean cooking fuel. "Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, we have taken renewable energy to the farmers. We are encouraging farmers to set up solar panels, use it and sell surplus power to the grid. Standalone solar pumps, as well as efforts for solarising existing pumps, are being scaled up," he added. The Prime Minister said his government's focus on ''Chemical-free Natural Farming'' will also help promote sustainability and equity. Giving another example of initiatives taken by the government, PM Modi said the Centre's LED-bulb distribution schemes have been running for over seven years which has helped save more than 220 billion units of electricity and 180 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per year. He also said the government's plan to set up the National Hydrogen Mission aims to tap into Green Hydrogen, an exciting technology to power India's future. Furthermore, PM Modi said that environmental sustainability can only be achieved through climate justice. "Energy requirements of the people of India are expected to nearly double in the next twenty years. Denying this energy would be denying life itself to millions. Successful climate actions also need adequate financing. For this, developed countries need to fulfil their commitments on finance and technology transfer," he added. (ANI)
Lawyers in the district courts continued their protest for a second day on Tuesday against a new mechanism for the allocation of cases. The leaders of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the Punjab Bar Council and the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) also came forward in the support of the lawyers, Dawn newspaper reported. It further reported that District and Sessions Judge Habibullah Amir issued a notification regarding the transfer of cases pending before civil courts at Aiwan-i-Adl to respective tehsils/sub-divisions the plaintiffs concerned belonged to. Speaking at a press conference, PBC vice-chairman Hafeezur Rehman Chaudhry said the division of the cases would promote corruption in the justice system. He said lawyers would face immense travelling issues to appear in courts situated in different parts of the city, the Pakistani newspaper reported. He demanded the withdrawal of the notification issued by the sessions judge. LHCBA President Maqsood Ahmad Buttar, and Lahore Bar Association president Rao Sami also spoke, criticising the sessions judge for taking a unilateral decision of transferring cases on the basis of tehsil and sub-division levels. They said the decision would enhance problems for the lawyers and the litigants instead of facilitating them. They said the bar and bench could not survive without the cooperation of each other, Dawn newspaper reported. According to Dawn newspaper, the bar's leaders said the lawyers did not want confrontation with the judiciary but an amicable solution to the dispute. They vowed to continue the protest till the withdrawal of the notification. The lawyers also demanded the deletion of section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 from the FIR registered against a lawyer involved in ransacking the copy branch of the Lahore High Court, the Pakistani newspaper reported. (ANI)
Tokyo [Japan], February 16 (ANI/Sputnik): Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his UK counterpart, Boris Johnson, have reaffirmed during a phone call on Wednesday their intention to continue diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions around Ukraine, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. "The two leaders affirmed their consistent support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity while monitoring the situation around Ukraine with grave concern, and they confirmed that they would not accept any unilateral change in the status quo by force, and continue diplomatic efforts for de-escalation and continually work closely together," the ministry said in a statement about the 25-minute phone conversation. The prime ministers also affirmed their commitment to cooperating on security and defense and promoting a "free and open Indo-Pacific." In late January, Johnson reportedly canceled his planned trip to Japan over escalating tensions around Ukraine. During the trip, he was expected to meet with Kishida and discuss the Ukraine crisis, as well as measures to deal with the pandemic and form a carbon-free society. In the past few months, the United States and its allies have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an invasion. Moscow has rejected the accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing concerns over NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has also said that it has the right to move troops within its own territory. (ANI/Sputnik)
Chinese authorities in the country's Tibet Autonomous Region are detaining more nomadic Tibetans in Drago county and sending them to labour camps for having content deemed politically inappropriate on their cell phones, according to a media report. "Many Tibetans were detained in January after Drago county police searched their phone data in Likhog town," Radio Free Asia (RFA) quoted a Tibetan in exile who has a source inside the region. The source also said that most of them are detained in a labour camp in Thangnagma. Most Tibetans who live in Likhog, which is located about 50 kilometres from Drago (in Chinese, Luhuo) county of Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, are nomads, said RFA. The Tibetan source who is living in exile also said that it is not just a few Tibetans, but many Tibetans arrested this time. "All of those who were arrested are nomads," he said, though he could not provide an exact figure. "Though the Drago police have searched the cell phone data of the local Tibetans since last October, the situation right now is even worse," he said. Authorities summoned the Tibetans to the police station and asked them if they possessed any politically sensitive photos, videos or other information, or to see if the owners had been in contact with Tibetans living in exile, said the Tibetan in exile. Some of them were detained for one week and released and then unexpectedly detained again, he said. "Though the Drago police have searched the cell phone data of the local Tibetans since last October, the situation right now is even worse," the Tibetan in exile said. Emphasising that Chinese authorities have not even spared the most remote Tibetan areas for that matter, Ngawang Woebar, a former political prisoner, who currently lives outside China said that the Chinese police have been threatening and searching their cell phone data for sensitive information specifically from the exile community. It comes as much of the world's attention is focused on China and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Several countries, including the United States, imposed diplomatic boycotts to protest China's human rights abuses involving Tibetans, Uyghurs and Hongkongers, according to RFA. (ANI)
Facing a threat from the leaders of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), the Sher Bahadur Deuba government has backtracked on its Tuesday's announcement to table USD 500 million US grant agreement in the country's Parliament. Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba went against his decision to table the MCC compact despite publicly stating on Tuesday that he had even spoken with Speaker Agni Sapkota for the tabling of the Millennium Challenge Corporation-Nepal Compact at Wednesday's House meeting, The Kathmandu Post reported. The Millennium Challenge Corporation is a US Foreign Assistance Agency that aims to fight poverty. Nepal was the first country in the region to qualify for the program and an agreement to this effect was signed in September 2017. However, the MCC continues to hang in balance as successive governments in Nepal have failed to get the grant ratified by the parliament. Nepal's government is in favour of ratifying of grant MCC-Nepal Compact despite being aware of the fact that communist parties in the ruling coalition would stand against it. Media reports say Nepali communist leaders are under China's pressure to create trouble over the ratification of a million dollars worth of grant assistance by a US foreign aid agency. The agreement has courted controversy since a section of the political class has argued that the MCC is part of Washington's Indo-Pacific Strategy aimed at countering China. Meanwhile, the US has conveyed to Kathmandu that it would be forced to review its relations with Nepal if the country fails to keep up with its commitments on the USD 500 million MCC grant signed nearly five years ago. Earlier this month, US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu said that Washington will review its relations with Nepal in the event of its failure to ratify the MCC compact from Parliament by February 28, according to the Kathmandu Post. Earlier, MCC vice president Fatema Z Sumar had said that the February 28 deadline was set by Prime Minister Deuba and Maoist Centre chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal through a letter the two leaders dispatched to the MCC Board chairman, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "Secretary of State Lu conveyed to Chairman Oli that the US will be forced to review its bilateral ties with Nepal if the MCC is not ratified by the given deadline set by Deuba and Dahal," Rajan Bhattarai, the head of the UML's Foreign Affairs Department, told the Post. (ANI)
The Dawn newspaper reported that Bipinder Singh was targeted by an armed man in his Kohat Road clinic.

According to Saddar Circle SP Farhan Khan, the Sikh hakeem suffered a bullet injury in his thigh and the other man in his hand.

The attacker had been detained. He turned out to be a drug addict with a criminal record, according to Dawn.

This incident comes as members of the minority community continue to be frequent targets of attacks in Pakistan.

Indian World Forum President Puneet Singh Chandhok on Wednesday wrote a letter to UN chief Antonio Guterres, seeking "immediate intervention" for the safety of minorities living in Pakistan.

In a letter, Chandhok said minorities living in Pakistan are repeatedly facing atrocities and are victims of heinous crimes there. "Minorities, in particular, belonging to Hindu and Sikh religions which have close bonds with India are being persecuted."

Chandhok further highlighted the persecution of Sikhs and Hindus living in Pakistan. (ANI)
An international webinar "Tibet Was Never a Part of China", organized on February 14 to mark the 109th anniversary of 'Proclamation of Independence of Tibet' on 13th February 1913, urged the global community to support Tibet's independence from China's illegal rule. Unchallenged control over the vast geographic areas and huge natural resources of Tibet, Xinjiang, South Mongolia and other occupied countries have only emboldened and encouraged present-day China to behave like a bully with the world community. Vijay Kranti, writing in Phayul said that it is in the interest of world peace and world order that the international community join hands to support these colonized nations to regain their independence from China's illegal rule. The webinar was organized on the eve of the anniversary jointly by the Centre for Himalayan Asia Studies and Engagement (CHASE) and Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the most prominent socio-political organization of the Tibetan Diaspora. Referring to China's aggressive claims over Tibet, Thubten Samphel, a prominent Tibetan scholar and founder Executive Director of Tibet Policy Institute said, "Today when President Xi Jinping's China makes claims that Tibet has been a part of China on the basis of the Mongol and Manchu influence over Tibet then he and his Communist Party of China should not forget two basic historic facts. One is that China itself was occupied and ruled by the Mongols and the Manchus as foreign occupiers of China. The other fact is that at some stages in history Tibet too was a powerful empire that had ruled over China and had pushed out the Chinese Emperors and occupied their capital which is currently called Xian, the host of ongoing Winter Olympic Games today." Samphel pointed out that the Communist rulers of today's China are trying to rewrite the history in order to justify their forced and colonial occupation of Tibet, East Turkistan (Xinjiang), South Mongolia and Manchuria, reported Phayul. Calling the Chinese claims over Tibet as 'part of China' during history as a 'laughable fiction' of President Xi Jinping and his CCP, Vijay Kranti, a renowned Tibetologist and Chairman of CHASE, said that China should not forget that the Chinese emperors took 2300 years to build the 21,196 km long 'Great Wall of China' around their country to protect themselves from foreign attacks. These attackers were none other than the Mongols, Manchus, Tibetans and Uyghurs etc. whom they are today claiming as 'inseparable parts of China'. In her remarks Prof Aayushi Ketkar of Jawahar Lal Nehru University, an expert in international strategic affairs said, "It sounds hilarious when present rulers of China claim the Mongol Emperor Genghiz Khan as the 'Great Son of China' and stake claims over Tibet, East Turkistan (Xinjiang) and South Mongolia on the ground that they were part of the Mongol Empire in history." In his vote of thanks as the co-host of the webinar Gonpo Dhundup, the President of Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) said that China is in illegal occupation of Tibet for over seven decades now. "China's illegal presence in Tibet has not only taken away the freedoms and independence of the people of Tibet but it has also created many security problems and threat to peace for most of other countries bordering Tibet. To justify this illegal presence of China in Tibet, the Chinese government and its propaganda machinery are engaged in creating a false narrative through a deliberately manufactured history to claim that Tibet has been always a part of China," he said. (ANI)
Contradicting its own stated policy, while pleading to the international community for rushing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Pakistan took four months to allow Indian humanitarian relief for Afghans. The move will allow passage of Indian food relief of 50,000 tons of wheat for Afghan people through Pakistan's territory, reported Islam Khabar. Afghan trucks will run from Torkham on the Afghan-Pak border to Wagah on Pakistan's border with India, cross to Attari to load wheat and take them home. Belatedly, the Afghans can hope to receive 50,000 tons of Indian wheat, to be made into bread for their families facing severe food shortages and economic hardship - besides a harsh winter and a rampaging pandemic. But this could still take time. Only 60 trucks can ply daily to collect such a large quantity. The initial Pakistani permission was to complete it all in one month by the end of December, which is long past, reported Islam Khabar. Some procedural hurdles remain. As of now, the Afghan trucks would start collecting wheat (a total of 50,000 tonnes) from Feb 22 and the entire exercise would take a month. Logistically, this is a difficult task. Although India made the offer last October, Pakistan had opposed the transit for Indian goods, in spite of the fact that it was a humanitarian relief in response to a United Nations appeal, reported Islam Khabar. In the changed stance, Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on February 14, 2022: "When we are asking the whole world to help the Afghan people, how can we stop India from doing so?" (ANI)
The US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West at an event denied that Washington is backing "organized armed opposition" to the Taliban. Speaking at an event at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) on Monday West said that the US would "discourage other powers from doing so as well," reported Tolo News. He blamed Pakistan for not taking "meaningful steps" when it had an opportunity to help with a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan, which it did not take. "I think had Pakistan taken some of those steps in a more meaningful and consistent way, I think we would be in a different place today," he said. West said that he believes "there is a recognition in Pakistan that the current leadership of the interim authorities in Afghanistan is not truly representative and potentially not sustainable." Talking about US President Joe Biden decision to split USD 7 billion Afghan frozen funds between 9/11 victims and humanitarian relief, West suggested that the decision was made to protect the assets for Afghanistan, reported Tolo News. "Fundamentally the action was about protecting USD 3.5 billion for the benefit of the Afghan people," West said. The US envoy also expressed optimism over the reopening of schools and universities for the girls. "I believe the Taliban will make decisions to enroll women and girls at all levels, not as a response to international pressure at all, I think this is a genuine domestic Afghan demand ... that we hear from across the country," he said. (ANI)
Amid humanitarian crisis worsening by the day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday (local time) called for more cooperation between the world body and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Afghanistan. "The UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia has been working in close partnership with the CSTO to address the root causes of potential conflict and develop shared solutions to shared problems. Today, good working relations between the CSTO and the Regional Center enable constructive early-warning exchanges and regular contacts during security-related events in the region," he said. At a Security Council meeting on UN-CSTO cooperation, Guterres also said that terrorism remains a constant threat, not only to the security of Afghanistan and the region, but to the entire world, reported Xinhua. "Regional and inter-regional cooperation are an essential element in our response. So too are strengthened regional dialogue, as well as cross-border law enforcement and judicial coordination. Close cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, including the CSTO, will be critical in helping defuse these evolving threats, preventing spill-over, promoting stability and ultimately saving lives," he said. The UN chief also warned that without determined action, the severe economic contraction, rising unemployment and escalating humanitarian crisis will fuel despair and breed extremism. The threat from illicit drugs and arms flows, as well as criminal and terrorist networks, is increasing, reported Xinhua. He also stressed the need for UN-CSTO cooperation on conflict prevention, counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics. "The Regional Center is also promoting measures against cross-border crime, terrorism and drug trafficking to ensure conditions for peaceful sustainable development -- all areas where the United Nations looks forward to building partnership with the CSTO," said Guterres. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the Taliban took control of Kabul in mid-August last year. A combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, and international sanctions on the Taliban have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis. (ANI)
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect additional charges announced by the Delaware Department of Justice that were not included in the first press release.

Five Sussex County residents have been charged with 91 felonies related to the illegal purchase of guns for other people, more commonly known as straw purchases, according to Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings.

Jennings used the Wednesday press conference at the Brick Hotel in Georgetown as a chance to also voice her support for a permit-to-purchase law. The legislation would require anyone in Delaware wanting to buy a handgun to first be fingerprinted, undergo training and obtain permission from the state.

A bill that would bring such a law to Delaware, sponsored by Wilmington Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Lockman Wilmington, passed the Senate last year but is stalled in the House.

"We need to be able to have a database that other states around us have to get at these straw purchases in a much more concerted, effective way," said Jennings, who has previously advocated for this legislation.

Delaware Attorney General Kathleen Jennings, flanked by Delaware State Police Maj. Pete Sawyer and ATF Agent John Oakey, holds a press conference at the Brick Hotel in Georgetown Feb. 16, 2022.

The charges announced Wednesday involve over 60 illegally purchased firearms, including one recovered at the scene of a Dover homicide and one used in a New Castle County suicide, according to the Attorney General's Office.

RELATED: Here's what to expect from Delaware's 2022 legislative session

"This is a close-up, tragic look at the damage that straw purchases do and the support that law enforcement needs in order to keep guns out of criminals hands," Jennings said. "Dozens more are currently unaccounted for and can still do untold harm."

The charges are as follows:

Keyon Eley , of Laurel, is charged with 36 counts of engaging in a firearms transaction on behalf of another and 29 counts of making a false statement. Eley, 24, purchased 38 firearms between June 2020 and March 2021, according to the Attorney General's Office. Police in Dover, Baltimore and West Chester County, Pennsylvania, have since recovered firearms that trace back to Eley, the Attorney General's Office said, and he has relinquished two others. The remaining 33 are unaccounted for.

Karen Morris , of Georgetown, is charged with seven counts of engaging in a firearms transaction on behalf of another and five counts of making a false statement. The 33-year-old woman admitted to purchasing eight guns for someone else between August and October 2021, according to the Attorney General's Office. One of the guns was recovered, while seven are unaccounted for. An additional person was listed as Morris' accomplice but does not appear to have any charges filed against him in relation to the purchases, according to the attorney general's announcement.

Shane Willey , of Georgetown, is charged with three counts of engaging in a firearms transaction on behalf of another and one count of second-degree conspiracy. The 32-year-old acted as an accomplice to Karen Morris, according to the attorney general's announcement.

Malik Jarvis, of Laurel, is charged with four counts of making a false statement. The 28-year-old purchased 15 guns in January and February 2021, one of which was used in a Jan. 28, 2021, suicide in New Castle County, according to the Attorney General's Office. Two more guns purchased by Jarvis were recovered in New York, the Attorney General's Office said, while 12 are unaccounted for.

Paige Morris (no relation to Karen Morris) is charged with two counts of engaging in a firearm transaction on behalf of another, one count of making a false statement and one count of providing a firearm to a person prohibited. The 31-year-old woman purchased three guns on April 3, 2021, one of which was discovered at the scene of a Dover homicide nine days later, according to the Attorney General's Office. Morris relinquished one of the firearms to police, leaving one unaccounted for, the Attorney General's Office said.

Eley is the only defendant currently incarcerated. The rest were released on an unsecured bond, according to the Attorney General's Office.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware AG charges 5 people with 91 felonies related to gun purchases
Alabama doctor J. Marion Sims became known as the father of modern gynecology when he discovered techniques that advanced gynecological medicine by experimenting on enslaved women in Montgomery without anesthesia.

On Wednesday, an alliance of 7,000 physicians across the state donated to an event meant to share the story of those women  now known as the mothers of gynecology  and its relevance to health inequities in modern medicine. The Medical Association of the State of Alabama presented a $15,000 donation to artist and nonprofit founder Michelle Browder, who is organizing the Feb. 28-March 1 summit in Montgomery at the site of a monument she created in honor of the enslaved women.

This donation is important for us because we have to reckon with the history of Alabama, and the COVID-19 pandemic has really brought to light the health inequities in different categories, MASA President Aruna Arora said. Maternal mortality has been a major one in our state.  We truly feel like this is a moment to reckon with what we havent been able to talk about thus far.

Aruna Arora, President of Medical Association of the State of Alabama presents Artist and community leader Michelle Browder with a donation in front of the Anarcha, Lucy and Betsy Monument at the More Up Campus in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.

A statue of Sims stands in front of the state Capitol building near a statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis.

A few blocks away, the new memorial to the mothers of gynecology, slaves known only as Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey, stands at the center of a campus at 17 Mildred St., near the Equal Justice Initiatives national memorial to lynching victims. The campus will host the conference later this month ahead its public grand opening, which is set for May 8  Mothers Day.

We cant go back and change history, Arora said.  But what can do is go forward and kind of improve some of the health disparities in our state. And we have a lot of improving to do.

In other news: As Alabama COVID numbers fall, ICUs across the state remained slammed

More: Heavy winds expected Thursday as storm system moves through central Alabama

Social determinates of health are a big deal.

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You can see more at anarchalucybetsey.org.

Artist and community leader Michelle Browder shows her Anarcha, Lucy and Betsy Monument to members of Medical Association of the State of Alabama at the More Up Campus in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Brad Harper at bharper1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama doctors honor enslaved women J. Marion Sims used for experiments
Feb. 16JUNEAU  A proposal advancing in the Alaska Legislature would reduce the number of new taprooms at breweries and distilleries, the fastest-growing sector of Alaska's alcohol industry.

Industry officials and public health experts supporting the idea say it's a delicate compromise necessary to reach consensus on Senate Bill 9, a 124-page bill intended to modernize the state's alcohol laws.

Some legislators see it differently, calling it a gift to existing licensees.

"The eventual outcome, unintended or not, is that we're setting up a monopoly," said Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin.

Despite his concerns, Olson voted in favor of the bill, which is now in the state House and advancing toward a final vote. If that vote takes place and the bill is signed into law, it would have far-reaching effects on the state's alcohol industry. Among those effects:

For the first time, the state will license online alcohol shippers, a change sought by public health officials who believe it will clamp down on illegal shipments to the state's "dry" towns. It would also allow the state to collect excise taxes from out-of-state shippers.

Alaska restricts the number of alcohol businesses in a city or borough. Cities and boroughs will be able to petition the state alcohol board for more licenses than normally allowed, something sought by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

The state will require the registration of beer kegs, something intended to crack down on underage drinking. If a keg is found at an underage drinking party, police will be able to cite the person who bought it.

Public safety, health and industry officials have been frustrated by the low prosecution rate of alcohol-related misdemeanors. Many low-level alcohol crimes would become citations instead, and licensees will become partially liable. For example, if a restaurant serves alcohol to someone underage, the employer may be fined, not just the employee who served the alcohol.

Story continues

Fees for most types of licenses will increase, and some licenses will get additional privileges. Package stores will be able to hold "tasting events" and deliver alcohol to your door; bars and resorts will be able to serve alcohol at multiple counters; and breweries and distilleries can stay open until 10 p.m., can hold a limited number of live events and can allow customers to bring in board games and playing cards. (There's still a strict serving-size limit at breweries, and customers still aren't allowed to sit at the counter.)

The text of the law will be simplified, making it easier to understand, and the process of applying for special event permits is easier.

"There's so much in this bill that will help the industry," said Sarah Oates, president and CEO of CHARR, Alaska's leading alcohol-industry trade group.

Oates has been working on the bill in various capacities since 2012, when members of the alcohol industry began negotiating with public health and safety groups who deal with the problems caused by alcohol.

Each participant felt that Alaska's alcohol laws, most of which dated to the 1980s, needed to be updated. For example, Alaska's laws don't currently address online sales. Participants also felt they needed to address the growth of brewery taprooms, which were authorized by the Legislature in 2006.

Licensing for bars vs. taprooms

What followed were years of debate, discussion and three failed attempts to pass legislation. This is the fourth.

One of the toughest sticking points has been between the established alcohol industry and the newer taprooms.

Alaska law currently allows one distillery taproom and one brewery taproom for every 3,000 people in a city, but the owners of traditional bars have argued that the taprooms are too similar to bars.

Demand for bar licenses is high, and they're not generally available over the counter from the state, forcing new businesses to buy them from an existing holder. That artificial demand has sent prices soaring.

"I've heard them going for everything from a quarter million dollars to a million dollars," said Glen Klinkhart, director of the Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, the state regulator. Oates said the lower end of that figure is most common for bar licenses.

Licensing a taproom costs just $1,250, and in all but the smallest cities, those licenses can be bought from the state. That has bar owners worried that a profusion of taprooms could devalue their licenses.

"These local businesses have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on licenses. It's their retirement. It's their future. It's their inheritance," Oates said.

Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in Alaska, and public health and safety officials also expressed concerns about problems created by "an explosion" of new places serving alcohol, said Tiffany Hall, executive director of Recover Alaska.

In 2019, the brewers and others reached a compromise: Make it tougher for new taprooms in exchange for some new rights, such as later operating hours and the right to hold a limited number of live events.

Senate Bill 9 would raise the population limit for new taprooms from one per 3,000 people to one per 12,000 people. (That's one license if your town has 0-12,000 people, two licenses if it has 12,001-24,000 residents, and so on.) The limits for other types of alcohol licenses, such as those issued to bars and package stores, will not change, and there would be no limit for the number of breweries and distilleries without taprooms.

"Is it what we would dream of? Of course not. But is it better than the world we live in now? That's absolutely the case," said Lee Ellis, president of the Brewers Guild of Alaska.

"It's not necessarily something we're supportive of, but during the compromise process, that was something that we gave," he said.

In Cordova, one license and two applications

It remains to be seen whether the Alaska Legislature will go along with that compromise. Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, said he feels that breweries will now be bought into a system that limits entry.

"My worry is down the road, somebody's going to have to buy one of these (secondhand licenses) to do business in Alaska," he said.

Senate President Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, is sponsoring Senate Bill 9. He said he doesn't like the population limits either and might seek to change them in the future. But for now, he said, preserving the compromise is more important.

"Every stakeholder, every member who knows the bill knows that there's something in the bill that they don't absolutely love, because it's part of a compromise. And so the tasting room discussion is one that we're closely tracking, it's one that we're nervous about," Oates said.

To understand what the new world of alcohol licensing might look like, those involved in the process suggest looking at the Prince William Sound town of Cordova.

"We've got fresh experience with this," said city manager Helen Howarth.

In Cordova, two breweries filed license requests within days of each other, each planning to open taprooms, but the city only has the population for one license.

City officials asked the alcohol board whether there was any way to obtain an additional license but were told no.

To decide the issue, the state alcohol board put the names of the two prospective breweries into a hat, and AMCO director Klinkhart reached behind his back to pull out the name of No Road Brewery.

Curtis Fincher, who owns the brewery with his wife, said he was thrilled with the result and intends to display the hat and the slips on the wall of the brewery.

He's less thrilled with the process, which saw the board ignore a recommendation from the local city council in favor of the random draw.

Brooke Stewart, who sought to open a brewery called Witch's Brew but lost the drawing, is now considering her options, she said. She could pursue a brewpub license, but that would limit how much beer she could make.

Only eight cities or boroughs have more than 12,000 people; other cities could face choices like the one in Cordova. (Anchorage, and parts of the Mat-Su Borough outside city limits, would still have many available licenses under the new system.)

Fincher said he's generally in favor of the compromise in the bill, but "ideally, I would see no population caps, or even much regulation on any of these industries, and I would let the market sort it out."

'Alcohol impacts people's lives'

The idea of abolishing Alaska's limited-entry alcohol system has been discussed by state lawmakers before  Alaska's marijuana industry has no limited-entry system  but public health groups and industry officials are strongly opposed.

"Marijuana is not killing Alaskans at the incredible rate that alcohol is," said Hall, of Recover Alaska, explaining its link to Alaska's high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault.

There's no comparison, she said, between the possible deregulation of alcohol and legislative action on limited-entry fishing or allowing Uber and Lyft to operate in Alaska.

"Those things may greatly impact a person's livelihood. But alcohol impacts people's lives. People die, people are raped and assaulted and killed. When there is an overabundance of outlets with alcohol, it's different. It's a different commodity," she said.

In Cordova, manager Howarth said that if Senate Bill 9 passes, she expects the local government to wait and see how No Road Brewing performs, but if there is room for a second brewery through a petition to regulators, "absolutely, I think there would be interest in doing that."

Stewart said she hadn't heard of that part of Senate Bill 9, but "if I was granted that, I'd be very happy. I'd be a happy camper," she said.

It isn't clear how frequently the alcohol board would use its power to create new licenses. Board chairman Dana Walukiewicz, co-owner of King Street Brewing, said he isn't willing to speculate.

"I would hope," said Oates of CHARR, "that if the bill passes in its current form, that for most license types, (petitions) would occur only on extremely rare occasions."

She and Walukiewicz each said Senate Bill 9 offers another alternative  a brewery could simply buy a bar-style license from the secondary market. Each of them called this new "pay to play" system a good thing, saying it allows breweries the same rights as traditional bars, if they can afford the license.

"I'm still hopeful that there's still opportunity for more to get into the industry if they wanted to. They just might have to be a little more creative," Walukiewicz said.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct Sarah Oates' role at CHARR. She is the organization's president and CEO, not its executive director.
Allison Gollust, the CNN executive in a relationship that triggered the resignation this month of network President Jeff Zucker, has also resigned from the network, according to an email sent to staff members.

Jason Kilar, the CEO of CNNs parent corporation, WarnerMedia, announced Gollust's resignation in the email Tuesday.

Earlier today, Allison Gollust resigned from CNN following the conclusion of the companys investigation into issues associated with Chris Cuomo and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Kilar said in the email.

The investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNNs News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo, Kilar wrote.

In a letter sent to CNN staff and obtained by NBC News, Gollust said she was disappointed in the way things played out.

"WarnerMedias statement tonight is an attempt to retaliate against me and change the media narrative in the wake of their disastrous handling of the last two weeks, she wrote. It is deeply disappointing that after spending the past nine years defending and upholding CNNs highest standards of journalistic integrity, I would be treated this way as I leave. But I do so with my head held high, knowing that I gave my heart and soul to working with the finest journalists in the world.

Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo was investigated by the network for aiding his brother against sexual misconduct allegations. The former governor stepped down but has denied any wrongdoing.

The network fired Chris Cuomo in December after an investigation by the New York attorney general showed in more detail how he helped his brother, the former governor, defend himself against the allegations.

Zucker announced his departure Feb. 2, telling employees that he was required to disclose a relationship with a close colleague but had failed to do so.

The decision came after he was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague as part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo.

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Shortly after news of Zucker's resignation broke, Gollust, CNNs chief marketing officer, sent a separate memo to employees acknowledging that her relationship to Zucker had changed during COVID.

I regret that we didnt disclose it at the right time, she said. Im incredibly proud of my time at CNN and look forward to continuing the great work we do every day."

Gollust and Zucker previously worked together at NBCUniversal, where he was president and CEO and she was the executive vice president of corporate communications.

Just a year ago, Gollust, as a top lieutenant to Zucker, was seen as his likely replacement at CNN. She is the former communications director for Andrew Cuomo.

Zucker had said in early 2021 that he might depart by the end of that year.

"I realize this news is troubling, disappointing, and frankly, painful to read," he said. "These are valid feelings many of you have."

The rules, Kilar said, must apply equally to all employees.
Mayor Samuel Parham presents Governor Glenn Youngkin with a portrait of Petersburg upon his first visit.

PETERSBURG  Gov. Glenn Youngkin was greeted with much fanfare during his first visit to Petersburg as the head of the state yesterday.

In coordination with Virginia State University and the City of Petersburg, the governor held a meeting to have a conversation about vaccine hesitancy and ways to overcome that in Petersburg.

"When I had the great privilege of being elected, I felt strongly that first, I didn't believe that people should be forced to get the vaccine. And I also felt that people shouldn't lose their job if they didn't get the vaccine. I am a big proponent of the vaccine," Youngkin expressed.

"One of the real things we do know is that when someone gets the vaccine, and even more so when they get the booster, their ability to prevent hospitalization, or even worse death is materially increased. Particularly those that are most vulnerable."

As a city that took last place in Virginia in a health rating that looked at various factors like access to care, air/water quality, community safety, length of life, unemployment and high school graduation, Petersburg is especially vulnerable to the effects of COVID.

Due to the way COVID has affected the city, community leaders have put boots on the ground, organizing vaccination clinics across the city to help protect more people from the virus.

According to the Virginia Department of Health, Petersburg has the second highest vaccination rate in the Crater area, behind Prince George. As of January, 43,422 doses of the vaccine have been administered to Petersburg and 66.3 percent of residents have received at least one shot. Nearly 59 percent are fully vaccinated. Seniors have a higher rate of vaccination, with at least 80 percent of those ages 55 to 84 being fully vaccinated. More than 90 percent of those ages 65 to 74 are fully vaccinated, the highest amount.

The youth, however, have drastically different vaccination rates. Less than 45 percent of those between the ages 18 and 34 are fully vaccinated. Kids ages 5 to 11 only have 14 percent who are fully vaccinated, and less than 52 percent of high schoolers are fully vaccinated.

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More: Pastor whose church was ambushed by KKK reflects on segregation and civil rights era

More: Petersburg entrepreneur outgrows kitchen: Opens takeout business inside convenience store

Youngkin opened up the floor by asking the community and government leaders present how this gap with the youth can be addressed.

Maria Pitre-Martin, the superintendent of Petersburg City Public Schools, discussed the distrust in the community when it comes to medical intervention.

"I remembered making statements such as, 'It's like getting a flu shot.' And many of our families said, 'Well, we don't get flu shots.' Now in that statement, what it told me is that there was either an access, affordability or an education need around health prevention," said Pitre-Martin.

"The second thing I will say is that I think there might be a distrust of medical intervention. Some of the things that we have heard, it really has to do with what gets in the vaccine, and the long term effects of what the vaccine could do. So I've heard things like stemming my child's growth, long term impacts to their DNA. And these are things that maybe they might have heard on social media, but because they have read it, they have to be concerned. And I totally get that."

Councilwoman Treska Wilson-Smith emphasized the importance of making direct contact with people in the community and building relationships in order to establish trust.

More: Study: Petersburg residents spend more than half their income on household bills

"I think if we took the time out to look at the citizen's individual needs, to pay attention to what they're going through, whether it's diabetes, or drug addiction or obesity, that that sets them on the track to start trusting the medical profession to help them," Wilson-Smith said. "If they see that they're not just coming at us for COVID, they're coming at me because they truly care about what's going on with me. I think that's our first step."

Youngkin asked who were the people that the community trusted. Another person present commented that church leaders are among some of the most trusted people in the community.

"I had to change my philosophy as leader, Fauci vs. my faith" Pastor Robert Diggs of Tabernacle Baptist Church said. "My faith said, God has me covered, I don't need a mask. Fauci says no, COVID is real, you need a mask. So when I show up to church on Sunday I have to have a mask on because all my people are watching. They have to know that you trust a mask, that you trust the vaccine."

Joyce Chu is the Social Justice Watchdog Reporter for The Progress Index. Cont act her at Jchu1@gannett.com or on Twitter @joyce_speaks.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Youngkin says he's big proponent of the vaccine in visit to Petersburg
On Tuesday, a Wiley H. Bates Middle School student was in possession of a 7-inch pocketknife, a crowbar and a lighter on school grounds, according to a letter sent by the Annapolis schools principal.

At around 10:40 a.m., the schools administration received a report that a student was in possession of prohibited items. The student was located, and their personal items were searched, said Principal Katherine Hicks in a letter to parents.

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After further investigation, it also was revealed that the involved student showed the items to some of their classmates, and briefly sparked the lighter. Based on interviews with the involved student and witnesses, at no time were threats made towards anyone.

Possession of potentially dangerous items is a violation of the law and the Code of Student Conduct. Therefore, police have been notified about this incident.

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Safety concerns can be reported anonymously to the Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line at 833-MD-B-SAFE 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
An Ankeny man charged with taking part in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is asking the courts to block a subpoena for his phone records from the congressional committee investigating the attack.

According to Salvador Sandoval's attorneys, the House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol is seeking phone records from T-Mobile for his mother, Deborah's, account, which includes his phone. Deborah Sandoval also is charged in the attack.

The subpoena, dated Feb. 1, requests subscriber information as well as call and text message records for the account between Nov. 1, 2020, and Jan. 31, 2021, 25 days after the attack.

T-Mobile sent Salvador Sandoval a letter informing him of the subpoena and saying the company would provide the sought-after records on Friday unless he challenged the filing in court by Wednesday.

Sandoval's attorneys did so, claiming that the subpoena is overbroad and unconstitutional.

"The Select Committee is engaged in a fishing expedition, which is constitutionally prohibited from such activity through the separation of powers," they wrote. "The zeal of the Select Committee's breadth and invasion into private matters pursuant to the subpoena is as bizarre as a banner headline in the National Enquirer."

What are the accusations against Salvador Sandoval?

Sandoval is one of seven Iowans charged to date in the attack. He and his mother were arrested in February 2021.

Both Sandovals filed motions earlier this month to transfer their cases from the District of Columbia to Iowa. They cited opinion polling to argue that it will be impossible to form an unbiased jury from D.C. residents, who take a dim view of the attack. The two also have asked for separate trials.

Previously: Details emerge on Deborah and Salvador Sandoval

The younger Sandoval faces charges including civil disorder; assaulting, resisting or impeding officers; obstructing an official proceeding; disorderly conduct; entering a restricted building; and violence in a restricted building. Investigators say video shows him inside the building during the riot, where he allegedly shoved two police officers and tried to take away a shield held by a third.

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More: Here's where the cases stand against 6 Iowans charged over participating in the U.S. Capitol riot

Who else has been subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee?

The bipartisan House committee, which was formed in July, already has sent out scores of subpoenas seeking records or testimony from individuals and organizations investigators suspect are linked to the attack.

Recipients so far include:

Former high-level officials, such as then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows

Attorneys and advisers connected to the 'Stop the Steal' legal campaign to overturn the 2020 election results.

Activists who organized or financed rallies and other events preceding the riot.

Militia groups and leaders involved in the actual attack.

Social media companies on whose platforms the attack was reportedly organized.

From USA Today: Who has been subpoenaed so far by the Jan. 6 committee?

Many of those recipients, like the Sandovals, have challenged the legitimacy and legality of the committee's requests. Officials working with the committee told the Washington Post their goal is to present at least an interim report on the attack this summer.

It's not clear how many other criminal defendants in the Jan. 6 attack also may be targets of subpoenas from the committee. Bill Kutmus and Trever Hook, Salvador Sandoval's attorneys, told the Des Moines Register they believe the committee has served phone carriers with "hundreds" of similar requests for customer information.

Although Sandoval's complaint lists both him and his mother as plaintiffs, Hook said that was a legal necessity because the account subpoenaed is in her name, and that any challenge to the request for her records would come from her attorney in Washington. A call to Deborah Sandoval's attorney was not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa man challenges Jan. 6 committee subpoena for phone records
Its finally here: Netflix released Inventing Anna, the Shonda Rhimes series which fictionalises the case of socialite scammer, Anna Delvey on Friday 11 February.

The series follows journalist Vivian Kent (played by Anna Chlumsky) as she investigates Delvey (played by Julia Garner), a Russian-born German socialite who scammed banks, hotels and rich acquaintances out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Viewers will see Delvey during the highest and lowest points of her con artist career. A trailer released in January showed scenes of Delvey telling Kent her story while wearing prison clothes, juxtaposed against her living lavishly, laying down wads of dollar bills and accusing a friend of being so dramatic when they plead Delvey to pay them back.

Garner, as Delvey, narrated the trailer: People are painting a public picture of me as a criminal. Thats not my story.

The series was inspired by an in-depth feature by journalist Jessica Pressler in New York Magazine, which was published in 2019.

But who is Anna Delvey, and what did she do?

Who is Anna Delvey?

Anna Delvey was the pseudonym used by a German woman named Anna Sorokin who moved to New York in 2013.

Under the fake name, Sorokin pretended to be a wealthy German heiress in order to establish herself in New Yorks social scene.

Julia Garner plays Anna Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, in a new Netflix series Inventing Anna' (Netflix)

She used the name until 2017, when the Manhattan District Attorneys Office began investigating her for instances of bank fraud.

In reality, Sorokins parents came from humble means. Her father worked as a truck driver, while her mother was a convenience store owner before she became a housewife.

She was born in the town of Domodedovo, near Moscow, in January 1991, and the family moved to Germany in 2007 when she was 16.

Sorokin moved in London in 2011 to attend Central Saint Martins, but quit and returned to Germany. She then relocated to Paris to start an internship with Purple, a French fashion magazine.

It was in Paris that she began using the name Delvey. Her parents said they do not recognise the surname.

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What did Anna Delvey, or Sorokin, do?

Upon her move to New York City, Sorokin attempted to pitch her idea for an Anna Delvey Foundation to wealthy potential investors.

The idea encompassed a private members club and art foundation, which involved leasing the Church Missions House  a historic building in Manhattan  as a multi-purpose events venue and art studio.

She also befriended rich socialites and would ask them to pay for hotels, flights, and lavish meals on the promise she would pay them back, but would later forget to do so.

Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin is led away after being sentenced in Manhattan Supreme Court May 9, 2019 following her conviction last month on multiple counts of grand larceny and theft of services (AFP via Getty Images)

Having failed to get investors for her foundation, Sorokin began creating fake bank statements purporting to show she had access to about 60m (approximately 50m) stored in Swiss bank accounts.

She submitted these documents as part of loan applications. But suspicion mounted over her applications due to discrepancies in her paperwork, and she withdrew it to avoid scrutiny.

Sorokin also checked into hotels without a working credit card on file and racked up tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills.

Julia Garner as Anna Delvey in episode 102 of Inventing Anna (AARON EPSTEIN/NETFLIX)

After eventually paying the US$30,000 bill she accumulated at the 11 Howard Hotel in SoHo using funds she gained from depositing fraudulent checks, she was evicted and moved to the Beekman Hotel.

But she was also evicted from the Beekman Hotel after failing to pay her US$11,518 bill, and again from the W New York Union Square hotel after just two days. Both hotels pressed charges against her for theft of services.

What happened to Anna Delvey, or Sorokin?

Sorokin was eventually indicted on several counts of grand larceny and misdemeanour theft of services.

She was arrested on 3 October 2017 in a sting operation. At the time, she was staying at Passages Malibu, an addiction treatment facility in California.

She appeared in New York City Criminal Court in December 2018, and a trial was set for 20 March 2019. At the end of the trial, Sorokin was found guilty of eight charges, including grand larceny in the second degree, attempted grand larceny and theft of services.

Julia Garner as Anna Delvey, Anna Chlumsky as Vivian Kent in episode 108 of Inventing Anna (NICOLE RIVELLI/NETFLIX)

She was sentenced to four to 12 years in state prison on Rikers Island, fined US$24,000 and ordered to pay restitution of around US$199,000.

Speaking about her experience in prison, Sorokin told Pressler: This place is not bad at all actually. People seem to think its horrible, but I see it as like, a sociological experiment.

There are couple of girls who are here for financial crimes as well. This one girl, shes been stealing other peoples identities. I didnt realise it was so easy.

Sorokin was released from prison on 11 February 2021, but was taken back into custody a month later for overstaying her visa. As of February 2022, she is still being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody awaiting deportation to Germany.

Is Anna Delvey on Instagram?

In Inventing Anna, Kent is seen scrolling through Sorokins Instagram to get more of a glimpse into the supposed socialites life and, in reality, the account is still active today.

From the ICE facilities where she is currently being kept, Sorkin posts to @theannadelvey, and has been posting about the new series.

Sharing a still from the show, Sorokin captioned it: Inventing me. The account dates back to 2013 and documents her travels and interest in art.
Traffic on Sweeten Creek Road tends to back up in the two lane sections. A widening project has been delayed until 2027.

Todays batch of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal:

Question: What is the current status of two of the larger planned road projects in our area  the widening of Sweeten Creek and Mills Gap roads, and the I-26 Connector project? I haven't heard much about either since delays were announced a couple of years ago.

My answer: Once the DOT's new Prodigious Asphalt Vegetation Elimination plan goes into effect, this will all be a moot point anyway. Yes, over the next 10 years, PAVE will put asphalt on every spot of unpaved territory in the greater Asheville area.

Real answer: Steve Cannon, the project development engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Asheville office, said the DOT is "currently developing the 2024-2033 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program as required by state law."

"All project schedules are subject to change, and public comment will be a part of this process to document funding for future construction across the state," Cannon said via email.

Now, about those projects. Let's start with Mills Gap Road, which is prone to clogging up, especially in and around Sweeten Creek Road and Hendersonville Road.

A project to widen Mills Gap Road from Hendersonville Road to Weston Road is scheduled to begin construction in late 2023.

More: N.C. DOT wants input on 3 I-26 interchange options; website, interactive map available

More: Asheville road study: Hendersonville Road center median? Car lanes cut to allow for bikes?

"A project to improve Mills Gap Road from Hendersonville Road to Weston Road is currently scheduled to begin construction in late 2023," Cannon said. "Right of way acquisition is currently ongoing. This project schedule may change, but the change is anticipated to be minor."

The DOT widened a chunk of Sweeten Creek north of Rock Hill Road over a decade ago, but the rest of it has remained two lanes, and it gets crowded. Relief is on the horizon, but it's a distant horizon.

"The widening of Sweeten Creek Road from Rock Hill Road to Hendersonville Road (U.S. 25 Business) is currently scheduled to begin in 2027," Cannon said. "Additional public input opportunities will be available before work begins. This project schedule is likely to be pushed out further."

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Now, moving on to the mother of all road projects, the infamous I-26 Connector project. This has been talked about for three decades now, and it looks like it's finally coming to fruition.

More: I-26 Connector among road projects facing delays in NCDOT schedule revision

The basic plan is to build new roadway and bridges that will allow I-26 north of Asheville to join up with I-26 south of Asheville much more seamlessly. The $1 billion project will be one of the largest highways projects in Western North Carolina.

It will span 7 miles, connecting I-26 in southwest Asheville to U.S. 192370 (Future I-26) in northwest Asheville. The connector will upgrade and widen Interstate 240 from Interstate 40 to Patton Avenue, and then cross the French Broad River as a new freeway to U.S. 192370, slightly south of the Broadway interchange.

Cannon gave a good breakdown.

"The I-26 Connector is comprised of three general sections, with sub-sections to assist with planning and funding," he said.

More: New I-26 interchange for Pratt & Whitney site could cost up to $35M, but will "promote connectivity"

Here's the current schedule, organized by sections:

Section A  From the I-40/I-26/I-240 interchange to Haywood Road Exit. Begin construction spring of 2023.

Section B  From Haywood Road interchange across the French Broad River. Begin design/build phase in late 2023, with anticipated construction beginning late 2024 to 2025.

Section C  Additional improvements to I-40 interchanges with Smoky Park Highway, I-26 and Brevard Road. Begin construction in 2029 or later.

Question: Many of our kids in North Asheville spent their childhood playing at the Jones Park playground. It was also a gathering spot for parents to socialize and compare notes. As the park aged, it no longer met safety standards and was demolished last year. Now we have a mud pit that is of no use to anyone. Could you please look into the status of the park, and give us hope for a playground for the new generation of kids needing a safe place to play?

My answer: Man, I am running short in the hope department, but I can offer a very good shot at more mud pit.

More: BB gun brought to an Asheville elementary school prompts parent to demand action

Real answer: I had assumed this would be a city of Asheville Park, but it's not the city's responsibility.

"That is overseen by Asheville City Schools," city spokeswoman Kim Miller said via email, referring me to ACS spokeswoman Ashley-Michelle Thublin for further information.

"At this time, district leadership continues to meet with the city and our community," Thublin said. "As additional information is available, it will be promptly communicated."

Well, that was succinct.

Stay tuned.

This is the opinion of John Boyle. To submit a question, contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Answer Man: Sweeten Creek & Mills Gap widening? Status of Jones Park?
(Refiles to add media packaging code)

(Reuters) -Australia's Liontown Resources said on Wednesday it signed a five-year agreement with Tesla to supply lithium spodumene concentrate to the electric carmaker, sending the lithium miner's shares up nearly 20%.

Tesla will buy 100,000 dry metric tonnes (DMT) of the concentrate in the first year starting 2024, increasing to 150,000 DMT per year in subsequent years.

Lithium prices have soared in the past few years, with suppliers scrambling to meet demand as automakers lean towards electric vehicles. The prices are about eight times higher than they were at the start of 2021.

Liontown will supply lithium from its flagship Kathleen Valley Lithium project in Western Australia that is expected to begin commercial production by 2025. The supply to Tesla will account for about a third of the project's annual production capacity.

Liontown already has a lithium supply deal with the battery unit of South Korea's LG Chem from the project.

Liontown shares jumped as much as 19.8% to A$1.665, their biggest intraday jump since Sept. 13, 2021.

($1 = 1.3986 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Harshita Swaminathan; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
Starting Friday, wearing a mask indoors in Anne Arundel County school buildings will be optional.

In December, the State Board of Education established offramps from the school masking requirement, which originally was established in August to slow the spread of COVID-19.. One of those options states that when 80 percent of the population of the county is fully vaccinated as reported by the Maryland Department of Health, the mandate can be lifted.

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Superintendent George Arlotto verified Wednesday that at least 80% of county residents eligible for vaccination have been inoculated against COVID-19, so he recommended lifting the requirement. The Anne Arundel County Board of Education unanimously voted at its Wednesday night meeting to end the mandate, making masks optional starting Friday in all school buildings.

Schools spokesman Bob Mosier said it is the systems understanding that schools can lift the mask mandate once 80% of the eligible population is vaccinated, rather than 80% of the total population.

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The published standard from the state school board was not explicit about whether 80% refers to the total population or eligible population. Lora Rakowski, a spokesperson for the Maryland State Department of Education, said Wednesday evening that 80% of the countys eligible population being vaccinated is an acceptable standard for a county to consider unmasking.

Corine Frank, a school board member from Pasadena, made the motion to make masking optional.

Families have only asked for us to recognize their right to make these decisions, Frank said.

Melissa Ellis, a board member from Millersville, asked Arlotto to send a message to students and staff about not singling out or ridiculing someone over whether they are or are not wearing a mask.

This is absolutely a choice, and there is absolutely no reason to make any assumptions about someones choice, she said.

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Students will still be required to wear masks on buses, as required by a federal transportation mandate.

Parents who signed up for public comment during Wednesdays Board of Education meeting to urge members to drop the mandate thanked the representatives instead.

Crofton parent Kristen Caminiti said she supports the offramps offered by the state, but said she interprets MSDEs rule as applying to the total population. What will happen when the youngest children become eligible, and the vaccination rate declines as the pool of eligible residents increases, she asked.

It does not say 80% of eligible residents, so why the sudden change? she said.

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The Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County released a statement Thursday saying it supports the boards decision to make masking optional.

Dr. Arlotto, Dr. Kalyanaraman and the entire Board of Education have consistently, under highly politicized and challenging circumstances, followed the advice of the medical and scientific community, President Russell Leone said in a statement. And we are certain AACPS will continue to address the needs of the most vulnerable within our school community.

The issue of masking in schools continues to be controversial around Maryland. Last week, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan urged the State Board of Education to rescind its school masking policy in light of recent improving health metrics.

In a letter to the board dated Feb. 10, Hogan said it was critical to move toward normalcy for students and families.

On Tuesday, a group of parents and activists filed a lawsuit to challenge the school masking requirement implemented by the state school board.

Parents throughout the state of Maryland want their rightful decision-making power returned, Ali Rak, co-founder of The Coalition of Maryland Parents, said in a statement. Children are the least at risk for adverse outcomes from a COVID-19 infection and yet, the last to see restrictions removed throughout this entire years long ordeal.

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Mask mandates for government buildings are being dropped by the state and county. On Tuesday, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said the mask requirement for county buildings will end Feb. 22 because of dropping COVID case rates and hospitalizations.

On Monday, Hogan said the mandate for state buildings will also end Feb. 22.

In other business related to the pandemic, Arlotto announced Wednesday the end of mandatory vaccination or testing for athletes this spring, citing the declining COVID rate and the outdoor nature of spring sports. The program will continue through the end of the winter season.
The widow of Bitcoin Ponzi mastermind Gerald Cotton has revealed his sudden and mysterious demise has led to death threats from duped investors insisting shes part of a $215m crypto heist.

In a new book, Jennifer Robertson denies shes part of an elaborate plot to fake her husbands death and escape with the savings of 76,000 investors from Canadas largest crypto exchange, QuadrigaCX.

"Faked by me? By me and Gerry conspiring together? What did they think had happened inside that ICU in India? Did they even care?" she writes in Bitcoin Widow: Love, Betrayal and the Missing Millions.

In an excerpt published in The Walrus, Ms Robertson says wild speculation over his 2018 death in India, just days after he changed his will, led to stalkers demanding she return the missing $215m CAD, or $168m at todays rates.

(QuadrigaCX)

Our money or violence your choice jen, declared one sender, who appeared to have experienced losses in the Quadriga debacle and blamed me," Ms Robertson recalls. Im going to take one for the team and kill jen, wrote another.

What really happened with "Dead Jen Walking" and allegedly dead Gerry", and what should be done to them as a result, flamed across platforms like Reddit.

"The truth is", Ms Robertson says, "I still knew very little about Quadriga or how Bitcoin worked."

Canadas securities regulator found Mr Cotton was running a Ponzi scheme when he died at age 30 from Chrons disease, taking his keys to the crypto vault to his grave.

"According to someone who called himself Scamdriga, I had married a scam artist and knowingly [spent] money on Fendi and Prada meanwhile hard-working Canadians get nothing, Ms Robertson writes.

"It hurt in ways it shouldnt have when strangers not only didnt like me but appeared to actively hate me. I deserved to be waterboarded for hours, then crucified. But not just memy father as well. Hang her dad right in front of Jen. Even my dogs! How about you give us the location of Gerrys dogs so that we can light them on fire?

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Ms Robertsons memoir, described by Toronto Star as a travelogue from The Twilight Zone, details their whirlwind romance and her slow realization he wasnt the man she swiped right to on Tinder in 2014.

She learned he had been in similar scams before they met and served as a payment processor for a Costa Rica company used by "drug cartels, human traffickers, child pornographers and Ponzis to launder money.

An investigation by Ernst and Young found Quadrigas investors money wasnt just missing, it had been stolen. He set up fake accounts under the name Aretwo Deetwo and Seethree Peaohh made trades on the gamble the value of crypto would keep rising.

The Quadriga website, meanwhile, assured investors their funds were "highly liquid" and could be withdrawn at any time.

"The reality was that clients had no way of verifying those claims beyond taking Gerry at his word. They did. And so did I," Ms Robertson writes.

"The simple fact is that Gerry should never have been in a position to hold all the levers of a billion-dollar company with no internal or external oversight."
When the doors of Nomad Bar first swung open 11 years ago, no one really knew it but the owners.

That's because there was only a lone, generic neon "Open" sign suddenly glowing to let people know something was happening on the mostly abandoned block near Ninth and Orange streets. There was no glitzy ribbon-cutting ceremony with the mayor or invited media.

Over time, it became a home for many: musicians, music fans and all sorts of neighborhood folks from community leaders to the lonely looking for a drink and a little fellowship.

It's the kind of bar people call home. A family-owned spot where the bartenders and owners know your name (and drink order) after only a few visits.

Bartender Billy Cerasari pours a drink at Wilmington's Nomad Bar. The club will reopen next month with local acts including Darnell Miller and Cure For Pain.

That's why it was a blow to many when Nomad (905 N. Orange St.) closed as coronavirus swept the country in March 2020 and was later boarded after the violent protests that erupted in downtown Wilmington two months later over the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

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Nomad was a living room for many; a place where people would especially want to gather during hard times, but these hard times meant isolating at home.

Now, after nearly two years away, owners Dave and Linda Vandever have pried the boards off the bar, restocked the bar and are ready for bands to resurrect the vibe that had patrons off their stools and dancing.

A lone neon sign tells passersby that Nomad Bar is open pre-pandemic. The sign has been dark for nearly two years. The bar reopens next month.

While it's technically a jazz bar, they host everything from jazz, R&B, and soul to rock, ska, and blues.

On Thursday, March 10, Nomad Bar will officially reopen with Wilmington soul favorite Darnell Miller and the Souldaires followed by Wilmington-born jazz man "Big Cat" Tony Smith and his band on Friday with Island Vibe rounding out the weekend on Saturday.

Other shows already booked include Wilmington-based Morphine cover act Cure For Pain on March 19. (There's never a cover charge at Nomad.)

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THE PRICE OF COVID: How did Wilmington's new soundstage balloon from $8M to $17M in costs during pandemic?

Miller sums up the bar's aura perfectly.

"Everybody is somebody there and is welcome. It doesn't matter your economic status, if you're Black, white, gay, straight or whatever. When you get all those different people together, magic is bound to happen."

Nomad, a narrow, brick-lined bar reminiscent of clubs in New York's Greenwich Village, is one of the last bars and music venues in the state to reopen following the arrival of coronavirus.

With very little space in between the band and the crowd  and even less between patrons on barstools at the 30-foot bar  COVID-19 made it nearly impossible to open safely early in the pandemic.

Dave Vandever, who has owned the building since 1976, said he originally was preparing to open earlier this year, but the omicron spike delayed those plans.

"There was a continual changing of restrictions and requirements and with us being an intimate place with no patio, we decided to just stay closed until we felt more optimistic," he said of the property, which previously has been everything from a Deerhead Hot Dogs to a Subway sandwich shop.

David Vandever, who owns Nomad Bar with his wife Linda, behind the bar at the jazz club in April 2011.

Vandever, who used to live above the bar with Linda when it first opened, adding to the homespun feel, said the couple has been fielding messages for months from patrons quizzing them about an opening date.

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For Miller, it's not only a return to his favorite local stages. His history runs deeper. He's a regular patron and was there for the 2011 opening on a snowy day. He even wrote a song called "Billy" about the bar's best-known bartender Billy Cerasari.

Wilmington's Darnell Miller and the Souldaires will perform when Nomad Bar reopens on March 10.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the Floyd protests, and the death of his mother Minnie in December at 78, Nomad's return (and the community that comes with it) couldn't come at a better time.

It was where he went before the shutdown when his mother was ill and on a ventilator fighting for her life with what he now knows was an early case of COVID-19.

"I would play every Wednesday and it was therapy for me to be there in that atmosphere with my brothers and sisters," he said.

Karen Igoe, owner of HoneyBee Kitchen and Market in Wilmington's Trolley Square Shopping Center, regularly went to Nomad to catch bands and is grateful to the Vandevers for coming back.

Barstools will fill with music fans once again when Wilmington's Nomad Bar opens next month.

"They really didn't need to do that. They easily could have walked away," she said. "It's a testament to their patrons because they realized how much it means to the community and music scene."

Other than some lighting enhancements and new drink offerings, Vandever said Nomad regulars will find the club just as they left it.

"Like stepping back in time," he promised. "It will be very much like people remember, right down to Billy."

Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormierdelawareonline) and Twitter (@ryancormier).

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Nomad Bar is back with bands, beers and a reunited community
A Boise man has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly strangling and beating a woman at an Interstate 84 rest area in Cassia County last week.

Michael Ray Ramsey, 39, is also charged with felony counts of battery with the intent to commit a serious felony, unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, drug trafficking in methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Court records show that the Cassia County Sheriffs Office was called last Thursday to a westbound I-84 rest area at milepost 229, east of Burley and not far from the interchange with Interstate 86 in southeast Idaho. Deputies said that when they arrived, they found a woman in the drivers seat of a red Tesla with both fresh and dried blood on her face, and bruising and swelling on her neck, forehead and around one eye.

Clumps of the womans hair were found outside the vehicle and in the passengers seat, authorities said.

The woman told officers that she was traveling from Salt Lake City to Idaho when she began having trouble with her vehicles battery. The woman said she had a phone conversation with Ramsey and told him about the vehicle trouble. He told her he was concerned for her safety, and she told deputies that she indicated to Ramsey she would meet him in Twin Falls.

The woman said Ramsey instead showed up at the rest stop in a silver GMC SUV with a passenger in his vehicle. Ramsey got into the Tesla on the passengers side and began talking to the woman before he grabbed her by the neck and began strangling her, she said. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the passengers seat, where he continued to strangle her and began striking her in the face, according to court records.

The woman said he also put his hand over her nose and mouth while applying pressure around her neck. She told deputies that her vision blurred but she did not pass out. She was able kick open the drivers door and get away, she said.

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At that point, Ramsey got out of the vehicle, went back to his SUV and drove away.

The woman got back into her vehicle and called 911.

She also found that Ramsey had dropped his phone in her car, according to court records, and she was able to unlock it and find a text conversation in which Ramsey said he was going to put her in a dumpster.

The woman said hed previously made a statement about dumping her at the dairy.

Idaho State Police said they found Ramsey in Jerome, and troopers reported finding a 9 mm handgun, 216 grams of a white substance and six used drug-smoking devices in his SUV.

A preliminary hearing for Ramsey is set for Friday in Cassia County Magistrate Court.
UK prime minister Boris Johnson in London on July 8, 2021. Jeremy Selwyn - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Boris Johnson carried out a hasty reshuffle after losing several key aides in early February.

However in carving up the roles, the ministerial lead for corruption was missed off.

Now there is no clarity over who has responsibility, or when they will be appointed.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's knee-jerk reshuffle has left the Government without a ministerial lead for corruption, Insider has learned.

Lord Agnew had carried the brief as part of his responsibilities as minister for efficiency and transformation at the Cabinet Office and the Treasury.

However the Conservative peer sensationally quit Johnson's frontbench while speaking in the House of Lords last month, saying he could not defend the "woefully inadequate" government response to fraud during the pandemic.

On February 8  in reaction to the departure of several key aides from Number 10  Johnson carried out a mini-reshuffle, primarily to carve up the Cabinet Office minister role of Steve Barclay after making him chief of staff.

As part of that, the prime minister also gave Jacob Rees-Mogg a newly minted job, making him minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency.

However no mention was made of the corruption brief.

The Cabinet Office has not yet decided which minister should take it on, sources familiar close to the situation said, with three names in the frame: Michael Ellis, who is a junior minister in the department, Heather Wheeler, who is an assistant whip and parliamentary secretary to the department, or Rees-Mogg.

Ministerial portfolios are expected to be set out in due course.

Joe Powell, deputy chief executive of the Open Government Partnership, told Insider: "Our counterpart was Lord Agnew and we have not been informed yet which minister will have the corruption brief  and I don't think the civil servants have either."

Powell suggested the lack of attention paid to the brief was part of a general trend in which issues such as corruption were being taken less seriously, pointing to the lack of "proper action" on areas such as the long-promised Economic Crimes Bill, which is expected to create a public register of foreign owned property and reform Companies House.

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"We used to have Francis Maude, and whatever people may think of him, he was a serious player in the Cabinet," he said. "Clearly the last 18 months or so have been a disaster for open government and corruption in the UK I hope this focus on Russia and dirty money is an opportunity to turn it around."

A government spokesperson said: "Fraud is totally unacceptable and tackling corruption remains an essential priority. We are taking firm and coordinated action across government to crack down on it.

"This includes investing over 100m in a Taxpayer Protection Taskforce which is expected to recover 1.5bn worth of fraudulent or incorrect payments in one of the largest and quickest responses to a fraud risk ever."

Read the original article on Business Insider
An AirAsia pilot was forced to reroute an airborne plane after one of the passengers found a snake on board slithering behind a lighting fixture.



The AirAsia flight was reportedly on the way to Kuala Lumpur from Tawau on Thursday when the pilot was informed of the unwanted stowaway,CNN reported.





A video posted online by a passenger shows the snakes silhouette as it makes its way through.









The captain took the appropriate action and the flight safely departed for Tawau as soon as possible," Captain Liong Tien Ling, AirAsia's chief safety officer, said in a statement, explaining even though it was a rare occurrence, these situations can occur on any aircraft from time to time.



The safety and well-being of our guests and crew is always our top priority. At no time was the safety of guests or crew at any risk."



The flight was immediately rerouted to Kuching, Sarawak. After safely landing in the city, the airline fumigated the plane as a safety precaution,Channel News Asia reported.



The Thursday incident was likened in news stories to the 2006 movie Snakes on a Plane, which stars Samuel L. Jackson as an FBI agent tasked to escort a witness from Hawaii to Los Angeles. The Jackson film is where the famous quotable line "I have had it with these motherf*cking snakes on this motherf*cking plane" originated.





No further details on how the snake may have gotten onto the plane have been made available yet.



Featured ImageTheStar (left),lasta29 (CC BY 2.0)

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Crews work Monday morning to tear down aging buildings on the Catholic Charities of Louisville campus at 2911 S. Fourth Street. Feb. 14, 2022

The demolition of several older buildings in South Louisville to make way for the new Catholic Charities of Louisville headquarters began this week, but those around the organization say it was a long time coming.

It was a two-year effort to approve plans to tear down the old Holy Name gym and school at Fourth Street and Haywood Avenue and the nearby convent building, by Cardinal Stadium and two blocks north of Churchill Downs, according to Catholic Charities spokeswoman Susan Smith. Court challenges to keep the aging buildings standing advanced all the way from Louisville Metro Council to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Demolition began Monday, she said, and if all goes according to plan, in about two years Catholic Charities employees working at several locations around town should be relocated into the new headquarters.

'Shaken but safe': Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg describes shooting

Catholic Charities describes itself on its website as the "social-service arm of the Archdiocese of Louisville." It offers services for the poor and vulnerable in two-dozen counties across the state, including Jefferson County, including support groups and educational programs.

Crews work Monday morning to tear down aging buildings on the Catholic Charities of Louisville campus at 2911 S. Fourth Street. Feb. 14, 2022

The move will keep the organization in South Louisville once construction is complete. Catholic Charities CEO Lisa DeJaco Crutcher said in a statement that the group "very much wanted to remain in the Holy Name neighborhood, where we are needed and where we can contribute to its revitalization." Smith said getting the whole staff in one building, on a notable Louisville block with access to bus lines and public transportation, will benefit the whole community.

"Everybody will be under one roof, which will be great," Smith said Monday morning. "We have a number of clients who come physically to us. We teach English as a Second Language classes, we do classes for expecting mothers and we do legal services for immigrants and refugees, and most of those people come to us. Now they'll be able to come to one place for that instead of going to a few different places, and that's part of the reason why we wanted to stay here."

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There were efforts to save the aging buildings that were torn down this week. Louisville's Metro Council removed their landmarks designation in December 2019, but some neighbors and preservationists had argued the older buildings could be renovated and repurposed instead of demolished. Catholic Charities was finally given the green light by the Kentucky Supreme Court last December, Smith said, which allowed demolition to begin two months later.

The buildings to be torn down were "beautiful," Smith acknowledged. But they were built 88 years ago, with a usable lifespan of 50 years. The heat in the buildings was poorly regulated, she said, and issues persisted with power usage and access to hot water. In her statement Monday, DeJaco Crutcher joked that Catholic Charities is excited to bring most of our services under one roof (that does not leak!)"

For Courier Journal subscribers: Metro Council member moves to track lobbyists amid apartment rezoning controversy

The project came with an estimated price tag of $7.5 million, but Smith said that number has risen by about 9% because of an increase in the cost of building materials during the coronavirus pandemic. About $5 million had been raised for the project before the pandemic stalled fundraising, she said.

Once complete, she said, the new facility will be able to accommodate employees currently working at the old St. Anthony campus at 23rd and Market streets. That facility will be converted into a Catholic Charities visitor center once construction in South Louisville is finished.

Officials with the organization hope construction of the new headquarters  which will include a food pantry, meeting rooms and other amenities  will be complete by 2024.

Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Catholic Charities of Louisville demolishes old campus to build new HQ
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said top officials will re-evaluate ongoing changes to the departments caregiver support program which could take away stipends from thousands of families over the next year.

I am worried about the feedback were getting, McDonough told reporters at his monthly press conference on VA issues. We work for caregivers, we work for the veterans. We want to make sure that theyre getting the information they need and clarity about why were making the decisions were making.

Earlier this month, a coalition of 15 veterans service organizations presented formal objections to planned department changes in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, which provides stipends to family members who provide home care to elderly or infirm veterans.

Thousands of caregivers may lose monthly stipends under new VA review

Among the complaints were that the new rules drastically changed the programs eligibility criteria resulting in harsh impacts for families.

About 33,000 individuals are currently enrolled in the program, which provides support services and monthly stipends to caregivers of veterans unable to perform basic self-care activities.

The stipend is set to expand in October to include families of veterans who served between the Vietnam War and the Afghanistan War, prompting the department work to ensure that existing program participants are being treated equitably.

VA officials announced last fall that they expected around 6,700 families would be dropped from the program under the changes, but that no families would see any financial payouts decreased or ended before October.

The idea was to ensure that individuals would have time to prepare for the financial impact of losing the stipends, which can total more than $3,000 a month. But advocates objecting to the changes have nonetheless called them too restrictive and unforgiving, aimed more at culling families from the program than balancing veterans medical and emotional needs.

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McDonough said that in coming weeks, Deputy Secretary Donald Remy will head up a review on the work so far to make sure that were learning everything we can from and that were making best use of investments Congress has made in this program.

Vets disability benefits for tinnitus, mental health issues may change

On the criticism the department has received, McDonough said he is unsure if it represents widespread communication problems with staff and participants, or simply a small minority unhappy with the personal impact on their families.

The secretary said officials do not have authority under the law to include veterans with non-service injuries (individuals must have a VA disability rating of 70 percent or more to qualify) but do have more flexibility in how they evaluate whether full-time caregiver services are needed to improve a veterans quality of life.

He expects Remys review to take several weeks, and look both at changes to the program and how they are being communicated to the families involved.

[Caregivers] will be a bigger part of the backbone as our aging veterans demonstrate that they, like the rest of the country, want to age in place, he said. And so we want to get this right.
A group of parents and activists filed a lawsuit Tuesday to challenge the school masking requirement implemented by Marylands State Board of Education.

The Coalition of Maryland Parents, a limited liability company created this month that combined members of ReOpen Charles County and Baltimore County Parent and Student Coalition, filed the lawsuit in Somerset County Circuit Court after raising more than $31,000 for legal fees in a week. The lawsuit seeks to stop the state Board of Education from requiring public school students to wear face coverings in school.

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Parents throughout the state of Maryland want their rightful decision-making power returned, said Ali Rak, the groups co-founder, in a statement. Children are the least at risk for adverse outcomes from a COVID-19 infection and yet, the last to see restrictions removed throughout this entire years long ordeal.

The lawsuit takes aim at the boards decision in December to extend an emergency regulation requiring public school students and staff to wear masks in schools until the end of the 2022 school year.

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The board amended the emergency regulation to create off ramps allowing local school systems to end mask mandates in their district if they meet one of the following criteria: at least 80% of students and staff are fully vaccinated; 80% of a countys population is fully vaccinated; or COVID-19 transmission rates are low or moderate for 14 consecutive days in the school districts county.

The suit comes days after Gov. Larry Hogan pressed the State Board of Education to drop its masking policy.

The Republican wrote in a letter to the board that students are failing grades, regressing socially and struggling with mental health challenges due to school disruptions. He called on the board to rescind COVID-19 restrictions now that health trends are optimistic and 74% of the states population is fully vaccinated.

In its lawsuit, the coalition argued the state school board does not have the authority to subvert decisions by individual county school boards or the authority to extend statewide mandates without public input.

The state board extended its mask requirement Dec. 7, just before COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates skyrocketed to the highest level Maryland has experienced since the start of the pandemic. State lawmakers on the General Assemblys Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review approved the updated regulation Jan. 5.

Case rates and positivity rates have since dropped significantly from the surge driven by the more contagious omicron variant, and hospitalizations and death rates also are trending down.

A spokesperson for the State Board of Education pointed to a statement issued Friday in response to Hogans letter, emphasizing its monthly examination of COVID-19 metrics and the necessity of masks.

The face covering requirement helped keep all of our schools open through the fall  as many schools and entire districts closed around the country  and it helped our school systems weather the omicron surge and preserve in-person learning for the vast majority of our students, State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury said in a statement.

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The State Board of Education plans to meet Feb. 22 to reassess the face mask requirement with the newfound ability for children age 5 to 11 to receive the COVID-19 in mind, Choudhury said.

The coalition is attempting to stop the statewide mask mandate it says has caused significant academic, physical and emotional harm to its members children.

The group, which consists of 180 families from different districts, hired Anne Arundel County attorney C. Edward Hartman III to represent its case in Somerset Circuit Court, where one member of the coalition resides. Hartman has been at the forefront of numerous legal challenges to health restrictions placed on Maryland businesses and residents by local and state agencies.

Democratic governors in Delaware, New Jersey and Connecticut have said this month that they will end school mask mandates by March while allowing local school districts to decide whether students need to wear face coverings.

Hartman said Hogans public preference for rolling back mask requirements has been pleasing to see.

If the State Board of Education does remove the mask mandate without us having to get an order [for them] to do so, thats fine, Hartman said. Were happy to see some other people agree with our position.
A woman was taken into custody after officers responded to a disturbance where they found a child dead, the Kansas City Police Department said.

The child was under age 10.

The homicide drew reaction from Mayor Quinton Lucas, who called for justice.

We dont yet know why an elementary school aged child was killed this morning, but we understand the pain a family, school, and community are facing, Lucas tweeted. May we see that the assailants are swiftly brought to justice and may we resolve to avoid more preventable tragedies like this.

We dont yet know why an elementary school aged child was killed this morning, but we understand the pain a family, school, and community are facing. May we see that the assailants are swiftly brought to justice and may we resolve to avoid more preventable tragedies like this.  Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) February 16, 2022

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker called for unity to prevent future deaths.

There are no adequate words to address the harm a child suffered last night, Baker posted on social media. We must rally together, support our kids who need us and show unity in the common goal of preventing future harms.

Just before midnight Tuesday, police responded to a disturbance in the 7300 block of Indiana Avenue, said Capt. Leslie Foreman, a spokeswoman for the department.

They forced entry into the residence based on the exigent circumstances, Foreman said. Officers found a child under age 10 dead.

Kansas City Police were at a house Wednesday in the 7300 block of Indiana Avenue where a woman was arrested Tuesday night following a disturbance where a child was found dead. The childs death has been ruled a homicide.

A woman was arrested at the scene.

Detectives canvassed the area looking for witnesses and crime scene personnel processed the scene.

The homicide is the citys 19th killing this year. Its the second involving a child, according to data compiled by The Star.

In 2021, 25 children were killed across the metro area.

Police asked anyone with information to call the homicide unit at 816-234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS hotline at 816-474-8477.
Chinese financier Ding Peng said he wants his son to watch porn, sleep around and be a 'scumbag.'

He said in a WeChat group that he didn't want his son to live a 'hard life' as he did.

His comments have sparked social media fury about his parenting style and attitude towards women.

Well-known Shanghai-based investor Ding Peng sparked a social media backlash after saying he plans to teach his teenage son to watch porn and sleep with many women so that he can be a "scumbag."

He told other members in a group chat on the Chinese messaging app WeChat that he did not want his son to "live a hard life" as he did, reported the South China Morning Post.

Ding is chairman of the China Quantitative Investment Society, which has 8,000 members in the financial industry and organizes talks and conducts research related to investing.

Ding rose to fame in the early 2000s when he wrote a popular book about quantitative investment, "Quantitative Investment  Strategies and Techniques," according to SCMP.

SCMP described Ding as one of "China's elite financiers" who is a shareholder in two Chinese companies and senior manager of another.

Ding's comments have since gone viral after being leaked by a chat group member, per SCMP.

Ding Peng said he had given his son money to use for treating girls to meals. Weiquan Lin/Getty

In screenshots shared on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, Ding wrote, "I plan to get him to watch porn next year. I will teach him personally. He can start sleeping with girls in high school, and when he gets to college, he can give me a few babies."

Ding also said that he had transferred his son tens of thousands of yuan (at least $3,000) to treat girls to meals. "He already has two girlfriends; he's better than me," he wrote.

According to the leaked information, Ding's son is in Form Two, the equivalent of the eighth grade, and is believed to be 14 or 15 years old.

"I've lived a hard life. I just kept studying when I was young. I was still doing that when I was 30. I don't want him to follow my lead. I want him to be a scumbag," wrote Ding.

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On Chinese social media, the backlash to his comments was swift.

Weibo users said he was disrespectful of women and a lousy parent teaching his child poor social values.

"He wants his son to sleep with many women? Even if he wants to brag about his wealth and powerful status, this is not the way to do it," said a Weibo user.

Another commented on the difference between Ding's parenting style and Olympic skier Eileen Gu's mother. Gu, born in America and currently representing China at the Winter Olympics, has won over Chinese fans and has even been dubbed the country's "snow princess."

"[Eileen Gu's mother] has succeeded, she encourages her daughter to do the things she likes, and now she's a world ski champion. Ding Peng tells his son that he does not need to succeed, just sleep with many women. How can the difference between these two people be so big?" the Weibo user wrote.

One Weibo user pointed to the difference between Ding's parenting style and that of Olympic champion Eileen Gu's mother. Reuters

Ding did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

On Monday, he told Chinese news outlet The Cover that his comments were "taken out of context" and that he made them after "being goaded."

"I made the comments casually, out of emotional agitation," he said.

However, the same report also shared an earlier screenshot of a WeChat conversation he had with a friend, in which he said that he "didn't care" about the negative comments directed at him.

"This is no big deal, I don't care. Feel free to share [my comments]," he said.

Read the original article on Insider
The Daily Beast

Claudio Peri/Pool/ReutersROMESince the beginning of Russias invasion of Ukraine, Pope Francis has floated the idea that he wants to take a trip to Kyiv to try to broker a ceasefire. But now he says he would prefer to go to Moscow to try to talk some sense into Vladimir Putin, who he has not outwardly condemned in the now nearly 3-month-old war and only did so lightly in a lengthy interview with an Italian newspaper. I feel that before going to Kyiv I must go to Moscow, he told Corriere Della
Feb. 15THOMASVILLE  A longstanding lawsuit against the City of Thomasville finally may be over.

In a 4-1 vote Monday evening, city council members agreed to pay a $150,000 settlement agreement to three plaintiffs.

Mayor Jay Flowers and council members Terry Scott, Todd Mobley and Scott Chastain voted to approve the settlement agreement with plaintiffs Howell Ferguson, Kevin Fuchs and Geoffrey Young. Wanda Warren voted against the agreement.

"it's been hanging over our heads for years," Flowers said. "it's good to get it behind us. There is no way really to not settle at some point. The city was at fault. We would have to pay now or pay later."

In exchange for the settlement agreement, city attorney Tim Sanders said the plaintiffs would release the city from all claims to date.

Two previous attempts to adopt the settlement agreement failed under the previous council. Because former mayor Greg Hobbs and former council member David Hufstetler were named as defendants, they could not vote on the issue.

That left just three sitting council members  Flowers, Mobley and Warren  to decide. City rules dictate a majority of council members must vote in favor of a motion in order for it to pass. That majority is three, even if only three council members are eligible to vote.

Warren, who voted against the motion Monday evening, also voted not to approve the settlement agreement back in October and November 2021.

The settlement agreement last fall called for a $110,000 payment to the plaintiffs to cover their legal fees.

"Each time you wait, you pay more," Flowers said. "This has definitely cost us more than it would have cost in November when we had an opportunity to settle."

The original suit was filed seeking the city's records on actions prior to approving the Pinetree Boulevard projects in May 2018. Ferguson, Fuchs and Young charged that the city and in particular Hobbs and Hufstetler violated open records acts.

"It really reflects on the opportunity for the public to know, because this is open records requests that started the whole process," said Flowers, who was on the council at the time of the incidents in question. "Part of being an elected official is that you agree that everything you do is available to the public and available to scrutiny. You have to be prepared for that.

"Now that we're through this, I believe we've all learned a lot. The city has learned a lot. The individual council members have certainly learned a lot. We're glad to be able to put this behind us and move on."
Shawna Brady, center, holds up a photograph of her son, Trevon Dickson, who was shot and killed on Apr. 20, 2021 at age 15, during a Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children prayer vigil in December 2021 in Columbus. After two straight years of record-setting homicides, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther has declared gun violence a public health crisis and formed an alliance to fight illegal guns.

On the day after his 30th birthday, Jackie Casimire's son was shot 22 times and killed in his own home in South Linden.

Corneluis "Ray" Casimire was likely killed Sept. 24, 2020 in a robbery for a collection of guns he legally owned, his mother said Tuesday afternoon before assembled media at the Linden Community Center. Ten of those guns, Jackie Casimire said, have never been recovered, leading her to only wonder about the additional lives potentially lost or forever altered at the tips of their barrels.

"My life is still in shambles, said Casimire, the adult division director of Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children, an advocacy organization for women who have lost sons and daughters to homicides. "The guns on the street are causing death daily ... this is a story that is being repeated over and over again."

Gun violence as public health crisis: What this means

After 2021 became the second-consecutive record year for homicides in the city, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and other city leaders announced Tuesday that they are taking the significant step of declaring gun violence a public health crisis within the city. For the first time in the city's history, Columbus Health Commissioner Myshieka Roberts will coordinate with other city departments to address the problem of gun violence from a public health perspective, Ginther said.

Homicides in Columbus: Manager, security chief found shot during fire at Far East Side strip club was a 'great guy'

Ginther also announced at the press conference that the city is forming a broad multi-disciplinary coalition to pressure Ohio and U.S. lawmakers to pass legislation to help get illegal guns off the streets.

Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther said at a press conference Tuesday at the Linden Community Center that gun violence is a public health crisis in the city. He announced the formation of an alliance of local lawmakers, religious leaders and relatives of victims intended to pressure state and federal lawmakers to enact legislation on illegal guns.

"Unfortunately, (lawmakers) have not made it easy or have made it almost impossible to take the sort of action that this moment requires," Ginther said. "Laws passed in the Statehouse and in Congress, as well as legal decisions handed down by the courts, have severely limited our ability to move the needle on gun violence. Just as destructive as these laws can be, inaction is equally infuriating."

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Homicide map: Here's an updated map of where homicides have occurred in Columbus

The idea for the coalition, dubbed "the Columbus Alliance Against Illegal Guns," came during a recent meeting between Ginther and Ohio Rep. Dontavius Jarrells, D-Columbus. The coalition will be comprised of residents, law enforcement, medical professionals, community leaders and faith leaders who will not only advocate for gun safety laws, but who will examine actions taken by other cities to reduce gun violence, Ginther said.

Gun laws: How Ohio cities are affected by state, federal decisions

The announcement comes as the violent crime that raged in 2021 in Columbus when a record 204 people were killed  91% of them from being shot, Ginther said Tuesday  has not abated this year. Eleven people have been killed so far in 2022.

"We are less-than as a community because of gun violence, " Ginther said. "As a father, I cannot imagine the depth of despair that comes from losing a loved one to gun violence, especially a child."

For subscribers: Homicides have risen in Columbus and cities across the U.S. What are the causes?

Citing a 2018 study from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Ginther said guns originally purchased in Ohio comprised 18% of guns seized and traced to crimes committed in New York. In 2020, the ATF reported more than 2,700 firearms the agency recovered were traced back to Columbus, he added.

"Guns are flowing in and out of our city in every direction," Ginther said.

Other city leaders who spoke Tuesday did not shy away from criticizing Republican elected officials for enacting pro-gun policies at the state and federal level that they claim have contributed to the problem.

Columbus police buyout: More than 200 apply for 100 spots in Columbus police division $200,000 buyout program

"There is a Republican blockade," said Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, that is seeking to "prevent cities and individuals from doing anything to prevent gun violence in our communities."

Despite a $73 million settlement announced Tuesday against Remmington, the maker of the gun used in the deadly 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut, a federal law grants gun manufacturers broad immunity from lawsuits stemming from crimes committed with their products.

In Ohio, lawmakers are considering doing away with a law requiring Ohioans who want to carry concealed weapons to take an eight-hour class and pass a background check.

Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin called such actions "dangerous."

"Kids are dying across Ohio in both cities and suburbs and rural areas alike," Hardin said. "We're appealing to every parent out there to help us change this gun culture.

State Senator Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus, was equally as blunt.

"We have failed to do our job," Craig said of Ohio's legislators. "Today, we are aligning ourselves around this issue to save life."

Klein said it is incumbent on elected leaders to advocate for policies that seek to remove illegal guns from the streets and that will help strengthen background checks for those seeking to purchase firearms.

A spokesman for Republican lawmakers countered that protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners is paramount and that shifting blame for crime to the legislature is unfair.

Criminals dont check Ohio Revised Code before committing a gun crime," said John Fortney, spokesman for the Ohio Senate Majority Caucus, in a written statement. "Out of touch liberals have a track record of undermining law enforcement, and politicizing their violent crime rates to shift blame while conveniently ignoring the real problem. We will always stand by the rights of Ohioans to protect their families from violent crime as big city bureaucrats choose social media and cancel culture over public safety.

In 2019, Columbus sued the state of Ohio for what it says was an unconstitutional infringement on the city's home-rule power, partly over a proposed state law that would expand a section of the Ohio Revised Code that preempts local gun regulations. Klein and other city leaders argued that the law would force the city to allow firearms or ammunition manufacturers to operate in residential neighborhoods.

It's now three years later, Klein said, and a judge has yet to make a ruling.

Homicide investigations: New Columbus police website works to humanize homicide victims, help solve cases

Columbus was also part of a lawsuit with Dayton in 2020 suing Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's office over what they said was a failure to update the criminal background check system used to investigate potential gun owners.

"We're still waiting on a judge to rule on that decision as well," Klein said.

Ginther said he has requested President Joe Biden's administration include Columbus in its multi-jurisdictional firearms trafficking strike forces launched last year to combat illegal gun trafficking in significant firearms trafficking corridors. The task forces currently comprise New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C.

Previous coverage: As homicides climb, Columbus police sending more officers to joint ATF Crime Gun Intelligence Center

Columbus is already part of a partnership with the ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Columbus in which city officers are deputized as ATF agents, giving them access to special training, equipment and federal powers to operate the Crime Gun Intelligence Center. The operation uses advanced ATF technology to connect guns with criminals in an effort to solve related crimes and find the sources of guns used by criminals.

Ginther facing criticism over previous anti-violence initiatives

The illegal gun coalition and Ginther's other string of initiatives announced Tuesday are the latest in a series of efforts his office has undertaken to try to curb gun violence. His administration recently drew criticism from some community leaders who said they are frustrated with what they view as a slow rollout of a Group Violence Intervention (GVI) program unveiled last fall that require leaders to engage with the most-dangerous people in the city to convince them to give up their violent ways.

In response to a question from a Dispatch reporter, Ginther said Tuesday that the GVI program is expected to rollout March 1 after another training event was conducted last week with partners inside the Linden Community Center.

For subscribers: Community activists say Columbus needs to move faster on anti-violence strategy

As the illegal gun coalition begins to come together, Ginther said he also hopes to identify Republican lawmakers who may be amenable to joining in the effort to reduce gun violence by getting illegal guns off the street.

Asked by a Dispatch reporter how the alliance 's success will be measured, Ginther had a simple reply: A decrease in gun violence.

Theodore Decker: Ginther fiddles while violence burns through Columbus

"We've had enough," Ginther said. "No one is coming to rescue us ... it's time for us to do something."

Dispatch reporter Dean Narciso contributed to this report.

Eric Lagatta is a reporter at the Columbus Dispatch covering public safety, breaking news and social justice issues. Reach him at elagatta@dispatch.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricLagatta

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus mayor Ginther declares gun violence public health crisis
Feb. 16Ansley Nguyen, Dalton's STAR student this year, wants "to succeed as a way of saying 'Thank you' to everyone who has helped me in my life," from her parents, "who helped me through so much high school turmoil," to mentors like Marybeth Meadows.

Meadows, chosen by Nguyen as Nguyen's STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) teacher, is more than merely an educator, she's a true "friend" to Dalton High School's 2021-22 STAR student, Nguyen said. Talking with her is a moment in the day "I could relax," and as this year's student body president, creating "time to breathe" for her classmates has been an emphasis for Nguyen.

Meadows, who taught Nguyen economics and government, "effortlessly grabs the attention of her students, and her warm voice instilled in me a better way to learn," Nguyen said. She's also transformed the school's International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in a year to a "friendly challenge you want to take on."

Meadows coordinates the IB program, a comprehensive and rigorous two-year curriculum for high school students beginning in their junior year, according to Dalton High. The diploma program requires an integrated study in six subject areas, a 4,000-word thesis of original research, a Theory of Knowledge course and what is called Creativity, Action and Service to the community.

From alumni to current students, "everyone knows (Meadows) is a friendly face who gets to know her students on an individual level and one of the best teachers at Dalton High," said Nguyen, who is leaning toward Georgia Tech but has yet to make a final college choice. "I aspire to be like her when I grow up."

This is "why I went into education, the love of students and lifelong learning," Meadows said Monday at the Dalton Convention Center as the Kiwanis Club of Dalton celebrated this year's local STAR students and teachers. Since teaching her as a freshman, Meadows and Nguyen have continued their relationship, and "anything I can imagine for her future, I'm sure she'll reach even higher."

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"She's a bright young lady, a kind soul, energetic, and you can't get a better leader," Meadows said. "She's always concerned with getting the most out of everything in which she's involved."

From the first meeting Caleb Mahoney had with Micah Rowland, when Rowland came to Christian Heritage School as an eighth-grader on a campus visit, "you could tell his love for math and science, and his passion hasn't waned," Mahoney said of Christian Heritage's STAR student, a three-time science award winner at the school. Rowland achieved the school's highest ACT and SAT score, and "it's been a privilege to watch his progress as a mathematician."

Rowland "has truly learned the art of critical thinking," said Mahoney, who was also Christian Heritage's STAR teacher in 2019-20. "He has an insatiable thirst for knowledge."

After being homeschooled through grade eight, Rowland's first two tests in Mahoney's math class  scores of 70 and 80  were "not a great start, but (Mahoney) helped me through it," Rowland said. "He never let me lose faith in myself."

He's since helped Rowland adjust to online math classes, as well as the transition to college, as he plans to study material science at Georgia Tech, he said. Amy Poag, director of college counseling and student life, has also been crucial in helping Rowland achieve his college goals, as she assisted him with prep for both the ACT and SAT.

Rowland appreciates that Christian Heritage values discussion and cooperation, skills he needed to develop in high school after being homeschooled, he said.

"I learned how to work with others."

Sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) and the PAGE Foundation, the STAR program has been recognizing outstanding students and teachers for more than six decades.

High school seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the SAT and be in the top 10% or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average to qualify for a STAR nomination, according to Kris Horsley, communications specialist for Whitfield County Schools. Each STAR student chooses a STAR teacher to share in the recognition.

As the STAR student from Dalton this year, Nguyen will compete for region honors and then, possibly, an opportunity to be named a state PAGE STAR student, according to Horsley. STAR teachers continue on with their STAR students at every level of the program.
A pair of peregrine falcons have returned to nest in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia, and park officials said theyre going to give them space by closing parts of the park that are near the birds for several months starting this week.

Peregrine falcons are known as the worlds fastest bird, able to reach speeds up to 240 mph when in a hunting dive for prey. But their population plummeted in the western United States in the middle of the 20th century, and they were nearly wiped out along the East Coast, too, before a major effort to breed them in captivity and return them to the wild.

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The birds are still considered rare in Maryland and West Virginia.

Harpers Ferry had a major breakthrough last spring when, for the first time in 70 years, a pair of peregrine falcons nested in the 200-foot cliffs of Maryland Heights, which sits on the Maryland side of the Potomac River near Elk Ridge, and successfully produced three hatchlings. Only one of the chicks survived and fledged, a process in which the bird develops feathers that allow it to fly.

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We have every reason to believe that this is the same pair that nested in the Maryland Heights last year, so theyre coming back to that regular, nesting spot, said Leah Taber, a spokeswoman for the park service at Harpers Ferry. Were glad theyre back and their fledgling from last year took off and went out into the wild.

To protect the pair at Maryland Heights, officials said, theyre closing parts of the area from Feb. 16 until July 29. The closures, park officials said, will include several areas near an overlook and some climbing areas. Trails at Maryland Heights and in a climbing area called Union Walls will stay open. Officials said there will be signs and fencing that clearly mark the closed-off areas.

Park officials said they want to give the falcons space because human interference, especially during the nesting phase, can drive off mature falcons, cause abandonment of the nest and result in the loss of eggs or death to fledglings.

About the size of a crow, peregrine falcons possess long, pointed wings and tapered tails that boost their aerodynamics and speed.

They were often found along rocky cliffs and mountains throughout the United States in their heyday of the 1930s and 1940s. But their U.S. population suffered starting in the 1950s, when pesticides like DDT  which was banned in 1972  became widely used to protect crops from insects. The falcons would prey on small birds that had ingested poisoned insects, and that caused the female falcons to produce eggs that did not have enough calcium, making them crack easily.

By the mid-1960s, the peregrine falcon population dropped by more than 70% in the western United States. Meanwhile, from Maine to Georgia, their population dwindled from 350 nesting pairs to none, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

A nationwide push to revive their population started in 1970, as the birds were bred in captivity and eventually reintroduced into their natural habitats. In 1999, peregrine falcons were taken off the endangered species list, although they are still protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

More than 6,000 captive-bred peregrine falcons were reintroduced between 1974 and 1997 in 34 states. Maryland and Virginia now have over 50 pairs of successfully breeding peregrine falcons, according to wildlife experts.

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At Harpers Ferry, the Park Service began in the early 2000s to relocate peregrine falcons from man-made structures to the park, but none returned to nests there until 2015, when an adult female started to be seen regularly at Maryland Heights. Since then, officials said, several peregrine falcons have nested, but no pair had successfully hatched chicks until last spring.
Feb. 16Rochester's Saint Elizabeth Seton School is set to close at the end of the school year.

The Diocese of Manchester announced the school, which offers preschool through eighth grade, would close as it struggles with enrollment, an ongoing budget deficit and the cost of maintaining the building. Current students will be able to enroll at Saint Mary Academy in Dover, which also offers preschool through eighth grade.

School leaders have been discussing the closure of Saint Elizabeth Seton since early 2021, according to a news release from the diocese.

The Saint Mary Academy building needs work too, said David Thibault, superintendent of the diocese schools, in a statement, but the school has stronger enrollment and steadier finances.

The diocese has tapped the head of school at Manchester's Saint Benedict Academy, Brandy Houle, to run the transition and plan for the future of Saint Mary Academy. Houle was a teacher at Saint Mary until she joined the Saint Benedict administration in 2019.

The Saint Elizabeth Seton school building, overlooking the Cocheco River in downtown Rochester, is overseen by the local parish, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, said diocese schools spokeswoman Alison Mueller. The parish will decide what happens to the building and the riverfront property  which the city of Rochester assessed at $3.7 million.

The move comes after the diocese reported two years of growth in enrollment, including a 6.2% increase in enrollment in fall 2021 compared with fall 2020.

Catholic schools made a push to enroll more students during the pandemic, offering tuition discounts and touting full-time in-person instruction when many district and public charter schools were open only for remote learning or the half-in-person "hybrid" learning.

But the increase in the last two years follows decades of declines, according to the National Catholic Education Association  and nationwide, the association reports enrollment in Catholic schools is below the level seen in the 2019-20 school year. Since 2010, the association reports, elementary school enrollment in Catholic schools around the country is down almost 25%.
The claim: There have been no burned buildings or injuries at the 100,000 truck convoy in Canada

As the Freedom Convoy protest continues in Canada, inspiring similar anti-vaccine mandate demonstrations in other countries, some have taken to social media to suggest the event has been mostly peaceful.

100,000 Truck convoy..NOT One Building Is Burning & NOT One Person Hurt reads a Feb. 10 Facebook post from a page called The Truth.

The post accumulated more than 4,700 shares in less than a week. Users in the comments compared the convoy of truck drivers with the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot and Black Lives Matter demonstrations, some calling the convoy a "true peaceful protest."

Similar versions of the claim have been shared widely on Facebook and Twitter, where a tweet from ACT For America, an anti-Muslim advocacy group, generated more than 2,900 likes in less than a week.

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While it's true there haven't been widespread reports of injuries, the posts exaggerate the demonstrations size and overstate the peacefulness associated with it. The exact number of attendees is unclear, but estimates are nowhere near 100,000. And there have been numerous reports of property damage and other potential crimes related to the protest.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users and pages that shared the claim for comment.

Thousands participate in protest

While it's unclear exactly how many people have participated in anti-vaccine mandate protests in Ottawa, Canada's capital, there's no evidence it's close to 100,000.

In late January, the Ottawa Police Service estimated the arrival of 1,000 to 2,000 vehicles and warned of the possibility of unlawful or violent activity, according to the Ottawa Citizen. More recently, a news release from the Ottawa Police Service stated more than 4,000 protesters were present on Feb. 12.

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Truck drivers and their supporters gather to block the streets as part of a convoy of truck protesters against COVID-19 mandates on Feb. 9, 2022, in Ottawa, Ontario.

While the protests have evolved since they began, video footage and news reports indicate the crowd size has remained in the thousands.

USA TODAY has previously debunked claims that the convoy is larger than the Canadian army and that Guinness World Records said it was the world's longest truck parade.

Demonstration hasn't been entirely peaceful

USA TODAY could find no reports of widespread injuries or burned buildings resulting from the convoy. But that doesn't mean the demonstrations have been entirely peaceful.

As of Feb. 10, Ottawa police had responded to approximately 1,000 calls related to the demonstrations and issued more than 1,550 tickets, according to a news release. Police also said detectives were investigating hundreds of reports from the hate-motivated crime hotline.

Officials have opened criminal investigations related to property damage, the BBC reported. One officer was reportedly attacked while attempting to seize fuel from a truck involved in the protest.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency Feb. 6, saying in a press release that the decision reflects the serious danger and threat to the safety and security of residents posed by the ongoing demonstrations." Watson has also warned of potential injuries or deaths resulting from the demonstrations.

The Ottawa Police Service has issued warnings regarding unlawful behavior, violence and property damage.

Fact check: Image of Dutch protest unrelated to Canadian truckers

On Feb. 12, two days after this post, demonstrators removed a fence around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the National War Memorial, the Ottawa News reported. Additionally, residents have reported rock-throwing, property damage and harassment, according to news reports.

Fact check: Claim that Ottawa police arent subject to Canadas vaccine mandates cites outdated guidelines

Elsewhere in Canada, the convoy has inspired similar unrest.

On Feb. 14, the Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police also arrested a group that had a "large quantity of ammunition," and some protesters attempted to ram a police vehicle.

USA TODAY reached out to Ottawa city and police officials for comment.

Our rating: Partly false

Based on our research, we rate PARTLY FALSE the claim that there have been no buildings burned or injuries at the 100,000 truck convoy in Canada.

The exact size of the "Freedom Convoy" is unclear, but estimates from officials and news reports are in the thousands. There is no evidence the crowd size is anywhere near 100,000, as the post claims.

It's true that there have been no reports of major injuries or burned buildings resulting from the demonstrations. But officials are investigating potential crimes associated with the convoy, and there have been reports of property damage.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app, or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Canada 'Freedom Convoy' protesters don't number 100,000
By Aleksandar Vasovic

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainians raised national flags and played the country's anthem on Wednesday to show unity against fears of a Russian invasion that Western powers have said could be imminent.

The yellow and blue banner fluttered outside schools, hospitals and many shops to mark "Unity Day," a holiday President Volodymyr Zelenskiy created this week after Russia massed troops near Ukraine's borders.

Russia has denied it will invade, but has warned it could take unspecified "military-technical" action if its security demands, including restrictions on NATO, are not met.

On Kyiv's main Khreshchatyk boulevard, where flags decorated government offices, it was business as usual for many.

"Just a normal day, but these flags are here for a purpose, to show we fear no one. They did not scare us," said Mykola, who operates a small coffee stand in the capital.

A loudspeaker at a local government office blared patriotic songs, while television and government Youtube channels broadcast speeches and rousing reminders of Ukraine's nationhood.

"Everyone wants to scare us and we are here to stay," said Ludmila, a pensioner, who wore a tiny Ukrainian flag in the lapel of her coat.

At Kyiv's Olympic stadium, dozens of people unfolded a 200 meter-long Ukrainian flag, waving it to the beat of patriotic music.

In a televised address, Zelenskiy said Ukrainians were united around a common desire "to live in peace, happily, in a family, children with parents."

"No one can love our home as we can. And only we, together, can protect our home," he said. Zelenskiy was later due to inspect military drills in Rivne and fly to the eastern Donbass region to meet with serving troops.

Zelenskiy, himself an active social media user, called on Ukrainians to post pictures and videos of the Ukrainian flag and add hashtags. On Instagram, users posted under #UnityDay.

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"Today we have proved, that we Ukrainians are a united nation, united people," said Pavlo Horinov, a official with the state Institute of Family and Youth Policy.

Zelenskiy has long said that, while he believes Russia is threatening to attack his country, the likelihood of an imminent invasion has been overstated by Western allies, responding to Moscow's efforts to intimidate Ukraine and sow panic.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskiy's chief of staff, said this week the president had chosen Feb. 16 as the patriotic holiday partly ironically, in response to media reports an invasion could happed on Wednesday.

The Russian defence ministry said it was returning some troops to their bases after exercises. The United States however, said there were signs more troops were on their way.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that more than 150,000 Russian troops were currently deployed near Ukraine.

Hours after Moscow's announcement of a withdrawl, Ukraine said defence ministry online networks and two banks were overwhelmed by a cyber attack. Hackers were still bombarding the defence ministry websites on Wednesday, the ministry said.

Although Kyiv did not name who was behind the incident, a statement suggested it was pointing the finger at Russia.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
By Prerana Bhat

BENGALURU (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve will kick off its tightening cycle in March with a 25-basis-point interest rate rise, a Reuters poll of economists found, but a growing minority say it will opt for a more aggressive half-point move to tamp down inflation.

While inflation is rising across the globe, it is particularly hot in the United States, hitting a 40-year high last month.

That is putting pressure on the Fed to not only raise rates from a record low but also to reduce its nearly $9 trillion balance sheet, drastically inflated by emergency bond purchases as the Fed resuscitated the economy from COVID-19 pandemic damage.

Now that the economy has recovered its pre-pandemic level, all 84 respondents in a Reuters poll taken Feb. 7-15 expected the Fed to raise the federal funds rate by at least 25 basis points at its upcoming March 15-16 meeting.

Almost a quarter of those respondents, 20, forecast a 50-basis-point move to 0.50-0.75% following debate in markets over the past week after Fed officials discussed the merits of such a move. Rate futures are pricing in more than a 50% likelihood of a half-point hike.

Rates were forecast to rise each quarter this year to reach 1.25-1.50% by end-December, roughly where they were at the start of the pandemic two years ago. One-quarter of respondents, 21 of 84, saw rates even higher by end-2022.

"The risk is that at some point ... they'll shift to hiking 50 basis points, because it's very unusual for a central bank to have a zero interest rate in the face of the kind of news we're looking at right now," said Ethan Harris, head of global economics research at Bank of America Securities, referring to inflation.

"I do think the Fed is behind the curve. In my view, the Fed should have started hiking last fall, and so they've got some catching up to do."

GRAPHIC: Change in federal funds rate forecasts, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/polling/lbvgnweojpq/Reuters%20poll%20graphic%20on%20March%20federal%20funds%20rate%20forecasts.PNG

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The Fed was also expected to start reducing its balance sheet quicker than in the previous cycle, beginning as soon as June or July, only a few months after the first rate hike.

The poll concluded the Fed would start by cutting $60 billion per month from its portfolio with predictions in a $20 billion to $100 billion range, according to the median of 27 responses to an additional question.

That follows a $120 billion-per-month purchase pace at the peak of pandemic-related stimulus. Respondents estimated the Fed's balance sheet would amount to $5.5 trillion to $6.5 trillion once this so-called "quantitative tightening" concludes.

While that would leave the central bank's balance sheet about 30% lighter, it would still be larger than before the pandemic, roughly $4 trillion.

Poll respondents also said this would not be a typical interest rate cycle.

Not only was it expected to be short, but the Fed is only forecast to reach a neutral rate: one which neither stimulates nor puts the brakes on activity.

Respondents put both the terminal rate and their estimated neutral rate at the same level, 2.25% to 2.50%, according to median forecasts from additional questions.

That terminal rate was expected to be reached by end-2024, marking a quick tightening cycle by historical standards, something which comes with its own risks.

"Since nobody knows where the neutral rate exactly is, the Fed could get into restrictive territory earlier than it realizes, and that could ultimately lead to a recession," said Philip Marey, senior U.S. strategist at Rabobank.

Still, the Fed was not expected to achieve its 2% inflation target until at least 2024.

The core personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, was forecast to clock 3.9% and 2.4% this year and next, before falling to 2.1% in 2024.

Headline inflation was forecast to average 7.1% this quarter, before falling to 2.3% by the end of next year, and average 5.0% and 2.5% in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

GRAPHIC: U.S. inflation and interest rates, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/polling/egpbklxmqvq/Reuters%20poll%20graphic%20on%20U.S.%20inflation%20and%20interest%20rates.PNG

Disruptions to economic activity following a surge in COVID-19 cases dented growth in the final months of last year and are expected to do so as well this quarter.

Growth for this quarter was downgraded for the fourth consecutive month  to an annualized rate of 1.6%. It was expected to rebound to 3.8% next quarter and then gradually slow.

Economic growth was predicted to average 3.7% and 2.5% this year and next, respectively, largely unchanged from a January poll.

(For other stories from the Reuters global economic poll:)

(Reporting by Prerana Bhat; Polling by Anant Chandak, Sarupya Ganguly and Shrutee Sarkar; Editing by Ross Finley)
A federal judge said Tuesday she expects to decide relatively soon whether Baltimore County can use newly drawn County Council districts in the upcoming election or whether the county must hold off on implementing the redrawn map while its reconsidered.

Attorneys representing the Baltimore County NAACP, other civil rights groups and residents made their case before U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby during a virtual hearing for why they believe the new map violates federal voting rights laws.

The plaintiffs, with the backing of the ACLU of Maryland, sued the county in December, saying that the map the County Council approved unanimously violates the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race.

The map maintains one majority-Black district out of seven in a county where Black residents make up almost a third of the population. Ultimately, the maps opponents want to force the county to adopt district lines they say would comply with federal law. They support the creation of at least one more majority-Black district among the countys six other districts, which are represented by white council members.

Debate during the redistricting process about where another majority-Black district could be drawn revolved around changing the lines of three western districts: the 4th District, which has a Black population of more than 70%, and the neighboring 1st and 2nd districts. The 4th District is the seat of Democratic Council Chair Julian Jones, the councils lone Black member.

The county argued it cannot create a second majority-Black district without splitting communities and undoing the districts compact boundaries. Attorneys for the county also contended its not necessary because the county has seen only marginal growth among Black residents since the lines were last redrawn in 2010; at that time, Black residents made up 26% of the population.

Attorneys for the county reiterated those arguments Tuesday as they opposed a preliminary injunction sought by the plaintiffs.

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Much of the testimony centered on the suggestion by the plaintiffs that voting in Baltimore County is racially polarized.

The county said that since there have been few contested local elections between white and Black candidates, its impossible for the NAACP to prove the new map would result in the dilution of Black voters choices. Attorneys for the NAACP argued that there have been few such elections because possible Black candidates dont run, believing they dont have a chance.

Andrew Freeman, an attorney for the NAACP, said there is a strong pattern of racially polarized voting based on voter patterns from higher-profile state and congressional electoral races. The countys lawyers countered that to prove polarization, an analysis should look at which council candidates Black and white residents cast ballots for.

Freeman said if a white voting bloc is discouraging Black candidates from seeking office, thats not a mark against Black voters being able to prove there is a [Voting Rights Act] violation.

Attorneys for the county also said the injunction request came far too close to the start of election season, even with a Maryland Court of Appeals decision to push back the candidate filing deadline statewide from Feb. 22 to March 22.

The likely result of any ruling by this court is going to push us up to the 4th Circuit [Court of Appeals]  if not beyond, said Ava Lias-Booker, an attorney representing Baltimore County. A remedy by the court, she said, neednt be rushed through this election cycle.

But theres a harm to voters now, Griggsby said, should the court find that their rights have been violated, but decides they have to wait until next year for it to be rectified.
Paso Robles is one of our favorite wine regions. Why? Two reasons, three actually: diversity, quality and value. Located roughly in the middle of California, close to the Pacific coast and loosely capping the San Andreas fault, a panoply of soils and microclimates give grape growers and winemakers an abundance of terroir to craft their fruit and the resultant wines. They seem to do it all there with world-class wines such as the award-winning cabernet sauvignons from Justin and Daou and Rhone-style blends from a bevy of smaller wineries. Prices are a fraction of Napa Valleys and generally are less than Sonoma County.

According to Natalie Brown, owner of Paso Robles-based Willow Creek Wine Collective, Paso Robles is what Napa Valley was 30 years ago, with small wineries that are owner operated.

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If you want to visit Paso Robles, youll find more than 200 wineries, some of which still dont charge for their tastings. Among those that do charge, the fee is about $15 on average  its as much as $58 in Napa Valley and $30 in Sonoma County.

There are 11 sub-appellations in the Paso Robles American Viticultural Areas, or AVA. Although heat-dependent zinfandel has been a mainstay, cabernet sauvignons from the northwestern corner are getting a lot of attention. Wines from Adelaida and Templeton Gap in particular are getting rave reviews. There is no shortage of rainfall here.

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Grenache, a mainstay in Spain and Frances southern Rhone region, thrives in summers sun-drenched, dry rolling hills of Paso Robles. Not grown in any significant quantities elsewhere in California, grenache is often by itself or in combination with other Rhone varietals.

We recently tasted several examples of Paso Robles grenache and were impressed with their individuality and quality. Alcohol leans toward the 15% level; however, the robust fruit-driven wines appear balanced. The wines ranged in color from light red to an impenetrable inky black.

Many of the Rhone-varietal wines are made in smaller quantities, so some of the grenache may be difficult to find in retail shops. Check the producers website since many wineries are allowed to direct ship to consumers.

Following are our tasting impressions:

Cass Estate Grenache Paso Robles Geneseo District 2019 ($32). The lightest in color and body but not lacking in nose and flavor of the four wines we tasted. Somewhat reminiscent of a Village-level Cotes Du Rhone in flavor and texture. Lovely berry notes and a hint of herbs create a very nice affordable package.

Four Lanterns Jacinth Grenache Paso Robles Templeton Gap 2017 ($48). The second lightest in color, this wine has an intriguing aroma of rhubarb. Rhubarb and strawberry notes dominate in the mouth with a smooth delivery and ample balancing acidity.

Austin Hope Grenache Paso Robles Templeton Gap 2018 ($55). Very dark in color, blackberry jam nose and intense dense berry flavors with a hint of chocolate. Very long, rich and ripe after taste. Almost in a class by itself.

Law Beguiling Estate Grenache Paso Robles Adelaide District 2017 ($78). This blend of 82% grenache and 18% syrah was the favorite of our tasting. Notes of ripe cherry, blueberry, and black raspberry dominate this wine. Aging in 30% new French oak and the dose of syrah have created a rich full, and balanced drink. Expensive but it delivers quality.

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How do these wines age? We had an opportunity to taste some legendary grenache and grenache blends from Paso Robles. Here are our tasting notes:

Booker Vineyard The Ripper 2014. Full-throttle grenache makes your head spin with all its thick kirsch and ripe dark fruit flavors, loads of spice and unmistakable licorice. Noticeable alcohol present when opened but melds nicely with an hour of decanting. Very much like a classic Chateauneuf du Pape.

LAventure Winery Cote a Cote 2010. Even after 11 years of bottle age, this wine is hitting all cylinders. Juicy raspberry and blackberry flavors with effusive floral aromas and a soft mouthfeel.

Law Estate Wines Beguiling 2014. A blend of 84% grenache and 14% syrah, this was one of the most dense and beguiling Rhone-style blends we have tasted from Paso Robles. Full body, concentrated and ripe black berry and dark cherry flavors with a kirsch finish. Long and soft in the finish.

Saxum Broken Stones 2014. Dont plan on heading down to the store to buy this wine. Theres a wait just to get on the mailing list of this premium winery. A bizarre, eclectic blend of syrah, mourvedre, grenache, petite sirah, tempranillo and roussanne, it wanders over the palate with a broad array of flavors: blueberries, blackberries, plums, cassis, spice.

Here are some other wines from Paso Robles we recently enjoyed:

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Smith & Hook Paso Robles Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($45). Dont be deceived by the forward and juicy flavors of this wine. It also has a lot of body and tannin to back the vibrant plum and blackberry flavors. Floral, violet aromas with hints of mineral and forest floor.

Josh Cellars Reserve Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($22). Josh Cellars regular cabernet sauvignon is a fixture in restaurants and stores. This reserve, however, takes the wine to a higher level at only a few bucks more. As a negociant brand, Josh pulls grapes from all over the vast Paso Robles appellation. It has mouth-coating, ripe plum and blackberry flavors with hints of spice and vanilla.

Wine picks

Mettler Family Vineyards Estate Grown Lodi Petite Sirah 2019 ($25). Petite sirah is a wine for the adventuresome. Beastly inky is color and full of teeth-coating tannins, it is a wine to pair with beef, stew, chili and other cold-temperature fare. We like this friendly version of the wine with plum and blackberry flavors and mouth-coating finish.

En route Les Pommiers Pinot Noir 2018 ($60). Alas, the price of quality pinot noir is not easy on a budget, but this is just the reality of finding one that excels at this level. Long floral aromas with juicy raspberry and blackberry flavors and a hint of clove.

Girasole Charlies Blend Mendocino County 2019 ($20). This blend of red grapes is a great deal for those looking for a bargain. There is plenty of blackberry and black cherry flavors with a smooth, mouth-coating quality.

Kirkland Gigondas 2019 ($15). We have been repeatedly impressed with the good values coming from this Costco portfolio of wines. We like the chardonnay and now this French blend of grenache, syrah and mourvedre grapes. Generous blackberry and plum notes with plenty of spice and black licorice. Dense and a good match for meat entrees.
A year after a Tennessee man allegedly shot at a McDonalds employee at a drive-thru window, Tennessee law enforcement has finally arrested the suspect. The white man was accused of also spewing racial epithets and terrorizing the staffers during the altercation.

On Oct. 11, 2021, Charles Connors, 61, became upset after determining his order from the Memphis fast food restaurant, the McDonalds located at 5263 Poplar near White Station, was wrong.

Charles Connor (WREG Screenshot)

While unfurling a litany of derogatory words, he pulled out a gun and reportedly shot in the direction of Terrika Means, a worker at the establishment.

Reports stated the man flashed his handgun at two employees and fired a single shot into the window where the employees were working.

The woman that it almost hit said she didnt see it coming.

Means said, If I wouldve been over one inch just a centimeter, an inch, a centimeter, that wouldve been the back of my head. I see flashes of it every time.

Connors fled the scene. Investigators were able to identify him by tracing his electronic footsteps by accessing the credit card he used for his food purchase right before the shooting.

Now charged with two counts of criminal attempt first-degree murder, aggravated assault and two counts of possession of a firearm to commit a felony, the man is in the custody of the Shelby County jail.

Connors was named as the suspect on Christmas Eve. Two months later, officers tracked him down on Tuesday, Feb. 8, in East Memphis, near the McDonalds.

FOX News notes that the man allegedly admitted that he was at the restaurant on the fall day in question and indeed was the person who recklessly shot inside of the establishment.

Means spoke to the media about the incident and expressed that the incident still impacts her.

She recounted the day, saying that an employee reported the mans behavior to her.

She cashed him out and she came and told me, This man just cussed me out, Means recalled what was told to her and remembered moving forward to see if she could assist him in his concern.

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I asked him how he was doing, she stated. And next thing you know I was like, I was just informed that you just disrespected you know one of my young ladies and shes just a young lady, shes just a girl. 

Connors then reportedly paid for his food and started cursing before shouting bigoted remarks. He then asked for a refund and she returned all of his money to his bank card.

Still, he was unhappy with the service. He continued to spit racial slurs in her direction. In response to his behavior, Means shut the drive-thru window on him. And when I closed the window and took two steps thats when I felt the fire come across my neck, she said.

A court date to address his charges is scheduled for Connors on Feb. 16.

More news from our partners:

How Can That be Real?: Family of Black Man Shot 55 Times by Police Are Hoping to Bring Light to Alleged Corrupt Practice of Badge-Bending by Vallejo, California Cops

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Jasmine Martinez was charged with murder. (Miami Dade Police)

New court records show that a hitman hired to kill a Miami federal airport officer may have been paid using a loan to help small businesses during the pandemic.

Jasmine Martinez, 33, is accused of spending the $15,000 she got for her beauty salon business through the federal Payroll Protection Program. She allegedly withdrew more than $10,000 in the days before the murder plot.

Ex-con Javon Carter was allegedly paid to kill Transportation Security Administration LeShonte Jones, 24, on 3 May, and is accused of shooting her numerous times outside the Coral Bay Cove apartments, as her 3-year-old child stood next to her.

Her daughter witnessed this heinous crime, said Lieutenant Vernon Williams of the Miami-Dade Police Homicide Bureau. The mother was pronounced dead at the scene.

Carter took a video himself on his phone counting a large amount of cash after being paid by Ms Martinez, it is claimed. Just another day at the office, he said in the video with the cash, allegedly.

Ms Martinez denies the charges against her. Jasmin has always denied any involvement in this since the first time law enforcement approached her last summer, said Fallon Zirpoli, Ms Martinezs lawyer.

In June, Ms Jones's family made a public plea in front of Miami-Dade Police headquarters  and raised a reward of $10,000 for information that could help successfully prosecute their daughters killer.

My baby had a future somebody took from her. I did the best with my children as a single mom, and I did a wonderful job. Please, yall, say something, said Ms Jones's mother Darlene Dukes. What man in his right mind would chase a woman with a baby to murder her?

Ms Martinez faces first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges, for the killing of Ms Jones.

A number of people who have received the Pandemic-Relief Loan scores have faced charges after not spending the money on their businesses but things like vacations, jewellery and cars. According to researchers at the University of Texas  an estimated 15 per cent of pandemic loans were potentially used fraudulently.

The Independent has contacted Ms Zirpoli for further comment.
Former acting solicitor general and constitutional scholar Walter Dellinger III died on Wednesday, according to reports from the Associated Press and Duke University. He was 80 years old.

Dellinger, a longtime faculty member at Duke Law School, was acting solicitor general for the administration of former President Bill Clinton for the Supreme Court's 1996-97 term and also served as an assistant attorney general and head of the office of legal counsel for the Clinton administration. His law career began as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black.

His son, Hampton Dellinger, now sits as assistant attorney general and head of the office of legal policy.

Mourning the loss this morning of the great @walterdellinger -- wise counsellor, steadfast advocate, teacher and public servant, White House chief of staff Ron Klain wrote in a post to Twitter. A great mentor to me and so many others -- and a kind friend.

Dellingers cause of death is not yet known. Earlier this month, he penned an op-ed in The New York Times in support of President Joe Bidens commitment to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court.

This practice of considering prospective justices backgrounds and demographic characteristics  engaged in by presidents of both parties over the decades  is not some form of quota designed merely to appease political constituencies, Dellinger wrote in the piece. Rather, it stems from bedrock principles of democratic governance.

When asked in a conversation with POLITICO on his birthday in 2020 what American issue doesnt get enough attention, Dellinger said mass incarceration.

It is the human rights issue of our time, he said.

Dellinger was an avid bike rider, who even cycled to the Supreme Court. In the same conversation with POLITICO, Dellinger would remember an anecdote from his non-legal life.

I once sang Shout on stage with The Isley Brothers, Dellinger said. Until the police came.
Editor's Note: This story was updated to correct the amount of tax and other incentives from El Paso County to almost $276,000 for the Schneider Electric factory.

Schneider Electric is expanding its mammoth manufacturing complex in West El Paso with a new, $20 million factory that will add another 400 employees to its large El Paso workforce, government and company officials announced Tuesday.

El Paso's four-factory campus will be the French companys largest manufacturing center in the United States. It currently has 16 other factories in the U.S.

Company officials announced in November they were deciding whether to put the new factory in El Paso or in an industrial park in neighboring Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

Schneider chose El Paso because of the good, stable workforce, and easy to work with El Paso leaders, but a big part of the decision was having the campus synergy, said Ken Engel, senior vice president for global supply chain for the companys North America group.

El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser shakes hands with Schneider Electric executive Ken Engel during a group photoshoot after a Feb. 15 press conference announcing the company's El Paso expansion plans. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, far right, and City Manager Tommy Gonzalez also are in the photo.

We can offer jobs to the employees in all our factories on the campus and we can move people back and forth as needed. So, thats a big benefit to having a campus, Engel said after a news conference at El Paso City Hall, where Schneider was lauded by El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, Borderplex Alliance CEO Jon Barela, and others.

Global supply chain problems tied to the COVID-19 pandemic also make it important for Schneider to increase its manufacturing capacity in the United States, Engel said during the news conference.

The company is to receive almost $1.5 million in tax rebates and other incentives over 10 years from the city, and almost $276,000 in tax rebates and a training grant from the county, according to term sheets approved Tuesday by City Council and Monday by El Paso County Commissioners Court. Economic agreements with the company are to be completed later.

Incentives were one of the factors we considered, but there were many, many variables that we took a look at before we made the final decision, Engel said.

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Schneider Electric executive Ken Engel talks to El Paso Electric CEO Kelly Tomblin as El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego looks on after a Feb. 15 press conference announcing Schneider Electric's El Paso expansion plans.

The city and county incentives package approval came after construction of the new factory had already begun.

It (160,000 square-foot factory) is being built right now, and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, Engel said.

More: Family's large, El Paso plastic parts factory sold to San Diego investment management firm

Schneider Electric now employs about 1,300 workers in mostly skilled factory jobs in three factory buildings with 576,000 square feet in the Northwest Corporate Center industrial park in far West El Paso. A company spokesman incorrectly reported to the El Paso Times in November that the campus had four factories.

It plans to add another 400 employees by the end of the year, Engel said.

Leeser said after the news conference the El Paso workers are what made Schneider stay and expand in El Paso.

They can get incentives anywhere else, but they cant get the people, Leeser said. However, he added, providing incentives also allowed El Paso to better compete for the new factory.

This huge 1601 Northwestern Drive building is part of Schneider Electric's mammoth manufacturing complex in the Northwest Corporate Center industrial park in far West El Paso on Nov. 11, 2021.

More: El Paso airport traffic grows in 2021, but lags pre-pandemic levels as more flights sought

A variety of electrical equipment, including switchboards, panelboards and switchgear, are produced at the El Paso complex. The new factory will produce engineered-to-order switchboards for commercial facilities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

This is not a simple product, Engel said at the press conference. Its made to customer specification and has a lot of difficult work inside it.

So, training the workforce is extremely important, and its important for those employees to stay with us after they are trained, and that is what has happened with the other three factories and we know thats what will take place in this fourth factory as well, he said.

Vic Kolenc may be reached at 546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: French company Schneider Electric adding 4th El Paso factory, 400 jobs
By Riham Alkousaa

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany will ease COVID-19 restrictions as a wave of infections from the Omicron coronavirus variant seems to have passed its peak, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday, but he warned that the pandemic was not over yet.

After a meeting with the heads of the federal states earlier on Wednesday, Scholz said Germany was ready to look forward with more confidence regarding COVID-19.

"After these long two years, we deserve that things somehow improve again and it looks a bit like that's exactly what we have in front of us," Scholz told reporters after the meeting.

On Wednesday, Germany reported 219,972 new daily coronavirus cases, down 6% compared to the same day last week. The seven-day infection incidence per 100,000 people also dropped to 1,401 from 1,438 on Tuesday.

In a three-stage plan, the government agreed to lift restrictions on private indoor meetings for those vaccinated or recovered from the virus in coming days. Checks at non-essential stores for a proof of vaccination or a negative test result will end but masks will still be required.

In the second phase starting on March 4, the maximum permitted size for outdoor events will increase to 25,000 people and night clubs will reopen for those who have received three vaccine doses or those with two doses of vaccine plus a negative COVID test.

Unvaccinated Germans will be allowed into restaurants with a negative test from March 4, the draft showed.

All major restrictions, including requirements to work from home, will expire on March 20, but a requirement to keep distance and to wear masks indoors and on public transportation will remain in place beyond March 19.

Scholz said optimism about the COVID-19 situation did not mean that the pandemic was over as new variants and a worsening situation could still be expected in autumn and winter, adding that a general vaccine mandate was still necessary.

"We may not get sloppy with all the optimism and confidence we're seeing here. That's why you have to say clearly that the pandemic is not over yet," Scholz added.

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Germany has been slower in easing restrictions than some other European countries such as Denmark, Switzerland and Austria, which announced on Wednesday that it was lifting most COVID-19 restrictions by March 5. Switzerland will lift most pandemic restrictions from midnight on Wednesday, the government said.

German health minister Karl Lauterbach said the country could not relax restrictions too quickly, since Germany has a lower vaccination rate than some of its neighbours.

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Grant McCool and Lisa Shumaker)
Kellie Wasko

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem announced the appointment of a new Secretary of Corrections months after the former one retired during an ongoing investigation into allegations of misconduct.

Kellie Wasko will be serving as the new Secretary of Corrections, effective March 7, according to a release from the governor's office.

Wasko takes the position after the former Secretary of Corrections Mike Leidhol retired in August 2020 after being placed on administrative leave after in an investigation was launched to explore allegations of sexual harassment and nepotism happening at the South Dakota State Penitentiary.

Kellie will bring an abundance of experience and a steady hand to the South Department of Corrections, said Noem in the release. Her experience in corrections reform and her career-long work on correctional healthcare make it clear that she will prioritize the health and safety of both our corrections officers and the men and women confined at our facilities. We are excited to welcome her to the team and to South Dakota.

More: South Dakota inmate dies while serving life sentence for murder

Wasko has spent 22 years in corrections

Wasko has dedicated more than 22 years in adult and juvenile corrections and currently serves as the CEO/president of Correctional Health Partners in Denver, Colorado, where she has been since 2019, according to the release.

Previously, Wasko served as the Deputy Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Corrections from 2013 to 2019, where she was responsible for the daily operations of 23 prisons, housing as many as 20,000 offenders; 19 parole offices with jurisdiction of more than 10,000 parolees; and over 6,000 state employees.

In that role, she also served as the Health Authority for the department, overseeing all clinical care operations provided to the offender population of all custody levels.

I am grateful for this opportunity to work on reforms with a team that values correctional professionals and public safety, said Wasko in the release. I admire Gov. Noems leadership and desire to continue to advance the South Dakota Department of Corrections.

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More: Replacing state penitentiary in Sioux Falls part of $600 million vision for South Dakota prisons

Wasko has earned nursing degrees from Weber State University and Boise State University.

Doug Clark, who is serving as Interim Secretary of Corrections, will return to his prior role as Deputy Secretary of Corrections, according to the release.

Doug stepped up and helped guide the Department of Corrections through a difficult time, and we thank him for his continued service to our state, said Noem.

Got a story idea from your community? Email reporter Alfonzo Galvan at agalvan@argusleader.com or follow him on Twitter @GalvanReports.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Kellie Wasko appointed secretary of corrections in South Dakota
The Grover Beach Police Department is searching for a suspect captured on camera in a theft that occurred on Atlantic City Avenue last week.

The department said on Twitter that the suspect appears to have an ankle monitor on his left leg.

The department posted a photo of the man  wearing a backwards black cap, glasses and shorts  reaching under a covering of property in a driveway.

Anyone with information should call Officer Walid Elsayed at 805-473-4511.

Do you know this person?



If so, we'd like to speak with him in regards to a theft that occurred on Atlantic City last week. The suspect appears to have an ankle monitor on his left ankle.



Contact Officer Elsayed at 805-473-4511.

GBPD Case #22-0234 pic.twitter.com/GUQHyJecxu  Grover Beach Police (@Grover_BeachPD) February 16, 2022
A Wichita man who police say fired into a crowd of party-goers outside of an east-side apartment complex in 2019, killing a 20-year-old airman stationed at McConnell Air Force Base and injuring three others, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and three counts of attempted second-degree murder.

Mondays plea to the reduced charges came ahead of Markeithen E. Red McClaines first-degree murder trial. The 28-year-old will be sentenced April 21 by Sedgwick County District Court Judge Kevin OConnor, court records show.

Police said McClaine was in a vehicle with a woman who went to Horizons East Apartments, 505 N. Rock Road, to pick up a friend from a party on July 27, 2019, when a fight broke out in the parking lot at around 2 a.m. The party-goers were celebrating an upcoming Air Force deployment, according to an arrest affidavit released by the court.

Witnesses told police that some members of the crowd surrounded the car but eventually let it drive away.

When the car was in the clear, McClaine ordered the driver to stop, got out, aimed a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and fired a volley of at least six shots at the group, the affidavit states.

One witness told police the disturbance was over and they were under no threat when McClaine fired, the affidavit says.

Airman First Class Chancelor J. Williams, was hit in the neck by one of the bullets. The Spartanburg, South Carolina, native died at the scene.

Two other people suffered gunshot wounds to their upper right legs and a third was shot in the abdomen, according to the affidavit.

In his police interview, McClaine claimed he fired warning shots into the air before shooting into the crowd because he got scared after a man yanked him out of the car. He told the driver to leave after the shooting, the affidavit says.

Authorities arrested McClaine after the driver and her other passengers contacted police.

Depending on his criminal history, he could be ordered to serve as many as 54 years, five months in prison for Williams murder plus additional time for shooting the other party-goers.
An Aberdeen accountant was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for preparing false tax returns for Washington, D.C., residents.

Charese Johnson was convicted at trial July 1 of three counts of helping others prepare false tax returns.

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U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss handed down the sentence, including an order to serve one year of supervised release, said Stuart M. Goldberg, acting deputy assistant attorney general of the Justice Departments Tax Division.

Johnson was charged in a nationwide tax fraud scheme investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation division. She prepared 13 false income tax returns that sought more than $6.6 million in refunds from the IRS, according to court documents and evidence at trial.

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Participants in the multimillion-dollar scheme held seminars throughout the country from 2014 to 2016 to promote taxpayers ability to use mortgages and other debts to generate tax refunds. Johnson and others then used clients information to prepare returns falsely claiming that financial institutions withheld large amounts of income taxes from the clients, evidence showed.

But the financial institutions had not paid anything to or withheld any taxes from the clients, the IRS said. More than a dozen other individuals have been charged for their alleged involvement or convicted.
A 15-year-old girl was shot and killed with a rifle at a friends family home in Alabama, police say.

Bessemer police told WVTM that the shooting appears to be the result of gunplay between friends and that she was shot in the chest with an AK-47 style rifle.

An 18-year-old friend is in custody and faces a charge of manslaughter, police said.

Janiya Simmons of Birmingham was shot on the evening of Monday, Feb. 14, WIAT reported. She died about an hour after the shooting, at 9:34 p.m., at the University of Alabama Birmingham hospital, the Jefferson County coroner told WVTM.

The coroner said Simmons sustained a gunshot wound during a reported domestic argument, according to WVTM. The death is being investigated as a homicide.

The shooting occurred at Simmons friends family home in Bessemer, about 25 miles southwest of Birmingham. The friend is an 18-year-old senior at McAdory High School, police Lt. Christian Clemons told AL.com.

The 18-year-old stayed at the scene after the shooting and is cooperating with police while in custody at the Bessemer City Jail, WBRC reported.

McClatchy News reached out to Bessemer police for comment.

Simmons school commented on her death, WBRC reported.

We are deeply saddened by the death of Janiya Simmons, a freshman scholar at Wenonah High School, the superintendent said, according to WBRC. Our thoughts and prayers are with Janiyas family, as well as the students, faculty and staff at Wenonah High. Grief counselors will be on hand at the school today.

Simmons mother responded on social media as people shared their support.

Mama loves you to the death of me and even after that, gorgeous, Simmons mother wrote on Facebook under photos of her daughter. Not my child, Lord, Lord, Lord.

Man fires at teens who interrupted argument in Waffle House parking lot, TN cops say

Car with body inside found submerged in water off closed road, Alabama cops say

Teen carjacks couple and hits victim before losing control of car, Louisiana cops say

Former UGA quarterback, gymnast grieve son killed in fire. They really need prayer
By Gustavo Palencia

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) -Handcuffed and shackled, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez arrived at his first extradition hearing on Wednesday, where he was met by dozens of boisterous fans as well as emboldened critics who assailed what they called his narco-dictatorship.

Hernandez governed the Central American nation for eight years until last month and now faces a U.S. extradition request issued Tuesday that seeks to force him to face drug trafficking charges in U.S. courts.

"You are not alone! There is a great political party that supports you," one supporter of Hernandez's right-wing National Party told local broadcaster TSI.

A scuffle broke out between both supporters and critics in front of the justice ministry where Hernandez's hearing took place, including pushing and shoving plus some rock throwing, but police quickly separated them.

The judge overseeing the extradition case has scheduled an evidentiary hearing on March 16, according to Judiciary spokesman Melvin Duarte.

The judge ordered that Hernandez remain detained until then at a police special forces base.

Hernandez, 53, was arrested by police on Tuesday, in a spectacle carried live on local television, after the ex-president and one-time Washington ally pledged his cooperation.

A U.S. Embassy document seen by Reuters alleged that Hernandez was part of an operation to transit massive amounts of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela via Honduras to the United States. The document further claims that he received millions of dollars in bribes in exchange for providing protection to traffickers.

Hernandez has denied all wrongdoing and has previously sought to cast aspersions on prosecutors' evidence while also highlighting his past support from U.S. officials.

Last year, a U.S. judge sentenced Hernandez's brother to life in prison plus 30 years in a major cocaine trafficking case.

"Yes we did! Yes we did! They're taking the corrupt narco-dictator," said a member of the leftist Libre party of new President Xiomara Castro, who gave his name only as Manuel.

(Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Eric Thompson nearly got away with murder, according to the Honolulu Police, but the 34-year-old entrepreneur was undone by a dropped hat. Thompson was arrested this week in connection with the fatal shooting of his wifes former acupuncturist and lover Jon Tokuhara.

Police first thought the killing was a random act of violence after Tokuhara, 47, was found around 8 a.m. on Jan. 13 dead on the floor of his Oahu studio next to three spent bullet casings.

During a month-long investigation, police say they determined that the killer drove a white Chevy Silverado, which was spotted on CCTV camera footage. The truck had been parked outside the clinic in Waipahu, Oahu, for just 45 seconds the morning of the killing. Police tracked down 53 similar cars on the island and found all of the owners, according to Hawaii News Now.

Thompson was the only person who did not have an alibi for the morning, but police were perplexed since there was no apparent ties between the men, and Thompson was a successful entrepreneur with no obvious criminal inclination. Though hardly damning, they found it odd that the victim was killed the day before Thompson and his wife Joyces wedding anniversary.

Upon further investigation into the victim, police found text messages between him and a mystery married woman, including explicit photos in which her face was fuzzy but identifiable. One message between the two lovers expressed concern that the womans husband had discovered the affair, with the wife writing to her lover that he might kill you if the affair continues, according to local media reports.

There were no more communications after July between the pair, and it is unclear whether Thompsons wife, who was a patient at the acupuncture clinic, continued to see the acupuncturist romanticallyor professionally.

Studying the CCTV camera footage further, police say they noted that the assailant dropped his hat as he ran from the studio the morning of the murder. A short time later, the cameras picked up a homeless man retrieving the hat, putting it on and walking away. Police were able to track down the homeless man and retrieve the lost hat, which was tested for hair and DNA fibers that police say match Thompsons.

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Police briefly suspected Thompsons wife might have also been in on the alleged murder, according to reports, but she has so far not been charged. Cellphones, the Silverado, and other evidence was taken from the couples home Monday by police. Police also recovered 12 firearms registered to Thompson and two that were not registered in Hawaii. It is not clear if any match the shell casings found at the crime scene.

Thompson was able to post a $1 million cash bail shortly after his arrest on Monday. It is not clear if he returned home to stay with his wife. He is expected in court on Thursday to face formal arraignment. He faces second-degree murder charges as well as carrying a firearm while committing a felony.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Sebastian Rocandio

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -At least 94 people died in the historic Brazilian mountain town of Petropolis, local government officials said on Wednesday, after heavy rains caused mudslides that buried homes, flooded the streets and washed away cars and buses.

Located in the hills above Rio de Janeiro, Petropolis, or the "Imperial City," was the summer getaway of Brazil's monarchs in the 19th century. On Wednesday, there was scant evidence of its regal charms, after the floods ravaged its elegant streets and destroyed its Germanic buildings. Rainfall on Tuesday exceeded the average for the entire month of February.

Hilda, a resident who declined to give her full name, was distraught as she waited in the street near the remains of her house that she shared with eight people.

"I lost my niece and her five-year-old daughter, who we still haven't found," she said. "We did not expect this tragedy. Our city is over."

In the Morro da Oficina neighborhood, up to 80 houses were hit by landslides, according to authorities who expect the death toll to rise. Fire department and local civil defense teams were working at the site.

"The situation is almost like war ... Cars hanging from poles, cars overturned, lots of mud and water still," Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro told reporters onsite.

Petropolis' city hall declared three days of mourning. Displaced people were being taken to schools and shelters. More than 300 people had to leave their homes.

"The water came very fast and with great force. My loss was 100%. Our life was already tough with the pandemic and less movement, and this tragedy still comes," said shopkeeper Henrique Pereira.

President Jair Bolsonaro, who is traveling to Russia, said on Twitter he had asked ministers to help Petropolis and storm victims.

"We intend to already offer to the mayor what we can," Bolsonaro told reporters in Moscow, adding that he would release federal funds to help "restore traffic in the region."

Since December, heavy rains have triggered deadly floods and landslides in northeast Brazil and Sao Paulo state, threatened to delay harvests in the nation's central western region and briefly forced the suspension of mining operations in the state of Minas Gerais.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Sebastian Rocandio; Writing by Marcela Ayres and Peter Frontini; Editing by Alex Richardson, Cynthia Osterman and Grant McCool)
LOS ANGELES, CA  Local hospitals such as LAC+USC Medical Center and the American Red Cross are making urgent appeals for blood donors this month due to critical blood shortages across the region. The pandemic era shortage of blood donations continues to be a major concern for the community.

"The current blood shortage is impacting vital medical procedures at hospitals across the county," the hospital said in a statement Monday. "Without adequate blood supply, hospitals will be limited in the number of surgeries they can perform. This blood shortage can also result in delays and cancellations of scheduled surgeries. This will have an impact on the health of residents who will be forced to delay the care they need."

Anyone willing to save a life by donating blood, can find their nearest American Red Cross blood drive here. The Keck Medical Center Of USC hosts blood drives every month, and donors can schedule appointments here.

LAC+USC Medical Center is a 600-bed trauma center and an academic teaching hospital run by the L.A. County Department of Health Services. It's affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine at USC and the Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health.

Last month, the American Red Cross warned of a dangerously low supply of blood both around the country and in the Los Angeles area -- and hoped to induce donations by automatically entering donors into a raffle for Super Bowl tickets and other prizes.

The organization said the COVID-19 pandemic is driving the blood shortage, causing a 10% overall decline in the number of people donating blood as well blood drive cancellations and staffing limitations. The pandemic has also contributed to a 62% drop in blood drives at schools and colleges, the organization said.

"Our inventory is at crisis levels," Raahima Shoaib Yazdani of the American Red Cross' Los Angeles Region said at the time. "Right now, doctors are being forced to decide which patients receive blood transfusions and who must wait."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on the Pacific Palisades Patch
HEMET, CA  More than 700 nurses, staff and other frontline healthcare workers were applauded during a special event Tuesday at the Hemet Global Medical Center.

Hosted by West Coast University and American Career College, the "Healthcare Heroes" appreciation event gave the hospital a chance to thank staff members for their service to countless patients since the coronavirus pandemic began nearly two years ago.

The event featured the unveiling of a recognition wall of personalized banners, posters, letters and thank-you notes from local schools, businesses and community organizations.

Words cannot express the pride that we feel when we receive gifts of appreciation from the community, things like food, cards, and other support like this celebration today, said Keith Garrison, chief operating officer of the Hemet Global Medical Center. The overwhelming support shown by West Coast University and American Career College, and the community, has lifted up the staff here.

Margaret Pfeiffer, vice president of clinical operations at West Coast University, said the event was all about showing appreciation for the healthcare workers who have been on the front line of the fight against the coronavirus.

Healthcare workers are heroes and have sacrificed so much over the past two years of the pandemic, Pfeiffer said. We want to thank every single employee at Hemet Global Medical Center and all healthcare workers for their courage, personal sacrifice and dedication to the health of our communities.

This article originally appeared on the Murrieta Patch
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary could take care of tens of thousands of potential refugees from Ukraine if needed, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Wednesday.

"Asylum rules are clear, the first safe country needs to provide shelter," Gergely Gulyas told a briefing, adding that Hungary's interest was that war should be avoided in the Russia-Ukraine stand-off.

Russia has troops massed near Ukraine and the United States has warned that Russia was planning an attack. Moscow denies any such plans.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Anita Komuves; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
City of Topeka and Kansas flags blow in the wind Tuesday morning in downtown Topeka.

Hutchinson drivers could soon see their city flag on license plates, but a similar provision for Topeka hit a bump in the road when city officials opposed a bill from Kansas lawmakers.

House Bill 2633 would authorize both cities to use their flags as a logo on license plates, similar to the Wichita flag.

Royalty payments of between $25 and $100 would go to the cities, with funds earmarked to support parks and recreation in Hutchinson and the zoo in Topeka.

The Hutchinson plan enjoys support from lawmakers and city officials, but the Topeka plan faces opposition.

"We appreciate the intent of what the sponsor was trying to do," said Whitney Damron, a lobbyist for Topeka. "I would say, just for information of the committee, we weren't asked about it."

Damron testified that city officials don't want to be in the position of administering the program. Additionally, since the flag design is open source, the city doesn't control any copyright.

"Truth be told, I don't think the zoo wants this as well," he said. "I think they have their own ideas for fundraising."

Rep. Fred Patton, R-Topeka, is president of the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center's board of directors.

Patton said he hasn't been involved with the bill, but "personally, I think it's cool seeing our Topeka flag all over the place now, and I have no problem with it being a license plate."

However, he said he would rather see any license plate revenue benefit a different charity.

"The nonprofit can be anybody, and in fact, I don't really want it to be the Topeka Zoo," Patton said. "Try to find someone  I don't know, Rescue Mission or Downtown Topeka  who is a little bit more broad-based than the zoo."

More: When Kansas police use license plate readers, should data collected be public record?

'This bill is the problem'

City attorney Amanda Stanley explained after the meeting that the bill would put Topeka in a legal gray area that city officials haven't had a chance to discuss.

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"Our flag is open sourced and was designed in partnership with the Greater Topeka Partnership," Stanley said. "And so we just don't feel like, as a city, we're the appropriate person to be licensing a flag that is open sourced for any legal use."

Anyone can use the flag for any legal use, Stanley said, but the bill would effectively require the city to claim ownership of a design that no one owns.

The bill states that cities must issue statements authorizing the use of the logo.

Hutchinson's flag is also open sourced, but their officials didn't raise similar concerns.

Topeka could potentially find a way to make a flag license plate work.

"Potentially," Stanley said, but for city government officials, "we haven't had a chance to look at that."

"The problem is this bill itself," said Spencer Duncan, a Topeka City Council member. "Hutchinson, it clearly has had an opportunity as a city and a community to have some conversations about what they want, how they want it to look, how they want to structure it.

More: Race is on for a mystery megaproject. Will that doom efforts to eliminate food sales tax?

"Topeka has not been afforded any of those conversations. We would rather do it more organically, where they get together, talk with the community, where do you want the money to go, sounds like a great idea."

Duncan didn't make any promises that such a community conversation is in the city's future, but, "I'm sure there's people who would like to do it, so I think we're open to that conversation in the future."

Such a process would likely take several months, meaning it is unlikely to happen this legislative session.

"This bill is the problem, not the concept," Duncan said.

The Greater Topeka Partnership supports "the idea of seeing Topekas flag tastefully transformed into a design suitable for license plates," said Curtis Sneden, the president of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, in a statement.

He said a license plate could be a way to show pride in the capital city.

"We do understand, however, that an effort like this takes time to review and implement," Sneden said. "If such license-plate discussions move forward, we would welcome the opportunity to work with our partners at the city of Topeka, as well as relevant stakeholders, to ensure the project is completed in a thoughtful manner."

More: As lawmakers OK bill for $4B megadeal, Kansas officials to make pitch to mystery company

'A little bit perplexing'

Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, was the lead sponsor of the bill. He said he reached out to members of the Topeka delegation with the intention of building broader support for the bill.

Topeka Democratic Reps. Jim Gartner, Annie Kuether, Vic Miller and Virgil Weigel signed on as co-sponsors. Patton and Republican Reps. Ken Corbet and Jesse Borjon didn't co-sponsor the bill, and neither did Democratic Rep. John Alcala.

Probst said there had been multiple unsuccessful attempts by other lawmakers to reach the Greater Topeka Partnership last month before filing the bill last week.

"I don't think anybody anticipated it was going to be problematic," Probst said. "It's a little bit perplexing to me that it's turned into this big of an issue over something that's pretty innocuous."

Hutchinson and Wichita have open source flag designs, and the bill was modeled after Wichita's program, Probst said.

"You just have to have somebody who officially says this can be done," he said. "It doesn't mean that anybody has ownership. I know that Topeka seemed to be hung up on the idea of who owns the flag. Nobody owns the flag, it's a creative commons license, but you do have to have somebody who authorizes the design."

Probst said it was his idea to have the money go to the Topeka Zoo. The bill could be amended to remove the zoo as the beneficiary and permit the Greater Topeka Partnership to hold public hearings to decide who gets the money.

Probst said the bill "doesn't compel anybody to do anything," so Topeka wouldn't be required to implement a program if officials chose not to.

"All I was trying to do was to broaden support for the initiative and to think of other communities that have a flag and try to make it as inclusive as I possibly could," he said.

More: Groups file suit over maps in state court, arguing racial, partisan gerrymandering

Hutchinson officials support

Rep. Paul Waggoner, R-Hutchinson, testified in support of the bill before the House Transportation Committee.

"I'm not normally a big local flag type of guy, but the Hutch flag I would say is different," he said. "It has gotten a good amount of traction in our town. You see it on individual flag poles, you see it in some businesses, even our local Walmart has a whole panoply of City of Hutchinson flags."

"This flag can and does create local spirit and goodwill," he said. "As a license plate, I think it will also then create revenue to the Kansas Department of Revenue and to the Hutch recreation foundation."

Anthony Finlay, executive director of the Hutchinson Recreation Commission, said the city adopted the flag in December 2018.

"It has really taken hold in Hutchinson, probably a different scale than Wichita, but same influence as far as local pride," Finlay said.

"The idea was brought up that we could create a license plate that would not only spread community pride that we're currently seeing, but also support local efforts in parks and recreation," he said.

Finlay dismissed copyright concerns.

"There is no copyright on the flag; it was open source  we wouldn't be restricted on anything," he said.

Jason Tidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Tidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Why officials are split on Topeka, Hutchinson city flag license plates
A shell of a structure sitting on land off North Fountain Green Road in Bel Air was expected to be the first continuing-care retirement community in Harford County. But the project was scrapped and experts say the reasons seem clear.

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Carsins Run at Eva Mar was planned as an independent, not-for-profit $100 million retirement community that would have included 137 residences in two apartment buildings and two manor homes.

Earlier this month, the onsite sales office shut down and the builder, the Presbyterian Home of Maryland, announced that after more than 15 years of developing the project, it was walking away. Its board of directors, in a statement, said that building costs have increased and COVID-19 has slowed sales, sounding a death knell for the project.

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With construction prices rising exponentially, economists and industry experts say construction of the center became infeasible.

We have had to postpone projects across the country simply because the costs of delivering construction services have become so elevated, said Anirban Basu, economist and chairman of Baltimore-based Sage Policy Group Inc. It is conceivable that one of the factors was the cost of construction. Materials prices have gone up 22% over the past year.

This price increase has impacted all types of projects, according to Basu. What was to have been a mixed-use project in Middle River has now become a distribution space, he said.

The cost of construction is so elevated that it is actually altering what is being built and how much is being built, Basu said.

Although commercial real estate is considered a weak sector of the economy right now, that wont always be the case and investors are looking for opportunities, Basu said. Some investors are developing projects because of the potential upside, post-pandemic.

Right now, there is a lot of investable money going through the economy. There is a lot of interest in purchasing real estate and developing real estate, Dr. Basu said.

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However, that was not necessarily the case at Carsins Run at Eva Mar.

Nursing homes were hit hard during the early days of the pandemic and many had high COVID infection rates. As a result, some seniors stayed away from these facilities.

Because of some of the issues early during the pandemic at nursing homes in which many people were infected with COVID-19 ... there were some really bad outcomes, Basu said. A lot of seniors [decided they] would rather age in their homes.

Still, the economy is stable enough to support new development, according to the Harford County Office of Community and Economic Development.

Overall, we still see a very stable economy in the county, thanks in large part to our focus on industry diversification, said Cynthia Mumby, director of governmental and community relations for Harford County. We dont see any decrease in other development projects moving forward; however, each project is different and Carsins Run is best able to determine the factors influencing their sales.

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Some said that rental communities for seniors would fare better during the pandemic because of lower living costs and better health and safety protocols for residents. Continuing-care retirement communities, like Carsins Run at Eva Mar, tend to be larger communities with greater upfront fees for promised life care. Rental communities for seniors have less expensive entrance fees and the communities themselves are smaller.

Continuing-care retirement communities have been around longer, which has made them more popular. But the rental model has been growing in the last 10 years, according to Andy Anderson, director of Brightview Avondell, a senior independent and assisted-living center in Bel Air. Brightview has two senior living facilities in Harford County and 18 in Maryland.

Brightview, like many senior living development companies, had to slow its pace of new development, Anderson said. But, he added, the senior assisted-living industryis recovering. that

For the start of the pandemic, it slowed us a little bit, but over the last year, we have gone back to our normal rate of growth which is three to five new communities a year, Anderson said. We continue to be successful through this pandemic because of the teams we build, the support we get from our office and residents who have been so understanding.

Also, Brightview took less of a financial hit because its assisted-living communities require less investment. Brightview designs boutique-style communities, which are smaller than continuing-care retirement communities. Developers spend more on infrastructureand care resources for continuing-care retirement communities.

From an investment standpoint, CCRCs are typically much larger than monthly rental communities, Tessa Bonnstetter, a Brightview representative, said in a statement. Think of CCRCs more like miniature college campuses  they have multiple buildings spread out over a large area. Thus, depending on the size of a CCRC, the building investment can be up to several times as much as a monthlyrental community building investment, solely because of the size itself.

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Carsins Run at Eva Mar declined comment for this story. Meanwhile, the Harford County Office of Community and Economic Development is searching for a new developer for the former Carsins Run property who can build a project that aligns with zoning codes, Mumby said.

Carsins run at Eva Mar development. (Matt Button)
BEIJING  Ratings problem? What ratings problem?

Television ratings for the Beijing Olympics are off by 50 percent from PyeongChang levels in 2018, which themselves were well below the levels of Winter Olympics past. But to hear the International Olympic Committee tell it, theres no problem, no problem at all.

According to IOC data, approximately half a billion people watched the Opening Ceremony around the world, and roughly 2 billion have watched some portion of the Olympics at some point in the succeeding week and a half.

In the United States, though, with the exception of the post-Super Bowl bump, ratings for the Games have bounced off the bottom of the ocean floor at historic lows. Just 16 million people tuned in for the Opening Ceremony, 43 percent below the 2018 Games in a similar time zone.

Pick a reason for the Olympics ratings dive, and its probably on point. Some would-be viewers are protesting the choice of China as a host nation for what the United States says are extensive human rights abuses. Others arent connecting with this crop of Olympians the way they did with, say, Michael Phelps or the Fierce Five. And the entire Olympics has a sterile feel, thanks to Chinas closed loop system thats keeping athletes, officials and media locked up and isolated and fans out of the stands. NBCs morning shows and Olympics hosts cant broadcast live from China because of the restrictions, further distancing the viewer from the action.

The most likely reason, though, is that this marks the third straight Olympics held literally on the other side of the planet from the United States, meaning the most compelling events are occurring in the middle of the night, U.S. time.

Were in our third games in Asia now, and I think the audiences are getting quite used to watching their Olympic sport at different times, so actually the audiences on linear TV have been strong, Timo Lumme, the IOCs managing director for television and marketing services, said on Wednesday. In certain Nordic or winter markets they have been extremely strong. In general, they have held up very well despite the time difference and lack of live, prime-time coverage.

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Nordic markets may be tuning in to watch their Olympians dust the world in the Winter Games, but beyond that, the idea that Western audiences appreciate the off-hours Olympics defies common sense. Audiences are getting used to watching their Olympics in the middle of the night because, aside from Rio in 2016, its what theyve had to do for literally the last decade.

Still, Lumme hit on one important point: Virtually every television property is seeing massive declines all across the board. The Olympics ratings are down, but so is almost everyone else (except the NFL).

Media markets change and they change continually, he noted. It is true weve lived through a period of relative stability and growth but the reality is that over history, media markets change when there are new technologies and new ways to consume media. We of course dont control that. We do notice that the Olympics maintain a position of pre-eminence and dominance within the available market share.

Translating from network-speak: The Olympics are still claiming the largest share of a much smaller pie.

A staff member looks at screens in a Master Control Room (MCR) of the Olympic Broadcasting Services. Ratings for the Beijing Olympics have dipped dramatically in the United States. (Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images)

The Olympics and NBC have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership, one that will extend through the 2032 Summer Games. Beyond that? Its tough to speculate whether NBC will continue its partnership, as the lure of the 2034 Games  widely rumored to be headed for Salt Lake City  would be an appealing proposition for a U.S. broadcaster.

At the end of the day, Lumme said, sidestepping a question about the future of the NBC deal, what will drive a decision for us are the best market conditions. Were in no hurry. Theres no decision that needs to be made immediately.

The Beijing 2022 ratings will be at historic lows. The challenge for the IOC is how to recapture the trust and interest of the millions who have tuned out over the past few years.
ROME (Reuters) - Italy's Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected a request to hold a referendum on legalising the cultivation of cannabis, provoking the ire of promoters who called the decision a blow to democracy.

The referendum proposal sought to legalise the growing of weed for personal use and ease sanctions on other cannabis-related crimes, with offenders no longer risking prison sentences for selling small amounts of the drug.

Giuliano Amato, the Constitutional Court president, said the referendum included other narcotics considered to be hard drugs, which could not be liberalised.

"This is enough to make us violate multiple international obligations," Amato, a former prime minister, told a news conference.

Lawmaker Riccardo Magi, one of the referendum's leading advocates, told Reuters the court's decision was "a terrible blow to democracy," after hundreds of thousands of people had signed up to the proposal.

"It's almost impossible to hold a referendum in Italy," he said.

On Tuesday, the Court turned down a right-to-die referendum, saying the proposal did not safeguard minimum constitutional standards governing the protection of human life.

The campaigns launched on the right-to-die and cannabis referendums had gathered together over 1.8 million signatures.

However five other, less high profile referendum proposals about largely arcane aspects of the justice system were accepted. These will be submitted to the popular vote next spring.

(Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Gavin Jones, William Maclean)
TOKYO (AP)  Kirin is selling its China soft drinks joint venture to an investment fund, the Japanese beer and beverage maker said Wednesday.

The move comes shortly after Kirin decided to pull out of a joint venture brewery in Myanmar.

The sale to Plateau Consumer, a Chinese fund, for 115 billion yen ($994 million) covers Kirins entire 40% stake in China Resources Kirin Beverages, Tokyo-based Kirin said in a statement.

The joint venture, established in 2011, had been expanding its business in China, making bottled water and bottled tea, according to Kirin Holdings Co.

Kirin said the move was part of its recent decision to review its investment portfolio, including foreign operations, under a management plan that runs through 2024.

The plan has the company focusing on certain areas, including pharmaceuticals and health science as well as food and beverages.

More recently, Kirin has been trying to streamline its sprawling operations to focus on projects like developing drugs for diseases that have no existing treatments, and working on what Kirin calls LC-Plasma to offer health products that help maintain immune systems.

Kirin is among Japans top beer brands, but beer companies here have in recent decades expanded into other kinds of beverages. It still has various global operations, including Four Roses Distillery in the U.S. and San Miguel Brewery in the Philippines.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
Former CNN President Jeff Zucker violated the networks news standards and practices prior to his resignation earlier this month, as did former star anchor Chris Cuomo, according to a memo sent to CNN staff on Tuesday.

WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said independent investigators had spoken to more than 40 people and reviewed 100,000 texts and emails, adding that the results were troubling and disappointing.

Zucker resigned last month, causing a seismic shift in the highest echelons of media, because he didnt disclose a romantic relationship with colleague Allison Gollust, CNNs executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Gollust had stayed in her role at the time of the revelation, but also resigned on Tuesday after investigators found she, too, had violated company policies.

Zuckers departure came shortly after Cuomo was fired in December for defending his brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, against sexual misconduct allegations and working to discredit his brothers accusers.

We have the highest standards of journalistic integrity at CNN, and those rules must apply to everyone equally, Kilar said in the memo. Given the information provided to me in the investigation, I strongly believe we have taken the right actions and the right decisions have been made.

Brand new memo from Jason Kilar: "The investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNN's News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo." pic.twitter.com/Xu1HQJw9cT  Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 16, 2022

Kilar didnt elaborate on the investigations findings, but The New York Times reported Tuesday that Zuckers departure was potentially linked to the revelations that resulted in Cuomos ouster and the sexual assault allegations against him (Cuomo denies the claims).

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Lawyers probing the then-hosts behavior reportedly asked Zucker how he had handled Cuomos suspension and firing and if he knew about the hosts work for his brother.

Zuckers spokesperson rejected any assertions that Zucker was aware of Cuomos aid to his brother, telling the Times: Jeff was never aware of the full extent of what Chris Cuomo was doing for his brother, which is why Chris was fired.

Gollust responded to Kilars comments later Tuesday in a letter to colleagues, accusing WarnerMedia of attempting to retaliate against me and change the media narrative in the wake of their disastrous handling of the last two weeks.

It is deeply disappointing that after spending the past nine years defending and upholding CNNs highest standards of journalistic integrity, I would be so treated this way as I leave, she said, adding that she believed the company would let her announce her own departure. But I do so with my head held high, knowing that I gave my heart and soul to working with the finest journalists in the world.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
WASHINGTON  The House committee investigating the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol will receive former President Donald Trumps White House visitor logs after President Joe Biden waived executive privilege for the documents.

The move will allow the committee to see who was visiting the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, as a mob of Trump supporters ransacked the Capitol. The panel is piecing together a minute-by-minute account of what happened that day in an effort to prevent future attacks.

The committee is scheduled to receive the logs within 15 days.

Bidens waiver follows a similar move on Oct. 8 when he allowed the release of hundreds of pages of Trump-era presidential documents to the committee. Trump had asserted executive privilege to keep hundreds of pages of documents confidential and filed a federal lawsuit to prevent their release.

Investigation of Trump's Georgia call: Remember Trumps call to find votes in Georgia? Meet Fani Willis, the DA who could charge him

The running list of who has been subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee: Who has been subpoenaed so far by the Jan. 6 committee?

But federal district and appeals courts approved the release, saying Bidens waiver outweighed Trumps claim, and the Supreme Court refused to prevent their release.

National Archivist David Ferriero told Biden that Trump had asserted executive privilege on Jan. 31 over the visitor logs. But Dana Remus, Bidens White House counsel, replied in a letter Tuesday that the president waived privilege for the logs.

The President has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified, as to these records and portions of records, Remus wrote.

Ferriero notified Trump on Wednesday the records would be released// by March 3.

Russia sanctions: Congress has tough words on Putin and Russia's aggression in Ukraine, but can't agree on sanctions

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden allows Jan. 6 panel access to Trump's White House visitor logs
Victorville Council Member Blanca Gomez speaks during a meeting in August 2019.

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Victorville Councilwoman Blanca Gomez that alleged civil rights violations and a conspiracy by city officials and others to prevent her from performing her elected duties.

U.S. District Court Judge Jesus Bernal ruled earlier this month that Gomez had failed to prosecute her case.

In a Feb. 1 order, Bernal wrote the councilwoman failed to file a proof of service to demonstrate she had served the summons and complaint on Defendants within 90 days after the complaint was filed.

Gomez was ordered to file proof on or before Jan. 18, court documents show.

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Several defendants were listed in her complaint filed on Dec. 21, 2020, including the entire Victorville City Council, City Manager Keith Metzler, former Mayor Gloria Garcia and the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

The city issued a release about the judges decision on Monday.

When she filed her complaint in December 2020, Ms. Gomez personally issued a press release that was covered by the media, said Victorville spokesperson Sue Jones. For the sake of transparency, we think our public deserves to know that Ms. Gomezs case was dismissed by the judge because she failed to pursue the matter.

Gomez did not respond to a request for comment. She did not speak about the lawsuit during a council meeting Tuesday.

Controversy has marked Gomezs tenure since she was first elected to the council in 2016: A failed attempt for a recall election, repeated public spats with fellow members and city staff, an accusation of unemployment fraud.

Most recently, she was charged with several misdemeanors stemming from two incidents in 2021, one in which she was arrested at City Hall during a council meeting.

She has pleaded not guilty to the various charges, including resisting arrest and battery.

Through it all, Gomez has defended herself as a representative of the people and suggested shes being targeted for exposing government corruption.

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Her dismissed complaint alleged that the people she was suing were systematically disrupting her from performing her duties as a (city council member) by physically and electronically blocking access to (city council) meetings and to her city government emails for the sole purpose of keeping her silent and for asking questions about the fraud and corruption agenda being systematically and strategically coordinated by all named (defendants).

The complaint made other allegations, such as a wrongful arrest at Hesperia City Hall. Gomez was arrested there in 2018 by a deputy on suspicion of trespassing and resisting arrest after sheriffs officials said she refused to leave an area not generally open to the public.

Court records show she was never charged with a crime then.

Gomez said, however, that the arrest was performed solely to embarrass (her) for political reasons. An unsuccessful recall petition in 2018 was also planned by various city officials, she alleged.

The councilwoman also wrote in her complaint she was entitled to an award of no less than $1 million from Garcia, who was the citys mayor in 2018 for alleged defamatory comments.

Despite the various wide-ranging claims alleged in the complaint, documents show little was done after filing.

In January 2021, two attorneys representing Gomez asked they be withdrawn from the case, a request Bernal granted. Gomez then represented herself.

No other documents were seen in the court docket for almost a year until January 2022, when Bernal ordered the councilwoman to show why her action shouldnt be dismissed for lack of prosecution.

The following month, he would rule that she failed to comply with the Courts order.

Daily Press reporter Martin Estacio may be reached at 760-955-5358 or MEstacio@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Victorville Councilwoman Blanca Gomez's lawsuit against city dismissed
A federal district court judge in Georgia on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction to an Air Force officer that temporarily allows her to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 without punishment.

The order from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia marks the first time a court has barred the Air Force from enforcing its mandate for a service member. Its the most recent judicial move opposing the federal requirement for uniformed troops and civilian employees alike.

The court is unquestionably confident that the Air Force will remain healthy enough to carry out its critical national defense mission even if plaintiff remains unvaccinated and is not forced to retire, Judge Tilman Tripp Self wrote.

Read the preliminary injunction order in Air Force Officer v. Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, et al.

The plaintiffs claim that the vaccine mandate violates the First Amendment and the broader Religious Freedom Restoration Act is likely to succeed in court, the judge added.

The unnamed officer has served in the Air Force for more than 25 years and now works at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. She was required to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 18, 2021, or two weeks after the Air Forces deadline for active duty airmen and guardians to get their final shot in a one- or two-dose series.

People who are fully vaccinated are drastically less likely to contract, become severely ill or die from the coronavirus compared to unvaccinated Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 77.8 million Americans have been infected by the coronavirus, and 920,000 have died since the pandemic began in late 2019.

The Air Force officer sincerely believes that receiving a vaccine that was derived from or tested on aborted fetal tissue in its development would violate her conscience and is contrary to her faith, according to court documents.

Pfizer and Modernas mRNA products used cells replicated from a fetus aborted in the 1970s to make sure their vaccine worked in human cells. The fetal cells were not used to produce either vaccine, National Geographic reported last fall.

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Johnson & Johnson uses cells replicated from a fetus aborted in 1985 to produce its vaccine, but those cells are filtered out from the final product.

Judge extends temporary ban on punishment for officers refusing COVID-19 vaccine

The issue continues to worry people of multiple faiths, which prompted religious leaders to weigh in. Facing questions about whether the mandate clashes with doctrine, the Vatican has reassured Catholics that receiving shots with ties to abortion is morally acceptable.

The morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect ones own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good, the Vatican said.

The airman who filed the lawsuit contracted COVID-19 in December 2020 and fully recovered. She said she tested positive for antibodies in both January and December 2021. The federal vaccination mandate does not allow employees to claim natural immunity in lieu of receiving the shots.

Judge Self questioned whether vaccines do offer better protection against the virus than prior infection, citing recent cases among vaccinated, high-ranking defense officials and in the public at large.

The CDC urges Americans to get vaccinated even if theyve already had the virus, noting one study that showed those who do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more than two times as likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get fully vaccinated after their recovery.

The officer applied for a religious exemption on Oct. 13, 2021, and was denied two weeks later, Self wrote. She appealed the decision but was rejected by Air Force Surgeon General Robert Miller, who cited the negative impact it would have on military readiness and public health.

Air Force approves first religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine for 9 troops

Rather than get the shots or face punishment while remaining in the service, the woman opted to ask to retire early.

She believes leaving the service will cost her more than $1 million in salary and benefits she would have otherwise earned.

Self, a former Army artillery officer and the son of an Air Force veteran, contends that because the vast majority of the Air Force is fully vaccinated and therefore safer, its unreasonable to force the plaintiff to choose between inoculation and losing her livelihood.

In particular, he called out the Air Forces slowness to approve religious waivers while it green-lit medical exemptions. As of Monday, the service had approved nine religious accommodation requests and more than 3,200 medical and administrative waivers.

The Air Force had granted over 1,500 medical exemptions by the time we filed this lawsuit, but not a single religious exemption, said one of the womans attorneys, Thomas More Society senior counsel Stephen Crampton, in a press release. After we filed, it suddenly decided to start granting or claiming to grant religious exemptions, albeit only a handful.

More than 6,000 troops are currently listed as having pending or disapproved religious exemption requests. The service had booted 160 active duty airmen for being unvaccinated as of Monday.

SECDEF tells governors Guard troops must get COVID-19 vaccine

The court easily finds that the Air Forces process to protect religious rights is both illusory and insincere. In short, its just theater, Self wrote, quoting another judge who issued a temporary injunction for Navy SEALs in a similar case earlier this month.

He declined to issue a more sweeping injunction that would let anyone who wanted to skirt the vaccination mandate do so, saying only a nationwide class-action lawsuit would warrant it.

It remains to be seen whether the case will proceed to trial.

The court absolutely understands that judges dont make good generals, Self wrote. But, by that same token, its a two-way street: Generals dont make good judges  especially when it comes to nuanced constitutional issues.
Ribbon Cutting outside of Harford Land Trust's new office at 22 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 2, in Bel Air, Maryland, on Jan. 28, 2022. - Original Credit: Christopher Stevenson (HANDOUT)

Ribbon Cutting outside of Harford Land Trust's new office at 22 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 2, in Bel Air, Maryland, on Jan. 28, 2022. - Original Credit: Christopher Stevenson (HANDOUT)

The Harford Land Trust held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new downtown Bel Air office Jan. 28. The land preservation nonprofit moved to the West Pennsylvania Avenue space in late 2021 after outgrowing its former Hickory Avenue office.

Weve come a long way from our first office in a barn near Churchville, incoming Harford Land Trust President H. Turney McKnight said in a newsrelease. As we enter our fourth decade of preserving land in Harford County, this larger, more visible office space is befitting of the critical role that Harford Land Trust has come to play in the protection of land in our county.

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County leaders, including County Executive Barry Glassman and his chief advisor, Billy Boniface, county council members Tony Giangiordano and Chad Shrodes, and State Del. Mike Griffith, attended the celebration.

Harford County is proud to be home to one of the premier land trusts in the state, and we are excited to see them grow, Glassman said, according to the news release. Harford Land Trust has been a great partner to my administration, and I look forward to their continued success in protecting our most valuable lands.

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The Greater Bel Air Community Foundation, which granted funds to the trust for furniture for itsnew office, was also at the ceremony.

The new office space features art from several local artists, such as photographers Edwin Remsberg and Frank Marsden, and painters Michael Gaudreau and John Sauers.




Lawmakers are pushing for stronger stock trading rules for Supreme Court justices and federal judges as they weigh a stock trading ban for members of Congress.

Advocates say that changes to the current system are long overdue, pointing to recent court cases where judges ruled in favor of companies that they owned stock in.

Late last year, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill to subject the judiciary to the same stock trading reporting as lawmakers and executive branch officials.

And last week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) indicated that any bill passed to regulate officials' stock trading must include stricter transparency rules for Supreme Court justices.

"It has to be governmentwide," Pelosi told reporters. "The Supreme Court has no disclosure, it has no reporting of stock transactions. And yet it makes important decisions every day."

Supreme Court justices disclose their financial holdings annually, but they are not required to report their individual stock trades in real time, only including information about their financial transactions in a year-end report.

While federal judges are required to disclose their stock trades, the information isn't widely available to the public. Courts are slow about releasing stock trade disclosures, sometimes taking years to fulfill requests for a judge's financial transactions.

The issue caught lawmakers' attention after a Wall Street Journal investigation found that more than 130 judges improperly failed to recuse themselves from at least 950 cases involving companies in which the judges or their family members owned stock. More often than not, judges ruled in favor of the company that they were invested in, according to the report.

Courts rely on an automated screening process to ensure that judges aren't assigned cases involving companies that they're invested in, but both the conflict-screening software and the judges themselves missed conflicts of interest in hundreds of cases since 2010.

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"If I'm a litigant in federal court, there's no way to know what potential conflicts my judge has," said Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, a nonpartisan group that lobbies lawmakers to make the judiciary more accountable. "And if we know that judges oversaw 950 cases in which they had a financial conflict, clearly the system is broken."

Lawmakers have taken notice. In December, the House voted 422-4 in favor of the Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act, which would require all federal judges and Supreme Court justices to report stock trades within 45 days, the same timeline abided by lawmakers.

The law would require the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to launch an online database of judges' finances within 180 days of its signing. The agency has privately warned senators that it would struggle to meet that time frame. The bipartisan bill is currently awaiting action from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Pelosi has directed House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a strong supporter of the House bill, to draft larger recommendations for an all-encompassing bill to overhaul stock trading rules.

Democratic leaders, eager to capitalize on immense public approval for a stock trading ban, aim to pass a bill before the end of the year.

Last week, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) reintroduced a bill that would prohibit Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, top Federal Reserve officials and the president and vice president from trading individual stocks. It would also require "expeditious public disclosure" of stock trades by federal judges.

"The American people deserve to have confidence that those in power are working in the public's interest, not in their own self-interests," Porter said in a statement.

Three Supreme Court justices reported owning stock in individual companies last year. Chief Justice John Roberts held stock in Sirius XM and Thermo Fisher Scientific, while Justice Stephen Breyer was invested in Raytheon Technologies.

Justice Samuel Alito, the most active trader on the high court, held stock in 10 companies, including Boeing, Johnson & Johnson and ConocoPhillips.

Experts say that a stock trading ban or stricter disclosure rules shouldn't single out Supreme Court justices, arguing that conflicts of interest appear to be more prevalent in lower courts that don't receive nearly as much scrutiny.

The Journal's investigation, which utilized disclosure reports compiled by the nonprofit Free Law Project, found that in two-thirds of contested motions, judges sided with companies that they or their family were invested in.

Last month, District Judge Liam O'Grady stepped away from a civil case involving Amazon after the Journal reported on his wife's stock holdings in the e-commerce giant. He had previously ruled in favor of Amazon during multiple pretrial motions.

"It's critical that members of Congress in both parties start to think about the federal judiciary as needing the same types of accountability measures as members of the other branches," Roth said. "There's no reason not to do it now, while the attention is there."

Reform advocates are bracing for opposition from the judiciary itself. The Judicial Conference, which directs policymaking for federal courts, has often pushed back on lawmakers' attempts to regulate the judicial branch, insisting that judges can police themselves.

Roberts, the leader of the organization, acknowledged in a year-end report that judges failed to comply with ethics rules, but cast most instances of financial conflicts as unintentional oversights.

Roberts wrote that Congress may want to provide more funds to update courts' automated conflict-screening programs but said that the Judicial Conference is already implementing more rigorous training programs to promote a "culture of compliance," a signal to lawmakers that the judiciary can handle its own problems.

"The bottom line is that the Conference is taking the concerns seriously and has committed itself to the careful labor of addressing them," he wrote.
Quintez Brown faces charges in a shooting at the campaign office of Craig Greenberg, who is running for mayor of Louisville.

Kentucky civil rights activist Quintez Brown pleaded not guilty to one charge of attempted murder and four charges of wanton endangerment on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Brown is accused of a shooting at the campaign office of Craig Greenberg, who is running for mayor of Louisville. None of the five people inside the office were injured in Mondays incident, but Greenberg says his shirt was grazed, according to The Louisville Courier-Journal.

Louisville, Kentucky activist and Metro Council candidate Quintez Brown pleaded not guilty to one charge of attempted murder and four charges of wanton endangerment. (Photo: Louisville Department of Corrections)

Greenberg told ABC News he was shaken but safe after being at his campaign office early Monday with four colleagues when a man, later identified as Brown, came to the doorway with a gun. When we greeted him, he pulled out a gun, aimed directly at me, and began shooting, Greenberg said.

As previously reported, Brown is a candidate for the Louisville Metro Council and was identified by witnesses and apprehended less than a half-mile from Greenbergs campaign headquarters carrying a loaded 9mm magazine in his pocket. He was also arrested in possession of a handgun, a case and additional magazines.

At his arraignment on Tuesday, Browns attorney, Rob Eggert, entered a not guilty plea on his clients behalf and asked the court to lower his bond. However, the judge approved an exact opposite motion by the prosecution, raising Browns bond from $75,000 cash to $100,000.

Eggert also noted that Brown has a history of mental and emotional issues.

This is not a hate crime  it is a mental health case, he said in an interview after the arraignment, according to The Courier-Journal. He called Brown a good kid who has a ton of support in the community.

In a later interview with the newspaper, Eggert called the University of Louisville senior severely mentally ill, saying he needs treatment, not prison. However, he did say that he is not aware of Browns clinical diagnosis.

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Greenberg, the alleged target in the shooting, is one of eight Democratic candidates for mayor. He said hed never met Brown and had no comment on Browns current bond status.

Another Louisville activist, Darryl Young, who knows Brown through the Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students, said his colleague is passionate about social justice and community advocacy. I think Quintez needs a lot of help. Young continued: I would just hope that something can be done for Quintez, that he can have the treatment needed to get to some sort of peace.

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The post Kentucky civil rights activist pleads not guilty; lawyer cites mental health concerns appeared first on TheGrio.
Los Angeles City Councilman Herb Wesson at a COVID-19 test site in 2020. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez on Wednesday called for former Councilman Herb Wesson to return on a temporary basis, representing the South L.A. district that elected Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas a little more than a year ago.

With Ridley-Thomas suspended and fighting federal corruption charges, Martinez and three other council members signed a motion to have Wesson serve as a voting representative until Dec. 31  or sooner if the charges are dropped or Ridley-Thomas prevails in court.

Wesson represented the district, which stretches from Koreatown to the Crenshaw Corridor, from 2005 to 2020, and was succeeded by Ridley-Thomas.

Mr. Wesson cares deeply about the communities he represents and knows the district better than anyone," Martinez said in a statement. "The constituents of Council District 10 need a voting member who understands their community to represent them within council chambers.

The proposal, which followed a brief campaign by some neighborhood leaders to bring Wesson back, was also signed by council members Gil Cedillo, Mitch O'Farrell and Paul Koretz. A vote to appoint Wesson would require an eight-vote majority.

Ridley-Thomas was indicted on bribery and other charges in October, in a case involving county contracts. He has pleaded not guilty. He was suspended by his colleagues in October, leaving the district with a nonvoting caretaker  an arrangement that sparked complaints that residents in the district were being disenfranchised.

Michael J. Proctor, an attorney for Ridley-Thomas, called the latest move by Martinez premature and anti-democratic. Ridley-Thomas made a commitment to continue serving his constituents, he said.

"Those voters are thus being deprived of their first order constitutional rights of representation," Proctor said in an email. "Mark Ridley-Thomass concern is for those constituents  and an appointed representative, beholden to Nury Martinez, does not resolve this denial of representation.

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Supporters of Ridley-Thomas have argued for weeks that the council should rescind its suspension and restore his power to vote at city meetings. Harry McElroy, president of the Hepburn Avenue Homeowners Assn. in Leimert Park, said the treatment of Ridley-Thomas by city leaders has been punitive and unfair

"It's amazing to me that everyone raises the banner of 'innocent until proven guilty' in this country, but when they have the actual opportunity to practice it, they decided guilty until proven innocent," he said.

Robyn Stern, who also lives in the district, voiced frustration over the council president's search process, saying it should have been more public, more inclusive and involved far more input from residents. The City Council, she said, should find someone else to fill the seat.

I just feel like maybe its time for a change, instead of constantly playing musical chairs between him and Mark Ridley-Thomas, she said.

Others in the district concluded that Wesson would be the best choice to serve in an interim role  if the council is unwilling to repeal the suspension. Gina Fields, president of the McClung Bronson Block Club in Leimert Park, said Wesson would "hit the ground running."

Cedillo, who represents Eastside neighborhoods, described Wesson as a "perfect choice."

"There are few people who would know more than him about what the district's needs are," he said.

Council members have been divided in recent months over the fate of Ridley-Thomas and the 10th District. Last week, Councilman Curren Price said he still favored a vote to repeal the suspension. On Wednesday, Councilman Paul Krekorian said through an aide that he is seeking clarity on whether Martinez's proposal complies with the City Charter.

Wesson has served three full terms on the council, the maximum allowed under the City Charter, and served a partial term from 2005 to 2007. A spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer has declined to weigh in publicly on the legal issues, saying the advice being provided to Martinez is confidential.

Wesson, 70, has extensive ties to Martinez. During his tenure as council president, Martinez was a major part of his leadership team, serving as his No. 2. Her spokeswoman is a former Wesson staffer. Her deputy chief of staff married one of Wesson's sons.

Hours after Martinez unveiled her proposal, Wesson said he was "truly blessed."

"My neighbors have once again called on me to serve and it is my responsibility to answer that call," he said on Twitter. "I hope to do the residents of the 10th proud."

If Martinez's proposal is approved, it would be the second time in the last three years that the council has selected an interim voting member. In 2019, the council tapped former Councilman Greig Smith to represent the San Fernando Valley district vacated by Councilman Mitchell Englander.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
An enormous, 58-foot-tall swell that crashed in the waters off British Columbia, Canada, in November 2020 has been confirmed as the largest "rogue" wave ever recorded, according to new research.

The monster wave, which struck off the coast of Vancouver Island, reached a height roughly equivalent to a four-story building, scientists said. Characteristics of the wave were detailed in a study published Feb. 2 in the journal Scientific Reports.

Rogue waves are unusually large swells that occur in open water and grow to more than double the height of other waves in their vicinity. These unpredictable and seemingly random events are sometimes known as "freak" or "killer" waves, and not much is known about how they form.

Johannes Gemmrich, a research scientist at the University of Victoria and the lead author of the study, said that proportional to surrounding waves, the 2020 event was "likely the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded."

"Only a few rogue waves in high sea states have been observed directly, and nothing of this magnitude," he said in a statement. "The probability of such an event occurring is once in 1,300 years."

A video simulation of the MarineLabs buoy and mooring around the time of the record rogue wave recorded off Ucluelet, British Columbia. (Courtesy MarineLabs Data Systems)

The huge swell was picked up by sensors on a buoy located a little over 4 miles away from Ucluelet, on the western coast of Vancouver Island.

For centuries, rogue waves were thought to be nautical myths, dismissed as exaggerated accounts cooked up by mariners on the high seas. In recent decades, however, scientists were able to confirm the existence of rogue waves, though they are still difficult to observe and measure.

The first recorded rogue wave occurred off the coast of Norway in 1995. That event, known as the "Draupner wave," reached a height of nearly 84 feet, twice the size of its surrounding waves. Though the 1995 rogue wave was taller overall than the one measured off Ucluelet, the record-breaking 2020 event was nearly three times the size of other waves around it, the researchers said.

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Studying rogue waves could help scientists better understand the forces behind them, and their potential impacts, said Scott Beatty, CEO of MarineLabs, a research company that operates a network of marine sensors and buoys around North America, including the one that recorded the Ucluelet wave.

"The unpredictability of rogue waves, and the sheer power of these 'walls of water' can make them incredibly dangerous to marine operations and the public," he said in a statement.

Beatty added that being able to track and analyze these unusual events will improve maritime safety and help protect coastal communities.

"The potential of predicting rogue waves remains an open question," he said, "but our data is helping to better understand when, where and how rogue waves form, and the risks that they pose."
Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin

Citing the "unconscionable" pardons of former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Senate committee advanced a proposed constitutional amendment Wednesday to limit the clemency power of a governor at the end of their term.

Filed by Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Taylor Mill, Senate Bill 149 would allow voters to decide in a ballot referendum this fall to restrict a governor's power to issue a pardon or commutation during the 30 days prior to a general election through the swearing in of a new governor.

Testifying for the bill, McDaniel recited the headlines of news articles recounting the most controversial pardons issued by Bevin just before he left office in 2019, including that of Patrick Baker  a man convicted of homicide and sentenced to 19 years, whose brother had hosted a campaign fundraiser for Bevin the previous year.

"This amendment will prevent any more hiding in the darkness of the last minutes of an administration," McDaniel said. "There will be no more allowing the rich and the powerful to influence the scales of justice without the recourse of the voters of the citizens of the commonwealth."

How Matt Bevin's gift backfired: 'He would have been better off not getting the pardon'

Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, voted for SB 149, saying Bevin's pardons were "unconscionable for many reasons," beyond just letting "some dangerous people back out on the streets" and causing "many victims to have to relive their crimes all over again."

"It served as a firm rejection by someone who does not respect, I think, one of the most basic forms of local government within the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which is the jural system and our justice system," Wheeler said.

The proposed amendment passed through committee by a 7-2 vote, with the bipartisan votes of dissent calling the measure an overreaction to Bevin's actions.

"Simply because the former governor made some unconscionable pardons doesn't mean the current governor or future governors would do the same," said Rep. Denise Harper-Angel, D-Louisville. "I think the bill is unnecessary."

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Sen. Adrienne Southworth, R-Lawrenceburg, called SB 149 "somewhat of a knee-jerk reaction to a disaster a few years ago," with the issue needing "a more comprehensive approach" before a governor's constitutional powers are limited.

An identical proposal from McDaniel to limit a governor's clemency power passed the Senate by a wide margin in the 2020 session but was not taken up for a vote in the House.

The verdict is in: Federal jury decides fate of accused killer pardoned by Gov. Matt Bevin

Under Kentucky law, a maximum of four constitutional amendments can be on the ballot for a voter referendum in even-numbered years, with two proposals already slated  an amendment to declare there is no right to an abortion in Kentucky and another to allow the legislature to call itself back into session throughout the year.

Asked about the legislation, Gov. Andy Beshear said he worries "about making major changes based on one governor using the power in a very terrible way."

Criticizing Bevin's pardons as "based on really faulty information, if not conspiracy theories," Beshear said a preferable solution "is to elect reasonable people who would never, ever, ever do something like that."

Bevin's most controversial clemency orders included a pardon for Micah Schoettle, convicted of raping a 9-year old girl, as well as two others convicted of violent crimes that federal prosecutors indicted and convicted again.

Baker was indicted and convicted by a jury last year on a federal charge of murder during a drug trafficking crime, resulting in a sentence of 39 years in prison.

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Dayton Jones had been convicted in state court for a brutal sodomy of an unconscious 15-year-old boy before having his sentence commuted by Bevin. But he was later indicted and eventually pleaded guilty to a federal charge of production of child pornography related to the incident.

An assistant U.S. attorney and a federal agent disclosed in the Baker case last year that the government is conducting a separate investigation of Bevins pardon of Baker and its connection to the fundraiser his brother held for the former governor.

Federal prosecutors and the FBI have declined to comment on the status of that investigation.

Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today at the top of this page.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Citing Matt Bevin, KY lawmakers move to limit governor pardon power
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ  Superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools said that the district will make a final decision on whether or not to drop the classroom mask mandate by Feb. 28.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced last week that New Jersey will drop its statewide mask mandate for schools, effective March 7. The state will allow individual school districts and daycare centers to maintain masking requirements after that date.

During the recently-held Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Ross Kasun said the decision was a complex one.

The decision we have to make is a lot more complex than the Governor making an announcement, said Kasun. Before making a final decision we, as a board, needs more guidance and information from the Department of Education and the Department of Health.

Kasun cited several examples that could place schools in a tight spot. One example is what happens when a student is back in school on day 6 or 7 after a positive case of COVID-19. Currently, the guidance is for that student to wear a mask for the next 5 days. When the mandate is dropped, will masking be optional for that student after March 7, Kasun wondered.

Another issue involves contact tracing and quarantines. If the current statewide quarantine rules are not adjusted, then schools will be forced to send home all students who are within six feet of a COVID-19 positive student in classrooms. This would result in more children being home for a longer period, leading to learning loss.

Nothing works in isolation and the DOE has to take the time and devote the resources to truly understand the impact it would have on schools, Kasun said. Fortunately, they have a month to do that which is a lot more time than we usually have with any matter with COVID.

Kasun thanked students, staff and families for their compliance and effort in keeping everyone safe by masking up. Nothing about COVID has been easy or ideal, Kasun said.

Once there is an official word on masking for students and staff, and all the parameters are laid out by the state Department of Health and the Department of Education, then our district will be able to make an informed and smart decision, Kasun said.

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The Superintendent said families should expect a decision on the matter by Feb. 28. Over a month ago, Lawrence Public Schools reported 103 positive COVID-19 cases in a single today. On Feb. 9 the number was just 2. If the district reports high positive cases in the next few weeks, it could impact the districts decision, Kasun said.

Statewide, it's not yet clear what prompted Murphy to put a date on the end of the mask mandate.

Murphy's decision has resulted in debates and strange behavior at school board meetings across the state, including mask protestors ordering pizzas in the middle of a Westfield meeting last week.

Many districts have given varied responses, but several, like Jersey City and Maplewood, said they want to keep an eye on the data before making a decision. East Brunswick meanwhile has decided to go for the mask optional policy.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

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This article originally appeared on the Lawrenceville Patch
Lexington police are investigating a former Lexington-Fayette County Detention Center employee accused by jail administrators of charging the city 400 hours of overtime he never worked over 18 months.

Sgt. Jeremy Abney resigned from the jail in November after jail administrators did an extensive investigation into Abneys overtime records, according to documents the Lexington Herald-Leader obtained through an Open Records Act request.

Last week, Mayor Linda Gorton said she had asked the law department and human resources to look at the case after the Herald-Leader asked questions about the investigation and Abneys status.

During a Tuesday council work session, Gorton told the council the information was turned over to the Lexington Police Department for review.

All of you know there is a process with personnel issues and a chain of command, Gorton said.

When asked why it took several months after Abney resigned to ask Lexington police look into the matter, city officials said they were recently made aware of the severity of the allegations.

When the mayor learned about this last week she asked for more investigation, said Susan Straub, a spokesperson for the city. The mayor wants to dig deeper because of the potential seriousness of the allegation.

During Tuesdays meeting, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman Richard Moloney raised concerns about the status of the case since it involved a potentially substantial amount of money.

Its terrible how he abused the power, Moloney said.

Moloney and other council members said they heard about the allegations against Abney in December.

Abneys lawyer said in a statement Friday his client had worked extensive overtime the past two years and it was an innocent mistake. The jail is severely short-staffed.

In their negotiated settlement agreement and release, neither LFUCG nor Sgt. Abney admitted any fault with respect to the allegations, said Nick Oleson, Abneys lawyer. Sgt. Abney maintains his actions were innocent and occurred during a period of extensive overtime demands at the facility.

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Documents obtained by the newspaper did not calculate how much money Abney allegedly received from the city but didnt work. He was paid time and a half to work overtime at $39.64. an hour. In total, that could mean Abney charged the city $15,856 for time he never worked.

According to an Oct. 5 memo written by Maj. Matt LeMonds, Abneys time card listed 53 days he had claimed overtime  anywhere from two hours to 11 hours  but his swipe card showed he was not in the building.

In addition, documents showed other instances where Abney worked a few hours of overtime but claimed more than he worked. Time sheets also showed instances where another jail employee worked Abneys overtime shifts for him yet he still claimed overtime on his time sheets.

The discrepancies occurred between January 2020 and May 2021, according to records.

The questionable overtime was discovered when Abney worked a shift he typically doesnt work. He was listed as working overtime but was not in the building.

Lexington officials have said Abneys immediate supervisors were not investigated after the potential discrepancies were discovered because overtime is common at the jail. Since July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year, overtime at the jail has topped $1 million, city officials have said.

Lexington jail staffer accused of charging city for more than 400 hours in bogus overtime
Putin, Scholz agree on need to avert war amid Ukraine tensions

Xinhua) 08:16, February 16, 2022

MOSCOW, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday underlined the need to avoid a war over Ukraine and to settle the crisis via diplomatic efforts.

"Regarding whether we want this (war), of course we don't. This is why we have put forward proposals for the start of a negotiation process in a bid to reach an agreement ensuring equal security for everyone," Putin said during a press conference with Scholz following their talks in the Kremlin.

Scholz said despite that the positions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union may differ from those of Russia, dialogue remains crucial.

Europe is faced with one of its most dangerous crises in decades and there is an urgent need to defuse the tensions regarding Ukraine and prevent a possible war, the German leader stressed.

As a war in Europe is "unimaginable," Scholz considered it the duty of both Putin and himself to prevent any military escalation on the continent.

"Diplomatic opportunities have not yet been exhausted ... We have heard that some (Russian military) units are being withdrawn (from the borders) and this is a good sign," Scholz said.

As for Russia's security concerns, Scholz assured Putin that NATO's expansion is not even on the agenda.

However, Putin said that postponing Ukraine's possible accession to NATO will resolve nothing for Russia, and Moscow wants its security concerns to be addressed seriously.

Russia will act "in accordance with the plan" and its moves will reflect the latest realities, but no one can predict how the situation will unfold, Putin said, adding that Moscow, nevertheless, will strive to resolve all the existing issues by diplomatic means.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Francis Jerome Frank McCauley lived in the Dunloggin neighborhood in Ellicott City for more than 50 years. (Handout / HANDOUT)

Francis Jerome Frank McCauley, a retired Social Security Administration statistician and family patriarch, died of heart failure Jan. 21 at the Charlestown Retirement Community. The former Ellicott City resident was 91.

Born in Glen Burnie, he was the son of Agatha and Jerome McCauley. He was a Glen Burnie High School graduate.

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Like many other children of the Great Depression, he spent his infancy sleeping in a drawer in his parents one-bedroom apartment, said his granddaughter Chrissie Collett. He raised pigeons, chickens, and sold his mothers hand-crocheted doilies to help support his family.

Mr. McCauley met his future wife, Mary Regina Jean Ashcroft, at a Loyola College dance. She said it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He identified himself as Harry because he attended the event with friends named Tom and Dick.

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Mr. McCauley served in the Coast Guard during the Korean War. (handout)

When he was introduced to her parents, he fessed up to his real name. The couple married Sept. 27, 1957, at St. Bernardines Church.

They spent the early years of their marriage in Linthicum and later moved to the Dunloggin neighborhood in Ellicott City and lived on Rock Meadow Drive for more than 50 years.

Their love story spanned six decades, and it was no surprise to those who knew him that Frank died only two months after his loving bride, my grandmother Jean, who died at the end of November, said his granddaughter.

[ Leonard C. Simmons, a former health administrator, dies ]

After high school, Mr. McCauley joined the Coast Guard and served in the Korean War. He sailed through the Panama Canal to California and back again to his final posting in New Jersey.

After leaving the service he worked for the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. and Montgomery Ward while attending night school at what was then Loyola College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration.

After graduating, Mr. McCauley worked with the Census Bureau in Suitland.

Mr. McCauley was recalled for his "thoroughness, attention to detail and his disarming sense of humor, mostly self-deprecating," (Handout / HANDOUT)

The family only had one car, which my grandfather wanted to leave at home for his family to use, his granddaughter Chrissie said. He got creative in how he commuted from Linthicum to Suitland.

Each morning he would climb down the hill from Hammonds Ferry Road to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway shoulder where his carpool would pick him up, she said.

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Mr. McCauley later worked for the Social Security Administration in Woodlawn.

His thoroughness, attention to detail and his disarming sense of humor, mostly self-deprecating, gave him a long and successful career, she said. He was a true extrovert. He never met a stranger and was happiest in a room full of people.

She described him as a man who was often the first to arrive and last to leave, especially if food was spread out. He was liked to graze at a table and chatted up everyone who passed him.

He was a skillful navigator ... expert on buying used cars and finding any government job opening, she said.

Mr. McCauley was a family man.

No occasion was too small for him to attend, his granddaughter said. He spent hours at family dinners, birthdays, recitals, baptisms, graduations, weddings, promotion ceremonies and sidelines of sporting events.

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Mr. McCauley enjoyed attending family gatherings and functions. (Handout / HANDOUT)

Mr. McCauley was a doting grandfather and liked to help his grandchildren.

Any offhand question from me would often be answered with pages and pages of research, printouts from the library with his handwritten notes in the margins, his granddaughter said. The notes and his voice messages started with the current date, time, his location, and the weather.

She described him as notorious for pinching his pennies and collecting giveaway swag items.

He had a box of pens from almost every business in Howard County and beyond, she said. He wore the same clothes for decades, and his favorite saying was I never turn anything down but my collar.

Mr. McCauley frequented Ellicott City businesses along Route 40.

He told his family he was running errands and would be gone all day. He stopped by his favorite businesses, Miller Brothers Chevrolet, Shannons Saloon, Pig Pickers (formerly Crab Shanty), Gramps Attic Books, The Trolley Stop, and Play it Again Sports.

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He loved automobiles and was curious about the car business. He also had a great sense of humor, said Bob Palmer, general manager of Miller Brothers Chevrolet Cadillac. He was interested in what we appraised cars for. Numbers fascinated him.

I met him in 1978 and we had a long relationship and it took me seven years to sell him his first car. He brought his two Labradors with him. He would always try to get a good deal for his family and made sure his family were well taken care of. " This is a family-owned business and he treated the showroom like an old-fashioned barbershop where he met his friends. He loved cars and he loved motors. He was also just a good soul.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 24 Lois H. Feinblatt was a pioneering sex therapist who practiced with the Johns Hopkins Sex and Gender Clinic for more than three decades and was a also a philanthropist. (handout)

Said Jeff Tolton, manager of Play It Again Sports: He had a nickname for everyone at the shop. He was interested in wheeling and dealing, and came by once a week, easily.

On more than one occasion, these businesses that he visited fielded calls from his impatient wife asking, Where is McCauley?

A funeral Mass will be at 1 p.m. June 11 at St. Paul Catholic Church in Ellicott City.

Survivors include two daughters, Karen White of Ellicott City and Eileen Fenwick of Port Orange, Florida; a son, David McCauley of Hampton, Virginia; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by three stepgrandchildren and 11 stepgreat-grandchildren. His wife, a Saint Agnes Hospital lab worker, died in November.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (Rob Pinney/PA) (PA Wire)

Liz Truss has admitted she hoped the UK could soon pay off its debt to Iran during a phone call with her Iranian counterpart, it has been reported.

Ms Truss held a call with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Monday, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) confirmed to the Standard.

During the call, the pair discussed the future release of British nationals held in the state and the Vienna nuclear talks.

A FCDO spokesperson told the Standard: We continue to explore options as a matter of urgency to resolve this case.

On Monday, the pair also discussed the 400million debt the UK owes Iran which dates back to the sale of tanks in the 1970s, an Iranian account - reported by The Guardian - of the call stated.

While not confirming the discussion of the debt to Iran, the Foreign Office insisted it is committed to paying off the debt.

Both states have also claimed the outstanding debt is not related to the detention of three British-Iranians: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Mehran Raoof, and Anoosheh Ashoori.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in 2016 (Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe/PA) (PA Media)

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 43, was jailed in 2016 after Iranian officials accused her of plotting to oust the regime.

She was temporarily released in 2020 but was given a further sentence and has been under house arrest in Tehran in 2021.

Earlier this month, MPs were told an agreement had been signed with Iran but that it had fallen through at the last minute.

Her husband, Richard had also enacted a hunger strike in order to increase pressure on the Government to secure his wifes release.

Earlier this month, Ms Truss said: We do want to pay this debt, we recognise its a legitimate debt.

But of course, there are lots of issues, which Im sure you are quite well aware of.
A person refusing to take money. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  A man who allegedly tried to bribe a traffic police officer with a total of $55 over two occasions was charged in court on Wednesday (16 February).

Krishna Rao Narisama Naidoo, 34, was handed two counts under the Prevention of Corruption Act for offering bribes to a police officer attached to the Traffic Police Division on 21 November last year.

According to his charge sheets, the Malaysian was in the vicinity of the Pioneer Road roundabout off Ayer Rajah Expressway at around 11.40pm, when he allegedly offered a bribe of $5 in cash to the police officer as an inducement so that the officer would not investigate into a traffic incident.

At about 11.56pm, Krishna allegedly offered another $50 to the same police officer, in an attempt to have the officer refrain from investigating into the same incident.

According to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), the police officer did not accept any of the bribes and the case was referred to the bureau.

In court, Krishna claimed that he was unconscious at the point of the incident. No plea was taken.

His case will return to court on 2 March.

A person convicted of a corruption offence can be jailed up to five years, and/or fined up to $100,000.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore
Viewers have been touched by the young couple's story. TikTok/alyssa_jane01

Alyssa Hodges and Max Silvy had only gone on three dates before he became her birth partner.

The heartwarming story went viral after she posted a TikTok video about it.

And, yes, the Australian couple is still dating.

A woman gave birth with her Tinder match at the hospital  after only going on three dates with him.

In a TikTok video that's gotten more than 1.3 million views, new mother Alyssa Hodges of Brisbane, Australia, shared her birth story, which included her Tinder date Max Silvy.

"So the fourth date was him coming to my labor, and delivery, and birth. Like, what?" Hodges said in the video.

Hodges, 20, said she was supposed to pick up 25-year-old Silvy from the airport, but then her water broke. So instead, he went home and unpacked and then told her he would see her at the hospital.

"I was nervous because I was by myself, and yes, I want him as a support person, but what if we end up breaking up in a week's time?" she said while holding her newborn, Ollie, in her lap. "We've only had a couple of dates and didn't know each other very well. At this stage, his parents didn't know anything about me."

"Long story short, he ended up coming and basically being my biggest support," she added.

Australia's 7News reported that Hodges went into labor in September and spent a week shuttling between her home and the hospital.

"I was contracting for those days, and Max was with me the whole time. The birth itself was about seven hours," she told the outlet.

In her video, Hodges said that staff at the hospital thought Silvy was the father  which he did not refute so he could stay in the maternity unit. "He just went along with it," Hodges said.

Following his birth, nurses moved Ollie to the neonatal intensive care unit. Silvy took the week off work to stay with Alyssa at the hospital, she said.

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"We both knew that we liked each other and had strong feelings for each other. But the birth was the peaking point of our relationship. It bonded us," Hodges told 7News.

"Looking back, I know it was the best decision ever. I'm so glad he was there."

Hodges' story has received an overwhelmingly positive response on TikTok, with users claiming they were "moved" and "in tears."

Many also heaped praise on Silvy, calling him the "man of the year."

"So, so special. What an amazing man. Wish he was my dad," user @missbogan882 commented.

With interest growing in the young couple's relationship, many users also wanted to know if they were still dating. According to a TikTok post by Hodges on Tuesday, the pair are "in the process of moving in" together.

Read the original article on Insider
A Memphis business owner is likely headed to trial for his involvement in the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.

On Jan. 6, 2021, thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's victory.

According to court filings, Matthew Bledsoe rejected a plea deal from the U.S. government on Jan. 31. Court documents did not detail the conditions of the plea agreement.

His attorney has requested a trial date in August in order to give time for the filing of "several pre-trial motions," according to court documents.

Charges were filed after Bledsoe filmed himself entering the grounds of the Capitol the day of the riot. At least some of the evidence the U.S. Attorney's office has for their case against Bledsoe came directly from his since-deleted Instagram account.

In early status hearings after charges were filed against Bledsoe and four other codefendants, Bledsoe's lawyer told a judge that Bledsoe is a follower of the QAnon movement, a pro-Trump conspiracy theory which holds, among other things, that top Democrats and others are child-eating pedophiles and that Trump will overthrow them.

A text from Bledsoe to his wife read, "They're all going to be executed."

Bledsoe has pleaded "not guilty" to all charges he faces. He was released on his own recognizance with a court-ordered ankle monitor. U.S. Judge Beryl Howell denied a motion filed by Bledsoe's attorney that sought to have the ankle monitor dropped from his release conditions.

Related: Memphis man arrested, charged with federal offenses connected to Capitol riot

For subscribers: Paper trail ballots, ranked choice voting among 2022 election legislation slate in Tennessee

Since his arrest, Bledsoe has had the conditions of his release modified on several occasions to allow for work-related travel outside of the Western District of Tennessee.

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An attorney for Bledsoe did not return a request for comment.

Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Capitol riot Jan. 6: Matthew Bledsoe of Memphis will face trial on charges




A Mexican man accused of aiding Russian intelligence in the U.S. on Tuesday pleaded guilty to acting within the United States on behalf of a foreign government without notifying the attorney general.

Hector Alejandro Cabrera Fuentes, 36, was a resident of Singapore at the time of conviction.

Fuentes, who has "spent significant time in Russia," was told by a Russian government official to follow a person who had provided intelligence about the Russian government to the U.S. government, according to the Department of Justice.

Fuentes leased a unit in the same building as the person in Miami-Dade County, Fla., and traveled to Miami in 2020, where he took note of the parking location and license plate number of the person's car.

Fuentes also obtained a close-up photo of the car and planned to share information about the car with a Russian official on a future trip to Russia.

"The manner in which Fuentes communicated with the Russian government official and his undertakings in this case are consistent with the tactics of the Russian intelligence services for spotting, assessing, recruiting and handling intelligence assets and sources," the Justice Department said in a statement.

Fuentes was charged due to laws that require a person to disclose that they are an agent of a foreign government to the U.S. attorney general.

Fuentes will be sentenced in Miami on May 17 and could face up to 10 years in prison.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Thakur for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Michigan health department leaders are no longer urging local school leaders and others to require masks in many indoor settings.

The new guidance takes effect immediately, reflecting improving COVID-19 trends and similar moves from other administrations across the country amid fierce pressure from critics who argue that mask recommendations at schools are unnecessary.

"While Michigan hasn't had statewide mask policies since last June, this updated guidance will underscore that we are getting back to normal," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release.

"Let's keep working together to build on our momentum so we can keep our kids learning in person.

Signage for the use of a mask is posted at the entry as Ecorse High School students enter the school during the first day at Ecorse High School in Ecorse on Sept. 7, 2021.

More: Opinion: COVID-19 may not be done with us, but we're done with COVID-19

More: MotorCity Casino to end COVID-19 mask mandate for vaccinated guests

The guidance does not immediately nullify any local orders. Detroit schools still have a mask requirement, although most local districts have announced plans to roll back their remaining regulations by the end of the month.

The state still recommends everyone wear masks in long-term care facilities, prisons, hospitals and similar sites.

COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations are down substantially in recent weeks, while death rates have largely stabilized.

Michigan has not required indoor masking for months, but Whitmer and the Department of Health and Human Services called on local school districts and health departments all fall to require masking for students. Some in communities that followed this recommendation thanked local officials for instituting mask requirements as pandemic trends worsened, but others pushed back.

Some school districts leveled accusations of doctors issuing improper mask waivers, while some parents blasted at times changing quarantine guidance while questioning the necessity to mask.

Health and science experts generally agree masking helps prevent the spread of COVID-19. It's not foolproof, and must be done in conjunction with other mitigation efforts, but evidence suggests high-quality masks can prevent pandemic surges.

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According to data released last fall from the University of Michigan and the state health department, Michigan students who attended K-12 schools with mask requirements in August and September had lower rates of coronavirus transmission than those at schools without mandates.

But rates at districts with mask rules started to mirror those without by late 2021. The state suggested masking still worked but the effect may be negated by spread in other settings where masks are not required.

Studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally echoed the state's findings. Despite children typically not suffering the same severe effects from COVID-19 as elderly people or vulnerable adults, more Michigan children were hospitalized with pandemic-related symptoms in January than at any point in the pandemic.

However, growing public frustration with the lingering impacts of the pandemic  coupled with questions about the long-term impacts of masking and public displays of elected Democratic leaders flouting mask requirements they'd previously championed  spurred increasing criticism of ongoing mask mandates.

The Michigan Republican Party criticized Whitmer, saying the administration's decision to rescind the mask recommendation was correct but suggesting the governor only supports it because she's running for reelection.

"After repeatedly breaking her own rules and recommendations, Whitmer has finally dropped the nonsensical mask guidance, yet thousands of students across the state are still under the rule of forced masking, said Tori Sachs, executive director of conservative advocacy group the Michigan Freedom Fund, in a statement.

"Shame on Governor Whitmer for waiting this long and prioritizing politics over our kids' mental health and future."

Despite using mandates for the early months of the pandemic, Whitmer and health department director Elizabeth Hertel largely moved away from them in early 2021. Instead, they've focused on encouraging people to get vaccinated, a strategy that did not prevent Michigan from experiencing recent surges that were the worst of the pandemic.

More: New Michigan bill would allow controversial medications for patients dying of COVID-19

More: Michigan investigates doctor accused of writing more than 90 suspect school mask waivers

Hertel and Whitmer continue to plead with Michiganders to get vaccinated. Also on Tuesday, Whitmer signed into law a bill allocating $1.2 billion toward COVID-19 testing in schools and other community centers, along with funds to retain and recruit health care workers.

"We want to make sure individuals and local communities have the information and tools they need to make choices for their families based on their personal situation and local community conditions," Hertel said in a statement.

"We continue to strongly urge all residents ages 5 and older get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine and to get boosted when eligible as the vaccine continues to be our best defense against the virus.

As part of the state's new plan, the department rolled out a three-tiered approach to masking: response, recovery and readiness.

In the response phase, local and state health officials take actions to mitigate pandemic surges. This may include again changing guidance to encourage masking, social distancing and other measures.

The recovery phase starts after the surge, when health officials agree trends are headed in the right direction and likely will for the foreseeable future. The readiness state happens when trends appear to be changing, indicated by increases in cases, illness severity and hospitalizations.

For the past several months, we have been in a response phase as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surged, said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive, in a statement.

With the continued decline in cases and hospitalizations, we are now entering a post-surge, recovery phase. As we move through the phases of our COVID-19 response, our recommendations will be updated to reflect the current status of transmission, but we will continue to prioritize public health and promote health and wellness for all families and communities.

The health department still suggests those who are immunocompromised or otherwise especially vulnerable to COVID-19 to wear masks

Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan drops mask guidance for schools, other indoor settings
HOWELL, Mich (AP)  A state lawmaker from Michigan pleaded guilty Wednesday to drunken driving and other charges, including one brought after authorities say he was caught in jail with a handcuffs key taped to the bottom of his foot.

State Rep. Jewell Jones, 26, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of resisting police and three other misdemeanors stemming from his drunken driving arrest last April in Livingston County. The Democrat from the Detroit suburb of Inkster also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor escape charge over the alleged key incident.

As part of his plea deal, prosecutors agreed to let Jones be sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which would allow the felony charges and a misdemeanor charge related to his drunken driving arrest to be expunged from his record after a probation period. His sentencing is scheduled for March 17.

According to prosecutors, Jones was so combative with paramedics and law enforcement after he drunkenly drove into a ditch that police used a Taser and pepper spray on him.

On Tuesday, Jones posted apology letters on his Instagram page to two state troopers who were at the scene.

Jones racked up additional charges after authorities said they found a handcuff key taped to the bottom of his foot when he was taken to jail in September for allegedly violating his bond conditions.

The day after Jones was charged for allegedly having the handcuffs key, he was stripped of his state House committee assignments.
Microsoft is making a handful of changes to AltspaceVR to combat harassment within the virtual reality app. As of today, the company has removed the Campfire, News and Entertainment Commons social spaces. Those were hubs where AltspaceVR users could freely gather and talk to one another. But that same freedom also meant harassment was an ongoing issue.

By default, AltspaceVRs Safety Bubble feature is now turned on for all users. It creates a barrier to prevent other people from entering your avatars personal space. Last but not least, Microsoft says the app will automatically mute new attendees when they first join an event. The company has also promised to increase moderation and improve event content ratings to supplement those changes.

In the coming weeks, Microsoft said it would require people to use a Microsoft Account to access AltspaceVR. As a result of that requirement, parents will have the option to use the companys Family Safety feature to limit how much time their kids can spend within the app.

As platforms like AltspaceVR evolve, it is important that we look at existing experiences and evaluate whether theyre adequately serving the needs of customers today and in the future, said Alex Kipman, the head of Microsofts mixed reality division. This includes helping people better connect with those who have shared common interests while also ensuring the spaces they access are safe from inappropriate behavior and harassment.

The changes come as other VR platforms grapple with their own harassment issues. At the start of February, Meta rolled out a feature called Personal Boundary to Horizon Worlds. Like AltspaceVRs Safety Bubble, its there to prevent people from entering your personal space. More broadly, the changes appear to indicate Microsoft is committed to working on some version of the metaverse despite recent reports suggesting the companys mixed reality division had lost a significant number of employees to competitors like Meta.
Maryland lawmakers want to make sure the quickly deleted text messages used by Gov. Larry Hogan and his staff are retained as public records.

The Republican governor and his team have used the messaging app Wickr, which allows users to automatically delete messages, potentially skirting state open records laws. That raised concern among lawmakers and good-government advocates that public business was being conducted in a way thats not transparent.

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A sampling of the messages, reviewed by The Baltimore Sun, showed Hogans team had chat rooms within the Wickr app with names like Inner Sanctum, Front Office and Executive Team. The governor and his senior aides discussed issues including news coverage and how much federal aid for infrastructure might be coming to Maryland.

The governors lawyers provided copies of the messages in response to requests under the Maryland Public Information Act, but maintained that they were not required to under state law. The Hogan administrations use of Wickr was reported by The Washington Post in December.

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In response, Democratic lawmakers are pushing to revise Marylands public records laws to more clearly include such messages  an effort that the governors spokesman alleges is politically motivated.

The legislation would update the definition of a public record to include any written, electronic, audio or video communication involving the transaction of public business made or received by a state employee or a public official.

The law also would be updated to clarify that the Office of the Governor is a unit of government that is required to retain and archive certain records. The designation would refute an argument made by Hogans team that the governor is the head of government but not a unit of government.

Marylanders have a right to know how decisions were made by the officials that they voted for and that they financed with their tax dollars, said Del. Vaughn Stewart, a Montgomery County Democrat and a lead sponsor of the bill, known as the Transparency in Public Records Act.

Sen. Clarence Lam, a Democrat representing Howard and Baltimore counties, is taking the lead in the Senate.

Stewart did not mention Hogans use of Wickr as he presented the bill in a public hearing Tuesday, primarily describing the legislation as mostly a clarifying bill that recognizes changing technology and removes ambiguity in the law.

Others, however, made the link clear.

Morgan Drayton, policy engagement manager for Common Cause Maryland, said the governors use of Wickr with its automatic deletion of messages is making it impossible to access what could be considered public records.

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With the proliferation of apps like Wickr, Snapchat and WhatsApp that feature disappearing messages, theres no telling whether this is happening with other public officials or state employees, Drayton said.

The bill also drew support from the League of Women Voters and the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association, which represents the interests of newspaper and online journalists, including Baltimore Sun Media. No one spoke against the bill during a House Health and Government Operations Committee hearing that lasted just eight minutes.

Mike Ricci, the governors spokesman, said in a statement that lawmakers should be the ones working on being more transparent about their actions.

While our office releases records on a regular basis to the media and the public, legislators largely operate in secret  redistricting being a prominent recent example, where they stonewalled basic requests for information, Ricci said in a statement. The only thing transparent about the bill is how blatantly partisan and hypocritical it is.

When asked in January by The Baltimore Sun about the use of the Wickr app, Hogan responded: I really dont have much to say about that. I mean, its not really much of a big deal ... Theres nothing inappropriate with what we do. Its not really  it doesnt take the place of official government communications, but we certainly have the ability to communicate in an informal way in person, on the phone and through messaging chats. I think its a pretty common practice and theres absolutely nothing wrong with it.

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The bill, if passed, would take effect July 1, so it would end up covering the last half of Hogans final year in office. The governor is completing his second term and is barred by term limits from running again in 2022. Hogan is weighing his political future, having ruled out a run for the U.S. Senate but still considering a run for president in 2024.
MIDDLETOWN, CT  A Middletown business is being recognized by Eversource for coming through for their crews during power restoration efforts after storms.

After a major storm hits and theres damage to the electric system, its all-hands-on-deck for Eversource employees, according to Eversource officials.

Every employee has a storm role  including line crews, logistics personnel, customer services representatives, and safety specialists, officials said. Restoration can last days, and crews often work around the clock to get the power back on for customers.

Officials said local businesses like Sweet Harmony Cafe and Bakery at 330 Main St. in Middletown also play a critical role in supporting restoration efforts.

Read more from Eversource below:

At a moments notice, these businesses are called on to help serve meals to Eversource and out-of-state crews.

Co-owners and sisters Laura Conley and Trang Tran have become accustomed to watching the weather, and theyre always at the ready to keep the teams energy up and spirits lifted.

Theyre always great to work with, said Christa Simmons, a member of Eversources procurement team. And with a menu consisting of everything from omelets, to sandwiches, salads, and a famous mac n cheese recipe"the food is always made with love and care. I see Laura as a modern-day version of the culinary ambassador Edna Lewis.

In 2021 alone, local vendors like Sweet Harmony Cafe and Bakery worked closely with Eversource during storms to provide nearly 72,000 meals for employees working in Connecticut. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were delivered to work centers, staging sites, offices, and hotels where crews were staying across the state. As a small business owner, Conley said working with Eversource has been beneficialespecially as they have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our partnership with Eversource helped us to weather the decrease in traffic to our shop during the pandemic, and weve learned a lot from serving the employees morning and night during these storm situations, she added. Its challenged us but also made us grow as a business.

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Simmons said, During these unprecedented times, its critical that we support diverse businesses. When diverse businesses are given an opportunity like here at Eversource, it enables them to expand and more importantly, make an impact on the community.

When it comes down to it, cooking and baking is more than just a career for Conley and Tran. It continues to be their gateway to smiles and helping others.

I mean, I dont want to be up there in those buckets fixing the power, Conley said with a laugh. If they have the courage to do that in all kinds of weather, then the least I can do is make sure theyre fed a good, warm meal.

This article originally appeared on the Middletown Patch
FRUITLAND PARK  Fruitland Park's human resources director has been arrested and charged with grand theft, forgery and disturbing the contents of a grave or tomb.

An arrest affidavit alleges Jabari Hopkins, 31, stole nearly $3,000 from the city in the form of tuition reimbursements, car washes, oil changes, gas, kids shoes, clothing, accessories and more.

Hopkins also sold niches  wall vaults for human cremains  at the Shiloh Cemetery, the affidavit states. But payments were made directly to Hopkins instead of the city.

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One of the niches Hopkins sold, Niche No. 16, had already been sold and was in use. According to the arrest affidavit, Hopkins said he moved those cremains to another niche, Niche No. 22, but when police checked it, it was empty.

The cremains originally in Niche No. 16 have still not been found.

Hopkins was arrested Monday and booked into jail with bail set at $15,000. He has since bonded out.

Finance department raised red flags over suspicious payments

City officials contacted the Fruitland Park Police Department in late January, alerting them of Hopkins' suspicious spending activity.

In total, investigators determined that Hopkins had spent $2,823 on his city-issued credit card for 19 personal purchases, which included:

$95 for an oil change on a personal vehicle

A $45 Macy's purchase in Atlanta

A $69 Macy's purchase in Washington, D.C.

A $79 purchase for two pairs of kids shoes at Rack Room Shoes

$6 for two belts at Ross in Mount Dora

$2,000 in payments to Florida Memorial University

When Finance Director Jeannine Racine discovered the payments to FMU, she confronted Hopkins, according to the affidavit. He said they were for tuition reimbursement for classes related to his job.

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"Being that this was not the common procedure for tuition reimbursement, Jeannine asked Jabari to pull up his student account online and provide proof of the courses he was enrolled in, and subsequently was unable to show her proof of the courses or payments," the affidavit says. "Jeannine said at that time Jabari became loud and argumentative, but subsequently was unable to show her proof of the courses or payments."

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Later, Hopkins provided Racine with a receipt, which she thought was forged. An FMU employee later confirmed it was fraudulent, according to the affidavit.

What about those missing cremains?

Investigators also discovered that Hopkins had been selling niches, the affidavit said.

On Jan. 31, Fruitland Park Code Enforcement Officer Lori Davis got an email from Southern Monuments Studio, a city vendor, explaining that one of its employees had been at the Shiloh Cemetery measuring a plaque for niche No. 16.

When the employee opened the niche, "he noticed that the cremains in the niche had a different name on the urn than what was on the engraving invoice," according to the affidavit.

Davis found an incomplete niche certificate for a Frank Antonuccio Sr. on Hopkins' desk and noticed that the corresponding niches  Nos. 15 and 16  had already been sold.

Niche No. 16 was sold in May 2021.

Davis asked the finance department to check its records for a niche purchase from Frank Antonuccio Jr., and was able to confirm "there were no records of any payment for Mr. Antonuccio for the niche."

When Davis contacted Antonuccio Jr., he provided her with a receipt that Hopkins gave him. It didn't look like a city-issued receipt, the affidavit states. Instead, it resembled the forged FMU receipt.

When investigators checked niche No. 16, it was empty. Hopkins said he moved the cremains to a vacant niche; however, investigators opened each vacant niche and canvassed the cemetery on foot. The cremains have yet to be found.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Fruitland Park, Florida HR director accused of disturbing cremains
A key Missouri Senate panel on Wednesday restored Gov. Mike Parsons ability to raise all state workers pay to $15 an hour, after the House pared down the proposal over opposition to a state employees minimum wage.

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bill that added back into this years budget $7.8 million that the House removed. The budget bill, which heads to the Senate floor, would now allow Parson to give all the raises he requested for state workers, who are leaving Missouri government at what he calls critical rates.

The governors plan, which he wanted on his desk two weeks ago, includes a 5.5% boost for all employees and a raise to a baseline of $15 an hour for about 8,800 workers who currently make less than that.

The House last week passed a bill reserving the $15 minimum for workers in four departments with direct care roles, such as staff in prisons, veterans homes, state hospitals and the juvenile justice system. Hundreds of custodial staff, food service workers, court clerks and other administrative employees would only get raised to $12, or receive the 5.5% bump.

There is a 26% rate of worker turnover across Missouri government. In jobs paying less than $30,000 a year, that rate is more than 50%.

Republicans in the House supported the raises, but balked at instituting a minimum wage for state workers, which they decried as political and worried would create unfair competition with private business.

Senate Appropriations Chair Dan Hegeman, a Cosby Republican, moved to simply remove language Parson proposed that sets the $15 minimum wage.

Well just be silent on that and let the market determine where wages should be for state employees, Hegeman said. Dollar-wise, wed be able to fund what the governors recommendation was.

There was little discussion or opposition to the plan. If it clears the Senate, which has not yet passed any legislation this year, the differences would need to be hashed out between the two chambers.

Parson has remained optimistic he will be able to deliver the promised raises. In a Monday memo to state workers, he said he was disappointed by the Houses reductions but we maintain that this approach continues to be necessary to strengthen our workforce recruitment and retention.
The Moipei choral group, in partnership with Amarillo Opera, held a concert for Tascosa High School students on Wednesday afternoon.

Moipei, a group of triplets, Marta, Maggy and Mary Moipei, perform at various area high schools including Tascosa High Wednesday afternoon.

These girls are just so far beyond how I can explain them because I can tell everybody over and over and over how great they are, but until you see them, you dont get it, said Mary Jane Johnson, executive and artistic director of Amarillo Opera.

I cry at every show they do; they are angels from heaven. They are beautiful; they are not temperamental. ... They practice all the time. Their work ethic is impeccable, so they dont have a reason to be nervous. They are wonderful, professional, fabulous young women, Johnson said.

The triplets Mary, Maggy, and Marta Moipei performed for all of the Amarillo Independent School District high schools over the past two days, singing several songs for the students and hosting Q&A sessions. The sisters sang a range of songs for the students, including opera, classic, jazz, music theater, pop, and South African music.

Its been awesome. Eye opening. I can't remember the last time we did something like this, I think before the pandemic, said Maggy Moipei.

It's fun sharing what we have with a younger audience. It's interesting to see their reaction, and also helps us to learn what to do with younger audiences and what kind of music they like. This has been very eye opening for us, said Marta Moipei.

Issac Vargas plays piano for Moipei, a group of triplets, Marta, Maggy and Mary Moipei, as they performed at various area high schools including Tascosa High Wednesday afternoon.

The three sisters are originally from Nairobi, Kenya, but are currently residing in San Antonio. They spoke about their plans to move to New York and pursue their Broadway careers.

Their musical journey began at the Kenya Music Festival competitions, where they were awarded first-place honors for four consecutive years. They then studied music at St. Mary University after receiving full scholarships and are accomplished instrumentalists, as well as vocalists. Since then, the sisters have performed for numerous international audiences and have received some of the highest awards in the music industry.

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My favorite part about performing other than getting to do it with these guys (her sisters) is the audience, because sometimes the show is only as good as the audience. And when they are nice and receptive, that is the perfect show, said Mary Moipei.

Moipei, a group of triplets, Marta, Maggy and Mary Moipei, perform at various area high schools including Tascosa High Wednesday afternoon.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Opera hosts Moipei sisters at AISD high schools
Military drills in southern Russia. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service

NATO's secretary general said Russia seemed to be beefing up its troop presence on Ukraine's border.

Jens Stoltenberg's comments came the day after Russia said it was withdrawing troops.

Western leaders have been skeptical about Russia's claim.

NATO's secretary general said Russia appeared to be increasing its troop presence along Ukraine's border, one day after Russia said it was doing the opposite.

Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Wednesday: "So far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground. On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military buildup."

Russia said on Tuesday that it was pulling back some troops from Ukraine's border following military exercises. It did not say how many troops it was withdrawing.

Western countries have been skeptical of the claim, with President Joe Biden saying the US hadn't been able to verify it.

"The fact remains right now, Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine," he said. "An invasion remains distinctly possible."

Ukraine also said it doubted that Russia had started pulling back troops.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted: "We in Ukraine have a rule: we don't believe what we hear, we believe what we see. If a real withdrawal follows these statements, we will believe in the beginning of a real de-escalation."

The US and UK warned on Monday that an invasion by Russia could happen in days.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Phil Stewart, Sabine Siebold and Robin Emmott

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -NATO told its military commanders on Wednesday to draw up plans for new combat units in central and southeastern Europe, as it accused Russia of sending more troops to areas near Ukraine instead of withdrawing its forces.

Separately, a senior Western intelligence official said Russian military exercises were at their peak stage and the risk of Russian aggression against Ukraine would remain high for the rest of February.

The combat units, or 'battlegroups', could be set up in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia, diplomats said, in what would be the biggest shift in NATO's military posture since it moved troops to the Baltics and Poland following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Defence ministers "decided to develop options to further strengthen NATO's deterrence and defence, including to consider establishing new NATO battlegroups in central and eastern and southeastern Europe," Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

While also voicing guarded hopes for diplomacy with Moscow, Stoltenberg challenged Russia's announcements on Tuesday and Wednesday that it was returning some troops to their bases, saying satellite imagery suggested the opposite was happening.

"What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way. So, so far, no de-escalation," Stoltenberg said.

"The new normal is that Russia has demonstrated that it really is willing to contest some of the fundamental principles for our security, the right for every nation to choose its own path," he added, referring indirectly to Ukraine.

Moscow wants to stop Ukraine from ever joining NATO, a demand the alliance refuses to accept.

U.S. President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that more than 150,000 Russian troops were still massed near Ukraine's borders.

The Russian defence ministry published video that it said showed tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery units leaving the Crimean peninsula.

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'PEAK PERIOD'

But the senior Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence showed Russian military exercises would be at their most active during the remainder of February.

"We are at a peak period where the exercises that the Russians had announced are in their active phases," the official said, adding that Russia would likely fire ballistic missiles eastwards from Belarus as part of its drills.

"There are no credible signs at this point that there will be any kind of military de-escalation," the official said, adding Russia could now attack Ukraine "with essentially no, or little-to-no, warning".

NATO has deployed four multinational combat units with some 5,000 troops in total in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, led by the United States, Germany, Canada and Britain. They are designed to buy time for additional NATO troops to reach the front line if needed.

Diplomats said four new units comprising a total of around 4,000 troops could be based in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. France has already offered to lead such a unit in Romania.

Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said the Czech Republic could be part of a battlegroup in Slovakia but discussions were only just beginning.

Prague declined to confirm or deny the Slovak minister's remarks. "If the Czech Republic is asked for some form of assistance, the government and parliament will decide," the Czech defence ministry said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart, Sabine Siebold and Robin Emmott; Additional reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Alex Richardson and Gareth Jones)
Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old who grew up in South Florida and was a student in Miami-Dade Public Schools, was killed on Feb. 26, 2012, nearly 10 years ago.

Trayvon was unarmed and walking home from a nearby convenience store where he went to buy Skittles and a canned ice tea. George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman patrolling the gated community in Sanford where Trayvon was walking, followed him, an altercation ensued and Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon, 70 yards from the backdoor of the townhouse where he was staying.

Trayvons death sparked a worldwide outcry and led to the Black Lives Matter movement. Trayvon was Black.

Wed like to know how Trayvons death impacted you and your life.
By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal police used teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters objecting to a U.S.-funded infrastructure programme, officials said on Wednesday.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, agreed in 2017 to provide $500 million in grants to fund an electricity transmission line and road improvement project in Nepal.

The funds do not need to be repaid, and Washington says they come with no strings. But opponents say that the agreement would undermine local laws and Nepal's sovereignty, as Nepal would not have sufficient oversight over the board directing projects.

Major political parties, including those forming the ruling coalition, are divided over whether to accept the money.

Officials said they used minimum force to disperse about 3,000 protesters from small communist factions, split into groups.

We have used minimum force to stop protesters from marching on parliament, police spokesman Bishnu Kumar K.C. told Reuters.

Kathmandu district official Deepak Paudel said 123 activists had been detained and nine police personnel injured in the melee. There is no report of major injuries among the protesters, he said.

Opponents of the MCC grant agreement say the funds are not in the interest of Nepal.

It undermines our national interest, sovereignty, welfare  and must be amended before it is accepted, said Narayan Kaji Shrestha, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and a major ally in the five-party ruling alliance headed by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Prakash Sharan Mahat, a spokesman for Deubas centrist Nepali Congress party, said the MCC grant was for Nepals economic development and not against the national interest.

U.S. officials did not provide immediate comment. The U.S. embassy website says: "The $500 million is a grant, with no strings attached, no interest rates, and no hidden clauses. All Nepal has to do is commit to spend the money, transparently, for the projects that have been agreed upon."

(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Peter Graff)
A Chicago Department of Public Health inspector discovered about 50 flying insects in the food preparation, dry storage and dishwashing areas in the food facility at Swedish Hospital, according to city inspection reports. The preparation area provides food for patients.

Swedish Hospital failed two food inspections on Oct. 20, 2021. It failed another on Oct. 27, when an inspector reported approximately 25 cockroaches on the floor and wall behind the cooking equipment and in storage cabinets in front of the cooks line.

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Swedish Hospital on June 26, 2019. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

On Nov. 3, Swedish Hospital failed its fourth inspection within 14 days. The inspector reported insect-related violations, including cockroaches in an oven and small flying insects on the ceiling of the food preparation area, according to city food inspection reports.

The health department suspended the hospitals retail food license until the violations were 100% corrected. The hospitals food service passed a reinspection the following day and was allowed to reopen, according to the report. A citation was also issued to Swedish Hospital.

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Providing and serving quality food offerings is a high priority for our hospital and we are fully compliant with the Chicago Department of Public Health regarding our food service operations, a spokesperson from Swedish Hospital said in an emailed statement.

Cafeterias and food establishments located at the addresses of eight other hospitals in Chicago also failed food inspections in 2021. The nine hospital addresses, including Swedish Hospital, accounted for a combined 21 failed inspections, according to an analysis of food inspection data published in the Chicago Data Portal.

The other addresses include Holy Cross Hospital, Weiss Memorial Hospital, Kindred Hospital Chicago-North, Rush University Medical Center, Jackson Park Hospital, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Thorek Memorial Hospital Andersonville (formerly Methodist Hospital of Chicago) and several restaurants at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The hospitals passed reinspections by the end of the year.

Hospitals serve high-risk populations where many people have a disease, said Pratik Banerjee, an associate professor of food safety at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The slightest deviation in food safety in hospitals should be noted and immediately addressed, he said.

We would expect that the hospital cafeteria, hospital kitchens would be the billboards of food safety compliances, Banerjee said. If the hospitals start having those types of food safety violations, I would really worry about that situation.

Repeat issues that lead to failed inspections are especially concerning, Banerjee said.

It could be a public health crisis, Banerjee said.

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Foodborne illnesses in hospitals sometimes go underreported, Banerjee said. If a patient contracts a foodborne illness and dies, the cause of death likely includes the underlying condition the patient was treated for and not the food-related issue, he said.

Immunocompromised individuals can be particularly vulnerable to contaminants that lead to foodborne illness, said Joel Reynolds, an assistant professor at DePaul Universitys School of Hospitality Leadership.

For whats called high-risk populations  so young children, elderly, immune-compromised folks  these issues could escalate pretty quickly, Reynolds said.

Kindred Hospital Chicago-North, Rush University Medical Center and Thorek Memorial Hospital Andersonville either declined or didnt respond to requests for comment.

A Weiss Memorial spokeswoman provided a statement saying the hospital continues to provide safe, quality care to the patients we are privileged to serve.

One facility, four failed food inspections

Holy Cross failed four inspections in 2021. In the four inspections, flies were reported around the beverage dispenser area, self-service coffee area, a sink and a rear prep area, according to city inspection data. Other violations that didnt pose an immediate health risk by city health department standards were also recorded, including areas that needed cleaning.

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Holy Cross passed a reinspection on Nov. 4 and another food inspection on Nov. 5.

The hospital has been managing the pest issues over the course of time, said Dan Regan, vice president of communications and marketing for Sinai Chicago, which oversees Holy Cross.

Holy Cross Hospital on Sept. 11, 2015. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

The health and safety of our patients, and our staff and our guests is a top priority, Regan said. We take food safety concerns very seriously.

Sinai Chicago worked closely with Sodexo, the company that operates the health systems food services, and a pest control firm to address the violations, Regan said. The hospital stepped up its cleaning process to address the flies, Regan wrote in an email.

This fruit fly issue has been a recurring issue, Regan said. We are working to eradicate the problem.

Sodexo and Sinai Chicago treated drains and water sources, removed the beverage station and increased the cleaning of all areas and weekly pest control visits, a Sodexo spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

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Weekly pest control visits have been a standard procedure at the hospital for years, according to Regan. Sinai Chicago calls for extra visits when they see any pest activity outside of the weekly inspections.

The health and safety of the patients, staff and guests at Holy Cross Hospital are our top priority. We take violations and food safety concerns very seriously as we expect our operations to meet our standards and reflect our overall track record of food safety excellence, a Sodexo spokesperson said in the statement.

Jackson Park Hospital failed two food inspections on Dec. 20. The inspector noted no signed employee health policies, hand-washing sinks that didnt reach a required 100 degrees Fahrenheit and a damaged ice machine that was potentially contaminating ice, according to violations listed in the food inspections database.

Pat Simon, senior vice president of quality and compliance at Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center, said in an email that a new ice bin had been ordered. The water temperature was within normal limits, Simon wrote in the email.

The violations were cleared within two days, Simon said. CDPH reinspected the hospital on Dec. 22 and passed both licenses.

Violations in vendor establishments

Four of the 2021 failures occurred at restaurants located in the hospitals. One of the two Rush failures happened at Panera Bread, and all three failures at Northwestern Memorial happened at Protein Bar & Kitchen, Burrito Beach and Subway.

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Northwestern Memorial leases restaurant spaces within the hospital, but the restaurants arent directly overseen by the hospital, according to Christopher King, chief media relations executive for Northwestern Medicine.

The rental agreements give public health departments the right to conduct inspections at the locations and ensure the vendors comply with health codes, according to King.

An inspector failed Protein Bar & Kitchen at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Jan. 12, 2021. The city health department issued two citations for not having a certified Chicago food service sanitation manager on-site and finding about 10 small flies in the food preparation area.

The restaurant paid a fine for each citation, said Marie Crawford, director of operations of Protein Bar & Kitchen.

In January of 2021, like most restaurants, we had a challenge with staffing, Crawford said.

Protein Bar brought back one of the managers who had been furloughed so she could stay at that location, Crawford said.

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Crawford said the restaurant calls Ecolab  a cleaning, food safety and water purification company that services the restaurant monthly  to do an immediate assessment and treatment whenever a fly issue arises. Protein Bar passed the reinspection on Jan. 19, 2021, and passed another inspection a week later.

Burrito Beach located at Northwestern Memorial failed an inspection on Jan. 25, 2021, and received one citation for about 10 small flies in the food preparation area. Jeffrey Winograd, vice president of Burrito Beach, said fruit flies can appear quickly and require constant management.

Safety is the No. 1 priority, Winograd said. We handled it right away, got our exterminator out the next day.

Customers place their orders at Burrito Beach in Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Feinberg Pavilion Feb. 15, 2017. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

The city health department reinspected the restaurant on Feb. 2 and passed the Burrito Beach location.

Panera Bread at Rush University Medical Center failed an inspection on Oct. 7 and passed its reinspection on Oct. 28. Subway at Northwestern Memorial failed on Dec. 29, and according to the inspections database, had not been reinspected as of Jan. 20.

Panera Bread and Subway did not return requests for comment.

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A pattern of failures and pandemic disruptions

Some of the hospitals that failed inspections in 2021 also failed inspections in the three years prior. Weiss Memorial Hospital failed four inspections from 2018 to 2020. Holy Cross Hospital failed three inspections within that time frame, Swedish Hospital failed twice and Stroger Hospital failed twice, according to the data analysis.

Establishments are failed for health code violations that pose a high risk of causing foodborne illness, such as rodent and insect issues and cooking food at the wrong temperature, according to the citys health department.

Brian Margulis, an assistant clinical professor of hospitality management at Roosevelt University, said not keeping foods at temperature can have some very serious ramifications.

Harmful bacteria can grow on foods such as meats at certain temperatures, and food codes regulate what temperatures establishments can store, cook and serve these foods.

If food is allowed to sit out at temperatures that bacteria can grow for prolonged periods of time, then that can amplify a problem, said Craig Hedberg, a professor and interim division head of environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota.

If high-risk health hazards are not immediately resolved, the city can suspend a locations food license and force the establishment to close. Routine inspections are unannounced, and the frequency depends on the facilitys risk level, according to the citys health code requirements. The department also inspects facilities based on complaints.

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The health department categorizes food establishments into three risk levels by the type of food prepared, the methods used for preparing it and if the population served by the establishment is high risk. Hospitals with cafeterias and food services fall under the highest risk level, risk 1.

The health department inspects risk 1 facilities twice a year, as opposed to risk 2 and risk 3 facilities, which receive inspections once a year or once every other year, according to the departments website.

The risk 1 facilities can be inspected as often as every 90 days, according to an emailed statement from Erica Duncan, information coordinator at the citys health department.

Fewer inspections have been conducted at the addresses of Chicago hospitals in the last two years.

The city conducted at least 137 inspections at hospital addresses in 2019, according to the data analysis, and recorded at least 25 failed inspections. The city inspected at least 44 food establishments in hospitals in 2020, and at least 98 in 2021. At least three failed inspections were recorded at hospital addresses in 2020, according to health department data.

Inspections in 2020 and 2021 were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the city shutdown, restrictions on who could enter health care facilities, and prioritization of COVID-19 complaint inspections, Duncan wrote in the emailed statement.

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Recurring violations suggest a hospital is trying to comply with the letter of the law rather than the spirit, according to Matthew Stasiewicz, an assistant professor of applied food safety at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Where it gets more concerning is if you get repeat failures, and particularly repeat failures on the same inspection items, because that suggests that the system in that individual establishment isnt improving, Stasiewicz said.

A case of foodborne illness

An individual reported vomiting and diarrhea after eating chicken from the cafeteria of Stroger Hospital in a complaint to the City of Chicago in Jan. 2021. The health department inspected Strogers food services two weeks later, and the hospital failed, according to a health department report.

The inspector reported at least 40 flies on the walls, ceiling and around the dish-washing areas, food debris built up in the floor drain, leaky pipes, no hand-washing sink in the dish-wash area and no signed employee health policies, according to the inspection report.

Nine days later, the hospital passed its reinspection, but the inspector again reported minor violations that didnt warrant a failure, according to the health departments standards.

Alexandra Normington, associate chief communications and marketing officer for Cook County Health that oversees both Stroger and Provident hospitals, said in an emailed statement that the program is in full compliance with the government, local health codes, safety and sanitation codes and regulations.

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The team continues to conduct third-party audits and random inspections to reinforce rigorous health and safety policies inherent in our operations and make changes where needed, Normington said in the statement.

Hayley Starshak (@HStarshak) and Diana Leane (@DianaLeane) are graduate journalism students at Northwestern University.
By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A federal judge on Wednesday said he needs more time before ruling on whether right-wing Oath Keepers militia founder Stewart Rhodes should be released from jail as he awaits trial on a charge of seditious conspiracy for his alleged role in plotting the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.

During a court hearing that lasted over 90 minutes on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said he wants pretrial services to vet a proposal by Rhodes' defense team for their client to live with third-party custodians before making a decision.

He added that even if he does let Rhodes out of jail before trial, he would not be allowed to hold down a job during the day or travel freely.

"If I were to release him, it would be under the same strict conditions, which is 24-hour house arrest, no access to the Internet," Mehta said. "It would be about as strict as it gets, without being behind bars."

Rhodes, 56, is the most high-profile defendant of the more than 725 people charged with playing a role in the attack by then-President Donald Trump's supporters.

He is one of 11 members or associates of the Oath Keepers facing a seditious conspiracy charge.

He is accused of spearheading a conspiracy to block the certification of the presidential election by recruiting co-conspirators and even stationing armed "quick-reaction force" units outside of Washington to be ready to stop the peaceful transfer of power.

His attorneys disputed claims that Rhodes poses a danger and should be detained.

"There was no conspiracy to overthrow the government," Rhodes' attorney James Bright said.

Prosecutors argued on Wednesday that Rhodes poses a risk of flight and a threat.

Even though Rhodes did not ultimately activate the quick-reaction forces that were staged outside the city, the intent to attack was there, federal prosecutor Kathryn Rakoczy said.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Mark Porter)
PARIS (AP)  French President Emmanuel Macron met with African and European leaders Wednesday evening in Paris ahead of an expected announcement of the withdrawal of French troops from Mali.

Paris intends to maintain its military operations to fight Islamic extremism in other countries in Africa's broader Sahel region. Macron is set to unveil the details in a news conference Thursday.

Tensions have grown between Mali, its African neighbors and the European Union, especially after the West African country's transitional government allowed Russian mercenaries to deploy in its territory.

Discussions at the presidential palace in Paris were expected to address the potential consequences of a French pullout that could shake the whole region. Talks were also to address the involvement of a U.N. peacekeeping force and the status of an EU training mission.

An EU-Africa summit is scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Brussels.

The EU this month imposed sanctions on five senior members of Malis transitional government, including Prime Minister Choguel Maiga, accusing them of working to obstruct the country's transition from military to civilian rule.

The heads of states of Chad and Niger and Mauritania's foreign minister were attending the Paris talks. The Mali and Burkina Faso coup leaders have not been invited since both nations are suspended from the African Union, the French presidency said.

We are now in a situation which requires drawing the consequences of the political split and operational split with Mali, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told French lawmakers.

Decisions need to be discussed collectively in order to find another way forward, he said.

France and 15 European countries in December condemned the Malian transitional authorities decision to allow the deployment of personnel from Russia's Wagner Group, which has started operating in the country and is accused of rights abuses in the Central African Republic, Libya and Syria.

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Mali has struggled to contain an extremist insurgency since 2012. Rebels were forced from power in northern cities the next year with the help of a French-led military operation. But the insurgents regrouped in the desert and began attacking the Malian army and its allies.

France has about 4,300 troops in the Sahel region, including 2,400 in Mali, a former French colony. The Barkhane force is also involved in Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

Paris has led intense consultations with its regional and European partners in recent weeks, with the aim of showing a united front and avoiding the appearance of France making unilateral decisions about Mali.

Today, our partners tend to think that the conditions for a success of our mission in Mali are not met anymore, but we don't want to bring a response before making sure a consensus is clearly established," a French official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks, suggested that troops from the European-led military task force known as Takuba may also withdraw.

At the same time, other countries in the region want more support" and expressed their will to keep a European presence, the official stressed.

Less than two months before France's presidential election on April 10, Paris also wants to avoid a disorganized pullout that could be perceived as a defeat for Macron, who is expected to run for reelection.

At least 53 French soldiers have died in the Sahel since the beginning of the operation. Insecurity in the region has worsened in recent years with attacks on civilians and United Nations peacekeepers. The EU has been training the Malian armed forces since 2013.

Malis transitional government asked Denmark last month to pull out its small military force just one week after it arrived as part of the EU force.

The situation in the Sahel is a serious crisis on the threshold of Europe, said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who planned to attend Wednesdays talks in Paris.

Fragility increases the risk of migratory flows toward Europe. There are terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and Islamic State in the area that must be fought, she said.

German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Wednesday that in our view the latest political developments in Mali are worrying and of course they could affect German and international involvement in Mali.

___

Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
Chesterfield County Police Department

A Virginia Beach pastor facing felony charges for allegedly soliciting sex from a minor has been earning $30,000 a month and traveling up and down the Eastern Seaboard while free on bail, according to state court filings.

John David Blanchard, who serves alongside his wife Robin as senior pastors of the Rock Church in Virginia Beach, got caught up last year in a prostitution sting that netted 17 area men who thought they had been chatting online with underage girls. Blanchard learned he had actually been communicating with an undercover detective and not a teenager after allegedly driving to meet up for sex at a local motel, where he was handcuffed by cops.

Blanchard, 52, was released on $20,000 bond shortly after his Oct. 29 arrest, and voluntarily stepped down from his position at Rock Church. In a bail document provided Wednesday to The Daily Beast by the Chesterfield County General District Court, Blanchard reports an income of $30,000 a month from his work in technology. Under family ties, Blanchards wife and 6-year-old daughter are listed. His only prior arrest stems from a charge of improperly altering a price tag, the document states. Public records indicate Blanchard has in the past faced charges of sexual battery and stalking, which appear to have later been dismissed.

Blanchards arrest warrant in the prostitution sting, which was also shared with The Daily Beast by Chesterfield County officials, includes handwritten notes spelling out various court-approved revisions to the pastors release conditions. (The Daily Beast redacted sensitive personal information from the document before publishing.)

Bond amended with agreement of bondsman, it says. Business travel with Zion Solutions. Travel 11-16 to 18 to Atlanta. 11-22 to 27 to Tampa. 12-716 to N.Y. and other travel as reqd for work. When traveling on dates not specifically listed, will notify court + bondsman of dates + locations. Will check in weekly w/ bondsman.

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A related filing reviewed by local CBS affiliate WTKR reportedly showed additional travel by Blanchard to Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Commonwealth of Virginia

Blanchard, who has been married for some 30 years, holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Oral Roberts University, an evangelical college in Tulsa, Oklahoma founded by the late televangelist. The schools Honor Code Pledge, which all students must sign at the beginning of the year, requires people to promise at all times to keep my total being under subjection from all immoral and illegal actions and communications, whether on or off campus, and that they will not engage in or attempt to engage in any illicit, unscriptural sexual acts, which include any homosexual activity and sexual intercourse with one who is not my spouse through traditional marriage of one man and one woman.

Other prohibitions include alcohol and tobacco use.

On the Rock Church website, Blanchard is described as having grown up an atheist with a dysfunctional childhood, adding, Johns heart is to reach a generation with a message of hope through the healing and delivering power of Jesus Christ.

There is one business named Zion Solutions that is incorporated in Virginia, and state records do not list Blanchard as a company official. However, he touts himself online as the founder of TechDirect, a self-described LED screen solution for churches.

In a promotional video for the company, Blanchard tells pastors and church leaders I believe that the blessing that the Lord has given us at our church can be a blessing to you, explaining that his own search for high definition LCD screens to use during services had been stymied by outrageous and exorbitant prices.

I began to just pray about solutions andso I had an opportunity to go to China and meet a distributor, Blanchard says in the clip. And now we have a direct connection to directly bring this technology to churches in the U.S. at a great discount, to help pastors and leaders all across America to have this technology at a fraction of the cost And it will be a blessing to you and your church to have this modern technology to be able to communicate the gospel in a powerful and visual way.

Prices for TechDirects turnkey LCD monitors, which range in size from 6.5-feet tall to nearly 10 feet, start at just over $32,000 and run as high as $62,000.

Blanchards next court appearance on charges of solicitation of prostitution and use of a vehicle to promote prostitution is scheduled for March 22, Chesterfield County officials told The Daily Beast. Blanchard did not return multiple voicemail messages left on three phone numbers associated with his name, and did not reply to emails seeking comment. His lawyer, T. Noel Brooks, did not respond to a request for comment.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) landed in Israel on Wednesday as part of a congressional delegation and reiterated the United States' steadfast support for the nation's security.

"We're together in the fight against terrorism posed by Iran, both in the region and also its nuclear development," Pelosi said in a speech at the Knesset. "Israel's proximity to Iran is a concern to all of us."

Pelosi traveled to Israel with around a dozen other congressional lawmakers including Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff (Calif.), Ted Deutch (Fla.) and Barbara Lee (Calif.). Some members will also be traveling to Germany and the United Kingdom.

"Our delegation brings the representation of the Congress's bipartisan, bicameral commitment to an unbreakable bond between Israel and the United States built on mutual security, our economic interest and our common values, our commitment to democracy," said Pelosi.

As Reuters noted, the congressional delegation's visit takes place amid heightened tension between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the Sheik Jarrah neighborhood.

While she did not address the recent tensions, Pelosi stressed the Washington's continued commitment to a two-state solution that "enhances stability and security for Israel, Palestinians and their neighbors."

During her visit, Pelosi is set to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
PERTH AMBOY  A 21-year-old city man has been charged with the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old city man on Friday.

Christopher Hernandez Velasquez was arrested and charged with murder, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, hindering his apprehension and various other charges in the death of Jonathan Molina, the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office announced.

Police said they responded about 5:24 p.m. Feb. 11 to the train tracks near New Brunswick Avenue on a report of a shooting where arriving officers located Molina with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later was pronounced dead, authorities said.

Local: Proposal to build massive warehouses along Perth Amboy waterfront going before planners

Velasquez was lodged at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick pending a detention hearing.

Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to call Detective Frank Cristiano of the Perth Amboy Police Department at 732-324-3800 or Detective Paul Kelley of the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office at 732-745-3330.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Perth Amboy NJ: Man charged in New Brunswick Avenue shooting
A Tacoma Police Department officer shot a man in Lakewood on Tuesday afternoon while trying to arrest him for investigation of first-degree murder.

The man shot by police was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, according to a news release from the Pierce County Force Investigation Team. No officers were injured.

The man, who has not been identified, was wanted for the Feb. 7 death of Joshua Ferrell, according to Pierce County Sheriffs Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss. Ferrell died from a gunshot wound to the shoulder after someone dropped him off at a local hospital.

Ferrell was shot in the 8800 block of South Hosmer Street in the citys South End, according to Tacoma Police.

On Tuesday, police were trying to apprehend the suspect in Ferrells homicide just before noon in the 8700 block of South Hosmer Street, according to the release. TPD officers had an arrest warrant.

The man fled and crashed his vehicle into several parked cars while leaving a parking lot. Police pursued him beyond the city limits into Pierce County, where he hit another vehicle at the intersection of 96th Street South and Sales Road South.

Police continued to pursue the man into Lakewood along South Tacoma Way, where he crashed into two more vehicles where the road intersects with 88th Street South. Shortly after that collision, police shot the man.

Officers performed first aid on him and called for fire crews to assist before he was taken to a hospital.

The Pierce County Force Investigation Team was on the scene Tuesday looking into the shooting. PCFIT investigates all police uses of deadly force in the county. The police officer has not been identified.
Bristol Township police have identified the stepson of a 77-year-old township man as a person of interest in his death.

Detectives with the Bucks County District Attorneys Office and the Bristol Township Police Department are investigating the stabbing death of Joseph Jakimowicz as a homicide, according to a press release.

Brian Joseph Carey

Brian Carey is believe to be driving the victims silver 2006 Chevy Trailblazer with a Pennsylvania license plate number GNJ 5128.

"Multiple sharp force injuries" were listed as the cause of Jakimowicz's death following an autopsy on Tuesday, Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck said.

Bristol Township police were dispatched to a home in the 700 block of Winder Drive on Tuesday night where they found Jakimowicz, a widower, dead. Neither police nor the DA have released why officers went to the home.

Through an initial investigation, police identified Brian Joseph Carey, 41, as a person of interest, according to the release. Carey was most recently homeless, said Manuel Gamiz, a spokesman for the District Attorneys Office.

Police said Carey should not be approached and 911 should contacted immediately.

Who killed Merrybeth?: Police ID woman found in Bensalem lot 30 years ago. Now they want to find the Warminster woman's killer.

Another Bucks murder mystery: Who killed Christopher Wilson? Middletown police return to murder scene hoping for new clues

More unsolved crime: 'Let's help them get justice': Bucks County DA offering cash rewards in Bristol murder cases

Police believe Carey took the victims silver 2006 Chevy Trailblazer with a Pennsylvania license plate number GNJ 5128.

Philadelphia police recovered the Trailblazer unoccupied and he is now reported to be driving a very large red truck, Bristol Police Lt. Ralph Johnson said in an update.

Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to contact Bucks County Detectives at 215-348-6354 or Bristol Township Detectives at 215-785-4040. Tips can also be submitted at www.bucksda.org

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bristol Township police seek stepson in connection with murder in Winder Village
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Pose star Michaela Jae Mj Rodriguez will be honored at the GLAAD Media Awards for her efforts to advance acceptance for LGBTQ people of color.

Rodriguez, the first transgender woman to receive a lead actress Emmy nomination, will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award given to LGBTQ media professionals who counter anti-LGBTQ bias.

Michaela Jae Rodriguez is an undeniable talent who is changing the way audiences understand trans people while breaking down barriers for the trans community and LGBTQ people of color within the entertainment industry, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.

Rodriguez, who earned a Golden Globe Award for her role of Blanca on Pose, stars in Netflix's Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed film ticktickBOOM! and is to appear with Maya Rudolph in the announced Apple TV+ series Loot.'' She also has an upcoming album release.

Rodriguez will be honored at the April 2 awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The late Kolzak was a prominent casting director who worked to raise awareness in the entertainment industry about discrimination against LGBTQ people and people living with HIV.

The 200-plus previously announced nominees in 30 categories include Lil Nas X, Demi Lovato, Elton John, West Side Story, Pose" and Dancing with the Stars.

A May 6 ceremony in New York also will be held by GLAAD, a media advocacy organization. The awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues.
SPRINGFIELD  Bucking Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a handful of Democratic state lawmakers on Tuesday joined Republicans to block a rule aimed at ensuring school districts that arent party to an ongoing lawsuit continue enforcing mask requirements and other restrictions, adding another layer of confusion to an already chaotic situation.

The state public health department had reissued an emergency rule for schools Monday that deleted some references to isolation and quarantine that were central to a ruling earlier this month from a central Illinois judge who said Pritzker overstepped his legal authority in mandating masks and other measures in schools.

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An appellate court decision on the temporary restraining order issued by Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow could come by the end of the week. In the meantime, some districts not named in the case have chosen to make masks optional.

[ Illinois will end its indoor mask mandate for most public places on Feb. 28, but not for schools. Heres what we know  and what it means for Chicago. ]

By a 9-0 vote, members of a legislative panel in charge of reviewing administrative rules created by state agencies blocked the Illinois Department of Public Healths effort to shore up its rule, which was intended to provide guidelines on implementing an order from the governor that is now in limbo because of the legal ruling.

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A masked student crosses the street and heads to school while dozens of protesters call for mask optional schools outside of Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire on Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The appellate court later Tuesday asked the state and the plaintiffs to explain by Wednesday afternoon how the committees action would affect the pending appeal.

After two years in which lawmakers, especially Republicans in the General Assemblys superminority, have criticized Pritzker for taking a unilateral approach to leading Illinois through the pandemic it was a rare instance of legislators flexing their muscle  and an equally uncommon move by Democrats against the governor.

In his quest for power at all costs, the governor attempted to go above the judicial system to continue to require masks in schools, a move that even his Democrat allies in the legislature wouldnt support, Senate Republican leader Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods said in a statement. Even they agree he has gone too far.

Democratic state Rep. Mike Halpin of Rock Island said he was voting to block the revised rule from taking effect because were currently in a situation where the (temporary restraining order) says this rule is not enforceable.

Its possible, if not probable, that this might change on appeal, but for now as we sit here, for that reason, Ill vote to block the rule, Halpin said.

Two other Democrats who voted with Republicans, Chicago Reps. Curtis Tarver and Frances Ann Hurley, gave the same reasoning. Democratic Sens. Bill Cunningham and Tony Munoz, both of Chicago, voted present.

Pritzker understands that members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules are awaiting a ruling from the appellate court on this issue, spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement on the vote.

We look forward to continuing to work with members of the General Assembly, school districts, parents, communities and all stakeholders to use the tools we have to keep in-person learning, Abudayyeh said.

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At a hearing leading to Tuesdays vote, a top public health official told the bipartisan committee that the administration wanted to give clear direction to districts that are not named as defendants in a group of lawsuits brought by parents and school staff.

This is not an end run or a workaround, Illinois Department of Public Health chief of staff Justin DeWitt told lawmakers.

Rather, he said, its our belief that the rule is an appropriate set of instructions for schools that are not affected by the lawsuit.

Republican members of the committee, made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans from both legislative chambers, were pointed in their criticisms of the departments decision. Sen. John Curran of Downers Grove called it highly irresponsible to reissue a rule while the appeal is pending, and encouraged the department to rethink the rule because it is a named defendant in the lawsuit.

It seems to be one branch of government at war with another branch of government, where we should be working together, respecting each others processes and working through the process, which you are, on the other hand, in appealing this, Curran said.

GOP Rep. Keith Wheeler of Oswego raised concerns about how the rule creates a little bit more confusion over how schools should proceed in light of the court ruling.

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Wouldnt guidance have worked just as well in this case while were waiting for this appellate court ruling to actually occur? said Wheeler, who chairs the committee.

DeWitt said the Department of Public Health acknowledges the temporary restraining order exists, but the department still didnt want there to be a gap in the rule  which expired Sunday  while waiting for the appellate courts decision.

Well, I guess we can agree to disagree on that, said Rep. Steven Reick, a Woodstock Republican.

The departments emergency rule was issued Sept. 17 and by law could only remain in effect for 150 days before being reissued.

The confusion over masks in schools comes as Pritzker prepares to lift his mandate for face coverings in most other indoor public places at the end of the month.

Pritzker on Tuesday reiterated that he plans to eventually lift the mask mandate in schools, keeping a close eye on hospitalization rates and other COVID-19 data, but he has stopped short of providing an anticipated date for repealing mask requirements in schools.

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Our intention is to keep moving forward toward removing masks in schools, he said during an unrelated event in Peoria. A major priority is keeping kids learning in person in schools and keeping people healthy in schools.

As for Grischows badly decided ruling, Pritzker said, the legal case has got to run its course.

The governor did not address the reissued emergency rule from his health department, but previously he has said districts that arent named in the case should continue requiring masks and other protective measures.

The states two largest teachers unions, major proponents of Pritzkers mask mandate, had no comment Tuesday.

The effect of the judges ruling has been mixed. Arlington Heights School District 25, one of the defendants in the lawsuit filed by Illinois school employees that was included in the downstate judges ruling, moved to a mask recommended policy after the TRO was issued. Superintendent Lori Bein said officials have witnessed flexibility, care, and empathy throughout our buildings and our classrooms since that shift.

But a representative of the Illinois Principals Association told House lawmakers during an unrelated committee hearing Tuesday that the fallout from the court decision has placed enormous pressure on school administrators.

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Last week was the toughest our members have ever, ever been through, said Alison Maley, the associations government director. Principals are in the firing line right now.

Ronak Maisuria, a mother of two from Wheaton, said Tuesdays vote to block the rule on masks is the latest in a series of disappointments that began when Wheaton-Warrenville School District 200 stopped enforcing the mask mandate not because of metrics, or public health recommendations, it was dropped because of the ruling of a downstate judge and because of politics.

My local school district and most of the country are done with COVID, but as much as Id like to be done with it too, right now, were leaving a whole lot of vulnerable children behind, Maisuria said.

Pritzker has cited a rapid decline in hospitalizations following the enormous surge this winter, driven by the highly contagious omicron variant, as key to when its appropriate to lift the mask mandate for the general public.

As of Monday night, there were 1,815 patients with COVID-19 in Illinois hospitals, down from an all-time high of 7,380 on Jan. 12. There were 2,380 COVID-19 patients in hospitals statewide as of Feb. 9, the day Pritzker announced his plan to end the mask mandate.

The politics of masks in schools spilled onto the House floor Tuesday as at least five conservative Downstate Republicans entered the chamber with bare faces. After Democratic Rep. Natalie Manley of Joliet, who was presiding over the chamber, reiterated the existing House rule requiring members to wear masks, even when speaking into a microphone, she singled out Rep. Blaine Wilhour, who refused to wear a mask.

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Wilhour, of Beecher City, called mask mandates unwanted and unnecessary, before he was cut off for not having been recognized to speak.

In a joint statement, the group said they no longer comply with the mask theater that takes place here.

Its over, the legislators said. Its gone on long enough.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated state Rep. Mike Halpin was seeking to challenge Republican state Sen. Neil Anderson. Halpin is running for a seat in the state Senate, but not in Andersons district.

Dan Petrella and Clare Spaulding reported from Chicago.
Peter Laviolette returned to Bridgestone Arena for the first time in more than two years Tuesday.

The Washington Capitals boss spent five-plus seasons as head coach of the Nashville Predators before he was fired in January 2020.

His return was met with a standing ovation during the first period, when a video tribute was shown on the big screen above center ice.

On the ice, Laviolette's Capitals bested the Predators 4-1, handing them their third consecutive loss.

Welcome back, Peter, Kevin and Matt!



Thank you for all you did for Smashville! pic.twitter.com/akUIvukotu  Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) February 16, 2022

Joe Snively put the visitors a 1-0 lead 4 minutes, 17 seconds into the first.

Michael McCarron tied it 1-1 just 2:43 into the third. But Nick Jensen scored less than a minute later to give the Capitals the lead again. Alex Ovechkin's power-play goal made it 3-1 shortly after that. He scored another to make it 4-2.

The Predators announced during the game they had signed defenseman Mark Borowiecki to a one-year, $900,000 contract.

The Predators are 28-17-4. The Capitals are 27-15-9.

Forsberg extension close: Predators GM David Poile says team 'getting closer' to signing Filip Forsberg to extension

Nissan Stadium game: What was Day 1 of preparations for Nashville Predators outdoor game at Nissan Stadium like?

Reach Paul Skrbina at pskrbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Predators lose third in a row in Peter Laviolette's return
(Getty/The Independent)

Back in October Prince Andrews lawyers unleashed an aggressive move usually only seen during the heated final days of a US presidential election: an oppo dump. The technique, usually performed by flailing politicians seeking to undermine their opponents as swiftly and brutally as possible, is a classic if-all-else-fails move of releasing information and igniting a narrative on an opponent to try and discredit or weaken them.

Their target was the princes accuser Virginia Giuffre and they hoped it would result in her claimthat the Duke of York had sexually assaulted her three times at the age of 17coming into doubt. She was, as Andrews lawyers described, a payday-chasing attention-seeker that the prince had never even met. Her lawsuit, they said, was completely baseless.

So it came as somewhat of a surprise to see just 109 days later the Queens son, tail between his legs, stating that he had never intended to malign Ms Giuffres character and that he accepts she has suffered as a victim of abuse. More importantly, the dukes words were delivered alongside an out-of-court settlement just shy of 12 million. It came with no further denial (or admission) to Giuffres claims, just the meek promise of supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking. The mountain of casha significant portion of which came from the bank of mummy dearest, to be donated to Giuffres anti-sex trafficking charitywas so high, the accuser couldnt possibly say no.

Over ninety percent of civil cases filed in US federal court result in a settlement, so it was almost inevitable that Giuffres lawsuit would boil down to a pre-trial pay-out. But given how furiously Andrew had denied the allegations, it was a curious move to settle with a woman his staff had once briefed to journalists as having doctored a photo of the two together just to make her story more convincing. Andrew was less than four weeks away from a deposition with Giuffres lawyersdidnt he want to use that moment to fight for his innocence? A final chance to prove he didnt do the heinous things he had been accused of? I know, if faced with the same predicament, I would.

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The dark legal clouds that Andrews mess threatened to cast over the Queens jubilee may be passing, but the Royal Family is not shining bright

While much of the media coverage has focused around Andrews statement, a sympathetic narrative is already starting to emerge from the bootlickers of the royal press corps and its orbit of commentators, one that attempts to explain Andrews decision not to clear his name because he chivalrously wanted to prioritise protecting the royal institution and his 95-year-old mother from further shame. The quick settlement, royal sources have added, has been a huge relief for the family with the Platinum Jubilee so close. How hard it must have been for them.

The thing is, no matter how you try to polish it, theres no way to hide the fact that HRH-less Andrew continues to swan around taking no responsibility for his behaviour, taxpayer-funded security team still at his beck and call. While we are unlikely to hear Giuffre speak about the civil case for the foreseeable future, flicking away her claims with his gilded chequebook wont change the very real fact that the royal enjoyed and invested in close friendships with two sex traffickers who destroyed the innocent lives of Giuffre and countless other children and women.

It also doesnt change the fact that even after Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty for procuring a person under 18 for prostitution, Andrew saw no problem in returning to the paedophile billionaires New York home in 2010 to hang out and allegedly receive foot massages from models of a similar age to his two daughters. If Andrew really cared about rape survivors, like his statement claims, there also wouldnt still be a material witness warrant for him in the US more than two years since he promised to speak to the FBI about Epstein.

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The dark legal clouds that Andrews mess threatened to cast over celebrations for the Queens jubilee may be passing, but as the funds for Giuffres pay-out are prepared for transfer, the Royal Family is not shining bright. Though its understandable that a parent may want to help a desperate (and often broke) son in need, Andrew convincing our head of state to privately cover close to half of the settlement sum in a civil rape case has resulted in a stain on his mothers legacy in one of the most defining years of her seven-decade reign. It also raises the question that if theres so much disposable private wealth hidden behind palace walls, why should people of this countrymany of whom are struggling to heat their homes this wintercontinue to dish out an annual contribution to the royal establishment?

With the Sussexes long gone and Andrew permanently benched, there are fewer working royals than ever, yet the Sovereign Grant that funds the Royal Family continues to grow year-on-year. The bunting and street parties this June will serve as a nice distraction, but at a time when the value and purpose of the monarchy post-Queen Elizabeth II is coming under growing scrutiny by the public, thisunlike Andrews problemswont be a problem that can be silenced with money.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Minnesota prosecutors have apparently backed away from their pursuit of a longer-than-usual sentence for the suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for her Taser when she killed Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black motorist.

Kim Potter, 49, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday following her December conviction of first-degree manslaughter. In a court filing this week, prosecutors said a sentence of slightly more than seven years  which is the presumed penalty under the state's guidelines  would be proper.

The presumptive sentence takes into account the main elements of the conviction: the death of Daunte Wright and Defendants recklessness, prosecutor Matt Frank wrote.

Potters attorneys are asking for less than usual, including only probation. Frank wrote that prosecutors disagree with the defense, but the State recognizes that this is a unique case given the context in which Defendant Potter recklessly handled her firearm.

Related video: Kim Potter was found guilty of manslaughter in December 2021

Potter was convicted of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter in the April 11 killing of Wright, who was pulled over by Brooklyn Center officers for having expired license plate tags and an air freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. Officers learned he had an outstanding warrant for a weapons possession charge, and he pulled away as they tried to arrest him.

Video shows that Potter shouted several times that she was going to tase Wright, but she had her gun in her hand and fired one shot into his chest.

Under Minnesota statutes, Potter, who is white, will be sentenced only on the most serious conviction of first-degree manslaughter. State sentencing guidelines call for a penalty ranging from slightly more than six years to about 8 1/2 years, with the presumptive sentence being just over seven years. The sentencing guidelines are advisory, but judges cant go above or below them unless they find a compelling reason.

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Prosecutors initially argued that aggravating factors warranted a sentence above the guideline range. Among them, prosecutors said Potter abused her authority as an officer and that her actions caused a greater-than-normal danger to others.

There is no indication in the court record that they have formally withdrawn that argument, but the document filed Tuesday indicates they now believe the presumptive sentence is appropriate.

Defense attorneys, in seeking a lighter sentence, have argued that Wright was the aggressor and that he would be alive if he had obeyed commands.

In their request for probation only, Potters attorneys said she has no prior record, is remorseful, has had an exemplary career and has the support of family and friends. They also said her risk of committing the same crime again is low because she is no longer a police officer, and they said she would do well on probation.

Prosecutors disagreed with the defense's reasoning. In Tuesday's filings, Frank wrote that to sentence Potter to only probation, the judge would have to find that probation would serve societys interests, not Potters, and that the defense must establish that. But Frank also said there could be some benefits to probation. Among them, Potter could speak to law enforcement groups or lawmakers about the dangers of confusing a handgun for a Taser.

Frank said she could also speak to manufacturers about making design changes to avoid confusion. And, he said, she could acknowledge her failure and try to help the community heal to honor the memory of Daunte Wright.

No prison sentence can bring Daunte Wright back to life. A prison sentence is just a number, and that number cannot undo this tragedy or bring Daunte Wright back to his family," Frank wrote. Fostering healing and community restoration is valuable too.

He wrote that if the court finds that prison isnt warranted, Potter should get 10 years of probation and be required to spend a year in jail, speak to law enforcement about the dangers of weapons confusion, and speak to Wrights family about their loss if they want her to do so.

Frank also disagreed with defense arguments that Potter should be given a sentence that goes below the guideline range.

If the court finds that Potter's case is less serious than the typical first-degree manslaughter case, he wrote, the court should issue a sentence between four and slightly over seven years, the presumptive sentences for second-degree and first-degree manslaughter.

To impose anything less would fail to take into account Daunte Wrights death and the jurys finding that Defendant Potter committed first-degree manslaughter, Frank wrote.

In Minnesota, its presumed that convicts who show good behavior will serve two-thirds of their sentence in prison and the rest on supervised release, commonly known as parole. That means if Potter gets the roughly seven-year presumptive sentence, she would serve about four years and nine months behind bars, with the rest on parole.

Potter has been at the states womens prison in Shakopee since the guilty verdict.

___

Find the APs full coverage of the Daunte Wright case: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-daunte-wright
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP)  Protesters opposing a proposed U.S. half-billion dollar grant for Nepal clashed with police outside Parliament on Wednesday, leaving injuries on both sides.

The proposal was scheduled to be presented in Parliament for approval, but the debate was postponed because of disagreements among political parties.

There has been growing opposition to the grant, mainly led by Communist parties. The money is meant to be used for the construction of power transmission lines and improvement of roads in the Himalayan nation, but the parties allege it comes with conditions that are not acceptable.

Two of the Communist parties are part of the coalition government. They claim the conditions in the grant agreement will prevail over Nepals laws and strike at the countrys sovereignty. They say its part of Washingtons Indo-Pacific strategy, which has military components that could bring American soldiers to Nepal.

U.S. officials have spoken to Nepalese leaders recently to assure that the grant concerns only Nepals development.

A few hundred protesters managed to push through the thick lines of riot police, who used bamboo batons and fired tear gas.

Police also sprayed water canons at the protesters, who pelted them with stones. Roads leading to the parliament buildings were blocked for hours because of the clashes. A general strike called by the protesters also shut down schools and disrupted transport in the country.

Police in Kathmandu detained dozens of protesters who tried to block traffic and attempted to set a taxi of fire.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge William Pocan has been nominated by President Joe Biden to become a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, in the Green Bay division.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said late Tuesday that he's opposing the nomination of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge William Pocan to an open seat on the federal court in Green Bay.

Johnson said in a statement he has been "hearing concerns from the Green Bay legal community that they needed a judge who is locally based and actively involved in their community. That is not the case with Judge Pocan."

In the unusually worded statement, Johnson then pivoted and said: "In addition, the tragedy in Waukesha never should have happened."

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Johnson was referring to the November Christmas parade tragedy in Waukesha in which the defendant, Darrell Brooks, was free on $1,000 bail set in a domestic violence case in Milwaukee County involving the same vehicle.

Pocan was not involved in the Brooks case. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said the bail recommendation was a mistake.

"I cannot support someone for a lifetime appointment that has granted low bail for someone charged with violent felonies," Johnson said. "That is not in the best interest of Wisconsinites nor Americans. I look forward to working with President Biden on selecting a suitable nominee.

More: Assembly passes bail measure requiring court officials to factor in a crime's severity, while Senate passes COVID, gun bills

In June, Johnson and Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin recommended Pocan and three other candidates to fill the vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Their names were forwarded to the White House.

The candidates were recommended to Johnson and Baldwin by the bipartisan Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission.

Last week, Baldwin submitted a so-called blue slip to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, signaling her support for Pocan, the brother of Democratic U.S. Rep Mark Pocan.

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It's uncertain if the nomination can move forward without Johnson's support.

On Tuesday, the American Bar Associations Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary rated Pocan as "well qualified" for the judicial position.

A White House spokesman was critical of Johnson's stance.

"Judge Pocan is as deeply qualified today as he was when Senator Johnson recommended him to the President for this exact vacancy in June," Andrew J. Bates said in a statement. "He is a respected member of the Wisconsin legal community and the American Bar Association just gave him their highest rating. And he had absolutely no connection to the Waukesha tragedy.

"Judge Pocan would also make history as the first LGBTQ federal judge for Wisconsin. Senator Johnsons arbitrary reversal is unfortunate, and the rationale given for it is without foundation.

Rick Esenberg, a member of the state's federal nominating commission, said Baldwin and Johnson "haven't always agreed with the outcome of the commission process."

Esenberg, a conservative, noted that in 2018 Baldwin "refused to move forward" on the nomination of Gordon Giampietro to a federal judgeship in the state's Eastern District.

"Senator Johnson has decided that he can't support Judge Pocan," Esenberg said. "That's his call."

Lester Pines, a Democrat and commission member, said: "Johnson does not appear to understand that Wisconsin requires circuit court judges to determine conditions of release that will ensure the defendants appearance while protecting the public. Cash bail is not the default."

He called Pocan "eminently qualified."

"He will serve in the Green Bay division and it is possible he would relocate to Green Bay," Pines said. "A few people in the legal community there do not get to pick the judge who will serve there."

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday that Johnson "is blocking this committee from proceeding on a nomination he recommended to President Biden."

Durbin added that he was "disappointed" in Johnson's "lack of communication" with the committee. Durbin claimed Johnson's staff "did not respond to four separate communications from my staff sent over the course of nearly a month" about the nomination and that his office only heard "second-hand" of Johnson's move to block Pocan.

"Such a lack of communication is unacceptable and frankly disrespectful to the nominee and his family," Durbin said. "I hope Senator Johnson will rethink his position."

Asked about Johnson's claim that Pocan granted low bail for someone involved in violent felonies, the senator's staff on Wednesday pointed to a case involving Davario D. Washington of Milwaukee.

Washington, 21, was charged in November 2014 with two counts of armed robbery. According to the complaint, he robbed a would-be seller of an Xbox gaming console at gunpoint, and stole an iPhone from another man from whom Washington had arranged to buy some shoes. Both sales were initiated via Facebook marketplace.

Court Commissioner Grace Flynn set a $2,500 signature bond at Washington's initial appearance Nov. 29. He made several later court appearances as his lawyer and prosecutors worked toward a plea deal.

On Oct. 10, 2015, Washington was arrested after he fled a stolen car involved in a high-speed chase. He was later charged with stealing that car and three others over the prior three months. All were taken during supposed sales from private sellers who had advertised the cars on Craigslist or Facebook.

In one instance, a man with Washington for the purchase showed a gun to the seller and her three friends before he and Washington drove off with the car without paying.

While test-driving an Infiniti with the seller in September, the complaint states, Washington stopped the car along the way to inspect parts of the exterior. While he and the owner were outside the car, Washington quickly got back in, locked the doors and drove off, running over the owner and breaking his foot.

As soon as Washington was arrested, the prosecutor in the 2014 armed robbery case asked to have his bail increased. Pocan raised it to $5,000 cash the next day, Oct. 13, 2015.

Washington pleaded guilty in both cases in January 2016. Pocan sentenced him to eight years in prison and six years of extended supervision on the two armed robberies, and four more years in prison, and two more on supervision, for two of the car thefts, the one in which the seller was run over, and the one involving a gun. Two of the car theft counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

In an interview, Mark Pocan said his brother "doesn't really do a lot of bail cases and then the one case that has kind of come up that someone is trying to raise is actually the opposite of what Ron is saying the problem is."

He said he was hopeful that Johnson would reverse course.

"I would really be shocked if Ron didn't do the right thing and enlist the blue slip," Mark Pocan said.

Columnist Daniel Bice and reporter Bruce Vielmetti contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ron Johnson moves to block William Pocan nomination to federal court
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday that the United States was stirring up tensions over Ukraine in order to block implementation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, news agencies reported.

Maria Zakharova also said that Washington was trying to grab European gas market share from Russia, according to Interfax news agency.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Toby Chopra)
A moderately engaging fraud, the nine-episode miniseries Inventing Anna brings up the question of focus, and sending a true-scam narrative down intersecting tracks.

I think the thinking behind the story structure here goes like this. Netflix subscribers are being asked to stick with nine-plus hours of peculiar true-crime developments as packaged by miniseries creator Shonda Rhimes. The episodes map out the Manhattan chicanery of cryptic German socialite Anna Delvey, who was really Anna Sorokin, played by Julia Garner of Ozark (and The Assistant! Shes great in The Assistant).

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The Netflix series, which reportedly paid Sorokin more than she was imprisoned for stealing, is a fictionalized gloss of true events, as told in New York magazine writer Jessica Presslers popular Delvey profile. The 2018 story detailed a fools parade of highflying financial, social, media and tech suckers who believed their snide, weirdly compelling new friends dreams of creating a Soho House for an even more insufferable crowd. (Pardon my raging class issues.)

Is one Mysterious Unknowable Antiheroine enough for this thing? Maybe, maybe not, but this question clearly was on the creators minds. It explains the generous story acreage devoted in Inventing Anna to a semi-faithful revision of Pressley, named Vivian and played by Anna Chlumsky. Racing her own pregnancy, the intrepid if grating journalist pursues the story that has a chance of restoring her previously tarnished journalistic reputation.

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Over on narrative track two, meanwhile, the manipulations of Delvey/Sorokin unfold in flashbacks, in Manhattan, Morocco, Paris and Ibiza. Each episode of Inventing Anna hinges on a different acquaintance, friend or victim in this young strivers wobbly circle of friends.

In order to sustain the running time, five credited directors and six writers require more than just slow-building schadenfreude (when will the fake German socialite get her comeuppance?). They need more than sneaky, grudging admiration mixed with pathos for the antiheroine. They need more than the expected Shondaland glamour: zippy transitions and split-screen graphics; needle drops for days, and nights, of debauchery, followed by bill avoidance; and drone shots of yachts or resorts that look fine.

By the fourth episode, Inventing Anna lets the audience get way, way out ahead of the characters, so very, very slow to wise up to their little friends big lies. Theres a fair amount to enjoy in spite of this, even when the reiterations become frustrating. The cast is all in, although not even Laverne Cox as a fitness trainer can un-clunk-ify the line Stand in your truth, fortified by kindness, and tell your story, you bad bitch!

An intrepid magazine reporter (Anna Chlumsky) interviews the hotel worker friend (Alexis Floyd) of a socialite con artist in "Inventing Anna." (Netflix/Nicole Rivelli)

Some criticisms of Garners performance have, I think, mixed up whats up to the actors and whats on the writers. The writers notion of Anna is not so much fruitfully mysterious as it is simply opaque. Garner goes whole hog with a Slavic-Germanic-comic-operatic dialect. Beyond that, Garners is a stealthy performance, with shards of wit not always present in the script.

Still, the series heart belongs elsewhere. As Neff, the savvy hotel worker and friend to the end, Alexis Floyd is fabulous  wised-up, dryly skeptical, with line readings that never go quite where you think theyll go. Arian Moayeds defense attorney carries his scenes with gravity and levity in cleverly equal measure. (Like Floyds role, hes based on a real person, not a composite; theres a fair bit in both categories here.) And as Vivians perpetually available colleagues, stuck in a clump of cubicles known as Scriberia, Anna Deavere Smith, and Steppenwolf Theatre legends Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry tote whole barges of exposition like the pros they are. (Chicago footnote: Perry has the journalistic advantage, at least in certain shots, of resembling the late Richard Christiansen.)

Anna Deavere Smith and Jeff Perry co-star in "Inventing Anna." (Netflix/David Giesbrecht)

Inventing Anna probably wouldve worked better had it focused more intently on the public and private faces of Anna  or, alternatively, back-benching her in favor of those who got caught in her web. As is its a little of both, and I got a slight Julie & Julia headache each time we left the Anna universe for the latest bullet-sweating Vivian interlude. Annas marks look like dolts, because the series doesnt satisfactorily answer the biggest question of all: What made this woman in the big black specs such a good time, or an attractive risk, at least for a while?

Popular culture retains a ravenous appetite for New York stories of garish, hostile wealth earned, or borrowed, or stolen, the easy way, whether its a wolf of Wall Street or a Gilded Age Old Money vs. New Money sneer-off. Inventing Anna isnt a tough watch. The actors do a lot to compensate for whats missing. But its overly devoted to the Vivian part of the story. If anything, I found myself wishing Alexis Floyds Neff could somehow spin off her own series, right in the middle of this one.

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Inventing Anna  2.5 stars

Content rating: TV-MA (language, sexual material, relentless macking on wealth)

Running time: Nine episodes, approximately nine hours total

How to watch: Now on Netflix.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @phillipstribune

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Russian speedskater Daniil Aldoshkin has apologized for displaying a middle finger following his team's victory over the U.S. in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

A video surfaced online showing Aldoshkin making the obscene gesture as he crossed the finish line with teammates Ruslan Zakharov and Sergey Trofimov to defeat Team USA in the men's team pursuit semifinals.

Russia's victory earned them a ticket to the gold medal race and a guaranteed medal in the event, according to USA Today.

Aldoshkin reportedly said that he didn't mean to offend anyone with that gesture, adding he was celebrating at the moment.

"I threw up my hands, I have the first medal, the first Olympics," Aldoshkin said, according to RT.com. I didn't mean anything like that. I'm sorry if this offended anyone."

In a statement, Russian Skating Union President Alexei Kravtsov also reportedly apologized for Aldoshkin's actions but defended the speedskater as well.

"Emotions took over at the finish line, there was no subtext in this action," Kravtsov said, the Russian news outlet reported. "We are sorry if someone differently perceived this situation and [it] offended someone. On behalf of the Russian Skating Union, we offer our official apologies."

Russia eventually claimed a silver medal in the men's team pursuit final at the Games, falling behind to Norway, USA Today noted.

Team USA claimed a bronze medal in the event.

Updated at 9:09 a.m.
Yo, Healdsburg! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town on this balmy winter Wednesday.

First, today's weather:

Lots of sun. High: 70 Low: 39.

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Have you stopped by Amy's Wicked Slush near Memorial Bridge lately? Amy's has Slush in glorious flavors like root beer, mango, and orange cream and soft serve in flavors like Cupcake, Blueberry and Brown Sugar Cinnamon. Cant decide? Get the Split  half-slush, half-soft serve layered up like a parfait! Do yourself a favor and stop by ASAP.

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Air over Healdsburg:

This is what the air over Healdsburg looked like earlier this morning. (Photo courtesy of Holly Wilson)

Here are the top 3 stories in Healdsburg today:

Vanity the Salon, a longtime Healdsburg beauty business, has barely managed to keep its doors open and during the pandemic, according to a new Tribune article chronicling the salon's uphill battle over the past couple years. Owner Jennifer Cadd had to get rid of some of the beauty services she offered, downsize from 13 employees to six and, eventually, move from her prime spot in the Safeway shopping center to a smaller location at Healdsburg Avenue and Sherman Street. She tells the Trib that the negotiations with her former landlord "were very difficult, very soul sucking. I feel like I lost part of myself. I have done everything I can to stay afloat this year, and I am just so done. Im so tired. Im so sad that I worked this hard and put so much into a business [location] that I had to walk away from." You can visit the salon at 810 Healdsburg Ave. to help support them as they try to make a post-COVID comeback. (SoCoNews Healdsburg & Google Maps) As of today in Sonoma County and much of California, if you're vaccinated, you're now allowed to walk around without a mask inside most public retail locations such as grocery stores, restaurants, etc. There are still certain places where you have to wear a mask inside, though  including the airport, public transit, schools, childcarefacilities, shelters, healthcare settings and detention centers. The county's COVID case rate is now back down to where it was around Christmastime, before the big Omicron spike. But officials are still advising unvaccinated residents  as well as "seniors, essential workers and people with underlying health conditions... and the people who care for and about them"  to continue wearing masks indoors and being as cautious as possible. (Facebook & Facebook & Sonoma County Government) Next week is Sonoma County Restaurant Week! Of around 70 or 80 restaurants participating, seven of them are in Healdsburg: Costeaux, Dry Creek Kitchen, PizZando, spoonbar!, The Rooftop at Harmon Guest House, Taste of Tea and Vallete. You don't need a ticket to participate  basically you just stop by any of the spots on the list to try "unique, prix-fixe menus" and other special stuff that local chefs prepare for Restaurant Week. A writer for the Bohemian has a preview on some of them, including our very own Costeaux bakery. He says he tried "the downtown landmarks classic croissant and cafe Americano combo, which was, to quote Cole Porter, 'Cest Magnifique!'" (North Bay Bohemian & SonomaCounty.com & SoCo Restaurant Week)

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Today's Healdsburg Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at GoodRx  the best way to save money on your prescriptions. GoodRx helps you locate the lowest prices for medications at local pharmacies, so you're not overpaying. Works for pet medications too! To see how much you can save, go to GoodRx.com.

Healdsburg pic of the day:

Healdsburg resident Holly Wilson (of "Air over Healdsburg" fame), who also happens to my my mom, spotted a red-tailed hawk in the hills out West Dry Creek this week.

Want to see your local photo here? Submit it for consideration. Please just confirm in your email that you own the rights to the photo, and that Patch has permission to republish it.

Today and tomorrow in Healdsburg:

Wednesday, February 16

African and African-American Folktales With Kirk Waller at Sonoma County Library (10:30-11:30AM)

Senior Strength Training at Rec Park (1:15-2PM)

Opening Night: Interactive Light Display at Healdsburg Plaza (6PM)

Healdsburg Unified School District Board Meeting (6PM)

Virtual Climate Circles Book Club at Sonoma County Library: "All We Can Save" (6-7PM)

City of Healdsburg Bilingual Virtual Visioning Public Workshop: Transportation Improvements on Grove Street Between Grant Street and Dry Creek Road (6-7:30PM)

Healdsburg Running Company Full Moon Run On Fitch Mountain, With Dogs Welcome (7PM)

Trivia Night at Coyote Sonoma (7-9PM)

Zumba With Chuy at TCElite Gym (7:15-8:15PM)

Thursday, February 17

Senior Chair Dancing at Rec Park (10-11AM)

Healdsburg American Association of University Women (AAUW) Forum: " Interpreting Works of Art - Your GPS for Visual Literacy" (10-11:45AM)

AARP Tax Help at Healdsburg Library (10AM-3PM)

Senior Bingo at Healdsburg Senior Center (1:30-3:45PM)

Corazon Healdsburg Conversacion Comunitaria : Ingresos Garantizados / Community Conversation: Guaranteed Basic Income (6PM)

Healdsburg Running Company Traditional Trailhouse Santa Rosa Run , Ending in "Run the Alps" Movie Night (6PM)

Fran Lebowitz at the Luther Burbank Center (7-8PM)

The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) at the Raven Theater (7:30-9:30PM)

From my notebook:

Update from the Northern Sonoma County Fire District on the prescribed burn in Dry Creek Valley yesterday : They said it went "great," but that by late afternoon vegetation was "continuing to burn and produce smoke." So they planned to continue to "monitor the burn as needed based on conditions." (Facebook & Facebook)

The agenda for the Healdsburg school board meeting tonight includes the review of a new COVID prevention program; school initiatives that should receive state grant money; and some "revised course outlines for four new high school courses, AVID 9/Ethnic studies, advanced culinary and English Language Arts 9." (SoCoNews Healdsburg)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! See you tomorrow for another update.

 Simone Wilson

About me: I was born and raised in Healdsburg, CA, where I was the editor of the Healdsburg High School Hound's Bark. I have since worked as a local journalist for publications in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City and the Middle East. I'm currently a senior product manager for Patch.

This article originally appeared on the Healdsburg Patch
Photograph: Gabrielle Lurie/AP

San Franciscos district attorney has dropped charges against a woman whose DNA collected from a rape kit was used to link her to a property crime, citing a violation of her constitutional rights.

District attorney Chesa Boudin said his office learned that the citys police were using DNA samples collected from sexual assault victims to identify possible suspects last week, and is calling for legislation to ban the practice.

This practice treats victims like evidence, not human beings, Boudin said on Monday. This is legally and ethically wrong. Officials said the practice violated the defendants fourth amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, and runs afoul of Californias Victims Bill of Rights.

The womans DNA, which was collected in a rape exam as part of a domestic violence and sexual abuse case several years ago, was used to link her to a felony property crime in the city. Police identified her in the crime based on evidence from the rape exam, Boudin said.

It was unclear whether any other sexual assault victims have been arrested for later crimes based on evidence submitted in a rape exam, Boudin said. His office believes that one of the polices DNA databases could include DNA profiles from rape victims collected over several years, and that this database is regularly used to search for matches to DNA found at crime scenes, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The San Francisco police chief, Bill Scott, said he asked the assistant chief for operations and the investigations bureau to thoroughly review the matter and report back to me and to our DAs office partners as to the extent of the practice.

Boudin also expressed concerns the practice would deter victims of sexual assault, which is widely underreported in the US, from coming forward.

If survivors believe their DNA may end up being used against them in the future, theyll have one more reason not to participate in the rape kit process, said the California state senator Scott Wiener, who said he was working with Boudins office to pass legislation to prevent the practice if needed. It is unclear how many police departments use DNA databases of sexual assault victims to identify suspects.

Boudin, who facing a recall effort, was elected to his position in 2019 alongside a national wave of progressive prosecutors seeking to reform the criminal justice system.

 Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 802 9999. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
Everyone is encouraged to live in their truth. Its a fun slogan, rolls off the tongue, easily fits on chevron tote bags and bright purple tumblers.

However, when there are systems in place to keep certain people from power, it takes those that live on the outskirts time, teeth-gritting perseverance, and those systems changing to step up and stand firm in their identity.

For Emiko Jean, author of "Tokyo Ever After," it took connecting to her Japanese heritage to center her identity as a Japanese-American in a world that would rather keep her in the background.

Savannah Book Festival: Margaret Coker finds the personal in decades-long U.S.-Iraq war

"Tokyo Ever After" follows high school senior Izumi (or Izzy, because Its easier this way) Tanaka as she discovers a secret her mom had been keeping from her all 17 years of her life  Izumis father is the Crown Prince of Japan. This, of course, makes Izumi a princess. Whisked away from her small, mostly white town in Northern California to Tokyo, Japan, to reconnect with her father and the rest of the royal family, Izumi is thrown into a world of sneaky cousins, vulturous press, and centuries old traditions she has to practically learn overnight.

Throughout it all, Izumi must reconcile not being seen as American enough in her hometown and having to prove shes Japanese enough in Japan.

"Tokyo Ever After" by Emiko Jean

Despite its Princess-Diaries-esque structure, "Tokyo Ever After" centers a down-to-earth, yet transcendent tale of a young, Asian-American woman connecting with her roots. Its not only a window into the world of Japanese culture, traditions, and history but a mirror for others who may relate to the playful, irreverent Izzy trying to find herself in a world constantly trying to limit her identity.

There has been such a wave of love from the Asian American community, especially from young Asian American women, like myself, who didn't see their reflections in fairy tales growing up, says Jean. That has been the most rewarding part of publishing this novel  sharing that moment with them.

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'We have to hold onto that': Lunar New Year, a time for celebration for Savannah's Asian community

Jean is set to virtually share another moment with a live audience at the Jepson-Neises Auditorium (207 West York St.) for the Savannah Book Festival on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. She will be one of many authors presenting in venues around downtown Savannahs Telfair Square on Festival Saturday. These presentations are free and open to the public, and the full schedule can be found on the Savannah Book Festival website.

While Jean will be presenting among a diverse group of invited authors with works spanning adult and young adult fiction, memoir, history, etc., much like Izumi, she is not to be boxed in. Before "Tokyo Ever After," Jean published two novels both in different genres. Her 2015 debut novel, "Well Never Be Apart," is a young adult thriller; her sophomore novel, "Empress of All Seasons," is a young adult historical fantasy.

The genres I write reflect what I read  which is pretty much anything, Jean explains.

Emiko Jean

But it also runs much deeper than having a wide range of taste. For Jean, her journey from thriller to historical fantasy to romantic-comedy also reflects her journey of examining and growing closer to her Japanese roots.

Her first novel featured a white protagonist, because I didn't believe I would be published if I wrote a Japanese-American protagonist. Soon after "Well Never Be Apart" was published, however, the We Need Diverse Books movement kicked into gear. This gave Jean the support she needed to write the Japanese characters shed always wanted to, which is how "Empress of All Seasons" came to be.

More: Bestselling, emerging authors offer variety to 2022 Savannah Book Festival

"Tokyo Ever After" has Jean connecting with her younger self and upbringing in a more direct way, as she shares many of Izzys struggles as an Asian-American growing up in a predominantly white town as well as Izumis cheeky humor. Even to this day, Jeans name is occasionally mispronounced like Izumis is. Just as Izumi allowed others to call her Izzy for their ease and comfort, Jean used to not speak up about the mispronunciation of her name either.

As an adolescent, when my name was mispronounced, it made me feel so small. Insignificant. I am working to change that, Jean says. As Izumis brash, supportive best friend Noora lays out plainly, If white people can learn Klingon, they can learn to pronounce your name.

Not all of us are fortunate enough to have a group of friends that look like us and share our struggles like Izumis three best friends, otherwise known as the AGG or Asian Girl Gang. Standing up for your name and thereby standing up for your identity and heritage is a hard lesson to learn alone, especially as a young person, but its made much easier when young people can see their experiences reflected in not only the books they read but also the authors that write them.

IF YOU GO What: Emiko Jean When: Saturday at 2 p.m. Where; Jepson-Neises Auditorium, 207 W. York St. Cost: Free Info: savannahbookfestival.org/

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Book Festival: Author Emiko Jean talks 'Tokyo Ever After'




Eight Republican senators are urging the Justice Department to reject a request to create a "no fly" list for unruly passengers, saying it "would seemingly equate them to terrorists."

In a letter dated Monday and addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the senators pointed to data from the Federal Aviation Administration that found most violations are related to a refusal to wear a face mask as required by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and said there was "significant uncertainty around the efficacy of this mandate."

"Creating a federal 'no-fly' list for unruly passengers who are skeptical of this mandate would seemingly equate them to terrorists who seek to actively take the lives of Americans and perpetrate attacks on the homeland," the senators wrote. "The TSA was created in the wake of 9/11 to protect Americans from future horrific attacks, not to regulate human behavior onboard flights."

The Republican senators also expressed concerns that such a list could violate constitutional rights and that future "no fly" lists could be wielded for political purposes.

"If the airlines seek to have such a list created, they would be best served presenting that request before Congress rather than relying on a loose interpretation of a decades-old statute originally written to combat terrorism," the senators wrote.

The Republicans who signed the letter include Sens. Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Mike Lee (Utah), James Lankford (Okla.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Ted Cruz (Texas), John Hoeven (N.D.) and Rick Scott (Fla.).

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian wrote to Garland earlier this month and urged the Justice Department to consider a "no fly" list for unruly passengers. Airlines, including Delta, have been plagued by abrasive passengers who have violated coronavirus protocols and harassed flight crew members.

"The Department of Justice is continuing to prioritize the investigations and prosecutions of those who engage in criminal behavior that threatens the safety of passengers, flight crews, and flight attendants," Justice Department spokesman Joshua Stueve said in a statement to The Hill earlier this month following the letter. "We are fully committed to holding accountable those who violate federal law. We will be referring Delta's letter to appropriate departments."

The Hill has reached out to Delta and the DOJ for comment.
Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)





Senators are hunting for a quick offramp as they head closer to a Friday night deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

Lawmakers are cautiously confident there won't be a shutdown and are in negotiations to try to untangle snags that would block quick passage.

The main snags they're worried about include President Biden's vaccine mandate and a push to balance the budget. In a win for a quick deal, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) dropped her hold on the funding bill on Tuesday evening after getting reassurances from the administration that federal funding won't go toward crack pipes.

Aides and senators on Tuesday predicted they could get a deal as soon as Wednesday, though they cautioned Thursday was more likely. A group of lawmakers are also eager to get out of town to go to an international security conference, putting pressure on the Senate to avoid its normal down-to-the-wire drama.

"We have a number of people who would like to get amendment votes, and so I think it's in the process of being negotiated. ... The question will be how does everybody get their issue resolved?" said Sen. John Thune (S.D), the No. 2 Republican senator.

He added that he expected they would avoid a shutdown by the Friday night deadline but that it could be "painful" unless Democrats agree to give their members votes on potential changes to the funding bill.

"If the Democrats are willing to accommodate it, I think this moves fairly quickly," Thune said.

The House passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government under the previous year's spending levels through March 11. That is intended to buy time for negotiators to finalize work on a larger omnibus spending package for fiscal 2022.

Senate leadership hasn't yet locked in on a glide path to quickly pass the bill, but they voiced confidence on Tuesday that there wouldn't be a shutdown.

"No one and certainly not my Republican colleagues want a Republican government shutdown. So I'm hopeful that they will cooperate with us to pass this necessary CR, which every single Democrat wants to happen and will cooperate to make sure that it happens," Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also predicted they wouldn't blow past the Friday deadline.

"As is often the case, we'll process a few amendments before doing the short-term CR. I think it'll all be worked out. There's no danger of a government shutdown," McConnell told reporters during a weekly press conference.

Though the Senate has until Friday night to pass the short-term funding bill and prevent a government shutdown, Republicans could use the Senate's rulebook to drive Congress past the deadline and into a weekend shutdown.

Part of an agreement would swap votes on GOP amendments in exchange for speeding up the Senate's passage of the short-term funding bill.

The thorniest issue was Blackburn's hold on the funding bill as part of a lingering dust-up spawning from reports in conservative media last week that funding from a harm reduction grant program run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could be used to provide safe smoke kits, which the initial reports said could include crack pipes.

A spokesperson for Blackburn said Tuesday night that she had dropped her hold "after she received an answer in writing from the HHS Secretary committing that no taxpayer funding will be used to fund crack pipes."

GOP senators say they want two to three amendment votes including a balanced budget proposal from Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and a group of conservatives who are warning that they won't support speeding up the CR without a vote on blocking Biden's vaccine mandate.

"We invite you to stand with us and oppose the CR until it explicitly defunds the implementation and enforcement of these mandates. At a minimum, we need to take a vote on this before funding their enforcement. The livelihoods and personal freedom of millions of Americans are at stake," the group wrote.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) predicted there would be three votes tied to the CR: Two on GOP amendments related to the vaccine mandate and Braun's balanced budget amendment.

"It looks to me like we're on a glide path to getting it done pretty quick," Cornyn said.

The CR will be the third to stave off a shutdown for the current fiscal year, if passed, as both sides of the aisle have had a hard time finding bipartisan agreement on a number of issues, including parity between defense and nondefense spending, as well as legislative riders.

But talks on the longer fiscal 2022 funding bills appear to have made progress in the days since an announcement by Sen. Richard Shelby (Ala.), top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, of a deal on the framework for an omnibus spending package.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told The Hill on Tuesday afternoon that all 12 appropriations subcommittees have received their top-line spending numbers.

"We've been working through the weekend on allocations," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the committee, "so we have a pretty good sense of it."
Fans watch Kanye West during a Donda listening party at Soldier Field, Aug. 26, 2021, in Chicago. The album is named for West's late mother, and West built a replica inside the stadium of the South Side home he shared with her during his boyhood. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

This is a story about brilliance, about nerve, about audacity. It is a story about family and home. It is a story about Kanye West.

In jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, a new documentary from Netflix, fans and detractors get a raw glimpse into Kanye West on the brink. This is Kanye not quite on the cusp, but on the periphery of it, tasting his success in fits and bursts but never getting a chance to savor it. This is the Kanye who knows who he is  deeply, profoundly  even as he struggles to be heard above a hundred other voices in the room. Always brilliant, bright and driven, here, audiences get a deeper look at the time before the rest of the world saw that greatness, too. Created in a three-act structure by directors Clarence Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah, jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy is, minus a somewhat middling third act, mostly captivating, contemplative and joyful.

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Unlike more traditional documentaries, jeen-yuhs begins with Kanye already at work. There are little lingering insights into Wests childhood or education or earliest inspirations before he began making music, which may be frustrating to some. However, minutes into the film, it is clear Simmons is making a stronger argument for West as a fully-formed mind. Do those moments matter? In the grand scheme of things, probably not. The Kanye we know today  complicated, frustrating, ablaze  was always that Kanye.

West (who is now legally known as Ye) had begun to make a name for himself creating beats for other artists. But while most people thought he was just a producer, West told Simmons that the only reason he makes beats is to rap over them.

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It would be a long time between their initial encounter in 1998 on Simmons public access show, Channel Zero, and the release of Wests debut album, The College Dropout, in 2004. But even then, West was sure of his talent, his possibility. Simmons was too. Later, inspired by his drive  as well as the mega success of the West-produced track Izzo (H.O.V.A.) by Jay-Z  Simmons moved to New York to create a documentary about West and see how far he could go.

Kanye 'Ye' West in a scene from the documentary "jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy" on Netflix. (Netflix)

And go he would, but his momentum was never through a straightforward or easy path. Sometimes Wests greatest detractors were the people around him, the folks who only wanted to see him for what he was and not what he could be. I might be living your American Dream, but Im nowhere near where my dream is, West says at one point.

Throughout the documentary, Simmons lingers on long recorded scenes of West at work, at play, in frustration. Rather than employ the insights of talking heads like traditional documentaries, Simmons lets the scenes tell the story. Minus a fluid, thoughtful monologue woven throughout the film and cowritten by Simmons and poet/artist J. Ivy, most dialogue comes from the captured glimpses into the past. Each moment is almost cinematic, as if Simmons (and West) understood it would be these scenes and conversations  while chilling and playing pool, while driving through the streets of New York City, while picking up an order from Leons BBQ on the South Side  that would reveal the real story of West.

In an early scene in the documentary, West, Simmons and a few others ambush the Roc A Fella offices. West is determined to be signed by the label, especially after producing some of Jay-Zs most successful tracks on The Blueprint. Going from staffer to staffer, West plays a rough cut of All Falls Down, a track that would later become the third single from his debut album. Most in the office are distracted, underwhelmed, unwilling to see West as anything other than what he has always been.

It is a sentiment that will permeate throughout Wests long and arduous journey from Chicago beatmaker to rapper. Success, of course, is not linear. Wests trajectory is one step forward and two steps back, especially during those early days. Still he keeps going. Most may settle for what theyve already created, but West is pure energy in motion. Imma use everything everybody says that I cant do and imma flip it to a positive, West says.

Underlining all of this is Wests relationship with his mother, Donda West, the only person who believed in West as much as West believed in himself. If West is the abrasive visionary, Donda is the funny, warm, loving heart. She encourages his dreams, his demeanor. And throughout the documentary, audiences get a deeper understanding of her place in his life. Everything West does is not just to fulfill his purpose as an artist, it is also to fulfill his promise to her.

In jeen-yuhs, Donda often appears around the latter half of each act, serving as the grounding force as Wests world changes around him. During Act I, it is West before and immediately after signing. In Act II, it is after the life-altering car accident that inspired Wests debut single, Through the Wire. West loses his budget and label support, taking over his own promotion. Donda keeps him going. After the tragic death of Wests mother, West loses and gains and loses his footing in a cycle weve come to understand well.

That is why Act III feels somewhat dissatisfying. Part of it was out of the directors hands. Simmons had followed West throughout his rise from Chicago upstart to the release of his debut. But as fame finally arrived (and to massive proportions), Simmons access and interest in the subject matter dissipated. By the release of Late Registration and Graduation (as well as the death of his mother), the Kanye West that Simmons knew was somewhat gone. Wests later years become something of a blur. Fans looking for deep insight into personal life, his marriage and family, will be disappointed. Little is also given on his later works like now-classic albums such as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or 808s and Heartbreaks. As a critic, I especially wanted more on those two seminal works released soon after Dondas death. Perhaps theyll be explored in another documentary at a later time.

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Ultimately, Simmons and Ozah make clear those details are not the story. Simmons returns after the Kanye weve grown to know (and sometimes abhor) has firmly settled. This is post marriage, post children, post public mental breakdown. Still, their six-year absence doesnt detract from the question, the story, thats always been at the heart of Wests journey: who can an artist be when free to be all things? While the rest of us are living in the past and the present, West is future-driven. What can he do? Who can he be? Where can he go? These questions dont plague West, but invigorate him, motivate him. In jeen-yuhs, the central struggle is making others embrace the power and beauty of his foresight.

jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy screens with Episode 1 on Netflix beginning Feb. 16, with all three episodes released over three weeks.

Britt Julious is a freelance critic.
A group of Democratic senators has called on YouTubes CEO Susan Wojcicki to crack down on the proliferation of ghost gun instructional videos on the platform despite a four-year-old ban, as officials weigh more options to close loopholes allowing untraceable firearms to evade federal regulation.

So-called ghost guns do not have serial numbers, are largely unregulated across the US and can be assembled with parts purchased online, frustrating law enforcement and prosecutors that have seen a spike in ghost guns over the last several years.

Mere minutes is all it takes to find dozens of YouTube videos on how to make & manufacture ghost gunsin clear violation of Community Guidelines. My colleagues & I are demanding that YouTube take action & ensure the content it hosts doesnt exacerbate the threat of these weapons. pic.twitter.com/pAFU4wGMTB  Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) February 15, 2022

The platforms policies must be enforced  and enforced strongly  to make any difference, the senators wrote in a letter dated 14 February.

The letter from Senators Richard Blumenthal, Cory Booker, Ed Markey, Robert Menendez and Chris Murphy said that the company cannot simply remove these kinds of videos only when news outlets call public attention to violative content, when gun violence prevention advocates send letters listing specific YouTube videos that violate its Community Guidelines, or when congressional staff reach out to raise concerns about such videos.

In the wake of several mass shootings last year, President Joe Biden issued a series of executive actions aimed at combating gun violence, including instructing the US Department of Justice to come up with new rules to regulate ghost guns like other firearms under federal oversight.

Local law enforcement reported recovering 1,750 suspected ghost guns in 2016, a figure that nearly doubled within two years. In 2020, law enforcement reported capturing more than 8,700 suspected ghost guns, according to the Justice Department.

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A 17-year-old accused of shooting a classmate in Maryland in January was believed to have used a ghost gun. Two Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies who were shot while sitting in their patrol car in 2020 have sued a ghost gun manufacturer after the apparent ambush.

The senators letter follows an investigation from NBC News and pressure from gun control advocacy groups finding dozens of videos instructing viewers how to assemble the firearms. YouTube announced its ban in March 2018.

Dangerous videos, providing step-by-step guides on how to create untraceable firearms at home, dont just violate our sense of morality, they violate YouTubes own policies, said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action.

In a statement to NBC News, YouTube spokesperson Ivy Choi said the company has removed more than 280,000 videos that violated its rules against content it deemed harmful or dangerous in the third quarter of 2021, including videos that violated its firearms policy.

This work is ongoing and our teams will continue to work hard to refine the policies and systems that allow us to quickly detect and remove violative videos, according to the statement.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -A South African judge on Wednesday dismissed a bid by former president Jacob Zuma to appeal an earlier ruling rejecting his attempt to have the prosecutor in his arms deal corruption trial taken off the case for alleged bias.

The judgment means Zuma's trial will move forward on April 11.

"The application for leave to appeal and all related applications ... are all dismissed," Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Piet Koen said in court. "The criminal trial shall proceed," he added.

Zuma, ousted as head of state in 2018 after nine years in power, has pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption, money laundering and racketeering in a long-running case over a $2 billion arms deal in the 1990s.

Zuma has claimed he is the victim of a political witch-hunt orchestrated by allies of President Cyril Ramaphosa, a charge Ramaphosa has denied.

"It is not within the power of the president  and it shouldn't be within the power of the president  to initiate criminal proceedings against anyone," Ramaphosa told parliament on Wednesday, addressing the Zuma camp's accusation.

Last year Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defying an order to participate in a corruption inquiry. He was released on medical parole, but a court later ruled he should return to jail. Zuma has appealed that ruling.

(Reporting by Alexander Winning; Additional reporting by Tim Cocks in Johannesburg;Editing by Christina Fincher)
Frederick Douglass

A portrait of Frederick Douglass Credit - VCG Wilson/Corbis/Getty Images

On a hot night in August 1841, fugitive slave Frederick Douglass stood before a thousand white people inside a rickety wooden building in Nantucket, Mass. A handful of Black people appeared in the crowd, but the group looked like a sea of white to Douglass. Accustomed to consider white men as my bitterest enemies, he later recalled, he trembled as he prepared to address them.

Not three years had passed since he had escaped from enslavement in Maryland. There is no spot on the vast domains over which waves the star-spangled banner where the slave is secure, Douglass would later explain. Go east, go west, go north, go south, he is still exposed to the blood hounds that may be let loose against him. No fugitive slave was safe in the United Statesnot even at an abolitionist convention. And yet Douglass felt he had no choice about speaking up. He was already part of the movement that ran on words. His host, Quaker William Coffin, had brought him to this meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society after hearing Douglass speak at a Black church in New Bedford. Tell your story, Frederick, Coffin urged Douglass now, as the abolitionists waited. The strikingly handsome manstrong chin, chiseled mouth, and wide-set eyesusually dressed in a waistcoat, formal jacket, and high-collared white shirt, rose reluctantly to his feet. Douglass never could remember what it was he said that evening.

Although journalists from various antislavery publications attended the conference, there is no record of Douglasss remarks. But the reporters in the room agreed on one thing: Douglass brought down the house. Flinty hearts were pierced, Lydia Maria China reported for the abolitionist newspaper National Anti-Slavery Standard, and cold ones melted by his eloquence. Our best pleaders for the slave held their breath for fear of interrupting him.

As soon as the meeting ended, John A. Collins, theology school dropout and then-vice president and general agent for abolitionist William Lloyd Garrisons Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, invited the newcomer to become an antislavery agent. Douglass would travel and tell his story. Although she was not present at Douglasss maiden appearance on Nantucket, Maria Weston Chapman, the beautiful, wealthy Bostonian from a prominent abolitionist family, would manage much of Douglasss new career. Weston Chapman, nicknamed the Contessa by one of her admirers, was perhaps Garrisons closest comrade. Since the gorgeously dressed socialite had shocked people in the modest abolition world by walking into a meeting in 1834, her fashionable Boston town house had become the beating heart of the Society that fueled the movement.

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Read more: We Must Hear the Warning in Frederick Douglass Sources of Danger to the Republic Today

At the center of the meeting on that remote Massachusetts island in August 1841a kind of snapshot of the movement for the abolition of slaverywas the fugitive, with his indelible story of life in the slave South, the inexcusable wrongdoing at the heart of the American republic. The historian Manisha Sinha would later call these stories the movement literature of abolition. Also in the picture was the audience of white northerners, who had been gathering for over a decade to argue for the immediate, unambiguous abolition of slavery. And finally, here and there, an embarrassingly few, but crucial, Black abolitionists, who had formed the backbone of the movement from the beginning. The action centered on Douglasss heart-piercing speech, reflecting the outsized power of rhetoric for the abolition movement. The scene opened up the possibility of an alliance that was, at its very apex, interracial and sex-integratedthe first such major public movement in the history of the nation. For 12 years this alliance worked to change the nation. But, as with all alliances, sooner or later the question would arise: Who gets what from the deal? By 1853, the partnership of Garrison, Douglass, and Weston Chapman was done.

The strains on the interracial aspect of the enterprise of Douglass and the mostly white New England abolitionists were visible already in Nantucket. Later, when Douglass later became the most popular and renowned speaker in a movement that lived on words, his appearance that night in 1841 became a legend. At the time, however, Garrison took only passing notice of the slaves debut in his abolition newspaper The Liberator, not even giving Douglass the dignity of using his proper name. Messrs. Bradburn, Collins, Quincy, Pillsbury, Whiting, and other speakers were present, (among them several talented colored young men from New-Bedford, one of them formerly a slave), Garrison reported, whose addresses were listened to by large and attentive audiences with deep interest. Nevertheless, in the summer of 1841, Douglass joined Garrison and Weston Chapman in the anti-government Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society faction. Their relationship raises all the questions of whether an alliance across race, sex, and class can survive.

The answer is unsurprisingly yes. And no. The alliance fueled a crucial decade for the rise of the movement. Yet there were strains from the beginning. Douglass, almost immediately a rising star, would not tolerate the patronizing and racist treatment of Weston Chapman and some of the other Boston abolitionists. Two short years later, he got into a faceoff with the tour manager, who was using abolition to advance other causes. When Weston Chapman scolded Douglass for the fracas and threatened to dock his pay. Douglass warned Weston Chapman and his other managers: I trust I have as far as one can have, a just sense of their claims to my gratitude and respect.

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Four years later, when he found out Weston Chapman was secretly directing his hosts in Ireland to manage him so he wouldnt try to capitalize on his fame, or, worse, assist a competing British faction, he wrote more plainly If you wish to drive me from the [Massachusetts] Anti-slavery Society, put me under overseership and the work is done. As it turned out, the breakup went more slowly than Douglass anticipated. First he moved to Rochester, New York and began working with the New York faction. Then, in 1851, he acknowledged openly that he had adopted their turn to politics as the way to end slavery.

When Garrison discovered that Douglass had gone over to the political New York faction of abolitionists, he shamefully retailed gossip about Douglass personal life, and the breach was sealed. The two never really spoke again.

But the story has a happy ending. The breakup, sending Douglass to the New York abolitionists, more driven to political engagement than the anti-government Bostonian branch, perversely led to triumphfor the abolitionist and the movement. Twelve years after the Garrisonians drove Douglass away, Douglass went to the White House, for the inauguration of the author of Emancipation, elected by the political rise of abolition.

On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated for the second time. Douglass, who was by now the most influential Black man in America, had delivered the strategic and political wartime support requested of him by the president.

In a symbol of how the world had changed, abolition lawyer and politician Salmon P. Chase had replaced the author of Dred Scott v. Sandford, Roger Taney, on the Supreme Court. Douglass had met Chase years before on the abolition-lecture circuit. And so Douglass, a Black man who Taney said had no rights that white America needed to respect, went to Chases chambers to help him try on the robe he would wear to swear in Lincoln. Then he went to the Capitol to watch the ceremony.

Read more: This Little-Known Abolitionist Dared to Speak in Public Against Slavery



After the ceremony, Douglass determined to present himself at the White House reception, though no colored person had ever ventured to do so. After all, he thought, freedom had become the law of the land, and colored men were on the battle-field mingling their blood with that of white men in one common effort to save the country. No one else of his own color would go. They were unwilling to risk the unhappiness of rejection. As usual Douglass would have to lead the way. As usual too, he held up his decision to his lifelong standard: Did going to the White House for the inaugural reception fit his self-image as a man? I had for some time looked upon myself as a man, he reminisced later, but now in this multitude of the elite of the land, I felt myself a man among men.

Two policemen at the door roughly turned him away. Someone recognized him and took the word to Lincoln. Next thing Douglass knew, he was standing in the East Room with the president. Lincoln wanted to know what the other great orator thought about his speech. When Douglass demurred at taking so much of the presidents time, Lincoln answered: There is no man in the country whose opinion I value more than yours. I want to know what you think of it?

Douglass lived another quarter-century after the abolitionists dissolved their society in 1870. With Lincoln dead, the work of undoing his great work of emancipation commenced. The fragile hope of a Black and white movementembodied for a time in the alliance between Douglass and the Boston abolitionists, and then in the friendship of Douglass and Lincolnwould have to wait. Nevertheless, Douglass persisted. When he died, on Feb. 20, 1895, he was in the middle of his campaign against lynching. From the time he stood up in Nantucket until the last day of his life he never stopped fighting the poison of American slavery.

Adapted from The Color of Abolition: How a Printer, a Prophet, and a Contessa Moved a Nation. Copyright  2022 by Linda Hirshman. Available now from Mariner Books.


Selaedin Maksut didnt expect anything specific to come out of his meeting late last year with then-state Sen.-elect Ed Durr after an anti-Muslim tweet of Durrs surfaced.

But what was initially planned as a meeting to explain Islam to Durr  who in the 2019 tweetdenounced it as a false religion and cult of hate  turned into something more. It made Durr an ally to one of the major causes of the Council on American-Islamic Relations: Getting the Islamic holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha officially recognized in New Jersey, just like some major Christian and Jewish holidays.

Maksut, who leads the council's New Jersey branch, said that during the November meeting, he explained the effort to Durr to give the newly elected Republican lawmaker an idea of what his group does.

Durrs tweet, which WNYCs Matt Katz reposted the day after the Nov. 3 election, was condemned by CAIR as hate-filled, xenophobic and anti-Muslim. Durr quickly apologized and accepted the groups invitation to meet the following week.

I stand against Islamophobia and all forms of hate, and I commit to that going forward, Durr said in a statement at the time.

Soon after the November meeting, Durr (R-Gloucester) called Maksut to say he would seek to make the two days state holidays.

I was really touched that it came from an organic thought, that he took it seriously when I was describing my work, and he took that opportunity to extend that olive branch, Maksut said.

Eid al-Fitr is a fast-breaking holiday celebrated at the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, commemorates Abrahams readiness to sacrifice his son and is celebrated about two months later. Both are on the lunar calendar. This year, the former is celebrated in May and the latter in July.

Last week, Durr introduced a resolution, NJ SJR54 (22R), that would make would make Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha days of observance  a largely symbolic designation that would also call for annual proclamations to celebrate them.

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The resolution doesnt go as far as similar resolutions Democrats have put forward that would make the two days official state holidays. Thats fine with Maksut, whose organization is backing efforts in several school districts to recognize the holidays and take them off.

The one [resolution] the Democratic Party put forward never passed, Maksut said. Theres a large Muslim population [in New Jersey], but its not large enough to, I guess, make the argument. The resolution is middle ground. It makes the argument easier at a local level for Muslims to advocate for the day off in their own municipalities.

Practicing Muslims make up about 3 percent of New Jerseys population, according to the Pew Research Center  the highest percentage of any state. Several New Jersey school districts, including Paterson and Montclair, have given students off for at least one of the Eid holidays. In November, the Watchung Hills Regional High School District school board rejected an effort to give days off for Eid al-Fatir and the Hindu holiday of Diwali, though it later included them in a list of days when students would not have assessments or assignments.

Durr's resolution is particularly notable considering anti-Islamic rhetoric has recently been tolerated and sometimes promoted at the highest levels of Republican politics. Former President Donald Trump famously called for a ban of all Muslims entering the United States during the 2016 election and followed it up in office with a travel ban for several Islamic-majority countries. In New Jersey, the Sussex County Republican Committee ran a Twitter account that retweeted anti-Muslim content, including a meme that called to eradicate Islam from every town, city, county and state in our homeland.

Although a freshman senator, Durr is one of New Jerseys highest-profile Republican elected officials. His shocking defeat of then-Senate President Steve Sweeney, the state's second most powerful Democrat, in last Novembers election rocketed him to fame in conservative circles  a narrative that was especially appealing because of Durrs blue-collar background as a truck driver and the fact he spent only about $10,000 on his campaign.

Durr said he doesnt believe anti-Islamic rhetoric is pervasive in the GOP.

Were not that country club, old white guy party. We are an all-inclusive party, he said in a phone interview Tuesday. Its a mixed party. Its an open tent for everything with everybodys ideas open to it. Thats what I see, and I think we should keep going that way because it also reflects the population.

State Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris), who sponsored the resolution with Durr, said he did not want to make the holidays official state holidays because he believes New Jersey already has enough.

I think we just have to catch our breath here. Theres a price tag to this, Pennacchio said.

Pennacchio said that being an elected official is different than being someone who watches from the sidelines in that it requires you to interact with different constituencies.

I tell people that politics has made me a better person. When youre involved in politics, you really have to take a look at different issues from different sides and be mindful of how it affects other people, Pennacchio said. Youve got to remember that sometimes it affects people, and youve got to be sensitive to that. I think Ed is a better person. He recognized that and wants to build those bridges.
By Paul Lienert

(Reuters) - CelLink, a California startup with a pathbreaking product that replaces traditional wiring harnesses, has closed a $250 million funding round backed by several large auto industry players, the company said on Wednesday.

CelLink has developed a new method of connecting battery cells and packs, and transferring power and data across vehicle sensors, modules and electronic control units, according to the company. Founded in 2011 and based in San Carlos, CelLink has been scaling up production of its lightweight flexible circuits since 2019.

A single large-area "flex harness" can combine the functions of several traditional wiring harnesses, the company said. This could significantly reduce weight, mass and cost, while enabling more automated and modular vehicle assembly, it said.

Were in hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles now, Kevin Coakley, chief executive and co-founder, said in an interview.

While he declined to specify which vehicle manufacturers are using CelLink flex harnesses, Tesla is the only U.S. carmaker that has produced that many electric vehicles.

CelLink, which has raised about $315 million, said the latest funds will be used to build a factory in Georgetown, Texas, that will open later this year.

We are building a 25-line factory (there) and all those lines are spoken for, Coakley said.

Eventually, he said, CelLink expects to find applications for its products in commercial vehicles, agriculture, military and aerospace.

Strategic investors in the new round include BMW iVentures, Lear Corp, Robert Bosch Venture Capital and 3M, all of which had invested previously. Another early investor, Ford Motor, did not join the latest round.

The Series D round was led by Boston hedge fund Whale Rock Capital and joined by T. Rowe Price, Fidelity Management, D1 Capital Partners, Standard Investments and Atreides, as well as existing investors Fontinalis Partners, Franklin Templeton and Tinicum Venture Partners.

(Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit; Editing by David Gregorio)
ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland will lift almost all its coronavirus pandemic restrictions from midnight, the government said on Wednesday, as fears waned that a spike in infections fuelled by the Omicron variant would overwhelm the health care system.

The government said only the requirement to wear masks on public transport and while visiting healthcare facilities would remain in force temporarily after the changes, which end nearly two years of restrictions on public life.

"The light on the horizon is very visible," President Ignazio Cassis told a news conference in Bern, although he added the government was ready to reimpose curbs if needed.

"The virus is there. We are learning how to live with the virus," he said.

Mandatory five-day isolation of people who have tested positive will also remain in effect until the end of March.

But shops, restaurants and cultural institutions would be freely accessible, the government said, pressing ahead with measures it had flagged two weeks.

"We have been waiting for this moment for a long time", said Casimir Platzer, head of the Gastrosuisse catering sector lobby, hailing the end of a requirement for guests to show a special COVID-19 certificate to enter bars and restaurants.

More than 90% of Switzerland's population of 8.6 million people have gained protection from the virus, having either recovered from COVID-19 or been vaccinated, officials note.

Despite tens of thousands of new infections reported daily, the health care system has held up well and the occupancy of intensive care units has declined.

More than 2.6 million infections have been logged https://www.covid19.admin.ch/en/overview?time=total in Switzerland and neighbouring Liechtenstein since the start of the crisis. Around 12,600 people have died from the disease.

"The acute phase is over," Health Minister Alain Berset said, but he added Switzerland would maintain vaccination capacity to be on the safe side.

(Reporting by John Revill, Michael Shields and Stephanie Nebehay)
BROCKTON  Tucked away on Main Street is a warmly lit Caribbean restaurant with art for the eyes and the aroma of authentic cuisine dancing in the air.

Tamboo Bistro at 252 Main St. opened in 2005 to enhance Brockton and bring the missing flavors the city needed, said Chrisman Charlot, owner of Tamboo Bistro.

"Tamboo is a special place in my mind, a hidden gem on Main Street, and I wanted to create a Haitian restaurant where all residents can feel safe, welcomed and comfortable while enjoying an upscale dining experience. I've had bad experiences in the past where I didn't feel welcomed, and I want to change that," Charlot said.

When you walk into Tamboo, a host will greet you with a friendly smile, check your coat, escort you to your table and give you a menu filled with flavorful creations passed down from generation to generation.

Charlotte Joseph of Brockton serves a variety of Haitian-themed cuisine such as fried red snapper and white rice with a bean sauce at the Tamboo Bistro in Brockton on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.

As a young boy growing up in Haiti, Charlot remembers his mother selling fried foods from a cart on the side of the road. Like many people in Haiti, this was their livelihood and a way to make extra cash to take care of the family, Charlot said.

Charlot's mother is known for her delicious fritay, which is a mix of fried food appetizers.

Top earners: Which Brockton employees made the most in 2020? Here are the top 10 salaries

Once in America, the family thought it would be a good idea to open a restaurant because the mother had such amazing cooking skills, he said. So they opened Bon Appetit in Boston in 1998 and decided to expand the business to Brockton.

Tamboo Bistro is expanding to a seasonal menu of fire-grilled fish and salmon to welcome warm weather in the upcoming months and introduce their patio seating for the summer.

Josh Roberts, who regularly makes the trip to the Tamboo Bistro in Brockton from Melrose to eat, sits down to a dinner of Haitian black rice, fried plantains and fried goat meat on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. He's been coming to Tamboo for 15 years and he says it's worth it.

Some of the customer favorites include red snapper steamed in sauce and spices, griyo (fried pork), Djon Djon rice (black mushroom rice), coconut shrimp, fried plantains and Caribbean chicken marinated in sauce.

The drinks are notable for a twist of tropical Caribbean flavors from the Haitian Persuasion packed with imported Haitian rum.

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Fusion cuisine: Gourmet Kitchen brings sweet, sizzling Caribbean Asian fusion to Randolph

The bar is fully stocked with all seven versions of the famous Rhum Barbancourt, Haiti's very popular rum brand.

When you aren't taking a bite into the island's flavors or sipping a refreshing cocktail, you can take a dance class at the Bistro.

Olivia Cutts of Brockton takes a break from studying for a nursing test to stop by the Tamboo Bistro in Brockton to enjoy a fresh pina colada on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.

Every Sunday, international dance classes are from 6 p.m.  8 p.m. Each class is $25, and the instructor gives one-on-one dance lessons with a dance partner.

The festivities don't stop there.

Thursday evenings are cocktail night, which starts at 6 p.m. The idea is for the restaurant to attract the working professionals to enjoy a nightcap filled with music and different specialty made house cocktails.

"After a long day of work, you just need a nice drink, good music and positive vibes. This is the place to get that," said Vania Correia, senior bar specialist.

"A lot of people don't know that Tamboo fits 168 people seated and 400 people standing. Patrons can rent out the restaurant, which includes catering for special occasions, funeral receptions, birthdays and graduations," Correia said.

Hours of operation are Monday  Thursday, 3 to 10 p.m, and Friday - Saturday 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Enterprise staff reporter Alisha Saint-Ciel can be reached by email at stciela@gannett.com You can follow her on Twitter at @alishaspeakss. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton restaurant: Tamboo Bistro offers Haitian food on Main Street
Fannie Lou Hamer speaks outside the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 17, 1965, after the House of Representatives rejected a challenge to the 1964 election of five Mississippi representatives. The challengers claimed that Blacks were excluded from the election process in Mississippi. (William J. Smith/AP)

How much do you really know about civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer?

In these pandemic years, her story has been told on the Goodman Theatre stage and in Chicago parks by way of Chicago-born playwright Cheryl L. West and historian Keisha Blain, a fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University, who authored the book Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamers Enduring Message to America.

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Both writers share the story of Hamer, who died in 1977 and didnt come to activism until her 40s, centering her voice on voting and womens rights. The Mississippi sharecropper endured assaults, co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (or Freedom Democratic Party), and went to the 1964 Democratic National Convention to demand Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party delegates be seated in the convention, rather than the all-white Mississippi Democratic Party delegates. The move drew national attention to the plight of Blacks in the South. (Filmmaker Christine Swanson, Oscar-nominated actress Aunjanue Ellis, and DePaul University students filmed the short film Fannie at Cinespace Studios in October 2021. Ellis plays Hamer giving her testimony in front of the Democratic National Convention Credentials Committee Aug. 22, 1964.)

And on Feb. 22 and 24, respectively, another Hamer project will premiere on PBS and then WORLD Channel as part of America Reframeds10th season. Directed and edited by Edgewater resident Joy Davenport, Fannie Lou Hamers America is a documentary originated by Hamers grandniece Monica Land (a native Chicagoan) that tells Hamers story in her own words, with some never-before-seen photos and rare footage that family and film researchers uncovered.

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She (Hamer) deserves the kind of attention that the titans of the movement have gotten and she hasnt for many reasons, Davenport said. Im an activist, I am a radical. I want to see the same thing that she wanted to see and that Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee wanted to see, which was people stepping up, asserting their rights, claiming their rights  and in places where their rights are being attacked  defending and entrenching their rights.

Davenport said she hopes when people see this film, one that took more than 10 years to make, people register to vote, join the civic conversation and not give up in cynicism, which is very easy to do.

Fifty years ago she made some successes and she had some failures and when she passed on, in many ways that torch did not get passed on, Davenport said. Were living in the kind of country where people dont listen to people like Fannie Lou Hamer. Conservatives all have Martin Luther King on their lips, but only that one quote about the content of their character. They dont know anything about anything, but they whitewash to the point that they feel like they can safely come out in public and say those words. You just cant do that to her words. Fannie Lou Hamer is impossible to whitewash.

Joy Davenport, seen at home in Chicago on Feb. 11, 2022, has a film called Fannie Lou Hamers America" that will premiere on PBS and WORLD Channel during Black History Month as part of the series "America Reframed." (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Land wanted to do a documentary on her aunt as far back as 2005, one that showed Hamers personal side of her life, including her family. Davenport was working on her masters thesis about the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, the party co-founded by Hamer while on a Ph.D. track as a historian. It was while she was interviewing former members of the MFDP about their experiences that President Barack Obama was elected to his first term. Veteran SNCC and MFDP folks took the victory as a way to say lets keep moving the ball forward. Thats when the late Lawrence Guyot, the first chairman of MFDP, made Davenport promise to make a movie about Hamer. Davenport said she made that promise in 2010 and Guyot passed away in 2012.

Land was connected to Davenport through mutual contacts. Davenport said it was all serendipitous. Monica would serve as executive producer, producer, researcher, photographer and writer who figured out funding, finding partners, getting the project a platform. That was Monicas boulder to roll up the hill, Davenport said. Mine was figuring out how to shoot and edit the film. Davenport left academia to learn how to become a filmmaker for this project  learning how to use a camera by shooting weddings. The film took a while to create as the two took on the new learning curve. Help from those in the film industry (crew, etc.) would come intermittently, but Davenport and Land would be the constants on the film.

Aunt Fannie Lou had this extremely powerful voice, Land said. It has been such a labor of love. I really wanted to do this for my aunt. Shes almost an oxymoron. It seems like so many people know her and then nobody knows her.

Fannie Lou Hamer, a leader of the Freedom Democratic Party, speaks before the credentials committee of the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Aug. 22, 1964. (AP)

Land is planning on changing that with Fannie Lou Hamers America. Through research, Land said shes found countless schools, streets, parks, memorials throughout the country that pay homage to her aunt. But while the name is on a school, youth who attend these institutions dont know about the history behind Aunt Hamers name. All the information that has been found during their research will live on a website that will be updated continually, Land said.

Its an educational tool for students, Land said. If Aunt Fannie Lou were president of the United States, this would be her presidential library. I dont want students and kids to have to work as hard as we did to find information about her. She was a historical figure, a public figure. She did a lot of humanitarian work. She did a lot of activisms that may not be displayed in the film. We want this to be the one stop that people go to learn whatever they need to know about Aunt Fannie Lou Hamer  to get out who she was, how relevant she was, and how intensive her contributions were. I want people to go I didnt know that.

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The film is primarily archival material  viewers see places where Hamer made history, hear her speeches, and hear Hamers singing. On the website theres a driving tour to relive Hamers fight for civil rights, a K-12 curriculum about Hamer for teachers, even an annual filmmakers summer workshop that Sunflower County, Mississippi, high school students can participate in through a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to help them find their voices. Davenport is both founder and instructor for the workshop.

Stories that informed Hamers work are prominent on the website. Stories like Joe Pullum, a Black Mississippi sharecropper who killed four white men and wounded 15 others after a dispute with a local plantation owner over wages. According to local lore, after the argument Pullum fled to Wild Bill Bayou near Drew, Mississippi, hiding out in a hollowed-out cypress tree and taking down the mob of white men one by one. Davenport said Pullums story and Hamers forced hysterectomy were two things that made it to the website, but not the film. The details of both were surprising.

Joe Pullum ... was a really influential story to her, this man who resisted. She saw this as inspiration and she would tell the story about it as a way of like, We can take whats ours, well do it the nice way or the other way, Davenport said.

But there was another story that we couldnt put in about the Mississippi appendectomy where she was given a forced hysterectomy without her knowledge or consent. She went in for one procedure, and she came out unable to have children. That is hard to even talk about. She didnt really talk about it publicly, which is why we couldnt put it in the film because we only used things that she talks about. That was utterly shocking that happened. That was so commonplace in the South, that theres even a cutesy nickname for it.

Joining the protest outside of Convention Hall over seating of Mississippi delegates are, left to right, Fannie Lou Hamer of Mississippi, and the parents of slain civil rights worker Michael Schwerner, Anne and Nathan Schwerner, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1964. (Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images)

Looking back over the years of work, Davenport said getting to this point was through real earnest folks who were ride or die for this project. Land said she hopes the film will awaken interest and prompt more people to want to do more and to know more about her Aunt Hamers legacy.

Just look at Black Lives Matter protests  there is always someone with a sign that has one of Aunt Fannie Lous quotes on it  whether its Nobodys free until everybodys free or Im sick and tired of being sick and tired. A lot of these young people dont know who she is, but they love the quote, they relate to it, they identify with it  that speaks to her relevance, Land said.

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At the end of the film, Mrs. Hamer says Mississippi is not Mississippis problem. Mississippi is Americas problem. And that is the thesis statement of the film. Its why its called Fannie Lou Hamers America, Davenport said. The thing that I want people to take away from this is this is America. This is the truth. And theres a tendency right now in our country to want to look away from that and to say, oh, it couldnt have been so bad or we dont want to make people feel bad. Honestly, we should feel bad. Its something we should look at, and admit, and then work toward doing better. I dont know whats so objectionable about that. If youve got a wound, you got to clean it. You got to take care of it before itll heal. We are a wounded nation. And the reason were getting worse is because we refuse to rip off that Band-Aid and really look at the wound.

Fannie Lou Hamers America will premiere as a special presentation from PBS and WORLD Channel on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 8 p.m. CST on PBS stations nationwide. Viewers will have a second chance to see the film on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. CST on WORLD Channel stations nationwide. The film is airing as part of the documentary series America ReFramed, presented by WORLD Channel and American Documentary Inc. Fannie Lou Hamers America will also be available for streaming starting Feb. 22. Audiences can stream the film on worldchannel.org, the WORLD YouTube Channel and all station-branded PBS platforms including PBS.org and the PBS Video app.

drockett@chicagotribune.com

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Travis McMichael, a prosecutor said, once texted a friend saying he loved his job because zero nrs work with me.

BRUNSWICK, Ga.  The three white men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery had histories of making racist comments or using slurs in text messages that stunned their friends and colleagues, a federal prosecutor told jurors Monday as the trio stood trial on hate crime charges in the 25-year-old Black mans death.

During opening statements in the case, defense attorneys admitted their clients had each expressed offensive and indefensible opinions about Black people. But they insisted the trios pursuit of Arbery as he ran in their neighborhood was prompted by honest, though erroneous, suspicion that he had committed crimes  not by his race.

This combo of booking photos provided by the Glynn County, Ga., Detention Center shows (from left) Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and William Roddie Bryan Jr. (Photos: Glynn County Detention Center via AP, File)

Im not going to ask you to like Travis McMichael, Amy Lee Copeland, the defense attorney for the man who fatally shot Arbery, told the jury. Im not going to ask you to decide that he had done nothing wrong. But Im going to ask you to return a verdict of not guilty to this indictment.

McMichael and his father, Greg McMichael, armed themselves and chased Arbery in a pickup truck after he ran past their coastal Georgia home on Feb. 23, 2020. A neighbor, William Roddie Bryan, joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun. Arrests came only after the video leaked online two months later.

All three were convicted of murder and a judge sentenced them to life in prison last month.

Now the McMichaels and Bryan are on trial again, this time in U.S. District Court, where federal prosecutors have charged them with hate crimes that allege they violated Arberys civil rights and targeted him because he was Black.

Security cameras inside a nearby home under construction had recorded video of Arbery wandering inside, but never taking anything, several times in the months before his death. White people had also been seen entering the home, which had no doors or windows. Yet the McMichaels assumed Arbery must be a criminal and kept a lookout for him, prosecutor Bobbi Bernstein told the jury.

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If Ahmaud Arbery had been white, hed have gone for a jog, checked out a cool house that was under construction and been home in time for Sunday dinner, Bernstein said. Instead, he ended up running for his life.

Bernstein said prosecutors will show evidence of comments by the McMichaels and Bryan that reveal a mindset that led them to suspect an innocent Black man of wrongdoing.

Travis McMichael, she said, once texted a friend saying he loved his job because zero nrs work with me. Commenting on an online video of a Black man lighting a firecracker stuffed in his nose, he messaged a friend saying: Itd be cooler if it blew the f-ing nrs head off, Bernstein said. The friend was taken aback by how angry McMichael sounded, she said.

One allegation never mentioned in the prosecutors opening statement was that Bryan told investigators he heard Travis McMichael utter a racial slur after shooting Arbery. The comment was widely reported after Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Richard Dial testified to it during a June 2020 pretrial hearing in the state murder case. Travis McMichaels attorneys denied he said it, and state prosecutors never brought up the comment during the murder trial.

As for Greg McMichael, Bernstein said a former colleague of his will testify that McMichael responded angrily in a conversation about the 2015 death of civil rights activist Julian Bond, saying: Those Blacks are all nothing but trouble.

And just days before Arbery was shot, Bernstein said, Bryan had become upset after learning that his daughter was dating a Black man. She said Bryan commented that his daughter has her n-r now.

A jury of eight white people, three Black people and one Hispanic person was sworn in to hear the case Monday morning along with four alternate jurors. Judge Lisa Godbey Wood and the attorneys disclosed the panels racial makeup in court.

Attorneys for the McMichaels and Bryan acknowledged that their clients had made racially offensive remarks. But they urged jurors to decide the hate crimes case based on facts rather than the raw emotions such words may stir.

Ive heard the N-word more today than Ive heard it in the past three or four years, and we havent even heard any evidence yet, Bryans attorney, Pete Theodocion, told the jury.

Greg McMichaels attorney, A.J. Balbo, said his client initiated the pursuit of Arbery not because Arbery was Black, but because McMichael recognized him from security videos as the man who had kept entering a neighbors unfinished house.

Greg didnt know the name, but he recognized the face, Balbo said. There was no mistaking who has just run by him.

Theodocion said that Bryan joined the chase assuming Arbery had done something wrong because he saw Arbery run past his house with the McMichaels in pursuit, yelling for Arbery to stop.

Copeland, Travis McMichaels attorney, said evidence will show he was in shock after shooting Arbery at close range as Arbery threw punches and grabbed for the gun.

Youre not going to hear any evidence that he was pumping his fists, that he was gleeful, Copeland said.

The judge said she expects the hate crimes trial to last between seven and 12 days.

In contrast to the federal trial, the jury in the state murder trial of the three defendants last fall was disproportionately white, drawing objections from prosecutors and complaints from Arberys family. The state judge allowed the panel to be seated after defense lawyers stated nonracial reasons for striking most Black jurors from the pool.

Arberys father, Marcus Arbery, told reporters outside the courthouse in the port city of Brunswick that he was very pleased with the federal jury.

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Watch: The 95 year old monarch was pictured for the the first time since Prince Charles tested positive

Forever undaunted, no matter what life and duty throws at her, the Queen is now getting ready for her jubilee year.

Yet in the past few weeks alone, she's endured the scandal of the sex abuse allegations against Prince Andrew and the subsequent pay-off, Prince Charles testing positive with COVID shortly after meeting with her, and ongoing trust issues with Boris Johnson's government, including 'Partygate', the night before she sat alone at Prince Philip's funeral.

The Queen kept the personal images on display in the background. (PA)

Nevertheless, at 95, she is still working and carrying out her duties. This week, she made her first official appearance since coming into contact with COVID.

Fortunately, the Queen had no symptoms, and continued to work virtually from Windsor Castle, now her main residence.

The appointment was an in-person meeting with the incoming Defence Services Secretary Major General Eldon Millar, and his predecessor Rear Admiral James Macleod.

More notable, though, were the pictures on display in the room where the meeting took place: Two very personal portraits, showing the Queen with many of her great-grandchildren.

Read more: The Queen shares sweet unseen photo of great-grandchildren

The Queen looks at a fan as she views a display of memorabilia from her Golden and Platinum Jubilees in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle on 4 February. (Getty Images)

Holding a baby, the Queen sits proudly at the centre of the portrait of her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Tucked behind a box of Fortnum and Mason 'Milk and Dark Selection' chocolates (the Piccadilly grocery carries the royal seal of approval), the personal pictures also include a family photograph taken by the Duchess of Cambridge in 2018.

The charming shot captures both the Queen and Prince Philip sitting on a pale green sofa, in their personal drawing room. They are surrounded by their great grandchildren, Prince George, Prince Louis, Savannah Phillips, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, and Lena and Mia Tindall, Princess Anne's grandchildren.

Mike Tindall, Savannah Phillips, Mia Tindall , Lena, Tindall and Zara Tindall attend the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park. (PA)

Now a great-grandmother of twelve, it's clear that the Queen takes great pride in her small relations.

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The framed image on the left also shows her with grandchildren and great grandchildren who, according to royal watchers, include the Duke and Duchess of Wessex's daughter, Lady Louise, Prince George, Isla Phillips, Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Prince Louis, Mia and Lucas Tindall, and Lena Tindall. Lady Louise's brother, Viscount James, is almost certainly in the section part of the picture obscured by the Queen.

Read more: Mike Tindall reveals exclusive royal outing  and it has emotional connection to the Queen

The Queen is known to enjoy loving relationships with all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and is particularly close to Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice.

Beatrice wore an altered dress of her grandmother's for her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Eugenie told the Queen first about her own engagement, to Jack Brooksbanks, saying: "Granny actually knew right at the beginning, she was one of the very few people.

The Queen meets Rear Admiral James Macleod and Major General Eldon Millar with her family portraits in the background. (PA)

It's obvious that the Queen greatly values her family bonds with the younger generation - and her choice of personal pictures to display confirms the fact that, as her jubilee year gets underway, the younger royal generation will be at the heart of the celebrations.
GARZE COUNTY, China (AP)  As a speedskating team was winning Chinas first Olympic gold medal of the Beijing Games, all seemed quiet in the villages that line the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau.

A bus flew past gold-roofed monasteries on freshly paved asphalt. Red-robed monks rode motorcycles over windswept plains under snow-capped mountains.

It was a stark difference from 14 years ago, when China hosted its first Olympics. That summer, foreigners filmed deadly clashes between Tibetans and security forces in Lhasa, the regional capital. News of the violence ricocheted online, fueling protests, hunger strikes and self-immolations across the Tibetan region.

Today, Tibet has fallen quiet. There are no monks marching on police stations. No overturned cars or hurled stones.

Far more international attention and outrage is directed at Xinjiang in China's far northwest, where some human rights groups and Western governments say the Chinese government has been carrying out a campaign of genocide against the region's Uyghur population.

The once-relentless waves of protesters setting themselves afire has slowed. No self-immolations have been reported in the past two years; over the prior decade, there were more than 150.

That is, at least as far as the outside world knows. In China, where the government tightly controls information and limits access to areas seen as politically sensitive, it's always hard to know what's really happening.

And few areas in China are considered as politically sensitive as Tibet.

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As the bus carrying an Associated Press journalist traveled through the rugged borderlands in Sichuan close to Tibet, it suddenly ground to a halt.

Police officers filed onboard and ordered him off. Even though he had tested negative for the coronavirus three times in the previous five days, the officers ordered him expelled due to pandemic controls.

No foreigners are allowed in, said Jampa, the deputy head of Garze countys foreign affairs office, before ordering the journalist taken by car to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, a 10-hour drive away, where he was released.

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Why have Tibetans seemingly acceded to Chinese rule after centuries of self-governance and decades of fervent protest and civil disobedience? The answer, based on interviews with more than a dozen Tibetans inside and outside of China, is that in many ways Beijings plan to tame Tibet is working.

Older Tibetans remain resentful. But after decades of struggle, many have resigned themselves to being part of China. Younger Tibetans are split: Some still secretly long for independence, while others call themselves proud Chinese citizens.

Abroad, activists continue to agitate for autonomy but now find their calls falling on deaf ears as Beijing uses its economic might to punish countries and companies that voice support for Tibetan independence.

Ever since China's Peoples Liberation Army marched into Tibet in 1951, the region had been locked in a bitter cycle of revolt and repression. Beijings harsh controls only prompted Tibetans to cry harder for autonomy, causing ever more severe crackdowns.

As the first Olympics approached in early 2008, and the world's attention turned toward China, the familiar cycles of protest and crackdown accelerated. That March, five months before the opening ceremony, police beat and arrested monks in Lhasa who were clamoring for religious freedom.

Tibetans turned violent, throwing rocks and setting fire to flags, cars and shops. They killed more than a dozen people, most of them civilians of the country's majority Han Chinese ethnicity.

State security opened fire. Activist groups reported over 100 deaths while authorities said they were only warning shots. Leaked internal government documents later revealed that at least 26 Tibetans had been killed.

As word of the bloodshed spread, demonstrations erupted across the Tibetan plateau. One day, they came to Drago county, which borders Garze on the plateaus eastern reaches in Sichuan.

Tsewang Dhondup was volunteering at a monastery when he and hundreds of others witnessed an officer beating a nun. When they rushed forward to confront the police, they were met with gunfire. A bullet went through Dhondups stomach.

These demonstrators werent the usual rabble-rousers  students and city dwellers with ties abroad. They were herders and farmers, working-class people who were supposed to be the bedrock of Communist Party support.

I took part because I felt the struggles my family and I were facing shouldnt be passed on to my children, Dhondup said from Canada, where he fled in 2012 after 14 months hiding from Chinese police.

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After the Olympics, Beijing launched a sweeping campaign to control the hearts and minds of Tibetans.

People in Tibet have been leading a happy life, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters ahead of these latest Olympics.

Many areas have been targeted for the government's signature anti-poverty campaign. Billions have been poured into airports, highways, schools and other construction in Tibet. Electricity and subsidized healthcare have come to vast swaths of the region.

Such efforts have helped win support from some young Tibetans, said one Tibetan from a poor, rural part of the plateau, who agreed to speak anonymously in order to be candid. Generational rifts are emerging, as memories of an independent Tibet recede into the past and young urban Tibetans adopt Han Chinese manners and attitudes.

At public schools, the curriculum cultivates a sense of belonging to the Chinese nation. On a state-chaperoned trip to Lhasa last year, foreign journalists were shown a boarding school for Tibetans, where many parents are required to send their children. The students, many of them far from home, studied in Mandarin; Tibetan was relegated to a single class. Hundreds of thousands now study at such schools  a sharp change from a decade ago, when most Tibetans studied largely in their own language.

With jobs and investment come stepped up security and surveillance.

Theres always a carrot and stick approach, said Robbie Barnett, a Tibet expert in London.

Phones and the internet, once used to organize protests, have become tools to monitor and control. Those who criticize the state or speak up about the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader-in-exile, find their movements restricted. Some are placed under house arrest or imprisoned.

Were unhappy, but we dont dare say anything, said the Tibetan who agreed to speak anonymously.

He recalled being interrogated, and a friend detained, over a banned book about Tibetan Buddhism that was sent on China's WeChat instant messaging app.

We still want to fight to preserve our language, for traditional culture," he said, "but everyone is scared. Nobody wants to die.

In 2011, up-and-coming Communist Party leader Chen Quanguo became the top government official in Tibet. He pioneered new forms of state control, dividing urban areas into grids for police surveillance, and building hundreds of 24-hour police stations and a few extrajudicial detention centers for rebellious monks and nuns.

Gradually, Chen's measures succeeded in pacifying the unrest. Five years later, he was transferred to neighboring Xinjiang where he deployed the same tactics on a vastly wider and more extreme scale, overseeing a draconian campaign of mass incarceration against the Uyghurs.

Kesang Lamdark, a Tibetan artist living in Switzerland and the son of a renowned monk from Garze, said the dream of a free Tibet crashes against the reality of the Chinese police state.

If you protest and protest, whats it going to bring? If they catch you, youll go to prison," he said. Theres nothing much you can do.

___

During these Olympics, the human rights focus has shifted to Xinjiang. Beijing has waged a ruthless crackdown on the Uyghurs, imprisoning an estimated million or more in prisons and detention camps. They government says they are for job-training; former inmates describe them as brutal indoctrination centers.

At times, though, Tibetan dissidents still smuggle out news of arrested monks or images of cultural destruction. Its a high-stakes endeavor, as the Chinese authorities mete out harsh sentences to those accused of leaking state secrets.

In Drago county, images from late last year of authorities demolishing a 30-meter (100-foot) tall Buddha statue and a monastery school were leaked to the Tibetan government-in-exile. The demolitions were first reported by Radio Free Asia, a U.S.-funded news agency, and confirmed by AP and others using satellite imagery.

Jampa of the Garze county foreign affairs office said he had not heard of the demolitions, and denied any restrictions on faith. Religious freedoms are protected by the Chinese constitution, he said, like in America.

It's true that the authorities have tolerated a degree of religious freedom  unlike in Xinjiang, where many mosques now stand virtually empty after thousands were imprisoned for praying and owning Qurans.

Tibetan Buddhism has long been fashionable among Han Chinese seeking spiritual solace, and monasteries are popular tourist destinations. But officials in temple management offices keep close tabs, watching out for troublemakers.

As the car driven by state officials carried the AP journalist through Drago on the way to Chengdu, Lunar New Year lanterns dangled over empty streets. Skynet surveillance cameras gazed down on closed shops and restaurants. Looming above Drago, on the side of a mountain, were huge Chinese characters: Thank the Party, Love the Motherland.

In a neighboring county, five soldiers in camouflage marched down a street. Village roads were manned by officials checking papers, and the drive passed at least a half-dozen police checkpoints.

Arriving in the Tibetan quarter of Chengdu, where tens of thousands of Tibetans live under the state's watchful gaze, officers with pikes and batons stand sentry while police lights flash red and blue. Checkpoints and cameras line the roads.

But residents seem to pay little heed. Monks amble the streets, thumbing prayer beads. The devout spin handheld prayer wheels. Han Chinese shopkeepers bargain with Tibetan customers over incense and images of Buddha.

Here, many young Tibetans are forging a new bicultural identity  one that celebrates their culture without challenging Beijing's rule. It's evident in a plaza where crowds gather each evening, dancing to Tibetan tunes infused with Buddhist mantras and set to a thumping beat.

I am a true Tibetan, and at the same time I am also a true Chinese, said Kunchok Dolma, 28, a Tibetan in Chengdu who is a devout Buddhist and also teaches modern dance in flawless Mandarin. There's no conflict between these things.

She is bothered that Tibetans can no longer obtain passports, by job postings that openly bar Tibetans from applying, and by restrictions on travel to Lhasa. But, given the regions troubled past, she largely accepts state policy as being for the greater good.

When we're treated differently, I do feel like its rather unfair, she said, but I understand why it is the way it is.

___

McNeil reported from Beijing. Associated Press videojournalist Emily Wang in Beijing contributed to this report
Aliyah Joy, an Abilene Christian University graduate, offered a praise dance at Tuesday's Claudie C. Royal Banquet at the Abilene Convention Center. At her left is a photo of Royal.

Even "In Times Like These," there can be celebration.

Tucked away Tuesday evening in a second-floor conference room at the Abilene Convention Center, about 90 people gathered for the 13th annual Claudie C. Royal Banquet.

While "community advocate" may be a safer term these word-weary days, Royal was a "community activist" back in the day. Those honoring him, including his proud family, don't dispute that. In fact, it remains a source of pride and a challenge to those today to not just be supportive but to act.

He was one, Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams said, who would "stand up and say something."

That is a message that, too, also been championed by Dr. Jerry Taylor, who heads the Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action at Abilene Christian University. He was awarded this year's Community Activist Award.

Earlier this month, Taylor, at a campus gathering, challenged students, faculty and others to act. He previously challenged the Christian church to not stand idly by, but to act in times of social upheaval.

More: Abilene Christian reflects on racial change in 1962, but started two years earlier

Do not be fearful of standing up for what is right, Taylor said, in accepting the award.

Now a 20-year resident of Abilene, Taylor said he remains challenged by Royal.

It is not his place to stand in an ivory tower, Taylor said, but on the streets of Abilene, with the people, and doing what is right.

Dr. Jerry Taylor, who heads the Carl Spain Center on Race Studies and Spiritual Action at ACU, was given the Claudie C. Royal Community Activist Award at Tuesday's banquet honoring the late Abilene leader.

While the audience as always was dotted with local Black ministers, it today also includes city leaders. Those speaking Tuesday, including former Abilene resident and retired Army colonel Karen Chambers, noted the change that has come to Abilene since Royal began decades of standing up in the 1970s.

As attendees enjoyed a meal provided at no charge, music from the 1970s was played. Al Green. Earth, Wind & Fire and others. The music of that day, when Royal's voice first was heard.

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Today, the voices heard in Abilene are those of Williams, the city's first Black mayor, and Marcus Dudley Jr., the city's first Black police chief. Also attending and handing out two youth awards was Will Ford, the first Black sergeant in the police department.

Dr. Kelvin Kelley, associate professor of Practical Theology and coordinator of Hardin-Simmons University's Student Diversity program, said these gains are based on the foundation of history that includes people such as Royal. They are the legacy of change.

There is no fruit, Kelley said, without the root.

The fruit was represented by two high school seniors, who were honored for their successes to this point and ambitions moving forward.

They were Anaka Tate of Frenship High, which is southwest of Lubbock, and Jeremiah Thomas of Cooper. Both were recognized and given plaques, loudly applauded by being leaders already of the next generation of change. Both are college bound.

In the audience, and later summoned to deliver a closing prayer, was the Rev. Andrew Penns, an activist in his own way. He was a founder of ICAN (Interested Citizens of Abilene North), which operates Curtis House, Abilene's Black history museum.

More: History is in the House: Penns leads effort to present, preserve Abilene's Black history

More: Discovering local Black history inspires Abilene doctor to paint Abilene doctor

The audience was encouraged to go by (630 Washington St.) during Black History Month to relive local history that offers many seldom-told stories of the Black Community.

Royal died Dec. 4, 2008. On his birthdate, Feb. 15, he is remembered with a banquet.

While he would be pleased with change in Abilene, he quickly would realize the journey is not complete.

Brianna Royals, a granddaughter, on Tuesday spoke about a recent visit to a local restaurant. At a nearby table, she said, a man was using the N-word. Not once but many times.

Brianna Royals speaks at Tuesday's 13th annual Claudie C. Royal Banquet, which honored the late grandfather.

The young woman bit her lip but finally said something. The man responded that she was infringing on his freedom of speech, not realizing she was Black because of her lighter skin tone. It didn't make a difference to him, she said, that she was Black and his words were offensive to her.

No one else stood up to confront the man until, finally, one person did. Management took note of the situation and asked the customer to leave. And not come back.

It took one person standing up, which, even slowly, began a reaction.

That was the message presented Tuesday night.

Stand up for truth and justice.

Claudie Royal did, and that did not often meet with approval.

But as history shows, he did the right thing.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Standing up for change like Claudie Royal did is the right thing
NEW YORK (AP)  In his Oscar-nominated performance in CODA, Troy Kotsur has one spoken line, but its a good one. Urging his daughter, played by Emilia Jones, to pursue her dreams of singing and attending college, he says aloud: Go!

For Kotsur, that one line meant lots of rehearsal plus the courage to, on a film set, speak dialogue he couldnt himself hear. But Kotsur had also done it before. Years before, as Stanley Kowalski in a Deaf West Theatre production of A Streetcar Named Desire, he exclaimed Stella! night after night.

Sometimes Ill ask hearing audience members what my voice sounds like, signs Kotsur. One person described it as feeling like being cozy and tucked in bed.

Kotsur, who does indeed radiate a rumpled warmth, is just the second actor who is deaf to be nominated for an Academy Award. And like that Go! the 53-year-old Kotsur hopes his achievement resonates with inspiration.

I hope that young people who happen to be deaf or hard of hearing can get an increased confidence and be inspired that they can pursue their dreams, Kotsur says. I want those kids to not feel limited.

The Apple TV+ release CODA, Sian Heders best-picture nominee, has elevated Kotsur to Hollywoods biggest stages while making history for the deaf community. Hes the first deaf actor ever nominated individually for a Screen Actors Guild award. The rush of accolades has been discombobulating. When he was nominated for a BAFTA, he celebrated so much he fell out of his chair. Accepting the Gotham award for best supporting performance, he told the crowd that he wasnt speechless but absolutely handless right now.

Its just overwhelming, Kotsur says of the acclaim. Its awesome. I feel like I can die happy, with a smile on my face.

The only one to ever go through something similar was Kotsurs CODA co-star Marlee Matlin. In CODA, they play the parents of a deaf Gloucester fishing family with a hearing daughter. Kotsur remembers watching Matlin become the first deaf actor to win an Oscar, in 1987 for Children of a Lesser God.

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I felt like I could have hope as a deaf actor, Kotsur remembered in an interview by Zoom from his home in Mesa, Arizona, through an interpreter. Of course, I didnt realize what a tough journey it would be going through show business.

Kotsurs long road to the Oscars began, he figures, in elementary school. With little TV programming accessible to him, Kotsur loved highly visual cartoons like Tom and Jerry and would animatedly retell them to his deaf classmates on the bus. His father, a police chief, would later fondly call Kotsur a risk taker for pursuing performing. He studied acting at Gallaudet University, and then toured with the National Theatre of the Deaf.

With few opportunities in television and film available for deaf actors, Kotsur found freedom on the stage. Beginning with Of Mice and Men in 1994, Kotsur has acted in some 20 productions at Deaf West, the nonprofit Los Angeles theater company founded in 1991. In one show, he met his wife, the actress Deanne Bray. He played Cyrano de Bergerac and starred in American Buffalo.

DJ Kurs, director of Deaf West, remembers first being utterly drawn in by Kotsurs magnetism in Streetcar. Many times since, hes seen Kotsurs immersive process close up.

Working with him in rehearsal is like being in the presence of a mad scientist, Kurs said by email. Hes always tinkering and fine-tuning, bringing in different elements of the character. This process doesnt end until the moment the curtain goes up on opening night.

On stage, Kotsur honed the full-body physicality of his acting. Its really important for me on stage to show emotion through sign language, says Kotsur. Sometimes, sign language can be more three-dimensional and meaningful than spoken dialogue.

Heder first saw Kotsur in a pair of Deaf West plays: At Home in the Zoo and Our Town.

And they were very different characters, she said. Hes so charismatic, especially on stage. Hes just got this amazing presence and hes so funny.

Kotsur had long been used to seeing one-dimensional and victimized deaf characters, but CODA presented something he had rarely seen. The Rossis of CODA may have to work a little harder but theyre a family like any other, with funny dinner-table conversation and casual bickering. Kotsurs Frank is also a little randy and a little profane. In one scene in which he instructs his daughter on safe sex, he mimes a soldier putting on a helmet.

Kotsur, long accustomed to hearing actors curse, delighted in Franks vulgarity; he proudly recalls the films back-and-forth with the MPAA after CODA nearly received an R-rating. But to Kotsur, Frank is like a real deaf person  a hard-working deaf person that just makes it through.

I want the audience to have a different perspective. I want them to get rid of their preconceived notions of what deaf people are like, says Kotsur. There are deaf doctors. There are deaf lawyers. There are deaf firemen. A lot of hearing people are oblivious to that.

Perhaps Kotsurs most moving scene is a moment shared in the bed of his truck with his daughter, Ruby. Unable to grasp Rubys singing talent, he listens to her sing by tenderly feeling the vibrations of her neck. The scene has deep echoes in Kotsurs own life; he and Brays 17-year-old daughter is also a CODA (child of deaf adults) who's drawn to music.

When my daughter is playing music, she doesnt know Im standing behind her. Ill walk up and Ill touch the body of the acoustic guitar and I can feel the vibrations of the guitar, says Kotsur. I can do the same with the piano. I can rest my arms on the grand piano and feel the vibrations when shes practicing.

I had to go to the music store and I was like, What the hell is the difference between an electric and acoustic guitar? So I decided to buy both and give that to my daughter, he adds. I really enjoy watching her be so motivated with music as her hobby. I cant take that passion away from her. I just need to encourage her.

The first time Kotsur read the script for CODA, he took it as a warning sign since he, like his character, isnt quite ready for his daughter to leave home yet. Its personal connections like these that have made Frank difficult for the actor to let go of.

It took me about half a year to disconnect from Frank, says Kotsur. My wife said, Troy, will you please shave that beard? I cant even kiss you.

To Kurs, Kotsur is nothing less than a trailblazer. Because of him and Matlin, he says, there will be more work for deaf actors.

Seeing the acclaim validates what weve known all along, that Troy is one of the greats, says Kurs. Weve been waiting for the world to recognize it for some time now and it is our hope that Troy will get all of the work and kudos that he is so deserving of, and that future deaf actors will not have to wait so long to be recognized on this level.

A now more neatly trimmed Kotsur has since gone on to appear in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian as a Tusken Raider, for which he developed his own sign language. Other parts await, as does an expected lecturing tour talking to deaf children and would-be actors. But for now, hes soaking it up as much as possible.

Im trying to enjoy every day and every moment, he says. Im not in a rush. Im not obsessed with winning. These days will be gone. Ill never live them again.

To summarize what it's all meant, Kotsur clutches his chin and compares himself to just one hair in a thick beard of talented deaf actors who haven't gotten the chance he did.

I feel so blessed to have been able to take this step forward. I think its time for Hollywood to be more open-minded, more creative and more diverse, says Kotsur. Everyone has their story to tell.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Wednesday they had begun an investigation into allegations contained in media reports that honours were offered to a Saudi national in return for donations to one of Prince Charles's charities.

The Sunday Times newspaper reported in September that a Saudi businessman had received an award after paying thousands of pounds towards projects strongly supported by Charles, with the assistance of the prince's aides.

In November, Michael Fawcett, right-hand man to Prince Charles for decades, stepped down from his role running the royal's charity The Prince's Foundation.

"The Special Enquiry Team has conducted the assessment process which has included contacting those believed to hold relevant information...The assessment determined an investigation will commence," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Charles said: "The Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities."

Police said officers had liaised with The Princes Foundation about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices and the foundation had provided a number of relevant documents.

There have been no arrests or interviews under caution, it added.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Michael Holden, editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS/KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine has asked the United Nations Security Council to discuss on Thursday a bid by Russia's parliament to recognize self-proclaimed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The 15-member council was already due to meet on Ukraine's crisis and discuss the Minsk agreements, which it endorsed in 2015, that are designed to end the separatist war. The meeting comes amid high tensions after Russia massed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, though Russia denies planning an attack.

In a letter to Security Council members seen by Reuters, Ukraine's Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said the move by the Russian parliament on Tuesday "further aggravated the threats to both Ukraine's territorial integrity and global security architecture following the ongoing military build-up by the Russian Federation in the vicinity of the borders with Ukraine."

Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions - collectively known as the Donbass - broke away from Ukrainian government control in 2014 and proclaimed themselves independent, sparking a conflict with the Ukrainian army.

Russia's lower house of parliament voted on Tuesday to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk as independent. Putin declined to be drawn out on how he plans to respond.

Kyslytsya said the decision undermines the Minsk agreements and asked the U.N. Security Council to consider the development during Thursday's meeting in New York.

The U.N. Security Council has met dozens of times to discuss the Ukraine crisis since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014. It cannot take any action because Russia is a veto-power along with France, Britain, China and the United States.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Matthias Williams; Editing by Chris Reese and Cynthia Osterman)
MAC LOGO Mid-American Conference logo

Ugliness was on full display in the University of Akrons game against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo Tuesday night.

Winning ugly has its virtues, but the Zips were neither pretty nor virtuous in a 61-57 overtime loss to the Broncos.

Playing on the road after a long drive and coming off a tough loss to rival Kent State, UA ran out of gas.

It was a case of someone had to win, even if neither Mid-American Conference team appeared as if it wanted it. Despite a 16-point, 18-rebound effort from forward Enrique Freeman, which also included five blocked shots, the Zips could not follow his lead.

UA (16-7, 9-5) outshot the Broncos 33% (19 of 58) to 32% (21 of 65) and shot 26% (7 of 27) from behind the 3-point line.

The difference came at the free-throw line, where UA shot 52% (12 of 23). Western Michigan (6-20, 2-13) wasn't a lot better, shooting 61% (11 of 17) but the 11 misses by the Zips were costly.

Broncos guard Lamar Norman Jr. led all scorers with 19 points.

Zips' free-throw shooting finally haunts them

Earlier this week UA coach John Groce made a point of saying there were things the Zips needed to clean up during the stretch run of the season  and free-throw shooting was one of them.

UA went into Tuesdays game ranked 11th in the conference in free-throw shooting percentage at 68%. They ended regulation against the Broncos at 10 of 19 for 53%.

We didnt cash in at the free-throw line, Groce said. That got us Friday night [against KSU], as well. Really, two back-to-back games, here. Two different games, but back-to-back games where we didnt take advantage of the opportunities we had at the free-throw line.

Groce said he knows the only way to fix that is practice and repetition.

The Zips started slowly

There comes a point when talking about the Zips that the word resilience becomes cliche. Before the Zips had time to blink, they were behind 15-5 at the 15:44 mark in the first half.

Give them credit for clawing back to take a 29-26 halftime lead. What was the difference? Given the redness of Groces face at one point, he laid down the law and watched as the Zips came back to seemingly take control of the game.

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Of course, that wasnt the case in the latter stages, but how different could the outcome have been had the Zips started with a sense of urgency?

I thought wed gotten better with that, Groce said about the slow start.

He, however, even noticed it to begin the game and went to his bench early.

My sixth sense told me  I didnt like our toughness," he said. "I didnt like our edge to start the game. I thought the guys that came off the bench gave us a little bit of a lift and got our defense back on track and, obviously, it was successful getting inside and getting to the free-throw line.

John Groce leans into big lineup

Its probably happened at some point during the season, although perhaps not to the extent seen Tuesday night against the Broncos, but center Aziz Bandaogo and forward Enrique Freeman spent a significant amount of time together on the floor in the first half.

Usually, Bandaogo spells Freeman. The freshman center came into the game averaging 13.7 minutes on the court, but by the end of the first half hed already played 10 and it appeared to pay dividends, giving the Broncos someone else to worry about in the low post.

But it was also more tangible in that. When both players were on the floor together for the last 7:12 of the half, UAs fortunes began to turn. At that point the Zips trailed 22-15.

Groce said he went to the lineup because UA was getting crushed on the boards, at one point losing half of the defensive rebound opportunities from approximately the 12-minute mark until making the move.

Enough was enough, he said. We had to put our best rebounding team on the floor. They missed the next eight shots and they didnt get a single one of them [rebounds]. We got all eight defensive rebounds.

It led to a 14-2 run to close out the half.

Reach George M. Thomas at gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com or on Twitter @ByGeorgeThomas.

Northern Illinois at Akron

Time: 7 p.m. Thursday

TV/Radio: ESPN3/WHLO (640-AM)

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zips lose in overtime to Western Michigan in MAC basketball
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee plans to demolish a century-old building that was once part of Columbia Hospital.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's plans to demolish a century-old building that was once part of Columbia Hospital could be hitting a roadblock.

Petitions seeking both temporary and permanent historic designation for the building, 3321 N. Maryland Ave., have been filed with the city Historic Preservation Commission.

If granted by city officials, historic designation would require UWM to obtain commission approval for any exterior work  including demolition.

Plans to raze the building, constructed in 1919, were first reported by the Journal Sentinel in January 2020.

University officials said then that redeveloping the building would be too costly. Demolishing the building would create green space and a potential future development site for the university.

UWM bought the former hospital complex in 2010 for $20.2 million. But it has lacked additional funding to redevelop most of the six-building complex, which includes much newer structures.

A photo, submitted recently to city preservation officials, indicates plans to demolish the older building are now proceeding.

The photo, taken Feb. 2, shows a sign posted at the building saying it is shut down for demolition, with "new green space coming soon."

Meanwhile, Milwaukee resident Catherine Miller filed the designation petitions, which include the photo.

Miller declined to talk about the petitions, other than to say she believes there's an imminent threat to the building.

Tim Askin and Carlen Hatala, the city's historic preservation planners, told the Journal Sentinel Wednesday they've not yet received answers to their inquiries sent to university and state officials.

Those demolition plans were moving forward but are being paused in light of the designation petitions being filed, said Michelle Johnson, UWM senior director of integrated marketing and communications.

Officials from UWM, UW System and state Department of Administration are reviewing the petitions, Johnson said.

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"Its not feasible to restore the building due to its deteriorated condition," she told the Journal Sentinel.

Temporary designation, which lasts up to 180 days, postpones demolition plans while the Historic Preservation Commission considers permanent designation.

Permanent designation also requires Common Council approval.

The petitions seeking designation for the former Columbia Hospital building say it is architecturally significant as an example of an institutional Georgian Revival design.

Other criteria cited for its designation include the building's association with such architectural firms as Schmidf, Garden & Martin and Eschweiler & Eschweiler; its exemplification of 19th century hospital design ideals, and its "association with prominent physicians and status as a research center at the forefront of medical sciences in Milwaukee."

UWM officials have said the demolition would cost $6 million. That compares to $3 million in work, plus another $232,000 annually, to keep the building intact for possible future use.

The cost of renovating the building could range from $100 million to $150 million, depending on whether it would be remodeled as classrooms and offices or research labs, university officials have said.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UWM's plans to demolish former Columbia Hospital could hit roadblock
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Joe Biden in Geneva, Switzerland. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

The US and NATO are rejecting Russia's claim that it's pulling troops back from Ukraine's border.

"There's a difference between what Russia says and what it does," Blinken said on Wednesday.

Russia has a long history of engaging in misdirection in military operations  particularly in Ukraine.

The US and NATO are throwing cold water on Russia's claim that it's pulling some troops back from Ukraine's border.

"Unfortunately there's a difference between what Russia says and what it does, and what we're seeing is no meaningful pullback," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday in an appearance on ABC News. "On the contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine, continuing to be at the border, to mass at the border."

Russian officials on Tuesday said they were pulling back some forces from the Ukrainian border and on Tuesday released video it said showed tanks and military equipment leaving Crimea.

But Blinken warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could still pull the "trigger" and invade Ukraine at any moment, as a force of more than 130,000 troops surrounds the country.

"He could pull it today, he could pull it tomorrow, he could pull it next week," Blinken said. "The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine."

Similarly, State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Wednesday told CNN that Washington's concern about the prospect of a Russian invasion "has not abated a single bit."

"We have continued to see Russian forces flow to the border, we've continued to see Russians along the border actually move into fighting positions...We know the Russian playbook. We know the Russians engage in misinformation and disinformation. We have good reason to believe the Russians are saying one thing and doing another in an effort to obfuscate, in an effort to hide the truth," Price said. "The threat is very real."

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday said that there were signs from Moscow it was ready to continue diplomatic efforts to prevent a broader conflict. But the NATO chief added that the alliance has "not seen any de-escalation on the ground."

"On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues the military build-up," Stoltenberg said. "We will continue to convey a very clear message to Russia that we are ready to sit down and discuss with them. But at the same time, we are prepared for the worst. And if Russia once again invades Ukraine, they will pay a high price."

Stoltenberg also warned that Russian aggression is now a "new normal" in Europe.

Russia has a history of employing misdirection in its military operations, especially when it comes to Ukraine. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and annexed Crimea, for example, it sent in masked soldiers in unmarked uniforms. At first, Moscow denied that the mysterious masked men were Russian forces. Putin later publicly admitted that these "little green men" were Russian military.

With tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine's border, Putin has made demands for binding security guarantees from the West. Among other things, Russia has demanded that Ukraine be permanently barred from joining NATO. The US and NATO have consistently said that this demand is a non-starter.

In a speech at the White House on Tuesday, President Joe Biden said the US had not yet verified Russia's claim that it was withdrawing some troops. Biden emphasized that the US would prioritize a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, while once again warning Russia that it would face severe economic consequences if it invades Ukraine. The president also underscored that the US would not bend to Russia's demands on Ukraine and NATO.

"We're proposing new arms control measures, new transparency measures, new strategic stability measures. These measures would apply to all parties  NATO and Russia alike," Biden said. "And we're willing to make practical, results-oriented steps that can advance our common security. We will not sacrifice basic principles, though."



"Nations have a right to sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added. "They have the freedom to set their own course and choose with whom they will associate."

Read the original article on Business Insider
OTTAWA, Ontario  Ottawa police trying to break the nearly three-week siege of the capital by truckers protesting Canadas COVID-19 restrictions began warning Wednesday drivers to leave immediately or risk arrest.

As tensions there rose, protesters at the last remaining truck blockade along the U.S. border  at Emerson, Manitoba  moved out, and authorities reopened the crossing into North Dakota, police said.

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In Ottawa, authorities in yellow police liaison vests went from rig to rig, knocking on the doors of the trucks parked outside Parliament, to serve notice to the truckers that they could also lose their licenses and see their vehicles seized under Canadas Emergencies Act.

Police also began ticketing vehicles.

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Some truckers ripped up the order, and one protester shouted, I will never go home! Some threw the warning into a toilet put out on the street. Protesters sat in their trucks and defiantly honked their horns in a chorus that echoed loudly downtown.

At least one trucker pulled away from Parliament Hill.

Surrounded by trucks, two protesters carry canoe paddles as flagpoles, Feb. 16, 2022, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/AP)

There was no immediate word from police on when or if they might move in to clear the hundreds trucks by force. But protest leaders braced for action on Wednesday.

If it means that I need to go to prison, if I need to be fined in order to allow freedom to be restored in this country  millions of people have given far more for their freedom, said David Paisley, who traveled to Ottawa with a friend who is a truck driver.

Marie Eye, of Victoriaville, Quebec, who has been making soup for the protesters, said the warnings were just a piece of paper and doubted police had the manpower to remove the rigs or the protesters.

The warnings came just days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the emergency law.

Since late January, protesters in trucks and other vehicles have jammed the streets of the capital and obstructed border crossings, decrying vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers and other COVID-19 precautions and condemning Trudeaus Liberal government.

The protests have drawn support from right-wing extremists and have been cheered on and received donations from conservatives in the U.S., triggering complaints in some quarters about America being a bad influence on Canada.

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As the crisis appeared to heat up in Ottawa, the premiers of two Canadian provinces and 16 U.S. governors sent a letter to Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden calling on them to end their nations requirements that truckers crossing the border be vaccinated.

The bumper-to-bumper demonstrations by the so-called Freedom Convoy have infuriated many Ottawa residents, who have complained of being harassed and intimidated on the clogged streets.

Police in Ottawa were optimistic they could gain control in the coming days after Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on Monday.

Over the past weeks, authorities have hesitated to move against the protesters around the country, citing in some cases a lack of manpower and fears of violence.

Trudeaus decision came amid growing frustration with government inaction. Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly lost his job this week after he failed to move decisively against the demonstrators.

As of Tuesday, Ottawa officials said 360 vehicles remained involved in the blockade in the citys core, down from a high of roughly 4,000.

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They dont want to give this up because this is their last stand, their last main hub, said Michael Kempa, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa.

Even after the warnings, a few protesters roasted a pig on the street in front of Parliament, and a child played with blocks in a small playground area on a road lined with trucks.

An Ottawa child welfare agency advised parents at the demonstration to arrange for someone to take care of their children in the event of a police crackdown. Some protesters had their youngsters with them.

Police in the capital appeared to be following the playbook that authorities used over the weekend to break the blockade at the economically vital Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit. Police there handed out leaflets informing protesters they risked arrest.

After many of those demonstrators left and the protest had dwindled, police moved in and made dozens of arrests. The blockade there had disrupted the flow of goods between the two countries and forced the auto industry on both sides to curtail production.

___

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Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Robert Bumsted in Ottawa contributed to this report.
Gunmen killed several mourners in heartless repeat attacks at funeral services for a former prison inmate in Juarez over the weekend.

The killings at a funeral were outrageous even in a city accustomed to drug cartel and gang bloodshed.

On Friday, shooters burst into a funeral vigil at a home and then returned Saturday to attack mourners gathered in a small church in the 16 de Septiembre neighborhood in the western part of the city, according to police and local news reports.

Six people were killed, including a 12-year-old boy, and several others were wounded, Channel 44-XHIJ reported. There had been no arrests.

The Mexican border city has tallied more than 100 homicides this year amid violence that only briefly slowed with the launch of a new military and police anti-crime operation last month.

Courts: 2 Barrio Azteca gang members convicted in 2010 murders of 3 linked to US Consulate

Last week, the bodies of four men who had been abducted were found dumped in two locations on Feb. 8.

The bodies of Jesus Alan A.H., 22, Miguel Angel G.A., 25, and Saul A.M., 32, were located in the Constitucion neighborhood and the body of Edgar Manuel C.B., 28, was found in the Plutarco Elias Calles area close to the mountains southwest of downtown, the Chihuahua attorney general's office said.

Migrant stash houses

Juarez police continue to find migrants from various countries at stash houses waiting to be smuggled into the United States.

On Monday night, police rescued 20 migrants found yelling for help after being left locked inside a home near the Zaragoza bridge, authorities said.

Borderland: El Paso Border Patrol finds 132 migrants inside trailer in 'dangerous smuggling' attempt

The migrants were from Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, the Mexican state of Chiapas, Turkey and England, police reported. The group was abandoned after paying smugglers to get them over the U.S. border.

A Juarez police officer interviews migrants found locked in a home on Monday night. The group of 20 migrants included people from Central America, Mexico, Turkey and England.

A day earlier, police responding to a call of gunshots rescued 15 men and three women from El Salvador, Guatemala and Chiapas who were being held against their will at a home near the airport, police stated. Two other men were arrested in possession of a rifle and a handgun while trying to leave the scene.

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'El Fantasma' busted in Chihuahua City

In regional developments, Mexican military special forces captured a reputed leader of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion during a Saturday morning raid at a home in Chihuahua City, the state attorney general's office said.

Rafael B.O., 32, known as "El Fantasma" (The Ghost), is allegedly a regional leader in Zacatecas for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, according to news accounts. His full name was not released by authorities due to rules in Mexico regarding the naming of crime suspects.

El Fantasma Rafael B.O., allegedly a Zacatecas regional leader for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is taken aboard a military aircraft following his capture on Saturday during a Mexican army special forces raid in Chihuahua City.

In a raid that took place at about 4 a.m., federal and military special forces arrested him in Chihuahua City. He was then taken on a military airplane to Zacatecas, the state attorney general's office said.

"El Fantasma" was arrested on aggravated kidnapping charges.

The newspaper El Universal reported that "El Fantasma" is suspected of being responsible for bodies hanging off an overpass in Zacatecas state in November and the kidnapping two brothers from Los Angeles held for ransom in December.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 915-546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.

El Fantasma Rafael B.O., allegedly a Zacatecas regional leader for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is taken aboard a military aircraft following his capture Saturday during a Mexican army special forces raid in Chihuahua City.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Gunmen kill mourners at Juarez funeral; 'El Fantasma' arrested
Virginia Giuffre did not sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of her settlement with Prince Andrew, paving the way for her to speak out about the alleged sexual abuse and bring more shame on the British royal family.

The Queens disgraced son reached a multi-million-pound settlement with his accuser on Tuesday in order to stop the civil case going to trial.

The settlement  which reports have estimated is in the region of 12m and the Queen is believed to be helping pay for  came just weeks before Prince Andrew was to be interviewed under oath for a deposition by Ms Giuffres high-powered attorneys.

The Duke of York had reportedly been under intense pressure from the Queen not to let the case proceed to court to save the family from embarrassment, particularly in the year of her Platinum Jubilee.

However, the embarrassment could be far from over, with Ms Giuffres lawyer David Boies confirming that she has not signed an NDA as part of the agreement.

The settlement amount is confidential, but theres no NDA, he told The Sun.

With no NDA, questions are now swirling around whether Ms Giuffre will reveal the details that would have emerged in the courtroom in a tell-all book or TV deal.

Sources familiar with the deal told The Times that Ms Giuffre is banned from speaking publicly about her allegations until after the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in May.

Ms Giuffre has long accused the duke of raping her when she was 17 years old on three separate occasions  once at Maxwells London home, once on a visit to Epsteins private island Little St James, and once at Epsteins Manhattan mansion.

She claimed that she was trafficked to the prince for sex by his former friends late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex abuser Ghislaine Maxwell.

Ms Giuffre claimed that she was 17 when she had sex with the prince and that he was aware she was underage at the time.

Prince Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations and has not been charged with any crime.

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The infamous photo of Prince Andrew with a teenage Virginia Giuffre inside Ghislaine Maxwells London townhouse, with Maxwell stood in the background (PA)

He claimed that he had no recollection of ever meeting Ms Giuffre  despite a now-infamous photo of him with his arm around the teenagers waist inside Maxwells London townhouse, with Maxwell stood in the background.

Ms Giuffre said the photo was taken back in March 2001, after she had been at the Tramp nightclub in central London with Andrew, Maxwell and Epstein before they returned to Maxwells home.

It was the first night of three that she claimed she was sexually abused by the prince.

The carefully worded statement confirming the settlement is not an admission of guilt from the duke but he accepted that Ms Giuffre is an established victim of abuse.

He also admitted that she had been subjected to unfair public attacks and said he commends the bravery of her and other survivors  after his legal team tried to discredit her for months.

Prince Andrew also said he regretted his association with Epstein who he acknowledged trafficked countless young girls over many years.

Prince Andrew admitted he regretted his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein (Getty Images)

He is set to pay damages to Ms Giuffre and a substantial donation to a charity in support of victims rights.

While the financial terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, several reports have put the figure at around 12m including a 2m donation to charity.

Pressure is mounting on Buckingham Palace to reveal who will be funding the settlement as it is unclear how the duke can afford to pay that amount and the royal family is largely funded by the British taxpayer.

The palace refused to comment on the settlement or on who would fund the payout on Tuesday.

We have never commented on the funding of the dukes legal matters and wont be now, a palace spokesperson told The Independent.

But The Daily Telegraph said the Queen was set to help her son pay the bill using money from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate, which is worth an estimated 23m.

In January, it emerged that the prince was trying to sell his Verbier ski chalet for in the region of 17m.

That same month, the Queen stripped her son of his military titles and insisted he would be fighting the civil suit as a private citizen.

If the UK people want to know where the money has come from they could get that from Andrew, Mr Boies told The Sun.

He said the settlement came after 72 hours of talks between the two parties, adding that his client was very, very pleased with the settlement.
Vladimir Putin welcomed Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president, for trade talks on Wednesday amid ongoing tension on the Ukrainian border.

While many of Russia's meetings with Western leaders in recent weeks have featured a massive 20ft table, the pair were pictured in discussion over a much smaller desk.

Mr Bolsonaro this week brushed off pressure from Washington and his own cabinet to cancel his trip to Europe, justifying the visit by saying it will be focused on trade, rather than politics.

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(AFP via Getty Images)

To the numerous challenges facing the US media in recent years, add a libel case against The New York Times  lost by Sarah Palin, but now seemingly headed to appeal and perhaps on to the highest court in the land.

On February 15, 2022, a jury rejected Palins claim. As it happened, its verdict was more or less moot. The presiding judge had already said he would dismiss the case on the grounds that the former Alaska governors legal team had failed to reach the bar for proving she had been defamed.

A Times editor admitted a mistake in suggesting in a 2017 opinion piece that there was a link between Palins rhetoric and a mass shooting. But under the so-called Sullivan standard  a rule in place for nearly 60 years that makes it difficult for public figures to successfully sue for defamation  neither the jury nor the judge considered the error significant enough for Palin to win her case.

But in reaching his decision in the Palin case, the federal judge suggested that it was likely not to be the end of the matter  indeed, an appeal is expected.

And that has defenders of a free press worried. Legal scholars note that recent opinions by Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch favor overturning the Sullivan standard  a move that would take away a key protection for the press against libel suits by vindictive public officials.

As a media historian, I can see the Palin case providing a vehicle to return libel laws back to a time when it was much easier for public figures to sue the press.

Before 1964s Sullivan standard, the libel landscape in the US consisted of a patchwork of state laws that made it easy for political figures to selectively persecute newspapers and public speakers who espoused opposing or unpopular views. For example in 1949, John Henry McCray, a Black editor from South Carolina, served two months on a chain gang after being charged with criminal libel for writing a story about a racially charged execution. White publications reporting the same story were not charged.

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Similarly, in a 1955 libel case, Dr Von Mizell, a Black surgeon and NAACP official, was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine for writing in opposition to a Florida state legislators idea of abolishing public schools instead of integrating them.

Then came the Sullivan case. It centered around several tiny mistakes in a civil rights advertisement carried by The New York Times. L B Sullivan, a public official not even named in the advertisement, sued for defamation, and the case went from Alabama to the US Supreme Court.

In setting the Sullivan standard in 1964, the Supreme Court said in effect that it ought to be difficult for any official at the federal or the state level to prove that a falsehood was libelous enough  and personally damaging enough  to surmount First Amendment protections. The court said a public official could not win a libel lawsuit by citing minor mistakes, technical inaccuracies or even outright negligence. Instead, under the Sullivan standard, a public official had to prove that there was actual malice, which means that a critic knowingly published something false or was in reckless disregard of the truth. The court insisted that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement, caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on public officials.

Originalists on the current Supreme Court  that is, those justices who believe that the Constitution should be interpreted as it was by those crafting the original document  seemingly disagree.

Justice Thomas, in a 2019 opinion, suggested the Sullivan ruling failed to take into account the Constitutions original meaning. He followed this up in a 2021 opinion that stated the requirement on public figures to establish actual malice bears no relation to the text, history, or structure of the Constitution.

Some legal scholars have argued that originalism doesnt cut much ice when it comes to First Amendment protections. After it passed in 1791, the First Amendment was open to so many state interpretations that there is no agreement on what the accepted interpretation of the day was.

Nonetheless, should Palin appeal against the latest ruling, it is likely that the case could reach a Supreme Court in which at least two justices seem primed to challenge the decades-old Sullivan rule. Should their views prevail in the highest court of the land, it could chill the freedom of the press for conservative and liberal news organizations alike.

Bill Kovarik is a Professor of Communication at Radford University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Voila, a startup building infrastructure for social commerce, is bringing concepts from China's e-commerce market to the U.S. The company offers an alternative to the "link in bio" solutions used today by creators, like Linktree and Beacons, which direct followers to creators' social profiles, personal websites and other recommendations. Instead of a link list or landing page, Voila creates AI-powered customizable, shoppable storefronts by automatically detecting items in the creators' online content, then generating shoppable links.

With now over 10,000 creators signed up for the service, Voila is today announcing the close of its $6 million Series A led by Sinovation Ventures and joined by Fosun Rz Capital. To date, Voila has raised $7.5 million, including from investors SOSV and Artesian.

Voila founder Ke Shang first moved from China to the U.S. to attend college. He later joined a machine learning team at Google, thanks to his mathematics background. But Shang was always interested in how U.S. e-commerce could be improved with technology.

For instance, Shang shares how he was once inspired by a joke on the TV show "The Big Bang Theory" to build a tech-enabled shopping tool. On the show, the character Penny asked the oddball genius, Sheldon, to create something that would allow her to take a photo of a shoe she liked in order to instantly find out where to buy it.

"Sheldon thought it was stupid," says Shang. "But I thought this is a great idea -- I could just scan through any content and find out all the shopping options right away. And if you could tell me the best deal it would be even better."

He ended up experimenting with the idea by building out a big database of shoes by crawling online shoestores like Zappos, DSW and others, then used deep learning to train a model that would allow users to find similar pairs of shoes to those in their photo. The project wasn't really commercially viable, but led Shang toward the creation of Voila.

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Today, the founder explains, online creators act as the connector between the product and the consumers. But often, their followers who want to buy the item in question have to leave the social media app and go to Google to search for the product. And if the product has gone viral, you may find it's already out of stock by the time you come across the photo or video that prompted you to buy in the first place.

Image Credits: Voila

Voila offers an improved solution. While it will allow creators to enter the exact URLs for the products featured on their social media accounts, its secret sauce is how it can build out an extended list of recommendations automatically. To work, creators connect their Instagram or TikTok accounts to Voila, which then scans through their content to detect items and generate affiliate links. As part of this process, it uses machine learning to try to also analyze the scene in order to suggest other relevant items that can be added.

That is, in addition to the specific product the influencer suggested, Voila can generate a list of similar products at different price points and generate affiliate links to those items as well.

Image Credits: Voila

"We like certain influencers' or celebrities' lifestyles, but we can't afford those styles," Shang explains. "That shouldn't stop our pursuit," he notes. "You have options. It's just a way to make sure that everyone finds the right thing and increases the creators' content-inspired sales."

Plus, if an item is sold out at one retailer, Voila can find it at another.

It can also suggest items to accompany the purchase that aren't in the photo or video. For example, if the influencer was wearing a nice pair of sunglasses on a hot, sunny day, Voila might suggest a hydrating face mask alongside the sunglasses.

Image Credits: Voila

To train its model, Voila crawled around 50 million fashion and style photos and learned north of 300 different attributes that relate to apparel items.

The products are showcased on online storefronts that creators can customize with their own text, colors and links. On the back end, it offers creators analytics detailing their shop's engagement, audience demographics and more.

Image Credits: Voila

Since launching in late 2019, Voila has signed up over 10,000 creators to its service. More than 70% are based in North America, with around 20% in Europe and the rest hailing from parts of Asia. Unlike some "link in bio" solutions, Voila's service is free to the creators -- there's no freemium tier with a push to upgrade to a premium subscription.

Instead, Voila works with affiliate marketing programs Rakuten and CJ to create the creators' links that can be matched to a database of roughly 3 million products. Its revenue comes from taking a percentage of sales its platform generates. Voila won't disclose how much it's making, citing the early-stage nature of its business and the competitive landscape.

Image Credits: Voila

Shang ended up fundraising for Voila after getting stuck in China after flying home to visit family just before COVID hit.

"I was stuck there for two years," he says. "But while I was in China, I didn't waste any time. I got the team built. I was also able to raise two rounds -- one pre-Series A round from a small investor and a Series A round from the current investors."

Today, Voila has a 40-person team, which includes former Alibaba, ByteDance and Rent the Runway employees across both the U.S. and China. The company is now in search of a CMO.

Shang, who's currently on the East Coast, is preparing to move out to California to be in a better time zone for communicating with staff in China.

"I haven't been able to sleep before 3 AM every day. I can't do that anymore," he notes.

With the additional funds, Voila plans to grow its user base and spend more of its resources on its database.

"That's really the most difficult task, and I think that's the key to our success," Shang says.
When the history books tell the story of Black music and name the greatest boy groups of all times, they will say the Temptations, The Jackson 5, and New Edition.

Ronnie Devoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant and Johnnie Gill, the members of the iconic 80s R&B group, are about to set out on a 30-city The Culture Tour with Charlie Wilson and Jodeci  the first in years.

LOS ANGELES, CA  JUNE 25: (L-R) Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, and Ronnie DeVoe of New Edition arrive at the 2017 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/WireImage)

During their promotion for the show, the guys appeared on the Tamron Hall Show and got emotional about their 44-year history as artists. After talking about the challenges of growing up in public housing, signing bad recording contracts that left them almost destitute and addiction, as documented also in their BET mini-series, they shared that the odds were all against them and they were not supposed to make it.

In one clip posted online, Ronnie shares, Were a reflection, when you look at our faces, of the projects and the places that we come from.

We were not supposed to make it out, he emphatically states. So, when you look at us and you see our faces, people out there that are in those situations know that you can make it out at the end of the day.

As Ronnies voice cracks, the other members are visibly moved in different ways.

Michael Bivins, the man responsible for the multi-platinum selling group Boyz II Men (a group that took their names from a NE song), added, As you can tell we are an emotional group and when we see each other there are subliminal conversations.

He motions to Johnny Gill and then to Ralph Tresvant and communicates that both are going through personal trials in their lives.

What makes it better is when you can sit down with anyone of your brothers and tell him how you feel and he gives you the greatest words of advice, Biv states.

Fans and friends love New Edition and are excited to see them back together after a rocky few years.

I SCREAMED



and I



watching my Brothers @NewEdition on @tamronhall #NewEdition

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#Love #Greatness #Truth for the #Culture #BlackHistory, Sandi McCree says.

A great show today w New Edition #TamronHallShow another fan stated.

Some who missed parts of the broadcast because the president had a news conference, begged the networks to show a repeat of the episode.

@wsbtv may you please re-air the @TamronHallShow with @NewEdition The show was interrupted because of a conference with @JoeBiden

@wsbtv may you please re-air the @TamronHallShow with @NewEdition

The show was interrupted because of a conference with @JoeBiden  Crystal King (@CrystalKing_Atl) February 15, 2022

The Culture Tour starts on Feb. 16 in Columbus, Georgia, and ends in Miami on April 10. The tour will also stop in heavy-hitting markets like Los Angeles, New York and Boston, the groups hometown. Tickets are sold on most platforms, but fans can check out the groups website to find details on each show.

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The Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority will partner with Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Rev. Derrick Scobey to host a job fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the church, 3600 N Kelley.

The Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority operates the Oklahoma County Detention Center and the organization is seeking to hire detention officers, clerical workers and pod monitors. Starting pay for a detention officer is $3,091/month, with raises after 90 days, and one year.

The Oklahoma County jail in Oklahoma City is shown in this photo.

Leaders with the criminal justice authority said applicants should arrive prepared to be interviewed. They said offers of employment may be made on the spot, pending a drug screen and background investigation.

William Monday, chief operating officer of the Oklahoma County Detention Center, said he was grateful and excited about partnering with Scobey and Ebenezer Baptist.

We are a service provider, and we are looking for employees who want to be part of a team dedicated to the safety and security of our community," Monday said in a news release.

"We do so much more than hold detainees. We provide for their needs with mail staff, medical security, dispatch, maintenance, and many other exciting positions which we are looking to fill."

Derrick Scobey

Scobey said Thursday's event isn't the first job fair his church has hosted in the last several months.

The minister said Ebenezer hosted two hiring events for the Homeland that opened in northeast Oklahoma City in 2021 and both were successful for the community as well as the grocery store.

"The jail is not going to close nor do we want the jail to close," he said.

"There are certainly detainees who are sitting there and they are innocent  they truly are innocent. And then there are many people that are there who are guilty of crimes like rape, armed robbery, murder, and we certainly do not want those people walking the streets of Oklahoma County. So, we have to have a jail unfortunately because that's the world we live in."

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Scobey said he'd like to see detention center employees who are respectful of their duties across the board  to the county, the community and to the detainees.

He said he interviewed several detention center employees about their jobs. He said the video of the interviews was posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday to give people a few first-hand perspectives of working at the jail.

Scobey said his church can't provide the county with a new state-of-the-art detention center, but they can host the job fair which will hopefully help the jail hire quality staff members and nurture a "virtuous culture" within the detention center.

"I think it's a win for the Oklahoma County Detention Center, I think it's a win for the community. I think it's a win for the detainees," he said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ebenezer Baptist Church is hosting a job fair Thursday for Oklahoma County Detention Center
Wisconsinites are heading to the polls Feb. 15 for the spring primary. On the ballot are a slew of local races ranging from Milwaukee mayor to school boards to city council and county board supervisor seats across the state. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. as we wait for the candidate fields to whittle down before the April general election.

Follow along here for live coverage all day.

More: Milwaukee area February primary election results

More: 2022 spring primary election in Wisconsin is Feb. 15. What you should know about how to register to vote, Milwaukee's mayor race and more.

Milwaukee County Board candidate who claimed Glendale might become 'African shanytown' loses bid

First-time candidate Peter Tase, who garnered national attention for claiming Glendale might become an "African shantytown," lost in his bid for a seat on the Milwaukee County Board.

Liz Sumner, the incumbent, finished first in the race for the District 1 seat with 82% of the vote, and Karen Gentile was second with 12%.

Tase got 354 votes for 7% of the total. Absentee votes are still outstanding.

Tase ended his campaign after the Journal Sentinel reported that Tase, a Walgreen's assistant manager, told a group of supporters in a videotaped speech that he feared the homeless problem in Glendale could turn it into an "African shantytown."

But Tase dropped out of the race too late to have his name removed from the ballot. He would have advanced to the general election in April had he finished among the top two vote-getters.

- Dan Bice

Former state representative accused of sexual harassment is first for Milwaukee County Board seat

Former state Rep. Josh Zepnick, who lost his seat in 2018 after being accused of sexual harassment, is running first in a four-way primary for a seat on the Milwaukee County Board.

With 100% of the precincts counted, Zepnick had 37% of the vote in the contest for District 12.

Running second was Juan Miguel Martinez, who had 32% of the vote. Absentee ballots were still outstanding.

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Zepnick served eight terms in the state Legislature before losing in 2018. The loss came less than a year after he was accused of kissing female colleagues against their will in separate incidents in 2011 and 2015.

- Dan Bice

Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas will not run for re-election

Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas is not going to run for re-election this fall, according to his campaign manager, Brandon Savage.

Lucas, a former Milwaukee police officer and official with Major League Baseball, was elected in 2018, defeating Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt in the Democratic primary that year.

He announced last year that he was going to run to complete the term for former Mayor Tom Barrett, who stepped down in December. But on Tuesday, Lucas was running a disappointing fifth out of seven candidates.

- Dan Bice

Cavalier Johnson and Bob Donovan advance in Milwaukee mayoral election, though Marina Dimitrijevic allies holding out hope

It's official: Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson has finished first in the Milwaukee mayoral primary, while former Ald. Bob Donovan is claiming that he has finished second, setting up a general election of sharp ideological and political differences.

Meanwhile, allies of Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic are still holding out slim hopes of catching Donovan for second. But it would take a huge number of absentee ballots to pull that off.

Dimitrijevic would have to beat Donovan by at least 20 percentage points in absentee ballots.

- Dan Bice

Milwaukee mayoral election elections: Cavalier Johnson, Bob Donovan are top two

Milwaukee Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson cruised to victory in Tuesday's mayoral primary election, and former south side Ald. Bob Donovan was claiming a second place finish that would set up a face-off between the two in the April 5 general election.

The city, though, still has not reported the results from 23,867 absentee ballots that had been returned.

If the pair maintain their spots in the race once all the votes are counted, they will present a choice between a millennial Democrat who has risen quickly through the ranks at City Hall since first being elected in 2016 and a conservative who spent 20 years as an alderman, unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2016 and decided not to seek another term in 2020.

 Alison Dirr

Neenah mayoral election results: Lang, Borchardt advance

Neenah mayoral candidates Jane Lang and Brian Borchardt easily advanced through Tuesday's primary election and will compete in the April 5 general election.

Lang received 1,749 votes (49.3% of the total) in the nonpartisan race, and Borchardt received 1,405 votes (39.6%), according to unofficial results.

Newcomer Kelly Behrmann finished third with 396 votes (11.2%) and was eliminated from contention.

- Duke Behnke

Marshfield's mayoral election race set after spring primary

Bob McManus and Lois TeStrake will square off to be Marshfields next mayor.

They were the top two votegetters in the three-person mayoral primary on Tuesday.

McManus received 41.1% of the vote, while TeStrake had 40.6%.

Ken Bargender finished third with 18.4%.

Votes should be tallied at Milwaukee's Central Count at 10 p.m.

There was a light din of conversation and the whir of a voting machine at Milwaukees central count Tuesday evening, where absentee ballots were being tallied.

About 45 people, not including media, were present at the city Election Commissions warehouse on south Kinnickinnic Avenue. One woman knitted. Many scrolled on their phones.

Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said earlier in the day that she hoped the tallying at central count would be finished by 10 p.m.

 Alison Dirr

Light voter turnout in primary election at Waukesha City Hall

At Waukesha City Hall, it was the first primary election since the opening of the building one year ago, and the first since local redistricting went into effect. Amid all the newness, voter turnout among the roughly 2,900 registered voters there was light through 5 p.m., when exactly 300 residents had cast their ballot.

There is no way to make a comparison to past elections, said Josh Pham, an election official who was planning to work the full day, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., at City Hall. He acknowledged he was curious to see whether the Waukesha School Board race would draw people in based on public debate he has heard.

Gina Kozlik, the citys clerk and chief election official, said one other traditionally busy polling site in the city had drawn about 425 voters by 5 p.m. Thats better, but still not great in terms of voter turnout, she said.

 Jim Riccioli

Only 20% of registered voters cast a ballot in Neenah mayoral primary

The voter turnout in the city of Neenah, which has a mayoral primary, was relatively low, as is common with February elections.

City Clerk Char Nagel estimated that 20% of registered voters would cast a ballot. Nearly 1,000 absentee ballots had been received by the start of the day.

"It's not like a presidential election," Nagel said. "Even the April election is much bigger than today."

 Duke Behnke

Turnout low at Riverwest Elementary School after aldermanic boundaries change

Typically Riverwest Elementary School in ward 134 is one of the busier polling places in Milwaukee with some of the highest turnouts. But after new aldermanic lines were drawn and the results of the latest census caused things to change, the turnout has been lower than expected.

Philip Taterczynski, chief inspector, said the ward used to cover 26 blocks, now its just 12. Living just a block away, he used to vote at Riverwest Elementary School, now his polling place has changed.

It hit me too, said Taterczynski, adding the ward was reduced by roughly 400 registered voters.

Taterczynski thought he would be spending the day dealing with angry voters who didnt realize they were in the wrong polling place, but as of early afternoon, the voters have been very philosophical and didnt have a problem going to another location.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission sent out postcards to registered voters to inform them of their polling place, but Taterczynski said many voters stated they did not get the postcard.

Despite in-person voting going slow, Taterczynski said the area residents have always been engaged in the local elections and anticipates more voters in the spring.

This is a very politically aware neighborhood, Taterczynski said. A lot (of voters here) have spent their youth as political activists.

 Ricardo Torres

Voters take interest in Greendale School Board primary election

Voters enter the Greendale High School Upper Gym for the Greendale School Board primary election on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.

A slow but steady flow of voters made their way to Greendale High School Tuesday for the Greendale School Board primary election, where six candidates are vying for two available seats.

Cora Hansen said she came to the polls because she thinks it's important that teachers don't get lost in the shuffle.

"I think a lot of times it's more of what is going on with the kids, but I think it's important to realize what's important for the teachers, too," she said.

Bill and Paula Irish, who've lived in Greendale for 45 years, said they voted to make sure their two candidates of choice got elected, although they declined to name the two.

Paula Irish said they'd like to see a return to more of an emphasis on academic achievement rather than social issues.

In addition, although their three kids all went to college, Irish said she'd like to see technical education be more of a priority in Greendale schools.

"Greendale has a heavy emphasis on four-year school continuing, which I understand, because ours all did, too, but I also see the need for the basics," Irish said.

 Bob Dohr

Poll worker says primary election turnout 'better than expected'

At Convent Hill apartments, 455 East Ogden Ave., poll workers saw a steady stream of voters from the morning into the early afternoon.

Annette Holder, working at the voter registration table, said the turnout has been better than expected.

Because there are mostly seniors that live in this building, they mostly vote absentee, Holder said.

Shannon Romero, chief inspector at the Convent Hill polling place,

A lot of people are voting early as the new custom, Romero said adding during the 2020 election, voters may have gotten comfortable with a ballot being mailed to their residence for them to fill out and drop off early.

Jim Harris voted at Convent Hill with his wife Carrie, and said it was time for a change after former Mayor Tom Barrett left his post to become the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.

Tom Barret wasnt bad... he was a nice guy but hes made to be a diplomat for Luxembourg, Jim Harris said. We need someone with balls to run this city. (Barrett) was such a nice guy, but too nice... we need someone whos going to kick some ass to become the head of a big city.

Harris said he voted for Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas to get a police guy in there but does not have a lot of faith that Lucas will be one of the in the top two vote getters to advance to the general election in the spring.

We need someone whos tougher, Jim Harris said. We cant have nice guy mayors in big cities.

Married couple Darlene and John Kadlac, who voted at Convent Hill, said it was important make their voices heard during the primary election after former Mayor Tom Barrett was in office for so long.

We are starting over after a long reign, and I thought it was important for us to see the candidates out there and to help narrow it down for April, Darlene Kadlac said adding crime and public safety were her top issues that need to be addressed. Its important for us to feel like we dont have such disparity... I think we need to have more safety.

Both of them voted for former Milwaukee Ald. Bob Donovan.

I think hes more moderate to conservative, John Kadlac said. I think hed get a little more buy in from the community.

Both John and Darlene said they want their tax dollars to be used more wisely and not on project like The Hop.

Id rather see the city work on the roads than The Hop, Darlene Kadlac said. We live right across the street from The Hop so we understand how little its used and how many dollars and priority is put into it.

 Ricardo Torres

Weather forecasts good as voters head to the polls

The weather for primary election day across Wisconsin on Tuesday calls for mostly cloudy skies and breezy conditions with high temperatures ranging from the mid-20s north to high-30s south.

In other words, there wont be any widespread bad weather that would keep voters away from the polls.

Election day should be pretty quiet, weather-wise, said Rebecca Hansen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan.

There could be a few snow showers along Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin, but nothing out of the ordinary for Wisconsin this time of year.

In some of the northern reaches of the state the wind chill could be a factor, but it wont be too cold to venture out to a polling place.

Youll need a coat, if you are going out to vote, but Its not going to be too cold compared with what weve seen so far this winter, Hansen said.

Heres a look at some of the high temperatures forecast for Tuesday for cities across Wisconsin:

Milwaukee: Cloudy, breezy, high 36 degrees.

Rhinelander: Cloudy, snow showers possible, high 23.

Wausau: Cloudy, high 25.

Stevens Point: Cloudy, breezy, high 29

Appleton: Cloudy, breezy, high 30.

Green Bay: Chance of flurries, breezy, high 30.

Eau Claire: Cloudy, breezy, high 31.

La Crosse: Cloudy, breezy, high 33.

Sheboygan: Cloudy, breezy, high 35.

Madison: Cloudy, breezy, high 37.

Janesville: Partly sunny, breezy, high 38.

 Joe Taschler

A Twitter List by journalsentinel

Contact Lainey Seyler at (414) 224-2863 or lainey.seyler@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @lainey_seyler.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin primary updates: Milwaukee mayoral election results
The Rev. Andres Arango was leading a baptism at St. Gregory Catholic Church in Phoenix last year when some people in the pews heard a slight variation in the religious ritual.

We baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Arango said, his voice echoing in the church as he poured the holy water.

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But there was a problem.

Saying we baptize was incorrect. The Vatican instructs priests to say I baptize, and if it is not said that way the baptism is deemed invalid.

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Church leaders investigated and determined last month that Arango had incorrectly performed thousands of baptisms over more than 20 years, meaning those he had baptized in Phoenix and at his previous parishes in Brazil and San Diego were not properly baptized.

The oversight has caused headaches for those now seeking answers about whether their faulty baptisms have spilled over into other elements of their Catholic faith. For instance, would it affect those who were married by the church?

Maybe! Unfortunately, there is no single clear answer, the Diocese of Phoenix answered online.

Arango, who did not respond to calls on Sunday seeking an interview, apologized in a statement and said he was resigning as pastor of the parish, effective Feb. 1.

It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula, he said. I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere.

Thomas J. Olmsted, the bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, said in a statement that he did not believe Arango had any intentions to harm the faithful or deprive them of the grace of baptism and the sacraments.

The Catholic News Agency reported on the botched baptisms this month.

In the Catholic faith, a baptism is a sacrament in which people, often infants, have water poured over their foreheads, symbolizing purification and admission to the Church. It is a requirement for salvation, according to the diocese.

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Adhering to the baptismal formula is extremely important to continue the tradition of the Church, said Neomi De Anda, a professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton in Ohio.

It is not meant to be legalistic but about communion, she added.

Indeed, the Diocese of Phoenix addressed the specific rules by creating an FAQ section on its website about the case of Arango.

Just as a priest should not use milk instead of wine during the Consecration of the Eucharist  when the Catholic faith says that the wine becomes the blood of Christ  a priest should also not alter the wording of the sacrament of baptism, the diocese said.

The milk would not become the blood of Christ, the diocese said, and, similarly, a wrongly worded baptism would not purify a person.

Sandra Yocum, a professor of faith and culture at the University of Dayton, said that if a priest said we, it would imply that the source of the grace of the baptism came from the community, whereas saying I would correctly assert that its God doing this work of grace through the priest.

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In baptism, part of what makes it valid is the words that are used, and so that becomes significant, Yocum said. Church officials might have been worried about setting a precedent if they suggested these words are not that important, she added.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a Vatican office that interprets doctrine and handles cases of misconduct, replied firmly when asked in 2020 if it was acceptable to use we.

Negative, it said.

That notice from the Vatican made some other priests wonder if they had been incorrectly baptized.

In 2020, the Rev. Matthew Hood of the Archdiocese of Detroit saw a video of his own childhood baptism and realized that the deacon had said we. Hood, as well as others who were baptized by that deacon from 1986 to 1999, had to then be properly baptized.

In Oklahoma City, the Rev. Zachary Boazman also saw a video of his childhood baptism and realized in September 2020 that the same thing had happened to him, too.

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Its very hard to gauge how often this happens, Yocum said.

Arango remains a priest in good standing and is still living and serving in the Diocese of Phoenix, said Katie Burke, a spokeswoman for the diocese.

His voluntary resignation allows him to dedicate his full-time ministry to helping and healing the families who were affected by this error, Burke said.

Some members of St. Gregory Catholic Church, however, had wanted him to remain their priest, and a petition was circulated to keep Arango as the churchs pastor.

Rather than giving Father Andres the opportunity to stay at St. Gregory and rectify the situation, the petition said, he is being removed from a community that loves and cares for him.

A video shows dozens of people attending a farewell celebration for Arango in January.

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In his letter to parishioners, he wrote, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience my actions have caused and genuinely ask for your prayers, forgiveness and understanding.

c.2021 The New York Times Company
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - An anti-vaccine mandate protest outside New Zealand's parliament swelled in numbers on Wednesday, with hundreds of people ignoring a warning from police that their vehicles would be towed away if they did not leave voluntarily.

Inspired by truckers' demonstrations in Canada, protesters have blocked several roads around Wellington's 'Beehive' parliament for nine days with trucks, vans and motorcycles, and camped out on the lawns in front of the distinctive building.

"There has been an influx of protesters at Parliament today, including children. However, the crowd had been orderly," Assistant Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told reporters, estimating there were about 450 vehicles blocking the site.

"This is a very complex situation and we are mindful of the tactics we need to take so that the situation is not escalated," Chambers added.

Police gave protesters an ultimatum on Tuesday to move out or officials would start towing and seizing vehicles.

Chambers said on Wednesday police had made some progress in engaging with protest leaders and about a dozen vehicles had left voluntarily.

The protest started as a stand against COVID-19 vaccine mandates but those demonstrators have been joined by groups calling for an end to pandemic restrictions as well some drawing attention to other social issues like censorship and rights of the ethnic Maori community. At the peak of the protest, thousands of demonstrators were estimated to be involved.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has referred to the demonstrations as an "imported" phenomenon and rejected calls to remove all restrictions at a time New Zealand is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.

New daily cases are at a pandemic peak, with more than 1,100 reported on Wednesday after some restrictions were eased this month.

A country of five million people, New Zealand has some of the lowest COVID-19 case numbers in the world, largely due to tough coronavirus border curbs and social restrictions. It has reported a total of around 22,300 infections, including 53 deaths.

The country's borders are still closed, with tens of thousands of expatriate New Zealanders cut off from families.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; editing by Jane Wardell)
The Lynchburg City School Board voted 7-1 on Tuesday to make masks optional for students effective March 1, falling in line with recent legislation coming out of the General Assembly.

The decision comes in the wake of Senate Bill 739, which passed 52-48 in the Virginia House of Delegates on Monday. The bill passed in the Senate last week 21-17.

The bill gives the option to parents whether to make their children wear masks or not, but technically wouldn't have gone into effect until July 1. Gov. Glenn Youngkin added an emergency clause to the bill making it effective March 1 instead.

Youngkin said the March 1 date will give schools the time they need to prepare for the change.

The decision comes just more than three weeks after the board voted to keep its current mask policy, which required them for all students. At the time, according to Superintendent Crystal Edwards, LCS had 46 cases of COVID-19 in the school system.

Edwards said the schools currently are reporting single-digit case numbers, which she said was one of the main reasons to make the change.

School board member Dr. Bob Brennan, who made the motion to make masks optional, said, "We all know there's a lot of controversy about mask use and the data is not all that great. So I think the idea of making that optional is a good idea."

"We have always said that our approach to this is going to keep our children and our staff safe, and that's what we plan to continue to do in the future," Brennan added.

School board member Atul Gupta was the only member who voted against the proposal, saying he wanted to see the policy change effective immediately.

"It doesn't make sense to go for another two weeks," Gupta said. "There's no point in putting mandates. I've said all along, in these discussions, if somebody wants to wear it, let them wear it. If somebody doesn't want to wear it, let them be off the hook."

Edwards noted that mask guidelines for teachers could change soon, but for the time being they will "stay put" with their current guidelines, meaning they will still be required during school.

On buses, students still will be required to wear masks, as federal legislation requires it.

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Can it be? Two years into our politically polarized fight to end the pandemic, COVID-19 fatigue seems to be rising faster these days than the pandemic itself.

No, I havent joined the anti-vaxxers or the anti-mandate protesters who block commerce with truck convoys to push back against vaccine mandates.

But, even after willingly masking up, getting my shots and a booster and keeping a sensibly social distance whenever possible, I find myself asking increasingly when its all going to end  and I know Im not alone.

Im done, exasperated journalist and author Bari Weiss famously said on Real Time with Bill Maher in what has become sort of a national battle cry in late January. Im done with COVID.

We are too, comes the popular response, even from experts in the ever-cautious public health community. But its not done with us.

Indeed, it is not. Too many COVID-19-infected victims are still getting sick and dying.

But almost all of the fatalities have been among the unvaccinated, despite efforts of diligent outreach workers and, for my family and friends, annoying nags like me to promote the vaccine.

At what point, I ask, are we as protected as we probably are ever going to get?

Offering signs of light at the end of our dreary and seemingly endless pandemic tunnel, governors in Illinois, New York and Rhode Island last Wednesday became the latest in Democratic-led states to announce a limited relaxation of their statewide mask requirements.

Those announcements closely followed similar loosening of restrictions by governors in California, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon that they also would be easing some of their masking requirements in the coming weeks, with some exceptions.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, for example, plans to lift his indoor mask mandate for most public places on Feb. 28, although masking rules for schools will stay in place as the state fights a recent court ruling that questioned the governors legal authority to issue the mandate.

Still, the policy changes mark a turning point for Democratic governors, putting them ahead of the Biden administrations cautions and those of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, despite calls from some experts who urge Americans to learn to live with the coronavirus, even as science continues to fight it, in a new normal.

In one of three articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association by six of President Joe Bidens former health advisers, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Michael Osterholm and Dr. Celine Gounder wrote:

Without a strategic plan for the new normal, with endemic COVID-19, more people in the U.S. will unnecessarily experience morbidity and mortality, health inequities will widen and trillions will be lost from the U.S. economy.

Besides calling for vaccine mandates and better access to cheap and rapid testing, among other ideas, the former advisors also called significantly for humility and a rebuilding of trust in the nations public health system after an initial response that they called seriously flawed.

Some of those flaws in the responses, which began under former President Donald Trumps administration, are understandable in dealing with a persistent, evolving and previously unknown virus.

Indeed, many of the vaccine-hesitant, including some of my own relatives and friends, have been quick to cite what sounds to them like double-speak and broken promises, such as Bidens failure to achieve the ambitious vaccination goals he set long before the emergence of the omicron surge.

And how about those rare but still dangerous breakthrough infections that hit those of us who are vaccinated? Disappointing is a mild description for how I feel after telling everyone, as Biden did, that they wouldnt have to worry about COVID-19 anymore after getting the vaccine. Like Biden, Ive had to amend that argument.

Who knew? At least the percentage of breakthrough infections is small and the symptoms less severe than among the unvaccinated. For those who still insist on resisting vaccination, Ill keep trying. But increasingly, amid the abundance of free vaccines in this country, thats their choice.

The news, as I often say, never sleeps. But even those of us who try to show an abundance of caution about threats to life and limb, have to make assessments of risk that, even as we fight the virus, help us to figure out how to live with it as Americans did after earlier pandemics.

For now, we need to protect ourselves, but also figure out as best we can what will be the new normal. Otherwise, when we hear that the coast is clear, will we believe it?

Pages column is provided by Tribune Content Agency.
Some municipalities in Japan have reported delays in deliveries of food and other supplies for people recuperating at home after being infected with the coronavirus.

The health ministry says more than 543,000 people are recuperating at home, as of February 9, up over 100,000 from the previous week.

Prefectural governments are providing food and water upon requests from COVID-19 patients at home. But some prefectures, including Tokyo, Saitama and Osaka, say there have been delays in deliveries due to a rapid increase in the number of the patients.

In Tokyo, officials said supplies are usually sent out by the following day after they receive the requests.

But they said they have received as many as 9,700 requests in one day, and that on such days, it could take more than a couple of days for the supplies to reach homes.

Officials in Saitama said deliveries take as much as one week after receiving requests. Osaka officials said deliveries are taking time due to delays in registering the infected people.

Many municipalities cited difficulties in securing enough food supplies and excess workload for transportation companies as reasons for delays.
EPOCH Senior Living and National Development recently celebrated the grand opening of Waterstone on High Ridge, a residential community for seniors. The property is located at 215 High Ridge Road in Stamford, Connecticut and offers a mix of independent and assisted living residences, homes for residents needing dedicated and memory care, and a collection of health and wellness amenities.

After nearly two years under construction, Waterstone on High Ridge will welcome its first new residents this month.

Available homes range from studios up to two-bedroom layouts with a total of 146 units. The breakdown includes 88 independent living apartments, 36 assisted living apartments, and 22 memory care suites.

Optional services for independent living suites include care consultation and daily planning, routine and specialty wellness visits, housekeeping services, and an array of cultural, social, and recreational programs. All-inclusive monthly fees for independent living start at $8,950 for a one-bedroom residence. Available inventory for these suites is already 60 percent leased.

Assisted living residents at Waterstone on High Ridge have access to enhanced levels of care including chef-prepared meals, daily living activities, and more. Based on apartment selection, monthly rates for assisted living apartments start at $10,500 for a one-bedroom.

Amenity spaces include an indoor heated pool, a full-service salon, a fitness center staffed with personal trainers, an on-site restaurant, a movie theater, on-site concierge services, and a parking garage. The grounds also offer walking trails, seating, and light landscaping.

We are so excited to announce the opening of Waterstone on High Ridge and to welcome our first residents, said Joanna Cormac Burt, COO of Epoch Senior Living. Waterstone on High Ridge offers the perfect location for many senior residents in Fairfield County looking for a luxurious setting with supportive services and a multitude of social opportunities.

Memory care residents diagnosed with Alzheimers disease or another form of dementia have access to all-inclusive on-site memory care supported by Bridges, a trademarked level of service developed by EPOCH Senior Living. The program comprises a team specially trained to service Alzheimers disease and dementia patients. These residents also have dedicated amenity spaces including an activity room, a dining room, a living room, a library, and an enclosed outdoor area.

All-inclusive monthly rates for memory care suites start at $8,750. Each of the apartments is specifically designed for those with memory impairment.

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KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity Wednesday, while the U.S. warned that Russia had added as many as 7,000 troops near Ukraines borders despite Kremlin declarations that forces were being pulled back from the region.

While a Russian invasion of Ukraine did not materialize as feared, the United States and its allies maintained that the threat is still strong, with Europes security and economic stability in the balance.

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Russia has massed more than 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine, according to Western estimates. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that he wants a peaceful path out of the crisis, and U.S. President Joe Biden promised that the U.S. would continue to give diplomacy every chance, but he struck a skeptical tone about Moscows intentions. Biden also insisted that Washington and its allies would not sacrifice basic principles respecting Ukraine sovereignty.

Russian Defense Ministry video showed a trainload of armored vehicles moving across a bridge away from Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It also announced that more tank units were being loaded on trains to move back to their permanent bases after training exercises.

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But at the same time, Russia continued war games near Ukraines borders and across its vast territory.

A senior U.S. administration official said the West detected that Russia had increased its force near Ukraine by 7,000 troops, with some arriving as recently as Wednesday, and that there had been a marked increase in false claims by Russians that the Kremlin might use as pretext for an invasion.

The official said those claims included reports of unmarked graves of civilians allegedly killed by Ukrainian forces, statements that the U.S. and Ukraine are developing biological or chemical weapons, and claims that the West is funneling in guerrillas to kill Ukrainians.

A Ukrainian serviceman stands in a trench at a frontline position outside Popasna, the Luhansk region, in eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (VADIM GHIRDA/AP)

The official was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive operations and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The official did not provide underlying evidence for the assertions.

The U.S. and Europe are maintaining threats of harsh sanctions. Trust between East and West remains elusive.

We havent seen a pullback, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News. He (Putin) can pull the trigger. He can pull it today. He can pull it tomorrow. He can pull it next week. The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. had seen more Russian forces, not fewer.

Asked why Russians would claim to be withdrawing when government intelligence, commercial satellite photos and social media videos showed no evidence of that, Price said: This is the Russian playbook, to paint a picture publicly  while they do the opposite.

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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance also had not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces, as did multiple European governments. Before chairing a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels, he said: If they really start to withdraw forces, thats something we will welcome, but that remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the alliance is examining this week how and when to rapidly dispatch troops and equipment to countries closest to Russia and the Black Sea region should Moscow order an invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy similarly dismissed the Russian withdrawal claims.

What is this? Rotations, withdrawal, returning back again, he said on a visit to the southeastern city of Mariupol. Its too early to rejoice.

The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly sought to project calm as well as strength during the crisis, declaring Wednesday a Day of National Unity.

We are united by a desire to happily live in peace, Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation earlier in the day. We can defend our home only if we stay united.

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Across the country, Ukrainians of all ages waved flags in the streets and from apartment windows.

Hundreds unfolded a 650-foot flag at Kyivs Olympic Stadium, while another was draped in the center of a shopping mall in the capital.

In the government-controlled part of Ukraines eastern region of Luhansk, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian troops since 2014, residents stretched another huge flag across a street.

This event, this number of people united around Ukrainian flag will show that we stand for united Ukraine, said resident Olena Tkachova.

A 2015 deal brokered by France and Germany helped end the worst of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, but implementation has stalled. The deal, known as the Minsk agreement, would offer broad self-rule to the separatist territories and thus is resented by many in Ukraine.

A Ukrainian government official said in a television interview that Zelenskyy would consider holding a referendum on the Minsk agreement if there are no other options or instruments. But Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said she was unaware that such an idea was under serious discussion.

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Russia has repeatedly complained that the U.S. and NATO have not responded satisfactorily in writing to its security concerns. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Russia is in the final phase of preparing its formal response to the West. After that, a schedule of further steps will be developed, she said on state television.

The Kremlin wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe. The U.S. and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but they offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.

For now, Russia is flexing its muscle. Russian fighter jets flew training missions Wednesday over neighboring Belarus and paratroopers held shooting drills at firing ranges there as part of massive war games that the West feared could be used as cover for an invasion of Ukraine. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei reaffirmed that all Russian troops and weapons will leave the country when the maneuvers end Sunday.

Maxar Technologies, a commercial satellite imagery company that has been monitoring the Russian buildup, reported Wednesday that new photos show heightened Russian military activity near Ukraine, including the construction of a pontoon bridge in Belarus less than 4 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Russia has mocked Western warnings about an imminent invasion as paranoia and madness. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed sarcastically at warnings of an invasion that could start Wednesday, saying that Russian officials had a good sleep.

Asked by German daily Welt if Russia was going to attack Wednesday, Russias ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, quipped: Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday.

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There wont be an escalation next week either, on in the week after, or in the coming month, he said.

But British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News that instead of a Russian withdrawal, weve seen continued buildup of things like field hospitals and strategic weapons systems.

The White House will lean on Vice President Kamala Harris to help with diplomatic efforts when she travels to Germany to take part in this weekends Munich Security Conference, officials said. Harris is scheduled to meet Friday with Stoltenberg and hold a multilateral meeting with the leaders of the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Shes also scheduled to deliver a major address Saturday on the administrations efforts to stop Russian aggression. After the speech, Harris is slated to meet with Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Isachenkov reported Moscow and Cook from Brussels. Dasha Litvinova in Moscow, Angela Charlton in Paris, Jill Lawless in London, Ellen Knickmeyer, Colleen Long and Zeke Miller in Washington and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.
The European Investment Bank and the European Union support Moroccos rural schooling program with  125.8 million funding to serve for the building of 150 community schools.

The EIB has agreed to provide Morocco a  102.5 million loan for this project, while the EU pledged to inject  23.3 million under the Neighborhood Investment Platform.

Morocco will contribute 100 million, bringing up to over  225 million the overall investment earmarked to support schooling in rural zones to be equipped with modern, eco-friendly, energy-efficient and high-quality infrastructures and fitted with all necessary pedagogical tools in addition to skilled teachers.

Moroccos New Development Model puts emphasis on education, territorial equity and equal access to education in rural areas to increase school enrollment, contribute to social inclusion, gender equality and reduce the gap between rural and urban zones in education.

The countrys ambitious rural schooling program seeks to meet the expectations of rural populations (pupils, teachers and parents) by adapting curricula to the local regions socioeconomic needs and offering incentives to teachers and administrative staff.

Posted by North Africa Post North Africa Post's news desk is composed of journalists and editors, who are constantly working to provide new and accurate stories to NAP readers.
The World Bank Tuesday announced the intent to provide $400 million to Tunisia in view of backing social reforms.

Ferid Belhaj, World Bank Vice President for Middle East and North Africa, made the announcement to Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden during a visit.

The World Bank official also indicated that the US-based institution will help the North African country mobilize the necessary reforms needed for the implementation of economic reforms that will have a positive impact at the social level.

Tunisia is in need of financial support to supplement its 2022 national budget short $2.8 billion. International lenders are reluctant to heed the call owing to the ongoing political crisis that has engulfed the country after President Kais Saied seized all major powers on July 25.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and several countries friends of Tunisia have conditioned their help to a set of reforms. Only Algeria has so far provided $300 million to help its neighbor to cope with its economic debts.

Posted by North Africa Post North Africa Post's news desk is composed of journalists and editors, who are constantly working to provide new and accurate stories to NAP readers.
Morocco has been granted the status of advanced partner by the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) in recognition of the Kingdoms key role in strengthening South-South cooperation.

The announcement has been lately in Guatemala City by Parlacens President Daniel Ortega Reyes during a meeting with a Moroccan MP delegation led by Speaker of the House of Advisors (upper house), Naama Mayara.

Morocco, an observer member of Parlacen, has provided great support to the activities of this regional parliamentary body, said Mr. Reyes, affirming that all members of the Central American Parliament are fully aware of the international stature enjoyed by the Kingdom.

He called for the holding of a joint parliamentary forum on migration to benefit from the Moroccan experience in the management of migration and migrants issues.

Moroccos migration policy, spearheaded by King Mohammed VI, is a model based on UN principles and respect of human rights, said Head of the Central American Parliament.

Mayara stressed the importance Morocco grants to South-South cooperation, recalling the visits paid by King Mohammed VI to several countries in the region.

The royal visits to central American countries gave a new impetus to Moroccos relations with these countries, he added, stressing the need to defend the causes of African and Latin American continents in international fora as the two continents face unprecedented social, economic and health challenges triggered by Covid-19 pandemic.

For his part, Ahmed Lakhrif, member of Moroccos upper house, hailed the achievements and cooperation ties existing between Moroccan MPs their peers in Parlacen.

Set up in 1991, Parlacen seeks the integration of central American countries. This regional grouping is composed of elected representatives from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Morocco looks forward to developing its shellfish farming sector with the help of Japan, a global leader in this industry which plays a key role in this Asian countrys economy and food security.

Japanese experts visited lately the site of the project Tiguert-Imiouadar, near the city of Agadir, to share their know-how with Moroccan fishermen in shellfish aquaculture and offshore mussel farming technique.

President of traditional fishing cooperative Aftas Tiguert, Mohamed Bouhia, hailed this initiative which has enabled Moroccan fishermen to benefit from the rich experience of Japan in this field.

For her part, Aicha El Alaoui, a senior official of the National Agency for the development of aquaculture, praised the quality of Moroccan-Japanese cooperation which has enabled Moroccan fishermen to improve their skills in shellfish farming, noting that this income-generating activity contributes to the socioeconomic development of the Souss Massa region.

Aquaculture in Morocco dates back to 1950 with the launch of Oyster farming Oualidia lagoon. Intensive farms were then developed in 1985 on the Mediterranean coast in Nador and Mdiq. Production was essentially focused on European sea-bass, Gilt-headed bream and oysters.

Ten years later, shrimp farming was introduced at Moulouya river, while shellfish farming (bivalve shells) was launched in 2000 at Dakhla Bay. In 2011, aquaculture gained momentum thanks to the Halieutis plan deployed to bolster performance and production of fisheries and aquaculture.
The EU reiterated that it does not recognize the self-proclaimed SADR republic and reaffirmed its steady position in support of UN efforts towards a mutually acceptable solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara, in yet another blow to Algeria and its separatist puppets.

The position was expressed by the spokesman of the European Commission Peter Stano who made it clear that no EU member state has recognized the phony republic set up in Algerian territory.

The remark came in at a press conference as the EU and the African Union prepare to open this week their summit in Brussels to which the Polisario was invited.

A key point to explain here is that the EU is a co-organizer of this summit with the African Union it is the African Union that made the invitation, to the Polisario, Stano said.

The presence of the Polisario does not make whatsoever change to the EUs position in the conflict, he said.

The Algerian regime and its media apparatus has often mocked itself by claiming that the participation of the Polisario in international events under the umbrella of the African Union was similar to international recognition.

The African Union is so far the only regional grouping that has admitted an armed separatist militia as a full-fledged member. But sands are now shifting from under the Polisario and Algerias feet as voices are rising in favor of ejecting the separatist entity.

The admission of the self-proclaimed SADR entity by the Polisario with Algerias sponsorship took place at a particular context when the predecessor of the AU was torn between ideological trends that are now anachronistic.

Morocco left the organization of the African Unity in reaction to the admission of the Polisario in 1984. Since then, Algeria used the comfort of not having Moroccos voice to pass resolutions serving the separatist cause going as far as using the most important body in the African organization, the Peace and Security Council, to serve Algiers hegemonic agenda under the cover of supporting Polisarios separatism.

However, since its triumphal return to the African Union, Rabat managed step by step to correct past bias of the organization and make its voice heard to the disappointment of Algeria and the few remaining countries rallying behind its agenda to unsettle Morocco through the Polisario militias.

So far, some 22 countries, mostly African opened consulates in Laayoune or Dakhla in a show of total support for Moroccos sovereignty over the territory.

Moroccos presence within the continental organization served as a bulwark against separatist plots and together with its numerous friends managed to push the African Union to recognize that the Sahara peace process is an exclusive domaine of the UN, barring thus the road for Algiers as it seeks to pressure the African Union into a mediation role.

The African Union cannot simply mediate on the Sahara issue because by having the Polisario as a member, it has prejudged the outcome of the peace talk process which stresses the preeminence of the Moroccan autonomy initiative.

The withdrawal of the Polisario requires a resolution with two-thirds of votes. Now that vote seems at hand for Morocco which has fostered ties with countries from all corners with Africa.

The membership of the Polisario within the African Union stands as an aberration that prejudged the outcome of negotiations in total disregard for the UN process and for Moroccos historical rights as a country that was divided by two colonial powers.
North Platte City Council members Tuesday appointed Sky Seery as the citys new library director and paved the way for the states next stage of U.S. Highway 83 reconstruction on South Jeffers Street.

No council member spoke before the 6-2 vote to ratify Seerys appointment, which was retroactive to Feb. 5. Mark Woods and Donna Tryon voted against it.

Seery succeeds longtime Director Cecelia Lawrence, who retired Jan. 4 after nearly 27 years in the post.

She rejoined the staff as Lawrences heir apparent last June after serving as North Platte High School library director.

The council voted 8-0 to authorize agreements with the Nebraska Department of Transportation for its two-stage, $9.4 million rebuilding of Jeffers from First to Leota streets.

The state DOT expects to start work in May 2023, City Engineer Brent Burklund said. Reconstruction is projected for 2026-27 of a similar length of South Dewey Street, which carries U.S. 83s northbound lanes on North Plattes ones. Jeffers carries the southbound lanes south of A Street.

Project documents say the state will pay about 65% of reconstruction costs, with the city paying $3.7 million for the other 35%.

North Plattes share includes its request for the state to also rebuild the first 240 feet of beaten-up West Francis Street past Jeffers.

Burklund said the citys share otherwise reflects U.S. 83s three lanes apiece on Jeffers and Dewey.

Because each side of the highway has two lanes entering and leaving town, NDOT says its responsible for the cost of two lanes and the city the third, he said.

Councilman Ed Rieker said he hopes the state will minimize the types of business disruptions that characterized NDOTs reconstruction of Jeffers downtown from First to Sixth streets starting in 2015.

He also commented on the current state of the concrete on the downtown stretch. Weve got some pretty substantial deterioration down there already, he said.

Burklund replied that NDOT had milled some parts of that stretch to try to make the driving surface smoother. But they havent been wearing well, he said. Theyve been wearing more.

Council members gave 8-0 first-round approval to an accompanying ordinance creating a street improvement district for the citys share of the First-to-Leota project.

They also unanimously followed city staffs recommendation that they reject the lone $2.52 million bid from Myers Construction of Broken Bow to replace an aging parallel water main with a wider one.

Burklund said the bid was $600,000 over the water projects engineering estimate. City officials have talked with possible bidders about resubmitting the project at a more favorable time, he said.

In other business, the council:

 Gave final approval to ordinances to sell city-owned land at 1300 and 1320 Prospect Drive to Pat Clinch LLC and to rezone land at 4321 and 4421 S. Willow St. to R-1 residential.

 Approved an agreement with Rain for Rent, an international firm supplying temporary water pumps, to call on the company if North Platte faces future significant floods like when the South Platte River left its banks in September 2013.

The city will pay nothing upfront for the deal, said City Administrator Matthew Kibbon and Bryce Bowman of the firms office in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

But it lets the city move faster to rent pumps to handle floodwaters and avoid buying pumps that otherwise sit around for years without being used, they said.

In such an event, the council would call a special meeting to authorize paying Rain for Rent, Kibbon said.

North Platte had several days warning before the 2013 flood, which resulted from massive rainstorms along Colorados Front Range.

More by Todd von Kampen

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UPDATED, Feb. 16, 2022, 1:15 pm: Updated to restore dropped lead paragraph from print edition and clarify status of federal airport grants.

***

North Platte's proposed annexation of Lee Bird Field won first-round approval Tuesday night from a City Council split over how it would influence future use of tax increment financing.

Each of the four ordinances annexing different parcels advanced on 5-3 votes, with council members Ed Rieker, Donna Tryon and Mark Woods voting no each time.

Council President Jim Nisley and Councilmen Pete Volz, Ty Lucas, Brad Garrick and Jim Carman voted to move the ordinances to second-round votes March 1.

The overall annexation package of nearly 2,000 acres would be up for final approval March 15 if Tuesdays margins hold up then.

Its possible, however, that final action on the parcel including the Tri-County Project diversion dam at the Platte River forks could have its final vote postponed.

Proposed overlay districts to protect dam operations and allow hunting throughout the annexation area may not be ready for council adoption by March 15, said Planning Administrator Judy Clark.

Meeting that timeline might require a special meeting of the city Planning Commission, which holds its regular meeting Feb. 22.

The North Platte Regional Airport property makes up the largest by far of the annexation proposals four segments.

The others cover Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation Districts dam area south of Lee Bird; land owned by Alan Erickson generally between the Union Pacific Railroad, East Fourth Street and U.S. Highway 30; and the Croell Inc. sand and gravel plant between U.S. 30, the railroad and the North Platte River.

Woods, who like Tryon and Rieker typically opposes TIF projects, didnt explain his no vote. But Tryon made it clear shes opposed to any move that enables further TIF projects at Lee Bird or in the city.

I really dont see the benefit of the city taking it in, other than to increase the city land mass, she said.

Planning Administrator Judy Clark has said the annexation package would reduce the citys percentage of substandard and blighted land from 26.4% to 21.6%. State law caps the TIF-eligible percentage at 35% for cities North Plattes size.

The availability of TIF to encourage private air-dependent businesses to lease tax-exempt airport land and build taxable buildings on it was one reason behind the North Platte Airport Authoritys request to annex the 103-year-old airport.

Because land at Lee Bird is publicly owned, airport board Chairman Mike Jacobson said, property taxes cannot be collected on business buildings atop airport land if the Airport Authority builds and installs them.

But if a private entity were to lease land at the airport and build atop it, its buildings and business equipment would be taxable.

NebraskaLand Bank pays property taxes on the hangar it built on leased Lee Bird land, Jacobson said. TIF increases the chance of other developers doing likewise, he added.

Rieker tied his no vote to his discomfort with offering public aid to private enterprise.

I would hope that when we have an additional $50 million dropped in the laps of this community that we should have sufficient people willing to take risks and develop property without government subsidies, he said.

Rieker referred to the estimated annual payroll at Sustainable Beef LLCs proposed North Platte beef processing plant.

He, Tryon and Woods joined in the councils 8-0 vote Dec. 7 offering $21.5 million in TIF toward Sustainable Beefs construction costs and enabling the pending purchase of an old city sewer lagoon as the plant site.

The trio consistently opposed last springs aid package for renovating District 177, North Plattes 1972 mall. It included both TIF and a 1.95% enhanced employment tax confined to businesses there.

Tryon rejected two other points made by some supporters of annexing Lee Bird, one of which involved the Lincoln Highway Diner inside the 1952 terminal.

Theyre moving out, Tryon said. Thats common knowledge.

Jacobson said later Tuesday that diner operator Danny Neff plans to consolidate his North Platte restaurant operations at a location near his PegLeg Brewing Co. on East Halligan Drive.

Airport operations selling items subject to state sales taxes also would have to charge the citys sales tax if Lee Bird is annexed.

The airport restaurant remains in operation for now, Jacobson said. But I dont know (that) the sales tax was a big deal for our people in asking for annexation, he said.

Tryon also questioned supporters contention that annexing Lee Bird would allow the city to secure more grants for the airport.

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., has already said the airports going to get a million dollars, she said.

Thats not the type of grant being discussed, Jacobson said, adding that Fischer was referring to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration grants the Airport Authority receives for regular airport operations.

Airport Manager Sam Seafeldt said Wednesday that Lee Bird has received about $1 million in American Relief Plan funds for airports tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Telegraph reported Dec. 24 that the airport also is in line for $1.01 million as a first installment of funding under the separate infrastructure bill Congress passed in November.

Seafeldt said the FAA's application period for airports to seek infrastructure-bill grants began only recently. Money the Airport Authority might receive from that pot will be saved toward a new airport terminal called for in Lee Birds 20-year master plan, he said.

Jacobson said Tuesday that city and Airport Authority leaders have discussed how annexation would allow economic development grants available through the city to be offered for development projects at the airport.

Councilman Ty Lucas, addressing Tryons objections, noted that the council would have to approve any individual TIF project at the airport. Before that, it would have to decide whether Lee Bird meets state TIF standards.

I would hope we would have faith in future councils that we wouldnt abuse TIF, he said.

The only discussion during the plans 20-minute public hearing covered bringing Centrals diversion dam area inside the city.

Mike Drain, the Holdrege-based districts natural resources and compliance manager, said Centrals first preference would be to not be inside the city limits.

But Central wont oppose annexation, he added, noting it would give city planners a less angular city limit line.

Drain and Clark said they discussed an overlay district for Centrals dam operations Monday with City Engineer Brent Burklund.

Such a district would coexist with regular city zoning, specifying certain activities allowed or forbidden inside it, Clark said.

She and her staff are working on a separate overlay district protecting hunting in and near the annexed areas. City codes rule out firing projectiles in town.

Drain said the Platte forks arent open to public hunting, but Central grants special permits to its employees and board members.

More by Todd von Kampen

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OGALLALA  Employing a pair of posters to illustrate the stakes, Gov. Pete Ricketts came to Keith County Tuesday morning to make his case for preserving Nebraskas share of South Platte River water by finishing the Perkins County Canal.

His talk at the Lake McConaughy Visitor Center was part of a statewide taxes and water tour  and the governor made sure to also ask the approximately 50 people in his audience to urge state senators to pass three tax-related bills on his agenda.

But with southern Keith County likely to host the forgotten 1894 canal east of the Colorado line, Ricketts used most of his one-hour session to lay out the threat to Nebraskas South Platte supply posed by recent Colorado moves to tap it if Nebraska doesnt.

Folks, Denver is projected to grow from 3.5 million to 6 million people by 2050, he said. Theyre already short of water. Theyre looking for more. And if we dont defend our rights, theyre going to take it from us.

He called attention to a proposed series of reservoirs and pipelines from near Sterling southwest to Parker, a southeast Denver suburb, and a Colorado-commissioned 2016 study indicating some 300,000 acre-feet of South Platte water a year crosses the Nebraska line.

Nebraskas canal right under the 1923 South Platte River Compact is our only legal recourse we have to keep river water flowing into Nebraska beyond the compacts requirement of 120 cubic feet per second during the April 1-Oct. 15 irrigation season, he said.

The governor and Tom Riley, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, had fewer specifics to offer about where the canal might run. Senators must pass Legislative Bill 1015 before DNR can start designing the canal, Riley said.

But itd probably run along the Keith County line (with Perkins County) if I had a guess, he said.

If Colorado diverts more South Platte water toward Denver, he added, McConaughy  less than a mile north of the visitor center  would feel the impact in making up for the loss of that water for downstream Nebraska users and natural habitats.

You think about the South Platte River flows, Riley said. For every cfs less in that river, its got to come right out of this lake.

Ricketts said hes willing to meet with Colorado leaders who have called his plans an overreaction and the canal a waste of money. I am happy to talk about this, he said. But weve got to build the canal.

Some 600 early Perkins County residents dug about 16 miles of their intended canal in Colorados Sedgwick County in fall 1894 before their financing collapsed. Their planned route would have clipped Keith Countys southwest corner before dropping into Perkins County.

When Keith County residents first revived canal talk in 1921, they envisioned running the ditch and developing natural storage reservoirs eastward atop their countys tableland south of the South Platte. A short-lived 1980s exploration by the Twin Platte Natural Resources District looked at a similar route.

The Nebraska-Colorado compact essentially preserves Nebraskas right to finish the canal those Keith County residents of a century ago intended to build. It was wrapped up at a meeting in Ogallala on April 24, 1923, and was later ratified by both states and Congress.

If the canal is built, Ricketts said, the compact requires Colorado to provide it an average of 500 cubic feet per second from Oct. 15 to April 1. Without it, Colorado has no obligation to send Nebraska water except for its compact obligation during irrigation season.

Though South Platte flows have been lower this winter, theyve averaged 500 cfs or more each winter over the past 10 years, Riley said.

Rural Brule farmer-feeder Dennis Schilz, president of the Western Irrigation District, said building the Perkins canal  also sometimes called the South Divide Canal  would preserve the role South Platte water plays in recharging Keith Countys groundwater supplies.

The Western Canal, built around the same time as the aborted Perkins canal, likewise starts in Sedgwick County but returns to the South Platte west of Ogallala.

Twin Platte NRD General Manager Kent Miller has said some water in the would-be new canal likely would percolate down into the Ogallala Aquifer. The South Platte also would gain return flows from farm fields served by the ditch even before the canal returns its water to the river.

What that will do is help our irrigators, said Schilz, also a Twin Platte NRD board member. It will provide water for our communities. And, with some reservoirs, it might make for more recreation.

He joined Ricketts in saying the $500 million needed from the Legislature for the canal would be more than offset by the value of the South Platte water at stake.

If it isnt built, well, Colorado wants to put zero water across the state line other than what little it has to provide during irrigation season, said Schilz, father of former state Sen. Ken Schilz of Ogallala.

Ricketts urged the audience to contact their state lawmakers to enlist their backing for finishing the Perkins canal. He believes support is strong in the Natural Resources Committee, which heard LB 1015 Feb. 9, but the budget-writing Appropriations Committee has to agree to the $500 million price tag.

Thats going to be a hard row to hoe, the governor said.

Answering a question from the audience, Ricketts said he would think the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be sympathetic to the canal if its the only way for Nebraska to keep meeting its environmental obligations in the central Platte River basin.

The Platte River Recovery Implementation Project, concluded in 1997 by Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado, requires minimum flow levels to maintain critical habitat for the basins threatened and endangered species. The accord granted Fish and Wildlife an environmental account of Lake McConaughy water to release as needed.

But South Platte water also figures into holding up the three-state agreement, Ricketts said. He cant speak for Fish and Wildlife, but if I were them, (Id say) this is a good thing . As for Colorados plans, I would think Fish and Wildlife would look at that as a bad thing.

He said he doesnt know whether Colorado would try to block Nebraska in court from reviving the canal, thus further delaying the 10 years its likely to design and build it.

But I can tell you the compact is very clear about our rights, including Nebraskas right to seize Sedgwick County land under eminent domain to finish it, he said.

On taxes, Ricketts asked his audience to lend their support to LB 825, which would speed up the phaseout of income taxes on Social Security benefits; LB 939, which would lower the top individual and corporate income tax rates to 5.84%; and LB 723, which would guarantee at least the current $548 million in funding for a two-year old tax credit for school property taxes.

The school tax credit and Social Security bills won first-round approval without dissenting votes in late January, while LB 939 is scheduled for initial floor debate this week.

The governor also briefly mentioned a special Unicameral committees proposal to improve roads and build a formal entrance and a new 100-slip marina at Lake Mac. All are part of LB 1023, which received its public hearing last Thursday.

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Nine years ago, Dad loaned me a book called Sterling Heroes of World War II. Published in 2012, it was written by Dr. John Elliff, a longtime eye surgeon in northeast Colorado, and edited by Denny Dressman, a career journalist. The book is a compilation of interviews of 36 World War II veterans from near the town of Sterling, Colorado, providing the book its title pun. As we are from that area, several of the interviews were of men Dad or I knew, or whose children we knew, amplifying our curiosities.

Sterling Heroes is no gleaming literary accomplishment, but it does invaluably preserve the firsthand histories of these members of our countrys Greatest Generations service. More poignantly, the book reveals a unanimously common thread among all these heroes stories: their overwhelmingly enthusiastic insistence to volunteer their service to their country. The United States put out its call to citizens, and these men, most in their late teens or early 20s at the time, eagerly responded. On the heels of the economic deprivations of the Great Depression, these young adults selflessly volunteered to put their well-being and lives on the line for their country  because their country asked. Over 400,000 of them made the ultimate sacrifice, and multiples of that number suffered physical or mental injuries that impacted them as long as they lived.

Perhaps what is most extraordinary about the servicemens accounts in that book are just how representative they are of the nearly universal stories of sacrifice that are echoed in the lives of those we are blessed to remember as the Greatest Generation. Likely any town of any size in our nation was filled with young men who volunteered to serve and whose similar stories could fill more books. Here, we are well aware of the amazing accomplishment of the North Platte Canteen. And across the country, food and supplies were rationed, people purchased war bonds, and families worried about and prayed for the sons who had been sent into harms way. Everyone rallied to the nations banner, no matter how intense the hardship or how steep the climb.

It is hard to avoid comparisons between the united response of the Greatest Generation to World War II and our recent experience of a divided citizenrys polarized reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eighty years ago, our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents selflessly and significantly sacrificed across the board. They came together, combined to defeat the threat of Nazism and fascism in Europe and imperialism in Asia. They gave up and gave away things they wanted and sometimes needed in order to support the war effort. They lost their boys to the cause.

Now, some of us assert that individual freedom provides some exemption from a mask requirement aimed at reducing the spread of an infectious disease that has claimed more than 900,000 American lives. Or that the imposition of a COVID vaccine requirement  no different from the many requirements that have long been part of our lives since vaccines were developed to eradicate smallpox, polio and numerous other deadly diseases  is to be resisted as some authoritarian power grab. We, the fortunate beneficiaries of the enormous sacrifices of the Greatest Generation, cannot be inconvenienced to wear a mask or troubled to get vaccinated? Really?

There was no social media 80 years ago. Those of the Greatest Generation did not spend hours every day staring at phone screens, immersing themselves in unthinking echo chambers designed to rile emotions to ensure endless scrolling and clicking without concern for facts or rationality. They knew they did not know everything and had the humility to trust those who had expertise in areas they did not. They elected responsible statesmen who would tell them hard truths and lead them on necessary paths; there was little audience for disingenuous carnival barkers spewing whatever hate and undeliverable promises polled likely to garner votes. There were not endless media outlets concerned only with how to get the most eyes on their product regardless of truth.

The Greatest Generation understood that freedom is not doing whatever one wants regardless of the consequences to others and society. Our parents, their parents and their parents knew that freedom is anchored in obligation, responsibility and sacrifice; they strived for the satisfaction of knowing that their conduct contributed to a good that was greater than any personal gratification. Oh, that our easy access to so much information will grant us the wisdom and grace of the Greatest Generation.
People across China celebrate Lantern Festival

Xinhua) 08:22, February 16, 2022

A man visits a lantern fair to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Jiaozhou City, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Wang Zhaomai/Xinhua)

People make lanterns to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Wang Zheng/Xinhua)

Performers throw molten iron to create fireworks to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Han Chaoyang)

Performers throw molten iron to create fireworks to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 15, 2022 shows artists performing local opera to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Changde, central China's Hunan Province. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Kindergarten children play dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Qingzhou City, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Wang Jilin/Xinhua)

A child poses for photos with dragon dance performers, in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

People perform dragon dance for tourists to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Performers dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Yanchi County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 14, 2022 shows a performance celebrating the Lantern Festival, in Yanchi County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

People perform lion dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

A villager throws molten iron to create fireworks to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Zoucheng, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Han Jun/Xinhua)

Overseas students make glutinous rice balls with community volunteers to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

A child eats glutinous rice balls in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

Children visit a lantern fair to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Fang Dehua/Xinhua)

People visit a lantern fair to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Danzhai County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Huang Xiaohai/Xinhua)

People make glutinous rice balls and dumplings to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

People visit a lantern fair to celebrate the Lantern Festival in east China's Shanghai, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

Children make lanterns to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Yangzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Meng Delong/Xinhua)

People make lanterns in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

People perform lion dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

Overseas students taste glutinous rice balls to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

People perform dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Tunxi old town of Huangshan, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

People perform lion dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Weiyuan County of Dingxi, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)

Pedestrians take part in a riddle guessing activity to celebrate the Lantern Festival at the Central Street in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

Artists perform traditional opera to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Saihan District of Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Wang Zheng/Xinhua)

A local villager holding a fish-shaped lantern parades to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Wangmantian Village, Shexian County of Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Shui Congze/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Chicago public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady suggested Tuesday that the end of the citys indoor mask mandate could align with the lifting of Illinois requirement on Feb. 28 after all, even if the citys COVID-19 metrics havent been at a lower level for long enough.

Last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced he will lift his mask requirement for most indoor public places at the end of the month should the states most recent and largest coronavirus surge continue to subside. Under the statewide rules, the face coverings will still be required in schools, health care settings and public transportation, though the school mask mandate has been upended by a recent court ruling that temporarily suspended the rule for children of families who sued.

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In response to the governors decision, Chicago health officials said later that day they too will be able to remove the citys mask requirement for indoor settings if current trends continue.

[ Illinois will end its indoor mask mandate for most public places on Feb. 28, but not for schools. Heres what we know  and what it means for Chicago. ]

The city had said lifting the mandate will require three out of four COVID-19 metrics to fall to the lowest or second-lowest category of risk  and remain there for two consecutive weeks. As of Tuesday, the 2% positivity rate met the lower transmission category, while capacities for intensive care-unit beds and non-ICU beds were at a substantial transmission level. The caseload of positive tests remained high transmission at an average of 431 per day.

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As of Tuesday the city was not on track to meet and retain those metrics in time to match the Feb. 28 date.

Manager Junella Hutchison checks vaccine cards as diners arrive during brunch at Daley's restaurant in Woodlawn on Jan. 9. The proof-of-vaccine rule could be in place longer than the city's indoor mask mandate though neither date has been set. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

But all the metrics are on their way down, and Arwady said at a Tuesday news conference she remains optimistic that enough of them will move into the lower risk category within days. If that happens, waiting for the metrics to stay put for two weeks might not be necessary.

It can be confusing if theres a difference of a few days, Arwady said about matching the citys and states dates for removing the mandate. Were going to see where we are next week and make a decision sort of either way there.

In hinting at aligning with the state and ending the mandate on Feb. 28, Arwady said there would be no compromise on the threshold of three of the four metrics reaching lower transmission. And those categories must still stay there for at least a week before the mandate is removed, she said.

If we are not able to move on the 28th, I think it would probably be not very long after that, but if its a difference of just a few days I dont think its worth the potential confusion to the public, Arwady said. Weve got to hit the data points.

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Although the city issues its own mask mandate, the states requirement supersedes the municipal order and must be lifted first.

The city has said the proof-of-vaccination mandate at restaurants, bars and other indoor settings could also be removed soon as COVID-19 wanes, although officials have not been as specific.

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ayin@chicagotribune.com
Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

It sure looks as though Senator Josh Hawley is fundraising off the notorious image of him raising his fist to salute the mob of Trump supporters outside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, shortly before hundreds of them stormed the building, threatened his colleagues, and caused $1.5 million in damage. On his website, the Missouri Republican is hawking a $20 mug depicting the salute, described as the perfect way to enjoy Coffee, Tea, or Liberal Tears!

Photo: Screenshot via JoshHawley.com

But on Tuesday, after criticism of his merchandising decision poured in, Hawley tried to correct any misconceptions about the meaning of the cup. It is not a pro-riot mug, he told HuffPost. Instead, Hawley claimed, as he has before, that he was only saluting those in the crowd who were there peacefully to protest  as if his broad gesture were actually an exclusive message to the mobs most polite and law-abiding members, encouraging them to engage only in civil behavior while they sought to overturn the results of a presidential election.

Hawley has long tried to have his cake and eat it, too; see his lambasting of big tech from the pocket of big Thiel. But by fundraising off his solidarity with the rioters on January 6, he has encapsulated, in mug form, the approach many Republican lawmakers have taken toward the insurrection: selectively remembering, or making money from, the Capitol Riot by dismissing its violence and promoting the day as a legitimate uprising against Democratic overreach.

Its too bad Hawley may not actually have the rights to the image: The Associated Press is looking into whether the senator properly licensed its work. Also, the merch may not have been made in the USA, as Hawleys website claims, but in China.

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Fake Trump electors gather in New Mexico, a state comfortably carried by Joe Biden, whose electors were validly meeting nearby. Photo: Cedar Attanasio/AP/Shutterstock

Up to this point, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniels efforts to defend the partys clumsily worded resolution attacking the House Select Committee on January 6 (which was primarily meant to condemn U.S. representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger) have been rather clumsy themselves. But now shes come up with a relatively clear, if questionable, argument: When the RNC attacked the committee for persecuting ordinary citizens pursuing legitimate political discourse, it wasnt referring to the January 6 rioters, but the fake Trump electors, who are now facing congressional subpoenas. Politico explains:

According to RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, the phrase legitimate political discourse  was a reference to a set of nonviolent GOP activists with close ties to the national party.

Those activists were relatively small in number compared with the thousands who breached the Capitol: They were dozens of state and local GOP leaders who agreed to serve as electors for Trump and signed false documents claiming the former president had prevailed in at least five states that Joe Biden won. In McDaniels telling, those Republican activists were engaging in legitimate discourse by signing the false certificates and sending them to Washington, a crucial facet of Trumps last-ditch plan to subvert the 2020 election.

McDaniels solicitude for fake electors was made plain in a Townhall post she wrote last week, attacking the Select Committee as a hostile kangaroo court that is going after individuals like one of the RNCs members who was subpoenaed because, weeks before January 6, she served as an alternate elector pending the outcome of ongoing lawsuits. McDaniel lamented that the alternate elector in question could face costly legal bills even though she was nowhere near the Capitol on January 6 and had nothing to do with the violence that occurred.

But the Capitol riot wasnt the only potential criminal activity surrounding the events of January 6, 2021. Some of these fake electors signed certifications of their authenticity that might warrant investigation under state and federal fraud statutes; in fact, the Department of Justice is already actively investigating the pseudo-electors and the Trump administration plotters (notably Rudy Giuliani) who encouraged them to self-certify. It was all connected to Team Trumps larger nefarious plan for January 6, as I explained recently:

Clumsy as it was, the fake-elector gambit was a key component of the Trump plan to overturn the election results on January 6, 2021. Creating the illusion of competing slates of electors was supposed to give Vice-President Mike Pence (as subsequently laid out in the famous Eastman memo) an excuse to (a) recognize or count TrumpPence electors as the true winners, (b) prematurely adjourn the joint session of Congress in order to send the election back to the states for resolution of conflicting claims, or (c) refuse to recognize any electors in the seven states, throwing the election into the U.S. House. Additionally, the Trump slates might become the basis for congressional challenges to Biden electors, as they did in two cases (Arizona and Pennsylvania).

While McDaniel sees a clear case of congressional persecution of ordinary citizens (some of whom are state party officials and RNC members), the innocence of the fake electors is debatable. Some of them keep trying to justify their actions by bringing up an alleged 1960 precedent for their self-certification: a late switch of the certified Hawaii electors from Richard Nixon to John F. Kennedy after a court-ordered recount flipped the extremely close results. This dubious argument might or might not hold up in a court of law, but it is certainly worth a closer look by DOJ and the Select Committee.

So McDaniels argument is that the RNC wasnt defending one set of bad actors (like the guy with the horns cutting capers in the U.S. Capitol) but was defending another (the fake electors, engaged in their own clown-show in various state capitals). To be clear, the fake electors offering themselves up as instruments for Trumps election coup wasnt as objectionable as physically assaulting the Capitol and threatening to string up Mike Pence, as some of the rioters did. But its still a defense of the overall Trump effort to subvert democracy, and its still reprehensible coming from the chair of one of the countrys two major political parties.
BEAUFORT, N.C. (AP) 

Four teenagers and four adults returning from a hunting trip were on board a small plane that crashed off the coast of North Carolina over the weekend, authorities announced Tuesday.

One body has been pulled from the Atlantic Ocean by search crews combing the area and there is no indication that anyone survived the crash, Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck said Monday.

Everyone on board the plane was from North Carolina, and most lived in Carteret, a coastal county of nearly 70,000 people that includes the southern edge of the Outer Banks.

The sheriffs office identified the adult victims as pilot Ernest Durwood Rawls, 67, of Greenville; Jeffrey Worthington Rawls, 28, of Greenville; Stephanie Ann McInnis Fulcher, 42, of Sea Level; and Douglas Hunter Parks, 45, of Sea Level.

The teenage victims were identified as Jonathan Kole McInnis, 15, of Sea Level; Noah Lee Styron, 15, of Cedar Island; Michael Daily Shepard, 15, of Atlantic; and Jacob Nolan Taylor, 16, of Atlantic.

Carteret County includes communities such as Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach as well as the Cape Lookout National Seashore and its iconic Outer Banks lighthouse, which has a black-and-white diamond pattern.

We are incredibly saddened and join with the Down East and Eastern North Carolina community as we await official word on the airplane crash, the Carteret County Public Schools said in a statement early Monday afternoon. Crisis teams are on school campuses to support students, staff and families.

Search crews were still looking for the main body of the plane on Monday. Authorities had identified three debris fields, which had been moving farther off shore into the Atlantic Ocean.

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Matthew J. Baer told reporters Monday that multiple vessels from various agencies were continuing the search for the plane. In a tweet Monday night, the Coast Guard said a cutter would remain on the scene overnight.

Weve got an all-hands-on-deck event going on here, Baer said. And we want the citizens of Carteret County and eastern North Carolina to know that your Coast Guard is out there doing our absolute best alongside our partners.

The Coast Guard said in a news release that it received a report of a possible downed aircraft on Sunday about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) east of Drum Inlet from a Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point air traffic controller. The air traffic controller reported that the aircraft was behaving erratically on radar, then disappeared from the screen.

The single-engine Pilatus PC-12/47 crashed into the water approximately 18 miles (29 kilometers) northeast of Michael J. Smith Field in Beaufort, North Carolina, about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to an email from the Federal Aviation Administration. A preliminary accident notification on the FAAs website noted that the aircraft crashed into water under unknown circumstances.

FlightAware listed a departure for that plane from Hyde County Airport at 1:35 p.m. Sunday and noted it was last seen near Beaufort at 2:01 p.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

___

Associated Press news researcher Jennifer Farrar contributed to this report.
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China will help run its coal-fired power plants at full capacity in a bid to ensure energy security, despite the climate goals of the world's largest polluter.

The Chinese government will support industrial sectors in "special difficulty," state news agency Xinhua reported this week, noting that "Food and energy security must be safeguarded."

The Chinese authorities will increase coal supply, and coal-fired power plants will be supported in running at full capacity and generating more electricity in order to meet the electricity needs for production and residential consumption, Xinhua reported, citing a decision made at the State Council's Executive Meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang earlier this week.

"We are introducing the relief policies for industrial and services sectors in special difficulty first this year, as part of the effort to frontload policies as appropriate," Li was quoted as saying.

Commenting on the decision to support coal plants to run at full capacity, Li Shuo, a campaigner for Greenpeace China, told AFP:

"We are pivoting back to the model of supporting the economy at all costs."

"China is losing time for crucial climate action," the campaigner added.

China, the world's largest coal consumer and largest greenhouse gas emitter, has said it targets to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, but last autumn's power crisis and record-high global coal prices amid an overall energy shortage made energy security a top priority for the country.

A few months ago, China ordered a ramp-up of coal production, which hit record-highs for both December 2021 and the whole of 2021. China was looking to secure energy supply for the winter, cool the high coal prices, and avoid a repeat of the autumn 2021 power crisis. The energy crisis, which resulted in blackouts in September and October, slowed the growth of China's economy in the third quarter of 2021.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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A larger variety of clean energy sectors are receiving attention from oil and gas majors, with a renewed focus on hydrogen, electric vehicle charging, and biofuel projects.

Oil and gas companies are playing an increasingly important role in this sector, with upstream oil and gas producers completing 81 clean energy deals in 2021.

Global spending on clean energy climbed 27 percent in 2021, hitting a record high of $755 billion according to a Bloomberg New Energy report.

With the energy transition now in full swing, the green and low-carbon energy sectors have been seeing record investment inflows as governments as well as public and private sectors double down on climate goals. In 2021, global spending on green energy climbed 27% Y/Y to a record $755B as per a Bloomberg New Energy report. That compared favorably with annual global energy investments which are estimated to have increased 10% Y/Y to USD 1.9 trillion, in line with pre-crisis levels.

In the past, fossil fuel companies have been repeatedly lambasted for greenwashing and dedicating only minuscule amounts of their huge capex budgets to renewable energy. But that trend now appears to be turning around.

According to a report by energy investment navel-gazer Evaluate Energy, global upstream M&A hit a record $144 billion in 2021 with Woodside Petroleum (OTCPK:WOPEF), Santos (OTCPK:STOSF), and BHP Group (NYSE:BHP) undertaking multibillion-dollar international mergers while Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD), ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) and Continental Resources (NYSE:CLR) made huge Permian acquisitions and scores of gas companies joined the consolidation wave in the U.S.

But an even more interesting trend has emerged: last year, traditional oil and gas companies were among the most active when it came to striking green energy deals and investments.

Upstream oil and gas producers struck a total of 81 green energy deals in 2021, the most active of which were Shell Plc. (NYSE:RDS.A), Eni S.p.A (NYSE:E), BP Plc. (NYSE:BP), TotalEnergies SE (NYSE:TTE), and Chevron (NYSE:CVX). Another interesting finding was that a greater number of emerging sectors have been gaining traction, including hydrogen production projects, electric vehicle charging, and biofuels.

Source: Evaluate Energy

#1. Shell Plc

According to Evaluate Energy, Shell agreed to 10 green/low carbon energy deals

in 2021, making it the single most active company among all oil and gas producers.

The companys investments were highly diverse, with no more than three deals related to any individual sector. Half of its deals revolved around wind and solar energy but it also had deals in the electric vehicle, biofuel, and retail power sectors globally.

Shell agreed to four new deals in Q4 alone, of which two were in the U.S. solar services sector. First, it acquired a cleantech solar power service company, Cleanloop, via a U.S. solar subsidiary. Then it acquired a large utility-scale solar and energy storage developer, Savion LLC, from Macquaries Green Investment Group. The other two Q4 deals were in the Australian retail power sector and the Irish offshore wind sector.

Shell has accelerated the pace of divestiture of its oil and gas assets and is preparing to sell stakes in two natural gas-producing clusters in the British North Sea, according to Reuters.

The Clipper Hub and Leman Alpha complex could fetch as much as $1b for the supermajor.

Shell has sold a number of aging upstream assets in the North Sea in recent years, including a $3.8b sale to Harbour Energy (OTCPK:PMOIF) in 2017.

#2. Eni S.p.A

Italys largest integrated oil and gas company, Eni S.p.A, closed nine green energy deals in 2021, with six being in wind or solar. The deals could potentially result in Enis combined wind and solar portfolio across Italy, France, Spain, and the U.K. growing by over 5 GW in annual capacity, should all related projects reach completion.

Eni agreed to two of its deals in Q4. It acquired a 20% stake in the U.K.s Dogger Bank Wind Farm C project from Equinor (NYSE:EQNR) and SSE for 70 million apiece. The combined stake represents around 240 MW overall capacity. The project is the third phase of the worlds largest offshore wind farm (3.6 GW) and is currently under construction. Production of this particular phase is slated to start in 2025.

In separate news, Var Energi, a private North Sea oil and gas producer owned by Eni and HitecVision, is set to go public in Oslo on February 16th at an ~$8.0b valuation.

Eni owns 70% of Var, having contributed their North Sea assets to Var in exchange for equity in 2018. Rumors of the IPO have been in the market for weeks, as Bloomberg flagged listing plans in January at a $10b valuation.

#3. BP Plc

Evaluate Energy notes that BP has been extremely active in the electric vehicle space in recent years compared to its peers. In March, the British major acquired a stake in German firm Digital Charging Solutions GmbH alongside BMW Group (OTCPK:BMWYY) and Daimler Mobility AG. DCS is one of Europes leading developers of digital charging solutions for automotive manufacturers and vehicle fleet operators.

In June, BP led a $13.2 million investment round and invested $7 million in U.S.-based EV charging firm IoTecha. BP completed its EV activity for the year in December, agreeing to acquire another U.S.-based EV charging firm, AMPLY Power.

#4. TotalEnergies SE

French energy multinational TotalEnergiesSE completed six low-carbon deals in 2021. The bulk of TotalEnergies green energy investments came in the first half of 2021, with arguably the highest-profile of these deals taking place in the solar sector.

In January, the company acquired a 20% stake in Adani Green Energy Ltd. (AGEL) in India and then completed another significant acquisition a week later, this time in the United States. Both deals are key to Totals plans to reach 35 GW of gross production capacity from renewable sources by 2025 while adding 10 GW per year from that point going forward. AGEL has over 14.6 GW of contracted renewable capacity, with an operating capacity of 3 GW, plus 3 GW under construction and 8.6 GW under development. The company aims to achieve 25 GW of renewable power generation by 2025.

The acquisition in the United States saw Total acquire a development pipeline of 2.2 GW of solar projects and 600 MW of battery storage assets in Texas from SunChase Power.

#5. Chevron Corp.

Chevron Corp. stands out as the only non-European to feature on this list. The U.S. supermajor has been especially active in the more emerging sectors that make up the green energy industry. Among its highlights for the year, Chevron made two investments in hydrogen-based projects in the U.S.

The first was an investment in Raven SR Inc. with a handful of industry partners. Later, Chevron agreed to acquire ACES Delta LLC, which was previously a joint venture between Mitsubishi Power Americas Inc. and Magnum Development LLC.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com



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For a second time this week, Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), called on the OPEC+ group on Wednesday to narrow the widening gap between its production quotas and the much lower actual supply to the market.

"It will be important for OPEC+ to narrow this gap and hopefully provide more volumes to the market," Birol said at an energy conference in Riyadh today, as quoted by Reuters.

OPEC and OPEC+ have not been pumping as much as the OPEC+ pact calls for, essentially tightening the market and distorting analyst assumptions about market balances.

For half a year now, OPEC+ has actually added lower volumes to the market each month than the 400,000 bpd nominal monthly increase announced in each of the OPEC+ meetings since August 2021.

Estimates in the International Energy Agency's monthly oil market report for February showed that the gap between OPEC+ production and its target levels surged to as much as 900,000 bpd in January.

Figures from OPEC itself showed last week that the cartel raised its crude oil production by just 64,000 bpd in January 2022, well below the 254,000-bpd increase in output allowed under the OPEC+ deal. According to the secondary sources that OPEC uses to track its members' production, even top producer Saudi Arabia failed to deliver its 110,000-bpd monthly increase. The Kingdom raised its oil production in January by 54,000 bpd to 9.999 million, below its 10.122 billion bpd quota for January per the OPEC+ deal. However, Saudi Arabia self-reported production of 10.145 million for January, up by 123,000 bpd from December.

The plea from the IEA's head Birol on Wednesday comes two days after he said at a Cairo event that OPEC+ producers need to pump more oil to close the gap between nameplate production quotas and actual output.

If OPEC+ continues to fail in delivering its oil production targets amid rising demand and inventories at multi-year lows, oil prices will remain under upward pressure and are set for more volatility, the IEA said in its monthly report published last week.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Crude oil prices moved slightly higher today after the Energy Information Administration reported a crude oil inventory build of 1.1 million barrels for the week to February 11.

This compares with a draw of 4.8 million barrels estimated for the previous week and an estimated 1.076-million-barrel inventory decline for last week as reported by the American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday.

In gasoline, the EIA estimated an inventory decline of 1.3 million barrels for the week to February 11, which compared with a draw of 1.6 million barrels for the previous week.

Gasoline production last week averaged 8.8 million barrels daily, which compared with 9.4 million bpd a week earlier.

In middle distillates, the EIA estimated an inventory draw of 1.6 million barrels for the week to February 11, which compared with a modest draw of 900,000 bpd for the previous week.

Middle distillate production last week averaged 4.6 million barrels daily, which compared with 4.7 million bpd a week earlier.

Refineries processed 14.9 million bpd of crude oil last week, down from 15.6 million bpd for the previous week. Imports stood at 5.8 million bpd, compared with 6.4 million bpd a week earlier.

At the time of writing Brent crude was trading at $95.02 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate was changing hands for $93.75 per barrel, both up after on Tuesday they slipped on the news of Russia sending some of the troops amassed near the Ukrainian border to their bases after the completion of military drills.

The situation in Ukraine has given oil a huge boost in the past couple of weeks as tension escalated in the form of constant warnings that a Russian invasion of Ukraine was imminent.

The news of the troop moves served to quench some of the concern although the U.S., the UK, and NATO have all demanded to see all troops removed before they calm down.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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An off-duty firefighter driving home from work was cut by broken glass from his own car when someone fired shots in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood Wednesday morning.

An assailant in a car opened fire about 6:30 a.m. while the firefighter, 37, was driving in the 2900 block of West Montrose Avenue, said police and Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt.

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At least one bullet hit the glass on his car, shattering it and causing cuts to his face.

It wasnt serious, Merritt said of the injury. He was treated and released from Swedish Covenant Hospital.

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The shooter fled in an unknown direction and no arrests have been reported.

Area 5 detectives are investigating.

rsobol@chicagotribune.com
Saudi Arabias state-owned oil giant, Saudi Aramco, is in talks with senior external banking and legal advisers over the sale of up to another US$50 billion worth of its shares, according to various reports last week, which would equate on current valuations to around another 2.5 percent of the companys stock. This would be in addition to the recent transfer of 4 percent of the stock to the countrys Public Investment Fund. As with the initial plans of the Aramco board and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) for the first stock flotation that finally occurred on 11 December 2019, the idea for this second flotation would be that the Aramco shares are listed not just on the domestic Tadawul stock exchange but also on a more prestigious international exchange, with London and Singapore being the current top two preferences. Although the recent run-up in global oil prices might seem to provide a more positive general backdrop to such an idea, the reality is that exactly the same concerns that prevented any meaningful take-up of Aramco stock last time around from international investors remain in place. These concerns were precisely the reason why the first Aramco stock flotation did not achieve any of the three targets intended by MbS: it did not sell 5 percent of the company; it did not value the overall company at US$2 trillion; and, it was not listed on any international stock exchange.

One major set of concerns related to the company itself, and long-running claims surrounding firstly its crude oil reserves figures and secondly its production capabilities (and, therefore, spare capacity as well), all of which are examined in depth in my new book on the global oil markets and as early as my first book in 2015. On the first point, at the beginning of 1989, Saudi Arabia claimed proven oil reserves of 170 billion barrels. Only a year later, and without the discovery of any major new oil fields, the official reserves estimate was increased by 51.2 percent, to 257 billion barrels. Shortly thereafter, it was increased again to 266 billion barrels or so, a level that persisted until a slight increase in 2017 to 268.5 billion barrels. On the other side of the supply-demand equation, from 1973 to the end of last week, Saudi Arabia pumped an average of 8.192 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil. Therefore, taking 1989 as a starting point (with 170 billion of crude oil reserves officially claimed in that year), in the subsequent 32 years Saudi Arabia has physically pumped and removed forever, a total of 95,682,560,000 barrels of crude oil. Over the same period, there has been no significant discovery of major new oil fields. Despite this, Saudi Arabias crude oil reserves have not gone down, but rather have actually gone up: a mathematical impossibility.

On the second point, of spare capacity, past and present senior figures from Aramco and the Saudi government have perennially stated this is 12 million bpd, and recently the company has been saying that it will increase this to 13 million bpd. This is despite - to reiterate a fact - Saudi Arabias daily production from 1973 to the end of last week being just an average of 8.192 million bpd of crude oil. Additionally, during the 2014-2016 Oil Price War when Saudi Arabia absolutely needed to produce as much oil as it could to achieve its goal, it only managed to produce above 10.5 million bpd for one very short period. More recently, even with new supply coming from Saudi Arabias half share of the Partitioned Neutral Zone it runs with Kuwait, there have only been two occasions when the country has produced more than 11 million bpd, and both were for equally short periods.

The problem is that Saudi Arabias view of what constitutes spare capacity and what in reality constitutes spare capacity are very different. The official Energy Information Administration (EIA) definition is very clear and specific: spare capacity is production that can be brought online within 30 days and sustained for at least 90 days. Saudi Arabia, though, includes within its own use of the term spare capacity every drop of crude oil that it can get hold of: including oil supplies in storage, supplies that can be withheld from contracts and re-directed into those stored supplies, and any oil that it can buy through brokers in the spot market and then sell on as its own. Exactly the same semantic trickery was used to cover up the actual supply shortfalls in the aftermath of the September 2019 attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on Saudis Khurais and Abqaiq facilities and later attacks. The reason that Saudi Arabia exaggerates all of these numbers appears to be to bolster its importance in the global economy, as without oil the Kingdom has little to offer.

Further concerns for international investors stem from the revelation at the time of the first Aramco stock flotation that it does not actually own its own oil wells or sites and does not make its production decisions either, and the same is true now. This leaves would-be investors open to Aramco continuing to be used by the Saudi government as a funding source for various socio-economic projects that are nothing to do with its core business of oil production. Recent examples of this include developing a US$5 billion ship repair and building complex on the east coast, working with General Electric on a US$400 million forging and casting venture, and even creating the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. At the time that the initial flotation was mooted, there was no indication that this practice would stop, with the US$500 billion Neom project being a case in point. As minority shareholders, any buyers of either the previously offered stock or any new stock would be powerless to halt such spending or, indeed, to halt Aramco being used in any future oil price wars as the principal weapon of the Saudi government, with the disastrous effects that this had on the company and the country on the previous two occasions (2014-2016, and 2020).

The additional problem for international investors looking at Saudi Aramco comes from its position as the state vehicle for Saudi Arabias oil supplies, given that Saudi Arabia, in turn, remains the de facto leader of OPEC, and this poses a massive legal risk. Specifically, OPEC was founded in 1960 with the specific intention to co-ordinate and unify the petroleum policies of all of its member states. This coordination means aligning the production, sales, and pricing policies of its members: in other words, doing its utmost to fix global oil prices one way or another  in effect, acting as a cartel. Listing rules and anti-trust legislation on all well-regulated international stock exchanges, including those of the U.S. and the U.K.  initially favored last time around by the Saudi government - preclude price-fixing.

Given this, there is the very real possibility that any investor in shares listed on either of these exchanges  or any other equivalent well-regulated bourse  will see the value of Aramco evaporate in the event that anti-trust legislation is brought against the company, the ultimate result of which would be that the company would be split up into smaller constituent parts that cannot so easily influence global oil prices, in line with international law. This reality, as analyzed in-depth in my new book on the global oil markets, is one of which the U.S. government is well-aware and has been using as a Damoclean threat over Saudi Arabia since a committee from the U.S. House of Representatives approved the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Bill (NOPEC) bill at the beginning of 2019.

Such was the negative reputational fallout from the previous Aramco share offering for the Saudi government and MbS personally, it is difficult to imagine that the desire to do it all again proceeds from anything but one of two factors. First, that Saudi Arabia needs the money, and despite its benefiting from the recent run-up in oil prices, there is evidence that the effects of its ill-conceived oil price wars and the financial lengths required to save face on the previous Aramco share offering continue to weigh heavily on it. Second, that if this is true, MbS might be persuaded this time around that doing a private placement with China for the whole amount  as was the fallback position last time, as examined in depth in my new book on the global oil markets  is the optimal choice. This would allow him to get the money into his country quietly, at an undisclosed price per share, and not have to explain to anyone why the entire US$50 billion is not enough to cover even nine months of dividend payments for the shareholders of Aramcos previous stock flotation.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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Europe has remained the biggest market for U.S. liquefied natural gas for three months in a row. According to Reuters, Refinitiv data suggests that most U.S. LNG will continue flowing into Europe this month as well, after December and January.

According to the Refinitiv data, at least 50 percent of American liquefied natural gas since the start of February has been shipped to Europe, with the total at 3.56 million tons. This, the data shows, is similar to the mid-month level of U.S. LNG imports into Europe in December.

Total U.S. LNG exports are running at record rates thanks to strong demand not just from Europe but from Asia, too. According to a Bloomberg report from earlier this week, LNG tankers were being loaded or docked at all seven export terminals in the country, with flows of natural gas into liquefaction trains at a record high of 13.3 billion cu ft daily.

The report included estimates that as much as two-thirds of U.S. liquefied natural gas was scheduled to be delivered to Europe.

Volumes into Europe remain extremely strong with the U.S. playing a key role, Kpler analyst Reid lAnson told Reuters, adding that the February total may near January record-breaking amounts of U.S. LNG imported into Europe.

U.S. LNG exports are soaring to record levels and are expected to continue to surge as more export capacity comes online. Thanks to a growing number of U.S. LNG export projects coming into service, by the end of 2022, U.S. nominal capacity will increase to 11.4 billion cubic feet per day and peak capacity to 13.9 billion cu ft per day across seven LNG export facilities and 44 liquefaction trains, the Energy Information Administration said in December. That will be more than the respective capacities of Qatar and Australia, the other two largest LNG exporters in the world.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Strong wind power generation with storms sweeping through northwest Europe this week are set to ease the power prices in major markets, while natural gas prices continue to tumble amid signs that the Russia-Ukraine standoff might not lead to an armed conflict.

Although storms could down power lines, the strong winds are expected to drive wind power generation to records this week, Bloomberg models show.

Low wind speeds and low power generation from wind farms were some of the reasons why Europes power prices shot up in the autumn and early winter of 2021, alongside low natural gas storage levels and subdued pipeline gas deliveries from Russia.

Now storms are nearing northwest Europe, with wind gusts set to push wind power generation in the biggest renewable electricity markets, the UK and Germany, to records.

Storms Dudley and Eunice, two deep low-pressure systems, will bring very strong winds and potentially snow to the UK this week, the UKs Met Office warned on Tuesday. Both storms are likely to cause some disruption, and National Severe Weather Warnings have been issued. Storm Dudley will impact the northern half of the UK from Wednesday afternoon through to early Thursday, while Storm Eunice will bring strong winds and potentially some snow for parts of the country on Friday, the Met Office said.

The weather forecaster of Germany, DWD, also issued official warnings, expecting hurricane like wind speeds. France is also on alert for strong wind speeds.

The expected strong wind power generation is set to ease the power crunch in Europe, where wholesale power prices plunged on Wednesday on expectations of record wind power generation later in the week.

Europes benchmark natural gas prices continued to fall early on Wednesday, following the slump from Tuesday, on the back of signals that the Russia-Ukraine crisis may have started to de-escalate.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The Gretna Public Library is expanding its adult offerings.

Among the newest, the English Conversation Group is focused on providing a safe space for people to practice speaking English in a group setting.

The group was inspired by a presentation made at the 2019 Nebraska Library Association conference by Johnston, Iowa librarian Peggy Rasmussen.

She had created a successful ESL conversation group; one of her regular attendees spoke and it was riveting, said Rebecca McCorkindale, assistant director at the Gretna Public Library. Since then, I have wanted to have a similar program here in our community, but did not have neither the time nor staffing to even consider making this a reality.

One day later on, a patron reached out to inquire about getting help with their fluency and conversation skills, McCorkindale said.

This was the spark that finally pushed this program forward to a higher priority, she said.

She spoke with other library staff members, who were excited to create and build the program. After sharing the materials  recommended by Rasmussen  with staff, McCorkindale attended a webinar on the topic, specific to small libraries, and handed the reins over to her staff.

The first meeting of the English Conversation Group was held Wednesday, Feb. 9.

Before the (coronavirus) omicron surge, we were planning to meet in person with clear masks so our mouths would be visible and we could provide refreshments, but we opted to meet online instead, Zaheer said. We also attended a webinar recently that said virtual meetings are a great option to reach populations that may not have transportation options. Plus, with the librarys odd hours and space constraints, it just made sense to me.

The Zoom meeting worked in the attendees favor, said Zaheer.

We only had two patrons at our first meeting, but one of them Zoomed in from Mexico and they both seemed comfortable in their own spaces and with access to their computers, she said.

Attendees were invited to introduce themselves and library staff used a slideshow to guide the flow of conversation.

We asked our participants how they found us, what motivated them to practice their English with us and what they found most difficult about learning English, Zaheer said. Apparently, this was the first time both of them had spoken English in a group. I would not have guessed that. They said they hoped to gain confidence, be comfortable and make connections with us.

Attendees then spent time talking about favorites  colors, food, animals, hobbies and more.

This really broke the ice, Zaheer said. We were all nervous when we began, but by the time we were talking about different ways to cook zucchini, we were all smiling and laughing with each other.

It was a humbling and lovely experience and I am super impressed with how brave these folks are.

Originally, it was planned for the group to meet monthly.

When it was time to close and we said that our next meeting would be in a month, both of them sounded disappointed and I thought maybe the day wouldnt work out... but actually it was too far out, Zaheer said. So, now were hoping to meet every week.

GPLs English Conversation group will meet on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. The group is open to anyone, but registration is required and can be completed at gretnapubliclibrary.org under the Adult Programming tab.

Ive studied multiple languages and find speaking to be the most challenging aspect of language learning, and that was without conversing with native speakers, Zaheer said.

With questions, email gretna.library@gmail.com.

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Effective Wednesday, Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse has lifted the temporary indoor mask mandate for Omaha.

The move prompted some Omaha-area school districts to change their mask protocols.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been falling and have reached a level where Huse was able to take the action.

Huse acted in her capacity as the citys public health director on Jan. 11 when she put the mask requirement in place amid a surge of COVID cases caused by the omicron variant.

The seven-day total number of cases per 100,000 residents dropped below 200 cases per day Wednesday, meeting one of the benchmarks that Huse set out in her order. Hospital capacity was at or near 85%.

Huse told the Douglas County Board of Health on Wednesday that hospitals are seeing more people coming in to get care that was delayed while hospitals were busy treating COVID patients.

A total of 277 COVID patients were hospitalized in the Omaha area on Wednesday, down from a peak of 452 on Jan. 24.

Huse reviewed the mask order a week ago, four weeks after it was instituted. At that time, the city had not met the benchmarks Huse had established.

Huse cautioned Wednesday that the virus remains active in the community. But she acknowledged the precipitous decline in cases.

Weve dropped very significantly, she said. This is fantastic news.

Phil Rooney, a Health Department spokesman, said health officials continue to encourage people to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces. Businesses still can require masks on their premises.

Starting Thursday, Westside Community Schools will be transitioning to making masks optional for students, staff and visitors. Elkhorn Public Schools changed to optional masking immediately after the mandate was lifted, according to an email sent to parents on Wednesday.

Families of students in the Millard Public Schools were notified Wednesday that the district would return to optional masking in schools and facilities.

Omaha Public Schools will continue to require masks in all district buildings.

On Jan. 12, the day after Huse ordered the mask mandate for Omaha, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson filed a lawsuit against her and other county officials challenging it. The suit said Huses authority to issue a mask mandate under Omahas municipal code conflicts with applicable law.

Peterson sought a temporary and permanent injunction declaring that the mandate was void and unlawful and that Huse did not have jurisdiction or authority to issue it.

On Jan. 25, Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman declined to issue a temporary restraining order in the case.

In her 30-page decision, Stratman emphasized that both sides will present evidence at a hearing on the permanent injunction, which she has scheduled for June 16. At such a hearing, the state could present additional information that might change her mind regarding who has the power to enact measures related to communicable diseases in the city of Omaha.

The state had argued that such mandates require approval from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

In her written decision on the temporary injunction, Stratman sided with the city and county, pointing out that the plain language of the Omaha municipal code requires that the health director shall take all measures necessary to prevent the introduction ... of malignant, contagious and infectious diseases.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department last week extended Lancaster Countys indoor mask mandate through Feb. 25.

Nationally, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to loosen its indoor masking guidelines to states, NBC News reported. The updates could come as early as next week.

World-Herald staff writers Joe Dejka and Lauren Wagner contributed to this report.

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The former assistant principal and a business manager of a Chicago Public Schools elementary school have been charged with participating in procurement and overtime-kickback schemes allegedly orchestrated by the schools principal.

Charged in the superseding indictment was Jennifer McBride, the former assistant principal of Brennemann Elementary School, and the schools former business manager, William Jackson.

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McBride, 40, of Northbrook, was charged with four counts of wire fraud. Jackson, 37, of Chicago, was charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud.

Also named in the indictment was former Principal Sarah Jackson Abedelal, who was first charged in July in a 10-count wire fraud indictment alleging a seven-year scheme to have employees file for overtime they didnt work and kick back at least $200,000 to her.

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Arraignments in U.S. District Court have not yet been scheduled.

Abedelal was the principal of the Buena Park neighborhood school for about 12 years until 2019, when the CPS inspector general began investigating reports of wrongdoing.

According to the 22-page indictment unsealed Wednesday, after investigators visited Brennemann in March 2019, McBride directed Abedelal to buy a burner phone so that they could conceal their communications from the inspector general.

Attorneys for McBride and Jackson could not be reached. Abedelals attorney, Dena Singer, said in an emailed statement Wednesday that Abedelal is a wonderful friend and family to everybody who knows her, and she is looking forward to putting this episode behind her.

The indictment alleged Abedelal and McBride, with assistance from Jackson and two unnamed school employees, ran the overtime scheme over a seven-year period beginning in 2012.

Abedelal told employees that she would sign off on overtime that they never worked, and that the extra money they received would be used to pay legitimate expenses incurred by the school, when she was actually using it for her own purposes, according to the charges.

Abedelal had the employees withdraw the unearned overtime in cash on the day their paychecks were deposited. She and McBride would then meet with them individually in her office or in classrooms to collect the cash, according to the charges.

To conceal the scheme, Abedelal allegedly used the cash to buy money orders at a currency exchange, which she then used to pay personal expenses, including the mortgage on her home, the charges alleged.

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The new indictment also alleges Abedelal and Jackson participated in a separate scheme to submit more than $45,000 in false purchase orders for office and school supplies to Chicago Public Schools, when instead the money was used to buy iPhones, iPads and $30,000 in gift cards for Abedelals personal use.

The scheme was allegedly facilitated by a sales representative for the supply company, though that person has not been charged.

Brennemann, in the 4200 block of North Clarendon Avenue, serves just over 400 pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students. The schools motto is, Where high standards and excellence are the expectations, according to its website.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
The house that Omaha real estate agent Mickey Sodoro was showing that December day was so clean, so immaculate, that investigators found vacuum marks still in the carpet.

One investigator said it even smelled clean, the kind of freshness that one finds on move-in day.

But amidst the pristine, almost antiseptic environs, there were signs, small and large, that something grisly had taken place in the house that Sodoro was planning to rent out at 19350 W St.

A white button, small threads sticking out, as if it had been ripped from a dress shirt. A dried out contact lens, folded in half and lying in the bathroom. A bloody, partial palm print in the bathtub.

Then there were big things: a blood stain in the carpet in the living room. An orange sweatshirt with blood spots on it, stuffed into the pantry.

After discovering all of that, investigators retraced their steps and found something they originally overlooked: Sodoros body, dragged under a crawlspace in the garage. Carpet rolls and scraps covering his body. His eyes blackened. His shirt pulled over his head. A bullet wound in the back of his head.

It took them less than a day to try to connect the killing to the last man he showed the house to: Ross Lorello, a 43-year-old man in search of a rental after a falling out with his girlfriend.

As a trial opened Tuesday in the first-degree murder case against Lorello, prosecutor Brenda Beadle outlined a trail of evidence that, she argued, will lead jurors to the conclusion that Lorello was the man who killed Sodoro.

One thing Beadle didnt outline: the motive for the killing. Law enforcement officials have speculated as to one, alleging that Lorello had such bad credit and so little money that he feared he would be rejected by Sodoro that day.

The longtime Realtor, 70, was both popular and beloved in the Omaha area. Beadle said he had no idea what he was walking into that Monday evening in December 2020. Lorellos attorney, Assistant Public Defender Nick Yost, urged jurors to keep an open mind. He noted that Lorello is presumed innocent and that no one would be able to say they witnessed Lorello with Sodoro. Nor would anyone be able to put a gun in Lorellos hands.

It is unclear if investigators would have made headway in the case  or an arrest  if not for a chance stopover at the house by its former owner, Casey Freyer. Freyer, who had sold the house to Sodoro and moved down the street, had spotted Sodoro idling in his Chevy truck outside the blue house with orange trim.

After selling the house to Sodoro 10 days before, Freyer had come across another set of keys. Freyer told Sodoro he could go get them; Sodoro said that would be great.

The neighbor went to fetch them. When he returned, he found Sodoros truck still idling in the street. But he couldnt locate Sodoro.

Freyer went to the door to find a bigger man inside. The man didnt answer the door but opened the garage door. When Freyer asked if Sodoro was there, the man told him he had gotten a ride to show a house to a friend of his sons.

Freyer thought about leaving the keys with the man, but then thought better of it.

Soon after, Sodoros family began to worry. The real estate agent had told his son, Mickey Jr., he was staying at the office until 6 p.m., then was going to meet Lorello. After midnight, Sodoro still hadnt returned home. The younger Sodoro called to file a police report.

A GPS service, OnStar, traced the location of Sodoros truck to near 191st and R Streets. A sheriffs deputy found it about 4:30 a.m. and saw no signs that it had been broken into.

Sensing that Sodoros disappearance was highly unusual, sheriffs commanders soon called in investigators. After daybreak, they went door to door near where the truck was found and collected home surveillance videos. One of them showed a bigger man parking the truck, exiting it and heading south, in the direction of the W Street address, Beadle said.

A neighbor near 19350 W St. also had home surveillance. It faced the house and showed Sodoro and Lorello driving up separately, Beadle said.

Sodoro arrived in his truck first. A minute later, Lorello pulled in the driveway in a Ford Edge. The video showed the two men going into the house. And, Beadle told jurors, it showed only one man leaving.

That same man  Beadle alleges it was Lorello  would return. Beadle argued he was looking for the orange sweatshirt his girlfriends dad had given him. Perhaps in a rush, out of fear that Freyer would return to the house, the orange sweatshirt was left behind.

Investigators discovered it, under a shelf in the pantry. Heres what else they found that, Beadle argued, will link Lorello to the killing:

A rental agreement that Lorello and Sodoro signed. Lorello showed it to investigators, perhaps to make the point that he had paid a $9,000 deposit and that he had a signed agreement and would have no reason to shoot Sodoro.

The problem, Beadle said, is that a copy of the agreement, intended to go to the real estate office, was still attached. No real estate agent would give a tenant both copies, Beadle said.

The rental agreement had another unique feature: Lorellos name was signed in a distinctive teal-colored ink. Later, as investigators interviewed his ex-girlfriend, one of Lorellos children was scribbling with a similar teal-colored pen.

Beadle and fellow prosecutor Mike Jensen say they have other evidence: Electronic data from the alleged gunmans Ford Edge. Video from a gas station that showed someone throwing items away in the trash cans between pumps.

And the biggest evidence: DNA tests on the inside of the orange sweatshirt will trace it to Lorello. Tests on the blood stains will show they belonged to Sodoro, Beadle said. Plus, an autopsy revealed not only the injuries that Sodoro suffered but what was missing: A button on his shirt. A contact in one eye but not the other.

At the end of this trial, were going to ask you to hold the defendant Ross Lorello accountable for his cowardly acts, Beadle said.

Yost said prosecutors wont be able to prove their case.

We submit to you that once you have heard all of the evidence, you will find Mr. Lorello not guilty, he said.

The trial is expected to last through Friday.

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The Omaha woman who gave birth on a sidewalk Sunday told a friend that she used methamphetamine and marijuana while pregnant, prosecutors say.

Trinity Shakespeare, 27, was booked into jail Tuesday on suspicion of felony child abuse, two days after she delivered a baby boy in 15-degree weather and then left the area, authorities have said.

As she awaits her first appearance in criminal court, officials filed a petition in juvenile court seeking temporary custody of the infant. Custody was granted to the state on Tuesday by Judge Matthew Kahler.

Deputy Douglas County Attorney Alexander Kelly wrote in the petition that Shakespeare had admitted to drug use, uses alcohol and has refused drug rehabilitation services offered by hospital staff.

For those and other reasons, Kelly said, the baby is at risk for harm.

Shakespeare was homeless when she gave birth and has been homeless for about four years, her older sister said Wednesday.

Shakespeares sister said she often drove around near 24th and P Streets looking for her to provide help as she neared her due date.

I was constantly looking for her in the hopes that something like this wouldnt happen, the sister said. But I cant predict when she was going to have her baby.

The sister, who is 29, said she visited Shakespeare in the hospital on Sunday, after she delivered the baby on a sidewalk near 24th and P.

Shakespeare told her sister she thought she was just having cramps and wasnt in labor, which is why she declined to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

She tried to walk it out, the sister said, but then experienced a severe cramp and delivered the baby soon afterward.

Another person then called 911, and the ambulance took the baby and Shakespeare to the Nebraska Medical Center. Omaha police officers who responded to the call about the baby had found Shakespeare at the back of a home about a block from where she delivered.

The sister said she and her sibling came to Omaha about 10 years ago from Wyoming but lost regular touch when Shakespeare started using drugs heavily.

Ive tried to look for her and help her and always encourage her to get help for her mental health or to stay sober, the sister said.

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A woman died and a man was seriously injured early Wednesday in a motorcycle crash on Interstate 29 near the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.

Police responded to the crash on northbound I-29 shortly after 2 a.m. Officers found a woman dead at the scene and a man who was seriously injured. The man was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center.

Investigators determined that the man and woman were northbound when the motorcycle they were riding left the roadway and crashed into a ditch.

The names of the man and woman are being withheld pending notification of relatives.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Council Bluffs Police Department's traffic unit at 712-328-4948 or Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

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More than six years ago, Marcus Floyd was convicted of a murder he insists he cannot remember.

This week, Floyd was back in a Cook County courtroom before jurors who must decide: Given his claims of amnesia, was he in fact fit to stand trial back in 2015 on charges that he killed an off-duty Chicago police officer?

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The unusual retrospective fitness trial was ordered by a state appellate court, which determined in 2019 that there were legal errors during the first proceedings in which Floyd was deemed competent to stand trial. Floyd sustained severe injuries in a harrowing 2010 shootout that ended in the death of Officer Thomas Wortham IV.

Amnesia is a common effect of the brain damage Floyd suffered, and it would be fundamentally unjust for him to stand trial if he cant remember anything about the night he is accused of committing the crime, said Assistant Public Defender Brendan Max, one of Floyds attorneys, during opening statements Tuesday.

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The family of murdered Chicago police Officer Thomas Wortham IV, including his mother, Carolyn Wortham, third from right, and sister Sandra Wortham, far right, walk in the Leighton Criminal Court Building lobby during a lunch break Feb. 15, 2022, for the trial of Marcus Floyd, one of three men convicted in Wortham's killing, who is now undergoing a fitness trial. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

The fate the prosecutors would have Marcus suffer is un-American, Max told jurors. He could never defend himself in a fair fight in the case  despite any innuendo to the contrary, the medical evidence is that amnesia is the likely result of what he (suffered).

In opening statements, Cook County prosecutors indicated they werent necessarily agreeing that Floyds reported amnesia is legitimate in the first place. There is no test available to prove or disprove it, First Assistant States Attorney Risa Lanier said, and his memory problems did improve as he recovered from his physical symptoms.

And even if the claims of amnesia are true, Lanier said, Floyd still meets the standard for fitness to stand trial. He has recovered significantly to be capable of learning and retaining new information; he could understand and process information told to him about the case and the evidence against him, she said.

Prosecutors called to the stand Dr. Erick Neu, a psychologist who evaluated Floyd last year and testified that in his opinion Floyd was in fact competent to stand trial in 2015.

Neu said it is very likely that Floyd does have amnesia, but it is more difficult to accurately determine the period of time he cannot recall, he said.

There was nothing to suggest that at the time of August 2015, the defendant had cognitive deficits or symptoms of mental illness that would have significantly compromised the proceedings or  significantly impeded his ability to rationally assist his defense, Neu said.

On cross-examination, Neu acknowledged that while Floyd has no trouble understanding what other people have written or said about the night of the shooting, that is not intended to mean he has regenerated his own memory.

Youre saying he has new secondhand memories of what other people said? Max asked. If Marcus has real amnesia  he has no way of knowing whether those secondhand (accounts) are true or not?

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Under Illinois law, amnesia about the alleged crime does not automatically render someone unfit to stand trial. Jurors determining a defendants fitness for trial must consider the claims of memory loss along with all the other available evidence.

Prosecutors have alleged that Wortham, 30, was fatally shot as four men tried to rob him of his new motorcycle in front of his parents home in the Chatham neighborhood. Wortham drew his gun, identified himself as a cop and exchanged gunfire with Floyd and his cousin Brian, according to prosecutors. Worthams father, Thomas III, testified that he witnessed the encounter and opened fire in his sons defense.

Toyious Taylor, the driver of the getaway car, and Paris McGee, whom the elder Wortham said fired a shot at him before the two fled, were convicted in 2014 and sentenced to life in prison. Brian Floyd died of injuries he sustained in the gun battle. Marcus Floyd was shot multiple times and was near death.

Floyds attorneys are expected to begin presenting their witnesses Wednesday.

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
The Holocaust and other acts of genocide would be added to Nebraska's existing multicultural education curriculum under a bill being considered by state lawmakers.

Currently, the state has a requirement to provide multicultural education to K-12 students, focusing on the culture, history and contributions of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans.

Legislative Bill 888 introduced by Sen. Jen Day of Omaha would add the Holocaust and other acts of genocide to the list of topics taught to Nebraska students.

Speaking before the Nebraska Legislature's Education Committee on Tuesday, Day said knowledge among youths about the Holocaust is declining. She referred to surveys that indicate younger Americans do not know how many people died in the Holocaust and did not know what happened at concentration camps like Auschwitz.

About 6 million European Jews and millions of other people were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators. Some 1.5 million were children.

"What is particularly shocking and disappointing about this decline in knowledge of the Holocaust is that is a relatively recent event that happened only 77 years ago," Day said. "Unfortunately, unless we work to ensure that this event is taught, only a few generations removed from the Holocaust, ignorance will only increase as it falls further into history."

Mark Dreiling, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, told the committee that Day's bill is a "vital tool in the fight against this insidious virus of antisemitism."

Dreiling said Bacon and his staff have spent years working on a number of initiatives to fight antisemitism, including Holocaust education. Bacon was among a bipartisan group of lawmakers to get legislation passed in 2020 aimed at improving Holocaust awareness among younger Americans.

Gary Nachman, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, said there has been genocide on six of the world's seven continents. He said having students study other genocides in addition to the Holocaust is important.

Nachman said his organization monitors antisemitic incidents in the region. Over the past 10 years, the Anti-Defamation League has seen an increase, on average, of about 30% of antisemitic incidents in Nebraska.

Nachman said respect for differences, understanding where prejudice can lead and the fragility of democracy are the three primary reasons Holocaust education is so important.

Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, also spoke in favor of Day's bill.

"Teachers must continue to ensure their students learn the complete and honest history so that they have the skills to better understand our society and develop collective solutions to those problems," Benson said. "All students, no matter the race, background or ZIP code, deserve an education that is honest about our past and present and imparts a sense of integrity and the courage to do what is right."

No one spoke against Day's bill on Tuesday.

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A state panel got a taste Tuesday of the passion and emotion thats been burning across Nebraska over health education standards for schools.

Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston pitched to lawmakers on the Education Committee her bill that would strip the Nebraska State Board of Education of the power to write the standards.

Albrecht said the Legislature needs to send a clear and concise message to the board.

Sadly, the public trust has been broken, and now its time for the Legislature to step in and restore that trust, she said.

The committee members took testimony for about 2 hours, with bill supporters and opponents taking turns. Committee members asked few questions during the hearing.

The states standards would be voluntary for districts to adopt.

Much of the testimony focused on whether schools should have comprehensive and inclusive health standards  not on the question of whether the state education board should have the power to write them.

Zoe Miller, a testifier from Omaha, said comprehensive health education in schools would help prevent suicide, sexual violence, high sexually transmitted infection rates and high teen pregnancy rates.

Our health education curriculum is in dire need of reworking to be more inclusive and honest, meaning we cant just cater our health education to cisgender White men, Miller said.

Jo Giles, executive director of the Womens Fund of Omaha, said all young people deserve access to complete, honest and accurate information to make informed decisions about their health and their futures.

Omitting complete health information for young people leaves a devastating hole in their education and does not prepare them for life, she said.

She said 57% of Nebraska kids have sex before they graduate from high school but only 8% have ever been tested for a sexually transmitted disease.

Jill Greenquist of Omaha, a wife and mother who favored the bill, said she testified to protect her children from activist individuals and entities who believe their way of educating children should go beyond the standards of math, science, language arts and social studies.

Im disappointed, she said, that the Nebraska Department of Education cannot be trusted with establishing educational standards that are focused on the essentials.

Albrecht appealed to the committee to advance the bill, LB 768, for consideration by the whole Legislature.

The bill would restrict the boards authority for developing new standards to the core academic subject areas already authorized under state law: reading, writing, math, science and social studies.

The state currently has no statewide health education standards. They are developed by local districts.

In addition, the bill would scrub the word comprehensive from a couple of passages of Nebraska law dealing with health education in schools.

Under the bill, local authorities would still be directed to provide for instructing public school students in a health education program, but the law would no longer define it as comprehensive.

The board is not required under state law to create health standards. If approved, the standards would only be recommended for adoption by local districts.

The board has previously approved similar recommended standards, beyond those required by law, in the areas of fine arts, physical education, world language and career and technical education.

Albrecht said lawmakers have a history of weighing in on major education issues, for instance passing bills on reading and civics education, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide prevention, she said.

We, as legislators, decide the big stuff, the big stuff thats going to make a difference in the fabric of education in the state of Nebraska, she said.

Albrecht encouraged the committee members to read what was in the first and second drafts of the standards produced by a team of writers and the Nebraska Department of Education.

Take the first draft and take the second draft, and tell me that youre OK with this being in our school system, she said.

The controversial standards have been on ice since Sept. 3 when board members, facing a groundswell of opposition, postponed their development indefinitely. The board voted 7-1 earlier this month to oppose Albrechts bill.

Board member Maureen Nickels on Tuesday said small school districts lack the wherewithal to write their own standards, and they rely on the state for help.

Nickels said health standards are the only set of standards that we have not put out yet at the Department of Education, and I sincerely believe its important for us to have standards by the state for every curriculum out there, for every course that we teach out there.

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For the third time in less than a year, a Nebraska lawmaker is pushing a proposal that would allow cities to enter the broadband services market. And he pledged to continue bringing it back until it passes.

State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha brought his latest effort before the Legislature's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee on Tuesday.

Legislative Bill 916 would create a process allowing first- and second-class cities, as well as villages, to provide municipal broadband services if the city or village is in an underserved or unserved area.

Last year, Wayne attempted to add a similar proposal into a larger package that provided $40 million over two years to expand high-speed internet services. Wayne's proposal, which did not make it into the final package approved by the Legislature, would have allowed cities and towns to enter the broadband services market. That effort came after a bill Wayne introduced  which would have struck language in state law barring municipalities from providing broadband  failed to gain necessary support and was indefinitely postponed.

At the time, Wayne said that broadband should be considered a critical infrastructure need and that private telecommunications companies have not stepped up to serve the whole state.

In Tuesday's hearing, Wayne said this is a bill he will continue to bring back every year. The broadband network, he said, is nowhere close to being completed.

Wayne cited several other states that have done away with or lessened prohibitions like the one in Nebraska.

"I know this committee has heard me say it over and over again and I'm not going to belabor the point, but at the end of the day, we have to decide if this is a utility that is needed for every Nebraskan," Wayne said.

Wayne compared broadband to other utilities, like water and electricity, and stressed the importance of local control.

He outlined the process as allowing communities to determine whether they're properly served, taking a vote and building a system themselves.

One committee member asked if a city did decide to build broadband, would the city then become a provider or would the system be run by a third party. Wayne said he would leave that up to the city to decide.

At one point, Wayne said he would be open to amending the bill based on some questions committee members posed.

Proponents, including a representative from AARP Nebraska and an official with the League of Nebraska Municipalities, testified that broadband is essential for quality of life.

Tip O'Neill, president of the Nebraska Telecommunications Association, testified in opposition, saying broadband is "nothing like a public utility." While the majority of residents purchase water and electricity, he said, the rate for broadband services is significantly lower.

Wayne previously expressed frustration over having the bill assigned to the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, instead saying it should have gone to the Urban Affairs Committee. Wayne is the chair of that committee.

But Transportation and Telecommunications has heard other broadband-related legislation this session. Wayne said he believed his bill would be "killed" by the committee.

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LINCOLN  Nebraska lawmakers gave second-round approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow employees to claim medical and religious exemptions from workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Legislative Bill 906 advanced to the final stage of consideration on a 36-2 vote, despite complaints from some senators that it had become more symbolic than functional.

The bill, introduced by State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, spells out how employees can be exempted from workplace requirements to get the COVID vaccine. The proposal advanced based on a carefully crafted compromise that removed opposition from business and health care groups.

Under the compromise, employees can claim an exemption by filling out a state-produced form and declaring that the vaccine conflicts with their sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. The forms could be used to claim a medical exemption, as well, as long as the claims were accompanied by a written statement from a doctor or other health care provider.

The bill makes clear that employers could require unvaccinated workers to be tested regularly and to wear masks or other protective equipment.

It also states that federal requirements would take precedence for federal contractors and for hospitals and other entities covered by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services standards.

Debate about the bill frequently veered into arguments about the value of COVID-19 vaccines and masking, as well as discussion about the role of government and comparisons with other employee protection measures.

Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus, who spent about a month in the hospital with COVID, said the bill responded to concerns raised by Nebraskans about the government forcing people to get COVID vaccines. He said the compromise version had been watered down so it had little practical effect.

But he also strongly defended the sensible idea of getting the vaccine, saying it is supported by the vast majority of medical professionals. He urged people to research the vaccine using medical sources, not talking heads on social media.

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LINCOLN  Two state senators have opted against running for reelection this year, leaving only 10 lawmakers with the potential to return to the Nebraska Legislature.

But at least one former lawmaker is hoping to come back after being defeated four years ago.

Former State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston filed Tuesday to run for the District 12 legislative seat he once held. The district encompasses Ralston and the eastern part of Millard. Riepe was elected in 2014 but was defeated four years later by Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha.

Lathrop, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, announced that he will bow out after finishing this term to focus on other priorities. By then, the Democrat will have spent 12 years in the Legislature. He was elected in 2006, term-limited out in 2014 and returned after defeating Riepe in 2018.

Sen. Tim Gragert of Glenvil also passed up the chance to seek another term. He was elected from northeast Nebraskas District 40 in 2018. He said Tuesday that he had decided to retire and focus on his family, after 40 years serving in the military and four serving in elected office.

Twelve incumbent senators are barred by term limits from seeking reelection. A constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2000 limits state senators to two consecutive terms in office, after which they must sit out at least four years before coming back.

Several of the term-limited senators are seeking other state or federal offices. Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln is running for Congress, Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha is running for governor and Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln has filed for attorney general. Sens. Matt Williams of Gothenburg and Mike Groene of North Platte will be competing for a seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

Tuesday was the deadline for people currently holding elected office to file as candidates. People not in office have a March 1 deadline to file.

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The philosophy major was eliminated at the University of Nebraska at Kearney because its administrators and the regents of the university do not require or desire her students to have a liberal education.

President Ted Carter of the University of Nebraska recently addressed Higher Education in the 21st Century at UNK. He looks out on the fruits of STEM-based education, the need for innovation in creating careers resulting from rapidly changing technological advances, the immediate need in the health sciences fields and earning a degree in four years.

Chancellor Doug Kristensen asked questions submitted in advance by students, one being, What do you think the role of the humanities is in the future of higher education?

President Carter replied the humanities are necessary for critical thinking and character formation, which is to be expected, given he is a graduate and former superintendent of the Naval Academy, which offers a rigorous STEM education requiring 24 hours of humanities.

Kristensen obviously failed to brief President Carter on the new general studies program approved by academic affairs for humanities at UNK.

Whereas students once took 45 hours of general studies, including nine hours in humanities with nine hours of designated writing intensive courses to improve critical thinking, the general studies now is reduced to 30 hours with only three hours of humanities. All this to facilitate a system that demands that students graduate in four years.

Students now freely choose one course from 38 offered in humanities, among which are childrens literature, Nebraska in the world, cross-cultural communication.

Students can avoid reading American history, literature, poetry and primary works in philosophy or ethics taught by philosophers. Nevertheless, UNK continues to advertise it is one of the top public universities in the Midwest. A university?

Ancient wisdom: Every generation is born ignorant.

Before being sentenced to death for corrupting the youth, Socrates stated:

My whole employment is to persuade the young and old against too much love for the body, for riches and all other precarious things of whatsoever nature they be, and against too little regard for the soul, which ought to be the object of their affections.

What is the soul?

The soul houses the light of reason, grounded in conscience, necessary to discriminate between what is just and unjust, good and evil, true and false, virtue and vice. This light reveals universal principles  you should not return a harm with a harm  and the self-evident truths of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

How does this work?

Frederick Douglass was taught to read by his kind household mistress until the master forbade it, as it was unlawful and unsafe to teach slaves to read. Slaves were to know nothing but to obey the master.

At 12 years, Douglass got hold of the Columbian Orator, where he read the aforementioned words of Socrates, among other classics. Reading those words opened his eyes to his wretched condition. Douglass wrote that he envied the stupidity of his fellow slaves, which did not allow them to see beyond their condition as soulless animals.

It was too late! The silver trumpet of freedom had aroused my soul to eternal wakefulness, he wrote. Freedom now appeared, to disappear no more forever.

This is the purpose of a liberal education; Frederick Douglass was no longer a slave; he was more than a workhorse!

Every student in intro to philosophy is required to read Platos Republic, be confronted by Socrates questions and enter a dialectical discussion, which is how you learn to argue on your feet, support your claims, dismiss fallacies and fashions, question ideologies and seek the truth.

Is an education for freedom too much to expect for Nebraskas youth?

There may not be a Naval Academy in Nebraska, but I have seen the seaman of Nebraskas Navy come alive as they captain their souls through the fog of ignorance from places as small as Surprise, Nebraska.

The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Tom Martin, Ph.D., is the O.K. Bouwsma professor of philosophy at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
A year ago this week, people hustling outside were triple-wrapped in scarves, gloves and hats as a polar vortex sent temperatures plunging below zero and led to Nebraskas first known wintertime rolling blackouts.

Omahas temperature on Tuesday peaked at 61 degrees. A year earlier, the high in Omaha on Feb. 15 was minus 3. The low that day set a daily record with a reading of minus 19.

In addition, Omaha had 9 inches of snow on the ground at this time last year.

This month, the Omaha area is in the midst of a snow drought, as not even a trace has fallen since mid-January.

The wild swing from February 2021 to February 2022 is a reminder of how extreme variations in weather can be in an area lacking large bodies of water that can moderate temperatures.

A year ago, the month ranked as Nebraskas sixth-coldest February and Omahas ninth-snowiest, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information and the National Weather Service. Schools closed, batteries froze and furnaces and furnace repair companies went into overdrive.

This year, the region is in the midst of an exceptionally warm and dry winter. November through January has averaged in the top 10 for warmest and driest on record in Nebraska.

That trend is continuing into February, said Martha Shulski, Nebraskas state climatologist.

Temperatures in the eastern two-thirds of Nebraska are running 2 to 5 degrees above average, Shulski said. Precipitation for the month ranges anywhere from 2%, where virtually no precipitation has fallen, to 75% of normal.

Last year, the worst of the cold occurred from Feb. 15 to 17. On Feb. 16, 2021, Omaha set another record low of minus 23. That compares to Wednesdays expected low of 25 degrees.

In mid-February 2021, the state was in the midst of rolling blackouts. A total of 80,596 Omaha Public Power District customers were among the Nebraskans without power for one to two hours at some point from Feb. 15-17.

Shulski said the outlook for the last two weeks of the month suggests a slight chance for above-average precipitation. In the near term, this winters temperature roller-coaster continues. Thursdays high is likely to be in the 20s, while the low is expected to be in the teens. After that, weekend highs return to the 50s into the low 60s.

The average high this time of year in Omaha is about 40 degrees, while the average low is about 20 degrees.

The lesson that Shulski takes from this winter is that climate change is changing the severe weather season. This winter brought a record tornado outbreak to Nebraska and Iowa in December, followed by warm, dry weather that has increased the risk of brush fires.

Because seasons are getting warmer, Sluski said, even winter can bring severe weather, enhanced fire danger ... (and) worsening of drought conditions.

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The British national who said he helped a Northwestern professor fatally stab the professors young boyfriend in 2017 was formally sentenced Wednesday to 45 years in prison.

Andrew Warren, 61, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and agreed to testify against co-defendant Wyndham Lathem as part of his 2019 plea deal. In exchange, Cook County prosecutors agreed to recommend a term of 45 years in prison, and said they would not object if Warren applied to serve his sentence in his native England, which could sharply reduce his time in custody.

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While prosecutors described Lathem as the mastermind of the gruesome plot to kill his boyfriend, Trenton Cornell, Warren testified last year that he was also an active participant, testifying that he hit Cornell over the head with a lamp and stabbed him twice.

He also had ample opportunity to alert police about the plot but never did, Charlotte Cornell, one of Cornells mothers, said in court Wednesday.

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Andrew Warren is escorted by Chicago police to a police station on Aug. 18, 2017. (Jim Young / AP)

Once Andrew Warren knew of Lathems plan, he could have stopped this crime from happening, she said. Warren could have called and reported the plan to authorities, he could have stopped a police officer on the street  this was a most heinous and unbelievable crime that he committed with Wyndham Lathem.

Lathem was convicted of first-degree murder in October and sentenced last month to 53 years in prison. Warrens formal sentencing was put on hold until after Lathems case had concluded.

Warren, wearing a yellow Cook County Jail jumpsuit indicating that he is in protective custody, gave the family a brief apology toward the end of the sentencing hearing Wednesday.

I just want to say that Im really so sorry, he said. Thats all I can say.

Prosecutors said Lathem and his co-defendant, Andrew Warren, had made a suicidal pact to kill each other, but instead killed Cornell, who was stabbed dozens of times and left for dead in Lathems high-rise apartment.

Warren testified at Lathems trial that he met Lathem online and they made plans for him to travel to Chicago as part of their elaborate suicidal plan. Instead they stabbed Cornell to death and fled town.

I dont know why. Ill never know why, he told jurors.

Cornells mothers, Mischelle Duranleau and Charlotte Cornell, told reporters after the sentencing that they were deeply relieved that court proceedings had finally concluded more than four years since their sons death.

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It doesnt bring Trenton back, but theres a level of peace now that were done, Duranleau said.

Warrens sentence was appropriate, Cornell said, noting that his cooperation with police and prosecutors was likely crucial: If it werent for Andrew Warren telling the prosecutors and the detectives everything that happened, this case might have been a lot harder for them to put together, she said.

Were grateful that he had the moral sense to tell the truth eventually, Duranleau added.  He could have stopped it. So there is this really big mixed feeling between absolute anger and appreciation.

A transfer to a British prison could allow Warren to serve only about half his prison term.

According to the plea agreement, prosecutors wont oppose Warren applying to the U.S. Department of Justices International Prisoner Transfer Program, which can allow inmates to move to prisons outside the United States.

Inmates repatriated to the United Kingdom are released on the equivalent of parole after serving about half of what remains of their sentences, according to the British charity Prisoners Abroad. That means his prison term could be significantly shortened, and allow him to serve his time closer to family and friends.

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Illinois law does not allow for good-behavior credit on first-degree murder sentences, so Warren would have to serve out his full sentence if he stays in the U.S.

While prosecutors said they wont stand in the way of Warren applying for the transfer, the Justice Department and British authorities would still need to approve the request.

Lathems defense attorneys argued that Warren acted alone in committing the murder and insinuated that Warren was motivated to testify against Lathem in exchange for a good plea deal  an implication that prosecutors strongly rebuked in closing arguments.

He pled guilty with the expectation of being sentenced to 45 years in prison. In what world is that a sweetheart deal? Assistant States Attorney Yolanda Lippert said at trial in October. Theres a chance (of) maybe going back to England  do you think the Queen wants that guy back?

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
More than six years ago, Marcus Floyd was convicted of a murder he insists he cannot remember.

This week, Floyd was back in a Cook County courtroom before jurors who must decide: Given his claims of amnesia, was he in fact fit to stand trial back in 2015 on charges that he killed an off-duty Chicago police officer?

The unusual retrospective fitness trial was ordered by a state appellate court, which determined in 2019 that there were legal errors during the first proceedings in which Floyd was deemed competent to stand trial. Floyd sustained severe injuries in a harrowing 2010 shootout that ended in the death of Officer Thomas Wortham IV.

Amnesia is a common effect of the brain damage Floyd suffered, and it would be fundamentally unjust for him to stand trial if he cant remember anything about the night he is accused of committing the crime, said Assistant Public Defender Brendan Max, one of Floyds attorneys, during opening statements Tuesday.

The fate the prosecutors would have Marcus suffer is un-American, Max told jurors. He could never defend himself in a fair fight in the case  despite any innuendo to the contrary, the medical evidence is that amnesia is the likely result of what he (suffered).

In opening statements, Cook County prosecutors indicated they werent necessarily agreeing that Floyds reported amnesia is legitimate in the first place. There is no test available to prove or disprove it, First Assistant States Attorney Risa Lanier said, and his memory problems did improve as he recovered from his physical symptoms.

And even if the claims of amnesia are true, Lanier said, Floyd still meets the standard for fitness to stand trial. He has recovered significantly to be capable of learning and retaining new information; he could understand and process information told to him about the case and the evidence against him, she said.

Prosecutors called to the stand Dr. Erick Neu, a psychologist who evaluated Floyd last year and testified that in his opinion Floyd was in fact competent to stand trial in 2015.

Neu said it is very likely that Floyd does have amnesia, but it is more difficult to accurately determine the period of time he cannot recall, he said.

There was nothing to suggest that at the time of August 2015, the defendant had cognitive deficits or symptoms of mental illness that would have significantly compromised the proceedings or  significantly impeded his ability to rationally assist his defense, Neu said.

On cross-examination, Neu acknowledged that while Floyd has no trouble understanding what other people have written or said about the night of the shooting, that is not intended to mean he has regenerated his own memory.

Youre saying he has new secondhand memories of what other people said? Max asked. If Marcus has real amnesia  he has no way of knowing whether those secondhand (accounts) are true or not?

Under Illinois law, amnesia about the alleged crime does not automatically render someone unfit to stand trial. Jurors determining a defendants fitness for trial must consider the claims of memory loss along with all the other available evidence.

Prosecutors have alleged that Wortham, 30, was fatally shot as four men tried to rob him of his new motorcycle in front of his parents home in the Chatham neighborhood. Wortham drew his gun, identified himself as a cop and exchanged gunfire with Floyd and his cousin Brian, according to prosecutors. Worthams father, Thomas III, testified that he witnessed the encounter and opened fire in his sons defense.

Toyious Taylor, the driver of the getaway car, and Paris McGee, whom the elder Wortham said fired a shot at him before the two fled, were convicted in 2014 and sentenced to life in prison. Brian Floyd died of injuries he sustained in the gun battle. Marcus Floyd was shot multiple times and was near death.

Floyds attorneys are expected to begin presenting their witnesses Wednesday.

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BLOOMINGTON  Civil rights attorney Ben Crump on Wednesday said current and former State Farm employees will continue to call out the insurance giant for "rampant discrimination."

Crump is representing two former State Farm employees in separate lawsuits alleging that they were retaliated against speaking out against discrimination. The most recent lawsuit was filed on behalf of Shashi Mandhyan, an Asian American woman who worked at the company's Bloomington headquarters for 19 years.

"We have 150 of your current and former employees who are making the same proclamation, and you all continue to be tone deaf," Crump said during a press conference in Chicago. "State Farm, you keep trying to talk about some policy you have, but discrimination keeps happening and its harming real people."

Crump is also representing Carla Campbell Jackson, a former State Farm employee and Normal resident, who filed a lawsuit in December alleging discrimination and retaliation.

"We want you to do better State Farm, but if you refuse to do better, then we're going to take a stand and stand our ground with these women of color," he said.

A company spokeswoman on Tuesday said: "State Farm has long been committed to a diverse and inclusive environment, where all of our associates and customers are treated with respect and dignity, and where differences are valued. These allegations do not reflect the State Farm culture."

Crump was joined Wednesday by Mandhyan, Campbell-Jackson, and their lawyers with Chicago-based Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge, in announcing Mandhyan's lawsuit at the headquarters for the Rainbow People United to Save Humanity, the nonprofit organization led by civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Crump has represented the families of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and Jelani Day, and has handled several other high-profile cases.

Mandhyan was terminated after 19 years with State Farm because "she complained about State Farm's rampant culture of racism and discrimination which permeated throughout her time at State Farm, creating a hostile work environment," according to the lawsuit filed Jan. 21 in McLean County Circuit Court.

Campbell-Jackson, former State Farm employee and Normal resident, in December filed a lawsuit against the insurance agency, accusing the company of discrimination and retaliation. In her lawsuit, Campbell-Jackson said she was terminated after 28 years with the company for complaining about the company's "rampant culture of racism and discrimination."

The suit was filed in Michigan because Campbell-Jackson was working at a State Farm office in Portage, Michigan, at the time of the offenses claimed.

A class-action lawsuit alleging discrimination and retaliation was filed against State Farm in November. Lawyers with Chicago-based Stowell & Friedman filed the lawsuit on behalf of seven named plaintiffs: Alton Williams, Brandon Herndon, Markus Tolson, Jeffrey Flowers, Brooke Cluse, Vvonaka Richardson, and Vera Dixon.

In her lawsuit, Mandhyan said that, after being reassigned to a new department in 2018, her direct manager and supervisor "engaged in shockingly harassing, abusive, and hostile conduct," including "regularly pretending to sneeze in her presence" and saying he was "allergic to her."

Among her claims, Mandhyan alleges the supervisor told her "Asian women" like herself were "supposed to be subdued"; that "no one could understand her because of her accent," and required Mandhyan to "ask permission every time she need to get up from her desk, including when she needed to go to the bathroom, while her white co-workers were not similarly required to ask permission for such things."

The lawsuit accuses Mandhyan's co-workers of engaging in similar discriminatory behavior, such as calling her "sushi", telling her that "Indian people were dirty and strange", and asking her "why Indian people carry dirty laundry over their head."

Mandhyan filed an internal complaint with State Farm's Ethics and Compliance Hotline in late 2019, according the the lawsuit. Around the same time, Mandhyan alleges her managers and supervisors "began intensely scrutinizing" her, leading to "receiving a negative performance review and being terminated in retaliation for articulating her concerns."

In October 2020, the Illinois Department of Human Rights found Mandhyan was "retaliated against and harassed by State Farm, received negative performance evaluations, and was ultimately terminated" following a year-long investigation into the claims.

Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry.

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NORMAL  Eastern Illinois Foodbank will distribute food to area families facing food insecurity from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 12, at Normal Community West High School, 501 N. Parkside Road, Normal.

The food giveaway is open to residents of McLean County.

EIF will also be distributing food on from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. March 12 at Trinity Community Fellowship in Farmer City. The giveaway is open to residents of DeWitt, Piatt and McLean counties.

The distributions are part of the Foodbank's Foodmobile program, a system of mobile food pantries designed to help bring nutritious food to rural or underserved areas.

Those who plan to attend are asked to bring boxes or bags to transport food and to pre-register at EIFclient.com, though doing so does not guarantee a place in line. Income guidelines will apply.

Visit eifoodbank.org for more information.

Contact Olivia Jacobs at (309)-820-3352. Reach out with questions.

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NORMAL  McLean County Unit 5 and Bloomington District 87 have gone mask-optional. Unit 5s change happened Wednesday; District 87s would have gone into place Thursday, but a snow day was called.

Unit 5 informed parents Wednesday morning about the change, which was in response to a vote Tuesday by the legislative Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. The group moved to suspend the latest Illinois Department of Public Health emergency rules for schools.

"We were hoping to have a few days to implement any changes but JCARs decision accelerated the timeline," the email said. "Schools in Illinois have not been given clear guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education or the Governors Office regarding how to transition from the decision."

District 87 announced its change on its website Wednesday evening.

Upon discussing this with our legal representatives and weighing all options, effective immediately, District 87 will highly recommend but not require masking for all students, staff and visitors while on school premises, the announcement said.

For Unit 5 parent and substitute teacher Mollie Emery, Wednesday's announcement was welcome news. She had spoken at the last school board meeting against the district continuing its mask mandate.

My first reaction was probably relief, Emery said.

One thing she hoped the board heard from her on Feb. 9 was that a decision like what came from the JCAR was only a matter of time, she said. The meeting included around 20 public comments, overwhelmingly against the mask mandate. She urged the board to undo its mask mandate before a sudden decision was forced on it.

I feel like it would look better to be on the front side of this, Emery told The Pantagraph on Wednesday.

Some Illinois school districts have already been changing their mask rules following a temporary restraining order by Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow on Feb. 4. The case involved parents and teachers from around 170 school districts, with the named districts being prevented from enforcing the COVID-19 mitigation mandates.

Some of the named districts read the order as only applying to the named plaintiffs. Meanwhile, other districts across the state began moving to mask-optional policies. That includes most districts in McLean County, though Unit 5, Bloomington District 87 and Illinois State University Lab schools maintained their mandates through this week.

ISU Lab Schools Acting Director Barb Meyer said Wednesday that the schools will continue to require masks, and that is unlikely to change in the near future.

Neither Unit 5 nor District 87 students will be in schools Thursday due to the weather. District 87 students will also be out Friday and Monday due to parent teacher conferences and Presidents Day.

Grischows ruling is now being appealed, with the ruling in the appeal expected this week.

District 87 and Unit 5 were not in the original case, but a lawsuit has now been filed against them and Pontiac Grad School District 429 against the mandates. Unit 5 is also the defendant in a separate case in McLean County filed by teachers against vaccine, testing and mask mandates.

The complaint document was provided by William Gerber, the attorney representing the parents, to The Pantagraph on Wednesday. The plaintiffs include 38 families from Unit 5, four families from District 87 and 21 families from Pontiac 429.

The complaint asks that the court rule masks and exclusion from school unlawful quarantine orders, since they were not given by a health department.

In an email to The Pantagraph, Gerber said that he and the parents would still be pursuing a the lawsuit against Unit 5, as a final resolution in the plaintiffs favor would provide clarity that districts could not implement the mask or exclusion rules without due process. The prior temporary restraining order did not answer all of the legal questions at stake either.

We are hopeful District 87 will appropriately observe the judicial and legislative guidance rendered in the State to avoid the necessity of seeking emergency relief in the coming days, he said prior to the districts announcement.

Gerber is also an attorney for plaintiffs in the larger case now in the appellate court.

Unit 5 hoped to have more information by Wednesday morning, it said in the announcement, but will keep parents updated as it learns more. The district also cancelled a board meeting that had been scheduled for Wednesday for a vote on the mask policies.

One Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that his executive order requiring masks in schools is still in place in school districts not named in the temporary restraining order.

The 4th District Court of Appeals has asked attorneys from the lawsuit to inform the court how the JCAR affects the lawsuit. Both sides asked for the appeal process to continue, to provide clarity for local schools and the executive orders.

Emery said her son is in a special education classroom and has not had to wear a mask at all times due to a medical exemption. However, he has had trouble hearing staff members, so Emery is glad that he will be able to see the faces and mouths of the staff who choose to go without masks.

Masks are still required on buses under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention orders. The CDC continues to recommend wearing masks indoors in areas with high rates of transmission, which includes all of Illinois and the vast majority of the country.

Unit 5 will also be asking staff and students who are sick to stay home. The district has masks on hand at buildings for those who want one.

"As always, we expect all students, faculty and staff to be respectful of others' decisions on masking at school," the announcement said.

Emery said she too hopes that the district can heal from some of the rifts caused by the mandate, with parents and teachers on both sides. Many of her favorite co-workers and staff members will continue to wear masks, she said.

I just hope we can move past this and co-exist, she said.

Peter Hancock, of Capitol News Illinois, contributed reporting.

Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood

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BLOOMINGTON  McLean County Board members voted in a pair of special meetings Tuesday to retain a Rolling Meadows-based company for the countys insurance plan in the 2022 policy year.

The county finance committee and full board unanimously agreed to retain Arthur J. Gallagher as McLean Countys insurance provider for the 2022-2023 policy year on a roughly $1.27 million contract effective March 1.

Illinois Counties Risk Management Trust also presented a $1.1 million proposal at Tuesdays special finance committee meeting.

If I could summarize it, the most comprehensive program we felt was our current and it had a lot to do with the fact that we are wanting an occurrence type program versus a claims-made, and so we recommended to retain Gallagher, said board member Catherine Metsker, who chairs the finance committee.

A claims-made policy only covers claims that are made in the policy period that the incident happened, compared to occurrence policies which provide lifetime coverage for incidents that occur regardless of when the claim is made.

Additionally, a claims-made policy would require extra costs if a claim comes up outside the policy year in which an incident occurred.

The new countys insurance plan increased from last year by nearly $135,000, or almost 12%.

The change is primarily due to increases in liability ($57,320) and excess liability ($26,346) coverage, and in the property package ($21,402), McLean County Civil States Attorney Christopher Spanos wrote to the county finance committee.

A $21,400 increase in the property premium is a direct result, Spanos said, of two significant water claims in 2021: a broken water pipe in the sheriffs office and flood damage at the animal control shelter.

The action items were tabled in the county finance committees Feb. 7 meeting because committee members wanted to wait for missing information regarding the nursing home liability and the cyber liability.

AJ Gallaghers proposal included a $50,000 self-insured retention for the county nursing home, which is an amount the county must pay prior to the company responding to a loss. Thats compared to ICRMTs $250,000 self-insured retention for the nursing home.

McLean County Board Vice Chairman Jim Soeldner assured that the county was not simply choosing AJ Gallagher based on already contracting with the company.

When we say that the Gallagher group has been our insurance people for 20 years, its not that when you hear that you think, well, its time to change, Soeldner said. Hes our broker and so every year, they look at a number of different agencies and insurance groups to find the best one, the most financially responsible and the one that does the best for the county, so its not a case where were just paying the same people year after year after year.

Contact Kade Heather at 309-820-3256. Follow him on Twitter: @kadeheather

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SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker continued to promote his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year Tuesday, outlining his plan for rebuilding the states health care workforce during a stop at a Peoria community college.

He joined local leaders at Illinois Central College to talk about the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce program, a proposed initiative modeled after an existing statewide grant program, the Workforce Equity Initiative.

The PATH program would run through the states community college system, providing financial assistance to students enrolling in courses to obtain certificates in high-need health care areas. The targeted programs include nursing and certified nursing assistant positions, respiratory therapists and emergency medical technicians.

Assistance would also be available to address other barriers such as transportation, child care, food vouchers and tutoring.

Pritzker has asked lawmakers to invest $25 million in the program in the upcoming fiscal year.

We are creating opportunities in underserved communities for Illinois residents to build great careers, Pritzker said.

Peoria Mayor Rita Ali said the initiatives will help address the workforce skills shortage.

These new opportunities, the PATH program, the WEI program, will enable us to take many people that we already have in our community and give them, through this investment of workforce education and training, the skills that they need to fulfill all the jobs that we have available now and in the coming future, Ali said.

Pritzker also proposed a $2 million increase in funding to the states Nursing Education Scholarship program which is aimed at retaining and recruiting nursing professionals. The governor also proposed eliminating licensing fees that will save health care workers about $21 million.

His budget also proposes doubling funding for a Nurse Educator Fellowship program and a Competitive Grants for Nursing Schools program aimed at increasing the number of nursing school graduates.

Pritzker also touted the Workforce Equity Initiative program, which launched in 2019 with the backing of Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria. That initiative offers 120 training programs through 18 colleges across the state to increase workforce skills and expand training opportunities for minority students. Funds can be used for tuition, child care, transportation and educational supplies, and the program receives about $18.7 million annually.

Gordon-Booth said the data from the WEI program are the best in the country and that the program serves as a blueprint for the national education system.

As of Dec. 31, 2021, the collective outcomes of the FY20 and FY21 grants showed that 5,221 students had enrolled in WEI, with 3,885 being African American students.

Danielle Pate, a graduate of the WEI program at ICC, said she was going to attend another college but was recruited to join the WEI program at the school. Pate said the program helped fund her college along with providing stipends, tutoring and any other help she might have needed.

It was definitely a blessing to focus mainly on school and receive any assistance I needed at the time, '' Pate said.

Pritzker said he had three goals for higher education programs, including increasing Monetary Award Program grants, working toward making Illinois a top five state in receiving more federal funding for student assistance and increasing state support directly for higher education institutions.

In the FY 2023 proposed budget, Pritzker proposed $122 million increase for MAP grants, bringing the programs total funding over $600 million. He also proposed a $2.5 million increase to Adult Education and Career and Technical programs for community colleges, and $2.3 million for a Minority Teacher Scholarships program.

Were finally making it more affordable for students to get their degrees in Illinois, and our future is bright as a result, Pritzker said.

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Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has confirmed that the World Bank has given the country up to US$430million in the fight against COVID-19.



Addressing the media during a visit by Vice President for the Western and Central Africa Region, Ousmane Diagana, to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra to inspect the rehabilitated fevers unit funded by them, Mr. Agyemang-Manu elaborated how the money has been dispensed.



So far, we have received US$430million from the World Bank but we have not finished spending all that money. We have reserved some for the construction of infectious disease treatment centres across the country that will give us beds.



And we have invested into 12 other units of health infrastructure as a basis for infectious diseases centres across the country. All the regions have got at least one, and we are working to complete these facilities in no time, he noted.



In the principle of leaving no one behind, we have to utilise the World Bank money to procure 20,000 wheel-chairs for distribution to the society of disabled people in Ghana, and the rest to various facilities. So, we tried to include everybody in the quest to fight the battle, he said.



He then commended the World Bank for its continuous support to the country. especially in terms of healthcare delivery.



The health minister encouraged all to pat themselves on the back, since Ghana is one of the two countries who got the COVID-19 emergency response right with the help of World Bank.



On the record, Ghana is known to be one of the two countries that got the COVID-19 emergency response right. Ghana did so well, but without support from the World Bank we wouldnt have got to where we are. Our president was so committed, did so well; he pushed in investments and the World Bank money came in at a very good time.



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The health minister further indicated that the vaccination protocols have changed; hence, the country has started vaccinating pregnant women and children from the ages of 15 to 18 years.



We are now vaccinating pregnant women and younger people below 18 up to 15 years; so World Bank, we want to rely on you for continuous support and Ghana will never fail you.



Mr. Agyeman-Manu revealed that the country currently has an about-10 million stock of vaccine doses, and is still expecting more through the bilateral relationship with COVAX and World Bank.



He then added that more than 16 million Ghanaians have so far been fully vaccinated.













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Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Lawyer/Presidential Aid to former President John Dramani Mahama, has urged women not to give up in the struggle for leadership roles in both the political and governance space.



She said politics was a tool for leadership upbringing and if women were given the chance, the best could be seen in them.



She advised them not to depart from hard work and be intellectually focused even as they pursued their political ambitions.



Mrs Mogtari said this at the third edition of the West Africa Young Women in Politics Forum in Accra, to sensitize them on how to enhance their growth within the political parties to contribute to the development of their respective countries.



The Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED) organised the workshop on the theme: Accelerating the growth of young women within Political Parties in West Africa, to help participants develop their leadership skills.



It was attended by more than 50 participants from Ghana, Burkina Faso, the Gambia, and Nigeria.



Mrs Mogtari recounted how she braced the odds to attain a position in the National Democratic Congress, saying: As women, we need to knock hard on the door, be strengthened, and make sure nothing beats our reputation....







Source: GNA









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The quest to uplift the image of Ghana Post Company Limited by building a solid brand of reliability and further turnaround the fortunes of Ghanas premier postal service has been given a major boost through the hardworking efforts of the Acting Managing Director, Mr. Bice Osei Kuffour.



Within this short period of his appointment from January 4th 2022, Mr. Osei Kuffour has demonstrated, dedicated himself to the true meaning of hitting the grounds running by making critical moves to advance the success and progress of the company.



In this new direction, the Ghana Post Company MD is seeking to partner with various government institutions, agencies, and Metropolitan District and Municipal Assemblies (MMDAs) among others to boost particularly the revamped Motorbike Delivery Services by the Ghana Post within the courier industry.



The company currently boasts of 350 delivery outlets nationwide. It is against this backdrop that the Ghana Post MD himself on St. Valentines Day 14th February 2022 led a team of officials from his outfit to show love by presenting gifts to some heads of state institutions and further used the opportunity to interact and explore business partnerships on behalf of Ghana Post.



The Ghana Post MD, Bice Osei Kuffour, Chief Post Master General rode motorbike himself to present gifts of love during in some selected state institutions and agencies.



This also came on the back of a Valentines Day Special Delivery Promo launched by Ghana Post dubbed Vals On Wheels which started running from 13th February and is expected to end today 15th February 2022. Vals On Wheels enabled shoppers, families, and loved ones to express their love where individuals and vendors are to contact a dedicated number and request pickup through the customer service operatives for a fee of GHC20.



He visited institutions like the Ghana Police Service, where he interacted with the IGP, Dr. Akuffo Dampare, the Judiciary where he had fruitful discussions with the Chief Justice His Lordship Justice Anin-Yeboah concerning collaboration, Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Information, Office of the President among others.



The Ghana Post MDs call on the Chief Justice brought to light the urgent need for the Ghana Post to collaborate with the judiciary to deliver sensitive and highly confidential appeal court documents and stationery from Kumasi, Ashanti region and parts of the Eastern region to Accra and other destinations as well.



His Lordship Justice Anin-Yeboah saw this as the opportune time for the judiciary to partner with Ghana Post.



When we are bringing our records of appeal to Accra, they are a bit bulky and some come in large volumes so we always have to drive straight from Kumasi to Accra so lets see whether we can work things out with Ghana Post to save us from the head and tail of driving down from Kumasi even the risk that is involved is not the best and the confidentiality associated with it, his Lordship stated.



The Ghana Post MD on his part thanked the Chief Justice for granting his delegation the necessary audience. He added, currently at Ghana Post our EMS has been more energized with more resources so that anywhere in Accra, anywhere within 24 hours, Kumasi within 24-hours, anywhere after Kumasi even in the North where we do 72 hours.



At the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Commissioner-General, Rev. Amishaddai Owusu-Amoah welcomed the team and expressed his readiness to partner with Ghana Post. I also want to start by congratulating you on your appointment and also wishing you all the best as you try to put in place various initiatives, the GRA Boss emphasised. He appealed to Ghana Post to help explore the digitalization of the tax regime to make it easier for people to just walk to Ghana Post offices and through the assistance of trained staff help the public to file their taxes online.



At the Ministry of Information, the Minister Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah welcomed the team. On his part, the Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah commended Mr. Osei Kuffour for his enthusiasm and commitment in helping to carve a new phase of the Ghana Post Company within such a short period. He added I have come across a lot advertising of your quick link and your delivery service even as we get ready to commemorate Chocolate Day on Vals Day and I imagine is the semblance of the broader resurgence of the various products and services of the Ghana Post.



In fact, we were so impressed to the extent in fact, Ive not told you that we actually through our commercial relations requested for the services of your organisation today to deliver a number of our parcels for us. So earlier today we had one of your officers and some of your officials and members of your team here to dispatch about 100 parcels going out today. We are very confident that at the end of the day we will get good feedbacks from the people who wrote to us that we spread the love with them.



At the ministry of communications, the sector minister was overwhelmed with the gesture and aggressive marketing approach by the MD. Hon Ursula Owusu charged the team at Ghana Post to serve Ghanaians with expedite service.

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.

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Algeria's president says the government will introduce unemployment benefits for young adults as the country struggles with high rates of joblessness.



President Abdelmadjid Tebboune told journalists that the payments to jobseekers aged 19 to 40 would begin in March.



Those who are eligible will be able to collect the payments of about a $100 (73) a month, as well as some medical benefits, until they find work.



Making the announcement, Mr Tebboune said that Algeria was the first country outside Europe to introduce such a benefit.



He added that there were now more than 600,000 unemployed in Algeria.

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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.

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U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia delivered his expected endorsement of state Rep. Delia Ramirez in the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, calling her a proven fighter for diverse working-class families.

Shes fought hard in Springfield to secure critical resources to address housing insecurity, health care expansion, immigrant protections and greater transparency in our educational institutions, Garcia said.

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Ramirez, an assistant Democratic leader in the Illinois House from Chicago, has been a Garcia ally and her congressional bid has drawn support from more progressive members of the Illinois legislature and City Council.

State Rep. Delia Ramirez speaks during a news conference at Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago on Nov. 3, 2020. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Ramirez faces a primary challenge for the open seat from Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, a Marine Corps veteran, chair of the City Councils Latino Caucus and a founding member of the councils Veterans Caucus. Villegas on Monday received the endorsement of the politically active UNITE HERE Local 1 labor organization.

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A product of last years remapping process, the sprawling 3rd Congressional District is heavily Latino and stretches from Chicagos Northwest Side westward to include Latino communities in Bensenville, Addison and West Chicago.

A third candidate in the Democratic race is Iyman Chehade, who is at the center of a House Committee on Ethics probe involving U.S. Rep. Marie Newman of La Grange. Newman is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove for the Democratic nomination in the new suburban 6th Congressional District.

The investigation centers on Chehades allegation that Newman offered him a high-level staff position if he stayed out of the 2020 primary, which she won. Chehade filed suit and the case was settled and Newman has made payments to him from her political fund. Newman has denied any knowledge that Chehade had been interested in a congressional bid when they discussed a staff position.

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Federal Election Commission reports show that at the end of last year, Villegas had $377,055 in cash on hand compared with $110,443 for Ramirez. Chehade reported $38,846 in available funds.

Also on Tuesday, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso announced endorsements from Illinois House GOP leader Jim Durkin, DuPage County Board Chair Dan Cronin and former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb in his bid for the Republican nomination in the 6th Congressional District.

Garys leadership has transformed Burr Ridge into a leading community serving residents in DuPage and Cook Counties with fiscal responsibility, something we desperately need in Washington, Cronin said in a statement.

Grasso is among a field of several Republicans seeking the June 28 primary nomination that includes Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau.

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A Cape Coast High Court has slapped Ghana Police Service with a 320,000 fine for the negligence of its officers over the shooting of three persons in a taxi cab.



The officers who were pursuing goat thieves from Twifo Praso fired into the car being driven by the thieves.



A stray bullet hit a moving taxi occupied by a couple and their daughter in the process.



According to the plaintiffs, on January 10, 2019 and at about 6:30 am, they boarded a taxi cab from Ankaful Junction at Cape Coast and were shot at by the cops who said they were chasing robbers from Twifo Praso.



The bullet hit Mary Okyere Aboagye who died at the hospital, her husband and one Cecilia Mensah who was on her way to school.



Some bystanders rescued the victims and rushed them to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital where Mary Aboagye was pronounced dead while the other two victims sustained various degrees of injuries.



The court presided over by His Lordship Justice Kwasi Boakye explained that the judgment was not meant to intimidate and lower the morale of crime-fighting institutions such as the Police.



He urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Dampare to take proactive steps to Damparize the Service.



He noted that there was a dire need to undertake a complete overhaul or re-engineer the Service as far as its professional training needs and competence are concerned.





Source: Sally Ngissah/Peace News









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Minister for Works and Housing Francis Asenso-Boakye has given the assurance that government will continue to commit the needed resources to address the drainage challenges being experienced in some part of the country.



The problems of flooding in major cities in recent time, have led to lots of drains being constructed through various government interventions, with existing ones undergoing excavation, rechanneling and maintenance across the country, all in an effort towards reducing the perennial devastation of flooding.



Despite these interventions by government, Asenso-Boakye said the establishment of an administrative and legal framework will be the long-term solution in the countys efforts towards the provision of drainage infrastructure to nip the perennial flooding and its associated challenges in the bud.



This, he indicated, is the reason the Ministry is currently pursuing the Hydrological Authority Bill, which when passed, will mandate it to develop a comprehensive drainage master plans to mitigate the effects of flooding and the protection of the countrys coastlines.



The Works and Housing Minister was speaking to the media during a 2-day working tour to the Northern Region to inspect some projects being undertaken by the Ministry. The Minister assessed the major drainage channels in the Tamale metropolis notable amongst them are the up and downstream of the Karalega drainage channel as well as the Gariba channel that connects many tributaries from the city centre.



It will be recalled that some suburbs of Tamale Metropolis have had recent perennial flooding following a heavy downpour, causing damage to properties, and affecting livelihoods of people.



Having observed the structural defects associated with some of the drains, Asenso-Boakye said the Ministry will engage its technical department to put plans in place to address the issues. I have seen that some undersized culverts need to be fixed or replaced to allow for free flow of stormwater and this working visit has given me that understanding to be able to engage the technical officers to put plans in place to address the Tamale drainage challenges. The Minister stated.



He however expressed worry about the dumping of waste along drains that further exposes residents to floods in the event of rains, noting that the drainage issue I have seen here in Tamale today is not different from the ones in Accra and Kumasi. Certainly, there are sanitation issues. I have seen dumping of waste into drainage channels which impede flow and cause all kinds of problems.



The Gulkpe Naa (Chief of Tamale) whom the Minister had called on earlier expressed his appreciation to the Minister for his visit and concerns for the people of Tamale and prayed the works of the Minister becomes successful.

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.

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State Transport Corporation (STC) CEO, Nana Akomea has reacted to Moody's downgrade of the countrys credit rating; saying they're not sacrosanct.



Moodys reviewed Ghanas long-term debt to Caa1, from B3 on Friday, 4th February 2022.



Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta reacting to this, criticized Moodys decision to lower its rating further into junk status and described the rating as questionable because of the incomplete data used.



Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry on Sunday 6th February, 2022, appealed against the downgrade of the countrys credit rating.



Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo', Nana Akomea said: "these service ratings are not sacrosanct...they were fined in Europe for a biased rating and so they're not sacrosanct. we know the difficulties ourselves and we know they will affect our ratings and so we don't need Moodys to tell us..."



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former Deputy Minister of Defence, Major (Rtd) Derek Oduro has cautioned Ghanaians against the call of Coup d'etat as an option to solve issues under the Nana Addo-led government.



He was emphatic that a military takeover will be dreadful and uncomfortable for those wanting it to happen.



The military capo who has witnessed some coups across Africa noted that it is not a good thing for us [Ghanaians] to wish for a Coup d'etat.



You dont want to witness it so dont call for it. He added



Africa has been hit by a spate of coups that threaten to take it back to the 1980s and the era of military rule. Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Sudan and Mali have all seen the government overthrown and replaced with a military junta.



The situation could have been even more alarming, because failed coup attempts have been reported in the Central African Republic (CAR) and, just days ago, Guinea-Bissau.



Following military takeovers in five different African countries in the past year, Ghana among other African countries have been alert to prevent such from happening.



However, a social media activist and one of the convenors of the #FixTheCountry movement who is not happy with the Nana Addo-led government publicly threatened a coup if the E-levy bill before parliament is passed.



He was arrested by the police on his arrival in Ghana.



Oliver Barker-Vormawor in a series of Facebook posts also described the Ghana Army as "useless".













Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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State Transport Corporation (STC) CEO, Nana Akomea, has slammed the Judiciary over its delay in rendering justice to cases in court.



Nana Akomea, speaking in relation to the recent arrests of some Journalists in the country, wondered why it should take years for a case to be dealt with in court.



He stressed this is why many people don't send their issues to court because they feel its a waste of time.



Using himself as a case study, he narrated a false allegation someone leveled against him which, to him, should he decide to file a law suit would take him about three years for justice to be served; so he isn't inspired to go to court.



To Nana Akomea, ''the court processes frustrate Ghanaians''.



He hope for a ''Chief Justice in Ghana who will reform the Judiciary in such a way that justice will not be this expensive and never end. It's the Judiciary that said that justice delayed is justice denied. The way that our laws/court or Judiciary processes are, it doesn't favour justice''.



He made these submissions Tuesday morning on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has castigated Ghana Police over the arrest of some journalists in the country.



On Thursday, February 10, 2022, broadcaster Kwabena Bobie Ansah was arrested for accusing the First and Second Ladies, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia of stealing some State lands.



He further posted on social media saying ''this current judicial system is corrupt and made up of crooks and criminals, led by a corrupt Chief Justice who's struggling to purge himself from a $5 thievery allegations. Facts are sacred''.



He is being held on a charge of offensive conduct.



Also, the leader of the pressure group #FixTheCountry, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who recently led a protest against President Nana Akufo-Addo's government was on Friday arrested after making comments on social media about plotting a coup.



"If this E-Levy passes... I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!", he posted on Facebook.



The Police, in response, said; "The post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic of Ghana.''



Mr. Barker-Vormawor is charged with treason felony.



To Kwesi Pratt, these arrests are a threat to national democracy.



Although he condemns the behaviour of journalists, he however doesn't believe in using the Police to somehow terrorize them.



He asserted that the arrests of Bobie Ansah and the rest are unacceptable, asking ''is that the best way? If we want to build democracy, is that the best way?''



Speaking further Tuesday morning, Kwesi Pratt stressed there's nothing criminal about the conduct of these journalists to warrant a Police arrest.



''In the first instance, should the Police be involved in this matter? Because I've learned two remedies, civil remedy and criminal remedy [criminal proceedings]. We say there shouldn't be any criminal proceedings, so what is the role of the Police? What is the role of the Police? If we agree that, this matter, there should be recourse to civil remedy, then what is the role of the Police in the first instance?'', he questioned.



Borrowing a popular quote by lawyer Ace Ankomah who Mr. Pratt quoted as saying ''insulting the President is not a crime'', the Managing Editor further asked; what role has the Police in this matter?''



''Absolutely, no role!'', he exclaimed as he delivered his submissions on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, former Minister of Transport has suggested that the Charismatic and Pentecostal Council should have first held a discussion with President Akufo-Addo before calling on former President John Mahama.



A delegation from the Charismatic and Pentecostal Council met with Mahama at his office in Accra to discuss a wide range of issues regarding the economy.



The delegation headed by the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Boafo, met with Mr. Mahama to seek his views on ways to address pertinent matters of national interest.



According to a report on gbcghanaonline, after the three-hour closed-door meeting, National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, told the media they deliberated on national issues and the discussions are still ongoing to help save the economy from total collapse.



MP for Ejumako-Enyan-Essiam, Cassiel Ato Forson, who was part of the meeting, hinted that matters related to the Cocoa Sector came up during the meeting, and it was revealed, that COCOBOD is unable to purchase beans for sale on the international commodities market though Parliament has approved money for that transaction.



However, the former Member of Parliament for Tema East contributing to a panel discussion on UTV's Adekye Nsroma programme, believes to discuss the country's economic issues, the first person to go to is the President.



"Did you meet with Akufo-Addo before going to see Mahama? Had they done that they would have known the true picture of everything happening as far as the economy is concerned," he said.



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Founder of Atta Mills Institute, Samuel Sitsofe Koku Anyidoho has petitioned the Ghana Police Service for an official inquest into the death of late President Atta Mills.



According to him, the call is premised on the need to clear his name and save his reputation.



Koku also requested the police to investigate wild and damaging utterances shared in a youtube video and which was distributed by Accra FM host, Kwabena Bobie Ansah.



In his petition, the former NDC Deputy General Secretary indicated that on 7th February 2022 a Youtube video clip was circulated in the name of a certain JM Ba Kwadwo.



According to him, open threats were issued verbally against him in the video clip including a brazen notice of plans to attack him.



Also I am widely accused of having a hand in the death of late President, John Atta Mills, which sad event occurred on 24lh July 2012.



I am also accused of going to shrines with the pictures of dinner President John Dramani Mahama had with the sole aim of using foul means to end, his life.



In the view of above, I respectfully report the case to the Police to investigate these very wild and damaging utterances that are directed at me by the above-mentioned suspects.



I also take the opportunity to request for an official inquest into the death of the late President Atta Mills to clear my name and save my reputation, he stated.





Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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National Youth Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye alias Nana B has labeled #FixTheCounty Movement convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor as a national security threat.



According to him, this is a result of the embattled conveners tacit declaration of support for coups that have occurred in the West African sub-region.



Referencing several posts of Mr. Barker-Vormawor in a social media post, Nana B said the latters intention of undertaking a coup must be curtailed before it escalates.



It's not far fetched to conclude that the embattled & coup monger Oliver Barker-Vormawor poses a National Security threat judging from his wicked desire for coup and endorsement of same, even in other countries like Guinea and Mali.



"He has gone rogue since last year and as a country, we can't downplay such issue of concern for it to degenerate into something big and chaotic. We have come far as a country and at all times, we must protect our country with all our will and might, Nana B posted.



Background



It will be recalled that pressure group, #FixTheCountry Movement sounded alarm bells over the arrest of their convener on Friday, February 11.



According to the group, Mr. Barker-Vormawor was abducted by state security when he touched down from the United Kingdom at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).



Confirming his arrest in a statement, the police said the lawyer and activist, Mr. Barker-Vormawor had been arrested in connection with a threat to stage a coup if the E-Levy is passed.



He was subsequently arraigned before the Ashaiman District Court on Monday, February 14, where he was slapped with a treason felony charge.



He is expected back in court on February 28.



Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Youth organizer of New Patriotic Party, Henry Nana Boakye Esquire has stated that the New Patriotic Party is ready to provide Kwame Baffoe Abronye, popularly known as Abronye DC with strong legal representation in court tomorrow.



According Henry Nana Boakye, himself and other party stalwarts were present at the Greater Accra Police Headquarters. He been detained pending his arraignment before court today.



"On the matter of the invitation and subsequent arrest of Chairman Kwame Baffoe (Abrony3) by the Police, I humbly urge all party faithfuls to remain calm as the party's legal team has been following the case closely



"The party will offer him strong legal representation in court tomorrow and support him every step of the process till everything is over. I can confirm that Chairman Abrony3 is hale and hearty and of high spirit and that party faithfuls should remain calm and optimistic." He added.



Meanwhile, Abronye DC was arrested by Ghana police service for publication of false news against former president John Dramani Mahama.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Conservative businessman Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest has given $1 million to state Sen. Darren Baileys campaign for governor, Bailey announced Wednesday, marking the wealthy megadonors first financial contribution in the 2022 Republican race to unseat Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Bailey indicated more money was coming from Uihlein, the CEO of the packing and shipping firm Uline. The contribution to Bailey continues Uihleins longtime involvement in putting large amounts of money into GOP races for governor.

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Illinois Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey at Republican Day on the Director's Lawn at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

State records show Uihlein and his wife, Elizabeth, have donated nearly $31.5 million to Republican candidates and causes since 1998. In 2018, he gave $2.5 million to former state Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, who nearly upset one-term GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner in the primary. Four years earlier, he gave more than $2.6 million to Rauner.

In a Facebook video, Bailey, of Xenia, called Uihleins donation a significant breakthrough for his campaign.

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Probably the most conservative family probably in the country, the Uihlein family, got behind us with an initial amount and with a promise of more to come, Bailey said.

People are seeing what our movement is, Bailey said. People are realizing whats going on and the real power, friends, is coming.

A major donor to conservative Republicans at the federal level, the Uihleins have promoted a limited government, free-market ideology, though they moved Ulines headquarters from Waukegan to Pleasant Prairie, Wis., just across the border, in 2010 in exchange for up to $18.6 million in state incentives from a Democratic governor.

The bulk of Uihleins spending in Illinois had gone to right wing radio talk show host Dan Proft, an unsuccessful 2010 GOP candidate for governor, and political committees that Proft controlled until he shut them down in 2020 when Uihlein pulled the plug on funding. Republicans said Uihlein had soured on Profts largely unsuccessful performance in backing candidates over the years.

Among the incumbents Profts Uihlein-funded PAC unsuccessfully sought to unseat was House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs in 2018.

Uihleins donation to Bailey comes just days after billionaire Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of the Citadel investment firm, gave $20 million to rival candidate Richard Irvin, the mayor of Aurora. Griffins funding to Irvin is expected to grow.

Irvin has raised more than $22 million since announcing his candidacy on Jan. 17. Bailey, who announced his candidacy in February of last year, reported more than $707,000 in cash available at the start of the year.

Among other candidates, cryptocurrency venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan reported $9.1 million in cash on hand at the start of January, Bull Valley businessman Gary Rabine has put more than $450,000 into his campaign and reported $525,752 in cash on hand to start the year.

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Former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Waterloo reported nearly $81,000 in cash to start 2022.

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Former President John Mahama has described the incidents and actions taken by the Minority Group in parliament before the house went on recess for the Christmas as a fight for democracy.



The tussle broke out following what the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs say was an unconstitutional action by the First Deputy Speaker and which was also contrary to the Standing Orders of the House, during the debate and voting on governments Electronic Transactions Tax (E-Levy).



Speaking during a meeting called at the instance of a delegation from the leadership of the various church groups and associations in his office in Accra, the former President told the Christian leaders that the resistance of the Minority Group, which led to the brawl was a fight for democracy, and to prevent an unconstitutionality.



Mahama told the church leaders, who said they were on a peace mission to find a resolution to what is happening to us in our country, that Ghanaians have made it clear that they do not want the E-Levy, and the Minority Groups push back is a reflection of what the people want.



Led by the Most Reverend Paul K. Boafo, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, the delegation included representatives from the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, and the Catholic Bishops Conference.



Most Rev. Paul Boafo told the former President who was joined by the National Chairman of the NDC Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, NDC 2020 Running Mate Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Dr. Ato Forson (MP for Ajumako Enyan Esiam) and Ahmed Ibrahim (MP for Banda) that they were on a peace mission.



We have come as heads of churches of the various associations and groupings in Ghana. As major stakeholders, when things become of concern, we are all to take it up and see how best we can find answers and resolutions



Getting to the last quarter of last year, we all experienced what our country has never experienced before. It came to the hilt when they were about closing with the introduction of the budget and E-levy and what went on the last but one day of parliament were exchanges resulting in some fight and all that. The churches or the Christian bodies became alarmed and we said we will not sit



But in his response President Mahama said that fight was a fight for democracy. There is no way a Speaker can sit in the chair, relinquish the chair, let somebody else come and sit in it and take a vote in something that he has presided over. The constitution is clear.



The former President disagreed with suggestions that the Minority should have allowed the process to continue and prevent the fracas.



It was felt that our MPs should sit timidly and let them pass this unconstitutionality. It wont happen, he stressed.



There is a lot that is happening in this country that if we dont intervene, it would upset our democracy. The Fourth Republic has been the most enduring and we must protect it he added.

Source: 3news.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo in consultation with the Council of State, has appointed former Municipal Chief Executive for Akuapem North, Dennis Edward Aboagye popularly referred to as Miracles to the presidency as a Presidential staffer with a focus on Local Governance, Decentralization & Rural Development.



The young and vibrant politician described by many as one of the key assets to the future of the NPP was relieved of his role as a municipal chief executive in August 2020 which came as a shock to many who thought he was on top of his job at the time.



At the time, he explained that the president informed him of the need for him to come to Accra to come to support the campaign as the election 2020 was heating up and felt the president knows best and have insight into everyones capability and believes he was needed to support the campaign to ensure the party retains power.



In his new role, he is expected to be seconded to the Local Government Minister to provide special support and assistance to the minister and ministry in the delivery of their mandate in Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development.



Dennis is a Chartered Marketer with a Chartered Postgraduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing  UK, an MBA (Marketing) from the Central University Graduate school of Business.



He has 10years of experience within the sales and Marketing industry with exposure in FMCG and Financial Services.



He has acquired experience in various roles within the pension industry with Enterprise Trustees Limited, a member of the Enterprise Group, starting from Client Relations Executive, Client Relationship Manager and exiting as the Unit Head, Client Relations.



Before joining Enterprise, Dennis served as the Eastern Regional Director for Youth Entrepreneurial and Skills Development Centre (YESDEC), a world Bank funded project for Job creation.

He is passionate about Business Development, Sales Management, and Brand Positioning



He has an unblemished political track record spanning from his days in student politics at the University of Ghana, Legon, where he held various leadership positions from the Akuafo JCR through to the University of Ghana SRC.



He set up the first-ever youth wing of the New Patriotic Party in the Akropong Constituency.



He has risen through the political ranks; from a polling station Youth Organizer to a polling station chairman, through to Constituency Deputy Youth Organizer, Youth Organizer to Constituency Campaign Coordinator for 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections in the Akuapem North Constituency.



He has contributed through multiple ways in the upliftment of the image and the brand of his Political party and Government.



Dennis Edward Aboagye was born and bred at Larteh Akuapem in the Eastern Region of Ghana. He started his basic school education at Larteh Presby Primary and completed at Swedru International School (SWIS) for his BECE.

He had his SSCE from Okuapemman School in Akropong. Dennis proceeded to the University of Ghana Legon, for his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science.



He is a devout Christian and married with three children.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has said the experiences of military takeovers cannot be recommended for any generation to embrace.



Kufuor has, therefore, advised against any attempt to stage a coup in the country or the sub-region.

He said, coup is not an experience I will recommend for any generation.



Speaking to the VOA, Kufuor said, I wouldnt advise anybody to hail a coup detat. It comes from faceless people you dont know, who havent given anything to keep for you or to manage for you, and they may not even be competent enough to do anything. And if they come, they use an opportunity and come to impose themselves on you and destroy your life. Is this what anybody should want? he quizzed.



He said coups thrive when some governments tend to lapse and there is misgovernance one way or the other.



Kufuor also said when governments do not take care of their security arrangements or they dont show appreciation of the geo-politics of the neighbourhood then a coup might happen.

Sanctions dont bite



He said sanctions of regional bodies like Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU) on coup-makers does not bite and, therefore, are not deterrent enough.



Coups makers think your sanctions will not bite them economically or politically or socially, so, they just carry on in spite of the declaration of these regional groupings and, so, these associations or groupings must begin to think very seriously on how to give the constitutional provisions the bite so when they say dont do it and you do it they can get you and so you know perhaps it is not profitable to try it, he said.



In an advice to heads of state on the continent, Kufuor said, try to live by your oath to the people because it is the underpinning of good governance.



If you think the period is too short, use the constitutional means to convince the people to amend the constitution or reform the constitution to lengthen tenure a bit but please dont play smart and on the eve when you should be stepping down, you say theres a third term. You do that and you push people into feeling they too can take things into their own hands and do what they mustnt do.

Source: asaaseradio.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Bernard Allotey Jacobs has warned Ghanaians to be wary of politicians claiming they are the ones destroying Ghana.



He was commenting on the arrests of Accra FM Presenter, Kwabena Bobie Ansah and Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the convener of the #FixTheCountry protest against the Akufo-Addo administration.



Kwabena Bobie Ansah was arrested on Thursday, February 10, 2022, for alleging that First and Second Ladies, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia have stolen State lands.



He has been charged with offensive conduct.



Mr. Barker-Vormawor was also on Friday arrested for making coup comments on social media.



''If this E-Levy passes...I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!", he posted on Facebook.



He too has been charged with treason felony.



NPP guru Kwame Baffoe, popularly called Abronye DC, has also been charged him with two counts of publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace over his claims that former President John Mahama is involved in a coup plot.



Allotey Jacobs snapped at his fellow politicians for deceiving Ghanaians.



Assessing these issues during Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', he blamed politicians for fueling these people to make such uncouth statements.



''I am inclined to believe that some people are encouraging these young boys to misbehave'', he said.



He therefore admonished Ghanaians not to take everything politicians do or say hook, line and sinker stating ''politics is destroying this country. Politicians are destroying this country. We are so overambitious...Politicians are dividing us. They are destroying us. They're ruining our nation. We should put on our thinking cap''.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Burkina Faso military leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is due to be sworn in as the countrys president, just over two weeks after soldiers ousted President Roch Kabore in a coup.



Last week, the Constitutional Council, having taken note of Kabores resignation, declared Damiba, a 41-year-old army officer, president of Burkina Faso.



State television says the inauguration will be broadcast live from the Constitutional Council building on Wednesday morning.



Damiba led soldiers to oust Kabore, who had faced months of protests over his failure to stem a jihadist insurgency in the north and east of the country.



On Monday, Damiba travelled to the north of the country to meet soldiers and a government militia fighting jihadists, state TV reported.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Yiwen Chen, the team's scaffold, and Marta Cerruti. Credit: Canadian Light Source

Over the last 30 years, the scientific community has been working to develop a synthetic alternative to bone grafts for repairing diseased or damaged bone. McGill University researchers used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to advance a novel method for growing synthetic bone tissue.

The rapidly advancing field of bone tissue engineering is focused on growing bone cells in the lab on materials called scaffolds, then transferring these structures into a person's body to repair bone damage. Like the bone it mimics, scaffolds need an interconnected network of small and large pores that allow cells and nutrients to spread and help generate new bone tissue.

The McGill team's promising process works by modifying the internal structure of a material, called graphene oxide, to make it more conducive to regenerating bone tissue.

Graphene oxide is an ultrathin, extra strong compound that is being used increasingly in electronics, optics, chemistry, energy storage, and biology. One of its unique properties is that when stem cells are placed on it, they tend to transform into bone-generating cells called osteoblasts.

The multidisciplinary groupcomprising researchers from McGill's Departments of Mining and Materials Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Dentistryfound that adding an emulsion of oil and water to the graphene oxide, then freezing it at two different temperatures, yielded two different sizes of pores throughout the material.

Professor Marta Cerruti said that when they "seeded" the now-porous scaffolding with stem cells from mouse bone marrow, the cells multiplied and spread inside the network of pores, a promising sign the new approach could eventually be used to regenerate bone tissue in humans.

"We showed that the scaffolds are completely biocompatible, that the cells are happy when you put them in there, and that they're able to penetrate all through the scaffold and colonize the whole scaffold," she stated.

The researchers used the BMIT-BM beamline at the CLS to visualize the different sized pores inside the scaffolding as well as the growth and spread of the cells. Lead researcher Yiwen Chen, a Ph.D. student working under Cerruti, said their work would not have been possible without the synchrotron because the low density of graphene oxide means it absorbs only a very small amount of light.

"To our knowledge, this is the first time that people have used synchrotron light to see the structure of graphene oxide scaffolds," said Chen.

While widespread clinical application of this new approach may still be many years away, Cerruti thinks their work could enable other researchers to learn more about how stem cells morph into bone cells.

"Maybe this will lead to a better understanding of the biology of bones that we wouldn't understand otherwise," she said. "Perhaps in the shorter term we can use the methods in the lab to better understand bone and perhaps develop new drugs."

The research was published in Carbon.

Explore further Skeletal scaffold supports bone cells and blood vessels

More information: Yiwen Chen et al, Dual-templating strategy for the fabrication of graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide and composite scaffolds with hierarchical architectures, Carbon (2021). Journal information: Carbon Yiwen Chen et al, Dual-templating strategy for the fabrication of graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide and composite scaffolds with hierarchical architectures,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2021.12.054
Credit: Martijn Oei et al

By a stroke of luck, a team led by Dutch Ph.D. student Martijn Oei has discovered a radio galaxy of at least 16 million light-years long. The pair of plasma plumes is the largest structure made by a galaxy known thus far. The finding disproves some long-kept hypotheses about the growth of radio galaxies.

A supermassive black hole lurks in the center of many galaxies, which slows down the birth of new stars and therefore strongly influences the lifecycle of the galaxy as a whole. Sometimes, this leads to tumultuous scenes: the black hole can create two jet streams, that catapult the building material for baby stars out of the galaxy at almost the speed of light. In this violent process, the stardust heats up so much that it dissolves into plasma and glows in radio light. The international team of researchers from Leiden (The Netherlands), Hertfortshire, Oxford (both UK), and Paris (France) have now collected that lightwith the pan-European LOFAR telescope, whose epicenter lies in a marshy Dutch 'radio dark' nature reserve, where your smartphone deliberately loses signal.

Record length

The picture of the two plasma plumes is special, because never before scientists saw a structure this big made by a single galaxy. The discovery shows that the sphere of influence of some galaxies reaches far from their direct environment. How far, exactly? That is hard to determine. Astronomical pictures are taken from a single viewpoint (Earth), and therefore do not contain depth.As a result, scientists can only measure a part of the radio galaxy length: a low estimate of the total length. But even that lower bound, of more than 16 million light-years, is gargantuan, and comparable to one hundred Milky Ways in a row.

Visible with the naked radio eye

Because Earth does not occupy a special place in the universe, it was never very likely that such a largest galactic structure would reside in our own backyard. And indeed: the radio giant is three billion light-years away from us. Despite that mind-boggling distance, the giant looms as large in the sky as the moonan indication that the structure had to have a record length. The fact that the radio eyes of the LOFAR telescope only saw the giant just now, is because the plumes are relatively faint. By reprocessing a set of existing images in such a way that subtle patterns stood out, the scientists were suddenly able to spot the giant.

The giant Alcyoneus

The researchers named the giant structure Alcyoneus, after the son of Ouranos, the Greek primordial god of the sky. This mythological Alcyoneus was a giant that fought against Heracles and other Olympians for supremacy over the cosmos. In the world-famous Pergamon Altar in Berlin, a sculpture of this Alcyoneus is carved out.

Ghostly dance

Alcyoneus' plumes possibly reveal information about the mostly elusive filaments of the Cosmic Web. The Cosmic Web is another name for the contemporary, grown-up universe, that looks like a network of threads and nodes that astronomers call filaments and clusters, respectively. The galaxies in filaments and clusters are clearly visible themselves, but detecting the medium between galaxies has only been successful in clustersbarring a handful of exceptions. Could Alcyoneus change this?

Because Alcyoneus, just like the Milky Way, inhabits a filament, its plumes feel a headwind while moving through the medium. This subtly changes the direction and shape of the plumes: They perform a slow dance with an invisible partner. For many years, scientists have proposed that the shapes of and pressures in the plumes of radio galaxies could relate to filament properties, but never before did they find an example where that connection is as plausible as with Alcyoneus. Namely, Alcyoneus' plumes are so big and rarefied that the surrounding medium can relatively easily mold them.

Black holes are cosmic mainstays

The Cosmic Web retains its form because the attractive force of gravity is compensated by the heat pressure of the medium in filaments and clusters. In the past two decennia it has become clear that the glowing stardust that jet streams eject from galaxies, keeps the Web warm. In this way, the central black holes in galaxies contribute to sustain the large-scale structure of our universe. That is extra noteworthy because black holes are very small compared to filaments and clusters. It is as if something the size of a marble regulates the Earth's temperature.

Mysterious origin

What has given Alcyoneus its record length, remains a mystery for now. The scientists first thought of an exceptionally massive black hole, an extensive stellar population (and so a lot of stardust), or extraordinarily powerful jet streams. Surprisingly enough, Alcyoneus appears to be less than average on all these aspects compared to its smaller sisters and brothers. In the times ahead, the team will therefore now investigate whether the environments of radio galaxies could explain the growth of giants instead.

Explore further Help find the location of newly discovered black holes in the LOFAR Radio Galaxy Zoo project

More information: Martijn S.S.L. Oei et al, The discovery of a radio galaxy of at least 5 Mpc. arXiv:2202.05427v1 [astro-ph.GA], Astronomy & Astrophysics. Journal information: Astronomy & Astrophysics Martijn S.S.L. Oei et al, The discovery of a radio galaxy of at least 5 Mpc. arXiv:2202.05427v1 [astro-ph.GA], arxiv.org/abs/2202.05427 . Accepted for publication in
Cultural burning in Djabugay Country. Credit: Australian Museum

Australia's forests now carry far more flammable fuel than before British invasion, our research shows, revealing the catastrophic risk created by non-Indigenous bushfire management approaches.

Contemporary approaches to forest management in Australia are based on suppressionextinguishing bushfires once they've started, or seeking to prevent them through hazard-reduction burning.

This differs from the approach of Indigenous Australians who've developed sophisticated relationships with fire over tens of thousands of years. They minimize bushfire risk through frequent low-intensity burningin contrast to the current scenario of random, high-intensity fires.

Our research, released today, provides what we believe is the first quantitative evidence that forests and woodlands across southeast Australia contained fewer shrubs and more grass before colonization. This suggests Indigenous fire management holds the key to a safer, more sustainable future on our flammable continent.

Not just a climate story

Globally, climate change is causing catastrophic fire weather more often. In Australia, long-term drought and high temperatures were blamed for the Black Summer bushfires in the summer of 201920. This event burned 18 million hectares, an area almost twice the size of England.

The unusually high fire extent in forests prompted several important questions. Could these massive fires be explained by climate change alone? Or was the way we manage forests also affecting fire behavior?

Recent catastrophic fires in Australia and North America prompted renewed scrutiny of how the disruption and exclusion of First Nations' burning practices has affected forest fuel loads.

Fuel load refers to the amount of flammable organic matter in vegetation such as leaves, twigs, branches and trunks. Large fuel loads in the shrubby layers of vegetation enable flames to more easily reach tree canopies, causing intense and dangerous "crown" fires.

Long before British invasion of southeast Australia in 1788, Indigenous people managed Australia's flammable vegetation with "cultural burning" practices. These involved frequent, low-intensity fires which led to a fine-grained vegetation mosaic comprising grassy areas and scattered trees.

Landscapes managed in this way were less prone to destructive fires.

But under colonial rule, Aboriginal people were dispossessed of their lands and often prevented from carrying out many important practices.

The colonizers suppressed Indigenous cultural burningsometimes to protect fencescausing the land to become overgrown with shrubs.

Colonial vegetation management involved clear-cutting and intense intentional burning to create land on the plains for agriculture. Forests in rugged and less desirable terrain were left unmanaged or exploited through logging.

A fire-fighting mentality came to dominate fire management in Australia, in which fires are seen as a threat to be prevented, or stopped once they start. This thinking underlies mainstream fire and land management to this day.

The transition from pre- to post-colonial fuel structure in southeastern Australian forests, according to results presented in our recent publication in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Credit: Mariani et al., 2022

Uncovering past landscapes

Our research set out to examine vegetation change at 52 sites across much of Australia's southeast before and after colonization in 1788. A large proportion of these are in forested areas of Victoria and New South Wales.

Scientists can develop a picture of past vegetation by extracting tiny fossilized grains of pollen from ancient sediment in wetlands and lake beds. Different plants produce pollen grains with different shapes, so by analyzing them we can reconstruct past vegetation landscapes.

We also calibrated the amount of pollen to vegetation cover, to determine the past proportions of trees, shrubs, and grasses and herbs.

We did this using new modeling techniques that allow the conversion of pollen grain counts to plant cover across the landscape. These models have been widely applied in Europe, but our work represents a first in Australia.

We could then quantify vegetation changes before and after British invasion. We found forests in the southeast are now much denser, and more flammable, than before 1788.

We found grass and herb vegetation dominated the pre-colonial period, accounting for about half the vegetation across all sites. Trees and shrubs covered about 15% and 34% of the landscape, respectively.

After British invasion, shrubbiness in forests and woodlands in southeast Australia increased by up to 48% (with an average increase of 12%). Shrubs replaced grassy areas, while tree cover has remained stable overall.

Considering the vast area covered by our analysis, the shrub increase represents a massive accumulation of fuel loads.

More than 200 years of neglect

In 1770, natural history artist Sydney Parkinson described the landscape along Australia's east coast as "free from underwood [] like a gentleman's park."

In 2011, historian Bill Gammage published a controversial book titled The Biggest Estate on Earth. It contained several paintings of early colonial Australia in which the landscapes resembled a savanna, with large gaps between trees and a grassy understorey.

Nowadays, many such areas are dense forest. Our research is the first region-wide analysis that gives scientific credence to these historical accounts of a landscape very different to what we see today.

The disposession of Indigenous Australians by British invaders has had a deep social and ecological impact. This includes neglect of the bush, the direct result of denying Aboriginal Australians the right to exercise their duty of care over Country, using fire.

Australia's forests need fire, deployed by capable Indigenous hands. Without it, increased fuel loads, coupled with climate change, will create conditions for bushfires bigger and more ferocious than we've ever seen before.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Senegals Saloum Delta. Credit: Bas van den Heuvel/Shutterstock

What do the English concept of the countryside, the French paysage, the Spanish dehesas and Australian Aboriginal country have in common? All of these are unique landscapes which created through long-term management by people. All are underpinned by centuries, even millennia, of intangible knowledge, cultural heritage and practice.

Crucially, these landscapes also contain more biodiversity than the areas that surrounding them. It was this observation that created the term "biocultural diversity," to encompass how crucial the knowledge, innovations, and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities are for conservation and sustainability.

Biocultural diversity first gained attention at the 1988 First International Congress of Ethnobiology in Belem, Brazil. That congress gathered Indigenous peoples, scientists, and environmentalists together to devise a strategy to halt the ongoing decline in the global diversity of both nature and culture.

The Congress declaration stated: "There is an inextricable link between cultural and biological diversity."

By 2016, the Convention on Biological Diversity had adopted the Mo'otz kuxtal (meaning "roots of life" in the Maya language) guidelines for fairly accessing and sharing the knowledge, innovations and practices of Indigenous peoples for conservation and sustainability.

Language and biodiversity

The rice terraces of the Cordillera in the Philippines are recognised by the UN as a cultural landscape. Credit: David Stanley, CC BY

How does biocultural diversity manifest? One example can be found in language.

Language diversity hotspots frequently correlate with species diversity hotspots; similarly, endangered languages often correspond to areas where there are high numbers of endangered species.

We can see the importance of language in conserving biodiversity in the management practices of Northern American First Nations in the temperate rainforest of western Canada and the U.S.. Particular phrases in the native languages indicate, for example, times for harvesting wild plants and animals, and other biodiversity signals that allow sustainable harvesting.

Similarly, many Australian Aboriginal peoples define seasons through language based on biodiversity signals. They link those signals to fire management techniques, which are vital to protecting the Australian landscape from ever-more deadly wildfires.

And on the Isle of Man, the resurrection of the Manx language has had positive effects on both local culture and the environment. Use of Manx language names for plants, animals and habitat management allow Civil society and tourists alike to better appreciate biodiversity, landscape and culture.

Severing cultures

If the interweaving of nature and culture can have a positive effect on biodiversity, its opposite, the separation of nature from human culture, known as cultural severance, is negative. Cultural severance is a serious problem for conserving both nature and culture.

Creating deliberate cultural severance (even depopulation) is effectively "rewilding," but without direction. Landscapes shaped by people that suffer depopulation may suddenly look "natural," yet will have fewer drivers for ecosystem functions. This has potential negative consequences, despite the increasing clamor for rewilding.

Cultural severance has taken place all over the world. Examples include the conversion of upland moors and bogs to intensive grouse moor in the UK; the conversion of prairie land to intensive agriculture in the US Midwest; and the removal of Indigenous management of landscapes in Australia, Africa, and Latin America.

Cultural severance can result in dramatic declines in ecological diversity. Many of the species that have today reduced in numbers and distribution have declined because long-term human involvement in the landscape management has ended.

Credit: Author provided

New concepts

Since 2018, a concept has been developed to describe our relationship with the environment, "nature's contributions to people." It is an evolution of the idea of ecosystem services, which refers to the positive benefit the environment provides to people, and it is not without controversy.

It only refers to people's contributions to nature in a very obscure way. To be a complete concept, it must explain the feedbacks and links between cultural and biological diversity. In diagrammatic form, these feedbacks and links look like this:

UNESCO recognizes cultural landscapes in its World Heritage Convention. This constitutes a growing list of places significant for their biocultural diversity, from the Saloum Delta in Senegal to Norway's Vega Archipelago, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Central Australia and the rice terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.

The people who live in and around landscapes have cultivated the sharing of intergenerational knowledge on maintenance, management, and reshaping of the land they inhabit. This can be encapsulated simply as the "interaction between genes and memes." We do not mean memes in the social media sense, but in the original meaning given by Richard Dawkins, as inherited culture.

The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biocultural diversity as "biological diversity and cultural diversity and the links between them." The convention also defines biocultural heritage as the holistic approach of many indigenous peoples and local communities. This collective conceptual approach recognizes knowledge as "heritage."

We suggest these definitions should be widely used, and encourage further work on the concepts, both academic and practical.

For 50 years, the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) has combined exact, natural and social sciences to find solutions implemented in the 727 exceptional sites (131 countries) of biosphere reserves.

Explore further Indigenous storytelling is a new asset for biocultural conservation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Physicist Elizabeth Paul and Matt Landreman with figures behind them. Credit: Kiran Sudarsanan

Scientists have achieved a remarkable breakthrough in the conceptual design of twisty stellarators, experimental magnetic facilities that could reproduce on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars. The breakthrough shows how to more precisely shape the enclosing magnetic fields in stellarators to create an unprecedented ability to hold the fusion fuel together.

"The key thing was developing a piece of software that allows you to rapidly try out new design methods" said Elizabeth Paul, a Princeton University Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and co-author of a paper that details the finding in Physical Review Letters. The results produced by Paul and lead author Matt Landreman of the University of Maryland could boost the capability of stellarators to harvest fusion to generate safe and carbon-free electrical power for mankind.

Stellarator renaissance

Stellarators, invented by Princeton astrophysicist and PPPL founder Lyman Spitzer in the 1950s, have long taken a back seat to tokamaks in the worldwide effort to produce controlled fusion energy. But recent developments that include the impressive performance of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator in Germany, the extensive results from the Large Helical Device (LHD) in Japan, the promising results from the Helically Symmetric Experiment (HSX) in Madison, Wisconsin, and the proposed use of simple permanent magnets to replace complex stellarator coils have created a renaissance of interest in the twisty machines.

Fusion creates vast energy throughout the universe by combining light elements in the form of plasma, the hot, charged state of matter composed of free electrons and atomic nuclei, or ions, that makes up 99 percent of the visible universe. Stellarators could produce laboratory versions of the process without risk of the damaging disruptions that more widely used tokamak fusion facilities face.

However, the twisting magnetic fields in stellarators have been less effective at confining the paths of the ions and electrons than the symmetrical, doughnut shaped fields in tokamaks routinely do, causing a large and sustained loss of the extreme heat required to bring the ions together to release fusion energy. Moreover, the complex coils that produce the stellarator fields are difficult to design and build.

The current breakthrough produces what is called "quasisymmetry" in stellarators to nearly match the confining ability of a tokamak's symmetrical fields. While scientists have long sought to produce quasisymmetry in twisting stellarators, the new research develops a trick to create it nearly precisely. The trick uses new open-source software called SIMSOPT (Simons Optimization Suite) that is designed to optimize stellarators by slowly refining the simulated shape of the boundary of the plasma that marks out the magnetic fields. "The ability to automate things and rapidly try things out with this new software makes these configurations possible," Landreman said.

Scientists could also apply the findings to the study of astrophysical problems, he said. In Germany, a team is developing a quasisymmetric stellarator to confine and study antimatter particles such as those found in space. "It's exactly the same challenge as with fusion," Landreman said. "You just need to make sure that the particles stay confined."

Breakthrough assumptions

The breakthrough made some simplifying assumptions that will require enhancement. For simplicity, for example, the research considered a regime in which the pressure and electric current in the plasma were small. "We've made some simplifying assumptions but the research is a significant step going forward because we've shown that you can actually get precise quasisymmetry that for a long time was thought not to be possible," Paul said.

Also needing further development before the findings can be realized are new stellarator coils and detailed engineering of the stellarator design. The magnetic field could be provided in part by the permanent magnets that PPPL is developing to streamline today's twisted stellarator coils. "The biggest missing pieces are the magnets and the pressure and current," Landreman said.

Paul's work on the PRL paper is among achievements during the second year of her Princeton Presidential fellowship. She previously won the American Physical Society's highly competitive 2021 Marshall N. Rosenbluth Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award for her dissertation at the University of Maryland, on which Landreman was an advisor. She now works with PPPL graduate student Richard Nies, who recently published a paper that applies the mathematical tools that her Maryland thesis developed to accelerate the production of quasisymmetry.

Overseeing Paul's Princeton work is PPPL physicist Amitava Bhattacharjee, a Princeton professor of astrophysical sciences who also oversees the "Hidden Symmetries and Fusion Energy" project sponsored by the Simons Foundation in New York that funded the PRL paper. "Matt's and Elizabeth's work makes adroit use of the mathematical and computational tools developed in recent years on stellarator optimization, and establishes beyond doubt that we can design quasisymmetric stellarator magnetic fields with an unprecedented level of accuracy. It is a triumph of computational design."

Stellarator work on the Simons project parallels PPPL research to develop the promising device the Laboratory invented some 70 years ago. Such development would combine the best features of stellarators and tokamaks to design a disruption-free facility with strong plasma confinement to reproduce a virtually unlimited source of fusion energy.

Explore further Common household cleaner can boost effort to harvest fusion energy on Earth

More information: Matt Landreman et al, Magnetic Fields with Precise Quasisymmetry for Plasma Confinement, Physical Review Letters (2022). Journal information: Physical Review Letters Matt Landreman et al, Magnetic Fields with Precise Quasisymmetry for Plasma Confinement,(2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.035001
Leaders in Chicagos Chinatown and beyond clamored Tuesday for Mayor Lori Lightfoot to appoint an Asian American successor to 11th Ward Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, whose federal tax fraud conviction this week could pave the way for the Near South Side enclave to have its first City Hall representative of Asian descent.

The day after Thompson was found guilty, state and local politicians as well as community leaders expressed that Asian Americans in the 11th Ward deserve a City Council representative from their community. They cited the likelihood of that region being remapped into Chicagos first Asian-majority ward, as well as 2020 U.S. Census figures showing Asian Americans as the fastest-growing racial group in Chicago.

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Given the certainty that we will have a majority Asian American ward through the remap, I think that it makes sense for the mayor to appoint somebody from the Asian American community, said state Rep. Theresa Mah, a Democrat who represents Chinatown and is believed to be the first Asian American elected to the Illinois General Assembly, in 2016.

State Rep. Theresa Mah, shown last year, is among those seeking an Asian American nominee for the 11th Ward. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

The possibility of the 11th Ward being redrawn to represent mostly Asian Americans hinges on the increasingly acrimonious fight over the decennial remapping process, but it is also a rare point on which the main blocs generally agree.

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Both the councils Black and Latino caucuses have for months been on the record supporting the idea of adjusting the boundaries to include more of the Chinatown neighborhood, thereby turning it into the citys first majority-Asian ward.

That was over the objections of Thompson, who was immediately ousted from his seat following Mondays felony conviction. Lightfoot now has 60 days to appoint a replacement for the rest of his term ending in 2023.

In a Monday statement following Thompsons guilty verdict, the mayor said, This week, we will be outlining an open and transparent process to fill the vacancy with a qualified public servant that represents the values of the residents of the 11th Ward and the City of Chicago.

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While Black and Latino aldermen have squabbled over the particulars of the proposed Asian-majority ward, backing the idea allows both groups to acknowledge Chicagos explosive Asian population growth and bolster their argument that their citywide map proposal best reflects demographic trends.

Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, 11th, leaves the Dirksen federal courthouse in Chicago on Feb. 10 as his tax fraud trial was ongoing. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

In the wake of Thompsons Monday conviction, Latino Caucus Chair Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, released a statement calling on Lightfoot to select a nominee of Asian descent to finish the deposed aldermans term, which runs until early 2023.

Political wisdom has it that an incumbent alderman enjoys an advantage over challengers, so if the mayors selection decides to run for a full term, that person could have a leg up in the 2023 race.

(Lightfoot) can commit right now to the principles of representation and fairness by immediately appointing an Asian-American alderperson to fill the 11th Ward vacancy, Villegas statement reads in part. This will finally give Chicagos growing Asian-American population true representation in City Hall, in line with the Citys first Asian-majority ward included in the proposed Coalition Map.

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Villegas added in a Tuesday interview: I look at the creation of the wards as opportunities, and I want to be part of creating an opportunity.  Instead of waiting for a referendum, the mayors selection is a great first step to acknowledging this fast-growing population.

The new map could be determined by a referendum on the June primary ballot if aldermen cannot agree on new ward boundaries by then.

Ald. Gilbert Villegas, shown Dec. 14, is calling on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to select a nominee of Asian descent to finish the term of deposed Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, whose tax fraud conviction Monday forces him off the City Council. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Black Caucus Chair Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, said the mayor should pick someone prepared to start meeting the needs of constituents immediately but stopped short of saying someone of a particular background must be the one to do that.

I think its the mayors responsibility to select a person whos qualified to serve the people of the 11th Ward as it exists today, Ervin said. Its up to us on the council to ratify the mayors pick, so Ill wait to see who she appoints, and evaluate that person on those criteria. In the future, its up to the voters of that ward to make that choice.

Asian Americans, whose share of the citys residents increased by 31% over the last decade, currently have no representation in City Council. In all of Chicagos history there has only been one Asian American alderman: Ameya Pawar, who represented the majority-white North Side 47th Ward for two terms.

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Should Lightfoot heed the calls for an Asian American alderman in the 11th Ward, she will have to contend with the political diversity of that demographic. On a national level, most of Chicagos Chinatown supported Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, but Donald Trumps share of the vote increased significantly over 2016 in several precincts, according to records from the Chicago Board of Elections.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot finishes greeting parade viewers and participants before a Lunar New Year parade in Uptown Feb. 5. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Although most Asian Americans in Chinatown and Bridgeport are of Chinese descent, they have varying regional backgrounds that come with their own dialects, said C.W. Chan, founder of Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community. His organization is trying to gather the communitys wide-ranging opinions before rallying behind an Asian American candidate for Lightfoot to appoint, he said.

We have a very diversified community, Chan said. We are still trying to listen to different people to come to some kind of consensus in the community.

The top issue uniting Asian Americans in Chinatown and Bridgeport remains crime, followed by education and affordable housing, said Grace Chan McKibben, executive director of CBCAC. She stressed that to these residents, credentials matter just as much as race.

We do want to have an Asian American voice representing that ward, Chan McKibben said. There are many qualified and experienced Asian American candidates that should be considered, and certainly well be making some recommendations when the time is right.

Chan McKibben said Thompsons ejection is an opportunity to improve aldermanic-community relations. She said while he did have Chinese American staff and was present in the community, she felt he could have been responsive and in tune with his wards growing diversity.

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Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community Executive Director Grace Chan McKibben listens during an Asian Justice Rally on Jan. 30 at the Chinatown Branch Public Library. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

One point of contention was what Chan McKibben described as a lack of community engagement when corporations arrive with development plans, such as the pitch from a helicopter company seeking to bring a fleet of choppers and a heliport to Bridgeport, she said.

There are folks that have not been helped, Chan McKibben said. We certainly would like the next alderman to be even more in tune with the Chinese American community and be able to not only come to events but understand the concerns.

This may not be the last the 11th Ward hears of the Daley family, as Cook County Commissioner John Daley serves as the wards Democratic Party committeeman and may attempt to exert some influence over Lightfoots selection process. Daley is the brother of former Mayor Richard M. Daley; Thompson is their nephew.

John Daley could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Chicago Tribunes Gregory Pratt contributed.

ayin@chicagotribune.com

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jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
A forest edge in Newton, Mass., where researchers consistently measured and monitored the soil to determine how much carbon is being released. Credit: Sarah Garvey

They may not have lungs like we do, but the soil and trees are breathing in and out all of the time. Trees take in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), release oxygen by way of photosynthesis, and store carbon in their trunks. And when the leaves land on the ground, soil microbes work to decompose the leaves and other organic matter, which releases carbon dioxide.

Forests actually store more carbon dioxide than they release, which is great news for us: about 30 percent of carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are taken in by forests, an effect called the terrestrial carbon sink.

"That's CO 2 that's not in the atmosphere," says Boston University biogeochemist and ecologist Lucy Hutyra. "We're not feeling the full effects of climate change because of the terrestrial climate sink. These forests are doing an incredible service to our planet."

For more than a decade, Hutyra has been investigating what happens to the planet's "lungs" when large forests are cut down into smaller patches, a process researchers call forest fragmentation.

"We think about forests as big landscapes, but really they are chopped up into all these little segments because of the human world," says Hutyra, a BU College of Arts & Sciences professor of Earth and environment. Forests get cut into smaller parcels, as chunks are taken down to make space for roads, buildings, agriculture, and solar farmsone of the biggest drivers of forest loss in Massachusetts. These alterations to forests create more areas called forest edgesliterally, the trees at the outermost edge of a forest.

It has long been assumed that these forest edges release and store carbon at similar rates as forest interiors, but Hutyra and researchers in her lab at BU have discovered this isn't true. Soils and trees in temperate forest edges in the Northeast United States are acting differently than those farther away from people. In two recent research papers, Hutyra's team found edge trees grow faster than their country cousins deep in the forest, and that soil in urban areas can hoard more carbon dioxide than previously thought. Their results can challenge current ideas about conservation and the value of urban forests as more than places for recreation.

Breathing in CO 2

In one of the most detailed looks at temperate forest edges to date, Hutyra and her research team, including collaborators at the Harvard Forest, examined the growth rates of edge trees compared to the rest of the forest.

PhD candidate Luca Morreale quantified the percent of forest area within 100 feet of an edge. One finding: there are more temperate forest edges than tropical forest edges in the world, shown in the map above. Previous research has found that forest clearing and fragmentation leads to the demise of tropical trees, the opposite of temperate forest edges. Credit: Morreale et al, Nature Communications (2021), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27373-7

Using data from the US Department of Agriculture's Forest Inventory and Analysis programwhich monitors tree size, growth, and land use across the countryHutyra's team looked at more than 48,000 forest plots in the Northeast United States. They found trees on the edges grow nearly twice as fast as interior treesthose roughly 100 feet away from the edge.

"This is likely because the trees on the edge don't have competition with interior forest, so they get more light," says Luca Morreale, a Ph.D. candidate in Hutyra's lab and lead author on the paper, published in Nature Communications, outlining the findings. And the more a tree grows, the more carbon it is taking in.

This is good news, considering over 25 percent of the landscape in the Northeast United States is covered by an edge. But this doesn't mean that more forest fragmentation is a solution for sucking more carbon out of the atmosphere; carbon storage along the edges of fragmented areas does not come close to offsetting the negative side effects of losing forestslike releasing carbon long stored underground back into the atmosphere.

According to Morreale and Hutyra, their study instead points to the need to better understand and conserve existing forest edges, which are typically seen as more disposable. "We are underestimating how much carbon is being taken up by temperate forest edges," Hutyra says. "We also need to think about how susceptible they might be in the future to climate change," because previous studies have shown that even though these trees are growing faster from more sunlight, hotter temperatures cause growth rates of edge trees to plummet.

Breathing out CO 2

In a second related study, Hutyra teamed up with BU biologist Pamela Templer to find that soils at the forest edge felt the effects of forest fragmentation, just like the trees.

"Soils contain wild amounts of bacteria, fungi, roots, and microorganisms, and just the way we breathe out CO 2 when working and being active, they respire CO 2 , as well," says Sarah Garvey, a Ph.D. candidate in Hutyra's lab and lead author of a paper on forest edge soils published in Global Change Biology. "With soil, there is more there than meets the eye."

Garvey found that not only does forest edge soil release more carbon than interior forest soil, but that the soil is acting dramatically differently in rural and urban forests.

This device, called a LI-COR LI8100A, allowed the researchers to measure soil temperature, moisture, and carbon release at the various sites across Massachusetts. This one is pictured at a forest edge in the Arnold Arboretum. Credit: Sarah Garvey

She visited eight field sites in developed and undeveloped areas of Massachusetts every two weeks for a year and a half (skipping the winter, when the ground is covered in ice) to measure the levels of carbon being released from the soils. She and her team would take a snapshot of the temperature and moisture levels of the soil at the forest edge, and then walk about 300 feet into the forest to take measurements again.

They saw that in rural areas with fewer people and buildings, warmer temperatures at the edge of the forest caused leaves and organic matter to decompose faster, forcing the soil microorganisms to work harder and release more carbon dioxide than their cooler, more shaded peers in the forest interior. But, in urban forests, where the ground was significantly hotter and drier, those soils stopped releasing as much carbon.

"It's so hot and dry that the microbes are not happy and they're not doing their thing," Hutyra says. The long-term effect of unhappy soil is uncertain, but the findings also mean that urban soils, like those in Franklin Park, the largest public park in Boston, could have a greater capacity to store carbon than previously expected, says Garvey. Her next project will look deeper into the possible mechanisms behind the different carbon release and storage rates.

Critical for our future

Although discovering that urban trees and soils store more carbon might seem like "a double whammy of a good thing," Hutyra says, it's unclear if this boost in carbon uptake will last as the planet continues to warm.

Climate change could exacerbate carbon losses from soil, and the trees at the edge of forests in rural or urban areas could be more vulnerable to extreme heat and drought.

"Forests store almost half of their carbon below ground," Garvey says. "Which is why understanding the relationships between the soil and the plant life is so vital to understanding the bigger picture of how forests store carbon for the long term."

With cities and countries making commitments to plant more trees in an effort to curb the impacts of climate change, the researchers in Hutyra's lab all agree that thinking about the greater context of the trees and soils, and where new trees are planted, is extremely important. Factoring in the elevated amounts of carbon stored by forest edges should be taken into account when looking at long-term projections of climate change, as well.

"We need to think about that as we [decide] what areas to conserve, what to develop, and how to tackle climate change solutions," Hutyra says. "Is a place like Franklin Park where there's tons of foot traffic just as valuable to save as a remote forest in Maine where three people visit? There's no easy answer."

Explore further Soils in old-growth treetops can store more carbon than soils under our feet

More information: Luca L. Morreale et al, Elevated growth and biomass along temperate forest edges, Nature Communications (2021). Luca L. Morreale et al, Elevated growth and biomass along temperate forest edges,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27373-7 Sarah M. Garvey et al, Diverging patterns at the forest edge: Soil respiration dynamics of fragmented forests in urban and rural areas, Global Change Biology (2022). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16099 Journal information: Nature Communications , Global Change Biology
A small fluctuation added to the initial state with a flat DW (a) grows up to a characteristic wavy pattern of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (b), releasing a lot of skyrmions to both the right and left sides (c). Many of them are ordinary skyrmions with integer charge or eccentric skyrmions with fractional charge. In the panel (d), we see an eccentric fractional skyrmion as a spin-downward domain, located on the far right. Red and blue arrows show spin vectors in upward and downward domains. On magnetic domain walls, spin vectors vanish or are parallel to the paper represented by green arrows. The numbers at the bottom left of each panel represents the time in the simulation. Credit: Osaka City University

A scientist at Osaka City University has discovered skyrmions with half-integer topological numbers in a ferromagnetic superfluid.

"This may bring about a major change in the long history of research on skyrmions," states Hiromitsu Takeuchi, lecturer at the Graduate School of Science and the Nambu Yoichiro Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (NITEP), Osaka City University, and sole author of the study.

Skyrmions, a type of phase defect that forms when the symmetry of a system is spontaneously broken in a phase transition, have a dominant effect on the macroscopic behavior of the system wherein they occur. Thus, understanding skyrmions has been theorized as fundamental in governing the physical properties of systems with spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB). To explore this, scientists have turned to ultra-cold superfluids like Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) as these near absolute-zero atomic gasses are free from the effects that hinder understanding of its intrinsic propertiesessentially becoming quantum simulators. "Based on the results of another recent study, I had predicted that an unknown asymmetric topological defect would appear in the ferromagnetic phase of BEC," says Takeuchi, "however I was quite shocked when I found it was a new type of skyrmion."

In a new study published in the American Physical Society's journal Physical Review A, Takeuchi has shown the generation mechanism of this eccentric fractional skyrmion to be in contrast to that of conventional skyrmions.

As spin currents are applied to a magnetic domain wall (DW), the internal structure of a DW undergoes a transition from one phase to another. Depending on the strength of the spin current, scientists have observed two types of DWs to form in a BEC, antiferromagnetic (AF)-core and broken axisymmetry (BA)-core DWs, classified according to the local magnetization of the wall. The new skyrmion is generated from an instability that can be regarded as the magnetic quantum fluid equivalent of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) known in fluid dynamics, where the spin-upward and spin-downward domains are considered as two fluids. In the KHI mechanism, magnetic skyrmions enclosed in the DW are released from a BA-core DW. A conventional skyrmion has an integer topological charge, "similar to how an ordinary charged particle has only an integer amount of charge, which is a multiple of its elementary charge," says Takeuchi. "In the BEC system however, numerical simulations on instability in the BA-core DW indicated the generation of an eccentric skyrmion with a half-integer quantum number."

Until now, the smallest unit of the topological quantum number of an isolated skyrmion has been recognized as unity, but this study suggests it can be half of that. The author observed through numerical models that this was due to the spontaneous formation of a spin singularity inside the new skyrmion. These formations are not favored because it raises the energy of the system, Takeuchi says. "Yet it appears this new skyrmion, which is located where magnetism and nematic order coexist, plays a role in suppressing the energy increase caused by these singularities." The vantage point acquired from this study could allow the realization of this new skyrmion in other fields, such as particle physics and spintronics.

More information: Hiromitsu Takeuchi, Spin-current instability at a magnetic domain wall in a ferromagnetic superfluid: A generation mechanism of eccentric fractional skyrmions, Physical Review A (2022). Journal information: Physical Review A Hiromitsu Takeuchi, Spin-current instability at a magnetic domain wall in a ferromagnetic superfluid: A generation mechanism of eccentric fractional skyrmions,(2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.105.013328

Provided by Osaka City University
Some undiscovered species are hiding right under our noses. Ormyrus labotus, a tiny parasitoid wasp known to science since 1843, has long been considered a generalist, laying its eggs in more than 65 different species of other insects. But a new study in Insect Systematics and Diversity suggests wasps currently called Ormyrus labotus are actually at least 16 different species, identical in appearance but genetically distinct, each parasitizing a narrower range of host species. Shown here are wasp specimens collected by researchers at the University of Iowa that all matched the description of Ormyrus labotus. But, by combining genetic analysis with data on the wasps' physical attributes and ecological factors, the researchers say these wasps all belong to separate speciesa finding that underlines the importance of seeking out the world's hidden diversity. Credit: Gallery image by Entomological Society of America; component images by Sofia Sheikh, Anna Ward, and Andrew Forbes, University of Iowa

A common refrain among biologists holds that the majority of Earth's plant and animal species remain undiscovered. While many of those species inhabit narrow or hard-to-reach ranges, others may in fact be hiding right under our noses.

Take Ormyrus labotus, a tiny parasitoid wasp known to science since 1843. It has long been considered a generalist, laying its eggs in more than 65 different species of other insects. But a new study published today in Insect Systematics and Diversity suggests that the wasps currently called Ormyrus labotus are actually at least 16 different species, identical in appearance but genetically distinct.

It's not unusual, especially with advancing genetic techniques, to discover "cryptic" species within one known insect species, but the number of those found within Ormyrus labotus underlines the importance of seeking out the world's "hidden diversity," says Andrew Forbes, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at the University of Iowa and senior author of the study.

"We know so much from ecology about how important even the smallest species can be to an ecosystem," he says, "such that uncovering this hidden diversityand, maybe more importantly, understanding the biology of each speciesbecomes a critical component of conservation and maintenance of ecosystem health."

Intriguing insects that emerge from oak galls

Parasitoid wasps lay their eggs on or in other insects and arthropods, and they commonly specialize in parasitizing a small number of host species, or even just one. Meanwhile, a wide variety of insects lay their eggs on plants where their larvae hatch and then induce the plant to form a protective structure called a "gall" around the larvae. Wasps in the genus Ormyrus parasitize these gall-forming insects.

For a separate research project between 2015 and 2019, Sofia Sheikh and Anna Ward, both graduate students in Forbes' lab, collected galls formed on oak trees and observed the insects that emerged. They noticed that wasps emerging from a large diversity of gall types all matched the description of Ormyrus labotus, and this got the researchers wondering.

"It seemed highly unusual for one parasitoid species to be able to exploit such a wide and dynamic set of hosts," says Sheikh, a master's student at the time in Forbes' lab (now a Ph.D. student at the University of Chicago) and lead author on the new study.

To test whether the wasps they collected were all truly one species or instead a band of look-alikes, Sheikh, Ward, and Forbes extracted DNA samples from each of the wasp specimens that emerged from the oak galls and analyzed the degree of genetic variation between them, with assistance from collaborators at Rice University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Then they combined this genetic analysis with data on the wasps' physical attributes and ecological factorse.g., which type of oak galls they emerged from, at what time of year, and so onto place the wasps in groups of likely separate species.

The final result? The collected wasps that originally appeared to be Ormyrus labotus instead comprise at least 16 distinct species, and possibly as many as 18.

The hunt for cryptic species

In their review of other research, the team found several other studies that had uncovered cryptic species within purported generalist species but none that had found so many at once. And it's possible more distinct species that would otherwise match O. labotus remain to be found, the researchers say, because the original collection of oak-gall specimens that Sheikh and Ward conducted wasn't designed to encompass all known O. labotus hosts.

For now, Ormyrus labotus will remain a "species complex," with these newly delineated species known to exist but not yet formally described and named. Forbes says his lab "only dabbles" in formal taxonomy, but all specimens from the study have been preserved and are available for other researchers who want to conduct a taxonomic revision of the Ormyrus genus. "If someone wants to take a crack at naming these species of Ormyrus, we're ready to help however we can," he says.

Until then, the current findings underscore the importance of fundamental biodiversity research and its potential implications. For example, if O. labotus were ever enlisted for control of an invasive oak-galling pest, it would be critical to know which species within the complex targeted that specific pest speciesand the same dynamic applies in the use of any parasitoid wasp species for biological control. Meanwhile, failing to differentiate specialists from generalists hinders scientists' ability to understand actual generalist insects and what enables them to target a variety of hosts, the researchers note.

Sheikh says she sees parasitoid wasps as "emblems of weirdi.e., interestingbiology" and is intrigued by their specialization strategies. "More so than any specific number of potential new species, I am excited about how this study and many others are revealing a plethora of cryptic diversity," she says. "This, to me, suggests that we still have a lot to learn about the processes that structure species interactions with each other and their environments."

Explore further Crypt-keeper wasp found to parasitize multiple species of gall wasp

More information: Sofia I Sheikh et al, Ormyrus labotus (Hymenoptera: Ormyridae): Another Generalist That Should not be a Generalist is not a Generalist, Insect Systematics and Diversity (2022). Sofia I Sheikh et al, Ormyrus labotus (Hymenoptera: Ormyridae): Another Generalist That Should not be a Generalist is not a Generalist,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/isd/ixac001
The antibacterial/antiviral additive developed by KIMS. Credit: Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS)

A research team led by Dr. Chang Su Kim at the Department of Nano-Bio Convergence of the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) developed a material that gives antibacterial/antiviral properties without changing the physical properties of products that are commonly used. KIMS is a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Currently, antibacterial films and antibacterial coating products are widely used for elevator buttons, door handles, and touch screens. However, it is difficult to maintain the long-term antibacterial durability of the material because of the low transparency and it can be easily damaged due to frequent use. In addition, it requires an additional process of attaching or producing a film to an existing product.

The research team at KIMS developed an antibacterial/antiviral additive that generates high metal ions. By simply adding a small amount of additive about 1-2 weight percent (wt%) to various resins, the antibacterial properties are increased to 99.99%, and the antiviral properties are more than 10 times in 2 hours without changing optical/mechanical/thermal properties of existing products. Because this material is used as an additive, it is possible to carry out ultraviolet (UV) and heat curing process without additional processing on existing products. In addition, the antibacterial/antiviral additive is composed of non-toxic substances without organic antibacterial agents and nano compounds.

High antibacterial properties and maintenance of optical/mechanical properties by adding antibacterial/antiviral material. Credit: Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS)

Dr. Chang Su Kim, the lead researcher of the team, said, "This technology can be widely applied to display films, functional textiles, home appliances/furniture films, window films, interior and exterior materials for automobiles, kitchen/bathroom/sanitary products, and medical supplies. We are conducting mass-production tests together with some companies who would use the material. We will spare no effort to tackle new infectious diseases for the post-COVID-19 era when people's interest in personal hygiene will greatly increase."

The research team is currently working on commercializing the technology by promoting the establishment of a research institute spin-off company.

Explore further Chemists obtain new material for antibacterial food coatings

Provided by National Research Council of Science & Technology
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

An iconic winged beauty feared to be on the verge of extinction was spotted more around the West last year, including in Colorado.

In summarizing 2021 findings from its seasonal, decades-old count of black-and-orange-striped monarchs, it was a "surprising and remarkable outcome," read a recent news release from Oregon-based Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Largely covering the butterfly's overwintering destinations along the California coast and largely led by volunteer scientists, the count yielded 247,237 monarchs. That, Xerces reported, was more than a 100-fold increase from 2020, a record year for wildfires across the West that hindered migration. It was the most counted since 2016, according to the organization, which also noted more volunteers out tallying in 2021.

"This year's total is a step in the right direction, but still indicates a severe population decline," a Xerces conservation biologist, Isis Howard, said in the release.

For western monarchs, that decline since the 1980s is believed to be 99%. For eastern monarchswhich meet western counterparts in Colorado on either side of the Rocky Mountains during their differing migrationsresearchers have found that loss to be around 80% in the past two decades. Where millions were once logged, now locations are tallying thousands, hundreds or none at all.

With a growing group of volunteers forming the Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network, Butterfly Pavilion has attempted to track numbers in the past decade. The Westminster center showcasing and advocating for invertebrates recently reported 2021 was the most prolific year for monarchs since counts started in 2013.

"Last year was the first time we saw a rebound in a while, which is promising," said Shiran Hershcovich, Butterfly Pavilion's lepidopterist manager. "However, even as I'm saying something like 180% more monarchs, that is still not at all close to recovery from numbers we used to see, those hundreds of millions."

Volunteers across 12 counties reported 124 monarchsa 180% increase from the mean over the past seven years of monitoring, according to a report this month. Last year was the first year in Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network's existence that monarchs cracked the top 25 of most species recorded, though zero were submitted from El Paso and Gilpin counties.

The program's 61 monitors contributed a record 551 hours and 502 surveys, according to Butterfly Pavilion.

While more eyes in the field might've spelled more monarchs counted, observers have contemplated other factors.

Populations can vary place to place along the migration any given year, with the three to four generations that monarchs breed along the way. Some have theorized that, while drought represents an existential threat, warm and drier conditions could be better for flying. Some hope the past year shows preservation and restoration efforts working across landscapes. They hope, too, the year indicates the butterfly's resilience.

"There are so many environmental factors at play across their range that there's no single cause or definitive answer for this year's uptick," Emma Pelton, the western monarch lead with Xerces Society, said in the news release, "but hopefully it means we still have time to protect this species."

Reasons for the loss are clearer.

Milkweed and other plants that monarchs feed and breed on don't fare well in a warming climate. Habitat has been lost to development. And pesticides have thinned monarch ranks stopping over agricultural fields.

"Of course I want to feel happy," Hershcovich said of the latest counts. "But I don't want to forget we're not where we should be."

She called on people to plant milkweed and other native flowering plants, avoid pesticides and reduce their carbon footprints.

"My personal favorite is getting involved with community science," she said, adding: "The biggest issue is getting enough data for findings to be as meaningful as we can make them."

Explore further Western monarchs rebound but still below historic population

 Colorado Springs Gazette.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This image of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A combines some of the first X-ray data collected by NASAs Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, shown in magenta, with high-energy X-ray data from NASAs Chandra X-Ray Observatory, in blue. Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/IXPE

In time for Valentine's Day, NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer which launched Dec. 9, 2021, has delivered its first imaging data since completing its month-long commissioning phase.

All instruments are functioning well aboard the observatory, which is on a quest to study some of the most mysterious and extreme objects in the universe.

IXPE first focused its X-ray eyes on Cassiopeia A, an object consisting of the remains of a star that exploded in the 17th century. The shock waves from the explosion have swept up surrounding gas, heating it to high temperatures and accelerating cosmic ray particles to make a cloud that glows in X-ray light. Other telescopes have studied Cassiopeia A before, but IXPE will allow researchers to examine it in a new way.

In the image, the saturation of the magenta color corresponds to the intensity of X-ray light observed by IXPE. It overlays high energy X-ray data, shown in blue, from NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Chandra and IXPE, with different kinds of detectors, capture different levels of angular resolution, or sharpness. An additional version of this image is available showing only IXPE data. These images contain IXPE data collected from Jan. 11 to 18.

After Chandra launched in 1999, its first image was also of Cassiopeia A. Chandra's X-ray imagery revealed, for the first time, that there is a compact object in the center of the supernova remnant, which may be a black hole or neutron star.

This image from NASAs Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer maps the intensity of X-rays coming from the observatorys first target, the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. Colors ranging from cool purple and blue to red and hot white correspond with the increasing brightness of the X-rays. The image was created using X-ray data collected by IXPE between Jan. 11-18. Credit: NASA

"The IXPE image of Cassiopeia A is as historic as the Chandra image of the same supernova remnant," said Martin C. Weisskopf, the IXPE principal investigator based at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "It demonstrates IXPE's potential to gain new, never-before-seen information about Cassiopeia A, which is under analysis right now."

A key measurement that scientists will make with IXPE is called polarization, a way of looking at how X-ray light is oriented as it travels through space. The polarization of light contains clues to the environment where the light originated. IXPE's instruments also measure the energy, the time of arrival, and the position in the sky of the X-rays from cosmic sources.

"The IXPE image of Cassiopeia A is bellissima, and we look forward to analyzing the polarimetry data to learn even more about this supernova remnant," said Paolo Soffitta, the Italian principal investigator for IXPE at the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) in Rome.

With polarization data from Cassiopeia A, IXPE will allow scientists to see, for the first time, how the amount of polarization varies across the supernova remnant, which is about 10 light-years in diameter. Researchers are currently working with the data to create the first-ever X-ray polarization map of the object. This will reveal new clues about how X-rays are produced at Cassiopeia A.

"IXPE's future polarization images should unveil the mechanisms at the heart of this famous cosmic accelerator," said Roger Romani, an IXPE co-investigator at Stanford University. "To fill in some of those details, we've developed a way to make IXPE's measurements even more precise using machine learning techniques. We're looking forward to what we'll find as we analyze all the data."

IXPE launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, and now orbits 370 miles (600 kilometers) above Earth's equator. The mission is a collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency with partners and science collaborators in 12 countries. Ball Aerospace, headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, manages spacecraft operations.

Explore further NASA's new IXPE mission begins science operations
Tsetse blood feeding. Credit: Daniel Hargrove

Parents face a trade-off between putting resources into their offspring versus using resources to enhance their chances of survival so they can have more offspring. The best allocation of resources depends on age. More experienced parents are better at getting food, so they can pass on more to their offspring. However, resources are needed to combat 'wear and tear', so in old age less can be passed on.

This increase-decrease pattern of allocation to offspring is seen in many mammals, birds and insects. Scientists at Bristol, with colleagues at Exeter and Oxford, found this pattern in an important disease-carrying insect, the tsetse fly. Tsetse flies give birth to live young that are nearly as big as their mother.

With colleagues at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the team studied tsetse mothers in the laboratory for their whole lives. Now, the team has made a mathematical model, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, which to show how the pattern can be explained by changes the mothers experience as they get older.

Tsetse live on blood, which is a rich food supply but hard to get. The insects have to fly a long way to find an animal and avoid its defenses, such as a swatting tail. Tsetse probably get better at acquiring food through experience, but the energy they need to fly increases as their wings become worn. Tsetse mothers have evolved to respond to these effects when passing on fat to their offspring.

Tsetse digesting blood. Credit: Daniel Hargrove

"We expect that parents have evolved optimal patterns of resources allocation to maximize their reproductive success," said lead author Dr. Antoine Barreaux, research associate at the University of Bristol and now lecturer in Intertryp at Cirad in France. "Our work takes into account age-dependence in many factors, such as feeding ability, energetic costs, and mortality."

Dr. Sinead English from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol and leader of the team added: "Our model is the first to predict the initial increase and subsequent decrease with age of the allocation of resources by parents to their offspring."

The mathematical model applies to all animals that have more than one offspring during their lives.

It predicts what strategic choices individuals will make depending on their ecology. Some species will allocate nearly everything to each breeding event, whereas others will build up their resources and reproduce less often. Explaining this diversity is an aim of the project.

Tsetse giving birth. Credit: Daniel Hargrove

"We hope that this theory inspires future tests with the data from long-term studies of wild populations such as red deer, bison or terns. This would allow scientists to come up with a general theory of investment by parents over their lives," said Dr. Barreaux

The team is developing the model to include the parasites that tsetse transmit. The hope is that a better understanding of these important insects will be used to reduce the transmission of diseases, such as sleeping sickness, to humans and livestock.

Explore further Tropical fly study shows that a mother's age and diet influences offspring health
A farmer shows cassava root affected by cassava brown streak virus alongside a healthy root in a country where the disease is present  one of the 64 pathogens assessed by the scientists. Credit: CABI

A CABI-led study has conducted a comprehensive survey of nearly 200 potentially harmful alien plant species that could have a detrimental impact upon agriculture, forestry and biodiversity in Ghana once they enter the country.

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) continue to shape the global landscape through their effects on biological diversity and agricultural productivity. The effects are particularly pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa, which has seen the arrival of many IAS in recent years. This has been attributed to porous borders, weak cross border biosecurity, and inadequate capacity to limit or stop invasions.

The research, the findings of which are published in the journal NeoBiota, ranks 110 arthropod and 64 pathogenic species that pose the greatest threat but are not yet officially present in the country. However, they could arrive as 'stowaways' in cargo from other countries around the world, the scientists believe.

Dr. Marc Kenis, Head Risk Analysis and Invasion Ecology at CABI, led on the horizon scanning exercise supported by colleagues from a range of institutions including Ghana's Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD).

Among the top arthropods prioritized by Dr. Kenis and his team were the pink hibiscus mealybug (Maconellicoccus hirsutus Green) and melon thrips (Thrips palmi Karny) while the top pathogens highlighted include cassava brown streak virus and Maize lethal necrosis disease.

Cassava in Ghana, for example, is a main staple crop and contributes about 22 percent and 30 percent to the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (AGDP) and daily calories intake respectively. The crop however, can be at risk from cassava brown streak virus which can reduce yields by up to 70 percent.

Maize lethal necrosis disease, on the other hand for instance, can be a major disruptor of maize crops in Ghana where maize accounts for more than 50 percent of the country's total cereal production. The disease can cause losses of between 5090 percent depending on the variety of maize and the growing conditions of the year.

The scientists also found other species recorded in Africa that included 19 arthropod and 46 pathogenic species which were already recorded in the neighboring countries of Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, and Togo.

Dr. Kenis, who is based at CABI's center in Switzerland, said, "The ultimate objective of this research was to enable prioritization of actions including pest risk analysis, prevention, surveillance and contingency plans. Prioritization was carried out using an adapted version of horizon scanning and consensus methods developed for ranking IAS worldwide.

"We have demonstrated that through horizon scanning, a country can identify potential invasive plant pests, both invertebrates and pathogens, and use the information to determine the risk associated with each.

"This will enable the country to invest the limited resources in priority actions such as preventing arrival and establishment of IAS, Pest Risk Analysis (PRA), surveillance and developing contingency plans.

"This study can serve as a model for future projects on plant pests' prioritization in Africa and elsewhere. It would be applicable for assessing the risk of invasive plant pests in any country or region, e.g. trade blocks, with minor modifications of the method, particularly in the mini-PRA protocol used to score species."

The full lists of arthropod and pathogenic species surveyed can be found within the full paper which can be read online.

Mr Prudence Attipoe, Deputy Director Head Plant Quarantine Division, PPRSD, said, "The horizon scanning exercise for Ghana would give the PPRSD an insight into invasive pests which could possibly enter the Nation. The tool is timely and appropriate for conducting PRA for planning, training and future preparedness. The success of this exercise would pre-empt the introduction of these invasive pests into the country in order to protect Ghana's agriculture, forestry and also cause staff of PPRSD to be more vigilant at the borders for these pests."

Explore further Opportunities for natural enemy to fight devastating fall armyworm

More information: Marc Kenis et al, Horizon scanning for prioritising invasive alien species with potential to threaten agriculture and biodiversity in Ghana, NeoBiota (2022). Journal information: NeoBiota Marc Kenis et al, Horizon scanning for prioritising invasive alien species with potential to threaten agriculture and biodiversity in Ghana,(2022). DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.71.72577

Provided by CABI
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Researchers have urged aid organisations and governments in sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen their plans for emergency pre-primary education, which evidence suggests prevented 'alarming' learning losses in the region during COVID school closures.

In a study of more than 2,600 children in Ethiopia, researchers found that among pupils who entered primary education immediately after schools reopened, learning losses were far less severe if they had been in pre-primary education prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. The learning deficit among children without this pre-primary experience was four times greater.

Despite this, the study also shows that pre-primary education was the most neglected part of the Ethiopian government's COVID education response. One aid donor characterised its remote learning plan for this age group as: "a vacuum, with no-one accountable".

The research was undertaken by a team from the University of Cambridge, Addis Ababa University and the Ethiopian Policy Studies Institute. The report is part of a five-year study, commissioned through the World Bank's Early Learning Partnership.

Professor Pauline Rose, Director of the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, said: "Our findings from Ethiopia are almost certainly symptomatic of a wider pattern. Across sub-Saharan Africa, pre-primary education does not seem to have figured significantly in how education Ministries responded to the pandemic."

"It clearly plays a vital, protective role in limiting learning losses. With new variants of the virus emerging, school disruption could easily happen again. Plans should be put in place now to ensure that pre-primary age groups are not neglected."

Ethiopia's schools closed for about eight months from March 2020, affecting more than 26 million pupils, including 3.2 million of pre-primary age. The study examined both the impact on children's primary school readiness, and the value of pre-primary education in this context.

First, the researchers tracked the progress of 2,600 children who were of pre-primary school age in the academic year 2019/20 and became eligible to start primary school in 2020/21. The intervening period coincided with when school-based learning was interrupted.

The pupils took early numeracy tests at the start of each academic year. Researchers then compared the test scores of children who had attended "O-Class" (a pre-primary programme run by the Ethiopian government) and those who did not attend pre-primary school at all.

Even though COVID-19 meant that the O-Class group spent far less time in the classroom than expected, they still performed much better in both numeracy tests. Their average scores rose from 46%, at the start of O-Class, to 64% as they entered primary school in 2020/21. The scores of those who had not attended pre-primary school rose from 26% to 46%.

While this shows that all children made some progress, it also suggests that those without formal pre-primary education were a full year behind their peers by the time they started primary school. Even when the researchers controlled for potentially confounding factors, such as prior attainment, parental literacy, household wealth and where they live; the O-Class children were still eight percentage points ahead.

The headline results mask deeper inequalities. Within O-Class, learning gains were significantly greater among boys, those from wealthier families, and those with literate caregivers.

To establish how much learning was lost during the pandemic, the study then compared the group's test scores at the point when they started primary school, in 2020, with those of a cohort of 2,700 children who started primary school in 2018.

The average score in the 2020 cohort was 7.4 percentage points lower than the pre-pandemic group after accounting for other factors, suggesting that all children experienced some sort of learning loss due to COVID-19. Importantly, however, children's participation in O-Class played an important role in mitigating learning loss. Compared to the pre-pandemic group, the 2020 cohort who attended pre-primary school scored nine percentage points higher than those who did not attend any preschool, after accounting for other factors.

Children without a pre-primary education were also far less likely to enter primary school at all after the pandemic. About 92% of the O-class children enrolled in primary classes after schools reopened, compared with just 50% of those who had not been in pre-primary.

"The differences are alarming," Rose said. "Participation in O-Class clearly played a role in preventing losses, but so did household wealth. We should be particularly concerned about girls, and those in less-wealthy and rural areas, who missed out then, and potentially still are now."

The researchers also interviewed staff from the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, the national examinations agency and aid organisationsalong with 480 parentsto assess how pre-primary education was handled during the closures.

Government and aid officials raised concerns about the lack of a clear strategy for pre-primary education. The report finds that a lack of policy prioritisation for pre-primary and limited coordination between services meant that local resources, which might have otherwise kept young children learning, were not used effectively. Only half of parents and caregivers reported engaging in learning with their children during the closures, and just 10% had contact with a teacher.

The report urges governments to widen access to quality pre-primary education, and to make it central to education recovery planning. It adds that less-advantaged children, who have clearly missed out most, should be prioritised.

"Pre-primary education raises particular challenges about how to support young children and families when schools close, but that shouldn't stop us from finding solutions," Rose said. "These issues need to be addressed now and not in the middle of the next emergency."
A rock tower called The Bike Seat. Credit: Geohazards research group

You won't see them move no matter how closely you watch.

You won't hear their vibrations, even with your ear pressed to the cool sandstone.

But new research shows that the red rock towers found in Southern Utah and throughout the Colorado Plateau are in constant motion, vibrating with their own signature rhythms as unique as their dramatic profiles against the depth of the blue desert sky.

University of Utah researchers know well how rock towers and arches shimmy, twist and sway in response to far-off earthquakes, wind and even ocean waves. Their latest research compiles a first-of-its-kind dataset to show that the dynamic properties, i.e. the frequencies at which the rocks vibrate and the ways they deform during that vibration, can be largely predicted using the same mathematics that describe how beams in built structures resonate.

Knowing these properties is crucial to understanding the seismic stability of a rock tower and its susceptibility to hazardous vibrations. But it's tough to get the needed data, partly because getting to the base of the towers often requires traveling through treacherous terrainand then someone has to climb them to place a seismometer at the top.

With the help of experienced climbers, though, University of Utah researchers have now measured the dynamic properties of 14 rock towers and fins in Utah, creating a unique dataset with a variety of heights and tower shapes.

"This ability to make predictions about a tower's fundamental frequency using just the tower's width, height, and material properties is powerful because that means someone doesn't necessarily have to climb a 300-foot (100 m) tower with a seismometer to get this information," says lead author Riley Finnegan, a doctoral student in geophysics. "And knowing this information is important for any assessments related to the seismic stability of a tower or potential vibration damage."

The study is published in Seismological Research Letters and was funded by the National Science Foundation and the University of Utah Office of Undergraduate Research.

Exaggerated animation of one of the movement modes of The Bike Seat. Credit: Geohazards research group

Scaling the tops of towers

Finnegan, Jeff Moore, associate professor of geology and geophysics, and colleagues have spent years measuring and cataloging arches and other rock forms to understand how they move.

To get their seismometers to the tops of these towers, the researchers teamed up with climbing expert Kathryn Vollinger, who together with her partner ascended the towers hauling the instruments to the top. Then they waited while the instruments recorded data and carried them back down.

The researchers drew on the help of others as well. Jackson Bodtker, a recent graduate now at the University of Calgary, climbed three towers in one day. Alex Dzubay, a senior majoring in geophysics, scrambled up a thousand-foot cliff to access one tower. Moore's family even contributed, measuring dimensions of rock towers in Arizona.

"So many talented, eager, and helpful people were involved in the fieldwork," Finnegan says. "A group of us went to three of the sites after Kathryn's climbs to fly the drone to make 3D models, and I personally could barely get to the baseof one of the towers, let alone start thinking about carrying our equipment to the base and then climb up with it all in tow."

Respecting the land

Some of the sites studied have special significance to local Native American tribes, including the towers in Valley of the Gods, Bears Ears, Utah. The valley, according to the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, "is considered sacred to the Navajo, who interpret the giant sandstone monuments as ancient Navajo warriors frozen in stoneand time."

Exaggerated animation of one of the modes, or predominant movement directions, of Eagle Plume Tower, Utah. Credit: Geohazards research group

Finnegan says the researchers met with teachers from Whitehorse High in Montezuma Creek near Valley of the Gods and that one of the students, Weston Manygoats, joined them for fieldwork. "He is extremely bright and hardworking, and we were very grateful for his assistance," Finnegan says.

The research team strove to practice respectful visitation during their fieldwork, and recommends that others visiting the Bears Ears area consult with guidelines from the Coalition and visit the Friends of Cedar Mesa Visitor Center in Bluff, UT. Visitors are asked to stay on marked trails, visit cultural sites with respect, leave any cultural objects as they are found, and avoid touching rock art.

"We hope that by recognizing these towers are constantly in motion, trembling, swaying and shuddering in response to wind and energy coursing through the Earth, visitors to these sometimes sacred landscapes will have an added layer of respect, and ultimately that our measurements will inspire a spirit of care for these amazingly unique places," Moore says.

Rocks swaying like trees

In all, this study compiled ambient vibration data for 14 rock towers and fins collected over several years. While the team had previously reported measurements from a single landform, the 120 m high Castleton Tower, the new compilation is larger and broader than any previously published dataset and spans a variety of tower heights and geometries.

The results showed that the fundamental frequencies of the rock towers varied between ~1 Hz (one cycle per second) and 15 Hz, and that larger towers have lower fundamental frequencies. In general, the towers bend and sway like trees and tall buildings. At higher frequencies the towers twist around their central axis.

"Probably most surprising to me was how well our data agreed with theory, and how well our models supported the data," Finnegan says. That theory predicts that the fundamental frequency at which a beam vibrates is proportional to its width divided by its height squared. The rock towers largely followed that relationship.

The predicted frequencies of the rock towers' vibrations differed from the observed data by about 4%. And the predicted angle of the towers' motions deviated from the actual data by 14 on average."

"Maybe I'm overly excited and surprised about this," Finnegan says, "but I've made enough models of rock arches in some of our other work that frustratingly didn't produce strong matches to the data, so it was refreshing to me to be able to predict tower modes given the geometry."

The new measurements, together with previously published data, provide guidance on estimating the natural frequencies of other rock towers, pillars and fins, in different settings across the world, values which are needed in order to conduct seismic stability and vibration risk assessments, as well as assess the probable intensity of past shaking. Knowing how to predict rock towers' properties, Finnegan says, makes it much easier to assess the health of a tower with fewer measurements.

Some of the most rewarding times I have had in the field are times when I'm able to slow down, sit and listen and imagine these towers in motion," Moore says. "We can't see or hear or feel their motion, but it is very real and is always (and has always been) happening. For me, this new perspective creates a renewed and intimate connection with the landscape."

More information: Riley Finnegan et al, Ambient Vibration Modal Analysis of Natural Rock Towers and Fins, Seismological Research Letters (2022). Journal information: Seismological Research Letters Riley Finnegan et al, Ambient Vibration Modal Analysis of Natural Rock Towers and Fins,(2022). DOI: 10.1785/0220210325
During a ceremony Tuesday marking the third anniversary of the mass shooting at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora, the family of Vicente Juarez, one of the victims, gathers in front of the five crosses honoring those who died that day in 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Aurora officials on Tuesday held a memorial ceremony to mark the third anniversary of the deadly workplace shooting at the Henry Pratt Co. in the city that killed five employees and wounded five police officers and an employee.

The family of Vicente Juarez gathered by the five crosses on display at the Aurora Historical Society Tuesday during the ceremony, honoring the five Pratt employees, including Juarez, who went to work the morning of Feb. 15, 2019, and never returned home.

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Dressed in sweatshirts that said Aurora Strong, and one with a photo of Juarez, the family members put yellow roses by each of the crosses to honor those killed three years ago.

Aurora Fire Chief Gary Krienitz said sometimes firefighters try to compartmentalize their pain and put it in a box to focus on current operations. But Tuesday, he said it is important to recognize the pain of the five families that lost loved ones during the mass shooting and acknowledge the heroism of the police and firefighters who responded to the call for help that day.

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Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross speaks Tuesday while Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin looks on during a memorial ceremony to mark the third anniversary of the Henry Pratt Co. mass shooting in Aurora. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The city honored the five victims killed during the shooting: Russell Beyer, Clayton Parks, Vicente Juarez, Trevor Wehner and Josh Pinkard.

I still struggle to make sense of what happened that day and I suspect I always will, Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross said. Its very difficult to describe the feeling one gets as they respond to something like this and hear fellow officers - people who youve known for years - advising theyve been shot. It is something I pray Ill never have to hear again.

Without officers acting so selflessly to stop the shooter, Mayor Richard Irvin said the tragedy could have been much worse.

Some officers are still dealing with both physical and emotional scars from the shooting, but Cross said he believes all of them would answer the call again in a heartbeat.

During a memorial ceremony Tuesday, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin places roses near the crosses for the five victims of the mass shooting at Henry Pratt Co. on Feb. 15, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Irvin said he remembers a relatively calm afternoon that day when he received the call from the police department alerting him of an active shooter on the West Side of the city.

In that call, I heard both extreme concern and fierce bravery in the voice of our police chief, Irvin said. In the minutes that followed, things were fundamentally changed... In minutes, we became the very city we watched on the news over and over year after year dealing with a mass shooting.

In the three years since, Irvin said hes met with the families of the victims, who have started the healing process. Spouses fought through tears to move forward and children have had to learn to navigate their lives without their fathers, he said.

Aurora Historical Society Executive Director John Jaros said it is important to always remember and honor the victims and their families each year.

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The Historical Society currently houses an exhibit featuring the crosses for each of the five victims made by late Aurora resident Greg Zanis, as well as items that show the outpouring of support received by Aurora police and first responders following the shooting.

Zanis made thousands and thousands of crosses and took them all over the nation to sites of similar tragedies, Jaros said. This tragedy affected him very deeply, and he wanted to make sure the crosses were preserved.

mejones@chicagotribune.com
One of the first steps in creating the optical atomic clocks used in this study is to cool strontium atoms to near absolute zero in a vacuum chamber, which makes them appear as a glowing blue ball floating in the chamber. Credit: Shimon Kolkowitz

University of WisconsinMadison physicists have made one of the highest performance atomic clocks ever, they announced Feb. 16 in the journal Nature.

Their instrument, known as an optical lattice atomic clock, can measure differences in time to a precision equivalent to losing just one second every 300 billion years and is the first example of a "multiplexed" optical clock, where six separate clocks can exist in the same environment. Its design allows the team to test ways to search for gravitational waves, attempt to detect dark matter, and discover new physics with clocks.

"Optical lattice clocks are already the best clocks in the world, and here we get this level of performance that no one has seen before," says Shimon Kolkowitz, a UWMadison physics professor and senior author of the study. "We're working to both improve their performance and to develop emerging applications that are enabled by this improved performance."

Atomic clocks are so precise because they take advantage of a fundamental property of atoms: when an electron changes energy levels, it absorbs or emits light with a frequency that is identical for all atoms of a particular element. Optical atomic clocks keep time by using a laser that is tuned to precisely match this frequency, and they require some of the world's most sophisticated lasers to keep accurate time.

By comparison, Kolkowitz's group has "a relatively lousy laser," he says, so they knew that any clock they built would not be the most accurate or precise on its own. But they also knew that many downstream applications of optical clocks will require portable, commercially available lasers like theirs. Designing a clock that could use average lasers would be a boon.

In their new study, they created a multiplexed clock, where strontium atoms can be separated into multiple clocks arranged in a line in the same vacuum chamber. Using just one atomic clock, the team found that their laser was only reliably able to excite electrons in the same number of atoms for one-tenth of a second.

However, when they shined the laser on two clocks in the chamber at the same time and compared them, the number of atoms with excited electrons stayed the same between the two clocks for up to 26 seconds. Their results meant they could run meaningful experiments for much longer than their laser would allow in a normal optical clock.

"Normally, our laser would limit the performance of these clocks," Kolkowitz says. "But because the clocks are in the same environment and experience the exact same laser light, the effect of the laser drops out completely."

The group next asked how precisely they could measure differences between the clocks. Two groups of atoms that are in slightly different environments will tick at slightly different rates, depending on gravity, magnetic fields, or other conditions.

They ran their experiment over a thousand times, measuring the difference in the ticking frequency of their two clocks for a total of around three hours. As expected, because the clocks were in two slightly different locations, the ticking was slightly different. The team demonstrated that as they took more and more measurements, they were better able to measure those differences.

Ultimately, the researchers could detect a difference in ticking rate between the two clocks that would correspond to them disagreeing with each other by only one second every 300 billion yearsa measurement of precision timekeeping that sets a world record for two spatially separated clocks.

It would have also been a world record for the overall most precise frequency difference if not for another paper, published in the same issue of Nature. That study was led by a group at JILA, a research institute in Colorado. The JILA group detected a frequency difference between the top and bottom of a dispersed cloud of atoms about 10 times better than the UWMadison group.

Their results, obtained at one millimeter separation, also represent the shortest distance to date at which Einstein's theory of general relativity has been tested with clocks. Kolkowitz's group expects to perform a similar test soon.

"The amazing thing is that we demonstrated similar performance as the JILA group despite the fact that we're using an orders of magnitude worse laser," Kolkowitz says. "That's really significant for a lot of real-world applications, where our laser looks a lot more like what you would take out into the field."

To demonstrate the potential applications of their clocks, Kolkowitz's team compared the frequency changes between each pair of six multiplexed clocks in a loop. They found that the differences add up to zero when they return to the first clock in the loop, confirming the consistency of their measurements and setting up the possibility that they could detect tiny frequency changes within that network.

"Imagine a cloud of dark matter passes through a network of clocksare there ways that I can see that dark matter in these comparisons?" Kolkowitz asks. "That's an experiment we can do now that you just couldn't do in any previous experimental system."

Explore further Using an atomic clock to demonstrate general relativity

More information: Shimon Kolkowitz, Differential clock comparisons with a multiplexed optical lattice clock, Nature (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04344-y Shimon Kolkowitz, Differential clock comparisons with a multiplexed optical lattice clock,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04344-y Related: Tobias Bothwell, Resolving the gravitational redshift in a millimetre-scale atomic sample, Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04349-7. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04349-7 Journal information: Nature
GREENWICH  Greenwich Village Justice Rachel Clothier declined to set bail Tuesday for John M. Fox, who is accused of setting the fire that destroyed the downtown Wilmarth Building on Feb. 6.

Fox, 48, of Rough and Ready, California, is charged with second-degree arson, second-degree criminal mischief and first-degree reckless endangerment in the blaze, which displaced seven residents and four businesses.

Public Defender Dustin Bruhns, representing Fox, said her client had no criminal history in New York state. Fox has ties to the area and family who might be willing to post bail for him, Bruhns said.

However, Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan said he had just received records from California and Oregon showing that Fox had what Jordan called a lengthy criminal record in those states, including drug charges and at least one felony conviction. Jordan said he wasnt sure that Fox even considered himself a U.S. citizen, noting that he had put down United Arab Republic as his country of residence on some papers.

Fox may also be facing a second-degree assault charge resulting from an incident in the Washington County Jail, where he has been held since Sunday, Jordan said. Bruhns said Fox had been hospitalized in Westchester County until that day and was uncommunicative and incoherent from medication when he arrived at the jail. Bruhns contended there was no intent behind the assault.

During his court session, Fox seemed unclear about what was going on, asking several times what happened to the attorney at his arraignment in the early morning of Feb. 7 in front of Kingsbury Town Justice Anthony White. Michael Mercure, head of the countys Public Defenders Office, represented Fox at the arraignment. Bruhns told Fox that Mercure was his boss.

Clothier seemed concerned about Foxs mental state. She wanted to order a hearing to determine whether Fox was competent to stand trial.

He has to be able to aid in his defense, she said.

Bruhns insisted that Fox was capable.

He knows Im his defense attorney and he knows youre the judge, Bruhns said.

Other mental health issues could be evaluated separately, he said.

Jordan told Clothier that there will be other opportunities to order a competency hearing, and said he is requesting a grand jury investigation.

Clothier based her decision not to set bail on Foxs flight risk, criminal history in California and Oregon, and charges against him in New York state. She set Foxs next court date for March 22.

According to court papers, Renee DAiuto, who had a second-floor apartment in the Wilmarth Building, had picked up Fox, her cousin, in Troy on Feb. 5. He had been staying with DAiutos sister but she had kicked him out and Fox had nowhere to go, DAiuto wrote.

After bringing Fox to her apartment, DAiuto called her boyfriend, Gianni Delnevo, to stay with her. Delnevo said Foxs ex-girlfriend had warned him that Fox had threatened to kill her.

Fox, whom DAiuto described as angry and violent, was burning candles in the room DAiuto gave him and inhaling nitrous oxide until the fire started at noon the next day. A witness at 111 Main St., across the street, described hearing breaking glass and seeing Fox jump from the second-floor window just before smoke started to roll out. A Van Ness Avenue resident reported finding a man meeting Foxs description sitting in his pickup truck. Fox was later tracked by a New York State Police K-9 team and arrested just outside the village.

The fire not only destroyed the Wilmarth Building but also damaged power and telecommunications lines that ran in front of it, causing outages and interruptions. A Verizon truck was parked in front of the remains of the building Tuesday morning, making repairs.

Local photographer and historian Clifford Oliver Mealy lost his studio in the fire, including equipment, an antique camera collection, and decades of files. A GoFundMe page set up for Mealy had collected $35,217 as of Tuesday afternoon. Another GoFundMe appeal for residents of the building had collected $2,935.

The fire also destroyed the Greenwich office of PennyDot Realty, the office of Judith Klingebiel CPA, an office for the building owner, Marta Ward, and a hair salon.

Greenwich Hardware Antiques, owned by Wayne and Maureen Edsforth, was the next building to the south. Firefighters saved the building but not without damage. On Tuesday, a yellow no occupancy sign was taped to the front door, and a pair of sooty antique snowshoes hung from a beam inside.

My building suffered heavy water and smoke damage along with damage to the walls adjacent to the burnt building and the roof and ceiling on the second floor, the Edsforths wrote in a Facebook post on Feb. 8. Needless to say I wont be opening any time soon while I deal with the insurance company and repairs.

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Police release crackdown results

While the Los Angeles Rams were winning their second Super Bowl on Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals, New York State Police were cracking down on impaired driving.

Police issued 9,978 tickets during its 2022 Super Bowl STOP-DWI traffic enforcement initiative. Troop G, which serves the Capital Region, issued 1,118 of those citations.

The initiative ran for four days from Friday through Monday.

According to a news release, state troopers arrested 180 individuals for DWI. Troopers also investigated 529 accidents, which resulted in 64 people being injured and no deaths.

A part of the enforcement saw troopers target speeding and aggressive drivers. There were 3,143 speeding tickets, 242 distracted driving tickets, 307 seat belt violations and 55 move over law tickets issued throughout the state.

Troopers from Troop G arrested 14 people for DWI and issued 373 speeding tickets, 39 distracted driving tickets, 30 child restraint or seat belt tickets and two move over law tickets.

The campaign, which was funded by Gov. Kathy Hochuls Traffic Safety Committee, saw state police increase patrols and conduct sobriety checkpoints to deter, identify and arrest impaired drivers.

During last years Super Bowl enforcement initiative, there were 8,923 tickets issued and 140 arrested for DWI across all troops.

Man pleads guilty to machete attack

BALLSTON SPA  A Saratoga Springs man has admitted to attacking a person with a machete and assaulting corrections officers in two separate incidents.

John J. Martino, 36, was arrested on Dec. 2, 2020 after police said he broke into a home in Wilton and attacked a person with the weapon. Martino also threatened two other people in the home.

The victim was treated by Wilton EMS and transported to Albany Medical Center with what police described as serious but not life-threatening injuries.

On Feb. 13, Martino got into a physical altercation with four correction officers at the Saratoga County Jail. Two officers were transported to Malta Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. A sergeant and an officer were treated at the jail, police said.

Martino had faced charges of second-degree attempted murder, assault, burglary and weapons possession and criminal contempt. He pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary for the machete attack and second-degree assault for the jail assaults in satisfaction of the indictment.

Martino is scheduled to be sentenced on April 5.

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NORTHFIELD  There will be no expansion of Atlantic Countys jail to accommodate Cumberland County inmates, after the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted down a $1 million architectural contract.

Commissioners cited concerns about safety, proximity of the jail to the Atlantic County Institute of Technology and importing inmates from a county with a serious gang problem.

Its not going to happen. We believe it was in the best interest of both counties, but the arguments against it carried the day, county Executive Dennis Levinson said Wednesday. Hopefully, well find other areas to regionalize and share services.

A spokesperson for Cumberland County did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday morning.

Levinson had proposed adding about 256 beds to the jail in Mays Landing in four new pods, at an estimated cost of about $7.7 million.

The expansion would also provide a larger intake area for the jail and additional counseling rooms, county Administrator Jerry DelRosso said.

Atlantic County may expand jail to take in Cumberland inmates NORTHFIELD  Atlantic County is considering expanding its jail in Mays Landing by about 256 

DelRosso has said income from Cumberland County and other out-of-county inmates would pay for both the construction and extra staffing needed.

Cumberland County is in the process of closing its jail but has been dogged by controversy and lawsuits over the matter.

It now sends its female inmates to Atlantic County and male inmates to Hudson County.

With bail reform, the only people in jail are the worst of the worst, said Commissioner Frank X. Balles, former county sheriff and a retired Pleasantville police officer, in explaining his opposition. They are in on gun charges, serious narcotic charges or homicide.

The vote against giving a $997,150 contract to USA Architects for the jail expansion was unanimous.

Commissioner Ernest Coursey, who represents Atlantic City, Pleasantville and West Atlantic City in Egg Harbor Township, said he gets a lot of complaints about current conditions in the jail and that those concerns should be addressed before any addition happens.

Recreation for inmates debated as Cumberland County jail drama continues For many in the Cumberland County jail, the last time they were outside was Thanksgiving.

Most of the commissioners said they would be willing to spend money to update the jail for the countys own use, and to create a larger intake area.

Most people forget, in the jail presently 40% are not from Atlantic County, DelRosso said. Resort towns attract a lot of people from out of the state and out of the county.

Cumberland inmates would have been released back into the community in Cumberland County, not here, DelRosso said.

My concern has been once you make a commitment to do this, you are in the jail business, said Commissioner Jim Bertino, of Hammonton, adding he could not support it.

Other commissioners also said expanding to take outside inmates was akin to making it a business.

It wasnt expanding for making money, it was to accommodate another county and sharing of services, facility and personnel, Levinson said after the vote. We cant talk about regionalizing then vote against because We dont want to be in the jail business. Weve been in it since the 1840s.

Cumberland County transfers inmates to Hudson County BRIDGETON  Cumberland County has transferred 33 jail inmates to Hudson County, the latest s

Its frustrating, Levinson said, when time after time proposed shared services get voted down, such as countywide tax assessment and 911 dispatch.

Taxpayers like it. Elected officials dont, Levinson said.

But he said officials will have to start sharing services to avoid unsustainable tax increases.

Cumberland County has a worse gang problem than Atlantic, Balles said, and it made no sense to him to bring 250 of Cumberlands inmates to a location so close to a school.

Especially when we are getting ready to spend $53.5 million to expand ACIT, Balles said. The only thing separating the jail and ACIT is a fence.

Balles said he would like to see a new facility built in a more rural part of the county, as the current jail is about 40 years old and near the end of its life.

Jail consolidation deserves, needs careful study Most local government consolidation focuses on the municipal level. New Jersey has too many 

The current location, however, next to the Atlantic County Criminal Courthouse off Route 40, allows for easy transport from jail to court.

Commissioner John Risley, of Egg Harbor Township, suggested Cumberland get together with another county to build a new facility. Cumberland initially had planned to build a new, $65 million jail but abandoned the plan in 2020 in favor of shuttering the facility and sending its inmates elsewhere.

Gloucester County, located next to Cumberland, has also closed its jail, and Atlantic now takes some of Gloucesters inmates on a fee basis.

Atlantic County has a contract with Cumberland County to take up to 250 inmates, but has been unable to take the contracted amount because of a spike in its own jail population.

The Atlantic County jail was built to house more than 800 inmates, DelRosso said. But after New Jerseys bail laws were changed in 2017, making it so only the more serious offenders stayed in jail, the warden decided it was safer to separate populations more and the capacity is now considered to be 660, he said.

When the county first agreed to take Cumberland inmates on a fee basis, DelRosso has said, the Atlantic County jail was averaging about 450 to 460 inmates and had room to spare.

But in the past year, the population kept increasing, he said, causing the administration to propose the expansion.

REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com

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NORTHFIELD  The Atlantic County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday night asking the state to investigate how its Division of Child Protection and Permanency hired Kayan Frazier after Frazier was fired by Atlantic City schools for inappropriate behavior with students.

Frazier, then 28, pleaded guilty in February 2021 to one federal count of child exploitation involving sexual abuse and child pornography, and was sentenced to 20 years and one month in federal prison.

A group of mostly Atlantic City residents has been attending commissioner meetings recently, asking the board to pass an even stronger resolution. Among other things, the group wanted the county to demand state charges be brought against Frazier to keep him in prison longer.

About a dozen people who attended Tuesday night to advocate for the resolution expressed their thanks, even if it didnt go as far as they would have liked.

I have sincere gratitude for Resolution 81, especially the mention of our concerns about how Kayan Frazier became employed by DCP&P, said Tracey Thompson, of Mays Landing, a licensed foster mother.

Thompson, like many others speaking, however, said she will still work to have state charges brought against Frazier.

Him being released before hes 50 years old is a concern for me, Thompson said.

Commissioner Jim Bertino said copies of the resolution will be sent to the Attorney Generals Office, the Governors Office and to the state legislators who represent Atlantic County. State officials would need to make a decision about pursuing further charges, he said.

Commission Chairwoman Maureen Kern said a copy will also go to the county prosecutor.

The unnamed child involved in the case was an Atlantic City elementary school student Frazier met while a substitute teacher in the city. The mother of the child, whose identity has also not been made public, is suing the Atlantic City Board of Education, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife, LaQuetta Small (who was principal of the school where Frazier met his victim), and other school officials over the abuse.

Frazier worked as a substitute teacher in Atlantic City schools, including at the Pennsylvania Avenue School, between 2015 and 2017. He was dismissed for inappropriate behavior after LaQuetta Small found out the child had stayed overnight in his apartment.

But Frazier was later hired by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency to work with children in foster care.

Included in the group asking for the resolution is Craig Callaway, a longtime political foe of Marty Small who is involved in lawsuits over the Frazier case.

Last March, Small filed a legal complaint against Callaway, accusing him of making untrue statements claiming Small and his wife allowed children to be raped by Frazier in their home.

Frazier is the cousin of LaQuetta Small, and for a time up until 2015, Frazier lived with the Smalls.

LaQuetta Small is now the superintendent of Atlantic City schools.

The commissioner vote was unanimous, but Commissioner Ernest Coursey, of Atlantic City, recused himself on the advice of counsel.

Coursey is the chief of staff for Mayor Small.

REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com

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HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  Representatives from the Atlantic County Department of Regional Planning, Hamilton Township Committee and WSP USA, the countys design consultant, held two public meetings at Township Hall on Tuesday to explain improvements to the Lake Lenape Dam and answer questions from residents.

The project includes improvements to the dams powerhouse and rehabilitation of the dam that was built in the mid-1800s and used by the adjoining cotton mill. The dam was acquired by the township in 1978. The county became a co-owner several years later to share the financial burden with the township.

Matt Lunemann, lead geotechnical engineer department manager for WSP USA, explained the project to the gathering of about 50 people.

The project includes five segments, the renovation of the powerhouse that was built in 1920, reconstruction of the spillway, improvements to the east and west embankments, and temporary relocation of a portion of the fish ladder, Lunemann said. We have the powerhouse on an accelerated schedule because the gates are in poor condition. Our goal is to maintain lake level during construction. The new spillway will be constructed in a labyrinth style that will provide for more water to leave the site. This will alleviate flooding at Dry Run.

Lunemann also said animal burrows on the embankments will be filled in. He added that when complete, the fish ladder will be back in place, a flagpole will be relocated and it is possible that lighting will be added to the spillway to enhance its aesthetics.

No new properties will flood as a result of these improvements, he said. It will result in over a foot of water decrease at Dry Run that would reduce the risk of flooding for about 100 properties.

Numerous residents asked questions following the presentations Tuesday. Former township Committeeman Jim Link asked about the tax implications of the project for residents.

The entire project is expected to cost $6 million, said Doug DiMeo, the supervising engineer of bridges in Atlantic County. We have applied for federal funds in the amount of $4.6 million and await an answer on that application on Feb. 18.

John Houck, another former governing body member, lives near the dam.

I have never had a flooding problem, he said. What kind of guarantee do we have that the firm chosen to do the work wont do as bad a job as the previous one?

Houck was referring to a previous contractor who worked on the dam that resulted in litigation when the township and county refused to pay for work they felt was not done properly.

We will diligently scrutinize those who bid on the project, county Engineer Mark Shourds said. That contractor has not submitted any bids for county projects since the litigation.

The county and the township did very well in that litigation, township Solicitor Robert Sandman said. I am confident that a situation like that wont happen again. I have never seen a more cooperative project, and I have great confidence in WSP.

While the project has garnered support from the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office, Lunemann said numerous other authorizations from various agencies still need to be obtained to accommodate the project.

If all agencies agree, the estimated construction timeline will be spring 2023 to spring 2025.

For more information, or to submit comments, interested parties can contact DiMeo at dimeo.douglas@aclink.org or Lunemann at matthew.lunemann@wsp.com.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has completed its second round of public discussions with residents of coastal Atlantic County on how to best develop additional defenses against coastal flooding.

Resilient NJ program, Atlantic County residents plan climate change mitigation The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection took the first steps this week toward 

The virtual open house took place in two sessions last week. The goal was to have the public rank scenarios and select projects that will enable the Atlantic County Coastal Region  defined as Brigantine, Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, Longport, Pleasantville and Northfield  to respond to climate change. The program is under the direction of the DEPs Climate & Flood Resilience Program.

The Atlantic City coastal region has reinvented itself many times and will continue to do so 50 years into the future, said Jaclyn Flor, president and CEO of ENGenuity Infrastructure in Red Bank, Monmouth County, a consultant for the DEP. Flor notes that in the first information sessions, held in June 2021, residents said they were proud of the social fabric, diversity and ecology of the region.

The program is being funded by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, which gave New Jersey $15 million for placing in the National Disaster Resilience Competition. Of that $15 million, $10 million funded Resilient NJ.

Van Drew touts new 'Stronger Shores' effort in Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY  In the shadow of the Murden, a 156-foot Army Corps of Engineers shallow draf

The approaches varied based on implementation, shoreline protection, stormwater management, power and utilities, and more. The most favored approaches included creating blue streets, for example, an interconnected kayak and canoe trail across the bays in the county, which promote eco-tourism.

Complementing this, and also popular, were living streets, which emphasize streets to be focused on walking, biking and gathering, rather than vehicle traffic. Also known as green streets, they implement vegetation and surfaces that allow water to flow through them to reduce flooding.

Sometimes, the hard (infrastructure) solutions are more expensive to maintain over time. ... When you see a green solution, that doesnt always mean its more maintenance intensive, said Eric Fang, who helped lead the meeting.

The first scenario is led by the federal and local governments on key projects. It relies heavily on a centralized approach, focused on man-made, constructed assets to manage water. This includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Back Bay program.

For $16 billion, the Army Corps will address back bay flooding, which chiefly involves building three storm surge barriers along the shore and a cross-bay barrier that protects the land from the bays rise. They would be built along Route 30 in Atlantic County. In Absecon, the road would be raised or a levee would be built, which would then be tied to the inlet bulkhead and seawall. Another barrier would be built along an extension of 52nd Street in Ocean City.

The first scenario also includes raising streets and developing four new pump stations in Brigantine, as well as 14 on Absecon Island.

Scenario two also calls for an additional 18 pump stations but looks to state, county and municipal governments to partner on resiliency improvements. A raised bayfront and continued beach replenishment are included in that scenario. A mix of blue streets and green streets would be implemented, too.

The third scenario leans on public-private partnerships at the more local levels of government to finance resiliency improvements. Gardners Basin would be rezoned to industrial or blue economy land uses. Properties with bayside frontage on the islands would be zoned for more densely populated housing with requirements to allow for enhanced shoreline protection, such as townhouses on the northern coastline of Ventnor Heights in Ventnor.

Its a decentralized approach that also involves living streets, walls built parallel to the shoreline and asking warehouses to put solar panels on their roofs to reduce carbon emissions.

In spring 2021, the state released a New Jersey Climate Change Resilience Strategy, which touted a plan to mitigate the effects of climate change. One of its recommendations was that all new construction built in coastal zones be able to withstand roughly 5 feet of sea level rise by 2100. Some local governments and stakeholders have objected to the higher building requirements needed to meet that threshold, saying there is only a 17% likelihood of that great an increase in seas and that costs of building to that standard are too much to bear.

Between 1911 and 2019, sea levels rose 17.6 inches along the Jersey Shore, more than double the global sea level rise, according to the Rutgers University Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel report.

The Army Corps Chiefs Report, which will be partially based on these meetings and findings, will be written in April 2023, with a recommendation to Congress later in the year. Officials understand that construction and built barriers will still be some time away.

Public comments may also be submitted by email to pdpa-nap@usace.army.mil or by mail to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Planning Division, Attn: NJBB Study, Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square E., Philadelphia, PA 19107.

Contact Joe Martucci: 609-272-7247 jmartucci@pressofac.com Twitter @acpressmartucci

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The novel on which the Disney movie was based dealt with loss, loneliness and racism.

If you thought it was rough to see Bambi's mother die in the 1942 Disney film, you should read the original story.

Before it became an animated classic movie for children, "Bambi" was a 1922 novel by Austrian writer and journalist Felix Salten. According to a new translation by Jack Zipes, it's a dark story of brutality, loss and, ultimately, loneliness.

As anthropomorphic tales of animals go, it's less "Charlotte's Web" and more "Animal Farm."

Zipes, a University of Minnesota emeritus professor of German and a leading authority on fairy tales and folk literature, said the story isn't an animal rights fable or an early ecological parable. "Bambi," he said, is an allegory of how badly humans can treat fellow humans.

Salten was a Jew who saw his books banned and burned by the Nazis and fled Austria to live in Switzerland.

In Bambi, he created "a brilliant and profound story of how minority groups throughout the world have been brutally treated, even when they try to live peacefully in their own environment," Zipes wrote in an introduction to his translation. "Read in the original language and in its sociohistorical context, 'Bambi' is, if anything, dystopic and sobering, for it reveals the cutthroat manner in which powerless people are hunted and persecuted for sport."

Zipes explained in an interview, edited for space and clarity, how the original Bambi more closely reflects Salten's melancholic life than a happily-ever-after Disney film. Like Bambi, Salten survived the violence of the wilderness, but ended up exiled and alone.

Q: What led you to take on a translation of Bambi?

A: The beginnings were somewhat of a serendipity. I was at the Modern Language Association meeting about two or three years ago. And two different editors came up to me and said, "2022 will be the 100th birthday of 'Bambi.' Would you like to do a translation?"

I had some memories from my childhood, I guess, of Bambi and had seen over the years Bambi books by the Disney corporation and so on. So I said "I don't think so. Why should I be interested in Bambi?" When I came back to Minneapolis, I began thinking maybe I should look into this. Bambi is pretty famous. And maybe there's a story there of some kind.

I realized, after doing some research, that I was quite stupid, because "Bambi" is really an amazing book. Nobody knows the author of "Bambi." And nobody really knows the true story. I read in German the original "Bambi." And I said, "Oh, my God, this is entirely different from what Disney showed."

Q: Disney made other films out of fairy tales, which you also have translated. What made Bambi different?

A: Well, Bambi is not really a fairy tale. It's a fable, an animal story. And what really interested me to a great extent was how morphologically Salten really wants to portray the difficulty I think that he had as an Austrian Jew. He dealt with a great deal of anti-Semitism, both open and sometimes very subtle. And so I think I came to realize, as I was doing my research, that what Salten was trying to do was try to work out his contradictory allegiance to his Jewishness.

Q: So there's a big difference between Salten's story and the Disney movie?

A: The differences are drastic between the film and his novel. I mean, we're talking about a very somber, almost existentialist view of the world. And it does parallel Salten's own life. He spent the last three years of his life  he died in 1945  lonely, like just like the stag [the adult Bambi at the end of the book], very lonely, disregarded, nobody knew about him anymore. He was not living in his own country, and he was desolate.

Q: Did Salten see the movie?

A: When "Bambi" came out as a film in 1942, he was in Switzerland. He escaped the Nazis in 1938. He was living in Zurich and his wife had just died. He went to the movie theater by himself, and made only one short remark about the film. I think he was too old at that time to get into any type of controversy.

Q: In your translation, you include a warning: " 'Bambi' is a sad but truthful novel. It was never intended for children." Who did Salten write it for?

A: His intention was for a general adult audience. He was portraying, to a certain extent, his own life, his own difficulties of existing as a Jew, in an anti-Semitic climate.

Q: And he used a story about intelligent animals to talk about humanity?

A: In the '20s and '30s, for both for adult literature and children's literature, there's a slew of animal stories that were published. And there's no doubt in my mind that these various authors are using the animals to step back and tell a story about human beings. And it's fascinating to read those words.

Q: What do you hope people will get out of reading your translation of the original "Bambi"?

A: I think that it's going to be a more truthful display of how difficult it is to be a minority. When I talk about Jews, you can talk about other minority groups. ... So I think the message is to be aware of how we treat minority groups, no matter what the minority is, so that we can become a more compassionate people.

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Police say they found the battered body of a missing woman Tuesday at her boyfriends Lindenhurst home, the day after the boyfriend died in a head-on vehicle collision in the Rockford area.

The other driver involved in the crash was also killed, police said.

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The 25-year-old woman was found with apparent multiple blunt force injuries in the boyfriends home on Beck Road. The Lake County coroners office identified her Wednesday as Kelly Hedmark, and said autopsy results showed her cause of death as head trauma.

The woman was last seen Sunday leaving her Yosemite Parkway home in Algonquin, and police said she was reported to be going to her boyfriends.

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On Monday, the womans family became aware that the boyfriend, who was 25, had been killed in a crash in Winnebago County near Rockton, which is north of Rockford.

According to police and local media reports, the accident happened around 9 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Bates and Freeport roads. Winnebago County authorities have not released the identities of those involved in the crash.

The womans family reported her missing, and after obtaining a search warrant, police entered the boyfriends home at around 4 p.m. Tuesday. They found the woman, an apparent homicide victim, inside with what police said were signs of significant blunt force trauma.

Lindenhurst police requested the assistance of the Major Crime Task Force. Those agencies and the Algonquin Police Department continue to investigate.
Two physical confrontations initiated by Illinois State Rep. candidate Thurgood Brooks are under review after Brooks confronted Rock Island Alderman Mark Poulos, Ward 6, and Natalie Linville-Mass, owner of MediaLink, following a contentious, two-hour long city council meeting Monday night.

Because Brooks is an employee of the city through his job with the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, Interim City Manager John Gripp said city staff and the police department are reviewing video footage captured by cameras in the lobby where the incidences took place.

Brooks declined to comment Wednesday.

"There is no one to my knowledge who has filed a (criminal) complaint at this time," Gripp said. "It sounds like it was a very unfortunate incident and I will be reviewing it.

"The human resources director is looking into the situation right now to determine if there were any code of conduct violations," he said. "It's unfortunate anyone was in this situation; it's really unprofessional."

The issue between Poulos and Brooks began at the beginning of the meeting, when Brooks said during the public comment portion that if any council members voted to approve a controversial Black history trail grant and appoint Linville-Mass as sub-recipient, he would ensure none of them were re-elected.

Poulos said during the meeting that he did not appreciate being threatened by members of the public.

After the meeting ended, Brooks approached Poulos in the lobby outside city council chambers, standing within inches and nearly nose-to-nose with Poulos, who did not move, as witnessed by a Dispatch-Argus and Quad-City Times reporter who was there.

"He came up to me and said, 'Mark, you know I didn't threaten you. If you were an employee, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You're an elected official and we can take you out of office,'" Poulos said. "Thurgood said to me, 'I didn't threaten you; you know me.'

"Well, I thought I knew him," Poulos said. "The comments were made in a threatening manner."

The confrontation played out in front of Interim Police Chief Richard Landi and a female police officer, who were standing a few feet away.

"Thurgood got his hands up by my chest and I told him to back off," Poulos said. "Did I think he was going to touch me? It could have gone either way. I understand he's young and emotional, but the manner in which he displayed his passion was inappropriate. I would say we were within six inches of each other. He was very emotional at the time and I was trying not to be and trying to deescalate things.

"I told him he was getting too close and he needed to back away," Poulos said. "I said, 'Excuse me, I have to go back into council.' I think (Brooks) was angry that I wasn't getting angry. (Monday) night was a violation of my trust."

Brooks, 28, lost his bid for Rock Island mayor in 2021. He announced his candidacy for State Representative, District 72, in January, and on his campaign website, bills himself as a "community builder and organizer."

Linville-Mass said that in December, she had a very positive, productive, hour-long conversation with Brooks about the Black history trail grant. He told her at that time that if she ever needed his help, to give him a call. As Linville-Mass faced push back from residents opposing the grant, she called and emailed Brooks, but said he never returned her messages.

While exiting the meeting Monday night, Linville-Mass said she pointed in Brooks' direction and said, "'You lied to me; you misrepresented who you were.'

"That's when he bolted toward me," she said.

As Linville-Mass got into the elevator to leave, Brooks entered the elevator, held the door open, and confronted her.

"He said, 'Don't you ever point your finger at me like that again.' I was in shock," Linville-Mass said. "It was very confrontational; that was an attack. I said to him, 'You lied to me. You said you were going to call, but you never called.'

"(Monday) night when he did what he did, I was so frustrated because it was a complete turnaround from our Dec. 13 conversation. I really thought I could trust him."

Linville-Mass said the confrontation only ended when a friend of Brooks pulled him from the elevator by the arm, allowing Linville-Mass to leave.

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In 1944 the U.S. was engaged in a global war to stop fascism, fighting in far-flung places with names like Monte Cassino and Peleliu. But even in the midst of this all-consuming conflict, a group of leaders in our community had their sights set far beyond the horizon. The newly formed Rock Island County Forest Preserve Commission acquired two large plots of land that would become favorite spots for generations of Quad Citizens.

A 174-acre tract along the Mississippi upriver from Hampton would become Illiniwek Forest Preserve, taking its name from an Ojibwa word to describe the confederation of tribes that included the Cahokia, Peoria and Kaskaskia peoples, among others. A much larger tract just below Andalusia totaling 1,240 acres, which has since grown to 1,480 acres, is now known as Loud Thunder, using the Anglicized name of Black Hawks son, Nah-se-us-kuk.

As anyone whos enjoyed the wonders of these two amazing preserves can attest, we owe a debt of gratitude to the visionary community leaders who made possible a legacy that now belongs to all of us in Rock Island County. Fast forward to today, and thanks to a $1 million grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation, we will soon add 179 acres to the vital community trust those leaders established almost 80 years ago.

This newest forest preserve will carry forward the remarkable success weve seen recently in bringing back to our region threatened and endangered species like the Rusty Patched Bumblebee and the Northern Long-Eared Bat. Thats something we can all be proud of.

But this amazing new space needs a name.

As president of the Rock Island County Forest Preserve Commission, I have been asked by the commissions executive committee to invite suggestions from the public. We hope to settle on a name that is true to our regions rich history, embraces our communitys values, and captures our hope for the future. And we want to hear from you.

Please send your ideas for naming the newest Rock Island County Forest Preserve by email to newpark@ricfpd.org, or send a note to "New Park" at 19406 Loud Thunder Road, Illinois City IL 61259.

Well accept ideas through the end of March, and announce the name later this year.

In the meantime, we hope youll consider volunteering more than your naming suggestions.

Whether youd like to help with conservation activities, special events, education programs, or any of the other opportunities available through the Forest Preserve District, your help is both welcome and needed. Without volunteers, much of the vital work at our preserves simply could not be accomplished. You can learn more about supporting the districts mission to, "Restore, conserve, learn, and play," by visiting the district website at www.ricfpd.org.

Most importantly, however, my fellow commissioners join me in inviting you to come and explore the wonders of the world close at hand, through the resources of the Rock Island County Forest Preserve District.

Kai Swanson is a Rock Island County Board members and president of the Rock Island County Forest Preserve Commission.

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Clinton Police arrested two men on meth-trafficking charges in separate incidents Saturday.

In the first case, Michael Wright, 55, of Clinton is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver more than 5 grams of methamphetamine. The charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a 25-year prison sentence.

In the second case, Wesley Daniel Brundage, 33, of Maquoketa, also is charged in Clinton County District Court with one count of possession with the intent to deliver more than 5 grams of methamphetamine.

Brundage also is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of 30 days.

Wright arrest

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Clinton Police Officer Lucas Bray, at 12:56 a.m. Saturday in the area of South 5th Street and 2nd Avenue South, Bray and Clinton Police Officer Brett Johnson noticed a Chrysler Town and Country minivan with an expired registration sticker.

Bray made contact with the driver, who was Wright. Wright was holding a bag of chips.

While writing citations, K9 Officer Brennen Roling arrived with K9 Officer Roman to perform an open air sniff of the vehicle. Roman indicated the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.

During a search of the van, Johnson located a bag of chips sitting on the floor next to the drivers seat. Inside the bag of chips Johnson located and seized two plastic bags that contained a white crystal substance that turned out to be methamphetamine.

According to the affidavit, the total weight of the meth was 5.64 grams. The meth was located in the same bag of chips Wright was holding when Bray approached the vehicle.

Police have said that the normal dose of meth is one-tenth of a gram, meaning Wright is accused of having 56.4 doses of meth at the time of his arrest.

Wright was booked into the Clinton County Jail. During a first appearance Saturday in Clinton County District Court, Wrights bond was set at $25,000, cash only. A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Friday in district court.

Brundage arrest

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Clinton Police Officer Alice Cain, at 7:06 a.m. Saturday, Cain and Clinton Police Officer Rodney Livesay were dispatched to Walmart, 2715 S. 25th St., to do a welfare check. The call was for a man passed out in a white 1998 Chevrolet Lumina. The vehicle was running when officers approached.

As Cain approached the vehicle on the drivers side she noticed a man, identified as Brundage, slumped over with a large field knife in his hand. On the passenger side of the vehicle, Livesay noticed a large clear pipe with residue that was sitting in plain view on the front passenger seat.

As officers searched Brundage, they seized a clear plastic bundle with two individual packages of a powdery-crystal substance from his left jacket pocket. They also seized a rolled wad of cash and several small individual zip-lock bags from his right front pants pocket.

Brundage identified the substance in the plastic bags as methamphetamine. Officers seized several clear pipes with residue and a black digital scale with residue from the vehicle.

The methamphetamine totaled 10.07 grams. Therefore Brundage is accused of having 100.7 doses of meth.

During a post-Miranda interview with Clinton Police Detective Josh Winter, Brundage admitted to distributing narcotics, according to the affidavit.

Brundage was booked into the Clinton County Jail. His bond was set at $25,000, cash only. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday in Clinton County District Court.

Brundage is awaiting trial in Jackson County on a charge of possession of controlled substance-third offense-methamphetamine. In that case he was arrested Dec. 4 by Maquoketa Police. A pretrial conference in that case is scheduled for Friday in Jackson County District Court.

Brundage was released from the Iowa Department of Corrections on April 16, 2021. On Feb. 8, 2019, he pleaded guilty in Dubuque County District Court to two aggravated misdemeanor charges of eluding with a speed more than 25 mph and operating a vehicle without the owners consent. He was placed on probation but violated his probation three times. For the third violation he was sentenced Jan. 28, 2020, to consecutive two-year prison terms by Dubuque County District Judge Mark Hostager.

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Angela Siebke never publicly said if she gave her first born a name.

Moline Police investigators and people throughout the Quad-Cities called the newborn girl "Baby April"  named for the month in 1992 she was found floating in a trash bag along the shores of the Mississippi River near Moline's old 17th Street Park.

The legal portion of a story that echoed for years and haunted a number of investigators came to a close Tuesday inside a Rock Island County Justice Center courtroom after 14th Circuit Chief Judge Frank Fuhr sentenced Siebke to two years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Fuhr credited her with day-for-day time served in the Rock Island County jail and granted defense attorney Steve Hanna's request for immediate furlough.

Originally charged with first-degree murder, Siebke formally entered an open plea of guilty to one count of endangering the life of a child resulting in death, a Class 3 felony, on Nov. 22, 2021. After sentencing, Hanna said Siebke planned "  to head home to Ohio as soon as tonight."

A mother of six, Siebke spoke briefly on her own behalf during the sentencing hearing. She said she was "sorry" and the day she disposed of her daughter "  was the worst day of my life."

Hanna and Siebke insisted Baby April was stillborn, not killed by her mother.

"Angela Siebke was a 17-year-old girl, living alone in an apartment, abandoned and afraid because she was having a mixed-race baby and her family was racist," Hanna explained after the sentencing. "She had no medical care, somehow concealed her pregnancy and gave birth to a stillborn child all alone.

"I truly believe Angela is sorry for what she did. Not because she was caught  but because of what happened."

After her sentence was read, Siebke broke down in tears and turned to family members who packed the viewing area behind the defense table. Some of the family cried after the sentence was announced, while others smiled. All declined to comment on the case.

Baby April's case seemed cold until Dec. 17, 2020, when the Moline Police Department announced the arrest of Siebke, who lived in Whitehall, Ohio. At that time, Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said the diligence of detectives and advancements in the use of DNA led to her arrest.

Questions about exactly how Baby April died swirled around the case. An autopsy performed in 1992 indicated Baby April died as a result of "exposure to cold/asphyxia," resulting from "infanticide"  the killing of a newborn. The autopsy also found the presence of air in the baby girl's lungs during a float test, which suggested live birth, prosecutors said.

However, the state also acknowledged the mastoid bone  part of the skull  required examination to determine whether the baby was born alive, and the doctor performing the autopsy concluded the case was "undetermined."

Hanna asserted the presence of air in the infant's lungs could be an indication someone tried to breathe for the baby after she was born.

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In February 1982, Tom Laughlin started sending food out the doors of the first food bank in the Quad-Cities as the farm crisis left thousands without jobs and the agriculture sector in turmoil.

Food banks were a relatively new concept at the time. Food pantries relied on independent food and monetary donations. But the local food banks founders saw operations in other cities that collected food from manufacturers that otherwise wouldve met the landfill and diverted it to stock food pantries instead.

John Deere, which had laid off thousands of workers during the crisis, gave $60,000 in seed money to start the operation.

It (River Bend Food Bank) was an early response to the farming implement crisis that affected the major employers in the Quad Cities: Case, Harvester, Deere, said Laughlin, the former president and CEO of the River Bend Food Bank. That was late '70s, early '80s. So, just a concerned group of citizens about that time were interested in food insecurity and knew the need was going to rise.

Over the course of 40 years, the River Bend Food Banks rapid rise in meals distributed to area food pantries called for a need for more space. The food bank outgrew its first 20,000-square-foot Moline warehouse, and moved across the river in 2014 to its current Kimmel Drive location, tripling in size.

As a new CEO and President of the River Bend Food Bank, Mike Miller set an ambitious goal soon after the food bank settled in its new location: triple the number of meals the food bank distributed by 2025.

The food bank hit that goal in 2020.

The ultimate aim of the food banks growth, Miller said, is to literally end hunger in eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

There's a day in our future where every man, woman and senior goes to bed having eaten and that's what we're going for that, Miller said. So, we still need to grow to work toward that day, but right now we are bursting at the seams.

This year, the food bank is aiming to raise $9.4 million for an expansion that will add volunteer space and more warehouse storage, the food bank and its partners announced in a media event on Tuesday.

Iowa Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, Project NOW executive director Dwight Ford, campaign co-chairs Amy Jones and Nate Clark, Davenport Mayor Mike Matson, a representative from Congresswoman Cheri Bustos' office, and Miller each overturned a ceremonial spade-full of corn kernels Tuesday to mark the "ground breaking" and nod to Deere and Co.'s seed money given more than 40 years ago.

The food bank estimates the extra space will help distribute 50% more meals. Already, River Bend installed a new cooler and freezer that offer more cold storage for fresh vegetables and fruits, which has grown to be almost a third of the food it distributes.

In 2014, the food bank delivered 7.3 million meals to local food pantries, soup kitchens and other food partners. In fiscal 2021, Miller said, the food bank distributed 22.4 million meals.

But, Miller said, barring the pandemic, thats not because theres more need.

When I give that statistic people say oh thats a shame that the need has gone up so much, Miller said. In actuality, the need was that much before then, other than COVID, the need was there before, weve just been able to meet more of the need.

The need already existed, its not that the problem got worse, Miller continued.

Jones, one of the campaign co-chairs and director of philanthropy for Royal Neighbors of America, recalled how her and her family waited in line to get groceries from a food pantry in Maquoketa, which is supplied by the food bank.

"I was holding my mom's hand and I asked her why we were standing there and why it was taking so long. And she was honest with me. She told me that we were there waiting for food. And so are all these other people. That's a pretty strong memory for a 4-year-old," Jones said. "... Also, it doesn't get past me that I'm 42 years old and the food bank is 40 years old today. So I am a physical example of what it means of 40 years of progress to go from a family that needed food to a very successful and thriving family. I'm grateful that when we needed it, we had neighbors, community leaders and business community that understood the investment we need to make each other and how that investment can change lives immediately and for the future."

For the River Bend Food Bank, ending hunger is, in part, a math problem.

According to a Map the Meal Gap from Feeding America, which River Bend is an affiliate of, in 2019, 10.3% of the population of River Bends 23 counties it serves are food insecure. Thats about 107,000 people.

We track that, Miller said of the map. They use census data, they use interviews, they do a lot, every year, we kind of look at all the information and identify how many people don't have enough food.

But making sure everyone has enough to eat is more than a numbers game, Miller said. People need to know where to go to get food and feel comfortable using it.

One of the biggest barriers to putting having that day out there with no one goes to bed hungry is keeping people informed, and just being as welcoming as possible to encourage people to take advantage of it.

 We try often not to say, if you need food come to us, Miller said. We try to say, if this will be helpful to you. People are always like, oh, there's somebody worse off than I am. But if food would help you make ends meet, please come see us.

The food bank employs about 40 people across its three locations, and about 4,000 volunteers help pack, deliver, and keep up operations at the food bank.

The new building will roughly double the space available for volunteers at the food bank, and will add a training room and break room-esque area for volunteers. New office space, too, will be able to accommodate future hires.

It will also add thousands of square feet of space for manufacturers to drop off donated food to check for pests or bugs so if there is a problem, it wouldnt contaminate the rest of the warehouses food supply.

Miller said the food bank received food donations at every step of the food chain: from manufacturers, community food drives, grocery stores and other donations.

We get food from manufacturers. Maybe they made something incorrectly, maybe they added an extra ingredient or left an ingredient out or it was supposed to be a 60-ounce package and they only put 50 ounces in it, Miller said. They can't sell that. But it's perfectly good. And we give it away.

For example, Miller said when Cheerios started making its cereal on a different manufacturing line so that it is gluten free, they mistakenly put the gluten free label on Cheerios made on a line with gluten products. So, Miller said volunteers took out the sealed plastic bag of Cheerios and put it in their own boxes with a gluten warning and distributed it.

Dorothy Cotton, who's the director of the Second Baptist Church food pantry in Rock Island, said she's excited for the extra cold storage to be able to supply more fresh vegetables and fruits, to offer those nutritious options.

She said she started running the pantry almost by accident, but it's grown to be part of her mission to help people find meals.

"The lady that used to run the food pantry got sick all of a sudden and passed away," Cotton said in a video directed by the food bank, "and so the food pantry was closed. There was a lady and her daughter who come to the food pantry door and knocked on the door and I told him that it wasn't open. The little girl started crying and I asked her what was wrong and she said, 'I'm hungry.' I told her I said wait just one minute. So I'm coming to the church, got the key and opened up the pantry and I've been doing it ever since."

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Rock Island City Council members on Monday voted to reject a controversial Black history trail grant awarded to the city by the National Park Service.

Tempers flared during an hour-long contentious discussion as council members interrupted and shouted over each other while debating whether to keep or return the grant.

The African American Civil Rights Grant, in the amount of $33,500, was awarded last year by the National Park Service and the U.S. Historic Preservation Fund to help the city create 10 sites of historic or cultural significance.

But the grant caused problems with members of the Black community, who said they were not consulted prior to the grant process and in response, formed a coalition called the Rock Island Coalition of African American Stakeholders.

"There has to be change. We are tired of individuals from afar making decisions for our community without including them," said 1st Ward Alderman Moses Robinson. "No matter what excuse they give, it doesn't erase the fact that communication was not had. We've been saying that for awhile.

"We are just chasing dollars instead of worrying about how that affects individuals," he said. "We can do that work ourselves."

Alderwoman Judith Gilbert, Ward 3, voted against returning the grant, saying council members had a "moral and legal obligation" to honor a verbal agreement former City Manager Randy Tweet brokered between the city and the grant writers, Natalie Linville-Mass, owner of QC PastPort and Media Link, and Charles Pearson, owner of Pearson Consulting.

"There is a member of the coalition who stated on a ZOOM meeting, twice, that she was aware of the grant opportunity," Gilbert said. "No one else came to the city with this grant opportunity and said, let's apply for it. But Natalie (Linville-Mass) and Charles (Pearson) did.

"Natalie has already created a wayfaring system for heritage tourism."

Alderman Dylan Parker, Ward 5, said the city could allocate $100,000 from the hotel-motel tax for creating a heritage tourism initiative that includes the telling of Black history.

"I think all of us in this room want to do the good work of telling the story of Black Rock Islanders and Black Americans," he said.

Alderwoman Jenni Swanson, Ward 4, said the city was in a "no-win situation."

"The frustrating part is, if we pass through the funds, I feel there is not going to be cooperation and this is not going to come to fruition," she said. "It's going to be a mess. If we give the funds back, it will be a black mark (with the National Park Service). There is no right answer. It has been agonizingly painful for me to come up with a decision on how to vote.

"It's a great project that really has to happen, but in its present form, I really feel like it's not going to happen."

"I just hate giving money back; I don't like this," said 7th Ward Alderman Bill Healy.

Robinson said it was frustrating to learn information about the grant from his own community rather than from the city first.

"When we're recording their history  our history  and you're not part of that discussion, I think that's what everyone is missing," he said. "You still need stories of African-American history, but you're not inviting them to the table."

Public comments from members of the coalition lasted more than 30 minutes.

Thurgood Brooks, a former mayoral candidate and current State Rep. candidate, said he's spoken to "hundreds" of residents in the city and that "not one person of color is in agreement" with council members voting to keep the grant.

"This is a simple vote; this is probably the easiest vote you could make," Brooks said.

"I will remember. That's not a threat; I'm not interested in threatening you," Brooks said. "But I will tell you this  whoever votes (for the grant), I will make it my duty to make sure everybody knows you voted 'yes.' I will make it my duty to ensure you will not be re-elected."

Alderman Mark Poulos, Ward 6, said he was prepared to vote against the grant because of opposition from the Black community but after Brooks' comments, he was having second thoughts.

"The problem I have, is when those same individuals that I was prepared to support, come and in and virtually threaten anybody who is up for re-election that if you don't do this, we're going to turn the city against you," Poulos said. "I thought that was inappropriate. I found it very disrespectful and I'm very upset about it.

"Morally, I think (the grant) should be turned down," he said.

After the meeting, coalition founder Shellie Moore Guy said she was relieved with the city's decision to return the grant.

"I think it was the right thing to do," she said. "The transparency wasn't there; the involvement of the community that this grant is going to affect, it was never done. They said once they identified the (historic) properties, then they would speak to the (Black) community. It's a lack of awareness, it's a real disconnect."

Moore Guy said the coalition would move forward with its own project of documenting Black history in Rock Island.

"We will proceed with telling our own stories, whatever needs to be done," she said. "We'd love to see a museum. It's not like we haven't been documenting these stories."

"There has been so much hate for two people trying to help out their own neighborhood," Linville-Mass said after the meeting. "Charles and I have the best of intentions and we are very good at what we do.

"We can help out their community; we can drive economic development for them and help their businesses thrive. This was a start. How are you going to come together as an area if it's all focused on what you are and not who you are?"

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In its first-ever authorized use of pandemic relief dollars, Scott County would spend more than $6 million to provide affordable housing and shelter for those facing chronic homelessness or eviction.

One supervisor, however, says it is not enough.

Scott Board of Supervisors will meet Thursday to approve contracts with Humility Homes & Services, Inc. and The Salvation Army Quad Cities for the use of $6.14 million of the $33.6 million awarded to the county in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Supervisor Ken Croken, however, called the proposed spending "shamefully paltry" compared to the need that exists for more safe, affordable housing in the Quad-Cities and in light of the intended purpose of the federal funds to provide relief to those "who have suffered enormous financial hardship as a result of COVID."

Though wages have increased, household incomes across the Quad-Cities have not kept pace with increasing rental costs, creating a housing crisis impacting more than 11,000 residents unable to reasonably afford a roof over their head, according to the Quad Cities Housing Cluster, a consortium of for-profit and nonprofit housing service provides, lenders and developers across the Quad-Cities that work on affordable housing issues.

Rents in Davenport grew by 9.9% since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, according to Apartment List's National Rent Report. Median rents in Davenport as of January were $672 for a one-bedroom apartment and $790 for a two-bedroom.

The housing cluster unveiled a 10-year plan in 2020 seeking to address a gap of 6,645 affordable units for extremely low-income households earning 30% or less of area median income, or no more than $21,810 annually.

While the $3 million from the county won't completely address the need for affordable housing in the Quad-Cities, "I do believe it will make a huge impact," said Kelle Larned, program and operations director for The Salvation Army's Quad Cities Family Services.

Supervisor John Maxwell said he was "proud" of the county's planned investment to help those struggling to find affordable housing.

"And I'm very excited about what the Salvation Army and Humility (Homes) can do with those funds and make Scott County a better place to live," Maxwell said. "And I'm excited to have the first ARPA money be headed towards a great direction."

The nonprofits would use the money to offer supportive housing, case management services, temporary shelter and rent assistance to assist people facing chronic homelessness during the pandemic and households facing imminent eviction because of COVID-19. Expenses would be reimbursed by the county as they're incurred.

Under the proposal, Humility Homes & Services would receive a little more than $3.14 million, about $2 million of which would pay to acquire 35 rental units, from efficiencies up to three-bedroom apartments, for targeted households experiencing chronic homelessness. Of those, 20 units would be created for single adults and 15 units for families.

Remaining funds would be used to provide case management, support and administrative services.

Ashley Velez, executive director of Humility Homes & Services, said the funding will help individuals and families who face multiple barriers to employment, including arrests, substance abuse and mental illness, find stable housing.

"When you're living in a state of crisis and having so much trauma, rapid rehousing is great  but sometimes individuals need more than" short-term rental assistance, Velez said. "So this program will give us four years of providing services to help stabilize and do some of the things rapid rehousing does," with case management and coordinating with community partners to address issues, with a focus on fostering housing stability.

The Salvation Army would receive $3 million to shelter households facing imminent eviction due to COVID-19 as well as "rapidly rehouse" those that have lost their homes and are living in hotels or motels with assistance from The Salvation Army.

About $1 million of the $3 million would be used to provide up to one year's worth of rental assistance "to move households from shelter to stability," county budget director David Farmer wrote in a memo. About $1.35 million would be used to provide up to 120 days of motel vouchers for households facing imminent eviction. Funding would also be used to provide "wrap-around" case management, support and administrative services.

"This will allow us to get more families into shelter and then moving them into housing," Larned said. "And then, with our case management that they'll be connected with, they'll be able to work on goals," such as increasing their income, furthering their education or gaining new job skills "so they can remain stable and not come back into the homeless population."

Larned said the number of individuals seeking shelter from the Salvation Army increased nearly 62% since the start of the pandemic, "and they continue to rise every day."

"Right now, anybody could walk in and get a job, but that doesn't mean that they can afford the housing and rent that's here in Scott County," Larned said. "It's one of the highest market rents in Iowa. And so when you're looking at a mom who has three or four kids making $18 an hour  you're looking at anywhere from $800 to $1,000" a month rent for a three-bedroom apartment, if not more.

Affordable housing is generally defined as housing that does not cost more than 30% of a households monthly gross income. At or above 30%, a household is considered cost-burdened, and has less to spend on other necessities.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition's 2021 annual report, an individual working full time (40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year) would need to earn $15.08 an hour to afford a two-bedroom rental unit and $20.13 to afford a three-bedroom unit in the Quad-Cities. Whereas Quad-Cities renters earn an average wage of $12.22 an hour, meaning the most they could afford in rent is $635 a month.

Farmer as well said he has spoken with Davenport city officials about contributing $600,000 toward an affordable housing program that county officials would manage on their behalf.

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Scott County lawmakers will gather Saturday for a forum to discuss and answer questions about legislation advancing in the Iowa General Assembly.

The League of United Latin American Citizens Council 10 and NAACP will host the second of four Scott County legislative forums from 10:30 a.m. to noon at LULAC's facility at 4224 Ricker Hill Road in Davenport.

Scott County residents can attend both in-person and remotely via Zoom, and can meet individually with legislators before the forum during a scheduled reception from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

For more information, including attending by Zoom, go to the Scott County Legislative Forum Facebook page at www.facebook.com/scottcountylegislativeforum.

Former Iowa Senator and Scott County Supervisor Maggie Tinsman convened the group of six local nonprofit organizations to bring bipartisan candidate forums back to Scott County.

"The purpose of the forums is to ask questions of our Iowa legislators  both Republican and Democrat senators and representatives about issues of concern to us. Our goal is to encourage courteous civil discourse. We urge attendees to be respectful of all legislators as well as of those asking questions or listening to the discussion," Tinsman stated in a news release.

Each forum will be held in person with a live virtual option. Scott County residents may attend and ask questions at the forums.

The forum schedule:

 Feb. 19: 10-10:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m.-noon at LULAC. Host: LULAC and NAACP.

 March 19: 10-10:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m.-noon at North Scott High School. Host: ISEA, WIN (Working Iowa Neighbors).

 April 9: 10-10:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m.-noon at AEA Bettendorf. Host: AAUW.

Quad-City Times

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"Our 'Vote No' campaign will act as a referendum on this entrenched duo's many failures," the Alden statement read, "and will act as a platform for stockholders to send a clear message that the corporate governance at Lee must be rectified."

Lee, which has called Alden a vulture hedge fund,'' publishes nearly every daily newspaper in Nebraska and Montana, the Rapid City Journal and others including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Buffalo News.

Alden, which is one of the nations largest newspaper owners, has developed a reputation for using extensive layoffs and severe cost cuts at the newspapers it owns.

The issue between Alden and Lee's shareholders and board is whether Alden's initial offer of $24 per share fairly values Lee.

Lee's share price has increased in recent months following Alden's bid, closing at $35.50 on market close Monday.
PIERRE | A battle between national banking giants and firearms manufacturers has reached the South Dakota Capitol.

A pair of bills are being considered this week in the state Legislature aimed at pushing back on banking practices engaged in by the likes of Bank of America, Citi and other mega-banks that will not underwrite or lend to firearms-related companies.

While officials with local banks say they do not discriminate against firearms businesses, Citibank and other banking industry representatives say there are reputational and regulatory risks associated with banking with some firearms companies.

And that isn't sitting well with lawmakers, even those apprehensive to involve state government in the fight.

"I'm offended by this snowflake stuff that Citibank is doing, and Wells Fargo offends me even more," Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, R-Watertown, said this week during a discussion on the relationship between firearms businesses and the banking industry.

Some banks first began treating firearms businesses differently after the United States Department of Justice under the Obama administration began broadly investigating firearms banking transactions. That cooled some banks on doing business with firearms companies.

The initiative ended in 2017, but some banks continued with the practice.

Brandon Maddox, owners of Sioux Falls-based Silencer Central, told Schoenbeck and the rest of the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee on Tuesday morning that he's experienced first-hand discrimination by banks when they find out he's a manufacturer, dealer and wholesaler of firearms accessories.

"I had no bank to go to," he said of his experience trying to finance the purchase of a building for Silencer Central to expand into.

Even with strong credit, little existing debt and increasing profit margins, Maddox said he had doors slammed on him due to the type of business Silencer Central is.

"I had to ask for a favor from my sister in law  to make a connection for me."

Maddox and his fellow industry representatives are specifically asking the state Legislature to pass a new law that would make banks rethink any policies they might have that places higher burdens before firearms-related companies by explicitly prohibiting the state of South Dakota from conducting business with banks engaging in those practices.

Gun-rights advocates characterize the issue as a Second Amendment battle. However, some legislators, like Sen. David Wheeler, R-Huron, don't see it that way.

"There's plenty of businesses out there that are selling guns ... and the ability to exercise your Second Amendment right is still there, so I don't see the need for this type of regulation," he said. "Until one industry is coming to the point where they're crushing the market on another industry, does government have to get in there and say 'There's a market problem?' As of yet, I cannot yet say there's a market problem."

The local banking industry and its representatives at the Capitol, like the South Dakota Bankers Association, Independent Community Bankers of South Dakota and chamber of commerce groups, were successful in getting the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee to reject the proposal coming from the gun industry advocates Tuesday. But a companion bill in the state House is also expected to get consideration this week.

Neither the South Dakota Bankers Association nor Independent Community Bankers responded to requests for comment for this article.

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Hong Kong to take measures to ensure supply of goods from mainland

(Global Times) 08:35, February 16, 2022

Carrie Lam File Photo:Xinhua

Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said on Tuesday that the local government will recruit more truck drivers, as well as transporting goods from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong by sea, China Media Group (CMG) reported.

Lam said the epidemic has disrupted the work of cross-boundary truck drivers, as many of them are living in buildings with cases of coronavirus. Over 20 percent of drivers are currently unable to work, causing delays in supplying goods to Hong Kong, as well as higher vegetable prices.

Lam said that the government, together with the Chinese mainland, will set up a working group in order to ensure the transportation of non-medical supplies, including recruiting more cross-boundary drivers and ensuring that they take nucleic acid tests daily.

The SAR government is also in communication with maritime companies to deliver goods to Hong Kong by sea, in the hope that the government can ensure the daily needs of the public while fighting the epidemic, Lam said, adding that the public should not be overly anxious.

Hong Kong is going through a difficult fifth wave of the epidemic and Lam said that the local government has support from the central authorities and will spare no effort to combat COVID-19, according to a report by Xinhua on Monday.

Since the new flare-ups of the epidemic, the Chinese mainland has increased the supply of goods to Hong Kong. South China's Guangdong Province is an important supplier of food to the SAR. Recently, the province has continued to ensure the safe and stable supply of various products to Hong Kong, such as vegetables and chilled meat, CMG reported on Monday.

An employee from a chilled chicken production company in Qingyuan City, Guangdong, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the company was affected at the beginning of the outbreak in Hong Kong, but with the governments efforts, the number of chilled chickens supplied to Hong Kong quickly returned to the usual level, with higher efficiency in customs clearance of goods and vehicles.

According to Hong Kong media outlet HK01, the SAR government said that the supply of vegetables from the mainland on Monday returned to about 70 percent of the usual levels, and the overall wholesale price of vegetables fell slightly. The overall volume of chilled poultry and meat to Hong Kong reached about 60 percent of the usual levels, while the supply of live pigs remains stable.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The body of a missing Antioch native has been recovered from the Des Plaines River near Libertyville, authorities said Tuesday evening.

The body of Thomas Howe, 24, was recovered about 2 p.m. Tuesday, Antioch village spokesman Jim Moran said in an email.

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An autopsy completed Wednesday indicates that Howe drowned, according to the Lake County coroners office. The office said it would conduct additional tests in the near future.

Moran said a kayaker on the river on Friday saw a jacket along the shoreline matching the description of one Howe had been seen wearing on Jan. 22, which was the day he walked away from an auto accident and disappeared into a nearby forest preserve.

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The kayaker phoned police, who mounted a search along with fire department dive teams Friday and Saturday. Authorities were not able to resume searching until Tuesday afternoon because of unfavorable conditions on the river, Moran said.

The Lake County sheriffs office and the coroners office will continue the investigation into Howes death, he said.

Antioch police Chief Geoff Guttschow issued a statement asking that the familys privacy be respected.

We have been with the Howe family throughout their search for Tommy, Guttschow said. This is a devastating time for them. The family will continue to be in our prayers.

Howe, a Chicago resident, was headed to Antioch for a lunch with his parents and siblings on Jan. 22 when he got into an accident on Interstate 94 with another vehicle.

Howe walked away from the accident scene, toward the nearby Old School Forest Preserve. His work cellphone was found in the preserve days later, though intensive searches by police and volunteers failed to locate Howe.

Earlier Friday, hours before the jacket was spotted, his parents, Thomas and MaryMargaret Howe, offered a $10,000 reward for information that would resolve the mystery of Howes disappearance.

His mother said the family thought Howe may have suffered a head injury in the car accident that had led to his disappearance.

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The family said Howe was working as a chemical engineer and was a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Miami in Ohio.
A bill authored by Rep. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, that reaffirms a physician's right to use ivermectin for patients passed the state House of Representatives on Monday by a vote of 40-28, but only after the bill was amended to require a prescription.

In its original form, HB 1267 would have allowed medical professionals to dispense ivermectin to patients with or without a prior prescription.

Jensen's original bill to allow for dispensing ivermectin with or without a prior prescription was opposed by the South Dakota State Medical Association, the South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians and Sioux Falls-based Sanford Health.

During a Feb. 10 hearing in the House Health and Human Services Committee, Jensen said he authored the bill because he had heard that some medical providers were facing backlash over prescribing ivermectin to COVID-19 patients.

"This bill would provide immediate relief for front-line doctors via protection from retribution and by allowing for the use of another viable means to treat and prevent further spread of SARS-CoV-2," Jensen said.

During testimony, Hermosa resident Kevin Hunter said he spent four months in the hospital with COVID-19 and was treated with remdesivir and placed on a ventilator, both against his wishes. He said he would have liked to have had ivermectin available to him, but his wife, Stephanie Hunter, said doctors refused to use the anti-parasitic drug for an off-label purpose.

"I was told over and over again, If I give this to you, I will lose my license, I will be fired,' she said.

At the committee meeting, an amendment was discussed to remove the words "with or without a prescription" from Jensen's bill and change the word "dispense" to "prescribe." Concerns were heard from committee members that distributing ivermectin without a prescription could be dangerous.

Jensen opposed the amendment in committee.

"That would neuter the bill," Jensen said.

The amendment did not proceed through committee. The House Health and Human Services Committee passed Jensen's original bill with a narrow vote of 7-6.

The full House of Representatives heard the bill on Monday. Rep. Fred Deutsch, R-Florence, offered the amendment to remove "with or without a prescription" and removed the word "dispense" for "prescribe."

Rep. Paul Miskimins, R-Mitchell, is a retired dentist who opposed the bill even with the amendment. He called the bill an "attack on our health care system."

"I do not believe it is good policy for this body (the House) to take any action on a specific drug. This is even more true when it is a drug that is to be used off-label," Miskimins said. "I would ask you to put your trust in the FDA, the Board of Pharmacy and the medical community to have our best interest as the first concern for our public."

Rep. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, said she believes there is a political reason that health care agencies and physicians are being restricted from authorizing ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

"Any argument against its use becomes purely political and probably financial as well," Howard said. "When a doctor and patient agree on a treatment plan, that's between them and it should stay between them."

The amended bill passed the House of Representatives, with a vote of 40-28. Rapid City Republican Reps. Mike Derby, Becky Drury and Jess Olson voted against the bill, while Jensen, Howard and Republican Reps. Chris Johnson, Tina Mulally and Tony Randolph voted in favor.

The legislation now heads to the Senate, where Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller, R-Rapid City, is the prime sponsor of the bill.

Ivermectin is a anti-parasitic drug that has been in use since the 1970s for veterinary infections. It was approved in 1987 as a treatment for human parasitic infections and the two scientists who discovered the drug were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2015 for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites," the Nobel Prize website states.

However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, some conservative commentators and a few medical practitioners have touted ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19. The off-label use of ivermectin in treating COVID-19 patients has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

According to the FDA's website, currently available data "do not show ivermectin is effective against COVID-19," although clinical trials are ongoing.

The National Institutes of Health said for ivermectin to be effective in treating COVID-19, it "would require administration of doses up to 100-fold higher than those approved for use in humans."

Ivermectin's manufacturer, Merck, released a statement saying its scientists are "carefully examining the findings of all available and emerging studies of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 for evidence of efficacy and safety." However, Merck notes that there is "no scientific basis for a potential therapeutic effect against COVID-19 from pre-clinical studies," and that there was no "meaningful evidence" of clinical activity or clinical efficacy for COVID-19 patients. The drug manufacturer also questioned the safety risks of using ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

Contact Nathan Thompson at nathan.thompson@rapidcityjournal.com.

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The International Fly Fishing Film Festival, coming virtually to Hamilton on Feb. 23, features nine short and feature-length films from all corners of the globe showcasing the passion, lifestyle and culture of international fly fishing.

Admission to the Hamilton area virtual International Fly Fishing Film Festival is $20 and may be accessed at https://watch.eventive.org/if4us/play/61e98a8a669046004b73668a. Viewers may log on to the site anytime within 48 hours of the showing.

The event is hosted by the Bitter Root Water Forum.

Once logged in, access to the film will be granted for 7 days.

In addition to the films, there will be fly-fishing product giveaways and other promotions at the event.

One attendee will be selected to win the 2022 Grand Prize drawing consisting of fly-fishing gear provided by International Fly Fishing Film Festival sponsors and valued at thousands of dollars.

Among the films to be screened are:

 "Caddis Magic" A film of hope that bugs will hatch and trout will rise to them.

 "Four Weeks of Daylight" Atlantic salmon on the northern coast of the Kola Peninsula.

 "Out West" Smallmouth bass on flyrod poppers cast by Brian OKeefe.

 "Casting Maya" Ascension Bay in Mexicos Yucatan in search of bonefish, permit, snook and tarpon.

 "A Season in the South" Remote rivers in the different regions of New Zealands South Island.

 "Flat Out" 2021 Stimmies Anglers Choice Winner exploring Australias Pacific and Indian Ocean saltwater flats.

 "Into Blue" A trip up to the salt of Far North Queensland, Australia, wading and wandering the flats.

Other films include "A Fly-fishing Refugee," the uplifting story of a Polish dissident in the early 1980s yearning for wild rivers; and "Home Waters," a look at the trophy trout of British Columbia, Canada.

For more information and film trailers, visit flyfilmfest.com.

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An East Helena man received a lifetime ban from hunting and trapping in Montana as part of his sentence for illegally killing a trophy moose east of Townsend in 2019, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials said Tuesday.

Shiloh Berry, 41, was sentenced Friday in Broadwater County District Court after pleading guilty last fall to felony unlawful possession of a game animal and misdemeanor counts of hunting without a valid license and waste of a game animal, FWP officials said.

His sentence includes a three-year suspension of fishing privileges, $12,100 in fines and restitution, and a suspended five-year imprisonment term.

Berrys fines totaled $6,100 for the three charges. The mooses antlers were 56 inches wide. Because the mooses antler spread was greater than 30 inches, it qualified as a trophy for $6,000 in restitution under Montana law. The mooses antler score of 145 inches also would qualify it for entry into the Boone and Crockett record book and among the 300 largest bull moose taken from Montana.

Efforts to contact Berry or his attorney on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

FWP game wardens received a tip in November 2019 through the departments 1-800-TIP-MONT hotline about a dead moose with its head cut off and the meat abandoned.

Wardens found the carcass on Blacktail Road, about 17 miles east of Townsend, FWP officials said. They also found distinctive tire tracks and boot prints at the scene.

In April 2020, wardens received another tip that Berry possessed moose antlers he claimed to have found in the same area where the moose carcass was discovered. They used a search warrant and found the antlers, as well as boots and tires that matched the tracks at the kill site, FWP said.

Berry, during an interview with wardens, confessed to killing the moose, FWP said.

FWPs 24-hour hotline for reporting these crimes is 1-800-TIP-MONT. Callers could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Staff writer Tom Kuglin contributed to this story. Staff writer Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021 or philip.drake@helenair.com.

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Altria Group Inc. didnt violate federal antitrust laws when it bought a minority ownership stake in electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc., an administrative law judge ruled on Tuesday.

Henrico County-based Altria, the parent company of top U.S. cigarette maker Philip Morris USA, said an administrative law judge dismissed a complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission that sought to unwind the deal.

The decision came following a three-week trial. The administrative law judge found that the evidence failed to sustain the alleged violations, the company said.

We are pleased with this decision and have said all along that our minority investment in Juul does not harm competition and does not violate the antitrust laws, said Murray Garnick, Altrias executive vice president and general counsel.

Altria, a major employer in the Richmond region, spent nearly $13 billion for a 35% stake in Juul in 2018 as part of a diversification strategy to offset shrinking cigarette sales.

Juul, a fast-growing California-based maker of vaping products, has since has been hit by a wave of lawsuits and government restrictions because of underage use of its products. Altria has had to take several write-downs on its investment, which is now valued at just $1.7 billion.

In April 2020, the FTC issued an administrative complaint against Altrias deal to buy Juul, saying it was bad for competition. The FTC claimed that the deal constituted an unreasonable restraint on trade because Altria had agreed not to compete against Juul in return for the stake in the company.

Altria and Juul turned from competitors to collaborators by eliminating competition and sharing in Juuls profits, said Ian Conner of the FTCs Bureau of Competition, when the complaint was filed.

The dismissal announcement was released after the markets closed. Shares of Altria closed at $50.32 on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, up 23 cents or less than 1%.
As Becca DuVal was tucking her daughter into bed Saturday, it dawned on them that she would not be graduating at William Fox Elementary after the school went up in flames.

She burst into tears over the realization DuVal said. This year was supposed to be some kind of big comeback. ... It was supposed to be different. This has robbed them of that.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life at the school for many students, some of whom graduated from Fox without ever returning to their classroom. Now more students are at risk of never going back.

Its a series of cascading traumas, said DuVal, a mother of three children, including two students at Fox.

As Fox students are set to resume classes virtually Wednesday, parents and teachers who collectively donate six-figure sums to improve and repair the school each year say they are trying to figure out how to help students as the school division continues to assess the damage and shape transition plans.

Were not really focused on what happened or why it happened, said Katie Ricard, president of the schools parent-teacher association. Were focused on what to do going forward to support our teachers to get them the classrooms they want for our kids to succeed.

In the days after the fire, Ricard said other school communities have reached out to support Fox. So far she said there has been a focus on organizing community events with other schools to prevent students from feeling isolated as they are expected to continue school virtually for at least a few weeks.

Ricard said the schools library was damaged in the fire, and that the association is preparing to launch a book drive to replace the schools main library and smaller classroom collections that were maintained by individual teachers. Local artists, she said, have also pledged to donate art work for an auction that will be used to help raise money for the school.

While some parents and area residents have shared frustration with the school administration, particularly after the release of timelines showing it was slow to respond to an alarm at the school an hour before the blaze, DuVal and Ricard said they and others are not dwelling on it.

I need this to be a wake-up call, DuVal said.

DuVal said shes keenly aware that the Fox community is more fortunate than others in Richmond as the school is located in one of the citys wealthiest communities, meaning that parents often have more resources to share.

Still, she said the pandemic led to a drop off in enrollment at Fox, as families decided to move to neighboring school districts or placed their children in private schools. According to Virginia Department of Education data, enrollment at Fox has declined from 438 students in 2019-20 to 358 this year.

DuVal said she fears that a prolonged reopening process could result in fewer families at Fox and erode confidence in the School Board, particularly as it has been mired in debate recently over the rebuilding of George Wythe High School.

When they [leave], it means there are fewer fingers in the dam, she said. How do you keep the community invested? How do you keep the community in love with the school?
Jamelle S. Wilson was as surprised as anyone that she was booted off the Virginia Board of Education.

After all, Wilson had been reappointed by then-Gov. Ralph Northam to a second term that would have ended in June 2025. It never occurred to me that the General Assembly would not confirm my appointment, she said Monday.

And why wouldnt it?

Wilson, who was the boards vice president, has unimpeachable credentials. Shes the dean of the University of Richmond School of Professional and Continuing Studies. In 2015, as the superintendent of Hanover County Public Schools, she was named Region 1 Superintendent of the Year.

To be fair, and maybe more gracious than I should, I dont believe this is personal, she said. I dont believe this is about Jamelle Wilson.

GOP House leaders  in a snit over the opposition to Gov. Glenn Youngkins choice as Natural Resources Secretary, Andrew Wheeler  had threatened not to confirm Northams nominees to dozens of state boards. Ultimately, GOP House leaders cleared hundreds of those nominees  with 11 exceptions. Wilson was one of them.

How do you not take that personally?

In the process, Republican lawmakers showed little regard for Hanover, a reliably red jurisdiction  two-thirds of its voters supported Donald Trump  with a routinely high-performing school district.

Stewart D. Roberson, Wilsons predecessor in Hanover, was also singled out for removal from the Board of Education along with Anthony Swann of Franklin County, the 2021 Virginia Teacher of the Year. Swann, like Wilson, is African American.

Left on the nine-member board was Anne Holton, a former Virginia Secretary of Education. Perhaps angering Holtons husband, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, was deemed a bridge too far for the states Republican lawmakers.

I understand that it is the prerogative of the legislature to confirm appointments, or not, Roberson said Tuesday. Im not in a position to speculate on the decision-making.

Both he and Wilson said it had been an honor to serve on the board. We appreciate their service.

But Virginia has lurched in a destructive direction on public education as Republicans seek to purge discussions of systemic racism from the classroom. An online tip line instituted by Youngkin is intended to call out teachers whose lessons are deemed divisive or too uncomfortable for some white people, all in the name of parental rights.

The great cleansing of our public school from liberal doctrine is about to begin, state Sen. Amanda Freeman Chase, R-Chesterfield, recently posted on Facebook, adding: Its time to take back our schools.

From whom, exactly?

Heavy-handed meddling in education to promote a racist agenda gave us Massive Resistance.

Virginia still hasnt lived that down.

Roberson and Wilson are ill-cast as educators who lean hard left. You dont navigate the politics of conservative Hanover County by wearing wokeness on your sleeve.

Ill tell you this doesnt bode well, because these two are educators first and foremost with deep knowledge, relationships and qualifications, and theyre also two very moderate leaders, said Rachel Levy of Hanover.

Levy knows Roberson and Wilson as a Hanover schools parent. She has a doctorate in educational leadership and policy and is also active in politics  she ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for the House of Delegates last November.

Ive talked to both of them several times, but Dr. Wilson especially, and I have no idea of her politics, Levy said.

Roberson, a University of Virginia professor, heads Moseley Architects. He brought expertise in school design to the board. But Virginia Republicans appear willing to value ideology above meritocracy and achievement.

Swann was the boards only active teacher. Since 2018, he has run a mentoring program for fifth-grade boys called Guys with Ties, which seeks to teach boys the importance of honesty, integrity, and character inside and outside the classroom, according to his bio on the Department of Education website.

Swann, 36, weaves love, respect and compassion into every facet of teaching. Shaped by his childhood, the majority of which was spent in foster care, he wants his students  his children  to feel loved and supported. He wants them to know that they can trust him. He wants them to know that they matter, according to a December 2020 story by Claire Mitzel in The Roanoke Times.

Swann credits his fourth-grade teacher, Jerretta Wilson, with changing his life. His would offer a valuable perspective at a time when Virginia seems more intent on demonizing teachers than supporting them.

Im not certain where its ultimately leading thats clearly and squarely focused on children, Wilson said.

When the public education agenda becomes squarely focused on politics, the children are beside the point.
House Republicans on Tuesday approved two bills that would restrict some aspects of the abortion process, drawing ire from abortion access groups who decried interference by lawmakers into womens medical decisions.

On party-line votes, the House cleared House Bill 212 from Del. Karen Greenhalgh, R-Virginia Beach, which would require that women sign a form confirming informed consent before an abortion is performed.

Also along party lines, the House approved House Bill 304 from Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, which requires that physicians provide medical care to infants born alive as a result of botched abortions.

The bills now head to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where leaders have put up a wall to abortion legislation.

Del. Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, criticized Freitas bill for interfering with a private medical process. Herring said that people who seek abortions due to medical issues involving the fetus could lose desired time to hold the infant in exchange for fruitless attempts to save its life.

Freitas defended the bill on the floor, arguing that it advocates for the well-being of infants born alive.

We are certainly telling a medical professional that we do expect them to intervene at that point, because they do have a patient, its called the child, Freitas said.

Freitas bill requires that every hospital establish a protocol to care for an infant born during a botched abortion and to immediately call the police on any medical provider that doesnt render care to the infant. Medical care providers could face a felony charge for failing to provide care.

An alliance of groups supporting access to abortions said the bill interferes with womens ability to seek reproductive care and abortions from their medical providers.

There is no space for politicians in the exam room when a patient is making decisions about their pregnancy, said Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.

Aye Johnson with the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project said groups offering financial aid to women seeking abortions said burdernsome policies like the ones proposed by House Republicans are part of the reason women seek aid in the first place.

Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, who criticized the bill on the floor of the House on Tuesday, said supporters of abortion access can take heart because an earlier version of the bill required a 24-hour waiting period before a woman could access an abortion.

It must be that this body is learning that those kinds of provisions are not just medically unnecessary, theyre unjustified. And, theyre unpopular.

Freitas had also sponsored a bill banning abortions at 20 weeks, a concept Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he supports. Republican leaders in the House never took up the bill; a similar bill from Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, failed in the Senate.
School districts will have until March 1 to comply with a state ban on mask mandates for students under legislation championed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

The proposal, Senate Bill 739, would bar school districts from requiring students to wear a mask against their parents wishes, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Both chambers of the General Assembly have approved the legislation. Youngkin is seeking to amend it with an emergency clause so that the law would take effect upon his signature, rather than on July 1.

The Senate voted Tuesday evening to back the governors amendments, including the emergency clause. The House will take up Youngkins amendments on Wednesday.

The Senate acted on the bill at the end of its legislative calendar on crossover, the sessions procedural midpoint. Tuesday was the deadline for the House and Senate to complete work on their own legislation  aside from the budget. Bills that survived in the House and Senate now cross over to the other chamber for consideration.

Youngkins amendments to the masks bill need a simple majority vote in each chamber to take effect, according to the clerks for the House and the Senate, as opposed to the 80% threshold typically required for bills to be fast tracked.

Democrats in the House on Wednesday sought to cast doubt on whether Youngkin could pull off such a move. House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, acknowledged that while Democrats used the same tool in recent years, no formal ruling was made on the matter because the GOP didnt challenge it.

Del. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, sponsored the underlying legislation to require in-person schooling five days a week ; Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, proposed the added language banning mask mandates and joined two other Democrats to usher the measure through the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Youngkins proposed amendments to the bill also clarify that the new law would not supersede his authority, meaning the governor could suspend the law in order to react to a public health emergency.

The Senate on Tuesday chose to split the three amendments into two votes. It voted 21-19 to collectively support amendments one and three  the emergency clause and the March 1 effective date. Senators voted 39-0 to back the second amendment underscoring that a governor retains the power to act in a health emergency.

I would like this to take effect yesterday, but thats not going to happen, Petersen told fellow senators. I do believe that were going to need a transition time for some of our Northern Virginia school districts and probably elsewhere in the state.

Democrats in the House and Senate had criticized the bill, arguing that it does not allow state health officials or school districts needed flexibility if the COVID-19 pandemic takes an unexpected turn.

Petersen has argued that Youngkin or a future governor already has the power to bypass the legislation using the offices emergency powers.

Earlier Tuesday, Youngkin was in Petersburg for a community discussion on vaccination rates. Youngkin opposes vaccine mandates, but has been urging Virginians to get the shots.

Please get the vaccine, please get the booster, Youngkin said during his public remarks in Petersburg. Its the best way to keep you and your family safe.

Youngkin also tells Virginians in a new public service announcement: Im asking you as your friend and your neighbor, please get the vaccine.
On Feb. 8, the U.S. Senate held its confirmation hearing on the Biden administrations nominee, Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt, for the position of United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. A well-known and respected historian, Lipstadt should be confirmed.

At issue is a different question: What understanding of antisemitism will shape the role of the special envoy and U.S. policy toward the issue? Lipstadt should act on her previous public statements criticizing the troubling definition of antisemitism embraced thus far by the Biden administration, rather than following the path she charted at the hearing. A new approach, grounded in scholarship, can help guide U.S. policy instead.

The Biden administration currently relies on the definition adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance  first recognized by a December 2019 executive order from former President Donald Trump, and later adopted by the State Department. Although supported by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and several establishment Jewish organizations, that definition often is vague and open to conflicting interpretations.

These problems prompted a group of scholars to draft a new document: The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism. It was published in the spring of 2021, and signed by 200 scholars and writers  many of them leaders in their fields  who work on antisemitism and the Holocaust, Jewish history, thought, culture and related topics (full disclosure: I am a signatory). Meanwhile, more than 100 additional people have added their names, and numerous Jewish organizations also have endorsed the document.

Why this declaration? And why should the U.S. and its special envoy on antisemitism adopt its guidelines? Addressing problems with the IHRA in Israels leading newspaper, Haaretz, Holocaust historian Omer Bartov stressed the Israeli government and its supporters put much effort into blurring the line between criticism of Israel and antisemitism, in order to paint any substantive, harsh criticism of Israels policies toward the Palestinians as antisemitic.

Hence, opposing the occupation is considered antisemitic, BDS [the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement] is antisemitic, criticism of Zionism is antisemitic, and the International Criminal Court in the Hague is of course without a shadow of doubt antisemitic. The IHRA thus has contributed, whether by design or not, to the stifling of free speech regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In Germany, where the government and civil society have done much in recent decades to confront the Nazi past, the Bundestag (or parliament) passed an anti-BDS resolution in 2019. I do not support BDS, but it is a movement that relies on a well-established, nonviolent form of protest recognized as legitimate in democratic countries.

In Germany, the resolution has led to accusations of antisemitism even when none is involved, prompting leaders of dozens of German cultural organizations to issue a joint statement seeking its repeal. It also prompted a declaration criticizing the resolutions application and the censorious actions of Germanys overzealous antisemitism commissioner, Felix Klein, which baselessly targeted Cameroonian philosopher Achille Mbembe. The declaration was signed by Israeli, American and European intellectuals, Jewish and otherwise.

While the IHRA facilitates the conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism, the JDA seeks both to strengthen the fight against antisemitism by clarifying what it is and how it is manifested, and to protect a space for an open debate about the vexed question of the future of Israel/Palestine. It recognizes that antisemitism has certain distinctive features, while noting the fight against it is inseparable from the overall fight against all forms of racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, and gender discrimination. It acknowledges that criticism of Israel and Zionism at times can be antisemitic, but gives clear guidelines and examples for distinguishing between the two.

Recent hyperbolic reactions by Israeli government officials and their American allies to Amnesty Internationals report about Israel engaging in apartheid was an unfortunate reminder of why these guidelines are needed. Whether or not one agrees with all of the reports conclusions, calling the document, and Amnesty itself, antisemitic is wrong. This falsely conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism to discredit the critics and forestall serious debate on the reports claims.

The JDAs clarification is of great urgency  not only to protect the space for criticism of Israeli government policies  but just as importantly, to promote to policy leaders and the public a better understanding of antisemitism and how to fight it.

This false conflation distracts from the far greater threat stemming from the right, as shown by the following events:

the violent 2017 Unite the Right demonstration in Charlottesville (the effects of which still are felt by those of us who live here);

the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, killing 11 and injuring 6 others;

the entry of a far-right party, the AfD (Alternative for Germany), into the countrys parliament for the first time since World War II;

the 2019 synagogue attack in the German city of Halle on Yom Kippur; and

the rise of right-wing populist governments threatening democratic norms in EU member countries like Hungary and Poland.

Across the world, democratic activities are deemed antisemitic and suppressed just because they concern Israels denial of Palestinian rights. This damages the fight against antisemitism. The U.S. special envoy should reject the IHRA definition, and embrace the approach laid out in the clear and insightful Jerusalem Declaration so as to protect free speech and legitimate protest. These are norms that keep Jews safe, too.
The family of actor and comedian Bob Saget filed a lawsuit Tuesday to block the release of certain records related to the investigation into his death, citing privacy concerns.

Saget, 65, was found dead in his hotel room in Orlando, Florida, last month. The Orange County Medical Examiner's Office determined that his death was accidental, most likely due to him falling backward and striking his head.

Keep scrolling for a gallery of photos of Bob Saget through the years

On Tuesday, Saget's widow Kelly Rizzo and her three daughters filed a lawsuit against Orange County's sheriff and the medical examiner's office, requesting that some investigation records related to the death be exempt from being revealed publicly because of their graphic nature in how they portray the late actor.

"In the process of these investigations, Defendants created records which include photographs, video recordings, audio recordings, statutorily protected autopsy information, and all other statutorily protected information," the lawsuit states. "Upon information and belief, some of these Records graphically depict Mr. Saget, his likeness or features, or parts of him, and were made by Defendants during Defendants' investigations."

The family argues in the lawsuit that the release of this information -- whether through a public records request or any other avenue -- would cause them to "suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress."

Brian Bieber, a Saget family attorney, told CNN that the injunction was filed to "prevent disclosure of any photographs or videos of Mr. Saget made by the authorities during their investigation."

Photos: Notable deaths in 2022 A look at some of the notable people we've lost so far in 2022:

"The facts of the investigation should be made public, but these materials should remain private out of respect for the dignity of Mr. Saget and his family. It's very simple -- from a human and legal standpoint, the Saget family's privacy rights outweigh any public interest in disclosure of this sensitive information."

CNN reached out to the Orange County Sheriff's Department and the District Nine Medical Examiner's Office for comment on the lawsuit but did not hear back.

The autopsy report showed that Saget had tested positive for Covid-19, though he died from a head injury when he fell in a hotel room in Orlando.

"It is the most probable that the decedent suffered an unwitnessed fall backwards and struck the posterior aspect of his head. The manner of death is accident," Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Joshua D. Stephany said in his report.

According to the report, Saget also had an enlarged heart; 95% blocked on one side. And while there was no alcohol present in his body, his systems contained Clonazepam/Klonopin -- which is taken for seizures, panic disorders and anxiety, the report shows. Additionally, the antidepressant Trazodone was found in Saget's system, the report said.

***

CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire  &  2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
Buckle up, Chicago. We are in the midst of what is going to be a wild, season-traversing ride, forecasters warned.

Wednesday morning began with an influx of warmth pushing up from the south, with temperatures reaching 53 in Chicago accompanied by high winds  a springlike day.

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But the nighttime forecast called for a storm system to push into the area with heavy showers expected to turn into freezing rain and snow as temperatures started to drop. Forecasters said we will hit a low of 17 in the city late Thursday, and it will be about 10-12 degrees by daybreak Friday.

The Chicago area is expected to see two waves of snow, one in the early morning Thursday and another in the afternoon and evening, said Brett Borchardt, National Weather Service meteorologist.

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Central Cook County was been upgraded to a winter storm warning because the combination of snow and strong winds off Lake Michigan will create near blizzard conditions, Borchardt said.

We may not see a lot of snow in the city of Chicago but when it comes down Thursday afternoon with the wind, visibility is going to be really low, he said. Its just going to be nasty out there for several hours in the afternoon and evening.

Forecasters are predicting between 2 and 5 inches of snow total between the two waves, Borchardt said. But south of Interstate 80, those snowfall totals will increase dramatically, he said.

The crazy mix of weather prompted several warnings from meteorologists regarding wind, flooding, heavy rain, snow, ice-covered roads and the potential for river levels to quickly rise, possibly melting and breaking the ice.

A wind advisory was in effect from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Cook County and most points south and east of the metro area, including much of northwest Indiana.

Secure loose objects outside - it's going to be a windy day! Expect strong gusts from south up to 40-45 mph. Sporadic gusts up to 45-50 mph most favored in Wind Advisory counties (shaded in light brown). Difficult driving for high profile vehicles on E-W roads. #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/CWTqkQT7U0  NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 16, 2022

Secure loose outdoor objects  its going to be a windy day! The unseasonably mild conditions today will come along with strong winds from the south gusting up to 40-45 mph, the weather service warned on its website Wednesday. Travel will be difficult for high-profile vehicles, especially on exposed east to west roads.

Rain was expected to fall south of the metro area  mainly in areas south of Interstate 80 and in the Kankakee area and central Illinois and Indiana  during the afternoon. But heaviest rainfall was expected Wednesday night before the precipitous drop in temperature led to a north-to-south precipitation type transition, meteorologists said.

Rainfall amounts of 1 to 1  inches were expected in parts of the state. The combination of warm temps much of Wednesday along with rain brought on the chance of flooding to flood-prone and poor drainage areas, as well as an increased risk for localized breakup ice jams and subsequent river rises, especially for points on the Kankakee and Iroquois rivers and south, according to the weather service.

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Here's information on heavy rain & flooding risk tonight, especially for east central IL & south of Kankakee River in NW Indiana where a Flood Watch is in effect. #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/0m0IGKt66F  NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 16, 2022

Snowfall was expected to begin in the Chicago metro area early Thursday, likely causing serious commuters delays. Whats more, most of northern Illinois also could be coated with anywhere from a glaze of ice to a tenth of an inch of ice.

Snowfall rates could peak at more than an inch an hour in some spots, which could further reduce visibility. Snow is expected to taper off about 9 a.m. but then start up again in the afternoon.

Snowfall rates over 1 inch per hour are possible Thursday afternoon and into the early evening and strong winds gusting to 40 mph may lead to blowing snow and further reduced visibilities, the weather service said. Plan for ... greatly increased travel times, especially for the Thursday afternoon and evening commutes!

According to a winter weather timeline forecasters posted on social media, snowfall could continue through 7 p.m. Thursday.

Here's some further information regarding the precipitation type timeline from this afternoon through Thursday: pic.twitter.com/28gLS2Mgeg  NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 16, 2022

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PEARISBURG  A judge on Wednesday rejected a plea agreement that would have let former state delegate Joseph Ryan Yost resolve embezzlement charges without a felony conviction or jail time.

The decision by Judge H. Thomas Padrick, a Virginia Beach jurist appointed to oversee Yosts case in Giles County Circuit Court, came in a hearing where attorneys planned to amend the charges against the former House of Delegates member.

Yost, 35, is accused of improperly spending money that belonged to the Giles County Historical Society during his time as its executive director.

Special prosecutor Josh Elrod, who is the commonwealths attorney in Buena Vista, said that the plea agreement would amend four felony embezzlement charges to misdemeanors.

This would drop the maximum penalty faced by Yost from 80 years to 48 months, Padrick noted.

The plea agreement would have set Yosts punishment at 48 months in jail, with the entire term suspended, Elrod said.

Yost has already repaid about $36,000, the amount that the historical society determined it was owed, defense attorney Chris Tuck of Blacksburg said.

A civil lawsuit that the historical society filed against Yost was dismissed on Jan. 28 with a judges order noting the parties resolved their dispute.

Yost became the historical societys executive director in 2014, two years after he won his first election to the Virginia House of Delegates. A Republican, he represented the 12th District, which covered Giles County, parts of Pulaski and Montgomery counties, and Radford.

Yost lost the seat to Democrat Chris Hurst in the 2017 election, and Hurst was defeated by Republican Jason Ballard last year.

Yost is accused of using the historical societys money for personal expenses during 2019 and 2020.

On Wednesday, Padrick asked what Yost spent the money on. Tuck answered, To buy lunch, occasionally to travel.

There were purchases at retail outlets both in and outside of Virginia, Tuck added.

The judge asked if Yost served any time in jail after his arrest, and Tuck said no.

Padrick then said that in light of the totality of the circumstances of the case and with the proposed amendment of the charges to misdemeanors, he was going to have to reject the plea agreement. A new special judge will be appointed to oversee whatever the next stage of the case is, he said.

Padrick asked if Yost wished to withdraw the guilty plea that he had made earlier in the hearing, and Tuck said that he did.

Before the judge made his ruling, Tuck said that Yost went through a period of depression after losing his seat in the General Assembly and going through family problems.

Yost was divorced in 2020, according to court records.

Tuck said that none of this excused Yosts actions but had led to poor decisions.

During the hearing, Tuck said that Yost apologized to the people of Giles County and to the court, and hopes to move on with his life at this time.

Instead, with the plea agreement tossed and the hearing ended, Tuck and Elrod huddled in the Giles County courthouses records room to figure out what might be next.
ROCKY MOUNT  A Rocky Mount man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Tuesday for the death of a 7-year-old boy who authorities said was denied food and was beaten as forms of punishment until a blow to the head one night ended with the child unresponsive.

John Robert Ebel, 51, is one of three relatives charged with abusing Hunter Wayne Cumbie, who was the grandson of Ebels wife and who lived with the couple.

Ebel was the first charged, arrested just days after Hunter died on July 2, 2021, and faced the most serious case accusing him of causing the boys death.

In court, defense attorney Ed Cooley said Ebel didnt agree with all of the prosecutions case, in part describing statements made by Ebels wife as seeming self-serving.

But, he concluded, Ebel admitted to hitting the child once. In any case, hes taking responsibility, Cooley said.

In a four-page, written overview of their case, prosecutors described a pattern of abuse that included Hunter, who authorities said was emaciated, being denied meals as a form of discipline and then punished again when he was caught taking food  which he did at both home and at school where educators reported finding him scrounging for food in the trash.

Another child in the house told investigators that he was required to make sure Hunter didnt sneak food  including food that was sent home by the school system.

Hunter weighed 37 pounds at the time of his death. His grandmother, Alice Marie Ebel, told hospital staff that he had a medical condition that accounted for the weight loss, which wasnt true, officials wrote.

Hunter, who investigators also believe was being sexually abused by an uncle who lived in the house, was said to have bed wetting accidents for which Alice Ebel said her husband would hit the child with a belt.

Alice Ebel has been charged with child abuse or neglect in the case. Dakota Wayne Cumbie, her son and Hunters uncle, is accused of aggravated sexual battery among other offenses.

Both of their cases remain pending. Hunter did not live with his parents.

The events that prompted the murder charge against John Ebel began on the evening of June 29 when he came home from work and struck Hunter in the head after his wife said the child had been misbehaving, according to the timeline prepared by prosecutors and filed in court as part of Ebels plea agreement.

The boys injuries, including multiple contusions and hemorrhages in two parts of his brain, suggested there had been multiple blows, officials wrote, but the Ebels maintained it was one. Alice Ebel was quoted as telling authorities that the hit occurred with probably a closed hand.

By dinner time, Hunter was said to be unresponsive and unable to eat, even though his grandmother told investigators later that she tried to put food into his mouth.

He was described as remaining in that condition throughout the night but wasnt taken to a hospital until the next morning. John Ebel later told a detective that he thought the child would come out of it.

John Ebel was the one who brought Hunter into Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital. He did not tell medical workers what had happened, reporting only that the child was sick, prosecutors wrote.

Hunter was airlifted to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital where he remained unresponsive and was placed on a ventilator before dying two days later, according to earlier court records and announcements from law enforcement.

Under an agreement presented Tuesday in Franklin County Circuit Court, John Ebel pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Two other charges of child abuse were withdrawn.

No commitments were made as to Ebels sentence. That will be determined at a later hearing after the completion of a sentencing evaluation.

Judge Tim Allen set the sentencing date for April 28.

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The Roanoke and Roanoke County school systems are offering cash incentives to try to fill bus driver vacancies.

The transportation contractor for Roanoke City Public Schools announced a hiring bonus of $4,000 and a job fair later this month to receive applications.

Theres another $4,000 payable to new employees who stay two years, says the offer from Durham School Services. Durham also pays the Roanoke Valleys highest starting wage of $18 hourly, up from $17, the company said in a news release.

Durham School Services, which has 126 drivers and needs about 35 more, also provides paid training, guaranteed work hours, summers off and insurance.

The city school districts transportation job fair is scheduled from 9 to 5 p.m. Feb. 25 at 5401 Barns Ave., Durhams base on operations.

Roanoke County Public Schools announced Tuesday that it is looking for drivers, a day after city schools Monday release saying the same thing.

The countys schools employ 142 bus drivers and need 13 more, spokesman Chuck Lionberger said.

Newly employed Roanoke County bus drivers are eligible for a starting wage of $16.96 hourly. The county also offers bonuses, training, guaranteed hours and fringe benefits.

The county school board has approved an incentive package for up to $1,500 in bonuses for newly hired school bus drivers this school year, according to a news release. The district also is looking to hire bus aides and substitute bus drivers.

According to the county release, any new driver who is hired and holds a current commercial drivers license will receive a $1,500 bonus after driving for 90 days; new drivers who are hired and do not have a CDL will receive a $1,000 bonus after completing their CDL training and driving for 90 days; new bus aides will receive a $500 bonus.

School bus drivers are a critical part of our operation, and we are looking for some great people to join our transportation family, Ken Nicely, Roanoke Countys superintendent, said.

Applicants interested in county positions can apply through the school system website.

Schools throughout Virginia reported that critical driver shortages made transportation a struggle during the 2020-21 school year, and filling driver seats remains an issue across the state.

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CHRISTIANSBURG  A Montgomery County School Board meeting briefly became rowdy Tuesday, prompting the elected bodys chairwoman to leave for the remainder of the night after being directly targeted by a local right wing activist over masking.

Board Chairwoman Sue Kass, who just started the third year of her term and was selected to the leadership role last month, left the meeting during the midst of the regular public comments period a short time after a speaker, Alecia Vaught, held up her phone and showed what she said were Facebook photos of Kass without a mask on while in a crowd.

The move from Vaught prompted Kass to interject and hit the gavel several times.

Thats it. Excuse me. No  No. Im sorry Ms. Vaught, you are done, Kass said. If youre going to sit there and disparage a member of our school board, then you can sit down. If you have something effective to say

Vaught, who held a mask in her hand but was not wearing it while speaking, quickly responded by saying she has facts and truth on her side, prompting Kass to call on the county deputy in the room to escort the speaker out.

Really? said Vaught, who questioned whether the school board member was afraid of the comments being expressed.

Im not scared, I dont care, Kass said in response.

After the deputy walked up to Vaught and told her that she had been asked to leave, she said: Why? For speaking the truth? Can I finish?

No, Kass said, adding that unless the speakers remaining comments would address issues concerning students.

The exchange between Kass and the speaker was among the most heated interactions seen in at least the past several years between a sitting member of the elected body and a local resident during a meeting  and even among board members, which have frequently found themselves at odds since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tuesday night comments also offered another look at the controversial issue of masking in schools, which has led many boards across the state and country to become the targets of parents who view the matter strictly as one of family choice and who question the effectiveness of face coverings.

The debate has frequently put school boards in the difficult position of either acquiescing to parental pressure or following the guidance of experts and health agencies that continue to recommend masking as effective tools in controlling the spread of the coronavirus within schools.

Vaught was not the only speaker Tuesday who called for an ending of the indoor masking mandate and has been among the contingent of local residents who have vehemently opposed the measure.

The recent meeting occurred amid statewide anticipation of legislation to keep school boards from requiring masking in schools  the legislation, however, hasnt become law yet due to some requested amendments from Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The Montgomery board later that night passed several measures related to mask lifting.

Montgomery County Public Schools was among the Virginia school districts that last month extended its indoor masking requirement, a move that was said to follow state law passed last year but ran counter to a controversial order issued by Youngkin shortly after he formally took office. Kass was among the board members who voted in favor of the measure.

Vaught, who criticized some other MCPS policies that she attributed to pressure from liberals, spoke on the boards previous masking decision.

Heres a governor that comes into office, but yet you dont want to follow his orders. Why is that? Why is it different from last year when we were here to this year? Vaught said. Two different governors, different political parties. So were supposed to follow it last year, but not this year? That makes no sense, and it makes all of you a bunch of hypocrites, except for [board members] Dana [Partin] and Jamie [Bond].

Despite the deputy being called up, Vaught was able to finish speaking Tuesday and even received some backing from Bond.

She should be able to say her piece, Bond said. Ive had to listen to people come and criticize me.

Kass responded to her colleague by asking if people did in fact openly criticize her last year, to which Bond said: Absolutely, and I couldnt do anything about it.

Kass, however, shot back and asked Bond if that scrutiny involved someone showing photos of her family.

They showed pictures of your family? Kass said.

Bond responded that they did worse.

That doesnt make it right, Jamie, Kass said. Thats my family.

Vaught then interrupted the two board members.

What do you think about our family? Our family has been suffocated to death with your policies, Vaught said.

While Kass said I am done, board Vice Chairwoman Penny Franklin said the speakers time was up.

You cant deal with the truth, you dont need to be a school board member. Were coming for your seat, Vaught said.

Board member Mark Cherbaka cut in and said: Its not the truth, but thats not the issue.

Before walking past Vaught and leaving the room, Kass said to the speaker that she could have her seat.

Were coming for them. All of them, except for Dana and Jamie, Vaught said.

While Montgomery School Board members do not declare official party affiliations, Bond and Partin do serve some of the more conservative leaning districts in the county.

Bond and Partin, wife of elected Republican county Sheriff Hank Partin, were among the board members who voted against indoor masking back in August, but former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam did say at the time that state law required masking in school buildings and re-enforced it with his own emergency order.

The board briefly suspended the meeting to try to get Kass to return to the room, but was unsuccessful.

A Roanoke Times reporter caught up with Kass before she left the Operations Center, the facility in Christiansburg where the board convened Tuesday.

Kass, a former teacher, lamented the level of personal politics and selfish beliefs that she said have been injected into discussions on the pandemic.

I volunteered to do this because I care about teachers, and I care about students, she said.

Kass said the photos Vaught showed on her phone proved absolutely nothing.

Kass said Tuesday was also upsetting because her father was in the hospital at the time of the meeting.

And I stayed here for this, she said.

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday signed legislation that bars school mask mandates effective March 1, calling it a win for all Virginians.

Today we are reestablishing and restoring power back to parents, the Republican governor told a crowd of students, parents and lawmakers gathered at the South Portico of the state Capitol.

But we are also establishing our expectations that we will get back to normal. And this is the path.

The legislations passage is a major victory for Youngkin, who said in his State of the Commonwealth Address that he was elected, in part, to turn the page on COVID-19.

Before Youngkin signed the measure, the crowd heard from 10-year-old Bronagh McAllister of Fairfax County, a fourth-grader who said she had been suspended repeatedly for not wearing a mask. She said masks make it hard to do work, to breathe, to hear her teacher and to connect and make friends.

Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, who sponsored the bill Youngkin signed, told the crowd that it is time to stop putting kids last. She said parents are capable of making decisions about their childrens well-being.

I want to start by saying how wonderful it is to see your beautiful faces, Dunnavant said. Wearing a mask in school is a decision that needs to be made individually  the political entities need to get out.

Later Wednesday, a Loudoun judge ruled that the countys public schools must make masks optional starting Thursday. Loudouns superintendent had announced that the school system would do so as of Tuesday, Feb. 22. The judge also said the school system must expunge the records of students who were disciplined for carrying out their parents decision to remove their masks.

The ruling came in a case brought by parents who had sued the school board for continuing to require masks after the governors Jan. 15 executive order meant to give parents an opt-out. Attorney General Jason Miyares office had entered the case to defend the executive order.

Today is a great day for Virginias parents and kids, Youngkin said in a statement Wednesday night.

Earlier Wednesday, the House of Delegates backed Youngkins amendments to the bill that bars local school districts from imposing mask mandates.

The amendments add an emergency clause under which the legislation takes effect upon his signature, specify the governor retains the authority to act in a health emergency, and set March 1 as the date local school mask mandates end.

Dunnavants underlying legislation, Senate Bill 739, calls for in-person instruction five days a week. The legislation includes an amendment from Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, barring school mask mandates.

Democrats asserted in the House that an emergency clause amendment from the governor could not pass on a simple majority vote, although Democrats allowed it to happen when they controlled the legislature.

Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, said that in 2010 then-Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, had found that a governors recommended amendment seeking an emergency clause could not pass by a simple majority and override the supermajority requirement in the Virginia Constitution.

The constitution controls over our rules, Simon said.

Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, cited a portion of Article V, section 6 of the state Constitution that says, Each house may agree to the Governors amendments by a majority vote of the members present.

Gilbert said there were 11 instances in which recommendations by then-Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, added emergency clauses in 2020 and in 2021.

Speaking about the bill, Simon said: These amendments dont make this bill better. They make it worse.

The House voted collectively on three of the governors amendments, backing them 52-48.

The House voted 77-23 to pass the other amendment, underscoring the governors authority to act in a health emergency.

Petersen, the Fairfax City Democrat whose amendment to the Senate bill resulted in the prohibition on school mask mandates, said in a statement Wednesday that he thinks the time has come.

COVID-19 has been a tough and stressful time, and our kids have been hit the hardest, he said. We are in a different world than we were two years ago. The vaccine works and is widely available.

Petersen said universal mask mandates, especially for children who are healthy and vaccinated, are an onerous and outdated measure that will now end on March 1st.

Susan Swecker, chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, said the bill limits school boards flexibility.

At a time when our school divisions continue to face the ongoing effects of this pandemic and uncertainty about what lies ahead, we need to empower our local school boards to remain nimble and meet the ever-changing needs of our schools and students. Instead, Governor Youngkin has chosen to strip them of their constitutional responsibilities and tie their hands.

In practical terms, the new law appears to render moot a number of lawsuits in state courts, but Carl Tobias, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Richmond, said it does not fully address questions about restrictions on the governors authority under a ruling by an Arlington County Circuit Court judge less than two weeks ago.

I dont think its blindingly clear, Tobias said Wednesday.

He said the new state law does not expressly repeal Senate Bill 1303, which the General Assembly adopted last year and Arlington Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo relied on in deciding Youngkin superseded school board authority to determine how to comply with federal CDC guidelines.

Tobias said the Virginia constitution grants both the General Assembly and local school boards considerable authority to make policy for public schools, but does not say which takes precedence. 

One way to resolve this issue would be to ask the Arlington Circuit judge or a higher court on appeal to rule on the question, he said.

Meantime, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board recommended revocation of a workplace standard related to COVID, determining that variants no longer pose a grave danger in the workplace.

The proposal will be subject to a 30-day public comment period and a public hearing before a final vote.

acain@timesdispatch.com (804) 649-6645 Twitter: @AndrewCainRTD pwilson@timesdispatch.com (804) 649-6061 Twitter:@patrickmwilson Staff writer Michael Martz contributed to this report.
VIRGINIA BEACH  Jason Nixons oldest daughter burst into tears during her sisters First Communion last spring.

It should have been a happy family celebration, Nixon said, but the teen missed her mom.

Kate Nixon, 42, was among those killed during a mass shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach on May 31, 2019. The gunman, a disgruntled former employee, gunned down 12 people and wounded four others before he was fatally shot.

This pain doesnt just go away, Jason Nixon told The Virginian-Pilot.

Nixon is among those pushing state legislators to pass a $10 million budget amendment that would create the Virginia Mass Violence Care Fund. The fund would help survivors of mass violence, as well as the victims families, with long-term physical and mental health needs that arent covered by insurance.

Nixon, and other advocates of the fund, met with a group of state lawmakers in Richmond on Tuesday to share their stories.

Ned Carlstrom, a former Virginia Beach city employee who survived the shooting, told legislators he struggles with nightmares and will never forget stepping over a dead coworker with bullet holes.

Nixon explained that he worries about his three daughters growing up without their mom.

Joe Samaha, the father of a Virginia Tech shooting victim, also spoke at the gathering.

He explained there tends to be a lot of support for survivors or victims families in the first year or two after a tragedy. But then the funds dry up long before wounds heal.

As a lot of military folks understand, PTSD is very difficult and its hard to deal with. You can cope with it, but it doesnt go away, said Samaha, who serves as president of the VTV Family Outreach Foundation, a nonprofit that assists mass shooting survivors nationwide. The Virginia Beach families have been in their own war.

Samaha urged lawmakers to invest in their long-term care.

The meeting was attended by several Virginia Beach delegates, including Democrat Kelly Convirs-Fowler and Republicans Glenn Davis and Tim Anderson. Attorney General Jason Miyares was also present.

Miyares said the idea had his support.

It seems like sometimes the rest of society, somewhat tragically, will move on (after a mass shooting), and thats easy for the rest of society, but not for the people who have had this scar ripped in their soul, he said.

After the meeting, Nixon said he felt it was a success.

I think we opened up a lot of eyes, he said.

Convirs-Fowler, who is sponsoring the budget amendment in the House of Delegates, told The Virginian-Pilot that she wants to do anything she can to help the victims. The mass shooting has left permanent scars on Virginia Beach, she said.

This tragedy is going to stay with us for decades, she said.
Conservatives across America proudly wave the banner of school choice  and for good reason. When done well, both voucher programs and charter schools can empower families to embrace the curricula that work best for their children.

According to Cato Institute analyses, certain iterations of these reforms respectively improve student outcomes and provide education that is more cost-effective for the taxpayer than traditional public schools.

Similar logic no doubt guided Gov. Glenn Youngkins resounding endorsement of additional charter offerings for Virginia K-12 students. However, if the new Republican administration is serious about following through on the campaign promise that parents matter, it should note how school choice involves a greater political commitment than simply a few extra budget items.

Families deserve the freedom to choose institutions compatible with their own values and parenting styles, and this right applies equally to Democrats as it does to Republicans.

Or so one would think; Youngkins sweeping ban on mask mandates in K-12 schools, both public and private, erroneously suggests otherwise.

Contrary to the language of this executive order, it is clear that parents in Virginia and elsewhere are actually debating whether each school as a whole, not any individual student, should take extensive omicron precautions.

Sadly, the partisan winds blowing across the U.S. give public officials from both parties an immense incentive to overlook concerns held by the opposing side.

Perhaps this is why Youngkin apparently failed to consider why some families might prefer  even if incorrectly  a thoroughly masked community.

Nonetheless, there exists a tangible solution to mask polarization that requires neither force nor compromise. It even has a familiar name  school choice!

Families uncomfortable with masking or even vaccinating their kids should be able to choose an institution willing to accommodate those worries. At the same time, any parent who fears the spread of omicron also would benefit from the choice to send their child to a school that treats such anxieties as legitimate.

Of course, the governor and his Department of Education do possess ample leeway to dictate public school policies. Elections have consequences in this regard. That being said, Youngkin has overstepped his authority in encroaching on the private sector, where property rights and freedom of association must allow schools to determine their own rules  and accept the financial consequences for either serving or failing to serve a need in their communities.

Provided the government minds its own business, private schools offer the key to resolving the left-right COVID divide while amplifying parents freedoms.

For instance, an expansive voucher program covering tuition for most families would ensure equal opportunity to personally control which public health measures their children experience. Virginia in particular has a unique capacity to go all-in on vouchers, given that the state already oversees a (tragically anemic) private school scholarship program. To this end, Education Improvement Scholarships are currently used by a meager 0.3% of students, and yet, they seem to offer a starting foundation upon which ambitious reformers could build a monumental investment in educational freedom.

After all, parents matter, right?

Those of us who spend time in conservative-leaning circles know well that social pressures to mock and denigrate extremes on the left fuel some overly broad and vindictive generalizations.

The culture war raging around education policy is among the worst of these traps, as it neglects the most American counterargument to the nanny state: live and let live.

Republicans should take inspiration from this mantra, and trust that market forces can sort out cultural battles over what level of COVID restrictions represents the parents and the peoples will.

Adam Shepardson is a Young Voices contributor. When hes not writing about politics, he studies History and Economics at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Space certainly makes some of us giddy.

Were not referring to vertigo, though more than one of us has had the experience of staring up into a gorgeous star-laden night sky, allowing it to fill our field of vision, and had a sensation as if no boundary would stop us short were we suddenly to fall, or float.

As scientists explain it, when a spacecraft is in orbit around the Earth, it is in the grip of Earths gravity and its, in fact, falling. But if its moving fast enough in a horizontal direction, the curve of its fall matches the curve of the Earth, so it never plummets toward the ground.

At least for the sake of poetic license, then, one could posit that in outer space floating and falling are the same thing.

(For a fun little explanatory video that shows were not making up this description of what orbiting the Earth entails, check out https://bit.ly/FreeFallOrbit.)

The giddiness we mean comes from the contemplation of humankinds explorations of space, feats of extraordinary daring in pursuit of scientific insight.

Last week, Roanoke received a communication from space. To be more precise, the transmission came Feb. 10 from the International Space Station  a collaborative project between the United States, Canada, Japan, 11 European countries and, yes, Russia.

Those receiving the communication were faculty and students seated in Virginia Western Community Colleges Whitman Theater.

Virginia Western has the privilege of being the only school in the southeastern U.S. thats gotten to participate in a downlink with NASA in these early months of 2022. Virginia Western biology professor Mallory White coordinated this connection between the stars and the Star City of the South.

The setting was certainly apropos, given that Virginia Western has served for decades as a launch pad for many higher education journeys. The NASA downlink fell under the umbrella of two acronyms: the colleges STEM (science, technology, education and math) programming and Q.U.E.S.T. (Questioning, Understanding, Exploring and Solving Together), the theme of that particular programming series. Other Q.U.E.S.T. offerings include field trips to observatories and workshops in astrophotography  the art of shooting images of the night sky.

The Feb. 10 event did not entail a back and forth conversation with the audience. Rather, college and high school students pre-recorded questions, which were answered live from the space station by astronaut Mark Vande Hei. (In our view as professional journalists, they were great questions, striking a balance between lighthearted and probing, spanning a huge range of possible topics. As NASA has posted video of the interview, you can see for yourself: https://bit.ly/VAWesternNASA.)

A native of Falls Church, Vande Hei earned a masters degree in applied physics from Stanford University. He retired in 2016 from a 27-year career as a U.S. Army combat engineer, a career that included two deployments to Iraq. That career overlapped with his second career as a spacefarer. In 2009, at age 42, he was selected as one of nine members of the 20th NASA astronaut class.

During the question and answer session, Vande Hei had a bit of fun as he addressed the young audience, showing off a mostly flawless triple backflip and demonstrating what happens in space when you squeeze water out of a tube (it forms a sphere and floats there, calling to mind childhood play with soap bubbles).

He also spoke with an optimism that was encouraging to hear in these troubled times overfilled with divisive partisan politics.

In response to a question about how space travel might evolve, Vande Hei said, My hope is that in the next 25 years, we will have established a permanent human presence on the moon and have learned how to actually use the resources of the moon to be less dependent on getting all of our logistics for space travel from the Earth.

At the moment  whatever one might think of eccentric billionaires playing with rockets, such as Teslas Elon Musk and Amazons Jeff Bezos  private industry appears to hold the keys to future space travel, as evidenced by the recent ventures of such companies as Musks SpaceX and Bezos Blue Origin.

NASA is working with these companies to improve prospects for space travel. What NASA is doing is determining the architecture and all the interoperability standards so that we can get different companies to compete to provide the various parts that all have to interconnect to work, Vande Hei said.

Honestly one of the big things were trying to do is make sure that in low Earth orbit, where I am right now, that we can have successful business models, so that the government will become one of many customers for the types of things were doing now. With fortunes favor, this will lead to having the space station or other space stations in the future serve as training grounds for people to prepare to go on very long duration flights. We need that to be successful so that we can invest more into traveling further and further away.

How far away does he mean? Vande Hei mentioned many field tests hell undergo when he returns to Earth, to understand the effects on the human body of prolonged time spent in space. Were going to send people, maybe people your age or even younger, to Mars someday, he told the audience, where there will be no medical attention when they arrive. We need to have a very good understanding of what people who have had an extended time period in space can do when theyre isolated by themselves on another planet like Mars.

Talk of a manned mission to Mars dates back to at least the late 1940s. Contemplating the hardships ailing the world and the budget challenges faced by NASA might make the scenario of astronauts leaving boot prints in the dust of Mars seem more remote than ever  but not to Vande Hei.

I would never write off the human race and say its not possible, he said.
Global semiconductor industry sales reached a record $555.9 billion last year, up 26% year on year, the highest ever annual total for the industry.

The Semiconductor Industry Associations (SIA) new report states that China remains the biggest market with sales totaling $192.5 billion in 2021, up 27%.

While China is still the biggest market, North American sales saw the largest increase last year with a 27.4% jump, followed by Europe with 27.3% growth.

Semiconductor manufacturers have kicked things into gear to ramp up production to meet demand amid a worldwide chip shortage, which prevented those sales from being even more astounding than they were. Companies, in the end, failed to meet the demand.

Needless to say, all the companies in the industry reported best-ever quarterly and full-year revenue, but they also spent $146 billion last year on R&D and building new production capacity.

Demand for semiconductor production is projected to rise significantly in the years ahead, as chips become even more heavily embedded in the essential technologies of now and the future, John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO, said.

Last February, U.S. President Joe Biden said domestic semiconductor manufacturing was a priority for his administration. To that effect, he signed an executive order meant to address the global chip shortage.

Earlier this month, the US Senate passed the America COMPETES Act, aimed at increasing U.S. economic competitiveness with China. The main ticket of the bill includes $52 billion in grants and subsidies for the semiconductor industry and $45 billion to improve supply chains.

Earlier this month, The European Union announced its European Chips Act that will enable $17 billion in additional public and private investments until 2030

Even though it relies on foreign technology, over the past couple of years, China has also focused on increasing its domestic chip sector.

Three decades ago, the U.S. manufactured about 37% of the world's semiconductors. Today, it only makes about 12%. Europe also dropped from producing 35% to only 9%.

On the other hand, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) currently controls 51% of the global chip market.

Aside from the state-level race for the chip production dominance, the companies are also trying to position themselves.

The largest chipmaker in the United States, Intel, has just announced its acquisition of Israeli company Tower Semiconductor for $5.4 billion in a move aimed to expand its manufacturing capacity. Last year, Tower had annual sales of about $1.3 billion

Another U.S.-based chipmaker, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), whose CEO recently said that the semiconductor shortage would not end this year, also completed its $35-billion acquisition of California-based chipmaker Xilinx.

Earlier this month, Texas Instruments revealed plans to invest $3.5 billion annually in its U.S. semiconductor chip manufacturing in the next three years.

Last year, TSMC announced the start of construction of a $12 billion factory in Arizona. In addition to that, the company said it would invest $100 billion over the next three years to increase production capacity.

South Koreas Samsung hasnt announced any major acquisitions this year, but it said that for the past year it spent nearly 90% of its capital expenditure of $40 billion in the chip business.
Strong African beats fused with Chinese melodies is the latest genre Ugandan artists are promoting to strengthen the people-to-people ties between the two countries.

For now over a month, the artists have been practicing Chinese popular songs as they seek to reach out to the Chinese audience.

Clad in African traditional wear, playing African music instruments but bellowing out Chinese tunes, the artists sing about patriotism and love.

John Bosco Katende, group's trainer told Xinhua that practicing singing in Chinese was at first difficult but because of the persistence, the musicians were able to get the notes right.

"It is a new experience because of the language, but when we go to the music language it is the same only that you find the Chinese are using so much of pentatonic scale as Ugandans, majority, use the diatonic scale," Katende said.

"Music is the same language, so it is easy to find that some notes can be fused into the African style leaving the Asian style. So it was so easy using the music knowledge," he added, as the group did a recording session at the National Theatre also known as the Uganda National Cultural Center (UNCC).

Katende who has been a trainer for the last 20 years said he believes that the group can now comfortably perform on a Chinese stage as well as doing exchanges with Chinese performers.

"We are looking forward to exchanging the art, Ugandans going to China and Chinese coming here and they perform," he said.

Florence Nakijoba, a Chinese language teacher said it was easy for the musicians to quickly grasp what she taught them. Nakijoba, who was part of a Ugandan government program to train teachers who will teach mandarin in secondary schools, was in charge of teaching the musicians the various songs and their meaning.

The musicians performed among others the Chinese national anthem, a children's song Chun Tian Zai Na Li, a patriotic song Wan Jiang, a Chinese New Year songGong Xi Fa Cai, and a love song Tian Mi Mi.

Josephine Mugerwa, one of the performers and also a popular musician told Xinhua that China is one of the fastest developing countries in the world and therefore strengthening ties with such a country not only economically or politically but also socially must be explored.

"We are trying to strengthen the friendship between Uganda and China. China has been in a relationship with Uganda for some good time, when it comes to trade but this time we want to do it socially through music. It feels good when you see another person from another country singing your music," she said.

"We are promoting patriotism, we want to promote Uganda in China that is why you see us singing Chinese songs, but then we are putting on Ugandan outfits," she added.

Mugerwa said through music the Chinese and Ugandan people can be brought together for the good of both communities.

Sam Okello, chairperson board of trustees UNCC said there are several lessons to pick from China especially at a time when perceived modernity is threating indigenous cultures.

"The strength of China stemmed from the people, China lived as a closed community for a long time and by the time it was opened to the world, everything was done according to the cultural values of China," Okello said.

He said although modernity is good, it can also be negatively disruptive, especially among young people who may adopt it forgetting their traditional values.

Okello argued that nations grow basing on their cultural values, adding that Chinese culture is what has made China become advanced and developed.
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The Chinese Language Department of Salahaddin University held on Monday a "China Day" event in Erbil, the capital city of Iraq's Kurdistan region, to promote cultural exchanges.

Ni Ruchi, China's consul general in Erbil, attended the event and lauded the role of the department, established in 2019 as Iraq's first Chinese language institute for higher education, in promoting cultural and educational cooperation.

"Language is the bridge between nations, and we hope Kurdish students can be future economic, cultural and educational ambassadors," Ni said at the opening ceremony of the event.

The event kicked off with the theme song of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in the presence of local officials, students from the department, Chinese diplomats and business representatives.

Barzan Jaafar Ali, head of the department, said that by holding this event, "we are meant to make a bridge between the Chinese and Kurdish culture. We are trying to improve the relationship between the two cultures."

Atif Abdullah Farhadi, dean of the College of Languages to which the Chinese Language Department belongs, said, "We have a plan to extend the department and enroll a higher number of students, and we are planning to organize some special Chinese language courses for business people and traders."

Hiwa Xoshnaw, a junior student from the Chinese Language Department wearing a Chinese outfit, said that this kind of event "makes Chinese culture and language familiar to our people."
FLORENCE, S.C.  A partnership between Florence, Florence One Schools and the Housing Authority of Florence is bringing tutoring session to three community centers twice a week.

The partnership is offering tutoring sessions from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from now until April 29 except for the districts winter intercession week at the Barnes Street Activity Center (513 Barnes St.), the Dr. Iola Jones Park Community Center (800 Oakland Ave.) and the Northwest Park Community Center (801 Clement St.).

In an announcement of the tutoring partnership, North Vista teacher Andrea Jolley said she was excited to be a tutor because it was designed for students who attend Title I schools.

This gives them an opportunity to receive academic help that may or may not be affordable for their parents, Jolley said.

Michelle McBride, the districts assistant superintendent for elementary school education, said the tutoring sessions offered a great opportunity for students to get hands-on help with their schoolwork. She thanked the teachers for participating in the program, the city and the housing authority for partnering with the district to offer the program.

Florence City Manager Randy Osterman said the success of the community is built on partnerships and he appreciates the collaboration between the school district, Housing Authority and city to create the tutoring program.

Giving students an additional opportunity to excel in education has always been one of my goals, said Victoria Nash, recreation division manager for the city. Having Florence One Schools and the Housing Authority of Florence offer assistance to accomplish this goal has been a great step in the right direction to improve the quality of life for Florence residents. Together we will continue to push Florence Forward.

Housing Authority of Florence Executive Director Clamentine Elmore said she is a huge proponent of education so she was happy to see the partnership come to fruition.

I believe that housing plus education equals success, Elmore said. With the pandemic starting in 2020, the kids were not able to go to school and some of them got behind. The school district does have other tutoring opportunities but sometimes good old-fashioned in-person tutoring is best.

Elmore said the times and locations were selected to be as convenient as possible for students.

Funding for the partnership is provided by the Elementary and Secondary School Relief [ESSR] Act funds the district received to combat learning loss.

The act is one component of the three major COVID-19 relief packages signed into law. The first round of funding was provided in the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security [CARES] Act, the second in the additional CARES act appropriations in the fall of 2020 and the third round of funding was provided in the American Rescue Plan Act signed into law last spring.

Registration for tutoring services is not required.

For more information about the tutoring program, contact the citys recreation division at 843-665-3253.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is ordering the release of Trump White House visitor logs to the House committee investigating the riot of Jan. 6, 2021, once more rejecting former President Donald Trump's claims of executive privilege.

The committee has sought a trove of data from the National Archives, including presidential records that Trump had fought to keep private. The records being released to Congress are visitor logs showing appointment information for individuals who were allowed to enter the White House on the the day of the insurrection.

In a letter sent Monday to the National Archives, White House counsel Dana Remus said Biden had considered Trump's claim that because he was president at the time of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the records should remain private, but decided that it was "not in the best interest of the United States" to do so.

She also noted that as a matter of policy, the Biden administration "voluntarily discloses such visitor logs on a monthly basis," as did the Obama administration, and that the majority of the entries over which Trump asserted the claim would be publicly released under the current policy.

A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision.

The Presidential Records Act mandates that records made by a sitting president and his staff be preserved in the National Archives, and an outgoing president is responsible for turning over documents to the agency when leaving office. Trump tried but failed to withhold White House documents from the House committee in a dispute that was decided by the Supreme Court.

Biden has already made clear that he is not invoking executive privilege concerning the congressional investigation unless he absolutely must. Biden has waived that privilege for much other information requested by the committee, which is going through the material and obtaining documents and testimony from witnesses, including some uncooperative ones.

The committee is focused on Trump's actions from Jan. 6, when he waited hours to tell his supporters to stop the violence and leave the Capitol. Investigators are also interested in the organization and financing of a Washington rally the morning of the riot, when Trump told supporters to "fight like hell." Among the unanswered questions is how close organizers of the rally coordinated with White House officials.

Investigators also are seeking communications between the National Archives and Trump's aides about 15 boxes of records that the agency recovered from Trump at his Florida resort and are trying to learn what they contained.

Meanwhile, White House call logs obtained so far by the House committee do not list calls made by Trump as he watched the violence unfold on television on Jan. 6, nor do they list calls made directly to the president.

That lack of information about Trump's personal calls is a particular challenge as the investigators work to discern what happened what the then-president was doing in the White House as supporters violently beat police, broke into the Capitol and interrupted the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden's election victory.

There are several possible explanations for omissions in the records, which do not reflect conversations that Trump had on Jan. 6 with multiple Republican lawmakers, for example. Trump was known to use a personal cell phone or he could have had a phone passed to him by an aide. The committee is also continuing to receive records from the National Archives and other sources, which could produce additional information.

***

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High around 90F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 72F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.
 Vera Institute of Justice issues new guidance brief urging action to respond to coronavirus in correctional facilties | Main | "Helping People Transition from Incarceration to Society During a Pandemic" 

May 12, 2020

Judge Breyer rejects plea agreement seeking to restrict defendant's statutory authority to pursue compassionate release

Amidst my review of the many federal sentence reductions under  3582(c)(1)(A) that appear each day on Westlaw, a notable new opinion emerged from a notable judicial author. Specifically, US District Judge Charles Breyer yesterday issued a 10-page "Order rejecting plea agreement" in US v. Funez Osorto, No. 19-cr-00381-CRB-4 (ND Cal. May 12, 20202) (available here). For sentencing fans, Judge Breyer is notable in part because he is one of only two remaining active US Sentencing Commissioners (others might also think it notable that he is Justice Stephen Breyer's brother). And the Funez Osorto opinion is notable for its rejection of a plea agreement based on a provision that is especially relevant in these pandemic days.

I recommend the full Funez Osorto opinion, and here is a small taste including its start and finish:

Must a term of imprisonment be set in stone, no matter what happens after it is imposed? Should a court be able to reduce a sentence when unforeseeable tragedies change its consequences? What if the defendants children are effectively orphaned by the death of their other parent? What if a debilitating injury makes it impossible for the defendant to care for him or herself in prison, or recidivate outside of it? What if a terminal diagnosis turns a brief term of imprisonment for a minor crime into a life sentence? What if a global pandemic poses a mortal risk to an immunocompromised inmate who nobody intended to die in jail? When should a court be able to consider such events and revise a previously imposed sentence accordingly? How difficult should it be for a defendant to request this type of relief? Congress has provided one set of answers to these questions, in the First Step Act ..... The United States attorneys office has very different answers in this case, for this defendant. Because those answers undermine Congressional intent and all but foreclose this defendants ability to request a critical form of relief, the Court rejects the proposed Plea Agreement.... The point is this: while the Plea Agreement leaves open a path to compassionate release, it is hardly wider than the eye of a needle. It is far narrower than the avenues to relief provided by  3582(c)(1)(A), and too narrow to provide meaningful relief in many of the circumstances that would render Funez Osorto eligible for relief. And there is no doubt the Government would rely on the waiver provision to deny Funez Osorto compassionate release. It has recently attempted to do exactly that in another case before this Court. That result is unacceptable for two reasons. First, it undermines Congresss intent in passing the First Step Act. Second, it is inhumane.... It is no answer to say that Funez Osorto is striking a deal with the Government, and could reject this term if he wanted to, because that statement does not reflect the reality of the bargaining table. See Erik Luna & Marianne Wade, Prosecutors as Judges, 67 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 1413, 141415 (2010). As to terms such as this one, plea agreements are contracts of adhesion. The Government offers the defendant a deal, and the defendant can take it or leave it. Id. (American prosecutors . . choose whether to engage in plea negotiations and the terms of an acceptable agreement.). If he leaves it, he does so at his peril. And the peril is real, because on the other side of the offer is the enormous power of the United States Attorney to investigate, to order arrests, to bring a case or to dismiss it, to recommend a sentence or the conditions of supervised release, and on and on. See Robert H. Jackson, The Federal Prosecutor, 24 J. Am. Judicature Socy 18, 18 (1940). Now imagine the choice the Government has put Funez Osorto to. All that power  and the all too immediate consequences of opposing it  weighed against the chance to request release in desperate and unknowable circumstances that may not come to pass. That Faustian choice is not really a choice at all for a man in the defendants shoes. But the Court has a choice, and it will not approve the bargain. That leaves only one question, which is why? Why would federal prosecutors exercise the tremendous discretion entrusted to them with such a lack of compassion? Defendants released through the compassionate release program are less than a tenth as likely to recidivate as the average federal prisoner. Inspector General Report at 4950. And the Department of Justice itself estimates that broader use of compassionate release could save taxpayers millions and free desperately needed space in BOP facilities. Id. at 4548. The waiver of compassionate release is senseless.

Judge Breyer asks a lot of good questions throughout this great opinion, but the final one seems to me to be depressingly easy to answer. He asks: "Why would federal prosecutors exercise the tremendous discretion entrusted to them with such a lack of compassion?". The answer, as I see it, is that so many prosecutors get so accustomed to exercising their tremendous discretion in this way that it now seems to be a professional expectation.

May 12, 2020 at 01:55 PM | Permalink

Comments

The plea agreement that Judge Breyer rejects here, because it requires the defendant to waive his right to seek compassionate release, reminds me of a kind of plea agreement that the Kentucky Supreme Court has also found unConstitutional and unethical. There is a 1965 Kentucky Court of Appeals case (the Kentucky Supreme Court was not created until 1975, in a judicial reorganization) that overturns a defendant's sentence (following a jury trial) to banishment from the county where he was convicted. See, "Weigand v. Commonwealth", 397 S.W.2d 780 (Ky. 1965). Despite that opinion, prosecutors in Kentucky persisted for decades in including banishment clauses in plea agreements, by believing that this is a right that the defendant can waive by entering into the contractual plea agreement. Finally, about 2018, the Kentucky Supreme Court decided a case where they held that the punishment of banishment is not a waivable term, and can never be a part of the defendant's sentence, whether following a trial or as part of a plea agreement. That term is just as egregious, if not more so, that asking a defendant to waive his right to seek compassionate release.

Posted by: James Gormley | May 12, 2020 4:27:17 PM

The Kentucky Supreme Court's later decision about banishment clauses in plea agreements is Q. M., a child under eighteen v. Commonwealth of Kentucky", 459 S.W.3d 360 (Ky. 2015). Despite this clear authority, some eastern Kentucky prosecutors still try to get defendants to agree in plea agreements to banishment from the county or from the entire state of Kentucky for a period of years, in lieu of incarceration. Just unconscionable.

Posted by: James Gormley | May 12, 2020 6:44:17 PM

The judge asked questions we have asked for years now. Seems like my husband Federal Public Defender in DC is stalling to put his motion in. He got his case at the peak of the pandemic and still has not filed a motion. It still feels good to see them get released (prisoners).

Posted by: Confidential | May 12, 2020 9:05:17 PM

Do you know of this new form they are giving prisoners in FCI Petersburg Medium saying that the form is the OFFICIAL form to request compassionate release no other method is valid according to the Warden at FCI Petersburg.

Posted by: Private | May 13, 2020 8:47:58 PM

That Warden at FCI - Petersburg, Virginia is not an attorney.

Posted by: James Gormley | May 14, 2020 3:41:35 PM

Right. He is a &%*hole the inhumane conditions at that place is unreal!

Posted by: Private | May 15, 2020 10:05:26 PM

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 "Collateral Consequences of Conviction in South Carolina Courts: A Study of South Carolina Defense Lawyers" | Main | Spotlighting the ugly problem of federal prosecutors seeking waivers of future statutory rights to seek compassionate release 

February 16, 2022

Might a challenge to extreme solitary confinement for over a quarter century reveal if any current Justices are truly textualists and originalists?

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this New York Times article discussing this notable recent Supreme Court petition raising an Eighth Amendment challenge to extreme solitary confinement. The headline of the NYTimes piece sets the table: "27 Years in Solitary Confinement, Then Another Plea for Help in Texas: Dennis Hope, who has been held in solitary confinement in a Texas prison for more than half his life, asked the Supreme Court to set limits on prolonged isolation." I recommend the full NY Times piece, and here are excerpts (with links from the original):

Dennis Hope has spent 27 years in solitary confinement in a Texas prison, in a cell that is 9 feet long and 6 feet wide  smaller than a compact parking space. Its three steps to the door and then turn around and three steps back, Mr. Hope, 53, wrote in a recent letter to his lawyers. His only human contact is with the guards who strip-search and handcuff him before taking him to another enclosure to exercise, alone. He has had one personal phone call since 1994, when his mother died in 2013. He suffers from depression and paranoia and fears he is going insane. Last month, Mr. Hope asked the Supreme Court to consider whether such prolonged isolation can violate the Eighth Amendment, which bars cruel and unusual punishments. Prison officials in Texas do not seem concerned about Mr. Hopes lawsuit. Last week, they told the Supreme Court that they waived their right to respond to his petition seeking review in his case, Hope v. Harris, No. 21-1065. In their appeals court brief, the officials wrote that Hope has no plausible Eighth Amendment claim.... [I]t is quite rare for prisoners to spend decades in isolation. Weve only identified 12 prisoners outside of Texas who have spent more than 20 years in solitary confinement and who arent on death row, said Easha Anand, one of the lawyers from the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center representing Mr. Hope. She acknowledged, however, that complete data are hard to come by. Mr. Hope was sentenced to 80 years in 1990 for a series of armed robberies and landed in solitary after he escaped from prison in 1994. He eluded capture for about two months, during which he stole a car at knife point from an 83-year-old man and robbed four grocery stores. In 2005, after 11 years in solitary confinement, a committee of prison security personnel concluded that Mr. Hope was no longer an escape risk, according to court papers. But prison authorities have kept him isolated.... As the court has grown more conservative, the arguments against prolonged solitary confinement have shifted. Mr. Hopes lawyers at the MacArthur Justice Center told the justices in his petition seeking review that the practice was inconsistent with the original understanding of the Eighth Amendment. Solitary confinement was, they wrote, unheard-of at the founding, attempted and quickly aborted in the following centuries, and resurrected only with Mr. Hopes generation of prisoners. The petition drew on the work of John F. Stinneford, a law professor at the University of Florida whose work on the original meaning of the Eighth Amendment has been cited with approval by the courts conservative majority in cases on methods of execution.

As a matter of text, I have quite a hard time coming up with a better set of adjectives than "cruel and unusual" to describe the decision of Texas prison officials to keep Mr. Hope punished with solitary confinement for nearly two decades after concluding he was no longer an escape risk. So, though I might be just a simple-minded textualist, I would think most true textualists would see real strength in the argument that Texas is violating Mr. Hope's Eighth Amendment right to not have "cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." Notably, the text of the Eighth Amendment speaks to punishments "inflicted" and not just those "imposed" (which is the term used for the prohibition of excessive fines). This precise text of the Eighth Amendment has always led me to see all of actual punishment administration, and not just formal punishment imposition, to be of constitutional concern and part of what is constitutionally limited by the text of the Eighth Amendment.

As a matter of original meaning, I have long been a fan of Prof Stinneford's effort to unpack and understand what an originalist approach to the Eighth Amendment might mean for modern constitutional law and limits on the infliction of modern punishment. Critically, though, whether one fully embraces or questions Prof. Stinneford's Eighth Amendment analysis, I am not aware of any originalist arguments that the Eighth Amendment does not place some judicially cognizable limits on way defendants get punished. Justice Scalia, in his 1991 originalist opinion assailing Eighth Amendment proportionality review in Harmelin v. Michigan, repeatedly noted that "the cruel and unusual punishments clause was directed at prohibiting certain methods of punishment" and that "the Clause disables the Legislature from authorizing particular forms or 'modes' of punishment  specifically, cruel methods of punishment that are not regularly or customarily employed" and that it "was designed to outlaw particular modes of punishment." In other words, the O.G. originalist on the Supreme Court was quite clear that the kind of extreme punishment administration Eighth Amendment claim raised by Mr. Hope is exactly the type of constitutional claim that the Framers wrote the Eighth Amendment to be cognizable by courts.

I suspect there could and likely will be some advocates for extreme solitary confinement who develop textualist and originalist arguments to defend how Texas has been punishing Mr. Hope. But, I still think any true textualists and/or any true originalists would still be quite inclined to grant certiorari on this significant claim so that the textualist and originalist arguments on these important matters could be developed through full briefing and thoughtful reflection. But if these strong claims are just rejected entirely and summarily at the cert stage, I will be incline to think "fair-weather" textualism and originalism defines the work of many justices. I want to believe strict fidelity to the text of the Constitution means more than reaching policy conclusions that a judge finds appealing, and maybe this case will restore my faith that some of the talk of textualism and originalism is not just about getting to certain results in certain cases.

February 16, 2022 at 11:47 AM | Permalink

Comments

This is the kind of dumb decision that gets courts more involved in running prisons. No one in their right mind thinks this is a good idea. And when you do things like that, courts tend to step in.

Posted by: Federalist | Feb 16, 2022 12:20:35 PM

Doug, you happy? I said this was dumb. Lol

Posted by: Federalist | Feb 16, 2022 12:21:08 PM

John Stinneford is a thoughtful and fair-minded guy and knows lots and lots about what the Constitution has to say about punishment. If the conditions are as he describes them, this particular instance of solitary confinement would certainly seem to be cruel and unusual punishment as any normal person would understand that term, and thus impermissible under the Eighth Amendment.

I might note that while John opposes capital punishment on policy grounds, he does not believe it is unconstitutional. I asked him that specifically at a FedSoc conference some years ago. He has it much better figured out than, for example, Justice Breyer.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 16, 2022 1:19:33 PM

All your comments make me happy, Federalist. Indeed, every comment --- nice or mean, on-point or off --- serves for me as a pleasing reminder I am not just talking to myself here. Hope everyone is having a great day!

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 16, 2022 2:01:54 PM

OK, but this would seem to have repercussions elsewhere. What does it do to the death penalty when many are on death row for 20 years? After all, cruel and unusual is cruel and unusual regardless of the crime. Its cruel and unusual regardless of whether someone is deemed not an escape risk. Its cruel and unusual regardless if someone is still a mortal threat to others.

At least, that is the argument I see DP opponents making. Unfounded?

Posted by: TarlsQtr | Feb 16, 2022 4:14:13 PM

TarlsQtr --

Good to see you back. You aptly describe an argument Breyer has been making for some time, to wit, if a killer persists long enough in filing year after year of silly petitions, he can't be executed because all the delay has added cruelty into his sentence! This is similar to another argument I've seen a few times, to wit, that if the prisoner eats his way to clocking in at 400 pounds or so, he can't be executed because finding a vein for the needle would be too hard, given all the flab.

You gotta love these guys.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 16, 2022 6:35:00 PM

TarlsQtr: as a textualist, I read the terms "cruel and unusual" in light of asserted justifications. If a prisoner repeatedly escapes or attacks other inmates when not in extreme solitary, then extreme solitary seems necessary and not "cruel and unusual." But without any stated justification for 17 years, these constitution term support the notion that extreme solitary amounts to a unconstitutional punishment being inflicted. (Of course, the remedy is seemingly just to give the guy a little more "usual" prison experience with more phone calls and other human interactions.)

Because I have never fully understood how best to assess originalist approaches to the Eighth Amendment, I will defer here to Justice Scalia's phrasing of "cruel methods of punishment that are not regularly or customarily employed." My sense is that solitary IS regularly and customarily employed for those who are especially dangerous or flight risks, but that it is not usual for prisoners 15+ years after a prison security personnel concluded there were no such risks.

That all said, the concerns you raise provide further support for my recommendation that SCOTUS grant cert on this issue so that we can get full briefing and exploration of the particulars of this case and any/all textual and originalist and other arguments on this matter from may diverse perspectives. Do you share my view that this is a matter that merits Supreme Court attention?

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 16, 2022 10:51:58 PM

I still maintain that the 8th amendment's purpose was to reject certain gruesome spectacle and nothing more, no proportionality requirement, no evolving standards of decency. Things that by their very nature are torture. In this sense something does not become "cruel" simply by being prolonged.

If his being in solitary was constitutional on day 1 it is also constitutional on day 10,000. The only reason they cannot immediately put all prisoners in solitary and keep them there for the entire length of their sentence is one of administrative convenience, not legality.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Feb 17, 2022 11:44:33 AM

Soronel: Do you think that an average person --- now or back in 1789 --- would say that forcing someone to listen to music they hate one time is the same as making them listen to that song 10,000 times? I do not think it would be fair to call it "cruel" if someone forces me to listen just once to a bad song, but I suspect most would call it cruel to be forced to listen to that song 10,000 times in a row. Similarly, being forced to endure 105 degree heat for an hour may not be cruel, but being forced to endure that for 10,000 hours surely could be considered cruel ESPECIALLLY if there is no sound reason for being subject to this extended hot treatment. I think common textual understanding suggests things can become cruel if prolonged, especially if no sound justification is given for the prolonging other than seemingly the desire to inflict pointless suffering.

That said, this again seems like an important issue worthy of full briefing and deliberation. Do you share my view that this is a matter that merits Supreme Court attention?

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 17, 2022 12:33:05 PM

Professor,

Given that the court below reached the right answer (though I haven't looked to see if I agree with their reasoning) I don't see much point in the Supreme Court weighing in. Every case they take is another chance for them to screw up. In that respect I am very pleased with the number of cases taken in recent years.

Regarding your couple hypothetical examples, neither bad music or excessive heat are gruesome in the sense I believe the 8th amendment prohibits. I might go so far as to say I do not believe the 8th amendment bars any psychological tortures at all; I have not given that question sufficient thought.

One example the court has been reluctant to address that I do believe is immediately gruesome in this sense are inmates forced to live in sewage-flooded cells, at least so long as the inmate was not the cause of the flooding. That, I believe, should instantly qualify, not some nebulous dividing line where overnight is fine but a week (or some other prolonged time) somehow is not. Of course, if the inmate was in fact the cause then I would say they can just live with it for any amount of time.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Feb 17, 2022 6:40:45 PM

If its constitutional not to put you on an IV on day 1 of your fever its constitutional on day 10,000.

If its constitutional not to amputate your gangrenous leg on day 1 its also constitutional on day 10,000.

If its not real punishment to make you write on the blackboard I wont do it again 1x then making you write it 10,000 times isnt real punishment either.

If 1 grain of sand isnt a heap then 10,000 isnt either.

If they can call you bald with just 1 strand of hair then they can call you bald with 10,000.

If just one example of the problem with this idea wont persuade you to change your mind then neither will 10,000.

And lastly  if sitting on the tarmac for 10 minutes isnt enough to exhaust other means of amusement on the internet then after what feels like 10,000 minutes you apparently start challenging your inner internet troll on Dougs blog.sorry about that.

Heres the thing though  this guy should definitely get relief. 27 years in solitary confinement is barbaric.

Posted by: MP | Feb 17, 2022 10:02:41 PM

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 Might a challenge to extreme solitary confinement for over a quarter century reveal if any current Justices are truly textualists and originalists? | Main | Deepening circuit split, First Circuit embraces broad view of sentence reduction authority under 3582(c)(1)(A) 

February 16, 2022

Spotlighting the ugly problem of federal prosecutors seeking waivers of future statutory rights to seek compassionate release

In this post a couple of years ago, I flagged an opinion by US District Judge Charles Breyer in US v. Funez Osorto, 445 F. Supp. 3d 103 (N.D. Cal. 2020), in which he rejected a plea agreement based on a provision that sought to dramatically limit the defendants' statutory rights to pursue future compassionate release motions. Today I see this new NPR article discussing complaints about this practice, and here are excerpts:

Federal prosecutors have been seeking to limit defendants' rights to win compassionate release from prison in plea negotiations across the country, a practice that advocates say undermines the intent of Congress and produces cruel outcomes. Two advocacy groups  Families Against Mandatory Minimums and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers  asked Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco on Tuesday to prohibit U.S. attorneys from including the "pernicious" language in plea agreements. In a copy of their letter exclusively provided to NPR, the groups said at least six jurisdictions around the nation are using the provisions, either barring defendants from filing any motions for early release because of extraordinary medical or family conditions or limiting them to only one such request and barring appeals.... The Justice Department had no comment on the advocates' letter. Compassionate release is designed to give people in prison facing extraordinary or compelling circumstances a way to seek early release. The Bureau of Prisons rarely approved such requests, so in 2018 Congress gave prisoners the ability to petition a federal court for freedom, under the First Step Act. More than 4,000 people have used that provision to win release.... Well over 90% of federal prosecutions end in guilty pleas, so the language in plea agreements carries enormous impact. "Individuals pleading guilty cannot know if their future holds a terminal medical condition, the death of the sole caregiver for their children, among many other tragic circumstances," said Shanna Rifkin, deputy general counsel of FAMM.

I have long thought that nearly all appeals waivers, as well as related collateral review waivers, are legally problematic and ought to generally be considered void as against public policy. Though a criminal defendant trying to secure some remedy or release through an appeal or release motion is obviously the one most directly impacted by any and all possible future litigation over his sentence, the public also has a significant interest in a sentencing system that functions without significant error and that does not spend money on incarceration ineffectively and inefficiently. Appeal waivers insulate all sorts of potentially significant sentencing errors from scrutiny and review, and waivers of other release or collateral motions can block efforts by prisoners to soundly and properly use existing legal mechanism to secure review of potentially excessive or unnecessary prison terms.

Congress amended the procedures for sentence reduction motions known as compassionate release through the FIRST STEP Act of 2018 precisely because it concluded that the executive branch in the form of BOP and DOJ could no long be trusted to be good stewards of this important sentence-review mechanism. The amended process gives defendants, after seeking BOP support for a motion, the statutory to bring a motion directly to the judiciary. Any efforts by the executive branch to reclaim sole authority over such motions though plea provisions runs directly contrary to what Congress duly provided in law as the new policy and procedure for these matters. Consequently, such waivers should be, in my view, deemed unenforceable and void as against the public policy enacted by Congress via FIRST STEP.

February 16, 2022 at 06:10 PM | Permalink

Comments

The judicial branch does not decide what is "public policy." Policy is exactly and precisely the realm of the political branches, which have both the constitutional portfolio to decide it and a much better finger on the public pulse.

Still, if a point be made of it, the courts have been over this again and again. As summarized by DOJ, this is the state of the law: [I]t is important to note that the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that a criminal defendant can elect to waive many important constitutional and statutory rights during the plea bargaining process. See United States v. Mezzanatto, 115 S. Ct. 797, 801 (1995); Tollett v. Henderson, 411 U.S. 258, 267 (1973); Blackledge v. Allison, 431 U.S. 63, 71 (1977, cert. denied, 116 S. Ct. 548 (1995). Consistent with that principle, the courts of appeals have upheld the general validity of a sentencing appeal waiver in a plea agreement. See, e.g., United States v. Allison, 59 F.3d 43, 46 (6th Cir. 1995); United States v. Schmidt, 47 F.3d 188, 190 (7th Cir. 1995); United States v. Attar, 38 F.3d 727, 731 (4th Cir. 1994), cert denied, 115 S. Ct. 1957 (1995); United States v. Bushert, 997 F.2d 1343, 1350 (11th Cir. 1993), cert. denied, 115 S. Ct. 652 (1994); United States v. DeSantiago-Martinez, 980 F.2d 582, 583 (9th Cir. 1992), amended, 38 F.3d 394 (1994), cert. denied, 115 S. Ct. 939 (1995); United States v. Melancon, 972 F.2d 566, 567-568 (5th Cir. 1992); United States v. Rivera, 971 F.2d 876, 896 (2d Cir. 1992); United States v. Rutan, 956 F.2d 827, 829-830 (8th Cir. 1992).

A sentencing appeal waiver provision does not waive all claims on appeal. The courts of appeals have held that certain constitutional and statutory claims survive a sentencing appeal waiver in a plea agreement. For example, a defendant's claim that he or she was denied the effective assistance of counsel at sentencing, United States v. Attar, supra; that he or she was sentenced on the basis of race, United States v. Jacobson, 15 F.3d 19 (2d Cir. 1994); or that the sentence exceeded the statutory maximum, United States v. Marin, 961 F.2d 493, 496 (4th Cir. 1992), will be reviewed on the merits by a court of appeals despite the existence of a sentencing appeal waiver in a plea agreement. ###

Of course, the defendant is under absolutely no obligation to sign a waiver, or enter into a bargain at all. He can insist that the government prove its case and carry its burden BRD at trial, and tell the government to put its proposed plea agreement in a poorly lit area.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 16, 2022 6:51:09 PM

I should add that, if Congress actually wanted to forbid the waivers discussed here, in the "spirit" of the First Step Act or otherwise, it would be easy enough for it to do so expressly. If it doesn't -- and it hasn't and doesn't plan to so far as I've heard -- it is distinctly NOT the job of the judicial branch to simply expand the FSA on its own.

This is exactly why the Senate should be careful NOT to ratify a SCOTUS choice who, out of a professional "perspective" favorable defendants, just goes ahead with judicial legislation while calling it something else.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 16, 2022 7:20:17 PM

As you know, Bill, plea agreements are subject to review as contracts. Interestingly, you seem supportive of many courts ruling, surely as a matter of "public policy" when interpreting the application of these contracts, that "certain constitutional and statutory claims survive a sentencing appeal waiver in a plea agreement." So do you disagree with all those rulings you cite and sincerely believe anything and everything can be waived in plea contracts OR do agree with the courts you cite that some matters cannot be waived as a matter of public policy? Are you claiming that the courts placing limits on waivers are all guilty of "judicial legislation" or do you recognize that there must be some (court defined) limits on plea terms?

I suspect you recognize that there must be "public policy" (eg, constitutional, statutory and prudential) limits on pleas terms. For example, I suspect you would agree with me that the parties could not lawfully in a plea deal bind the sentencing judge to sentence based on a coin flip or that any appeal would be resolved by a group of jointly selected arbitrators. Put another way, I suspect we both agree "public policy" means there are some key constitutional and statutory procedures that cannot be waived or bargained around because doing so undermines the foundational structure of how we have decided our criminal system functions.

I believe that the right of appeal and other express statutory rights that provide access to the courts ought to be considered among those key criminal procedures that cannot be waived or bargained around. In other words, I generally see protecting the right to access court as fundamental to our scheme of criminal justice and due process. Those who extol appeal waivers and the like seem to think denying access to court is a virtue, but I see little constitutional or statutory foundation for allowing the executive branch to deny access to the judiciary on terms provided by Congress unless and until Congress has expressly stated it wants access to courts limited/denied (as it has, for example, via AEDPA and other express statutory provisions limiting court access).

Indeed, can you provide any constitutional or statutory text that provides a clear basis for the lawfulness and legitimacy of appeal waivers? If not, I suggest the court rulings you cite blessing appeals waivers are the real examples of "judicial legislation." Similarly, the FIRST STEP Act, enacted by Congress and signed by Prez Trump, changed the law to now read that a court may reduce a sentence "upon motion of the defendant" under certain conditions. This text does not describe a "right" of a defendant to be waived, it describes the authority of a court to modify a sentence under certain circumstances. So described, what law authorizes an executive branch official to seek to preclude the bringing of a motion that Congress has plainly stated can be made?

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 16, 2022 10:21:01 PM

The argument you make against compassionate release waivers is identical to the argument made many years ago against appeal waivers -- that is, that Congress specifically created a right to appeal in the then-new SRA of 1984, and that "suppressing" the appeals thus authorized both frustrated Congress's clear intent and retarded the courts' opportunity to flesh out the parameters of this at-the-time novel and revolutionary sentencing regime.

Sounds like a reasonable argument, yup. But it lost in every circuit, starting, I'm proud to say, with the case I argued in the Fourth Circuit, US v. Wiggins, 905 F.2d 51 (4th Cir. 1990). DOJ thought that I should go first, since the waiver was my invention and I could sink or swim with it. The Wiggins text is here: https://casetext.com/case/us-v-wiggins-10. The anti-waiver argument was such a complete loser, in Wiggins and the cases that followed around the country, that there was no circuit conflict upon which SCOTUS could rule, much to the consternation of my buddies in the defense bar.

There may be exceptions to the standard waiver in extreme cases, sure. I allowed some myself when I thought the defendant had at least a colorable argument on the merits (in other words, I had the waiver in my back pocket but did not invoke it).

But you don't want rare exceptions to the waiver. You want it banned altogether. I'm willing to bet that that argument will wind up exactly where the Wiggins argument wound up. If you think about it, it's not that hard: Since in plea bargaining a defendant can waive his CONSTITUTIONAL right to a trial that would determine whether he'll go to jail at all, a fortiori he can waive a mere statutory right that affects (usually only marginally) how long he's going to be there.

You sneer at the holdings of all the circuits as malodorous "judicial legislation," when what you want actually IS judicial legislation, namely, for the courts to stick a provision into the First Step Act that Congress never put there.

Of course you have at least three easy remedies if you think the courts are so bad. First, you could persuade AG Garland to reverse it. Second, you could get Nancy Pelosi and Jerry Nadler and Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin (are they right wing extremists?) to add the language you want into the FSA and pass it through the Congress their Party controls. Third -- and this is the real shocker, I know -- the defendant could say, "Ummmm, this waiver stinks. I'm not going to sign it. Those fascist prosecutors can go prove their case at trial, and they would if they weren't so lazy."

Now I know its heresy on this blog to suggest that the defendant bears even a teeny, tiny sliver of responsibility for what he does, but hey, heresy is my middle name. Here's the heresy in a nutshell: If you think the waiver is illegal, DON'T SIGN IT.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 17, 2022 12:18:22 AM

So, Bill, you admit here that, as an executive branch official/prosecutor, the appeal waiver was your "invention" without any statutory or constitutional basis and now praise the courts for all upholding the appeal waiver provision that you "invented" without any statutory or constitutional basis. You also brag that this invented waiver gave you, as a federal prosecutor, the unilateral power to decide when to allow a defendant to appeal, even though Congress by actual force of law made appeals a statutory right, not something to be a matter of prosecutorial discretion. If your own braggado here is not clear proof of appeal waivers being an example of "executive + judicial legislation" in opposition to what Congress actually put in the text of statutes, I am not sure what would be.

You are right that a bit of thought helps here, and you are smart enough to understand the obvious distinction between waiving a jury trial and waiving a sentencing appeal. Defendants waiving juries to admit guilt has not only a long history, but the admission of guilt eliminates the need for a jury to adjudicate guilt. In sharp contrast, your "invention" of an appeal waiver has no history, flies in the face of Congress creating an express statutory right to appeal, AND entirely precludes an appeal of any errors at a sentencing which take place AFTER the deal is signed. To give up a right to a guilt-finding jury process when one admits guilt is radically different than giving up a right to appeal possible future errors during a proceeding that has not yet taken place. Your "invention" elides that critical difference, and I sneer at the fact you brag about inventing a limit on access to courts and seem to want to believe you are the one faithful to the rule of law.

Critically, I am not trying to "add" to the FIRST STEP Act, I am saying courts should not accept efforts by prosecutors to "invent" new limits on access to court that are not in the text of the FIRST STEP Act. There is no need to "add" anything, the language clearly authorize CR motions by defendants while making no provision for waivers. Consistent with the text of the law signed by Prez Trump, courts should NOT welcome another "invention" by prosecutors eager to further limit the court access that Congress clearly provides in the text of the FSA. It is telling that you view your extra-legal prosecutorial "invention" as somehow more valid as a form of law than the actual text Congress enacted in the FSA. That text nowhere says that access to the court can be limited by prosecutors or should be determined on the whim of what a modern-day Bill Otis thinks might be a "colorable argument."

But just to be sure I understand the nature of your "invention," let me ask again: can you point to ANY constitutional or statutory text that provides ANY foundation for the lawfulness and legitimacy of appeal waivers or CR waivers? I suspect you cannot, but that you are still proud of inventing a means to give prosecutors more power even though your clever tool lacks any clear basis in any constitutional or statutory law.

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 17, 2022 1:06:20 AM

Doug --

I have 30 years of caselaw on my side, you have none (and understandably cite none), and you want to think I'm going to be put on the defensive?? All those judges over all those years fell for my invention and never bothered, over three decades, to notice what you take to be the absence of "any constitutional or statutory law" justifying their rancid, unlearned, unhinged holdings!

Yikes. I've had my own criticisms of judges, but never one that went that far.

I made my argument for the legality of the waiver in court, where it counted. Do you really think so many judges over so much time were all wrong? That the lot of them -- Democratic, Republican, liberal and conservative -- were bullied by me rather than insisting on a statutory or constitutional anchor? Have you read the opinions?

And there's this too: The huge majority of the defense bar was satisfied to go along with the waiver because, as with all the other provisions in the plea agreement, they got enough out of it to think, correctly, that it was well worth it rather than have their client get turned into toast at trial.

Lastly, I see that you just walk past the three remedies I outlined even if you think, as you apparently do, that so many judges are just oblivious to any proper legal foundations for their holdings. If there's some reason the admitted criminals who signed these agreements can't pursue one or more of those remedies, you don't mention it.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 17, 2022 1:30:49 AM

Yes, Bill, I think judges have been wrong to uphold your appeal waiver invention without any statutory or constitutional foundation. But you are right that defendants could refuse these provision, but the problematic severity of federal sentencing law makes that challenging. Key point here, since you cite only cases to support your appeal waiver invention, is that you are the leading advocate and defender of what you derisively call judicial legislation. Proof yet again that you are results oriented, eager to invent whatever law whenever it served your policy goals.

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 17, 2022 2:15:09 AM

Doug --

"Yes, Bill, I think judges have been wrong to uphold your appeal waiver invention without any statutory or constitutional foundation."

Have you read the cases?

"But you are right that defendants could refuse these provision, but the problematic severity of federal sentencing law makes that challenging."

Litigation is challenging, for sure. Best to avoid it altogether by not robbing the bank, swindling Medicare, cross-border human trafficking and all the other stuff defendants do to wind up in litigation. Ironically, though (given your position), plea bargains are a way for those very defendants to AVOID the most stressful parts of litigation, which is one reason so many of them, then and now, insist on a deal rather than a trial.

"Key point here, since you cite only cases to support your appeal waiver 'invention,' is that you are the leading advocate and defender of what you derisively call 'judicial legislation.'

Yes, I cite here, in what might become an immortal phrase, "only cases." When you appear before a court that wrote those cases, this tends to help. But for however that may be, the appeals challenging the waiver were brought by the defendant, not by me. When a case is brought before a court, it has an obligation to decide it -- affirmed or reversed. That is not legislation. It's the core of the judicial function.

"Proof yet again that you are results oriented, eager to invent whatever 'law' whenever it served your policy goals."

I didn't invent law. I wrote the appeal waiver that went into our proposed plea agreement, which absolutely no one thinks of as "law." I then wrote the brief on appeal; the court -- a different branch of government -- wrote the opinion and entered the judgment ("law"). And when I was an AUSA many years ago, yes, I was result-oriented in the sense that any attorney for the government is, to wit, I put forward arguments I thought would appeal to judges as being legally sound, and that would secure the conviction won by my colleagues in the lower court. But not then and not now was I anywhere near as results-oriented as defense counsel, who wanted as little accountability for the client as he could get away with. And if there had to be a little fancy dance in there to pull it off, well.....................





Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 17, 2022 2:47:18 AM

It seems to me that Bill has the better end of the argument here. Generally, stuff is legal unless the law or the Constitution says it's not. If an executive branch employee has a clever new idea, and no law expressly prohibits it, then it is legal. That is why Bill's appeal waiver is legal. He doesn't need to wait for Congress to say yes. All that matters is that they never said no. Judges, however, do not have the power to make Bill's idea illegal, just because they consider it bad policy.

Posted by: Marc Shepherd | Feb 17, 2022 7:34:08 AM

Perhaps worth noting too that judges have the right to reject plea deals that they believe are not in the public interest. So I don't think Breyer's decision falls in the category of "judicial legislation". If you let judges decide what is in the public interest, then they are no longer just textualists.

Posted by: Marc Shepherd | Feb 17, 2022 8:16:33 AM

Bill: I have read many appeal waiver cases, and I did not see any citation or discussion that grounds the legality of your "invention" on any statutory or constitutional foundation. You candidly claim to have invented these waivers because they come from your clever mind, not from any statutory or constitutional law. That reality means all the case law upholding appeal waivers is what you might call "judicial legislation" or what others might call federal common law, and I sense you and many prosecutors and many courts think appeal waivers make for good public policy. Whether actually good public policy, these waivers certainly mean less work for prosecutors and appellate courts, and so I suspect many are glad that you invented a way to force defendants to waive future court rights provided by Congress (and it is not surprising plenty of judges have been keen to give legal force to what might be deemed a common-law, judicially created exception to a statutory right to access the courts). But none of the cases change the basic reality that appeal waivers are a kind executive and judicial branch lawmaking, based on a vision of good public policy, that has no clear grounding in the text of any statutory or constitutional provisions.

That said, I fully agree that this case law is valid and enforceable "law," but I do think the caselaw is generally wrong --- just like I surmise you acknowledge Miranda/Dickerson is now valid and enforceable law, but you think that caselaw with 50+ years of SCOTUS blessing is generally wrong. Interestingly, most circuit court have now figured out they initially did get a critical part of this caselaw wrong when sometimes saying they had no "jurisdiction" to consider an appeal when there was a waiver, but now they enforce the wavier bar as a matter of court procedure. See United States v. Castillo, 496 F.3d 947 (9th Cir. 2007) (resolving this issue en banc and rejecting DOJ's claim that plea agreements can somehow alter statutory/constitutional jurisdiction rules).

In other words, circuit court have struggled to find a sound legal foundation for turning your "invention" into law, but again I recognize that all this common-law public policy work is now is valid and enforceable "law," albeit with all the court-invented exceptions and limitations that you note --- just like courts have through a common-law process invented exceptions and limitations to Miranda. I could cite you thousands of cases citing Miranda, but I sense that would not convince you those judicial doctrines are "good" law; similarly citing to me appeal waiver rulings alone are not convincing. There is one difference, of course, Miranda and its progeny at least claim to be resting on Fifth and Sixth Amendment text and principles. You still have not cited, nor has any court I have seen cited, any statutory or constitutional foundation for appeal waivers.

Marc: Thanks for your comments, but do you think it would be valid --- and subject to enforcement by federal courts --- if a clever federal prosecutor added into plea agreement provisions that say a defendant waives all rights to vote in any election for the rest of his life or waives the right to take a standard deduction on his federal taxes for the rest of his life? It would seemingly be "legal" to do this, since many states limit voting rights and nobody really has "tax rights." But, just as I think courts should not enforce prosecutor-invented waivers of future rights to court access that lack statutory or constitutional foundation, I do not think courts should enforce waivers of future rights to vote or to file taxes properly even if clever prosecutors think denial of these future rights makes for good public policy (because they think certain criminals ought never vote or ought always pay more in taxes or not have access to courts on the terms provided by Congress).

Of course, Marc, if Congress passes a statute saying appeals can be waived or voting rights waived or tax deductions waived as part of the plea process, then there is now democratic legitimacy to a reshuffle of future rights in the plea process. But to my knowledge, there is no federal statutory basis for any of these kinds of waivers, while there is a clear textual federal statutory basis for a criminal defendant taking an appeal from a final judgment (or filing a motion for sentence reduction under 3582). In a democratic society, I remain quite chary about making it too easy for "clever" executive branch employees to wield vast power to undercut statutory rights created by Congress through a rights-blocking "invention." I think the default should be the plain text of democratically enacted laws that serve as the baseline --- and I would hope most "clever" ideas from the executive branch will involve trying to better execute those laws faithfully, not trying to invent common-law exceptions that undermine both the text and clear policy that Congress sought to advance.

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 17, 2022 10:55:26 AM

Doug --

A few points.

1. I appreciate, I guess, being labeled as "clever" a dozen times or so, but to be honest, it didn't require a lot of cleverness. In the late Eighties I would go to defense seminars (I paid the fee out of my own pocket, it wasn't USAO money) to see what they were being taught about the new sentencing system. What I heard woke me up: They were going to "litigate the system into the ground" by willy-nilly sentencing appeals, and thus bring down the whole edifice of the SRA of 1984. This struck me as something I didn't want to happen, since I thought (and think) that determinate and honest sentencing is a good idea. So I asked myself how I could counteract the scorched-appellate-earth strategy. The answer, then as now, didn't take much of a clever mind to see: If you can waive your right to a trial, to confront the witnesses against you, to compulsory process, to require the government to prove your guilt BRD, etc., etc., you can surely waive a subsidiary right to appeal your sentence (which is almost always at the low end of the range anyway).

So I sold the idea to my superiors at DOJ. They greenlighted me. I litigated it in 1990 in Wiggins and got all three votes (Wilkinson, the author; Billy Wilkins, then Chairman of the USSC; and James M. Sprouse, a Carter appointee). The word spread. Maybe three years or so later, in the Clinton Administration, DOJ approved it as general policy. By the end of the Ninties, every circuit in the country agreed to its validity.

2. The main argument you make against it -- that it lacks a statutory or constitutional anchor -- was, as you might expect, made repeatedly by those (relatively few) defense counsel who challenged it. It was rejected every time. I can't remember whether there was even a dissenting vote; there probably was, but it was so long ago I can't recall.

The reason I don't go over it again here -- in addition to the one aptly furnished by Marc Shepherd -- is that people well beyond my pay grade, namely circuit judges, have already done it.

3. I haven't much of a clue whether the exotic hypos you posed to Marc could be done (although I do know that courts have, as part of a criminal sentence, forbidden union-infiltrating mobsters from further participation in union affairs, including running for office. I'm pretty sure that has been upheld). But it doesn't make any difference, because appeal waivers at this late date are anything but exotic, and are justified a fortiori by decades of court approval of plea bargains in which the defendant never sees his constitutionally-guaranteed TRIAL but accepts a conviction anyway. Such plea bargaining equally lacks the statutory and constitutional anchor that seems to have you so concerned. (Indeed, only trials are designated in the Constitution as a way of resolving criminal cases; plea bargaining isn't so much as mentioned, much less approved, at all. By contrast, the Constitution does NOT create a right to APPEAL a conviction, much less appeal a sentence). But from the Supreme Court on down, courts approve of, and defense counsel eagerly engage in, plea bargains which, boiled down, are trial waivers. Since they can do that, it's beyond serious argument that they can do appeal waivers as well.

4. Let me just go through what plea bargains with appeal waivers accomplish. They

-- Resolve the case at a fraction of the cost

-- Resolve it more quickly by far than would otherwise be true

-- Resolve it with the defendant typically convicted of only a fraction of what he'd get at trial

-- Are the main ingredient in acceptance of responsibility reductions

-- Attain certainty and finality for the parties -- litigation doesn't linger for years

-- Enable to government to do more cases and thus keep the community safer

-- Enable defense counsel to do more cases or invest more effort in the cases he has

Some of what you have said makes me think you're waiting for me to be ashamed of having invented them. If so, you'll be waiting a long time. It was one of the better things I did with my career.

Finally, I might never have come up with idea but for the angry defense bar promise to "litigate the system into the ground" by zillions of scattershot sentencing appeals just to gum up the machinery. If you don't want to put my supposed evil genius to work, don't provoke it with irresponsible threats.



Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 17, 2022 2:27:48 PM

Bill, I appreciate your accounting for why you feel you had really good public policy reasons to invent appeal waivers and how you were able to convince lower courts to make up the law as needed to uphold your convenient invention (as they have done with plea bargaining more generally) without any statutory or constitution foundation. As you know, a number of scholars and others view all plea bargains (and even pleas) as constitutionally suspect, but I am not one of them. It makes sense to me that constitutional or statutory protections focused on ensuring only proper convictions can be considered waivable if a defendant is prepared to knowingly and voluntarily admit a conviction would be proper. But in nearly all cases (unless there is a fixed sentence built into the plea), a defendant cannot know what happened at a future sentencing and so how can he (or the government for that matter) knowingly waive a statutory right to appeal a procedure that has not yet taken place. But, as you are keen to note, courts have not cared about this distinction --- though they initially bungled the claimed foundation for your invention in their rush to embrace the public policy benefits you claim.

The key point throughout, Bill, which think you here again concede, is that you made no effort (nor has anyone else to my knowledge) to present your public policy arguments for appeal waivers to Congress so that they could, with democratic legitimacy, amend the text of existing laws to provide expressly for appeal waiver or other limits on appeals. Instead, to achieve your public policy goal of limiting the new appeal rights that Congress had created, you devised a rights-blocking "invention" to undercut statutory rights created by Congress. Perhaps you did advance public policy by using the courts rather Congress to cut back on what Congress enacted --- gosh knows lots of folks on both sides of the aisle look to the courts to achieve public policy goals that they cannot achieve through democratic channels --- but you your effort fundamentally involved a successful example of creating "judicial legislation" to cut back on the actual text and application of actual legislation passed by Congress.

This has been my main point throughout, Bill: if you really are troubled by judges "making up" law to serve public policy ends without any constitutional or statutory foundations, you ought to be ashamed of your appeal waiver achievement since it is a particularly great example of exactly that.

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 17, 2022 3:23:00 PM

Doug --

I see you've replaced saying "clever" with saying "public policy." Fine my me. I was an officer of one of the political branches, not the judicial branch, and therefore had leave to implement what I saw to be in the public interest. Putting the appeal waiver into a proposed plea agreement THAT THE DEFENDANT COULD ACCEPT OR REJECT AS HE CHOSE was one such thing. If he wanted a trial, fine, he got it no questions asked. If instead he liked the deal with the waiver in it -- which almost all of them did -- he got that, subject to the extensive Rule 11 inquiry for taking a plea. I never forced a defendant to do or to sign anything.

I don't see a single thing morally or legally wrong with that. Do you? What is it? The defendant retained his right to choose from start to finish.

I see you don't cite any authority for the novel proposition that Congress needs affirmatively to approve traditional plea bargains as they existed for decades, bargains that waived a whole lot more than a sentencing appeal. This is not because you're lazy. It's because there is none. As Marc Shepherd notes and you don't refute, there is simply no rule that Congress needs affirmatively to approve any of the numerous terms that go in plea bargains and have gone in them for years. If Congress has a problem with any term in a plea bargain, or with bargaining as a concept at all, of course it has the power to outlaw it.

In the 32 years since Wiggins, can you point to any Congressional action -- or indeed to a single Congressman or Senator -- which has disapproved the appeal waiver provision? I don't know of any. I might also note that it was used, not only by the Clinton DOJ, but by Obama's as well, and presently by Biden's.

In other words, neither Congress nor the courts endorses your view that express Congressional authorization is needed, and decades of practice under Attorneys General both parties attests that it isn't.

Still, I don't want to chill your views. So I invite you to find the (rare) defense lawyer who bridles at the appeal waiver as much as you do, get him to challenge it in the Court of Appeals, come in as his amicus to buttress his argument, and when you lose, go for cert. I'll bet you $500 here and now that you don't get it, and if you do, I'll bet you $1000 you lose on the merits (no matter how many times you type in "public policy").

Are we on? You're a chaired professor, so I know you've got the dough!

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 17, 2022 4:07:30 PM

I agree, Bill, that Congress has not disapproved appeal waiver jurisprudence over the last 30 years any more than it has disapproved Miranda/Dickerson jurisprudence over that same period, and I will not have any more luck getting that appeal waiver jurisprudence overturned than you will in getting Miranda/Dickerson jurisprudence overturned. Lots of judges get wedded to the extra-textual doctrines they embrace in pursuit of good public policy, and Congress often does not care much (or even pay attention) unless and until given a strong political reason to do so. But I will continue to express and advocate for courts to develop common law doctrines in ways that serve what I think is good public policy --- which in this case involves not enforcing appeal waivers or CR waivers in nearly all instances because I think access to courts is generally good public policy.

Critically, my point all along has been to refute your silly assertion that refusing to enforce your appeal waiver "invention" would amount to a kind of "judicial legislation while calling it something else." In fact, enforcing appeal waivers to preclude access to courts despite the express statutory text allowing access to court is itself fundamentally a kind of "judicial legislation while calling it something else." We are both advocating, in this setting and many others and in good faith I believe, for courts to embrace a common-law jurisprudence that we think best serves public policy. You think that involves regularly cutting off access to courts whereas I think that involves generally safeguarding access to court. And the beat goes on.

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 17, 2022 5:48:25 PM

Im with Doug on the public policy merits of sentence appeal waivers, I too wish to shake my fist ineffectually at Bill for inflicting them on us, and I note that there continue to periodically be interesting and heartening dissents flagging all the ways that sentence appeal waivers are contrary to public policy.

But I think the case for the proposition that compassionate-release waivers are contrary to public policy is even stronger than the case against sentence appeal waivers. 3582(c)(1)(A) motions are, by the terms of the statute, motions to seek relief from incarceration based on extraordinary issues. Extraordinary issues are  almost by definition  the sorts of issues that you cant intelligently bargain about. And the point of a safety-valve  as Congress has described 3582(c)(1)(A)  is to release the pressure when things go unexpectedly or intolerably wrong. Barring access to an extraordinary remedy  thereby insulating from judicial review unexpected & intolerable problems  just wouldnt honor the point of a safety-valve law that is designed as a remedy for the extraordinary.

Ironically, the flip side of Bills remark about how crash-the-system appellate defense lawyers (side note: this is not a real thing) somehow justify sentence appeal waivers applies in the compassionate release context. For years, the Bureau of Prisons had the sole power to decide whether to seek compassionate release on a prisoners behalf. They repeatedly mismanaged that solemn charge, with the really astonishing result that Congress was actually moved to do something about it. That something was to give inmates the right to initiate their own compassionate-release applications. BOP had their chance to administer the compassionate release process but they crashed the system. If supposed crash-the-system defense lawyers help justify sentence appeal waivers, then when the BOP crashed the compassionate release system, leading Congress to clean up the mess by giving prisoners the opportunity to seek CR for themselves, that justifies putting a hard kibosh on the compassionate release waivers that various Sons-Of-Bill-Otis are minting in whatever diabolical DOJ unit mills these widgets of assembly-line justice.

Put another way: it would be utterly perverse to let DOJ force, through compassionate-release waivers, a reversion to the exact system that Congress not only chose to remedy, but chose to remedy precisely by giving prisoners the right to seek compassionate release. Compassionate-release waivers would very surgically undo the entirety of the First Step Acts remedy to the problems Congress perceived with the BOPs management of compassionate release. Or, put more simply, theyd thwart Congresss intent.

Hopefully the Sons-of-Bill dont manage to pull off another Wiggins here. Im cautiously optimistic because of just how clearly public policy is on our side with this one.

Posted by: MP | Feb 17, 2022 11:11:14 PM

MP --

I take it then that you also find plea bargaining as a whole impermissible as against public policy, since the right to be tarred with a criminal conviction and jailed ONLY after a trial by your peers is at the very center of our constitutional protections against an oppressive government. The sentence reduction possibilities embodied in 3582(c)(1)(A) might be important from your point of view, sure, but they are nowhere near as important, as a matter of historically paramount public policy, as the right to have your guilt vel non -- the lynchpin of ANY prison sentence -- determined only by a jury.

And it's true that a defendant cannot foresee future emergencies, but he also cannot foresee what would have happened at the trial a standard plea bargain obviates. Trials are notorious for their surprises and unexpected twists and turns. So the fact that the compassionate release waiver defendant is surrendering a possible but unknown future benefit does not distinguish it from the classic plea bargain. Hey, look, the government's star witness could get cold feet the morning the trial is supposed to start -- or does that never happen?

Therefore you'll be challenging our present and long-existing plea bargaining system as against constitutionally imperative public policy, yes?

P.S. My wager offer to Doug is open to you as well. Are we on?

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 18, 2022 1:05:03 AM

Bill, as MP suggests turning to the CR issue in the wake of a (GOP-led) Congress overwhelmingly passing the FIRST STEP Act to enable prisoner access to court to bring sentence reduction motions, let's try this hypo: Do you think it would have been good public policy, subject to enforcement by federal courts, if all federal prosecutors in, say, Feb 2013 or Feb 2017 or now were to start including this provision in all proposed plea agreements in crack cases:

"DOJ has decided that the 2010 act of Congress, which some have called the Crack Dealers Relief Act, was a very bad policy when it lowered crack sentences. Therefore, we will not agree to any plea deal -- and will oppose any acceptance of responsibility guideline credits and will not consider any 5K motions and will argue for the statutory maximum in every crack case --- unless and until a defendant through this plea deal agrees to be sentenced based on the crack statutory and guideline provisions that were in place and had the force of law in 2006 (the USSC lowered the crack guidelines in 2007, and DOJ now also thinks that was a big mistake)."

I surmise you (and perhaps many former and current federal prosecutors) think the 100-1 ratio crack statute/guidelines were good policy and better than current law, though of course the US Sentencing Commission and now Congress have long disagreed. Do you think it would be a sound and good idea, and a matter strictly enforced by courts, for DOJ to use plea agreements to press forward with its crack sentencing policy preferences even in cases when those policy preferences are obviously contrary to recent policies enacted into law through the democratic process?

Indeed, if you think it sound and even wise for DOJ to pursue statutory work-arounds to all legislation it dislikes passed by Congress, did you drop the ball when you had access to folks involved in the Trump DOJ in not suggesting "fair crack sentencing waivers" become standard procedure? Indeed, might you urge DOJ to create a special office --- perhaps the Office of Legal Policy and Statutory Work-Arounds --- that is devoted to develop plea terms that allow it to pursue its policy preferences even in the face of contrary statutory developments?

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 18, 2022 11:07:21 AM

Doug --

Your moderate turn of mind sometimes prevents you from from torching DOJ as much as it deserves. So let me try to help out here by writing a hypo that will finally straighten out these fascists:

"DOJ has decided that the 2010 Act of Congress, which some have called the Criminals Showtime Extrazagana Act, was very bad policy when it enabled hoodlums to try to enlist others in the community to get them off the hook. Therefore, we will not agree to any plea deal -- and will oppose any acceptance of responsibility guideline credits and will not consider any 5K motions and will argue for the statutory maximum in every case --- unless and until a defendant through this plea deal, agrees to waive the following language that predated the Act: 'In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed."

Now that should take care of these creepy little prosecuto.............oh..............wait. This is not a waiver of some reformed sentencing provision from a few years back. It's a waiver of the core provision, indeed the exact language, of the Sixth Amendment!!!

And that language wasn't adopted by the 2010 Act of Congress, it was adopted by the Founders themselves as part of the basic fabric of a free country. No?

So please tell me that the defense bar stands tall by refusing to sign on to -- or, heaven forbid, routinely seek -- plea deals that kiss trials goodbye hence are nothing but wretched evasions of the foundations of our liberty. I mean, they do refuse, right? And the Supreme Court has resolutely refused to countenance these shady deals, being as they are such a slick and collusive undermining of what our country stands for.............right?

I mean the High Court has refused, hasn't it? Hello?? And defense counsel would NEVER soil themselves by seeking out (indeed, thousands of times, aggressively demanding) these trial-avoiding, Constitution-bashing deals. I mean, they don't seek or sign plea deals, do they?

Do they? Hello??

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 18, 2022 2:53:02 PM

Bill, you keep going back to the suspect notion that, because courts find it lawful for DOJ to seek and courts to allow the waiving of constitutional trial rights for contesting guilt when defendants want to admit guilt, then it must be lawful for DOJ to seek and courts to allow waivers of rights to any and everything else that has no connection to the trial and the determination of guilt. Is that your fundamental claim? So it would be sound for DOJ to also seek in plea deals any and all waivers of any and all constitutional and statutory rights in any and all settings --- subject, as you said, to prosecutors keeping those waivers in the back pocket so that they have authority over whether a defendant can later exercise any rights? For a big government guy like you, this is quite the clever script for prosecutors having the chance to exercise king-like control over the little people. But I do not think it's the system the Framers gave us.

Fundamentally, I do think pleas erode our nation's commitment to trials by jury as the proper means of adjudicating guilt. But there is at least logic to the notion that a person prepared to admit guilt should be able to waive those rights related to the trial process for determining guilt. At issue with appeal waivers and CR waivers and others is whether DOJ should seek, and courts should enforce, waivers in pleas that have nothing to do with trials and guilt. Judicial approval of pleas that waive trial rights does not and should not logically determine whether non-trial rights should be waivable in pleas (though the appeal waiver jurisprudence shows judicial willingness to extend the king-like power of prosecutors to be back-pocket rulers of appeal rights).

The fundamental question for statutory rights is really whether you think prosecutors should try to faithfully execute all laws passed by Congress --- including those that allow for access to courts by defendants without a prosecutorial gatekeeping role --- or instead should only seek to follow those statutory provisions that they think are good policy and seek to prevent application of other laws because prosecutors as kings think they know better than Congress and all the little people involved our democratic process. All those little people in 2018 used the democratic process to give defendants the right to seek court access to request compassionate release, but you seemingly now endorse having executive kings/prosecutors using whatever tools they think they can to eliminate the right Congress just created.

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 18, 2022 4:11:57 PM

Doug --

More on this later, since I'm pressed for time now, but very briefly:

1. You seem to be laboring under the quite odd notion that the defendant's bedrock right to have a jury alone determine his guilt, and thus the propriety of any sentence at all, is less important, and thus more amenable to negotiation, than his right to seek to have a court at some point down the road adjust his particular sentence. The gaping facial implausibility of that view is the reason I won Wiggins and the Wiggins line of cases and your side lost them -- lost them everywhere, I might add.

2. You say the Sixth Amendment trial right is at least arguably subject to negotiation "when defendants want to admit guilt." Well that's sure a new one! I've been lectured constantly on this blog that the admission of guilt is assuredly NOT something defendants want, but is something that's (figuratively, but routinely) beaten out of them by thuggy prosecutors.

Here's the way it actually works: There is almost never a case where the defendant wants to admit guilt. What he actually thinks is that he would dearly love to CONTEST guilt, but is at least with it enough to understand that he'll probably lose that contest because the evidence is massive, and therefore wants to get out of his jam at the lowest cost his lawyer can negotiate. You actually don't know this?

3. If plea bargaining is permissible, which you and The Elevated Minds of Academia doubt, but the Supreme Court doesn't, then here's how it works. The defendant has to give up something of value in order to get something of value. (This is also how adult life works). In this instance, the thing of value he gives up is his statutorily-created opportunity (not certainty, opportunity) to seek CR somewhere down the line. If in his sole discretion his views that opportunity as being worth less to him than the concessions the government is willing to make, than he'll sign the deal. If not, he won't. Most do, just as most understand now, as they did at they time of Wiggins, that the dicey prospects of winning a sentencing appeal are less valuable than the consideration he's getting now from the prosecutor (like, say, dropping a raft of charges on which he's ice cold).

So, yes, he has to give up something up value (something Congress provided him with the OPTION of seeking), in order to get something he views as having greater and/or more immediate value.

Why do you want to hamstring defendants from making their own choices?

Posted by: Bill Otis | Feb 18, 2022 4:47:53 PM

A fair point, Bill, that most defendants would like to invoke their constitutional trial rights rather than admit guilt. But prosecutors have helped to build sentencing systems that often formally and functionally ensure defendant will get many more years, sometimes decades more, in prison simply for invoking those rights. Facing the threat of decades more in prison --- not for the particulars of their crime, but for a decision to invoke their constitutional trial rights --- defendants are often willing to waive trial rights and the right to appeal and the CR right. Prosecutors likely could also demand waiving rights to go to church and rights to vote and rights to take tax deductions and all sorts of other rights and "things of value" because those rights do not seem meaningful when threatened with, say, 20 years in prison if they do not give up trial and other rights and only 5 if they do.

(Daniela Gozes-Wagner, who got a commutation from Trump, was sentenced to 20 years after trial while those who actually ran the fraud got only 5 years; for Weldon Angelos, who Trump pardoned, the trial penalty was 40 years from a 15-year plea offer that became a 55-year sentence after trial (though prosecutors asked for 60+); Alice Marie Johnson, who Trump also pardoned, got LWOP for a first non-violent drug offense after exercising her trial right. Many, many thousands more got or faced decades more prison time as a trial penalty in our federal system, in part because we have doctrines that say a federal sentence can be enhanced by years and even decades based even on acquitted conduct.)

For anyone who really believes in the system of jury trials and checks on government power that our Framers championed, these stories should be deeply troubling. But anyone who likes prosecutors wielding king-like power to distribute punishment and rights as only they see fit, perhaps these are stories to celebrate. I think I know what side I am on and what side you are on. And I will continue to advocate for a system with more checks on government power and less king-like actions by prosecutors.

All kinds of rights are important --- jury trial rights and court access rights and others --- and I would like to see executive officials working to preserve rights rather than seeking their waiver. But I fully acknowledge that allowing bargaining around trials/guilt has proved irresistible to our criminal justice systems which are often more focused on case-processing efficiency than on preserving the constitutional process the Framers championed. But the logic of including waivers on non-guilt rights as part of pleading guilty does not hold, it merely sustains as a form of raw, king-like power with no logical connection to the process of adjudicating guilt. But maybe I should just be grateful the DOJ king has not (yet) started demanding in plea agreements the waiving of rights to go to church and rights to vote and rights to take tax deductions and all sorts of other rights and "things of value."

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 18, 2022 5:53:21 PM

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You are here: Business

Oil prices finished Tuesday's session with marked losses as traders eyed updates on the Ukraine crisis.

The West Texas Intermediate for March delivery lost 3.39 U.S. dollars, or nearly 3.6 percent, to settle at 92.07 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for April delivery decreased 3.2 dollars, or 3.3 percent, to close at 93.28 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

Ukrainian government officials on Tuesday called for more diplomatic and practical international efforts to de-escalate tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

As tensions on the Ukrainian situation keep mounting, multiple countries have been engaged in shuttle diplomacy, trying to de-escalate the crisis.

Traders also looked ahead to data on U.S. crude stockpiles as the U.S. Energy Information Administration is set to release its weekly petroleum status report on Wednesday.

Analysts surveyed by S&P Global Platts forecast the U.S. crude inventories to show a fall of 200,000 barrels for the week ending Feb. 11.
MOSCOW  Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that he welcomed a security dialogue with the West as his military reported pulling back some of its troops near Ukraine. But U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. had not verified Russia's claim and that an invasion was still a distinct possibility.

Meanwhile, a series of cyberattacks on Tuesday knocked the websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry and major banks offline, Ukrainian authorities said.

It was too early to know, however, if the apparently low-level denial-of-service attacks might be a smokescreen for more serious and damaging cyber mischief.

At least 10 Ukrainian websites were unreachable due to the attacks, including the defense, foreign and culture ministries and Ukraines two largest state banks. In such attacks, websites are barraged with a flood of junk data packets, rendering them unreachable.

The Information Ministry suggested Russia could be behind Tuesdays incident, without providing details.

Putin said he does not want war and would rely on negotiations in his efforts to eliminate any chance that Ukraine could one day join NATO. At the same time, he did not commit to a full pullback of troops, saying Russias next moves in the standoff will depend on how the situation evolves.

In remarks at the White House, Biden promised that the U.S. would continue to give diplomacy "every chance" to prevent a Russian invasion, but he struck a skeptical tone about Moscow's intentions. Biden also insisted that the U.S. and its allies would not to "sacrifice basic principles" respecting Ukraine sovereignty.

"Two paths are still open," Biden said. "But let there be no doubt: If Russia commits this breach by invading Ukraine, responsible nations around the world will not hesitate to respond. If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we'll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow."

Putin's overtures soothed global markets that have been on edge amid the worst East-West tensions in decades. Washington and its European allies remained cautious, saying they want to see evidence of a Russian pullback. Biden said 150,000 Russian forces are massed near Ukraine, an increase from an earlier U.S. estimate of 130,000 troops.

The U.S. and NATO continue to warn that Russia could invade at any time as they sent troops and military supplies to shore up NATO members in Eastern Europe. Russia denies having such plans. It wants the West to keep Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations out of the alliance, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe.

The U.S. and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.

Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures  issues that Moscow put on the table years ago.

He said Russia is open to discuss "some of those elements," but added that it would only do so in combination "with the main issues that are of primary importance for us."

Asked if there could be a war in Europe, Putin said Russia doesn't want it but that Ukraine's bid to join NATO posed a major security threat to his country.

While Scholz reiterated that NATO's eastward expansion "is not on the agenda  everyone knows that very well," Putin retorted that Moscow will not be assuaged by such assurances.

"They are telling us it won't happen tomorrow," Putin said. "Well, when will it happen? The day after tomorrow? What does it change for us in the historic perspective? Nothing."

Putin went on to argue NATO expansion violates the principle of the indivisibility of security enshrined in international documents.

"We want to solve this issue now as part of negotiation process through peaceful means," Putin said. "We very much hope that our partners hear our concerns and take them seriously."

Scholz also said diplomatic options are "far from exhausted," and praised the announcement of a troop withdrawal as a "good signal," adding: "We hope that more will follow."

The Russian Defense Ministry released images of tanks and howitzers rolling onto railway platforms and more tanks rolling across snowy fields. It did not disclose where or when the images were taken, or where the vehicles were headed, other than "to places of permanent deployment."

In a rare bipartisan accord, U.S. Senate leaders issued a joint statement Tuesday signaling solidarity with an independent Ukraine and issuing a stern warning that Russia would pay a severe price of sanctions if Putin attacks.

Senators of both parties have been eager to show a unified front from the U.S. as tensions rise on Ukraine's border with Russia. But they shelved for now their own sanctions legislation, unable to resolve differences over the scope and timing and deferring to the White House strategy for edging Russia away from the crisis.

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Will Arnett plays your quintessential lone-wolf police detective whos reluctantly paired with a new partner each episode in the Netflix comedy Murderville, which is premised on a central gimmick: A different celebrity guest who has zero knowledge of the script joins him each time as his latest detective-in-training, and together they must solve a crime. Some on the roster, such as Conan ...
DEAR ABBY: I have been with my husband for more than 30 years. We have no kids together, but he has three adult children from a previous marriage. All of them are in their 30s. He and his ex had a bad breakup, and she has never given up on him coming back to her.

In my opinion, he has strung her along. He buys her the moon and pretends our marriage doesn't exist for the "sake of seeing the kids." We used to be close, but since the pandemic I have learned he has been going to "their house" every day before he goes to work. He pays her mortgage and does everything there for her. I pay our house bills because he needs to "support her and the kids."

They have grown super close now, and recently had a grandchild. He is too involved with her. He takes her everywhere she wants, and when I get upset or angry, he tells me I'm a selfish, childless b-word and if I had kids I would understand.

I love him, but I have reached the point where I have no self-esteem. I have asked him more than once why he doesn't go back to her. He tells me I am insecure and paranoid. Abby, I am a smart, successful woman, but I am afraid to give up what we had. I am also afraid of being alone. Am I overreacting about his closeness with her? What do I do? -- BEATEN DOWN AND FED UP

DEAR BEATEN DOWN: The man you married is emotionally abusive, selfish and dishonest. I don't know how long this scenario has been playing out, but it's as though he never really divorced his first wife. Has he been "visiting the kids" all this time, or did it start when the COVID quarantines began?

Start NOW to rebuild your sense of self-esteem by talking with a licensed mental health professional. Once you are stronger you will be in a better position to decide what you want to do. If you reread your letter, you will notice a glaring omission. Not once did you mention anything positive he does for YOU. There are worse things than being alone, and what you have described is close to it.

DEAR ABBY: Our 14-year-old granddaughter came out as a boy four months ago. The situation has been terrifying because he had thought about suicide. He was hospitalized and now sees a therapist and psychologist and is taking anxiety meds.

This has been a trying time for us as well. I love my grandchild but I'm having a very hard time with this. So is my husband. I don't know how to tell my sisters and their husbands about this. One set is pretty understanding; the other set is extremely right-wing and over-the-top conservative. We want to accept our grandchild as who he is identifying as, but we are still bewildered. Thank you for any suggestions you might have for us. -- THROWN IN TEXAS

DEAR THROWN: I don't think you should rush to share this news with your sisters and their husbands. The announcement should come from your grandchild when he is ready. As to how you and your husband should "handle" it, the organization PFLAG has recently come out with a free publication titled, "Supporting Your LGBTQ+ Grandchild." It's a quick and easy read, and you may find the information it contains helpful. Find it at pflag.org or by calling 202-467-8180.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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Two years ago, Don Brockhaus visited his primary care physician for a routine checkup, and during the exam, his doctor discovered a heart murmur.

Brockhaus was referred to Dr. Todd Tessendorf, a cardiologist at Bryan Heart who sees patients in Columbus. Tessendorf ordered an echocardiogram, which is essentially an ultrasound of the heart. It showed a very large aneurysm, or bulge in the wall of an artery, and it put Brockhaus at risk of a torn aorta, a condition that can often prove fatal.

Tessendorf immediately reached out to Dr. Robert Oakes, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Bryan Heart, to discuss the echocardiogram and follow-up tests. Oakes confirmed the diagnosis and recommended immediate surgery in Lincoln.

Don and his wife, Mary, quickly left Columbus and arrived at Bryan later that evening. He was admitted and scheduled for surgery early the next morning.

Oakes performed an aortic valve replacement, aortic root construction and ascending aorta replacement -- a complex operation that lasted more than three hours. The procedure went well with no complications, and after a few days of recovery at Bryan, Brockhaus was discharged.

Today, the 89-year-old is feeling well and has no lingering heart issues. Bryan shared his story Tuesday to celebrate American Heart Month and to highlight the importance of regular cardiac screenings.

Before his checkup, Brockhaus had no symptoms and no idea anything was wrong. Even after he was told he needed to go to Lincoln right way for surgery, "I really didn't realize anything was serious," he said.

That's common with aortic aneurysms, Tessendorf said.

"They're almost always asymptomatic until they tear," he said.

Catching them early is important, because the aortic dissection they can cause kill about 20% of people before they ever reach the hospital, while others still die even after receiving treatment.

While the risk of an aortic aneurysm increases as you age, there are factors that can increase the risk. Men, Blacks and people with high blood pressure are all at higher risk. There also are certain genetic diseases that make people more likely to develop an aortic aneurysm at even younger ages.

Heart disease and its complications kill more than 650,000 people each year in the U.S., more than any other medical condition, which is why Bryan is emphasizing the need for people to have regular checkups.

That can make the difference in finding a serious complication in time and turning it into something relatively routine.

"He's had a wonderful outcome," Tessendorf said of Brockhaus. "At 89, I think he's doing pretty well."

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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Giving kids time outside for physical and social activity helps them get ready to learn. Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

As parents and schools seek to support students social and emotional needs  and teach them what they need to learn  some education leaders are missing one particularly effective opportunity.

The U.S. Department of Education has offered guidance on how to help students navigate the stress and trauma of the pandemic and readjust to in-person schooling after long periods of closed schools. But as someone who studies recess in connection with child development, I couldnt help but notice recess was missing from the federal guidance and from many local efforts to support students as the pandemic continues to unfold.

The physical activity and social connection that take place at recess help childrens brains work and develop properly by lowering their levels of stress, regulating their nervous system and allowing them to be more engaged once back in the classroom.

Stress and the brain

The brain function of a person in a calm state is largely governed by the prefrontal cortex, which handles what are often called executive functions and the ability to regulate behavior and emotions. This makes it possible for people to follow instructions, use context clues to solve problems, pay attention and incorporate new information into existing knowledge. People with higher levels of executive function tend to perform better in school and feel better about themselves.

The brain function of a person under high levels of distress shifts to less advanced areas of the brain that handle more reactive behaviors. This disrupts those executive functions and can make the person withdrawn, distractible or hyperactive. All of those can interfere with the persons ability to learn.

This stress-related shift in brain function can also affect students motivation. Chronic, prolonged and unpredictable stress inhibits the release of dopamine, a brain chemical that helps people feel a sense of pleasure and reward during learning. In this state, learning challenges are likely to be perceived as threats, which will continue to activate more reactive brain regions and more deeply hurt the persons ability to learn.

3 ways recess helps learning

The opportunity to spend time outdoors playing is so important that the United Nations has declared it a right of every child. My research collaborators and I have found that when children have recess in a safe environment that includes positive interactions with adults and peers, students have fewer problems with executive functions and better classroom behavior. Brain science research supports this by showing how three different aspects of recess decrease stress and improve executive function, helping children learn more successfully throughout the school day.

When students have time to play outside during school, their brains return to class more ready to learn. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Research clearly shows the benefits of recess for children. Consistent, predictable recess time  even more than once a day  helps children reduce stress, form social connections at school and get their brains more ready to learn.

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Youre smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversations authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter.

William Massey has received funding from S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation; U.S. Play Coalition, Playworks.

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A freight train carrying a total of 50 containers of solar panels and solar modules departed from the Xi'an international port station Monday, heading for the Huangdao Port in east China's coastal city Qingdao, and then transporting the goods to India by ferry.

This is the first Sino-Indian rail-sea freight train launched from northwest China's Shaanxi Province this year, according to the China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd.

These solar products manufactured by a company in Shaanxi will mainly be used for the construction of local solar power stations in India. It will take about 20 days to transport the cargo to India via the rail-sea transport route.

The serious global epidemic situation still hinders the original transportation channels, therefore, the company chose the rail-sea combined mode to transport goods to destinations more efficiently, said Wang Yanli, marketing director of the company.

Bai Kuanfeng, director of the station, said that since the beginning of the year, the China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd. has further strengthened the operation of trains in international freight transport to ensure efficient loading and transportation.
Naomi Judd died Saturday at age 76. Here are some of the entertainers, leaders, athletes and other notable people we've lost so far this year.
SIOUX CITY -- An accident on Tuesday resulted in the use of a crane to rescue a stuck driver.

At 4:10 p.m., the Sioux City Police Department and Sioux City Fire Rescue responded to a single car accident on a bridge in the 900 block of Cunningham Drive.

A 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by 69-year-old Roger L. Robinson was traveling northbound on Cunningham Drive when he lost control as he approached the bridge, according to a Sioux City Police report.

The vehicle struck the concrete barrier, slide over the top of the barrier and came to rest on the walkway between the concrete barrier and the railing.

A crane - mounted to curb - was used to extract the vehicle wedged between the barriers. The drive was inside but uninjured, according to the report.

Robinson was cited for failure to maintain control.

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CALUMET, Iowa -- A Calumet man was charged with attempted murder after a short standoff Sunday with O'Brien County authorities.

The O'Brien County Sheriff's Office received a call at about 12:47 a.m. of a domestic disturbance in which the alleged victim said her husband struck her in the head with the butt of a 12-gauge shotgun, then fired a shot at her as she ran from the house in the 200 block of South Morse Avenue in Calumet.

A deputy who arrived at the residence determined that Paul Long was still inside the house and had made several statements about "wanting to shoot it out with police," according to an O'Brien County Sheriff's Office news release. The deputy called for assistance, and several area agencies responded.

Long, 41, exited the home after a short standoff and was taken into custody. He was booked into the O'Brien County Jail on charges of attempted murder, domestic abuse assault with intent to inflict serious injury, domestic abuse assault impeding air flow and domestic abuse assault causing injury. He is being held on a $30,000 bond, and a no-contact order with the victim was issued.

According to court documents, in addition to striking his wife with the gun, Long also choked her three times with his hands during the alleged assault.

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SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man is in custody on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman while threatening her with a gun.

Chandler Archer, 22, was arrested Sunday on charges of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. He is being held in the Woodbury County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

According to court documents, the alleged victim met Archer at his home between 6:37 p.m. and 7:55 p.m. Sunday. Shortly after she arrived, Archer began waving a pink handgun, putting it to his head and pulling the trigger, then putting it to the victim's head and throat and pulling the trigger numerous times.

Archer told the woman to perform a sex act with him or he would shoot her, and threatened to shoot her in the back if she left. When the victim exited the apartment, Archer pulled her by the hair, placed the gun against her throat, grabbed her by the chest and forcefully kissed her, court documents said.

The victim was able to escape and called police.

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PONCA, Neb. -- A man accused of sucking on the toes of several children and rubbing his penis on another child's feet has pleaded no contest to child pornography and six other charges.

Jose Fregoso, 27, of Wakefield, Nebraska, entered his plea Monday in Dixon County District Court to three counts of possession of a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, five counts of felony child abuse and one count of sexual assault of a child. Sentencing was scheduled for May 9.

Fregoso was arrested July 29 after a Nebraska State Patrol investigator observed three photos of naked children on Fregoso's phone during a child welfare visit at his home.

According to court documents, Fregoso told investigators he has a foot fetish and had sucked on the feet of one child who is under age 12 almost every week for about four years and that he had touched his penis to the child's feet approximately once a month for the past two years.

Investigators found videos on his phone of an adult male rubbing his penis on a child's feet.

Fregoso told authorities he sucked on the toes of other children while they were sleeping during sleepovers at his house and that he took video of some of the encounters, court documents said.

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SIOUX CITY -- Since the 1980s, students at Briar Cliff University have had the opportunity to get hands-on learning experience studying the human anatomy.

Kelsey Stevens' students split their time between the classroom and the school's cadaver lab.

The cadavers, or donors as the university calls them, are donated to the University of Iowa, which sends them to schools around the state.

Stevens, an assistant professor in the physical therapy department, said the university wants to be intentional about how they respect the donors. At the beginning of the semester, someone from the campus ministry does a donor blessing. Once a year, there is also a donor memorial service to honor those who donated their bodies to science.

Stevens has been with Briar Cliff for over two years but has been teaching anatomy for over a decade. She said she loves anatomy and her students challenge her.

In the spring, undergraduates can take the advanced anatomy and dissection course.

Stevens said her students are planning on becoming doctors, physicians assistants, occupational therapists or physical therapists.

Students get the opportunity to take what they are learning in the classroom setting, and see it first person through dissections.

She said the class has been designed as a "mini med school" to given them experience before going to professional school. Stevens has worked for the Sanford School of Medicine and modeled the program to prepare students for that type of program.

Students will do prep work outside of the class time, where they listen to prerecorded lectures and do readings. For the first half hour of the class, Stevens will answer student questions. She will also prompt them with application questions to challenge the students to learn at a deeper level.

"They have to know the name of this muscle, but that won't be the question I ask. I'll say 'you have a nerve damage to a particular nerve, what muscles will be impacted?'" she said.

After the undergraduate class, Doctor of Physical Therapy students get to utilize the same donors in the summer.

"[The undergraduates] know that as we work we have to take special care to preserve the structures," she said.

Special dissections will take place during the undergraduate class to look at clinically relevant parts of the body, such as joints for physical therapist students.

"So that when the DPT's come in the summer, they can see pathologies like arthritis, or maybe a knee surgery," she said.

She said the undergraduates are helping the graduates learn by already conducting the dissections. This allows the graduates extra time to apply what they are learning.

The university's new occupational therapy doctorate program students will also utilize the cadaver lab.

Stevens said it is amazing to see students who want to help people and change lives.

Currently there are 10 students in the undergraduate class.

Abbie Ericson, a senior majoring in physical therapy, said the class has been different from any other she has taken.

"It's more hands on and more applied towards graduate programs," she said. "It's harder than the other classes I have had but way more interesting."

Sophie Kramper, a senior majoring in exercise physiology, agreed, saying the experience is like being in graduate school.

For students who are not taking the classes, there is a new anatomy interest group. People from around campus are invited to special dissections.

For example, the group did a pelvic floor dissection, which is a growing area of medicine. Pelvic floor specialists came from Sioux Falls to speak with the students about the area and talk through the dissection.

"We want to do more activities where we bring in our students, our faculty and professionals so that they can interact and learn from each other," Stevens said.

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SIOUX CITY -- After a dozen years serving in the Iowa Legislature, Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, said Tuesday he will retire at the end of this year.

"It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of Sioux City," Hall said in a press release. "For twelve years, I have sought to be a voice of reason and tireless advocate for our community. Ive sought to represent every voter in my district whether they supported me or not. Public service is not about grabbing a headline. Its about doing the right thing in the face of headwinds and living by your word."

Last week, Hall said he would pass on seeking the Democratic nomination for governor this year, citing concerns about being able to commit the necessary financial resources and saying he didn't believe he had enough name recognition in the state.

Hall won his first term in the House in 2010 against Republican Cate Bryan after five-term State Rep. Roger Wendt, D-Sioux City, opted to not run for re-election. He then won re-election five times. In his news release Tuesday, Hall noted he "consistently out-performing the top of the Democratic ticket by an average of 24.6 percent."

House District 13, which Hall currently represents, covers large chunks of Sioux City's west side. As part of statewide redistricting, the district he lives in has been redrawn and renumbered as District 1 beginning in the 2022 election.

While in the Legislature, Hall noted he pushed for localization of the Iowa Reinvestment Act to help redevelop downtown Sioux City, provided service-disabled veterans with additional support when starting or growing their small business, helped bring the ride-sharing services Lyft and Uber to Sioux City and kept the Targeted Jobs program authorized. The last of those is intended to help Iowa keep pace with neighboring states in the job market by letting businesses in border cities like Sioux City apply for tax credits to relocate or expand in Iowa.

"During his tenure, he has been a leading advocate for working families and taxpayer transparency," Democratic House Leader Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights said in the release.

Hall's grandfather, the late Conny Bodine, was a former Sioux City mayor and city manager. His father, Linn Hall, served as director at the Department of Corrections office in Sioux City for 37 years and his mother, Tina, retired from the U.S. Federal Bankruptcy Court.

No candidates have formally announced for House District 1. The candidate filing period for the June 7 primary for state and federal offices begins Feb. 28 and end March 18, according to the Iowa Secretary of State.

Jared McNett is an online editor and reporter for the Sioux City Journal. You can reach him at 712-293-4234 and follow him on Twitter @TwoHeadedBoy98.

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China's outstanding yuan funds for foreign exchange expanded month on month at the end of January, according to central bank data released on Tuesday.

The funds stood at nearly 21.3 trillion yuan (about 3.35 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of January, up 33.34 billion yuan from the previous month, the People's Bank of China data shows.

As the Chinese yuan is not freely convertible under the capital account, the central bank has to purchase foreign currency generated by a trade surplus and foreign investment in the country, adding funds to the money market. Such funds are an important indicator of cross-border foreign capital flows and domestic yuan liquidity.

China's forex holdings came in at 3.2216 trillion U.S. dollars at the end of January, down 28.5 billion U.S. dollars, or 0.88 percent, from the end of 2021, data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange shows.
China's January data on local government bonds bear testimony to the speed and effectiveness in fund allocations for ensuring stable growth this year and going forward, which could help boost investments in infrastructure and improve livelihoods, experts said on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Ministry of Finance disclosed that to date, some 1.788 trillion yuan ($278 billion) of this year's newly increased debt limit of local government bonds has been allocated in advance. Of the amount already allocated, 1.46 trillion yuan is for local government special bond quota.

In January, some 698.90 billion yuan worth of local government bonds have been issued by 24 localities. Among them, some 583.70 billion yuan was from the newly increased local government bond quota that accounts for about 33 percent of this year's total.

Major areas that will likely receive investment include transportation infrastructure, municipal construction and industrial parks.

Experts said local bond issuances mirror front-loading of measures for stable growth.

"It can be summarized from the fund issuance figures in January that a major proportion has been funneled into key infrastructure investment areas, suggesting heavyweight measures are in place to play a role in keeping investment stable," said Shi Yinghua, an economics professor at the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences.

Shi said this signals private investment should also flow toward building infrastructure and underpinning growth.

"Compared with last January, this year, net financing from these local bonds increased by some 282.60 billion yuan," said Gao Ruidong, chief economist at Everbright Securities. "This indicates that local government bonds are issued to keep economic growth stable and made higher actual use of the funds earlier than before, to make an early impact."

Gao noted that some 63 percent of the funds released are funneled into infrastructure projects. More than half of these bonds will generate economic activities in transportation and industrial parks in cities.

"Also, the proportion of local government bond funds flowing into agriculture, forestry, water conservancy, ecological and environmental protection, and cold chain logistics has increased compared with last year," he said. "All these facts suggest the intensity of fiscal support for infrastructure is increasing."

January bond data, Gao said, show transportation infrastructure, municipal construction and industrial parks will be crucial in keeping investment stable this year.

Infrastructure investment relating to urban renovation, green growth and environmental protection is likely to emerge as a new growth driver, he said.
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. (AP)  A young girl reported missing in 2019 was found hidden under a staircase by officers searching a home in New York's Hudson Valley, police said Tuesday.

The child was found in good health Monday night in a Saugerties home about 130 miles (210 kilometers) east of Cayuga Heights, where she was reported missing in July 2019, when she was 4 years old, according to Saugerties police.

Police said they initially suspected she had been abducted by her noncustodial parents.

Officers executing a search warrant found the girl hidden with her noncustodial mother in a cold, wet, makeshift enclosure under a basement staircase after about an hour of looking. They caught a first glimpse of the girl's feet after removing some wooden steps, according to police.

Paramedics found the girl to be in good health. She was turned over to her legal guardian and reunited with her older sister.

The noncustodial parents and a third person were arraigned on charges of custodial interference and endangering the welfare of a child.

It could not immediately be determined whether any of them had attorneys to represent them.

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A former assistant warden at a state correctional facility in Lincoln, who was arrested in January, is accused of sexually abusing a man convicted of first-degree murder, according to new court filings.

Sarah Nelson Torsiello, 45, most recently worked at Nebraska's Reception and Treatment Center, formerly the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center and the Lincoln Correctional Center, where she's accused of kissing and groping the 37-year-old who is serving a life sentence, according to the affidavit for her arrest.

Torsiello was arrested and later charged with first- and second-degree sexual abuse of an inmate and unlawful acts by any person. The affidavit for her arrest became public when she was charged Friday.

At the time of her arrest, Torsiello had worked for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services for more than 18 years, starting in August 2003. She resigned after her arrest.

Torsiello purchased a burner phone for the inmate, according to the affidavit. Her alleged relationship with the incarcerated man went on for six days in early December  about a month before the Nebraska State Patrol arrested her.

The former assistant warden was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond when she was arrested. As part of her bond conditions, Torsiello is barred from contacting the inmate she's alleged to have abused, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Bruce Prenda said.

It is extremely disappointing that someone in this position now faces felony charges," Scott Frakes, the director of the Department of Correctional Services, said in a news release announcing Torsiello's arrest.

"These are serious offenses. Inappropriate behavior involving a member of the inmate population will not be tolerated in NDCS.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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DES MOINES  Legislation to make sure Iowans receiving public assistance are the truly eligible was approved by the House Human Resources Committee on Tuesday over Democratic concerns that the cost of the bill would be more than the savings.

Theres a lot of good things in this bill, Rep. Tom Jeneary, R-Le Mars, said in explaining that House Study Bill 698 would codify practices for authenticating identity and eligibility of applicants for public assistance programs.

If enacted, applicants would have to complete an authentication process to confirm their identity through the use of a knowledge-based questionnaire consisting of financial and personal questions tailored to assist people without a bank account or those who have poor access to financial and banking services or who do not have an established credit history.

In addition, HSB 698 would require the Department of Human Services to cross-check, at least monthly, information about Iowans enrolled in a food assistance program or Medicaid using federal databases including Social Security, the departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development and the FBI. The eligibility of every member of a household would have to be verified using nationwide public records, including records of real property and automobiles, watercraft, aircraft, luxury vehicles and any other vehicles owned by the applicant. The bill would require anyone seeking food assistance to cooperate with the Child Support Recovery Unit.

Rep. Kristin Sunde, D-West Des Moines, questioned whether the investment would be worth it. Looking at the experiences of other states, the return on investment has been poor. Sunde also pointed out the committee doesnt know how many DHS staff members will be needed and at what cost.

I feel like its more hoops to jump through, Sunde said. Im just concerned that at a time when grocery costs are skyrocketing and we know that (food stamp) recipients are already having their benefits reduced, I just want to move forward with ultimate caution because, in the end, I dont want kids to be impacted adversely.

The committee voted 13-8 to move the bill to the full House.

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DES MOINES  Iowas 44-year-old bottle bill is sinking and legislative attempts to fix it are nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs, a grocery company lobbyist told lawmakers Tuesday.

Its the Titanic. Its sinking and we all know it, former legislator Chip Baltimore told a House Commerce subcommittee considering House Study Bill 709. The bill, the Fareway lobbyist said, is kind of like the orchestra playing on the deck. It makes everybody feel better as the ship is sinking.

Speakers at the hearing expressed a lot of love for the bottle bill that requires customers pay a nickel deposit on carbonated beverage cans and bottles, which they get back when they return empties to stores or redemptions centers. Retailers return containers to distributors, who reimburse them for the nickel deposit plus 1 cent to cover handling costs.

However, there wasnt much love for the bill as it is written. There also were questions about legislators commitment and ability to pass a fix.

The key, Rep. Shannon Lundgren, R-Peosta, told lobbyists, is to reach an agreement that can be presented to leadership.

The buck stops in the Speakers Office, she said, so there needs to be agreement so that you dont have both sides going back to the Speakers Office and fighting for the direction that you want to go. If we have a tug-of-war, its not going to happen.

House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, has expressed interest in finding an agreement.

But every time it seems like we get right to that point, everybody gets cold feet, he said before the legislative session opened in January. If anything is going to happen, we have to be willing to accept that everyone will not like what we do.

Im for doing something about it as long as it doesnt eliminate the program, Grassley added.

Theres a lot of money at stake. Dustin Miller of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association said an estimated 2 billion cans and bottles covered by the bottle bill are sold in Iowa each year. That represents $10 million in deposits or 200 million nickels.

An unanswered question is how much the distributors retain when containers arent redeemed. Some estimates put that number at $20 million to $50 million. Until that number is available, Miller said, the actual redemption rate is unknown.

HSB 709 and Senate Study Bill 3033 would increase the handling fee to 2 cents split between distributors and retailers and allow retailers to opt out of redeeming cans and bottles if there is a redemption center within 15 miles.

Following Gov. Kim Reynolds suspension of redemptions in grocery stores and other retailers during the coronavirus pandemic, some retailers are moving on from in-store redemption.

To set aside actual building space, to warehouse garbage is really a non-productive use of anybodys investment, Baltimore said.

Kwik Trip has built about 15 stores in the recent past, and we did not add any storage area for cans and bottles, lobbyist Larry Blixit told the panel.

Were not a gas-and-go, pop and candy store, Blixit said. Were preparing food. I dont think we want to be in the can and bottle business anymore. We give you a lot of horror stories about that.

The subcommittee agreed to move the bill to the full committee. Either the House or Senate version must win committee approval before the end of the week to remain alive for further consideration.

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DES MOINES  Iowas 44-year-old bottle bill is sinking and legislative attempts to fix it are nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs, a grocery lobbyist told lawmakers Tuesday.

Its the Titanic. Its sinking and we all know it, former legislator Chip Baltimore told a House Commerce subcommittee considering House Study Bill 709. The bill, the Fareway lobbyist said, is kind of like the orchestra playing on the deck. It makes everybody feel better as the ship is sinking.

Speakers at the hearing expressed a lot of love for the bottle bill that requires customers pay a nickel deposit on carbonated beverage cans and bottles, which they get back when they return empties to stores or redemptions centers. Retailers return containers to distributors, who reimburse them for the nickel deposit plus 1 cent to cover handling costs.

However, there wasnt much love for the bill as it is written. There also were questions about legislators commitment and ability to pass a fix.

The key, Rep. Shannon Lundgren, R-Peosta, told lobbyists, is to reach an agreement that can be presented to leadership.

The buck stops in the Speakers Office, she said, so there needs to be agreement so that you dont have both sides going back to the Speakers Office and fighting for the direction that you want to go. If we have a tug-of-war, its not going to happen.

House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, has expressed interest in finding an agreement.

But every time it seems like we get right to that point, everybody gets cold feet, he said before the legislative session opened in January. If anything is going to happen, we have to be willing to accept that everyone will not like what we do.

Im for doing something about it as long as it doesnt eliminate the program, Grassley added.

Theres a lot of money at stake. Dustin Miller of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association said an estimated 2 billion cans and bottles covered by the bottle bill are sold in Iowa each year. That represents $10 million in deposits or 200 million nickels.

An unanswered question is how much the distributors retain when containers arent redeemed. Some estimates put that number at $20 million to $50 million. Until that number is available, Miller said, the actual redemption rate is unknown.

HSB 709 and Senate Study Bill 3033 would increase the handling fee to 2 cents split between distributors and retailers and allow retailers to opt out of redeeming cans and bottles if there is a redemption center within 15 miles.

Following Gov. Kim Reynolds suspension of redemptions in grocery stores and other retailers during the coronavirus pandemic, some retailers are moving on from in-store redemption.

To set aside actual building space, to warehouse garbage is really a non-productive use of anybodys investment, Baltimore said.

Kwik Trip has built about 15 stores in the recent past, and we did not add any storage area for cans and bottles, lobbyist Larry Blixit told the panel.

Were not a gas-and-go, pop and candy store, Blixit said. Were preparing food. I dont think we want to be in the can and bottle business anymore. We give you a lot of horror stories about that.

The subcommittee agreed to move the bill to the full committee. Either the House or Senate version must win committee approval before the end of the week to remain alive for further consideration.

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Chinese prosecutors stepped up their efforts against financial crimes in 2021, a senior prosecutor with the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Tuesday.

In the first 11 months of 2021, the number of suspects charged with crimes related to securities and futures increased by 90.1 percent year on year to 211, said Zheng Xinjian, an SPP senior prosecutor.

The establishment of an SPP office in the China Securities Regulatory Commission has facilitated the crackdown on securities-related crimes and sent a strong signal to the capital market, said Zheng.

Through this office, prosecutors, securities regulators, and police have enhanced their cooperation, and local prosecuting agencies received better instruction and supervision, he said.

Prosecuting agencies also maintained high pressure on illegal fundraising. In the first 11 months of 2021, more than 20,000 suspects were indicted for illegally raising funds from the public, and around 1,800 suspects were indicted for fundraising fraud.

The number of money laundering cases filed by prosecutors nationwide from January to November 2021 increased by 117 percent year on year, Zheng added.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln said Tuesday it will delay plans to sell or redevelop the family housing units, which are home to hundreds of married students and those with families.

The announcement marks an abrupt change of course days after those students were notified their leases would end on June 30, forcing them to find new housing arrangements.

Several hundred people, most of them international students, reside in the three properties UNL had proposed selling or re-purposing: Colonial Terrace near 33rd and Starr streets; a complex at 2224 U St.; and a pair of apartment buildings near 23rd and Vine streets.

In an email Tuesday afternoon, Katherine Ankerson, UNL's executive vice chancellor, apologized for the way the news was delivered late last week and said the university has put the projects on hold.

"We will pause further action until we can develop a plan to minimize impact to current residents in each of the university's family housing properties," Ankerson wrote.

Residents of those housing units, as well as faculty, administrators and student representatives will be included in discussions moving forward, she added.

"We truly apologize for any distress our messaging may have caused you and your family," Ankerson said. "We strive to do better in the future."

The NU Board of Regents approved a plan to put Colonial Terrace, which is near East Campus, up for sale last week shortly before UNL notified the students in the family housing units their leases would end.

Charlie Francis, director of University Housing and Dining Services, said UNL determined it was more cost effective to sell the properties than to "make significant investments in infrastructure over the next few years."

The news left many residents of the family housing units feeling nervous and betrayed.

On Sunday, residents of the three complexes met outside the Vine Street Apartments to discuss how to coordinate their efforts moving forward.

Several ideas were shared at the ad hoc meeting, including enlisting the help of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska and the Graduate Student Assembly.

Others suggested asking for compensation and help in finding new accommodations, or requesting an extension to the move-out date to allow current residents to finish their academic programs.

Those ideas and more were shared in a Zoom call with UNL housing administrators on Monday, which at times got heated as students expressed their frustration with the decision process.

Alireza Khodaei, a Ph.D. candidate in computer science and engineering, told administrators that UNL had worked for years to build a strong international community.

Closing the family housing units, which allow graduate students and their families to live in a community close to campus, would ruin the reputation the university had built, Khodaei said.

"It's a huge impact on the whole community," he said. "There are people from the Middle East, Chinese, Africans. All of these people UNL has tried to gather here as a plan for grabbing a more diverse range of students.

"You would destroy it," Khodaei told UNL administrators.

UNL told the participants on the Zoom it would continue a dialogue about the potential sale in the days to come, but a day later said it was holding off taking further action.

Brad LaMotte, a first-year graduate student in technical direction at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film who lives in the Vine Street Apartments with his wife and daughter, said Tuesday he was relieved UNL decided to reconsider its decision.

Those living in the family housing units plan to continue meeting and discussing plans for the community's best interests, LaMotte said.

"I'm very proud to be a part of this community," he said. "I am amazed by the grace and humility they have shown in response to difficult news. I have full confidence in my neighbors that we will take care of each other."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS

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In Episode 5 of Hulus Pam & Tommy, familiarity with the couples sex tape expands from internet early adopters and video pornography enthusiasts into the mainstream, and this wider visibility poses an increasing threat to Pams movie career and her relationship with Tommy. We take a look at how closely the show sticks to reality.

Was the Sex Tape Sold on a Random Website?

Milton Ingley (Nick Offerman) hires a techie to create a website to sell the tape. The site does not feature video clips, just photos and a phone number you can call to order the tape.

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The episode is true to the primitive state of the internet in 1996, when only about 25 million Americans were online. The first e-commerce transaction came in 1994, and retailers were just starting to invest in the technology (an online bookstore called Amazon.com was up and running that same year). Streaming video was almost nonexistentit was quite a tall order for the dial-up connections of the timebut the porn industry was an early pioneer on that front. According to Rolling Stone, the websites Milton Ingley had made, pamsex.com, pamlee.com, and pamsextape.com, gave instructions to send a money order to the New York outpost of a Canadian T-shirt company, which then funneled the money to a bank account in Amsterdam.

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Sign up for the Slate Culture Newsletter The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

Did Tommy Get Into a Fight at the Viper Room?

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Tommy is becoming a sort of rock n roll Norman Maine, brooding in his L.A. mansion on his declining career while encouraging his new wifes ascendant one. As Pam is being interviewed for a profile in Glamour to tie in with the release of her film Barb Wire, Tommy looks at his platinum records, aware that Motley Crues sales are sinking and the band is becoming passe in an age of grunge. He goes solo to the Viper Room, where he doesnt like the (grunge) music or the fact that the girls are ignoring him. He cheers up when he encounters two fans in the mens room, but when one says admiringly that the sex tape is the best thing Lee has done since a record made in 1987, Tommy decks him and the fight makes the evening news, much to the disapproval of Pams publicist.

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Lee did go to the Viper Room and get into a fight that made the evening news, although the circumstances were a bit different. For one thing, he was at the club with Anderson. For another, it wasnt two fans he beat up in a urinal but a tabloid TV cameraman named Henry Trappler, one of several paparazzi who swarmed the couple as they were leaving. Trappler suffered a displaced hip when Lee threw him to the ground outside the club. The incident was caught on tape, and Lee was charged with battery.

Did Tommy and Pam Sue Bob Guccione?

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Bob Guccione (Maxwell Caulfield), the publisher of Penthouse and the great rival of Pams patron Hugh Hefner, is finally persuaded the tape is more than a home movie and watches it. Soon after, Tommy gets wind that Penthouse is going to be running stills from the tape and hires lawyers to get an injunction against Penthouse and to sue Guccione for invasion of privacy. Pam has reservations, arguing that the lawsuit will kill off any chance of the tapes notoriety fizzling out on its own, but Tommy and the lawyers dismiss her concerns, saying a lawsuit is the only way to stop Guccione from publishing. The couple file a civil suit claiming $10 million in damages. Gucciones reaction is to cite freedom of speech and to tell his staff to run the nastiest frames. Pam is proved right when the very fact of the lawsuit makes the tape newsworthy enough to be reported on by the likes of the Los Angeles Times and to become a point of mainstream discussion.

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This is pretty much what happened. Penthouse admitted to having the tape but promised the couple not to run any images from it. Nevertheless, in March 1996 Lee and Anderson were rattled enough to file a $10 million civil suit against not only Guccione but also Gauthier and any of his associates who they thought might be involved in disseminating copies. They also attempted to sue Penthouse separately to prevent publication of any part of the tape, but a judge denied that request. Gucciones response was to put Anderson on the cover and run a story describing the tape in juicy detail. The magazine was scared off of printing stills from the video without copyright permission and instead used stolen Polaroids that had already been published in April 1995 in the French and Dutch editions of Penthouse and the porn magazine Screw. On the basis of that previous publication, Penthouse had legal cover for using them. Anderson notably said in an interview, When I saw the first Polaroid, I was like, Whoa, baby, we should frame this.  In the end, who cares?
Floridas Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, has been undergoing an evolution. It all started in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, when it became clear Donald Trump had lost and his acolytes, like DeSantis, started looking for their next move. The governor began to fixate on a new word, woke, and was soon talking about wokeness all the time. According to him, Big Tech is woke, colleges are definitely woke, and so is infrastructure. The governors even proposed legislation that he calls the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, which stands for Stop wrongs against our kids and employees. Its the same kind of anticritical race theory law a lot of states have been passing, but with an acronym. Is this part of a strategy for DeSantis to prepare for a presidential run? To find out, I spoke with Mary Ellen Klas, the Miami Heralds Capitol bureau chief, on Wednesdays episode of What Next. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Mary Harris: Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing legislation that would tamp down hard on speech. The Stop W.O.K.E Act, for example, would bar schools and workplaces from facilitating conversations that could make someone feel responsible for historic wrongs because of their race, color, sex, or national origin. Then theres the Dont Say Gay bill, which would ban schools from encouraging discussions of sexuality or gender that arent age-appropriate. The problem is, what is and isnt prohibited here isnt clear.

Mary Ellen Klas: Thats the key thing. They dont define it and the intention here is to just kind of freeze teachers in fear of what kinds of discussions they can engage in. Parents get to decide if its age-appropriate or not, because they have an enforcement tool under this law they could use to sue. The interesting thing is, school teachers and school districts have gone to the Capitol basically saying, This is unworkable, its not realistic to expect us to manage this. But it doesnt seem as if thats really what the government is concerned about. Theyre not too focused on making this workable.

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There are other pieces of legislation DeSantis has been pushing that also caught my eye, like this idea he was going to create election police to look out for some kind of fraud, and the idea that thered be a 15-week abortion ban modeled after what Mississippis put out there. Its all really conservative stuff, when what Ive always thought about Florida is that its basically a purple state. Am I misreading it?

Florida continues to be a very purple place in its urban areas. However, overall the state has grown so much that I think weve actually tipped the balance and are now almost reliably red. Thats something thats been playing out for the last few couple election cycles. The states just had a flood of new residents, many of whom are registering as Republican, and for the first time in more than 100 years, Republicans now outnumber Democrats in voter registration.

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Its Ron DeSantis goal to solidify this perceived Republican advantage through the redistricting process. Hes found a way to be extreme in this regard too, pushing a new voting map that would eliminate a Democratic district where a plurality of voters are Black.

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If you think about what the governors long-term goal is, he wants to be known as a powerful Republican on the national stage. Theres nothing that could burnish his record more than if he helped get Congress Republican. Certainly one way to do that is to draw maps that give Republicans a greater advantage in Congress in Florida. So the governor did something that no governor has ever done publicly, and that is submitting a congressional map

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Is he allowed to do that?

I mean, everybodys allowed to submit a map. Theres nothing preventing him from doing it. He submits legislation and then the Legislature just rewrites it. So it was along those lines that he submitted this map. So he sends the Legislature a map, and the map dismantles two of the plurality-Black districts, divides them up, and makes sure that there are 18 Republican seats and only 10 Democrat seats.

This was after a little bit of a pressure campaign from Steve Bannon, right?

Right. Bannon is taking credit for persuading this governor to submit a map because the Florida Legislature had moved forward with some maps that were pretty close to the existing maps. And that didnt give Republicans this massive advantage. So Bannon got on his podcast, told all his viewers to write or call Ron DeSantis and tell him he needed to draw more partisan maps. Thats what happened.

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Floridas got a unique provision in our state constitution that mirrors the federal Voting Rights Act, and it says you cannot diminish the voting strength of a minority group. So when the governor dismantles these Black voting districtsone in the Orlando area and another in North Floridathe Legislature is wary. They were embroiled in a legal battle in the last redistricting cycle because they violated the standards in the state constitution. So the Legislature pushed back, the state Senate passed its map and ignored the governors map, and then it was on the state Houses plate. Well see this week how that plays out.

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How have these ultraconservative moves affected DeSantis financially?

I think theyve worked very well for him. Hes raised almost $100 million dollars for his gubernatorial campaign, and you can go very far with that kind of money in Florida.

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When reporters look at this war chest DeSantis is piling up as he complains about a woke mob, they cant help but wonder if hell be trying to spend it not only on his gubernatorial reelection later this year but on a presidential bid come 2024. Yet for DeSantis, running for president is complicated. Because Donald Trump is likely to run in 2024, and DeSantis owes a lot to the former president.

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Ron DeSantis can credit Donald Trump with making him governor. DeSantis was only a little-known congressman when he ran for the state.

Did you think he was a shoo-in?

No, the person who looked like he was going to be the favorite was a former Republican congressman and agriculture commissioner, which is a pretty powerful job in the state. That was Adam Putnam. DeSantis challenges Putnam and Donald Trump, then endorses DeSantis. That allowed him to catapult over Putnam and a couple of other Republicans in the field, and then he won the primary.

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I read that Trump even sent staffers to work with DeSantis.

Trumps primary political director in Florida went to work for Ron DeSantis and was able to use his network and Trumps base of supporters to really help elevate DeSantis.

Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump were politically close, not just ideologically aligned. Are they close now?

I think things have become increasingly very tense. I mean, we have heard DeSantis is resentful of the fact that Trump expects him to bend the knee so much, and Trump is resentful because DeSantis doesnt seem grateful and loyal enough to him. Every time DeSantis is asked if hell be a candidate for president in 2024, his answer is, I am focused on Florida. I am running for reelection.

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Of course, Trump wants to hear: There is no way Im going to challenge Donald Trump. If he wants to run, Im 100 percent behind him. But DeSantis is not saying that, and that has raised a lot of speculation. Many Trump supporters see Ron DeSantis as maybe a smarter Donald Trump, somebody who has a little more finesse and is certainly younger. Its a difficult place for DeSantis to navigate because, as you mentioned, hes got former staffers who worked for Trump. So in order for DeSantis to get elevated on the national stage, Trump has to be diminished or acquiesce, and we all know its very unlikely Trump is going to acquiesce.

Do you think DeSantis political fortunes rise or fall on whether all this legislation we talked aboutthe Stop W.O.K.E Act, the Dont Say Gay billpasses or fails? Or is it sufficient that he just said these things out loud?

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Well, a lot of a lot of these very controversial ideas get challenged in courts, many of which are throwing them out or putting a hold on them. It really hasnt mattered. Hes able to say, I pushed this. Its not law, but much of this is fighting for notion and the headline.

Many of these things will be challenged in court. I think theyd be enormous First Amendment violations if they are sustained and allowed to become law. They will have dramatic consequences on what people can say in Florida and how people can behave. They will have a chilling effect in business and schools. But I dont think that is Florida Republicans ultimate goal. I think they just want to be in it for the fight.

Ive covered the Florida Legislature for 30 years, and we never have seen them talk about the need to create legislation that prevents people from feeling bad because somebody may talk about this countrys racist past. No one has ever raised that as a threat. But DeSantis has shown that he can change based on where the political winds will take him.

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In early February, J.D. Vance, the Hillbilly Elegy author who is now running for Senate from Ohio, tweeted out his support for something called the Public Health Protection Pledge.

Styled to look like an official certificate of completion, the pledge asserts that whoever signs it promises to subpoena Dr. Anthony Fauci in order to investigate any corrupt activities to which he may be party regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

It also promises to sponsor and vote for legislation that reduces Faucis salary to $0.00.

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Vance signed his name with a flourish and the date. The document included a witness signature, too. Time to end the tyranny of Dr. Fauci, Vance wrote on Twitter.

This is the trendy new gesture conservatives are making to cash in on the anger of red America: To date, more than a dozen congressional candidates have signed this pledge, which was authored by the Daily Wires Michael Knowlespresumably because these candidates believe that Fauci is, as the pledge puts it, lying to the American people regarding the virus, its origin, and the efficacy of public health measures to fight it.

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Many signees, including Vance, upped the ante by alluding vaguely to some kind of secret maliciousness on the public health officials part. Dr. Fauci is corrupt to the core, tweeted one, from Texas. Fauci should spend the rest of his life rotting away in a federal prison, quipped another, running in Florida. Yet another, also from Florida, declared: we MUST throw Faucis corrupt ass in jail!

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To be clear, the pledge itself makes no specific accusations of wrongdoing. It doesnt need to: Fauci has become an effective boogeyman for the rightinvoked to whip up anger against the bureaucratic establishment and blamed for both the pandemic and the measures that were put in place to curb it.

As Andrew Jewett, a historian who wrote a book on cultural battles over science and scientific authority, put it: Fauci has become an ideal representation of the powerful and out-of-touch unelected bureaucrat, a character deemed suspect multiple times over.

Indeed, the New York Times reported that verbal attacks against Fauci have intensified ahead of looming midterm elections. Fauci-focused Republican attack ads include a Fire Fauci ad by Ohio Senate candidate Jane Timken; a Twitter ad by Dr. Oz, who is running for Senate in Pennsylvania, which calls on Fauci to debate him; and an ad by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis telling Fauci to pound sand.

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Its a political strategy, yes, but the Fauci ads and the anti-Fauci pledge are also tapping into real, widespread hatred of the scientist, fed by Facebook pages peddling conspiracy theories as well as by conservative media channels.

One conspiracy theory, known as the gain-of-function theorywhich blames the U.S. scientific establishment and Fauci for actually creating or at least strengthening the virus, albeit indirectlyis among those gaining ground. (It was referenced directly in the pledge tweet of Alabama Senate candidate Katie Britt, and other candidates alluded to it in questions about the truth about the origins of Covid-19.)

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Last week alone, there was a 90 percent spike in searches for gain of function research Wuhan, according to data from Google. A similar phrase saw 2 times more searches than the week before.

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So what is the gain-of-function conspiracy theory?

The short answer is that it is an idea that incorrectly connects U.S. funding that was used by the Wuhan Institute of Virology to study bat coronaviruses to a theory (also incorrect) that the institute createdand leakedCOVID-19.

The longer answer goes like this:

In 2014, the National Institutes of Health awarded a grant to a nonprofit called EcoHealth Alliance to fund research into how bat coronaviruses might mutate to infect humans, in hopes of preventing future pandemics.

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Crucially, for the xenophobic elements of the conspiracy theories to come, EcoHealth Alliance collaborated with scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which, as an institution, had been studying these coronaviruses for years. Thus, indirectly, the institute received support from the NIH grant.

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In 2018 and 2019, an experiment was conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in which a modified coronavirusnot shown to be infectious in humans and only very distantly related to the COVID-19 virusproved unexpectedly infectious among the test mice. This was not necessarily an alarming outcome, but soon afterward the NIH pulled the funding for the project.

The reasoning, which the NIH later laid out in a letter, was that EcoHealth scientists involved in the experiment didnt immediately report the results for secondary reviewviolating the rules of the grant, which was predicated on a second layer of scrutiny for the experiment due to its sensitive nature. (EcoHealth has disagreed with the NIH assessment and has said there was a communication issue with the agency over the reporting process.)

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Then, this series of events, routine in scientific research, got politicized.

Last year, in a May Senate hearing dedicated to the federal response to the pandemic, Sen. Rand Paul referenced the incident to accuse the Wuhan Institute of Virology of juicing up superviruses. He accused Fauci of complicity when it came to the NIH funding of the lab in Wuhan and lambasted gain-of-function researcha technical term for a kind of research that modifies existing pathogens, often to make them more threatening to humans in order to study them and prevent illness.

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At the Senate hearing, Fauci responded to Paul with what the NIH has maintained is a technically correct answer: that the institute never funded gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

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But there remained one big sticking point. The experiment that was indirectly funded could actually have been classified as gain-of-function, according to several experts. That doesnt imply that the research was bad or that EcoHealth experiments were necessarily too risky. It was a disagreement about terminology. But the flames of a conspiracy theory were fanned.

Right-wing commentators seized on the technical argument over a scientific definition to reach an absurd conclusion: that the NIH had directly funded the source of the pandemic, and that Fauci lied to the American public. Or as Tucker Carlson so incorrectly and ridiculously put it on Fox News in May: The guy in charge of Americas response to COVID turns out to be the guy who funded the creation of COVID.

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Again, I must repeat: This is untrue.

But its hard to easily and quickly disabuse people of belief in the gain-of-function conspiracy theory because Fauci did grow testy with the grilling at the Senate hearing, and he did sidestep bigger picture questions by relying on technicalities in his answers. On top of it all, there is legitimate scientific debate over the merits of conducting such experiments on viruses because of their potential to spread disease or start pandemics.

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Still, Fauci did not fund research that led to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Jewett, the historian and author of Science Under Fire, a conspiracy theory in this vein may have been inevitable. We struggle to understand impersonal forces, large structural patterns, so we tend to personify them, Jewett said. We want to believe that somebody made the choice, so we can undo that choice by going after that person.

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Fauci is just the most powerful scapegoat for pandemic anguish. Hes the biggest representation of science enmeshed with government that weve potentially ever had, Jewett said.

And that is a potent blend.

Trust in science is about as high as any institution, Jewett said. Higher than churches, and as high as the military. But views of scientists are very poor. Theres a rampant belief that scientists are corrupt, that theyre falsifying data, that there are no mechanisms to catch that. Thats risen dramatically in the last decades and, I assume, the last few years.

The anger directed at scientists who tell us bad news, ironically, may have something to do with wanting to protect the concept of science itself. As we go through the world and encounter scientific theories or techniques we dont like, instead of indicting science as a whole, we try to find bad apples, Jewett said.

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Fauci himself hasnt been doing anything particularly different in terms of his visibility on the topic of the pandemic. According to data from Media Matters, his appearances on cable news have remained constant, apart from a dip in summer and fall 2020. (He has appeared less often on Fox News since Joe Bidens election.)

Its the vitriol and conspiratorial thinking around the pandemicand whom to blame for itthat have ballooned as months have turned into years. Maybe Fauci could have been more transparent about some of the politics of public health, or maybe he could have summoned more patience in his dealings with antagonistic Republican lawmakers.

Given the stubbornness of the vocal anti-vaxxers, it seems unlikely that that would have done any good. But as Jewett noted, Fauci, a man who has spent his career grappling with politically charged health crises, seems prepared for that.
Even if Vladimir Putin decides not to invade Ukraine, as he has signaled the past few days, that might not mean hell end the crisis peacefully or diplomatically. The Russian president has another card he might playa brusque, brutal move that would end the standoff to his advantage.

On Tuesday, the Duma, Russias parliament, passed a resolution authorizing Putin to recognize the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republicthe two provinces of Ukraines southeastern Donbas region, which are occupied by armed pro-Russia separatistsas independent states. He could next move thousands of troops, tanks, and other weapons into the territories, at the request of their leaders, to defend their people from Ukrainian assault.

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In this way, Putin could keep up the military pressure on the Ukrainian government without facing the many risks of a full-scale invasion. He could also further obstruct Ukraines already-forlorn prospects for membership in NATOPutins main goalsince, in order to join the U.S.-led military alliance, a state must have stable borders, among other qualities.

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The resolution doesnt force Putin to recognize the breakaway republics, and, all things equal, he would rather not. In recent months, he has blocked ultranationalist factions in the Duma from bringing up a similar resolution, because he preferred maintaining Donbas as a part of Ukraine, so that the separatists could continue destabilizing the national government in Kyiv. More than 14,000 people have been killed in the war that has raged between the separatists and the Ukraine army since 2014. Also, the Minsk Agreements, a cease-fire accord signed in 2015, would give the separatist provinces a political voice andunder Moscows interpretationgive them veto power over foreign policy matters, including decisions on whether to enter NATO. (Kyiv disagrees with this reading of the accords, which is one reason they have never been put in effect.)

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Still, if Putin cant sway Ukrainian policy from within, he might settle for breaking off a chunk of the country and thus expand Russias sphere of influence a little farther westward, with the implied possibility of coming back later for more.

In some ways, Kyivs leaders might heave a sigh of relief at this development, as Donbas has been a troubling region for some time. But there are two reasons it would be a cause of anguish, even beyond its complications for NATO membership. First, Donbasthe most populous of Ukraines 26 regions, with 4.3 million peopleprovides much of Ukraines heavy industry and energy, mainly in the form of coal. Second, a break-off would mean another blow to Ukraines territorial integrity, in some ways more traumatic than Russias outright annexation of Crimea in 2014.

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Back in 1994, the United States, Russia, and Britain signed the Budapest Memorandum, assuring Ukraine of its territorial integrity in exchange for giving up the several thousand nuclear weapons that it inherited after the breakup of the Soviet Union. (Ukraine had no way to launch the long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, but its officers did control the many shorter-range tactical nukes.) Losing Donbas, and noting that its Western allies could do nothing to stop the rip from happening, would compound Ukrainians sense of isolation in the world.

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In January, President Joe Biden committed an act of impolitic truth when he said that NATO would impose severe costs on Russia if Putin unleashed a major invasion against Ukrainebut that there were differences within NATO about what countries are willing to do if Putin mounted a minor incursion. Biden officials quickly dialed this back, as the president himself did eventually, saying that Russia would suffer severe costs even if Putin crossed into Ukraine a little bit. The point here is that chopping off Donbas and leaving the rest of Ukraine untouched, for now, is one scenario that some might see as a minor incursion, not warranting the full raft of economic sanctions that, besides hurting Russia, would also pose political risks and economic hardships on several European countries, above all Germany.

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In other words, Putin might think he could get away with this.

Meanwhile, the crisis is still winding in several directions. Putin talks of pursuing a diplomatic way out and pulling troops back from the Ukrainian border to their home bases elsewhere in Russiabut U.S. and NATO officials still report seeing no signs of any such retreat. In fact, satellite images show more military trains arriving on the border since Putins announcements that some forces were withdrawing.

Someone, probably a Russian entity, launched a distributed denial-of-service attack on the websites of Ukraines army, ministry of defense, and several large banksnot a big deal, but a possible signal of more, and much more damaging, cyberstrikes to come.

Which phase of a classic war scare are we inthe phony peace, the mobilization in plain view, or the piling-on of chips for negotiations to come? Any one of these possibilities could be prelude to war, peace, or something in between. If Putin goes for a partial win by recognizing the separatists in Donbas, it will put off a war, but it wont bring a long-lasting settlement of mutual security.
This story was originally published by Undark and has been republished here with permission.

Did Edward O. Wilson Harvard professor, iconic biologist, champion of global biodiversity  promote racist ideas? For years, some scientists have suggested the very question is rooted in smear campaigns and misreadings of Wilsons work. Other scholars have argued that racism and sexism are apparent in Wilsons writing on human evolution.

Since Wilsons death in late December 2021, at the age of 92, the question has been subject to renewed debate, after an opinion piece in Scientific American describing Wilsons dangerous ideas set off a backlash from some scientists.

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Now, two separate pairs of researchers, drawing from Wilsons papers at the Library of Congress, have published details of correspondence in which Wilson privately supports a psychologist known for his racist work. It doesnt surprise me at all, said Joseph Graves, Jr., an evolutionary biologist at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University who has written extensively about scientific racism, and who reviewed some of the new archival work before it was published. Whats important about the new research, he added, was coming up with the smoking gun.

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Not everyone agrees the new evidence is so definitive, but the revelations promise to prolong the reckoning over Wilsons legacy  and to add to an ongoing discussion about how racism and sexism may have shaped entire fields of study.

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Wilson may be best known for his widely praised research on ants, and for his push to protect biodiversity. But the scientists work on human evolution has been contested since 1975, when he published Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, a sweeping study of the evolution of social behavior in animals. The books final chapter, which aims to consider man in the free spirit of natural history, as though we were zoologists from another planet, touches on the evolutionary origins of language, territoriality, and other behaviors. In the chapter, Wilson wonders whether there could be marked genetic differences between socioeconomic classes. (He concludes theres little evidence thats the case.) And he speculates that some of the differences between human cultures could be rooted in genetic differences, calling for a discipline of anthropological genetics to explore the question further.

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Wilson was touching on questions that remain deeply polarizing: To what extent are certain features of human societies, like xenophobia, altruism, or inequality, dictated by our genes? And can some of the complex variation among human groups, from IQ scores to incarceration rates, be explained by genetic differences, rather than by environmental and social forces? Many racist projects  from the eugenics movement to Nazism to present-day White nationalism  have argued that racial differences have deep genetic roots. Such pseudoscientific ideas continue to fuel popular racist canards, such as the idea that Black people have genes predisposing them to violence.

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Today, theres a broad consensus among experts in human evolution that that race is a social construct, not a biological category, and that it is extraordinarily difficult to link specific genes to complex human behaviors. And some researchers and advocates warn that, absent better data, explorations of those questions often just reproduce old stereotypes  or offer thin cover for bigoted ideas.

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After the publication of Sociobiology, Wilson was subject to fierce criticism, including from some of his Harvard colleagues, who argued he had gotten out ahead of the scientific evidence  and that his conclusions about the way biology shapes human behavior veered into dangerous territory.

Wilson pushed back against those charges, arguing that his work had been misunderstood and, in some cases, distorted. (To keep the record straight, I am happy to point out that no justification for racism is to be found in the truly scientific study of the biological basis of social behavior, he wrote in 1981, stressing his belief in a single human nature.) Despite the criticisms, Sociobiology was enormously influential: The book helped launch the field of evolutionary psychology, and it had a profound influence on the study of animal behavior and biological anthropology.

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Less than a week after Wilson died, Monica McLemore, a health researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, published the op-ed in Scientific American describing Wilsons work as problematic, and calling on scientists to reckon with his legacy. In response, the science blogger Razib Khan wrote an open letter challenging the way McLemores piece characterized Wilsons work, including baseless accusations of racism. Dozens of prominent scientists signed the letter.

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The open letter pitted a group of mostly White scientists against a Black colleague who had raised concerns about racism. McLemore, who has received threats and hate mail since her piece was published, questioned the judgment of the researchers who signed it. That reputable scientists would be sloppy enough to sign a letter that would bring that kind of hate to my stance in this current moment  to me the naivete is huge, she told Undark in a recent Zoom conversation. (Khan did not reply to requests for comment.)

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Some of the letters initial signatories retracted their names after learning of Khans past connections with figures associated with white nationalism, including alt-right figurehead Richard Spencer and publisher Ron Unz.

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Soon after, Wilsons own connections to the right-wing fringe upended the conversation again.

One pair of researchers who surfaced those connections, Howard University evolutionary biologist Stacy Farina and her husband, Matthew Gibbons, began reading sections of Sociobiology while stuck at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. They were taken aback by what they found.

I had read some chapters of Sociobiology as a grad student, said Farina. And theres a lot of really great science in there. Its a very interesting book. And I had no idea that the last chapter had any of that stuff in it. Part of her motivation for digging into Wilsons work, she continued, was a sense of gaps in her own training. I am frustrated with the lack of education about these issues in evolutionary biology.

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Later, during a Library of Congress workshop for Howard faculty, Farina asked if the Library had archival material on Wilson. Sure enough, the institution holds his personal papers  including boxes of documents related to the sociobiology wars. When she and Gibbons perused the collection, they were drawn to four folders labeled with the name of J. Philippe Rushton, a Canadian psychologist who, starting in the 1980s, published studies arguing that substantial genetic differences existed between racial groups.

Population differences exist in personality and sexual behavior such that, in terms of restraint, Orientals > whites > blacks, begins one 1987 Rushton paper published in the Journal of Research in Personality. His work would eventually be dogged by accusations of statistical flaws and ethics violations, and key papers were retracted.

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In 2002, Rushton took the helm of the Pioneer Fund, an organization founded in the 1930s to promote eugenics, the idea that humanity can be improved by manipulating which people reproduce. He led the nonprofit until his death in 2012.

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On weekends, Farina and Gibbons began returning to the Library of Congress. It was a nice little escape during the pandemic, said Gibbons, who works as a business development specialist for a public health organization. Head out in the morning, go to an early session, grab some lunch, and sort of freak out over what the morning session revealed, race the clock and try to document as much as we could before they kicked us out at the end.

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The letters, Farina said, demonstrate a warm relationship between Wilson and the psychologist. In the correspondence, which dates from the 1980s and 90s, Wilson expressed support for Rushtons work, and lamented a stifling culture that, he suggested, had prevented him from speaking more freely, referring in one note to a leftward revival of McCarthyism. When Rushtons university seemed poised to sanction him for academic misconduct, Wilson sent letters in his defense. He also sent letters to drum up support for Rushton from colleagues at Harvard and at the conservative National Association of Scholars.

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Unbeknownst to Farina and Gibbons, a pair of historians were also exploring the Wilson archive. In 2018, University of Illinois historian of science David Sepkoski began working with Wilsons papers while researching a book on biodiversity. Like Farina and Gibbons, he noticed and gravitated toward the Rushton folders.

Struck by what he was reading, Sepkoski began dropping scanned images of letters into a Dropbox folder he shares with Mark Borrello, a historian of biology at the University of Minnesota. Im sure I called you from the archives, and was like, Youre not gonna believe this, Sepkoski told Borrello during a recent Zoom conversation with Undark. The two began sketching out a book project on Wilson.

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The correspondence, Sepkoski and Borrello now say, suggests that Wilson was carefully managing his public persona  even as he quietly continued his dispute with his left-wing critics.

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Providing comments on one Rushton paper  which applied a famous Wilson theory, meant to examine reproductive differences between different species, to argue that Black and non-Black people pursue different reproductive strategies  Wilson was effusive. This is a brilliant paper, he wrote, one of the most original and heuristic written on human biology in recent years.

Whether it can even be published in this or some other journal devoted to human sociobiology, Wilson wrote later in his comments, will be a test of our courage and fidelity to objectivity in science.

Earlier this month, spurred by the backlash against McLemore, Farina and Gibbons published their findings in Science for the People Magazine, a left-wing outlet linked to the activist group that prominently opposed Wilsons work in the 1970s.

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Days later, Sepkoski and Borrello published their own essay in The New York Review of Books, with more details from the Wilson archives.

The reaction to the letters among the scientific community has been mixed. Some researchers suggested the revelations do not necessitate a substantial reevaluation of Wilsons legacy. Asked about the new letters, sociologist Ullica Segerstrale referred back to her influential 2000 book, Defenders of the Truth, which covers the dispute between Wilson and his antagonists. In the book, Segerstrale challenges characterizations of Wilson as a racist thinker, and argues that his critics often failed to engage with the actual substance of his work. I stand by my general analysis in that book regarding the thinking and behavior of both E.O. Wilson and Science for the People, she wrote in an email to Undark.

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At the blog Why Evolution is True, biostatistician Gregory Mayer described Farina and Gibbons findings as small beer. Wilson, he wrote, appeared to be primarily defending Rushtons academic freedom, not endorsing his ideas. To do so does not imply an identity of views, Mayer wrote. In a phone interview, he suggested that historians should focus on more pressing historical topics, such as Wilsons role in the development of a key concept in ecology, rather than his correspondence with a discredited Canadian psychologist.

For other scientists, though, the letters felt significant. Writing for Small Pond Science, a science and teaching blog, biologist Terry McGlynn reflected on the letters impact. When navigating the whiter parts of the cultural landscape of biology, the general party line has often been that Ed was mostly right about sociobiology, but his ideas had been twisted by racists, and there wasnt anything he could do about that, he wrote.

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But, he continued, its indubitable that the party line I have passively received over the decades simply does not comport with reality.

Not everyone found the content of the letters especially surprising. Indeed, close attention to Wilsons work and public statements, some scholars said, already provided ample evidence that he was sympathetic to ideas that most biologists now consider not just morally questionable, but scientifically unfounded.

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In 2014, Wilson gave a warm blurb to then-New York Times science journalist Nicholas Wades book A Troublesome Inheritance. The book argues that Black people may be, on average, more impulsive and less hardworking than White or East Asian people, and that basic differences in human society  why Haiti is poor, for example, and European countries wealthy  are attributable to genetic differences among groups. In reviews, debates, and public statements, experts in human evolution pilloried the book for misrepresenting the science. A notable exception was Wilson, who, in his blurb, praised Wade for exemplifying the virtues of truth without fear and celebrating human genetic diversity.

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Thats pretty much out in the open, said Princeton University biological anthropologist Agustin Fuentes, who describes A Troublesome Inheritance as awful, racist, horribly unscientific. What has changed, he said, is the scientific community itself. The field, he said, is really hitting a peak moment of reflection, of engagement with the complexities of racism and sexism, and how its structured some of the basic ideas.

Indeed, a recent paper in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, authored by faculty, staff, and graduate students in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC-Santa Cruz, is titled Anti-racist interventions to transform ecology, evolution, and conservation biology departments. Recently, biologists have mobilized to change species names that honor Confederate officers and other figures with troubling histories.

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Even just in the last two or three years, it feels like something has shifted, said Ambika Kamath, a behavioral and evolutionary ecologist at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Among other factors driving that change, she said, is that biologists from more diverse backgrounds are coming into the field.

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Kamath is hopeful that the conversation around Wilson will spark broader introspection among her colleagues. The problem, she and some other researchers argue, goes far beyond Wilson. I dont really care that Wilson had racist ideas, because I know pretty much all of the people that I dealt with, when I was coming up through the science system, had racist ideas, said Graves, who in 1988 became the first Black American to receive a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology. Wilson was just one of many.

For now, more work from the archives may continue to flesh out a fuller picture of Wilsons life and thought. Speaking last week, McLemore, the author of the Scientific American op-ed on Wilson, said she was still getting hate mail and threats. All I wanted to do, she said, was to have a more nuanced discussion about the work.
Brexit shrinks demand for second homes in Spain



The number of British residents buying a holiday home in Spain continues to fall, according to the latest data recently released by the Sede Registradores  Spains network of land registries

As the real impact of Brexit starts to make itself felt across the Spanish property market. Traditionally, the British have always been the biggest foreign buyers of property in Spain. Butover the last year that pre-eminent position has been eroded as German purchasers havesecured the top slot.

During the third quarter of 2021 British buyers accounted for 1642 transactions  9.9% of allforeign sales. However, growth in year-on-year demand lagged far behind that of most other nations. Whilst demand from British buyers who are non-resident in Spain fell very sharply  down 47% versus the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

All of which suggests that the British are slowly but surely starting to vanish from the Spanish property market.

According to Nick Ball, spokesperson for Atlantico Homes Estate Agents, who are based in Lanzarote,

The latest data is certainly interesting but perhaps not quite as gloomy as you might expect. As Brits who have chosen to live in Spain after Brexit are still as active in the property market as ever. Whilst the British still remain the largest foreign owners of property in Spain and the second largest buyers by nationality in 2021.

However, there is no getting away from the fact that the UKs withdrawal from the EU has resulted in a number of changes that make buying a holiday home in Spain a far less attractive proposition than it once was. As owners can now only spend 90 days out of every 180 at their place in the sun. Whilst those who buy a villa or apartment as a ental investment now have to pay 25% more tax on their earnings than was previously the case. And are also unable to reclaim previously accepted deductions against tax such as home insurance or mortgage interest.
Only the Basic entry regime is expected to stay in place.

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Slovakia will probably start lifting anti-pandemic measures already in late February.

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"Covid remains present in our lives, but based on the current situation and knowledge, it will no longer dictate the rules for our lives," PM Eduard Heger (OLaNO) said before the February 16 cabinet session, as quoted by the Sme daily.

Our paywall policy The Slovak Spectator has decided to make all the articles on the special measures, statistics and basic information about the coronavirus available to everyone. If you appreciate our work and would like to support good journalism, please buy our subscription. We believe this is an issue where accurate and fact-based information is important for people to cope.

Originally, the representatives of government expected the stricter measures to stay in place until late March.

Measures to be lifted in two phases

The proposal to start lifting the measures from February 28 is based on the recommendations of the group of experts that serves as an advisory body to the Health Ministry.

This means that from February 28, the OTP (vaccinated-tested-recovered), OP (vaccinated-recovered) and OP+ regimes will be dropped, and all shops and services will operate in the Basic regime, allowing everybody to enter.

At the same time, home isolation that follows contact with a positive pupil in a classroom is expected to be cancelled.

Hygienists change some rules on borders and quarantine because of situation in Ukraine Read more

The government reportedly plans to increase the capacities for low-risk and medium-risk mass events, and there should also be some changes to high-risk mass events, like wedding parties, funeral feasts and parties.

It is also expected that opening hours will be prolonged, Sme reported.

The second phase of relaxing the measures should start on March 28, when capacity restrictions are expected to be dropped, and there should no longer be a limitation on opening hours. It is also expected the rules for wearing masks and FFP2 respirators will change, Sme wrote.

More details are to be presented after the cabinet session.

Shops open for everyone, recovered fall under OP+ regime Read more

More on coronavirus development in Slovakia
China's Ministry of Education Tuesday vowed to continue implementing the "double reduction" policy to ease the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for primary and middle school students.

The ministry called for more appropriate homework assignments, a higher level of classroom teaching, and higher quality of after-school services to fully implement the policy. After-school services are for students who cannot be picked up in time by their parents when school is over to do their homework or participate in physical exercises, art, literature, and other activities after school.

Students spent less time doing homework in the past school semester, and over 92 percent of students countrywide voluntarily participated in after-school services, said Lyu Yugang, an official with the ministry, at a press conference Tuesday.
Draft amendment was in parliament for almost a year.

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MPs passed the amendment of the Citizenship Act, which was approved by the government in 2021.

The amendment was proposed to ease the conditions of losing one's Slovak citizenship after accepting the citizenship of another state, among other things. The MPs sent it on to a second reading on March 18, 2021 and in the second and third reading it had been postponed since then.

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Citizenship amendment postponed due to new Hungarian law Read more

MP Milan Vetrak of OLaNO caucus submitted an amending proposal on the day of voting. He said that the Citizenship Act approved under the previous government was aimed against Hungarians, but while the effects on Hungarians were negligible, the actual law deprived more than 4,000 Slovaks who had accepted the citizenship of another state in addition to Slovak citizenship.
https://sputniknews.com/20220215/virgin-galactics-stock-jumps-28-after-opening-sales-for-flight-tickets-1093064751.html

Virgin Galactics Stock Jumps 28% After Opening Sales for Flight Tickets

Virgin Galactics Stock Jumps 28% After Opening Sales for Flight Tickets

Virgin Galactic, the American space tourism company founded by Richard Branson, is opening ticket sales to the public for almost half a million dollars each. 15.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-15T20:03+0000

2022-02-15T20:03+0000

2022-02-15T20:25+0000

us

virgin galactic

space

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/0a/1083355044_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_148f62abccb131c80c87895ff92706c5.jpg

Virgin Galactic ticket prices start at $450,000 each, while requiring a deposit of $150,000. The two different packages offered are for couples and family members, or the option to book the entire flight, too. Once a deposit is paid, customers will not be able to receive all of their $150,000 in a refund, as Virgin has said $25,000 is not refundable, almost equal to the cost of one year at a public college in the States.The introduction of Virgins spaceflight sales on Wednesday spiked their shares up 28%. The last high they hit was in June 2021 when their share was $57.51, a few weeks before Branson first took flight in July of the same year. In the past 12 months, their stocks have dropped 85%, as the company had to delay spaceflights to the public until 2022.The share price of Virgin Galactic was $10.86 as of Wednesday afternoon.Investors minds have been put at ease, and Virgin Galactics management has an upbeat attitude for the future.What does $450,000 with Virgin Galactic get you, exactly? The company says buyers will receive a 90-minute ride to the edge of space including the signature air launch and Mach-3 boost to space, and passengers will be weightless for several minutes while enjoying views of Earth in space.So far, Virgin Galactic has received 600 reservations in the past decade, with an additional 100 tickets sold by November. Elon Musk is among those who have made a reservation.Jeff Bezos Blue Origin, a competitor of Virgin Galactic, has yet to decide on a final price for their own spaceflight tickets.Bezos has said that the company is nearing $100 million in their sales so far, but hasnt said how many ticket holders that sum includes. As for flight prices on New Shepard, the reusable suborbital rocket that launches out of Texas, prices for flights remain unknown.As for the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, created by Elon Musks company and subsequently purchased by Axiom Space, flight costs amount to a hefty sum of $55 million. Three ticket purchasers will fly with Michael Lopez-Alegria, a former NASA astronaut who currently works for Axiom, to the International Space Station, which has received the green light from NASA.Axioms flight to the ISS is scheduled for March 30, 2022. The ticket purchasers include real-estate entrepreneur Larry Connor, Canadian businessman Mark Pathy, and Israeli investor Eytan Stibbe. The trip to space will last for about 10 days, and the high-paying customers are required to physically train for about six months in preparation for the flight.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/as-biden-touts-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-when-was-the-last-time-us-intel-made-the-right-call-1093078487.html

As Biden Touts 'Russian Invasion' of Ukraine, When Was the Last Time US Intel Made the Right Call?

As Biden Touts 'Russian Invasion' of Ukraine, When Was the Last Time US Intel Made the Right Call?

Ukraine observed a "day of unity" on 16 February, a date some Western media outlets had predicted would be the day of a Russian invasion. On Tuesday, US... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T17:33+0000

2022-02-16T17:33+0000

2022-02-16T17:33+0000

us

taliban

ukraine

russia

vladimir putin

invasion

us invasion

cia

central intelligence agency (cia)

intelligence

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The Biden administration setting the date of a Russia's "invasion" of Ukraine puts in question the reliability of US intelligence assessments, opines Brahma Chellaney, a prominent Indian strategist.President Joe Biden had reportedly informed US allies that Russia could launch a barrage of missile strikes and cyber-attacks on 16 February, a claim which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dubbed an overstatement by the West.Russian President Vladimir Putin also questioned the report, saying his country does not want another war in Europe.Despite Russia's Defence Ministry releasing a video on Tuesday showing forces withdrawing from the Ukrainian border, the US president said a Russian attack on Ukraine was "still very much a possibility". Some 150,000 troops were still deployed at the border with Ukraine, he claimed."Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position", the US president emphasised.Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan?Besides locating al Qaeda* (a terrorist organisation banned in Russia) founder Osama bin Laden's hideout next to Pakistan's Military Academy, Chellaney, a noted author and commentator, underlines, "US intelligence failed to foresee most of the profound geopolitical events".The media widely reported on the US intelligence failure in Afghanistan, as several congressmen admitted in private that agencies in briefings to lawmakers gave no warning that the Afghan government was facing imminent collapse.The Taliban proclaimed "full independence" on 15 August, days after the Biden administration announced the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.The events surrounding US troops leaving Afghanistan from Kabul Airport indicated a colossal failure of intelligence.9/11 or Iraq's WMD?The 9/11 Commission also highlighted the CIA's failure in estimating the threat posed by "transnational terrorism" throughout the 1990s and up to the 2001 attack.Similarly, US-led forces invaded Iraq on the CIA's "solid intelligence" that the Saddam Hussein government was developing weapons of mass destruction.As Washington never found evidence to support the CIA's "solid" claim, former President George W. Bush called his action his "biggest regret."Indian expert Chellaney warned of another imminent danger for US intelligence as he said that "It has yet to recover from People's Republic of China's elimination a decade ago of all its spies in China".Chellaney believes hyper-partisan domestic politics has started impeding Washington's long-term objectives, evident from a March 2021 poll, dubbing China as a major cause of concern for Republicans, while Democrats worry about Russia above all.

https://sputniknews.com/20210904/footage-shows-us-troops-firing-over-heads-of-afghan-civilians-amid-kabul-airport-chaos-1083795962.html

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us, taliban, ukraine, russia, vladimir putin, invasion, us invasion, cia, central intelligence agency (cia), intelligence, india
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/as-poverty-in-gaza-continues-to-soar-hamas-official-explains-origins-of-the-crisis-1093076736.html

As Poverty in Gaza Continues to Soar, Hamas Official Explains Origins of the Crisis

As Poverty in Gaza Continues to Soar, Hamas Official Explains Origins of the Crisis

Poverty has always been an issue in the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million people. Yet, in recent years the coastal enclave has seen an additional spike... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T09:07+0000

2022-02-16T09:07+0000

2022-02-17T07:23+0000

gaza

hamas

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The Gaza Strip's rapidly growing population, military confrontations with Israel that result in destruction of the enclave's infrastructure, including factories and farms and the lack of experience among the local authorities are major reasons behind the soaring poverty rates in the region, Deputy Minister of Social Development in the Gaza Strip Ghazi Hamad explains.Charged with improving the lives of Gaza's residents, Hamad laments that this has been a sort of "mission impossible" for years. Loyal to the ideology of Hamas, an Islamic group that he has been serving for years, he blames Israel for Gaza's hardships.In many ways, he is right. The 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021 military campaigns in Gaza have devastated the enclave. They left thousands of Palestinians without homes, jobs, and hope for a better future.Israel, for its part, has always told quite a different narrative. For Tel Aviv, it was a war for the nation's very existence, as Hamas, deemed a terrorist organisation by the Jewish state, has repeatedly vowed to destroy it.Over the years, the Islamic group has also practiced what it preached, firing tens of thousands of rockets into Israeli towns and cities. It has built dozens of attack tunnels and carried out multiple suicide attacks within Israel, killing and injuring civilians.To curb that threat, Israel said it didn't have a choice other than to try and tie the noose around Hamas. Israeli authorities limited what could be imported into the Strip, citing security concerns. They prevented the transfer of funds into the enclave fearing the money would end up being used for weapons acquisitions and other terrorist activity. And, aside from a few exceptions, it banned ordinary Gazans from entering Israeli territory for business and medical treatment.The result was that the impoverished Gaza has been cracking under the pressure, its people continued to suffer but Hamas showed resilience. It hasn't disappeared. It only grew stronger.Not Free of MistakesThe official admits that Hamas was not free of mistakes. When it took over the Strip in 2007, following a violent coup that ousted Fatah, it did lack the necessary knowledge and experience, says the Hamas official. It was void of funds and was eyed with suspicion by many regional and international players.Today, 15 years down the line, Hamad says his organisation has managed to correct many of the mistakes of the past. "It gained experience, developed plans, and set up professional visions to improve the lives of Gaza's residents".Hamas has also made friends. Those friendships have brought with them dividends.Foreign funds are not the Hamas government's only source of income. They also collect money from taxes as well as from international bodies that provide humanitarian assistance."We have been trying to utilise those resources. We put up plans in economy, education, and health. We managed to provide many services but we faced mountains of challenges".Challenges AboundOne of those challenges has been the lack of investment and the absence of large companies to create jobs for Gazans. Another is the enclave's rapidly growing population, where around a 25 percent increase has been seen over the past decade. And a third factor has been shrinking foreign funds.The primary reason for this has been the belief that Hamas was redirecting the funds received to acquire weapons and build tunnels. But Hamad reassures that the organisation he is part of has never taken any funds allocated for the needs of the government or people.Discussing his thoughts about the future and how Hamas is planning to improve the lives of Gaza's residents, Hamad says the future doesn't look bright. He doesn't believe there will be a resolution to the conflict with Israel, and he says the only way out for the Islamic group is to keep on fighting.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/blm-activist-charged-with-attempted-murder-of-kentucky-democrat-mayoral-hopeful-1093093560.html

BLM Activist Charged With Attempted Murder of Kentucky Democrat Mayoral Hopeful

BLM Activist Charged With Attempted Murder of Kentucky Democrat Mayoral Hopeful

BLM activist Quintez Brown was named as a "rising face" by Barack Obama's foundation in 2019 and had previously campaigned against gun violence and for... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T22:39+0000

2022-02-16T22:39+0000

2022-02-17T13:08+0000

us

kentucky

louisville

us democratic party

black lives matter

barack obama

israel

palestine

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A prominent young Black Lives Matter activist has been charged with the attempted murder of a Democrat mayoral candidate in the Kentucky city where he was seeking election himself.Quintez Brown was arrested in Louisville on Monday carrying a handgun, following a shooting attack at Craig Greenberg's campaign headquarters.Brown, a 21-year-old student at the University of Louisville, was also charged with four counts of wanton endangerment. He pled not guilty at a hearing on Tuesday and had bail set at $100,000, Louisville police spokesperson Aaron Ellis said."There are serious mental issues at play here," said Brown's attorney Rob Eggert in court, adding that he would arrange a psychiatric evaluation for his client who briefly went missing last year.Brown, who is a former intern and editorial columnist for local newspaper The Courier Journal, was standing as an independent candidate for election to the Louisville council in District 5 of the city. Greenberg said on Monday he had been at his HQ with four of his staff when a man appeared in the doorway, drew a handgun and began firing at them."Despite one bullet coming so close that it grazed my sweater and my shirt, no one was physically harmed," Greenberg stressed.Brown was arrested half a mile away shortly after the attack, carrying a drawstring bag containing a 9mm pistol and several magazines, with another loaded magazine in his pocket."We have no known motive at this time," police chief Erika Shields said on Monday, adding: "We also have no reason to believe at this time that this individual was acting anything but alone."But some media outlets tried to imply a connection between BLM's support for Palestinian national rights and Greenberg's Jewish heritage.From Gun Control to Gun Crime Brown had recently re-tweeted a post critical of Democrats' policies towards Black people, with a video of current US President Joe Biden referring to young criminals as "predators". Ironically, the activist wrote an editorial in July 2019 criticising Kentucky's permissive firearms laws  as satirical Twitter account Defiant L's pointed out just before it was suspended by the social media site."If there's any good to come out of this, I hope it's that not only will I be a more effective mayor, but that I'll be someone who can bring the city together to unify around implementing solutions to end gun violence," Greenberg told a reporter on Tuesday.Local Democrat Charles Booker, who is standing for the US Senate in November's mid-term elections, said he had known Brown since the activist was a student. "The young man I knew then was working to end violence in our city, not carry it out" when they last met in the summer of 2020, Booker said, adding that his heart was broken for Greenberg, his family and staff.Brown had been named by former president Barack Obama's foundation in 2019 as a "rising face". In June 2020 he was a guest on an edition of BBC Sounds podcast The Next Episode, discussing the BLM movement.

https://sputniknews.com/20211210/nyc-mayor-elect-adams-vows-not-to-let-blm-burn-down-city-following-bloodshed-threats---report-1091426332.html

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us, kentucky, louisville, us democratic party, black lives matter, barack obama, israel, palestine
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/cheating-hunters-deals-joes-touching-new-book-on-us-first-lady-may-cause-discomfort-for-bidens-1093092099.html

Cheating, Hunters Deals, Joe's Touching: New Book on US First Lady May Cause Discomfort for Bidens

Cheating, Hunters Deals, Joe's Touching: New Book on US First Lady May Cause Discomfort for Bidens

There have been scandals brewing around the family since the Democrat announced his decision to run for president in 2020.

2022-02-16T18:19+0000

2022-02-16T18:19+0000

2022-02-16T18:19+0000

us

jill biden

joe biden

hunter biden

scandals

biography

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A new book on First Lady Jill Biden may cause discomfort for the Bidens as it could reveal unpleasant stories about members of the family, the Daily Mail reports. According to the tabloid, citing a spokeswoman for the publishing company Little Brown, the book, titled "Jill: A Biography of the First Lady", will unveil "some of the private sides" of Jill Biden.Scheduled for release in April, it was penned by two veteran White House journalists -- Julie Pace and Darlene Superville, both reporters with the Associated Press. A spokesman for Little Brown said the first lady participated in the interviews with the journalists and confirmed that her "early life is covered" in the biography.The latter detail prompted speculation that the book may touch on allegations of cheating made previously by her first husband, businessman Bill Stevenson. Both Joe Biden and Jill claimed that they started dating after Jills marriage had crashed. Stevenson, however, suggests otherwise.In 2020, he claimed that Jill cheated on him when they were still together. Among other tricky subjects that may be covered in the book are the drug problems of her step son Hunter Biden, Joe Bidens son from his previous marriage. Hunter entered the media spotlight in recent years following reports of his business deals in Ukraine and China and using his family name to get preferential treatment. An expose by the New York Post claimed that Joe Biden was engaged in his sons business dealings during his tenure as US vice president, which the newspaper said could be interpreted as a conflict of interest.The book may also deal with the allegations of sexual harassment and assault made against Joe Biden.During the 2020 presidential campaign, several women accused Joe Biden of sexual harassment. They claimed that the politician had touched and kissed them without their consent.Former aide Tara Reade alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by the Democrat. Ms Reade claimed that Biden forced her against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers in 1993, when he was a senator for Delaware. Joe Biden has categorically denied the accusations.

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Max Gorbachev

Max Gorbachev

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/donbass-republics-intel-says-ukrainian-army-continues-to-prepare-for-combat-actions-1093074421.html

Kremlin: 'High Threat Level of Ukrainian Army Combat Operation in Donbass Remains'

Kremlin: 'High Threat Level of Ukrainian Army Combat Operation in Donbass Remains'

In April 2014, the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic in... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T08:08+0000

2022-02-16T08:08+0000

2022-02-16T10:07+0000

ukraine

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned that "a high threat level of a combat operation by the Ukrainian Army in Donbass remains". When asked whether such a threat has been diminishing in recent weeks, Peskov said "no".The statement comes after intelligence sources in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) said that the situation in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine remains tense, with the Ukrainian Army continuing to prepare for hostilities.He also said that the armed forces of Ukraine are deploying on-duty aviation guidance points in Donbass. According to Mikuzhis, such points were deployed in the settlements of Lisichansk and Liman, which are controlled by Kiev.In the summer of 2020, a number of additional measures on a truce came into force in Donbass. They stipulate a full-fledged ceasefire and complete ban on deploying weapons in and near populated areas, as well as offensive, reconnaissance, and sabotage operations.The engineering equipment of positions and the use of drones by the parties to the conflict near the line of contact are also banned under the new measures. In addition, they envisage disciplinary liability for violation of the ceasefire regime. According to the measures, ceasefire orders, containing means to maintain the truce, must remain in effect until the conflict is fully resolved.Donbass Conflict The conflict in Donbass between the Ukrainian government and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics (DPR and LPR) has been under way since April 2014. The hostilities began after the DPR and the LPR declared independence following a coup in Kiev in February 2014. The Minsk Peace Agreements, aimed at finding a political resolution to the conflict, were negotiated by the leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine  the Normandy Group  in February 2015. However, the agreements have not been observed so far and sporadic clashes continue. Moscow has repeatedly stated that Kiev is not fulfilling the Minsk agreements and is delaying negotiations to resolve the conflict.The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier noted that Kiev had sent half of the entire personnel of the armed forces of Ukraine to Donbass, also voicing concern over Western countries continuing to provide military support to the Ukrainian government.This unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing Western media allegations about Russia's "imminent invasion" of Ukraine, claims that Moscow rejects as unfounded and absurd. The Kremlin underscores that these allegations are being used as a pretext to justify NATOs increasing military presence near Russia's borders.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/giant-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-to-make-its-closest-approach-to-earth-in-century-1093071428.html

Giant 'Potentially Hazardous' Asteroid to Make Its Closest Approach to Earth in Century

Giant 'Potentially Hazardous' Asteroid to Make Its Closest Approach to Earth in Century

Despite its relatively big size, the space boulder was only discovered in November 1999 - after it came close to Earth. 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T08:57+0000

2022-02-16T08:57+0000

2022-02-16T08:57+0000

asteroid belt

asteroids

earth

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Asteroid (455176) 1999 VF22- a "potentially hazardous" space rock - will fly past our planet next Tuesday, 22 February, in its closest pass in over a hundred years. The flyby is perfectly safe because the object is expected to fly 5,366,000 kilometres (3,334,000 miles) away from Earth - with the next time it coming so close only in 2150.According to NASA's Small-Body Database, an absolute magnitude for the asteroid is 20.7 - however, the exact size of the object remains unclear. It is believed to be between 190 and 430 metres (623 to 1,410 feet), while some observations in 2019 estimated it at 225 metres (738 feet).It will be possible to see the asteroid from Earth - but only with a large telescope.The space rock was discovered in November 1999 by the Catalina Sky Survey, after coming close enough to Earth. Potentially hazardous asteroids are objects with an orbit that can make close approaches to the Earth that are large enough to cause significant regional damage if they collide with the planet. There are believed to be over 2,200 such objects in space.

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Evgeny Mikhaylov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080390164_0:0:1440:1440_100x100_80_0_0_46c187f2ab0908f86849a7d09a7def57.jpg

Evgeny Mikhaylov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080390164_0:0:1440:1440_100x100_80_0_0_46c187f2ab0908f86849a7d09a7def57.jpg

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asteroid belt, asteroids, earth
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/huawei-offices-raided-in-india-over-tax-evasion-allegations-1093079084.html

Huawei Offices Raided in India Over Tax Evasion Allegations

Huawei Offices Raided in India Over Tax Evasion Allegations

Huawei and ZTE were kept out of the upcoming 5G trials in India last year. The Chinese Embassy in Delhi expressed concern over the decision, arguing that... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T11:09+0000

2022-02-16T11:09+0000

2022-02-16T11:09+0000

india

china

huawei

tiktok

ladakh region

pla

tencent

alibaba group

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India's Income Tax (IT) Department has carried out raids at the regional offices of Huawei, the news agency Press Trust of India reported on Wednesday.The simultaneous raids at Huaweis offices in the cities of Gurugram (Haryana state), Delhi, and Bengaluru (Karnataka state) began Tuesday evening. Indian officials say that the Shenzhen-headquartered telecommunications giant has been targeted over allegations of tax evasion.Officials have scrutinised Huaweis financial documents, account books, and other company records to look into its Indian businesses and overseas transactions.The tax sleuths also seized some records during the raids.The Chinese company has said it remains compliant with Indian law.The raids against Huawei began just a day after Indias Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) announced a ban on 54 Chinese apps belonging to companies such as Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding.These 54 apps allegedly obtain various critical permissions and collect sensitive user data. These collected real-time data are being misused and transmitted to servers located in hostile country", the ministry said in a statement on Monday.The banned apps are duplicate versions of Chinese apps that India already banned in 2020, citing national security concerns. Since 2020, India has banned more than 200 Chinese apps, including more popular ones like TikTok and the online multiplayer action game PUBG.In December last year, Indian tax inspectors also raided the offices of Chinese mobile firms Xiaomi, OPPO, and OnePlus at 24 different locations across the country. According to local media reports, the three Chinese firms were suspected by Indian authorities of having unaccounted income worth nearly $865 million.The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi at the time said that it had always required its companies to operate in compliance with laws and regulations overseas.The recent actions against Chinese companies by Indian authorities come against the backdrop of the border standoff between the two countries' militaries in the disputed eastern Ladakh region.The yet-to-be-resolved border dispute turned deadly after Indian and Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) troops clashed with each other in the Galwan Valley in June 2020.Although India has warned China that the standoff will affect the overall bilateral relations and spill over into other matters, Beijing has consistently urged New Delhi to place the border dispute at an appropriate level in the overall ties.

https://sputniknews.com/20211224/beijing-concerned-by-indias-income-tax-raids-on-chinese-mobile-firms-1091765750.html

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Dhairya Maheshwari

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/increasing-number-of-us-health-care-workers-say-worst-of-covid-19-pandemic-over---poll-1093093790.html

Increasing Number of US Health Care Workers Say Worst of COVID-19 Pandemic Over - Poll

Increasing Number of US Health Care Workers Say Worst of COVID-19 Pandemic Over - Poll

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The number of health care workers in the United States who say the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic has already passed has increased... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T20:02+0000

2022-02-16T20:02+0000

2022-02-16T20:02+0000

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covid-19

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Americas health care workers, overall, are more likely to say the worst of the pandemic is behind us than they are to think the worst is ahead of us or happening now, a release about the poll said. Forty-four percent of health care workers said they think the worst of the pandemic is behind us, up from 13% who said as much in January 2021.The results of the poll reveal a shift in what the US medical professionals think about the pandemics trajectory and its long-term effects on the industry, the release said.In addition, nearly one in two health care workers say they think their facility has the capacity to handle a potential increase in COVID-19 patients, the release added.And about four in five of the 1,000 health care workers surveyed say they approve of how their coworkers, their employers and hospitals have handled the pandemic, and only 34 percent said the same of the American public, according to the release.

https://sputniknews.com/20220216/pfizer-funding-fda-to-approve-annual-covid-jab-exec-tells-project-veritas-1093085203.html

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us, covid-19, health care, pandemic, poll
Semiconductors, food supplies at risk amid elusive situation in Europe

(Global Times) 08:40, February 16, 2022

The escalation of Russia-Ukraine tensions stoked by the US has raised concerns about potential supply chain disruptions ranging from essential raw materials for semiconductors such as neon, to agricultural products including corn and wheat, of which Ukraine has been a major world exporter.

While the elusive situation in Europe has pushed up oil and other commodity prices and risked further disruption to global semiconductor supplies, which remain tight due to the pandemic and US-initiated trade wars, Chinese companies have started reviewing their supply chains to reduce operational risks.

Ukraine is a major supplier of semiconductor raw material gases, including neon, argon, krypton and xenon. Ukraine supplies nearly 70 percent of the world's neon gas, according to a report that TrendForce, an industry information consulting company, sent to the Global Times on Tuesday.

In the semiconductor lithography process, the process that requires neon gas is mainly DUV exposure for the production of 8 to 12-inch wafers.

Although the proportion of neon gas used in the semiconductor process is not as high as in other industries, it is still a necessary input, experts said.

In terms of foundries, global 8-12-inch wafer production capacity accounts for about 75 percent of the total, according to TrendForce.

While supplies of inert gases such as neon would be reduced in volume in the region, potentially pushing up prices of downstream products including semiconductors, the production lines will not be interrupted to an extent that affects output in the short term, since both wafer factories and gas supply factories have inventories and diversified sources of supplies, according to TrendForce.

Ma Yinchuan, head of the China Industrial Gases Industry Association, told the Global Times on Tuesday that at present, there is not much problem of inadequate neon supply.

In addition to helium, there is no serious shortage of China's inert gases, including neon now, but there will be tight supplies and prices will rise, especially if countries such as Japan and South Korea increase imports of neon from China amid the tensions in Europe, even though the production of neon gas can be improved through government mobilization if it is needed, Ma said.

In addition to neon gas, Ukrain supplies 40 percent of the world's krypton and 30 percent of xenon - both are important materials in semiconductor-related production. Experts said that if supplies are cut off, it will further exacerbate domestic shortages.

Other than raw materials for making chips, both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of wheat, corn and oilseeds, so grain trade has been affected now.

Russia's wheat exports account for 20 percent of the world's total, making it the world's largest wheat exporter, while Ukraine's wheat exports account for 10 percent, making it the fifth-largest world exporter, according to media reports.

"Imports of Ukrainian grain continue. Up to now, no impact has been seen in shipments," a procurement manager with a major grain trader told the Global Times on Tuesday. "However, there has been a considerable rise in prices.

"As traders, we are not comfortable with this situation," the manager said on condition of anonymity.

Analysts cited by a CNN report are eyeing wheat prices to rise to $11 per bushel, the highest since 2008, from the current level of $7.93. For corn, the rise would be from $6.47 to $8 per bushel.

Ukraine is also the fourth-largest corn exporter in the world, accounting for about 16 percent of global exports. In 2021, China imported 28.35 million tons of corn, including 8.23 million tons of Ukrainian corn, accounting for about 29 percent of China's total corn imports.

"Now, some Chinese traders are more cautious when signing corn orders sourced from Ukraine," Meng Jinhui, an agriculture industry analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

In recent days, the US has played up tensions between Russia and Ukraine while stoking fears of a Russian "invasion," according to media reports.

Given the circumstances, it is not a responsible behavior to hype up war, and to advocate group confrontation is to go back to the old path of the Cold War, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday, in response to media questions about Russia-Ukraine tensions.

Wang urged all parties to be rational and refrain from making moves that may escalate the tensions and sensationalize the crisis.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
 Flash

Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday underlined the need to avoid a war over Ukraine and to settle the crisis via diplomatic efforts.

"Regarding whether we want this (war), of course we don't. This is why we have put forward proposals for the start of a negotiation process in a bid to reach an agreement ensuring equal security for everyone," Putin said during a press conference with Scholz following their talks in the Kremlin.

Scholz said despite that the positions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union may differ from those of Russia, dialogue remains crucial.

Europe is faced with one of its most dangerous crises in decades and there is an urgent need to defuse the tensions regarding Ukraine and prevent a possible war, the German leader stressed.

As a war in Europe is "unimaginable," Scholz considered it the duty of both Putin and himself to prevent any military escalation on the continent.

"Diplomatic opportunities have not yet been exhausted ... We have heard that some (Russian military) units are being withdrawn (from the borders) and this is a good sign," Scholz said.

As for Russia's security concerns, Scholz assured Putin that NATO's expansion is not even on the agenda.

However, Putin said that postponing Ukraine's possible accession to NATO will resolve nothing for Russia, and Moscow wants its security concerns to be addressed seriously.

Russia will act "in accordance with the plan" and its moves will reflect the latest realities, but no one can predict how the situation will unfold, Putin said, adding that Moscow, nevertheless, will strive to resolve all the existing issues by diplomatic means.
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/inventing-anna-star-julia-garner-recalls-weird-meeting-with-con-artist-anna-delvey-in-prison--1093091246.html

Inventing Anna Star Julia Garner Recalls Weird Meeting With Con Artist Anna Delvey in Prison

Inventing Anna Star Julia Garner Recalls Weird Meeting With Con Artist Anna Delvey in Prison

The so-called SoHo grifter managed to swindle hundreds of thousands of dollars by depositing fraudulent checks, creating fake bank statements and tricking people into paying for her, while she pretended to be a German heiress.

2022-02-16T16:59+0000

2022-02-16T16:59+0000

2022-02-16T16:59+0000

society

netflix

scam

fraud

larceny

actress

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Actress Julia Garner, who plays the lead role in Netflixs new show Inventing Anna about extravagant Russian-German con artist Anna Sorokin, has revealed she had a bizarre meeting with the grifter in person. Speaking to Marie Claire, the 28-year-old said she met Sorokin in the medium-security womens prison where the fraudster was serving her sentence before the filming of the show.Anna bluntly asked the actress how she was going to portray her. "Can you do me right now?" the con artist asked.According to Garner, the key to becoming Anna Sorokin was to get her accent. After doing that, the actress says everything else clicked with the character.It appears Julia Garner got so carried away while trying to impersonate Anna Sorokin that she once failed to recognise herself when imitating the fraudsters New York Magazine cover.Anna Sorokin was born in 1991 in Russia. Her family relocated to Germany in 2007, where she graduated from a gymnasium. After that, she left her family, first going to London and then to Paris, where she began her career at a fashion magazine. In 2013, she went to New York, where she pretended to be a German heiress, calling herself Anna Delvey. Her ruse helped her get acquainted with high-profile individuals such as Roo Rogers, a British-American entrepreneur and designer, and Aby Rosen, a German-American real estate tycoon.In order to pay for her lavish lifestyle, she took bank loans using fake statements, deposited fraudulent checks, and simply promised to pay bills at hotels and restaurants via wire transfers, which -- oops -- never came.Between 2013 and 2017 she is said to have swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from individuals, banks, hotels, and restaurants. In 2017, she was arrested, and two years later she was found guilty on eight charges, including grand larceny in the second degree, attempted grand larceny, and theft of services. She was given a sentence of 4 to 12 years with a $24,000 fine and an order to pay restitution of around $200,000.The 31-year-old rejected the notion that she was a scammer and dismissed accusations of falsifying banks statements, saying it was a misguided attempt to fund her foundation, which she believed would become a success.Anna Sorokin is not the only person who has become the subject of a Netflix show. An Israeli man, Simon Leviev, who has been accused of swindling $10 million from women he met on Tinder, has gained fame thanks to the streaming service. Just like Sorokin, Simon claims he is innocent.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/kremlin-nato-has-issues-with-assessing-situation-as-bloc-doubts-russian-troop-withdrawal-1093077787.html

Kremlin: NATO Has Issues With Assessing Situation as Bloc Doubts Russian Troop Withdrawal

Kremlin: NATO Has Issues With Assessing Situation as Bloc Doubts Russian Troop Withdrawal

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg refused to call Russia's withdrawal of troops from its southern border a de-escalation, claiming that Moscow... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T09:41+0000

2022-02-16T09:41+0000

2022-02-16T10:53+0000

russia

nato

ukraine

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has called out NATO's issues with the ability to assess situations correctly after the alliance claimed that it had not seen evidence of a Russian troop withdrawal. The Russian Defence Ministry reported on 15 February that southern and western military units had begun returning to their bases of permanent deployment following scheduled drills on the southern border near Ukraine.Responding to a journalist's question, Peskov confirmed that NATO is incorrectly assessing the situation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in turn, has called out a "lack of upbringing" in NATO following calls to "verify" Moscow's statements about troop withdrawals.The spokesman's comments come in the wake of remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who doubted the Russian Defence Ministry statements about a troop pullout from Russia's southern border.His statements were echoed by UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who claimed that London hasn't seen "any evidence of that withdrawal" via "physical observations". His German colleague, Christine Lambrecht, said that NATO is waiting for a "signal" from Russia in the form of long-term troop withdrawal away from Ukraine's border.Stoltenberg, for his part, admitted that the alliance had no way of telling exactly how many Russian troops are even deployed at the Ukrainian border, despite Western politicians routinely issuing frightening figures of 100,000 or 150,000 Russian servicemen being stationed and purportedly ready to invade Ukraine.Russia has repeatedly rejected the West's allegations that it is preparing an "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow also defended its right to move the nation's forces within its own territory as it sees fit, including to conduct drills.The "Russian invasion" hysteria is additionally being whipped up by Western media outlets. Two British tabloids claimed that a Russian attack would start overnight between 15 and 16 February, citing US intelligence. However, no attack occurred.

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russia, nato, ukraine
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/nato-defence-ministers-arrive-in-brussels-for-international-summit-1093076046.html

Stoltenberg Holds Press Conference on First Day of NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting

Stoltenberg Holds Press Conference on First Day of NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting

The ministerial meeting is being held after the US and the bloc delivered their answers to the Russian security guarantee proposals. The draft agreements... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T09:02+0000

2022-02-16T09:02+0000

2022-02-16T16:00+0000

nato

brussels

jens stoltenberg

lloyd austin

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Sputnik is live from Brussels where Jens Stoltenberg is giving a press conference on the first day of a meeting between NATO defence ministers amid a crisis around Ukraine. The meeting took place the day when Western media claimed Russia would invade Ukraine - something which did not happen.Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!

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NATO's Stoltenberg holds press conference on first day of NATO Defence Ministers meeting NATO's Stoltenberg holds press conference on first day of NATO Defence Ministers meeting 2022-02-16T09:02+0000 true PT34M58S

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/over-one-third-of-us-voters-want-binding-nuclear-deal-with-iran---poll-1093088360.html

Poll: Over One Third of US Voters Want Binding Nuclear Deal With Iran

Poll: Over One Third of US Voters Want Binding Nuclear Deal With Iran

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - More than one third of American voters would like to have a binding nuclear accord with Iran, twice as many as those who would prefer a... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T14:42+0000

2022-02-16T14:42+0000

2022-02-16T14:43+0000

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Thirty-six percent of voters want a binding deal and 18% favor a nonbinding accord, while 20% dont want any deal with Tehran.Democrats are more inclined to support a binding deal with the Islamic republic (49%) than Republicans (24%). Supporters of former President Donald Trump's party (35%) are almost six times more likely to oppose any deal with Iran than Democrats (6%).The majority of US voters favor the 2015 deal with 53% showing support for it and only 24% opposing it, the findings also revealed.The JCPOA was concluded by China, Germany, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and Iran, as well as the European Union, in 2015, and provided for the easing of sanctions in exchange for Iran limiting its nuclear program. In 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and reinstated sanctions against Tehran. In response, Iran scaled back its commitments under the deal, removing restrictions placed on nuclear research and uranium enrichment.After taking office in January 2021, President Joe Biden said he was seeking to revive the deal and renew US commitments under the JCPOA. The negotiations were launched in Vienna in April.Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that Tehran wants the West, including the United States, to reaffirm, at least in form of political statement, their commitment to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, noting that there is no trust in verbal statements.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/photos-amnesty-report-documents-mass-executions-gang-rapes-by-tplf-in-ethiopias-amhara-1093095239.html

Photos: Amnesty Report Documents Mass Executions, Gang Rapes by TPLF in Ethiopias Amhara

Photos: Amnesty Report Documents Mass Executions, Gang Rapes by TPLF in Ethiopias Amhara

A new report by a non-governmental organization (NGO) Amnesty International (AI) sheds additional light on abuses by the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T22:01+0000

2022-02-16T22:01+0000

2022-02-16T22:02+0000

ethiopia

amnesty international

human rights abuse

rape

executions

tplf (tigray people's liberation front)

africa

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According to the report, TPLF soldiers were responsible for massacres and other abuses in two towns in northern Amhara State, which borders Tigray.In the northeastern Amhara town of Kobo, AI verified the killing of at least 24 Amhara civilians in September and October 2021 by TPLF soldiers, who were apparently exacting revenge on the town for attacks on their advancing forces by farmers and local militias. Most of the victims were bound and shot execution-style, then buried in mass graves by townspeople forced to do so by the Tigrayan troops, according to numerous survivors and relatives who spoke with the human rights group.Satellite photos of the area helped provide further evidence for the locations of the mass graves.In Chenna Teklehaymanot, a town in northwestern Amhara that was seized by the TPLF in the opening days of their offensive in July 2021, AI documented the gang rapes and torture of at least 30 Amhara girls and women at various locations, with some of the girls as young as 14 years of age.According to the report, doctors who provided medical care to many of the rape survivors told AI that 10 of them had been hospitalized for three months after they were raped, and that many more had suffered severe and long-term physical and psychological damage. Two of the survivors had to be treated for lacerations likely caused by rifle bayonets being inserted into their genitals.Amnesty has also documented other instances of mass rape by the TPLF, including the gang rape, robbery and abuse of 16 women in the Amhara town of Nifas Mewcha in August of last year and has received credible reports of rape from other areas of the Amhara region, the group said. Such atrocities constitute war crimes and, potentially, crimes against humanity.Tigrayan forces have shown utter disregard for fundamental rules of international humanitarian law which all warring parties must follow, Sarah Jackson, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, said in a Friday news release.Amnesty isnt the first to investigate TPLF abuses in these two towns following news reports at the time they occurred: Human Rights Watch published a separate report on December 9, 2021, on executions in Chenna and Kobo. However, the HRW report documented a total of 74 killings between the two towns and surrounding areas, including 39 in Chenna not mentioned by the Amnesty report.HRW also received reports of up to 200 civilians killed in the fighting, which it was unable to verify, as well as reports the TPLF used civilians as human shields by holding them in residential compounds and fighting ENDF forces from those compounds.Scratching the SurfaceThese reports begin to push back on the narrative of the TPLF as victims who are standing up to an authoritarian ruler, which has been popularized by the New York Times and CNN, among other publications, and widely decried by Ethiopians and Eritreans in Africa and across the diaspora. However, they have only scratched the surface of the numerous abuses documented by local journalists and residents across Amhara and Afar through the second half of 2021.In December 2021, as the TPLF was pushed out of Amhara and Afar by a powerful ENDF offensive, Agence France-Presse and BreakThrough News reported on the looting and destruction left behind in Lalibela, including of the hospital and airport, and interviewed women who were raped and abused by TPLF soldiers.In Dessie and Kombolcha, the UN World Food Program (WFP) reported mass looting of its food warehouses in the two cities in the days leading up to the TPLF withdrawal, and residents also reported looting of the regional airport. In Afar, photos emerged online of several mosques burned and looted by TPLF forces, including in Kasagita, Sifra, and Burka.In addition, no serious probe has been mounted of reports that the TPLF has used food as a weapon in Tigray itself where the group has been accused by Abiys government of withholding food aid from families until a man from the family enlists in the TPLF.The 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Pentagons massive annual budget, was passed in December and included a clause requiring the US Department of State to make a determination of genocide in Tigray by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, but does not require the State Department to look at any other group or region, necessarily precluding a probe of TPLF abuses in Amhara or Afar.The TPLF has claimed since the first day of hostilities with the ENDF on November 4, 2020, when it launched a surprise attack on ENDF forces inside of Tigray, that Abiys government was blockading food aid and creating a genocide in Tigray. The narrative quickly spread across Western media, but the only investigation of the situation thus far, by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the UN Human Rights Office, documented widespread human rights abuses by all sides, but did not find evidence of genocide in Tigray.While the US has maintained a public position of neutrality in the conflict, in reality, Washington has secretly supported the TPLF, as leaked video of a meeting between TPLF leaders and Western diplomats revealed. The TPLF ruled Ethiopia for 27 years and was the US primary partner in the region for much of that time. However, after the TPLF lost power when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018 and he quickly made peace with Eritrea, which the US has long treated as a pariah state, Washingtons opinion of Abiy waned.

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ethiopia, amnesty international, human rights abuse, rape, executions, tplf (tigray people's liberation front), africa
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/prince-andrew-was-under-pressure-from-queen-prince-charles-to-settle-giuffre-sex-abuse-case-1093071554.html

Prince Andrew 'Was Under Pressure From Queen, Prince Charles to Settle Giuffre Sex Abuse Case'

Prince Andrew 'Was Under Pressure From Queen, Prince Charles to Settle Giuffre Sex Abuse Case'

The Duke of York's protracted struggle to fend off accusations of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl has ended, as it became known on Tuesday that he... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T06:23+0000

2022-02-16T06:23+0000

2022-02-16T06:44+0000

uk

prince andrew

queen elizabeth ii

virginia roberts giuffre

sex abuse

case

settlement

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Prince Andrew was under "intense pressure from the very top", including from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, to settle a civil sex abuse case with Virginia Giuffre, The Mirror has cited unnamed sources as saying.According to the insiders, "it would have been unthinkable for the case to have reached trial under the glare of the international media".One of the sources added that "everyone is hoping they can start looking towards the [Queen's] Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer, as well as a Westminster Abbey service to remember the late Prince Philip next month".The insiders also asserted that Prince Andrew still "wholly maintains his innocence" and that he "believes he can still find a way back into public life".The claims come after lawyers for the Duke of York and Giuffre said in a letter to US Judge Lewis Kaplan that Prince Andrew and his accuser had reached a "settlement in principle".According to the newspaper, it would be difficult for the Duke of York to pay the expenses on his own, since he lives on a "modest Navy pension and an annual 250,000 ($338,600) stipend from the Queen". The Telegraph added that the payment must be transferred to the plaintiff's account within the next 30 days.The lawyers, for their part, asserted in the letter that Prince Andrew "has never intended to malign Ms Giuffre's character, and he accepts she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years".They added that the Duke of York "regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors []. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against [] sex trafficking, and by supporting victims". According to them, Prince Andrew will be paying a "substantial donation" to a non-profit founded by Giuffre - Victims Refuse Silence. The letter did not disclose the sum of the donation.Giuffre Sex Abuse Case The settlement came after months of efforts by the Duke of York to settle the civil sex abuse lawsuit lodged by Giuffre in a US court in August 2021, when she claimed that the now-late financier and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew several times. The Duke of York has repeatedly rejected any wrongdoing.The latest attempt by Prince Andrew's lawyers to hamper Giuffre's efforts to proceed with the lawsuit pertains to their requesting access to the original photograph showing her with the Duke of York's hand around her waist. The photo is said to have been taken in 2001 in Ghislaine Maxwell's London home, where the now-late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was also in attendance.Despite previous efforts, the royal's legal team failed to prevent the Duke of York's testimony in court, and the out-of-court settlement was reached just a few weeks before Andrew was due to be questioned under oath by Giuffre's lawyers. Last month, the Queen stripped the Duke of York of the title "His Royal Highness", royal duties, and some of his military ranks over the case.Epstein was found dead in his New York jail cell in August 2019, with officials claiming that he committed suicide. The cause of his death, however, remains disputed amid conspiracy theories speculating over whether he was murdered to prevent him from testifying against his high-profile friends, including Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, and Bill Clinton.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/putin-scholz-meet-over-nord-stream-2--ukraine-clinton-campaign-spied-on-trump-white-house-1093068137.html

Putin, Scholz Meet Over Nord Stream 2 & Ukraine; Clinton Campaign Spied on Trump White House

Putin, Scholz Meet Over Nord Stream 2 & Ukraine; Clinton Campaign Spied on Trump White House

Recent filings from the John Durham investigation reveal that the Clinton campaign paid to spy on Trump after he assumed the position of US President. 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T09:50+0000

2022-02-16T09:50+0000

2022-02-16T09:50+0000

the critical hour

john durham

clinton campaign

nordstream 2

crimea

russiagate

afghanistan

iran

radio

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Putin, Scholz Meet Over Nord Stream 2 & Ukraine; Clinton Campaign Spied on Trump White House Recent filings from the John Durham investigation reveal that the Clinton campaign paid to spy on Trump after he assumed the position of US President.

Dr. David Oualaalou, author and international security analyst, joins us to discuss the meeting between the German and Russian leaders in Moscow. As German gas supplies run dangerously low, the leaders of the two powerful European nations meet in Moscow to work on mutual security and economic issues.Dr. Ken Hammond, professor of East Asian and global history at New Mexico State University, joins us to discuss China. US leaders get antsy as more South and Central American nations join China's Belt and Road Initiative. Also, we discuss the strategic alliance between Russia and China.Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch and the author of "The American Farce Unravels: Shreds of January 6th," joins us to discuss the John Durham investigation. Recent filings from the John Durham investigation reveal that the Clinton campaign paid to spy on Trump after he assumed the position of US President.Greg Palast, investigative reporter, joins us to discuss voting rights. The CIA is found to have been gathering mass information from American citizens in violation of US law. Also, we discuss the latest attacks on voting rights.Regis Tremblay, an American citizen living in Crimea, joins us to discuss Crimea. Regis joins us to discuss his views as an American citizen living in Crimea. Regis has made films and hosts a YouTube show to address the political and social questions about the Ukrainian coup in 2014 and its aftermath.Dan Kovalik, writer, author, and lawyer, joins us to discuss the Global South. Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro has left for a meeting in Moscow, despite objections from US leaders. Also, the US is seeking the extradition of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez in connection with alleged narcotics trafficking.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss Iran. Hawkish US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is arguing that Iran is the most dangerous adversary of America in the world. Additionally, he got into a heated argument with critics of the US drone war.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Middle East. President Biden is being lambasted for his decision to disperse Afghanistan funds to 9/11 families. Also, Biden's antisemitism envoy is pushing against Amnesty International's recent Israel report.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/rudy-giuliani-claims-he-has-evidence-proving-hillary-clinton-spied-on-trump-in-his-bedroom-1093091936.html

Rudy Giuliani Claims He Has Evidence Proving Hillary Clinton Spied on Trump in His Bedroom

Rudy Giuliani Claims He Has Evidence Proving Hillary Clinton Spied on Trump in His Bedroom

Special Counsel John Durham earlier revealed his latest findings that may indicate Hillary Clinton's campaign paid an unnamed tech firm to "infiltrate" Trump... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T18:14+0000

2022-02-16T18:14+0000

2022-02-16T18:14+0000

us

rudy giuliani

hillary clinton

donald trump

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Donald Trump's former attorney Rudy Giuliani has claimed that he has for years been sitting on evidence proving that Hillary Clinton was complicit in spying on her 2016 election rival Donald Trump. Giuliani made the bombshell claim during an interview with Newsmax TV, insisting that the evidence was in his bedroom at that very moment.The former Trump attorney made his claim following Special Counsel John Durham's announcement that he had uncovered evidence that the 2016 Democratic candidate's campaign hired a tech firm to "infiltrate" the servers at Trump Tower and the White House to forge a "narrative" that would link Donald Trump to Russia and foster the Russiagate claims, which have since been proven false.While the name of the tech firm was not disclosed, the revelation comes as Durham is investigating alleged misconduct of Michael Sussman  a man, whom the counsel charged with lying to federal authorities. Durham believes that Sussman misled the FBI as he presented evidence of alleged collusion between Trump and Russia, claiming that he did not work "for any client", while in fact he was a Clinton campaign lawyer.Michael Sussman pled not guilty to charges presented by the special counsel. His guilt or innocence is yet to be determined in court.'Treason at the Highest Level'Former US President Donald Trump lauded Durham's findings, while accusing his former opponent in the 2016 election of committing "treason at the highest level". The Republican went on to claim that Durham's probe would uncover more of Hillary Clinton's alleged crimes in the future.Hillary Clinton has refused to answer any questions related to the findings, which the special counsel presented on 11 February.

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us, rudy giuliani, hillary clinton, donald trump
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/russia-does-not-plan-to-move-its-embassy-in-ukraine-from-kiev-source-says-1093069269.html

Russia Does Not Plan to Move Its Embassy in Ukraine From Kiev, Source Says

Russia Does Not Plan to Move Its Embassy in Ukraine From Kiev, Source Says

Western states have been raising concerns over Russia's alleged plans to "invade" Ukraine, with Washington relocating some of its personnel from the embassy in... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T03:07+0000

2022-02-16T03:07+0000

2022-02-16T03:22+0000

russia

ukraine

kiev

embassy

crisis

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Russia does not plan to move its embassy in Ukraine anywhere from Kiev, a source told Sputnik early on Wednesday."There are no such plans," he added.Kiev and Western states, primarily the US, have recently expressed concern about the alleged increase in "aggressive actions" by Russia near the borders of Ukraine.The Kremlin has repeatedly said that Russia has the right to move troops within its national territory, while pointing out that NATO has significantly increased its military activity near Russian borders, which Moscow perceives as a threat to national security.

https://sputniknews.com/20220214/us-moving-ukrainian-embassy-from-kiev-to-lvov---state-department-1093032894.html

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russia, ukraine, kiev, embassy, crisis
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/russia-watch-protest-persists-tribal-jail-deaths-and-amazon-union-vote-1093067897.html

Russia Watch, Protest Persists, Tribal Jail Deaths and Amazon Union Vote

Russia Watch, Protest Persists, Tribal Jail Deaths and Amazon Union Vote

Ottawa remains occupied, Interior Department report reveals tribal jail deaths, and Amazon workers vote for a second time to unionize. 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T09:46+0000

2022-02-16T09:46+0000

2022-02-16T09:46+0000

political misfits

russia

ukraine

amazon

sarah palin

nytimes

honduras

ottawa

radio

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Russia Watch, Protest Persists, Tribal Jail Deaths and Amazon Union Vote Ottawa remains occupied, Interior Department report reveals tribal jail deaths, and Amazon workers vote for a second time to unionize.

For the first segment, Austin Pelli, co-host of Fault Lines - which you can hear every day Monday through Friday, from 7:00a-10:00a ET here on Radio Sputnik, calls in from Ottawa, Canada to give us an on-the-ground perspective covering the Freedom Convoy. Austin describes the scene as being friendly and festive. Ottawa police have been supportive of the protest, and participants in the convoy are compliant with law enforcement. Each weekend, more people show up to the protest, yet pandemic mandates are slated to be lifted by the end of February.Next, Kimberly Dvorak, award-winning investigative journalist, calls in from Virginia to talk with Michelle and John about the latest development in Russia over tensions in Ukraine. There are a great number of developments on Ukraine today: President Putin met this morning with Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which was after Scholz met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Both sides stressed economic ties, and Scholz said that Europes borders are inviolable. Putin, for his part, said that he does not want or seek war in Europe.At the bottom of the first hour, John Kane, Mohawk activist, educator, producer and host of the Let's Talk Native podcast, and co-host of Resistance Radio on WBAI Pacifica Radio NY, joins the show to talk about the Interior Department reviewing deaths in custody of native people at tribal detention centers overseen by the department. According to an investigation published last summer, at least 19 men and women have died in these detention centers since 2016.Terry Collingsworth, executive director of International Rights Advocates and labor/human rights attorney specializing in trade and international labor rights issues, joins Michelle and John to talk about the National Labor Relations Boards findings of how Amazon has treated union organizers in its warehouses and what it has been ordered to do. The Boards findings follow after Amazon workers in Alabama voted for a second time whether or not to unionize.During the last hour, Bruce Fein, former associate deputy Attorney General of the United States and a renowned constitutional scholar, catches up with the Misfits to discuss a recent court decision regarding Sarah Palin. A New York judge yesterday said that he will dismiss a lawsuit brought against the New York Times by Republican former vice presidential nominee and Alaska governor Sarah Palin. He said that Palins legal team did not prove a key element of the case, that the New York Times intended actual malice. But in a very unusual decision, the judge said that he will allow the jury to continue deliberating over a verdict, and that he will dismiss that verdict once it has done so. This seems like an easy win for the Times. But, the judge seems to be preparing for an inevitable appeal and he wants both his own reasoning and the jurys reasoning on the record, according to FeinFor the last segment, Dan Kovalik, labor attorney, human rights activist, and author whose latest book is called "Cancel This Book: The Progressive Case Against Cancel Culture," joins the show to talk about the latest out of Honduras. The United States yesterday formally requested the arrest and extradition to the US of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. The Justice Department accuses the former president of trafficking drugs into the United States. His brother Tony was convicted of trafficking last year and sentenced to life without parole. The Honduran Supreme Court will meet today to decide whether to extradite Orlando Hernandez. Orlando Hernandez is not new to corruption. There have been credible, serious reports that he was a major drug trafficker going back to 2015.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com

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UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said Tuesday that he is developing a framework that will set out his plan to move toward an inclusive political settlement, including the establishment of a multi-track process.

Through this process, the warring sides' interests can be addressed within the context of a broader Yemeni agenda along the three tracks of political, security and economic matters, he told the Security Council in a briefing.

Despite many challenges, there is a way out of the war in Yemen. Allowing the war to continue is a choice, and so is ending it, he said. "We all know that ending it will not be easy, but I firmly believe that it is possible."

He said he will next week begin a series of structured bilateral consultations aimed at informing and refining the framework. He will engage with multiple Yemeni stakeholders, including the warring parties, political parties, representatives of civil society, and Yemeni experts in the political, security and economic arenas.

"The consultations will explore Yemenis' priorities for the immediate and longer term for the three tracks, as well as their aspirations and broader vision for ending the conflict," said Grundberg. "I count on the support of this council to encourage all actors to participate constructively without delay. This is a real opportunity for Yemeni parties to shift gear and charter a peaceful way forward."

For too long Yemenis have been without a political process and without hope that this conflict can end. Through initiating a structured process trying to address the key elements of the conflict, hope for an end to the devastating military, political and economic battles can be restored, he said.

Grundberg said he looks forward to presenting his framework later this spring.

In parallel, he said, he is continuing to explore every possibility of fast-tracking de-escalation.

"I have continuously engaged with the warring parties on possible mutually agreeable compromises. In recent meetings in Riyadh and Muscat, I urged the conflict parties to engage in de-escalation talks and I have presented options for moving forward," he said, adding that, until now, his calls and the calls of the Security Council for restraint and de-escalation have remained unanswered.

"As we have seen over the past two years, positions are mutually exclusive with demands on sequencing and guarantees unable to be met by the other side. My efforts in this regard, nevertheless, will continue and I remain actively engaged with the warring sides in pursuit of any opening and will report back to this council on any progress," he said.

Grundberg said he will keep working on the two lines of effort: establishing a multi-track process that can produce durable solutions to this conflict while seeking any opportunity for immediate de-escalation.

"My conviction is that a structured and focused approach that does not shy away from the fundamental and complex challenges is needed. However, trust is low and ending this war will require uncomfortable compromises which no warring party is currently willing to make," he said.

Following the attacks last month by Houthis on the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including on a civilian airport and nearby industrial areas, where three civilians were killed, it should be obvious to everyone just how high the stakes have become. Furthermore, the attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia indicate how this conflict risks spiraling out of control unless serious efforts are urgently made by the Yemeni parties, the region and the international community to end this conflict, he said.

For Yemenis, the past month was marked by a multiplication of front lines and appalling record numbers in civilian casualties. The Saudi-led military coalition's airstrike on a detention facility in the northern Yemeni city of Saada was the worst civilian casualty incident in three years. The sharp increase in airstrikes in Yemen, including on residential areas in Sanaa and Hodeidah is alarming, said Grundberg.

Yemen's war continues to be fought also in the economic arena, with warring sides battling over resources, trade flows and monetary policy. The impact of this aspect of the war continues to irrefutably hit Yemen's population as a whole. The past month has seen particularly severe shortages in fuel and oil derivatives, notably in areas controlled by Houthis, putting unprecedented strain on the everyday lives of people, he said.

The war is also fought in the public domain with increasingly hostile media rhetoric combined with intimidation, detention and harassment of media professionals and activists in Yemen. This contributes to a toxic environment when there is a need for dialogue, said Grundberg.
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/sandy-hook-families-reach-73-million-settlement-with-remington-arms-in-landmark-agreement-1093068369.html

Sandy Hook Families Reach $73 Million Settlement With Remington Arms in Landmark Agreement

Sandy Hook Families Reach $73 Million Settlement With Remington Arms in Landmark Agreement

In December 2012, Adam Lanza used a Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifle produced by Remington Arms to murder schoolchildren and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School. 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T01:20+0000

2022-02-16T01:20+0000

2022-02-16T01:20+0000

gun control

school shooting

victims

lawsuit

settlement

us

sandy hook

gun violence

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On Tuesday, family members of Sandy Hook victims made a landmark victory by settling with now-bankrupt gun manufacturer Remington Arms, responsible for making the gun that was used to kill 20 children and six teachers.The $73 million agreement will send a clear message to gunmakers, says Joshua Koskoff, the attorney for the families.Its time to stop saddling everything on mentally ill people, he added, as the suit is a major stepping stone in making gunmakers accountable for the risks of their products.During the conference, Koskoff noted that the families pursuing the suit did so because they didnt want other families to suffer the same tragedy inflicted on them nearly a decade ago.Connecticut Attorney General William Tong agreed that the suit shows the gun, as well as insurance industries, that they are not above the law. Todays settlement is a clear indication that PLCAA (the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act) is not the impenetrable shield that the gun industry wishes it to be, and that gun manufacturers who violate state consumer protection laws can and should be held accountable, Tong said.The lawsuit was first filed in 2014, but had only zigzagged through the judicial system until it got a greenlight in a 4-3 ruling by the Connecticut Supreme Court in 2019. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was passed in 2005, and has been protecting gun makers since then from cases such as these.The NRA wanted special protections, said Koskoff of the PLCAA. It gave the industry a perception that nothing they did could ever be evaluated, lead to scrutiny, or accountability. He added that the 2005 law also gave gun companies a close partnership with insurance companies, while paving the way for these industries to focus their attention on profit alone, while recklessly ignoring the risk for potential incidents, like mass shootings.Attorneys for the families were able to argue against that piece of legislation by using the claim of negligent entrustment, which has also been used in cases involving unlicensed or reckless drivers who have caused injuries while driving another persons vehicle.During the news conference, families were in tears as they lamented a decade of lost holidays, birthdays, and everyday life with their murdered loved ones. Koskoff was in tears too, as he said, These families would give it all back just for one minute that would be true justice.

https://sputniknews.com/20211115/infowars-alex-jones-found-guilty-in-sandy-hook-defamation-cases-1090756223.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/source-nato-frigates-tried-to-conduct-electronic-reconnaissance-of-russian-ships-in-mediterranean-1093067741.html

Source: NATO Frigates Tried to Conduct Electronic Reconnaissance of Russian Ships in Mediterranean

Source: NATO Frigates Tried to Conduct Electronic Reconnaissance of Russian Ships in Mediterranean

Source: NATO Frigates Tried to Conduct Electronic Reconnaissance of Russian Ships in Mediterranean

2022-02-16T00:37+0000

2022-02-16T00:37+0000

2022-02-16T03:52+0000

military & intelligence

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NATO frigates attempted to conduct electronic reconnaissance of Russian ships during the exercises of the Navy units in the Mediterranean Sea, a source told Sputnik early on Wednesday.The crews of Russian missile cruisers detected radar emissions from the NATO vessels. The Russian military determined their location and took them under escort.The Russian military drills in the Mediterranean, which kicked off on Tuesday, involve 15 warships and over 30 aircraft of the Russian Air Force. The exercise is part of a broader series of naval drills that started last month amid tensions between Russia and NATO.On 25 January, NATO launched military exercises in the area with a US aircraft carrier strike group and the forces of other alliance members participating in joint maneuvers.The exercises are taking place amid claims expressed by Washington and its allies concerning Russias alleged military buildup near Ukraine's borders and speculations of an "invasion".Moscow has repeatedly rejected the allegations about an "incursion", warning in turn of the possibility of provocations by Kiev in a bid to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine by means of force. The Kremlin noted that any actions that bypass the Minsk Accords would lead to the most serious consequences.

https://sputniknews.com/20220215/ukrainian-stance-doesnt-matter-bellicose-us-posture-makes-kiev-moscow-talks-harder-expert-says-1093064265.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/uks-hysteria-over-russian-invasion-is-caused-by-johnson-cabinets-domestic-problems-1093088122.html

Moscow: UK's Hysteria Over Russian 'Invasion' is Caused by Johnson Cabinet's Domestic Problems

Moscow: UK's Hysteria Over Russian 'Invasion' is Caused by Johnson Cabinet's Domestic Problems

The British government is currently going through a tough PR crisis as investigators uncovered that Boris Johnson and members of his Cabinet had taken part in... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T14:41+0000

2022-02-16T14:41+0000

2022-02-16T15:41+0000

uk

russia

ukraine

fake news

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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has condemned the continuing hysteria around an allegedly "imminent" Russian invasion of Ukraine pushed by UK government officials and media. She suggested that part of the reason why London continues to peddle this claim is because Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Cabinet is facing problems at home.The spokeswoman further urged Western media and politicians to stop spreading falsehoods about an "imminent" invasion and the alleged dates of it, as it gravely affects peoples psychological and moral state, first and foremost among Ukrainians.Zakharova also called on UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to apologise for her claims of an "imminent" Russian invasion after it failed to materialise on 16 February  to the great disappointment of Western media, which claimed that this was supposed to be the day of the attack.The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman pointed out that the unfolding scandal over the attendance of private parties by members of Johnson's Cabinet during coronavirus restrictions could cost the prime minister his post. Zakharova suggested that by whipping up hysteria around Ukraine, London is trying to find an "external force" to shift the focus from the domestic scandal.UK Media Go Full Nostradamus in Predicting Time of Russian Invasion (Only to Fail Miserably)Zakharova went on to slam British tabloids The Sun, Mirror, as well as American Fox News, for lying to their audience about a Russian invasion and its alleged time and date.The first claims about a Russian invasion taking place on 16 February began to emerge in the US media last week. Their claims were partially supported by American politicians claiming that the attack might happen any day, despite the same politicians admitting that they had no way of knowing the exact date.Russian President Vladimir Putin chuckled at the reports, according to his spokesman, who said that the president jokingly wondered if the media also mentioned the specific hour when the "invasion" would start. Two UK tabloids were quick to satisfy Putin's request, claiming on 15 February that the Russian attack would start at 1:00 am GMT on 16 February, citing US intelligence.No attack occurred and no attack will ever take place, as the Kremlin has repeatedly assured over the past few months. Moscow has slammed allegations that it is planning an invasion, which the West has been pedalling since November 2021, citing Russian troops allegedly being amassed at the border. The latter were moved westward to take part in scheduled military drills and will be returning to their bases of deployment soon after they are over.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220216/us-house-speaker-hopes-senate-will-pass-israeli-iron-domes-funding-bill-soon-1093092906.html

US House Speaker 'Hopes' Senate Will Pass Israeli Iron Dome's Funding Bill 'Soon'

US House Speaker 'Hopes' Senate Will Pass Israeli Iron Dome's Funding Bill 'Soon'

The Democrat-controlled House passed a bill allocating US budget funds to help Tel Aviv resupply its nearly depleted Iron Dome missiles in September 2021... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T19:30+0000

2022-02-16T19:30+0000

2022-02-16T19:30+0000

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pledged "ironclad" support on the part of the US to Israel as she spoke to the country's parliament, the Knesset. She namely expressed hope that the US Senate will approve the legislation to fund the restocking of the country's Iron Dome air defences in the near future.She went on to promise Israel support in other spheres of its defence, namely against Iran  Tel Aviv's arch-enemy. Pelosi slammed Iran's nuclear programme as a "global threat" even though Tehran has repeatedly assured world leaders that it does not seek to build nukes.Brief Revolt in US House Over Iron Dome FundingIsrael's Iron Dome short-range air defence system endured an enormous stress test last May after Gaza-based militant groups launched thousands of rockets towards Israel in a matter of weeks. Iron Dome deflected most of the projectiles, but its reserves of interceptor missiles dipped drastically, requiring expensive resupply in order to be ready for another such attack.That's where the US Congress decided to step in by including a $1 billion spending measure into stopgap funding legislation. However, some members of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party revolted against it, refusing to back the stopgap bill over Israel's "oppression" of Palestinians. The measure later made it into a separate bill, which the US House successfully passed on 24 September with little opposition.

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us, israel, iron dome
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/watch-hillary-clinton-dodge-questions-about-spying-on-donald-trump-and-durham-probe-1093079693.html

Watch Hillary Clinton Dodge Questions About Spying on Donald Trump and Durham Probe

Watch Hillary Clinton Dodge Questions About Spying on Donald Trump and Durham Probe

In 2019, John Durham was appointed to investigate the FBIs probe into the so-called Russia gate, an allegation of collusion between the Republican and the Kremlin, which was made by Democrats, including Clinton, following Trumps victory in the 2016 presidential elections. Durham is tasked to find if the bureaus probe was legal.

2022-02-16T11:53+0000

2022-02-16T11:53+0000

2022-02-16T11:53+0000

us

russiagate

hillary clinton

collusion

collusion claims

mueller probe

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Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has refused to answer whether or not her presidential campaign spied on Donald Trump when the two faced each other in the 2016 presidential race. The former first lady was confronted in the street by a reporter from the Daily Mail, who asked her to comment on the allegations made by John Durham, Special Counsel for the US Department of Justice. A video of the encounter was posted online by the Daily Mail. Hillary Clinton responded to the reporter's questions, waving at her.A motion filed by Durham on 11 February says that in 2016 the Clinton campaign allegedly hired a tech firm to "infiltrate" servers belonging to Trump Tower in order to create a "narrative" and "inference" that would link the Republican to Russia.Durham previously argued that lawyer Michael Sussman, who previously said he didn't work for any client in 2016 when he looked into the allegations of communication between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, was in fact working for a US-based internet company and the Clinton campaign. Sussman was indicted for making false statements to a federal agent and pleaded not guilty.Commenting on the Durham motion, former President Donald Trump said that the findings provide "indisputable evidence" that his campaign and presidency "were spied on by operatives paid by the Hillary Clinton campaign in an effort to develop a completely fabricated connection to Russia". The Republican called the situation a scandal "far greater in scope and magnitude than Watergate".The Durham probe is looking into the FBI's investigation of links between Trump and Russia, something the ex-POTUS called a hoax and a witch hunt. The FBI investigation was eventually taken over by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.The probe said that although the Trump campaign "expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts" there was no evidence that the businessman-turned-politician has colluded with Russia. The probe also found that Moscow had tried to interfere in the election, a claim the Russian government has categorically denied.

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us, russiagate, hillary clinton, collusion, collusion claims, mueller probe
https://sputniknews.com/20220216/white-house-press-secretary-jen-psaki-holds-briefing-1093091461.html

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Holds Briefing

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Holds Briefing

The news briefing comes as the United States insists that there are no signs of a Russian troop pullback from the Ukrainian border and claims that Moscow has... 16.02.2022, Sputnik International

2022-02-16T18:11+0000

2022-02-16T18:11+0000

2022-02-16T18:11+0000

us

jen psaki

ukraine

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White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki is holding a press briefing in Washington, DC on 16 February.The briefing comes the same day as Western media claimed that Russia would invade Ukraine, something which didn't happen. While the US and its transatlantic allies have repeatedly threatened Russia with "serious consequences" should it launch an offensive against Ukraine, Moscow has on many occasions denied allegations of intending to "invade" its neighbour. Responding to the claims of a "massive military build-up" on the border with Ukraine, Russia stressed that it has the right to move its forces within its own territory. Moscow emphasised that these and other claims are made to justify NATO and the US deploying more troops and weapons close to Russia's borders. On Tuesday, the Russian Defence Ministry announced that troops were leaving the southern border - the border with Ukraine - and returning to their places of permanent deployment after drills.Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!

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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Holds Briefing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki Holds Briefing 2022-02-16T18:11+0000 true PT44M16S

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Much like building a house, there's a lot that goes into developing a successful stable of Standardbred stars, the likes of which Luc Blais has become accustomed to campaigning in recent years.

On the heels of winning the 2021 O'Brien Award of Horsemanship at the recent virtual gala hosted by Standardbred Canada, Blais acknowledged the team behind his stable, which has produced winners in some of the sport's biggest stakes.

While those bucket list races are what every horseperson strives to win, Blais enjoys seeing the time and hard work of developing a foundation for success in his trainees pay off no matter the calibre of race.

"When you win a race, it doesn't matter what kind of race," said Blais, who sent 44 winners postward in 2021 and eclipsed $2 million in earnings for the sixth consecutive year as the private trainer for Determination. "I remember when I started, it was not easy all the time. I would have a cheap horse with my father, but when you work on the horse for a week and you're racing and you win, I think it's a good buzz all the time.

"You need to build that to go there. It's like you build a house and you see your house and you're happy."

With an arsenal of returning stars plus 14 promising yearlings, the Quebec native is looking forward to 2022.

"I'm very pleased right now with what I've got. I've got a nice barn right now. I've got a good feeling in the barn. I don't know, but I've got a really, really good feeling. Healthy and strong horses. We'll see, I hope. Just keep that like that and I'm going to be happy in the end."

Trot Insider caught up with Blais, who discussed navigating the obstacles associated with the pandemic for success on both sides of the border in 2021, the impressive comeback of Forbidden Trade, who was named U.S. Older Male Trotter of the Year, and updates on his other stars including O'Brien Award finalist Donna Soprano.
Gov. Pete Ricketts and a number of business spokesmen said Monday that pending legislation to reduce Nebraska's individual income tax rate is key to attracting and retaining workers, families and businesses in the state.

"We need to be competitive," Ricketts said during a news conference with Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and representatives from one small and one large Lincoln business.

Nebraska's comparatively high state income tax rate currently is an incentive for families to leave the state, the governor said.

An income tax reduction bill (LB939), introduced by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, is awaiting first-stage floor consideration in the Legislature, with a number of proposed amendments pending.

The proposal would incrementally reduce the top income tax rate for individuals from 6.84% to 5.84%, providing parity with the top corporate income tax rate.

The impact on state government revenue would rise incrementally from an initial reduction of $62 million in fiscal 2022-23 to $363 million in fiscal 2026-27, according to estimates.

"If we continue to control (state government) spending," Ricketts said, the state can continue to deliver tax relief.

Some $548 million in additional property tax relief is being provided now through a refundable income tax credit on property taxes paid to support public schools, the governor said.

And the Legislature, with his support, is now accelerating elimination of state income taxes applied to Social Security benefits, moving the timetable up from 10 years to five years, he noted.

Slone stressed that the proposed income tax reduction will affect teachers, farmers and young people.

"It's not just a tax break for the rich," he said.

Scott Gubbels, executive director of tax and renewable energy services for Nelnet, said the income tax reduction could be "a game-changing move" that would incentivize growth, investment and residency in Nebraska.

And that in turn, he said, would expand the tax base.

Adam Kavan, owner of Kavan Custom Construction, said the proposal represents "a big step in the right direction" in terms of incentivizing people to want to live in Nebraska and, in terms of his small business, "allowing us to make strategic investments."

The proposed tax reduction would assist more than 60% of Nebraska families, Ricketts said.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts visited the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering on Tuesday to present some of his legislative plans to constituents. For this town hall, the second of a Water and Taxes series, he focused primarily on water resource use and a trio of tax relief plans.

Around 50 people looked on as he began his presentation by discussing the proposed Perkins County Canal project. This canal would run through a portion of northeast Colorado to connect with reservoirs in southwest Nebraska. Such a project is made possible by a 1923 compact between the two states, and Ricketts said its construction is vital for future generations of Nebraskans.

A 1923 agreement states that Nebraska is entitled to at least 120 cubic feet per second from Colorados portion of the South Platte River from April 1 to Oct. 15 during the irrigation season. The state is entitled to a minimum of 500 feet per second during the rest of the year, but only if Nebraska builds the canal.

If we do not have this canal and reservoir system, the legal minimum that Colorado is required to provide us is zero (cubic feet per second). Zero. That means they could take all the water in the South Platte River in the winter and not provide us with any, Ricketts said.

He said the canal is especially important because the Coloradoan legislature is developing 283 different projects to control their water supply and limit excess outflow to support their growing population. Colorado Senate Bill 22-126 would put a greater focus on projects that affect the outflow of the South Platte River. According to Ricketts, such efforts could limit the rivers flow into Nebraska by as much as 90 percent.

Dennis Strauch, a former chairman of the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission, said the canal would be crucial to irrigation efforts in the region. He also said it was important to protect the natural resources the state needs.

I appreciate the governors efforts in that regard as far as moving that project forward, making sure we get the water were entitled to. For our area, you might say the South Platte is not critical, but without flows from the South Platte, downstream needs have to be met from the North Platte, Strauch said.

Colorado is also mismanaging its section of the massive underground Ogallala aquifer, Ricketts said. While aquifer levels in Nebraska are within a foot of their 1950s amount, the aquifer has been drained by almost 15 feet in Colorado in that timeframe. So we do a great job here in Nebraska managing our water, the governor said. Our farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists.

Ricketts also advocated for projects from legislative speaker Mike Hilgers Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resources Sustainability (STAR WARS) committee. These projects aim to increase tourism in the state by creating new water-based tourist destinations, including a new marina at Lake McConaughy and a 4,000-acre lake between Lincoln and Omaha. He also supported a $23 million repair effort to permanently restore the collapsed Gering  Ft. Laramie Irrigation Districts Tunnel No. 2.

The second half of the governors presentation related to three bills in the state legislature which would advance various types of tax relief. He said these were proposed because the state has more than $1 billion in excess revenue to return to the people.

The first he mentioned, LB 723 would put a floor on an existing $548 million in tax credits so it does not go back down and will continue to provide property tax relief. The next bill, LB 825 would hasten the phase-out of the states social security benefit tax from 10 years to five years to encourage seniors not to leave the state.

The third bill he mentioned, LB 939, would lower the state income tax level from 6.84% to 5.84% while lowering business taxes to the same rate. Ricketts said this will make the state more competitive among its peers. Ricketts said the changes would benefit more than 60% of Nebraskan families.

Ricketts invited a pair of local businessmen to the podium to express their thoughts on the proposed tax relief bills. The first presenter was Bytes Computer Solutions president Todd Lewis.

Tax cuts for me as a business owner would allow me to put more money back into my company, to reinvest into my employees, my infrastructure (and) to grow my organization, Lewis said. One of the things were running into today is the competitiveness of the employee market. Its hard to bring new employees into the state. Its hard to get young people to get back to this area, and any little thing we can do to make that better is going to be a game-changer for us.

The tax plans would make Nebraska a more appealing place for families, he said. The next speaker was the President of Platte Valley Bank, Zac Karpf, who agreed. Such lowered tax rates would make Nebraska seem like less of an outlier among neighboring states, Karpf said.

After more than half an hour of presenting, Ricketts turned to the audience to ask questions. Most of the audience members asked him to elaborate on the proposals he had discussed during the presentation.

The governor will return to the Legacy of the Plains museum on Friday, Feb. 25 for an ice cream social event from 3  5 p.m.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Russia's security concerns during a phone conversation on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov stressed the necessity of continuing the efforts, as agreed upon by President Vladimir Putin and President Joe Biden, to cooperate on Russia's security proposals submitted to the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Lavrov underlined the unacceptability of the aggressive rhetoric by Washington and its allies, and called for a pragmatic dialogue on the entire range of issues raised by Russia, particularly the indivisibility of security.

The top diplomats also discussed the schedule for upcoming meetings at various levels.
A bill sparked by a religious discrimination lawsuit against the University of Nebraska drew divided reactions at a legislative committee hearing Monday after opponents expressed concerns about the bills potential wide-ranging impacts.

Introduced by Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, LB1050 would prohibit the states public postsecondary institutions from denying any political, religious or ideological student organizations benefits that are available to other student organizations. The bill applies to the NU campuses, state college campuses and community colleges.

The bill comes after Ratio Christi, a Christian student organization with a chapter at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, filed a lawsuit in late October alleging that the university, via the University Program Council, discriminated against Ratio Christi by denying its request for money to bring a Christian philosopher to campus. The money would have come from student fees.

Flood, a Republican who is running to replace Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in Nebraskas 1st Congressional District, told the Legislatures Education Committee the bill would help avoid costly lawsuits that have occurred in other states. Flood said 16 states have passed similar laws.

Several people, including Logan Spena, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedoms Center for Academic Freedom, spoke in support of Floods bill. ADF is representing Ratio Christi in the lawsuit.

A bill like this will prevent any administrative discretion giving rise to unnecessary liability, Spena said.

However, committee members Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, who is running as a Democrat to replace Fortenberry, and Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha expressed concern that the bill would require public institutions to consider funding groups with extremist or discriminatory views.

Most Nebraskans would be shocked to think that public dollars could go to groups that support satanism," Pansing Brooks said as an example. The bill could also require public institutions to consider funding requests from white supremacists or groups hostile to the LGBTQ community, she said.

While Spena said the bill would prohibit the states postsecondary institutions from denying funding specifically because of ideology, he said the schools could still punish any bad actions taken by such groups.

It doesnt prohibit the university from enforcing any of its own conduct rules against individuals who engage in, say, racial harassment, Spena said. In the event that there was an extremist group that was requiring leaders to engage in extremist activity, that activity could still be punished.

McKinney, who is Black, voiced concern about peoples view of Nebraska if the bill passes.

We have to draw the line on what is and is not acceptable in our communities, he said. This would make our state less attractive, especially to people who look like me.

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A deep dive into the marriages of Native people with whites, focusing on five families.

"Born of Lakes and Plains" by Anne F. Hyde; W.W. Norton (442 pages, $40)



Like any chronicle of widespread migration across a continent, the history of the American West is a story about mixing cultures, languages and peoples. Beginning with the first French and English explorers, whenever whites encountered Native peoples, they fought, they traded goods, and inevitably they intermarried.

Anne F. Hyde's "Born of Lakes and Plains" seeks to bring this legacy of families sharing white and Native blood out of the shadows of our historical understanding. At certain times and places, intermarriage was a common practice. Native people simply extended this time-honored tool of diplomacy and trade  between, say, Ojibwe and Menominee  to whites.

Among Native peoples, marriage was often considered a temporary alliance, and polygamy accepted. Likewise, French fur traders seeking commercial contacts would claim a Native "country wife" on the frontier in addition to the femme back in Montreal. Their offspring faced uncertain futures, either as Natives or, less likely, as whites. Straddling cultures, they often served precarious roles as interpreters and go-betweens.

Hyde tries to corral her unwieldy narrative into the stories of five white men and their extended families ranging across North America from colonial times into the 20th century. (Intermarriage between white women and Native men was rare.)

William Bent, for example, married Mistanta, daughter of a Cheyenne clan leader, and built a successful trading post on the Arkansas River early in the 19th century. In keeping with Cheyenne custom, he also wed her two sisters and had children with all of them. One relative, George Bent, "began the [Civil War] as a white man but ended it as an Indian."

After serving in the Confederate Army, he joined with Black Kettle's Cheyenne band, who, despite surrendering, were massacred at Sand Creek in 1864. George survived only by hiding under a pile of bodies.

In the Northwest, fur entrepreneur Alexander McKay sired half-Chinook children by three wives. At the end of the 19th century, his grandson, William Cameron McKay, a physician, was barred from voting because he was considered 9/16ths Native and therefore not a citizen. Never mind that he had previously been elected to a local government position.

Henry Schoolcraft emerges as Hyde's villain. His wife Jane, half-Ojibwe, tried to adapt to white culture while keeping close ties to her Ojibwe roots. It was harder to remain close to Henry, who often went off on speaking tours, posing as an expert on Native peoples, while dismissing them as incapable of complex thought.

Unfortunately, as Hyde jumps from one large extended family to another, it's impossible to keep the names straight, let alone discern what makes any of them tick. In the effort to convey the wide variety of fates encountered by mixed-descent people, she has offered a huge, and hugely confusing, cast of characters. Family tree charts would have been a help.

By the age of reservations, mixed-descent people were forced to identify with one culture or the other. Both was not an option. Being called "mixed" was nothing but a slur.



Dan Cryer is the author of "Being Alive and Having to Die: The Spiritual Odyssey of Forrest Church."
A Salisbury man was arrested on felony charges Feb. 11 in Mooresville after a foot chase, said Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell.

Jericho Lamonte White, 29, was charged with felony possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, felony maintaining a vehicle for the use or sale of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of marijuana, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor possession of marijuana, two counts of misdemeanor assault on a government official, misdemeanor resisting a public officer, misdemeanor injury to property, and driving while license revoked.

A magistrate set bond at $10,000.

Campbell, in a news release, said deputies with the Aggressive Criminal Enforcement (ACE) team stopped a vehicle on Mount Ulla Highway at Wiggins Road for a traffic violation. While speaking with the driver, White, about the traffic violation, K-9 Brandi alerted deputies to the presence of illegal drugs, Campbell said.

After White stepped out of the car and deputies began to pat him down, they believed they found a package of illegal drugs in a pants pocket, Campbell said. He said White pushed one of the deputies away and fled on foot across Mount Ulla Highway into oncoming traffic.

Deputies, along with Brandi, chased White into a nearby field and said they witnessed him remove an object from the pocket they felt originally, and he then threw the object while he continued to run, Campbell said. A short distance later, deputies and Brandi caught White and deputies took him into custody, Campbell said.

Deputies then searched the area where White had run and located 5.4 grams of cocaine scattered on the ground along with items of drug paraphernalia, Campbell said.

Whites history includes felony possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine and felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury and and misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and misdemeanor assault on a female and possession of marijuana.

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The 145 pounds of marijuana Iredell County deputies discovered during a traffic stop Monday has landed a pair of New York men in jail.

The two are now behind bars while the drugs are in possession of the sheriffs office, Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell said in a news release.

Hillel Linn Miller, 34, and Hasaanul Haq, 29, both of Brooklyn, face charges of felony trafficking marijuana by transport, felony trafficking marijuana by possession, and felony possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana.

Miller and Haq appeared before Magistrate Thomas Thompson who issued each suspect a $200,000 bond. They are being held at the Iredell County Detention Center.

On Monday, deputies with the Iredell County Sheriffs Office Interstate Criminal Enforcement Team conducted a traffic stop on a 2021 Ford Expedition on Interstate 77 Southbound at the 61 mile marker for a traffic violation and spoke with Miller, the driver, and Haq, Campbell said.

Soon after, the sheriffs offices canine Connie was called to the scene to assist and gave a positive alert to the presence of illegal narcotics inside the vehicle, Campbell said. Deputies searched the vehicle and located 145 pounds of marijuana in several vacuum-sealed bags in a case in the rear cargo area of the vehicle, Campbell added.

The marijuana seized has an estimated value of $657,720, he said.

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Helping children in the local community who are facing food insecurities by providing weekend meals bags is the mission of Food for Days. The organizations office is located in Mooresville in the Fuzion Teen Center, 691 Brookwood Drive. The organization is currently providing for those in need in 16 schools and serving as many as 460 students, according to Karen Swan, executive director.

Pressley School in the Iredell-Statesville School District, which Food for Days supports, is a school that is specially designed to serve the students needs, of the students that attend there. They have some special needs, and they will be our special (Love United Iredell) project this year, Swan said.

Many of the schools are partnered with churches, Swan noted, but Pressley is kind of Food For Days community school. We raise the funds for the students that they have each year.

The student sponsorships are made possible through community donations and fundraisers, she said.

And the numbers vary there quite a bit. We are currently serving 35 students. Weve had as many as 60, weve had as little at 15. But that pretty much changes on a weekly basis for them. So thats why we are looking at having people sponsor just the individual meals so that we are ready for when they have new students come in.

The projects funding goal is $2,500, which will go to providing things the students needs such as backpacks, feminine hygiene items and meals. Swan said she would like to collect 50 or more of the backpacks, 1,200 feminine pads and 210 meals.

If any of these particular items are donated, she said, they would subtract the value of that item from the total goal amount.

Food for Days is currently feeding all of the students that they have at Pressley School, but the numbers change quite a bit, she said. Raising these funds for the school throughout the years is just another way of ensuring that we can meet that need.

Swan noted that at Pressley, they might have a student for two months there. We could have a student that comes for 10 weeks. We might not have the same student throughout the year, but what we would like to make sure is that we have sponsored 210 meals so that when we have students coming in and out, we are already prepared for that.

Some backpacks were provided at the beginning of the school year and are almost gone, Swan noted. When additional ones come in, she will get them to the school as well as feminine hygiene items, which are an immediate need.

Food for Days has two packing sites, one in Mooresville at the Fuzion Teen Center and the second at Fairview Baptist Church in Statesville, which is where the bags for Pressley School are packed. Volunteers gather at both locations to get the bags ready for delivery to the schools.

The students who receive the provided meals are identified by school counselors each year. The counselors also confer with teachers, administrators and staff. Bus drivers could also help identify those who may have a need for one of the bags and could pass that information along to the counselor, Swan said.

Once identified, a permission slip goes home with the student, and when the permission slip is returned a bag will go out to them, she continued.

It is an open process. So if a family comes to the counselor during the year and theyve lost a job or a child is placed with a grandparent or whatever circumstances might change to where they have a need for weekend meals, then they can enroll them at any time, Swan said. So it doesnt just have to be that they sign up at the beginning of the school year and thats it.

While the Food for Days program doesnt continue through they summer, they do provide their students with resources. The ministry doesnt take on the summer feeding directly because how they are able to deliver it by taking it to schools goes away, she noted. However, they do try to get the word out about other organizations and camps where meals are available during the summer.

Swan encourages people to donate to Food for Days.

I think that we have the opportunity as an organization to help students in our community be successful. And one of those things is taking food insecurity off of their plate so that they are not having to wonder where their food is coming from over the weekend.

Our schools do a fabulous job providing breakfast and lunch while they are at school, but some of the students, and the reason we exist, is that there are students who would come to school hungry on Monday because they havent eaten over the weekend, and so the thing that is unique about us is that we deliver the bags to the students for them to take home. So there is no question about are we going to get food, is there going to be food at my house? They know that Friday they get it and they take it home all throughout the school year unless they dont need it and thats when they will let the counselors know and they would come off of our program. But as long as they need it, we are there for them. Once we enter into a school, then we have a commitment to that school. We wouldnt take on a new school unless we could continue to meet the commitment to all of our schools, Swan said.

There are sites where food is collected so that those in the community who would like to donate even after the campaign is completed may do so. Donation centers include First Bank in downtown Mooresville and the Fuzion Teen Center. Those dropping off items at the teen center are encouraged to call ahead to make sure there is someone at this location to receive the items.

Those wishing to help, can visit the website at foodfordays.org. Under the Needs tab, theres a list of monthly food collection items. Also, Swan noted, it has been hard since the pandemic to find cans of soup so they are putting out the word of that need as well as items such as cans of ravioli that have a longer shelf life that can be stocked and used later or can even give them a head start for the next school year.

When providing soups, Swan asked that they be kid-friendly like chicken noodle or chicken and stars or beef vegetable, something hearty, since this is a dinner item for the children.

In addition to food items, they also provide hygiene kits, and the necessary items that are needed to make up these kits are also listed on the website. Many of the hygiene items, Swan said, are provided through various community organizations. However, many of them havent been meeting in person, so they have been partnering with The Kindness Closet for these items.

Anne Mauther with the Kindness Closet really stepped up in a big way, and weve been able to provide not just one full size hygiene kit this year, but we will be able to provide two to all of our students this year on the list, Swan said.

While Swan is the only staff member serving with Food for Days, she shared that they have a wonderful board, a volunteer treasurer and a volunteer food team manager. They are currently searching for a volunteer hygiene kit coordinator.

To learn more about the special campaign or to donate, visit LoveUnitedIredell.org.
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Israel has sent envoys to Vienna during the nuclear talks to meet with official negotiators of several world powers, Israel's state-owned Kan news TV reported on Tuesday.

Head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's strategic department Joshua Zarka talked with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi on Monday, according to the report.

Mikhail Ulyanov, head of Russia's delegation to the nuclear negotiations, wrote on Twitter that he met with "Israeli colleagues" in Vienna on Tuesday, and "discussed IAEA-related issues."

The Israeli officials also met with U.S. negotiator Rob Malley and negotiators of remaining parties to the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), according to reports in Israeli media.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not immediately commented on the meetings.

The nuclear talks in Vienna, which started last April to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, don't include Israeli representatives.

It was the first time Israel has sent diplomats to Vienna since the talks began.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is on a visit to Bahrain, said on Tuesday that a return to the 2015 deal would be "a strategic mistake."

Iran stresses that its nuclear program is peaceful.
Area prosecutors had hoped state legislators would make changes to recent probation reform during the General Assemblys 2022 session, but with the start of crossover on Tuesday, those hopes now seem dashed.

The law, which went into effect in July 2021, aimed to reduce the number of people returned to lockup for minor probation violations by limiting sentences for technical violations and capping probation terms for both felony and misdemeanor offenses.

The local prosecutors believe those measures have had some unintended consequences.

The sum and substance of it is they got very lenient, said Keith Blankenship, Smyth Countys deputy assistant commonwealths attorney. So much so that I think its been frustrating to some of the judges and I know that in a couple of counties, judges have rejected applying the guidelines because they believe the legislature exceeded its constitutional authority by establishing those guidelines.

Last years legislation prohibits judges from sentencing probationers to incarceration for their first technical offense and limits sentences to 14 days for a second technical offense with the presumption that no jail time should be given at all. Previously, it was left to a judges discretion to determine what portion of a suspended sentence should be re-imposed. Under the new law, sentencing determination isnt returned to their discretion until the third violation.

Basically, the hands of the judges and prosecutors are tied when it comes to these types of probation violation offenses, said Wythe County Commonwealths Attorney Mike Jones.

Bland Countys commonwealths attorney, Patrick White, said limiting the sentences for technical violations was a big deal. It essentially took away the teeth of what consequences courts can impose.

Now probationers, to me, dont have the incentive that they had before the reform, he said.

One point of concern about the reform is what falls under the technical violation umbrella. In some cases, a technical violation may just be a missed appointment with a probation officer or a failed drug screen. In others, it could be distributing drugs, possessing or transporting firearms, or absconding from probation altogether. The new law specifies that absconding and firearm-related violations should be treated as a second violation, and so, capped at a 14-day jail sentence.

The new approach to probation deems a lot of things that are serious violations technical violations, Blankenship said.

To further complicate matters, some violations can be interpreted as either major or technical violations, which can lead to irregular consequences for probationers who have committed the same acts.

In an October 2021 Virginia Mercury report, Virginia Sentencing Commission Deputy Director Jody Fridley spoke about two cases in which sex offenders attempted to contact minors online. In one jurisdiction, the offender was cited for a major violation, while the other was cited for a technical violation because it was seen more as a failure to follow instructions. Under the second scenario, sentencing guidelines call for no jail time.

Roy Evans, Smyth Countys top prosecutor, said some courts have started to work around issues like this by specifying such expectations as special conditions of probation, a violation of which would be considered a major violation and not subject to the new limits.

That lays the groundwork for the court to not be bound by the limitations, he explained.

Blankenship also takes issue with the new limits set on probation terms. The law caps the term of probation for felony offenses at five years and misdemeanor offenses at 12 months.

While within that range might be whats already typical in a lot of cases, Blankenship said in some cases five years just isnt enough.

There are certain offensesfor example sexual offenses, offenses against a child, murderthat youre going to want more than five years of probation. . . .For first-degree murder, capping that probation period at five years seems insufficient to me.

And, when it comes to people on probation for violent crimes, Blankenship said the reform feels anti-victim.

To me, he said, this is a very anti-victim approach to guidelines because, say for example, youve got someone whos on probation for strangulation and they violate their probation, their probation violation guidelines would be [no jail time.] Its very difficult to explain that to someone whos been a victim of burglary or violent crime or something of that nature.

While Jones understands the new law may have come from good intentions, he believes it falls short of helping those it was designed to help.

I understand the mindset of if someone is a nonviolent offender and they test positive for drugs, then they shouldnt be popped in jail and have the keys thrown away, but theyre also not getting services to help with addiction, he said.

In all three counties, the most common probation violation is failed drug screens. Jones said the new limits essentially put those offenders back on the street in the same situation.

Thats the main problem with most people that enter into the criminal justice system. Thats why we started a recovery court hereand Smyth has one, Carroll and Grayson have themto try to help those folks who are nonviolent and addicted to drugs.

Wythe Countys recovery court just turned a year old earlier this month, so Jones cant tell yet if the limitations have had any impact on program applicants. Evans, however, said hes seen a drop in the number of people applying for Smyths program, which launched in 2017. Though he cant say with certainty, he believes the more lenient sentences for first and second violations are cause for that drop.

If an addict is using and has a choice of spending 10 or 12 days in jail or going through a two-year program thats going to help them and theres no threat of having to go to jail, thats just one incentive thats just removed, he said.

Evans said hes spoken with a judge in a much larger urban jurisdiction who said the number of participants in their recovery court has been cut in half since the change went into effect.

White said that in Bland County, which does not have a recovery court, the possibility of having probation revoked was a big encouragement for people to try to get treatment and get off drugs.

Its kind of like a carrot-stick incentive, he said. The carrot is that if the probationer complies with the terms of their probation, they dont go back to jail. The stick is that if they dont comply with the terms, they go back to jail.

Certainly, 14 days is still jail time, but when you take the big time off the table, to me, it limits the stick, so to speak, White said.

The threat of having your time revoked is not there for people to be incentivized to follow the rules or to try to get treatment, he said.

Evans also expressed concern about the extra burden the reform places on already overworked probation officers.

They have more caseloads than you can imagine. It takes some work to bring someone back into courtthey have to prepare reports, they have to prepare guidelines, they have to come to courtand all for pretty much no consequences on the first couple of times.

It could also mean probationers are violated more frequently than they previously would have been.

What I would see in the past is that someone would have two to three positive drug screens before theyd be brought in on a probation violation, Jones said, noting that probation officers would often require their probationers instead complete drug counseling rather than bring them back to court for their first few violations.

It wouldnt surprise me for a probation officer to bring somebody back on their first drug screen now because they know a judge cant do anything besides convict them and give them zero days to serve, he said.

Citing pending legislation in the General Assembly, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Corrections, which oversees probation, declined to comment on whether or not any changes to the number of violations brought to court has been seen, or on the effect the reform may be having on probation officers caseloads.

Both Evans and Blankenship said in January that they hoped lawmakers would reconsider the reform.

I just feel like the changes came about very quickly, Evans said, and I think it was just not well-thought out and some of the consequences were unintended and I hope they will reconsider it. I think a lot of people hope they will reconsider it.

Among the pieces of legislation submitted in the House of Delegates was a bill that would have repealed last years law. That bill, HB 1073, saw no movement in the House Courts of Justice Committee. Another bill that would remove as technical violations possessing or distributing drugs, possessing or transporting firearms, absconding and changing residences without probation officer approval has also sat idle in the committee.

One piece of legislation that did see movement is bill that would authorize the Virginia Sentencing Commission to create and maintain discretionary guidelines for use in probation violation hearings. That bill passed the House earlier this month as been sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

During a Courts of Justice Committee meeting in late January, the bills sponsor, Del. Les R. Adams, explained Its clarifying that practice of sentencing guidelines for probation violations, and this was the recommendation of the commission following implementation of certain changes to the probation violation laws from recent assembly sessions.

Del. Jeff Campbell, who represents the 6th District in the House of Delegates and who sits on the Courts of Justice Committee, did not return requests for comment.

At crossover, each house of the legislature wraps up its consideration of the bills before it and sends the bills its approved to the other for consideration.

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An Ivanhoe man has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer following a Tuesday afternoon incident at his 3779 Ivanhoe Road residence.

According to a press release from Wythe County Sheriff Charles Foster, deputies went to the home of 70-year-old Jerry Blevins a little after noon to serve an Emergency Custody Order obtained by the Department of Social Services after Blevins was accused of making derogatory statements during an interview with DSS.

When deputies arrived at the residence, a gate was locked so they approached the home on foot. As they got closer to the residence, two aggressive dogs came up to the officers, who deployed pepper spray to prevent the dogs from biting them and to keep the dogs at bay, the release said.

Officers then heard a gunshot coming from the direction of the house. Blevins entered his white Suzuki SUV and tried to back down his driveway toward Ivanhoe Road. Deputies ran out of pepper spray and had to shoot one of the dogs to obtain cover, the release said.

Additional officers blocked the driveway behind Blevins to try to prevent him from leaving his residence. Dispatchers and a deputy made contact with Blevins by telephone and attempted to get him to leave his vehicle. During the conversation, Blevins indicated he had a handgun.

The release said the sheriffs office contacted the Virginia State Police for assistance.

When the VSP arrived, officers drove the VSPs armored vehicle to Blevins and were able to call him out of the vehicle and arrest him without incident.

Members of the Wytheville Police Department, Rural Retreat Police Department, Lead Mines Rescue Squad and the Carroll County Sheriffs Office assisted in the incident.

Blevins, who is retired and has no criminal record according to court records, was taken to the New River Valley Regional Jail where hes being held without bond. His preliminary hearings been set for May 23.

Tuesdays arrest was not officers first run-in with Blevins. In 2017, a judge ordered him to stop using a siren that sparked the ire of his Ivanhoe neighbors. Officials said the electronic device sounded like a wailing police car or ambulance.

Neighbors complained that the siren was causing sleep deprivation, concern that emergency personnel were responding to an event in the area and general discomfort and annoyance.

At first, the siren sounded at night for about a minute every hour, and then began blaring constantly.

Wythe County Sheriffs Office Maj. Anthony Cline (now chief deputy) testified that the office had received about 200 calls about the siren during the past month. He said Blevins told deputies he was using it to scare away deer.
The company investing more than $700 million to produce medical gloves in Wythe County said it has split from one of its partners, but local officials say the historic project is still on track. Blue Star CEO Scott Maier said the company has broken ties with American Glove Innovations after litigation involving Marc Jason, who served as co-CEO with Maier of the Blue Star-AGI business venture.

However, an attorney representing Jason in a lawsuit filed against Walmart, said AGI is at least a 50 percent owner of the Blue Star project.

The partnership between AGI and Blue Star has neither been dissolved nor wound down, said Deborah Brown, partner of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in New York City.

At the center of the disagreement is a lawsuit London Luxury LLC, of which Jason is CEO, filed against Walmart in early January in the New York Supreme Court, alleging that Walmart shirked its contractual obligation to buy tens of millions of boxes of nitrile gloves from London Luxury.

In the lawsuit, the company said that despite a commitment letter from Walmart and London Luxurys considerable efforts to source the gloves to fulfill Walmarts massive purchase commitment, Walmart has refused to accept shipments of nearly any of the gloves it committed to purchase and, instead, has attempted to avoid its obligations.

According to the complaint, Walmart progressively increased its purchase commitment to London Luxury throughout 2021, and in June 2021 specifically committed to purchase 75-80 million boxes of gloves per year from London Luxury over the next five years.

The suit alleges that Walmart has refused to accept shipment of at least 145 containers of gloves for which it owes London Luxury more than $41 million. Moreover, Walmarts wrongful refusal to accept shipments also forced London Luxury to incur other expenses related to the delays in these shipments, the lawsuit said.

A Walmart spokesperson denied London Luxurys allegations.

Walmart is committed to doing business fairly and to providing safe, high-quality products to our customers, Abby Williams said in an email. We deny the allegations and have filed counterclaims against London Luxury for their repeated failure to meet product standards and delivery obligations. We will continue to defend the company against this litigation.

As for the Wythe County project, Blue Star CEO Scott Maier said there are no changes in the scope, hiring or timeline of the project.

AGI is a great partner, however, the current uncertainty arising from the situation with Walmart provides too many unknowns and risk to move forward with them at this time, Maier said.

In an email, Maier did not answer questions regarding AGIs role in the project.

Brown said AGI brings a lot to the table.

AGI brought substantial capital to the venture and has continued to invest funds into the project. In addition, AGI has brought highly specialized skill and knowledge to the joint business, including a diverse and highly experienced management team with a track record of operating, manufacturing for, and servicing some of Americas Fortune 500 companies, Brown said. Through its decades of global manufacturing experience in consumer goods, health and wellness products, AGI has established key strategic relationships with the top executives of the largest U.S. general purchase organizations (GPOs), medical supply distributors, and other national retail supply chain partners.

Brown said AGI looks forward to the successful completion of the Wythe County project and that the project remains a dream come true for Jason.

Wythe County Board of Supervisors Chairman Brian Vaught said he is not too concerned about Blue Stars split from AGI.

I was out there Friday and they are still working on the lot, he said. They have not changed any timeline. Blue Star has not wanted to change any dates or outcomes. Hopefully, its much ado about nothing and move on.

Vaught said that in the early stages of negotiations, officials only dealt with Blue Star officers; AGI was not involved.

We originally dealt with Blue Star, not the AGI group, Vaught said, adding that Blue Star still holds a massive federal contract to make nitrile gloves. Last May, the U.S. Department of Defense, along with the Department of Health and Human Services, award $123.1 million to Blue Star NBR to increase domestic production capacity of nitrile butadiene rubber, a key raw material in producing nitrile exam gloves.

The Wythe County facility in Progress Park will produce raw materials needed to make the gloves, along with the gloves themselves.

David Manley, executive director of the Joint Industrial Development Authority of Wythe County, agreed with Vaught that the Blue Star project is proceeding as expected.

Theres nothing that has changed day-to-day on the project, he said. We started this with the Blue Star team, and we intend to finish it with the Blue Star team. This project is on track.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, tasked with recruiting and training employees, also does not expect any delays.

VEDP is aware of Blue Stars separation from AGI. We do not anticipate any impact on the project timeline and outcome, nor any impact on funding for Virginia Talent Accelerator Program services, said Suzanne Clark, VEDP spokesperson.

To reach reporter Millie Rothrock, call 276-228-6611, ext. 573, or email mrothrock@wythenews.com
MARION, Va.  Its not just for the birds.

People of all ages will look to the skies when Hungry Mother State Park hosts the annual Great Backyard Bird Count on Friday, Feb. 18, through Monday, Feb. 21.

Individuals and families are encouraged to reserve some time to get outside and record bird observations during the four-day span. Participants can learn and have fun while enjoying informative hikes, discussions and even a breakfast for birders at the state park in Marion.

Not only is it a fun and easy event for birders of all ages and skill levels, the free event allows people to become citizen scientists for the day, collecting data to help scientists.

Your job will be easy. All you have to do is count and record the birds you see. Your findings help researchers create a real-time snapshot of bird populations.

Information gathered each year helps scientists better understand topics such as how weather and climate change affect birds, the migration of birds and the diseases affecting birds in different regions.

And youre not alone with this important task. People all over the world will head outdoors to count birds this weekend.

The Great Backyard Bird Count, a global project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society and Birds Canada, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

The first year for the citizen science project was 1998, later becoming a global initiative in 2013.

Anyone can become a citizen scientist and help with the project, even if its in their own backyard, said Alexandra Veatch, assistant park manager at Hungry Mother State Park.

But if you want to enjoy the fellowship with other birders, you are invited to come and enjoy the hikes at the park, she said.

The state park is partnering with the Holston Rivers Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalist to offer the hikes for the event.

Hikes take place each of the four days. If youre an evening person, you may enjoy the Owl Prowl hike starting at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 18. Other hikes are held in the morning hours.

A breakfast for birders is at 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 19 with members of the Holston Rivers Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalist.

According to Veatch, the bird count event is expected to attract many visitors to the park this year. In fact, she has seen an uptick in visitors since the pandemic began in 2020.

I think the pandemic has done something interesting to us as a society. Because we are more isolated and traveling less, we have more time to think about the world around us. Were looking at our own backyards and finding out how we can become more in tune with whats happening around us, she said.

If youre not comfortable being in a large gathering yet, this event is something you can enjoy in small groups or on your own.

The events will be held rain or shine. Participants are encouraged to dress warmly. Field guides and binoculars will not be available due to COVID-19.

Backyard birders can register their own bird counts by visiting www.birdcount.org, where they will learn how to enter their bird lists into eBird, an online database of bird observations. They also can register for a free 2022 webinar on the website.

Events for the Great Backyard Bird Count at Hungry Mother State Park

Owl Prowl: 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 18. Master Naturalist Birdman Randy will lead participants on a prowl around the park looking for owls. Meet at the spillway parking lot.

Guided Bird Hikes: 8 a.m. on Feb. 19. Join volunteers Randy Smith and Mike Evans as they count as many birds as possible to add to eBird, an online database of bird observations. Meet at the Discovery Center.

Breakfast for Bird(ers): 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 19. Enjoy breakfast with members of the Holston Rivers Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalist. All participants are welcome to stop by the Discovery Center parking lot and have a light breakfast.

The Birds and the Trees: 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 19. Not only are trees an important part of the natural world for us, tree also are important for birds. Join Kevin Sigmon as participants discover how birds and trees rely on each other and how trees impact our feathered neighbors. Meet at the Discovery Center parking lot.

Guided Bird Hikes: 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 20 and 21. Join Mike Evans as he takes you on a bird hike each day in different parts of the park. Sunday meet at the spillway parking lot and on Monday meet at the boat ramp off of Mitchell Valley Road.

To learn more about Hungry Mother State Park visit www.virginiastateparks.gov.

Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at news@washconews.com.
GLADE SPRING, Va.  A retired Emory & Henry College professor said hes only scratched the surface when it comes to collecting information about distinguished and historic African Americans from Southwest Virginia.

Dr. Jerry Jones, the author of Go and Come Again, a book about segregation in Washington County, began compiling a list of names in honor of Black History Month this year.

Eventually, Jones hopes to publish his collection of information for use by libraries, schools, archivists and others engaged in preserving the African American history of the region.

Many of the stories of African Americans have been forgotten over the years, he said. Compiling the list of names is just one way to highlight the African American leaders in the community and their accomplishments.

Jones is hoping that the names on his list will trigger memories of other local African Americans who helped to make a difference here and throughout the world.

It may be that people will read about someone whose life parallels with some of the people I have profiled, said Jones. I would love to hear from them.

To date, Jones has gathered information about elected officials, academic leaders and a noted American diplomat, among others.

However, the list is more about folks from this region who, despite obstacles of growing up in a Southern location in the early part of the 20th century, went on to do great things, Jones said.

Among the names are the six African Americans who have served on the Glade Spring Town Council in recent years. In addition to Jones, other serving members are Prince Coleman, Elmer Johnson, Marie Brown, Rick Porter and Kyle Sensabaugh.

Thats a big deal for me because any number of towns in this region has yet to have their first Black council members, while Glade Spring has had six. I wanted that to be common knowledge among people of all ages  the young and the old, said Jones.

Jones is a frequent resource on Black history and segregation, having lectured to numerous organizations and churches throughout Virginia and Appalachia.

He discussed his project with an audience at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Abingdon during the recent celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January.

He is scheduled to deliver a presentation about his book at 6 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the Appalachian Arts Center in Cedar Bluff, Virginia.

Southwest Virginia has produced numerous successful African American individuals, Jones said. Its important to not only record this history but to be aware of the ongoing contributions that Black people make to this region.

It has been fascinating and uplifting to research this history of distinguished African Americans in our region, who brought honor to Southwest Virginia while helping to contribute to the regions advancement.

Among the notable African Americans whom Jones has documented is Frankie Newton, a jazz trumpeter born in Emory, who played in several New York City bands in the 1920s and 1930s. He accompanied artists such as Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday.

Dr. Bascom S. Waugh, born in Glade Spring, was Jones uncle. As a Tuskegee Airman, Waugh served as a flight surgeon in World War II. He broke racial barriers during a time when discrimination was common, even in the field of medicine, Jones said.

Eugene Barry-Hill appeared on Broadway in The Lion King and Kinky Boots. Barry-Hill is nephew to Sandra Turner of Glade Spring, and he also is related to the extended Hill family of the area. Additionally, he sang with The Fifth Dimensions and guest appeared on TV sitcom 227.

Irene Coleman Wells, a native of Emory and a 1962 graduate of Bristols Douglass High School, served as mayor of Bluff City, Tennessee.

Prince Coleman, the brother of Irene Wells, served as vice mayor and councilman in Glade Spring in the early 1970s and received the Emory & Henry College 2008 Hope award, recognizing his coordination and direction of the building of eight Habitat for Humanity homes in Washington County.

Dr. Junius Griffin, a former professor at Emory & Henry and native of Wise County, Virginia, was a speech writer for Dr. Martin Luther King. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist also worked for Motown Records.

Other notables include Dr. Douglas Covington, a former president of Radford University and interim president of Emory & Henry College; John E. Reinhardt, a Glade Spring native who became a professor at Virginia State College before serving as ambassador to Nigeria; and Miller Boyd, a native of Abingdon who was the first graduate of Morristown College to become the institutions president.

Anyone who would like to contribute additional names and information to the project being organized by Jones can contact him at jjones@ehc.edu.

Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at news@washconews.com.
A 62-year-old Glade Spring man was arrested Thursday by Washington County Sheriffs Office detectives on multiple sexual assault charges against juveniles.

Terry Compton, the current pastor of Faith Independent Missionary Baptist Church in Damascus, Virginia, has been charged with 30 felony counts, all against juveniles.

A press release from the Washington County Sheriffs Office said multiple victims have come forward during the investigation. According to the release, detectives have established the abuse began in 1995 and continued for 26 years.

Compton, originally of Maryland, has been charged with 12 counts of taking indecent liberties with children; 12 counts of aggravated sexual battery; three counts of forcible sodomy and three counts of object sexual penetration.

He is currently being held at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail without bond.
A Sullivan County jail inmate, who escaped Friday, Feb. 4, remains in North Carolina pending extradition, authorities said Friday.

Johnny Shane Brown, 50, of Rogersville, Tennessee, was captured Thursday night in the Wilmington, North Carolina, area. He was one of three inmates to escape through the ventilation system at the jail, the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office said.

The U.S. Marshals Service said they received information regarding Browns location. Upon checking the location on S. 16th Street in Wilmington, authorities located the white Chevrolet Silverado sought in the escape. The Tennessee license plate had been replaced with a West Virginia plate.

The U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Wilmington Police Department Task Force set a perimeter at the address. Contact was made with the occupants in the apartment, and Brown was taken into custody.

Wilmington police said Brown was arrested about 9 p.m. Thursday at an apartment near S. 16th Street and Dock Street. Hes now being held at the New Hanover County Detention Center pending extradition.

SCSO Capt. Andy Seabolt said Friday it was unknown whether an extradition hearing is necessary to return Brown to Tennessee.

Wilmington Police declined to release additional information about Browns capture, noting that it is an ongoing investigation.

Marshals had been looking for Brown since Feb. 4 when he and Tobias Wayne Carr, 38, of Kingsport, Tennessee, and Timothy Allen Sarver, 45, of Pulaski, Virginia, escaped from the Sullivan County jail. The Marshals and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were offering a monetary reward for information leading to their capture. Its unknown if authorities received information from the public that led to Browns arrest.

Carr and Sarver died Saturday, Feb. 5, following a robbery and pursuit in eastern North Carolina. The two men went into an Onslow County convenience store and robbed the clerk at gunpoint, authorities said. The two men tied the clerk up and left after stealing money from the register and safe, an Onslow County Sheriffs Office news release states. The two men then fled in the clerks car.

North Topsail Beach Police Department officers responded as well to assist and upon their arrival spoke to the clerk. While speaking with the clerk, the clerk saw his vehicle drive by with the two men inside. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the two escapees refused to stop, and a high-speed pursuit began, the release states.

Multiple agencies assisted as the chase sped through Onslow, Pender, New Hanover and Brunswick counties. The pursuit ended when the vehicle crashed in Brunswick County. Both men died, but authorities have not said how their deaths occurred.

A North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said the office is awaiting results from the medical examiners office.

It is not known whether Brown was present at the robbery, but only two people were caught on the stores cameras, according to a photo released from Onslow County.

Upon returning to Sullivan County, Brown will face a charge of felony escape.

Seabolt said investigators will have to speak with the Sullivan County District Attorney Generals Office at the conclusion of their investigation to determine whether additional charges will be filed.

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Longviews Craft named to council

Longview resident Diane Craft has been appointed to the Advisory Council of the Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington where she will be a conduit to senior citizens, caregivers and people living with disabilities in Cowlitz County.

Craft has spent 23 years of her career in senior housing. She was the human resources director at Community Home Health & Hospice for more than three years. Currently, se is a community liaison for Koelsch Communities in Longview.

According to a press release from the AADSW, Craft says she is focused on access to resources and services for those being cared for in their homes.

I advocate for those estranged from family members or who may no longer have families to offer care in order to reduce the fear of asking for help, she said in the release. It is equally important to provide resources to family caregivers and identify pockets of potentially underserved elderly in the county for outreach.

The Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington is a multiservice public agency providing assistance to the elderly and people with disabilities in Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties, according to the press release. Services include nutrition, transportation, case management, dental care, minor repairs to homes, aging and disability resource centers, respite care and counseling for caregivers, educational classes and support groups covering chronic illnesses and caregiving, healthy aging resources, and exercise programs. Requests for information, assistance and general inquiries may be directed to 360-735-5721.

Student recognized for her academics

Kaylee Seaman of Kelso has been named to the fall 2021 deans list at the University of Alabama based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

To be named to the list, a student must receive a 3.5 or higher grade-point average.

The University of Alabama provides nearly 200 degree programs and is a leader in cutting-edge research advancing discovery, creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers, according to a press release from the university.

 The Daily News

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Editors note: Information is provided by the Cowlitz County Corrections Department and local law enforcement agencies. Each individual named in this report is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Assault  Longview officers Monday arrested Aaron Gabriel Meyer, 37, of Kelso, on suspicion of second-degree assault.

Protection order, stalking  Longview officers Monday arrested Joel Andrew Walkes, Sr., 67, of Castle Rock, on suspicion of violating a protection order and stalking.

Arson

1100 block of 17th Avenue, Longview. Monday.

Assault

700 block of Cowlitz Way, Kelso. Monday. Report of a man hitting another man in a carport.

Burglaries

1500 block of 14th Avenue, Kelso. Monday. Report of surveillance footage showing a residential storage shed break in.

500 block of Redpath Street, Kelso. Monday. Report of construction items and damaged HVAC system at a business.

2300 block of Parrott Way, Kelso. Monday. Report of 10 water meters missing and fence cut.

Stolen vehicle

500 block of Pacific Avenue, Kelso. Monday. White 1992 Honda Prelude. Washington BXM1909.

Thefts

2200 block of Lewis River Road, Woodland. Monday. Report of catalytic converter thefts.

600 block of Olson Road, Longview. Monday. Report of catalytic converter taken.

300 block of Oak Street, Kelso. Monday. Report of a man running out of the store with a 1000-watt inverter.

2400 block of Corman Road, Longview. Monday. Report of wallet theft and Red Canoe credit card used at Kelso Texaco and Longview Walmart.

1200 block of 15th Avenue, Longview. Monday. Report of missing Google Chromebook.

1100 block of Hoffman Street, Woodland. Monday. Report of a man breaking into an ATM and taking $1,780.

Vandalism/malicious mischief

900 block of 17th Avenue, Longview. Monday. Report of a man trespassing in storage unit.

200 block of Beech Street, Longview. Monday. Report of window broken at residence.

Vehicle prowls

6100 block of Willow Grove Road, Longview. Monday. Report of drivers side window shattered and items including a cookbook taken from a vehicle Friday night.

100 Front Avenue, Castle Rock. Monday. Report of someone entering a vehicle and taking a $50 Bible.

800 block of Kelso Avenue, Kelso. Monday.

500 block of 10th Avenue, Kelso. Monday. Report of two vehicles prowled and a wallet taken.

600 block of Fourth Avenue, Kelso. Monday.

300 block of 19th Avenue, Longview. Monday. Report of vehicle ransacked and possible suspects headlamp left in car.

5500 block of Ocean Beach Highway, Longview. Monday.

900 block of California Way, Longview. Monday. Report of 9 mm Springfield firearm taken from vehicle. Serial number US8844633.

3100 block of Michigan Street, Longview. Monday. Report of attempted catalytic converter theft.

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Longview school classified staff urged the school board Monday to increase wages for undervalued workers.

Several members of Service Employees International Union 925  which represents staff such as paraeducators, bus drivers, food service and maintenance workers  and community members called for wage increases among staffing shortages.

Crystal Tift, paraeducator and SEIU local chapter leader, said shes sad members are not valued enough to make comparable wages to surrounding districts or to get more than a 2% cost of living increase.

On most days we dont have enough staff to serve the students we have without having to cover other positions that a sub cannot be found for, which translates to kids not getting their needs met, Tift said. We are all doing our best to serve our kids. The district needs to do the same.

The contract between the Longview SEIU chapter and the school district expired in 2020 but the parties agreed to extend it through the 2020-2021 school year, Shawn Nyman, SEIU representative/organizer said Tuesday. Bargaining began in the spring, the union made its first wage proposal in July and the district did not give a counter until January, she said.

Members received a 2% increase in September as a pass through from the state outlined in the contract, Nyman said. The union is asking for an additional 5.58%, increases for certain positions that are woefully underpaid and some additional longevity steps, she said. Right now salaries get capped at 10 years, so someone working for 30 years is making the same as someone working for 10, Nyman said.

Under the 2021-2022 SEIU salary schedule, the starting wage for a paraeducator is $16.58 per hour, and increases with years of service to $18.96 at 10 years of service.

Paraeducator Jeff Miller told the board Monday he is disappointed in how negotiations have gone. Miller said he worked with a student who tried to choke him and each session was a battle.

Im hearing take your $17 and be happy with the nicks, gashes and bruises I would get on a daily basis, Miller said. If not for my coworkers I enjoy working with and doing what I love doing, Id be out of there by now.

Wanda Forgy, a bus driver and paraeducator at Mark Morris High School, said many drivers are looking at leaving because they cant afford to live on their wages.

It saddens me that we cant be respected in a way we deserve, she said.

Other paraeducators said staff are leaving for better paying jobs and about 30 positions are unfilled.

As of Tuesday, the district had more than two dozen positions that would be represented by SEUI posted to its website and most are paraeducators.

Districts statewide have reported challenges in filling paraeducator positions, according to a report from the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board.

Longview School District Spokesman Rick Parrish said the district is focused on finding a resolution to a contract that is a win-win for both sides.

Nyman said the SEIU bargaining team hopes what the board heard Monday will prompt them to make some moves at the table.

Paraeducator and SEIU chapter leader Sherry Parsons said its difficult to tell members about the lack of progress on wage negotiations.

Its disheartening to hear again and again from the people who are supposed to be your bosses that you have no value, she said. The schools couldnt run if we werent there. ... Everybody seems to see that except the (district office) administration.

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The number of homeless students in Longview is about the same as last year, remaining above 200, according to an annual report.

In a presentation to the Longview School Board on Monday, Amy Neiman, district state and federal programs director, said 218 students were homeless as of early February. That includes students who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence; who share housing with others because of economic hardship; or who live in cars, public spaces or substandard housing, according to the federal McKinney-Vento law.

The homeless students are split about 50-50 between pre-kindergarten through fifth-graders and sixth- through 12th graders, Neiman said.

About 64% are doubled up with other households, 18% live in shelters and 25% are unaccompanied youth, those not in physical custody of a parent or guardian. Unaccompanied youth often are couch surfing, living with another relative or friend and are not in the foster system or legally emancipated, said Mollie Dubois, homeless and foster care liaison.

Last year, the pandemic made it more difficult to identify homeless students but the return to in-person learning has made it easier, Dubois said. The numbers are pretty accurate but could be missing some families who dont want people to know they are homeless or unaccompanied youth, she said.

The number of students in foster care dropped for a second year in a row from 77 to 67. Dubois said the decrease could be because the Department of Children, Youth and Families offices were closed and case workers were working from home.

The biggest challenge is transportation because many homeless families dont live in the district, Neiman said. Some students live in Kelso but others are as far away as Centralia or Vancouver, she said.

Board Vice President Jennifer Leach asked why those students are not getting services in the district they live in.

If a student became homeless while attending school in Longview, they have a right to continue at that school for the rest of the year even if they are staying somewhere else, Neiman said.

The district contracts with Educational Service District (ESD) 112 to drive students to school from outside the district but also is short on drivers, Dubois said.

Neiman and Dubois asked for more space for the Family and Community Resource Center, which provides free school supplies, clothing, weekend food support, hygiene items, legal aid, financial aid and more to district families.

School board members all expressed support for the center expanding.

The center shares an old woodshop at Monticello Middle School with the Bits and Bots robotics club, said Rick Parrish, district spokesman. The programs are wedged into the building and the district will do its best to accommodate both needs for more space, he said.

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Back in January, Microsoft Malaysia released the Surface Pro 8 pre-order from RM4950 and it's now the Surface Laptop Studio's turn. Coming into Malaysia from a starting price of RM7399, the pre-order has already begun from 15 February via commercial authorised resellers and authorised retailers.

The Surface Laptop Studio was revealed globally back in September 2021 but to refresh your memory, the device was built for developers, creative pros, designers, and gamers as a portable desktop and a creative studio. Users can use it in Laptop Mode for work, Stage Mode for gaming, streaming, docking or presenting to clients, and Studio Mode for writing, sketching and other creative tasks.

In addition, the Surface Slim Pen 2 is stored underneath the keyboard, where it magnetically attaches and charges for easy access. The display supports a 120Hz refresh rate and you can find a quad Omnisonic speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support. Under the hood, the Surface Laptop Studio features DirectX 12 Ultimate, NVIDIA GeForce 3050 Ti GPU and an 11th Gen Intel Core H35 processor.

The Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Pro 8 will be available from 8 March and 15 February respectively via commercial authorized resellers, Maxis ; and authorized retailers such as All IT , Gloo by SNS Network , Harvey Norman , Lazada-Microsoft Authorised store, PC Image , Senheng , Shopee-Microsoft Authorised store and TMT by Thundermatch. Below is the table for the price referencing:

Surface model RRP (RM) Surface Laptop Studio Intel Core i5, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 16GB, 256GB SSD 7399 Surface Laptop Studio Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB, 512GB SSD 9399 Surface Laptop Studio Intel Core i5, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 32GB, 1TB SSD (Exclusive to Harvey Norman) 11,999 Surface Pro 8 Intel Core i5, 8GB, 128GB SSD, Platinum 4950 Surface Pro 8 Intel Evo Core i5, 8GB, 256GB SSD, Black 5250 Surface Pro 8 Intel Evo Core i5, 16GB, 256GB SSD, Black (Exclusive to Harvey Norman) 6490 Surface Pro 8 Intel Evo Core i7, 16GB, 256GB SSD, Black 7350 Surface Pro 8 Intel Evo Core i7, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Black 8750

Last but not least, Malaysians can also now visit the new Microsoft Concierge at Harvey Norman Pavilion Bukit Jalil Lot 1.01.00 & 1.02.00, Level 1 Pavilion Bukit Jalil & Gloo Low Yat (SNS Network) Lot G-008, Ground Floor, Plaza Low Yat every Wednesday  Sunday, 11 AM - 8 PM. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.
A person walks past a sign near Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California.

Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg laid out revamped company values Tuesday, urging workers to be "Metamates" who treat one another with respect and look to the future.

Zuckerberg shared his note to employees on his Facebook page, the revamped credo coming on the heels of the internet giant being renamed Meta in October.

"As we build the next chapter of our company as Meta, we just updated the values that guide our work," Zuckerberg wrote.

Facebook last reworked its professed values in 2007, according to the company's co-founder and chief.

An ethic of "move fast and break things" from Facebook's early days has evolved into simply "move fast" as a team to deliver innovations.

Meta's new credo also calls for being direct, but respectful to colleagues, collaborating as "Metamates."

"Meta, Metamates, Me is about being good stewards of our company and mission," Zuckerberg wrote.

"It's about taking care of our company and each other."

The stated values also call for focusing on the long-term and building "awesome things."

The notion of Zuckerberg urging employees to be Metamates in a morale-building pitch was promptly mocked on Twitter.

Some joked that the word sounded better suited to a bad dating app, or even to sailors on a ship in troubled waters.

"Metamates report to the Metatorium for a Metameeting," read one of the many quips fired off on Twitter.

Others portrayed it as part of an effort to divert attention away from problems at Facebook.

Critics have derided Facebook's rebrand as an attempted distraction from an avalanche of damaging revelations from whistleblower Frances Haugen.

The "Facebook Papers" showed that company executives knew of their sites' potential for harm on numerous fronts, including the uncontrolled spread of hate speech in developing countries as well as Instagram's impact on teen mental health.

"For those of us living in the present, @Meta Facebook isn't 'nicing us to death', Haugen said in a tweet Tuesday.

"Facebook must recognize the damage they are causing today, not pivot to the @Meta-verse and never look back."

 2022 AFP
Former Florida State University postdoctoral researcher Sarah Wieghold, left, and FSU Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Lea Nienhaus. Their research is helping to understand the fundamental processes in a material known as perovskites, work that could lead to more efficient solar cells that also do a better job of resisting degradation. Credit: FSU Photography Services

In a new study, a Florida State University researcher illuminates the fundamental properties of a process used to make better solar cells, giving scientists knowledge about how to further fine-tune that work and build more efficient devices.

"This is building upon our goal to build better solar cells from new materials," said FSU Assistant Professor of Chemistry Lea Nienhaus. "This paper looks at the underlying mechanisms of charge extraction at the perovskite/organic interface to see how and when this process occurs, so that we can improve the efficiency of the overall device."

The work is laid out in the journal ACS Energy Letters.

Nienhaus has been working on building more efficient solar cells in a variety of ways.

One route is by expanding the region of the solar spectrum that a solar cell can utilize by converting unusable low energy light into useable higher energy light. This can occur through a process called photon upconversion or triplet-triplet annihilation.

The same charge carriers that are extracted as a current in a solar cell can also populate the triplet state of an organic molecule. The combination of two triplet states results in a higher energy, emissive singlet state. The resulting high energy emitted photon can then be absorbed by a solar cell.

Credit: ACS

However, to date, the delicate, lightning-fast charge extraction processes resulting in the triplet state are unknown.

Nienhaus and colleagues created a thin film of lead-halide perovskites and a hydrocarbon called rubrene, which emits the upconverted light. They then utilized ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy to understand the exact timing of the underlying charge transfer processes which generate the triplet states.

They found that the process involved thermally excited or "hot" charge carriers in the perovskite that resulted in the generation of triplet states in rubrene on a sub-nanosecond timescale.

"Hopefully this information will give us a starting point to design new and improved perovskite materials for triplet sensitization," Nienhaus said. "Energetically, we would like to upconvert near-infrared light to the green or blue spectral region, to really maximize the energy gains obtained in upconversion. If we know the exact charge transfer mechanism and energy levels involved, we can tune both sides of the equation and maximize performance."

Other contributors to this paper are FSU graduate students Carl Conti, Alexander Bieber and Zachary VanOrman; FSU undergraduate student Gregory Moller; FSU Professor of Chemistry Geoffrey Strouse; and Sarah Wieghold and Richard Schaller from Argonne National Laboratory.

Explore further Researchers explore use of new materials to create more efficient solar cells

More information: Carl R. Conti et al, Ultrafast Triplet Generation at the Lead Halide Perovskite/Rubrene Interface, ACS Energy Letters (2022). Carl R. Conti et al, Ultrafast Triplet Generation at the Lead Halide Perovskite/Rubrene Interface,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.1c02732
University of Washington researchers showed that image search results for four major search engines from around the world, including Google, reflect gender bias. A search for an occupation, such as "CEO," yielded results with a ratio of cis-male and cis-female presenting people that match the current statistics. But when the team added another search termfor example, "CEO United States"the image search returned fewer photos of cis-female presenting people. Credit: University of Washington

We use Google's image search to help us understand the world around us. For example, a search about a certain profession, "truck driver" for instance, should yield images that show us a representative smattering of people who drive trucks for a living.

But in 2015, University of Washington (UW) researchers found that when searching for a variety of occupationsincluding "CEO"women were significantly underrepresented in the image results, and that these results can change searchers' worldviews. Since then, Google has claimed to have fixed this issue.

A different UW team recently investigated the company's veracity. The researchers showed that for four major search engines from around the world, including Google, this bias is only partially fixed, according to a paper presented in February at the AAAI Conference of Artificial Intelligence. A search for an occupation, such as "CEO," yielded results with a ratio of cis-male and cis-female presenting people that matches the current statistics. But when the team added another search termfor example, "CEO + United States"the image search returned fewer photos of cis-female presenting people. In the paper, the researchers propose three potential solutions to this issue.

"My lab has been working on the issue of bias in search results for a while, and we wondered if this CEO image search bias had only been fixed on the surface," said senior author Chirag Shah, a UW associate professor in the Information School. "We wanted to be able to show that this is a problem that can be systematically fixed for all search terms, instead of something that has to be fixed with this kind of 'whack-a-mole' approach, one problem at a time."

The team investigated image search results for Google as well as for China's search engine Baidu, South Korea's Naver and Russia's Yandex. The researchers did an image search for 10 common occupationsincluding CEO, biologist, computer programmer and nurseboth with and without an additional search term, such as "United States."

"This is a common approach to studying machine learning systems," said lead author Yunhe Feng, a UW postdoctoral fellow in the iSchool. "Similar to how people do crash tests on cars to make sure they are safe, privacy and security researchers try to challenge computer systems to see how well they hold up. Here, we just changed the search term slightly. We didn't expect to see such different outputs."

For each search, the team collected the top 200 images and then used a combination of volunteers and gender detection AI software to identify each face as cis-male or cis-female presenting.

One limitation of this study is that it assumes that gender is a binary, the researchers acknowledged. But that allowed them to compare their findings to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for each occupation.

The researchers were especially curious about how the gender bias ratio changed depending on how many images they looked at.

"We know that people spend most of their time on the first page of the search results because they want to find an answer very quickly," Feng said. "But maybe if people did scroll past the first page of search results, they would start to see more diversity in the images."

When the team added "+ United States" to the Google image searches, some occupations had larger gender bias ratios than others. Looking at more images sometimes resolved these biases, but not always.

While the other search engines showed differences for specific occupations, overall the trend remained: The addition of another search term changed the gender ratio.

"This is not just a Google problem," Shah said. "I don't want to make it sound like we are playing some kind of favoritism toward other search engines. Baidu, Naver and Yandex are all from different countries with different cultures. This problem seems to be rampant. This is a problem for all of them."

The team designed three algorithms to systematically address the issue. The first randomly shuffles the results.

"This one tries to shake things up to keep it from being so homogeneous at the top," Shah said.

The other two algorithms add more strategy to the image-shuffling. One includes the image's "relevance score," which search engines assign based on how relevant a result is to the search query. The other requires the search engine to know the statistics bureau data and then the algorithm shuffles the search results so that the top-ranked images follow the real trend.

The researchers tested their algorithms on the image datasets collected from the Google, Baidu, Naver and Yandex searches. For occupations with a large bias ratiofor example, "biologist + United States" or "CEO + United States"all three algorithms were successful in reducing gender bias in the search results. But for occupations with a smaller bias ratiofor example, "truck driver + United States"only the algorithm with knowledge of the actual statistics was able to reduce the bias.

Although the team's algorithms can systematically reduce bias across a variety of occupations, the real goal will be to see these types of reductions show up in searches on Google, Baidu, Naver and Yandex.

"We can explain why and how our algorithms work," Feng said. "But the AI model behind the search engines is a black box. It may not be the goal of these search engines to present information fairly. They may be more interested in getting their users to engage with the search results."

Explore further New Google tool makes it easier for minors to remove images of themselves from search results
ESA's laser ranging station in Tenerife aims its green laser to the sky. Credit: European Space Agency

ESA's Izana-1 laser ranging station in Tenerife, Spain, has recently undergone months of testing and commissioning, passing its final tests with flying colors. As it reached "station acceptance," it was handed over to ESA from the German company contracted to build it, DiGOS. The station is a technology testbed and a vital first step in making debris mitigation widely accessible to all space actors with a say in the future of our space environment.

From satellite tracking to debris

Imagine lasers pointing from Earth into the skies, seeking out satellites and bits of space trash and measuring their positions and trajectories to prevent catastrophic collisions. You don't have to try too hardthis is very nearly the day-to-day reality at ESA's new Izana 1 (IZN-1) laser ranging station in Tenerife, Spain.

IZN-1, developed and now operated by ESA, is a testbed for future technologies and was installed in mid-2021 at the Teide Observatory. The station, telescope and laser have undergone months of testing and commissioning and since July last year have aimed the green beam of concentrated light to the sky to actively detect, track and observe active satellites.

At present, the laser operates at 150mW but it will soon be upgraded so it can also track debris objects with a much more powerful infrared laser with an average power of 50 Watts.

"Currently, only satellites fitted with retroreflectors can be tracked from ESA's Izana station, making up just a proportion of the total population," explains Clemens Heese, Head of Optical Technologies.

"The station will be upgraded in the next couple of years, enabling it to perform the same vital ranging services with uncooperative targetsvitally, debris objects and older satellites without retroreflecting patches."

The first of many in Europe

While dozens of laser tracking stations are dotted around Europe, the Izana station's dual functionality makes it a first. Built by German company DiGOS, the remotely controlled Izana station can also be used for optical communications and is intended to become a state-of-the-art, fully autonomous robotic system. It is hoped to be the first of many across the globe.

Credit: European Space Agency

The technology, relatively new in the history of ground-based observations of space debris, will mean the station can track previously invisible defunct objects lurking above the blue daytime skies.

As ESA's newest addition to the Space Safety family, Izana-1 provides support for vital collision avoidance and provides a testbed for new sustainable technologies like laser momentum transfer or coordination of space traffic.

Such satellite and debris tracking capability in Europe could contribute to building and accessing a European catalog of space objects.

Lasers in space. Is that  safe?

But hold on, there are birds, planes, astronauts above us! Doesn't aiming lasers into the sky come with an unacceptable risk? Fortunately, lasers used for satellite and debris tracking would be a disappointment to any self-respecting Bond villain.

Ultimately, the IZN-1 station will use a power of under 100 Watts, giving the Izana laser about 1/20th of the energy of an electric kettle.

These pinpoint light sources shine short pulses of light at their target, determining the distance, velocity and orbit of each one with millimeter precision, calculated from the time it takes to complete the return journey.

Although such lasers don't come anywhere close to cutting through, or even nudging (yet) the objects they target, they can damage sensitive optical instruments on satellites and the paths of aircraft must be considered.

"If lasers strike planes they can be very dangerous, as pilots can become distracted and in worst-case scenarios, lose control," explains Andrea di Mira, ESA Optoelectronics Engineer.

Space might seem an empty, vast expanse, but satellites in Earth's orbit face the constant risk of collision - with other satellites, dead or alive, or with fragments of debris. It is now routine for operators of spacecraft in busy highways to divert their mission out of harms way. In fact at ESA, each mission flown performs on average two 'collision avoidance manoeuvres' per year. These manoeuvres are costly. Hours are spent on the ground monitoring the skies, calculating the risk and planning manoeuvres, not to mention the extra fuel spent and missed science and data collected while instruments are turned off. Credit: ESA / UNOOSA

"We are very, very careful that this does not happen, with a set of sensors scanning the sky for aircraft to ensure our lasers do not get remotely close to them."

These lasers also have the potential to disrupt telescopes studying the night's sky. To prevent this, the Laser Traffic Control System (LTCS) was introduced by the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC)much like IZN-1 helps to prevent collisions between objects in orbit, the LTCS software prevents 'collisions' between laser light and areas of observation. Additionally, switching to an infrared laser frequency can minimize conflicts with astronomers.

A vital step toward space traffic control

As the era of New Space is now fully underway, large constellations are being launched to the skies consisting of thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of satellites.

Current, costly methods of collision avoidance will be futile as numbers increase and as such the international space community will need to establish a method of space traffic control.

For this, precise and rapid determination of the location, velocity and orbit of space objects will be vital, and ESA's IZN-1 station will provide a much-needed testbed for this technology, far more accurate than current radar methods, to be developed.

Laser focus on the future

In the near future, ESA's IZN-1 station will be a fully autonomous, highly productive satellite and debris tracking station. It will also be used to test the concept of 'networked space debris laser ranging' to build a satellite catalog.

When it comes to optical communication, it will also be upgraded to receive signals with a very high data rate of 10 gigabits and beyond (adhering to international standards) from satellites in low-Earth orbit 400 km away.

ESA's laser ranging station in Tenerife shines a light on debris problem. Credit: European Space Agency

Izana will then become part of a planned European Optical Nucleus Network, the first operational optical communication ground station service of its kind that will be made available to the wider commercial space community.

On top of all this, the station provides an opportunity to test and develop technologies underpinning 'laser momentum transfer," in which lasers would not merely shine a light on debris objects but very gently nudge them into new orbits, out of the way of potential collisions and out of the busiest orbital highways.

As IZN-1 is welcomed into to ESA's Space Safety family, so is a bright future of sustainable technologies, vital for a responsible future in orbit and beyond.

Protecting modern life

We are now reliant on interlinked technologies, in space and on Earth, for our everyday lives. But this infrastructure, and all that relies on it, is vulnerable.

Solar storms can damage power grids, disrupt telecommunications and threaten satellites and the vital services they provide. At the same time, as we launch ever-more satellites into orbit we are also creating increasing amounts of debris, dramatically increasing the risk of collision for current and future missions: our success in space could be our downfall.

As part of ESA's Vision for the future, the new Protect 'accelerator' will ensure the resilience of technologies on which modernity depends. By detecting and providing advance warning of oncoming solar storms, we can protect our infrastructure in space and on the ground. By fostering the sustainable use of orbits around Eartha finite and limited resourcewe can ensure the benefits of space will remain accessible to future generations.

Explore further China satellite in close encounter with Russian debris: state media
A small plane carries a banner that reads "Twitter shuts you up? Come to GETTR and talk", in promotion of the US social media company targeted to conservative voters founded by Jason Miller, a former Donal Trump aide and spokesman, during a demonstration in support of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 7, 2021.

Eight leading social networks signed an agreement Tuesday to fight disinformation during Brazil's October presidential elections, though far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's new favorite, Telegram, was notably absent.

Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Instagram, YouTube and Kwai all signed the deal with Brazil's Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) pledging to work with electoral authorities and their users to root out deliberately false information.

"This is an important moment in Brazilian life and the life of our democracy. We are all devoted to preserving an environment of free debate, within the minimal limits of civility," said TSE president Luis Roberto Barroso at the signing ceremony.

"We are here to push fake news, disinformation and conspiracy theories to the margins of history."

The TSE tried to contact Telegram to join the accord, but did not receive a response, the court told AFP.

Bolsonaro, who faces numerous accusations of using fake news as a political weapon, has recently turned to Telegram as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook have acted to stop him from spreading disinformation on their platforms.

However, Telegram faces scrutiny from Brazilian authorities over accusations it has failed to cooperate with efforts to stop the spread of harmful disinformation.

Barroso said recently the platform may need to be suspended before the elections.

The October vote is expected to pit Bolsonaro against leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who currently has a large lead in the polls.

Bolsonaro relied heavily on social networks during the 2018 election campaign, which was rife with fake news, and continues to use them to fire up his hardline base.

Explore further WhatsApp tells companies to stop spam amid Brazil elections

 2022 AFP


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Former Sen. David Perdue and his wife Bonnie didnt have to wait long in line Monday to cast their ballots for the May 24 primary, which will determine who will receive the Republican nomination for the race to serve as Georgias next governor.
WEDNESDAY

EVENTS

George P. Bush meet and greet, 9 a.m. at The Village and Art979 Gallery, 210 W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan. Bush is campaigning for Texas attorney general in the March 1 Republican primary.

Rent  25th Anniversary Farewell Tour, 7:30 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium on the Texas A&M University campus. The production features strong language, mature themes and adult situations. Tickets are $30 to $90 and available at boxoffice.tamu.edu.

Salvation Army food distribution, beginning at 9 a.m. at 2506 Cavitt Ave. in Bryan. Food will be distributed to those in need until supplies run out.

One Million Cups, 8:30 a.m. at Lake Walk Innovation Center, 3891 S. Traditions Drive in Bryan. A weekly meeting that brings entrepreneurs and community members together for coffee and conversation.

Comedy night, 9 p.m. at 3rd Floor Cantina, 201B W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan. No cover charge. Open mic starts at 8:30 p.m.

Pool tournament, 8 p.m. at Bottlenecks, 1789 F.M. 60 in Deanville. $10 entry fee.

Story time for Babies and Toddlers, 10 a.m. at Clara B. Mounce Public Library, 201 E. 26th St. in Bryan. A musical, puppet-filled story time for children ages 3 and under.

Ready to Read story time, 10:30 a.m. at Clara B. Mounce Public Library, 201 E. 26th St. in Bryan. Longer stories geared toward children ages 4 to 6 years old.

Exploring History Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. at Larry J. Ringer Library, 1818 Harvey Mitchell Parkway in College Station. College Stations Historic Preservation Committee and Parks and Recreation Department present monthly lectures on the communitys history. Attendance to the presentation is free; the reservation deadline for the lunch has passed.

COVID-19 TESTING

St. Teresa Catholic Church, 201 Hall St. in Bryan, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. On-site registration accepted. curative.com.

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1505 Dansby St. in Bryan, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. On-site registration accepted. curative.com.

Lincoln Recreation Center, 1000 Eleanor St. in College Station. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On-site registration accepted. curative.com.

Kohls parking lot kiosk, 1509 Texas Ave. in College Station, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rapid PCR testing. On-site registration accepted. curative.com.

Blinn College, 651 Blinn Blvd. in Brenham, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. On-site registration accepted. curative.com.

Rudder Plaza kiosk, 275 Joe Routt Blvd. on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members. Appointments required.

Mays Plaza kiosk, 210 Olsen Blvd. on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members. Appointments required.

A.P. Beutel Health Center, 311 Houston St. on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For Texas A&M students, faculty and staff members. Appointments required.

EXHIBITS

Oceans of Plastic at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station. A collection of art made from plastic pollution acquired from beaches along the Texas coast. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, and tickets must be purchased at bush41.org/visit/admission.

Unexpected Treasures on the Texas A&M campus, through April 22 at the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives. The exhibit includes rare and unique items from campus collections. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Astrophotography: Exploring Celestial Mysteries, through March 19 at the Arts Council of Brazos Valley, 4180 Texas 6 in College Station. A collection of work by Randall Light, a photographer and member of the Brazos Valley Astronomy Club. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.

Lovin That Lone Star Flag, through April 2 at the Arts Council of Brazos Valley, 4180 Texas 6 in College Station. A collection of work by E. Joe Deering. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.

Taking Shape: Geometry in Art, through March 9 at the J. Wayne Stark Galleries in the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The exhibit features works by artists who expressed themselves and the world around them through geometric forms, optical illusions and abstraction. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. tx.ag/geometry.
From caring for cows to caring for people, Rudder High School senior Charli Josey has a heart for healing that she uses on the family ranch and will use in the medical field.

After graduation, Josey will attend University of Mary Hardin-Baylor to major in nursing, but she also will continue to help run the family ranch and advocate for the agriculture industry.

Josey is a fourth-generation rancher who helps take care of hundreds of cows on three properties in Robertson, Franklin and Brazos counties. During the winter, three to four times a week, she helps feed the cows and counts both cows and their calves. A couple weeks ago her family had to put an injured cow down after trying to nourish and feed it back to health.

Thats one of the downsides of ranching that we have to deal with every now and then, Josey said.

Ranching is no easy task  it takes a lot of work, and that is why it is so important to Josey to help educate future generations about where their food comes from.

Ranching has always been an important part of my life, Josey said. It was explained to me at a young age the reason behind ranching  to feed people and their families. ... So, its really important that kids know there are people behind the food at the grocery stores  that corn doesnt just grow at the H-E-B and magically end up on the shelves, and thats what makes me want to continue the family business of having a ranch as well as having a full-time job.

After getting her nursing degree, Josey would like to return to Brazos County to help run the ranch while working as an emergency room nurse.

The health care avenue is where Josey needs to be because of her people skills and her passion for health, but she still lives and breathes raising animals, agriculture science teacher Michelle Knox Vasbinder said.

Charli has this great caring attribute, Vasbinder said. She reminds me of my sister who raised animals and became a nurse and told me that raising animals helped her deal with stubborn people. I feel like Charli is the same way  she learned so many lessons raising livestock that she will carry into her career that isnt agricultural. I tell my freshmen all the time that even if you dont go into the agriculture industry, what we offer in ag classes will apply to their future careers, and Charli is a good example of that. Shes learned perseverance, patience, troubleshooting and problem-solving, and she will need all of that in health care.

Josey has taken several health science classes in the Career & Technical Education department at Rudder, including intro to health science, clinical/theory, and is currently taking patient care technician so that she can take an exam at the end of the year to receive her Patient Care Technician Certification.

Recently, Josey took first place in the regional SkillsUSA basic health care skills competition and will compete in the state competition the last weekend of March in Corpus Christi. Josey had to present a skill  she chose catheter care  demonstrated two PCT skills and completed a written test.

Josey also has sharpened her health care skills while leading triage on medical mission trips to Belize every summer since her freshman year. She assists in people getting glasses, dental care, prescriptions and vitamins.

Those mission trips have taught me so much about life and what we have to be thankful for here, Josey said. They have taught me so many life lessons about how there are so many less fortunate people than us, but they are so extremely happy with what they have while we can complain about the traffic being bad or any minor inconvenience. Meanwhile, they dont have any running water or electricity, and they are the happiest people you will ever meet.

Being a light and positive to others is another attribute Josey shares. While she juggles working on the ranch, being a captain of the Rudder varsity softball team, tutoring junior health science students and other extracurricular activities, she does so with a smile, Vasbinder said.

She raises cattle with her family; she does USASkills, is in FFA, takes health science classes here on campus; she does softball  has done all those things all four years, and of course still makes great grades and stays on top of schoolwork. Youd expect a kid to do all that and be super stressed, but she is very lighthearted, happy and positive with her peers, Vasbinder said. She is super active, but she carries that stress so well and remains a positive influence on campus.

Josey attributes her supportive and loving family for a lot of her success in life, and said she recognizes that not everyone has that.

With the world as it is today, it is important to be kind, she said. You dont know what is going on in someones home life. Its very important to be a mentor to younger kids because you dont know what theyre experiencing and if you can be the one who lights up their day, then do it. Its not like it takes up the whole entire day, it just takes one little moment that could change their life for the better, and I just want to make sure I do that to the best of my ability.
The Texas attorney general is suing Facebook parent Meta, saying the company has unlawfully collected biometric data on Texans for commercial purposes, without their informed consent.

Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit Monday a state district court claiming Meta has been "storing millions of biometric identifiers"  identified as retina or iris scans, voice prints, or a record of hand and face geometry  contained in photos and videos people upload to its services, including Facebook and Instagram.

"Facebook will no longer take advantage of people and their children with the intent to turn a profit at the expense of one's safety and well-being," Paxton said in a statement. "This is yet another example of Big Tech's deceitful business practices and it must stop. I will continue to fight for Texans' privacy and security."

The filing of the lawsuit coincided with the first day of early voting in a primary election in Texas, where Paxton faces several GOP challengers in the wake of his top deputies reporting him to the FBI for alleged corruption.

Paxton has been going up against "Big Tech"  a common foe for both Republicans and Democrats even if their criticisms don't always align. He earlier launched an investigation of Twitter over its ban of former President Donald Trump and filed several lawsuits against Google.

Under Texas law, the lawsuit says, companies must obtain "informed consent" from people to use their biometric data. This means people have to be informed before their biometric data is captured and it can only be done if they agree to it. Such data also cannot be disclosed for anyone else, although there are some exceptions, such as law enforcement subpoenas

In a statement, Meta Platforms Inc., which is based in Melo Park, California, called the lawsuit "without merit."

The company said in November that it was shutting down its facial recognition program and deleting its data.

Texas is asking the court to fine Meta $25,000 for each violation of the informed consent rule and $10,000 for each violation of the state's deceptive trade practices act.

Meta, then called Facebook, paid $650 million to settle a similar lawsuit over the use of photo face-tagging and other biometric data in Illinois last year.
Two former Rocky Mount police officers should not be allowed to cite their law enforcement or military backgrounds as character evidence when they go on trial for besieging the U.S. Capitol, prosecutors argue.

Thomas T.J. Robertson and Jacob Fracker are charged with joining a sea of rioters in a violent uprising that breached their positions of public trust, federal prosecutors said in a motion filed Monday.

None of the charges against the two  which include obstruction, disorderly conduct, entering a restricted building and impeding Capitol police during a civil disorder  relate to their previous police or military service.

Thus, evidence of the defendants specific good acts is inadmissible, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi wrote.

Robertson and Fracker contend they committed no crimes by peacefully walking into the Capitol and leaving a short time later while off-duty from their jobs with the Rocky Mount Police Department.

Should an April 4 trial go forward as scheduled, they would be among the first of more than 725 people charged in the insurrection to face a jury.

A suspension of jury trials caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was lifted Feb. 7, according to an order from the chief judge of Washington D.C.s federal court. Currently, the first jury trial for someone charged in the events of Jan. 6, 2021, is set for Feb. 28.

In the latest pretrial motion to be filed in Robertsons and Frackers case, prosecutors asked Judge Christopher Cooper to exclude, in advance of the trial, any detailed mention of the defendants good character by virtue of their roles in law enforcement or the military.

Normally, character evidence is limited to a witness giving a general description of the accuseds reputation for abiding by the law.

Specifics  such as awards, commendations, and commitment to public service  are not allowed unless they are an essential element of a charge or defense, which prosecutors say is not the case with Robertson and Fracker.

Robertson served in the U.S. Army from 1991 to 1994 and later joined the Reserves. He was deployed to Iraq in 2008 and was later seriously wounded during combat in Afghanistan, according to court records. As a Rocky Mount police sergeant, he received numerous awards, including a medal of valor in 2017.

Fracker served in Afghanistan after enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2010, and later joined the Virginia Army National Guard. He became a Rocky Mount police officer in 2017 and later worked as a K9 unit officer.

Both men, who were fired from their police jobs shortly after being charged, have maintained on social media and in court documents that they did nothing wrong when they entered the Capitol while it was being stormed by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

They described being waved inside by police officers who even gave them bottled water.

Once in the buildings vaulted Crypt, they posed for a selfie photograph that proved to be their undoing. The image, later posted to Facebook, shows Fracker and Robertson standing in front of a statue of John Stark, a Revolutionary War hero from New Hampshire.

While Fracker makes an obscene gesture, Robertson points to his friend while holding what appears to be a wooden object. Last month, prosecutors alleged in an updated indictment that Robertson was armed with a deadly weapon, that is, a large wooden stick.

The two mens protestations of innocence are challenged by the government.

In the motion filed Monday, prosecutors wrote that both Fracker and Robertson were wearing gas masks when they entered the Capitol. At one point, Robertson used his stick to block a line of Metropolitan Police Department officers who were attempting to defend the buildings lower west terrace from the advancing mob, the motion states.

Fracker also bragged on Facebook about urinating in Nancy Ps toilet, an apparent reference to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, prosecutors say.

Both Robertson and Fracker have asked that a felony charge brought against them last year be dismissed. Their attorneys argue that the charge is unconstitutionally vague as applied to them, and that prosecutors have improperly relied on comments the duo made on social media, both before and after the insurrection, in bringing charges.

Fracker is charged with obstruction of an official proceeding  a felony  and three misdemeanors: entering a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in such a place, and disorderly conduct in the Capitol.

Robertson had initially faced the same charges. Two of the misdemeanors were elevated to felonies, and a new felony charge of participating in a civil disorder was added last month along with the allegation that he was armed at the time.

More than 725 people  including three others from Western Virginia  have been charged with taking part in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

About 165 defendants had pleaded guilty through the end of last year, 20 of them to felonies, according to a summary posted on the U.S. Attorneys web page.

Of the 70-some people sentenced so far, 31 have received periods of incarceration, 18 got home detention and the rest were placed on probation, according to the summary.

The riots happened shortly after Trump urged a large crowd to fight like hell against an election he claims was stolen from him. Courts have found no credible evidence of widespread voter fraud.

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Seniors at Franklin Health Care were given valentines on Feb. 14 in celebration of the holiday.

The valentines were decorated by 41 children on Feb. 7. The activity was part of the Franklin County Family YMCA Fun Club. One hundred valentines were given out.

Its a good thing to help others and be kind, and provide a sense of community to people who may feel isolated or lonely, Jamie Stump, YMCA childcare director, said. Everyone deserves to feel a little special on Valentines Day.

Lexi Hall, an 8-year-old student at Boones Mill Elementary School, was one of the children who participated.

I think its a really nice, Hall said. I think itll make people very happy and make them smile. I like Valentines Day and seeing all of the flowers, chocolates and teddy bears in the stores too.

The YMCAs youth programs incorporate outreach projects to support its Character Counts curriculum. The six pillars of the program include trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
EDITORS NOTE: The Grand Island Independent honored the Girl Scouts request to only use first names of the day campers.

Whats a girl to do when theres no school on Friday?

Last Friday, the answer was to gather with peers for a daylong Girl Scout gathering. The event, Schools Out Day Camp, drew six participants aged kindergarten through third grades.

Pat Larson, recruitment specialist for Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska, said the day was in direct response to Friday school closures, but coming up with ideas in a relatively short amount of time was no problem.

With Girl Scouts, we do a lot of programming, Larson said. We have events and activities that are pretty easy to pull up for us to be able to use and it always depends on the grade level that the girls are as to what those activities are.

Tessa and her sister Marley both participated in the event. Like Grand Island Public Schools students, Doniphan-Trumbull had Friday off, meaning Tessa and Marley had some time to try something different.

Marley said like many kids her age, there was screen time during a typical off days downtime.

We sometimes go on our iPad and we watch TV. Sometimes I just play on my watch, she said.

Tessa added, If we werent here, I would probably be bored.

There was little time for boredom Friday, as the girls  who came from a few different school districts  got to know each other through group activities. Larson said the programming was intentional.

We did a lot of activities designed for the girls to talk about themselves, which leads to developing self-confidence and to learn about each other and what their differences and what their samenesses are.

Among other activities, the girls made friendship bracelets, worked on Valentines Day crafts and did a team-building activity making structures out of mini marshmallows and toothpicks. What was Marleys favorite part of the day?

Everything, she said.

This was a good trial for us, Larson said. It went well enough for me that I want to repeat it for sure. Well be moving to different communities to try this  maybe on spring break.

Most events do not cost anything to attend, but Fridays fee included a Girl Scout membership. Larson said she was confident Fridays attendees would follow through with their memberships. Of the six that were there, all six indicated that they would like to be in a troop.

The Friday activities included learning more about the motivation and intentions behind Girl Scouts, including the Girl Scouts Law, Larson said. Some of the parts of it are being honest and respectful, courageous and strong, responsible for what I say and do respecting authority.

Friday was designed to be a good representation of a typical Girl Scout meeting, Larson said. This is kind of what a meeting is like. These are some examples of activities that we do, so it was a really good place to showcase Girl Scouts. It is about knowing your friends and getting to know new girls in your troop.

Even if the six girls do not partake in Girl Scouts, they walked away with something special, Larson said.

I think every little girl left happy on Friday.

Jessica Votipka is the education reporter at the Grand Island Independent. She can be reached at 308-381-5420.

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Hall County Commissioners Tuesday approved a new position: juvenile diversion alternative initiative (JDAI) coordinator.

The position is dependent on the county receiving a juvenile services aid grant offered by the Nebraska Crime Commission.

Juvenile Services Director Randy See told county commissioners that a coordinator is needed for the county JDAI program.

Weve shared information about having that available, at least to request those funds for that position, See said. Theres no guarantee were going to get those funds. Traditionally, those funds have gone to Lincoln and Omaha. There may be some thought that it could come this way.

The total amount of the grant is $564,000. See is requesting roughly $97,000.

The grant would start June 1.

Judge Alfred Corey, Ninth Judicial District, a member of the states Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Collaborative Committee, voiced support for the new position.

The coordinator would look into options about what could be done to address placements of juveniles in our community, he said.

In the community, more services may be available in order to keep them there instead of placing them in detention, he said. Boys Town had decided to no longer keep a shelter open (in Grand Island). In fact, were trying to address that, without that, today.

He added, Ultimately, if individuals should not be detained, its to see what we can do in order to help them with their families in the community immediately.

See emphasized the urgency of the efforts timing.

If we dont apply for this and we decide yes we need to do this, and the county says yes lets fund this position, then the grant funding wont be available again, because that would be supplanting funds from the county, he said. If we dont apply for this grant this year, it wont be available to us again until July 1, 2023.

Hall County Attorney Marty Klein said the position has been considered before and was brought to the boards attention in December.

The county paid over $100,000 in detention costs last year, Klein said.

When a juvenile gets in trouble, theres a screening tool that the probation office uses, he said. That tool decides whether the juvenile should go home on a monitor, go to a temporary placement, which, Boys Town shelter closed, or put them in detention.

He added, These costs are incredibly expensive.

Klein believes a JDAI coordinator could help the county save on those expenses.

If successful, at least the first year, and we can continue to try to renew it, it would be paid for by grant funding, he said. It would be a trial basis under the grant funding to see if this indeed is working toward saving the county money.

Klein added, I believe theres an opportunity to have somebody focus their efforts on reducing detention for these juveniles and building capacity.

Local solutions are better for the detained juveniles, as well, Klein said.

From what Ive seen, read and heard, juveniles being maintained in their home and, really important, maintained in their school, is really helpful to juveniles even when theyre not doing the things society wants them to do, he said. When we remove them from home and place them in a local shelter, thats a little better. They can still potentially go to their school, theyve got close contact.

Instead, detained juveniles are being sent to Madison, Klein said.

Were sending the sheriffs deputies up and back, a number of times, and were paying Madison X amount of dollars every day, he said. For every child not sent to Madison that were able to maintain safely in the community, we will be reducing this number and that would be offsetting the costs of the position.

If Hall County is not awarded the grant, Klein said it is their intention to request from the board the creation of the new position using county funds.

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Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, the Legislature's leading advocate for prison and criminal justice reform, has decided to not seek reelection this year.

With the filing deadline for incumbents looming Tuesday, Lathrop said Monday he will not be a candidate for another four-year term.

"I've been doing this for 12 years and there are other things I want to do now and other ways I want to spend my time," Lathrop said during a brief conversation in his state Capitol office.

"It's been a great privilege to be here," he said.

Lathrop was first elected to the Legislature in 2006, serving two terms before he was term-limited out of office. After sitting out four years as required by the limitation of two consecutive terms, he chose to return to the Legislature and was elected in 2018.

As chairman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, Lathrop has spearheaded efforts to improve Nebraska's criminal justice system, reform sentencing by discouraging the use of mandatory minimum sentences, reduce the state's inmate population and lower recidivism rates.

Lathrop, a Democrat who is regarded as one of the nonpartisan Legislature's most effective speakers during floor debate, was urged to seek the governorship in 2014.

As of Friday, two candidates  Bryce Lukowski and Haile Kucera  had filed for the District 12 race. The Douglas County district covers the area south of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks generally between 72nd and 144th streets.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon
Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin signed a letter alongside other legislators calling on President Joe Biden's administration to limit the sale of junk health plans.

Duckworth and Durbin joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and 37 other Senators to send the letter to Sec. Xavier Becerra of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urging the Biden administration to limit the sale and availability of short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) plans, also known as junk plans, because of their failure to provide adequate, comprehensive health insurance coverage, according to a release from their offices.

These junk plans have the ability to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. And, they dont have to cover essential medical services like emergency room care and prescriptions.

The Senators claim these junk plans are part of a 2018 effort by former President Donald Trumps administration to sabotage the Affordable Care Act.

The Trump administration made junk plans more widely available to consumers. Since then, the plans have continued to proliferate, however, they are not required to adhere to important standards, including prohibitions on discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions, coverage for the 10 essential health benefit (EHB) categories and annual out-of-pocket maximums, the release said.

About 14.5 million Americans signed up for comprehensive health insurance coverage during open enrollment this year, setting a new record, the letter said.

These plans provide quality health insurance and thanks to the American Rescue Plan, four out of five consumers who receive health insurance from the marketplace are finding quality coverage for less than $10 per month, and a majority of those enrollees are also receiving subsidies to decrease their co-pays, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket spending, according to the letter.

We write to congratulate you and your entire department for this significant achievement and encourage you to take additional steps to ensure that even more Americans are protected from substandard plans that do not provide coverage for pre-existing conditions, the letter said. Now is the time to issue new regulations limiting the sale and availability of short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) plans, also known as junk plans because of their failure to provide adequate coverage.

The Senators also urged the administration to consider additional efforts to protect patients and consumers such as banning sales during Marketplace Open Enrollment, limiting internet and phone sales, establishing a prohibition on retroactive coverage rescissions, and requiring additional consumer disclosures about plan coverage, the letter said.

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CARBONDALE  Students in Parrish School have a new bench on their playground to help each other feel less anxious about the day.

A "Buddy Bench" was donated by the high school apprentice program, The Laborers Care and the youth of the Dentmon Center.

Jerry Womick, business agent for Laborers Local 773, said they were looking for a project to help teach their young apprentices how to follow plans, use tools and machinery available, and do something good for the region.

Aaron Lee, general manager of the Dentmon Center in Carbondale, stopped by Parrish School to talk to Principal Carla Ehlers about volunteering. They began talking about children on the autism spectrum, and Lee visited a classroom.

During the visit, Lee learned that they could use a Buddy Bench.

Lee had learned about the Buddy Bench Program offered through the Autism Society. A Buddy Bench is a place a child can sit on the playground to signal the need for a friend.

Not only is the bench a great spot for kids on the spectrum, it is good for the shy, those new to the school and others. It can also be a place kids need to decompress, Lee said.

Lee approached The Laborers Care, a charitable organization, and discussed the project.

The Laborers Care donated the materials to build 12 benches. Their high school apprentices built the benches. Once benches are built, they were taken to the Dentmon Center for painting.

Lee said the Dentmon youth come up with the design, then painted the bench in the schools colors. It is blue and white with borders of paw prints.

We want to build a foundation of social interaction. I think the kids did a great job! Lee said.

Womick said they high school apprentices have completed 12 benches. This is the first bench donated to a school. Five other benches are designated for schools, and they still have six to place.

Were just getting calls from administrators, teachers and parents and teachers asking how their school can get a bench, Womick said.

He would like to see the group sell benches for a modest fee, maybe $125, which would fund the building of more benches for more locations.

Womick said the high school apprentice program allows students to learn skills for the building trades. The program has students from all over Southern Illinois, including Vienna, Johnston City, Herrin, Cairo and Carbondale high schools.

Lee is encouraging high school students to join the labor program, adding that we need laborers in Southern Illinois.

Parrish Principal Carla Ehlers was very pleased with the bench.

If a student outside needs a buddy, others can come and join them, she said.

Part of the schools first graders gave the bench a quick try before going back inside. They were happy to have the bright bench on their playground.

Parrish School has nearly 500 students in preschool, kindergarten and first grade.

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Douglas Wilson, one of the United States leading Abraham Lincoln scholars, will join Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute next week for a conversation about Lincolns character and writing.

John Shaw, institute director, will host the discussion with Wilson, titled The Character and Eloquence of Abraham Lincoln. The conversation will focus on two of Wilsons books: Lincolns Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words, which primarily deals with Lincolns writings, and Honors Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln, which is about Lincolns character. Both books earned Wilson the Lincoln Prize.

The event will be held via Zoom at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 21. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required to access the webinar. Visit paulsimoninstitute.org/events to register.

Wilson is a professor emeritus at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he taught English. He is the co-founder and co-director of the schools Lincoln Studies Center. His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Atlantic, and he worked as a consultant on Steven Spielbergs 2012 biopic Lincoln.

Wilson in 2009 received the Order of Lincoln from the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, the states highest honor.

Professor Wilson is a painstaking researcher, creative scholar and masterful writer who is able to bring Abraham Lincoln to life in his full complexity, Shaw said. We look forward to learning from Professor Wilson how Lincoln developed into a world-class statesman and one of the most original and powerful writers in American history.

The conversation is part of the institutes Illinois Authors series of discussions with the writers who bring the Prairie State to life.

Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for Wilson before the event. Questions may be submitted on the registration form or emailed to paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu.

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With Gov. J.B. Pritzker's recent announcement that the state will ease mask restrictions as long as COVID-19 metrics continue to decline, two community colleges in the Southern Illinois will no longer require face coverings in campus buildings beginning March 1.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, however, will continue to require masks.

Two others have yet to make a decision.

The state will continue to recommend masks and they still will be required in some places such as hospitals, day care facilities and other places, despite continued recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that face coverings continue to be worn in efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Masks optional

In a message to students last week, Rend Lake College President Terry Wilkerson said the college will no longer require masks be worn inside of college facilities.

The news that masks will be optional at RLC in a little more than two weeks  along with the rapidly decreasing COVID-19 hospitalizations and high rates of vaccination reported by state leaders  is an encouraging sign, Wilkerson wrote.

He stressed, however, that the change in mask policy would not impact the vaccine and testing mandate currently in place for students and employees.

At Southeastern Illinois College, masks also will be encouraged, but not required.

SIC will adapt to the Governors recommendations. We will continue weekly testing, sanitation efforts, and mask recommendation beginning March 1, President Jonah Rice said in a prepared statement.

Under consideration

John A. Logan College expects to announce any changes to the colleges mask requirement by the end of the month. JALC Spokesman Steve OKeefe said the campus COVID-19 Task Force is meeting to outline the institutions plans going forward.

Shawnee Community College is also trying to determine the role of masks going forward.

Were trying to provide a solution that best meets the needs of our faculty, staff and students, explained SCC President Tim Taylor. We certainly understand a desire to return to some sense of normalcy, but we want to ensure that we provide the safest environment possible considering concerns over current and future variants.

Taylor said the colleges COVID Response Team is providing input and he hopes to announce plans by the end of this week, but as of now, no decision has been made. He added that testing and vaccination policies will remain unchanged.

Requirements remain

Southern Illinois University Carbondale will make no changes to its policy. The university currently requires that masks worn in shared indoor spaces such as classrooms, hallways, lobbies and restrooms, regardless of vaccination status as outlined on the universitys website.

In a statement provided to The Southern, university spokesman James Potter said SIU will continue to require face masks.

Our requirement is in effect and will remain so after Feb. 28, even though the order to wear masks will be lifted elsewhere. We continue to follow Gov. Pritzker's executive order, which requires weekly testing for higher education personnel and students who are not fully vaccinated, he said.

Potter added that the policy remains flexible.

As we have since the beginning of the pandemic, we have relied on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois Department of Public Health and local public health experts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will adapt our plans as needed.

For the week of Jan. 31 through Feb. 6, the university reported 32 positive COVID-19 cases based on 631 tests. Across Illinois Department of Public Healths Region 5, which encompasses most of Southern Illinois, the seven-day test positivity rolling average declined each day Feb. 2 through 11.

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BLOOMINGTON  A second former State Farm employee is suing the company and says she was subjected to discrimination and retaliation.

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and lawyers with Chicago-based Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge are filing the lawsuit on behalf of Shashi Mandhyan.

According to a statement from Crump's office, an Illinois Department of Human Rights investigation concluded Mandhyan was "retaliated against and harassed by State Farm, received negative performance evaluations, and was ultimately terminated."

State Farm could not be immediately reached for comment.

Manhyan is expected to hold a news conference Wednesday with her lawyers to announce the lawsuit.

Carla Campbell-Jackson, former State Farm employee and Normal resident, in December filed a lawsuit against the insurance agency, accusing the company of discrimination and retaliation. In her lawsuit, Campbell-Jackson said she was terminated after 28 year with State farm for complaining about the company's "rampant culture of racism and discrimination."

The suite was filed in Michigan because Campbell-Jackson was working at a State Farm office in Portage, Michigan, at the time of the offenses claimed.

Crump and McLaughlin are also representing Campbell-Jackson. According to a statement from Crump's office, he represents more than 150 current and former State Farm employees in racial discrimination cases.

Crump has represented the families of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Jelani Day, and several other high-profile cases.

Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry.

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SPRINGFIELD  Citing a reduction in the state's prison population and the increasing cost of maintaining older structures, the Illinois Department of Corrections plans to drastically downsize its prisons in Pontiac and Vandalia.

According to an overview of the proposal obtained by Lee Enterprises, the IDOC plans to shutter the medium security unit of Pontiac Correction Center by March 16. The unit currently holds 329 inmates and has a maximum capacity of 431.

Later this spring or summer, the facility's east and west cellhouses, which have a combined 667 beds and currently house 339 inmates, would shutter, leaving only the north and south cellhouses and mental health units operational.

Altogether, operational capacity at the correctional facility would be reduced from 1,740 to just 642.

At Vandalia Correctional Center, the plan calls for closing 10 buildings by the end of June. This would reduce the current operational capacity from 1,001 to 410, per the document.

The changes in Pontiac "will not require any staff layoffs or any staff transfers," with staff to be relocated to other job assignments throughout the facility.

The allocated staffing at the facility would drop from 927 to 762 with the change, per the documents. There are only 569 correctional officers, lieutenants and sergeants currently employed there, however.

In Vandalia, the plan does not require any layoffs but may necessitate some employees transferring to nearby facilities.

Allocated staffing would drop from 295 to 157. There are a combined 215 correctional officers, lieutenants and sergeants currently employed at the facility.

At both facilities, the number of employees is below the budgeted amount, with the IDOC citing the pandemic as severely impacting its hiring schedule. Any changes would need to be bargained with the labor union representing correctional officers.

Jordan Abudayyeh, spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker, characterized the document as "a draft plan that was put together for discussion within the agency and in order to start discussions with stakeholders."

She said it has not yet been presented to the governor's office for final approval as it is "expected to be updated after more discussions."

"The Department is always interested in considering new ideas to better serve their population and this draft plan is an attempt to spur discussion about ways to improve services," Abudayyeh said.

Anders Lindall, spokesman for AFSCME Council 31, which represents correctional center employees, said the union started hearing rumors about changes in Pontiac late last week. They asked IDOC directly last Tuesday, which they denied.

Then, on Wednesday, seven buses arrived at the facility and began to empty out the medium security units. According to Lindall, the IDOC began moving offenders "with no advance notice to the union, the employees or the individuals who were moved."

This also raised alarm bells with some state lawmakers who represent districts with correctional facilities.

Nine lawmakers wrote a letter to the state Department of Corrections director and Pritzker on Friday asking for information about why a "significant number of inmates" are being moved from the Pontiac and Vandalia prisons.

"As both of these correctional centers serve as some of the largest employers in their respective regions, any changes to staffing or inmate population levels would have a major impact on the economic health of those areas," the letter reads.

The lawmakers have not received a response yet. But on Friday, IDOC subsequently informed the union of their plans to close the medium security unit in Pontiac.

"This is an unacceptable breach of trust from IDOC management and not the basis of productive labor relations," Lindall said. "Especially given the history of closure threats at both Pontiac and Vandalia, these new changes introduce uncertainty and instability that hurt employee morale, and the lack of truthfulness in presenting them makes union members question whether they can rely on managements commitments."

The Pontiac Correctional Center opened in 1971, and its operational capacity is 1,255, according to the Department of Corrections, with a mental health operational capacity of 66. It is the parent institution for the 431-bed Pontiac Medium Security Unit. The average annual cost per offender was $70,366 as of fiscal year 2020.

The Vandalia Correctional Center, a minimum-security facility for men, opened in 1921. Its operational capacity is listed at 1,300, though can vary based on staffing levels. The average annual cost for offender was $34,670 as of fiscal year 2020.

According to IDOC data, the state's prison population has dropped from 38,259 at the end of 2019 to just 27,970 at the end of 2021. The state's highest inmate population was 49,401 in 2013.

IDOC also said they "continue to struggle finding applicants" who want to work in the prisons. "The number of hours of overtime staff are working across the state is extremely high, especially at Pontiac," the report states.

This has created constraints in the amount of out-of-cell time that is afforded to prisoners and creates challenges in providing for mentally ill poisoners.

The facilities are also old and expensive to maintain. The state could save millions by not having to upkeep the closed portions of the facilities.

In Vandalia, for instance, "staff and individuals in custody would no longer be subject to the intensive summer heat of the older buildings" under the changes.

State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, whose district includes the Pontiac facility, called the possible downsizing "absolutely concerning" and the lack of communication "very troubling."

"Typically, when there's significant news relating to a state facility or other decisions by the administration individual legislators' districts, there's often a briefing that might be offered to us in advance  information that we can use to talk to our constituents about," Barickman said. "We're unfortunately in the dark here, and I think that is wildly frustrating and unfortunate that the administration has decided not to bring us up to speed on whatever their plans are here."

Under the proposal, prisoners in Pontiac's medium-security unit will be transferred to other medium security prisons. The next to close will be the east cellhouse, with prisoners there transferred to either one of the remaining open sections of the prison or to Lawrence Correctional Center.

Once the east cellhouse is cleared, the west cellhouse will begin the process of closing, with prisoners housed there to be transferred to Lawrenceville or Menard Correctional Center.

The downsizing of Vandalia will not require the transfer of any prisoners, who will be divided among the four remaining dormitories.

Read the letter from lawmakers here:

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SPRINGFIELD  Republican lawmakers are calling for the passage of legislation that would allow Department of Children and Family Services workers to carry pepper spray for self-defense when investigating allegations of child abuse.

This comes weeks after the death of DCFS investigator Deidre Silas, who died while checking the welfare of six children at a home in Thayer in rural Sangamon County. Benjamin Reed, 32, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with her death.

It is legal for people to carry pepper spray for their own protection, as many do all over this state. Yet, DCFS workers who have to walk into abusive homes are not allowed that same protection, Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, the sponsor of Senate Bill 4165, said at a news conference. This is a commonsense step to help them stay safe while performing what is an incredibly important job.

Rep. Sandy Hamilton, R-Springfield, filed House Bill 5688 that would allow the DCFS employees to carry mace or pepper spray on the job, also requiring them to complete a training program from the Illinois State Police on the proper use of pepper spray.

This bill provides a safety tool not currently available to DCFS frontline staff, should they encounter dangerous and possibly life-threatening situations while doing their job, said retired DCFS worker Gayle Hopper, who attended a Tuesday news conference unveiling the legislation.

McClure said he believes the bill will receive bipartisan support.

McClure is also a cosponsor on a bill to increase criminal penalties for attacking a DCFS worker. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has endorsed that effort. Similar efforts failed in 2019 after the death of DCFS worker Pam Knight, who was fatally assaulted during a child protection call in Milledgeville in northwest Illinois.

Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, also introduced House Bill 3646 that will allow DCFS caseworkers to carry a concealed handgun during the performance of their official duties.

Since 2017, there have been more than 2.5 million visits to homes and 20 documented incidents where a worker was threatened or assaulted, and all of those incidents were reported to local law enforcement, according to information provided by DCFS last month.

DCFS investigators must complete a six-week training that includes worker safety and within the first 90 days of employment must complete workplace and field safety training. In addition, after Knights death, Illinois State Police conducted training for DCFS, covering topics such as de-escalation, active shooter response and situational awareness.

Under current rules, an employee should call for law enforcement or take another DCFS worker with them on a call that involves:

A documented history of violence, including assault convictions or weapons violations.

A document or alleged history of criminal activity.

Taking a child into protective custody.

A report that alleges that the person being investigated is dangerous or known for potential violence.

During the news conference, McClure said mace or pepper spray might just give a DCFS investigator the few seconds they need to get away from a violent attack.

When asked if adding pepper spray into a situation with children alleged to be abused or neglected could escalate the situation, McClure responded that the pepper spray was to be used for self-defense and training provided by the Illinois State Police would be key.

Its sad that we have to make a law for our state workers to be able to protect themselves, Hamilton said. It is the right thing to do, so that those who are working to protect abused children can also have at least one tool to protect themselves in these situations.

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COLUMBIA  South Carolina senators spent less than two hours Tuesday deciding how to spend more than $2 billion in federal money coming to the state. The T&D Region could receive millions for roads and economic development projects.

Were hoping the money will be transformational, Sen. Brad Hutto said. The Orangeburg Democrat said the money will fund projects that will have an economic impact on our citizens for years to come.

About $1.7 billion is in COVID-19 relief money.

An additional $525 million are fines paid by the federal government in a settlement after a plan to convert plutonium from nuclear bombs into nuclear reactor fuel was abandoned and it failed to make promised deadlines to remove the radioactive material from the Savannah River Site near Aiken.

Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties, where the Savannah River Site is located, will get $341 million.

Barnwell will spend $110 million on new school buildings, while Allendale County plans school upgrades and a new building for law enforcement and other government agencies. Aiken County plans an industrial park, expanding a cybersecurity industry corridor in North Augusta and redeveloping neighborhoods near Aiken.

Orangeburg County will receive $4.5 million for a speculative building in the western part of the county, $655,000 for Hidden Valley Drive and Essex Drive sewer, and $1 million for the Holly Hill Services Center renovation, which is being undertaken in partnership with Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

The county will also get $4.3 million for roads.

Bamberg County will receive $6.3 million for a speculative building in the CrossRhodes Industrial Park, $2.3 million for airport improvements and $1.2 million for roads.

Calhoun County will receive $1.2 million for roads.

Under the Senate plan, most of the settlement money will go to the SRS host counties, recognizing they suffered the largest economic injury, Hutto said. Smaller amounts will go to counties on the perimeter that were also economically affected.

Other South Carolina counties, like Calhoun County, could also receive a share of the statewide settlement for road work, Hutto said.

Everyone in the state should benefit somewhat, he said.

Hutto noted the House still has to approve the Senate plan.

Its a process and were only halfway through the process, he said.

Senators unanimously approved the spending plans for both settlement and COVID-19 money. The plan faces one more routine vote and will go to the House.

"We'll be paying for these funds for generations. But investing this money wisely can trigger a transformation for communities across South Carolina for generations to come," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler, a Republican from Gaffney.

The bulk of the COVID-19 relief money  $900 million  is proposed to go to helping rural water and sewer authorities upgrade their systems. Gov. Henry McMaster proposed similar aid, saying the money was a great one-time opportunity to repair systems that are reaching the end of their safety and usefulness after several decades.

Senators also approved spending $400 million to bring broadband internet to rural areas and $450 million to offset money the Department of Transportation lost after collecting less in gas tax and other revenue during the pandemic.

The T&D contributed to this report.

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(TBTCO) - Thi truong chung khoan Viet Nam co ban van giu nhip on inh trong quy au nam nay, tuy nhien, thi truong chiu ap luc ieu chinh kha manh ke tu cuoi thang 3 en nay do tac ong tu cac yeu to ngoai bien va cac vu viec sai pham mang tinh on le cua mot so ca nhan, to chuc. Theo cac chuyen gia, nhung tac ong en tam ly ngan han cua nha au tu la kho tranh khoi, nhung ay la co hoi e huong dong tien i ung huong, giup thi truong gan uc, khoi trong e phat trien ben vung.
Today

Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. High 81F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
The federal government is reportedly considering raising the royalty rate at the upcoming oil and gas lease sale. An attempt by state legislators to offset such an increase is one step closer to becoming law.

Wyoming gets 49% of the royalties generated by oil and gas production on its federal lands. Senate File 84, sponsored by the Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee, would return the states share of federal royalties to oil and gas producers. It passed an introductory vote by a margin of 26-4 on Tuesday, easily surpassing the two-thirds majority needed to advance to committee.

The bill sends a message to the federal government: Wyoming, the top natural gas producer and No. 2 oil producer on federal lands, doesnt want royalties to go up. And it sends a message to producers that the state is on their side.

Anything that could assist in bringing down the cost of doing business on federal lands obviously makes those parcels more enticing to operators, said Ryan McConnaughey, communications director for the Petroleum Association of Wyoming.

State bill could thwart federal oil and gas royalty hike in Wyoming Under the bill, Wyoming would reimburse coal, oil and gas producers for the added cost of any federal royalty increase.

The Biden administrations temporary halt on new oil and gas leases has eroded operators confidence in the federal program. Because roughly half of Wyomings surface is owned by the federal government, backers of Senate File 84 hope it will make the states federal lands more enticing.

Not everyone agrees that rejecting the prospect of additional federal royalties is the right approach.

Wyoming would be really shooting itself in the foot to then turn around and want to give money back to the industry, said Jeremy Nichols, climate and energy program director for environmental group WildEarth Guardians.

According to Shannon Anderson, staff attorney for the Powder River Basin Resource Council, geology is the primary factor that drives mineral development, followed by market price. Everything else  including taxes and royalties  comes after.

Those third-tier factors, however, are the only ones the state can control, though Wyoming still lacks the authority to refund federal royalties directly. Instead, Senate File 84 would direct the state treasurer to transfer some of the states federal royalty money to the severance tax distribution account. The Wyoming Department of Revenue would then issue severance tax refunds calculated according to the federal royalty increase.

If the royalty rate did increase, the bills opponents argue, the state could use that money to cover its existing budget shortfalls.

Its bad policy for Wyoming to send this kind of a message  that we dont want the revenue opportunity that federal mineral royalties would bring to the state, Anderson said.

But some in Wyoming, where tax rates are already high compared with neighboring states, believe the bill is a necessary sacrifice that can sustain oil and gas production in the long term.

According to McConnaughey, its demonstrative of the states willingness to secure Wyomings competitiveness in the face of the challenges coming from the Biden administration.

The bill now moves to the Senate Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee for review.

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A former Casper police officer accused of pulling a gun and gouging a mans eye out during a fight following a vaccine mandate protest in October is set to change his plea next month.

Jesse Jones, who was off-duty at the time of the Oct. 1 fight, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of misdemeanor reckless endangerment during an initial appearance in January.

A change-of-plea hearing is now set for March 4 in Natrona County Circuit Court. A prosecutor declined to comment, and Jones did not respond to a message left Wednesday.

Change-of-plea hearings are often held after the prosecution and defense reach a plea deal. Such a hearing indicates the case will likely be resolved without a trial.

Jones was put on administrative leave following the incident, and he resigned his position on Jan. 7 after the Casper Police Department began the process to terminate him in December, according to police. An internal investigation reportedly found his actions were not in line with (the departments) code of conduct, a January statement from the department said. He had been on the force for five years.

According to court documents, Jones was protesting alone outside of Seton House in Casper, a nonprofit that provides shelter and self-sufficiency programs for families, after the organization announced it would require residents in its units to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1.

Three witnesses told investigators that the alleged victim approached Jones first, and was the aggressor. Jones arrest affidavit states the two men argued, and Jones began backing up down the street away from the alleged victim. At some point, court documents state, Jones pulled a handgun on the man after telling him to stop multiple times. The men ended up fighting on the ground, and a witness told investigators Jones had overcome the alleged victim and was punching his face into the ground.

In an interview with investigators cited in the affidavit, Jones said he hooked his finger into the mans eye socket and yanked the eye before backing away.

Though the alleged victim seemed to start the fight, court documents stated, the investigation concluded that Jones gouged his eye after the man stopped posing a threat. The man was flown to a Denver hospital for his injuries, the affidavit states.

The prosecuting decision was made by the Johnson County Attorneys office rather than the Natrona County district attorney, who cited a conflict of interest in the case. The prosecutor, Deputy County Attorney Josh Stensaas, declined to comment on Wednesday.

The affidavit states that Jones protest was reported to police before the fight, and that the director of Seton House had received what she called threatening emails from Jones the day before. Posts from Jones Facebook account show snippets of some apparent emails between him and the director, and calls for others to oppose the vaccine mandate.

Multiple people called police to report the fight on Oct. 1, court documents state.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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The Delaware court has upheld a recent decision by Lee Enterprises Board of Directors to reject a director nomination notice that was submitted by New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital.

Lee Enterprises is the publisher of the Casper Star-Tribune, Billings Gazette and dozens of other newspapers.

The vice chancellor noted in the Tuesday decision that, among other things, Lees Board of Directors acted reasonably in enforcing a validly adopted bylaw with a legitimate corporate purpose and that Alden could easily have met the bylaws record holder and  by extension  form requirements had it not delayed in preparing its nomination notice.

According to a statement from Lee officials, the ruling means Aldens director nominations will be disregarded, and no proxies or votes in favor of its purported nominees will be recognized or tabulated at Lees 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on March 10.

We are pleased that the Delaware Court of Chancery has affirmed the importance of orderly annual shareholder meetings and confirmed the decision by the Lee Board of Directors to reject as invalid the notice of nominations delivered by Alden," Lee's Board of Directors said in a prepared statement.

Lee has nominated three directors for re-election: Lees former chief executive officer Mary E. Junck, Herbert W. Moloney III and current chief executive officer Kevin D. Mowbray.

Alden had proposed two directors to replace Junck and Moloney, but Lee maintained Alden didnt properly nominate the board members. Alden sued in the Delaware Court as a result.

Alden released a statement after the courts ruling, urging shareholders to block the reelection of the two board members it had hoped to replace. Alden said it plans on launching a campaign that will focus on forcing their resignation.

"Our 'Vote No' campaign will act as a referendum on this entrenched duo's many failures and will act as a platform for stockholders to send a clear message that the corporate governance at Lee must be rectified, Aldens statement read.

Lee Enterprises has described Alden as a vulture hedge fund."

Lee is the third-largest owner of newspapers in the United States. Alden Global Capital is a privately held New York City-based investment firm founded in 2007. Through acquisitions, it is now the second-largest owner of newspapers, behind Gannett.

Lee's board previously rejected a takeover bid from Alden, saying it wasn't in the best interest of the company. Alden is widely known in the newspaper industry for cost-cutting beyond industry norms.

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After pushback from Gov. Mark Gordon and others, a group of lawmakers will make another attempt at earmarking additional money for the states suicide hotlines, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday.

In December, Gov. Mark Gordon recommended spending $7 million in relief aid to staff both of Wyomings suicide hotlines 24/7. The Joint Appropriations Committee rejected that request a few weeks ago.

Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, said the new attempt will likely be at least $2.5 million, if not the full $7 million that Gordon originally recommended. He added that hes heard from multiple of his Senate colleagues that they may bring an amendment of that nature. That could happen as soon as Wednesday.

This $7 million was present in the governors American Rescue Plan budget. Wyoming is receiving over $1 billion in aid over two years, and Gordon and the Joint Appropriations Committee have to decide how best to spend the money.

Wyoming had the highest suicide rate in the nation in 2019 (2020 numbers have not been released yet) and is the only state left without a fully staffed hotline.

Another member of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, said she also heard rumblings of an amendment to increase spending on suicide prevention.

If lawmakers opt for $2.5 million rather than the full $7 million, that would likely prompt a decision: fund one of the hotline centers 24/7 or fully staff both of them on opposite hours.

But $2.5 million will get us what we need right now, said Andi Summerville, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers.

Since the committee removed his budget request, Gordon has made it clear hed like to see the funding restored.

Suicide sadly remains an all too frequent event, especially for our veterans, Gordon said Monday, in his State of the State address that kicked off the 2022 Budget Session. I ask you to consider using American Rescue Plan dollars to do more in our fight against suicide.

The following day, the Senate Appropriations Committee met to discuss three budget bills, and the lack of funding to build out the states suicide hotline came up once again.

Gordon Policy Director Renny MacKay spoke before the committee for a few minutes Tuesday, and he dedicated much of that time to reiterate that the governor cares a lot about funding the hotline, adding that he hopes the committee will reconsider its decision.

The governors office is not the only group pushing the committee to reconsider. Some may argue the hotline is not effective, or at least not worth a $7 million investment, but Summerville disagrees.

Its a really important piece in the mental health continuum, she told the Star-Tribune.

In mid-July, people in all states will be able to call the number 9-8-8 as a suicide hotline, much like calling 911. Without a fully staffed center and the money to educate the population, Wyoming wont be able to fully utilize the number, Summerville said.

Part of the money, if successfully put back in, will also be used to establish more robust local partnerships between crisis centers, the hotlines and law enforcement to ensure that they work smoothly once 988 is available to call.

Fifty percent of the calls come in during off hours and the hotlines receive 350 to 400 calls per month. Since the hotlines were launched in 2020, 16 lives have been saved while people were in the process of the act, Summerville testified.

The Appropriations Committee acknowledged the severity of the issue Tuesday morning, but theyre still skeptical that $7 million towards the hotline is the best use of the funds.

I get emails that state outright that I dont care about suicide, said Sen. Dave Kinskey, R-Sheridan, adding that his family has personally been touched by suicide. I appreciate the seriousness of the issue, I was just given zero guidance as to what $7 million would do.

Although the money was cut, Summerville said that she feels like theres good support from legislators.

We are very hopeful, she said.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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Twenty-two more Wyomingites have died from COVID-19, the Wyoming Department of Health reported Tuesday.

There have now been 1,689 coronavirus-caused deaths in Wyoming since the pandemic arrived here in March 2020.

The new deaths touch nine of Wyomings 23 counties. Campbell, Laramie and Sheridan counties each reported four deaths, Natrona and Sweetwater counties each had three and Converse, Fremont, Park and Sublette each reported one death each.

Eighteen of the people whose deaths were announced this past week had preexisting health conditions that put them at risk from more severe illness from contracting COVID-19. Thirteen of the 22 were hospitalized, three out-of-state, while six were residents of long-term care facilities.

Last week, 17 COVID deaths were reported in the state.

Of the latest deaths, 10 occurred in January, while 12 occurred in February.

The state does not include a death in its COVID-19 count unless the virus is listed on the patients death certificate as either the cause of death or a contributing factor. There is often a lag between when deaths occur and when deaths are reported because of the time it takes for death certificates to be processed.

Broadly speaking, the number of deaths in Wyoming correlates with the rise and fall of cases in the state, often trailing by a few weeks changes in infection and hospitalization rates.

Deaths declined dramatically last spring. But when cases surged late last summer and early fall, the weekly updates on COVID-19 deaths rose as well.

On Tuesday, 91 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 in Wyoming. That number rose towards the end of January but has fallen steadily since the start of February.

Last years COVID-19 surge was driven by the delta variant, which is more contagious and causes more serious illness than the first strain of COVID-19 that emerged here. But delta is no longer the dominant strain in Wyoming. The omicron variant has overtaken it. The omicron strain, which is now responsible for most of Wyomings new cases, appears more contagious than delta, but studies suggest it causes less severe symptoms.

Wyomings vaccination rate trails most of the country. Nationally, the state has the second-lowest proportion of fully vaccinated residents.

Roughly 50% of the state is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and about 57% people have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
Two bills created amid revelations of mishandled sexual misconduct and gender discrimination complaints in the Wyoming National Guard have cleared their first few legislative hurdles.

The first, Senate Bill 45, would require the Wyoming military to debrief legislators and the governors office on its harassment, assault and discrimination cases every year. The bill, sponsored by the Joint Committee on Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs, passed its first reading on the Senate floor on Tuesday.

The bill was referred to the Senate side of that committee a day prior, after reaching a two-thirds introductory vote on the Senate floor. (A two-thirds vote is necessary for any non-budget bill to be heard during a budget legislative session.) Committee members unanimously voted to back the measure later that day.

The bill came together after several former employees of the Wyoming National Guard last year went public about their struggles getting the military to investigate allegations misconduct or discrimination.

The guard lacks meaningful oversight, the employees said, which allows complaints to get covered up or ignored. An investigation by WyoFile and Wyoming Public Media in October found the Wyoming Military Department repeatedly failed to address complaints of workplace hostility. (Wyomings military includes both the Army National Guard and Air National Guard.)

On the heels of those findings, the military department provided the Joint Committee on Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs and Gov. Mark Gordon with a report breaking down recent sexual harassment and assault cases, and what systems it had in place to handle them. (The committee asked the department to compile that information about a year in advance, said Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper.

Maj. Gen. Gregory Porter, adjutant general to the Wyoming Military Department, told the committee in November he only receives a few of those complaints every year. But he also said the military department doesnt have a centralized procedure for tracking them.

Members of the military and the public called for legislation that would help the department streamline its grievance procedures, and give them more oversight.

Senate File 45 would require the Military Department to compile a misconduct and discrimination report  and share it with the committee and the governors office  on an annual basis.

Each would follow the same framework as the 2021 report. The department would cover all misconduct and discrimination complaints from the previous year  minus names or any other identifying details about those involved.

The reports would also include findings from broad-strokes workplace assessments, like climate surveys and employee interviews.

If there are any trends in what those complaints or assessments show, the reports would need to say so. Thats to identify if certain parts of Wyomings military, or people in certain positions, are having more problems with misconduct or discrimination than others.

Survey data included in the 2021 report showed more people in the Wyoming Army National Guard witnessed or experienced sexual harassment compared to the Wyoming Air National Guard, for instance.

Finally, the department would need to disclose any changes to how it handles allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault or discrimination. The reports would also be required to discuss any changes the department plans to make in the future.

Chris Smith, legal counsel to the Wyoming Military Department, said it wouldnt take much work to put the reports together. The department already collects a lot of the information that would go into them, he told the Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee in a January meeting.

The second measure, House Bill 53, aims to bring more outside oversight to the state military department by looping the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services into its grievance process.

It cleared the House floor on Monday after receiving a two-thirds introductory vote, which is necessary for bills to be heard during a budget session. It received a unanimous vote of approval from the House Committee on Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs on Tuesday.

Heres how it would work. Say you work for the Wyoming Military Department, and want to report an incident of sexual misconduct or discrimination. Usually, youd submit the complaint to your immediate superior.

But what if you want your claim handled by an outside body? Right now, not everyone within the military department has that choice, said Rep. Donald Burkhart, a Rawlins Republican who chairs the Houses military affairs committee. Thats part of what former employees raised concerns about last year.

By setting up a working relationship between the Wyoming Military Department and the Department of Workforce Services, House Bill 53 would open up outside investigations to more people.

It gives Wyoming another arrow in the quiver to address claims of discrimination and harassment, Burkhart said.

As part of that arrangement, workforce services would get a full-time staff member dedicated to investigating military department grievances, the bill states.

House Bill 53 will soon head back to the House floor for its first committee of the whole reading.

Another bill involving the military department cleared its first reading before state senate Tuesday afternoon.

Senate Bill 40 would allow the Wyoming Military Department to obtain law enforcement records on any employee undergoing criminal investigation.

Typically, the department wants those records for administrative reasons, Maj. Karen Hinkle of the Wyoming National Guard, told members of the Senates military affairs committee on Monday.

If an employee was undergoing investigation for an internet crime, for example, the department would want to look at law enforcement records to see if they need to revise that persons security clearance, Hinkle said.

But those records are not always easy to get. Some law enforcement agencies are reluctant to release those files, she said, especially if they relate to investigations where there are privacy concerns, like those involving sexual assault cases.

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NIDCO (the National Infrastructure Development Company) says it has not initiated any tender or award of contract process with regard to the Toco Port.

In a news release, the company said the issuance of any letters of award or contracts relating to the Toco Port project is fraudulent and not authorised by Nidco.
An increase in measles cases in January and February 2022 is a worrying sign of a heightened risk for the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases and could trigger larger outbreaks, particularly of measles affecting millions of children in 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF have warned.

Pandemic-related disruptions, increasing inequalities in access to vaccines, and the diversion of resources from routine immunisation are leaving too many children without protection against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Injured in shooting at sea: Darielvis Sarabia, mother of an infant who was killed when T&T Coast Guard officers fired upon a Venezuelan migrant vessel off the south-east coast on Saturday night. Sarabia was also shot, and was among the migrants captured after the boat was intercepted. She is asking to be reunited with her two-year-old daughter, who was also on the vessel.
Many people are struggling during this Covid-19 pandemic as prices increase, while many are 
Stable performance of foreign trade, investment reflects strong resilience of Chinese economy

09:09, February 16, 2022 By Luo Shanshan ( People's Daily

Chinas foreign trade and investment hit new highs last year, making positive contributions to the continuous recovery and development of the national economy.

An ocean-going ro-ro ship is ready to transport Chinese-made automobiles overseas at Lianyungang Port in Lianyungang city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, Feb. 8, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/ Wang Chun)

In 2021, Chinas total trade in goods climbed to $6.05 trillion from more than $4 trillion in the previous year, exceeding the $6 trillion mark for the first time. At the same time, the countrys foreign direct investment (FDI), in actual use, expanded 14.9 percent year on year to more than one trillion yuan ($157.4 billion) for the first time.

The steady increase in foreign trade and investment mirrors the high-quality development of the Chinese economy.

Last year, Chinas number of enterprises engaged in foreign trade increased by 36,000 to 567,000.

As cross-border e-commerce, market procurement trade and other new business forms and models flourish in the country, the numbers of integrated foreign trade service firms in China, overseas warehouses and bonded maintenance projects operated by Chinese companies have exceeded 1,500, 2,000 and 130, respectively.

The country has witnessed a significant rise in the quality of FDI projects, with high-tech industries enjoying a 17.1-percent year-on-year growth in FDI and accounting for 30.2 percent of the total FDI into China last year.

Such data show that Chinas foreign trade and investment not only maintained steady growth, but gained new vitality and enjoyed high-quality development.

A worker is busy making container crane parts and components to be exported to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative at a factory of Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited (ZPMC) in Nantong, east Chinas Jiangsu province, Jan. 8, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Xu Congjun)

Faced with challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, China has, in the context of ongoing COVID-19 response, explored new drivers of economic growth, new modes of social life and new pathways for people-to-people exchange to facilitate cross-border trade and keep industrial and supply chains secure and smooth, which will certainly promote steady and solid progress in global economic recovery.

The stable performance of foreign trade and investment demonstrates the success of Chinas endeavor to pursue high-level opening-up.

China put into practice a series of opening-up measures, including advancing the construction of pilot free trade zones (FTZs), free trade ports, comprehensive opening-up trials in the service sector and other opening-up platforms, hosting international exhibitions including the China International Import Expo (CIIE), China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) and China Import and Export Fair, and further pushing ahead with reforms aimed at promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. These measures have sustained the expectations and confidence of market entities and effectively stabilized foreign trade and investment.

Last year, 21 pilot FTZs in China, the countrys highlands in opening-up, contributed 18.5 percent to the total FDI into China and 17.3 percent to the countrys imports and exports.

Chinas trade in goods with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reached 11.6 trillion yuan in 2021, a new high in eight years, rising 23.6 percent year on year and making up 29.7 percent of the countrys total foreign trade. Meanwhile, investment in China from countries along the Belt and Road increased by 29.4 percent.

Concrete achievements have been made in promoting high-quality development in the joint construction of the Belt and Road, which not only ushered in new opportunities for countries along the Belt and Road, but opened up new space for China to stabilize foreign trade and investment.

Technicians test and adjust products at an automated aluminum alloy wheel hub production line of Tianhong Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. based in an industrial park in Danyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, east Chinas Jiangsu province, Feb. 8, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Feng Jiangjiang)

With major changes intertwined with a global pandemic unseen in a century, the world finds itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation, which has hobbled global economic recovery.

Although shifts in the domestic and international economic environment have brought tremendous pressure, the fundamentals of the Chinese economy, characterized by strong resilience, enormous potential and long-term sustainability, remain unchanged. No matter how the international situation changes, China will always hold high the banner of reform and opening-up.

At the annual Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year, Chinese leaders stressed expanding high-level opening-up, stabilizing foreign trade through multiple measures, ensuring smooth industrial and supply chains, and intensifying efforts to attract foreign investment.

Chinas total trade volume in goods has ranked first globally for five consecutive years; the country has remained the worlds second largest recipient of FDI; and it has seen further elevation in its comprehensive strength, social productivity, and peoples living standards.

Workers are busy making surfboards for overseas orders at a company in Lujiang county, Hefei city, east Chinas Anhui province, Feb. 14, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/Zuo Xuechang)

Featuring solid foundation, better conditions and stronger impetus, the countrys high-quality development effectively sustains the fundamentals of foreign trade and investment.

As the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the worlds largest free trade agreement, entered into force on Jan. 1, China will further smoothen dual circulation driven by higher-level opening-up and make continuous progress along its high-quality development path.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Those with authority over others often become wolves because the people under their charge 
PHOENIX  The state House voted 45-14 Tuesday to waive the expenditure cap that is in the way of Arizona public schools being able to spend all the money they already have for this fiscal year.

But Senate President Karen Fann said she has yet to line up the necessary votes in her chamber.

And unless senators act by March 1, the House vote won't matter: schools will be barred from spending a total of more than $1.1 billion in cash they already have and need to finish out the school year.

The House vote occurred with all Democrats in favor.

None of the 14 Republicans who opposed the move explained their decisions. Nor did any respond to requests after the vote by Capitol Media Services for comment.

The measure had bipartisan support.

Rep. Jennifer Pawlik, D-Chandler, told colleagues there was no reason for them to refuse the one-time waiver.

"The override is a temporary fix that will allow schools to spend the money they have already been allocated,'' she said.

"They have not done anything wrong,'' Pawlik continued. "And they certainly have not overspent their budgets.''

The measure simply recognizes  as has the Legislature at least twice before  that the aggregate expenditure limit approved by voters in 1980 needs to be waived in certain circumstances, she said.

House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, echoed the sentiment that the action should have been routine.

"Every year or other there's some issue that is politicized,'' he said. "No one ever said that the schools were doing something wrong.''

The delay in acting, Bowers said, was to make sure the waiver did not affect other issues, including the fate of Proposition 208, a voter-approved measure that sought to raise an extra $800 million-plus for K-12 education through a surcharge on incomes of the wealthiest residents.

In an earlier ruling the Arizona Supreme Court said those funds cannot be collected if they would force schools to exceed the expenditure cap. Bowers noted, though, that issue is about the 2022-2023 school year; Tuesday's vote is about the current school year.

That leaves it to Fann, R-Prescott, to line up the votes in the Senate. And she declined to tell Capitol Media Services on Tuesday how many votes she is short.

But, even counting her own support, she needs at least six of the remaining 15 Republicans to go along.

That's because it takes a two-thirds vote of both chambers even for a one-year waiver of the expenditure cap. And there currently are only 13 Democrats in the Senate, because Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tucson, has chosen to stay home and avoid the possibility of being exposed to COVID at the Legislature and infecting his newborn child.

The limit was imposed by voters in 1980 as part of a multi-pronged effort to curb government spending. It set a baseline of total K-12 expenses, with annual adjustments for both inflation and student growth.

That growth figure, however, is based on attendance in the prior school year. And the pandemic resulted in many students not attending classes.

Complicating matters is a 0.6-cent sales tax first approved by voters in 2000 to supplement teacher salaries.

The original 20-year measure put those revenues outside the expenditure cap. But when lawmakers approved an extension through 2041, they did not include the same exemption.

That action alone amounts for more than $600 million of the excess.

Education officials have said the failure of lawmakers to waive the limit by March 1 means every school district will need to trim about 16% of what they budgeted for the entire school year. Those cuts will need to be made in just three months, which could result in having to lay off teachers and consolidate classes.

House Republicans who voted against the waiver Brenda Barton, Payson Judy Burges, Skull Valley Neal Carter, San Tan Valley Joseph Chaplik, Scottsdale Lupe Diaz, Benson John Fillmore, Apache Junction Mark Finchem, Oro Valley Travis Grantham, Gilbert Gail Griffin, Hereford Jake Hoffman, Queen Creek Quang Nguyen, Prescott Valley Jacqueline Parker, Mesa Kevin Payne, Peoria Beverly Pingerelli, Peoria

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The past several months have been the most difficult of her career for Sjana Summons, an American Sign Language teacher at Amphitheater High School, and she is not alone in that feeling.

I dont think any of us are prepared for the amount of needs that (our students) are bringing to us  not just educational needs, but literal needs, like were in the bottom tier of the triangle of Maslow, she said, referring to basic survival needs such as food, shelter and clothing.

I put myself, as all the other teachers that I know, on the back burner, and were really reaping the ricocheting repercussions from that because were really burned out, she said.

David Richter said his main emotion while driving into work each morning is stress. He is an exceptional education teacher who covers the K-2 autism program at Drachman Montessori K-8 Magnet School.

Its always a little bit of a juggling act, trying to figure out how were going to cover all the things we need to do in one day because sometimes its like, whos going to be there? he said.

School districts across Pima County have been struggling with low teacher staffing levels since the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year, often resulting in heavier workloads for the present teachers.

On top of that, schools experienced unusually high teacher absences during the surge of COVID-19 infections last month, combined with a shortage of available substitute teachers.

Administrators have been amping up efforts to try to keep their teachers and prevent even deeper staffing shortages next academic year.

But those retention efforts come as teachers are already feeling burned out and overwhelmed by the trauma of the pandemic and the stress of not knowing, day to day, if there will be enough staff to fill classrooms.

Staffing shortages

Tucson Unified School District  the largest in the county, and which includes the Drachman Montessori school  had a total of 2,447 teachers throughout the district at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, according to information provided by the district.

That was lower than the 2,635 teachers who were employed during the 2018-2019 school cycle, the last normal year before the pandemic.

This really is a nationwide labor shortage, and its not anything that weve ever seen before, said Renee Heusser, the executive director of TUSDs human resources department. We dont have a toolbox full of ways to handle it.

Its thrown us into a whole different world that were all learning how to live in.

Administrators in Sunnyside and Amphitheater school districts, the second- and third-largest in the county, are also trying to retain teachers and attract new employees.

Heusser and Debra Bergman, chief human resources officer for Sunnyside, cited a myriad of reasons why some employees decided to leave their jobs.

Some, Heusser said, were close to retirement when COVID-19 hit in early 2020 and decided it was in their best interest to retire a bit sooner. Others, Bergman said, might have shopped around and found other jobs with more attractive salaries and schedules.

I think COVID has really caused people to do deep reflection on what is it that I want to do in the future for the rest of my life, Bergman said.

Statewide, as of January, nearly 2,000 teacher positions were vacant and 944 teachers had resigned since the start of the school year, according to the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Associations annual survey, Cronkite News reported this week.

Repercussions

The staffing shortages have been felt in the daily operations of schools throughout the county.

Ive seen our counselor have to go in and fill classrooms, not mine, but others. Ive seen our behavior specialist go in and fill classrooms, Richter said. Its been very interesting to see how creative weve had to be to fill classrooms this year.

Teachers sometimes have to take over a subject thats not of their expertise. Summons, the sign language teacher in her sixth year of teaching at Amphi, covered an orchestra class, for example. Luckily, she said, the teacher had left a lesson for the students to work on.

Summons said she is happy to help out her fellow teachers and care for the students outside of her own class time. But it is not a sustainable practice, she said, as it takes away most of her planning time for her upcoming classes.

For Richter, the staffing shortage has meant having much less help during his own classes. He said he used to count on the help of three to four classroom aides at Morgan Maxwell K-8 School, where he taught the previous year.

This year, however, he has only one classroom aide to assist with responsibilities that include tending to students medical needs.

That makes it virtually impossible to send one aide out to assist a kid, unless Im in the room with five to nine autistic kids by myself, Richter said. To say thats difficult would be an understatement.

Summons added that the lack of a single social worker at Amphitheater High School has also made it more difficult to care for her students. She said teachers can ask for assistance from social workers at other campuses, but she felt she needed more than that to address the needs of her students.

This year alone, Ive had so many students whove lost a parent, she said, noting that she didnt know how to help her students through that level of grief and trauma.

I will say that (the district) is trying to help us with social-emotional learning, but we need more than a 15-minute video. Our kids need more than that.

Summons also noted that it was an added stress to think about what would happen if she became sick with COVID, considering teachers now have to use their personal sick time while they recovered.

Stipends

During the 2021-22 academic year, the three largest school districts in Pima County have mainly turned to distributing retention stipends to employees across the board to compensate them for their efforts during the trying times.

And moving forward, district administrators plan to continue those monetary compensation efforts.

Heusser said that last fall, TUSD gave out a $1,200 stipend to employees who had worked the previous year and returned for the 2021-22 school year.

She added that officials were looking to distribute another similar payment for employees who continued through the spring semester, and officials were discussing another compensation package for employees who return next school year.

At Sunnyside, the governing board approved paying all employees a $1,500 stipend that was distributed in two increments last fall.

During its Feb. 8 meeting, the board postponed discussing an agenda item regarding retention and recruitment incentives that included monetary compensation for employees who renewed their contracts. The postponement was due to uncertainty about funding related to a state spending limit issue.

Amphitheater governing board members previously approved an employee retention stipend totaling 3% of the employees wages, which the district distributed in two increments in September and January. The board then approved bumping the stipend up to 4% upon the employees return next year.

Michelle Tong, associate to the superintendent and general counsel in the Amphitheater district, said other retention efforts administrators have enacted include social-emotional training programs to help students and teachers  an effort several districts in Pima County have implemented in recent years.

Tong said the district has also reclassified a few positions throughout the district to better support individual schools in midst of the staffing shortage.

We have been very innovative about trying to work closely with staff to make sure that they know they are valued, that they know that they have a voice to be able to say if they need assistance, she said.

Richter of TUSD said that while teachers still need support in more ways than economic incentives, it was still nice to receive the extra money, and he wasnt sure he had a better solution.

Summons, who renewed her teaching contract with Amphi this month, agreed the stipends were a good way for the district to show appreciation for its employees.

But, the true reasons for renewing her contract were based on her passion for teaching her students and the employment stability that her position offered.

All of the teachers at Amphi High want to teach at Amphi High School. Theyre not there for the paycheck, she said. Every single one of my colleagues has a drive to service these kids, and thats what keeps us coming back to work.

Contact reporter Genesis Lara at glara@tucson.com

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Pima County is getting an update to the way it conducts elections after the Board of Supervisors voted to approve the use of voting centers and electronic poll books, replacing the previous precinct-based, manual voting mechanism.

The board voted on two separate items Tuesday to adopt voting centers and e-poll books, approving both with 4-1 votes with Supervisor Steve Christy dissenting.

Elections department officials plan to create 100 voting centers where any county voter can go to cast a ballot regardless of where they live in the county. The new model replaces the polling places where voters are required to vote at the location assigned to them based on their residence.

The board also approved a contract with TENEX to buy election management software that will replace the paper rosters and series of logs and forms used to manually check-in a voter. Now, elections department employees will check voters in on an iPad that will print off a ballot specific to their precinct.

The Pima County Recorders office expects to have both vote centers and e-poll books in use by the Aug. 2 primary election. The startup cost for the new system is about $1.2 million, which includes a nearly $700,000 grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. After that, the annual cost is estimated to be about $360,000, according to the recorders office.

The boards decision makes Pima County the last county in Arizona to adopt e-poll books and the 12th county to adopt voting centers. The countys elections department estimates the change will make election results available sooner and shorten the check-in process for voters from 3 minutes to 30 seconds.

The precinct-based polling system causes many voters to have to vote provisional ballots after showing up at the wrong location. In 2020, 656 votes cast at Pima Countys polling places were disqualified due to voters showing up at the wrong precinct.

Were in a time where people are very concerned about whether or not their votes are counting, and theyre seeing their everyday lives impacted by decisions that have been made at the ballot box about whos representing them, Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cazares-Kelly said. If we can help as many as 656 people from being able to cast their ballot and have it count, we should be doing everything we can to make sure that they participate in our democracy.

Officials from the Pima County Elections Department and recorders office said the new system will save the county over $100,000 from the labor costs associated with processing provisional ballots.

I do think its going to be saving us some funding and money when it comes to looking through provisional ballots. That Pima County wont be the last county to turn in who we voted for, Supervisor Adelita Grijalva said. That is frustrating when youre looking at the national scope and Arizona sitting there. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that so much of this is done by hand.

Connectivity, access

The countys Elections Integrity Committee voted 5-3 to recommend the board adopt vote centers and e-poll books, but some members raised concerns about access to the voting locations, which will drop to 100 this year as opposed to 240 polling places in 2020.

According to the recorders office, the voting centers will be placed near public transportation routes, must be ADA compliant and at least 2,000-square-feet in size.

While the countys election officials have a preliminary list of potential voting centers, the final locations will go before the board for approval in April. Supervisor Rex Scott asked the officials to submit the final list with a thoughtful, written analysis about how those locations and the number of locations were determined.

The committee also questioned the reliability of internet connection to run the e-poll books, and recommended back-up systems should be in place in case of equipment, Wi-Fi, or electrical failure, in a letter to the board.

The voting centers will have cradlepoint units, a robust device, Cazares-Kelly said, that will connect to the strongest nearby signal. If connectivity fails at a location, the recorder said provisional ballots will be available.

We are working directly with Verizon to do testing currently, and on election day, they will be boosting our signals so that we maintain the best signal we can, Cazares-Kelly said. The technology that were using, this is the same technology that the IRS is using. This is already everyday technology that were utilizing with this system, and so it is it meets very high standards.

But Christy expressed concern about the countys ability to evade technical issues without larger-scale testing of the e-poll books. The recorders office pilot tested the technology in the Vail bond election and said it performed well.

No countywide test of this system has been validated to show that Pima County doesnt have a connection issue, Christy said. Were expecting a huge implementation of a very sophisticated and intense system thats going to change and transform the way we vote in Pima County. The Vail election is being presented as a successful test by the recorders office with 70 votes cast, and the basis of a countywide rollout to a fundamental change to our voting system.

Board Chair Sharon Bronson first voted against the motion to approve voting centers and later switched her vote when the item was reconsidered. The supervisor suggested a lack of experience in the recorders office, where Cazares-Kelly is serving her second year as the countys recorder, and expressed concern over staffing issues in the elections department.

I am in favor of vote centers.  I just wonder whether were ready to move in now, Bronson said.

Contact reporter Nicole Ludden at nludden@tucson.com

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A miniboat built by fifth-graders took to the seas on October 25, 2020, charging off into the Gulf Stream for its maiden voyage. That voyage would take 5.5-foot-long Rye Riptides over 8,000 miles from home -- all the way to the coast of Norway after 462 days at sea.

It began at Rye Junior High School, located about 50 miles east of Concord, through a not-for-profit program to spread ocean and environmental literacy called Educational Passage.

The miniboat program sends kits to students to help them learn things like science, technology, engineering, art, and math skills as well as building connections, Educational Passage's executive director, Cassie Stymiest, told CNN on Tuesday.

Students build the GPS-tracked boat, fill it with items, decorate it and send it on its way. "It's like a 21st century message in a bottle," Stymiest said.

The boat kit was originally purchased in 2018 by a now-retired teacher and each of her fifth-grade classes worked together to build it since then, according to Stymiest.

When the pandemic prevented this year's class from finishing the decorating process, Stymiest volunteered to help out. Students sent their decorations to her and she put the finishing touches on the vessel, which they named Rye Riptides. On launch day, the students watched Riptides set off on Facebook Live.

In the months after the October launch, classes watched Riptides make its way up and across the Atlantic Ocean through data from the GPS tracker. Its last pinged location was on September 30, 2021, and Stymiest said they thought they had lost the boat when they didn't see another notification for months.

But, on January 31, she noticed the location had changed. Riptides had landed on the coast of Smla, Norway.

She immediately took to social media to reach out to the local community about retrieving the vessel. Then, on February 1, Mariann Nuncic responded that the boat was on an island near her house.

That afternoon, when her son, Karel, got home from school, the Nuncic's got in their boat and searched the coast to find what was left of the miniboat.

And find it they did -- Riptides was covered in Gooseneck barnacles, had lost its mast, and its hull and keel were no longer attached, but its precious cargo was still safe.

Karel, who also happens to be in the sixth grade, took the boat to his own class. They opened it to reveal the items inside, which including leaves, US quarters, and even a face mask with the students' names on it.

The Rye Junior High students, who were now in sixth and seventh grade, were excited to hear about the recovery, Stymiest said.

The two classes are eager to meet each other and will do so on Thursday through Zoom, Stymiest said.

Going from New Hampshire to Smla may seem like a lengthy journey for such a small boat, but Stymiest said it isn't their longest. That award goes to a vessel sent from Massachusetts that landed in Australia.

This story has been updated to correct the boat's path across the Atlantic Ocean.

***

Some feel-good stories in 2022 A collection of feel-good stories so far this year.

The-CNN-Wire  &  2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

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WASHINGTON  The House committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection subpoenaed six more people Tuesday, including former Trump campaign members and state lawmakers, as it further expands its review into efforts to falsely declare Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 election in several swing states.

The panel is seeking testimony and records from individuals who it says had knowledge of or participated in efforts to send false alternate electors from seven of the states President Joe Biden rightfully won.

The Select Committee is seeking information about efforts to send false slates of electors to Washington and change the outcome of the 2020 election," Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committees Democratic chairman, said in a statement. Were seeking records and testimony from former campaign officials and other individuals in various states who we believe have relevant information about the planning and implementation of those plans.

The individuals subpoenaed include Michael Roman and Gary Michael Brown, who served as directors for Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. The committee believes the two men reportedly promoted allegations of election fraud as well as encouraged state legislators to appoint false slates of electors.

The other four individuals are Pennsylvania State Sen. Douglas Mastriano, Laura Cox, the former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, Arizona State Rep. Mark Finchem and Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward.

Messages requesting comment from Ward, Mastriano, Roman and Finchem were not immediately returned.

Two weeks ago, Ward and her husband filed a lawsuit against the House committee seeking to block a subpoena of their phone records. They were presidential electors who would have voted for Trump in the Electoral College had he won Arizona. Both signed a document falsely claiming they were Arizonas true electors, despite Democrat Bidens victory in the state. No decisions have been issued in the case.

Mastriano, a former Army officer currently seeking Pennsylvanias Republican gubernatorial nomination, was among Trumps most dedicated supporters during the 2020 campaign, helping organize and host a four-hour hearing post-election that was attended by Rudy Giuliani and that Trump addressed remotely.

Finchem was on Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, although he did not enter the building. He has been a vocal critic of the election results in Arizona, contending despite evidence to the contrary that Trump won in Arizona.

He is currently pushing a resolution in the state Legislature that seeks to overturn the states certification of the 2020 presidential election, listing a slew of debunked election fraud conspiracy theories. He is also seeking the Republican nomination to run for secretary of state, Arizonas chief election officer.

The latest subpoenas come more than a month after the committee issued subpoenas to 14 people over the submission of false Electoral College certificates declaring Trump the winner of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Associated Press writers Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Bob Christie and Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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PHOENIX  Some Jewish residents are trying to legally block use of the gas chamber for future executions, calling it barbaric, cruel and unusual  and a painful reminder of the Holocaust for survivors who live here.

A lawsuit filed by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix and two of its members acknowledges that Arizona voters in 1992 eliminated the use of lethal gas, replacing it with lethal injections. That followed gruesome reports of the execution of Don Harding, who took 11 minutes to die.

But that 1992 constitutional amendment, approved by a ratio of more than 3-to-1, preserved the right for those already on death row to choose either option. There are 17 there now who qualify.

They include Frank Atwood, convicted of the 1984 slaying of 8-year-old Tucsonan Vicki Lynne Hoskinson, and Clarence Dixon, who killed an Arizona State University student in 1978.

The plaintiffs say they are not asking a judge to rule on the legality of the death penalty, but to outlaw this particular method.

The lawsuit contends the use of lethal gas violates a state constitutional provision against cruel and unusual punishment.

It also seeks to prevent the state from spending more taxpayer dollars to expedite executing people with the same cyanide gas, called Zyklon B, that the Nazis used to kill millions of Jews.

The lawsuit includes descriptions by witnesses who attended various executions, including the last two in Arizona.

The witnessed horrors included strenuous convulsions, agonizing gasps, agonized shrieking and thrashing, and one individual in so much pain he repeatedly smashed his head into a metal pole, the lawsuit says.

The whole process is particularly harrowing for Jews and about 80 survivors of the Holocaust who live in Arizona, it says.

The plaintiffs have standing to sue, the lawsuit says, because the state is using their tax dollars to purchase the chemicals, as the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry did as recently as 2020 in preparation for their possible use.

The suit cites documents, obtained through public records requests, showing the department purchased a potassium cyanide brick for $1,529 in December 2020 and sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid days later for $687. Dropping the cyanide into the acid creates the lethal gas.

The state has also been spending money to test and make repairs to the gas chamber, the lawsuit notes.

To allow cyanide gas executions to take place means effectively forcing them (the plaintiffs) to subsidize and relive unnecessarily the same form of cruelty used in World War II atrocities, it says. Many of these survivors are horrified at being taxed to implement the same machinery of cruelty that was used to murder their loved ones.

The lawsuit says Arizona is one of seven states that still allow the use of lethal gas. And in three of those states, the method is allowed only if courts ban the use of lethal injection, it says.

There was no immediate response from Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who has to defend the state against in the lawsuit.

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PHOENIX  Arizona lawmakers are moving to make the purchase of guns a bit more affordable.

By a 6-4 margin, the House Ways and Means Committee voted Wednesday to exempt the sale of firearms from the state's 5.6% sales tax. Cities also wouldn't be allowed to tax those sales under the bill, House Bill 2166.

"It's my view that firearms should not be out of reach of anyone based on income,'' Rep. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, told colleagues. "It should be as affordable as possible.''

Also exempt from taxes would be the sale of safety accessories, ranging from gun safes or cases to certain interlocks to prevent a weapon from being fired unless first deactivated by someone who is supposed to have access.

Kaiser said his bill also would end the financial disadvantage of firearms dealers.

"As you know, we have the private sale option in Arizona, which means you can go to a gun show, for example, and buy a private weapon from a private citizen,'' he said. "That's something I will always protect.''

But that private seller, Kaiser said, is not required to charge state or local sales taxes. All totaled, he said, those levies can add 10% or more to the out-the-door price.

"This would actually encourage more folks to go to gun stores,'' he said. "They can support our local businesses that sell firearms and firearms safety equipment.''

But the claim the exemption is justified by the ability to make tax-free person-to-person sales did not wash with Rep. Amish Shah, D-Phoenix.

"If I wanted to buy a TV out there, I could go to Best Buy. Or I could just buy it from a guy on the street,'' he said. In the latter case, he would not have to pay the sales tax.

Why, he asked Kaiser, should the sale of a new gun be exempt from sales taxes while that is not the case if he buys a new TV?

Dave Kopp, who lobbies for the Arizona Citizens Defense League, said there is precedent for the exclusion. He said existing law exempts many health and safety items from sales taxes.

"Guns certainly fall into that category,'' he testified.

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, in closing certain retailers in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, exempted what he called "essential businesses," specifically including "firearm and ammunition suppliers and retailers for the purpose of safety and security," Kopp noted.

Committee Democrats were unconvinced.

"I don't see guns as essential to life,'' said Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley, D-Tucson. "And I completely disagree with the idea that more guns will save lives.''

There also were concerns about the financial aspect.

Legislative budget staffers figure the exemption when fully implemented would cut state revenues by $5.8 million from the sales of weapons themselves and another $570,000 from not taxing accessories.

That doesn't count losses to local governments who get not only a share of state sales taxes but have their own levies.

Rep. Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe, said she believes the best form of taxes is one applied to as many items as possible "so we can have a lower rate.'' This goes in the opposite direction, she said.

The bill now requires a vote of the full House.

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One might expect that ordering dessert first at a place called Cobbler Mom would not be out of place.

In fact, its actively encouraged. The menu at Cobbler Mom, which is located a couple of doors down from Leftys on Greenwood and the Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge, has the cobbler choices listed at the top, with the entrees and other items relegated to the bottom half of the page under the rubric Everything Else.

And while there is no doubt that the fruit cobblers made by chef and owner Joyce Horton are the main draw, dont let the casual tone of that Everything Else title make you discount the items listed below it.

The menu is, I grant you, limited: five fruit cobblers, five entrees.

I love to cook, and I like to cook lots of different things, Horton said. I probably could have a menu with 50 different things on it if I wanted to, but I also know that sometimes less is best. I want to be sure that what Im serving to my guests is the best quality, and I want that quality to be consistent. So I focus on just a few things to make sure the quality is always high.

Horton has had a wide-ranging career, from working with insurance companies to being an aircraft mechanic for McDonnell Douglas before launching Cobbler Mom in 2015.

My son was going to Virginia Tech University, and he happened to see someone selling cakes in jars, Horton said. He told me about it and said I should do something like that with my cobblers.

She had such success at selling her cobblers that she started up an internet business that she still runs, sending out products around the country.

Weve shipped cobblers to 42 states, Horton said.

In 2016, she opened her first Cobbler Mom restaurant on North Peoria.

I really loved that neighborhood  it had that kind of small, country town feel to it, where you really got to know the people, Horton said. But I didnt get a whole lot of foot traffic there.

Horton was approached about moving into the Greenwood District, and decided to make the move, even though it would be to a smaller space than her first restaurant.

I liked what people are trying to do in this area, and I wanted to be a part of that community, she said. It also gives me a chance to help feed some of the homeless people, to try to give back a little.

Horton still maintains her Peoria location, although she said she uses it primarily to handle her online orders.

And the menu is pretty much the same as before, she said, except I cant do fried chicken here. The kitchen here doesnt have a vent hood. But I still have chicken on the menu  its in a wrap now, so its a little healthier.

Healthy is also a good description of just about everything Horton serves at Cobbler Mom  particularly when it comes to portions.

For example, the beans and cornbread ($10) are described as being served with a side of collard greens with smoked turkey. What one receives is a hefty serving of tender, flavorful beans in a slightly thickened broth, with an equally large helping of collard greens, and a square of dense yellow cornbread.

The amount of turkey in the greens I was served was negligible, but it wasnt greatly missed. The greens themselves were perfectly cooked  tender yet toothsome, their natural bitterness softened by a judicious use of vinegar, which added a touch of sweetness as well as tang. The cornbread was more cake-like, with a firm texture, and real corn flavor.

Equally tasty and satisfying were the beef tips and cabbage ($12). Ive had more than my share of badly cooked, overly sulfuric cabbage in my life. This was cabbage done right  tender, almost sweet from what was likely a quick saute that added a bit of caramelization. It also balanced out the fall-apart tender chunks of beef lightly coated in a sauce that had a pleasantly assertive bite of black pepper.

In addition to the chicken wrap ($7.50), Cobbler Mom offers a turkey burger ($10) and a turkey pastrami sandwich ($9), all of which are served with chips and a pickle.

And then theres cobbler.

We sampled three  the Greenwood ($9), which had a mixture of blueberries, strawberries and blackberries; peach and cherry ($8 each).

The peach is, perhaps not too surprisingly, Hortons best seller, and its easy to see why. Sugar and spice are sparingly used, so that one can taste the fruit, and the crust is substantial and buttery without being doughy. Those qualities were apparent in the two other flavors.

Cobbler looks easy, but to make a really good one isnt easy at all, Horton said. You need to have good fruit to begin with. And the crust has to be just right. You want it to have thick enough that it holds up, but not so thick that it gets all doughy.

Ive spent a lot of time getting my crust just right, and I think thats what makes my cobblers special, she said. That, and love. A lot of love goes into my food.

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LOS ANGELES (AP)  The family of a cinematographer shot and killed on the set of the film "Rust" sued Alec Baldwin and the movie's producers Tuesday alleging their "callous" disregard in the face of safety complaints led directly to her death.

At a news conference announcing the lawsuit, attorneys for the husband and 9-year-old son of Halyna Hutchins said that Baldwin refused training for the type of "cross-draw" he was performing when he fired the shot that killed her.

Baldwin's attorney responded that any claim the actor was reckless is "entirely false."

The suit filed in New Mexico's Santa Fe County in the name of Matthew and Andros Hutchins shows a text message exchange between a camera operator and a producer in which a complaint over gun safety was met with what the suit calls "callous sarcasm."

The operator, Lane Luper, texted unit production manager Katherine Walters saying: "We've now had 3 accidental discharges. This is super unsafe."

Walters responds: "Accidental discharge on the firearm? Awesome. Sounds good."

At least four other lawsuits have been filed over the shooting, but this is the first directly tied to one of the two people shot.

The defendants' "reckless conduct and cost-cutting measures led to the death of Halyna Hutchins," attorney Brian Panish said.

Had proper protocols been followed, the suit says, "Halyna Hutchins would be alive and well, hugging her husband and 9-year-old son. "

Baldwin, who was also a producer on the film, was pointing a gun at Hutchins inside a small church during the setup for the filming of a scene for the Western in New Mexico on Oct. 21 when it went off, killing Hutchins and wounding the director, Joel Souza. The attorneys showed an animated recreation of the shooting at the news conference.

Baldwin has said he was pointing the gun at Hutchins at her instruction and it went off without him pulling the trigger.

The suit says industry standards call for using a rubber or similar prop gun during the setup, and there was no call for a real gun.

It also says that both Baldwin and assistant director David Halls, who handed him the gun, should have checked the revolver for live bullets.

The suit also names as defendants Halls, Walters, the film's armorer Hannah Guttierez Reed, and ammunition supplier Seth Kenney.

"Any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false," Aaron Dyer, attorney for Baldwin and other producers, said in a statement Tuesday. "He, Halyna and the rest of the crew relied on the statement by the two professionals responsible for checking the gun that it was a 'cold gun'  meaning there is no possibility of a discharge."

He added that "actors should be able to rely on armorers and prop department professionals, as well as assistant directors, rather than deciding on their own when a gun is safe to use."

Last month Baldwin turned over his cellphone to investigators, and Dyer said he continues to cooperate fully with the investigation.

Authorities have described "some complacency" in how weapons were handled on the "Rust" set. They have said it is too soon to determine whether charges will be filed.

Baldwin said he does not believe he will be criminally charged in the shooting.

Several crew members have filed lawsuits, including Gutierrez Reed, who blamed Kenney for the shooting.

In an interview with ABC, Baldwin said Hutchins had asked him to point the gun just off camera and toward her armpit before it went off.

"I didn't pull the trigger," Baldwin said. "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never."

Panish said Tuesday that the assertion was unrealistic.

"I think it's clear what happened," he said. "Alec had the gun in his hand, he shot it, Halyna was killed."

The complaint does not cite a dollar amount, but Panish said it would be considerable.

"A longtime marriage, a soulmate is lost, and a boy to be raised without a mother at a young age is a tremendous loss," he said. "And anyone who's even been close to that experience knows, that that goes on forever and ever and ever."
OKLAHOMA CITY  Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treats school voucher bill narrowly passed a committee vote on Tuesday.

Dubbed the Oklahoma Empowerment Act, Senate Bill 1647 narrowly advanced from the Senate Education Committee by a vote of 8-7. The measure now progresses to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the measure would allow taxpayer dollars to follow a student to private school or home school and be used for educational items such as tutoring and transportation. It would require 10% of the accounts to be audited annually.

Every student in the state would be eligible, he said.

Treat disagreed with labeling the measure a voucher bill, calling it instead a savings account.

Democrats peppered Treat with questions about accountability.

Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, questioned how the vendors or those receiving the funds would be vetted.

Treat said the parents would hold the institutions receiving the dollars accountable.

Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, suggested that the measure would fund strip malls and pop-up shops that have education services to render.

Treat said the measure would make education more competitive.

Hicks said she was confused as to why the measure was being offered when last session lawmakers passed a bill making it easier for students to transfer to other public schools.

Sen. Marty Quinn, R-Claremore, said parents want different choices for a variety of reasons. Those reasons could be religious, a need for academic excellence, provisions for special needs or to avoid bullying, he said.

Treat said he was open to making changes to the bill.

For a vast majority of the kids, the best option is going to be a local public school, Treat said. Many are served exceedingly well.

But if they are not served exceedingly well, we cant force them to stay in that system. I think it would be wrong of us as policy makers to do so.

Gov. Kevin Stitt has expressed strong support for the measure, but House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said last week that his chamber will not hear the bill if it passes the Senate.

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, who is running against Stitt in the 2022 gubernatorial election, said that Gov. Stitts voucher scheme is a rural school killer that will decimate funding for all children in public schools and will negatively affect every public school student across the state.

Simply put, vouchers are wrong for Oklahoma kids, she said. Schools cannot provide the high-quality education our children deserve under Stitts plan.

The Senate Education Committee also passed Treats Senate Bill 1583, by a vote of 9-6. The measure also heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

The measure would allow a student in a school with an F on its state grade card to go to a private school with taxpayer dollars.

Dossett said that while public schools are rated, private schools are not, which creates an unequal playing field.

The measure would allow a parent to take money away from an F school that has a report card and take it to a private school that has no report card, Dossett said.

Treat again said parents would make the ultimate determination on accountability and that the measure would give parents options.

Featured video: Governor touts business initiatives in State of the State address

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If the new USA BMX Hall of Fame, headquarters, museum and track complex is to be a success, its going to need people like Kai Wall.

Hes 6, and at Tuesdays ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the $23 million facility, he spoke as earnestly as a child can about his love for the sport.

You can do cool tricks, he said between bites of an ice cream bar.

When it came time for the grown-ups to talk  and there were plenty who did  a common theme emerged: Tulsa is on the move, one great project at a time.

Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell reminded the crowd that tourism is the states third-leading industry and said hed like to see it be No. 1 or No. 2.

That doesnt happen without having world headquarters like this in the state of Oklahoma, Pinnell said.

This is a great state, but for us to make sure that we can demonstrate that, we have to make sure that we have the building blocks across our 77 counties.

The opening of the new facility comes after years of fits and starts that at times had people wondering whether the project would ever get off the ground. It did, in the summer of 2020  just not where city officials originally thought it would be built.

The initial site under consideration was Expo Square, home each fall to the USA BMX Grand Nationals. But the deal never went through, leaving officials scrambling for a new location.

Mayor G.T. Bynum explained Wednesday that his staff suggested the old Evans-Fintube site in the historic Greenwood District north of downtown, and USA BMX officials were on board from the start.

Greenwood was the site of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

They immediately got how transformative putting this project in the Greenwood District could be for our community, Bynum said. And how it could make it about so much more than just the wonder for Tulsa of being home to this remarkable sport, but what it could mean for a community that is working to heal and to revitalize.

The BMX development sits on the north end of the 22-acre Evans-Fintube property where, as Bynum noted, much of the iron and steel that built Tulsa in the 20th century was produced.

And what I love about this project more than anything else is that the spirit of this site is what is going to build the Tulsa of the 21st (century), Bynum said.

Shane Fernandez, president of USA BMX and chairman of the USA BMX Foundation, said the foundation plans to launch an initiative on Juneteenth to assist underserved youth in north Tulsa.

To our new neighbors, I can promise you that our team wants to see a champion rise from this neighborhood to represent us on the global scale, Fernandez said.

City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper, who represents the district in which the BMX facility is located, said she is excited about what it can offer the community.

I think of it not just as a single development but more so what BMX can bring by way of foot traffic to the new development that is coming to the Greenwood District as well as the businesses that are there and have been for quite some time, Hall-Harper said.

I see this as BMX being a critical piece to the revitalization of Greenwood and Black entrepreneurship in this space.

Wednesdays ceremony was held in front of a giant, multicolored USA BMX sign, with the world-class Hardesty National BMX Stadium behind it. The stadium is home to two separate tracks  one for average riders and one for elite and Olympic riders.

Thats where Adam Scott, in uniform and sitting on his bike, was the minute it was done.

Just like Kai Wall, he wanted to hit the track  only hes no kid.

This has been a childhood dream for probably anyone that has ever raced BMX in their entire life, said Scott, who lives in Oklahoma City and races in the 41 to 45 expert class. To have something this magnificent, this huge on this scale and to have it right here in Oklahoma.

I mean, I think everyone is just excited in general because well have a national here every year coming through, people will get to see it, all the training and all the Olympic and junior elites.

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Battered by both sides, largely over his handling of former President Donald Trump's unproved claims of election wrongdoing last fall, Lankford already has one primary opponent and is likely to have more.
OKLAHOMA CITY  A Senate panel on Tuesday passed a measure to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries.

Senate Bill 1495, by Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, passed the Senate Finance Committee by a vote of 12-0 and now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

Treat said the measure would reduce to zero from 4.5% the state tax rate on groceries but would let municipalities and counties continue to tax groceries.

Oklahoma is one of 13 states that still has a state sales tax on groceries, said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said state records indicate that the measures fiscal impact on the state would be $305 million. She asked Treat if he thought that figure was accurate.

Treat said he was pretty certain that figure would be the ceiling, but he said the number could change as lawmakers work to determine what specifically in the category of groceries would be exempt.

Treat said the definition of groceries can vary from state to state, adding that it is subjective.

If you are shopping in a large box store and buy a ladder and paint to do some home improvement, we want to ensure you are properly assessed on sales tax, Treat said.

Treat said a decision needs to be made on prepared foods.

Treat said lawmakers did not want to create an unfair advantage for a grocery store offering prepared foods when a business next door may provide the same thing but is subject to the tax.

He said families are dealing with record inflation and need to be able to purchase basic necessities.

I look forward to working with everyone to provide much needed tax relief to Oklahomans, Treat said.

It takes a simple majority of legislators votes to get rid of or cut a tax, but should lawmakers find later that they need to reinstate the tax, they would be bound by the provisions of State Question 640, which requires a supermajority in both legislative chambers to increase taxes.

In related action, the panel passed a measure that would eliminate the 1.25% sales tax on vehicles.

Sen. Kim David, R-Porter, is the author of Senate Bill 1851, which now also heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

David said the tax was reinstated in 2018 during a difficult budget year with understanding that it would be temporary.

The fiscal impact of the elimination would be $110 million for fiscal year 2023 and $165 million for fiscal year 2024, according to a revenue impact statement.

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Abortion-rights advocates are sharing concerns on proposed laws for Oklahoma that mimic and in cases even exceed recent Texas legislation thats come under fire for placing severe restrictions on abortion rights.

In a webinar previewing 2022 bills, leaders with the ACLU of Oklahoma partnered with two reproductive health providers to speak out about a variety of scary proposals.

Its one thing to pass a law in the state Capitol that feels far removed, and its another thing to be the provider who is telling the patient, You do not have the same rights you had before; there are fewer now than those in a neighboring state, Emily Wales, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, said Tuesday.

Abortion-rights advocates discussed what would happen if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned in June. ACLU of Oklahoma Executive Director Tamya Cox-Toure said almost half the states in the U.S. would ban abortion, limiting access to the coasts.

As a coalition of organizations that care very deeply about this, we will work to relegalize abortion, said Rebecca Tong, co-executive director of Trust Women, another of Oklahomas four reproductive health providers.

We will be fighting this most likely in the state courts. This is not a foregone conclusion, but there is a lot of difficult work ahead of us.

Tong said legislators have proposed a bill that she believes would criminalize birth control and pregnancy.

Senate Bill 1167 would establish a government database assigning pregnant people looking to get an abortion a number in the system. The bill would require abortion providers to maintain documentation for seven years that the pregnant person received that unique identifying number.

Tong said many of the clients of Trust Women already have children and want to stay good moms by not committing to more children they cant support.

None of these laws are pro-family, Tong said. None of these laws make it easier for our patients to build and grow a family successfully, and thats what they should be focused on, instead.

Wales characterized the Oklahoma Legislature as upping the stakes with Texas as a flawed model. She cited SB 1553, which she considers more extreme than Texas law as it bans abortions after 30 days past a womans last menstrual cycle.

Texas SB 8, which went into effect Sept. 1, bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually around six weeks of gestation. The U.S. Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade ruling ensured the right to have an abortion prior to viability, which is usually around 24 weeks.

Theyre all scary for very different reasons, Wales said of the anti-abortion proposals for Oklahoma. The Texas copycat bills are very concerning because weve seen that court intervention is no longer a backstop to ensuring access to care and that legislators cant pass extreme things for political gain and then rely on courts potentially to intervene and preserve constitutional rights.

Before Texas passed its SB 8, patients at Trust Womens Oklahoma providers could be scheduled for an appointment the same week. Now patients have to wait at least two weeks to get an appointment, Tong said, adding that most clients lack the means even to travel to Tulsa. Planned Parenthood has a three- to four-week waiting period, meaning many women who need care urgently would have Wichita, Kansas, clinics as their closest option, Wales said.

Tong said anti-abortion legislation mainly affects women of color, indigenous women and women whose first language is not English. Cox-Toure agreed and said abortion restrictions are inherently racist.

The disparate impact that abortion restriction and bans have on Black and brown bodies will continue in the sense that those who have means will be able to travel to other states and those without means will continue a forced pregnancy, Cox-Toure said.

These abortion bans continue to pit Oklahomans that have means against Oklahomans that dont have means.
The Vietnamese government has agreed to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourisms proposal to fully reopen tourism to foreign travelers in its new normal period starting from March 15.

In the latest announcement, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam urged the tourism ministry to promptly finalize and announce a plan for the resumption of tourism and provide detailed instructions for localities to implement it.

He also tasked the ministry with issuing protocols for welcoming back foreign tourists.

Under the current regulations, Vietnam unilaterally waives visa requirements for citizens of 13 countries, namely Japan, South Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Belarus, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy.

In addition, Vietnam and 88 other countries and territories have reached agreement on visa exemption.

The government has halted entry to foreign tourists from March 22, 2020 due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam.

Foreign arrivals to Vietnam fell to 157,000 last year, compared with 18 million in 2019, according to the General Statistics Office.

The country began to welcome back foreign tourists from November 2021 under a pilot program following its successful mass vaccination drive, with 186,479,340 doses having been administered to date.

With the new tourism reopening plan in place, all visa policies before the pandemic would be resumed, including those on electronic visa issuance.

Incoming tourists would only be required to have proof of full vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 and a negative test result certificate issued within 24 hours for rapid tests and 72 hours for the real-time RT-PCR method before departure, while a one-day quarantine requirement would remain effective.

International visitors entering via land border would be tested at border gates before their entry.

Insurance fees would also be mandatory for all international arrivals.

Vietnam announced a record of 31,814 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, adding to the more than 2.54 million infections so far.

It has recorded about 39,000 deaths overall.

Nearly 77 percent of its 98 million population have been vaccinated, according to the national COVID-19 vaccination portal.

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Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs has completed negotiations on purchasing a new embassy location in the U.S. for US$23.7 million, under a project approved by the government in 2019.

The future headquarters for the Vietnamese Embassy, as well as home for its employees in the U.S., will be located at 3330 Garfield Street, Washington D.C., the ministry said in a document sent to the Ministries of Finance, Planning and Investment, and Construction last Saturday for relevant comments.

This property used to be the Belgium Embassy in the U.S., and the ministry has completed all negotiations on purchasing it from Belgium, the ministry said.

Under an agreed legal procedure, the property will first be returned to the ownership of the U.S. Department of State, which will then lease it to the Vietnamese foreign ministry under a contract with a nominal rent of one U.S. dollar over 99 years.

The image shows the site that the U.S. government has purchased in Cau Giay District of Vietnams capital Hanoi for its new embassy. Photo: L.Q. / Tuoi Tre

The contract will be concluded within this year as they have basically completed all related negotiations based on the principle of reciprocity in relation to the previous purchase by the U.S. of a land plot in Vietnams capital Hanoi for its new embassy, the ministry said.

Back in August 2019, the Vietnamese government approved the project to buy the location for the embassy in Washington D.C. at $23.7 million from the national budget.

In August last year, the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam signed an agreement with the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment to lease a land plot in Hanoi to build a new embassy for $1.2 billion.

The signing took place in the presence of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who was on a two-day official visit to Vietnam.

Pursuant to the deal, the new U.S. embassy will be seated in a 3.2 ha area in Hanois Cau Giay District according to a 99-year lease contract.

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Read what is in the news in Vietnam today:

Society

-- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Transport are jointly studying the use of sea sand as a building material to construct the eastern section of the North-South Expressway project in the 2021-25 period.

-- Hundreds of workers went on strike on motorbikes at Havina Co. Ltd., a South Korean garment company, in north-central Ha Tinh Province on Tuesday afternoon to demand higher salaries and additional benefits.

-- The first electric-bus route in Ho Chi Minh City is scheduled to open within the first quarter of this year, the municipal Peoples Committee has said.

-- The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has just announced the temporary closure of one runway of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City from 2:00 pm on February 21 to 2:00 pm on March 15 to repair and upgrade relevant components.

-- Functional forces in Ho Chi Minh City have conducted toxicological testing on the body of a university freshman who had gone missing after arriving in the southern city from Binh Dinh Province on February 12 and was found dead on the Saigon River on Tuesday.

Business

-- The northern province of Hai Duong organized its first-ever carrot harvest festival in Duc Chinh Commune of Cam Giang District on Tuesday to promote the quality, brand, and consumption of the product at home and abroad.

-- The Ministry of Finance has proposed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh approve the establishment of two casinos at two resort and recreational complexes -- Sun World Ba Na Hills in Da Nang City and Vinpearl Nha Trang on Hon Tre Island off the coast of Khanh Hoa Province.

Education

-- Statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training show that 93.71 percent of students nationwide have returned to school to resume offline study as of Tuesday.

-- A seventh-grade student accidentally caused the death of a sixth grader with a paper knife while the two were scuffling over a conflict in the restroom at Phong An Middle School in central Thua Thien - Hue Province on Tuesday.

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A first-year student of a university in Ho Chi Minh City has been found dead in a river after he had lost contact with his family for several days.

Officers under the municipal Department of Public Security confirmed on Tuesday they were investigating the death of Nguyen Van Nghia, 19, a freshman at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education.

Nghias body was found along a section of the Saigon River in Ward 13, Binh Thanh District earlier the same day.

Preliminary information showed that Nghia, who hails from south-central Binh Dinh Province, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City early on Saturday morning to prepare for in-person learning following about six months of online study over COVID-19 impacts.

A police officer works with family members of Nguyen Van Nghia in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, February 15, 2022. Photo: Minh Hoa / Tuoi Tre

Nghia was supposed to be picked up by his cousin  Ho Thi Cam Nhung  at Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Terminal in Binh Thanh District, but Nhung and other family members could not contact him since his arrival.

Nhung filed a missing person report on Sunday.

CCTV footage at Mien Dong showed that Nghia got on a motorbike taxi after arriving in the metropolis.

Local residents found a body along a section of the Saigon River in Ward 13, Binh Thanh District on Tuesday morning.

Police examined the corpse, reviewed the belongings, and worked with the family before concluding that the cadaver is Nghias.

Nguyen Van Nghia arrives at Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Terminal in Ho Chi Minh City, February 12, 2022 in this still photo taken from CCTV footage.

On the same day, officers were able to find the motorbike taxi driver, who said he had taken Nghia to the University of Technology about two kilometers from the bus station.

They later let the driver go as they did not find any reason to suspect him.

The autopsy revealed that Nghia had died due to asphyxiation, and no injuries were found on his body.

The deceased student still had his ID and all of his valuables with him.

Investigators have collected some fluid inside his stomach and chest cavity for toxicology testing.

Further investigation is ongoing.

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Chairman and CEO of Pfizer Albert Bourla was committed to speeding up the supply of COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 in Vietnam during his phone talks with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday.

This is the second conversation between PM Chinh and chairman Bourla since the fourth wave of COVID-19 broke out in Vietnam last April.

The premier thanked Pfizer for cooperating effectively with Vietnamese agencies over the past time, which has contributed to the rapid implementation of vaccination campaigns in the country.

The American pharmaceutical company has completed the supply of 51 million vaccine doses to Vietnam as requested by PM Chinh during their previous phone call in August last year.

Given the ongoing pandemic in Vietnam, the prime minister asked chairman Bourla to help accelerate the delivery of 22 million doses of vaccine for children aged five to 11 in the Southeast Asian country.

The contract should be completed in April or May at the latest, he added.

The jabs will provide better protection for children against the virus as well as facilitate the safe reopening of local schools.

PM Chinh asked Pfizer to regularly update Vietnam on the development of new vaccines as well as provide medicine against new strains of the virus in an early manner.

The Vietnamese government is willing to create favorable conditions for Pfizer to cooperate with, and transfer its technology to, Vietnam in the pharmaceutical field.

Chairman Bourla said he will exert the best efforts to speed up the supply of COVID-19 for children aged five to 11 in Vietnam in the coming weeks.

He added that Pfizer could cooperate with Vietnam in the transfer of COVID-19 medicine production technology.

On this occasion, PM Chinh invited the Pfizer executive to Vietnam as his guest to discuss and promote a long-term bilateral cooperation plan.

Vietnam previously purchased Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate children aged 12 to 17.

Nearly 96 percent of children in the age range have received their first dose, while about 90 percent have been jabbed twice.

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Lobby group ABC Friends has come under parliamentary scrutiny for using ABC logo in a political campaign.

At a Senate Estimates hearing last night managing director David Anderson confirmed the broadcaster had not given approval for the logo to be used in a political campaign.

ABC was alerted to its use towards the end of last week, he revealed.

We do have rules when it comes to use of the ABC logo, particularly around election campaigns. And we do enforce that. For those other groups, such as Friends, if theyre embarking on a political campaign, then they need to also abide by those rules and not use our ABC logo when doing it, Anderson said.

Facebook photos on ABC Friends social media (pictured below) included an ABC logo with references to Coalition funding freezes, political interference, concerns over independence of public broadcasting and urging members to use your vote in the upcomimg election.

NSW Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg (pictured above), who also questioned Anderson over tweets which breached ABC Social Media rules, said, I think that any fair minded person would say that it is causing the organisation reputational damage because of the association and the ongoing link.

ABC yesterday released a statement on the use of its content for political advertising and messaging.

The ABCs rights in relation to its content, logos, or intellectual property are protected under Australian copyright law, and so any intended use of ABC content or logos or any other intellectual property by political parties, candidates, or third party groups, requires the ABCs approval, it said.

Approval will not be granted for any use of ABC content or logos or any other intellectual property in political advertising or political messaging. This includes broadcast advertising, print advertising, other forms of advertising including websites, and any and all social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and other digital platforms.

There is no restriction on linking to ABC content hosted on ABC platforms  but political parties, other organisations, or individuals repurposing ABC content or intellectual property on non-ABC platforms for political advertising or political messaging will be requested to immediately remove the ABC material, including from social networks or websites.

David Anderson told Senate Estimates he was yet to hear back from ABC Friends.
Recidivism documentary series Life on the Outside will screen on SBS in mid-March.

Presented by Danielle Cormack (Wentworth), the series puts forward a question that could change someones life: would you let a formerly incarcerated person stay in your home?

The three-part series, produced by ITV Australia, is inspired by a unique initiative in the United States tackling recidivism  a persons relapse into criminal behaviour.

In a world-television first formerly incarcerated people spend the first 100 days of their release from prison in the homes of ordinary Australians.

After consultation with non-government organisations, charities, caseworkers, and people with lived experience, Life on the Outside explores the potential for how an initiative like this has the potential to create real change.

Presenter Danielle Cormack said: Recidivism is a topic thats close to my heart. As a partner in Heartspeak Worldwide, and through my work with charities such as SHINE for Kids, Ive seen how at-risk youth and families with relatives in the criminal justice system also pay the price. It would be easy to pass judgement, but the impact of incarceration shouldnt be underestimated. For many, freedom can seem like a slippery slope, and reoffending the only path back to a bed, a meal, and a sense of belonging. I believe everyone should be treated equally and Im excited about the potential for real change thats explored in this series.

SBS Head of Documentaries, Joseph Maxwell said: Life on the Outside looks at recidivism in a provocative, but purposeful manner, through an initiative that could greatly help reduce the staggering rate of reconviction in this country. The series cuts through stigma and puts forward a different perspective to generate awareness and understanding about the ongoing battle formerly incarcerated people face when trying to rebuild their lives. Its SBSs role to create programs that drive national conversation around important issues. We hope this program will contribute to social cohesion and inspire positive action.

ITV Studios Australia, Head of Factual & Reality, Ben Ulm said: Life on the Outside was one of the most challenging and complex series we have undertaken. While the public often perceives criminals as hardened and resilient, in fact they are among the most vulnerable members of our community, particularly the moment they step back out into the free world. Thank you to all our contributors who bravely shared their stories. This series is authentic, insightful, and thought-provoking. ITV Studios Australia is proud of what we achieved and now its time to continue the conversation.

Billions of dollars are spent every year keeping people imprisoned in Australia, with more than 40,000 people currently incarcerated. One in two will go back inside within the first two years of being released. There is a clear connection between prison congestion and recidivism, with overcrowding impacting rehabilitation, educational and vocational programs, and linked to an increase in violence and poor mental health. Upon release, most people who leave prison struggle to reintegrate into society due to histories of trauma and institutionalisation. Some of the key contributing factors of recidivism are a lack of support for these mental and emotional complexities, and a lack of accommodation, with thousands of ex-prisoners experiencing homelessness.

Over three episodes, the series follows four formerly incarcerated people in a bold experiment that places them in households with a carefully selected individual or family for the first 100 days of their release. Through this initiative, they are offered a room and board, around-the clock access to a caseworker, and introductions to various mentors and assistance programs.

Husband and wife, Wayne and Julie, agree to house Brett, a serial offender who has been to prison four times. Louise Ridlen and her two adult children, Brittany and Reggie, agree to house Jeremy, a 41-year-old man who has spent nearly half his life in prison and has been to prison 14 times.

During his 100-day stay with the Ridlens, Jeremy said, Theyve been so supportive and been so damn terrific when it comes to just putting all my past beside me and saying, you know what, lets judge him on how he is now. And if more people were like Louise and her family, the crime rates would go down tremendously, the jails would be half empty and the world would be a much better place.

School teacher Nigel agrees to house Dane, a 24-year-old Bundjalung man and father of three, who was in prison for 10 months. As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person, Dane is statistically among the most incarcerated people in the world. Dane said, I appreciate everything about this program because it has given me a stable place to live, and theres someone there to talk to if I need to. Theyve given me the opportunity to be out and be able to see my kids.

Amanda is an empty nester who wants to offer support to others who may not have it, and agrees to house Sierra, a 41-year-old mother of two whos spent the last 13 months in custody.

The series also features people with a lived experience of prison and its aftermath who offer insight into the difficulties ex-prisoners face when trying to reintegrate into society, and how support on the outside is a crucial step in reducing the likelihood of reoffence. These include Joe, who served nine years; Alby, who served 14 years; and Jenna, a former policewoman who served 12 months.

The power of a second chance requires both parties to approach the initiative with trust and an open mind, but it isnt without its challenges. This insightful series shows that great risk can offer great reward, as people open their homes  and their hearts  to those who are looking to turn their life around for the better.

Life on the Outside will also be available to stream on SBS On Demand with subtitles in five languages: Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese and Korean, allowing more Australians to engage in these important topics.

Wednesdays from 16 March at 8:30pm on SBS.
EXCLUSIVE:

After 62 years TV Week will no longer manage the Logie Awards.

Instead it will remain the official partner for the event, to be managed externally by events company, Rizer, whilst still retaining ownership of the awards.

Rizer, which has produced the red carpet and other event elements of the Logies for the last 7 years, will act as an independent body to manage network submissions, determine the final nominees and manage voting across Outstanding and Popular categories.

Nine continues as broadcaster for the event which is expected to return this year after a 2 year absence -Nine produces the TV presentation.

Over its six decades the Logies have endured many changes and publisher changes including under Southdown Press, ACP Magazines and until recently with Germany-based Bauer Media, who had a strong affection for television. In 2020 its Australian empire was sold to Are Media, publishing arm of Sydney-based private equity firm Mercury Capital.

Are Media has spent the last 12 months assessing the future of the event and its ongoing management.

Fiona Connolly, Group Publisher, Are Media told TV Tonight: After the cancellation of the event in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, were excited the TV Week Logie Awards will return in 2022.

The awards have played a significant role for our business over many years and it has been a privilege to deliver this much-loved event to television fans across the nation. But the time is now right for Are Media to hand the reins over to Australias TV industry and its partners to write the next wonderful chapter for the Logies.

It is of great importance to us that TV Week remains an integral part of the event and we are delighted our iconic brand will continue to be a friend of the Logies as its official media partner, continuing to support local talent as we have done for several decades.

This years awards will embrace both Free to Air and Streaming platforms, which TV Tonight understands will move from The Star, Gold Coast, next door to the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

A date and location will be announced in due course.
NCIS: Sydney is being adapted for Paramount Plus Australia and Network 10 in a deal that marks the first international edition for the US juggernaut.

NCIS: Sydney will launch in 2023 and feature local stories with Aussie actors and producers. NCIS: Los Angeles creator, Aussie Shane Brennan, is attached.

Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President, ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand, Beverley McGarvey, said: We are thrilled to welcome the inaugural international series of NCIS to Australian shores.

It is such a privilege to be able to continue the legacy of such a wonderful show and incorporate the superior NCIS storytelling while introducing new Australian characters and locations. We cant wait to get production underway.

Angela Bishop on Studio 10 said, NCIS as we all know, is one of the worlds most successful TV dramas, ranking as the number one US TV drama franchise globally. NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles and NCIS New Orleans have been seen in more than 200 markets worldwide and NCIS won the international audience award as the most watched TV series.

It is absolutely huge news that they will now be an NCIS: Sydney the first series to be set and filmed outside the US. Production is going to commence later this year and its going to be filmed against our awe-inspiring, panoramic and spectacular backdrop of one of the worlds most breathtaking harbour cities Sydney. The fact that its a harbour city is important for the whole Navy part of it, she said.

Cast announcements will be made soon. Its going to launch locally on Network 10 and Paramount+ but its also going to play internationally on Paramount+ from next year.

So thats Sydney going to the world with one of the best drama franchises ever.

Shane Brennan added, CBS Studios announcement today that Paramount+ will bring the NCIS franchise to Australia is a massive vote of condence in the Australian industry. It means writers, directors, actors and crew will have the opportunity to showcase their talent producing an Australian version of a franchise that is recognised around the world.

The series will have a uniquely Australian feel but will deliver all the drama and thrills of this franchise against the backdrop of our most recognised and iconic city.

CBS Studios and Paramount+s decision adds to Australias burgeoning reputation as being the place to make cost eective, high quality, writer-driven drama for a worldwide audience.
Veteran Nine News presenter Peter Hitchener and radio presenter and Have You Been Paying Attention? regular Fifi Box have been named as Moomba Monarchs for 2022.

Hitch said, I just love meeting Melburnians who make up our vibrant city. Being crowned a Monarch allows me to step beyond the news desk and really connect with our greater community; Im honoured and delighted to be a 2022 Moomba Monarch.

Fifi Box said, Im absolutely honoured to be asked to be a Moomba Monarch. Moomba is such an iconic Melbourne event that I have grown up loving, so Im incredibly proud to don the crown and enjoy the celebrations with the community.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp added, I am thrilled to crown Fifi and Hitchy as this years Moomba Monarchs. These treasured Melbourne media icons have delivered news and entertained us for years. They also add a lot of value to the community as terrific contributors, so we know they will bring plenty of fun and excitement to this years event.

We are also delighted to be bringing back the Moomba Parade, Birdman Rally and Moomba Masters after a hiatus in 2021. These vibrant festival favourites are always huge crowd pleasers, and we expect theyll attract many visitors back to the city.

Moomba is one of the biggest events on our citys calendar and were expecting almost a million people to revel in the festivities this year, providing a significant boost to our city business owners.

Australias largest free community festival will return to the banks of the Yarra River from 11 to 14 March.

Nine News is one of Moombas major partners.
This week Stan Grant hosts Q+A live from Sydney.

Guests:

Chris Bowen, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy

Andrew Constance, Liberal candidate for Gilmore

Allegra Spender, Independent candidate for Wentworth

Lavina Lee, International Relations Expert

Greg Sheridan, Foreign Editor, The Australian

Australians are heading to the polls in a few short months and the unofficial election campaign is well and truly underway. A host of high-profile independent candidates are hoping to disrupt the electoral map by standing against senior sitting MPs across the country. Many are campaigning for more transparency over political donations, however questions are being asked about the funding behind the grassroots campaigns that aim to secure independents a coveted crossbench seat. Are we seeing democracy in action or just another tightly coordinated campaign?

Meanwhile, noisy anti-vaccine protestors have travelled from far afield to voice their anger outside Parliament House in Canberra. How will this disaffection play out at the ballot box? Whats influencing the vote of the broader electorate and are these voices being heard in the national conversation?

And overseas tensions in Ukraine are at breaking point as the world awaits Russias next move. Russian President Vladimir Putin has more than 100,000 troops massed near the Russia  Ukraine border, prompting countries including Australia to evacuate embassies ahead of an expected invasion. Are we at the end of the diplomatic road as the region teeters on the brink of war? What are the global security implications?

Political campaigns, international posturing and protests  well cover this and more on Q+A.

Thursday, February 17 at 8.30pm on ABC.
Tyler, TX (75702)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High near 75F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
AUSTIN  Two of Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders are back in custody after their arrests last week, the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a press release.

Phillip Mark Ward, of Fort Worth, was arrested Feb. 8 in Fort Worth. Joe Louis Hernandez, of Galveston, turned himself in to the Galveston Police Department on Feb. 10.

Phillip Mark Ward, 59, was arrested while at a shelter by the Fort Worth Police Department and the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force.

Ward had been wanted since March 2021, when the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a warrant for a parole violation. The Fort Worth Police Department also issued a warrant for failure to register as a sex offender.

In 1992, Ward was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child following incidents involving an 8-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy. He was sentenced to 75 years in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison. He was released on parole in February 2017.

For more information on his arrest, view his captured bulletin.

Joe Louis Hernandez, 44, turned himself in at the Galveston Police Department. He had been wanted since January 2021, when Galveston police issued a warrant for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.

In 1998, Hernandez was convicted of three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child for incidents involving girls ages 2 and 7. He was sentenced to eight years in a TDCJ prison.

In 2007, Hernandez was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and sentenced to two years in prison. In 2010, he was convicted of failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements and was given three years in prison.

For more information on his arrest, view his captured bulletin.

Texas Crime Stoppers, which is funded by the Governors Criminal Justice Division, offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives or Sex Offenders. So far in 2022, DPS and other agencies have arrested seven Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders, including two gang members and four sex offenders. In addition, $6,000 in rewards has been paid for tips that yielded arrests.

To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:

Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).

Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about and clicking on the link under their picture.

Submit a

by clicking the SUBMIT A TIP link (under the About section).

All tips are anonymous  regardless of how they are submitted  and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.

DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders Lists. You can find the current lists  with photos  on the DPS website.

Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.
Gov. Greg Abbott visited Tyler on Tuesday evening to remind voters of all that weve done to make Texas such a great state  were reminding the crowd exactly why Republicans are going to win in 2022.

About 200 people gathered to hear Abbott give the keynote address at the Smith County Republican Party Lincoln Reagan Dinner at The Villa.

Abbott faces seven challengers in the March 1 Republican primary, including former state Sen. Don Huffines and former state GOP Chair Allen West.

Were going to show voters the contrast between the values  Republicans stand for versus the values the Democrats stand for, Abbott said.

He said while growing up in Longview, Democrats used to be Democrats. They have progressed to be socialists today.

If you look at how grand and great the state of Texas is, we are not going to let a bunch of radical leftist socialists take over and destroy our state, he said.

Abbott said each year hes been governor, Texas has ranked No. 1 in the nation as the best state for doing business.

Texas works with large and small businesses, he said. In fact, the state also ranks as the No. 1 place in the nation to start a small business and is the ninth-largest economy in the world, Abbott added.

He said the proposed Green New Deal, which targets climate change through more renewable energy, would ruin the Texas economy.

The energy sector employs more than 1 million people in the state, and Abbott said he intends to ensure that we protect those high-paying jobs right here in the state of Texas.

When it comes to energy, Abbott also said the Texas power grid has never been better. He said he signed 14 new laws that increase power generator capacity, winterized the grid and made sure it would not shut down like what happened during the winter storm of 2021.

As far as public education, Abbott said the radical left agenda is trying to use education to change the state.

He said teaching Critical Race Theory, which the Legislature has banned in Texas, tries to rewrite the history of the greatest country in the history of the world and redesigns its future. Also, it divides people on the basis of race and then pits those people against each other on the basis of race.

Texas now has the strongest ban on the teaching of Critical Race Theory in public schools ... in the United States of America.

Abbott said he is seeking reelection to bring power back to parents and show they matter in Texas. He said he wants to restore parents as the primary decision makers of their childrens health care and education.

{h2 dir=ltr}Texas border{/h2}

Abbott described the Biden administrations open border policy as reckless.

The Biden administration inherited the most safest, secure border thats existed in my adult lifetime, he said.

Despite this, President Joe Biden sent a message to other countries that it doesnt matter what country you come from  you can come into the United States illegally if you just cross the southern border.

Texas provided more than $3 million of taxpayer money to protect the border, Abbott said. More than 10,000 National Guard members are on the border, and more than 1,000 Texas Department of Public Safety troopers are making arrests, he said.

Abbott said he intends to continue building the border wall until we elect a new president who will step up and do the presidents job of securing the United States of America.

{h2 dir=ltr}First and Second Amendments {/h2}

During this years election, freedom itself is on the ballot, Abbott said.

Laws have been passed in Texas to protect the First Amendment, Abbott said, meaning no government official can shut down churches and prevent people from worshiping.

Abbott said he also signed recent laws protecting your right to keep and bear arms in the state of Texas.

These laws include making Texas a constitutional carry state and a sanctuary state for the Second Amendment, he said.

{h2 dir=ltr}Defunding the police{/h2}

In Texas we dont defund the police, Abbott said. We support our law enforcement officers.

He referred to Austin as the one city in Texas that defunded its police department by more than $100 million. In response, the Legislature passed a law that would defund any city in that defunded the police, he said.

The people in this room are patriotic Americans, Abbott told the crowd Tuesday. I can tell by the people in this room you love the United States of America  you believe in America and know its the greatest country in the history of the entire world.

Early voting for the March 1 primary began Monday and ends Feb. 25.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the Knesset Plenum in Jerusalem on Feb. 16, 2022. (Israeli Parliament/Handout via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Israel on Wednesday, vowing that security alliance with Israel "is ironclad."

Heading a congressional delegation, Pelosi was welcomed in the morning in a ceremony and visited the Israeli parliament.

She hailed the alliance between the two countries, saying she was "very proud that America is Israel's oldest ally."

Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, Pelosi said in joint statements with Israeli Parliament Speaker Mickey Levy that "the nuclear threat by Iran is a global one."

She noted that "Israel's proximity to Iran is a concern to all of us and a responsibility for all of us."

She also addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reiterating the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution that will enhance "stability and security for Israel, Palestinians and their neighbors."

Her visit comes amid rising clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and in the flashpoint Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem.

Israel seized the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are claimed by the Palestinians, in the 1967 Middle East war, and has controlled them ever since. The Palestinians have been seeking to establish an independent state on these territories together with the enclave Gaza Strip.

Pelosi is also scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog before traveling to the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. 
Sarah Covington has been through the stress of law school exams, but this meeting was a different kind of test of her legal skills with a lot more than a grade riding on it.

"I'd rather be sitting over coffee talking about this proactively than sitting with a box of tissues because the unthinkable happened," Covington says.

Covington's meeting was with a representative from her home state of South Dakota to talk about drafting a bill to prevent organ transplant discrimination. That bill has since passed the South Dakota House and is being considered by the Senate.

Covington, who is a student in the Law@Dayton Online Hybrid J.D. Program, first learned about the issue only a few months before when her 15-year-old daughter Parker was about to undergo knee surgery. It was one of many surgeries Parker has had in her life, after being born with a rare genetic condition.

This latest surgery potentially involved using a part from a cadaver. When researching the surgery, Covington discovered issues around those with disabilities getting organ transplants. Parker ended up not needing the part from the cadaver, but given her condition, she will need a future heart surgery that could involve a valve replacement. Covington didn't want her to be less likely to receive her transplant because of her genetic condition.

"Someone's disability shouldn't be the sole reason they aren't granted an organ transplant," Covington says.

So Covington brought up the issue to someone at a gathering of the South Dakota Bar Association and they helped her set up that coffee meeting with the state representative.

From there Covington says it's been a whirlwind, with her taking part in the committee to draft the bill and going to the South Dakota House to talk about its importance, all while using skills she's learning in her law classes.

"I wouldn't be doing any of this without being a law student at Dayton," Covington says. "I learned about persuasive authority in my first semester in law school. This bill is predicated on that. We looked to other states that adopted similar bills and used that to draft our own bill and garner support in our state. It's great to see what I learned at the onset of law school continuing to have a powerful impact."

Covingtons advocacy shows how the Law@Dayton Hybrid J.D. Program provides students more than just legal training.

Being able to actually put the skills that she learned in her first year of law school into practice is an amazing accomplishment, says Assistant Dean of the Law@Dayton Hybrid J.D. Program and Professor of Lawyering Skills Victoria VanZandt. Even more impressive is how she uses her education to address needs in her community. As a Marianist law school, we are called to employ our head, our heart and our hands in service to others. Sarah truly embodies our educational tradition.

Covington says others in her Hybrid J.D. class have even looked into getting similar bills passed in their states.

"I'm so grateful we're doing this based upon a proactive approach," Covington says. "I know in terms of political persuasion you have to have the unthinkable happen to gain traction. We had a great surgical experience, but we were able to identify changes needed and work to pursue those in the states that haven't taken that step."
Saqib Hussain, 21, and Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin, 21, both from Banbury, Oxfordshire

Tributes from grieving families reveal that the Banbury men who died in a crash in Leicestershire were cousins.

Hashim Ijazuddin, 21, and Saqib Hussain, 20, had been travelling on the A46 at around 1:30am on Friday in a silver Skoda Fabia when the collision happened.

The two men were pronounced dead at the scene with one car believed to have burst into flames.

Three women and two men have been charged with murder including a TikTok star and her mother.

TikTok influencer Mahek Bukhari, 22, and her mother Ansreen Bukhari, 45, from Stoke-on-Trent, have been charged with murder over the crash, alongside Natasha Akhtar, 21, from Birmingham. Raees Jamal, 21, and Rekan Karwan, 28, from Leicester, were also charged on Tuesday afternoon.

Oxford Mail: A46. Google Maps

Hashim's grieving father Sikander Hayat, 49, has told MailOnline newspaper that the men were cousins and Hashim took Saqib to Leicester to see a friend because he was 'feeling low'.

Mr Hayat said: "Hashim was my favourite son, he was a beautiful soul and I feel blessed by Allah to have had 21 years with him.

Read also: Police release photos of Oxfordshire men who died in a crash in Leicestershire

"He borrowed the Skoda from his grandfather because his cousin Saqib asked him for a lift to Leicestershire to see a friend. Saqib was very down about things. Hashim loved him a lot and cared for all people in general. He would do anything to help somebody out.

"This is the kind of person he was. He was just doing a good deed because he never wanted to say no to anybody in trouble. Saqib was going through a tough time and asked Hashim to take him to Leicestershire but my son had nothing to do with any of this."

Oxford Mail: Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin and Saqib Hussain

Mohammed Hashim Ijazuddin and Saqib Hussain

Hashim previously worked in a local bakery but spent most of last year staying with his grandparents in Pakistan.

Hashim's older brother, Zain Mohammed told MailOnline newspaper: "I'm not ashamed to say that I loved him the most because he was just like me, only better looking and a nicer character. Everybody loved Hashim, he was incredibly popular and had friends all over the country.

Story continues

Read also: Suspended sentence for nurse who caused fatal crash near Goring Heath

"He lit up the room when he walked in and was always laughing a joking. For me he was a superstar.

"Of course we are in a lot of pain because we have lost a beloved soul and we will all miss him terribly. There are no words for our sorrow but at the same time, I want to celebrate his life and remember him for the great person he was.

"He was gifted to me by Allah and I know that he has gone straight to heaven."

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok

Got a story for us? Send us your news and pictures here

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United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks as he greets embassy staff at the U.S. embassy, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool

Blinken on Wednesday urged Americans in Ukraine to leave the country.

The White House has been warning that a Russian invasion could be imminent.

"Our message now for any Americans in Ukraine is to strongly consider leaving," Blinken said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged US citizens in Ukraine on Wednesday to "strongly consider leaving" the country as tensions over a potential Russian invasion continue to rise.

"Our message now for any Americans in Ukraine is to strongly consider leaving," Blinken said at a press conference. "If Russia invades, civilians  including Americans still in Ukraine  could be caught in a conflict zone between combatant forces. The US government may not be in a position to aid individuals in these circumstances."

Blinken said those consider leaving should use either commercial or private transportation options, and said the US embassy in Kyiv will remain open.

He also said the embassy may provide loans to those who can't afford the cost of a commercial ticket.

Earlier in the day, the US Embassy in Ukraine made the same suggestion, telling American citizens in Ukraine to think about fleeing as "the security situation in Ukraine continues to be unpredictable" because of the "threat of Russian military action."

The embassy said the situation could "deteriorate with little notice."

Blinken's remarks come a few days after the State Department ordered family members of staff at the US Embassy in Kyiv to leave the country, while also opening the door for non-essential employees to leave.

The US and its allies have been entangled in negotiations with the Kremlin as Russian forces gather along the Ukrainian border, sparking fears of an imminent invasion. Though roughly 100,000 Russian troops have gathered along the former Soviet republic's border, Russia claims it has no plans to invade.

The Kremlin has blamed NATO for the tensions in the region, while making demands for binding security guarantees  including that Ukraine must be barred from ever joining the alliance.

Story continues

NATO and the US have made clear this is a non-starter.

Blinken on Wednesday said that the US reiterated this position in a written response to Moscow's demands, which was delivered in person by US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"There is no change. There will be no change," Blinken said. "NATO's door is open, remains open, and that is our commitment."

Russia had previously warned that it would retaliate if its demands weren't meant.

Blinken would not provide specifics on what was in the response, stating that confidentiality was necessary for the diplomatic process. But he did say that the report offered Russia a "serious diplomatic path forward."

Meanwhile, the US has 8,500 troops on high alert for a potential deployment to Eastern Europe. The US has ruled out sending troops to Ukraine to defend it against Russia because it's not a member of NATO, but would send the troops to neighboring countries as a deterrent against Russian aggression toward NATO members in the region.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The University of North Georgia's (UNG) Gainesville Campus was abuzz with roughly 80 middle and high school students Feb. 5 as they learned about UNG's poultry science program. UNG offers three agriculture pathways with associate degrees: poultry science, general agriculture and avian biology.

The UNG Poultry Science Club hosts the Poultry 101 annual event, which Dr. Linda Purvis, assistant professor of biology, created.

"It started as a way to broaden the reach of our program," Purvis said. "I wanted to have a bigger reach and bring students to us because we have a collegiate poultry program. It's the only event of its kind in Georgia where college students help educate students in poultry."

Middle and high school students also had the opportunity to tour the campus and meet UNG faculty, staff and students.

Purvis said that UNG students were able to put their leadership skills to use by teaching the classes and sessions offered at Poultry 101, and they also shared their personal experiences.

"Students who study poultry in college have a 100% job placement upon graduation, Purvis said.

Georgia's multibillion-dollar poultry industry, the largest sector of the state's No. 1 agriculture and agribusiness industry, represents more than 50% of the agricultural income in Georgia.

The poultry industry contributes an annual $24.6 billion to the state economy and generates an annual $2.1 billion in federal tax revenue and another $1.3 billion in state tax revenue, according to the University of Georgia.

As a result, a large number of poultry and poultry-related industries are seeking individuals with poultry science degrees to further the advancement of the industry.

"While farming is a huge part of it, it's not the only part," Purvis said. "There are veterinarians, pharmaceutical companies, packaging and equipment companies. Even things such as transportation, labs, testing, health, and nutrition. Students with a wide range of interests can find a career in this industry that's right for them."
by Keren Setton

JERUSALEM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- When the new Israeli government was sworn in June 2021, one of its promises to the public was to lower the cost of living.

However, living cost has continued to climb. Gasoline and power prices have risen in recent weeks. Many major food conglomerates announced price hikes, but backed down after public uproar.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Price Level Indices for 2021, Israel is its fourth most expensive member country. The OECD is an intergovernmental economic organization with the majority of its member countries being high-income economies.

To combat rising living costs, Israel's government announced a plan last week to provide tax cuts to working people, particularly families with children aged 6 to 12.

The plan provides compensation to businesses and self-employed individuals who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of people eligible for a negative income tax will increase, and government participation will help to minimize the growth in utility costs. Custom duties and the prices on several consumer goods, such as meat, fish, flour and eggs will be reduced.

When revealing the plan, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it was "not just tactical steps" to slow price increases, but a "fair contract" between the state and its citizens that allows good working citizens who share the burden of the state to keep more of their salaries.

However, Dr. Ran Ben-Malka, a lecturer at the Sapir Academic College's Economics Department, said the government plan was "like paracetamol for a headache, because it relieves the symptom but doesn't cure the headache, and the root cause of the headache has not been eradicated."

The high cost of living in Israel is due to distinguishing characteristics that are not addressed in the plan, analysts say.

Because of the monopolies that exist in many sectors of the Israeli market, lowering the cost of living is a major problem for any Israeli government.

"This is the main problem that causes price distortions in Israel, compared to other countries," said Benjamin Bental, an economics professor at the University of Haifa.

Domestically produced agricultural produce has been protected in Israel for years, with imports barely permitted. So far, a powerful lobby has been able to block any reforms. This is something that the incumbent government administration is attempting to change.

"Israel was founded on socialist principles that aimed to empower local producers and workers when it comes to blocking imports," said Ben-Malka.

"By blocking imports, Israelis do not have access to cheaper products. At the same time, local industry is not motivated to improve efficiency, resulting in high prices," he said.

Moreover, imported commodities are subject to a high level of taxation and customs.

"Food importers in the country are also local producers who control the market through monopolies. They make sure that the imported alternative is not significantly less expensive than locally made goods," said Bental.

Despite opposition from some sectors, the incumbent government administration is trying to modify the status quo.

Some analysts believe that a step like the government's plan announced last week would help to contain rising living costs by boosting income for families with children and encouraging people to enter the workforce.

However, while many Israelis applauded the government's plan, it will not satisfy everyone. Families without children will receive fewer payments, and the unemployed will profit little from the proposal.

Some analysts also fear that the plan will have long-term consequences.

"The money from tax benefits and customs reductions needs to come from some place," said Ben-Malka.

"In the future, either taxes will rise, increasing the cost of living even more, or public spending on things like education and health will have to be deducted," Ben-Malka said, adding "there is no free money."

"The plan hasn't had a direct impact on the high cost of living," said Bental.

According to analysts, high living cost is an issue that needs a comprehensive response with long-term strategies that take time to show benefits. 
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for constructive assistance to Somalia to help stabilize the country.

Recently, the Somali parties have been moving forward with the electoral process against all odds. China encourages them to continue to overcome their differences and move forward with elections as agreed to create enabling conditions for national reconstruction, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

After 30 years of conflicts, Somalia is facing a multitude of severe challenges. The international community should respect the Somali-led and Somali-owned approach, show necessary patience, and provide constructive assistance, instead of exerting excessive pressure at every turn, he told the Security Council.

The security situation in Somalia remains volatile. So far this year, dozens of people have been killed in Al-Shabab terrorist attacks, Dai mentioned.

The African country is currently confronted with a dire humanitarian crisis. The worst drought in 30 years has caused crop failure, killed livestock, and sent prices soaring, with 70 percent of the population living below the poverty line, and nearly half of the population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, he added.

Stressing that the future of Somalia must be owned by Somalis, he said the international community should firmly support Somalia in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity and combat separatist acts, he said.

"We should give greater recognition to the role of development in improving the humanitarian and security situation, and help Somalia overcome its governance-related challenges, improve its capacity for self-reliant development, created jobs and growth and eliminate the root causes of conflict," he said.

Somalia's peace and stability is pivotal to regional dynamics, and to help countries in the region, including Somalia, meet the triple challenges of security, development and governance, China has put forward an initiative on peaceful development in the Horn of Africa, said Dai. 
Joe William Moore repeatedly sexually assaulted his ex-wife at gunpoint last year during a violent three-hour ordeal in which he threatened to kill her and himself, Moores ex-wife testified Tuesday.

Andrea Newman told jurors in Wacos 19th State District Court that Moore became increasingly more possessive and obsessive during their relationship, which she described as living with a Jekyll and Hyde.

Moore, 63, served 19 years in prison after his conviction for kidnapping and assaulting Newman in 1994. He is on trial on aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault charges in a January 2021 incident in which Newman said he got drunk, beat her and sexually assaulted her. Afterward, Newman said Moore got her gun and said he was going to kill himself, but shot a hole in the ceiling instead.

The Tribune-Herald does not identify victims of alleged sexual assault without their permission, which Newman granted after her 90-minute testimony Tuesday morning.

Prosecutors Staci Johnson and Kristen Duron and defense attorney Sam Martinez rested their cases Tuesday afternoon. Moore did not testify. The attorneys will give jury summations Wednesday morning before the jury deliberates Moores fate.

The jury is not allowed at this stage of the trial to know of Moores criminal past. Newman testified that she and Moore dated in the early 1990s but merely stated their relationship ended without mention of the kidnapping. Their relationship picked back up in 2016, when the paroled Moores sister told her that Moore was going through a divorce and suggested Newman give him a call.

Newman, a Department of Veterans Affairs employee, said Moore moved into her home on Vista View Drive in Waco and things were fine at first. She said Moore, a waste management company truck driver, was tall, handsome, polite and cleaned her house and mowed the lawn. But Moore became more controlling, possessive and jealous.

He insisted that she always answer her phone when he called and cut her off from her friends and family. He did not want her three grown sons in her home and threatened to kill one of her sons friends, she said.

I couldnt put up with the Jekyll and Hyde, she said. I couldnt put up with the monster. One day hes loving and sweet and the next day he is threatening to kill me. I couldnt put up with the roller coaster.

Newman said she went to live at a womens shelter in 2020 after Moore physically abused her. She put his belongings in storage, changed the locks on her home and bought a gun for protection when she went back home. However, she said she allowed Moore to come back after he threatened to kill her if she did not, she testified.

On the evening of Jan. 7, 2021, Newman said she got home and Moore was pacing back and forth and gulping whiskey shots. They got into an argument about their impending separation and divorce.

When I told him he didnt have anything, he never had anything and he would never have anything, he grabbed my hair and started dragging me, she said.

Moore grabbed a large butcher knife from the kitchen and started slashing at her, Newman told the jury. She put up her hands for protection, suffering deep defensive wounds on her palms.

Moore wanted to know where her pistol was. Newman, trying to buy herself time and hoping someone to help her would be outside, told him that it was in the back of her car in the driveway. Later, she admitted to him that it was in her purse after he dragged her outside to look for it, she said.

She said she tried to chamber a round in the gun but it jammed. When Duron asked why she tried to chamber a bullet, Newman said, because I was going to use it. She said Newman grabbed the gun from her and tried to shoot her but the gun didnt discharge.

He hit her in the head with the gun and Newman cried out, God help me.

That changed his mood, she said. He calmed down a bit but he still blamed me for causing him to be so violent.

Moore dragged her to the bedroom and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint, telling Newman it was the last time they would have sex because they both would be dead soon.

I had to follow his commands, she said. I didnt know where the knife went, but now he had the gun.

After Moore sexually assaulted her, he told her to leave and close the door because he was going to shoot himself, she testified. Newman said she heard a gunshot as she hit the panic button on her home alarm system. Police arrived and found a bullet hole in the bedroom ceiling and arrested Moore without incident.

The charges against Moore are enhanced by a 1994 aggravated kidnapping conviction that involved Newman. Moore was sentenced to 20 years in prison and served all but one year before his parole in 2013.

If convicted of aggravated sexual assault, Moore faces an automatic life prison term because of the prior conviction. He faces from five to 99 years in prison and up to life if convicted on the enhanced aggravated assault charge.

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NARFE meeting moved

National Association of Retired and Federal Employees will meet at noon Feb. 24 at the West Waco Library, 5301 Bosque Blvd.

All retired and currently employed federal employees are invited. The meeting was originally scheduled for Feb. 17.

Free tax help available

Free income tax preparation will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Tarleton State Universitys Waco outreach campus at McLennan Community College. The location is Room 202 of the Michaelis Academic Center.

Taxpayers with income below $60,000 are eligible for help, including electronic filing.

Assistance will be offered first come, first served, with no appointment required. Participants should bring ID, a Social Security card, W-2 and other relevant documentation.

For more information, call 254-299-8252 or email puhl@tarleton.edu.

Medicare information session

An information session on Medicare will run from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Area Agency on Aging, 1514 S. New Road.

Anyone with questions about the federal program is encouraged to attend. This is an informational meeting only.

Waco Rose Society

The Waco Rose Society will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the McCulloch House, 407 Columbus Ave. Jay White, owner and publisher of Texas Gardener Magazine, will present a program on heritage roses and their companions.

The meeting and membership are free, and the public is invited to attend.

For more information, call Linda McKee at 254-717-4877.

Walk with a Doc

Waco Family Medicine will conduct its Walk with a Doc program from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday at its community gathering space, 1600 Providence Drive.

Submit printed or typed items to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco, 76702-2588; or email goingson@wacotrib.com.
As state legislatures here in Florida and across the country reconvene, its evident that voters are polarized. Many Americans falsely believe the 2020 election was stolen, and some politicians are seizing upon Americans concerns about election security for their own personal gain. It is in our interest and our duty as Americans to put aside the partisan vitriol and understand that they have every reason to trust, and uphold, the integrity of our elections.

Ultimately, Americans should trust the integrity of our elections because they are safe, fair and secure. More than that, our elections are one of the greatest expressions of our freedom as Americans.

I know firsthand that our elections work because these institutions make up the foundation of my American life. When Cuba was taken over by Fidel Castro and his communist regime, my family fled to America in search of freedom and the rule of law. In 1972, I was sworn in as a citizen in the old bandshell in downtown Miami, and as I took the oath of allegiance, I knew I wanted to be a part of the American dream and participate in the political process. I registered to vote and, as a teacher, enjoyed teaching students of all ages English, civics and other subjects. I wanted everyone to see what I saw: That the promise of America was, and is, true and attainable, regardless of educational or socio-economic background.

In continuing my public service career in the Florida legislature, I ran for Congress in 1989 and was honored to become the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress. I wanted to help strengthen the traditions that enabled my American journey. In my almost 30 years serving in Congress, I had the privilege of being chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, where I worked to defend our national security and our way of life.

As a member of Congress, I had many opportunities to meet with young activists and dissidents who were doing more than seeking freedom for their countries. They believed in the idea of America. I was constantly amazed by their admiration for the American way  especially for our free, fair and open elections. Because while it may seem commonplace and ordinary to us, having free elections is a part of what makes America exceptional. Its something we should never take for granted. These dissidents told me so, firsthand.

And theres a reason our system is the envy of so many: It works. Our elections in Florida run smoothly and securely, as Gov. Ron DeSantis has explained. Just last October, the governor dismissed calls for an audit of our election results because Floridas standard election integrity safeguards held and the election succeeded with flying colors.

The integrity and uniqueness of American institutions mean it is worth taking a step back and analyzing the claims made by election skeptics. Perhaps the results of the 2020 presidential election were not the result we wanted, but the truth is clear: President Joe Biden won. Even if we disagree with that outcome, it is our privilege and duty as patriotic Americans to accept the outcomes of free and fair elections, and to celebrate the peaceful transfer of power that is envied by many around the world.

All across the country, American officials are working hard to make sure voting access does not come at the expense of election integrity and that they are well-equipped to handle the challenges well face in 2022 and beyond. Its not just Florida doing this, either.

Utah, for instance, is controlled by Republicans from the governors mansion to both houses of the state legislature. Utah Republicans also created one of the most accessible election processes in the country, adopting a vote-by-mail system that reached 90 percent voter turnout in 2020. As one Republican elections official explained, Utah really exemplifies the mantra of easy to vote, hard to cheat with our elections.

Thats part of why my family fled the brutal repression of the Castro regime, and thats something I heard over and over again from dissidents fighting for freedom in their countries when I was a member of Congress.

Its time for Americans to unite and protect the integrity of our election system. We do that by continuing to create access to the polls while maintaining election security  and by respecting the outcomes of our elections.

Our democracy is unique and many around the world long for the freedoms and respect for the rule of law that we may take for granted. We should proudly defend and uphold our open, free and fair election process.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is a Republican who represented South Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 2019. She serves as the Advisory Board co-chair of the Secure Elections Project. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.
Vigorous defender

I join my friend and fellow attorney, Spike Pattillo, in expressing my concern regarding political advertising mailed to the citizens of McLennan County. I am surprised that an attorney would criticize a member of the practicing criminal bar for being excellent at his job, which is to defend, not to prosecute crimes. Defense attorneys live out the obligations established for them by the guarantees provided to all citizens under the Constitution of the United States  as we each swore an oath to do when licensed.

McLennan County does not have a public defenders office. Instead, the defense attorneys working in this county allow themselves to be appointed by the court, at a greatly reduced rate, to represent those charged with crimes who cannot afford counsel. We should be proud that a person facing prosecution is able to obtain a vigorous defense, oftentimes by attorneys whose full fees their clients could not have paid. Many of these attorneys see it as their obligation as freedom-loving citizens to assist those who are charged with crimes but who are unable to help themselves when faced with government action. Barry Johnsons lack of criminal law experience would likely not allow him a position on the current list of highly proficient defense attorneys at whom he now sneers. It is no surprise that, as he proudly admits, he chose not to practice criminal law with his lack of respect for the way in which the system works.

The citizens of this county deserve a district attorney who holds regard for both the prosecution and the defense sides of a criminal case  a necessity for a person holding the position of chief law enforcement official. Josh Tetens has my vote for district attorney.

B. Joy McNamara, Waco

Chain migration

To respond to Ramesh Ponnurus column of Feb. 11 [Trump torpedoed his border wall], Trump not only promised a border wall, but that Mexico would pay for it. He then hijacked defense funding to make up for the fact that he couldnt deliver on the entirety.

Further, Donald Trump is actually a big fan of chain migration, as evidenced by his support of Melanias parents being granted citizenship due to her status as his wife of the moment.

Samuel Culper, Bellmead

Vast conspiracy

Until I read the Sunday Focus page about the district attorney race, I had no idea of the giant conspiracy between local law enforcement and Barry Johnson. Now it appears that Judge Thomas West is also conspiring with the others to get Barry out of office.

My suggestion to Johnson would be to use his county medical plan for some counseling. If this is as bad as he said it is, maybe he should get out of the DA race and let a calmer, more logical person take over.

Edward McElyea, Waco

Dumpster Fire

I would like to formally request that the Washington Football Team cease using my familys name as its own. The Commander family does not approve of their co-opting our name for their failure.

As a result, I believe there is an apt name for their team that owner Dan Snyder could use. It is the Landover Dumpster Fire. It is an appropriate name as FedEx Field is a dumpster, and the team which calls it home is a burning pile of garbage.

Terry Commander, Bellmead
MOGADISHU, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and 16 others wounded after several explosions rocked Somali capital Mogadishu early Wednesday, the police and witnesses said.

Police Spokesperson Abdifitah Hassan Aden told reporters that a vehicle laden with explosive devices exploded at Darussalam neighborhood in Mogadishu, killing two women and injuring 16 others.

Aden said the terrorists later launched on Kahda police station and other locations across the capital, Mogadishu at around 1 a.m. before they were repulsed.

"Two women were killed and 16 others were injured in terrorist car bomb attack at Darusalam village west of Mogadishu. Our forces are still pursuing the terrorists," Aden told journalists in Mogadishu.

He said al-Shabab militants attempted to attack Kahda district police station but the police forces resisted and pushed them back to the direction of Lower Shabelle.

The al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the latest attacks in Mogadishu.

The attacks came during the electioneering period in Somalia with the elections of lawmakers of the Lower House taking place in Mogadishu and across federal member states.

The terrorist group which has been fighting to overthrow the internationally-recognized government has vowed to disrupt the elections. The extremist group continues to stage attacks despite the allied forces having intensified security operations against it amid the national elections across the country. 
The Mid America Flight Museums B-17G (44-85718/N900RW), better known as Thunderbird, remains under heavy maintenance at the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon. We recently received a status update and further details for what the future may hold for this significant aircraft.

As most readers will know, Thunderbird was based for many years with the Lone Star Flight Museum, first in Galveston, Texas but more recently in Houston. However, Lone Star has been gradually parting with many of its more prominent exhibits in recent years, parting with the B-17 in December 2020, selling it to the Mid America Air Museums founder and president Scott Glover, who maintains his collection in Mount Pleasant, Texas.

Shortly after the purchase, Thunderbird made the journey to Madras, Oregon to undergo heavy maintenance with Ericksons team, a process which continues into 2022. Chris Brames images from last October reveal some of the maintenance effort which the B-17G is receiving.

Thunderbird in the Erickson Aircraft Collection hangar in October 2021 receiving maintenance. (photo by Chris Brame)

Among the work underway is a wing attachment inspection, as required by a 2001 FAA Airworthiness Directive, to ensure the proper condition of the bolts, terminal wing fittings, and spar tubes in the wing spar attachment point for the forward and rear spars of both wings. The control surfaces have also been removed for recovering. Other aircraft systems are receiving a thorough review with an inspect and repair as needed approach. The Erickson Aircraft Collections crew performing this work is familiar with the B-17 maintenance requirements based upon their accrued experience with the museums own B-17G (44-8543/N3701G), presently known as Ye Olde Pub. At present, there is no firm completion date for Thunderbirds maintenance effort; it will be done when it is done.

As for Thunderbirds future, the Mid America Flight Museum has expressed no intent for the aircraft to participate in an FAA Living History Flight Experience program. In other words, the museum will not be selling rides or touring the Flying Fortress; it will remain based at Mount Pleasant along with the other aircraft in the collection.

The B-17 may gain a new paint scheme in the future and, presumably, a new name and nose art. It has carried the Thunderbird livery since 1987, when Lone Star founder, Robert Waltrip, had the airplane refinished to replicate the combat veteran B-17G 42-38050, which flew with the 303rd Bomb Group as Thunderbird from England during World War II.

As for B-17G 44-85718s history, Lockheed delivered her to the U.S. Army Air Forces on May 8th, 1945, a day after the European war ended. The aircraft went directly into storage as a result. Frances Institut Geographique National (IGN) bought the B-17 from a surplus yard at Altus, Oklahoma, (along with three other brand new B-17Gs) in late 1947. The aircraft became F-BEEC on the French civil registry, and spent four decades as a survey platform, alongside a further dozen examples of the type, on geographic exploration missions which spanned much of the world. The IGN retired F-BEEC in 1984, after which the noted English warbird collector, Doug Arnold, acquired the airframe, registering the aircraft in Britain as G-FORT. Robert Waltrip acquired the aircraft for the Lone Star Flight Museum in 1987  the aircraft making an epic cross-Atlantic journey to the USA not long after. Interestingly, the B-17 still retains a few external vestiges of its French survey modifications, these being the windows installed in the lower forward fuselage, just aft of the plexiglass nose and the plexiglass nose piece itself. Mid America Flight Museum has no plans to return the nose section to a standard B-17G configuration, so these indicators of the airframes prior use will remain intact. For those interested, the book Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors has a more in-depth depiction of this aircrafts history, both with text and images.

Many thanks indeed to Scott A. Thompson (and Chris Brame) for allowing us to reproduce this article (with slight edits) describing Thunderbirds present condition his book, Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors is the gold standard when it comes to the airframe history it describes!
The friends were out catfishing when they came across the vehicle. They fear the man could have gotten hypothermia, or perished if his vehicle had reached the well-known Sans Souci Island wing dam.
WATERLOO  After shooting Terrell Rello Flowers in 2020, Stephen Devon Phillips tried to shoot others in the house, according to testimony at his trial.

But the shots never came because the magazine had apparently ejected.

Phillips, 29, is charged with first-degree murder, and during trial on Tuesday jurors heard about what the state alleges he did after Flowers collapsed.

He shot Rello and pointed the gun right at me, pulled the trigger, and it clicked. And thats when he looked at the gun, and he ran on out, said Tyler Butler, a friend of Flowers who was in the room at the Crescent Place home during the shooting.

Butler said Phillips wasnt able to fire subsequent shots because the magazine had dropped from the handle of the 9 mm SCCY pistol, apparently when he shot Flowers.

Police testified they later found a magazine with six rounds on the floor at the Crescent Place home.

After the shooting, witnesses said, Phillips pulled up at a cousins home on Linwood Avenue and pointed a pistol at the cousin, who had friends over for a cookout.

Jatoya Wilder said she heard Phillips tell the cousin, Leon Young-Fisher, to hand over everything he had, and Young-Fisher was digging in his pockets.

Phillips then trained the gun on Wilder and others as they tried to round up their children and herd them inside to safety.

She said Phillips then tried to get in the house as she called 911.

We were like having a tug of war with the door, Wilder said.

Wilder said she grabbed a knife for protection, and Phillips eventually left shortly before police arrived.

When everything began to settle down, she realized Phillips had driven off in her Honda Accord and left behind the Buick he had arrived in.

Police said they detained Phillips at a LaPorte Road hotel hours later, and they found the empty SCCY pistol during the arrest.

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CEDAR FALLS  The process of decentralizing Cedar Falls Community Schools elementary meal preparation entered its final phase Monday.

The Board of Education approved two contracts totaling $541,779 for remodeling of the kitchen at Cedar Heights Elementary School and the purchase of equipment. The improvements will impact food production, dish washing and serving lines.

Failor-Hurley Construction of Waterloo was awarded a $318,300 contract for renovations, which was the lowest of two bids. Boelter LLC of Mitchellville, the lowest of three bidders, was awarded a $222,979 contract to supply and install equipment.

This is the last of the elementary kitchens, said Denelle Gonnerman, the districts chief financial officer. Both (contractors) have completed exceptional work through the district. Weve worked with them previously in past projects with different elementaries on kitchen improvements.

Before the process started with renovation work and equipment upgrades in the summer of 2020, meals were made at the high school or Peet Junior High with food transported to each of six elementary buildings. Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary School opened in 2018 with the upgraded kitchen.

Gonnerman detailed new equipment including a refrigerator, freezer, dishwashing machine, garbage disposal, combi oven, exhaust hood and fire protection system. There will also be a dish table with a pot and pan sink as well as a mobile warming cabinet and a spaces created to place hot and cold food. This is just a minimal list of what is actually involved with that equipment, she said.

She noted that there is also a contingency fund set at about 20% of contract amounts, or approximately $107,000, to cover any unexpected costs. In addition, design fees are estimated at $68,525.

Contract awards came in very close to estimates of $315,145 for renovation work and $220,725 for equipment costs.

This was budgeted through our (physical plant and equipment levy) as well as our nutrition program, said Gonnerman. Work would begin the week of June 6 and be completed by Aug. 12.

In other business:

Superintendent Andy Pattee told the board that allowing volunteers in the schools is being looked at during a Wednesday meeting of elementary principals after the practice was discontinued more than a year ago due to COVID-19 concerns. That will be a major topic of conversation, to start that process again, he said. We always want to balance safety within our buildings, but it appears that we are doing extremely well and communitywide numbers are trending, I think, in a positive direction.

The board set a public hearing for its March 22 meeting on the 2022-23 school year calendar. Classes would start Aug. 23, the earliest day allowed under state law, and end May 30.

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WATERLOO  Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa is looking for volunteers to serve as mentors in Waterloo Community School District classrooms.

Qualified business people, both men and women, are being sought for 216 classes in district schools, according to a news release. The organization still needs 141 mentors to help teach students how money works, how education leads to career success, and how to start and run a business.

Openings are available in kindergarten through third grade, sixth and seventh grades and ninth grade. Volunteers are typically in the classroom as little as an hour weekly for five to seven weeks.

Volunteers utilize prepared curriculum developed by Junior Achievement USA. Each lesson within the program includes a guide on what to say as well as when to incorporate personal experiences or examples, hand out worksheets, watch videos, and play games. Junior Achievement staff members meet with volunteers prior to starting and go over classroom expectations, addressing any questions they may have.

Jacob Christenson, chief executive officer of Covenant Family Solutions and a Junior Achievement board member, said in the news release that the organization takes an everyone matters approach in teaching skills to youth. This is important, because showing kids that they have value, that their circumstance in life does not define who they are or who they can be is invaluable.

Waterloo Schools is a leader with Junior Achievement and our partnership is invaluable, Superintendent Jane Lindaman said in the news release. Our staff and students have benefited greatly from having real-life business representatives visit their classrooms, teaching valuable career lessons and sharing secrets for success.

In addition to the in-class programs, three single-day experiential learning events will take place this spring that are in need of volunteers.

Careers on Wheels needs volunteers who use a vehicle in their job for an event in May that will take place ouitside of every district elementary school for kindergarten through second-grade students.

The Virtual STEM Career Fair for third- through fifth-grade students needs community members to help collect a video catalog of various careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Volunteers will also share about their work-related responsibilities, as well as the education path that led them to success.

The JA Financial Literacy Fairs is a real-life simulation for seventh grade students to experience making impactful financial decisions that can help them prepare for future financial success. Volunteers will serve as a financial advisers or assist at several stations where students make decisions about things like a home, education and car.

A minimum of 24 volunteers are being sought to serve at each event, with a total need of 100 people.

People can view available classes and sign up to volunteer by going online to engage.ja.org/?site=JAEICedarValley.

Those who have questions or want to learn more about volunteering for the single-day student experiences, contact Amy Fossum at (319) 862-1100 or afossum@jaeasterniowa.org.

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WATERLOO  With proms popping up on school calendars across the Cedar Valley, Prom Closet will open its doors for two days in early March.

The 11th annual pop-up store will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. March 4 and 9 a.m. to noon March 5. Organized by the Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Prom Closet is located in a storefront (formerly Vanity) on the second level of Crossroads Mall. It is open to the public.

Dont be surprised to see a mad dash to the racks when doors open.

Were excited to be back, and I think teenagers are excited to have it back, too, said President Sara McSweeney. COVID kept the closet door closed last year. This year, we want to bring it back as normally as we can.

Spangled, sequined or not, each prom dress is $20. Sizes are 0 to 26-28. Shoes are $3 and jewelry and other accessories are $1. McSweeney said a local business has donated pairs of new shoes for the sale.

Shoppers can participate in a prom gift basket raffle for hair, makeup, limousine, dinner and other gift certificates.

Crossroads donated the store space and display racks.

We know that the past couple of years has put financial strains on people. Were happy that people continue to support our event that is supporting teens in our community, McSweeney said.

Junior Leagues focus is on teenagers and teen-related projects. Funds raised go toward support League programming in the community.

Prom Closet is one of the most cherished events in Junior League, said Heather Cue, president-elect. It has such a big impact on the Cedar Valley and surrounding community. Traditionally, the event draws shoppers from as many as 40 communities.

We remove financial and access barriers to teens getting prom dresses to be able to attend school prom at an affordable price, Cue said.

There are no income guidelines, although Prom Closet is directed at teenagers who might otherwise not be able to purchase a prom dress. In addition, Junior League works locally with the Iowa Department of Human Services to provide free dress vouchers for interested young women in foster care who want to attend their school prom.

DHS has requested 25 dress vouchers which shows that they are aware of the program and are reaching out to us, as well as us reaching out to them, Cue said.

There will be 1,200 to 1,300 gowns available in every style and color from cocktail length to full and formal with big skirts to sleek. Most dresses are gently used donations, but there are hundreds of new dresses with tags from stores such as Dillards and others. Pageant and military ball shoppers, mothers-to-be and others also can shop for special occasion dresses, Cue explained.

Unsold gowns will be stored for next years Prom Closet.

There will be 10 dressing rooms with mirrors so customers can try on their selections. No limit is placed on the number of dresses a customer can purchase.

Shoppers are encouraged to wear masks, and hand sanitizer will be available. We shortened our hours a little bit, and our plan is to keep people moving and traffic flowing, McSweeney explained.

About 30 or so active Junior League members are expected to participate in this years Prom Closet, ranging from donating dresses, organizing the event, hauling dress-filled totes to the store, setting up and arranging racks, sorting and hanging gowns and working at the event.

Our members have really come together and rallied to pull this off, Cue said. After advance planning and initial preparations, it will be all hands on deck Feb. 28 when the store is set up for the sale.

Dress donations can be dropped off until March 2 at the Junior League office, located in the American Red Cross building at 2530 University Ave. Do not deliver donations to the Prom Closet at Crossroads because it is a temporary location for the sale days only. For a special drop off or pick up time, email Jlwcfpromscloset@gmail.com

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Magha Puja (Sangha Day) is the second most important Theravada Buddhist festival that commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 Arahants (awakened monks), to whom the Buddha delivered the exhortation on the basis of the discipline (Ovada Patimokkha). It is a day that honors the Sangha, or Buddhist spiritual community.

It contains the four auspicious occasions that occurred nine months after the Buddhas enlightenment and have been celebrated for over 2,500 years, which are: the full moon day of the third lunar month, the spontaneous arrival of 1,250 Arahants to see Buddha, the ordination of all of the Arahants by the Buddha himself, and the Buddhas sermon called the Ovada Patimokkha.

For the festival, lay people often visit temples to give offerings to monks and nuns, and monastics chant the Ovada-Patimokkha Gatha, which is a summary of the Buddha's teachings. Sometimes there will also be solemn candlelight processions.

One of the most elaborate observances of Magha is at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Burma, where there is a non-stop, 10-day recital of Pathana, Buddhist teachings on the twenty-four causes of worldly phenomena as taught in the Pali Abhidhamma.

The Office of Spiritual and Religious life wishes all of those celebrating Sangha Day a time of wisdom and connection with community.

Sources:

OBrien, Barbara. The Buddhist Holiday of Magha Puja or Sangha Day. Learning Religions.

July 27, 2018. https://www.learnreligions.com/magha-puja-449909.

Magha Puja: the light of Peace Ceremony. Dhammakaya Foundation. 2022.

https://en.dhammakaya.net/activities/magha-puja-the-light-of-peace-ceremony/.

Resilience: Multifaith Calendar 2022. Multifaith Action Society. 2022.
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ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognized government on Wednesday announced military gains in the country's northern province of Saada, the main stronghold of the Houthi militia.

According to a brief press statement released by the state-run Saba news agency, the Yemeni army forces succeeded in recapturing a number of key sites from the Houthi militia in As Safra district in the northeastern parts of Saada province.

It said that the pro-government army forces carried out a large-scale military operation against the Houthis stationed in As Safra district.

Several Houthi fighters were either killed or injured as a result of the confrontations with the army troops in Saada's military operation, it added.

The recent military progress achieved by the government's army backed by Saudi Arabia opens a new frontline between the Yemeni warring sides in the poorest Arab country.

On Tuesday, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said that he is developing a framework that will set out the plan to move toward an inclusive political settlement, including the establishment of a multi-track process.

Saada is a main stronghold of the Iran-backed Houthi militia who have been fighting the Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition for years.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. 
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China urges U.S. to lift asset freeze, unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan

Xinhua) 09:33, February 16, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The United States seized Afghan assets without the consent of the Afghan people, which is tantamount to robbery, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday, urging the U.S. to lift the freeze.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on the executive order signed by U.S. President Joe Biden regarding the 7 billion U.S. dollar frozen assets of the Central Bank of Afghanistan.

Without the consent of the Afghan people, the U.S. willfully disposes of assets that belong to the Afghan people, even keeping them as its own. "This is no different from the conduct of bandits," Wang said.

This latest example has once again laid bare that the "rules-based order" the U.S. claims to champion is not the kind of rules and order to defend the weak and uphold justice, but to maintain its own hegemony, Wang noted.

As the culprit of the Afghan crisis, the U.S. should not exacerbate the suffering of the Afghan people, he said.

It should unfreeze their assets, lift unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan as soon as possible, and assume its due responsibility to ease the humanitarian crisis in the country, said the spokesperson.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C, Front) speaks at a Security Council meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 16, 2022. Guterres on Wednesday called for more cooperation between the world body and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Afghanistan. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for more cooperation between the world body and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Afghanistan.

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is worsening by the day. Meanwhile, terrorism remains a constant threat, not only to the security of Afghanistan and the region, but to the entire world, he told a Security Council meeting on UN-CSTO cooperation.

Without determined action, the severe economic contraction, rising unemployment and escalating humanitarian crisis will fuel despair and breed extremism. The threat from illicit drugs and arms flows, as well as criminal and terrorist networks, is increasing, he warned.

"Regional and inter-regional cooperation are an essential element in our response. So too are strengthened regional dialogue, as well as cross-border law enforcement and judicial coordination. Close cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, including the CSTO, will be critical in helping defuse these evolving threats, preventing spill-over, promoting stability and ultimately saving lives," he said.

Guterres also stressed the need for UN-CSTO cooperation on conflict prevention, counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics.

The UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia has been working in close partnership with the CSTO to address the root causes of potential conflict and develop shared solutions to shared problems. Today, good working relations between the CSTO and the Regional Center enable constructive early-warning exchanges and regular contacts during security-related events in the region, he said.

The Regional Center is also promoting measures against cross-border crime, terrorism and drug trafficking to ensure conditions for peaceful sustainable development -- all areas where the United Nations looks forward to building partnership with the CSTO, he said.

Cooperation with regional organizations is at the core of UN activities and enshrined in the UN Charter. Now more than ever, a more effective United Nations depends on stronger and deeper cooperation with regional organizations, said Guterres. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Front) speaks at a Security Council meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 16, 2022. Guterres on Wednesday called for more cooperation between the world body and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Afghanistan. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)


Eagle Going Underground at Oracle Ridge

Perth, Feb 16, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Eagle Mountain Mining Limited ( ASX:EM2 ) ( OTCMKTS:EGMMF ) is pleased to announce its plan to recommission parts of the existing underground mine at its 100% owned Oracle Ridge Project ("Oracle Ridge", "Project") in Arizona, USA.Eagle Mountain Mining CEO, Tim Mason, commented:"Drilling from underground will be a massive step-change for our exploration and move us closer to feasibility studies. We are very fortunate to have an existing underground mine in very good condition with development in the right location to continue to build and upgrade our Mineral Resources. We don't need to de-water the mine to access the drill sites and rehabilitation is expected to be relatively minor. Along with drilling shorter holes, it also enables better access to the orebody for taking bulk samples for metallurgical test work for optimisation of processing design and recoveries.Importantly, two drill rigs will continue to focus on resource expansion and upgrade drilling at the Talon as results have demonstrated the growth potential of the Resource.Given the large number of assays pending (56 holes), results will continue to be received whilst we recommission the underground mine. With the reduction of one drill rig and the recommissioning of the mine, we do not expect a significant impact on our rate of expenditure. However, it is setting us up for the future with drill platforms to efficiently build out the resource and potentially install a drill drive to the south into the Talon zone which is growing with almost every drill hole. We are currently in discussions with underground drilling contractors, and we are working to secure a drill rig for mobilisation around Q3 2022.I would like to acknowledge our dedicated team of employees and contractors who have safely delivered strong drilling performance and allowed us to take this opportunity to transition to underground drilling.This transition to underground drilling is an exciting advancement for Eagle Mountain Mining as we work towards a preliminary feasibility study commencing later this year. "Recommission of the Oracle Ridge Underground MineThe Company's increased confidence in the resource potential of the project has provided the impetus to bring forward plans to invest in the recommissioning of parts of the existing underground mine. This will enable underground diamond drilling from a range of new and existing drill sites along with access for various studies.The Oracle Ridge mine includes over 18 kilometres of existing underground development, accessed from two portals. More than 90% of the existing mine is accessible and does not require dewatering.The recommissioning will include installation and/or servicing of electrical, water and air services followed by progressive checks and rehabilitation of underground tunnels as required. The mine benefits from a variety of existing infrastructure including electrical transformers, reticulated pipes and cabling, electrical starter boxes and ventilation fans. These were installed approximately 10 years ago and will assist in recommissioning the mine from both a time and cost perspective.A key initial reason to access the underground mine is to enable diamond drilling from underground.This has a range of benefits including:- Reduced costs and time - Drilling from the underground will allow a reduction in hole length by an estimated 40 to 60% when compared to surface drilling. As the Company is focusing on improving the quality of the resource with higher density drilling, this provides significant time and cost savings.- Improved quality - Shorter holes typically have less deviation which is important for higher density drilling, as required for Indicated and Measured Mineral Resources.- Faster delivery of results - The shorter holes mean more drilling intercepts and therefore faster results for future MRE updates.- Other - Drilling from underground can reduce the impact of adverse weather events such as the monsoon or snow, which have previously impacted drilling.In addition to underground drilling, this access enables testwork and analysis which will be important aspects of a planned preliminary feasibility study to commence later in the year. These activities include:- Metallurgical - Provides access to collect bulk samples for metallurgical and comminution test work to design optimal processing circuitry and recoveries.- Geotechnical - Proves access to collect samples and structural data for geotechnical evaluation of stopes and development designsIn addition, access to the underground provides optionality to install a future drill drive from underground. This drill drive could target the Talon area where multiple strong drilling results have been received.Diamond Drilling PerformanceExploration diamond drilling at Oracle Ridge commenced in September 2020, on a part-time basis, with one drill rig. Following strong exploration results outside the then JORC Resource, the Company transitioned to three surface drills on a full-time basis. Since this transition was completed in July 2021, the drilling rates have continuously improved with record monthly drilling occurring in January 2022 with over 5,000 metres drilled (Refer Figure 4*).The combination of strong drilling performance and lengthening assay times has contributed to the current position with 56 assays pending results. This is a relatively large number, considering the upcoming JORC MRE is based on just 55 new holes in addition to the 651 holes used to define the maiden JORC MRE.A key reason for the long turnaround in assays has been core cutting delays at the laboratories. We are expecting to see the benefit of the Company's own recently installed core saw shortly as this core begins to progress past the backlog.Next StepsThe Company is planning the following actions over the coming months:- Implement various safety processes and install equipment required for recommissioning and working underground- Recommission or install underground services including electrical, air and water- Commence checks and rehabilitation of underground ground support as necessaryThe Company is currently in discussion with underground drilling contractors and is aiming to secure a rig to mobilise in late Q3 2022.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Eagle Mountain Mining Limited

Eagle Mountain Mining Limited (ASX:EM2) (OTCMKTS:EGMMF), is a copper-gold explorer focused on the strategic exploration and development of the Oracle Ridge Copper Mine and the highly prospective greenfield (Silver Mountain) project, both located in Arizona, USA.

Arizona is at the heart of America's mining industry and home to some of the world's largest copper discoveries such as Bagdad, Miami and Resolution, one of the largest undeveloped copper deposits in the world.


Substantial Resources and Reserves Increase

Sydney, Feb 16, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Ltd ( ASX:EEG ) ( OTCMKTS:EEGUF ) is pleased to announce an update to its Beetaloo Sub-basin Contingent and Prospective Resources and US gas production asset reserves.EP187 Contingent ResourcesThe revised estimate of the Contingent Resources for EP187 incorporated the technical results from the Carpentaria-2H ("C-2H") well which was drilled in Q4 2021, the Carpentaria-1 ("C-1") vertical fracture stimulation and flow test which was carried out in Q2 2021, and the Charlotte 2D Seismic Survey ("Charlotte Seismic Survey") which was acquired in Q4 2021. C-2H comprised a vertical and horizontal well section. The C-2H vertical section intersected the Velkerri A, Intra A/B, B and C shales with near identical rock and gas characteristics as those intersected at C-1, albeit ~240 metres deeper. C-1 was successfully fracture stimulated and production tested in Q3 2021 and produced gas to surface from all four of the Velkerri shale zones. Empire intends to fracture stimulate and flow test C-2H in Q2 2022 with all approvals in place and operational planning well advanced.NSAI's updated assessment incorporates additional Contingent Resources in the Velkerri B and C shales in addition to Contingent Resources assessed in the Velkerri A, Intra A/B, B and C shales in early 2021. See link* below release for total independently assessed EP187 Contingent Resources.EP187 Prospective ResourcesThe revised estimate of the Prospective Resources incorporates the results of the Charlotte Seismic Survey and the C-2H drilling results.The seven-line, 164 km survey followed the Broadmere 2D Seismic Survey, acquired by Empire in 2019, providing greater seismic definition through infill coverage (nominal line spacing of ~4 km) in the Carpentaria area and greater seismic coverage across the Carpentaria East immediately adjacent to the Carpentaria area and Carpentaria South prospective areas as shown on the map below*.The Charlotte Seismic Survey provided additional coverage over the prospective Carpentaria East and Carpentaria South areas, immediately adjacent to the Carpentaria area where Empire has now drilled two successful wells.The updated mapping has derisked the Carpentaria East and Carpentaria South areas, demonstrating that they are substantially deeper than previously thought (at equivalent depths to Carpentaria-2H) across an area approximately 2.5 times larger than previously mapped.Following the acquisition and interpretation of the Charlotte Seismic Survey there has been an ~80% increase in P(50) Prospective Resources in the combined Carpentaria East and Carpentaria South areas.The results of the NSAI EP187 Prospective Resources assessment are summarised by Empire in the table* below. A detailed summary can be found at Appendix A*.NSAI's analysis was restricted to Empire's current operations in EP187 and did not incorporate further assessment of Empire's 2021 acquired Western Beetaloo properties or its northern properties targeting the Barney Creek or other McArthur Basin shale targets.Following completion of the updated NSAI EP187 independent resource assessment, Empire's total Northern Territory Contingent and Prospective Resources including its recently acquired Western Beetaloo properties and Northern McArthur Basin properties are in the link* below.USA ReservesEmpire's USA reserves are reviewed annually by certified independent third-party reservoir engineers, Graves & Co. Consulting LLC ("Graves"). The scope of the reviews is to prepare an estimate of the Proved, Probable and Possible Reserves attributable to Empire's ownership position in its USA assets located in New York State and Pennsylvania, USA. Graves assessed Empire's USA Reserves as at 30 November 2021 (NYMEX Strip 30 November 2021 including hedges) are set out in the table* in link below.The valuation of Empire's USA reserves assessed by Graves has increased substantially since December 2020, due primarily to a material increase in forward US gas prices.Comments from Managing Director Alex Underwood:"The Empire team ended 2021 delighted with the results of our Beetaloo work programs. We successfully flowed gas to surface from all of the four Velkerri shale zones we fracked in the Carpentaria-1 vertical well, which gave us the confidence to acquire additional seismic in EP187 (the Charlotte 2D Seismic Survey) and drill our first horizontal well, Carpentaria-2H ("C-2H"). C2H was successfully drilled in Q4, with the entire 1,345m horizontal section successfully placed in the target Velkerri B shale following which we successfully cased the entire horizontal section.We look forward to fracture stimulating and flow testing C-2H in Q2, with all approvals in place, the job fully funded and long lead items ordered.NSAI's updated assessment of our resources in EP187 has validated our 2021 investments, with substantial contingent (i.e. discovered) resources booked, and additional prospectivity identified.This is another big step forward as we pursue our goal of being the first company to sell Beetaloo gas."*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Empire Energy Group Ltd

Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators.

Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Authorities released more details on the fatal shooting of a man by Torrance County deputies during a domestic dispute in the East Mountains on Monday afternoon.

New Mexico State Police spokesman Officer Ray Wilson said at least two deputies opened fire on 37-year-old Travis Boawn during an encounter at an Edgewood home. Boawn was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wilson said the deputies  who were not identified  had been called to the home after Boawn allegedly attacked a woman with a claw hammer.

Torrance County dispatch received a 911 call around 2:45 p.m. that a woman was being treated at a local hospital after being injured in a domestic violence incident.

Wilson said the woman told deputies Boawn, whom she lived with, attacked her with a claw hammer and she was able to get to her vehicle and leave the home.

He said deputies went to the home in the 250 block of Skyline around 4:45 p.m. and made contact with Boawn.

At some point during the encounter, two TCSO deputies fired at least one round from their firearms, Wilson said. Boawn was struck at least once by gunfire.

State Police are still investigating the incident.

The New Mexico State Police acts solely as fact-finders in its cases and does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified in these types of matters, Wilson said. That decision rests with the district attorneys office.
The unattended death of a person found in an apartment west of Downtown on Friday is being investigated as a homicide.

Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said officers were called to 1023 Central NW for reports of a person found dead in one of the apartments.

The individual was found under blankets; due to the bodys condition and the apartment, the homicide unit was called out, Gallegos wrote in an email. Detectives are canvassing the area and processing the scene.

He did not answer questions about how the person died. He said the detectives were hoping to contact the next of kin Tuesday afternoon and then he could identify the person who was killed.

In an unrelated case, Gallegos said detectives are no longer considering the death of a woman in mid-January to be a homicide after receiving the autopsy and doing an initial investigation.

Brenda Allen, 52, was found dead at the Laurels At Uptown apartment complex on the 1300 block of Louisiana NE on Jan. 16. While initially her death was investigated as a homicide, Gallegos said its now being considered a suspicious death.

The autopsy and initial investigation did not support the initial belief that her death could be a homicide, Gallegos said. A detective is still investigating.
Mitch McConnell thinks Jan. 6, 2021, was a violent insurrection.

Thats a sharp departure from the Republican National Committees shameful, consistent attempts to downplay what occurred.

On Feb. 4, the RNC censured Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, two Republicans who crossed a line to join Democrats in the House of Representatives to investigate former President Trumps role in the riot.

McConnell, the highest-ranking Republican in the Senate, rejected the RNCs description of the events of Jan. 6 as legitimate political discourse.

We saw what happened, McConnell told reporters. It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election, from one administration to the next. Thats what it was.

Such candor, while refreshing, is overdue. McConnell arguably could have thwarted the censure altogether with an impassioned defense of Cheney and Kinzinger when they joined the House Select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol last year.

Nevertheless, McConnell has earned plaudits for his latest stand. While its hardly heroic to simply acknowledge the truth, McConnell had to know a certain former president  repeating baseless claims of fraud  would be ready to pounce.

Mitch McConnell does not speak for the Republican Party and does not represent the views of the vast majority of its voters, former President Donald Trump said in a statement. He did nothing to fight for his constituents and stop the most fraudulent election in American history.

If responsible GOP leaders had been emphatic about calling Jan. 6 a violent insurrection in the riots aftermath, we might not be here enduring revisionist statements about one of Americas darkest days.

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.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations in New Mexico each declined by more than 30% over the past week compared with the week before, according to the New Mexico Department of Healths weekly epidemiology reports, which were posted to the departments website Tuesday.

The reports show that new confirmed cases in the state declined 38%, from 13,432 cases in the report dated Feb. 7 to 8,199 cases in the report dated Feb. 14. New hospital admissions during that same time period dropped from 370 to 249  a 33% dip.

The department on Tuesday reported 710 new confirmed cases, as well 27 additional deaths, bringing the statewide toll to 6,711 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The deaths reported Tuesday included a Bernalillo County woman and a Sandoval County man in their 30s. They were the youngest people whose deaths were announced Tuesday.

The state reported 460 people with COVID were hospitalized on Tuesday, up from 403 the day before. But the most recent weekly report nonetheless shows an overall decline in new COVID admissions over the course of the week.

Despite that decline, Acting Health Secretary Dr. David Scrase last week extended a crisis standards of care public health order through at least March 11. The orders give hospitals the ability to more freely transfer patients to other facilities and have physicians work outside their normal areas, among other changes.

Scrases order says the state is continuing to experience a drastic shortage in acute care medical workers and many nurses have left the profession or the state, which is adding to the stress hospitals are facing.

Last week, nine hospitals were operating under that crisis designation. Holy Cross Medical Center in Taos, Miners Colfax Medical Center in Raton, San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, two Presbyterian Healthcare Services hospitals in Albuquerque and one in Espanola, and two University of New Mexico hospitals in Albuquerque had all declared they were under crisis standards of care, Katy Diffendorfer, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health, said in an email.

The state epidemiology reports released Tuesday did show that many vaccinated adults are catching COVID, though unvaccinated people are still much more likely to die or develop serious disease.

From Jan. 17 through Feb. 14, fully vaccinated people made up 34.7% of COVID hospitalizations and 32.9% of the deaths, according to the NMDOH website.

Included in those totals are adults who had received a booster shot. In the past four weeks, adults who had received three shots accounted for 13.4% of hospitalizations and 9.3% of the deaths.

The NMDOH website shows that 77.7% of New Mexicans 18 or older are fully vaccinated.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas put the state Public Regulation Commission on notice Tuesday that his office will examine PRC decisions and policies after Public Service Company of New Mexico warned last week that its customers could face rolling blackouts this summer.

PNM said it wont have enough generating capacity on its system to meet peak demand in July and August, when consumers collectively blast their air conditioners to deal with intense summer heat. Thats because four solar plants being built by contract developers to replace power from the coal-fired San Juan Generating System wont be ready when PNM abandons the coal plant on June 30.

Supply chain problems caused by the global pandemic have delayed construction at all four solar projects. And those same issues are creating grid reliability challenges as well for other utilities across the state, because many cant get the equipment and materials they need for maintenance and repairs on their electric systems.

But while the pandemic caused the supply chain problems, PNM says delays by the PRC in originally approving PNMs new solar power contracts created a construction time crunch that made it difficult from the start to get those facilities up and running in time for the San Juan shutdown, and then impossible to meet the deadline when pandemic-induced supply problems hit in spring 2021.

In addition, the commission rejected a PNM request to construct a new peaking natural gas plant  which rapidly ramps up and down as needed to provide backup generation alongside intermittent solar facilities  forcing the utility to instead rely on wholesale power markets to make up for potential electric shortages.

And now, with extreme weather events such as summer heat waves, drought and wildfires stressing grids throughout the western U.S., very little, if any, wholesale power will be available for purchase this summer if PNM faces shortfalls, potentially leading to rolling blackouts.

As the state official charged with protecting consumer interests, Balderas said hes disturbed by what appears to be adverse decisions and lack of prompt action by the PRC.

I am highly concerned that recent decisions have produced a disturbing pattern of inaction contrary to the interests of New Mexicans, Balderas said in a letter sent Tuesday to the PRC and obtained by the Journal. Most troubling has been the commissions failure to act in a timely fashion to approve additional electric generation capacity that would serve New Mexico customers, including during recent and upcoming summer peaking periods. Biased and narrow agendas have taken focus away from critical issues of health and safety and have led us to this brink.

The Attorney Generals Office is now evaluating the proper legal path to investigate the commissions recent actions, while simultaneously considering emergency measures to deal with the looming summer energy crisis, Balderas added.

While my office will be working with state and federal legislators and regulators to undertake a broad investigation into the policy failures at the genesis of this inaction, my staff has begun meeting with experts to bring interests together so that as we get close to the summer heat, we have a clear plan to protect our most vulnerable, Balderas said in his letter.

Escalating controversy

The prospect of blackouts is generating debate about who, and what, is to blame for the current situation.

Commissioners say theres blame to go around if PNM and others want to assign responsibility. According to Commissioner Stephen Fischmann, PNM had a long list of bids from energy developers to build replacement resources 18 months before it actually asked the PRC to approve new solar facilities and battery storage systems, along with the backup gas plant it wanted to build.

PNM sat on those bids for 18 months before presenting them to the commission, Fischmann told the Journal. That 18-month delay had far more impact on getting replacement resources in place than any decision by the commission to deny building a new gas plant.  Lets stop the blaming and start fixing the problem.

Noah Long of the Natural Resources Defense Council  which played a critical role in getting the San Juan plant closed as part of the states transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy  said hes tired of the finger pointing.

The PRC isnt blameless  they have made some bad decisions, Long said. But the critical issue creating the problems were facing is the supply-chain disruptions.

Still, the current crisis raises fundamental questions about the most prudent path forward in transforming the grid to renewable generation under the states Energy Transition Act, which requires PNM and other local utilities to convert their electric systems to 50% renewables by 2030, 80% by 2040, and 100% non-carbon generation by 2045.

Paradigm shift

Its not just a question of whether peaking gas plants or other types of backup resources should be considered to support the energy transition, said Doug Howe, a 35-year industry executive who previously served as a PRC commissioner. Rather, theres a need for paradigm change in the way utilities and regulators in New Mexico and elsewhere approach long-term planning to transform the grid away from fossil fuels.

As states across the West replace 24/7 coal and natural gas plants with intermittent solar and wind energy, utility regulators need to carefully plan for backup generation when the sun doesnt shine and the wind doesnt blow, Howe said. That means significantly raising the reserve margin of internal generation available for emergency situations as wholesale markets become less and less reliable for backup power.

Its a pervasive planning problem now, Howe told the Journal. Regulatory bodies, in my opinion, havent caught up yet. Theyre still counting on old reserve margins and wholesale markets from when fossil fuels were predominant.

It also means relying on the expertise of utility professionals when deciding on the energy resources needed to maintain around-the-clock system reliability.

With the PRC, I generally agree that PNM got backed into a corner when the commission chose a 100% renewable replacement plan for San Juan, Howe said. I think the PRC kind of overstepped a bit in this case by imposing its own view of what the system needs for reliability over the utilitys view. I always think its a bit dangerous when commissions start making management decisions for utilities.

Regulators must also be more open to adding additional backup resources to the grid to ensure reliability, said Tom Fallgren, PNMs vice president for generation.

Its not just a New Mexico issue, Fallgren told the Journal. It seems like everyone is afraid to build 1 megawatt of power too soon. The idea that you cant err on the side of a few more resources is a detriment to progress.

Emergency preparedness

Prompt, responsive regulatory oversight in todays energy transition is a fundamental public safety issue, Balderas said.

Facing a summer without power during our hottest months endangers lives and damages our economy, making it imperative that the commission immediately and properly balance the interests required to keep utilities and consumers healthy, Balderas said in his letter to the PRC.

That includes emergency preparedness to handle rolling blackouts, including reaching out to the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to ensure vulnerable citizens have immediate assistance if needed, Balderas said.

This situation demands an all-of-government approach, Balderas said.  My office will be coordinating with our sister agencies to ensure that there are plans to care for our elderly and children in the event of extreme heat and no power.  New Mexico must take steps now to avoid risk to New Mexican families and our economy this summer, and the time to act is now.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Democratic legislators in the House resurrected parts of a broad voting rights bill Tuesday by grafting it onto separate election legislation, triggering bitter protest from opponents of the bill.

The move came after Senate Republicans used a parliamentary procedure in their chamber last week to block a vote on Senate Bill 8  legislation that would establish a permanent absentee voter list, restore the voting rights of felons upon release from incarceration and require ballot drop boxes in counties.

With the bill halted on the Senate side, House Democrats responded with their own procedural move Tuesday, blending parts of three election bills  including Senate Bill 8  into one measure, Senate Bill 144.

The House Judiciary Committee adopted amendments combining all three bills into one 160-page measure and sent it to the House floor Tuesday for further consideration.

The move keeps alive, at least for now, much of the voter access provisions backed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and other Democratic leaders.

Republican Rep. Greg Nibert of Roswell said it was unconstitutional to roll the three bills together  a move that stretched what had been a two-page bill prohibiting threats against county and state election workers into something exceeding 160 pages.

The state Constitution, he said, requires that each bill focus on just one topic.

This is crossing the line, Nibert said.

Rep. Daymon Ely, a Corrales Democrat who sponsored the amendments, defended the revised election bill.

Its common, he said, for lawmakers to take bills that cover the same topic and roll them together into one proposal to avoid duplication.

The new proposal, Ely said, simply melds three bills that have been thoroughly vetted by legislative committees, without adding anything new. Much of what was in the other bills was dropped, he said, narrowing the focus of what had been proposed earlier.

There are people on all sides of the aisle that are going to be disappointed about things that arent in here, Ely said, describing it as a compromise.

Sen. Katy Duhigg, an Albuquerque Democrat and cosponsor of the revised bill, said it made sense to develop one election measure rather than handling separate proposals that might touch on the same areas of law.

There are a lot of good policy reasons to take a comprehensive approach rather than a piecemeal one, she said.

Opponents blasted the revised bill. They said the amendments made it difficult for the public to follow along and that it was inappropriate to bypass the usual step of making each bill clear a series of committees and floor votes on its own.

Were not supposed to be deceived, and thats what youre doing, former state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones, a Republican from Albuquerque, told her former colleagues in the public hearing.

Republican lawmakers said they had too little time to evaluate the proposal. They noted that Senate Bill 8 had been through Senate committees, not House panels, meaning they hadnt had a formal chance to scrutinize it until Tuesday.

Procedural conflict aside, the new version of the legislation, Senate Bill 144, calls for:

 Establishing a permanent absentee voter list, allowing a person to sign up once to get absentee ballots in future elections.

 Restoring voting rights of people convicted of a felony when they leave incarceration rather than requiring them to complete probation or parole.

 Requiring training for poll challengers and watchers.

 Directing each county to offer two secured, monitored drop boxes for absentee ballots returned by voters.

 Creating a Native American voting rights act.

 Making it a crime to threaten or intimidate county clerks or secretary of states employees, a change intended to protect election workers.

The proposal doesnt include earlier provisions that would have allowed 16-year-olds to vote in school and city elections, for example, and it doesnt create automated registration of new voters at Motor Vehicle Division offices.

If the bill were passed by the full House, it would go back to the Senate for agreement on the changes made by the House  no guarantee given the scope of the changes.

The elections debate is playing out across the country, with some states tightening voting rules and Democrats unable to pass legislation at the federal level.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A hefty $827.7 million package of New Mexico public works projects advanced at the Roundhouse on Tuesday, even as legislators voiced renewed concerns about large amounts of unspent infrastructure money from previous years.

While lawmakers last year required more disclosure of how so-called capital outlay funds are divvied up, recent attempts to fully overhaul the process for selecting projects have been unsuccessful.

Among other projects, this years capital outlay package, Senate Bill 212, includes $4.5 million for improvements at the State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque and $20 million for construction of a new New Mexico Veterans Home in Truth or Consequences.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has urged lawmakers to approve $60 million for the construction of a new veterans home at the site of the current facility, after a legislative report last year found inadequate state oversight and staffing levels.

The New Mexico Veterans Home is the states only home for military veterans and their spouses. A COVID-19 outbreak at the facility led to the deaths of 28 individuals in late 2020.

Meanwhile, the capital outlay bill also includes money for school repairs, watershed restoration efforts and the construction of a new state government building

The measure passed the Senate on a 30-0 vote and now advances to the House for consideration.

But Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, the committees chairman, said the states process for funding infrastructure projects is inefficient and unwieldy, especially for lawmakers in rural parts of New Mexico.

We cannot continue to do this  for me, its one of the worst processes we have, Munoz said.

As of October, there was $1.8 billion in funding for capital outlay projects authorized in previous years that had not been spent, according to the Legislative Finance Committee.

That dollar amount represents more than 3,600 different projects around the state.

Most public works projects in the package are funded by bonds backed by future tax revenue, though general state dollars are also used.

A separate $258.8 million package of projects at New Mexico higher education institutions, senior centers and libraries is also likely to win approval before lawmakers wrap up this years 30-day legislative session on Thursday.

Unlike the capital outlay bill, that package would be funded by general obligation bonds backed by property taxes and would require statewide voter approval in November.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

For the second time in about three weeks, a woman was shot and killed inside an Albuquerque massage business during an apparent armed robbery, stoking fears among those in the Asian community.

Albuquerque police found the victim, a woman of Chinese descent, in a West Side massage spa late Tuesday night after responding to an armed robbery at the business.

Security camera video of the incident  time stamped 8:30 p.m.  was being shared on a messenger app by Wednesday morning. It showed a motionless woman lying in a doorway as a man with a gun in his waistband rifles through an office.

Officer Chase Jewell, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said officers responded around 11 p.m. to delayed reports of a possible robbery at the Canna Spa Massage near Coors and Los Volcanes NW.

Gilbert Gallegos, another APD spokesman, said in an update that the body of a woman was found inside the business.

Homicide detectives are conducting interviews, he said. Gallegos did not identify the woman but said she was of Chinese descent and had been shot.

Gallegos released still photos of the suspect and his black truck from security footage and asked anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers or 911.

The incident comes a little more than three weeks after Sihui Fang, a 45-year-old massage spa owner, died in a shootout with suspected armed robbers inside her Northeast Albuquerque business. Two young men, one of whom was shot and injured, were charged in her death.

At the time, business owners and employees at massage businesses told the Journal they were worried because there had been a spate of robberies of such businesses in Albuquerque and Santa Fe in recent months.

Chearie Alipat, coordinator for ending gender-based violence at the New Mexico Asian Family Center, on Wednesday said the community is still processing whats happening.

It is a tragedy and our community is hurting, and we are grieving with them, Alipat said.

Also on Wednesday, local advocates sent an email to those who head commercial real estate associations, asking for increased security for any Asian-owned businesses they are renting to.

Kristelle Siarza, volunteer executive director of the Asian Business Collaborative, said they are asking the property owners to be vigilant over the next 24 to 48 hours.

There is something going on and we dont know whats happening, but its terrifying, she said. Were really afraid that the culprit is out there still and could be targeting a business tonight or tomorrow.

Siarza said they have had a significant number of robberies reported to them by Asian-owned businesses in recent months. Some owners were discouraged after authorities told them some robberies, of a wallet or phone, were too small a crime to pursue.

Siarza said APD has been more responsive lately, but concerns about immigration status and inadequate licensing have also kept some businesses from reporting.

These strings of little robberies are becoming such a big gateway for where we are now, were trying to ring the alarm to say, Something is up and we dont know what it is,  she said.

 At this point in time, its a matter of safety and security for everybody, not just Asian-owned businesses, but also those that share a wall with them.

On Wednesday, a graphic video of the latest incident was being shared by Asian business owners on WeChat, a messenger app popular among Asian communities.

The video, time stamped nearly three hours before police arrived, shows a woman lying motionless in a doorway in the hallway of the business. A tall man wearing a black baseball cap, a gaiter over his face and a sleeve covering his arm tattoos, rummages through an office next door.

The man holds a lockbox or briefcase of some kind as he gathers items from the room. A large handgun is visible sticking out of his waistband. Throughout the video, the woman lies still in the background.
ADDIS ABABA, Feb.15 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia and Kenya have agreed to jointly fight the militant groups al-Shabab and Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), state media outlet Ethiopia News Agency (ENA) reported on Tuesday.

The state media said an agreement had been reached between Hilary Mutyambai, visiting inspector general of the Kenya Police, and Demelash Gebremichael, commissioner of the Ethiopia Federal Police Commission.

"The two agreed to conduct joint security missions to stem the movement of OLA and al-Shabab, particularly in the two countries' common border areas," ENA reported.

The security chiefs from both sides also agreed to jointly safeguard peace and security of the Ethiopia-Kenya border areas as well as upgrade their information exchange capabilities.

ENA also reported that Ethiopia and Kenya plan to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in less than a month to expedite their joint security operation efforts.

Al-Shabab, a militant Islamic rebel group mainly operating in conflict-wracked Somalia, has also engaged in terrorist attacks in several other east African countries.

The OLA is a breakaway faction of the ex-rebel group Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), which is an opposition political party claiming to fight for the rights of ethnic Oromos who make up about 35 percent of Ethiopia's population.

In May 2021, the Ethiopian parliament voted to designate the OLA as a terrorist group. 
LOS ANGELES  An appeals court judge who is the daughter of Mexican immigrants was nominated Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom as the first Latina to serve on the California Supreme Court.

Justice Patricia Guerrero, 50, of San Diego, grew up in the agricultural Imperial Valley and has worked as a federal prosecutor, law firm partner, Superior Court judge and now sits on the 4th District Court of Appeal.

Her extraordinary journey and nomination to serve as the first Latina justice on the bench of our states highest court is an inspiration to all of us and a testament to the California Dreams promise of opportunity for all to thrive, regardless of background or ZIP code, Newsom said in a statement.

If confirmed, Guerrero would fill the vacancy left in October when Associate Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar stepped down to become president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Cuellar was nominated to the court by former Gov. Jerry Brown, also a Democrat.

The seven member court is currently made up of four justices nominated by Democrats and two by Republicans. Another Brown nominee, Justice Leondra Kruger, is being considered by President Joe Biden to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The nomination was praised by advocacy groups who pushed Newsom to appoint a Latina when Cuellar announced he would step down in September. Guerreros name was mentioned at the time as a possible candidate for the opening.

Newsom has made diversity on the bench a priority. In 2020, he nominated the first openly gay justice, Martin Jenkins, who is the third Black person to serve on the court.

Guerrero said in a statement she was deeply honored to be selected and if confirmed would make a positive impact on the lives of Californians across the state.

I didnt get here alone, Guerrero said in a video. I stand on the shoulders of my parents and my grandparents who came to this country for better opportunities for their children. I think its important for people to see that  they can achieve whatever dreams they want with opportunity and hard work.

Guerreros grandfather came to the U.S. from the Mexican state of Sonora and got residency through a sponsor, she said. When her father arrived, he initially worked picking crops. Her mother, who recently died from breast cancer, emphasized the importance of reading and education and said there were no limitations on what her children could accomplish.

Guerrero worked at a grocery store as a teen and was co-valedictorian at her high school. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford Law School.

Newsom said Guerrero is well-regarded with a keen legal mind and a wide range of experiences. She has written opinions protecting consumer and individual rights, while upholding the constitutional rights of criminal defendants.

Despite the growing influence of Latinos, who make up the largest racial or ethnic group of Californias nearly 40 million residents, no Latina has served in a statewide constitutional office or as U.S. senator, said Sonja Diaz, founding director of UCLAs Latino Policy and Politics Initiative.

Latinas sit on high courts in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New York and Texas, Diaz said.

Latinas make up nearly 20 percent of Californias population, but we are underrepresented in nearly every industry, including the California judiciary, said Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, chair of California Latino Legislative Caucus. When Latinas are absent from this critical branch of government, our experiences and perspectives are excluded, and this ripples throughout our communities in so many other ways.

Retired California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno noted that Guerrero would also bring some geographical diversity to the court. The Imperial Valley, an impoverished agricultural region that borders Mexico and Arizona is an often forgotten part of the state.

With her extensive experience handling complex litigation matters, intellectual rigor and commitment to fairness and equality, Justice Guerrero is well-equipped to navigate the most complex legal issues in our court system and will make an excellent addition to our states highest court, Moreno said.

Guerreros nomination will be submitted to the State Bars Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation and must be confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

The Commission is made up of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Senior Presiding Justice of the state Court of Appeal Manuel A. Ramirez.

Guerrero would receive a salary of $274,000.
WASHINGTON  The United States has accused China of failing to meet its commitments to the World Trade Organization and says it is exploring new ways to combat aggressive Chinese trade practices.

In its annual report on Chinese compliance with WTO rules, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Wednesday that China isnt keeping the promises it made to open its markets to foreign competition when it joined the 164-country Geneva-based agency in 2001.

China has instead retained and expanded its state-led, non-market approach to the economy and trade, said U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Chinas policies and practices challenge the premise of the WTOs rules and cause serious harm to workers and businesses around the world.

Among other things, the United States repeated longstanding accusations that China uses subsidies and regulations to favor its own companies at the expense of foreign competitors; floods world markets with cheap steel, aluminum and other products; and forces U.S. and other foreign companies to hand over prized technology as the price of access to Chinese markets.

The U.S. report said: Chinas leadership appears confident in its state-led, non-market approach to the economy and trade and feels no need to conform to global norms.

The U.S. trade office said it is continuing to talk to China about obtaining real change in its economic and trade regime. And it is working with allies  and through the WTO  to put pressure on the Chinese government. Without offering specifics, the report said the U.S. is also exploring new ways to use domestic trade tools strategically as needed in order to achieve a more level playing field with China for U.S. workers and businesses.

Voicing similar complaints about China, President Donald Trump slapped taxes on about $360 billion worth of Chinese imports to the United States  tariffs the Biden administration is still imposing.

To reduce tensions, the U.S. and China reached a so-called Phase 1 trade agreement in January 2020. Among other things, the Chinese agreed to step up purchases of U.S. farm exports  benefiting Trump supporters in the American heartland  but left many thornier issues unresolved.

But Chad Bown of the Peterson Institute for International Trade calculated in a report last week that China has bought only 57% of U.S. exports it had to committed to purchase.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that the U.S. trade office is making a concerted effort to get China to live up to the Phase 1 purchase agreements.

The fact that they have not met those illustrates the limitations of the framework we inherited, she said.

___

AP Writer Chris Megarian in Washington contributed to this report.
GARZE COUNTY, China  As a speedskating team was winning Chinas first Olympic gold medal of the Beijing Games, all seemed quiet in the villages that line the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau.

A bus flew past gold-roofed monasteries on freshly paved asphalt. Red-robed monks rode motorcycles over windswept plains under snow-capped mountains.

It was a stark difference from 14 years ago, when China hosted its first Olympics. That summer, foreigners filmed deadly clashes between Tibetans and security forces in Lhasa, the regional capital. News of the violence ricocheted online, fueling protests, hunger strikes and self-immolations across the Tibetan region.

Today, Tibet has fallen quiet. There are no monks marching on police stations. No overturned cars or hurled stones.

Far more international attention and outrage is directed at Xinjiang in Chinas far northwest, where some human rights groups and Western governments say the Chinese government has been carrying out a campaign of genocide against the regions Uyghur population.

The once-relentless waves of protesters setting themselves afire has slowed. No self-immolations have been reported in the past two years; over the prior decade, there were more than 150.

That is, at least as far as the outside world knows. In China, where the government tightly controls information and limits access to areas seen as politically sensitive, its always hard to know whats really happening.

And few areas in China are considered as politically sensitive as Tibet.

____

As the bus carrying an Associated Press journalist traveled through the rugged borderlands in Sichuan close to Tibet, it suddenly ground to a halt.

Police officers filed onboard and ordered him off. Even though he had tested negative for the coronavirus three times in the previous five days, the officers ordered him expelled due to pandemic controls.

No foreigners are allowed in, said Jampa, the deputy head of Garze countys foreign affairs office, before ordering the journalist taken by car to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, a 10-hour drive away, where he was released.

Why have Tibetans seemingly acceded to Chinese rule after centuries of self-governance and decades of fervent protest and civil disobedience? The answer, based on interviews with more than a dozen Tibetans inside and outside of China, is that in many ways Beijings plan to tame Tibet is working.

Older Tibetans remain resentful. But after decades of struggle, many have resigned themselves to being part of China. Younger Tibetans are split: Some still secretly long for independence, while others call themselves proud Chinese citizens.

Abroad, activists continue to agitate for autonomy but now find their calls falling on deaf ears as Beijing uses its economic might to punish countries and companies that voice support for Tibetan independence.

Ever since Chinas Peoples Liberation Army marched into Tibet in 1951, the region had been locked in a bitter cycle of revolt and repression. Beijings harsh controls only prompted Tibetans to cry harder for autonomy, causing ever more severe crackdowns.

As the first Olympics approached in early 2008, and the worlds attention turned toward China, the familiar cycles of protest and crackdown accelerated. That March, five months before the opening ceremony, police beat and arrested monks in Lhasa who were clamoring for religious freedom.

Tibetans turned violent, throwing rocks and setting fire to flags, cars and shops. They killed more than a dozen people, most of them civilians of the countrys majority Han Chinese ethnicity.

State security opened fire. Activist groups reported over 100 deaths while authorities said they were only warning shots. Leaked internal government documents later revealed that at least 26 Tibetans had been killed.

As word of the bloodshed spread, demonstrations erupted across the Tibetan plateau. One day, they came to Drago county, which borders Garze on the plateaus eastern reaches in Sichuan.

Tsewang Dhondup was volunteering at a monastery when he and hundreds of others witnessed an officer beating a nun. When they rushed forward to confront the police, they were met with gunfire. A bullet went through Dhondups stomach.

These demonstrators werent the usual rabble-rousers  students and city dwellers with ties abroad. They were herders and farmers, working-class people who were supposed to be the bedrock of Communist Party support.

I took part because I felt the struggles my family and I were facing shouldnt be passed on to my children, Dhondup said from Canada, where he fled in 2012 after 14 months hiding from Chinese police.

___

After the Olympics, Beijing launched a sweeping campaign to control the hearts and minds of Tibetans.

People in Tibet have been leading a happy life, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters ahead of these latest Olympics.

Many areas have been targeted for the governments signature anti-poverty campaign. Billions have been poured into airports, highways, schools and other construction in Tibet. Electricity and subsidized healthcare have come to vast swaths of the region.

Such efforts have helped win support from some young Tibetans, said one Tibetan from a poor, rural part of the plateau, who agreed to speak anonymously in order to be candid. Generational rifts are emerging, as memories of an independent Tibet recede into the past and young urban Tibetans adopt Han Chinese manners and attitudes.

At public schools, the curriculum cultivates a sense of belonging to the Chinese nation. On a state-chaperoned trip to Lhasa last year, foreign journalists were shown a boarding school for Tibetans, where many parents are required to send their children. The students, many of them far from home, studied in Mandarin; Tibetan was relegated to a single class. Hundreds of thousands now study at such schools  a sharp change from a decade ago, when most Tibetans studied largely in their own language.

With jobs and investment come stepped up security and surveillance.

Theres always a carrot and stick approach, said Robbie Barnett, a Tibet expert in London.

Phones and the internet, once used to organize protests, have become tools to monitor and control. Those who criticize the state or speak up about the Dalai Lama, Tibets spiritual leader-in-exile, find their movements restricted. Some are placed under house arrest or imprisoned.

Were unhappy, but we dont dare say anything, said the Tibetan who agreed to speak anonymously.

He recalled being interrogated, and a friend detained, over a banned book about Tibetan Buddhism that was sent on Chinas WeChat instant messaging app.

We still want to fight to preserve our language, for traditional culture, he said, but everyone is scared. Nobody wants to die.

In 2011, up-and-coming Communist Party leader Chen Quanguo became the top government official in Tibet. He pioneered new forms of state control, dividing urban areas into grids for police surveillance, and building hundreds of 24-hour police stations and a few extrajudicial detention centers for rebellious monks and nuns.

Gradually, Chens measures succeeded in pacifying the unrest. Five years later, he was transferred to neighboring Xinjiang where he deployed the same tactics on a vastly wider and more extreme scale, overseeing a draconian campaign of mass incarceration against the Uyghurs.

Kesang Lamdark, a Tibetan artist living in Switzerland and the son of a renowned monk from Garze, said the dream of a free Tibet crashes against the reality of the Chinese police state.

If you protest and protest, whats it going to bring? If they catch you, youll go to prison, he said. Theres nothing much you can do.

___

During these Olympics, the human rights focus has shifted to Xinjiang. Beijing has waged a ruthless crackdown on the Uyghurs, imprisoning an estimated million or more in prisons and detention camps. They government says they are for job-training; former inmates describe them as brutal indoctrination centers.

At times, though, Tibetan dissidents still smuggle out news of arrested monks or images of cultural destruction. Its a high-stakes endeavor, as the Chinese authorities mete out harsh sentences to those accused of leaking state secrets.

In Drago county, images from late last year of authorities demolishing a 30-meter (100-foot) tall Buddha statue and a monastery school were leaked to the Tibetan government-in-exile. The demolitions were first reported by Radio Free Asia, a U.S.-funded news agency, and confirmed by AP and others using satellite imagery.

Jampa of the Garze county foreign affairs office said he had not heard of the demolitions, and denied any restrictions on faith. Religious freedoms are protected by the Chinese constitution, he said, like in America.

Its true that the authorities have tolerated a degree of religious freedom  unlike in Xinjiang, where many mosques now stand virtually empty after thousands were imprisoned for praying and owning Qurans.

Tibetan Buddhism has long been fashionable among Han Chinese seeking spiritual solace, and monasteries are popular tourist destinations. But officials in temple management offices keep close tabs, watching out for troublemakers.

As the car driven by state officials carried the AP journalist through Drago on the way to Chengdu, Lunar New Year lanterns dangled over empty streets. Skynet surveillance cameras gazed down on closed shops and restaurants. Looming above Drago, on the side of a mountain, were huge Chinese characters: Thank the Party, Love the Motherland.

In a neighboring county, five soldiers in camouflage marched down a street. Village roads were manned by officials checking papers, and the drive passed at least a half-dozen police checkpoints.

Arriving in the Tibetan quarter of Chengdu, where tens of thousands of Tibetans live under the states watchful gaze, officers with pikes and batons stand sentry while police lights flash red and blue. Checkpoints and cameras line the roads.

But residents seem to pay little heed. Monks amble the streets, thumbing prayer beads. The devout spin handheld prayer wheels. Han Chinese shopkeepers bargain with Tibetan customers over incense and images of Buddha.

Here, many young Tibetans are forging a new bicultural identity  one that celebrates their culture without challenging Beijings rule. Its evident in a plaza where crowds gather each evening, dancing to Tibetan tunes infused with Buddhist mantras and set to a thumping beat.

I am a true Tibetan, and at the same time I am also a true Chinese, said Kunchok Dolma, 28, a Tibetan in Chengdu who is a devout Buddhist and also teaches modern dance in flawless Mandarin. Theres no conflict between these things.

She is bothered that Tibetans can no longer obtain passports, by job postings that openly bar Tibetans from applying, and by restrictions on travel to Lhasa. But, given the regions troubled past, she largely accepts state policy as being for the greater good.

When were treated differently, I do feel like its rather unfair, she said, but I understand why it is the way it is.

___

McNeil reported from Beijing. Associated Press videojournalist Emily Wang in Beijing contributed to this report
PETROPOLIS, Brazil  The death toll from devastating mudslides and floods that swept through a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state has reached 78, Gov. Claudio Castro said Wednesday afternoon.

The city of Petropolis was slammed by a deluge Tuesday, and Castro said almost 400 people were left homeless. Searchers picked through the wreckage throughout the day and 21 people were recovered alive.

Civilians joined official recovery efforts. Among them were Priscila Neves and her siblings, who looked through the mud for any sign of their disappeared parents, but found only clothing. Neves told The Associated Press she had given up hope of finding her parents alive.

And Rosilene Virgilio, 49, was in tears as she recalled the desperate pleas from someone she couldnt save.

There was a woman screaming, Help! Get me out of here! But we couldnt do anything; the water was gushing out, the mud was gushing out, Virgilio told The Associated Press. Our city unfortunately is finished.

Petropolis is a German-influenced city named for a former Brazilian emperor. Nestled in the mountains above the coastal metropolis, for almost two centuries it has been a refuge for people escaping summer heat and tourists keen to explore the so-called Imperial City.

Petropolis was among the nations first planned cities and features stately homes along its waterways. But its population has grown haphazardly, climbing mountainsides now covered with small residences packed tightly together. Many are in areas unfit for structures and rendered more vulnerable by deforestation and inadequate drainage.

The stricken mountain region has seen similar catastrophes in recent decades, including one that caused more than 900 deaths. In the years since, Petropolis presented a plan to reduce risks of landslides, but works have been advancing only slowly.

The governor told reporters earlier that the situation was almost like war and that he was mustering all the state governments heavy machinery to help dig out the buried area.

The state fire department said late Tuesday the area received 25.8 centimeters (just over 10 inches) of rain within three hours Tuesday  almost as much as during the previous 30 days combined. Petropolis civil defense authority said moderate rain was expected Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Video posted on social media Tuesday showed cars and houses being dragged away by landslides, and water swirling through Petropolis and neighboring districts. On Wednesday, houses were buried beneath mud while appliances and cars were piled on streets where they had been swept the night before. Some people had attempted to flee the perilous hillsides.

The neighbors came down running and I gave them shelter, bar owner Emerson Torre, 39, recalled.

But under torrents of water, his roof collapsed. He managed to get his mother and three other people out of the bar in time, but one neighbor and the persons daughter were unable to escape.

It was like an avalanche, it fell all at once. Ive never seen anything like it, Torre told the AP as rescue helicopters hovered overhead. Every neighbor has lost a loved one, has lost two, three, four members of the same family, kids.

Petropolis city hall declared three days of mourning. Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro expressed solidarity while on a trip to Russia, as did his counterpart Vladimir Putin.

May God comfort their family members, Bolsonaro said Wednesday in a press conference in Moscow.

Southeastern Brazil has been punished with heavy rains since the start of the year, with more than 40 deaths recorded between incidents in Minas Gerais state in early January and Sao Paulo state later the same month.

___

Associated Press journalist Diarlei Rodrigues reported this story in Petropolis and AP writer David Biller reported from Rio de Janeiro. AP writer Diane Jeantet in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.
BRUSSELS  In a ruling hailed as a boost to democratic values, the European Unions highest court said Wednesday that the 27-nation bloc can suspend support payments to member states if they breach rule of law principles.

The right-wing governments of Hungary and Poland, which had challenged the EUs right to take such action, responded by arguing that the rule lacked a proper legal basis and would fundamentally interfere with their running of national business.

Both nations, large recipients of EU funds, have come under increasing criticism over the past few years for veering away from democratic norms with policies such as exerting excessive control over the judiciary, stifling media freedom and denying the rights of LGBT people.

When it comes to democratic principles, the European Union must be able to defend those values, within the limits of its powers, the European Court of Justice said in Wednesdays ruling.

We have the legal authority that is necessary, Frances Europe Minister Clement Beaune told the EU legislature. The rule of law is our treasure.

The court decision was the last legal impediment to EU institutions withholding funds from any government they consider to be at odds with core democratic principles. The rule, seen as the EUs most potent weapon to prevent a democratic rift from deepening within the bloc, was approved 14 months ago, but the executive European Commission waited to apply it.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to act with determination, and EU legislators immediately urged her to start enforcing the rule against Poland and Hungary within days, not months. Withholding any funds could take until the end of the year because of institutional rules and a tortuous approval process that needs majority approval of member states.

The reaction from Hungary and Poland was swift. Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro  who is responsible for many of the changes seen as eroding the independence of judges  called the courts move a turning point.

It is a gloomy date that will be written in the history books, Ziobro said. From an area of freedom, the EU is changing into an area where it will be possible to use unlawful violence in order to take this freedom away from member states and limit their sovereignty.

Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga called the court ruling a political judgement and proof that the EU was abusing its power.

The ruling is another application of pressure against our country because we passed our child protection law during the summer, Varga wrote, referring to legislation approved last year which forbids children from media content that depicts homosexuality or gender changes.

The EUs passage of the rule of law funding mechanism predates the Hungarian law, which many critics have decried as a violation of LGBTQ rights.

European officials on the other side of the debate also felt a tipping point had been reached with Wednesdays ruling. The reactions showed how the democratic discourse in the EU is polarizing and splitting the bloc.

This ruling is a milestone, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said. It becomes ever more difficult for member nations to say these (democratic) rights do not entail obligations and that they can be pushed aside at will.

Both Hungary and Poland say the court was overstepping its authority in approving a new mechanism that is not described in the EUs own treaties. They said making a link between finances and the legal decisions of national governments amounted to blackmail from Brussels.

The court argued however that democratic backsliding had not only a political impact but also affected budgetary matters.

The sound financial management of the Union budget and the financial interests of the Union may be seriously compromised by breaches of the principles of the rule of law committed in a member state, it said.

Because of extended financial vetting not directly linked to Wednesdays ruling, Poland has yet to receive some $41 billion euros from the EUs pandemic recovery fund, while Hungarys $8 billion was also held up. Those funds could now be further held back because of the ruling.

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Justin Spike in Budapest and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw contributed reporting.
HONG KONG  Coronavirus patients lay in hospital beds or open-air tens amid record numbers of infections as Hong Kong doggedly adheres to its zero-COVID strategy, and Chinas leader Xi Jinping said the local governments overriding task was to control the situation.

Hong Kong is facing its worst outbreak of the pandemic, topping 2,000 new COVID-19 cases each day this week. The city government has already instituted strict rules banning gatherings of more than two households.

But health care facilities are beginning to overflow, and the citys Caritas Medical Center was forced Wednesday to treat some patients in beds outside the building. Others were waiting in tents, some appalled by the governments response to the outbreak.

The reason why our society has become chaotic like this today is all because of this policy. The organizational skill of the government has made Hong Kong people feel so hopeless, said Daisy Ho, a 70-year-old homemaker.

Xi directed Vice Premier Han Zheng to express to Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam the concerns that Chinese Communist Party leaders have about the citys ongoing outbreak, according to Wen Wei Po, a pro-Beijing news outlet.

Zheng said the Hong Kong government should earnestly assume the main responsibility and regard the rapid stabilization and control of the epidemic as the current overriding task, the report said.

Chinas central government agencies and neighboring Guangdong province will provide Hong Kong with resources to fight the outbreak, including rapid antigen tests, medical expertise and supplies, Zheng said.

China has been able to control the virus within its borders by maintaining a strict zero tolerance policy that involves total lockdowns, extensive contact tracing and mass testing millions of people. The strategy seeks to contain outbreaks as soon as they are detected.

Lam has stuck to the strategy despite geographical and other differences between Hong Kong and other parts of China. Last week, the entire upscale Discovery Bay neighborhood in Hong Kong was ordered to undergo testing after authorities found traces of the virus in its sewage.

The comments from Xi and Zheng were the latest pressure from Beijing for her to stay the course.

Thousands of people in the city have tested positive for COVID-19 and are waiting to be admitted into hospitals or isolation facilities, said Dr. Sara Ho, the chief manager for patient safety and risk management at the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.

This situation is undesirable. Therefore, we are looking for ways with the government to set up more isolation facilities. We hope to shorten the patients waiting time, she added.

People who test positive are required to quarantine either in hospitals if they have serious symptoms or in government-run facilities for light or asymptomatic cases. The record number of new cases, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant, has led to the current overcrowding.

Yancey Yau, a construction worker, said the citys hospital workers are facing heavy stress.

They are working so hard. But the government is not doing what they should do, Yau said. The hospital workers are just miserable. I hope more citizens will support them. I dont have any hope for this government.

By contrast, the city-state of Singapore, which is similarly sized to Hong Kong with a population of some 5.7 million compared to 7.5 million, undertook strict lockdown measures early in the pandemic but is now pursuing a living with COVID approach.

The number of new cases per capita in Singapore has skyrocketed with the arrival of omicron, with 1,911 new cases per million people reported on Monday, versus 66 per million in Hong Kong, according to Our World in Data.

But people testing positive who have no symptoms or only mild symptoms just need to self-quarantine at home, and even those who have more severe symptoms are told to see a physician for medical advice before going to the hospital.

Consequently, it is not suffering the stress on its health care system that Hong Kong is now experiencing.

Singapore also boasts one of the worlds highest vaccination rates, with 88% of its population fully vaccinated, compared to Hong Kongs 64%.

___

Rising reported from Bangkok
OTTAWA, Ontario  A showdown appeared to be shaping up in Ottawas nearly three-week siege by truckers protesting the countrys COVID-19 restrictions as police in the capital warned drivers Wednesday to leave immediately or risk arrest.

The big rigs parked outside Parliament represented the movements last stronghold after demonstrators abandoned their sole remaining truck blockade along the U.S. border.

With that, all border crossings were open for the first time in more than two weeks of unrest, centering attention on the capital, where drivers defiantly ripped up warnings telling them to go home.

Authorities in yellow police liaison vests went from rig to rig, knocking on the doors and handing truckers leaflets informing them they could be prosecuted, lose their licenses and see their vehicles seized under Canadas Emergencies Act. Police also began ticketing vehicles.

One protester shouted, I will never go home! Some threw the warning into a toilet put out on the street. Protesters sat in their trucks and honked their horns in a chorus that echoed loudly downtown.

Police delivered a second round of more explicit warnings just before Wednesday evening, spelling out what charges and penalties could face those who stay. The citys interim police chief indicated officers might move in soon to clear the hundreds of trucks.

We are going to take back the entirety of the downtown core and every occupied space. We are going to remove this unlawful protest. We will return our city to a state of normalcy, interim Chief Steve Bell told city leaders in a statement. You will be hearing and seeing these actions in the coming days.

Protest leaders braced for action on Wednesday.

If it means that I need to go to prison, if I need to be fined in order to allow freedom to be restored in this country  millions of people have given far more for their freedom, said David Paisley, who traveled to Ottawa with a friend who is a truck driver.

The warnings came two days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the emergency law to try to break the protests.

Its not for politicians to tell police when and how to do things. What we have done with the emergency act is to make sure the police have the necessary tools, Trudeau said Wednesday. Its something that I, like all residents of Ottawa, hope to happen soon.

The crisis has become one of the most serious tests yet for Trudeau, the boyish-looking 50-year-old who has long channeled the star power  if not quite the political heft  of his father, Pierre Trudeau, who was prime minister a generation ago.

Some lawmakers are faulting the younger Trudeau for not moving more decisively against the protests, while others are accusing him of going too far in assuming emergency powers.

Since late January, protesters in trucks and other vehicles have jammed the streets of the capital and obstructed border crossings. The demonstrations by the self-styled Freedom Convoy initially focused on Canadas vaccine requirement for truckers entering the country but soon morphed into a broad attack on COVID-19 precautions and Trudeau himself.

On Wednesday, protesters who had stopped traffic and trade for a week along the U.S. border at Emerson, Manitoba, opposite North Dakota, pulled away in tractors and trucks without any arrests.

Within hours, the crossing was fully open with no delays for commercial trucks, border officials said.

The protests have drawn support from right-wing extremists and have been cheered on and received donations from conservatives in the U.S., triggering complaints in some quarters that America and its pandemic politics have been a bad influence on Canada.

Daniel Bulford, a protest leader who described himself as a former officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a recent member of Trudeaus security detail, accused the Trudeau government of resorting to extreme and authoritarian measures to quell the demonstrations.

Protest organizers encouraged supporters to come to the capital to make it difficult for police to clear them out. But the nations top safety official warned them to stay away or face legal consequences.

Meanwhile, the premiers of two Canadian provinces and 16 U.S. governors sent a letter to Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden calling on them to end their nations vaccine mandates for truckers crossing the border.

Over the past weeks, authorities hesitated to move against many of the protesters around the country, citing in some cases a lack of manpower and fears of violence.

But the bumper-to-bumper occupation has infuriated many Ottawa residents, who have complained of being harassed and intimidated on the clogged streets. The rising frustration cost Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly his job this week.

As of Tuesday, Ottawa officials said 360 vehicles remained involved in the blockade in the citys core, down from a high of roughly 4,000.

They dont want to give this up because this is their last stand, their last main hub, said Michael Kempa, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa.

An Ottawa child welfare agency advised parents at the demonstration to arrange for someone to take care of their children in the event of a police crackdown. Some protesters had their youngsters with them.

Police in the capital appeared to be following the playbook that authorities used over the weekend to break the blockade at the economically vital Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit. Police there handed out leaflets informing protesters they risked arrest.

After many of those demonstrators left, police moved in and arrested dozens who remained. The blockade had disrupted the flow of goods between the two countries and forced the auto industry on both sides to curtail production.

Stephanie Carvin, who once worked for Canadas domestic intelligence service and teaches national security at Carleton University in Ottawa, said police in the capital face a tricky situation. Some of the protesters are extremists, and police run the risk of violence if they try to disperse or arrest them, she said.

The last thing we want is any kind of propaganda that can really feed the flames of this movement for years to come, Carvin said.

___

Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writers Robert Bumsted in Ottawa and Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, contributed to this report.
CAIRO  The young woman could hear her heart pounding so hard that she worried the microphone placed in front of her would pick up its sound. Seated around her were officials from Islamic nations, including her countrys president. Cameras clicked.

She closed her eyes.

Al-Zahraa Layek Helmees voice filled the spacious, columned hall with a melodic recitation of the Quran, a role customarily held by men in her country, Egypt. For the 18-year-old, the high-profile recitation of Muslim holy text at a Cairo conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation was a personal milestone  one that she also hopes would send a message to women and girls: That can be you.

I wanted to prove that women have a great role to play when it comes to Quran recitation, she said.

Across cultures and Muslim communities, the boundaries of such a role can be subject to debate. Attitudes vary toward women publicly reciting the Quran within earshot of nonrelated men  in person, online or in other media. While the most skilled female reciters may attain celebrity-like status in some countries, others are largely confined to private spaces or all-women audiences.

Campaigns have been springing up online to amplify the voices, and widen the reach, of female Quran reciters across the world, with many posting their recitations and encouraging others to follow suit. Its part of a larger effort by some Muslim women who say they want to build on the historical examples of other women in their faith to expand their spiritual leadership roles in Islamic spaces.

Online, where Helmee has 1.2 million followers on Facebook, many cheer her on. Others  men and women  reprimand her in messages, urging her to fear God or arguing that her voice can tempt men, an idea she rejects.

The controversy is a matter of convention more than law, said Zahra Ayubi, a Dartmouth College associate professor who studies gender and Islamic ethics.

The concern over womens public recitation, she said, emerges from the interpretation by some that a womans voice is part of her awrah  nakedness or vulnerability  and should therefore be guarded from nonrelated men to prevent temptation. But many scholars and religious bodies have contested the argument that a womans voice in itself can be awrah, saying its what she says and her manner of speech that matters.

When women are reciting the Quran, its an incredibly powerful response to the idea that their voices are awrah, Ayubi said. Because they are speaking the most honorable truth for Muslims, and in doing so keeping true to Gods command to speak honorably.

Learning to read and understand the Quran is considered crucial for men and women alike. But perfecting recitations, or reciting professionally, usually takes rigorous studying and practice to master elaborate rules governing such things as proper pronunciation and articulation.

For many Muslims, the voice of Quran reciters permeates daily life, blaring from car radios and smartphones or playing out on television channels. Reciters are often invited to religious or social events, sometimes moving their listeners to tears. Many devout Muslims play recordings of favorite reciters at homes or businesses to contemplate the verses or soothe their souls.

Seemi Ghazi, who teaches Quranic Arabic at the University of British Columbia, recalls how growing up  she would wake up to the sound of her mother reciting the Quran.

For so many Muslims, we actually experience the Quran primarily and initially through the breath, the tone, the embodiment, the voice of women, most often our mothers, she said. So its not as though hearing a womans voice is something so new. Its the question of the public sphere which may be distinctive.

Ghazi, who recites Quran as part of Sufi circles she leads in Vancouver and at interfaith events, sees a blossoming of Muslim womens voices in alternative Islamic spaces, particularly on social media.

There was a time when Maryam Amir didnt even know women could be Quran reciters; today she is part of that blossoming. The California-based Amir recalls recoiling the first time she heard a girl reciting at an event where men could hear her. She complained to the organizer.

She was from Indonesia, and she told me, In Indonesia, women recite the Quran on television, in conferences, in competitions.'

One of those women, Maria Ulfah, has made a name for herself that transcends Indonesias borders. Shes won and judged competitions at home and abroad and has been invited to recite in many parts of the world. Her recordings have carried her voice to the faithful outside of Indonesia. At home, where she says female reciters enjoy the same status as men, some fans have named their children after her.

In Indonesia, people are very appreciative and proud, Ulfah said.

Differences in attitudes, she argued, are largely cultural.

In California, Amirs views on the topic have evolved through her research and interactions with Muslims abroad. She has memorized the Quran, becoming a hafiza, a role that is highly prized and encouraged in Muslim communities. Shes also studied Islamic sciences, launched a social media campaign to get women to post recitations of themselves and is now working on a new app. It features recitations by Muslim women around the world, created in collaboration with a council of Islamic scholars.

Amir says shes seen signs of a shift in attitudes.

Since people started hearing that scholars have different opinions on this issue  people are starting to think about this differently, she said. There are many women who memorize the Quran, but they had no idea they could recite in these spaces.

Madinah Javed, who grew up in Scotland and now lives in Chicago, has also turned to social media to highlight female reciters like herself while campaigning to inspire more to share recitations. She is amazed by the resulting connections among women from different cultures and with different styles of recitations.

Its important for both men and women to hear women reciters, she said. Its important for men and boys to make space for women too, because they might have more accessibility in certain places or more privilege.

Online, Javed has encountered strong support from some, while she found others to be more focused on appearance, like whether her neck was showing, than the recitation.

As great as social media has been to raise awareness, she said, real change takes face-to-face interactions. Its going to take a much longer time for change to happen in some communities.

In Egypt, the makeup of the countrys syndicate for reciters and those who teach Quran memorization provides one indication of the road ahead for those advocating female representation. Of 10,000 members, there are just about 100 women and they are focused on teaching memorization, according to the syndicates head, Mohamed Hashad.

Hashad said he, personally, sees no theological reasons to stop public female reciters. Its more like social reasons, he said. Women dont feel comfortable sitting among the men to read Quran.

Helmee, who started learning the Quran with a tutor shortly after she turned 3 and memorized it at 10, hopes that will change.

I run into women who tell me they wish they could do the same thing I do but that its too late for them now, she said. I also meet women who tell me they pray their daughters would grow up to be like me.

___

Fam reported from Cairo, and Khan reported from Boston. Associated Press video journalist Fadlan Syam in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  An impasse between the House and Senate on an $8.5 billion spending plan was resolved Wednesday, sending the bill on to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for final consideration.

With the clock ticking toward the end of this years 30-day legislative session, lawmakers also signed off on an $827.7 million public works package and advanced to the brink of approval a broad tax package aimed at boosting the states economy and helping New Mexico nurses, parents and retirees.

A day after the two chambers butted heads over specific items in the budget bill, a conference committee made up of House and Senate members hashed out an agreement to eliminate funding for hydrogen energy hubs and delete budget language making law enforcement officer recruitment bonuses contingent on passage of a broad crime package.

But a House-backed attempt to add $30 million to the budget bill to aid rural hospitals was blocked by Senate members, even though the idea is supported by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration.

We didnt get everything, but we got our main ideas, Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, told reporters after the Wednesday conference committee meeting at the Roundhouse.

She also said she would continue working on legislation providing a framework for hydrogen energy development in New Mexico, after several bills on the issue stalled during this years 30-day session amid staunch opposition from environmental groups.

Record spending

This years budget bill would boost state spending to record-high levels for the fiscal year that starts in July, as an oil and gas-powered revenue boom has given lawmakers the ability to increase New Mexico starting teacher pay to $50,000 annually and provide state employees with hefty pay raises.

In all, the budget bill would boost state spending by about $1 billion  or nearly 14%  over current levels.

Among the changes to the bill agreed upon Wednesday were adding $5 million to the bill to ensure theres enough funding to establish a $15 per hour minimum wage for state workers and education employees. The budget also provides for an average 7% salary increase for teachers and state employees.

In addition, conference committee delegates agreed to reduce a $125 million earmark for hydrogen hubs around the state to $50 million. That money would not be available for hydrogen power plants, but instead could be used for public-private partnerships to construct or improve broadband infrastructure.

Budget impasses between the House and Senate are rare but not unprecedented at the Roundhouse.

In 2018 and 2019, the House refused to agree with Senate budget amendments, but the two chambers worked out their differences by the end of the session.

Tax breaks in limbo

Meanwhile, a $546 million package of tax breaks was on the verge of final approval as legislators neared adjournment.

The Senate voted 39-0 just after midnight Thursday morning to approve the tax package legislation, House Bill 163, that would reduce the states gross receipts tax rate by 0.25% and exempt Social Security retirement income from taxation up to a certain income amount.

It would also enact an annual income tax credit of up to $175 per child, among other provisions.

But the bill was amended in a Senate committee Wednesday, meaning it must still go back to the House for a decisive concurrence vote.

One of the biggest changes was tacking on a $250 tax rebate for all New Mexico adults who make less than $75,000 annually. Married couples filing jointly with an adjusted gross income of less than $150,000 per year would get a $500 tax rebate.

That boosted the cost of the package to an estimated $546 million in the coming fiscal year  or more than the $400 million set aside for tax changes in the budget bill.

Rep. Christine Chandler, D-Los Alamos, told Senate Finance Committee members during the Wednesday evening meeting its unlikely the House would agree to the changes to the bill, though that position could soften as the session enters its final hours.

Its our view (the rebates) would not be terribly effective, said Chandler, adding the tax spending could exacerbate inflation issues.

But backers insisted the tax rebates would be worthwhile. The Senate committee also amended the bill to phase in the gross receipts tax cut over the next two years.

A rebate is the least we could do for New Mexico families given the glut of government growth we have seen this year, said Sen. William Sharer, R-Farmington.

Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, the committees chairman, expressed displeasure at the last-minute changes, saying senators were moving at warp speed with adjournment looming.

This is not the way we should be doing tax policy in New Mexico, Munoz said.
BILLINGS, Mont.  Former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke misused his position to advance a commercial development project that included a microbrewery in his Montana hometown and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement, federal investigators said Wednesday.

The investigation by the Interior Departments inspector general found that Zinke continued work on the commercial project through a nonprofit foundation in the resort community of Whitefish even after he committed upon taking office to break ties with the foundation.

Zinke, who is now running for Congress, also gave incorrect and incomplete information to an Interior Department ethics official who confronted him over his involvement and ordered agency staff to help him with the project in a misuse of his position, according to the investigators report.

The Great Northern Veterans Peace Park Foundation was created by Zinke and others in 2007 to build a community sledding hill in Whitefish, a tourist town about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Glacier National Park and near the Montana-Canada border. The BNSF Railway company donated several acres of land to the foundation in 2008 to establish the park.

After being named Interior secretary in 2017, Zinke agreed to stop providing the foundation with his services.

But after resigning as the foundations president and while he was employed as the Interior Secretary, Zinke engaged in repeated, ongoing substantive negotiations with developers about the use of foundation property for the commercial project known as 95 Karrow, investigators said.

Zinkes campaign blasted the investigative report as a political hit job and said in a statement that the involvement of Zinkes family with the foundation led to the restoration of railroad land into a park where children can sled.

They are proud of the childrens sledding park that dozens of kids use every weekend and countless locals use for exercise every day, the statement said. Zinke is far outpacing his rivals in fundraising ahead of the June 7 Republican primary for an open Montana congressional seat  the position he held before joining former President Donald Trumps cabinet.

The departments inspector generals office  led by a Trump nominee, Mark Greenblatt  referred the results of the Zinke investigation to prosecutors. Federal prosecutors working under Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, declined to pursue criminal charges last summer, the report said.

Zinke and his wife, Lola, declined interview requests from federal investigators looking into the land deal.

But emails and text messages from others who were involved in the development project show Zinke continued to communicate with developers even after resigning from the foundation in March 2017, according to investigators. The messages were obtained through subpoenas to the developers, who were not named.

The evidence that we obtained reflected that Secretary Zinke exchanged at least 64 emails and text messages and engaged in multiple phone calls in which he represented the Foundation in negotiations related to the 95 Karrow project, investigators wrote.

The report added: He was not simply a passthrough for information to and from the foundation; to the contrary, several of his own messages make clear that he personally acted for or represented the Foundation in connection with the negotiations.

In one emailed message, a person identified in the investigative report as developer 1 wrote that Zinke wanted a piece of property transferred to the park for the brewery. The email also said Zinke had asked for the exclusive right to produce alcohol on 95 Karrow, according to the report.

Investigators concluded Zinke had apparent interest in operating a microbrewery on site. The report did not offer details about the proposed transaction or say who would be the owners of the microbrewery.

Zinkes Interior Department staff became involved when he directed them to arrange a meeting with three of the projects developers at his office in August 2017 and later to arrange dinner for the group following a tour of the Lincoln Memorial that was led by Zinke. Staff members also printed documents for Zinke related to 95 Karrow, a violation of rules against using subordinates to perform non-official duties, the investigative report said.

Zinke was questioned about his role in the foundation and the development project in July 2018 by an Interior Department ethics official, following news reports that the foundation had entered an agreement with 95 Karrows developers.

During the interview, Zinke denied any substantive involvement in the project, according to the report. The ethics official later said that Zinke misrepresented the facts and called Zinkes statements disappointing  and very concerning, according to the report.

Democrats including Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, had requested an investigation into Zinkes involvement in the project. Grijalva said the findings show Zinke used his office to advance his personal interests and attempted to use the peace park to force inclusion of a brewery in the development.

City officials in Whitefish approved revised plans for 95 Karrow in September, the Whitefish Pilot reported. The plans include building a 70-room hotel, a microbrewery, restaurant, offices, shops and 84 residential units. Representatives of developer 95 Karrow LLC did not immediately respond to telephone messages seeking comment.

Investigators found no evidence that Zinkes actions benefitted the energy company Halliburton  its former chairman, David Lesar, was an investor in the Whitefish development  or that members of Zinkes staff tried to conceal Zinkes involvement.

The investigation into the land deal was one of numerous probes of Zinke that began when he was in Trumps cabinet.

In one case, investigators found that he violated a policy prohibiting non-government employees from riding in government cars after his wife traveled with him, but he said ethics officials approved it. Zinke was cleared of wrongdoing following a complaint that he redrew the boundaries of a national monument in Utah to benefit a state lawmaker and political ally. Another investigation looked into his decision to block two tribes from opening a casino in Connecticut.

During his time overseeing an agency responsible for managing 781,000 square miles (2 million square kilometers) of public lands, Zinkes broad rollbacks of restrictions on oil and gas drilling were cheered by industry. But they brought a backlash from environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers who accused him of putting corporate profits ahead of preservation.

When he resigned from the Interior Department in 2018, Zinke said politically motivated attacks had created a distraction. In the weeks leading up to departure, the White House concluded Zinke was likely the Cabinet member most vulnerable to investigations led by Democrats who were poised to take the majority in the House, a Trump administration official said at the time.
MOGADISHU, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Somalia security forces foiled terror attacks here on early Wednesday, said a government official.

Interior Security Minister Abdullahi Mohamed Nur said forces thwarted the attacks on the Kahda police station and Darasalam neighborhoods, after fierce gunfire between terrorists and government security forces.

"At 1:00 a.m. (2200 GMT on Tuesday), the terrorist attacked the suburbs of Mogadishu and targeted our police stations and checkpoints, and I am informing the public that our security forces defeated the enemy," the minister said in a statement.

The number of casualties was still unclear after the suspected al-Shabab militants launched the huge attack in Mogadishu.

The minister said the police will release a detailed statement later Wednesday after the assessment. 
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

A bill nearing final approval at the Roundhouse has sparked debate about New Mexicos rules governing water use and cannabis production.

The latest version of Senate Bill 100 would remove a requirement for producers to show proof of a valid water right before receiving a cannabis license.

The bill was originally scheduled for the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday after securing Senate approval earlier this week, but a lengthy House floor session prevented that committee from meeting.

Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell, said the original rule was a roadblock for small farmers looking to grow recreational marijuana.

I dont have to prove to anybody when Im growing corn or cotton that I have a legal right to the water, Pirtle said. Its illegal to pump water for any other purpose than what you have a right to do, so why are we putting this up front and creating such a barrier for businesses to get involved in this industry?

A coalition led by the New Mexico Acequia Association argues the provision was a guardrail against illegal water use.

NMAA Executive Director Paula Garcia pointed to a medical cannabis grower that was using domestic water supplies in the small communities of Sile and Pena Blanca.

Were not against cannabis cultivation, Garcia said. This is about protecting water for our communities and for future generations.

The Office of the State Engineer currently validates water rights for cannabis licenses.

Were seeing it already that some of these cannabis entities think theyve got their water rights in order, but they may be using a domestic well or a water right thats not valid, said John Romero, the offices water resource allocation program director.

Romero said he expects a flood of water rights applications for cannabis in the coming months.

Certification may include research on the propertys water rights history and hydrological models to determine if the water use would impinge on other users.

The bulk of proposed changes to last years cannabis laws would boost plant counts and regulate taxes on cannabis products.

Water use changes first made an appearance at the Feb. 13 Senate Judiciary Committee.

The panel voted to remove a section that made cannabis licenses conditional upon water rights documentation.

Original bill sponsor Sen. Linda Lopez said that section protected scarce water supplies.

A simple demonstration of the availability of water for you to use for growing this product is, I think, very appropriate, the Albuquerque Democrat said.

The Senate adopted Pirtles amendment allowing the state to revoke a cannabis license if a licensee is using water to which the licensee does not have a legal right.

Garcia said she believes that change is insufficient. Its really hard to rein in an illegal use when its already started, she said.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
State regulators approved new solar generation for Public Service Company of New Mexico on Wednesday to replace power from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona, but the new systems wont be built in time to avoid possible rolling blackouts in summer 2023.

PNM will lose 114 megawatts of Palo Verde power after two leases its held for decades expire, starting in January 2023, when a 104-MW lease ends, and then 10 MW more in January 2024, when the second one expires. But delays by the Public Regulation Commission in approving solar replacement projects have created a construction time crunch that now makes it impossible for that new generation to come online in time for peak summer demand next year, said PNM Vice President for Generation Tom Fallgren.

It wont be ready, Fallgren told the Journal. Its possible to get some of it online, but the majority wont be available in summer 2023.

In fact, the timeline to sign three of five contracts for solar facilities that PNM negotiated with independent energy developers has already expired. That means PNM must renegotiate them, further delaying construction and likely raising costs, said PNM Director of Integrated Resource Planning Nick Phillips.

The contracts that are now past their approval dates have the highest generating capacity, Phillips told the Journal. Theyre the ones we needed the most.

The PRC, however, says it abided by regulatory rules and timelines to evaluate and approve the proposed replacement resources.

In addition, Cristopher Ryan, the hearing examiner in the case, said the process was particularly time-consuming because of the complexity of replacing firm, around-the-clock nuclear power with intermittent solar energy. Indeed, many parties participating in public hearings questioned the adequacy of PNMs bidding process to hire contract developers, as well as the modeling system PNM used to ensure grid reliability when adding new solar plants.

I issued my recommended decision as promptly as humanly possible, Ryan told commissioners on Wednesday.

In the end, the commission approved PNMs request for a total of 740 MW of solar energy with backup battery storage.

Under current PRC regulations, the commission has six months to rule on utility requests to sign power purchase agreements with independent contractors, although it can extend that to nine months if needed, which commissioners did in this case. And, given todays additional complexities in transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables, Ryan recommended on Wednesday that commissioners lengthen approval timelines in future cases.

Some commissioners said PNM and other utilities should also work to submit applications much earlier.

We need timely submission of new resource requests for thorough vetting, said Commissioner Stephen Fischmann.

Despite case complexities, however, PNM says the commission unnecessarily delayed the approval process, ignoring PNMs request for an expeditious review given the construction time constraints it faces.

It was an easy decision, Phillips said. None of the parties in the case opposed the proposed replacement resources.
LAS VEGAS  Las Vegas police have arrested two more suspects who turned themselves in to authorities in connection with the earlier arrest of New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara on charges accusing him of beating a man at a nightclub on the Las Vegas Strip.

Darrin Young and Percy Harris were booked into the Clark County Detention Center Monday on suspicion of felony battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery, police said in a statement Wednesday.

Detectives said the two participated in the Feb. 5 battery at the nightclub. Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of an additional suspect who remained at large on Wednesday, according to Las Vegas Justice Court records.

Young and Harris posted bonds Tuesday and were released pending court appearances March 16. Court records dont list lawyers for them.

Police said at the time of Kamaras arrest on Feb. 6 that at least three other men were with him when hes accused of punching and badly injuring a man in an attack at the rooftop nightclub Drais at the Cromwell hotel-casino.

Kamara was arrested for suspicion of felony battery resulting in substantial bodily harm. He posted bond and is scheduled to appear in court on March 8.
Instagram Celebrity

The ex-wife of Elvis Presley exclaims on Instagram, 'I couldn't be happier!' while sharing pictures from the Them Guns frontman's wedding to her fiancee at the Schloss Hunigen hotel in Switzerland.

Feb 16, 2022

AceShowbiz - Priscilla Presley couldn't hide her excitement to be welcoming a new in-law. The ex-wife of Elvis Presley stated she's "overjoyed" after her son Navarone Garcia married his fiancee Elisa Achilli.

Taking to her Instagram page to express her feelings, Priscilla shared snaps from the beautiful wedding. In one picture, the groom leaned in to kiss the bride in front of the guests. The second shot gives a closer look at the happy couple as they shared a smooch.

"Navarone and Elisa are MARRIED!!!" Priscilla announced the news to her followers in the caption. "The wedding was at the beautiful Schloss Hunigen Hotel in Switzerland. I couldn't be happier!"

In a statement to PEOPLE, the co-founder and former chairwoman of Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) said that she had been looking forward to the special day. "They've been together for four years and we've all have been waiting patiently for this day," she gushed.

Navarone and Elisa tied the knot at the Schloss Hunigen hotel in Switzerland on Tuesday, February 15. in an outdoor ceremony attended by family and friends including his mother. After they exchanged vows, well-wishers tossed multi-colored flower petals into the air as the pair walked back up the aisle.

The groom donned a navy suit with a bow tie, while the bride wore an Anastasia Bull gown. Jerry Schilling, a talent manager and longtime friend of Elvis Presley, also witnessed the special moment via Zoom.

"I never thought I would find a counterpart that is so understanding and supportive," Navarone said of his new wife, whom he proposed to on Christmas in 2020. "She makes everything we do effortless, and I can't imagine life without her."

Elisa, meanwhile, gushed, "Navarone is truly the most genuine, sweet and sensitive man I have ever known and I'm so lucky that after four years of long-distance, we can start our life together as husband and wife."

Navarone is Priscila's son with Brazilian screenwriter-turned-computer-programmer Marco Antonio Garcia (a.k.a. Marco Garibaldi), with whom she lived for 22 years. She was famously married to Elvis Presley from 1967 until their divorce in 1973. They have one daughter together, Lisa Marie Presley.
Did you choose retirement? Or was it chosen for you?

I chose to retire when I wanted and that was in 2007. My position was safe. However, there developed circumstances that reinforced my decision. I wanted to spend more time on my hobby of ornithology as a volunteer for the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. It was a six-year study, that had just started, and the company planned to move my lab from the R&D center where I spent my career in industry to the plant, which was 10 miles further away from home.

How was the transition from the working world to retirement?

The transition to retirement was very easy. I was hired back as a consultant the day after I retired to help train my replacement and help on technical problems, consisting of one to three afternoons a week. This lasted almost three years. By that time, I was very happy to end the consulting. These days some companies allow employees to phase out of full-time employment and into retirement.

There was actually nothing that surprised me about retirement that I needed to know more about before retiring.

What surprised me most about retirement may have been that I missed my technical interactions with colleagues more than I expected I would.

George Bernard Shaw said, Youth is wasted on the young. Assuming they would listen, whats your best advice for someone in their 20s/30s?

My advice to young people is this: Experiences are more important than things. Experience what you can in the world while you are young because it gets harder to do as you age. Owning things in the end is not important.

What do you enjoy most about being retired?

In retirement I have lots of time to enjoy my hobby of ornithology, which I share with my wife. We can be out everyday enjoying the birds and each other and almost anywhere we are. We do a number of volunteer projects in this hobby and have travelled to many countries to see their birds and experience their culture as a result. We belong to a number of Audubon chapters and bird clubs, and have made bird presentations to them as well. Some of our projects have even led to publications.

Whats the biggest challenge you have confronted to this point in your retirement?

Our biggest challenge, besides health, is how to condense 50 years of stuff to a minimum to make our last years simpler. Some of this stuff consists of old chemically related items (memorabilia) to which I am attached.

How do you stay connected to the chemistry enterprise as a retiree?

I have stayed connected to the chemistry enterprise mainly through ACS activities. As a councilor for the Cleveland Section for over 30 years, as least 10 of those in retirement, I attended all the national meetings, worked on committees, attended council and technical meetings, and most local section meetings. I am still an Alternate Councilor and Trustee for the section. I still read C&EN cover to cover. I also developed a talk called Chemistry is for the Birds, which I presented to a number of ACS local sections throughout the US and published as installments in the Senior Chemists Committee newsletters.

Whats a travel destination you cant wait to get back to?

A travel destination to get back to would be South America to see more of their birds. There are new species still being discovered there. A new destination might be Mexico, as we saved this country for last to bird thinking travelling there would be easier in later years. COVID-19 has put a crimp in that plan.

What do you like most about where you are living in retirement? Whats one thing you wish you could change about where you live?

We live in northeast Ohio, just a few miles from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Cleveland and Akron Metroparks, and Lake Erie. All of these areas provide excellent bird-watching experiences and opportunities for volunteering. I wish we could get more sunshine.

What guidance do you have for people who are getting ready to retire?

Before you retire, I suggest that you have a solid plan of what you will do to occupy your time and make sure it can be done year-round, and best with a partner.
With rapid expansion on broadcast ahead, Republic Media Network has announced that it will restructure its management, effective immediately. Newly-inducted Darius Maneckji will report to Hersh Bhandari, who has been elevated to Group COO  Broadcasting Division. Hersh Bhandari will be in charge of the entire broadcasting businesses of the Network.

In a big announcement, the Republic Media Network has bolstered its business team by bringing in the solidly-established Darius Maneckji as Business Head-Republic TV and Senior EVP. Darius will now lead the entire expansive national operations for Republic TV, including the channels offices in Bengaluru, Noida, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Mumbai. With over 20 years of experience, dominantly in leadership positions, Darius has a well-respected and robust record in the media. Darius has been the National Sales Head in the past for TIMES NOW and also the National Sales Head for the English Movie Cluster at Turner International India. Before onboarding with Republic TV, his last assignment was with TV Today. Darius Maneckji, as the head of Republic TVs Business Operations, will report to Hersh Bhandari.

On leading Republic TVs Business Operations, Darius Maneckji said, I'm excited to join Indias fastest growing news Network. I look forward to working with one of the best teams in the business to ensure we continue to command and establish our leadership role in the English News genre.

The Republic Media Network has also announced, in an internal meeting today, the elevation of Hersh Bhandari as Group COO  Broadcasting Division. In his new role, Hersh will oversee the entire national operations for all existing broadcast channels of the Network. With 24 years of experience, Hersh is a well-established industry veteran with hefty achievements. With his impeccable record, Hersh will also lead and strategise all future growth of the Networks broadcasting business into languages and regions. Hersh will manage the entire broadcast business operations from the Networks offices in Noida and Mumbai.

On his elevation and his exciting new role, Hersh Bhandari said, At Republic Media Network, we continue to consolidate and strengthen ourselves with speed for the growth that beckons us. I'm energised by the trust reposed in me by the Board, Management, and my colleagues, to help shape and deliver the next phase of growth. We think and move as one, shoulder-to-shoulder.

The latest announcement is one of many for the Network. Republic Media Network is slated to make a series of big announcements over the next few weeks, including its plans of dramatically expanding its Broadcasting Operations.

On the next phase of growth and the changes in management, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Republic Media Network Arnab Goswami said,  The induction of strong business talent is part of the expansion of the Network and creation of a strong organizational base to take the plans forward.

The new structure in management comes alongside much-anticipated announcements on Republic Media Networks aggressive expansion plans.

Commenting on the announcement, Arnab Goswami said, I am excited about the new roles for both Hersh and Darius. The broadcasting division under Hersh will see rapid growth, like never before. Our digital business is being expanded by 100 percent and together with our Strategic Business partnerships, will be hived off into separate business divisions, each with their own leadership and goals. At a consolidated level, this should place us in a fantastic position to be the number one TV+Digital News company across the board in two years.
Chingari, a decentralized short video app, is finally launching its revamped mobile application featuring the native $GARI token on Google Play Store and Apple App Store this coming Monday 14th Feb. The app launch follows a successful testnet launch by the Chingari community last month. According to the statement from the team, the short video-making app will launch an in-app wallet with $GARI as the main token in the ecosystem.

Dubbed the Indian Tiktok, Chingari aims to revolutionize the content creation scene on its platform in an effort to onboard the millions of daily users on the app to the Solana blockchain. As the main Chingari ecosystem token, $GARI will allow users to tip their favorite content producers on the Chingari app and boost their profile and content. Users can also deposit and withdraw $GARI from their in-app wallet, and trade the token on some of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges.

Speaking on the latest integration of the in-app $GARI wallet, CEO and Co-founder of Chingari, Sumit Ghosh said,

This will be a game-changer in the Chingari App when millions of users will experience the integration of GARI. The existing and new users will be able to Tip the other creators, boost their profile, gain governance rights, and experience a lot more features on the app. With this, we also move in the direction of being a project with the highest on-chain users. We are very excited to launch the in-app wallet of Chingari and give the users revamped app with loaded features.

Last week, the $GARI token became the first-ever crypto to gain a simultaneous listing on a number of prominent centralized and decentralized exchanges. Some of the exchanges to list the token includes FTX, Kucoin, Huobi, Gate.io, OKEx, and MEXC Global. Surprisingly, the $GARI trading volumes hit over $100 million less than a day later following the simultaneous listing.

$GARI launched in October 2021 amidst much fanfare and attention from the mainstream media. The launch party was graced by Bollywood actor-cum-brand ambassador, Salman Khan, introducing the app and token to new audiences and markets. In December, $GARI launched a testnet version of the revamped Chingari app with the in-app wallet to its community. More than 500 community members participated in testing the app by activating wallets and sending each other $GARI tokens.

With over 100 million downloads on the Chingari app, the $GARI token could well see unrivaled demand from the crypto community. Notwithstanding, the app aims to support cost-effective and fast on-chain transactions hence launching $GARI as an SPL token on the Solana blockchain. In the next quarter, the $GARI network will be rolling out a video NFT marketplace on the Chingari app.

The $GARI Network exists to incentivize content creators to produce genuine content while keeping viewers engaged. The Network aims to build a crypto-powered creator economy on Chingari, the leading video-sharing social media mobile app in India with 35 million+ Monthly Active Users.

The launch of the $GARI ecosystem will enable Chingari app users to create sub-economies within the platform, ushering in a new Web 3 metaverse in the video creation industry. This will allow content creators to interact with their fans, sell merchandise, and mint unique short videos as NFTs. Lastly, the economic ecosystem incentivizes curation on the platform by rewarding the best content creators for their work, or users for watching and sharing the videos.
Winners from 14 countries and regions in the first annual One Asia Creative Awards, produced by The One Club Asia, will be announced in a special virtual presentation on March 1, 2022.

The winners, presented by a virtual host, will be unveiled on The One Club Asia website at 17:00 (5:00 pm) Beijing time, and will be viewable live and after the announcement.

The complete list of One Asia finalists entries can be viewed here. All finalists will receive either One Asia Gold, Silver, Bronze or Merit awards.

Australia leads the way with 26 finalists entries, followed by Mainland China with 17, India and Taiwan tied with 13, and Japan and New Zealand both with 11.

Leading the list of agencies with the most finalists selections is Ogilvy Australia Melbourne with 12, followed by Special Group Auckland with 11, Ogilvy Mumbai with eight, and M&C Saatchi Sydney with seven.

The entry with the most finalists selections is Meddle in the New Zealand Election by Special Group Auckland on behalf of Every Kiwi Vote Counts with 11.

Uni-form for Vogue by Ogilvy Taiwan and Tuna Scope 2020 by Dentsu Tokyo for Kura Sushi have six finalists each. Tied with five finalists each are Naming the Invisible by Digital Birth Registration for Telenor Pakistan by Ogilvy Pakistan Islamabad, and Pizza Hut x IKEA SAVA by Ogilvy Hong Kong for Pizza Hut Hong Kong.

A jury of more than 70 top creatives from 17 APAC countries and regions  as well as a handful of international creative leaders  judged this years entries.

The ceremony will also include announcement of the One Asia 2022 Agency of the Year, Client/Brand of the Year, Network of the Year, Independent Agency of the Year, Internal/In-House Agency of the Year and Production Company of the Year, as well the other top-scoring entrants determined by the number of Gold, Silver, Bronze and Merit awards won this year.

This is the second year we extended our scope to the Asia Pacific region, last year with the One Asia Showcase and now with the One Asia Creative Awards, and have received brilliant ideas and amazing work from 17 countries and regions, said Ma Chao, Chief Representative, The One Club Asia. This years winners are truly inspiring, showing that creativity and innovation can be the solution to make the world a better place.

The One Club Greater China office was founded in 2000, hosting a series of youth events in China, and added The One Show Greater China Awards and related Creative Week program eight years ago. In the past 20 years, the team has focused on promoting creativity in the region, and greater communications between Greater China and the global industry. This expanded focus prompted the office to rebrand this year as The One Club Asia.

The One Club for Creativity, producer of The One Show, ADC Annual Awards, Type Directors Club Communication Design and Typeface Design awards, Young Guns and Creative Week, is the world's foremost non-profit organization whose mission is to support and celebrate the global creative community. The One Show is a top global awards show for advertising, design and digital marketing, focusing on the creativity of ideas and quality of execution. Established in 1921, the global ADC Annual Awards is the worlds longest continuously running creative award for advertising and design, honoring excellence in craft, design and innovation. Creative Week takes place in May, and is the preeminent festival celebrating the intersection of advertising and the

arts.
Rezolve, a leader in mobile commerce and engagement, today named Sunder Madakshira, former Head of Marketing at Adobe, as the companys Chief Executive Officer in India. In this role, Madakshira will lead all aspects of growth for Rezolves business in India.

Madakshira brings to Rezolve more than 26 years of experience in senior roles in sales and marketing. Prior to his most recent position as marketing head for Adobe, Madakshira held various senior positions with companies, including EdgeVerve, SAP, Harman, Infosys, Wipro, and Hindustan Unilever. He specialises in brand management, thought leadership and lead generation functions of marketing, and is considered a pioneer in Data Driven Operating Models (DDOM) in India.

Commenting on Madakshiras appointment, Dan Wagner, Chairman and CEO, Rezolve, said, India is a critical market for Rezolve and as we drive our growth in the region, we are extremely pleased to have Sunder Madakshira join us as CEO for our Indian operations. He brings to Rezolve a deep understanding of India and a vast professional network. He has a genuine passion for marketing and how it can change business scale for companies and it is those qualities that make him the right person to engage with the brands in India that are looking to take their customer experience to the next level and to ensure Rezolves customers and partners are successful.

India is a mobile country, and this market is ready for anything and everything on a mobile platform, Madakshira said. That gives me a lot of confidence for Rezolves success in India. Rezolve has unlocked how you bring together brand, consumer, and technology for a fantastic experience.

He further said that Indias high level of mobile penetration, combined with the vast scale of its population, make the market ideal for Rezolve.

Rezolve, an enterprise SaaS platform designed from the ground up specifically for mobile commerce and engagement, is positioned to become the engine of mobile engagement that enables the transformation of interactions between consumers and merchants on mobile devices. Rezolve currently has go-to market partner agreements with leading global players that have a combined global reach of over 20 million merchants and over 1 billion consumers across China, Asia and Europe. Rezolves platform already serves over 150,000 of those merchants today.
The Federal Council

Bern, 16.02.2022 - Like Switzerland's interests, the background to the policy towards the countries of the Americas differs in each of the continent's regions. That is why the Federal Council has set various geographical priorities in this strategy, for each of which it has defined objectives and measures tailored to the specific situation. This strategy, adopted by the Federal Council at its meeting of 16 February 2022, seeks a coherent approach towards the countries of the Americas.

Switzerland enjoys very close political, economic and cultural relations with numerous countries of the Americas. Reflecting the great diversity across the entire American continent, the Federal Council has identified five geographical priorities on which Switzerland will focus its actions over the next four years. The Americas Strategy seeks to implement the four major thematic focus areas of the Foreign Policy Strategy 202023 (peace and security, prosperity, sustainability, and digitalisation) in relation to each of these priorities.

United States as main trading partner outside the European Union

The United States remains the dominant economic, military and political power in the international system. Relations between the United States and Switzerland are good and wide-ranging. The United States is Switzerland's second most important trading partner after the European Union. It is also an important hub for education and research, and a key partner in the technology sector. The Swissnex locations in Boston, New York and San Francisco and the agreement for scientific cooperation reflect the close cooperation between the two countries. Switzerland has been representing the United States' interests in Iran since 1980. This protecting power mandate and Switzerland's good offices as a host state for conferences and discussions between the United States and other countries have earned it a great deal of credibility. The Federal Council aims to further deepen bilateral relations with the United States through this strategy.

Pursuing cooperation with Canada in a variety of areas

Switzerland and Canada pursue the same objectives in many areas and have good, close relations. The Federal Council aims to deepen bilateral cooperation with Canada on the basis of this strategy. In the context of strengthening Swiss science diplomacy, Canada is an obvious partner of choice. Switzerland also exercises the protecting power mandate for Iran in Canada, which is a sign of confidence.

The 'jaguar economies': countries with considerable economic potential

The Federal Council has identified countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with considerable economic potential, which it refers to as the 'jaguar economies'. They are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, mainly democratic countries which have markets of significant size, comparatively sound governance by the rule of law and largely independent and functioning institutions.

These countries are also important partners for Switzerland in the major multilateral forums, especially when it comes to combating climate change and promoting international human rights law. At the same time, economic and trade relations with them carry potential for Swiss businesses, which already have a strong presence there. Switzerland has signed EFTA free trade agreements with a number of countries. Concluding new economic agreements and renewing existing ones, along with signing and implementing the agreement with the Mercosur states, is one of the objectives. Even so, the 'jaguar economies' also have  in some cases deficits regarding good governance and the protection of human rights. Accordingly, Switzerland will continue to support Colombia in its civilian peacebuilding efforts and conduct bilateral human rights dialogues with Mexico and Brazil.

Brazil occupies a natural position of supremacy within the 'jaguar economies'. With a GDP of almost USD 1.5 trillion, Brazil is the largest national economy in the region and the ninth largest in the world. As its most important bilateral economic partner in Latin America, Brazil is a global priority country for Switzerland. It also tops the rankings of key partner countries in Latin America for Swiss researchers.

Bilateral development cooperation and regional organisations

Five countries (Bolivia, Cuba, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua) make up another priority. As stated in the International Cooperation Strategy 202124, the SDC's bilateral development cooperation work in these countries is to be phased out by 2024. The Americas Strategy therefore paves the way for a responsible withdrawal. In this context, cooperation instruments such as humanitarian aid, global programmes, the promotion of peace and human rights, and economic cooperation will remain in use where fit for purpose. At the same time, cooperation with the private sector and in educational, health and environmental affairs is to be encouraged.

A range of regional organisations in which Switzerland is either a member or has observer status, such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Organization of American States (OAS), form the final priority. Switzerland's presence in these organisations thus raises its foreign policy profile as a credible and capable partner.

Ensuring foreign policy coherence

The Americas Strategy is the fourth geographical follow-up strategy to the FPS 2023, after MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa and China. It concerns all the departments and was drawn up with their involvement. Its approval will serve to further strengthen the coherence of Swiss foreign policy.

Address for enquiries

For further information:

FDFA Communication

Tel. +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service +41 460 55 55

kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Publisher

The Federal Council

https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html



Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




ULAN BATOR, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will provide preventive and early-detection checkups to the country's entire population from May 1, Mongolian Health Minister Sereejav Enkhbold said Wednesday.

The move aims to reduce the risk of fatal diseases among Mongolian citizens, and narrow the life expectancy gap between men and women, Enkhbold told a press conference.

In Mongolia, the average life expectancy is 70.8 years for women and 60.6 years for men, Enkhbold said, adding that the government aims to reduce the gap to five years by 2024.

Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancers, and traumatic injury are now the leading causes of death in Mongolia, according to the health minister.

A total of 60.8 billion Mongolian tugriks (about 21.3 million U.S. dollars) from the state budget will be used to support the preventive and early-detection checkups this year.

The government-financed checkups designed to cover a population of 3.4 million will also help improve Mongolia's health data, the ministry said. 
Alton, IL (62002)

Today

Cloudy with light rain this morning. High 63F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Monroe County Schools named one of 68 'Best for All'
After a two-year break, the FFA Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) is back for 2022. General registration for WLC opens online at 6 p.m. EST, March 1. https://www.ffa.org/conference/washington-leadership-conference-wlc/

WLC  now in its 51st year  is an exciting program for many FFA youth.

WLC is an opportunity for members to put leadership back into action, in person, said Christine White, chief program officer of the Programs and Events Division of FFA. Its a chance for young people across the country to network with fellow members, learn power skills in leadership, and understand how to better serve their communities.

Conference facilitators offer attendees a strong connection between the history, monuments, and museums found in Washington, D.C., and service to others.

Among those who have attended are Anna Eurle, Minnesotas 2021 Princess Kay of the Milky Way, and Ben Olander, a 2021 FFA national winner for proficiency in Ag Mechanics Design and Fabrication.

Both college students, Eurle and Olander attended WLC in 2019, and both said the conference was life-changing.

Eurle previously served as an FFA chapter president, Region 5 president, and 2020-21 Minnesota State Recorder. She attended WLC between her junior and senior years in high school.

I had never been to a national conference before, she said. I knew I would meet so many individuals from all across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and that was exciting for me, Eurle said.

Attendees learned how to ride the Metrorail, and they visited sites including the Smithsonian and the Washington Monument. They saw difficult sights, too, including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Arlington National Cemetery, and the war memorials.

Eurle was struck by the opportunity to see the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial of Iwo Jima. Her grandfather served in WWII and was stationed at Iwo Jima, 660 miles south of Tokyo.

I was able to visit that monument, and it was really special for me and my family, she said.

She added that the conference focused on service and history, not politics.

It was very, very historical, she said. They incorporated a lot of leadership activities into all of it, but at the end of the day, it was more historical than anything, and I loved that. You read about these places and monuments, and to be able to stand in front of them in Washington, was very cool.

Olander, who served as Minnesota State FFA president in 2020-21, made many connections with other attendees throughout the nation. Hes kept in touch with some of them.

WLC opened my eyes to see some of the things I didnt normally see, and it gave me a respect for a different world, he said.

Hed visited Washington with family when he was younger, but WLC gave him an opportunity to see many more monuments and better understand their ties to points in history.

One of the main focuses of FFA is to serve, he said. As FFA gets closer to its century mark (1928-2028) we focus on that service aspect and ways that we can help those around us to become better. It allows us to become better.

WLC attendees spend time writing in-depth service plans to take back to their communities.

When we go back to our hometowns or chapters, we can make a difference in somebodys life, he said. One person can affect another, and another, and continue to impact people and make the world a better place one person at a time.

One of his goals is to look back at his life and see that something changed because of his efforts  I was able to have an impact with my life for my community and people and hopefully for the better, he said.

Attendee and facilitator

An FFA alumni who was greatly influenced by WLC is PJ Aarsvold, originally from Altura, Minn. Many in the ag community know his parents, Paul and Val Aarsvold, as Val has served as the Minnesota FFA Foundation director since 2001, and Paul is a high school ag teacher.

FFA was always part of my life, going to events with FFA students, and officially joining in seventh grade, Aarsvold said.

PJ served as president of Minnesota FFA in 2015-16 after attending WLC. He later served as a WLC facilitator from January through August 2017.

Having graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2018, he is now a seminary student within The Lutheran Church  Missouri Synod.

I never ran for office above the chapter level until I attended WLC, he said. It was just a very formative experience in my life. It shaped my direction, and who I wanted to be in the world in a lot of ways.

When he returned from attending WLC, Aarsvold ran for and won a regional presidency, and then was elected state president the following year.

About 300 students attended WLC per week during the time that Aarsvold was a facilitator. There were seven weeks, with a week off during Fourth of July. During Aarsvolds time, all the students stayed at one hotel with a large ballroom for a central meeting place for large group sessions.

FFAers can attend as a group from a state, or they can attend on their own. Every state does it differently, but many states in the past have attended as a group to get economical airline and travel rates.

From a facilitators perspective, youll see weeks when the conference is mainly from four states, and another week almost all 50 states are represented, he said.

Aarsvold agrees that service is the main concept of WLC.

FFAs principles often refer to personal growth and career success, but this conference is geared toward service, he said.

Look around your community, look at the people have been placed around you by circumstance, and how can you serve them. When we have students come to WLC, the aim is really to have an experience that gets people to look outward. Look at the needs around them  to be inspired by what other students are doing to help, he said.

Holding the conference in Washington, D.C., offers attendees the opportunity to look at how leaders in the past served. The youth are inspired by the Founding Fathers and Founding Mothers actions.

When you look at the monuments and memorials of some of our leaders, how did they serve? What did they sacrifice? Martin Luther King, Jr. is a great example, and very powerful, he said. Really, WLC is geared toward history, so lets look at those before us who have served, and then lets look at our own communities.

For more information, please visit: https://www.ffa.org/conference/washington-leadership-conference-wlc to learn more.

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When the game is on the line, winning takes a team with players who take pride in their role and trust in each other. Heather Donley knows the success of the beef industry  and our ranches  requires the same team effort
We take rocket fire here regularly. There are very few farmers who are anxious to get out in the field just yet. Being out on tractors in the middle of the field, you feel like a sitting duck.
Tekamah business owner Cindy Chatt has plans to renovate the old Burt County State Bank building into a mixed-use development but her plans have stalled.
Local winners of the VFWs Voice of Democracy essay contest in 1970 were honored at a supperk. First place winner was Beverly Major, second place went to Tim Cornish and Donna Hennig was third. Contest chairmen Mr. and Mrs. Carl Kruse are shown presenting prizes to Misses Major, left, and Hennig.
New precision spraying technology backed by artificial intelligence that tells which plants to target will get a test in Midwestern fields this growing season.

Greeneye Technology will have its sensor-equipped sprayers rolling on field trials with Farmers Business Network (FBN) to test the efficacy of applying tailor-made herbicide programs using Greeneyes precision spraying system across a range of geographies and field conditions.

Precision spraying is an essential tool for effective weed control, and Greeneye promises to enable farmers to invest in more effective formulations that provide a solution to herbicide-resistant weeds and chemical drift, said Matthew Meisner, vice president of r&d and data science at FBN.

The FBN field trials will support Greeneyes commercial launch in the U.S. this spring, where it is contracted to work with farmers in the Midwest before increasing availability to other states in 2023.

An eye for the green A technology company with a mission of reducing chemical usage is getting ready to roll out an after-market kit that gives sprayers an eye in the field. Its a transition from this very wasteful practices to very precise applications.

FBNs On-Farm Field Trials program was launched to give agtech startups the opportunity to test their products on a massive scale and gather a large dataset to accelerate the entire innovation process, Meisner said. Greeneye is a great example of the technologies were testing that can leverage real-world performance data to accelerate adoption.

The Israeli company, which recently closed a $22 million funding round including investment from Syngenta and AGCO.

Greeneye has developed AI-enabled technology that can detect and spray weeds amongst crops (green on green) with 95.7% accuracy at commercial travel speed. The system can be retrofitted onto any brand and size of commercial sprayer, removing the need for farmers to invest in new machines.

In earlier field trials , the Greeneye system was proven to reduce herbicide use by 78% and costs by more than 50% on average compared to traditional broadcast spraying.

In addition to the precision application of chemicals, Greeneyes system collects and analyzes high-resolution data from the field, providing users with valuable insights on weed populations, crop stand count, diseases and more. Farmers can use these insights to introduce more effective herbicide programs that are not affordable when sprayed on a broadcast basis.

Our system enables farmers to seamlessly transition to precision spraying, significantly reducing chemical use and costs, while also providing a clear path to fighting herbicide resistance, Greeneye CEO Nadav Bocher said.
Beef exports shattered records in 2021.

Beef export value numbers topped $10 billion for the first time, according to data from USDA, while the value of pork exports also set a new record, surpassing $8 billion.

The beef export results are truly remarkable, especially considering the COVID-related obstacles in the global food service sector and all the supply- side and logistical challenges faced by the U.S. industry, says Dan Halstrom, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Obviously our large Asian markets accounted for much of the growth, but it really takes broad-based global demand to reach these impressive levels. So this success story is not just about Korea, Japan and China, but also a strong performance in Taiwan, excellent growth in Central and South America and a rebound in Mexico and Southeast Asia.

Pork exports faced some challenges heading into 2021, he says.

Entering last year, we knew it would be a daunting task to match the record level of pork exports reached in 2020 because of the recovery in Chinas swine herd and its rising domestic pork production, Halstrom says.

But the U.S. is less dependent on China than other major pork exporters, and this is definitely reflected in the 2021 results.

In December, beef export volume was up 1% from year ago while export values climbed 33% to $991.8 million  the third largest month on record. According to the USMEF, these results pushed 2021 volume to 1.44 million mt, up 15% from a year ago and 7% above the previous record set in 2018.

Export value soared to $10.58 billion, up 38% from 2020 and shattering the previous record (also from 2018) by 27%. Beef exports to Korea, Japan and China/Hong Kong each exceeded $2 billion, setting new volume and value records in Korea and China/Hong Kong and a value record in Japan.

Pork exports were lower in December, dropping 17% from a year ago to 215,872 mt, valued at $604.3 million and down 12%. For 2021, export volume was 2.92 million mt, down 2% from the 2020 record, but export value still climbed 5% to a record $8.11 billion.

The USMEF says record-setting pork exports to Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and the Philippines helped offset a decline in demand from China in 2021. Exports also increased to Japan and South Korea, including larger volumes of chilled pork. Global exports of U.S. pork variety meat set a new value record of $1.24 billion, up 19% year-over-year.

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COLOMBO, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government has appointed special committees to boost imports from China, Japan and the Middle East to get essential food items, raw materials required for export-oriented industries and industrial goods into the country, local media reported Wednesday.

Cabinet spokesman and Mass Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma was quoted by the media as saying that suggestions were made to appoint separate committees to hold discussions with the key import countries in a collective manner.

Alahapperuma said Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris has been appointed to head the committees. Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena, Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa and Plantation Ministers Ramesh Pathirana were instructed to discuss import matters with China.

The key products imported from China, Japan and the Middle East include machinery, fabric, mineral fuels and electronic items. 
Agri-Best Feeds in Billings, Mont., is donating one ton of SweetPro as one of the main prizes at the MATE show this year, and they will have a booth at the show, as well.

Were looking forward to the MATE. It is a good show and weve met many farmers and ranchers there who are interested in our products. We really enjoy seeing our customers and meeting new ones, and answering any questions they might have, said Scott Anderson, Agri-Best Feeds director of operations and son-in-law of the Irv Haidle, Agri-Best Feeds founder.

Anderson said Agri-Best markets SweetPro Feeds, Redmond Natural Trace Minerals, and Arrowquip livestock handling equipment.

But the company has also expanded into new products and added new dealers in a several-state area to better serve farmers and ranchers in the Northern Plains.

Weve been growing into new products, and one of them is Redmonds soil additive using trace minerals, mined sea salt and natural volcanic ash that really focuses on the microbial population in the soil, Anderson said. It increases the quality of the plants in crops or on rangeland.

Redmonds natural minerals have been researched and found to boost soil by increasing yields, improving plant growth and quality, and reducing fertilizer costs. It is usually spread out on the soil as a soil amendment.

What these minerals can do for the soil microbes and plant health is like what good nutrition does for the cattle rumen and cattle health, he said.

Other products that Agri-Best Feeds handles that are in demand with ranchers include the SweetPro feed supplements and the Redmond Natural mineral and salt supplements.

SweetPro is a complete supplement with vitamins and trace minerals that uses distillers grains as a base, not molasses, so it is a much higher quality supplement line that is better with forage, Anderson said. You gain 25 percent more digestible energy, protein, and other nutrients from your forage with SweetPro, which is pretty important.

SweetPro Power Mate is a probiotic supplement with fermented wheat, oats, barley and flax.

With the drought in eastern Montana last year, the SweetPro supplements were popular feed supplements because they helped increase the nutrition of the forage.

Anderson is excited about two new products they are marketing, a garlic extract to repel insects and natural extracts to combat stress in livestock. Either extract can be added to SweetPro or Redmond.

The garlic extract works as a natural insect repellant, he said.

Ranchers have told reps from Agri-Best Feeds that the garlic works for their livestock operations and keeps flies away from their cattle. Sheep producers have noticed fewer ticks around their sheep, as well.

The stress formula is made from clove, cinnamon, and chili peppers and these natural extracts help the digestion.

This blend of plant extracts supports gut health, Anderson said.

The natural extracts combat heat stress by improving blood flow, stimulating water intake, keeping cattle grazing even in the heat of the day, and stimulating more saliva production that helps regulate pH.

Ranchers really like the natural extracts and have told us it has worked on their cattle. It is really in demand, he said.

These extracts also have benefits beyond combating heat stress as they support gut health by helping optimize rumen function and minimizing digestive stress.

Agri-Best Feeds also handles other popular feed supplements for livestock producers, including Equipride and Equilix for horses, MasterHand Milling, and Cattlemans Choice Mineral.

Handling cattle efficiently and stress-free is always at the top of the list when it comes to what ranchers need and want on their ranch, and Agri-Best continues being a dealer for the popular Arrowquip livestock working chutes and cattle handling equipment.

The cattle handling system is designed for a particular ranchers needs  and its efficient and safe.

The Arrowquip cattle squeeze chute is in demand because it cuts down on labor and is stress-free.

One person can operate the whole chute, with a push-pull single lever that opens and closes the chute. In addition, doors can be removed for maximum access to the cow, which is one reason veterinarians really like the chute.

Arrowquip has the kind of technology that cuts down on labor and is more efficient and safer, he said. The Arrowquip squeeze chute is popular in the cattle industry because theyre innovative, quiet, and handle cattle efficiently and safely. Everything ranchers wanted in a chute is in these Arrowquip chutes.

Ranchers can watch videos at https://agribestfeeds.com/products/arrowquip and see how the cattle handling equipment and the squeeze chutes work efficiently.

It works perfectly for AIing, vaccinating, or other work, because you can work on either side of the animal and it is very safe, Anderson said.

In addition to manual chutes, the Arrowquip equipment includes hydraulic chutes, portable chutes, alleys and tubs, loading chutes, adjustable alleys, calving pens, head gates and cattle tubs.

Be sure and stop at the Agri-Best booth at the MATE to talk about nutrition for animals or soil and for the best in cattle handling equipment.

For more information on Agri-Best Feeds, see their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/agribestfeeds; or visit their website at www.agribestfeeds.com.

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Because of the huge demand, steamship lines have put all their emphasis and all of their available space on the inbound side, and theyre not always paying attention to the export side.
Grove City, PA (16127)

Today

Cloudy skies with periods of rain this afternoon. High 67F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 57F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
SYDNEY, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The state of Western Australia (WA) announced a new pathway for already-enrolled international students to return to the Aussie state despite its closed borders.

The new pathway announced on Tuesday night allows international students already enrolled in a WA primary school, secondary school, university, college, and technical college, among others, to enter the state.

Students can either fly direct into the state within the arrival cap set by the Australian government, or indirectly by transiting through another state or territory.

The students must carry proofs of negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours before departure and isolate for seven days at a suitable premise approved by WA Police or WA Department of Health after arrival.

All the arriving international students must be vaccinated with at least two doses or triple doses if eligible in their home countries. They must also take RAT or PCR test within 24 hours of arrival and either a PCR test on day six or a RAT on day seven during self-quarantine.

International education is one of the major industries in Australia, but earlier this year WA authorities refused to allow the students back due to the COVID-19 precaution health advice, even if some other states have already welcomed international students.

Under the new pathway, up to 6,000 international students would be allowed to return to the state. The WA government said that according to the updated health advice, the cohort presents a low risk to the community, as many factors can provide confidence in quarantine arrangements now.

"International students are an important part of the Western Australia community -- making a positive contribution to the state's diversity and vibrancy, and supporting local jobs in a variety of industries. This new pathway is part of our ongoing review of border controls taking place this month, based on the latest health advice," said WA Premier Mark McGowan.

Eligible returning international students will also get a payment of 2,000 Australian dollars (1,430 U.S. dollars) to help cover the cost of self-quarantine, according to the government. 
On Feb. 11 and 12, multiple Oklahoma auctioneering families and companies gathered in Oklahoma City for the Oklahoma State Auctioneers Association (OSAA) Annual Winter Convention and Trade Show. The participants competed in bid calling and ring work, auction advertising and design, and attended educational seminars.

Wiggins Auctioneers received first place in Website and Social Media in the auction advertising competition. Another high point of the convention was a spur of the moment fundraiser for friends of an auctioneer. The friends were coincidentally staying in the same hotel as the convention venue due to medical complications of their newborn baby. It was quickly recognized that they could use help from our auctioneer families. Together, the auctioneer families and other attendees raised over $15,000 for the benefit of the sweet family enduring such hardships at this time.

The Wiggins family said they are proud to be a member of the OSAA and a part of our great auction industry that contributes so much to our communities and those in need.

The Wiggins Auctioneers family attending the event were: Perry Wiggins (past president and Hall of Fame inductee) and Janice Anderson, Kim and Vicki Wiggins Allen, Quentin and Lynsie Sturgeon, Jeff and Debbie Crissup and Cali Crissup (Jeff and Debbies daughter, who serves as executive secretary for the OSAA), and Sandy and Mike Kitterman. Jeff Crissup, past OSAA president and Bid Calling State Champion, also had the honor of being appointed one of the judges for the competitions.

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, and most of all, love of what you are doing.  Unknown
In the United States, if youre white, leave; its really that simple, announced Regan de Loggans, an activist with New York Citys Indigenous Kinship Collective, a community of Indigenous womxn, femmes, and gender non conforming folx who denounce colonial power structures of leadership and blood quantum.

Her belligerence captured the intersectional radicalism of the N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Changes 2022 colloquium on Resisting Settler Colonialism, a February 9 NYU Law School webinar at which she and allied activists and academics spoke.

Moderating the webinar, Georgia State University Law School professor Natsu Taylor Saito introduced the self-identified two-spirit de Loggans, whose preferred pronouns are they/themme. Saito described de Loggans as an indigequeer agitator involved in decolonizing, indigenizing, and queering institutions and territorial practices. De Loggans later declared that she is also an anti-Zionist Jew who advocate[s] extremely for the liberation of Palestine.

No surprise, then, that she would ask How could I not advocate for the destruction of the settler state? The Zionist state is less than one hundred years old. I know what colonialism looks like 500 years out in the Americas after Christopher Columbuss 1492 transatlantic voyage, de Loggans said, reciting a story she sees as self-evidently evil. Lest one doubt her visions scope, she pronounced that there is no justice without... the obliteration of the United States of America and the destruction of settler-colonialism means the destruction of capitalism.

White people should not own land, white people should not own property in the United States, de Loggans decreed. Such Americans are unwelcome guests on indigenous land and participate in anti-blackness every day, she stated, and therefore I am waiting for people to start going back to Europe. No doubt a popular dinner guest, she urged people to just start talking about settler-colonialism at lunch, at your desk, wherever.

I dont think there is an ethical way for European-Americans to stay here, honestly, concurred Erika Pinheiro, the litigation and policy director for the asylum and immigrant aid society Al Otro Lado. In the United States, the project of genocide and enslavement is ongoing. It didnt stop with regular colonialism, she claimed. National borders such as between the United States and Mexico now create a global system of apartheid.

Such a webinar would not be complete without the approving presence of Rutgers University assistant professor of Africana Studies Noura Erakat (she/her/hers). This well-known radical, who grew up in California and attended college and law school in Berkeley, somehow ancestrally identified as a Palestinian who has endured Zionist settler sovereignty. Yet she felt no gratitude toward America, for merely by virtue of being here, structurally living under American settler sovereignty, I am a settler. Likewise, students like hers are paying tuitions at universities on stolen lands.

Common to all settler colonial situations is eliminatory violence, argued Erakat, and thus Palestinians are expected to die. Yet Israels Arab minority, to say nothing of Arabs in the Gaza Strip and disputed West Bank/Judea/Samaria territories, is far larger than the Arab population of the Palestine Mandate territory at Israels creation in 1948. These facts make a mockery of her assertion that faux indigenous Palestinians are marked for elimination, either through outright removal, massacre, forced assimilation, and such.

Erakat claimed falsely that Israel existed merely as recompense for the Nazi Holocaust genocide against the Jews during World War II, rather than Jewish national liberation in their ancestral homeland. Western civilization expects of Palestinians to just disappear to make up for this canonical human rights violation in the Western civilizational framework as a sacrificial lamb, she stated. Such Eurocentric analysis ignores that half of Israels Jewish population has roots in the flight and expulsion of Mizrachi Jews from oppressive Muslim societies in the Middle East and North Africa following Israels creation.

Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are two completely different concepts, Erakat asserted. Saito herself showed the linkage between the two during the webinar while reading a question from the viewing audience concerning the modern blood libel of Israels deadly exchange. Israeli police training exchanges with American police that supposedly promote their abuses are inextricably linked to the occupation of black and indigenous bodies in the U.S., she quoted without objection.

Avigail Aviles, a community organizer from New York Citys Queens borough, amplified the panels bellicosity by rejecting democratic norms. Im not a believer in electoral politics, for you cannot create a better society on occupied land, she stated. For her, legal evictions are the present day version of settler colonialism, as landlords exploit land thats not theirs. Therefore, people are being forcibly removed from the places that they call home in order to bring in wealthier, or better, residents.

Such utopian quests make the rule of law a necessary casualty: Even representing someone in court, you are helping someone navigate a system of oppression, Pinheiro agreed. Asylum is fundamentally racist, for you are forcing black and indigenous people to relive the most traumatic parts in their life to prove that they deserve to be part of the settler-colonial state, she said. De Loggans added that this idea of incrementalism and harm reduction is purposeful and strategic so that people dont go burn down everything right now.

Radical chic attracts wannabe revolutionaries too cowardly to inhabit the societal hellhole their ideology would birth. Comfortably bourgeois within their university sinecures, safe in a complex polity dependent on a constitutional order and respect for law they claim to loathe, Erakat, Saito, and their peers epitomize hypocrisy. Subject these ideologues to withering criticism, satirize their sanctimonious claims, and end any public support.

Andrew E. Harrod, a Middle East Forum Campus Watch Fellow, freelance researcher, and writer, is a fellow with the Lawfare Project. Follow him on Twitter: @AEHarrod.

Image: NYU School of Law
Canadians who are old enough to remember when Justin Trudeau was born will recall that at the time his father, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, explained to the fawning press that he had named his newborn son Justin because -- wait for it -- Justice. And throughout his life, JT has tried to live up to that name by always making it about Just-him.

It is said that the apple does not fall far from the tree. How true is this about Trudeau pere et fils? In answer to this question, we need only recall one of Pierre Trudeaus most famous remarks to the effect that, outside of the House of Commons, the Canadian Members of Parliament  the individuals who just happen to represent the people of Canada -- are just a bunch of nobodies. In other words, it was Just-him. What was he thinking, that he was a king, or a tyrantwell never know.

By now most people have forgotten what Pierre Trudeau was really like. There are other similarities between father and son; Pierre was and Justin is a dandy. Pierre once did a famous photo-op wearing a buckskin jacket while paddling a canoe to give the impression that he was some sort of backwoodsman and, in parliament, he often sported a red rose in his lapel.

Pierre Trudeau in 1980 (photo credit: Chiloa CC BY-SA 3.0 license)

Evidently, he was pretty good at the type of image management that would make all too many female voters swoonthey called it Trudeaumania and, if we bear in mind that mania is a form of psychosis, then perhaps that label is apt.

Justin, too, even more than his father before him, but not always with unqualified success, is also famous for digging into the dress-up bin, sporting blackface, showing off his cool socks, and dressing up in ostentatious Indian garb on a visit to India and thereby scandalizing his hosts who were even more scandalized by the fact that part of his entourage included a known Sikh terrorist. However, as good as Pierre was at image management from time to time the mask would slip as it did in the early 70s when he gave his swinger wife Margaret a black eye after she returned from three days of partying in New York at Club 54. By the way, she later claimed that it showed that he loved her.

However, the black eye Pierre Trudeau gave his wife, as disgusting and lamentable as that surely was, was nothing compared to the black eye he gave to his country around the same time when he invoked the War Measures Act to deal with a crisis in the province of Quebec. For decades there had been a separatist movement brewing in Quebec, Trudeaus home province, which Trudeau himself had adamantly opposed. Whatever one may think of a separatist movement it had been a peaceful non-violent affair up until a radical faction of it arose called the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ).

I do not wish to make light of the activities of the FLQ. They were terrorists. They planted bombs in mailboxes and staged robberies to raise funds for their cause. In their manifesto, they stated that they wanted to liberate Quebec from colonialism and capitalism and create a socialist utopia in that province and they were willing to use violence to do so. But in no way did they represent the overall separatist movement in Quebec which, until the FLQ arrival on the scene, consisted characteristically of artists, academics, activists, intellectuals, and politicians, the usual crowd of cafe revolutionaries, who wanted to secede by peaceful means. But in October of 1970, the FLQ kidnapped two people, James Cross, a British trade representative in Quebec, and Pierre LaPorte, the labour minister in the Quebec government. This was a grave crime that appalled and horrified the vast majority of Canadians. It became known as Canadas October Crisis.

The issue quite obviously was what was to be done about this. In the middle of the night of October 16, 1970, Pierre Trudeau invoked Canadas War Measures Act. It was essentially a form of martial law. Without going into details this Act literally gave Trudeau totalitarian powers including the revocation of all of the civil liberties of any and all Canadians.

Trudeau quickly arrested 497 of these cafe revolutionaries and held them incommunicado, sometimes for months. It turned out that none of them were associated with or led the authorities to the two little FLQ cells who this manhunt proved were indeed a fringe group. In the end, the terrorists were discovered using ordinary police methodsthis was, after all, the sort of thing the RCMP were established for anyway, just as the FBI, the RCMPs sister agency in America, was tasked with dealing with the Weather Underground and their ilk in the Statesbut not until they had killed, by strangulation, Pierre Laporte. Using the remaining hostage as a bargaining chip they successfully negotiated with the government to charter a plane to take them to Cuba.

It is worth remembering that during all of the time that the War Measures Act was in force there was not a peep of protest from even one member of Pierre Trudeaus Liberal Party. Ironically the only pushback came from Tommy Douglas, the head of the NDP, Canadas socialist party, who day after day in the House of Commons railed against Trudeaus abrogation of the civil liberties of Canadians.

That was then but now, Jagmeet Singh, Tommy Douglass present-day successor as leader of the NDP, has done nothing if not try to outdo even Justin Trudeau in slandering, lying about, and threatening with retribution the peaceful truck protesters. It is interesting, as the journalist Glenn Greenwald has tirelessly pointed out for over a decade now, that the leftists who were traditionally champions of civil liberties are now squarely against them, who once vehemently opposed the police/surveillance state are now enthusiastically in favor of it

Its rich that the ethically challenged Justin Trudeau has warned the truckers and their supporters that they were breaking the law and would be punished accordingly. Early on he asked the army to clear the convoy out but, at least for now, they have refused to do so. Of course, they were breaking the law, a law based on emergency powers that had particularly been promulgated to target, control and punish them. So too had Gandhi and his followers been breaking the law when they went to the sea to make salt. So too had the legendary freedom riders of the American civil rights movement broken the law when they refused to sit in the back of the bus and insisted on being served at lunch counters. Thats what civil disobedience is all about, breaking unjust Jim Crow-type laws, but breaking them in a non-violent, peaceful manner. As it turns out, recent polls show that the truckers have more support among Canadians than does Trudeaus Liberal Party.

Meanwhile, oblivious to all this, Pierres son Justin continues to posture and to teach ordinary Canadians what is right and just. This Prime Minister has been wagging his finger warning the truckers and their supporters about consequences for civil disobedience, er, breaking the law. Not only will they be fined and perhaps hustled off to jail but their rigs might be confiscated by the State. Their rigs, the ones that they scrimped and saved and busted their a**es off in order to purchase, those rigs. But hey, despite all appearances, theyre really not working stiffs, they must be capitalists if they actually own what Marx liked to call the means of production. With all the divisiveness that Justin has already fomented, he is now trying to pit worker against worker.

The American journalist Matt Taibbi in writing about the truckers convoy has predicted that this is Justin Trudeaus Ceausescu moment, not that he will be lined up against a wall and shot by a firing squad but that this is the end of his political career. Not so fast. If there is one thing that politicians value more than winning elections it is saving face after they have made mistakes, no matter how egregious those mistakes may be.

It is impossible to predict how, in the short run, this will all play out. Following in his fathers footsteps on Monday JT invoked the Emergency Measures Act which was passed in 1983 to replace the War Measures Act. The Emergency Measures Act is somewhat different in rather interesting ways. First, it requires caucus approval to be invoked. This might sound more democratic but, given the fact that a couple of backbenchers in the run-up to this have broken rank, this also gives the Party Whip an opportunity to bring them to heel. Secondly, it is also time-limited to seven days but, on the other hand, technically there is nothing to stop it from being invoked again and again. Thirdly, it is not universal, it can be invoked so as to exclude some of the provinces if they so wish.

Already, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have said they want out. On the other hand, Ontario, led by Conservative-in-name-only Premier Doug Ford wants in but hes hedging his bets. Obviously, since Ontario contains both the city of Ottawa as well as the Windsor side of the Ambassador Bridge, this martial law type measure would not work if he had tried to opt out. On the other hand, when Ford announced his support, he indicated that vaccine passports would be lifted in March, but the mask mandates would remain. (He comes up for re-election in June.)

Perhaps most important of all, when sunny ways Justin announced the measure his Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland, in a not-so-veiled threat, mentioned what might be its most powerful provision, that the government, without a warrant, will now be able to freeze anyones bank account. For truckers and their supporters who might have been thinking to keep going and try to tough things out, already impoverished by the lockdown, they will be unable to dip into their savings in order to carry on. In other words, this is just another version of the government instigated GoFundMe confiscation of truckers donations.

In the long run, one can only hope that these rogue politicians and the people who elected and continue to support them will come to their senses and once again embrace the freedom that makes a functioning liberal democracy so attractive to the masses who want to live in them. This was a lesson that was belatedly learned by the FLQ terrorists. It is well worth noting that in the end every last one of them, every man and woman, that had bargained to be flown to Cuba in exchange for releasing James Cross, eventually crept back to Canada and turned themselves in and subsequently did jail time. Evidently, they decided that doing jail time in cold Canada"the true north strong and free -- was preferable to spending the rest of their lives in that warm socialist utopia called Cuba into the likeness of which they had once so ardently wished to transform the province of Quebec.
The violent crime plaguing the Democrat-controlled Black communities is nothing new. For over two hundred years, violence has been a mechanism of control wielded against Black Americans by Democrat party leadership. It is a historical fact that the Democrat party was the party of slavery, secession, segregation, and now socialism. And whether it was the whip, the branding iron, rape, castration, or murder, they have always applied violence as the primary tool to compel Black obedience. But it is put into maximum overdrive whenever White Democrat leadership feel that their Blacks are getting a little too uppity.



A century ago, before Antifa and BLM, it was the KKK that were the shock troops of the Democrats.

The Black Codes of the Jim Crow era making it illegal for Black citizens to arm themselves, vote, or have equal protection under the law were one of the many times Democrats used this type of violence as a tool of control of the Black community. In 2020, the time had come for the Democrats to put the Black community back in its place again.

According to a November 1, 2020 article by Patrice Oniwuka in USA Today, in 2019, President Donald Trump had "[l]ifted median Black household incomes to their highest levels on record and pushed Black unemployment rates and poverty down to their lowest levels." It looked as though Donald Trump would win the 2020 election in a landslide and take a sizable chunk of the impenetrable Democrat Black vote with him. That could not be allowed.

Democrats know they cannot survive without 90% of the Black vote, and if they lose it, even for one year, they'll never get it back. So they went to DEFCON 1, unleashing Black Lives Matters and Antifa in the ghettos of the Black inner-city with one order: burn it down! With a mandate to ensure that the Black middle class never rises again.

This insidious crime wave in the Black ghettos is part of that continuous effort designed by the Democrat party leadership to keep Black Americans cowed, subjugated, defeated, controlled, and voting 90% for the Democrat party.

Democrats consistently boast about their belief in science, especially psychology. This approach of wielding violence as a tool of control is purely psychological with a predetermined end.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is an idea in psychology that says that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other more advanced needs. These needs encompass five stages: physiological (food water breathing), security (financial, health, safety), social (friendships, romantic family), esteem (appreciation respect), and self-actualization (self-awareness, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others and interested in fulfilling their potential).

According to Maslow, self-actualization is described as the full use and exploitation of talents, capabilities, potentialities, etc. Such people seem to be fulfilling themselves and doing the best that they can do. Internally, self-actualization is the primary goal of every human being. People that achieve self-actualization exercise their freedom. The Democrat party leadership can never allow Black Americans to achieve it.

By perpetually shackling Black Americans to #2 (security needs) for over two hundred years, the Democrat party has condemned Black Americans to live in an endless death spiral of fear, sabotaging every effort toward self-actualization. The Democrat party leadership retains its power by creating an environment where Black Democrats eternally must fight for survival, never graduating from the state of extreme paranoia regarding safety, finances, health, and bodily harm.

No human development can commence without safety. Putting up a security perimeter is the first act of a team of Army Green Berets after parachuting into a jungle. All civilized societies understand that security is an absolute must if human development is to achieve self-actualization.

Acknowledging that this is true, we understand why Democrat party leadership in the 1960s advocated and passed welfare legislation that penalized the presence of the primary protector, the father, in the home. And the reason they have hampered every effort to reform this egregious error. We understand why Democrats advocate for the disarming of law-abiding Black citizens in cities Democrats terrorize. We understand why Democrat party politicians advocate for the defunding of the police, no bail, no longer prosecuting certain crimes, drug legalization, prostitution legalization, religious repression, and a borderless America that allows criminals, fentanyl, and child sextrafficking in the ghettoes.

After centuries of this inhumane treatment, the imprisoned people in these Democrat-controlled concentration camps are now victims of "learned helplessness." Learned helplessness in psychology is a mental state in which an organism is forced to bear painful or otherwise unpleasant stimuli and becomes unwilling to avoid subsequent encounters with those stimuli, even if they are "escapable," presumably because it has learned that it cannot control the situation. In the ghettoes, it is simply called giving up.

The great Christian apologist C.S. Lewis wrote, "All that are in Hell choose it. Without self-choice, there could be no Hell. No souls that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it." From the fifty years of terrible schools, drug corners, religious repression, and general dystopia, Democrats have created a hell for Black people that it seems they are incapable of escaping. Ergo, every Black person voting for the Democrat party is choosing Hell.

But there's comfort in knowing that there is still hope. There is still a choice. In Deuteronomy 30:19, GOD says: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." It is time for all people, but especially Black Americans, to choose life over death, Heaven over Hell.

For those of you who still resist, I ask: hasn't everything that can be attained by begging, stalking, blood, and death been obtained by now? Shall we live in Hell as Democrats or Heaven as free men?

Vince Everett Ellison, is author of the new book 25 Lies: Exposing Democrats' Most Dangerous, Seductive, Damnable, Destructive Lies and How to Refute Them.
The political punditry is currently fixated, ad nauseam, on the November midterms when discussing the upcoming fortunes of the two major political parties.

While the impact of the upcoming election is certainly relevant, as it is with most things, the long-term effects of what has been and is occurring receive little examination. When one looks at the future beyond November 2022, it is patently clear that Democrats, both as a political party and as an identity, have suffered and are suffering a historic level of self-inflicted damage that will not be measured in just one or two election cycles but will be measured in terms of decades amounting to a generational level of destruction.

Dr. Robert W. Malone, M.D., who was thrust into the wider spotlight by his recent appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, has been at the forefront of the discussions about COVID-19 treatments and the so-called vaccines for over a year and a half.

Recently, Malone was interviewed by Tucker Carlson for his Fox Nation podcast not only to discuss COVID but also to talk about Dr. Malone, the person. During the conversation, Dr. Malone offered that as a product of the Central Valley of California, he considered himself "center-left" in his political and philosophical leanings. Further, he donated to the campaigns of both Obama and Biden. But his next comment should send tremors through the Democrat consultant class as well as any Democrat politician with even a scintilla of self-awareness. Malone said that after what he has witnessed over the last two years, he would never vote for another Democrat again.

It might be tempting to say, sure, since he's been vilified, demonized, and cancel-attempted by the left and Democrats, why would he be inclined to support them going forward? Besides, he's just one guy, so what is the big deal? This is a dangerously myopic view  because if he, a longtime member of the "center-left," feels this way, he cannot be the only one. The question is, how many? Most do not have the chance to express this sentiment on a public platform or, for social or economic reasons, may not even say it out loud, except to close family and friends. Recall that a similar unseen and unmeasured demographic helped elect Donald Trump.

If there are doubts about this theory, there are some Democrats who are possessed of enough self-awareness to see this imminent bleak political future approaching, and they want no part in it. So just who are these mystical seers? They are the dozens of long-serving House Democrats who have decided to retire at the end of this term. Anyone can probably muster the energy to serve a cycle or two in the minority to build seniority if, realistically, it could turn around in the short run. But if you are in your late 50s, 60s, or 70s and foresee, potentially, a decade or more languishing in the minority, that is just too heavy a lift. No old criminal wants to spend his remaining days in prison, and no old representative wants to wind down a political career in the minority.

The majority of the damage has been inflicted in just two short years, the result of phenomenal and spectacular multi-tasking.

On the federal level, during COVID, the Democrats have succeeded in discarding over 90 years of standing for the family-oriented, blue-collar working class by shutting down businesses and mandating vaccines and masks, thus enriching and empowering massive corporations. Not to mention the massive invasion of illegal aliens who will soon be competing for whatever post-COVID jobs remain.

While this was transpiring, local and state Democrat politicians and school boards alienated and angered otherwise Democrat-leaning suburban voters over COVID restrictions in schools as well as the right to a say in the curriculum.

Then, in what can only be described as a fantastic effort at overachievement, Democrats at every level turned city voters against them over defunding the police, the resulting increasing crime rates, homelessness, and drugs.

Finally, the ongoing and developing Durham investigation into the Trump-Russia collusion case could far eclipse the extent of damage inflicted on Democrats than all of the foregoing combined. If it is irrefutably established the Clinton campaign and Democrat operatives, both inside and outside of government, were involved in spying on a political adversary and engaged in other illegal actions to undermine a duly elected president, it would not only be the most massive criminal dirty political trick in U.S. history, it could well be considered treason. Watergate will have successfully been supplanted as the worst. Only time will tell.

Now, no one is naive enough to think that places like California or cities like New York, L.A., or Chicago will suddenly start electing Republicans. Democrats, however, may well be relegated to governing these and other discrete enclaves. There is, however, no way any political party that is seen as being the facilitator of this level of mayhem and illegality regains national-level governance in the short term.

Republicans know this well. It took them 20 years, and a war hero general as a candidate, to win back the presidency in 1952 after President Herbert Hoover was blamed for the Great Depression. It took Republicans 40 years to win back the majority in the House of Representatives in 1994. No question, Democrats did this to themselves, and this time, they will not be able to blame it on Trump.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Liberals think they're better than other people  so much so that they plant lawn signs in their front yards to illustrate that fact.

The sentiments on these signs range from outright lies, HATE HAS NO HOME HERE (say the Trump-haters), to tautological nonsense like LOVE IS LOVE and SCIENCE IS REAL.

Seems to me it's high time for normal, hardworking, America-loving folks to start displaying some lawn signage of their own. The sentiments expressed on these signs should not signal virtue or moral superiority; their intent is merely to accurately reflect the real world, thereby causing pointy liberal heads to explode. Since the American left is so fond of vandalizing or destroying that with which they disagree, a large Doberman on a chain may be a necessary adjunct to such signs, depending upon where you live.

Liberal lawn signs often begin with the phrase, IN THIS HOUSE, WE BELIEVE. To that I say, whaddaya mean, "we"? Since when does everyone in a family share the same beliefs? Don't any of these people have teenagers?

So keep your lawn sign real and own it: IN MY HOUSE, I BELIEVE. A house, however, filled with love and inclusivity as it may be, is not a democracy. The views on the lawn sign should be those of whoever is paying the mortgage. Dissenting members of the household will simply have to wait until they've bought their own home to share their views.

After establishing ownership of your home and your beliefs, start your conservative sign's list of bromides with a bang:

I'M LOCKED AND LOADED

That popping sound you hear all the way from the bathroom will be liberal craniums literally exploding on your front sidewalk as they imagine "assault rifles," whatever they are, loaded with live ammo and being handled recklessly as if you were Alec Baldwin or something. Meanwhile, the plain meaning of that phrase is that you always lock your doors, and if it's after five, you're typically on your second or third martini. If would-be burglars, the ultimate believers in wealth re-distribution, also misunderstand I'M LOCKED AND LOADED, it's a win-win.

Follow that gem up with:

GOD MADE MAN AND WOMAN

After libs out for a neighborhood stroll get a load of that sentiment, you'll need a fire hose to clean all the gray matter off your sidewalk. Mentioning God to leftists is like waving a crucifix in a vampire's face: it inspires only hissing, anger, and hatred. And the idea that God created only man and woman will come as unwelcome news to folks who believe there are actually 2,742 genders (at last count).

Next, for a change of pace, shake things up with:

FAUCI IS AN EVIL DWARF

Now folks suffering from dwarfism like to be called "little people" and should certainly be treated with respect. But wee Tony Fauci is a liar and a conniver, your classic liberal bureaucrat who pretends to care about the public while pursuing policies that succeeded only in lining the pockets of Democrats and their favored constituencies. Therefore, it's perfectly fine to call Dr. Fauci an evil dwarf. The man deserves no respect.

Next up, go full Zen on the climate change cult with:

THE WEATHER'S FINE

Claiming that the sky is falling is an age-old trick for manipulating the naive, the neurotic, the intellectually challenged, and of course liberals. If mankind is, in fact, ruining the environment, scientific breakthroughs will have to save us, not self-interested, power-hungry globalists. Until then, the weather is what it is. Deal with it.

Next, turn the volume up to 11 with:

JAIL CRIMINALS!

When he reads that, your typical liberal will want to jail you! Still, the old adage applies: if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. And if a prospective criminal can't figure that one out, another truism applies: you can't fix stupid. If you could, Democrats wouldn't be dissing cops, reducing bail and emptying the jails, and then wondering why there's a crime wave.

All good exposition should start and end with a bang. So finish up your list of slogans with an ineluctable truth:

TRUMP WAS RIGHT

The Donald was right about so many things  the economy, the fake news media, the D.C. Swamp, and the Clinton Crime Family. He said Hillary, Obama, the CIA, and the FBI were all trying to take him down, and they were. Trump said the last presidential election was riddled with fraud, but the courts and the GOP leadership were too gutless to investigate it, and they were. Trump claimed that the Chinese communists were not our friends; they were liars and cheaters looking to dominate us by any means necessary. As we can see from China's stonewalling about the origin of the Wuhan Flu, Trump was once again right on the money.

So here's our finished conservative lawn sign:

IN MY HOUSE, I BELIEVE:

I'M LOCKED AND LOADED

GOD MADE MAN AND WOMAN

FAUCI IS AN EVIL DWARF

THE WEATHER'S FINE

JAIL CRIMINALS

TRUMP WAS RIGHT

In retrospect, even though all of those sentiments ring true and are quite useful in the real world, perhaps every conservative lawn sign should come with a Doberman or two, and twenty feet of strong chain.

Because liberals simply can't handle the truth.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Eric Adams, a onetime police captain, promised during his mayoral campaign that his experience as a police officer would see him stem the endless (and escalating) flow of violent crime in New York City. He also ran as a hard leftist. Many people (me included) thought he could reconcile those two things. It's pretty clear now, though, that he can't. Because crime has flourished during his month and a half in office, rather than taking responsibility, he's openly blaming the New York media for racism.

During the campaign, Adams promised not to defund the police, and, so far as I know, he has not done so. He began his administration, though, by voicing support for Alvin Bragg, Manhattan's Soros-funded D.A., who, on his first day on the job, announced that he wasn't going to prosecute most crimes. Armed robbery, for example, was to be prosecuted, but only as petty larceny, unless someone was seriously injured or at serious risk of harm. My feeling is that, if someone points a gun at me, I'm at serious risk of harm.

When word got out about his memo ignoring the law and reducing all crimes, Bragg backpedaled a little bit, saying armed robbery would be prosecuted as a felony and that his assistant district attorneys would have some discretion. Adams eventually criticized Bragg's approach, blaming Bragg's policies for an increase in crime.

Then, last week, Adams went to legislators in Albany to change bail reform laws in the hope that doing so would get criminals off the street:

On Wednesday, Mayor Adams pleaded with state lawmakers to roll back portions of their bail reform laws -- specifically, provisions allowing most juvenile gun offenders to be prosecuted in Family Court. "Last year 10% of individuals under the age of 18 were arrested by NYPD with a gun," Adams said. "Six years ago, that was only 1%. 1%! That is what's happening." The mayor also believes that judges should be allowed to consider whether a suspect is a danger to the community in making bail decisions.

The New York Post wrote about the meeting in Albany, using this picture to illustrate the story:

Great to be back in Albany to work side by side with Leader @AndreaSCousins and Speaker @CarlHeastie to #GetStuffDone on crime, the economy and every challenge facing New York City. pic.twitter.com/9kGg6iLnre  Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) February 14, 2022

The gist of the story was brief:

Mayor Adams appeared to throw in the towel on trying to convince Assembly Democrats to roll back the state's bail-reform law following a closed-door meeting in Albany on Monday.

The same report also quoted Adams saying he'd try to solve the crime problem locally if he couldn't solve it at the state level.

The New York Daily News also acknowledged that Adams had failed to move the pols in Albany away from their criminal "reform" policies.



Image: Eric Adams. Twitter screen grab.

As Adams understand the news reports, instead of saying he had a nice conversation  "Black mayor, Black speaker, Black majority leader, coming together and talking to each other"  the papers and other media outlets implied, "It was all hell up there."

Adams hasn't figured out that he's in the big leagues. He made a promise to reduce crime, but it's accelerated on his watch. He went to Albany to press for change and was rebuffed. These are facts, and, on the facts, his first six weeks as mayor have been a failure. Now, he could have said, "I'm going to try harder" or "I need more than six weeks to turn around eight years of failure." The second would have been the truth. The first, though, is open to question.

Why? Because instead of taking responsibility for the facts and reframing them to his benefit while talking about future plans, Adams quite explicitly played the race card:

NYC Mayor says the media distorts news about NYC and his leadership because hes a black man. pic.twitter.com/dX0nqXXaVR  Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) February 15, 2022

I'm not saying it out of hate, I'm saying it out of love. Im a black man that's the mayor, but my story is being interpreted by people who don't look like me. We gotta be honest about that.

From that whiny start, Adams challenged the diversity in the newsrooms in New York.

How many Blacks are in the editorial boards? How many Blacks determine how these stories are being written? How many Asians? How many East Asians? How many South Asians? Everyone talks about my government being diversified, what's the diversification in the newsrooms?

His point was that if you aren't Black or some type of minority, you're not fit to report on a Black mayor. He went on in this vein for another minute or so and praised himself for stating uncomfortable truths. These weren't truths, though. They were the cheap, shoddy performance of a leftist refusing to take responsibility for his promises and his actions.

One of the absolute truisms in life is that, if you expect little from people, you will get little. Adams clearly expects little from himself and, even worse, he told all Blacks that, if at first you don't succeed...blame racism.

I had very little respect for Adams to begin with because he's a leftist. I have no respect for Adams now because he's a poor excuse for a man.
Yesterday, Biden blustered about the consequences that Russia will suffer should it invade Ukraine. And there is the possibility that we are watching an elaborately choreographed as the various governments involved already have planned the shows ending, with everybody getting something they want. But if one looks at what Russia has been doing, as well as what Putin sees when he looks West, he holds most of the cards in this game.

In the early spring of last year, Russia mobilized troops to the Ukraine border to a strength of as many as 100,000 troops and conducted military exercises sending invasion threat shock waves through Ukraine and NATO.

According to a summary in Wikipedia, the NATO reaction was to increase the tension.

At the June 2021 Brussels Summit, NATO leaders reiterated the decision taken at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance with the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as an integral part of the process and Ukraines right to determine its own future and foreign policy, of course without outside interference.[11] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also stressed that Russia will not be able to veto Ukraines accession to NATO, as we will not return to the era of spheres of interest, when large countries decide what smaller ones should do.[12]

In July 2021, Putin published an article posted on the Kremlin website expressing that the citizens of Russia and Ukraine have common bonds of language, religion, and centuries of common history. By doing so, he was warning that, if Ukraine entered the European Union or joined NATO or if anti-Russian neofascist elements took control of the government, that would put Russia in an untenable position. He concluded in this article that they remain one people, although he conceded that, ultimately, the future of Ukrainians was up to its people to decide.

Image: Vladimir Putin. YouTube screen grab.

As the Russian forces now build up to an estimated strength of 150,000 troops along Ukraines border, Putin must have in his mind the disaster the United States military suffered in its withdrawal from Afghanistan. He must also be considering the war readiness of soldiers forced into getting inoculated with vaccines that have had only a few months of long-term safety studies. And he must sit in wonder about a divided American public that is being forced into mandatory vaccinations and still has questions about the validity of its elections. In other words, he doesnt see America as a strong force.

And then, still looking west, but closer to home, Putin must be struck by the fact that Germany cannot voice a strong objection when it is about to become dependent on Russian natural gas.

Russia has unchallenged air superiority, which gives it the ability to knock out Ukraines communications. It can also launch targeted cyber-attacks. In other words, Putin is building up an overwhelming force very much as the United States did before the start of the first Gulf War. The Russian Divisions are forming a rapid conquest capability as the world sits and watches.
Last month, Supreme Court justice Sonya Sotomayor was criticized for seriously misstating figures to push Biden vaccine mandates: 100,000 children were seriously ill, with "many on ventilators." The exaggerated figures underscored an embarrassing setback for the Biden administration. Corporate media, rightfully, pointed out that Sotomayor's claims were egregious. Even the Washington Post weighed in, giving the Justice "four Pinocchios" for her false statements.

Only a few weeks prior to the justice's distorted assertion of COVID-19 effects on children, UNC-Chapel Hill's Department of Pediatrics published its second dance video. Masked physicians, one sporting a velour suit coat with multiple necklaces, were filmed dancing to Earth, Wind, & Fire's "September." The UNC Pediatrics announcement alongside the video read, "[L]ove reveals itself every day as we strive to deliver culturally sensitive care to all we serve in our beautiful State."

The UNC Department of Pediatrics extols Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The star of the pediatric musical productions, Dr. Stuart H. Gold, vice-chairs the Pediatric Diversity and Inclusion Committee (PDIC). One PDIC resource published on the UNC Department of Pediatrics website included the Genderbread Person, "an adorable, digestible model for understanding the complexity of gender." (UNC physicians failed to recognize that the Genderbread Person is outdated and has been supplanted by the "more accurate" Gender Unicorn). Physician opinions on the professorship proposal to Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project, also appeared as pediatric resources. The committee declared Ms. Hannah-Jones's work "a model, to current and future generations, of how to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion." Ms. Jones has been widely discredited for distorting U.S. history to such a degree that recognized historians called her project "unbalanced" and "wrong in so many ways." Yet teaching hospital physicians took pains to tout her agenda as a timeless touchstone for all generations.

The progressive website resources vanished after they were brought to the attention not only of Dr. Gold (who initially deflected concerns) and Pediatrics Department chair Dr. Stephanie Davis, but also to the members of the N.C. General Assembly University Standing Committee. The pediatric diversity committee offered no statement or explanation when the links disappeared. I offered to meet with Dr. Davis and Dr. Gold to present materials from school curricula forced on children in the name of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The doctors refused to meet with me despite their messaging of  well  inclusion.

DEI-distracted pediatric departments at state teaching institutions and sketchy medical statistics by Supreme Court justices are symptomatic of the much greater problem that has been thrust onto the American people: agenda-driven government policies that are out of touch, and worse, undermine the everyday lives of citizens. COVID-19 lockdowns revealed pretense and hypocrisy previously unseen by the American public. The switch to online schooling helped parents recognize the agenda-driven activist school curriculums. Corporate media celebrated "mostly peaceful protests" but criticized those Americans who wanted to attend church as super-spreaders.

Perhaps the worst betrayal is that by so many within the medical community. Parents struggle trying to give their children a normal life, fighting un-scientific and subjective mask mandates by school boards. Dr. Fauci and the medical community have flipped-flopped on mask-wearing repeatedly. The CDC has yet to perform randomized controlled studies on masks, and studies to which they refer are overtly problematic. And pediatricians breakdance to celebrate each other.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Canada's Trudeau is not an original thinker; he's a follower. He pretends to be Black, Indian, or a cowboy. He admires dictators (Castro) and dictatorships (China). That's why I wasn't at all surprised to recognize that both his rhetoric regarding the truckers and his response to them perfectly echo the Democrats' rhetoric and response to the January 6 protesters. But this isn't the first time Democrats have inspired dictators. Back in the 1920s and 1930s, Hitler looked to the Democrats' eugenics laws, especially in the American South, to craft the Nazi's eugenics laws.

I don't want to clutter this post with pictures of Trudeau in blackface, pretending to be an Indian in India, or sauntering around in his little cowboy hat. But it is important to remind you of his respect for both dictators and dictatorships. Of Castro, Trudeau said:

Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century. A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation. While a controversial figure, both Mr. Castro's supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for "el Comandante".

Trudeau also admired the dictatorial Chinese communist system:

Im not sure why anyone is surprised about what Justin Trudeau is doing.



HE WARNED THEM YEARS AGOpic.twitter.com/GhQadVlLm1  Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) February 15, 2022

So that's Trudeau. Cast your mind back to the day after January 6 (and every day since). A kerfuffle that was a minor happening compared to the BLM/Antifa riots was instantly an "insurrection," with "terrorists," contributing to the "death of democracy." This supercut of the reaction to Tucker Carlson's January 6 special sums it up:

SUPERCUT!@TuckerCarlsons 1/6 special causes mass triggering before even airing pic.twitter.com/FZGaxfZwpH  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 1, 2021

And here's exactly the same thing when it comes to the Trudeau cadre and the truckers:

And just as the Democrats brought out the National Guard to impose martial law on D.C. and then stripped the January 6 protesters (all of them, not just those who committed violent acts) of all civil rights, that's exactly what Trudeau is now doing to the truckers in Canada (and I've heard Biden urged him on). Tucker Carlson sums it up well:

This isn't the first time that the Democrats have provided inspiration for non-American dictators. In The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left, Dinesh D'Souza describes how Hitler looked to the Progressive/Democrat eugenics movement and Southern Jim Crow laws to help him draft his own eugenics laws. D'Souza opens the relevant chapter with a quote from George Frederickson's Racism: A Short History (Princeton University Press, 2002):

It was with the passage of the Nuremberg Laws in 1935 that Germany became a full-fledged racist regime. American laws were the main foreign precedents for such legislation.

And here's D'Souza:

On June 5, 1934, shortly after Hitler's ascent to power, the leading figures behind the Nuremberg Laws gathered at a meeting to determine what those laws should actually say. [snip] One of the most knowledgeable sources for the Nazis was a young lawyer named Heinrich Krieger, who had studied at the University of Arkansas and whose research into U.S. race law formed the basis of the work of the Nazi Ministry of Justice. (p. 115.) [snip] Basically the Nazis were interested in three things from America: laws on interracial marriage, laws restricting immigration on the basis of race, and the Jim Crow laws. The Nazis recognized that U.S. segregation and miscegenation laws applied to blacks and U.S. immigration laws applied to other ethnic groups that were minorities in the United States. ... [T]he Nazis were convinced that they could apply these same laws with appropriate modification to their own situation. (p. 116.)

From there, D'Souza follows the Nazis analyzing the Democrats' laws against intermarriage and race-based immigration quotas and laws mandating segregation.

The Nazis put these laws into the category of "subjects without citizenship rights." In other words, the Nazis were excited about America having created the basis for two categories of citizenship: first-class citizens and second-class citizens. (p. 117.)

Here in America, even Bill Maher saw how Hitleresque Trudeau was when he said that the unvaccinated "take up space and, with that, we have to make a choice  in terms of a leader in a country  do we tolerate these people?"

I can't do justice to D'Souza's entire book on the subject, but suffice it to say Democrats inspired Hitler with their racial obsessions. And now, Democrats are inspiring Trudeau with their insurrection and martial law narrative. It might be time for Democrats to take a long look in the mirror and ask themselves why it is that some of the worst people in the world have looked to them for leadership.

Image: Justin Trudeau (edited). YouTube screen grab.
JAKARTA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Singapore Airlines flight landed on Indonesia's resort island of Bali for the first time since the country closed international borders to tourism in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said on Wednesday.

Flight SQ938 took off from Singapore's Changi Airport and landed at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, carrying 156 passengers including 109 foreigners, said Nia Niscaya, deputy for marketing of Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

"This will increase the accessibility of foreign tourists to Indonesia, especially to Bali, and is expected to encourage the recovery of the national economy through the tourism sector," Niscaya added.

Singapore Airlines' general manager for Indonesia, Alvin Seah, said that the airline operates seven Singapore-Bali flights a week with Boeing 787-10 aircraft with a seating capacity of 337.

"We hope that the situation in Indonesia will continue to improve and remain under control so that the tourism industry will recover," Seah said.

It is the first foreign commercial airline to have activated flights to Bali in the last two years, although the resort island officially reopened to international tourists in October 2021.

State airline Garuda Indonesia started activating international flight routes to Bali by carrying 12 passengers from Tokyo's Narita Airport on Feb. 3. 
There are few people who have followed the Russia collusion hoax as closely as Dan Bongino. That's why I made sure to listen to his podcast the Monday after the story broke regarding John Durham's allegations about the Hillary campaign spying on Trump Tower, Trump's apartment, and the White House. Sure enough, Bongino had a couple of interesting points to make. Also, I'll share with you my predictions about what's going to happen on the Hillary side of things.

When I wrote about the Durham motion to investigate potential conflicts of interest between Michael Sussmann and his attorney, the law firm of Latham & Watkins, I focused on the core point, which was that Hillary's campaign, acting through the Perkins Coie law firm, spied on Trump. Bongino, though, had a few more subtle points to make. You can watch his video here, of course, but here are the two main takeaways:

First, I missed something very important in Durham's motion. Here's what Durham wrote at paragraph 5: "The Government's evidence at trial will also establish that among the Internet data Tech Executive-1 and his associates exploited was domain name system (DNS) Internet traffic pertaining to ..."

What Bongino caught is that Durham wrote "among the Internet data ... was domain name system ... Internet traffic." That strongly implies that DNS information, which simply means sites accessed, isn't the only information involved. It's possible that Durham can show that there rae other internet data that the Hillary camp exploited, things such as emails or shared documents.

Second, Bongino thinks the real bombshell in this is that Durham is warning Sussmann that Latham & Watkins is a very dangerous law firm to have representing him. The reason is that one of the top Latham & Watkins attorneys is a gal named Kathryn Ruemmler or, as Bongino calls her, "The Fixer." He points out that Ruemmler has her finger in every single corrupt pie baked during the Obama administration.



Image: Kathryn Ruemmler hugging Obama following a Supreme Court victory (cropped). Public domain.

Before moving to Latham & Watkins, Ruemmler was Obama's White House counsel and ran interference for him. But before that, she worked on the Enron case with Andrew Weissmann, the man who really ran the Mueller "investigation."

After leaving the White House, Ruemmler represented George Nader, a convicted pedophile who set up meetings between Trump people and representatives of the United Arab Emirates. He eventually pleaded guilty to having helped the UAE put millions of dollars illegally into Hillary's 2016 presidential campaign. Ruemmler also represented Susan Rice. Rice was the one who sent a memo to self on her last day in the White House assuring posterity that, when the Obama administration was spying on people, it was doing everything "by the book."

Bongino believes that both Obama and, probably, Biden knew about the spying. Ruemmler's job, as always, will be to keep Obama clean. As a power partner at Latham & Watkins, she can be expected to force the "Sacrifice of Sussmann," if need be.

Here are are a few more Latham & Watkins tidbits that Bongino didn't mention. Someone else who's a partner there is Liz Cheney's husband. That same linked article points out that Latham & Watkins gets a lot of business from "Chinese entities and countries whose human rights abuses and authoritarian rule have troubled the U.S. for years[.]" The article details the Chinese companies, along with their connections to the CCP and the corrupt countries the firm represents. Cheney's husband, if he is only an average partner at Latham & Watkins, brings home $4.5 million annually for his work.

Finally, what about Hillary? This Daily Mail article says the press is starting to ask her questions about spying on Trump, but she's not answering. When last we heard from Hillary, she was making noises about running again in 2024, a surprisingly reasonable thing to do, considering that no one wants Biden or Kamala or, although he wishes it were otherwise, Pete Buttigieg.

However, with the Durham revelations, my guess is that the Democrats will offer Hillary up as a sacrificial lamb for the party. She'll be asked to take responsibility with the promise that she'll get no prison time. Instead, she'll just retire from the public eye, having taken one for the party and protected both the Sainted Barack Obama and the current White House occupant.

The problem with this theory is that it's hard to see Hillary going down quietly. There's a meme circulating that quotes Hillary saying that if she goes down, she'll take everyone else down with her. In fact, she never said that, but it's just the kind of thing she'd do.

What I'm reminded of when I look at the potential fight between Hillary and Obama over culpability is the divorce of a power couple I knew. They were very, very rich, and if they'd cut the marital estate in half, each of them would still have been very, very rich. However, by the time of the divorce, they hated each other. Therefore, each was willing to risk having exposed horrible secrets about him- or herself if it meant he or she could publicize horrible secrets about the other. You can read about the divorce here.

Incidentally, I see the same possibility that mutually assured destruction will fail in Chris Cuomo's $60-million suit against CNN (which really means against Jeff Zucker). They should keep silent because each has filthy dirty laundry, but the urge to destroy the other may override self-preservation.
It wasn't even close.

San Francisco Democrats turned hard on three far-left Board of Education members who kept public schools on lockdown, focused on changing the names of storied old schools, and told Asians to go to hell on merit-based admissions to the few good ones.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle:

San Francisco voters overwhelmingly supported the ouster of three school board members Tuesday in the citys first recall election in nearly 40 years. The landslide decision means board President Gabriela Lopez and members Alison Collins and Faauuga Moliga will officially be removed from office and replaced by mayoral appointments 10 days after the election is officially accepted by the Board of Supervisors. The new board members are likely to take office in mid-March. The three were the only school board members who had served long enough to be eligible for a recall.

The margins, according to the Chronicle, were 79% to 21% to boot Collins; 75% to 25% to oust Lopez, and 72% to 28% to kick Moliga to the curb. As the Chron notes, they were on the ballot because they could be on the ballot -- the rest likely would have been thrown out too, were they eligible. The city will hold new elections in seven months, but San Francisco voters couldn't wait even that long to let these particular leftists know.

The only word for this is 'bloodbath.' It's Gotterdammerung time for the wokester leftists who've turned the city into a dump. Looking at you, Chesa Boudin -- whose own recall vote comes on June 7.

News reports focused on the Asian-American turnout, which was high, but that wasn't the half of it. Most of the San Francisco Democratic Clubs, which serve as the base and muscle for the Democrats in that city, endorsed at least some of the bootings, or could not come up with a strong enough quorum to get an endorsement to ask to keep these sorry creatures. These are all hard-left radical Democrats, activists, none of these people are run-of-the-mill people who just vote Democrat, and they include all races and neighborhoods. 12 of the 22 clubs and other key political outlets such as unions and newspapers had at least one 'yes' on recalling these bounders in their endorsement columns, 11 if you subtract the GOP Club. Ten had all 'no's, one was mixed endorsements.

Of the 10 that wanted to keep the creeps, 4 had blank spaces on some candidates, meaning, they had some pretty divided voting and could not reach a quorum to endorse. The only clubs and political outlets that endorsed to keep all of these losers were the United Educators of San Francisco (a radical labor union), the San Francisco Labor Council, the SF Latinx Democratic Club (which drew 10 members to its Zoom struggle session to decide the endorsement), the District 11 Democratic Club (which represents the run-down Excelsior and Outer Mission districts -- on the grounds of fiscal discipline, you see, and it was pretty clear they were addressing dissenters in their ranks by using those grounds, too, quantifying their endorsement with "regardless of how you feel about the candidates"), the SF Berniecrats (self-explanatory), and the Central City Democrats, who, based on their lousy website, appear marginal.

The big broad ones and the ones that are big clubs loaded with Asian-American voters -- the Edwin Lee Asian-Pacific Democratic Club, the Chinese-American Democratic Club, GrowSF, and the United Democratic Club went all in for throwing the bums out. Suburban white women type clubs such as the Noe Valley Democratic Club (Noe Valley is pretty sylvan even in the middle of the city just south of the Castro) and the Potrero Hill Democratic Club, the Castro district's Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, and the Eastern Neighborhoods Democratic Club, representing ritzy downtown, came very close to full-slate endorsements for recall.

Take a look at this endorsement chart from the San Francisco Standard, a local outlet, here.

So it couldn't have been a big surprise to the Democrats, who know how their city operates politically, that the voters were against them.

Collins, who lost by the biggest margin, was an unusually disgusting creature. She repeatedly made racist statements targeting Asian-Americans.

Asians, you see, use white supremacist thinking to get ahead, Collins opined. "Being a house n****r is still a n****r, she tweeted. Many Asian Am. believe they benefit from the model minority BS, she kept digging.

Eeeew.

If you're Asian-American, you'd have to be a masochist to vote for that.

The issues themselves on education, though, were at the heart of the matter. Much attention has been paid to the focus on the renaming of schools, but the big one appears to be the scrapping of merit-based admissions to the elite schools, based on "overrepresentation" of Asian-Americans, which is about as offensive a term to Asian-Americans of any political stripe as such words can get. See this powerful tweet from a pragmatic and serious Democrat back east named Yuh-Line Niou who is Asian-American here.

You can work your keister off as a kid to get top grades, but it no longer matters -- the board wokesters made admission by lottery and if your number didn't come up, you'd get the crappy, substandard school with the teachers who didn't care if you passed or failed.

The board has run the district so badly that nearly 10% of the parents have pulled their children from San Francisco's public school system, and the district faces the loss of state funding as a result. According to Vision Times:

According to San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), the citys public schools have lost over 1,700 students in the past year. Enrollment was already down by 1,000 at the beginning of the year, and 700 more left during the course of the year. By the end of the 2021 school year, the district counted 50,955 students, 3.25 percent less than the 52,669 students the year prior. The greatest drop was seen in the number of white students, with enrollment falling by 299 students, or 4 percent, during 2021. Kindergarten applications from white families fell by a staggering 55 percent, while kindergarten registration overall fell by 374 students to 3,504, a 9.64 percent decline. The loss of kindergarten students will have a sizable negative impact on the school district in the coming decade as students move up the grades, officials said to the San Francisco Chronicle. Claire Raj, a mother of three, told the media outlet that the district let down schools and students this year. She removed her kids from McCoppin Elementary public school and enrolled them in a private school. Its something we had never considered, going to private school. We arent Catholic Once we started considering it, it seemed we just didnt have any choice, she said. The decline in students could result in a loss of up to 20 million dollars for the school district in terms of state funding. The district is already facing a deficit of up to 100 million dollars out of a 1 billion dollar budget in the next few years.

That's a disaster. If they can't run a school district that far-left parents want to send their kids to, why are these freaks still where they are? I can't help but feel that maybe one reason the 18-year-old gold-medal-winning Olympic skier Eileen Gu opted to ski for China instead of the U.S. was that she was educated in these San Francisco schools. [Note: A reader has informed us that Gu attended two very pricy private schools in San Francisco: Katherine Delmar Burke from K-8 and SF University High 8-12. But still, the San Francisco effect is real....] She likely was taught that America was a terrible racist place and needed to go. She likely was taught that one system was as good as another. Combine it with black-on-Asian racism, of which she had been a victim, and the place would have to seem toxic in myriad ways. It's obviously part of a slew of problems in that school district -- and Asian-American parents have demonstrated that they recognize it with this vote, and have the political muscle to demand better.

Ed Driscoll points out at Instapundit that it's part of the Great Parent Revolt which has galvanized parents across the country to reject wokesterism in education and vote with their feet (and ballots) to get rid of it. Big shifts happened in Virginia in the past gubernatorial election, and now an even more shocking result has rocked San Francisco, which is the bluest city in the nation. Does anyone expect this to die down now that it's gone bipartisan? If anything, it will get bigger.

Some analysts are pooh-poohing the idea that this election will affect other elections, but that doesn't recognize the scope of this shift. The next issue to come up is violent crime, which if anything, affects even more San Franciscans, given the low number of kids who have parents who can afford to live in the Bay Area, and the high number of small businesses, and young singles, particularly women, who are often targeted by violent criminals. How could it be anything other than a political earthquake?

Color this recall election a turning point. If this doesn't wake up Democrats about the need to start paying attention to something besides wokesterism, nothing will. They'll get a lot of these kinds of results.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
After King Charles I of England surrendered to Scottish forces following his defeat in the English Civil War (16421651), he was captured and imprisoned at the Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, where he remained for fourteen months. By the end of 1648, the Parliamentarian New Model Army had consolidated its control over England, and Charles was tried, convicted, and executed for high treason in January 1649. The place of his imprisonment, the Carisbrooke Castle, still stands and is a popular tourist attraction on the isle.

Carisbrooke Castle. Photo: Nick/Flickr

The Carisbrooke Castle was built sometime in the 12th century. Although it doesn't dominate the countryside like other castles do, Carisbrooke was a mighty military stronghold. It successfully defended a French attempt to capture the castle In 1377. Not only was it difficult for an intruder to gain entry, it was impossible for prisoners to escape, as King Charles found out during his 14-month-long imprisonment.

Carisbrooke is what is known as a motte-and-bailey castle with a stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. In the center of the castle enclosure are the domestic buildings, mostly from the 13th century, with upper parts dating to the 16th century. Some of the buildings are in ruins, but the mains rooms remain in good repair and they were used as the official residence of the governor of the Isle of Wight until the 1940s.

Many tourists who visit Carisbrooke Castle today do so just to see its well house, which is still operated by donkeys like in olden times. Built in the 1580s, the well house was the main supply of water for the castle. It had a huge oak wheel that would be turned to draw a bucket down to the water and back up again. The wheel is thought to be originally turned by prisoners. However, from the late 17th century, the job was performed exclusively by a team of donkeys, a tradition that continues till this day.

Photo: English Heritage

All the donkeys at Carisbrooke have names beginning with the letter 'J'. This tradition began when Charles I was a prisoner at Carisbrooke. When Charles I wrote letters he always signed his letters with a 'J'. So all the donkeys at the castle have had a name beginning with this letter. The current drove consist of Jack, Jill, Jigsaw and Juno.

Nowadays the castle donkeys provide demonstrations of the well house for visitors for only a few minutes each day, and spend the rest of their time grazing in the fields behind the castle or relaxing in warm stables.

Photo: Matt Brown/Flickr

Photo: Anguskirk/Flickr
(Image source from: hindustantimes.com)

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) announced a third front or a Federal Front long ago and he targeted BJP and Congress. He already received support from his counterparts of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. KCR is expected to chair a meeting with the Chief Ministers of various regional parties in the coming days. During his recent media interaction, KCR said that he is keen to form the third front as a major force and their major target is BJP. Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal founder HD Deve Gowda came out to support KCR. He called KCR over the phone and offered his support for the third front.

Deve Gowda called KCR and congratulated him for the move. "KCR is doing very well. Everyone has to fight against the communal elements in the country. My complete support will be with you" told Deve Gowda. KCR thanked Gowda for the support. KCR is also in plans to fly down to Bengaluru and meet Deve Gowda and other crucial leaders soon. Mamata Banerjee too is in plans to arrange a meeting with the crucial leaders in New Delhi soon and KCR will be present for the meeting. He already received a call for the same. KCR is also in plans to chair such meeting and unite all the leaders for the meeting.
Facebook does a lot of things, but its still primarily a social media site. You just scroll through a feed comprised of news updates, advertisements, and of course, users status updates. Now, Facebook announced that its changing the name of its News Feed.

The Facebook News Feed is changing its name

For some reason, Facebook felt that this was necessary to change. The News Feed is where most people spend their time on Facebook. They scroll through statuses, pictures, and other forms of media that people create.

Now, via a tweet from the official Facebook Twitter account, the company announced that its News Feed will simply be called Feed. It seems weird that Facebook would make this change, but there may be some solid reasoning behind it.

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The News Need launched around 15 years ago. Back then, social media wasnt as much of a thing as it is now, so the concept of a feed was not as ubiquitous. This means that Facebook needed to highlight that it was a news feed where you can get the latest updates.

Nowadays, social media is much more prevalent in our lives, and the feed is no longer a new concept. This means that Facebook does not need to call it a news feed. If it simply calls it a feed, people will know exactly what youre talking about.

Starting today, our News Feed will now be known as "Feed." Happy scrolling! pic.twitter.com/T6rjO9qzFc Advertisement  Facebook App (@facebookapp) February 15, 2022

In Other Facebook news: Facebook will not be removed from Europe

While Facebook changing the name of the news feed is definitely hot news, one developing story has been just a bit more pressing. Recently, Meta has been hitting the headlines as news pointed to the company withdrawing from Europe.

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That would mean that European countries but not be able to use Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp. That would have been a big blow to any person or company using those services on a regular basis.

Theres uncertainty regarding the old transatlantic privacy agreement between the United States and the European Union. This, many think, is the reason that Facebook might have been leaving Europe.

However, the company stated that Meta has no interest in leaving the European Union at all. That could either be a true statement, or Facebook just trying to assuage the situation until it can come to a reasonable conclusion.

Facebook is no stranger to taking resistance from other parties. Most of the issues it faces are from other countries not liking the companys stance on privacy. This is a developing story, so we expect to get more updates as time goes on.
Xiaomi seems to be developing an AR-based shopping navigation system. This report comes from China, as the company seems to have patented a shopping navigation method, device, and system based on augmented reality technology AR. That is the official description of the patent.

Xiaomi seems to be developer an AR-based shopping navigation system

Xiaomi may be one of the worlds best-known smartphone manufacturers, but this company is much more than that. The company releases all kinds of products, including electric scooters, smart scales, battery banks, earphones, smartwatches, backpacks, and so much more.

The companys product portfolio is truly vast, and Xiaomi is constantly looking how to improve its offerings. We may see electric cars from the company down the line, so this new patent isnt exactly surprising.

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Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are becoming more and more popular. More and more companies are trying to figure out how to best utilize it. Well, this new patent is quite interesting.

This should be able to improve your shopping experience

Xiaomi seems to want to improve users shopping experience this way, by saving you some time. This navigation system should be able to provide you with the exact location of the product youre looking for.

So, for example, if youre in a huge store, and you have a list of products youre looking for, this system should be able to pinpoint the exact location of every single one. That way, you can simply walk directly to each of them, and save some time in the process.

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This technology is likely meant to be used with AR glasses, which the company teased a while back. This technology will be far more useful if youre not in said store every day, as you likely know exactly where things are located.

There is so much more that can be done with this tech. You may be able to get the ingredients of each food product, for example, or specifications of a laptop youre interested in, and so on.
(by Hossam Rabie)

CAIRO - At first sight, the location doesn't appear likely to host an exhibit: at the end of a street in the Khalifa district, Cairo's historic center, in the midst of broken sewer and street vendors that evoke poverty, the show "Mneen" displays drawings ad embroidery. It is organized by Daniele Manno, an artist from the Sicilian city of Agrigento known as 'Maninelkaos', who is inspired by the chaos of the Egyptian capital and who wants to save an art from the past.



The exhibit 'Mneen', which in Arabic means 'from where you come', has been opened in an historic building since February 10 and will run until the end of the month in collaboration with 'Athar Lina', an association working to preserve the heritage of the district of Khalifa which hosts dozens of sites from the Islamic era. As part of the show, a seminar organized by Manno is being held to teach the art of embroidery to people who are interested in the Middle Eastern version of this art.



Since the beginning, 'Mneen' caused quite an uproar in the Egyptian capital and the inauguration was attended by over 100 Egyptian and foreign visitors. Last spring, Manno - with French sculptor Valie Guillard - held a show of illustrations and graphic art in collaboration with the Egyptian culture ministry.



"I lived in Cairo for two years, one before the pandemic and another during" the crisis, the 36-year-old Sicilian told ANSAmed. "I was lucky to see it in 2019", a "city of 25 million inhabitants" where days are endless and "you can buy pants at 3 in the morning".



But apart from waiting till dawn in cafes, his permanence in Cairo gave Manno an occasion to be faithful to his artistic name - "mani-nel-kaos", in Italian hands-in-chaos - in the Egyptian capital, especially in low-income districts: "I was surprised by things I had never seen in my life" but "which Egyptians see all the time and consider normal", he remembered. The artist added: "In effect, beauty is at every corner, in all spontaneous forms of architecture, in the attitudes of Egyptians, in kiosks, in windows, everywhere".



"So-called informal architecture has in Cairo certain characteristics of intelligence that you can't find elsewhere.



Moreover, the use of 'Led' lights takes a very important artistic dimension, which is a source of inspiration for me, like all of Cairo", noted the artist.



With a 'virgin' regard, Manno has transformed the chaos of the Middle Eastern city into drawings and embroideries. "The substance of my work focuses on certain districts, certain parties and certain attitudes of the Egyptian population that surprised me in a positive way", he said, adding that he has expressed this surprise also in his work on tapestries.



In his creations set in old Cairo, you can see open-air sewer, three people sleeping in a room, stray cats. "A low-income district does not interest an Egyptian, because it is very common. Instead, it isn't common for me", said the artist.



After making the drawings, Manno had an idea: turning them into "khayamiya", or tapestries. So he visited a family that for four centuries has made them in downtown Cairo, passing on this art from generation to generation - so he could also learn embroidery techniques.



"I was lucky to experience the coronavirus pandemic in Cairo", he said, referring to the opportunity to come into contact with this family of embroiderers and to learn their techniques.



"Khayamiya", or "embroidery", is a Middle Eastern art that dates back to antiquity, when curtains were adorned with this technique which is still used for weddings, funerals, various celebrations and official events. However, it is starting to lose value among Egyptians, noted Manno. And this show aims to go against this trend.
Tunisia: $400 mn from World Bank for social reforms Belhaj, 'more loans will follow this fund'

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, FEBRUARY 16 - The World Bank will grant Tunisia funding for 400 million dollars to support social reforms in the country, said the vice president of the institute for Middle East and North Africa, Ferid Belhaj. He added that more loans will follow to support small and medium-sized businesses, buy vaccines and provide necessary support for the country's healthcare. During a meeting with Premier Najla Bouden, Belhaj - who leads a high-level delegation of the World Bank - also expressed the institute's willingness to mobilize all funding necessary to implement economic reforms that will have a social impact.



During the meeting, according to a statement of the executive, another topic of discussion was Tunisia's delicate economic situation, the repercussions of the pandemic on the national economy and the need to implement ambitious programs for economic recovery.



Belhaj met in Carthage with President Kais Saied, who announced that a commission will be set up with the role of carrying out a revision of all loans and subsidies received by Tunisia over the past decades. Saied in fact questioned how loans and donations - estimated in "billions and billions" - were used, stressing the need to coordinate with experts from the World Bank and Tunisia to guarantee that funding taken away from the Tunisian people will be handed back.(ANSAmed). (ANSA).




ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying by Hurriyet daily that "it is not possible for us to remain silent in front of military activities brought forward in violation of agreements on the island that have a non-military status", speaking about alleged military actions, banned by international treaties, carried out by Athens on some Greek islands in the Aegean sea, near the Turkish coast. Speaking with journalists after returning from a trip to the United Arab Emirates, Erdogan said that the matter of the islands "is always controversial" and that basic warnings were sent to Athens but, "if Greece continues, we will bring these warnings to the maximum level".



The issue of the demilitarization of the Aegean islands has caused tension between Ankara and Athens for decades and at the beginning of the 2000s a mechanism of dialogue was inaugurated between the two countries to try to solve the issue. Meetings were interrupted from 2016 until 2021 due to problems between Ankara and Athens in managing energy resources off the coast of Cyprus, which created tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.



Negotiations on the islands in the Aegean were reopened in Istanbul in January last year, while the next meeting between the delegations of Turkey and Greece is scheduled in Athens on February 22.
DHAKA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's largest annual book fair kicked off in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday though belatedly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The book fair, with the theme of "We want a COVID-free Bangladesh," brought together many readers and writers to celebrate the event for literature.

A total of 800 stalls were allocated to about 500 organizations this year, Jalal Ahmed, member secretary of the book fair management committee and director of Bangla Academy, told journalists earlier.

According to him, the book fair is held in compliance with COVID-19 health guidelines and none will be allowed into the fair without wearing a face mask and sanitizing hands.

The book fair used to begin on the first day of February but this year it was postponed to Feb. 15 due to the COVID-19 situation in the Asian country.

Calls for extending the duration of the fair have grown as publishers are afraid of facing losses if the month-long book fair is reduced to 14 days.

"As this time we've started the fair belatedly, Feb. 15, I think we can continue it for a month," Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said when virtually inaugurated the event. 
ROME - Kuwait's Constitutional Court on Wednesday changed an article of a law criminalizing "imitation of the opposite sex", which was used to prosecute transgender people. The move was welcomed by Amnesty International as a "major breakthrough" for transgender rights in the Arab region of the Gulf. The Parliament of the Gulf State amended article 198 of the criminal code in 2007 to make the offense punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine. But the Constitutional Court said on Wednesday that the amendment violated the constitution.



Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International's deputy Middle East director, said the legislation was "deeply discriminatory, overly vague and never should have been accepted into law".



"Kuwaiti authorities must now ensure that article 198 is repealed in its entirety", she added. "They must also immediately halt arbitrary arrests of transgender people and drop all charges and convictions brought against them under this transphobic law".



Maalouf then asked for the release of Maha al-Mutairi, a 40-year-old transgender woman who was jailed and fined under the law. Her attorney, Ibtissam al-Enezi, told Human Rights Watch at the time that the court used her videos on social media as evidence to convict her on the grounds that she was wearing makeup, speaking about her transgender identity and criticizing the government.



Kuwait's criminal code continues to criminalize sexual intercourse outside marriage and punishes consensual same-sex relations between men by up to seven years in jail. It does not mention same-sex relations between women.
BRUSSELS - Italian Foreign Deputy Minister Marina Sereni told reporters on the sidelines of a series of initiative on EU-Africa ahead of a summit Thursday in Brussels that "the situation in Libya is very worrying and particularly so at the moment". "The international community and Italy believe that there is an absolute need to agree with Libyans on a clear, transparent and not too long path to elections", she said.



The theme of immigration will be discussed at the summit, said Sereni, a document is being written and negotiated. "We have to deal with the theme rationally and, for this, shared and sustainable development is a response. The government of migration flows is connected to the possibility for African countries to conquer their road towards democracy and sustainable development", explained Sereni. "I think there will be a specific reference in the document to immigration and on how to fight human trafficking. Eradicating criminals trafficking human being is, I believe, a common objective".


TUNIS - Three Tunisian Social Democratic parties in the opposition - Ettakattol, Al-Joumhouri and the Democratic Current (Attayar) - announced that they have lodged a complaint to the first president of the audit court against President Kais Saied, the premier and three ministers to denounce the crimes of "bad management of public funding and abuse of power".



The secretary generals of these parties and a representative of national independent personalities lodged the complaint after the closure of the headquarters of Parliament, of the national anti-corruption authority (Inlucc) and of the Bardo Museum for unjustified reasons, according to a joint statement, which stressed that the employees of these institutions were denied access to their offices while they are continuing to get paid.



The complaint in particular concerns the "bad management of public money, abuse of power and violation of administrative procedures" by President Kais Saied, Premier Najla Bouden, Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri Nemsia, Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine and Culture Minister Hayet Ketat Guermazi.



Another opposition member, the Workers' party, denounced the "attempts by President Kais Saied to subjugate the sector of the judiciary to implement his authoritarian project", blocking a decree creating a provisional Supreme council of the judiciary.



"With the promulgation of this decree, the main guidelines of Saied's authoritarian project are taking shape", warned the workers' party in a statement. According to the party, this decree is another pretext for alleged foreign colonial forces to interfere in the domestic affairs of the country and create a favorable climate to impose their diktats, it said. Undertaking reforms of the judiciary and fighting any form of corruption in the sector does not require to also gain control of the judiciary, stressed the party, adding that "it would be better to affirm its independence and allow the judiciary to get rid of the exploitation and manipulation of parties in power".
Two Irish diplomats will remain in Ukraine for the foreseeable future, amid ongoing tensions at the Russian border.

Russia has said it is returning more troops and weapons to bases, but Nato has said it sees no sign of a drawdown.

The Foreign Affairs Minister told a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday that 98 Irish citizens are currently registered with the Irish embassy in Kyiv.

Simon Coveney also told party colleagues that 33 Irish citizens have departed.

Mr Coveney said that two Irish diplomats in Ukraine will remain there to assist Irish nationals as long as it is safe.

Official Irish Government advice is to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine, with Irish citizens in the country being told to leave by commercial means.

European leaders will discuss Russia/Ukraine crisis tomorrow; Ill meet with partners at @MunSecConf over weekend, incl Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba. Irelands support for Ukraines sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to choose its foreign and security policy is unwavering  Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) February 16, 2022

Russia has massed about 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine, sparking Western concerns it was planning an attack.

Moscow denies it has any such plans and this week said it was pulling back some forces and weapons, though it gave few details.

Those claims have been met with scepticism from the US and its allies  even as they seemed to lower the temperature following weeks of escalating East-West tensions.

Mr Coveney told Fine Gael TDs and senators that there exists significant consular challenges being worked on, including surrogacy cases.

He also told colleagues that ahead of a meeting the UN Security Council, the focus of preventing Russian aggression in the region would continue and that he did not expect the story to abate.
The family of Bob Saget has filed a US lawsuit to block the release of records from the investigation into his death.

They said that evidence collected from the scene of the comedians death depicted him graphically and should not be released to the public or media.

Saget, who was known for his role as Danny Tanner in the US sitcom Full House, was found dead on January 9 in a Florida hotel room.

A Florida medical examiner ruled his cause of death as an accidental blow to the head, likely from an unwitnessed fall, with no evidence of illicit drugs present.

Legal documents obtained by the PA news agency show requests for a temporary and permanent injunction that prohibits releasing the sensitive information to anyone except his family members.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of Sagets wife, Kelly Rizzo, and their daughters against the Orange County Sheriffs office and the medical examiners office, and detailed the investigations made by police following Sagets death.

In the process of these investigations, defendants created records which include photographs, video recordings, audio recordings, statutorily protected autopsy information, and all other statutorily protected information, the documents said.

Upon information and belief, some of these records graphically depict Mr Saget, his likeness or features, or parts of him, and were made by defendants.

Upon information and belief, certain news and media outlets have filed or plan to file public records requests requesting defendants release the records to the public.

The lawsuit said that injunctive relief was necessary to protect the familys legitimate privacy interests.

For the reasons stated herein, plaintiffs seek a temporary and permanent injunction precluding defendants from releasing the records to anyone except plaintiffs as the surviving spouse and daughters of Mr Saget, or to plaintiffs designee, it stated.
Amanda Holden arrives for Britain's Got Talent auditions in January. (PA)

Amanda Holden is no stranger to sex-bomb glamour. Now, the TV star has marked her 51st birthday by modelling a black latex bra and matching slit skirt.

Holding her blonde hair up, she posed wearing the racy outfit and dangling earrings, captioning the image, 'Hello 51' with party popper and 'get it done' emojis.

Fellow stars were quick to comment, with Paul O' Grady and Katie Piper wishing her a happy birthday, while Lisa Faulkner wrote admiringly, 'look at you!' and Vicky Pattinson added, 'Happy birthday, queen.'

Fans chimed in too, calling Amanda 'beautiful' and wishing her a happy birthday.

The Britain's Got Talent presenter also posted an image of herself showing the bra, tagged with designer William Wilde and her hair and makeup artist Christian Vermaak.

Wilde is a designer who creates theatrical costumes and lingerie from latex, and has worked with Kylie Minogue, Lady GaGa, Rita Ora, Daisy Lowe, Rihanna, Paloma Faith and Lily Allen.

His work is described as "a London based designer and costumier who specialises in exquisite hand-made rubber clothing and accessories, elegant and distinctive his collections are seen and rarely forgotten...inspired by Glamazons and Showgirls.

Amanda has worn his designs before, notably at Halloween when she appeared as Morticia Adams in a floor-length black latex gown and a long, black wig.

Holly Willoughby also rocked the same look, with bright red lipstick and a similar wig.

For Amanda, dressing up and posing is part of the job - she regularly arrives dressed for the catwalk to present her radio show, and rocks a series of revealing evening gowns on Britain's Got Talent, while on holiday she's happy to post photos of herself frolicking in a bikini - and unlike most 50-plus women, appears to have no body hang-ups whatsoever.

Recently she told YOU Magazine, "Its absolutely par for the course for me to be walking around with no clothes on in our house. Obviously now Lexis a bit older she does a bit of eye-rolling every now and again, but theyre all very used to me.

Read more: Amanda Holden hurts her leg running to her hot tub

Amanda Holden leaves Global Radio in London in London. Picture date: Friday May 21, 2021.

She added, "Who says that once you reach a certain age women have to dress a certain way, act a certain way? I dont believe in those rules. You do what makes you happy, what puts a smile on your face and, to be honest, you have got to an age where you care a lot less about what people think.

Read more: Amanda Holden admits she and husband have tried and failed to join 'Mile High Club'

"I consider myself lucky to be following women like Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Aniston, who have really celebrated their 50th year by being grateful for their success, happy with their lives and still looking really hot."

To mark the end of 2020 she posted an insta snap of her bikini-clad bum. "That was me putting my fingers up to Covid and to any expectations of a woman about to turn 50, she explained.

"My bum is still up to it!"
BANGKOK, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Thailand on Wednesday reported 16,462 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours, the highest daily case tally since Aug. 29, 2021, according to official data.

The new cases raised the country's total number of infections to 2.64 million, according to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), the country's COVID-19 task force.

The capital Bangkok reported 2,891 new cases in the last 24 hours, topping the list by regions, followed by surrounding provinces of Samut Prakan and Chonburi.

The CCSA also reported 27 additional deaths, taking the total number of fatalities to 22,516.

The Southeast Asian country has been speeding up vaccine roll-out. As of Tuesday, 70.9 percent of the country's nearly 70 million population had been fully vaccinated, while 26.4 percent had received booster shots, according to the CCSA. 
Streaming service Paramount+ will become available to UK audiences this summer, the channel has announced.

The news comes as part of a range of announcements by ViacomCBS following an investor day meeting on Tuesday.

ViacomCBS will be rebranded to become Paramount, the company said.

This summer, #ParamountPlus will come to the UK, bringing all of our shows and movies to British audiences!  Paramount+ (@paramountplus) February 15, 2022

Listing new content and changes arriving this year, Paramount tweeted: This summer, #ParamountPlus will come to the UK, bringing all of our shows and movies to British audiences!

Paramount also announced that, starting in 2024, all its feature films will be moved to the streaming services after their theatrical runs.

They will include upcoming blockbusters including Top Gun: Maverick, The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, and the heavily delayed Mission: Impossible 7.

The company also announced that the third instalment of John Krasinskis A Quiet Place is scheduled for 2025, following the huge success of the sequel in 2021, which was instrumental in encouraging people back to cinemas after long Covid closures.

The film is likely to see Krasinskis wife Emily Blunt reprise her role as a mother desperate to protect her family as blind creatures with extremely sensitive hearing run rampage.

Paramount+ joins an already crowded market for streaming services in the UK, going into battle with big hitters including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, which have been steadily increasing prices.

The US version of the service is already home to Yellowstone spin-off 1883, starring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and upcoming series The Offer, about the making of The Godfather, starring Miles Teller, Juno Temple, Matthew Goode and Giovanni Ribisi.

On April 28, #TheOffer premieres on #ParamountPlus and tells one of Hollywood's wildest stories: how the iconic film, The Godfather, almost didn't happen. It stars @Miles_Teller, @JunoTemple, Matthew Goode, and Giovanni Ribisi. pic.twitter.com/ERUSNE3PWH  Paramount+ (@paramountplus) February 15, 2022

Among a raft of announcements of new series is new Star Trek show Strange New Worlds, starring Anson Mount as Captain Pike; Rabbit Hole, a psychological thriller starring Kiefer Sutherland; and an update to Fatal Attraction starring Lizzy Caplan and Joshua Jackson.

More new series coming to #ParamountPlus in 2022 include Happy Face from the creators of @TheGoodFight & @Evil; Rabbit Hole, a psychological thriller starring @RealKiefer; and an update to Fatal Attraction with Lizzy Caplan & Joshua Jackson.  Paramount+ (@paramountplus) February 15, 2022

The company also announced Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies, a musical prequel to the classic film, updated with new music and choreography.

Grease: #RiseOfThePinkLadies is a splashy musical prequel to the classic film, #Grease  but updated for today with new music and choreography. #ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/X5Ya31sLNS  Paramount+ (@paramountplus) February 15, 2022

It will also premiere a new Beavis and Butt-Head movie, followed by new episodes of the animated series, while South Park will premiere two events on Paramount+ each year for the next six years and all episodes will be exclusive to the service internationally this year and in the US in 2025.

Exciting @SouthPark news!#SouthPark will premiere two events on #ParamountPlus each year for the next 6 years.-New series episodes stream first on Paramount+ globally in 2024.-The full series catalog will be exclusive to Paramount+, internationally in 2022 & in the US in 2025 pic.twitter.com/eMOglCEbjI  Paramount+ (@paramountplus) February 15, 2022

The service says it already has more than 50 new international original shows planned as it expands into global markets.
The Duke of York is keeping his dukedom and his service rank of Vice Admiral and will remain a Counsellor of State despite agreeing to an out-of-court settlement in a sexual assault lawsuit.

There are growing calls for Andrew to give up the York title, or for the Queen to remove it, in the wake of his financial agreement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused the duke of having sex with her after she was trafficked.

The dukedom was a gift from his mother on his wedding day in 1986 and was previously used by the Queens father George VI.

The Duke and Duchess of York on their wedding day (PA)

Labour MP Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, has called on Andrew to withdraw his title to show respect for people living in York.

Palace sources said there has been no change to Andrews current titles since the duke was stripped of his honorary military roles by the monarch last month, when he also stopped using his HRH style.

He remains the Duke of York and also a Vice Admiral.

As a former royal member of the armed forces who served in the Royal Navy, he was by convention promoted in line with his still-serving peers and made Vice Admiral by the Navy on his 55th birthday in 2015.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the decision on titles rests obviously with the Palace in the future.

Andrew remains in the line of succession to the throne  ninth in line  and is also a Counsellor of State.

The Queen told how she has trouble moving during an audience on Wednesday (Steve Parsons/PA)

In the event the Queen could not undertake her official duties as sovereign on a temporary basis due to illness, two or more Counsellors of State are appointed by Letters Patent to act in her place.

With the monarch, now 95, indicating on Wednesday she is experiencing trouble moving, Palace aides will be under greater pressure to resolve the Counsellor of State situation in case she falls unwell.

Counsellors of State are appointed from among the following: the monarchs consort (which was the late Duke of Edinburgh) and the four adults over the age of 21 next in succession.

These are currently the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of York.

The Queen is empowered to appoint Counsellors under the Regency Acts 1937-53, and legislation would be needed to remove Andrew.

But sources have suggested there will be no change in the law.

Harry also no longer carries out royal duties.

Living away from the UK in California could potentially disqualify Harry from his Counsellor of State role, although he could travel back to London if ever required, despite not being a working royal.

Last week, Charles contracted Covid, there were fears the Queen had also caught the virus, and William was abroad in Dubai, meaning the Counsellor of State roles would have fallen to Andrew and Harry if both the monarch and Charles were too unwell to carry out duties.
The Duke of York is facing calls to confirm he will fund the multimillion-pound cost of his civil sex case settlement and not the public or royal family.

Andrew will have to pay a legal bill of up to 12 million, according to speculation, following his out-of-court agreement with Virginia Giuffre who was suing the Queens son for sexual abuse after she claims she was trafficked by his friend and convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.

The scandal, which has left Andrews reputation in tatters, risks further damaging the monarchy if the perception remains that he has escaped any financial obligations, lawyer Mark Stephens has suggested.

Virginia Giuffre is expected to receive a large undisclosed sum from Andrew (Crime+Investigation/PA)

The duke had said he wanted a jury trial to contest the allegations in court but  probably after pressure from the royal family  he opted to reach a settlement with Ms Giuffre and now regrets his association with disgraced financier Epstein, a letter submitted to the United States District Court stated.

Andrew agreed to make a substantial donation to his accusers charity after the pair came to the undisclosed out-of-court settlement.

Mr Stephens, an international reputation lawyer from the firm Howard Kennedy, said the duke will have to give details of where the settlement money is from or risk more reputational damage to the monarchy.

He said: Theres absolute uproar on social media and mainstream media with people mistakenly thinking this money has come from taxpayers money or the civil list.

And I think theres equal concern that it comes from the royal family and what they want to see is that Andrew is paying out of his own pocket  that hes personally being financially punished here.

Andrew with Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell in the background (US Department of Justice/AP)

And I think hes going to have to clarify within the next 24 to 48 hours from his team, that its come from his own private resources or will do.

The lawyers words mirrored the thoughts of royal finances expert and author David McClure who said there is enormous public interest in the sum and the source of the funding being disclosed.

Mr McClure added: I really think for once the royal family should come clean and say where the money came from.

Although the parties have settled the case, the agreement is not an admission of guilt from the duke and he has always strenuously denied the allegations against him.

No detail has been disclosed with regard to the settlement and costs, but it has been reported the duke has agreed to pay around 10 million to Ms Giuffre and a further 2 million to her charity, with speculation the Queen might help with costs from her private funds.

The Duke of York was stripped of his military affiliations in the wake of the scandal (Chris Jackson/PA)

Andrew is reportedly in the process of selling his Swiss ski chalet with the property expected to generate many millions in funds.

The public, and not a jury, will now decide who they believe after the settlement which ended the prospect of an autumn trial in the civil case, said Gloria Allred, a US lawyer who represented several of Epsteins victims.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Ms Allred said: This case will be dismissed, then each will go their own way and he will never end up testifying under oath, at least not this case, and the public will just have to decide who they believe.

Ms Giuffre made a claim against Andrew for damages in her home country of the US, claiming she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with the royal when she was 17, a minor under US law.

The settlement agreement states that Andrew will donate to Ms Giuffres charity in support of victims rights and that he has pledged to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.

Last month the Queen stripped Andrew of his remaining patronages and honorary military roles as the monarchy distanced itself from the duke ahead of potentially damaging developments in his lawsuit.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said the settlement had ended a sorry chapter but it was important not to lose sight of sexual abuse victims.

He said: Whatever the rights and wrongs of this settlement  and it does seem to end a sorry chapter  I think its very important we dont lose sight, dont lose focus, on the victims of sexual abuse.
There are even more layers to Chris Cuomo's messy ouster from CNN.

A bombshell report from the New York Times claims that after the Cuomo Prime Time host, 51, was suspended for unethical interactions with his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, CNN received a legal letter accusing the newsman of sexual assault when he worked at ABC News. That sealed his fate, the outlet claims.

A spokesperson for Chris tells Yahoo Entertainment that the sexual allegation is "false."

According to the story, Chris Cuomo was told by Jeff Zucker, now former president of CNN Worldwide, on Nov. 30 that he was suspended over the claims related to his politician brother. Chris was accused of using media sources to get dirt on women accusing his brother of sexual harassment. During the conversation, at which CNN's now former chief marketing officer  and Zucker's secret girlfriend  Allison Gollust was present, Chris offered to resign. Zucker, who apparently had a friendly relationship with him, said not to, as he may be able to return to his post at some point.

Less than 24 hours later, high-profile attorney Debra S. Katz sent a letter to CNN attorney David Vigilante alleging that Chris Cuomo sexually assaulted her client, a woman who worked with him at ABC News, in 2011. Katz also claimed that at the height of the #MeToo movement, Chris demonstrated an "abuse of power at CNN" by attempting to "silence my client" by arranging a flattering CNN segment about her employer at that time.

Chris Cuomo faced a sexual assault allegation before his CNN firing. (Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

The woman, referred to as Jane Doe, was a young temporary ABC employee hoping for a full-time job. Chris, an anchor, offered her career advice and invited her to lunch in his office. When she arrived for lunch, there was no food. She claimed Chris instead badgered her for sex and, after she refused, assaulted her.

The woman, who fled the room after the alleged assault, was interviewed about the assault and provided email exchanges between herself and Chris, who has been married to wife Cristina since 2001. The news outlet interviewed five friends and former colleagues who said the woman told them Chris made made unwelcome sexual requests.

The woman claimed that then years later, at the height of #MeToo when TV news personalities Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose lost their jobs over sexual misconduct allegations, Chris contacted her out of the blue. He offered a CNN segment about the company where she worked doing public relations. It claimed she tried to avoid contact with Chris, but CNN broadcast a segment anyway.

"Ms. Doe suspected he was concerned about her coming forward publicly with her allegations and wanted to use the proposed segment as an opportunity to test the waters and discourage her from going on the record about his sexual misconduct," Katz's letter to CNN stated.

A meeting was set for Dec. 3 for Katz  a civil rights and whistleblower lawyer who also represents one of Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment accusers as well as Christine Blasey Ford  to hand over evidence to substantiate the womans claims. Just prior to that, Zucker fired Chris. Zucker reportedly told Chris that the series of scandals became "too much for us." Zucker also apparently felt "misled" by him.

Chriss spokesperson, in addition to denying the sexual assault allegation, says CNN never gave him an opportunity to respond to Does allegations. Here is his entire statement: As Mr. Cuomo has stated previously, the allegations in the anonymous letter are false. He was never asked about the allegations prior to being terminated nor given an opportunity to respond to the allegations."

Chris is taking legal action over his ouster. That has led to Zucker being fired from the company's top spot earlier this month after he failed to disclose his personal relationship with Gollust.

At the time Zucker stepped down, it was said that Gollust would stay with the company. However, on Tuesday, she was forced to resign as well. The company said that she, as well as Chris and Zucker, violated company policies.

In September, prior to Chris's firing from CNN, veteran TV producer Shelley Ross accused him of sexual misconduct. She alleged that he grabbed her buttock at a 2005 event when she was his boss at ABC. Ross had an email Chris sent apologizing for the incident.
No one told Friends that the international streaming business was gonna be this way. Earlier this month, the classic NBC comedy series returned China's major streaming platforms  including Sohu, iQiyi, Bilibili and Tencent Video  for the first time since 2013. According to The Hollywood Reporter, fans of the show quickly spotted significant omissions from specific episodes, suggesting that storylines had been censored for local audiences. (Yahoo Entertainment has reached out to Warner Bros. Television, which produced Friends, for comment.)

Reports of these re-tailored Friends episodes follow news that David Fincher's 1999 cult favorite, Fight Club, had its cataclysmic ending re-written by local authorities when in started streaming on Tencent Video. After the censorship was brought to the world's attention, the original finale was restored to Tencent's streaming version.

The cast of Friends in a classic episode of the NBC comedy series. Recent reports suggest that video platforms in China have censored storylines from the series. (Photo: Warner Bros. Television / Courtesy: Everett Collection)

In the case of Friends, fans noted on the Chinese social media site, Weibo, that LGBTQ-related storylines and sequences were eliminated or altered in the episodes available on local streaming services. One major casualty of that censorship is the character of Carol Willick (first played by Anita Barone, who was replaced by Jane Sibbett), the ex-wife of Ross Gellar (David Schwimmer). In the series, Carol leaves Ross for another woman, but The New York Times reports that the Chinese version of the show omits that explanation entirely.

The Friends gang keeps its eyes on the Ugly Naked Guy in a vintage episode. (Photo: Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection)

Other changes include altered subtitles to sexually-suggestive situations. For example, instead of talking about going to a strip club, Matt LeBlanc's Joey Tribbiani says he's "going out to have fun," while Paul the Wine Guy's confession of not being able to perform sexually has been amended to say that he's simply in "low spirits." The New York Times also notes that this isn't the first time that China has altered Friends-related content. When Friends: The Reunion arrived on local streaming services last year, cameo appearances by Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and BTS were edited out due to authorities' displeasure with those celebrities.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the hashtag #FriendsCensored topped Weibo's list of trending topics when news of the censorship first circulated among fans. It was later removed and replaced with the message: "This topic is not shown according to relevant laws and regulations." Many have also noted that Chinese authorities have been more active in censoring LGBTQ-related storylines in other media, including the Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody.

"Mostly they dont want the women in their own country to be awakened," one Friends viewer reportedly posted on Chinese social media. They dont want them to know women can love women. Otherwise who will help the men to carry on the family line."

Friends is currently streaming in the U.S. on HBO Max
FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's biggest national flag on the country's highest flagpole and the giant 'Motherland' monument are seen at a compound of the World War II museum in Kyiv

By Aleksandar Vasovic

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainians raised national flags and played the country's anthem on Wednesday to show unity against fears of a Russian invasion that Western powers have said could be imminent.

The yellow and blue banner fluttered outside schools, hospitals and many shops to mark "Unity Day," a holiday President Volodymyr Zelenskiy created this week after Russia massed troops near Ukraine's borders.

Russia has denied it will invade, but has warned it could take unspecified "military-technical" action if its security demands, including restrictions on NATO, are not met.

On Kyiv's main Khreshchatyk boulevard, where flags decorated government offices, it was business as usual for many.

"Just a normal day, but these flags are here for a purpose, to show we fear no one. They did not scare us," said Mykola, who operates a small coffee stand in the capital.

A loudspeaker at a local government office blared patriotic songs, while television and government Youtube channels broadcast speeches and rousing reminders of Ukraine's nationhood.

"Everyone wants to scare us and we are here to stay," said Ludmila, a pensioner, who wore a tiny Ukrainian flag in the lapel of her coat.

At Kyiv's Olympic stadium, dozens of people unfolded a 200 meter-long Ukrainian flag, waving it to the beat of patriotic music.

In a televised address, Zelenskiy said Ukrainians were united around a common desire "to live in peace, happily, in a family, children with parents."

"No one can love our home as we can. And only we, together, can protect our home," he said. Zelenskiy was later due to inspect military drills in Rivne and fly to the eastern Donbass region to meet with serving troops.

Zelenskiy, himself an active social media user, called on Ukrainians to post pictures and videos of the Ukrainian flag and add hashtags. On Instagram, users posted under #UnityDay.

"Today we have proved, that we Ukrainians are a united nation, united people," said Pavlo Horinov, a official with the state Institute of Family and Youth Policy.

Zelenskiy has long said that, while he believes Russia is threatening to attack his country, the likelihood of an imminent invasion has been overstated by Western allies, responding to Moscow's efforts to intimidate Ukraine and sow panic.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskiy's chief of staff, said this week the president had chosen Feb. 16 as the patriotic holiday partly ironically, in response to media reports an invasion could happed on Wednesday.

The Russian defence ministry said it was returning some troops to their bases after exercises. The United States however, said there were signs more troops were on their way.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that more than 150,000 Russian troops were currently deployed near Ukraine.

Hours after Moscow's announcement of a withdrawl, Ukraine said defence ministry online networks and two banks were overwhelmed by a cyber attack. Hackers were still bombarding the defence ministry websites on Wednesday, the ministry said.

Although Kyiv did not name who was behind the incident, a statement suggested it was pointing the finger at Russia.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
Scotland and Wales are going to offer Covid-19 jabs to children aged five to 11.

Here are the answers to some of the key questions about vaccines for younger children.

 What is the latest?

Ministers in Wales and Scotland have said they have seen guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which advises that children in this age group should be offered the vaccine.

As a result, they have decided to press ahead with offering Covid-19 jabs to children aged five to 11.

(PA Graphics)

The JCVI guidance is yet to officially be published but is expected soon.

 Did jabs not get approved for use in five to 11-year-olds in December?

The usual protocol for vaccine approval starts with the UK medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which confirms whether or not a vaccine is safe and effective after looking at all of the data submitted by pharmaceutical companies.

Vaccination experts on the JCVI then assess this data and other factors  in this case school absences and rates of infection  before they advise ministers as to whether they should offer a vaccine.

Ministers then announce their decision.

The MHRA announced in December that a special paediatric formulation of the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine was safe for use among children aged five to 11.

The JCVI then said that the vaccine could be offered to at risk children in this age group, but reserved its decision on wider use among this cohort. Its official announcement is expected later on Wednesday.

 What is going on with the disparities across the UK?

In this case, it appears that the JCVI guidance has been given to ministers but not yet been announced.

A bit of political wrangling in Westminster could be to blame and it may be that Whitehall officials wanted to announce the decision on offering jabs for five to 11-year-olds when then set out their Living With Covid plans next week.

Now Wales and Scotland have jumped the gun on the announcement, it has forced the hand of Westminster officials and the JCVI decision is expected to be published on Wednesday.

Announcements from ministers in England and Northern Ireland will follow.

 Can you tell me more about this paediatric formulation?

Children aged five to 11 will be offered a much lower dose of the vaccine  lower than that offered to adults or children aged 12 and over.

They will be offered a 10 micrograms dose compared with 30 micrograms.

The MHRA said the vaccine is given as two injections in the upper arm. It will be for the JCVI to make the final recommendation on the so-called dosing interval  or how far apart the vaccines should take place.

 Are there any side effects?

When the MHRA approved the jab for younger children is said that its review of side effects found that the overwhelming majority were mild, including a sore arm and flu-like illness.

Children aged five to 11 will be offered a much lower dose of the vaccine (Jane Barlow/PA)

It examined lots of data, including information from the US where millions of children aged five to 11 have been vaccinated. The jab has also been on offer to this age group in a number of countries around the world.

 Where will children be given jabs?

It has not yet been announced where children will be vaccinated.

Children aged 12 and over and vulnerable five to 11-year-olds have been able to use NHS facilities and some schools have been used as vaccination sites.

 How many children will be offered the jab?

There are an estimated 5.8 million five to 11-year-olds in the UK.

The US Food and Drug Administration recently said it needed more data before considering whether even younger children should be offered the vaccine (Danny Lawson/PA)

Of course some of these will have already been offered a chance to have a vaccine if they are in vulnerable groups.

 Will children under the age of five ever be offered the jab?

It is a possibility but those decisions are a long way off.

The UK has taken time to weigh up the risks and benefits of vaccinations for children and often taken much longer than some other western countries to confirm it is happy for its youngest citizens to get a Covid jab.

Last week the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it needed more data before considering whether children aged six months to four years should be offered the Pfizer vaccine.
An Indiana man who authorities say created a fake social media account potentially linked to the unsolved 2017 murders of two teenage girls in Delphi is denying his involvement in their deaths.

Kegan Kline is accused of creating an account by the name of "anthony_shots" to communicate with underage girls and solicit nude images, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The affidavit, filed in August 2020, alleges that Kline admitted to investigators that he was the creator of the account. He is jailed on 30 charges, including child exploitation, child pornography, obstruction of justice and child solicitation, online court records show.

He has pleaded not guilty in that case and is in jail awaiting trial.

The charges are unrelated to the murders of Abigail "Abby" Williams and Liberty "Libby" German. Authorities have not named Kline as a person of interest or a suspect in the double homicide.

Kline recently spoke to HLN in a jailhouse interview and denied any involvement with the slayings, and he said he has been cooperating with police.

Liberty, 14, and Abigail, 13, were killed in February 2017 after they were dropped off near an abandoned rail bridge to walk around and hang out, according to police. The girls were supposed to be picked up from the area but never showed up. Their bodies were found Feb. 14, 2017, in a wooded area about a half-mile from the bridge.

In December, Indiana State Police said in a news release that the investigation into the murders led law enforcement to the "anthony_shots" profile.

The profile was used from 2016 to 2017 on sites including Snapchat and Instagram, the police statement said. The account used images of a well-known male model, who is not connected to the account or the investigation, state police said.

Investigators allege that the account portrayed the person as "being extremely wealthy and owning numerous sports cars" and "used this information while communicating with juvenile females to solicit nude images, obtain their addresses, and attempt to meet them."

Kline told HLN that investigators told him that the "anthony_shots" account was the last to communicate with Liberty before she was killed.

"That's what they said. And that's what the police tell me," he said.

Kline said he has no recollection of speaking with Liberty. "No. Not at all. I've told them a hundred times," he said, referring to the police. "I've done everything they wanted me to and it's like they're just harassing me."

Kline said he has given hair follicles and a sample to investigators.

An attorney for Kline did not immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment. Indiana State Police said they could not comment "due to this being an active and ongoing investigation."
Ben Wallace will meet with fellow Nato defence ministers in Brussels on Wednesday as efforts continue to avert a war in Ukraine.

The Defence Secretary will join Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin amid ongoing tensions in eastern Europe as the alliance considers its response to the 130,000 Russian troops massing at Ukraines borders.

The meeting comes after President Putin said on Tuesday that Russia did not want another war, and was open to further dialogue with the US and its Nato allies.

In the UK, armed forces minister James Heappey said he was cautiously optimistic about news some troops were withdrawing from the Ukrainian border but added he would continue to be very vigilant of Russias actions.

The Prime Minister had earlier suggested there were mixed signals coming out of Russia about the prospect of an invasion of Ukraine, describing the situation as not encouraging.

President Joe Biden, meanwhile, gave a televised address in the United States, in which he said an invasion was still possible and stressed the US would defend all Nato territory.

President Joe Biden speaks about Ukraine in the East Room of the White House (Alex Brandon/AP)

According to reports, US intelligence sources believed an invasion could commence at 3am local time  1am in the UK  on Wednesday, however this did not happen.

The ex-US ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, who was posted to the country between 2003 and 2006, said the Russians were saying two contradictory things officially.

Mr Herbst told the BBC: Moscow is directly threatening an invasion. Many times Russian officials have said that unless Russian demands are met, they will take military technical measures against Ukraine. So the Russians are saying two contradictory things officially.

The buildup of now over 150,000 Russian troops on Ukraines borders and a flotilla of 30 or 40 Russian ships near Ukrainian territorial waters in the Black Sea, suggests intimidation at a minimum.

James Heappey expressed cautious optimism about the latest developments (David Mirzoeff/PA)

Defence minister Mr Heappey welcomed news Russia was withdrawing troops, saying it gave the UK some real cautious optimism.

He told Channel 4 News: If, as a consequence of a combination of things over the last few weeks, the threat of economic sanctions and the impact that that threat is having on the Russian economy, if the cost of military action has started to become clear, then that is a good thing that Russia may be moving in a different direction.

He added: But until those are matched by troop movements, people like me need to continue to be very vigilant and be very clear in what we are saying in communicating what we are seeing and the danger that that presents.

Following a Cobra emergency committee meeting, Boris Johnson said the intelligence he has received about Russian military activity is not encouraging, with the construction of field hospitals and the movement of extra forces closer to the border suggesting preparations are still being made for an invasion.

While Mr Johnson acknowledged Russia had claimed it was withdrawing troops from the border, he added there were more battalion tactical groups being brought closer to the border.

So, mixed signals, I think, at the moment, he said.

Mr Johnson also said he would bring forward a new Economic Crime Bill in order to deal with dirty Russian money in the City of London.

The news was welcomed by both Labour and Conservative MPs, but Labour opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer warned the Prime Minister should get his own house in order by investigating whether the Tories had received any donations linked to Mr Putin.

Sir Keir also also encouraged the Government to go now and go hard in using economic sanctions against Russia.

Speaking after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Putin said Russia was ready for talks and emphasised the need for the West to heed his main demands.

He claimed the US and Nato had rejected Moscows demand to keep Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations out of Nato, and to roll back alliance forces from eastern Europe.

The statement followed the Russian Defence Ministrys announcement of a partial pullback of troops after military drills, adding to hopes the Kremlin might not invade Ukraine imminently.

However, the Russian military did not give details of where the troops were pulling back from, or how many troops were involved.

Russian president Vladimir Putin (right).

In the US, President Biden said an invasion of Ukraine remains very much a possibility and promised to defend Nato allies from attack.

In a televised address, he said: While I will not send American servicemen to fight in Ukraine, we have supplied Ukrainian military with equipment to help them defend themselves, and provided training and advice and intelligence for that purpose.

And make no mistake, the United States will defend every inch of Nato territory with the full force of American power.

An attack against one Nato country is an attack against all of us.

Russia was also admonished by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss for failing to send a representative to a European security meeting about the tensions at the Ukrainian border.

She called for the Kremlin to commit to meaningful talks after it failed to send a representative to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting about its military build-up.
President Biden said Tuesday that Russian troops remain in a threatening position along the border with Ukraine despite assertions from the Kremlin that it had begun repositioning its forces.

In remarks delivered from the White House, Biden offered an update on the tense standoff between Russia and Ukraine, and acknowledged a statement issued earlier Tuesday by Russias Ministry of Defense, which announced that Moscow had begun pulling back some troops from the Ukrainian border.

That would be good, but we have not yet verified that, Biden said. Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position. And the fact remains, right now Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine in Belarus and along Ukraines border.

President Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House about Russian military activity near Ukraine on Tuesday. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

While Biden said a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still very much a possibility, he insisted that the U.S. is committed to pursuing a diplomatic path in order to de-escalate tensions and avoid a military conflict.

U.S. officials have been sounding the alarm for weeks about the buildup of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine. On Sunday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned that Moscow appeared ready to launch a major military action against Ukraine any day now, citing an acceleration of the troop buildup and movements of Russian forces closer to the Ukrainian border in recent days.

In a televised exchange on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sought to downplay the latest warnings of an imminent strike by signaling that they are still willing to engage in diplomatic negotiations with the West. On Tuesday, Russias Ministry of Defense announced that troops recently stationed near the Ukrainian border in Russia had completed their military exercises and were returning to their permanent bases, while those currently participating in military drills in Belarus, Ukraines neighbor to the north, would do the same when their exercises end on Feb. 20.

But not everyone was convinced by Russias reassurances. During a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that the alliance has not seen any de-escalation on the ground, not any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine.

We will continue to monitor and follow closely what Russia is doing, he added.

Diplomatic attempts by the U.S. and NATO allies to de-escalate tensions between Russia and Ukraine appeared to hit a wall late last month after the alliance delivered written responses to a number of Russian security demands. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the time that the document produced by Washington offered Russia a diplomatic path forward, but made clear that this path did not include concessions on the Kremlins primary demands, including the withdrawal of NATO troops from Eastern Europe and the guarantee that Ukraine and other former Soviet-bloc countries would be prohibited from joining NATO.

Russian officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly denied that the Kremlin is planning to attack Ukraine, and accused the U.S. of whipping up hysteria during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council last month.

Biden reiterated Tuesday that while the U.S. is still willing to discuss a variety of proposals to address Russias security concerns, we will not sacrifice basic principles.

However, if Russia decides to proceed with military action, the president said, we will rally the world to oppose its aggression. The U.S. and NATO allies have prepared a range of economic sanctions to impose against Russia in the event of an attack.

Biden also noted that while he has promised not to send U.S. troops to fight in Ukraine, the U.S. military has supplied Kyiv with equipment, training and intelligence to defend itself against a Russian incursion. In recent weeks, the Pentagon has also sent a total of 5,000 U.S. troops to Europe to reassure its NATO allies that the U.S. will protect them against Russian aggression.

Make no mistake, the U.S. will defend every inch of NATO territory, Biden said Tuesday.

That said, he insisted that the U.S. is not seeking direct confrontation with Russia, telling the citizens of Russia, You are not our enemy. And I don't believe you want a bloody and destructive war with Ukraine.

Yet he noted that a Russian attack on Ukraine will also have consequences here at home, including the likelihood of higher oil and gas prices.

As Yahoo News reported Monday, officials at the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security warned law enforcement, military and others charged with overseeing critical U.S. infrastructure to be prepared for potential Russian cyberattacks in conjunction with a possible invasion of Ukraine.

Biden confirmed in his remarks that Russian cyberattacks on the U.S. are possible.

If Russia attacks the United States or our allies through asymmetric means like disruptive cyberattacks against our companies or critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond, Biden said.

While acknowledging those possible consequences, the president made the case that doing nothing to counter Russian aggression was not an option.

I will not pretend this will be painless, Biden said. But, he continued, the American public understands that defending democracy is not without costs.
A performer dances at an event celebrating the Chinese New Year held at the Confucius Institute of University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 15, 2022. At the event, visitors enjoyed the traditional Chinese music and dance performances held inside the teaching building of Confucius Institute, as well as a lantern and fire flame show outside the building. (Photo by Liu Yanyan/Xinhua)

DUBLIN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- An event to celebrate the Chinese New Year was held at the Confucius Institute of University College Dublin (UCD) on Tuesday night.

At the event, visitors enjoyed the traditional Chinese music and dance performances held inside the teaching building of Confucius Institute, as well as a lantern and fire flame show outside the building.

Nearly a dozen food stalls were set up outside to give visitors a taste of authentic Chinese food as well as other Asian food.

Organizers also held an award ceremony for the winners of the 2021 Chinese Language and Culture Competition, a contest open to all primary and secondary school students in Dublin.

Chinese Ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong and UCD President Andrew J. Deeks attended the award ceremony and handed over prizes to the top winners of the competition.

Noting this is the first offline event held by the UCD Confucius Institute in celebration of the Chinese New Year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ireland in early 2020, the institute's director Liming Wang said the event received a warm response from local residents, demonstrating their strong interest in Chinese culture.

Since its establishment in 2006, the UCD Confucius Institute has offered different courses to thousands of local Chinese language and culture lovers in Ireland. 

Children perform at an event celebrating the Chinese New Year held at the Confucius Institute of University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 15, 2022. At the event, visitors enjoyed the traditional Chinese music and dance performances held inside the teaching building of Confucius Institute, as well as a lantern and fire flame show outside the building. (Photo by Liu Yanyan/Xinhua)

A visitor watches traditional Chinese paintings displayed at an event celebrating the Chinese New Year held at the Confucius Institute of University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 15, 2022. At the event, visitors enjoyed the traditional Chinese music and dance performances held inside the teaching building of Confucius Institute, as well as a lantern and fire flame show outside the building. (Photo by Liu Yanyan/Xinhua)

People perform at an event celebrating the Chinese New Year held at the Confucius Institute of University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 15, 2022. At the event, visitors enjoyed the traditional Chinese music and dance performances held inside the teaching building of Confucius Institute, as well as a lantern and fire flame show outside the building. (Photo by Liu Yanyan/Xinhua)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China accused the United States of "playing up the threat of warfare and creating tension", as U.S. President Joe Biden warned that more than 150,000 Russian troops were still massed near Ukraine's borders following Moscow's announcement of a partial pullback.

Western nations have suggested arms control and confidence-building steps to defuse the stand-off, which has prompted them to urge their citizens to leave Ukraine because an attack could come at any time. Russia denies it has any plans to invade.

"Such persistent hyping up and disinformation by some Western countries will create turbulence and uncertainty to the world full of challenges, and intensify distress and division," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

"We hope relevant parties will stop such disinformation campaigns and do more to benefit peace, mutual trust and cooperation."

China has been criticised for its stance on Ukraine by some Western leaders, including Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

"The leadership of the two heads of state, China and Russia, always work to develop long term good neighbourliness and mutually beneficial cooperative relationship on the basis of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third countries," spokesman Wang added.

(Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Emily Chow; Editing by Alex Richardson)
By Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA (Reuters) -New COVID-19 infections across the Americas region fell by 31% in the last week, marking a sixth successive week of declines, but deaths are still on the rise, up 5.6%, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday.

Half of the region's 34,000 deaths were reported in the United States, as countries across the region saw deaths surge after a rise in hospitalizations and intensive care admissions driven by the easily spread Omicron variant of the virus.

COVID deaths tend to lag new infections and hospitalizations by a few weeks, which is why they continue to rise as cases fall.

In South America, Brazil registered the highest numbers of deaths, setting a record for the current wave.

"Undoubtedly, Omicron overtook us," PAHO director Carissa Etienne said in a briefing, noting that the tools developed to fight the pandemic are not working as well to stop transmission of the new and more contagious variant.

COVID-19 has been deadlier in the Americas than in any other region of the world, she said.

More than 2.5 million people have died in the Americas over the course of the pandemic, with over 100,000 people lost to COVID-19 in the first month of 2022.

"We are urging countries to focus on filling in critical gaps in vaccination coverage," Etienne said.

"Inaction is not an option when up to 34,000 people have died from this virus each week during the last weeks in the Americas," she said. "That means that up to 202 people have died every hour."

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Hong Kong officials to take all necessary steps to contain the citys worst coronavirus outbreak to date.

Hong Kong -- which went for months without any daily cases last year -- reported a record 4,285 daily cases on Wednesday, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant.

Speaking with pro-Beijing media, Xi said Hong Kong authorities should earnestly assume the main responsibility and regard the rapid stabilization and control of the epidemic as the current overriding task.

Hong Kongs leader Carrie Lam said she appreciated Xis concern and will work to unite the city to defeat the virus. Lam is doubling down on the citys no-tolerance approach to the virus, despite escalating infections in the densely populated city.

Several public hospitals are overwhelmed and running out of beds.

PHOTO: Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam during a news conference on Feb. 8, 2022 in Hong Kong. (EyePress News/Shutterstock)

Outside one hospital in the Sham Shui Po district, dozens of patients, many of them elderly, could be seen lying on hospital beds outside in a makeshift triage area, waiting for space to free up in the chilly weather. Rain is forecast in the coming days.

Hong Kong Hospital Authority official Sara Ho said, We also feel very sorry for letting the elderly wait outside in such unfavorable conditions.

Under the citys dynamic zero-infection strategy, people who test positive cannot currently isolate themselves at home, even if they have mild or no symptoms. As a result, thousands are waiting to be admitted to hospitals or quarantine facilities.

The Hong Kong government is looking at ways to handle the bottleneck, including the possibility of turning hotels, housing estates and student housing into isolation facilities. There are also talks of building a makeshift mass hospital to cope with the surge, much like the one quickly constructed in Wuhan at the very start of the pandemic.

A special fleet of several hundred taxis will soon begin transporting COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms to and from their homes to designated clinics for treatment.

PHOTO: Medical workers wearing protective masks and face shields monitor an area outside a hospital, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Hong Kong, Feb. 16, 2022. (Aleksander Solum/Reuters)

Beijing said it will assist Hong Kong with resources to fight the outbreak, including sending rapid antigen tests, medical expertise and workers.

Officials say there is currently no plan for a city-wide lockdown, like those that have been implemented in mainland Chinese cities like Xi'an

Hong Kong reported nine COVID deaths on Wednesday, including a three-year-old girl, the citys youngest pandemic fatality so far.

Currently, only about 64% of Hong Kongs population has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Rates among the elderly population are less than 30%.

Hong Kong under pressure as record COVID outbreak stretches hospitals to limit originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  An Indiana congressman who was rejected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the top Republican for the committee investigating last years U.S. Capitol insurrection is fending off an effort to remove his name from this year's election ballot.

The challenge to Rep. Jim Banks candidacy is at least the second across the country against a Republican House member citing a portion of a post-Civil War amendment to the U.S. Constitution pertaining to insurrections against the United States.

Banks, an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump and leader of the influential Republican Study Committee, has denounced the ballot challenge as frivolous.

It was filed by a long-shot Democratic candidate for Banks congressional seat and likely has little chance of success when it goes before the state election commission on Friday, a former longtime commission member said.

A similar challenge is pending against North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who spoke at the rally supporting Trump before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot that interrupted the certification of President Joe Bidens victory.

The Indiana challenge petition filed by Democrat Aaron Calkins claims Banks is ineligible to be a candidate because of a violation of the 14th Amendment supporting an insurrection. The filing with the state election commission didnt include additional information supporting the claim against Banks and Calkins didnt return a telephone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The 14th Amendment says no one can serve in Congress who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress ... to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same.

Banks, who is seeking reelection from a heavily Republican northeastern Indiana district he first won in 2016, criticized the ballot challenge as a bogus theory among Democrats against Republicans like himself who voted in the hours after the siege to overturn Biden's Electoral College win.

This is a joke allegation that will be quickly dismissed and ignored by voters in northeast Indiana, Banks said in a statement. Unfortunately, Democrats have tried to turn a serious tragedy into a political tool to strip Americans of their civil liberties and even their right to vote for their preferred candidate.

The state Democratic Party isnt involved in the challenge to Banks, spokesman Drew Anderson said.

Anthony Long, a lawyer who was a Democratic member of Indianas election commission for more than 20 years before stepping down in 2021, said he did not know of any similar previous challenges to congressional candidates.

Long said the eligibility challenge was likely outside the commissions authority and believed it would likely be a question for Congress or federal courts to decide.

I think we have to enforce the Indiana election code, Long said. I doubt if theyll get very far here.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy picked Banks last July as the top Republican on the House Jan. 6 investigation committee. Pelosi cited the integrity of the probe in rejecting Banks, which was followed by House GOP leadership boycotting the panel.

Allen Carter, a spokesman for the Indiana Election Division, said Calkins will have to make his case before the four-member election commission, which is split 2-2 between Republicans and Democrats. A majority vote by the commission is needed to remove any candidate from the Indiana ballot.

There wont be any additional outside investigation of this, not from us, Carter said.
By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Observations showing a roughly donut-shaped cloud of cosmic dust and gas shrouding a huge black hole at the heart of a galaxy similar in size to our Milky Way are providing scientists with new clarity about the universe's most energetic objects.

Scientists on Wednesday said their observations involving the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy Messier 77 and its surrounding cloud lend support to predictions made three decades ago about what are called "active galactic nuclei."

These are places at the centers of many large galaxies that have tremendous luminosity - sometimes outshining all of a galaxy's billions of stars combined - and produce the universe's most energetic outbursts seen since the Big Bang event 13.8 billion years ago. The energy arises from gas violently falling into a supermassive black hole that is surrounded by a cloud of tiny particles of rock and soot along with mostly hydrogen gas.

Black holes are extraordinarily dense objects possessing gravitational pulls so powerful even light cannot escape. Supermassive black holes, which reside at the center of many galaxies, including our own, are the largest of them.

Messier 77, also called NGC 1068 or the Squid Galaxy, is located 47 million light years - the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km) - from Earth in the constellation Cetus. Its supermassive black hole has a mass roughly 10 million times greater than our sun.

The observations, using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert, provided strong support for what is called the "unified model" of active galactic nuclei. This model holds that all active galactic nuclei are basically the same but that some appear from the vantage point of Earth to have different properties.

Some look intensely bright because the position of their ring-like cloud does not obscure the gas plummeting into the black hole from our viewing angle. Others look dark because the cloud blocks our view of what is truly happening.

Messier 77's active galactic nucleus is one of the dark ones, but the new observations indicate that it actually possesses the same qualities as the bright ones.

"The dust and gas in these clouds are probably blown out of the atmospheres of stars at a larger distance - hundreds of light years - from the black hole, and are falling in towards the center under the influence of the black hole gravity," said Violeta Gamez Rosas, an astronomy doctoral student at Leiden University in the Netherlands and lead author of the research published in the journal Nature.

"Some clouds spiral in towards the black hole while others are pushed up into a 'fountain' that falls back onto the galaxy. Because of the dust, it is very difficult to see with telescopes what is going on in this region, but it is easier at infrared wavelengths than at normal visible wavelengths because the dust does not absorb infrared light as much," said study co-author Walter Jaffe, a Leiden University astronomy professor.

The Milky Way's supermassive black hole, which has a mass 4 million times greater than the sun, is currently "fairly quiet," Gamez Rosas said, but previously may have been more active like Messier 77's.

Gamez Rosas expressed satisfaction at studying active galactic nuclei.

"A lot of it is pure fascination with explosions on such gigantic scales, and the challenge of trying to explain them with what we think we know about physics," Gamez Rosas said.

"There is also the challenge of trying to build and operate telescopes to make these images of things so far away," Gamez Rosas added. "And there is the peace of mind that results from the knowledge that there is a large, complex, varied universe that goes its own way whatever we do on Earth."

(Reporting by Will Dunham, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
By Jarrett Renshaw

JENKINTOWN, Pa. (Reuters) - Congressman Conor Lamb has a message to Pennsylvania Democrats who wonder whether he is liberal enough to represent them in the U.S. Senate: He is no Joe Manchin.

Locked in a tight nominating race with the Northeastern state's progressive lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, the moderate Lamb has drawn comparisons to Manchin, a conservative Democratic Senator from neighboring West Virginia who has routinely acted as a roadblock to Democratic priorities in Congress.

Manchin endorsed Lamb for his 2020 congressional bid and has helped him raise money.

During a weekend chat with Democratic voters at a coffee shop in Philadelphia suburb Jenkintown, Lamb noted that he voted for President Joe Biden's sweeping $1.75 trillion Build Back Better spending bill, which Manchin blocked. He also said he supported ending a Senate practice called the filibuster that Republicans have used to block votes on voting rights and other issues.

Manchin and fellow conservative Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona both lined up against those policies, blocking Democrats who control the 50-50 Senate due to Vice President Kamala Harris' tiebreaking vote.

"We're basically two votes away on that long list of priorities, and that's what the Senate campaign is really about," Lamb said, without explicitly identifying the two senators.

The Senate seat that Fetterman, Lamb and state Representative Malcolm Kenyatta are seeking the nomination for is seen by nonpartisan election analysts as the most competitive Senate contest ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections, since its current occupant, Republican Pat Toomey, 60, plans to retire at the end of his term.

History and Biden's sliding approval rating favor Republicans' chances of winning back control of at least the Senate or the House of Representatives, which would give them the power to block the Democratic president's legislative agenda for the last two years of his four-year term.

Chris Borick, a political science professor at Pennsylvanias Muhlenberg College, said Lamb's pitch to voters is that he would be electable in November.

"He's trying to find the sweet spot," Borick said. "And the sweet spot is, look, you know there is a place for Joe Manchin in the Democratic Party, but I am not Joe Manchin. I am a Pennsylvania Democrat, which means focusing on labor and working-class issues, which has been a good recipe for winning statewide."

Lamb, 37, served in the U.S. Marines and as a federal prosecutor before he was first elected to Congress in 2018.

He is trailing Fetterman, 52, in the few public opinion polls on the race and is significantly behind in fundraising ahead of the May 17 primary election, when Democrats will pick their nominee.

His rivals have more directly criticized Manchin.

"Some Democrats, like Manchin, who are refusing to reform the filibuster, are telling us that allegiance to a flawed Senate rule is more important to them than democracy itself. They're wrong," Fetterman wrote in an opinion article on CNN.com last year, one of many times he has directly chided the West Virginia senator.

Kenyatta, 31, has criticized Manchin in speeches and social media posts. Asked in a recent interview whether he thought Manchin was a Democrat, the state representative responded, "Occasionally."

Manchin, whose office did not respond to a request for comment, has defended himself from liberal criticism, saying he has never been a progressive Democrat and doesn't plan on becoming one. The senator  whose state voted overwhelmingly for Republican Donald Trump for president in 2016 and 2020  has also offered some advice:

"All they need to do is, we have to elect more liberals," he told reporters in September.

(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden has rejected former President Donald Trump's executive privilege claims and ordered White House visitor logs to be released to the panel investigating the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 attack, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Citing a letter to the National Archives, the Times said Biden granted congressional investigators access to the data in light of the urgency of their work probing Trump supporters' violent siege at the U.S. Capitol last year, and ordered the agency to turn over the logs within 15 days.

Representatives for the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) could not be immediately reached for comment. Representatives for Trump, a Republican, also could not be immediately reached.

The White House also could not be immediately reached.

Biden, a Democrat, last year also rejected Trump's bid to block the U.S. House of Representatives Jan. 6 committee from accessing batches of documents from his time at the White House. Federal courts also rejected Trump's lawsuit seeking to withhold the records.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Susan HeaveyEditing by Chizu Nomiyama)
As Western leaders and diplomats flock to the Kremlin in a frenzied round of shuttle diplomacy to stave off the largest military invasion in Europe since World War II, President Biden said Tuesday that more Russian troops remained poised in a threatening position.

And the fact remains, right now Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine in Belarus and along Ukraines border, Biden added in remarks delivered from the White House.

Already many diplomatic missions are fleeing Kyiv and some airlines have canceled or diverted flights into the country. The hasty evacuation was sparked by a recent U.S. intelligence report that Russia planned to stage a false flag attack that it would blame on Ukraine to justify an invasion. That warning followed earlier Western intelligence reports of a Russian coup plot and roving sabotage teams inside Ukraine as well as a presumed Russian cyberattack that splashed scores of government websites with the ominous warning to "be afraid and expect the worst.

With the tensions showing no signs of easing, experts who spoke to Yahoo News said they saw three possible paths forward.

De-escalation

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, with First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov. (Sergei Guneyev/TASS via Getty Images)

A number of experts believe that having achieved maximum coercive pressure by making an all-out invasion of Ukraine seem imminent in the coming days, Putin now will most likely solidify his gains from this display of brinksmanship, and pocket some concessions before slowly de-escalating the crisis. They note that after telling Russian diplomats last November that it was good that tensions with the West were high and it was important for them to remain in this state for as long as possible, Putin abruptly changed course on Tuesday, giving the green light for a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry to announce the partial pullback of some Russian troops from the Ukrainian border.

If you look at the scripted meeting this week between Putin and [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov, their body language suggested that they wanted to calm tensions and de-escalate to a degree, which I think is the most rational and likely scenario going forward, said Pavel Podvig, a Russia expert and senior researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. The Kremlin narrative is that Putins show of military force got the attention of the United States and NATO, who were refusing to take Russian security concerns seriously.

Now Putins banging on the table has gotten the Wests attention and made some progress on the Minsk agreement, and hes likely to declare victory and begin to de-escalate, noting that Russia said all along that it wasnt going to invade Ukraine, said Podvig. Thats the most likely way forward because theres no real domestic support or Party for War in Russia supporting an invasion scenario.

From the Kremlins viewpoint the military brinksmanship has already achieved significant concessions, including pressure from major European powers on Ukraine to implement the flawed Minsk II peace agreement reached in 2015 between Russia and Ukraine. The agreement was supposed to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed separatists. Since that time Moscow has issued more than 600,000 Russian passports to the Ukrainian separatists, convincing many Ukrainian officials that implementing Minsk II on Russias terms would be tantamount to ceding the separatist regions in the east to greater Russia.

With U.S. officials warning that Russia is poised to invade Ukraine, however, Kyiv has been under pressure to swallow the unpopular peace deal. On his visit to Kiev earlier this month, for instance, French President Emmanuel Macron called for resolutely implementing the Minsk agreements to the end.

Speaking this week alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky even conceded that Ukraines desire for membership in NATO, which ostensibly led to the current crisis, could be like a dream.

How much should Ukraine go on that path? Zelensky said of NATO membership. Who will support us?

Kurt Volker, who served as the special representative for Ukraine negotiations in the Trump administration, and is a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, told Yahoo News that Putin was now playing from a position of strength.

There are still a spectrum of possible scenarios for how the Ukraine crisis plays out, but Putin has already achieved many of his goals, he said. Putin proved to Ukraine that the West would not come to its rescue with troops, he noted, and that it has no future with NATO.

Putin also made the United States and its allies look weak by failing to send sufficient arms to Ukraine and pulling their embassy staffs out of the country, said Volker. And hes receiving all of these diplomatic visits from European leaders and Western emissaries, who I suspect are privately assuring him that NATO will never invite Ukraine to join the alliance. When [French President Emmanuel] Macron says there are simple, practical steps that can be taken to solve the crisis, thats what he is talking about.

As for resurrecting and implementing Minsk II on Russias terms, he noted, that would force Ukraine to grant autonomy to the breakaway region and hold elections while they are still occupied by armed separatists holding Russian passports. That would make those so-called Peoples Republics a permanent ball and chain around Ukraine.

Partial occupation

A Russian Army tank takes part in a drill in St. Petersburg, Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

With military forces stacked around Ukraines borders, Putin could also revert to a familiar playbook when neighbors he considers within Russias sphere of influence show signs of drifting westward: invade and occupy breakaway republics, preferably ones with significant Russian-speaking populations. After NATO issued its Bucharest summit declaration in 2008 stating that Georgia and Ukraine will become members of NATO, for instance, Russian troops invaded Georgia. After fighting a short war, Russian forces occupied the self-proclaimed breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, where they remain to this day.

When Ukraines pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by democracy protesters of the Euromaidan movement in 2014, Putin similarly used Russian military forces to occupy and annex Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, home to the Russian Black Sea fleet. Russian military forces also supported pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donbass region in the ongoing conflict that has claimed more than 14,000 lives.

On Tuesday, Putin blamed Ukraine for the situation in Donbass, and seemed to state that it alone could warrant a Russian invasion of the region.

In our view, what is now happening in Donbass is genocide, Putin said.

If Putin fails to wring the expected concessions on the Minsk II agreements out of Kiev, he could relatively easily launch a pincer operation from the Donbas region in the northeast and Crimea in the southeast, capturing territory that could serve as a land-bridge between the two enclaves. This week, the Russian Duma signaled its possible support by urging Putin to recognize the separatist-held areas of eastern Ukraine as independent.

Retired Army Gen. Martin Dempsey is the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I still think Putins primary goal in the Ukraine crisis is to test NATO and see if it falters, but if he decides to act, there is a military logic to seizing land in Ukraines east to create a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula and additional outlets to the Black Sea, he told Yahoo News.

Shock and awe invasion

Russian servicemen train in the Rostov region of Russia, Jan. 28, 2022. (Russian Defense Ministry/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

U.S. experts who deployed a similar force to the Middle East in 2003 recognize the capability that Russia has methodically amassed around Ukraine  an invasion force of potential shock and awe.

One of the biggest indicators that the Russians are posturing for actual conflict was a report that they are stockpiling plasma and blood. You dont do that for a military exercise, said a retired U.S. major general who served in the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the subsequent occupation. We always knew we were heading into a real fight, for instance, when our medics were issued morphine, because that is a very controlled substance. Telltale signs like that and the stockpiling of blood are sure indications that this is pretty damn serious, and were pretty high up on the escalation ladder.

If the balloon actually does go up on an all-out Russian invasion, the order of battle is likely to resemble Operation Iraq Freedom in 2003. Cruise missiles launched from land and ships, as well as other smart munitions, will initially rain down on the Ukrainian militarys command-and-control nodes, air bases and air-defense batteries. Once air dominance is achieved, armored Russian ground forces backed by electronic jamming battalions will maneuver against Ukrainian units that will have great difficulty in communicating with one another and could have no prospect of reinforcement. Cellphone towers and other civilian communications nodes would be destroyed so that Ukraine would be unable to communicate with the rest of the world what Russian forces are doing.

Senior U.S. officials believe Russian forces would win such an all-out war in a matter of a few weeks if not days, at an estimated cost of 25,000 to 50,000 dead civilians; 5,000 to 25,000 casualties in the Ukrainian military; 3,000 to 10,000 Russian military casualties; and between 1 million and 5 million refugees fleeing the country.

For the Kremlin, such a risky war of choice would likely prove a Pyrrhic victory. Russia forces would occupy a country of nearly 45 million traumatized and angry people, and face a likely determined and well-supported insurgency. The massive costs of such an operation would fall on a Kremlin burdened by crippling economic sanctions as a result of the invasion.

We learned that destroying a weaker countrys conventional forces and toppling its government is actually the easy part of an invasion, said the retired general and Iraq veteran, who spoke on background. The hard part is occupying and trying to govern a country in the midst of a tenacious insurgency. To do that, you better have the political will and economic wherewithal to knuckle down and spend the next 20 or 30 years on the effort.

Retired Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston, a former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, believes Putin could quickly come to regret the decision to launch a shock and awe invasion.

I think Putin certainly has the military capability to invade Ukraine and topple its government, and I know there is intelligence suggesting he intends to do just that, he told Yahoo News. But the Russians are good at putting out false intelligence, and I remain skeptical because a full-scale invasion will result in horrible scenes of war and high casualties on both sides. Rather than achieve Putins primary objective of sowing dissension within the alliance, it would also produce exactly the opposite effect by pulling NATO together.
The looming threat of a new Russian military invasion of Ukraine has set the world on edge, with intense diplomatic maneuvering by the Biden administration and its European allies so far failing to bring Moscow off its war footing.

For months, Russia has been amassing troops and materiel near its borders with Ukraine, with some units arriving from as far away as Siberia. Russia also recently initiated large-scale military drills with its ally Belarus, which shares a border with Ukraine close to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Over 100,000 Russian troops now surround Ukraine.

Citizens of Kyiv take part in an open military training for civilians in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. (Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Though Russia announced that it was pulling back some troops from the Ukraine border, President Biden said on Tuesday that the United States has not independently verified Moscows claims, and emphasized that a new Russian incursion is still very much a possibility.

This is not the first time Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, has threatened Ukraines sovereignty. In 2014, Russia invaded, and subsequently annexed, Ukraines strategically located Crimean Peninsula and fomented an insurgency in Ukraines eastern Donbass region, which breakaway pro-Russian forces still retain partial control of to this day.

Given the high costs of a Russian invasion  experts believe it will be a bloody conflict that will isolate Moscow diplomatically and economically  many Americans are wondering why Putin would opt to launch a new incursion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Vladimir Smirnov/AFP via Getty Images)

Yahoo News talked to some leading experts who have worked in U.S. intelligence and national security to get their assessments of Putins motivation for potentially launching this new invasion, and the wider politics of Russia and the region.

These former officials offered a diverse set of explanations for Putins motivations in Ukraine. Some see his actions as a bald play for regional dominance or power; others view them as springing from a desire to recapture territory lost at the end of the Cold War or from a desire to reconstitute the Russian empire. Still others look at Putins actions as a response to his fears  rational or not  of NATO encroachment, or of being toppled in a popular revolution that could lead to a trip to the gallows.

Interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Russian students undergoing military and sports training. (Alexander Ryumin/TASS via Getty Images)

A KGB man

Greg Sims, former CIA chief of station with Europe experience

I cant imagine Putin really wants to invade. Hes a KGB man who feels more comfortable with subterfuge than brute military force. Its a sign of his frustration that its come to this. Hes tried electoral manipulation, corrupt entanglement, economic pressure, and finally, disguised military attacks.

Each step was more manipulative than the last. A truly independent Ukraine was never an option for him, and now hes left with just three choices: Grab Ukraine outright, lop off big chunks  almost out of spite  or give it up. He has to blame himself for this dilemma, because the one thing he didnt try was being a good neighbor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade in Red Square marking the 75th anniversary of the victory in World War II on June 24, 2020, in Moscow. (Ramil Sitdikov/Host Photo Agency via Getty Images)

He wants to reassert Russia

Ronald Marks, former CIA officer with experience on Russia issues

Putin is a throwback; the ten-dollar term is revanchist. But what he reminds me of, there was a Roman emperor called Justinian, after the Roman Empire fell in the west. And Justinian got in his head, this was about 100 years after, he was going to retake the Roman Empire. It was really costly; there was a plague. Thats sort of what Putins got in his head  he wants to reassert Russia, but he can only sort of afford so much.

And he will show his power internally. His constituency is inside, and he will have to start leaving a legacy at this point. And I think the legacy is part of it with him. He wants to be known as the guy who reconstituted and to some extent pushed Russia forward in the world.

I have seen him do nothing at this point that isnt perfectly logical by what he would want to do. He is in a lot of ways the worlds meanest teenager. He really knows how to push buttons, and he also knows how far he can go. A teenager wouldnt necessarily know that, but he does know how far to go.

Then-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi at a military parade in 1999. (Georges Merillon/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Fear of the Gadhafi scenario

Michael van Landingham, former CIA Russia analyst

I think that [Putins current actions] relate essentially to Libya and the Arab Spring  and the election of [Barack] Obama. So Obama is elected on an antiwar platform, hes an antiwar candidate, hes elected in part because he proposes a reset with Russia. That reset materializes in some part with Putins handpicked successor, Dmitry Medvedev. But when the Arab Spring happens, Putin and his more conspiratorial advisers who have taken greater prominence in the past decade  the people who are heads of the SVR [Russias main nonmilitary foreign intelligence agency], FSB [a Russian intelligence agency that is the primary successor to the Soviet KGB], the Russian Security Council  those guys are real hard-liners, and really believe that the U.S., if left unchecked, would try to dismantle Russia and take Siberia away, drive Russia back to Moscow.

So Putin saw what he thought was a return to the pattern of the U.S. taking advantage of Russia  which basically means forcing policy priorities that Russia has to accept. And nowhere was this more true than with Russias 2011 abstention on U.N. Security Council resolutions 1973 and 1975, the U.N. no-fly zone on Libya and sanctions on Libya, where Russia could have vetoed it. And that set a precedent not only for NATO operations in a state that wasnt threatening them, but a state that had given up a weapons of mass destruction program, a state that had pretty significant ties to Europe at that time.

[Libyan leader Moammar] Gadhafi kind of was an avatar for Putins animalistic fears of being shot in a ditch, which happened to Gadhafi. And it came during the presidency of an ostensibly antiwar liberal, but whose policy inner circle was staffed by people who thought democracy promotion and preventing deaths in the name of human rights was worth humanitarian intervention, people like Samantha Power and Susan Rice.

So Putin, who had had these concerns in the early 2000s, was essentially convinced by this. The U.S. couldnt help itself. It didnt matter if it was a Republican in power, a sort of neoconservative who wanted to advance the freedom agenda, or a Democrat who wanted to advance human rights. The United States would use military force to unseat autocratic governments if there was a popular uprising against them. And Libya was the template for Putin and for hard-liners.

We knew his goal was to make Ukraine ineligible for NATO membership by taking a part of it [because it would be impossible to admit a new member-state while it was already in an armed conflict with Russia]. But the really, really hard-liners  not the people quite in Putins inner circle but the people who influenced the people in his inner circle  were advocating for stuff like taking all of eastern Ukraine, going all the way to Odessa, all the way to Transnistria [a Russian-aligned breakaway republic in Moldova, west of Ukraine].

The only way you can get the policy objective that Russia wants  a defenseless Ukraine that Russia can have any veto over foreign policy over  is with Russian force. And in 2015 they got Minsk II [a diplomatic agreement that attempted to lay out a framework to end the war in the territories in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatists], which they thought might be implemented. But in taking Crimea, which was the most Russian part of Ukraine, and eastern Ukraine, which were also the most pro-Russian parts, making war on a fraternal Slavic nation, they pushed Ukraine further into the Western camp, because Putin was killing Ukrainians.

Why not [invade Ukraine] now? Because everything will be harder in the future. Hes got a million people in his country who died from COVID, and hes facing reelection in 2024. And this is his new election with the new constitution that allows him to run again for a six-year term, so his first unconstitutional term [according to the previous legal framework].

He cares about security. If your goal is to have your state not invaded by the West, and not have a nuclear war with the West, and not get shot in a ditch, youre willing to do a lot more than the next person for your regimes security. And thats his goal: to not get shot in a ditch.

And a lot of people would be like, How could anyone think that could happen to them? It happened to Mussolini, it happened to Ceausescu. Sic semper tyrannis.

Russian military vehicles move through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow in 2021. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)

Burn down their house

Dan Hoffman, former CIA Moscow chief of station

First of all, NATO membership is a fig leaf. Its a red herring. Everyone knows Ukraine isnt joining NATO anytime soon. It takes unanimous consent; France and Germany wont give that. Putin uses that as a convenient way to frame the narrative for his disinformation propaganda. NATO is a defensive alliance but it represents everything that scares him.

What hes trying to do to Ukraine isnt deny them NATO membership; its more broad than that. Hes trying to break Ukraines links to the West.

Hes doing it in three ways: economically, going back to the NotPetya attack [a catastrophic 2017 cyberattack on Ukrainian businesses and infrastructure], which was designed to make Ukraine an inhospitable place for commerce, and right now youve got capital flight, the risk of war, all those things. Ukraine is not a great investment.

No. 2, hes trying to destabilize Ukraine politically, internally. So [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky is struggling through the worst poll numbers of his term, and Putin wants to show that your elected leader isnt up to the task of dealing with the threat from Russia.

The third thing hes doing is trying to use Donbass to exercise a veto over Ukraines foreign policy. And thats where we get to what hes doing right now, which is extorting the United States and the West by putting out 130,000 troops, military exercises in Belarus, militarizing the Black Sea with 11 amphibious ships and submarines  all of that designed to drive up the tensions and induce us to make concessions.

Hes made zero concessions, by the way. Nothing. Weve offered to restart arms control negotiations, weve offered to give him access to the Aegis air defense in Poland and Romania, the Ukrainian ambassador to London had to walk back on not joining NATO even though its in their constitution, were offering, offering, offering, and Russia says, We need more from you.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference at the Kremlin in September. (Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

Just a damn bully

Chris Miller, former acting secretary of defense, 2020-2021

Putins motivation: Its the big unknown, but I dont think its that difficult. Putins just a damn bully, and everything you need to know about Putin, if youve spent any time at a junior high school playground, its familiar to you. I do think its deep-seated in his psyche; I dont think its deep-seated in the Russian psyche. People want to make it out to be, They need a land corridor to their warm water port. [That is, that the Russians might seek to invade and occupy the portion of Ukraine that would connect Russia via land to Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014 and which contains a critical Russian naval base and port on the Black Sea.] Thats cliched. Lets be honest, theres got to be a domestic political calculation as well.

And theres that geostrategic element where hes like, Im pushing, and theyre not pushing back, theyre just talking a good game. I think hes just going to keep pushing until someone stands up against him, just like the playground bully. Its playground bully 101.

Im sure hes sitting there saying, I cant believe that theyre letting me get away with this s***. The U.S. leaderships just been feckless. And he got to be saying, Holy crap, I cant believe this. Hes like, I think Im going to pull this off.

Ukrainian civilians attend a military training amid the threat of a Russian invasion. (Sergei Chuzavkov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A desperate attempt to win back the empire

Paul Zalucky, a former senior CIA official who served in Kyiv and Warsaw

This is why he might go in: because without Kyiv being a Russian city (because they always insist its their history, though its not), Russia ceases to exist as a global power. Its just another country, and when you look at their [gross domestic product], which is less than Italys, they have nothing except nuclear weapons. And they can eat those if they want them.

The one factor that argues for him going in full-scale like this is its a desperate attempt to win back the empire, not so much the Soviet Union, but the Russian Empire, what Peter the Great had. And I think the Baltics are also part of that mission, but not right away.

Soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces conduct drills in northeastern Ukraine. (Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Putin has pushed twice with no real consequence

Josh Manning, a former Russia military and foreign policy analyst with U.S. European Command

Back in 2008, a few of us saw the Russian incursion into Georgia coming. You had two bullies going at each other for many months beforehand and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was really pushing his luck. He thought the U.S. would be there to help his overreach, and we did not. Should we have? At the time I didnt think so, though the consequences for the incursion should have been far more severe. But Iraq, and by then to a lesser degree Afghanistan, were the focus for the U.S. then.

Then in 2014 was a small incursion into Ukraine. Same goals as Georgia and same achieved result. Again, the focus was the Middle East [now Yemen and the Horn of Africa], so Russia-related problems werent a major focus or priority.

So Putin has pushed twice with no real consequence and he actually emerged stronger from both events.
China to further address excessive school homework: ministry

Xinhua) 09:44, February 16, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education Tuesday vowed to continue implementing the "double reduction" policy to ease the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for primary and middle school students.

The ministry called for more appropriate homework assignments, a higher level of classroom teaching, and higher quality of after-school services to fully implement the policy. After-school services are for students who cannot be picked up in time by their parents when school is over to do their homework or participate in physical exercises, art, literature, and other activities after school.

Students spent less time doing homework in the past school semester, and over 92 percent of students countrywide voluntarily participated in after-school services, said Lyu Yugang, an official with the ministry, at a press conference Tuesday.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
BERLIN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Germany will formally introduce the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorist Violence on March 11, the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) said on Wednesday.

The day of remembrance is to commemorate the victims of terrorist attacks in Madrid on March 11, 2004, in which 191 people died and more than 2,000 more were injured. Previously, such a day was already commemorated each year by the European Union.

"This day will be a day of remembrance, compassion, but also a reminder to act with all determination against terrorist threats," said Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser.

The fight against extremism and terrorism, as well as against anti-constitutional and violent aspirations, was one of the main goals of the federal government, the BMI said, announcing that flags at official federal buildings nationwide would now be flown at half-mast on the day.

Faeser also said that terrorist attacks in Germany had dramatically changed the lives of many people. "Many are fighting their way back into life with great strength. We must not leave them alone in this," she said. 
The Queen has held an in-person audience the day after the Duke of York settled his sexual assault lawsuit, meeting the official liaison between the sovereign and the armed forces.

The 95-year-old monarch, who already had the official engagement set in her diary, met the incoming Defence Services Secretary Major General Eldon Millar, and his predecessor Rear Admiral James Macleod at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

It is the head of states first in-person appearance since her Covid scare six days ago, suggesting she may have escaped the virus despite coming into contact with the Prince of Wales, who tested positive two days later.

It has been a challenging week for the monarch, despite having just reached her Platinum Jubilee, and the royal family.

The Queen speaks during an audience at Windsor Castle when she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries (Steve Parsons/PA)

Her second son Andrew is facing a multi-million pound payout after settling his sex case out of court, her eldest son Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall caught Covid and now the Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into a cash for honours scandal involving Charless charitable foundation.

Buckingham Palace has continued to refuse to confirm whether the Queen tested positive or negative, citing medical privacy, and saying last week only that she was not displaying any symptoms.

The monarch will have taken daily lateral flow tests over the past seven days, in keeping with current guidelines, and will have been closely monitored by her royal physicians.

The Queen and the Duke of York (Joe Giddens/PA)

In her Oak Room sitting room at her Berkshire castle, the Queen, in a patterned dress, greeted Maj Gen Millar on assuming his appointment, and his predecessor Rear Admiral Macleod on relinquishing his role.

She was standing during the audience, and holding a walking stick.

On the table behind her were family photographs of the Queen with her great-grandchildren, as well as an extra large Fortnum & Mason Milk & Dark Chocolate Selection Box, and a box of Bendicks Mint Collection  an assortment of dark mint chocolates.

The Queen during the audience  with chocolates on the table behind her (Steve Parsons/PA)

The monarch shook hands with her guests.

The Defence Services Secretary is a member of the Royal Household, and they are the official link between the Queen and the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chiefs of Staff on all matters concerning the monarchs relationship with the armed forces.

There will be much for Maj Gen Millar to discuss with the Queen, in the wake of Andrew losing his military titles.

Andrew agreed an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre on Tuesday, after she sued him claiming she was trafficked by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Andrews friend, to have sex with the royal when she was 17 and a minor under US law.

The Queen meeting Rear Admiral James Macleod and Major General Eldon Millar (Steve Parsons/PA)

The duke, who is facing a reported 12 million payout, was stripped of his honorary military roles by his mother last month.

But his royal replacements in eight British regiments  including the prestigious post of Colonel of the Grenadier Guards  have yet to be announced.

Questions are also being raised over his service rank of Vice Admiral, but Buckingham Palace confirmed the situation has not changed and that the duke retains the rank.

As a former royal member of the armed forces who served in the Royal Navy, he was by convention promoted in line with his still-serving peers and made Vice Admiral by the Navy on his 55th birthday in 2015.

Other publicly unresolved issues surrounding the monarchy and the armed forces include the Duke of Sussexs former military titles.

Harrys previous roles  Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington and Honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands Small Ships and Diving  have yet to be officially announced as having been passed on to other members of the family.

The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into a cash for honours scandal linked to Charles Princes Foundation charity (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The Defence Services Secretary is on a three-year rotation.

The last time a new holder took on the appointment in 2019, the Queen held an audience with the incoming secretary, Rear Admiral Macleod, and the outgoing Air Vice-Marshal Garry Tunnicliffe.

But six days later, Andrew, in his role as Vice Admiral, received both of the military men at Buckingham Palace, in an official engagement recorded in the Court Circular in April 2019.

There will be no such audience in the wake of the Queens meeting.

The duke, who no longer uses his HRH style, does not carry out public duties, having been cast adrift from the monarchy as a result of the lawsuit.
The Queen has indicated she has trouble moving as she held her first in-person audience since her Covid scare amid a turbulent week for the royal family.

The 95-year-old monarch, standing while using a walking stick, pointed to her left leg or foot, and remarked: Well, as you can see, I cant move during the official engagement at Windsor Castle.

She held the audience with the incoming Defence Services Secretary, Major General Eldon Millar, and his predecessor, Rear Admiral James Macleod, on Wednesday.

The Queen meets Rear Admiral James Macleod and Major General Eldon Millar at Windsor (Steve Parsons/PA)

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

The Queen is understood to have been feeling slightly stiff, rather than having injured herself or being unwell.

For more than three months, she was ordered to rest and only carry out light duties after spending a night in hospital undergoing preliminary tests in October.

Her remarks are likely to raise some concern over her frailty.

It was the head of states first in-person appearance since her Covid scare six days ago, suggesting she may have escaped the virus despite coming into contact with the Prince of Wales, who tested positive two days later.

The Palace has continued to refuse to confirm whether the Queen tested positive or negative, citing medical privacy, and last week saying only that she was not displaying any symptoms.

The Queen used a walking stick when she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries at Windsor Castle (Steve Parsons/PA)

In footage of the audience, the Queen, wearing a geometric patterned dress, can be heard remarking loudly with a chuckle to the military men as they arrived: Oh, Im here! I thought you might have just stayed in there for ages. Good morning.

Asked how she was, the Queen, using her stick and only moving forward a fraction with a couple of tiny steps, said: Well, as you can see I cant move.

Rear Admiral Macleod remarked: Well, many congratulations on the start of your Jubilee year, with the Queen saying: Oh, thank you very much indeed. Thats very kind.

The visitors revealed that they had been growled at by the Queens elderly dog, Candy the dorgi, as they made their way through the monarchs apartment.

Rear Admiral Macleod told her: I notice youve got Candy keeping guard because, as we came down the corridor, she was not going to let us get anywhere near you.

Maj General Millar added: She gave a little growl as we came in.

The Queen with Candy the dorgi as she views Jubilee memorabilia (Steve Parsons/PA)

The Queen replied: Oh really?  Did she? She doesnt normally growl.

Rear Admiral Macleod quipped: She obviously can see through us.

Candy played a starring role when the Queen viewed memorabilia ahead of her Platinum Jubilee, when the dog  a cross between a corgi and a dachshund  wandering up to the monarch for a stroke and looking for a treat.

It has been a challenging week for the Queen, despite having just reached the historic milestone, and the royal family.

Her second son, the Duke of York, is facing a multimillion-pound payout after settling his sex case out of court, her eldest son Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall caught Covid, and now the Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into a cash-for-honours scandal involving the Prince of Waless charitable foundation.

The monarch will have been taking daily lateral flow tests over the past seven days, in keeping with current guidelines, and will have been closely monitored by her royal physicians.

On the table behind her during the audience were family photographs of her with her great-grandchildren, as well as an extra large Fortnum & Mason Milk & Dark Chocolate Selection Box, and a box of Bendicks Mint Collection  an assortment of dark mint chocolates.

The Queen during the audience  with chocolates on the table behind her (Steve Parsons/PA)

The Defence Services Secretary is the official liaison between the sovereign and the armed forces.

They are a member of the Royal Household, and the official link between the Queen and the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chiefs of Staff on all matters concerning the monarchs relationship with the armed forces.

There will be much for Maj Gen Millar to discuss with the Queen, in the wake of Andrew losing his military titles.

The duke agreed an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre on Tuesday, after she sued him claiming she was trafficked by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Andrews friend, to have sex with the royal when she was 17 and a minor under US law.

The duke, who is facing a reported 12 million payout, was stripped of his honorary military roles by his mother last month.

The Queen stripped the Duke of York of his honorary military roles last month (Joe Giddens/PA)

But his royal replacements in eight British regiments  including the prestigious post of Colonel of the Grenadier Guards  have yet to be announced.

Questions are also being raised over his service rank of Vice Admiral, but Buckingham Palace confirmed the situation has not changed and that the duke retains the rank.

As a former royal member of the armed forces who served in the Royal Navy, he was by convention promoted in line with his still-serving peers and made Vice Admiral by the Navy on his 55th birthday in 2015.

Other publicly unresolved issues surrounding the monarchy and the armed forces include the Duke of Sussexs former military titles.

Harrys previous roles  Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington and Honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands Small Ships and Diving  have yet to be officially announced as having been passed on to other members of the family.

The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into a cash-for-honours scandal linked to Charless The Princes Foundation charity (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The Defence Services Secretary is on a three-year rotation.

The last time a new holder took on the appointment in 2019, the Queen held an audience with the incoming secretary, Rear Admiral Macleod, and the outgoing Air Vice-Marshal Garry Tunnicliffe.

But six days later, Andrew, in his role as Vice Admiral, received the Rear Admiral and the Air Vice-Marshal at Buckingham Palace, in an official engagement recorded in the Court Circular in April 2019.

There will be no such audience in the wake of the Queens meeting.

The duke, who no longer uses his HRH style, does not carry out public duties, having been cast adrift from the monarchy as a result of the lawsuit.
Ukrainians have gone back to work, but are not naive to the fact of how serious the situation is, according to a British man living in the nation.

Stuart McKenzie, who is originally from Scotland but moved to Ukraine for business opportunities in 1994, said residents are certainly trying to keep things as normal as possible despite the fears that Russia might invade.

Russias defence ministry has claimed troops are returning to base after military exercises, with units crossing out of Crimea on Wednesday.

Vendors wait for customers at their fruit market stall in Kyiv, Ukraine (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

Mr McKenzie gave an insight into what life is like for those living in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

He told BBC Breakfast: Were back at work. Were keeping the economy working. Yes, were used to it.

Were not naive to the fact of how serious the situation is. But if we panicked every time something like this has happened, it would ruin the economy even more and thats exactly what (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wants.

So Ukraines standing strong, keeping the day-to-day goings-on as normal. Were having a Unity Day today to celebrate Ukraine and to keep the country together. And thats what it did in the Orange Revolution, it brought the country together for one goal. Neighbours, enemies, friends, everybody came together to protect their country.

We want peace, we want to be left alone in Ukraine, to go about its own business and to have the future it desires but we dont believe its finished.

Depaul International, a charity that works across the world to end homelessness, has warned that thousands will lose their homes and face humanitarian catastrophe if the tensions are not de-escalated.

The charity operates in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Odessa and Ivano-Frankivsk offering shelter and security for single mothers, safe hostel accommodation for rough sleepers and skills-based training.

Members of National Guard of Ukraine look out of the window as they ride in a bus through the city of Kyiv (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

Father Vitaliy Novak, chairman of trustees for Depaul Ukraine, who is based in Odessa, said people will suffer the most if there is an invasion because it will destroy their lives.

He told the PA news agency: We saw a huge explosion of homeless people on to the streets after the first invasion and occupation in 2014.

In south Odessa (now) there are more because people are coming down as its warmer than other places, like Kyiv. So were seeing more people on the streets looking for how to survive the winter.

We know that if something will happen, the invasion, (the implications) will be immediate  thousands and thousands of people will need emergency help.

He said the people in his city have recently tried to change their mindset about what could happen in the future and are trying to take each day as it comes.

My region, for how I see it, its the usual daily life for people, he said. People have started the day very happy because nothing happened in the night. We just continue to do our responsibilities, our jobs.

If you know tomorrow could be the worst, then you start to value every day, every minute and you just sleep better and better.

People mark a Day of Unity in Ukraine (Sergei Grits/AP)

He welcomed solidarity from leaders of other nations who have been holding diplomatic discussions and encouraging a peaceful resolution, as it makes Ukrainians feel they are not alone.

We know that, in front of this big aggression, we are not alone. It can stop this aggression, I believe, in a diplomatic and peaceful way, he added.

Matthew Carter, group chief executive of Depaul International, also called for a de-escalation.

He told PA: Peace is the only solution. In our everyday lives, finding peaceful ways which take us forward is a sustainable way of working and living. Also (we need) to listen to the people of Ukraine.
Russia said it was pulling back more forces from around Ukraine on Wednesday, the latest move in an apparent effort to ease tensions that has done little to assuage Western fears the Kremlin might be planning an imminent invasion of its neighbor.

Moscow said it is pulling back some of the 150,000 troops that the United States and its allies warn have converged around Ukraine on three sides. But with the world searching for signs that a deadly new conflict on European soil might be averted, days of high-stakes signaling from Russia have been met with skepticism by the West.

"We continue to see critical units moving toward the border, not away from the border," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told MSNBCs Morning Joe on Wednesday. Theres what Russia says and then theres what Russia does. We havent seen any pullback of its forces.

He added, "It would be good if they followed through on what they said, but so far we havent seen it.

In Kyiv, where Ukraine's leaders have sought to play down that alarm, the country held a defiant national day of unity.

Meanwhile, in an apparent bid to back up its claims of a partial withdrawal, the Russian defense ministry released video showing a trainload of armored vehicles moving across a bridge away from Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014.

That followed a similar announcement a day earlier, while Russian President Vladimir Putin also talked up the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

But leaders in Washington and Europe have urged caution, with Moscow's intentions unclear and little detail given about how many troops were pulling back and where they were headed.

Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, tweeted Wednesday that statements on withdrawal arent sufficient. We need transparency and facts.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels that in fact Russia had "increased the number of troops, and more troops are on the way."

After meeting with NATO defense ministers Wednesday, Stoltenberg said at a press conference that the alliance has not seen "any sign of de-escalation on the ground, no withdrawals of troops or equipment."

Russia has a "massive invasion force ready to attack with high-end capabilities from Crimea to Belarus," Stoltenberg said, noting that it's the largest build up of forces in Europe since the Cold War.

NATO sent "concrete proposals" on transparency, risk reduction and arms control and has not received a response from Russia, he said.

Stoltenberg described Russia's efforts to use its military to "intimidate" other countries as "the new normal in Europe," which he said has prompted defense ministers to develop options Wednesday to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defense. One option, he said, involves establishing new NATO battlegroups in central, eastern and southeastern Europe.

In a joint written statement Wednesday, NATO defense ministers said their strategy involves "additional land forces" as well as "additional maritime and air assets." The ministers described the measures as "preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory."

Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, called it the largest build-up of troops on European soil since the darkest days of the Cold War.

Like U.S. officials, she said Russia had been sending conflicting signals over what it planned to do next.

With tensions mounting, three U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircrafts had close encounters with multiple Russian jets over the Mediterranean Sea last weekend, the Pentagon said Wednesday, adding that the U.S. planes were in international waters at the time they were intercepted.

No one was injured, but the intercepts were unprofessional, said two defense officials. Intercepts like this occur frequently, but they are usually deemed safe or professional.

We have made our concerns known to Russian officials through diplomatic channels, said U.S. Captain Mike Kafka, a Navy spokesperson. While no one was hurt, interactions such as these could result in miscalculations and mistakes that lead to more dangerous outcomes.

'Nothing has changed'

President Joe Biden said Tuesday it was still very much a possibility that Russia could invade Ukraine, warning it could also lead to a spike in American energy prices. While the U.S. is ready to engage in diplomacy, he said, his administration has not verified any partial drawdown of Russian troops.

Mark Galeotti, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank, said invasion was not inevitable and that Putin would likely prefer gaining concessions without force.

But despite Russian claims of a partial withdrawal, "nothing has changed on the ground in any meaningful way," Galeotti tweeted Wednesday. "Putin could have invaded yesterday, he can still do so tomorrow."

Image: (Russian Military Service / via AP)

While the U.S. and European powers have remained adamant that a Russian attack is likely within days, Ukrainian officials and citizens have taken a far more tempered tone when discussing the possibility of an assault by Moscow.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to mock media reports that Wednesday would be the day the invasion begins. Instead, he announced it would be a national day of unity  with Ukrainians marking it by raising the blue and yellow national flag and playing the national anthem.

In the city of Dnipro, less than 120 miles from the ongoing conflict in the country's east with Russian-backed separatists that has raged since 2014, locals took to the streets outside city hall. People in traditional dress sang a patriotic song and cadets raised the national flag. Some 200 city council workers attended.

Everybody should continue working and [continue] everyday life, said Natalya Chernyshova, 55, head of economic development and investment at the city council. I think thats the biggest [way] to show and to demonstrate that we are not afraid.

However, even while that was happening, Ukrainian officials said that a cyberattack that began Tuesday and knocked offline the website of its defense ministry and two largest banks was the worst of its kind in the countrys history.

The distributed denial of service attack carried traces of foreign intelligence services, Ilya Vityuk, head of the cybersecurity department of Ukraines state security service, told a news briefing.

Vityuk said that Russia was the country interested in such image strikes against Ukraine, but he and other officials said they could not conclusively blame Moscow, which has denied involvement in this attack and consistently denied planning an invasion.
Marysville, CA (95901)

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Plentiful sunshine. High near 85F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low 52F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
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BELGRADE, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Greece welcomes efforts of Serbia and the whole region of Western Balkans to become a member of the European Union, because it would promote regional development, said the visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday at a press conference.

Mitsotakis discussed with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic regional relations, the EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans and bilateral economic ties.

He assured that Serbia can count on Greece when it comes to support to its European integrations, urging Serbia to fulfill all necessary criteria as soon as possible, and praising the importance of reforms.

"We want a legally binding agreement to be realized, which would be in the interest of both sides, and which would create a more favorable atmosphere for cooperation on the Balkan Peninsula," Mitsotakis said at a press conference.

The two sides also touched on economic cooperation and energy security. Vucic and Mitsotakis agreed there is plenty of space to advance trade and investments between the two countries.

Vucic said that the trade exchange between Serbia and Greece is increasing every year. 
Owosso, MI (48867)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. High 51F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 43F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. 260 foreign nationals applied for asylum in Armenia in 2021, the State Migration Service said in response to a query from ARMENPRESS.

Among other nationalities, the asylum seekers include Turkish and Azerbaijani nationals.

Most asylum seekers (118 persons) are Iranian citizens. Of these 118, 42 were denied asylum while 35 had their applications suspended or dropped. 40 Iranians were granted refugee status, and three others had their refugee status revoked.

52 Iraqi citizens applied for asylum in Armenia in 2021, with 9 being granted refugee status and 4 having their application suspended or dropped.

Furthermore, 20 of the 27 Syrian citizens who applied for asylum were granted refugee status, and two had their application suspended or dropped.

In addition, 14 Cuban citizens applied for asylum: 7 were rejected, 1 was granted refugee status, and the applications of 2 others were suspended or dropped.

7 Russian citizens also applied for asylum: 4 were rejected and 1 application was suspended.

6 citizens of Turkey are also among the asylum seekers. Of these applications, 1 was denied, 1 was suspended and only 3 were granted refugee status in Armenia in 2021.

2 Azerbaijani nationals were denied asylum in Armenia and another application was suspended in 2021.

Citizens of China, Ukraine, Jordan, Georgia and other countries are also among asylum seekers in 2021.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. Artsakhs Martuni region will have a technoschool. The school will help the residents of Artsakh to specialize in the field, and the students  to become competitive in the market.

Director of the I Education Fund Ashot Avanesyan told ARMENPRESS that the creation and export of technology products is the best way for Artsakhs security and economic development.

Mr. Avanesyan assures that technological education is a priority in Artsakh, and there is a need to raise it to an international level. There is a wish to build the Moonk Technoschool, but its launch requires the active involvement of the leading specialists of the field and the support of philanthropists who value education.

We should establish the Moonk Technoschool within the frames of the I Education Fund. It will enable the youth of Martuni region to get contemporary technology education. It will not be like the ordinary public schools. The classes will be extra-curricular, he said.

After participating in the 2020 War, Avanesyan said he understood the urgency of strengthening the communities. Its already two years young people in Artsakh are getting education within the Fund, acquire professional skills. The technoschool is the second stage of the program where students must get a concrete profession.

The school will prepare modern competitive specialists in the region. It will solve an educational problem, but the problem is solved for a concrete purpose  to provide a job. The first task in general was to show that not everything is lost in Artsakh, that you can succeed on your own thanks to your hard work, capabilities and self-development. Everyone should understand that he/she can, he said, adding that MOONK will be a result of a team work. The name of the technoschool is also connected with its goal, he added.

Presenting the benefits of the technoschool, the Director of the Fund said that the young people will not leave their communities and by staying in their villages they will be able to find jobs in every part of the world. In case of establishing this school, the number of the 6 communities involved in the Funds courses will rise to 12. The project implementation will provide the youth with educational and personal development opportunity. The school will contribute to the development of the communities and the creation of new jobs in Martuni region.

Ashot Avanesyan also presented how the donations to be made for the school will be used. He said the program will be implemented at 3 stages.

In the first stage, the mobile laboratories will reveal the educational potential of the youth through the visit to the communities. In line with this, the renovation works of the building will be carried out, and the classrooms and laboratories will be equipped in accordance with international standards.

The school is envisaged for 300 beneficiaries, he said.

In the second stage, necessary equipment, computers, etc., will be acquired.

At the last stage, it is expected to recruit the necessary specialists and launch the technoschool, as well as to purchase a minibus for transporting the students from the communities to the school. Administrative expenses are also envisaged (inviting specialists, salaries of moderators, lecturers, etc.).

Many individual specialists have applied and are ready to join us, even to teach for free, he said.

As of this moment, nearly 28 million drams have been invested for the construction of the technoschool. But the goal is to raise these funds to 67 million 562 thousand drams.

A number of companies, such as Service Titan, Mantashov Entrepreneurs Union, Armenian Code Academy, M.A.M education fund, have joined the program.

The ministry of education of Artsakh will solve the problem of access to education in communities and ensuring future specialists. ArtsakhEnergo CJSC has also assisted the program.

Avanesyan also informed that System Of A Downs Serj Tankian urged his audience to make donations to the technoschool.

Here is the link for those who wish to make donations for the school.

Reporting by Karine Terteryan
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani government continues the destruction of Armenian cultural monuments and churches in the occupied territories of Artsakh, falsely claiming that the Armenian writings and inscriptions on the churches are fake.

The Azeri authorities flagrantly announced that Armenians left traces on Azeri monuments which must be cleaned, and even commissioned a task force to do so.

After it was reported that UNESCO wants to visit Artsakh, the Azeri authorities launched a commission to rewrite history and attempt to mislead the international community as if there are no Armenian monuments in Artsakh.

Speaking to ARMENPRESS, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, the Primate of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church, expressed concern and noted that now they are sounding the alarm in various platforms.

What else should we do now. What the Azerbaijanis are now doing with our cultural heritage is nothing new. As a nomadic people, they always had an eye on whats ours. The same continues today. We must come to our senses to understand how to keep our heritage. Why should someone else come and say Im here to keep it. The Azerbaijani leadership is already preparing its intentions and plans, they know their national strategy. Regardless of what foreign diplomatic or religious meetings take place, they either maintain a passive stance or they say well think. As a result they do what theyd planned.

The trilateral meeting of the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill and the Azerbaijan-based Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office (CMO) Allahshukur Pashazadeh took place at the Danilov Monastery, the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow in October 2021. Karekin II voiced the issue of the fate of Shushis Ghazanchetsots Cathedral at this meeting. There were hopes that the church would be preserved. But now, the Azeri authorities want to capture and appropriate all cultural monuments in the territories of Artsakh which they have occupied.

Bishop Abrahamyan says the Azerbaijanis ignore these meetings, and even ignore calls from international organizations such as UNESCO.

They do whatever they want, its their signature, they destroy whichever monument they want, change or demolish the others. We are unable to bring back our captives, when did the war end? People have become living monuments in Baku, its difficult to imagine the physical and emotional sufferings and torture they are going through. The whole world tells Azerbaijan to release the Armenian captives, but they dont release them, Vrtanesyan said.

In a situation like this, the Bishop says Armenians should rely on themselves. He said that the Artsakh authorities are doing everything they can to prevent the Azeri atrocities.

We must come to our senses, work correctly to preserve our national, religious identity. It is the legacy of our ancestors. We were reckless, and failed to keep them, and now we are getting what we are getting. I cant say for a fact that the Shushi church will be preserved. During the abovementioned trilateral meeting the Azeri side said that Italian specialists have arrived for renovation. But we all know and weve seen what the Azeris mean by saying renovation, its a synonym for destruction for them. Today, our nation must sign a contract with themselves, stipulating that we have nothing else to surrender to the enemy. If every person were to make this clear decision for themselves, this will become a national alliance, a so-called document to resolve the future fate and security of the nation. If not, we will stay torn apart like this, the Bishop said.

Interview by Liana Sargsyan
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. G7 foreign ministers are planning an emergency meeting in Germany this week, TASS reports citing the Kyodo news agency.

Presumably, the meeting of G7 top diplomats will be held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). According to the news agencys sources in the government, the situation around Ukraine will be the main subject of this meeting. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will represent Japan.

Approximately 35 heads of state and government will participate in the MSC which will take place on February 18-20.
BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Act, a bill focusing on U.S. semiconductor production and supply chains.

Unsurprisingly, the "industrial" act includes actions to hold China "accountable" for the so-called genocide and slave labor, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and specifically allocates 500 million U.S. dollars for media outlets to smear China.

This bill echoes the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, another hawkish bill against China passed by the U.S. Senate in June 2021, which authorized 300 million dollars to be appropriated for each fiscal year through 2026 to counter China's influence globally.

The Senate bill is "a dangerous declaration of Cold War on China," wrote Michael D. Swaine, a scholar of Chinese security studies and director of the East Asia Program at Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a research institution and think tank.

The bill, Swaine said, "epitomizes the worst errors of the new Washington 'consensus' on what a rising China supposedly means," and contains "almost exclusively zero-sum (and in some instances dangerous) policy recommendations."

Actually, Washington has been implementing intricate plans to boost the so-called "China threat" narratives and "combat Chinese disinformation" via the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and the Agency for Global Media, its state-run foreign media service.

In September 2021, the largest Zimbabwean daily newspaper The Harald revealed that the United States is funding and training local reporters to produce anti-China stories and discredit Chinese investments.

According to the report with exclusive details, some private media journalists were told to portray Chinese companies investing in Zimbabwe as "causing harm to communities, environment and workers," receiving payment of 1,000 dollars per story from the U.S. embassy through its proxy.

"U.S. embassy officials bragged during the workshop that they had ... previously sponsored media institutions on the so-called accountability issues," the article said.

Spreading misinformation and manipulating the truth about China are nothing new for Western media and might undermine the credibility of journalists involved in reporting as well as the industry at large.

"If the government is setting out ahead of time in legislation what the conclusion and the point of coverage is going to be, that doesn't really qualify as genuine journalism," Tobita Chow, director of Justice Is Global, a group that advocates a more equitable world economy, was quoted by The American Prospect magazine as saying.

In September 2021, Javier Garcia, former head of the office of the EFE News Agency of Spain in Beijing, announced leaving journalism because "the embarrassing information war against China has taken a good dose of my enthusiasm for this profession."

"The information manipulation is flagrant, with dozens of examples every day," said the veteran who served in the industry for over 30 years. "Anyone who dares to confront it or try to maintain objectivity and impartial positions will be accused of being on the payroll of the Chinese government or worse." 
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament of Artsakh is debating today the package of bills on the Occupied Territories and making an amendment to the Civil Code.

Member of Parliament Artur Mosiyan is presenting the package. He proposed the Parliament to adopt the bill at first reading.

All factions represented in the parliament of Artsakh put into circulation a draft law on the Occupied Territories of Artsakh, according to which there will be a ban on those foreign companies which will want to carry out activity in the territories of Artsakh occupied by Azerbaijan, without the permission of the Artsakh government.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. The Prosecutor-General of Armenia Artur Davtyan filed a motion to court requesting to overturn the 2010 guilty verdict of Nikol Pashinyan and acquit him.

Davtyans advisor Gor Abrahamyan confirmed to ARMENPRESS that the cessation complaint has been filed.

In January of 2010 the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction found Nikol Pashinyan guilty of organizing mass disturbances during the 2008 March 1 events. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison but served a little less than 2 years and was released under a general pardon.

On January 18, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a judgment over the case of Pashinyan v. Armenia, which Pashinyan had filed when he was an opposition politician. The ECHR recognized that Pashinyans right to freedom, personal immunity, as well as the right to freedom of peaceful assembly were violated.
YEREVAN, 16 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 16 February, USD exchange rate down by 0.16 drams to 479.13 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.26 drams to 545.06 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.04 drams to 6.38 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.16 drams to 649.84 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 280.71 drams to 28475.78 drams. Silver price down by 6.36 drams to 358.69 drams. Platinum price down by 375.05 drams to 15635.45 drams.
YEREVAN, 16 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the regular sitting of the Anti-Corruption Policy Council took place at the Government, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The first issue on the agenda referred to the recommendations of the GRECO and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the results of the 2021 evaluation of the Republic of Armenia. These are about the activities of the Corruption Prevention Commission, the Prosecutor's Office, investigative bodies, the National Assembly and the implementation of certain functions. A discussion took place in connection with the proposals, during which various observations and opinions were presented.

Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the continuous increase of Armenia's rating in the reports of reputable international organizations, noting that in this context it is necessary to acknowledge the received signals. The Prime Minister stressed that these recommendations should be considered in view of the need to increase the efficiency of state institutions. According to the Prime Minister, institutional reforms, including in the anti-corruption and judicial spheres, are of key importance for the Government. In this regard, Nikol Pashinyan particularly stressed that as a result of these reforms, for example, public confidence in court decisions should increase significantly. "Our task is to continuously raise the image of Armenia in the rankings given by reputable international organizations, so we must be as consistent as possible in this issue," Nikol Pashinyan stressed.

PM Pashinyan instructed to evaluate the above-mentioned recomendations and make appropriate changes based on their results.

Next, the report on the activities of the Corruption Precention Commission in 2021 was presented to the Council. It was noted that during the reporting period, the declarations of more than 210 officials were checked and analyzed, 139 of which were judges. The declarations of the family members of the above-mentioned officials were also additionally checked. As a result, both disciplinary proceedings were initiated and some cases were sent to the Prosecutor's Office.

It was noted that starting from June 2021 the system that includes the declaration of expenses was re-launched, and a new form was developed to fill in the declaration.

Last year, the Corruption Precention Commission investigated 45 cases of incompatible requirements and conflicts of interest, 15 of which were based on media reports. 3 proceedings were initiated on the above-mentioned grounds. At the same time, the ethics of 103 candidates for state position was examined and relevant conclusions were given.

The Council assessed the activity of the Corruption Precention Commission in 2021 as positive. Prime Minister Pashinyan stressed the importance for continuously developing the mechanisms of the Commission, including their improvement through digitalization.

The meeting also addressed the problems arising during the selection of investigators and Neighborhood Police Officers of the Anti-Corruption Committee, the proposals aimed at their solution, as well as the "Draft Law on Making Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia" submitted by the Anti-Corruption Committee.
YEREVAN, 16 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Collective Security Treaty Organization is a strong partner of the United Nations, ARMENPRESS reports UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on February 16.

"Currently, more than ever, the UN is relying on closer and deeper cooperation with regional organizations. The CSTO is a strong partner for the UN, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, Guterres said in a meeting on cooperation with the CSTO.

He expressed hope for strengthening cooperation with the CSTO in the field of peacekeeping missions.
SIA officials conducted raids at various locations in the South and Central district of Kashmir, during which the arrests were made

the 10 people, who were working independently or as 'sleeper cells' of the banned terror group, were identified during a probe carried out by the SIA. (Representational image: ANI)

Srinagar: Ten people allegedly working as 'overground workers' (OGWs) of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group were arrested by the State Investigation Agency (SIA), a newly carved-out wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, officials said on Wednesday.

SIA officials conducted raids overnight at various locations in the South and Central district of Kashmir, during which the arrests were made, they said.

The SIA was constituted recently, and the agency has a mandate to investigate crimes connected with terrorism and secessionism.

The officials said the 10 people, who were working independently or as 'sleeper cells' of the banned terror group, were identified during a probe carried out by the SIA. Neither of them were aware about each other's activities and were taking instructions from JeM terrorist commanders directly.

"The module, whose members were organised into sub-modules in the form of verticals so that in the event of detection of one member, the bigger network does not get compromised, had been painstakingly discovered through discreet surveillance, in which corroborative intelligence capable of being converted into admissible evidence in court was used to ascertain and confirm the JeM membership of these individuals," one of the officials said.

Those arrested were active in recruiting young people, arranging finances, and transporting weapons in south and central Kashmir, besides providing other logistic support.

During searches, cell phones, SIM cards, records to show use of banking channels and even a dummy pistol were seized. Among those arrested is a person at whose house four terrorists were killed on April 4, 2020, the officials said.

The aim of the alleged OGWs was to work towards furthering terror activities in south and central Kashmir and were mostly recruiting vulnerable school and college-going students as a few of them are students themselves, they said.

Digital records seized from them are being sent to a forensic laboratory for evidence analysis.
Doval was present at his residence when the incident took place

New Delhi: A man hailing from Bengaluru was apprehended for allegedly trying to enter the residence of National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Wednesday, triggering a minor security alarm, officials said.

The incident took place around 7:30 AM when a red-colour SUV, being driven by the man, tried to enter through the gate of Doval's high-security central Delhi residence, official sources said.

The car was intercepted and the man was nabbed by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel who guard Doval's house, they said.

The NSA is secured under the top Z+ category of CISF commandos.

Doval was present at the residence when the incident took place.

The man was later handed over to the police.

He has been identified as Shantanu Reddy from Bengaluru and looks to be mentally unstable, they said.

The car was hired from Noida, officials added.

"A man tried to enter the house of NSA on Wednesday morning. The security stopped him. When the man was asked some questions, he was not in a state of giving answers. He is mentally unsound," the officer said.
The district administration had imposed prohibitory orders Section 144 CrPC within 200 meters radius of all colleges

New Delhi: As the arguments continued in the Karnataka high court hearing over the wearing of the hijab in classrooms, the undergraduate and pre-university colleges reopened in Karnataka on Wednesday. While some students preferred to remove their hijab and attend classes, some other students decided to wait till the high courts final order and did not come for class.

Taking forward the arguments on allowing hijabs in schools and colleges before the three-judge high court bench, senior advocate and professor Ravivarma Kumar said on Wednesday there is no mandatory uniform prescribed for pre-university colleges in the Karnataka Education Act and in the rules made under it.

He added that neither under the law nor the rules was there any prohibition on wearing the hijab. He also pointed out that the guidelines forbade the college authorities from prescribing uniforms and warned that principals will face disciplinary action if they imposed uniforms. He added that the rules say when an educational institution intends to change uniforms, it has to issue a one-year notice in advance to parents. Hence, if the ban on the hijab has to be imposed, then there should be a one-year advance notice for that.

At this point, Justice Krishna S. Dixit asked whether if something is not prohibited in the rules explicitly, does that mean that it is permitted. If that view is taken, somebody may say there is no licence required to carry arms in the classroom as there is no prohibition. I am logically analysing what your proposition can take us to There is no prohibition on carrying a kirpan if it is not proscribed. However, the power to proscribe under Rule 9 is there. That needs to be independently argued, the judge asked.

To this, Mr Kumar responded: I am not expanding the proposition that I have made. I am only saying there is no prohibition against the hijab. The question that comes then is under what authority or rules I have been kept out of the class.

He argued that there are several religious symbols used by all sections of society, so why was only the hijab being singled out for discrimination. While referring to a research paper based on a survey done on religious clothes and symbols, he argued: Many Indians display religion through their attire. Half of the Hindus and Muslims, and a majority of Christians say they generally wear a religious pendant. Most Sikh men keep long hair. I am only showing the vast diversity of religious symbols in all sections of society Bangles are worn. Are they not religious symbols? Why are you picking on these poor Muslim girls? Why is the government picking on the hijab alone and making this hostile discrimination?

If people wearing the turban can serve in the Army, why not a person sporting a religious symbol be allowed to attend classes? Judicial note must be taken that Muslim girls are the least represented in classrooms. If they are shut out on the pretext of religion, it will be very draconian The goal of education is to promote plurality, not to promote uniformity or homogeneity, but heterogeneity. A classroom should be a place for recognition and reflection of diversity, he said.

Taking the arguments further, senior advocate Yusuf Muchhala said the petitioners in the case were facing a Hobsons choice, and were being asked to choose between their faith and education, which was a violation of their fundamental rights. He added: The purpose of the Education Act is to promote harmony and not to create dissent among students.

There was, meanwhile, a mixed response at Udupi in Karnataka, where the hijab controversy had erupted last month. At Government Womens College in Udupi, where the hijab row first started, six students did not come for class. At Kundapur PU College too, the girls who were fighting for their right to wear the hijab protested outside the gate and did not attend classes. At G Shankar First Grade College in Udupi town, those girls who wanted to attend class removed their hijabs, while the others went home.

Our principal called us to his room and told us about the high court order. He was very polite. We can understand his situation and told him that as we want the hijab, we will not attend the class. He assured us of online classes. In this way, we will not miss any class. We are lucky to be in this institution, one of the girls told reporters.

The principal has allowed us entry into the campus. He told us that we can go to the library and canteen as well. The restriction is only to enter the class, she added.

However, classes did not resume at MGM College, where the students had protested with hijabs and saffron shawls last week. The college is holding online classes for both PU and degree students.

The district administration had imposed prohibitory orders Section 144 CrPC within 200 meters radius of all colleges. Security was also beefed up with additional police forces near every educational institution. The situation was peaceful, and there were no untoward incidents.

In Mangaluru, in a few institutions, some girls preferred to go home and the others attended classes after removing their hijabs.
The timing of the bail raised eyebrows as all the eight Assembly seats in Lakhimpur Kheri will go to polls on February 23

New Delhi: Electoral politics in Uttar Pradesh heated up as Ashish Mishra (Teni), the son of he minister of state (home) Ajay Mishra Teni and the prime accused in Lakhimpur Kheri violence, walked out of jail on Tuesday after being released on bail. Ashish, who was arrested on October 9, was granted bail on February 10. Lakhimpur Kheri jail superintendent told the media that Ashish Mishra was released after fulfilling bail conditions and procedure.

The timing of the bail raised eyebrows as all the eight Assembly seats in Lakhimpur Kheri will go to polls on February 23, the fourth phase of Assembly elections in the state. While the Opposition went up in arms over his release, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will move the Supreme Court over the issue.

On October 3, during the farmers' agitation, four farmers were killed at Lakhimpur Kheri after they were allegedly mowed down by an SUV convoy. It was alleged that Ajay Mishra was sitting in the car that mowed down the protesting farmers and that he also opened fire on them.

Incidentally, in Lakhimpur Kheri, that falls in the sugarcane belt, the BJP had been walking on razor's edge following the farmers' protests and October 3 violence. In 2017, the BJP had won all eight Assembly seats here. Lakhimpur Kheir, dominated by Brahmins, also has a sizeable Muslim and Kurmi population.

Breathing fire over the bail, Mr Tikait said, "Does one need a system in which someone mows down people under a vehicle and then walks out of jail in three months?" A section of BJP leaders apprehended that Ajay Mishra's bail "might have serious ramifications in Punjab". They also felt that it would give the Opposition a "major handle to attack the government."

While there has so far been complete silence from the saffron camp over the release, sources revealed that the induction of Ajay Mishra, the lone Brahmin face from UP in the Union Cabinet, was mainly to strike a chord with the upper caste in the state. The BJP under Yogi Adityanath, a Rajput, was perceived as being "anti-Brahmin."

After the Lakhimpur violence, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had said, "The Prime Minister will not suspend Ajay Mishra as he needs the upper caste."

The Lakhimpur Kheri incident had triggered nationwide outrage and the Opposition demanded sacking of MoS Home. With reports emanating that the upper caste vote, particularly that of Brahmins, was moving away from the BJP in UP, the party apparently was in no mood to take action against Mishra, sources said.

Ajay Mishra who was missing from campaigning following the incident was, however, brought back to campaign in the Brahmin-dominated Lakhimpur Kheri a couple of days back.
Things changed dramatically for India on August 15, 2021 in Afghanistan with the Talibans capture of power

On the issue of a convergence of outlook regarding the Taliban, not all the Central Asian republics are on the same page as India. (Representational Image/ PTI)

Three major interactions in less than three months between India and five Central Asian republics should underline New Delhis seriousness about unveiling a major Connect Central Asia policy. With Afghanistan at the epicentre of its concerns, India is indeed making a serious attempt to regain its lost strategic space after Kabul fell to the Taliban. However, for the policy to take concrete shape, it needs to steer clear of several geopolitical and other obstacles, has to be comprehensive, and must be backed by a larger vision, resources and a long-term commitment.

Things changed dramatically for India on August 15, 2021 in Afghanistan with the Talibans capture of power. With the balance of power perceived to be shifting in favour of Pakistan, India lost one of its crucial rationale for its presence in Afghanistan  with the trade and connectivity projects with Central Asia. The neo-liberal agenda in New Delhis foreign policy faced a pushback, with the realist thinking of securitising Afghanistan taking precedence.

New Delhis dilemma of whether to do business with the Talibans Islamic emirate in Afghanistan remains unresolved. At the same time, it realises that for the fulfilment of a large number of strategic, geopolitical and geo-economic objectives in Afghanistan, New Delhi needs to reach out to a coalition of like-minded countries who have an abiding interest in the peace and stability of Kabul and a common outlook for economic development in the region. In this regard, Indias refocus on Central Asia is critical. This policys success will, however, be judged by stitching together a coalition of the willing on addressing key security, economic and trade and connectivity issues.

For the last two decades, Afghanistan was seen as a land bridge between India and Central Asia. However, amid the instability in Afghanistan, Pakistans intransigence and New Delhis own unimaginative policies, that has remained merely an aspiration. Not only have projects like Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline remained non-starters, Indias bilateral trade with Central Asia was only about $2 billion, mostly coming from energy imports from Kazakhstan. In comparison, the China-Central Asia trade is to the tune of $41 billion. Even the India-Afghanistan trade had to be routed through the circuitous and expensive route via Irans Chabahar port and the costly showpiece air corridor.

It now appears that India is trying to bypass Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and connect with Central Asia through Iran. Not surprisingly, barely a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modis summit with Central Asia, the Union Budget has allocated Rs 100 crores for the Chabahar project. Also not surprisingly, the International North South Transit Corridor (INSTC) and the Ashbagh Agreement were referred to by New Delhi both during the foreign minister-level meeting in December 2021 and the first India-Central Asia summit in January 2022. As a pressure tactic on the Taliban and Pakistan, and propounding of what is being referred to the new Act Central Asia Policy, this is an important step. However, the activation of the mechanism is riddled with serious challenges.

It is obvious that the multi-modal INSTC, set up in 2002, to connect India with Europe provides enormous primacy to Iran and Russia, which along with India are its founding members. The Ashbagh Agreement includes both Iran and Pakistan. India is its latest member, having joined it only in 2018. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which are the key Central Asian nations through which the projected trade route from India must pass, are not INTSC members. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are not signatories of the Ashbagh Agreement.

Both these agreements, in spite of the dry runs conducted in 2014, have remained mostly non-starters due to the sanctions by the United States and the West on Iran and Russia. Compared to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has progressed at a much faster pace, INSTC projects have suffered from funds crunch, and also the unenthusiastic response and implementation by member states. It will take a visionary leadership, resources, and adept diplomacy by New Delhi to navigate through these multiple challenges.

On the issue of a convergence of outlook regarding the Taliban, not all the Central Asian republics are on the same page as India. With the exception of Tajikistan, all have exchanged high-level diplomatic visits with Kabul. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have reopened their Afghanistan missions. Moreover, Indias aspirations are strongly resisted by an aggressive Chinese policy. All the Central Asian republics are a part of the Belt & Road Intitaive as well as a Quadrilateral Traffic-in-Trade Agreement that includes China. The first India-Central Asia summit was preceded by a similar summit with China. All the republics also have developed closer ties with Pakistan.

New Delhi is playing catch-up in its ties with Central Asia, by underlining its civilisational, cultural, trade and people-to-people connect. In todays complex and changing world order, such linkages need to be bolstered by resources and long-term commitment. Besides other factors, the Covid-19 pandemic-hit truncated MEA Budget allocation in 2022-23 does not allow much elbow room. Out of the total development assistance fund of Rs 6,292 crores, the Eurasian blocs quota is just Rs 140 crores. The Budget places a clear limit on Indias development engagement with the region.

Whether New Delhi has the appetite, resources and long-term vision to take this new policy forward, therefore, remains a key question. Central Asia is critical in its quest for regaining its lost ground in the evolving new Great Game in Afghanistan. As the great power competition and regional power play intensifies in Afghanistan, New Delhi needs a more imaginative policy to address the present disconnect in Central Asia.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Bishop Samuel Mar Irenios and priests from the Diocese of Pathanamthitta were taken into custody in connection with illegal sand mining by a man who leased land from the diocese. However, unlike the men religion, the main suspect and government officials accused of complicity in the affair were never detained.

Madurai (AsiaNews)  The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court yesterday granted bail to Bishop Samuel Mar Irenios and the five priests from the Syro-Malankara Diocese of Pathanamthitta in Kerala who were arrested in connection with an illegal sand mining operation undertaken by a man who leased land from the diocese in the nearby district of Tirunelveli.

The court noted that the main accused  Manuel George, the man who started the business  had already been granted bail. What is more, the bishop and one of the priests, Fr Jose Chamakalayil, are receiving treatment for cancer.

The land in question is located in the village of Pottal. Local authorities had previously inspected the site and fined Manuel George for illegal activity. For this reason, after receiving a complaint, the High Court ordered a probe last year by the Crime Branch (CB) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Preliminary findings suggest that government officials from various departments were also involved in facilitating illegal sand mining.

However, neither Manuel George nor his accomplices were ever arrested, whereas the bishop and five priests were taken into custody after they were summoned for questioning.

In a statement, the Diocese of Pathanamthitta made it clear that it is extraneous to the facts, blaming the man to whom it had leased the land.

The diocese also points out that travel restrictions imposed in the past two years because of the pandemic made it impossible for on-site visits, adding that it has taken legal action against Manuel George.
by Melani Manel Perera

The archbishop of Colombo renews his criticism of the government, especially the Attorney General, as the work of the presidential commission collects dust. He critcises law enforcement for taking into custody activist Shehan Malaka Gamage. After hours of questioning, the young man was released on bail. For the cardinal, citizens fundamental rights are at risk.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo launched a scathing attack on the current government and the Attorney General who, instead of seeking justice, are going after those who are trying to uncover the truth about the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks

The people named by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry have not yet been prosecuted and the commissions report has so far collected dust.

What especially angered the prelate was the arrest of Shehan Malaka Gamage, a young activist, who had been looking into the attacks.

At a press conference yesterday at the Bishops Residence, Card Ranjith accused the government of being "part of a conspiracy linked to the attacks, while the fundamental rights of people in Sri Lanka are at risk.

We are disappointed about the governments oppressive actions against those who are seeking justice, the cardinal said. In this regard, he urged the public to take the appropriate action in light of the situation, not least against what the cardinal calls the activists abduction.

Shehan Malaka Gamage was seized late Monday by agents of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and taken into custody. After being questioned for hours about the material he gathered about the attacks, he was released yesterday on bail.

The head of the Sri Lankan Church notes that were it not for the activist taping and posting the video of his arrest on social media, his fate would be unknown.

The prelate slams the police for what is tantamount to kidnapping. In the video, the young man can be heard saying: I will face what comes, we are not afraid.

For the archbishop of Colombo, the police and the Attorney Generals Office should act in the interest of the public, and this is not happening. Rather than justice, other objectives are being pursued.

Activists demanding justice for the victims of the attacks are being arrested. Public servants are supposed to serve society and not act according to the whims and fancies of politicians.

This attitude is even more ridiculous when the government is briefing the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) about the countrys human rights situation.

The video of the arrest and the cardinals reaction were shared online, and most people reacted positively to his frank and courageous stance, especially against a government that is increasingly perceived as corrupt.

Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Nandana Manatung, director of the Human Rights Commission of the Diocese of Kandy, described the news of the activists arrest, seizing him in a street like a thief or someone guilty of who knows what crimes, as shocking.

This is not a first time that Shehan finds himself in CIDs custody. Six months ago, he was questioned, an experience that was repeated only eight days ago.

We know that he stands for justice on behalf of victims, Fr Manatung explained. We stand with him. When we got the news, we were involved in a human rights session. That evening we remembered him in our Mass and prayer.
Concluding the cycle of catechesis on St Joseph, in today's general audience Francis dwelt on the title of patron of the universal Church attributed to him 150 years ago. "When I have a problem with someone, do I try to guard them or do I condemn them immediately?". Prayers for a religous killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo on February 2, after celebrating Mass.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "We live in a time when it is common to criticise the Church", but only by loving her as she is are we capable "of saying what is wrong" and "recognising all the good," observed Pope Francis today during his Wednesday general audience, addressing the faithful present in the Paul VI Hall.

Concluding the cycle of catechesis dedicated to the figure of St Joseph, Pope Francis dwelt on the meaning of the title "patron of the Catholic Church" attributed to him by Blessed Pius IX 150 years ago. "Joseph - he explained - has the task of protecting Jesus and Mary" and together they form "the primordial nucleus of the Church".

"The Son of the Most High came into the world in a condition of great weakness," the Pontiff continued, "He wanted to need to be defended, protected and cared for. God trusted Joseph, as did Mary, who found in him the bridegroom who loved and respected her and always took care of her and the Child".

"Every person who is hungry and thirsty, every stranger, every person without clothes, every sick person, every prisoner is the "Child" that Joseph looks after. And we too must learn from Joseph to "guard" these goods: to love the Child and his mother; to love the Sacraments and the people of God; to love the poor and our parish. Each of these realities is always the Child and his mother".

This also implies a precise way of looking at the Church: "We live in a time," Francis observed, "in which it is common to criticise her, to point out her inconsistencies, her sins, which in reality are our inconsistencies, our sins, because the Church has always been a people of sinners who encounter God's mercy. Let us ask ourselves if, in our hearts, we love the Church. In fact, only love makes us capable of fully telling the truth, in a non-partisan way; of saying what is wrong, but also of recognising all the good and holiness that are present in the Church".

"The Church," said the Pontiff, "is not that little group that is close to the priest and commands everyone. The Church is everyone. On a journey. Guarding one another, guarding each other. This is a good question: when I have a problem with someone, do I try to look after them, or do I immediately condemn them, spit on them, destroy them?

Hence the invitation to "ask for the intercession of St Joseph precisely at the most difficult times in your life and in the life of your communities. There where our errors become a scandal," the Pope concluded, "llet us ask Saint Joseph to give us the courage to speak the truth, ask for forgiveness, and humbly begin again. Where persecution prevents the Gospel from being proclaimed, let us ask St Joseph for the strength and patience to endure abuse and suffering for the sake of the Gospel. Where material and human resources are scarce and make us experience poverty, especially when we are called to serve the last, the defenceless, the orphans, the sick, the rejected of society, let us pray to Saint Joseph to be Providence for us".

Addressing the pilgrims present in different languages, in his greeting to a group of religious of the Order of Clerics Regular Minor, the Pope recalled his young confrere Fr Richard Masivi Kasereka, killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 2 February after celebrating Mass on the Day of Consecrated Life.

"His death - commented Francis - will not discourage his family, his religious family and the entire Christian community of that nation to be heralds and witnesses of goodness and fraternity, despite the difficulties, imitating the example of Jesus, the Good Shepherd".

Finally, addressing the elderly, the sick, young people and newlyweds as usual, he said to them: "In a world that continues to be torn apart by deep and apparently irreconcilable contrasts, may each one of you be, for your part, a sign of reconciliation rooted in the word of the Gospel".
South Korean missionary groups active in Russia are the first target. A UN official who handles asylum requests in Moscow is another one. North Koreas crackdown follows the arrest of one of its soldiers at its consulate in Vladivostok. In violation of UN sanctions, some 20,000 North Koreans are reportedly working in Russia.

Seoul (AsiaNews)  North Korean authorities want to find the activists who are helping North Korean workers flee Russia, Seoul-based Daily NK reported based on in Russia.

Recently, Pyongyang sent its own security agents to Russias Far East region to gather information on Russians, missionaries and members of NGOs who have contacts with North Koreans or facilitate their escape.

Some 20,000 North Koreans are estimated to be working in Russia, sent by their government to earn foreign currency for the regime of strongman Kim Jong-Un.

Because of international sanctions over North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes, Russia (along with China) is North Korea's only partner.

North Korea is in a perennial state of economic emergency. The presence of North Korean workers in Russia violates a UN resolution. To get around restrictions, with Russian and Chinese complicity, North Korean workers go to Russia and China on tourist or study visas.

According to the Daily NK, a paper linked to the South Korean Unification Ministry, the North Korean government launched a security crackdown after arresting one of its own soldiers serving at its Vladivostok consulate, from where he apparently tried to escape.

Major Choe Kum Chol, a cyberwarfare officer, is said to have been arrested last September.

According to Radio Free Asia, several North Korean workers defected in Russia last month.

South Korean missionary groups actively helping defectors in Russia are being targeted by North Korea, which considers them US spies.

An official with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Moscow has also been in Pyongyangs crosshairs because she processes asylum requests by North Koreans.

In order to target the groups that help fugitives, the North Korean regime plans to hack emails and bank accounts of those who help defectors.

Kim reportedly ordered the immediate repatriation of all North Koreans trying to flee Russia.

Before COVID-19 restrictions were eased allowing entry to North Korea, suspects were held in detention facilities in Russia operated by North Koreas Ministry of State Security.
by Sumon Corraya

Bangladeshs largest interfaith (Christian, Buddhist, Hindu) forum demands representation in the body responsible for next years election. Forums president Nimol Rozario, If a party is defeated, its supporters often blame minorities, increasing risks for the latter during the vote.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), the country's largest interreligious forum, wants minority communities to be represented in the new Election Commission set up ahead of next years elections.

In this country, at least 12 per cent of the population belong to religious and ethnic minorities, said BHBCUC president, Nimol Rozario, speaking to AsiaNews.

For this reason, he calls on the search committee and President Abdul Hamid of Bangladesh to keep at least one representative from minority groups so that they can be the voice of faith minorities.

According to Rozario, who is Catholic and chairs the Bangladesh Christian Association, experience from previous elections shows that during the vote the risks for minorities increase.

If a party is defeated, its supporters often blame minorities for not voting for it and the latter become victims of retaliation.

The previous electoral commission, set up in 2017, scheduled elections on minority religious holidays, ignoring the views of these communities, which were forced to stop celebrations.

This would not happen if Christians, Buddhists and Hindus were represented in the commission.

On 5 February, the Bangladeshi government set up a six-member search committee headed by a Supreme Court justice, Obaidul Hasan, to recommend names for the new Election Commission.

Some 300 names were submitted by various stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations and individuals.

The mandate of the outgoing Election Commission ended on Monday.

In past election campaigns, some established extremist groups incited hatred against minorities by associating them with a particular political party.

Incidents in 2001 were particularly serious, when with the BNP-Jamat came to power. At that time, members of minority groups, mostly Hindus, were subjected to violence, with people killed, women raped and property looted just because they voted for the Awami League.
Today's headlines: Chinese judges freeze 7 million in Evegrande assets; Surge in Covid-19 infections in Southeast Asia; Bangladesh among world's top exporters of military uniforms; Iraqi court orders Kurdistan government to hand over oil and gas to central government; New trial of Naval'nyj.

VATICAN-TAIWAN

Yesterday, Pope Francis appointed Msgr Norbert Pu as the new bishop of the Taiwanese diocese of Chiayi, southwest of the island. Ordained a priest in 1987, Msgr Pu had led the parish of Christ the King in Putzu since 2017.

CHINA

The crisis of the real estate giant Evergrande, which has accumulated a debt of 300 billion dollars, continues. The national judicial authorities froze 7 million of the company's assets, which will be used to settle non-payments to suppliers and partner companies in construction projects.

SOUTH-EAST ASIA

The region is witnessing a surge of Covid-19 infections. The spread of the Omicron variant has increased daily cases in Malaysia (20,600), Thailand (15,430), Vietnam (27,340), Singapore (11,330) and Indonesia (32,500). The trend is also growing steadily in Myanmar; the only exception is the Philippines, with infections down to about 3,000.

BANGLADESH

With annual revenues of around 500 million dollars, the South Asian country has become one of the world's main exporters of military uniforms - also purchased by NATO. Overall, Dhaka earns around 31 billion dollars a year from the sale of textiles abroad.

IRAQ

The Iraqi federal court has declared unconstitutional the law by which the Kurdistan Region autonomously manages the sale of oil and gas, retaining the profits. The judges ordered the Kurdish government to hand over control of these resources to the central authorities.

RUSSIA

Another trial against Aleksej Naval'nyj has begun in the penal colony no. 2 in Pokrov, Vladimir province. The accused was able to embrace his wife Julia after many months. On leaving the prison, the woman said, "Putin is so afraid of my husband, that he is the first Russian to be tried in a lager.

TURKMENISTAN

After Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's surprise announcement to step aside after 15 years in power, presidential elections have been set for 12th March. The head of state's son, Serdar, has announced his candidacy.
Clashes between Israelis and Palestinians have been taking place for days in the disputed neighbourhood in eastern Jerusalem. A government source does not exclude the risk of "an escalation". Dozens of people have been injured and arrested. Bishop of the Holy Land: new conflict unlikely, because "the price" would be "too expensive". Every Friday dozens of Israelis demonstrate in solidarity with Palestinian residents.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are flaring again in the disputed neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, in East Jerusalem, but "I do not think a new conflict is possible" because "everyone would pay too high a price" says the former Patriarchal Vicar of Jerusalem of the Latins, Monsignor Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo.

The prelate, who still lives in the holy city and is active in pastoral work, tells AsiaNews of the new outbreaks of violence in recent days in the area. From Gaza, "solidarity" has been expressed and its inhabitants "would like to do something", but not even from Hamas have there been any signals or a climate of "open war".

In the meantime, the Israeli police guard the area, where there have been repeated clashes between Palestinian and Jewish residents. According to the Maan agency, dozens of people were injured or bruised, and at least 11 people were arrested by the security forces. Also involved in the violence was the extreme right-wing Israeli MP Itamar Ben Gvir, who had announced the reopening of an office in the area, sparking further tensions.

The conflict was fuelled by the burning of a house belonging to a Jewish family and the prospect of evicting a Palestinian family from a house they had been living in for decades. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas and Islamic Jihad are threatening retaliation, but so far these have only been announcements that have not been followed by attacks on the ground.

The dispute in Sheikh Jarrah erupted in early May, coinciding with a legal battle over the ownership of some houses; it raised the concern of the Church of the Holy Land and triggered - among other factors - a deadly flash war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

At the moment there are no specific security alerts, but attention remains high because similar situations in the past have triggered attacks on the Esplanade of Mosques and other areas of Jerusalem. Israeli officials accompanying Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on a diplomatic mission to Bahrain stress that the clashes could spiral out of control, leading to a blitzkrieg like the one in recent months with Hamas in Gaza. "A deterioration in Sheikh Jarrah", explained the source close to the executive, "could lead to an escalation".

However, at the moment, for Msgr Marcuzzo, there are no clear signs of a war on the horizon and many want to prevent this from happening. For some months now," says the prelate, "every Friday there has been a solidarity demonstration in which dozens of Jews participate in support of the Palestinians of Sheikh Jarrah.

From a small group, membership has grown with the support of some left-wing movements and is now spreading. Recently, there were over a hundred people at a demonstration. The controversy in the disputed neighbourhood, continues the prelate, is the result of "Israel's plan to occupy as much land and houses in East Jerusalem as possible" by strengthening "expropriation plans".

At the same time, there are "open processes in the courts" and issues related to the very ownership of the land "that date back to the post-war period, to 1948 and 1949, to concessions made by Jordan, which gave land to Palestinians from Israel to build a refugee camp. From this original camp a real neighbourhood developed" around which today's dispute revolves. The point, warns Msgr. Marcuzzo, is that "when faced with open legal questions, with problems that are undeniable, one cannot react with imposition, with violence and demolition", but one should make room for dialogue and law.
The Aspen and Roaring Fork school districts will both lift their mask mandates later this month, though authorities cautioned that, if COVID case numbers rise, those mandates could return.


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Mr. Phillip Nathaniel Ware aged 62, passed away on Wednesday April 6, 2022 in Dallas, Texas . He was born to Mr. Frederick Brink Ware and Ms. Irene Duffner on Sunday, November 15, 1959 in Kansas City, Kansas. Phillip N. Ware will leave his loved ones with unforgettable memories and loving st
Among the trucks in this collection, we count the rarest builds from Peterbilt, Fageol, Diamond T, Pierce-Arrow, Selden, Packard, and others, many of them being unique. The Hays collection lineup includes the only first-generation Peterbilt ever to be offered at auction: the 1939-40 Model 260GD 5-Ton Truck. Fewer than five trucks of this first-generation Peterbilt are likely to exist today. Whats really special about this one is that it was used as a benchmark to restore the Peterbilt that is currently on display at the companys own headquarters in Texas.If you look at the pictures in the gallery you will surely notice the beautiful yellow truck. Its a 1918 Pierce-Arrow X-4 2-Ton Lumber Truck, another highlight of this amazing collection. Its a complete and correctly restored example of an early Pierce-Arrow, and it was used to haul lumber to Fresno, California from a sawmill near Sequoia Park. Pierce-Arrow was one of the highest quality trucks on the market at the time, and also one of the first to use a worm-drive rear axle.The 1903 Knox Three-Quarter Ton Stake Truck is one of the oldest trucks in the collection and, indeed, one of the oldest in existence today. This is the only known Knox truck with a single-cylinder engine. The threaded pins screwed into the cylinder jacket that allowed the engine to cool better earned it the name Old Porcupine.All these trucks and others in the Hays Museum Antique Truck Collection are sold without reserve at the Gone Farmin Spring Classic event on March 25 in East Moline. Even if you are not a prospective buyer, you will not regret it visiting as a spectator. It would also make for a spectacular event for children who'd get to see this part of automotive history.
A recent Airbus study showed that commercial aviation is expected to grow at a fast rate in Asia-Pacific, with thousands of new aircraft required to fill the gap. This will be a great opportunity for new-generation zero-emissions airplanes to replace aging, polluting fleets. Related to that, Airbus also intends to the Singapore state capital into a hydrogen development hub. The Singapore Airshow 2022 is where a significant step in that direction was made.The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), together with Changi Airport Group and the engineering company Linde, have agreed to join Airbus on a complex project for hydrogen development. This will include operations regarding hydrogen transportation, storage, and delivery to aircraft, at regular airports and at new ones, with a dedicated infrastructure. According to Airbus officials, hydrogen studies require the participation of partners from multiple fields, from manufacturers and airports to energy providers and regulators.Airbus also plans to operate Zero Emission Development Centers (ZEDCs) in France, Germany, and Spain, by 2023. One of their tasks will be to research and develop metallic and composite storage tanks for hydrogen.Storage is a sensitive issue when it comes to this clean energy alternative , even more so for aviation applications  the simple fact that a commercial aircraft conducts thousands of take-offs and landings would put a huge pressure on the storage tanks. This is why they need to comply with safety standards that are more complex, while also being able to maintain hydrogen in a liquid state for much longer.This recent agreement with Singapore is part of the companys Hydrogen Hub at Airports program, meant to research the infrastructure requirements for future zero-emissions flights. Similar agreements have also been signed with Paris and Seoul.
EV

Tesla Motors just signed a five-year agreement with Australian Liontown Resources to supply lithium spodumene concentrate, Reuters reported.According to SGS Mineral Services , spodumene has a lithium content of 8.03%, making it the most important lithium ore mineral. Spodumene comes from Western Australia and is a type of feedstock essential for producing lithium chemicals that eventually end up in batteries used in EVs.To tone down the effects of global warming, the automotive industry is switching to electric vehicles reliant on lithium batteries. Due to the scarcity of lithium, prices have soared over the last few years forcing scientists to look for advanced tech to employ in batteries to power future electric vehicles . There is an urgent need to improve energy density per cell and ultimately cut their cost.Liontown Resources will supply 100,000 dry metric tons of the spodumene concentrate in the first year starting from 2024, increasing to 150,000 DMT (dry metric tons) in the following years.The Australian mining company's shares skyrocketed close to 20% after signing the deal with the U.S.automaker on Wednesday. The deal with Tesla accounts for a third of the project's annual production capacity.According to a team of researchers at the University of Chung-Ang in Korea, Lithium reserves account for as little as 0.002% of the Earth's crust, making it expensive and extremely rare.Progressive studies to switch lithium for calcium are underway by the same institution. According to their research, Calcium can yield similar results as lithium. It would be interesting to see the effect on the automotive market when and if the switch is successful.
On Tuesday, the skies over Eastern Syria were the scene of a hot encounter between American and coalition fighter jets, and three Russian aircraft, a cargo plane and two bombers. For a brief time, they all flew together, as the Western machines escorted the Russians out of the area.According to CNN , citing people with knowledge of the matter, the escort flight took part over a coalition-controlled area in Eastern Syria. To enter this area, Russian aircraft must give advance warning, which this weeks trio of aircraft did not do.As per the information available, an undisclosed number of American-flown F-16s , accompanied by undisclosed allied aircraft, were dispatched to escort the Russians.Whereas the type of cargo aircraft involved on the Russian side is not known, the two bombers were of the Tu-22 Backfire variety, according to the source. Backfire is the NATO designation for the Tupolev Tu-22M, an aircraft a tad older than even the F-16.Designed to destroy sea- and ground-based targets by means of guided missiles and aerial bombs, the aircraft comes with a variable-swept low wing geometry, and is powered by two ??-25 turbofan engines.The incident over Syria is not considered particularly threatening by the American forces, but given how soon after the Tupolevs were escorted out, another cargo aircraft, this time accompanied by a fighter jet, entered the same area , coincidence can probably be ruled out. Especially because, according to officials, Russia has not flown bombers in the region for about a year now.
Ford, for example, has recently decided to suspend the production at several North American plans, with the assembly lines of several popular models, including the Mustang and the F-150, therefore idled.This shows just how awful the impact of the chip shortage continues to be in this industry, so without a doubt, the question on everyones lips is when exactly this nightmare is supposed to end.Unfortunately, nobody knows for sure, especially as the lack of semiconductors is also strongly related to the global health issue thats still causing so many problems across the world.The CEO of AMD, one of the biggest names in the tech giant, believes the chip crisis wouldnt come to an end this year. However, a slight recovery will still be recorded in the second half of the year, but this wouldnt by any means represent the end of the constrained inventory.Speaking on Yahoo Finance Live , Dr. Lisa Su obviously tried to sidestep the question and avoid providing an estimate as to when the global chip inventory could return to normal. And this isnt by any means a surprise, as Su clearly doesnt want to make a guess due to the reasons mentioned above.However, if Su is right, then the car production should gain more pace in the coming months. If anything, the chip inventory could improve in the first months of 2023, especially thanks to the investments in production capacity.As far as carmakers are concerned, some of them are trying all kinds of approaches to deal with the limited supply. Hyundai, for instance, wants to use home appliance chips , which arent necessarily in strong demand right now, on cars, as their design could allow the installation on non-critical systems such as lights.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave a huge amount to charity late last year, gifting almost $6 billion worth of the company's stock in one of the biggest philanthropic donations in history, as per Stuff. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the richest man in the world donated more than 5 million Tesla shares from November 19 to November 29, 2021.

Based on average prices on the days Musk sold the Tesla securities, his donation was worth a staggering $5.7 billion. Musk's filing does not name the charity that benefited from his donation. His SEC filing also shows an unidentified trust was involved in the blockbuster transaction.

Musk's donation occurred as he sparred with U.S. politicians, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, over issues concerning a proposed wealth tax and inequality. In the weeks leading up to Musk's massive donation, the celebrity CEO suggested that he would sell some stock if the United Nations could prove to him that $6 billion would help solve world hunger. That particular exchange transpired after the head of the UN's World Food Programme called for billionaires such as Musk to "step up" in the fight against world hunger.

Musk donated to charity to avoid paying higher taxes

CNN reported that Musk has an underlying motive regarding his large donation as that huge gift to charity would help reduce the Tesla CEO's tax bill, which, according to him, would be the biggest in the history of the United States. Days before Musk completed a series of stock sales amounting to more than $16 billion, the chief executive of Tesla posted on social media platform Twitter that he would pay more than $11 billion in taxes for 2021.

Much of Musk's riches are tied to Tesla, now the world's most valuable automaker, overtaking auto giant Toyota in July 2020. Tesla made history back in October of last year, joining a select group of companies that have trillion-dollar valuations. The company's market capitalization has dropped since then, though, with Tesla valued at around US$905 billion during the closing on Monday, February 14.

Related Article: Tesla China Posts Impressive Wholesale Figures in January 2022; Starts Year With 59,845 Vehicles

Musk easily beats Bezos in world's richest list

Musk's $5.7 billion donation might be a huge amount, but that still pales in comparison to his total net worth. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk currently has a total fortune of $227.3 billion. He is way ahead of Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, who is $47 billion poorer than Musk, reported ABC News.

Musk's foundation has become more active in recent years, promising eight-figure gifts to a city near his South Texas spaceport, issuing a $5 million contribution to two scientists researching COVID-19, as well as organizing a $100 million competition for carbon removal. Before providing funds to those causes, Musk's foundation's largest gifts were given to donor-advised funds. DAFs were created so that money intended for charity can sit in perpetuity.

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After a very long wait, the new Tesla Model Y has finally arrived in the United Kingdom, with British customers taking delivery of the all-electric model at select events around Great Britain this month, as per INSIDEEVs.

Events celebrating the handover of the Model Y will take place at seven different locations, including the American Air Museum in Cambridge, Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire, Oyster Catcher in Anglesey, the Imperial War Museum in Manchester, and Aerospace Bristol. A final mass-handover event for the Tesla Model Y will take place at the Port of Southampton on February 19.

Tesla launched the Model Y back in 2020, with customers in the United States first gaining access to the compact SUV in March of that year. Europe was the next to receive deliveries of the Model Y, with Tesla handing over the SUV to European customers starting in August 2020.

Giga Shanghai producing Model Y's for the UK

Since that time, a lot has changed with Tesla's Gigafactory in Shanghai, China, now the company's primary export hub. It is currently the only Tesla facility that produces right-hand-drive (RHD) vehicles, so all Model Y SUVs bound for the UK have come from this factory.

Tesla's Shanghai factory has been producing RHD Model Y SUVs for quite some time now. However, the vehicles it made initially went to various markets throughout Asia, including Hong Kong. Gigafactory Shanghai has also been exporting Model Y crossovers to the European continent, though they are not right-hand-drive models.

Model Y for European customers will eventually be produced at Tesla's new Gigafactory in Germany near Berlin. That facility, however, has not yet opened, with its vehicle production reportedly delayed to mid-March of this year. A report by local broadcaster RBB24 claims that German authorities are currently still reviewing Giga Berlin's safety precautions.

Tesla made it clear, however, that the company will continue producing RHD models in China even after Giga Berlin officially comes online and starts production. There are two versions of the Tesla Model Y available in the UK, which is similar to the situation in the United States.

Related Article: China Dominates EV Race Accounting for Half of the All-electric Vehicles Sold Globally in 2021

Specs and price for Tesla Model Y in the UK

The current "base" model for Tesla's latest vehicle is the dual-motor all-wheel-drive Long Range. According to Autocar, this model generates 434-bhp and has a range of 331 miles. According to the TeslaRati, the Model Y Long Range has a top speed of 135-mph and can reach 62-mph from a standstill position in just 4.8 seconds.

Also available for UK customers is the Model Y Performance. This particular model makes 483-bhp and has 319 miles of range. The Model Y Performance also has two motors, with all-wheel drive as its standard feature. The Model Y Performance can scoot from zero to 62-mph in just 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155-mph.

The starting price for the Model Y in the UK is 54,990, while the Performance model's price tag is 64,990.

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Copyright  2020 by Mountain Times Publications. Digital or printed dissemination of this content without prior written consent is a violation of federal law and may be subject to legal action.
Black Mexicans are starting to get widespread public recognition after centuries of being ignored.

Why it matters: Mexico has historically underplayed the roles and contributions of Black people, largely keeping them out of textbooks, too.

The country added Afro-Mexicans to the Constitution's second article, which lauds the nation's multiculturalism, in 2019.

The 2020 Census asked, for the first time, whether people identified as Black, Afro-Mexican or of African descent.

What to know: Two out of 100 Mexicans, or around 2.5 million people, identified as Black in the Census.

Black communities are mostly found in Veracruz  where the Spanish disembarked enslaved people from Africa  and the coast of Oaxaca and Guerrero, where Afro-Indigenous traditions from colonial times endure, like the dance of the devils for Day of the Dead.

Mascogos, descendants of Black Seminoles and of people who fled U.S. slavery in the 1830s after Mexico outlawed the practice, live in Coahuila state, which borders the U.S.

Between the lines: The Spaniards had a racist caste system that considered Blackness the lowest societal status, creating a stigma around identifying as Black.

A majority of Mexicans consider themselves mestizos, or mixed race, and many falsely claim that disparities in access to education or jobs are due solely to socioeconomic differences, not skin tone.

What theyre saying: It was difficult and painful to come out and say soy negra, because its almost ingrained into you that the term itself is bad, let alone being Black, Denisse Salinas, who owns a coffeehouse in Oaxaca, told Axios Latino.

But I see many young people doing the same as me, reclaiming the term and identity, and that does give me a glimmer of hope.

Flashback: Historians believe two key figures in Mexicos independence were of African descent:

Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon, who led insurgents to occupy and reclaim the south and southeast parts of Mexico.

Vicente Guerrero, who was Morelos right-hand man and went on to be the second president of Mexico. Guerrero declared the end of slavery.

Subscribe to Axios Latino and get more news that matters about Latinos and Latin America, delivered right to your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The planned use of robot dogs along the U.S.-Mexico border is already facing skepticism from members of both political parties.

Driving the news: U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), who represents a border district where robot dogs could be dispatched, told Axios the technology is "ghoulish" and a waste.

Details: A research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced it has been working with the Philadelphia-based company Ghost Robotics to develop a robot dog for the border.

The dogs can transmit real-time video and other data back to human operators while climbing over sand, rocks and hills.

Ghost Robotics CEO Jiren Parikh told Axios the robot dogs have special sensors and can carry equipment to identify drugs, nuclear materials and chemical weapons.

In a statement to Axios, the Department of Homeland Security said this project is still in the research and development phase and there is currently no timetable to deploy the robots.

The agency said the robots are not designed or being tested to engage with migrants.

What they're saying: Militarizing our border is wasteful and evidence of our country's long-standing failure to address migration in a strategic, intelligent way," Escobar told Axios.

"The new border robot dogs are a ghoulish repudiation of America's values, and are potentially very dangerous, presenting a significant liability for the American taxpayer."

Instead, Escobar said the U.S. government should be focusing on the root causes of migration in the Western Hemisphere.

U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.), who represents a border district next to Escobar's, said she supports more technology along the border but doesn't know if robot dogs are the answer.

Our broken southern border does need technological enhancements, but so-called 'robot dogs' are an impractical distraction that wont make a lick of difference unless the Biden administration and DHS start enforcing our immigration laws," Herrell told Axios.

Flashback: The New York Police Department last year terminated its contract for a robotic dog with company Boston Dynamics after residents complained.

Its presence at a hostage situation at a public housing building in Manhattan caused a fierce backlash among residents and politicians who saw it as alienating and a waste of taxpayer money.

Digidog, agile enough to climb stairs, was never armed but came when the nation was locked in nationwide protests against police following the death of George Floyd.

Be smart: Robot dogs have been a source of fascination (and fear) since videos of prototypes appeared online and one such robot garnered excitement at a 2017 TED talk.

A video of one robot dog by tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee known as MKBHD was viewed more than six million times.

Subscribe to Axios Latino and get more news that matters about Latinos and Latin America, delivered right to your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
A senior Israeli official stressed in a call with his Russian counterpart on Wednesday that if Russia invades Ukraine, Israel will need assistance from Moscow to get its citizens and diplomats out, two senior Israeli officials tell Axios.

Update: After Axios reported on the call, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned Israels ambassador to Kyiv. The ambassador told his Ukrainian counterparts that the call had been intended to express Israeli concerns about the safety of Israeli citizens and diplomats in Ukraine, and to call for de-escalation.

Why it matters: Wednesdays call showed just how seriously the Israeli government is taking the threat of an all-out Russian invasion. While 3,000 Israeli citizens have evacuated since Sunday, the Israeli government believes around 10,000 remain in Ukraine.

Details: The call was between Alon Ushpiz, the director-general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. Israel's ambassador to Moscow had previously raised the issue with Bogdanov, the Israeli officials say.

Between the lines: The Israeli officials say Israel wants to ensure that if Russia does invade, it will have the ability to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens by land to neighboring countries.

Israel has already established an alternative diplomatic mission in Lviv in western Ukraine in case the embassy in Kyiv has to be evacuated.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry also drafted a contingency plan to evacuate Israelis by land through Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania.

Israel has tried to balance its close relations with Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. during the crisis, and it has sought to avoid any steps that would upset any of its partners until new intelligence shared by the U.S. last Friday convinced the government to begin evacuating its citizens.

What they're saying: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat told Axios that Ushpiz and Bogdanov discussed the friendly relations between Russia and Israel.

"Ushpiz stressed the commitment and concern of the Israeli government to the safety and security of its citizens and diplomats in Ukraine," Haiat said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a readout of the call between Bogdanov and Ushpiz but didn't mention the Israeli request.

Editor's note: This post has been updated to include the news that the Israeli ambassador was summoned, and corrected to reflect that Ushpiz and Bogdanov discussed the friendly relations between Russia and Israel (not Russia and Ukraine).
Asian Americans proved themselves to be a critical voting bloc this week as San Francisco overwhelmingly voted to remove three school board members from office.

Why it matters: The recall effort was largely driven by Asian American parents who were discontent with the board's delay in reopening schools, accused board members of unfairly prioritizing efforts to rename schools and were upset about plans to install a lottery admissions system at a prestigious local high school.

The controversy spiraled further out of control after one board member's 2016 tweets resurfaced. Commissioner Alison Collins had used racist tropes to accuse Asian Americans of indulging in "white supremacist thinking" while discussing anti-Blackness in Asian communities.

The comments led to an immediate backlash in the city, which experienced a 567% spike in anti-AAPI hate crimes last year.

How it happened: School board President Gabriela Lopez, Vice President Faauuga Moliga and Collins were targeted by an aggressive recall campaign throughout 2021.

Proponents of the recall courted voters through Mandarin and Cantonese ads, emphasized the board's role in changing admissions policies and amplified outrage over Collins' old tweets, according to KQED.

Opponents accused the campaign of diverting time and money from more urgent concerns, such as the district's need to address a $125 million budget deficit and replace its retiring superintendent, AP reports.

But the effort paid off on Tuesday as each board member drew over 70% of votes supporting their removal, per results tallied by the San Francisco Department of Elections.

Worth noting: The special election was the city's first recall in nearly four decades. The other four board members were not eligible because they had not yet finished a full year of their term.

What's next: Mayor London Breed, who praised the parents "who tirelessly organized and advocated" after the election, will appoint replacements to the board.

The big picture: Asian Americans make up roughly 34% of the San Francisco population.
Court Grants Relief to Air Force Officer from Shot Mandate

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Liberty Counsel

Feb. 16, 2022



MACON, Ga., Feb. 16, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- A federal district court in Georgia has granted a preliminary injunction against the Department of Defense on behalf of an Air Force officer who had been denied a religious exemption from the military COVID shot mandate. Now the Department of Defense cannot enforce any shot mandates against her or take any adverse action against her, including forcing her to retire.

On January 6, 2022, the Thomas More Society filed the lawsuit, Air Force Officer v. Austin, et al., on behalf of an Air Force officer who has served her country for over 25 years and objected to the COVID shots because of the association with aborted fetal cells. The officer is and has been willing and able to work remotely, wear a mask and test periodically. However, the Air Force issued a final denial last December of the officer's military request for a religious accommodation. The lawsuit challenges how the military and civilian mandates violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the First Amendment of the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act.

When the military denied her appeal, the Air Force gave her less than one week to make a choice from among three options: 1) Take the "vaccine;" 2) Submit a retirement request; 3) Refuse the shot in writing. Then the Air Force further informed her that "any refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, absent an approved exemption, may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice . . ." and that "continued refusal will result in involuntary reassignment to the Individual Ready Reserve without pay, benefits, or regular responsibilities."

In his order, U.S. District Judge Tilman Self wrote, "'Your religious beliefs are sincere, it's just not compatible with military service.' That's about as blunt as it gets. This is how Plaintiff's chain of command paraphrased why he thought she was denied a religious exemption from a COVID-19 vaccine. True, he undoubtedly spoke for himself, but when considering the Air Force's abysmal record regarding religious accommodations requests, it turns out he was dead on target."

The court also wrote, "Judges don't make good generals. But, by that same token, it's a two-way street: Generals don't make good judgesespecially when it comes to nuanced constitutional issues. It's that simple. Whether Defendants' COVID-19 vaccination requirement can withstand strict scrutiny doesn't require 'military expertise or discretion.'"

"Given 'the Nation's essential commitment to religious freedom,' Plaintiff's harma constitutional injury involving her right to freely exercise her religionis not a mere trivial grievance. And, what real interest can our military leaders have in furthering a requirement that violates the very document they swore to support and defend? The Court is unquestionably confident that the Air Force will remain healthy enough to carry out its critical national defense mission even if Plaintiff remains unvaccinated and is not forced to retire. All Americans, especially the Court, want our country to maintain a military force that is powerful enough to thoroughly destroy any enemy who dares to challenge it. However, we also want a military force strong enough to respect and protect its service members' constitutional and statutory religious rights. This ruling ensures our armed services continue to accomplish both," wrote Judge Self.

In Navy SEAL 1 v. Biden, Liberty Counsel represents plaintiffs from five branches of the military, federal employees, and federal civilian contractors who have been unlawfully mandated to get the COVID shots or face punishment and discharge from the military or termination from employment. A temporary restraining order was extended for two military members to February 18 at the conclusion of last week's hearing. Federal Judge Steven Merryday has now requested more documents from several military branches regarding the denial of religious exemptions from the COVID shot mandate due tomorrow. Judge Merryday is expected to make a ruling by this Friday.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "This is a great victory for religious freedom, especially for this Air Force officer who loves God and America. We commend this court for recognizing the unconstitutional way the military is treating these honorable service members. This is the beginning of the end of such abuse of the law and of these honorable men and women."

Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost.



SOURCE Liberty Counsel



CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org



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In the beginning

I have a confession to make. Its a little embarrassing and some of you may think of me differently. Ive been working up the courage, so here it goes.

I have never read the Bible cover-to-cover.

I know.Its shocking, right? Here I am, a Christian for most of my life. Grew up in a Christian home, went to Christian schools, teaches at a Christian school. I write Christian articles for a Christian news site. And yet, I have never picked up the Bible and read from Genesis to Revelation in one continuous effort.

Now, dont get me wrong - I have read most of the Bible. In my 32 and a bit years on this earth I have read, studied, taught the Bible. And I, like many of you, have read and reread certain books too many times to count. The gospels have been thoroughly explored. So too have most of Pauls letters, and whoever wrote Hebrews.

I read Revelation straight after my parents gave me the Left Behind series. Psalms and Proverbs have had their fair share of face time. And who can forget the book of Jeremiah (at least the chapter 29, verse 11 bit).

Like many Christians I have attempted a Bible read through. And like many Christians I have read Genesis, Exodus, and half of Leviticus every year or so before I inevitably go back to the well traversed passages of the New Testament.

This year is different though. This year I have a plan of attack.

This plan consists of two parts: choosing a plan and sticking to it.

Step One: Choosing the right plan

I know, I know, I probably should have used one of these a long time ago. But I always thought the socks and sandals dude with Bible-reading plan tucked in the back of his leather Bible carry case was a bit of a nerd. In my aged wisdom (30 plus is old, right?) I see now that the nerdy Bible guy was right all along. Not about the socks and sandals (I havent got up to Leviticus yet, but Im pretty sure its in there) but about having a well devised strategy to readthrough Gods Word.

So my first step was finding the correct plan. It sounds odd, but there are so many different kinds of Bible-reading plans. There are read the Bible in a year plans, read the Bible in two year plans, read the Bible chronologically plan, read half the Bible plans, read the Bible with your children plans. . .So.Many.Plans.

Although reading the Bible is not about you (spoiler alert) it is wise to pick a plan that is going to be manageable and help you stay consistent.

I chose a plan that allowed me to read the Bible chronologically in a year (link posted at the bottom). Im a history guy, so to read the story in order helps me stay focused on the narrative. If you are wondering, this is the same approach I have to watching Marvel movies.

This Bible reading plan also has a short daily podcast which gives me some in-depth commentary and a brief takeaway point on who God is. This allows me to walk away into my day with a nugget of Gods truth to meditate on, rather than trying to remember something important from the 3 or 4 chapters Ive just read all on my own.

Step Two: Sticking to the plan

The second part of the plan involves accountability.

Its easy to start an ambitious plan in the Christmas holidays, but when life gets back to normal and the business of work, church commitments, and familysettle in, these best laid plans go awry. There has to be a way to stay the course. Thats where accountability becomes essential.

Im doing this reading plan with a group of guys from church. We catch-up every Wednesday morning to do a brief Bible reading and to make sure we are all still on the journey. Accountability doesnt mean we slap each other across the ears if we miss a day here and there.Knowing thereare other guys, shoulder to shoulder with me, gives me that encouragement I need to jump into the Word every day (even if I dont feel like it). It makes me feel less alone.

Accountability also comes in the form of this article. You see, every month I have pledged to write an article about my journey through the Bible in a year. I want to chronicle what I learn and how I grow, so that it may be an encouragement to you as well. And nothing says accountability like telling thousands of people that Im going to do something. Now Id better do it

By the time this article is published, I should be past the first few books of the Old Testament, about to embark on the post-Moses books. Ill be stepping into regions that many Bible nerds have walked before. Im looking forward to becoming one of them.
Bluefield, WV (24701)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 78F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 62F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Residents of the Beaumont area are gearing up to pile on the beads and celebrate Mardi Gras 2022 with outdoor parties and dozens of parades planned, some in the days leading up to Mardi Gras itself. This year, Mardi Gras falls on March 1, but there are plenty of events scheduled for the days leading up to the official celebration date.

Beaumont, Lake Charles and virtual events

Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas at the Event Centre in Beaumont

From Thursday, Feb. 24 to Sunday, Feb. 27, Downtown Beaumont is set to host multiple days of Mardi Gras revelry, with parades and live concerts, according to a page dedicated to these events. Family-friendly fun is also planned all weekend long. Tickets cost $10 on Thursday and Sunday, $15 on Friday and Saturday and a 4-day pass is available for $40. You can order tickets or learn more here.

Neches River Festival 5k run/walk

On Feb. 26, The Neches River Festival and Mardi Gras Southeast Texas will present the Capes & Crowns 5K Run at the Event Centre on the Great Lawn at 700 Crockett Street in Beaumont.

As part of the event, people can enjoy a 3.1-mile run or walk through downtown Beaumont, stay or come back and partake in all the activities, shopping and live music that Mardi Gras SETX has to offer, according to the event description. Registration is open and can be found on runsignup.com. Registration is $25 for 18 and under and $30 for 19 and up and includes a T-shirt, race bag, a ticket to enter and enjoy Mardi Gras Southeast Texas the day of the race. Registration for the kids 1K is free. You can learn more here.

Cowboy Harley Gras

On Saturday, Feb. 26 join Cowboy Harley-Davidson of Beaumont for a free margarita tasting, photo booth, king cakes, live music and $5 chicken and sausage gumbo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. You can learn more here.

Fat Tuesday Mardi Craw at the Rustic

On Fat Tuesday, March 1, the Downtown and Post Oak locations of this brunch spot and music hall are set to go all-out with a crawfish boil, "complete with chicken and sausage jambalaya, fried crawfish tails, etouffee, frozen drinks and more," per the event description. It is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and menu prices vary. You can learn more here.

Outside of Texas, but not far from Beaumont, Lake Charles in Southwest Louisiana is set to host the second largest Mardi Gras in the state.

"From parades, galas, chicken runs and Zydeco, we make sure the whole family has something to celebrate," the event page on visitlakecharles.org stated.

The official Mardi Gras Southwest Lousiana website listed the top Mardi Gras events you will not want to miss. The excitement kicked off on Jan. 6 and the celebration continues until Fat Tuesday, according to the list. Festivities include a world-famous gumbo cook-off, 15 parades throughout Southwest Lousiana and more. The entire event schedule is available here.

Mardi Gras parade for dogs

On Feb. 26, a parade of costumed pets and their owners are set to show off their Mardi Gras spirit at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

The parade, officially called Krewe of Barkus, originated more than 25 years ago as a canine-centric parade for pups. The title of "Mystical Dog" is given to the most strikingly costumed participant, according to the event description. Entry fees apply and you can learn more here.

Mardi Gras virtual speed dating

Prefer an online event centered around Mardi Gras? On Feb. 22, an innovative speed dating app called Filteroff is set to host a video speed dating event at 9 p.m. ET as a way for singles who love Mardi Gras to meet virtually.

"It's an awesome way to meet like-minded singles," co-founder and CEO of Filteroff Zach Schleien wrote in an email. "The dates are 3 minutes each. After each date, you can select whether you like them or not. If it's a match you can then message or continue video chatting with them."

If you get a match, you can meet up in person for this coming Mardi Gras on March 1, Schleien wrote.

Houston and Galveston happenings

The website, "365 Things to do in Houston," highlighted several upcoming celebrations to attend around Greater Houston and Galveston. Here are those events:

Menardi Gras at the 1838 Menard House in Galveston

On Feb. 11, the Menard House is set to "host a night of food, fun and frivolity" at the site of the island's first Mardi Gras celebration in 1853, the oldest residence in Galveston. The event includes beverages, hors doeuvres and a performance by N.O. Hustlers Brass Band. Tickets start at $65 per person and are available here.

111th Celebration of Mardi Gras! Galveston

Between Feb. 18 and March 1, more than three million beads will be thrown at Texas largest Mardi Gras celebration, with the lineup of festivities including elaborate parades, headliner performances and concerts, balcony parties, masked balls, an official 5K run, family events and plenty of feasting across two weekends and on Fat Tuesday, according to the event description. Ticket prices vary. You can order tickets or learn more here.

Mardi Gras Celebration at Kemah Boardwalk

On Saturday, Feb. 19, starting at noon you can head down to the boardwalk and enjoy an all-day family-friendly Mardi Gras celebration for free. The event is set to include music on the Plaza Stage, kids crafts and a "yachty gras" boat parade at 7 p.m.

Beads & Bark in the Park at League Park

On Feb. 26, the first annual gumbo competition is set to take place in League City. The event includes a pet costume contest, live music, food trucks, crafts and kids activities and more. Entry for the pet costume contest is $5. A gumbo sampling wristband is priced at $15. You can learn more here.

Mardi Gras Brunch at B&B Butchers & Restaurant

On Feb. 26, you can "dig into a festive brunch to kick off Mardi Gras at the Washington Ave eatery and butchery, where you can enjoy New Orleans-inspired dishes, specialty cocktails, face painting, dueling pianos and special swag," according to the event description. The event is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and there is no cover. You can learn more here.

Mardi Gras Festival & Parade at Town Center Park in Kingwood

On Feb. 26, you can get in the Mardi Gras spirit for free with a parade around the public park, along with music from Leroy Thomas, tunes by DJ Andy Rodrigues and more. This is Kingwood's signature Mardi Gras event, according to the event description. It is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can learn more here.
Bangladeshi ex-envoy to Malaysia Md. Khairuzzaman (second from right) poses for a picture with his lawyers and a friend in Putrajaya, Malaysia after his release from immigration detention, Feb. 16, 2022.

Malaysian authorities on Wednesday unconditionally released a former Bangladeshi ambassador to the country who was arrested last week on suspicion of an immigration offense, one of the ex-diplomats lawyers said.

Immigration officials did not give a reason for freeing Md. Khairuzzaman from jail, said lawyer Ngeow Chow Ying, about the former Bangladeshi high commissioner whose deportation a Malaysian court had blocked on Tuesday.

We received a call from the investigating officer at 1 p.m. and were told that he will be released. He was released with no conditions, Ngeow told BenarNews.

Khairuzzaman had been taken into custody from his home near Kuala Lumpur by Malaysian immigration officials on Feb. 9, with Dhaka saying it had requested his arrest as he was involved in the jailhouse killing of former ministers more than 46 years ago.

The former diplomat is a United Nations refugee agency card holder. Malaysian officials had said Khairuzzaman was arrested for overstaying his visa, but they did not comment on the former diplomats status as a refugee.

Khairuzzaman spoke to BenarNews after his release Wednesday and denied Dhakas accusation that he was involved in the 1975 killings.

The accusations are really false and a court in Bangladesh had proved Im not guilty, said Khairuzzaman, a former officer in the Bangladeshi army.

Only after I got acquitted did I become the high commissioner [to Malaysia].

He said the current Bangladeshi government was targeting him because his wifes father was one of the founders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the countrys main opposition party.

That is why Im treated like this. All these are false accusations, he said.

I was not involved in the killing[s], not even a percent. I cannot become a high commissioner if I were to have a hand in the incident. If I did, do you think Malaysia would have accepted me as the high commissioner?

Since Khairuzzamans detention last week, several NGOs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) urged the Malaysian government to stop the deportation of refugees.

UNHCR said that refugees could not be deported to their countries of origin according to the principle of non-refoulement, which calls on governments to not forcibly send refugees back to a country where their freedom or lives can be in jeopardy.

The Malaysian government and the immigration department had said that Khairuzzamans arrest was made according to the law.

Repeated calls by Benar News on Wednesday to the Malaysian home ministers office and the immigration department were not immediately returned.

Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watchs Asia division, indicated last Saturday that Dhaka wanted Khairuzzaman back likely for political reasons.

We have seen time and time again the vindictive, rights-abusing behavior of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government who vengefully pursue political opponents for any perceived slight in the past, Robertson said on Twitter. Save Mohamed Khairuzzaman!

A political agenda

In Dhaka on Wednesday, Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said the government had been informed of Khairuzzamans release in Kuala Lumpur.

Now we will go through the legal process to extradite him, he said in response to media questions.

We try to bring our criminals who are in another country back under the law. Many have become fugitives. But if we get anyones location, we resort to legal processes.

Bangladesh Home Minister M. Shahriar Alam had said last week that Dhaka hoped to bring the former envoy back soon.

The Home and Law ministries will jointly look into whether there is an opportunity to revive the [jail killings] case against him or what steps can be taken afterward, Alam said.Before his acquittal, Khairuzzaman and other military personnel had been accused of killing four founding leaders of Bangladesh inside the Dhaka Central Jail in November 1975.

The four were ministers serving under the countrys founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the late father of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who leads the Awami League party. Mujibur was assassinated in a military coup three months earlier.

In 2004, when Bangladesh was led by the now-opposition BNP, a court acquitted Khairuzzaman of involvement in the 1975 killings.

He had been serving as a diplomat in Kuala Lumpur when Hasina and the Awami League returned to power in 2009. Ordered back to Dhaka, he chose to stay in Malaysia and received a refugee card from UNHCR.

When asked on Wednesday why he did not want to go back to Bangladesh in 2009, the former envoy said it was because he was aware he would be targeted by the Hasina government.

I did not want to go back to Bangladesh in 2009 because I knew then that they were going to charge me again, he said.

They do not have any proof against me, all this is a political agenda by the  government.

The former envoy said he was now waiting to receive the documents required to move to the United States, where his wife and one son live.Currently Im waiting for the papers to be done before leaving Malaysia and going to the U.S. to settle down there with my family, Khairuzzaman said.

For 17 years, Ive been alone here.

Jesmin Papri contributed to this report from Dhaka.
Lt. Gen. Bryan Fenton, commanding general of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (second from left), meets with Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., chief of the Western Mindanao Command, at WestMinComs headquarters in Zamboanga, southern Philippines, Feb. 15, 2022.

The United States is prepared to increase bilateral assistance for Manilas fight against violent extremist groups, military officials here said Wednesday, after a top American special forces general met in the southern Philippines with the chief Filipino commander for Mindanao.

Lt. Gen. Bryan Fenton, commanding general of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), gave the assurance during talks with Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., head of the Philippine militarys Western Mindanao Command, in Zamboanga city on Tuesday, WestMinCom officials said in a statement.

The visit by the general who oversees JSOC, a secretive U.S. military branch, took place 12 days after Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi (also known as Hajji Abdullah), the worldwide leader of the Islamic State terror group, was killed during a mission carried out in Syria by American special operations personnel.

More assistance will be extended by the United States of America to the Armed Forces of the Philippines as it counters terrorism, Fenton said, according to the statement from WestMinCom.

We admire your strategic and operational approaches in fighting against the terror groups that threaten international security. We are here to solidify further our alliance for the common good, the statement quoted the American general as saying.

Our partnership is grounded on our Iron-clad commitment to shared security. We will continue to work hand-in-hand to eradicate the extremists and terrorists, Fenton said.

WestMinCom did not give any specifics, but the Filipino side said that Fenton vowed to sustain the strong cooperation between the militaries of both countries. American troops are committed in assisting the Filipino command against enemy groups in the south, the statement said.

For his part, Rosario said that the Philippine military was committed to boosting the good relationship as we work together to fight against terror.

The meeting between the Filipino and American generals was closed to reporters and limited only to military officials, with the WestMinCom citing security reasons and health protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between 2002 and 2010, hundreds of American forces were stationed on a rotating basis in Zamboanga, as part of the U.S. governments global war on terrorism that followed the 9/11 terror attacks on New York and Washington.

American personnel were barred from actual combat operations, but provided training and intelligence support to the Filipinos as they hunted the Abu Sayyaf, a small group of militants responsible for terror attacks and abductions in the south during the early 2000s.

One Abu Sayyaf leader, Isnilon Hapilon, went on to become the Islamic States regional commander. In 2017, he led Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern militants in a siege of the southern Philippine city of Marawi.

America deployed troops but only to help the Filipino military gather intelligence in its efforts to break the IS siege of the city that lasted five months. Their help, as well as that of another ally, Australia, helped the Filipino military pinpoint enemy positions.

Hapilon as well as other key militant leaders were killed during the end of the five-month battle to flush out pro-IS fighters.

Hapilon, however, was replaced by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, an Abu Sayyaf commander who plotted bomb attacks in the southern island of Jolo that killed 23  including two Indonesian suicide bombers  in 2019, and 14 the following year. Sawadjaan is believed to have been killed in an assault sometime after the attacks, although this was never confirmed.

WestMinCom, in coordination with the local government units, meanwhile has been allowing the voluntary surrender of members of Daulah Islamiyah, Abu Sayyaf, and other local Islamic extremist groups to degrade their ranks. The militarys regional command has also been carrying on with armed offensives aimed at decimating the ranks and leadership of militant groups across Mindanao Island and the Sulu Islands.

Daulah Islamiyah is the local name of IS.

According to WestMinCom officials privy to the closed-door talks between Fenton and Rosario, both men agreed to broaden efforts between U.S. and Philippine troops.

Under the bilateral Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), U.S. troops are limited restricted to only providing technical assistance and training to their Philippine colleagues but are not allowed to conduct or directly join any operations in the field.
Amnesty International vowed Wednesday to carry on with its work to promote and protect human rights in Thailand, despite Thai royalist calls to have the London-based watchdog group expelled for allegedly supporting anti-monarchy protests by pro-democracy youths.

Since November, pro-royalist activists have been protesting against Amnestys country branch, collecting signatures in an online petition to kick the group out of the kingdom.

Amnesty has had a longstanding presence in Thailand and is committed to continuing to promote and protect human rights for people in the country, the group said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seksakol Atthawong, an ultra-royalist senior aide to Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, has been spearheading the move to expel Amnesty from Thailand. The online petition, which he started in November, has gathered more than a million signatures.

Seksakol plans to submit the petition to the Thai Ministry of Interior and the National Security Council on Thursday, he told local media in recent days.

As a global movement with operations in more than 70 countries and members in 150 countries and territories, no matter where we operate, our job remains the same: to prevent, monitor, and hold states, corporations, and others accountable for abuses of human rights under international law, Kyle Ward, the deputy secretary-general of Amnesty, said Wednesday.

Amnesty offers constructive recommendations to authorities on steps they can take to uphold their international human rights obligations.

We will continue to do this independently and impartially on the basis of facts. In response to the anti-Amnesty campaign and related investigation, we continue to answer any questions the Thai government may have about our work in the country, Ward said.

BenarNews reached Seksakol on Wednesday, but he declined to comment. Other government agencies were not available to comment because it was a public holiday.

In the past, Seksakol accused Amnesty of cooperating with the youth-led protestors seeking monarchy reform in the country, saying they were against the constitution of Thailand.

On Nov. 26, Prayuth, who came to power in 2014 leading a military coup, announced an investigation into Amnesty International Thailand. It is not clear what has happened to that investigation. The prime minister also has not commented publicly on the petition.

A retired Thai diplomat said expelling Amnesty would make Thailand look even more dictatorial and yields no benefits in practice.

Though they wont have a physical presence in Thailand, they can still monitor the situation from elsewhere. And there are many rights groups ready to investigate Thailand. Kicking them out means heavier criticism, Russ Jalichandra, a former Thai ambassador to Mozambique and Kazakhstan, told BenarNews on Wednesday.

Amnestys license

On Tuesday, a Labor Ministry official said the government was considering whether to renew the license for Amnestys office in Bangkok, which expired on Jan. 20.

Boonchob Suthamanaswong, the ministrys permanent secretary, said Amnesty had not responded to the Thai authorities request for supporting documents for consideration.

The documents sought included an explanation on how Amnesty conducts activities impartially and without misleading society, whether its actions undermine national security. The ministry also sought Amnestys reports, which Boonchob said, the organization had failed to provide.

A labor ministry committee regulating foreign business entities stipulates that foreign entities must be non-profit and politically free.

Separately, Thai authorities are seeking to pass a controversial law regulating not-for-profit organizations in the country, including prohibiting groups from engaging in all activities that could be detrimental to national security or social harmony.

Prayuths cabinet in January approved the draft bill in principle. However, dozens of local and international groups have opposed the bill, saying it threatens civil societys work and hampers freedom of expression.

The law could have severe consequences for all civil society in Thailand, and Amnesty has repeatedly called on the government to withdraw the bill and seek further consultation, Ward said Wednesday, accusing growing intolerance of human rights discourse among Thai authorities.

Nontarat Phaicharoen in Bangkok contributed to this report.
A United States Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II takes part in an aerial display during the Singapore Airshow 2022 at Changi Exhibition Center in Singapore, Feb. 15, 2022.

Updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on 2022-02-17

A pair of U.S. F-35 fighter-jets are on display at an airshow in Singapore this week, vying for potential customers in a volatile region. But Washington wont sell its most-advanced warplanes to just anyone.

Several key United States allies already have F-35s, including South Korea, Australia and Japan, and Singapore is set to follow suit. Next in line could be Thailand, Americas long-standing treaty ally in Asia. But analysts say theres no guarantee that Washington will approve the sale, because of Thailands close defense ties with U.S. strategic rival China.

Two of the planes three variants, the F-35A and the F-35B, have been sent to the biennial Singapore Airshow, together with a number of other U.S. military aircraft. Thats widely seen as an effort to impress the regional market amid concerns about, in Washingtons words, Chinas coercion and aggression that is most acute in the Indo-Pacific.

The stealth fighter-jet, manufactured by U.S. defense aviation giant Lockheed Martin, has been in the news for the wrong reasons after an F-35C crashed on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in the South China Sea in late January. The U.S. military is in the process of retrieving the plane, which fell to the bottom of the ocean.

Despite that mishap, the F-35s are still the most technologically advanced fighters on the market today, said Richard Bitzinger, senior fellow of the Military Transformations Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

Tim Cahill, Lockheed Martins senior vice president for global business, confirmed on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow that Thailand had expressed interest in the F-35 fighter but its up to the U.S. government to clear it, Reuters reported.

Cahill was quoted as saying: This will be a U.S. government policy decision.

Strong interest

The Thai government and air force could not be reached for comment.

In mid-January, the nations cabinet agreed in principle to back the Royal Thai Air Forces plan to procure four new fighters for 13.8 billion baht (U.S. $415 million) in the 2023 fiscal year to replace the air forces aging fleet of F-16A/B Fighting Falcons.

The air force chief, ACM Napadej Dhupatemiya, had previously expressed a strong interest in F-35 stealth fighter-jets and seemed confident about the purchase since the aircraft had become more affordable at U.S. $80 million per shot. He said the F-35 had top notch performance and the purchase would enable Thailand to stay in the same league of countries with advanced fighters.

Andreas Rupprecht, an expert on Chinas military aviation, said the interest in the U.S. fighter-jet was surprising as Thailand has been shifting more towards China in recent years.

I would have thought [the Thai air force] would opt for something like the Chinese-made J-10C, especially after the Chinese fighters took part in recent Sino-Thai Air Force joint training exercises, Rupprecht said.

J-10C is China Air Forces multirole fighter, 25 of which are being sold to Pakistan.

The supposed purchase of U.S. fighter-jets has also met with criticism in Thailand, with some analysts saying it is more about ulterior motives rather than strategic objectives.

Thai air force interest in F-35s is opportunistic because a military-backed government is in office and the military has been entrenched in power after two coups in 2006 and 2014, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a leading political scientist and professor at the famed Chulalongkorn University.

Unlike Japan, South Korea or Taiwan, Thailands threat perceptions do not call for the acquisition of advanced F-35s, Thitinan said.

Thailand has close relations with China, and no border issues with its next-door neighbors.

An F-35B stealth fighter-jet performs at the Singapore Airshow, Feb. 15, 2022. [Reuters]

Lack of trust?

Thailands growing military ties with China are one of the main reasons why the U.S. would be reluctant to sell their state-of-the-art aircraft to Bangkok, said Ian Storey, senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

Thailand is a U.S. treaty ally, so it has a strong case, argued Storey.

But the Americans would still be concerned that the jet-fighters sensitive technologies might be compromised due to the Thai military's close links with its Chinese counterpart, he said.

The U.S. kicked Turkey out of the F-35 program because it got too cozy with Russia, said Bitzinger, who linked the termination of the sale of 100 F-35As to Ankara in 2019 to Turkeys decision to purchase S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

A statement by the White House at the time said: The F-35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities.

Bitzinger drew a comparison with Thailands hopes to acquire the F-35.

Thailand already buys a lot of Chinese weaponry: frigates, submarines, and tanks are just a few of the latest items that its bought from China, he said.

Given even greater concerns over protecting F-35 technologies, I doubt if Washington would be more willing to trust Thailand, he added.

Besides the F-16s and F-5s, the Thai Royal Air Force currently operates 11 Swedish JAS-39 Gripen fighters and aviation experts say Thailand could buy more of those, or the French Rafale, like Indonesia.

Last Thursday, Jakarta signed an acquisition contract for 42 Dassault Rafale multirole combat aircraft, the first batch of six to be delivered by 2026.

On the same day, the Biden administration also approved a nearly U.S. $14 billion arms sale of up to 36 F-15 fighter jets to Indonesia, and that could be an option for Thailand, according to Storey.

F-35s growing market

The F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft with stealth capabilities to evade radar. Of the three variants of the F-35, the F-35A is the least expensive; the F-35B can perform short take-off and landings; and the F-35C  the type involved in the Jan. 24 crash  is designed to operate from aircraft carriers.

Some of Washingtons most trusted allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific have already purchased, or are in the process of purchasing the F-35.

Australia acquired 72 F-35As and received the first 44 by late 2021. The Australian Royal Air Force expects to have all its F-35 aircraft operational by the end of 2023, and is considering buying more.

Japan, facing threats from China, in December 2018 announced a plan to acquire 105 F-35 aircraft, including 63 F-35As and 42 F-35Bs, on top of 42 F-35As it acquired earlier.

South Korea bought 40 F-35As in 2014 and approved a follow-on batch of 20 more. Seoul is also considering purchasing the F-35B variant.

Singapore became the latest country in the Indo-Pacific to procure the stealth fighters from the U.S. with the first batch believed to be 12 F-35Bs. The U.S. State Department approved Singapores request in January 2020 and the aircraft are due for delivery in 2026, according to the aviation industry monthly Aviation International News.

This report has been updated to restore dropped words in a quote from Ian Storey.
South Africa: NPA seized with 37 high profile State Capture cases

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola says the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is currently seized with 37 high profile State Capture cases.

He said this when he participated in the debate on the State of the Nation Address on Tuesday.

The NPAs Investigating Directorate is seized with 37 high profile state capture cases, with 14 matters enrolled in court relating to the various sectors it is focused on. In the next month, the Investigating Directorate will be enrolling additional three seminal matters.

Lamola said in terms of asset forfeiture, the Gauteng High Court granted an order to seize assets worth R1.4 billion belonging to the accused implicated in the corruption scandal involving the construction of Eskoms Kusile power station.

In the Bloemfontein High Court, the NPA has been granted an unlimited restraint order to the value of R 520 million for assets in relation to various Gupta-linked companies. A preservation order was filed by the NPA for the Optimum Mine estimated at R8 billion.

This is on the back of R870 million and R1,1 billion recovered from McKinsey & Company for their involvement in [the] Transnet and Eskom saga respectively, R217 million has been recovered from Bain and Company and the SIU has recovered over R1.5 billion from ABB South Africa, he said.

Progress made to prosecute COVID-19 related corruption

Lamola said, meanwhile, that the Fusion Centre, established by government to bring together key law-enforcement agencies to tackle COVID-19 related cases, is making headway in the fight against corruption.

The Fusion Centre, established by government to bring together the key law enforcement agencies to strengthen the collective efforts to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute COVID-19 related corruption, has enrolled 45 cases in court with 101 accused facing charges as of January 2022, 16 of these cases have been finalised with a guilty verdict.

He said the NPAs Asset Forfeiture Unit has recovered R168 million on COVID-19 related matters.

Lamola also said that the Special Tribunal, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019, has recovered R500 million through preservation, review and setting aside orders.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-02-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
UN Security Council should adjust Darfur sanctions: Chinese envoy

Xinhua) 13:17, February 16, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Tuesday that the Security Council should adjust sanctions concerning Sudan's Darfur region in light of the changing dynamics.

Noting that Darfur is at a critical stage of transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding, Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said the security situation in Darfur is generally stable but still fragile, with frequent tribal conflicts and violent looting.

After the withdrawal of the UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur, the Sudanese authorities have taken the primary responsibility of maintaining stability and protecting civilians, Dai said.

He pointed out that it is an imminent task to strengthen the security capacity-building of the Sudanese authorities, which has been negatively impacted by arms embargoes.

According to the envoy, the Security Council should adjust the sanctions measures in a timely manner in light of the changing dynamics.

The just adopted Resolution 2620 calls for setting benchmarks for adjusting the sanctions by a set date and China supports this idea by voting in favor of the draft resolution, said Dai.

Last year, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2562, which requests developing benchmarks on the sanctions against Sudan by Sept. 15, 2021. But regrettably, it has yet to be implemented.

The new Resolution 2620 sets Aug. 31 of this year as the deadline for clear, well-defined and realistic benchmarks. China looks forward to working with members of the Security Council to carry out all these requirements, the envoy said.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

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Berkshire County Historical Society virtual talks to focus on the history of Black and Indigenous residents of the Berkshires
NORTH ADAMS  A new pop-up restaurant at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is bringing sandwiches, soups and salads every Thursday to Courtyard A.

And pickles, too. "There will always be pickles," said Jenny Klowden, one half of the team behind the Door Prize.

Klowden and Bryan Swifty Josephs opened Door Prize on Feb. 10 and will continue to "pop-up" every Thursday, 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., through March 31 in the restaurant kitchen in space formerly leased by Gramercy Bistro and last used by Chama Mama.

Food can be ordered online at doorprizenama.com or in person at Bright Ideas Brewing and can be picked up at the brewery.

The married couple, who moved to North Adams from California during the pandemic, aims to "take California sensibility and apply it to everything the Berkshires has to offer, Klowden said. "We're excited to finally get cooking.

The fare is kind of a celebration of Americana," Josephs said. A rotating menu will celebrate a different city or region of the country each week.

An Indiana Jones movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," was showing at Bright Ideas Brewery on Door Prize's opening night, so we thought wed start with Indiana, Josephs said. They had, among other options, Indiana pork tenderloin sandwiches and a beer dip made with Bright Ideas Brewing beer.

They plan to always have vegan and gluten-free options, and they are working with some local farms. Farm-to-table food can be upscale, Josephs said, but they want to make it accessible.

It can be a big messy sandwich, he said.

At Door Prize, Josephs is the chef and Klowden is the general manager and pastry chef. Klowden grew up baking in her parents' Greek restaurant in California.

"I've been in the restaurant business since I was 9, she said.

From working at a deli to washing dishes on the night shift, Josephs has done every kitchen job you could imagine."

The name Door Prize is inspired by a John Prine song, "In Spite of Ourselves," which the couple danced to at their wedding in 2018. "Its a song about love and being happy no matter what because, 'honey, were the big door prize,'" they explain on Door Prize's website.

A friend who lives in Adams and originally introduced the couple, had been sending them listings for houses in North Adams while they lived in Oakland, Calif., they said. After the pandemic struck and they were both laid off, they decided to take a cross country trip and camp in national parks. They remember stopping in North Adams and eating barbecue and drinking beer in the Mass MoCA courtyard and they felt drawn to the area.

The couple wants to open a restaurant, and in North Adams, that goal feels like it's in reach, they said.

We are looking to eventually open a brick-and-mortar restaurant," Josephs said. They hope to later open Door Prize in a permanent location in downtown North Adams.

There is some risk to opening downtown, Josephs said, but it seems like an exciting time in downtown North Adams."

Klowden sees their future brick-and-mortar restaurant as a tap room with really excellent food," she said.

We envision the restaurant as being a gathering place of sorts," Josephs said.
READER QUESTION

Red-winged blackbirds have been spotted at backyard feeders in the Berkshires. Is this a sign of an early spring? A NatureWatch reader asks: Is it true that red-winged blackbirds are the most reliable sign of spring, even more so than robins? Thom Smith hits his go-to reference books to find the answer for us. Also, readers reports of black squirrels seen around the Berkshires.

Q: I wondered, how common flying squirrels are in the Berkshires? We seem to have a family of five who come to the bird feeder at dusk, and when startled "fly" off to the oak tree trunk about 9 feet away. They are lovely little creatures with big round eyes.

I also wondered about juncos, because I see slate-colored juncos feeding on the ground under the feeders but also darker charcoal-colored juncos feeding with the gray slate-colored birds. Are they different subspecies?

 Meredith C., Hancock

A: As squirrels go, flying squirrels may not be as numerous as gray squirrels, but they are holding their own in woodlands with older mast-producing trees offering used woodpecker holes and other weathered openings suitable for nesting. I checked with Berkshire Community College professor Tom Tyning who wrote, You are right, in my opinion. Flying squirrels (and we have both here) are common, widespread, and very secretive. The people who see them most look out at their bird feeders at night if they are near a forested area. My experience is that if you tap on about 1,000 trees with abandoned woodpecker holes, one of them will have a flying squirrel in it! By both the professor means the northern flying squirrel and the southern flying squirrel. The northern is found throughout the county while the southern probably not in the northernmost part of the county. I guess I never must have tapped on 1,000 trees!

Juncos do offer varying colorations, but they are all the same species, the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis). Some that visit our feeders, deck, snow piles and the snowless lawn beneath our shrubs and arborvitae row are dark, while some have very pale white stripes on their back, and even slight brownish shades. All have black eyes and whitetail border feathers.

All have learned to fly up to our deck dining table where I scattered white and red millet seed until our puppy  yes, still a puppy, although he is large enough to jump up on the table  began eating most of the seed, and I decided to clean it up and toss it off the deck where they used to feed. Now they feed on two hanging millet feeders, one a tray and the other a squirrel-proof tube feeder. In that same tube, I provide the same seed during the warm months when the chipping sparrows nest nearby and have, over the past two seasons, gotten to come into the garage if I spilled seed. They also occasionally feed at the hanging BOSS feeder (Black Oil Sunflower Seed). And I still thrill at the once ground seed feeding species has learned to feed at hanging feeders!

A Black Squirrel Reminder: This column will continue to gather black squirrel reports, with name, town, street name and date in The Berkshires and surrounding Berkshire Eagle readers through March 5.

ITS TAX TIME! (AND TIME TO MAKE A DONATION)

I have begun our information gathering for our federal taxes and, as usual, have given thought to a donation to MassWildlife (the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife) while I am at it!

I found this on the mass.gov: "Go wild on your taxes this year! Tax season is here, meaning its a great time to help keep Massachusetts wild! One easy way to help endangered animals and plants in the state is by donating on your state tax return."

To make a donation, all you have to do on your state tax return forms is simply fill in the amount you would like to donate on Line 33A for Endangered Wildlife Conservation.

"Your meaningful donation will go to the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund, a fund dedicated specifically to the conservation of rare species," the state website says.

"The fund supports MassWildlifes Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, which is responsible for the hundreds of species that are listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern in Massachusetts.

One of the program's most notable successes is the peregrine falcon, which, until recently, was on the state's endangered species list.

Their historical nesting sites  known as eyries  were located on 14 rocky cliff areas of the state. As of 1955, all 14 sites had become completely inactive. Thanks, in part to a nationwide ban on the pesticide DDT as well as decades-long restoration efforts, the first nest returned to the Commonwealth in 1987," according to information shared by the state. "Since then, more than 800 wild peregrine falcon chicks have fledged in Massachusetts, and they have returned to 5 of their historical eyries: Mount Tom, Mount Sugarloaf, Farley Cliffs, Monument Mountain, and Pettibone Falls. Peregrine falcons now also nest on the cliffs of quarries in Holyoke, West Roxbury, Saugus, Peabody, and Swampscott.

"Most often, they now also nest on tall, man-made structures such as buildings and bridges. Buildings that have consistent peregrine falcon nests can be found in Boston, Chelsea, Cambridge, Watertown, Lawrence, Lowell, Worcester, Amherst, and New Bedford. They also nest on bridges in Charlestown, Fall River, West Springfield, and Northampton. MassWildlife has been banding and monitoring peregrine falcons for decades, tracking their health and progress as part of a broad observer network.

While Massachusetts has made considerable progress, 432 plants and animals are still recognized as rare in the state. MassWildlifes Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program is the first line of defense for Massachusetts most vulnerable plants and animals. Donating to the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund ensures continuing conservation for these rare species.

There is still much work to do, with 432 plants and animals still recognized as rare in the state.

Don't want to donate through your tax return forms? You also can make a donation online, through your MassFishHunt account or write a check made payable to "Comm. of MA  NHESP" and mail it to: MassWildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581.
Fundraisers for Tracy Videtta and Davion Hart have netted more than $26,000 for the couple, who lost six pets and nearly all that they owned in a Feb. 16 fire.
Christopher Brittain, the town's interim leader, is among the three finalists vying to succeed Christopher Ketchen as the next town administrator in Lee.
RICHMOND  Ice House Hill Farm, an iconic area known for its natural scenic beauty, has been forever protected.

Berkshire Natural Resources Council and the farm's owners reached a deal to place the farm into the Massachusetts Conservation Restriction program, according to a release from the council.

The farm, home to a herd of Hereford cattle, was once part of the larger Malnati Farm holdings, most of which were previously placed into conservation, the release stated.

Preserving Ice House Hill Farm is important to ensure that local agriculture remains a strong and significant part of Berkshire culture, said BNRC President Jenny Hansell. It has timeless views, rich habitat, and a special place in the hearts of many people who love Richmond and the region."

A conservation restriction is a legally enforceable agreement that secures permanent protection of specific conservation values while allowing for limited land uses, such as farming, which are not detrimental to land preservation, the release stated.

BNRC is responsible for monitoring the conservation restriction on an annual basis.

Richmond Land Trust, which has a long history of collaboration with BNRC, first raised the possibility of a permanent conservation with the landowners, then inviting BNRC to lead the project to completion.

This granting of a conservation restriction to BNRC ensures that generations who follow us will continue to enjoy the farms scenic vistas that many in Richmond, and beyond, value so much, said land trust President Chris Magee.
When the Berkshire Museum returned a pair of moccasins and a wampum pouch to the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians, it was officially deemed a transfer of custody. But it was also a recognition of history, a purposeful tracing of the line between a proud but persecuted people and the place they still call home.

Berkshire Museum returns Sachem Konkapot's wampum pouch and moccasins to Stockbridge-Munsee Community A pair of moccasins and a wampum pouch attributed to Mohican Sachem Popewannehah "John" Konkapot, have been returned to the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians by the Berkshire Museum.

That place is here in whats now called the Berkshires, even as the Stockbridge-Munsee are now located in Wisconsin after centuries of broken promises, brutal treatment and forced removal at the hands of the expanding American empire. Not all of our countrys history is pretty, but if we care about any of it we must reckon with all of it. That obligation, often relegated to an intellectual dimension, has a material one, too, as these 18th-century artifacts remind us. That especially goes for institutions like museums. We praise the Berkshire Museum for living up to that obligation, as well as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community for graciously partnering to make it happen.

We must acknowledge that, like these artifacts, so much of our history originates with this lands first inhabitants, even as the forces of settler-colonialism systematically attempted to erase and marginalize those peoples and their own ties to that history. We cant change the past, nor can we afford to look away from it. Rather, history must inform our movement through the present. The museums return of these items to the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians is a small but necessary step on this path toward real reconciliation.

Its a morally necessary journey that has been chartered by the tribe and its magnanimous collaborations with regional leaders, from the critical work of the Stockbridge-Munsee office at Williams College and the enlightening Muh-he-con-ne-ok exhibit in Stockbridge.

They have held up an admirable model of how to appraise the fullness of history in such a way that gives voice to the historically silenced and agency to Indigenous communities with regard to how crucial pieces of their culture and history are treated. We hope its example is followed in many more rightful returns to come.
Spearfish, SD (57783)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 61F. Winds ESE at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 42F. SE winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Is the Nicene Creed Still Relevant for Christians Today?

The Nicene Creed is still relevant because the heresy it was first designed to fight still exists in the church.

Based on Lifeways latest (2020) State of Theology survey of more than 3,000 Americans, only 63% of people who attend church at least four times a month agree that the Son of God existed before Jesus was born.

The rest (37%) of them say that Jesus existence began when he was born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. This may be a theological misunderstanding instead of a well-thought-out belief. But it hints of Arianism because it denies Jesus Christs eternal part in the Trinity.

Deciding what to believe about Jesus Christ is still the biggest question that people have to answer in life. After all, the Son is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3), and so when we look on Jesus, we look on God. Without confidence that Jesus is God, united in substance with the Father, we could not be sure that Jesus can speak for God, forgive sins for God, declare righteousness for God, or do anything to make us children of the Father, as stated by ZondervanAchademic.com.

Other than helping Christians remember that Jesus is before all things, and in Him all things hold together, (Colossians 1:15), there are more benefits to using the creed.

1. It reminds Christians about the foundations of their faith.

Reciting the Nicene Creed is a succinct and helpful way to remember biblical truths. Many churches today recite the Nicene Creed every week. Reciting it at church calls the congregation to remember the foundations of their faith before they go back out into the world for the week. This is a necessary, biblical thing for Gods people to do, especially in light of Hebrews 10:23, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Life was not easy for those early Christians. The author of Hebrews urged them to remember when they first believed in Jesus Christ and confessed that belief at their baptism, which symbolized Christs death and resurrection. They needed to hold fast to that confession of hope when trials tempted them to turn away from Jesus.

2. It reminds Christians that their faith is global and historical.

No creed but the Bible, or no creed but Christ are once-popular phrases among conservative Protestant Christians that illuminate why many Protestant churches today dont use the creed in their regular church practice. Birthed out of the Protestant Reformation, which lifted up the Sola Scriptura banner, Protestants tend to not use the traditional liturgical calendar, creed, or anything thats not explicitly in Scripture. However, many Protestant churches have denominational statements of faith like The Baptist Faith and Message.

However, if a Christian isnt aware of the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed, they run the risk of missing an opportunity to appreciate that faith in Christ has endured and thrived through centuries in the lives of Christians all over the world.

This Crosswalk.com article said it well. Reciting or praying through the Nicene Creed reminds, us of the value of wise leadership and also of the global nature of the church family.

3. It reminds Christians of the unity they have with other believers.

Another benefit of using the Nicene Creed is that it reminds believers what they have in common with Christians in other denominations. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, and Protestants certainly have enough to debate. While that debate is sometimes worthwhile, its also worthwhile to celebrate what they have in common  faith in God as summarized in the Nicene Creed.

Church leaders from Africa, Asia, and Europe came together and established a creed they could all agree on. There was still the issue of the Filioque statement, but other than that, the unity among such different people around one faith in Jesus was an astonishing miracle that only God could accomplish.

Source

The Creeds of Christendom, With a History and Critical Notes, Volume 1, Philip Schaff, 1919.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Sincerely Media
PULLMAN - A nearly 100-year-old tradition that draws thousands of high school students to Washington State University each Spring will not be taking place in Pullman this year because of the institutions vaccine mandate.

The Washington FFA state convention is typically held at WSU every May. For the last two years the event has been held remotely from Pullman.

Washington FFA will still be holding this years 92nd annual state convention in-person, but it wont be at WSU. At issue is WSUs coronavirus vaccine mandate. WSU currently requires people staying in the dorms to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a medical exemption. During the state convention at WSU, FFA students have always stayed in the dorms.

Since high school students in Washington are not required to be vaccinated, the WSU mandate forced the organization to explore alternate accommodations.

The convention is held the second weekend in May which coincides with University of Idaho graduation, leaving the Washington FFA with no alternatives for housing the students. All of these factors have forced the organization to move its state convention for the first time.

FFA Executive Director Dany Cavadini says she expects about 2,300 FFA students from the 195 FFA Chapters around Washington to attend this Springs in-person state convention. This years event is May 12th through the 14th.

Cavadini says its too early to know if the Washington FFA will consider returning its state convention to WSU.

Officials are still working on finalizing a location for this Springs event.
EVART  Focusing on student achievement is an important part of every schools administration, and the one Evart Public Schools scholarship program is built to help students pursue higher education opportunities.

The Evart Promise Plus scholarship program was originally started back in 2017 as a foundation to start providing support for students.

Kendra Prudhomme-Smith, a counselor at Evart for grades 11-12, said the program has grown since its implementation.

When the Promise scholarship program started, a group of citizens of the Evart community wanted to get together and provide some additional opportunities for students, Prudhomme-Smith said. They were looking at our traditional, like, enrollment statistics from Evart Public Schools, like how many students graduate and go on (to higher education) and felt like something needed to be done. They founded a 501C3 nonprofit organization in 2017, and started fundraising with the goal of raising enough money, they had a specific target in mind that if they reached that threshold then they would start to distribute scholarships.

"The scholarship is set up so that it's, like, $2,500 per year renewable for up to four years. And it can go towards any post-secondary institution in Michigan that is accredited and not for profit, she added. Most traditional colleges and universities, most trade schools also would fall underneath that. It's a separate nonprofit, it is not run by Evart Public Schools. It's a separate entity, but we do have a strong relationship with Evart Public Schools. We're the only one kind of in our area that's doing something like this.

The scholarship is set up to be a maximum of $10,000, based on how many years the student was enrolled at Evart Public Schools. If a student were enrolled for largely all or the entirety of their K-12 career, they would receive the full $10,000. Even a student who just spent one year at the school still gets $2,500.

The Class of 2020 was the first graduating class of Evart High School to receive the Evart Promise Plus scholarship. The scholarship has no minimum GPA requirements. This year, Evart has, between the classes of 2020 and 2021, 35 kids taking advantage of the program.

Prudhomme-Smith said one of the goals of starting the scholarship program was to address and improve the districts graduation and higher education attendance rates.

Evart Public Schools traditionally fluctuates every year and about around a quarter of its students roughly that graduate from high school goes on to participate in something post-secondary within six to 12 months after graduation this year, Prudhomme-Smith said. With the unofficial data I am recording, just a few years later we've seen that they have roughly half of their students enrolled in post-secondary education. So we're hoping to see that continue to play itself out where we see a big bump in our number.

We are seeing where students are kind of changing their mindset a little bit because of the Promise scholarships, Prudhomme-Smith said. Its a guarantee when they graduate from Evart Public Schools that they're going to get some sort of money, and it's definitely helped kids think about it from that paradigm. We would love to expand the amount of money that we provide per kid, and have a goal of increasing the amount that each student is given.

"We also definitely want to make sure that when they graduate that they have the skills and knowledge that are necessary to transition well into the post-secondary environment, she said. So when they are in school, they're going to be receiving lessons every single year and experiences like reality fairs, college fairs, things like that, that help them be aware of the different the whole menu of post-secondary options so that they can know pretty well what they're doing. Something that I've been working really hard on this particular school year is getting that programming off the ground.

As COVID-19 has impacted elementary and high school educators drastically, it has also had a big impact on the students themselves. Expectations for behavior and academic performance are known and familiar in education, and when schools closed earlier this month many students felt a loss of this structure and routine.

Prudhomme-Smith said that despite the dysfunction, students have been able to find hope in their educational futures.

I definitely think that (COVID-19's impact) has been on students minds for sure, Prudhomme-Smith said. I think that the pandemic has forced a lot of people to rethink the way that we do things, whether that be education, or our careers or things like that. I know that I've had a lot of conversations with students in that regard. Even before this pandemic started, I think that the students who are in high school right now or young adulthood are very financially savvy. They realize that there are affordable options out there for college, and they want to seek them out by and large.

"I feel like finances are at the top of most of my students minds because they want to go to college, they want to go to trade school, she added. They want to do it in a way that doesn't put them into debt. And so that's one of the beauties of our community being able to help support them in this way is to try to mitigate that. I would definitely say that COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into a few students plans and made them think differently about it.

Recipients of the scholarships are able to use the funds for pursuing trade schooling or higher education, and Prudhomme-Smith said her students have chosen to go into some unique fields of education including electrician work, cosmetology, commercial driving licensure, nursing, agriculture tech, and general education classes.

Prudhomme-Smith has also been working within the elementary school to build education on careers and higher education knowledge among the younger students. Reinforcing the education of every option a student has after graduation is a key part of the programs focus.

HOW TO SUPPORT THE PROMISE

The Promise Plus program is holding its second comedy night fundraiser to help create new revenue for scholarships.

The event is scheduled to take place at 8 p.m. Mar. 12 at the Osceola Fairgrounds Building, at 101 Recreation Ave. in Evart, and tickets can be purchased or put on hold by texting or calling 231-818-8336. Tickets are $30 per person, and VIP tables can be purchased for $275. Doors will open prior to the show at 6 p.m.

We have a group of professional comedians who are coming up from out of Grand Rapids, Prudhomme Smith said. One of them is an actual Evart Public Schools graduate. We will have drinks and snacks and things like that, and it's going to be a riot. It was really, really, really funny the first time that we had it, and I'm expecting no less the second time. We had a couple hundred people come in and just have a really enjoyable evening. We also had a raffle, and we will again (this year).

"We also have like a designer handbag filled with like makeup and hair things, she added. We have a chess set that's been donated by sanctuary down by Canadian Lakes and that's like all made out of either wood or like pieces from antlers. then we have like a cooler filled with like, you know beverages and like stuff for like camping and things like that. Just some really cool different gifts that people have donated that we are able to raffle off. Well also have a food truck. So there's going to be lots of different things to do to socialize. It's a very enjoyable evening out.

Prudhomme-Smith said the Promise Plus program has gotten support from the Evart administration and that there are several ways to help the program continue to make a difference for students.

We've had really great support from our administrators and one of the members of my board is our high school principal, Prudhomme-Smith said. She was one of the people who founded this whole organization and was really instrumental in becoming a nonprofit and starting fundraising. I think that our administrators, and really our entire staff, realize that when you come from a community where you might have some additional challenges, whether that is financially, or maybe being the first in your family to go to college. I think that our staff is just really sold out for doing everything that they possibly can to help our students get a leg up.

I do have to mention our staff in general, like the Evart Public School staff has a there's a payroll deduction that's voluntary to sign up for she added. This past year, we raised over $6,000 just from our staff members donating money towards the Promise program. So not just administrators, but staff members, in general, have been incredibly supportive of this program.

Financial gifts are always very helpful, she said. If anyone is interested in possibly donating, there is a page on there where you can go and donate online, or I think it'll tell you how you can send a check in the mail. We definitely need financial supporters, people who have graduated from ever who maybe have children or grandchildren in the system or are about to come through the system. We also definitely need people who are willing to be a friend of the promise, and what I mean by that is people who are willing to volunteer for events that we have, fundraisers that we run, or people who might be interested in helping us with a mailing.

Then we also really just need people who are willing to kind of champion the message and how cool it is and kind of get that message out to the broader community so that people understand what a unique program it is, she said. If people were willing to volunteer or to donate financially, those would be the biggest things. Otherwise, we'd love to have people come out to support our events too.

To learn more about the Evart Promise Plus program and how to donate, visit the programs website at www.evartpromiseplus.org.
Sarah Palin has learned what I have known for decades: the American civil justice system is not a forum for justice at all. In fact, it's a farce.



On Tuesday, a jury found that the New York Times did not legally defame Ms. Palin when it wrote that her political action committee incited the shooting attack that left Arizona Congresswoman Gabbie Giffords gravely wounded.



Of course, Governor Palin's PAC had nothing to do with the crime as the Times admitted when it apologized for the brutally irresponsible assertion.



Nevertheless, a New York City jury rejected Palin's lawsuit unanimously, saying the newspaper did not act with malice, the threshold famous people have to prove in order to win damages in civil court.



Not act with malice? What other reason would there be to link the conservative Palin with the shooting? What motivation would a liberal newspaper have to connect an innocent person with a heinous act if not to be malicious?



It's absurd.



The history of the New York Times is to smear conservative politicians in a variety of ways. As they say, you can look it up. Reagan, Bush, Trump. Take your pick.



And so, Sarah Palin gets no justice. And I know how she feels.



In 2003, the always despicable Al Franken put out a book calling a number of people "liars." My picture was on the cover of the book. Franken's primary allegation was that I was not raised in working-class Levittown, New York, but in an affluent town nearby. Therefore, I was a liar and a phony.



Of course, that is false, and I proved it by producing the deed to my parents' house in, yes, Levittown.



So, I thought I had the vile Franken and his publisher "dead to rights," as the cliche goes. But no. Franken claimed his book was "satire" and shouldn't be taken "literally," therefore there was no malice.



If you read the stupid book, it is filled with bitter invective based upon Franken citing so-called facts. The only apparent "satire" is that Franken actually scored a book contract.



The truth is that weasels like Franken and other ideological haters get away with defamation all day, every day. Our legal system is one giant mess both civil and criminal.



As Sarah Palin now knows.



See you for the No Spin News beginning at six eastern. Sign up to watch the No Spin News every weeknight beginning at 6:00 pm Eastern.]
Amrita Hospitals have successfully participated in COVOVAX vaccine Phase III Clinical Trial

As part of the Mission Covid Suraksha project, Amrita Hospitals gets a high-end clinical trial unit to conduct COVID-19 related vaccines & therapeutic trials. The initiative was carried out under the funding and support of the Mission Covid Suraksha project with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a wing of the Dept. of Biotechnology, Govt. of India.

The mission COVID Suraksha is a national initiative aimed to provide safe, efficacious, affordable and accessible COVID-19 vaccines to all citizens. On this background, the institution has developed collaboration with various national and international organizations such as WHO, ICMR, Serum Institute of India, IQVIA,to conduct COVID 19 vaccine and therapeutic clinical trials. The clinical trial will be carried out by a multidisciplinary team of experts in basic, translational, biomedical and public health domains.

Recently, Amrita Hospitals have successfully participated in COVOVAX vaccine Phase III Clinical Trial in collaboration with ICMR and Serum Institute of India and was the only hospital, represented from the state of Kerala.

Amrita Hospital is a tertiary care academic institution in Kerala, recognized as one of the premier hospitals in South Asia.
The past two years have spelt a tumultuous time for the global mining industry as a result of high levels of disruption and uncertainty introduced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Efforts to overcome these challenges and become more agile have ushered in a new era of accelerated transformation within both the global and South African mining sectors, leading to a number of shifts in the way the industry operates.

Yushanta Rungasammy, partner and co-head of corporate & commercial, CMS South Africa

Increased integration and collaboration

Shifts in workplace culture

Ildiko Gyarmati, senior associate ?at CMS South Africa

Intensified focus on sustainability

Prioritised mitigation of supply chain risk

The pandemic has had a major impact on South Africas economy, leading to a contraction of 6.4% in 2020, with experts projecting it would take at least five years for the countrys GDP to return to 2019 levels. The mining industrys quick response and resilience has led to an 18.1% growth rate for the industry in the first quarter of 2021, contributing 1.2% to the overall 4.6% seasonally adjusted and annualised GDP.As the mining industry continues to adapt to a constantly changing socioeconomic environment, the transformation taking place is set to redefine the sector for years to come. Here we take a look at some of the trends that have emerged, or been fast-tracked by the pandemic, that are here to stay. We also take a look at how these will impact the future of mining.Uncertainty has become a major catalyst in spurring greater collaboration between departments within an organisation, other mining companies, and industry bodies as the industry has come together to tackle the challenges brought on by the pandemic and find new solutions to common issues.We can expect to see ongoing growth in collaborative efforts within the mining sector, particularly as the industry continues to adapt and integrate new technologies that will change the shape of the industry in future. This could result in increased innovation and both short- and long-term returns for individual companies and the sector as a whole.Increased digitalisation in the mining industry, along with a shift towards working remotely, has had the unexpected effect of changing the culture in organisations. The industry, and those within it, have been compelled to do things differently while employee needs have shifted, prompting leaders to step into a new role of leadership. Leaders are now expected to adopt a culture of transparency and empathy and will need to continue to strike a balance between recovery and growth and employee health and wellness.Although the mining industry has always significantly prioritised and enforced stringent safety measures, we are now seeing improvements in not just internal safety processes but in training employees in health and safety in order to build a culture of safety throughout mining companies in an effort to ensure a zero harm environment.During the period in which Covid-19 measures were most stringent, with high-level lockdowns and restrictions, many factories and mining plants were required to shut down or drastically decrease their workforce. During this time, we could see a marked improvement in pollution and emissions - which did not go unnoticed. This, along with pressure from investors to become more environmentally, socially conscious and responsible, has pushed the mining industry to become cleaner and greener.As a result, environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are playing a greater role in how companies in the mining industry are measuring their success beyond revenue and production. We have seen big players in the mining industry prioritise the reduction of carbon emissions and promotion of diversity, human rights, governance and social justice.The disruptive impact of the pandemic could be seen most in its effect on supply chains which resulted in delays, cancellations, and even sometimes shortages. This certainly put a spotlight on the vulnerability of many mining companies supply chains and just how exposed they are to the risk of any future disruptions.As such, the mining sector will have to continue to re-evaluate their supply chain processes, identify gaps, and incorporate new processes to ensure continuity, efficiency, resilience and adaptability to any future restrictions that may have an impact on the supply chain.
The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has called on government to remove PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated inbound travellers. Several countries with a strong tourism value proposition have already done so, says Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of TBCSA.

Source: Supplied | Mufid Majnun via Unsplash

{[image}}"Further delays in following suit quickly are detrimental to the country positioning itself as travel-ready and attractive. We have a very small window of opportunity as tourism destinations around the world like Australia reopen and others like the United Kingdom remove the negative PCR testing requirement for all inbound travellers," says Tshivhengwa.The TBCSA is again calling for this action just days after the government of Botswana announced that fully vaccinated travellers would no longer be required to furnish a negative PCR test to enter the country, thus elevating the destinations attractiveness for inbound international tourists.Tshivhengwa says: "Beyond the requirement being difficult and expensive for many of our international visitors, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reiterated that international travellers should not be considered a priority group for PCR testing and that those who have been fully vaccinated should be exempt from heightened travel restrictions."As South Africa sees international travel returning to some level of normality, and acknowledging that for travel to happen, the destination needs to deliver ease of travel to incoming visitors, it is essential that South Africa follow suit and remove this requirement."Our tourism industry needs to get back to business and our people need to get back to work. Travellers are ready to visit and further contribute to our industrys growth. However, the PCR test requirement is the biggest inhibitor," concluded Tshivhengwa.
Communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has said that government should provide every household in South Africa with 10GB of data every month. Ntshavheni said this at the State of the Nation debate at the City Hall in Cape Town on Tuesday, 15 February.

Communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavhen

Spectrum licensing

The minister did not say when this should happen but said that data has become a new utility like water and electricity that homes need.At some point, South Africa will say despite whether you are rich or poor, whether you are employed or unemployed, every household should have access to 10GB per month without failure because thats what this government will deliver.She then also said that the communications and digital technologies department is working on a policy dealing with the allocation of radio frequency spectrum for 5G services and that, as part of this, government intends to prescribe minimum data to the home.The minister further mentioned that the department is working on policies for both sixth- and seventh-generation mobile technologies, which are non-existent at the moment.Ntshavheni said the following on the on-going spectrum licensing saga:The licensing of high-frequency spectrum will improve the ability of mobile communications operators to build robust telecommunications with better penetration and reach, the licensing process will place additional obligations on operators to deploy infrastructure to schools, hospitals, clinics and the offices of traditional leaders.Through Icasa, we have set social services obligations to connect within 36 months of licensing of the spectrum all outstanding public schools, all 18,520, as indicated by basic education minister Angie]Motshekga, public health facilities, which includes clinics and public hospitals, 5,731 of them, and offices of traditional leaders or leaders authorities, 8,241 of them.The extension of broadband to traditional authorities is part of governments commitment to strengthen the role of traditional leaders as service delivery centres of government.In the past, we have seen the telecommunications operators ignoring social obligations and opting to pay negligible penalties instead of connecting our people.This time around industry regulator Icasa will include the fulfilment of service obligations as part of the licensing conditions without an option of a penalty.
White Star, proud sponsor of the Miss Soweto pageant hosted an exclusive ceremony in partnership with Toyota to hand over their brand new Toyota Starlet XR model to the new reigning queen, Ludina Ngwenya. The intimate car handover ceremony took place at the Soweto Theatre in Jabulani, on Wednesday, 9 February.

Martha Hector, Toyota promotions manager hands over the keys to Ludina Ngwenya, Miss Soweto 2021

Photo credit: Thabo Nyembe

Media, pageant sponsors and Miss Sowetos family were all in attendance, and watched as Miss Soweto was handed the car keys to her new silver Toyota Starlet XR, which she gets to drive for the duration of her reign. The radiant beauty queen took to the stage as she delivered an emotional speech of thanks to White Star and Toyota for presenting her with her first car. She shared that she was one of the first members of her family to not only obtain her drivers license but to also drive and have a vehicle, which she noted as a great accomplishment that makes her feel very empowered as a young black female.As a beauty queen who wears the scars around her body with pride, Ngwenya hopes to build confidence and affirm anyone with either a visible or invisible scar or any endeavour they face that they are capable and worthy of their dreams. Representing diversity in a world where people are constantly trying to conform is what she says made her unique from the other contestants.She would love to use her voice to birth transformation in the lives of others and to live a life of service. Through her life story, she hopes to encourage and inspire those who are well resourced to invest in the less fortunate, because she is a product of such people. She would love to be a trailblazing leader in advocating for people with visible differences and disabilities to build a more inclusive and realistic society. These people still deal with discriminatory attitudes that undermine and belittle them; with the perpetrators being of no specific group, but all of us. It is time to change this narrative through educational awareness, she says.
Neil Schreuder, chief of strategy and innovation, The Shoprite Group of Companies

The brand must originally have been created in South Africa and be owned by an enterprise listed on JSE or a credible stock exchange.



For private brands originated in South Africa, their complete financial statements must be available in the public domain.

Coming in at #27 with a brand value of $334m, Checkers has developed a Mzansi e-commerce strategy that speaks strongly to the importance of innovation.Neil Schreuder, chief of strategy and innovation, The Shoprite Group of Companies, commented at the 2021 Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable South African Brands launch that the Xtra Savings Rewards programme has seen over 20m members in Shoprite and in Checkers: Thats a million a month, all signed up on digital channels like WhatsApp, USSD, the app and the website so there was no physical paperwork, and no trees were harmed in the making of the rewards programme.Schreuder added that after 40 years of business, this helps the brand to know its customers intimately for the first time. We know their age, how often they shop, and what time they read their emails. This allows us to be more customer centric as a company. We were already famous for our low prices, now were also famous for giving customers low prices and value, in a personalised way.Checkers has also invested in the fresh food experience, particularly in new stores where everythings been built with the customer in mind, from the silent floors, so you dont hear a trolley clicking, to partnerships with fresh food pioneers like Kauai, My Sugar artisanal chocolates, and organic honey producers.Schreuder confirmed: Our private label developers like Forage & Feast with Michelin-starred chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen have pushed the envelope on indulgent foods, in that they dont have to cost the earth. We believe innovation around the customer experience is what creates long-term winners in the market, particularly in retail.Commenting on the popularity of the Checkers Sixty60 mobile app, Schreuder said it had to be simple and easy to use, as it lets customers shop in as little as 60 seconds, but the truly pioneering angle is getting your order delivered in as little as 60 minutes.First piloted in 2019, theres no denying that the stay-at-home mandate under the initial Level 5 lockdown in South Africa propelled Checkers Sixty60 into the future.Its currently the number one grocery delivery app in the country. The true magic lies in the experience, with 90% of orders delivered within that 60-minute promise. This proves that innovation doesnt have to come at the expense of jobs, with Checkers Sixty60 having created 2,870 new jobs since inception.This speaks strongly to how the Checkers brand is solving the value equation today, based on its ability to provide South Africans with excellent value in a challenging economic climate.Pandemic-tightened wallets are certainly in play, with Kantar BrandZ data showing that 88% of South Africans say they pay more attention to prices, while 79% pay attention to products on sale, with both figures having steadily increased over the past year. But value is about more than a price point, as cheaper, unknown imports are not necessarily winning over pricier trusted brands.Solving the value equation today therefore requires a more nuanced approach than simply winning the race to the bottom on price. Part of this lies in understanding that money is not the currency in South African consumers pockets. Given the pace of daily life and often lengthy commutes using public transport, South Africans increasingly also value trust and convenience. Growing brands are therefore constantly innovating to make their products more accessible and available to consumers.Checkers serves as a prime example in this regard, with the highly successful Sixty60 app promising to deliver ordered goods into consumers hands in under an hour. In practical terms, this service is so popular that when this goal is missed, customers can opt for WhatsApp notifications to know when their groceries should arrive.Checkers has clearly grown in meaning, difference and salience, with Kantar BrandZ proving the brand has especially been seen as hugely meaningful in the tough economic climate where South African consumers are seeking value above all else. Their three-pronged approach includes the Xtra Savings reward initiative that reimagines the value equation; the FreshX concept stores that meet new consumer needs; and the Sixty60 grocery delivery offering that leads the way in developing a Mzansi ecommerce strategy that speaks to the importance of innovation.Innovation is therefore an area where all South African brands can step up to find an opportunity for future brand growth. Learn more from South Africas most valuable brands, with a focus on how to build strong brands and engineer for growth in 2022 and beyond. Also reflect on SAs most valuable brands from 2018 to date and what the top brands have been up to in the last year.Bonus lesson: Download our comprehensive guide to brand equity and growth.Kantar BrandZ is the global currency when assessing brand value, quantifying the contribution of brands to business financial performance. Kantars annual global and local brand valuation rankings combine rigorously analysed financial data, with extensive brand equity research. Since 1998, BrandZ has shared brand-building insights with business leaders based on interviews with 4 million consumers, for 18,000 brands in 51 markets, including opinions from 31,335 South African consumers on 660 brands in 47 categories.The ability of any brand to power business growth relies on how it is perceived by customers. Grounded in consumer opinion, Kantar BrandZ analysis enables businesses to identify their brands strength in the market and provides clear strategic guidance on how to boost value for the long-term. The eligibility criteria are:
A fortnight before the killing of ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi in Syrias northwest Idlib enclave in a Delta Force raid on Feb. 3, hundreds of heavily armed ISIS militants allegedly attempted an audacious prison break in the Kurdish-held northeastern city al-Hasakah on Jan. 20, ferociously freeing hundreds of prisoners.

High-security al-Sinaa prison is one of several detention centers in Syrias northeast guarded by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The facility hosted 3,000 ISIS militants who were captured by the Kurds after the fall of the ISIS caliphate in 2019.

The ensuing ten-day manhunt to re-capture the escaped inmates and subdue the insurrection inside the prison lasted until Jan. 30, just two days before the killing of the ISIS leader. The death toll in the clearance operation was 500: 121 fatalities among the SDF, 374 suspected members of the Islamic State and four civilians, according to SDF sources.

Regarding the killing of the ISIS chief in the outskirts of Atmeh across the Turkish border, just 15 miles from Barisha village where his predecessor al-Baghdadi was killed in a similar Special Ops night raid in Oct. 2019, the Washington Post reported [1] on Feb. 10 that the hideout of the ISIS leader was disclosed on a tip-off from Kurdish sources of SDF, which President Biden effusively praised in the official announcement of the killing of al-Qurayshi following the raid.

The information regarding the whereabouts of the ISIS leader was obtained last fall, several months before the raid, the Delta Force commandos began preparing for the operation late Sept., and President Biden authorized the raid on Dec. 20.

The report notes: The officials said Qurayshi  distinctive because of the leg, which CIA analysts think was amputated after injuries suffered in a 2015 airstrike  was sometimes spotted outside the house, or when taking brief strolls through the olive trees.

Word eventually made its way to informants who work for the Syrian Democratic Forces, a mainly Kurdish militia group closely allied to the United States, current and former U.S. officials said. Intensive surveillance began immediately afterward, with Kurdish watchers following the arrivals and departures of armed men who trudged upstairs to meet with Qurayshi.

Thus, the Kurdish leadership of SDF was frequently consulted by the US forces in Syria during the months-long manhunt for the ISIS chief and was kept informed of the movements of al-Qurayshis couriers.

A glaring contradiction in the Kurdish account of the events leading to the jailbreak in al-Hasakah is that if the US claims the ISIS leader remained in operational command via a network of couriers who were closely monitored and their communications intercepted by the CIA, then how is it possible that the fugitive ISIS chief staged a brazen prison break at al-Hasakah, hundreds of miles from his northwestern Idlib hideout, without the knowledge of the US forces tracking him down?

The report adds: After a two-year manhunt, the elusive Qurayshi had been spotted, first by informants on the ground, and then that tip was confirmed by the drones telescopic lens. For U.S. officials involved in the search, two questions remained. One was how to kill or capture him while minimizing risk to U.S. forces and to the more than a dozen women and children who lived in the same building. The other: whether to strike quickly, or to wait and try to gather more information about Qurayshis far-flung network of underground terrorist cells.

The waiting, which ultimately stretched over several months, proved to be worthwhile [] There was foot traffic: couriers and communication between cells, said a former senior intelligence official briefed on the events. They milked it, to collect as much data as they could. They had to see who he was talking to.

The picture of Qurayshi that emerged from the surveillance is that of a hands-on commander who was firmly in charge of his organization and harbored ambitions for re-establishing the self-declared Islamist caliphate that once controlled a territory the size of England. His intensive involvement in operational planning made Qurayshi especially dangerous, officials said. But over time, it also made him more vulnerable.

He was very much in command, a senior Biden administration official said of Qurayshi, a 45-year-old Iraqi who was born Amir Mohammed al-Mawli al-Salbi [] His lieutenants and couriers were very active, the official said, in making sure that his commands and orders were known.

Clearly, either there are inaccuracies in the Washington Post report pieced together from insider accounts of the details of operational planning of the raid revealed to the paper by credible Biden administration officials on the condition of anonymity and the fugitive ISIS leader wasnt in command, or if he was actively directing the operational planning of the terrorist organization through a web of couriers tracked by the CIA, then how did the premier intelligence agency overlook his orders to mount an audacious jailbreak in al-Hasakah and didnt give forewarning to the Kurdish SDF allies of imminent storming of the detention center by hundreds of heavily armed ISIS militants?

According to Syrian sources who refused to divulge identities due to fear of repercussions, what really transpired at the high-security al-Sinaa prison was that the Kurdish guards of the penitentiary incited an insurrection on the night of Jan. 20 and let hundreds of prisoners escape. Then the SDF forces mounted a ten-day manhunt for the fugitives and killed hundreds of unarmed prisoners who were hiding in adjacent areas.

US air support was occasionally requested to mount random airstrikes on indiscriminate targets often hosting the escaped ISIS militants and sometimes civilians. The whole orchestrated show was led by irregular SDF militias while a handful Special Ops units assisting the Kurds were kept at safe distance to avoid unnecessary loss of precious American lives.

Although the SDF might have suffered negligible casualties in skirmishes with the fugitives, majority of the death toll was among the prisoners, which the SDF refused to host in the first place and was asking third countries for their repatriation.

Bidens abrupt withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan last August and consequent overrunning of the country by the Taliban is indicative of his inclination to disengage from myriad conflicts of the Middle East and bring troops back to the US.

The false-flag prison break by the SDF was a desperate attempt by the Kurds to keep the specter of the ISIS resurgence alive after the fall of the militant groups caliphate in 2019 and the killing of both the caliphs, and to keep the US forces engaged in the Syrian conflict, the Kurds only assurance against overrunning of their newly acquired territories in eastern Syria by organized and well-armed Turkish and Syrian security forces.

After the liberation of the ISIS-held territories in Mosul and Anbar in Iraq and Raqqa and Deir al-Zor in Syria in 2017 and the clearance operations at the Iraq-Syria border that lasted until 2019, the remnants of the militant group are on the run and the rest have already joined the ranks of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by al-Qaedas formidable Syrian franchise al-Nusra Front, in Syrias northwest Idlib enclave controlled by the regional US ally, Turkey.

Thus, the principal rationale for keeping the US forces in Syria is no longer valid. Biden wouldve withdrawn troops long ago, not only from Syria but also from Iraq, whose legislators passed a parliamentary resolution asking the US to withdraw its forces from the country following the killing of venerated commander of IRGCs Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani who was assassinated in an American airstrike on a tip-off from the Israeli intelligence at the Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020.

Following the dismantling of the ISIS caliphate in 2019, Biden wouldve withdrawn US forces from Iraq, which have repeatedly come under rocket fire from Iran-backed Iraqi militias, as soon as he was inaugurated president in Jan. 2021. The only reason he cannot withdraw troops from Iraq is because the US forces in Iraq have been deployed in support of contingents of American troops stationed across the border in Kurdish-held regions in eastern Syria and at al-Tanf.

Al-Tanf military base is strategically located in southeastern Syria on the border between Syria, Iraq and Jordan, and straddles a critically important Damascus-Baghdad highway, which serves as a lifeline for Damascus. Washington has illegally occupied 55-kilometer area around al-Tanf since 2016, and several hundred US Marines have trained thousands of Syrian militants at the sprawling military base.

Rather than battling the Islamic State, the foremost purpose of continued presence of the US forces at al-Tanf military base is to address Israels security concerns regarding the expansion of Irans influence in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Nevertheless, its worth pointing out that the orchestrated jailbreak wasnt the only incident when the Kurdish-led SDF has shown utter disregard for civilian casualties in its all-out war on Syrian Arabs.

Five years following a potentially catastrophic incident that couldve inundated Islamic States former capital Raqqa and many towns downstream Euphrates River in eastern Syria and caused more deaths than the deployment of any weapon of mass destruction, the New York Times reported last month [2] that at the height of US-led international coalitions war against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, US B-52 bombers struck Tabqa Dam with 2,000-pound bombs, including at least one bunker-busting bomb that fortunately didnt explode.

In March 2017, alternative media was abuzz with reports that the dam was about to collapse and entire civilian population downstream Euphrates River needed to be urgently evacuated to prevent the inevitable catastrophe. But Washington issued a gag order to the corporate media not to sensationalize the issue.

The explosive report noted that the dam was contested between the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the Syrian government and the Islamic State. A firefight broke out in which SDF incurred heavy casualties. It was then that a top secret US special operations unit Task Force 9 called for airstrikes on the dam after repeated requests from the Kurdish leadership of the SDF.

The explosions on March 26, 2017, knocked dam workers to the ground. A fire spread and crucial equipment failed. The flow of the Euphrates River suddenly had no way through, the reservoir began to rise and authorities used loudspeakers to warn people downstream to flee.

The Islamic State group, the Syrian government and Russia blamed the United States, but the dam was on the US militarys no-strike list of protected civilian sites, and the commander of the US offensive at the time, then-Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, said allegations of US involvement were based on crazy reporting.

Citations:

[1] With watchers on the ground and spy drones overhead, U.S. zeroed in on Islamic State leaders hideout:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/02/10/isis-qurayshi-raid/

[2] A dam in Syria was on a no-strike list. The US bombed it anyway:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/20/us/airstrike-us-isis-dam.html

About the author:

Nauman Sadiq is an Islamabad-based geopolitical and national security analyst focused on geo-strategic affairs and hybrid warfare in the Af-Pak and Middle East regions. His domains of expertise include neocolonialism, military-industrial complex and petro-imperialism. He is a regular contributor of diligently researched investigative reports to alternative news media.
A left wing group that is categorically opposed to immigration enforcement was able to obtain a $158 million taxpayer-funded contract to assist unaccompanied minors avoid deportation.

Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) granted the Vera Institute of Justice this allotment of money. This institute is a leftist nonprofit that supports defunding the police. They received the contract in 2021 provide immigration related legal services to unaccompanied minors, per a report by USASpending, a federal contract database.

The Vera Institute of Justice is a behemoth progressive nonprofit based out of New York City with well over a $140 million budget, which they use to fund a slate of progressive causes and initiatives across the country, Jason Hopkins, an investigative associate with the Immigration Reform Law Institute, said to Fox News. Whether that be criminal justice reform, bail reform and also immigration.

Hopkins claimed the institute receives roughly half of its funding from the federal government. From July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, almost $137 million of the non-profits $174 million in revenue was from government grants, per the institutes most recent tax documents.

The $158 million is just the latest in the hundreds of millions that they provided to Vera for their services, Hopkins stated.

The contract hasnt been previously reported. It started on March 30, 2021 and could potentially end on March 30, 2022.

Right when the contract went into effect, HHS diverted $2 billion originally allocated for health initiatives, which included expanded Wuhan virus testing, to help tackle the growing border crisis.

On an annual basis, thousands of immigrant children are placed into court proceedings in which government prosecutors seek to deport them unless those children can prove they have a right to stay in the United States, a Vera Institute spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Many children face these immigration proceedings alone, she added. Many children have legal options that establish their ability to remain in the United States (such as refugees, trafficking victims, and survivors of crime and abuse), but these options are nearly impossible to access without the assistance of trained attorneys. Other children require legal assistance to seek to voluntarily repatriate to their countries of origin.

The spokesperson claimed the contract was awarded to provide legal orientation services and, in some cases, legal representation, to children in removal proceedings and detention. She noted that a vast majority of federal funding they obtained is subcontracted to legal service providers across the country who provide the services in HHS facilities and immigration courts.

Since the mid-2000s, the federal government has funded similar initiatives.

According to a report by USASpending, the recent contract looks like the Vera Institutes most lucrative contract for a single year.

The Immigration Reform Law Institute estimated that taxpayers in several cities will be on the hook for a deportation legal defense initiative Vera is involved in, per a Fox News Digital report published last month.

Vera Institute of Justice has an initiative called Safety and Fairness for Everyone, Hopkins said to Fox News with regards to their state programs. This began several years ago, and it focuses on providing taxpayer-funded legal representation to aliens  even illegal aliens  that are placed in deportation procedures.

According to the immigration reform group, the initiative used public funding in 50 jurisdictions, 22 of which are formal partners with the Vera Institute.

What theyve done is frankly very smart, Hopkins stated. Its sort of a bottom-up approach.

Instead of being funded by the federal government and kind of trickling down, this is more of a grassroots approach where theyre going from city to city, county to county and getting these local city governments to create a deportation fund thats in part funded by taxpayers, he added.

Hopkins also noted that immigration and deportation are civil issues and the government isnt required to supply individuals a taxpayer-funded attorney.

Hopkins added that immigration and deportation are civil matters and that the government isnt required to provide individuals with taxpayer-funded legal counsel. He observed that the Vera Institutes website highlights how it is committed to ensuring that every person facing deportation receives legal representation regardless of  history with the criminal legal system.

Hopkins said to Fox News: That really opens up the door tois this an illegal alien whos been charged, convicted of murder, rape and any other heinous crime? Vera is very open that they really dont care about their criminal history.

NGOs are notorious for facilitating the demographic replacement of the American population. Its one of the many ways that the globalists assault the Historic American Nation. The way these forces seek to undermine America is unconventional in nature and will require unique policy responses.

A serious populist presidential administration would seek to curb NGO influence as much as possible.

Continue reading: Leftist Group Obtained $158 Million in Taxpayer Funds to Help Illegal Aliens not Face Deportation ...
Wearing a pale blue shirt and a smile, the fresh-faced Liberal Party leader answered Communist China.

There is a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime and say we need to go green, we need to start, you know, investing in solar, Justin Trudeau told the group of women. There is a flexibility that I know [Prime Minister] Stephen Harper must dream about: having a dictatorship where you can do whatever you wanted, that I find quite interesting.

The comments drew fire, particularly from Canadians who noted Chinas oppressive regime and documented human rights abuses.

"It seems to be that he's not well-informed," a member of a round-table told the CBC.

Nevertheless, the comments proved to be little more than a speed bump in Trudeaus political ascent. In November 2015, Trudeau was sworn in as Canadas twenty-third prime minister, succeeding Harper.

There is a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime...having a dictatorship where you can do whatever you wanted, that I find quite interesting.

pic.twitter.com/z5an8hNC4P  Jon Miltimore (@miltimore79) February 15, 2022

Throwing Oil on the Fire

Trudeaus comments deserve scrutiny since he now finds himself in the global spotlight.

On Monday, Trudeau announced he was activating rarely used emergency powers in an effort to suppress the Freedom Convoy, a movement originally created to protest vaccination mandates for truckers crossing the US border that has morphed into a broader protest against COVID restrictions.

"The blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety," Trudeau said in a news conference. "We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue."

By invoking Canadas Emergencies Actwhich in 1988 replaced the War Measures ActTrudeau can use federal law enforcement to assist provincial governments and expand its search and seizure of private goods that sustain the protest movement.

"We are making these changes because we know that these (crowdfunding) platforms are being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activity which is damaging the Canadian economy," said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who used the word terrorism in her comments.

BREAKING: Canada is now regulating crowdfunding platforms and crypto currency under the Terrorist Financing Act. pic.twitter.com/SMzVqonD8v  True North (@TrueNorthCentre) February 14, 2022

Trudeau also said he intends to use federal forces to support provincial forces.

"Despite their best efforts, it is now clear that there are serious challenges to law enforcement's ability to effectively enforce the law," he said.

The prime ministers actions, however, drew criticism from civil rights groups, who accused the administration of engaging in undemocratic actions.

The federal government has not met the threshold necessary to invoke the Emergencies Act, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said. This law creates a high and clear standard for good reason: the Act allows government to bypass ordinary democratic processes. This standard has not been met.

The federal government has not met the threshold necessary to invoke the Emergencies Act. This law creates a high and clear standard for good reason: the Act allows government to bypass ordinary democratic processes. This standard has not been met. 1/3  Canadian Civil Liberties Association (@cancivlib) February 15, 2022

According to Reuters, premiers in Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan also came out against Trudeaus plan.

"We really don't need to throw oil on the fire," said Quebec's Premier Francois Legault.

The Test of Power

Trudeaus actions are indeed dangerous. Yet as American history shows, the line between a peaceful protest and criminal activity is not always clear.

The Boston Tea Party is fondly remembered as a patriotic action in US history, but I had a professor in college who suggested it was an act of domestic terrorism, a view not as uncommon as many would believe. The events of 2020 also showed how peaceful protests can sometimes spiral into something unpeaceful very quickly (or mostly peaceful, a euphemism for violent).

For many, unfortunately, whether a protest is legitimate depends less on which methods are being used and more on which cause is being championed.

Im willing to bet that many people (rightly) appalled at Trudeaus actions supported calls from Republicans for President Trump to deploy the US military in 2020. Conversely, I imagine many of Trudeaus current defenders were among those (rightly) outraged at the idea the US military should be deployed on American soil to put down civilian protests, unrest, and violence.

Whats particularly troubling about Trudeaus escalation of the crisis is that the protests in Canada have been peaceful. Now, whether intentionally snarling traffic is a legitimate form of protest is a fair question, since impeding traffic does infringe on the rights of others. But its a stretch to suggest it meets the definition of violence, and it can be resolved by local authorities without declaring a national emergency.

The events in Canada represent something much bigger than the truckers and Canadas economy. As Martin Luther King Jr. saw, non-violent protest is one of the few tools people without power have to resist the injustices of those who have it. To respond to peaceful protests with more power is to completely miss Kings important lessons on non-violence.

But in Trudeaus case, perhaps it should not surprise us.

In 1989, the Chinese government faced its own blockade as student-led demonstrations in Beijing attempted to impede the Chinese military's advance into Tiananmen Square. Even though the demonstrations were peaceful, the Chinese Communist Party declared martial law and sent in the People's Liberation Armyequipped with rifles, automatic weapons, and tanks.

Nobody knows for sure how many died in the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The Chinese government said 200. A source for the United Kingdom estimated 10,000. Fatalities aside, what most people remember is the image of a young man staring down a Chinese tank, whose driver refused to crush the brave protester before him.

Yesterday was the anniversary of Tiananmen square massacre which happened in 1989 in Beijing, China. Many people dont know about it. Ones who do, recognize it from the famous Tank man photo. But there is a lot more.



This thread has some graphic images. Exercise caution. pic.twitter.com/Pr16s8GMxA     (@Bihar_ke_lala) June 5, 2021

Justin Trudeau, however, remembers something else. For him, Chinas regime represented a dream: a dictatorship where you can do whatever you wanted.

Trudeaus 2013 remarks do not mean he will crush civilians with tanks, of course. But they do indicate he has failed the test of powerand for politicians, theres no bigger test.
The monarch is reportedly ready to contribute personal funds following her sons 12 million sex abuse trial agreement

The settlement, which was announced on Tuesday, means the 61-year-old will no longer face trial over allegations that he sexually abused and raped Giuffre on three separate occasions when she was 17. Neither side can discuss the case or settlement in public.

However, it is understood that Giuffre and her charity will receive a figure in excess of 12 million, according to the newspaper.

Queen Elizabeth II, who has already privately funded the Dukes legal fight, has agreed to partly fund the settlement in an effort to draw a line under the allegations which have caused untold damage to the Princes reputation, The Telegraph reported.

The monarchs contribution will reportedly come from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate. Income from the estate increased to more than 23 million ($31.2 million) in 2020, accounts show.

Prince Andrews personal wealth has long been the subject of much speculation; he currently receives a modest navy pension and an annual 250,000 ($338,775) stipend from the Queen.

The Prince is in the process of selling his only known asset, the Verbier ski chalet he bought with his ex-wife in 2014. The chalet is worth some 17 million ($23 million).

The Duke of York was stripped of all military titles and patronages by the Queen in January and no longer uses the HRH title. In effect, he is not a working member of the royal family.

He had intended to fight the legal battle in the US over his alleged sexual relationship with Giuffre when she was just 17, and his connection to deceased financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Prince Andrew has always denied the allegations and insists he had no recollection of meeting Giuffre.
I woke up early today because the moon is full and I have been promised a 'Russian invasion'.

The sky was clouded, no moon to see, and the 'invasion' is for some reason way less bloody than anticipated.

Not all hope is lost though. It may still be coming:

The 3am time (1am GMT) when US intelligence sources suspected a Russian attack came and went without incident last night as Putin continued to keep The West guessing. Cold clear skies over capital Kyiv - where locals had braced for an aerial blitz - remained silent save for passing commercial flights. But tension remained high before dawn on the day American officials had said Putins invasion force would be unleashed on Ukraine.

I wonder why the map accompanying The Sun screed has four of the five arrows showing a 'possible Russian advance' plus all those artillery cannons and tanks point towards the east.

What is this supposed to say?

Anyway, let's have a happy 'Russian invasion' day.
If Mass General Hospital (MGH) has its way, law enforcement officers in the United States will soon be using portable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) scanners on motorists.

"Boston researchers say theyve developed a new, noninvasive technique for detecting marijuana highs that can reliably tell the difference between people who are truly impaired by the drug and those who merely used it recently."

What has happened to so-called Drug Recognition Experts (DRE)? Have the courts finally realized that police officers using pupil dilation charts to determine which type of drugs a motorist is under is junk science?

Nope, because soon, DRE police officers across the country will be using pupil dilation charts and portable fNIRS brain scanners to determine if someone is under the influence of drugs.

"For so long, our model has been alcohol, so theres been a lot of focus on breath and blood levels," Dr. Jodi Gilman, who led the research, said. "Our thought was, What about looking directly at the brain? "

The MGH study claims that fNIRS scanners are accurate 76 percent of the time.

"The scientists trained a computer algorithm to spot the differences in oxygenated hemoglobin between those who were deemed high and those who were not. Later, analyzing only the after scans, the software yielded false positives in just 10 percent of subjects and correctly guessed which were impaired about 76 percent of the time, a significant improvement over existing techniques and a figure the researchers believe they can boost substantially with further refinements."

Claiming that fNIRS is 76 percent accurate and yielded just 10 percent false positives doesn't add up. Either fNIRS gets it right 76 percent of the time or it does not. But without any independent research to back up MGH's claims, the public will probably never know if those figures are close to being accurate.

If we use the history of breathalyzer source codes being hidden from researchers as a barometer, then one can safely assume that fNIRS scanner source codes will be no different.

The image of government agents stopping motorists under a pretext and forcing them to submit to a field sobriety test, breathalyzer, blood draw and roadside brain scan is something that film director Wes Craven would have turned into a horror movie in the 1980s.

Both Harvard University and Mass General Hospital are working together to turn cops into brain scanning marijuana detectors according to the Harvard Gazette.

Our research represents a novel direction for impairment testing in the field, says lead author Jodi Gilman, investigator in the Center for Addiction Medicine, MGH, and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Our goal was to determine if cannabis impairment could be detected from activity of the brain on an individual level. This is a critical issue because a breathalyzer type of approach will not work for detecting cannabis impairment, which makes it very difficult to objectively assess impairment from THC during a traffic stop.

What "novel direction" will our justice system take when it authorizes 700,000 cops to scan people's brains looking for marijuana impairment.

As the Harvard Gazette points out, there are considerable advantages to turning cops into infrared brain scanning pot detectors.

"While the study did not specifically assess fNIRS in roadside assessments of impaired driving, it did cite considerable advantages for such an application. These include the feasibility of inexpensive, lightweight, battery-powered fNIRS devices that allow data to either be stored on wearable recording units or transmitted wirelessly to a laptop. Moreover, fNIRS technology could be incorporated into a headband or cap, and thus require minimal set-up time."

Read a different way; Mass General Hospital and Harvard University would profit immensely from selling portable fNIRS scanners to law enforcement

As the website Breathalyzer alcohol tester.com points out, selling portable alcohol detectors is a hugely profitable business.

"Cost per test is roughly $0.06 each time. Bill and coin operated versions are available. Maintenance is easy. The pre calibrated field replaceable sensor have eliminated the delays and complications of recalibration by allowing users to simply snap out an old sensor module and "snap in" a new one."

From ignition interlock devices installed in cars, to mandatory "in-air" alcohol detectors in new cars, to brain scanning motorists, Big Brother has effectively destroyed our Bill of Rights in the name of public safety.

When it comes to fNIRS scanners and policing in America, one cannot help but think of the image from the 1980's movie "Scanners" and the poster's iconic words: "There are 4 billion people on earth. 237 are Scanners. They have the most terrifying powers ever created... and they are winning."

Giving hundreds of thousands of cops terrifying new powers to scan 331 million people's brains is best left to Hollywood because if portable fNIRS scanners become a reality, then driving in America will become a real-life horror movie.
Anonymous "US intelligence officials" have launched a smear campaign accusing ZeroHedge of "amplifying Kremlin propaganda."





U.S. intelligence officials allege a conservative financial website with a significant U.S. readership is amplifying Kremlin propaganda. Officials said Zero Hedge, with 1.2 million Twitter followers, published articles created by Moscow-controlled media. https://t.co/VjmLib794m  The Associated Press (@AP) February 15, 2022



The Associated Press laundered the smears in an article titled, "US accuses financial website of spreading Russian propaganda":

U.S. intelligence officials on Tuesday accused a conservative financial news website with a significant American readership of amplifying Kremlin propaganda and alleged five media outlets targeting Ukrainians have taken direction from Russian spies.



The officials said Zero Hedge, which has 1.2 million Twitter followers, published articles created by Moscow-controlled media that were then shared by outlets and people unaware of their nexus to Russian intelligence. The officials did not say whether they thought Zero Hedge knew of any links to spy agencies and did not allege direct links between the website and Russia.



Zero Hedge denied the claims and said it tries to "publish a wide spectrum of views that cover both sides of a given story." In a response posted online Tuesday morning, the website said it "has never worked, collaborated or cooperated with Russia, nor are there any links to spy agencies."



The officials briefed The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence sources. It was the latest effort by President Joe Biden's administration to release U.S. intelligence findings about Russian activity involving Ukraine as part of a concerted push to expose and influence the moves of Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S. officials previously accused Putin of planning a "false-flag" operation to create a pretext for a new invasion of Ukraine and detailed what they believe are final-stage Russian preparations for an assault.

The "evidence" is that they published a few articles from the Strategic Culture Foundation, which publishes the works of well-respected journalists and commentators such as Pepe Escobar and ex-CIA agent Philip Giraldi.



There is no reason for these "U.S. intelligence officials" to be anonymous. It doesn't take "sensitive intelligence sources" to read ZeroHedge's public website and click the links to the articles they publish from outside sources.



The only reason to put forward these smears is to get ZeroHedge censored on social media or censored directly through more aggressive measures.



Just last year, corrupt Attorney General Merrick Garland seized the domain names of Press TV and 32 other MidEast news sites after Israel decidedly lost the propaganda war in their bombing campaign on Gaza.







Garland justified the lawless seizure of their domain names by accusing the allegedly Iranian-linked media outlets of having "targeted the United States with disinformation campaigns and malign influence operations."



They're now accusing ZeroHedge of similar crap, merely swapping Russia for Iran.



ZeroHedge has exploded in popularity over the past few years despite being banned from Facebook and blacklisted/deranked by Google.



According to SimilarWeb, ZeroHedge is the 53rd biggest news site in the US with nearly 80% of their traffic coming from people visiting the website directly.



We've all seen how the White House has been (illegally) demanding social media do more to censor so-called "misinformation" and even pushed for Joe Rogan to be censored by Spotify.



ZeroHedge responded to the smear on Tuesday in an article titled, "Now We've Done It: We Pissed Off The CIA":

Well, now we've done it - we've angered the CIA, and for what? For publishing views that challenge the conventional narrative, such as disputing that an invasion of Ukraine is actually "imminent" as the US State Department and its mainstream media conduits repeat day after day, or that the Covid virus was actually created in a Chinese lab, a view which has gained substantial prominence in recent months after it emerged that none other than the UK's Jeremy Farrar (also known as the UK's Doctor Fauci) played a pivotal role in stifling suggestions that this new virus might have come from a laboratory rather than emerged through natural zoonotic transmission from animals.



Of course, there is no actual accusation that Zero Hedge works directly with anyone tied to Russia or its intelligence apparatus - as the AP admits "officials did not say whether they thought Zero Hedge knew of any links to spy agencies and did not allege direct links between the website and Russia", which is correct because - and we will repeat this once again for the record and for all future similar hit piece attempts to smear us - this website has never worked, collaborated or cooperated with Russia, nor are there any links to spy (or any other) agencies; instead all the AP notes, citing some unnamed "intelligence official", is that the US intelligence apparatus is unhappy that among our hundreds of guest publishing contributors is a website called Strategic Culture Foundation which US intel officials "allege" take direction from the SVR, the Russian foreign intelligence service.

The owner of ZeroHedge was already allegedly doxed by Bloomberg and identified as a Bulgarian former investment banker who has been living in the US since 2001.



The issue is not that ZeroHedge published works from the Strategic Culture Foundation, the issue is that they consistently undermine the DC regime's propaganda narratives on all fronts.



Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas just last week issued a "terrorism bulletin" claiming the US is in a "heightened threat landscape" due to "the proliferation of false or misleading narratives, which sow discord or undermine public trust in U.S. government institutions."



"For example, there is widespread online proliferation of false or misleading narratives regarding unsubstantiated widespread election fraud and COVID-19," Mayorkas' bulletin said.







If undermining the DC regime's propaganda is now considered to be a form of terrorism, then ZeroHedge is a top enemy of the state.



If ZeroHedge does not already have backup domains, they should purchase them ASAP.



Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab, Minds, Parler and Telegram.




On Wednesday Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria on FOX Business Network.

During their discussion the topic turned to the recent Russia-Ukraine hysteria by the Biden regime. Maria Bartiromo suggested it might be to take attention away from the greatest political scandal in American history  the Democrat Party and Intel Communitys spying on the Trump Campaign and then later the Trump White House.

Its certainly clear what the fake news mainstream media was focusing on  and it wasnt Hillary and Obama!

Maria Bartiromo: Was this a ruse? Was this whole thing an effort to take attention away from what Hillary Clinton did and what we know to be a complete hoax over this Russia investigation? What are your thoughts? Because I know Jake Sullivan worked for Hillary Clinton and he was one of the people who was pedaling this Russia collusion lie for 4 years. And there he is now with NSA coming up with this hysteria over Russia. Senator Tommy Tuberville: Theyre scrambling. Theres no doubt about it. I wouldnt trust Jake Sullivan or Mayorkas or Secretary Blinkin as far as I can throw them.

Tommy Tuberville sure is a breathe of fresh air.

Via Mornings with Maria.
With the stroke of a pen and an announcement from a podium, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has essentially declared himself supreme dictator over the nation on our northern border.

We now have a full-on totalitarian regime adjacent to the United States. This is no small development. So lets break it down.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has condemned Trudeau for invoking the Emergencies Act, claiming in a tweet that the Canadian federal government has not met the threshold necessary to do so.

The Emergencies Act can only be invoked when a situation "seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada" & when the situation "cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada."  Canadian Civil Liberties Association (@cancivlib) February 15, 2022

The Emergencies Act can only be invoked when a situation seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada and when the situation cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada, the Twitter thread continues.

By invoking this Act, the first time its ever been done in Canadian history, Trudeau has essentially declared a form of martial law. This petty dictator has apparently made himself available to the global predators and offered up his country to be the first in the formerly Free World to transition from freedom into the grand utopia of the Great Reset.

And we thought it would take a war or an economic collapse to get the Western democracies to implement the Great Reset. No. It can be done with the stroke of a pen under the guise of a fake emergency.

This form of martial law targets a select group of Canadians who are exercising their right to peaceful protest under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but now they have been branded as criminals. Bank accounts are being frozen with no due process, licenses suspended, people arrested.

But according to the Civil Liberties Association, Trudeau is illegally invoking the Act because the nation has not met the threshold laid out in the law to qualify as a legitimate national emergency.

Lori Williams, a politics professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, told Reuters that theres the danger this could create more problems, calling the powers enormous.

Thats why this has to be done with the cooperation of premiers and if they dont want help, then the federal government needs to hang back.

Leah West, an assistant professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, doubted the move met the standards, posting on Twitter that the countrys sovereignty is not endangered by the largely non-violent protests.

So who is the real criminal here?

This should be a lesson for all Americans and citizens of other Western nations. Trudeau is obviously not the person in charge of making such drastic decisions, no more than Biden is in charge here in Washington, D.C., or Macron is in charge in Paris or Johnson in London.

Trudeau answers to the Davos elites committed to the agenda of the World Economic Forum. We have already covered that in our recent three-part series here at LeoHohmann.com and if you havent read those yet, I encourage you to do so.

The World Economic Forum globalists play dirty. Thats why we call them global predators. They hire and train politicians who are known psychopaths like Trudeau in Canada and Macron in France, or sell outs like Obama/Biden in the U.S. and Ardern in New Zealand.

None of Trudeaus actions should be viewed as that of a national leader. He is simply implementing the tactics he learned at WEF founder Klaus Schwabs Young Global Leaders program, from which he is a graduate.

Hence, any of the other Western nations now being led by politicians also committed to the WEF vision of the world would act exactly the same way given the same set of circumstances in their countries.

We know Biden is one of their cronies. He even named his landmark piece of legislation after the WEF slogan, Build Back Better.

The global predators knew their forced masking and mandated injections would eventually lead to worldwide uprisings and civil unrest. They predicted it in the Rockefeller Foundation document from 2010 called Lockstep. How to handle these popular uprisings was all discussed and rehearsed ahead of time  label them as criminals and hit them where it hurts, shut down their finances.

This is the Great Reset, in our faces. You obey, you get to keep a semblance of your normal life, though it will be nothing like your pre-Covid life. You disobey your new masters and you get otherized and canceled from society. Weve been talking about the Great Reset in theory for a year and a half. Now we have a clear example of how it works, right over our northern border.

In some ways, Trudeaus invoking of the Emergencies Act is worse than a military martial law. This is digital/economic warfare against the Canadian population. At least with the military you can see the enemy. This is worse.

Trudeau didnt even have to stage a false flag attack like Hitler did with the Reichstag fire. All he had to do was use his state-run media to label his political opponents, who are entirely peaceful, as white nationalist extremists. The state-funded Canadian media happily went along with his game plan. The U.S. media would do the same.

Trudeau has empowered banks to go after his political opponents while releasing these banks from all legal liability for their actions. This man is a traitor to his nation and his people. A monster.

We have the same NWO freaks in every Western capital, ready to follow Trudeaus example should their people get out of line.

We also have them in the churches.

Bergoglio in the Vatican is another one of their henchmen, willing to advocate any policy, no matter how anti-God and anti-human, if the order is given by the right elitist power broker. We know hes friends with Schwab.

Lest you think only the Catholics have their players in this realm, think again. On the Protestant side theyve got preachers like Franklin Graham, Tim Keller, Rick Warren, Robert Jeffress, TD Jakes and many others willing to whore themselves out for the New World Order.

Knowingly or unknowingly, the leaders of almost every 501c3 church, when push comes to shove, will toe the line of the new world orders Great Reset and Fourth Industrial Revolution. Many are signing up now for Mark Zuckerbergs Metaverse church services. Zuck is another graduate of Scwabs Young Global Leaders program.

Take heed, Patriots. They are coming after your bank account.

Tribulation is here, folks. Whether you want to assign a capital T or a small t to that word, its here. God have mercy. Christ have mercy.
According to a press release, Adams intends to expand facial recognition as a way for the police to identify problems, follow up on leads, and collect evidence.

When reports speak about expanding the New York Police Departments (NYPD) current use of facial recognition, they are referring to Amnesty International data that shows this policy thats meant to be expanded here is already invasive. Amnesty International says that the citys main law enforcement agency already uses images, sometimes scraped from the internet, to compare and match with its own suspect and felon database, and then also those obtained from some 15,000 surveillance cameras installed all around New York.

The question of why there needs to be even more of this controversial push is one that emerges from the take on the situation offered by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) senior policy council Michael Sisitzky, cited by Reason magazine, who believes the mass surveillance already operational and at NYPDs disposal is enough to track who goes where and when.

Once again, ACLU emphasizes the possibility that the use of facial recognition could disproportionately infringe on the rights of minorities  but the problem of mass surveillance is and will remain to be universal.

One of the reasons is the level and quality of this techs safety, given how easily it can be manipulated, and its general lack of accuracy. NYPDs use of facial recognition has been described as unscientific by Georgetown Laws Center on Privacy & Technology Jameson Spivack. This now goes so far that officers on occasion, when they cannot find a match with a security video image of a suspect, go ahead and try to match it with that of a lookalike celebrity.

In one case, it was a photo of Woody Harrelson.

When the software turned up matches for the actor, the police identified and arrested one of the matches that they thought resembled the suspect from the security cam footage, writes Reason.

One proposed solution is for New York to follow in the footsteps of San Francisco, Oakland, and Seattle and ban facial recognition  instead of doubling down on its usage.

The post NY Mayor outlines new facial recognition surveillance push appeared first on Reclaim The Net.
Many may have hoped that the worst of the deep societal divisions brought about by the way countries around the world decided to deal with the pandemic are now behind us  but Canada begs to differ.

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decided that it was a good idea to reach for the Emergencies Act in a bid to put an end to weeks-long civil liberties protests in that country, spurred by grassroots, trucker-driver-driven events.

And, it appears, one of the punitive measures could be to cut people participating in a democratic dissent event off from their income  by freezing their bank accounts.

Yes. Its true.

Canadian protesters may have taken a leaf out of the book of those trying to get their point across from many protests across the world over the years: blocking important roads, border crossings, and the like. Well  as a peaceful protester  how else would you hope to get your point across?

But Canadas Trudeaus thin political skin showed up here in full display when he decided to let his ministers know he decided to use the Emergencies Act, legislation put in place instead of the 1988 War Measures Act.

Trudeaus explanation to his cabinet was that the extraordinary  and extraordinarily usual measure  was something that the federal government was doing, in essence, to try to put right the shortcomings (supplement) the provincial, etc., government decisions in Canada.

Trudeau may wish, and his wish may be granted, to forget this time he essentially questioned the value of the governmental/territorial system of his own country  just to deal with a trucker protest. And in the grand scheme of media things, his wish may well be granted.

Like this:

After discussing with cabinet and caucus, after consultation with premiers from all provinces and territories, the federal government has invoked the emergencies act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations.

Thats what a press conference heard this week.

Not even Trudeau wants to think that authoritarian measures  whether or not thats true  are permanent. No  he told reporters that this lex specialis will be limited in time and space. And the Canadian Army wont be deployed  what a reassuring, and frightening at the same time remark from any prime minister that is.

But then there was also this: Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is quoted as saying that banks and other financial institutions in Canada have the authority to temporarily cease providing financial services where the institution suspects that an account is being used to further the illegal blockades and occupations. This order covers both personal and corporate accounts.

Freeland  now, could there ever be a more nominative determinism coupled with an industrial complex fueling the sheer irony of a persons name  in the context of what the person, so unluckily, is trying to convey?

If you're tired of censorship, cancel culture, and the erosion of civil liberties subscribe to Reclaim The Net.
A Glastonbury school board member and a resident who spoke at a volatile public hearing on the high schools former Native American mascot exchanged vulgarities just before a brief fight that landed the board member on the floor of the high school auditorium, according to arrest warrants obtained Wednesday.

Police recently arrested board member Monte Ray McFall, 57, and Mark Finocchiaro, 53, each on a charge of second-degree breach of peace.

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The ruckus happened at a contentious Dec. 14 meeting centered on a petition to return Glastonbury High Schools original mascot, the Tomahawks. The board had previously voted to drop the name in favor of the Glastonbury Guardians.

Board rules limited speakers at the public hearing to three minutes. Before Finocchiaro spoke, resident Laura Cahill said Native Americans do not feel honored by the misappropriation of their culture, and Jill Durall, who said her grandparents were Cherokee, told the crowd there was nothing offensive about the word, Tomahawk,  unless you are searching for a grievance, according to an audio recording of the meeting.

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Finocchiaro began by shouting his name into the microphone, then saying, Sorry that was so loud. He gave his address, but said he would probably get doxed by the lunatics youre running out of this school and his house likely would be egged.

When he heard Finocchiaro begin to speak and evaluated his body language, school resource Officer Jason Trudeau wrote in the arrest warrant affidavit, he moved nearer, to limit my reaction time if needed.

Finocchiaro spoke about the rich history of Native Americans in Glastonbury, how arrowheads were found on a local farm and how his daughter got an A on a school project on the subject. He was talking about archaeologists from UConn inspecting ancient fire pits in town when both board Chairman Douglas Foyle and McFall, who was in charge of the audible timer, told him his time was up.

No, Im not done! Finocchiaro shouted.

After being told by the board members that he was making a spectacle of himself and was not paying attention, Finocchiaro continued yelling, according to the audio recording, shouting at one point, Youre not paying attention! Youre a (double expletive).

Foyle said Wednesday, With Mr. Finocchiaro, there was lots of cross-talk with both Ray and I saying different things. Initially, Ray would have told him his time was up. My recollection is that I said very little other than to tell him his time was up as a follow-up, tell his wife that she couldnt yield her time to him and then try to recognize the other speaker at the other podium.

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Police and the districts security director determined that Finocchiaro should be watched, but removing him from the auditorium might cause further problems as the crowd seemed to be a bit volatile.

Tensions remained high during a recess. Referring to Finocchiaro, McFall said, Im going to tear that guys (expletive) lips off, the warrant says. Toward the end of the break, McFall walked into the crowd, telling police he planned to speak to a town council member. Passing Finocchiaro, McFall asked if he had called him a vulgar name during the hearing, the warrant says.

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Face to face, the two exchanged angry words in the aisle as Finocchiaro stood against a bolted down auditorium seat. After McFall said, Im right here, Finocchiaro leaned into the side of McFalls face and referred to him with a vulgarity synonymous with coward, the warrant says.

Ray then slowly pushes Mark backwards, keeping his hands planted on his chest, the warrant says. Mark was being held up against the fixed chair and the top half of his body was leaned backwards due to the push.

Mark clearly looks surprised and that is when Mark punched Ray in the face using his right hand, the warrant says. It should be noted that at the time Mark struck Ray in the face, Ray still had his hands on him, pushing him back.

McFall was contrite during an interview, police said, saying he should have backed off and handled the situation differently. Police said they tried, but could not get a statement from Finocchiaro. McFall is set to appear in Manchester Superior Court on March 10; Finocchiaro is to appear on March 11.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com
Claire Duffy reports:

Facebook (FB)-parent Meta has agreed to pay $90 million to settle a decade-old class action lawsuit over a practice that allowed the social network to track users activity across the internet, even if they had logged out of the platform. [] The settlement applies to US Facebook users who had an account between April 22, 2010, and September 26, 2011, and who visited non-Facebook websites that displayed the Like button, a list that included everything from Pandora to ESPN.

Read more at CNN. The case is In re: Facebook Internet Tracking Litigation, case number 5:12-MD-2314-EJD, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division.

As part of the plaintiffs lawyers press release on the news, DiCello Levitt Gut include a list of the top 10 privacy and data breach class action settlements:
The dirty little secret youll never learn on CNN is that the Canadian trucker convoy has indisputably proven itself to be the most effective popular uprising since the start of the pandemic.

The Freedom Convoy owes its wild strategic effectiveness to a few distinguishing features:

#1: They showed up in the Heart of Canadian Darkness , the belly of the beast, the seat of the national government, right in the middle of Ottawa, Canadas version of DC. The central lesson of the Freedom Convoy is this: truly gain the attention of the elites, we have to go to their house and make them uncomfortable. The formula for success is to make ignoring us  which they would otherwise do if given the option  impossible.

Ottawa city council's zoom meeting leaked. pic.twitter.com/Y7yIf54bMw  Citizen 1 (@citizen1448) February 7, 2022

Ottawa City Council: Our city is under siege they are terrorizing our residents torturing them with incessant honking preventing them from leading their lives  This group is a threat to our democracy.

(Democracy is code for our regime.)

Simply put, the authorities are finally paying attention to the freedom movement because they have no choice.

#2: Despite the medias best attempts to smear the participants as racists, terrorists, etc. (as they always do), the truckers and their supporters come from diverse working-class backgrounds. They are transparently non-violent non-extremists. Theyre farmers and truckers of various races  a universally respectable, sympathetic, hard-to-pigeonhole group. Contrasted with the governing class ghouls in opposition to them, they look all the more appealing to the public eye.

The protesters even brought bouncy castles and saunas  a starkly divergent vibe from the mass looting by the celebrated BLM civil rights protesters in 2020.

Minions-themed bouncy castles for kids are hard to demonize as features of a hate rally or whatever.

#3: Just as importantly as making the ruling class uncomfortable, the truckers impacted the business operations of multinational corporations like Ford and Toyota:

Two of the worlds biggest carmakers, Ford and Toyota, say production is being disrupted by trucker protests in Canada. Plants have been forced to shut because car parts are being held up at two US border points blocked by truckers protesting against a vaccine mandate.

American and Canadian politicians couldnt care less about the complaints of their average corn farmer constituent (whom they are theoretically supposed to represent). But when a multinational corporate CEO picks up the phone, they take that call.

Even within a matter of a couple of weeks, Alberta (arguably the most independent Canadian province) already announced plans to fully scrap the authoritarian mandates.

Manitoba followed suit.

If the truckers can keep up the pressure, those two likely wont be the last jurisdictions to cave.

Human Liberty Movements Worldwide Have Taken Notice, Planning Their Own Convoys

Good ideas have an organic way of going viral.

Via DW:

Protesters in France began on Wednesday what they are calling the freedom convoy, with the ultimate goal of converging around Paris and Brussels, to demand an end to COVID-19 restrictions. The vehicular protest was inspired by the ongoing demonstrations in Canada, where a sizeable group of truck drivers have blocked a border crossing to protest a COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed in January by Canada and the US.

The Canadian trucker convoy showed us the way to freedom. And now its about to happen in Europe. Welcome to the European Trucker Convoy / European Freedom Convoy to Brussels.  #IStandWithTruckers #FreedomConvoy2022 #europeanfreedomconvoy pic.twitter.com/S3KfeF0hCa  James Melville (@JamesMelville) January 28, 2022

And of course, a homegrown American #FreedomConvoy is headed to the global Heart of Darkness, that den of iniquity, Washington D.C.

The security state has taken notice:

A DHS bulletin said the agency has received reports of truck drivers planning to potentially block roads in major metropolitan cities in the United States in protest of, among other things, vaccine mandates for truck drivers. While there are currently no indications of planned violence, if hundreds of trucks converge in a major metropolitan city, the potential exists to severely disrupt transportation, federal government operations, commercial facilities, and emergency services through gridlock and potential counterprotests, the bulletin continued.

Because the corporate state consistently resorts to the same, tired playbook, we already know whom and what they will blame for the trucker convoy  the three Rs:

Russia

Racism

Far Right

Via NBC News:

The [American Convoy] effort is receiving a boost from a familiar source: overseas content mills. Social media-based foreign interference in domestic politics first came into public view in the aftermath of the 2016 election after researchers found that Russias Internet Research Agency was conducting an elaborate influence campaign across American social media sites in an effort to support candidate Donald Trump .

Via Global News:

As the convoy descends on Ottawa with the stated aim of opposing all COVID-19 mandates, anti-hate experts allege those with white nationalist and Islamophobic views dont just represent the fringes of the movement but are among the organizers of the convoy.

Notice the sad, uncompelling evidence offered is allegations from faceless anti-hate experts.

How does one become an expert in anti-hate? The entire job entails labelling anything or anyone in opposition to the global corporate state (that bankrolls the anti-hate industry) as racist or extremist  the old when all you have is a hammer everything is a nail dilemma.



To get an idea what kind of treatment the American ruling class has in mind for the future racist Russian puppet participants in the coming American convoy, consider the prescription offered by Obama-era Homeland Security goon Juliette Kayyem:

The convoy protest, applauded by right wing media as a "freedom protest," is an economic and security issue now. The Ambassador Bridge link constitutes 28% of annual trade movement between US and Canada. Slash the tires, empty gas tanks, arrest the drivers, and move the trucks  https://t.co/nvRQTfPWir  Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) February 10, 2022

The government face you can trust

In a preemptive move, Bidens handlers put him on the phone with Trudeau to pressure the Canadian PM into more punitive crackdowns on the illegal, foreign-funded convoy.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed the call he had with U.S. President Joe Biden Friday on the ongoing trucker convoy in Ottawa, causing border blockages between the two countries. pic.twitter.com/bS4JiT5HEg  Newsweek (@Newsweek) February 11, 2022

The DHS on February 7 issued a fatwa against COVID-19 dissenters. The #1 threat it identified was the proliferation of false [COVID-19] narratives that undermine public trust in the government:

Key factors contributing to the current heightened threat environment include: The proliferation of false or misleading narratives, which sow discord or undermine public trust in U.S. government institutions:

For example, there is widespread online proliferation of false or misleading narratives regarding unsubstantiated widespread election fraud and COVID-19 . Grievances associated with these themes inspired violent extremist attacks during 2021.

What is that if not a direct declaration of war on Constitutionally-guaranteed free speech and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances?

What does that pronouncement make the DHS if not a treasonous occupational force?

Ben Bartee is a Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs. Follow his stuff via his blog, Armageddon Prose, Substack, Patreon, Gab, and Twitter.

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Months of frenzied speculation about an imminent Russian invasion of Kiev by Western journalists, think tanks, and politicians culminated on February 15 with Moscow reducing its military footprint near Ukraines border.



The withdrawal came one day beforePresident Joe Bidens administration inexactly forecast a phantom incursion.

Panic was stoked to a perplexing degree. Atlantic Council representative Melinda Haring declared on February 11 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had big weekend plans forthcoming in Ukraine, including cutting off the nations power and heat, knocking out its entire navy and air force, killing a number of general staff in order to install a pro-Russian president, and resorting to full-scale military invasion if Ukraine doesnt give in.

When none of this came to pass over the weekend, Haring meekly claimed emotions were running high, and shed let them get the better of her. She said she would be more judicious in future.Still, Haring complained of Russian trolls, and as Russia withdrew forces, she conveniently reframed the narrative. Weve been so focused on Russian troops and tanks that we missed Moscows strategy: strangle Ukraines economy and sap the resolve of its people.

Almost as baffling and bizarre was British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss boldly asserting on January 22 that London possessed information indicating Moscow planned to forcibly install a puppet government in Kiev. Forces would invade Ukraine and mount a coup through the help of a quintet of Ukrainian politicians with alleged links to Russian intelligence.

The information being released today shines a light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin thinking, Truss stated.

An Illogical Coup Leader

When asked to substantiate the claims, British officials were at a loss, and also refused to clarify how the information was obtained and verified.

These claims rapidly circulated. The New York Times praised Britains reckless inflaming of a highly volatile situation as muscular. But the media also acknowledged Truss provided no evidence to support the bombshell allegations.

In an ironic twist, Yevhen Murayev, a former Ukrainian MP named by London as the Kremlins pick for President, expressed amusement and dismay.Youve made my evening. The British Foreign Office seems confused, he told the Observer while laughing. It isnt very logical. Im banned from Russia. Not only that, but money from my fathers firm there has been confiscated.

Two days later, London followed the US lead in withdrawing its embassy staff from Kiev. Yet hours later, a senior European diplomat made clear European Union member states would not withdraw, adding snidely there was no need to dramatize the situation while talks with Moscow continued.

The Washington Post added to the confusion on January 29 when they quietly revealed that intelligence underlying Truss shock announcement was collected and declassified by the US, and the Biden administration had specifically asked British authorities to publicly expose the purported plot. Oddly, details werent shared with allies, such as Germany, where officials consistently expressed skepticism toward the notion that Russia would invade Ukraine.

Nowhere in the Posts coverage did the newspaper ask a very obvious questionwhy was the disclosure of the incendiary material outsourced in this manner?

An Obliging Client State

Britains laundering of US intelligence created the illusion that an ally had independently reinforced dodgy claims from US officials of an imminent Russian invasion. It allowed Washington to recast the December transfer of 90 tons of lethal aid to Ukraine as reactive. Whats more, the ruse provided plausible deniability in the event that the false narrative unraveled, as it inevitably did.

The Biden administration knew very well that London could be relied upon. At the conclusion of World War II, a Foreign Office official ruefully concluded that a bankrupt Britains future lay in serving as junior partner in an orbit of power predominantly under American aegis. Ever since, the UK government has consistently gone further than most countries in serving Washington interests.In September 2021, Yahoo! News exposed how the CIA had secret war plans to kidnap or even assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange if he attempted to leave the Ecuador embassy in London for Moscow. The report contained a shocking example of Britains willingness to do the bidding of US intelligence. (Note: Assanges legal team says Assange was opposed to Ecuadors proposal to assign him to a diplomatic post in Moscow.)

Scenarios to thwart Assanges escape included gun battles with Kremlin operatives on the streets of London and shooting out the tires of a Russian plane carrying Assange before it could take off for Moscow. US officials reportedly asked their British counterparts to do the shooting if gunfire was required, and the British agreed.

The British also took the leading role in producing propaganda ahead of the US invasion of Iraq. As far back as 1998, MI6 black propaganda specialists were involved in psychological warfare known as Operation Mass Appeal, according to former United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter. The foreign spying agency circulated intelligence to media outlets to help shape public opinion about Iraq and the threat posed by WMD [weapons of mass destruction].

We have some outlets in foreign newspapers  some editors and writers who work with us from time to time  where we can spread some material, MI6 representatives told Ritter. We just need to be kept informed on what you are doing and when, so we can time the press releases accordingly.

A particularly controversial British intelligence assessment claimed Iraq President Saddam Hussein was capable of attacking Europe with WMD in just 45 minutes. It turned out the source was a lone Iraqi taxi driver. The claim was repeated in a televised speech by President George W. Bush in September 2002 and proved fundamental to the war in Baghdad two months later.

British intelligence led the way in fomenting the US-led conflict against Syria in August 2013, after opposition-controlled Ghouta was allegedly struck by rockets fired by government forces containing the chemical agent sarin. The incident had the hallmarks of a false flag operation. US officials were forced to concede evidence implicating the Syrian government was hardly a slam dunk, and communications intercepted by German spies indicated that whatever happened, Syrian President Bashar Assads government had not sanctioned or been aware of the attack.

However, the British Joint Intelligence Committee possessed no such doubts and declared it was highly likely that the Syrian regime was responsible, and there [were] no plausible alternative scenarios. This resulted in a parliamentary vote on launching military intervention in Syria (alongside Washington and Paris mere days later). But that failed, taking the question of Western military action against Damascus off the table.

British Influence Operations In Ukraine

Ukraine is a country where Britain consistently seeks to influence events in order to derive economic, political, and military benefits. For example, leaked documents indicate London funded consultants to effectively market neoliberal labor reforms to the Ukrainian public, which would destroy employment rights and protections.

The Foreign Office also financed Ukraines StopFake, a purported fact-checking website with deep links to fascist elements in the country. StopFake defended Ukrainian military training camps for children that are run by the Neo-Nazi militia Azov Battalion. They also defended Andrey Parubiy,a Ukrainian parliamentary speaker from 2016  2019 Parubiy is an avowed Adolf Hitler fan. When Parubiy visited Britain in 2018, local reporters sprang to his defence. He was implicated in a reported false flag massacre of Maidan protesters in February 2014.

Even more significantly, the Foreign Office is secretly co-opting journalists and media organizations in Kiev via funding, training, and the surreptitious production of anti-Russian, pro-Western, and pro-NATO content. Girls on HBObut in Ukraine was one suggested example of programming to support in leaked internal files.

These efforts are a component of a 100 million clandestine drive by London to weaken the Russian states influence over its neighbors.

All of which is another facet of Britains bond with the US that has been absolutely fundamental: relations between Moscow and Washington must remain tense. By presenting itself as a dependable bastion of European security, Britain can remain relevant globally, able to perpetually piggyback off its partners might. For this reason, London was willing to circulate bunk US intelligence about an impending Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The West Keeps Guessing

Fittingly, in the wake of Moscows announcement that it would withdraw troop deployments from some annual military exercises, Britains notorious Sun tabloid published an exclusive stating Russia was still planning to invade at 1 am London time on February 16.No massive missile blitz happened so the Sun updated the exclusive to say Putin continued to keep the West guessing. The article quoted Truss at some length, who said officials were preparing for the worst, believed an invasion highly likely, and over the next few days there could be an attempt to claim the Ukrainians are attacking them so the Russians have a justification for invading.

Certainly, our latest intelligence suggests that an invasion is imminent, that its highly likely, and that weve seen 100,000 troops stationed around the border, Truss fulminated. We would expect multiple sequenced attacks and not a single strike.We could be on the brink of a war in Europe. That would have severe consequences not just for the people of Russia and Ukraine but also for the broader security of Europe, Truss added.

Such fearmongering has been de rigeur since 1946, when British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered an iconic speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Churchill warned that communism posed a growing challenge and peril to Christian civilization. Without a special relationship between the British Commonwealth and Empire and the US, there may be another World War.

At the time, opinion polls indicated American citizens not only valued and trusted their Soviet ally far more than Britain, but they foresaw a much-reduced role for the latter in world affairs following the war. Churchills comments were poorly received, but their impact was quickly apparent. Six months later, US-Soviet cooperation collapsed due to disagreements over the future of occupied Germany.

Washington became wedded to a hardline anti-Soviet policy, and the Cold War was launched.

The post British Officials Spread Moscow Coup Plot Disinformation For United States appeared first on Shadowproof.


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A Romanian man has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison for his role in a multistate ATM skimming scam that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses, federal prosecutors said.

In addition to a prison term of 21 months, Dragush Nelo Hornea, 26, was also sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Boston to five years of probation, and was ordered to pay more than $100,000 in restitution and forfeiture, according to a statement from the U.S. attorneys office. He will also be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence.

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Hornea and more than a dozen accomplices installed devices on bank ATMs in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, South Carolina, Georgia and other states to steal debit card numbers and personal identification numbers from bank customers, prosecutors said.

They then used the stolen information to clone the victims debit cards and make unauthorized withdrawals of hundreds of thousands of dollars, authorities said.

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Hornea pleaded guilty in October to a racketeering charge. All 15 people charged in the scheme have pleaded guilty.
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Brandon residents collectively donated US$3,215 to a fundraiser supporting the occupation in downtown Ottawa and blockades at many Canadian border crossings.

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THE CANADIAN PRESS/JEFF MCINTOSH Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators leave in a truck convoy after blocking the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alta., Tuesday.

Brandon residents collectively donated US$3,215 to a fundraiser supporting the occupation in downtown Ottawa and blockades at many Canadian border crossings.

A leaked document containing data shows 36 donations to the fundraiser came from Brandon-area postal codes and 1,279 donations from Manitobans amounting to US$145,172.

Searching the names listed in the data reveals that local donors include a post-secondary instructor, a chiropractor, the co-owner of a local contracting company, workers for government departments and Crown corporations and two executives for a local financial institution, among others.

On Sunday, American crowdfunding site GiveSendGo was hacked and its web pages were replaced with a video showing footage of the song "Let It Go" from Disneys animated musical "Frozen" and a list of top donors to a fundraiser benefiting the protests.

The fundraiser was originally on GoFundMe, but that site closed the initiative after it determined that the use of the collected funds violated its terms of service. GiveSendGo, which bills itself as a Christian crowdfunding site, has since become the campaigns new venue.

Below that video was a file containing a list detailing every transaction relating to the fundraiser, including names, email addresses, donation amounts, countries of origin and postal or ZIP codes. The Sun has not independently verified the hack or the leak.

The compromised page was since removed and replaced with a placeholder stating that GiveSendGo is offline for "maintenance and server upgrades." As of Tuesday, the full website had been restored.

The Sun was able to obtain a copy of the leaked document before the link was taken down.

Analyzing the entries in the leaked data shows that a total of US$8,421,806.50 was donated to the campaign in 92,844 transactions.

However, that doesnt mean there were that many donors, as some people donated multiple times.

Because the country of origin is listed for each transaction, it can be ascertained that US$3,626,223.50 of the donated money came from the United States in 51,666 transactions.

When it comes to countries outside of the U.S. and Canada, US$484,296 was donated in 4,976 transactions.

That leaves the total amount donated by Canadians as US$4,311,287 over 36,202 transactions.

While Canadians donated the most money, Americans made more individual donations to the fundraiser.

To determine how many people donated how much money in each province or territory, the data was filtered to show only entries featuring each provinces unique letter that all of its postal codes start with.

Because some countries have similar postal codes to Canadas, the data was also filtered to only show entries where the country was listed as Canada.

Heres a list of donations by province or territory:

 Yukon Territory: 72 donations worth US$10,290

 Northwest Territories and Nunavut: 48 donations worth US$5,735

 British Columbia: 7,343 donations worth US$915,782

 Alberta: 6,675 donations worth US$867,551

 Saskatchewan: 1,335 donations worth US$203,063

 Manitoba: 1,199 donations worth US$145,172

 Ontario: 14,124 donations worth US$1,627,711

 Quebec: 3,850 donations worth US$321,283

 New Brunswick: 563 donations worth US$122,754

 Prince Edward Island: 116 donations worth US$11,914

 Nova Scotia: 640 donations worth US$57,413

 Newfoundland and Labrador: 194 donations worth US$19,613

For the effort of processing the payments, GiveSendGos proceeds from the fundraiser totals US$572,747.94.

With the fundraiser and website coming back online Tuesday, the total amount fundraised has arrived at US$9,348,588, with a second fundraiser titled "Adopt A Trucker" having generated US$741,211.

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
Premier Heather Stefanson pleaded in a private letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene at the Emerson border blockade just days before she publicly opposed his decision to enact the federal Emergencies Act against protesters.

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Premier Heather Stefanson pleaded in a private letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene at the Emerson border blockade just days before she publicly opposed his decision to enact the federal Emergencies Act against protesters.

In a Feb. 11 letter obtained by the Free Press, Stefanson asked Trudeau to take "immediate and effective" action as she pleaded for "national leadership that only you and the federal government can provide."

SUPPLIED Premier Stefansons letter warned of urgency and dangers, a tone that was absent in her public comments about relying on police to resolve the situation peacefully.

Yet, at a news conference on Monday, Stefanson said local leaders had the situation under control, and she feared if the federal government wielded power under the Emergencies Act, it would "escalate situations."

Her Feb. 11 letter said the situation was urgent and blockades that disrupt "this critical corridor  even temporarily  create potential dangers, impose severe hardships on all Manitobans and cause severe economic loss and damage to Manitoba and Canadian businesses."

Her letter warned of "urgency" and "dangers," a tone that was absent in her public comments about relying on police to resolve the situation peacefully.

On Tuesday, RCMP announced the blockade, which began Feb. 10, was expected to end Wednesday.

The premier and Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen issued a statement Tuesday commending "the expert and professional management of the provincial RCMP in respectfully de-escalating this situation without the use of force."

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said the premiers failure to act on the blockade at the Emerson border crossing  where $73 million in goods are shipped every day  and the protests that have disrupted downtown Winnipeg since Feb. 4 is "irresponsible."

He said Stefansons letter to the PM versus what she said publicly shows shes not telling Manitobans what she really believes.

"The premier can say one thing publicly and write another thing behind the scenes," Kinew said.

"Actions speak louder than words. The premiers inaction really tells you where her heart lies. The fact that she did nothing shows an irresponsibility," Kinew said.

The premier had been telling Manitobans they have to trust police to peacefully negotiate an end to the blockade. Shes also called on the federal government to lift the vaccine mandates for truckers and urged Canada to work with the U.S. to do likewise.

The premiers letter to the prime minister didnt ask him to lift vaccine mandates for truckers, but a spokeswoman for the premier said Tuesday that was the intended message.

No one had expected Trudeau to invoke the far-reaching power of the Emergencies Act, she said.

"The unprecedented use of this sweeping legislation had never been raised before Monday, and is not necessary in Manitoba. The premier, along with several other premiers, took issue with the blanket use of the Emergencies Act across the country," the spokeswoman told the Free Press.

"Last Friday the premier wrote to the prime minister requesting a clear and clearly communicated plan to de-escalate tensions at the border. The premier felt a clear federal road map and timetable on relaxing border restrictions would be timely and constructive. Not just for truckers, but for all Canadians looking for a return to some kind of normalcy after nearly two long years," the premiers spokeswoman said.

"As everyone knows, the protests at the border started when the prime minister announced mandates for the trucking industry at the border - the same people who had been delivering goods and services throughout the entire pandemic. As this was mandated federally only, the PM could change this policy, and only he could engage with the U.S. administration, she said.

Stefanson also had a call with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Friday, to exchange information, discuss concerns, and talk about advocacy on the U.S. side of the border, she said.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA - Vaccinated travellers will no longer need a molecular COVID-19 test to enter Canada starting Feb. 28, and can instead opt for a potentially cheaper and easier to access rapid test.

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Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos responds to a question during a news conference, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - Vaccinated travellers will no longer need a molecular COVID-19 test to enter Canada starting Feb. 28, and can instead opt for a potentially cheaper and easier to access rapid test.

The change comes as sunny news to some travellers looking forward to a March break getaway, but tourism and airline associations feel the government needs to go further to clear the way for vaccinated people to travel freely.

The rapid tests would have to be managed by a laboratory, health care or telehealth provider, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced Tuesday.

The new rules are more closely aligned with those of the United States which allows people to perform a rapid antigen test on themselves, as long as the test is affiliated with a telehealth service that will verify the user's identity, supervise the test and provide written documentation.

Some fully vaccinated travellers might still be randomly selected for a molecular test at the airport, but they will not need to quarantine while they wait for the result.

To make travel easier for families, unvaccinated children under the age of 12, travelling with vaccinated adults, will no longer have to isolate from school, daycare or other public places for 14 days after they arrive in Canada either.

"Having the PCR test requirement removed just makes it that much easier and less expensive for travellers right now," said Flight Centre spokeswoman Allison Wallace.

Depending on the destination, many places offer to verify and document rapid test results in pharmacies, making them just as easy to access as a molecular or PCR test at a far reduced cost and with much faster turnaround, she said.

A molecular test can run between $100 to $250 per test, which adds up quickly for families, Wallace said. "The PCR testing  seems to be the No. 1 deterrent by far, of anything right now, keeping people from travelling."

The government also plans to lift its advisory urging Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel outside the country due to the risk of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, but warns international travel is still not without risk.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce president Perrin Beatty said the changes gradually move Canada toward what is happening in other major jurisdictions.

But in his role as co-chair of the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, Beatty also called on the federal government to offer a clear timeline for removing travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers and their children  including test and isolation requirements and blanket travel advisories.

"Blanket warnings about travel at this point are unjustified," he said in an interview.

Thirty-one other organizations also signed on to that call, including the National Airlines Council of Canada.

"Other countries have moved to eliminate pre-departure testing requirements entirely, and the latest scientific evidence suggests now is the time for Canada to consider doing the same," said interim president Suzanne Acton-Gervais in a statement Tuesday.

The government will consider easing restrictions further in coming weeks if the epidemiological situation continues to improve, hospitalizations continue to diminish, and Canadians continue to get their booster shots, Duclos said.

Duclos said the government has adjusted COVID-19 border measures because Canada has more tools to transition away from stiff restrictions.

"These tools include the strong surveillance system, a highly vaccinated population, continued access to vaccines, access to therapeutics both in and outside our hospital system and increasing access to rapid tests," Duclos said.

There were 5,801 new confirmed cases in and 110 deaths in Canada Monday, the latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada shows.

Though case counts provide a limited picture of the spread of the virus because many jurisdictions have restricted the use of molecular tests, the latest figures still show a dramatic drop from the peak of the Omicron wave when new cases reached upwards of 54,000.

Foreign nationals are still barred from entering Canada without an approved slate of COVID-19 vaccines.

Unvaccinated Canadians can take a rapid test before they board the plane, but will need to take a molecular test on arrival and again eight days after arrival, and isolate for 14 days.

Anyone aged 12 years and four months old, or older, must also be vaccinated to board a plane, passenger train or cruise in Canada as well.

More airports will also be able to receive international flights after Feb. 28, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced. For now, only 18 Canadian airports are allowed to accept international flights.

In addition to international airports, airports in other communities like Windsor and London in Ontario, Fort McMurray, Alta., and Moncton, N.B., will also start to receive flights from abroad, Alghabra said.

He promised more information about how COVID-19 testing will work for cruise ship travellers arriving at Canadian ports would be forthcoming, in time for cruise ship season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2022.

 With files from Chris Reynolds in Montreal
Austin Ludwig - Unconditional | Christian Music Marketing

ATLANTA, GA - Artist, producer and pastor Austin Ludwig today released an inspirational new single entitled Unconditional as a tribute to his personal spiritual journey.



Inspired by Revelation 21:4, "Unconditional" is a song about worshiping with no strings attached. Ludwig sees the worlds common assertation of feelings as truth as the downfall of society.



Our feelings do not determine or change the worth of Jesus and the worship He is worthy of, Ludwig said.



The single urges listeners to offer up their worship, even in the presence of tears and pain, to depend on Jesus on this side of heaven and look forward to what is to come for all of eternity.

The way that I feel doesn't change who you are

So hallelujah unconditional



"Unconditional" is a byproduct of and a tribute to Ludwigs personal journey. Ludwig survived child abuse, loss and disappointment. Instead of focusing on those aspects of his life, the artist discovered an invitation into worship. In Ludwigs first foster home, all he had was his beat-up guitar. He learned to play that guitar and sing to God in the midst of his tears and never looked back.



Ludwig hopes this new single is not only an inspiration but a gateway for listeners to look to Jesus no matter what they are going through. Hes excited to finally release it for people to listen and worship whenever they desire.

ABOUT AUSTIN LUDWIG

Austin Ludwig is an artist, producer, and pastor from Atlanta, Georgia. After years of a difficult upbringing that resulted in foster care, Austin gave his life fully to Jesus as a young adult. Now he makes music that shares his journey and his love for God. He hopes to inspire germination to become disciples of Jesus. He is releasing his debut album in early 2022.

For more information, visit instagram.com/austinludwig
Avelo Airlines, which launched service from Tweed-New Haven Airport in November, is adding four more nonstop routes. (Kenneth R. Gosselin / The Hartford Courant)

Low-cost Avelo Airlines  the start-up that established its East Coast hub at Tweed-New Haven Airport last year  announced Wednesday it is pushing ahead with an aggressive expansion at the airport, adding four more nonstop routes this spring.

Avelo will begin offering nonstop service to two destinations in South Carolina  Myrtle Beach and Charleston  plus Nashville and Savannah, beginning May 5.

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Introductory, one-way fares on the four new routes start at $49, the airline said, but the lowest fares are on a limited number of flights and seats. There are also extra fees for priority seating, checked bags, carry-on overhead bags and bringing a pet into the cabin. The introductory fares must be booked by March 2.

With the four, new nonstop destinations from Tweed, Avelo will offer service to 10 airports, the first six all in Florida.

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Avelo Airlines will now offer nonstop flights to Myrtle Beach and Charleston, both in South Carolina, plus Savannah, Ga. and Nashville from Tweed-New Haven Airport. (Kenneth R. Gosselin / The Hartford Courant)

Our customers are telling us they would love for Avelo to fly to more places beyond Florida, Andrew Levy, Avelos chairman and chief executive, said, in a release. These four routes show that we are listening.

When Avelo launched it first flights from Tweed in November, Levy said it was likely Avelo would expand its service from Tweed outside of Florida.

The existing Florida destinations are: Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Sarasota/Bradenton, Tampa and West Palm Beach.

News @3 Daily Catch up on the days top headlines sent directly to your inbox weekdays at 3 p.m >

According to Avelos website, the fees the airline has been charging have risen since first launching service at Tweed. For instance, a carry-on bag has gone from $35 to $40, while a first checked bag has increased from $30 to $35. Those fees are when add-ons are done while booking online. The fees are higher when those preferences at booked at the airport.

The flights to Myrtle Beach are initially scheduled to take off every day, except Wednesday and service to Charleston, each day except Monday and Wednesday.

Service to Savannah and Nashville will be available Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Avelo launched its first flights from Tweed as the airport embarks on a planned $100 million expansion of the airport in the next few years that includes a new terminal.

Avelo service is on single-class, 147-seat Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft.

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Tweed-New Haven Airport continues to be a growing destination, and the addition of these flights is welcomed news as more travelers recognize how convenient, quick and easy it is to fly out of this airport, Gov. Ned Lamont said in a release.

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com
Lecrae & Pray.com team up | Jackie O & Co. LLC

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Pray.com, the worlds No. 1 app for Christians, today introduced GRAMMY Award-winning global entertainer and entrepreneur Lecrae as its latest brand ambassador.

The collaboration with Lecrae will see the release of several new content series led by the artist on the Pray.com website and mobile app. Transform Yourself, a seven-part meditative prayer series, will guide listeners through messages of mindfulness in faith to reduce everyday stress and improve their relationship with God, while an additional seven-part motivational prayer series will aim to inspire listeners in the morning to lead a productive day. In addition, Lecrae has narrated Hope in a Dark World, a Pray.com Bedtime Bible Story centered around Noahs Ark that helps parents and families share lessons with children about having faith in tough times.

Pray.com and I believe positive messages have the power to help uplift, motivate and inspire those on their journey through faith," said Lecrae. "I'm a Pray.com member who has turned to the app for thoughtful faith-based guidance and I'm excited to partner with a company that helps people of all backgrounds be the best versions of themselves in a safe and user-friendly way. I'm proud to record and share my motivational and meditative prayer series with the world through a trusted partner like Pray.com."

The special Lecrae-led content is accessible via PRAY PLUS, which users can try for free via a 3-day trial period. Subscribers can listen either through the Pray.com website or app, available both in the App Store and on Google Play. The collaboration with Lecrae is part of Pray.coms continued pursuit to provide a spiritually-motivating experience for its members in technologically-savvy, engaging ways that positively impact people's faith, health and well-being.

The first time I spoke with Lecrae I felt his authenticity and courageous spirit, said Pray.com CEO Steve Gatena. His desire to spread Gods message worldwide pumps us up and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Pray.com family as our newest brand ambassador.

Lecraes journey to faith began in his teenage years when, as the son of a single mother, he turned to music to find meaning and share socially conscious messages of hope. Notably, his 2012 album Gravity won Best Gospel Album at the 55th GRAMMY Awards, marking the first time a hip-hop artist won the honors in that category. Over the course of an accomplished career, Lecrae has also received three BET Awards, been named a Dove Award Winner eight times, and has had eight songs reach No. 1 on Billboard. His seventh studio album, Anomaly, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2014 and was certified Gold by the RIAA. His TEDx Talk Is Hip-Hop a Cancer or Cure has been viewed over 650,000 times on YouTube, his New York Times bestselling memoir Unashamed has sold over 100,000 copies, and the 2020 follow-up, I Am Restored, How I Lost My Religion but Found My Faith was a top-selling title.

About Pray.com

Launched in 2017 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the worlds No. 1 app for Christians. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, it is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily prayers, Pastor podcasts and Bedtime Bible Stories.
Harrisonburg, VA (22807)

Today

Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing this afternoon. High around 80F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 59F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Russia has amassed foreign exchange reserves of $US635 billion ($888 billion), the fifth highest in the world and rising. It has a national debt of 18 per cent of GDP, the sixth lowest in the world, and falling.

The country has cleaned up the banking system and has a well-run floating currency that lets the economy roll with the punches.

Putins conservative approach has the Russian economy in good shape. Credit:AP

It has a budget surplus and does not rely on foreign investors to cover government spending. It has slashed its dependency on oil state revenues. The fiscal break-even cost of a barrel of oil fell to $US52 last year, down from $US115 before the invasion of Crimea in 2014.

It is the paradox of Vladimir Putins tenure that he runs one of the most orthodox policy regimes on the planet. The macroeconomic team at the central bank and the treasury are exemplary, says Christopher Granville from TS Lombard.
What a lot of people seem to be angry about vaccine mandates, right? Thousands have descended on Canberra. But all is not what it seems. This cacophony of colourful flags, car horns, trucks, protest signs, and undoubtedly buckets of viral Omicron load is the end product of deliberate disinformation campaigns fuelled by social media and seeded by shadowy forces with suspect motives.

Those gathered are a true melting pot: sovereign citizens voicing obscure medieval legal theories, QAnon conspiracy theorists hoping to free imaginary enslaved children, militant anti-vaxxers, ethno-religious fascists and the newly unemployed airing their resentment at the pandemic or the public health rules it spawned. But they all have one thing in common: they came together in groups on social media, from where they planned and launched their assault on our nations capital.

Convoy to Canberra protesters on the lawns between Parliament House and Old Parliament House in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Here comes the twist: the organisers of many of the private Facebook groups co-ordinating these convoys have fake accounts, run from overseas. The groups themselves may have also lived many lives, with name changes to suit the crisis of the day. Many have links to content mills pumping out disinformation for hire in Eastern Europe and south-east Asia.

Investigative reporters from the United States even managed to get a hold of one account admin on the phone  in Bangladesh. He admitted being paid $30 a day by someone in Canada to promote pages for Canadian protests against a vaccine mandate. in that country: its capital, Ottawa, is similarly in a state of emergency right now as truckers blockade it over its vaccine mandate. Crikey likewise traced Canberra Convoy admins back to Bangladesh and found others whose profile pictures were faces generated by artificial intelligence. The same operators are pulling strings across at least three continents.
Whatever the arrest plan  official or implied, communicated or otherwise  police officer James Kirstenfeldt and the men from the Immediate Response Team were hot on the tail of Kumanjayi Walker on the evening of November 9, 2019  and they were not about to withdraw.

Bodycam footage played at the murder trial of Zachary Rolfe  Constable Kirstenfeldts IRT colleague  show them roaming the red Yuendumu streets and slum-like homes asking about their target shortly after 7pm.

From left: Lottie Robertson (left) with Rakeisha Robertson; Kumanjayi Walker; Constable Zachary Rolfe (third from left) arriving at court. Credit:Zach Hope/Rhett Hammerton

One of the officers is armed with a semi-automatic AR15 rifle. Warlpiri man Ethan Robertson told the jury he thought it was a machine gun.

Constables Rolfe and Kirstenfeldt went to house number 577 first. It was here, three days earlier, that Mr Walker charged at two local officers with an axe before fleeing into the bush.
When respected Hawthorn MP John Kennedy was struck by a heart attack days before Christmas, fate intervened.

The political giant killer, who knocked off the highly regarded Liberal MP John Pesutto at the last state election, was walking with his wife, Bronwyn Lane, on a Sydney holiday while visiting his four siblings when he suffered chest pains. As chance would have it, a doctor and off-duty police officer just happened to be walking past and assisted.

State Labor MP John Kennedy. Credit:Eddie Jim

I cant begin to describe the pain, said Kennedy, 74, who won his seat for Labor by 330 votes in Daniel Andrews 2018 landslide.

Kennedy spent six days in a Sydney hospital and returned to work on January 24.
The father of a toddler who was found in a critical condition by paramedics in a Brisbane home and later died says his son was his light, as another man was charged with murder.

Brisbane Times understands the accused, Aaron Harley James, 33, is the boys stepfather, who police allege killed 16-month-old Jaylen Troy Priest on January 8.

The toddler was found in December with his mother, Mr James and other children in a Burpengary home, north of Brisbane, in a critical condition.

The 16-month-old deteriorated while being rushed to hospital, where he died on January 8, police said.
His kind face  and that giggle  have been staples of our TV screens for decades. Now Nine newsreader Peter Hitchener has accepted one of Melbournes highest honours: Moomba monarch.

Hitchener said it was something he would never have expected when he moved to Melbourne in 1974 and fell in love with the city.

This years Moomba monarchs, Peter Hitchener and Fifi Box. Credit:Chris Hopkins

He was honoured and delighted and said it would enable him to step beyond the newsdesk and connect with the community.

Hitchener was also touched to be in the elite company of past Moomba monarchs such as football identity Lou Richards and TV host Bert Newton.
Customers are in for an ordeal when they dine at a new Melbourne restaurant, with staff being trained to insult, ridicule and ignore them.

Great Food, Terrible Service is the motto of Karens Diner, a 1950s-US-style burger joint that will open in the famous Lygon Street restaurant strip next month.

Rude food: Supervisor Josh Arkey serves customers at the Sydney branch of Karens Diner. Credit:Renee Nowytarger

In a flip on hospitality norms, this is a place where staff are rude and the customer is most certainly not always right.

A sign in the window of the restaurants Sydney branch says, Karens Diner: Sit down and shut up.
The Gonski review intended that the SRS funding generated by a school should be spent on that school, not incorporated into consolidated revenue to be spent at the discretion of the school sector. Quite the opposite has occurred. Far from there being one national funding system, there are eight state and territory funding models and eight Catholic sector funding models. The gap between funding for advantaged schools and disadvantaged schools is steadily widening.

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Moreover, schools are at very different stages in their transition to the SRS. On average, non-government schools (except in the Northern Territory) are over-funded and will remain so for the rest of the decade. Public schools (except in the ACT) are funded at less than 90 per cent of their SRS. Current funding agreements allow state governments to continue to under-fund public schools so that, at best, they will achieve only 91 per cent of their SRS by 2029.

What is to be done? We need to get back to the fundamental narrative of what Gonski is about, to understand its importance for the nation. Gonski is about building our national stock of human capital. It is about raising our national performance. It is about addressing our national deficit in knowledge and skills. It is about taking a place in the top level of OECD countries.

The reason for its focus on socially disadvantaged schools  both government and non-government  is that these are the schools in which the greatest wastage of potential human capital occurs. This waste  this unrealised potential learning  is akin to leaving some precious metal lying in the ground, when investment in its retrieval for the benefit of the individual and the nation would yield a return far greater than the cost.
China's Suzhou tightens rules for COVID-19 control

Xinhua) 13:21, February 16, 2022

NANJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The eastern Chinese city of Suzhou has tightened travel restrictions as new COVID-19 cases emerged recently, according to local authorities.

Starting Wednesday, passengers leaving the city by train are required to provide a negative result certificate for nucleic acid testing taken within 48 hours before departure, the city's epidemic prevention and control headquarters said.

The city also closed more highway entrances and ferries, and added traffic checkpoints to curb the spread of the virus. Previously, the operation of shuttle buses between Suzhou and other provinces and cities had been suspended.

Special lanes are open only for logistic trucks transporting necessities.

By the end of Tuesday, a total of 26 confirmed COVID-19 cases and five asymptomatic carriers had been reported in the latest resurgence in Suzhou.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn are seen in this Oct. 26, 2021 file photo at a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. The pair today unveiled the Protecting Kids Online Act aimed at allowing parents to restrict screen time, protect privacy and opt out of addictive social media features that have shown to be harmful to children. (Samuel Corum / Getty Images)

Senators from both sides of the aisle came together Wednesday to propose a bill that aims to address the corrosive effects of social media on childrens mental health.

Led by U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, and Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, the measure would give parents of children under 16 new tools to restrict screen time and protect privacy. Notably the measure would provide parents and children with the ability to limit or ban some content. It would also allow users to opt out of features, such as auto play, that are designed to keep people hooked on social media platforms, and rewards for spending time on a site.

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The Kids Online Safety Act is the product of hours of hearings held by the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security, which is led by Blumenthal.

What weve heard... at our hearings and from direct talks with parents are harrowing, haunting stories of heartbreaking loss, destructive content to children, addictive dark places that are the result of big tech driving toxic content at kids using black box algorithms that are little understood by parents or children, Blumenthal said at a press conference Wednesday outlining the legislation.

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What were doing in this bill is empowering those children and their parents to take back control and ... power over their lives online, he said.

At a hearing before the subcommittee in December, an executive with Instagram  which, like Facebook, is owned by Meta  proposed a number of its own solutions including an industry panel to enforce safety standards. Those ideas were roundly rejected by lawmakers.

We can no longer count on social media platforms to police or monitor themselves or protect children, said Blumenthal. Theyve betrayed that trust. In fact, theyve been in denial about the problems that they have created.

The bill, crafted by Blumenthal and Blackburn, empowers the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to hold the companies accountable.

In October the Senate panel heard testimony from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who released thousands of internal documents to government regulators and Wall Street Journal reporters showing that the company knew about the damage its projects, primarily Instagram, inflict on adolescent mental health.

Blackburn and Blumenthal say Instagrams sophisticated algorithms can exploit teen insecurities and trigger disordered eating, especially among young girls, as well as promote bullying and other harmful behaviors.

We are going to be able, in this legislation, to create some accountability mechanisms, said Blackburn. We are going to be able to get into these black box algorithms. This will empower families.

A spokesperson for Meta could not be reached for comment.
After a disastrous start to the year for the Prime Minister that has involved leaked text messages, a failed religious discrimination bill and intense scrutiny over the way the government has treated women, Scott Morrison has found himself in hot water again this week.

In a speech delivered to mark 14 years since the Rudd government issued an apology to Australias Indigenous peoples, Mr Morrison said, sorry is not the hardest word to say, the hardest is I forgive you.

The speech prompted fury from Indigenous leaders around the country, including a statement from the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria which simply said, Get in the bin.

While the Prime Minister didnt downplay the seriousness of the trauma inflicted upon the Stolen Generations, he has been criticised for the implication that survivors must give their forgiveness in order to heal.
London: We will probably never know exactly how much it took to make the Virginia Giuffre case finally go away, once and for all.

But a clue to the significant size of the sum was hidden in a comment David Boies, Giuffres lawyer, made to my London Telegraph colleague Celia Walden in January.

Adamant that it wasnt about the money for his client but holding Prince Andrew to account, he chose his words carefully as he admitted: If you had a settlement that was large enough to be, in effect, a vindication, then its something we would obviously look at.

Prince Andrew in 2015. Credit:AP

Giuffre had wanted an apology, but the lack of any admission of guilt on Andrews behalf suggests the 61-year-old royals new-found freedom from a jury trial has come at a significant price.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size In the latest volley of accusations and demands in the Ukraine crisis, a few topics have surfaced. Since Moscow has arguably orchestrated the crisis around Ukraine by placing more than 100,000 battle-ready troops on the border, the Kremlin has sought to define the crisis by articulating its grievances. Given the open-ended nature of the crisis, these points of tension, on both the Kremlins and the Wests sides, could change again. For now, a couple of issues are up for debate. So, what are they? Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow. Credit:Kremlin/AP What does NATO membership have to do with it? The vexed issue of NATO membership for Ukraine is at the source of conflicting signals from Ukraine, Russia, Europe and the United States. Its vexed in part because, from certain angles, its a non-issue. As a sovereign nation, Ukraine has the right to join the trans-Atlantic defence pact  NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation  that was created to protect Western Europe from Russia during the Cold War. At the same time, its no secret that this move would anger Russia, which has watched helplessly as most of its neighbours clamoured to join NATO after the end of the Cold War. Remember, the Moscow-led Cold War Warsaw Pact was one of the alliances that, essentially, invaded itself. Twice. That was in Hungary in 1956, when the Soviets put down the Hungarian Revolution, and Czechoslovakia in 1968, during the Prague Spring.

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While the US and NATO support Ukraines sovereign right to join, they havent asked it to join. In recent months, however, Putin has zeroed in on the fear of possible Ukrainian membership of NATO. Its for this reason that Western observers note that the talk about Ukraine joining NATO is driven by Russia. But this is part of the broader issue with the current Ukraine crisis; it has been sparked by Russia placing troops at Ukraines border and now Russia seeks to resolve the tensions it has created through concessions from Ukraine, NATO, the EU, US or the West in general. Loading Importantly for Ukraine, any talks at which the country isnt present sends a worrying signal about the nations genuine independence and sovereignty. Likewise, US-Russia or US-NATO discussion that Ukraine is not consulted on is seen as a tacit victory for Putin, as it reasserts the idea that the country, a former part of the Soviet Union, is really a territory under a zone of influence. We are not seeking direct confrontation with Russia, US President Joe Biden said, but the US will send arms and assistance, and will use diplomacy, sanctions and other measures. Just no US troops in Ukraine. Putin, however, isnt reassured that the West wont allow Ukraine to join NATO.

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When German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Putin that NATOs eastward expansion is not on the agenda  everyone knows that very well, Putin asked, They are telling us it wont happen tomorrow. Well, when will it happen? The day after tomorrow? What does it change for us in the historic perspective? Nothing. What are the Minsk accords and why do they matter? It was French President Emmanuel Macron who recently signalled the possibility of using the Minsk accords to reach a compromise between Russia and Ukraine. The agreements, signed in the Belarus capital of Minsk in 2014 and 2015, were designed to end the war in eastern Ukraine, which has been fought between Russian-backed separatists (Russia denies involvement) and Ukrainian forces since 2014. Loading The two sets of agreements were worked out between Russia, Ukraine and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as the leaders of the two pro-Russian separatist regions  the peoples republics of Donetsk and of Luhansk. Leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine signed a separate declaration of support for the deal. The deal was negotiated at a time when Ukraine had a particularly weak hand: Russia had just seized Crimea, sending in troops and calling a referendum on the political status of the peninsula. The Minsk agreements set out a series of military and political steps but they have never been implemented. Since 2014, nearly 15,000 people have died in the conflict. Australians will recall that a Russia-made Buk missile shot down Malaysia Airline flight MH17 on July 17, 2014, killing 298 people, including 29 Australian citizens and residents. Dutch investigators believe it came from Russias 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade, which is based in the Russian city of Kursk. In other words, the missile was fired from territory controlled by Moscow-backed separatists inside Ukraine.

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The Kremlin asserts that the Minsk accords contain a pledge that Ukraine wont join NATO. But Kyiv and Washington  and NATO  reject that. One difficult clause of the Minsk deal stipulates that Ukraine will write a neutrality clause into its constitution that would rule out NATO accession. Another major blockage in implementing the Minsk agreements has been Russias insistence that it is not a party to the ongoing separatist conflict and therefore is not bound by the deals terms. Yet Moscows ongoing role in eastern Ukraine has prompted the White House to warn Russia not to further invade Ukraine because Russian arms, equipment, personnel and diplomatic support have been on the ground since 2014. And whats the relevance of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline? Nord Stream 2 is the 1230-kilometre-long natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, running from Russia to Germanys Baltic coast. Owned by Kremlin-aligned Gazprom, the completed project would double the capacity of an earlier Nord Stream pipeline to 110 billion cubic metres of gas a year. Most analysts believe the project would increase Russias leverage over Europe. The pipeline has been filled with gas but is not operating yet pending approval by the European Commission and utility regulators in energy-hungry Germany. And this is where it gets complicated.

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Biden has waived the threat of sanctions on the project because the US doesnt want to deny Germany its needed gas. But should Russia attack Ukraine, the US could impose heavy financial sanctions  penalising anyone or any company that does business with Russia over the pipeline. Yet Germanys new business-minded Chancellor will not say whether Germany would, on its own, reject the project if Russia invades Ukraine. Scholz refused to explicitly rule out the pipeline if Russia attacks, both in a meeting with US President Joe Biden last week and in a meeting with Putin today. So while Nord Stream 2 has emerged as a bargaining chip, its far from clear who will ultimately have the upper hand: Russia, if the pipeline opens despite its invasion-threats; the US, if it forces Russia to back down on Ukraine; or Germany, in some scenario where Russia tensions continue but the US no longer objects to the Nord Stream 2. How does cyberspace play into it? Russia-state-aligned cyber attacks and use of disinformation pose a threat to the economic and political well-being of democracies. Its expected that any invasion of Ukraine will be matched by a cyber offensive, which could be widespread and aimed for maximum damage, not just of Ukraine but the US and its allies.

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New York City: A woman of mixed race appears to be the third person ever to be cured of HIV, using a new transplant method involving umbilical cord blood that opens up the possibility of curing more people of diverse racial backgrounds than was previously possible.

Cord blood is more widely available than the adult stem cells used in the bone marrow transplants that cured the previous two patients, and it does not need to be matched as closely to the recipient. Most donors in registries are of Caucasian origin, so allowing for only a partial match has the potential to cure dozens of Americans who have both HIV and cancer each year, scientists said.

The woman, who also had leukemia, received cord blood to treat her cancer. It came from a partially matched donor, instead of the typical practice of finding a bone marrow donor of similar race and ethnicity to the patients. She also received blood from a close relative to give her body temporary immune defences while the transplant took.

A scanning electron micrograph of multiple round bumps of the HIV-1 virus on a cells surface. Credit:AP

Researchers presented some of the details of the new case at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT)
Latest News RBA lifts official cash rate Finance industry reacts to major decision

Does BID negate the need for clawbacks? Non-bank lender, broker aggregator say clawbacks unnecessary

A good mentoring program is vital for developing new-to-industry mortgage brokers; and for Tanya Sale, chief executive of Outsource Financial, a successful mentoring program should be diverse and intimate.

The mentoring package or program should be a diverse one: there should be a mixture in there, Sale said. What we see  and that has been very successful for us  would be having small groups of new entrants and they're facilitated by a qualified member. When I say qualified, a very experienced member. You have small groups so that it's a bit more intimate. The second thing is we have online modules because we all get busy. We have online modules that cover a variety of components.

Sale also believes that mortgage brokers should not only be mentored on lending.

Now, one thing that we believe on the mentoring side is it's just not about lending, Sale said. And if anyone tells you that the mentoring program or programs out there should just be about lending, they should have a really good life long hard think about their programs.
The government will start roadshows with investors for the strategic disinvestment of from February 25 as the Centre and of India (LIC) look to sell their stake in the lender to a private buyer.

The preliminary interest of investors will be gauged from the exercise as the government looks to undertake the first-ever strategic disinvestment of a public sector lender (although majorly owned by LIC).

The roadshows will be held virtually as investors are not keen on physical meetings due to pandemic fears, officials in the know said. The roadshows will be managed by intermediaries appointed by Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), KPMG and Link Legal.

The government is looking to sell its 45.48 per cent shareholding in the lender. LIC, which owns 49.24 per cent, will also offload its stake to transfer management control to the new buyer. The quantum of stake dilution by the Centre and LIC will be decided while structuring the transaction, in consultation with the RBI. Although the government is yet to finalise its plan on quantum dilution, discussions have involved retaining 26 per cent stake in the lender and both Centre and LIC proportionately reducing their shareholding in the lender, Business Standard had earlier reported.

The investor outreach will help in setting conditions for the sale of the lender, and structuring the transaction. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) will bring Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on board to vet the candidates interested in acquiring . The RBI may screen bidders as early as when the EoI is placed so that only those investors who meet fit and proper criteria move on the next stage.
Gov. Ned Lamont pledged transparency Tuesday in the investigation into state projects overseen by a former official, saying the administration will get to the bottom of it and not oppose public hearings by the legislature.

Some Republicans have called for hearings in the case of Kosta Diamantis, a former Democratic state legislator who rose to become the second-highest ranking official in Lamonts budget office. Diamantis was fired by Lamonts administration last year after concerns were raised by federal investigators about his oversight of public school construction and the State Pier projects.

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Questions also arose separately over the hiring of Diamantis daughter, Anastasia, by the chief states attorney, Richard Colangelo. Under fire, Colangelo has announced that he will retire as the states top prosecutor. Anastasia Diamantis has been placed on leave.

[ Connecticut chief states attorney to retire amid probe into alleged patronage hiring ]

Lamont said he would not oppose an inquiry by the legislature that has been suggested by Republicans.

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If they want a public hearing, they can have a public hearing, sure, Lamont told reporters Tuesday at an unrelated press conference at the UConn campus in downtown Hartford.

Lamonts budget director, Melissa McCaw, who was the direct supervisor of Diamantis, missed a key presentation to the tax-writing finance committee Tuesday on Lamonts tax package. But Lamont says she will be remaining with the administration.

Oh, absolutely, Lamont said. I just traded texts with her. I just wished her the best. Shes had two straight COVID diagnoses. Shes got her team there talking to finance today.

Lamont said that two of Connecticuts former top federal prosecutors have looked into the issues involving Diamantis and Colangelo.

Nora [Dannehy] got together with Stan Twardy  two former U.S. attorneys,' Lamont said. We came forward immediately. We said, Leave no stone unturned. Zero tolerance for this type of stuff. Follow where it may. Thats what Stan Twardys report showed.

Twardy was hired by the state and conducted the investigation into the hiring of Anastasia Diamantis by Colangelo. The investigation into the state projects is being done by federal officials.

At the same time, Nora is working proactively with the other federal investigation to make sure that people have 100% confidence, Lamont said. Were hiring auditors to go over all those school projects as well, just to make sure people have confidence. We see something like this, and we act fast. Zero tolerance.'

Lamont said that he did not know about the Colangelo situation until I read [Hartford Courant columnist] Kevin Rennies article about the ethics violations regarding the hiring of Diamantis daughter  and we acted on that promptly.

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Members of the Connecticut State Building Trades Council were prepared to talk to Lamont about Diamantis during a meeting on July 22, 2020, according to a union meeting agenda disclosed by Rennie. The agenda mentioned Diamantis in detail concerning various construction jobs, including the Birch Grove Elementary School in Tolland that has raised concerns.

None of that came up,' Lamont said Tuesday. There was real concern about PLAs [project labor agreements]. There was real concern about Killingly. Thats what we addressed then and there. I dont remember anything related to Kosta. ... Nothing that rose to my level where it was actionable.'

Lamont did not fault McCaw regarding her oversight of the elder Diamantis.

Theres a lot going on in that office, but the secretary has got the deputies, and they report to her,' Lamont said. So I think we all could have done better.'

Lamont said he is not sure if the probes will touch only Diamantis and Colangelo.

I dont know,' Lamont said in response to the Courant. All I can tell you is if it does, were going to find them. As soon as we find them, youre going to be the first to know.'

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He added, Well get to the bottom of it.'

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
Hemant Kanoria, founder of SREI, has moved the Kolkata Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for setting aside a forensic audit by into the company.

Lenders had, in March-April 2021, appointed Assurance and Consulting Services LLP as an auditor for the corporate debtor ( Infrastructure Finance and its wholly owned subsidiary, Equipment Finance).

In an application moved on January 19, Kanoria sought setting aside the appointment of by Axis Bank and UCO Bank (the lead banks in the consortium of lenders) as the auditor for SREI, and restraining the banks from conducting or proceeding with the process of audit through the auditing and advisory firm.

The application cited an issue of parallel auditing in the wake of the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) in . It mentioned that according to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) process, the resolution professional (RP) of SREI had appointed BDO India LLP as the transaction auditor of SREI Infrastructure Finance.

From the minutes of meetings of the committee of creditors (CoC), according to the application, it was evident that BDO India had been appointed as the auditor of the debtor.





The application also said that the nature, scope and functions of the audit conducted by BDO India and KPMG were overlapping, due to which there was likelihood of concurrent, contradictory and divergent conclusions emerging between the two auditors.

Also, the application mentioned that any further enquiry or forensic study of the corporate debtor would be "unfair" as the applicant and superseded board of directors would not have an opportunity to give any explanation. No report without any consultation with the superseded board of directors can be fair or independent and therefore, it will affect and prejudice the rights of the applicant and other directors, it said.

Another issue raised in the application was that the audit had exceeded its time period. The audit ought to have been completed by June 24, 2021.

According to the provisions of a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) circular, dated July 3, 2017, an auditor, once appointed, was required to complete the audit and give the report within a maximum period of three months from the date of the Joint Lenders Forum meeting authorising the same. Around March 23, 2021, KPMG was appointed as the auditor by the lenders.

However, till date, despite initiation of CIRP, KPMG has continued with the audit of the corporate debtor, which the application mentioned was in violation of the provisions of the IBC.

On October 4, the RBI had superseded the boards of the two SREI companies, owing to governance concerns and defaults by the firms in meeting various payment obligations. Then, on October 8, CIRP was initiated on an application filed by the central bank against SREI Infrastructure Finance (SIFL) and SREI Equipment Finance (SEFL).

Thereafter, the administrator had moved the bench for consolidation of resolution processes of SIFL and SEFL.
InterGlobe Aviation will seek shareholders' approval for appointment of co-founder Rahul Bhatia as the Managing Director as well as for availing advisory services from Non-Executive Director Gregg Albert Saretsky.

The remote e-voting process for the shareholders will be open from February 17 till March 18, according to a regulatory filing on Wednesday.

The results of the postal ballot will be declared on or before March 20.

On February 4, InterGlobe Aviation -- parent of the country's largest airline -- announced the appointment of Bhatia as the Managing Director with immediate effect.

Bhatia "shall not draw any remuneration from the company during his tenure as the Managing Director", as per the postal ballot notice.

He will receive benefits, amenities and perquisites to which he is entitled as per the rules of the company as applicable from time to time, it added.

Another proposal is for availing advisory services from Saretsky in the capacity as "Special Advisor and payment of remuneration to him up to USD 70,000 per month for the said services from February 5, 2022 till March 31, 2023."



For the three months ended December 2021, posted a profit after tax of Rs 129.8 crore. It had a loss of Rs 620.1 crore in the year-ago period.

Reflecting signs of slow recovery in the pandemic-hit airline industry, IndiGo's revenue from operations jumped to Rs 9,294.8 crore in the latest December quarter compared to Rs 4,910 crore in the same period a year ago.

Total income surged 84.3 per cent on an annual basis to Rs 9,480.1 crore in the third quarter of the current fiscal year.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Global rating agency Moody's has changed the outlook from stable to negative on Resources Ltd (VRL) reflecting large near-term refinancing requirements amid tightening liquidity in the capital markets.

It, however, affirmed VRLs B2 corporate family rating (CFR) and the B3 rating on the senior unsecured notes issued by VRL and those by Resources Finance II Plc.

Kaustubh Chaubal, Vice President and Senior Credit Officer, Moody's said the continued delay in refinancing its upcoming debt maturities with long-term funding raises concerns over the company's liquidity management. The supportive commodity prices have improved the company's key financial metrics.

Moody's considers the holdco's persistently weak liquidity and high refinancing needs as signs of an aggressive risk appetite, with implications for the company's financial strategy and risk management.

The rating action considers the impact of VRL's aggressive liquidity management and refinancing practices on its credit profile, which Moody's regards as credit negative.

The affirmation of the CFR reflects the view that VRL's operations are solidly positioned with favorable underlying demand and commodity prices that support continued positive free cash flow generation.

VRL is about to enter its peak years of long-term debt maturities in fiscal years ending March 2023 and March 2024, when about 60 per cent of its total $9.4 billion debt falls due. Moreover, $4.2 billion, or 45 per cent of the total $9.4 billion debt, will mature by June 2023. These debt maturities include senior unsecured notes of $ one billion in July 2022, $400 million in April 2023 and another $500 million in May 2023.

Further exacerbating liquidity risk at the holdco is an annual interest bill that has climbed to around $800 million, from $500 million in previous years.

The holding company's current cash sources--management fee and dividends from operating subsidiaries -- will fall short of its cash needs over the 18 months until June 2023.

The company is obtaining financing for a part of its upcoming debt maturities. But the absence of an executed refinancing plan keeps liquidity risk elevated, especially amid tight liquidity in capital markets and widening yields on its existing USD bonds, it added.
Telecom operator Ltd (VIL) on Wednesday said it has successfully demonstrated Voice over New Radio (VoNR) capability with its technology partner Nokia, during the trials currently underway in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Explaining the new capability, a VIL statement said that once deployed, the VoNR solution will enable it to offer subscribers high-definition voice experience over 5G, as well as several advanced voice applications and use cases in the future.

The company is conducting trials on government-allocated 5G spectrum in Gandhinagar, Gujarat and Pune in Maharashtra.

" has announced that it has successfully demonstrated 5G Voice over New Radio (VoNR) with its technology partner, Nokia, during the ongoing 5G trials in Gandhinagar, Gujarat," the statement added.

The VoNR trial was done on Nokia's wide portfolio of solutions.

"Once commercially deployed, the solution can provide superior user experience on a reliable, low latency network, as it uses the 5G network for both voice and data services," the statement added.

Jagbir Singh, chief technology officer of Ltd, said, "We are testing technology solutions for offering superior network experience and use cases of relevance to digital enterprises and consumers, during our 5G trials".

The government expects Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to give its recommendations on 5G spectrum pricing and other modalities, by March.

The spectrum auctions will be conducted in 2022, to facilitate the roll out of 5G mobile services within 2022-23 by private telecom providers.

The market is gearing-up for roll out of 5G services, that will usher in ultra high-speeds and spawn new-age services and business models.

According to VIL's statement, earlier, during its 5G trials with Nokia in Gandhinagar, VIL recorded speeds of over 4 Gbps and showcased unique consumer use cases such as "AI (artificial intelligence) based VR streaming, Roller Coaster Gaming, VR 5G Connected Schools and 360 degree VR Content Playback".

VIL "also used Nokia's 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and 5G core to successfully demonstrate secure network slicing use case, as well as trialed the utilisation of 5G in mid-band to provide rural broadband connectivity in Gandhinagar", the statement added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who arrived here on Wednesday to visit the family of a 17-year-old killed in a clash during a procession to immerse the idol of Goddess Saraswati idol in Hazaribagh, has alleged that he was detained by Jharkhand police at Birsa Munda airport for about five hours and returned to Delhi.

BJP leaders said that Mishra returned to Delhi by an afternoon flight as he was detained and not allowed to leave the airport.

Repeated efforts to contact the senior superintendent of police, Surendra Kumar Jha for an official statement on the incident failed.

"Detained by Jharkhand police at airport for last two hours, tweeted Mishra, who returned to the capital in the afternoon.

In his tweet at 9.20 am, Mishra said he was stopped by the police at airport and was not allowed to exit from the airport.

"My point is clear. I have come to meet the bereaved family of Rupesh Pandey ji. I am ready to go to Rupesh ji's house with a few people in a police vehicle. Stopping me raises questions on the intention of the Jharkhand government," he said.

Reacting to the incident BJP vice-president Raghubar Das took a jibe at Chief Minister Hemant Soren saying his government is following the appeasement policy.

"Why is the government afraid of his (Mishra) meeting with the victim's family ... Hemant Soren did not express sympathy as the victim is a Hindu ... His grief knew no bound in the case of Tabrez Ansari."



Ansari was allegedly lynched in June 2019 when Das was at the helm in the state and the issue was raised even in Parliament.

Mishra said he had talked to deceased Pandey's mother over a video call and was prevented by the police to come out of the airport.

"Pandey's mother says nothing is acceptable to her other than the hanging (of) the culprits ...I told her that the whole country is with her," he said in another tweet.

The BJP leader also shared a video in which Pandey's mother, who has reportedly stopped eating since her son's killing, is seen demanding justice for her son.

"I have come from Delhi to tell you that we all are your sons. You are not alone. You have support from all over the world," Mishra said.

Pandey's mother is heard in the video demanding hanging of the culprits to which Mishra said it should be so as the killing was pre-planned.

The BJP leader said Rs 14 lakh has been collected from the people and the money will be transferred to her account. Legal help will also be provided.

"We will not stop till justice is delivered to you. Entire country is with you. I have been detained by the police. I will come again...We are with your family. Rupesh Pandey has sacrificed his life...We are indebted to your family," Mishra is heard in the video as telling the youth's mother.

Meanwhile, BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi in a tweet alleged, "Jharkhand government is screening facts in Rupesh Pandey murder. First internet was shut down, section 144 was promulgated then false cases against those seeking justice were lodged. Now the government is digging its own grave by preventing from meeting Rupesh's mother by stopping him at the airport."



Pandey's murder, which took place at Barhi in Hazaribagh district on February 6, had sparked tension in the region.

In another tweet Marandi, a former chief minister of the tribal state, questioned "Chief Minister Hemant Soren Ji, what message will be sent to the country and the world about Jharkhand by your repressive move in democracy? At least think about it. After all why are you stopping from going to visit the bereaved family?"



A five-member Jharkhand government delegation had met the youth's parents earlier this week and promised them financial assistance and job to a family member. The delegation will submit a report to the chief minister.

Hazaribag SP Manoj Ratan Chouthe said that according to the findings of the special investigation team constituted by him the killing was not due to mob lynching.

All the five accused in the case, who had personal enmity with the youth, have been arrested, he said.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in Ramgarh, Hazaribag, Giridih districts after right wing groups called for a 12-hour complete shutdown in protest against the incident on Sunday when hundreds of activists took to the streets demanding justice for the deceased.

Marandi had earlier visited the residence of the deceased and said that the incidents of lynching prove that there is no law and order in the state.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hospitals in were struggling Wednesday to keep up with an influx of new patients amid record numbers of new infections as the city's leadership doggedly sticks to its zero-COVID strategy, and China's leader said it was the local government's overriding task to control the situation.

is facing its worst outbreak of the pandemic, topping 2,000 new COVID-19 cases per day this week.

The city government has already instituted strict rules, banning gatherings of more than two households.

But health care facilities are beginning to overflow, forcing the city's Caritas Medical Center on Wednesday to treat some patients in beds outside the building.

Xi personally issued instructions and directed Vice Premier Han Zheng to express to Chief Executive Carrie Lam the high level of concern Chinese Communist Party leaders had about the city's ongoing outbreak, according to Wen Wei Po, a pro-Beijing news outlet.

Zheng stressed that the Hong Kong government "should earnestly assume the main responsibility, and regard the rapid stabilization and control of the epidemic as the current overriding task to Lam, the outlet said.

Zheng said China's central government agencies and neighbouring Guangdong province would provide Hong Kong with resources to fight the outbreak, including rapid antigen tests, medical expertise and supplies.

has been able to control the virus within its borders, maintaining a strict zero-tolerance policy that involves total lockdowns and mass testing millions of people.

Lam has also been sticking to the zero-COVID policy despite geographical and other differences between the city, a special administrative region, and itself.

The comments from Xi and Zheng were the latest pressure from Beijing for her to stay that course.

Practically, Hong Kong adopting the same approach means that travel between the city and the mainland remains subject to less stringent quarantine rules than the three weeks or more required for all foreigners arriving in the Chinese mainland.

Beijing will not let Hong Kong's borders to the mainland reopen unless the city reaches and maintains zero COVID-19 cases.

The system seeks to contain and stop outbreaks as soon as they arise, with measures including snap lockdowns and extensive contact tracing.

Last week, the entire upscale Discovery Bay neighbourhood was ordered to undergo testing after authorities found traces of the virus in its sewage.

People who test positive are required to quarantine either in hospitals if they have serious symptoms or in government-run facilities for light or even no symptoms. The new record number of cases, driven by the highly transmissible variant, has led to the current overcrowding.

By contrast, the city-state of Singapore, which is similarly sized to Hong Kong with a population of some 5.7 million compared to 7.5 million, undertook strict lockdown measures early in the pandemic but is now pursuing a living with COVID" approach.

The number of new cases per capita in Singapore has skyrocketed with the arrival of omicron, with 1,911 new cases per million people reported on Monday, versus 66 per million in Hong Kong, according to Our World in Data.

But people testing positive who have no symptoms or only mild symptoms just need to self-quarantine at home, and even those who have more severe symptoms are told to see a physician for medical advice before going to the hospital.

Consequently, it is not suffering the stress on its health care system that Hong Kong is now experiencing.

Singapore also boasts one of the world's highest vaccination rates, with 88 per cent of its population fully vaccinated, compared to Hong Kong's 64 per cent.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special PMLA court here on Wednesday granted bail to founder Rana Kapoor, businessman and seven others in a case pertaining to the sale of a property at a prime location in Delhi.

Kapoor and Thapar, however, will not walk out of jail as they are in judicial custody in connection with some other cases.

The present case pertains to allegations in the sale of a property situated on Amrita Shergill Marg in Delhi to a company owned by Rana Kapoor's wife, Bindu Kapoor, for which a separate FIR had been registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mumbai last year.

Later, the (ED) had filed a money laundering case against Rana Kapoor, Bindu Kapoor, and seven others based on the CBI's FIR.

After taking cognizance of the charge-sheet filed by the ED in December last year, the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had summoned the accused. Accordingly, the accused appeared before the court on Wednesday. They sought bail after marking their presence before the special court judge M G Deshpande.

The bail filed through advocates Vijay Agarwal and Rahul Agarwal said that Kapoor was never arrested in the present case and has fully co-operated with the probe. The ED has examined him, recorded his statement and he is ready to abide by any condition imposed by the court, the plea said.

Thereafter, the judge granted bail to Rana Kapoor, Bindu Kapoor, and seven other accused in the case.

The ED is probing the alleged transaction between Thapar's Avantha Realty, and the latter's wife, and has filed a money laundering case after taking cognisance of the CBI's FIR.

The FIR claims that Rana Kapoor, the then MD and CEO of Limited, obtained illegal gratification in the form of a property belonging to Avantha Realty Ltd (ARL) in a prime location in Delhi at much less than the market rate after Thapar's firm was given a loan as well as concessions in existing credit facilities by the lender.

The ED, in its charge-sheet, has alleged that Rana Kapoor, the then MD and CEO of Yes bank, connived with ARL to wrongfully gain or get transferred a property situated at prime location in New Delhi to a firm named Bliss Abode, which is owned by his wife Bindu Kapoor.

In order to get the property, created a monthly lease-rent agreement between the two group companies of Avantha and got a loan of Rs 400 crore sanctioned from by getting mortgaged the said property to bank.

The ED probe further revealed that by projecting the accounts of the said group of companies as stressed accounts orA accounts, the said property was put up for sale by the bank. When the account of ARL group company was on the verge of turning intoA, Bliss Abode (beneficially owned by Rana Kapoor) offered Rs 378 crore for acquiring the said property.

The said property had been valued at Rs 550 crore, ED said.

Thapar is currently in judicial custody in Delhi's Tihar jail after being arrested by the ED in August last year in a related case, while is lodged in Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai after his arrest in Yes Bank scam in March 2020.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government has requested the vice chancellors of universities in the state to consider deferring the semester examinations of degree courses by a month, citing COVID-19 third wave.

G Kumar Naik, Additional Chief Secretary in the Department of Higher Education stated in a press release on Wednesday that the Vice Chancellors of all the institutions have been asked to take a call regarding postponing examinations, since the syllabus is yet to be completed. The portions could not be completed within the timeframe since offline classes were suspended in view of surge in COVID-19 third wave, he said. "Some of the universities had already announced the schedule of semester examinations but the Commissioner of Department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE) had written a letter asking to postpone the examinations by a month in order to enable students to better prepare," Naik said in a statement.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government on Wednesday lifted night curfew after over one-and-a-half months and allowed various other economic activities to resume fully following a decline in daily Covid cases.

According to revised COVID-19 SOP, night curfew imposed in the state on December 27 to rein in a spike in pandemic cases has been lifted, and gyms, shopping malls, cinema halls, spas, salons, theatres, auditoriums and meeting halls allowed to open with full capacity.

However, swimming pools and water parks will remain closed till February 28.

The ban on political rallies and dharnas will also continue till February 28, the standard operating procedure (SOP) said.

Hotels, restaurants and dhabas can also open for dining with their full capacity, but will have to strictly follow Covid norms.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seven more people died from in Singapore, which reported a record daily count of 19,420 cases.

The infected included 241 people who came from abroad.

Seven fatalities were recorded on Tuesday, taking the death toll from complications to 913, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Till Tuesday, has recorded 497,997 COVID-19 cases.

Rapid antigen tests detected 16,102 infections.

Another 3,077 infections were detected through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the ministry said.

So far, 94 per cent of Singapore's eligible population have completed their full vaccination regime under the national vaccination programme.

About 64 per cent of the total population have received booster shots of the vaccine.

The Ministry of Education will help in the vaccination of schoolchildren below 12 years of age after the March holidays.

As many as 213,000 children aged between 5 and 11, have received their first dose of the vaccine till February 13, 120,000 of them have been fully vaccinated.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks prior to signing a bill that bans mask mandates in public schools in Virginia on the steps of the Capitol Wednesday Feb. 16, 2022, in Richmond. (Steve Helber/AP)

Virginias General Assembly moved swiftly Wednesday to put the final legislative touches on a bill that bans local school systems from imposing mask mandates on students, joining a number of other states that have taken similar measures.

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin moved even more swiftly, holding a signing ceremony just hours after the bills passage Wednesday afternoon with hundreds of supporters and school children on the Capitol steps, including a school-age girl who said shed been suspended nine times for not wearing a mask.

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Since Day 1, we have advocated, we have stood together for parents rights to make decisions for their children, Youngkin said, drawing cheers.

The legislature passed the bill on Monday; Youngkin then amended it to add an emergency clause so that it could take effect before the typical July 1 enactment date for new legislation.

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Under the amendments added by Youngkin, local systems must allow students to opt out of mask mandates beginning March 1.

Several states across the nation, including New Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut, have taken steps in recent days to eliminate school mask mandates.

In Virginia, there was a brief discussion Wednesday on the House of Delegates floor about whether its constitutional to enact legislation on an emergency basis by a simple majority vote.

Typically it requires a 4/5th supermajority of each body of the General Assembly to enact a law on an emergency basis for it to take immediate effect. But if the legislature passes a bill and the governor amends it, such amendments are adopted by a simple majority vote.

Democratic Del. Marcus Simon found a a 2010 precedent from former Republican Speaker Bill Howell indicating that governors cant do an end run around the supermajority rules simply by adding an emergency clause amendment.

But Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert overruled Simons objection. Gilbert cited numerous examples in the past two years when then-Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, amended bills to add an emergency clause and the legislature accepted them on a majority vote.

Simon has said he expects a court challenge on the question.

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In an interview with Fox News after the bill passed, Youngkin noted that Democrats were key to the bills passage and that he was pleased to see it draw bipartisan support.

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If you choose your child shouldnt wear a mask, you can make that decision, and if you want your child to wear a mask, you can make that decision as well. And thats what Virginia is all about, he said.

Youngkin won election in November on a campaign platform that emphasized parental choice in education. On his first day in office last month, he signed an executive order ending a statewide mask mandate in schools imposed by Northam.

Youngkins order also sought to bar local school systems from imposing mask mandates on their own, but it got bogged down in legal challenges. Local school boards sued, saying it usurps their authority, and an Arlington County judge issued a temporary injunction barring the order from taking effect.

At that point, moderate Democratic Sen. Chap Petersen joined with Republicans to pass legislation giving parents the final decision on whether their children wear masks to school.

Petersen and two other Democrats joined with Republicans to push the legislation through the Senate, where Democrats hold a narrow 21-19 advantage.

The final passage Wednesday in the GOP-controlled House came on a party-line 52-48 vote.
The on Wednesday sought response from the on the bail plea of former MD and CEO of YES Bank, Rana Kapoor, in a case related to the wrongful loss of Rs 466.51 crore to the bank.

Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri issued notice on Kapoor's plea and listed the case for further hearing on March 11.

Last month, the trial court had denied the relief of bail to Kapoor, noting that the allegations against him were most grave and serious in nature.

The trial court had, however, granted bail to 15 other accused - B Hariharan, Abishek S Pandey, Rajendra Kumar Mangal, Raghubir Kumar Sharma, Anil Bhargava, Tapsi Mahajan, Surendra Kumar Khandelwal, Sonu Chadha, Harsh Gupta, Ramesh Sharma, Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Amit Mamtani, Ashish Agarwal, Amit Kumar, and Vinod Bahety - in the case.

Kapoor had moved the bail application before the trial court after he was summoned by the court which took cognisance of a charge sheet filed by the (ED).

The application was opposed by the ED on the grounds that Kapoor was instrumental in the generation of the proceeds of crime.

The judge observed that the 15 accused were only hands so as to say and as per the averments mentioned in the complaint appeared to have been doing certain acts/omissions, while seemingly taking instructions from either accused Gautam Thapar or accused Rana Kapoor, as their agents/ employees.

The court had, in October last year, taken cognizance of the ED's prosecution complaint, an equivalent of a charge sheet, against the accused persons in the case, saying there were sufficient grounds to proceed against them.

According to the ED, the case was registered against Gautam Thapar, Avantha Realty Ltd (ARL), Oyster Buildwell Pvt Ltd (OBPL), and others alleging criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal conspiracy, and forgery for diversion or misappropriation of public money during the period 2017 to 2019.

Earlier, the ED had told the Delhi Court that the investigation revealed that approximately Rs 500 crore proceeds of crime, were laundered through OBPL, Jhabua Power Limited (JPL), Jhabua Power Investment Ltd. (JPIL), Avantha Power and Infrastructure Ltd (APIL), ARL, etc. which were being controlled and beneficially owned directly or indirectly by Thapar.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(DU) colleges are gearing up to welcome the students on Thursday as many of them will be visiting the campus for the first time since they took admission.

The university has been closed for nearly two years owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is set to resume offline academic activities from Thursday.

There is a sense of fervour among the students, who are excited to return to the campus and "reclaim" the years lost due to the pandemic.

Talking to PTI, Gajendra Mohan Thakur, a 26-year-old Campus Law Centre student, said, "I am excited to go back to the campus. The university was shut for around two years. The online mode of study was not efficient enough to substitute the offline mode of education. It is a time to reclaim our lost years."



The DU colleges were closed in March 2020 in the wake of the pandemic. The reopening of the campus comes amid a decline in the number of Covid cases in the capital. Student bodies held protests earlier this month, demanding the reopening of the campus.

"The last couple of years have brought drastic changes in the lives of students with a particular emphasis on online classes, although now, when lives are coming back on track, we students are super excited to join offline classes as it provides a whole new bunch of opportunities and exposure to shape our future.

"Offline classes also provide a better platform for student-teacher interaction and better learning," said Kalyani Harbola, a first-year student.

Delhi colleges are all set to welcome back the students, several of whom would be first-year and second-year students who have only attended classes in the online mode.

Gyantosh Jha, the principal of the Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, told PTI that the college administration is ready to welcome the students on Thursday.

"We got the campus sanitised on Wednesday and are ready to welcome the students. Many parents visited the college with their wards on Wednesday. The first-year and second-year students will be coming to the college for the first time."



Asked if the college is planning to go for a blended mode of education for the first-year students, he said, "We will see the attendance on Thursday. If 50 per cent students or less turn up, we will go for a hybrid mode for the first-year students. We have spoken to the teachers about it."Some students, especially the last-year students of graduation and post-graduation courses, are demanding hybrid or online classes.

According to them, the exams are approaching and there is no point in making accommodation arrangements for just a couple of months.

The outstation final-year students of the university have started a petition, stating that they should not be called back for just two months.

Addressed to the vice-chancellor, the registrar, the proctor and the dean of students' welfare, the petition has been started on change.org and over 40,000 people have already signed it.

Tanya Pandey (25), a final-year Campus Law Centre student and one of the signatories to the petition, said, "The students should not be called back for just two months. Since the examinations are approaching and we are almost at the end of the semester and mid-semester breaks are also round the corner, there is no point in making new arrangements for accommodation and travelling to Delhi just for a couple of months."



Several DU colleges are focussed on complete offline classes for senior batches.

"We will have a blended or hybrid mode of education and the students will be provided academic support to ease stress," Miranda House principal Bijayalaxmi Nanda told PTI.

She also mentioned that online study and resource materials will be provided to all the students. The Rajdhani College would have online classes for the first-year students. Officials of the Aryabhatta College said no student would be pressured to come for offline classes.

Since the university has been shut for almost two years, preparing hostels takes time and hence, the students might have to wait to get hostel accommodation.

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The Lucknow bench of on Wednesday asked the state government to consider lifting its ban on the enhancement of students' fees in as the institutions across the state had reopened.

The court has fixed February 28 as the next date of hearing in the matter.

A division bench of Justice A R Masoodi and Justice N K Jauhri passed the order on the writ petition filed by Association of .

The petitioner has challenged the state government's decision of January 7, 2022, whereby it put a ban on increasing fees, due to COVID-19 conditions.

It was submitted on behalf of the petitioner that the order was given looking at the closure of institutions, but now, the government itself on February 11 issued another other notification opening all institutions. As such, there is no logic to continue the ban on the enhancement of fees in private schools, the plea said.

To this, the state counsel sought time to obtain specific instructions from the government.

Observing that the plea of private schools had merit, the bench said it expected the state government to reconsider its ban.

The state government ought not to remain oblivious of the fact that the academic session is to start on April 1, 2022, before which the schedule of fee structure has to be uploaded by the members of the petitioner- association in terms of the statute. The objections, if any, by the association of parents have also to be considered in the mechanism prescribed, it noted.

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: An FIR was registered against Chief Minister here on Wednesday for his alleged remarks on leader Rahul Gandhi, police said.

Based on a complaint filed by the president of the Pradesh Committee (TPCC) and party MP A Revanth Reddy, the FIR was registered, the police said.

A case under sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (2) of IPC was registered, they said.

Revanth Reddy, in the complaint filed on Feburary 14, accused Sarma of deliberately using obscene words in his speech against leader on February 11 at a public meeting in Uttarakhand. Sarma chose such usage to get political mileage and Revanth sought legal action.

In the complaint, it was said the speech was to create disharmony in society and incite enmity/hatred/ill-will against the community of followers/supporters of the and its leaders.

After the case was registered, Revanth claimed that the police did not register the FIR with charges as sought by his party.

"We had to complain again after we came to know about the sections mentioned in the FIR. To put it in one word, this FIR is like 'operation success, patient dead'. Because, they weakened my complaint by registering the FIR under these sections," he told reporters.

The nature of the complaint got changed with the charges mentioned in the FIR, he said.

He again complained seeking invocation of stringent charges, the TPCC president said.

TPCC vice-president Mallu Ravi claimed the police restrained several of his party leaders from going ahead with the protests called for by TPCC to demand the police to register cases against the Chief Minister.

Ravi said the TPCC called for protests at the offices of Commissioners of Police and Superintendents of Police.

The protests were held at several places in the State despite police action, he said.

Congress sources claimed it had complained two days ago in about 700 police stations seeking registration of cases against the Chief Minister.

Sarma had slammed Gandhi for demanding proof of the September 2016 surgical strike launched by the Indian Army against terrorist camps in PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) and questioning the efficacy of the the Covid-19 vaccines during a rally in poll-bound Uttarakhand.

The Assam Chief Minister had sought to know whether the BJP had ever demanded proof of him being the son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The remarks drew sharp criticism from the Congress.

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The department on Wednesday carried out raids at multiple premises linked to Chinese tech conglomerate across the country in connection with alleged .

A source told IANS that the raids were being conducted in the Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru and some other parts of the country.

The officials of the IT team scanned a number of account books belonging to the company, according to the source, adding that the financial records of the last three years and company records were also checked.

The tax department officials prepared a list of associates, clients and partners of the company which includes its foreign and country based partners.

The source said that during the raid, they have recovered a few incriminating documents.

The company told IANS in a statement that it is confident that its operations in India are firmly compliant to all laws and regulations.

"We will approach related government departments for more information and fully cooperate as per the rules and regulations and follow the right procedure," the company spokesperson said.

Last month, multiple tax raids were carried out at the premises of Chinese smartphone makers in the country.

The Finance Ministry issued a statement, saying that Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi's local company in India had engaged in "tax evasion" and demanded that it pay a total of Rs 6.53 billion ($88 million) in taxes owed between April 2017 and June 2020.

Xiaomi denied the claim, saying that the company adheres to legal and compliant operations around the world and abides with the relevant laws and regulations of each jurisdiction in which it operates.

Chinese mobile phone brands are highly popular in the Indian market, and their market share far exceeds that of local Indian brands.

also expressed concern over the business environment in India as Indian authorities conducted 'irregular' tax audits of smartphone firms, Global Times reported.

It urged India to provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises.

" has contributed to Indian economic development, and created a large number of local jobs, and we hope India can provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese businesses," said Gao Feng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce in .

--IANS

na/vd

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The COVID-19 tally in rose to 10,30,261 on Wednesday after detection of 1,388 new cases, while the death toll increased to 10,703 after three more patients succumbed to the infection in the state, a health department official said.

The daily positivity rate, or cases detected per 100, dipped to 1.8 per cent from 2 per cent on Tuesday, when the state had reported 1,222 COVID-19 cases, he said. The recovery count jumped to 10,06,565 after 3,088 people were discharged during the day, he said. The state is now left with an active tally of 12,993, the official said. Bhopal and Indore, the two worst coronavirus-hit cities of Madhya Pradesh, registered 283 and 144 cases, respectively, during the past 24 hours, he said. With 74,167 swab samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,70,99,788, the official said. A government release said 11,26,55,662 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 37,471 on Wednesday. figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,30,261, new cases 1,388, death toll 10,703, recoveries 10,06,565, active cases 12,993, number of tests so far 2,70,99,788.

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Over 1,000 companies, including more than 100 global firms, are expected to participate in the 12th edition of the in Gujarat next month, officials said on Wednesday.

They also said around 55 countries have already confirmed their participation at the mega event and the number is set to go up in the next couple of weeks in view of relaxations in the COVID-19-related travel norms.

Gandhinagar in Gujarat will host the DefExpo, India's mega defence exhibition, from March 10-13.

Though the exhibition will be thrown open on March 10, the will formally be inaugurated the next day.

The will be spread over an area of one lakh square metres and it will be the largest one since its inception in 1996, the officials said.

"Over 900 companies, including over 100 foreign firms, have confirmed their participation. We expect the number to go beyond 1,000," said an official, adding, "We expect around 250 MoUs to be firmed up at the four-day event."



The officials said a show comprising 1,000 drones built by an Indian start-up is being organised to light up the Gandhinagar sky.

A thousand small drones produced by the same start-up, Botlab Dynamics, were also displayed at the Beating Retreat ceremony in January.

The officials said the main idea behind the four-day event will be to showcase how India's policy intervention actually led to a success story in defence manufacturing.

Over 50 delegations to be led by either defence ministers or service chiefs are expected to attend the DefExpo 2022, they said.

They said leading venture capitalists are being invited to the DefExpo to explore investments in defence start-ups and related initiatives.

The officials said the second edition of the India-Africa Defence Dialogue will also be held during the mega event and 27 African nations have confirmed their participation at the dialogue so far.

They said the participation by the exhibitors from the United States is the largest from abroad so far, while the Adani and Tata groups are expected to have the largest displays at the exhibition among the Indian firms.

The government is expected to highlight measures at the event to transform India into a hub of military manufacturing.

It has initiated a series of measures in the last couple of years to encourage the domestic defence industry.

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leader Vinayak Raut on Wednesday lashed out at Union minister Narayan Rane, claiming that the latter had joined the after the (ED) launched an inquiry against him.

Speaking to reporters here, the Sena's Lok Sabha member also sought to know what happened to various allegations that leader Kirit Somaiya had levelled against Rane when the latter was in the Congress party.

Rane started his political career in and was chief minister for less than a year in the Sena- dispensation that ruled Maharashtra during 1995-99. He later joined the Congress and became a state minister. A few years later, Rane quit the Congress and founded Maharashtra Swabhimani Party (MSP) in 2018, which he later merged with the BJP. After joining the BJP, Rane became the party's Rajya Sabha member in 2019. He was inducted as union minister for micro, small and medium enterprises last year.

"Somaiya had levelled several allegations against Rane, including that of indulging in corrupt practices and amassing unaccounted wealth. It was followed by the ED probing some shell companies. Rane got scared and then joined BJP," Raut said.

"I hope Somaiya will resubmit to the ED the proofs he had against Rane and the officials will take action against Rane. We will definitely seek ED's response on it," he said.

When Rane was in Congress, he had made some remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But now, Rane is defending the BJP, Raut alleged as he showed some old video footage of Rane's comments against Modi, Somaiya and BJP.

Vinayak Raut's remarks come a day after Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut accused some BJP leaders and businessmen of being involved in corrupt practices. He had launched a personal attack against Somaiya, who has been raising a slew of allegations against the Sena brass and other leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi.

However, Rane on Wednesday accused Sanjay Raut of levelling corruption allegations against BJP leaders without producing any documentary proof.

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Aviation Ministry is in talks with home and health ministries on resuming regular international flights, said a news report on Wednesday.

Current ban on scheduled international flights, imposed due to Covid, is valid until February 28.

Government is conidering resuming by March-April, reported CNBC TV-18.

The report said final decision on resumption of regular is yet to be taken.

The scheduled international passenger flight ban has been in place in India since March 23, 2020. However, special passenger flights have been operating between India and approximately 40 countries since July 2020 under air bubble arrangements formed with them.

India currently has air transport bubbles with Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, US and Uzbekistan.

Last week, the Ministry of Health issued a statement and informed that besides uploading negative RT-PCR report (taken 72 hrs prior to journey), the option to upload certificate of completing full primary vaccination schedule of COVID-19 vaccination provided from countries on a reciprocal basis.

All travellers will self-monitor their health for the next 14 days of arrival. If travellers under self-health monitoring, develop signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, they will immediately self-isolate and report to their nearest health facility or call National helpline number (1075)/ State Helpline Number," the ministry said.
The relatively short shelf life of Plc's COVID-19 is complicating the rollout to the world's poorest nations, according to officials and internal World Health Organization documents reviewed by Reuters.

It is the latest headache to plague the COVAX vaccine-sharing project, co-led by the WHO and aimed at getting shots to the world's neediest people.

Initially, poorer countries and COVAX lagged richer countries in securing supplies, as wealthier nations used their financial might to acquire the first available doses.

As production ramped up and richer states began donating excess doses, some countries - particularly in Africa - are now struggling to administer the big shipments.

The need to turn down vaccines with short shelf lives, along with the initial inequality, hesitancy and other barriers, has contributed to a much lower rate in Africa where only around 10% of people have been immunised, compared with more than 70% in richer nations.

Many vaccines are arriving with only a few months, and sometimes weeks, before their use-by date, adding to the scramble to get shots in arms. Some countries have had to destroy expired doses, including Nigeria which dumped up to 1 million vaccines in November.



The problem with a short shelf life largely concerns AstraZeneca, according to COVAX data and officials.



An internal WHO document reviewed by Reuters detailing vaccine stocks in several central and west African countries for the week ending Feb. 6 highlighted the problem.

Most of the 19 listed African nations had expired doses, compared to a handful of countries with expired doses from other manufacturers. Of the total expired doses declared by those countries in the week, about 1.3 million were AstraZeneca, 280,000 Johnson & Johnson, 15,000 Moderna and 13,000 Russia's Sputnik, the document shows.

Many more vaccines are expected to be rejected as African nations and COVAX said that from January they would not accept vaccines with less than two-and-a-half months' shelf life.

Yet Benin received 80,400 AstraZeneca doses from COVAX on Jan. 30, set to expire on Feb. 28. It also got 100,000 doses of the Sputnik Light vaccine from Russia, with the same expiry date - but outside the COVAX initiative. Vaccines from other manufacturers had a much longer shelf life, according to the document.

Two and a half months of shelf life is the minimum duration African countries reckon they need to administer the shots.

AstraZeneca, COVAX's second-biggest supplier after Pfizer, said that since the start of the global rollout, more than 250 million of its shots left factories with less than two-and-a-half months before expiry.

Short shelf life is not generally a problem for a wealthy country with expertise and infrastructure. But without systems in place, it can be insurmountable.

A spokesperson for Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca said vaccines had to undergo scrupulous quality checks and pointed to the fact that the company was a major player in supporting drives in poorer nations. With donations from rich countries included, more AstraZeneca vaccines have been distributed by COVAX than any other shot.

"AstraZeneca has supplied 2.6 billion vaccine doses globally, approximately two thirds of which have gone to low and lower middle-income countries," the spokesperson said.

Clock Ticking

The volumes of delivered vaccines vastly outnumber wasted doses, but the losses have been substantial thanks in part to the time pressures. This has led to AstraZeneca shots being turned down even before being shipped.

Taking into account only donated doses, which represent nearly half the billion vaccines distributed by COVAX, about 30 million AstraZeneca shots were rejected or deferred last year by poor nations, said Gavi, the nonprofit that co-runs COVAX alongside the WHO. That amounts to a quarter of AstraZeneca's donated shots via COVAX.

Many were later re-assigned to other countries, Gavi added, noting that more than 95% of them were AstraZeneca. It did not say where to.

Millions of additional AstraZeneca doses shared by the EU, COVAX's biggest donor, have not been distributed yet, according to an EU internal document reviewed by Reuters.

The main problem is the vaccine's shelf life of just six months from the date of bottling, the shortest among COVAX's top suppliers, several COVAX and EU officials told Reuters.

In addition, the company's quality checks can themselves sometimes take months.

COVAX's complex system to assign doses to countries, and donors' requests to deliver them to selected nations, often further eat into the vaccine's short life, leaving sometimes only a few weeks before they expire.

Quality checks are conducted by all vaccine makers, but the time constraints are less of an issue for COVAX's other top suppliers. Johnson & Johnson's vaccines last two years when frozen, Pfizer's last nine months and Moderna's seven months, according to storage instructions approved by the WHO.

Millions of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines could also go wasted, some African countries warned in the WHO document, with the problem being linked usually to low vaccine uptake and insufficient cold-chain equipment to distribute these shots in remote regions.

Extending Shelf Life

Gavi said it has encouraged AstraZeneca to apply to the WHO for an extension of the expiration date, but talks have not led yet to a formal application. AstraZeneca said the process is complex due to its vast global network of companies manufacturing its vaccine.

One of its production partners, the Serum Institute of India, has been granted WHO approval for a nine-month shelf life, after it was initially authorised only for six. But other batches produced by AstraZeneca in the rest of the world have only six.

"We are currently in discussions with the World Health Organisation ... but this is a complex task which requires data to be collected from across our global manufacturing network," a spokesperson for AstraZeneca said.

A WHO spokesperson did not comment on the talks.

On average, African countries have used two-thirds of received doses, but that drops to 11% in Burundi and 15% in Congo, with other large countries, including Madagascar, Zambia, Somalia and Uganda, having used only about one-third, Gavi said, citing figures from late January.

Gavi said the total wastage rate was around 0.3% of doses delivered by mid-December. It declined to share more updated figures, but said the rate was expected to rise.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio and Jennifer Rigby; Additional reporting by Maggie Fick in Nairobi and MacDonald Dzirutwe in Lagos, Alexander Winning and James Macharia Chege in Johannesburg, and Polina Nikolskaya in Moscow; Editing by Josephine Mason and Nick Macfie)



Truckers in Canada refuse to end protest despite state of emergency Trucker-led protesters occupying the Canadian capital of Ottawa showed no sign of backing down, despite a state of emergency granting wide new powers to end their weeks-long protest over Covid rules. A day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, the truckers appeared undeterred, with signs that read: Hold the line.

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A small plane carrying eight people crashed into the ocean off North Carolinas Outer Banks and left behind multiple debris fields where crews searched for the missing passengers, the Coast Guard said.

Four teenagers and four adults returning from a hunting trip were on board a small plane that crashed off the coast of North Carolina over the weekend, authorities said Tuesday.

Everyone on board was from North Carolina. Six of the passengers lived in coastal Carteret County, a mostly rural area that includes tourist destinations and the southern edge of the Outer Banks.

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Divers found the planes fuselage and cabin in the Atlantic Ocean about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from shore and in about 55 feet (17 meters) of water, Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck told reporters Tuesday.

Crews have been removing human remains as well as aviation equipment that could help investigators determine the crashs cause, Buck said. The Coast Guard said Tuesday that it was suspending its search but would continue to work alongside local partners through ongoing recovery operations.

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The sheriff said the plane crash and recovery efforts have been tremendously hard because the community is so close-knit.

Half my familys from down here, Buck said. I know the people involved. And I know some of them very closely.

The sheriffs office identified the adults on board the plane as pilot Ernest Durwood Rawls, 67, of Greenville; Jeffrey Worthington Rawls, 28, of Greenville; Stephanie Ann McInnis Fulcher, 42, of Sea Level; and Douglas Hunter Parks, 45, of Sea Level.

The teenagers were identified as Jonathan Kole McInnis, 15, of Sea Level; Noah Lee Styron, 15, of Cedar Island; Michael Daily Shepard, 15, of Atlantic; and Jacob Nolan Taylor, 16, of Atlantic.

Carteret County includes communities such as Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach as well as the Cape Lookout National Seashore. The tower of its iconic Outer Banks lighthouse is known for its black-and-white diamond pattern.

But the county also includes the waterfront town of Atlantic, which has a population of about 500 people and is located in a region called Down East.

Kendra Lewis, 29, organized a prayer vigil for Tuesday night in the parking lot of a shuttered grocery store.

Were just an old fishing community, she said. Were used to banding together and taking care of one another.

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Lewis watched the four boys who were on the plane grow up.

Theyre the definition of Down East people, she said. They hunted. They loved each other. They were just a part of the community. Were all just a big family.

The teenagers went to East Carteret High School, which has about 600 students, the school system said in a statement.

Following the news of Sundays crash, school counselors, psychologists and crisis team members arrived at the school, where students have begun telling each other great stories of beautiful memories, said Rob Jackson, the county schools superintendent.

This is hard for adults, Jackson said. Harder still, I think, for teenagers whove grown up with their friends who are suddenly taken from them.

Charlie Snow, a close friend of the pilot, said Ernest Rawls and Jeff Rawls were father and son. Jeff Rawls was a pilot as well, Snow said.

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Snow said the elder Rawls was nicknamed Teen. Rawls had previously flown for Snows company, Outer Banks Airlines, and he and Rawls had also flown together. The elder Rawls was a highly trained and extremely capable pilot, not to mention a high-level aviation mechanic, said Snow, who is also a pilot.

If anybody could get out of something, if it was possible to get out of it, he could have done it, Snow said during a telephone interview. So it makes me think that whatever happened was catastrophic. But you know, its just speculation.

Snow said he and Ernest Rawls were like brothers and were friends for 20 years.

I just dont know many people in the world that I loved better than him, Snow said. He was just a great guy, a great pilot, a wonderful man  a fine Christian man.

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Snow said the plane that Rawls was flying was owned by Parks, one of the passengers. Fulcher, another passenger, was Parks girlfriend. Snow said the couple had taken the teens to a charity hunting event.

FlightAware listed a departure for that plane from Hyde County Airport at 1:35 p.m. Sunday. It noted that the plane was last seen near Beaufort, the Carteret County seat, around 2 p.m.

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The Coast Guard said it received a report of a possible downed aircraft about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) east of Drum Inlet from a Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point air traffic controller. The air traffic controller reported that the aircraft was behaving erratically on radar, then disappeared from the screen.

The single-engine Pilatus PC-12/47 crashed about 18 miles (29 kilometers) northeast of Beaufort, according to an email from the Federal Aviation Administration. A preliminary accident notification on the FAAs website noted that the aircraft crashed into water under unknown circumstances.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

___

Associated Press news researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.
Govt to initiate investor outreach for sale from Feb 25

The government will start roadshows with investors for the strategic disinvestment of from February 25 as the Centre and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) look to sell their stake in the lender to a private buyer.

The preliminary interest of investors will be gauged from the exercise as the government looks to undertake the first-ever strategic disinvestment of a public sector lender (although majorly owned by LIC). Read more here

I-T dept searches Chinese telecom major Huawei's offices in three cities

The Income-tax department has conducted searches at multiple premises of Chinese telecom company in the country as part of a tax evasion investigation, official sources said on Wednesday.

The raids were launched at the company's premises in Delhi, Gurugram (Haryana) and Bengaluru in Karnataka on Tuesday. Read more here

Moody's revises outlook on Vedanta to negative; affirms B2 rating

Global rating agency Moody's has changed the outlook from stable to negative on Vedanta Resources Ltd (VRL) reflecting large near-term refinancing requirements amid tightening liquidity in the capital markets.

It, however, affirmed VRLs B2 corporate family rating (CFR) and the B3 rating on the senior unsecured notes issued by VRL and those by Vedanta Resources Finance II Plc. Read more here

Russian pullout meets NATO scepticism, Ukraine defence website still hacked

Russia said more of its forces surrounding Ukraine were withdrawing on Wednesday but NATO urged Moscow to prove it was pulling back, saying there were signs that more troops were on the way.

Britain joined the United States in saying it had yet to be convinced the pullout was real, while in Ukraine, the defence ministry said an unprecedented cyber attack was into its second day. Russia said it had nothing to do with any attack. Read more here
The main tunnel of T-49, the longest tunnel of Indian Railways, between Sumber and Arpinchala station of Katra-Banihal section of Udhampur- Srinagar- Rail Link (USBRL) project has been connected successfully on Tuesday, informed Northern Railways.

"A major milestone has been achieved by executing break-through of Tunnel T49 between Sumber and Arpinchala Station on ongoing Katra-Banihal Section. It is worthwhile to mention that line and level of the tunnel is precisely achieved in break-through," the Northern Railways said in a statement.

Out of 272 km length of Udhampur Rail Link Project (USBRL) project, 161 km has already been commissioned and operationalized.

The work of the intervening stretch of 111 km between Katra Banihal is under progress at rapid pace, railways said.

"Katra-Banihal Section is traversing through hilly terrain of lower Himalaya's, in which Geology is a major challenge. It has several major bridges and very long tunnels which are under construction at different stages," it said.

T49 is a tunnel of length 12.758 km long and it is going to be the longest tunnel of Indian Railway surpassing Peer Panjal Tunnel of 11.2 km length constructed by USBRL on the Banihal-Qazigund section.

The south portal (SP) of Tunnel T-49 is located in picturesque Sumber Village at a distance of 45 km from District H.Q. Ramban of Jammu and Kashmir at an altitude of 1400 meters, while the North Portal (NP) of the tunnel is located near Arpinchala village Tehsil Khari, District Ramban, in Mahu-Mangat Valley at an altitude of 1600 meters approximately.

T-49 tunnel is having two tubes -- one is the main tunnel and other being escape tunnel. The tunnel has been constructed by NATM (New Austrian Tunneling Method), which is a modern technique of drill and blast method. The Cross-section profile of the tunnel is modified horseshoe-shaped. This tunnel length is very long.

In order to facilitate construction, three adits namely Urnihal Adit, Hingni Adit and Kundan Adit have also been constructed. The tunnel has a ruling gradient 1 in 80 and designed speed of 100 kmph. As per International standards, the Escape Tunnel being constructed parallel to the Main Tunnel is connected by cross passages at an interval of 375m to facilitate rescue and restoration work.

The work of construction was entrusted by NR to IRCON International Ltd. which has assigned works in two packages to HCC and AFCONS. HCC is executing the work of 5.1 km length from South Portal and AFCONS is executing the length of 7.658 km from North Portal.

The railways said that several challenges were encountered in the course of construction such as shear zone, perched aquifer, and highly jointed rock mass, rock problems of squeezing and high ingress of water. The team of experienced engineers of Northern Railway, IRCON and the executing agencies HCC and AFCONS successfully negotiated all challenges and made possible to achieve this major breakthrough.

During construction activities of the tunnel local population was employed by agencies for various works, in the region which has changed the overall socio-economic landscape.

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patients lay in hospital beds or open-air tens amid record numbers of infections as doggedly adheres to its "zero-COVID" strategy, and China's leader said the local government's overriding task was to control the situation.

is facing its worst outbreak of the pandemic, topping 2,000 new COVID-19 cases each day this week. The city government has already instituted strict rules banning gatherings of more than two households.

But health care facilities are beginning to overflow, and the city's Caritas Medical Center was forced Wednesday to treat some patients in beds outside the building. Others were waiting in tents, some appalled by the government's response to the outbreak.

"The reason why our society has become chaotic like this today is all because of this policy. The organizational skill of the government has made people feel so hopeless, said Daisy Ho, a 70-year-old homemaker.

Xi directed Vice Premier Han Zheng to express to Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam the concerns that Chinese Communist Party leaders have about the city's ongoing outbreak, according to Wen Wei Po, a pro-Beijing news outlet.

Zheng said the Hong Kong government should earnestly assume the main responsibility and regard the rapid stabilization and control of the epidemic as the current overriding task, the report said.

China's central government agencies and neighboring Guangdong province will provide Hong Kong with resources to fight the outbreak, including rapid antigen tests, medical expertise and supplies, Zheng said.

China has been able to control the virus within its borders by maintaining a strict zero tolerance policy that involves total lockdowns, extensive contact tracing and mass testing millions of people. The strategy seeks to contain outbreaks as soon as they are detected.

Lam has stuck to the strategy despite geographical and other differences between Hong Kong and other parts of China. Last week, the entire upscale Discovery Bay neighborhood in Hong Kong was ordered to undergo testing after authorities found traces of the virus in its sewage.

The comments from Xi and Zheng were the latest pressure from Beijing for her to stay the course.

Thousands of people in the city have tested positive for COVID-19 and are waiting to be admitted into hospitals or isolation facilities, said Dr. Sara Ho, the chief manager for patient safety and risk management at the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.

"This situation is undesirable. Therefore, we are looking for ways with the government to set up more isolation facilities. We hope to shorten the patients' waiting time, she added.

People who test positive are required to quarantine either in hospitals if they have serious symptoms or in government-run facilities for light or asymptomatic cases. The record number of new cases, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant, has led to the current overcrowding.

Yancey Yau, a construction worker, said the city's hospital workers are facing heavy stress.

"They are working so hard. But the government is not doing what they should do," Yau said. "The hospital workers are just miserable. I hope more citizens will support them. I don't have any hope for this government."



By contrast, the city-state of Singapore, which is similarly sized to Hong Kong with a population of some 5.7 million compared to 7.5 million, undertook strict lockdown measures early in the pandemic but is now pursuing a living with COVID" approach.

The number of new cases per capita in Singapore has skyrocketed with the arrival of omicron, with 1,911 new cases per million people reported on Monday, versus 66 per million in Hong Kong, according to Our World in Data.

But people testing positive who have no symptoms or only mild symptoms just need to self-quarantine at home, and even those who have more severe symptoms are told to see a physician for medical advice before going to the hospital.

Consequently, it is not suffering the stress on its health care system that Hong Kong is now experiencing.

Singapore also boasts one of the world's highest vaccination rates, with 88% of its population fully vaccinated, compared to Hong Kong's 64%.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
and on Wednesday signed a work plan for cooperation to strengthen quality infrastructure, reduce technical barriers to trade, enhance product safety and strengthen consumer protection.

The work plan 2022 was signed during the virtually held 8th annual meeting of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure, led by the Indian Ministry for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh and Deniela Bronstrup, Director General, Digital and Innovation Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) were present in the meeting.

"A Work Plan for the Year 2022 was agreed upon and signed by both sides...," an official statement said.

The areas identified for collaboration include mobility, energy, circular economy, smart farming/ agriculture, medical devices, digitalisation (artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0 and other new technology areas), machinery safety, medical devices and equipment and market surveillance.

Speaking in the meeting, India's consumer affairs secretary underscored the importance of a well-established and robust quality infrastructure which consists of standardisation, technical regulations and market surveillance for the success of the government's initiative to transform into a global manufacturing hub.

Stating that is an important and trusted partner for India, the secretary expressed hope that the Work Plan 2022 signed virtually during the meeting would pave the way forward for collaboration towards well functioning and resilient systems of quality infrastructures.

He urged involvement of all the relevant stakeholders, such as different ministries, standardisation bodies and industry to learn from each other's approaches on different aspects of quality infrastructure.

Germany's Bronstrup said despite the challenging period, both sides continued cooperation under the framework of the Working Group.

"This is a great sign of strong relations between and and that both sides can draw benefits from exchange of information and expertise on issues of mutual interest to support bilateral trade," he said.

The German side shared their initiatives at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and requested support for the German candidate for the position of Director Standards at ITU.

A publication -- 'United in Quality and Safety' -- was released providing information about the quality infrastructure in Germany and the European Union.

Outcome of the Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) study conducted by the German side was also shared.

As per the GQII report, India is placed at seventh position on standardisation aspect, ninth for accreditation activities and 19th for metrology related activities.

India scored 95.6 out of 100 and is ranked at 10th place in the world for overall quality infrastructure environment in the country, the statement said.

This was followed by a panel discussion on 'Digitalization and sustainability: key factors for an effective and modern Quality Infrastructure' and a session on 'Focus areas for cooperation within the Indo-German Working Group in 2022'.

The Working Group meets annually since 2013, and identifies areas of cooperation to support and strengthen quality infrastructure taking into account needs and requirements of relevant stakeholders from diverse technology areas so as to support bilateral trade.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will on Friday sign a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with an aim to more than double the bilateral trade in goods to $100 billion within five years.

The first round negotiation was launched five months ago.

Under the trade deal, both countries are expected to give duty-free access to a large number of items across various sectors from April 1, officials said. Duty for some (other) items will be reduced in a phased manner, an official said, on condition of anonymity.

India-UAE CEPA will be the first of the bunch of trade agreements that India aims to ink with other developed nations over the next few months.



WHATS THE PACT Under the deal, both countries are expected to give duty-free access to a large number of items across various sectors from April 1

Duty for some (other) items will be reduced in a phased manner, an official said

India-UAE CEPA will be the first of the bunch of trade agreements that India aims to ink with other developed nations over the next few months

UAE is Indias third-largest trading partner and the second-largest export destination after the US. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAEs minister of state for foreign trade will be in New Delhi during the signing of the trade pact.

Separately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan will hold a virtual summit on Friday.

Both leaders are expected to lay out their vision of the historic and friendly relations between the two countries, at a time when India is celebrating 75 years of its Independence as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and UAE is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its foundation. The two leaders will also discuss bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, an official statement said.

Indias items of interest are textiles, jewellery, footwear, leather products and handicrafts, while that on UAEs side are fintech, food, medical equipment, petrochemical equipment and byproducts, among others.

Indias major exports to the UAE include petroleum products, precious metals, stones, gems and jewellery, minerals, food items such as cereals, sugar, fruits and vegetables, tea, meat, and seafood, textiles, engineering and machinery products, and chemicals. Indias top imports from the UAE include petroleum and petroleum products, precious metals, stones, gems and jewellery, minerals, chemicals and wood and wood products.
India's aluminium smelters, textile mills, sponge iron and fertiliser-makers say they face a coal shortage as power generators take the bulk of supplies.

India's top miner Coal India Ltd, which accounts for more than 80% of India's production of the fuel, and the federal coal ministry, deny there is a problem.

In a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi dated Feb. 7, eight industry associations including the Aluminium Association of India and Fertilizer Association of India urged the government to ensure a "justified ratio of coal allocation between power sector and industries".

They do not give precise figures on the extent of the shortage, but industry officials said the government's policy of prioritising coal shipments to power generators rather than the non-power sector in response to high prices and reduced imports had caused panic and uncertainty.

Supplies to the non-power sector have been lower than last year, and the number of trains supplying coal to it dipped to 12-14 trains per day at end-January, compared with 36 in August, the Coal Consumers Association of India said.

India's told Reuters in a statement that it expected availability of trains to the non-regulated sector to get better, adding that any shortfalls in the number of trains would be addressed soon.

India's coal imports slumped to a nine-year low in 2021, largely because of high global prices, increasing consumers' dependence on Coal India.

GRAPHIC: India's thermal coal imports fall to 9-yr lows https://graphics.reuters.com/INDIA-COAL/IMPORTS/zdvxoaezopx/chart.png The miner increased output to record levels, but largely catered to utilities - in line with its legacy of giving precedence to power plants. GRAPHIC: Coal India production hits record highs, https://graphics.reuters.com/INDIA-COAL/IMPORTS/byvrjxayxve/chart.png

While higher production by Coal India helped India through its worst power crisis in nearly four years, the non-power sector is still suffering from a lack of supplies from Coal India, industry officials say. GRAPHIC: Benchmark coal prices pushed to new highs in late 2021 on surging global use, tight gas supply, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/mypmnjrdzvr/NewcastleCoalFeb2022.png

"Industries are unable to ascertain the magnitude of crisis and plan for the future," the associations said in the letter.

(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; editing by Barbara Lewis)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has tied up with the Government of Bihar to promote the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector in the state.

To this effect, two memoranda of understanding (MoU) have been signed between and the industries department, Government of Bihar, and the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) to develop the MSME ecosystem in the state.

Under the first MoU with Bihar's industry department, project management units (PMUs) will be deployed by with the state government, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The PMU will support the state government in making necessary interventions for focused engagement of SIDBI with Bihar, with the objective of facilitating development of the MSME ecosystem.

It will support the state government in making necessary interventions for focused engagement of SIDBI to facilitate development of the MSME ecosystem in the state.

According to the second MoU, SIDBI will work in close coordination with BIADA to benefit MSMEs who want to set up any industrial unit on the land/ plot allotted by BIADA so as to promote industrialisation in the state, SIDBI said.

The MoUs were signed in the presence of Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, Minister of Industries, Bihar; Brijesh Mehrotra, additional chief secretary, Bihar; and Pradeep Kumar Jha, branch in-charge of SIDBI Patna.

"The MoU with SIDBI will prove to be a game changer in the development of micro, small and medium enterprises in Bihar, especially when the land of BIADA will be recognised by SIDBI as collateral, as well as cheap and easy loans to MSMEs.

"This will greatly accelerate the industrial development of Bihar," Hussain said in the statement.

Bihar is the 14th state of the country with which SIDBI has tied up and it will play an important role in strengthening the MSMEs of the state, Mehrotra said.

"We are working towards strengthening the MSME ecosystem in the state. SIDBI will place an expert agency with the state industries department of Bihar," Sinha said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Key political parties in stepped up activity on social media platform around the time of the countrys largest state elections.

The number of tweets in January 2022 were higher than 2021 for four out of the five major parties in the fray, shows data from an analysis by the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-Hyderabad) and the University of Michigan. The increase was as high as 41 per cent shows the data shared with Business Standard.

The average number of tweets for the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) was up 41 per cent. It was 14.2 per cent higher for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and 25.2 per cent higher for the Samajwadi Party (SP). The larger national parties did not see as much of an increase. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activity was up 1 per cent, though it remains the party with the largest number of tweets by far. The Indian National Congress (INC) saw number of tweets dropping 19.7 per cent over January last year (see chart 1).







Party leaders got more engagement on their individual accounts than the party handle. For example, Akhilesh Yadav got more engagement than the SP party account. This also held true for BJPs Yogi Adityanath, INCs Priyanka Gandhi and BSP National President Mayawati.

The analysis also looked at the language political parties used to communicate with their followers. It said that contrary to the popular perception of Twitter being dominated by the English language, it was Hindi that was most widely used among the analysed political handles (see chart 2).







It accounted for the majority of tweets across parties. The highest was SP with 95.8 per cent. The RLD followed with 94.2 per cent. The BSP was 91.2 per cent while the BJP was 89.4 per cent. The Indian National Congress had the lowest share of Hindi tweets ahead of the UP election. It was 68.5 per cent.

Only 14% of the entire sample of tweets from politicians between October 2021 and January 2022 are in English. Most tweets are in Hindi, with the occasional use of other languages, said the study.

Interestingly, Akhilesh Yadav gets more retweets per tweet than current Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Priyanka Gandhi gets more retweets than either of them.

Social media activity has become more important in light of restrictions on physical campaigning because of Covid-19. The election commission had reiterated the ban on road shows, rallies and processions on January 31, extending it into February even as cases began to taper.

...positivity rate is showing a decline with the number of hospitalisation cases also registering a declining trend... protocol precautions need to be continued to be observed so that no undue spurt takes place due to intense public contact because of heightened political activity, said a press statement issued on January 31, though some relaxations like physical public meetings with 50 per cent capacity were allowed.

The elections are being held in seven phases. The second phase ended on Monday. The last phase will end in March 2022.
Former Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that he was not against people of but against their rulers and the army who were fomenting trouble in India and killing our soldiers on the borders.

Addressing public meetings in support of the party candidates, Farzana Alam from Malerkotla and Sardar Ali from Amargarh, he said these elections were going to decide the future of Punjab as the state was confronted by multiple challenges which could be matched by a "double engine" government only.

He said before independence about 40 per cent population of Patiala was Muslim and most of them had migrated to .

He said when he went there during his previous term as Chief Minister, he was honoured and felicitated by them. He said he was for good relationships between the two countries, but the Pakistani Prime Minister and his army were being too hostile towards India, which was unacceptable.

On the Aam Aadmi Party's choice of Chief Ministerial candidate, Amarinder Singh said Bhagwant Mann is a good actor, who amuses people and makes them laugh on television.

But running the government is more serious business than amusing people or making them laugh, he said, while warning that Punjab needs a serious and mature leadership, which can not only take care of the state's security but also bring it out of the multiple problems it faces.

The two-time Chief Minister had a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming that he had nominated a "poor" Chief Ministerial candidate.

He said Charanjit Singh Channi was among the richest candidates fighting elections with properties worth hundreds of crores. He said otherwise also just being poor does not qualify one to be the Chief Minister.

Appealing to people to elect the Punjab Lok Congress candidates for a better future, he reminded them that he had made Malerkotla a district and also announced to set up a medical college here.

He promised to set up a university in the city once the BJP-PLC-SAD(S) government is formed in the state. Responding to the demands of local people, he also promised to make Malerkotla a municipal corporation for improving civic amenities there.

Punjab will go to the polls for 117-member Assembly on February 20.

--IANS

vg/vd

A

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
House of Delegates members raise their hands to call for a recorded vote on legislation during the long floor session of the House inside the State Capitol in Richmond on Monday. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch/AP)

Virginia lawmakers turned public school instruction into political performance art on Monday night. And while citizens might not have been watching, rest assured that the commonwealths educators were  likely with some mixture of trepidation and abject horror.

The bill before the House of Delegates was HB787, the so-called divisive concepts legislation sponsored by Del. Dave LaRock, a Republican from Loudoun County, which would declare unlawful and discriminatory the teaching of certain concepts to any public elementary or secondary school student.

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Those concepts include that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex; that an individual, by virtue of the individuals race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously; and that an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the individuals race or sex.

Those seem rather benign, right? Nothing to worry about. After all, nobody wants kids to be taught that one race is superior to another or that one gender is inferior to another.

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But to legislate that, to make it unlawful? Well, thats when things get tricky.

Begin with the simple matter of enforcement. Who is to say what would run afoul of the law? Is the state to police classroom instruction? And if so, how?

Surely it wont be through deeply flawed and troubling initiatives such as Gov. Glenn Youngkins email tip line. Allowing disgruntled parents, upset students or any old Joe off the street  a vindictive ex-boyfriend or spouse, perhaps?  to register complaints about teachers that could affect their professional reputation and career is absolutely the wrong way to go.

The primary concern for Virginias future isnt turning citizens into informants (though that is frightening), but the notion of adopting broad-based language to expel certain concepts from the classroom.

That would discourage the instruction of ideas that are necessary for a thorough understanding of our commonwealth and our nation. And it would create a minefield for teachers, who might rather leave the profession (or Virginia) to avoid it rather than marching through.

Guarding against those outcomes prompted Democratic lawmakers on Monday to propose a series of amendments to ensure foundational concepts would continue to be taught in Virginia classrooms.

Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news >

These included an amendment to protect teaching about The Lost Cause of the Confederacy, the false narrative which marginalizes the role slavery played in the Civil War. There were amendments to protect teaching about Jim Crow laws, the three-fifths compromise and school integration.

There were amendments to protect teaching about racial and gender discrimination, about wealth and income gaps by race and gender, and about the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin, which sharpened the nations focus on the discrimination and hatred faced by Asian Americans.

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There was an amendment to protect teaching about Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court case which asserted a fundamental right to marriage  including same-sex unions  in the United States, and another that read simply, nothing in this act shall prevent training or instruction about Supreme Court precedents and arguments.

Each of these was rejected by the House on party line 50-47 votes, with Republicans voting against. And they did so because a small but vocal minority of parents in Virginia demanded it and, rather than doing whats best for students, the House GOP did what was opportunistic.

Heres the most ridiculous part: This is all for show. A Democratic majority in the Senate will likely kill the bill when it reaches that chamber. And this effort to prohibit divisive instruction will be banished to the legislative dustbin where it belongs.

But for teachers, the message is crystal clear. Republican lawmakers in Richmond want to decide what is lawful for them to teach. They want to identify violations and punish infractions. And theyre not concerned how that might affect instruction central to student growth and understanding.

If youre a teacher, watching this unfold, you might start asking yourself if you have a future in Virginias classrooms. Honestly, who could blame you?
Union Minister on Wednesday appealed to the people of to bring the BJP-led alliance to power for the state's overall development.

Addressing a poll rally here, the Minister for Women and Child Development said only a BJP-led government can ensure the border state's overall development and security.

Asking the people to vote for her party on February 20, Irani assured a massive infrastructure development to revive Punjab's economy at a cost of Rs one lakh crore over the next five years.

She listed several achievements of the central government in various sectors.

Without naming Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Irani said the Congress leader went to Pakistan and claimed that the neighbouring country's Prime Minister Imran Khan was his good friend. He also hugged the Pakistan army chief General Bajwa, thereby hurting the sentiments of the people of India, she said.

The minister also targeted the Congress over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Punjab Chief Minister on Wednesday offered prayers at the Ravidas Temple in Uttar Pradesh's on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti.

The Chief Minister listened to Kirtan (devotional songs) going on in the temple for about 45 minutes and also met devotees from Punjab.

On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and the party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also visit Ravidas Temple in today.

Notably, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had postponed Punjab Assembly elections in view of Guru Ravidas's birth anniversary. The state, that was scheduled to go for polls on February 14 earlier, will now go to polling on February 20.

Sant Ravidas belonged to the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century and his hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. He is considered the founder of the 21st-century Ravidassia religion.

Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day of the Magh month as per the Hindu calendar.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister on Wednesday courted controversy during a poll rally by asking people not to let the "bhiyas" of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi enter the state, a remark apparently aimed at AAP leaders.

The word "bhiyas" in reference to people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is generally considered offensive.

In a video circulating on social media, Congress general secretary Vadra was seen beside Channi clapping when he made the remarks during a roadshow in Rupnagar.

" is the daughter-in-law of . Will not let the 'Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi de bhaiye', who have come here to rule, enter the state," the incumbent chief minister of said.

His remark was met with criticism by the .

AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed his Punjab counterpart's comments "very shameful".

"We strongly condemn the wrong comments made against any individual or any particular community," he replied when asked during a press conference to comment on Channi's remark.

Kejriwal added that Channi had earlier taunted him over his skin complexion, calling him 'kala (dark)'. When Bhagwant Mann said also belongs to Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal said she too is then a "bhaiya".

BJP leader Tejasvi Surya shared the video of Channi on Twitter and targeted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over this.

"Priyanka Vadra Ji calls herself a daughter of Uttar Pradesh when she visits the state and claps when people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are insulted in Punjab. This is her double character and face as well," Surya said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BSP supremo appealed to voters on Wednesday to extend their full support to her party in the ongoing Assembly polls, saying it is the only well-wisher of the people of the state.

Addressing a public meeting in favour of the party nominees on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti here, the (BSP) chief paid glowing tributes to Sant Ravidas.

She said the mystic poet-reformer wanted a government under which everyone got "roti, kapda aur makan" (food, clothes and shelter), but those who try to gain political mileage on his birth anniversary every year by visiting his birth place never took his message seriously.

Claiming that her party has always followed the path shown by Sant Ravidas, recalled the steps taken by the previous BSP governments in the state as well as many historical projects for people in the poet-reformer's name.

"In order to realise the dreams of Sant Ravidas, it is very important to form the government of the BSP again. This will be your true tribute to him," she said while appealing to the voters that "in this election, instead of giving your vote to other political parties, including the Congress, the BJP and the SP, you have to give it to your only well-wisher -- BSP".

"The BSP is contesting all the Assembly seats alone to form a government with full majority, like in 2007, to free the state from the BJP's casteist, narrow and dictatorial rule," said, assuring the voters that all of their problems will be resolved once her party comes to power.

Those disturbing law and order will be sent to jail, the false cases registered against those staging protests will be removed and the old pension scheme for government employees will be implemented, she said.

Attacking her political opponents, the former chief minister said like the Samajwadi Party (SP), the mindset of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government towards Dalits and other backward classes and their saints and gurus is evident and therefore, along with the SP, the saffron party too must also be stopped from coming to power in the state.

The policies and style of functioning of the BJP appear to be casteist, capitalist and following the "narrow agenda" of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)," she said.

Mayawati also hit out at the Congress, which ruled the state and the country for the longest period of time since independence, saying it was because of the wrong policies of the grand old party that it is now out of power at the Centre as well as in many states, including .

The BSP chief accused the Congress of being strongly casteist and harbouring an anti-Dalit, anti-tribal, and anti-Other Backward Classes (OBCs) mindset from the very beginning and said the leaders of the party have been enacting all kinds of drama for the votes of these sections now.

She alleged that goons and rioters dominated the proceedings when the SP was in power in Uttar Pradesh.

"Crime in the state has also increased a lot under the present BJP government. Dalits, minorities and women are feeling unsafe," Mayawati said, referring to the Unnao incident and accusing the media of suppressing the truth.

She accused the BJP government of adopting a biased attitude towards minorities and alleged that the benefits of reservation are not reaching Dalits and the backward communities as most of the projects are being implemented through the private sector.

Mayawati alleged that there was large-scale migration during the governments led by other parties, while claiming that those who had migrated from the state returned during the governments led by her.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas on Wednesday, Congress MP and party's General Secretary Vadra will visit Ravidas Temple in Varanasi, .

The Congress leader will pay obeisance at Seer Goverdhanpur on Wednesday morning.

Notably, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had postponed Punjab Assembly elections in view of Guru Ravidas birth anniversary. The State was scheduled to go for polls on February 14 earlier.

The political parties including BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party requested the poll panel to change the date as the Guru Ravidas followers would not be able to vote if elections were held two days before the festival as they embark on an annual pilgrimage to Varanasi on the Guru's birth anniversary.

Moreover, Assembly elections are also being held in .

Priyanka Gandhi, during her visit to today, will also campaign in the poll-bound state. She will conduct a door-to-door campaign in Kanpur cantt and Kidwai Nagar. This will be followed by a door-to-door campaign at Sisamau and Arya Nagar. She will then participate in Mahila Shakti Garjana at Govindnagar, Kanpur.

The seven-phased Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh commenced on February 10. Two phases of the election have been completed. The third phase of UP polls will be held on February 20.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham temple in Delhi's Karol Bagh on Wednesday.

Sant Ravidas belonged to the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century and his hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. He is considered the founder of the 21st-century Ravidassia religion.

Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day of the Magh month as per the Hindu calendar.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A number of Afghans, including businessmen and money exchangers, held protests in Kabul and other parts of the country against the Biden administration's decision to divert a part of the frozen assets from the Afghan central bank to the families of 9/11 victims.

Terming the decision as "illegal and unfair", the protesters urged the US to release all of Afghanistan's frozen assets. They also called on the World Bank and the UN to reconsider the US' decision on the assets of the Afghan people.

"No one has the right to use this money or give it to anyone else," Mohammad Younes Momand, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) was quoted as saying by based Tolo news.

"It's a completely unfair act to take the compensation from the Afghan money and give it to the victims of 9/11," said Hajj Mir Afghan Safi, head of the Sarai Shahzada money changers union.

The protesters have threatened that if the US does not change its decision they will escalate the protest.

"This is the money of the Afghan people, which includes a lot of capital of Afghan traders. Our protest is over Biden's decision," said Abdul Rahman Zirak, a spokesman of the Sarai Shahzada money changers' union.

Similarly, Abdul Rahman Hudawal, head of the Nangarhar Money Exchangers' Union, said, "Biden's decision is unfair, this is the money of the Afghan people, and the United States cannot give it to others."

--IANS

int/shs

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
SE said on Wednesday it has finalised a deal to sell seven freighters to Singapore Airlines, in a deal that would make it the first airline to operate the new model.

had in December said it had signed a provisional agreement to buy the freighters.

"The order underscores the importance of the cargo market to the SIA Group," Goh Choon Phong, the airline's CEO, said in a statement. "These new-generation aircraft will substantially increase our operating efficiencies and reduce our fuel burn." The new freighters will replace Singapore Airlines' own fleet of seven ageing Boeing 747s.

The did not provide a value for the order, which was signed at the Singapore Airshow.

The deal allows the airline to swap part of the order for 15 A320neo jetliners and two A350-900 passenger versions that it had previously ordered from and remain to be delivered.

Those 17 planes had a list value of $2.3 billion when last published prices in 2018, roughly the same price as the estimated value of the freighters.

(Reporting by Chen Lin in Singapore; Writing by Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Gerry Doyle)

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Shares of fell more than 12 per cent on Wednesday after the Swedish telecom gear maker disclosed results of an internal investigation that detailed suspect payments and misconduct in Iraq by its employees.

The companys investigation had identified payments made to use alternate transport routes in connection with circumventing Iraqi Customs, at a time when militant organisations, including Islamic State, also known as ISIS, controlled some routes.

While said it could not determine if any employee was directly involved in financing such organisations, it noted that as a result of the investigation several employees had left the firm.

CEO Borje Ekholm told Reuters in an interview that when the investigation closed in 2019 the company did not find it material enough to disclose the findings.

The company revisited its stance after enquiries about the probe from media outlets, including from the Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

The ICIJ said Ericsson did not address specific questions in relation to a wide range of corrupt behaviour in connection to its business in Iraq and elsewhere.

At any point in time, there are multiple investigations taking place, Ekholm said. There are some who want to take advantage of the system. So the key is to have in place a compliance system that uncovers them very quickly, and that we can take swift remediation actions on those. The company had faced fines from the US Department of Justice (DoJ) earlier to resolve a separate series of probes into corruption, including involving the bribing of government officials.

If the US DoJ finds reason to look into it, this could result in large fines, according to Mads Rosendal, an analyst with Danske Bank Credit Research.

We believe the key is what may come out of the investigation and if there is any reason for authorities to have a closer look, he said.

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The (EU) has kept India in the loop about its assessment of the situation in Ukraine and the possible consequences that the grouping has planned for Russia if it invades the eastern European country.

An EU official said on Wednesday that India is a "friend and partner" and that the 27-nation bloc has been in constant touch with New Delhi over the Ukraine crisis and that it is doing its "utmost" to explore all avenues to defuse the situation through diplomacy and dialogue.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to travel to Europe this week to participate in the Munich Security Conference and attend a ministerial meeting on the Indo-Pacific.

The situation in Ukraine is set to figure in Jaishankar's meetings in Europe.

The official told a group of journalists that the EU stands by Ukraine and that there will be "massive consequences" in case of Russian aggression of that country.

"We keep India, as a friend and partner, appraised of our views and of our assessment of the situation. What we wish to convey is that all of our efforts are directed towards dialogue but we stand firm on our principles that cannot be negotiated because they define the very essence of Europe's security architecture," the official said.

"We have seen a massive concentration of troops and weapons and there is clearly a threat vis-a-vis Ukraine. In the last seven years, Ukraine has suffered other acts of aggression, the illegal annexation of Crimea and the situation in the Donbas. These are facts on the ground," the official added.

While Munich Security Conference is slated to be held from February 18 to 20, the Indo-Pacific ministerial meeting is being hosted by France on February 22.

"What we are looking at is a future built on the respect for fundamental principles enshrined in the UN Charter and in the European security architecture," the official said.

The official said attempts to "unilaterally redefine" the security architecture in Europe are not acceptable as it would undermine the core principles on which European security is built.

"The violation of these principles would threaten peace and stability in Europe. Ukraine is a sovereign country and has the right to decide about its own future," the official added.

The US has already sent extra troops to Europe to support its allies in the backdrop of fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has positioned around 1,00,000 troops near its border with Ukraine besides sending warships into the Black Sea for naval exercises, triggering concerns among the NATO countries about a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has been denying that it plans to invade Ukraine. It withdrew some of its forces from the border on Tuesday.

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embassies in remain operational, said the EU Ambassador to Matti Maasikas.

"Full support to in this situation of the military, economic, and psychological pressure," Maasikas was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian National News Agency, adding that "all EU member states' embassies continue to operate."

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that the US would temporarily relocate its embassy in Ukraine from the capital Kiev to the western city of Lviv, citing escalating tensions on Ukraine's borders, Xinhua news agency reported.

Since November 2021, Kiev and some Western countries have accused of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion."

Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly denied any intention to invade, accusing Washington of "hysteria".

--IANS

int/shs

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Kevin Richardson speaks about the events that occurred in the Central Park Five case on April 19, 1989 at the Texas Tech Law School Lanier Auditorium on Feb. 15, 2022.
Two former colleagues will face off in a Brooklyn courtroom on Wednesday in a trial over the looting of hundreds of millions of dollars from Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund, one of the biggest scandals in Wall Street history.

Roger Ng, Goldman's former head of investment banking in Malaysia, is charged with conspiring to launder money and to violate an anti-bribery law. Prosecutors said in opening statements at his trial on Monday in Brooklyn federal court that Ng, 49, received millions in kickbacks for helping embezzle funds from .

On Wednesday, prosecutors will call their star witness: Tim Leissner, a former Goldman partner and Ng's former boss at the bank's Southeast Asia operation. Leissner, 52, in 2018 pleaded guilty to money laundering and bribery charges and agreed to cooperate with the government's investigation.

Ng has pleaded not guilty and his defense lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said in his opening statement that Ng had no role in the scheme allegedly perpetrated by Leissner and Jho Low, a Malaysian financier who served as an intermediary for deals in which Goldman helped sell $6.5 billion in bonds.

Low, the accused mastermind behind the scheme, was indicted in the United States alongside Ng in 2018. He has not been arrested by U.S. or Malaysian authorities. Low's U.S. lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.

U.S. prosecutors say Goldman earned $600 million in fees from the deals, and that around $4.5 billion of the funds raised was embezzled. Goldman paid a nearly $3 billion fine and arranged for its Malaysian subsidiary to plead guilty in U.S. court.

Leissner will likely be questioned by the government about Ng's alleged involvement in a scheme to embezzle some of those funds, use some of them to bribe officials to win business for Goldman, and keep some for themselves. Prosecutors have said Leissner's testimony will be backed up by other evidence.

"He'll give you an inside view of this bribery and money laundering scheme," prosecutor Brent Wible said in court on Monday.

Agnifilo has countered that Leissner, who has not yet been sentenced, has lied to prosecutors about Ng's involvement in a bid to lighten his punishment. He spent much of his opening statement attacking Leissner's credibility, portraying him as a socialite who stole to finance a lavish lifestyle.

Leissner's testimony was expected to start at 9:30 EST (1430 GMT). A lawyer for Leissner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; editing by Megan Davies and Aurora Ellis)

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Amid ongoing border tension between and Ukraine, sources said discussions are underway with civil aviation authorities and various airlines on how to increase the number of flights between India and .

Control rooms in the embassy as well as in the are being set up to respond to queries of Indian nationals in and their families in India, according to the sources.

Earlier, Indian Embassy in asked its citizens, particularly students whose stay is not essential, to leave Kyiv temporarily.

In an advisory issued on Tuesday, India also requested its nationals to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence to enable the Embassy to reach them where required.

Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

The and Ukraine accuse of planning to invade. But Moscow continues to deny such claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country.

White House spokesperson had earlier said that the US would welcome any country's attempt to play a role in de-escalation of mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including India.

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Greece's parliament on Tuesday approved a 3 billion euro ($3.4 billion) agreement for three new French-made frigates that defense officials say are vital for addressing ongoing tensions with neighbouring Turkey.

Lawmakers also voted in favour of adding six new Rafale fighter jets to an existing order for 18 planes, six of them newly built and 12 that were previously in service in the French air force.

NATO members and Turkey remain at odds over maritime boundaries and mineral exploitation rights in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. A Turkish oil and gas survey in 2020 resulted in a tense naval standoff between the two countries.

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said the Greek military needs to modernize following repeated funding cuts during the country's acute 2010-18 financial crisis.

There is no armament program that is slightly necessary' or somewhat necessary', Panagiotopoulos told lawmakers Monday during a committee-level debate in parliament.

All of the armament programs that we have submitted for approval, in one way or another, are absolutely necessary for the armed forces ? extremely necessary, urgently necessary.

The purchases were approved by the the centre-right government's 157 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament, with the backing of two opposition parties. The left-wing opposition party opposed the additional purchase of French fighter jets.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron finalized the frigate deal last year along with an enhanced defense cooperation agreement between their countries.

Mitsotakis denied claims by political opponents that the purchases could rattle the Greek economy, which is already saddled with high deficits due to pandemic spending and a huge national debt worth more than twice the country's annual output.

The program addresses the needs of the armed forces, it helps maintain our strong alliances, it's being implemented at a fast pace and it mobilizes forces in our national economy, but it will not upset the necessary fiscal balance, he told lawmakers.

Made by France's Naval Group, two warships are due to be delivered in 2025 and the third the following year, with an option to add a fourth frigate to be ready in 2027.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary will urge her G20 counterparts to work towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries and ensuring they have the resources needed to support an equitable recovery, a U.S. Treasury official said on Tuesday.

Yellen is due to participate virtually in the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 major economies on Thursday and Friday.

The U.S. Treasury official laid out U.S. priorities for the meeting, which comes as COVID-19 variant cases are receding in many wealthy countries but are still rising in many developing countries. Host country Indonesia reported a daily record 57,049 new cases on Tuesday.

Southeast Asia's most populous country had initially planned an in-person G20 finance meeting in Bali, but the venue was moved to Jakarta in January when it became a hybrid gathering with many officials participating virtually.

Yellen will urge the G20 to tailor their policies to individual country circumstances to secure an inclusive recovery and to close the gap in vaccine access for poorer countries, the official said.

This includes supporting efforts by the World Bank, the Monetary Fund, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization to address global bottlenecks in the deployment of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, the official said.

Yellen also will urge G20 countries to support a proposed global fund housed at the World Bank to invest in pandemic prevention and preparedness, with its estimated $75 billion cost a "bargain" compared to COVID-19's global economic and human costs.

Yellen also will express confidence that momentum will be maintained among 136 countries to finalize an agreement for a 15% global minimum corporate tax this year, so that it can be put into force in 2023.

The official said Democrats in the U.S. Congress broadly support the tax provisions.

"Secretary Yellen expects they will be part of any Build Back Better bill passed," the official added, referring to U.S.

President Joe Biden's social and climate investment bill, which is currently stalled in Congress.

Yellen also intends to make a pitch for more intensive climate action to meet carbon emissions reduction goals, including mobilizing more private capital to finance the transition away from fossil fuels. Public resources can help catalyze additional private financing for reducing emissions, the official said.

(Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal Editing by Chris Reese and Lincoln Feast.)

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Regulatory crackdown in has shrunk the country's share in the global tech, media and Telecom (TMT) IPO market by 9 per cent last year, a new report showed on Wednesday.

China's regulatory onslaught has negatively impacted the tech TMT IPO market as the regulators created headwinds for companies wanting to go public in the country.

Newly imposed rules require Chinese companies to comply with a set of national laws and regulations and to ensure data security.

ByteDance, for instance, had to postpone its listing plans after the regulators asked the company to focus on data security risks.

As a result, the share of TMT listings on Chinese exchanges in the total IPO proceeds raised worldwide year-on-year fell sharply from 24 per cent to 15 per cent, reveals data and analytics company GlobalData.

"Stricter cybersecurity regulations on both domestic and overseas listings, as well as bans on Chinese companies raising funds from foreign investors have discouraged numerous Chinese TMT players from going public. This led to a weak IPO market in 2021," said Swati Verma, associate project manager of thematic research at GlobalData.

Last year was the strongest year for TMT IPOs since 2018 at a global level. The number of IPOs increased across all the geographies, except in .

According to GlobalData, the number of TMT IPOs in year-on-year fell by 34 per cent in 2021.

The Chinese authorities have banned the private educational institutes from raising money through stock listings and barred any foreign capital investment in this sector.

Moreover, the sudden and unexpected halt of Ant Group's IPO in November 2020 is still impacting sentiment in fintech.

"The regulatory crackdown has created real uncertainty in the Chinese IPO market and GlobalData expects the trend to persist in 2022 as well," said the report.

Established themes saw the most successful IPOs between 2018 and 2021, with ecommerce the strongest theme followed by mobile, fintech, and cloud.

There were 72 per cent more TMT IPOs in 2021 compared to 2020 and the total proceeds of TMT IPOs were nearly 2.5 times higher in 2021 than the previous year.

--IANS

na/svn

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Oil tumbled over 3% on Tuesday, retreating from a seven-year high after said some of its military units were returning to their bases following exercises near Ukraine, a move that appeared to de-escalate tension between Moscow and the West.

It was not clear how many units were being withdrawn, and by what distance, after a build-up of an estimated 130,000 Russian troops. An earlier Interfax report on the troop movements had prompted oil to extend losses.

"The situation is very fluid, but today is definitely a calmer day," said Robert Yawger, executive director of energy futures at Mizuho. "It's going to be a minute-to-minute, day-to-day type of thing."

Brent crude fell $3.20, or 3.3%, to settle at $93.28 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $3.39, or 3.6%, to end at $92.07 a barrel.

Both oil benchmarks hit their highest since September 2014 on Monday, with Brent touching $96.78 and WTI reaching $95.82. The price of Brent jumped 50% in 2021, while WTI soared around 60%, as a global recovery in demand from the COVID-19 pandemic strained supply.

The latest Russia- development drew a cautious response from and Britain, after days of U.S. and British warnings that Moscow might invade its neighbor at any time.

On Tuesday, said its defense ministry and two banks had been subject to a cyber attack, appearing to point the finger at .

Investors are also watching talks between the United States and Iran on reviving Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, which could potentially allow for increased Iranian oil exports.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Monday, and they noted a "tangible move forward" in reviving the Iran nuclear deal, Russia's foreign ministry said.

Underlining the tight supply and demand balance, U.S. crude stockpiles fell by 1.1 million barrels for the week ended Feb. 11, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Gasoline inventories fell by 923,000 barrels while distillate stocks fell by 546,000 barrels. [API/S]

U.S. government data on inventories is due on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York; additional reporting by Alex Lawler in London and Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Evans)

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A US-based Hindu organisation has urged Canadian Prime Minister to respect the right of his country's people to protest peacefully.

I would be remiss if I didn't start by recognising the news coming out of about the and the draconian measures being taken to counter them. The situation is concerning, and we are all very worried about our family and friends," said Utsav Chakrabarti, executive director of Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective or HinduPACT.

In a statement, HinduPACT urged Trudeau to respect the right of the Canadian people to peacefully protest.

The right to peaceful protest is fundamental in any democracy and the promulgation of an emergency order to quell voices of dissent sets, for the first time, a tragic precedent for Canada, it said.

HinduPACT also urged Trudeau and New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh not to conflate the "Swastika", an ancient and auspicious symbol for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and many indigenous communities around the world, with the "Hakenkreuz", a 20th century Nazi symbol of hate.

Both Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh have made statements in the recent past, accusing protesters of "waving Swastikas".

"We believe this misrepresentation will lead to hate cries against Hindus and Sikhs. In the past month alone, six Hindu temples were vandalised and looted in Canada," he said.

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made two overtures to ease tensions around reporting a pullback of troops near its neighbour and welcoming talks with the West. But the and its allies said they needed evidence of the troop movements and that the threat of a Russian invasion still loomed.

For the second day Tuesday, there were signs of hope that Europe might avoid war following weeks of escalating East-West tensions as Moscow massed around 150,000 troops on three sides of and held massive military drills. Those moves led to dire warnings from Washington, London and other European capitals that was preparing to roll into .

But the tenor changed this week. President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that does not want war and would rely on negotiations in its efforts to eliminate any chance that Ukraine could one day join NATO his key demand in the crisis. At the same time, he did not commit to a full pullback, saying Russia's next moves in the standoff will depend on how the situation evolves.

Russia also offered few details of the pullback, and President Joe Biden said American officials had not verified Russia's claim. He promised that the U.S. would give diplomacy every chance, but he struck a skeptical tone about Moscow's intentions.

Two paths are still open," Biden said in remarks at the White House. "But let there be no doubt: If Russia commits this breach by invading Ukraine, responsible nations around the world will not hesitate to respond. If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we'll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.

Even amid the glimmers of hope, Biden said 150,000 Russian forces are now massed near Ukraine and in neighbouring Belarus an increase from an earlier U.S. estimate of 130,000 troops.

Russia's claim that it pulled back troops "would be good, but we have not yet verified that, Biden said. Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.

Russia has denied having any invasion plans. It wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe.

The U.S. and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but they offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.

Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures issues that Moscow put on the table years ago.

He said Russia is open to discuss some of those elements," but added that it would do so only in combination "with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.

While Scholz reiterated that NATO's eastward expansion is not on the agenda everyone knows that very well, Putin retorted that Moscow will not be assuaged by such assurances.

They are telling us it won't happen tomorrow, Putin said. Well, when will it happen? The day after tomorrow? What does it change for us in the historic perspective? Nothing.

Scholz also said diplomatic options are far from exhausted, and he praised the announcement of a troop withdrawal as a good signal, adding: "We hope that more will follow.

The Russian Defense Ministry released images of tanks and howitzers rolling onto railway platforms and more tanks rolling across snowy fields. It did not disclose where or when the images were taken, or where the vehicles were headed, other than to places of permanent deployment.

Ukraine expressed skepticism.

We won't believe when we hear, we'll believe when we see, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

And NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that there have been no signs, so far, of a reduced military presence on Ukraine's borders.

Meanwhile, a series of cyberattacks knocked out the websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry and major banks. There was no indication that the relatively low-level denial-of-service attacks might be a smoke screen for more serious cyber mischief. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. has not yet determined who was behind the attacks.

Despite the worst East-West tensions in decades, few Russians expect a war. In a village in Russia's Belgorod region, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Ukraine's border, residents carried on with life as usual, even as more military personnel have been passing through village streets.

We are really on the border, we really have relatives here and there, everyone has somebody on the Ukrainian side, villager Lyudmila Nechvolod said. "No one wants war.

Russian lawmakers urged Putin to recognize rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine as independent states. The State Duma, Russia's lower house, voted to submit an appeal to Putin to that effect.

Putin said the request reflects the Russian public's sympathy for the suffering of people trapped in the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed over 14,000 since 2014. He noted, however, that Russia continues to believe a 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany should serve as the main vehicle for a settlement of the separatist conflict.

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BRUSSELS, Feb 16 (Reuters) - accused on Wednesday of sending more troops to a massive military build-up around Ukraine, even as Moscow said that it was withdrawing forces and was open to diplomacy.

At the start of two days of talks among defence ministers, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg appeared unconvinced the threat of a Russian invasion of had lessoned, and voiced guarded hopes for diplomacy.

"We have not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces. And of course, that contradicts the message of diplomatic efforts," Soltenberg said. "What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way. So, so far, no de-escalation."

World powers are engaged in one of the deepest crises in East-West relations for decades, jostling over post-Cold War influence and energy supplies as Moscow wants to stop the former Soviet state from ever joining the NATO military alliance.

NATO has refused to concede that demand from Moscow.

U.S. President Joe Biden spelled out the stakes in a televised address on Tuesday, in which he warned that more than 150,000 Russian troops were still massed near Ukraine's borders.

The Russian defence ministry published video that it said showed tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery units leaving the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow seized from in 2014.

EASTERN FLANK

Stoltenberg cautioned that Russians have frequently repositioned military equipment and troops during the build-up.

"Movement of forces, of battle tanks, doesn't confirm a real withdrawal," he said.

NATO will consider new steps to deter on its eastern flank on Wednesday.

Allies are also likely to pledge more troops and equipment to NATO members in eastern Europe, following a series of announcements over the past six weeks in response to the Russian threat in Ukraine's north, east and south.

Diplomats said that could involve 4,000 new troops in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia.

Ministers will also consider the alliance's nuclear deterrents, although discussions are highly confidential. has amassed a large stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons.

The latest crisis has galvanized NATO and given the alliance a renewed sense of purpose after the soul-searching that followed last year's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"The escalation of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border is increasing and significant, and implores us as an alliance to continue to work together," Canada's Defence Minister Anita Anand said as she arrived for the meeting.

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A Russian invasion of remains a distinct possibility, said US President as his Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin left for a trip to the region amidst an escalating crisis in Europe.

Stating that any such move by Russian President Vladimir Putin will prove to be a "self-inflicted wound", Biden warned Moscow that the US and its allies will respond "decisively".

Biden said the US is still open for diplomacy to resolve the issue while stressing that more than 150,000 Russian troops remain on the Ukrainian border.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it has plans to attack but demanded that NATO never admit and other ex-Soviet nations as members and the military alliance roll back troop deployments in former Soviet bloc nations.

"Invasion remains distinctly possible. That's why I've asked several times that all Americans in Ukraine leave now before it's too late to leave safely. It is why we have temporarily relocated our embassy from Kyiv to Lviv," Biden told reporters at the White House here on Tuesday.

Drawing a parallel with the World War II, Biden said, "World War II was a war of necessity. But if attacked Ukraine, it would be a war of choice or a war without cause or reason."



"I say these things not to provoke but to speak the truth. Because the truth matters, accountability matters. If does invade in the days and weeks ahead, the human cost for Ukraine will be immense," the US President added.

"The strategic cross for will also be immense. If Russia attacks Ukraine, it'll be met with overwhelming condemnation. The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction. Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound. The United States and our allies and partners will respond decisively," he said.

Biden said the United States and NATO are not a threat to Russia.

"Ukraine is not threatening Russia. Neither the US nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not have plans to put them there as well," he said.

The US President also ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine.

"While I will not send American servicemen to fight in Ukraine, we have supplied the Ukrainian military the equipment to help them defend themselves. We provided training and advice and intelligence for the same purpose. And make no mistake, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power," he asserted.

Biden said the West is united and galvanised.

"Today, our NATO allies and the alliance is as unified and determined as it has ever been. And the source of our unbreakable strength continues to be the power, resilience, and universal appeal of our shared democratic values. Cause this is about more than just Russia and Ukraine," he said.

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Lubbock, TX (79409)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 78F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then thunderstorms developing late. Low near 60F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
South Korea's antitrust regulator is considering imposing penalties against U.S. electric car maker over its findings the company exaggerated the specifications of its batteries, an official said on Wednesday.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) had sent a report to the electric vehicle (EV) maker stating that it had exaggerated the mileage of some of its models, including Model 3, in violation of the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising, the official said.

"We plan to hold a general meeting to review and determine the extent to which the automaker has violated the law and decide the level of sanctions," an official at the KFTC told Reuters, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Tesla, on its website, says its Model 3 can travel 528 km (328 miles) on a single charge. The KFTC says however that the range may fall short of that should the temperature drop below freezing.

Analysts said most electric vehicles could generally experience some loss of driving range in cold weather.

Separately, the KFTC is also weighing whether to impose penalties against Tesla for not refunding deposits to customers who cancelled online purchases before their vehicle orders were put in place for release.

In South Korea, Tesla requires customers to pay a deposit of 100,000 won ($84) when purchasing Tesla cars online, but deposits were not refunded upon customers' order cancellations, according to Yonhap news agency.

Tesla was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Reuters.

(Reporting by Joori Roh, Heekyong Yang; Editing by Stephen Coates)

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Durand Line has been a bone of contention between and . on Tuesday said that it did not allow the Pakistani government to continue fencing along the Durand Line.

Taliban's acting Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said that consultations are currently ongoing among high-ranking officials within the Islamic Emirate, reported Tolo News.

Earlier, Pakistan's interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that fencing along the Durand Line was more than 90 per cent complete and he pledged it would be completed, but the Afghan acting defense minister in an interview with National Radio and Television of (RTA), said that so far has not been allowed to complete the fencing.

"We have proposed this issue to the Council of Ministers, as well as to the leadership. Consultations are underway on this issue, and we will act on any guidance given to us by the leadership. We have not allowed anyone to fence so far," he said.

Meanwhile, residents who are living near the Durand Line areas say they do not consider fencing on the Durand Line acceptable and they called on the to take serious actions to prevent fencing the de facto border with Pakistan, reported Tolo News.

Muhibullah Gharwal is a resident of one of the most remote villages of Kunar near the Durand Line.

He says the fencing along the line is being done unilaterally and should not be allowed to complete the fencing.

According to residents, Pakistan not only continues to fence along the line but also regularly attacks their villages with artillery, which has made life difficult for people living in border villages near the Durand Line, reported Tolo News.

"Occasionally Pakistani forces launch rocket attacks on these villages, which has caused many problems for the people of Kunar," said Muhibullah Gharwal, resident of Marwah district of Kunar.

"This is an illegal and non-diplomatic act, the Afghans have never accepted this line and will not accept it," said Ahmad Khan Andar, a political analyst.

Meanwhile, the bilateral relations between Pakistan and the are turning hostile over the issue of Durand Line and cross-border "terror activities" of groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Islamabad.

Taliban have not accepted the Durand Line as the 'official' boundary between and Pakistan. There have been frequent skirmishes between Taliban and Pak security forces along the border after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President on Tuesday said the United States is still pursuing a diplomatic solution to the current standoff between and the West over Ukraine, meanwhile warning of severe sanctions should it choose to invade its neighbor.

In televised remarks delivered from the White House on the evolving situation on Ukraine's borders, Biden said his country is prepared "to engage in diplomacy with and our allies and partners to improve stability and security in Europe as a whole", Xinhua news agency reported.

He asserted that "if Russia chooses to invade Ukraine, the West will respond decisively."

Biden said he agrees with a proposal from the Russian government to continue diplomatic negotiations, adding "we should give diplomacy every chance to succeed."

He said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin during their phone call on Saturday that the US is willing to "keep pursuing high-level diplomacy" to negotiate "written understandings" with Russia.

The US President claimed that his country has "put on the table concrete ideas to establish security environment in Europe," referring to a written document the United States submitted to Russia last month to address Moscow's security concerns.

The Kremlin has said the US document ignored its main demands, at the center of which is that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) cannot expand further eastward to include as its member.

Biden said that the US in its future dialogues with Russia "will not sacrifice basic principles" aimed at advancing the common security of the United States and its allies and partners, a veiled refusal to Russian demand that not be allowed to join NATO.

Putin told a press conference at the conclusion of his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier Tuesday that Russia is prepared to discuss with the West "some" of the issues involving banning missile deployment to Europe and restricting military drills on the continent, but these discussions must happen "in complex with the main issues that are of primary importance for us." He called Ukraine's bid to join NATO a major security threat to Russia.

Biden warned Russia that an invasion against will be met with severe economic sanctions from the US - including export control measures that will cripple Russia's key industries.

He also acknowledged that the sanctions may backfire on the United States itself, saying his administration is taking measures to minimize the impact of possible hikes in energy prices and defend against potential Russian cyber attacks.

The US President also mentioned the drawdown of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border that was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry.

He said that the pullback "would be good," but that the United States has "not yet verified that." He called a Russian invasion of Ukraine "still a distinct possibility."

Putin at the press conference with Scholz said Russia doesn't want to go to war with Ukraine, but rather resolve the issue of NATO expansion "through peaceful means." Russia, he added, would "very much hope that our partners hear our concerns and take them seriously."

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The (MEA) on Wednesday set up a control room to provide information and assistance to Indian nationals in in view of the prevailing situation in that country over its tensions with .

In addition, the in has also set up a 24-hour helpline for the Indians in the eastern European nation.

Separately, the in Kyiv said it has been receiving calls about the non-availability of flights from to India and advised Indians not to panic, but book the earliest available and convenient flights to travel home.

"The embassy of India has been receiving several appeals about non-availability of flights from Ukraine to India. In this regard, students are advised not to resort to panic, but book the earliest available and convenient flights to travel to India," it said in a statement.

It said the Ukrainian Airlines, Air Arabia, Fly Dubai and Qatar Airways are operating flights at present from Ukraine.

"To meet the additional demand, more flights are being planned in the near future, including from Ukrainian Airlines, Air India, etc. Details on the same would be shared by Embassy as and when confirmed," the embassy said.

The embassy on Tuesday advised Indian citizens, especially the students,to temporarily leave that country in view of the uncertainties of the current situation.

It also asked Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine.

The MEA said a control room has been set up in the ministry to provide information and assistance.

The contact details of the control room in Delhi are: Phone +91 11 23012113, +91 11 23014104, +91 11 23017905 and 1800118797 (toll free). Email: situationroom@mea.gov.in.

The contact details of the helpline in the in Ukraine are: Phone, +380 997300428 +380 997300483, Email: cons1.kyiv@mea.gov.in.

Official sources said the government is exploring the possibility of increasing the number of flights between India and Ukraine to facilitate the return of Indians from that country.

Discussions are underway with civil aviation authorities and various airlines on how to increase the number of flights between India and Ukraine, the sources said.

According to an official document in 2020, Ukraine had a small but vibrant Indian community and there were about 18,000 Indian students studying in that country. The data is likely to vary in view of the pandemic.

The embassy issued the advisory amid escalating tension between Moscow and the countries over Russia's increasing military build-up close to the Ukrainian border.

The US has already sent extra troops to Europe to support its allies in the backdrop of fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

has positioned around 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine besides sending warships into the Black Sea for naval exercises, triggering concerns among the countries about a potential invasion of Ukraine.

has been denying that it plans to invade Ukraine. It withdrew some of its forces from the border on Tuesday.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The has accused of failing to meet its commitments to the and says it is exploring new ways to combat aggressive Chinese trade practices.

In its annual report on Chinese compliance with WTO rules, the Office of the Representative said Wednesday that isn't keeping the promises it made to open its markets to foreign competition when it joined the 164-country Geneva-based agency in 2001.

has instead retained and expanded its state-led, non-market approach to the and trade,'' said U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. China's policies and practices challenge the premise of the WTO's rules and cause serious harm to workers and businesses around the world.''



Among other things, the repeated longstanding accusations that China uses subsidies and regulations to favour its own companies at the expense of foreign competitors; floods world markets with cheap steel, aluminum and other products; and forces U.S. and other foreign companies to hand over prized technology as the price of access to Chinese markets.

The U.S. report said: China's leadership appears confident in its state-led, non-market approach to the and trade and feels no need to conform to global norms.''



The U.S. trade office said it is continuing to talk to China about obtaining real change in its economic and trade regime.'' And it is working with allies and through the WTO to put pressure on the Chinese government. Without offering specifics, the report said the U.S. is also exploring new ways to use domestic trade tools strategically as needed in order to achieve a more level playing field with China for U.S. workers and businesses."Voicing similar complaints about China, President Donald Trump slapped taxes on about USD 360 billion worth of Chinese imports to the tariffs the Biden administration is still imposing.

To reduce tensions, the U.S. and China reached a so-called Phase 1 trade agreement in January 2020. Among other things, the Chinese agreed to step up purchases of U.S. farm exports benefiting Trump supporters in the American heartland.

But Chad Bown of the Peterson Institute for Trade calculated in a report last week that China has bought only 57 per cent of U.S. exports it had to committed to purchase.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Congressmen have hailed the recent meeting of foreign ministers from countries and welcomed the decision of stepping up trilateral cooperation with India and Taiwan.

or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprises India, US, Japan and Australia and foreign ministers of the countries had met recently in Melbourne, where the leaders discussed the destabilising role of China in the Indo-Pacific region and Russian aggression in Ukraine.

"As staunch supporters of closer relations between the United States and Japan, Australia, and India, we are pleased to see the further development of this critical partnership through last week's ministerial meeting," said several US Congressmen in a joint statement.

The statement was issued by Congressmen Joaquin Castro, Adrian Smith, Joe Courtney, Mike Gallagher, Brad Sherman, Steve Chabot, and Ami Bera.

Last week's meeting builds upon the outcomes of the in-person leaders' summit in September 2021, said the Congressmen, co-chairs of the Congressional Caucuses for Japan, Australia and India.

By advancing cooperation on COVID-19 vaccination delivery, humanitarian assistance, environment, maritime security, counterterrorism and cybersecurity, is advancing a positive vision for the future of the Indo-Pacific rooted in shared values, they said.

The lawmakers hoped that the United States and Quad will continue to engage other countries and multilateral organisations throughout the Indo-Pacific, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which will continue to play a central role in American engagement with the region.

As the co-chair of both the Taiwan and India Caucuses, I applaud this news. The rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific is only strengthened when democratic partners seek to deepen their ties, Congressman Steve Chabot said in a tweet.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President on Tuesday said the US has not yet verified" Russia's claim that some of its forces have withdrawn from the Ukraine border and said an invasion of Ukraine remains a distinct possibility.

Biden made the remarks at the White House hours after announced that some units participating in military exercises near Ukraine's borders would begin returning to their bases.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier Tuesday said was ready for talks with the and NATO on military transparency, missile deployment limits and other security issues.

But Biden continued to express skepticism about Russia's intentions. Biden warned again that if invades Ukraine the US will rally the world to oppose its aggression."



Putin had said Tuesday he welcomed a security dialogue with the West as his military reported pulling back some of its troops near Ukraine signals that may indicate the Kremlin has opted for a diplomatic path for now despite Western fears of an imminent Russian invasion of its neighbor.

Putin said he doesn't want war and would rely on negotiations as he presses his demand for the West to halt Ukraine's bid to join NATO. At the same time, he didn't commit to a full pullback of troops, saying Russia's next moves in the standoff will depend on how the situation evolves.

While the overtures soothed global markets that have been on edge amid the worst East-West tensions in decades, Washington and its European allies remained cautious, saying they want to see evidence of a Russian pullback.

The US and NATO have warned that over 130,000 Russian forces massed near Ukraine could invade at any time, and they sent troops and military supplies to shore up NATO members in Eastern Europe.

Russia has denied having such plans, demanding that the West keep Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations out of the alliance, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders, and roll back forces from Eastern Europe.

The US and its allies have roundly rejected the demands, but offered Russia to engage in talks on ways to bolster security in Europe.

Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures issues that Moscow had put on the table years ago.

He said Russia is open to discuss some of those elements," but added that it would only do that "in complex with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.

Asked if there could be a war in Europe, Putin said Russia doesn't want it but said Ukraine's bid to join NATO posed a major security threat to his country.

While Scholz reiterated that NATO's eastward expansion is not on the agenda -- everyone knows that very well, Putin retorted that Moscow will not be assuaged by such assurances.

They are telling us it won't happen tomorrow, Putin said. Well, when will it happen? The day after tomorrow? What does it change for us in the historic perspective? Nothing.

He went on to argue NATO expansion violates the principle of the indivisibility of security enshrined in documents.

We want to solve this issue now as part of negotiation process through peaceful means, Putin said. We very much hope that our partners hear our concerns and take them seriously.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shares of FSN E-Commerce Ventures, the parent company of beauty e-tailer Nykaa, hit a new low of Rs 1,458.10, down 2 per cent on the BSE in Wednesdays intra-day trade. The stock has declined 6 per cent from its opening level of Rs 1,548. It was quoting lower for the seventh straight trading day, having fallen 23 per cent during the period.

With an over 20 per cent decline, the stock has now corrected 43 per cent from its record high level of Rs 2,574 touched on November 26, 2021. The company had issued shares at a price of Rs 1,125 per share in its initial public offer (IPO). The stock had made a market debut on November 10, 2021.

At 11:22 am; erased its intra-day loss and was up 2 per cent at Rs 1,524, as compared to a 0.21 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex.

On February 9, 2022, had reported a weak set numbers, with a 58 per cent year-on-year (YoY) decline in its December quarter (Q3FY22) net profit at Rs 29 crore, hit by a jump in expenses and subdued demand for personal care and fashion products. Earnings before interest tax and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin contracted 697 bps at 6.3 per cent from 13.2 per cent in Q3FY21. On a sequential basis, EBITDA margin improved 302 bps from 3.3 per cent in Q2FY22.

Revenue from operations of the company grew 36 per cent YoY at Rs 1,098 crore. It said growth in beauty business accelerated in a relatively normalized Covid environment, with a strong revival in the cosmetics category. Nykaa's gross merchandise value (GMV) grew 49 per cent YoY driven by 32 per cent and 137 per cent YoY growth in beauty and personal care (BPC) and Fashion segments, respectively.

However, analysts at IIFL Securities expect margins to recover in FY23 on the back of normalcy in sales as Covid abates; normalisation of ad spend after a high FY22; and stabilisation of fulfillment cost as supply chain normalises and new warehouse operations get optimised.

Likely increase in competitive intensity, with Tata, Reliance, Purplle, MyGlamm and Myntra vying for an aggressive ramp-up, is the key risk to Nykaas growth. A possible international foray (no guidance on this from management) could open up new growth avenues, the brokerage firm said with reduce rating. The stock however, traded below target price (TP) of Rs 1,650 per share.

Analysts at JM Financial Institutional Securities believe a strong driver of margin improvement is the swift improvement in advertisement revenue (33 per cent/53 per cent QoQ/YoY growth) with brands picking Nykaas platform for high-intent buyers.

"We retain BUY rating with a March 2023 TP of Rs 2,120 as we expect growth investments (in team as well as brand) to continue delivering robust returns for a sustained time period," the brokerage said in a result update. Slower-than-expected tech penetration in India, sharp rise in competitive intensity, regulatory risks and being a relatively new entrant in fashion are key downside risks, it said.
By Noah Browning

LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices recouped losses on Wednesday as investors weighed conflicting statements on the possible withdrawal of some Russian troops from around amid tight global supplies and recovering fuel demand.

Brent crude was up $1.28, or 1.4%, at $94.56 a barrel around 1320 GMT, having slid 3.3% overnight after announced a partial pullback of its troops near .

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up $1.14, or 1.2%, at $93.21 after the contract ended Tuesday's session with a 3.6% decline.

Both benchmarks hit their highest since September 2014 on Monday, with Brent touching $96.78 and WTI reaching $95.82.

The price of Brent jumped 50% in 2021 while WTI soared by about 60% as a global recovery in demand from the COVID-19 pandemic strained supplies.

Moscow announced a partial pullback of troops from Ukraine's borders, but NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that the alliance had not seen any de-escalation and that was continuing its military build-up.

"The risk of a full scale invasion has receded a bit. But we are unlikely to move out of the current status quo," said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB in Oslo.

Beyond tensions, the oil market remains tight and prices could still be on course for a move towards $100 a barrel.

"The market remains extremely tight and prices had been on an upward trajectory prior to the escalation. The softening of tensions may have only delayed the march to $100," said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA.

Investors were awaiting weekly U.S. oil inventory data from the Energy Information Administration at 10:30 a.m. (1530 GMT).

U.S. crude and distillates inventories could have fallen by 1.5 million to 1.6 million barrels last week, a Reuters poll showed. [EIA/S]

Data from the American Petroleum Institute showed a drop in crude, gasoline and distillate stocks last week, according to market sources on Tuesday. [API/S]

(Additioanl reporting by Chen Aizhu and Florence TanEditing by Mark Potter and David Goodman)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI) on Wednesday penalised brokering firm Adroit Financial Services and Silver Stream Equities for their alleged involvement in the NSE colocation matter.

Both the brokers have been asked to pay a fine of Rs 600,000 each.

order says they continuously tried to log into the secondary server of NSE for faster access.

The matter dates back to between 2010 and 2014.

As per the order, Adroit logged into the backup server of NSE in the currency derivatives segment for 320 trading days during the investigation period. On the other hand, noted that Silver Stream logged into the secondary server of NSE in futures and options segment for 201 trading days during the period.

They continued to log into to the secondary servers despite a reprimanded from NSE

By circumventing the primary source on a regular basis, the noticee engaged in conduct which undermined the trading system set up to provide fair and equitable access to all brokers who connected to it, says the Sebi order.

The regulator, however, wasn't able to establish any unfair gains made by the brokers.

I note that the material on record does not bring out any gains made or unfair advantage availed or loss caused to investors by the Noticee due to the aforesaid violation, the order adds.
The key benchmark indices are likely to start trade with marginal gains as global cues were encouraging this morning. As of 07:55 AM, the SGX Nifty futures quoted at 17,388, indicating a positive start of 30-odd points for the Nifty 50 index. Meanwhile, here are the top for trade on Wednesday.

Vedant Fashions: Shares of the Manyavar-brand owned company to debut on the bourses today. The issue was subscribed 2.57 times, and the final issue price was fixed at Rs 866 per share. The GMP (Grey Market Premium) indicated a likely tepid debut for the stock.

Q3 Performance: India Inc continued its good showing in the December 2021 quarter with combined net profits of 3,191 listed companies in the Business Standard sample up 26.9 per cent y-o-y and their net sales increasing 24 per cent. Growth in earnings was led by banks, NBFCs, Insurance, metals and mining companies. READ MORE



Future Retail: The Supreme Court has granted Future Retail the option to seek from the Delhi High Court permission to continue proceedings at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on its deal with the Reliance Industries group. High Court to hear 4 matters related to the case on February 24. READ MORE



The companys board approved a proposal to acquire 80 per cent stake in Geomatic.ai Pty through its Singapore based subsidiary for a consideration of Rs 32.24 crore.

SpiceJet: The low-cost airline posted a net profit after seven quarters. The company for the quarter ended December 2021 reported a net profit of Rs 42.5 crore as against a net loss of Rs 66.7 crore in the year ago period. Total income grew 33.8 per cent YoY to Rs 2,263 crore. READ MORE



NBFCs: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given non-banking finance companies additional time till September 30, 2022 to have systems ready to implement rule wherein bad loans can be upgraded as standard asset only when entire arrears of interest and principal are paid. The earlier deadline was March 31, 2022. READ MORE



CRISIL: The companys Q3 consolidated net soared 53.2 per cent to Rs 168.63 crore in the quarter ended December 2021 when compared with Rs 110.04 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Total income was up 17.5 per cent YoY at Rs 719.45 crore.

Escorts: The companys board is scheduled to meet on February 18 to consider and approve the proposed allotment of equity shares to Kubota Corporation by way of preferential allotment. In November 2021, Japan-based Kubota had invested Rs 1,874 crore to acquire 9.66 mn shares through preferential route at Rs 2,000 per share in the company.

Compuage Infocomm: The companys board is scheduled to meet today to consider and approve the proposal for raising funds by issuance of equity shares or convertible bonds or debentures or other securities.

Stocks in F&O ban: BHEL, Escorts, Indiabulls Housing Finance and SAIL are the only four stocks in the F&O ban period on Wednesday.
Shares of surged 14 per cent to Rs 504.85 on the BSE in Wednesdays intra-day trade, and has rallied 18 per cent in the past two trading days, after the company reported a healthy 29 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in consolidated revenue at Rs 2,030 crore in December quarter.

The stock has corrected 51 per cent from its record high of Rs 868.40 touched on October 4, 2021 to close at Rs 428 on Monday, February 14, 2022. At 10:51 am; it traded 11 per cent higher at Rs 494, as compared to 0.19 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. A combined 461,000 equity shares changed hands on the NSE and BSE.

The company is the largest exporter of ERW pipes, largest producer of ERW GI pipes and one of the largest lighting companies in India.

In Q3FY22, the companys consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) margin contracted 250 bps at 4.9 per cent. Profit after tax declined 27 per cent YoY at Rs 40 crore.

The higher growth in revenue was due to strong growth in value-added product categories in both the businesses and higher steel prices. The margins remained under pressure due to higher raw material prices and other input costs, which were partially offset by price increases.

said the company proactively undertook multiple price hikes and will continue further to mitigate higher input costs. With strong brand recall and customer preference for the Surya brand, these price hikes were well accepted by the market.

The management said the impact of lesser than anticipated volume growth due to volatile steel prices had effected the profitability to some extent. The strong orderbook for exports, API coated pipes and spiral pipes are expected to drive the growth in the upcoming quarters. This will be further supported by the commissioning of a Large-dia section pipe facility with Direct Forming Technology (DFT) at Gwalior.

The company is witnessing multiple growth levers internally through premiumization across business segments, strengthened balance sheet, cost optimization initiatives and diversified value-proposition. This is further supported by external levers such as PLI, pick-up in economic activities and the countrys growing exports in 3LPE and GI pipes, the management said.
Embassy Office Parks REIT announced the opening of a 3-lane flyover at Embassy Manyata Business Park ('Embassy Manyata') in Bengaluru.

Constructed and funded by Embassy REIT at a cost of Rs 183 crore, the project is a part of infrastructure initiatives in and around the park for which Embassy REIT has invested over Rs 400 crores over the past 5 years.

Spread over 121 acres, Embassy Manyata caters to over 100,000 employees from 42 top-notch corporates; and continues to be a major economic centre of Bengaluru contributing over Rs 130 crores in various taxes annually.

The flyover dovetails with and adds to the various under-development and upcoming infrastructure initiatives in the park, including South India's largest hotel and conference centre slated to open in May 2022.

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Shares of eight non-bank finance companies rose by 0.42% to 6.18% after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) granted NBFCs an extension to comply with its new regulations for upgrading non-performing assets (NPAs) to standard ones.

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (up 6.18%), Shriram Transport Finance Corporation (up 2.77%), IIFL Finance (up 1.92%), Poonawalla Fincorp (up 1.86), Edelweiss Financial Services (up 1.51%), L&T Finance Holdings (up 1.46%), Muthoot Finance (up 0.96%), Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company (up 0.42%) advanced.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday extended the deadline for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to comply with new asset classification norms issued on 12 November 2021. NBFCs will now be allowed to move to the new rules for recognising bad loans by 30 September 2022, as against 31 March 2022.

"Paragraph 10 of the (November 12) Circular stipulates that loan accounts classified as NPAs (non-performing assets) may be upgraded as 'standard' asset only if entire arrears of interest and principal are paid by the borrower. NBFCs shall have time till September 30, 2022, to put in place the necessary systems to implement this provision," the central bank said in a notification.

The new guidelines issued late last year had asked non-bank lenders to upgrade bad loans to standard assets only after all interest dues and principal outstanding are repaid across credit facilities. The guidelines seek to harmonise income recognition and asset classification practices at banks and NBFCs. Earlier, NBFCs had sought an extension to comply with the terms of the November 12 circular as applied to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) accounts.

The RBI has also issued clarifications in response to queries it had received. The definition of 'out of order', it said, shall be applicable to all loan products being offered as an overdraft facility, including those not meant for business purposes and/ or which entail interest repayments as the only credits.

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Tilaknagar Industries rose 3.46% to Rs 74.75 after the company said that its Shrirampur bottling facility in Maharashtra has commenced production of brands of French multinational Pernod Ricard India from 15 February 2022.

In April last year, Tilaknagar Industries entered and executed an agreement on 1 April 2021 with Pernod Ricard India (PRIPL) to manufacture products for PRIPL at the company's bottling facilities in Maharashtra. The agreement shall remain valid for the period of 10 years and shall be renewable thereafter by mutual consent. The co-operation could be extended to more states in the near future.

On a consolidated basis, Tilaknagar Industries reported net profit of Rs 10.27 crore in Q3 December 2021 as against net loss of Rs 3.89 crore in Q3 December 2020. Net sales rose 22.84% to Rs 205.90 crore in Q3 December 2021 over Q3 December 2020.

Tilaknagar Industries is a leading alcoholic beverage company in India. The company has built a strong and diverse portfolio of brands in various liquor categories including brandy, whisky, vodka, gin and rum.

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Utilties stocks were trading with gains, with the S&P BSE Utilities index rising 27.63 points or 0.85% at 3285.45 at 09:52 IST.

Among the components of the S&P BSE Utilities index, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (up 8.08%), Va Tech Wabag Ltd (up 7.68%),Adani Power Ltd (up 3.48%),Adani Transmission Ltd (up 3.05%),Reliance Power Ltd (up 2.54%), were the top gainers. Among the other gainers were Adani Green Energy Ltd (up 2.51%), NLC India Ltd (up 2.28%), Rattanindia Power Ltd (up 1.8%), Nava Bharat Ventures Ltd (up 1.52%), and Tata Power Company Ltd (up 1.5%).

On the other hand, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (down 2.29%), Torrent Power Ltd (down 0.86%), and Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd (down 0.81%) moved lower.

At 09:52 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 16.69 or 0.03% at 58125.36.

The Nifty 50 index was up 15.85 points or 0.09% at 17368.3.

The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 290.56 points or 1.04% at 28334.25.

The S&P BSE 150 Midcap Index index was up 44.98 points or 0.53% at 8520.56.

On BSE,2244 shares were trading in green, 667 were trading in red and 85 were unchanged.

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(NC) President on Wednesday exhorted its cadres to strengthen the party at every level and gear up for the big challenge being faced by .

Five members of panchayats joined NC in the presence of former chief minister here on Wednesday.

The NC is committed to assuage the urges and aspirations of every segment of the society in all the regions and sub-regions, Abdullah said.

Interacting with various delegations and welcoming new entrants into the party at a brief function here, Abdullah said the party is deeply rooted in every nook and corner of the union territory.

He said the cadre must reach out to the people and help them get solutions to their problems.

Abdullah said the NC is a mass movement which has been devoted to the service of the people of for decades.

He said the party is a natural destination for all those public spirited political workers who want to steer to peace, progress, and development.

Among those who joined the party were Ajay Sharma and Kuldeep Kumar Naib, both sarpanch, Rajneesh Sharma, who is one of the members of panchayat, and one Mohd Iqbal from Udhampur.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As part of his efforts to forge an anti- alliance at the level, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will be meeting his counterpart in Mumbai on February 20.

Thackeray spoke to Chandrasekhar Rao over phone on Wednesday and invited him to Mumbai.

According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the chief minister extended his full support to the efforts of the Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief to fight "anti-people" policies of the government at the Centre and for federal justice.

The Shiv Sena leader was all praise for KCR's fight and told him that to protect the country from "divisive" forces, he has raised his voice at the right time. "You continue the fight for the rights of the states and to protect the unity of the country. March ahead with the same spirit. You will have our full support. In this regard, we will extend all possible help to you to mobilise public support," the CMO quoted Thackeray as saying.

Inviting to Mumbai, Thackeray requested him to agree to be his guest. "On this occasion, we will discuss the future course of action," Thackeray said.

has already announced his plans to play a key role in forging a alliance against . He had told reporters on Sunday that he would soon visit Mumbai to meet Thackeray. He said he would also meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee soon.

The chief minister is the second leader to speak to over phone in two days. Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Deve Gowda had called up the TRS chief on Tuesday seeking KCR's support to the fight launched by him against the "religious polarisation" of by the BJP government at the Centre.

Deve Gowda congratulated KCR for fighting against the communal in the country. "Rao Saab, you are fighting very well. Everyone should fight against the communal elements. To protect our country's secularism, culture and its diverse culture we will be with you and support you. Continue your fight and our total support will be there for you," the CMO quoted the former Prime Minister as saying.

KCR told Deve Gowda that he would visit Bangalore in this regard and meet him personally.

--IANS

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 16 (ANI/NewsVoir): Forum of Industry and Academic Knowledge Sharing (FIAKS), a global knowledge-sharing platform, held its 3rd edition of Leadership Conclave virtually. Thought leaders from the financial sector, mainly comprising C-suite executives and industry experts, emphasized financial inclusion as one of the foundations of a developing economy. There still exists both a great need and the potential to tap into this unbanked population and bring them into the financial net.

Ketan Doshi, Managing Director of PayPoint India, said, "A banking correspondent has to give a comprehensive service at a single point, for which the entire banking ecosystem has to come together to bring complete financial inclusion to the last mile. But as per regulations, customer service points (CSPs) are currently not allowed to partner with multiple banks. So, people are stuck with one bank's services in a rural location with say under 1000 population."

He further added, "There is a regulation requiring all Banking Mitras to undergo an IIBF training program to operate as a CSP point. But for certain BC outlets, obtaining this would be challenging, as even a paanwala is a grocery shop and is a potential BC operator for financial inclusion."

Ashu Suyash, Entrepreneur and Independent Director (former MD and CEO CRISIL) stated, "There has been spectacular growth in the opening of bank accounts and deposits. But beyond that, when we look at access to credit, health insurance or life insurance coverage, or the pension scheme that the government launched, the uptake has been low. So, the first wave of progress has already happened, but we now need the second wave of progress. India is clearly becoming a digital economy, and that should allow us to track metrics better."

Amit Bhatia, Managing Director, and Head - International Private Bank of Deutsche Bank (India), said, "Rapid digitalization in India's financial sector has not only led to the availability of data in real-time but has also made processes much smoother. With the easy availability of accurate information on industry segments and clusters, it is easier for banks to make more informed decisions."

In the last decade, India has made a lot of progress due to the major banking and economic reforms. But issues like last-mile connectivity of banks and other financial institutions, access to credit, dormant accounts, and others remain. The discussions were moderated by Vikas R Panditrao, Co-founder of FIAKS.

Anuradha Panditrao, Founder - FIAKS, spoke about how the platform is turning out to be disruptive learning and development initiative. She mentioned that several organizations from the BFSI sector and large technology companies are enrolling for it, with PayPoint India being the first banking correspondent to partner.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI/NewsVoir): Leaders across sectors are recognizing the power of digitization and empowering their businesses. However, for some organizations the journey has not been simple. Odgers Berndtson invited leaders from the consumer sector for a dialogue to understand how digital transformation has impacted their business.

The key takeaways from the dialogue are as follows

Power of real time data offered by digital platforms

The pandemic has pushed businesses to look at real time data in order to stay ahead of the curve. "My 3 broad observations about 21st century consumers in a digital world are that (i) regardless of the industry, leaders are recognizing the power of having first party data to understand consumer insights and this can enhance the ability and agility of the organization to serve customers better, (ii) the need to understand customer journeys to create relevant user experiences which impact an organization's retention rates/ brand equity in a world where there is a multitude of choice for customers, and (iii) in a social media fueled world, it becomes even more important to offer choice and quality as now the conversation has moved from one-sided advertising campaigns to conversations," remarks Siddharth Banerjee, Managing Director - India & Asia, Pearson Education.

Changes in the shopping experience aided by digitization

With the aid of mobile applications, the conversion funnel of a consumer, moving from a shopper to an end buyer, has seen a dramatic shift. The decision-making process for the consumer within the shopping environment, has itself become dynamic. A small business owner can easily sell to different parts of the country by taking the support of the distribution channels offered by online sellers such as Amazon and Flipkart. The challenge however is to identify which products can be sold digitally and to continue to scale up the business to greater heights.

"The exciting thing we are observing in the digital world is testing few digital-first brands, which we are incubating as ideas for the future, betting on them, gaining scale, and going wider. E-commerce may not always be the most viable option given the high cost of service, but e-commerce does offer you an opportunity to pick and choose where you want to be present. There is no specific playbook, and organizations are finding their own ways and means to find the sweet spot," says Achyut Kasireddy, Managing Director & CEO - India & India Subcontinent, Mayora India.

How COVID-19 has accelerated the digital journey

Though Leaders recognized the need to automate, the pandemic spurred the rapid adoption of digital solutions, thereby accelerating the transition to the digital economy. This meant integrating technology into supply chain solutions, emergence of omnichannel sales and marketing solutions, collecting real time data to forecast demand, collection of payments, manufacturing and audit processes etc.

"Luminous shifted to a digital payment only mode at the height of the pandemic. There was a huge resistance at first as our channel partners were used to manual payments via cheques & drafts, but they themselves transformed to only accept payments from retailers in a digital manner. In fact, the whole audit process at Luminous was carried out in a digital manner, which is a massive and complex exercise in itself. COVID has brought many learnings & has pushed organizations to innovate & digitize rapidly," says Vipul Sabharwal, Managing Director, Luminous Power Technologies.

Digital transformation has to be clubbed with a change in cultural mindset

Digital transformation has not been easy for those organizations in which there was an apprehension towards automation.

"Traditional industries like metals, minerals and mining, construction etc. have adapted very well to digitization. The last two years for businesses has been about the survival of the fittest & the quickest to adopt digital transformation," says Dr Prasad Medury, Managing Director India, Odgers Berndtson.

"Digitization initiatives across revenue growth and cost/capital efficient pillars can deliver transformational benefits beyond organic revenue and profitability growth. For example, it is no doubt a highly effective tool to track the entire lifecycle of the customer and figure out what interventions can be done in a timely and cost-effective manner to enhance both efficiency and effectiveness for customer communication, social media engagement, reducing acquisition cost, up-selling, cross-selling, and referrals. However, one of the big learnings for me, especially being part of a consumer services business, has been that the key to successfully leveraging technology and digital initiatives is to bear in mind that employees are your first customers. Organizations need to incentivize employees to facilitate the digital journey and answer the 'what's in it for me?' question for them," remarks Jayant Khosla, Managing Director & Group Head, VLCC Health Care Limited.

Omnichannel experience is here to stay

Digitization is now a critical piece of the go-to consumer strategy. And analytics is the backbone of digitization. Leaders are closely looking at which channel is working for their business, finding the right channel matrix and then riding out the waves of the pandemic. By partnering with e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, one of the leading wellness & beauty brands could increase its e-commerce contribution to almost three times in two years. However, the significance of traditional sales channels such as physical stores cannot be undermined.

Leadership and Talent

Organizations are using a pyramid approach wherein individuals with subject matter expertise are at the top of the pyramid, followed by upskilling of existing staff on some basic understanding of digitization. It was agreed by the leaders within the consumer sector that there is a skill gap in the industry today. There is more demand than talent supply. Organizations are willing to take unique approaches to fix such talent gaps.

"As executive search consultants, we ourselves are witnessing an increase in demand for talent with some level of digital skills across all levels and functions - from CEOs who have led digital D2C businesses, to chief marketing officers who are experienced in acquiring customers digitally, to digitally-savvy supply chain leaders. The definition of how customers are going to the market is evolving rapidly, and businesses are already digitizing in some way or the other to stay ahead of the curve," says Ramit N Bhel, Principal - Consumer & Retail Practice, Odgers Berndtson India.

Odgers Berndtson is one of the leading global executive search firms with presence in over 35 countries providing services such as leadership appointments, appointment of Board (Independent) Directors, leadership assessment, and contractual (Interim) appointments. Reach out to (https://www.odgersberndtson.com/en-in/people) Odgers Berndtson team to explore your leadership requirements.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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Hyderabad: Justice K Lakshman of Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the prime accused in the Insurance Medical Services scam, Kamma Srinivasa Rao and Kancherla Srihari Babu, a partner of Omni Medi Co, to surrender before the special court to start the trial.

Rao is director of M/s Ranchi Expressway Ltd (Madhucon group) that belongs to TRS MP Nama Nageshwara Rao. The cases were registered by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The judge directed the concerned court to consider their remand afresh, when the said court refused their remand. ED had arrested and produced them before the court.

The lower court rejected their remand by saying that CrPC procedures like 41-A Notices had not been issued before taking the two into custody. The aggrieved ED preferred to file two separate criminal appeals before the high court and challenged the decision of the trial court.

ED then expressed its concern and asked, When the two accused were released like this, how can ED investigate the case further?

As per the case, Srinivasa Rao was involved in the mishandling of funds allotted for execution of a 4-laning project for NH-33 from Ranchi to Jamshedpur. The advances that were given by the lending banks in the execution of the project involved Rs 1,655 crore. Srihari Babu has been charged with swindling public money of Rs 211 crore in the IMS-ESI scam.

Agreeing with the ED argument, the judge said ED functions under a special law called the prevention of money laundering Act (PMLA). ED court had no power to return the remand applications filed by the ED, the judge ruled.

It said, Even if the ED court has come to a conclusion that Section 41-A of the CrPC was not complied with, it was incumbent on it to pass a reasoned judicial order by rejecting the remand application. The designated court could not have let off the accused against whom serious allegations of money laundering existed, by simply returning the remand application and not passing a reasoned judicial order.

The designated court has committed a grave error by returning the applications filed by ED under Section 167(2) of CrPC, Justice Lakshman observed.
Dubai [UAE], February 16 (ANI/NewsVoir): India will pitch to become the preferred sourcing partner for the global food processing industry during the fortnight and host various seminars and conferences to deliberate on ways to explore international collaborations and further strengthen its export potential.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, will inaugurate the 'Food, Agriculture and Livelihood' fortnight at the India Pavilion in EXPO2020 Dubai on February 17. The fortnight will showcase India's prowess in sectors like food processing, horticulture, dairy, fisheries, and organic farming and the vast investment opportunities that it offers.

As part of the key theme - 'Millets', the fortnight will witness the millets food festival, the launch of Millets Book, and various seminars focusing on its health and nutritional benefits. It is noteworthy here that the UN General Assembly has recently adopted the resolution, sponsored by India and supported by more than 70 countries, declaring 2023 as the 'International Year of Millets'.

Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest livelihood provider in the country. The sector contributes a significant share of around 21% to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP). With total exports of agricultural and allied products at US$ 41.25 billion in FY21, India is among the 15 leading exporters of agricultural products in the world.

To harness the untapped potential of this sector, the Government has allowed 100% FDI in the marketing of food products and food product e-commerce under the automatic route. An incentive outlay of Rs 10,900 crore (US$ 1,484 million) for the food processing sector has also been approved under the PLI scheme. In addition, the comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy has been introduced to increase India's agricultural export to US$ 60 billion by 2021-22 and US$ 100 billion in the next few years.

The sector is set to witness increased investment in agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, warehousing, and cold storage, with global consumption reaching the pre-pandemic level.

The fortnight will also see participation from several senior government officials who will be present during the various sessions.

The 'Food, Agriculture and Livelihood' fortnight will conclude on March 2nd.

To know more about India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai, please visit:

Website - (https://indiaexpo2020.com)

Facebook - (https://www.facebook.com/indiaatexpo2020)

Instagram - (https://www.instagram.com/indiaatexpo2020)

Twitter - (https://twitter.com/IndiaExpo2020?s=09)

LinkedIn -(https://bit.ly/3rQPteO)

YouTube - (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6uOcYsc4g_JWMfS_Dz4Fhg/featured)

Koo - (https://www.kooapp.com/profile/IndiaExpo2020)

To know more about EXPO2020 Dubai, please visit - (https://www.expo2020dubai.com/en).

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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Top headlines



 Sensex ends choppy day 145 pts down, Nifty holds 17,300



 Vedant Fashions makes decent debut; lists at 8% premium over issue price Vijay Kedia-owned stock hits 10% upper circuit on order win gains 3% as govt set to begin investor outreach from Feb 25 Firstsource Solutions hits 9-month low; tanks 44% from 52-week highEquity ended an extremely volatile day on a subdued note as investors monitored the situation between Russia and Ukraine. Although reports suggested that Russian military vehicles were leaving the annexed Crimea, Western officials and the Ukrainian President urged caution in taking Russia's claims at face value.

In view of this, the BSE benchmark Sensex oscillated 789 points intra-day before closing at 57,997, down 145 points or 0.25%. The also gyrated 233 points and eventually ended at 17,322, down 30 points or 0.17%.

On the bourses, Bharti Airtel, M&M, HDFC, Kotak Bank, Nestle India, and Dr Reddy's Labs were the only Sensex gainers. On the Nifty, Divis Labs, ONGC, Adani Ports, HDFC Life, and IOC were the among the gainers.

On the downside, ICICI Bank, SBI, NTPC, Ultratech Cement, Tata Steel, UPL and Tata Motors were the top laggards.

The BSE MidCap and the BSE SmallCap indices ended mixed, with the former dipping 0.03% and the latter advancing 0.42%.

Among sectoral indices, the Nifty Realty, Pharma, Consumer Durables and Oil & Gas indices ended in the green, adding between 0.5% and 1%. On the downside, the Nifty PSB index slipped 1.2%. The Nifty Metal, IT, Bank and Auto indices also closed lower by up to 0.6%.

Among individual counters, Vedant Fashions, the owner of the brand, made a decent stock market debut, with its shares getting listed at Rs 936, an 8% premium over its issue price of Rs 866 on the BSE. The stock closed flat against its opening price, remaining 8% above the issue price. The companys IPO had received a lukewarm response, with the issue being subscribed only three times.

This apart, ace investor Vijay Kedias portfolio stock Innovators Facade Systems was locked in the 10% upper circuit on the BSE after the company announced an order win worth over Rs 70 crore. The company was awarded this order for Design, Supply, Fabrication and Installation of Facade Work from Lodha Group. As of December 2021, Kedia held a 10.66% stake in the company.

Private lender also gained 3% on the that the government would start virtual roadshows with investors for the bank's strategic disinvestment from February 25, as the Centre and LIC looked to sell their stake to a private buyer. The roadshows will be managed by KPMG and Link Legal, which are the intermediaries appointed by the government.

Lastly, on the flip side, Firstsource Solutions continued to feel the pressure, hitting an over nine-month low on the BSE, down over 4%. The stock has corrected 44% from its 52-week high and 19% in the past two weeks after the company lowered its FY22 revenue growth guidance.
A&L Goodbody LLP (ALG) has today announced that it has agreed to completely redevelop its existing offices at North Wall Quay in Dublin. In partnership with IPUT, the new office will be specifically designed to promote a new way of agile working which aims to embed the best of working from home and the office.

ALG currently has over 930 people with over 420 lawyers, including 112 partners, working across six office locations. ALG expects continued growth in 2022 with the creation of at least 50 new jobs. The roles will include lawyers, project & program managers, business & data analysts, marketing and client development professionals and operational support. The majority of additional roles will be in the Dublin office but ALG expects to see expansion in its Belfast and London offices as well.



Speaking this week, Managing Partner at ALG, Julian Yarr said, "Our office in the IFSC has been our home for over 20 years. In that time we have quadrupled in size. We now have the unique opportunity to rebuild our home for the future  for our clients, for our people and for the community we work in. It will facilitate our ambitious growth plans and will allow us to develop a new way of working  a more agile way of working  driving our business forward for the next 20 years. We are staying in our home in the commercial heart of Dublin. We have built fantastic relationships with our local community through our responsible business and pro bono initiatives. It was important to us and our people that we maintain those links."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
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Hong Kong plans to borrow $770 million in its first green bond sale to fund sustainable projects as the city moves to become a hub for green finance

(Bloomberg)  Retail investors in Hong Kong will soon be able to buy green bonds for as little as HK$10,000 ($1,281) as the city looks to expand its role as a hub for sustainable finance.

The Hong Kong government is selling as much as HK$6 billion ($770 million) in green debt directly to investors for the first time with proceeds to back nine types of sustainable projects run by the city, Christopher Hui, secretary for financial services and treasury, told reporters Tuesday.
Telangana Pradesh Mahila Congress President Sunitha Mogli Mudhiraj with party leaders, during a protest against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his remarks about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, near Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad. (Photo: PTI)

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police booked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his alleged derogatory comments against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Following the complaint filed by TPCC president Revanth Reddy, a case has been registered under sections 504 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code at Jubilee Hills police station of Hyderabad city.

Earlier on Monday, the TPCC president has lodged a complaint against Assam CM for making indecent remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the Jubilee Hills police station.

Congress leaders have filed a criminal case against Himanta Biswa Sharma and demanded his immediate arrest.

"Assam CM's remarks are humiliating for a woman, Why did the Chief Electoral Officer of the National Election Commission not order the arrest of Himanta Biswa Sharma" asked Revanth. "BJP should remove Himanta Biswa from the post of Chief Minister. But the BJP is supporting the remarks of the Assam CM."

The TPCC president added, "Some say it is an insult to the Gandhi family, but it is an insult to the women of this country. An FIR should be registered against our compliant immediately."

According to him, the Assam CM should be served notice immediately. "It is the responsibility of the police to arrest the Assam CM."

Further investigation is on.
Washington plans yet another information war against China

Xinhua) 13:22, February 16, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Act, a bill focusing on U.S. semiconductor production and supply chains.

Unsurprisingly, the "industrial" act includes actions to hold China "accountable" for the so-called genocide and slave labor, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and specifically allocates 500 million U.S. dollars for media outlets to smear China.

This bill echoes the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, another hawkish bill against China passed by the U.S. Senate in June 2021, which authorized 300 million dollars to be appropriated for each fiscal year through 2026 to counter China's influence globally.

The Senate bill is "a dangerous declaration of Cold War on China," wrote Michael D. Swaine, a scholar of Chinese security studies and director of the East Asia Program at Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a research institution and think tank.

The bill, Swaine said, "epitomizes the worst errors of the new Washington 'consensus' on what a rising China supposedly means," and contains "almost exclusively zero-sum (and in some instances dangerous) policy recommendations."

Actually, Washington has been implementing intricate plans to boost the so-called "China threat" narratives and "combat Chinese disinformation" via the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and the Agency for Global Media, its state-run foreign media service.

In September 2021, the largest Zimbabwean daily newspaper The Harald revealed that the United States is funding and training local reporters to produce anti-China stories and discredit Chinese investments.

According to the report with exclusive details, some private media journalists were told to portray Chinese companies investing in Zimbabwe as "causing harm to communities, environment and workers," receiving payment of 1,000 dollars per story from the U.S. embassy through its proxy.

"U.S. embassy officials bragged during the workshop that they had ... previously sponsored media institutions on the so-called accountability issues," the article said.

Spreading misinformation and manipulating the truth about China are nothing new for Western media and might undermine the credibility of journalists involved in reporting as well as the industry at large.

"If the government is setting out ahead of time in legislation what the conclusion and the point of coverage is going to be, that doesn't really qualify as genuine journalism," Tobita Chow, director of Justice Is Global, a group that advocates a more equitable world economy, was quoted by The American Prospect magazine as saying.

In September 2021, Javier Garcia, former head of the office of the EFE News Agency of Spain in Beijing, announced leaving journalism because "the embarrassing information war against China has taken a good dose of my enthusiasm for this profession."

"The information manipulation is flagrant, with dozens of examples every day," said the veteran who served in the industry for over 30 years. "Anyone who dares to confront it or try to maintain objectivity and impartial positions will be accused of being on the payroll of the Chinese government or worse."

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday set aside the permission granted by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to a Delhi-based trust to hold a nine-day-long 'Ramakatha' programme in Pamba-Triveni Manalppuram area of Pathanamthitta district, saying the site in question cannot be used exclusively for any such activity.

A bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and P G Ajithkumar said that the site in question was meant for providing facilities to devotees arriving for 'darshan' or pilgrimage and therefore, a programme meant exclusively for followers of the trust cannot be permitted there.

The high court also directed the Delhi-based Nandkishore Bajoria Charitable Trust to "forthwith" remove all the temporary structures, like tents and fencing, they had put up at the site.

The trust clarified that the programme was proposed to be held exclusively for its members in view of the COVID-19 restrictions.

The court, however, said, "Whatever may be the stand of the Respondent 10 (trust), no land in Pamba Manalppuram can be exclusively used for any such activity, thereby causing inconvenience to the pilgrims."

"We find that Respondent 10 is not entitled to conduct the programme as proposed by it," the bench added.

It also said that the permission granted by TDB "cannot be sustained".

It also said that in future, before granting any such permission, the TDB should consult the forest authorities as the area in question falls close to the Periyar Tiger Reserve's boundaries.

The order came on a plea initiated by the court on its own based on a news report which said the Board had already issued orders leasing out the area to the trust for the programme and steps were been taken to clean the surroundings, put up a 'pandal' and lease out the parking area and helipad at Nilakkal.
Students wearing facemasks and face-shields attend a class after the reopening of schools closed as a preventive measure to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, at a government girls primary school. (Photo: AFP)

Chennai: Nursery schools across Tamil Nadu reopened on Wednesday after a long gap of two years, amidst a sharp decline in coronavirus positive cases, and with the government insisting that face masks are not mandatory for kindergarten children.

Teachers welcomed the students with balloons, chocolates and flowers on day one to help them cope up with a new environment. Several schools which have been conducting online classes, too, shifted to the physical mode today.

"Making them adapt to a new atmosphere which is different from the familiar comforts of their homes will be our primary task. We will start teaching lessons thereafter," a teacher of a leading nursery school here said.

"Face masks have been made mandatory for children aged five and above," Medical and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian said.

"This means that the kindergarten children need not wear masks," he told reporters here when his attention was drawn to the children not wearing the face masks.

The schools have been told to strictly adhere to the SoP on COVID-19 safety precautions. On February 15, the state government issued a GO (government order) permitting play schools and nursery schools to function from today while allowing exhibitions to be held.

The state government had ordered closure of schools due to the pandemic in March 2020.

Ahead of the reopening, the school management cleaned and disinfected the classrooms and premises.
A police officer speaks with a trucker as he distributes a notice to protesters, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022 in Ottawa. Ottawas police chief was ousted Tuesday amid criticism of his inaction against the trucker protests that have paralyzed Canada's capital for over two weeks, while the number of blockades maintained by demonstrators at the U.S. border dropped to just one. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)
Sheriffs office ends diving operations as remains of all passengers on board downed aircraft are recovered
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: The importance of The American War of Independence cant be overstated
Volunteer Chris Lippincott leads a tour of homeschoolers through the Aviation Museum. All are welcome to a Volunteer Open House on Tues., March 8 at 7:00 p.m. to learn more about volunteering at the non-profit museum, located at 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry. For more information, call 603-669-4820 or visit www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.
Carroll, IA (51401)

Today

Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 54F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 37F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Karen Toliver is leaving Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix, where she has been named vice president of animated film.

Here are the details:

Toliver will join Netflix in March. She will be responsible for two or three animated features per year.

She will report to Melissa Cobb, vp of the kids and family division (and previously vp of original animation). Shell work alongside another feature animation vp, Gregg Taylor.

At Sony, Toliver oversaw development on The Mitchells vs. the Machines, which Netflix released. She also produced the short Hair Love, for which she became the first Black woman to win an animation Oscar.

Previously, she spent ten years at Fox Animation, serving as a production executive on Blue Sky films like Rio, Ferdinand, and three Ice Age installments. She started her career at Disney, where her credits include Brother Bear, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinsons.

Toliver told Variety, which first reported the news:

It has been an absolute dream working with Kristine Belson and her game-changing team at Sony Pictures Animation. The experience has been instrumental in shaping how I approach producing. Storytelling in animation continues to evolve and expand, and I am excited to join the team at Netflix to continue to break new ground.

Netflix has a stated ambition to release six self-produced animated features a year  a milestone it is getting very close to.

Its 2022 slate includes My Fathers Dragon, Wendell and Wild, The Sea Beast, Guillermo del Toros Pinocchio, and Apollo 10 : A Space Age Childhood, which will premiere at SXSW next month.

Image at top courtesy of Monikka Stallworth-Blakes
Photo: Ottawalks YouTube Ottawa convoy protest on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Bringing children to the blockades that have immobilized downtown Ottawa and shuttered border crossings could net protesters a $5,000 fine or five years in prison while Canada is under the national Emergencies Act.

So could participating in the blockades or bringing aid, such as food or fuel, to people involved.

Federal government and RCMP officials provided reporters with the details at a briefing provided on the condition they not be named.

Officials say the details will be published in two cabinet orders that will enact temporary but extraordinary powers under the Emergencies Act.

They say the orders will list the places blockades are not allowed, including Parliament Hill and the streets around it known as the parliamentary precinct, where many federal buildings are found.

The orders will also apply to airports, harbours, border crossings, piers, lighthouses, canals, interprovincial and international bridges, hospitals, trade corridors and infrastructure needed for the supply of utilities including power generation and transmission.

Officials say one order will give special powers to police, banks and insurance companies to freeze accounts and cancel vehicle insurance belonging to people participating in "illegal assemblies."
Some of the parents said that they would not send their children to school if they are not allowed to wear hijab. (Representational image: PTI)

Udupi: Few of the students at Urdu High School in Kaup Taluk of Udupi district arrived wearing shawls covering their heads. As the school authorities denied permission, angry parents argued with the authorities over wearing hijab.

Our children have always been wearing hijab. But now the school authorities have banned wearing hijab. We will not send their wards to school without hijab, said one of the parents.

The school is over 163-year-old and the majority of the students are from the Muslim community.

If hijab is not allowed they should have made it clear during admission, we would not have sent our children to this school, a parent added.

The parents alleged that the school administration did not have any discussions with the parents on the issue.

The parents wanted permission for using the shawl of the uniform as hijab.

Some of the parents said that they would not send their children to school if they are not allowed to wear hijab.

There was confusion as the Class 10 students had to appear for the preparatory exam.

Tahsildar Srinivas Murthy and Deputy Director of Public Instructions arrived at the school to resolve the issue. Sources said that the students were allowed to write the preparatory exam in a separate room.
Photo: Cornelia Naylor RCMP used a bucket lift to reach Trans Mountain protester Dr. Tim Takaro in Burnaby. He has pleaded not guilty to criminal contempt of court.

Two men involved in anti-Trans Mountain pipeline protests in Burnaby were jailed Feb. 15 after pleading guilty, while a third goes to trial in June after a not-guilty plea.

All were charged with criminal contempt of court for allegedly breaching a court injunction aimed at preventing disruption of work at the federally owned Burnaby Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project (TMX).

That injunction was granted in March 2018 and expanded two months later.

All three are considered part of the so-called "Brunette River 6": a nondenominational, multi-faith prayer circle. The group is made up of Burnaby and Vancouver residents, who came together to oppose tree cutting by TMX, as well as stream and urban salmon river degradation they believe is being caused by the company.

As she sentenced Dr. William Winder, 69, and Zain Haq, 21, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick put other would-be injunction breakers on notice that sentences will increase.

This court is becoming increasingly frustrated with this ongoing disobedience, she said.

Like many others charged, neither Winder or Haq had a previous criminal record.

Tree-sitter pleads guilty

Crown Prosecutor Ellen Leno told Fitzpatrick that Winder, a retired UBC French professor, was arrested on Sept. 22 after he was removed from a tree at a Trans Mountain worksite in Burnaby.

Leno said tree removal for pipeline work was stopped on Sept. 13 when workers realized there were people in the trees.

Winder was 50 to 60 feet up a tree, the court heard. An injunction recording was played to him and he was given the opportunity to leave.

When Winder did not leave, police arrived with a cherry picker and ascended to remove him. They found him with a bicycle u-lock around his neck and other devices, fastening to the tree.

This is a sophisticated and planned event, Leno said of Winders tree sitting. It was designed to allow a long interference. Its not easy to do.

She said prolonging an offence aggravates a breach.

The Crown asked for 21 days in jail for Winder but he countered with 14 days and 100 hours of community service. Fitzpatrick agreed with the Crown.

The judge said there has been proper notice by the Crown of increasing sentences for protest situations with aggravating circumstances.

Youre the first, she told Winder.

Winder said he was motivated to act as western values have had the unintended consequence of bringing us to the edge of climate collapse.

He told Fitzpatrick the injunction and applicable law predates the examples of the climate crisis the world finds itself in, that the 2021 fires and flooding are examples of the effects of climate change in B.C.

It is a catastrophe waiting to happen, Winder said.

The crime of ecocide has made its way into the publics general understanding, he added.

While the courts have heard much about the upholding of the rule of law in the Trans Mountain protester breach cases, Winder said climate change could mean the annihilation of the human species and the breakdown of the rule of law.

In response to Winders saying he respected the rule of law, Fitzpatrick said, that is highly questionable in these circumstances . . . sophistry for saying hes defending his rule of law.

Sleeping dragon protest lock

Leno said Haq was arrested on Sept. 24 after he was found sitting at the same worksite. Another protester was nearby.

Leno said the Extinction Rebellion protest groups national action and strategy coordinator was found with a device known as a sleeping dragon. Protesters use the hard-to-remove devices to lock themselves into place.

He was not locked into it, Leno said.

The injunction was read and both were given a chance to leave. Haq chose to remain and was arrested.

Haq said he would his dedicate his time in jail to those who died from extreme weather events in B.C. last year. The Crown asked for two weeks behind bars; the judge agreed but said she would have given a stiffer sentence if requested.

SFU professor pleads not guilty

It was Dr. Tim Takaro, a Simon Fraser University professor of health sciences, who pleaded not guilty. He goes to trial June 13-16.

Its alleged he breached the injunction after he spent months in a different set of Burnaby trees along the Brunette River to protest the cutting of more than 1,300 trees to clear a path for the pipeline.

Takaro was arrested Nov. 26 after police brought in a cherry picker to remove him.

The other members of the Brunette River 6 are Catherine Hembling, 79, Janette McIntosh, 58, and Ruth Walmsley, 61. They pleaded guilty to the charges Feb. 14. Fitzpatrick sentenced them to 14 days in jail each.

The Trans Mountain expansion project

The pipeline project is a doubling of the existing 1,150-kilometre pipeline between Strathcona County (near Edmonton), Alta. and Burnaby. The project aims at doubling capacity from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 barrels per day.

The companys website said the existing pipeline will carry refined products, synthetic crude oils, and light crude oils with the capability for heavy crude oil while the new pipeline will carry heavier oils with the capability for transporting light crude oils.

The Westridge terminal on Indian Arm below Burnaby Mountain will have three new berths, increasing the number of tankers served there by 34 per month from five in 2017. Aframax and Panamax tankers would be used.

The project was begun under previous owner Kinder Morgan, which sold Trans Mountain to the federal government for $4.4 billion as hurdles to its completion mounted.

The projected price tag for project completion was $7.4 billion, revised to $12.6 billion in 2020 but that figure has continued to climb.
Photo: BC Gov Flickr Hwy 3 between Fernie and Elkwood

The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary's plea for the creation of cellular service along Highway 3 wont be answered by the province.

In asking the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General for an increase in cellular infrastructure  towers and, thus, service  along the full length of the Highway 3 corridor, the board of directors of the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) and Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) were told to look to the service providers for answers.

In a letter to RDKB chair Linda Worley, assistant Deputy Minister of the Connectivity Division, Susan Stanford, said telecommunications were federally regulated in Canada by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

While the province cannot instruct service providers as to when and where they make their investments, we support the expansion of connectivity through the Connecting British Columbia program which is administered by Northern Development Initiative Trust, she wrote in her letter.

She said the three service providers that invest in cellular networks in the province  TELUS, Rogers and Shaw  might have projects planned for the area and could include cellular along Highway 3, or had projects that could be expanded to include cellular in needed corridors.

We would encourage you to connect directly with service providers to see if any projects are planned for areas near or on Highways 3 and 33, Stanford wrote. The Connecting British Columbia program is currently open to applications that expand cellular service.

With the prospect of increased traffic along Highway 3 the regional districts had asked the province to address the lack of infrastructure along the roadway, requesting cell service and towers to be added to the full length of the Highway 3 corridor to facilitate the safety of travelers and first responders.

It was noted that cell service carriers have access to cellular on wheels (COW) units that could be deployed to fulfill the request.

With the indefinite closures of Highway 1 and Highway 5  due to the events of Nov. 14  the province declared Highway 3 would be the main corridor for transport to and from the Lower Mainland, but with an expected 525 per cent increase in traffic.

As a result, there is major lack of infrastructure to support the increase in traffic with cellular tower sites along Highway 3, the Paulson Summit and Highway 33.

Ramping up

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) data for the three main highways leading into the Lower Mainland recorded the following daily averages in November 2019:

- Hwy 3 (past Hope) had an average daily vehicle volume in November of around 2,000;

- Hwy 1 (Fraser Canyon past Hope) had an average daily vehicle volume in November of around 2,200; and

- Hwy 5 (past Hope) has an average daily vehicle volume in November of around 8,500.

That means Highway 3 could see 12,500 vehicles per day, which represents a 525 per cent increase.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Significant numbers of salmon returning to spawn in British Columbia are being caught in southeast Alaskan fisheries, hindering Canada's efforts to preserve and rebuild stocks that are declining to historic lows, B.C. salmon advocates say.

Canada and the United States ratified the Pacific Salmon Treaty in 1985 to manage cross-border harvesting, but it wasn't designed to deal with climate change and stocks that are in crisis, said Greg Knox, executive director of SkeenaWild Conservation Trust based in Terrace.

"We can't protect and rebuild B.C. salmon without Alaska giving us a hand, there's just no way," he said. "The productivity of a lot of our populations has gone way down, so they can't sustain high harvest levels anymore."

The treaty states that both countries should manage their fisheries to prevent overfishing and ensure they each receive benefits equal to the salmon that spawn in their respective waters. But as B.C. stocks decline, the treaty is failing to deliver that balance, said Knox, who is a member of the Pacific Salmon Commission's regional panel focused on northern B.C. and Alaska fisheries.

The Pacific Salmon Commission, which manages the treaty, is holding its annual meeting this week.

Greg Taylor, fisheries adviser for the B.C.-based Watershed Watch Salmon Society, said Alaska has an "effective veto" in the treaty process since decision-making requires consensus between B.C., Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

Alaskan law requires that certain salmon management objectives are met, he said, including targets for the number of fish that make it back to their spawning areas.

However, that's not the case for salmon that are returning to rivers in B.C., said Taylor, who previously sat on the commission's northern panel.

Alaska doesn't have an incentive to curtail its harvesting of salmon that spawn outside its jurisdiction, he said, even as the Canadian government and First Nations in B.C. have limited harvesting to help preserve stocks.

Doug Vincent-Lang, the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said the state's fisheries remain in compliance with the treaty.

In reaching agreements, both countries consider "the desirability in most cases"of reducing the harvest of each other's fish.They also consider avoiding the undue disruption of existing fisheries and annual variations in salmon stocks, he said in an email.

The latest agreement requires annual assessments of harvesting rates, Vincent-Lang added.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has said many B.C. salmon stocksare declining to historic lows due to climate change, habitat degradation and "fishing pressures."

About 60 per cent of B.C.'s commercial salmon fisheries were closed last June as part of the federal government's Pacific salmon recovery efforts.

As B.C. stocks decline, the proportional impact of a series of southeast Alaskan seine fisheries is increasing, Knox said. All of the different species migrating together are corralled in a large net known as a seine, he explained.

Genetic sampling indicated that about 650,000 sockeye from B.C. were caught by those fisheries last year, an estimate based on data from the northern panel's technical committee, said Knox.

A single Alaskan seine fishery known as district 104 caught more than 400,000 of those sockeye, he said. It operates on the state's outer coast, north of Haida Gwaii, and intercepts the migration route for many B.C. salmon.

Relocating that fishery to inside waters, where much of Alaska's seine fleet for pink salmon already operates, would significantly reduce the harvest of B.C. stocks, Knox said.

Taylor said the catch from district 104 represents a "tiny" fraction of the tens of millions of salmon Alaska's fisheries harvest each year, yet it's significant for B.C. stocks.

Canada began closing its own net fisheries that intercepted U.S. stocks in the 1990s, he added.

Alaska doesn't record the harvest of several species, including steelhead, pink and chum salmon that are bound for B.C., Knox noted.

"We currently have no real idea how many of those fish Alaska is catching, which is a huge gap and undermines our ability to meet the principles set out in the treaty."

The Southeast Alaska Seiners Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the harvesting of salmon bound for B.C.

Knox said there should be an independent review of the Pacific Salmon Treaty to assess whether it's meeting its own principles and how it could be reformed.

The treaty was last renegotiated in 2018 with the next update set for 2028.

"We can't wait another six years to wait for the treaty to try to deal with this," Knox said.

Canada has the option to call an emergency meeting to address Alaska's catch, he added.

Claire Teichman, media secretary for Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray, said Canadian and U.S. officials meet regularly about the management of fisheries under the treaty.

B.C.'s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries said in a statement that the province would continue working with various governments to encourage the reduction of bycatch in Alaska's salmon, halibut and trawl fisheries.
Photo: Glacier Media

A Central Saanich man who struck and killed a woman and critically injured her sister testified that he fell asleep at the wheel after being up all night with his father in the hospital.

Anthony Thomas, who is charged with six driving offences, including impaired and dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm, took the stand for the first time at a civil trial in B.C. Supreme Court in Victoria.

Thomas did not testify at his criminal trial, which concluded last week. He is awaiting a decision from the judge.

The 29-year-old is being sued by Ellen Ward, whose daughter Kim was killed in the Aug. 27, 2018, collision. Ward is bringing the suit on behalf of her daughter Tracey, who survived the crash but will require 24-hour care for the rest of her life.

Ward is also suing the car dealership Harris Jeep and Aggatha Siah, who signed a purchase agreement for the Jeep involved in the collision.

Darren Williams, the lawyer representing Ward, has told the court it must decide who owned the Jeep and how Thomas got the keys to drive it.

Thomas testified that his last memory before the collision was turning onto Central Saanich Road and getting about one-quarter of the way down. He woke up panicking, pushing airbags away from his face.

Do you know why your last memory before the collision is down the road from where the accident happened? asked Williams.

Lack of sleep, possibly because of meth and Xanax. My father was in hospital the night before, so I was grieving, Thomas replied, adding that he was up all night at the hospital and only had three hours of sleep in the previous 24.

Ward, 81, testified that after her daughter Tracey was struck, she spent almost a year in the neurological unit of Victoria General Hospital and is now living in Sidney All Care Residence. She is 51, unmarried and has no children. Ward tries to visit her daughter every day.

She said her daughter, who did a bookkeeping course at Humber College in Toronto and bought Gold Star Bookkeeping in 2011, hiked, skied and snowshoed before she was injured.

She is now paralyzed on her left side, and her left foot points down, so she cannot put it flat on the floor. Her strength is improving and she can transfer herself from her bed to wheelchair, said Ward.

Her left hand doesnt work very well, but she can feed herself with her right hand as long as its something she likes, said Ward.

Outside court, Ward called the collision a nightmare that is still ongoing. The grief never stops, especially dealing with Tracey. Its just with you all the time, she said. Im not going to be around forever. I have to make sure that she is cared for, especially with not having relatives here.
Photo: Contributed

The last thing supply chains needed was more human-induced logistical predicaments created by the very disruptive truckers convoy

In recent days, many Canadians have watched in disbelief as protesters easily blocked many access points between the United States and Canada.

For six painful days, the blockades included the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., a key trade conduit between the two countries, forcing trucks to be rerouted towards Sarnia.

Other border crossings were disrupted in Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.

Many shipments were delayed and some cargo had to be scrapped, including blueberries and greens. Thats more waste and more costs to the industry and consumers.

And now, the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is invoking the Emergencies Act.

Given how far things have gone, the federal government had to consider all options.

Disrupting cities like Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and others can be troubling for citizens. But the risks are significantly different when trade between two countries stops. If supply chains are the backbone of our economy, the border is its spinal cord.

The impact of the blockades was immediate. Manufacturing plants were closing, and it barely took a few hours before the White House called Trudeau to share its concerns.

Our food supply chain is messy these days and the last thing it needed was more human-induced logistical predicaments created by the very disruptive truckers convoy.

If some people didnt know that the border between Canada and United States has been the focus for both economies over the years, they know now. Keeping the longest border in the world open, peaceful and disruption-free is no easy feat.

It has taken decades to foster a spirit of interdependence between the two countries, especially for the agri-food sector. In the last year, Canada was the second-largest export market for U.S. agricultural exports, totalling more than $26 billion and accounting for 15 per cent of all U.S. agricultural exports. At the same time, the United States imported more than $30 billion worth of agricultural products from Canada.

So the border is busy and, without that trade, the food security landscape in Canada would look quite different.

Economically, the impact of blockades will be inconsequential. Companies have a way of dealing with anything we throw at them, especially in food distribution. Empty shelves are bad for business and importers and exporters will do anything not to see us leave grocery stores empty-handed.

The damage, though, is beyond numbers. What may be impacted by blockades are reputation and trust. To be summoned by Washington is nothing short of embarrassing. This is Canada, one of the most peaceful countries in the world.

As the smaller and less economically influential of the two trading partners, Canada has a lot more to lose because America has more logistical options. Blocking a border will have potentially long-term consequences in Canada. This may persuade the U.S. to reconsider strategic alternatives or change its stance on certain more sensitive trade issues, like softwood lumber and dairy. Canada may just have made a stronger case for America First advocates.

But consumers will be hurt the most. Its much too soon to know how Canadas food affordability will be impacted by the unlawful blockades. But with many shipments being destroyed or delayed, plus the increasing pressures due to increasing fuel costs, some food prices could rise beyond what was predicted just a few months ago.

Canadians face enough financial pressures right now. This added a layer thats simply not necessary.

The concept of using driverless vehicles through autonomous technology for micro and large-scale highway freight transport has merit, perhaps more than ever.

Some companies have had to cut production due to procurement issues caused by blockades. It has made companies think differently about transportation across North America, and eliminating human drivers may be more appealing now.

In the end, blockades happen for a reason. But for our trading partner to the south, it doesnt matter what the reason is. The damage is done.

For our food supply chains sake, theres nothing more disruptive than civil unrest  nothing. Its even worse than climate change. Reputation and trust are damaged, permanently in some cases.

No matter how we look at whats happening, the federal government has some serious diplomatic issues to address. So invoking the Emergencies Act is also about protecting Canadas reputation abroad.

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.
Photo: Contributed

With Prince Ruperts Fairview Container Terminal expansion set to make it Canadas second-largest containerized cargo-handling facility by July and severe winter weather temporarily hindering Vancouvers capacity, more attention has been focused on B.C.s northern trade corridor as an Asia Pacific gateway.

But experts disagree on what conditions will be needed to increase Prince Ruperts role in Canadas vital transpacific trade.

That role spiked dramatically last November, when heavy rainstorms washed out almost all road and rail links between the Lower Mainland and the rest of the country and forced many shippers to divert cargo to the northern port.

Absolutely, this has put more attention on us, said Shaun Stevenson, president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. If you look at our key export sectors in Canada, whether its the export of energy or agricultural products, we saw cargo immediately diverted to Prince Rupert to ensure that trade would continue when there was a disruption with the systems linking to the Port of Vancouver.

I think it reminds our federal government and our key export sectors of the importance of having two trade corridors to the West Coast  for both having the capacity to support the growth of Canada and for having the resiliency to make sure we can continue shipping to the Pacific when there are disruptions.

Earlier this month, Prince Rupert announced the completion of Stage 1 of Fairviews Phase 2B expansion. The expansion will increase Fairviews annual container-handling capacity to 1.6 million 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) by July and to 1.8 million by the time the expansion is completed in 2024.

Maksim Mihic, CEO and general manager of DP World (Canada) Inc., which operates Fairview, said the company saw the potential of Rupert over the long term, noting that the current round of expansions was planned as far back as 2013.

Prince Rupert was developed 100 years ago because it offered one of the closest routes to Asia, Mihic said. That did not change. And given it does not have a big urban area, [cargo] doesnt have to go through a lot of switches to go through the city. This allows us to process the trains and containers through to their destinations much faster.

Experts say Prince Ruperts success since container traffic operations began at Fairview in 2007 has been evident by any standard. It has quickly capitalized on its geographic advantage, deep port and lower population density to boost growth.

Garland Chow, a University of British Columbia operations and logistics associate professor emeritus and the former director of the Bureau of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Freight Security, is a leading expert in Canadas rail and trade transport infrastructure. He said CN Rails efficient operations of its rail link to Prince Rupert from Edmonton, coupled with the ports smooth operations, have made the port the quickest way for Asian cargo to get to Chicago and other key American Midwest freight hubs.

The co-operation between the DP World terminal, CN and the port is basically for setting up a fine-tuned network to move things really fast once it lands in Prince Rupert, Chow said.

Im incredulous. They can get cargo to Chicago and Memphis faster than [from] L.A.-Long Beach or even Vancouver. The point is, once you get that system going and grow its volume, there will be more capacity.

Maintaining that success, however, may be challenging.

Chow noted that, over the long term, if companies and the federal government continue to put the rail link to Prince Rupert to work, it will help CN dedicate the investment in track infrastructure, trains and people needed to increase the lines capacity.

However, the key is keeping the route useful and cost-efficient. Chow noted that the Port of Vancouver strike in 2014 benefited Prince Ruperts traffic somewhat, but the most notable impact on its business was Asian exporters shipping through Atlantic ports like Halifax to access the Canadian market.

So shippers have alternatives to move goods in and out of Canada, and, like a muscle, if the rail link to Prince Rupert isnt used enough, it will shrivel as rail operators move resources to other routes where shippers favour.

Heres the problem with calling Prince Rupert the perfect substitute for Vancouver, Chow said. Most ships do not go directly between two ports on either side of the Pacific. A ship from Shanghai, for example, may pick up some goods in Busan, South Korea, and hit another port on the North American West Coast before coming to Vancouver. Prince Rupert is at the far end of this route.

He added that Prince Ruperts northern corridor does not have that ecosystem along its routes.

Ruperts biggest advantage is if a boat from Asia goes to Prince Rupert first and drops everything off. The worst-case scenario is if a boat goes to Los Angeles and Seattle first, and in most cases with the mega-ships, they will stop at the port with the most containers first. And thats common sense.

Peter Hall agreed.

The Simon Fraser University urban studies professor and port planning economics researcher noted that, despite Prince Ruperts recent successes, cargo movements from 2020 to 2021 fell by 23 per cent, with 25 million tonnes moving through the port in 2021 compared with 31 million in 2020.

The issue, Hall said, is that Vancouver has the web of connections to various markets along its rail routes. CN, Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP) and BNSF Rail (NYSE:BNI) run services through the port to the rest of Canada and into the eastern United States.

Given its historical linkages to other major markets  not to mention being a major international port  has given Vancouver an advantage for shippers that would be impossible for Prince Rupert to duplicate.

What theyve achieved in the last decade and a half is very impressive, Hall said of Prince Rupert. And as a backup piece to the Canadian trade infrastructure to take pressure off Vancouver, sure, absolutely. But it is important to remember the way in which Vancouver is in itself a much more important market, and there are huge advantages locked in for Vancouver.

So if you can fill a container in Asia, and you know you are not going to open it until it gets to a warehouse in Toronto, surely, by all means make use of Prince Rupert. But if you want to take a container and fill it with stuff thats going to a number of markets in Canada, like Calgary, there are all sorts of reasons to go through Vancouver.

Hall added that Prince Ruperts port business downturn in 2021 prior to the November storms could have resulted in part from Vancouvers supply chain corridor having more access to populated markets and its ability to generate more business opportunities.

When the business environment is difficult  as it has been in the shipping industry during COVID  routes like the northern corridor are the most vulnerable to losing business as shippers focus on the most profitable routes.

Stevenson acknowledged that the port authority is not looking for explosive growth but rather an organic uptake. He added that efforts are well underway to not only improve import/export support and capacity by opening new facilities at the port, but also to look beyond just container traffic at Fairview Terminal as a way to diversify and generate sustainable growth.

We are looking at how Prince Rupert plays a role in energy transition, he said. Weve seen success with the Ridley Island propane export terminal with AltaGas (TSX:ALA). Pembina (Pipeline Corp. TSX:PPL) is now also moving a lot of propane through its terminal here. And we are also seeing Vopak Pacific with a significant scale-up of its facilities to support market access in the energy sector. So its not just about containers. We are looking for diversity of capabilities at the port.
Photo: Cheryl Scott Fuel prices in Maple Ridge as of Wednesday morning.

Gas prices have topped $2 a litre for supreme fuel and are inching closer to that mark for regular fuel as well in many cities across B.C.

Fuel price watchdog gasbuddy.com reports prices in B.C. are up an average of 8.5 cents since last month and a whopping 44 cents compared to a year ago.

Gas stations across the Lower Mainland appear to be averaging 182.9 cents a litre for regular fuel as of Wednesday.

Prices are all over the map, with some stations at 171.9 in Burnaby, the regions lowest, compared to 178.9 in Coquitlam, and 179.9 in North Vancouver at the lowest priced locations.

Heading out into the Fraser Valley, pumps showed supreme fuel at 206.9 cents a litre and supreme plus at a wallet-emptying 209.9 in Maple Ridge.

Farther out into the valley, regular fuel is currently selling for 153.9 to 177.9 cents a litre in Chilliwack, typically one of the lowest priced cities in the region.

In the Southern Interior, Kelowna currently has the lowest priced fuel, thanks in part to the recent opening of a Costco station, where regular gas is going for 149.9 cents a litre. Prices across the city range upwards from there to a high of 157.9 as of midday.

In the North Okanagan, Enderby has the cheapest fuel at 152.9 cents a litre, while Vernon ranges between 154.9 and 159.9.

Lake Country is at 157.9 to 159.9, while in the South Okanagan Penticton stations are pumping regular gas for 158.9 to 159.9 cents a litre.

In Kamloops, current prices range from a low of 156.9 to a high of 163.9.

Travelling to the coast? If you stop in Merritt expect to pay anywhere from 157.9 to 169.9 cents a litre, depending on the station.

Nationally, prices are the highest since Gas Buddy began keeping records in 2008.

It's the seventh straight week the nations average gas price has climbed, the site reports.

"The jump in gasoline prices has continued unabated as oil prices continue to push higher, reaching $94 per barrel last week on continued concern over the possible imminent threat that Russia may invade Ukraine," said Patrick De Haan, Gas Buddy's head of petroleum analysis.

The Canadian Press reports March crude oil contracts are up US$2.72 at US$94.79.

Wondering where the cheapest gas in B.C. is? It's Dawson Creek, where regular fuel is relative bargain at 142.9.
Photo: BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved. Elon Musk donated $5.7 billion in Tesla shares to charity last year

Elon Musk donated $5.7 billion worth of Tesla shares to charity in 2021.



The 50-year-old businessman gave a total of 5,044,000 shares in the carmaker to unnamed organisations between November 19 and 29 last year, according to its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).



The donation came shortly after he tweeted promising to sell stock and donate $6 billion to the United Nations World Food Program.



He wrote at the time: "If [the United Nations World Food Programme] can describe... exactly how $6 billion will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it.



The SEC filings didn't make it clear which charity - or charitable groups - the shares have been donated to.



The donation means Musk is ranked as America's second-biggest donor behind Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates for 2021, according to date from the Chronicle of Philanthropy.



The entrepreneur - who is worth an estimated $283.6 billion - forgoes a cash salary for his role as CEO, and he gets paid in Tesla stock awards instead.



Meanwhile, he previously revealed on Twitter he would pay more than $11 billion in taxes in 2021 because he would be exercising stock options which were due to expire.



Bob Lord - an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies who studies tax policy - noted there would be a tax benefit for him potentially donating Tesla tsock, as shares donated to charity aren't subject to the same capital gains tax than if they were sold.



Lord said: "His tax benefit would be huge. Hed save between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of the $5.7 billion in tax, depending on whether he could take the deduction against his California income, and hed avoid the gains tax he would have to pay if he sold the stock.
Photo: Contributed Kelowna-Lake Country MP Tracy Gray

A lot happened this week at the federal level, and Im going to my best to give you an overview of what Ive been up to in response to recent events across Canada.

I want to begin by thanking the thousands of constituents who were in touch with my office this past week about our Conservative motion calling for the government to lay out a plan for lifting federal mandates and safely re-opening our country.

With more than 90% of Canadians vaccinated, we now have a higher vaccination rate than many countries that have begun safely lifting restrictions, like Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Israel and Finland.

Weve also seen provincial health officials across Canada beginning to lift restrictions, and even (Canadas chief public health officer) Dr. Theresa Tam has stated Canada needs to re-examine our restrictions.

Canadians have done our part, and now its time for the (government) to set out a roadmap to normalcy and hope. We deserve to know what their plan is to bring us back to normal.

I was proud to join my Conservative colleagues in moving a motion to have the federal government provide a roadmap for re-opening and the lifting of restrictions. However, I was disappointed that outside of one lone Liberal dissenter, the NDP and Liberal MPs voted our motion down.

They didnt believe Canadians deserved to know when the government intends to lift restrictions and what metrics (the government) is using to justify re-opening, closures and mandates.

I know many Canadians are justifiably tired and with no plan to lift restrictions, many are losing hope. Parliamentary debate, connecting with your elected officials, having your representatives bring your voice to the table and peaceful protest are the correct forums for that frustration. Blockading critical infrastructure is unlawful and never the right way to express frustration.

The Conservative Party is the party of law and order. We want a peaceful end to all protests. Im happy to report that many of the border crossings that were blocked have now been peacefully re-opened due to diligent work by law enforcement.

Even with this, the prime minister took the extraordinary action of invoking the Emergencies Act. In its current version (since 1988), this is the first time it has been used. There are four types of emergencies in the Actpublic welfare emergency, public order emergency, international emergency, and war emergency.

The government cited the public order emergency. Upon analysis, many experts, provincial governments, my Conservative colleagues and I do not believe the threshold has been (reached) under the Act as a national emergency and most of the authority mentioned already exists within (existing) laws and with law enforcement agencies.

The measures are effective the date issued but must receive confirmation in the House of Commons, where there are unique parliamentary procedures that can occur. The Conservatives will debate against this through the weekend, me included.

If the majority of MPs vote against the governments motion, it will be immediately defeated and the emergency powers revoked.

Another activity in Ottawa was debate on the opioid crisis, in which I participated as well. Opioid and fentanyl deaths are outpacing COVID-19 deaths. B.C.s chief coroner says we are sadly losing six British Columbians a day to fatal overdoses, and weve seen many heartbreakingly lose loved ones in Kelowna-Lake Country.

Since my first speech in Parliament, Ive asked the federal government to offer actionable items to address this. Kelowna has gone from counting drug deaths in single digits just 10 years ago to now having many then a dozen a year.

Inadequate access and poor funding for drug-treatment beds, community recovery centres and wraparound services are significant factors.

My heart also goes out to the heroes serving to save lives on the front lines of this, the first responders, health care professionals, charity workers and volunteers.

I know many of your efforts are still underfunded or reliant on donations and I will continue to press on this (issue) in Ottawa.

If you need any assistance with programs or have any thoughts to share, feel free to reach out. 250-470-5075 or [email protected].

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving.

Sunday, June 5, 2022

Happy birthday to the Catholic Church! Happy birthday to you, who are the body of the Church!

We're all familiar with our own birthdays, and we celebrate them because they mark the day of the year in which we entered into this life. But did you know you have a second birthday?

Because you are part of the body of the Church, Pentecost is the Church's birthday, and yours as well. And like any birthday, it's a cause for celebration.

The word Pentecost is Greek and it means "50th day." Fifty days after Easter Sunday, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and their followers, and the beginning of their Earthly ministry to make disciples of all nations.

Pentecost is also a Jewish holiday, which the Jews use to celebrate the end of Passover. Jews celebrate the gift of the law to Moses at Mt. Sinai on this day. But we, as Catholics celebrate the birth of our Church.

At Pentecost, the Apostles and their followers were gathered in a room. Jews from all over the world were gathered with Peter, the leader of the Apostles and the Eleven. At this time, a great wind blew and a flame appeared as a tongue of fire, which split itself into many individual flames above the heads of all those present. The Holy Spirit came upon these people and each began to speak in tongues. Despite the fact many had no common language, they were perfectly able to understand one another.

Others who were not so blessed, accused those speaking in tongues of being drunk, but Peter arose and addressed the crowd, explaining that it was only 9 o'clock, and that this phenomenon was not intoxication, but rather this was the work of the Holy Spirit, prophesized in the scripture.

Peter then called all those present to be baptized and about three thousand people were baptized that day.

These people were among the first Catholics, and Peter is the first pope of the Catholic Church.

The symbols of Pentecost are the flame, wind, and the dove, which represents the Holy Spirit. The color of Pentecost is red and the priest wears red vestments on this day. Parishioners are also invited to wear red on this day. Red decorations as well as celebrations are appropriate, similar to any other birthday. Special prayers are often said just for Pentecost.

731 On the day of Pentecost when the seven weeks of Easter had come to an end, Christ's Passover is fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, manifested, given, and communicated as a divine person: of his fullness, Christ, the Lord, pours out the Spirit in abundance. 122

732 On that day, the Holy Trinity is fully revealed. Since that day, the Kingdom announced by Christ has been open to those who believe in him: in the humility of the flesh and in faith, they already share in the communion of the Holy Trinity. By his coming, which never ceases, the Holy Spirit causes the world to enter into the "last days," the time of the Church, the Kingdom already inherited though not yet consummated.

We have seen the true Light, we have received the heavenly Spirit, we have found the true faith: we adore the indivisible Trinity, who has saved us. 123

The Holy Spirit - God's gift

733 "God is Love" 124 and love is his first gift, containing all others. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." 125

734 Because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit 126 in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.

735 He, then, gives us the "pledge" or "first fruits" of our inheritance: the very life of the Holy Trinity, which is to love as "God [has] loved us." 127 This love (the "charity" of 1 Cor 13) is the source of the new life in Christ, made possible because we have received "power" from the Holy Spirit. 128

736 By this power of the Spirit, God's children can bear much fruit. He who has grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear "the fruit of the Spirit: . . . love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." 129 "We live by the Spirit"; the more we renounce ourselves, the more we "walk by the Spirit." 130

Through the Holy Spirit we are restored to paradise, led back to the Kingdom of heaven, and adopted as children, given confidence to call God "Father" and to share in Christ's grace, called children of light and given a share in eternal glory. 131

The Holy Spirit and the Church

737 The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This joint mission henceforth brings Christ's faithful to share in his communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit prepares men and goes out to them with his grace, in order to draw them to Christ. The Spirit manifests the risen Lord to them, recalls his word to them and opens their minds to the understanding of his Death and Resurrection. He makes present the mystery of Christ, supremely in the Eucharist, in order to reconcile them, to bring them into communion with God, that they may "bear much fruit." 132

738 Thus the Church's mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity (the topic of the next article):

All of us who have received one and the same Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, are in a sense blended together with one another and with God. For if Christ, together with the Father's and his own Spirit, comes to dwell in each of us, though we are many, still the Spirit is one and undivided. He binds together the spirits of each and every one of us, . . . and makes all appear as one in him. For just as the power of Christ's sacred flesh unites those in whom it dwells into one body, I think that in the same way the one and undivided Spirit of God, who dwells in all, leads all into spiritual unity. 133

739 Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as the head of the Body, pours out the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession for the whole world. Through the Church's sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body. (This will be the topic of Part Two of the Catechism.)

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740 These "mighty works of God," offered to believers in the sacraments of the Church, bear their fruit in the new life in Christ, according to the Spirit. (This will be the topic of Part Three.)

741 "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with sighs too deep for words."134 The Holy Spirit, the artisan of God's works, is the master of prayer. (This will be the topic of Part Four.)

IN BRIEF

742 "Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!"' (Gal 4:6).

743 From the beginning to the end of time, whenever God sends his Son, he always sends his Spirit: their mission is conjoined and inseparable.

744 In the fullness of time the Holy Spirit completes in Mary all the preparations for Christ's coming among the People of God. By the action of the Holy Spirit in her, the Father gives the world Emmanuel "God-with-us" (Mt 1:23).

745 The Son of God was consecrated as Christ (Messiah) by the anointing of the Holy Spirit at his Incarnation (cf. Ps 2:6-7).

746 By his Death and his Resurrection, Jesus is constituted in glory as Lord and Christ (cf. Acts 2:36). From his fullness, he poured out the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the Church.

747 The Holy Spirit, whom Christ the head pours out on his members, builds, animates, and sanctifies the Church. She is the sacrament of the Holy Trinity's communion with men.

- The Catechism of the Catholic Church
In the last few days, the garbage collection has been stopped in several areas by the workers who are protesting the proposal. (Representation image/DC)

HYDERABAD: Residents and sanitary workers are finding fault with the Secunderabad Cantonment Boards (SCB) new proposal to implement the door-to-door collection of garbage by charging Rs 100 from colonies and Rs 50 from slums. In an effort to provide relief from the garbage menace in the cantonment, the board had launched 15 Swachh auto tippers last month to collect waste from doorsteps in Bowenpally area on a pilot basis.

The existing collection system proved to be haphazard and resulted in severe cleanliness issues in residential areas. This led to the SCB opting to follow the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) model where private individuals collect garbage and deposit it at dumping yards.

The tippers, each assigned with outsourced workers  a driver and two collectors - are responsible for daily garbage collection from households. However, this has not gone down well with the existing sanitary staff who had been collecting garbage at a monthly fare of Rs 40-50 from households.

The new proposal was being opposed for potentially putting financial burden on the residents and there was also a chance of the board periodically revising the collection charges, said T. Satish Gupta, a social activist.

In the last few days, the garbage collection has been stopped in several areas by the workers who are protesting the proposal. B. Tirupatayya, a sanitary worker of ward-5, said the new project would essentially deal a blow to the livelihoods of around 300 families.

Sanki Ravinder Babu of Cantonment Vikas Manch said, The SCB authorities had launched the project with good intentions, but there are issues in the way it is being implemented.

SCB sanitary inspector A. Mahender, however, said nothing had been concretely decided on extending it to all the areas. We are yet to decide on how to go ahead with the project, he said.
Background

On July 9, 2021, Assembly Bill (AB) 130 (McGuire) Education finance: education omnibus budget trailer bill was signed into law by Governor Newsom. Beginning in SY 202223, AB 130 establishes a California Universal Meals Program with changes to the state meal mandate and new requirements for high poverty schools to apply for California Department of Education (CDE) Provisions: Claiming Alternatives web page.

Additionally, $150 million in one-time funding was made available during the 202122 SY to support kitchen infrastructure upgrades and nutrition related staff training for districts as they prepare for the implementation of Universal Meals. For more information, visit the Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Funds web page.

AB 130 can be found on the California Legislative Information web page. External link opens in new window or tab.

The California Department of Education (CDE) is committed to working with sponsors on the successful implementation of Universal Meals in SY 202223. We will continue to release updates, provide resources including frequently asked questions, offer training and listening sessions, solicit sponsors feedback, highlight best practices for collecting the federally required income information, and issue formal policy guidance including management bulletins.

Update of State Meal Mandate

Commencing in SY 202223, Education Code (EC) 49501.5 requires public school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools serving students in grades TK12 to provide two meals free of charge (breakfast and lunch) during each school day to students requesting a meal, regardless of their free or reduced-price meal eligibility.

Federal Provision Participation Requirement

On or before June 30, 2022, EC 49564.3 requires local educational agencies (LEAs) with high poverty schools to adopt a federal universal meal service provision, such as the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2. A school is considered high poverty if their identified student percentage (ISP) is over 40 percent, meaning 40 percent of enrolled students are determined eligible for free or reduced-price school meals through direct certification, or identification as homeless, migrant, foster, or runaway.

Supplemental State Meal Reimbursement

The CDE will reimburse LEAs for all nonreimbursed expenses accrued in providing federally reimbursable meals to students, as long as the LEA participates in the federal School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs and serves U.S Department of Agriculture reimbursable meals. LEAs will still be required to abide by federal regulations and guidelines as Universal Meals is meant to supplement, not replace, the federal school nutrition programs.

Under EC 49501.5, the meal reimbursement amount will not exceed the difference between the federal and state free reimbursement rates. Additional state reimbursements will be provided for reduced-price and paid meals to ensure LEAs receive the same reimbursement for those meal categories as they would for meals served at the free reimbursement rate.
In this file photo taken on August 05, 2021, vials and syringes of the Johnson and Johnson Janssen Covid-19 vaccine are displayed for a photograph at a Culver City Fire Department vaccination clinic in Culver City, California. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: Antibodies produced by immune cells become steadily more formidable and precisely targeted against the SARS-CoV-2 virus for at least six months after COVID-19 vaccination, according to a study.

The researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in the US assessed the antibody response to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in detail in people.

The findings, published on Tuesday in the journal Nature, suggest that declining antibody levels in the months after vaccination primarily represent a shift to a sustainable immune response.

The researchers also noted that even quite low levels of antibodies would continue to provide some protection against disease, as long as the virus does not change.

"If the virus did not change, most people who got two doses of this vaccine would be in very good shape," said senior study author Ali Ellebedy, an associate professor at Washington University.

"The antibody response we saw is exactly what we would expect from a robust immune response. We never thought that six months following that second injection, many people would still be actively improving the quality of their antibodies, Ellebedy said.

The researchers collected blood from 42 participants and lymph node samples from 15 participants before each person received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and at weeks three, four, five, seven, 15 and 29 afterwards.

They also obtained bone marrow samples from 11 participants 29 and 40 weeks after the first vaccine dose.

Eight people provided all three kinds of samples, allowing the researchers to track the development of the antibody response over time within those individuals.

The researchers found that B cells, a family of immune cells that produce antibodies, targeted against SARS-CoV-2 persisted in the germinal centres of all participants for months.

Even six months after vaccination, 10 out of 15 people still had B cells in their germinal centers - boot camps where B cells are trained to make ever-better-quality antibodies.

The more time B cells spend in germinal centers, the more potent their antibodies get.

Germinal centers had been thought to last only a few weeks, so finding these boot camps still training B cells in a majority of people so long after vaccination was a surprise, Ellebedy said.

It indicates a strong antibody response that continued to mature and improve, he said.

Six months after vaccination, the antibodies were noticeably better than they had been in the beginning, they said.

In one set of experiments, the researchers found that only 20 per cent of early antibodies bound to a protein from the virus. Six months later, nearly 80 per cent of antibodies from the same individuals bound to the viral protein, they said.

"When you look at antibodies, quantity should not be your only concern.The antibodies at six months might be less in quantity, but they are much better in quality," Ellebedy said.

The researchers, however, noted that the quality of the antibodies is measured against the original virus that was used to design the vaccine.

If a new variant is different enough from the original, it may be able to escape once-powerful antibodies, they added.

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Consortium call for government action on cross-border industrial cluster strategy

16 February 2022

HeidelbergCement, Holcim, Kalk Vielseitig Faszinierend Wetroll, Shell, Total, Lhoist and VDZ are among a collaboration of companies and private stakeholders that have signed an open letter for the national and regional governments of The Netherlands, Belgium, Flanders, Wallonia and North Rhine-Westphalia to accelerate and deepen collaboration on industrial transformation planning.

The cross-border nature of some of these industries calls for cross-border government efforts to decarbonise. The participants of the letter call for a common vision and strategy to realise a CO 2 transport and storage infrastructure that accelerates industrial decarbonisation and structural emission reductions. This is an integral part of infrastructure for climate neutrality, besides an enlarged electric grid and hydrogen pipelines.

Asa substantial part of the European basic materials production happens in industrial clusters in north-western Europe, the letter stresses that Governments need to take the lead in foreseeing the cross-border infrastructure needed to make the large-scale emission reductions possible.

The call for action requests to:

 set up a cross-border CO 2 transport and storage infrastructure working group

 take a leading role in defining the framework conditions for CCS

 develop a common legal framework

 provide the necessary funding framework

 acknowledge and standardise the multi-modal and multi-purpose nature of CO 2 transport and storage infrastructure

 ensure that infrastructure can be expanded to connect to other industrial clusters further inland (for example in Germany and France).

The European Green Deal aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the European Union by 55 per cent in 2030 and to reach net zero in 2050. Of these emissions, 18 per cent originates from the production of basic materials like steel, cement, lime, ferro-alloys, aluminium and chemicals (ammonia, methanol, ethylene and propylene).

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Buena Vista, CO (81211)

Today

Sunny this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. High around 65F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Low 31F. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
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Chatham, VA (24531)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 88F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
I had noticed that Chattanooga Clergy for Justice was cited in two news articles in the last week. I was curious to learn more about this organization so I looked up their website. Surprisingly, there is no phone number nor is there any individual affiliated with them. It is not possible to get in touch with them to inquire about the nature of their work and to find out who is responsible ... (click for more)
Ten people have died from drug overdoses in Chattanooga just since Feb. 1, police said.

Police believe the deaths may be related to the dangerous drug fentanyl, which is often combined with heroin.

Police say investigators suspect the deaths are related to fentanyl.

Authorities said, "If you are struggling with a substance abuse problem, please reach out to the Hamilton County Coalition / M. L. King Weed & Seed. They have resources ready and available to anyone who may need them.

"If you have a friend or loved one who is struggling with this please be mindful of the current environment for opioid users. It appears to be particularly dangerous for them right now."
Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) on Tuesday spoke on the Senate floor and called for unanimous consent to pass his resolution that "recognizes the importance of reopening the Capitol and Senate office buildings to the public and supports returning to the pre-COVID visitor policies for areas within Senate jurisdiction after nearly two years of closure, thereby supporting access to American democracy and a return to normal life."

The motion was blocked by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

Senator Hagertys remarks and the debate exchange may be found here.

Text of his remarks is below.

Senator Hagerty: Madam President, for nearly two years, the U.S. Capitol Building and Senate offices have been largely closed to the American people whom we serve. Our constituents have been unable to enter the Senate buildings to meet with their representatives. And Americans of all agesfrom schoolchildren to seniorshave been deprived of the patriotic sense of wonderment that comes from visiting the hallowed halls of the Capitol Building. The openness of the halls of Congress and public participation in the legislative process have always been hallmarks of American democracy.

It is long-past time for the Senate to re-open its doors to the American people. Thanks to Operation Warp Speed, vaccines have been available for more than a year to those who want them. Americans have learned how to safely gather and enter public places despite the pandemic. Over seventy-thousand people attended the Super Bowl in Los Angeles on Sunday, in fact, yet there are reports that some of the leadership in this building want to significantly limit the number of lawmakers that are allowed to attend President Bidens State of the Union address in just a couple of weeks. From stores to venues and most workplaces and schools, the rest of the United States has re-opened to gatherings and regular business. Shouldnt the Senatewhose buildings belong to the publicdo the same?

Thats why Ive introduced a resolution providing that the Senate: first, recognizes the importance of reopening the Capitol and Senate office buildings to the public; and second, supports returning to the pre-COVID visitor policies for areas within Senate jurisdiction. Im pleased that twenty-six of my colleagues have joined me as co-sponsors of this resolution.

Importantly, if there are operational matters that need to be worked out as part of re-opening, this resolution provides no obstacle to doing so. It simply states that the Senate supports reopening and recognizes the importance of doing so.

Im asking my colleagues to join me today in support of access to American democracy and a return to normal lifeand in opposition to endless pandemic lockdowns.

***

Senator Klobuchar objected to the motion.

***

Senator Hagerty: Madam President, I greatly respect my colleague from Minnesota, and I have enjoyed working with her on the Rules Committee. But her objection to this resolution provides an unfortunatebut clearanswer: No, Democrats dont support re-opening the Senate. Hopefully sometime soon my Democrat colleagues will wake up to the fact that Americans are sick of endless lockdowns and the condescending message that it sends to the American people, that they need government to tell them what to do.

Regarding the objection that we need a more measured process in consultation with various officials, I talked with the Capitol Police Chief last week, and we can work with his team and the Sergeant-at-Arms to address any specific operational issues. We can also work with the Attending Physician. All of that is downstream of the basic question here, which is whether the Senate supports re-opening. If the Senate supports re-opening, then we can figure out the rest.

Senate leadership sets the policy for the Capitol Building and the office buildings that are under Senate jurisdiction. Thats why we have different COVID policies than the Houseif it was up to the Attending Physician or Capitol Police, the policy probably wouldnt change at the midpoint of the Capitol Building as it does today. We are the elected officials in the building. We are the ones that were elected to make decisions. We shouldnt dodge that responsibility, and we need to lead by making a clear statement that its time to re-open the Senate to our constituents. Its unfortunate that many of my Democrat colleagues dont feel the same way. We need to re-open the Senate now.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Retired Teachers Association has launched their Scholarship Program for 2022. The program is made possible through donations from members to support the future of education. The Association was established on May 16, 1957 as the first retired teachers association in Tennessee and remains committed to the profession with the annual CHCRTA Scholarship Program.

Gwen Gregory, president of CHCRTA, said, The best teachers are dedicated, capable and hardworking. Our association is pleased to sponsor scholarships for future teachers again this year. These scholarships are available to help prospective teachers complete a degree program leading to teacher licensure and educational enrichment.

CHCRTA Scholarships are available for prospective and licensed teachers including high school students in the Class of 2021 AND 2022, undergraduate students and graduate students. CHCRTA anticipates awarding scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $2,000 with a total value of $12,000. Specific requirements for each scholarship are available on the Hamilton County Department of Education website www.hcde.org/CHCRTA.

Scholarship application packets include a resume, transcript, letter of recommendation, and an essay. The CHCRTA Scholarship deadline is Friday, April 1, at 5 p.m. CHCRTA Scholarship recipients may receive only one scholarship per year from CHCRTA.
One of the signature events in Red Bank is the annual Red Bank Jubilee and Festival. It traditionally begins with a parade down Dayton Boulevard that ends at the park where there are vendors, food trucks, live music and activities for children. This year planning the event and execution of it will have the help of Red Bank citizens.

At the Tuesday night commission meeting, a vote established the first citizens advisory board which will help staff member Kate Hackney who will be in charge. Members appointed to the new board are Lawrence Miller, Blake Pierce, Joy Krause, Jamie Harvey, Peggy Roe, Bryanna Burns, Kathy Lennon and Sonjia Millard. Commissioner Pete Phillips said that sponsorships for the Jubilee are available and will be appreciated.

City Manager Martin Granum announced that the city has contracted with CARTA for Care-a-Van service for a period of three years, beginning July 1. This service will provide transportation to residents who are incapacitated or unable to use CARTAs regular buses. The rides will be provided to Red Bank residents at no cost to the rider. The contract is for 800 rides per year. To use the service a person will have to apply to Care-a-Van and verification of eligibility will be needed.

Another new service the city has added is the availability to receive a newsletter from the city. The first letters were sent on Tuesday. Mr. Granum said that 241 were sent and 117 have been opened as of the afternoon. That is an open rate of 48 percent, he said, which demonstrates that people are hungry for the information.

The city manager also told the commissioners that there is the possibility that the state of Tennessee, after having seven years or increasing revenue, is expected to allow local governments to a greater share in the state sales taxes collected. The change in revenue sharing has the potential to provide Red Bank with $187,499.47 without the city raising any taxes. He urged the commissioners to cosponsor and support the legislation.

Mayor Hollie Berry gave a reminder that a public hearing for rezoning the Save-a-Lot property will take place at the upcoming planning commission meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in the commission chambers at 3117 Dayton Blvd.

The next Red Bank Food Pantry will be Feb. 17 at the United Methodist Church from 4:30 until 6 p.m. and the next Weed Wrangle will be March 5 behind city hall to help eradicate invasive plants.

Vice Mayor Stefanie Dalton noted that crosswalks at five traffic lights along Dayton Boulevard are now in service as well as a crosswalk at Morrison Springs Road, which has just been striped.

Commissioner Ruth Jeno announced the opening of a new business in Red Bank, The Mustard Seed gift shop located at 2248 Dayton Blvd. had a very successful soft opening, she said.

In the time set aside for citizen input, resident Don McKenzie told the commissioners that he is very supportive of doing a comprehensive plan for the city before doing any site-specific projects. He also verified that a retreat being planned by the council members will be open to the public. Mr. McKenzie thanked Commissioner Jeno for her interest in and suggestion for using part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) money to alleviate effects of the COVID pandemic and/or a grant from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to reduce flooding issues caused by stormwater.

A longtime employee with the citys public works department, Jon Broyles, spoke on behalf of the group of PW employees who attended the meeting Tuesday night. He said when he started over 10 years ago, the starting rate was $10.25. That rate is now $13.19. With the slight increase over the years and the price of everything going up, he said, That is a slap in the face. He said fast food workers can start at $14 per hour and in the city of Chattanooga, the rate is $18. So what is the incentive for staying at the job in Red Bank? he asked. He told the commissioners that something has to change so that workers can take care of their families." Commissioner Jeno responded that the city is in the process of doing an across the board pay study to determine how wages should be adjusted.

With no pressing business for the regularly scheduled agenda work session and commission meeting on March 15, the commissioners voted to reschedule the meetings to March 22.
Kaliyah McCullough (left), senior at Howard High School and winner of the Rising Star Award and a $1,000 scholarship, alongside Board Chair LaTonya Lyons (right) - photo by Flint Chaney Photography

Kamari Woods (left), senior at Howard High School and winner of the Bright Futures Award and a $1,000 scholarship, alongside Board Chair LaTonya Lyons (right) - photo by Flint Chaney Photography

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga announce The Clubs 2021 Teen Leadership & Scholarship awards.

AShawn Johnson, a senior at Tyner Academy High School, received the Clubs highest award, the David Fussell Outstanding Leadership Award, which includes a $2,500 scholarship. AShawn is being recognized for her personal character, integrity and service to others. She embodies all of these things and so much more. said LaTonya Lyons, the Club board chair. Mr. Johnson has been attending the club for 13 years, and will be pursuing a degree in education at Tennessee State University in the fall.



Kamari Woods, a senior at Howard, received the Bright Futures Award that includes a $1,000 scholarship. The Bright Futures Award is given to a high school senior who is an emerging leader.





Ms. Woods will be pursuing a career in engineering after finishing his high school studies.The Rising Star Award, which includes a $1,000 scholarship, recognizes the student who regularly participates in Club programming, helps others and has the ability to accomplish much. This years Rising Star Award winner is Kaliyah McCullough, a senior at Howard High School.
Baylor School junior Evie Culbreath, competing for Kindersport, traveled to Colorado Springs (altitude 6,035 ft) to challenge athletes from across the United States.

She came away with an impressive victory in the grueling pentathlon at the recent Air Force Academy High School Indoor Track Invitational.

Culbreath won the 60m hurdles (8.96), the high jump (5'1.25"), and the long jump (17'7"). She was third in both shot put (33'0.25") and the 800m (2:53.1).
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor Steven R. Angle has appointed Cassie Mathes as the Universitys next vice chancellor for communications and marketing. Ms. Mathes has 16 years of experience in higher education and most recently served in a similar role at the University of Northern Iowa. She will assume her new duties on April 1.The appointment marks the culmination of a transition and search process that began last summer and featured a competitive, national search. Ms. Mathes will lead a UTC division responsible for a wide range of marketing and communication functions, including brand management, marketing, media relations, strategic communication, crisis communication, social media, design services and WUTC-FM, the Universitys National Public Radio outlet.I am thrilled to add Cassie to our leadership team here at UTC, said Chancellor Angle.She brings experience, expertise and exactly the energy and vision we need at this moment in our history.For the last three years Ms. Mathes has served as UNIs chief marketing and communications officer, with a portfolio and reporting structure similar to UTCs. She previously served at Missouri Southern State University and Pittsburg State University in Kansas. She started her career as a print and broadcast journalist in Joplin, Mo.My entire career has been dedicated to telling stories that matter, said Ms. Mathes, and I am so excited to have this opportunity to work with a dedicated team at UTC to strengthen our brand identity and enhance our positioning in an increasingly competitive market.Chancellor Angle praised Ms. Mathes vision for her role and indicated his confidence in the role she will play on his leadership team: Cassie will lead a talented team of professionals. I appreciate her thoughtful approach to the work we are asking her to lead, and I am confident that she will empower our people to do great things. I also know that she will be a strong collaborator with colleagues across the campus and in the community as we continue to drive growth and innovation.Early priorities for the new vice chancellor will include assessing existing plans and operations and establishing relationships across the campus, within the UT system and in the community. We have amazing people at UTC, serving phenomenal students. I want our team to be dynamically engaged in attracting students and engaging alumni and other stakeholders in those student stories, she said.Ms. Mathes and her husband, Daniel, have four children and, she said, We are all looking forward to this move. We are excited to join the UTC family and making this community our home. We already see why everyone loves Chattanooga, and we can hardly wait to be in the mix as Mocs.Ms. Mathes holds a B.A. in communication from Missouri Southern State University and an M.A. in communication from Missouri State University.
1883 takes place well over a century before Yellowstone. So far, the journey West has been slow-moving, and fans are quick to wonder how things will turn out for Sheas group. Although 1883 is a fictional series, it takes place during a historical period of time. Its possible that Taylor Sheridan will intersect some events of the 1880s with his characters journey. These historical events in 1883 could potentially have some significance in the show.

Sam Elliott as Shea of the Paramount+ original series 1883 | Emerson Miller/Paramount+

The United States was in the middle of an economic recession

From 1882 to 1885, the country entered a period of economic recession. According to medium.com, the recession began with a decline in railroad construction, and the supply of money for banks gradually began to lower. Eventually, the economy went into deflation. This period is the third-longest recession in U.S. history and culminated in the Panic of 1884.

Although it may not have decimated them, the recession could have affected farming families like the Duttons. Perhaps this served as a catalyst for James deciding to sell his property and move his family West. The recession could also make things more difficult for the immigrants and the Duttons once they finally reach their destinations.

Krakatoa erupting in 1883 was a huge historical event

On August 27, 1883, a huge historical event took place. The volcano Krakatoa erupted in the Indonesian archipelago, killing thousands. Live Science states that the force equaled a blast of 200 megatons of TNT. Of course, that wasnt enough to harm anyone in the United States, but the eruption still affected the country.

For example, the blast had atmospheric effects that made the temperature more than a degree cooler on average for the next five years, Live Science reports. This might seem insignificant, but Shea and his group are already concerned about traveling through the winter. In 1883 episode 8, Shea agreed to let James lead the group to Oregon. However, they could be in trouble if the winter of 1883 proves colder and longer than they expected.

Additionally, Live Science reports that the blast caused sunsets in the United States to be deeply colored for days following Krakatoas eruption. The group may witness these effects of the explosion on their journey.

President Chester A. Arthur traveled to Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone was officially established as a National Park in 1872. The park is located in Wyoming and parts of Montana and Idaho. According to Looper, in 1883 construction of the Northern Pacific Railway reached the north boundary of the park, which is located in Montana. The railway helped connect United States territories, and perhaps it inspired the 1883 Duttons to settle in Montana instead of Oregon.

In August 1883, President Chester A. Arthur embarked on a fishing trip in Yellowstone National Park along with several of his cabinet members, according to WyoHistory.org. The expedition brought national attention to the park, which could have also served to influence the 1883 Duttons.

New episodes of 1883 release Sundays on Paramount+.

RELATED: The 1883 Crew Talk Transforming Fort Worth Into the 19th Century
The current 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days Season 5 couple, Alina Kozhevnikova and Caleb Greenwood, seemed like they could be a good match for each other. However, there have been many red flags on their journey. Are Caleb and Alina together in 2022? Heres everything we know so far.

Caleb and Alina | TLC

Caleb and Alinas journey on 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days

Alina and Caleb lost touch after becoming online friends as teenagers. 13 years later, they matched up on a dating site when Caleb planned to visit Saint Petersburg, Russia, where Alina is from. Caleb decided to fly from Chandler, Arizona, to Turkey to meet up with Alina for the first time.

Despite the physical difference, language barrier, and communication problems, Caleb and Alina felt the connection. However, with Alinas protective roommate, Elijah, causing drama and Alina being pushy about labeling the relationship, it seems that Caleb is more hesitant than ever to jump into a relationship.

Alina removed from the remainder of Before the 90 Days Season 5

The latest episode of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days, which aired on Feb. 6, showed repeat footage of Caleb and Alina. This is likely caused by the fact that TLC has fired Alina from the franchise due to racist remarks online. And editors are working on editing her out of the episodes.

According to TMZ, Alina was fired from TLC after fans discovered her now-deleted social media posts using racist slurs. Alinas posts, initially posted in 2014-2015, have resurfaced.

After the pos circulated on the internet, TLC released a statement about their decision to fire Alina from the franchise.

TLC discontinued filming with Alina Kozhevnikova following the recent discovery of her past social media statements. She will not appear on the upcoming Tell All, any future seasons of the franchise and starting next month, she will no longer appear on Before the 90 Days. TLC does not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind. TLC

Are Caleb and Alina still together in 2022?

Despite being intimate with each other many times on their trip, its unknown if Alina and Caleb ever put a label on their fling. At the beginning of their 90 Day Fiance journey, Alina and Caleb were friendly online, posting pictures and tagging each other in memes.

However, after Alina was fired, their friendship began to disappear. They took turns unfollowing each other on Instagram. As of right now, they are following each other, but theyre hardly interacting. This could indicate that they were never a couple and are now barely even friends.

After the news that Alina was cut from the show for racist remarks, Caleb wrote a statement on his Instagram Stories. He wrote: I dont condone any sort of prejudice or racism. Then he defended Alina, All i know is that in my heart of hearts Alina is not a racist.

It appears now that Caleb is back in the United States and is back in the dating pool. Fans will have to keep watching 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days to find out what really happens between Caleb and Alina.

Before the 90 Days Season 5 airs Sundays on TLC and discovery+.

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance Cast Members That Have Been Fired From the TLC Franchise
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan announced he has five new shows coming to the Paramount universe.

The announement means he has a total of nine show currently in some stage of production.

Four of his new series have a Taylor Sheridan staple  a major movie star already attached.

Taylor Sheridan with Yellowstone star Kevin Costner | David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan just announced some major news. His TV universe is about to get much, much bigger with five new shows. In addition to the four that he already has on the air or in development. Just like Kevin Costner and Yellowstone, Sheridan has a major movie star attached to almost every one of them. Heres what we know so far.

The Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan now has a total of nine projects in development

Thanks to the massive success of Yellowstone, Sheridan signed a $200 million deal with ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global) in early 2021 to expand his TV universe. The idea was that Sheridans new series would help launch the rebrand for streamer Paramount+. And so far, that strategy has really paid off.

In less than a year, Sheridan put two new series on the air  Yellowstone prequel 1883 and the Jeremy Renner-led prison drama Mayor of Kingstown. At the same time, Sheridan teased the upcoming spinoff 6666 during season 4 of Yellowstone. That series will take place at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas. And its expected to premiere sometime in 2022.

RELATED: Yellowstone Creator Taylor Sheridan Just Expanded His Universe With a Very Real, Very Big Purchase

But those four series are just the beginning of what Sheridan has planned. On February 15, Sheridan announced that he has five more series on the way. And so far, he has huge movie stars attached to four of them.

Kansas City is now The Tulsa King with Sylvester Stallone

Before Sheridans announcement, it had already been revealed that he had a project in the works with Sylvester Stallone titled Kansas City. That series about an East Coast mobster who relocates to the midwest has now transformed into The Tulsa King.

According to The Wall Street Journal, production is scheduled to begin in March. And the premiere of this Stallone-led drama will happen in the fall during the planned first part of Yellowstone season 5.

Sheridan and Stallone reportedly bonded over horses after meeting at a Burbank, California, equestrian center where Stallones daughters trained. The Rocky creator says hes drawn to Sheridan because of his writing style and the characters he creates.

Hes bringing back a kind of rugged individualism that has been sorely lacking, Mr. Stallone said.

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman attached to Lioness

Sheridan also has a project called Lioness in development which is based on a real-life CIA program. It will follow a Marine whos recruited to befriend the daughter of a terrorist with the goal of bringing down the organization from the inside.

Zoe Saldana will star as Joe, a strong-willed, hard-nosed station chief of the CIAs Lioness Program who is tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives working to assassinate the worlds most dangerous terrorists.

RELATED: Yellowstone: Jen Landon Admits That Taylor Sheridan Does Something Unique to Help Her Get Teeters Dialect Just Right

Production for Lioness begins in June, with Oscar winner Nicole Kidman attached to the project as an executive producer via her company Blossom Films.

Billy Bob Thornton will star in Land Man and David Oyelowo will lead Bass Reeves

Another project that had been teased previously was Land Man, a series about the west Texas oil boom. Now, we know that Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton will be the series lead as a crisis manager for an oil company. Production for that project is scheduled to begin in 2023.

Sheridan has also announced Bass Reeves starring David Oyelowo, which will give fans a look at a parallel world in the 1880s.

Bass Reeves was the first African-American marshall west of the Mississippi, policing the entire Oklahoma territories, Sheridan explained. When Im casting, Im seeking the great actors of our generation. And David Oyelowo is a once-in-a-generation talent.

Taylor Sheridan has created another Yellowstone prequel titled 1932

Sheridan has more stories to tell about a new generation of Duttons in 1932. Which will follow the family during prohibition and the Great Depression.

Sheridan says he chose this time period because youre seeing the children weve met in 1883 now attempting to raise another generation of Duttons at a time of the Wild West becoming a playground for the elites from the east.

RELATED: Why Yellowstone Creator Taylor Sheridan Told 1883 Star Sam Elliott Youll Hate Me at the End of This Thing

Currently, the Yellowstone creator is in the outline phase for the 1932 season 1 script. But just like 1883, the period drama will be on Paramount+ in less than a year. Fans should expect a premiere in December 2022.
View into the interior of the main spectrometer of the KATRIN experiment for the determination of the neutrino mass

The international KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN), located at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has broken an important "barrier" in neutrino physics which is relevant for both particle physics and cosmology. Based on data published in the prestigious journal Nature Physics, a new upper limit of 0.8 electronvolt (*) for the mass of the neutrino has been obtained. This first push into the sub-eV mass scale of neutrinos by a model-independent laboratory method allows KATRIN to constrain the mass of these "lightweights of the universe" with unprecedented precision.

Neutrinos are arguably the most fascinating elementary particle in our universe. In cosmology they play an important role in the formation of large-scale structures, while in particle physics their tiny but non-zero mass sets them apart, pointing to new physics phenomena beyond our current theories. Without a measurement of the mass scale of neutrinos our understanding of the universe will remain incomplete.

This is the challenge the international KATRIN experiment at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with partners from six countries has taken up as the worlds most sensitive scale for neutrinos. It makes use of the beta decay of tritium, an unstable hydrogen isotope, to determine the mass of the neutrino via the energy distribution of electrons released in the decay process. This necessitates a major technological effort: the 70 meter long experiment houses the worlds most intense tritium source as well as a giant spectrometer to measure the energy of decay electrons with unprecedented precision.

The high quality of the data after starting scientific measurements in 2019 has continuously been improved over the last two years. "KATRIN is an experiment with the highest technological requirements and is now running like perfect clockwork" enthuses Guido Drexlin (KIT), the project leader and one of the two co-spokespersons of the experiment. Christian Weinheimer (University of Munster), the other co-spokesperson, adds that "the increase of the signal rate and the reduction of background rate were decisive for the new result".

Meticulous data analysis: First foray into the range below one electronvolt

The in-depth analysis of this data was demanding everything from the international analysis team led by its two coordinators, Susanne Mertens (Max Planck Institute for Physics and TU Munich). Magnus Schlosser (KIT). Each and every effect, no matter how small, had to be investigated in detail. "Only by this laborious and intricate method we were able to exclude a systematic bias of our result due to distorting processes. We are particularly proud of our analysis team which successfully took up this huge challenge with great commitment", the two analysis coordinators are pleased to report.

The experimental data from the first year of measurements and the modeling based on a vanishingly small neutrino mass match perfectly: from this, a new upper limit on the neutrino mass of 0.8 electronvolt (eV) can be determined (Nature Physics, July 2021). This is the first time that a direct neutrino mass experiment has entered the cosmologically and particle-physically important sub-eV mass range, where the fundamental mass scale of neutrinos is suspected to be. "The particle physics community is excited that the 1-eV-barrier has been broken by KATRIN", comments neutrino expert John Wilkerson (University of North Carolina, Chair of the Executive Board).

Susanne Mertens explains the path to the new record: "Our team at the MPP in Munich has developed a new analysis method for KATRIN that is specially optimized for the requirements of this high-precision measurement. This strategy has been successfully used for past and current results. My group is highly motivated: We will continue to meet the future challenges of KATRIN analysis with new creative ideas and meticulous accuracy."

Further measurements should improve sensitivity

The co-spokespersons and analysis coordinators of KATRIN are very optimistic about the future: "Further measurements of the neutrino mass will continue until the end of 2024. To realise the full potential of this unique experiment, we will not only steadily increase the statistics of signal events, we are continuously developing and installing improvements to further lower the background rate."

The development of a new detector system (TRISTAN) plays a specific role in this, allowing KATRIN from 2025 on to embark on a search for "sterile" neutrinos with masses in the kiloelectronvolt-range, a candidate for the mysterious dark matter in the cosmos that has already manifested itself in many astrophysical and cosmological observations, but whose particle-physical nature is still unknown.

(*) 1 electronvolt is equivalent to the inconceivably small mass of approximately 1,8 x 10-36 kilograms
February 21, 2019, was a typical cold winter day in Chicago. I got home from work around 6:30 p.m. and felt ready for a break after a long day of doing social work at the hospital. I took the dog out for a short walk, came back home, turned on the TV, and started changing out of my work clothes. Then I heard an excruciating noisewhat sounded like a vehicle crashing into my building.

I was standing naked in my living room when police officers with guns, scopes, and lights broke down the door, rushed in, and started yelling at me to put my hands up. All I could think was, Please do not shoot me, please do not kill me.

I spent the next 40 minutes in a state of horrorcrying, begging, pleading with them to let me put on my clothes. With tears streaming down my face, I cried out over 40 times: You have the wrong place.

As a single woman living alone, I often prayed about safety both inside and outside my home. Asking for protection was a regular part of my prayer time with God. So after the police departed that night, I found myself asking the question people often do after a traumatic experience: Where was God? How could he allow this to happen to me?

I spent the next 13 months in legal battles with the city, all the while struggling with my mental health and questioning my faith. I was going to church every Sunday and serving in my same capacity, but during quiet times, I continued to question God.

When the death of Breonna Taylor made national news, the story shook me to my core because of its similarities with mine. Police officers had raided the home of an innocent Black woman. But in that case, theyd shot and killed her.

As I grieved for Taylor, my prayers shifted from Why did you allow this to happen to me? to Thank you for protecting my life.

The idea of thanking God for that night was not a new concept to me. The morning after the police raid, I had called my pastor, Charlie Dates, on the phone. He said to me, Anjanette, take comfort in knowing that God was with you and preserved your life. I knew what he meant. But it took well over a year before I was able to even think about gratitude to God.

By now, Im almost three years out from these events. I went through months and years of legal struggles, months and years of fighting against corrupt city policies. I made the tormented decision to release police bodycam footage of that night, which four months later led to a Twitter hashtag, a profile, and a national news story.

After all that, Im focusing on the healing process. I read my Bible and I pray often. I go to therapy and I go to church. My pastor often tells me I need to find a way to forgive everyone involved. My therapist often tells me I need to get to a place of acceptance. I am far from both and still struggling with anger and hurt. And yet: I have greater clarity about who am I and where I sit in Gods greater story.

A few months ago, a pastor from Louisville, Kentucky, guest preached at our church. At the end of the sermon, he said something that struck me as powerful: Do you know who you are?

Ive reflected often on that question, especially as I think about my experience of being traumatized, humiliated, and ignored by a Chicago Police Department raid team. During my legal battles with the city, I listened to friends describe me as strong and courageous. But all I could see was my pain and weakness. All I could think about were my many nights of silent tears.

Ive spent a great deal of time with my therapist, unpacking the reasons why I hide in the shadows of unworthiness, to use her words. But today, after so much time in therapy and so much time with God, I can say with confidence that I am a 52-year-old African American woman, a descendant of slaves, a follower of Christ, a social worker extraordinaire, a fighter for justice, a mother of one, and a friend and family member to many.

I have been shaped and molded by the red-clay dirt of the Mississippi Delta and by Gods spiritual breath of life, which guides my moral compass. That is who I am.

As I continue to reflect and seek God for healing, I am learning that my calls for help were silenced well before I even came into the world. I was born into an ancestry of slavery. The cries of my people were ignored.

So its no wonder that I, Anjanette Youngthe person who proudly owns my Southern heritage and my place in the family of God, the little country girl from Mississippi whose grandmother introduced her to Jesuswas used and trusted by the Lord on February 21, 2019, to lead such a tremendous battle against an unjust system.

Therein lies the answer to the question Why me, God? Why did I have this experience of being humiliated by the 12 men who stood in front of my naked body? Because my silent tears are a part of a larger planone that will have a loud, thunderous outcome.

Who is Anjanette Young? She is a woman of God who has learned to see all of lifes experiences through a spiritual lens, knowing that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

Anjanette Young lives in Chicago and serves at Progressive Baptist Church as the leader of its hospitality ministry. She speaks to social work students about how to fight for justice.
14K sign prayer pledge for Finnish politician prosecuted for citing biblical teachings on sexuality

More than 14,000 people have signed a prayer pledge in support of a Finnish politician as she undergoes a hate speech trial for citing biblical teachings on homosexuality.

Noted religious freedom advocate Pastor Andrew Brunson delivered a letter of support to Paivi Rasanen, a Finnish Member of Parliament facing prosecution for her role in creating a pamphlet promoting the biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality. Brunson delivered the letter, crafted by the Family Research Council and signed by 14,341 people, to Rasanen Monday, as closing arguments took place in her trial for allegedly violating hate speech laws.

Pastor Andrew Brunson, who faced prison for his faith in Turkey, flew to Finland to greet Paivi before she entered her trial. He brought with him a prayer pledge of support signed by Christians from around the world, organised by @FRCdcpic.twitter.com/Kbffi7RSdE  ADF International (@ADFIntl) February 14, 2022

The prosecutor general is making the case that Rasanen engaged in hate speech by creating the pamphlet, sending out a tweet criticizing the leadership of the Finnish Lutheran Church for supporting LGBT Pride Month, and sharing her beliefs about homosexuality in a 2019 appearance on a radio show.

Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland elaborated on the charges faced by Rasanen and himself during a speech at Alliance Defending Freedoms office in Washington, D.C., last year. He recalled that on April 29, the prosecutor general of Finland decided to bring charges against me and  a member of parliament, Mrs. Paivi Rasanen.

Specifically, the indictment accused them of incitement of hatred against a group which falls under the section of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The prosecutor general contended that Pohjola made and maintained available to the public opinions and allegations defaming and insulting homosexuals as a group on the basis of their sexual orientation by publishing the pamphlet.

Brunson's letter stated:

I, the undersigned want you to be encouraged that I am praying for you and Bishop Juhana Pohjola as you are being persecuted and attacked for sharing the truth of Scripture regarding Gods design for marriage and sexuality. Your bold stand to live out Acts 5:29 by obeying God rather than man is inspiring to Christians in Finland, the United States, and around the world. I am praying that the Lord Jesus will give you favor in the courtroom where you are on trial for your faith. May God open the eyes of those deceived by the culture to the truth of His Word. No matter the outcome of your case, may the Lords peace surround you as you stand upon His promise in Romans 8:28 "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

In a statement published last month, Rasanen indicated that the court would decide her fate as well as Pohjalas about a month after the trial concludes. Additionally, she expressed gratitude for those thousands of people that have supported me during this personally trying process.

Alliance Defending Freedom International sent out a series of tweets summarizing the closing arguments in the trial, which took place Monday. The prosecution insisted that The Bible cannot overrule Finnish law, slammed her comments about homosexuality as degrading, and maintained that describing homosexuality as a sin can have a harmful effect.

Arguing for the defense, Lorcan Price of ADF International told the court that this prosecution for hate speech has turned into a theological trial of what Christian beliefs can and cannot be expressed in Finland.

Price added, It is incredible this trial is happening in a modern European Country and not in a religious theocracy.

If convicted, Rasanen could face up to two years in prison and a fine. ADF International Executive Director Paul Coleman warned that a potential conviction of the Finnish Member of Parliament could have a ripple effect throughout Western civilization.

Freedom of speech is one of the cornerstones of democracy, he said. The Finnish Prosecutor Generals decision to bring these charges against Dr. Rasanen creates a culture of fear and censorship. If committed civil servants like Paivi Rasanen are criminally charged for voicing their deeply held beliefs, it creates a chilling effect for everyones right to speak freely.

The prosecution of Rasanen caught the attention of six Republican members of the House of Representatives, who wrote a letter to the chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, asserting that Finlands prosecution of the politician and Pohjola constitutes a violation of their freedom of religion.

These criminal prosecutions raise serious questions regarding the extent of Finlands commitment to protecting freedom of religion for its citizens, as agreed to with its participation in the organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other multi-lateral organizations, they wrote.

Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Michael Cloud, R-Texas, Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Jody Hice, R-Ga., and Doug Lamborn, D-Colo., signed the letter to Nadine Maenza, which urged the USCIRF chair to consider adding Finland to the U.S. State Departments Special Watch List for state actors that violate religious freedom.
Catholic schools rebounding from pandemic enrollment drop: report

Catholic school enrollment in the United States has slightly increased during the current school year compared to the previous academic year, marking a rebound from an enrollment decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent report.

The National Catholic Educational Association reported in a recently released data brief that there were approximately 1.69 million students in Catholic schools for the 2021-2022 school year, which was slightly higher than the 1.63 million reported for the 2020-2021 school year.

Enrollment at all types of schools  public, charter and private  were impacted last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Catholic schools had a decline in enrollment of 6.4% from 2019-2020 to 2020-2021, stated the NCEA.

Catholic schools dedication in safely opening classrooms and supporting their communities needs last year is demonstrated in the 3.8% increase in enrollment.

Despite the reported increase, total enrollment is still 2.7% lower than the 2019-2020 school year, before the coronavirus pandemic impacted the numbers.

It is promising that early childhood students have returned to Catholic schools but troubling that enrollment is still lower than pre-pandemic levels, stated the NCEA report.

Catholic schools innovated throughout the last two years to meet the needs of their communities. They need to continue to adapt to those needs and use the momentum to retain students and recruit new students in the upcoming years to stabilize or continue to increase enrollment.

Enrollment in Catholic schools was at its peak in the early 1960s when approximately 5.2 million students went to around 13,000 Catholic schools, according to NCEAs website.

The 1970s and 1980s saw a steep decline in both the number of schools and students. By 1990, there were approximately 2.5 million students in 8,719 schools, NCEAs website explains.

From the mid-1990s through 2000, there was a steady enrollment increase (1.3%) despite continued closings of schools. In the 10 years since the 2010 school year, 1,400 schools were reported closed or consolidated (19.7%), while 261 school openings were reported.

Since early 2020, there has been much upheaval in education in the U.S due to COVID-19 lockdowns, disputes over facemasks and high-profile debates over curriculum.

Last September, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a report finding that approximately 1.4 million students were taken out of district public schools during the pandemic while enrollment at charter schools, which are also public, grew.

It is premature to draw any conclusions about why charter school enrollment grew while enrollment in district public schools declined. And yet the pattern among states in this report is undeniable, the National Alliance report stated, adding that the decline in public school enrollment had begun before the pandemic.

There is much to learn from families who made the switch, and perhaps the biggest lesson for everyone is how critically important charter schools are to public education.
Man found guilty of strangling, stabbing woman to death inside church

An Indianapolis man was convicted Tuesday of murdering a woman who was found strangled and stabbed inside a local Catholic church, according to a prosecutor handling the case.

Indiana resident Robert Burks was found guilty of the homicide of Julie Morey, which occurred on Nov. 3, 2019.

According to a statement from the Marion County Prosecutors Office, Moreys body was found on a couch with multiple stab wounds inside St. Patrick Catholic Church in Fountain Square.

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears stated that the 58-year-old womans autopsy report revealed that she died from stab wounds and strangulation.

This case was solved through a true community effort, Mears wrote in a statement shared with The Christian Post. Witnesses and nearby businesses played a crucial role throughout the investigation and prosecution, which ultimately led to justice for Ms. Morey and her family.

Before her death, Morey filed a police report alleging that Burks had previously punched her in the face, giving her black eyes, detectives learned during their investigation.

Following this discovery, witnesses identified Burks as a potential suspect. A forensics report later revealed that Burks DNA was on the victims hands, face, neck, and underneath her fingernails, according to the prosecutors office.

A sentencing hearing will be held on March 10 at 11 a.m. in Indianapolis Marion Superior Court.

The Christian Post reached out to St. Patrick Catholic Church for comment on the conviction. A response was not received by press time.

Previously, church leaders said that Morey, who was homeless, wasnt a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church but had been visiting the church for at least the last two years, The Associated Press reported.



Shortly after Moreys death, dozens gathered at the church in freezing temperatures to celebrate her life. According to The Indianapolis Star, Morey was remembered as someone with a heart of gold who always seemed to be smiling despite her life situation.

She was very kindhearted. She would give anybody anything, even if it meant that she was to do without, resident Kenneth Burcham was quoted as saying during the event. She would literally give you whatever she had.

When Brooks was charged with Moreys killing, he was already detained at Monroe County Jail on felony battery charges related to a December 2018 case, court records show.
Senate approves Biden's FDA pick despite opposition from Democrats, pro-life groups

The U.S. Senate confirmed Robert Califf as the head of the Food and Drug Administration Tuesday, drawing criticism from pro-life organizations that feel the appointment could pave the way for the expanded availability of chemical abortions.

Califf was confirmed to the post he held during the Obama administration in a 50-46 vote. While most Republicans opposed Califfs confirmation, a handful of Democrats voted against him as well, citing concerns about his ties to the pharmaceutical industry and his past handling of the opioid crisis.

The Democratic senators who voted against him include Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.; and Ed Markey, D-Mass.

On the other hand, six Republicans joined the remaining Democrats in supporting his confirmation: Sens. Roy Blunt; R-Mo., Richard Burr, R-N.C.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Mitt Romney, R-Utah; and Pat Toomey, R-Penn. The support for Califf this time around decreased dramatically from the 89-4 confirmation vote he enjoyed when he was previously appointed to the post in 2016.

The national pro-life grassroots advocacy organization Susan B. Anthony List lamented Califfs confirmation as a victory for those seeking to increase the prevalence of chemical abortions.

Were deeply disappointed in the result of todays vote, said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in a statement.

Robert Califfs confirmation to lead the FDA paves the way for permanent authorization of mail-order abortion drugs, at a dire cost to womens health and safety and the lives of countless unborn children, she added. We urge our allies in the states and Congress to take swift action to stop the flow of these dangerous drugs to post offices and pharmacies across America.

Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, a pro-life organization with chapters at school campuses nationwide, called Califf a "radical pick."

"The FDA used to be a respected institution that relied on science. Today, the FDA is so politically motivated they'll put women in harm's way just to appease the abortion lobby," Hawkins said in a statement. "The interests of Big Abortion Pharma won big as a man who worked for reduced health and safety standards for Chemical Abortion Pills is allowed to perpetuate whatever counts as oversight at the FDA."

Ahead of Tuesdays vote, SBA List promised to score against votes related to Califfs confirmation, meaning that it would characterize any approval of his appointment to the FDA as a pro-abortion vote. A vote in favor of Califf would result in a senator receiving a lower grade on the National Pro-Life Scorecard, which gives members of Congress grades ranging from A+ to F, illustrating how frequently they vote with the pro-life position.

Two Senate Republicans who told Politico in December that they planned on supporting Califf, Sens. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, ultimately voted against him.

Both senators told Politico the following month that they could not support him because of pro-life issues and the magazine suggested that pressure from pro-life groups may have played a role in convincing them to change their positions.

Dannenfelser, along with representatives of 50 other pro-life organizations, previously wrote a letter outlining their concerns about the impact Califfs appointment would have on the pro-life movement.

Under Califfs leadership during the Obama Administration, the FDA significantly undermined the reporting and safety requirements on medication abortion, also known as chemical abortion, they wrote.

As the abortion industry continues to push for abortion on demand, the FDA needs a leader who will follow the science and prioritize the health and well-being of women and girls. Based on his past (successful) effort to weaken data and safety requirements for chemical abortion, we must oppose his nomination.

The pro-life leaders took specific issue with Califfs decision in his previous tenure as FDA head to weaken the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), safety protocols designed to protect the health and safety of women seeking abortions.

Until 2016, the REMS for chemical abortion required the reporting of severe, life-threatening, and fatal adverse events, the letter stated. Under the direction of Califf, this requirement was altered to require that only fatal adverse events be reported.

Actions taken by the FDA over the past year relating to chemical abortions have caused pro-life groups further concern.

Late last year, after Califfs confirmation hearing, the FDA announced the permanent lifting of the in-person dispensing requirement for abortion pills, thereby enabling women to obtain chemical abortions without seeing a doctor first. The FDA previously suspended the in-person dispensing requirement, citing health risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Another pro-life group, Live Action, released a report in the summer of 2020 detailing the complications of chemical abortions.

In a chemical abortion, women are given two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks the effects of the natural pregnancy hormone progesterone, while Misoprostol induces contractions and a miscarriage.

The report cited severe cramping, contractions, and heavy bleeding as side effects of chemical abortions.

Among the Democratic senators to vote against Califf, Manchin co-authored a USA Today op-ed with Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., encouraging Biden to withdraw the nomination. They blamed the FDA for enabling the opioid crisis, adding that Califf's previous tenure at FDA played a role.

"During Dr. Califfs previous tenure as FDA commissioner, drug-related overdoses went up, a clear indicator the FDA hadnt made any necessary, meaningful changes to address the crisis facing our country," the senators wrote. "In 2016, then-Commissioner Califf announced the FDAs plan to overhaul its opioid policies."

"But between 2016 and 2017, the FDA approved five new opioids and only removed a single opioid from the market. Dr. Califf also commissioned a report on opioids, but the report failed to review the flawed enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal (EERW) methodology used to approve new opioids," the senators continued.

Manchin issued a statement in December calling for a "culture change" at the FDA.

It is abundantly clear the FDA has failed to keep Americans safe," Manchin said. "I cant fathom why we would confirm someone whose actions failed to swiftly curb the tide of the opioid epidemic and protect the publics health, especially someone who has already helmed FDA as its Commissioner."

"More than 500,000 Americans have died since the FDA first approved Oxycontin in 1995," he said. "During Dr. Califfs previous tenure as FDA Commissioner, drug related overdoses went up. Five years later, they are up again, this time at a record number: there were more than 100,000 overdose deaths in the United States last year. Furthermore, Dr. Califf has indicated he plans to keep Dr. Janet Woodcock, who has led the FDA and directly overseen the approval of numerous highly addictive drugs to market, as part of FDA leadership."
'Genocide': The horrors of rape, torture and forced labor facing the Uyghurs in China

Who are the Uyghurs and what is their plight inside China?

Christian Post reporter Ryan Foley joins The Christian Post Podcast to break down the Uyghurs history, the horrors unfolding inside concentration camps and the reason so many international parties are accusing the Chinese Communist Party of committing genocide.

An estimated 1 to 3 million Uyghurs have been detained in concentration camps since 2016, Foley explained. While critics refer to them as reeducation camps ... the Chinese government contends that the camps are necessary to root out extremism.

He continued: Women in the camps are subject to rape, torture, and forced labor.

Both the Trump and Biden administrations have said genocide is unfolding in China. Listen to this episode to fully understand the issue:

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The resegregation tragedy

Black History Month gives pause to remember the immense cost of bringing down segregation, and how the expenditure is now being squandered by movements seeking resegregation on some levels.

This time its not just the white-hooded Klan or police-dog masters, but people and organizations who seem to see it in their interests to keep us divided.

Some call for resegregating college dorms, school boards, and other institutions where once equality of access and participation was rigidly, often violently, forbidden for a large segment of the American population.

Rising generations with no direct experience of a certain historic event or era dont know the ethos of the long-past age, what it felt like, and thus how to evaluate accurately the threats and fears of that time.

Perhaps people now pushing for desegregation are in generations that have no direct experience of segregated societies.

I saw much of it as a child growing up in the 1940s-50s Birmingham; then in the 1960s as a reporter and editor of The Birmingham News; then, in the early 1970s, as assistant director of the White House Cabinet Committee on Education, formed by President Richard M. Nixon to facilitate the most sweeping school desegregation in American history.

Nixons move to end school segregation was as surprising and dramatic on the domestic front as his going to China was on the foreign policy front.

Yes, that Richard Nixon, the old racist, go-easy-on-the segregated South-in exchange for their votes-southern strategist Nixon.

At least those were the myths Nixon-haters tried to brew up around him.

But the story is different. I know, because I was there.

When Nixon assumed the presidency on January 20, 1969, he immediately faced a crisis that could destroy public education in seven southern states. They had not complied with court-ordered desegregation handed down in 1954.

The districts were being threatened by federal courts with the possibility of being fined $1 million a day until they were in compliance.

Nixon formed the White House Cabinet Committee on Education to find out why the seven school districts were non-compliant after so many years, what to do about it and to plan for the peaceful opening of newly desegregated schools in September 1971.

The Cabinet Committee found that courts had handed down unfunded mandates. The school systems were barely surviving and now would have to add classrooms, more teachers and administrators, large-scale renovations, and fleets of buses. Nixon sought from Congress $1.5 billion for the school systems. The lawmakers responded with $500 million.

But the human factor still loomed as September 1971 raced toward the communities and states.

How could sudden, massive desegregation be pulled off without community-destroying violence?

How could it be done without giving an opportunity for hate groups to seize control?

How could opposing forces in communities be pulled together to work as units for the survival and safety of those schools?

Nixon formed the high-level Cabinet Committee to answer these questions and provide strategies. Nixon asked Vice President Spiro Agnew to lead the Committee, but Agnew declined. Nixon turned to Dr. George Shultz (who became Ronald Reagans Secretary of State) to lead the group.

A strategy emerged that would lead to remarkably peaceful school openings in 1971 and a surprising unity between factions in many of the communities

The Cabinet Committee formed citizen committees in every affected state. Following the model of Nixons New Federalism, the state citizen committees worked with federal counterparts to propose solutions, give public support to standing with and helping their public schools.

A motto emerged for the 1971 newly integrated schools opening: Keep Your Cool Support Your School. Evangelist Billy Graham recorded commercials voicing the motto that played throughout the affected states. Local media outlets within the seven states broadcast the appeals without charge.

We sought the support of pastors and their congregations, and they played a considerable role in helping the school openings occur without violence, as black and white pastors joined the effort.

The local committees worked hard to get participation from opposing groups in their communities. A reporter approached a White House official and told him he was going to run a news story revealing that the head of the states Ku Klux Klan was on one of the state committees.

Yes, you can report that, but you also have to report that we also have on that same citizen committee the state chairman of the NAACP, replied the White House aide.

Every person on the state committees was a noted community leader. They all had to pay a hefty price: Some for supporting Nixon, who was hated by their constituencies, some for advocating integration, some for being a lacky of the federal government. Along with their families, some were sharply criticized, threatened, and cajoled.

But they held their ground.

As each state committee was formed, its members were brought to Washington, and to the Oval Office itself. Nixon would greet and thank them personally, then address and inspire the whole group.

Just prior to the 1971 school openings, Nixon flew to New Orleans where he met one more time with the committees.

Weeks before, the first citizen committee to come to Washington was from my native state  Alabama. At one point that day I looked up and saw that I was standing beside Chris McNair. No one had paid a higher price for desegregation. He was the father of eleven-year-old Denise, the youngest child to be killed by a terrorist bomb that exploded during Sunday School at Birminghams Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in 1963, along with three of her friends.

Chris and his wife, Maxine, both lived into their nineties. They are gone from us now, as are many from the generations that had direct experience with a segregated society.

Perhaps that is the reason younger generations seem to have little problem in squandering the price the McNairs and so many like them had to pay for desegregation and the hope of an integrated, unified nation.

Thus, Black History month is a good time to remember and thank God for the McNairs and the many others of all races who paid the price to end imposed segregation.
'Duck Dynasty' patriarch Phil Robertson on why cancel culture is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus

Phil Robertson knows firsthand what it means to be a victim of cancel culture.

In 2013, the Duck Dynasty patriarch was suspended from the popular A&E show over his candid comments about homosexuality and religion in a GQ profile. He was swiftly condemned as a bigot by LGBT activist groups, including The Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD.

Five or six years ago, a guy came up and asked me, did I believe homosexual behavior was a sin, the 75-year-old duck hunter told The Christian Post. I quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the thieves, the greedy drunks, they won't inherit the Kingdom of God,' Robertson said, citing [Paul's letter] to the church at Corinth. But you've been washed, you've been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, he added.

I just simply quoted him a verse, a Bible verse, where God stated what it is, he added. So it took him two weeks to figure out all I did was quote a Bible verse. He asked me a question  and I just quoted [the Bible]. And when I quoted it, he took it and ran with it, because he thought I was just blowing smoke just off the top of my head.

Though backlash from the secular media was swift, the father, grandfather and great-grandfather pointed out that as a result of his boldness, a lot of good came forth.

We converted way more after that, he said. See what I'm saying? God works in mysterious ways.

Today, Robertson bears no ill will toward those who wanted to see him canceled: They rail against me in a lot of ways, but I forgive them, I love them all, he stressed. Yet, that incident sparked in him a fierce desire to push back against cancel culture, a phenomenon he believes is both antithetical to the Gospel and threatens to destroy free speech.

The two greatest commandments in the Bible, according to Jesus, was to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor, he contended. What's happened is the so-called cancel culture are digging up the past of individuals, finding out where they made a mistake, finding out where they sin, and they pile on, they try to get them fired, and they do get them fired. They attack people. The problem with that type of thinking is that all of us have made mistakes, and all of us have sinned.

Scripture is clear that those who pass judgment on others ultimately condemn themselves, Robertson said, adding: Sinners are attacking everyone else, not realizing that they're condemning themselves because they're sinners too.

Everyone out there should remember everyone who cancels others, here and now, they themselves will be canceled later, he continued. So we better learn how to love one another, love God. And we better learn how to forgive people that make mistakes around us, or we ourselves will be canceled.

The founder of the Duck Commander Company cited 1 John 3:1, which reads: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.

Those are the uncanceled, he explained. He (God) took away the written code and replaced it. Just love God and love your neighbor; I've removed all your past sins, they're blotted out. I'm not counting any of your future sins against you if you just trust me.

Those who put their faith in Jesus are uncancelled by the blood of Jesus; He got us out from under the written code and put us under a system of grace, Robertson added. It can't be earned. It's not, maybe if I do this. Just Love God. Love your neighbor, for crying out loud. It's really simple when you get right down to it. So He provided that for us.

Driven by a desire to promote the countercultural, unifying message of Jesus, Robertson penned his latest book, Uncanceled: Finding Meaning and Peace in a Culture of Accusations, Shame, and Condemnation.

I would say right now, if you're not following Jesus, you should because the suicide rate is up, the murder rate is up, the death rate is up," Robertson told CP. "The cancellation crowd, thats all up. People who made mistakes 200 years ago, we drag it up, take their statue down and bad mouth them, and I'm like, Whatever happened to forgiveness and love? So if we don't love God and don't love our neighbor, we've got some pretty rough days ahead of us here. For me and my family, we trust the Lord. We're going with God.

In Uncanceled, Robertson examines the motivations behind why people have the inclination to cancel one another, both in the secular world and in the Church. He argues that in a culture so obsessed with political correctness, the importance of respectful dialogue has been all but forgotten.

In America, you won't even get but three strikes, and you're out. But Jesus said  Forgive them 70 times seven. That way, you're not all torn up over people and what they say, who curses you [who says] evil things about you. It's just the way the world is. You just learned to live with it, point them to Christ, keep moving, don't hold it against them. Be quick to forgive.

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. We expect it. We embrace it. But we don't hold it against them. We just pray for them, he said.

Christians must realize, Robertson emphasized, that the goal isnt to get the approval of man or to win a culture war  its to worship the God of the Bible instead of the god of political correctness.

It's not rocket science, but it does require a change of heart, he said. I'm 75. I came to know Jesus when I was 28, because I was like a dog chasing his tail. I just wasn't getting anywhere fast. I came to Jesus, he said.

Think about this: Immortality is riding on how we live our lives on the Earth, he posited. Loving God and loving each other is worth it. Immortality is at stake. When you were dead in your sins  and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code with its regulations.  He took it away, thank God, nailing it to the cross. Having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. What a beautiful thing God has done for us. I'm just trying to get others to join us.

Resting in the understanding that Jesus already paid for our sins allows a person to treat others with grace and live a life of freedom, Robertson said  and will hopefully help unite an increasingly divided society.

Im pretty fired up about this, he said.

We need to put in the practice and be very forgiving and longsuffering, not holding things in the past, Robertson added. Put into practice the attitude of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, how He operated. You read it, and you say, I need to do that. I need to be like that. So give people time. Hopefully, their hearts will change. And they'll reach out to their neighbors and put into practice  the greatest commands in the Bible, according to Jesus: Love God, love your neighbor. It always comes back to that.


Bethel's Beni Johnson having trouble breathing amid cancer battle; church launches 24/7 prayer campaign

Bethel Church in Redding, California, has launched a 24/7 prayer campaign for co-pastor Beni Johnson and her ongoing battle with cancer, specifically encouraging prayer for breathing and sleep.

As many of you already know, Beni Johnson has been on a health journey of overcoming cancer, The megachurch wrote on its Instagram page Wednesday.

Weve been praying consistently, and she has experienced a measure of breakthrough. Now we feel led by the Lord to invite you, the local and global church, to join us in contending for her full physical healing, the post stated.

The charismatic ministry, known for its spirit-filled music and their bold prayers of faith, asked supporters to join them to pray for their leaders around the clock.

Stand with us as we intentionally press in for victory for Beni, and sign up for a 15-minute prayer slot, the plea continued. Lets see prayer happen around the world24 hours a dayduring these coming weeks.

During last Sundays service, Lead Pastor Dann Farrelly and other leaders led the church in 10 minutes of prayer for Johnson. Farrelly prayed for breath that is without problem and sleep that is deep and beautiful.

This is a serious situation. Benis health is a serious situation, Farrelly said, adding that he received a text from Johnson's husband, Bill Johnson, the night earlier saying, Last night was a tough night. She didnt sleep too well. She is not breathing too well.

Listen, beloved, this is unjust that our matriarch, that Beni is being robbed of her sleep and having difficulty breathing, Farrelly added. This is not as it should be.

We ask for those two breakthroughs to happen today, he continued. We know she has been in a bit of a holding pattern. But we say no more to holding patterns.

The churchs website allows users to pick a timeslot to pray for Johnson over the next three weeks.

The Christian Post reached out to Bethel Church for further information on Johnsons status. An immediate response was not received.

Johnson first revealed that she was being treated for cancer in 2018. At the time, she said the diagnosis shocked her.

When this all began in March and I walked out of the doctors office shocked. I asked Jesus, what do I do now? I heard Jesus tell me, just love me. I said, I can do this. There has been so much peace and at times those decisions that have to be made the peace has helped me navigate through, Johnson revealed in a series of Facebook posts at the time.

Since her announcement, the church leader has held to the faith that she would be healed of cancer after having several tumors removed from one of her breasts. During that season of surgeries, it was discovered that Johnson had a mutation on her BR2 gene, which puts her at a high risk of developing breast, ovarian and other cancers.

She had received holistic treatments in Spain because many of the treatments are not allowed in the US.

The recent prayer request broke down several prayer points for those looking to support Johnson during this cancer battle. A slideshow of photos asked supporters to pray for complete total victory over cancer, that Johnson would be able to sleep daily, that she would have consistency and strength in her breathing.

The request also asked people to pray for her doctors and medical teams to have wisdom and that her DNA would align with Gods order for every cell of cancer to be eradicated from her body. Another prayer point was for grace and courage to be with the Johnson family, among other things.

Bethel reportedly has 11,000 members, including students at its School for Supernatural Ministry.

The school is said to be led by apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers and has also been the source of much criticism. The church is sought after for its healing rooms, which have also attracted controversy.

Testimonies of people being healed from cancer can be found on the church website. In April 2017, Johnson revealed that her encounter with Jesus in the spirit gave her access to healing power over cancer. She encouraged the crowd to grab the healing power for cancer out of Heaven.

If youre in this room and you have cancer, we declare to you, No more. Were grabbing out of Heaven the healing power, she said. Dont pray; declare. This is a time, this is an open Heaven right here and were calling down the healing power of Jesus over cancer.

Bethel made headlines in 2019 for doing something similar. Bethel Senior Pastor Bill Johnson, Beni Johnsons husband, asked the congregation to pray for the resurrection of one of their worship leaders 2-year-old daughter.

He said at the time that he and his church family believed God called them to follow the precedent that Jesus set forth by commanding His followers to raise the dead. The young girl was not resurrected, but many people were encouraged by the ministrys position to believe in God for the miraculous.
Why Owen Strachan thinks critical race theory is a threat to the Church

As a student at Bowdoin College in Maine, Grace Bible Theological Seminary Provost and Research Professor Owen Strachan was so deeply interested in diversity and societal fragmentation he almost minored in Africana Studies.

His interest in the subject never drove him to become an academic expert in the discipline, but in recent months, Strachan has emerged as an expert on social justice and wokeness and a strident opponent of critical race theory.

The controversial ideology is defined by the Southern Baptist Convention  Americas second-largest denomination and the worlds largest Baptist denomination  as a set of analytical tools which can aid in evaluating a variety of human experiences.

Secular scholars define it as a framework through which they seek to understand how victims of systemic racism are affected by cultural perceptions of race and how they can represent themselves to counter prejudice. Scholarship on the theory traces racism in the U.S. through the legacy of slavery, the civil rights movement and recent events.

Kimberle Crenshaw, a founding critical race theorist and a law professor at UCLA and Columbia universities, explained the idea to CNN last year.

"Critical race theory is a practice. It's an approach to grappling with a history of white supremacy that rejects the belief that what's in the past is in the past and that the laws and systems that grow from that past are detached from it," she said.

Strachan, who is also a senior fellow with the Family Research Council who once served at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, sees the idea as demonic."

And in his new book, Christianity and Wokeness: How the Social Justice Movement Is Hijacking the Gospel - and the Way to Stop It, he seeks to save the American church from the slithery hiss that he believes to be a threat to Christians and white people.

In seven chapters, spread over 270 pages and a strong foreword from California megachurch Pastor John MacArthur, Strachan presents a studied exploration of critical race theory. He argues it produces a mindset of wokeness that seeks to exact reparations from white people for the sins of their forebears. He also goes as far as contending that unrepentant church leaders who embrace it should be excommunicated.

I think the major problem with wokeness that requires excommunication is that its anti-Gospel when you really examine it as a system. It compromises the unity of the truth. It lies about the human person. It says that white people in America are fundamentally oppressors of people of color and thats not a biblical truth," Strachan told The Christian Post in a recent interview about his book published by Salem Books in July.

"Thats not found in Scripture. Thats injurious and unjust toward white people, and it will violate and compromise the unity of the church."

In the book, he wrote that [w]okeness is first and foremost a mindset and a posture."

"The term itself means that one is awake to the true nature of the world when so many are asleep," the book reads. "In the most specific terms, this means one sees the comprehensive inequity of our social order and strives to highlight power structures in society that stem from racial privilege. In intellectual terms, wokeness occurs when one embraces  Critical Race Theory.

Strachan says pastors embracing wokeness is problematic because the ideology unfairly maligns innocent white people.

I know a prominent example of a pastor of a megachurch who took [to] the pulpit and told the congregation that white people should repent for their complicity in white supremacy," he told CP.

"And this was said to a wide range of people, including white people, who had adopted numerous children out of desperate circumstances that had different skin colors than them and were very much trying to love those children and had not been white supremacist toward them in any known way whether in word or deed. That is an example of the evil nature of wokeness. I am here to stand against it, call it out and say it is anti-Gospel."

He said that if he ever heard someone preach like that in front of his family at his church, he would pursue "excommunication."

If a man stood up in a pulpit and said that before me and said that before my family, I would attempt to talk to him. And I would attempt, if he did not repent of that, to talk to the elders and encourage them to ask him to repent of that. And if he did not do that, I would pursue excommunication as much as I could as a church member. And I would do so with a 100% clean conscience, he continued. I pray many people who read this book [will] pursue that action because that is the action that is fitting."

In the Church, he warns that "wokeness is spreading like a cancer and it's training so-called white people who have no racial prejudice in their heart."

"They are literally at great cost, physically, financially and otherwise adopting children out of Christian love and then [a] pastor brings mans law, not Gods law, into the Church and condemns them as evil," he stressed. "And that is the doctrine of demons, and Im here to call it out. I do so unequivocally and unapologetically.

The example was a very personal one for Strachan because his family adopted his sister from South America. He said, her skin color was not exactly like mine or like several people at our small church, but that did not matter a bit, he wrote in his book.

My father and mother loved her, I loved her (and always will), and she loved us. God gave our family a blessing in the form of my sister  a Christian and a woman who loves and serves her family well. And I am so thankful for my parents commitment to adoption, he explained.

Along with his independent research on race, this family dynamic is one of the reasons why Strachan feels he is in a good position to openly discuss an issue that has divided denominations along racial lines.

At their 2020 annual session, the SBCs Council of Seminary Presidents, comprised of six seminary heads, voted to reject critical race theory as incompatible with their faith while condemning racism in any form. The vote caused some black pastors who disagreed with the wholesale rejection of the concept to leave the denomination.

In the wake of that controversy this summer, Southern Baptist messengers affirmed their commitment to racial reconciliation and the sufficiency of Scripture to address issues of race by adopting a resolution that avoided the contentious debate over critical race theory. There had been concerns that messengers would have rescinded Resolution 9 On Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality.

In sharing his thoughts on Resolution 9, Strachan believes his book can alleviate the confusion about critical race theory among Southern Baptists.

There is a lot of confusion among Southern Baptists, like evangelicals, like American citizens more broadly, which is why I wrote the book, he said. I dont think most or many Southern Baptists understand what the convention affirmed. Resolution 9 was passed in 2019 under tremendous confusion. And no small amounts of opposition. And the confusion has only continued. The wording analytical tool, it certainly appears to me based on James Cones black liberation theology, which is anti-Gospel theology.

Most people dont know what it is, and it can sound in neutral terms like it could be a tool. But my prayer is that the Southern Baptist churches will understand the true nature of critical race theory. Its not a tool of analysis. Its a tool of division formed by the enemy of the Church.

In his book, Strachan argues that academic theory and social activism should not supplement Christian thought and practice as the Bible is sufficient for these things.

Simply put, the Bible gives us exactly what we need to find unity, hope and justice in this world. The Bible, furthermore, fuels a life of scriptural reasoning  of thinking well about all things according to the conviction that God is God, and everything else is not, he wrote.

When asked why he quoted 18th-century writer Edgar Allan Poe, who he notes was an atheist, to illuminate the vengeance of the human conscience but criticizes Christians who use critical race theory to try to explain how racism works, he admitted that unbelievers will see different elements of the truth.

So someone like me, being a Christian, Im not necessarily a brilliant economist just because Im a born-again believer and I have a redeemed mind. God has allowed me to learn through a range of sources, and so the problem with critical race theorists is not that they are not Christian," he added.

"The problem with woke voices is not that theyre not Christian. Some of them are born-again. The problem is that they are not getting the truth right. They are operating by the wrong system. They are operating by a secular system that is godless and bankrupt, Strachan said.

Im not saying you would never quote an unbeliever. That would be fundamentally inconsistent for me to do, given who I quote in my book. Im saying unbelievers cant give you the ultimate solution. [There is] no unbeliever you can find, however brilliant  who can give you the ultimate answer to the problem of unity. There are unbelievers who are going to get different things right about our world."

A new study from Arizona Christian University published earlier this month showed an estimated 176 million American adults who identify as Christian, just 6% or 15 million, hold a biblical worldview. More than half of self-identified Christians also reject a number of biblical teachings and principles, including the existence of the Holy Spirit.

And among the 6% that qualified as holding a biblical worldview, strong minorities of that group hold unbiblical views.

For example, 25% say there is no absolute moral truth; 33% believe in karma; 39% contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of Gods power, presence or purity; 42% believe that having faith matters more than which faith you pursue; and 52% argue that people are basically good.

Asked if he would excommunicate these Christians for their unbiblical views, Strachan said he would first try to disciple them.

There are many people that profess to be Christian who are not truly born again. And so, I think part of what this poll could be capturing is the compromised nature of todays church."

He said there are "many people today in the Church who say they are a Christian, who believes that white people are fundamentally oppressors of people of color. So thats an anti-Gospel position, he insisted.

While his book has received praise from some of his supporters online, Christianity and Wokeness: How the Social Justice Movement Is Hijacking the Gospel - and the Way to Stop It, Strachan rejects one critic online who argues that the book is a masterpiece in straw man arguments."

I actually have labored to not produce a book that is a strawman book. Somebody can think that I have done that. I can't control how anyone thinks. What I have tried to do is not live up to the stereotype that if you are unwoke, you simply burn down who you believe are. And thats why I think a fair assessment of my book would not say that it is a strawman compilation, he stated. I hope that they will read my book and see that Im trying to respect and understand the other side.
Christian parents opposed to school trans pronoun policy granted judicial review in UK

A judge in the United Kingdom has granted a request for judicial review filed by two Christian parents who say they were forced to pull their children out of a church-run school over policies requiring teachers and classmates to use the preferred names and pronouns of trans-identified students.

After the Department for Education refused to intervene in their case, Nigel Rowe, 48, and his wife, Sally, 47, will have their case heard by the U.K. High Court, Queens Bench Division within the next three months, according to the Christian Legal Centre.

The review was granted by Lord Justice Lane, who argued that the case is reviewable because it deals with matters of education, which is a responsibility of the state.

When children began cross-dressing in their 6-year-old sons Church of England primary school in the Isle of Wright in 2017, the Rowes said they were given the choice of affirming transgender ideology or being labeled as transphobic. The couple believes gender identity affirmation is harmful for children.

The couple felt they had no choice but to educate their child at home because their sons school said in a July 2017 letter that not affirming students' preferred pronouns and names is a form of transphobic behavior.

We are delighted and relieved that after a four-year battle our crucial case will be heard, wrote Nigel and Sally Rowe in a joint statement provided by Christian Legal Centre, which represents the couple. Many try to make light of this issue by suggesting it is just about boys dressing up. This case is about a dangerous ideology that is now firmly embedded in schools, local authorities, and Church of England leadership, and which is causing serious long-term harm to thousands of children.

Through their legal case, the Rowes are pushing for Christian beliefs on the issue of gender to be respected and tolerated in state education and for the removal of the 2015 Cornwall Schools Transgender Guidance.

The guideline was compiled by the Cornwall Council, the Intercom Trust, Devon & Cornwall Police and headteachers. The guidance purports to be the first document in the U.K. to instruct teachers and schools on how to be inclusive of trans-identified students.

The Cornwall Schools Transgender Guidance includes information for schools about how to implement gender-neutral bathrooms. The Christian Legal Centre warns the document encourages schools to accept cross-dressing and gender transition without hesitation and contains links to pro-trans advocacy groups such as Mermaids.

Since the policys inception, more schools and local authorities have adopted the guidelines for their educational and occupational environments, including the Department of Education, which accepted the policy in 2018.

Six-year-old children have to be reminded to brush their teeth, let alone make decisions about whether they are a boy or a girl. It is therefore immoral to think that they can make such life-changing decisions at such a young age. As a society, we are called to protect children, and these guidelines and the culture they are embedding in primary schools is achieving the opposite, the Rowes argue.

Sally Rowe said that since homeschooling her children, she has had many positive experiences. However, she said she had to give up her own teaching career to teach her children.

The Rowes said that they also had to pull their eldest son from school in 2015. They claim the oldest son was treated the same way by the school after a boy in his class decided to dress and identify as a female.

"There was no consultation with other parents. Our son, like others, was struggling with starting school life, and with the school's suggestion that young children can change gender. So we felt that we could no longer allow him to attend the school," Sally Rowe said in a 2015 statement.

Following their experience with their youngest son in 2017, the Rowes said they met with the headteacher of the Church of England primary school. The headteacher told them that she could lose her job if she didnt comply with the guidelines and that if a child wants to transition, then we just have to accept it, according to the Christian Legal Centre.

The Rowes followed up their meeting with a letter to the school requesting to know how they plan to support every child in the school environment when another child wants to be associated with a different gender. They also contacted the Diocese of Portsmouth and the Church of Englands Chief Education Officer.

The school told the Rowes in the 2017 letter that policies are in place to tackle transphobic behavior.

Christian Legal Centre Chief Executive Andrea Williams praised the high courts decision to accept the judicial review.

We are pleased that the government will face a Judicial Review on this crucial case for parents and primary school children across the country, Williams said in a statement. This case goes to the heart of what education is and how primary school children must be protected from harmful and unscientific transgender ideologies in every part of education.

Graham Rogers, a consultant psychologist with 30 years of experience, conducted a research report on the dangers transgender-affirming policies can potentially have on youth.

While the Cornwall guidelines place an emphasis on equality, Rogers contends that the policy ignores research and the needs of young people.

The policy [shows] little or no appreciation for the safety and welfare of children and adolescent or their developmental needs. The approach of the guidance was as if the children were fully mature adults, Rogers wrote.

[Guidance] shows no understanding of the effects of puberty or the process of adolescent development; or its role in this change. [It] appears to miss the role of child and adolescent development, the normal variations in gender and sexual development or the concept of safeguarding.
Black civil rights activist says America has a 'grace problem,' not a race problem

A longtime African American neighborhood empowerment leader slammed critical race theory during an evangelical seminary webinar over the weekend, arguing that the United States has a grace problem instead of a race problem.

Bob Woodson, the director of the Woodson Center and founder of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, participated in the Southern Evangelical Seminary's online event Saturday, "Awaken: Thinking Well About Wokism, Social Justice, & Racial Reconciliation."

The civil rights veteran, who once worked on community development programs for local and national organizations, including the NAACP, was asked, Is America systemically racist?

Woodson shared his belief that critical race theory, a theoretical framework on systemic racism in America being pushed by some in academia and the political left, "should be replaced by critical grace theory."

America does not have a race problem, but it has a grace problem," Woodson said.

Woodson attributed the problems ailing African Americans in contemporary American society to the expansion of the social safety net instead of systemic racism.

Woodson explained that when whites were at their worst, blacks were at their best. He discussed the role of the black church in helping to improve the lives of African Americans in the century following the abolition of slavery.

Upon discovering that the black community had a 75% illiteracy rate, Woodson said many black churches opened Sabbath Schools.

Within 40 years, that level of illiteracy went down from 75% to 30%, he recalled.

Woodson detailed how Christian values and Christian principles enabled the African American community to experience relative peace and prosperity despite the adversity they faced due to the Great Depression and racism.

We had the highest marriage rate of any other group in society during [the] depression because of our faith and because of  our attitude of self-determination," he explained. "Elderly people could walk safely in those communities without fear of being assaulted by their grandchildren.

Eighty-five percent of all black households had a man and a woman raising children, he added, noting that church attendance was the absolute highest in the African American community.

He lamented that the culture shifted in 1965 when leftist sociologists at the Columbia University School of Social Work began to promote socialism and used the plight of the blacks to accomplish that goal.

Woodson said that these sociologists sought to separate work from income, thereby making fathers redundant and leading to an increase in drug addiction and [the] school dropout rate.

They aspired to enlist as many people as they could to go into the welfare system, he said, which would force America to change and to begin to redistribute income."

At this time in American history, government poverty programs began to open offices and recruit people into the welfare system," he continued.

Over the course of three to four years in the '70s, millions of blacks flooded into the welfare system at a time when the unemployment rate in New York for black men was 4%, he asserted. And as a consequence, we saw the out-of-wedlock birth rate began to soar. There was this massive decline. As government intervened and began to take the place of the family  we witnessed the kind of decline  that were experiencing today.

Born in 1937, Woodson served with organizations such as the National Urban League in New York City during the early 1970s. Afterward, he served as a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and also directed the Neighborhood Revitalization Project in Washington, D.C.

Woodson's organization, the Woodson Center, seeks to "bring recognition and funding to strengthen the efforts of indigenous neighborhood leaders and organizations that are effectively addressing critical problems of their communities through innovative initiatives."

Woodson said the organization applies the principles that operate in our market economy to the social economy. Specifically, he illustrated that only 3% of the people in our market economy are entrepreneurs but they generate 70% of all the jobs. He emphasized that if you say that 70% of the black families today are raising children that are dropping out of school, in jail, on drugs, it means that 30% are not.

What the Woodson Center has done over the course of  40 years is we have gone into these 30% of  households, and we found the Christian virtues alive and well," he said.

In these households, people are raising children successfully in the presence of these challenges. The Woodson Center has studied the successful efforts of these households and worked to promote them in the African American community as a whole.

He presented powerful examples of people who are achieving against the odds and true stories about the impact of the black church and Christianity in reversing the fortunes of the black community in some parts of the country.

In one example he mentioned, gangsters had taken over a public housing development in Washington, D.C. But when some Christian women came together and formed a management system and began to reculturate people, the situation in the neighborhood turned around.

They drove the drug dealers out. And they began to  minister to these children, to mentor them. And in the course of 10 years, 600 of these children from this desolate, crime-ridden, drug-infested neighborhood came  to become restored and they went on to college," he recalled.

Woodson praised the efforts of a man named Leon Watkins, who lived in South Central Los Angeles, where the Eastside Crips were terrorizing the community. According to Woodson, Watkins put wanted signs all over and met with these gang members one-on-one.

Watkins met with the leader of the gang and talked to him for three hours.

The next day, he had him in Bible study. And in one week, he had the whole 26-member gang in Bible study, he continued.

That gang went from terrorizing that community to protecting that community, Woodson said. He cited the aforementioned examples as part of a curriculum framework that pushes back against critical race theory by taking lessons from the past and sharing stories of the present of grace in action.

Woodson urged people to follow the advice of the late civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, who believed that we should not enter into this bitter conflict with the purpose of humiliating or destroying our enemy. But we should do so with Gods love and Gods grace and we should do so with the goal of transforming the oppressor.

King believed that the goal was not to defeat or humiliate the adversary but to humanize him or her to plant the seeds of friendship or eventual alliance," Woodson maintained. "Dr. King called that spiritual aggression."

Woodson portrayed critical race theory as the antithesis to this line of thinking.

Critical race theory is defined by Encyclopedia Britannica as an intellectual movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis that argues race is a socially constructed category "used to oppress and exploit" people of color.

The reference source reports that critical race theorists hold that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans.

Its really stereotyping that we should define not by Gods judgment on us or Gods grace, but that we should be defined as a group  as a category," Woodson argued.

Describing that idea as ridiculous and really harmful, Woodson stressed that thats what we fought against. After quoting from Kings famous call to be viewed by the content of your character and not by the color of your  skin, he slammed critical race theory for saying that we ought to be defined by our skin color, not by our actions.

While most of his speech focused on the challenges facing the African American community, Woodson argued that the U.S. as a whole is in a moral and spiritual freefall" that is "consuming people of all classes and all areas.

Woodson pointed to a moral and spiritual emptiness in the lives of our young people who are wandering through life without content or purpose in their life." He warned that when you wander life without content or purpose  you devalue life and therefore, you wont hesitate to take someone elses or your own.

We must address this crisis among our young people today but we cannot do that as long as we are divided in this nation by race," Woodson concluded. "I think this current racial crisis is a manufactured crisis by elements on the radical left that really wants to seize on  Americas birth defect of slavery  and Jim Crow as a bludgeon against the country to undermine the virtues and principles of this nation."

The Christian Posts Executive Editor Richard Land was the president of SES until July 2021 and presently serves as an adjunct professor and president emeritus.
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Pastor sentenced to 23 years in prison for brutal murder of estranged wife

A New York pastor who ran over his estranged wife with her car and then repeatedly attacked her with a machete in front of her grandchildren has been sentenced to 23 years in prison.

The pastor, 65-year-old Victor Mateo, who led Christian Congregation The Redemptor, Inc. in the Bronx, not only took the life of a Bronx grandmother but also inflicted a possible lifetime of trauma to her grandchildren who were witnesses to this horrific crime, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said as Judge Margaret Clancy of Bronx Supreme Court sentenced him to 23 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision, according to the prosecutors.

Last November, Mateo pleaded guilty before the court to one count of first-degree manslaughter for killing his estranged wife, Noelia, 58, who was found unconscious with multiple lacerations to her body on Oct. 3, 2019.

Noelias grandchildren were 11 and 9 years old at the time.

I remember my grandmothers death like it was yesterday, the older of the two kids, aged 13, said in a statement read in Bronx Supreme Court, the Daily News reported.

Victor Mateo stole my grandmother and my innocence, continued the child, whose name was withheld. I lost so much within a few hours; I had nightmares and PTSD.  She was a beautiful lady with a man who was horrendously controlling and not what he vowed to do when marrying her. His animalistic act against my grandmother was done in cold blood.

In his statement, Noelias son, Kenneth Zunigia Fernandez, said Mateo allegedly demanded that his wife hand over all of her earnings from her cheesecake business and threatened violence when she decided to leave him.

Mateo used the Bible, religion and his pastor role to manipulate not only my mother, but his church members, he was quoted as saying.

According to the investigation, on the morning of Oct. 3, 2019, Mateo parked his vehicle near Noelias home, and as she left her house to drive her grandchildren to school, he struck her with his vehicle. The victim hid beneath her car, and Mateo got into her vehicle and ran her over with it. He then hacked her with a machete.

A neighbor, Victor DiChristina, 78, said at the time: I was screaming at him to distract him from beating on her. And then after he took off with the car, I called 911 and I screamed at the operator, asking them, Where the hell is that ambulance? Wheres the police?

Another neighbor, Dave Colon, said he ran out onto the street to find Noelia covered in blood. He said she had crawled from the street to a small patch of grass on the curb, while her grandson and granddaughter stood across the street in shock.

It was a terrible sight, he said.

Kathy Bellwood, whose husband owned the white van the pastor crashed into during the attack, said at the time that Noelia was crying or praying as she died. She was suffering because she was crying or praying in Spanish, she said, noting how the pastors wife was bleeding profusely.

Noelia was pronounced dead at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.
Jemar Tisby and critical race theory

Did you know that having disagreements with others who dont share your point of view isnt always a bad thing or has to end with both parties hating one another?

I may strongly disagree with people advancing a form of anti-racism in the church, but that doesnt mean were mortal enemies.

That said, I felt it necessary to write a thoughtful and respectful response to a few questionable beliefs that my brother in the Lord, Jemar Tisby, a prominent Evangelical voice for racial reconciliation, holds regarding racism, equality and justice.

I start by pointing out that I appreciate Tisbys passion to see Gods church unite under the banner of reconciliation. Some points presented in his book, How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice, were insightful and beneficial to me personally. In the book, Tisby talks about the need for more awareness, improvement in our relationships, and an undying commitment to dismantle racist structures, laws and policies if we hope to bring forth significant change and end racism.

Yet, as I dug further into Tisbys writings and listened to his teachings online, I came across four red flags you should be made aware of regarding Tisbys work on advancing racial justice:

Red flag #1: Aligning with anti-Christian thought

On multiple occasions, Tisby references and quotes from Robin DeAngelo, Ibram X. Kendi, and Eddo Lodge. All three of these writers are anti-Christian. In White Fragility, Dr. DiAngelo pushes the narrative that white people are inherently racist. The premise of Ibram X. Kendis book, How to Be an Antiracist, is that racism is the default of the world. You are either racist or anti-racist. There is no in-between.

Although Tisby defends a biblical view of the Imago Dei, he, nonetheless, embraces this mischaracterization of the human identity espoused by anti-Christian thinkers.

Its one thing to say racism is a moral evil and should never be tolerated. Its quite another to brand people as racist or anti-racist.

This sort of labeling of people is a red flag because the Bible doesnt artificially superimpose oppressed or oppressor as the universal identity of a person.

It inevitably leads to more discrimination. The very thing Tisby and his anti-Christian references say they oppose.

Red flag #2: Mistreating biblical text to advance a racial ideology

In an interview with Christianity Today, Tisby stated, We would first need to understand that all theological interpretation is contextual, that we all bring specific priorities to the text based on our own histories and social location. In this sense, theres no such thing as pure biblical interpretation. All our interpretation is shaped by our histories. This isnt to say there are no timeless truths or universal principles, but it is to say that even the questions we ask are going to vary across people groups and across time periods.

Tisby is partially correct.

However, the red flag here is that Tisby overlooks the most basic standards of hermeneutics.

Proper hermeneutics has nothing to do with a personal perspective. Our priorities, histories, or experiences, or even the color of our skin are never to be the catalyst or driving force to interpreting the Bible.

The proper standard of hermeneutics is to preserve the original intent of the author (as intended) and respect the conditions that produced the message (the text) to its designated recipients (the context).

Regrettably, I came across several teachings of Tisby online where it seemed common practice for him to decontextualize the Bible.

Allow me to present you with an example.

In a sermon taught by Tisby, he takes the prophetic passage of Jesus in Luke 4:18 (along with Genesis 3:15) and superimposes a black experience of oppression to the text.

The text reads, The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18).

If you read further in Luke 4:31-44, the primary oppression being described is more of a spiritual kind than anything else. However, to get the passage to comply with black liberation theology, Tisby interposes his personal views into the text. By doing this, Tisby undermines the prophetic word of Isaiah, stifles the Messianic fulfillment, and reduces Jesuss public declaration to set people free from their sins.

Red flag #3: Defending critical race theory (CRT)

In 2021, Tisby came out hard after the Lenses Institute (ministry of Cru) brought up concerns about CRT being taught in conjunction with their efforts to bring about racial reconciliation. Tisby called it fear-mongering over CRT and resistance to racial justice.

Therein lies the red flag.

To say Christians who oppose CRT are a resistance to racial justice is a harsh judgment and reveals Tisbys prejudice towards white people or anyone (no matter their religion or nationality) who doesnt see eye-to-eye with him on CRT.

In another article, Tisby falsely assumes that the war on CRT has its roots in conservative white churches. There certainly are voices from the conservative base, mostly white Christians. However, the primary defenses made against the ideology of CRT have nothing to do with a persons skin color. It has to do with the ideological framework of CRT that directly contradicts the Bible and violates another persons religious views and theology.

Not all Christians who oppose CRT are making a concerted effort to undermine biblical unity among different ethnic groups. I am one of them.

Red flag #4: Misconstruing racial injustices

There are many faulty and sometimes vague assumptions in the book. For example, a centerpiece of Tisbys How to Fight Racism is racial justice. On pages 5 and 6, Tisby writes, To enact society-wide change, people must commit to deconstructing laws that have a disparate impact on people of different races and rewrite the rules so they lead to greater equity among people of all races and ethnicities. If you notice, Tisbys definition is never well-defined and lacks a path of biblical justice and restoration.

My friend, Neil Shenvi, posted a blog on his website entitled A House Divided: A Review of Tisbys How to Fight Racism. In his blog, Neil presents two primary concerns. First, Tisby tends to conflate racial disparities with racial injustice. And the second concern has to do with Tisbys use of equity over equality.

Neil writes, Tisbys distinction between 'equality' and 'equity,' which is common in anti-racist circles, explicitly and intentionally challenges colorblind approaches to 'racial justice.' Of course, this distinction is sometimes reasonable: no one thinks that it is 'unfair' to build wheelchair ramps on the grounds that we are giving 'special treatment' to disabled individuals. On the other hand, many people are understandably uncomfortable with the idea that race alone entails that a particular individual needs differential treatment to offset the disadvantages they face. To give special consideration to a wealthy black student whose parents are both doctors on the grounds that he is somehow disadvantaged seems both unrealistic and condescending.

In other words, in Tisbys mind, anything that perpetuates inequities is the result of racism, which would mean that any wealth achieved is because of discrimination. By the same token, any poverty experienced by a person of color is because of discrimination. Therefore, to level the playing field, it is necessary to steal from those who have more so that minorities can have their fair share.

I believe you see the red flag to this kind of thinking.

At the end of the day, I respect Tisby as a Christian leader and pray, together, we can stand united in our love for the gospel and for one another  even with our staunch disagreements.
Eritrean Orthodox patriarch dies after 15 years under house arrest

Abune Antonios, the former head of Eritreas Orthodox church, has died at the age of 94 after spending 15 years in detention as a prisoner of conscience for resisting the Eritrean governments interference in church affairs.

Patriarch Antonios, who was removed from administrative control of the Patriarchate in 2005 and put under house arrest in 2007, died Wednesday morning, the U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported.

The patriarchs body was taken to the Abune Andreas monastery, to which he belonged, for the burial on Thursday morning, the group said, adding that a large crowd gathered at his burial site, many of whom had traveled long distances on foot.

Antonios was removed for reasons including refusing to expel 3,000 members of the Orthodox renewal movement, Medhane Alem, for speaking out against the detention of three priests from the movement, and for objecting to the imposition of Yoftahe Demitros, a pro-government lay person, as its general secretary, CSW said.

He was deposed in January 2006 following secret meetings of the Holy Synod that were convened in contravention of the church canon.

Antonios was first put under de facto arrest in his official residence until May 7, 2007, when his personal pontifical insignia and clothing were seized, and he was officially placed under house arrest in an undisclosed location in the Eritrean capital, Asmara.

A few months later, he was illegally replaced by Bishop Dioscoros, a clergyman approved of by the Eritrean government, but who remained unrecognized by the Orthodox papacy in Egypt until his death in 2015.

Since 2017, the patriarch was only seen in smuggled videos in which he continued to fearlessly criticize the conditions and grounds of his detention.

In 2019, five pro-government bishops signed a statement accusing the patriarch of having committed heresy, stripping him of all official authority and effectively excommunicating him.

Abune Antonios was a deeply principled man who prioritized his calling over the politicization of the Church by a regime deemed to have committed crimes against humanity since 1991, CSWs founder and President Mervyn Thomas said.

Despite 16 years of unremitting pressure, mistreatment and defamation, the patriarch never compromised, even when it could have led to his reinstatement. He chose instead to protect the integrity and doctrine of the Church with which he had been entrusted, at the cost of freedom and comfort in his twilight years, Thomas added.

Eritreas President Isaias Afewerki is a member of the Eritrean Orthodox Church in Asmara  belonging to the largest among the only three Christian denominations allowed to function in the country: the Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches.

Afewerki, 75, whos the leader of the ruling Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice Party, also has a reputation of being an alcoholic and a ruthless autocrat. Afewerkis policy of restrictions is more about his fear that religion will mobilize people as a political force than religion itself.

When arrested, Eritreas persecuted Christians often disappear without a trace, leaving their loved ones with no information on their whereabouts or safety. Prison conditions are some of the harshest in the world, with inmates kept in shipping containers and believers often tortured in an attempt to get them to renounce their faith.
Muslim extremists beat Christian apologist unconscious in Uganda

Islamic extremists beat a Christian apologist and evangelist unconscious as he was traveling to participate in a debate about Christianity and Islam in Kampala, Uganda, according to a report.

Two men stopped the car of 43-year-old apologist Charles Kamya when he was about 300 meters from the open-air debate site in the Bwaise area of Kampala and then a mob attacked him, Morning Star News reported.

I stopped my car only to be ambushed by six other Muslims in Islamic attire who resurfaced from the bush at around midday, Kamya was quoted as saying from his hospital bed.

One of the assailants told him, You have been terrorizing our religion. Today Allah has called you, and you are going to meet him. Some beat me badly while others cut me with some objects, and I lost a lot of blood as they pulled me out of my car and threw me out, he said.

In the Jan. 29 attack, he was hit on his head with an iron bar, leaving him unconscious for about two hours. A passerby found him in a pool of blood and called the police.

Kamyas father fears his son will be attacked again and has asked the hospital to release him against the doctors advice.

Days before the attack, Kamya had gone to a mosque in the Jinja area to buy a Quran, accompanied by a Muslim convert to Christianity. He then debated Muslims in that mosque.

I used the Quran to show Muslims that from the beginning of the Earth to date, God wants all people to be saved, including Muslims, Kamya said. I also discussed Surah 72 about the powers of evil jinn, and that they can be defeated by Issa [Jesus], and many Muslims converted to Christ. One sheik wanted to grab the Quran from me, but I refused and left immediately.

Another debate was scheduled for Jan. 29, organized by Bwaise area churches.

It was well publicized, with my photo displayed as the main debater of the day in Christian-Muslim dialogue, Kamya said.

While most people in Uganda are Christian, some Eastern and Central regions have higher concentrations of Muslims.

According to the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, about 11.5% of Ugandas population is Muslim, mostly Sunni. Armed attacks and murders of converts are not uncommon in the region.

Radical Islams influence has grown steadily, and many Christians within the majority-Muslim border regions are facing severe persecution, especially those who convert from Islam, a Voice of the Martyrs factsheet notes.

Despite the risks, evangelical churches in Uganda have responded by reaching out to their neighbors; many churches are training leaders how to share the Gospel with Muslims and care for those who are persecuted after they become Christians.
Suspect Keynisha Mitchell is wanted by the Elk Grove police for the Feb. 9 assault.
'I have set your Jesus ablaze': 2 pastors beaten by radical Hindus who set fire to Bible in attack

A dozen Hindu nationalists harassed and beat up two pastors and set fire to a Bible one was carrying after accusing them of converting people to Christianity by offering money, according to a report.

The pastors, identified as Sanjay Kumar and Inderjit, were in the northern Indian state of Haryana returning home after visiting a Christian family for prayers on the roof of their home in the Anand Nagar area of Ambala Cantonment when the mob, which included women, attacked them, Morning Star News reported about the Jan. 28 attack.

The pastors were accused of receiving foreign funds and offering money to people in an attempt to get them to convert.

Visibly hostile, some people in the mob filmed the pastors while questioning them in coarse language without letting them answer, Pastor Kumar was quoted as saying.

Sanjay Rana, a neighbor and member of the Hindu extremist Bajrang Dal, was leading the mob, he said.

Rana seized Pastor Inderjits drivers license and Pastor Kumars ID card, and then the mob began punching and slapping them. They also snatched the Bible from Kumars hand.

Their beating did not pain me as much as the snatching of my Bible did, Pastor Kumar said. I began to weep. I said, This is my Bible ... this is my Jesus. Please give my Bible back to me. A woman and a man from the crowd using a matchbox burned my Bible, and she sarcastically exclaimed, See, I have set your Jesus ablaze.

The mob then tried to force the pastors to recite a devotional hymn in praise of the Hindu god Hanuman and attempted to abduct the pastors and take them to a Hindu temple to force them to bow before idols, Pastor Kumar said. They began to force us to enter their car. When we resisted firmly, they said, Lets call the police.

Pastor Inderjit said he was glad at the possibility of police arriving and ending the 90 minutes of physical and mental abuse. As Pastor Kumar was dizzy due to the beating, one of the assailants said they should let them go, and the two pastors fled.

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014, attacks on Christians have increased and intensified.

While Christians make up only 2.3% of Indias population and Hindus comprise about 80%, there has been an uptick in radical Hindu nationalist attacks on religious minorities.

With 486 incidents of violence against the Christian community in India, 2021 was the most violent year for Christians in the countrys history, according to the United Christian Front.

In its report, the United Christian Front noted that in nearly all cases reported nationwide, vigilante mobs composed of religious extremists have been seen to either barge into a prayer gathering or round up individuals that they believe are involved in forcible religious conversions.

The watchdog group Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, reports that Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences.

Hindu extremists believe that all Indians should be Hindus and that the country should be rid of Christianity and Islam, an Open Doors fact sheet on India explains. They use extensive violence to achieve this goal, particularly targeting Christians from a Hindu background. Christians are accused of following a foreign faith and blamed for bad luck in their communities.
home World Taliban detaining Westerners in Afghanistan, including 1 American: reports



The Taliban controlled-government of Afghanistan is holding at least nine foreign nationals in custody, including one United States citizen, according to various reports released Friday.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees took to Twitter on Friday to announce that two reporters working with their organization were being detained in that nation's capital.

Two journalists on assignment with UNHCR and Afghan nationals working with them have been detained in Kabul. We are doing our utmost to resolve the situation, in coordination with others. We will make no further comment given the nature of the situation, the UNHCR tweeted.

Steven Butler, Asia program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement that he considered the detaining of the journalists a sad reflection of the overall decline of press freedom and increasing attacks on journalists under Taliban rule.

Andrew North and the other, unidentified journalist should be freed immediately and allowed to continue their work, and the Taliban must halt its repeated attacks on and harassment of journalists, Butler said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that around nine people were being detained, which included the UNHCR workers, as well as seven westerners who had been in Afghanistan since last December.

The Wall Street Journal reported that around nine people were being detained, including the UNHCR workers and seven westerners who had been in Afghanistan since last December.

Most of them had worked in the security sector, according to people with knowledge of their activities in Afghanistan, the Journal reported on Friday.

Before their arrests, most were working openly in Afghanistan, with frequent official contact with the Taliban leadership, these people said. Some were helping facilitate the evacuation of at-risk Afghans from the country.

The Washington Post cited a member of a Taliban intelligence unit in Kabul who said that several foreign nationals had been arrested on charges of working for Western intelligence agencies.

The person familiar with the arrest said the two journalists and the Afghan nationals were detained earlier this week and days of negotiations have failed to secure their release, The Washington Post reported.

Over the past several years, the United States has gradually lowered its troop numbers in Afghanistan after removing the Taliban regime in 2001 after the 9/11 terror attacks.

In February 2020, then-President Donald Trump announced that he had made a deal with Taliban insurgents to end the war and withdraw the remaining U.S. troops in the Central Asian nation.

Last year, President Joe Biden withdrew the remaining troops without first evacuating military equipment and U.S. civilians who were in the country. In August, the Taliban retook most of the country with unexpected speed, prompting a major evacuation crisis. Several Americans reported being attacked and beaten by the Taliban as they attempted to reach Kabul airport.

In response to the crisis, the Biden administration sent approximately 6,000 troops to help evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghans. However, many Americans and Afghan allies were not evacuated and left behind.

Earlier this month, U.S. Senate Republicans released a report that said the Biden administration left hundreds or possibly thousands of Americans behind in Afghanistan, in contrast to the official statistics compiled by the U.S. State Department.

The failure of senior Biden Administration leadership to plan for this fateful day resulted in a rushed evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Americans, third-country nationals, and Afghans, the report said.

It left behind hundreds, possibly thousands, of American citizens, tens of thousands of Afghan partners, and a legacy of betrayal of American allies.

After the evacuation, Biden said the U.S. would "ensure that we will maintain the capability and the vigilance to address future terrorist threats from Afghanistan."

"America went to Afghanistan 20 years ago to defeat the forces that attacked this country on September 11th. That mission resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden over a decade ago and the degradation of al Qaeda," said Biden in an Aug. 14 statement.

"I was the fourth President to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan  two Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth."



Originally published in The Christian Post.
Why would the Department of Defense invest thousands of hours and millions of dollars into developing futuristic technologies then license these discoveries to American startups?

In short, American innovation holds the key to sustained peace and unlocks tremendous opportunities for prosperity when entrepreneurs can commercialize dual-use technologies for societal benefit. Harnessing scientific breakthroughs is the reason America prevailed in previous wars. Advancing new technology startups not only drives economic development but may also play a pivotal role in supporting defense initiatives.

Radar is a great example of a technology that changed the tide of World War II. Applying radio detection and ranging helped American and Allied forces identify threats earlier and prepare an offensive position to protect our troops. Radar technology had been developed and deployed, but the warnings were unfortunately ignored before the attack on Pearl Harbor which could have saved many lives.

Related: Cyber Security Becoming a Critical Component Of National Security

Making the leap from university to national security

As an undergraduate, I was inspired by my grandmothers stories and decided to chase a dream to attend the University of Hawaii to study innovation and entrepreneurship. My grandmother became a widow and single mother when she lost her husband in the attack on Pearl Harbor. She remarried when she met my grandfather upon his return from war in Europe, where he fought as a first-generation American, in areas his ancestors had defended generations earlier.

Her stories manifested into a journey thousands of miles from Missouri to Hawaii and all began with the belief that anything was possible if I was willing to work to achieve it. This philosophy may resonate with many entrepreneurs as it is the dedication to our dreams that makes them become a reality. We rarely know where we will go but we must be willing to think big, believe and take that first step towards our future.

When the opportunity to interact with the Department of Defense and the National Security Innovation Network was shared in the entrepreneurship center, I immediately jumped to seize this dream scenario. Seeing what most Americans would assume is Top Secret tech was too great to pass up and the idea of licensing and developing deep tech, supported by the DoD, presented an opportunity I never knew existed.

The Defense Innovation Accelerator powered by FedTech, now called Foundry, was my first introduction to the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN).

Related: Recalibrating National Security To Improve Cybersecurity

The power of the network

NSIN is a DoD innovation office structured under the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering that connects priorities of DoD mission partners with talent and technology in the private sector and academia. This organization opened my eyes to the potential of dual-use technologies through a connected problem-solving network.

I was matched with a tremendous cofounder and former Marine, who shared my excitement for energy accessibility and the potential that it unlocked. Together we built a wireless power startup virtually during the pandemic, utilizing intellectual property developed at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division. These connections at NSWC Crane opened doors to a career in defense innovation and a new network in national security.

It is now my honor to serve my country through innovation and entrepreneurship as the National Security Innovation Network University Program Director at Washington University in St. Louis. As a contractor with GXM Consulting, I have the privilege to contribute to the amazing GXM and NSIN teams, and serve an institution where I previously worked as the associate director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.

Creating cutting-edge technologies is vital to success, but a network must be established for the adoption and utilization of any innovation. The lessons learned from World War II technologies still apply over eighty years later as the DoD must prepare for the future.

Inventions and demonstrations will not win the war.

Equipping entrepreneurs with the tech to establish nontraditional startups, investing significant funding to research and development, then supporting the transition of the most promising startup technologies will be the key to maintaining Americas scientific superiority.

Serving your country by building a tech startup, licensing defense-funded innovations, and presenting solutions to national security challenges are opportunities that every entrepreneur should seize. America is in a new space race and will need significant investments in science and technology to win multi-domain operations across land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace. This elevates the stakes and makes the opportunity to work in national security even more interesting and impactful.

Related: Cyber Security Becoming a Critical Component Of National Security

Copyright 2022 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Farmer in Zhejiang contributes to common prosperity by developing fruit and vegetable cooperative

People's Daily Online) 13:31, February 16, 2022

Xin Hongquan, a farmer in east China's Zhejiang Province, has brought wealth to local villagers by developing a fruit and vegetable cooperative, with its annual output value now exceeding 100 million yuan (about $15.74 million).

Photo shows Xin Hongquan (second from the right) at a planting base. (Photo courtesy of Zhejiang Open University)

Established in 2005, Xins cooperative has over 7,780 mu (about 518.7 hectares) of land and about 140 employees. He has succeeded in interplanting watermelon with celtuce, having later introduced this agricultural mode of production to local farmers, and which has already been applied to more than 20,000 mu of land, a venture that has proved most profitable for locals.

Equipped with a smart irrigation system, the greenhouses in the vegetable planting base of this cooperative are brimming with vitality, which stands in stark contrast with the damp cold winter outside. The temperature inside the greenhouse is about 20 degrees Celsius, 10 degrees Celsius higher than the temperature outside, Xin said. Celtuce is planted during this season, which will be soon be followed by watermelons, he added.

In addition, his planting base has selected some new species out of about 40 varieties for farmers to grow every year, which also ensures the health of the plants for growers. Xin also suggested farmers try to sell their farm produce on livestreaming sessions.

Xin started his career as a farmer in 1997 when he retired from the army. Due to a lack of knowledge on growing melons, we encountered many difficulties in the early stage, said Feng Yunfen, Xins wife. Then he searched for relevant information, asked experts for help, and tried again and again in the greenhouse, she added. At the same time, the couple also attended the Zhejiang Open University to learn marketing in a bid to open up more sales channels.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
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Texas will receive $1.167 billion in a global opioid agreement with Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen, three of the nations largest pharmaceutical companies, according to a Feb. 16 press release from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The settlement, which 52 states and territories signed on to, totals $26 billion, according to the release.

The release said the companies were sued for their role in fueling a nationwide opioid epidemic.

Texans have been devastated by the opioid crisis and it is important that this settlement is proportioned fairly among the communities that need it most, Paxton said in the release. Pharmaceutical companies that have been at the root of the problem must be involved in not only changing their business practices to keep this tragic epidemic from taking more lives in the future, but also by providing treatment for those currently still struggling with opioid addiction.

This is the fifte statewide opioid settlement Paxton has finalized for Texas, the release said, securing Texas over $1.89 billion from opioid manufacturers and distributors.

The state recently reached a $225 million settlement agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, which includes $75 million worth of opioid overdose medication Narcan, a Feb. 7 press release said. Other settlements include a $290 million agreement with Johnson & Johnson, a $63 million settlement with Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and a $34.8 million agreement with McKinsey, according to various press releases.

Every community across the nation has been touched by the opioid crisis. Weve lost more than a million Americans to this epidemic, and sadly, its at an all-time high as overdose deaths continue to rise in the face of the pandemic and its resulting anxiety, stress, and dislocation, Paxton added in the release. Were encouraged by this support of local governments and committed to doing everything in our power to get the full share of funds for the people of our states so we can help people get treatment and recovery resources as quickly as possible.
A week after Cypress-area residents woke to hateful flyers plastered on their cars and homes, families in Astasocita have reported finding similar literature distributed in neighborhoods northeast of the city.

According to a CNN report published Wednesday, two residential areas in Atascocita were targeted by racist and anti-Semitic leaflets emblazoned with, among other hateful messaging, the image of Adolf Hitler and the words "We can do it again."

Resident Stacie Brady told CNN her family returned home around midnight Saturday to discover the offending materials scattered across her driveway. "I know that racism stuff exists," Brady said. "I've never seen anything like this before."

Brady spent roughly three hours Sunday walking her neighborhood picking up hundreds of flyers, which were strewn about the block in plastic bags weighted down with rocks, she told ABC 13's Roxie Bustamante. According to Brady, her home surveillance system recorded an individual cruising the neighborhood and throwing the bagged leaflets from a vehicle into lawns and driveways around 11:51 p.m. Saturday evening.

"As we were leaving to get something to eat, we saw more [racist flyers]," Brady told Bustamante, "We didn't want anybody to wake up to that in the morning. Sunday morning, people going to church. I didn't want people to see that, so we had to do something."

Atascocita resident Johanna Odell likewise discovered hateful propaganda littered on her property and took it upon herself to clean up the baggies. "I was just so livid," Odell told Bustamante. "I looked around and saw that the same bags were in my neighbors' driveways so I went around and started picking them up because I didn't want my neighbors waking up to find this trash in our neighborhood...this hate, it's upsetting."

The rash of racist flyers distributed in Atascocita follows similar events reported in the suburb of Cypress earlier this month, where men in ski masks were witnessed spreading white supremacist literature in the Copperfield area on the night of Feb 5. According to KHOU 11's Anayeli Ruiz, these flyers featured racist cartoons targeting African-Americans and the slogan "2026 A Race Odyssey."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Houston Chapter, is investigating the Cypress incident, per Ruiz. "It's so ugly to see that being handed out in the Houston area," said William White, CAIR director of operations. "It sends a message of hate...there is no tolerance for that in this city."
A total of 10 people have been indicted on allegations of participating in a $300 million health care fraud, with two Laredo doctors accused of accepting a combined $700,000 in kickbacks, according to court documents.

The U.S. Attorneys Office out of the Northern District of Texas identified the Laredo doctors as Jose Roel Maldonado and Eduardo Carlos Canova in a 26-count indictment.

Anti-kickback laws are designed to ensure that financial considerations do not cloud physicians judgment, said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. The Justice Department is determined to prosecute those flouting our nations health care fraud laws. Patients  and taxpayers  deserve rigorous enforcement.

Maldonado and Canova were each charged with conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, soliciting and receipt of illegal kickbacks and conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

The indictment states the accused engaged in a complex scheme that funneled illegal kickbacks to medical providers in exchange for the referral of prescribed tests, such as blood and toxicology, to laboratories controlled by certain defendants.

These kickbacks were disguised in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to fraudulent lease payments, salary offsets, payments to third parties, commissions, fraudulent medical adviser agreements, and ownership interests in certain laboratories. As a result of these kickbacks, laboratories controlled by certain defendants were able to submit more than $300 million in billing to federal government healthcare programs, states the indictment.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, the medical professionals allegedly accepted the bribes and ordered millions of dollars worth of tests as Unified, Spectrum and Reliable disguised the kickbacks as legitimate business transactions, including as medical adviser agreement payments, salary offsets, lease payments and marketing commissions.

Maldonado, a family medicine doctor who was based in Laredo, submitted orders that resulted in billings by Unified Laboratory Services and Spectrum in excess of $4 million to federal healthcare programs, court documents state.

Dr. Maldonado received over $400,000 in kickbacks, states the indictment.

Canova, an internal medicine specialist who was based in Laredo, also submitted orders to Unified and Spectrum that resulted in billings in excess of $12 million to federal healthcare programs, according to court documents.

Dr. Canova received over $300,000 in kickbacks, the indictment states.

Illegal kickback schemes corrupt the health care system. They cause billions of dollars in losses each year, generate business for dishonest service providers and erode trust in our health care system, said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to expose fraud and protect the public from illegal schemes.

The other defendants indicted include:

Jeffrey Paul Madison, 56, founder of Unified Laboratory Services and Spectrum Diagnostic Laboratory.

Mark Christopher Boggess, 49, chief operating officer for Spectrum and Unified.

Biby Ancy Kurian, 49, co-founder of Reliable Labs, LLC.

Abraham Phillips, 50, co-founder of Reliable Labs, LLC.

Keith Allen Wichinski, 50, board-certified nurse practitioner based in San Antonio.

David Michael Lizcano, 56, ]owner of DCLH, a marketing firm engaged by Unified, Spectrum and Reliable.

Laura Ortiz, 58, sister of David Lizcano and employee at his marketing firm.

Juan David Rojas, 34, owner of Rojas & Associates, another marketing firm engaged by Unified, Spectrum and Reliable.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said that if convicted, the defendants face up to 55 years or more in federal prison.

crodriguez@lmtonline.com
Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

More major political leaders continue to make their way to San Antonio and Austin to show support for two progressive local candidates running for Congress. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren will be at a rally in the Alamo City on February 22 to co-host an event with Jessica Cisneros.

The event will be from 5 to 6 p.m. at The Cherrity Bar, according to an event invite from the congressional candidate. Mini Timmaraju the President of NARAL Pro-Choice America will also be at the rally. Doors will open at 4:45 p.m.
After a rabid fox interacted with a person in Kerrville, Kerr County is making sure residents are on alert.

The fox came into contact with a person on February 8 on Main Street and has tested positive for rabies. It's Kerr Countys second official case of rabies in 2022.

Kerr County Environmental Health and Animal Services (KCAS) Director Reagan Givens said Kerr County Animal Control Services were informed about the fox on Main Street. They recovered the specimen and sent it to the zoological lab for testing the following day.

On Friday, February 11, KCAS received a positive rabies test from the fox.

"Rabies is a fatal, but preventable," Givens said. "In our country, rabies is mostly found in animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes and coyotes, but it can also spread to people from cows, dogs and others."

Rabies affects the central nervous system of its victims. If a person does not receive appropriate medical attention after a possible exposure, the virus diseases the brain and causes death, according to the county press release.

The person that came in contact was not bitten by the rabid fox, but KCAS advised the individual to seek medical attention from their physician.

If a dog or cat has been exposed to a rabid animal, Texas law stipulates that it must be humanely euthanized.

Most of the time, pet owners are not willing to do that. So, the law provides an alternative that must be strictly followed, Givens said.

If a dog or cat that's currently vaccinated is exposed to rabies, then they should be re-vaccinated immediately and restrained/confined for no fewer than 45 days. If the exposed pet has not been vaccinated, then it should be immediately and placed in strict isolation for 90 days, with booster rabies vaccinations in the third and eighth weeks of isolation.

Since the fox was in the city and not on rural property, Givens reminded residents that they can encounter the risk of rabies anywhere, so being prepared is key.

If anyone notices an animal acting strangely, call Kerr County Animal Services at 830-257-3100 or after-hours 830-896-1216.
Former "Reading Rainbow" host LeVar Burton is urging students to read banned books as efforts to remove certain works from classrooms and libraries across the country are becoming more widespread. During an appearance on "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah" this week, Burton poked fun at just how out of control the book bans have become.

In the short sketch "Reading in 2022 with LeVar Burton," the actor and literacy advocate repeatedly attempts to read books to viewers only to find that the each of his selections has been banned, including a children's book inspired by Rosa Parks called "Rosa."

"As it turns out, that book is banned because reading about segregation is divisive," Burton says about the book. "But since almost any book with Black people these days is considered divisive, here's one that doesn't have any people in it at all."

Burton then recommends "And Tango Makes Three," a children's book about two male penguins and their baby, only to find it has also been banned because of "sexual perversion"  even though, he notes, "there's no sex in the book at all."

"Y'all, they adopted the baby," Burton says. "What do you guys want? A mommy and daddy penguin so the kids can make sure that the penguins are knockin' boots?"

In a final attempt, Burton tries to read "Hop on Pop" by Dr. Suess, only to learn it too was flagged for being "disrespectful to parents." Burton, visibly frustrated, gives up and delivers this message to students: "There are plenty of books to choose from, but you know what? No. Read the books they don't want you to. That's where the good stuff is. Read banned books!"

The sketch followed a segment by host Trevor Noah discussing a recent surge in book bans, which he says is politically motivated. The American Library Association reports there were 330 book challenges in the fall, an increase from the same periods in recent years.

Noah said that while book bans have always existed, recently parents are trying to get books pulled simply for covering topics about race, gender and sexuality. He pointed to a Katy ISD parent's attempt earlier this month to ban a Michelle Obama biography.

"You can see how crazy this book-banning trend has gotten," Noah says. "They're banning books about race, gender, sexuality, emotions, history. Guys, that's all books."
Thousands of mail-in ballots are being rejected in Harris County and across Texas for not meeting voter ID requirements under the state's new controversial voting law. However, Gov. Greg Abbott's office is placing the blame on local election officials, not the new changes to voter requirements, for invalidated ballots.

Nan Tolson, a spokesperson for Abbott, told Newsweek Tuesday that officials should report such issues to the state instead of going to the media. "The bottom line is that counties should not be rejecting valid mail ballot applications," Tolson told Newsweek. "Reports of high rejection rates of mail ballot applications at the county level are the result of election officials erroneously interpreting the law and going to the press instead of the Texas Secretary of State's office for assistance."

Under Senate Bill 1, which took effect in December, voters are required to include their driver's license number or the last four digits of their social security number on their mail-in voting application and ballots. Those numbers must also match information on a voter's record to be accepted.

The March 1 primary is the state's first big election under the new law and Harris County, election officials have claim they have had to reject 40 percent of mail-in ballots received as of Monday, many due to issues pertaining to voter identification. A February poll by the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Politics Project found that at least 26 percent of Texas voters are unable to remember how they registered to vote.

"Either they're not filling it out at all or because this ID information was not previously required, we don't have all of this ID information already in our system," said Leah Shah, a spokesperson for the Harris County Elections Administrator's office. "So the challenge is, even if you provide us with a social security number and it is accurate, when we go into our system and you registered to vote with your Texas driver's license, we can't verify that your social security is accurate. So then we would have to reject it."

Voters and election officials are short on time to sort out any of these ID issues. Shah said the administrator's office has increased staff and hours to address these problems and educate voters that might not be aware of the new rules before Friday's deadline to apply to vote by mail.

"The decision by county election officials to reject valid mail ballot applications harms those eligible voters who have properly submitted their applications," Tolson said. "The Secretary of State's office has worked diligently to ensure counties have access to the resources and information they need to process mail ballot applications in accordance with the new law, including issuing new guidance and holding a formal training with counties."

In a video released Wednesday, two days before the deadline to apply to vote by mail, Texas Secretary of State John Scott shared step-by-step instructions on mail-in ballots. As many election officials already have, Scott also advised voters to include both a social security number and Texas driver's license number on their ballot to avoid delays.

The office has faced staunch criticism ahead of the primary for limiting voter registration forms, prompting litigation threats by local voter registration groups such as the Houston chapter of the Texas League of Women Voters. The Texas Civil Rights Project, MOVE Texas Action Fund, and Common Cause Texas along with 30 other civil rights groups issued a complaint Monday saying the office failed to provide adequate and timely guidance to counties on how to handle new rules.

The letter also alleges the office rolled out an online ballot tracker website in mid-January without educating voters about the system.

"The Secretary of State's office will continue to work with counties across the state to combat the misinformation being spread by county election officials and ensure that all valid mail ballot applications are processed," Tolson told Newsweek.
Florida, US (34429)

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Murat Ozkan joined international beverages company Anadolu Efes in 2019 after almost 30 years in various roles in IT, starting as a system analyst and more recently including stints in CIO and other leadership positions. His responsibilities range from managing the business application landscape to overseeing the whole IT infrastructure. From its base in Istanbul, Anadolu Efes has grown and is operating multiple sites, including in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Georgia.

In this Q&A, Ozkan chats with CIO Middle East about how he is building a data management strategy around analytics and AI  more specifically machine learning  in order to take advantage of growth opportunities.

CIO Middle East: Why did Anadolu Efes decide to begin its digital transformation journey? Could you explain to us some examples of technologies you implemented?

Having joined Anadolu Efes payroll, I did come up with a set of initiatives to prepare Anadolu Efes for the next digital era and kicked off a vast technology program including some projects in several domains to renovate the existing complex and outdated foundations to establish a strong digital core for future-readiness, also to harmonize business processes, unify master data and standardize technology components, make the organization more resilient and sustainable considering the digital disruptions and technological advancements and become more community and cloud-friendly to increase IT agility.

The establishment of a data-driven organization including data management, analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data visualization etc., involves implementing a set of business solutions utilizing Cloudera big data platform, Azure cognitive services, [cloud-based conversational AI service] Luis chatbot, Microsoft Power BI tool and IBM SPSS & DataStage (ETL) solutions.

We also have our project White Rabbit, which consists of the automation of manual repetitive and value-added tasks utilizing (UI Path) software robots. Employees save their time for creating brand-new business opportunities and service developments.

One more example of a successful project is the one named Logos. Basically, we built a simple, agile and integrated infrastructure and security to maximize application efficiency and user satisfaction for value creation and competitive advantages. Logos has a set of initiatives such as VMware NSX, Azure and IBM (public) cloud services, a data loss prevention solution, the MS Teams collaboration tool, privileged access management, etc.

CIO Middle East: What are some of the goals that Anadolu Efes has achieved by going through this digital transformation process? How do you define your digital starting point and which steps are important for a brewery organization to achieve digital growth?

I strongly believe that digital transformation should have several aspects, e.g., technology, business, finance, culture etc. So, to succeed in a decent transformation, all the aspects must be evaluated and handled in a close manner. Or else, the outputs will not create the desired gains or enhancements. We have already experienced many improvements, changes and gains by implementing business processes restructuring, democratization of the data and conversion of routine tasks into software robots  lots of benefits help us to increase our competitiveness in the new world and its conditions. Some of the benefits/gains might be enumerated as:

With the help of digital image technologies, representatives start taking real-time images for the assets such as [beverage] coolers to measure fraud, deficiencies and take related actions in a timely manner.

Digitizing the e-commerce, customer and order management processes, bringing a fresh breath to productization and time to market figures. Sales points may quickly access and acquire the brand-new products using the digital platforms, in a ubiquitous manner.

It took a quarter of the time to prepare standard profitability reports that are important for increased agility and shortened reaction time for strategic decisions.

CIO Middle East: Can you give us an insight to your vision of what a digitized organization is? What technologies are you using in order to have a digitized organization and what are your concerns for supporting agility and resilience?

So, a new vision was born and owned by managers at all levels: Build a world-class digital beer company across all business units and strategic business partners. Later on, we did kick-off a digital transformation program called Anadolu Efes Digital EXcellence Journey (DEX) with the participation of the leadership team and business functions such as HR, Logistics, Finance, Manufacturing, Legal, etc.

We created and enriched our DEX team with participants from several departments over the whole organization. Although this team takes the responsibility to build the digital future, they need close and strong support from all members of this organization. As being small parts of a whole, were ready together to spend our energy, to share our passion & love, to eliminate the barriers and to build the dream future, All for one, one for all. Our digital transformation has been started from Turkey and now spreading to all the other offices were operating around the world. There is no doubt, this would fire the competition in the market and strengthen our position. Our digital transformation is more than a technology upgrade, it mostly involves cultural transformation or change in way of working etc. Thats why communication plays a vital role in achieving our goals.

CIO Middle East: What could be the next steps of the digitization we will see in 2022?

Companies are using new technologies, such as the Internet of Things [IoT], advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data & analytics, 5G cell processing, cloud platforms and edge computing to enhance customer and partner experiences to drive new efficiencies. Using these technologies, we must deliver tailored and sustainable services (and products) to leverage our ecosystem and solidify opportunities.

CIO Middle East: As an executive, how can you summarize your digital expectations within a few sentences ?

I remember, the first time I talked with my colleagues in Anadolu Efes, I remarked with a few assertive words on the digital journey waiting for us: Friends, take your positions and fasten your seat belts: We will take our place among the digital stars  stars that sparkle with a combination of imagination & technology beautifying the digital experiences.

Id like to share another motto; If not now, then when: Lets plan, launch and grow  embrace the digital era together.
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Wilkes Barre, PA (18701)

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Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 73F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

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When Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, announced on Tuesday that he had settled a lawsuit brought by a woman who accused him of raping her as a teenager, the British royal family will try to put one of the most irritating scandals behind them.

However, given Prince Andrew's well-publicized, if enigmatic, financial ups and downs, doubts remain, not least who will pay the secret compensation.

Prince Andrew Regrets Association With Jeffrey Epstein

The deal avoids the possibility of humiliating facts regarding Prince Andrew's interactions with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who he met through his buddy, the billionaire and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, emerging for the Queen, who celebrated her 70th birthday earlier this month.

In a statement announcing the settlement, Prince Andrew stated he "regrets his involvement with Epstein and commends the fortitude of Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others in speaking up for themselves and others."

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration, which is due in June, would almost definitely have been overshadowed by a trial. The Queen's eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, was found to be reinfected by the coronavirus two days after he had been in touch with his 95-year-old mother, and the anniversary year has already begun on a sour note.

The Queen's official residence, Buckingham Palace, refuses to clarify whether she had contracted COVID-19 or had been tested for it. However, after the palace shared photographs of her having virtual audiences with ambassadors from Spain and Estonia, who were submitting their credentials, anxieties over her health eased a little on Tuesday.

The 73-year-old Prince Charles is said to be suffering from minor symptoms. When the virus first hit Britain in early 2020, he had his final dose of COVID-19. According to their family, his wife, Camilla, 74, tested positive on Monday as well. After missing many events due to illness last autumn, the Queen's current health issues occurred as a result of her illness.

Queen Elizabeth II has recently worked quickly to put her family's affairs in order since the monarchy is transitioning. She released a statement on the anniversary of her ascension, stating she hoped that once Prince Charles came to the throne, Camilla would be known as Queen, ending an issue that had long haunted the marriage.

Even though royal experts commonly regard him as her favorite son, Queen Elizabeth II tried to separate him from the family last month after a federal court in Manhattan refused Prince Andrew's attempt to dismiss Giuffre's sexual abuse case. He was deprived of his honorary military credentials and told not to use the term "His Royal Highness," and that he would defend himself "as a private person," according to the palace, New York Times reported.

Read Also: Queen Elizabeth II Children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Their Line of Succession

Queen Elizabeth Refuses to Comment About Prince Andrew's Sexual Abuse Case

The Child Victims Act, a New York state law, adopted in 2019 that temporarily extended the statute of limitations in child sex abuse prosecutions, was the basis for Giuffre's lawsuit. A move to dismiss the case was dismissed by Judge Kaplan last month. On March 10, Prince Andrew was supposed to make an oath-taking statement.

The long-running claims against him have already harmed Prince Andrew's public image, and he resigned from the throne in late 2019. The Duke of York was deprived of his military titles and charities as a result of the judge's judgment last month, according to Buckingham Palace.

According to a representative for the palace, the palace will not comment on the settlement. The Duke and his legal staff are in charge of this. On Tuesday, one of Giuffre's lawyers said she was "extremely delighted" with the settlement of the lawsuit, as per CNN.

As the Duke of York remains deprived of his royal titles, the Queen has declined to comment on her son Prince Andrew's out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre. In January, the Queen revoked her second son of his prized honorary military titles and royal patronages, as well as his HRH style, thus casting him out of the institution.

The Palace's announcement confirming the modifications on January 13 is still believed to be valid, with the Duke continuing to abstain from all public obligations. Today, the Royal Palace refuses to comment on the situation. According to a royal expert, the Duke of York's civil sex assault suit will "forever be soiled," according to Mirror.

Related Article: Prince Andrew Reportedly Toured Ghislaine Maxwell, Bill Clinton in Buckingham Palace; Jeffrey Epstein's Madam Introduced as Duke's Ex-Girlfriend

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Oklahoma City, OK (73106)

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The CCNI is the regulator for charities in Northern Ireland

Fresh charities legislation in Northern Ireland will resolve an issue that had invalidated much of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI)s work.

In 2019 a legal ruling found that CCNI board could not delegate decision-making to members of staff, this meant that decisions about charity registrations and investigations were invalid.

The new Charities Bill was introduced last year to address some of the issues and passed its final stage last week. It is now awaiting royal assent.

Deirdre Hargey, communities minister, said: I am delighted that this important piece of legislation has passed final stage. The bill will bring real benefits to over 6,500 charities and those that rely on them.

I believe that the provisions in this bill, together with the Review of Charity Regulation which has just been published, position us well to reclaim public and stakeholder confidence in charity regulation here.

The new act means that most of previous decisions by CCNI staff will be considered lawful, except where they could affect individuals rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Anyone who wants to appeal a decision that has now been made lawful, will have 91 days from the date of royal assent to appeal.

The legislation also reinstates the requirement for charities to compile accounts for their first full financial year after 1 April 2022.

Consultation to delegate decisions to staff

The bill means that CCNI can create a scheme of delegation, so that some decisions can be taken by staff.

This will be subject to public consultation.

CCNI: The act will bring certainty

CCNI is now developing updated guidance that it will publish on its website.

In a statement it said: The Commission has welcomed the progress of the legislation, noting that it will effectively reinstate the register of charities and give certainty to charities, the public, funders and others as to which organisations are registered charities in Northern Ireland.

It added: The act will bring certainty to all those decisions, and reassurance to charities that they can rely upon them and any transactions which have been carried out on foot of such decisions. The safeguards within the Act ensure that additional strain will not be placed on charities and any lingering uncertainty will be lifted.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
The New York Times is not liable in a case of alleged defamation brought by Sarah Palin, a unanimous nine-person jury found on Tuesday afternoon in Manhattan.

The federal case, Sarah Palin v. New York Times Company, tried in the Southern District of New York, was the first defamation case against the paper to reach a jury trial in eighteen years. It was filed in 2017 in response to an article by the Times editorial board that inaccurately linked the former Republican vice-presidential nominee and governor of Alaska to the shooting in 2011 that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others.

But the jury, who rendered their verdict this afternoon, after nearly fifteen hours of deliberations over three days, did not know that the judge in the case, Jed Rakoff, had already planned to find in favor of the Times on procedural grounds.

Palins lawyers, he said, hadnt provided evidence that the Times and James Bennet, the former editor of its opinion page and a codefendant in the case, had intended to harm Palin, a requirement in defamation cases against public figures.

Had the jury disagreed, the Times would still have prevailed, and the jurys judgment would have been preserved in case Rakoffs decision was reversed on appeal. But, in the end, the jury reached the same conclusion he did. Your job was to decide the facts; my job is to decide the law, Judge Rakoff told the jury. As it turns out, they were in agreement in this case.

In the courtroom, Bennet appeared relieved but declined to comment.

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A spokesperson for the Times called the verdict a reaffirmation of a fundamental tenet of American law: public figures should not be permitted to use libel suits to punish or intimidate news organizations that make, acknowledge, and swiftly correct unintentional errors.

Were obviously disappointed with this verdict, Palins lawyer Ken Turkel, who was a member of the legal team that had successfully represented Hulk Hogan in a 2016 case against Gawker Media, told reporters outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

That being said, any time a jury convenes and renders a decision, that is our systemthats whats allowing a private citizen like Governor Palin, or any private citizen, to seek redress against a giant media company who holds so much power.

Obviously we felt yesterdays order was disappointing, and from our perspective, it was premature, said Turkel, referring to Judge Rakoffs statement that he would dismiss the case himself as a matter of law regardless of the jury verdict.

Palin nodded along but made no comment.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Caleb Pershan is a CJR fellow.
An auto insurer is not required to pay underinsured motorist benefits to the son of man who was killed in an auto crash because the father was not insured by its policy, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in an unanimous decision.

The high court overturned what it called a hyper-literal interpretation of state law by a panel of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, which ruled in 2020 that state law requires insurers to pay UIM benefits to any insured who is legally entitled to recover damages for bodily injury or death caused by an underinsured motorist.

The Supreme Courts unanimous opinion said the appellate panel failed to read the statute within the context of an insurance coverage system.

Statutory interpretation centers on the ascertainment of meaning, not the recitation of words in isolation, the opinion says. By declining to address statutory context, the court of appeals erroneously confined its statutory analysis to the definition in Wis. Stat.  632.32(2)(d).

Elliot Brey, a minor, filed a claim against his mothers auto insurance policy with State Farm Automobile Insurance Co. after his father Ryan B. Johnson was killed in a 2015 auto accident. Brey was insured by the policy because he was a member of his mothers household, but Johnson lived elsewhere and was not.

Nonetheless, Breys attorneys that the state statute that establishes minimum coverages for auto insurance policies does not permit insurers to limit the UIM coverage available to only insured persons who are injured. The Monroe County Circuit Court didnt buy that argument and granted summary judgment in favor of State Farm, but the Court of Appeals reversed.

Even though the State Farm policy states that coverage is available for bodily injuries only to insured persons, the Fourth District Court of Appeals panel said the plain language of Section 632.32 prohibits that exclusion. The so-called omnibus statute establishes minimum coverages for Wisconsin auto insurance policies.

The panel said the statute defines UIM coverage as coverage for the protection of persons insured under that coverage who are legally entitled to recover damages for bodily injury, death, sickness, or disease from owners or operators of underinsured motor vehicles. Brey matches that definition, the panel found.

State Farm appealed. The Wisconsin Insurance Alliance and Wisconsin Defense Counsel filed amicus briefs supporting the insurers position.

Requiring insurers to cover the risks associated with individuals who are strangers to the insurance transaction, who are unidentified, and about whom the insurer lacks any information poses significant challenges to, and costs on, insurers who write policies in Wisconsin, attorneys for the Insurance Alliance said in their brief.

Alliance President Andy Franken said the legislature passed sweeping overhauls of the state insurance statute in 2009, but the vast majority of those changes were repealed after a Republican majority wrested control of the statehouse away from Democrats in 2010. He said plaintiffs attorneys thought they found an opportunity in the newly worded statute to greatly expand uninsured motorists coverage.

Getting a unanimous Supreme Court opinion sends a clear message that this is not the way to view the statute, even if it could be written better, Franken said.

The Supreme Court said if it accepted the Court of Appeals ruling, the omnibus statute would conflict with itself. For example, Section 632.32(5)(f) and (g) permits limits on coverage for insured persons who suffer bodily injury. The opinion said it would be nonsensical to apply those limits to insured persons but allow uninjured insureds to circumvent them.

When read in its entirety, the court said, it is clear that the statute intends for UIM coverage to extend only to insured persons who suffer bodily injury.

We conclude the circuit court properly granted State Farms motion for summary judgment and the court of appeals erred in reversing it, the opinion says.
On Jan. 5, a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT with just 780 miles on its odometer sold on the online auction site Bring a Trailer for $1.9 million. The astounding sum set a world record for the sale of this kind of supercar at auction.

A second 2005 Porsche Carrera GT beat that record just two weeks later, when it sold on BAT for $2 million. That Carrera GT had logged just 250 miles.

It was the waifish odometer reading on the second car that helped it break the record, even though it came in a less desirable silver color.

Oh yes, we see a meaningful increase in bidding and sale prices depending on mileage, said Randy Nonnenberg, the co-founder of BAT, via email about the sale. And online buyers care as much about mileage as any other buyers.

Hagerty estimates that for vehicles so special that theyve been collectible since their first drivesomething like a 2005 Ford GTexamples with from 100 to 1,000 miles are worth 67% more on average than similar examples with more mileage. Theyre worth a whopping 88% more if the dial reads below 100 miles. Even for vehicles that have slowly become collectable over time, such as the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon, ultralow mileage can mean a 60% value premium.

Either way, a genuinely low odometer reading can translate to significant value, says John Wiley, the senior automotive analyst at Hagerty, a car insurance and analytics company based in Traverse City, Mich.

Mileage matters less on vehicles produced in high volumes, such as this red 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SL. Photographer: Demetrius Freeman/Bloomberg

Cars as Collectibles, Not Driveables

Traditionally, cars with low mileage attract people who wanted that particular model when it was new but couldnt afford it at the time; when they finally can afford one, they are willing to pay a higher number to get one in mint condition, ready to show off. If youre thinking of putting your car into a concours-style competition, youll be looking for very minimal logged mileage, Nonnenberg said. Perfect examples of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, Ferrari 250 GTO, and Aston Martin DB6 from years past and more recently, the McLaren P1, Jaguar XJ220, and Maserati MC12 all fall into this category: The lower the miles, the better.

This crew of investors and speculators usually has the deepest, biggest pockets. Low mileage vintage vehicles with a long-standing owner or great documentation like mileage logs are very sought after and bring higher prices, Nonnenberg said in an email.

If a particular car doesnt come in a special color or trim that makes it stand out, a low number on the odometer will do the trick, adds Gord Duff, the global head of auctions at RM Sothebys: I think everybody always wants to have the best example of that particular type of car.

But then you cant really use it. Ever.

The people who buy the 200-mile car are going to treat it like a sculpture, with zero intention of actually driving it, says Duff. They may even be very cautious about driving it across the parking lot, because so much of the value is wrapped up in the mileage.

So Whats Low?

There are different levels to what is considered low mileage. They depend on such things as how old a car is, how many were made, and whether it was made for the street or track. For a Porsche 959, 26,000 miles is extremely high mileage, since few were made, most were raced, and its a 35-year-old car. That amount would be average on a Porsche 991 Turbo S, which started unlimited production in 2011 and ended production just three years ago. For any supercar, especially a modern one like the Bugatti Chiron, 4,000 miles is outrageously high.

It sometimes seems like 70% of all 2005-2006 Ford GTs out there have under 5,000 miles on them, even though they are nearing 20 years old, Nonnenberg says.

European drivers in general seem less concerned about adding on the miles than are Americans or owners in the Middle East, where some wealthy people brag about owning cars theyve never even started.

In Europe, there are a lot more guys driving their cars and not trying to find the next-lowest-mileage [car], says Duff. Some of these supercars like the [Ferrari] F40 can have 60,000 or 75,000 kilometers on them.

The less rare and specialized the vehicle, generally, the less low mileage will matter. Some of the newer ones such as the Mercedes SLs of the 1980s and Chevrolet Corvettes of the 1970s have become trendy regardless of mileage. They were produced by the tens of thousands so they are hardly rareand they were never supremely expensive to begin with.

What If You Cant Measure It?

Many older vehicles, from Ford Broncos and Chevrolet Camaros to BMW 2002s have five-digit odometers that regularly turn over to start anew, making it difficult to verify total miles.

Odometers of the last 20 years dont tend to break like the old rotating geared units used to, and cars in the USA built starting in 1981 have public records of many of their sales and service visits, so accuracy is easier to validate, Nonnenberg said. With older cars, we will often caveat descriptions with miles shown if only documented by an old odometer and TMU which stands for True Mileage Unknown if a car has been restored or had work done to the gauges.

Any such car advertised as an ultralow mileage vehicle should be approached with a healthy dose of skepticism. In this instance, it is worth obtaining the title history of the vehicle from the Department of Motor Vehicles and noting the milage recorded over the years; that can help determine how many total miles the car has.

The Real Badge Of Honor: Surviving

The contrarian twist to it all is that ultrahigh mileage sometimes gets the most respect. Irv Gordons 3-million-mile P1800, currently owned by Volvos archives department, is the worlds most famous Volvo; one Porsche owner in Toronto is renowned in car circles for personally driving more than 1 million miles on his single-owner 1976 930 Turbo. Mercedes-Benz used to award grill badges to owners for every 100,000 kilometers they logged. Like original tool kits, luggage sets, and log books, a period-correct detail such as one of these original badges would always be listed as an extra on the car, adding to its allure and potential price.

It often comes down to what is unusual and unexpected for a given car, Nonnenberg said, whether its a Mini Cooper S that had 55,000 miles but was parked in a garage for 40 years, or a modern BMW M3 with just 4,700 miles on it. Both recently sold for premiums significantly higher than similar cars.

Unusual mileage generates demand for any era vehicle, he said. Interesting stories add value across any year.

About the photo: Former schoolteacher Irv Gordon stands next to his 1966 Volvo P1800 in this undated photo. Gordon gained fame in the car world for driving the car more than 3 million miles. Photographer: Getty Images/Getty Images

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
The families of the five kids and four adults who were fatally shot in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have reached a $73 million settlement with Remington, a now-bankrupt gun manufacturer, and its four insurers.

The moment comes nearly a decade after the families of the victims filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Remington. The gun manufacturer was the one who made the Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle that the gunman used in the massacre that left a total of 20 people dead in Newtown, Connecticut.

Massive Settlement

Furthermore, the complainants' attorneys said that they have obtained thousands of pages of internal company documents that they can make public. The records could allegedly prove the gun manufacturer's wrongdoing and carry important lessons for helping prevent more mass shootings in the future.

During a news conference in Trumbull, Connecticut, Josh Koshoff, plaintiffs' attorney, said that the accusers established what was clearly true. They argued that the immunity protecting the gun industry was not bulletproof and had its weaknesses. He said that the families of the victims hoped this incident would show them that they were vulnerable and responsible for their mistakes, as per CNN.

Veronique de la Rosa, the mother of six-year-old Noah Pozner, one of the victims of the shooting, said during a Tuesday press conference that the settlement was an "inflection point." She added that the moment bore a day of accountability for an industry that enjoyed operating with immunity and impunity.

The families of the victims argued in their lawsuit against Remington that the gun manufacturer marketed the weapon irresponsibly. The plaintiffs claimed that the company's target audience was the at-risk young men, such as the Sandy Hook Elementary shooter. Their product advertisements were inserted in violent video games.

Read Also: Judge Sides With NYT in Sarah Palin Defamation Case, Cites no Malice From Media Outlet

However, NBC News reported that the gun manufacturer, which was based in Madison, North Carolina, has repeatedly denied the allegations of the plaintiffs. Remington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting

Koshoff said that the nine families involved in the lawsuit shared one goal, which was to prevent another incident, like the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, from happening. The plaintiffs said that the central aim of the case was to pry open the gun industry and expose it to more scrutiny.

The gun manufacturer previously resisted turning over any internal documents, arguing that the plaintiffs had not provided a legal justification in seeking them. Additionally, Remington proposed a $33 million settlement with the families of the victims last year prior to a trial date.

Legal experts said, during the beginning of the case, that the plaintiffs had little chance of succeeding in prosecuting the gun manufacturer. They argued that the families of the victims' claims would be blocked by federal protections for companies like Remington from most litigation when their weapons are used to commit a crime.

However, the lawsuit took advantage of an exception built into the law that allowed for litigation over sales and marketing practices that violate state and federal law. After a series of ups and downs in the legal system, the families of the victims brought an appeal that elevated the case to the State Supreme Court, drawing interest from both sides of the gun debate, the New York Times reported.



Related Article: Michigan Moms Arrested in Two Separate Incidents; One Starves Daughter to Death, Another Says Spongebob Told Her to Kill Child

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A visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at the MMS- Payne Funeral Home Chapel from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Family will greet friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Grace Ann Harrison passed away on April 26, 2022 at the age of 76 years old. Grace Ann was born to Dryden and Joan Carman 
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with thundershowers developing for the afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 64F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 49F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Hilary Clinton got called out for campaign spying and later broke into the White House server, but the Democrats perpetuated a lie that Donald Trump colluded with the Russians.

According to the Chairman of Republicans Overseas UK, Greg Swenson, who called the former secretary of state as worthy of a deeper inquiry to prove the Durham probe. This bombshell could affect the Democrats calling for Clinton to be investigated.

The Durham Report Turns on the Democrats

Swenson said the filings of the Durham Probe were credible as the Clinton Campaign failed on two occasions to prove there was any Russian involvement.

The hacking did not stop after Donald Trump won; instead, the servers of the White House were intentionally compromised to prove a narrative against an elected president, according to Express UK.

He spoke on GB news and told the hosts that it proves claims by the 45th president are real, and those who sputtered the untruths are worried it will bite back. Mention the fact that no one has cried uncle yet, but there might be admissions soon as pressure adds on the Dems.

Since it is from the Durham Report, there will be attempts to discredit it. He compared Robert Durham, the special counselor, to a certain NY prosecutor from Southern Manhattan, who is less credible. Durham has been on the case for years.

The Russia Collusion Hoax

Swanson remarked the hoax used to vilify President Trump has been put to bed. He added the evidence from the probe seems to be indicted for the former secretary of state Hilary Clinton, who hatched this plot of campaign spying will be boomeranging back.

Read Also: Donald Trump Blasts Claims That White House Record Was Flushed Down, Calls it Another Attempt To Smear Him

An opinion expressed by the GOP official mentions that it's been mentioned in the Steele dossier. The dossier got funds from the Clinton campaign only proves the conspiracy further.

John Durham suggests that Trump's adversary hired a company that was already accessing the servers of the White House then. Clinton was desperate to dig dirty to compromise President Trump. During Trump's term, the Democrat's never stopped Russian collusion.

The 45th president called the Durham report explosive evidence from campaigning to winning the presidency. The defeated Democrat presidential contender spied on all that time. She and her party were willing to derail a US president by lying about a Russian connection.

Donald Trump compared the scandal as worse than Watergate; this could sink Clinton and the Dems further. He added that those who were part of the failed attempt from him should be tried in court. Furthermore, he said the Democrats would be put to death as a penalty at another time.

Another Attempt To Discredit Trump

After repeatedly failing to charge the 45th president over anything, the US House panel last Thursday looked into the White House records from his Florida residence. They are fishing for a crime without proof.

Carolyn Maloney, House oversight panel chairwoman, was concerned about records not surrendered to the National Archives when Trump's term ended in January 2021. They alleged it was a crime to move the records.

Hilary Clinton, who allegedly plotted a campaign spying to dread dirt failed, same as the alleged flushing of the document by Trump is a silly ploy, collusion of the several government bodies in letting the lie drag out makes it worse.

Related Article: Durham Report Says the Hillary Clinton Campaign Is Guilty of Looking For Dirt To Blame on Trump

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When Clevelands first Meijer store broke ground on Dec. 14, 2021, local real estate investor Daryl Kertesz had been involved since the beginning.

As founder and principal of Activity Capital, a real estate investment firm based in Woodmere, Kertesz acquired a parcel of land in 2014 that would eventually become part of the $59 million project bringing the 40,000-square-foot market, a 190-unit apartment building and parking to Clevelands Fairfax neighborhood.

Meijer has a projected opening of June 2023.

It was an opportunistic purchase through the Cuyahoga County Sheriff Sale, and when I bought it, (the parcel) had a six-suite apartment building and it was in terrible shape, Kertesz, who attends Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike, told the Cleveland Jewish News. I tore it down and by then, the Opportunity Corridor was just announced. It was a great space in the shadow of the Cleveland Clinic  but I wasnt sure if it was going to happen there because there are a lot of stakeholders. We just wanted to be part of it.

Luckily enough, he said, the Fairfax CDC selected Fairmount Properties to be the master developer of the project. Kertesz said it was then when Fairmount Properties principal Randy Ruttenberg reached out to him about his parcel.

We already had a great relationship, Kertesz said. He explained that they were the developer, and we made a deal to develop it together.

The project, which is spearheaded by Fairmount Properties, Cleveland Clinic and Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation, is part of the Cleveland Innovation District Plan that aims to create 20,000 jobs and billions of dollars of economic growth in the city over the next 10 years. The plan was unveiled in January 2021 and includes the Opportunity Corridor, where the development will be placed at East 105th Street and Cedar Avenue. Other partners include Next Sparc, the Presidents Council, Cleveland International Fund, Huntington National Bank, City of Cleveland, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority and HUD.

Since the December 2021 groundbreaking ceremony, Kertesz said most of the work has been in mass grading and getting the site ready for vertical construction. As Fairmount Properties is the main group running the show, Kertesz said hes excited for the project to get off the ground. Meijer will stock fresh and prepared goods, including produce, meat, seafood and baked goods. It will fill the ground floor of a six-story building designed by architect Bialosky Cleveland. On 2.9 acres, Meijers lease for the store is for 20 years, with six five-year extension options.

Theyve been a great group to work with, and were really excited to get started, he said. It should be an 18-month construction period. Were hoping that come 2023, well have a phenomenal development that brings residents to the area. Weve designed a really cool project and Im glad we made this investment in the Fairfax neighborhood.

The parcel included in the Meijer project is one of many landholdings that Activity Capital has throughout the Fairfax neighborhood, Kertesz said.

We think it is a great spot and an overlooked community, he said. It is a phenomenal project to have in this area  both the type of store and the apartments above it. It is an amazing catalyst for the area and could lead to more development. I am glad to see the area get attention.

Meijer was founded in 1934 in Greenville, Mich., and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. It has Northeast Ohio locations in Mentor, Seven Hills, Kent, Stow and Avon, and plans to open a location in Richmond Heights at the Belle Oaks development.
Clinton, IA (52732)

Today

Rain and wind early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 49F. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

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Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 37F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  The Philippines hopes to secure additional loans amounting to 30 billion yen (about 13 billion) from the Japanese government to support its mass COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Department of Finance said Wednesday.

In a statement, the DOF said the proposal was floated during the 12th meeting of the Philippines-Japan high-level joint committee on infrastructure development and economic cooperation held online.

"During the meeting, the two sides discussed proposed additional financing support of 30 billion yen from Japan under the 2nd COVID-19 Crisis Response Support Loan (CCRESL 2) to help cover the funding for the Philippines' ongoing national vaccination program," it said.

As of Monday, the government has fully vaccinated 61.4 million Filipinos, including 8 million adolescents, against COVID-19.

The Duterte administration is targeting to fully inoculate around 77 million Filipinos within the first quarter, and 90 million by the end of the second quarter.

Finance chief Carlos Dominguez III said he expects the Japanese government to remain a "valuable partner" of the Philippines.

Since 2017, Japan has extended 1.38 trillion yen to the country, even surpassing its 1 trillion yen commitment, according to Mori Masafumi, the special advisor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan.

"Between the first Joint Committee Meeting in 2017 and today, much has been started, achieved, and will be further continued," Dominguez said.

"We thank Mr. Mori Masafumi, the special advisor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, for conveying Japan's strong commitment to continuing its support to the Philippines' infrastructure development, COVID-19 response, and other development initiatives," the Finance secretary said in a Twitter post.
According to a Spanish official, a Spanish fishing boat sank early Tuesday in strong waves off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, killing at least seven persons.

Villa de Pitanxo, a fishing boat with a length of 50 meters (164 feet) that operates out of the Galicia area of northwest Spain, sank in the dark about 1 am, approximately 0600 GMT. EST. Maica Larriba, Spain's regional representative, spoke on Spanish public radio. Three crew members were rescued from a lifeboat, and a search for the remaining 14 crew members was initiated amid strong waves.

Rescue Operation Continues for Spanish Fishing Boat Crew

According to the Spanish marine rescue agency, the sinking vessel's 24-member crew included 16 Spaniards, five Peruvians, and three Ghanaian employees. Alberto Nez Feijoo, the regional governor of Galicia, claimed that the Spanish envoy to Canada informed him that seven bodies had been discovered.

As reported by daily La Voz de Galicia, the vessel's 53-year-old skipper and his 42-year-old nephew were among the survivors, the two guys made phone calls to their relatives. Spanish public station RTVE, the signal from the vessel's onboard data recorder, which is used to track vessels, ceased broadcasting approximately 0600 GMT.

Helicopters, airplanes, and a rescue vessel were deployed to the location, which is 450 kilometers (280 miles) off the coast of Newfoundland, from a rescue center in Halifax, Nova Scotia, managed by Canada's air force and coast guard, NPR reported.

The rescue center's spokesperson, Lt. Cmdr. Brian Owens, said the search, which was concentrated on the sinking vessel's debris field, was hampered by high winds, rough waves, and fog.

Three Cormorant helicopters were moving in and out of the search area, while a C-130 Hercules and a provincial airlines plane were making sensor sweeps overhead, according to Owens. According to him, the Cygnus, a Canadian Coast Guard vessel, was still on its way to the debris scene, where several Spanish fishing ships were also aiding.

Read Also: China Imposes Clampdown To Control Chaotic Fan Cultures That Drives Celebrity Salaries Up

Spanish Fishing Boat Owner Didn't Respond to Inquiries

According to authorities, a Spanish fishing boat working near the sinking scene was the first to arrive and recovered three survivors and four corpses in one of the fishing boat's four lifeboats. Two of the rescue boats were believed to be empty while the fourth was reported to be missing, per RCI.

A spokesperson for the agency, Spain's marine rescue center in Madrid, Spain's capital, got the initial signal from the beacon on the Villa de Pitanxo and coordinated the early reaction with the Halifax rescue center.

Grupo Nores, the boat's owner, did not immediately respond to calls or written inquiries. The company maintains fishing fleets in the North Sea, as well as in the waters around Argentina, Canada, Morocco, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal, according to its website.

The announcement was a devastating blow to Marin, a port town in Galicia's northern region where many people depend on the sea for a living. The drowning of the boat, according to Marin Mayor Mara Ramallo, was the community's worst tragedy ever.

Other members of the sinking vessel's 22-member crew are still being searched for, according to a Spanish government spokesperson, Isabel Rodriguez, who added that officials were closely monitoring the situation, according to the US News.

According to a spokesperson for the Spanish rescue agency, a Canadian helicopter had reached the spot, which is about 450 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland, and a rescue vessel was on its way to the scene.

Related Article: American Airlines Flight Diverted to Kansas After Unruly Passenger Tries To Open Door on Plane, Attendant Forced To Hit Man with Coffee Pot

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16) The Commission on Elections is looking to relax its rules for in-person campaign gatherings in light of the continuing drop in COVID-19 cases and the national authorities hinting at lowering exisiting alert levels in the country, acting poll chairman Socorro Inting said.

There is a possibility we will be downgraded to Alert Level 1, so maybe we will review our rules on campaigns to be consistent with the alert level status, Inting said during the signing event of an agreement between Comelec and non-government group Vote Pilipinas.

Presidential candidates Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Senator Manny Pacquiao have complained about Comelecs policies on in-person campaigns under Resolution 10732, which limit the number of attendees and prohibit handshakes, kisses, hugs, and even selfies.

Our rules regarding the campaign were based on the IATF guidelines. We are aware of the complaints of some candidates, maybe we will review our rules because when we drafted our rules, the alert level then was 3. Now its Alert Level 2, she pointed out.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the adjustments would likely mirror the updated rules of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

If that change involves, for example, lifting of restrictions on attendance, then yes that will be reflected in our guidelines as well, he noted.

Jimenez further explained, Face masks are unlikely to be removed because everyone agrees that they are useful, but the face shields, yes. The doors are open for a recalibration of that particular guideline.

Eyeing higher voter turnout

In signing the Vote Pilipinas deal, Inting called upon all 67.4 million registered Filipino voters to go out and cast their votes on election day.

Wala pong saysay ang pagpaparehistro kung hindi po tayo boboto. Bumoto po tayo sa a-nuebe ng Mayo, madali lang po gawin ito."

[Translation: Theres no point in registering to vote if we dont vote. Let us vote on the 9th of May, This is just easy to do], the acting poll chief said.

Backed by groups like Vote Pilipinas, Comelec seeks to raise the voter turnout from 75.9% in the May 2019 elections to beyond 80%, or nearly 58 million voters.

Infighting a minor issue

Comelec officials also insisted there's no reason to doubt the credibility of the May 9 presidential and local polls despite allegations of political influence to supposedly favor presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos.

In her first public statement since she was accused by retired Commissioner Rowena Guanzon of conniving with a senator to delay the decision on the Marcos disqualification cases, Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino downplayed the issue.

I think despite the issues that cropped up during the past days, it's just between some people and not the commission as a whole. The Comelec is composed of so many people from the top up to the lowest employee, Ferolino told reporters.

I think that rough patch, that minor issue will not affect the credibility of the commission as a whole. Whatever the results will be, it's not dependent on a few people. We have the machine, which remains impartial, and we have people on the ground who know their job and who will continue doing their job without bias so I think, thats what's most important this time.

Meanwhile, she refused to comment on Akbayan party-list's call for her to inhibit from the upcoming review of dismissed Marcos cases.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  For presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, not even bruises from constant handshakes and interactions with people can stop him from finding ways to reach his supporters.

Masaya lang yung mga tao, balewala yung mga sakit na yan sa dinanas ng tao. Yung mabigyan lang natin sila ng kaligayahan na makamayan, masaya na ako. Masaya ako kapag masaya ang tao. Gagaling din naman yan, Moreno told reporters on Wednesday.

[Translation: As long as people are happy. Its nothing compared to the pain theyre going through. As long as I can make them feel good when I shake hands with them, Im happy. Im happy when the people are happy. My wounds will eventually heal.]

The Aksyon Demokratiko presidential bet showed some bandages on his hand and parts of his arm. His running mate, Dr. Willie Ong, said the cuts and bruises were caused by Morenos constant interaction with supporters.

Binabantayan kong maigi yung kamay niya, kasi palala ng palala. Kasi nga bawat motorcade natin, maraming lumalapit sa kanya, minsan nakakalmot, yung mga singsing. Ngayon, halos magang-maga na yung kamay niya, ang dami nang sugat, may band-aid n,. Ong said.

[Translation: Im watching his hand very closely because its getting worse. Every motorcade, so many people would come close to him. Sometimes he gets scratched, or his hands get cut by rings. Now, his hands are swollen, he has several wounds that had to be bandaged.]

A cardiologist and internist by profession, Ong said he has observed Moreno getting scratches and bruises since the campaign period started last Feb. 8.

Tinitingnan natin kung makukuha ng antibiotic, o kung hindi, bibigyan ko na lang ng oral na tableta na medyo maiwas sa impeksyon, the vice presidential hopeful added.

[Translation: Were checking if they could be cured with antibiotics. If not, Ill give him oral tablets, so he wont get an infection.]

Moreno earlier asked the poll body to reconsider its policies on physical contact. He said while he respects its rules, it is difficult to predict how people would react to their presence.

RELATED: Isko appeals to Comelec to reconsider no-selfie rule

It was Morenos second visit to Laguna since the campaign period began, touring Los Banos town, as well as the cities of Cabuyao, Binan, and Sta. Rosa.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  The wife of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. director Linconn Ong is appealing to the Senate to release her husband from the Pasay City Jail, where he has been detained since November 2021.

In a Feb. 14 letter addressed to Senator Richard Gordon, Summer Ong asked that her husband be freed for humanitarian reasons.

Gordon is the chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, which investigated the allegedly anomalous multi-billion deal between the government and Pharmally for the purchase of pandemic response supplies.

The wife said their two-year-old son is currently confined due to dengue.

The Senate has forcibly taken my husband from me and our two-year-old child especially in these times of uncertainty, read the letter, which was released to the media on Wednesday.

I fervently appeal to you dear senators to please let my husband go. It is not only I who need him most now, but also our son who is suffering from dengue, who may I just mention is not doing too well and constantly looks for his father, Mrs. Ong added.

The blue ribbon committee cited Linconn in contempt and ordered him arrested last September for evading questions during the probe into Pharmally. He was later transferred to the Pasay City Jail along with another company executive Mohit Dargani, over their failure to submit documents subpoenaed by lawmakers.

As my lawyers have told me, upon the release of the full report of the Senate, my husband should have been released from his incarceration, Mrs. Ong said. However, Senator Gordon has deemed it necessary to keep him imprisoned even without a crime proven or a case filed by issuing a partial Senate report.

Mrs. Ong also accused senators of besmirching the name of her husband and of Pharmally, as well as placing the health and well-being of our family in jeopardy, for political gain, as the May elections approach.

I fear for my sons life. I also fear for my husband constantly. This sadistic situation we have found ourselves in, we do not wish to be experienced by anyone, not even our worst enemies, she added.

Should her husband be set free and proper charges are filed, Mrs. Ong said she guarantees that he will face the accusations.

Ong and Dargani have filed separate cases before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals questioning the legality of their detention.

Last month, the Senate allowed the release of Pharmally president Twinkle Dargani from its custody on the grounds of her "deteriorating mental health.
Los Banos, Laguna (CNN Philippines, February 16)  Manila Mayor and presidential candidate Isko Moreno Domagoso said he is not afraid to face Bongbong Marcos. Moreno made the statement in reaction to the graphics shown on Good Morning Sonshine, Sonshine Media Network International's radio program.

It showed pictures of Moreno, Leni Robredo, Ping Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, with a line in Tagalog claiming that the four presidential candidates were afraid to face Marcos. The four bets skipped the debate organized by SMNI.

Moreno, during a sortie in Laguna, told reporters that SMNI is entitled to its own opinion.

"They are entitled to their own opinion. Good luck. I hope they are not favoring somebody it's up to them, they are entitled and I respect that. But it's not true," Moreno said.

CNN Philippines has asked SMNI to clarify the graphics but it has yet to respond.

Moreno's campaign manager Lito Banayo earlier said their entire slate was in Samar for scheduled campaign sorties from February 14-15.

"That was scheduled before but cancelled due to bad weather," Banayo told CNN Philippines in a text message last February 14.

Robredo's spokesperson Atty. Barry Gutierrez earlier said she was in Panay Island for a campaign visit, while Lacson said on his Twitter that he will not participate because the network's owner "openly endorsed his preferred presidential and vice-presidential candidates."

Pacquiao, meanwhile, said he cannot be part of an activity "organized by a man wanted for detestable crimes."

SMNI is owned by televangelist Apollo C. Quiboloy, who is President Duterte's spiritual adviser. Quiboloy is currently wanted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation for sex trafficking charges.

Quiboloy has reportedly endorsed Marcos and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

The debate, which lasted for over four hours, focused mostly on defense and security and foreign policy issues. It is the only debate so far that Marcos has attended.

Meanwhile, Moreno and his running mate, Dr. Willie Ong, both confirmed their attendance to the CNN Philippines presidential and vice-presidential debates next week which the Marcos-Duterte tandem will not attend.

"We'll be there," Moreno simply said when asked about the CNN Philippines' debates.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16) COVID-19 vaccination reduces the risk of multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) among children, according to experts.

MIS-C is a rare but dangerous complication of the viral disease, causing inflammation throughout the body including the heart, blood vessels, and other organs, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Initial symptoms include fever, rashes, red eyes, diarrhea, and vomiting. MIS-C occurs at around two to four weeks after a mild or asymptomatic infection.

But there's a lower chance of getting the illness if the child has been fully inoculated with a Pfizer vaccine prior to catching the virus. Vaccine experts panel chairperson Dr. Nina Gloriani, who reviewed the latest pediatric vaccination data, said two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are 91% effective against MIS-C.

"The vaccination reduced the likelihood of MIS-C by 91%. (Among) the adolescents hospitalized with MIS-C, 95% of them were unvaccinated and those who were vaccinated but also may konti who also got MIS-C required no life support, Gloriani said in a forum on Wednesday. Ibig sabihin 'di siya naging severe or critical [It means they did not get severe or critical).

Pfizer vaccine also protects children and adults from myocarditis or the inflammation of the heart muscle, panel member Dr. Wilda Silva added.

While there are reports of myocarditis among children a week following immunization, Silva said there is a higher chance of getting the illness from a viral infection, like COVID-19. It is commonly observed among males below 40 years old, especially those aged 12 to 29.

But if you receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the overall risk of myocarditis is extremely low  it's one in 100,000 population. Younger males 12 to 29 years old have a slightly higher risk but still very low -- one in 14,000. For females, less than one in 100,000 population. This is the same chance as being struck by lightning in one's lifetime, she added.

As of February 14, a total of 148,615 children aged 5 to 11 have been vaccinated. This is nearly 1% of the target inoculation of 15 million children in the age group. Only eight experienced reaction after inoculation, all of which were not serious.

For the 12-17 age group, 9.3 million of the 12.7 million eligible teenagers have been vaccinated.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  The electoral bodys guidelines on adherence to COVID-19 protocols can be open to corruption and abuse by political parties and candidates, election lawyers said Wednesday.

According to lawyer George Garcia, some candidates might be so desperate to get a campaign permit in less than 72 hours that they would resort to under-the-table negotiations with Commission on Elections (Comelec) field officers.

Pwede pa nga po mag-breed ng corruption po yon. Isang kandidato or political party na kinapos ng oras. Wala yung 72 hours, kinapos ng oras. Pwede po sabihin na gawan ng paraan na kunwari sabihin nalang natin na prior to 72 hours. Nagbigay pa tayo ng paraan para ma-tempt yung mga ibang personnel, Garcia said during a weekly media forum.

[Translation: This could breed corruption. A political party or candidate can tempt election field officers by coercing them to say that the party has already filed the requirements even prior to the 72-hour-rule.]

Meantime, former Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal urged the collegial body to reexamine the provisions and come up with amended guidelines.

People, and even stakeholders, should write Comelec to re-examine. Para naman they can come up with amended guidelines (so they can come up with amended guidelines), said Larrazabal.

Under Comelec Resolution 10732, candidates and their political parties shall secure a permit to campaign before any activity.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal hopes Comelec will be open for discussions regarding the guidelines which, he said, tend to confuse the public and the candidates.

Comelec should also be sensitive in such a way na alam naman nila yung feelings or comments ng mga kandidato and political parties. Sana pag nakarinig sila ng ganyan sana ay gawin naman nila hindi yung kinokontra nila agad, says Macalintal.

[Translation: I hope COMELEC will hear out parties and candidates when it comes to concerns on the resolution instead of immediately turning it down.]

Some of the activities prohibited under the guidelines are taking selfies of candidates with their supporters and actions that involve physical contact including handshakes.

Violating such provisions could lead to an election offense. Violators could face fines, jail time, and even disqualification.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16) The dominant local political party in Cebu province has formally endorsed Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as its vice presidential bet for the May elections.

In a statement on Wednesday, Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia, the partys secretary general, said they are reaffirming their support for Dutertes candidacy.

We have always been for Sara Duterte as vice president, he said. It went without saying that we supported her vice presidential bid and reaffirm our commitment to her victory in Cebu.

However, the party chaired by Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia has yet to decide on the presidential candidate it would be supporting.

One Cebu is the biggest local political party in Cebu province. Its members include majority of incumbent officials.

In November, Governor Garcia denied that they have already endorsed Dutertes running mate, former Senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, saying it was too early to make such a commitment then.

Stringer Dale Israel contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 17)  Several groups called out the Commission on Elections after authorities took down campaign posters in private properties on Wednesday.

Operation Baklas is the poll bodys campaign against illegal posting of election materials.

The groups Lawyers Against Disinformation, Filipino American Human Rights Alliance, Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan, Now You Vote, and Women Lawyers for Leni issued a joint statement demanding Comelec to order its election officers and employees to cease and desist from illegally removing and confiscating campaign materials and paraphernalia owned, posted, and installed by private citizens and volunteers in their private property, such as those installed in volunteers' headquarters.

They said Operation Baklas is an undemocratic and unconstitutional act and should be stopped because it can be considered as trespassing on private properties.

(It) not only crushes the spirit of volunteers...but also goes against fundamental Constitutional rights of the people to property, expression, and information, they added.

They pointed out that the Comelec cannot regulate a private property in the absence of a law allowing it to do so, and the only requirement for posting campaign materials in a private property is the owners consent.

Authorities on Wednesday went around cities in Metro Manila and took down illegal campaign materials, including those in private properties and volunteer headquarters.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal argued that the Comelec has no right and power to do so.

Lawyer Howard Calleja, 1Sambayan co-convenor, also cited jurisprudence like the Diocese of Bacolod vs. Comelec in 2015, which states that Comelec has no legal basis to regulate expressions made by private citizens.

Freedom of speech and expression are sacrosanct rights, and in the same case, the Supreme Court further reminded Comelec that size matters in connection to the exercise of these freedoms, he added.

The groups opposing Operation Baklas said the poll body should not weaponize its resolution against ordinary citizens whocontribute to promoting a better political system for the whole nation, and it cannot restrict the Filipinos right to participate in the electoral process, which include promoting candidates using their resources within their property dominion.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said anyone who has a problem with Operatiin Baklas may file a complaint.

In the meantime, we are doing steps to make sure that our laws are complied with and were gonna continue doing that, he added.

CNN Philippines' Stanley Gajete contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  A top official of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said all institutions covered by the agency should report any suspicious transactions or else face the possibility of both administrative and criminal sanctions.

"On the part of AMLC, kung sila ay very obvious na may maraming red flag indicators ngunit hindi sila nag-analyze or nagrequest ng additional information, na hindi sila nagfile ng suspicious transaction report sa AMLC, ito ay pwedeng maging basehan para sila ay ma-imposean ng both administrative sanction and criminal sanction," AMLC Executive Director Mel Georgie Racela said at the Laging Handa briefing Wednesday.

[Translation: On the part of AMLC, if there are very obvious red flag indicators but these weren't analyzed or they didn't request additional information, and they didn't file a suspicious transaction report with the AMLC, this can be grounds for them to receive both administrative sanction and criminal sanction.]

Racela said all persons covered by the AMLC  including banks and electronic money issuers  are obligated to have an electronic monitoring system.

He added that regardless of the amount, once red flags are seen, these covered entities have anti-money laundering analysts and investigators who can dig deeper.

The AMLC earlier released a list of red flags which could indicate suspicious transactions:

- significant or large transactions performed within a short period

- unjustified large cash deposits, withdrawals

- transactions seen as inconsistent with the customer's financial profile or declared business

- unusual transactions or activities compared with normal daily dealings

- structured cash deposits, money transfers

- use of multiple accounts by a single transactor

- Use of several money service businesses to send funds

"Combined yan along with several factors, kasama na po ang location kung saan nakatira yung recipients and yung frequency  again mas madami around on or about election day  yung number of transferees and age," Racela said at Wednesday's briefing. "Lahat yan ay pagka kinombine ay nagiging red flag indicator. Maaring maging ground for filing or submitting a suspicious transaction report sa AMLC."

[Translation: That, combined with several factors, along with location and frequency  again which are higher in number around on or about election day  the number of of transferees and age, all of that when combined, becomes a red flag indicator. This can be ground for filing or submitting a suspicious transaction report with the AMLC.]

Racela also said the AMLC is exempted from the Data Privacy Act.

"Sa hanay ng AMLC, as early as 2017 nakakuha na kami ng opinion sa National Privacy Commission na ang pagshare ng impormasyon ng AMLC ay exempted sa Data Privacy Act dahil ito ay mandato ng AMLC," he said.

"As a financial intelligence unit, ang mandato po ay to preserve the integrity of the bank accounts and to ensure na ang Pilipinas ay hindi ginagamit to launder proceeds of unlawful activities," he added.

[Translation: As early as 2017, we received an opinion from the Data Privacy Commission that sharing of information by the AMLC is exempted from the Data Privacy Act because it is the mandate of the AMLC. As a financial intelligence unit, the mandate is to preserve the integrity of bank accounts and to ensure the Philippines is not being used to launder proceeds of unlawful activities.]
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, reports that more than 28 percent of girls under age 18 were raped by a current or former intimate partner. Helping to combat the misfortune, the CCC Interpersonal Violence Program joins the nation in recognizing February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM).

Allowing orange to serve as its national color, the movement's theme for 2022 is 'Talk About It.' This particular theme encourages intentional conversations to establish indicators of a healthy relationship, along with discussions identifying steps to take in abusive situations.

Coordinator of Coahoma's Interpersonal Violence Program Kenneth Gooden says, "I cannot stress enough the importance of dating violence awareness and prevention; it's something that is not to be played down."

Gooden also points to research findings showing that girls/women from 16 to 24 years old are three times more likely to be abused by an intimate partner.

IVP aims to have students not only be able to rely on professional resources on campus, including counselors and Campus Safety staff.

"Our rebranded Interpersonal Violence Program hopes to empower bystanders to gather the courage to intervene on behalf of a troubled peer. Not only that, but the program continues to produce messaging that supports a breakdown in gender norms," said Gooden.

The prevention program acknowledges that every individual plays a part by spreading awareness and being mindful of signs indicating partner violence.

A healthy relationship is marked by trust and a mutual respect. Abusive behaviors can include constant belittling, physical harm, and going through a partner's cell phone without permission.

Kenneth Gooden can be contacted at extension 4666, (662)645-1907, or kgooden@coahomacc.edu.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declares threats the protestors' bank accounts will be closed allowed by emergency powers used on truckers exercising their rights.

He was criticized as acting like a mini-dictator using means to control anything by harsh action, not discussion. This action to crackdown was called unneeded by the Ottowa government and seen as an unprecedented action.

Canadian Government Reaches Out to the Freedom Convoy

This act of freezing accounts because the truckers are seen as a threat that justifies the action, but the anti-COVID mandate protestor are not backing down, reported the Express UK.

The Canadian prime minister's action to stop the 'Freedom Convoy' truckers who occupied Ottawa and the US border to make their point clear.

He added that the measures are time-limited and military use, but the declaration of emergency powers to nip the protest in the bud.

Despite Canada's historical turmoil, it is the first occasion in fifty years that such means are deployed at non-terrorists.

Based on the public emergency rules, Justin Trudeau could do anything to the truckers, exercising their rights, even stopping access to protestors' bank accounts, which is called a dictatorship, minus a court order.

According to Dr. Vijay Chauthaiwale, the Head of Foreign Affairs and head of Bharatiya Janata Party, his actions were without consequence, calling it hypocrisy how the Canadian PM deals with them, noted the Indian Express.

Dr. Chauthaiwale spoke about the PM and his support for Indian farmers, they blocked major highways going to New Delhi in 2021. Canada will be there to uphold peaceful protest.

Read Also: Joe Biden Abandons Britain in the North Ireland Protocol, Threatens Similar Appeasement in Favor of the EU

The protest by Canadian Truckers is a reaction against the COVID-19 mandates that are oppressive, which requires them to quarantine if unvaccinated before crossing the US border. Many of the truckers are vaccinated.

US and Canadian press biased toward the truckers has the narrative that the convoy ambushed the Canadian capital. Blaring horns with more of the blocking border traffic.

Truckers Fight for Freedom

A total of 400 to 500 rigs have parked in Ottawa, staying there for 18 days in the city center. Reports say that border crossings at Alberta, Coutts, Emerson, and Manitoba were also blocked. Many are sympathetic to the trucker's cause.

After the new scope of powers, Trudeau can exercise; he added it was keeping Canada safe and jobs. According to critics, giving the police the power to jail or fine protestors protecting infrastructure from truckers confined to the streets is against the freedom convoy.

One critique is the Emergencies Act invocation is petty, and the PM deigns to talk to the truckers representatives, cited Policy Options Politiques.

It is a legal protest threatening the establishment over its decisions over the past two years. There is no endangerment or anything that affects Canadians nationwide, the government cracking on freedom based on the protest.

Last Monday, Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti insisted it is justified to declare the powers. But the Canadian Civil Liberties Association called it fraudulent use, and the government only fears the ramification of the Freedom convoy.

Overall, the comments on the handling of Justin Trudeau, like freezing protestors' bank accounts, are seen as the action of a weak leader. Many in social media have dismissed the PM as ineffective like Washington.

Related Article: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Uses Emergency Powers Against Canadian Truckers Protesting Over Vaccine Mandates

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The Coastal Point is a local newspaper published each Friday and distributed in the Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, Millsboro, Long Neck and Georgetown, Delaware areas.
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Masks have been a form of expression for thousands of years.

From the golden and gem-encrusted masks used in burial rituals during the reign of Egyptian pharaohs to the ornate and expressive masks actors in Japanese Noh theatre use, masks have a legacy of invoking powerful emotion.

After the rise of the coronavirus pandemic however, masks have taken on a new form of expression  one that can be difficult at times to fully comprehend.

Open to the public now through March 2 in 125 Borland Building, a collection of graphical memoirs and scenes on the topic of masks in a pandemic-ridden world is displayed in a new exhibit. Titled MASKED, the exhibit explores three artists own experiences with the practice of masking.

Michael Green, a professor of humanities and medicine at Penn States College of Medicine, is a leading voice in the graphic medicine movement, which focuses on the impacts comics can have in health care settings.

I've been really interested in comics for a long time, Green said. I think they're accessible in a way that other modes of communication aren't It's just a really powerful medium.

Part of Greens work in the exhibit explores the personal and familial experiences with masking and the potential realities masks may have on future generations. His work takes on the form of more traditionally paneled comic strips, similar to those found in graphic novels or comic books.

During the 2016 Graphic Medicine Conference in Dundee, Scotland, Green met with the other two artists featured in the collaborative exhibit, and their work together eventually sparked the idea for a brand new experience.

Emily Steinberg, a Penn State Abington lecturer of art and art history, and William Doan, a professor in the School of Theatre, collaborated with Green to create an exhibit highlighting the impacts masking has on society. The trio's work was first shown at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center during the 2021 fall semester before finding its way to University Park this spring.

While the exhibit remains a cohesive exploration of masking, Doan said the individual works were often done independently.

Without knowing it, each artist had been making art focused on masking during the early days of the pandemic. When they came together via Zoom meetings and realized they had each created similar work, Doan said they quickly realized they needed to put the pieces together in an exhibit.

We all discovered that in doing our work independently about masking, we were exploring things that were really interesting, beyond our own interest in it, Doan said. It just seemed a viable idea to put all the work out there and let people just respond to it how they want to respond to it.

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Doan said the work within the exhibit provides a diverse range of responses to the personal and social levels and questions around masking as a public health question.

With a previous history of using masks in theatrical settings, Doans current work in the exhibit encompasses several medieval plague doctor masks with various comics and designs featured on the surfaces.

Providing a contrast to the flat images of hand drawn comics prominently strung along the walls of the exhibit, the masks boast an assortment of colors and textures. The masks portray words and images that highlight the themes of the ongoing pandemic.

While creating the masks, Doan said the worries that came with the pandemic were always a looming part of the process, ultimately making the experience an emotional rollercoaster.

Despite the mental toll of reflecting on the pandemic, Doan said the process was worth it and made him hopeful for the future.

Wanting to draw and create stories is an innate part of the human experience, Steinberg said. With comics such as those within the exhibit, she said humans have been sharing their experiences through visuals for thousands of years.

With the work featured in the exhibit, the comics are brought to life through the use of printing on large vinyl banners that drape from ceiling to floor. Steinberg said blowing up the comics made them bigger than life.

I liked the fact that they're just blown up on these weird banners, Steinberg said. It feels almost like a carnival or a circus, or something that's not as serious, as typical as putting something on paper canvas.

Observing the effects of the pandemic through an often satirical lens, Steinbergs work reflects on some of the absurdities of societys masking culture.

One of the featured pieces of Steinbergs, done in 2020 before masking mandates took effect in the U.S., is a comedic commentary on the impending trend of mask-wearing. The work features several parodic images of hazard masks displayed as fashion statements with brief descriptions of how each mask would work as an upcoming fashion trend.

Another collection of Steinbergs within the exhibit features a timelapse of self portraits accompanied by her thoughts of that day and the growing number of deaths in the U.S.

Over the course of three months of hand drawn portraits, Steinberg highlights the unnerving grasp the coronavirus had during the early days of the pandemic.

While the pandemic has proven to be a moment of great despair in the lives of so many people, Steinberg said theres always a need for humor in moments of tragedy. With the furthered frenzy of mask mandates coming and going and the growing political nature of masks as well, she said that provides all the more reason for satire.

There's always going to be something even in the worst of situations that we can laugh at, Steinberg said. The whole idea of individualism in America is really what prompted that satiric look.

Drawing on the connection she has with Green and Doan, Steinberg said the discussions the trio had on Zoom during the pandemic provided an artistic energy that allowed the exhibit to come to fruition.

Green said despite the impacts masks may continue to have on the future, the experiences people have lived through and will continue to live through with masking are what makes the exhibit resonate. If masking is not a thing of the future, Green said, then at least the exhibit will help provide additional historical context for future historians.

Everybody has an experience with masks, Green said. To see how their own experience connects to whatever experiences were describing  hopefully, it'll be meaningful to folks.

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Of the original 10 Amendments established by the Bill of Rights, theres none as important to student journalists as the First.

Establishing free speech and, in turn free press, has benefitted both journalists and the public, as the former is able to report without interference from Congress and provide the latter with the news it deserves to know.

While the medium of printed newspapers may be seen as a dying format in the digital age, local and nationwide news outlets continue to print daily. Even if a younger generation is straying away from physical news, theres still a nicheness of a newspaper.

For Texas A&M Universitys student run newspaper, The Battalion, both of those luxuries are at risk.

In an article from the paper, University President M. Katherine Banks told the staff it must cease printing weekly editions, effective immediately on Feb. 10. Banks later sent an email to The Battalion stating it will be allowed to print for the rest of the spring semester.

No matter the struggles news outlets face, newspapers will remain an integral part of the journalism field. While it may be antique to some, that doesnt mean no one picks up a paper. Older generations may not want to get their news from a laptop or phone and would likely rather stick to what theyre accustomed to.

Additionally, the meaningfulness for writers to see their work in a physical format is unmatched, and every journalist should have that opportunity.

The decision to eliminate weekly printing comes from Banks wanting The Battalion to focus solely on digital content and to ultimately become a part of the universitys new journalism department. The staff was given only 24 hours to come to a decision: Remain a student organization and lose funding and resources, or become a part of the Department of Journalism.

What Banks fails to realize is that printing is a necessary skill for students to learn before venturing out into the professional realm of journalism. Who will be able to do it in the future if not taught?

Banks herself stated that she is not a professor of journalism, and also doesnt understand the importance of print media. If she cannot grasp the significance of newspapers in regard to the educational value of journalism, why make this decision?

If Banks and the administration truly cared about furthering the careers of students in journalism, then they would let The Battalion operate as it sees fit.

Printing is a tradition  not just for The Battalion, which has been doing so since 1893  but for numerous outlets across the country. In doing so, newspapers have been able to preserve moments in history, something digital media cannot capture in the same form.

However, the bigger issue at hand isnt the loss of printing  its the loss of editorial freedom.

Texas A&M is attempting to have total control over The Battalion, and halting newspapers is just the start of it. Including the paper under the new Department of Journalism will allow the school to have influence over what The Battalion can and cannot publish.

According to an article from The Battalion, the university passed Rule 09.02, which says signage, social media postings, press releases, news media interviews, and website postings, must be approved in accordance with applicable member rules or procedures.

While Banks claimed its not the intention to have control over The Battalion's content, it seems like a sneaky way to ensure it does nonetheless.

Being able to call yourself an independent news outlet is something that may be taken for granted until taken away. All college campuses should have an independent student news outlet that provides the community with the stories it needs to know.

Without that independence, The Battalion will constantly have the university looking over its shoulder. It will likely be unable to publish content that Texas A&M may deem to be controversial. As a result, students and faculty will be unaware of the issues going on that are necessary to a democratic functioning of their university community.

The Battalion's main source of revenue comes from advertising, and the outlet already received $61,000 worth of funding from advertisement deals for this semester.

If the reason behind halting the print publication is a financial reason, will the money that goes into the newspaper be used to combat the issues The Battalion covers? Instead of pursuing this, why doesnt the administration tackle other issues at the university?

Just like a lack of printing is harmful to the careers of student journalists, not having investigative reporting experience will also set back aspiring writers. Learning how to report on hard-hitting topics and producing a print headline are just a few of the many things expected of professional journalists.

By not providing students with that opportunity, youre creating a new generation of reporters who will lack the basics required to succeed in this industry. Most journalists begin at their college newspaper where they can hone their craft in preparation for the future.

The Battalion has seen outside support, and thats what it will take in order for the paper to remain in control of its content. After an outpouring of support on social media, Banks released another statement on Feb. 14, saying the university will consider alternative solutions to keep The Battalion printing.

Even with backpedaling from Banks, the true colors of the university have been revealed. Rather than treat The Battalion with respect, the administration ambushed them with a situation that cannot be solved in 24 hours.

What this says about the future of journalism at Texas A&M in the long run could be troubling. But as for The Battalion, their stance to remain strong despite the universitys ignorance could act as a source of empowerment for future journalism majors.

With this being Banks first year as university president, who is she to call this transition a new era for The Battalion? She failed to even consult with journalism faculty members and instead made the decision with university leadership.

The possibility of a new era for The Battalion is something that doesnt benefit students, rather it seems to be a way Texas A&M can protect itself both financially and optically.

With very few student media outlets present at the university, Banks needs to realize the importance of a tradition like The Battalion  now let it print without interference.

Daily Collegian Opinion Editor Joe Eckstein can be reached at jce5179@psu.edu.
In this file photo, state Rep. Dave Williams, R-Colorado Springs, argues on the house floor that Republican Hugh McKean should serve as Speaker of the House in place of Democrat Alec Garnett on the first legislative day of the 73rd General Assembly at the Colorado State Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Denver.
Colorado lawmakers are seeking to restrict the use of facial recognition technology in the states government, law enforcement and schools with the introduction of a new bill.

If passed, Senate Bill 113 would establish several limitations and regulations for the use of artificial intelligence facial recognition services by government agencies and law enforcement agencies in the state. The bill would also completely prohibit the use of facial recognition technology in public and charter schools until 2025.

Bill sponsor Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, said the state needs to slow down and reevaluate its use of facial recognition technology due to disproportionate identification issues for people of color.

That, to me, is a signal that we need to use caution and proceed carefully here, Hansen said. Theres a lot of great things that this technology enables, but theres also some significant problems if you get false positives or false negatives. The error rates for the current technology is very high for people of color.

Multiple studies have found a racial bias in facial recognition technology. For dark-skinned women, the technology had an error rate of 34.7%, compared to 0.8% for fair-skinned men, according to a 2018 study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Similarly, a federal study in 2019 found that Asian and African American people were up to 100 times more likely than white men to be misidentified by facial recognition technology.

Because of these issues, cities such as San Francisco, Boston and Portland have banned the use of facial recognition technology by police and local agencies. The proposed Colorado bill would not ban the technology, but it would establish strict limitations.

Under the bill, government agencies using facial recognition technology would have to notify a reporting authority, specify why the technology is being used, produce an accountability report, test the equipment and subject any decisions that result from the technology to human review.

Law enforcement agencies would be prohibited from using facial recognition technology to establish probable cause, identify an individual from a police sketch or create a record depicting an individuals actions protected by the First Amendment. Law enforcement agencies would also need special permission to use facial recognition to conduct surveillance, tracking or real-time identification.

Theres no prohibition here, but lets stop and take a good look at this technology before it has possible downsides, Hansen said. Lets look carefully at how its being used. Lets have human review of any results. And lets think carefully about how were going to use it in a public setting.

The bill would also create a task force responsible for studying issues related to the use of artificial intelligence, operating until September 2032.

The task forces findings would be used to help inform the use of facial recognition technology in schools after the bills ban ends in 2025, Hansen said.

While it is unclear whether any Colorado schools currently use facial recognition technology, nationally, public schools have used the technology for discipline, like identifying students seen skipping class or breaking rules in security footage.

Hansen said the bill has received little opposition from legislators so far. However, the Colorado Information Sharing Consortium  a data privacy and data sharing government entity comprised of 86 Colorado law enforcement agencies  said it strongly opposes the bill.

(The bill) would prohibit law enforcement agencies from using facial recognition technology to help identify persons who commit major crimes like those in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, said David Shipley, executive director of the consortium. It would also essentially prohibit use of facial and voice recognition technology in jails to help interrupt planning of future crimes or to help manage the inmate population.

Shipley said the consortium is working on potential amendments to the bill to protect civil liberties while serving and protecting the public. Jenifer Waller, CEO of Colorado Bankers Association, said her group is also hoping to amend the bill to ensure it does not hinder the investigation of financial crimes.

Hansen said he is working with the groups and expects to make a few amendments to the bill during the committee process. Nevertheless, he is confident that the bill will make it through the legislature.

Theres a bipartisan concern about privacy and misuse of technology, Hansen said. We can demonstrate that there are issues and that problems have arisen, so I feel really confident we will be able to successfully get this to the governors desk.
After multiple cases of malpractice were uncovered in Colorados funeral industry, the state House of Representatives passed a bill to allow inspections of funeral homes and crematories without getting an operator's permission to enter the premises.

House Bill 1073 cleared the House Wednesday with 53 legislators voting in support, 10 voting in opposition and two excused. The bill will now be sent to the state Senate for consideration.

Its a simple change, but hopefully it will cut off these big crimes from occurring again, said bill sponsor Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta. I certainly never want to hear Colorado being mentioned in the headlines of international news for being the center of abuse of a corpse, illegal body sales, chopping up body parts and selling them around the world. Thats not the Colorado any of us want to live in.

In 2020, the owners of Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose were arrested for allegedly selling body parts, and sometimes full bodies, of deceased individuals whose families had brought them to the funeral home to be cremated. Investigators said, from 2010 to 2018, hundreds of unknowing families received ashes composed of concrete, kitty litter and the cremations of strangers.

The next year, two counties away, Lake County Coroner Shannon Kent was arrested after investigators said they found severely decomposed bodies in his funeral home  one which had been dead since 2013 and another, an infant, which was so decomposed it could not be identified. Kent was also accused of keeping unrefrigerated bodies and bags of unlabeled cremains in his funeral homes in Silverthorne, Leadville and Gypsum.

If enacted, the bill would give the Division of Professions and Occupations the power to inspect registered funeral establishments and crematories without getting an operator's permission to enter the premises if a complaint has been made.

This is a bill that was born directly out of tragic and horrific constituent stories, said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Eagle, the bills other sponsor. With this bill, we can close that loophole, allow our state inspectors to go into funeral homes when there are complaints and make sure that these stories never happen to any more Colorado families."

Soper said complaints were made against the funeral homes in both incidents for years prior to the arrests. However, investigators were repeatedly turned away from entering the establishments. The requirement that inspectors get an operator's permission to enter is not in place for other establishments, such as hair salons and restaurants.

The 10 opponents to the bill  all Republicans  argued that the bill is unnecessary because law enforcement can enter funeral homes if they get a warrant. The bill sponsors said complaints arent always criminal and receiving probable cause for the prior criminal acts required entry to the premises.

If enacted, the bill would go into effect in August.
Kate Burgess said when she was raped in Boulder just over a year ago, she intended to report it to the police but changed her mind after she looked up Colorados sexual assault law.

I lost all hope, said Burgess, a former victim advocate with the Fort Collins Police Department. The law was confusing, perpetrator centered and outdated. I spent literally dozens of hours comparing Colorados language to other states, calling hotlines and advocates, trying to  by Colorado standards  legally justify what happened to me. Ultimately, I felt like my rape didnt count here.

In Colorado, sexual assault is defined as sexual intrusion when the actor causes submission of the victim by means sufficient to cause submission against the victims will. The law was written in the 1970s and Colorado is one of only two states in the country that still uses the language. Now, some lawmakers want to change it.

On Tuesday, a panel advanced House Bill 1169, which changes the wording of Colorados sexual assault law to when the actor causes sexual intrusion knowing the victim does not consent.

Bill sponsor Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, said the goal is to clarify the meaning of the law. Soper said 34 other states currently use the language proposed under the bill in their sexual assault laws. Colorado also includes the term consent in its law for misdemeanor sexual contact, but not for sexual assault.

If you were in the jury room trying to decide upon the facts and whether the facts matched the law ... by this definition, would you be able to come to any sort of a conclusion? Or to even understand what the law is? Soper asked. It really is about having the clarity for the prosecution and the defense. It doesnt serve either side well to have confusing language in the statutes.

The bills other sponsor, Aurora Democrat Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, said she hopes the bill will contribute to making sexual assault uninviting in Colorado.

Last year, the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault reported that Colorados sexual violence rate is higher than the national average. The organization said 23.8% of women in Colorado had experienced sexual violence, compared to 18.3% nationally.

A sexual assault occurs in the U.S. every 68 seconds, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Less than one in three sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement, and, of those reported, only around 16% result in arrests and 9% result in felony convictions, the network said.

In Colorado, the low conviction rate for sexual assaults can be partially attributed to the laws confusing language, said Jessica Dotter, sexual assault resource prosecutor of the Colorado District Attorneys Council.

This bill comes from some really heart-wrenching experiences working in jury trials where juries made decisions based on a misunderstanding and a confusion of what the law meant, Dotter said. There are no definitions in statutes  and therefore no definitions in jury instructions  for terms such as what it means to use sufficient consequence or what it means to be reasonably calculating.

The bill would maintain Colorados existing legal definition of consent for sexual activity, which is cooperating in a sexual act using free will and with knowledge of the nature of the act. The definition also specifies that a current or previous relationship does not constitute consent and consent cannot be given under the influence of fear.

In addition to helping jurors understand the law, Dotter said the bill would clarify the definition of sexual assault for survivors in the hopes of making them more comfortable reporting their assaults to law enforcement.

The House Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced the bill Tuesday following testimonies from eight individuals who support the bill. If enacted, the bill would go into effect on July 1 and apply to sexual assaults committed on or after the date.

Burgess said she would have pursued rape charges if the bill was in place a year ago. But if the bill passes, she said she still might try.

The odds of justice were not in my favor. My rape was not reportable here, Burgess said. House Bill 1169 is a powerful first step in ensuring that other survivors of sexual assault dont have the same experience as me. To be raped is to be stripped of your power, and this bill could help give it back.

Editor's note: The original version of this article incorrectly stated Kate Burgess's name.
Canada eases on-arrival test requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers

Xinhua) 14:31, February 16, 2022

Travelers wearing face masks line up in front of the airline counters at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Feb. 15, 2022. Canada is easing the on-arrival test requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers starting Feb. 28 as the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, Public Health Agency of Canada announced Tuesday. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

OTTAWA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Canada is easing the on-arrival test requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers starting Feb. 28 as the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, Public Health Agency of Canada announced Tuesday.

According to the press release, travellers may still be selected for random testing upon arrival but will no longer have to quarantine while awaiting their test results.

Travellers can instead opt for a rapid antigen test approved by the countries they are coming from.

Currently, all travellers, regardless of vaccine status, must provide proof of a negative molecular test, such as a PCR test, within 72 hours of their scheduled flight or land entry into Canada.

The government is also easing its advisory recommending Canadians avoid non-essential travel due to the rise of the Omicron variant.

Restrictions on unvaccinated children younger than 12 and travelling with vaccinated adults are also being lifted. They will no longer need to wait and self isolate before attending school, daycare, or camps.

Unvaccinated travellers will still be required to be tested on arrival into Canada and must quarantine for 14 days, the press release said. 

Travelers are seen at the departure hall of Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Feb. 15, 2022. Canada is easing the on-arrival test requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers starting Feb. 28 as the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, Public Health Agency of Canada announced Tuesday. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

Medical workers are seen at the COVID-19 testing site inside the arrival hall of Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Feb. 15, 2022. Canada is easing the on-arrival test requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers starting Feb. 28 as the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, Public Health Agency of Canada announced Tuesday. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

Landed travelers are seen at the COVID-19 testing site inside the arrival hall of Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Feb. 15, 2022. Canada is easing the on-arrival test requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers starting Feb. 28 as the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, Public Health Agency of Canada announced Tuesday. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

A traveler is seen at the COVID-19 testing site inside the arrival hall of Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Feb. 15, 2022. Canada is easing the on-arrival test requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers starting Feb. 28 as the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, Public Health Agency of Canada announced Tuesday. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

Travelers are seen at the departure hall of Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Feb. 15, 2022. Canada is easing the on-arrival test requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers starting Feb. 28 as the latest wave of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, Public Health Agency of Canada announced Tuesday. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Cyberattacks hit Ukraine's Ministry of Defense and Armed Services websites, causing them to shut down on Tuesday, a move that some fear is the latest Russian effort in its plans to invade the Eastern European country.

Some individuals fear that the cyberattacks are Moscow's attempts to cause confusion and disruption in Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin considers his next move. Privatbank and Oshadbank were also struck, said the State Service for Special Communication and Information Protection (SSSCIP), Ukraine's cybersecurity agency, warned on Tuesday.

Cyberattack on Ukraine

There were reports that some users had trouble making payments using their devices' banking applications. In an assessment, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense noted that the attacks on government websites were most likely DDoS attacks. The process is where a hacker hits a website with an overwhelming number of requests to force the network into a malfunction.

Government officials said that they were doing work to restore the sites and return services to normal. While some fear that Russia is behind the recent cyberattacks, there has been no solid proof that Moscow was responsible for the incidents, as per Yahoo News.

A deputy chairman at the SSSCIP, Victor Zhora, who was investigating the incident, said that it was still too early to make any concrete conclusions of who was behind the incident. But the cyberattacks came as Russia has amassed roughly 150,000 troops close to its border with Ukraine.

Read Also: US Stock Market at Risk as Traders Monitor Rising Tensions at Russia-Ukraine Border

The situation comes as United States officials warned that a fresh Russian invasion of Ukraine could come any day now. On the other hand, Moscow has repeatedly denied claims that it was planning to invade its neighboring country.

According to CNN, access to the websites of the two banks affected by the cyberattacks has been restored by 7:30 p.m. local time, said Ukrainian officials. Several journalists for CNN who were in Ukraine reported having difficulties in accessing websites of the defense agencies on Tuesday night.

Threat of Cyber Criminals

While DDoS attacks are relatively cheap to conduct and do not inflict severe damage to a network, it is extremely difficult to track the perpetrator. Cybercriminals can hide their location and make it seem like they are coming from a country they are not originally from.

Previously, United States President Joe Biden warned that a war in modern times would not be fought with soldiers and machines, but rather, as a consequence of a cyber breach. The Democrat made his remarks warning of the risks of cybercrimes spinning out of control during his intelligence brain trust in July of last year.

The situation comes as Western officials are warning that Russia could conduct cyberattacks against Ukraine's NATO allies amid rising tensions. While no one is suggesting that the incident could lead to a full-blown war between nuclear-armed rivals, the risk continues to rise.

Despite the concerns, it is unclear how severe the consequences of a malicious cyber operation by a state actor would be to get called an act of war. The director of the European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative, Max Smeets, said that the rules were "fuzzy" and that there was no clear distinction between what was allowed and what was forbidden, KSL reported.



Related Article: Poll: Most Democrats Urge To Investigate Hillary Clinton Over Russiagate Scandal

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Officers investigating a residence in New York's Hudson Valley discovered a missing little girl concealed beneath a staircase, authorities said Tuesday.

A Saugerties residence approximately 130 miles (210 kilometers) east of Cayuga Heights, where she was reported missing in July 2019, when she was 4 years old, was found in good health Monday night, according to Saugerties police.

NY Girl Missing For 2 Years Found Alive

Her noncustodial parents were accused of abducting her, according to police. After approximately an hour of searching, officers executing a search warrant discovered the girl hiding with her non-custodial mother in a chilly, wet, homemade cage beneath a basement stairway.

According to authorities, after removing several wooden stairs, they got their first view of the girl's feet. The girl was confirmed to be in good health by the paramedics who arrived at the scene. She was turned over to her legal guardian and reunited with her elder sister.

On allegations of custodial interference and endangering the welfare of a child, the non-custodial parents and a third individual were arraigned. It was not immediately clear whether any of them had legal representation, according to AP News.

Read Also: Amir Locke Shooting: 5 Things to Know About Police Killing of Aspiring Musician

Missing Girl's Parents Lost Custody but Ran Off The Child

Kirk Shultis Jr., 32, Kirk Shultis Sr., 57, and Kimberly Cooper, 33, face charges of custodial interference and endangering the life of a child. Missing girl Paislee Shulti's biological parents are Kimberly Cooper and the younger Shultis. Neither of them has custody of Paislee. The homeowner, Shultis Sr., denied knowing where his granddaughter was and said he hadn't seen her since she was reported missing in 2019, according to police.

Paislee was last seen on July 13, 2019, according to the Albany-based WRGB. She was believed to be with Cooper and Shultis Jr. She may have been transferred to Saugerties, according to New York state officials in a missing child notice at the time.

After losing custody of their children, the girl's parents reportedly went away with Paisley on the day they were meant to hand them over to state authorities, he said. Because her elder sister was in school at the time, she had to be taken care of by a legal guardian.

Paislee appeared to be "being taken care of and in good condition," although she hadn't attended school since her disappearance in 2019. According to FOX 5 New York, Shultis Jr. told police that Cooper had left him and moved to Pennsylvania and that he hadn't seen her since 2019.

However, she and Paislee were reportedly hiding beneath the stairs at Shultis' father's Saugerties house on Monday night. After an hour into their search of his residence, investigators claimed they noticed a suspicious piece of the basement stairway. The compartment is loaded with blankets, according to a picture taken at the crime scene.

Paislee was checked by paramedics and found to be well before being sent to her legal guardian and reunited with her elder sister. On Wednesday morning, all three accused will appear in court, Fox News reported.

Related Article: Michigan Moms Arrested in Two Separate Incidents; One Starves Daughter to Death, Another Says Spongebob Told Her to Kill Child

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As the Cubs were beating the Braves 6-3 Wednesday night Steve left to see the game with his mom and dad, Reva and Harold, brother Ron and baby niece Elizabeth Henney. He left behind to run the store his wife Kathleen (Knight), Amelia (27), Nathan (24) and his beloved cat Lewis Black. His sis
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Carriers are ramping up their 5G infrastructure even as Apple has introduced iPhones that support the standard. Data speeds are rapidly improving as the infrastructure falls into place for high-bandwidth services, new connected hardware, and more.

No wonder Apple spent billions to climb aboard.

Were nowhere near peak 5G

We arent anywhere close to peak 5G  many nations have little to no 5G broadband infrastructure and those that do may not yet be able to deliver consistent coverage. You cant yet rely on finding a 5G connection outside of specific conurbations. Different nations and networks support different generations of 5G, with new ones coming online and additional wireless spectrum slowly being made available.

But overall, deployment is moving in the right direction.

OpenSignal offers a glimpse at the state of play. Its data reveals that download speeds have nearly doubled in 5G markets. In Germany, download speeds accelerated form 22.6Mbps to 48.7Mbps; in Saudi Arabia (a nation investing deeply in smart cities, Industry 4.0 and IoT), speeds went from 13.6Mbps to 31.1Mbps. Some nations, principally in the APAC region, are storming ahead: South Korea hit 129.7Mbps.

Those nations in which 5G services are delivering the fastest connection speeds are ripe for service evolution. Why work in an office when you can grab your iPad Air (soon with 5G) and work under a tree? The combination of fast mobile broadband and powerful hardware underpins a services opportunity weve not really begun to scratch.

The services opportunity

As so often in the evolution of the internet, games show the way. South Korea has become the best place to play them based on internet speed, the researchers said.

Its worth thinking about what games are. The most advanced games can be seen as high-bandwidth, mobile services, which means nations that support the best gaming experiences should also be able to handle the most advanced next-generation enterprise services.

They should also be able to tolerate exciting new ideas, such as Augmented/Virtual Reality on the move, semi-autonomous vehicles, smart roads, and connected city infrastructure.

The OpenSignal report also looks at network congestion. It notes that those nations in which 5G has become more available have also become more capable of handling high quantities of traffic.

The evolution of companion technologies, such as SDN (Software-Defined Networking), NFV (Network Function Virtualization) and network slicing also help reduce congestion, particularly for remote enterprises reliant on high bandwidth mobile services.

Vendors have promised for years that 5G would enable augmented reality (AR), edge computing, multiplayer gaming, industrial automation and a myriad of Internet of Things (IoT) use cases, the Open Signal report says. But these gradually progressing 5G standards explain why the full 5G impact has not arrived and vendors 5G claims are often still to be met.

New markets will open up

While the benefits of 5G seem promising today, as the infrastructure evolves and additional spectrum is made available, the full extent of the opportunity will emerge. That opportunity may become most visible in developing markets.

Africa, for example, is widely regarded as a huge economic opportunity that's been held back by the lack of broadband infrastructure. A combination of satellite, fixed-line broadband and 5G may enable large parts of the continent to be bought online.

The continent is hungry for this. As of 2015, around two-thirds of Africas population owned mobile devices. And mobile broadband speeds have accelerated in almost every African nation since 2019, as operators deploy 5G or increase 4G availability ahead of a 5G launch.

But the ability to provide broadband speeds to Africa will be equally essential to communities in any nation that have not yet gotten fixed-line broadband. Across the US, at least 6% of the population lack access to fixed broadband services. While most of these areas must also wait for carriers to put 5G in place, there is at least a little hope to get them online.

Apple sees an early benefit

When the first 5G services were switched on in 2019, Apples critics rushed to slam the company for being late to adopt the standard in its devices. However, all (?) the company had to do was hand Intel a billion dollars for its modem development tech and reach an out-of-court settlement with Qualcomm to introduce the first 5G-enabled iPhones just a little later in 2020.

The iPhone 12 became the worlds best-selling 5G smartphone, despite the pandemic. Carriers got firmly behind Apple to get those smartphones to market as they sought to get customers hooked on 5G. That device counted for 24% of all 5G phones sold globally in 2021. The iPhone 13 is maintaining this momentum, with billions of people still to upgrade and it's become tool of choice for enterprise professionals.

Apple may lead today, but Samsung, Lenovo, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and others are also benefitting as the standard rolls out. Apple has evidently put a great deal of effort into preparing to exploit the emerging 5G opportunities  think how its consumer-focused services can so easily exploit mobile. It is also allegedly on the cusp of introducing new hardware categories (cars, glasses, wearables) that simply wouldnt be possible without mobile broadband to link them up.

I guess that's why Apple spent so much money ensuring it could put 5G inside iPhones, iPads, and, one day, Macs.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolics bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.
Halyna Hutchins' estate has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and Rust Productions in connection with a deadly gunshot on the set of the film in which Baldwin starred and produced in October.

During a news conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Hutchins estate's lawyers announced the charges, with attorney Brian Panish claiming that Alec Baldwin and others are "responsible for the set's safety and whose irresponsible cost-cutting conduct led to Halyna Hutchins' needless and terrible death."

Alec Baldwin Now Facing Lawsuit From Hutchins Family

Hutchins' estate claims in legal documents obtained by ET that the defendants had the power to prevent her death if they had only held their duty to protect the safety of every individual on a set where firearms were present sacrosanct rather than cutting corners on safety procedures where human lives were at stake, rushing to stay on schedule and dismissing numerous safety complaints.

Hiring inexperienced and unqualified armorers or weapons masters, requiring the film's armorer to split time as an assistant props master, establishing and adhering to unreasonably rushed production schedules, and employing unqualified and inexperienced crew and staff that were responsible for safety during the production were among the cited violations, according to the ET Online.

On the set of the Western picture, Alec Baldwin, film's producer and star, was practicing a stunt when a pretend gun he was carrying went off, killed Hutchins, 42, and wounded director Joel Souza.

Alec Baldwin was practicing a scenario that involved pulling a pistol and aiming it at the camera on a church pew, according to records provided by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in October. Souza informed officers that Hutchins and Souza were looking at the camera angle. Hutchins was standing behind Souza, who had been shot in the shoulder.

On the set, three individuals would normally handle weapons, according to Souza. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's armorer, would inspect the weapons first, then assistant director Dave Halls, who would then deliver a firearm to an actor for his or her role, as per USA Today.

Read Also: Meghan Markle Will Be the New AOC When Her Offers All Dries Up, Ex-Brexit Party Leader Nigel Farage Says

Rust Production Accused of Flouting Safety Standards

Alec Baldwin is accused of flouting industry standards for weapon safety together with a slew of co-defendants, including armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and assistant director David Halls as well as production firms and producers.

According to industry guidelines, weapons should never be directed at someone "until required to do so on camera." He further claimed that Baldwin had refused firearms training and that the film's producers, which included Baldwin, were cutting corners and speeding up the production.

In addition, the complaint claims that a group of camera operators abandoned the film overstated worries about lax safety measures and that at least two more unintentional gun discharges and an inadvertent sound effects explosion occurred on the set.

According to the complaint, Lane Luper, one of the cameramen who walked off the job, contacted unit production manager Katherine "Row" Walters days before Hutchins' murder to express his worry, Fox News reported.

Related Article: Alec Baldwin's Lawyer Says Actor Will Cooperate After Authorities Issue Search Warrant For His Mobile Phone Amid 'Rust' Probe

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02/16/2022

Photo (c) Andriy Onufriyenko - Getty Images COVID-19 tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 78,073,202 (77,919,052)

Total U.S. deaths: 925,815 (922,473)

Total global cases: 416,408,910 (413,746,208)

Total global deaths: 5,842,248 (5,827,947)

Moderna CEO says pandemic may be ending

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel definitely sees light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. In an interview with CNBCs Squawk Box Asia today, Bancel said its reasonable to assume that we may be approaching the final stages of the pandemic.

Theres an 80% chance that as Omicron evolves or SarsCov-2 virus evolves, we are going to see less and less virulent viruses, he said.

However, Bancel  who leads a company that developed one of three COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S.  said there is a 20% chance that the next mutation of the virus could be worse than the Omicron variant.

CDC relaxes cruise ship guidance

With COVID-19 seemingly in retreat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has relaxed some of its guidance for cruise ships. Admittedly, its a very slight change.

The health agency lowered its cruise travel warning to Level 3 from Level 4, the highest such level. The Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) called it a step in the right direction.

"Cruise ships have medical, isolation, and quarantine facilities on-site, implement extensive response plans using private shoreside resources, and have created an environment where almost every single person is fully vaccinated, the trade group said in a statement. As a result, cases of COVID-19 are very low with the vast majority mild or asymptomaticmaking cruise unequaled in its multi-layered approach to effectively mitigating COVID-19."

Some teens go behind parents backs to get vaccinated

Teenage years are often filled with rebellion, but its taking a strange form in the latter stages of the pandemic. While some adults adamantly oppose COVID-19 vaccines, NPR reports that some children are quietly getting vaccinated without telling their parents.

According to the report, Philadelphia has a little-known city regulation that permits children over age 11 to be vaccinated without parental consent. Sixteen-year-old Nicolas Montero told the network he went there to get vaccinated because his parents refused to give their consent. Montero says his parents opposition stems from social media.

"The thing about these beliefs is that they alternate by the day," said Montero. "It's not one solid thing that they're going with, so it's just really baseless. It's like one thing they see on Facebook, and then they completely believe it."

Around the nation
02/16/2022

Photo (c) dem10 - Getty Images One day after Texas sued Meta over its face recognition software, Alphabet  Google's parent company  announced major changes to how it deals with user privacy.

Specifically, the company said it plans to limit how apps track users on its Android smartphone platform. The move is in line with Apples recent restraints on how advertisers track consumer behavior on iPhones.

Over the next two years, Google said it plans to replace the current system used to identify users with one that is more mindful of users privacy. Not coincidently, the move comes as regulators take aim at Big Tech and as consumers express more concern about privacy.

Walking a fine line

When it comes to regulators, Julie Rubash, chief privacy counsel at data privacy firm Sourcepoint, says the government has to walk a fine line.

Regulation and enforcement, when it comes to artificial intelligence require a delicate balance to address the potential harms that could come from misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) without stifling the potential benefits to society that could be gained from this powerful technology, Rubash told ConsumerAffairs.

Rubash says advances in AI, when used properly, could provide consumers with highly personalized product experiences that actually improve lives instead of merely selling a product.

Imagine the benefits of a car that understands and adapts to your driving patterns, medical technology that adapts based on your medical history, and educational tools that understand how your child learns, she said.

What regulators have to be concerned about, Rubash says, is how this powerful technology could be harmful, such as its potential to lead to exploitation, unfair decision-making, discrimination, or unwanted disclosures.

Looking at the big picture

Heather Federman, chief privacy officer at data intelligence company BigID, agrees that there are many aspects of technology advancements that are positive. She also agrees that regulators need to see the big picture.

The concern is around what the tech companies deploying these technologies actually do with the data output, Federman told ConsumerAffairs. Are they sharing this information with data brokers to make credit and employment eligibility decisions about us? Or are they using it to build even better technologies that benefit society overall?

The question, says Federman, comes down to how the data is used and whether that use is responsible.

Rubash says Big Tech and regulators should both have the goal of putting control in the hands of the consumer through clear, easy-to-understand, easy-to-exercise decisions.

Consumers should have the right to decide for themselves whether they want the products they interact with to adapt to their driving habits, medical history, learning styles, and other characteristics and preferences, she said.
02/16/2022

Photo source: FDA The Royal Ice Cream Company of Manchester, Conn., is recalling specific lots of Batch Ice Cream brand Vanilla, Ginger, and Mocha Chip ice cream.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled products are packaged in paper 16-oz pints with the Batch Ice Cream brand name and flavors shown on the front.

Products are coded with a "Date of Manufacture" that reads 1/19/22 and a "Best By" date of 7/19/23. Both of those pieces of information can be found on the bottom of the cup.

The UPC numbers for the products are listed below:

Vanilla  837654968505

Ginger  83765496856

Mocha chip  83765496853

The recalled products were sold at Market Baskets and Roach Brothers Markets in Massachusetts and Big Y Stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them. Instead, they should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (860) 649-5358 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST).
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Russian President Vladimir Putin outmatched NATO and the US with strategy, moving several thousand troops from the Ukraine border and sowing confusion amongst the allies.

The Kremlin has been playing its cards in a longer game during the border standoff, where he's achieved some of his goals.

In the past several months, the event of Ukraine has revealed a disunited bloc and the US resorting to false flags.

Washington's False Warning

The Russian Ministry of Defense ordered the relocation of troops on the Ukraine border to return to bases as a surprise move of Putin.

Choosing this option has disproven the fear-mongering of Joe Biden that Russian forces will assault. Although how many units in the field doing large-scale military exercises is unknown, the Express UK reported.

The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said they would believe a withdrawal if solid proof exists. He told the press that only a full withdrawal would mean de-escalation if they see it.

Next in line to meet Putin will be Olaf Scholz, the German

Chancellor, who will discuss the Kremlin. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will head a Cobra meeting on how Britain will respond.

According to an expert in Russian foreign policy and Senior Lecturer, Portsmouth University, Dr. Paul Flenley said that the current situation is okay with the Kremlin.

No resolution is a good outcome for the Russian leader Vladimir Putin; it only prolongs the situation that suits him fine.

Read Also: Russia Probes EU's Reaction in the Ongoing Migrant Crisis at the Poland-Belarus Border

The Kremlin Wins

Putin excelled at the long game with statesmanship; prolonging the uncertainty at the border will get him more of what he wants. Russia is the center of the discussions, cited the Vox.

It took long for Joe Biden to realize that the Kremlin was misleading him, and he fell for it. Russia is very interested in dealing with China.

Many world leaders want a meeting in Moscow and are acutely attentive to the whims of Putin. The Russian leader has outmatched and become the center of international politics.

Everything the Kremlin does to keep the military drills going, activation of troops will force NATO and the US to deal with Russia.

A scheduled exercise in the region ends on February 20; the Russian-Belarusian Union Resolve war games.

The exercise will be another force of 30,000 infantry with weaponry and undisclosed hardware.

Dr. Flenley added that Putin might stand down some troops and redeploy to their bases of origin, just as this morning, noted CNN.

Another option is to do what he's doing and no invasion, return to bases depending on his long-term plans. Or do it often and cause confusion with no resolution, the West wants an end, but it's the Kremlin's discretion to do.

Keeping an instability will influence Moscow; that means anywhere that is more headaches for NATO and US.

In the news conference, Russia's spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry stated that February 15, 2022, was the day Joe Biden's hysteria failed. Putin scored well, with none of his forces raising a gun.

The West is still downplaying everything that has happened, and the White House is silent of now.

Vladimir Putin checkmated the West, and no resolution results in instability, no sight in the end, and the long game cannot be guessed.

Related Article: Putin Does Not Want Conflict as the US Will Only Benefit From It

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The name of the project was mtgDAO, a "brilliant" endeavor that intended to make use of the blockchain to, you guessed it, make MTG cards an even scarcer commodity by only allowing the use of cards no one had as NFTs yet. These fools, who actually boast their "scarce magic format" as if it is a good thing, seemingly thought that swiping stuff from Wizards Of The Coast's giant parent company Hasbro would be as easy as scavenging the work of dead artists to sell as your NFTs and were very surprised when their idea got shut down immediately.

Sadly, Hasbro was pretty calm and collected about it, and instead of going fully Urza's rage on their asses, they merely sent the mtgDAOists a polite letter warning them that they were straight-up stealing intellectual property.
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Great video games dont always make for great movies  which is why we never got Super Mario Bros: No Way Home starring Bob Hoskins and Captain Lou Albano. But one adaptation some fans seem cautiously optimistic about is Netflix's newly-announced film version of Bioshock, the 2007 best-selling game that dared to wonder, What if Doom, but Ayn Rand?
Sue B. Donnelly, 87, of Crossville, passed away at her home on April 26, 2022. She was born on May 18, 1934, in Crossville, Tennessee, daughter of the late James T. Brandon and Clara (Hamby) Brandon. Sue was the owner of Boats and Harbors and of the Baptist Faith. She is survived by her chil
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Capital plan divides Litchfield City Council

Keith Johnson Mayor Term ends Dec. 31, 2022 Darlene Kotelnicki

Charting the citys financial course continues to spark disagreement among Litchfield City Council members.

The philosophical divide between rising taxes and capital investments played out again during a more-than-one-hour discussion of the citys Capital Improvement Plan that was part of the City Councils Feb. 7 meeting.

In the end, the CIP received unanimous approval from the five Council members at the meeting.

The resolution included Commercial Street stormwater improvement, Memorial Park parking lot and exterior repair of the Litchfield Library for 2022. In addition, the fate of a wellness/recreation center will be left up to voters if the city proceeds with a referendum on a local option sales tax this fall.

But those decisions only came after some tense moments of disagreement.

At one point, Mayor Keith Johnson responded with raised voice to questions from Ward 2 Council member Darlene Kotelnicki, who said she was concerned about taxes and that there are certain groups and departments who routinely benefit from fund transfers and some that dont.

Her comments followed discussion of the Commercial Street storm water improvement project and a new Public Works Department building. Originally slated for construction this year, the Public Works facility was moved to 2023 as part of updated CIP suggestions by City Administrator Dave Cziok. Meanwhile, Cziok said, the Commercial Street project could be funded by a storm water utility that he suggested the City Council look at implementing.

Johnson offered a strong response to Kotelnickis questions.

These people (city staff) know what the city needs, Johnson said. How can we, do you know enough about this to make that recommendation? I dont. You can bring up all the percents and all you want to  we can nickel-and-dime all over the place. Im tired of this. Weve got to get things done.

The debate came after Cziok introduced the revised Capital Improvement Plan, something the City Council had requested during its last regular meeting in January.

It was there that at-large Council member Ron Dingmann suggested that a two-pronged CIP  dividing projects into essential and nonessential  might help members make decisions about moving forward. As one list, the CIP included 28 items and more than $20 million in spending during the next five years.

Cziok suggested a critical and non-critical division of projects, and the updated plan in the Feb. 7 agenda included only the critical projects, with explanations of why a project was removed, why the council may want to consider adding it back in, and how to reduce any fiscal impact.

That fiscal impact was included in an analysis that consultant Ehlers and Associates presented to the City Council in January that showed tax rates on a steady and steep incline from 2022 to 2030. If the original CIP were to be followed, property tax rates would climb from 64.05 this year to 98.67 by 2030, according to the analysis.

Along with moving the Public Works facility back one year, the amended CIP included removing upgrades to the Commercial Street storm sewer, exterior improvements to the public library, the Memorial Park parking lot, the wellness/recreation center, the civic arena floor, electrical circuit improvements, library interior upgrades, downtown alleyway improvements, Jaycee Park improvements and repair of the parking lot at Litchfield Golf Club.

Taking a very sharp edge to anything thats not that critical service  thats where we were at with taking those off the list, Cziok said.

Johnson questioned removing the Commercial Street storm sewer project, saying he thought it should be included in the CIP for this year. Dingmann also asked how that project might be accomplished.

Johnson suggested that some of the American Rescue Plan funding the city received could be used to tackle the project, which could also open the door to other projects like the library exterior work being funded in the CIP.

The storm water project, with a $700,000 price tag, likely would require most of the American Rescue Plan funds, Cziok said.

I would offer we dont need to make a decision tonight on American Rescue Plan dollars, Cziok said, or on the storm water utility.

The list of projects in the CIP is long, and its possible, Cziok said, that some of the projects scheduled out five years will have to be done before then out of necessity.

I struggle with the balance, Cziok said. Were talking about a plan  talking about guiding staff to develop projects to get them to Council to follow this plan  so you guys are making educated decisions as we move forward.
The House Select Committee responsible for investigating the details of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot on Tuesday subpoenaed six more individuals, including three Republican state officials from Arizona and Pennsylvania from their involvement in trying to overturn the 2020 election.

The list of state officials identified Douglas Mastriano, a state senator from Pennsylvania, Mark Finchem, a state legislator from Arizona, who is also running for the job that oversees state elections, and Kelli Ward, the current chair of the Arizona Republican Party. The subpoenas aim to get information regarding the issue of sending fake electors to Congress.

Trump's Fake Elector Scheme

The controversy surrounds former United States President Donald Trump's alleged attempts to take the win from Democrat Biden. The Republican businessman is accused of hiring fake electors to prostate him as the winner over his rival in the 2020 presidential elections.

The kind of electoral subversion in the ploy is something that many people familiar with the matter believe could be attempted in the future. Currently, several members of Congress are working on creating ways that will make it much more difficult to use similar strong-arm tactics to overturn valid electoral results, as per Yahoo News.

The House Select Committee also subpoenaed two members of the Trump campaign. In a statement, the panel's chairman, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, said that the committee was actively looking for information about Trump's alleged efforts to use false slates of electors to vouch for him during the 2020 elections.

Read Also: Durham Report Says the Hillary Clinton Campaign Is Guilty of Looking For Dirt To Blame on Trump

Thompson said his team was trying to acquire records and testimony from former campaign officials and other individuals in various states who they believe held relevant information about the planning and implementation of such plans.

CNN reported that Michael Roman, who was in charge of Election Day operations in 2020, and his deputy, Gary Micahel Brown, were the two members of Trump's campaign subpoenaed by the committee. The two individuals were reportedly involved in efforts to promote allegations of electoral fraud in the November 2020 election.

A Slew of Subpoenas

The remaining subpoenaed individual was identified to be Laura Cox, the former chairwoman of Michigan's Republican Party. The committee also sent letters alongside the subpoenas where they said that the panel had obtained communications showing Roman's and Brown's state involvement in Trump's attempts to overturn the elections that he lost.

Thompson wrote in a letter sent to Roman that he was accused of helping direct the Trump campaign staffers to participate in the scheme. On the other hand, Finchem was believed to have been on the Capitol grounds on the day of the riot. The panel said the official was in communication with leaders from the "Stop the Steal" movement outside the building.

The House Select Committee claimed that Finchem said he was in Washington to deliver an evidence book and a letter to the former United States Vice President, Mike Pence. The documents allegedly showed key evidence of voter fraud in the Arizona presidential election. The official asked the then-vice president to consider postponing the award of electors until the situation could be addressed properly, the New York Times reported.



Related Article: Hilary Clinton Should Be Charged for Campaign Spying; Trump Called it Worse Than Watergate Deems To Sue Those Responsible

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OM Digital Solutions releases a new camera, the Olympus OM-1, and two new weather sealing lenses: the OM System M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II and OM System M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4 Pro.

As a nod to the past, the new OM-System OM-1 retains the Olympus name. However, it is also reported that it will be the final camera model following JIP's announcement last year that the Olympus Imaging division would be renamed 'OM Digital Solutions.'

It's a subtle, reverent nod to Olympus's past that fans will appreciate.

To those users who are unfamiliar, OM Digital Solutions Corp is a new company formed following Olympus sold off its imaging division to Japan Industrial Partners last year.

First Lens: M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm

According to Digital Camera World, with a 35mm equivalent field of view of 24-80mm, it features 14 elements in 9 groups (including four aspherical elements), 9 aperture blades, a 62mm filter thread, a 0.2m minimum focusing distance, and an ultra-compact 69.9 x 84mm body smaller than a soda can.

Additionally, the lens is interchangeable with the original Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro trinity lens.

Except for the increased rating, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II hasn't changed much, although it now offers an improved image quality in the same compact, lightweight body as the original version.

Second Lens: M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm

Whereas the standard zoom lens is a fairly well-known feature due to its identical optical formula, the OM System M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4 Pro is a completely new proposition.

Digital Camera World stated that with the same "fundamental structure" as the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro lens, this new f/4 version shrinks the 160mm and 760g frame of its big brother to a small 99.4mm (124mm when in use, un-retracted) and 382g frame - users can compare the old and new lenses in the gallery above. This equates to an 80-300mm equivalent lens that users can carry around in their pockets.

Both lenses are rated IP53. IP53 indicates that the device is protected against a limited amount of dust ingress.

Both lenses are weatherproof to the same degree as the camera body, with an IP53 rating and freeze resistance to 14F. Additionally, they will feature a fluorine coating on the front-most lens, which repels water, oil, and dust and simplifies cleaning.

Read Also: 6 Photography Trends 2022: AI Modes, Post-Instagram, Camera Shortages, More

The Olympus OM-1

Ephotozine stated that the Olympus M1 has the compact advantages of the Micro Four Thirds format while being a full-frame camera. The noise levels, durability, ISO range, and inclusion of some special features such as in-camera focus stacking are the highlights of the new camera.

According to PopPhoto, the OM System OM-1 is a Micro Four Thirds camera based on a stacked, backside-illuminated (BSI), Live MOS sensor with a resolution of 20 megapixels. Additionally, it comes equipped with the latest TruePic X image processor, which is said to be three times faster than previous camera models.

Here are a few features of the OM System OM-1:

ISO 25,600 is the maximum native ISO.

Image stabilization based on a 5-axis sensor provides seven stops of stability (up to 8-stops with certain lenses)

Burst shooting at 120 frames per second with AF locked, 50 frames per second without AF points

1 053 cross-type AF points on the sensor

Enhancements to subject detection (now with dog and cat detect)

EVF with a resolution of 5.76 million dots and a refresh rate of 120 frames per second

Related Article: Adobe's AI Effort In Creative Cloud Continues: Improvements In Premiere and Photoshop
The U.S. government signed off on Sikorsky making four of its new military cargo helicopters for Israel, an expected approval that could have a big impact on the Lockheed Martin subsidiarys headquarters factory in Stratford.

Israel plans to add six CH-53K helicopters to replace its existing fleet of nearly two-dozen Sikorsky CH-53D Yasur helicopters over time, with an option for six more if it sees the need.

The announcement comes as Gov. Ned Lamont and state business leaders plan to embark on a weeklong trip to Israel to promote Connecticut economic development.

Sikorsky has started making the CH-53K for the U.S. Marine Corps under the name King Stallion, with the service seeking approval for 200 of the aircraft. The King Stallion is a far more powerful helicopter than the CH-53E, and is the largest ever fielded by the U.S. military.

Sikorsky was awarded the contract over Boeing, which offered its CH-47 Chinook that is used by the U.S. Army to transport cargo and troops. Speaking on a conference call last month, Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet called it an important international opportunity for Sikorsky, with the company also working to generate interest in the helicopter for Germany.

Israel is paying $372 million for the first four helicopters  an average of $93 million each. That is roughly 15 times the cost of a Black Hawk helicopter.

Including ongoing support, spare engines and other parts, Israel has earmarked as much as $2.4 billion for the CH-53K program.

The CH-53K is the largest of three major programs Sikorsky is counting on to keep production lines busy in Stratford and other locales in the coming decade, along with a new fleet of White House helicopters and new helicopters for the U.S. Air Force to perform rescue missions.

Longer term, Sikorsky is vying with Bell to produce a utility helicopter replacement for the Army Black Hawk and variant models like the Seahawk used by the U.S. Navy; and an armed helicopter the Army wants for reconnaissance and combat operations.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
Sometime in 2019, New Britain officials embarked on a new school construction project and realized they had a dozen previous jobs that were done but werent fully closed out with the state  leaving millions of dollars in reimbursements up in the air.

Mayor Erin Stewart, frustrated by the delays, arranged a meeting with Konstantinos Kosta Diamantis, then director of the school construction finance unit for the state. She brought the school facilities director.

He did ask me in that meeting a couple of times, Stewart recalled, Do you have a consultant? You have to hire a consultant. I can give you recommendations.

3 1 of 3 Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Hearst Connecticut Media file photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Kostas told us that if we wanted to make sure we got our money back, that we should hire this company to do the work for us.

The company was Construction Advocacy Professionals LLC, located in the Moosup section of Plainfield, in eastern Connecticut. That same year, CAP hired Diamantis daughter, Anastasia.

Diamantis lawyer, Norm Pattis, told my colleague John Moritz that his client is a man of the highest ethical standards, so I doubt he would do anything involving a conflict of interest. He did not return a call Tuesday morning for comment.

Stewart said she didnt like the idea of paying a consultant because she believed the city had the capability to close out the projects on its own  if Diamantis told them how to proceed. But the New Britain Board of Education, acting independently of City Hall, hired CAP to do the work.

Then last March, the school board in an 8-2 vote hired CAP again, this time as an owners rep, or project consultant, for a job upgrading the high school to meet federal Americans with Disabilities Act codes and standards.

CAPs principal, Antonietta Roy, brought a favored construction company to do the work, which the school board initially moved to hire along with her, records show.

The BOE intends to engage DAmato Construction Company Inc. under a design-build contract and has selected CAP to act as the BOEs representative, a nine-page agreement said.

Still underway, the high school job is expected to total around $1.5 million, sources said. CAPs estimated fees should total $65,620, at $115 an hour, school board records show.

DAmato is based in Bristol, the city Diamantis had represented in the Connecticut General Assembly. Its also the company that received a no-bid contract in 2019 worth $46 million to rebuild the Birch Grove Primary School in Tolland, according to state documents that were first reported Friday in the Hartford Courant and the CT Mirror. Those news outlets reported pressure on local officials by Diamantis, to hire DAmato and CAP.

Diamantis, who retired rather than accept a paid suspension from Gov. Ned Lamont at the end of October, is now under federal investigation in connection with his activities directing the states Office of School Construction Grants and Review. That office moved in November, 2019 from the state Department of Administrative Services to the state Office of Policy and Management, the governors budget agency  a move Lamont now calls a mistake.

Construction Advocacy Professionals, Antonietta Roy, DAmato and New Britain are all on a list of possible subpoena recipients in the federal investigation, based on keywords in documents released publicly.

The picture unfolding in New Britain, combined with Tolland, points to a possible repeating pattern of pressure from Diamantis on routine, sometimes small consulting work, not just large, high-profile projects. That pattern, if it turns out to be true, will draw close political scrutiny in addition to the inquiry by federal prosecutors.

Its too soon to say whether the pressure Stewart described in New Britain is a case of improper behavior. Republicans in the legislature and on the campaign trail are already calling for more oversight and political investigations  causing Lamont to have to respond to this new crisis just as the omicron variant fades.

The state Department of Administrative Services took back control of the school construction grants office on Oct. 29, the day after Diamantis retired. In a statement late Monday, the Lamont administration sought to wall off the earlier period.

It is not and should not be common practice to require municipalities to use specific contractors in order to access state funding. Our competitive bidding process, and collaboration with municipal leadership are key values in this administration, DAS spokeswoman Lora Rae Anderson said in a written statement. Since DAS has re-inhereted the administration of the school construction grant program, DAS has adhered to all policies, laws, and ethical guidelines while ensuring complete transparency.

In New Britain, the school board later in 2021 reconsidered the no-bid design-build deal with DAmato for the ADA work at the high school. The board sought proposals and received three bids including one from DAmato. A different company, Newfield Construction Group, snagged the first phase of the work.

As for CAP, Stewart said Roy, who is named as Antonietta DiBenedetto-Roy in some public documents, tried to gain work on two much larger school projects, sending her Facebook messages and requesting a meeting, which Stewart said she rebuffed.

Typically in previous years weve done it all in-house, Stewart said, referring to the project oversight role.

She said she was mildly perturbed that the board of education hired CAP a second time last year  circumventing a city board, as was the school boards right because the project was not financed with bonded debt.

I didnt think anything of it at the time, Stewart said. The school district typically marches to the beat of its own drum anyway.

DiBenedetto-Roy did not respond to an email seeking comment about the New Britain work. There have been no questions raised about the quality of the firms performance.

Even as the federal probe continues the growing political question is, how much should Diamantis bosses, up through to Lamont, have known about his alleged ties to companies that he apparently helped in his role overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars a year in school construction grants? And, when did they first have an inkling there were problems?

dhaar@hearstmediact.com
A month shy of two years since Connecticut responded to the impending threat of COVID-19, Gov. Ned Lamonts emergency powers, which he wielded to require masks, limit travel and curtail gathering, have come to an end.

The end of the emergency powers, granted after Lamont declared public health and civil preparedness emergencies on March 10, 2020, comes a day after the Senate approved a limited scope of executive orders to continue at the governors request. Despite bitter criticism and opposition from parents and some Republican lawmakers, an order that allows the states education department to require masks in schools remained in place until Feb. 28.

Today marks a new phase in our states response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are by no means declaring mission accomplished in our efforts to stop the spread of this virus, but we are acknowledging that this is a long-term situation that will need a long-term response, Lamont said in a statement Tuesday.

As his emergency powers were coming to an end, Lamont signed the legislation that would continue the small number of executive orders.

On Tuesday, Lamont lauded the legislature for passing the bill regarding ongoing executive powers, noting specifically that it would allow the state to keep the school mask mandate in place for another two weeks.

Theyve given us the flexibility to give local towns, local boards of education the ability to make the call for themselves, he said.

Lamont said he doesnt anticipate rolling back lifting the school mask mandate. I dont see that happening, its not going to happen, he said.

Since the pandemic first hit Connecticut, more than 10,000 people have died, tens of thousands of patients have been hospitalized, and nearly 15 million tests have been administered with more than 700,000 confirmed cases of the virus.

In that time, Lamont has issued dozens of wide-ranging executive orders related to masking, social distancing, gathering sizes, capping guest numbers at restaurants and venues, requiring quarantines and others to limit the spread of the virus.

Since the beginning of this pandemic, my administration has been able to work collaboratively with the legislature to swiftly enact the essential emergency orders that have been in the best interest of public safety and health. During this time, we built the structure that is supporting our states response to this virus, Lamont said.

Initially set to lapse months ago, lawmakers approved extending Lamonts emergency powers, but the governor signaled no intentions to keep those powers after Tuesdays deadline.

Meanwhile, Connecticut recently weathered one of the worst surges of COVID-19 since the early weeks of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. In late December and early January, daily infections spiked to unheard of levels and the positivity rate showed at one time that nearly one in four PCR tests came back positive. Hospitalizations jumped to near record levels, falling several dozen patients shy of the peak seen in April 2020.

But as swiftly as this surge, brought on by the highly infectious omicron variant, hit Connecticut, the spike has fallen off. As of Monday, the positivity rate was at 3.32 percent, the lowest it had been since before Thanksgiving.

On Tuesday, the positivity rate increased slightly to 6.1 percent with 710 COVID cases found in 11,688 new tests. Hospitalizations declined by a net of 21 patients for a total of 385, the lowest number since Dec. 1.

The vote from the Senate Monday followed a similar vote in the House last week to approve the narrow list of executive orders the focus on purchasing ability, limited vaccine requirements and waiving training requirements for nursing aides. Both votes were largely along party lines.

Going forward, while our authority to issue these emergency orders is expiring, I have no doubt that we will be able to faithfully continue collaborating with the legislature to enact policies that keep our state safe to the greatest extent possible, Lamont said.
WESTPORT  Since the pandemic began, Westport has seen a 400 percent increase in calls to United Way from residents needing assistance.

The requests have been driven up due to COVID-19 on two fronts  residents calling to ask where they can receive vaccines and get tested as well as residents requesting assistance after a loss of income, said Jeff Kimball, United Way of Coastal Fairfield Countys CEO.

We certainly hope that things will settle down for people and things will return to normal, but were concerned, Kimball said. Even though many people have returned to work or have had some of their hours restored, theyre still behind on bills. All of these previous months with inadequate income or no income, the bills were just continuing to pile up.

In 2019, about 600 residents called United Way for assistance. In 2020, that number more than doubled to 1,300 residents. Last year, United Way saw another major increase in calls, going up to nearly 3,170 residents calling in need of assistance for 2021, according to United Way.

Kimball said that while the numbers are not huge in the grand scheme of things, the increase in the amount of requests absolutely is.

Prior to the pandemic, one out of five Westport families struggled to make ends meet. The number is part of the United Ways biannual 2020 Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed, or ALICE, report, which identifies people who earn more than the federal poverty level, but are not making enough to meet their basic survival budget.

The budget is determined based on how much it costs to afford housing, food, transportation, a cell phone and healthcare in their county.

Based on the report, Fairfield Countys basic survival budget of a family of four with two adults, an infant and a toddler is $108,000.

Kimball said a new report will be out in 2022, which will reflect the 2020 numbers. He anticipates the number of residents struggling to meet the survival budget will be even higher.

Were going to get a much clearer picture of how the pandemic has affected households, Kimball said. We expect that number to go up.

Kimball said Westport falls in the middle of the 12 towns that United Way helps in terms of those struggling to make ends meet.

Based on the ALICE report, nearly 68 percent of Bridgeport residents arent able to afford the survival budget  the most of the municipalities. Stratford follows with 45 percent and Norwalk with 43 percent. About 28 percent of residents in Fairfield struggle to make ends meet.

United Way recently awarded the town of Westport a $2,000 grant to help residents who are struggling with housing, finances, mental health, utilities and food.

Elaine Daignault, Westports human services director, said the grant couldnt have come at a better time.

The United Way grant funds allowed us to purchase and distribute supplies at a time when testing resources were particularly difficult to find, Daignault said.

She said recipients of the personal protective equipment were grateful to get what they needed to protect their families.

The most recent omicron wave posed a significant setback to those who needed to get back to work and reengage in community offerings, Daignault said.

Daignault said calls have been rapidly increasing at the human services office as well. Specifically, calls about housing struggles have increased from 210 in 2019 to 313 in 2020. Calls have also been increasing about COVID-19 related issues and mental health.

I think that were all reeling from the uncertainty of the pandemic, Daignault said. Mental health has really been a major concern for younger people, who should be out socializing with their friends. That has been really tough.

She said reopening the senior center has helped seniors with their isolation. Her department has also been encouraging people to talk and express themselves, along with help from the prevention coalition.

She said the most important thing is to allow people a chance to express themselves.

Parents are trying to manage having their kids being home and trying to work and isolation for seniors has sort of been unprecedented, she added. Mental health and addiction are really two concerns that we have.

serenity.bishop@hearstmediact.com
MADISON  In long-awaited referendum on Feb. 15, voters approved appropriations of $89.2 million for the School Renewal Plan and $15.9 million to revamp The Academy School into a community center.

Residents also voted to sell Island Avenue School to OLM Prep for $2.3 million.

Voter turnout was 35.65 percent, with 4,972 out of 13,946 eligible voters taking part.

Town officials said this vote meant the town was ready to map out the future.

According to unofficial results, 2,698 people (about 55 percent of those voting on the question) voted to renovate the vacant Academy School, the original part of which was built in 1921, into a community center, while 2,238 (just under 45 percent) voted against.

For the School Renewal Plan, 2,745 voted yes (about 55 percent) and 2,202 (45 percent) voted no.

Voters were more unified on the question of selling the former Island Avenue School to OLM Prep 3,586 to 1,353 (73 percent to 27 percent), according to unofficial results.

Shortly after these early results were reported, Selectman Bruce Wilson sounded pleased with the outcome.

I think that it is terrific that were starting to take some steps forward, he said.

On the school project, weve been over a decade trying to figure out the right path forward for the next couple of generations of students, and now we have a plan that we can begin to execute on, Wilson said.

With Academy School we have 17 plus years of watching a building sit idle and quite literally, falling on itself, he said. Now we can take steps to bring that building into its second life and I think it has all the opportunity to be a vibrant and bright part of Madisons downtown.

With regards to Island Avenue, I cant think of a better tenant that the OLM Prep Academy, he said. It is a use that is in keeping with the historic use of the facility and is a use consistent with what the neighborhood there is used to.

I think for all of us, having two good quality, robust private schools, in addition to our top-quality public schools, just makes Madison the destination for young families for years to come, he said, referring to Our Lady of Mercy Preparatory Academy and The Country School.

Wilson talked about the next step.

We do so little bonding in building that Ive never been through it, he said.

He said the last big project in town was 20 years ago when the new Daniel Hand High School was built.

So, we now will need to regroup and start mapping out the path forward, he said.

First Selectman Peggy Lyons talked about the many citizens who worked on the individual projects to get the town to where it is today and her hope for continued participation as the projects commence.

You are why we are here tonight and I encourage you to stay engaged to help ensure each project is completed on time and on budget, launched successfully and becomes an integral part of the fabric of our community, she said.

Lyons explained that building committees will be formed for the Academy community center and the new school to be built on Mungertown Road.

In addition, there will be separate committees for pricing and room usage policies for the community center, in addition to a facilities committee to start working on figuring out what to do with some of the other properties.

Well be looking for citizens to step up and serve on those, she said.

She said the school project will be on a tighter deadline, with paperwork due to the state by the end of June for reimbursement.

They have a pretty tight timetable to be able to open Fall 2025, she said.

There is a separate schedule for renovations at Brown Intermediate School and Walter C. Polson Upper Middle School.

For Superintendent of Schools Craig Cooke, there is a sense of excitement about the future of the school system.

So much work to still be done, but its a huge hurdle for us to get over to move the town forward, he said.

We have an amazing teachers and administrators and families that support us so much and obviously wonderful students and I think were going to come out of this with four great facilities that match the educational program that we already have.

Weve got a lot of work ahead of us, but its going to be exciting work and well keep pushing forward, he added.

 Editor Susan Braden contributed to this story.
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Mark Zuckerberg just announced new company values in a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Feb 15. He said company employees should now refer to themselves as "Metamates." He also announced their new company motto "Meta, Metamates, Me." Note that this serves as a rank on how employees should value their interests.

Technology company Meta Platforms Inc is the parent company of organizations like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and many other subsidiaries. It was originally called "Facebook," but the company rebranded itself to reflect its goal of being "the next evolution of social connection."

The company said last year that "its vision is to help bring the metaverse to life, so we are changing our name to reflect our commitment to this future."

Mark Zuckerberg and Metaverse: New Company Motto

The Verge senior reporter Alex Heath shared the details of the company meeting in a series of tweets. He outlined what CEO Mark Zuckerberg had explained as the "company's updated values." Note that many of these values are simply replacing pre-existing ones.

Zuckerberg said Meta's directive to "move fast" should be upgraded to "move fast together." He also said "be bold" will be replaced with "build awesome things." Then he added, "focus on long term impact."

- be open is becoming live in the future

- be direct and respect your colleagues is a change to be open

- Zuck says employees are not supposed to nice ourselves to death  Alex Heath (@alexeheath) February 15, 2022

Zuckerberg also emphasized "be open" should be changed to "live in the future." He said "be direct and respect your colleagues" will be simplified to "be open." Then he added, "employees are not supposed to nice (themselves) to death."

METAMATES  Alex Heath (@alexeheath) February 15, 2022



Notably, many of the changes seem to reflect Meta's ongoing growth. Some of the values can also be linked to services related to the metaverse, like the comment "focus on long term impact" and "build awesome things."

However, there are also a few skeptics about these changes. Sources from Gizmodo point out that the company might be doing these changes to hide its "unflattering history with buzzwords."

Read Also: Texas Sues Meta: Facebook Accused of Using Facial Recognition to Steal Biometric Identifiers

Meta Workers Will be Called Metamates

Near the end of the Twitter thread, Heath said Zuckerberg shared their new company motto in bold text, which is the "Meta, metamates, me." The comment obviously implied that all workers should then refer to themselves as Metamates!

Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, the current vice president of augmented and virtual reality who will soon be promoted as Meta chief technical officer, tweeted a reply about the Metamates concept. He emphasized that the term was created as a reference to the Naval phrase "Ship, Shipmates, Self."

By this logic, Zuck is advocating putting the company/Meta before the employee/the employee's well-being.  Max Woolf (@minimaxir) February 15, 2022



Twitter user Max Woolf pointed out that by following this logic, Zuckerberg is advocating the interests of the company before the employees'.

Some fans commented this is a sign of solidarity among members who are working together to support the "bigger picture." Others argue it was some sort of abuse to the employee's well-being.

Unfortunately, Meta did not comment on the topic.



Related Article: Instagram Introduces Private Story Likes, Allows Users To React Without Sending A DM
NEW HAVEN  Avelo Airlines will expand its nonstop service to and from Tweed New Haven Regional Airport to 10 routes as of May 5, adding service to Nashville, Tenn.; Savannah, Ga.-Hilton Head, S.C.; Charleston, S.C.; and Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The announcement, which Avelos Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said last week would be coming soon, will be in addition to Avelos existing nonstop routes to Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Sarasota-Bradenton, all in Florida.

Introductory one-way fares will start at $49, available at AveloAir.com. Tweed uses the booking symbol HVN.

The significant service expansion we announced today builds on the excitement for Avelo we are seeing across Connecticut, Levy said. Customers are telling us they would love for Avelo to fly to more places beyond Florida. These four new routes show were listening.

Gov. Ned Lamont said the new service is a good thing.

Tweed New Haven Airport continues to be a growing destination, and the addition of these flights is welcomed news as more travelers recognize how convenient, quick, and easy it is to fly out of this airport, Lamont said.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

We are so excited to be expanding our nonstop service from six to 10 destinations, said Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Sean Scanlon. Whether its spring break in Myrtle Beach, a visit to historic Charleston and Savannah or a trip to the Music City, you can now get there at a low cost from right here in New Haven thanks to Avelo Airlines, he said.

We are excited to see Tweed offering four new locations that will provide more leisure and business travel opportunities to New Haven residents, said Mayor Justin Elicker. Since the inauguration of the first Avelo flight 100 days ago, Tweed is increasingly demonstrating to be a viable long-term transportation asset for the City and New Haven community.

Avelo celebrated its first 100 days of service at Tweed last Friday. The start of Florida service in November marked the largest expansion of service at Tweed in more than 30 years. Avelo currently operates three 147-seat Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft at Tweed, and will be adding three more planes in the coming months.

The new routes put Avelo and Tweed in more direct competition with Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks on certain routes. Bradley currently offers nonstop service to Nashville on Southwest Airlines and to Charleston on Breeze Airlines, as well as to several cities in Florida via various airlines.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Avelo will be the only airline offering nonstop flights between Connecticut and Savannah-Hilton Head and will be the only airline offering nonstop service between southern Connecticut and Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Nashville, the airline said in a release.

The expansion of service also came as welcome news in Avelos newest East Coast destinations.

Todays announcement is yet another exciting milestone in our rapidly growing low cost, nonstop service for Lowcountry travelers, said Charleston International Airport Director and CEO Elliott Summey. It is exciting to have another new air carrier at Charleston International and our first nonstop service to New Haven, Conn.

Avelos partnership with CHS solidifies our commitment to increasing flights to the Northeast, Summey said. Service to Charleston (CHS) is scheduled to begin May 5, with flights initially scheduled to operate four days per week: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The addition of Avelo at MYR is exciting news for the Grand Strand. MYR prides itself on low average fares, convenient travel options and friendly service, which is why Avelo, with a strong focus on service and affordability, is a perfect fit for our community, said Myrtle Beach International Airport Director of Airports Scott Van Moppes.

Avelo / Contributed

We welcome Avelo with confidence that this new partnership will be a great success, Moppes said. Flights to Myrtle Beach (MYR) are scheduled to begin May 5, flying six days per week: on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

We appreciate Avelo making the decision to include us in their current expansion plans, said Savannah Airport Commission Executive Director Gregory B. Kelly. The commissioner oversees Savannah Hilton Head International Airport. This will be the first time we have had direct service to the state of Connecticut.

We believe this will prove to be a successful route and will work hard to promote that locally and in the New Haven area, Kelly said. Savannah (SAV) service will begin May 6, with flights initially scheduled to operate four days per week: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Service to Nashville International Airport also will begin May 6 and is initially scheduled to operate four days per week: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The one-way $49 introductory fare must be booked by March 2, 2022. Additional fees for carry-on and checked bags, assigned seats and other optional services may apply.

During Avelos first three months of service, it flew nearly 70,000 customers on nearly 600 flights to and from New Haven, Levy has said.

Avelo has hired 109 New Haven-based crew members, including flight attendants, pilots, airport customer service representatives and operations-related roles, as well as managers and supervisor, the airline said in a release. It plans to hire at least 100 additional Tweed-based crew members by the end of 2022.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
BRIDGEPORT  It appears Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia will remain the citys top cop for the foreseeable future.

Hours after some relatives of the two women and City Council members Tuesday night urged the police board to seek her ouster over the forces handling of the untimely deaths of Lauren Smith-Fields and Brenda Lee Rawls, key officials indicated that is not a step they are prepared to take.

Personally, I am not calling for the chiefs resignation, Danny Roach, chairman of the mayoral-appointed police commission, said Wednesday.

And, perhaps more importantly, Mayor Joe Ganim did not embrace the calls to remove her from the leadership position he promoted Garcia to in September 2020. At that time she was assistant chief and became Bridgeports first female to lead the department.

Asked Wednesday if replacing Garcia was warranted at this time, the mayor in a statement noted how his administration is moving ahead with a long-anticipated national search for a permanent police chief that some council members and activists had been demanding for months.

We look forward to hearing from the community as we move through the various stages, Ganim said.

The last search, conducted in 2018, took roughly nine months. The mayor at that time gave a five year contract to his longtime friend Armando Perez, one of three finalists. Perez was then arrested in September 2020 following a federal investigation for cheating to get the job. Garcia took his place. Perez was released from prison last month.

Garcia has not said whether she intends to compete to be permanent chief.

Smith-Fields, 23, and Rawls, 53 died in unrelated incidents Dec. 12. Their relatives have complained they were not properly notified of the fatalities by police and that the police have not seriously investigated the cases. No one has been charged in connection with either death.

Smith-Fields died of an overdose, according to the medical examiner. Rawls cause of death has not been released.

At Tuesdays regular teleconference of the police commission, which helps manage the police force and discipline officers, Dorothy Washington, Rawls sister, Alexis Farrow, a relative of Smith-Fields, and council members Maria Pereira and Michele Small, who represent the neighborhood where the two deceased women resided, all urged that group and Ganim to demote Garcia.

They said as the boss she is ultimately responsible for the conduct of the men and women serving under her, and also complained that, other than prepared statements issued through Ganims office, Garcia has not directly communicated with the Smith-Fields and Rawls families.

As of tonight, Feb. 15, was my first time ever even hearing her voice, Farrow told the police board.

Police commissioner Edwin Farrow, who said he is not related to Alexis Farrow, in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media on Wednesday first offered his condolences to Smith-Fields and Rawls loved ones.

Asked about whether Garcia should be stripped of command, Farrow said, From a personal perspective, Im not ready for that.

Farrow, like the rest of the board members, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, listened quietly during Tuesdays teleconference but did not engage with the public. On Wednesday he said one reason for that is Garcia launched internal investigations into the two detectives who had initially been involved in the Smith-Fields and Rawls probes and, if either or both are eventually disciplined, that matter will come before the police commission.

So, Farrow said, he did not want to speak on the controversy without listening to all the evidence.

Following the national attention Smith-Fields and Rawls deaths received in the news and on social media last month, and after a downtown protest that drew hundreds of participants, Ganim on Jan. 30 decided to, while Garcia was on a weeklong planned vacation, order the deputy chief in charge to suspend with pay the two detectives pending the internal investigation.

Ganim at that time also said he was extremely disappointed with the (departments) leadership but had subsequently declined to state if he intended to keep Garcia as acting chief upon her return to work Feb. 3.

Meanwhile Garcia in a letter to the police commission this week for the first time detailing her version of events wrote that, while she had spoken to the mayor and some of his aides about both cases just prior to starting her vacation Jan. 26, and also at unspecified times before that, she was caught off guard by the decision to put the detectives on paid administrative leave.

I was neither consulted nor did I have any input in advance of this order being issued, Garcia wrote, noting she had left emergency contact information so she could be reached while away. She added she has not reversed the order because it is already being challenged by the police union.

Garcia has also received support from City Council President Aidee Nieves, who earlier this month publicly stated Ganim should not remove her and that his administration was using her as a scapegoat to deflect from its slow response to the Smith-Fields and Rawls controversy.

Listening in on Tuesdays police commission meeting were council members Matthew McCarthy and Rev. Mary McBride-Lee, that legislative bodys liaisons to the police board.

Asked Wednesday about Garcias fate, McCarthy, who has in the past publicly criticized her leadership and pressured Ganim to launch a search for a permanent top cop, said, I dont think shes qualified for other reasons. ... Should she be demoted over this? I dont think so. She should have handled it better. She should have spoken to the families.

But McBride-Lee said, I think she should step down.

She dropped the ball and it seems like she dont have any concern at all, McBride-Lee said. She could show some sympathy or something. But I didnt see it.
BRIDGEPORT  Lauren Smith-Fields and Brenda Lee Rawls angry, grieving family members for the first time confronted the acting police chief and the citys police commissioners Tuesday over what they allege is the forces botched handling of those ongoing untimely death probes.

But it was a one-way conversation.

Chief Rebeca Garcia, Commission Chairman Danny Roach and his colleagues listened quietly during the online video conference as several speakers delivered a blistering critique of Garcia and of the police department. Some called for Garcias removal as top cop and for federal intervention into the two cases, which have made national news.

I demand that Rebeca Garcia is asked to step down from acting chief of police, Dorothy Washington, Rawls sister, said.

City Councilwoman Maria Pereira, who represents the neighborhood where Smith-Fields and Rawls lived, asked not only that Garcia be demoted back to assistant chief after Mayor Joe Ganim put her in charge in September 2020, but urged the commission to request the U.S. Department of Justice get involved.

Neither family nor the Bridgeport community at large has any faith in the Bridgeport Police Department, Pereira said.

Neither Garcia nor the commissioners offered any response or rebuttal, instead moving on to other, more routine business before adjourning.

Only Rev. Mary McBride-Lee, a City Council member, reacted, giving her condolences to Smith-Fields and Rawls loved ones as well as her support. After the group spoke, McBride-Lee was introduced as the councils new liaison to the police board, at which point she addressed the meeting.

After hearing what I heard tonight, what Ive learned tonight, Im not happy, McBride-Lee said. We are going to work effectively and we are going to work diligently. ... I do believe the families need to know what happened.

Smith-Fields, 23, and Rawls, 53, both Black women, died in unrelated incidents Dec. 12. Their relatives have complained they were not properly notified of the fatalities by police and that the police have not seriously investigated the cases.

The state medical examiner ruled Smith-Fields died of an accidental overdose and a drug investigation has since been opened. Rawls autopsy is still pending . No charges have been filed related to either womans death.

Its either incompetence, racial insensitivity or straight out racism, Attorney Darnell Crosland, who is representing both families, told Garcia and the police commission Tuesday. He said from the start both cases should have been treated as homicides.

The idea that were Smith-Fields and Rawls white women their deaths would have been handled differently has been a key factor in the intense scrutiny their deaths have received on social media and in the national media.

If she was a Caucasian, white, blond-haired girl, youd all scour the earth to find out what happened to her, Shantell Fields, Smith-Fields mother, told Garcia and the police board Tuesday.

Following the national attention and a downtown protest that drew hundreds of participants, Ganim on Jan. 30 made the decision to, while Garcia was on vacation, order the deputy chief in charge to suspend with pay the two detectives involved.

Garcia, who has said relatively little about the situation publicly, in a letter this week to Roach and the commission outlined how she was first briefed on the Smith-Fields case Dec. 29 and, prior to Ganims action, had already opened ongoing internal affairs division probes of the detectives involved and taken other measures.

But during Tuesdays teleconference Pereira and Alexis Farrow, who has said she is related to Smith-Fields, asked why it took until late December for Garcia to become involved after Farrow had emailed her Dec. 16 about the familys concerns .

Farrow added she has yet to be contacted by Garcia.

As of tonight, Feb. 15, was my first time ever even hearing her voice, Farrow said.

Michele Small, Pereiras council partner, also called for Garcias removal and federal authorities to step in.

Lauren and Brenda were Maria and my constituents, but most importantly they were human beings who deserved respect in both life and death, not to be discarded as if they were disposable, Small said.

Ganim at the time he announced the detectives suspension said he was extremely disappointed with the (departments) leadership but others, including City Council President Aidee Nieves and Councilman Jorge Cruz, have since publicly stated the administration is making the acting chief a scapegoat because the mayors office was slow to respond to the growing controversy over the families concerns.

Garcia in her letter this week to the commission made it clear that, while she had spoken to Ganim and some of his aides about both cases just prior to starting her weeklong vacation Jan. 26, and also at unspecified times before that, she was caught off guard by the decision to put the detectives on paid administrative leave.

I was neither consulted nor did I have any input in advance of this order being issued, Garcia wrote, noting she had left emergency contact information so she could be reached while away. She added she has not reversed the order because it is already being challenged by the police union.

The letter and the Smith-Fields and Rawls cases were discussed by the police board Tuesday, but in private during an executive session which Roach said was warranted because of ongoing investigations and personnel issues.

Crosland took exception to that, arguing those were not justifiable reasons, particularly since the letter had been made public by Hearst Connecticut Media late Friday after the city provided a copy in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

After the meeting, Ganim issued a statement, once again sending his condolences to the families.

I want to restate my condolences to the families, mother, sisters of Lauren Smith-Fields and Brenda Lee Rawls, the mayor said. I have heard the deep sadness, loss, and frustration from both families. I am reaffirming my continued commitment to get the answers that they deserve, and so that they may each properly grieve the loss of their valued family member and loved one.

Roach, reached after the meeting, also declined to comment.

Shantell Fields warned during the meeting that the whole world is watching how the Bridgeport Police Department is handling this case.

And Farrow echoed those comments, stating, Not just Connecticut but the nation is looking at Bridgeport.

Washington, meanwhile, said Rawls family cannot begin to process her death without answers.
A year before the FBI opened its investigation, high-ranking officials in the Lamont administration were told by a demolition contractor that he believed the state Office of Policy and Management was attempting to direct millions of dollars in contracts for local school projects in violation of state law.

From at least April 2020 through February 2021, the president of Stamford Wrecking Company and his lawyer repeatedly pressed complaints that OPM was not following the legally required bidding process for demolition and hazard abatement work and was instead driving work to a small group of contractors on an OPM-approved emergency bid list.

Any effort by OPM to circumvent the proper public bidding requirements and award a no bid contract from the emergency list would be illegal, a violation of the bid statutes and practices in the State of Connecticut, Irving Goldblum, the president of Stamford Wrecking, wrote on April 29, 2020.

On Oct. 20, 2021, the FBI subpoenaed records relating to state-financed school construction projects and other construction overseen by Konstantinos Diamantis, who was fired eight days later by the governors office as the deputy to OPM Secretary Melissa McCaw.

Diamantis said Tuesday the OPM-approved list was offered to help municipalities save money, not interfere in competitive bidding.

The initial correspondence from Stamford Wrecking, which was obtained by the Connecticut Mirror, was addressed to McCaw and Josh Geballe, then the commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services. The company eventually complained to Attorney General William Tong, whose spokesperson says he referred the matter to appropriate authorities.

Governor said he was unaware of complaints

Lamont said Tuesday he acted quickly to remove Diamantis, though not because of concerns over his handling of school construction bidding. The governor said he was unaware of the complaints by Stamford Wrecking about OPM interference in bidding after McCaw hired Diamantis in 2019.

The proximate cause of the Diamantis dismissal was questions over how his daughter, Anastasia Diamantis, obtained a $99,000-a-year job as executive assistant to Chief States Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr.

Lamont said nothing actionable about Diamantis had come to his attention prior to a column in The Hartford Courant about the daughters hiring. A review of emails by Lamonts staff discovered that the daughter was hired while Colangelo was lobbying the father and McCaw for help in securing raises for prosecutors.

After removing Diamantis, the governor commissioned an inquiry by Stanley A. Twardy Jr., a former U.S. attorney. Colangelo filed retirement papers, effective March 31, rather than face removal proceedings from the Criminal Justice Commission after Twardy concluded the prosecutor had been untruthful.

The two folks who looked like they maybe had some serious ethical violations are no longer with us, Lamont said.

Colangelo and Diamantis have denied any impropriety in the hiring of Anastasia Diamantis, who also had a part-time job with a school construction management company. She was placed on paid leave earlier this month from her state job.

Diamantis, a former Democratic state lawmaker from Bristol, was a holdover from the previous administration, hired in 2015 by Geballes predecessor at the Department of Administrative Services as the director of the Office of School Construction Grants & Review.

When McCaw hired Diamantis as her deputy in 2019, the Lamont administration allowed Diamantis to take the school construction function with him to OPM.

Geballe: Complaints were OPMs concern

Geballe, who took on the additional jobs of chief operating officer in February 2020 and then responsibility for coordinating of the states COVID-19 response the following the month, said he did not act on the complaints from Stamford Wrecking, as the school construction office and Diamantis already had moved to OPM and reported to McCaw.

He said he did have at least one conversation with McCaw about whether she was addressing the issue. McCaw, who was out of the office Monday and Tuesday after being diagnosed with COVID for a second time, could not be reached for comment.

Diamantis said in a text message Tuesday that Stamford Wreckings complaint was the result of confusion and misinterpretation, not interference.

It should be made clear that OPM and DAS did not interfere with bidding process through school construction projects, Diamantis said. The issue was the use of state contracts by municipalities to include Hazmat abatement to keep our children safe in schools.

In a statement issued in response to questions from the CT Mirror, the governors office said the complaint was resolved with a communication that made clear in March 2021 that municipalities may use hazardous materials abatement contractors from the state list without competitive bidding  but were not required to limit choices to the state bid list.

When this issue was raised with the Governors Office, representatives of the office addressed it directly with Mr. Diamantis, the office said in a statement not attributed to any individual. The Governors Office also consulted directly with the Attorney Generals Office and a resolution was reached to the satisfaction at that time of the complainant.

Goldblum could not be reached. His lawyer, Raymond Garcia, declined to comment.

In his April letter, Goldblum said his company was the low bidder on one Groton school project and second-lowest on another, but OPM had pushed the town toward another contractor on the emergency list. Similar concerns were raised about bids for a school project in Manchester.

Diamantis said the state-approved list is intended to lower costs, not favor contractors.

The fact of the matter is that towns can use state contracts if they choose or they can go out to bid as part of a larger project, he said.

The clarification of the OPM policy, which was promised in January 2021, went out to all school systems over his signature two months later.

Lamont expresses confidence

The governor proposed a budget last week that includes tax cuts, a projected surplus and program improvements  upbeat talking points. But his public appearances invariably turn to questions about Diamantis and McCaw, the latter of whom the governor insists remains a valued member of his team.

Oh, absolutely, Lamont said Tuesday, after announcing he would be leaving Thursday on a trade mission to Israel. I just traded texts with her. I just wished her the best. Shes had two straight COVID diagnoses.

Lamont said the public should have confidence in his administration, due to his directions to Twardy and follow-up actions that are planned.

We said leave no stone unturned, zero tolerance for this type of stuff, follow where it may, Lamont said. And thats what Stan Twardys report, you know, showed.

Were hiring auditors, going over all those school projects as well, just to make sure people have confidence that when we see something like this, we act, Lamont said. We act fast, zero tolerance.

When asked how he could still have confidence in McCaw, who supervised Diamantis, the governor said OPM is a challenging agency to run.

Theres a lot going on in that office, Lamont said, adding the secretary has got the deputies, and they report to her. And so I think we all could have done better.

Lawyer wrote to Attorney General Tong

Goldblum, the president of Stamford Wrecking, eventually hired the New Haven law firm of Garcia & Milas to pursue his complaints. Garcia contacted Tong, the attorney general.

Citing several school construction projects throughout Connecticut, Garcia accused OPM of using its authority over the school grants to steer between $10 million and $20 million in state-financed construction work to a select group of companies.

We seek your assistance as Attorney General to require OPM and municipalities seeking contribution from the state school reconstruction project to follow the laws of our state and publicly bid all elements of school construction projects, Garcia wrote in Feb. 2, 2021.

Elizabeth Benton, a spokeswoman for Tong, said the attorney generals office had several conversations with Garcia about Stamford Wreckings concerns and allegations and did eventually refer the information to the appropriate authorities.

Tong said Tuesday he could not comment due to pending investigations by his office and federal authorities. He declined to say if his office had made a referral to the FBI.

Building Trades Council memo: This is beyond unorthodox

Meanwhile, officials with the State Building Trades Council had prepared to confront Lamont about concerns they had with Diamantis at a July 22, 2020 meeting with the governor at a union hall in Hartford.

According to talking points prepared before that meeting, officials with the building trades council planned to tell Lamont that Diamantis had created a hybrid method for shopping out bids for state-financed construction work.

This is beyond unorthodox, the industry officials noted in preparation for the meeting.

But Diamantis was a secondary issue on a long agenda that was topped by their concerns Lamont was trying to kill a proposed gas-fired energy plant in Killingly, a source of much-need construction jobs. They also wanted to talk about project labor agreements, or PLAs.

None of that came up, Lamont said Tuesday when asked about school construction bids. There was real concern about PLAs. There was real concern about Killingly.

Two union officials present at the meeting concurred Tuesday with his account.
Stamfords Palace Theatre welcomes a new lineup of shows this season, including one about the unique experiences of womanhood: Menopause The Musical.

The show is a parody set to songs from the 1960s through the 1980s, including classics such as I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Whats Love Got to Do with It and Good Vibrations. It focuses on the story of four women who meet at a lingerie sale.
Something special happens when credit unions unite.

In 2021, we worked tirelessly to keep members financially afloat during the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic. We deepened member connections using digital solutions and added over four million new credit union members. Despite restrictions, closures, and mandates, we mobilized as financial first responders to make sure Americans had access to their money.

The Credit Union National Association Governmental Affairs Conference (CUNA GAC) is the one time each year that we get to celebrate the power of our unity and the influence of our movement.

When we come together in the nations capital, the sound of our people helping people mission reverberates throughout the city. Not only do we get to tell lawmakers about the countless ways credit unions fulfill their mission, but we also get to hear from lawmakers about how credit unions helped their constituents.

Throughout the year, we worked together as a movement to improve the financial wellbeing of our members. Our boots-on-the-ground strategy required us to lean on (and learn from) one another to keep credit union members afloat during tough times. Since credit unions do most of the work in their respective communities, GAC is the onetime opportunity to connect, and reconnect, with the compatriots weve made on the battlefield all year long  some of whom we havent even met face-to-face.

We missed out on that opportunity when GAC went virtual, but it was the right decision at that time. Vaccines were not readily available and there was still a lot of uncertainty around how to safely host large-scale, in-person events. We assessed the environment and did what credit unions do best  adapt.

The virtual conference offered credit union leaders flexibility and convenience. First-time GAC participants were happy that the digital format gave them the opportunity to attend virtually. Accessible content on the Social27 platform simplified the process of information gathering and sharing.

We adapted our strategy and saw great success but, quite frankly, the digital environment doesnt replace the magic of in-person meetings. The true power of GAC has always been all of us  CUNA, Leagues, credit unions, system partners  coming together.

In-person meetings give us intangible experiences that go far beyond the limits of technology. Its difficult to replicate a new relationship forged over dinner at the Marriott, a casual conversation in the exhibit hall with a trusted business partner, or a room full of handclaps at the Herb Wegner awards ceremony. When we meet face to face, we create a sense of intimacy, connection, and empathy.

GAC is the most important event of the year, bringing high-profile keynoters, thought-provoking breakout sessions, a robust and energizing exhibit hall, and networking opportunities. But its not just about the meeting itself. Its about how we come together to build trust, forge meaningful connections, and make memories that last a lifetime.

The return to in-person will put the value of physical presence to the test. History has shown us that when credit unions come together, we accomplish amazing things. While the 2022 GAC will be different, Im confident that the spirit of this remarkable event will withstand our new normal.

You are part of what makes GAC so special. Your presence adds to the power and collective strength of the credit union movement. We need you there to help us create a bold, immersive experience that sets the tone for our year ahead.

Meet us in person at the CUNA GAC  where the magic happens.
Fisker Inc. announced in May 2021 that they've signed "framework agreements" for a project EV to be built in the US. "Project Pear," which stands for Personal Electric Automotive Revolution, should cost no more than $30,000.

According to Engadget, Fisker finally started taking reservations for the Pear this week! Interested customers who want a reservation are required to pay $250 for their deposit, and an additional $100 for every extra unit in their order. Be warned that car deliveries could still take until 2024.



What is Fisker PEAR EV

Pear is the second EV in Fisker's lineup. This unit is smaller than the Ocean and is designed for sport-like driving characteristics.

Sources from Barron's noted that Pear aims to feature technologically advanced tools in an affordable urban mobility device.

Unfortunately, there are no car specifications released with the pre-order announcement aside from the fact that it's a collaborative project made between Fisker and Hon Hai Precision Industry.

Fisker PEAR EV History

According to greencarreports, Fisker is a company founded by Henrik Fisker in 2016. The company focuses its development on solid-state batteries, which feature a greater range and faster charging times than traditional lithium-ion batteries.

Its partner, the Hon Hai industry, is a contract manufacturer for electronic techs and gizmos. Note that this company occasionally assembles iPhones.

Admittedly, it is surprising to find them collaborating in the automotive industry. However, this odd partnership also teases a lot of potential for the incoming EV.

Sources say the manufacturers aim to develop an Android system for EVs. While Fisker is responsible for the batteries, Hon Hai would focus on the technological components of the EV. Specifically, data miners say they are creating new LCD screens for the automotive.

Read Also: Chicago Auto Show Displays 2023 BMW iX M60: Specs, Features, and More [Full Details]

Should You Get the Fisker PEAR EV?

The incoming Fisker Pear is a five-seater compact SUV that features intuitive controls, a sport-like performance, and spacious storage.

From what Fisker says the price of this EV is $29,900, without the extra charges of incentives and tax. This price is set as a competitive benchmark for Tesla's $25,000 model 3.

It is worth emphasizing that Pear is cheaper than Ocean, and most of its competitors!

Since this is a project car, Fisker said that they plan on making 250,000 units annually starting in 2024. They also plan on expanding in their European market through the Mobile World Congress.

In terms of servicing for Fisker EVs, they have established at-home vehicle pick-up and Fisker Mobile Service. This means skilled technicians will personally come to the consumers' homes to conduct services.

Many fans have mixed feelings about this announcement. In a tweet made by Henrik Fisker, commenters shared their skepticism about reserving a car without the knowledge of its specs or design.

Moonfisker pointed out concerns on the initial reservation numbers and how the lack of information affects the numbers.

What success rate do you think you will receive without anyone knowing what the pear looks like? Im concerned initial reservation numbers will prematurely put judgement on the project. Im not a fan how marketing executed this once AGAIN - Sorry  Moonfisker (@MOONFISKER) February 15, 2022



Related Article: Polestar Video Ad Fires Shots at Tesla and Volkswagen: Fans React to the New EV
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Editor's pick: NAACP Black History Month event

6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23

The Education Committee of the NAACP  Kankakee County Branch 3035, in partnership with the Kankakee Public Library, will present a Black History Month virtual celebration event examining "Is the dream still alive and relevant in 2022?"

The event will include a presentation of a video of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 speech. There then will be a pros-and-cons discussion on the relevance of the dream in 2022.

Additionally, the event will include Black History trivia, as well as information on an essay contest for young adults and prizes. The event is free to the public.

To join, the Zoom meeting ID is 84008076-2355 and the passcode is 912678. Attendees also can call 312-262-6799 and use the ID and passcode to enter.

For more information on the Kankakee County Branch NAACP, go to kankakeecountybranchnaacp.org, or call 815-932-0858.
From left, actors Kim Sung-kyun and Lee Si-young, director Lee Khan, and actors Kim A-joong and Kim Mu-yeol pose during an online press conference of the Disney+ mystery series "Grid," Wednesday. Courtesy of Disney+





By Lee Gyu-lee







The global streaming platform Disney+ debuted another Korean original series, the sci-fi mystery "Grid," Wednesday, hoping to give a boost to its stagnating performance in Korea.







Directed by filmmaker Lee Khan, who led the action film "The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful" (2019), the new suspense thriller revolves around a mysterious figure called "Ghost" (Lee Si-young) who disappeared after developing the system Grid that protected humans from a deadly disaster. About 24 years after her disappearance, she resurfaces and helps a serial killer get away.







When detective Jung Sae-byeok (Kim A-joong) witnesses the existence of the mysterious being, she joins forces with government official Kim Sae-ha (Seo Kang-jun) to reveal the secret of Ghost and chase down the truth behind its link with the serial killer.







The 10-part series was written by Lee Soo-yeon, who is the writer and creator of tvN's hit crime thriller series "Stranger."







"It wasn't easy to make up my mind to lead this series," the director said during an online press conference, Wednesday. "What struck me was the series' theme, which is 'we should protect our planet Earth.' Until now, I have actually been questioning why there are no series or films in Korea that talk about saving Earth. So I joined hands with the writer."







Adding that the series will be a subtle sci-fi in genre with less visual effects, the director noted that his main focus in making the series was creating a fictional universe to the unfamiliar plot.







"There are a lot of sci-fi elements but our series doesn't put forth the visual effects of those. It develops different stories that the writer wanted to unfold, anchoring on reality," he said. "As the plot is rather unfamiliar, we put in a lot of effort to convincingly develop the fictional universe."







Actress Kim is returning to the small screen after leading the fantasy medical series "Live Up to Your Name" in 2017.







She said that she was captivated by the story after reading the script.







"I was drawn to how the plot developed. I could grasp the suspense throughout this mystery thriller story," she said. "I was fascinated by the details and the style that writer Lee uniquely has."







Actor Kim Mu-yeol plays a senior government official, Song Eo-jin, who works for the department that manages Grid. He has been denying the existence of Ghost, so when Sae-byeok and Sae-ha team up to chase down the truth, he stands at odds with them.







The actor expressed that he was awed by the scientific background of the series, hinting that it will offer an intriguing sci-fi story with a strong foundation in reality.







"I once read an article on how the solar wind can affect the Earth. And then I read the script and I was really impressed," he said. "The story was heavily based on the findings of actual research. I've heard that the writer scripted the story from a library. That's how impressive and surprising the story is."







"Grid" will release one episode every Wednesday at 5 p.m.


Dalton, GA (30720)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Eugene Darkroom Groups membership exhibit Same Difference required photographers to capture images using a unique printing method. The exhibit is a two wall gallery of equal size 5x7 photo prints and frames. The 18 photographers in the show were tasked with taking pictures of mundane things such as blurred faces, buildings or trees. Although the imagery is simplistic, each depiction has its own story and connection to the artist.

According to Robert Hirsch in his book Seizing the Light: A Social & Aesthetic History of Photography, Henry Fox Talbot invented the calotype, the first silver gelatin printing method, in 1840 as a way for photographers to have flexibility over an image's intensity of light, shadow and depth of field. The calotype is a negative film paper glossed with light-sensitive chemical silver iodide. This method allowed photographers to retouch their final prints by filling in graphite shadow effects or blue ink to remove excessive darkness. Photographers of the time switched to the calotype from the daguerreotype, a stable negative image on a piece of glass, because it could make infinite copies of negatives onto a light-sensitive paper.

Ben Birkey, a Eugene Darkroom Group board member and general purpose volunteer, said he and his team visioned their 2022 debut exhibit to portray embodying a work that was unified. Birkey believes with the limitations of the show, people were forced to make their own interpretations of the differences mentioned in the shows title.

In an art medium where everyone is using the same color, the same paper and the same materials, we are still able to highlight our differences in the way that we view things, Birkey said. The show relates to the larger metaphor  the world is the same as always, but it feels like a time of tremendous change and time of difference.

Birkey views film photography itself as super restrictive. Film photography only has a certain amount of film roll, and the quality of the photo is unknown until it is developed. The show's intention, however, was to highlight the difference of content and bring out the imagination of the photographers.

What people can take away from this exhibit is that this little shop in this town has such a range of artistic vision, Birkey said. Were all from the same environment and still able to express different things.

In EDG member Adrienne Turners piece Touch, 2021, they wanted to mess around with double exposure while printing it in the darkroom. Double exposure is two images overlapping each other, giving a ghostly effect to the print. Turner portrays a hand in motion while being cast over with a shadow of another hand. Turner thought it would be interesting if she could transform the image using the same image. It was their first time using double exposure, and it allowed them to create an effect of overlapping hands reaching out for each other from two different images taken at separate times on the same piece of film.

This is my partner's hand, and I felt like in the last year, Ive taken a lot of photos with hands, Turner said. What I like about hands is that it is a vulnerable piece of our body which to me represents connection.

Turner and the other photographers were not allowed to see each others art, forcing them to make independent decisions during the creative process. Turners anticipation to see the final results made the show exciting for them. The only thing the artist had access to was the title of the show, and they were not sure how it was going to turn out.

I had no idea what anybody was going to do, Turner said. I think that we were all kind of not knowing what we were going to go for, adding to the excitement for the final results.

Although the photographer is the key in capturing a moment in time, the subject is not always given the recognition they deserve. Exning Smith, a model based in Eugene, visited the exhibit with her boyfriend from Bend, Oregon, who is interested in joining EDG. She likes to be in front of the camera because she enjoys having a vision come to life. She has even been asked by clothing companies to sell their brands. She believes black and white photography is bold, allowing the model and photographer to share intimacy.

I always like to view other peoples perspectives, Smith said. I dont view myself the same way as someone else might. I judge myself all the time.

Miles Shepards piece Mademoiselle #3, 2022 uses an alternative method to producing photographs. Although the photo is printed with the same materials as the other pieces in the show, Shepard refrained from using a camera. The portrayed Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle and flowers of the print are created by exposing the objects to light and scanning them onto silver-emulsified paper.

This photo process allows the photographer to control the setting of the objects. The print is not intended to sell a product of beauty. It is a setting of fragmentation and imperfection. The objects are out of focus and topped with mesh wire, giving it an appearance of scattered magazine clippings.

The Same Difference exhibit expresses the multifaceted nature of images and the dominating narratives that lead people's lives.

Same Difference is located at Dot Dotson's photo finishing store at 1668 Willamette Street in Eugene. It is open Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The show will be on view until Feb. 28.
If youve lived in Eugene for some time, you know the city has a vibrant community of people who are young and old from all walks of life. Nobody has a greater appreciation for the faces of Eugene than Peggy Iileen Johnson, a local fashion portrait photographer who has been capturing the many faces of Eugene since moving here in 2004. With clients ranging from business professionals and students to aspiring models, Johnson made a career from her passion for people, celebrating 40 years of doing what she loves.

Much of Johnsons work is with fashionable portraiture, shooting portrait photographs of clients that emphasize their clothing, and modeling headshots, which she does to help young people build a modeling portfolio and give them a platform to get into the business.

Im trying to help the girls and guys that want to go off and be models, Johnson said. I send them out looking for clothes that are new and things that they think they can model. Right now in Eugene thats what Im doing: helping young models get into the business.

Collaborating with clients, Johnson directs them to her website to get a sense of what others have done, and she works with various style categories and her own curation of specific outfit combinations based on their needs. She provides them with a rundown of different looks they can bring, like grunge, bridesmaid, hippie, downtown girl and schoolboy. She supplies clients with a starting point for how to build their modeling look.

Were talking fashion, so its really important to me that they bring the right clothes with them for whatever theyre doing, she said. Then when theyre here, I have to say I kind of teach them about the business, because as a model theyre all noobies.

Well before coming to Eugene, Johnson got her start in the photography business living in Hollywood, originally working as an accountant at the time. She began dating a boy who had just graduated from Brooks Institute, a photography school. Eventually he brought her to his studio where he was assisting another photographer, opening her eyes to a new world that she fell in love with from the start.

I got to learn everything just by being there, Johnson said. And then I quit my $20 an hour accounting job and went to work for $5 an hour at a camera store, and I worked at Pizza Hut at night. We do what we have to do, and its God-driven  I cant believe that I did that.

Selling her first piece in 1982, she officially began her professional career in photography. Her first pieces were mainly art pieces, many of which she sold from stores on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. She soon crossed paths with actor and comedian Kevin Nealon, who happened to live in the same apartment complex as her. He told her she should go see his agent, and soon enough she kickstarted her full-time career in photography, shooting actors headshots.

Doing Hollywood headshots just taught me to really see people. To really see and study faces, Johnson said.

In 1999, after almost two decades working with Hollywood actors, she moved to Sedona, Arizona, where she lived for five years shooting weddings. She eventually grew tired of the city and wanted to pursue something more.

I wasnt happy in Sedona, she said. It was a grind because we were shooting weddings whether it was 16 degrees or 116 degrees outside on the land, which is where we did it. So I really wanted to find another place.

Eventually, Johnson began looking at other cities, hoping to find a place to shoot faces again. She traveled all over, but she just kept coming back to Eugene, where she eventually settled.

I wanted to shoot faces. I love faces, she said. The people here are beautiful. There are just beautiful people here, and Ive just had a great time.

Now for nearly 20 years, Johnson has been Eugenes go-to portrait photographer for all people who want to capture their best selves, including young models wanting to enter the industry. To her, photo shoots are more than just taking pictures  its about getting to know people and hearing their stories.

Everybody that comes into the studio, even the people that come in for business stuff, they just have a story to tell. I learn something from everybody, Johnson said. While Im not much of a social person, when Im with someone one-on-one and Im going to shoot them, boy I want to know them.

Johnson wants to take her passion for people and inspire the Eugene community to embrace their beauty, and she hopes her photography can do that.

If they have a good photographer, they can see how beautiful, how handsome they are, and then they can go forward feeling confident about themselves, she said. I just think thats the most important thing for me.

After 40 years of doing what she loves and meeting so many people along the way, Johnson still celebrates people and life through her camera, and her time capturing the beauty of Eugenes diverse community is far from over.
It's safe to say that going green is "in." As more people become concerned with environmental issues, companies have begun adopting eco-friendly practices to satisfy consumer demands. Oregon has become one of the nation's leading states in sustainable energy and green buildings. Unfortunately, not all companies that adopt a "green" image have a legitimate interest in preserving the environment.

There is nothing more frustrating than the hypocrisy of a company that poisons our planet and hides behind a "we care for the environment" slogan. Green marketing can serve as a strong tool for companies looking to differentiate its products, positioning themselves as sustainable. However, many companies capitalizing on green marketing opportunities have intentionally misled consumers through its claims. Many corporations create an illusion of sustainability while actively harming the environment, a term known as greenwashing.

One of the most recent cases of greenwashing Ive encountered involves the companies of Repsol and Hecate Energy. Hecate Energy is one of the nation's fastest growing companies in the clean energy industry, operating and owning renewable power projects. It is responsible for providing energy to the entire Los Angeles Department of Water and Power municipality, prestigious universities like John Hopkins University and many other facilities. A 40% share of Hecate Energy is owned by the Spanish multinational company Repsol, an energy and petrochemical company. El Economista, the Spanish newspaper, ranked Repsol as one of the largest public companies in Spain.

Imagine a company destroying your country's marine fauna and biodiversity, only to hide behind the name of a U.S. company that tells the world it is sustainable. And the worst part is: It gets away with it. This is what recently happened in Peru.

On Jan. 15, the Peruvian Navys Coast Guard detected a petroleum spill in the central coast of Peru after a Repsol ship that supplied the Ventanilla refinery was hit by waves caused by the volcanic eruption in Tonga. Initially, Repsol reported only 7 gallons of oil spilled and claimed everything was under control. However, that measurement was less than 0.1% of the actual amount. The company also failed to react during the first 48 hours of the spill. That time frame would have been crucial if Repsol sought to contain the spill. Now, the company has volunteers and fishers working to clean up the environmental disaster without adequate protective gear. Isn't it ironic? Repsol ignorantly destroys fisherman's jobs and businesses and then offers them a minimum wage position to "save them.

With approximately 11,900 barrels of petroleum poured into the ocean off the Peruvian coast, the government has declared a 90 day environmental emergency. The spill has compromised two protected national reserves, contaminated 21 beaches, killed thousands of birds and fish, economically injured fishing communities and created a huge oil slick on the coast. Still, Repsol claims it is not responsible for any of those damages.

Without proper funding from the Peruvian state, the non-governmental organization  Organization for Research and Conservation of Aquatic Animals  is struggling to respond to the environmental crisis. As the only marine rehabilitation center in the country, ORCA Peru is witnessing firsthand the catastrophic impacts Repsol's spill has caused on sea lions, penguins and other marine animals. Without resources, it is helpless. If you are interested in donating, you can do so on ORCA Peru's webpage.

Now, getting back to the main topic: Although Repsol owns a large portion of Hecate Energy, Hecate still claims it is committed to the environment through "clean" energy. The company's web page explains its name was inspired by the Greek goddess of the crossroads, whose domains include the earth, sea and sky. Unfortunately, its actions prove it couldn't care less if someone painted the earth and sea black as long as it could profit from it.

Hecate Energy has proposed a 2,700-acre solar facility project near Bonanza, Oregon. The electricity from this facility would enter the California-Oregon Interline, an electric superhighway that transports power between California and the Pacific Northwest. Utilities that power a large area of Oregon could purchase Hecate's electricity through energy markets. While Oregon would benefit from another source of clean solar energy, its clear Hecate doesnt actually care about the environment  the companys main priority is its quarterly earnings report. Nonetheless, I have hope that Oregonians will see past the "green image" and call the company out for what they are: hypocrites.

There are thousands of businesses that are experts in greenwashing we must watch out for. So, don't be fooled by greenwashing.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, a meeting is held to celebrate the 80th birth anniversary of North Korea's late leader Kim Jong-il in Samjiyon City, North Korea, Feb. 15. AP-Yonhap



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a national meeting to celebrate the 80th birthday anniversary of his late father Kim Jong-il, according to Pyongyang's state media Wednesday.



Kim was present at the event to pay tribute to the former leader, which was held in the northwestern city of Samjiyon the previous day, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. It is the first time the North has had such a high-profile national meeting there instead of Pyongyang.



"A floral basket in the name of Kim Jong-un was laid in front of the statue of the Chairman (Kim Jong-il)," it said.



Kim was accompanied by senior party officials, including his influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, at the event, as Ri Il-hwan, a member of the ruling party's powerful politburo, made a related report.



The KCNA did not mention if Kim delivered a message during the meeting.



It remains unconfirmed if Kim has also visited the landmark mausoleum of his father in the capital or will do so as usual for the anniversary.



Kim has paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the late leader's body lies in state, every year since he took power in late 2011.



The North's top military official, Pak Jong-chon, meanwhile, was absent from Tuesday's event, raising speculations over his whereabouts.



Pak did not attend a major parliamentary meeting held earlier this month after last appearing in state media accompanying the leader at an art performance marking Lunar New Year's Day on Feb. 1.



North Korea has been holding various events to mark this week's anniversary, with keen attention from the outside world on whether it will stage a large-scale military parade.



South Korea's military earlier said it detected signs of a possible military parade. However, it could be held on or near April 15th, which marks the 110th birthday anniversary of Kim's late grandfather and national founder, Kim Il-sung, given that it is still at the early stage of preparations.



The North says Kim Jong-il was born on Feb. 16, 1942, in a Samjiyon area located at the foot of Mount Paekdu. He ruled the country for nearly two decades and died in 2011. Developing the Samjiyon city has been one of Kim Jong-un's major goals since taking the helm of the North right after his father's death.



Last week, Kim said, "The work of sprucing up Samjiyon City was victoriously concluded as a gift of loyalty to the 80th birth anniversary of Chairman Kim Jong-il."



North Korea elevated the status of Samjiyon from a county to a city in 2019 and has called for transforming the area into the "wealthiest" region in the country. (Yonhap)


Ashland, KY (41101)

Today

Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High around 85F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Sunbury, PA (17801)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
This isn't the first time I've asked people to tell me what they'd REALLY like to say to their partner about sex, if they weren't worried about hurting their feelings.

The request usually yields practical answers: 'Be gentler/firmer', 'Give me more foreplay', 'Have sex more often'.

Not this time.

I was surprised at how deeply emotionally the answers were  from all genders.

It makes for fascinating reading  and lots to learn for all of us.

WHAT WOMEN WISH MEN KNEW

Women are terrific at confessing all when it comes to sex  and you didn't disappoint. Young women, older women, gay women, straights, partnered or not  no-one minced words.

'Listen when I tell you what I like and don't like. I hate my breasts being fondled  they are really affected by the time of the month and get sore. I've told him, 'Ask first', but still, every single time, his hands head for them and he squeezes hard. I say 'Owww!' and he looks astonished. What the hell!'

Tracey Cox spoke to people around the UK about the things they would change about their partner's performance in the bedroom (file image)

Don't be so serious about sex

I like trying new things and sometimes they don't work out. It's funny when things don't go to plan and he needs to be able to see the funny side of it.'

I wish sex is as important to you as it is to me

People assume sex is easier when it's two women having it and it is most of the time. I used to be straight, and it frustrated me how little men knew about the female body. It was bliss when I started sleeping with women  no more explaining about the clitoris! Sod's law is that the women I have fallen for, isn't very good at sex. I have tried to teach her what I like but she doesn't seem interested. Her technique hasn't altered at all, despite all the feedback, and we've been together 18 months.'

Stop being so rough

Every article I've ever read about sex says that men being too rough with their fingers is women's pet hate. Don't they write about that in articles about sex for men? Why are we still talking about this?'

Making a woman orgasm is not that hard!

'You're kidding yourself, is what I'd like to say to the guy I just broke up with. He kept telling me that he understands how women are complicated and it's difficult for us to orgasm. Really? How come I can orgasm in under five minutes given the right technique, lover, or vibrator. With skill, sensitivity and practise, female orgasm is easy to achieve. The reason why men think it isn't is because the right technique isn't thrusting your penis in and out of my vagina.

Stop giving me a hard time about using lube

I add some before we have sex because you always rush me to intercourse. If you don't like me using it, learn how to turn me on properly before shoving it in there.'

Just unroll the condom and get on with it

I had this guy who insisted I put the condom on. Why? Put it on yourself. They're never going to be sexy, so stop trying to make it sexy. They are a necessity though.

Tracey Cox (pictured) said everyone complains about having a partner that refuses to try anything new

Read the situation and ask if I need something

It's taken me 48 years to learn all I know about sex and it's only in the last couple of years that I am having the right kind of sex. As a disabled woman, I am aware that at some point in the future I'm going to lose my mobility. In every way possible, I am living for now - and making sure I have the best sex is part of that. Great sex is about connection. If I can't move my arm or leg, please move it for me as I love changing positions but need help.

Stop saying stupid things

My partner says, 'Do you like that?' at least four times per session. It's not like we've just got together: we're married and have two kids! Why the incessant asking for reassurance? It's not like he's doing anything new. It's the same thing he's been doing the whole time we've been together.

Stop obsessing about the size of your penis

I'm sick and tired of reassuring him about the size of his penis. I wouldn't be with him if I didn't enjoy the sex and intimacy. If he watched less porn, maybe he wouldn't be so hung up on size, given the freaks that are on there.

Forget porn!

That doesn't tell you what women want and like. Ask ME what I like and what feels safe and erotic. Every woman is different.'

Have a bloody shower before sex!

It doesn't bother him  he'll go down on me first thing in the morning, before I've washed. But it does bother me. Stuff gets underneath the foreskin  it's disgusting. Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up.

WHAT MEN WISH WOMEN KNEW

As with the women, I got responses from a varied cross-section of men. Young and single, married for years, a swinger, a crossdresser and every age, stage and situation in between (well, nearly). They're as searingly honest as the women were: brace yourselves!

That vibrator doesn't do anything for my ego

My wife literally taps me on the head when she's had enough of me giving her oral sex and says, 'Why don't you let me finish?'. This is code for 'Get the vibrator out of the drawer'.

She likes me to watch her orgasm because she thinks it's sexy but all I'm really thinking is how can she possibly think I would enjoy watching her orgasm so easily with a machine that I can't compete with? It's humiliating.

One man said he feels like he is begging for sex because his girlfriend never initiates, while another confessed he's fed up of his partner faking orgasms (file image)

Stop talking about size

Saying size doesn't matter just reinforces to men that it does. Why mention it, otherwise?

10 things BOTH sexes always complain about Having to do it when you dont feel like it. Duty shags might be necessary for a relationship but wed all love to only have sex when were gagging for it. A partner who wont try anything new. Being unadventurous is nearly always in the top five of Things Id Like to Change About My Partner sex lists. Poor personal hygiene. Universally despised by everyone  and so easily fixed. A non-responsive partner. Lying back and letting your partner do all the work, without so much as a moan of encouragement, wont endear you to anyone. Dont overdo it though: were not too enthused about screamers either. Having to do something your partner enjoys but you dont. We do it because its fair but that doesnt mean there isnt eye-rolling. A partner who doesnt initiate sex. This tops the sex annoyance list so often; youd think wed all know were expected to make the move now and then. Giving oral sex for too long. Sore tongues, crick necks, boredom  take your pick. A partner who lets themselves go. Weight gain, slobby clothes, drinking too much, smoking  the fallout of all the stuff we got up to in lockdown and havent kicked yet. Not being able to orgasm at the same time. Men are tired of having to hold off, women are tired of being rushed. Unruly pubic hair. Not everyone loves a Brazilian but no-one loves pubes in their mouth. Get the trimmers out. Advertisement

Initiate sex once in a while

It's always left up to me to make the moves which makes me think she only has sex to please me, not because she wants to. I feel like I'm begging for it and that's not a nice feeling.'

Don't neglect my testicles

I'm a swinger and I've found people are quick to go for the crown jewels, but I like my testicles sucked and played with.'

Stop being so beautiful

I know that sounds nuts but it's so obvious to everyone that she is far more attractive than I am. I still can't work out why she chose me because she's way beyond me. Seeing her long legs wrapped around my paunchy tummy makes me feel bad about myself. I worry when I'm giving her oral sex that she's noticed I'm losing my hair. The irony is she doesn't realise she's beautiful and stresses about not being thin enough. It's a waste: neither of us are relaxed enough to enjoy how good she looks.'

Step it up a bit when you're giving me a hand job

My partner keeps saying, 'But I don't want to hurt you' when I ask her to grip harder. My penis is tough: I can't feel it when she's too gentle.

Stop faking

I know when she's faking because I know what she's like when it's a real orgasm. Worse, I honestly think she has no clue that I'm not buying it. She does it when she's not in the mood to have sex but doesn't want to disappoint me. I would rather she said, 'I'm not interested but I'm happy to care of you if you want?'.

Don't give me a hard time for watching porn

Every man you've ever been out with has done it  if they say they haven't, they're lying. It's just what men do and it's got nothing to do with the sex we've having. Stop taking it personally and reading too much into it.

Our sex lacks excitement and passion

She comes to bed with house clothes on which then have to be removed. She then lies there, waiting for me to do something. I have to nudge or flat out ask her to touch me in any way. There's five minutes of awkward foreplay, then she asks if I'm ready. I'm barely warmed up but I comply because I don't want this rare opportunity to pass. Afterwards, we say goodnight and I turn on my side and hug myself to sleep. It's the saddest sex I have ever experienced and I sometimes would rather masturbate than go through with it.

I'm a cross-dresser

I have been dressing off and on since puberty and up until this year, I had suppressed the urge for nearly ten years. But the desire recently welled up and I am back at it again. Full outfit now: dress, lingerie, breast forms and heels when I am afforded some time alone at home. If not, I wear panties underneath my male clothes. I do it all in secret as I have feelings of shame. I didn't let her know about this at the onset of our relationship and I feel it would be a tremendous blow to find out now. I wish I had been brave enough to express my interests fully at the beginning but I didn't, so here I am stuck in my box. Yes, I could break out of it, but I think the cost would be too high.'

Everything is perfect  don't change a thing

I've just come out of a 27-year marriage with limited sexual and emotional connection. I've been with my new partner for five months and there's no awkwardness, she talks about what she likes and dislikes, what positions she enjoys and what things she wants to try. I've never had that before. I love the way she looks at me so intensely when we make love. There's nothing I would change about her performance.'

Tracey's weekly SexTok podcast comes out on Tuesdays. Find the link on traceycox.com or listen wherever you listen to your podcasts
Fitness queen, Kayla Itsines has shared her personal reasons why she stopped drinking alcohol when she was 19 years old.

In a video posted to her millions of followers on Facebook and Instagram, the fitness sensation explained she gave up drinking alcohol because it 'doesn't suit her lifestyle' and someone close to her suffered from addiction.

Kayla said giving up the booze was an 'uncomfortable' experience where she had to 'stand her ground' and that she often leaves events early because people pressure her to drink.

In a video posted to her millions of followers on Facebook and Instagram, fitness sensation, Kayla Itsines, explained the 'uncomfortable' reasons why she doesn't drink alcohol and said 'doesn't suit her lifestyle'

'I feel like when people drink alcohol it's almost like this liquid confidence that they get that I can't maintain,' she said.

'When they start drinking, they start acting a little bit different from what they normally act like around me. I feel like I can't meet their energy level and I automatically feel uncomfortable around a person that I thought I knew.'

Kayla said her alcohol abstinence causes people to pester her into drinking at events.

'They never get there but they try; 'why don't you just have one drink?' or 'just a little sip of alcohol', 'just one glass', 'just try it', 'you might like it'. I feel this pressure and just end up leaving,' she said.

'I'm 30, I stopped drinking when I was 19 so I've been fighting this for 11 years...not even a sip, not even one drink, not even a special occasion, like I just do not drink,' she said.

Kayla said giving up the grog was an 'uncomfortable' experience where she had to 'stand her ground' and that she often leaves events early because people pressure her to drink

Another big factor in Kayla quitting drinking was her experience watching someone close to her struggle with a drug and alcohol addiction.

'I watched the downward spiral of a person and what happens when alcohol is taken too far or the wrong way and is mixed with things like illegal drugs...it was just so off putting for me,' she said.

'I'm not saying everyone that drinks ends up that way. Absolutely not, but it was just this process that I'm watching and it was a really hard time for me.'

Kayla said when she was young before she gave up the booze for good she would pretend to drink on nights out, ordering lemonade with ice and lime to make it look like a cocktail.

Kayla said when she was young before she gave up the booze for good she would pretend to drink on nights out, ordering lemonade with ice and lime to make it look like a cocktail

She also said she wanted to feel fresh on Sunday mornings training clients when she first started her fitness career.

'It doesn't suit me. It doesn't suit my lifestyle and I want to be role model,' she said.

'I want to be role model to woman, to people, to anyone, to show them that you don't have to drink to have fun.'

11 years after jumping on the wagon, Kayla hasn't looked back but assured viewers she has no judgement against people who do chose to drink.

'Every single one of my friends drinks. My family, they're Greek, they have big weddings, they drink Ouzo, and there's plates going everywhere. It's a thing,' she said.

'No judgement from me but I hope in turn that people don't judge me for not drinking.'

She said she wanted to feel fresh on Sunday mornings training clients when she first started her fitness career

She also said she drinks mocktails, coca cola with ice or 'anything tropical' and non-alcoholic when she's out and that the only alcohol she will tolerate is when she treats herself to a tiramisu.

Many of her followers supported Kayla's decision not to drink and shared their own experiences with alcohol.

'I entertain clients at work who drink like fish and they don't love me any less because I don't and can't drink (the good ones anyway) and that is just going to have to be ok with everyone. We can all have a great time without me drinking,' one woman wrote.

'Thank you so much I didn't drink for years and the pressure got to me and I would only drink on special occasions. I decided yesterday that I loved when I didn't drink and how much better I felt so have made the decision to go back to not drinking,' said another.
Chinese envoy calls for constructive assistance to Somalia

Xinhua) 14:47, February 16, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for constructive assistance to Somalia to help stabilize the country.

Recently, the Somali parties have been moving forward with the electoral process against all odds. China encourages them to continue to overcome their differences and move forward with elections as agreed to create enabling conditions for national reconstruction, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

After 30 years of conflicts, Somalia is facing a multitude of severe challenges. The international community should respect the Somali-led and Somali-owned approach, show necessary patience, and provide constructive assistance, instead of exerting excessive pressure at every turn, he told the Security Council.

The security situation in Somalia remains volatile. So far this year, dozens of people have been killed in Al-Shabab terrorist attacks, Dai mentioned.

The African country is currently confronted with a dire humanitarian crisis. The worst drought in 30 years has caused crop failure, killed livestock, and sent prices soaring, with 70 percent of the population living below the poverty line, and nearly half of the population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, he added.

Stressing that the future of Somalia must be owned by Somalis, he said the international community should firmly support Somalia in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity and combat separatist acts, he said.

"We should give greater recognition to the role of development in improving the humanitarian and security situation, and help Somalia overcome its governance-related challenges, improve its capacity for self-reliant development, created jobs and growth and eliminate the root causes of conflict," he said.

Somalia's peace and stability is pivotal to regional dynamics, and to help countries in the region, including Somalia, meet the triple challenges of security, development and governance, China has put forward an initiative on peaceful development in the Horn of Africa, said Dai.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)


The United States has deployed four B-52 nuclear-capable bombers to Guam to demonstrate America's "commitment to the region," its military said Wednesday, amid concerns Pyongyang could conduct provocative acts in time for key political events.





The U.S. Pacific Air Forces said the bombers and more than 220 Air Force personnel have arrived at Andersen Air Force Base on the Pacific Island to support training efforts with allies and partners.





Speculation has lingered that Pyongyang could stage another show of force to mark the 80th birthday of his late father, Kim Jong-il, on Wednesday and the 110th birthday of his late grandfather Kim Il-sung on April 15.





The late leader's birthday this week has so far been largely uneventful, with the North's state media highlighting his legacies, such as improvement in the country's ties with China.





The U.S. military said the arrival of the bombers demonstrates the U.S.' security commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.



"Put simply, we are here to support a stable, secure, and free Indo-Pacific region," Lt Col. Christopher Coleman, the commander of the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, was quoted as saying.





Last month, Pyongyang ratcheted up tensions with seven known rounds of missile launches, including the test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of targeting Guam.





Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force was also said to have flown an RC-135V surveillance jet over the greater Seoul area Wednesday, possibly to monitor activities in the North on Kim Jong-il's birthday. (Yonhap)






Viewers of 24 Hours in A&E were left horrified after a 15-year-old schoolgirl described how she was stabbed on the way to class by a stranger.

Meldred, from London, appeared on the Channel 4 programme last night and described how she had been walking to school with a friend when she noticed somebody behind her, before being stabbed in her thigh.

She was rushed to St George's Hospital in Tooting, where doctors ordered an urgent CT scan to uncover internal damage, before stitching up the wound.

Viewers were left stunned by the episode, with one writing: 'Just watched #24HrsAE. What kind of world are we living in when a 15 year old girl gets stabbed by a complete stranger while walking to school!?'

Viewers of 24 Hours in A&E were left horrified after 15-year-old schoolgirl Meldred, from London, described how she was stabbed on the way to class by a stranger.

Another commented: 'Poor girl. She was just walking to school.'

A third added: 'Blimey! What a way to start the episode.'

At the start of the episode, consultant Mark described the damage a stab wound could have, explaining: 'The knife will go through skin and muscle first and then damage any number of deeper structures, from tendons, ligaments and arteries.

'It can be a range of minor injuries through to something fatal.'

Viewers were left stunned by the details of the stabbing in the peisode, with one asking 'what kind of world' we live in

Meanwhile Meldred's mother Joyce said: 'That morning, I saw Meldred in my room doing her hair. When she finished, she called, "Mum I'm going to school."

'And I thought, okay I'll see you later. And she closed the door.

'A few minutes later and I heard the house line ringing. It was my husband and he said "Meldred got stabbed.'"

She explained she was stunned when she heard news, adding: 'I was shaking, nervous, shock - that moment, [I wondered] Why Meldred?

Meldred described how she had been walking to school with a friend when she noticed somebody behind her, before being stabbed in her thigh

'I didn't know where the knife went. I was asking myself a lot of questions like what happened and is she going to be okay? Am I going to see her alive or am I going to see her dead?'

Meanwhile PC Harris, a response officer, explained: 'When we got the call, the last thing I expected to hear was those two words, schoolgirl and stabbed. I've never been to an under 18-year-old who had been stabbed.

'I was trying to get us to the right place as soon as possible, your palms start to get sweaty, you start to maybe shake a little bit because you've got a lot of adrenaline.

'Being the first on scene is quite a high pressure feeling. If she's been stabbed in the leg, there is a strong chance she might have an arterial bleed. If it is, you have seconds to do something about it.'

Meldred's mother Joyce called her daughter a 'joy' who would 'make you happy' and said she was stunned when she learned of the accident

Joyce said: 'When I got to the hospital, I wanted to see if she was alive. I screamed, "Meldred, Mum is here."

'She said, "Mum, mum" and her face was full of tears.'

A paramedic described how Meldred had been walking to school with a friend and noticed a stranger walking behind them.

She felt a pressure in her right thigh and 'only realised she had been stabbed when she saw blood on the floor.'

The doctors told Meldred she would have to have an urgent CT scan so they could understand the full extent of her injuries.

Consultant Mark described the damage a stab wound could have, explaining a CT scan could show the impact on deeper structures

As her daughter was taken in for a scan, Joyce couldn't hold back her tears, saying: 'I don't understand this, taking a knife and you know what you are doing can take somebody's life.'

PC Harris explained: 'It's one of the things you join for, coming in to someone's life at the worst possible times. Sometimes you just have to console people.

'I think you start to see the world in a very divided way. Ordinary people's lives have been dragged into something they would otherwise have nothing to do with.'

Joyce said: 'Meldred is the daughter everyone wishes they had. She is my joy, and she knows how to talk to people. She will make you happy.'

After a day in A&E, one of the doctors Phil told Meldred and Joyce that nothing had shown up on the scan, and they would be stitching up her wound.

The teenager later revealed how it had taken her some time to regain her confidence after the attack

Police spoke to her to try to identify who the man was who attacked her, with the teenager confessing she had 'never seen him before' but she would 'instantly recognise him.'

Officers told her: 'This is so rare, so so rare. Do you know if he touched your friend at all?'

Meldred explained: 'No, I kind of moved her in front of me. Do you have any idea why someone would do something like that?'

The officer continued: 'I think you're just very unlucky, you just happen to be in the same place when he decided to strike. You couldn't have done anything differently.

'You can't blame yourself because you couldn't have done anything differently.'

After she had the stab wound stitched, doctors told her that it was 'completely normal to feel angry, scared or upset', saying: 'It will go away.'

At the end of the programme, Meldred said: 'I am starting to regain my strength and regain my confidence. Growing up in London, you always hear about other children being affected by this violence and kids your age dying.

'You just never thought it would be you.'

She added: 'I'm still determined to do everything that I wanted to do . I shouldn't allow certain things to push me off my track and make me feel weak or lesser than.

'I definitely feel I gained that resilience from my mum. I realise how much influence she has on me all the time.'

24 Hours in A&E airs on Channel 4, Tuesday, 9pm
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Prince Andrew's ex-girlfriend Lady Victoria Hervey has blasted Virginia Giuffre as a 'scam artist' hours after it emerged Andrew and his accuser had reached out-of-court settlement in New York.

Taking to Instagram yesterday, the 44-year-old socialite and former 'It Girl', who is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol, posted: 'She suddenly wanted to settle very fast when all the truth was coming out. Her lawyers must have panicked!'

Lady Victoria, who has sensationally claimed that the notorious photo of Prince Andrew and Virginia was faked, went on to share what appeared to be an edited version of the photo in which Ghislaine could be seen standing alone. She didn't elaborate further but it seems she was suggesting this is what the original unedited photograph looked like.

The notorious snap with the Duke of York, which was reportedly taken in March 2001 at Ghislaine Maxwell's London apartment, has been reproduced countless times around the world after Ms Giuffre - known before her marriage as Virginia Roberts - shared it with The Mail on Sunday in February 2011.

Lady Victoria has claimed in recent weeks it was pieced together using a photo taken at Naomi Campbell's birthday party on board a yacht in St Tropez in May 2001, in which Virginia can be seen wearing the same white tank top with colourful patterned jeans.

Her comments came hours after Virginia claimed to have lost the original print of the famous photo of her and Prince Andrew, which could have furthered the disgraced royal's argument that the image was doctored.

Prince Andrew's ex-girlfriend Lady Victoria Hervey has blasted Virginia Giuffre as a 'scam artist' hours after it emerged Andrew and his accuser had reached out-of-court settlement in New York. The 44-year-old went on to share what appeared to be an edited version of the photo in which Ghislaine could be seen standing alone (pictured)

The notorious snap with the Duke of York, which was reportedly taken in March 2001 at Ghislaine Maxwell 's London apartment, has been reproduced countless times around the world after Ms Giuffre - known before her marriage as Virginia Roberts - shared it with The Mail on Sunday in February 2011

Elsewhere on her Instagram page, Victoria wrote: 'The only thing she deserves is a prison cell full of rats.'

'Time to investigate her and that missing Thai kid called JoJo.'

It's unclear who Lady Victoria was referring to.

Meanwhile she cruelly posted a photograph of Virginia alongside the words 'scam artist', writing: 'If I aged like that I would probably want to sue GOD.'

Over the past few weeks, Lady Victoria has made a series of sensational claims about Virginia.

Earlier this month, she repeated claims that the infamous photo of Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre was fake and even identified the set of images she says were used to create the doctored photo.

Lady Victoria does not have a copy of the exact Virginia photo from St Tropez which she claims was used to fake the Prince Andrew image, and it has never been seen publicly. However, she did share a bizarre painted reproduction of the alleged image to Instagram earlier this month.

In recent weeks, the 44-year-old socialite has sensationally claimed that the notorious photo of Prince Andrew and Virginia was faked

Her comments came hours after Virginia claimed to have lost the original print of the famous photo of her and Prince Andrew, which could have furthered the disgraced royal's argument that the image was doctored (pictured, Virginia in Perth, Australia, last week on February 8)

It was reported last night the Queen is to foot part of the bill for Prince Andrew's sexual abuse lawsuit, which could end up costing some 12 million (pictured, Andrew in Windsor last year)

THE TIMELINE OF THE INFAMOUS VIRGINIA GIUFFRE AND PRINCE ANDREW PHOTOGRAPH March 2001 - Infamous photograph of Virginia, Ghislaine and Prince Andrew is reportedly taken at Ghislaine's home in London May 2001 - Naomi Campbell hosted a boat party in the French Riviera with Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia, Ghislaine Maxwell all attending February 2011 - Virginia is approached by the Mail On Sunday while she was living a quiet life with her family on Australias Central Coast. She had been traced by journalist Sharon Churcher, who was investigating reports that the FBI was planning to reopen an investigation into the sexual exploitation of teenagers by Epstein. At first she was reluctant to talk, not least because she harboured fears that Epstein might try to kill her. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday at the time, she produced the picture of Andrew from a white envelope containing a collection of photos chronicling her teenage years and travels with Epstein to New Mexico and Paris. She explained that the picture with Andrew was taken at Ms Maxwells home after a visit to Tramp nightclub  a claim the Duke disputes. She claimed the photograph was taken in March 2001, two months before the boat party in St Tropez. She told Churcher at the meeting that she had sex with Andrew three times while a teenager, but for legal reasons the MoS could not publish her claims, which the Duke denies. The photographs are published by the Mail On Sunday November 2019 - Andrew hinted that the hand around her waist may not be his. Prince Andrew told BBC Newsnight: 'You can't prove whether or not that photograph is faked because it's a photograph of a photograph of a photograph.' 'It's very difficult to be able to prove it but I don't remember that photograph being taken 'That's me but whether that's my handI have simply no recollection of the photograph ever being taken.' December 2019 - Virginia told BBC Panorama that the photo is genuine and she gave the original to the FBI in 2011 February 2022 - Lady Victoria Hervey says victims of Epstein have told her the image was photoshopped by Virginia and Maria Farmer Advertisement

She added to her baffling claims by saying that an 'Irish guy' who was dating one of Epstein's victims in 2001 and also attended the boat party was used as a 'body double' for Prince Andrew in the 'fake' image.

In an exclusive interview earlier this month, Lady Victoria told FEMAIL she has spoken to several victims of Jeffrey Epstein, who said they believe the image was edited by Virginia and Maria Farmer, another victim who worked as an 'artist-in-residence' for Epstein.

She said other victims had 'seen' Virginia and Maria photoshopping the image, before being 'bullied and silenced' by Virginia.

Lady Victoria said the pair had been in 'cahoots' for 20 years because they 'wanted to bring down the monarchy using Prince Andrew', adding that this was Epstein's intention too.

'I know this sounds pretty wild  Epstein told one survivor that he basically wanted to bring down the monarchy,' she said.

Lady Victoria Hervey said that an image taken at Naomi Campbell's birthday in 2001 in St Tropez was used to 'fake' the Prince Andrew photo, pointing out that Virginia is wearing the same outfit in both (pictured)

Lady Victoria claimed a photograph of this unnamed man, who she said is Irish and was dating one of Epstein's victims at the time, was used as a body double for Prince Andrew

Lady Victoria claimed the image of Virginia was taken at the birthday boat party. The image has never been seen publicly but another of Epstein's victims has allegedly painted an image of what the original photograph would have looked like (pictured)

Meanwhile the socialite said she had passed on all of her findings to a member of Prince Andrew's legal team, adding: 'She's got everything, shes got it all. Shes got recordings and screenshots and everything.'

HOW LADY VICTORIA HERVEY CLAIMED VIRGINIA AND MARIA PHOTOSHOPPED THE INFAMOUS IMAGE Lady Victoria claimed the photograph of Prince Andrew and Virginia was actually four images edited together by Virginia and Maria Farmer. She said 'four or five' victims watched as the two women edited the photograph Here FEMAIL breaks down her accusations... BACKGROUND Lady Victoria claimed the image was taken of an empty hallway at the Belgravia home of Andrews friend Ghislaine Maxwell. VIRGINIA GIUFFRE Lady Victoria claimed the image of Virginia was taken at Naomi Campbell's 2001 birthday boat party. She said the original photograph showed Virginia leaning against the side of the boat while holding her coat in her right hand. She also pointed to evidence of this as Virginia's left hand as 'looking weird' in the photograph. BOAT PARTY - Images show Virginia wearing an off-white, strappy top which exposed her midriff and distinctive, multi-coloured trousers. THE PHOTO - The photograph shows Virginia wearing the same outfit, with her arm around Prince Andrew. Lady Victoria said the image has been edited so that Prince Andrew is in front of Virginia's arm holding her coat. GHISLAINE MAXWELL BOAT PARTY - Images show Ghislaine wearing a baby blue knitted jumper with short sleeves and a high roll neck, a sequin skirt. THE PHOTO - The photograph show Ghislaine wearing a white knitted jumper vest with no sleeves with dark bottoms on. PRINCE ANDREW Lady Virginia claimed an 'Irish body double' was used in place of Prince Andrew in the photograph. She said the man was in a relationship with one of Epstein's victims at the time, and he was at the boat party as well. However she said she does not know if the image was taken at the boat party, or whether the unnamed Irish man was aware of the plot by Virginia. Having edited the man's body into the photograph with Virginia and Ghislaine, she then said Maria and Virginia had edited Prince Andrew's face onto his. She pointed to the man's hands as evidence it was not Prince Andrew. Advertisement

Virginia claims she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell and forced to have sex with the royal on three occasions when she was 17, claims Prince Andrew has strenuously denied.

Virginia has previously described in legal documents how she attended the party in St Tropez to celebrate Miss Campbell's 31st birthday in 2001.

Images from the party show Virginia in an off-white, strappy top which exposed her midriff and distinctive, multi-coloured trousers.

Meanwhile photographs also show Ghislaine from the night of the party wearing a blue knitted jumper with a knitted white and sequin skirt.

Lady Victoria said a photograph taken at the party shows Virginia leaning against the boat and holding her coat in one hand, and this is the image that was used to fake the photo with Prince Andrew.

She believes one of the clearest signs that it has been edited is Virginia's hand, and she said it looks slightly odd because she was actually leaning against the side of the boat in the original photo

However, she does not have a copy of the alleged picture and it has never been seen publicly.

However, Lady Victoria went on to claim that an Epstein victim who 'saw' the alleged photo and witnessed it being edited by Virginia and Maria has recreated it.

She said: 'One of the girls is an artist and she drew a painting of the original photograph of Virginia on the boat holding her coat.'

It was this image that Lady Victoria shared to social media earlier this month, causing a stir with her bizarre claims.

Another victim of Epstein, Maria was the 'artist-in-residence' and receptionist at Epstein's New York office in 1995 after graduating from the New York Academy of Arts and handpicked by Epstein to work for him, who was also a college donor.

She was then abused by Epstein and Maxwell on his mentor, billionaire Les Wexner's estate in Ohio, and also ogled at by President Donald Trump, whom she claims visited Epstein at least three times while she worked there.

Lady Victoria said she was told be Epstein survivors that Ghislaine had taught Maria and Virginia how to photoshop images.

She said the victims then saw the duo editing the infamous photograph of the Duke with Virginia using images from the birthday party.

She said: 'The girls were there, I guess they all lived together you know.

'Everyone was aware  four or five of the survivors know that they [Maria and Virginia] did it and saw it.'

She said while the duo took a photograph of Ghislaine's empty home, editing in the image of Victoria holding her coat on the boat.

Lady Victoria claimed they then edited Ghislaine into the image, altering her outfit by changing the colour of her top and removing the sleeves.

Meanwhile she said Maria and Virginia used the body of an Irish man who had been dating one of the other victims at the time to act as a double for Prince Andrew.

She said the unnamed Irish man was in a relationship with one of Epstein's victims at the time, and he was at the boat party as well.

However she said she does not know if the image was taken at the boat party, or whether the unnamed Irish man was aware of the plot by Virginia.

Having edited the man's body into the photograph with Virginia and Ghislaine, she then said Maria and Virginia had edited Prince Andrew's face onto his.

She pointed to both Virginia and Andrew's hands as evidence the image had been doctored, adding: 'Her hand and his hand looked so freaking weird.'

She continued: 'They learnt how to do all of this editing by Ghislaine  I dont know if Ghislaine and Jeffrey were in on the fake photo.'

Meanwhile Lady Victoria also said there had 'never been a physical photo of that shot, it's all digital' and accused Virginia of telling 'different stories' about whether there was a copy.

When asked about why Virginia and Maria might have been motivated to edit the photograph, Lady Victoria referred to another message from a survivor.

She said: 'Another girl sent [me] this: "I'm the one that saw Virginia had the photo of Andrew photoshopped by Maria.

'They were conspiring to bring the monarchy down using Andrew."

Lady Victoria did not reveal which year the photograph had been edited in.

It was reported last night the Queen is to foot part of the bill for Prince Andrew's sexual abuse lawsuit, which could end up costing some 12 million.

Virginia has previously described in legal documents how she attended the party in St Tropez to celebrate Miss Campbell's 31st birthday in 2001 (pictured, the party)

Meanwhile Lady Victoria said the women had edited Ghislaine's outfit to change the colour of her knitted top and to remove the sleeves (pictured, her outfit the night of the party)

Lady Victoria posted the accusations on her Instagram stories earlier this month and suggested the image actually showed an Irish man as a body double for Prince Andrew

The humiliated Duke of York's mother is said to be set to help fund the settlement, which was agreed between lawyers in a sensational development on Tuesday.

The move is understood to be a bid to draw a line under the scandal before her much-anticipated Jubilee celebrations latter this year, which he will apparently be banned from attending.

Full statement from both parties in Andrew's case Here is the full text of the statement regarding the out of court settlement reached between the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre. The statement was included in a letter submitted to US judge Lewis A Kaplan: 'Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. 'Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. 'Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.' Advertisement

It comes just weeks after Andrew vowed to contest Virginia Roberts' rape claims at a public trial. Miss Roberts had alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew, 61, for unspecified damages in a New York civil court.

But despite vowing to fight the allegations and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.

It comes as reports suggest the Queen herself will provide money to pay for the settlement, according to the Telegraph.

The paper suggests the total amount that the victim and her charity will receive will actually exceed 12m, with the funds coming from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by 1.5m to more than 23m.

Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Miss Roberts was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls.

It also said the prince accepted that Miss Roberts, now 38, had been subjected to 'unfair public attacks' and that he had never intended to 'malign her character'.

This is despite a string of recent aggressive accusations made by his legal team that included referencing a story which branded Miss Roberts a 'money-hungry sex kitten'.

It is understood that Andrew will now hand a large sum of cash to Miss Roberts and he has also agreed to make a 'substantial donation' to her charity in support of victims' rights.

Although the terms of the deal remain a closely guarded secret, sources indicated the settlement itself could cost Andrew as much as 7.5 million ($10 million)  with several million pounds worth of legal fees taking the potential cost of the case to the prince to around the 10 million mark.

Miss Roberts  who brought the lawsuit under her married name Virginia Giuffre  launched her legal action against Andrew in August, seeking unspecified damages for battery, including rape, and the infliction of emotional distress. The Daily Mail can reveal that negotiations on a settlement have secretly been taking place since last month when a US judge refused to throw Miss Roberts' case out.

But her legal team were said to be surprised at the suddenness of Andrew's capitulation, with things taking a dramatic turn in recent days.

The prince, who was stripped of his remaining patronages earlier this year, has faced pressure from senior royals to resolve the lawsuit ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee later this year.

And while last night Buckingham Palace was said to be breathing a sigh of relief that the case will not go to trial, senior royal sources indicated there was now no way back to public life for the disgraced duke.

One said: 'Regardless of the outcome, he has ruled himself out of any public role by virtue of his appalling lack of judgment and poor choice of friends and associates.'

Lady Victoria Hervey and Prince Andrew pictured in 2002 at a party in London to celebrate Chinese New Year

Lady Victoria Hervey and Ghislaine Maxwell pictured in Hollywood on February 25, 2004

However, the scandal will continue to hang over the Royal Family into next year, experts claimed today.

The Queen is expected to foot part of the bill for her son's settlement in a bid to draw a line under it before her much-anticipated Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer. But there is anger at how the Queen, 95, has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke of York, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid calls for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Sources also pointed out that while there will now be a 'period of silence' during the Jubilee celebrations when both parties will have to stick to the terms of yesterday's carefully-worded statement, Mrs Giuffre would then not be stopped from writing a lucrative book telling her story which could hit the shelves in time for Christmas.

Andrew's civil case: What was alleged and what has been agreed? The Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre have reached an out-of-court settlement in the civil case filed in the US. Here is what was alleged against Andrew and what has happened up until this point: - Who is Virginia Giuffre? Virginia Giuffre, also known as Virginia Roberts, alleges she was trafficked by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell to be molested by financier Jeffrey Epstein and his friends. - What case did Andrew face? Mrs Giuffre brought a case of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the duke. It was claimed she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Epstein and others to Andrew, who is alleged to have sexually abused her when she was under the age of 18. - How many allegations did the duke face? Court documents have referenced three separate occasions in which Mrs Giuffre accuses him of sexual misconduct. - Where is the alleged sexual abuse said to have taken place? Mrs Giuffre claimed Andrew had sex with her against her will at Maxwell's London home. She also alleged the royal forced her to engage in sex acts against her will at Epstein's mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The duke is also alleged to have sexually abused Mrs Giuffre on another occasion during a visit to Epstein's private island, Little St James. - What reasons has Andrew previously given for the case against him to be dismissed? In January, the duke submitted 11 reasons why the case should be dismissed, including that Mrs Giuffre's claims are 'barred by the doctrine of consent' and by 'her own wrongful conduct'. - Will Andrew have to face a civil trial? Now the case has settled out of court, the duke will not have to face a trial. - What happens now a settlement has been reached? The parties have said they will file a 'stipulation of dismissal' within 30 days, meaning they will file a notice to discontinue the case now it has been settled. Before the stipulation is filed, the parties have asked for all deadlines and court action to be suspended. - What do we know about the details of the agreement reached between Andrew and Mrs Giuffre? The sum of the settlement has not been disclosed but the duke will make a 'substantial donation' to Mrs Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. He has also pledged to 'demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein' by supporting the 'fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.' - Will the substantial charity donation be made from Andrew's own private money? Representatives of the duke declined to comment on the source of funds for the donation. - What have both sides said about the settlement?Andrew's representatives said they would not be commenting further than what was said in the court documents. David Boies, the lawyer acting on behalf of Mrs Giuffre, said: 'I believe this event speaks for itself.' Advertisement

Prince Charles was said to have been supported by the Queen in making it clear to Andrew that he had no choice but to settle with Mrs Giuffre, with one source telling MailOnline that Charles had 'had enough of the situation' and 'would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible'.

A senior Royal Household member told the Standard that Charles and the Queen 'could not countenance another disastrous appearance by the Duke of York, in light of his BBC interview', adding: 'Decisive action was needed. There was little choice. He had to see sense.'

While Andrew is thought to be holed up at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor today, on the other side of the world a box of beers and a bouquet of flowers were being delivered to Mrs Giuffre and her husband Robert's home in Perth, Australia. And her father Sky Roberts told the Sun: 'I knew he would settle out of court. That was a complete bluff. I think Virginia will be happy.'

Meanwhile, despite the settlement, it is feared that the scandal could still overshadow poignant Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the UK in the coming months. Also today, the Metropolitan Police said they have no plans to reopen their own probe into Andrew despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence after the deal.

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off and said 'I can't have this hanging over me for the rest of the year  I don't want you to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I'm the only royal who's lasted 70 years on the throne, and you've got to sort it out'.'

She added: 'I admire the Queen hugely as everybody does, and I don't want it to spoil anything for her, but I still think this is hanging over the country and the Royal Family and is going to go right through to the end of the year and maybe into next year, and there's no real way of cutting it off. Obviously that (a ban on Mrs Giuffre saying anything) was something that they could have put in the agreement and they haven't, and so it implies that there's a lot she (Mrs Giuffre) wants to say that Andrew will not want to hear.'

It has been suggested that the Queen has used her private income to help Andrew with his legal bills, and the Daily Telegraph reported that she would contribute to the settlement using income from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate. However, Buckingham Palace would not comment on the claim - and courtiers have tried to distance the monarch from the US court case. The Telegraph reported that the total amount that the victim and her charity will receive will actually exceed 12million, with the funds coming from the Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by 1.5million to more than 23million.

Andrew has been dogged by questions over the source of his wealth for years, and he is believed to have relied on handouts from the Queen, personal investments and bequests from family members such as the Queen Mother.

Graham Smith, from anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, insisted that taxpayers 'deserve to know where the money is coming from for a settlement, which we must assume is in the millions, if not tens of millions'.

One source of Andrew's income may be the sale of Sunninghill Park, the 12-bedroom country house near Windsor which was a wedding gift from the Queen. The vast property went unsold for five years before it was suddenly bought in 2007 for 15 million  3million over the asking price  by Timur Kulibayev, son-in-law of Andrew's friend Nursultan Nazarbayev, the former autocratic ruler of Kazakhstan.

Andrew now lives in Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, the former home of the Queen Mother, on a preferential but undisclosed 100-year lease from the Crown Estate. He and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson share the sprawling grade II-listed house but could move out to minimise costs, although it would not bring them any extra income.

Beers are delivered to Virginia and Robert Giuffre's home in Perth, Australia, today after the settlement was reached

A man delivers flowers to the home of Virginia and Robert Giuffre in Perth, Australia, today after the deal was announced

The Yorks bought an 18million ski chalet in the Swiss resort of Verbier in 2014 but put it on the market following a legal dispute with its former owner. French socialite Isabelle de Rouvre took legal action after a final 5 million instalment on Chalet Helora was not paid, but said the debt was settled last year, clearing the way for it to be sold. It was put on the market for around 18million, but it was not clear how much of the 13million mortgage remains.

New woe for Royals: Met Police launches 'cash for honours' investigation into Charles' charity Prince Charles' former right hand man was today at the centre of a Metropolitan Police 'cash for honours' probe into how a Saudi billionaire donor got a knighthood and UK citizenship. Michael Fawcett, for years a trusted ally of Charles, stepped down in October amid claims he promised to help secure a CBE and British citizenship for Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz - a donor to the Prince's Foundation. It was alleged that he paid thousands of pounds to 'fixers' with links to the prince who said they could secure him an honour in return for donations. Dr Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, pictured meeting Prince Charles, is one of Britain's most generous benefactors The criminal investigation piles more pressure onto the Queen on what should have been one of the proudest years of her reign. Now after a Met special advisory team has assessed documents the force has launched an investigation into the Fawcett allegations of offences under the Honours Act. Mr Fawcett (pictured) allegedly helped fix a CBE for Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz It said it had acted after receiving a letter in September - believed to be from former Lib Dem MP Norman Baker - urging them to look into the claims. Clarence House today stressed Charles had 'no knowledge' on allegations of offers of honours 'on the basis of donation to his charities'. The Prince's spokespeople have previously said he would 'of course' be willing to assist any enquiry from the authorities. Advertisement

The Metropolitan Police dropped its investigation into Andrew last October, saying they would take 'no further action' - but the latest development raises questions over whether he could still be quizzed, while FBI officials in the US also still want to talk to him as a witness to Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes.

Among those renewing calls for the case to be reopened is Nigel Cawthorne, Andrew's biographer, who told Newsweek: 'There should be a police investigation into Prince Andrew. There are a couple of outstanding matters. One is that the US Department of Justice has asked the British Government for their co-operation in interviewing Prince Andrew. The other is whether the new commissioner of the Metropolitan Police will investigate this matter.'

He added: 'There's no mention of how much money is involved or where he's going to get it from. He's not a wealthy man. As taxpayers we have the right to know. We want to know, is it coming out of my pocket?'

And former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt tweeted: 'With the Giuffre case settled, Prince Andrew can now focus on talking to the FBI about his friend Epstein - 818 days after he first promised to do so.'

MailOnline asked the Metropolitan Police whether they would now reopen the investigation following yesterday's settlement, but a spokesman said today: 'There is no change to our previous position.'

Royal expert Omid Scobie, who is the closest reporter to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, said: 'In the end, Andrew took accountability for nothing. Instead, he did what only the privileged elite get to do: bought his way out. In the process, he took advantage of his elderly mother's love (and cheque book) during a year her children should only be lifting her up. A disgrace.'

Another royal commentator, Adam Helliker, told the Sun that people will probably take offence to the Queen bailing out her son's settlement costs, adding: 'No one has that kind of money but his mother. Andrew is not close enough to the Prince of Wales for him to fund that kind of money. He doesn't have any income.'

And media lawyer Mark Stephens told BBC News: 'One of the key things that I think will have to be clarified by Prince Andrew's camp is the fact that he's paid this from his own resources.'

He added: 'Essentially he's managed to effectively immunise the wider Royal Family and more particularly his daughters against this court hearing. But he himself has metaphorically been consigned to an unheated tower at Balmoral never to wave from a royal balcony ever again.' Mr Stephens said: 'If you look at his net worth, he's had to sell a house in order to fund this, and so I think that (12million) does look at about the right number.'

Meanwhile Mrs Giuffre will be banned from speaking publicly about her claims against Andrew until after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations under the terms of her settlement with the Duke.

Sources told the Times there would be a 'period of silence' when both parties would have to stick to the terms of a carefully worded statement. Beyond the Jubilee celebrations however, Mrs Giuffre is expected to be allowed to public a book telling her story at the end of the year if she wishes to do so.

'Ordinarily, you would have a complete non-disclosure [agreement] on both sides,' lawyer Mitchell Epner told the Times. He added: 'Since it's a settlement in the context of, on its face, an apology from Prince Andrew,' [he believes Mrs Giuffre] 'has agreed not to say anything [but] she will be in a position to write a book, probably for this Christmas season'.

Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Mrs Giuffre was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls.

It also said the prince accepted that Mrs Giuffre, now 38, had been subjected to 'unfair public attacks' and that he had never intended to 'malign her character'.

This is despite a string of recent aggressive accusations made by his legal team that included referencing a story which branded Mrs Giuffre a 'money-hungry sex kitten'.

It is understood that Andrew will now hand a large sum of cash to Mrs Giuffre and he has also agreed to make a 'substantial donation' to her charity in support of victims' rights.

Mrs Giuffre  who brought the lawsuit under her married name Virginia Giuffre  launched her legal action against Andrew in August, seeking unspecified damages for battery, including rape, and the infliction of emotional distress. The Daily Mail can reveal that negotiations on a settlement have secretly been taking place since last month when a US judge refused to throw Miss Roberts' case out.

But her legal team were said to be surprised at the suddenness of Andrew's capitulation, with things taking a dramatic turn in recent days.

Andrew should disappear for good: Duke's ex-Navy commander joins calls for 'rogue element' to never return as working royal Prince Andrew has been bombarded with demands to quietly retire in private and 'stay out of the public eye' after his reputation took an 'irreparable' battering from Virginia Giuffre's rape claims. The Duke of York was urged to surrender any notions of a royal return and 'move on' by friends and former colleagues because he has 'forever been tainted' by the dramatic scandal that plunged the monarchy into crisis. The 61-year-old needs to 'draw a line under this episode' and 'surround himself with better friends' after making 'some bad choices' such as his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, they warned. Navy top brass were among those calling on Andrew to keep out of the limelight in the wake of the bombshell allegations and settlement with his accuser - and now 'enjoy essentially what is a very good privileged lifestyle'. On Newsnight his former Naval Commander Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry pressed him to 'remember some of the things that we remember him for, for his earlier days' before he left military service and the damaging claims against him emerged. Meanwhile royal experts said there will be no 'return to the fold' for the embattled Duke - who was stripped of all his military roles and patronages earlier this year - and he should 'disappear for a year'. The commentators said they were sure Prince Charles will ram home the importance of 'keeping a very low profile' until the furore over the New York court saga dies down. But Labour MP for York Central Rachael Maskell does not want to let him off that easy as she renewed her calls for him to be stripped of his dukedom named after the city. She repeated a call made last month, saying the Prince should give up the association out of respect for the people who live there. Leading lawyers suggested the court of public opinion will have already drawn its own conclusions about the damaging accusations made against him and remember them for 'many, many years to come'. Advertisement

The prince, who was stripped of his remaining patronages earlier this year, has faced pressure from senior royals to resolve the lawsuit ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee later this year. And while last night Buckingham Palace was said to be breathing a sigh of relief that the case will not go to trial, senior royal sources indicated there was now no way back to public life for the disgraced duke.

One said: 'Regardless of the outcome, he has ruled himself out of any public role by virtue of his appalling lack of judgment and poor choice of friends and associates.'

One other woman, Johanna Sjoberg, was revealed in 2019 to have accused Andrew of sexual misconduct when court papers in a 2015 defamation case involving Mrs Giuffre were unsealed. She alleged he grabbed her breast in 2001 at the New York home of Epstein - something Buckingham Palace said at the time was 'categorically untrue'. There has been no indication that she may take legal action against Andrew.

Meanwhile Labour MP Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, said the Duke of York must withdraw his title to show 'respect' for people living in York in light of the settlement, adding that he had caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to residents of the city.

She said: 'It is to be welcomed that he has now pledged to support the fight against the evils of sex trafficking and its victims. To demonstrate his seriousness in this endeavour, and his respect for those affected by abuse and the people of our city, I would ask that his first act of contrition is to confirm his support for the withdrawal of his ducal title.'

There will also be fresh light thrown on the issue of the Queen's Counsellors of State - members of the Royal Family who stand in for her if she is unable to meet her duties as sovereign because she is unwell.

By law, they include the sovereign's spouse and the next four people in the line of succession who are over the age of 21 - which at the moment means Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Andrew and Prince Harry.

If the Queen falls ill and Charles and William are both out of the country or also ill, these duties would be passed to Andrew or Harry, which would be deeply embarrassing given that both are no longer involved in active royal life.

The newly-announced agreement contained no restatement of Andrew's previous denials of having had sex with Mrs Giuffre and the settlement means the prince will not have the chance to disprove her claims in court.

It comes just over a month after another of Epstein's victims exclusively told the Mail that Mrs Giuffre had admitted to her that she had slept with the prince in London in 2001.

Last night, Mrs Giuffre's lawyer David Boies said: 'It's a really great day. Virginia was thrilled when we told her the terms. This has all come about over the past couple of days, it's been quite quick. I am not sure what changed from his side. I thought that this should have been settled when we brought the lawsuit.

'That's basically the end of the case. She will get paid the money in 30 days' time. I cannot comment on the amount or the terms, but it's a good day.'

Mr Boies had agreed to take on the case pro bono but it is unclear if he will still seek to recoup some of his legal costs from the duke.

A source who is familiar with the case said: 'Andrew moved so far, so fast from his position of deny, deny, deny. There were a lot of things looming for him.

A joint statement issued yesterday by Virginia Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies, and Prince Andrew's lawyer, Andrew Brettler

A letter addressed to US judge Lewis A Kaplan, who has been overseeing the case, from David Boies, Virginia Giuffre's lawyer

'Things were starting to come out and Andrew knew what the case was against him.

'It's a princely amount, a very, very substantial amount of money split into two buckets: the settlement itself and the donation.'

Rachel Fiset, a senior partner at law firm Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman who specialises in defending white collar crime cases, suggested the total figure could be even higher than many others predict.

'A settlement that would cover Andrew's legal fees to take this case to trial alone, would be well into the millions,' she said.

'When you couple the price of litigation on both sides with the risk of embarrassing facts coming out for Andrew and a potential jury loss relating to the sexual assault of a minor by a Prince, the settlement amount is likely very high. My best guess puts the settlement amount somewhere between 20 and 30 million dollars.'

Meanwhile, a royal source told the Mail that the prince was guilty of 'inexcusably bad judgment' in both his association with Epstein and the way the allegations against him  which first surfaced more than seven years ago  were handled.

Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson leave Royal Lodge in Windsor in a Range Rover with their dog on January 30

Andrew's mother the Queen held virtual audiences from Windsor Castle with the Estonian and Spanish ambassadors yesterday

Prince Andrew's daughter Princess Eugenie attended the Super Bowl in Los Angeles with Prince Harry on Sunday

One source added: 'There is huge relief in the royal household. This has been a very difficult time for everyone involved, not least because of the issues involved and that the allegations had been made by an acknowledged victim of Jeffrey Epstein. The feeling is that the situation was badly  inexcusably badly  managed by Andrew and his advisers from the start. It was as if they thought they could close their eyes and put their fingers in their ears and it would all go away.'

The long and sordid saga that ended with royal outcast Andrew settling rape lawsuit: From meeting Epstein to being accused of raping his 'sex slave' and THAT Pizza Express alibi By Rory Tingle and James Robinson for MailOnline It has been more than two decades since Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein first crossed paths. That meeting would set in motion years of damaging allegations, embarrassing interviews and eventually a US lawsuit against the Queen's third son. Over the next 23 years, Epstein would go on to abuse and sex traffic young girls across the world on his private jet with his madame Ghislaine Maxwell - the woman who would introduce the financier to Prince Andrew - by his side. Though he would go on to take his own life in prison while awaiting trial for his sex trafficking crimes, and ultimately robbing his victims of justice, the fallout would continue for those around him. Maxwell would end up in a US prison, herself found guilty of sex trafficking for Epstein, while Prince Andrew would face accusations of sexual assault by one Epstein victim, Virginia Giuffre. Determined to clear his name, Prince Andrew would agree to a toe-curling BBC in which he claimed he couldn't have had sex with Ms Giuffre, because he was at Pizza Express at the time. But Giuffre would continue to pursue the royal, eventually launching a US civil case against him - which has now ended in a settlement. Here MailOnline takes a look at the sordid saga, from start to finish: 1999: Andrew first meets Epstein, reportedly introduced through his friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell. Andrew welcomes Epstein to the Queen's private Scottish retreat in Aberdeenshire. Andrew later says he sees Epstein 'infrequently', adding 'probably no more than only once or twice a year'. 2000: Andrew and Ms Maxwell are seen on holiday with Epstein at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. Epstein and Ms Maxwell attend a party at Windsor Castle hosted by the Queen to mark Andrew's 40th birthday, the Princess Royal's 50th, the Queen Mother's 100th and Princess Margaret's 70th. 2001: Virginia Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew 'three times, including one orgy', with the first encounter allegedly taking place in Ms Maxwell's London townhouse after they met at the Tramp nightclub on March 10. Recalling the alleged meeting, Andrew was said to be 'sweating profusely'. Virginia Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew 'three times, including one orgy', with the first encounter allegedly taking place in Ms Maxwell's London townhouse after they met at the Tramp nightclub on March 10. Recalling the alleged meeting, Andrew was said to be 'sweating profusely' The Duke would later claim in his infamous BBC interview that this could have never happened because he was at a children's party at a branch of Pizza Express in Woking. In the same interview he says he has a medical condition after being shot at during the Falklands War that left him 'unable to sweat' because Ms Roberts, who was 17 at the time, claimed that they danced together and he had been 'sweating profusely' Ms Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew on two more occasions, at Epstein's New York home and at an 'orgy' on his private island in the Caribbean. 2008: Epstein admits prostituting minors and is sentenced to 18 months in prison. 2010: Epstein is released from jail. Andrew is photographed with the disgraced Epstein in New York's Central Park. Footage emerges years later, reportedly shot on December 6 2010, showing him inside Epstein's Manhattan mansion, from where he is seen looking out from a large door of the property waving a woman goodbye after Epstein leaves to get into a chauffeur-driven car. 2011: The duke quits his role as UK trade envoy after the fallout from the Central Park photos. 2015: Buckingham Palace denies Andrew has committed any impropriety after he is named in US court documents related to Epstein. A woman, later named in reports as Ms Roberts, alleges in papers filed in Florida that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17, which is under the age of consent in the state. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Andrew, in his first public engagement since he was embroiled in the allegations, responds, saying: 'Firstly I think I must, and want, for the record, to refer to the events that have taken place in the last few weeks. I just wish to reiterate, and to reaffirm, the statements that have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace.' In April the claims against Andrew are struck from US civil court records following a federal judge's ruling. Newly released legal documents show that Johanna Sjoberg, another alleged Epstein victim, claims Andrew touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside the US billionaire's Manhattan apartment in 2001. Buckingham Palace denies the allegations 2019: Newly released legal documents show that Johanna Sjoberg, another alleged Epstein victim, claims Andrew touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside the US billionaire's Manhattan apartment in 2001. Buckingham Palace says the allegations are 'categorically untrue'. Epstein is found dead in his jail cell on August 10, having killed himself after being charged with sex trafficking. Later that month a pilot on Epstein's private jet claims Andrew was a passenger on past flights with the financier and Ms Roberts. The Sun newspaper reported that David Rodgers said in a testimony released in August that Epstein, Andrew and the-then 17-year-old travelled to the US Virgin Islands on April 11 2001. Buckingham Palace describes the evidence statement as having 'a number of inconsistencies' and said that Andrew was on a different continent in some cases. Following Epstein's death, a statement from the palace says that Andrew is 'appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes'. Breaking his silence on the issue for the first time since 2015, Andrew then releases a statement on August 24 saying: 'At no stage during the limited time I spent with him (Epstein) did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.' On November 16, the prince gives a 'disastrous' BBC interview in which he speaks about his friendship with Epstein and addresses allegations of his own sexual conduct. On November 16, the prince gives a 'disastrous' BBC interview in which he speaks about his friendship with Epstein and addresses allegations of his own sexual conduct He faced a barrage of criticism following his television appearance, with the royal accused of a lack of empathy with Epstein's victims. During the interview, Andrew, questioned by Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis, twice stated his relationship with Epstein, who died in jail while facing sex trafficking charges, had some 'seriously beneficial outcomes', giving him the opportunity to meet people and prepare for a future role as a trade envoy. The royal maintained he did not recall meeting Ms Roberts and did not spend time with her at Tramp Nightclub in London on March 10 in 2001 after which she claims the pair first had sex. The duke denies sleeping with her on three separate occasions, saying the encounter in 2001 did not happen as he had taken his daughter Princess Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking for a party, and they spent the rest of the day together. The duke denies sleeping with her on three separate occasions, saying the encounter in 2001 did not happen as he had taken his daughter Princess Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking for a party, and they spent the rest of the day together. He also said a medical condition after being shot at during the Falklands War left him 'unable to sweat' because Ms Roberts, who was 17 at the time, claimed that they danced together and he had been 'sweating profusely'. The Duke of York said: 'I was with the children and I'd taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon. 'And then because the Duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there. 'I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy so therefore I was at home.' However he continues to strongly deny any wrongdoing and claims he has never even met Ms Roberts, now a mother-of-three living in Australia who goes by her married name, Virginia Giuffre. Following the disastrous interview, which is widely panned, Prince Andrew announces in November that he will step back from frontline royal duties for the 'foreseeable future'. A number of companies with association to the prince step back. He says at the time he deeply sympathises with sex offender Epstein's victims and everyone who 'wants some form of closure'. 2020: With the Covid pandemic occupying much of the news and the minds of the British public, Prince Andrew has the chance to lie low, which he does, in Windsor Castle. Andrew hires Gary Bloxsome, a UK criminal defence solicitor, early in the year, just weeks after his car-crash Newsnight interview. Despite him lying low, talk continues to flow in newspapers like The Telegraph and The Times that he is planning a 'rebranding' and hopes to one day return to frontline royal duties. He is praised by one senior palace aide for not appearing in official wedding photographs at the marriage of his daughter Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. One said it shows a 'level of maturity' from Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew is praised by one senior palace aide for not appearing in official wedding photographs at the marriage of his daughter Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. One said it shows a 'level of maturity' from Prince Andrew However, despite attempting to keep a low-profile, the headlines continue for Prince Andrew. In February the US attorney for the Southern District of New York claims prosecutors and the FBI had repeatedly contacted the Duke of York's lawyers to follow up on his previous pledge that he was 'willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency'. In November, Lisa Bloom, who represents six of Epstein's alleged victims, cals on Andrew to submit to an interview with the FBI in their investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell. Sources close to Andrew say he is willing to speak to the FBI. 2021: In August, Virginia Giuffre files a lawsuit in the US against Andrew accusing him of sexual assault. In the civil case she alleges she had sex with Andrew and he was aware of her age. She also claims hat she was a victim of sex trafficking when she was forced to have sex with him in 2001. 'I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions,' she said in a statement via her lawyers in August that year. Andrew continues to vehemently denies the claim. He hires US defence attorney Andrew Brettler to represent him. He describes the lawsuit as 'baseless, non-viable, and possibly unlawful.' Initially there is some debate over whether Prince Andrew has received the lawsuit. His lawyers claim the royal has not been properly served. Giuffre's lawyers claim the legal papers were handed over to a Metropolitan police officer on duty at the main gates of Andrew's Windsor Great Park home on 27 August. David Boies, representing Giuffre, said the complaint had been 'delivered to the last known address of the defendant'. He added that the documents had also been sent 'by Royal Mail'. David Boies, representing Giuffre, said the complaint had been 'delivered to the last known address of the defendant'. He added that the documents had also been sent 'by Royal Mail' A previously secret 2009 settlement between Giuffre and Epstein is raised. Prince Andrew's lawyers claim the settlement protects the royal from Giuffre lawsuit. The judge agrees to unseal the agreement. Lawyers for the Duke of York also file a motion claiming Giuffre currently lives in Australia and so the court does not have jurisdiction to hold the lawsuit. But her lawyers argue the civil case was properly filed in Manhattan federal court because she is a citizen of Colorado and some of the sexual misconduct she alleges took place in the state of New York. Meanwhile, a jury in New York finds Epstein's former madame Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of sex-trafficking. The British socialist is also found guilty of conspiracy to entice individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, conspiracy to transport individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; transportation of an individual under the age of 17 with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under the age of 18. A jury in New York finds Epstein's former madame Ghislaine Maxwell (pictured in a court sketch) guilty of sex-trafficking. On December 30, Giuffre hits back. Her legal team ask the prince's lawyers to prove he cannot sweat in a court filing. The request is made in relation to Prince Andrew's claims in his disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview. In the filing, it says: 'If Prince Andrew truly has no documents concerning his communications with Maxwell or Epstein, his travel to Florida, New York, or various locations in London, his alleged medical inability to sweat, or anything that would support the alibis he gave during his BBC interview, then continuing with discovery will not be burdensome to him at all'. 2022: The 2009 agreement between Giuffre and Epstein is unsealed. It shows Giuffre settled with Epstein for $500,000. In the settlement, Giuffre is show to agree not to go after 'other potential defendants,' defined as 'second parties'. But it does not specifically name Prince Andrew. His legal team say he is included under 'other potential defendants' and ask the judge to throw out the case. Alongside attempting to use the Epstein agreement to shield Prince Andrew, his legal team claim Giuffre hadn't sufficiently alleged any violations of the New York Penal Code. They also argued that Giuffre's allegations would have been time-barred by the statute of limitations if not for the 2019 New York Child Victims Act, which they labeled 'unconstitutional' and that Giuffre's allegations in her complaint were not sufficiently detailed. But in a major blow to Prince Andrew case, a New York judge throws out his legal challenge to dismiss the lawsuit and rules it can go ahead. A day later, the Queen strips Andrew of a range of military affiliations and royal patronages after more than 150 veterans write to describe their 'upset and anger'. Advertisement

One source said they believed the settlement would pave the way for Andrew to attend his late-father's memorial service at the end of March as a member of the Royal Family in a private capacity. But it was unlikely he would be able to attend any of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A Palace spokesman said firmly last night: 'It is a matter for the duke and his legal team.'

Royal sources said the case and its ongoing 'attritional' effect on the Royal Family had been 'widely discussed' among senior royals, but there was deep concern not to be seen meddling in issues.

The Prince of Wales also spoke to his brother on several occasions and was instinctively keen to avoid the horror of a public trial. But sources said he accepted the legal process needed to take its natural course and, as a matter of instinct, the heir to the throne shies away from 'mandating' on issues when it comes to his family.

Another well-placed royal insider said that 'no one had much sympathy for Andrew'. Last month, the Queen decided to strip her son of his remaining military affiliations and patronages and force him to stop using the His Royal Highness title in any official capacity.

And last night, an MP for the city of York called on the duke to withdraw his title to show 'respect' for people living there. Labour's Rachael Maskell said he has caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to residents of the city.

It leaves Andrew's claims of a trip to Pizza Express in Woking and that he cannot sweat, both of which he used as an alibi against Miss Roberts' accusations, unresolved. The deal comes just weeks before he was set to sit down for a deposition, an interview under oath, in what would have been an uncomfortable grilling by Miss Roberts' lawyers

Nick Goldstone, head of dispute resolution at London-based international law firm Ince, said: 'Clearly this is a settlement in principle on very generous financial terms for the complainant and a degree of backpedalling by the defendant.

'In terms of 'the court of public opinion' this looks like an admission of bad conduct on the part of Andrew and I suspect he will remain 'off-stage' from the Royal Family for the rest of his life. It's a good day for the Royal Family. A huge relief for that institution. Probably a good day for Miss Roberts and a recognition of the impossible position Prince Andrew was in and the cessation of hostilities'.

Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents eight victims of Epstein, welcomed the settlement. She said: 'We hail Virginia's victory today. She has accomplished what no one else could: getting Prince Andrew to stop his nonsense and side with sexual abuse victims. We salute Virginia's stunning courage.'

Royal author Penny Junor said the settlement made is likely to come as a 'huge relief' to the rest of the royal family but that the damage to Andrew is irreparable.

She said: 'Going to trial, it could have been very, very nasty. It could have been embarrassing, humiliating, and it would have been huge fodder for the tabloid press. It could have really taken the shine off the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year.'

She added: 'It does of course, I assume, mean we will never know whether Andrew was innocent or guilty. And that, I think, in itself means that he will never be able to go back to any kind of royal work. I think his reputation will never recover.'

Amber Melville-Brown, a partner at the New York office of the London law firm Withers, told the Times the settlement would be 'worth its weight in gold to the Queen as she celebrates her Platinum Jubilee'.

Ann Olivarius, the senior partner of McAllister Olivarius law firm who has acted in cases on both sides of the Atlantic, told the Guardian: 'The size of the compensation is probably massive by any British standards, and it's probably very substantial by American standards  and American standards are very high.'

While the Duke continues to strongly deny the claims made against him, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams questioned why such a payment was agreed if he was so sure of his innocence.

He told the Sun: 'Essentially has he admitted that he has done any wrong at all? No. Regretting his association with Epstein doesn't count. He claimed innocence, but he has settled and many would regard this as an admission of guilt. If he was innocent then why did he pay?'

Speaking to MailOnline, he added: 'The relief at the Palace will be almost tangible now the threat of further public humiliation of Andrew in this civil case has been lifted after this settlement was announced. This was always pretty certain as 97 per cent are settled in this way in the US.

'He has simultaneously, over two and a quarter years, managed to become a serious embarrassment, a national joke and a symbol of entitlement of the worst sort. If it had ever got to court, his humiliation would have been an international cause celebre. The questioning he was shortly facing as part of the legal process by Virginia Roberts Giuffre's legal team, would have been devastating too.

'Although it would not have overshadowed the actual Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, this scandal would have cast a cloud over this unique royal year. That will now not occur and he has continued to deny the charges against him, but the public will not forget the Newsnight interview, the unexplained photograph and his disastrous friendships with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

'There is therefore no future royal role, other than possibly helping to manage the royal estates, at any time in the future for him.'

Another source told MailOnline: 'I'm sure that Charles has had enough of the situation. Charles would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible and before the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations begin. Charles did not want this hanging over the Royal Family this year.'

While the size of the settlement is not yet known, reports suggested last month Andrew could avoid a trial by using the sale of his 18million Swiss chalet to try to pay off Mrs Giuffre with at least 10million of the proceeds.

Meanwhile, a former Royal protection officer told the Sun his dramatic U-turn was likely ordered by his mother.

'This wasn't his decision, this was the Queen's,' said Paul Page. He added that Andrew's story was 'full of holes' and the Duke 'would have been slaughtered' in his deposition.

Mr Fitzwilliams added: 'The amount he has paid Virginia Roberts Giuffre in settlement has not been disclosed but it is likely to be huge. He has a naval pension and gets an allowance from the Queen. He has also reportedly found a buyer for his chalet, the ownership of which he shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson with whom he cohabits, which was on the market for 18 million, having paid a debt to its former owner.

'We will probably never know how Andrew raised the money for this settlement. However one thing is crystal clear, this was an emergency and this scandal was deeply destructive for the monarchy. The royal family have numerous wealthy friends and it may well be that it was thought necessary to bail out the Queen's second son in a year that was truly unique for her and for the royal family.

'Andrew will remain in disgrace, he strongly denies the charges, but the court of public opinion as represented in opinion polls is totally hostile as is the press and Prince Charles and Prince William have made clear there is no future role for him as a senior working royal.

'This settlement enlists him as promising to join in the fight against sex trafficking. It therefore remains imperative that he assist the FBI in their attempts to trace Epstein's accomplices, as he previously promised to do and has not. This is a dreadful scandal and it may not all be over yet.'

And MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton said: 'Hard to see how Prince Andrew will ever clear his name in the court of public opinion now he's settled - and presumably paid huge money - to Virginia Giuffre. He said he'd cooperate with the FBI. He didn't. He said he'd fight Virginia in court. He didn't. What's he hiding?'

Meanwhile royal author Angela Levin told GB News: 'I think it sounds remarkably humble, which is not something we expect from Prince Andrew. Now, why that is, I'm not sure. I wonder if the Queen, now she's well, gave him a b******ing and said 'you're not going to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I'm the only person who's ever reached this and you just got to sort it out'. She's the only one I think who should really give him a telling off. She's very matronly with him and perhaps he decided that. But it is a great relief I think because it would have rumbled on and that would have taken the headlines all the time and goodness knows what could have come out the other end.'

Former royal butler Grant Harrold told the broadcaster: 'I believed there was going to be a court case and I thought it was a great opportunity for the prince who's always said he's innocent for him to prove his innocence, but obviously an out-of-court settlement puts an end to the whole thing.

'I can only assume it's because the Queen's got her Platinum Jubilee this year and maybe they were worried this would overshadow that, that's the only reason I can assume this has happened.'

Solicitor Joshua Rozenberg added: 'There is nothing in this agreement in which he admits to any misbehaviour with Virginia Giuffre. He accepts she has suffered as an established victim of abuse, but he doesn't say that he abused her.

'He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Jeffrey Epstein but he doesn't say he had any association with Ms Giuffre. There are all sorts of reason why people settle, there are all sorts of reasons why people bring claims. The fact that this has settled doesn't mean any more than it says. On the other hand, you don't pay a lot of money unless you want a case to go away.'

Another expert, Joe Little of Majesty magazine, said: 'I just don't think he's ever likely to resume work as a working member of the royal family. I think that too much water has gone under the bridge for that and the institution of monarchy has been tainted by his association with Epstein and I just think that there's no going back on all that.'

Of the likely reaction of the rest of the Royal Family, Mr Little said: 'I'm sure that they're glad this (settlement agreement) has happened, but does it exonerate the prince who really has not been charged with anything criminal? He will, I think, forever be tainted by this scandal, for want of a better way of describing it.'

It follows reports overnight that Mrs Giuffre claims to have lost the original print of the famous photograph of her and Andrew taken in London in 2001, which could further the Duke's argument that the image was doctored.

A document submitted to the court in New York yesterday said: 'Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed).

'Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks.

'It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.

'He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.'

A second document, which was a letter addressed to US judge Lewis A Kaplan, who has been overseeing the case, said: 'We write jointly with counsel for defendant to advise the court that the parties reached a settlement in principle of the above-referenced action.'

It goes on to say the parties involved plan to file a 'stipulation of dismissal of the case' within 30 days. The letter, signed by Mr Boies, concludes: 'We appreciate the time and effort the court has devoted to this matter.'

And when asked for comment by DailyMail.com yesterday, Mr Boies said: 'This event speaks for itself.'

The Duke of York is 'reputationally toast' after his US civil case settlement, but the legal development has protected the wider royal family from the damage of a public trial, a lawyer has said.

Media lawyer Mark Stephens said: 'With this settlement, he has prevented this court case overshadowing the tributes and acknowledgement of the Queen's 70 years of selfless sacrifice and service to the country.

'And whilst he is reputationally toast and will never appear on a royal balcony ever again and has effectively been airbrushed from polite society and the royal family, he does prevent wider problems for the royal family by ensuring this settlement goes away.

'And he has protected his children and their reputations, and he has protected the wider royal family.'

Mr Stephens added: 'I think there will be a big, deep sigh of relief in the palace tonight.'

Commenting on yesterday's development, royal expert Omid Scobie tweeted: 'There will no doubt be plenty of speculation about both parties over the days ahead. Worth noting that this deal comes just weeks before Andrew was scheduled to sit for an intense deposition, in which he would have been questioned under oath by Giuffre's lawyers.

'Today's news won't change Andrew's royal status  the honours he was stripped of won't be returned and he's still prohibited from using HRH.

'It does, however, remain to be seen whether the institution will play any role in helping the disgraced royal rehabilitate his image.'

And ITV royal editor Chris Ship added: 'It does seem that the stripping of Prince Andrew's royal patronages and military titles in January - and the removal from use of his HRH title, all remains in place despite today's settlement news. '

Last month Andrew was stripped of his honorary military titles and charitable roles after New York Judge Lewis Kaplan denied his plea to dismiss Mrs Giuffre's case.

The judge also said it was premature to decide whether Mrs Giuffre's 2009 civil settlement with Epstein also shielded Andrew.

The Queen stripped her second son of his prestigious honorary military titles and royal patronages in January, and he stopped using his HRH style, in a move that effectively cast him adrift from the institution. It is understood that the statement released by the Palace on January 13, outlining the changes, still stands, with the Duke continuing not to undertake any public duties.

Mrs Giuffre, who is now 38, alleges that Andrew sexually assaulted her at the London home of socialite and Epstein's close friend Ghislaine Maxwell after a night out dancing in March 2001.

She sued the Prince last year for unspecified damages, alleging that she was trafficked to him by Epstein and Maxwell.

Last December, Maxwell was convicted of recruiting and grooming young girls to be sexually abused by Epstein, exposing a murky world of sex trafficking among the rich and powerful.

As well as the London allegations, Mrs Giuffre also said Andrew assaulted her at Epstein's home in New York, and on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands.

Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, withdrew from public life as a royal in 2019 after a widely ridiculed BBC interview where he sought to vindicate himself of the accusations.

Epstein killed himself aged 66 in a New York prison cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Asked about the size of the settlement, Andrew Ford, director at Holborn Adams criminal defence solicitors in London, told MailOnline yesterday: 'The settlement will be pitched as a 'commercial decision' and will not include any admission of criminal wrongdoing or a civil tort.

'A settlement figure is designed to compensate an individual for their losses. Physical or mental harm in a case like this. This would potentially be a five-figure sum.

'What is worth more than that in high profile case settlements - of which I have done many - is the NDA which preserves the PR.'

And Leigh Day partner and abuse claims specialist Dino Nocivelli, who is also based in London, said: 'The figures awarded for damages for sexual abuse in America tend to be significantly higher than those ordered in England and Wales, and this is an out-of-court settlement.

'We don't know if the agreement included any admissions or apologies and if there are any non-disclosure agreements involved. For all those reasons we couldn't hazard a guess at what the settlement figure might be.

'However this is an important conclusion for the claimant and I hope it brings an element of closure and justice for her.'

Emily Baker, former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney, told MailOnline that the settlement would be 'at least' seven-figures and 'sizeable'.

She said: 'I was very surprised that he agreed to settle for an undisclosed sum given that he's been vehemently denying it. They were just about to get into discovery which could have been a lot more damaging to Prince Andrew than her.

'It's hard to speculate but at least seven figures would be appropriate. There's no benefit to her otherwise. She doesn't have that much to lose, she's already gone through the media gauntlet.

'It would have to be a number that made it worth it for her.'

The settlement will never be made public in court filings but the payment to Mrs Giuffre's charity may, she added.

Ms Baker said: 'They have filed a notice that they're settling. Once the money hits her account, they will then file a notice that it has been dismissed but that is all we will see.'

'When you have a royal involved in the US justice system, I can't think of any other case comparable but we do have the other Epstein victim funds and they were multi-million dollar settlements.'

Anna Rothwell, a lawyer at criminal law firm Corker Binning in London, said: 'It is not surprising that Prince Andrew has settled Ms Giuffre's civil claim in light of his disastrous Newsnight interview.

'That interview alone would have given Ms Giuffre's lawyers a wealth of material to use in cross examination. It would have proven a painful deposition for the Prince, and this time his cross examination would have been under oath.'

Did emails about Ghislaine Maxwell picture sink Andrew's case? EXCLUSIVE by Daniel Bates in New York for the Daily Mail Before he settled out of court last night, Prince Andrew was set to be dealt a major blow in his US sex case thanks to Ghislaine Maxwell. A leaked email from the prince's friend and now convicted sex trafficker appeared to confirm the authenticity of an infamous picture of the duke standing with his arm around his accuser, Virginia Roberts. The photograph, said to be taken in Maxwell's London townhouse in 2001, had been questioned by Andrew and just this week his legal team had demanded Miss Roberts turn over the original. The duke's legal team had claimed it might be a fake, but an email obtained by the Daily Mail shows that even Maxwell, who appears in the background of the photo, believes it to be real. In the message, sent in 2015, Maxwell says: 'It looks real. I think it is.' On a dramatic day of developments yesterday, it was claimed that Miss Roberts had lost the original copy of the image. But that was disputed by her legal team, who said the hard copy was with the FBI and that Miss Roberts misplaced a CD containing a copy of the image. The photo was set to be a key piece of evidence in her claims for battery and infliction of emotional distress against Andrew, 61, which he had denied. The duke's lawyers had lined up an image expert to cast doubt on the veracity of the photo. If Miss Roberts had not produced the original, Andrew's team could have argued copies could not be admitted as evidence as they could not be properly tested. Not being able to rely on the photograph as proof they met would have put a sizeable dint in his accuser's case. But in an email exchange seen by the Mail, the picture was discussed by Maxwell and Epstein's former lawyer, Alan Dershowitz. On January 10, 2015, Mr Dershowitz wrote: 'Dear G. Do you know whether the photo of Andrew and virginia is real? You are in the background.' Eleven minutes later, Maxwell replied: 'It looks real. I think it is.' The timing of the exchange is significant because days earlier Miss Roberts claimed for the first time in court papers that she had been forced to have sex with both Andrew and Mr Dershowitz. The allegation was struck out by a judge who branded it 'impertinent'. But it caused panic for Andrew and in emails previously reported by the BBC, he contacted Maxwell at 5.50am on January 3, 2015. The duke wrote: 'Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts.' Maxwell replied: 'Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.' Mr Dershowitz has vehemently denied having sex with Miss Roberts. Last year she dropped a battery allegation she filed against him after he claimed a civil settlement she signed with Epstein in 2009 gave him immunity. Miss Roberts is currently suing Mr Dershowitz for defamation, a case he is fighting. His lawyers did not respond to requests asking for comment. Advertisement

There remain 'a lot of serious questions' after the Duke of York's settlement of the civil sex assault claim against him, anti-monarchy group Republic said.

Graham Smith from the campaign group said: 'I'm pleased Virginia Giuffre has achieved a settlement in this case, but there remain a lot of serious questions to which the public deserve answers.' He said taxpayers 'deserve to know where the money is coming from for a settlement, which we must assume is in the millions, if not tens of millions'.

He said: 'So much public money ends up in royal pockets one way or another. Are the British public ultimately paying for Andrew to avoid appearing in court? This scandal has done significant damage to the monarchy, and these questions aren't going away.'

Another spokesman for the group added: 'It's been more than 11 years since this came to light. It's good that Virginia Giuffre has achieved a favourable outcome. However, this leaves a lot of questions that the British public deserve answers to, such as: has Andrew admitted guilt to a criminal offence? Will he now cooperate with the FBI?'

Grant Harrold, a former royal butler, told GBNews: 'This is the problem, we've never had a situation with a member of the Royal Family that's gone through this. I don't think people would want to see him taking up an active public role again. Especially with an out-of-court settlement I'm assuming he will almost retire, which is kind of what's already happened as he's stood back.

'I don't quite know what will happen going forward, it's possible he could spend time in other countries, in other parts of the world but for the last couple of years he's been over at Windsor and out of public sight and it's possible that's what he'll continue to do.

'I think we'll still see him on different family occasions, very much in the background, and it's going to be interesting with the Platinum Jubilee, if he's involved in that - not taking part but if he's there, with the family or if you don't even see him. Hopefully we'll get the answers in the near future.

How the Duke of York went from Falklands hero to being stripped of his honorary military titles The Duke of York's civil sex case will be settled outside of court, meaning he is no longer facing a public trial and the monarchy will be saved some of the controversy surrounding it. Andrew had been due to face a jury trial in the US following accusations of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, until their lawyers reached an agreement 'in principle' on Tuesday. But how did the claim come about, and what has Andrew been known for in the past? During his life, the 'Playboy Prince' earned high regard for his bravery during the Falklands War and served as a trade envoy, but he is best known as the man whose reputation was left in tatters amid the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal. As a young man, he was one of the world's most eligible bachelors and earned himself the nickname 'Randy Andy' after being linked to a string of beautiful women. But later in life his connections with controversial foreign figures raised concerns and he was dubbed 'Air Miles Andy' after being criticised for his globe-trotting, especially helicopter trips to pursue his passion for golf. At 22, Andrew saw active service in the Royal Navy as a Sea King helicopter pilot in the Falklands War. His service included flying his aircraft as a decoy target, trying to divert deadly Exocet missiles away from British ships. He later married and divorced the bubbly, flame-haired Sarah 'Fergie' Ferguson, who herself has generated some of the most humiliating royal scandals of modern times. When a bachelor for a second time, Andrew again made headlines, having been spotted cavorting with topless women on holiday in Thailand, and attending a 'hookers and pimps' party with Robert Maxwell's daughter, Ghislaine Maxwell, in the US. After serving for 22 years in the Royal Navy, the duke became the UK's special representative for international trade and investment, but his 10 years in the role generated a great deal of controversy. As a roving ambassador, one of his first tasks was a post-September 11 trip to New York, but he was criticised for attending a party during his stay. Andrew has faced questions over his connections to politicians in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Libya and Turkmenistan. His judgment was questioned after he held meetings with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif, and when he entertained the son-in-law of Tunisia's ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali at Buckingham Palace. His relations with Timur Kulibayev, son-in-law of the then-president of Kazakhstan, were also scrutinised after Mr Kulibayev purchased the duke's Sunninghill Park home for 3 million more than its 12 million asking price in 2007. Simon Wilson, Britain's deputy head of mission in Bahrain from 2001 to 2005, wrote in the Daily Mail that the duke was 'more commonly known among the British diplomatic community in the Gulf as HBH: His Buffoon Highness'. In 2011, it emerged that Andrew was friends with American financier Epstein, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution. Photos surfaced of him with his arm around Virginia Giuffre, also known as Virginia Roberts, who claimed that Epstein employed her as a masseuse but exploited her while a teenage minor. The duke was also pictured walking in New York's Central Park with Epstein in December 2010, a year after Epstein's release from prison, and this led him to quit his role as a trade envoy. In 2013, Andrew was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, but Britain's pre-eminent scientific institution faced unprecedented dissent from members over the move, with one professor describing the duke as an 'unsavoury character'. Tech-savvy Andrew, who was the first member of the royal family to have an official Twitter account under his own name, focused on his Pitch@Palace work, bringing together industry experts with young entrepreneurs and technology start-ups. Then in 2015, while enjoying a New Year skiing holiday with his family, he was named in US court documents as having had sex a number of times with a teenage girl, a minor under US law. The woman alleged she was 'procured' for the duke by Epstein, whom she accused of using her as a 'sex slave'. She was identified in reports as Giuffre, the US teenager with whom Andrew had been pictured. The duke vehemently denied the allegation. In April 2015, a US federal judge ordered the claims to be struck from civil court records as the long-running lawsuit against Epstein continued. But Andrew's association with Epstein hit the headlines once again in 2019, amid ongoing investigations into the American, who killed himself in prison in August that year while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. The duke's appearance on the BBC's Newsnight programme later in November was intended to draw a line under the matter. But it was dubbed a 'car crash', with commentators questioning his responses and condemning his unsympathetic tone and lack of remorse over his friendship with the sex offender Epstein. During the interview, Andrew denied that he slept with Mrs Giuffre, saying one encounter in 2001 did not happen as he had spent the day with his daughter, Princess Beatrice, taking her to Pizza Express in Woking for a party. The same alleged sexual liaison, which the American said began with the royal sweating heavily as they danced at London nightclub Tramp, was later branded factually wrong as the duke said he had a medical condition at the time which meant he did not sweat. And he twice stated that his relationship with sex offender Epstein had provided 'seriously beneficial outcomes', giving him the opportunity to meet people and prepare for his future role as a trade envoy. In January, Andrew's lawyers attempted to throw out the civil sex case brought by Mrs Giuffre, but a judge rejected this and ruled the case could go to trial. The Queen stripped Andrew of his honorary military roles in response, and he gave up his HRH style, before demanding a jury trial. But on February 15, their lawyers reached an out-of-court settlement in what appears to be a conclusion to the case. Court documents show the duke will make a 'substantial donation to Mrs Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights'. 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'I think this has been quite a stressful time for all of them, particularly the Queen. It's less than a year since she lost her husband. Everybody is always talking about Prince Andrew being her favourite son. I've been asked if that's true and I don't actually know the exact answer, I think she's close with all her children. But there's parts of Prince Andrew that reminded her of her late husband so there is a closeness and it's very upsetting for the Queen. It would be upsetting for any parent who has a child going through this.

'She will be glad that this hopefully comes to an end, but she might be wondering what is the future for him, where does he go from this point onwards?'

Royal author Angela Levin added: 'It's good on both sides because Virginia has got what she wanted really, she wanted to be paid properly, but we hear it's going to a charity of her choice so she can't be thought of as someone who's just after the money for herself, I think that's quite significant.

'Hopefully at the end of the month this will all go away. It does not mean, however, he will be embraced by the royal family and we will see him during the Jubilee celebrations. I think he's going to have to learn to live quietly and modestly, but that's better than going to court.'
A writer has revealed some of the stranger experiences he's had while working as a tutor to children of the super-rich - including being spanked by one of the fathers.

Cambridge graduate Matt Knott, author of the comic memoir A Class of Their Own: adventures in tutoring the super-rich, appeared on This Morning today to talk about his unusual career.

He revealed that he wanted to become a writer, but after graduating from university during the last recession, he needed a way to earn money and pay the rent.

'I heard about private tutoring, specifically what's called being a study buddy,' he told This Morning hosts Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond.

'This is basically where you're helping kids do their homework, and it seemed relatively easy.

Matt Knott, a Cambridge graduate, appeared on This Morning today to discuss his experiences as a tutor to children of the super-rich

Hosts Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond were shocked by some of his stories - which included being spanked by the father of one of his pupils

'I even had one mum say to me, "You know, he doesn't really need a tutor, but everyone else in his class has one".'

As his tutoring career developed, he moved from this entry-level work to more high-pressured jobs, working with families from all around the world who wanted to get their children into competitive private schools.

Working with these families took him around the world, to places including Dubai, Tuscany, Moscow, and Miami among others.

Dermot asked if the pressure put on the children added a 'sad undertone' to the job.

Matt replied: 'They were under a lot of pressure and often also, their parents had outsourced things to so many different members of staff that I did feel at times that I was being paid to be their friend.'

He added that he sometimes felt he was being paid to be friends with the mothers also.

'There were some who really enjoyed spending time with the tutor and even got drunk and confessed their marital woes to me.'

One of the more shocking anecdotes Matt shares about spending time with the parents of his charges takes place in Russia, while tutoring the son of an oligarch who wanted to get into Eton.

After spending a lot of time with the child's mother, the oligarch invited Matt to have a sauna with him, in the basement.

'He walked in, completely naked,' revealed Matt.

'He was showing me who's boss. It was surreal because there were speakers playing panpipe [music], there was a disco light rotating, and we were both wearing these felt caps that you wear to keep your heads cool.

'Then, part of the traditional Russian experience is that you get spanked by birchwood.

Matt appeared on the programme to promote his comic memoir A Class of Their Own: adventures in tutoring the super-rich (displayed by presenter Alison Hammond)

The author's shocking tales saw This Morning hosts Dermot and Alison react with disbelief - and peals of laughter

Matt explained that there could also be a dark side to tutoring - with families sometimes putting huge amounts of pressure on children to get into certain prestigious schools

'There's not a line in the tutoring handbook about what you do when a naked Russian oligarch offers to spank you after taking a sauna.

'The client is always right so I let him spank me as much as he liked. But I lived to tell the tale.'

Dermot asked what kind of pressure is put on the tutors themselves to get children into specific schools.

'Often, places at these schools is one of the few things parents cannot just buy directly, so they throw money at the tutor.

'But sometimes the kid is just destined to be academic or not.'

He added that sometimes getting into certain schools is 'not just about innate ability', but also about confidence and whether children have been trained to be in that environment.

When it came to the tutoring relationship ending, Matt revealed it could go two ways.

'It comes to results day, it's either a nice bonus or...[we'll never see you again].'
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With family photographs, half-eaten chocolate boxes and a TV next to the fireplace, the Queen's private sitting room at Windsor Castle is full of home comforts that are not dissimilar to our own.

Only, of course, hers are interspersed with priceless artwork, gold-plated ornaments and personal treasures that document her extraordinary life and 70 years on the throne.

Also known as the Oak Room, the sitting room is located in the Queen's private apartments and is used by Her Majesty, 95, for intimate audiences and photoshoots.

Over the years, presidents and ambassadors have walked through its doors. In lockdown, the Queen chose the Oak Room for her virtual engagements and was often photographed sitting on a straight-backed wooden dining chair as she carried out a video call.

Today the Queen welcomed the incoming Defence Services Secretary Major General Eldon Millar and his predecessor Rear Admiral James Macleod, just hours after her son Prince Andrew settled his sexual assault lawsuit.

A closer look at the images reveal a glimpse of the Queen's private world, from her favourite photographs to the trinkets that remind her of her beloved horses and corgis...

The Queen's private sitting room. Pictured: 1. Bendick's Mint Collection, 5; Fortnum & Mason's Milk & Dark Chocolate Selection Box, 220; 3. Collage of photos; 4. Unseen snap with her grandchildren; 5. Photograph to remember Prince Philip; 6. Settee with floral upholstery; 7. Heavy gold curtains; 8. Candelabra converted to lamps; 9. Blue vessels with gold gilt; 10. Figurine of horse and trainer; 11. Gold mirror; 12. Bog-standard TV with plastic and glass display unit

Personal treasures. Pictured: 13. Corgi figurine; 14. Rotary dial phone; 15. Pair of silver corgis; 16. Figurine of a woman on horseback; 17. Personal photographs and selection of letter openers; 18. Queen's Guard statuette; 19. Favourite military figurine; 20. Antique Wedgewood cabbage plate and bowl; 21. Gold horse statuette; 22. Black panther statuette; 23. Photo with Prince Philip and the grandchildren; 24. Hyacinth bulbs

1 & 2. FORTNUM & MASON'S 220 CHOCOLATES... AND A 5 BOX OF BENEDICK'S MINTS

Her Majesty's sweet tooth! The Queen has three boxes of chocolate on her desk, all within easy reach. Pictured left to right: Fortnum's Marc de Champagne Truffles, costing up to 40; Bendick's Mint Collection, available for 5 from Tesco; Fortnum & Mason's Milk & Dark Chocolate Selection Box, which costs up to 220

It is well known the Queen has a sweet tooth. And it appears Her Majesty likes to keep her favourite chocolates close to hand while she's hard at work.

For the Queen had no fewer than three boxes of chocolates lying within arm's reach, ready for her to nibble on if she needed a little pick-me-up before her next engagement.

Among them is Fortnum & Mason's Milk & Dark Chocolate Selection Box, which costs up to 220 and contains an 'enchanting mix of creams, caramels, marzipan and fruit & nut clusters', in flavours from stem ginger to rose.

There is also a box of Fortnum's Marc de Champagne Truffles, costing up to 40, which is packed with boozy truffles dusted in icing sugar. Fortnum & Mason holds two royal warrants, one from the Queen and one from Prince Charles.

Alongside them is the Bendick's Mint Collection, available for 5 from Tesco, which includes some of the chocolate brand's most popular treats - including After Eights.

3. FAMILY COLLAGE OF SPECIAL MOMENTS

Treasured memories: This homemade collage of family photographs sits front and centre on the Queen's desk

Among the most personal items on display is this touching homemade photographs capturing some of the Queen's most treasured moments in places like Balmoral.

Although the exact figures are difficult to make out, her beloved husband Prince Philip will be among them, as will other much-loved family members.

There are also shots of some of her favourite corgis. The Queen has owned over 30 in the 70 years since she ascended the throne.

Some of the photos have been carefully cut out in circles or other unusual shapes, suggesting it was a labour of love. It is possible it was even a thoughtful gift presented to Her Majesty.

4. NEW PHOTO OF THE GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN

Proud granny! Sitting pride of place on the desk is a never-before-seen photo of the Queen surrounded by some of her 12 great-grandchildren. Pictured standing, left to right: Lady Louise Windsor, Prince George, Isla Phillips, Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips. Seated, left to right: Prince Louis, Mia Tindall, the Queen with Lucas Tindall and Lena Tindall

Sitting pride of place on the desk is a never-before-seen photo of the Queen surrounded by some of her 12 great-grandchildren.

The Queen sits in the middle of a sofa, with a baby, thought to be either Zara and Mike Tindall's 10-month-old son Lucas, on her knee. The baby is wearing a pair of blue dungarees.

On her left is Zara and Mike Tindall's three-year-old granddaughter Lena, looking pretty in a pink dress, while the couple's eldest child Mia, eight, is sitting on her other side.

Tucked at the end of the row is three-year-old Prince Louis, who is wearing dark shorts and long dark socks.

Standing behind the sofa are Lady Louise Windsor, 18, the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, Isla and Savannah Phillips, Peter and Autumn Phillips' daughters, and Prince George, eight, and Princess Charlotte, five.

The photo was taken sometime after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh in April last year.

5. PHOTO TO REMEMBER THE GREATEST GRANDAD

Prince William and Kate Middleton released this touching photo of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen with their seven great-grandchildren ahead of Prince Philip's funeral. Pictured left to right: Prince George, the Queen with Prince Louis, Savannah Phillips, Princess Charlotte, the Duke of Edinburgh, Isla Phillips holding Lena Tindall, and Mia Tindall

Next to the first photograph is a second family snap that was released by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ahead of the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral last year.

The photo was taken by the Duchess of Cambridge at Balmoral Castle in 2018 and shows Prince Philip with his arm around Peter Phillips' daughter Isla, while the Queen is holding Prince Louis, who was then just a baby.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte both smile cheekily in the picture, while Peter Phillips' daughter Savannah holds a baby Lena Tindall in her arms.

Standing next to them with a sweet smile on her face is Mia Tindall, Zara and Mike's eldest child.

6. SETTEE WITH FLORAL UPHOLSTERY

Home comforts: The settee has been upholstered in a patterned fabric which is off-set with crimson cushions

Speaking to Femail, interior designer Benji Lewis explained how soft furnishings like the settee and cushions creates a relaxed, comfortable feeling in the room.

Regal touch: Pulled back on either side of the large windows are gold curtains in a heavy fabric

'The sofa is a beauty - curiously the only upholstered piece in a patterned fabric  and I should think superbly comfortable, yet it's quite contained with its tallish arms and it's made less clumpy looking due to its fixed back, rather than loose backed cushions,' he explained.

'The dressy nature of the room is continued on the sofa upholstery which instead of having exposed feet, has been given a box pleat skirt, a nice counterfoil to the draped curtains.

'My feeling is that the patterned upholstery forms part of a bigger picture to which were not being made aware.

'In much the same way as the curtains have been given added spectacle with the fringing, the scatter cushions have been similarly finished with differing textures (velvet on some and pique cotton on others I think) and edged in either a cord or a caterpillar fringe, demonstrating an attention to detail and enjoyment of that little bit extra.'

7. HEAVY GOLD CURTAINS

Pulled back on either side of the large windows are gold curtains in a heavy fabric.

Benji said: 'The curtains are absolutely traditional and super grand, made even more splendid with their fringed embellishment, and yet its a soft window dressing.

'Instead of a simple curtain pole or squared box pelmet it's been dressed with something way more gentle, no less grand but gentle with the pleasing scooped shape in the draped pelmet being echoed in the soft curves of the oval mirror.'

8 & 9. CANDELABRA AND PAIR OF GOLD-GILT VESSELS

Let there be light! On the mantelpiece behind the Queen is a pair of what appears to be matching candle holders repurposed as decorative lamps. Adding a splash of colour to the room are a pair of blue vessels with gold gilt

On the mantelpiece behind the Queen is a pair of what appears to be matching candle holders repurposed as decorative lamps.

The candle holders take the shape of two humans with their arms outstretched to hold what would have been the candles. Now, however, the arms reach out to hold two bulbs. The ornate design is topped with two simple cream lampshades.

Adding a splash of colour to the room are a pair of blue vessels with gold gilt.

Little is known about the eye-catching pieces but they offer an attractive framing for the ornate gold mantle clock in the centre of the display.

Like the candelabra, the blue decorative vessels have been on the mantelpiece in the Oak Room for several years.

10. HORSE AND TRAINER STATUE AND STATUE OF PRINCESS ELIZABETH

Loves of her life: One of the great loves of the Queen's life is her horses, which she commemorates with two statuettes on her mantel. The first (left), seen on the left-hand side of the image, shows a groom using a rein to bring a horse under control as it rears up on its hind legs. The second depicts the then Princess Elizabeth on horseback, circa. 1937 (right)

Ornate: A gold wall mirror hangs above the fireplace

One of the great loves of the Queen's life is her horses, which she commemorates with two statuettes on her mantel.

The first, seen on the left-hand side of the image, shows a groom using a rein to bring a horse under control as it rears up on its hind legs.

The second, which is hidden in this photograph, has a more personal meaning. For it depicts the then Princess Elizabeth on horseback, circa. 1937.

It is on display on the other side of the mantelpiece and is a tribute to the Queen's lifelong passion for riding.

11. ORNATE WALL MIRROR

Displayed above the fireplace, next to one of the windows looking out to the castle courtyard, is an ornate gold mirror.

Like many pieces in the Oak Room, it has been in situ for at least 10 years. Interestingly, there is an identical mirror that hangs above the fireplace on the opposite side of the room.

During Queen Victoria's reign, when the room was known as the Gothic Breakfast Room, the space was occupied by a much larger oval mirror.

12. BOG-STANDARD TV SET

Ready for a royal night in! Famously frugal, the Queen has used the same TV set for at least the last six years - possibly longer. Although it is not possible to spot its make, it appears to be a pretty bog-standard design with a satellite television box and, possibly, video recorder in a glass and plastic base underneath

Famously frugal, the Queen has used the same TV set for at least the last six years - possibly longer.

Although it is not possible to spot its make, it appears to be a pretty bog-standard design with a satellite television box and, possibly, video recorder in a glass and plastic base underneath.

Previous photos of the Oak Room have revealed a clunky Sky remote control, next to a rather older version used to operate her actual television.

She also watches DVD boxsets and has a soft spot for comedies like Benny Hill, Dad's Army and Fry and Laurie as Jeeves & Wooster. Shows like like Keeping Up Appearances and Downton Abbey are also favourites and she loved Last Of The Summer Wine.

13. 14. & 15. CORGI AND HORSE FIGURINES

A monarch's best friend! The Queen commemorates her corgis with three figures on the left-hand side of her desk (as seen left in a previous photograph). The image on the right shows the corgis in context, as well as the horse at the back of the desk

The Queen's love of her corgis is well-documented and this photo shows how she likes to be reminded of them while working at her writing desk.

On the left-hand side of the desk there are three corgis: one larger one, thought to be china, and two smaller ones, thought to be silver, that are stood on a slate block.

There is a silver plaque attached to the base of the block, suggesting it might have been given to the Queen as a gift.

Behind the corgis, tucked away on the shelf at the back of the writing desk, is a figurine of a woman mounted on horseback.

The piece, which appears to be ceramic, depicts the woman in a flowing white dress that drapes over her steed's flank.

16. ROTARY DIAL PHONE

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! After moving to Windsor Castle to isolate in March 2020, the Queen was pictured conducting her weekly meetings with Prime Minister Boris Johnson using an old-fashioned rotary dial phone, seen above

After moving to Windsor Castle to isolate in March 2020, the Queen was pictured conducting her weekly meetings with Prime Minister Boris Johnson using an old-fashioned rotary dial phone.

Royal expert Phil Dampier told FEMAIL that Her Majesty has likely used the same telephone for years - and has an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality.

'The Queen doesn't believe in change for change's sake and if she is comfortable with something she keeps using it for years,' he said.

Dickie Arbiter, the Queen's former press spokesman, added that Her Majesty is 'very frugal' and sees no point in changing something if it works.

'It fits the ambiance if you're living in a medieval castle, why put something modern in? The white phone fits,' he told FEMAIL. 'It's a rather old fashioned Bakelite telephone, and as far as she's concerned, it works, why change it?'

17. PERSONAL PHOTOS AND LETTER OPENERS

Personal touches: On the left of the writing desk is a rather old fashioned red leather-bound calendar, displaying the month (just pictured). Next to it are several antique glass inkwells, a brass dish and a number of elaborate letter openers (right). There are also two photos: one of the Queen Mother (in the black frame, top left) and one possibly showing Philip (right)

On the left of the writing desk is a rather old fashioned red leather-bound calendar, displaying the month. Next to it are several antique glass inkwells, a brass dish and a number of elaborate letter openers.

As always, a photograph of the Queens late mother - Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother  has pride of place, as it does in most of her private apartments.

There is also a photo of a solo figure. Although they are difficult to make out, it could quite possibly be the Duke of Edinburgh.

18. & 19. QUEEN'S GUARD STATUETTE AND MILITARY FIGURINE

Keeping watch: On the top right of the desk there stands a statuette of a member of the Queen's Guard, complete with his dress uniform of a red tunic and bearskin hat. Standing next to the Queen's Guard statuette is a smaller uniformed soldier

On the top right of the desk there stands a statuette of a member of the Queen's Guard, complete with his dress uniform of a red tunic and bearskin hat.

The story behind the figurine is not known, however it is thought to be a favourite of the monarch as it has been stood in the same spot on her desk - keeping watch as she works - for at least five years.

Standing next to the Queen's Guard statuette is a smaller uniformed soldier.

This one is placed on what appears to be a base with a plaque, as if it was presented to the Queen as a token as award.

Again, little is known about the specifics of the figurine but it too has been kept in place for the last five years.

20. ANTIQUE WEDGEWOOD CABBAGELEAF PLATE AND BOWL

Quirky: This is believed to be a rare Wedgwood bowl and plate, or cup and saucer, designed in the shape of a cabbage leaf with a scalloped edge. Similar designs in a darker green shade can be found online but what sets this apart is its rare green and white colouring

The Queen and the Royal Family are known for exchanging quirky presents at Christmas - and this unusual set would certainly fit the bill.

It is believed to be a rare Wedgwood bowl and plate, or cup and saucer, designed in the shape of a cabbage leaf with a scalloped edge.

Similar designs in a darker green shade can be found online but what sets this apart is its rare green and white colouring. This set has previously been used to display fake fruit.

21. & 22. PANTHER AND GOLD HORSE STATUE

Animal friends! The Queen has a panther and a gold horse statuette on her desk, alongside the family photographs

Among the more unusual items on display are the black panther and the gold horse statuettes on the Queen's desk.

The gold horse was previously placed on a white plinth in the room but appears to have been moved to the desk.

The origin of the black panther is not known, but it is possible it was a gift presented to Her Majesty.

23. A TOUCHING FAMILY PORTRAIT

The Queen has revealed a previously unseen family photo showing her cuddling on the sofa with Prince Philip and five of her great-grandchildren. In the background of shots is an adorable framed image showing Her Majesty (second left) and the late Duke of Edinburgh (second right) with Prince George (centre back) , Princess Charlotte (second right on Queen's lap) Peter Phillips children Isla (far right) and Savannah (far left) and Zara Tindall's daughter Mia (front centre in front of George)

On the other side of the desk is a framed photograph of Her Majesty and the late Duke of Edinburgh with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Peter Phillips children Isla and Savannah, and Zara Tindall's daughter Mia.

It's likely the photo was taken in late 2015 as Princess Charlotte, now six, is a baby in the photo and sitting on the Queen's lap.

The sofa and decorations suggest the photo was taken in Buckingham Palace's White Drawing Room - an intimate state room which is regularly used for audiences and small gatherings.

Little George, who would have been about three at the time, poses at the back of the sofa while his second cousin Mia Tindall, who would have been a few months short of turning two, perches in front of him.

Mia's first cousins - Savannah and Isla Phillips sit at either end of the sofa while Philip - whose face is covered by the Queen's handbag - snuggles between Savannah and Isla.

The photograph does not include Prince Louis, Lea and Lucas Tindall, Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, August Brooksbank and Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi who have all been born in the last four years.

24. DARK BLUE HYACINTHS

Spring is almost here and the Queen is already getting in the mood with some fresh flowers.

Believed to be a variety of dark blue hyacinths, the eye-catching flowers can grow indoors in a pot, like the beautiful floral one the Queen has on her desk.

The flowers are beautifully fragrant and will come back year after year, making them a sustainable choice.

The Queen also has other fresh flowers on display, including stunning white blooms on her writing desk. These will be replaced on a regular basis by Royal Household staff.

26. PORTRAIT OF A PRINCESS

Looking down over the room is this beautiful portrait of the young Queen, thought to have been commissioned to mark her being made a member of the Order of the Garter

Looking down over the room is this beautiful portrait of the young Queen, dressed in the elaborate vestments and accoutrements of the Order of the Garter.

The Order of the Garter is a a 700-year-old order of knighthood founded by Edward III in 1348, and recognises contributions of great public service from those honoured.

All appointments are gifts of the Queen, meaning she does not need to seek Prime Ministerial advice.

They are comparable to the Order of the Thistle, the Order of Merit and the Royal Victorian Order which are also in the Queen's gift.
Outraged Irish parents have criticised a book in which Peppa Pig journeys to Ireland - insisting it is 'offensive' and 'horrendous'.

People took to Twitter this week to lambast Peppa Pig: Peppa Goes to Ireland after discovering it features no Irish characters and stereotypes such as Peppa's family purchasing fiddles and attending an Irish-dancing festival.

The criticism came after one parent, Irish author Kevin Power, tweeted a photo of the book on Monday and wrote: 'I read this to my daughter at bedtime.

'It features no Irish characters, just English characters enjoying themselves in Ireland, thus reinscribing 800 years of colonialism. Might call Liveline (an Irish radio show) about it tomorrow.'

He later clarified that he was joking, but parents rushed to agree with the tweet, calling the story - which claims to be the 'perfect introduction to Ireland for little Peppa fans' - 'offensive', and one woman even explained how she had 'immediately put it in the bin' after reading it.

Outraged Irish parents have criticised a book in which Peppa Pig journeys to Ireland (pictured) - insisting it is 'offensive' and 'horrendous'

People took to Twitter this week to lambast Peppa Pig: Peppa Goes to Ireland (pictured) after discovering it features no Irish characters and stereotypes such as Peppa's family purchasing fiddles and attending an Irish-dancing festival

The criticism came after one parent, Irish author Kevin Power, tweeted a photo of the book on Monday and wrote: 'I read this to my daughter at bedtime. It features no Irish characters, just English characters enjoying themselves in Ireland, thus reinscribing 800 years of colonialism. Might call Liveline (an Irish radio show) about it tomorrow.'

'I never do this with books but I put it in the bin IMMEDIATELY after reading it. I would have put it in sooner but the kids spotted it. It is horrendous,' she said.

Another person added: 'Yeah we got it too, Ireland is basically a diddley-eye theme park. But the Peppa Pig corporation isnt even trying, the quality of all that stuff is woeful.'

While a third wrote: 'This is exactly the book Id have got for my girls ahead of taking them home to Limerick for Paddys, thank you for saving me money. Wtf is wrong with these people?!'

And it appears following the book's release in May 2021, parents were almost instantly outraged by it, with one person commenting on Twitter: 'Peppa Pig: Peppa Goes to Ireland is so feckin offensive.'

A synopsis for the children's tale - published by Penguin's Ladybird - reads: 'Peppa and George are going to Ireland for an Irish-dancing festival! But when the band forget their instruments, will Peppa and her family be able to save the day?

'This brand-new story features a glittery cover and is the perfect introduction to Ireland for little Peppa fans.'

One moment finds one of the main characters, Miss Rabbit, selling fiddles and other instruments. It reads: 'As they got to the top of the biggest hill, Peppa spotted Miss Rabbit in a souvenir shop'

Mummy Pig then buys an accordion, a tin whistle and a fiddle, as well as a rainbow ornament, which 'come in handy' later on (pictured)

Parents were left outraged by the 'classic Irish tropes' discovered in the story - including shamrocks a-plenty and an Irish-dancing festival (pictured)

Reaction: Parents rushed to agree with the tweet, calling the story - which claims to be the 'perfect introduction to Ireland for little Peppa fans' - 'offensive', and one woman even explained how she had 'immediately thrown it in the bin' after reading it

Yet parents have been left outraged by the 'classic Irish tropes' discovered in the story - including shamrocks a-plenty and an Irish-dancing festival.

'"We're going to Ireland!" sang Peppa excitedly while practising her Irish-dancing steps. "Madame Gazelle said I must rehearse my dancing,'" is one line found in the book.

Another moment finds one of the main characters, Miss Rabbit, selling fiddles and other instruments.

It reads: 'As they got to the top of the biggest hill, Peppa spotted Miss Rabbit in a souvenir shop. Hello, Miss Rabbit! said Peppa. What are you doing here? Hello, Peppa, said Miss Rabbit. Im selling souvenirs.

Another moment finds one of the main characters, Miss Rabbit, selling fiddles and other instruments

'Look at the Irish-dancing outfits! gasped Peppa. Can we get some for the Irish-dancing festival, Daddy? Please! OK, Daddy Pig said. Four Irish-dancing outfits please. They can be our little bit of green Ireland to take home!'

Mummy Pig then buys an accordion, a tin whistle and a fiddle, as well as a rainbow ornament.

These purchases later save the day, with the band at the Irish-dancing festival having forgotten their instruments.

The story explains: 'Oh no! Peppa said. But then she had a thought What instruments do they need?

'An accordion, a tin whistle and a fiddle, said Miss Rabbit. I think we might have those in our car! cried Peppa.

Yet not all parents were angered by the book, with one person tweeting: 'Focus on something other than the microaggressions of a children's book'

'... The band played their music and everyone started dancing. Irish dancing is the best! cried Peppa. I just cant stop! Me neither! said Daddy Pig, going quite red.

'... Everyone was having so much fun dancing, they didnt notice it was beginning to rain. Luckily, Miss Rabbit appeared with a basket full of welly boots.'

Yet not all parents were angered by the book, with one person tweeting: 'Focus on something other than the microaggressions of a children's book.'

Another said: 'Pff, if they had Irish characters you'd just be complaining they had't been written by an Irish sensitivity reader. Comedy isn't funny anymore.'

And after plenty of replies agreeing with his original tweet, author Kevin later took to his social media account to add: 'Wondering at what point I should step in and point out that my Peppa Goes to Ireland tweet is a joke.'

MailOnline has contacted Penguin's Ladybird for comment.
'I Love Lucy' star William Frawley called his on-screen wife Vivian Vance a 'miserable c**t' when a fan asked what she was really like, according to the late actor's former co-star.

In an interview with Page Six, Tim Considine, 81, recalled how Frawley crudely insulted Vance on the set of their 1960s sitcom 'My Three Sons' during a visit from a lieutenant general and his adjutant.

The actor, who played Frawley's grandson, was in the Air Force Reserve at the time and was pleased that their lunch was a 'great success'  his gruff co-star hadn't 'said anything to put anyone off.'

However, Considine's relief quickly turned to dismay when the lieutenant general asked Frawley what Vance was really like during their walk back to the studio lot.

'I saw it coming,' he said.

'I Love Lucy' star William Frawley called his on-screen wife Vivian Vance a 'miserable c**t,' according to actor Tim Considine. Frawley and Vance are pictured together in 1954

Frawley and Vance played Fred and Ethel Mertz on 'I Love Lucy,' which aired from 1951 to 1957

Considine alleged that Frawley bluntly replied: 'That miserable c**t.'

Frawley and Vance played Fred and Ethel Mertz  Lucy and Ricky Ricardo's landlords and best friends  on the beloved 1950s sitcom, which aired from 1951 to 1957. But it was well-known that they despised each other.

Considine, 81, told Page Six that Frawley had crudely insulted Vance on the set of their 1960s sitcom 'My Three Sons'

Gregg Oppenheimer, the son of 'I Love Lucy' producer and head writer, Jess Oppenheimer, wrote about their feud in his book 'I Love Lucy: The Untold Story.'

According to his father's recollection, Frawley and Vance had a fine working relationship until he overheard her make a disparaging remark about his age.

'Even though the entire world loved Lucy, everyone on I Love Lucy didnt love everyone else,' he wrote.

'For one thing, Vivian Vance couldnt stomach Bill Frawley. Actually, they got along quite well at first.

'But before long, Viv became upset at the fact that people so readily accepted her lovely young self as the wife of "that old man," as she called him.'

Oppenheimer said Frawley let it be known that he was hurt by Vance's comment and found ways to exact his revenge.

'When Bill got wind of her complaints, he was offended, and retaliated by suggesting lines for himself that characterized Ethel as having "a figure like a sack full of doorknobs" or some other of a long list of insults,"' the writer explained.

Considine, who played Frawley's grandson on the show (far right), said a lieutenant general and his adjutant were visiting the studio lot at the time

When the lieutenant general asked Frawley (pictured in 'My Three Sons' in 1963) what Vance was really like, Considine said he bluntly replied: 'That miserable c**t'

However, Desi Arnaz, who played Ricky on 'I Love Lucy,' wrote in his memoir, 'A Book,' that the feud between them was only one-sided, claiming Frawley had taken issue with Vance's casting from the get-go

'Where the hell did you find this b***h?' Frawley asked, according to Arnaz. 'She cant sing worth a damn.  she bugs me.'

The actor also allegedly complained about her singing ability and how she tried to direct their dance numbers. Despite this, Arnaz wrote that Vance 'never felt any animosity towards him.'

Frawley had a reputation for being an alcoholic and difficult to work with, but Considine called him a 'terrific guy' while speaking to Page Six.

He said it was his job to bring Frawley back to the 'My Three Sons' set from Nickodell, an old school Hollywood restaurant and drink spot favored by Paramount Studios actors and crew.

It was well-known that Frawley and Vance despised each other while filming 'I Love Lucy.' He also had a reputation for being an alcoholic and difficult to work with

J.K. Simmons has been nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Frawley in the 2021 Amazon Studios film 'Being the Ricardos' (pictured)

'Sometimes hed fall asleep in the middle of a scene,' Considine recalled.

To combat this, he said the writers would make sure Frawley's character, 'Bub' O'Casey, was standing and doing something physical like sweeping a floor.

'Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucys Other Couple' co-author Audrey Kupferberg said Frawley was 'a mean, rough man' and a 'very, very bad alcoholic'

'Hed blow a line and say, "Who writes this crap?"' Considine added with a laugh.

Frawley died from a heart attack in March 1966 at the age of 79, while Vance passed away in August 1979 at age 70 following a battle with breast cancer.

J.K. Simmons has been nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Frawley in the 2021 Amazon Studios film 'Being the Ricardos,' but author Audrey Kupferberg was upset by his toned-down version of the character.

Kupferberg, who co-wrote 'Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucys Other Couple' with her late husband, Rob Edelman, told Page Six that Frawley was 'a mean, rough man.'

While she commended Simmons for his acting in the role, she noted that 'his character was just not like Frawley was.'

'They really warmed him up. The idea that he took a drink or two  he was really a very, very bad alcoholic,' she said, explaining that he would drink day and night at Nickodell and later Musso and Frank.

'He was a woman-hater, known throughout Hollywood for very bad language and just antisocial behavior,' she added.
Katie Couric has insisted that her 2021 memoir wasn't 'mean-spirited at all,' claiming in a new interview that the people she called out in her book 'deserve to be called out.'

The 65-year-old journalist discussed the backlash against her book, Going There, on Dear Media's It Sure Is a Beautiful Day podcast with Catt Sadler, admitting that her writing was 'cheeky' and 'snarky' but that most of the people of whom she was have been fired.

Couric also discussed how hard it was to write about her friendship with her former Today show cohost Matt Lauer, admitting that it was important that she 'show Matt as a full human being' and 'convey why I really enjoyed working with him'  even if the sexual abuse allegations that came later were so disappointing.

Katie Couric has insisted that her 2021 memoir wasn't 'mean-spirited at all,' claiming in a new interview that the people she called out in her book 'deserve to be called out'

Couric also discussed how hard it was to write about with her former Today show cohost Matt Lauer, admitting that it was important that she 'show Matt as a full human being'

The 65-year-old journalist discussed the backlash against her book, Going There, on Dear Media's It Sure Is a Beautiful Day podcast with Catt Sadler

Couric didn't pull punches in the book, Going There, which came out in October 2021

Couric didn't pull punches in the book, which was met with mixed reactions  though she insists that people who actually read the memoir, and not just excerpts, have had a positive response.

'I think the book is honest, but I don't think it's mean-spirited at all. It's very self-reflective, very self-critical,' she explained.

'I think the people who I called out deserve to be called out. Most of them have been fired at this point.

'And, you know, it was cheeky, some might say snarky, and I had some funny lines here and there.'

Couric wasn't happy that there was such a negative reaction, and that some people focused on 'cherry-picked' excerpts.

'So that was disappointing at first, honestly, because I think I felt so enormously proud of the book and how I thought it was very smart and thoughtful and funny and obviously very sad in places, but kind of to have a twisted early on was a bummer for me,' she said.

'The feedback I've gotten from the book has been so positive from people who've actually read it.'

'I think the people who I called out deserve to be called out. Most of them have been fired at this point,' she said

Throughout the memoir, Couric blasted many of her colleagues and shared intimate details about Martha Stewart, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former NBC president Michael Gartner, and anchors Deborah Norville, Jane Pauley, Diane Sawyer, Ashleigh Banfield.

But when it came to Lauer, with whom she worked closely for nine years as co-anchored of the network's flagship morning show, she wanted to show the there was more to him than just his sexual allegation scandals.

'[I was] really trying to show Matt as a full human being [and] trying to convey why I really enjoyed working with him - how talented he is, and yet how disappointed I was in learning about this behavior,' she said.

She said she also 'tried to establish' that there was a time when 'certain behaviors at these organizations, people turned a blind eye.'

'It was acceptable, [there were] a lot of permissive environments that lead the way to more serious transgressions,' she explained.

'And so, you know, instead of being super judgey about Matt - although I think I was pretty strong in my reaction, ultimately - I really tried to illustrate how I processed it, how I learned about these things, how I talked to some of the women who were, honestly, very damaged from these experiences, how I educated myself on the role of the power dynamics of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

'[I was] really trying to show Matt as a full human being [and] trying to convey why I really enjoyed working with him - how talented he is, and yet how disappointed I was in learning about this behavior,' she said. They are pictured together in 2006

She said she also 'tried to establish' that there was a time when 'certain behaviors at these organizations, people turned a blind eye' (pictured together in 2014)

'So that was really hard, but I had spent so much time prior to that processing and thinking about it and even writing about it,' she continued.

Couric said that before the memoir, she had written a piece about Lauer for the Atlantic, but reserved the right to keep it from being published.

'It was just too soon for me. It was just too soon for me, but I had been spending a lot of time just kind of wrapping my head around the whole thing,' she said.

Lauer was fired in 2017, just two days after an unidentified female colleague accused him of inappropriate behavior.

At the time, NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said it was the 'first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he's been at NBC News,' but claimed they had reason to believe there were other incidents.

Later, in Ronan Farrow's 2019 book, Catch and Kill, producer Brooke Nevils claimed that Lauer anally raped her while the two were covering the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Lauer was fired in 2017, just two days after an unidentified female colleague accused him of inappropriate behavior. He is pictured in 2017 before his termination

Lauer responded by saying, 'There was absolutely nothing aggressive about that encounter, Brooke did not do or say anything to object.'

While promoting her 2021 book, Couric said that her friendship with Lauer 'just fizzled out' in the wake of his downfall from the allegations, adding that the disgraced anchor 'probably thought that she had abandoned him.'

She said she was 'taken aback' by everything she had read and heard about Lauer, including allegations that he was inappropriate with a young woman she had brought to NBC - but she still texted him to say she 'loved' him after everything went down.

In the book, she shared portions of the text messages that she sent to Lauer after he was fired.

She wrote to him: 'I am crushed. I love you and care about you deeply. I am here. Please let me know if you want to talk. There will be better days ahead.'

He responded with a blowing kiss emoji.

'I think its sort of clear through the text messages that I shared, and some I didnt because I thought they were too personal that he had written - I sort of paraphrased them - you could see when I didnt call him that time because I heard about another situation involving a young woman I had brought to NBC,' Couric said during a Zoom interview with Nancy O'Dell on talkshoplive last year.

Couric (pictured with Lauer in 2015) said that she was 'taken aback' by everything she had read and heard about him, though she still texted him that she 'loved' him

'And we were scheduled to have a phone call to discuss what was going on and I said, "Im going to call you in a few days," I think he probably knew I had read that article and probably thought that I had abandoned him.'

The journalist, who has worked at all three major networks, clarified that she was never all that close to Lauer outside of work.

'People are like, "How did you not know?" And I think people just don't understand that the Today show is like being in a Broadway play.

'You can have incredible chemistry, have so much fun, everything can click, you get to know each other really well to the point of finishing each other's sentences, but for us, that was two hours in the day. As much as I enjoyed working with Matt, we were not social friends. We had very separate lives.'

'I think I was just so taken back by everything I was learning in real time that I had these two thoughts in my head about my friendship with Matt and the horrific things I was reading,' Couric said.

'I think I was just trying to square these two things. Basically you see that honestly things just fizzled out.

'I think our legacy was very intertwined because we worked together and I think we were such a successful pairing on a morning show.'
A man whose wife told him he was 'getting weird' and 'needed to make friends' posted fliers around San Francisco inviting people over to his house for pancakes - and was stunned when over 75 people showed up.

Curtis Kimball, 43, was determined to meet some new people in his neighborhood after his wife told him he needed to socialize more.

He decided to throw a pancake party in the driveway of his home, and printed out some funny fliers advertising the event.

He hung them on telephone poles around the Bernal Heights neighborhood, where he lives with his wife and two young daughters, but he didn't expect anyone to show up.

Yet on the scheduled day in January, dozens of his neighbors turned out to meet him and enjoy some free food - and the event was such a success that he threw another pancake party for his neighbors this month, with more than 300 attending.

A man whose wife told him he 'needed to make friends' posted fliers around San Francisco inviting people over for pancakes - and was stunned when over 75 people showed up

Curtis Kimball, 43, was determined to meet some new people in his neighborhood after his wife told him he needed to socialize more. He is pictured with his wife and two daughters

He decided to throw a pancake party in the driveway of his home, and printed out some fliers (pictured) advertising the event, which he hung on telephone poles around Bernal Heights

'My wife says I'm getting weird. She says I need to make friends. So I'm making pancakes,' the flier, which also contained an address, date, and time, read

Curtis printed up the first batch of humorous signs last month and hung them up around town.

'My wife says I'm getting weird,' he wrote. 'She says I need to make friends. So I'm making pancakes..

'I'll be making pancakes. You'll be eating them,' he continued underneath a stock photo of a sad-looking man and a concerned-looking woman.

He promised 'the best pancakes, the best choc chips, the best maple syrup, the best butter, the best more.'

'Come by and say hi and have some pancakes with me,' he added, handwriting the date - January 22.

He also posted about it on social media, writing on his Twitter account, 'Like many in San Francisco, I had a bunch of friends move away during the pandemy.

'Im looking to meet some new people and make some new connections. So Im making pancakes!'

Popular: The get together took place on January 22, and to Curtis' surprise - nearly 100 people showed up hungry and ready for some yummy 'cakes

New friends: Curtis said it's been especially hard for him to meet new people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he thought this would be a good way to connect with his neighbors

Yummy: As for why he chose pancakes to be the central theme of the get together, Curtis, who owns a local food truck, explained that he thinks the breakfast food is beloved by all

'I actually didnt know what to expect at all and I was terrified setting up for it. Even putting up the flyers made me nervous and self-conscious,' he told the Today show.

'Like, this could be a really dumb idea and everyone might hate it. But the first people showed up right away, they lived two doors down and they were very excited.'

Come January 22, more than 75 people showed up hungry and ready for some delicious pancakes.

'They didnt know what to expect, but they were expecting it to be wonderful,' he said. 'And because of that, it really was.'

Curtis explained that it's been especially hard for him to meet new people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he thought this would be a good way to connect with his neighbors.

'For obvious reasons  the pandemic  everyone has had to be a little standoffish for the last couple years,' he told Eater. 'Nothing we could do about it. So I thought itd be fun to connect with neighbors.'

It was so popular that Curtis decided to do it all over again, hosting another party on February 12 - and this one had more than 300 attendees. Pictures is the flier for the second event

Speaking to the Washington Post, he added: ''I just dont know how grown-ups make friends. I dont mind looking foolish. So, I was like, "I bet I could just put myself out there and maybe something would happen."

'Everybody in my life thought I was insane. Its a pretty vulnerable feeling to do something that outlandish in public.'

Curtis, who previously owned a popular local food truck called The Creme Brulee Cart, said that he had initially considered giving out creme brulee on Christmas to be friendly to neighbors and 'get good vibes going in the city.'

'But the weather and omicron made me cancel it,' he said.

Pancakes seemed to be an equally popular choice.

'Even if you dont like to eat pancakes, you just like the idea of them. Being around pancakes feels good, even if youre not eating them yourself,' he explained.

'And if you see someone making pancakes for strangers, youd probably think that person is nice.'

Ultimately, he said that the party drew a 'nice mix of generations and backgrounds,' including lots of children, dogs, and 'a lot of people who lived near each other but had never met or connected.'

The event was so popular that Curtis decided to do it all over again, hosting another party on February 12 and posting more funny, attention-grabbing signs.

Curtis said the parties were the 'best vibe' he felt 'in a long time. He added: 'It was really refreshing to see people smiling and enjoying themselves.' His kids are pictured at the party

Curtis covered the costs for both of the parties himself, however, many people brought goodies of their own to share with others. Curtis is pictured with guests at one of the parties

Afterwards, he received a card from a neighbor that said, 'My wife also says I need friends,' along with the person's cell phone number

'Did you miss the pancake party?' read one. 'Well we're doing it again! Feb. 12th 9-11am. Come hand out and have pancakes and meet new friends and neighbors and experience some of the best vibes available in these parts in (literally) years!'

Another, oddly, featuring a photo of a seal.

It read: 'Hey neighbor! Wanna come over for pancakes? No pressure, but it could be fun.'

Once again, the signs - and likely some word-of-mouth - worked, and more than 300 people attended.

'It was the best vibe I had felt in a long time. It was really refreshing to see people smiling and enjoying themselves,' he recalled of the parties. 'Weve got to celebrate each other as people a lot more.'

Curtis covered the costs for both of the parties himself, however, many guests brought goodies of their own to share with others, like coffee and desserts. Others dropped off homemade lemon curds and small-batch honey.

Curtis is hoping that his idea will take off, and his goal is to inspire 'a National Neighborhood Pancake Day.' Pictured are people lining up at one of the pancake parties

He has since raised more than $1,000, which he plans to use to host more parties for the neighborhood. Pictured are people lining up at one of the pancake parties

Afterwards, he received a card from a neighbor that said, 'My wife also says I need friends,' along with the person's cell phone number.

He has since created a GoFundMe page, where he's raised more than $1,000. He plans to use the money to host more parties for the neighborhood in the future.

Curtis is hoping that his idea will take off, and his ultimate goal is to inspire 'a National Neighborhood Pancake Day' - where everyone around the world throws pancake parties on the same day.

'Im hoping I can be the match and the fire spreads,' he added. 'Im hoping my push will push others.

'Maybe people will see my little thing, and maybe theyll do their own little thing, and then maybe all those things will add up to a big thing.'
Billie-Jo Jenkins would be 38 years old if she were alive today. Who knows what she might have made of her life, whom she might have married, how many children she might have had?

Instead, having become the victim of one of the most shocking unsolved murders in living memory, she is forever 13; a pretty, happy-go-lucky teenager smiling out of the official school photo police released after her horrific murder in February 1997.

A quarter of a century on and whoever was responsible for bludgeoning her to death with an 18in iron tent peg as she painted the patio doors at her foster family's home in Hastings, East Sussex, is still at large; the keeper of one of the most despicable secrets imaginable.

For her best friend, Holly Liles, the 25th anniversary of Billie-Jo's death this week is a painful one. She is still haunted by memories of the terrible day she was told her friend was dead.

Treasured memory: The photo of Billie-Jo which holds pride of place in the home of best friend Holly

'I was in total shock. I was in counselling for ages,' says Holly, now 39 with five children. 'It was such a dreadful thing to happen. She was my best friend. We did everything together  we were inseparable.'

Billie-Jo who, aged nine, had been placed in foster care with Sion and Lois Jenkins after her biological father was imprisoned and her mother was unable to cope on her own, flourished with Holly's friendship.

The pair were best pals for the four years they knew each other. Outside of Helenswood School in Hastings, where they were both pupils, they hung out in each other's bedrooms, singing along to their favourite pop group East 17, dreaming of a future. 'I wish I could have seen Billie-Jo get married and have kids. She missed out on all that. It's so, so sad,' says Holly.

A framed photo of Billie-Jo takes pride of place in Holly's home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex.

Taken just a few months before she was murdered and given to Holly by Billie-Jo's foster mother after her death, along with some of her jewellery, it shows her with much-loved Staffordshire terrier Buster. She has taken off her glasses and playfully put them on her pet's face.

Billie-Jo (pictured) had been placed in foster care aged nine with Sion and Lois Jenkins after her biological father was imprisoned and her mother was unable to cope on her own, flourished with Holly's friendship

On the day she died, she had walked Buster in the park opposite the Jenkins's family home. Talking about that fateful Saturday for the first time, Holly says she had offered to help Billie-Jo with her painting.

'I told her foster father that I would help Billie-Jo paint the patio doors at the weekend but he said: 'No, Billie-Jo sees her [biological] father at the weekend so you can't come round.' That was the last I ever saw of her. It still upsets me to this day thinking about it. I'd give anything to see her killer brought to justice.'

It's a sentiment shared by the police officers involved in the original investigation. For Sussex Police have been quietly reviewing the case to see if scientific advances might provide them with new lines of inquiry.

Kevin Moore, a detective inspector at the time who rose to head Sussex's CID, told the Mail this week: 'We owe it to Billie-Jo to keep the case in the public's mind and not to give up.' Former Assistant Chief Constable Jeremy Paine, who was the senior officer in charge, added: 'Billie had her whole life in front of her and it was snatched away. This was a tragic and brutal act of violence which took an innocent young life.'

Quashed conviction: Sion Jenkins, The 90-minute programme  Who Killed Billie-Jo?  refocuses the spotlight on the 158 blood spots found on the clothes worn by Billie-Jo's foster father Jenkins (pictured)

A new Channel 5 documentary has also raised the possibility that the 'new and compelling' evidence, required to see the case officially reopened, is already at hand.

The 90-minute programme  Who Killed Billie-Jo?  refocuses the spotlight on the 158 blood spots found on the clothes worn by Billie-Jo's foster father, deputy headmaster Sion Jenkins, amid conflicting claims by scientists that they were either 'impact spatter' from the attack itself or were caused by a fine spray of blood exhaled by Billie-Jo after he discovered her lifeless body.

The father of four was convicted of the teenager's murder in 1998 but, after six years in prison, saw his conviction quashed as unsafe. Two subsequent retrials in 2005 resulted in a hung jury, unable to decide on Mr Jenkins's innocence or guilt and, at the beginning of 2006, he walked free.

Now it has emerged that a fresh scientific study revealing the presence of metal, bone and paint chemicals in the blood spots was never presented to the jury at the second retrial after a judge ruled that the evidence had been submitted too late.

Mr Jenkins has always maintained his innocence. A recent statement on the Justice For Sion Jenkins website praises Sussex Police for reviewing the case but criticises them for failing to launch a full reinvestigation

The same matter was found in blood on the front of Billie-Jo's leggings and, given that she was found lying face down, it is argued, could not have landed there after she died.

'These findings were never put before a jury because at the third trial the judge would not accept a further delay for the defence to respond,' Jeremy Paine told the Mail. 'I believed at the time and still believe now that the jury should have had all available evidence put before them.'

Mr Jenkins has always maintained his innocence. A recent statement on the Justice For Sion Jenkins website praises Sussex Police for reviewing the case but criticises them for failing to launch a full reinvestigation.

'Only now, at the 25th anniversary of the murder, has there been any acknowledgement that this sad story still has no ending,' reads the statement. 'Most significant is the need to re-open the investigation and ensure that there can be closure for those whose lives changed forever in February 1997, and who continue to suffer because the murderer remains undetected.'

Indeed, the lives of those involved have changed almost beyond recognition. After Mr Jenkins's arrest, his wife Lois, a senior social worker, claimed that he had been violent towards her and their four daughters:Annie, Lottie, Esther and Maya.

Two subsequent retrials in 2005 resulted in a hung jury, unable to decide on Mr Jenkins's (pictured) innocence or guilt and, at the beginning of 2006, he walked free

The Channel 5 documentary comes at the 25th anniversary of the murder, but there only now 'has been acknowledgement that this sad story still has no ending'

While he was in prison, Lois divorced him and she and their daughters moved to Tasmania where she married martial arts expert Vince Ives, with whom she has a son.

She recently turned 60 and her four daughters are now in their 30s, all with children of their own.

We can reveal that Sion Jenkins, now 63, goes by the name of Charles Jenkins and is believed to live in York with his second wife, Tina, 71, a millionaire divorcee and former Miss Southsea beauty queen.

Mr Jenkins began corresponding with Tina while in prison and married her in April 2005 before his retrials. For a time they lived on the south coast in Portsmouth where Jenkins studied criminology at the university.

The father of four (pictured) was convicted of the teenager's murder in 1998 but, after six years in prison, saw his conviction quashed as unsafe

A quarter of a century on and whoever was responsible for bludgeoning her to death with an 18in iron tent peg as she painted the patio doors at her foster family's home in Hastings, East Sussex, pictured, is still at large; the keeper of one of the most despicable secrets imaginable

'There was a moment,' he wrote in his 2009 book, The Murder Of Billie-Jo, 'when I was living a normal existence, surrounded by all that I knew and was comfortable with; then in the next moment, just as long as it takes to walk through a door, I had entered a world of nightmares.'

He added: 'All these years I have grieved for my daughters, who have lost so much. They lived in a tranquil and happy family setting that was turned completely upside down.'

That moment came in the middle of a sunny Saturday afternoon at the end of the February half-term week. Billie-Jo was painting the patio doors at the back of the family's Victorian home when she was hit at least five times over the head in a frenzied attack.

The documentary speaks to first detective on the crime scene, Anne Capon, pictured left, as well as Jeremy Paind, a retired officer also on the case, pictured right

When she was found, she was still clutching a paintbrush. A post-mortem later revealed that her skull had been split.

The police surgeon who visited the scene said it was 'the most brutal murder' he'd attended during his 26-year career.

That day had been a busy one in the Jenkins household. While Lois had taken the youngest two girls out, Mr Jenkins had been at home with 12-year-old Annie, who was helping to wash his car at the front of the house and Billie-Jo, who was painting at the back.

He went out to collect his ten-year-old daughter Lottie from her clarinet lesson, returning to the house briefly before setting off again in the car with Annie and Lottie to buy white spirit from a DIY store. They returned empty-handed, just 20 minutes later, after he forgot his wallet.

The prosecution later claimed that Mr Jenkins killed Billie-Jo in a fit of temper and that the aborted shopping trip was made to create an alibi, their case hinging on the possibility that he had killed his foster daughter in the three-minute window between the two outings. When he returned home for the second time, he called 999, telling the operator: 'My daughter's fallen or she's got head injuries. There's blood everywhere.'

Writing in his book about the crime, he recalled: 'When I found Billie, the scene was brutal, the air took on a particular stillness.

'It left me feeling disconnected from what I was seeing in my own home. The scene resembled a bloodbath in which poor Billie's body was lying on the patio in a place where we as a family had spent many happy times.'

He added: 'I sense in that moment that an evil had descended on our home. There was even a different smell. The room we entered had changed, not simply because Billie's crushed body was there.'

In maintaining his innocence, Mr Jenkins insists that the blood spots must have got onto his clothing while he tended to the young girl after discovering her body.

Retired detective Kevin Moore told the Mail: 'In this particular case, it is about whether any more can be done with the tiny spots of blood found on the clothes worn by Sion Jenkins.

Undated file photo of a two lb tent stake used to kill 13-year-old Billie-Jo Jenkins. Deputy headmaster Sion Jenkins was found guilty at Lewes Crown Court of the murder of his 13-year-old foster daughter before walking free in 2006

'This actually could have been looked at by the last jury to hear the case in 2005 but the judge ruled that this new prosecution evidence was out of time and he was not prepared to delay the trial to give the defence time to respond.'

Ray Fysh, a former specialist adviser at the Forensic Science Service, has told the Mail that one of the spots on Sion Jenkins's trousers contained titanium, a component in white paint, and another, titanium plus iron and chromium, which could have come from the tent peg.

He added: 'The overall distribution of blood spatter found on the trousers and jacket of Sion Jenkins is consistent with what would be expected to be found on the clothing of Billie-Jo's attacker. This is fact and not disputed.

'The alternative explanation for these tiny blood spots on Sion Jenkins's clothing is that they were caused as a result of Billie-Jo exhaling a fine spray of blood following the transient release of an upper airway obstruction  this is a hypothesis and is disputed.'

But the Mail has also spoken to Robert Schroter, an Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London, who was another key witness at Jenkins's retrial.

The expert on blood spatter patterns questions the significance of the 'white inclusions', or microscopic traces of matter, saying he and another defence expert had provided an 'initial response' to the evidence before the start of the third trial of which the judge was aware. He made the decision not to allow the prosecution to present it, meaning that the evidence was never put before a jury.

'Whatever blood came out of Billie-Jo's mouth would have been contaminated,' said Professor Schroter, 'so to find microscopic traces of paint or bone or metal does not change anything. The paint and metal could have come in blood running down her head into her mouth.'

He added: 'The truth is that the scientific evidence is minimal and the idea that Mr Jenkins could have done what was alleged in the time he had and then gone straight out with his daughters in the car is hard to believe.'

Mr Jenkins later claimed he knew who killed his foster daughter, saying that a smartly dressed man he mistook for a police officer whom he saw in the hallway of his home in the first hour after he discovered her body must have been the killer. 'I have stood face to face with him. I have spoken with him. I know what he looks like and remember his mannerisms,' he wrote in his book.

'The man was standing in the hall. I turned around and looked at him. He said: 'She's going to be OK.' He then left me staring at the door to the dining room. I honestly believe this man is responsible for my daughter's murder.

The documentary goes through the evidence in Billie-Jo's case with a fine-tooth comb, as pictured on this shoe

'I believe he killed her in cold blood for reasons that I can only speculate and surmise.' After his conviction was quashed, Mr Jenkins sought up to 500,000 in damages for his wrongful arrest and imprisonment.

But he was denied compensation. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said that 'the right test to adopt in deciding whether someone is entitled to compensation is whether they have been shown to be innocent'.

A statement posted on the Justice For Sion Jenkins website said the remark was 'insidious' and described it as 'disturbing'. 'In which universe does not guilty mean not innocent?'

Sussex Police said this week: 'We are carrying out a review of material to establish whether or not scientific advances can provide new lines of inquiry.'

But as yet they are not reopening an investigation which has already cost 10 million and is regarded as the most scientifically complex and expensive murder case in English legal history.

Any future breakthrough in the case will come too late for Billie-Jo's biological parents.

Her father Bill died of cancer in 2006 while her mother Deborah passed away in 2018.

Next month marks what should have been their daughter's 39th birthday. Instead she is in a grave in the children's corner of the City of London cemetery, where she will forever remain a child.
Most of us try to stick to lean, nutritious meals when watching our weight.

But all that hard work could be undone with a free hand on the wine bottle.

That's because just two glasses can contain more calories than a McDonald's burger  and almost an entire day's recommended sugar intake, a study reveals.

Researchers analysed 30 bottles of red, white, rose, fruit and sparkling wine from the top ten leading wine brands in the UK.

They found that a bottle can contain up to 59g of sugar and 598 calories. Only one in five of the wines showed calorie content on the label.

None displayed sugar content  information required for all non-alcoholic drinks. Alcohol Health Alliance UK, which commissioned the analysis from an independent laboratory, is now calling for better alcohol labelling.

That's because just two glasses can contain more calories than a McDonald's burger  and almost an entire day's recommended sugar intake, a study reveals.

The alliance, comprising over 60 organisations including royal medical colleges, said the absence of this information means drinkers are 'being kept in the dark' about decisions that affect their health.

Government guidelines recommend adults have no more than 30g of added sugar per day. But it is almost possible to exceed this by drinking just two medium glasses of some of the most popular wines.

This much wine also contains more calories than a McDonald's hamburger, which has 250 calories.

Notably, lower-strength wines tended to contain the most sugar.

Just two medium glasses of some of the most popular wines contain more calories than a McDonald's hamburger, which has 250 calories. Notably, lower-strength wines tended to contain the most sugar (File image)

The alliance's Professor Sir Ian Gilmore said: 'Alcohol's current exemption from food and drink labelling rules is absurd.'

He noted that alcohol is linked to obesity and seven types of cancer. He said a planned Government consultation on alcohol labelling, which officials committed to in 2020, must be published without delay.

Miles Beale, of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said it would be better if nutritional information was published online rather than on labels.

He said WSTA members were 'committed to ensuring relevant and easily understandable health and content information is available'.
A person uses a COVID-19 self-test kit at a health center in Gwangju, in this Jan. 26 photo. Yonhap



By Bahk Eun-ji



Parents showed mixed reactions to the fact that the education ministry is mulling over requiring kindergarteners and elementary students to take rapid antigen COVID-19 tests at home twice a week before going to school, starting from next month.



The Ministry of Education (MOE) said that the plan is under discussion, as students at kindergartens and elementary schools are currently not subject to receiving the vaccine, despite their vulnerability to infection.



Some parents oppose the government's plan, saying that the rapid antigen test, which has limited accuracy compared to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, causes unnecessary stress to young children if they have to take it frequently.



On the other hand, other parents say that such measures are acceptable as children need to return to some form of normalcy in schools by resuming full in-person classes with a relatively low risk of infection.



The ministry is expected to announce detailed plans for kindergarteners and elementary school students to be able return to school on Wednesday. Currently, it has been considering a plan to test students using the rapid antigen test kits at home twice a week, once before school on Monday and once between Wednesdays and Thursdays. Students will only be allowed to go to classes if they test negative.






Scientists have moved one step closer to creating 'neutral' organs that can be transplanted into any patient  regardless of their blood type.

A team of Canadian researchers successfully converted the blood group of a human lung from type A to the universal type O. The organ was then exposed to the blood of a type O patient in a laboratory to simulate a real transplant and was not rejected.

Dr Stephen Withers, a biochemist who co-led the experiment, said it has 'opened a gateway to create universal blood-type organs' in the future.

The team hope to launch a human clinical trial within two years, which could see a converted organ transplanted into a patient.

Currently the blood group of donors and recipients must be a match or rapid and potentially-fatal rejection can occur. It means those with rare blood types like O or B wait up to 20 times longer for transplants than those with more common types.

Longer waits have a direct impact on survival, with type O lung transplant patients 20 per cent more likely to die while in the queue.

Dr Aizhou Wang, one of the surgeons involved in the experiment, treats a human lung with enzymes that changes the organ's blood type

Blood type is determined by the presence of molecules on the surface of red blood cells, known as antigens.

That is why blood transfusions can only be done with two patients from the same group  or from donors with type O blood, which do not have any antigens.

Man receives a PIG heart in world first op A dying man became the first patient in the world to get a heart transplant from a genetically-modified pig last month. Terminal heart failure sufferer David Bennett underwent the nine-hour experimental procedure at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Surgeons used a heart taken from a pig that had undergone gene-editing to make it less likely that his body's immune system would reject the organ. A month later, Mr Bennett, 57, is still alive and is being monitored closely by doctors. Bennett, a labourer, knew there was no guarantee the risky operation would work but was too sick to qualify for a human organ. A day before his pioneering surgery, Bennett said it was 'either die or do this transplant', adding: 'I want to live. I know it's a shot in the dark, but it's my last choice.' Prior attempts at such transplants  or xenotransplantation  have failed, largely because patients' bodies rapidly rejected the animal organ. Notably, in 1984, 'Baby Fae'  who was born with a rare heart condition  lived 21 days with a baboon heart. Advertisement

These molecules are also found on the blood vessels of organs and can trigger an immune response if they are foreign to the body.

The latest study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, looked at two sets of lungs from type A patients.

One was treated with enzymes that clear antigens from the surface of the organ while the other was used as a control.

Both sets of lungs were then exposed to type O blood with high concentrations of immune cells that target type A antigens.

The treated lungs were well tolerated while the others showed signs of rejection.

The team hope to move to human studies within 12 to 18 months.

Dr Marcelo Cypel, a surgeon at the Canadian University Health Network and lead author of the study, said: 'With the current matching system, wait times can be considerably longer for patients who need a transplant depending on their blood type.

'Having universal organs means we could eliminate the blood-matching barrier and prioritize patients by medical urgency, saving more lives and wasting less organs.'

The group of enzymes used in the study were identified in 2018 and are found in the human gut.

They have the ability cut sugars from the A and B antigens on red blood cells, converting them into universal type O cells.

The latest experiment involved a machine known as the Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) System, which pumps nourishing fluids through organs and warms them to body temperature, simulating the human body.

Last month, a genetically modified pig heart was transplanted into a terminally ill heart failure patient using the same technique with enzymes.

Around 7,000 people are on the UK Transplant Waiting List and at least one person dies every day while waiting for a match.

In the US, an average 20 people die each day waiting for one to become available.

But the problem has become a worldwide phenomenon, as the population gets older there is more demand.

Blood type has a direct impact on how long someone will wait, even for the most crucial organ transplants - like a heart.

The NHS says group O patients wait on average 479 days for a heart compared to 150 days for group B, 87 days for group A and 24 days for type AB.
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The COVID-19 pandemic seems like it could wind down to an end soon, with Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel now joining the growing list of experts that believe the Omicron variant could be the pandemic's last stand.

Bancel told CNBC's Squawk Box Asia that he is confident the next strain of the virus after Omicron will not be as virulent as the highly infectious, vaccine resistant, strain. The way the variant is currently running out of steam is also a positive sign going forward.

'There's an 80% chance that as Omicron evolves or [Covid] virus evolves, we are going to see less and less virulent viruses,' he said.

'I think we got lucky as a world that Omicron was not very virulent, but still are we see thousands of people dying every day around the planet because of Omicron.'

Moderna produces the second most popular vaccine in America, having been administered 206 million times since it first became available in December 2020.

The new strain was first discovered by South African officials in late-November and quickly took the world by storm. It caused Covid cases to spike in much of the western world, and infections in the U.S. rocketed to a record of 800,000 per day in mid-January.

Omicron quickly burned out and ran out of steam, though. Daily cases have cratered, down to 136,241 a day - down 43 percent over the past week and 83 percent from the winter surge's peak.

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel (pictured) is hopeful that the next Covid variant after Omicron will be less dangerous, and that the pandemic may soon end

Deaths have flattened as well, down six percent over the past week to 2,264 per day. Mortality figures from Omicron never reached the same heights as the Delta variant over summer, or the winter 2021 Covid surge, as the strain is more mild than previous versions of the virus and the U.S. population is now largely vaccinated.

Experts are hopeful that its high infection rate combined with the variant's relatively mild nature spells the end of the pandemic coming soon.

The variant infected so many people that a large share of the global population now has natural immunity to it. Combine that group with the growing number of vaccinated people, and it the virus may run out of people to infect all together.

Some experts believe the 'pandemic' phase of Covid will be over by the end of the year and humans will be able to live alongside the virus the same way they already do with the flu.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, whose vaccine is Moderna's biggest competitor in western markets, also believes that stage can be reached in the near future as long as Americans continue to get vaccinated and boosted.

This is already being reflected in the quickly falling cases across the U.S., the UK and many other European nations that were struck quickly by Omicron late last year.

Falling cases has many hoping that federal U.S. health officials will soon decide to drop all pandemic-related restrictions, just like the UK, Sweden, Norway, and other European nations with similar trends have also done.

Over the past two weeks, a slew of liberal leaning states made the choice to lift controversial mask mandates, including in schools - where forcing children to weak masks has become one of the nation's most decisive issues.

Last week, northeastern states like Connecticut, Massachusetts and Delaware all set dates to lift school mask mandates in the coming weeks. States like Illinois, New Jersey and New York decided to lift mandates in indoor public places, but still require face coverings in schools. California, the nation's most populous and arguably most liberal state, is reportedly planning to remove masks from schools as well.

Dr Scott Gottlieb, former chief of the Food and Drug Administration and current board member at Pfizer, told CNBC's Squawk Box last week that lifting these mandates will be a relief to Americans after nearly two years of Covid, and allow for schools to reach 'normalcy' once again.

'I don't think it's imprudent that governors lean forward, anticipating that conditions are going to continue to improve, recognizing that people are frayed,' he said.

'We have a narrow window of opportunity to restore some sense of normalcy to the schools.'

Federal leaders have been hesitant to change guidelines, though. Last week, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky affirmed that her agency still supports universal masking in schools and for people to wear face coverings in indoor public settings.

'We owe it to our children to make sure that they can safely stay in school,' she told WYPR.

President Joe Biden said last week that he stands by the CDC's decision to leave mask guidance in place.

'I've committed that I would follow the science as put forward by the CDC and federal people and I think it's probably premature, but it's, you know, it's a tough call,' he told NBC's Lester Holt in a sit-down interview.

Tom Inglesby, a senior advisor to the White House's Covid response reaffirmed the administrations commitment to masks in schools to CNN Wednesday morning.

'Cloth masks are better than no masks. Surgical masks are better than cloth masks. So whatever mask is available and fits well for kids should be used,' he said.

All of the 50 U.S. states are currently recording dropping daily Covid infections over the past two weeks.
An independent charging point regulator is required to ensure the country's public charging infrastructure is affordable, easily accessible and fairly spread across regions, according to the motor industry trade body.

In a new report published on Wednesday it called on the Government to mandate targets for bolstering the network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, including minimum standards for devices and transparent pricing.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders issued its seven-point plan to improve lagging EV charging infrastructure, which saw one public device installed for every 40 plug-in vehicles (fully electric or plug-in hybrid) registered in the UK last year.



Motor industry reveals 7-point plan to bolster EV charging infrastructure: The SMMT has called for an independent regulator to oversee the charging network's growth

The SMMT's plan includes calling for a national coordinated charging infrastructure plan and significant investments in public chargers.

The automotive trade body called for the formation of a new regulatory body, called 'Ofcharge' - or the 'Office of Charging' - that would monitor price levels to ensure charging vehicles was affordable for all ahead of the 2030 ban on sales on new fossil-fuel vehicles.

Another industry concern is the lack of growth in the public charging network, which is failing to keep pace with demand for plug-in cars.

The SMMT said that new pure electric and plug-in hybrids vehicles entering Britain's roads jumped 280 per cent between 2019 and 2021, though the number of standard EV charging points rose by just 70 per cent.

'This is undermining consumer confidence to make the switch, with range anxiety now replaced by charging anxiety,' the car industry group said.

In a new report published on Wednesday it called on the Government to mandate targets for charging costs, accessibility and ensure there's an even spread of devices across regions

One new public charging point was installed for every 25 battery electric vehicles registered in the UK last year - one for every 40 new vehicles if you include plug-in hybrids too

The aim of its new seven-point plan is to help speed up the expansion of the country's charging network via collaboration between the Government and private firms while adhering to a number of mandated targets.

One of these is for infrastructure to be developed 'ahead of need', with binding targets put in place to guarantee there is an abundance of public charging provisions.

Other demands include minimum standards for consumer experience, such as contactless payment, a 99 per cent reliability rate, complete pricing transparency and the installation of future-proof tech.

SMMT's 7 demands to bolster charging network 1. Embed consumer-centricity in policy and a national plan on charging infrastructure 2. Develop and implement a nationally coordinated but locally delivered infrastructure plan 3. Invest significantly to uplift all types of charging infrastructure, particularly public chargers, ahead of need 4. Set binding targets to ensure adequate public chargepoint provision and social equity 5. Enact proportionate regulation to deliver the best outcomes for consumer experience and expansion of provision 6. Provide adequate enabling support to incentivise and facilitate delivery of charging infrastructure 7. Ensure electricity networks are future-proofed and fit for purpose for zero emission mobility

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: 'The automotive industry is up for the challenge of a zero emission new car and van market by 2035.

'Delivering this ambition - an ambition that would put the UK ahead of every major market in the world - needs more than automotive investment.

'It needs the commensurate commitment of all other stakeholders, especially the charging industry as surveys show that range anxiety has been replaced by charging anxiety.

'Our plan puts the consumer at the heart of this transition, assuring them of the best possible experience backed by an independent regulator.

'With clear, equivalent targets and support for operators and local authorities that match consumer needs, the Government can ensure the UK has a chargepoint network that makes electric mobility a reality for all, cutting emissions, driving growth and supporting consumers across the UK.'

Official data published by the Department for Transport last month revealed that the number of new public charging point installations grew 37 per cent last year, but a North-South divide in availability had extended.

An additional 7,600 new charger installations were added to the country's network in 2021, taking the total to 28,375 publicly-accessible plug-in points nationwide.

However, the data shows that London benefitted from a much faster expansion of its charging infrastructure than any other region, with 102 devices per 100,000 of its population, while areas like the North West have just 24 per 100,000 people.

In the last year alone, 190,728 battery electric vehicles were registered in the UK, meaning one charger per 25 electric models entering the road. In terms of the fastest 'rapid' charging points, it is one new device for ever 150 EVs registered in 2021.

If you also include plug-in hybrid cars, the total of new vehicles registered that can access public chargers was 305,281 - that's a public chargepoint for every 40 vehicles.

One of the SMMT's demands is for infrastructure to be developed 'ahead of need', with binding targets put in place to guarantee there is an abundance of public charging provisions

Patrick Reich, Co-founder of Bonnet, an electric charging platform simplifying payments, said the introduction of a dedicated watchdog would provide a better solution for those with no option but to use public charging devices.

'Currently, those living in properties without a private driveway are at a huge disadvantage due to lack of coverage and reliability of the UKs public charging network,' he told us.

EV buyers are facing a hat-trick of rising costs Read our in-depth report on the rising cost of switching to an electric car. Ofgem's energy price cap hike in April will make the average EV up to 200-a-year more expensive to charge from home and the slashing of Government grants will make purchasing a battery car even pricier. > Here's our full report

'There is a growing north-south divide in EV charging coverage, while the government continues to charge 20 per cent VAT on public charging compared with 5 per cent for at home charging.

'The lack of public chargepoints across the country is not an accurate reflection of the rate of EV uptake.

'While its encouraging to see the government announcing plans for market regulators like Ofcharge, it must act faster to improve charging infrastructure so that everyone is ready to move to electric by 2030.'

Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of charger provider Connected Kerb added: 'Regional disparities in public electric vehicle charging rollouts must not prevent drivers from realising the huge benefits of driving electric.

'Only by overcoming these disparities can we achieve a fair and equal transition to cleaner transport.'

He went on: 'Councils and developers can often be put off installing electric vehicle chargepoints due to the perceived high up-front costs of installation and a lack of transparency over network performance and driver tariffs.

'Any new regulator should seek to cut through this confusion and encourage the use of large scale, long term contracts that measure operator performance, not only against economic, but also social and environmental targets.

'For the UK to deliver a full societal transition to EV, access to convenient, reliable and affordable charging infrastructure must be removed as a barrier to adoption, no matter where in the UK you happen to live.'
UK-based opioid addiction treatment maker Indivior has confirmed it is exploring a secondary listing in the US, which is its biggest market.

The group has posted a rise in annual sales today, having seen its bottom line buoyed by strong sales of its newer injectable therapy.

Shares in the FTSE 250-listed company have risen sharply, and were up 9.75 per cent or 22.20p to 250.00p just before 9am on Wednesday.

New listing? UK-based opioid addiction treatment maker Indivior has confirmed it is exploring a secondary listing in the US

The London-listed group has been focusing on developing newer treatments, including the injectable Sublocade, and has benefited from patients resuming routine visits to clinics and hospitals where most of its treatments have to be administered.

The growth is a boost for Indivior, which in recent years was grappling with competition and drawn-out legal challenges over its top-selling treatment in the US, where it generates around 80 per cent of its revenue.

Boss Mark Crossley, said: 'Our preliminary view is that an additional US listing is likely to be beneficial to the group's profile and visibility.'

He added: 'We are aware that this is an important topic, and the Board and management intend to consult extensively with shareholders before concluding on any future path.'

The group's pre-tax profit for the final quarter of 2021 was $39million, compared with a loss of $14million for the same period a year before.

It swung to a pre-tax profit of $190million for the year, up from a loss of $173million. Net revenue for the quarter rose to $222million from $185million the year before and swelled 22 per cent to $791million.

Indivior is upbeat about its prospects for the year ahead and said it was on track to reach its target of over $1billion worth of revenue in a year.

Opioid addiction has been widespread in the US and, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 500,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the country from 1999 to 2019.
Australia should easily be able to weather more Covid outbreaks in winter with high vaccination rates - but a new variant could change everything.

That is the prediction of top Covid experts as researchers map out the best and worst case scenarios for the end of the pandemic.

Australian National University professor Peter Collignon said the best case scenario was most likely but 'all of us have got to be honest and say we don't really know'.

The UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies outlined four ways the pandemic could play out in the next few years in a new report.

Professor Collignon said the winter months would likely bring more Covid outbreaks and variants (pictured: shoppers in Melbourne in December)

New outbreaks and variants are taken as a given, but how bad they are and what is needed to combat them vary significantly.

'What they're saying is every winter and autumn there will be outbreaks but the consequences will be far less because now we've got good vaccines and good anti-viral therapies,' Professor Collignon told Sky News on Tuesday.

He said the same approach was being applied to new variants which, though they could prove unpredictable, we have much more of an ability to fight these off than we did a year ago.

'If you look at what vaccines were designed to do - stopping people dying and going to hospital - they have been very effective,' he said.

He added that even in the best case scenario boosters would still be needed at least for the short term and especially in older populations to 'keep protection at high levels'.

But Professor Collignon also said there was an element of uncertainty about what the winter months will bring.

'We had a big outbreak of Omicron here in our summer and none of us really expected to see those high numbers,' he said.

Australia is currently reaching 95 per cent fully vaccinated (pictured: a vaccine being administered in Sydney in 2021)

He said the winter months would be a 'test' and Europe and the rest of the world would be closely looking at what happened in Australia.

'We've got a highly vaccinated population and a reasonable amount of natural immunity... I still expect we will get many cases,' he said.

Professor Collignon said he presumed Covid would follow a similar pattern to the Spanish Flu pandemic about a century ago.

'That was really bad for two or three waves, then that continued for the next 50 years but at much less effect and mainly in winter,' he said.

'One would expect this would be much the same'.

Professor Collignon (pictured) said there are more tools to fight Covid so the consequences are less 'than even a year ago'

For at least the short term, Professor Collignon said restrictions on indoor crowds and other light restrictions such as mask wearing would stay in force.

'Do we think we can go back to normal and ignore this? No we can't,' he said.

He said authorities needed to be 'careful' about vaccine mandates.

'Do they really make that much difference one you're at 95 per cent fully vaccinated? Probably not. How much more gain are we going to get from that,' he said.
An upcoming biography on Jill Biden promises to 'reveal the private sides' of the First Lady and could dredge up uncomfortable parts of her past.

The book Jill: A Biography of the First Lady has been 'deeply reported' by two veteran White House journalists.

It could cause discomfort to the First Family if it dives into her early life, including her first marriage to Bill Stevenson, who has claimed Joe Biden stole his wife.

The risk of embarrassing material appearing in the book is heightened by the fact that two highly respected journalists are writing it - Julie Pace and Darlene Superville, both reporters with the Associated Press.

A spokeswoman for the publisher Little Brown said that the First Lady 'participated in interviews for the book' and confirmed that her 'early life is covered.'

A new book Jill: A Biography of the First Lady is due out in April and promises to 'reveal the private sides' of the First Lady

It could cause discomfort for the First Family if the book dives into Jill's early life, including her first marriage to Bill Stevenson, who claims Joe stole his wife

The book, due out in April, will cover Biden's 'earliest days' of dating the President while he was still recovering from the death of his first wife Neilia Hunter, who died in 1972. Joe and Jill married in 1977.

The biography will detail the then-Jill Jacobs's relationship with Biden while he was a Senator and her 'embrace' of his sons, Beau, who died in 2015, and Hunter.

'Jill: A Biography of the First Lady' is due out in April

The book describes Biden's role in her husband's life when he became Barack Obama's Vice President in 2008 and his eventual rise to the presidency on the third attempt.

Little Brown claims: 'In this deeply reported biography, Julie Pace and Darlene Superville reveal some of the private sides of Jill Biden. We come to see her particular blend of grit and hope, which holds the Biden family together through tragedy and good fortune alike.'

What is not clear is how much the book will delve into the darker periods and scandals that have bedeviled the Biden clan.

Among them is the claim by Bill Stevenson, Jill's first husband, that the First Couple are lying about the beginnings of their relationship.

He told DailyMail.com in 2020 that the story goes back to when he and Jill were living in Wilmington, Delaware, and working on then-New Castle County Councilman Joe Biden's first campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1972.

At the time Biden was married to Neilia, who died along with their one-year-old daughter Naomi in a December 18 1972 car crash  after Biden won the election, but before he had taken his seat in Washington.

Jill's first husband Bill Stevenson says the First Couple are lying about the beginnings of their relationship

The book will cover Biden's 'earliest days' of dating the President while he was still recovering from the death of his first wife Neilia Hunter, who died in 1972. The family is pictured in 1972 before Neilia and one-year-old Naomi's deaths

Stevenson, a music promoter who ran a club called The Stone Balloon in Newark, Delaware, said he first suspected Biden and his wife were having an affair in August 1974. He was 26 at the time, Jill was 23 and Joe was 31.

He said: 'I know exactly when it was. Bruce Springsteen was going to play at The Stone Balloon and I had to go to Northern New Jersey to pay him in advance.

'I asked Jill to go with me and she said no  she had things to do, she had to look after Joe's kids, Beau and Hunter.

'It was kind of a big deal to go meet Springsteen. I had no idea she and Joe were that kind of friendly.

'Then one of her best friends told me she thought Joe and Jill were getting a little too close. I was surprised that she came to me.'

That October, Stevenson says, he discovered the truth and asked Jill to move out.

He said: 'Her father was begging me to take her back when he found out what was going on. He asked me to give her a second chance, but I wasn't interested.

Hunter is seen sleeping with a crackpipe in his mouth at the height of his drug addiction

'I considered Joe a friend. I'm not surprised he fell in love with Jill. Everyone who meets Jill falls in love with her immediately. It's hard not to.'

But in the Bidens version of their love story, Joe saw a picture of Jill in March 1975  after her marriage had crashed.

She was in an advertisement for local parks that he saw while passing through Wilmington Airport with his brother Frank. He told Frank that was the kind of girl he would like to date and Frank said: 'Why don't you then? I know her,' and passed on her number.

In her 2019 autobiography Where The Light Enters, Jill wrote that Joe called her and asked her out. She said she already had a date, but he persisted because he was only in town for one night and she relented.

They went to Philadelphia to see the French movie, A Man And A Woman, ironically about a widowed man falling in love, and then went out to dinner.

Despite him saying he was only in town for a single night, the couple went out the next two nights as well, she wrote.

The New York Times told a slightly different story. It said he didn't know his date was the 'drop-dead gorgeous' woman he had been admiring earlier until he picked her up.

Among the other tricky subjects which could come up in the new biography are Hunter Biden's battles with drug addiction, his business dealings in China and Ukraine and his efforts to drum up business using his family's name.

The book may also deal with allegations about inappropriate touching made against Joe Biden.

Among them was a claim from Tara Reade, who alleged that the President forced her up against the wall of his Senate office in 1993 and penetrated her with his fingers.

Joe Biden strongly denied the claim.

The risk of embarrassing material appearing in the book is heightened by the fact two highly respected journalists are writing it - Julie Pace and Darlene Superville, both reporters with the Associated Press

Author Julie Pace is a former Washington DC bureau chief for the Associated Press and is now the organization's executive editor.

Darlene Superville covers the White House for the AP and has covered politics for it for 30 years, including the Trump and Obama administrations.

The book cover features a photo of Jill Biden in a white dress which appears to have been taken on the evening of her husband's inauguration in January 2021.

According to publisher Little Brown, the book will tell the 'inspiring life of First Lady Jill Biden'.

The publicity material notes that Jill Biden has been described as Joe Biden's 'greatest political asset.'

Little Brown notes that Biden 'broke barriers' as the First Lady to hold a paying job outside the White House as a teacher.

The publisher states: 'Like many women of her generation, Jill holds her commitments as wife, mother, and grandmother at the center of her life.

'Jill is the story of this extraordinary, ordinary American woman'.
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India's Covid pandemic death toll may be as high as 3.7million  seven times the nation's official tally, modelling suggests.

If true, it would mean India has by far suffered the highest number of virus casualties in the world, and four times the amount in second worst-hit the US (922,000).

According to official records, roughly 510,000 Indians have died from the coronavirus since March 2020, giving it the third highest death toll in the world.

But now Professor Christophe Guilmoto, a population expert at the University of Paris, has upgraded the count by using a mathematical model.

He looked at Covid deaths in Kerala  India's most developed state located in the south  which is the only one to publish them by age, sex and date of death, and applied the trends to the country's 27 other states.

But Professor Guilmoto warned the death toll could be even higher than feared because his analysis is based on affluent areas, and not the poorer rural areas that were believed to have been hardest hit by the virus.

Even with the upgraded estimate, however, India would still only rank 19th in the world when considering Covid fatalities by population size. The country of 1.38billion would have a death rate of about 2.7 per 1,000, similar to the US's 2.7 per 1,000 and the UK's 2.3 per 1,000.

Indian ministers have reacted angrily to suggestions its Covid death toll is an under-estimate previously, slamming a report from The Economist that the actual toll is six times higher as 'speculative' and 'misinformed'. But its tally is widely believed to be a major underestimate due to a lack of Covid testing in the country.

Scientists said the results underscored the 'magnitude' of the pandemic in India, and called for the country to scale up its vaccination drive and improve Covid surveillance across the country.

According to official records, roughly 510,000 Indians have died from the coronavirus since March 2020, giving it the third highest death toll in the world. But modelling suggests the country's pandemic death toll may be as high as 3.7million  seven times official tally

India currently has the third highest Covid death toll in the world, behind the US (780,000 deaths) and Brazil (614,000). But the scientist's re-calculated death toll suggests it has suffered a much greater hit from the virus. The above shows the country's with the top five Covid death tolls in the world

A woman receives oxygen inside a car provided by a Gurdwara, a Sikh house of worship, in Delhi in April when the Delta wave was hitting the country

Pictured above are funeral pyres at a morgue in New Delhi last April as the country felt the full force of the Delta variant

India currently has the third highest Covid death toll in the world, behind the US (780,000 deaths) and Brazil (614,000). When compared by population, it is 116th in the world  or in the bottom half of countries.

Brazil is also believed to be suffering from a similar level of under-reporting, because the country also has few swabs available to check patients for the virus.

India initially imposed a full lockdown along with much of the rest of the world in early 2020 to preserve its health services.

But unlike many countries in the West, it avoided the Alpha wave that winter  prompting suggestions parts of the country were already enjoying herd immunity.

Timeline of the Covid pandemic in India When Covid first emerged in March 2020, India initially locked down along with much of the rest of the world. But when the Alpha wave failed to materialise in the country  even as other nations were forced back into tighter restrictions  a sense of optimism emerged. Some experts wrongly suggested the country may have reached herd immunity, while others said India's mostly young population was keeping the virus at bay. The country's politicians then threw caution to the wind, with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a maskless political rally in the country. A major Hindu festival that sees millions take pilgrimages to bathe in the river Ganges was also allowed to go ahead. But around this time the Delta variant also emerged, and quickly spread round the country. It led to hospitals being so overwhelmed with patients that they ran out of oxygen, and mortuaries were unable to keep up with the death toll. Shocking pictures also show areas of India's holy river choked with bodies as the outbreak gripped the nation. Advertisement

The Indian Government then allowed major religious festivals and mass political rallies to take place  and a maskless Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pictured at one greeting supporters.

But just as the country was declaring victory over the virus, cases suddenly sky-rocketed in Maharashtra  a state in the west of the country and home to its financial capital Mumbai.

Scientists were initially stumped as to what had caused the rise, but by early April they had detected a new variant  Delta.

Horrifying scenes of bodies piling up in streets or being burned in makeshift crematoriums quickly followed as the more transmissible mutant strain overwhelmed the country's major hospitals.

And urgent calls for oxygen supplies were sent out by Indian health authorities, as bodies were pictured floating along the banks of the river Ganges.

India only does about 1 Covid test per 1,000 people each day, and never made mass community swabbing part of its pandemic response.

But in the UK  where the kits are widely available  about 16 swabs per 1,000 are done every 24 hours, while in the more developed US about four per 1,000 are carried out.

The lack of testing has left the country in the dark about the true number of people infected with Covid  and uncertainty over the death toll.

Antibody studies in India suggest about 70 per cent of people had had the virus by July last year  compared to the official tally showing less than 0.03 per cent of the population have tested positive.

Vaccination rates were also low, with less than three per cent of the country's population fully jabbed when the Delta variant appeared.

Its jabbing drive has been hampered by ministers failing to place orders for Covid jabs early, despite it being one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world. Some 30 per cent of Indians are now double-jabbed.

In the study published in PLOS One, Professor Guilmoto looked at 26,268 Covid fatalities in Kerala  near India's coastline with Sri Lanka  to estimate the Covid mortality rate by age and sex.

This was compared against 1,952 Covid deaths out of 1.3million workers at Indian Railways  one of the country's largest employers which offered benefits to families of pandemic victims, encouraging them to come forward.

And it was also compared against 43 virus fatalities out of 5,837 politicians in Legislative Assemblies, the lower political houses in India's 27 states, and 263 deaths from Covid reported among 190,000 teachers in Karnataka  a state bordering Kerala that has the sixth largest economy in India.

Using these figures Professor Guilmoto estimated the Covid fatality rate by age and sex for India, and then used this to estimate the actual pandemic death toll for the country.

Mr Guilmoto said: 'The estimates point to a very high Covid mortality rate... The magnitude of the pandemic in India requires immediate attention.

'In the absence of effective remedies, this calls for a strong response based on a combination of non-pharmaceutical interventions and the scale-up of vaccination to make them accessible to all, with an improved surveillance system to monitor the progression of the pandemic and its spread across India's regions and social groups.'

Pictured above are the Covid infection rates per million people across the countries with the top five Covid death rates in the world. It showed India had among the lowest infection rates, but this may be due to a lack of testing

Pictured above is the Covid testing rate per 1,000 people across the countries with the top five Covid death rates globally

Mr Guilmoto is an expert on India's population, after completing a three-year PhD on the population history of South India and spending five years working at the French Institute in Pondicherry.

He is currently based at the Centre de Sciences Humaines in New Delhi, the country's capital, which investigates population structures and economics both in India and neighbouring nations.

India's Government has previously slammed suggestions that its Covid death toll is about seven times higher than the official tally, which was reported by The Economist magazine in June last year.

Its health ministry said: 'It is a speculative article, which is without any basis and seems to be misinformed. The unsound analysis of the said article is based on the extrapolation of data without any epidemiological evidence.'

Separate studies have also suggested India's death toll is much higher than reported, with one from US researchers published last summer suggesting it was between 3.4 and 4.7million.
The anguished father of a nine-year-old Houston girl who was hit by a bullet during a nearby robbery mourned the death of his daughter with a heartbreaking message after she was taken off life support.

'Crazy how life can change in a blink of an eye... no matter how ready we think we are. We never are...,' wrote Armando Alvarez, in reply to a photo his wife had posted earlier in the day as she prayed for a miracle that never came.

'I ended up working late today and could have taken the day off to spend the day with you. My baby is gone,' he added, followed by two broken-heart emojis.

Arlene Alvarez was accidentally shot in the head by a robbery victim who was firing at his attacker after the man was held up at gunpoint at an ATM on Monday.

Arlene, who was sitting in her dad's pickup truck near where the shots were fired in southeast Houston, died Tuesday at the hospital.

Armando Alvarez posted message on Facebook after his daughter, Arlene, was taken off life support. Her mother posted the photo of the girl after she was taken to the hospital

The dad said Arlene was sitting in the backseat of his truck and was wearing headphones when the shooting started Monday evening.

'When we were getting shot at the first time, and I told them 'get down,' she was the only one who didn't get down. She didn't hear me,' Alvarez said.

Tony Earls, 41, was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault, serious bodily injury in the shooting, police announced.

Arlene Alvarez was hit by stray bullet while sitting in backseat of her dad's truck. She later died

This booking photo provided by the Houston Police Department shows Tony Earls on February 15. Houston police say Earls, who had been robbed at an ATM on Monday evening, opened fire in an attempt to stop his attacker but instead shot a 9-year-old girl in a truck driving nearby. The girl later died at a hospital

Heartbroken dad Armando Alvarez told reporters Arlene was placed on life support Monday before she died a day later

He was being held in the Harris County Jail on a $30,000 bond. Court records did not list an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Arlene's death was announced shortly after police said Earls had been charged. Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney's Office, said prosecutors will look at possibly upgrading charges against Earls.

'Our hearts go out to the Alvarez family. We are going to review all the evidence, apply the law and determine what charges are appropriate,' Schiller said.

Executive Assistant Police Chief Matt Slinkard on Monday night called the shooting 'an unbelievably tragic event.'

Houston police investigate after shooting at drive-through ATM led to death of young girl

Earls and his wife were at the ATM at around 9:45 p.m. when another man walked up to their vehicle and robbed them at gunpoint, Slinkard said.

As the suspect fled on foot, Earls got out of his vehicle and opened fire, including at a pickup truck he thought the robbery suspect had climbed into, police said.

But the truck carrying the Alavarez family of five was not involved and had been 'simply driving' down a street near the ATM, Slinkard said.

'It just goes to show, anytime that theres guns involved, the danger to innocent bystanders is extremely high,' Slinkard said.

Alvarez said he was driving his family to Arlene's favorite restaurant when the shooting happened.

He said his instinct was to drive faster when he heard the shooting start, to get away from the scene.

'As soon as I speed up, what are you doing? You are already coming next to him. You're going toward the guy shooting. So I guess when I speed up, he thought I was with that guy,' Alvarez said.

Arlene's mother turned to social media as her girl lay mortally wounded in the hospital.

'I need the deepest prayers for my Arlene, my baby is in the ICU, mamita mi amor tu no mi Reyna!' she wrote, which translates to mommy, my love, not you, my queen!

'My baby got shot, we were driving and guy robbing at chase shot us in the truck and he shot my ARLENE!

'Doctors told us there is no hope! Please don't inbox me, I NEED PRAYERS! Please, my faith is so strong and please tonight in honor my baby girl light up a candle! A real candle and prayers!'

She continued: 'My perfect baby girl. this year we had so many plans and we are going to make them happen mi amor, mi mejor amiga mamita!' - which means my love, my best friend mommy.

She later posted a picture of her daughter lying in the ICU, her head wrapped in bandages, and appeared to criticize the judge for what she perceived as a low bond for the shooter. However, she wrote that it was set at $3,000 when it was $30,000.

Arlene is the second 9-year-old girl to be shot in Houston within a week and the fourth child shot this month

Arlene, shown with her baby brother, was wearing headphones when the shooting started and may have not heard the gunfire

Arlene was heading to her favorite restaurant when the shooting happened, her dad said

Earls, who later called police to report the robbery, told authorities he did not know his gunfire had hit the truck.

Police were searching for the robbery suspect. They have not determined if that man returned fire or was shot.

Arlene was the second 9-year-old girl to be shot in Houston within a week. Ashanti Grant remains hospitalized after being shot in the head during a road rage attack on February 8.

At least three other children have been shot this year in the Houston area.

On Feb. 3, an 11-year-old boy was fatally shot as he walked from his apartment to his familys car to get his coat.

On Feb. 8, a 13-year-old was shot multiple times and injured outside a grocery store.

On New Years Day, the 4-year-old niece of George Floyd was wounded when someone fired into her Houston apartment as she slept.

Earlier this month, Houston officials announced a $44 million plan to tackle rising violent crime in the nation's fourth largest city.

Like other major cities across the U.S., Houston has seen an increase in violent crime in the last couple of years amid the pandemic.

Overall crime in Houston dropped by 3.4 percent in 2021, including a 12 percent drop in sexual assaults, an 11.4 percent drop in robberies and a 10 percent drop in burglaries.

But homicides increased by more than 18 percent last year to 479.

As of Tuesday morning, Houston police had reported 62 homicides so far this year, a 32 percent increase from the same time period in 2021, when there were 47.

During the same time in 2020, there were 40.

The recent surge in homicides is still below Houston's highest murder tally of 701 homicides in 1981, when the city was dubbed the murder capital of the US.

During a news conference Monday announcing a $30,000 reward for information in the shooting of Ashanti Grant, Mayor Sylvester Turner said officials were set to 'go the extra mile' to protect children from violent crime.

'These are our children and this foolishness has to stop,' Turner said.
But health chiefs argued incidental admissions and fatalities are on the rise

Country has faced some backlash on virus figures since lifting all restrictions

Danish health chiefs have taken to social media to debunk doom-mongering claims that Covid hospitalisation and death rates are both soaring after dropping nearly all of its virus curbs.

Experts at the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), the Government agency responsible for pandemic preparedness, are publicly dismissing misinformation about the state of the Scandinavian nation's outbreak.

Daily Covid cases and hospitalisations have reached record highs in February, while deaths are nearly level with previous peaks and trending upwards.

But the agency has now hit back at backlash and insisted that soaring tolls are being driven by 'incidental' cases  mirroring a trend seen in the UK.

Denmark became the first country in Europe to lift all domestic Covid restrictions at the start of the month, ending rules on face coverings, vaccine passports and work from home guidance. Only self-isolation rules remain.

Critics of the move, which England is set to follow next week, argue it is dangerous because it increases the risk of a more severe variant emerging.

Official Covid data from Denmark's Statens Serum Institut (SSI) shows daily confirmed infections (shown in graph) reached record levels after all restrictions were lifted on February 1. Nearly 60,000 people tested positive on February 7 - the most recent peak

The number of infected patients admitted to hospital every day in Denmark (shown in graph) rose to the highest ever level in Februar, with 451 hospitalisations recorded at the spike on 7 February. However, Government scientists said incidental admissions - people who test positive but are primarily in hospital for another reason, but included in the statistics - are behind the rise

Denmark's daily Covid deaths - which include anyone who died within 30 days of testing positive on a PCR test - show virus fatalities nearly rose to levels seen in the wave last winter. Some 38 deaths were recorded on February 13, compared to the high of 39 on January 19 2021

Despite official data showing daily Covid deaths are near record highs, the Statens Serum Institut, Denmark's Government agency responsible for pandemic preparedness, took to Twitter to clarify that the figures, which include all deaths 'with' Covid, are inflated by record infection levels

Dr Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), accused the Danish Government of 'losing their frigging minds' by releasing Covid restrictions.

And Dr Eric Topol, a cardiologist at US research centre Scripts Research, warned the country's Covid outbreak is 'not looking good', highlighting that daily deaths are at '67 per cent' of the previous peak and have a 'steep ascent'.

WHAT IS THE COVID SITUATION IN DENMARK? On February 1, Denmark became the first country in Europe to lift all Covid curbs, ending rules on face coverings, vaccine passports and work from home guidance. Following the move, daily Covid cases and hospitalisations have reached record highs in February, while deaths are nearly level with previous peaks and trending upwards. Nearly 60,000 infections, 451 hospitalisations and 38 deaths were recorded per day at peaks over the last fortnight. The data has given fuel for scientists to argue that the country's approach isn't working. But Government scientists argued that incidental virus hospitalisations and deaths are on the rise as society opens up. Advertisement

The country, which counts virus fatalities as deaths within 30 days of testing positive on a PCR test, saw 5.21 deaths per million people registered yesterday.

This marked the highest daily tally since its peak last winter, according to the Oxford University-backed statistical platform Our World in Data.

But the SSI scientists said this figure includes all deaths among people infected with the virus, rather than those which were caused by the virus.

They said: 'Since Omicron became the dominant variant in Denmark a lot of people get infected.

'An increase in numbers of infected also makes it easier for a person to die a number of days after an infection without having anything to do with the Omicron infection.'

The SSI said this means 'having an increase in number of infected persons will also have an increase in the number of persons' counted as Covid deaths.

For exactly the same reason, the scientists also dismissed claims 'many people are hospitalised' because of Covid.

Official figures show 300,000 people tested positive last week, but just 2,400 were admitted to hospital.

And four in 10 coronavirus admissions are now primarily being treated for another cause, according to Government data.

The SSI said the proportion of Covid patients who are hospitalised because they are unwell with the virus has been falling since July.

The agency also disregarded claims that Denmark has decided Covid 'does not exist anymore' as 'incorrect'.

Officials in Denmark lifted all Covid curbs in the country on February 1, ending rules on face coverings, vaccine passports and work from home guidance. Pictured: commuters at Copenhagen Central Station on February 1 following the removal of Covid restrictions

Figures from Oxford University platform Our World in Data, shows Denmark recorded 7,839 Covid cases per million people on February 14. For comparison, 1,019 cases in the UK and 457 infections in the US were registered per million people

Hospitalisation data collected by Our World in Data shows 470 Covid admissions were recorded in Denmark per million people, compared to 230 admissions in the US and 134 in the UK per million people

Figures from Our World in Data show 5.2 Covid deaths per million people were registered in Denmark yesterday as fatalities continue to climb. Meanwhile, 2.2 virus fatalities among Britons and 6.8 deaths in the US were registered per million people

Our World in Data statistics show 81.5 per cent of Denmark's entire population is double-jabbed. For comparison, 71.5 per cent of Britons and 64.3 per cent of Americans have had two doses

Covid is still circulating but is not considered 'an infection critical to society', the SSI said.

The dominant Omicron strain is milder than previous variants and 81.5 per cent of the population have received two vaccine doses, which 'largely protects against severe disease', it said.

'Therefore, Covid does not have the same impact on society and the population as earlier in the pandemic,' the scientists said.

This allowed virus curbs to be lifted on February 1 but the 'Danish authorities very much acknowledge the presence of Covid', according to the SSI.

Danish people are still advised to wear face masks and show vaccine passports at hospitals and care homes, while students are advised to test regularly.
Australia Post has defended its decision to dish out more than $170,000 in bonuses to highly paid staff using taxpayer money last financial year.

The Senate's estimates committee heard on Tuesday that five senior staff members were given a retention payment to ensure a competitor did not poach them.

The largest of retention payments was given to one senior executive, who received a $500,000 gratuity, to be cashed out over three years.

Australia post (pictured) has defended its decision to dish out more than $170,000 in bonuses to highly paid staff

A 'short-term incentive' bonus averaging around $168,000 was also given to 31 employees earning between $300,000 and $400,000.

The incentives were handed out during the 2020-21 financial period, resulting in a 22 per cent increase to bonuses given for that salary band in the previous year.

Australia Post chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo has defended the payments, insisting they were part of 'contractual remuneration arrangements', rather than bonuses.

Australia Post chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo (pictured) has defended the payments as 'short-term incentives' rather than bonuses

One senior executive, who received a $500,000 gratuity, to be cashed out over three years, a Senate's estimates committee heard on Tuesday

'We certainly don't see them as bonuses at all,' Mr Di Bartolomeo told the Senate's environment and communications legislation committee on Tuesday.

'With our senior executives, we have contractual arrangements around the remuneration that provides two components of remuneration.'

One component of the salary is fixed while the other offers a short-term incentive payment subject to performance, he said.

'Clearly, performance outcome from year to year may well see different payments being made. They are not increases in pay, they are not increases in bonuses,' Mr Di Bartolomeo added.

However in a separate estimates hearing on Tuesday, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said short-term incentives are considered bonuses.

'A short-term incentive, which is paid against certain KPIs, I would shorthand that as a bonus,' he said.

Ousted Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate (pictured) came under fire when details emerged she gave four staff members luxury $20,000 Cartier watches as a bonus in 2018

'A long-term retention payment, I wouldn't necessarily shorthand that in the same way.'

More than $78million in bonuses were paid to 2,706 employees last financial year, with 15 staff members earning $400,000 to $500,000 receiving almost $233,000 in bonuses.

The spending - which was labelled 'out of touch' by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, is a sharp increase from the 2018 bonus scandal which rocked Australia Post.

Ousted Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate came under fire when details emerged she gave four staff members luxury $20,000 Cartier watches as a bonus.

Ms Holgate gifted the taxpayer funded watches to executives as a reward for securing a Bank deal which earned Aus post $220 million.

This year, just 152 out of 32,755 frontline Australia Post staff receiving less than $100,000 a year received a bonus.

The figure is a startling contrast to 2020 where 99 per cent of employees in that award band received a bonus payment.
People wait for their coronavirus test at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, Feb. 14. AP-Yonhap





South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases spiked to an all-time high Tuesday amid worries that the number could further increase as the government mulls easing current tough social distancing curbs later this week.






A black Louisiana man has been freed from prison after 44 years when a judge ruled on Monday that he did not have a fair trial in 1977, when he was accused of attempted aggravated rape by two white twins who were 14 years old at the time.

Vincent Simmons, who turns 70 on Thursday, has fought to clear his name at least 16 times by trying to present evidence that wasn't seen at his initial trial, when he was convicted by a jury of 11 white men and one black woman.

It's not clear how Simmons was even a suspect in the case, and there was no physical evidence linking him to the rape of the twins, Sharon and Karen Sanders, now 59.

The twins alleged to police that a black man raped them and pointed Simmons out in a police line-up.

Among the new evidence presented to the court that freed Simmons was a medical report conducted two weeks after the incident, where a doctor found that one of the accusers was a virgin. It's not clear which sister it referred to.

The report continued to say that the doctor found no signs of a sexual assault on either of the girls.

Also in their evidence was the girls' testimony to police about their alleged attacker, in which they said they didn't know what he looked like and couldn't point him out in a line-up. They said that he was black and 'all blacks and n*****s look alike,' reported CBS.

The twins, who have not spoken publicly until now, maintain that he is guilty of raping them.

Vincent Simmons, a black Louisiana man accused of raping two white women in 1977, has been freed after 44 years in prison

Sharon and Karen Sanders, who are now 59, maintain that Simmons is guilty, but said they wouldn't seek another trial

A judge ruled on Monday that he didn't receive a fair trial in 1977 and rather than order a retrial, a district attorney dropped the charges against him. Above, he was seen having his shackles removed

Simmons left Angola State Penitentiary on Monday, three days before his 70th birthday, where he was greeted by his family and supporters

Simmons has fought to clear his name at least 16 times by trying to present evidence that wasn't seen at his initial trial

Simmons also had an alibi, as his attorneys and supporters told CNN last year that he was in a fight at a bar on the other side of Avoyelles Parish on May 9, 1977 around 9pm  when the alleged rapes were said to take place.

Simmons and his attorneys have fought for years to have their evidence examined, to no avail. Their luck changed on Monday when Louisiana Judge Bill Bennett said it was sufficient enough to order a new trial, clarifying in his ruling that he had 'no opinion' on whether Simmons was guilty or innocent.

Avoyelles Parish District Attorney Charles Riddle, however, said he didn't want the victims 'to undergo the trauma of another trial' and dropped the charges  allowing Simmons to leave Angola State Penitentiary three days before his 70th birthday.

'It dawned on me, this is it. You know. Man, we've been waiting all these years for this,' Simmons told CBS News' lead national correspondent David Begnaud when he learned he was a free man.

Simmons left the maximum security prison on Monday evening, where he was greeted by family and supporters. He was initially sentenced to 100 years in prison, one for each sister he was accused of raping.

On dropping the charges, Riddle said: 'Just in case anyone has any doubt, no this is not a declaration of innocence at all. We attempted to free him months ago because he has served enough time. Let this case be put to bed and the victims free from suffering again.'

The Sanders sisters also appeared at the courthouse on Monday, making it their first appearance at a court hearing for Simmons since he was convicted in 1977.

They said they would not ask the district attorney for a new trial, but maintained their accusations that Simmons is guilty.

Among the evidence Simmons' attorney presented to a judge is a medical report weeks after the alleged rape, which found that one of his accusers was a virgin

Simmons told CBS that he plans on leaving Louisiana and starting a new life as an advocate for other inmates hoping to find their freedom

'He went in guilty. He is guilty now and guess what, he will die guilty. So, I am happy. I got 44 years,' Karen told CBS.

Asked if he was angry at the sisters or harbored any ill will, Simmons told CBS: 'No, I am not mad at them. I mean that when I told them I forgive them that's what I mean ... forgiveness.'

Asked if he's concerned about the court of public opinion, seeing as he hasn't been exonerated, Simmons said: 'People going to be people and some of them are going to say 'he's guilty,' despite the fact that they have no evidence.'

Simmons, who was 25 at the time of the alleged attack, was convicted of attempted aggravated rape less than two months after he was arrested.

In addition to evidence Simmons and his attorneys have been fighting to have examined, Justin Bonus, his latest attorney, also cited what he called 'explosive' claims from a witness.

'There's no physical evidence that connects him to that crime. There's no blood. There's no semen, there's no hairs. There's nothing,' Bonus told CBS.

'Sharon talks about bleeding all over the car. Karen talks about a violent rape. Where's the evidence in the car? Where's the blood in the car? There's nothing that supports a crime happened, and there's definitely not anything that supports a Black man committed the crime,' Bonus added.

The sisters gave their account of what happened to police two weeks after the alleged incident, saying they were abducted by a black man who sexually assaulted them for three hours after stealing a car belonging to their cousin Keith Laborde, 18, who they say was locked in the trunk.

Bonus has presented to the judge claims made in a sworn statement made by Laborde's cousin Dana Brouilette in 2020, who said Laborde admitted that Simmons did not rape the sisters or put him in the trunk of the car, CBS reported.

'Dana Brouilette goes on to say, 'He told me that he had had consensual sex with one of the girls and locked the other in the trunk while he was on Little California Road,'' Bonus said.

'Karen admitted to me that Keith raped her,' Brouilette said in 2020.

Sharon Sanders told CBS in response: 'Oh my God. She is a sick woman. She is a sick woman to even go there. She had no clue. That's sick. I'm sorry. But that is so sick.'

'Say that was the truth and they believe that really happened, why didn't they go report it?' Karen Sanders said.

When asked by CBS if she had consensual sex with Laborde, Karen Sanders said: 'We were kids.  We experimented. So yes, if that's consensual, that's whatever word you want to put to it.'

Karen Sanders said the incident happened when she was 9 or 10 years old, before she accused Simmons of raping her.

'That's as newly discovered evidence as it gets man, and it's out of the horse's mouth. It makes her look like she's no longer a victim. My client's a victim.  It's evidence that Vincent, at trial, his defense attorneys would have ran to that so fast they would have blamed Keith,' Bonus said.

Meanwhile, Simmons told CBS that he plans on leaving Louisiana and starting a new life as an advocate for other inmates hoping to find their freedom.
A young lawyer has unleashed on a disgraced former High Court justice who 'destroyed her career' by sexually harassing her.

Alex Eggerking won a compensation payout from the federal government over her treatment by Dyson Heydon when she worked as his associate.

She - along with Rachael Patterson Collins and Chelsea Tabart - secured confidential settlements on Monday after an investigation into Mr Heydon's conduct.

Ms Eggerking appeared on the ABC's 7.30 program and was asked what she would like to say to the former judge.

'Dyson, you ruined my career. You destroyed my love for the law,' she responded.

Ms Eggerking as a law graduate. An associate position with Heydon at the High Court was her first step in becoming a barrister

'You destroyed my faith in legal institutions and the legal profession. You made me feel viscerally unsafe on my third day of working for you.

'You made me feel worthless. You treated me like I was an object that you could use when you wanted to with impunity.'

Ms Eggerking said Mr Heydon did not deserve his Companion of the Order of Australia award or to have a practising certificate for law.

'What I also want to say is, that you didn't get away with it,' she said.

'Strong, courageous, vulnerable, bloody determined women stood up and said, 'That's enough, this is what happened to me and you won't get away with it.'

Ms Eggerking secured one of the prized associate positions with Mr Heydon in Canberra in 2011, a major step towards fulfilling her dream of becoming a barrister.

'It was an absolute pinnacle job for a law graduate,' she said.

But her dream turned sour when Mr Heydon invited her to Canberra's Commonwealth Club after dinner at a restaurant.

Alex Eggerking told the 7.30 report that Dyson Heydon ruined her career and her love of the legal profession

An investigation into former High Court judge Dyson Heydon accepted the claims of six former associates who claimed harassment. Mr Heydon has denied all allegations through his lawyers

He invited her to a room to 'see his desk' but it turned out to be a bedroom Mr Heydon used at the club.

The 67-year-old asked Ms Eggerking to come into the room and close the door, she said.

'That's when I really started to panic,' she said.

'It became so obvious this had crossed over into an extremely unprofessional situation. I felt like I had been manipulated into his bedroom.

'I was terrified, I felt violated, I felt manipulated and I felt trapped.'

Ms Eggerking said she then fled the room, telling the judge she had to go.

A confidential settlement was reached thought to total about $1 million for Chelsea Tabart, Rachael Patterson Collins and Alex Eggerking

She soon became aware she was not the first woman at the High Court to experience Mr Heydon's harassment and had to come up with 'strategies' to complete her year's associateship with the judge.

She later left the law to start a career in media after deciding she would never seek a reference from Mr Heydon, which was crucial to the next step in her law career.

'I was absolutely determined that [Mr Heydon] would not have one iota's say in who or what I was next,' she said.

In 2020, an investigation into Mr Heydon's behaviour at the High Court by public servant Vivienne Thom revealed six former associates were subjected to harassment, five of whom worked with the former judge.

As a result of the investigation, Chief Justice Susan Keifel said the women's complaints were accepted.

'We are ashamed that this could have happened at the High Court of Australia,' she said in a statement after the investigation.

'The findings are of extreme concern to me, my fellow justices, our chief executive and the staff of the court.'

'We are ashamed that this could have happened at the High Court of Australia,' Chief Justice Susan Keifel said in a statement after the allegations against Mr Heydon were investigated

Two of the other women involved in the settlement reported similar behaviour by Mr Heydon. Ms Collins said he repeatedly tried to kiss her and told her she was beautiful.

Another former associate, Chelsea Tabart, told the Sydney Morning Herald Mr Heydon put his hand on her knee after taking her to a private room at a club

Mr Heydon had previously denied all of the allegations through his lawyers.

He previously described his actions as 'inadvertent and unintended'.

He was a High Court judge from 2003 until 2013, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Mr Heydon was referred to as 'The Great Loner' in the court because of his habit of writing his own judgements and his tendency to dissent from the majority, particularly towards the end of his tenure.

He oversaw the controversial Royal Commission into trade union governance and corruption in 2014, after being appointed by the Abbott Government.

Employment law firm Maurice Blackburn Lawyers revealed the settlement on Monday but its terms will remain secret after the three women signed non-disclosure agreements

It's believed the compensation amounts could total more than $1 million.
A couple in the foothills of New Zealand's Southern Alps have used an unconventional method to sell their picturesque cottage.

Husband and wife Lawrance Simpson, 34, and Clarissa Turner, 29, stripped off for a photo they used to advertise their A-frame house on the nation's South Island.

'It wasn't any type of marketing strategy, we just thought it would be funny, the ad was already up so we took the photo for a bit of a laugh,' Simpson told Daily Mail Australia.

Clarissa and Lawrance found cheeky ways to protect their parts as they posed for the photo in front of their house on New Zealand's South Island

The approach seems to be working, with their property listing on the website Trade Me racking up more than 20,000 views.

Simpson and Turner picked clever activities to cover their bits for the photo, watering a plant and reading a large book.

Their plot sits three kilometres from the Franz Josef/Waiau township on two acres of farmland, and the alpine cottage is so remote any prospective owner could walk around it in the nude without fear of being seen.

The farm plot is located just north of the Franz Josef Glacier among secluded foothills and stunning scenery

The area around the property is straight out of the Lord of the Rings, boasting mountains, lakes, the Tatare Tunnels Walk tourist attraction - and perhaps most fittingly Canavan's Knob, from the top of which you can see the Franz Josef Glacier.

The couple want $292,597 for the charming cottage.

While Simpson said he's happy to have had so many people look at the listing, not all of them are serious buyers.

'Its certainly getting a bit of attention but probably not much more than it was (before the photo) in terms of actual buyers. It's a very unique property for a certain type of person,' he said.

The property boasts an A-frame cottage, greenhouse and two acres of subdivided farm land

Simpson and Turner have to sell as they are relocating to Queenstown because his work as a local glacier guide dropped off due to the pandemic.

'I worked up on the glacier for about eight years but the worked dried up. Now I'm doing a bit of property maintenance and landscaping to pay the bills,' said Simpson.

Lawrance Simpson (pictured) and his wife Carissa were forced to relocate when tourism work dried up in the area

The couple say they're sad to see it go, but weren't left with much of a choice.

'I had to move to Queenstown to get other work, there wasn't any here without tourism,' Simpson said.
The face of Australia's vaccine rollout has delivered a blunt message to the ABC's resident Covid expert Dr Norman Swan: stop calling for heavy-handed restrictions on the wider population.

Dr Nick Coatsworth told Radio 2GB on Wednesday that the health expert and pro-restriction advocates such as Dr Kerryn Phelps needed to recognise that Australia's policies should be designed to protect vulnerable Aussies now that most of the country has been vaccinated.

'I don't know what they're trying to do,' the nation's former Deputy Chief Medical Officer told the Ben Fordham Show on Wednesday.

'I think perhaps they've got this idea that it's dangerous to say: 'It's okay if someone dies with comorbidities or they were old'.

'Well that's not what anyone is saying. People are saying there are vulnerable people in our society, there always has been, there always will be, so the social safety net for them is not mass community restrictions two years into a pandemic.'

Dr Nick Coatsworth (pictured) has warned fellow health expert Dr Norman Swan to 'move with the times' rather than advocate for tougher Covid restrictions

Dr Coatsworth said a heavy-handed approach to restrictions to protect the vulnerable people in society wasn't fair on the rest of the community (pictured, shoppers wear masks in Sydney)

Dr Coatsworth said community-wide restrictions weren't fair on the rest of the community, who are already protected by a robust health care system alongside mass vaccination.

'We've got that, and so the vulnerable are protected and so we can move forward with this, so I do think the people like the two you just mentioned need to change their perspective and move with the times,' he said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Dr Swan for comment.

Since the start of the pandemic Dr Norman Swan has presented the public with a grim picture of Covid in Australia - and like many experts grappling with a once-in-a-century pandemic has sometimes made the wrong calls.

In March 2020, the ABC presenter was quoted by Yahoo!News recommending that masks only be worn by health care workers and not the public, as they gave a 'very small' layer of protection and could create a false sense of security.

His comments mirrored similar mask advice at the time. In June of last year, Dr Swan backflipped and told The Project Victoria would have benefitted from enforcing face-masks 'weeks ago' when cases began to skyrocket.

On Christmas Eve, Dr Swan correctly predicted NSW would soon be hitting 25,000 daily cases, tweeting: 'Last year with test positivity rates rarely above 1%, there was underdiagnosis by a factor of three as estimated by population antibodies. Now there is a much higher positivity rate meaning more missed cases.'

Dr Coatsworth's shot at Dr Swan came after he said the 'tide had turned on masks' and recommended they be ditched for children - especially in schools.

Since the start of the pandemic Dr Norman Swan (pictured) has presented the public with a grim picture of Covid in Australia - with many of his doomsday predictions on skyrocketing case numbers and limited ICU beds never coming true

Dr Coatsworth said he believes the 'tide had turned on masks' and recommended they be ditched for children - especially in schools (pictured, school children in NSW)

Masks are compulsory for students in Year 3 and above in Victoria and highly recommended in NSW.

NSW RULES TO BE REVIEWED ON FEB 28 Indoor mask mandates QR code check-ins at venues No singing or dancing in venues Density limits on venues Vaccination evidence Advertisement

The top doctor told Ben Fordham he 'can't imagine' how students feel being forced to wear a mask for up to eight hours a day.

Dr Coatsworth said during the uncertainty of 2020 - when there was more severe strains of the virus and no vaccine - measures had been implemented that had 'minimal benefit' in curtailing new infections.

'When you drop restrictions the first ones you drop are the ones without any evidence-based, and there's no evidence-based for masks in schools,' he said.

'We have to be honest with the Australian community about that, if we're not, when we need to dial-up the level of restrictions in the future - which I think is unlikely - you'll start losing people.'

He recommended the 'low value interventions' be ditched first with masks in schools the first to go - as the radio host applauded his 'common-sense' approach.

Dr Coatsworth has been outspoken about Australia's route out of the pandemic since leaving the federal government.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet (pictured) has flagged that face-coverings will no longer be mandatory within a fortnight

Until the NSW government's rules on face coverings expire on February 27, masks must be worn in all indoor public venues including supermarkets, shopping centres, pubs and cafes (pictured, a masked woman shops in Queensland)

Last month, he said the available data did not prove masks were particularly effective at protecting children under 11 against the virus.

His push for a significant shift in mask policy comes after NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet flagged that face-coverings will no longer be mandatory within a fortnight.

Mr Perrottet said it was a 'civic duty' to bring workers back to the CBD and provide trade for suffering businesses, with office staff to return to their desks and mask rules scrapped from March 1.

Until the NSW government's rules on face coverings expire on February 27, masks must be worn in all indoor public venues including supermarkets, shopping centres, pubs and cafes.

The summer wave of the Omicron variant is quickly declining; Tuesday's figures showed there were 163,283 active Covid cases across the country - the lowest since New Year's Day and and 80.45 per cent down on the January 17 peak.

NSW recorded 10,463 new infections on Wednesday, with Victoria reporting 8,149.
Multimillion-dollar fashion label White Fox Boutique has faced backlash as influencers accuse the label of ripping off styles from smaller brands.

Influencers and small businesses have taken to social media to share side-by-side comparisons of the designs produced by the Australian fashion label, questioning its originality.

A series of social media posts have accused the fast-fashion label of selling designs similar to clothing from Australian and international brands Mr Winston, Miaou and Dion Lee.

Multimillion-dollar fashion label White Fox Boutique has faced backlash over its alleged 'copycat' designs (pictured, a dress sold by White Fox (left) alongside a dress sold by UK fashion label Rat & Boa)

White Fox Boutique co-founders Georgia Moore and Daniel Contos (pictured) have enjoyed booming success with their online retailer as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns

Ilah Watson was among one of several small business owners to point the finger at the label for creating designs resembling products sold by other brands.

In a recent Instagram post, Ms Watson shared an image of a blue mini skirt sold by her online retailer Vesper.co alongside an almost identical design from White Fox.

'Am I crazy, or...?' she wrote.

Ilah Watson was among one of several small business owners to point the finger at White Fox Boutique after she shared a style which appears similar to one of her designs (pictured)

In a video uploaded to TikTok, a number of White Fox designs appear alongside similar styles from other fashions brands, sold at a drastically cheaper price.

The clip includes a white bustier sold by Australian designer Dion Lee which retails for around $790 pictured alongside a White Fox version sold online for $69.95.

A TikTok shows a white bustier sold by Australian designer Dion Lee (Pictured, left) which retails for around $790 pictured alongside a White Fox version sold online for $69.95 (Pictured, right)

Ex-White Fox brand ambassador and influencer Sophia Begg has dropped the brand over the revelations, revealing she no longer works with the company.

'I no longer work with the company I think the copying is awful,' Ms Begg wrote in comments on TikTok.

TikTok user Lianaelizabethh has called on other influencers to boycott the brand after sharing a video in January titled 'White Fox at it again' alongside a montage of alleged 'copycat' designs.

Social media users have made comparisons of White Fox designs that appear similar to a jumper sold by Melbourne brand Mr Winston (pictured)

This week she continued to call out the fashion label despite revealing she has lost a number of collaborations with businesses over the posts.

'Me calling out White Fox and losing all the collab opportunities I used to get because I'm controversial. Me continuing to do it because everybody deserves to know how shady they are,' she wrote alongside a TikTok on Friday.

Design imitation can be difficult to navigate in the Australian fashion landscape as current copyright laws only offer a limited degree of protection.

'Once a designer uses that design on a commercial scale, copyright protection is lost,' Olivia Hitchens, legal adviser to the Australian Retailers Association, told Daily Mail Australia.

'Intellectual property can be time consuming to register and most creatives dont bother, most original works have no IP protection once they are mass produced meaning, other traders can copy their concepts with minimal risk.'

Ms Hitchens said in the absence of trade mark and design protection, fast-fashion labels are only held liable if the replicated design is 'misleading or deceptive' or is attempting to 'pass off' as the original product.

Ex-White Fox brand ambassador and influencer Sophia Begg (pictured, centre) has dropped the brand over the revelations, revealing she no longer works with the company

'This is hard to argue and many smaller brands and creatives dont have the time or money to protect their concepts from the outset,' she added.

'Even if they do register their designs or names/logos, it is easy for a competitor to change those designs sufficiently to avoid infringement (i.e. by still having the overall look and feel, but with enough stylistic tweaks). '

Sydney based label White Fox Boutique began selling clothes on eBay in 2013, offering the latest trends at affordable prices.

Despite its founders Georgia Moore, and Daniel Contos, having no experience in the fashion industry, the venture has proven sucessful with styles worn by the likes of the Kardashian sisters, Sofia Richie, Hailey Baldwin and Emily Ratajkowski.

Ms Moore previously told Daily Mail Australia that the main secret behind the label's success has been social media.

'I didn't have any money when I started the business so if we weren't using Instagram I don't think it would have grown as big as it has,' she said.

Covid-19 remarkably saw even more success for the business after shoppers flocked to the retailer to stock up on activewear and loungewear during lockdowns.

The retailer saw a mammoth 154 per cent increase in activewear sales after NSW plunged into its second shutdown in June.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted White Fox Boutique for comment.
Channel Nine's political editor Chris Uhlmann has claimed the Convoy to Canberra protest against Covid vaccine mandates was the largest he had seen in 30 years, as debate continues about how many people attended.

In his regular opinion column for the Nine-Fairfax newspapers, Uhlmann urged politicians and the media to listen to the grievances of those who had set up camp in the nation's capital since the beginning of February.

He likened the crowd in Canberra to Trump supporters he had seen in West Virginia before the 2016 US presidential election.

'The crowd was massive. Trying to judge its size is a mugs game, but it was easily the biggest I have seen in 30 years of covering protests in the capital,' he wrote.

Police estimated a crowd of about 10,000 people at the protest rally against vaccine mandates in Canberra on February 12

Some protesters claimed online that more than 300,000 people were at last Saturday's rally at Parliament House, attended by politicians Pauline Hanson and Craig Kelly

Anti-vaccine mandate protesters had been demonstrating in Canberra for two weeks before the rally on February 12

In an opinion column, Channel Nine's Chris Uhlmann urged 'politicians and the media' to listen to the grievances of the protestors

Uncertainty remains over how many people attended the rolling protest in Canberra, with some protestors claiming online that a crowd of anywhere between 300,000 and a million people attended last Saturday's rally at Parliament House, attended by politicians Pauline Hanson and Craig Kelly.

Local police put the crowd on Saturday at about 10,000 people while other observers said the figure was closer to 20,000 people.

Channel Nine's political editor Chris Uhlmann

The protesters encompassed a broad church, from extreme right-wing groups such as the Proud Boys through to ordinary workers who oppose mandatory vaccinations at workplaces.

'This is not a crowd that takes to the streets without extreme provocation,' wrote Uhlmann.

'They are reacting to extraordinary interference in their lives.

'If you dont have a right to protest being locked in your home, robbed of employment, separated from your family, forbidden from travelling overseas, barred from returning to Australia and forced to take a vaccine to keep your job, then what does constitute a just cause?'

Last week Graham Hood, a former Qantas pilot and one of the convoy's self-declared spokespeople, told protestors that Uhlmann 'likes what we're doing' after a conversation with the Nine Network's chief political correspondent.

'He said, this is what you need to do - you need to have a crisp, clear message... all you people need to be really disciplined, because if you do that, you have a crisp, clear message that's short and sharp, you guys will win over the Australian public.' Mr Hood said Uhlmann told him.

Pauline Hanson is seen arriving at the protest rally outside Parliament House on February 12

Australian Federal Police watch on as a protestor addresses the rally in Canberra on Saturday

Protestors began congregating in the nation's capital at the start of the month. Pictured: Protestors wave flags and banners during a protest at Parliament House last week

While the numbers at the main protest camp at Canberra's Exhibition Park caused the closure of the Lifeline book fair and the Capital Region Farmers Market last weekend, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said protesters were mostly 'pretty well behaved'.

'It was just a few who decided to commit offences,' he said.

At least three people were arrested at Saturday's protest, with one protester allegedly driving a truck through a barrier.

A supporter of the Convoy to Canberra posted a photo of the Woodstock music festival from 1969, claiming it depicted the size of the protest

People posted joke tweets in response, mocking the crowd size claims by Canberra protestors

One 44-year-old man who was found with a loaded rifle and plans of Parliament House in his car was charged with possessing an illegal firearm and faces fines relating to his vehicle's roadworthiness.

'There were plenty of fruitcakes out in force,' 2GB Mornings host Ben Fordham said, 'But its not fair to characterise all of these people as lunatics.'

'After two years of lockdowns and restrictions, people have had enough!'

After one supporter of the protestors posted a picture online of the crowd at 1969 music festival Woodstock and claimed it was the Canberra protest, numerous people posted pictures of other large crowds to mock the protestors' claims about how many people attended.

The majority of protestors had moved on from their camps by Monday, after ACT Police said their bookings would not be renewed this week so that preparations for the Canberra Show could commence.

A camp that formed near the National Library was dismantled by ACT Police and AFP officers last week.

The protests caused significant disruption to local residents in the city, captured in a Canberra Times front page on Sunday that read: 'You've had your say, now go home.'
Covid cases have jumped in NSW for the second day in a row with 10,463 new infections, while Victoria held steady at 8,149.

Covid-19 cases in NSW rose by 27.6 per cent including another 27 deaths on Wednesday and 49.1 per cent of residents have received their booster shot.

For the second consecutive day cases of the virus jumped by more than 2,000 and the number of people dying with the virus more than doubled.

New South Wales has recorded a massive jump in Covid cases for the second day in a row reporting 10,463 new infections on Wednesday (pictured, a masked Sydneysider takes a walk in Circular Quay in January)

Hospitalisations dropped by 105 to 1,478, while there were 92 people in intensive care on Wednesday - four fewer than reported by NSW Health on Tuesday.

In Victoria, hospitalisations were down 44 from Tuesday - with 397 patients currently in hospital with Covid-19.

Of these, 68 Covid-19 patients are in intensive care and 13 require ventilation.

Victoria has reported 8,149 new Covid-19 cases and 18 deaths on Wednesday as the state prepares to resume all elective surgery by the end of the month.

Of the new cases, 5,295 were detected through rapid antigen tests and 2854 via PCR lab testing bringing the state's total active cases from 50,967 to 49,936.

The state's easing Omicron wave has emboldened the NSW and Victorian state government to loosen Covid-19 restrictions across both states.

Elective surgery is set to resume in Victoria as the state records 8,149 (pictured, a health care worker is seen at a PCR drive-thru clinic in Wyndham Vale, Melbourne)

As part of easing restrictions, the NSW Government announced plans return Sydney's public transport services to a regular timetable at the end of the month.

Transport Minister David Elliott says train services will return to a weekday timetable from February 28, to accommodate a rise in patronage with an expected return of people to the office.

Public transport has been running on a reduced timetable since last month because of staff shortages caused by the Covid-19 Omicron wave.

Covid-19 restrictions, such as indoor mask mandates, remain in force until February 27 but the state government is keen to get workers back into offices when they lift.

In the past week, the number of people using rail services has climbed seven per cent compared to the previous week, with 541,905 average daily weekday trips made on Sydney Trains services, Mr Elliott said.

NSW reports 49.1 per cent of residents have received their Covid-19 booster shot (pictured, young woman receives her Pfizer vaccine)

'This is a great sign, it shows customers have the confidence to jump on public transport as more people get back to major centres like Sydney's CBD and Parramatta,' he told Sydney radio 2GB on Wednesday.

Treasurer Matt Kean says small businesses that experienced a downturn over the summer can apply for a government support payment of up to $5000 per week through Service NSW.

The Small Business Support Program will provide cash to help businesses get through the current Covid-19 outbreak and keep workers employed.

In Victoria from Monday, public hospitals in metropolitan Melbourne will be able to perform category two surgery and private metro hospitals will ramp up to 75 per cent capacity for any type of elective surgery, up from 50 per cent.

Health Minister Martin Foley will then consider allowing all surgery to go ahead from February 28.

Covid-19 restrictions, such as indoor mask mandates, remain in force until February 27 in NSW (pictured, a woman wears a mask while shopping in Waverely)

Each hospital will also assess their own capacity based on staff availability and Covid-19 demands, with 44 still operating as Covid-19 streaming sites.

In regional Victoria, the private hospitals cap will rise from 75 per cent to 100 per cent from Monday and public hospitals will continue to carry out any elective surgery based on their individual capacity.

Victoria paused all non-urgent elective surgery in early January as the Omicron variant ran rampant through the community.

But the state's rolling seven-day average of Covid-19 hospitalisations now sits at 457 patients, dropping from a peak of more than 1200 patients in mid-January.

Staff unavailability figures are also fallen by roughly two-thirds to 1400 workers.

Mr Foley thanked Victorians on the growing elective surgery wait list for their patience during the difficult time.

Meanwhile, Victorian cleaners say schools are 'not safe' for students as their hours have been cut back, leaving less time to ensure classes are Covid-safe.

Treasurer Matt Kean says small businesses that experienced a downturn over the summer can apply for a government support payment of up to $5000 per week through Service NSW

The cleaners will rally outside Hazel Glen College at Doreen in Melbourne's northeast on Wednesday over fears children are being put at risk, after enhanced cleaning measures were 'removed' at schools across the state for term one.

The United Workers Union is leading the industrial action and says cleaners are working unpaid overtime to carry out additional cleaning as their employers are no longer willing to pay for the extra hours.

'Proper hygiene cannot be a rushed process,' cleaner and UWU delegate Sofia Floros said in a statement.

'If schools aren't cleaned properly, including enhanced cleaning, there is still a risk of spreading the virus. This is not a safe working or learning environment.'

The Victorian government last month unveiled its back-to-school plan, including twice weekly recommended rapid tests, a third dose vaccine mandate for staff, indoor masks for most students, and air purifiers in classrooms.

AAP has contacted the government for comment.
Three Georgia men who shot and killed black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020 had a long history of making racist remarks and were motivated by a dislike of black people, a jury was told on Tuesday.

The three - Gregory McMichael, 66; his son Travis McMichael, 36, and neighbor William 'Roddie' Bryan, 52 - were convicted in November of shooting dead Arbery and have all been sentenced to life in prison, with only Bryan having even the possibility of parole.

On Monday, their federal hate crimes trial began, with prosecutors intent on proving that the trio was motivated by race - something notoriously difficult to confirm.

Their state trial which found them guilty did not delve into the motivation of the three men, and instead avoided the complex issue of race.

With Arbery's parents sitting in the courtroom in Brunswick, Georgia, prosecutors depicted the trio as deeply racist relics of a bygone era.

Barbara Bernstein, deputy chief of the Department of Justice's civil rights division, said that if Arbery, an avid runner, had been white, he would have been able to go for an afternoon jog unmolested and 'been home in time for Sunday supper.'

She told the court: 'Instead, he went out for a jog, and ended up running for his life.

'Instead, he ended up bleeding to death, alone and scared, in the middle of the street.'

Travis McMichael, his father Gregory, and their neighbor William 'Roddie' Bryan were described by prosecutors on Tuesday as racist killers

Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot and killed in February 2020. Now his killers are facing a hate crimes trial

Arbery's mother is seen on January 7 as the trio were sentenced

Bernstein cited several messages posted on Facebook and elsewhere in which all three men used racial epithets.

She especially highlighted the words of Travis McMichael - who shot Arbery - who she said had made violent and racist statements on social media, including calling black people 'monkeys' and 'subhuman savages.'

He had also told a friend that he was glad to have left the Coast Guard because he no longer had to work with or be around black people, she added.

She said the jury would hear from a witness how Gregory McMichael 'went on a racist rant about black people.'

Bernstein said Bryan used a racial epithet in an online post after learning four days before Arbery's death that his daughter was dating a black man.

Defense attorneys for the three men said in their opening statements that they found their clients' use of racial epithets deeply offensive, but emphasized it was no reason to convict them.

Arbery is seen stumbling and falling to the ground after being shot by Travis McMichael

They said the men were not motivated by Arbery's race.

'I can't stand before you and say my client has never used the 'N-word',' said Amy Copeland, the attorney for Travis McMichael.

'He did. He left a digital footprint over several years.'

But Copeland said Travis McMichael had chiefly been concerned with cases of theft that had left his neighborhood on high alert when he decided to chase down Arbery.

Trial experts said that the challenge for the prosecutors will be to back up the evidence of racist utterances with evidence that on the day of the shooting the three men were motivated by racial animus.

The court is scheduled to hear from Special Agent Richard Dial of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, who has previously testified that Bryan told his office that Travis McMichael uttered a racial slur as Arbery lay dying.

Bryan's attorney, Pete Theodocion, tried to distance his client from the McMichaels, saying that when he joined the McMichaels in chasing Arbery he assumed 'he (Arbery) did something wrong, but not because of his race.'

Travis McMichael is seen in court on January 7 during his sentencing

Hate crimes are particularly hard to prove.

Between 2005 and 2019, the Justice Department pursued just 17 percent of suspected hate crime cases for prosecution, according to a report released in July 2021.

Travis McMichael said at a hearing last month that he was willing to plead guilty to attacking Arbery because of his 'race and color' after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.

But he changed his mind after Judge Lisa Wood rejected the agreement, saying she could not accept it because it bound her to sentencing McMichael to 30 years in federal prison before he was handed back to the state of Georgia to serve out the rest of his life sentence for murder.

She said she needed more information to know whether a 30-year sentence was just, and cited emotional testimony from Arbery's family.

The case is expected to last 12 days.
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It has been more than two decades since Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein first crossed paths.

That meeting would set in motion years of damaging allegations, embarrassing interviews and eventually a US lawsuit against the Queen's third son.

Over the next 23 years, Epstein would go on to abuse and sex traffic young girls across the world on his private jet with his madame Ghislaine Maxwell - the woman who would introduce the financier to Prince Andrew - by his side.

Though he would go on to take his own life in prison while awaiting trial for his sex trafficking crimes, and ultimately robbing his victims of justice, the fallout would continue for those around him.

Maxwell would end up in a US prison, herself found guilty of sex trafficking for Epstein, while Prince Andrew would face accusations of sexual assault by one Epstein victim, Virginia Giuffre.

Determined to clear his name, Prince Andrew would agree to a toe-curling BBC in which he claimed he couldn't have had sex with Ms Giuffre, because he was at Pizza Express at the time.

But Giuffre would continue to pursue the royal, eventually launching a US civil case against him - which has now ended in a settlement.

Here MailOnline takes a look at the sordid saga, from start to finish:

1999: Andrew first meets Epstein, reportedly introduced through his friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell.

Andrew welcomes Epstein to the Queen's private Scottish retreat in Aberdeenshire. Andrew later says he sees Epstein 'infrequently', adding 'probably no more than only once or twice a year'.

2000: Andrew and Ms Maxwell are seen on holiday with Epstein at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Epstein and Ms Maxwell attend a party at Windsor Castle hosted by the Queen to mark Andrew's 40th birthday, the Princess Royal's 50th, the Queen Mother's 100th and Princess Margaret's 70th.

2001: Virginia Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew 'three times, including one orgy', with the first encounter allegedly taking place in Ms Maxwell's London townhouse after they met at the Tramp nightclub on March 10. Recalling the alleged meeting, Andrew was said to be 'sweating profusely'.

Virginia Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew 'three times, including one orgy', with the first encounter allegedly taking place in Ms Maxwell's London townhouse after they met at the Tramp nightclub on March 10. Recalling the alleged meeting, Andrew was said to be 'sweating profusely'

The Duke would later claim in his infamous BBC interview that this could have never happened because he was at a children's party at a branch of Pizza Express in Woking. In the same interview he says he has a medical condition after being shot at during the Falklands War that left him 'unable to sweat' because Ms Roberts, who was 17 at the time, claimed that they danced together and he had been 'sweating profusely'

Ms Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew on two more occasions, at Epstein's New York home and at an 'orgy' on his private island in the Caribbean.

2008: Epstein admits prostituting minors and is sentenced to 18 months in prison.

2010: Epstein is released from jail. Andrew is photographed with the disgraced Epstein in New York's Central Park.

Footage emerges years later, reportedly shot on December 6 2010, showing him inside Epstein's Manhattan mansion, from where he is seen looking out from a large door of the property waving a woman goodbye after Epstein leaves to get into a chauffeur-driven car.

2011: The duke quits his role as UK trade envoy after the fallout from the Central Park photos.

2015: Buckingham Palace denies Andrew has committed any impropriety after he is named in US court documents related to Epstein. A woman, later named in reports as Ms Roberts, alleges in papers filed in Florida that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17, which is under the age of consent in the state.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Andrew, in his first public engagement since he was embroiled in the allegations, responds, saying: 'Firstly I think I must, and want, for the record, to refer to the events that have taken place in the last few weeks. I just wish to reiterate, and to reaffirm, the statements that have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace.'

In April the claims against Andrew are struck from US civil court records following a federal judge's ruling.

Newly released legal documents show that Johanna Sjoberg, another alleged Epstein victim, claims Andrew touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside the US billionaire's Manhattan apartment in 2001. Buckingham Palace denies the allegations

2019: Newly released legal documents show that Johanna Sjoberg, another alleged Epstein victim, claims Andrew touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside the US billionaire's Manhattan apartment in 2001.

Buckingham Palace says the allegations are 'categorically untrue'. Epstein is found dead in his jail cell on August 10, having killed himself after being charged with sex trafficking.

Later that month a pilot on Epstein's private jet claims Andrew was a passenger on past flights with the financier and Ms Roberts.

The Sun newspaper reported that David Rodgers said in a testimony released in August that Epstein, Andrew and the-then 17-year-old travelled to the US Virgin Islands on April 11 2001.

Buckingham Palace describes the evidence statement as having 'a number of inconsistencies' and said that Andrew was on a different continent in some cases.

Following Epstein's death, a statement from the palace says that Andrew is 'appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes'.

Breaking his silence on the issue for the first time since 2015, Andrew then releases a statement on August 24 saying: 'At no stage during the limited time I spent with him (Epstein) did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.'

On November 16, the prince gives a 'disastrous' BBC interview in which he speaks about his friendship with Epstein and addresses allegations of his own sexual conduct.

On November 16, the prince gives a 'disastrous' BBC interview in which he speaks about his friendship with Epstein and addresses allegations of his own sexual conduct

He faced a barrage of criticism following his television appearance, with the royal accused of a lack of empathy with Epstein's victims.

During the interview, Andrew, questioned by Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis, twice stated his relationship with Epstein, who died in jail while facing sex trafficking charges, had some 'seriously beneficial outcomes', giving him the opportunity to meet people and prepare for a future role as a trade envoy.

The royal maintained he did not recall meeting Ms Roberts and did not spend time with her at Tramp Nightclub in London on March 10 in 2001 after which she claims the pair first had sex.

The duke denies sleeping with her on three separate occasions, saying the encounter in 2001 did not happen as he had taken his daughter Princess Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking for a party, and they spent the rest of the day together.

The duke denies sleeping with her on three separate occasions, saying the encounter in 2001 did not happen as he had taken his daughter Princess Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking for a party, and they spent the rest of the day together.

He also said a medical condition after being shot at during the Falklands War left him 'unable to sweat' because Ms Roberts, who was 17 at the time, claimed that they danced together and he had been 'sweating profusely'.

The Duke of York said: 'I was with the children and I'd taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon.

'And then because the Duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there.

'I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy so therefore I was at home.'

However he continues to strongly deny any wrongdoing and claims he has never even met Ms Roberts, now a mother-of-three living in Australia who goes by her married name, Virginia Giuffre.

Following the disastrous interview, which is widely panned, Prince Andrew announces in November that he will step back from frontline royal duties for the 'foreseeable future'. A number of companies with association to the prince step back.

He says at the time he deeply sympathises with sex offender Epstein's victims and everyone who 'wants some form of closure'.

2020: With the Covid pandemic occupying much of the news and the minds of the British public, Prince Andrew has the chance to lie low, which he does, in Windsor Castle.

Andrew hires Gary Bloxsome, a UK criminal defence solicitor, early in the year, just weeks after his car-crash Newsnight interview.

Despite him lying low, talk continues to flow in newspapers like The Telegraph and The Times that he is planning a 'rebranding' and hopes to one day return to frontline royal duties.

He is praised by one senior palace aide for not appearing in official wedding photographs at the marriage of his daughter Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. One said it shows a 'level of maturity' from Prince Andrew.

Prince Andrew is praised by one senior palace aide for not appearing in official wedding photographs at the marriage of his daughter Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. One said it shows a 'level of maturity' from Prince Andrew

However, despite attempting to keep a low-profile, the headlines continue for Prince Andrew.

In February the US attorney for the Southern District of New York claims prosecutors and the FBI had repeatedly contacted the Duke of York's lawyers to follow up on his previous pledge that he was 'willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency'.

In November, Lisa Bloom, who represents six of Epstein's alleged victims, cals on Andrew to submit to an interview with the FBI in their investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell. Sources close to Andrew say he is willing to speak to the FBI.

2021: In August, Virginia Giuffre files a lawsuit in the US against Andrew accusing him of sexual assault. In the civil case she alleges she had sex with Andrew and he was aware of her age.

She also claims hat she was a victim of sex trafficking when she was forced to have sex with him in 2001.

'I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions,' she said in a statement via her lawyers in August that year.

Andrew continues to vehemently denies the claim. He hires US defence attorney Andrew Brettler to represent him. He describes the lawsuit as 'baseless, non-viable, and possibly unlawful.'

Initially there is some debate over whether Prince Andrew has received the lawsuit. His lawyers claim the royal has not been properly served.

Giuffre's lawyers claim the legal papers were handed over to a Metropolitan police officer on duty at the main gates of Andrew's Windsor Great Park home on 27 August.

David Boies, representing Giuffre, said the complaint had been 'delivered to the last known address of the defendant'. He added that the documents had also been sent 'by Royal Mail'.

David Boies, representing Giuffre, said the complaint had been 'delivered to the last known address of the defendant'. He added that the documents had also been sent 'by Royal Mail'

A previously secret 2009 settlement between Giuffre and Epstein is raised. Prince Andrew's lawyers claim the settlement protects the royal from Giuffre lawsuit. The judge agrees to unseal the agreement.

Lawyers for the Duke of York also file a motion claiming Giuffre currently lives in Australia and so the court does not have jurisdiction to hold the lawsuit. But her lawyers argue the civil case was properly filed in Manhattan federal court because she is a citizen of Colorado and some of the sexual misconduct she alleges took place in the state of New York.

Meanwhile, a jury in New York finds Epstein's former madame Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of sex-trafficking.

The British socialist is also found guilty of conspiracy to entice individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, conspiracy to transport individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; transportation of an individual under the age of 17 with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under the age of 18.

A jury in New York finds Epstein's former madame Ghislaine Maxwell (pictured in a court sketch) guilty of sex-trafficking.

On December 30, Giuffre hits back. Her legal team ask the prince's lawyers to prove he cannot sweat in a court filing. The request is made in relation to Prince Andrew's claims in his disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview.

In the filing, it says: 'If Prince Andrew truly has no documents concerning his communications with Maxwell or Epstein, his travel to Florida, New York, or various locations in London, his alleged medical inability to sweat, or anything that would support the alibis he gave during his BBC interview, then continuing with discovery will not be burdensome to him at all'.

2022: The 2009 agreement between Giuffre and Epstein is unsealed. It shows Giuffre settled with Epstein for $500,000. In the settlement, Giuffre is show to agree not to go after 'other potential defendants,' defined as 'second parties'. But it does not specifically name Prince Andrew. His legal team say he is included under 'other potential defendants' and ask the judge to throw out the case.

Alongside attempting to use the Epstein agreement to shield Prince Andrew, his legal team claim Giuffre hadn't sufficiently alleged any violations of the New York Penal Code.

They also argued that Giuffre's allegations would have been time-barred by the statute of limitations if not for the 2019 New York Child Victims Act, which they labeled 'unconstitutional' and that Giuffre's allegations in her complaint were not sufficiently detailed.

But in a major blow to Prince Andrew case, a New York judge throws out his legal challenge to dismiss the lawsuit and rules it can go ahead.

A day later, the Queen strips Andrew of a range of military affiliations and royal patronages after more than 150 veterans write to describe their 'upset and anger'.


Seoul says paying close attention to developments in Ukraine



By Kang Seung-woo



Korea appears to be caught up in a conundrum over Ukraine, having to choose between its economic interests and duty as an ally of the United States following Washington's reference to possible military assistance from Seoul.





Pentagon spokesman John Kirby / Korea Times file

However, the Korean government said it has not received an official request from the U.S. about the issue.



Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said, Monday (local time), Ukrainians would be happy should Korea want to assist the Eastern European country in a "tangible way."



"We've noted and I've said before that many of our other allies in NATO were also finding ways to support Ukraine but those are sovereign decisions that each nation state has to make for themselves and I wouldn't get ahead of the South Korean government on this," he said during a press briefing.



His remarks came after a meeting by top diplomats from Korea, Japan and the U.S. in Hawaii, Saturday, where they shared unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while voicing their commitment to work closely together to deter further Russian escalation, according to a joint statement of the trilateral foreign ministerial talks.



In response, the Ministry of National Defense said, Tuesday, that the U.S. had not made such a request, adding that it has been maintaining close coordination with "relevant organizations."






Police have dramatically dropped the apprehended violence order taken out by socialite Hollie Nasser against her estranged husband, wealthy Sydney investor Christopher Nasser.

The interim order was taken out by Ms Nasser last December while she was embroiled in a high-profile society marriage split as she forged a romance with her best friend Ellie Aitken's husband, investment banker Charlie Aitken.

Minutes after the Downing Centre Local Court opened on Wednesday, prosecutors stood and said police were withdrawing the AVO, and a somewhat surprised Magistrate Susan McIntyre announced the order was formally 'dismissed by the court'.

Mr Nasser's lawyer Paul McGirr told Daily Mail Australia that he had argued with police that the AVO was 'baseless', and had been used 'as a sword instead of a shield' against a non-violent person.

Hollie Nasser has told Daily Mail Australia that she, too, sought to have the AVO dropped.

Investor Christopher Nasser (above with his estranged wife Hollie) was 'bewildered and shocked' by the AVO claims and is now glad he can 'move on'

Mr Nasser's lawyer says AVO was taken out against the backrgound of Holie Nasser's emerging relationship with Charlie Aitken (above)

Chris Nasser (left) had been in business with Charlie Aitken (right) for seven years before Hollie (second left) and Charlie started new romance

The grounds for the order were allegations of 'general intimidation behaviour' during the marriage which foundered late last year.

Mr McGirr said that Mr Nasser had been 'bewildered and shocked' by the restraining order and 'he now wants to move on with his life'.

The AVO was taken out against the background of the public unravelling of the Nasser's marriage and that of Ellie and Charlie Aitken, as Hollie Nasser and Mr Aitken fell in love.

Mr Nasser had been in business with Mr Aitken for seven years before the Aitkens announced their separation in November, and Hollie and Charlie stepped out in public together as a couple.

Mr McGirr claimed the complaints in Hollie Nasser's AVO 'as she stated she was fearful of him ... in and of itself did not make sense'.

He said while the interim AVO was in place, Ms Nasser had returned to the family home on numerous occasions which had caused him legal concerns, and that Ms Nasser had changed her mind about wanting the AVO, 'she wanted it, then she didn't want it'.

'I told police it was a joke and that they should look at it, and they did and now they have withdrawn it,' he said.

'(Mr Nasser) has never been violent, he's quite the contrary, a reserved and humble person.

'At no stage would he ever strike anyone, particularly a woman and the mother of his children.

'The whole process of having laundry aired in public, particularly for the children, has caused him great distress.

Christopher Nasser's lawyer Paul McGirr (above) said he had argued to police that the AVO was 'baseless' and that his client was a 'gentle' person and loving father

Christopher Nasser (above with estranged wife Hollie Nasser) viowed to have the AVO against him dismissed, and was successful on Wednesday when police dramatically withdrew it

Hollie Nasser, 36, a qualified psychologist has two children with Chris Nasser and Ellie and Charlie Aitken, who were married for two decades, also have two children.

'His children have always been paramount. He wants to move on with his life and he holds no animosity towards anybody

'There are no winners in this, but it shows unfortunately how some people can allegedly use the system to seek an AVO, which should be used not as a sword but as a shield.

'My client is a gentle, loving father .'

Ms Nasser, 36, a qualified psychologist has two children with Chris Nasser, while Ellie and Charlie Aitken, who were married for two decades, also have two children.

Mr Aitken issued a public statement last year confirming he'd separated from his wife and was now dating Ms Nasser.

Following the statement, and since the Christmas-New Year holidays when Ellie Aitken travelled solo with her two children to Aspen, Mr Aitken and Ms Nasser had stayed out of the publicity glare until Wednesday's sudden court reversal.
Zaharie Ahmad Shah (pictured) was the pilot of the doomed flight

DID THE PILOT HIJACK HIS OWN PLANE?

Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah planned mass murder because of personal problems, locking his co-pilot out of the cockpit, closing down all communications, depressurising the main cabin and then disabling the aircraft so that it continued flying on auto-pilot until it ran out of fuel.

That was the popular theory in the weeks after the plane's disappearance.

His personal problems, rumours in Kuala Lumpur said, included a split with his wife Fizah Khan, and his fury that a relative, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, had been given a five-year jail sentence for sodomy shortly before he boarded the plane for the flight to Beijing.

But the pilot's wife angrily denied any personal problems and other family members and his friends said he was a devoted family man and loved his job.

This theory was also the conclusion of the first independent study into the disaster by the New Zealand-based air accident investigator, Ewan Wilson.

Wilson, the founder of Kiwi Airlines and a commercial pilot himself, arrived at the shocking conclusion after considering 'every conceivable alternative scenario'.

However, he has not been able to provide any conclusive evidence to support his theory.

The claims are made in the book 'Goodnight Malaysian 370', which Wilson co-wrote with the New Zealand broadsheet journalist, Geoff Taylor.

It's also been rumoured that Zaharie used a flight simulator at his home to plot a path to a remote island.

However, officials in Kuala Lumpur declared that Malaysian police and the FBI's technical experts had found nothing to suggest he was planning to hijack the flight after closely examining his flight simulator.

And there are also theories that t he tragic disappearance may have been a heroic act of sacrifice by the pilot.

Australian aviation enthusiast Michael Gilbert believes the doomed plane caught fire mid-flight, forcing the pilot to plot a course away from heavily populated areas.

IF NOT THE PILOT, WAS THE CO-PILOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MYSTERY?

Co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, again for personal problems, was suspected by rumour-spreaders to have overpowered the pilot and disabled the aircraft, flying it to its doom with crew and passengers unable to get through the locked cockpit door.

Theorists have put forward the suggestion that he was having relationship problems and this was his dramatic way of taking his own life.

But he was engaged to be married to Captain Nadira Ramli, 26, a fellow pilot from another airline, and loved his job. There are no known reasons for him to have taken any fatal action.

There have been a series of outlandish theories about the disappearance of the plane

Others have suggested that because he was known to have occasionally invited young women into the cockpit during a flight, he had done so this time and something had gone wrong.

Young Jonti Roos said in March that she spent an entire flight in 2011 in the cockpit being entertained by Hamid, who was smoking.

Interest in the co-pilot was renewed when it was revealed he was the last person to communicate from the cockpit after the communication system was cut off.

DID THE RUSSIANS STEAL MH370 AND FLY THE JET TO KAZAKHSTAN

An expert has claimed the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was hijacked on the orders of Vladimir Putin and secretly landed in Kazakhstan.

Jeff Wise, a U.S. science writer who spearheaded CNN's coverage of the Boeing 777-200E, has based his outlandish theory on pings that the plane gave off for seven hours after it went missing, that were recorded by British telecommunications company Inmarsat.

Wise believes that hijackers 'spoofed' the plane's navigation data to make it seem like it went in another direction, but flew it to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is leased from Kazakhstan by Russia.

However, Wise admits in New York Magazine that he does not know why Vladimir Putin would want to steal a plane full of people and that his idea is somewhat 'crazy'.

Wise also noted there were three Russian men onboard the flight, two of them Ukrainian passport holders.

Aviation disaster experts analysed satellite data and discovered - like the data recorded by Inmarsat - that the plane flew on for hours after losing contact.

Careful examination of the evidence has revealed that MH370 made three turns after the last radio call, first a turn to the left, then two more, taking the plane west, then south towards Antarctica.

MH370 WAS USED BY TERRORISTS FOR A SUICIDE ATTACK ON THE CHINESE NAVY

This extraordinary claim came from 41-year-old British yachtsman Katherine Tee, from Liverpool, whose initial account of seeing what she thought was a burning plane in the night sky made headlines around the world.

On arrival in Thailand's Phuket after sailing across the Indian Ocean from Cochin, southern India with her husband, she said: 'I could see the outline of the plane - it looked longer than planes usually do.There was what appeared to be black smoke streaming from behind.'

Ms Tee's general description of the time and place was vague and she lost all credibility when she later stated on her blog that she believed MH370 was a kamikaze plane that was aimed at a flotilla of Chinese ships and it was shot down before it could smash into the vessels.

Without solid proof of the satellite data, she wrote on her blog, Saucy Sailoress, the plane she saw was flying at low altitude towards the military convoy she and her husband had seen on recent nights. She added that internet research showed a Chinese flotilla was in the area at the time.

While the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage  and its crucial black box data recorders  remains stubbornly elusive.

THE JET LANDED ON THE WATER AND WAS SEEN FLOATING ON THE ANDAMAN SEA

On a flight from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur that crossed over the Andaman Sea on March 8, Malaysian woman Raja Dalelah, 53, saw what she believed was a plane sitting on the water's surface.

She didn't know about the search that had been started for MH370. She alerted a stewardess who told her to go back to sleep.

'I was shocked to see what looked like the tail and wing of an aircraft on the water,' she said.

It was only when she told her friends on landing in Kuala Lumpur what she had seen that she learned of the missing jet. She had seen the object at about 2.30pm Malaysian time.

She said she had been able to identify several ships and islands before noticing the silver object that she said was a plane.

But her story was laughed off by pilots who said it would have been impossible to have seen part of an aircraft in the water from 35,000ft or seven miles.

Ms Raja filed an official report with police the same day and has kept to her story.

'I know what I saw,' she said.

THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC SYSTEMS FAILURE AND CRASH-LANDED ON THE OCEAN

A catastrophic event such as a fire disabling much of the equipment resulted in the pilots turning the plane back towards the Malaysian peninsula in the hope of landing at the nearest airport.

Satellite data, believable or not, suggests the aircraft did make a turn and theorists say there would be no reason for the pilots to change course unless confronted with an emergency.

A fire in a similar Boeing 777 jet parked at Cairo airport in 2011 was found to have been caused by a problem with the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing.

Stewarts Law, which has litigated in a series of recent air disasters, believes the plane crashed after a fire - similar to the blaze on the Cairo airport runway - broke out in the cockpit.

After an investigation into the Cairo blaze, Egypt's Aircraft Accident Investigation Central Directorate (EAAICD) released their final report which revealed that the fire originated near the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing.

The cause of the fire could not be conclusively determined, but investigators pinpointed a problem with the cockpit hose used to provide oxygen for the crew in the event of decompression.

Following the 2011 fire, US aircraft owners were instructed to replace the system - it was estimated to cost $2,596 (1,573) per aircraft. It was not known whether Malaysia Airlines had carried out the change.

If either pilot wanted to crash the plane, why turn it around? So the turn-around suggests they were trying to land as soon as possible because of an emergency.

THE US SHOT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT FEARING A TERROR ATTACK ON DIEGO GARCIA

The Boeing 777 was shot down by the Americans who feared the aircraft had been hijacked and was about to be used to attack the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia atoll in the Indian Ocean. So conspiracy theorists claim.

And former French airline director Marc Dugain said he had been warned by British intelligence that he was taking risks by investigating this angle.

There is no way of checking whether Dugain received such a warning or why he believes the Americans shot down the plane.

But adding to the theory that the aircraft was flown to Diego Garcia, either by the pilot Zaharie or a hijacker, was the claim that on the pilot's home flight simulator was a 'practice' flight to the island.

Professor Glees said: 'The Americans would have no interest in doing anything of the kind and not telling the world.

'In theory, they might wish to shoot down a plane they thought was attacking them but they wouldn't just fire missiles, they'd investigate it first with fighters and would quickly realise that even if it had to be shot down, the world would need to know.'
Liberal MP Nicolle Flint has described sickening rape and deaths threats against her from left-wing activists and urged Labor, GetUp and the unions to speak up when conservative women are attacked.

The outgoing MP for Boothby in South Australia faced a targeted campaign by left-wing group GetUp during the 2019 election.

She was intimidated and stalked, abused online and had her electorate office vandalised with sexist graffiti saying 'skank' and 'prostitute'.

Liberal MP Nicolle Flint has described sickening rape and deaths threats against her

In her farewell speech to Parliament on Wednesday, Ms Flint said she was subjected to 'repetitive, sickening, sexist and misogynistic abuse'.

She revealed the 'dangerous behaviour' started just before the 2019 election and 'has not stopped since'.

'Men on the Left, some of whom are public figures of influence, have done the following - they have stalked me, suggested I should be strangled, criticised the clothes I wear and the way I look, called me a whiny little bitch repeatedly, repeatedly called me weak, a s**t and much, much worse over email, online on YouTube on Facebook and Twitter,' she said.

They've commented that I should be raped, grudge-f***ed, that I'm doing sexual favours for all my male colleagues Nicolle Flint

'They've commented that I should be raped, grudge-f***ed, that I'm doing sexual favours for all my male colleagues, that I should be killed, that I should kill myself, and many many more things that I will not repeat.'

Ms Flint, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison sitting right in front of her, then gave a message to the Left of politics.

'So the Left, to GetUp, Labor and the unions, the left-leaning media, you know exactly who you are, you need to finally show some leadership and put a stop to this sort of behaviour,' she said.

Earlier this week Liberal Senator Hollies Hughes also said she was sick of the 'hypocrisy' of women on the left of politics who speak up for women's rights while simultaneously attacking conservative women such as Jenny Morrison on social media.

'It's the hypocrisy of it. Why is the absolute condemnation of women on the right 100 per cent acceptable,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Liberal member for Boothby Nicolle Flint makes her valedictory speech in the House of Representatives

Ms Flint was intimidated and stalked, abused online and had her electorate office vandalised with sexist graffiti saying 'skank' and 'prostitute'

In a previous speech in March last year, Ms Flint attacked the Labor Party for failing to speak out and fostering an environment 'in which hate could flourish'.

She said it was hypocritical of Labor to attack the government over the treatment of women while failing to 'get its own house in order'.

In a message to Labor leader Anthony Albanese, she said in parliament: 'I will not be lectured by you, or by anyone on your side of politics about the treatment of women in this place.

'I ask, the Leader of the Opposition, where was he, and where was his predecessor, and where were all the senior Labor women, when the GetUp, Labor and Union supporters chased, harassed and screamed at me everywhere I went in the lead up to the 2019 election?

'Where were they when their supporters posted comment after hateful comment on twitter and on my facebook page?

'Where were they when I was stalked by a creepy old man who worked hand-in glove with GetUp?'

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek said she was not aware of the abuse Ms Flint suffered - but the Liberal MP said this was hard to believe.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison hugs Ms Flint after her valedictory speech in the House

'I find it hard to believe that as I was one of only seven Liberal Party members on GetUp's hit list last election she had no knowledge of what was going on, especially as I was the only woman, the only backbencher, and the only one who was not a current or former memberof Cabinet,' she said.

'But although I find the Member for Sydney's personal explanation today more than a little disingenuous, I do not wish to attack her,' she added.

'What I say to the Labor Party today is they may not have held the spray can, to vandalise my office with sexist slurs, they may not have held the camera pointed at me by the stalker or called me evil in GetUp's 100,000 phone calls. But they did create an environment in which hate could flourish.'

Anthony Albanese condemned the behaviour against Ms Flint, telling Radio National last year: 'It shouldn't have happened. Full stop. I condemn it. I stand with Nicolle Flint.'

Senator Wong said the campaign was 'utterly unacceptable' but said Ms Flint was being 'unfair' in blaming Labor politicians.

'I'd say to Ms Flint, I agree with you, let's work together to make this a better place for women,' she said.
The U.S. government said it faces 'significant harm' if an a appeals court fails to reverse an injunction barring enforcement of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for government workers, and that testing unvaccinated employees could cost up to $22 million a month.

White House Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Jason Miller disclosed in an declaration cited late on Monday by the Justice Department that the government would be hurt on several fronts if it cannot enforce the vaccine requirements.

'While most federal civilian employees are fully vaccinated, hundreds of thousands of them are not vaccinated,' Miller said in the Jan. 28 declaration.

President Joe Biden's Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Jason Miller argued that the U.S. faces 'significant harm' if an appeals court fails to reverse a decision preventing a vaccine mandate for government workers

The government hires about 20,000 workers monthly and currently cannot require them to be vaccinated, he added.

On Jan. 21, a U.S. judge in Texas ruled Biden could not require federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and blocked the U.S. government from disciplining employees failing to comply.

In September, Biden had issued an order requiring about 3.5 million workers to get vaccinated by Nov. 22 barring a religious or medical accommodation - or else face discipline or firing.

Miller's declaration said as of Jan. 21, roughly 2 per cent of the federal civilian workforce 'had neither affirmed they were fully vaccinated nor submitted a request for or received an exception.'

U.S. COVID-19 workplace safety protocols require unvaccinated federal employees to submit to regular testing.

Weekly testing 'could cost taxpayers on the order of $11 million to $22 million each month, or $33 million to $65 million each quarter,' Miller wrote.

Tens of thousands of unvaccinated federal employees do not have pending or approved requests for exception and tens of thousands of exception requests are pending, Miller wrote.

Last week, a U.S. appeals court declined to block the vaccine ruling. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the case on March 8.

Miller said the ruling is forcing government agencies to revise 'reentry and post-reentry plans and schedules' to include 'setting up expanded COVID-19 testing programs at agencies.'

He added if the injunction remains in place 'it will imperil the federal government's ability to protect the health and safety of the federal workforce.'

The Justice Department cited then-President Ronald Reagan's 1986 executive order requiring federal employees abstain from using illegal drugs, both on and off duty, and argued the president has 'broad power to regulate the federal civil service.'
The House committee investigating Jan. 6 hit six more people in former President Trump's orbit with subpoenas to testify on Tuesday.

The committee says the six were all involved in some way with a Trump plan to install 'alternate electors' to challenge the President Biden's victory.

Two members of the Trump campaign and four high-ranking GOP officials in battleground states will be compelled to testify about their actions in the lead-up to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

'The Select Committee is seeking information about efforts to send false slates of electors to Washington and change the outcome of the 2020 election. We're seeking records and testimony from former campaign officials and other individuals in various states who we believe have relevant information about the planning and implementation of those plans,' Committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Md., said in a statement.

Trump campaign official Michael Roman, in charge of Election Day operations in 2020, and his deputy Gary Michael Brown, will receive a subpoena, as will Republican state lawmakers from Pennsylvania and Arizona -- Douglas Mastriano and Mark Finchem, respectively -- as well as Kelli Ward, chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party, and Laura Cox, former chairwoman of the Michigan GOP.

The House committee investigating Jan. 6 hit six more people in former President Trump's orbit with subpoenas to testify on Tuesday

The committee investigating Jan. 6 says the six were all involved in some way with a Trump plan to install 'alternate electors' to challenge the President Biden's victory

Trump campaign official Michael Roman, in charge of Election Day operations in 2020, and his deputy Gary Michael Brown, will receive a subpoena

Finchem and Ward, pictured above, were both involved in the 'alternate electors' plot in Arizona

Mastriano and Finchem both signed a letter to then-Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 5 asking him to delay certifying the election. Cox worked with RNC chair Ronna McDaniel to delay certification of the election results in Michigan.

The committee has already interviewed over 550 people and subpoenaed dozens of others. Last month the committee subpoenaed 14 of the 84 Republicans from seven different states who served as a fake set of alternate Trump electors as part of a scheme to overturn the election.

Rudy Giuliani led Trump campaign officials in a plot to install 'alternate' electors in seven states won by President Joe Biden as a way to tamper with the Electoral College results on January 6.

CNN reported Thursday that members of Trump's campaign were far more involved in this scheme than had been previously reported.

Giuliani, a lawyer for Trump's campaign and the former New York City mayor, coordinated the process state-by-state, appearing on at least one planning call, sources told the network.

The campaign found supporters to join the 'alternate' slates of electors, while securing meeting rooms for them to meet in statehouses on December 14, the day of the official Electoral College meeting.

Ward, subpoenaed Tuesday, helped coordinate the fake electors.

Afterward, fake certificates naming the pro-Trump slates of electors were sent to the National Archives.

Trump administration officials previewed the plan on the morning of December 14.

'As we speak, today, an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we're going to send those results up to Congress,' Trump's top immigration adviser Stephen Miller said on Fox & Friends that morning.

'This will ensure that all of our legal remedies remain open,' Miller continued. 'That means if we win these cases in the courts, we can direct that these alternate electors be certified.'

However, only the documents from Pennsylvania and New Mexico contained language that said the slates of electors were stand-ins if the court overturned Biden's wins.

The documents from Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada falsely stated that the electors were legitimate.
Russia was last night stepping up preparations to invade Ukraine  despite Vladimir Putins claims he favours further talks over military conflict.

Yesterday in a deeply alarming move, and against Russian proclamations, Western nations saw additional Russian troops advancing towards Ukraines border.

They will bolster the 130,000-strong invasion force. But in spite of Western evidence that Russians are strengthening frontline forces, President Putin insisted he does not want a war.

Meanwhile, Russian media agencies released footage showing tanks being withdrawn.

The clips appeared stage-managed but a spokesman insisted the Southern and Western Military District troops had completed their exercises and would return to their permanent bases.

Kremlin spokesman Maria Zakharova mocked the UK and US, saying yesterday would go down in history as the day Western war propaganda failed, humiliated and destroyed without a single shot fired.

Boris Johnson said there were mixed messages from Moscow and he urged further troop withdrawals.

Putin spoke at a joint press conference alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said West and East remain divided but it is up to leader to find solutions while avoiding conflict

Russia has today claimed it is withdrawing some of its forces from Crimea and the Ukraine border region after training drills, in what could be the first sign of a climb-down by Vladimir Putin

Last night Joe Biden said an invasion of Ukraine remains distinctly possible and the US had not yet verified claims that Russian troops are withdrawing.

In a TV address from the White House, the president warned the human cost of invasion would be immense.

Mr Biden said while the US was not seeking direct confrontation with Russia, it was ready to respond forcefully and rally the world to oppose its aggression.

He said he would not send American servicemen to fight in Ukraine. But Mr Biden added: Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound and the US and our allies and partners will respond decisively. The West is united and galvanised.

Vladimir Putin has insisted that Russia is 'ready to go down the negotiations track' with the West - opening up the possibility of talks on arms control, military transparency and other measures aimed at reducing tensions

Last night Joe Biden said an invasion of Ukraine remains distinctly possible and the US had not yet verified claims that Russian troops are withdrawing. In a TV address from the White House, the president warned the human cost of invasion would be immense. Mr Biden said while the US was not seeking direct confrontation with Russia, it was ready to respond forcefully and rally the world to oppose its aggression

In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defence Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, Russian armoured vehicles are loaded onto railway platforms after the end of military drills in South Russia. In what could be another sign that the Kremlin would like to lower the temperature, Russia's Defence Ministry announced Tuesday that some units participating in military exercises would begin returning to their bases

Ukraine tests tank-buster missile sent by Britain Troops in Ukraine fired anti-tank weapons in exercises yesterday as the country continued to prepare for a possible invasion by Russia. It comes after the UK last month gave 2,000 NLAW anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. The troops carrying out test-firing in the eastern Donetsk region yesterday were using NLAWs but it was unclear if these were British weapons. It was part of a series of drills by Ukraine in recent days. Military commanders had issued a statement on Sunday insisting they were ready to see off the Russian threat. They boasted of their Stinger and Javelin missiles, saying: We are ready to meet the enemy  and not with flowers but with Stingers, Javelins and NLAWs. Advertisement

Last night a Western source said: We have seen no evidence at all of Russian withdrawals  precisely the opposite in fact. Russia is continuing to reinforce its positions on the Ukrainian border.

We could also easily see a false flag operation [today] along the lines of, well we were retreating but look what the Ukrainians have done. So we remain ready for an immediate scenario.

The volume of Russian capability remains very high, the precise lay-down of military assets might change but the threat remains.

Putin... is obsessed with Ukraine and has a very twisted view of Ukrainian history. Getting Ukraine back is an end in itself. But he will listen to his generals, who are wary of getting involved in a lengthy conflict.

There was also concern last night Putin could seek to use alleged mistreatment of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine to justify an offensive.

In his strongest criticism of the Ukraine governments attitude towards pro-Russian communities, he likened its policies to genocide.

Russias list of demands, which have been repeatedly rejected by Nato, include thousands of Western troops withdrawing from eastern Europe and a ban on Ukraine joining the alliance.

At a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday, Putin said: Do we want this [war] or not? Of course, not. That is exactly why we put forward proposals for a process of negotiations. But the question of Ukraines membership of Nato must be resolved now.

In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, Russian army tanks stand ready to move back to their permanent base after drills in Russia

A Ukrainian serviceman fires an NLAW anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022

Troops in Ukraine fired anti-tank weapons in exercises yesterday as the country continued to prepare for a possible invasion by Russia. It was part of a series of drills by Ukraine in recent days. Military commanders had issued a statement on Sunday insisting they were ready to see off the Russian threat.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) is pictured sitting down with Putin (left) in the Kremlin yesterday. Scholz is the latest foreign leader to be given the 'long table treatment' - for talks aimed at deescalating the crisis

After a Cobra meeting yesterday, Boris Johnson said: The intelligence we are seeing today is still not encouraging. You have got more battalion tactical groups being brought closer to the border. What everybody needs to see is a programme of de-escalation.

That means withdrawing groups away from the theatre of conflict, not constructing field hospitals on the Belarus border, which can only be construed as preparation for an invasion. Western officials still think Putin is yet to decide whether to invade. A source said: It could run for weeks or months.

They added: The West does not want to humiliate President Putin. But there is no need to worry about whether he can climb down with his head held high. He will attempt to shape the narrative to suit him.

Last night Ukrainian government websites, including the defence ministry, were hit by cyber attacks. The nation blamed Russia for the strikes, according to reports.

West risks Russian ire with plans to deploy 4,000 troops on Europes south-eastern borders

Western defence ministers meet today to discuss plans to deploy more troops

NATO aims to station four battlegroups of 1,000 troops close to Russian borders

It comes as Russia yesterday began withdrawing armoured vehicles from Crimea

There are now fears that the plans will anger Russian President Vladimir Putin

Putin yesterday declared Russia does not want war in Ukraine but insisted that the West must meet several security demands to ensure long term peace

Plans to station more NATO troops in the East contravenes one of these demands



Western defence ministers are set to meet in Brussels today to discuss plans to reinforce eastern Europe with more NATO troops despite Russia's apparent willingness to withdraw from the border with Ukraine. The plan would see four fresh battlegroups of 1,000 troops deploy along the alliance's eastern front, firstly in Romania, in a move that directly contravenes Russia's security demand that the West reduces its military presence along its border. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the proposal is being drawn up due to Russia's recent aggression near Ukraine and its 'lasting impact of the security situation in Europe'. But there are fears that the plans will anger Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, just as Moscow has declared it does not want a war in Ukraine and began withdrawing armoured vehicles from the frontline. The planned deployment of up to 4,000 NATO troops marks the alliance's biggest show of aggression towards Russia in six years. Western defence ministers are set to discuss plans to reinforce eastern Europe with more NATO troops despite Russia's apparent willingness to withdraw from the border with Ukraine. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg (left) said the proposal is being drawn up due to Russia's recent aggression near Ukraine and its 'lasting impact of the security situation in Europe' (Boris Johnson pictured right) There are fears that the plans will anger Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, just as Moscow has declared it does not want a war in Ukraine and began withdrawing armoured vehicles from the frontline The plan would see up to four fresh battlegroups of troops deploy along the alliance's eastern front, firstly in Romania, in a move that directly contravenes Russia's security demand that the West reduces its military presence along its border (Ukrainian troops pictured Feb 10, 2022) Discussions around the proposal to introduce more NATO troops in eastern Europe comes as Moscow began withdrawing armoured vehicles from the frontline (Russian armoured vehicles are loaded onto railway platforms after the end of military drills in South Russia - Feb. 15, 2022) The plans come as an extension of a 2016 agreement which saw the alliance deploy battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. The new deployment would be led primarily by France, who would install troops in Romania, and a NATO-commanded Bulgarian battle group in Bulgaria. Stoltenberg said: 'NATO is not only responding to the current crisis but we are also going to consider more long-term adjustments to our posture in the east. 'Defence ministers will address the need to further increase our defensive posture... it will take some time until we have all the decisions in place.' Some NATO countries are reluctant to host allied battlegroups however, with Hungarian President Viktor Orban and Defence Minister Tibor Benko recently declining to accept troops. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next Now Putin plays the peacemaker amid doubts over his... Ukraine is hit by huge cyber attack targeting the ministry... Share this article Share Hungary enjoys relatively strong relations with Russia despite being a member state of NATO, and is heavily reliant on Moscow for its supply of gas, as well as technical and financial support with its nuclear energy programme. Nevertheless, Western defence ministers are expected to give the green light to military commanders who will come up with a detailed plan for the strategic deployment of the four new battle groups. The move could give Moscow cause for alarm as it would signal to Putin that NATO has no plans to consider Russia's security demands - a key obstacle to calming tensions between the East and the West. In a list of contentious demands submitted in December, Russian authorities requested guarantees from NATO and Western powers that Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations would not be admitted to the alliance. Moscow also demanded that NATO halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe. Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benko (L) last month declared that there is no need for NATO to deploy its troops in Hungary amid tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine, while Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Putin earlier this month to discuss increasing gas imports. Hungary enjoys relatively strong relations with Russia despite being a member state of NATO, and is heavily reliant on Moscow for its supply of gas, as well as technical and financial support with its nuclear energy programme The US, UK and Western allies have offered to engage Russia in talks on how to reach a mutually agreed upon security deal. But the plans set to be discussed today in Brussels would clearly signal a rejection of some of Moscow's most important demands. Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe and added that Russia is open to discuss 'some of those elements,' but insisted it would do so only in combination 'with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.' Asked if there could be a war in Europe, Putin said Russia doesn't want it but that Ukraine's bid to join NATO posed a major security threat to his country and that Western leaders had not yet given a constructive response on the matter. 'Of course we don't want war,' the President said. 'This is exactly why we put forward the proposal to start the negotiation process where the result should be an agreement ensuring equal security of everyone, including our country. 'Unfortunately there was no constructive response to this proposal.' Footage emerged today of Russian armoured vehicles being withdrawn from Crimea and Southern Russia where they were engaged in large scale military drills, with Russian authorities assuring that troops are being pulled back from Ukraine's borders German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) is pictured sitting down with Putin (left) in the Kremlin yesterday. Scholz is the latest foreign leader to be given the 'long table treatment' - for talks aimed at deescalating the crisis Footage emerged today of Russian armoured vehicles being withdrawn from Crimea and Southern Russia where they were engaged in large scale military drills, with Russian authorities assuring that troops are being pulled back from Ukraine's borders. But the apparent military scale-back is being treated with extreme scepticism in the West, where intelligence agencies suspect is could be part of a ruse to launch a smaller military operation in the regions of Eastern Ukraine where Russian separatists are fighting. US President Joe Biden said Russia's claims of withdrawal 'would be good, but we have not yet verified that.' 'Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.' 'Ukraine is not threatening Russia. Neither the US nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not, do not have plans to put them there as well. We are not targeting the people of Russia. We do not seek to destabilise Russia.' Russia's apparent military scale-back is being treated with extreme scepticism in the West, where intelligence agencies suspect is could be part of a ruse to launch a smaller military operation in the regions of Eastern Ukraine where Russian separatists are fighting (left: Joe Biden, right: Boris Johnson) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused Putin of sending mixed messages, and said: 'The intelligence we are seeing today is still not encouraging. You have got more battalion tactical groups being brought closer to the border. What everybody needs to see is a programme of de-escalation.' Ukraine also expressed scepticism about Russia's statements of a pullback. 'We won't believe when we hear, we'll believe when we see. When we see troops pulling out, we'll believe in de-escalation,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. Stoltenberg said that 'so far, we have not seen any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine,' adding that the alliance wants to see a 'significant and enduring withdrawal' of forces, troops and heavy equipment.

By David Averre For Mailonline
A heavily-tattooed man had his $150,000 wardrobe of designer clothes and shoes seized by police after he was arrested and charged with assault.

The 28-year-old from Ropes Crossing, in Sydney's west, was wanted by police for his alleged involvement in the assault, extortion and robbery of a 34-year-old man over an outstanding debt.

Police say the 34-year-old was targeted by a group of men in a number of incidents took place at a home in Tregear, west of the city, between July 2020 and March 2021.

They also allege he was assaulted by the group - one armed with a pipe - in nearby Londonderry in October 2020.

Along with more than 100 items of luxury clothing and shoes, detectives also found mobile phones and $5700 in cash when the 28-year-old's home was raided on Tuesday.

Pictured: Tattooed man, 28, after his Ropes Crossing home was raided by police on Tuesday

Police seized more than $150,000 worth of designer clothes and shoes from the home (pictured)

He was charged with stalk/intimidate intend fear physical harm, deal with property proceeds of crime, and goods suspected stolen in/on premises and appeared in Mt Druitt Local Court later that day.

The clothes and shoes could be used as exhibits in subsequent court cases and, if they were found to be proceeds of crime, would likely be auctioned off.

A 34-year-old man from nearby Cambridge Park was also arrested on Tuesday and taken to St Mary's Police Station.

He was charged with three counts demand property in company with menaces with intent to steal, assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company of others, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, and knowingly direct activities of a criminal group.

A third man, 34, from Ropes Crossing was charged with two counts demand property in company with menaces with intent to steal, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity.

More than 100 items of luxury clothing and shoes were seized from the 28-year-old's home (pictured)

The man was arrested (pictured) and appeared in Mt Druitt Local Court on Tuesday

The two older men appeared at Penrith Local Court on Tuesday where they were refused bail.

The 34-year-old from Ropes Crossing is next due to appear at Mt Druitt Local Court on Thursday, while the Cambridge Park man is next due to appear at Mt Druitt Local Court on April 13.

In seperate incidents, the alleged victim had his restored 1982 VH Holden Commodore and 2012 Harley Davidson V Rod motorcycle stolen. They are yet to be recovered.

A woman who is known to the 34-year-old was also allegedly threatened with violence on several occasions.

Pictured: The 28-year-old man who was charged for his alleged involvement in the assault of a 34-year-old

In January, officers raided homes in Cypress Drive and Yarrawonga where they seized a pistol, two rifles, a shotgun, ammunition, cannabis, and cash.

The occupant, a 50-year-old man, was charged with numerous firearm offences. He remains before the courts.

Investigations are continuing, and police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
Police arrested former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez at his home on Tuesday, following a request by the United States government for his extradition on drug trafficking and weapons charges.

The arrest came less than three weeks after Hernandez left office. It follows years of allegations by U.S. prosecutors of his alleged links to drug traffickers.

Hernandez exited his home flanked by police, shackled at the wrists and ankles, and wearing a bulletproof jacket. He got into a police vehicle and was driven away. A police helicopter waiting nearby took flight and appeared to be escorting the caravan.

The Supreme Court of Justice had designated a judge Tuesday morning to handle the case and hours later the judge signed an order for Hernandez's arrest, said court spokesman Melvin Duarte. The security ministry, which had Hernandez's home surrounded since Monday evening, moved quickly to take him into custody.

Honduran Security Minister Ramon Sabillon, who was fired by Hernandez as head of the National Police in 2014, said that Hernandez had conspired 'with cartels to traffic (drugs) and corrupt many public institutions, which led to social deterioration and undermined the application of justice in Honduras.'

He said the main charges Hernandez faces in the U.S. are drug trafficking, using weapons for drug trafficking and conspiracy to use weapons in drug trafficking.

Hernandez has denied accusations made by federal prosecutors in New York, that he shielded drug lords, including Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, in exchange for bribes, and sought to flood the streets of the United States with drugs.

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, center in chains, is shown to the press at the Police Headquarters in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Tuesday. Police arrested Hernandez at his home, following a request by the United States government for his extradition on drug trafficking and weapons charges

Tens of Honduran security forces (pictured) surrounded former President Juan Orlando Hernandez's residence on Monday night after the United States demanded his arrest and extradition

Police special forces were seen encircling Hernandez's residence in the capital city of Tegucigalpa on Monday evening (pictured) after the US requested the former president's arrest less than three weeks after he left office

The foreign affairs ministry tweeted on Monday night that it had notified Honduras's Supreme Court 'requesting the formal provisional arrest of a Honduran politician for the purpose of extradition to the United States of America'

Hernandez (pictured) has denied accusations made by federal prosecutors in New York, that he shielded drug lords, including Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, in exchange for bribes, and sought to flood the streets of the United States with drugs

The former president, whose brother Juan Antonio 'Tony' Hernandez was convicted of drug trafficking in October 2019 in New York, was implicated when his name had come up in a previous investigation in the drug trafficking case of Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez.

Fuentes Ramirez, who was arrested while attempting to board a plane at Miami International Airport on March 1, 2020, is accused of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States and of killing several people to protect his business.

The specific charges Hernandez's faces are not known and he has long denied any wrongdoing.

At a police barrier to the neighborhood, Rasel Tome, vice president of the newly elected National Congress, said that Hernandez had to turn himself in or he would be arrested at 6am Tuesday.

It was a long-awaited fall for a leader reviled in his home country, who enjoyed support from the Trump administration, but had been kept at arm's length by a Biden White House targeting Central America's endemic corruption as a root cause of migration.

Nicole Navas, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice, declined to comment.

Hernandez left office January 27 with the swearing in of President Xiomara Castro. The same day he was sworn in as Honduras' representative to the Central American Parliament.

His lawyer, Hermes Ramirez, told local media his client had immunity as a member of the regional parliament and said government forces were not following proper procedures. He said Hernandez was inside the home.

Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's is being linked by federal prosecutors in New York to Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who received $1 million from the notorious drug lord ahead of his presidential campaign in 2013

Juan Antonio 'Tony' Hernandez (pictured in 2017) was convicted in a massive drug conspiracy case in a New York City federal court in October 2019. He is the brother of Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez

Various contingents of the National Police, including special forces, as well as military police were present around Hernandez's neighborhood Monday night. Barriers at all of the entrances kept out media and even residents.

Members of the security forces entered the area with weapons, wearing balaclavas and with handcuffs dangling from their ballistic vests. Some neighbors said the house had been dark and they believe unoccupied.

Hernandez often pointed to the fact that Honduras began allowing the extradition of Hondurans on drug trafficking charges while he was president of the congress as part of his defense.

But U.S. prosecutors have alleged that he was taking bribes from drug traffickers on the promise of protecting them once he was Honduras' president.

U.S. prosecutors in New York repeatedly implicated him in his brother's 2019 drug trafficking trial, alleging that his political rise was fueled by drug profits.

Various contingents of the National Police, including special forces, as well as military police were present around Hernandez's neighborhood Monday night. Barriers at all of the entrances kept out media and even residents

Juan Antonio 'Tony' Hernandez, himself a former Honduran congressman, was sentenced to life in prison on drug and weapons charges in March 2021. At his sentencing Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Laroche characterized the crimes as 'state-sponsored drug trafficking.'

Juan Orlando Hernandez took office in January 27, 2014. Hernandez used a friendly Supreme Court to overcome Honduras' constitutional ban on reelection and won a second term in 2017 in elections marred by irregularities.

Around midnight on Monday, 56-year-old Jorge Arturo Vega, a supporter of Castro's Liberty and Refoundation party, stood outside a police barricade at Hernandez's neighborhood celebrating.

'This is a party we've been waiting a long time for,' Vega said, thinking back over the dozen years since Hernandez came up in the congress. 'We couldn't stand this his drug trafficker, criminal, killer in the presidential house any longer.'

Hernandez has denied all charges and claims the accusations are a part of a revenge plot from the same drug lords that his government captured or extradited to the United States.
An Australia Post delivery driver has sparked a fiery debate by offering a excuse for why they sometimes leave collection cards rather than handing over the parcel even if the recipient is at home.

The driver posted in an Australia Post Complaints Facebook group this week after discovering someone had complained about one of their drivers.

'So please note, we leave a card if there's a gate or dogs in the yard. We don't go into the yard due to safety concerns,' he said.

Australia Post drivers (pictured) leaving notes rather than delivering parcels have faced a backlash online

'Some complaints are so ridiculous - is he meant to get eaten by the dog?' the man asked of the group's 9,400 members on Friday, before the post was deleted.

'I've had a card left even though I've been home and there was no knock on the door,' a group member replied, Yahoo! News reported.

'My driver apparently complained about my dog, which is behind a big gate, and all she did was bark - seriously?'

The type of dog that stops a delivery also raised some hackles.

'I've had a postie not knock because he was scared of my Jack Russell - it's not a German Shepherd,' one said.

Another said they saw the postie leave a collection card without making any effort to do a delivery.

'I don't have a gate, my driveway is level and I've even been standing out the front just to see them sticking a card in my letterbox - explain that,' they said.

There were some horror stories on the Facebook page, though, with one member posting that 'In a truly eye watering incident, our local postie had his manhood 'de-gloved' by a cavoodle that was behind a locked door ...

'It might give you an idea of why some posties are hesitant.'

Warning, this type of sign (pictured) may lead to your parcels not being delivered by Australia Post

An Australia Post spokesperson said getting bitten by a dog is far more common than people realise.

'Safety is our number one priority at Australia Post but each year too many of our people are injured by unsecured dogs,' they said.

'Every workday last financial year at least three posties, drivers or delivery contractors were attacked by dogs when delivering letters and parcels in our community.'

Delivery cards have long been a cause of dismay for Australia Post customers, with a Melbourne couple recently winning a lawsuit against the company.

A couple fed-up with their parcels not being delivered properly sued Australia Post and won their case earlier in February - with the service ordered to pay them thousands in compensation.

The postal workers union said 'carding' where a collection slip is left without trying to properly deliver a parcel is growing increasingly common (file image)

Wade Short and Veronica Lisbon's stoush with their local postie began in early 2020 when Mr Short would notice their parcels would either be left near the door or a collection slip left in mailbox without knocking to see if anybody was home.

On one occasion the delivery driver threw one of the parcels up the front steps of his Melbourne house and left - later saying the stairs were not up to safety standards.

In June that year, Mr Short waited outside one afternoon for the postie to arrive and after handing him a parcel, he told the worker he had made complaints to Australia Post about his poor service.

The postie argued that his stairs were a hazard which is why he had not been delivering the packages to the door.

'He then snatched the parcel back from me and said, 'fine, from now on you can go to the post office to pick up your parcels',' Mr Short told the Herald Sun.

Australia Post was ordered to pay Mr Short and Ms Lisbon more than $3,000 because they stopped parcel delivery to his house when he complained of poor service (file image)

Days later the couple received a letter saying parcels would not be delivered to their address anymore because of health and safety concerns.

Over the following months Mr Short had to make regular trips to the post office to collect his parcels and despite making multiple complaints to Australia Post, received no response.

Some parcels contained medication for his daughter or supplies for his party hire business.

He then lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman before going to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) claiming Australia Post was breaching their responsibilities under Australian Consumer Law.

Even a Jack Russell (pictured) could be enough to prevent a postal worker from delivering a package

VCAT found in favour of Mr Short and ordered the company to pay $3,100.53 to cover the multiple trips he made to collect parcels and his legal fees.

Tribunal member Neill Campbell found that Australia Post had not shown 'due care and skill' when delivering the parcels and that the driver had stopped deliveries because of the complaints rather than a hazard.

Australia Post said they respect VCAT's ruling and would recommence deliveries to Mr Short's address.

In 2021, the postal worker's union said the practice of 'carding' where a collection slip is left without checking if anyone is home is growing increasingly common.
Western defence ministers are set to meet in Brussels today to discuss plans to reinforce eastern Europe with more NATO troops despite Russia's apparent willingness to withdraw from the border with Ukraine.

The plan would see four fresh battlegroups of 1,000 troops deploy along the alliance's eastern front, firstly in Romania, in a move that directly contravenes Russia's security demand that the West reduces its military presence along its border.

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the proposal is being drawn up due to Russia's recent aggression near Ukraine and its 'lasting impact of the security situation in Europe'.

But there are fears that the plans will anger Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, just as Moscow has declared it does not want a war in Ukraine and began withdrawing armoured vehicles from the frontline.

The planned deployment of up to 4,000 NATO troops marks the alliance's biggest show of aggression towards Russia in six years.

Western defence ministers are set to discuss plans to reinforce eastern Europe with more NATO troops despite Russia's apparent willingness to withdraw from the border with Ukraine. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg (left) said the proposal is being drawn up due to Russia's recent aggression near Ukraine and its 'lasting impact of the security situation in Europe' (Boris Johnson pictured right)

There are fears that the plans will anger Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, just as Moscow has declared it does not want a war in Ukraine and began withdrawing armoured vehicles from the frontline

The plan would see up to four fresh battlegroups of troops deploy along the alliance's eastern front, firstly in Romania, in a move that directly contravenes Russia's security demand that the West reduces its military presence along its border (Ukrainian troops pictured Feb 10, 2022)

Discussions around the proposal to introduce more NATO troops in eastern Europe comes as Moscow began withdrawing armoured vehicles from the frontline (Russian armoured vehicles are loaded onto railway platforms after the end of military drills in South Russia - Feb. 15, 2022)

The plans come as an extension of a 2016 agreement which saw the alliance deploy battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea.

The new deployment would be led primarily by France, who would install troops in Romania, and a NATO-commanded Bulgarian battle group in Bulgaria.

Stoltenberg said: 'NATO is not only responding to the current crisis but we are also going to consider more long-term adjustments to our posture in the east.

'Defence ministers will address the need to further increase our defensive posture... it will take some time until we have all the decisions in place.'

Some NATO countries are reluctant to host allied battlegroups however, with Hungarian President Viktor Orban and Defence Minister Tibor Benko recently declining to accept troops.

Hungary enjoys relatively strong relations with Russia despite being a member state of NATO, and is heavily reliant on Moscow for its supply of gas, as well as technical and financial support with its nuclear energy programme.

Nevertheless, Western defence ministers are expected to give the green light to military commanders who will come up with a detailed plan for the strategic deployment of the four new battle groups.

The move could give Moscow cause for alarm as it would signal to Putin that NATO has no plans to consider Russia's security demands - a key obstacle to calming tensions between the East and the West.

In a list of contentious demands submitted in December, Russian authorities requested guarantees from NATO and Western powers that Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations would not be admitted to the alliance.

Moscow also demanded that NATO halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe.

Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benko (L) last month declared that there is no need for NATO to deploy its troops in Hungary amid tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine, while Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Putin earlier this month to discuss increasing gas imports. Hungary enjoys relatively strong relations with Russia despite being a member state of NATO, and is heavily reliant on Moscow for its supply of gas, as well as technical and financial support with its nuclear energy programme

The US, UK and Western allies have offered to engage Russia in talks on how to reach a mutually agreed upon security deal.

But the plans set to be discussed today in Brussels would clearly signal a rejection of some of Moscow's most important demands.

Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe and added that Russia is open to discuss 'some of those elements,' but insisted it would do so only in combination 'with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.'

Asked if there could be a war in Europe, Putin said Russia doesn't want it but that Ukraine's bid to join NATO posed a major security threat to his country and that Western leaders had not yet given a constructive response on the matter.

'Of course we don't want war,' the President said. 'This is exactly why we put forward the proposal to start the negotiation process where the result should be an agreement ensuring equal security of everyone, including our country.

'Unfortunately there was no constructive response to this proposal.'

Footage emerged today of Russian armoured vehicles being withdrawn from Crimea and Southern Russia where they were engaged in large scale military drills, with Russian authorities assuring that troops are being pulled back from Ukraine's borders

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) is pictured sitting down with Putin (left) in the Kremlin yesterday. Scholz is the latest foreign leader to be given the 'long table treatment' - for talks aimed at deescalating the crisis

Footage emerged today of Russian armoured vehicles being withdrawn from Crimea and Southern Russia where they were engaged in large scale military drills, with Russian authorities assuring that troops are being pulled back from Ukraine's borders.

But the apparent military scale-back is being treated with extreme scepticism in the West, where intelligence agencies suspect is could be part of a ruse to launch a smaller military operation in the regions of Eastern Ukraine where Russian separatists are fighting.

US President Joe Biden said Russia's claims of withdrawal 'would be good, but we have not yet verified that.'

'Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.'

'Ukraine is not threatening Russia. Neither the US nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not, do not have plans to put them there as well. We are not targeting the people of Russia. We do not seek to destabilise Russia.'

Russia's apparent military scale-back is being treated with extreme scepticism in the West, where intelligence agencies suspect is could be part of a ruse to launch a smaller military operation in the regions of Eastern Ukraine where Russian separatists are fighting (left: Joe Biden, right: Boris Johnson)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused Putin of sending mixed messages, and said: 'The intelligence we are seeing today is still not encouraging. You have got more battalion tactical groups being brought closer to the border. What everybody needs to see is a programme of de-escalation.'

Ukraine also expressed scepticism about Russia's statements of a pullback.

'We won't believe when we hear, we'll believe when we see. When we see troops pulling out, we'll believe in de-escalation,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Stoltenberg said that 'so far, we have not seen any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine,' adding that the alliance wants to see a 'significant and enduring withdrawal' of forces, troops and heavy equipment.
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A 50-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years behind bars Wednesday on the charge of killing his estranged wife by stabbing and slashing her with a long sword more than 10 times in front of her father.







The couple, who were in divorce proceedings, were fighting when the husband wielded the sword at their home in western Seoul in September last year. The wife was visiting the home with her father to pick up her belongings.







Jang later turned himself in to police.







"This is obviously a horrendous and shocking incident, in that the victim's father was at the scene," a judge of the Seoul Southern District Court said, adding the court also took into consideration Jang's unfortunate childhood and the wife's belatedly revealed financial losses from investments in stocks and cryptocurrency.







Prosecutors had demanded life imprisonment for Jang. (Yonhap)


Channel migrants should be deported to offshore processing centres within 48 hours of arrival, a new report says today WEDS.

Think-tank Policy Exchange suggested processing centres should be set up on the British overseas territory of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha if the French government fails to take back migrants.

Alternative locations could include the Channel Islands or a 98 square mile area of Cyprus known as the 'Sovereign Base Areas' which has been maintained under treaty by the UK since 1960, it added.

'Since the aim of the policy would be to discourage attempts to cross the Channel in small boats without leave to enter the UK, immediate return to France is the best policy, if available,' the report said.

Channel migrants should be deported to offshore processing centres within 48 hours of arrival, a report will say today. Pictured: Migrants picked up from the Channel arrive in Dover last month

A record 28,395 migrants reached the UK illegally last year by taking small boats across the Channel, a 200 per cent increase on 2020's tally

But if an agreement with France proves impossible the UK Government should introduce what Policy Exchange described as 'Plan B', it went on.

This would see all migrants removed to a British territory overseas after a '48 hour screening' period.

Claims would then be processed by British officials at specially-built centres.

'Anyone ascertained to be a genuine refugee  will be taken from there  as the final stage of their deportation  to a third state which has agreed with the UK to accept refugees deported from UK waters (or the UK),' it went on.

'Thereafter, save in the most exceptional cases, refugees thus resettled will be automatically refused leave to enter the UK for any purpose.'

Ascension Island, in the South Atlantic, was the 'most obviously suitable' location for an offshore processing centre because it has a runway capable of handling large aircraft and also enjoys a mild, stable climate, the report went on.

Among the Channel Islands, it proposed Alderney would be the most suitable.

Director of Policy Exchange, Dean Godson, said: 'It is absolutely clear that we must do something about the ongoing small boats crisis.

'We have people being exploited by ruthless smugglers and traffickers, put in extreme danger, and, tragically, in some cases, losing their lives.

'We cannot allow this to continue.

'At the moment we have thousands of people placing themselves in jeopardy, even though they are already in a safe country, trying to cross the Channel. It is vital we now end the incentive to do so.'

How many migrants reached Britain in 2021, by month? January 223 February 308 March 831 April 751 May 1,619 June 2,179 July 3,510 August 3,012 September 4,652 October 2,671 November 6,869 December 1,770 Total 28,395

The think-tank's 44-page study said joint UK-EU patrols in the Channel would be 'the best possible response to the problem of small-boats arrivals'.

But it noted: 'At present, France and other EU countries seem unwilling to reach an agreement to this effect.'

The report acknowledged that its 'Plan B' proposal was 'a more radical course of action'.

Each stage of the new process should be explicitly set out in legislation in an attempt to prevent it being watered down or challenged under human rights law, it went on.

'This new approach would be underpinned by a new Act of Parliament, which would specifically mandate each step that ministers and officials had to take,' it said.

'This direct mandate from Parliament would also expressly disapply elements of the Human Rights Act that would otherwise result in years of litigation, and would prevent the successful working of 'Plan B'.'

In parallel with its proposals for migrants who attempt to reach the UK illegally, ministers should also enhance legal routes for asylum seekers in co-operation with the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, it said.

It rejected the idea of opening processing centres for UK asylum claims in France or other safe countries.

Such a move 'would deepen rather than relieve the Channel crossing crisis  they would be a powerful 'pull factor', and virtually all the disappointed applicants would head for the Channel,' the study said.

The Government's new immigration Bill, due to come into force in the next few months, will introduce a two-tier asylum system, streamline the appeals process and introduce stiffer penalties for illegal migrants and people traffickers.

A Government spokesman said: 'The UK's asylum system is broken and has been unreformed for over two decades.

'This Government is reforming our country's approach to illegal entry to the UK and asylum by making the tough decisions to end the overt exploitation of our laws and UK taxpayers.

'For over two decades the public have been crying out for the broken asylum system to be reformed and that's what this Government is delivering through our New Plan for Immigration.

'The Government's Nationality and Borders Bill will make it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK illegally and introduce life sentences for those who facilitate illegal entry into the country.

'It will also strengthen the powers of Border Force to stop and redirect vessels, while introducing new powers to remove asylum seekers to have their claims processed outside the UK.'
Mining billionaire Clive Palmer has told the Federal Court that his battle with the government of West Australian Premier Mark McGowan made him vomit.

The businessman also compared Mr McGowan's government to Nazi Germany as he testified in his defamation action against the WA premier in Sydney.

Mr Palmer said he feared for the safety of himself and his family after he viewed a website where people were encouraged to spit on him, including a video which showed people in nightclubs singing about wanting to kill him.

The mogul said he had wanted to vomit after discovering Mr McGowan's government had passed legislation preventing him from claiming up to $30billion in compensation in relation to his proposed Balmoral South iron ore project in the state's north-west.

Mr Palmer likened the law to fictional character James Bond's 'licence to kill'.

'I was just scared because I didn't expect governments ever to produce legislation like that in Australia so it really told me that you'd better take these people seriously, they could do anything,' Mr Palmer told the court.

Clive Palmer told the Federal Court he wanted to vomit after discovering Mr McGowan's government had passed legislation in relation to one of his iron ore projects in Western Australia. Pictured: Mr Palmer leaving the Federal Court on Wednesday

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan (pictured with his wife, Sarah) is counter-suing mining mogul Clive Palmer for defamation

Mr Palmer compared the WA government to Nazi Germany because of the legislation.

He said he fears what 'the limits might be' because the law protected the government from criminal prosecution.

Mr Palmer is suing Mr McGowan for defamation claiming that comments by the premier in 2020 subjected him to 'hatred, ridicule and contempt' and caused him to suffer 'loss and damage to his reputation and injury to his feelings'.

In those comments the WA premier had called Mr Palmer an 'enemy of the state' because he had planned to promote hydroxychloroquine to Western Australians as a cure for Covid-19.

In a Facebook post, Mr McGowan had also accused the billionaire of using profits from his WA operations to remove Covid border restrictions in the state.

Mr Palmer claims Mr McGowan's comments paint him as a traitor to Australia and intended to harm Western Australians.

He said Mr McGowan's remarks suggested he was 'equivalent to a drug dealer' who disregarded the law. Mr Palmer said the comments left him unable to sleep at night and 'very, very upset'.

Mr McGowan is counter-suing Mr Palmer for damage to his reputation, claiming the mining magnate had accused of him of lying and abusing the parliamentary system.

Mr Palmer is pictured in Kalgoorlie, WA. He told the Federal Court he was 'amazed' by comments by Mr McGowan that the state was 'at war' with him

Mr Palmer told the court has was 'amazed' by comments by Mr McGowan that WA was 'at war' with him.

'I didn't think that West Australia had the power to declare war on anyone let alone on a citizen,' he said.

The meaning of the words used by both men, contained in submissions by their respective lawyers, are being ruled on by Justice Michael Lee.

Lawyers have argued over the meaning implied by each of the statements in question.

Yesterday Justice Lee expressed irritation over a delay in Mr McGowan responding to his lawyer about the ruling.

'The respondent's conduct in this litigation in seeming incapable of making any concession whatsoever about anything is something I'm finding increasingly irritating,' Justice Lee said.

The lawyer for Mr McGowan, Clarissa Amato, said comments by Mr Palmer on August 13, 2020, constituted an allegation of corruption 'of the utmost gravity'.

Mr Palmer failed in a High Court challenge to Western Australia's Covid-19 border restrictions policy

Mr Palmer had referred to Mr McGowan being involved in 'breaking the law' and a 'cover-up', going on to compare him with US President Richard Nixon. He claimed the premier had made himself immune from criminal prosecution.

'So you go to Western Australia, he can murder, shoot you, raid your house and he's immune from criminal law,' Mr Palmer told the ABC.

Mr Palmer had failed in a number of legal actions brought against the WA government during the pandemic, including in a High Court challenge to the state's border restrictions policy.

The case continues in Sydney.
Virginia Giuffre will be banned from speaking publicly about her claims against Prince Andrew until after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations under the terms of her settlement with the Duke of York.

Miss Giuffre, now known by her married name, Roberts, had alleged she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue the 61-year-old royal for unspecified damages in a New York civil court.

But despite vowing to fight the allegations and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.

Now further details of the deal have emerged, including claims it has been agreed that Miss Giuffre will continue to tell her story publicly - but not until later in the year, so as not to add further damage to the Royal Family during events to commemorate the monarch's 70 years on the throne, the Times reports.

Virginia Giuffre will be banned from speaking publicly about her claims against Prince Andrew until after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations under the terms of her settlement with the Duke of York

It has been agreed that Miss Giuffre will continue to tell her story publicly - but not until later in the year, so as not to add further damage to the Royal Family during events to commemorate the monarch's 70 years on the throne

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II looks at a display of memorabilia from her Golden and Platinum Jubilees in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle

Sources told the newspaper there would be a 'period of silence' when both parties would have to stick to the terms of a carefully worded statement.

Beyond the Jubilee celebrations however, Miss Giuffre is expected to be allowed to public a book telling her story at the end of the year.

'Ordinarily, you would have a complete non-disclosure [agreement] on both sides,' lawyer Mitchell Epner told the Times.

He added: 'Since it's a settlement in the context of, on its face, an apology from Prince Andrew,' [he believes Miss Giuffre] 'has agreed not to say anything [but] she will be in a position to write a book, probably for this Christmas season'.

Royal author Penny Junor said earlier that the settlement made is likely to come as a 'huge relief' to the rest of the royal family but that the damage to Andrew is irreparable.

She said: 'Going to trial, it could have been very, very nasty. It could have been embarrassing, humiliating, and it would have been huge fodder for the tabloid press. It could have really taken the shine off the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year.'

Amber Melville-Brown, a partner at the New York office of the London law firm Withers, added it would be 'worth its weight in gold to the Queen as she celebrates her Platinum Jubilee'.
A dog house from Costa Rica that was hit by a meteorite is to be sold at auction by Christie's - with the ramshackle kennel expected to fetch $300,000.

The meteorite hit the four-foot-high kennel in April 2019 - while the startled inhabitant, a German Shepherd named Roky, was inside.

He was unharmed when the space debris smashed through his tin roof.

The family, who live in the rain forest of North Central Costa Rica, in the city of Aguas Zarcas, preserved the wood and tin structure and are now selling it.

'A seven-inch hole marks where the meteorite punctured the roof,' Christie's say in its listing.

'A badly weathered pressed-wood floor was demolished by the meteorite impact and the rotted wood support columns have been replaced.'

The online-only auction, Deep Impact: Martian, Lunar and Other Rare Meteorites, is running until February 23.

The kennel has an expected price of $200,00-300,000 - but as of Tuesday night only had 16 bids, with a maximum at $1,600.

The three-inch-by-three-inch meteorite that struck the house is also for sale, valued at $60,000.

A Costa Rican family is pictured with their German Shepherd Roky, and the dog house which was damaged by the meteorite

The dog house is now being offered for sale, valued at $300,000

The meteorite that smashed through the roof, made of carbonaceous chondrite, is also up for auction, valued at $60,000

The meteorite is made of carbonaceous chondrite, Christie's said.

'This meteorite is 70 percent covered with fusion crust, the result of its fiery plunge through Earth's atmosphere,' according to the auction house.

'Regmaglypts (thumbprint-shaped indentations, another aerodynamic artifact) are also in evidence.

'There are fractures on the upper right, upper left and reverse. The fractures reveal CAIs (calcium aluminum inclusions)  the oldest matter humankind can touch.'

The rock also shows signs of its smashing finale, as it shocked Roky by landing in his house.

The dog house is presented in a custom made stand

'Accompanied by a custom armature, the front face of the meteorite is accented with a sienna-hued streak caused by the meteorite's passage through the oxidized tin roof of Roky's Doghouse.'

James Hyslop, head of Science and Natural History for Christie's, said, 'This is a really exciting auction and opportunity for collectors.

'Meteorites are incredibly rare objects; the combined weight of all the known meteorites is less than the annual output of gold.

'Ever since an exhibition in Paris featured a car famously struck by a meteorite, I've wanted to bring an object hit by an extraterrestrial object to auction.'

The most expensive of the 66 lots is the third largest piece of Mars currently on Earth, which is valued at $800,000 - and has a starting bid of $400,000.

A moon rock is available with an estimated value of $300,000.

The auction also features a beautiful 'rare lunar sphere,' which was found in the Sahara and is valued at $25,000, and a striking 'extraterrestrial peridot,' worth $15,000.

This 'rare lunar sphere' is for sale with a value of $25,000

The Valera Meteorite crashed to Earth in Venezuela in 1972, killing a cow - the only known fatality from a meteorite

Most macabre is the Valera Meteorite - described as causing 'the only documented death by meteorite'.

The rock crash to Earth in Venezuela in 1972 and killed a cow.

'An unplanned steak dinner was enjoyed that night and the celestial boulder was used as a doorstop,' Christie's said.

Hyslop said that the meteorites were rare, and he was delighted the dog house was among the offerings.

'There are not many, and I'm thrilled to be able to now offer Roky's celebrated meteorite-impacted doghouse and its accompanying impactor,' he said.
Two women charged over an attack on a service station customer who died after she was allegedly doused in scalding hot coffee and assaulted are likely to be charged with manslaughter.

Their alleged victim, 52, died from life-threatening injuries in hospital on Tuesday, a week after the alleged attack at a 7-Eleven service station in Caulfield, in Melbourne's south-east, on February 8.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the alleged attackers, both aged 51 and Caulfield residents, were charged by Victoria Police detectives that night and released on bail from the watch house despite the victim's status being listed as critical.

A woman who allegedly had coffee poured over her and was assaulted at this 7-Eleven service station in Caulfield (pictured) has died in hospital

Sources have told Daily Mail Australia both of the alleged offenders had a clean criminal history, which was likely the reason why they were bailed on the spot rather than face a magistrate in the morning.

On Wednesday, a day after their alleged victim died, the pair remain at large as forensic experts work to ascertain if the dead woman had any underlying medical conditions that may have contributed to her death.

Sources have told Daily Mail Australia prosecutors are likely to tick-off on more serious charges, including manslaughter, sometime on Wednesday.

Recklessly causing serious injury charges in Victoria carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.

A conviction for manslaughter could see the women jailed for up to 20 years each.

Witnesses have told police a woman poured coffee over the victim and assaulted her before fleeing the scene on Hawthorn Road.

A Victoria Police spokesperson refused to comment on the issue of bail when questioned by Daily Mail Australia at the time of the alleged attack.

Victoria Police does not comment on specific cases. A range of circumstances are taken into account when making bail decisions as required by the Bail Act and each case is assessed on its own facts and circumstances, a spokesperson stated.

Forensic officers are seen at the service station after the woman was allegedly assaulted

Both women had initially been charged and bailed to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates Court on May 19.

It remains unclear if police now have the women back in custody or what charges the pair may face.

The service station had been cordoned off following the incident as forensic officers scoured the scene for evidence and interviewed shocked witnesses.

'There were two staff on-site at the time and neither were injured,' a 7-Eleven spokesperson said.

Two women have since been charged over the alleged attack (pictured, police at the scene)

'CCTV of the incident is being extracted and we will provide that to police, and provide investigators with any other assistance that we can.'

Two women aged in their 50s have since been charged with recklessly causing serious injury and were bailed to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates' Court in May.

It is understood police are awaiting the results of a post mortem to determine the woman's cause of death.

'The exact circumstances of the assault are unknown and the investigation is ongoing,' a police spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers 1300 333 000.
A dozen undocumented migrants on Mexico's border with Guatemala sewed their mouths shut on as part of a dramatic and gruesome protest to convince the country's immigration authority to grant them passage toward the US border more than 1,000 miles away.

The migrants, mostly Central and South Americans, helped each other seal their lips using needles and plastic threads, leaving just enough space to drink liquids, and using alcohol to wipe away drops of blood seeping from the stitches, Reuters images show.

'The migrants are sewing their lips together as a sign of protest,' said Irineo Mujica, an activist at the demonstration. 'We hope that the National Migration Institute can see that they are bleeding, that they are human beings.'

A migrant begins a hunger strike with her mouth sewed shut during a protest on Tuesday to demand free transit through Mexico to the US border

A dozen undocumented migrants from Central and South America took part in the dramatic protest outside the office of the National Migration Institute (INM) in Tapachula, Mexico

The grisly demonstration was staged after Mexican authorities declined to issue the migrants visas. An activist said the point is to make officials see that the migrants 'are bleeding, that they are human beings'

Some were carrying their children when they staged the grisly protest in Tapachula, a border city with Guatemala, which for months has been filled with thousands of migrants waiting in the sweltering heat for papers to be able to freely cross the country.

The distance between Tapachula, Mexico, and the nearest US border crossing in Brownsville, Texas, is more than 1,120 miles.

'I'm doing it for my daughter,' said Yorgelis Rivera, a Venezuelan. 'She has not eaten anything in the last few hours and I see no solution ... from the authorities.'

'We are like prisoners here,' Rivera said, adding that she has been waiting for a response from Mexico's migration agency (INM) for more than a month.

The INM did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the protest but said that they receive more than a hundred applicants at their offices in the southern city every day.

Earlier this month, hundreds of migrants in Tapachula protested against the slow pace of government visa approvals and threatened to form a fresh caravan that would head to the US border.

Amid pressure from Washington, Mexico has tried to stem large waves of migrants traveling in US-bound caravans.

Tapachula for months has been filled with migrants waiting for papers that would allow them to cross the country

Migrants from Venezuela, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the Republic of the Congo sewed their lips together to protest their treatment

A woman with her mouth sewn shut holds her young daughter in Tapachula, Mexico

Heavily guarded by members of the National Guard, some 800 migrants marched on Monday from the center of Tapachula to the offices of the National Institute of Migration to demand visas

In 2021, Mexico recorded an 87 percent increase in the number of asylum applications from migrants fleeing violence and poverty

In recent years, the number of migrants arriving in Mexico fleeing violence and poverty has jumped. In 2021, Mexico recorded an 87 percent increase in the number of asylum applications, mainly from Haitians and Hondurans.

The United Nations refugee agency recently said that Mexico should consider new aid programs amid a surge in the arrival of foreigners, many of them Venezuelans, for whom Mexico now requires a visa.

The migrants are currently in Tapacula, Guattemala and are demanding to be able to cross into Mexico so that they can travel to the US border more than 1,300 miles away

CBP reported 2,035,010 encounters with undocumented migrants who were stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents for unlawful crossing of the United States-Mexico border between January 2021 and December 2021

US Customs and Border Protection has reported 2,035,010 encounters with undocumented migrants who were stopped by Border Patrol agents for unlawful crossing of the United States-Mexico border between January 2021 and December 2021.

There are currently 21,000 immigrants in federal detention facilities, up from 19,000 on Sept. 30, 2020, before President Joe Biden took office.

The Biden administration has closed two immigration detention centers and told Immigration and Customs Enforcement to narrow who it targets for arrest, with a focus on serious criminals.
Environmental protesters are planning a series of raves around Britains busiest motorway this weekend to rally against new oil and gas developments.

Activists for Insulate Britain have aligned themselves with a number of protest groups to conduct the raves around the M25 on Saturday at midday.

There are four demos planned at unknown locations, which will take aim at the cost of living crisis as well as the countrys reliance on fossil fuel energy, The Sun reports.

Ravers could find themselves imprisoned for breaking a protesting ban on Londons orbital route.

Protesters from Insulate Britain blocking a road near Manchester Airport on November 2 last year

One party named Staying Alive on the M25 has been organised by campaigners Gabriella Ditton, 27, from Norwich, with 380 already signed up to attend.

Ms Ditton has already received a suspended sentence earlier this month after blocking part of the M25 in a protest.

Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis said: Yet again, a minority of the crusty Wokerati are willing to endanger others.

It will cause chaos for families coming home after a break following a tough two years.

These middle class hippies are hell-bent on imposing green extremist ideals on people regardless of how hard-up that will make working people.

Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis said the raves 'will cause chaos for families coming home after a break following a tough two years'

16 environmental protesters were handed jail sentences recently after staging blockades of Britains roads last autumn. A further 18 received suspended sentences.

In an online post about Saturday's planned raves, Insulate Britain stated: 'We failed to move our irresponsible government to take meaningful action to prevent thousands of us from dying in our cold homes during the energy price crisis.

'We have failed to make this heartless government put its people over profit and insulate our homes to do our part in lowering the UK's emissions.

'We have failed to encourage our government to get up from their drinks parties, go to their desk and get on with the job.'

The group went on: 'So our next campaign of civil resistance against the betrayal of this country must be even more ambitious.'

Nicola Bell, from Highways England, said: We will work with police and other partners to limit the effects of protests.
A young truck driver has only just learned both her legs had to be amputated three weeks after a horror crash.

Michelle Pillar, 25, had been building a career in livestock transport when her animal carrier truck rolled and got trapped between a tree and a bridge in late January.

Emergency services took 11 hours and the amputation of one of her legs to free her from the vehicle at the scene of the crash in the Otways on Victoria's south coast.

Michelle Pillar, 25, had been building a career in livestock transport when her animal carrier truck rolled and got trapped between a tree and a bridge in late January and cost her her legs

Her other leg was lost due to medical complications in hospital, but by then she was in an induced coma that she only awoke from this week.

Ms Pillar's brother-in-law Ignatius Corboy told 2GB she recently learnt of her second amputation and her family was only able to see her over video chat due to Covid restrictions.

'It wasn't until yesterday that she was informed it was all true and she did not have any legs,' Mr Corboy said.

'You can imagine the impact that has had on her.'

He said that Ms Pillar's 'can do attitude' is what got her into the transportation business and he believes she will recover.

Ms Pillar's brother-in-law Ignatius Corboy has started a GoFundMe page to help fund Ms Pillar's recovery following community efforts that raised over $100,000 (Ms Pillar's truck)

'I can't imagine anyone stronger to put up with a struggle like this. They say truck drivers are the backbone of the nation  I can tell you now, she's it,' he said.

Mr Corboy started a GoFundMe page to help fund Ms Pillar's recovery.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the fund had raised almost $12,500, including $500 from an anonymous donor.

In January, Michelle's community gathered to raise as much money as for Ms Pillar's recovery.

Dion Symons at the Mortlake Roadhouse, who is leading the fundraising efforts, said that support has been local, national, and international.

At the time a donation tin at her roadhouse, a GoFundMe page, and donations of auction items - including cattle - raised more than $100,000.

As of Wednesday afternoon Mr Corboy's fund had raised almost $12,500 including $500 donation from an anonymous donor

Mr Symons told the ABC that while he doesn't personally know Michelle he was sure she would fight her way to recovery.

'It's so touching, I don't personally know Michelle but right now I feel like I know her brilliantly because I've heard so much about her,' he said.

'By all accounts, people tell me she's one tough cookie and will fight like all hell.'
An American Airlines flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York had to be aborted on Tuesday after two of the plane's tires were blown to shreds on the tarmac during takeoff.

Flight 2898 to Phoenix Sky Harbor International airport was halted and cancelled just after 1 p.m. due to a mechanical issue, according to American Airlines.

The plane, which was a Boeing 737-800, pulled over safely to the side of the runway and 142 passengers as well as six crew members aboard were asked to evacuate before being transferred to the terminal via a bus.

They waited at the airport to board another aircraft with continuing service to Phoenix.

No injuries related to the incident were reported.

Both tires on American Airlines Flight 2829 (pictured) were ripped to shreds when the plane was about to take off JFK's tarmac for Phoenix, Arizona

The aircraft had to be evacuated from the runway, before passengers and crew members were told to evacuate

Six crew members and 142 passengers were on board the aircraft. No injuries were reported

The plane has been removed from service for evaluation and repairs.

Passengers were able to depart JFK airport on another aircraft at 5:55 p.m. and arrived in Arizona's capital at 9:30.

Initially, Flight 2898 was scheduled for departure at 12:45 p.m. from New York City, planning to arrive in Phoenix at 4:37 p.m.

The mechanical error happened less than 48 hours after American Airlines Flight 1775 from Los Angeles to D.C. was diverted to Kansas City on Sunday afternoon due to an 'unruly passenger' who tried to break into the cockpit and then attempted to open an exit door.

Flight Radar 24 shows the plane turning around after both of its tires were severely damaged right before takeoff

The passenger, who has yet to be identified, was restrained by flight attendants and other passengers.

He was arrested and taken into custody after the plane's landing.

Mouaz Moustafa, a D.C. resident, was aboard the flight and said that he had seen a flight attendant yelling at another member of the crew, telling them to turn the lights on before the plane had suddenly started descending.

More passengers rushed to the front of the plane to help hold the passenger down, according to Moustafa.

The passenger was allegedly trying to break into the cockpit and open the exit door, before a flight attendant used a coffee pot to strike the man over the head in an attempt to subdue him.

American Airlines Flight 1775 had to make an emergency landing into Kansas City before the FBI arrested a witnesses who was attempting to break into the cockpit and trying to open an exit door

Afterward, American Airlines released a statement referring to the incident, announcing that the plane had landed safely in Kansas City.

'American Airlines flight 1775 with service from Los Angeles (LAX) to Washington, D.C. (DCA) diverted to Kansas City (MCI) due to an unruly passenger,' the statement, sent to Dailymail.com, said.

'The flight landed safely at MCI at 2:28 p.m. local time, and law enforcement was requested to meet the flight on arrival,' it added.

'We're grateful to our crew members, who are consistently dedicated to the safety and care of our customers and who handled the circumstances with the utmost skill and professionalism.'
New South Wales Police are running a public relations campaign to highlight the good work officers do in between fighting crime, a leaked internal memo reveals.

Cops have been encouraged to share stories of bravery and selflessness with their superiors in the hopes of having these random acts of kindness highlighted on the police Facebook page.

But the move has been slammed by cops who feel a push to 'make up puff pieces for likes' will impact the time and resources put into fighting crime.

'They have 1.3 million followers and hardly use the page except for photos of missing persons, and now they're encouraging us to make up puff pieces about police reuniting seven-year-olds with their pet roosters for likes,' one senior officer said.

An internal memo seen by Daily Mail Australia reveals a new social media manager has been hired to 'bolster the digital media unit's storytelling skills'.

'We're looking for stories of police bravery, kindness and selflessness to feature across our NSWPF social media channels,' the email reads.

'These do not have to be significant events.'

An internal memo seen by Daily Mail Australia reveals a new social media manager has been hired to 'bolster the digital media unit's storytelling skills'

New South Wales Police are running a public relations campaign to highlight the good work officers do in between fighting crime. Pictured: New NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb posing with school kids

The email referred to the most successful social media post in 2021, which featured a probationary constable helping a child plan new care arrangements for his pet rooster.

Just hours after the email was sent, the social media team was hard at work actioning the request.

On Friday, the NSW Police Force Facebook shared a picture of a constable mowing an elderly woman's lawn.

'Policing isn't just about catching bad guys,' the caption on the post read. 'A big thanks to Constable Jacob and Constable Ellie, who were patrolling in Casino this week when they stopped to assist a woman struggling to mow her lawn.'

The post included a hashtag which read #FeelGoodFriday and urged citizens to 'share the kindness this weekend'.

On Tuesday, a picture of a senior constable smiling next to a schoolboy also featured on the page, revealing the officer had returned the boy's stolen bike to him.

On Tuesday, a picture of a senior constable smiling next to a schoolboy was shared, revealing the officer had returned the boy's stolen bike to him at school

Just hours after the email was sent, the social media team appeared hard at work actioning the request. On Friday, the NSW Police Force Facebook shared a picture of a constable mowing an elderly woman's lawn

Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police for comment on this story, but had not heard back at the time of publication.

NSW Police has a history of being proactive on social media.

While the Facebook account is primarily used to report missing people and alert the public to wanted persons, the social media team has also been commended for creating comedic content.

Back in 2017, NSW Police hired a social media manager to create engaging memes and witty one-liners.

Dejan Stojadinovic was the man behind many of the jokes, revealing police revamped their messaging to reach a wider proportion of the community.

Back in 2017, NSW Police was commended for hiring a social media manager to create engaging memes and witty one-liners. Dejan Stojadinovic (pictured) was the man behind many of the jokes, revealing police revamped their messaging to reach a wider proportion of the community

Stojadinovic said he saw the uptick in memes online and thought 'maybe we can tie into this humorous tone but still apply a policing message to it'

'We saw the algorithm change on Facebook, where organic reach was just plummeting,' he said in a 2017 interview.

'We were just trying to think of a way... like, how can we get our messages out there to the community?'

Stojadinovic said he saw the uptick in memes online and thought 'maybe we can tie into this humorous tone but still apply a policing message to it'.

Many of the memes - which usually included educational information about speeding, double demerits and drunk driving blitz's - went viral.

The latest social media strategy comes just three months after Karen Webb was announced as the new top cop in the NSW Police Force.

Ms Webb became the first female NSW Police Commissioner with a salary of $665,750 - and describes herself as a 'people person' with zero tolerance for criminals.

She inherited the role during the most recent dig for missing four-year-old William Tyrrell, vowing to get answers for his family and the wider community.

The latest social media strategy comes just three months after Karen Webb was announced as the new top cop in the NSW Police Force

Police have faced backlash of late for their handling of some cases, including the William Tyrrell search




Firefighters battled a major wildfire in the southern coastal county of Yeongdeok on Wednesday as the blaze spread to local communities, forcing the evacuation of more than 180 households.







The fire started on a mountain in the county, about 350 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday. It was extinguished but reignited overnight and spread to nearby residential areas, according to firefighters and local officials.







Firefighters were having difficulties containing the fire late Wednesday due to heavy wind and dry weather.







More than 180 households in two villages were evacuated, with no casualties reported, they said.







The fire is presumed to have damaged more than 100 hectares of land, Choi Byeong-am, the chief of the Korea Forest Service (KFS), said.







The KFS issued a Level 3 wildfire warning, the second highest level of the four-notch system, which is declared when damage is expected for more than 100 hectares.







Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol instructed forest and firefighting authorities to mobilize all possible resources to minimize damage.







The National Fire Agency mobilized firefighters and 65 firetrucks from eight cities and provinces to Yeongdeok. (Yonhap)


Scott Morrison has branded Labor deputy leader Richard Marles a 'Manchurian candidate' after he called for closer defence ties with China on a trip to Beijing.

The Prime Minister launched the extraordinary attack - which Labor rejected as 'desperate' - as part of his escalating and controversial bid to portray the Opposition as weak on national security ahead of the May election.

A Manchurian candidate is a politician being used as a puppet by an enemy power. The phrase comes from the 1959 book The Manchurian Candidate.

During his visit as shadow defence minister in September 2019, Mr Marles gave a speech at the Beijing Foreign Studies University where he said Australia must 'respect China'.

'Our starting point has to be that we respect China and deeply value our relationship with China. We must seek to build it,' he said.

Richard Marles meets Guo Yezhou, vice minister of the international Department of the CPC Central Committee, in Beijing in September 2019

'And not just in economic terms, but also through exploring political co-operation and even defense co-operation.

'To define China as an enemy is a profound mistake. To talk of a new Cold War is silly and ignorant.'

On defence co-operation, Mr Marles was referring to the annual bilateral adventure training exercise PANDAROO which saw Australian troops travel to China just a month before his visit.

The exercise was set up by the Coalition government in 2015.

Earlier this week the Government unearthed the speech which Mr Marles never uploaded to his website.

Mr Morrison brought it up in Question Time on Wednesday where he quoted the speech and added: 'He said that as a shadow defence (minister). So I tell you where I do agree, Mr Speaker... They've got another Manchurian candidate.'

Amid furious shouting from Labor members, Mr Morrison was forced to withdraw the remark because it is considered unparliamentary.

Mr Marles earlier hit back at the Government's attempts to portray Labor as weak on China, insisting there is no policy difference between the Coalition and Labor on national security.

'This is a pathetic attempt to distract from its own failures. And it's an attempt which has been called out by defence experts today, which is very much not in Australia's national interest,' Mr Marles said.

Amid furious shouting from Labor members, Mr Morrison was forced to withdraw the remark because it is considered unparliamentary

'The Prime Minister is clearly trying to create a political issue in the context of the upcoming election around national security which I think shows a level of desperation in terms of trying to find an issue for the election.'

Labor believes the Government's attacks undermine Australia's national security by falsely suggesting to allies that Labor would follow a different policy if elected to Government.

Earlier on Wednesday a senior DFAT official said China is trying to exploit divisions in other countries to pursue its own interests.

Department deputy secretary Justin Hayhurst made claim in a senate estimates hearing on Wednesday.

When asked if China is seeking to sow division, he replied: 'It's fair to say the Chinese system seeks to exploit social and other divisions in countries to pursue its interests. That's very apparent.'

'Clearly, at a time of strategic and security challenges, having the right systems and high levels of social cohesions, these things better equip countries to handle disruption challenges, security threats and risks.'
A Liberal Senator has slammed Pauline Hanson for attending protests against Covid-19 vaccine mandates, before leaving the city to return to Queensland instead of sticking around for a rare week of parliamentary sessions dedicated to grilling the Government.

The One Nation Leader joined 'freedom' protesters outside Parliament House in Canberra on Saturday, but quickly jetted back home ahead of Senate estimates.

Queensland senator and Liberal frontbencher Amanda Stoker has blasted Ms Hanson for missing out on the parliamentary sessions, saying she should 'show up and serve'.

'She didn't sit in the Senate all last week, and she's not here for estimates this week,' Ms Stoker told Steve Price.

'We had all been operating on the basis that there was some medical reason she couldn't be here, connected to her not being vaccinated.

'Now, you accept these things at face value. But to then see her at the protest at the weekend exposes those excuses for the mirage they are.

Ms Hanson had attended Parliament remotely from Queensland last week, but still flew into the nation's capital to greet protesters rallying against Covid-19 mandates.

Queensland senator and Liberal frontbencher Amanda Stoker slammed her state colleague for not showing up to Parliament

Pauline Hanson attended the Covid-19 mandates protest at Parliament House

'She's spending her time, instead of serving in this Parliament, campaigning back home. Now we all campaign, no crime against campaigning. But you campaign to serve in the Parliament,' Ms Stoker said.

'So if you want to serve in the Parliament, show up and serve in the Parliament. Do the job you campaigned for last time before you start campaigning for the next one.

'We are doing really important things down here,' she added.

Senator Hanson's office told Daily Mail Australia that she will continue to 'meet her obligations' to Queenslanders by representing them in Parliament remotely.

'In this case given, Covid restrictions, it allows for the remote attendance of parliament,' Senator Hanson's office said.

Her office added, unlike other Senators, Ms Hanson was on the ground meeting and hearing a range of issues from protesters.
Scott Morrison infuriated Labor politicians in Parliament today when he declared that people who died with Covid in aged care were not necessarily killed by the virus.

The Prime Minister was asked by Labor leader Anthony Albanese if he thinks Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck is performing well after the minister said death totals are not an indication of his success.

Mr Morrison said 711 people have died in aged care homes this year and described every death as a 'terrible tragedy'.

But he pointed out that not all of these residents were killed by Covid even if they were positive at the time of death.

'While we mourn the loss of those who have passed away in aged care, who have had Covid-19 when they have passed away... passing away with Covid is not the same as passing away because of Covid,' he said.

The comment sparked shouting across the Parliament from Labor politicians.

'They may interject on that, but that is the medical advice that has been provided by the Chief Medical Officer,' Mr Morrison said.

The Prime Minister made the same comment during Question Time last week.

'When people are passing away with Covid, that does not necessarily mean that they have passed away because of Covid,' he said.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has been at pains to point out the distinction between dying with and dying of Covid for weeks.

On February 1 he said that approximately 60 per cent of those who have died in aged care were in palliative care.

It comes after former deputy chief health officer Dr Nick Coatsworth called for mask mandates for children to be scrapped.

'I think the tide has turned on masks. People recognise they had a place at a time of uncertainty, but are appropriately re-assessing their value especially in schools. It is a good time to re-evaluate primary and secondary school mask policy in all Australian jurisdictions,' he wrote on Twitter.

Dr Coatsworth said widespread restrictions weren't fair or needed due to Australia's robust health care system and high vaccination rates.

'We've got that, and so the vulnerable are protected and so we can move forward with this, so I do think the people like the two you just mentioned need to change their perspective and move with the times,' he said.

Meanwhile, infectious diseases expert Peter Collignon has called for QR code check ins to be scrapped because they are pointless now that close contacts don't have to isolate.

Scott Morrison (pictured) infuriated Labor politicians in Parliament today when he declared that people who died with Covid in aged care were not necessarily killed by the virus

During a fiery round of questioning at Senate estimates, Senator Colbeck said the number of deaths in aged care from the virus were not an indication of performance.

'We are in the middle of a global pandemic, and the completely tragic result of that is people will catch the virus across all parts of the community, and tragically, some will die,' he told the hearing on Wednesday.

'The performance in managing Covid-19 has improved.'

Senator Colbeck said he had not offered his resignation to Prime Minister Scott Morrison over issues in aged care.

After the government announced up to 1,700 Australian Defence Force personnel would be sent into aged care to assist the workforce, just 106 had been deployed.

As of Wednesday, ADF members had been deployed to 21 residential aged care facilities out of the 2900 across the country.

There were 25 ADF personnel deployed in Queensland, 12 in NSW, 45 in Victoria, 18 in South Australia and six in Western Australia.

Senator Colbeck said the government had moved quickly to implement new rules on furloughing staff following workplace shortages in aged care.

Health officials said the situation was exacerbated in early January due to large numbers of COVID cases in aged care and staff also being on leave.

It was revealed there were 915 Covid-19 outbreaks in aged care facilities across the country.

Of those, 479 have been in NSW, 148 in Victoria, 176 in Queensland, 85 in South Australia, three in Tasmania, six in the Northern Territory, 16 in the ACT and two in Western Australia.

Health officials also told estimates that between four and five per cent of the aged care workforce had missed shifts due to testing positive for COVID-19.

However, officials did not state how many facilities across the country had faced staffing issues due to the pandemic and rising Omicron infections.

The aged care minister said while there were issues in the sector that needed to be addressed, he criticised people who wanted to 'talk down' aged care.

Minister for Aged Care Richard Colbeck has defended the performance of the Government over aged care

'Every time you tell (workers) how bad it is, you're saying how bad they are,' Senator Colbeck said.

'Mistakes have occurred and we've acknowledged that.'

The head of Australia's vaccine rollout, Lieutenant-General John Frewen, told the Senate committee all aged care facilities had been visited for residents to receive their booster doses.

About 450 sites have also had a second visit by the vaccination teams.

He said 80 per cent of the country's population over 70 had received a booster dose.

'The efforts for the booster in residential aged care and disability care is the highest priority,' he said.

With AAP
The family of Samuel Thomson, 19, have not heard from him since he left his home at Lysterfield South in Melbourne's south-east on February 9

A young man missing from Melbourne after going 'walkabout' may have been copying a US man who tried to live off the grid in the Alaskan wilderness, after a cryptic note was found inside one of his books.

The family of Samuel Thomson, 19, have not heard from him since he left his home at Lysterfield South in Melbourne's south-east on February 9.

Mr Thomson's family have descried his disappearance as 'out of character'.

Police said he is carrying a Blue Pioneer hiking pack, a sleeping bag, and a red and black tent.

'He is possibly travelling on foot (or hitchhiking). His empty car has been located near Swan Hill. But we dont know when it was left there,' Mr Thomson's mother Elizabeth posted to Facebook.

Mr Thomson's family have described his disappearance as 'out of character'. He was carrying limited supplies on his camping expedition

She told reporters she was concerned after finding a note inside Samuel's copy of Into The Wild, a 1996 book by Jon Krakauer that tells the story of US adventurer Chris McCandless, who perished after living 'off the grid' for 113 days in the Alaskan wilderness in 1992.

McCandless's story was later turned into a movie in 2007 by actor Sean Penn.

'He was taken by the story of the book when he bought it and read it a year ago. That caused us great concern,' Ms Thomson told reporters.

She said her son's note said he was going 'walkabout' and would soon return home.

Elizabeth Thomson told the media she became 'concerned' after finding note inside Samuel's copy of Into The Wild

Ms Thomson said she last spoke to her son on the night of February 9 after he returned home from a trivia night with friends.

'I heard him in his room the next morning early and he had told me he was going camping that day. I went to work and didnt think anything else about it,' she said.

Mr Thomson's Nissan Navara was found abandoned next to the Murray River near Swan Hill last Monday afternoon.

The last sighting of him was on February 11 when he was picked up by a couple while hitchhiking.

'He camped out in their backyard in his tent and they have then taken him to Nyah which is 10km north west of the Swan Hill area,' Senior Constable Imogen Brill told reporters.

Mr Thomson mentioned he may be heading towards Mildura.

Emile Hirsch in the Sean Penn-directed 2007 film Into The Wild, an adaptation of the 1996 Jon Krakaeur book owned by missing Melbourne man Samuel Thomson

The 1996 book by Jon Krakauer told the story of US adventurer Chris McCandless, who perished after living 'off the grid' for 113 days in the Alaskan wilderness in 1992

Anyone who may have seen Mr Thomson is asked to contact Narre Warren or Swan Hill police immediately.

'We are aware of the ending of that book and it does play into our concerns, but thats not necessarily the reason we are searching for him,' Snr Cnst Brill said.

Adventurer McCandless travelled across North America in 1990 after leaving university in the US state of Georgia.

He eventually hitchiked up to Alaska and trekked down the Stampede Trail with limited supplies or equipment, planning to live off the land.

McCandless found an abandoned bus in the wilderness in which he lived and where his body - weighing just 30kg - was found by a group of hunters in September 1992.

His cause of death was ruled as starvation.
Paislee Shultis was abducted aged four in 2019. She is now six

A mother accused of abducting her daughter and hiding her in a hovel-like makeshift room beneath the stairs of their upstate New York home was seen appearing to smirk in her mugshot while the girl's father sported a blank expression.

Kimberly Cooper, 33, and Kirk Shultis Jr., 32, were arrested Monday night after police found Paislee Shultis, 6, being held in a dark, wet room underneath the staircase in a Saugerties home. They kept her in isolation from society for more than two years.

After rescuing Paislee, who was reportedly found in good health, detectives treated the girl to a McDonald's Happy Meal after removing her from the home.

Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra told CBS New York the girl was on her way to the police station when they passed the fast-food restaurant. She told the officers she hadn't eaten there in a long time, prompting them to turn around and buy her the meal.

After being 'released in good health,' Paislee was reunited with her older sister and unidentified legal guardian. However, authorities have raised concerns about her emotional, social and academic well-being.

'Number one, this little girl didn't have a opportunity to go to school. We are pretty certain that she probably wasn't receiving proper medical attention,' Sinagra said.

'Obviously, the family just couldn't take her to a doctor because she was a reported missing person. The other concern is you have a child that doesn't write or read because they didn't have the opportunity to go to school. They will now.'

Police have released mugshots of her alleged abductors, her non-custodial parents. Kimberly Cooper, 33, (pictured) appears to be smirking despite having been charged with custodial interference in the second degree and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child

Kirk Shultis Jr. (pictured) was charged with one count each of felony of custodial interference in the first degree and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child

This is the makeshift room under the stairs where Paislee Shultis was found living in her paternal grandfather's home on Monday night

Cops flashed a light over the staircase and were able to see a dirty blanket from behind the staircase

Paislee, then 4, was reported missing in July 2019 after being taken from her legal guardian's home in Cayuga Heights, located approximately 162 miles from where she was found Tuesday. It's unclear why her parents lost custody of their daughter.

Police had long suspected Cooper and Shultis of kidnapping the girl and believed she was being kept at the Saugerties house which belonged to her grandfather, Kirk Shultis Sr.

Police searched the property many times but came up empty. The residents repeatedly 'denied any knowledge of the little girl's whereabouts.'

However, a tip came in this week claiming the girl was being kept in the home, which resulted in officers obtaining a warrant to search the property.

During the search, Saugerties Detective Erik Thiele 'noticed something about the staircase leading from the back of the residence into the basement of the house that caught his attention.'

'He took a flashlight and looked between the cracks between the steps,' Sinagra told the TV station.

'He saw what he thought it was a blanket, and at that point they used a halogen tool, a forcible entry tool, and they started ripping the steps off the staircase, itself. At one point they saw little feet, as he put it.'

The property belongs to Paislee's grandfather, Kirk Shultis Sr., who was also arrested and charged with one count each of felony of custodial interference in the first degree and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child

This is the family home in Saugerties, New York, where the family was living. Police said the girl had her own bedroom inside the home

There is a child's play structure on the property where the girl had been living in secret for three years

Paislee and her mother were discovered hiding in the makeshift room shortly after.

'It was pretty dingy. It was cold. There was blankets that were laying on the ground, on the concrete floor. They were completely soaked, extremely heavy,' Sinagra recalled.

'Now it is our belief that each and every time in the past two years that we went to the residence with new leads, that this is where the child and mother would hide.'

Shultis and his father, Kirk Shultis Sr., were arrested and each charged with one count each of felony of custodial interference in the first degree and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.

They were both released on bond Tuesday morning.

Cooper was charged with custodial interference in the second degree and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.

She is still behind bars in the Ulster County Jail on an outstanding warrant issued by Ulster County Family Court. It is unclear what that charge is.

Orders of protection have been issued against all three suspects and none have been charged with kidnapping. Saugerties police say additional arrests are pending.

Kirk Shultis Jr. is pictured on Tuesday at the home, after being released from jail on bond. He said: 'The truth will come out', but did not comment further

The home in Saugerties, New York, where the girl was found on Monday night after an anonymous tip

The Shultis family home in Saugerties, New York. The family has not commented publicly

Meanwhile, neighbors are flabbergasted that the missing girl had been in the home all this time.

'I'm just shocked, because they seemed like regular people,' Annette Wrolsen said.

Although neighbors never saw the girl outside the home, preliminary investigation revealed she did have her own bedroom.

'On the wall it said "Paislee,"' Sinagra shared. 'There was clothing items there. It appeared that someone had been sleeping in the bed and somebody had been using the bedroom.

'And of course, the father and the grandfather said, "no, that they had set that room up like that so that if Paislee was ever found, she had a place to come back to."'
An enraged local tried to protest the construction of luxury beachside apartment blocks by spraying graffiti on a billboard.

But the furious vandal's plan to tell the 'greedy' developers where to go felt flat when they didn't come armed with enough paint or ran out of time.

Instead the protest on the sign in front of Yelo in Trigg, Perth, on Wednesday became a point of ridicule and amusement.

'P**s off greedy de,' the message read, falling eight letters short but at least doing enough for their point to be understood.

Viewers of a graffitied billboard have been left giggling at a half-written message protesting a new apartment building in Trigg, Perth

The billboard was advertising new luxury apartments promising 'private beachside retreat' homes on 331 West Coast drive.

The listing said apartments would have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two car spaces.

The new apartments are set to be built on the site of the Yelo cafe which is described as a 'community hub'.

Several people online wrote that though they hated the idea of the new apartments, they were amused by ill-prepared vandal.

The billboard was advertising a new building of luxury apartments promising 'private beachside retreat' homes on 331 West Coast drive that will be built on top of a 'community hub'

'Ran out of paint?' the photographer wrote when sharing the bizarre sight on Instagram.

'Its my local and were all outraged,' another said.

'Could have saved a lot of paint by just writing "c**ts!", another person wrote.
A drug dealer allegedly swapped cocaine for access into a Sydney gym during the city's Covid lockdown.

Steve Ayad, 33, was charged with the supply and possession of prohibited drugs after he was busted by police in July last year.

Officers intercepted thousands of texts and calls from Ayad as well as capturing him making 21 cocaine deals that earned him $10,650, the Sutherland Local Court heard.

Police obtained video surveillance of customers arriving at Ayad's south Sydney home in Peakhurst while listening in on his phone calls - many deals occurring under Covid stay-at-home orders, the Daily Telegraph reported.

A drug dealer allegedly gave a Sydney gym owner cocaine in exchange for secret access into the facility during the city's Covid lockdown (stock image)

In total 45.69g of cocaine worth an estimated street value of $23,000 was found at the 33-year-old's home.

Other drugs such as diazepam and testosterone were also found at the home.

Police have alleged Ayad handed bags of cocaine to a gym owner so he could use their facilities during Sydney's four-month lockdown when all fitness venues were closed.

Ayad is believed to have messaged a friend about gaining access to the gym.

'The male associate said ''is he going to let the boys in or nup'' and the accused said ''yeah but he wants a bag off each bloke'',' police facts stated.

'Police allege the accused arranged for people to supply cocaine to (the gym owner) in exchange for access to his gym during the Covid lockdown.'

Ayad pleaded guilty to prohibited drug supply, possessing prescribed restricted substances and possessing prohibited drugs. He was not charged over breaching public health orders.

Ayad was on Tuesday given a 21-month intensive corrections order as well as an order to complete 150 hours of community service and pay a $3,300 fine.

He must also undergo psychological treatment and drug rehabilitation.

Ayad was previously convicted of prohibited drug supply in 2009. Then he was given an eight-month suspended jail sentence.
A Liberal senator has sensationally claimed the Australian Labor Party promised the Chinese Communist Party 'closer ties' with Australia if they win the next federal election.

The unnamed Liberal senator alleged former shadow defence Minister Richard Marles deleted a speech he made in China back in 2019 from his website.

It is understood Mr Marles made a virtual guarantee to the Chinese Communist Party that relations will strengthen between the two nations if the ALP can topple the Liberal Party.

Speaking at Beijing Foreign Studies University in September of 2019, Mr Marles said Australia and China should '(explore) political co-operation and even defence co-operation'.

'I deeply believe that we must build our relationship with China to the greatest possible extent and beyond our economic interaction,' Mr Marles said.

A Liberal senator has claimed the Australian Labor Party promised the Chinese Communist Party 'stronger future ties' with Australia. It is alleged former Shadow Minister for Defence Richard Marles (pictured) told the CCP relations would improve if the ALP win the next Federal election

Liberal Senator James Paterson believes Richard Marles' speech in 2019 in Beijing was an attempt to diffuse the current conflict between the two nations

Senator James Paterson, chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security, felt Mr Marles' speech was a blatant attempt to diffuse the significant current conflict between Australia and China.

A spokesman for Mr Marles hit back, stating any innuendo surrounding the speech from three years ago was a deliberate ploy from the Liberal Party to take focus away from the 'trainwreck' Morrison government.

'Instead of trying to fix the horrible mess they have created in aged care or help the small businesses they have abandoned during the pandemic, Mr Morrison's backbenchers are making up lies,' the spokesman told the Daily Telegraph.

A federal election is yet to be called in Australia, but it is clear the Chinese publication The Global Times wants Labor leader Anthony Albanese as the nation's next Prime Minister.

In a op-ed written by retired diplomat Bruce Haigh on Tuesday, Mr Albanese is said to be a far better option in the hot seat as opposed to Scott Morrison.

'Albanese could never be compared to (Gough) Whitlam. He is not a lateral thinker, he is not creative, he will not be a charismatic leader. He will be a safe leader, if not an ordinary leader,' Mr Haigh wrote.

He continued his series of backhanded compliments by adding Opposition Leader Albanese is likely to be sworn in at the next election because Morrison is 'imploding'.

Haigh pointed to the PM's perceived failure to manage numerous aspects of the Covid pandemic stretching back to 2020 as the chief reason why.

The Global Times' scathing attacks on Morrison are nothing new.

In April 2020, editor Hu Xijin publicly labelled Australia the 'gum stuck to the bottom of China's shoe' after the Morrison government called for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus.
As the threat of war between Russia and Ukraine loomed Tuesday, President Joe Biden admitted that Ukraine would be on its own if Russia does invade and that American service members would not be sent to fight - but if Americans were ti be targeted, the president warned of a 'bloody, destructive war.'

For days, U.S. and European officials have said that a Russian invasion on Ukraine appeared imminent, but Putin's government on Tuesday publicly welcomed further security talks with the West.

Biden is demanding more proof that Putin has pulled back troops after fears that he remarks could be a bluff.

While Putin said he does not want war, he did not commit to a full pullback of troops, saying Russia's next moves in the standoff will depend on how the situation evolves.

Russia's claim that it pulled back troops 'would be good, but we have not yet verified that,' Biden said. 'Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.'

In remarks at the White House Tuesday, Biden promised that the U.S. would continue to give diplomacy 'every chance' to prevent a Russian invasion, but he struck a skeptical tone about Moscow's intentions.

'While I will not send American servicemen to fight in Ukraine, we have supplied the Ukrainian military equipment to help them defend themselves,' Biden said during an address Tuesday.

'We provided training and advice and intelligence for the same purpose.'

Biden insisted that the U.S. and its allies would not 'sacrifice basic principles' respecting Ukraine sovereignty.

'Two paths are still open,' Biden said. 'But let there be no doubt: If Russia commits this breach by invading Ukraine, responsible nations around the world will not hesitate to respond. If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we'll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.'

Biden also warned that the U.S. is committed to protecting NATO allies amid the rising tensions with Russia.

'Make no mistake, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power,' Biden said. 'An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us.'

President Joe Biden, pictured on Tuesday, is now demanding more proof that Vladimir Putin has pulled back troops after fears that he remarks could could be a bluff

War by its nature is unpredictable, and the stakes are enormous, not just for an overmatched Ukraine but for Europe and the United States.

Biden has said he will not fight Russia in Ukraine, nor would America's NATO allies. So a Russian invasion would not automatically trigger a wider war.

But if Putin took his offensive beyond Ukraine's borders onto NATO territory, the United States could get drawn into it. That's because Washington is obliged by the North Atlantic Treaty to defend its allies, some of whom they fear are Russian targets.

'Make no mistake. The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power,' Biden said Tuesday. 'An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us.'

Even amid the glimmers of hope, Biden said 150,000 Russian forces are now massed near Ukraine and in neighboring Belarus - an increase from an earlier U.S. estimate of 130,000 troops.

Military vehicles are seen as some military units begin to return to their bases after completing their missions within military drill in Russia on February 15

For days, U.S. and European officials have said that a Russian invasion on Ukraine appeared imminent, but Putin's government on Tuesday publicly welcomed further security talks with the West

Earlier this week, a Western source said: 'We have seen no evidence at all of Russian withdrawals  precisely the opposite in fact. Russia is continuing to reinforce its positions on the Ukrainian border.

'We could also easily see a false flag operation [today] along the lines of, 'well we were retreating but look what the Ukrainians have done'. So we remain ready for an immediate scenario.

'The volume of Russian capability remains very high, the precise lay-down of military assets might change but the threat remains.

'Putin... is obsessed with Ukraine and has a very twisted view of Ukrainian history. Getting Ukraine back is an end in itself. But he will listen to his generals, who are wary of getting involved in a lengthy conflict.'

There was also concern last night Putin could seek to use alleged mistreatment of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine to justify an offensive.

In his strongest criticism of the Ukraine government's attitude towards pro-Russian communities, he likened its policies to 'genocide'.

Russia's list of demands, which have been repeatedly rejected by Nato, include thousands of Western troops withdrawing from eastern Europe and a ban on Ukraine joining the alliance.

At a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Monday, Putin said: 'Do we want this [war] or not? Of course, not. That is exactly why we put forward proposals for a process of negotiations. But the question of Ukraine's membership of Nato must be resolved now.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) publicly welcomed further security talks with the U.S. and NATO, as the Russian military announced a partial troop withdrawal from drills near Ukraine

Military vehicles are seen as some military units begin to return to their bases after completing their missions within military drill in Russia on February 15

o their bases after completing their missions within military drill in Russia on February 15

The White House said Biden also spoke to Emmanuel Macron of France, who has maintained a softer line on Russia throughout.

They discussed diplomatic efforts to avert conflict but also impose 'their readiness severe consequences,' the White House said afterwards.

At about the same time Secretary of State Antony Blinken was on a secure call with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

In his address Biden promised to 'give the diplomacy every chance' to prevent a Russian invasion.

But he set limits, saying he would not 'sacrifice basic principles' affording countries a right to determine their own borders and alliances.

There was also a message for American consumers, who have seen gas prices rise by a dollar in the past year. Defending democracy in the event of a Russian invasion will come at a cost, said Biden.

'I will not pretend this will be painless but could be impact on our energy prices,' he said.

'So we are taking active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets and offset raising prices.

'We're coordinating with major energy, energy consumers and producers are prepared to deploy all the tools and authority at our disposal to provide relief at the gas pump.'

Ambassador Julianne Smith, US permanent representative to NATO, said: 'What's important is that we try to verify based on the fact that we've seen other instances in the past where Russia has claimed to be de-escalating and in fact, facts on the ground didn't prove that to be true.'

Russia has repeatedly denied claims that its build-up of troops around Ukraine was the first step in invasion.

Tensions escalated in recent days after the US said an attack was imminent and could come at any time.

But on Tuesday Putin said he was ready for for talks with the US and NATO over European security, insisting that he 'of course' doesn't want war in Ukraine.

Putin, speaking at the Kremlin alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after three hours of talks, said he was 'ready to go down the negotiations track' and engage over issues such as arms control, transparency around military drills, and other measures aimed at reducing sky-high tensions between East and West.

But he also insisted that the fate of two breakaway Ukrainian regions - where Moscow-backed rebels are fighting the government - should form part of talks because 'genocide' is underway there. And he again accused the West of ignoring his demand that Ukraine is banned from NATO, underlining how far apart the two sides still are.

Hours before he spoke, Moscow announced that some troops and tanks stationed near Ukraine are being returned to their home bases - a move that was welcomed with cautious optimism by Western leaders who said it sends the right signal, but doesn't change the fact that Russia could still invade at short notice.

Boris Johnson accused Putin of sending 'mixed messages': Calling for negotiations on one hand while building field hospitals on the frontlines, a move he said 'can only be construed as preparations for an invasion.'

Jens Stoltenburg, NATO chief, said he has seen no evidence that Russia is drawing down its forces but that signals coming from the Kremlin give room for 'cautious optimism'.

Beyond the seemingly unlikely scenario of Putin deliberately extending an invasion beyond Ukraine, there is a risk that even a limited war could spread as a result of an accident, a miscalculation or a misunderstanding. Once the fighting started, a bit of bad luck could lead to more conflict.

Even if Putin were to back off in coming days and pursue a negotiated path to his security goals, the enormous tension created by his buildup of forces on Ukraine's borders could have a lasting impact elsewhere in Europe. U.S. allies on NATO's eastern front, particularly the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were once part of the Soviet Union, may press for a bigger and more permanent U.S. military presence.

A full range of scenarios for ending the Ukraine crisis and managing relations with Russia will be on the table Wednesday when U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin joins a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. Austin is expected also to meet jointly with his counterparts from the three Baltic states.

Biden has ordered about 5,000 extra troops, including a senior Army general, to Europe to demonstrate U.S. commitment to eastern flank allies like Poland and Romania that share borders with Ukraine.

Some of those extra soldiers include elements of an airborne infantry combat brigade in southern Poland, not far from the Ukrainian border, preparing for the possibility of being asked to temporarily house and assist civilians who would flee Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion.

Aside from the risk of an unintended or unexpected incident along Ukraine's western borders, the scope of Russia's military buildup and its options for disrupting Ukrainian and Western communications offer possibilities for an escalation that could draw in the United States.

James Stavridis, a former chief commander of NATO forces in Europe and a retired Navy admiral, says two wild cards in the Ukraine crisis are the prospect of an escalation to cyberwar and the possibility of an unintended escalation in the Black Sea, where Ukraine's small fleet is caught between the bigger navies of Russia and NATO nations.

'A missile that goes astray and strikes a non-combatant, say a U.S. destroyer, could be explosive,' Stavridis said.

He believes cyber warfare would be a central feature of any Russian attack on Ukraine, with the United States and its allies attempting to protect the Ukrainian military's ability to communicate with and command forces in the field, and to preserve the electric grid and other civilian infrastructure.

'That could easily lead to Russian retaliation in the cyber world, broadening the conflict quickly and dangerously,' Stavridis said.

Biden cited a similar unconventional danger.

'If Russia attacks the United States or our allies through asymmetric means, like disruptive cyber attacks against our companies or critical infrastructure, we're prepared to respond,' he said.

Jim Townsend, who was the Pentagon's top Europe and NATO policy official throughout the Obama administration, said he sees little chance that Putin would deliberately extend an offensive beyond Ukraine unless he believed Biden would be unwilling to go to war to defend NATO allies.

More likely, he said, is an unintended scenario such as a Western military aircraft getting shot down along the border.

'My great fear is that we go down a slippery slope that nobody wants,' he said.
A young mum battling with a rare psychological disorder almost killed her baby boy by poisoning him with sedatives and paracetamol while he was in hospital.

The Adelaide woman, now 25, has been diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental health condition where caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury in a person under his or her care.

The District Court has heard shocking details of how the little boy ended up with acute liver failure and that doctors may not know the long-term damage of the abuse until he gets older.

His mother has pleaded guilty to a charge of committing an act to cause serious harm and has already spent 10 months in custody.

A court has heard how a young Adelaide mum (pictured) almost killed her baby by poisoning him with sedatives and paracetamol

The court heard the 13 month-old was taken to Lyell McEwin Hospital by his mum in February 2020, telling staff he was floppy and not feeding properly, the Adelaide Advertiser reported.

The baby already had spent two months of his life in hospital and had been treated there two days earlier.

Doctors became concerned after the woman insisted her son have a nasogastric tube to help him feed and went as far as lying to staff to claim it had been approved by another physician.

The court heard the baby was settled and happy when nurses they checked on him early the next morning before his condition deteriorated, where he couldn't be woken and appeared sedated.

Over the next few days, the baby's condition shifted between being responsive and happy to lethargic and unable to keep his eyelids open before staff found opened medicine capsules and an empty pack of Panadol in a bin in his room.

The baby boy had already spent two of his 13 months in hospital when he was poisoned (stock)

Munchausen syndrome by proxy explained Munchausen by proxy is a controversial syndrome which is called 'factitious disorder' by the World Health Organisation to describe a behaviour pattern in which a primary caregiver fabricates, exaggerates, or induces mental or physical health problems in those who are in their care, usually a child. The motivation is to gain attention from medical providers and others. To perpetuate medical treatment, the caregiver misrepresents or invents symptoms, or even purposely harms the child by poisoning, suffocation, infection or physical injury. The average age of MBP victims is four years old and in the majority of cases, the perpetrator is the mother of the victim. Advertisement

Blood tests revealed the baby had 10 times the therapeutic level of paracetamol in his system, along with traces of codeine, diazepam, temazepam and a mix of antihistamines.

He also had poor head control and unable to sit independently.

The boy was transferred to Women's and Children's Hospital and later airlifted to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne for a liver transplant.

He's now recovering in care.

The woman's lawyer said her client 'recognises that her son was helpless and the victim in this matter' as she urged for a suspended sentence.

'At the time she was offending she was of the belief that, due to her mental illness at the time, that her son needed to be continually treated at the hospital and, if he was there, he would be safe,' Taylor Johanson told the court.

Nurses at Lyell McEwin Hospital (pictured) found opened medicine capsules and an empty pack of Panadol in a bin in the baby's room

Prosecutor Lisa Lakatos told the court the abuse began shortly after the baby was born.

'She still maintains, and quite concerningly, that the victim did suffer from all of the medical conditions she reeled off when she is asked about it,' she said.

'She's not shy about telling lies and you might think that she is a compulsive liar. She is capable of going to significant lengths to achieve her objectives.'

The court also heard there were no similar cases in South Australia to draw upon.

Judge Michael Durrant will hand down the woman's sentence in April.
An official from the National Forensic Service inspects People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo's campaign bus at Cheonan Dongnam Police Station in South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday, a day after two campaign workers for Ahn were found dead in the bus. Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo





Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and main opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Yoon Suk-yeol paid their condolences to two campaign workers for minor opposition candidate Ahn Cheol-soo who were found dead in a campaign bus in what is assumed to be carbon monoxide poisoning.



The candidates continued their campaign activities in a muted capacity to pay their respects to the campaign workers.





Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung bows his head in a tribute to two campaign workers who died in a bus for minor opposition candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, during a public speech in Gangnam District, Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps



Throughout Wednesday, campaign vehicles of the DPK and the PPP stopped playing promotional songs, and party events remained solemn with no singing or dancing.



According to the DPK, Lee's campaign chief, Lee Nak-yon, and chief secretary Oh Young-hun attended the funerals of the victims in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.



Candidate Lee also made an unexpected visit to one of the funerals on late Wednesday and spend approximately 25 minutes for paying tribute to the victims. Lee privately spoke with Ahn during his stay at the funeral, but did not elaborate about their conversation to the reporters.



"I pray for the souls of the victims of the unexpected accident, and send my deep regrets to the bereaved family members," he tweeted.





People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol speaks in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps



The PPP's Yoon visited the funerals himself after wrapping up his campaign schedule for the day. Yoon told reporters that he offered his consolences to the victims and Ahn, but did not talk about political issues.









"We pray for the two victims of the tragic accident, and offer our sincere condolences to the bereaved family members," Yoon's chief spokesperson, Lee Yang-soo, said in a statement. "To express our grievances, the PPP will not play campaign songs and will refrain from dancing or other activities during Wednesday's campaigning."



Yoon's campaign tour took him to four cities: Gwangju, Jeonju, Chungju and Wonju. During his stop in Jeonju, he criticized the ruling party for taking issue with his remark that he would investigate the Moon administration for corruption if he is elected.



"I said I would crack down on corruption scandals to establish the rule of law. But they spun my words to mean political retaliation," he said. "Corruption doesn't end with corruption. It ruins the lives of the people."



Ahn canceled all his scheduled appearances on Wednesday.



"I can't help but feel numb after this unexpected accident," Ahn told reporters after paying tribute to the victims on early Wednesday. "We will do whatever we can to address the situation."



According to Ahn's camp, Ahn may resume his campaigning after the victims' funeral services are finished.





People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo walks out of Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday, after attending the funeral of a campaign worker who died in an accident. Yonhap
Ottawa's police chief resigned on Tuesday after failing to restore order in the Canadian capital during 19 days of unrest - a day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked a sweeping act which critics said was tantamount to martial law.

Peter Sloly, who had led Ottawa's police since 2019, was known for his progressive reform agenda but this week admitted defeat, as residents of the city complained about his handling of the 'Freedom Convoy' anti-vaccine mandate protests.

Truck drivers have been parked in the city center since January 27, demanding an end to Trudeau's vaccine mandates. They have said they will remain until the mandates are lifted - despite over 90 percent of Canadians already being fully vaccinated. Others within their movement blocked bridges into the U.S. last week for five days, causing millions of dollars of losses in international trade.

In a statement on Twitter, Sloly, 55, defended his policing record and said that he was stepping down 'with a heavy heart.'

'Since the onset of this demonstration, I have done everything possible to keep this city safe and put an end to this unprecedented and unforeseeable crisis,' he said.

His contract was not due to expire until 2024.

Peter Sloly, 55, resigned on Tuesday after failing to get the Ottawa protests under control

Trucks block downtown streets near the Parliament Buildings as a demonstration led by truck drivers protesting vaccine mandates continues on Tuesday night

Truckers in Canada are seen on Tuesday night in Ottawa, continuing the protest that began on January 27

The protesters - pictured in Ottawa on Tuesday night - have vowed to stay until the vaccine mandates are lifted

Ottawa residents have said they are fed up with the disruption and the noise from the demonstrations

Mayor Jim Watson said in a statement that he supported the police board's decision to accept Sloly's resignation.

'It had become clear that many members of the police board, city council and the general public were not satisfied with the response of the police in bringing the occupation to an end,' he said.

Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair, who worked with Sloly when Blair was chief of the Toronto Police Service, said on Tuesday that Sloly was 'a fundamentally decent man faced with a very difficult job.'

'Frankly, I'm very saddened by this turn of events,' Blair told The Ottawa Citizen.

'At the same time, I think there is an important job yet to be done to restore order and provide effective policing services to the people of Ottawa'

Blair called the lack of police enforcement toward the protesters 'inexplicable' in an interview with CBC News on Sunday.

Trudeau on Monday invoked a rarely-used statute, the Emergency Act, in an effort to bring the protests to an end.

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister - seen on Tuesday in the House of Commons - invoked the Emergency Act on Monday to end the protests

Under the draconian temporary powers, mass gatherings can be banned and freedom of movement limited. Critics have likened the act to martial law.

Trudeau on Tuesday defended the act, tweeting: 'We'll always defend the rights of Canadians to peaceful assembly and to freedom of expression.

GiveSendGO data breach reveals nationality of donors to Freedom Convoy United States: 51,666 Canada: 36,202 United Kingdom: 1,831 Australia: 588 Denmark: 300 Netherlands: 209 Iceland: 162 Sweden: 143 France: 130 Norway: 125 Advertisement

'We'll also do whatever is necessary to reinforce the principles, values, and institutions that keep all Canadians free  and that's what we're doing with the Emergencies Act.'

The bridges into the United States, which had been blocked for five days, were open on Tuesday after protesters were dispersed.

Trudeau has blamed the protest on foreign agitators, and on Tuesday it emerged that 42 percent of donations to a crowdfunding site came from the U.S.

Canadians donated $4.31 million to the anti-vaccine mandate protest while making up less than a third of all donors, compared with the $3.62 million given by Americans, according to the data.

The rest of the $8.7 million came from the UK and several other countries.

The most U.S. donations, according to an analysis of zip codes by The Washington Post, were made from Leander, Texas - a suburb north of Austin.

Leander had the highest number of overall donations with 38 individual contributors, with many of the donors referencing the Bible in their pledges, the paper said.

The largest single contributor to the convoy from the United States appears to have been Thomas Siebel, who made a fortune in software development in Silicon Valley in the 1990s.

A donation of $90,000 was made in Siebel's name and using an email address associated with his past business, Siebel Systems.

Nancy Vasa, 62, of eastern Oregon, sent $2,000 on February 5, she confirmed to the paper.

'I believe that we are falling off the cliff to communism and the people rising up could be our last chance to get Americans to fight for our freedoms, she said, adding that she believes 'the vaccine mandates are part of a mass murder by Big Pharma.'

Data from the breach revealed the Canadians only made up for 29 percent of the donor base. American's made up 56 percent of the donor base, while UK donors made up 2 percent.

Elena Danielson, 57, a Beverly Hills real estate agent, told the paper she grew up in the Soviet Union, emigrated to Canada in the 1990s and then moved to the United States, where she is married and has grandchildren.

'I support the vaccine. I am glad that everyone who needed or wanted it is vaccinated,' she said.

'But now we all know that the vaccination status does not prevent from getting it again or spreading COVID.

'My husband just had it for the second time after getting a booster.

'If Justin Trudeau was a true leader, he would admit to being wrong and lift the useless mandates.'

Plans were continuing on Tuesday for a convoy of 1,000 trucks to set off within the United States, from California, bound for DC.

The protesters plan to set out at the end of this month.

Dr. Ryan Cole, pilot Josh Yoder, and organizers of the convoy Brian Brase and Maureen Steele told Newsmax's Eric Bolling that they were optimistic about their planned protest.

'I think you're going to see it grow as we move across the country,' Brase said.

'Initially, we've projected potentially a little over a thousand trucks right out the gate to start.'

Steele added: 'We have been able to really garner some of the best and brightest on our team to make sure that this convoy goes off without a hitch.

'We have a logistics specialist, tacticians, we're ensuring we have fuel. We've brought on Exemplar Financial, which has seven offices throughout the country with lawyers and accountants that are overseeing our fundraising to make sure that's buttoned up.'

Steele concluded, 'Our funds are not going to be able to be frozen or hijacked.'
A Sydney cleaner who claims she blacked out during the ferocious bashing of her 92-year-old client has been found guilty of murder.

Hanny Papanicolaou admits attacking Marjorie Welsh at her home in Sydney's inner west on January 2, 2019, but had pleaded not guilty to her murder.

Papanicolaou's lawyers had argued she was substantially impaired by an abnormality of the mind when she carried out the attack.

But the jury on Wednesday rejected that claim - a partial defence that allows a lesser conviction of manslaughter - finding her guilty of murder.

A trial in the NSW Supreme Court has heard Papanicolaou jumped a back fence and allegedly hit Ms Welsh with her walking sticks so forcefully they broke, and smashed heavy ceramics down upon the defenceless woman.

The elderly woman was also stabbed in the lower chest and abdomen.

She died six weeks later in hospital.

Sydney cleaner Hanny Papanicolaouo (pictured) has been found guilty of murdering her wealthy 92-year-old client

In the lead up to her death on January 2 in 2019, Marjorie Welsh allegedly told police Ms Papanicolaou used to beat her on regular occasions

Papanicolaou had told the trial she had 'blacked out' during the attack, and had been suffering from depression at the time.

'I see Marj ... the sound of the (medical alarm) machine makes me open my eyes and get up, I don't know what I'm doing, just looking in front of Marj in front of the fridge with a lot of blood,' the 38-year-old said while giving evidence.

'The blood is in my hands, I was holding the knife.'

Earlier that morning the regular gambler lost $430 from poker machines in under an hour and was left with just $11 in her bank account, the jury has been told.

The Crown argued that Papanicolaou wanted to rob Ms Welsh after learning she had come into $8 million from the sale of a property.

A trial has heard Papanicolaou (pictured) jumped a back fence and allegedly hit Ms Welsh with her walking sticks so forcefully they broke, and smashed heavy ceramics down upon the defenceless woman

It questioned her credibility, pointing out she had admitted lying to police in an interview, and contending she had given detectives significant details she could only know if she had full memory of the event.

It also argued Papanicolaou did not exhibit the mannerisms of someone who was depressed, and had never disclosed her feelings to anyone before the attack.

However, Papanicolaou's barrister Tom Quilter had rubbished the prosecutor's theft theory, saying there is 'simply no evidence' Papanicolaou actually stole anything despite the jury hearing evidence that cash, a handbag, a ring and an expensive watch were inside the house.

Papanicolaou had never been violent before, he said, and had no motive to attack Ms Welsh, he said.

Papanicolaou will be sentenced at a later date.
White House COVID tsar Dr. Anthony Fauci said the recent surge of blue states lifting pandemic restrictions, such as mask mandates, has 'nothing to do with politics' and is in response to the nation's declining positivity rate.

'I wouldn't say it's the politics. I think it's the different evaluation of what's right for a particular community,' Fauci told MSNBC on Monday.

'When you use the word politics, I'm not sure it's that. I just think at the local level, there's a strong feeling of needing to get back to normality.'

He added: 'Now, if you look at the science of it, I mean the direction is going in the right direction. Are we there yet in every single place throughout the country? I don't believe so. But there are some places that are looking at what the trajectory is, and are saying let's go with it.'

The public health leader's comments come as the Democratic-majority states of California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York started easing back restrictions.

Nationwide, cases are down 44 percent over the past week, according to data from Johns Hopkins, and the 151,056 average daily infections are a far fall from the 800,000 per day reached at the Omicron surge's peak in mid-January.

The U.S. is currently averaging 2,306 COVID deaths per day, over the past week. The figure has hovered in the 2,400 to 2,500 range in recent weeks, and is now showing early signs that it will start to fall.

Fauci warned that although case numbers are 'going in the right direction' he doesn't want anyone to be 'declaring victory prematurely.'

Dr. Anthony Fauci said the recent surge of blue states lifting COVID restrictions, such as mask mandates, has 'nothing to do with politics' and is in response to the declining case rates

Critics have slammed Democratic leaders for easing mask mandates and other COVID restrictions, despite having previously criticized those same officials for enforcing them in the first place.

The skeptics allege that the Democrats are taking a sharp turn against their heavy restrictions amid fears of losing their House and Senate majorities in the upcoming midterm elections.

For example, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock released a new campaign ad last week noting that 'people are tired' of mandates as a video montage of maskless scenes across the state flash on screen.

Warnock then went on to say people that are 'wondering when things will get back to normal, and at the same time not knowing what normal even means anymore.'

Fauci, however, argues the decisions are solely based on science and changing case rates.

'Well if you look at the trajectory downward of the cases and the hospitalization, it's clearly going in the right direction,' he said.

'I mean obviously the CDC still now recommends masking because of the degree of infection that we're seeing, but what I believe the states are doing is anticipating that we are going in the right direction and they feel they might as well just get back to trying to get back to some form of normality by pulling back on restrictions.

Nationwide, cases are down 44 percent over the past week, according to data from Johns Hopkins, and the 151,056 average daily infections are a far fall from the 800,000 per day reached at the Omicron surge's peak in mid-January

The U.S. is currently averaging 2,306 COVID deaths per day, over the past week. The figure has hovered in the 2,400 to 2,500 range in recent weeks, and is now showing early signs that it will start to fall

Fauci also warned that states need to 'be careful' about their decisions because doing so 'prematurely' could have unwanted consequences.

He said that is why the CDC will 'continue to monitor these things and make modifications of recommendations as we see the trajectory continue to come downward.'

'But it's entirely understandable why the states, at the local level, are looking at what their own local situation is and are making decisions,' Fauci stated.

'That's the way it works. The CDC makes recommendations and locally the decision is made on the basis of what's going on in your particular location.'

COVID cases are dropping in all 50 U.S. states over the past two weeks, and have slashed in half during the period in 46 of them.

Oklahoma in Nebraska are recording the sharpest drops, with both seeing daily infections drop over 80 percent in the last 14 days. Oklahoma was one of the final states in the U.S. to still be recording an upward trend during the Omicron surge.

Critics have slammed Democratic leaders for easing mask mandates and other COVID restrictions, alleging the move comes in fear of losing their majorities during the upcoming midterm election. Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock released a new campaign ad (pictured) last week noting that 'people are tired' of mandates

In 17 states, cases have dropped more than 70 percent over the past two weeks. These astronomical figures will likely begin to shrink soon, as COVID cases begin to reach such low points that they will likely steady soon.

Deaths are finally beginning to trend in the right direction as well. The figure, which often lags behind cases by a few weeks, flattened recently and now is showing the first signs of a downward trend.

Only three U.S. states are still recording more than one daily COVID death per 100,000 residents. Each are southern state with low vaccination rates.

Mississippi is still the national leader in COVID mortality. The Magnolia state is recording 1.76 COVID deaths every day for every 100,000 residents - by far the highest rate of any state. It also has only vaccinated 51 percent of residents, one of the lowest rates in the country.

West Virginia, which has vaccinated only 56 percent of residents, and Arkansas, at a 53 percent vaccination rate, are both logging high COVID mortality rates as well.

In 17 states, cases have dropped more than 70 percent over the past two weeks

COVID hospitalizations have also seen a 23 percent drop since last week

Only three U.S. states are still recording more than one daily COVID death per 100,000 residents. Each are southern state with low vaccination rates

Dr Scott Gottlieb, former director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and current board member at Pfizer, said last week that Americans are 'frayed' after nearly two years of COVID, and it is time to let them relax as the pandemic is showing signs of ending.

'I don't think it's imprudent that governors lean forward, anticipating that conditions are going to continue to improve, recognizing that people are frayed,' he told CNBC's Squawk Box last week.

'We have a narrow window of opportunity to restore some sense of normalcy to the schools.'

Even some Obama-era officials are beginning to chime in to support the lifting of these mandates.

Dr Kavita Patel, an MSNBC contributor who works as a primary care physician and director of policy for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement in the Obama administration told Squawk Box last week that the mandates should go, and parents should be able to choose for themselves whether they want to send their children to school every day with a face covering.

'If you told me there's a future where we're wearing masks in perpetuity I'd say that's ridiculous, the science doesn't support that if we see that cases are coming down,' Patel said.

Some states are starting to listen to those calls from parents and the larger community as well. Connecticut and Massachusetts both set plans in place to lift its school mask mandate on February 28 last week.

Nearby Delaware did the same last week. Ned Lamont, governor of Connecticut, told Squawk Box last week that the decision by the northeastern states was made in tandem.

Other states like Illinois, New Jersey and New York relaxed mask orders last week as well though did not remove face coverings from schools.
A 12-year-old girl has gone missing from Sydney's south west, sparking an urgent police search.

Isabella Faytrouni was last seen about 2pm on February 12 on Woodstock Street, Guildford.

Worried family contacted police after Isabella failed to return home.

Cumberland Police Area Command are appealing to anyone with any information to get in contact as soon as possible.

12-year-old Isabella Faytrouni was last seen at about 2pm on February 21 on Woodstock Street, Guildford

Anyone with information regarding Isabellas whereabouts is urged to contact Granville Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

Isabella is described as being of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, 150cm tall, of slim build, with brown hair.

She was last seen wearing a grey t-shirt, grey track pants and white shoes.

She is known to frequent the Liverpool, Fairfield, Canley Vale, Merrylands and Guildford areas.

Isabella may also be travelling on buses and trains.

Anyone with information regarding Isabellas whereabouts is urged to contact Granville Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Tories today warned against creating 'unclear' rules amid claims tech giants could face fines for failing to remove 'legal but harmful' content.

MPs cautioned against broad-brush measures after it emerged platforms could be told they have a 'duty of care' to proactively block material that might pose a risk.

Home Secretary Priti Patel is understood to be considering including the provision in the Online Safety Bill as part of efforts to tackle problems such as the promotion of self-harm.

The legislation, strengthening current rules that mean illegal material such as child sex abuse must be removed, is due to be presented to parliament later this year.

A draft released in May suggested social media giants will need to minimise access to 'legal but harmful' content.

Home Secretary Priti Patel is understood to be considering proposals to crackdown on 'legal but harmful' online content

However, it appeared companies were not going to be legally required to remove content proactively - instead relying on users to report it.

In the latest proposal Ofcom could be able to hold tech companies and UK-based directors liable for harmful content, according to the Financial Times, which said Ms Patel had written to cabinet colleagues.

A Whitehall official said: 'We want to give Ofcom powers to require companies to mitigate harm on their platforms.

'There are technologies that can do this and we want to make sure that tech companies are doing all they can.'

Companies that fail to remove the worst content could be fined 18million, or 10 percent of their global annual turnover - although it is not clear what punishments would be available for 'legal but harmful' material.

A government source told MailOnline there are discussions ongoing about the shape of the 'legal but harmful' provisions, which might not emerge for months.

Culture Committee chair Julian Knight told MailOnline that there was a need to put a 'duty of care' on social media firms and 'weatherproof' the legislation against emerging problems such as 'deep fake' pornography.

'If you search online for suicide or self-harm, and then next time you search you've got a load of videos to do with self-harm that is a failure of duty,' he said.

'All that is being asked of the online companies is that they put systems in place that are robust enough to ensure that does not happen.'

Mr Knight said it would be 'ridiculous' for journalism to be subject to the rules, and there would be strong exemptions.

'All we're asking is a bit of common sense here... It has to be targeted,' he said.

Tory MP Damian Collins, who chaired the joint committee on the measures, told MailOnline that it had proposed dropping the concept of 'legal but harmful' and instead specifying how existing offences apply online.

He said the government had already confirmed it is going to write 'a lot of offences on to the face of the Bill', which would reduce the scope of 'legal but harmful'.

'That seemed to me the approach the government was taking I still think that would be the best approach,' Mr Collins said.

'It also gives reassurance to people who are concerned about freedom of speech that the regulation is based on existing laws and existing court judgements, and interpretations of those laws. And the job of the regulator is to make sure they are enforced.'

The Tory MP said one of the concerns was about having a 'very general provision' on what is 'legal but harmful', with a lack of clarity about 'how can you know when that threshold has been met and is that enforceable in law'.

'A very general provision around legal but harmful is almost saying, 'something bad might come along in the future and we can't define what it is, but if it did happen it should be in scope'.

A government source told MailOnline there are discussions ongoing about the shape of the 'legal but harmful' provisions, which might not emerge for months

'I actually think we have got enough legislation to deal with that and if there were an emerging problem the Bill allows parliament to create new offences I think that is a much clearer way to go.

'It is clearer to the company when content is in breach of the code, it is clearer to the user what they should expect and to Ofcom what they can enforce.'

Mr Collins said the proposals were for news organisations to be exempt from the regime as they have 'complaints provision in place'.

A Home Office spokesman said: 'We expect companies to remove and limit the spread of illegal content on their platforms. Where they don't, it is right they are held to account.'

But tech executives have compared the proposals to Chinese censorship, adding that it was 'significantly beyond what is done in democratic countries'.
A Black Lives Matter activist and candidate for Louisville's metro council has been charged with attempted murder, accused of opening fire on Monday on a mayoral candidate whose shirt was grazed by a bullet in his campaign headquarters.

Quintez Brown, 21, also faces four counts of wanton endangerment, Louisville police spokesperson Aaron Ellis said. Brown, who is a student at the University of Louisville, pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Tuesday and his bond was set at $100,000.

A judge ordered him not to have contact with the alleged victim, 46-year-old Craig Greenberg, a Jewish Democrat running for Louisville mayor, or Greenberg's campaign staff.

Police said Brown appears to have acted alone and the motive remains under investigation. Brown remained in the Louisville Metro jail late Tuesday afternoon.

After Brown briefly disappeared last year, family members said they were concerned about his mental health. His lawyer, Rob Eggert said Tuesday in court that 'there are serious mental issues at play here' and he will have Brown undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Quintez Brown, a 21-year-old student at the University of Louisville and a Black Lives Matter activist, was charged with attempted murder for allegedly attempting to shoot mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg

Craig Greensberg (pictured), a Jewish Democratic candidate for the mayor's seat in Louisville, was Brown's target in the alleged shooting on Tuesday

Browns lawyer said there are 'serious mental issues at play here' and he will have Brown undergo a psychiatric evaluation before trial

Brown, a social justice activist running as an independent for the council, has campaigned with a slate of candidates opposed to projects that they say will worsen gentrification in Kentucky's largest city.

The apparent target of Monday's shooting, Greenberg has touted his experience at the center of the city's revitalization efforts, and helped draft legislation promoting developments in Louisville's predominantly Black west side.

Greenberg said on Tuesday that his ears were still ringing from the gunshots fired at him the day before. Despite the attack, he said his resolve to run for mayor has not wavered.

'If there's any good to come out of this, I hope it's that not only will I be a more effective mayor, but that I'll be someone who can bring the city together to unify around implementing solutions to end gun violence,' he said in a phone interview.

He said his team has tightened security but that he is committed to continuing to campaign in public.

'I'm focused on bringing people together,' Greenberg said. 'It's unfortunate that too many things right now are dividing people and I would hope that people start lowering the temperature.'

Greenberg said Monday that he was at his campaign headquarters with four colleagues when a man appeared in the doorway and began firing multiple rounds. He said the man pulled a gun, and began shooting at him.

'Despite one bullet coming so close that it grazed my sweater and my shirt, no one was physically harmed,' he said. One staffer managed to shut the door, which they barricaded using tables and desks, and the suspect fled, he said.

Apprehended a short time later less than a half-mile from the scene, Brown was carrying a loaded 9 mm magazine in his pants pocket and had a drawstring bag with a handgun and additional handgun magazines, according to the arrest report.

Brown, a former intern and editorial columnist for The Courier Journal, has been prolific on social media, tweeting and retweeting comments on social justice issues. In one recent post, Brown showed the faces of several young Blacks killed by gun violence in Louisville, writing: 'This is our reality. All of these kids are gone.'

'Gun violence reveals the interconnected nature of our reality,' Brown posted. 'What affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Especially in our segregated conditions.'

His Twitter profile bio reads: 'We have one scientific and correct solution, Pan-Africanism: the total liberation and unification of Africa under scientific socialism.'

Brown, who took part in the racial justice protests of 2020, reportedly went missing for 11 days in June 2021 before being found safe on July 1.

Brown was arrested shortly after the incident near Greenberg's offices (pictured). He was carrying a loaded magazine, 9 mm handgun, gun case, and additional magazines when he was arrested

Brown has been prolific on social media, tweeting and retweeting comments on social justice issues

Charles Booker, a Louisville Democrat running for U.S. Senate, said Tuesday that he's known Brown since Brown was a student at the University of Louisville. Booker said when he last saw him in the summer of 2020, the man's focus was on helping others.

'The young man I knew then was working to end violence in our city, not carry it out,' Booker said in a release Tuesday afternoon.

Booker said his heart was broken for Greenberg, his family and campaign staff.

Greenberg has built a big fundraising lead in a crowded race to succeed outgoing Mayor Greg Fischer in the Democratic-leaning city. A Harvard-educated lawyer, Greenberg helped start Louisville-based 21c Museum Hotels, building the company to more than 1,100 employees. The company is credited with helping revive Main Street in downtown Louisville and other urban neighborhoods across the country.

Brown disappeared for about two weeks last summer. After he was found safe, his parents issued a statement asking for patience and privacy while they attended to 'Quintez's physical, mental and spiritual needs,' the Courier Journal reported.
An Australian rescue helicopter team have given a whole new meaning to being down in the dumps after a search and rescue mission went awry.

The Sunshine Coast search and rescue team sprang into action after receiving a call shortly after 9:30am on Tuesday, with a distress signal sent from somewhere in the Caboolture region.

Using the onboard direction finder, the crew managed to pinpoint the exact location of the distress signal to the Caboolture Waste Management Facility, or rubbish tip.

Aircrew Officer Scott Reeman begins his epic search for the source of the distress signal in piles of stinking rubbish

The dedicated team were forced to sift through 15-year-old rubbish to save a discarded old beacon signal in distress

Much to Aircrew Officer Scott Reeman's dismay he drew the short straw and so was elected to climb through piles upon piles of stinking rubbish before finally locating the source of the distress signal - an out-of-date emergency beacon.

'This beacon's battery expired in 2007,' said Mr Reeman.

'It is typical of what you would have found in a recreational boat up to about 10 years ago.

'They were not registered to an owner, so authorities are not able to contact the owner when activated.

The search and rescue team finally retrieved the source of the drama; a 15-year-old distress beacon thrown in the bin before making its way to the Caboolture Waste Management Facility

'Lithium batteries can last a lot longer than their expiry date, so either the switch was turned on while the old device was amongst the rubbish, or water leaked through the seals to activate the device.'

The beacon had erroneously been thrown in the bin before making its way to the tip.

Unfortunately for the rescue crew this mistake is not as uncommon as they would like it to be, and urge the public to dispose of their EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) properly.

'A critical lifesaving asset was unnecessarily tasked, which could have been avoided by taking the appropriate actions to dispose of old beacons,' said Mr Reeman.

Modern distress beacons are fitted with GPS technology and are registered to an owner, making future search and rescue trips to the rubbish tip less likely.
A swimmer has been killed after being mauled by a four-metre-long great white shark, as terrified witnesses recall hearing the man's ear-piercing screams as blood was seen rising from the water.

Emergency services rushed to Buchan Point near Little Bay Beach in Sydney's east just after 4.30pm on Wednesday following reports of a shark attack.

Horrifying video from the scene shows local fishermen watching on helplessly as the swimmer is attacked by the monster shark, which they saw 'swallow parts of his body' after ripping it in two.

After the alarm was raised, rescue helicopters and lifesavers on jet skis were sent out in search of the swimmer and the killer predator, with dozens of local swimmers ordered out of the water.

Witnesses has recalled the horrifying moment the swimmer was mauled by a great white shark

Emergency services launched a search for the swimmer and found human remains shortly afterwards

The swimmer's remains were found in the water an hour afterwards. Parts of a wetsuit were also recovered.

'Footage clearly shows a body, half a body being taken by a shark,' a police officer told colleagues over a scanner.

'They have found some remains.'

The horrifying scenes occurred in front of dozens of fishermen and other beachgoers, who heard the swimmer's screams before the attack unfolded, sparking panic on shore.

'Someone just got eaten by a shark. Oh man! Oh no! That's insane. That's a great white shark,' one fisherman can be heard yelling in footage.

'The person's still there!'

'I just saw a four to five metre great white explode on the surface just here on a swimmer and it was like a car landing in the water.

'F*** man, I heard a scream and the shark was just chomping on his body and the body was in half just off the rocks here.'

'It came back and swallowed parts of his body and that was it. It disappeared.'

A swimmer has died after a fatal shark attack at Little Bay Beach (scene pictured) on Wednesday afternoon

Shocked witnesses (pictured speaking to police) heard the swimmer's screams in the water

Kris Linto (pictured) was fishing at the time when he witnessed the horrifying shark attack

The first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 occurred at Buchan Point in Sydney's east

Four ambulance road crews and a rescue helicopter with a critical care doctor and a critical care paramedic on board attended the scene.

'Unfortunately this person had suffered catastrophic injuries and there wasn't a lot paramedics could do when we arrived,' NSW Ambulance Inspector Lucky Phrachanh said.

It's the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963.

It's understood the victim was a local who knew the beach well and often swam out towards the headland.

'Some guy was swimming and a shark came and attacked him vertically,' fisherman Kris Linto told Nine News.

'We heard a yell and turned around it looked like a car had landed in the water, a big splash then the shark was chomping at the body and there was blood everywhere.'

'It was really bad.'

Another shaken witness recalled how the swimmer was dragged under the water by the shark, with the attack lasting just several seconds.

'He was yelling at first, and then when he went down there were so many splashes,' he told the ABC.

'The shark wouldn't stop.

'It's very, very upsetting. He just went down for a swim, enjoying the day, but that shark took his life.'

Jet skis were also used in the frantic search for swimmer before human remains were found

It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney in almost 60 years (pictured, rescue helicopters at the scene)

Police (pictured at the scene on Wednesday) will liaise with the Department of Primary Industries to investigate the circumstances of the swimmer's tragic death

Little Bay Beach has been closed as officers continue to search the area.

All beaches in the Randwick council area, including Clovelly and Maroubra, will also remain closed the next 24 hours.

'The coast is our communitys backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families,' Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said.

'To lose someone to an shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock.

'Our entire areas hearts go out to the family.'

The police helicopter scoured the area from the air for an hour in search of the swimmer

The fatal shark attack happened 10 metres away from rocks at Buchan Point

Police will liaise with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the swimmer.

'DPI extends sincere condolences to the family and friends and first responders at this tragic time, a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'DPI will continue to work with NSW Police and SLS NSW to monitor the area and provide any technical advice and resources if required, including deploying SMART drumlines in the area.'

Little Bay Beach is regarded by Randwick Council as one of Sydney's undiscovered jewels and a 'secret' beach popular with locals.

The latest tragedy comes after the death of a father and son rock fishing at the same site two weeks ago.
This is the police officer accused of taking photos of himself at the scene where a teenager had been stabbed to death, MailOnline can reveal.

PC Ryan Connolly, 37, of Merseyside Police, is also accused of using his mobile phone to take photos of police documents and a number of individuals who police were dealing with.

Connolly was pictured for the first time leaving his Liverpool home yesterday as he left to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court to face charges of misconduct in public office.

PC Ryan Connolly (pictured leaving his home in Liverpool) is accused of taking selfies at a murder scene while on duty in Liverpool where a teenager was stabbed to death

The former PC, 37, appeared in court yesterday charged with misconduct in public office

PC Connolly, of Merseyside Police hid his face inside his coat when he arrived at court

The officer is alleged to have taken selfies while on duty at the site where Daniel Gee-Jamieson, 16 was fatally stabbed in the Liverpool suburb of Gateacre on 3 July 2018.

The image was not of the victim's body but of Connolly lying down in the sun in a public park while he was on duty at the murder scene cordon, it is alleged.

Connolly allegedly took selfies where Daniel Gee-Jamieson (above), 16 was fatally stabbed

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1 February 2014 and 4 February 2020 when he was on duty.

Appearing at Manchester Magistrates Court on misconduct in public office charges, Connolly, did not enter a plea. He spoke only to confirm his name and his address.

District Judge Jack McGarva told him that the magistrates court 'could not deal with the case' and ordered him to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday.

He is then expected to enter his plea to the charge but was released on bail in the meantime.

Connolly's mobile phone was seized during an anti-corruption investigation by Merseyside Police in 2020 when the images were discovered.

In the case of Daniel Gee-Jamieson, Connolly was tasked with securing the crime scene after the teenager was taken to hospital when he took the photographs.

His mother, Mandy Jamieson - who found her son covered in blood in the park - told MailOnline that she is 'horrified' by the allegations against the police officer.

Daniel's mother Mandy Jamieson (above with her son) - who found him covered in blood in the park - told MailOnline that she is 'horrified' by the allegations against the police officer

Daniel (pictured above) was knifed by Owen Cousins, 17, in an attack watched by 30 youths

PC Connolly was tasked with securing the crime scene after Daniel was taken to hospital when he took the photographs of himself lying down in the sun in a public park while on duty

Daniel died in hospital after he was stabbed during the fight. His mother said Connolly took photographs of himself 'lying down at the scene'.

Daniel was knifed by Owen Cousins, 17, watched by up to 30 youths.

Cousins was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter, after Liverpool Crown Court heard Danny had been bullied by him and his associates. He was jailed for 11 years.
A TikTok star charged with the murder of two cousins alongside her mother and three others previously said she 'had beef' with other influencers on the social media platform.

Mahek Bukhari, 22, and her mother Ansreen Bukhari, 45, from Stoke-on-Trent, have been charged with murder after cousins Hashim Ijazuddin, 21, and Saqib Hussain, 20, were killed in a crash on the A46 in Leicestershire on Friday.

The men were in a silver Skoda Fabia when it left the carriageway and smashed through a central reservation. They were declared dead at the scene.

TikTok influencer Bukhari and her mother appeared in court yesterday alongside Natasha Akhtar, 21, from Birmingham. Raees Jamal, 21, and Rekan Karwan, 28, from Leicester, were also charged with murder on Tuesday afternoon.

Jamal and Karwan will appear before the Crown Court tomorrow.

Now, a Q&A video Bukhari published on YouTube in November has emerged, where she was asked whether she had 'beef with anyone?'

She responded: 'No, I don't. I keep myself to myself when it comes to beef. I would say beef was coming to me last year and I cut off loads of people, lots of Tik Tokers actually, which was good for my mental health as well. Now I'm literally thriving and growing.'

Today, the mother and daughter appeared on video link alongside their co-accused Akhtar before a judge at Leicester Crown Court.

No applications for bail were made and His Honour Judge Spencer QC told them: 'You face the most serious charge known to the criminal court. Do you know that?'

All three answered: 'Yes'.

They will next appear for a plea and directions hearing on March 18 with a trial date provisionally set for September 26.

Mahek Bukhari, 22, and her mother Ansreen Bukhari, 45, from Stoke-on-Trent, have been charged with murder after two men were killed in A46 crash

Ansreen Bukhari. All three charged women will appear at Leicester Crown Court for a bail hearing today

Raees Jamal, 21 (pictured), and Rehan Karwan, 28, both appeared before Leicester Magistrates this morning

Hashim Ijazuddin, 21 (left), and Saqib Hussain, 20 (right), were killed in a crash on the A46 in Leicestershire on Friday

Three women and two men have been charged with murder after two men were pronounced dead at the scene of a crash in Leicestershire

Bukhari has been charged with murder, alongside her mother Ansreen and another woman

Influencer Mahek Bukhari, 22, has been charged with murder, alongside her mother Ansreen and another woman and two men

Bukhari has more than 120,000 followers on TikTok and another 43,000 on Instagram, where she poses in a variety of outfits and films make-up tutorials.

Many of her posts show her modelling outfits in adverts for popular brands including Rebellious Fashion.

She has amassed 3.2 million likes, and a further 3,750 followers on YouTube where she documents her travels and make-up tips under the name May B Vlogs.

All three charged women will appear at Leicester Crown Court for a bail hearing today.

Hashim's grieving father Sikander Hayat, 49, told MailOnline yesterday that the men were cousins and Hashim took Saqib to Leicester to see a friend because he was 'feeling low'.

Paying tribute to his son, Mr Hayat, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, said: 'Hashim was my favourite son, he was a beautiful soul and I feel blessed by Allah to have had 21 years with him.

'He borrowed the Skoda from his grandfather because his cousin Saqib asked him for a lift to Leicestershire to see a friend. Saqib was very down about things. Hashim loved him a lot and cared for all people in general. He would do anything to help somebody out.

'This is the kind of person he was. He was just doing a good deed because he never wanted to say no to anybody in trouble. Saqib was going through a tough time and asked Hashim to take him to Leicestershire but my son had nothing to do with any of this.'

He added that Hashim didn't know the friend that his cousin Saqib went to meet.

Hashim's older brother, Zain Mohammed added: 'Hashim and Saqib were very close and grew up together.

'Hashim was just giving him a lift. We don't know the full details of what happened and are waiting for the police to give us a proper update.'

Sikander shared moving pictures of himself with Hashim at the family home as dozens of friends and relatives visited to pay their respects. His mother, Zubaida Begum, 47 was too distraught to speak.

Hashim was the third eldest of eight siblings with Sikander describing him as the favourite of his five sons and three daughters.

Hashim's grieving father Sikander Hayat, 49, has told MailOnline that the men were cousins and Hashim took Saqib to see a friend in Leicester because he was 'feeling low'

Influencer Mahek Bukhari, 22, and her mother Ansreen Bukhari, 45, from Stoke-on-Trent, have been charged with murder over the crash

Ansreen Bukhari, 45, Police were called to the scene at around 1.30am on Friday after one car had crashed through the central reservation

The younger Bukhari has over 120,000 followers on TikTok and another 43,000 on Instagram, where she poses in a variety of outfits and films make-up tutorials

Mahek Bukhari has more than 120,000 followers on TikTok and another 43,000 on Instagram

He added: 'I'm not ashamed to say that I loved him the most because he was just like me, only better looking and a nicer character. Everybody loved Hashim, he was incredibly popular and had friends all over the country.

'He lit up the room when he walked in and was always laughing a joking. For me he was a superstar.

'Of course we are in a lot of pain because we have lost a beloved soul and we will all miss him terribly. There are no words for our sorrow but at the same time, I want to celebrate his life and remember him for the great person he was.

'He was gifted to me by Allah and I know that he has gone straight to heaven.'

Hashim previously worked in a local bakery but spent most of last year staying with his grandparents in Pakistan.

Ansreen Bukhari is the managing director of a security firm called City Security Plus based in Stoke-on-Trent.

Last September her influencer daughter put up a video alongside her mother entitled, 'Having an elite relationship with your mother'.

She described her Mum as being a best friend, sister and mother all rolled into one.

She has amassed 3.2 million likes, and a further 3,750 followers on YouTube where she documents her travels and make-up tips under the name May B Vlogs

Mahek Bukhari, known on social media as maybvlogs, is a popular TikTok and Instagram influencer

Many of Bukahri's Instagram posts show her modelling outfits in adverts for popular brands

A court was told yesterday that just before the crash one of the victims called 999. A loud scream was heard before the call disconnected.

The car swerved across the road and hit a central reservation barrier where it was ripped apart, the court heard.

A JustGiving page has been set-up in memory of the two men, with an Islamic charity raising funds to build a mosque in their name.

Leicestershire Police said initial inquiries found that two other cars were reported to have been travelling in the area at the time of the collision - a grey Audi TT and a blue Seat Leon.

A 20-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday has since been released from police custody.

He is to face no further police action, the force statement added.

Cops were called to the scene at around 1.30am on Friday after one car had crashed through the central reservation.

One vehicle is also believed to have burst into flames.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Yarwood from East Midlands Special Operations Unit said: 'Anyone who was travelling in the area in the early hours and has any dashcam footage, we are urging you to come forward.

'We are working to piece together the movements of all the cars involved and any footage of them will help our investigation.'


Korea reported a new high of 90,443 cases Wednesday; gov't to declare new quarantine rules Friday



By Ko Dong-hwan



Korea's daily new COVID-19 infections will continue on an upward trajectory for a while and are highly likely to peak in the weeks to come, some experts forecast Wednesday.



The prediction comes after 90,443 new cases were reported on Wednesday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The figure jumped sharply from the previous day's 57,175. The daily figures had been below 60,000 since Feb. 10.



The KDCA predicts that the daily new infection cases will soon exceed 100,000 and could reach somewhere between 130,000 to 170,000 by the end of this month.



The country's total accumulated COVID-19 cases is now at 1,552,851.



The rising trend of infections in the country is different compared to the U.K. and the U.S., according to local newspaper JoongAng Ilbo. While Omicron started spreading in all three countries between late November and early December last year, it took only three weeks for Omicron to become the dominant variant in the U.K. and the U.S. The number of daily new infections in those countries peaked after four to six weeks, hitting over 272,000 in U.K. in December and over 807,000 in the U.S. in January. Afterwards, both countries began to see declines in their daily new cases.



In Korea, however, it took seven weeks for Omicron to become the dominant variant  thanks to careful social distancing and stringent quarantine regulations that were maintained via the use of the smartphone-based vaccine pass system enabling users' access into restaurants, stores and other public spaces.



According to Oh Myung-don from Seoul National University Hospital's division of infectious diseases, Korea might expect to see its daily new infection numbers peaking around next week, based on trends seen in other countries.









"We will see which pattern Korea will follow in terms of the number of daily new infections by early next week," Oh was quoted as saying. "We cannot be sure whether the trends in the U.K. and the U.S. will also apply to us. But it is also too early to tell whether Korea will see a different pattern."



But Choi Jae-wook from Korea University Hospital's preventive medicine division told The Korea Times the daily infections will peak later than next week  it won't come until late this month or early next month at the soonest.



"It has been almost a month since Omicron became the dominant variant in Korea," Choi said. "Compared to the U.K. and the U.S., Korea saw much fewer COVID-19 patients because of the high vaccination rate well as number of people adhering to the country's quarantine regulations. Such conditions will delay Omicron about one or two weeks compared to the two countries when the number of daily new infections peaks. Even after the peak, Korea will see daily infection cases decrease at a slower pace compared to the other two countries because of the same reasons."



A prediction by Chun Eun-mi from Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital's pulmonology division also coincided with Choi's.



"Because Korea had fewer COVID-19 patients (than the U.K. and the U.S.), it will take about six to eight weeks (from when Omicron became the dominant variant in Korea) for daily new infection cases to peak. That would be early to mid-March," Chun told The Korea Times. "Then the figures will start going down."





At Songpa District Office in Seoul, Feb. 16, a giant screen behind officials shows real-time figures of daily new COVID-19 infection cases in cities nationwide. Yonhap
A man accused of using Snapchat to access child abuse material from across the world was allegedly found with several deadly knives and even nunchakus in a police raid.

The 43-year-old Sydney man was arrested by Australian Federal Police on Wednesday morning and charged with allegedly possessing child abuse material that he received from chatting with people in United Kingdom.

The AFP Eastern Command Child Protection Operations team executed a search warrant at the man's Drummoyne home and found found four nunchakus, two butterfly knives and one concealed double-bladed knife.

A 43-year-old Sydney man was arrested for allegedly possessing child abuse material that he received on Snapchat

An AFP raid found him to allegedly be in possession of several deadly knives and even nunchakus

The operation was assisted by the UK's National Crime Agency which tipped off the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation about the 43-year-old man's alleged online activity.

Police will allege he used Snapchat to engage in sexualised chats and request videos and images of children being abused.

Investigators attended his home in Sydney's inner-west on Wednesday morning, before allegedly finding a series of deadly weapons.

AFP Detective Sergeant Jarryd Dunbar said every click on an image or video depicting child abuse is fueling a global industry that thrives off the exploitation of children.

'The AFP and its law enforcement partners share intelligence and work closely to combat an industry that knows no border and only seeks to profit from the suffering of children,' Detective Sergeant Dunbar said.

Knives allegedly found at the home of the Sydney man allegedly in possession of child abuse material

AFP investigators also found four nunchakus at the man's Drummoyne home

He was charged with two counts of possess or control child abuse material, obtained or accessed using a carriage service, and one count of possess child abuse material.

The 43-year-old was also charged with seven counts of possess prohibited weapon.

He is facing at least 15 years behind bars if found guilty of the charges.

The Sydney man has been refused bail and is set to appear in Sydney Central Local Court on April 3.
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Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity on Wednesday, even as the West warned it has seen no sign of a promised pullback of Russian troops from the country's borders.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who declared the 'unity day' to coincide with the rumoured date of Putin's invasion, addressed the nation after the attack failed to materialise - telling his countrymen that 'we can defend our home only if we stay united.'

'We are united by a desire to happily live in peace,' he added, before flying via helicopter to a training range in Ukraine's west where live-fire tank and aircraft drills were underway.

Across the country, people of all ages waved flags in the streets and from apartment windows as a two-fingered salute in the face of Putin's threat to attack with some 150,000 troops massed on the borders.

Hundreds unfolded a 650ft flag at Kyiv's Olimpiyskiy Stadium, while another was draped in a shopping centre in the capital. In the government-controlled part of Ukraine's eastern region of Luhansk, where a war with Russian-backed separatists has simmered since 2014, residents stretched another huge flag across a street.

As the celebrations took place, a fresh round of 'negotiating' got underway between East and West - with NATO warning Putin does not appear to be pulling troops back from the border as promised, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pledged to 'retaliate' to any new British sanctions on his country.

Concerns that Russian troops are not withdrawing from the borders of Ukraine as promised were met with a strong response from Britain, as Defence Minister Ben Wallace deployed hundreds more troops to Estonia to bolster NATO's defences while committing Typhoon fighter jets and Apache helicopters to strategic positions across Eastern Europe.

'Alongside our NATO allies, we are deploying troops and assets on land, sea and air to bolster European defences in response to the build-up of Russian military forces on the border of Ukraine,' Wallace said in a statement.

'NATO and our allies have been clear that an invasion of Ukraine will be met with severe consequences.'

It comes as Western defence ministers met in Brussels today to discuss plans to install four fresh battlegroups, each compose of 1,000 troops, along alliance's eastern front, firstly in Romania, in a move that directly contravenes Russia's security demand that the West reduces its military presence along its border.

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the proposal is being drawn up due to Russia's recent aggression near Ukraine and its 'lasting impact of the security situation in Europe'.

Elsewhere today...

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he is 'positive' that Joe Biden is ready to enter into talks about European security and Putin wants to engage

Russia denied having anything to do with a cyberattack that took down banks and the website of Ukraine's defence ministry overnight

The EU called on Russia to take 'concrete steps' to de-escalate its troop build-up around Ukraine, while hailing 'signs of hope'

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's right-wing leader, arrived in Moscow for trade talks today - brushing off pressure from the US to cancel the trip

Ukrainian fighter-bomb jets take part in training exercises Povursk airfield in the country's west as national 'unity day' protests take place in defiance of Russian threats

Hundreds of Ukrainians unfurled a 650ft flag at Kiev's Olympic Stadium as part of 'unity day' celebrations on Wednesday

Volodymyr Zelensky called for the celebrations to coincide with the rumoured date of a Russian attack, saying that Ukrainians are united by a desire to live in peace

Ukrainians wave flags in Maidan Square, where the revolution that ousted the country's last pro-Russian government was overthrown, setting it on a path to closer ties with the West

Ukrainians hold banners in Kiev's Maidan Square as they sing the national anthem during a day of unity, timed to coincide with a rumoured day of Russian invasion

 Slide me  A fake column of tanks is destroyed by Ukrainian jets during training exercises on Wednesday, amid the threat of invasion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky examines weapons as he attends tactical military exercises held by the country's armed forces at a training ground in Rivne, in the country's west

Ukrainian fighter planes take part in live-fire drills at the Povursk airfield in western Ukraine as they prepare for the possibility of an invasion by Russia

Concerns that Russian troops are not withdrawing from the borders of Ukraine as promised were met with a strong response from Britain, as Defence Minister Ben Wallace deployed hundreds more troops to Estonia to bolster NATO's defences

Four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 have arrived at RAF Akrotiri after transiting from the UK. UK's substantial contribution to NATO's uplift in Eastern Europe is strengthening the Alliance's Defences on land, sea and air, amid ongoing tensions with Russia

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said earlier today videos of tanks being taken away from Crimea are merely routine troop movements instead of a promised drawn-down, and that Russia actually appears to be increasing its forces.

'If they really start to withdraw, that's something we will welcome. But that remains to be seen,' he added while sitting down for a NATO summit in Brussels on next moves. 'Just seeing the movement of battle tanks doesn't confirm a real withdrawal.'

Ben Wallace, UK defence secretary, sounded a similar note of caution as he arrived for the summit - saying that Russia's forces remain at a high level of readiness that can be maintained for 'weeks' as talks resume at the barrel of a gun.

'It's pretty clear that [Russia's] intentions towards Ukraine are to change their behaviour, and indeed change NATO's relationship with Ukraine, and they're doing so at the threat of invasion,' he added.

Mr Wallace's comments came as the UK's Ministry of Defence declared that Britain will send an additional 900 troops to Estonia to bolster NATO defences.

'The UK is doubling the number of personnel in Estonia and sending additional equipment, including tanks and armoured fighting vehicles. The troops and equipment will begin to move to Estonia today,' an MoD statement read.

'The Royal Welsh battlegroup, which includes armoured vehicles and personnel, will leave Sennelager in Germany and bases in the UK and begin to arrive in Estonia during the coming week. Apache helicopters will soon be making their way to conduct exercises with our Allies and partners in Eastern Europe.

'Four additional UK Typhoon jets have also landed in Cyprus and will shortly begin to patrol the skies with NATO Allies in Eastern Europe.

'HMS Trent  a UK Warship  has already begun conducting patrols in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea alongside NATO Allies from Canada, Italy, Spain and Turkey. HMS Diamond is preparing to set sail in the coming days for the Eastern Mediterranean and will join up with NATO allies.'

Meanwhile Lavrov, who has been leading negotiations with NATO and the US, said in Moscow today that 'hysteria' over an invasion is 'puzzling' to Russia while accusing the allies of trying to dictate where Putin can position troops on his own territory.

Underlining concerns about the Russian 'withdrawal', analysts from Conflict Intelligence Team - a respected group which tracks Russian military movements - said forces being withdrawn from Crimea will actually be moved closer to Ukraine.

Moscow says the units are being moved to their 'home bases', but the homes of at least three of the four units leaving Crimea are as close or closer than their current position relative to Ukraine.

Izvestia newspaper reported that units of the 3rd, 42nd and 150th Motorised Rifle Divisions are being sent back to their permanent bases.

Yet the 3rd is based at Valuyki and Boguchar, respectively 15 and 42 miles from the Ukrainian border in Belgorod and Voronezh regions respectively.

The 150th is based in Novocherkassk, Rostov region, some 31 miles from the border.

The troops will be as close - or closer - to the border at their permanent barracks.

Of the three named divisions being pulled out of Crimea, only the 42nd - in Chechnya - is a substantial distance from Ukraine, some 700 miles away.

It comes a day after Putin said he is willing to engage in negotiations with the West over security guarantees designed to ease sky-high tensions.

Both Mr Stoltenburg and Mr Wallace did welcome the change in tone from Moscow, while pointing out that the crisis is far from over.

'There's over 100 battalion tactical groups of the Russian ground forces, that's 60 per cent of the entire Russian land combat power on the borders of Ukraine,' Mr Wallace said.

A Ukrainian tank takes part in live-fire drills near the city of Rivne, in the country's west, on Thursday as thousands of Russian troops mass in the east

A Ukrainian tank takes part in live-fire exercises near the city of Rivne, in the country's west, amid continued fears that Russia is positioning itself to attack

One Ukrainian tank appears to run over the nose of another vehicle during drills to mark a national 'day of unity'

Ukrainians in Maidan square, Kiev, cautious but hopeful with banners calling for 'peace and togetherness'

A Ukrainian fighter jet is pictured on the runway at Povursk airfield as it takes part in live-fire drills on Wednesday

The view from a cockpit of a Ukrainian fighter shows other jets flying in formation during drills in the country's west today

'130,000-plus troops, both in Belarus and indeed Ukraine, but also out at sea there's effectively a significant flotilla of Russian and amphibious landing ships, and indeed war ships and missile ships.

'From a Ukrainian point of view they're fairly surrounded by a very large force of ready troops. That continues, they haven't taken the foot of the gas.'

He added: 'That's why we're all here at Nato today and tomorrow to try and work together to reduce tensions and try and de-escalate.'

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, added his voice to the chorus - saying he hasn't seen 'any withdrawal yet'.

Putin wants Ukraine to be banned from joining NATO and for the alliance to withdraw troops from ex-Soviet states.

Both of those demands have been dismissed but a range of other compromises have been offered on arms control, transparency around missile deployments, and information-sharing on military drills that Putin has said he is willing to discuss.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister and chief negotiator, has said a 10-page response to NATO's offers has been prepared though not yet sent.

Kyiv Mayor Wladimir Klitschko has said that he hopes for a 'last-minute' diplomatic solution between Russia and Ukraine.

The former heavyweight champion of the world told LBC that he hoped that Russia would not invade his country on Wednesday.

'It is the first time in the history of Ukraine that so many Russian soldiers stayed at the border', he said.

'The risk (of) aggression towards Ukraine is pretty big. We prepare for any scenario.

'We do not know how the situation will develop but we hope that the invasion does not happen, and that at the last minute we have a diplomatic solution.'

Meanwhile the former head of MI6 Sir John Sawers said that the threat of a 'full-blooded' Russian invasion has now 'receded' after Putin made 'a number of important gains' in the military standoff.

Ukrainian soldiers carrying anti-tank weapons take part in a joint drill with an armoured vehicle in western Ukraine

Tank shells explode as they hit fake vehicles during target practice by Ukraine's military near the city of Rivne today

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at a military drill for Ukrainian soldiers to show his support

Ukrainian soldiers pose for a photo in Odessa, southern Ukraine, during 'unity day' celebrations in defiance of Russia

Ukraine tests tank-buster missile sent by Britain Troops in Ukraine fired anti-tank weapons in exercises yesterday as the country continued to prepare for a possible invasion by Russia. It comes after the UK last month gave 2,000 NLAW anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. The troops carrying out test-firing in the eastern Donetsk region yesterday were using NLAWs but it was unclear if these were British weapons. It was part of a series of drills by Ukraine in recent days. Military commanders had issued a statement on Sunday insisting they were ready to see off the Russian threat. They boasted of their Stinger and Javelin missiles, saying: 'We are ready to meet the enemy  and not with flowers but with Stingers, Javelins and NLAWs.' Advertisement

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir John said that invasion was always 'very risky' for Putin and the threat of an attack was perhaps not as real as some governments had made out.

'I don't think that President Putin ever decided to invade the country and, indeed, I think it would always have been a very risky course for him to have taken,' he said.

'But I think Russia has also come out of this with a number of important gains,' he added, saying it has got Russia's security concerns back to the top of the international security agenda, the Ukrainians have been intimidated and Europeans have been reminded how dependent they are on Russian gas.

Sir John added: 'I think in some ways President Putin will think he's ahead on points on this and he still has various military options which he can use in Ukraine.

'I think the risk of full-blooded invasion... was never quite as high as was being portrayed by some Western governments, but I think that has receded.'

Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly sought to project calm but also strength during the crisis.

In an apparent show of defiance, President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Wednesday would be a 'day of national unity,' calling on citizens to display the blue-and-yellow flag and sing the national anthem in the face of 'hybrid threats.'

Even amid the glimmers of hope, Biden said 150,000 Russian forces are now massed near Ukraine and in neighboring Belarus - an increase from an earlier U.S. estimate of 130,000 troops.

Russia's claim that it pulled back troops 'would be good, but we have not yet verified that,' Biden said. 'Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.'

Russia has denied having any invasion plans. It wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe.

The U.S. and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but they offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.

Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures - issues that Moscow put on the table years ago.

He said Russia is open to discuss 'some of those elements,' but added that it would do so only in combination 'with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.'

While Scholz reiterated that NATO's eastward expansion 'is not on the agenda - everyone knows that very well,' Putin retorted that Moscow will not be assuaged by such assurances.

'They are telling us it won't happen tomorrow,' Putin said. 'Well, when will it happen? The day after tomorrow? What does it change for us in the historic perspective? Nothing.'

Scholz also said diplomatic options are 'far from exhausted,' and he praised the announcement of a troop withdrawal as a 'good signal,' adding: 'We hope that more will follow.'

The Russian Defence Ministry released images of tanks and howitzers rolling onto railway platforms and more tanks rolling across snowy fields.

It did not disclose where or when the images were taken, or where the vehicles were headed, other than 'to places of permanent deployment.'

Russia has released footage of tanks being 'withdrawn' from Crimea, though NATO says it has seen no sign they are heading away from the front

Images released by Russia show tanks being loaded on to train transports as Moscow claims they are heading back to their permanent bases

A Russian tanks sits on a train transport as Moscow says forces are being moved away from the front, though doubts have been raised by NATO

Ukraine expressed scepticism.

'We won't believe when we hear, we'll believe when we see,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

And NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that there have been no signs, so far, of a reduced military presence on Ukraine's borders.

Meanwhile, a series of cyberattacks knocked out the websites of the Ukrainian army, the defence ministry and major banks.

There was no indication that the relatively low-level denial-of-service attacks might be a smoke screen for more serious cyber mischief.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. has not yet determined who was behind the attacks.

Despite the worst East-West tensions in decades, few Russians expect a war. In a village in Russia's Belgorod region, about 18 miles from Ukraine's border, residents carried on with life as usual, even as more military personnel have been passing through village streets.

'We are really on the border, we really have relatives here and there, everyone has somebody' on the Ukrainian side, villager Lyudmila Nechvolod said. 'No one wants war.'

Russian lawmakers urged Putin to recognize rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine as independent states. The State Duma, Russia's lower house, voted to submit an appeal to Putin to that effect.

Putin said the request reflects the Russian public's sympathy for the suffering of people trapped in the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed over 14,000 since 2014.

He noted, however, that Russia continues to believe a 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany should serve as the main vehicle for a settlement of the separatist conflict.

Russian tanks in Crimea begin returning to their home bases after training exercises, as Putin signals he is ready to start talking with the West

Russian military vehicles are seen leaving Crimea across a bridge connecting it with mainland Russia, amid a rumoured drawn-down of forces

Military vehicles leaving Crimea appear to have hit a Lada on a bridge connecting it with the Russian mainland on Wednesday
The Charity Commission is looking into whether donations to Amnesty International were used to fund its controversial report calling Israel an 'apartheid state'.

Amnesty had published a document on February 1 which said the Jewish state maintains a 'regime of systematic oppression and domination over Palestinians' and 'routinely violates' their human rights.

While pro-Palestine groups welcomed the findings, leading Jewish voices, including President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Marie van der Zyl, said it was 'too full of inaccuracy and bias to even start addressing thoroughly'.

The report had said that Israel's 'system of apartheid' manifests in different ways but 'consistently has the same purpose of oppressing and dominating Palestinians for the benefit of Jewish Israelis'. It calls on the country to 'dismantle this cruel system' and says the international community 'must pressure it to do so'.

Amnesty International UK is comprised of two 'distinct but related entities' - a registered charity, and a limited company.

The former's charitable trust status means it can raise money in the UK while receiving tax benefits, such as 'gift aid' from HMRC, but the funds must be used for the 'public benefit'.

But its Israel report published earlier this month, was published through the limited company which it funds - Amnesty International Ltd.

The Charity Commission has now confirmed that it is looking into whether donations had been used to fund the report, and 'whether this is of regulatory concern' if so, Jewish News reports.

Amnesty International's Israel report published earlier this month, which says the country maintains a 'regime of oppression' and violates the human rights of Palestinians, was published through a limited company which it funds - Amnesty International Ltd

A spokesman said: 'We are aware of this matter and in line with our standard process, are currently assessing information to determine if charitable funds have been used to fund the report and, if so, whether this is of regulatory concern.

'Amnesty International, the author of the report, is not a charity and therefore outside of the Commission's jurisdiction. We cannot comment further at this time.'

Amnesty: 'System of apartheid has been built and maintained over decades' Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International Below is a segment from Amnesty International's controversial report, titled 'Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians'. 'Israel has created and maintains an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination over Palestinians, which is enforced across Israel and the OPT through reinforcing discriminatory laws, policies and practices, and, when seen as a totality, controls virtually every aspect of Palestinians' lives and routinely violates their human rights. 'This system of apartheid has been built and maintained over decades by successive Israeli governments across all territories they have controlled, regardless of the political party in power at the time. 'Israel has subjected different groups of Palestinians to different sets of discriminatory and exclusionary laws, policies and practices at different times, responding to the territorial gains it made first in 1948 and then in 1967, when it annexed East Jerusalem and occupied the rest of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. 'Over decades, Israeli demographic and geopolitical considerations have shaped policies towards Palestinians in each of these territorial domains. 'Although Israel's system of apartheid manifests itself in different ways in the various areas under its effective control, it consistently has the same purpose of oppressing and dominating Palestinians for the benefit of Jewish Israelis, who are privileged under Israeli civil law regardless of where they reside.' Advertisement

Chief executive of the UK campaign group Lawyers for Israel, Jonathan Turner, was one of those who raised concerns.

He said: 'The Charity Commission and HMRC should consider whether the sponsorship of this report by Amnesty International's UK Charities is compatible with their charitable status and tax benefits.'

Amnesty International told MailOnline: 'Amnesty International will be happy to work with the Commission to answer any questions they might have.'

The term 'apartheid' originates from South Africa, which had until 1994 operated as a racial supremacist state, affording more rights and freedoms to white inhabitants than others.

Amnesty had in early February joined two other well-known human rights groups in saying that Israel's policies toward the Palestinians within its borders and in the occupied territories amounts to apartheid.

Israel rejects those allegations as antisemitic, saying that, among other things, they ignore the rights and freedoms enjoyed by its Arab citizens.

Arabs make up some 20% of Israel's population of nearly 9.5 million.

The rights groups say Israel only grants citizenship to a minority of the Palestinians under its control in an overarching system designed to ensure a Jewish majority in as much of the Holy Land as possible.

Israel views such allegations as an assault on its very existence, saying its policies are designed to ensure the survival and well-being of the world's only Jewish state.

On February 1 Amnesty International labelled Israel an 'apartheid' state that treats Palestinians as 'an inferior racial group,' joining the assessment of other rights groups which the Jewish state vehemently rejects.

'Israel's cruel policies of segregation, dispossession and exclusion across all territories under its control clearly amount to apartheid,' said Amnesty's secretary general Agnes Callamard.

'Whether they live in Gaza, east Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank, or Israel itself, Palestinians are treated as an inferior racial group and systematically deprived of their rights.'

Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid strongly rejected the claims as 'divorced from reality' and charged that 'Amnesty quotes lies spread by terrorist organisations'.

A year ago, Israeli-based rights group B'Tselem drew fire when it asserted that Israeli policies had been designed to enforce 'Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea' and met the definition of 'apartheid'.

New York-based Human Rights Watch in April last year became the first major international rights group to publicly level the allegation.

The February 1 report by London-based Amnesty builds on those previous calls in asserting that Israeli-enforced apartheid exists in occupied Palestinians territories and within Israel itself, where Arab citizens make up more than 20 percent of the population.

Amnesty stressed it was not comparing the situation to apartheid-era South Africa but said Israeli conduct met the criteria for the crime of apartheid under international law.

Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, seated in the centre, at a Jerusalem press conference, with Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director Philip Luther, left, and activist Orly Noy

'Full of inaccuracy and bias': Reaction from leading Jewish voices President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Marie van der Zyl, and Keith Black, chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council, said in a joint statement in The Times following Amnesty's 'apartheid' report: 'This report is too full of inaccuracy and bias to even start addressing thoroughly... 'Life expectancy for Israeli Arabs is longer than for many of the world's richest countries and infant mortality is lower. Yet Amnesty chooses to direct at the Jewish state in modern garb the vile calumnies relating to infants once addressed to Jewish communities. 'At a time of rising attacks on Jews around the world, Amnesty's report is not just an attack on the state of Israel. It is an attack on the very concept and existence of Jewish sovereignty and on the Jewish people. 'Its misrepresentation and twisting of reality will reliably stir up and inflame hatred where Jews are most vulnerable. But as we have seen in Yemen, the rights and welfare of Jews are of little interest to this organisation. By this report, Amnesty has shown that it is not worthy to bear the name of a once noble enterprise.' Advertisement

Israel's foreign ministry called on Amnesty to 'withdraw' the report.

'Israel is not perfect, but it is a democracy committed to international law and open to scrutiny,' said Lapid, who is also Israel's alternate prime minister.

He also claimed that Amnesty had an anti-Semitic agenda.

'I hate to use the argument that if Israel were not a Jewish state, nobody in Amnesty would dare argue against it, but in this case, there is no other possibility,' he said.

The government of Israel's close ally the United States rejected the apartheid label.

'We reject the view that Israel's actions constitute apartheid,' said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

But he added that the United States takes 'all allegations of human rights abuses seriously'.

'We support the efforts of the Israeli government, of the Palestinian Authority, alongside human rights activists, to ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses.'

The president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, said Amnesty's report 'does absolutely nothing to offer a constructive way forward and has no real interest in promoting the human rights of Palestinians'.

'It will only serve, like previous similar prejudiced reports, to fuel the fires of anti-Semites under the guise of political correctness.'

Amnesty's Callamard countered that 'a critique of the practice of the State of Israel is absolutely not a form of anti-Semitism.

'Amnesty International stands very strongly against anti-Semitism, against any form of racism,' she said.

Callamard also dismissed charges that Amnesty 'was singling out' Israel, highlighting the group's work on Israel's arch foe Iran and on China, among other places.
Sir Keir Starmer has warned against scrapping free coronavirus tests as Boris Johnson prepares to unveil his 'living with Covid' plan next week.

The Prime Minister will deliver a Covid statement to MPs on Monday amid reports that free lateral flow and PCR tests will be ditched.

But Sir Keir, the Labour leader, has told The Guardian that it would be 'a mistake to end free Covid tests'.

The PM is also expected to lift the legal requirement for people who test positive to self-isolate as all remaining Covid rules in England are axed.

Sir Keir told the newspaper that Labour will oppose the end of free testing but he is said to have stopped short of calling for self-isolation rules to continue.

The devolved governments in Scotland and Wales have both warned against scrapping free testing.

The Treasury believes the estimated 10billion a year cost of the testing operation is not sustainable and has been pushing for it to be scaled back.

Sir Keir Starmer has warned against scrapping free coronavirus tests as Boris Johnson prepares to unveil his 'living with Covid' plan next week

The Prime Minister will deliver a Covid statement to MPs on Monday amid reports that free lateral flow and PCR tests will be ditched

However, ministers have been warned that the public could be left 'flying blind' if the free tests are ditched.

LBC Radio reported that everyone  including vulnerable people, children and health and care workers  would have to pay to access tests under the Government's plan.

Ministers will reportedly rely on Covid surveillance schemes instead of testing to keep track of the spread of the virus.

The Government has previously said 'universal free provision' of lateral flow tests will come to an end at some stage.

In its autumn and winter plan, published in September 2021, the Government said: 'Rapid asymptomatic testing is an important tool to help reduce the spread of the virus, while supporting people to manage their own risk and the risks to others.

'The Government will therefore continue to provide the public with access to free lateral flow tests in the coming months.'

It added: 'At a later stage, as the Government's response to the virus changes, universal free provision of LFDs (lateral flow devices) will end, and individuals and businesses using the tests will bear the cost.

'The Government will engage widely on the form of this model as it is developed, recognising that rapid testing could continue to have an important, ongoing role to play in future.'

Liberal Democrat MP and health spokeswoman, Daisy Cooper, said scrapping free tests while case rates were 'still sky high' would 'leave the public and scientists flying blind'.

'If there's one sure-fire way to put the country at risk of another lockdown, it's scrapping all the warning lights like this,' she said.

A Government spokesman said no decisions had been made on ending free testing.

They said: 'We've previously set out that we'll keep the provision of free testing under review as the Government's response to Covid-19 changes.

'No decisions have been made on the provision of free testing. Everyone can continue to get free tests and we are continuing to encourage people to use rapid tests when they need them.

'Testing continues to play an important role in helping people live their day-to-day lives, keep businesses running and keep young people in school.'

The PM is also expected to lift the legal requirement for people who test positive to self-isolate

The Scottish government has urged the UK Government not to scrap free Covid testing.

Scotland's health secretary Humza Yousaf said Downing Street has the right to make decisions on testing in England but funding for the tests elsewhere in the UK should be maintained if devolved administrations want to continue.

He said: 'I don't know the detail of what the UK Government's going to announce, but if they are going to, for example, withdraw the universal offer for testing  which I don't think they should do at the end of February  if they do that, then of course tests, as you know, are procured on a four-nations basis.

'And that could effectively force our hand to respond in a way we don't want to do at this immediate time.'

Meanwhile, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has said his government is 'well placed' to continue to provide tests in Wales and demanded devolved nations be consulted before any decision is made in Westminster.

He said last month: 'If the UK government is contemplating charging people for those tests in future that is a decision that should be made by us all. I've seen no proposition of that sort.'
A Malaysian female minister has sparked outrage after she advised husbands to beat their 'stubborn' wives 'gently' to discipline them for 'unruly' behaviour.

Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, the deputy minister for women, family and community development, was accused of 'normalising' domestic violence by urging men to strike their wives to show how strict he is and 'how much he wants her to change'.

In a two-minute video posted on Instagram called 'Mother's Tips', the deputy minister firstly advised husbands to 'discipline' their 'stubborn' wives by speaking to them. But if they did not change their behaviour, then they should sleep apart from them for three days.

'However, if the wife still refuses to take the advice, or change her behaviour after the sleeping separation, then the husbands can try the physical touch approach, by striking her gently, to show his strictness and how much he wants her to change,' Siti Zailah said in the video.

Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, the deputy minister for women, family and community development, was accused of 'normalising' domestic violence by urging men to strike their wives to show how strict he is and 'how much he wants her to change'

The deputy minister, who is an MP for the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, also urged women to only speak to their husbands if they have permission in order to win over their partners.

'Speak to your husbands when they are calm, finished eating, have prayed and are relaxed,' Siti Zailah said. 'When we want to speak, ask for permission first.'

A coailition of women's rights groups, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality, accused Siti Zailah of 'normalising' domestic violence and demanded she resign from her position as deputy women's minister.

'The deputy minister must step down for normalising domestic violence, which is a crime in Malaysia, as well as for perpetuating ideas and behaviours that are opposed to gender equality,' a joint statement read.

The organisation said between 2020 and 2021, there were 9,015 police reports on domestic violence and those figures will in reality be higher as they do not include the women who have reported abuse to charities.

'There is often a stigma and fear attached to reporting domestic violence and this is made worse by statements such as those of Siti Zailah,' the women's rights groups said.

Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, deputy minister for women and family, with her husband

They added: 'As a minister who is meant to uphold gender equality and the rights of women to protection and safety, this is abhorrent, denies women the right to equality, their right to dignity and to be free from degrading treatment.

'It is grossly mistaken and a demonstration of failed leadership.'

Siti Zailah's remarks echoed a verse from the Quran, which described men as 'caretakers of women' who can 'discipline them gently' if they are disobedient.

The deputy minister has in the past been criticised for her views and in 2020 she sparked outrage after she suggested women 'accept, remain patient and forgive' their abusive spouses.

The minister for women and family, Rina Harun, has also been criticised by women's rights groups after she said wives should 'avoid nagging' their husbands.'

'If you see your partner do something that is contrary to what you want, avoid nagging but use humorous words like "this is the way to hang up clothes to dry darling",' Harun said during lockdown in advice for couples.
Two young women have told how they 'blacked out' after being 'spiked' by a needle in a Stoke-on-Trent nightclub, before both ended up in A&E.

Elle Vickers, 18, and Ellen Baldwin, 19, believe they were injected with an unknown drug after arriving at Fiction nightclub at 1.30am on Saturday.

The friends have no recollection of what happened after 'blacking out' - but both woke to discover suspicious pin-prick marks on their skin.

And, they claim their ordeal was made worse by NHS medics suggesting they had simply had too much to drink.

Staffordshire Police have now launched an invesigation.

Elle Vickers, pictured, and her friend Ellie Baldwin believe they were spiked following a trip to a Stoke-on-Trent night club

Ellen Baldwin, pictured, also believes she had been spiked following a trip to a nightclub

Ms Vickers' first memory was when she woke up covered in bruises and scratches with what appeared to be a puncture wound in her thigh.

Meanwhile, Ellen says she cannot recall what happened but was told police had taken her to the Royal Stoke University Hospital amid concerns for her well-being.

She was discharged within half an hour but the Keele University students returned twice to hospital later that day after seeking advice.

More than 1,300 reports of needle spiking have been made to police forces across Britain since September, MPs have heard - while one force warned a 'staggering' number of victims still do not report the crime.

Jason Harwin, the National Police Chiefs Council drugs lead, told the Home Affairs Committee last month that the 1,382 reports, made since September last year, represent a 'widespread' problem in the UK on a scale he has 'never seen before'.

The shocking figure is close to the 1,903 reports of spiking made throughout the whole of 2019.

Ms Baldwin believes this is the area where she was injected with an incapacitating drug

Both Ms Vickers and Ms Baldwin said they have received poor levels of service from their local NHS hospital following their ordeal

Both women shared their ordeal on Facebook, and have raised concerns that their experience was not taken seriously by NHS medics, who they claim assumed they had simply had too much to drink.

It comes as Fiction nightclub has today moved to reassure clubbers that it takes 'robust action' to protect its customers with staff 'fully trained' on the issue of drink spiking.

Ms Vickers, from Cheadle, Greater Manchester said: 'Both of us blacked out and have no recollection of the vast majority of the night.

'My friend was taken to Royal Stoke by the police.

'I was alone for the rest of the night with no memory of what could of happened to me within this period of time. I woke up to find myself covered in bruises and scratches down the inside of my thighs and feeling the worst I have ever felt.

'I rang 111 to get advice on what to do. I was informed that 111 would ring me back when someone became available. At the point I made the call I was in a cold sweat, could not hold my own head up, my throat was closed making it hard to breathe and my legs and inside my mouth are covered in cuts an bruises.'

Ms Vickers and Ms Baldwin later returned to A&E but were told to see their GPs instead to undergo blood tests.

After being pushed back and forth, Ms Vickers said she was told to go to a walk-in health clinic.

Ms Baldwin added: 'Me and Ellen completely understand that the NHS is strained and accept that it can be too late to test for the drug that was injected into us and there is nothing that can be done about that, but given my friend went in 45 minutes after symptoms started and was turned away, we felt it was impossible to get help and we're just being pushed through the system and to be told "are you sure you didn't just have a couple too many drinks?".

Love Island's Sharon Gaffka tells how 'two male paramedics' didn't believe she'd been spiked after she collapsed in loo while at lunch with friends in a bar - as she campaigns to end 'epidemic' of attacks A former Love Island star has opened up about her shocking experience of being left barely breathing after having her drink spiked while having lunch with her friends. Sharon Gaffka hit her head on a toilet and was found wedged behind a locked cubicle door after her drink was interfered with while out celebrating one of her friend's birthdays. She said two male paramedics attended but passed her off as someone who had been 'over drinking' rather than a victim of spiking. Ms Gaffka, who appeared on this year's edition of the ITV dating programme, has collected more than 1,000 testimonies for the Home Affairs Select Committee as part of an inquiry into spiking. Recent research has shown a third of women have either been a victim of spiking or know someone who has, yet only 8 per cent of victims have reported the crime to the police. Advertisement

'There is a police investigation ongoing and clear injection sites on our thighs.

'After being alone all night, waking up with injuries in intimate areas and unable to recall huge amounts of the night, I just want to be checked over and given the all clear.'

Ms Vickers said her friends told her they alerted police officers outside Fiction and she was put in a police car and taken to Royal Stoke.

She added: 'After being in Fiction for about an hour I have no recollection of the entire night until 5am when I was back at my uni accommodation.

'From what I've been told I collapsed outside the nightclub. My friend then got the attention of two police officers, she and my other friends shared there concern to the police that I had been spiked.

'They shrugged it off, they did not take any names or details, they just bundled me in the back of there car with my boyfriend and dropped me off at A&E.

'I do not remember leaving Fiction or any of the events that night.

'When we got to A&E I couldn't even hold myself. They put me in a wheelchair and covered me in a blanket. I wasn't able to hold my head up and I was barely communicating.

'Within half an hour of being there I was discharged and told to come back sober. I believe they didn't check me over or my body. It wasn't until the next afternoon I found the puncture wound from the needle in my upper thigh.

'The next day I had spoken to my friend Elle who had a similar experience. She can't remember huge chunks of her night and woke up with bruises all over her body with no recollection of what happened to her.'

Both women believe they have been 'passed around by the NHS' in the hours and days following their nightmare night out.

Ms Baldwin added: 'After speaking to the police and 111 they told us to go up to A&E again so they could help us and get checked to make sure we were protected against diseases that could've been on the needle and protected against what was injected in us.

'We were there for 20 minutes before they turned us away, we didn't even speak to triage they also didn't even look at the puncture marks. They just said our GP should look at it.

'We then called our GP to then be told we need to go back to A&E because the GP cannot take bloods from us and that it is also a police matter because it is an assault.

Sharon Gaffka hit her head on a toilet and was found wedged behind a locked cubicle door after her drink was interfered with while out celebrating one of her friend's birthdays

'After going back to A&E for a third time we again were told that they could not do anything and our GP should sort it out. After again speaking to them they just gave us a call slot to speak to someone at a health centre about taking our bloods.

'Me and Elle understand that the NHS is under a lot of strain and we know that we are not going to be able to know what was injected in our bodies that night because it is now too late.

'But we feel that from being turned away so many times from the people that are meant to help us and care for us that we are over-reacting or making it up and we were just too drunk.

'We are two teenage girls who have been injected by a needle with something we are not aware of and not one person in the NHS has asked to see the wound they have just passed us around.

'All me and Elle want is someone to look us over and check we are okay.'

Warning others to be on their guard, Ms Baldwin added: 'Please everyone be safe and be aware of your surroundings because it's not just spiking through drinks anymore.'

A spokesperson for Fiction nightclub said it takes all reports of alleged drink spiking 'very seriously' and is offering anti-spiking devices to customers.

In a statement, the nightclub said: 'Everyone should feel safe on a night out, and they should feel safe in our club. We work hard to create a welcoming, inclusive and safe environment so that all our guests can enjoy a fun night out and will do everything we can to protect this right.

'While there have been no proven cases of injection spiking in Hanley, as a responsible late night operator, we take all reports of this nature very seriously.

'Our teams are fully trained on the issue and have the support of our onsite medics, we operate our "We Care" policy and support the "Ask Angela" scheme. We are offering anti-spiking devices to all of our guests and operate 100 per cent searches on entry.

'We also have extensive CCTV coverage throughout the venue and security teams wear bodycams and will pass on footage to the Police to help with any investigation.

Only seven per cent of 'spiking victims' in West Midlands had knock-out drug in system when tested, police reveal Only seven per cent of drinks that were reportedly spiked in the West Midlands resulted in a positive drugs test, police have said. A report by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner found that apparent spiking cases have surged in recent months due to 'heightened awareness' of the issue, with 95 offences recorded in November. Figures also showed that spiking offences made up more than one in 10 of all crimes classed as 'violence with injury'. However only seven per cent of them resulted in a positive drugs test, according to findings. West Midlands Police has said it has been consulting scientists in a bid to understand spiking. It comes amid a nationwide spiking 'epidemic' in recent months that has prompted backlash from students and nightclubs. Advertisement

'We would encourage anyone who sees suspicious behaviour, or suspects they have been a victim, to seek immediate assistance from a member of staff or security, who are trained to help and who also have the support of our onsite first aiders. We would also encourage them to contact police and seek medical advice, so that any allegation can be properly investigated.'

Staffordshire Police are now reviewing CCTV.

A spokesman said: 'We were called shortly after 6pm on Saturday following reports of a suspicious incident.

'At around 2am that day, officers working on Operation Safer Nights had assisted a 19-year-old woman to present at hospital after she reported vulnerability, following attending a nightclub in Hanley.

'She is being supported by specially-trained officers at this time while inquiries continue.

'Officers are currently reviewing CCTV footage of the area at the time of the incident and ask anyone with information to get in touch.'

Anyone with information is asked to call Staffordshire Police on Facebook, Twitter, or call 101, quoting incident number 597 of February 12. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Cases of spiking on nights out are being 'underreported quite significantly', MPs have been told.

The Commons Home Affairs Committee heard that needle spiking has become more common post-lockdown, but victims and premises are 'reluctant' to report cases despite the overall number of incidents rising in the past few months.

Committee members, who began an inquiry into spiking last week, heard that victims are 'predominantly' but 'not exclusively' women aged between 18 and 25, with mostly male offenders.

Paul Fullwood, of the Security Industry Authority (SIA), said there is a lack of data, with a 'fraction' of reported night time incidents about spiking and date rape.

He added: 'Our evidence is that this is underreported quite significantly from what we can see.

'This is not taking away all the hard work and diligence from people trying to look for these sort of things going on, but it's underreported.

'There's a lack of awareness. There's a lack of understanding.'

The committee was holding an evidence session into spiking on Wednesday.

Councillor Jeanie Bell, member of the Local Government Association's safer and stronger communities' board, said: 'You've almost got like a two-fold problem, where you've got people underreporting from people attending venues and often they'll leave the venue before they realise they've been spiked.

'But then you've also got venues who may be reluctant to come forward and say, ''Look, we think we might have a problem here with spiking in our venue, we're not getting reports but we think that could be an issue'', because they're then concerned about whether they will be penalised - whether there will be licence revocations - because the licencing authority does actually have quite a considerable amount of power in terms of how to manage premises effectively.'

However, only seven per cent of drinks that were reportedly spiked in the West Midlands resulted in a positive drugs test, police have said.

A report by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner found that spiking cases have surged in recent months due to 'heightened awareness' of the issue, with 95 offences recorded in November.

Figures also showed that spiking offences made up more than one in 10 of all crimes classed as 'violence with injury'.

Rhianna Poots (pictured left) was enjoying a night out at city centre bar on January 12 when three of her friends suddenly became unwell. Sara Begic (pictured right), 19, from Durham, believes her drink was spiked during the incident and is now worried about going out again following her ordeal.

Rhianna Poots was enjoying a night out at city centre bar on January 12 when three of her friends suddenly became unwell.

The Northumbria University student said two of her pals, who had all been sharing the same drink, started to be violently sick at the venue- with one even needing to be carried out by a bouncer.

'When we got home their breathing was raspy and their eyes were dilated,' 18-year-old Rhianna said.

'They could all hear what I was saying to them but they couldn't make sense of it.'

Rhianna said she took her friends to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead as they became increasingly unwell.

'I called an ambulance as [my friend] Sara [Begic] was especially bad,' she said.

'Her breathing wasn't right, she was hyperventilating. She wasn't responding and going in and out of consciousness.

'They weren't any ambulances available but they said; 'you need to get her to hospital now.'

The three friends underwent tests to see whether they had been spiked and Rhianna said they are still waiting on the results of blood samples.

In Scotland, police are investigating seven allegations of spiking at the University of St Andrews in just one month.

Students at the prestigious school in Fife, which ranked top of the Sunday Times University Guide this year, have claimed to have experienced a spate of drink spikings at school events including balls.

Some also believe they have been injected with needles following an increase in reports of similar incidents across the UK.

It comes as a group of university students in Newcastle say they believe they were targeted with date rape drugs, with three undergoing hospital checks after falling unwell.

In October, a week-long, nation-wide boycott of nightclubs dubbed the 'Girls Night In' campaign saw protesters calling for action over the issue.

A petition to make it a legal requirement for all nightclubs to 'thoroughly search guests on entry' garnered more than 170,000 signatures.

Home Secretary Priti Patel subsequently demanded an update from police investigating the scale of the UK's 'spiking epidemic'.

MPs launched an inquiry into the issue and are currently collecting evidence from alleged victims of drink spiking.

Police vehicles are stand in front of a restaurant in the city of Weiden, Germany where one man died on Saturday after drinking champagne which had been allegedly spiked

Last week, one man died and eight others are in a serious condition after drinking spiked champagne at a bar in Bavaria, Germany, according to reports.

The man who died after the incident in the town of Weiden was 52 years old, and the others were between 33 and 52, police told German news agency dpa.

Officers did not say what the group of people had been drinking because of the ongoing investigation, but said they had ordered and shared one bottle.

Local media reported they had all been drinking from a bottle of champagne.

The incident happened on Saturday night in the Bavarian town. When police arrived at the bar, they found people lying on the ground with cramps, and eight of them had to be taken to hospital.

A police spokeswoman told public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk that there was a suspicion of negligent homicide but that they were not looking for any suspects at the moment.
Social media users today posted a fresh wave of memes mocking Prince Andrew after his settlement with Virginia Giuffre, with one particularly cutting post reading, 'Problem? No sweat, cash will fix it!'

The royal - who infamously insisted a medical condition left him unable to sweat - agreed to an undisclosed deal said to be worth 12million, or $16million, with his sexual abuse accuser  despite not admitting to her allegations.

Many took aim at the Duke's claims that he 'never met' Giuffre - with the royal insisting that on the night of the alleged assault he was at Pizza Express with his daughters.

'Huge queues form at palace on news Prince Andrew is giving away money to people he's never met,' read one post, while another one from a user posing as a compensation company quipped, 'If you've never allegedly met Prince Andrew you are entitled to millions'.

Others shared pictures of Emily Maitlis - whose bombshell Newsnight interview was credited for its close scrutiny of Andrew's claims - while another social media wag showed a 'commemorative' 50p coin of the Queen with her head in her hands.

Social media users today posted a fresh wave of memes mercilessly mocking Prince Andrew

Social media lit up with reactions to Andrew's settlement with Virginia Giuffre announced Tuesday The two stand together with Ghislaine Maxwell in the background in London on March 13, 2001

The settlement is understood to be a bid to draw a line under the scandal before her much-anticipated Jubilee celebrations latter this year, which he will apparently be banned from attending.

It comes just weeks after Andrew vowed to contest Virginia Roberts' rape claims at a public trial. Miss Roberts had alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew, 61, for unspecified damages in a New York civil court.

But despite vowing to fight the allegations and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.

It comes as reports suggest the Queen herself will provide money to pay for the settlement, according to the Telegraph.

The paper suggests the total amount that the victim and her charity will receive will actually exceed 12m, with the funds coming from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by 1.5m to more than 23m.

Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Miss Roberts was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls.

It also said the prince accepted that Miss Roberts, now 38, had been subjected to 'unfair public attacks' and that he had never intended to 'malign her character'.

This is despite a string of recent aggressive accusations made by his legal team that included referencing a story which branded Miss Roberts a 'money-hungry sex kitten'.

It is understood that Andrew will now hand a large sum of cash to Miss Roberts and he has also agreed to make a 'substantial donation' to her charity in support of victims' rights.

The Telegraph reported that the total amount that the victim and her charity will receive will exceed 12million, with the funds coming from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by 1.5million to more than 23million.

Miss Roberts  who brought the lawsuit under her married name Virginia Giuffre  launched her legal action against Andrew in August, seeking unspecified damages for battery, including rape, and the infliction of emotional distress. The Daily Mail can reveal that negotiations on a settlement have secretly been taking place since last month when a US judge refused to throw Miss Roberts' case out.

But her legal team were said to be surprised at the suddenness of Andrew's capitulation, with things taking a dramatic turn in recent days.

The prince, who was stripped of his remaining patronages earlier this year, has faced pressure from senior royals to resolve the lawsuit ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee later this year. And while last night Buckingham Palace was said to be breathing a sigh of relief that the case will not go to trial, senior royal sources indicated there was now no way back to public life for the disgraced duke.

One said: 'Regardless of the outcome, he has ruled himself out of any public role by virtue of his appalling lack of judgment and poor choice of friends and associates.'

Significantly, the agreement contained no restatement of Andrew's previous denials of having had sex with Miss Roberts and the settlement means the prince will not have the chance to disprove her claims in court.

It comes just over a month after another of Epstein's victims exclusively told the Mail that Miss Roberts had admitted to her that she had slept with the prince in London in 2001.

Last night, Miss Roberts' lawyer David Boies said: 'It's a really great day. Virginia was thrilled when we told her the terms. This has all come about over the past couple of days, it's been quite quick. I am not sure what changed from his side. I thought that this should have been settled when we brought the lawsuit.

'That's basically the end of the case. She will get paid the money in 30 days' time. I cannot comment on the amount or the terms, but it's a good day.'

Mr Boies had agreed to take on the case pro bono but it is unclear if he will still seek to recoup some of his legal costs from the duke.

A source who is familiar with the case said: 'Andrew moved so far, so fast from his position of deny, deny, deny. There were a lot of things looming for him.

'Things were starting to come out and Andrew knew what the case was against him.

'It's a princely amount, a very, very substantial amount of money split into two buckets: the settlement itself and the donation.'

Rachel Fiset, a senior partner at law firm Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman who specialises in defending white collar crime cases, suggested the total figure could be even higher than many others predict.

'A settlement that would cover Andrew's legal fees to take this case to trial alone, would be well into the millions,' she said.

'When you couple the price of litigation on both sides with the risk of embarrassing facts coming out for Andrew and a potential jury loss relating to the sexual assault of a minor by a Prince, the settlement amount is likely very high. My best guess puts the settlement amount somewhere between 20 and 30 million dollars.'

Court papers show Prince Andrew will make 'substantial donation to Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights.' He is above at the Francis Crick Institute in Central London in 2017

Virginia Giuffre, who used to be known as Virginia Roberts, is pictured in Perth, Australia, last week on February 8

A joint statement issued today by Virginia Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies, and Prince Andrew's lawyer, Andrew Brettler
A Conservative MP has been fined for crashing into a lamppost and cutting a village off the internet.

Jamie Wallis - the Tory MP for Bridgend in South Wales - was questioned after a Mercedes hit a lamppost on a quite village road.

Wallis, 37, drove the car at Llanblethian, Vale of Glamorgan, on Sunday, November 28 at 1.10am.

Jamie Wallis - the Tory MP for Bridgend in South Wales - pictured with Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Wallis, 37, was fined 270 and given three points on his licence after crashing into a lamppost

South Wales Police said he was originally arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit.

But he appeared in court after being charged with failing to comply with solid white line road markings.

He admitted the charged at Cardiff magistrates court and was fined 270 and given three points on his licence.

The wooden post was broken in the collision - causing an internet failure for villagers until it was repaired several days later

No other vehicles were involved and no-one was injured in the collision less than two miles from the MPs home.

Wallis was elected for Bridgend in 2019 after defeating Madeleine Moon of Labour who had represented the constituency since 2005.
Police hunting a knifeman who stabbed to death a man at a flat during a brutal robbery have released CCTV of the murder suspect 'waddling' away from the scene.

Jinming Zhang, 41, was killed at an apartment in the trendy Birmingham suburb of Digbeth just before 7pm on Wednesday.

He was found at the property on Moseley Street but nothing could be done to save him and he was pronounced dead as a result of multiple stab wounds.

Detectives have now released CCTV footage of the main suspect, who was seen walking away from the flat with a 'distinctive' walk and is believed to have an injured hand.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: 'This footage shows the man we're looking for. Although wearing a mask, you can see he has a distinctive walk.

'He's described as black and is thought to be in his 20s and between 5ft 2ins and 5ft 5ins tall. He is understood to be of skinny build and was wearing dark clothing and a dark hat.

Jinming Zhang (pictured), 41, was killed at an apartment in the trendy Birmingham suburb of Digbeth just before 7pm on Wednesday

'We also believe he injured his hand during the murder so if you know anyone who fits this description please let us know.'

The force also revealed money was taken during the attack and released CCTV footage of a key witness who spoke to the killer moments after the murder.

Detectives are still urging the man in the footage to come forward as they believe he may have vital information.

Mr Zhang's next of kin has been informed of his death. A post mortem examination confirmed he died of multiple stab injuries.

Detective Inspector Jim Mahon, from the force's homicide team, said: 'We've continued our extensive enquiries to try and establish who was responsible for Mr Zhang's death and why.

'We understood our prime suspect was on foot and there are people who may have seen him, or even spoken to him, as they passed in the street.

'I'd also remind anyone who may be harbouring him that you are breaking the law and we will take action against you too.

'We now believe the victim was targeted for his money although it's not clear how much, if any, was taken at this stage.

'We're grateful for the support we've received from the local community and the patience of businesses while we've been carrying out our enquiries.'

Mr Zhang's next of kin has been informed of his death. A post mortem examination confirmed he died of multiple stab injuries

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said previously: 'We were called to reports of a patient who had been stabbed on Moseley Street.

'Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and a MERIT trauma doctor attended the scene. On arrival we discovered one patient, a man, who was in a critical condition.

'Ambulance staff immediately began administering advanced life support but sadly, despite their best efforts it became apparent nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene.'

Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101 or via Live Chat on their website. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 quoting log 3822 of 9/2.
A mother has recalled her horror at hearing a creepy man's voice 'shushing' her crying two-year-old son through his baby monitor.

Claire Cummings, 25, was initially confused when her son Aiden began waking up screaming in a terrified state at around 2am every night, with seemingly no explanation.

Over the course of a month, she noticed a complete change in his behaviour, while he had also become scared of his own bedroom.

The nurse said she herself kept waking up in the night to the sound of a shushing noise coming from Aiden's room, but simply assumed she was dreaming.

However, Mrs Cummings and her husband Jamie, 31, were petrified when they discovered the noise was actually a complete stranger shushing their child through a Victure Baby Monitor wifi indoor camera.

The couple now fear their son had been watched for weeks after he occasionally pointed at the 19.99 monitor when waking up during the middle of the night. Victure has been contacted for comment.

It comes after another young family feared they may have been spied on in their own home for weeks when their 15-month-old boy was woken in the night after hearing a 'deep male voice', which they believe to have been a man accessing their Motorola cot camera.

Shannon Richardson, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, said her son Freddie had been inexplicably waking up every night around 2am in December and refusing to go back to sleep, leaving her and partner Jack Gray perplexed.

Neither Mrs Cummings nor Mrs Richardson have found out who or how hackers gained access to their respective monitors and have since binned the devices.

Jamie (left) and Claire (right) were petrified when they found out a man had hacked into their baby monitor and was shushing Aiden (centre)

The baby monitor allowed Mrs Cummings to watch over her two-year-old son while she was at work

How hackers can gain access to baby monitors Consumer magazine Which? warned that around 3.5 million internet-connected security cameras in the country were at risk of being hacked, even if users had changed the password, after researchers tested a series of devices two years ago. While such incidents are rare, it comes after another young family feared they may have been spied on in their own home for weeks after their 15-month-old boy was woken in the night after hearing a 'deep male voice', which they believe to be a man accessing their cot camera. Shannon Richardson, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, says her son Freddie had been inexplicably waking up every night around 2am in December and refusing to go back to sleep, leaving her and partner Jack Gray perplexed. Any product connected to the internet without proper security can hacked by someone, including a baby monitor. Hackers will crawl the web to find unsecured cameras, before then exploiting them. The most common way is by accessing a home's wifi router, through which the devices operate. If these are not password-protected, then they are simple to infiltrate. Advertisement

The Cummings family set out to catch the man by positioning the camera in the living room and monitoring it overnight, but they gave up before 2am and went to bed.

Mrs Cummings, from West Lothian, Scotland, said: 'It had been going on for weeks where hed wake up in the night crying, but not a normal cry, a terrified cry.

'It got to the point where he was too terrified to go in his own room. If you took him to his room he would scream.

'He would scream and point at the monitor. One night I was awake and I thought I heard someone shushing him through the monitor but I thought I was dreaming or had imagined it.

'A few days later I heard it again, a big shh noise.

'It didnt sound like it could have just been the monitor making a noise, it sounded like a person shushing him, then my son started screaming so I went in and he was terrified.'

Mrs Cummings has since decided to unplug the monitor, following which Aiden had stopped waking in the middle of the night and has overcome fears of his bedroom.

The mother added: 'I feel so guilty that I didnt realise sooner. We unplugged the monitor and within a few weeks he was sleeping again.

'Its a shame we didnt click earlier. We brought it downstairs and tried to stay up to catch whoever was scaring him but we didnt stay up all night then we threw it away.

'We were quite scared ourselves because wed been changing him in the room. We didnt know what this weirdo had seen. It terrifies me to think someone was watching him.'

Mr Cummings, a delivery driver, purchased the baby monitor when Aiden was born to allow Claire to watch her son sleeping while at work.

Aiden was waking up most nights in screaming in a terrified state and became scared of his own bedroom

The couple say their 19.99 Victure Baby Monitor wifi indoor camera (pictured) was infiltrated by a hacker

Consumer magazine Which? claimed it was worryingly simple to gain root access to another model of Victures cameras, the 1080p, when researchers tested a series of cameras two years ago.

It allows parents to watch their child from two different mobile phones at the same time.

The couple were aware of such incidents happening to other people, but admitted 'we didn't think it would happen to us'.

The monitor was password protected, but Mrs Cummings said she is still in the dark as to how it happened.

Amazon said that third party sellers are independent businesses and all products offered in their stores must comply with applicable laws and regulations.

The company said they do not allow the sale of internet connected devices listed with information that may compromise the security of an item - for example, default password information.

The model does not appear to be currently listed on Amazon's website.
At left is Lee Jae-myung of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea and on the right is Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition conservative People Power Party during a rehearsal for the second TV debate among four presidential candidates, held by local broadcaster MBN in central Seoul, Feb. 11. Joint Press Corps





This article is the second in a series about the 2022 presidential election candidates' campaign pledges. In this article, their pledges for political reforms are examined and compared. ED







By Jung Da-min







The two leading presidential candidates, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), share the view that under the current scheme, too much power is given to the president.







So they have both vowed to diffuse power to make the presidential office more effective in handling and overseeing state affairs. Despite their shared views, Lee and Yoon differ in terms of the details of their plans for political reform.















If elected, Lee said that he would push ahead with a constitutional revision to allow presidents to serve two terms. Under the current law, those who win the presidential election stay in power for five years and reelection is not allowed. Lee pledged to revise the law to cut the presidential term from five to four years while allowing incumbent presidents to seek reelection once.







"I will seek to shorten the presidential term, if needed, and introduce a four-year presidential term and two-term presidency," Lee said during a press conference in Seoul's Myeong-dong area to present his political reform pledges, Feb. 14.







He made it clear that the candidate who wins this March 9 election would be excluded from this proposed reform, according to the current Constitution, noting that if elected, he would not be eligible to seek reelection.







Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a campaign stop in front of Bujeon Station in Busan's Busanjin District, Feb. 15. Joint Press Corps





Yoon, however, disagreed with this plan. He said that he would not consider a constitutional reform to introduce a two-term presidency.







"Constitutional reform requires a consensus among the public. The Constitution is the primary law above all other laws," he told reporters on Jan. 19 when asked for his views of Lee's proposal.











The two candidates agree on the need to reduce the power currently vested in the presidency.







Yoon vowed to reshuffle the presidential office to make a smaller but more effective team to handle state affairs, while giving more power to the cabinet ministries so that they can respond more effectively when a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic occurs.







Unveiling his plans for a complete reshuffle of the presidential office during a press conference held Jan. 27 at the party's headquarters in Seoul, the PPP candidate was critical of Cheong Wa Dae for having too much power.







Yoon said that he will no longer use the name "Cheong Wa Dae" (Korean for "Blue House") for the presidential office, in a symbolic move to abolish the past authoritarian image of the presidential office.







Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition conservative People Power Party, greets his supporters at a local market in Gwangju's Gwangsan District, Feb. 16. Joint Press Corps





In another symbolic move towards forming a smaller but more effective presidential office, Yoon also pledged to relocate the presidential office from its current site to the Government Complex Seoul near Gwanghwamun Square to better communicate with members of the public, while returning the current Cheong Wa Dae site to the people.







"If I am elected as the next president, the current Cheong Wa Dae organization will disappear. Instead, a completely new concept of the presidential office with a whole new organization and decision-making process will be introduced," Yoon said.






Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews set to ease Covid restrictions within a week, with QR codes first to go.

Mr Andrews is expected to announce major changes in coming days, which could include removing the work from home recommendation and ending mask mandates in office settings.

Bars and pubs will be restored to usual business with density limits removed and singing and partying on dancefloors reinstated as part of Victoria's next steps to moving out of the pandemic.

Dancefloors and singing are in and masks out in Victoria as Premier Daniel Andrews is set to announce sweeping new changes to Victoria's approach to the pandemic

Mr Andrews confirmed an overhaul of the state's mandates will be introduced in the coming weeks a Covid cases plummet down the east coast

QR codes regulations will also be removed from venues as officials stop contact tracing Covid cases.

CHANGES COMING TO VICTORIA: No density limits in venues

Singing and dancing reinstated

QR code check-ins removed

Victorians returning to offices

No masks to be worn at work Advertisement

Mr Andrews will encourage companies to bring workers back into the office and revitalise Melbourne's CBD, with masks rules in work settings to be removed.

'I hope to be able to make some really important announcements about rules (and) about normalising this virus,' he said on Wednesday.

Masks are set to remain in retail settings for the time being, with Mr Andrews hesitant to remove requirements for face coverings completely.

The moves come as a result of stabilising Omicron cases in every state except Western Australia, who remain closed to the rest of the country.

Mr Andrews had previously indicated that once the definition of fully vaccinated was changed to requiring three vaccine doses, this would be extended to Victoria's vaccinated economy.

At the moment, Victorians must have received two doses to attend venues, including events, pubs and restaurants.

However, the premier seemed to walk back this stance on Thursday.

'There comes a point where things become kind of impractical and you've got so many different systems operating at once that it doesn't really work,' he told reporters.

'For instance saying to someone, 'you can't go to the pub unless you've got three jabs' but the person sitting at the table next to you... from another country has only got two, it kind of gets a bit hard to justify.'

Federal Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly said on Wednesday he didn't agree with mandating vaccinations.

'Philosophically and professionally, I'm not in favour of mandating anything including vaccinations,' he told a Senate estimates hearing.

Meanwhile, Melbourne's public hospitals will be able to perform category two surgery from Monday and private metro hospitals can ramp up to 75 per cent capacity for any type of elective surgery, up from 50 per cent.

The elective surgery shackles could be thrown off completely a week later on February 28, at the discretion of Health Minister Martin Foley.

QR codes regulations will also be removed from venues as officials stop contact tracing Covid cases

Each hospital will also assess their own capacity based on staff availability and COVID-19 demands, with 44 still treating infected patients.

In regional Victoria, the private hospitals cap will rise from 75 per cent to 100 per cent from Monday and public hospitals will continue to carry out any elective surgery based on their individual capacity.

Victoria suspended all less urgent category two and three surgery in early January as the Omicron variant ran rampant through the community, ratcheting up pressure on the health system.

But the state's rolling seven-day COVID hospitalisation average now sits at 457 patients, down from a peak of more than 1200 patients in mid-January.

Staff unavailability figures have also fallen by roughly two-thirds to 1,400 workers.
The Welsh Government was accused of wasting taxpayers' money today after unveiling a 20million basic income scheme that will offer hundreds of teenagers 1,600 a month without the need to work.

In what is one of the most generous schemes of its type in the world, 18-year-olds leaving the care system will be eligible for the payments for two years, amounting to a salary of 19,200 before tax.

It is estimated that up to 500 will be able to apply to the programme, where the money is put in their bank accounts with no demands on what they do to earn it or how it is spent.

The cash is equivalent to 70 per cent of the average salary in Wales, which was 562.80 a week or 2,251 a month in 2021.

Other schemes around the world have been far less generous, with handouts in the hundreds of pounds.

Ministers want to use the scheme to assess the impact receiving a basic income has on young people as they leave care, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Jane Hutt, the Senedd Minister for Social Justice , said the scheme support care leavers who 'have a right to be properly supported as they develop into independent young adults'.

But critics rounded on the Labour administration today, pointing out that similar schemes in other countries have either failed to get more people into jobs or have met with only limited success despite huge amounts of money used.

The Welsh government receives 18billion a year from Westminster, as well as raising its own money through a limited range of devolved tax-raising powers.

Joel James, the Welsh Conservative shadow minister for social partnership, Joel James, said: 'Whilst I wholeheartedly support helping the poorest and most vulnerable in our country, the Labour Government is not even close to living in reality with this trial.

'Countless trials from across the globe have found basic income does not have the expected outcomes as it fails to incentivise work and proves time after time to be a waste of public money.

In what is one of the most generous schemes of its type in the world, young adults leaving the care system will be eligible for the payments for two years.

Joel James, the Welsh Conservative shadow minister for social partnerships, said: 'Countless trials from across the globe have found basic income does not have the expected outcomes as it fails to incentivise work and proves time after time to be a waste of public money'

Free money makes people happy but does little for employment Basic income schemes have tried around the world for decades, but success usually depends on what is being measured. Many schemes, including those in Finland and Spain, he recorded a boost in happiness and a fall in stress when people are handed free money. But critics point to the schemes often having little or no impact on improving employment despite millions of pounds spent. Here are some of the schemes and how they panned out. FINLAND A 2017-2018 experiment saw 2,000 unemployed people given a 560 (490) basic income every month in a two-year trial. At the end they were 'more satisfied with their lives and experienced less mental strain, depression, sadness and loneliness'. But they also worked for only six more days over a one-year period. SPAIN The B-Mincome programme handed 1,000 households in Barcelona 1,675 euros (1,405) a month in 2017, with some having to do nothing to earn it and others having to take part in social programmes to earn it. It similarly had little effect on employment, but did make people happier and less stressed. IRAN The hardline regime introduced a nationwide programme in 2011 as it phased out subsidies on bread, water, utilities and fuel. A study found it 'did not affect labor (sic) supply in any appreciable way' and was later reduced. KENYA The charity GiveDirectly has given more than 10,000 families $1,000 dollars in three payments spread across three months. It provided a short-term stimulus to the local economy and improved the lives of those who got it, but the effects compared to areas where no money was handed out was negligible. INDIA A Unicef-funded programme gave $2.80 a month to 6,000 people in the state of Madhya Pradesh in 2011 and 2012. It improved sanitation, nutrition and school attendance. UNITED STATES The state of Alaska has given citizens an annual payout as a dividend from oil industry revenues since 1982. It can vary between $1,000 and $2,000 based on the oil price at the time. A study found 'the dividend had no effect on employment' but has created a surge in the birth rate. Advertisement

'If rolled-out across the board with every adult in Wales receiving 1,600 a month it would cost nearly 50 billion a year, and at the same time reward the wealthiest in society rather than helping those who need it most.

'Our NHS is at breaking point and our economy is in a fragile state, but instead of tackling those issues head-on, Labour are more interested in Basic Income  which will cost the country an absolute fortune.'

Voters also attacked the scheme, saying it was too much money and would deter job-seeking.

Patrick Connor wrote: 'The magic money tree is growing bigger. Where's the incentive to work?

'Care leavers should be supported, housing, looking for work, further education, but 1600 a month? That's more than some full-time workers bring home.'

And Will Thomas added: 'Wow if only someone had piloted this before and we knew the results before wasting millions on this 'pilot'. Everyone knows the result, what an absolute joke.'

All young people leaving care who turn 18 during a 12 month period, across all local authority areas, will be offered the opportunity to take part in the pilot which will begin during the next financial year.

The money is taxable and counts against other benefits, so recipients will not get two lots of payments.

Advocates of a so-called universal basic income argue that it cuts bureaucracy and say that people will be more willing to take on temporary or part-time work if their benefits will not be cut as a result.

However, previous schemes have questioned their value. An experiment with 'free money' in Finland made people happier but did not improve employment levels and would be 'unsustainable'.

A 2017-2018 experiment saw 2,000 unemployed people given a 560 (490) basic income every month in a two-year trial to see whether the system would work better than traditional benefits.

Participants in the Finnish study 'were more satisfied with their lives and experienced less mental strain, depression, sadness and loneliness,' researchers said.

But the Finnish study found that the handout led to people being employed for only six more days over a one-year period.

A similar scheme in Spain yielded similar results. The B-Mincome programme handed 1,000 households in Barcelona 1,675 euros (1,405) a month in 2017, with some having to do nothing to earn it and others having to take part in social programmes to earn it.

It similarly had little effect on employment, but did make people happier and less stressed.

In 2020, German researchers launched a programme that sees a group of people 1,080 per month. The study sees 120 people handed the cash with no means testing or limits on how it is spent, then monitored to see how their attitudes and behaviours change.

Another group of 1,380 people will not be given any money but will still have their attitudes and behaviours monitored, to see how they compare.

The experiment, which is being funded by an economic institute called My Basic Income using donations, runs until 2023.

UBI was among the ideas considered by Boris Johnson when working out how to deal with the economic impact of the Covid pandemic. But it was eventually rejected in favour of the furlough scheme and other work programmes.

A DWP spokesman said: 'We recognise how important it is to support care leavers and already provide a specific, comprehensive package of support and protections for those of them in need, including changing regulations last year to provide additional support with housing costs for those under 26.

'As we have advised the Welsh Government, Universal Credit is a means tested benefit and income such as money from this pilot is factored into any benefit payments. The UK Government will continue to support care leavers and other vulnerable people through targeted measures that prioritise those most in need of support.'
The mystery of how the components of Stonehenge were moved 180 miles to where they were arranged in Wiltshire has long vexed archaeologists and historians.

But now, the epic journey that was involved in creating the Neolithic structure may pale in comparison to the one that could have been carried out by the builders of another structure nearby.

Researchers have discovered that the stones used in the construction of 'palisade enclosures' near Avebury henge, around 20 miles from Stonehenge, originated around 280 miles away.

In total, archaeologists found 77 pieces of granite  known as grus  at West Kennet, which is just under a mile from the famous stone circles at Avebury.

They discovered that the stones, which collectively weighed around 48 pounds (22kg), came from Northumberland's Cunyan Crags.

If they were carried south by people, the distance would be almost double the miles covered by the Pembrokeshire bluestones that formed Stonehenge 5,000 years ago.

Avebury itself boasts the world's largest stone circle and is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Writing in the magazine British Archaeology, the research team  which included experts from Bournemouth and Southampton universities  said the discovery was 'beyond doubt one of the most extraordinary and puzzling occurrences of non-local material in Neolithic Britain.'

Researchers have discovered that the stones (pictured) used in the construction of 'palisade enclosures' near Avebury henge (pictured), around 20 miles from Stonehenge, originated around 280 miles away

In total, archaeologists found 77 pieces of granite (one pictured)  known as grus  at West Kennet, which is just under a mile from the famous stone circles at Avebury

They discovered that the stones came from Northumberland's Cunyan Crags. The pieces of granite somehow travelled 280 miles, more than double the distance covered by the stones used in the construction of Stonehenge

The West Kennet stones were found were found in deep postholes of a mysterious timber structure that was built in around 2,500BC.

The researchers said that they quickly discovered that these stones  igneous granite rather than the sedimentary rocks common to the area  were 'not local'.

Some were arranged in a ring around a grave that held the remains of people, although researchers were unsure of their purpose.

Whilst the researchers did not rule out that the grus were carried south by glacial movement rather than by people, they would still have needed to have been collected from the Norfolk or Yorkshire coast  the furthest south that they would have been deposited by glaciers.

That distance is still more than 200 miles.

To identify the origin of the West Kennet stones, the team used an advanced form of mineral analysis that they had previously used on those at Stonehenge.

They said there is 'very little, if any' evidence to support 'direct transport by glaciers'.

A piece of granite that was found at West Kennet in Wiltshire. Researchers now know it came from Northumberland

However, they did say that the stones could have reached West Kennet by a 'combination of people and nature'  a reference to how they could have been carried most of the way by a glacier before being taken the rest of the distance by humans.

The team said they need to do more research at West Kennet to see there is evidence of a 'wider range of rock types' from Northumberland.

If so, that would support the notion that the stones were carried part of the way by glacial movement.

However, if they are all of the same type  which the evidence so far suggests  then it means the stones were collected by humans directly from Cunyan Crags.

The research team, which including Mark Gillings of Bournemouth University and his counterpart at Southampton University, Joshua Pollard, added: 'Was it simply pilgrimage, or more daily matters such as histories of migration, intermarriage, kinship and common self-identification?'.

Avebury is a Neolithic henge monument comprising of three stone circles.

The monuments, thought to have been constructed around 2600BC, are the largest stone circles in Europe, and a place of great importance to pagans.

In 2013, it was named as the second best heritage site in the world, ahead of sites including the Valley of the Kings in Egypt and the Forbidden City in China.

Research in 2019 found that Avebury henge may have been built around the site of a 'relatively modest dwelling' that stood there before it.

Stonehenge's bluestones were quarried from rocky outcrops in Wales, known as Carn Goedog and Craig Rhos-y-felin

A research team led by the University of Leicester found evidence of pits and gullies in the ground for its walls, plus bowls and flint tools that are all indicative of Neolithic craftsmanship.

They say Avebury henge, made up of multiple stone circles and standing stones, was probably built later to commemorate the people living in the house - who were so important they were honoured in this way.

The same year, researchers from Bournemouth University found that Stonehenge's bluestones were quarried from rocky outcrops in Wales, known as Carn Goedog and Craig Rhos-y-felin.

This was contrary to a popular theory that the enormous rocks, up to 80 of them in total, were transported by sea via the Bristol channel.

Professor Kate Welham, of Bournemouth University, said: 'Some people think that the bluestones were taken southwards to Milford Haven and placed on rafts or slung between boats and then paddled up the Bristol Channel and along the Bristol Avon towards Salisbury Plain.

'But these quarries are on the north side of the Preseli hills so the megaliths could have simply gone overland all the way to Salisbury Plain.'
Drum lines are being deployed, and intensive drone and sea searches have been launched after a fatal shark attack on a Sydney beach as details emerge about the victim.

A swimmer was attacked by a 4.5m great white shark at Little Bay Beach on Wednesday in full view of nearby fisherman and beachgoers, who filmed his horrifying final moments from a nearby rock shelf.

The man's remains were quick to be collected from the water after the 'totally airborne' shark mauled him - but police said DNA testing will be required to confirm his identity.

The victim isn't believed to be a local but did swim regularly at the beach, Maroubra MP Michael Daley told ABC News Breakfast. Mr Daley praised the brave rescue workers given the traumatising task of pulling the man's remains from the surf.

'They're supposed to be saving people's lives not pulling body parts from the water but they're on duty, they're always there to keep us safe, we are very grateful,' he said.

It comes as:

Police announced 14 beaches in Sydney's eastern and southern suburbs will remain closed from Bondi to Cronulla for at least 24 hours

Surf lifesavers confirmed the shark has disappeared despite surf life savers managing to scramble a helicopter within minutes. 'They didn't identify or detect any shark in that area,' said NSW Surf Life Saving CEO Steven Pearce

Experts revealed tagged bull sharks are known to live in the waters nearby

Eyewitness said the shark went 'totally airborne and hit the guy very, very quick'

The swimmer could be heard screaming for help and struggling to fight off the shark - estimated by witnesses to be four-and-a-half metres long - as horrified onlookers helplessly watched.

'Out of nowhere we just heard like, "Agh" and something came up and it was just a big shark in the air, totally airborne, hit the guy very, very quick,' a witness told 9News.

Lifeguards stepped up patrols on Thursday and police were also seen searching the shore near the scene of the attack and will continue doing so throughout the day.

The tragedy has rocked the local community, with NSW Police at 10am announcing all 14 beaches from Bondi to Cronulla will be closed for 24 hours.

NSW Surf Life Saving CEO Steven Pierce said the Department of Planning and Environment was setting up drum lines in an effort to keep the killer shark and any others away from the beach.

He said tagged bull sharks were known to the area, but that surf lifesavers have yet to find the predator despite getting a helicopter into the air and jet skis into the water in minutes.

Two police officers search the water's edge at Buchan Point near Little Bay Beach in Sydney on Thursday morning

A NSW Fisheries Patrol boat was out as dawn broke on Thursday morning to search the water for the predator

Witnesses has recalled the horrifying moment the swimmer was mauled by a great white shark on Wednesday afternoon off Sydney's Little Bay beach

'We need to ensure the beaches are cleared of danger to our best ability, so we'll keep surveilling that area today, leading into the weekend we'll have a high presence of water assets and will ensure the lifesaver helicopter will fly around the coast to have that extra presence,' Mr Pierce told the Daily Telegraph.

The rescue chief said even a shark net would not have prevented the swimmer's death, given the predator was so intent on attacking him.

'I don't think any form of shark netting would have prevented this attack, if a large shark is in the vicinity to attack someone,' he said.

'Nine out of 10 times when we do patrols we see sharks, and they're often just swimming by... tragically this shark was intent on causing harm.'

Daily Mail Australia saw curious locals try to walk down to the beach early on Thursday morning but access to the shore was forbidden.

One swimmer even waded into the surf but was forced out of the water by a rescue worker on a jet ski.

Parents with children and locals walking their dogs stood in shock as they looked out at the rocks where the man's life was brutally taken.

Daily Mail Australia saw one brave swimmer wade into the surf at Little Bay Beach on Thursday morning, before he was forced out of the water by a rescue worker on a jet ski

Randwick City Council Mayor Dylan Parker said the news was shocking.

'I learnt the news after coming out of the ocean myself at a different beach - swimming in the ocean is our pastime out here and to hear somebody die like this is just absolutely horrifying,' he said.

Bondi Rescue Lifeguards shared this photo of one of their staff putting up shark warning signs early on Thursday morning

'An attack like this in recent memory is unprecedented.'

Mayor Parker added that it was likely some swimmers would be reluctant to get back in the water.

'As a passionate swimmer myself, it's definitely given me pause but it's something we will work through. It's very rare but there's always a risk, generally our coastline is safe however unfortunately tragedies do occur,' he said.

Agriculture Minister Dugald Sanders said while shark management in Australia was a 'grey area', drum lines are a proven solution.

'I should point out this morning the fisheries guys have already been out to the location of the gutwrenching attack to put smart drum lines in,' he told 2GB's Ben Fordham.

'Smart drum lines have proven to be really successful and also tagging sharks to know exactly where they are and using our smart shark app, along with monitoring with drones.'

Mr Daley said he was 'horrified and shocked' upon hearing the news.

'I was deeply concerned for the family and sad for what happened. I'm really disappointed that a fatal attack as rare as it's been has come to pass, it really spoils the coastline in a way,' he said.

'I think a lot of people will think twice before going in the water or won't at all. For this to happen is shocking, sad and disappointing.

Clovelly Beach (pictured) is one of 14 beaches across Sydney's east and south closed after the shark attack at Little Bay

'There's a range of attitudes to things like this, there's some that pass it off and swim fearlessly and there are others that wont go in the water because they're scared. This will make everyone sit up and think about it, but hopefully it wont scare people away.'

But for Little Bay local Frances Ruisan, a shark attack won't be stopping his daily swims.

'I've lived here for 40 years, it definitely won't deter me,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

He explained that the bay where swimmers commonly go is protected by rocks.

'I would go for a swim this afternoon. I'm not too worried because it's protected,' he added.

Police officers and surf life saving workers are pictured near the scene at Little Bay Beach on Thursday morning

Surf rescue workers searched Little Bay Beach in Sydney's east for the shark that killed a swimmer as dawn broke on Thursday morning

NSW Police officers on the scene at Little Bay Beach on Thursday morning. Beaches across Sydney's east are closed after a swimmer was killed by a shark on Wednesday afternoon

An 'area closed' sign is pictured at Little Bay Beach on Thursday morning. Randwick City Council Mayor Dylan Parker said this kind of shark attack in Sydney was 'unprecedented'

At the time of the attack, Little Bay beach was packed with dozens of swimmers, paddle boarders and rock fishermen at the time of the attack.

They were alerted of the danger by the swimmer's ear-piercing screams but could do nothing but watch on in shock as the monster shark ripped him into two and 'swallow parts of his body'.

Shocking footage showed the predator thrashing around in the ocean and dragging its victim underwater as the sea turned red with blood, sparking panic on shore.

The first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 occurred at Buchan Point in Sydney's east

The scenes were just as confronting for emergency service workers and lifeguards sent out in boats, rescue helicopters and on jet skis, deployed in a frantic search of the swimmer and the killer predator.

'Footage clearly shows a body, half a body being taken by a shark,' a police officer told colleagues over a scanner when human remains were found an hour later.

SYDNEY BEACHES CLOSED ON THURSDAY Bronte, Tamarama, Bondi, Coogee, Clovelly, South Maroubra, Little Bay, Malabar/Long Bay, La Perouse, Wanda, Elouera, North Cronulla and Cronulla All beaches will be closed for at least 24 hours Advertisement

The swimmer's injuries were so catastrophic there was nothing paramedics could have done to save him, even if they got to him sooner.

Back on shore, dozens of fishermen and beachgoers were still reeling in shock as the desperate hunt for the predator continued.

The tragedy unfolded at Buchan Point, a popular spot for rock fishing and spearfishing between Little Bay and Malabar beaches.

'Someone just got eaten by a shark. Oh man! Oh no! That's insane. That's a great white shark,' one fisherman can be heard yelling in footage.

'The person's still there!

'I just saw a four to five metre great white explode on the surface just here on a swimmer and it was like a car landing in the water.

'F*** man, I heard a scream and the shark was just chomping on his body and the body was in half just off the rocks here.

'It came back and swallowed parts of his body and that was it. It disappeared.'

Emergency services (pictured at the scene) launched a desperate search for the swimmer and found human remains an hour later

The search for the great white shark will continue on Thursday, prompting the closure of beaches from Bondi to Cronulla

The scenes were just as confronting for those involved in the frantic search for the swimmer, including jet skiers (pictured)

Other frantic onlookers on the rocks can be heard swearing and screaming in horror.

'Some guy was swimming and a shark came and attacked him vertically,' fisherman Kris Linto told Nine News.

'We heard a yell and turned around it looked like a car had landed in the water, a big splash then the shark was chomping at the body and there was blood everywhere.

'It was really bad.'

Another shaken witness recalled how the attack lasted just seconds.

'He was yelling at first, and then when he went down there were so many splashes,' he told the ABC.

'The shark wouldn't stop.

'It's very, very upsetting. He just went down for a swim, enjoying the day, but that shark took his life.'

Fatal shark attacks in Australia since 2020 January 5, 2020: Diver Gary Johnson, 57, was killed by a great white shark while diving with his wife near Esperance in WA April 6, 2020: Wildlife ranger Zachary Robba, 23, was mauled to death by a shark while swimming off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland June 7, 2020: Surfer Rob Pedretti, 60, was killed by a great white shark while he was boarding at Salt Beach near Kingscliff in far northern NSW July 4 2020: Spearfisher Matthew Tratt, 36, was mauled to death by a suspected great white shark in a 'provoked' attack on Fraser Island in Queensland July 11, 2020: Surfer Mani Hart-Deville, 15, was boarding when he was killed by a suspected great white shark at Wooli Beach, near Grafton on the NSW North Coast September 8, 2020: Surfer Nick Slater, 46, was mauled to death by a suspected great white at Greenmount Beach on the Gold Coast October 9, 2020: Father-of-two Andrew Sharpe was killed by a shark while surfing at Kelp Beds in Wylie Bay, near Esperance on WA's south coast November 22, 2020: Cable Beach, WA: Charles Cernobori, 59, who worked at a Cable Beach hotel was killed by a 4m suspected tiger shark while bodyboarding 2km north of the main tourist section November 6, 2021: Paul Millachip, 57, was believed to have been taken by a shark while swimming at a beach in North Fremantle in Perth - with the attack witnessed by multiple people January 17, 2022: A swimmer is killed off Little Bay in Sydney's east, believed to have been attacked by a four-metre-long great white Advertisement

Swimmers were ordered out of the water after the fatal shark attack at Little Bay Beach (scene pictured) on Wednesday afternoon, a popular spot for family swims

Four ambulance road crews and a rescue helicopter with a critical care doctor and a critical care paramedic on board attended the scene in the hope of saving his life.

'Unfortunately this person had suffered catastrophic injuries and there wasn't a lot paramedics could do when we arrived,' NSW Ambulance Inspector Lucky Phrachanh said.

Police spent several hours at the scene interviewing shocked witnesses and later removed an SUV from the carpark at nearby Malabar Beach.

Shocked witnesses (pictured speaking to police) heard the swimmer's screams in the water

Kris Linto (pictured) was fishing at the time when he witnessed the horrifying shark attack

Many Sydneysiders had hoped to spend Thursday in the ocean with temperatures to reach a balmy 31C.

Signage and barricades have been installed warning swimmers to stay out of the water.

Little Bay Beach is regarded as one of Sydney's undiscovered jewels and a 'secret' beach popular with locals.

'The coast is our community's backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families,' Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said.

'To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock.

'Our entire community's hearts go out to the family of the victim.'

Many locals have vowed to avoid the water for a while in the wake of the tragedy.

The attack unfolded around 10m from shore at Buchan Point (pictured), a popular spot for rock fishermen

Police (pictured) spent several hours at the scene on Wednesday night examining the scene and interviewing witnesses

A local woman who regularly goes swimming around the area said the attack 'made her think twice'.

'So many locals go out swimming here, every day, and I've never seen a shark,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's terrifying'.

The latest tragedy comes after the death of a father and son rock fishing at the same site two weeks ago.

Peter and his son Mahan, 10, were fishing on a rock face at Little Bay on the last day of the school holidays on January 31 when they were dragged into the water by a freak wave.

'My husband and my son were just a few steps in front of me and now they are gone forever,' Peter's heartbroken wife told the Daily Telegraph.

'I wish it was me instead of my little boy.

'I don't have the will to live.'

Sydney's last shark attack claimed the life of television and radio actress Marcia Hathaway (pictured) in 1963 in Middle Harbour

Jet skis were also used in the frantic search for swimmer before human remains were found

Fatal shark attacks in Australia since 2020 January 5, 2020: Diver Gary Johnson, 57, was killed by a great white shark while diving with his wife near Esperance in WA April 6, 2020: Wildlife ranger Zachary Robba, 23, was mauled to death by a shark while swimming off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland June 7, 2020: Surfer Rob Pedretti, 60, was killed by a great white shark while he was boarding at Salt Beach near Kingscliff in far northern NSW July 4 2020: Spearfisher Matthew Tratt, 36, was mauled to death by a suspected great white shark in a 'provoked' attack on Fraser Island in Queensland July 11, 2020: Surfer Mani Hart-Deville, 15, was boarding when he was killed by a suspected great white shark at Wooli Beach, near Grafton on the NSW North Coast September 8, 2020: Surfer Nick Slater, 46, was mauled to death by a suspected great white at Greenmount Beach on the Gold Coast October 9, 2020: Father-of-two Andrew Sharpe was killed by a shark while surfing at Kelp Beds in Wylie Bay, near Esperance on WA's south coast November 22, 2020: Cable Beach, WA: Charles Cernobori, 59, who worked at a Cable Beach hotel was killed by a 4m suspected tiger shark while bodyboarding 2km north of the main tourist section November 6, 2021: Paul Millachip, 57, was believed to have been taken by a shark while swimming at a beach in North Fremantle in Perth - with the attack witnessed by multiple people The last Briton killed by a great white in Australia was believed to be Paul Wilcox, 50, originally from Coventry. The businessman died near his home in Byron Bay, New South Wales, in 2014 Advertisement

It's the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 when actress Marcia Hathaway, 32, was mauled by while on a boating trip in Sugarloaf Bay in Middle Harbour.

She was attacked by a bull shark in just 30 inches (76cm) of water as her fiance and friends watched on in horror.

'I heard Marcia scream 'oh dear', and then she was dragged into deep water,' her fiance Frederick Knight said at the time.

'I started to run to her and saw the fin of a shark.

'It seemed to have grabbed her on the calf of her right leg.

'When I reached Marcia, it struck again and seized her on the thigh.

'I started to kick the shark and beat it with my fists, most of the struggle is a blank but I remember at one time the shark was between my legs and I seemed to be straddling it.'

The critically injured actress was stretchered in an ambulance, which then broke down while navigating the steep track from the harbour.

She had stopped breathing by the time a second ambulance arrived.

It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney in almost 60 years (pictured, rescue helicopters at the scene)

Police (pictured at the scene on Wednesday) will liaise with the Department of Primary Industries to investigate the circumstances of the swimmer's tragic death

The police helicopter scoured the area from the air for an hour in search of the shark and swimmer

The fatal shark attack happened 10 metres away from rocks at Buchan Point, a popular spot for fishermen

Police will liaise with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the swimmer.

'DPI extends sincere condolences to the family and friends and first responders at this tragic time', a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'DPI will continue to work with NSW Police and SLS NSW to monitor the area and provide any technical advice and resources if required, including deploying SMART drumlines in the area.'

The department has also advised a bull shark was detected 15km further north near Bondi an hour after the attack. It has not been confirmed the shark is linked to the attack.

A SharkSmart app provided by the New South Wales government alerts swimmers and surfers in real time when a shark is detected nearby.

Paramedics say there was nothing they could do as the swimmer suffered catastrophic injuries
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A swimmer killed in Australia spent his final moments screaming for help and struggling to fight off a massive 14ft great white shark before being eaten alive as horrified witnesses watched on.

The man was taking an afternoon swim off Little Bay Beach when his life came to a tragic end in Sydney's first fatal shark attack in 60 years.

Regarded by locals as one of the best kept secrets in Sydney's east, the beach was packed with dozens of swimmers, paddle boaders and rock fishermen at the time.

They were alerted of the danger by the swimmer's ear-splitting screams but could do nothing but watch on in shock as the monster shark ripped the swimmer into two and 'swallow parts of his body'.

Shocking footage showed the predator thrashing around in the ocean and dragging its victim underwater as the sea turned red with blood, sparking panic on the shore.

The scenes were just as confronting for emergency service workers and lifeguards who were deployed in boats, rescue helicopters and on jet skis during a frantic search for the swimmer.

'Footage clearly shows a body, half a body being taken by a shark,' a police officer told colleagues over a scanner when human remains were found an hour later.

In the footage, a fisherman can be heard shouting 'someone just got eaten by a shark'.

The swimmer's remains were found in the water a short time afterwards, New South Wales Police confirmed. Parts of a wetsuit were also recovered.

Witnesses has recalled the horrifying moment the swimmer was mauled by a great white shark

Emergency services launched a search for the swimmer and found human remains shortly afterwards

Shark attacks can occur at any time of year in Australia but are more common during the summer months from November to April when millions of people flock to the beaches during the warmer weather (file picture)

The swimmer's injuries were so catastrophic there was nothing paramedics could do to save him.

Back on shore, dozens of fishermen and beachgoers were still reeling in shock following the fatal incident.

The tragedy unfolded at Buchan Point, a popular spot for rock fishing and spearfishing between Little Bay and Malabar beaches.

'Someone just got eaten by a shark. Oh man! Oh no! That's insane. That's a great white shark,' one fisherman can be heard yelling in footage.

'The person's still there!'

'I just saw a four to five metre (13ft to 16ft) great white explode on the surface just here on a swimmer and it was like a car landing in the water.

'F*** man, I heard a scream and the shark was just chomping on his body and the body was in half just off the rocks here.'

'It came back and swallowed parts of his body and that was it. It disappeared.'

A swimmer has died after a fatal shark attack at Little Bay Beach (scene pictured) on Wednesday afternoon

Shocked witnesses (pictured speaking to police) heard the swimmer's screams in the water

Kris Linto (pictured) was fishing at the time when he witnessed the horrifying shark attack

How common are shark attacks in Australia? Australia's coastline is more than 16,000 miles long and around 170 of the 400 species of sharks inhabit Australian waters. Shark attacks can occur at any time of year in Australia but are more common during the summer months from November to April when millions of people flock to the beaches during the warmer weather. In 2020, Australia reported 22 unprovoked shark attacks which made up 38 per cent of the worldwide total. Of these, eight were fatal and made up half of all fatal shark attacks worldwide in 2020. On average, 77 shark attacks occur worldwide each year, with the US usually reporting the highest number. In 2020, Florida represented 48 per cent of all US shark attacks. In 2021, the Florida Museum of Natural Historys investigated 137 alleged shark attacks worldwide. The US made up most of the attacks, reporting 47, one of which proved fatal when a surfer was killed - possibly by a great white - on Christmas Eve off the central coast of California, authorities said. The state of Florida reported more than half of all attacks in the US in 2021 - with a total of 28. There were 12 recorded shark attacks in Australia in 2021 and figures show three of these proved fatal. Paul Millachip, 57, was believed to have been the last person killed during a shark attack in Australia in 2021 before today when he was taken by a shark while swimming at a beach in North Fremantle in Perth in November - with the attack witnessed by multiple people. The fatal attack followed warnings that shark attacks are increasing. In the 1990s there were 82 recorded shark attacks in Australia, which jumped to 161 in the following decade. From 2010 to 2020 there were 220 and in 2021 there were three deadly attacks reported in Australia. Bond's University researcher Dr Daryl McPhee said the rise in attacks worldwide was down to a number of factors including more people being on the water doing activities, in more remote locations, and also warmer oceans are forcing shark and their food supply to different areas. 'There is a long term trend of an increasing number of shark bites in Australia and overseas,' Dr McPhee told The Project. 'Sharks are part of the marine environment and if we could track where every shark was you would find there would be a large shark on most popular beaches most days of the year.' 'So we need to find ways to co-exist.' Professor Callum Brown from Macquarie University said despite the increase in shark attacks they are still exceptionally rare. He added that old school methods of shark control such as nets, drum lines, and culls were being replaced with newer methods which are potentially more accurate. One such method is to deploy drones which scan the water and send images to an artificial intelligence computer which can accurately spot sharks. There are also personal deterrents which work by emitting an electrical pulse but these have the be used within metres from a shark to be effective. And finally there are camouflage wetsuit and surfboard decals which can prevent surfers from appearing like seals to hungry sharks. 'Our fear is really, it's driven by guts. Not really by any data or any sort of realistic estimate of what the actual risk is. You should be more scared of getting in your car.' he said. Advertisement

Other frantic onlookers on the rocks can be heard swearing and screaming in horror.

New South Wales Police said in a statement: 'An investigation into the swimmer's death is ongoing, and Little Bay Beach is closed as officers continue to search the area.'

Police said they would work with the state's Department of Primary Industries to investigate the circumstances of the swimmer's death.

A report would be prepared for the state coroner, a spokesman said.

Four ambulance road crews and a rescue helicopter with a critical care doctor and a critical care paramedic on board attended the scene.

The police offered no information about the identity of the swimmer.

'Unfortunately this person had suffered catastrophic injuries and there wasn't a lot paramedics could do when we arrived,' NSW Ambulance Inspector Lucky Phrachanh said.

It's the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963.

It's understood the victim was a local who knew the beach well and often swam out towards the headland.

'Some guy was swimming and a shark came and attacked him vertically,' fisherman Kris Linto told Nine News.

'We heard a yell and turned around it looked like a car had landed in the water, a big splash then the shark was chomping at the body and there was blood everywhere.'

'It was really bad.'

Another shaken witness recalled how the swimmer was dragged under the water by the shark, with the attack lasting just several seconds.

'He was yelling at first, and then when he went down there were so many splashes,' he told the ABC.

'It was terrible. I am shaking. The shark wouldn't stop.

'I keep vomiting. It's very, very upsetting. He just went down for a swim, enjoying the day, but that shark took his life.'

Police spent several hours at the scene interviewing shocked witnesses and later removed an SUV from the carpark at nearby Malabar Beach.

The search for the shark was later called off for the night, and is due to resume at first light on Thursday.

The tragedy has rocked the local community as Randwick Council closed all 11 beaches for at least 24 hours, including Little Bay.

Popular swimming spots such as Malabar, Maroubra, Coogee, Clovelly and La Perouse will also be closed along with Congwong, Little Congwong and Yarra Bay beaches, Frenchmans Bay and Gordons Bay.

Many Sydneysiders had hoped to spend a day in the ocean with temperatures to reach a balmy 87.8F (31C).

Signage and barricades have been installed warning swimmers to stay out of the water.

Little Bay Beach is regarded as one of Sydney's undiscovered jewels and a 'secret' beach popular with locals.

'The coast is our community's backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families,' Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said.

'To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock.

'Our entire community's hearts go out to the family of the victim.'

Many locals have vowed to avoid the water for a while in the wake of the tragedy.

A local woman who regularly goes swimming around the area said the attack 'made her think twice'.

'So many locals go out swimming here, every day, and I've never seen a shark,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's terrifying'.

Jet skis were also used in the frantic search for swimmer before human remains were found

It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney in almost 60 years (pictured, rescue helicopters at the scene)

The latest tragedy comes after the death of a father and son rock fishing at the same site two weeks ago.

Peter and his son Mahan, 10, were fishing on a rock face at Little Bay on the last day of the school holidays on January 31 when they were dragged into the water by a freak wave.

'My husband and my son were just a few steps in front of me and now they are gone forever,' Peter's heartbroken wife told the Daily Telegraph.

'I wish it was me instead of my little boy.

'I don't have the will to live.'

It's the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 when actress Marcia Hathaway, 32, was mauled while on a boating trip in Sugarloaf Bay in Middle Harbour.

She was attacked by a bull shark in just 30 inches (76cm) of water as her fiance and friends watched on in horror.

'I heard Marcia scream "oh dear", and then she was dragged into deep water,' her fiance Frederick Knight said at the time.

'I started to run to her and saw the fin of a shark.

'It seemed to have grabbed her on the calf of her right leg.

'When I reached Marcia, it struck again and seized her on the thigh.'

Paramedics say there was nothing they could do as the swimmer suffered catastrophic injuries

Fatal shark attacks in Australia since 2020 January 5, 2020: Diver Gary Johnson, 57, was killed by a great white shark while diving with his wife near Esperance in WA April 6, 2020: Wildlife ranger Zachary Robba, 23, was mauled to death by a shark while swimming off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland June 7, 2020: Surfer Rob Pedretti, 60, was killed by a great white shark while he was boarding at Salt Beach near Kingscliff in far northern NSW July 4 2020: Spearfisher Matthew Tratt, 36, was mauled to death by a suspected great white shark in a 'provoked' attack on Fraser Island in Queensland July 11, 2020: Surfer Mani Hart-Deville, 15, was boarding when he was killed by a suspected great white shark at Wooli Beach, near Grafton on the NSW North Coast September 8, 2020: Surfer Nick Slater, 46, was mauled to death by a suspected great white at Greenmount Beach on the Gold Coast October 9, 2020: Father-of-two Andrew Sharpe was killed by a shark while surfing at Kelp Beds in Wylie Bay, near Esperance on WA's south coast November 22, 2020: Cable Beach, WA: Charles Cernobori, 59, who worked at a Cable Beach hotel was killed by a 4m suspected tiger shark while bodyboarding 2km north of the main tourist section November 6, 2021: Paul Millachip, 57, was believed to have been taken by a shark while swimming at a beach in North Fremantle in Perth - with the attack witnessed by multiple people The last Briton killed by a great white in Australia was believed to be Paul Wilcox, 50, originally from Coventry. The businessman died near his home in Byron Bay, New South Wales, in 2014 Advertisement

Mr Knight added: 'I started to kick the shark and beat it with my fists, most of the struggle is a blank but I remember at one time the shark was between my legs and I seemed to be straddling it.'

The critically injured actress was stretchered in an ambulance, which then broke down while navigating the steep track from the harbour.

She had stopped breathing by the time a second ambulance arrived.

Police will liaise with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the swimmer today.

'DPI extends sincere condolences to the family and friends and first responders at this tragic time, a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'DPI will continue to work with NSW Police and SLS NSW to monitor the area and provide any technical advice and resources if required, including deploying SMART drumlines in the area.'

The department has also advised a bull shark was detected 15km further north near Bondi an hour after the attack. It has not been confirmed the shark is linked to the attack.

The New South Wales state government has spent millions of dollars on technology in an attempt to reduce shark attacks along its coast amid public concern, deploying nets at 51 beaches, as well as drones and shark listening stations that can track great white sharks by satellite and send an alert when one is sighted.

There were three fatal shark attacks across Australia last year, including two in New South Wales, according to a database compiled by the Taronga Conservation Society.

No fatalities had been recorded so far in 2022.

Police urged beachgoers to follow safety guidance from Surf Life Saving NSW.

The organisation advises people to swim only in patrolled areas on the beach, avoid swimming at dawn, dusk and night, steer clear of schools of baitfish and keep away from river mouths or murky water.

A SharkSmart app provided by the New South Wales government alerts swimmers and surfers in real time when a shark is detected nearby.

New South Wales relies on a string of listening stations, drumlines, shark nets and shark-spotting drones to protect people in the water.

Inside Sydney's last fatal shark attack 59 years ago - as city is left shocked by death of swimmer in the jaws of a four-metre-long great white

By Peter Vincent for Daily Mail Australia

The fatal shark attack at Little Bay on Wednesday ends a lucky run for Sydneysiders in the water stretching back to 1963, the last time a local died from a shark bite.

That victim was Marcia Hathaway, a glamorous local radio and theatre actor, who died after being savaged by a bull shark in less a metre of water close to shore at Sugarloaf Bay, in Middle Harbour.

Ms Hathaway, 32, was on board a boat with friends in Sydney Harbour on a clear 30C day on January 28, 1963, when they dared her to prove she could swim.

Marcia Hathaway, a glamorous local radio and theatre actor, died after being savaged by a bull shark in less a metre of water close to shore at Sugarloaf Bay, in Middle Harbour (pictured Ms Hathaway in a publicity shot)

Ms Hathaway was dragged into deep water at Middle Harbour by the bull shark, which locals believe they later caught and put on display (pictured, the suspected killer shark with shocked locals)

Like a scene from a horror movie, she slipped over the edge and soon after into the jaws of a bull shark, the species considered the biggest threat to humans because of how far up river systems it swims.

At first Ms Hathaway, who was quietly paddling in thigh deep water, said she thought an octopus had gripped her right calf, according to the Mosman Collective.

'I heard Marcia scream "Oh dear", and then she was dragged into deep water,' her fiance Frederick Knight later said.

He ran through the water after her and remarkably at one point straddled the back of the shark as he fought to pull Ms Hathaway free.

By now the shark had lunged again to sink its teeth into her thigh. Photos of her body, which are too graphic to publish, showed her legs shredded as though crushed by industrial machinery in the attack.

The water became stained a deep red with her blood as Mr Knight and another friend James Delmege pulled her free and laid her on the beach.

Nearby boat owners who witnessed the scene used sheets from beds on board to make tourniquets.

Bleeding heavily she was put on another boat, accompanied by Mr Knight. An ambulance met the victim at Mowbray Point, but the dying woman's fate was sealed when the ambulance broke down.

The first ambulance that arrived to take Ms Hathaway to hospital at Mowbray broke down and, dying, she had to wait for another. She'd stopped breathing by the time it arrived (pictured, the first ambulance, with locals trying to push it up a steep hill)

Middle Harbour is a regular passageway for many bull sharks but is also considered a safe swimming spot

Over a dozen men tried to push the vehicle up a steep hill but in the end they had to wait for a second ambulance.

By the time it arrived an hour later she had stopped breathing.

Before she lost consciousness for the last time, Mr Knight asked her if she was in pain.

She replied 'no'.

'Dont worry about me dear, God will look after me.
The Met Police today said it has no plans to reopen the Prince Andrew sex abuse probe despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence following the Duke's deal with Virginia Giuffre.

Britain's biggest force dropped its investigation into Andrew last October, saying they would take 'no further action' - but the latest development raised questions over whether he would still be quizzed.

The Met ruled this out today, with a spokesman telling MailOnline: 'There is no change to our previous position.'

FBI officials in the US still want to talk to Andrew as a witness to Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes.

Britain's biggest force dropped its investigation into Andrew - pictured with his accuser Virginia Giuffre in 2001 - last October

Among those renewing calls for the UK case to be reopened today was Nigel Cawthorne, Andrew's biographer.

He told Newsweek: 'There should be a police investigation into Prince Andrew. There are a couple of outstanding matters.

'One is that the US Department of Justice has asked the British Government for their co-operation in interviewing Prince Andrew.

'The other is whether the new commissioner of the Metropolitan Police will investigate this matter.'

Cressida Dick, who recently resigned as Met commissioner. Her interim replacement has not yet been appointed

He added: 'There's no mention of how much money is involved or where he's going to get it from. He's not a wealthy man. As taxpayers we have the right to know. We want to know, is it coming out of my pocket?'

And former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt tweeted: 'With the Giuffre case settled, Prince Andrew can now focus on talking to the FBI about his friend Epstein - 818 days after he first promised to do so.'

Mrs Giuffre had alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew, 61, for unspecified damages in a New York civil court.

But despite vowing to fight the claims and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.

It has been suggested that the Queen has used her private income to help her second son with his legal bills, and last night the Daily Telegraph reported that she would contribute to the settlement using income from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate.

However, Buckingham Palace would not comment on the claim - and courtiers have tried to distance the monarch from the US court case.

Prince Andrew is pictured driving in Windsor on November 6 last year

The Telegraph reported that the total amount that the victim and her charity will receive will actually exceed 12million, with the funds coming from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by 1.5million to more than 23million.

Full statement from both parties Here is the full text of the statement regarding the out of court settlement reached between the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre. The statement was included in a letter submitted to US judge Lewis A Kaplan: 'Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. 'Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. 'Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.' Advertisement

Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Mrs Giuffre was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls.

It also said the prince accepted that Mrs Giuffre, now 38, had been subjected to 'unfair public attacks' and that he had never intended to 'malign her character'.

This is despite a string of recent aggressive accusations made by his legal team that included referencing a story which branded Mrs Giuffre a 'money-hungry sex kitten'.

It is understood that Andrew will now hand a large sum of cash to Mrs Giuffre and he has also agreed to make a 'substantial donation' to her charity in support of victims' rights.

Mrs Giuffre  who brought the lawsuit under her married name Virginia Giuffre  launched her legal action against Andrew in August, seeking unspecified damages for battery, including rape, and the infliction of emotional distress. The Daily Mail can reveal that negotiations on a settlement have secretly been taking place since last month when a US judge refused to throw Miss Roberts' case out.

But her legal team were said to be surprised at the suddenness of Andrew's capitulation, with things taking a dramatic turn in recent days.

The prince, who was stripped of his remaining patronages earlier this year, has faced pressure from senior royals to resolve the lawsuit ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee later this year.

And while last night Buckingham Palace was said to be breathing a sigh of relief that the case will not go to trial, senior royal sources indicated there was now no way back to public life for the disgraced duke.

One said: 'Regardless of the outcome, he has ruled himself out of any public role by virtue of his appalling lack of judgment and poor choice of friends and associates.'

One other woman, Johanna Sjoberg, was revealed in 2019 to have accused Andrew of sexual misconduct when court papers in a 2015 defamation case involving Mrs Giuffre were unsealed.

She alleged he grabbed her breast in 2001 at the New York home of Epstein - something Buckingham Palace said at the time was 'categorically untrue'. There has been no indication that she may take legal action against Andrew.
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NATO has warned there are no signs Russia is moving troops away from Ukraine's border and actually seems to be building its forces, despite Moscow saying that tanks are being withdrawn as Vladimir Putin insists he is ready to talk.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's chief executive, said today that Russia 'always moves forces back and forth' as videos emerged appearing to show tanks leaving the frontlines and that more troops are still arriving in the region.

'What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way,' he said as he arrived in Brussels for a summit with NATO defense chiefs including US representative Lloyd Austin to discuss their next moves.

'If they really start to withdraw forces, that's something we will welcome. But that remains to be seen,' he added. 'Just seeing the movement of battle tanks doesn't confirm a real withdrawal.'

But news that war is not yet underway will be greeted with cautious optimism after dire warnings out of Washington of a 3am rocket and artillery barrage followed by all-out ground assault failed to materialize.

It comes after President Joe Biden said he would not send US service members to fight in Ukraine as he appealed for diplomacy.

But he did threaten a 'bloody, destructive war' if any Americans were targeted in a potential conflict.

The Kremlin responded today saying it welcomed his appeals for peaceful negotiations.

Elsewhere today...

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he is 'positive' that Joe Biden is ready to enter into talks about European security

Russia denied having anything to do with a cyberattack that took down banks and the website of Ukraine's defence ministry overnight

NATO defence chiefs met in Brussels today to discuss next steps as talks with Russia push ahead - albeit at gunpoint

The EU called on Russia to take 'concrete steps' to de-escalate its troop build-up around Ukraine, while hailing 'signs of hope'

D-Day for Ukraine has dawned with no sign of a Russian invasion, quelling fears that Putin would spark war overnight (pictured, Kiev's troop on the frontlines Tuesday)

Moscow has continued to issue videos of some tanks leaving Crimea, which does little to reduce the threat faced by Ukraine but seems intended as an olive branch while talks continue

Russian units leaving Crimea are moving back to their bases in South Ossetia and Dagestan, Moscow says, while some troops are also being moved - albeit not very far away

Biden admitted yesterday that Ukraine would be on its own if Russia does invade and said American service members would not be sent to fight - but if Americans were to be targeted, the president warned of a 'bloody, destructive war.'

Russia's claim that it pulled back troops 'would be good, but we have not yet verified that,' Biden said. 'Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.'

In remarks at the White House Tuesday, Biden promised that the U.S. would continue to give diplomacy 'every chance' to prevent a Russian invasion, but he struck a skeptical tone about Moscow's intentions.

'While I will not send American servicemen to fight in Ukraine, we have supplied the Ukrainian military equipment to help them defend themselves,' Biden said during an address Tuesday.

'We provided training and advice and intelligence for the same purpose.'

Biden insisted that the U.S. and its allies would not 'sacrifice basic principles' respecting Ukraine sovereignty.

'Two paths are still open,' Biden said. 'But let there be no doubt: If Russia commits this breach by invading Ukraine, responsible nations around the world will not hesitate to respond. If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we'll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.'

Biden also warned that the U.S. is committed to protecting NATO allies amid the rising tensions with Russia.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrives at the meeting of NATO defense ministers at the NATO Headquarter in Brussels

Austin bumped fists with Jens Stoltenberg as they met at the start of the crucial summit today

'Make no mistake, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power,' Biden said. 'An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us.'

In response today, the Kremlin said Putin is in favor of negotiations and diplomacy and he views Biden's willingness to talk as a positive sign.

Biden's direct appeal to Russian citizens was welcomed, but the Kremlin said it would be even better if he had urged Ukrainian people to stop shooting at each other.

Moscow casts the conflict in east Ukraine as a civil war, but Ukraine and the West say Russia helps the separatists with its own ground forces, something Moscow denies.

It comes a day after Putin said he is willing to engage in negotiations with the West over security guarantees designed to ease sky-high tensions.

Putin wants Ukraine to be banned from joining NATO and for the alliance to withdraw troops from ex-Soviet states.

Both of those demands have been dismissed but a range of other compromises have been offered on arms control, transparency around missile deployments, and information-sharing on military drills that Putin has said he is willing to discuss.

Russian tanks in Crimea begin returning to their home bases after training exercises, as Putin signals he is ready to start talking with the West

Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister and chief negotiator, has said a 10-page response to NATO's offers has been prepared though not yet sent.

Kyiv Mayor Wladimir Klitschko has said that he hopes for a 'last-minute' diplomatic solution between Russia and Ukraine.

The former heavyweight champion of the world told LBC that he hoped that Russia would not invade his country on Wednesday.

'It is the first time in the history of Ukraine that so many Russian soldiers stayed at the border', he said.

'The risk (of) aggression towards Ukraine is pretty big. We prepare for any scenario.

'We do not know how the situation will develop but we hope that the invasion does not happen, and that at the last minute we have a diplomatic solution.'

Ukrainians gather around a huge flagpole in the city of Kramatorsk, near the breakaway region of Donetsk, to celebrate a national 'unity day' in defiance of Russian threats

A child walks underneath a giant Ukrainian flag in the city of Sievierodonetsk, near the breakaway region of Luhansk, during a national 'unity day'

Ukraine tests tank-buster missile sent by Britain Troops in Ukraine fired anti-tank weapons in exercises yesterday as the country continued to prepare for a possible invasion by Russia. It comes after the UK last month gave 2,000 NLAW anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. The troops carrying out test-firing in the eastern Donetsk region yesterday were using NLAWs but it was unclear if these were British weapons. It was part of a series of drills by Ukraine in recent days. Military commanders had issued a statement on Sunday insisting they were ready to see off the Russian threat. They boasted of their Stinger and Javelin missiles, saying: 'We are ready to meet the enemy  and not with flowers but with Stingers, Javelins and NLAWs.' Advertisement

Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly sought to project calm but also strength during the crisis.

In an apparent show of defiance, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Wednesday would be a 'day of national unity,' calling on citizens to display the blue-and-yellow flag and sing the national anthem in the face of 'hybrid threats.'

Russia has denied having any invasion plans. It wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe.

The U.S. and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but they offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.

Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures - issues that Moscow put on the table years ago.

He said Russia is open to discuss 'some of those elements,' but added that it would do so only in combination 'with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.'

While Scholz reiterated that NATO's eastward expansion 'is not on the agenda - everyone knows that very well,' Putin retorted that Moscow will not be assuaged by such assurances.

'They are telling us it won't happen tomorrow,' Putin said. 'Well, when will it happen? The day after tomorrow? What does it change for us in the historic perspective? Nothing.'

Scholz also said diplomatic options are 'far from exhausted,' and he praised the announcement of a troop withdrawal as a 'good signal,' adding: 'We hope that more will follow.'

The Russian Defense Ministry released images of tanks and howitzers rolling onto railway platforms and more tanks rolling across snowy fields.

It did not disclose where or when the images were taken, or where the vehicles were headed, other than 'to places of permanent deployment.'

Images put out by the Russian ministry of defence appear to show tanks leaving the frontlines near Ukraine, though western leaders say the overall threat remains the same

Tanks are seen during a media tour at the Malyshev transport engineering plant in Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) is pictured sitting down with Putin (left) in the Kremlin yesterday. Scholz is the latest foreign leader to be given the 'long table treatment' - for talks aimed at deescalating the crisis

Putin opened up an avenue for talks during a joint press conference with Germany's Olaf Scholz on Tuesday, saying there is room for negotiation on security guarantees

Ukraine expressed skepticism.

'We won't believe when we hear, we'll believe when we see,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

And NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that there have been no signs, so far, of a reduced military presence on Ukraine's borders.

Meanwhile, a series of cyberattacks knocked out the websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry and major banks.

There was no indication that the relatively low-level denial-of-service attacks might be a smoke screen for more serious cyber mischief.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. has not yet determined who was behind the attacks.

Despite the worst East-West tensions in decades, few Russians expect a war. In a village in Russia's Belgorod region, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Ukraine's border, residents carried on with life as usual, even as more military personnel have been passing through village streets.

'We are really on the border, we really have relatives here and there, everyone has somebody' on the Ukrainian side, villager Lyudmila Nechvolod said. 'No one wants war.'

Russian lawmakers urged Putin to recognize rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine as independent states. The State Duma, Russia's lower house, voted to submit an appeal to Putin to that effect.

Putin said the request reflects the Russian public's sympathy for the suffering of people trapped in the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed over 14,000 since 2014.

He noted, however, that Russia continues to believe a 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany should serve as the main vehicle for a settlement of the separatist conflict.

West risks Russian ire with plans to deploy 4,000 troops on Europe's south-eastern borders

By David Averre For Mailonline
The search for a four-and-half-metre long great white shark which mauled a swimmer to death will resume at first light, with 11 beaches to remain closed as the hunt for the man-eater continues.

Shocked onlookers could do nothing but helplessly watch on in horror as the tragedy unfolded 10 metres from shore at Buchan Point near Little Bay Beach in Sydney's east on Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency services found the swimmer's remains in the water an hour later, with witnesses describing how the victim was 'ripped in two'.

Little Bay Beach was closed for the rest of the day as a search for the predator which caused the first fatal attack in Sydney in almost 60 years was launched.

Little Bay Beach was closed for the rest of the afternoon after a swimmer was mauled to death by a shark (pictured beachgoers at the scene after being ordered out of the water)

Randwick Council will close all 10 beaches for the next 24 hours, including Coogee (pictured)

SYDNEY BEACHES CLOSED ON THURSDAY Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra, Coogee, Clovelly, La Perouse, Congwong, Little Congwong, Yarra Bay, Frenchmans Bay and Gordons Bay Advertisement

Police spent several hours at the scene interviewing shocked witnesses and later removed an SUV from the carpark at nearby Malabar Beach.

The search for the shark was later called off for the night, and is due to resume at first light on Thursday.

The tragedy has prompted Randwick Council to close all 11 of its beaches for the next 24 hours, including Little Bay.

Popular swimming spots such as Malabar, Maroubra, Coogee, Clovelly and La Perouse will also be closed along with Congwong, Little Congwong and Yarra Bay beaches, Frenchmans Bay and Gordons Bay.

Many Sydneysiders had hoped to spend a day in the ocean with temperatures to reach a balmy 31C.

Signage and barricades have been installed warning swimmers to stay out of the water.

The search for the four-and-a-half metre long predator will continue on Thursday morning

The first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 occurred at Buchan Point in Sydney's east

Council lifeguards will patrol beaches over the next 24 hours to be on the look out for further shark sightings.



Little Bay Beach is regarded by the council as one of Sydney's undiscovered jewels and a 'secret' beach popular with locals.

The latest tragedy comes after the death of a father and son rock fishing at the same site two weeks ago.

'The coast is our community's backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families,' Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said.

'To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock.

'Our entire community's hearts go out to the family of the victim.'

It's the first fatal shark attack in Randwick City in recent memory.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the local community in Sydney's east (pictured, emergency services at the scene at Little Bay Beach)

A non-fatal shark attack occurred at Congwong Beach four years ago.

Police will liaise with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the swimmer.

'DPI extends sincere condolences to the family and friends and first responders at this tragic time,' a department spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'DPI will continue to work with NSW Police and SLS NSW to monitor the area and provide any technical advice and resources if required, including deploying SMART drumlines in the area.'
All children aged five to 11 in Scotland will be offered two Covid vaccines, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed today.

The Scottish First Minister said she had accepted new recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

It follows an announcement by the Welsh Government last night that it will also roll out the jabs to primary school children.

There is still no word on whether England will follow suit but MailOnline understands a decision will be announced this afternoon.

Only half of children aged 12-15 have received a Covid jab in England and just a fifth have had two doses  raising questions about public demand for the move.

The JCVI's recommendation is thought to stress that it is a 'non-urgent offer' because Covid poses such a tiny risk to healthy children.

Two vaccines offer as little as 10 per cent protection against Omicron infection, and fewer than 40 children aged 5-14 have died after testing positive for Covid in Britain since the pandemic began.

Ms Sturgeon said: 'Although it has yet to be published officially... like colleagues in Wales we have received advice from the JCVI which recommends Covid vaccination for all children aged five to 11-years-old.

'I can confirm ministers have considered this draft advice and are content to accept its recommendations.'

The publication of the JCVI's advice is thought to have been delayed by Downing St  although the reason remains unclear. There is a suggestion that No10 wanted to announce the expansion as part of its 'living with Covid' strategy when it is unveiled next week.

Children aged five to 11 in Scotland will be offered a Covid vaccine, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed today

Britain's vaccine watchdog has made up its mind to allow vaccination of 5 to 11-year-olds, reports say, but Downing Street is still reviewing the verdict (stock image)

Only 20 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds (shown in purple, bottom) have been double-vaccinated in England since the rollout was expanded to them in November. But they must wait 12 weeks between doses

Little over half of children in the age group have had one dose

Ms Sturgeon added: 'Throughout the pandemic it has been our intention that we follow the clinical and scientific evidence available to us and I'd like to once again thank the JCVI for their hard work in scrutinising the science and providing clear guidance.'

Work is under way to determine how best to deliver the vaccines.

The Welsh Government has said it will dish them out in health centres rather than schools.

There was fury last year when it emerged 12-year-olds could overrule their parents' wishes and get vaccinated if they were deemed mature enough.

What are the risks of Covid and vaccines to five-year-olds? Covid Most children only experience mild symptoms after being infected with Covid. As few as one in 100,000 children who catch Covid will die, according to UK Government advisers. Studies have found the risk to actually be even lower. The risk for children who do not have underlying health conditions is even lower. And the risk of being hospitalised and getting admitted to ICU is similarly low. The JCVI has yet to release its updated guidance on vaccinating children aged 11 and under. But its latest advice on recommending first jabs to over-12s suggested one Pfizer dose only prevents 131 hospital admissions per million 12-15-year-olds. And second doses only prevent nine hospital admissions for every million dished out to the age group. The figures are likely to be less for five- to eleven-year-old, who are less vulnerable to the virus. Vaccines Myocarditis  an ultrarare form of heart inflammation  is the main side effect of the Pfizer vaccine that concerns experts. Data shows the risk is slightly higher in adolescents than adults, particularly in boys. The JCVI has not released data on how many cases are expected in children aged five to 11 but studies show children in younger age groups are less at risk than teenagers. It found myocarditis cases in between 2.6 to 17.7 million first vaccine doses in children aged 12 to 15. And the condition was found in between 20.9 to 42.2 children in the age group per million second doses dished out. Advertisement

Under current guidelines across the UK, only five to 11-year-olds who have a weakened immune system, or live with someone who does, are eligible for two doses of the vaccine.

The JCVI's update was originally due last Friday but it was pushed back to Monday before being delayed again.

Normally the panel's recommendations are accepted by the Department of Health and implemented within a matter of days.

But there are reports that No10 stepped in and blocked its publication last week so it could 'review' the advice.

It is unclear what exactly is causing the hold up, but in the past ministers have expressed frustration at the JCVI's caution over jabbing children.

The group initially dragged its heels on recommending jabs to 12 to 15-year-olds in September, citing a lack of safety data and concerns about side-effects.

In the end ministers had to circumvent the JCVI, and relied on Professor Chris Whitty and the chief medical officers in the devolved nations to approve the jabs on the basis they would prevent further disruption to schooling.

There is a suggestion the Government wanted to announce the roll out to five to 11-year-olds as part of Boris Johnson's plan for England to live with Covid like flu.

That strategy is set to be unveiled in Parliament after the recess on February 21 and include radical plans to ditch even the most fundamental Covid rules.

But only half of 12 to 15-year-olds have received a Covid jab in England and just 20 per cent are double-vaccinated  raising questions about the level of public demand for the move.

A JCVI source told MailOnline that opening the jabs to the age group will appease 'parents who are desperate to have the choice', but added that nobody on the committee was 'particularly vocal' about wanting to jab healthy children.

Clinically vulnerable five to 11-year-olds were recommended two doses Pfizer jab in late December to protect them against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

Reports over the weekend said the new JCVI recommendation stresses that the offer to healthy primary-aged children is presented as 'non-urgent'.

Healthy children face a vanishingly low risk of severe illness from the virus, with only six healthy children dying of the virus in England's first year of the pandemic.

And two doses of a jab offers as little as 10 per cent protection against catching the antibody-resistant Omicron variant, UK data suggests, but it will have stronger effects on moderate and severe illness.

Many scientists have questioned the need to vaccinate children when so many have already had Covid.

The Office of National Statistics estimates nearly three-quarters of youngsters aged 8 to 11 had Covid antibodies as of January 10.
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Prince Charles could be questioned by the Met Police as part of its criminal 'cash for honours' investigation into his aide and charity.

The Royal, 73, nor anyone in his household have been spoken to as part of the force's assessment on whether to probe how a Saudi billionaire donor got a knighthood and UK citizenship after donations to the Prince's Foundation.

Instead officers have liaised with staff at the charity, who have provided documents for the scoping exercise.

But Charles and his former right-hand aide Michael Fawcett, 59, have been both explicitly named in the two letters to the Met that sparked the investigation.

One of the complaints - written by former Lib Dem MP Norman Baker - was addressed directly to Commissioner Cressida Dick.

Tonight the Met refused to comment on whether Charles or Fawcett would be questioned or if either had been ruled out from investigation.

Fawcett stepped down in October amid claims he promised to help secure a CBE and British citizenship for Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz - a donor to the Prince's Foundation.

It was alleged that he paid thousands of pounds to 'fixers' with links to the prince who said they could secure him an honour in return for donations.

Clarence House has denied Charles knew anything about the allegations being investigated.

But he could still prove to be a vital witness, as he held private meetings with Dr Mahfouz at the British embassy in Saudi Arabia, in London and Scotland.

Dr Mahfouz received his CBE during a private ceremony at Clarence House in 2016 with Charles and Camilla.

The criminal investigation piles more pressure onto the Queen on what should have been one of the proudest years of her reign.

Just hours after Prince Andrew left the Royals mired in scandal with a murky 12million settlement with a victim of one of his paedophile friends, this new probe was announced.

A Met special advisory team has assessed documents the force has launched an investigation into allegations of offences under the Honours Act.

The police investigation comes as:

Prince Andrew faces questions on how he has funded his 12million settlement with Virginia Giuffre

It emerged the Queen and Charles had ordered him to sort out the impending sex case as soon as possible

Graham Smith, from anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, insisted that taxpayers 'deserve to know where the money is coming from for a settlement, which we must assume is in the millions, if not tens of millions'

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off'

Settlement with Giuffre reportedly includes clause that allows her to 'write tell-all book' on her ordeal

Royal experts said there will be no 'return to the fold' for embattled Duke and he should 'disappear for a year'

The Queen returned to in-person engagement in Windsor after a Covid scare sparked by Charles and Camilla

Dr Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, pictured meeting Prince Charles, is one of Britain's most generous benefactors

Queen Elizabeth II speaks during an audience at Windsor Castle when she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries earlier today

Mr Fawcett (pictured) allegedly helped fix a CBE and British citizenship for billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, who donated more than 1.5 million to royal charities

Prince Andrew left the Royals mired in scandal with a murky 12million settlement with Virginia Giuffre, a victim of one of his friends, the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein

Clarence House today stressed Charles had 'no knowledge' on allegations of offers of honours 'on the basis of donation to his charities'.

The Prince's spokespeople have previously said he would 'of course' be willing to assist any enquiry from the authorities.

A Met statement said: 'The decision follows an assessment of a September 2021 letter. This related to media reporting alleging offers of help were made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national.

'The Special Enquiry Team has conducted the assessment process which has included contacting those believed to hold relevant information.

'Officers liaised with The Prince's Foundation about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices. The Foundation provided a number of relevant documents.

'These documents were reviewed alongside existing information.

'The assessment determined an investigation will commence.

'There have been no arrests or interviews under caution.'

A probe last year concluded that Mr Fawcett did co-ordinate with 'fixers' over honours nominations for Mahfouz, who has donated more than 1.5 million to royal charities.

Mr Fawcett and Prince Charles have been allies for years and go back decades together in the Royal Family and its traditions

Michael Fawcett, for years a trusted ally of Prince Charles (pictured together in 2019) and former chief executive, resigned as chief executive of the Prince's Foundation earlier this month

Clarence House has previously said Charles would 'of course' be willing to assist Scotland Yard detectives if asked to do so.

Dr Mahfouz received his CBE during a private ceremony at Clarence House in 2016.

A probe into fundraising practices was ordered by the Prince's Foundation and carried out independently by auditing firm Ernst & Young.

Its conclusion found that Mr Fawcett co-ordinated with 'fixers' over honours nominations for a Saudi billionaire donor to the foundation.

Mr Fawcett was also involved in directing money from the donor's foundation to another charity of which Charles was patron, it was revealed.

Last year Dame Sue Bruce, chair of the Prince's Foundation, described the recent crises surrounding the future king's charitable organisation as a 'difficult chapter', but said 'lessons will be learned' to ensure the charity acts with the 'utmost integrity and probity'.

A letter also emerged, written by Mr Fawcett to Dr Mahfouz in 2017, in which he said the Prince's Foundation would be 'happy and willing' to use its influence to help him.

The bombshell note, written on August 18, 2017, to Busief Lamlum, an aide to Dr Bin Mahfouz, says: In light of the ongoing and most recent generosity of His Excellency... I am happy to confirm to you, in confidence, that we are willing and happy to support and contribute to the application for Citizenship.

'I can further confirm that we are willing to make [an] application to increase His Excellencys honour from Honorary CBE to that of KBE in accordance with Her Majestys Honours Committee.

A probe concluded that Mr Fawcett (pictured) did co-ordinate with 'fixers' over honours nominations for Mahfouz, who has donated more than 1.5 million to royal charities

The letters from Republic and a former MP Norman Baker reported Charles and Fawcett on suspicion of Honours Act breach

 The sheikh received the honorary CBE, for services to charity, from Prince Charles in a private Buckingham Palace ceremony in 2016.

In the damning letter to Mr Lamlum obtained by the MoS Mr Fawcett makes no effort to disguise that support for the knighthood and citizenship application depends on Dr Bin Mahfouzs financial support.

Writing on headed notepaper in his then capacity as chief executive of the Dumfries House Trust, he said: Both of these applications will be made in response to the most recent and anticipated support [of] The Trust, and in connection with his ongoing commitment generally within the United Kingdom.

'I hope that this confirmation is sufficient in allowing us to go forward.

Dame Sue Bruce, chair of the Prince's Foundation, described the recent crises surrounding the future king's charitable organisation as a 'difficult chapter'

Mr Fawcett was Charles's most indispensable aide over the decades, with the prince once saying: 'I can manage without just about anyone, except for Michael.'

The former royal valet quit twice before, including in 2003 when, as Charles's personal assistant, he was accused and cleared by an inquiry of selling royal gifts, but was revealed to have accepted valuable gifts from outsiders.

Ex-Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker has previously written to the Metropolitan Police asking them to launch a criminal investigation into the cash for honours claims.

Dame Cressida Dick said the Metropolitan Police had made 'initial inquiries' after receiving a letter regarding Michael Fawcett, who resigned as the Prince's Foundation's chief executive after a string of allegations.

Asked for an update during an LBC radio phone-in on Friday, Dame Cressida said: 'We have received a letter, as you say, we have been making some initial inquiries.

'We have not launched an investigation.

'If people out there have further material for us we will of course look at that, if there's further evidence.

'But at this stage, having considered the letter, made some initial inquiries and examined relevant legislation, some of which is in 1925 and some of which is the new bribery act, we have not launched an investigation.'

Clarence House today referred to a previous statement on the matter.

It read: 'The Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities.'

A spokesperson for The Prince's Foundation said: 'It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.'

In December Fawcett left roles at four more businesses associated with the future King.

Accounts registered with Companies House show that Mr Fawcett, who resigned as chief executive of the Princes Foundation in November, has stepped down from businesses linked to Dumfries House, the Palladian mansion in Ayrshire bought by Charles in 2007.

As well as quitting Dumfries House Trust Trading Limited and Dumfries House Home Farm Ltd, he has left Dumfries Farming & Land, which bought land at Knockroon to help fund the 20 million purchase of nearby Dumfries House as a gift to the nation.

Mr Fawcett has also stepped back from his role as events manager at A G Carrick, the retail arm of Highgrove, which is named after the pseudonym which Charles uses on his watercolour paintings.

The key dates and paper trail linking Michael Fawcett to Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz April 2013 - Documents have shown a private exchange in which paid fixers for Dr Mahfouz state it is time to 'discover the protocol' for being awarded an OBE. They add that the Saudi billionaire also seeks British citizenship. May - The fixers introduce Dr Mahfouz to Ashe Windham, a former member of Charles' household and then chairman of the trustees at one of his Scottish residences, who tentatively asks for a donation. July - Dr Mahfouz donates 20,000 to the Castle of Mey. Mr Windham is then praised by Dr Mahfouz's fixers for 'brilliantly organising' a private trip to the residence in October. Having initially said he would be unable to organise a meeting between the Saudi and Prince Charles, Mr Windham changes tack following a lunch with Mr Fawcett and one of the fixers. A subsequent letter from Mr Windham to Dr Mahfouz says Prince Charles 'would like to find an opportunity to thank you in person' if he goes ahead with 'further support'. January 2014 - A fixer asks another 'what is happening and when?' in reference to the OBE. One of the fixers then writes to say the application process will begin imminently, before they receive confirmation of a meeting between Dr Mahfouz and Charles scheduled at Clarence House for March. March 27 - The meeting goes ahead as planned, with a letter showing one of Dr Mahfouz's fixers saying their friendship will 'lead to further very special personal and individual honours'. Dr Mahfouz also agrees to donate 1m to Dumfries House two weeks later, with Charles pledging to rename restored gardens at the residence as the Mahfouz Gardens. April 25 - A letter written by Mr Fawcett to a fixer states Prince Charles backs Dr Mahfouz's application for citizenship '100 per cent'. Charles' ally also writes to say the prince will thank him personally for his 'generous gifts'. June - Mahfouz donates 700,000 to Dumfries House. Preparations then begin for a secret meeting at Clarence House between Mr Fawcett and Dr Mahfouz's fixers. July - Mr Fawcett says he will 'contact the British ambassador' and note the important points that need to be made supporting the application for an OBE. A fixer also writes ahead of the meeting that the OBE is 'the first item on the agenda'. September 5 - The meeting takes place, with minutes showing Mr Fawcett agreeing to supervise the application, rather than being the main nominator'. 13 - A fixer says Dame Lynne Bradley is 'delighted to assist in any way', though Charles' aides want to see a draft before the letter of recommendation is sent to ensure it is 'tickety-boo'. 24 - The letter is finalised and Dame Lynne is instructed to address it to the British ambassador in Riyadh. Mr Fawcett receives the letter the next week with a supporting statement from Mr Windham. October 20 - Dr Mahfouz stays overnight at Dumfries House, before Mr Fawcett writes to thank him for his 'very lovely gift' that was 'totally unnecessary'. February 2015 - A fixer writes to Mr Windham that Charles has agreed to see Dr Mahfouz at the British embassy during a tour to the Middle East the next week. 9 - Richard Wildash, the deputy head of mission in Riyadh, writes to Mr Windham providing advice on where to direct the application - the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Whitehall. 10 - The pair meet. March 9 - Dame Lynne resubmits Dr Mahfouz's nomination to the FCO. November 23, 2016 - Dr Mahfouz is finally awarded the CBE in a private investiture at Clarence House. Advertisement

Anger at Andrew for 'forcing Queen, 95, to bail him out': Prince faces demands to explain how he is funding '12m deal' amid fears scandal will overshadow Jubilee year - with Virginia Giuffre 'still able to write tell-all book'

Full statement from both parties in Andrew's case Here is the full text of the statement regarding the out of court settlement reached between the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre. The statement was included in a letter submitted to US judge Lewis A Kaplan: 'Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. 'Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. 'Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.' Advertisement

The Prince Andrew sexual abuse lawsuit scandal will continue to hang over the Royal Family into next year despite an estimated 12million deal being agreed with his accuser Virginia Giuffre that could be funded in part by his mother the Queen, experts claimed today.

The monarch is expected to foot part of the bill for her son's settlement in a bid to draw a line under it before her much-anticipated Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer. But there is anger at how the Queen, 95, has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke of York, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid calls for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Sources also pointed out that while there will now be a 'period of silence' during the Jubilee celebrations when both parties will have to stick to the terms of yesterday's carefully-worded statement, Mrs Giuffre would then not be stopped from writing a lucrative book telling her story which could hit the shelves in time for Christmas.

Prince Charles was said to have been supported by the Queen in making it clear to Andrew that he had no choice but to settle with Mrs Giuffre, with one source telling MailOnline that Charles had 'had enough of the situation' and 'would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible'.

A senior Royal Household member told the Standard that Charles and the Queen 'could not countenance another disastrous appearance by the Duke of York, in light of his BBC interview', adding: 'Decisive action was needed. There was little choice. He had to see sense.'

While Andrew is thought to be holed up at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor today, on the other side of the world a box of beers and a bouquet of flowers were being delivered to Mrs Giuffre and her husband Robert's home in Perth, Australia. And her father Sky Roberts told the Sun: 'I knew he would settle out of court. That was a complete bluff. I think Virginia will be happy.'

Meanwhile, despite the settlement, it is feared that the scandal could still overshadow poignant Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the UK in the coming months. Also today, the Metropolitan Police said they have no plans to reopen their own probe into Andrew despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence after the deal.

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off and said 'I can't have this hanging over me for the rest of the year  I don't want you to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I'm the only royal who's lasted 70 years on the throne, and you've got to sort it out'.'

She added: 'I admire the Queen hugely as everybody does, and I don't want it to spoil anything for her, but I still think this is hanging over the country and the Royal Family and is going to go right through to the end of the year and maybe into next year, and there's no real way of cutting it off. Obviously that (a ban on Mrs Giuffre saying anything) was something that they could have put in the agreement and they haven't, and so it implies that there's a lot she (Mrs Giuffre) wants to say that Andrew will not want to hear.'

The settlement, which was agreed between lawyers in a sensational development yesterday, comes just weeks after Andrew vowed to contest the rape claims by Mrs Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, at a public trial.

Mrs Giuffre had alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew for unspecified damages in a New York civil court. But despite vowing to fight the claims and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.

It has been suggested that the Queen has used her private income to help Andrew with his legal bills, and the Daily Telegraph reported that she would contribute to the settlement using income from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate. However, Buckingham Palace would not comment on the claim - and courtiers have tried to distance the monarch from the US court case. The Telegraph reported that the total amount that the victim and her charity will receive will actually exceed 12million, with the funds coming from the Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by 1.5million to more than 23million.

Andrew has been dogged by questions over the source of his wealth for years, and he is believed to have relied on handouts from the Queen, personal investments and bequests from family members such as the Queen Mother.

Graham Smith, from anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, insisted that taxpayers 'deserve to know where the money is coming from for a settlement, which we must assume is in the millions, if not tens of millions'.

One source of Andrew's income may be the sale of Sunninghill Park, the 12-bedroom country house near Windsor which was a wedding gift from the Queen. The vast property went unsold for five years before it was suddenly bought in 2007 for 15 million  3million over the asking price  by Timur Kulibayev, son-in-law of Andrew's friend Nursultan Nazarbayev, the former autocratic ruler of Kazakhstan.

Andrew now lives in Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, the former home of the Queen Mother, on a preferential but undisclosed 100-year lease from the Crown Estate. He and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson share the sprawling grade II-listed house but could move out to minimise costs, although it would not bring them any extra income.

The Yorks bought an 18million ski chalet in the Swiss resort of Verbier in 2014 but put it on the market following a legal dispute with its former owner. French socialite Isabelle de Rouvre took legal action after a final 5 million instalment on Chalet Helora was not paid, but said the debt was settled last year, clearing the way for it to be sold. It was put on the market for around 18million, but it was not clear how much of the 13million mortgage remains.

The Metropolitan Police dropped its investigation into Andrew last October, saying they would take 'no further action' - but the latest development raises questions over whether he could still be quizzed, while FBI officials in the US also still want to talk to him as a witness to Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes.

Among those renewing calls for the case to be reopened is Nigel Cawthorne, Andrew's biographer, who told Newsweek: 'There should be a police investigation into Prince Andrew. There are a couple of outstanding matters. One is that the US Department of Justice has asked the British Government for their co-operation in interviewing Prince Andrew. The other is whether the new commissioner of the Metropolitan Police will investigate this matter.'

He added: 'There's no mention of how much money is involved or where he's going to get it from. He's not a wealthy man. As taxpayers we have the right to know. We want to know, is it coming out of my pocket?'

And former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt tweeted: 'With the Giuffre case settled, Prince Andrew can now focus on talking to the FBI about his friend Epstein - 818 days after he first promised to do so.'

MailOnline asked the Metropolitan Police whether they would now reopen the investigation following yesterday's settlement, but a spokesman said today: 'There is no change to our previous position.'

Meanwhile Prince Andrew's ex-girlfriend Lady Victoria Hervey has blasted Mrs Giuffre as a 'scam artist'. Taking to Instagram, the 44-year-old socialite and former 'It Girl', who is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol, posted: 'She suddenly wanted to settle very fast when all the truth was coming out. Her lawyers must have panicked!'

Lady Victoria, who also claimed again that the notorious 2001 photo of Andrew and Mrs Giuffre was faked, also wrote: 'The only thing she deserves is a prison cell full of rats.' Meanwhile she posted a photograph of Mrs Giuffre alongside the words 'scam artist', writing: 'If I aged like that I would probably want to sue God.'

Prince Andrew is pictured driving in Windsor on November 6 last year

Beers are delivered to Virginia and Robert Giuffre's home in Perth, Australia, today after the settlement was reached

A man delivers flowers to the home of Virginia and Robert Giuffre in Perth, Australia, today after the deal was announced

Royal expert Omid Scobie, who is the closest reporter to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, said: 'In the end, Andrew took accountability for nothing. Instead, he did what only the privileged elite get to do: bought his way out. In the process, he took advantage of his elderly mother's love (and cheque book) during a year her children should only be lifting her up. A disgrace.'

Another royal commentator, Adam Helliker, told the Sun that people will probably take offence to the Queen bailing out her son's settlement costs, adding: 'No one has that kind of money but his mother. Andrew is not close enough to the Prince of Wales for him to fund that kind of money. He doesn't have any income.'

And media lawyer Mark Stephens told BBC News: 'One of the key things that I think will have to be clarified by Prince Andrew's camp is the fact that he's paid this from his own resources.'

He added: 'Essentially he's managed to effectively immunise the wider Royal Family and more particularly his daughters against this court hearing. But he himself has metaphorically been consigned to an unheated tower at Balmoral never to wave from a royal balcony ever again.' Mr Stephens said: 'If you look at his net worth, he's had to sell a house in order to fund this, and so I think that (12million) does look at about the right number.'

Meanwhile Mrs Giuffre will be banned from speaking publicly about her claims against Andrew until after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations under the terms of her settlement with the Duke.

Sources told the Times there would be a 'period of silence' when both parties would have to stick to the terms of a carefully worded statement. Beyond the Jubilee celebrations however, Mrs Giuffre is expected to be allowed to public a book telling her story at the end of the year if she wishes to do so.

'Ordinarily, you would have a complete non-disclosure [agreement] on both sides,' lawyer Mitchell Epner told the Times. He added: 'Since it's a settlement in the context of, on its face, an apology from Prince Andrew,' [he believes Mrs Giuffre] 'has agreed not to say anything [but] she will be in a position to write a book, probably for this Christmas season'.

Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Mrs Giuffre was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls.

It also said the prince accepted that Mrs Giuffre, now 38, had been subjected to 'unfair public attacks' and that he had never intended to 'malign her character'.

This is despite a string of recent aggressive accusations made by his legal team that included referencing a story which branded Mrs Giuffre a 'money-hungry sex kitten'.

It is understood that Andrew will now hand a large sum of cash to Mrs Giuffre and he has also agreed to make a 'substantial donation' to her charity in support of victims' rights.

Mrs Giuffre  who brought the lawsuit under her married name Virginia Giuffre  launched her legal action against Andrew in August, seeking unspecified damages for battery, including rape, and the infliction of emotional distress. The Daily Mail can reveal that negotiations on a settlement have secretly been taking place since last month when a US judge refused to throw Miss Roberts' case out.

But her legal team were said to be surprised at the suddenness of Andrew's capitulation, with things taking a dramatic turn in recent days.

The prince, who was stripped of his remaining patronages earlier this year, has faced pressure from senior royals to resolve the lawsuit ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee later this year. And while last night Buckingham Palace was said to be breathing a sigh of relief that the case will not go to trial, senior royal sources indicated there was now no way back to public life for the disgraced duke.

One said: 'Regardless of the outcome, he has ruled himself out of any public role by virtue of his appalling lack of judgment and poor choice of friends and associates.'

One other woman, Johanna Sjoberg, was revealed in 2019 to have accused Andrew of sexual misconduct when court papers in a 2015 defamation case involving Mrs Giuffre were unsealed. She alleged he grabbed her breast in 2001 at the New York home of Epstein - something Buckingham Palace said at the time was 'categorically untrue'. There has been no indication that she may take legal action against Andrew.

Virginia Giuffre, who used to be known as Virginia Roberts, is pictured in Perth, Australia, last week on February 8

Andrew should disappear for good: Duke's ex-Navy commander joins calls for 'rogue element' to never return as working royal Prince Andrew has been bombarded with demands to quietly retire in private and 'stay out of the public eye' after his reputation took an 'irreparable' battering from Virginia Giuffre's rape claims. The Duke of York was urged to surrender any notions of a royal return and 'move on' by friends and former colleagues because he has 'forever been tainted' by the dramatic scandal that plunged the monarchy into crisis. The 61-year-old needs to 'draw a line under this episode' and 'surround himself with better friends' after making 'some bad choices' such as his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, they warned. Navy top brass were among those calling on Andrew to keep out of the limelight in the wake of the bombshell allegations and settlement with his accuser - and now 'enjoy essentially what is a very good privileged lifestyle'. On Newsnight his former Naval Commander Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry pressed him to 'remember some of the things that we remember him for, for his earlier days' before he left military service and the damaging claims against him emerged. Meanwhile royal experts said there will be no 'return to the fold' for the embattled Duke - who was stripped of all his military roles and patronages earlier this year - and he should 'disappear for a year'. The commentators said they were sure Prince Charles will ram home the importance of 'keeping a very low profile' until the furore over the New York court saga dies down. But Labour MP for York Central Rachael Maskell does not want to let him off that easy as she renewed her calls for him to be stripped of his dukedom named after the city. She repeated a call made last month, saying the Prince should give up the association out of respect for the people who live there. Leading lawyers suggested the court of public opinion will have already drawn its own conclusions about the damaging accusations made against him and remember them for 'many, many years to come'. Advertisement

Meanwhile Labour MP Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, said the Duke of York must withdraw his title to show 'respect' for people living in York in light of the settlement, adding that he had caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to residents of the city.

She said: 'It is to be welcomed that he has now pledged to support the fight against the evils of sex trafficking and its victims. To demonstrate his seriousness in this endeavour, and his respect for those affected by abuse and the people of our city, I would ask that his first act of contrition is to confirm his support for the withdrawal of his ducal title.'

There will also be fresh light thrown on the issue of the Queen's Counsellors of State - members of the Royal Family who stand in for her if she is unable to meet her duties as sovereign because she is unwell.

By law, they include the sovereign's spouse and the next four people in the line of succession who are over the age of 21 - which at the moment means Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Andrew and Prince Harry.

If the Queen falls ill and Charles and William are both out of the country or also ill, these duties would be passed to Andrew or Harry, which would be deeply embarrassing given that both are no longer involved in active royal life.

The newly-announced agreement contained no restatement of Andrew's previous denials of having had sex with Mrs Giuffre and the settlement means the prince will not have the chance to disprove her claims in court.

It comes just over a month after another of Epstein's victims exclusively told the Mail that Mrs Giuffre had admitted to her that she had slept with the prince in London in 2001.

Last night, Mrs Giuffre's lawyer David Boies said: 'It's a really great day. Virginia was thrilled when we told her the terms. This has all come about over the past couple of days, it's been quite quick. I am not sure what changed from his side. I thought that this should have been settled when we brought the lawsuit.

'That's basically the end of the case. She will get paid the money in 30 days' time. I cannot comment on the amount or the terms, but it's a good day.'

Mr Boies had agreed to take on the case pro bono but it is unclear if he will still seek to recoup some of his legal costs from the duke.

A source who is familiar with the case said: 'Andrew moved so far, so fast from his position of deny, deny, deny. There were a lot of things looming for him.

'Things were starting to come out and Andrew knew what the case was against him.

'It's a princely amount, a very, very substantial amount of money split into two buckets: the settlement itself and the donation.'

Rachel Fiset, a senior partner at law firm Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman who specialises in defending white collar crime cases, suggested the total figure could be even higher than many others predict.

A joint statement issued yesterday by Virginia Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies, and Prince Andrew's lawyer, Andrew Brettler

A letter addressed to US judge Lewis A Kaplan, who has been overseeing the case, from David Boies, Virginia Giuffre's lawyer

'A settlement that would cover Andrew's legal fees to take this case to trial alone, would be well into the millions,' she said.

'When you couple the price of litigation on both sides with the risk of embarrassing facts coming out for Andrew and a potential jury loss relating to the sexual assault of a minor by a Prince, the settlement amount is likely very high. My best guess puts the settlement amount somewhere between 20 and 30 million dollars.'

Meanwhile, a royal source told the Mail that the prince was guilty of 'inexcusably bad judgment' in both his association with Epstein and the way the allegations against him  which first surfaced more than seven years ago  were handled.
The election campaign bus involved in the deaths of two campaign workers / Yonhap



The election campaign bus involved in the deaths of two campaign workers for presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo turned out to be illegally modified without the authorities' approval, transportation ministry officials said Wednesday.



The workers, a local campaign chief and a bus driver, were found unconscious inside a campaign bus in Cheonan, about 90 kilometers south of Seoul, Tuesday afternoon and later pronounced dead at hospitals.



The candidate of the minor opposition People's Party suspended all campaign activities following the accident, which occurred on the day the 22-day official campaign kicked off for the March 9 presidential election.



The bus was equipped with an LED screen and power generator on the exterior. Police suspect carbon monoxide gas emitted from the equipment may be responsible for the deaths.



Ahn's camp did not apply for approval from the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, required to install such devices, ministry officials said.






A huge inferno has erupted in Long Island after a fuel tanker lost control and crashed into a furniture store and burst into flames.

The driver and three firefighters were injured after the former La-Z-Boy showroom was engulfed by fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Thick black smoke was seen billowing from the vacant Rockville Centre building while firefighters worked to put out the blaze.

A huge inferno has erupted in Long Island after a fuel tanker lost control and crashed into a furniture store and burst into flames

The driver and three firefighters were injured after the former La-Z-Boy showroom was engulfed by fire in the early hours of Wednesday morning

WNBC-TV reported that Chief Fire Marshal James Avondet said: 'It's one of the worst things I've seen in my 47-year career.'

Authorities received a call about 1.10am after the truck overturned and crashed, before ricocheting into a liquor store across the street.

The roughly 13,000-gallon tanker crashed into the store at North Center Avenue and Sunrise Highway, about 30 miles east of New York City, before the fire spread.

'When I came here, there was fire everywhere, the streets, the tanker, the two buildings, and when I looked down Sunrise Highway, there was fire coming out of seven or eight manhole covers,' Avondet said.

The building later collapsed. Other businesses in the area were without power as firefighters continued to put out hot spots.

WNBC-TV reported that Chief Fire Marshal James Avondet said: 'It's one of the worst things I've seen in my 47-year career'

Thick black smoke was seen billowing from the vacant Rockville Centre building while firefighters worked to put out the blaze

Authorities received a call about 1.10am after the truck overturned and crashed, before ricocheting into a liquor store across the street

Around 125 firefighters from 18 different fire departments responded to the blaze.

The truck driver was reportedly taken to a hospital for treatment. Three firefighters were hurt, including two who went to a hospital, Avondet said.

Details about the extent of their injuries weren't immediately released.

Nassau Traffic Management said on Twitter that traffic was closed in both directions and to expect delays in the area that could stretch into the morning rush hour.

The truck driver was reportedly taken to a hospital for treatment. Three firefighters were hurt, including two who went to a hospital

Nassau Traffic Management said on Twitter that traffic was closed in both directions and to expect delays

Authorities had concerns that gasoline was spilling into the sewers and the Department of Environmental Conservation is on the scene

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Authorities had concerns that gasoline was spilling into the sewers and the Department of Environmental Conservation is on the scene working to contain the spread.

The Coast Guard has also been notified, and the power has been shut down in the area.
The Republican controlled Arizona state senate has voted to outlaw abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, despite critics of the bill saying it is unconstitutional.

The move puts a new ban in place ahead of a highly anticipated U.S. Supreme Court decision that could bring seismic changes to abortion availability in the US.

The vote came over objections from minority Democrats who said the measure was unconstitutional under the landmark Roe v Wade and other Supreme Court decisions the high court could overturn.

They also said any ban would disproportionately impact poor and minority women who won't be able to travel to Democratic states without strict abortion laws.

But Sen. Nancy Barto, the Republican sponsor of the bill, said she hopes the high court upholds a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks it is now weighing.

The Republican controlled Arizona state senate has voted to outlaw abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, despite critics of the bill saying it is unconstitutional. Pictured: Sen. Nancy Barto, the Republican sponsor of the bill

'The state has an obligation to protect life, and that is what this bill is about,' Barto said during debate. 'A 15-week-old baby in the womb has a fully formed nose, lips, eyelids, they suck their thumbs. They feel pain. That's what this bill is about.'

Arizona already has some of the nation's most restrictive abortion laws, including one that would automatically outlaw it if the high court fully overturns Roe, the nearly five-decade-old ruling that enshrined a nationwide right to abortion.

Republicans hope to put the 15-week ban in place so it takes effect quickly if the Supreme Court further limits abortion rights but stops short of fully overturning Roe. The measure closely mirrors the Mississippi law.

Under current abortion rulings, abortion is legal until the point a fetus can survive outside the womb, which is usually around 24 weeks.

Democratic Sen. Martin Quezada pushed Barto on the state of the law today, with Roe and a series of follow-up decisions enshrining a woman's right to abortion.

'I understand the hopes of what the Supreme Court will do from from your side of the aisle,' Quezada said. 'But as it stands today, right now, is this law constitutional or not?'

'I believe it is. I believe it is,' Barto said. 'I believe our constitution stands clearly for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and the first part of that is life.'

Quezada, who represents parts of Glendale, said that's just wrong.

'If we are waiting to see what the Supreme Court does, let's wait to see what the Supreme Court actually does before we start trying to change these laws,' he said. 'Otherwise, you're spinning our wheels right now.'

He also noted that low-income Arizonans who already struggle to access healthcare will be impacted by a 15-week ban.

Democratic Sen. Martin Quezada pushed Barto on the state of the law today, with Roe and a series of follow-up decisions enshrining a woman's right to abortion

'Instead of making this type of health care more accessible to these people, we're making it more difficult for them to get access to,' he said. 'So the reality is that that we're making life harder for the people that need the most help in our society.'

The bill now moves to the state House, where majority Republicans also routinely back restrictions on abortion.

If passed there, it goes to Gov, Doug Ducey's desk. The Republican opposes abortion and has signed every related bill that has reached his desk in the past seven sessions.

Barto's bill would make it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion after 15 weeks but would prohibit the prosecution of women for receiving one.

Doctors could face felony charges and lose their license to practice medicine.

There is an exception for cases when the mother is at risk of death or serious permanent injury, but not for instances of rape or incest.

Of the 13,186 abortions performed in Arizona in 2020, 636 were after 15 weeks of pregnancy, according to the latest data from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

A proposal to mirror a Texas law that effectively bans abortions after six weeks has also been introduced in Arizona but has not advanced in the Legislature.

The measure is unique in that it allows private citizens to file civil lawsuits against anyone who helps someone else get an abortion after six weeks.

It has made legal challenges difficult because the government is not involved in enforcement.

The majority of states allow abortion up until 'viability' - or until a fetus could survive outside a womb - which is generally considered to be around the 24-week mark.

Few, such as Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Vermont, New Hampshire and New Jersey, have no restrictions, while others set a limit on around 25 or 24 weeks.

Some, however, have stricter rules. Mississippi, and now Arizona, restrict abortions to 15 weeks, while the Texas law restricts it to just six.

On Tuesday, two abortion providers in Oklahoma said that they're still seeing a massive influx of women from Texas who want to terminate their pregnancies after Texas last year passed the law.

Officials with Trust Women and Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which both operate abortion clinics in Oklahoma City, said some women from Oklahoma are being forced to seek abortion services in other states because of two-week wait times for services in Oklahoma.

'Our phones have not stopped ringing in the last six months,' said Rebecca Tong, co-executive director of Trust Women. 'We're being forced to turn people away in desperate situations.'

Tong said the clinic has added an additional physician and the clinic is open more days per week but it still has longer wait times, which leads to longer pregnancies, more complications and an increased likelihood that a woman will have to receive a surgical procedure instead of a medication-induced abortion.

Statistics released last week by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission show abortions in Texas fell by 60% in the first month after the new law took effect that bans the procedure once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy, without exceptions in cases of rape or incest.

A group of Abolish Abortion protesters stand outside the House of Representatives chamber where Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt delivers his State of the State address in Oklahoma City on Monday, Feb. 7, 2022

Tong said the company's Oklahoma City clinic went from seeing 12 Texas patients in August to 130 in September after the Texas law passed. She said their clinic in Kansas saw similar increases.

Emily Wales, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, said Planned Parenthood went from seeing about 50 patients from Texas at their clinics in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma in the fall of 2020 to more than 1,000 last year.

Tong, Wales and other abortion rights advocates say they're particularly concerned the Oklahoma Legislature intends to follow Texas' lead and pass a similar bill or even more onerous restrictions that could bring an end to abortion services in Oklahoma altogether.

Oklahoma lawmakers have introduced more than a dozen bills this year to further restrict or prohibit abortions in Oklahoma, including measures that make it a felony crime to perform or receive an abortion.

Meanwhile, hundreds of anti-abortion activists are expected to descend on the Oklahoma Capitol on Wednesday for the annual Rose Day where they present red roses meant to signify the lives of the unborn and encourage the passage of anti-abortion bills.

Tony Lauinger, chairman of Oklahomans for Life and a longtime anti-abortion activist in Oklahoma, said that while he's 'greatly concerned' at the increase in the number of abortions being performed in Oklahoma, he's also optimistic that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a legal challenge that could lead to the historic Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion to be overturned or limited.

'It's a great concern to us if women from anywhere go to an abortion facility,' Lauinger said. 'When a pregnant woman goes into an abortion facility, two human beings enter and one leaves. Whether the women are from Texas, Oklahoma or elsewhere, that's a tragedy in our view every time it occurs.'

Sates permit abortions to varying degrees, with the length of pregnancy being the main determinant.
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The 'breathtaking' beauty of Victorian Britain is revealed in a series of newly-discovered paintings completed by a mysterious artist on their 19th-century staycation.

The sketches, contained within a book titled My Holiday, depict beauty spots in Dorset, Cornwall, Norfolk, Wales, the Channel Islands, and more.

Famous landmarks that feature include Jersey's La Corbiere Lighthouse, Swallow Falls in north Wales and Cobo Bay in Guernsey.

Found in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, by a man clearing out the library of his late father, the paintings date from between 1891 and 1897.

But the identity of the artist remains a mystery, with no clues except a name  roughly legible as 'Mariam Burgin'  written on the title page.

For the book's owner, who asked to be identified only as Samuel, the images are a 'breathtaking' window into the past. 'I was just blown away,' he said.

'You can see the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, the valleys and waterfalls of north Wales, these sleepy fields in Norfolk  all these places frozen in time.

The 'breathtaking' beauty of Victorian Britain is revealed in a series of newly-discovered paintings completed by a mysterious artist on their 19th-century staycation. Above: La Corbiere Lighthouse in Jersey

The artist did a good job of depicting the lighthouse (pictured above). It sits on the south-western tip of Jersey. The name means 'a place where crows gather'

The sketches, contained within a book titled My Holiday, capture beauty spots in Dorset, Cornwall, Norfolk, Wales, the Channel Islands, and more. Above: Swallow Falls, in north Wales, as it looks in the book and pictured more recently

Found in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, by a man clearing out the library of his late father, the paintings date from between 1891 and 1897. Above: Cobo Bay in Guernsey

Cobo Bay is one of Guernsey's most popular beaches, thanks to its white sands and clear blue water. It is also a hotspot for snorkeling

'It seems so distant in history; Queen Victoria was on the throne, the Titanic hadn't even been dreamed of yet, and the British Empire was still the biggest in the world.

'But then I got to thinking about how we've all been holidaying at home this past two years, and how people today take photos for Instagram and Facebook.

'And it's like this person, with these breathtaking paintings, was doing something similar 130 years ago.'

He added: 'This might have been the last generation of British tourists who didn't have cameras of their own.

'And it's like we've got these snapshots of our country as it looked to them.'

Michael Pritchard, a historian of photography, said that cameras were increasingly common in the 1890s, but remained a rarity among the working classes.

He said: 'The working classes were increasingly having holidays, like a week off from the factory, and the Bank Holiday Act 1871 formalised public holidays.

'But a camera would have been a rarity until post-1900.

He added: 'The Kodak had been launched in 1888 which took away the need to understand the chemistry of photography.

The identity of the artist remains a mystery, with no clues except a name  roughly legible as 'Mariam Burgin'  written on the title page. One page within the book shows a list of departure dates in the 1890s, mainly in the summer months. At the top of the page, a note reads: 'Left home for Lyme Regis, Aug 2. 1901'

For the book's owner, who asked to be identified only as Samuel, the images are a 'breathtaking' window into the past. 'I was just blown away,' he said. Above: Newquay in Cornwall

Newquay (pictured recently) is one of Britain's most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches and a diverse range of places to eat

 Slide me  Michael Pritchard, a historian of photography, said that cameras were increasingly common in the 1890s, but remained a rarity among the working classes. Above: The famous 14th century Huer's Hut in Newquay, Cornwall

Cameras were very uncommon until the turn of the 20th century. However, the artist who put the book together made a good job of depicting various parts of Britain. Above: Conwy Valley, north wales

Portelet Bay, Jersey, is depicted above. Now, the bay - which boasts golden sands and clear waters - is a hotspot for visitors in the summer months

Portelet Bay is now described as one of Jersey's 'best kept secrets'. It is seen above being depicted in the My Holiday book

Visible in both the watercolour and a recent image (above) is Portelet Tower, which was built on the small tidal island of L'Ile au Guerdain in 1808

Samuel, whose surname bears no resemblance to that of the artist, said he had no idea how their collection ended up in his father's library. Above: St Aubin's Bay, in Jersey

St Aubin's Bay is now a popular tourist destination in Jersey, with a range of bars, pubs and restaurants on offer

Moulin Huet Bay, Guernsey, Sept 1895. The 'breathtaking' beauty of Victorian Britain is revealed in a series of newly-discovered paintings

Moulin Huet Bay is popular for its blue, shallow waters, along with its breathtaking views of the cliffs above. It was a popular destination for renaissance painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir

'Although it was not until approximately 1895 with the Pocket Kodak and 1900 with the Brownie camera that photography was readily-accessible to the working classes.'

One page within the book shows a list of departure dates in the 1890s, mainly in the summer months.

The page also lists one departure date in August 1901, meaning the artist outlived Queen Victoria, though no paintings from that trip are among the collection.

Samuel, whose surname bears no resemblance to that of the artist, said he had no idea how their collection ended up in his father's library.

'I'm not aware of any ancestral connection with the painter,' he said.

A ship is seen sailing off the coast of Weymouth, 1893. The book's owner said his father had an 'eye for workmanship' and would spot things he thought might be valuable. This may have been how it came into his possession

Puffin Island, dead calm in mist, north Wales, 1897. The island is a is a bird sanctuary and a nesting site for breeding seabirds. The island also boasts a colony of grey seals

Puffin Island, off the tip of Anglesey, Wales, is not home to any humans although it does boast the remains of a 12th century monastery.

Conwy Falls, in north Wales, is shown above in 1897. Today, the site is set in 10 acres of ancient woodland. The area offers loop walks which overlook the waterfall and other local landmarks

Fistral beach, Newquay, 1891. Today, the beach is one of Britain's premier surfing destinations, making it a tourist hotspot

St. Aubin's harbour, in Jersey, at low tide in September 1895. Today, the harbour is surrounded with bars, pubs and restaurants

Another page in the book shows Luxulyan Valley in Cornwall in 1891. The valley is in mid-Cornwall and the river Par runs through it. Remnants of Cornwall's mining heritage are also present in the area

'My dad always had an eye for workmanship and would pick all sorts of things up thinking they might be valuable  so I wonder if that's how he got this.

'There's so many questions left unanswered, but what we do know  that this person gave us a glimpse of our country's past  is enough for me.'

He intends to keep the book for now in his own collection.

The book, My Holiday: A Record in Pen & Pencil, was published by John F Shaw and Co of Paternoster Row, London.

Though some pages are decorated with quotes or suggest a certain theme, most pages are either wholly or partially blank for the book's owner to sketch their travels.
Hundreds of unvaccinated BHP workers are set to be sacked as the mining giant institutes jab mandates for all employees throughout Australia.

There are as many as 700 people in the firing line failing to provide proof of vaccination, including 250 in the company's Queensland operations alone.

The rule came into place from January 31 after unions lost a legal challenge fighting the mandate, with some employees already moving to other sites including Adani's controversial Carmichael mine.

Hundreds of unvaccinated BHP workers are set to be sacked as the mining giant institutes jab mandates for all employees throughout Australia (pictured, the company's mine in Moranbah, Central Queensland)

Poll DO YOU AGREE WITH MANDATORY VACCINES FOR SOME WORKERS? Yes - for health care, aged care and hotel quarantine staff Yes - for all workers No - no one should have to DO YOU AGREE WITH MANDATORY VACCINES FOR SOME WORKERS? Yes - for health care, aged care and hotel quarantine staff 1059 votes

Yes - for all workers 1974 votes

No - no one should have to 6094 votes Now share your opinion





BHP currently has 23,828 employees, according to its 2021 annual report, which means it is set to lose between two and three per cent of its workforce over the vaccine rule.

Anyone who does not show proof of vaccination will not be allowed on sites and their positions are currently being reviewed.

Unvaccinated contractors will also be unable to work with BHP.

They are the latest in a long line of major Australian companies to install the measures, following in the footsteps of Qantas, Telsta and Bunnings.

Some states and territories including Western Australia have lifted vaccination laws on key workers to lessen the strain on supply chains during the pandemic, but BHP will override that as it prioritises a safe working environment.

'This is a necessary health and safety measure to help protect our people, their families and communities  including remote Indigenous communities  while continuing to safely run our operations,' a BHP spokesman said.

'We will continue to work with our people as we implement this change.'

The rule came into place from January 31 after unions lost a legal challenge fighting BHP's vaccine mandate (stock image)

The president of CFMEU's Queensland mining division said BHP were 'very, very intense' with the measures and only gave employees a day or two's notice before the January 31 cut-off.

'Generally, our position has been that we didn't support the mandatory vaccination by the employer. We're really working through it,' Stephen Smyth told The Australian.

'Some members have been pretty direct and said, "we didn't get the vaccine and we're not". That's it. They've moved on and found work elsewhere because there is so much work up here. It's unbelievable.'

He said they had also been hearing from dozens of contractors who were terminating employees as a result of the mandate, and estimated 20 per cent of BHP workers had only gotten the jab to keep their jobs.

Anglo American, a rival mining company, confirmed it too will introduce mandatory vaccinations on site from March 31.

BHP currently has 23,828 employees, according to its 2021 annual report, which means it is set to lose between two and three per cent of its workforce over the vaccine rule

The company, which has five mines in Queensland, have seen employees from BHP move over but Mr Smyth admitted they too will meet the same fate if they refuse to get the jab.

BHP has also expressed concerns about the delaying of WA reopening its borders, with a labour shortage impacting supply chains and production.

The state is home to mines that provide about 30 per cent of the world's iron ore and 70 per cent of China's imports of the material.

Premier Mark McGowan has so far given no timeline for when the hard borders will be dropped.
A Royal Military Police officer wept in court as he was dismissed from the Army for sexually assaulting a female soldier by putting his penis on her shoulder.

Corporal Edward Gadd, 30, asked the woman for sex and, after she refused, tried to 'bargain' with her to carry out other sex acts.

The woman told the court martial that after turning down his suggestions, she saw Cpl Gadd's penis out of the corner of her eye as he touched her shoulder with it before trying to get her to rub it.

She also accused Cpl Gadd, of the Army Training Centre Pirbright in Woking, Surrey, of groping her breast and slapping her bottom but he was found not guilty of sexual assault on these two charges.

At Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, Cpl Gadd sobbed as he was kicked out of the military, reduced to the rank of Private and handed a three year service community order including requirements of 220 hours unpaid work and attendance on a rehabilitation course.

Corporal Edward Gadd asked the woman for sex and, after she refused, put his penis on her shoulder

At Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, Cpl Gadd sobbed as he was kicked out of the military, reduced to the rank of Private and handed a three year service community order

Judge Advocate Jane England said: 'You have served nearly ten years in the Army and it is a shame you couldn't apply the same professional and personal qualities we have heard about to your personal life.

'You had potential to go further... however you have committed a sexual assault on a fellow soldier.

'This goes against everything in the values and standards and everything the Army stands for.

'We are in no doubt your behaviour has damaged the reputation of the armed forces.'

Lieutenant Commander Matthew Poulsom, prosecuting, read a statement by the victim, who said she has felt 'anxious, nervous and scared' since the incident.

She said: 'I stopped going to my flat at weekends because I was scared he might turn up and I felt safer staying on camp.

'Whenever someone knocked on my front door I felt uncomfortable.

'I have since had nightmares about [him] kidnapping me and torturing me.'

Stephanie Painter, representing Cpl Gadd, told the court he had been an 'exemplary soldier' who was 'determined to stay in the British Army'.

She added 'his worst case scenario would be being placed on the Sex Offenders Register, he has told me that would be world ending'.

Stephanie Painter, representing Cpl Gadd, told the court he had been an 'exemplary soldier' who was 'determined to stay in the British Army'

As a result of the three year community order, Cpl Gadd will be subject to provide details to the police as a convicted sex offender for five years.

The three day trial, held in January this year, heard Cpl Gadd started 'bargaining' with the victim after she rejected his initial sexual advances.

The court heard he offered to leave her alone for four weeks if they had 'full sex' or three weeks for oral sex.

The trial had heard Cpl Gadd and the woman were friends at the time and that day he was at her home while she was kneeling in front of a mirror that was propped against her bedroom wall.

Prosecuting, Commander Peter Barker said: 'He reached again from behind her and squeezed her breast, she noticed around 30 seconds later the tip of his penis by the right side of her face on her shoulder.

'She moved forward and turned around and saw he had pulled his penis out of his trousers and it was erect. He tried to make her move her hand on his penis and she told him to get off.'

The woman told the court: 'I was facing towards the wall and he was just sat on the bed. He said we should have sex and I said no.

'He then started bargaining with me with sexual acts that became less intimate. I said no to all his suggestions.

'I saw his penis to my right side. He was not fully naked but it touched my shoulder.

'He had pulled his trousers down. I saw it in my peripheral vision and I turned around at that point and said 'get off' but he tried to rub my hand on there. So, I pulled it away.

'I told him it was unacceptable behaviour.'

She told the court he then went to her bathroom and she confronted him about his actions when he returned.

In a conversation she recorded in a video, she asked him 'do you know what was wrong with what you did?' and he replied 'everything'.
Joe Biden is rejecting another executive privilege claim by Donald Trump as he tries to invoke the right in order to withhold the White House visitor logs from the House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.

In a letter sent to the National Archives on Tuesday, Biden's White House Counsel Dana Remus told the archivist of the U.S. David Ferriero the agency should provide the material to the panel within 15 days.

Former President Trump is attempting to invoke executive privilege to keep the panel from obtaining the logs, just as he did with other White House documents that were turned over to the committee earlier this month.

Ferriero wrote a letter to Trump Wednesday informing him that he would be cooperating with the White House's request that the logs be released to the panel within 15 days.

'After consultation with the Counsel to the President and the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel, and as instructed by President Biden, I have determined to disclose to the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol ('Select Committee') the Presidential records from our January 14, 2022, Notification that you identified as privileged in your letter of January 31, 2022,' he wrote.

He added: '[T]o ensure that personal privacy information is not inadvertently disclosed, the Select Committee has agreed to accept production of these records with birthdates and social security numbers removed.'

Trump could try to block or slow the release of the logs like he did with other White House documents and materials.

Remus requested the logs be turned over in 15 days 'in light of the urgency' of the committee's probe and insisted 'Congress has a compelling need' for the National Archives to disclose the documents.

'Constitutional protections of executive privilege should not be used to shield, from Congress or the public, information that reflects a clear and apparent effort to subvert the Constitution itself,' Remus wrote to the Archives.

President Joe Biden rejected Donald Trump's executive privilege claim attempting to stop the National Archives from releasing White House visitor logs to the panel investigating the January 6 attack

People wait for a moving van after boxes of papers and materials were moved out of the Eisenhower Executive Office building inside the White House complex on January 14, 2021

She added that the records should include 'visitor logs showing appointment information for individuals who were processed to enter the White House complex, including on Jan. 6, 2021.'

The nine-member House panel has already discovered gaps in official White House telephone logs from the day of the riot.

Last year, Biden opposed Trump's executive privilege claim over White House documents and records the committee was seeking to obtain.

Trump went to federal court to block the release, but lost his bid.

The Archives turned over records to the panel in January 2022 and another 15 boxes retrieved from his Mar-a-Lago residence were turned over to the panel earlier this month.

Law requires presidents preserve records related to administration activity, but the National Archives has limited enforcement over this.

One Archives official said that the Presidential Records Act operates through more of a 'gentlemen's agreement.'

Under Biden and Barack Obama's presidencies, the White House has made its visitor logs public to aid in government transparency and gives the public a sense of who has a direct access to the country's most powerful officials.

The Trump administration, however, said in April 2017 that their logs would be kept secret because of 'the grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.'

The letter to archivist of the U.S. David Ferriero from White House Counsel Dana Remus on Tuesday requests the National Archives hands over all of Trump's White House visitor logs in 15 days 'in light of the urgency' of the committee's probe

Some of the papers handed over to the select committee last month from the Trump administration were taped together by National Archives staff because they had been ripped up, the agency revealed in a statement.

While they did not say directly that they were ripped by the former president, Trump's widely known habits suggest he is the culprit of the tearing.

Several books, reports and former staffers have alleged Trump would destroy documents and papers while president, despite his requirement to preserve all records for the Archives.

He would rip up some papers while he would send others to the Pentagon in a burn bag for incineration.

Most recently, a book set to release in October of this year reveals that Trump would try to flush papers in a toilet at the White House residence.

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman writes in Confidence Man that staff would often find ripped up pieces of paper clogging the toilet and would have to get maintenance to fix it.

Trump attempted last year to block the January 6 panel from obtaining a batch of White House documents from his years as president by invoking executive privilege. The request was blocked by the court after Biden opposed it and the documents were released to the panel in January 2022

On Tuesday, the House January 6 committee hit six more people in Trump's orbit with subpoenas to testify, claiming all were involved in some way with a plan to install 'alternate electors' to challenge Biden's victory.

Two members of the Trump campaign and four high-ranking GOP officials in battleground states will be compelled to testify about their actions in the lead-up to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

'The Select Committee is seeking information about efforts to send false slates of electors to Washington and change the outcome of the 2020 election. We're seeking records and testimony from former campaign officials and other individuals in various states who we believe have relevant information about the planning and implementation of those plans,' Committee chair Representative Bennie Thompson said in a statement.

Trump campaign official Michael Roman, in charge of Election Day operations in 2020, and his deputy Gary Michael Brown, will receive a subpoena, as will Republican state lawmakers from Pennsylvania and Arizona  Douglas Mastriano and Mark Finchem, respectively.

Kelli Ward, chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party, and Laura Cox, former chairwoman of the Michigan GOP will also receive subpoenas.

Mastriano and Finchem both signed a letter to then-Vice President Mike Pence on January 5 asking him to delay certifying the election. Cox worked with RNC chair Ronna McDaniel to delay certification of the election results in Michigan.

The committee has already interviewed over 550 people and subpoenaed dozens of others. Last month the committee subpoenaed 14 of the 84 Republicans from seven different states who served as a fake set of alternate Trump electors as part of a scheme to overturn the election.

The latest subpoenas and Biden's demand for logs release comes after Special Counsel John Durham released a filing last week revealing that Hillary Clinton hired a technology firm lawyer to 'fabricate' ties between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia.

Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has met with Durham multiple times and claims he has 'enough evidence' to indict multiple people related to the Russia probe.

Trump feels vindicated by this filing due to his repeated claims that the Russia probe was a partisan 'witch hunt'. He also says the report is reason to believe his 2020 election fraud claims.

'I was proven right about the spying, and I will be proven right about 2020!' Trump wrote in a Monday statement.

Many members in Trump's circle spent considerable time at the White House in the days and weeks leading up to the January 6 riot  this includes his then-personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was helping lead the legal push to challenge the 2020 results; conservative lawyer John Eastman, who was making the case that Pence could somehow stop congressional certification of the Electoral College results; and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was pursuing voter fraud theories.

Giuliani is in discussions with the panel about responding to its questions, three people familiar with the matter told the Times over the weekend.

It is still unclear how much assistance he is willing to provide in the probe.
A bar has been branded 'Britain's wokest pub' for refusing to sell a number of popular drinks for ethical reasons.

The Red Lion in Bristol revealed it will not serve Coca-Cola, Heineken, Polish lager Tyskie, Thatchers or Bacardi because of concerns over the brands' histories.

Pub bosses there say the makers of Thatchers have links to Edward Colston and slavery; Coca-Cola has a history of the misuse of water in developing countries; and Heineken has been accused of unethical practices in Africa.

The Red Lion also won't stock Polish larger Tyskie after the company that owns it was linked to an anti-LGBTQ+ movement; and Bacardi has been linked with historical attacks in Cuba.

The pub sparked a social media storm after revealing the list of drinks it won't serve, but landlord Lemmy is upset about the response to their decision, which was 'made purely on their ethics.'

He said part of the backlash was because they 'publicly supported the Colston Four' - a group of activists who tore down the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol - one of whom is a customer at the pub.

The Red Lion in Bristol revealed it will not serve Coca-Cola, Heineken, Polish lager Tyskie, Thatcher's or Bacardi because of concerns over the brands' history

Staff at The Red Lion Pub on Whitehall Road, in the Redfield area of Bristol stand together after deciding to stop selling Thatchers cider for ethical reasons

The Red Lion in Bristol revealed it will not serve Coca-Cola, Heineken, Polish lager Tyskie, Thatchers or Bacardi because of concerns over the brands' history

Ethical concerns over major brands Thatchers - 'links to Edward Colston' Bristol campaigners called for a boycott of Thatchers Cider after its director joined a merchants' society with historical links to slave trader Edward Colston. The Countering Colston group launched a 'Don't Buy Thatchers' campaign against the Somerset drinks company. They tweeted: 'Martin Thatcher, director of the company, is a member of the Society of the Merchant Venturers. 'The SMV has deep roots in the historical slave trade in Bristol, and its members were responsible for the suffering and death of tens of thousands of human beings.' Coca-Cola - 'causing water shortages' Coca-Cola was in 2016 criticised for causing extreme water shortages in developing countries. Campaign group War on Want produced evidence that Coca-Cola had a serious impact in parts of India and Latin America. Researchers uncovered parts of Rajasthan where farmers could not irrigate their fields after Coca-Cola established a bottling plant. Tyskie - 'linked to an anti-LGBTQ+ movement' Beer-making giant Kompania Piwowarska (KP), which manages Tyskie, sponsored an event at Warsaw's National Philharmonic, hosted by Polish right-wing magazine Gazeta Polska, Vice reported. One of the guests was Jarosaw Kaczynski, leader of the Law and Justic party, who called Pride parades a 'travelling theatre'. Heineken - 'unethical pratices in Africa' Author and journalist Olivier van Beemen wrote 'Heineken in Africa: A Multinational Unleashed' in 2015, examining how the company truly has benefited the continent, as it claims. A synopsis for his book summarises his conclusions: 'Heineken has hardly benefited Africa at all. On the contrary, there are some shocking skeletons in its African closet: tax avoidance, sexual abuse, links to genocide and other human rights violations.' Bacardi - 'linked with historic attacks in Cuba' In 2004 allegations that a former head of the Bacardi family plotted to kill Fidel Castro and was linked to a terrorist outrage that killed 73 air passengers were reported. A member of the Bacardi family was said to be involved in plots to overthrow the Cuban government in the 1960s, and some family members had supported economic sanctions against Cuba, The Guardian reports. Advertisement

Lemmy added: 'A lot of the reasons we've taken s*** before in what we choose to stock and what not to is because of land use, water use, worker's rights - to name just a few.

'We don't serve Coca-Cola because they have a history of seriously bad use of water in third world countries, that not a lot of people know about. We have been labelled ''woke'' and all these weaponised words - which have made us feel pretty vulnerable.

'When we have taken the stance which we believe is ethical - we do not want to be made some kind of target.

This whole thing with Thatchers has veered into politics because of the Colston thing. Part of it is because we publicly supported the Colston Four - one of them actually drinks in our pub - but that's only a part of it.

'We actually stopped selling Thatchers during the pandemic, and haven't had it on draft since, only cans. Thatchers did a really good job of bringing decent cider to the masses but that product is not the same product it was back then - it's no fault of theirs.'

Earlier this month campaign group Countering Colston called for a boycott of the brand, because company director Martin Thatcher is a member of the Society of the Merchant Venturers.

The society has been criticised for its historical links to the slave trade and Edward Colston.

Lemmy said: 'Like any product when you're making millions of gallons, the product quality is bound to go down. Then when the Merchant Venturers thing came up, it was the final straw - and it would have been hypocritical of us to continue selling it after supporting the Colston Four.

'People prefer the other ciders we sell anyway!'

In a Facebook post last week, the pub criticised the Merchant Venturers and confirmed that it would not be buying any more Thatchers cider and 'when it's gone it's gone for good'.

Lemmy said: 'We haven't jumped on a band wagon here - it is part of who we all are and who we have always been. We really didn't expect this and don't see it as something that should be shouted about.'

The pub's choices has caused a stir on social media.

Claire Horare commented on Facebook: 'Embarrassment. Never going in that pub then. This pub is everything that is wrong in the modern day society.'

Victoria Gardner: 'These landlords are pathetic!! What about not serving alcohol altogether as it wrecks thousands of families yet that's never mentioned hypocritical sad people! Hope they don't smoke, have any sugar and make your own clothes.'

Ben Kates said: 'Oh how fabulously virtuous and woke of you. The past is the past.'

Graeme Patton added: 'For God sake what next this country is becoming slaves to snowflakes.'

Colin Ford added: 'Dear God the world is going mad thanks to snowflakes.'

A spokesman for Tyskie said: 'The Tyskie brand is categorically not a part of any anti-LGBTQ+ movement. The beer was served at an event in Poland in early 2020 that lead to this very unfortunate misunderstanding, and we have since reviewed our policies to ensure all partnerships reflect the brand's values. Diversity and equality are an integral part of our culture and we are fully committed to promoting a truly inclusive society'
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was reprimanded in Parliament on Wednesday when he accused a Jewish MP of 'standing with people who wave swastikas' after she criticized his handling of the Freedom Convoy truckers' anti-vaccine protests.

Melissa Lantsman, a 37-year-old Conservative MP for the Toronto suburb of Thornhill, confronted the prime minister in Parliament about the draconian Emergency Act, which he invoked on Monday for the first time in 50 years in a bid to end 19 days of chaos.

Trudeau responded with scorn to her complaints, saying: 'Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas, they can stand with people who wave the confederate flag.

'We will chose to stand with Canadians who deserve to be able to get to their jobs, and get their lives back. These illegal protests need to stop and they will.'

His comments were sparked uproar in the house, and forced the Speaker of the House to reprimand Trudeau and others, reminding them of rules against using 'inflammatory' language in Parliament during the debates.

After being reprimanded, Trudeau refused to apologize and again repeated that the blockades were illegal, and the measures to repress the protests were necessary.

Lantsman later tweeted: 'I think the Prime Minister should think long and hard about his own history before singling out a Jewish Member of Parliament and falsely accusing me of standing with a Swastika.

'What a disgraceful statement unbecoming of anyone in public office - he owes me an apology.'

This is the second time Trudeau has claimed swasitkas are being waved by protesters, and he smeared them as being 'swastika-wavers' in the first week of protests. A flag incorporating the Nazi symbol was spotted in the initial days of the protests, but DailyMail.com's reporter, who was in Ottawa for a week had not seen any.

A photo was posted by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Twitter, on January 30, with a statement that read: 'Twenty-four hours after International Holocaust Remembrance Day and on The National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia, there are Nazi flags being flown in public, in Canada, on Parliament Hill. This should be horrifying to all Canadians.'

Trudeau has stepped up his crackdown on Freedom Convoy demonstrators, with police now visiting the homes of people who post in support of the protests on Facebook and a woman forced out of her government job after donating to the demonstrations.

Trudeau on Wednesday was considering using his extraordinary powers under the Emergencies Act to establish 'no-go' zones in Ottawa to dispel the remaining protests in the nation's capital. Ottawa police fanned out among the demonstrators on Wednesday afternoon, distributing pamphlets saying protesters faced fines, arrests and vehicle seizures, and reading: 'You must leave the area now.'

As the blockades in Alberta and Manitoba ended peacefully, all focus came to bear on the protest in Ottawa, now in its third week, with demonstrators paralyzing the streets over their demand for an end to vaccine mandates.

Frustration with the failure of Canadian police to lift blockades at the border and in the capital, along with scenes of protesters lounging in hot tubs near Parliament, ultimately drove Trudeau to seek emergency powers earlier this week, sources told Reuters.

Trudeau has been slammed by critics who accuse him of imposing 'martial law' to crush the protests over vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions.

Melissa Lantsman is seen on Wednesday asking a question of Justin Trudeau in Parliament

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, is seen in Parliament on Wednesday, when he accused members of the Conservative Party - including a Jewish MP - of 'standing with people who wave swastikas'

Lantsman had earlier during the Parliament session on Wednesday quoted Trudeau's October 2015 victory speech, when he was elected prime minister.

'A positive, optimistic, hopeful vision of public life isn't a naive dream; it can be a powerful force for change,' Lantsman quoted.

'If Canadians are to trust their government, their government needs to trust Canadians,' she quoted.

Lantsman added: 'Those are the words of the prime minister in 2015.

'"These people - very often misogynistic, racist, women hater, science deniers, the fringe," - same prime minister, six years later, as he fans the flames of an unjustified national emergency.

'So, Mr Speaker, when did the prime minister lose his way? When did it happen?'

Trudeau said that his government was 'following to the letter' the Emergency Act, and it was needed.

Dane Lloyd, an MP for Sturgeon River in Alberta, accused Trudeau of making 'shameful and dishonorable' remarks.

He added: 'For the prime minister to accuse any colleague in this house of standing with the swastika is shameful.'

Lloyd called on Trudeau to 'unreservedly apologize' - and Trudeau refused.

He countered: Canadians deserve their freedoms back.

'These illegal blockades that continue to interfere with peoples daily lives.'

Amid the catcalls, the Speaker intervened to 'ask everybody to calm down'.

Trudeau continued: 'The measure put forward are proportionate, responsible and completely folded into charter of freedoms. These steps are proportionate.

Lloyd replied that the 'lack of apology speaks volumes' and urged Trudeau again to apologize.

Trudeau said: These members continue to stand with illegal blockades. Canadians are watching carefully and  we will stand will stand on the side of Canadians who want their livelihoods back.

For a third time, Lloyd demanded: 'Mr Prime Minister, apologize.'

And Trudeau said: These illegal blockades have been going on in Ottawa for 20 days now.

'People are made to feel fearful, miss shifts at their work, these are things that cannot be stood for.

'Thats why we are moving forward with measures. We continue to defend freedom of expression, freedom to protest, as long as they are peaceful.'

Truckers are seen blocking downtown Ottawa on Wednesday, on the 20th day of protests in the Canadian capital

Protesters are seen in Ottawa on Wednesday, as Canadian politicians in Parliament debate the handling of the protests

A person holds a sign in front of trucks blocking a downtown street as truckers and their supporters continue to protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Ottawa on Wednesday

Protesters are seen in Ottawa on Wednesday - the 20th day of protests in the Canadian capital

Candice Bergen, the opposition leader, told Trudeau that the threshold for invoking the Emergency Act had not been met - pointing out that the three bridges into the United States have now been cleared.

'It's not something done lightly,' Trudeau replied.

'It was necessary to give local law enforcement the tools to lift these illegal blockades, to ensure law and safety and to ensure Canadians are able to get back to their daily lives.'

Bergen accused Trudeau of overreach.

'Why is the prime minister using this hammer on Canadians?' she asked.

'Isnt it true that hes using it just to save his own political skin?'

Trudeau insisted that the threshold had been met, adding: 'Now across the country, police have the tools necessary to keep people safe.'

Bergen accused Trudeau of 'admiring dictatorships'.

She continued: 'He is pouring gasoline on embers. Isn't it true that he is doing it for one reason, and one reason alone: to save his own political career.'

Trudeau hit back: 'Conservatives cant have it both ways.

'They spent weeks complaining, saying the government needed to act and take responsibility - and when we finally moved forward, in a responsible way, when the time is right, to bring about the Emergency Act, they are now criticizing it.'

He said that 'they are the ones playing politics'.

Bergen said that the mandates must end, saying that continued lockdowns were harming the mental health of the country.

Trudeau insisted that his government was following the science, adding: The 90 percent vaccination rate shows that Canadians have never been more united.

'There have been people harassing frontline workers, and illegal blockades, but the majority have been supporting each other.

And he added: 'We all want to get through it. The way to get through it is by following science, by keeping each other safe. The way through pandemic is not by supporting illegal blockades.

Trudeau is seen on Wednesday during the contentious Question Time in Canada's Parliament

Nadine Ellis-Maffei said the police visit was like the 'thought police and Big Brother' knocking at her door

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, appearing to buckle under pressure after weeks of sustained protests, this week announced an end to COVID restrictions and seemed to echo the message of the protesters opposed to pandemic mandates, saying of capacity limits: 'Let's just start moving on, cautiously. The world's done with it, let's just move forward.'

But in a crackdown on the protests, an Ontario Provincial Police officer knocked on the door of Nadine Ellis-Maffei's farmhouse last week to hand her a card and a pamphlet after seeing her post her post to the Freedom Convoy's Facebook group, video of the incident shows.

Ellis-Maffei said in the post that she was considering attending the protest in Ottawa. She said she had not been part of any demonstrations at this point.

'Because of the protests happening province wide, yes we have been monitoring the protest. So there's a protest coming up, I'm simply providing information about a peaceful protest,' the officer said in the video taken last Thursday by Ellis-Maffei.

'I was flabbergasted,' said the mother of three, who operates a farm in Ontario's Peterborough County.

She told the Toronto Sun: 'I still can't believe it.'

Ellis-Maffei compared the incident to the 'thought police and Big Brother' from the dystopian novel 1984.

An Ontario Provincial Police officer knocked on the very door of Nadine Ellis-Maffei's farmhouse last week to hand her a card and a pamphlet after seeing her post to a Facebook group about the Freedom Convoy

Meanwhile, an Ontario provincial staffer has been forced out of her job after hackers revealed that she donated $100 to the Freedom Convoy protests earlier this month.

Marion Isabeau Ringuette, who was Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones's director of communications, lost her job 10 days after making the donation, according to the Toronto Star.

After the donor list to a GiveSendGo campaign supporting the protests was stolen and leaked by hackers this week, Isabeau-Ringuette's identity was apparently deciphered and reported to her employer, although she only used her initials when making the donation.

'Ms. Isabeau-Ringuette no longer works for the Ontario government,' Ivana Yelich, Ford's executive director of media relations, told the Star.

'We're not commenting any further as this is a staffing matter.'

Isabeau-Ringuette did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

GiveSendGo founder slams Trudeau's government as a 'group of terrorists who instill terror' for stigmatizing Freedom Convoy protesters GiveSendGo, the Christian crowdfunding site that raised more than $8.7 million for the Freedom Convoy, slammed Canada's Trudeau administration as a 'group of terrorist' and called on the FBI to investigate the hackers who shut down its site on Sunday and released the information of its more than 92,000 donors. The company's founder, Jacob Wells, told Fox News that his company is standing behind freedom and democracy in its support of the Freedom Convoy movement, where Canadians led by truckers are protesting their country's COVID-19 mandates. 'This is the moment for them to rally, not be intimidated and say, 'Yes, I support freedom. Yes, I support peaceful protests 100 percent,' he said. 'It's the bedrock of democracy, and it's the side that's opposing this that's really a group of terrorists. They're instilling terror. That's their goal.' He added that Sunday's hack of the donation site was a 'well-orchestrated' political doxing effort to hurt the Freedom Convoy and their cause. 'This is illegal, and these people should be going to jail,' Wells said. 'The FBI - I mean, it's surprising that we haven't heard from any investigative services. We will be reaching out ourselves to just see that there's some investigation into this. This is completely unacceptable.' The attack on GiveSendGo on Sunday night redirected visitors to a taunting video from the Disney film Frozen, and a message slamming the Freedom Convoy as an 'insurrection' led by 'known extremists.' The hack has already had an impact on Canadians who donated - a top political aide to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Marion Isabeau-Ringuette, was forced out of her job when a local news outlet QP Briefing outed her to his office for making a $100 donation. Canada's national broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Company, has gone through the list of 92,844 donors to contact and publicly out them. The GiveSendGo website became the most popular way to support the Freedom Convoy after GoFundMe shut its donation page down, freezing the $10 million raised after it claimed the movement had turned violent following police reports from Ottawa, Canada. Wells said that as the donation page for the Freedom Convoy was the largest the website had ever seen, it had been preparing for a cyberattack prior to Sunday, but the company was still caught off guard. 'We find it unacceptable on our side that this happened and that's why we're pouring into bringing on the best, Wells told Fox, referring to the company's plan to call out 'ethical hackers' to test the site's weaknesses. 'We never want to see this happen, and it's horrific to us that it has,' he said. 'The target on our back is really big because we do allow freedom and many people, they don't like that. They're going to come after us as hard as we need to be better than we've ever been before, and we're bringing in people to make that happen.' Advertisement

The local news outlet QP Briefing said that it had 'brought the information to the attention of Isabeau-Ringuette and Premier Doug Ford's office late Tuesday afternoon' as Canadian journalists scour the hacked list for donor names and out them to employers. Specifically, the country's national broadcaster, Canadian Broadcasting Company, has gone through the list to contact and publicly out donors.

It revealed that the former leader of the country's Progressive Conservative Party, Ches Crosbie, made an $800 donation.

He was unapologetic when confronted by CBC journalists, saying: 'Indefinite states of emergency, such as we are under in most of Canada, are a dangerous thing, a very dangerous thing. I support the right of peaceful protest and I see the Freedom Convoy as a peaceful protest.'

The CBC also outed a prominent business owner in London, Ontario, as giving the largest single donation to the Freedom Convoy.

Holden Rhodes, who owns Killarney Mountain Lodge, donated $25,000.

He was just as unapologetic after being outed by the CBC, telling journalists: 'The overreach on the last two years has been astounding, but in the last two weeks in Canada it has been absolutely alarming for anyone believes in a peaceful and free society,' he said.

'Government at all levels has to realize they are elected to represent the people of Canada rather than lock up and threaten to arrest people for exercising their legal rights of peaceful protest.'

Another donor outed in the leak was Tammy Giuliani, owner of Stella Luna Gelato Cafe in Ottawa, who was forced to shut down her business after she received an onslaught of threats over her $250 donation.

It's not clear whether she was outed by journalists scouring the data, but her name has appeared online as part of the leak of the hack after she wrote a post on a GiveSendGo message board.

'We got a call from the team saying, 'We're getting phone calls here,' Giuliani told the Ottawa Citizen.

'I said, 'What's going on?' and they said, 'They're threatening to throw bricks through our window. They're threatening to come and get us.'

'We said, 'Lock the door and we'll find out what's going on.'

The executive director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, said Trudeau's 'emergency' order dangerously bypassed the democratic process.

'Difficult situations, challenging situations happen all the time. Governments have the tools to deal with them, and the emergency powers are much too large power, that bypasses the democratic process,' said Aviv in an interview with Fox News.

The founder of GiveSendGo, Jacob Wells, has called for the FBI to investigate the illegal hack and to hunt down the hackers who have shared private citizens' information online.

'This seems well orchestrated. There's strong political motivations behind this,' he told Fox News.

Wells also slammed Trudeau's government for 'instilling terror' over peaceful protesters.

In a press conference on Wednesday, three organizers of the Freedom Convoy called for more Canadians to join their protest in Ottawa.

'We want the restoration of our fundamental right to peaceful protest. All Canadians should be surprised, no matter your political opinions, that the federal government has resorted to such extreme measures as the Emergency Act and that the government wants to use force on peaceful demonstration,' he said.

'We call on our fellow Canadians to come to Ottawa to exercise their legal right to assemble and protest peacefully. The more Canadians that come to Ottawa will make it hard for the government to get the police to follow their illegal order.'

Meanwhile, four suspects face serious charges of allegedly plotting to murder police officers in connection with a trove of firearms that were seized at the Freedom Convoy border blockade in Coutts, Alberta - though the city's mayor claims they are all 'outsiders' who were not part of the broader protest against vaccine mandates.

Marion Isabeau-Ringuette was forced out of her job as a staffer for the Ontario provincial government after hackers revealed that she donated $100 to the Freedom Convoy protests earlier this month

Protesters show placards at the demonstration in Ottawa on Wednesday, including one opposing the state broadcaster CBC. Canadian news outlets have been hunting down donors to the Freedom Convoy and getting them fired

Police had out information sheets and speak to demonstrators as truckers and supporters continue to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates, in Ottawa, Ontario on Wednesday

Chris Carbert, 44; Christopher Lysak, 48; Anthony Olienick, 39; and Jerry Morin, 40, were arrested on Monday and charged with possession of weapons for a dangerous purpose, mischief, and conspiracy to commit murder.

The allegations are in connection with the trove of weapons seized in a police raid on raid on two camper trailers and a mobile home on 1st Avenue North in Coutts - a property near the border crossing but not part of the actual blockade.

The mayor of Coutts told DailyMail.com that those arrested were not members of the Freedom Convoy, despite them being initially tied to the ongoing anti-vaccine protests.

'The people who were actually involved in the arrests were not part of the blockade group,' Mayor Jim Willett said. 'They were outsiders.'

The mayor described the individuals as outside agitators who came to town after the protest began.

'As time went on, the protest began to attract people from the outside,' he said.

'They were starting to attract the undesirable element. The people who were actually involved in the arrests were not part of the blockade group. They were outsiders.'

Police themselves say that the individuals charged were a 'small organized group within the larger Coutts protest' and a 'small segment of the protest' with a 'militant mindset'.

One of the four charged with plotting to kill Mounties in Alberta, Lysak, has ties to a right-wing Canadian movement dubbed 'Diagolon' and faces an additional charge of uttering threats.

Mounties in Alberta seized this cache of weapons on Monday morning, but the mayor of the village where they were discovered claims the weapons weren't part of the Freedom Convoy protest

Chris Carbert, 44, is one of four facing the serious charge of conspiring to murder a police officer

Symbols of the 'Diagolon' movement were found on the body armor seized in Coutts on Monday. The movement's founder claims the police might have planted his flag on the seized material to incriminate his cause

Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators leave in a truck convoy after blocking the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta on Tuesday

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network dubs Diagolon 'a network of far-right accelerationist survivalists' and says that Lysak was once called the 'head of security for Diagolon'.

Diagolon founder Jeremy MacKenzie, who podcasts under the moniker 'Raging Dissident', issued a video statement in response to images showing the symbol of his movement on body armor seized in the Coutts raid, in which 13 long guns and multiple handguns were recovered by Mounties.

'I have no idea where those came from, who those belong to, who put them there, who brought them there - did the police put them there?' said MacKenzie of the Diagolon symbol, a diagonal white band on a black field.

MacKenzie claims his movement was conceived as a joke while 'pretty stoned on edible marijuana' and that the name and symbol represent a diagonal swathe from Alaska to Florida, across Canada and the US, of states and provinces that oppose mandates and other pandemic restrictions.

Facing lesser charges in connection with the Coutts raid are Luke Berk, 62; Joanne Person, 62; Johnson Law, 39; Jaclyne Martin, 39; Evan Colenutt, 23; Ursula Allred, 22; Justin Martin, 22; Eastin Stewart Oler, 22; and Janx Zaremba, 18.

They are charged with mischief and unlawful weapons offenses in relation to the blockade, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

'Monday's weapons seizure and subsequent arrests speak to the serious criminal activities taking place during this protest and illegal blockade,' said RCMP Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablock in a statement.

'The dangerous, criminal activity occurring away from the TV cameras and social media posts was real and organized, and it could have been deadly for citizens, protesters and officers,' he added.

Johnson Law, 39, was among those arrested on lesser charges of mischief and unlawful weapons offences in relation to the blockade in Coutts, Alberta

Police vehicles look out over a an empty highway after anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators left following their blockade of the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta, Tuesday

Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators leave in a truck convoy after blocking the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta, Tuesday

Meanwhile, following the resignation of Ottawa's police chief, Trudeau's government is considering imposing 'no-go' zones in the nation's capital using special powers under the Emergencies Act.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said at a news conference that the action could include declaring 'certain zones that are adjacent to critical infrastructure like borders, like our national symbols including legislatures, like war monuments  as a no-go zone,'

The Freedom Convoy, a trucker-led movement calling on the government to lift vaccine mandates, is largely based in Ottawa, where parts of the country's capital city have been occupied by protestors since late January.

The convoy also blocked US border crossings, including a key trade route into Detroit that was cleared by police last weekend.

Controversy surrounding how police have managed the protests on Ottawa prompted the abrupt resignation of Police Chief Peter Sloly on Tuesday

A demonstrator holds a Canadian national flag during a protest by truck drivers over pandemic health rules and the Trudeau government, outside the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa on Tuesday

Vehicles block a road during a protest by truck drivers over pandemic health rules and the Trudeau government, outside the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa on Tuesday

Controversy surrounding how police have managed the protests on Ottawa prompted the abrupt resignation of Police Chief Peter Sloly on Tuesday.

He stepped down after being criticized for not doing enough to stop the unruly protests, which prompted Trudeau to invoke emergency powers on Monday.

Ottawa police did not respond to a request for comment, and Trudeau's public safety minister said the government had no role in his decision to resign.

Trudeau on Monday invoked the little-used Emergencies Act, signaling the federal government was taking control of a situation local and provincial police have struggled to resolve as protests against pandemic restrictions dragged on.

Discussions on invoking the rarely used powers first began on Thursday as the blockade of the Ambassador Bridge, a key U.S.-Canada trade artery between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, entered its third day, two sources, who are familiar with the discussions, told Reuters.

'The Windsor police kind of let it happen,' one of the sources said. All requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation. Windsor police asked for more resources, which the province provided.

The bridge blockade led to the temporary shutdown of several car plants before police finally cleared it on Sunday after six days, and after a concerned call from U.S. President Joe Biden to Trudeau.

Meanwhile, protesters who had paralyzed parts of Ottawa since Jan. 28 were getting more entrenched, and there was growing concern about the presence of 'nefarious elements' among the protesters. Police in Alberta later seized guns and ammunition from a group linked to a border protest.

'The prime minister was quite mad,' said a government source, referring to a Thursday meeting of the federal Incident Response Group, made up of Trudeau's top advisers.

'He said we need to get out in front of this.'

'He was demanding solutions' at the meeting, a third source familiar with the matter said, adding Trudeau was saying: 'Let's put everything on the table and say, what are the good ideas here?'

The third source said the government realized last week that 'enforcement wasn't happening' after initially waiting to see how provincial authorities and local police responded.

'He also needed to know fully that ... we have given it enough time for it to work or not work, or partially work, and think about what more we need to do,' the source said.

'He didn't want to jump ahead of things that were happening.'

A police officer stands guard near trucks participating in a blockade of downtown streets near the Parliament building in Ottawa as a demonstration led by truck drivers protesting vaccine mandates continues on Wednesday

Signs of support are attached to a fence that surrounds the Parliament building in Ottawa on Wednesday

A police officer speaks with a trucker parked in downtown Ottawa, Wednesday

Ottawa police initially said their objective was to de-escalate. Later they asked both the provincial and federal governments for more resources, saying they were outnumbered.

The addition of chaotic scenes from Ottawa on the weekend, including hundreds of residents turning out to block another convoy from joining the protesters, proved too much, two of the sources said.

Police stood by as protesters bathed in a hot tub and partied into the night directly in front of Parliament and below the prime minister's office.

'This past weekend in Ottawa really drove some people over the edge, the hot tub, the stage, and ... the impotence of the police to do something about it,' the source said.

Police chief Peter Sloly resigned on Tuesday amid criticism of his force's performance.

The Ottawa protest involves some 360 trucks and vehicles, several hundred protesters, and a large cache of funds from donors in the United States and Canada.

'If you're asking for one factor, it was Ottawa ... the Ottawa situation is completely out of control. We just went through a third weekend of no enforcement,' said the second source.

Concerns that protesters may re-occupy border crossings and disrupt crucial trade flows with the United States and affect publicly safety also factored into the decision, the sources said.

Another factor was the specter of violence when police in Alberta on Monday arrested 11 people and seized guns and ammunition.

'There are organized nefarious elements that are involved with these things,' said the second source, citing the Alberta gun seizure.

'There's an element here that is ... trying to subvert the normal course of our democracy, which has to be protected, regardless of who's the government,' the third source said.

'That's really the difference between this and other protests that we've seen.'

Seven of the 11 people arrested were released Tuesday without having to post bail following virtual hearings at a provincial court in Lethbridge, Alberta, while the four facing more serious charges are being held pending bail hearings on Friday.

'The people who weren't charged with conspiracy to commit murder got released on consent,' defense lawyer Yoav Niv, whose firm is representing several of the accused, told DailyMail.com

He wouldn't comment on specifics of the case, other than to say, 'Everyone's presumed innocent until proven guilty.'

Calgary resident Johnson Chichow Law, who was one of those arrested on lesser charges, looks after his two young daughters full-time and is a hard worker, a friend told DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

'I'm honestly shocked by this news,' said his friend, who requested to remain anonymous given the contentiousness of the protests.

The Freedom Convoy, a trucker-led movement calling on the government to lift vaccine mandates, is largely based in Ottawa. A protestor is seen lifting a flag in the nation's capital on February 15, 2022

Pictured: Protest supporters pull fuel cans in wagons in front of Parliament Hill on February 15, 2022

A trucker is pictured lifting weights in between instances of protesting against Covid-19 mandates on February 15, 2022

Joanne Person, also arrested on the lesser charges, posted about her ordeal on a Facebook chat group for the Coutts protesters.

'Go help us,' she wrote, omitting the last letter of 'God.'

'The full tactical is at my home and they are teloing (sic) us to leave the home and that they are entering. My god. Please help us.

'They are threating (sic) me. I fear for our lives,' she added.
A diner in an Indian restaurant was repeatedly stabbed in the head with a FORK after complaining about a customer insulting police, a court has heard.

Gary Tween, whose son is a serving police officer, was also struck with a wine glass having objected to the 'scurrilous' jibes being made during an evening at the Shamrat brasserie in Maidstone, Kent.

Having overheard the man loudly voice his offensive remarks for several minutes, Mr Tween asked him to 'tone it down a bit'.

Gary Tween, whose son is a serving police officer, was also struck with a wine glass having objected to the 'scurrilous' jibes being made during an evening at the Shamrat brasserie in Maidstone, Kent

Maidstone Crown Court heard Mr Tween suffered a one-and-a-half-inch cut and puncture wounds to his head, said blood poured out 'like a tap' as he feared his life was in danger

But while the diner immediately apologised for his behaviour and the men shook hands, his two companions - father and son Nigel and Ben Goodall - reacted 'aggressively' and launched their attack, a jury was told.

It is alleged 44-year-old Ben Goodall, from Snodland, Kent, punched Mr Tween several times while Nigel Goodall, 68, of East Peckham, Kent, lashed out with the fork and glass.

Mr Tween, who suffered a one-and-a-half-inch cut and puncture wounds to his head, said blood poured out 'like a tap' as he feared his life was in danger.

The father and son deny wounding Mr Tween with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, as well as the less serious, alternative charge of unlawful wounding.

Prosecutor Richard Job told Maidstone Crown Court at the start of their trial yesterday that although Nigel Goodall was the one who armed himself with two weapons, his son Ben was equally responsible for the injuries caused.

'This was a joint attack. They launched it together and they are both responsible for the consequences of that attack,' he told the jury.

At one stage, Ben Goodall had also grabbed cutlery but was prevented from using it by being held in a bear hug by Mr Tween's friend, Darren Valencia.

The court heard the five men were seated a few metres apart in the restaurant in Lower Stone Street when trouble flared at about 8.30pm on March 18, 2020.

Mr Tween and Mr Valencia were awaiting coffees at the end of their meal when, describing himself as a proud father, Mr Tween told the jury he took offence at both the comments being made and the foul language used.

'It sounded as though he had been arrested the day before and was voicing his opinion about the police and police officers in general,' Mr Tween said.

'He said that they were all a bunch of c****, all in it together, all s******* each other. He seemed to keep repeating the same thing over and over again, and it went on for about 15, 20 minutes.

'Being in a restaurant, I found it quite offensive that I could hear someone using that kind of language, and also my son is a police officer who I am very proud of and has done very well for himself. I just took general offence to everything he was saying.'

Mr Tween said he eventually left his table to speak to the diner, who apologised for causing offence and even offered to pay for his meal.

The pair were also seen on CCTV to hug, and Mr Tween told the court he patted him on the shoulder believing it was all 'done and dusted'.

But it was said the Goodalls became 'aggressive and antagonistic' at Mr Tween having interrupted their meal, and were 'keen to fight him'.

The prosecutor said their pal had even told them to 'quieten down' before they assaulted Mr Tween as he and Mr Valencia moved from their table into the restaurant's bar area.

Mr Tween was removing his jacket from the back of his chair when he said the pair 'crashed' into him without warning.

Ben Goodall was said to have punched him to the face while his father struck him several times to the back of his head with the fork.

Mr Tween began to fight back, throwing several punches himself. The three men then fell against a table before Nigel Goodall could be seen on the CCTV footage grabbing the glass.

Having thrust it at Mr Tween's face but missed, he then jabbed it into the top of his head, said the prosecutor, causing it to smash.

To prevent further attack, Mr Tween put Nigel Goodall in a headlock and banged his head against a restaurant pillar in an attempt to subdue him, the court was told.

The two grappling men then ended up on the floor, effectively pinning each other down for several minutes.

Ben Goodall, while being held back from the tussle in a bear hug, had repeatedly tried to headbutt Mr Valencia before breaking free to punch Mr Tween still on the floor.

Asked by the prosecutor why he had reacted the way he had, Mr Tween told the court: 'It all happened very quickly. I didn't hear them coming, I didn't see them coming, and I think it was a natural reaction for me to defend myself.

'I felt panic as I saw the glass coming towards my left eye and so I lowered my head only to be cut on the top.

'I recall having one in a headlock and we ended up on the floor. I was conscious of there being a lot of blood as I could see it hitting the floor.

'Having been hit in the head with a glass, I didn't want to be hit with another glass. Maybe I thought I was fighting for my life.'

Staff and another customer collecting a takeaway eventually managed to split the men, with Mr Tween being given a tea towel to staunch the blood while police were called.

However, the court heard the Goodalls left before officers arrived, with Ben Goodall allegedly telling Mr Tween he would 'send him the bill' for his shirt.

Mr Tween said he did not know it was a fork that had stabbed the back of his head until he saw the puncture marks.

During cross-examination by defence counsel, he accepted he may have been 'angry and forceful' when he initially confronted the Goodalls' friend.

But having repeatedly been shown the CCTV footage of the resulting violence, he denied he had been 'wanting a fight' with the father and son.

'We had been going to this restaurant for 30 years and never experienced anything like it,' Mr Tween told the jury.

'Maybe there should have been a different outcome but, at the time, sitting in the restaurant, I didn't expect to be listening to that sort of language.

'I said I wasn't happy with the comments, he diffused the situation, I stayed calm and accepted his apology.

'I sat down and got invited by the manager to the bar. I then got attacked by two people.

'Punches have been thrown, I have been hit with a glass and at that point I was defending myself, and I don't apologise for that.'

The Goodalls were themselves arrested at Maidstone Hospital and claimed they were the ones who had acted in self-defence.

The trial continues.
Ex-Goldman Sachs partner Tim Leissner is a 'double bigamist,' a defense lawyer has claimed in the sensational Wall Street trial into his colleague's alleged multibillion-dollar embezzlement scheme.

Leissner, the estranged husband of fashion model and reality TV star Kimora Lee Simmons, was allegedly 'married to two different women at the same time, twice,' Roger Ng's defense attorney Marc Agnifilo has claimed.

The German-born Leissner has been reportedly married three times, though the dates, and marriage and divorce records are not available.

He was allegedly married to an unidentified first wife before meeting and later marrying Judy Chan, a former analyst at Goldman and the daughter of a coal-mining business owner in China. He has also tied the knot with Simmons.

He met Simmons, who was previously married to hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, in business class on a flight from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur.

The couple reportedly exchanged vows in 2013 - around the time his relationship with Chan fell apart - and had a son, Wolfe, who was born in 2015.

Ng, Goldman's former head of investment banking in Malaysia, is charged with conspiring to launder money and to violate an anti-bribery law.

Wednesday, prosecutors called German-born Leissner, their star witness who was Ng's former boss at the bank's Southeast Asia operation, to testify at the Brooklyn trial.

Prosecutors said in opening statements at his trial on Monday that Ng, 49, received $35 million in kickbacks for helping embezzle $4.5 billion in funds from 1MDB in a 'brazen' scam.

Ex-Goldman Sachs partner Tim Leissner, pictured with his estranged wife Kimora Lee Simons, is a 'double bigamist', a defense lawyer has claimed

Leissner has been married twice; first to Judy Chan (pictured) a former analyst at Goldman and the daughter of a coal-mining business owner in China

Roger Ng (left, pictured alongside his lawyer Marc Agnifilo), Goldman's former head of investment banking in Malaysia, is charged with conspiring to launder money and to violate an anti-bribery law to fund his lavish lifestyle

Leissner, 52, in 2018 pleaded guilty to money laundering and bribery charges and agreed to cooperate with the government's investigation and testify against Ng for a reduced sentence, forfeiting $43million.

The pair allegedly worked with Malaysian financier Jho Low to divert the money to fund their lavish lifestyle.

Agnifilo told jurors that Leissman 'uses people' and has had an 'illicit' relationship with Jasmine Loo, the general counsel at 1MDB, The New York Post reported.

She has since fled Malaysia and is wanted by authorities.

The defense attorney said Leissner and Loo developed a 'dark trust because of their illicit, intimate romantic relationship'.

Agnifilo said: 'Leissner uses women, he uses false intimacy, and now he's trying to use my client to get him to do his jail time.'

The pair allegedly worked with Malaysian financier Jho Low (pictured) to divert the money to fund their lavish lifestyle

If convicted, Ng faces decades behind bars for the alleged embezzlement to fund his lavish lifestyle.

The ex-banker's attorneys denied the allegations, arguing that US prosecutors scapegoated Ng for 'corporate-wide' failures at Goldman that enabled the colossal fraud.

'Roger is 100% innocent,' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told the jury. 'We're about to actually have a trial of an innocent man.'

The defense argued Ng's only role was introducing Low to 'far more involved' superiors at Goldman who escaped prosecution. The attorney also claimed his client warned company management not to trust Low.

Among the purchases made from the record heist were a vast superyacht called Equanimity, jewels, and even financing for the hit 2013 movie The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Agnifilo told jurors that Leissner (pictured with Kimora) 'uses people' and has had an 'illicit' relationship with Jasmine Loo

The vague details of Tim Leissner's marriage history Tim Leissner was accused of bigamy during Roger Ng's money laundering trial. The accusation has prompted questions about the banker's vaguely detailed personal life. The former Goldman Sachs employee is currently married to model Kimora Lee Simmons, but it's unclear exactly when they wed. Simmons' ex-husband, Russell Simmons, confirmed in February 2014 that the couple had tied the knot. The pair had a secret wedding. The exact date and location of that ceremony remains unknown, as a marital records search did not yield any results. The couple was, however, pictured in Saint Barthelemy in December 2013 sporting rings on their left hands. Page Six alleged they may have had a Caribbean wedding during that time. Leissner and Kimora Lee Simmons share a son, Wolfe, who was born in 2015. They also adopted Gary, then 10, in January 2020. The couple has since become estranged, although it is unclear when they split. There was speculation they were separating in January 2020 after Leissner was 'seen canoodling with a mystery woman.' US Magazine reported at the time that news of the interaction 'seemed to spread rapidly to Kimora.' Before marrying Kimora Lee Simmons, Leissner was married to Judy Chan, who currently runs Grace Vineyard, Chinas first family-owned winery. Chan and Leissner met at Goldman when she was working as a junior analyst. It is unclear when exactly they got married, but Bloomberg Quint reported that the feast 'included suckling pigs with electric lights flashing in their eye sockets.' Reports suggest Chan and Leissner divorced in 2013 although divorce records were not readily accessible. Chan was using her married name in Grace Vineyard promotional materials in 2012. She appears to have begun using her maiden name in 2013. Authors Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, in their novel Billion Dollar Whale, report that Leissner married Chan after divorcing his first wife. Information regarding his alleged first wife's identity was not disclosed. Advertisement

Agnifilo told jurors Leissner should not be trusted, claiming the witness secretly recorded co-conspirators in the scheme, but he never found anything incriminating about his client Ng.

Federal prosecutor Brent Wible alleges Ng secretly agreed with Leissner and Low to take hundreds of millions of dollars raised for three bond deals tied to 1MDB that had been intended for development projects in Malaysia.

Low, the accused mastermind behind the scheme, was indicted in the US alongside Ng in 2018.

He has not been arrested by US or Malaysian authorities and his US lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.

Prosecutors say Goldman earned $600 million in fees from the deals, and that around $4.5billion of the funds raised was embezzled.

Goldman paid a nearly $3billion fine and arranged for its Malaysian subsidiary to plead guilty in US court.

Leissner said on the stand Wednesday that Ng was Goldman's lead banker on 1MDB and had cultivated a relationship with Malaysian financier Jho Low starting in 2008, who was the key intermediary between the bank and 1MDB.

Bringing in 1MDB business to Goldman, which ultimately sold $6.5 billion in bonds for the fund and reaped $600 million in fees, 'instantaneously made us heroes' within the bank, Leissner said.

'My greed and ambition took over,' Leissner said, adding that the fallout from his actions had destroyed his life.

He also said bankers at Goldman were expected to be hired on every one of their clients' deals, and that missing one was considered 'unacceptable.'

Agnifilo has countered that Leissner, who has not yet been sentenced, has lied to prosecutors about Ng's involvement in a bid to lighten his punishment.

He spent much of his opening statement attacking Leissner's credibility, portraying him as a socialite with expensive taste.

Before marrying Kimora Lee Simmons, Leissner was married to Judy Chan, who currently runs Grace Vineyard, Chinas first family-owned winery.

Chan and Leissner met at Goldman when she was working as a junior analyst. It is unclear when exactly they got married, but Bloomberg Quint reported that the feast 'included suckling pigs with electric lights flashing in their eye sockets.'

Reports suggest Chan and Leissner divorced in 2013 although divorce records were not readily accessible.

Chan was using her married name in Grace Vineyard promotional materials in 2012. She appears to have begun using her maiden name in 2013.

Authors Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, in their novel Billion Dollar Whale, report that Leissner married Chan after divorcing his first wife.

Information regarding his alleged first wife's identity was not disclosed in the book and records of a first marriage cannot be found.

Leissner and Simmons met in business class on a flight from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur. Their initial encounter is said to have begun with an argument and ended in a marriage proposal.

They wed in 2013, however, the exact date and location of the ceremony remains unknown as a marital records search did not yield any results.

The couple was pictured in Saint Barthelemy in December 2013 sporting rings on their left hands. Page Six alleged they may have had a Caribbean wedding during that time.

She gave birth to his son, Wolfe, in 2015. They also adopted Gary, then 10, in January 2020.

The couple has since become estranged, although it is unclear when they split.

There was speculation they were separating in January 2020 after Leissner was 'seen canoodling with a mystery woman'. Us Weekly reported at the time that news of the interaction 'seemed to spread rapidly to Kimora'. She was also said to be 'been spending a lot of time away from Los Angeles' during that time.

Leissner and Simmons were living in an $11million Los Angeles mansion but sold the home last year. Leissner still resides in the City of Angels.

Before marrying Simmons, Leissner was married to Judy Chan, who currently runs Grace Vineyard, Chinas first family-owned winery.

Chan and Leissner met at Goldman when she was working as a junior analyst. It is unclear when exactly they got married, however Bloomberg Quint reported the feast 'included suckling pigs with electric lights flashing in their eye sockets.'

Reports suggest Chan and Leissner divorced in 2013 although divorce records were not readily accessible.

Chan was using her married name in Grace Vineyard promotional materials in 2012. She appears to have begun using her maiden name in 2013.

Authors Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, in their novel Billion Dollar Whale, report that Leissner married Chan after divorcing his first wife. Information regarding his alleged first wife's was not disclosed.

Kimora, a former model, was married for ten years to Russell Simmons - the founder of hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings - before they divorced in 2008. They have two children.

Malaysian socialite Jho Low (right) - the other key player in the scheme - remains at large and is believed to have been granted asylum abroad. In 2012, he threw a lavish 31st birthday bash attended by DiCaprio (left), Kim Kardashian and other celebrities. Low and DiCaprio are pictured at The Wolf of Wall Street World Premiere in Paris in December 2013

Tim Leissner, former chairman of Southeast Asia for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., center, departs from federal court in the Brooklyn on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022

Malaysian socialite Low, who maintains his innocence, became well known in the New York City and Los Angeles club scenes.

In 2012, he threw a lavish 31st birthday bash attended by DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and other celebrities - a fete described by The Wall Street Journal as the 'wildest party [Las] Vegas ever saw.'

Pop star Britney Spears is said to have jumped out of a birthday cake to serenade Low.

He also dated Miranda Kerr, who was forced to surrender $8million in jewelry he gave her amid the 1MDB inquiry.
China-New Zealand upgraded FTA to take effect in April

Xinhua) 15:03, February 16, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A protocol on upgrading the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and New Zealand will come into force on April 7, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his New Zealand counterpart Damien O'Connor held talks via video recently, jointly announcing the date for the protocol's entry into force, said a statement on the MOC's website.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. The two sides have agreed to take it as an opportunity to promote the sound implementation of the upgraded FTA, said the statement.

Joint efforts will be made to further facilitate trade and investment between the two sides, and promote the development of bilateral economic and trade relations to benefit the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership, it said.

In 2008, China signed an FTA with New Zealand, the first FTA between China and a developed country. The two sides announced the conclusion of their three-year negotiations on the upgrade in November 2019 and signed a protocol in January 2021.

For the trade of goods, the upgraded FTA will see both countries open their markets for certain wood and paper products and optimize trade rules such as rules of origin, technical barriers to trade and customs facilitation.

On the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand to boost the trade of services.

The two sides have also pledged to strengthen cooperation in the fields of e-commerce, competition policy, government procurement, the environment and trade, according to the protocol.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
South Korean shortrack speed skators celebrate after winning men's 5,000-meter relay. Yonhap



South Korea grabbed silver in the men's 5,000m short track speed skating relay at Beijing 2022 on Wednesday for its first medal in the event since 2010.



The quartet of Hwang Dae-heon, Kwak Yoon-gy, Park Jang-hyuk and Lee June-seo finished in second place behind Canada in the 45-lap race at Capital Indoor Stadium.



Canada finished in 6:41.257, while South Korea ended in 6:41.679. Italy got the bronze in 6:43.431.

South Korea led the way for most of the race before Canada charged out in front with 18 laps remaining and staying there the rest of the way.



This was the second medal in Beijing for Hwang, the 1,500m champion.






A drink-driving mother-of-four has today admitted killing two of her children in a motorway horror crash.

Mary McCann was driving her Vauxhall Astra car down the M1 with her two youngsters, Lilly and Smaller in the back of the car, when the vehicle hit a Scania HGV.

The two children, aged four years and 10 years respectively, were killed instantly in the horrific collision near Milton Keynes, Bucks, in August last year.

McCann, from Derby, was charged soon after the crash after police discovered she had been drinking.

However, after being charged, she went on the run for nearly a week. Prosecutors previously said she had failed to contact her solicitors after the funeral of her two children.

Today the 35-year-old was back in court, where she appeared before Judge Francis Sheridan.

The judge, sitting at Aylesbury Crown Court, heard that after extensive negotiations, McCann had admitted two counts of causing death by careless driving while unfit through drink.

Mary McCann, 35, has pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by careless driving while unfit through drink

McCann (pictured with her son Smaller), from Derby, was charged soon after the crash after police discovered she had been drinking

Mary McCann was driving her Vauxhall Astra car down the M1 with her two youngsters, Lilly (pictured left) and Smaller (pictured right) in the back of the car, when the family car became involved in a dramatic crash with a Scania HGV

Today the 35-year-old was back in court, where she appeared before Judge Francis Sheridan. The judge heard that after extensive negotiations, McCann, of Derby, admitted two counts of causing death by careless driving

McCann, who was wearing a bright pink tee-shirt and a large necklace, watched as her defence barrister, Laban Leake, asked Judge Sheridan to delay her sentencing so that a psychiatric report could be prepared about her.

No details of the incident were read to the court today and McCann, who was remanded in custody, will be sentenced in April.

Judge Sheridan today pitied the police who had rushed to the tragic scene, saying: 'Who would want to be a member of the roads policing unit having to attend scenes like this. I don't know how they do it.'

Prosecutor had previously told the court that McCann had absconded after failing to appear for a court hearing.

At the previous hearing, prosecutor Heather Stangoe told the judge: 'Unfortunately, we do not know where she is.

'We were informed through her solicitor that they had failed to make contact with the defendant. Her bail address was her sister's and she is not there.

'It was the funeral of her children this week.;

The judge issued a warrant for her arrest saying he wanted the Home Office to put ports and airports on alert for her.

'It is most likely she will flee to Ireland,' he said.

He added: 'This is a sad case, but by absconding to avoid the indictment being put is in my view tactical.'

The children's aunt, Margaret McCann, 26, previously said the family were on the way back from a party in London when the horror crash occurred.

Their mother's Facebook page showed an image of smaller next to a birthday cake and 10th birthday balloon from earlier that day

There was also a post of a birthday cake showing it was Smaller's 10th birthday on the day he died

The HGV driver was not injured in the incident, which happened at about 11.10pm on Monday August 9 (file photo)

Ms McCann was herself injured in the crash. Devastated family members paid heartbreaking tributes to the children on social media.

One wrote: 'Life is cruel to take them away from my lovely brother. Best old father in the world, he put them first no matter how hard he hit they were his life please god give him the strength.'

The children's aunt said: 'RIP my perfect little niece and nephew. Aunt Elizabeth's old pet Smaller and me little frilly Lilly.

'Love you always and forever and never in this lifetime will you ever be forgotten, always loved.'

A family friend put: 'Mortal divine RIP beautiful angels. So sorry for your loss, their poor mommy and daddy.'

A cousin wrote: 'Can't believe I'm even writing this but rest in peace to my two beautiful little cousins Smaller and Lilly.

'I love you with all my heart. I love you so much this don't even feel real. What has this world come to, hearts in bits. RIP my babies.'
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Paul Hayhurst (pictured), who works for the neighbouring local authority Fylde, said the resort 'looks like Chernobyl no matter how much money you put in there'

An independent councillor has sparked a toxic row after comparing Blackpool to a nuclear wasteland and branding it a 'bottomless pit'.

Paul Hayhurst, who works for the neighbouring local authority Fylde, said the resort 'looks like Chernobyl no matter how much money you put in there'.

He later tried to amend his comments to stress it was 'not an attack on Blackpool' but a fear his home would be swamped by its urban sprawl.

Rival councillors blasted the 'incredible disrespect' and noted the town often hosts children from Belarus who are are still suffering from Chernobyl's after-effects.

The nuclear disaster was a notorious 1986 USSR incident in what is now Ukraine that caused contamination and radiation poisoning.

Mr Hayhurst last week told a Fylde Council debate about Lancashire devolution Fylde should not support a bid for more funding if it meant working with Blackpool.

He said: 'I am convinced on that basis that the more co-operation we have with our neighbours down the road, the more this area is going to suffer.

'Our friends down the road, the bottomless pit, could swallow 5billion overnight and it would still look like Chernobyl.

'I am convinced that the more we show we are co-operating with Blackpool, the day is coming closer when Lytham St Annes will become part of greater Blackpool and the rural areas will disappear.'

He continued: 'Blackpool needs probably half its hotels knocking down and instead of rebuilding on greenfield sites, it needs redeveloping because it's never going to be the sort of place it was in the '40s, '50s and '60s.'

He added his district was 'a prosperous borough' but Blackpool 'looks like Chernobyl no matter how much money you put in there'.

He later tried to amend his comments to stress it was 'not an attack on Blackpool' but a fear his home would be swamped by its urban sprawl. Pictured: A file photo of Blackpool

Abandoned: A cross with a crucifix is seen in the deserted town of Pripyat near Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine

Blackpool Tower and Pleasure Beach. The comments were quickly seized on by rival councillors from the seaside resort who slammed them as 'deplorable'

Crumbling: An amusement park near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was left to rust after the town was abandoned in the wake of the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear melt down in 1986

Blackpool beach from South Pier towards North Pier and Tower. Council leader Lynn Williams called for Mr Hayhurst to revisit her home and see the regeneration after 28million was injected into building a new conference centre

The comments were quickly seized on by rival councillors from the seaside resort who slammed them as 'deplorable'.

Council leader Lynn Williams called for Mr Hayhurst to revisit her home and see the regeneration after 28million was injected into building a new conference centre.

She said: 'It's also incredibly disrespectful to a neighbouring council at a time when, to deliver a great deal for all of the residents of Lancashire, we need to work together.

'So if this councillor wants to come to Blackpool, as he's clearly not been for a while, we can show and explain all the many things we are doing to regenerate the town.'

Stressing how Blackpool often hosts Belarus families who are feeling the after effects of Chernobyl, she added his nuclear fallout remarks were 'most deplorable'.

Echoes from the past: A Ferris Wheel is seen in the abandoned city of Pripyat near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine

The famous light show in Blackpool has been attracting millions of visitors to the Lancashire seaside town for over 140 years

An abandoned railway is seen in the Chernobyl zone close to the Ukraine-Belarus border crossing on February 13, 2022

Pictured: Blackpool Illuminations in September 2020. Mr Hayhurst this week tried to row back on his remarks, saying: 'My speech was not intended as an attack on Blackpool'

The remnants of an abandoned building is seen in the Chernobyl zone close to the Ukraine-Belarus border crossing on February 13, 2022 in Vilcha, Ukraine

She added: 'Our having that connection through the generosity of local charities and residents of Blackpool hosting children is just really deeply unpleasant and unnecessary.'

Meanwhile leader of Blackpool Council's Conservatives Tony Williams lodged a complaint to Fylde Council over the 'defamatory' claims.

He said: 'This is insulting to everyone who lives and works in the town and to its many exciting attractions and cultural treasures.'

He continued: 'Blackpool has provided free holidays to the children of Chernobyl for many years.

'To use one of the worst nuclear disaster areas as a cheap political dig at a neighbouring authority is absolutely disgraceful.

Pictured: Pripyat in 2019. The nuclear disaster was a notorious 1986 USSR incident in what is now Ukraine that caused contamination and radiation poisoning

An aerial view of Blackpool pier in Lancashire captured by a drone from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, showing the damage after a fire in July 2020

The sketeal remains of an Ukranian supermarket 33 years after the town of Pripyat was evacuated following the nuclear explosion nearby

Gas masks are left on a school desk in a messy classroom near Chernobyl. Chairs remain on desks after the early morning alarm of the disaster was raised before children had woken to go into school

Starlings descend on Blackpool's North Pier. Both Blackpool and Fylde Council in the end voted to support the draft devolution deal for Lancashire, which involves all the authorities in the county

Invasive plants are beginning to take a stranglehold on the buildings in the area surrounding Chernobyl. More than 50,000 people used to live in the now 18-mile exclusion zone

Night time falls over Blackpool's North Pier, January 6. Paul Hayhurst, who works for the neighbouring local authority Fylde, said the resort 'looks like Chernobyl no matter how much money you put in there'

View of the Chernobyl Nuclear power after the explosion on April 26 1986 in Chernobyl, Ukraine

'I believe Coun Hayhurst's comments breach the Democratic Code of Conduct and I have made my formal complaint under those rules.'

Mr Hayhurst this week tried to row back on his remarks, saying: 'My speech was not intended as an attack on Blackpool.

'But was a warning to Fylde that devolution will almost certainly mean that Fylde will be engulfed by Blackpool and become part of a Greater Blackpool.

'Cosying up to Blackpool will give the wrong message to the government and will, no doubt, ease the way for Fylde to be eventually consumed by its larger neighbour.

'I am sure that this will be hugely unpopular by the council taxpayers in Fylde who will end up paying for Blackpool's deprivation and failed tourism industry.'

Flyde, to the south of Blackpool, boasts rival Lancashire seaside resorts such as Lytham and St Annes.

Both Blackpool and Fylde Council in the end voted to support the draft devolution deal for Lancashire, which involves all the authorities in the county.
Three woke San Francisco school board members who invested more time on social justice issues - like the botched renaming of 44 schools - instead of reopening them during the pandemic have been ousted in a rare recall election funded largely in part by Silicon Valley billionaires and millionaires.

In a hot-button election, 70% of parents in the liberal city voted to recall the board members on Tuesday, according to the San Francisco Department of Elections.

The school board has seven members, all Democrats, but only three were eligible to be recalled: school board President Gabriela Lopez, Vice President Faauuga Moliga and Commissioner Alison Collins.

The effort was well-funded by some of Silicon Valley's billionaires and millionaires, led by early Apple investor Arthur Rock, who poured more than $500,000 of his billion-dollar fortune into the recall. PayPal CEO David Sacks - who has three children and opposes mask mandates and school closures - donated $75,000, and venture capitalist Garry Tan donated $26,000.

Among parents' main frustrations were that the school board failed to address reopening schools during the pandemic, and instead focused their efforts on renaming 44 because they claimed they were named after 'problematic' American icons, like Paul Revere and Abraham Lincoln.

But committee members embarrassed themselves after it was revealed they did not consult historians and used inaccurate Wikipedia entries and other non-scholarly sources to determine which personalities were racist and problematic.

'The city of San Francisco has risen up and said this is not acceptable to put our kids last,' said Siva Raj, a parent who helped launch the recall effort.

'Talk is not going to educate our children, it's action. It's not about symbolic action, it's not about changing the name on a school, it is about helping kids inside the school building read and learn math.'

The school board also scrapped merit-based competitive admissions at elite $42,000-a-year Lowell High School, which disadvantaged Asian American students.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed is now tasked with appointing replacements to the board - who will also likely be Democrats.

'The voters of this city have delivered a clear message that the school board must focus on the essentials of delivering a well-run school system above all else,' Mayor London Breed, who supported the recall, said in a statement. 'San Francisco is a city that believes in the value of big ideas, but those ideas must be built on the foundation of a government that does the essentials well.'

The election was the first recall in San Francisco since 1983, since a failed attempt to remove then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein after she passed a handgun ban.

San Francisco School Board Commissioner Alison Collins was voted out during Tuesday's recall election

School Board President Gabriela Lopez (left) and Vice President Faauuga Moliga (right), both Democrats, were ousted by parents angered over their prioritizing of progressive initiatives over school reopening

Sarah Stettler, Jennie Lucas, and Elisa Smith cheer as they celebrate at the pro-recall party at Manny's restaurant on Tuesday

David Thompson (left) poses for a selfie with his son Lucas Tamayo-Thompson and friend Leanna Louie (right) as they celebrate the board members' recall on Tuesday in San Francsico

Billionaire and early Apple investor Arthur Rock, 95, poured more than $500,000 into the San Francisco school board recall campaign

Silicon Valley millionaire investors David Sacks (left) and Garry Tan (right) contributed $75,000 and $26,000, respectively, to help oust the three board members

Opponents called the recall a waste of time and money, as the district faces a number of challenges including a $125 million budget deficit and the need to replace retiring Superintendent Vincent Matthews.

But parents in the politically liberal city launched the recall effort in January 2021 out of frustration over the slow reopening of district schools, while the board pursued the renaming of 44 school sites and the elimination of merit-based competitive admissions at the elite $42,000-a-year Lowell High School.

The campaign to recall the three school board members attracted major donations from Rock, the 95-year-old billionaire who was an early investor in Intel and Apple; as well as Sacks and Tan.

Rock, who has an estimated net worth of $1.1billion, has given nearly $400,000 directly to two recall committees, and an additional $150,000 to two political action committees supporting the effort, reported The Daily Beast.

ERRORS MADE BY THE SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL RENAMING COMMITTEE: Committee members allegedly used references from Wikipedia and other non-scholarly sources to determine which personalities were racist and problematic. Several of those citations has now been proven to be factually incorrect: 1. One committee member urged that the name of acclaimed American poet James Russell Lowell should be stripped off a high school because a Wikipedia citation stated that he did 'not want black people to vote'. However, that claim is false - and scholarly articles assert that Lowell 'unequivocally advocated giving the ballot to the recently freed slave'. 2. The committee concluded that Paul Revere's name should be removed from a middle school after citing an article from the History Channel website. Members alleged that Revere's military activities were tied to 'the conquest of the Penobscot Indians', which was untrue. 3. James Lick - who resided in San Francisco - was also deemed 'racist' after members failed to critically read an article about the famous 19th century businessman. The committee stated that Lick had funded a sculpture showing an American Indian lying at the feet of white men. However, in actuality, Lick died 18 years before the sculpture was created, and it was only partially funded by his posthumous estate. Advertisement

Public records indicate that during the 1980s and 1990s, Rock donated money mainly to Republican candidates and causes, but over the past three decades he has emerged as a major Democratic donor, including to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

A major proponent of charter schools, Rock has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into school board elections in districts from coast to coast, including Los Angeles, Minnesota, New Mexico, Georgia and New York, reported Mission Local.

Additionally, Rock has donated some $12million to charter schools and organizations that promote charter schools all over the country. In San Francisco, the school board has been hostile to the proliferation of charter schools. Opponents of charter schools believe that charters draw the top students from regular public schools, leaving behind the most vulnerable students to be educated, with fewer resources, and reducing the overall quality of public education.

The second-highest donor to the recall effort in San Francisco is David Sacks, the founding COO of PayPal and general partner at his venture capital fund, Craft Ventures, who contributed $75,000 to push out the three school board members, after bankrolling a failed effort to recall Gov Gavin Newsom.

Sacks, who has been vocal about his opposition to school closures and mask mandates, tweeted after the vote on Tuesday: 'Every child deserves a high-quality education. School boards and administrators work for parents and students, not the other way round. Competence matters more than ideology. That's what San Francisco voters affirmed tonight.'

Garry Tan, co-founder of Initialized Capital, contributed just over $25,000 to the recall effort. Tan began donating to local elections last year, pouring $50,000 into a campaign to recall the ultra-progressive San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who has been widely criticized as being soft-on-crime.

The mayor, one of the most prominent endorsers of the recall, praised the parents, saying they 'were fighting for what matters most - their children.'

Several of controversial tweets penned by Collins in December 2016 targeting Asian-Americans are pictured

Siva Raj, a father-of-two tech entrepreneur, helped launch the recall effort alongside his partner Autumn Looijen (pictured together)

The pressures of the pandemic and distance learning have made school board races a hot-button topic as frustrations over pandemic measures reach a boiling point.

In a statement on Wednesday, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said that San Francisco parents were standing up to have their voices heard.

'Over the past two years they have watched liberal school boards in their communities prioritize renaming schools over re-opening classrooms,' he said. 'School boards have used 'equity' and 'social justice' as an excuse to discriminate and lower standards for children. This is exactly what the San Francisco school board did and why three of their members were recalled in a landslide.'

Many commenters on Twitter greeted the news of the recall with glee, mixed with disbelief.

'There is hope for #California yet! Mindblowing that this is in #SanFrancisco!' tweeted one user. 'The recall votes were not even close. This was a powerful statement!'

Another weighed in: 'DANG I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS!! SUPER PROUD of California right now....and that is NOT a sentence I ever thought would be coming out of my mouth!'

In San Francisco, one of the nation's most liberal cities, the recall effort split Democrats. Breed, a Democrat, had criticized the school board for being distracted by 'political agendas.'

The ousted board members - Collins, Lopez and Moliga - had defended their records, saying they prioritized racial equity because that was what they were elected to do.

Both sides agreed that San Francisco's school board and the city itself had embarrassed itself under the national spotlight.

One of the first issues to grab national attention was the board's January 2021 decision to rename 44 schools they said honored public figures linked to racism, sexism and other injustices. On the list were Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and trailblazing US Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat.

Instead of consulting historians to inform their decisions, the committee members used inaccurate Wikipedia entries to justify renaming the schools.

Several citations used in the debate have now been proven to be factually incorrect, including a false claim that American poet James Russell Lowell did not want black people to vote and that Paul Revere's military activities were tied to 'the conquest of the Penobscot Indians'.

Activist and first-grade teacher Jeremiah Jeffries, who led the committee, is said to have 'ridiculed' a proposal to bring in historians for consultation.

Jeffries reportedly stated: 'What would be the point? History is written and documented pretty well across the board. And so, we don't need to belabor history in that regard. We're not debating that. There's no point in debating history in that regard. Either it happened or it didn't.'

He added: 'Based on our criteria, it's a very straightforward conversation. And so, no need to bring historians forward to say  they either pontificate and list a bunch of reasons why, or [say] they had great qualities. Neither are necessary in this discussion.'

The effort drew swift criticism and critics said it made a mockery of the country's racial reckoning. Angry parents asked why the board would waste time renaming schools when the priority needed to be reopening classrooms.

One of the first issues to grab national attention was the board's January 2021 decision to rename 44 schools they said honored public figures linked to racism, sexism and other injustices. On the list were Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and trailblazing U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein . Instead of consulting historians to inform their decisions, the committee members used inaccurate Wikipedia entries to justify renaming the schools. Activist and first-grade teacher Jeremiah Jeffries (pictured), who led the committee, is said to have 'ridiculed' a proposal to bring in historians for consultation

The school board's plan to scrap merit-based admissions at the elite Lowell High School, where most students are Asian, drew ire from local parents

After an uproar, the school board scrapped the plan.

Collins came under fire again for tweets she wrote in 2016 that were widely criticized as racist. In them Collins, who is black, said Asian Americans used 'white supremacist' thinking to get ahead and were racist toward black students.

Racism against Asian Americans has come under a renewed focus since reports of attacks and discrimination escalated with the spread of the coronavirus, which first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China.

Collins said the tweets were taken out of context and posted before she held her school board position. She refused to take them down or apologize for the wording and ignored calls to resign from parents, Breed and other public officials.

Collins turned around and sued the district and her colleagues for $87million, fueling yet another pandemic sideshow. The suit was later dismissed.

Moliga (far right) canvassed with Dr. Ponipate Rokolekutu, left, and Gaynor Siataga, right, before polls closed on Tuesday

Many Asian parents were already angered by the board's efforts to end merit-based admissions at the elite Lowell High School, where Asian students are the majority.

As a result, many Asian American residents were motivated to vote for the first time in a municipal election. The grassroots Chinese/API Voter Outreach Task Force, which formed in mid-December, said it registered 560 new Asian American voters.

Ann Hsu, a mother of two who helped found the task force, said many Chinese voters saw the effort to change the Lowell admissions system as a direct attack.

'It is so blatantly discriminatory against Asians,' she said. In the city's Chinese community, Lowell is viewed as a path children can take to success.
Nearly two-thirds of Britons believe Prince Andrew should lose his Duke of York title after settling US sex assault lawsuit, a YouGov poll reveals.

The survey, of 2,658 adults in Great Britain today, found some 62 per cent felt he should lose the title, despite Buckingham Palace saying earlier it has no plans to strip him of it.

The poll also revealed 82 per cent of the public thought Andrew should continue to lay low and not return to royal duties any time soon.

A number of locals in the city of York told MailOnline their views today, with an overwhelming majority feeling he should lose the title.

Bernard Oglesbee, 74, said: 'He should be stripped off his title definitely. He must be be guilty, or why pay all that money out?'

Wife Val, also 74, stormed: 'He should be stripped of everything. I have never liked him. I always thought he was a waste of space.'

James Green, 65, said: 'He absolutely should be stripped of all his titles including Duke of York. I don't think there is any doubt he is guilty. He has put his foot in it good and proper and he only has himself to blame.'

Annie Wells, 85, who is disabled, said: 'It is a good job he is the Queen's son. He would be locked up if he was anyone else. The only good thing I can say about him is he did serve with honours in the Falklands. But if ever shows his face in York I will beat him with my stick.'

Josh Savage, 36, said: 'Nothing has been totally proved yet, one way or another, and he is the Queen's son. But I think he might lose the title anyway.'

York florist Richard Bothamley added: 'I think he will lose the title. It has obviously done him a lot of harm. The whole thing is fiasco. I am quite a patriotic person. So I am pleased for the queen the court case has been resolved.

'But I don't think he should keep the title. Who would want him? It is not just this woman it was the circle of people he was mixing with. He has done some wonderful work. But you can't tell me he did not know what was going on.'

It comes as a palace source today told MailOnline the situation regarding his remaining titles 'remained unchanged'.

They also include that of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy and the role of Counsellor of State Today, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said any decisions on his military honorific 'rests obviously with the Palace'.

Earlier today, Cllr Darryl Smalley, Liberal Democrat executive member of City of York Council, joined Labour MP Rachael Maskell in demanding Andrew abandon his local links.

Fresh scrutiny has been placed on Prince Andrew's remaining military title - that of Vice Admiral in recognition of his service in the Navy

Mr Wallace was asked today if the Duke of York should be allowed to represent the military.

He told Sky News: 'Well I don't think he represents any of them at the moment,

'I think the Palace took a decision that those titles were to be removed from him, so I think he is effectively acting now as a private citizen in so far as both addressing the challenges and the allegations.

'There's been a, obviously, a payment and I think that is where he currently remains, that the decision on titles rests obviously with the Palace in the future, but I think it's been pretty clear that this settlement is a recognition that he wants to bring this to a close and also recognise as his statement says the suffering and the challenges that the victims have been through as a result of their allegations and their stand against the exploitation by [Jeffrey] Epstein.'

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, has called on Andrew to withdraw his Duke of York title to 'show respect' for its people.

Cllr Darryl Smalley, Liberal Democrat executive member for culture, leisure & communities at City of York Council, agreed.

He told York Mix: 'Having been stripped of his military roles and royal patronages by the Queen, this should be the end of his direct link with our great city.

'York's unique connection to the Crown and the monarch is an important part of our city's legacy, history and a great source of pride.'

Today, Ben Wallace said any decisions on titles 'rests obviously with the Palace in the future'

Meanwhile, Ms Maskell welcomed the Duke of York's pledge to donate money to Mrs Giuffre's charity which supports victims' rights, but said his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein had caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to York residents.

The MP's calls comes after Prince Andrew today settled the sexual abuse lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre after he agreed an undisclosed deal said to be worth 12million with his accuser without admitting her accusations.

Prince Andrew at York Racecourse to open the new weighing room in May 2015

The monarch is expected to foot part of the bill for her son's settlement in a bid to draw a line under it before her much-anticipated Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer.

But there is anger at how the Queen, 95, has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke of York, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid calls for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Sources also pointed out that while there will now be a 'period of silence' during the Jubilee celebrations when both parties will have to stick to the terms of yesterday's carefully-worded statement, Mrs Giuffre would then not be stopped from writing a lucrative book telling her story which could hit the shelves in time for Christmas.

Prince Charles was said to have been supported by the Queen in making it clear to Andrew that he had no choice but to settle with Mrs Giuffre, with one source telling MailOnline that Charles had 'had enough of the situation' and 'would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible'.

Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, said the royal's relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein had caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to York residents

A senior Royal Household member told the Standard that Charles and the Queen 'could not countenance another disastrous appearance by the Duke of York, in light of his BBC interview', adding: 'Decisive action was needed. There was little choice. He had to see sense.'

While Andrew is thought to be holed up at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor today, on the other side of the world a box of beers and a bouquet of flowers were being delivered to Mrs Giuffre and her husband Robert's home in Perth, Australia.

And her father Sky Roberts told the Sun: 'I knew he would settle out of court. That was a complete bluff. I think Virginia will be happy.'

Meanwhile, despite the settlement, it is feared that the scandal could still overshadow poignant Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the UK in the coming months. Also today, the Metropolitan Police said they have no plans to reopen their own probe into Andrew despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence after the deal.

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off and said 'I can't have this hanging over me for the rest of the year  I don't want you to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I'm the only royal who's lasted 70 years on the throne, and you've got to sort it out'.'

She added: 'I admire the Queen hugely as everybody does, and I don't want it to spoil anything for her, but I still think this is hanging over the country and the Royal Family and is going to go right through to the end of the year and maybe into next year, and there's no real way of cutting it off.

'Obviously that (a ban on Mrs Giuffre saying anything) was something that they could have put in the agreement and they haven't, and so it implies that there's a lot she (Mrs Giuffre) wants to say that Andrew will not want to hear.'

The prince pictured with his accuser Virginia Roberts and Ghislaine Maxwell

The settlement, which was agreed between lawyers in a sensational development yesterday, comes just weeks after Andrew vowed to contest the rape claims by Mrs Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, at a public trial.

Mrs Giuffre had alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew for unspecified damages in a New York civil court. But despite vowing to fight the claims and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.
The charity that manages Her Majesty's royal palaces has stopped selling replica antique swords and pistols online because it cannot guarantee that buyers are over 18.

Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), that looks after the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, suffered a computer glitch that has led them to remove the items.

The charity could not check whether those wanting to buy them were under 18 so has decided to take down the blunted weapons.

When it did offer them, the palaces said they would make the perfect gift for 'the lover of Medieval or Tudor history'.

Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), behind the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, had a glitch with computer background checks has led them to remove the items

When they were offering them, HRP had said they would make the perfect gift for 'the lover of Medieval or Tudor history'

A mother who lost her son to knife crime, questioned why anyone would need a full-sized sword - and why the palaces would sell them. Knife campaigners have also slammed the sales which they say are altogether unnecessary - as there has been a 29% increase in knife crime since 2011

A mother who lost her son to knife crime, questioned why anyone would need a full-sized sword - and why the palaces would sell them.

Michelle McPhillips' son Jonathan 'JJ' McPhillips, 28 was stabbed to death following a night out in February 2017.

Ms McPhillips said though the swords are ornamental and have been blunted by the palaces, they could 'cause damage'.

She added: 'If this was plunged into somebody it could kill them quite easily and if they were play fighting with the sword as well, that is when an accident could happen.

'No-one needs these sort of weapons as presents or as toys - there must be plenty of other stuff that they can sell showing our history rather than a sword.'

The royal palaces, which also manages Kensington Palace, the Banqueting House in Whitehall, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, relies on donations.

As part of its online gift shop, there is the arms and armour section which includes historic replica weapons made of stainless steel.

Online this replica sword can be bought for 175 from the Historic Royal Palaces website

The arms and armour section of the site includes historic replica weapons made of stainless steel. The website says: 'Discover our arms and armour gift collection, inspired by the famous 'Line of Kings' at the Tower of London'

The 225 Writhen Hilt Sword is one of several listed as blunt and for ornamental use only

Among items temporarily removed is a 180 Knight Templar Sword particularly favoured by Freemasons and Templars' sword that is 108cm long with a 85cm 'blade'. A Richard the Lionheart Sword was on sale for 200

The swords have been blunted, and cost usually around 200.

A Knight Templar Sword which is 108cm long with a 85cm blade costs 180, a Richard the Lionheart sword is being sold for 200, and a Writhen Hilt Sword is up for 225.

Replica pistols were also on offer including a replica Flintlock pistol for 55 and a Halberd Paper Knife for 6.99.

A halberd was a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries.

Its online description says: 'It had an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on a long shaft with a hook or thorn on the back side of the axe blade for grappling mounted combatants.

'This mini halberd paper knife is just as useful today, but for opening letters instead!'

Campaigners say that although the items are blunt, their sale should not be encouraged.

A halberd was a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries

It is illegal to sell swords with curved blades over 50cms in the UK, with some exceptions for antiques. Replicas are not subject to the same restrictions but carrying them to scare people or to carry out crime carries heavy penalties

According to the Ben Kinsella Trust, knife crime in England and Wales has gone up 29% since 2011.

There was a 12 per cent decrease in knife crime on the previous 12 months to September 2021, with knife crime actually falling for six quarters in a row.

However, since March 2011, there has been a 29 per cent increase in knife crime overall.

It is illegal to sell swords with curved blades over 50cms in the UK, with some exceptions for antiques.

Replicas are not subject to the same restrictions, but carrying them to scare people or to carry out crime carries heavy penalties.

A spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces said age verification was used to make sure the items were only sold to over 18s.

She added: 'These are historical replica items, for ornamental use only. We make this very clear on our website.

'They are manufactured blunt and come with safety warnings. They cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 18.'
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The Queen has admitted to feeling frail for the first time but managed a smile as she returned to work at Windsor Castle despite scandals engulfing Princes Charles and Andrew that threaten to overshadow her Jubilee year.

Her Majesty, 95, leaned on a walking stick as she told incoming Defence Services Secretary Major General Eldon Millar and his predecessor Rear Admiral James Macleod 'I can't move' in the Oak Room at her Berkshire home.

The monarch stood rooted to the spot and leaned on her cane as she pointed to her left leg or foot - but mustered a smile when the two men approached her and shook her hand.

The Queen is understood to have been feeling slightly stiff today, rather than having injured herself or being unwell.

The meeting marked her first in-person engagement since her Covid scare after coming into contact with her son Prince Charles two days before he tested positive.

Buckingham Palace has continued to refuse to confirm whether the Queen tested positive or negative for coronavirus, citing medical privacy, and saying last week she was not displaying any symptoms.

But she appears to have escaped the virus despite coming into contact with her son, whose wife Camilla has also since tested positive.

The monarch will have taken daily lateral flow tests over the past seven days, in keeping with current guidelines, and will have been closely monitored by her royal physicians. It is also not known whether she has self-isolated.

It comes amid a gruelling week for the head of state, with Prince Andrew finalising the settlement of a bombshell sex assault case against him yesterday.

Meanwhile the Met today launched a probe into a cash for honours scandal involving the Prince Charles's charitable foundation.

Elsewhere in royal chaos today:

Prince Andrew faces questions on how he has funded his 12million settlement with accuser Virginia Giuffre

It emerged the Queen and Charles had ordered him to sort out the impending sex case as soon as possible

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off'

Settlement with Giuffre reportedly includes clause that allows her to 'write tell-all book' on her ordeal

Royal experts said there will be no 'return to the fold' for embattled Duke and he should 'disappear for a year'

The Queen at an audience at Windsor Castle today where she met the incoming and outgoing Defence Service Secretaries

Queen Elizabeth II with Rear Admiral James Macleod (right) and Major General Eldon Millar (centre) at Windsor Castle today

Queen Elizabeth II with Rear Admiral James Macleod (centre) and Major General Eldon Millar (right) at Windsor Castle today

Dr Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, pictured meeting Prince Charles, is one of Britain's most generous benefactors

Prince Andrew left the Royals mired in scandal with a murky 12million settlement with Virginia Giuffre, a victim of one of his friends, the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew is pictured leaving Royal Lodge near his mother's home at Windsor Castle earlier this year

'Cash-for-honours' probe after Charles and ex-aide were reported to police The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into an alleged cash-for-honours scandal after the Prince of Wales and his former close confidant were reported to police over the claims. The pressure group Republic contacted Scotland Yard last September and reported both the future king and Michael Fawcett, Charles's former royal valet, on suspicion of breaching the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. At the time Clarence House said the prince had 'no knowledge' of the alleged cash-for-honours scandal. Mr Fawcett, who has since resigned as chief executive of Charles's charitable body The Prince's Foundation, was accused of promising to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a Saudi billionaire donor. Scotland Yard said in a statement: 'The Metropolitan Police Service has launched an investigation into allegations of offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. 'The decision follows an assessment of a September 2021 letter. This related to media reporting alleging offers of help were made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national. 'The Special Enquiry Team has conducted the assessment process which has included contacting those believed to hold relevant information. 'Officers liaised with The Prince's Foundation about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices. The foundation provided a number of relevant documents. 'These documents were reviewed alongside existing information. The assessment determined an investigation will commence. 'There have been no arrests or interviews under caution.' Charles is president of the foundation but not involved with its governance, with the charity's trustees overseeing its day-to-day activities. Clarence House reiterated its previous statement: 'The Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities.' Advertisement

The Queen welcomed Major General Millar and Rear Admiral Macleod into the Oak Room where she stood next to her desk earlier today.

She heard the pair walk past the room and exclaimed 'I'm here', adding: 'I thought you may have stayed in there for ages.'

A member of the royal staff introduces the Armed Forces chiefs as the 'incoming and outgoing Defence Services Secretary you Majesty'.

The monarch says 'good morning' and is asked 'how are you?' She says 'well, as you can see, I can't move' as she reaches out and shakes hands with her visitors.

Admiral Macleod tells her: 'Many congratulations on the start of your Jubilee year.' The Queen says: 'Well thank you very much indeed, that's very kind.'

Admiral Macleod continues: 'I noticed you've got Candy keeping guard because as we came down the corridor she was not going to let us get anywhere near you.'

She replies: 'Oh really?' Major General Millar says: 'She gave us a little growl as we came in yes.' Her Majesty says: 'Oh did she, she doesn't normally growl.' Admiral Macleod adds: 'She can obviously see through us.'

The Queen starts 'she's being rather, rather' but appears to lose her train of thought. The clip cuts to a later conversation between the trio where the Armed Forces chiefs thank her for the meeting.

The Queen wore a floral dress as she greeted the pair as Major General Millar prepares to take over from Rear Admiral Macleod.

Today's meeting came after she carried out her first official engagements yesterday since her coronavirus scare, although these were only virtual audiences from Windsor Castle with the Estonian and Spanish ambassadors.

The Defence Services Secretary is a member of the Royal Household, and they are the official link between the Queen and the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chiefs of Staff on all matters concerning the monarch's relationship with the armed forces.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman told MailOnline today: 'Rear Admiral James Macleod was received by The Queen this afternoon upon relinquishing his appointment as Defence Services Secretary. Major General Eldon Millar was received by The Queen upon assuming his appointment as Defence Services Secretary.'

And ITV royal editor Chris Ship tweeted: 'The Queen has held an audience in Windsor with outgoing and incoming Defence Services Secretaries.

'Beforehand, she would have read this morning's coverage of her son Prince Andrew's settlement with his accuser and been informed of the police probe into Prince Charles' charity.'

There would have been much for Major General Millar to discuss with the Queen, in the wake of Andrew losing his military titles.

Meanwhile the Duke of York agreed an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre yesterday, after she sued him claiming she was trafficked by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew's friend, to have sex with the royal when she was 17 and a minor under US law.

YESTERDAY -- The Queen receives the Ambassador of Spain, Jose Pascual Marco Martinez (centre), and Geraldine Dufort (left)

YESTERDAY -- The Queen appears on a screen via videolink from Windsor Castle in Berkshire during a virtual audience to receive the Ambassador of Estonia, Viljar Lubi (centre), and Maarja Junti (left) at Buckingham Palace in London

Full statement from both parties in Andrew's case Here is the full text of the statement regarding the out of court settlement reached between the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre. The statement was included in a letter submitted to US judge Lewis A Kaplan: 'Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. 'Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. 'Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.' Advertisement

There was fresh fury today amid claims the Queen contributed towards the estimated 12million deal agreed with his accuser.

The monarch is expected to foot part of the bill for her son's settlement in a bid to draw a line under it before her much-anticipated Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer.

But there is anger at how the Queen has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke of York, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid calls for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Sources also pointed out while there will now be a 'period of silence' during the Jubilee celebrations when both parties will have to stick to the terms of yesterday's carefully-worded statement, Mrs Giuffre would then not be stopped from writing a lucrative book telling her story which could hit the shelves in time for Christmas.

Prince Charles was said to have been supported by the Queen in making it clear to Andrew that he had no choice but to settle with Mrs Giuffre, with one source telling MailOnline that Charles had 'had enough of the situation' and 'would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible'.

A senior Royal Household member told the Standard that Charles and the Queen 'could not countenance another disastrous appearance by the Duke of York, in light of his BBC interview', adding: 'Decisive action was needed. There was little choice. He had to see sense.'

While Andrew is thought to be holed up at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor today, on the other side of the world a box of beers and a bouquet of flowers were being delivered to Mrs Giuffre and her husband Robert's home in Perth, Australia.

And her father Sky Roberts told the Sun: 'I knew he would settle out of court. That was a complete bluff. I think Virginia will be happy.'

Prince Andrew is pictured driving in Windsor on November 6 last year

Beers are delivered to Virginia and Robert Giuffre's home in Perth, Australia, today after the settlement was reached

A man delivers flowers to the home of Virginia and Robert Giuffre in Perth, Australia, today after the deal was announced

Virginia Giuffre, who used to be known as Virginia Roberts, is pictured in Perth, Australia, last week on February 8

Andrew should disappear for good: Duke's ex-Navy commander joins calls for 'rogue element' to never return as working royal Prince Andrew has been bombarded with demands to quietly retire in private and 'stay out of the public eye' after his reputation took an 'irreparable' battering from Virginia Giuffre's rape claims. The Duke of York was urged to surrender any notions of a royal return and 'move on' by friends and former colleagues because he has 'forever been tainted' by the dramatic scandal that plunged the monarchy into crisis. The 61-year-old needs to 'draw a line under this episode' and 'surround himself with better friends' after making 'some bad choices' such as his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, they warned. Navy top brass were among those calling on Andrew to keep out of the limelight in the wake of the bombshell allegations and settlement with his accuser - and now 'enjoy essentially what is a very good privileged lifestyle'. On Newsnight his former Naval Commander Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry pressed him to 'remember some of the things that we remember him for, for his earlier days' before he left military service and the damaging claims against him emerged. Meanwhile royal experts said there will be no 'return to the fold' for the embattled Duke - who was stripped of all his military roles and patronages earlier this year - and he should 'disappear for a year'. The commentators said they were sure Prince Charles will ram home the importance of 'keeping a very low profile' until the furore over the New York court saga dies down. But Labour MP for York Central Rachael Maskell does not want to let him off that easy as she renewed her calls for him to be stripped of his dukedom named after the city. She repeated a call made last month, saying the Prince should give up the association out of respect for the people who live there. Leading lawyers suggested the court of public opinion will have already drawn its own conclusions about the damaging accusations made against him and remember them for 'many, many years to come'. Advertisement

Meanwhile, despite the settlement, it is feared the scandal could still overshadow poignant Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the UK in the coming months.

Also today, the Metropolitan Police said they have no plans to reopen their own probe into Andrew despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence after the deal.

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off and said 'I can't have this hanging over me for the rest of the year  I don't want you to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I'm the only royal who's lasted 70 years on the throne, and you've got to sort it out'.'

She added: 'I admire the Queen hugely as everybody does, and I don't want it to spoil anything for her, but I still think this is hanging over the country and the Royal Family and is going to go right through to the end of the year and maybe into next year, and there's no real way of cutting it off. Obviously that (a ban on Mrs Giuffre saying anything) was something that they could have put in the agreement and they haven't, and so it implies that there's a lot she (Mrs Giuffre) wants to say that Andrew will not want to hear.'

The settlement, which was agreed between lawyers in a sensational development yesterday, comes just weeks after Andrew vowed to contest the rape claims by Mrs Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, at a public trial.

Mrs Giuffre had alleged she was forced to have sex with the Duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew for unspecified damages in a New York civil court.

But despite vowing to fight the claims and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the Prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.

It has been suggested the Queen has used her private income to help Andrew with his legal bills, and the Telegraph reported she would contribute to the settlement using income from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate.

However, Buckingham Palace would not comment on the claim - and courtiers have tried to distance the monarch from the US court case.

The Telegraph reported the total amount the victim and her charity will receive will actually exceed 12million, with the funds coming from the Duchy of Lancaster estate, which recently increased by 1.5million to more than 23million.

Andrew has been dogged by questions over the source of his wealth for years, and he is believed to have relied on handouts from the Queen, personal investments and bequests from family members such as the Queen Mother.

Graham Smith, from anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, insisted that taxpayers 'deserve to know where the money is coming from for a settlement, which we must assume is in the millions, if not tens of millions'.

Palace has NO plans to strip Andrew of his Duke of York title Buckingham Palace has no plans to strip Andrew of his Duke of York title despite growing calls from local politicians after he reached a settlement with his sex assault accuser, Virginia Giuffre. Today a palace source told MailOnline the situation regarding his remaining titles 'remained unchanged'. They also include that of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy and the role of Counsellor of State Today, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said any decisions on his military honorific 'rests obviously with the Palace'. Earlier today, Cllr Darryl Smalley, Liberal Democrat executive member of City of York Council, joined Labour MP Rachael Maskell in demanding Andrew abandon his local links. Mr Wallace was asked today if the Duke of York should be allowed to represent the military. He told Sky News: 'Well I don't think he represents any of them at the moment, 'I think the Palace took a decision that those titles were to be removed from him, so I think he is effectively acting now as a private citizen in so far as both addressing the challenges and the allegations. 'There's been a, obviously, a payment and I think that is where he currently remains, that the decision on titles rests obviously with the Palace in the future, but I think it's been pretty clear that this settlement is a recognition that he wants to bring this to a close and also recognise as his statement says the suffering and the challenges that the victims have been through as a result of their allegations and their stand against the exploitation by [Jeffrey] Epstein.' Advertisement

One source of Andrew's income may be the sale of Sunninghill Park, the 12-bedroom country house near Windsor which was a wedding gift from the Queen.

The vast property went unsold for five years before it was suddenly bought in 2007 for 15 million  3million over the asking price  by Timur Kulibayev, son-in-law of Andrew's friend Nursultan Nazarbayev, the former autocratic ruler of Kazakhstan.

Andrew now lives in Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, the former home of the Queen Mother, on a preferential but undisclosed 100-year lease from the Crown Estate.

He and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson share the sprawling grade II-listed house but could move out to minimise costs, although it would not bring them any extra income.

The Yorks bought an 18million ski chalet in the Swiss resort of Verbier in 2014 but put it on the market following a legal dispute with its former owner.

French socialite Isabelle de Rouvre took legal action after a final 5 million instalment on Chalet Helora was not paid, but said the debt was settled last year, clearing the way for it to be sold.

It was put on the market for around 18million, but it was not clear how much of the 13million mortgage remains.

The Metropolitan Police dropped its investigation into Andrew last October, saying they would take 'no further action' - but the latest development raises questions over whether he could still be quizzed, while FBI officials in the US also still want to talk to him as a witness to Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes.

Among those renewing calls for the case to be reopened is Nigel Cawthorne, Andrew's biographer, who told Newsweek: 'There should be a police investigation into Prince Andrew. There are a couple of outstanding matters.

'One is that the US Department of Justice has asked the British Government for their co-operation in interviewing Prince Andrew. The other is whether the new commissioner of the Metropolitan Police will investigate this matter.'

He added: 'There's no mention of how much money is involved or where he's going to get it from. He's not a wealthy man. As taxpayers we have the right to know. We want to know, is it coming out of my pocket?'

And former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt tweeted: 'With the Giuffre case settled, Prince Andrew can now focus on talking to the FBI about his friend Epstein - 818 days after he first promised to do so.'

MailOnline asked the Metropolitan Police whether they would now reopen the investigation following yesterday's settlement, but a spokesman said today: 'There is no change to our previous position.'

A joint statement issued yesterday by Virginia Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies, and Prince Andrew's lawyer, Andrew Brettler

A letter addressed to US judge Lewis A Kaplan, who has been overseeing the case, from David Boies, Virginia Giuffre's lawyer

Met Police WON'T reopen Prince Andrew sex abuse probe despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence The Met Police today said it has no plans to reopen the Prince Andrew sex abuse probe despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence following the Duke's deal with Virginia Giuffre. Britain's biggest force dropped its investigation into Andrew last October, saying they would take 'no further action' - but the latest development raised questions over whether he would still be quizzed. The Met ruled this out today, with a spokesman telling MailOnline: 'There is no change to our previous position.' FBI officials in the US still want to talk to Andrew as a witness to Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes. Among those renewing calls for the UK case to be reopened today was Nigel Cawthorne, Andrew's biographer. He told Newsweek: 'There should be a police investigation into Prince Andrew. There are a couple of outstanding matters. 'One is that the US Department of Justice has asked the British Government for their co-operation in interviewing Prince Andrew. 'The other is whether the new commissioner of the Metropolitan Police will investigate this matter.' He added: 'There's no mention of how much money is involved or where he's going to get it from. He's not a wealthy man. As taxpayers we have the right to know. We want to know, is it coming out of my pocket?' Advertisement

Royal expert Omid Scobie, who is the closest reporter to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, said: 'In the end, Andrew took accountability for nothing.

'Instead, he did what only the privileged elite get to do: bought his way out. In the process, he took advantage of his elderly mother's love (and cheque book) during a year her children should only be lifting her up. A disgrace.'

Another royal commentator, Adam Helliker, told the Sun that people will probably take offence to the Queen bailing out her son's settlement costs, adding: 'No one has that kind of money but his mother.

'Andrew is not close enough to the Prince of Wales for him to fund that kind of money. He doesn't have any income.'

And media lawyer Mark Stephens told BBC News: 'One of the key things that I think will have to be clarified by Prince Andrew's camp is the fact that he's paid this from his own resources.'

He added: 'Essentially he's managed to effectively immunise the wider Royal Family and more particularly his daughters against this court hearing.

'But he himself has metaphorically been consigned to an unheated tower at Balmoral never to wave from a royal balcony ever again.'

Mr Stephens said: 'If you look at his net worth, he's had to sell a house in order to fund this, and so I think that (12million) does look at about the right number.'

Meanwhile Mrs Giuffre will be banned from speaking publicly about her claims against Andrew until after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations under the terms of her settlement with the Duke.

Sources told the Times there would be a 'period of silence' when both parties would have to stick to the terms of a carefully worded statement.

Beyond the Jubilee celebrations however, Mrs Giuffre is expected to be allowed to public a book telling her story at the end of the year if she wishes to do so.

'Ordinarily, you would have a complete non-disclosure [agreement] on both sides,' lawyer Mitchell Epner told the Times.

He added: 'Since it's a settlement in the context of, on its face, an apology from Prince Andrew,' [he believes Mrs Giuffre] 'has agreed not to say anything [but] she will be in a position to write a book, probably for this Christmas season'.

Although the agreement contained no formal admission of liability from Andrew, or an apology, it said he now accepted Mrs Giuffre was a 'victim of abuse' and that he regretted his association with Epstein, the disgraced financier who trafficked countless young girls.

It also said the Prince accepted Mrs Giuffre, now 38, had been subjected to 'unfair public attacks' and that he had never intended to 'malign her character'.

This is despite a string of recent aggressive accusations made by his legal team that included referencing a story which branded Mrs Giuffre a 'money-hungry sex kitten'.

It is understood Andrew will now hand a large sum of cash to Mrs Giuffre and he has also agreed to make a 'substantial donation' to her charity in support of victims' rights.

Mrs Giuffre  who brought the lawsuit under her married name Virginia Giuffre  launched her legal action against Andrew in August, seeking unspecified damages for battery, including rape, and the infliction of emotional distress.

The Daily Mail revealed negotiations on a settlement have secretly been taking place since last month when a US judge refused to throw Miss Roberts' case out.

But her legal team were said to be surprised at the suddenness of Andrew's capitulation, with things taking a dramatic turn in recent days.

The prince, who was stripped of his remaining patronages earlier this year, has faced pressure from senior royals to resolve the lawsuit ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee later this year.

And while last night Buckingham Palace was said to be breathing a sigh of relief that the case will not go to trial, senior royal sources indicated there was now no way back to public life for the Duke.

One said: 'Regardless of the outcome, he has ruled himself out of any public role by virtue of his appalling lack of judgment and poor choice of friends and associates.'

Did Ghislaine's email about this picture sink Prince Andrew's case? Before he settled out of court last night, Prince Andrew was set to be dealt a major blow in his US sex case thanks to Ghislaine Maxwell. A leaked email from the prince's friend and now convicted sex trafficker appeared to confirm the authenticity of an infamous picture of the duke standing with his arm around his accuser, Virginia Roberts. The photograph, said to be taken in Maxwell's London townhouse in 2001, had been questioned by Andrew and just this week his legal team had demanded Miss Roberts turn over the original. The duke's legal team had claimed it might be a fake, but an email obtained by the Daily Mail shows that even Maxwell, who appears in the background of the photo, believes it to be real. In the message, sent in 2015, Maxwell says: 'It looks real. I think it is.' On a dramatic day of developments yesterday, it was claimed that Miss Roberts had lost the original copy of the image. But that was disputed by her legal team, who said the hard copy was with the FBI and that Miss Roberts misplaced a CD containing a copy of the image. The photo was set to be a key piece of evidence in her claims for battery and infliction of emotional distress against Andrew, 61, which he had denied. The duke's lawyers had lined up an image expert to cast doubt on the veracity of the photo. If Miss Roberts had not produced the original, Andrew's team could have argued copies could not be admitted as evidence as they could not be properly tested. Not being able to rely on the photograph as proof they met would have put a sizeable dint in his accuser's case. But in an email exchange seen by the Mail, the picture was discussed by Maxwell and Epstein's former lawyer, Alan Dershowitz. On January 10, 2015, Mr Dershowitz wrote: 'Dear G. Do you know whether the photo of Andrew and virginia is real? You are in the background.' Eleven minutes later, Maxwell replied: 'It looks real. I think it is.' The timing of the exchange is significant because days earlier Miss Roberts claimed for the first time in court papers that she had been forced to have sex with both Andrew and Mr Dershowitz. The allegation was struck out by a judge who branded it 'impertinent'. But it caused panic for Andrew and in emails previously reported by the BBC, he contacted Maxwell at 5.50am on January 3, 2015. The duke wrote: 'Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts.' Maxwell replied: 'Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.' Mr Dershowitz has vehemently denied having sex with Miss Roberts. Last year she dropped a battery allegation she filed against him after he claimed a civil settlement she signed with Epstein in 2009 gave him immunity. Miss Roberts is currently suing Mr Dershowitz for defamation, a case he is fighting. His lawyers did not respond to requests asking for comment. Advertisement

One other woman, Johanna Sjoberg, was revealed in 2019 to have accused Andrew of sexual misconduct when court papers in a 2015 defamation case involving Mrs Giuffre were unsealed.

She alleged he grabbed her breast in 2001 at the New York home of Epstein - something Buckingham Palace said at the time was 'categorically untrue'. There has been no indication that she may take legal action against Andrew.

Meanwhile Labour MP Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, said the Duke of York must withdraw his title to show 'respect' for people living in York in light of the settlement, adding that he had caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to residents of the city.

She said: 'It is to be welcomed that he has now pledged to support the fight against the evils of sex trafficking and its victims.

'To demonstrate his seriousness in this endeavour, and his respect for those affected by abuse and the people of our city, I would ask that his first act of contrition is to confirm his support for the withdrawal of his ducal title.'

There will also be fresh light thrown on the issue of the Queen's Counsellors of State - members of the Royal Family who stand in for her if she is unable to meet her duties as sovereign because she is unwell.

By law, they include the sovereign's spouse and the next four people in the line of succession who are over the age of 21 - which at the moment means Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Andrew and Prince Harry.

If the Queen falls ill and Charles and William are both out of the country or also ill, these duties would be passed to Andrew or Harry, which would be deeply embarrassing given that both are no longer involved in active royal life.

The newly-announced agreement contained no restatement of Andrew's previous denials of having had sex with Mrs Giuffre and the settlement means the prince will not have the chance to disprove her claims in court.

It comes just over a month after another of Epstein's victims exclusively told the Mail that Mrs Giuffre had admitted to her that she had slept with the prince in London in 2001.

Last night, Mrs Giuffre's lawyer David Boies said: 'It's a really great day. Virginia was thrilled when we told her the terms.

This has all come about over the past couple of days, it's been quite quick. I am not sure what changed from his side. I thought that this should have been settled when we brought the lawsuit.

'That's basically the end of the case. She will get paid the money in 30 days' time. I cannot comment on the amount or the terms, but it's a good day.'

Mr Boies had agreed to take on the case pro bono but it is unclear if he will still seek to recoup some of his legal costs from the duke.

A source who is familiar with the case said: 'Andrew moved so far, so fast from his position of deny, deny, deny. There were a lot of things looming for him.

'Things were starting to come out and Andrew knew what the case was against him.

'It's a princely amount, a very, very substantial amount of money split into two buckets: the settlement itself and the donation.'

Rachel Fiset, a senior partner at law firm Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman who specialises in defending white collar crime cases, suggested the total figure could be even higher than many others predict.

'A settlement that would cover Andrew's legal fees to take this case to trial alone, would be well into the millions,' she said.

'When you couple the price of litigation on both sides with the risk of embarrassing facts coming out for Andrew and a potential jury loss relating to the sexual assault of a minor by a Prince, the settlement amount is likely very high. My best guess puts the settlement amount somewhere between 20 and 30 million dollars.'

Meanwhile, a royal source said the Prince was guilty of 'inexcusably bad judgment' in both his association with Epstein and the way the allegations against him  which first surfaced more than seven years ago  were handled.

Just hours after Prince Andrew left the Royals mired in scandal with a murky 12million settlement with a victim of one of his paedophile friends, the new probe into Prince Charles's charity was announced.

Mr Fawcett (pictured) allegedly helped fix a CBE and British citizenship for billionaire Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, who donated more than 1.5 million to royal charities

Mr Fawcett and Prince Charles have been allies for years and go back decades together in the Royal Family and its traditions

Duke's ex-Navy commander joins calls for 'rogue element' to never return to life as working royal Prince Andrew has been bombarded with demands to quietly retire in private and 'stay out of the public eye' after his reputation took an 'irreparable' battering from Virginia Giuffre's rape claims. The Duke of York was urged to surrender any notions of a royal return and 'move on' by friends and former colleagues because he has 'forever been tainted' by the dramatic scandal that plunged the monarchy into crisis. The 61-year-old needs to 'draw a line under this episode' and 'surround himself with better friends' after making 'some bad choices' such as his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, they warned. Navy top brass were among those calling on Andrew to keep out of the limelight in the wake of the bombshell allegations and settlement with his accuser - and now 'enjoy essentially what is a very good privileged lifestyle'. On Newsnight his former Naval Commander Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry pressed him to 'remember some of the things that we remember him for, for his earlier days' before he left military service and the damaging claims against him emerged. Meanwhile royal experts said there will be no 'return to the fold' for the embattled Duke - who was stripped of all his military roles and patronages earlier this year - and he should 'disappear for a year'. The commentators said they were sure Prince Charles will ram home the importance of 'keeping a very low profile' until the furore over the New York court saga dies down. Advertisement

The Met's 'cash for honours' investigation - looking how a Saudi billionaire donor got a knighthood and UK citizenship - is sure to heap further embarrassment onto the Firm.

Charles, who had urged Andrew to settle with Virginia Giuffre for the sake of the family, is certain to be involved in the probe, which is also looking into his former aide Michael Fawcett.

Clarence House has already said he would assist, but the worry will be exactly what details Fawcett, for years a trusted ally, could disclose under pressure. They have denied Charles knew anything about the allegations being investigated.

A source told MailOnline the police had not contacted the prince or his household in making their assessment to start an investigation.

Fawcett stepped down in October amid claims he promised to help secure a CBE and British citizenship for Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz - a donor to the Prince's Foundation.

It was alleged that he paid thousands of pounds to 'fixers' with links to the prince who said they could secure him an honour in return for donations.

The criminal investigation piles more pressure onto the Queen on what should have been one of the proudest years of her reign.

Now after a Met special advisory team has assessed documents the force has launched an investigation into the Fawcett allegations of offences under the Honours Act.

It said it had acted after receiving letters in September - one believed to be from former Lib Dem MP Norman Baker - urging them to look into the claims.

Another from anti-monarchy pressure group Republic also reported both the future king and Mr Fawcett on suspicion of breaching the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.

Clarence House today stressed Charles had 'no knowledge' on allegations of offers of honours 'on the basis of donation to his charities'.

The Prince's spokespeople have previously said he would 'of course' be willing to assist any enquiry from the authorities.

A Met statement said: 'The decision follows an assessment of a September 2021 letter. This related to media reporting alleging offers of help were made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national.

'The Special Enquiry Team has conducted the assessment process which has included contacting those believed to hold relevant information.

'Officers liaised with The Prince's Foundation about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices. The Foundation provided a number of relevant documents.

'These documents were reviewed alongside existing information. The assessment determined an investigation will commence. There have been no arrests or interviews under caution.'

A probe last year concluded that Mr Fawcett did co-ordinate with 'fixers' over honours nominations for Mahfouz, who has donated more than 1.5 million to royal charities.

The Prince of Wales, 73, has insisted he had 'no knowledge' of the alleged deal, but he could still prove to be a vital witness, as he held private meetings with Dr Mahfouz at the British embassy in Saudi Arabia, in London and Scotland.

Michael Fawcett, for years a trusted ally of Prince Charles (pictured together in 2019) and former chief executive, resigned as chief executive of the Prince's Foundation earlier this month

A probe concluded that Mr Fawcett (pictured) did co-ordinate with 'fixers' over honours nominations for Mahfouz, who has donated more than 1.5 million to royal charities

The letters from Republic and a former MP Norman Baker reported Charles and Fawcett on suspicion of Honours Act breach

The key dates and paper trail linking Michael Fawcett to Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz April 2013 - Documents have shown a private exchange in which paid fixers for Dr Mahfouz state it is time to 'discover the protocol' for being awarded an MBE. They add that the Saudi billionaire also seeks British citizenship. May - The fixers introduce Dr Mahfouz to Ashe Windham, a former member of Charles' household and then chairman of the trustees at one of his Scottish residences, who tentatively asks for a donation. July - Dr Mahfouz donates 20,000 to the Castle of Mey. Mr Windham is then praised by Dr Mahfouz's fixers for 'brilliantly organising' a private trip to the residence in October. Having initially said he would be unable to organise a meeting between the Saudi and Prince Charles, Mr Windham changes tack following a lunch with Mr Fawcett and one of the fixers. A subsequent letter from Mr Windham to Dr Mahfouz says Prince Charles 'would like to find an opportunity to thank you in person' if he goes ahead with 'further support'. January 2014 - A fixer asks another 'what is happening and when?' in reference to the OBE. One of the fixers then writes to say the application process will begin imminently, before they receive confirmation of a meeting between Dr Mahfouz and Charles scheduled at Clarence House for March. March 27 - The meeting goes ahead as planned, with a letter showing one of Dr Mahfouz's fixers saying their friendship will 'lead to further very special personal and individual honours'. Dr Mahfouz also agrees to donate 1m to Dumfries House two weeks later, with Charles pledging to rename restored gardens at the residence as the Mahfouz Gardens. April 25 - A letter written by Mr Fawcett to a fixer states Prince Charles backs Dr Mahfouz's application for citizenship '100 per cent'. Charles' ally also writes to say the prince will thank him personally for his 'generous gifts'. June - Mahfouz donates 700,000 to Dumfries House. Preparations then begin for a secret meeting at Clarence House between Mr Fawcett and Dr Mahfouz's fixers. July - Mr Fawcett says he will 'contact the British ambassador' and note the important points that need to be made supporting the application for an OBE. A fixer also writes ahead of the meeting that the OBE is 'the first item on the agenda'. September 5 - The meeting takes place, with minutes showing Mr Fawcett agreeing to supervise the application, rather than being the main nominator'. 13 - A fixer says Dame Lynne Bradley is 'delighted to assist in any way', though Charles' aides want to see a draft before the letter of recommendation is sent to ensure it is 'tickety-boo'. 24 - The letter is finalised and Dame Lynne is instructed to address it to the British ambassador in Riyadh. Mr Fawcett receives the letter the next week with a supporting statement from Mr Windham. October 20 - Dr Mahfouz stays overnight at Dumfries House, before Mr Fawcett writes to thank him for his 'very lovely gift' that was 'totally unnecessary'. February 2015 - A fixer writes to Mr Windham that Charles has agreed to see Dr Mahfouz at the British embassy during a tour to the Middle East the next week. 9 - Richard Wildash, the deputy head of mission in Riyadh, writes to Mr Windham providing advice on where to direct the application - the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Whitehall. 10 - The pair meet. March 9 - Dame Lynne resubmits Dr Mahfouz's nomination to the FCO. November 23, 2016 - Dr Mahfouz is finally awarded the CBE in a private investiture at Clarence House. Advertisement

Clarence House has previously said Charles would 'of course' be willing to assist Scotland Yard detectives if asked to do so.

Dr Mahfouz received his CBE during a private ceremony at Clarence House in 2016.

A probe into fundraising practices was ordered by the Prince's Foundation and carried out independently by auditing firm Ernst & Young.

Its conclusion found that Mr Fawcett co-ordinated with 'fixers' over honours nominations for a Saudi billionaire donor to the foundation.

Mr Fawcett was also involved in directing money from the donor's foundation to another charity of which Charles was patron, it was revealed.

Last year Dame Sue Bruce, chair of the Prince's Foundation, described the recent crises surrounding the future king's charitable organisation as a 'difficult chapter', but said 'lessons will be learned' to ensure the charity acts with the 'utmost integrity and probity'.

A letter also emerged, written by Mr Fawcett to Dr Mahfouz in 2017, in which he said the Prince's Foundation would be 'happy and willing' to use its influence to help him.

The bombshell note, written on August 18, 2017, to Busief Lamlum, an aide to Dr Bin Mahfouz, says: 'In light of the ongoing and most recent generosity of His Excellency... I am happy to confirm to you, in confidence, that we are willing and happy to support and contribute to the application for Citizenship.

'I can further confirm that we are willing to make [an] application to increase His Excellency's honour from Honorary CBE to that of KBE in accordance with Her Majesty's Honours Committee.'

The sheikh received the honorary CBE, for services to charity, from Prince Charles in a private Buckingham Palace ceremony in 2016.

In the damning letter to Mr Lamlum obtained by the MoS Mr Fawcett makes no effort to disguise that support for the knighthood and citizenship application depends on Dr Bin Mahfouz's financial support.

Writing on headed notepaper in his then capacity as chief executive of the Dumfries House Trust, he said: 'Both of these applications will be made in response to the most recent and anticipated support [of] The Trust, and in connection with his ongoing commitment generally within the United Kingdom.

'I hope that this confirmation is sufficient in allowing us to go forward.'

Mr Fawcett was Charles's most indispensable aide over the decades, with the prince once saying: 'I can manage without just about anyone, except for Michael.'

The former royal valet quit twice before, including in 2003 when, as Charles's personal assistant, he was accused and cleared by an inquiry of selling royal gifts, but was revealed to have accepted valuable gifts from outsiders.

Ex-Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker has previously written to the Metropolitan Police asking them to launch a criminal investigation into the cash for honours claims.

Dame Cressida Dick said the Metropolitan Police had made 'initial inquiries' after receiving a letter regarding Michael Fawcett, who resigned as the Prince's Foundation's chief executive after a string of allegations.

Asked for an update during an LBC radio phone-in on Friday, Dame Cressida said: 'We have received a letter, as you say, we have been making some initial inquiries.

'We have not launched an investigation.

'If people out there have further material for us we will of course look at that, if there's further evidence.

'But at this stage, having considered the letter, made some initial inquiries and examined relevant legislation, some of which is in 1925 and some of which is the new bribery act, we have not launched an investigation.'

Clarence House today referred to a previous statement on the matter.

It read: 'The Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities.'

A spokesperson for The Prince's Foundation said: 'It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.'

In December Fawcett left roles at four more businesses associated with the future King.

Accounts registered with Companies House show that Mr Fawcett, who resigned as chief executive of the Prince's Foundation in November, has stepped down from businesses linked to Dumfries House, the Palladian mansion in Ayrshire bought by Charles in 2007.

As well as quitting Dumfries House Trust Trading Limited and Dumfries House Home Farm Ltd, he has left Dumfries Farming & Land, which bought land at Knockroon to help fund the 20 million purchase of nearby Dumfries House as a gift to the nation.

Mr Fawcett has also stepped back from his role as 'events manager' at A G Carrick, the retail arm of Highgrove, which is named after the pseudonym which Charles uses on his watercolour paintings.

The Duke of York was stripped of his honorary military roles by his mother last month. But his royal replacements in eight British regiments - including the prestigious post of Colonel of the Grenadier Guards - have yet to be announced.

Questions are also being raised over his service rank of Vice Admiral, but Buckingham Palace confirmed the situation has not changed and that the duke retains the rank.

As a former royal member of the armed forces who served in the Royal Navy, he was by convention promoted in line with his still-serving peers and made Vice Admiral by the Navy on his 55th birthday in 2015.

Other publicly unresolved issues surrounding the monarchy and the armed forces include the Duke of Sussex's former military titles.

Harry's previous roles - Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Force Commandant of the Royal Air Force Base Honington and Honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Naval Commands' Small Ships and Diving - have yet to be officially announced as having been passed on to other members of the family.

The Defence Services Secretary is on a three-year rotation.

The last time a new holder took on the appointment in 2019, the Queen held an audience with the incoming secretary, Rear Admiral Macleod, and the outgoing Air Vice-Marshal Garry Tunnicliffe.

But six days later, Andrew, in his role as Vice Admiral, received both of the military men at Buckingham Palace, in an official engagement recorded in the Court Circular in April 2019.

There will be no such audience in the wake of the Queen's meeting. The duke, who no longer uses his HRH style, does not carry out public duties, having been cast adrift from the monarchy as a result of the lawsuit.

It comes after Camilla, 74, on Monday tested positive for Covid days after Charles. Clarence House confirmed she had caught the virus for the first time  four days after the Prince of Wales tested positive for the second time.

The pair had carried out a series of official visits last week, with the duchess going to a sexual assault referral centre and community kitchen in London. She also attended a British Museum event with Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Concerns for the Queen first arose after it emerged she had been in direct contact with Charles two days before he tested positive on Thursday of last week.

Aides at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House declined this week to give a 'running commentary' on the health of the Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.

They did not reveal whether Charles and Camilla were isolating together on Valentine's Day.

The Duchess of Cornwall is triple-vaccinated and initially tested negative when her husband  also triple-vaccinated  received a positive result on a routine lateral flow test prior to a statue unveiling in Winchester to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. He is not understood to have been showing any symptoms.

After receiving the news, Camilla said she had 'luckily' returned a negative test and continued with a series of public engagements while Charles was forced to self-isolate.

Speaking during a visit to Thames Valley Partnership in Buckinghamshire later that day, the duchess said of her testing regime: 'I've taken it so many times.'

But there remained fears over the health of the Queen after she was visited by Charles at Windsor last Tuesday when he carried out an investiture on her behalf. It was the first time he had seen her since Christmas Day.

A source last week said the Queen was not displaying any symptoms following Charles' positive result but added that their meeting was 'recently enough to be relevant.'

Charles and Camilla spent the evening together on Wednesday at a British Asian Trust event where they were photographed mask-free alongside Mr Sunak and Miss Patel. Charles, 73, tested positive the following morning.

The Duchess of Cornwall continued with her programme of engagements towards the end of last week, sporting a mask when she visited community kitchen the Nourish Hub, in west London, on Thursday afternoon.

There, she spoke for the first time in public since the announcement that she will become Queen Consort when Charles accedes to the throne. Asked how she felt about it, Camilla said she was 'honoured and very touched.'

Camilla also wore a mask for some of her visit to Paddington Haven, a sexual assault referral centre in west London, the same day.

According to government guidelines, when Charles tested positive, Camilla was not required to self-isolate because she was fully-vaccinated.

Organisations visited by Camilla and those in attendance were informed of her positive result and the charities have been contacting any people who were in close contact.

The Queen's last official engagement before yesterday was with the Prime Minister on Wednesday evening of last week. No further engagements had been planned over the weekend.
Downing Street has demanded police keep secret hundreds of pictures handed to an official probe into the Partygate scandal, a leaked document revealed today.

Information shared with civil servants suggests that Scotland Yard will not identify by name anyone handed a fixed penalty notice (FPN) fine by the investigation into a string of events in No10 during lockdown.

But the message, seen by ITV News, suggests the Cabinet Office has asked the Metropolitan Police to also commit to not publishing any images handed to detectives if they would lead to people being identified.

The force has previously indicated that it has been given around 300, with Boris Johnson believed to be included in some of them.

Police officers investigating the Partygate scandal have reportedly been handed a photo of the Prime Minister holding a can of beer at his lockdown birthday party in June 2020.

The picture features the Prime Minister raising a can of Estrella standing next to Chancellor Rishi Sunak in the Downing Street Cabinet Room as he toasts towards the camera, according to the Mirror.

ITV cited the document as saying: 'The Met has said it has been handed more than 300 photographs as part of its investigation. Consistent with its indication that it will not publish the identities of anyone issued a FPN, we would not expect the Met to publish photographs. The Liaison Unit has asked the Met to confirm this.'

It comes after Downing Street said on Monday that the Prime Minister's responses to his police questionnaire into gatherings at No 10 will not be made public.

Boris Johnson, pictured here after the Cabinet reshuffle in February 2020, was allegedly photographed with a beer during his lockdown birthday party which is now being investigated

The photo was reportedly one collected during the inquiry being lead by civil servant Sue Gray (pictured leaving the Cabinet Office on Thursday morning)

But Boris Johnson insisted he will have 'a lot more' to say on the 'partygate' row once the police investigation is concluded.

The Met have sent the questionnaire to approximately 50 people as they investigate 12 gatherings in Downing Street and wider Government in an inquiry called Operation Hillman, which is examining whether Covid restrictions were broken.

The Prime Minister is alleged to have been at up to six of the events.

The Daily Telegraph reported that a Q&A sheet had been sent to Government officials caught up in the inquiry, detailing certain aspects of what information will and will not be published by the police over the course of their investigation.

The Met confirmed that a document had been drawn up by the Cabinet Office to brief staff, and that it was 'consulted on those aspects relevant to its investigation and legal processes'.

The newspaper cited the Q&A sheet as suggesting the Met would confirm the number of FPNs issued in relation to each gathering under investigation - if any - and give its reasons for imposing the fines, without identifying individuals.

It said one line in the document reads: 'The MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) approach during the pandemic has been to confirm the number of FPNs issued at particular events and to explain what those FPNs were issued for.'

On whether the Civil Service will 'make public' details of the fines, the Q&A sheet reportedly says: 'No. The Met will not publish the names of those who have received FPNs and the Civil Service will not know the details of recipients.'

The advice is said to have been sent to many officials interviewed by senior civil servant Sue Gray over the course of her inquiry into alleged lockdown-busting parties, or who attended gatherings now under investigation by the police.

The Telegraph said the Q&A sheet was drawn up by a Cabinet Office unit separate from Ms Gray's investigations team.

Asked about the reports, the Met said: 'This document was prepared by the Cabinet Office to brief staff. The MPS was consulted on those aspects relevant to its investigation and legal processes.'

The Cabinet Office declined to comment on a live investigation.
Frightening footage captured the moment a runaway truck tire shattered the windshield of a Pennsylvania cop car as the patrol officers sat inside monitoring traffic.

The bodycam and dashcam footage, released by the Spring Township Police Department, shows the patrol car sitting in the median as traffic whizzes by before a giant tire from an approaching pickup truck comes loose and zeroes in on the cruiser.

The tire rolls up on the hood and slams into the windshield, causing fragments of glass to spray the two officers.

The cops escaped serious injury, according to Chief Adam Salyards, who called the incident a 'freak accident.'

'Luckily, the tire struck the cruiser and then launched in the air off to the opposite side of the road instead of traveling into the opposite lane, and striking a moving vehicle coming in the other direction,' the department wrote Monday in a statement to social media.

'The cruiser suffered some extensive damage but both officers and the driver of the truck were not injured.'

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Police dashcam shows tire barreling toward cops before the moment of impact. The officers had been monitoring traffic from a median on Centre County's busy Zion Road

The frightening footage captured the moment the runaway truck tire, seen here before the moment of impact, smashed into the windshield of two Pennsylvania cops' patrol car while the officers were inside

The footage, released by the Spring Township Police Department, shows the tire, which had come loose off a passing pickup truck, bouncing quickly down the busy road in Bellefonte, Penn., before hitting a curb and smashing into the car's hood and windshield, cracking it

In the frightening clip, glass can be seen spraying into the front of the car during the initial impact, into the face's of the two officers

According to the department, the cruiser suffered 'extensive damage,' while both officers and the driver of the truck were miraculously not injured

The two officers identities were not released by the department.

The department did not have an estimate of repair costs for the patrol car, according to Salyards. The driver of the pickup truck was not issued a citation.

Both officers bodycams were on during the scary encounter, capturing different angles of the moment of impact.

The department did not have an estimate of repair costs for the damaged patrol car

They had been monitoring traffic from a median on Zion Road in the town of Bellefonte, approximately 150 miles east of Pittsburgh. The crash was also recorded on the car's dashcam.

The incident isn't the first time that a runaway truck tire caused mayhem in Pennsylvania.

In 2012, a tractor-trailer tire hit a Honda Accord after coming loose along I-76 in South Philadelphia. The driver was subsequently taken to the hospital with sever injuries, but survived the incident.

The tire crashed through the roof of the Philadelphia Housing Authority's Workforce Development Center, which was then evacuated. No one else was injured in the incident.

The driver of the 18-wheeler didn't realize he had lost a tire until he arrived at his destination in New Jersey, after hearing a radio news reports about a runaway tire and saw that he was missing one, spurring him to call Pennsylvania State Police.
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Londoners are using the Tube less on Mondays than they are throughout the rest of the week, in a sign that office staff are continuing to work from home at the start of the week.

Newly released Transport for London (TfL) data shows passenger numbers on the Underground network were 55 per cent of their pre-pandemic level on Monday February 7.

But as the week developed the figure increased to between 60 per cent or 61 per cent from Tuesday to Friday.

The pattern follows on from last week, when there were levels of 54 per cent on Monday, then 57 per cent or 59 per cent from Tuesday to Friday.

Separate figures from also show passenger levels on buses in the capital where lower on Monday than on Friday while other statistics show lower traffic levels in the capital on Monday compared to Tuesday.

The trend is not evident in the rest of the country. It comes as a report last month revealed that a quarter of small businesses will stick with working from home until at least April 2023, because of the substantial savings of not having to pay for office space.

Meanwhile, nearly two in five people currently working from home say they will never return to the office.

A survey carried out by YouGov last month found 71 per cent of people prefer to work from home and 58 per cent believe they are more productive when they do so.

But while some firms such as Nationwide Building Society say office staff will be allowed to work remotely even after the lifting of work from home guidance, other big city firms like JP Morgan have vowed to bring more staff back into the office if the Government changes its rules.

It comes as the Government last month scrapped its 'work at home' guidance, before later announcing plans to scrap all remaining Covid restrictions by the end of this month.

The move will be a big boost to coffee, grab-and-go, and hospitality businesses, which have all struggled to deal with the drop in trade with staff working from home.

Newly released Transport for London (TfL) data shows passenger numbers on the Underground network were 55 per cent of their pre-pandemic level on Monday February 7

It comes as a report last month revealed that a quarter of small businesses will stick with working from home until at least April 2023, because of the substantial savings of not having to pay for office space

Separate figures from the Department for Transport also show passenger levels on buses in the capital where lower on Monday than on Friday while other statistics show slightly lower (-1 per cent) traffic levels in the capital on Monday compared to Tuesday.

According to TfL data, released by the Department for Transport (DfT), passenger numbers on the Tube were 55 per cent of their pre-pandemic level on Monday February 7, compared with 60 per cent or 61 per cent from Tuesday to Friday.

End of self-isolation rules Q&A: Can companies force staff in even if they have Covid, and what can I do if I want to stay WFH? Richard Fox is an employment partner at Kingsley Napley If I get Covid can my boss force me into the office? This could raise an issue under health and safety at work legislation. Employers are responsible for the health and safety of all their employees, and if they force someone to come in and they or other staff suffer they could be liable. Employers can give ''lawful and reasonable'' instructions to their employees, but I would question whether this instruction would be a lawful and reasonable one depending on the circumstances. I suspect there will be some difficult situations to come. It's a big jump to say that people should come in when hitherto it has been unlawful to do, if they could work from home. Will I need to provide a doctor's note? The employer cannot force you back in if you're unwell. But if someone doesn't come in they can require within a certain number of days that the person gets a certificate from a GP saying whether they are fit to come into work. And the employer can also require the staff member to be seen to judge whether they are fit to return to work. What are my options if I want to stay working from home? You have the right to request flexible working, but you don't have the right to work flexibly - there's a crucial difference there. So if you request to continue working from home, there's a regimen the employer must go through with a corresponding timescale. But you'd expect there to be dialogue in most workplaces. The issue that employers need to be careful about is whether they are being discriminatory in how they apply the policy. So if an employee is vulnerable and has been working successfully for the last few years, the employer would need to tread carefully. What is the significance of self-isolation rules being axed? This is undoubtedly a big moment for employers. When the Government scraps COVID isolation rules, it means employers can no longer rely on Government regulation to provide the groundwork for a system of protection for their workers. Earlier than expected it seems employers are going to need to set the rules for themselves. It may be prudent for these to cover new more potent strains of COVID-19 that may come along or even other infections besides COVID-19. What will businesses have to do now? If they do not have appropriate policies already in place, employers may want to consider introducing 'infection policies' to set rules and standards for the entire organisation so everyone is clear. For a building contractor the rules may be different to a care home; office-based workplaces may have different rules and needs to a retailer. It may not be wise to leave it to individual managers to take a view on isolation and vaccine requirements for members of their own departments, as that could lead to legal risk for the employer. Advertisement

The previous week saw levels of 54 per cent on Monday, then 57 per cent or 59 per cent from Tuesday to Friday.

The Government announced on January 19 that it was dropping its advice for people in England to work from home.

In the week of the announcement, passenger numbers on the Underground averaged 46 per cent of pre-pandemic level on Monday, rising to 51 per cent by Friday.

The same pattern has occurred in each subsequent week, suggesting Monday is still many people's preferred day for avoiding the Tube.

The figures, from the Department for Transport, show a similar trend on London buses, though the overall percentages are higher and there is less of a contrast between the start and end of the week.

Passenger levels on buses in the capital were 75 per cent on Monday last week and had risen to 77 per cent by Friday.

In the week of the Government's announcement, the level was 71 per cent on Monday and had reached 73 per cent by Friday.

The trend is not evident in the rest of the country. Passenger numbers on bus services outside London were estimated to be at 77 per cent of pre-pandemic level on Monday and Friday last week, rising as high as 80 per cent on Tuesday.

The previous week saw 74 per cent on Monday and Friday, peaking at 77 per cent on Tuesday.

Provisional estimates for all national rail services in Britain show passenger numbers were at 62 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on Monday, Tuesday and Friday last week, with 63 per cent on Wednesday and Thursday - the highest percentages since Christmas.

It comes as figures from satnav firm TomTom show traffic levels in London on Monday were down slightly compared to Tuesday and Wednesday.

Figures show congestion levels were at 34 per cent in Monday rush hour, compared to 35 per cent at the same time on Tuesday and 37 per cent on Wednesday.

However figures were still down on pre-pandemic levels, when congestion at the same time in 2019 was 52 per cent at the same time on Monday and 53 per cent on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, mobility searches on Apple, which measures the number of searches for walking, driving and public transport routes, show how figures are up across the board in London today compared to last year.

Figures show a 61 per cent year on year increase on public transport in the capital, a 45 per cent increase in walking and 26 per cent driving.

In Manchester, walking route searches were up 113 per cent year on year, while public transport was up 60 per cent and driving up 35 per cent.

In Birmingham, public transport route searches were up 85 per cent year on year, while walking was up 77 per cent, and driving up 43 per cent.

It comes as a new report last month suggested a quarter of small businesses will stick with working from home until at least April 2023 despite a change in Government guidance, because of the substantial savings of not having to pay for office space.

Firms with fewer than 50 employees are saving an average of nearly 4,000 a month by not having to pay for an office, according to research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance, and are likely to stick to working from home well into next year.

The survey of more than 1,000 small business owners found that one in four had plans to continue working entirely from home until at least April next year, while a similar number were planning hybrid working.

Mobility searches on Apple, which measures the number of searches for walking, driving and public transport routes, show how figures are up across the board in London today compared to last year

In Manchester, walking route searches were up 113 per cent year on year, while public transport was up 60 per cent and driving up 35 per cent

In Birmingham, public transport route searches were up 85 per cent year on year, while walking was up 77 per cent, and driving up 43 per cent

Joanna Morris of Hitachi Capital Business Finance said: 'As the worst of the pandemic hopefully begins to fade, and the option of returning to a fixed workplace is put back on the table once again, we might expect to see most taking up this option and returning to normal.

Two out of five workers say they will carry on working from home for ever and nearly six out of 10 say WFH makes them more productive Nearly two in five people currently working from home say they will never return to the office. A new survey carried out this week shows 71 per cent of people prefer to work from home and 58 per cent believe they are more productive when they do so. The poll carried out by YouGov on behalf of The Times shows the scale of the challenge employers face in getting staff back to the office. Only nine per cent of workers have permanently returned to their desks since the government changed WFH advice last week. A quarter of those surveyed say they have returned part time, while 63 per cent are working remotely and 39 per cent will stay at home for good. The results will come as a concern to ministers who are keen to return to pre-pandemic levels of office work amid concerns over city centres and public transport systems. Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay has written to each department's permanent secretary, urging them to force civil servants back into the office. Separate figures by technology company Freespace revealed offices were busier on Tuesdays to Thursdays but largely empty on Mondays and Fridays in the past year. It comes after one of Britain's top female bosses warned women risk missing out on career opportunities by staying at home. Surveys carried out in recent months have found more men than women in London never want to WFH once the pandemic ends, while only one in ten women across the UK who are WFH plan to return to the office. Aviva chief executive Amanda Blanc, said she feared that if women continue to stay at home it would mean they are 'not around when some of the conversations are being had'. Ms Blanc, who is the Government's Women in Finance champion and was in the top 30 of Forbes' 100 most powerful women last year, said she wanted to 'create the right environment for women to flourish' in the sector. She added that it was complex for the insurance giant's 20,000 employees to come back into the office 'because they've got to plan their lives around how they're going to work, so the changing back and forth makes it difficult'. Advertisement

'However, this research reminds us that it may not be the perfect solution for everyone.

'As with every business decision that owners make, particularly over the past 18 months, a range of factors need to be taken into consideration first, with the bottom line understandably often given a heavier weighting.

'The one positive that has come from this particularly challenging period has been the requirement to be far more flexible and open minded than ever before, with changes to the business that will reap benefits in the long term.'

Union bosses have slammed the Prime Minister's 'insulting' language after he told people to get 'back to work' - and it seems city centres are unlikely to get back to normal for some time with some companies expected to wait months before bringing staff back in.

One Tory adviser told MailOnline that they had been into two Whitehall departments this week and found them almost deserted, saying: 'I saw four people while I was on one building. They need to be much tougher.'

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said last month that Government staff have been ordered to return to offices 'as soon as possible', telling the Evening Standard: 'Secretaries of State have been asked to ensure all Government offices are open so staff can return to normal working patterns as soon as possible. That is also being communicated to permanent secretaries. Obviously, all employers should continue to follow the guidance to ensure a safe return for all workers.'

Minutes after the PM's announcement in January the Cabinet Office emailed staff to say they were expected to start coming back in, and other departments are expected to do so today, according to The Times. But Government sources also pointed out that there were no proposals for targets on getting staff back in or how many days a week they would expected to do so.

Last month Government to encourage Britons to start commuting again by introducing a limited period of train fare discounts and launch a marketing campaign to remind people of the benefits of working in cities including London.

Business groups in London have also called on staff in Government departments to lead the way, saying a return of civil servants would be 'very positive' and they would 'like them to return to the city in greater numbers'.

Alexander Jan, chairman of the Central District Alliance, which represents businesses in normally-bustling areas such as Holborn and Bloomsbury, told MailOnline: 'People need to be encouraged and motivated, not simply ordered, to come back into central London. Seeing others returning, including the civil service, would be very positive, but importantly all workers need reassurance that their journeys back into the office will be as reliable as possible.

'There should be more security in funding for our transport networks, ensuring that train service levels are maintained and perhaps the introduction of incentives like half-price sales on season tickets for six months, to help people shift their habits for the wider good.'

When pressed by MailOnline if staff have returned to the office, a Home Office spokesman confirmed he was still WFH. He refused to say if he has received an email from senior mandarins telling civil servants to come back to Whitehall. He added that guidance throughout the pandemic had explicitly discouraged civil servants from 'coming into the office under any circumstances'.

The Department of Health and Social Care refused to say if staff have returned to the office. A spokesman from the FDA union representing civil servants did not know if mandarins had been instructed to come back in.

And Health Secretary Sajid Javid said his department could not get all their staff in because there is not enough space in their offices. Asked if he would have 100 per cent of civil servants back in the Department of Health this morning, he told Times Radio: 'No, because I didn't even have 100 per cent before that guidance, because one challenge I have in my department is that we've had to increase the size of the department in the pandemic and we don't have space for everyone.

'We don't have a situation where we have 100 per cent at any time, but in general people that were working from home during Plan B, they are starting to slowly come back, and we want to do that like any employer in a safe way possible, so plans are being put in place now so they can start coming back into work, work from their desks, if that's what they were doing before.'

The proportion of civil servants still working from home before Plan B guidance came in was as high as 80 per cent in the case of the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport - with the DCMS permanent secretary Sarah Healey accused last October of undermining attempts to get staff back into the office after saying she preferred working from home as it gave her more time to spend on her high-end Peloton exercise bike.

A survey by the FDA one year ago found 97 per cent of civil servants want to retain the option of working from home after the pandemic ends, and one senior minister said last October that some were not returning because they 'just want to save their lunch and train fares'.

Today, road congestion levels in London were at 72 per cent in the morning rush hour between 8am and 9am, slightly up from 71 per cent yesterday but a bigger rise on 66 per cent last Thursday, according to TomTom.

But it was more a mixed picture in other cities, with rush hour morning congestion in Birmingham, Leeds and Newcastle down compared to yesterday and last Thursday - while the figure in Manchester and Sheffield was down from yesterday but up on last Thursday.
Tate Britain's Rex Whistler restaurant will close after it was decided a mural featuring two slave boys that the artist painted nearly a century ago is too offensive for modern diners.

The venue, which first opened its doors in 1927 after Mr Whistler completed the works, had been closed since March 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

It emerged at the end of 2020 that its future was uncertain after it was slammed by a group of critics known collectively as 'The White Pube', sparking a review by the Tate's ethics committee.

The review, led by the committee's then-chair Dame Moya Greene, told the gallery board that members were, 'unequivocal in their view that the imagery of the work is offensive'.

On the back of this, the institution today confirmed that the restaurant will not re-open, but the mural - called 'The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats' - will remain.

The room containing the artwork, which was commissioned by the Tate in 1926, will instead be repurposed by a 'contemporary artist' who will create a new display to 'critically engage with the mural's history and content, including its racist imagery'.

Rex Whistler completed the piece aged 23, as a whimsical narrative charting an expedition in search of exotic meats.

The artwork features scenes showing two enslaved black children in chains, while another shows caricatured Chinese characters.

Tate Britain said in their statement that it was decided in 2020 that the room should no longer be used as a restaurant and added that the 'offensive nature' of the mural had been 'discussed over many years'.

The restaurant's page on the Tate's website, in which it was noted how it was once called the 'Most Amusing Room in Europe', has already been removed and replaced with a '404' error message.

Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain, said: 'The mural is part of our institutional and cultural history and we must take responsibility for it, but this new approach will also enable us to reflect the values and commitments we hold today and to bring new voices and ideas to the fore.'

Tate Britain's Rex Whistler restaurant is to permanently close after it was decided that the mural on its walls featuring enslaved children is too offensive

The venue, which first opened its doors in the 1927, had been closed since March 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Above: The artwork features scenes showing two enslaved black children in chains, while another shows caricatured Chinese characters

The mural was restored in 2013 as part of a 45million gallery refurbishment, but went under the microscope in July 2020 following a critique by the 'White Pube' critics.

The group - described by Vogue magazine as, 'self-styled cowboy critics shaking up the arts establishment' - slammed 'rich white people drinking wine with some choice slavery in the background.'

The criticism sparked Ms Green's review.

She added in her remarks that 'the offence is compounded by the use of the room as a restaurant'.

The committee noted the mural, 'is a work of art in the care of trustees and should not be altered or removed'.

The Tate said today that it's new plan for the Rex Whistler room was developed during 2021, when 'artists, art historians, cultural advisors, civic representatives and young practitioners' were called on to explore possible options.

The room containing the mural will open to the public next winter and the artist taking on the new project will be announced later.

The Tate said that the artist will create a 'site-specific installation' in the room, which will be joined by a new display of 'interpretative material' that will explore what is depicted on the mural.

It emerged at the end of 2020 that its future was uncertain after it was slammed by a group of critics known collectively as 'The White Pube', sparking a review by the Tate's ethics committee. In an angry Instagram, the group raged: 'How do these rich white people still choose to go there to drink from 'the capital's finest wine cellars' with some choice slavery in the background?'

As well as two boys in chains, the mural features another child wearing a top hat as he delivers a plate of food

After the White Pubes group slammed the mural in 2020, MP Diane Abott suggested the Tate move the restaurant

Whistler's life and career will also be explored.

Mr Farquharson added: 'The Rex Whistler mural presents a unique challenge. It has remained static on the walls of a restaurant for almost a century while the museum around it has constantly shifted.

Rex Whistler: The child prodigy who painted 'the most amusing room in Europe' Kent-born artist Rex Whistler. This self portrait is thought to have been painted in 1933 when Whistler was 28 years old Rex Whistler was one of the most admired artists in book illustration, theatre and film design - and was known for creating a mural for the Tate restaurant. The Kent-born child prodigy who drew portraits of his schoolteachers also designed adverts for Guinness and Shell and sets for film and theatre. Whistler was also hailed for his illustrations for Gulliver's Travels and Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales. One of his most famous projects was the mural at the Tate, which was labelled 'the most amusing room in Europe' when it opened in 1927. 'The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats' looks at seven explorers travelling by horse and cart and bicycles to save their people from living on dry biscuits. The story depicts an 'expedition' of a group of seven people departs in search of exotic meats. The mural depicts the 'enslavement of a black child and the distress of his mother' and later shows the child 'running behind a horse and cart which he is attached to by a chain around his neck' He devised the mural in collaboration with the artist Edith Olivier (1872-1948), whom he met in 1925. Through Edith, Whistler met Cecil Beaton, and the pair went on to become close friends. Whistler's elegant baroque designs and witty murals were held in high esteem, but his personal life was not so successful as he never found love. He died during the Second World War aged 39 on his first day of active service with the Welsh Guards in Normandy, France, in July 1944. Advertisement

'Tate Britain is now a place of everchanging displays and commissions, where the past and present are juxtaposed, and where art is open to all.'

Oxford University's Professor Amia Srinivasan who was a co-chair of the discussions about the mural's future, said: 'Conversations about the mural were open, rigorous, and filled with good-natured but deep disagreement: Would keeping the mural open to the public accentuate its power?

'Would shutting it off risk doing the same? Could the space be used by artists of colour as a creative site of reappropriation?

'Or would this unfairly burden them with a problem produced by a historically white institution?

'One of the few points of consensus was that Tate had to take ownership of its history, and that whatever decision was made had to be an invitation to a broader conversation, not the end of one.'

The other co-chair, David Dibosa, Reader in Museology at Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London, said: 'I stand side by side with those who seek to address the difficulties of the past honestly and fearlessly.

It takes enormous courage to face our faults and we need to make space for an open hearing.

'That's why I have taken part in these discussions and, even though it has not been easy, I can attest to the integrity of the work that has been done.

'With honesty, we can meet our friends and our critics and even our opponents, knowing that we are committed to safeguarding the rich legacy of art that we hold for generations to come.'

'The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats' looks at seven explorers travelling by horse and cart and bicycles to save their people from living on dry biscuits.

The mural lead to the restaurant being labelled 'the most amusing room in Europe' when it opened and became one of Whistler's most renowned pieces.

Whistler was killed leading his tank into action on his first day of active service in the Second World War.

The White Pube group was founded by art students Gabrielle de la Puente, from Liverpool, and Zarina Muhamma, from London.

On their website, they say they joined forces 'after a chat about exhibition reviews and how they were boringggg, said nothing, just bad chat by middle class white men.'

One of their Instagram posts reads: 'F**k the Police, F**k the State, F**k the Tate: Riots and Reform.'

After the group slammed the mural in the summer, MP Diane Abbott suggested the Tate move the restaurant.

She tweeted: 'I have eaten in Rex Whistler restaurant at Tate Britain. Had no idea famous mural had repellent images of black slaves.

'Museum management need to move the restaurant. Nobody should be eating surrounded by imagery of black slaves.'

An online petition to remove the mural raged: 'The reality of the room is truly grotesque. Where the older white demographic can go to enjoying their expensive gluttony whilst they view with amusement, a room purposefully painted with chained up black children.

'Sounds more like a concept for a horror film than what you would expect Britain's largest Art institution to offer up as an exclusive dining experience.'

In August 2020, Tate Britain removed a reference to the Rex Whistler restaurant as 'the most amusing room in Europe' following complaints about the mural.

In response, the Tate said it was, 'important to acknowledge the presence of offensive and unacceptable content and its relationship to racist and imperialist attitudes in the 1920s and today.

Before and after: The restaurant's page on the Tate's website, in which it was noted how it was once called the 'Most Amusing Room in Europe', has already been removed and replaced with a '404' error message. The page is seen above in 2020 and today

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) campaigners published a 'Topple The Racists' map in June which included the founder of the Tate Gallery.

The industrialist Henry Tate, while not a slave owner or slave trader, made his fortune as a sugar refiner - an industry built on the foundations of slavery.

Days later, the gallery pledged a 'commitment to combating racism'.

In a statement at the height of the BLM movement, the Tate said: 'The founding of our gallery and the building of its collection are intimately connected to Britain's colonial past, and we know there are uncomfortable images, ideas and histories in the past 500 years of art which need to be acknowledged and explored.

In August 2020, Tate Britain removed a reference to the Rex Whistler restaurant as 'the most amusing room in Europe' following complaints about the mural

'We also recognise the connection between our commitment to address the climate emergency and actions to combat social inequalities. This includes the intersections of race, gender, sexuality and class in the experience of inequality.

'We have a stated objective to become a more inclusive institution that reflects the world we live in now. But progress has not been fast or significant enough, so we are taking a number of actions in response.'

In a leaked letter in September 2020, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said that Government-funded museums and galleries risk losing taxpayer support if they remove artefacts.

Recipients included the British Museum, Tate galleries, Imperial War museums, National Portrait Gallery, National Museums Liverpool, the Royal Armouries, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the British Library.
By Kim Jeong-kyoo





One day last week, I had the opportunity to talk over a cup of coffee with a retired interrogator who had worked at an intelligence agency. As I was rather eager to acquire the ability to catch when people are fibbing, I felt elated as the expert introduced several ways to spot a liar. I was interested in the entirety of his talk, and here is the gist of what I heard.



He started out by saying that anybody can easily fall victim to lies. To keep from being a helpless victim of fraud or lies, we have to stay alert. One cannot tell at a glance that someone else is fibbing. Liars know how to disguise themselves.



As you can infer, our bodies react physically when we don't respond truthfully. Consequently, liars give away a cluster of signals or clues that show when they are not telling the truth. With slight caution, everyone can discover some clues that show when what's being said is not true.



You can discover clues that can help you catch people lying in their body language, facial expression, tone of voice, etc. For instance, you can feel what people are feeling or thinking by watching their eye movements. Liars avert their eyes or avoid making direct eye contact. They move their eyes around, while thinking about what to say next. Often, they dart a sly sideways glance at you, their eyes wandering restlessly. He added that a quick, sideways glance is one of the features that thieves and other crooks show.



Just like avoiding looking directly into your eyes, blinking too much or too little means they are fibbing. Typically, liars are inclined to try to control their eye movements to conceal their real feelings while they are fibbing.



Similarly, you can suspect that someone is lying if they touch their nose or cover their mouth. Liars look uncomfortable and anxious. Liars do not smile naturally. They force their smile. A truthful person smiles with their entire face. However, a false smile does not affect the eyes. Unlike when you smirk or simper on purpose, your smile will show in your mouth, but not in your eyes.



Also, you can regard someone who is chewing on their bottom lip as a person telling a lie. That action shows the person is incurring feelings of worry, fear or insecurity. People who cover their mouth may be trying to cover up dishonesty as well.



Liars have a tendency to purse their lips in disapproval when asked sensitive questions. Pursing one's lips means that one is thinking and does not want to engage in the conversation to avoid a possible slip of the tongue.



Liars give the shortest possible answers they can, like "yes" or "no" to avoid giving away any extra details. Or they may say succinctly, for instance, "Because I thought it was right!"



When people are lying, they are apt to change their voice, tone and cadence slightly. Also, they may start stuttering or stammering. Similarly, liars have a tendency to reiterate identical words repeatedly to defend, vindicate or clear their crime.



Detecting a lie is often impossible. You may never know for certain if someone is lying. When you feel suspicious of someone , however, refer to the clues mentioned above, like facial expressions and physical motions. Then, you might avoid falling for their lies.





The author (kimjstar@hanmail.net) lives in a rural village near Seoul, studying and teaching golf.


Some long Covid symptoms could be caused by the virus damaging a vital nerve, a study suggests.

Scientists believe inflammation to the vagus nerve could explain some of the broad and seemingly unrelated range of symptoms that can plague survivors months after beating the illness.

Long Covid, the umbrella term for symptoms ranging from neurological to digestive, heart and lung problems, has puzzled scientists throughout the pandemic.

The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body, connects vital organs including the brain, heart, lungs and intestines, and controls muscles used for swallowing. Experts describe it as the motorway of the nervous system.

Scientists from a hospital in Spain conducted tests on 350 long Covid patients and quizzed them on their symptoms to determine whether the nerve was linked to the lingering health problems.

Results from their preliminary analysis, based on 20 patients, shows symptoms such as gastrointestinal problems and an elevated heart rate were linked with damage to the vagus nerve.

The researchers said their findings, not published in full or peer-reviewed, suggest structural changes to the vagus nerve are a 'central' feature of long Covid.

Spanish scientists said Covid-triggered inflammation to the nerve may be behind long-lasting symptoms including gastrointestinal problems and an elevated heart rate

What is Long Covid? As of January 2, an estimated 1.33million people in the UK were estimated to have long Covid. Long Covid is an informal term, used to describe ongoing symptoms following a Covid infection that go on longer than four weeks, according to the ONS. A dizzying array of symptoms have been attributed to long Covid, including: extreme tiredness (fatigue)

shortness of breath

chest pain or tightness

problems with memory and concentration ('brain fog')

difficulty sleeping (insomnia)

heart palpitations

dizziness

pins and needles

joint pain

depression and anxiety

tinnitus, earaches

feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite

a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste

rashes There is no cure for the condition though the NHS does recommend a number of treatments designed to help alleviate the symptoms. Advertisement

Damage to the blood vessels caused by the coronavirus has also been heavily linked to long Covid.

Official estimates show around 1.3million Britons, 2.1 per cent of the population, have long Covid-like symptoms that last at least four weeks after infection.

But because the condition is hard to define and figures are based on self-reported symptoms, it is hard to know exactly how many people are affected by the condition.

Fatigue, shortness of breath and loss of smell or taste are the most common ongoing symptoms.

To examine the role of the vagus nerve  roughly 3mm in diameter  in long Covid, medics at University Hospital Germans in Badalona recruited 348 sufferers.

Two-thirds of the group had symptoms similar to those who had damaged the nerve  which usually occurs through surgery, physical injury or a tumour.

These included diarrhoea, an elevated heart rate, dizziness, difficulty swallowing, voice problems and low blood pressure.

Further tests of 22 patients also showed that slightly more than a quarter had a thickened or inflamed vagus nerve.

Almost all of them, however, suffered symptoms relating to vagus nerve dysfunction, including diarrhoea, an elevated heart rate and dizziness.

Dr Gemma Llados and Dr Lourdes Mateu, medics at hospital and authors of the study, said the results show most long Covid patients with symptoms of vagus nerve damage had changes in the structure or function of their nerve.

'Our findings so far thus point at vagus nerve dysfunction as a central pathophysiological feature of long Covid,' they added.

The findings were presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Dr David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School who was not involved in the study, said it adds to growing evidence that at least some long Covid symptoms are 'mediated through a direct impact on the nervous system'.

He said: 'It is entirely possible that people susceptible to nerve damage are at the greatest risk of developing long Covid.

'In this case this observation tells us little more than nerve damage is a result of Covid, this is greater in those with long Covid and the damage is easy to detect in a long, complex nerve.'

But Dr Strain noted that not all persistent symptoms post-infection will be linked with this nerve, so more investigation is needed into the triggers of brain fog and muscle aches.

He said drugs used to treat vagus nerve damage could be considered for long Covid.
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At least 44 people have been killed in Brazil as devastating mudslides and floods swept through a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state, local authorities confirmed.

The city of Petropolis was struck by a deluge on Tuesday, and Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said the number of dead could rise as rescuers picked through the wreckage.

A total of 21 people have been recovered alive as civilians joined the official recovery efforts early Wednesday.

Among them were Priscila Neves and her siblings, who looked through the mud for any sign of their disappeared parents, but found only clothing. Neves said she had given up hope of finding her parents alive.

The state fire department said late Tuesday the area saw 25.8cm (just over 10in) of rain fall within three hours on Tuesday - almost as much as during the previous 30 days combined.

Governor Claudio Castro said the situation was 'almost like war' and that all the state government's heavy machinery was being called in to help dig out the buried area in a desperate hunt for survivors.

He told journalists that soldiers were already working in the stricken region, which saw more than 900 deaths from heavy rainfall in January 2011.

Video posted on social media showed cars and houses being dragged away by landslides, and water swirling through Petropolis and neighbouring districts.

Rosilene Virgilio, 49, was in tears as she recalled the pleas for help from a woman she could not save.

'Yesterday there was a woman screaming, "Help! Get me out of here!" But we couldn't do anything; the water was gushing out, the mud was gushing out,' Virgilio told The Associated Press.

'Our city unfortunately is finished.'

An aerial view shows the extent of the damage caused by a landslide in the Brazilian city of Petropolis which has killed at least 44 people

Rescue workers and residents look for victims in an area affected by landslides in Petropolis, Brazil. Heavy rains set off mudslides and floods in a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state, killing multiple people, authorities reported

An aerial view on the damage caused by the heavy rains that affect the city of Petropolis where at least 44 people have been killed

Houses were damaged in the landslides which have killed at least 44 people in a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state

A man reacts as he looks for his relatives at a mudslide at Morro da Oficina after pouring rains in Petropolis, Brazil. The death toll from the devastating mudslides and floods that swept through a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state has reached 44, local authorities said

Residents embrace as they wait for a report for missing relatives in the affected area. Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said the number of dead could rise as searchers picked through the wreckage

People react as they look for victims at a mudslide at Morro da Oficina after pouring rains in Petropolis

People and rescue workers are seen at the site of the landslides searching for survivors after 30 days' worth of rain fell in just three hours

A fire services rescue team in a helicopter looking for survivors. The state fire department said late Tuesday the area saw 25.8cm (just over 10in) of rain fall within three hours on Tuesday - almost as much as during the previous 30 days combined

A car was submerged in deep flood water after more than ten inches of rain fell in a three hour period on Tuesday

Governor Claudio Castro was speaking to reporters from the scene when he was interrupted by a man carrying a dog which was covered in mud.

Mr Castro said: 'Our work now is to try to find survivors in this horror scene, to clean and to rescue any bodies that are here.'

Aerial footage revealed the extent of the damage in the mountainous region, with houses ripped apart, trees pulled down and buses destroyed, while rescue workers and local residents could be seen trying to dig for survivors underneath the rubble.

Other people worked to remove the mud from outside houses as others lifted dogs to safety.

More aerial footage showed water flowing down the side of a mountain and ripping through the area, with some houses left hanging over the edge already torn apart by the devastating landslide.

The Globo television network showed houses buried beneath mud in areas firefighters had not yet been able to access.

Several streets remained inaccessible Wednesday as cars and household goods piled up, blocking access to higher parts of the city.

'The neighbours came down running and I gave them shelter,' bar owner Emerson Torre, 39, recalled.

But under torrents of water, his roof collapsed.

He managed to get his mother and three other people out of the bar in time, but one neighbour and the person's daughter were unable to escape.

Video posted on social media showed cars and houses being dragged away by landslides, and water swirling through Petropolis and neighbouring districts

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on a trip to Russia, said on Twitter that he instructed his ministers to deliver immediate support to the afflicted

A rescue worker holds a dog at a site of a mudslide at Morro da Oficina after pouring rains in Petropolis, Brazil

A member of the fire services rescue team lifts rubble to look for survivors of mudslides that have killed at least 44 people in Brazil

Rescue workers using a sniffer dog look for victims in an area affected by the landslides. Extremely heavy rain set of the mudslides and flooding in the mountainous region

A man rescues a dog amid the damage caused by the heavy rains that affected the city of Petropolis, in Brazil

Videos posted on social media showed cars and houses being dragged away by the water and leaving a trail of destruction in the area

'It was like an avalanche, it fell all at once. I've never seen anything like it,' Mr Torre said as rescue helicopters hovered overhead.

'Every neighbour has lost a loved one, has lost two, three, four members of the same family, kids.'

Petropolis' city hall declared three days of mourning.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on a trip to Russia, said on Twitter that he instructed his ministers to deliver immediate support to the afflicted.

'May God comfort the family members of the victims,' he wrote.

One resident, speaking to Brazilian media, said: '[The rain] arrived by surprise, it started raining gradually, the wall here in front was taking everything, the water pressure was taking everything, everybody on this street had 100% damage, it was very difficult.'

Another resident, battling tears, added: 'The water was two metres high, very much, lots of water, lots of water, nobody has seen this.

'We've never seen anything like what happened here yesterday. I don't know what to say, we lost everything.'

Another video, filmed in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, shows water flowing down from the mountain and flooding restaurants in the city.

Petropolis is a German-influenced city named for a former emperor.

Nestled in the mountains above the coastal metropolis, for almost two centuries it has been a refuge for people escaping summer heat and tourists keen to explore Brazil's 'Imperial City'.

It features stately mansions along its waterways, but its mountainsides are covered with homes packed tightly together, some of which lack proper foundations.

Southeastern Brazil has been punished with heavy rains since the start of the year, with more than 40 deaths recorded between incidents in Minas Gerais state in early January and Sao Paulo state later the same month.

Rescue workers walk at a site of a mudslide at Morro da Oficina after pouring rains in Petropolis, Brazil, on Wednesday

An aerial view on the damage caused by the heavy rains that affect the city of Petropolis where at least 44 people have been killed

Several streets remained inaccessible Wednesday as cars and household goods piled up, blocking access to higher parts of the city
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leading a cadre of Democrats in Israel this week where she promised an ironclad alliance between the two nations in their fight against Iran.

'We are together in the fight against terrorism posed by Iran, both in the region and also its nuclear development. The nuclear threat by Iran is a global one. It is a threat to the world,' the California Democrat said in a ceremony at the Knesset on Wednesday.

'Israel's proximity to Iran is a concern to all of us and a responsibility for all of us,' she said.

Pelosi is joined on the trip by fellow Democrats Adam Schiff, Ted Deutch, Barbara Lee, Bill Keating, Eric Swalwell and Andy Kim, all of whom are strong supporters of Israel.

The speaker said the delegation shows the U.S.'s 'bipartisan commitment to an unbreakable bond between Israel and the United States built on mutual security, our economic interests and our common values and commitment to democracy.'

The Democrats' trip to Israel is part and parcel to the party in-fighting between progressives and establishment Democrats ahead of midterm elections where Republicans have a shot at making gains. Thirty Democrats have already announced they will retire rather than take on a re-election campaign.

Just over the weekend, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that Palestinian children are being put in cages by Israelis in the West Bank.

Pelosi, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, right, attend a joint meeting with speaker of the Knesset Mickey Levy, left, at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, Israel, Wednesday, Feb. 16

'We are together in the fight against terrorism posed by Iran, both in the region and also its nuclear development. The nuclear threat by Iran is a global one. It is a threat to the world,' the California Democrat said

'Israel's proximity to Iran is a concern to all of us and a responsibility for all of us,' Pelosi added

Talks have been ongoing in Vienna about reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, with Iran a mere months away from gathering enough fuel to create a bomb. The U.S. unilaterally left the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 and impose strict sanctions on Iran that remain in place.

Israeli diplomats traveled to Vienna Tuesday to meet with negotiators involved, though Israel is not a party to the discussions.

Three U.S. negotiators have already resign in protest as they argued for a harder negotiating position. The U.S. State Department subsequently waived sanctions on Iran's civil nuclear program in hopes that Tehran will return to the 2015 agreement.

The removal of sanctions would see the release of Iran's frozen funds held abroad, estimated at some $29 billion about a one third of what's held abroad by the country.

Iran would once against be allowed to trade with the rest of the world use global banking systems such as SWIFT to wire money.

Sanctions against exports of Iranian oil would also be removed. Foreign firms would once again be allowed to invest in Iran's commodities of oil and gas, automobiles, hotels and other sectors.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed over the weekend that children are being put in cages by Israelis in the West Bank, as she said the media 'censors' Palestinian concerns.

'With media, with all this stuff, Palestine is basically a banned word. It's censored. We don't talk about it. No one knows about it,' she said at a rally in Austin, Texas. 'Thank you for bringing it up, honestly, because we shouldn't have to tiptoe around these things. We should be able to talk about it. And we shouldn't allow people's humanity to be censored.'

She pushed back on charges of anti-semitism leveled against some of Israel's biggest critics in the House, such as Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.

'Believing in the basic human dignity and the ability for a person to not be jailed or beaten for who they are, it does not mean that you are bigoted against any other community,' Ocasio-Cortez said, according to Jewish Insider. 'And we gotta call that for what it is.'

She compared the treatment of Palestinians by Israelis in the West Bank to treatment of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border. 'I don't believe that a child should be in a cage on our border and I don't believe a child should be in a cage in the West Bank.'
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Secretary of State Blinken said Wednesday the U.S. had not seen any pullback in Russian forces from the Ukrainian border

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that Russian fighter jets came within five feet of US spy planes over the Mediterranean at the weekend during heightened tensions over the Ukraine standoff.

Three Russian Su-35 jet fighters crossed three U.S. P-8A surveillance aircraft three times in international waters on Friday night and Saturday morning, defense officials said.

Tracking data shared by Flightradar24.com showed American surveillance planes still conducting operations over Europe on Wednesday while U.S. defense officials said the threat of invasion was still imminent.

The latest revelation came as the White House said there was no evidence Vladimir Putin is pulling his troops back from the Ukrainian border and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Russia was advancing military units.

Kristina Kvien, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, on Wednesday referred to Russia as 'bullies' and said Russian President Vladimir Putin was not bluffing by amassing thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border.

'I fear he's not,' said Kristina Kvien, the charge d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Ukraine, in comments to Fox News.

She spoke from Lviv, near the border, where the U.S. has relocated diplomatic personnel from the embassy in Kiev.

Blinken said Wednesday morning that Vladimir Putin is moving critical military units towards the border with Ukraine and has seen no evidence of Russia's claims it is pulling troops back.

Blinken added the West 'needs to see the opposite' of the Kremlin's motives and warned Moscow could still 'pull the trigger' at any time.

His comments came as the White House scrambled to find a diplomatic solution after President Biden on Tuesday vowed to defend NATO allies and warned Moscow he would respond 'forcefully' if America or its citizens were attacked.

The White House also dispatched officials to the Middle East to urge Saudi Arabia to pump more oil with a Russian invasion of Ukraine set to cause gas prices to surge even further .

President Biden will also hold a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday after his trip to Moscow while the Kremlin's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov said he was 'puzzled' by the 'hysteria' over the possibility of a military conflict.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg echoed Blinken's assessment about troops.

'We have not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces. That contradicts the message of real diplomatic efforts,' he told reporters. 'They have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way. So far, there is no de-escalation.'

Ukrainians also defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity to coincide with the rumored date of Putin's invasion.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said 'we can defend our home only if we stay united.'

'There's what Russia says and then there's what Russia does, and we haven't seen any pullback of its forces,' Blinken said Wednesday on NBC's Morning Joe.

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that Russian fighter jets came within five feet of US spy planes over the Mediterranean at the weekend during heightened tensions over the Ukraine standoff. Pictured above is a Russian Su-35 jet, the same as the one involved in the incident

Three Russian Su-35 jet fighters crossed three U.S. P-8A surveillance aircraft (above) three times in international waters on Friday night and Saturday morning, defense officials said

Blinken said Russian troops 'remain massed in a very threatening way along Ukraine's borders. It would be good if they followed through on what they said, but so far we haven't seen it.'

'We continue to see not only these forces mass, we continue to see critical units moving toward the border, not away from the border. So, what we need to see is exactly the opposite. We need to see these forces moving away,' Blinken added.

He said President Vladimir Putin could 'pull the trigger' at any time  in further comments to ABC's 'Good Morning America', appearing on a day that had been forecast for a possible invasion.

He said forces 'that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine' continued to 'mass at the border' and that the U.S. had seen 'no meaningful pullback'

'We said that we were in a window of time in which the invasion could come at any time. President Putin's put in place the capacity to act on very short notice. He could pull the trigger,' Blinken said. 'He could pull it today. He could pull it tomorrow. He could pull it next week. The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine.'

His remarks come a day after President Joe Biden said the U.S. has been unable to verify the Russian claims  and said used a number for the estimated Russian troop level that was 20,000 higher than the previous figure.

After mentioning a Russian Defense Ministry statement about moving some units back to their bases, Biden said: 'That would be good, but we have not yet verified that. We have not yet verified that Russian military units are returning to their home bases. Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position. And the fact remains: Right now, Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine in Belarus and along Ukraines border.'

The U.S. has been unable to verify Russian claims that it was pulling back some forces. Moscow released footage showing tanks from units of the Western Military District returning to their bases

Flight radars show a US spy plane flying over the Mediterranean and Ukraine on Wednesday

Russian units leaving Crimea are moving back to their bases in South Ossetia and Dagestan, Moscow says, while some troops are also being moved - albeit not very far away

Ukrainian fighter-bomb jets take part in training exercises Povursk airfield in the country's west as national 'unity day' protests take place in defiance of Russian threats

A Ukrainian tank takes part in live-fire drills near the city of Rivne, in the country's west, on Thursday as thousands of Russian troops mass in the east

Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division establish an operating base near Zamosc, Poland. They are among the troops President Biden deployed to Eastern Europe to back up NATO allies

US soldiers disembark from a C-17 Globemaster cargo plane on the tarmac of Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, south eastern Poland, on Wednesday

U.S. officials have pointed to a number of factors Moscow may be assessing as it continues to mass troops, including the need to have enough frozen ground to move its heavy armor.

But Russia's ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, added another factor in comments to German paper Die Welt. 'Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday,' he said.

'As far as Russia is concerned, I can assure you that there will be no attack this Wednesday,' he added. 'There will be no escalation in the coming week either, or in the week after that, or in the coming month.'

U.S. officials are unlikely to take any of Moscow's claims at face value. State Department spokesman Ned Price spoke repeatedly about Russian 'disinformation' in comments to CNN Wednesday.

'We know the Russian playbook. We know the Russians engaged in misinformation and disinformation. We have good reason to believe the Russians are saying one thing and doing another in an effort to obfuscate an effort to hide the truth,' Price said.

Sergei Lavrov, who has been leading negotiations with NATO and the US, said in Moscow on Wednesday that 'hysteria' over an invasion is 'puzzling' to Russia while accusing the allies of trying to dictate where Putin can position troops on his own territory.

He spoke after the UK on Tuesday threatened to block Russian companies from raising capital in London and to expose the owners of properties and companies - a loophole that some Russians use to hide wealth in this country.

His comments mark the opening salvo of renewed negotiations between East and West over the fate of Ukraine, after Moscow said Tuesday that it was withdrawing some forces and was ready to talk about new European security treaties.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said earlier today that he has seen no sign that Russia's withdrawal is genuine, rubbishing videos of tanks being taken away as routine troop movements. Russia actually appears to be increasing its forces, he added.

'If they really start to withdraw , that's something we will welcome. But that remains to be seen,' he added while sitting down for a NATO summit in Brussels on next moves. 'Just seeing the movement of battle tanks doesn't confirm a real withdrawal.'

Ben Wallace, UK defence secretary, sounded a similar note of caution as he arrived for the summit - saying that Russia's forces remain at a high level of readiness that can be maintained for 'weeks' as talks resume at the barrel of a gun.

A Ukrainian tank takes part in live-fire exercises near the city of Rivne, in the country's west, amid continued fears that Russia is positioning itself to attack

Ukrainian soldiers carrying anti-tank weapons take part in a joint drill with an armoured vehicle in western Ukraine

Tank shells explode as they hit fake vehicles during target practice by Ukraine's military near the city of Rivne today

Hundreds of Ukrainians unfurled a 650ft flag at Kiev's Olympic Stadium as part of 'unity day' celebrations on Wednesday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at a military drill for Ukrainian soldiers to show his support

Zelenskiy examines weapons as he attends tactical military exercises held by the country's armed forces at a training ground in Rivne, in the country's west

Ukrainian soldiers pose for a photo in Odessa, southern Ukraine, during 'unity day' celebrations in defiance of Russia

Underlining concerns about the Russian 'withdrawal', analysts from Conflict Intelligence Team - a respected group which tracks Russian military movements - said forces being withdrawn from Crimea will actually be moved closer to Ukraine.

Moscow says the units are being moved to their 'home bases', but the homes of at least three of the four units leaving Crimea are as close or closer than their current position relative to Ukraine.

Izvestia newspaper reported that units of the 3rd, 42nd and 150th Motorised Rifle Divisions are being sent back to their permanent bases.

Yet the 3rd is based at Valuyki and Boguchar, respectively 15 and 42 miles from the Ukrainian border in Belgorod and Voronezh regions respectively.

The 150th is based in Novocherkassk, Rostov region, some 31 miles from the border.

The troops will be as close - or closer - to the border at their permanent barracks.

Of the three named divisions being pulled out of Crimea, only the 42nd - in Chechnya - is a substantial distance from Ukraine, some 700 miles away.

It comes a day after Putin said he is willing to engage in negotiations with the West over security guarantees designed to ease sky-high tensions.

Both Mr Stoltenburg and Mr Wallace did welcome the change in tone from Moscow, while pointing out that the crisis is far from over.

'There's over 100 battalion tactical groups of the Russian ground forces, that's 60 per cent of the entire Russian land combat power on the borders of Ukraine,' Mr Wallace said.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister and chief negotiator, has threatened the UK with like-for-like 'retaliation' if fresh sanctions are imposed on Moscow over Ukraine

Russia has released footage of tanks being 'withdrawn' from Crimea, though NATO says it has seen no sign they are heading away from the front

Ukrainian fighter planes take part in live-fire drills at the Povursk airfield in western Ukraine as they prepare for the possibility of an invasion by Russia

A Ukrainian fighter jet is pictured on the runway at Povursk airfield as it takes part in live-fire drills on Wednesday

 Slide me  A fake column of tanks is destroyed by Ukrainian jets during training exercises on Wednesday, amid the threat of invasion

The view from a cockpit of a Ukrainian fighter shows other jets flying in formation during drills in the country's west today

'130,000-plus troops, both in Belarus and indeed Ukraine, but also out at sea there's effectively a significant flotilla of Russian and amphibious landing ships, and indeed war ships and missile ships.

'From a Ukrainian point of view they're fairly surrounded by a very large force of ready troops. That continues, they haven't taken the foot of the gas.'

He added: 'That's why we're all here at Nato today and tomorrow to try and work together to reduce tensions and try and de-escalate.'

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, added his voice to the chorus - saying he hasn't seen 'any withdrawal yet'.

Putin wants Ukraine to be banned from joining NATO and for the alliance to withdraw troops from ex-Soviet states.

Both of those demands have been dismissed but a range of other compromises have been offered on arms control, transparency around missile deployments, and information-sharing on military drills that Putin has said he is willing to discuss.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister and chief negotiator, has said a 10-page response to NATO's offers has been prepared though not yet sent.

Kyiv Mayor Wladimir Klitschko has said that he hopes for a 'last-minute' diplomatic solution between Russia and Ukraine.

The former heavyweight champion of the world told LBC that he hoped that Russia would not invade his country on Wednesday.

'It is the first time in the history of Ukraine that so many Russian soldiers stayed at the border', he said.

'The risk (of) aggression towards Ukraine is pretty big. We prepare for any scenario.

'We do not know how the situation will develop but we hope that the invasion does not happen, and that at the last minute we have a diplomatic solution.'

Meanwhile the former head of MI6 Sir John Sawers said that the threat of a 'full-blooded' Russian invasion has now 'receded' after Putin made 'a number of important gains' in the military standoff.

Images released by Russia show tanks being loaded on to train transports as Moscow claims they are heading back to their permanent bases

A Russian tanks sits on a train transport as Moscow says forces are being moved away from the front, though doubts have been raised by NATO

Ukraine tests tank-buster missile sent by Britain Troops in Ukraine fired anti-tank weapons in exercises yesterday as the country continued to prepare for a possible invasion by Russia. It comes after the UK last month gave 2,000 NLAW anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. The troops carrying out test-firing in the eastern Donetsk region yesterday were using NLAWs but it was unclear if these were British weapons. It was part of a series of drills by Ukraine in recent days. Military commanders had issued a statement on Sunday insisting they were ready to see off the Russian threat. They boasted of their Stinger and Javelin missiles, saying: 'We are ready to meet the enemy  and not with flowers but with Stingers, Javelins and NLAWs.' Advertisement

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir John said that invasion was always 'very risky' for Putin and the threat of an attack was perhaps not as real as some governments had made out.

'I don't think that President Putin ever decided to invade the country and, indeed, I think it would always have been a very risky course for him to have taken,' he said.

'But I think Russia has also come out of this with a number of important gains,' he added, saying it has got Russia's security concerns back to the top of the international security agenda, the Ukrainians have been intimidated and Europeans have been reminded how dependent they are on Russian gas.

Sir John added: 'I think in some ways President Putin will think he's ahead on points on this and he still has various military options which he can use in Ukraine.

'I think the risk of full-blooded invasion ... was never quite as high as was being portrayed by some Western governments, but I think that has receded.'

Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly sought to project calm but also strength during the crisis.

In an apparent show of defiance, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Wednesday would be a 'day of national unity,' calling on citizens to display the blue-and-yellow flag and sing the national anthem in the face of 'hybrid threats.'

Even amid the glimmers of hope, Biden said 150,000 Russian forces are now massed near Ukraine and in neighboring Belarus - an increase from an earlier U.S. estimate of 130,000 troops.

Russia's claim that it pulled back troops 'would be good, but we have not yet verified that,' Biden said. 'Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.'

Russia has denied having any invasion plans. It wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe.

The U.S. and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but they offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.

Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures - issues that Moscow put on the table years ago.

He said Russia is open to discuss 'some of those elements,' but added that it would do so only in combination 'with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.'

While Scholz reiterated that NATO's eastward expansion 'is not on the agenda - everyone knows that very well,' Putin retorted that Moscow will not be assuaged by such assurances.

'They are telling us it won't happen tomorrow,' Putin said. 'Well, when will it happen? The day after tomorrow? What does it change for us in the historic perspective? Nothing.'

Scholz also said diplomatic options are 'far from exhausted,' and he praised the announcement of a troop withdrawal as a 'good signal,' adding: 'We hope that more will follow.'

The Russian Defense Ministry released images of tanks and howitzers rolling onto railway platforms and more tanks rolling across snowy fields.

It did not disclose where or when the images were taken, or where the vehicles were headed, other than 'to places of permanent deployment.'

Russian tanks in Crimea begin returning to their home bases after training exercises, as Putin signals he is ready to start talking with the West

Ukrainians gather around a huge flagpole in the city of Kramatorsk, near the breakaway region of Donetsk, to celebrate a national 'unity day' in defiance of Russian threats

A child walks underneath a giant Ukrainian flag in the city of Sievierodonetsk, near the breakaway region of Luhansk, during a national 'unity day'

Russian Navy vessel Dmitry Rogachev sails through the Bosphorus Strait via Turkey on its way to the Black Sea amid warnings that Putin continues to build his forces

Ukraine expressed skepticism.

'We won't believe when we hear, we'll believe when we see,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

And NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that there have been no signs, so far, of a reduced military presence on Ukraine's borders.

Meanwhile, a series of cyberattacks knocked out the websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry and major banks.

There was no indication that the relatively low-level denial-of-service attacks might be a smoke screen for more serious cyber mischief.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. has not yet determined who was behind the attacks.

Despite the worst East-West tensions in decades, few Russians expect a war. In a village in Russia's Belgorod region, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Ukraine's border, residents carried on with life as usual, even as more military personnel have been passing through village streets.

'We are really on the border, we really have relatives here and there, everyone has somebody' on the Ukrainian side, villager Lyudmila Nechvolod said. 'No one wants war.'

Russian lawmakers urged Putin to recognize rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine as independent states. The State Duma, Russia's lower house, voted to submit an appeal to Putin to that effect.

Putin said the request reflects the Russian public's sympathy for the suffering of people trapped in the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed over 14,000 since 2014.

He noted, however, that Russia continues to believe a 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany should serve as the main vehicle for a settlement of the separatist conflict.

Russian military vehicles are seen leaving Crimea across a bridge connecting it with mainland Russia, amid a rumoured drawn-down of forces

Images put out by the Russian ministry of defence appear to show tanks leaving the frontlines near Ukraine, though western leaders say the overall threat remains the same

Tanks are seen during a media tour at the Malyshev transport engineering plant in Ukraine

Military vehicles leaving Crimea appear to have hit a Lada on a bridge connecting it with the Russian mainland on Wednesday

West risks Russian ire with plans to deploy 4,000 troops on Europe's south-eastern borders



Western defence ministers are set to meet in Brussels today to discuss plans to reinforce eastern Europe with more NATO troops despite Russia's apparent willingness to withdraw from the border with Ukraine. The plan would see four fresh battlegroups of 1,000 troops deploy along the alliance's eastern front, firstly in Romania, in a move that directly contravenes Russia's security demand that the West reduces its military presence along its border. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the proposal is being drawn up due to Russia's recent aggression near Ukraine and its 'lasting impact of the security situation in Europe'. But there are fears that the plans will anger Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, just as Moscow has declared it does not want a war in Ukraine and began withdrawing armoured vehicles from the frontline. The planned deployment of up to 4,000 NATO troops marks the alliance's biggest show of aggression towards Russia in six years. Western defence ministers are set to discuss plans to reinforce eastern Europe with more NATO troops despite Russia's apparent willingness to withdraw from the border with Ukraine. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg (left) said the proposal is being drawn up due to Russia's recent aggression near Ukraine and its 'lasting impact of the security situation in Europe' (Boris Johnson pictured right) There are fears that the plans will anger Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, just as Moscow has declared it does not want a war in Ukraine and began withdrawing armoured vehicles from the frontline The plan would see up to four fresh battlegroups of troops deploy along the alliance's eastern front, firstly in Romania, in a move that directly contravenes Russia's security demand that the West reduces its military presence along its border (Ukrainian troops pictured Feb 10, 2022) Discussions around the proposal to introduce more NATO troops in eastern Europe comes as Moscow began withdrawing armoured vehicles from the frontline (Russian armoured vehicles are loaded onto railway platforms after the end of military drills in South Russia - Feb. 15, 2022) The plans come as an extension of a 2016 agreement which saw the alliance deploy battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. The new deployment would be led primarily by France, who would install troops in Romania, and a NATO-commanded Bulgarian battle group in Bulgaria. Stoltenberg said: 'NATO is not only responding to the current crisis but we are also going to consider more long-term adjustments to our posture in the east. 'Defence ministers will address the need to further increase our defensive posture... it will take some time until we have all the decisions in place.' Some NATO countries are reluctant to host allied battlegroups however, with Hungarian President Viktor Orban and Defence Minister Tibor Benko recently declining to accept troops. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next Now Putin plays the peacemaker amid doubts over his... Ukraine is hit by huge cyber attack targeting the ministry... Share this article Share Hungary enjoys relatively strong relations with Russia despite being a member state of NATO, and is heavily reliant on Moscow for its supply of gas, as well as technical and financial support with its nuclear energy programme. Nevertheless, Western defence ministers are expected to give the green light to military commanders who will come up with a detailed plan for the strategic deployment of the four new battle groups. The move could give Moscow cause for alarm as it would signal to Putin that NATO has no plans to consider Russia's security demands - a key obstacle to calming tensions between the East and the West. In a list of contentious demands submitted in December, Russian authorities requested guarantees from NATO and Western powers that Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations would not be admitted to the alliance. Moscow also demanded that NATO halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe. Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benko (L) last month declared that there is no need for NATO to deploy its troops in Hungary amid tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine, while Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Putin earlier this month to discuss increasing gas imports. Hungary enjoys relatively strong relations with Russia despite being a member state of NATO, and is heavily reliant on Moscow for its supply of gas, as well as technical and financial support with its nuclear energy programme The US, UK and Western allies have offered to engage Russia in talks on how to reach a mutually agreed upon security deal. But the plans set to be discussed today in Brussels would clearly signal a rejection of some of Moscow's most important demands. Speaking after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday, Putin said the West agreed to discuss a ban on missile deployment to Europe and added that Russia is open to discuss 'some of those elements,' but insisted it would do so only in combination 'with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.' Asked if there could be a war in Europe, Putin said Russia doesn't want it but that Ukraine's bid to join NATO posed a major security threat to his country and that Western leaders had not yet given a constructive response on the matter. 'Of course we don't want war,' the President said. 'This is exactly why we put forward the proposal to start the negotiation process where the result should be an agreement ensuring equal security of everyone, including our country. 'Unfortunately there was no constructive response to this proposal.' Footage emerged today of Russian armoured vehicles being withdrawn from Crimea and Southern Russia where they were engaged in large scale military drills, with Russian authorities assuring that troops are being pulled back from Ukraine's borders German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) is pictured sitting down with Putin (left) in the Kremlin yesterday. Scholz is the latest foreign leader to be given the 'long table treatment' - for talks aimed at deescalating the crisis Footage emerged today of Russian armoured vehicles being withdrawn from Crimea and Southern Russia where they were engaged in large scale military drills, with Russian authorities assuring that troops are being pulled back from Ukraine's borders. But the apparent military scale-back is being treated with extreme scepticism in the West, where intelligence agencies suspect is could be part of a ruse to launch a smaller military operation in the regions of Eastern Ukraine where Russian separatists are fighting. US President Joe Biden said Russia's claims of withdrawal 'would be good, but we have not yet verified that.' 'Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position.' 'Ukraine is not threatening Russia. Neither the US nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not, do not have plans to put them there as well. We are not targeting the people of Russia. We do not seek to destabilise Russia.' Russia's apparent military scale-back is being treated with extreme scepticism in the West, where intelligence agencies suspect is could be part of a ruse to launch a smaller military operation in the regions of Eastern Ukraine where Russian separatists are fighting (left: Joe Biden, right: Boris Johnson) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused Putin of sending mixed messages, and said: 'The intelligence we are seeing today is still not encouraging. You have got more battalion tactical groups being brought closer to the border. What everybody needs to see is a programme of de-escalation.' Ukraine also expressed scepticism about Russia's statements of a pullback. 'We won't believe when we hear, we'll believe when we see. When we see troops pulling out, we'll believe in de-escalation,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. Stoltenberg said that 'so far, we have not seen any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine,' adding that the alliance wants to see a 'significant and enduring withdrawal' of forces, troops and heavy equipment.

By David Averre For Mailonline
Hunter Biden's baby mama has testified before a federal grand jury investigating him for alleged tax crimes, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

Lunden Roberts, 30, joins a growing list of former business partners and associates who have been subpoenaed to give evidence in the Department of Justice's secretive three-year probe into Hunter's murky financial affairs.

As well as having a three-year-old daughter with the President's son, whom he refuses to publicly acknowledge, Roberts spent more than a year working in a junior position at his investment firm, Rosemont Seneca.

She also chased Hunter through the courts for 10 months after he claimed in 2019 that he was too poor to pay child support despite living in a $12,000-per-month Hollywood rental and driving a Porsche.

Roberts gave evidence at a federal courthouse in Joe Biden's home state of Delaware for several hours on Tuesday morning. Details of grand jury testimony remain secret and the single mom declined to speak about the case with a DailyMail.com reporter as she left.

Lunden Roberts gave evidence at a federal courthouse in Joe Biden's home state of Delaware for several hours on Tuesday morning

Roberts, 30, was subpoenaed to give evidence in the Department of Justice's secretive three-year probe into Hunter's murky financial affairs

Details of grand jury testimony remain secret and the single mom declined to speak about the case with a DailyMail.com reporter as she left

DailyMail.com revealed last year that Hunter, 52, not only had an affair with Roberts, he once hired her to work at Rosemont Seneca, his Washington, D.C.-based investment firm that now finds itself in the crosshairs of the federal inquiry

Scandal-plagued Hunter claimed in his 2021 memoir that he had 'no recollection' of Roberts, nor the 'encounter' that led to the birth of their daughter, Navy Joan, in 2018.

And he has never mentioned the little girl's name in public despite paying her mom a reported $2.5 million settlement after a court-ordered DNA test proved he was the dad.

DailyMail.com revealed last year that Hunter, 52, not only had an affair with Roberts, he once hired her to work at Rosemont Seneca, his Washington, D.C.-based investment firm that now finds itself in the crosshairs of the federal inquiry.

Rosemont Seneca was one of a handful of companies listed in a May 2019 grand jury subpoena that ordered JP Morgan Chase to hand over records of transactions between Hunter's various ventures and the Bank of China for the previous five years.

It also asked for similar 'records, documents and accounts' related to James Biden, the President's brother, and Hunter's former business partners Eric Schwerin and Devon Archer, both founding partners at Rosemont Seneca.

Archer's attorney, Matthew Schwartz, confirmed that his client had 'cooperated completely' with the DOJ after the subpoena was leaked online last month by conservative research group Marco Polo.

The document offered the first real clues as to the specifics of Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss's probe, which was launched in late 2018 but controversially kept under wraps until weeks after the 2020 Presidential election, supposedly to avoid becoming a campaign issue.

CNN has reported that the investigation is focused on Hunter's business dealings in China while Politico claims it relates to whether he paid taxes on all of his income.

'I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs,' Hunter announced in December 2020.

'I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors.'

Roberts was not named in the 2019 subpoena and her involvement remained a secret until she was compelled to attend the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in downtown Wilmington.

Lunden and Hunter conceived Navy Joan  the fourth of his five children - around December 2017 while he was still in a relationship with his brother Beau's widow, Hallie Biden. Lunden is seen with Navy Joans in 2021

Texts messages from Hunter's abandoned laptop show Lunden informed him about the baby's due date and pleaded for help in caring for the child multiple times in 2018, but her messages went ignored

In his memoir Hunter referred to Lunden as 'the woman from Arkansas' and claimed he had 'no recollection of our encounter'

She and Hunter conceived Navy Joan  the fourth of his five children - around December 2017 while he was still in a relationship with his brother Beau's widow, Hallie Biden.

Even after DNA proved he was the father, Hunter claimed he did not have enough money to pay child support. When an Arkansas judge ordered him to produce financial records he settled out of court.

In his memoir, Beautiful Things, Hunter claimed he went on so many 'rampages' in the wake of his 2017 divorce from Kathleen Buhle that he couldn't recall his conquests.

'It's why I would later challenge in court the woman from Arkansas who had a baby in 2018 and claimed the child was mine  I had no recollection of our encounter,' the recovering drug addict wrote.

In his memoir, Beautiful Things, Hunter claimed he went on so many 'rampages' in the wake of his 2017 divorce from Kathleen Buhle that he couldn't recall his conquests

'That's how little connection I had with anyone.'

It was initially reported that Hunter met Roberts while she was studying crime scene investigation in graduate school and working as a stripper at a DC club which he frequented.

Texts uncovered last year by DailyMail.com revealed she was, in fact, on the payroll at Rosemont Seneca and had remained in communication with him throughout her pregnancy.

In December 2018, three months after Navy Joan was born, Hunter emailed his assistant Katie Hodge to ask: 'Who is pay roll paid to now and for past 9 months?'

Hodge replied: 'Past nine months has been you, me, Lunden, Hallie, Liz & Erin. But currently only you me & Erin.'

The texts, found on Hunter's infamous abandoned laptop, include a message from Roberts on July 24, 2018 letting him know their child's due date was September 8.

When he failed to reply she messaged again on August 8 to say: 'Reached out a few times, it's clear you don't want to be reached. Need to talk to you. If you feel the need to reach out, my line is always open. Hope all is well.'

Again, Hunter didn't reply, just as he never reached out to meet Navy Joan after her birth, according to filings in the paternity suit.

Roberts' lawyer Clinton Lancaster told the court that the toddler's father had never seen her and would not be able to pick her out of a photo lineup.

The little girl is also yet to meet her grandfather Joe, 79, despite the President routinely boasting of his love for his six other grandchildren, whom he brought on stage after his election win.

Navy Joan's existence remained a secret until Roberts filed for paternity and child support in May 2019, just days after Hunter married his second wife, Melissa Cohen, after a whirlwind six-day romance.

Having initially denied Navy Joan was his, Hunter was forced to take a DNA test in November of that year which proved once and for all that he is the father.

Lunden Roberts looked glamorous as she left court in Batesville, Arkansas in 2019, when she was suing Hunter Bidenfor child support

Navy Joan is yet to meet her grandfather Joe, 79, despite the President routinely boasting of his love for his six other grandchildren, whom he brought on stage after his election win

Navy Joan's existence remained a secret until Roberts filed for paternity and child support in May 2019, just days after Hunter married his second wife, Melissa Cohen (pictured), after a whirlwind six-day romance. They share a son Beau Jr

The battle was far from over, however, as Roberts fought for months to force the 46th President's younger son to disclose the details of his financial affairs.

Investigators alleged in court documents that Hunter's assets were worth a staggering $156 million, owing largely to his much-scrutinized $50,000 per month role at the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and his business interests in China.

Hunter pleaded poverty, however, insisting that he was cleaned out by his 2017 divorce from Buhle, with whom he has three kids.

He repeatedly failed to hand over his tax returns, reveal his home address in Los Angeles or even supply his phone number, citing the threat of media intrusion.

'In an effort to demonstrate to this Court my good faith, I attest that I am unemployed and have had no monthly income since May 2019,' Hunter said in filings lodged with the Independence County Circuit Court.

'I currently have significant debts (in part as a result of obligations arising from my divorce which was final in April 2017) that are being calculated by accountants.'

The filings show that Hunter ultimately agreed to pay child support and his share of Navy Joan's healthcare, though the exact terms are under seal.

He was accused several times of treating the proceedings with contempt by failing to show up for hearings but it was announced in March 2020 that the two sides had 'reached a global, final settlement of all issues' without the need for a trial.

Navy Joan gets none of the perks, nor the round-the-clock Secret Service protection, enjoyed by the rest of the Biden brood.

However friends say the blonde-haired toddler is 'adorable, loved, safe and very happy' as she grows up in rural Arkansas blissfully unaware of her proximity to the caustic world of US politics.
A stammerer with a history of suing companies for compensation has lost an appeal against a tribunal's decision not to take his discrimination case forward.

Lorenzo Garcia took a marketing firm, which was based 200 miles away from his London home, to an employment tribunal demanding compensation after they advertised for a 'clear speaking' candidate to fill a call centre role.

But a panel ruled that it was 'legitimate' for the call centre to ask applicants to be able to speak clearly as it is a necessary skill to be able to carry out the job 'effectively'.

The legal advisor who wanted to sue for injury to feelings and financial losses was ordered to pay a 500 deposit to continue with his disability discrimination claims as it was found he had a history of suing other companies based on their job adverts with the 'cynical' aim of profiting from legal proceedings.

Lorenzo Garcia took a marketing firm, which was based 200 miles away from his London home, to an employment tribunal demanding compensation after they advertised for a 'clear speaking' candidate to fill a call centre role. Pictured, Leeds employment tribunal

The tribunal also questioned Mr Garcia's genuine interested in the market research role as at the time he was working in London and the call centre job was for minimum wage and based over 200 miles away in Huddersfield, West Yorks.

Mr Garcia appealed the decision for him to pay the money but has now lost that appeal.

The appeal hearing was told that the company who advertised the job, The Leadership Factor, had told potential applicants: 'You will need a professional manner and be friendly and polite with a clear voice.'

Prospective candidates were also asked: 'As far as you are aware are you in good health?'

Mr Garcia said that as he was a disabled person due to his stammer, the requirement for him to have a 'clear voice' and be in 'good health' was discriminatory.

He decided to sue the company who advertised the job, seeking compensation for injury to feelings and for financial losses caused by not being able to work there.

But an employment tribunal hearing in Leeds in May 2020 said having a clear voice was a 'legitimate' requirement for anyone working in a call centre.

Employment Judge Neil Maidment said: 'The Leadership Factor had a legitimate aim in requiring employees for this particular type of role to have a clear voice and it acted proportionately in seeking to encourage applications from those who had a clear voice.

'Having a clear voice must surely be a prerequisite for anyone holding a position [in a call centre] or certainly in performing it effectively..'

Mr Garcia said that as he was a disabled person due to his stammer, the requirement for him to have a 'clear voice' and be in 'good health' was discriminatory (file image)

Judge Maidment added: 'The tribunal considers that having a stammer does not render an individual as someone not in good health or that a person suffering from a stammer would consider that they would have to answer that question in the negative because of their stammer.'

The tribunal also said Mr Garcia would not be able to show that he was genuinely interested in the job.

This was because the role was for a temporary position for just over the national minimum wage in Huddersfield and Mr Garcia was working as a legal advisor and living over 200 miles away in London at the time.

Judge Maidment said Mr Garcia had a history of 'bringing tribunal applications on a similar basis in a cynical manner and without any genuine wish to be successful in the application but rather with the aim of profiting from legal proceedings.'

He noted that this was the view expressed by another tribunal in Watford earlier that year when dismissing a sex discrimination claim by Mr Garcia against a gift shop called The Gift Corner 3 Wishes Ltd.

Judge Maidment said Mr Garcia tried to lie at the Leeds hearing by claiming he was not the same person involved in this previous legal action.

After being questioned about it, Mr Garcia admitted he was in fact involved in suing the gift shop as it only wanted applications from women for an advertised job.

The Watford tribunal said the job advert from the gift shop was discriminatory but ruled Mr Garcia never wanted the job and it was another 'cynical' attempt by him to get money from legal proceedings.

Judge Maidment ruled Mr Garcia's claims of disability discrimination were unlikely to succeed if they went to a full hearing so ordered he pay a 500 deposit - which would have been refunded had he won his claims.

Mr Garcia decided to appeal the order of the deposit.

The subsequent appeal hearing was told Mr Garcia could have paid the deposit and his disability discrimination claims would have continued to a full hearing.

But in a judgement at the start of this month the Honourable Mrs Justice Heather Williams dismissed his appeal against paying the money at a hearing in London and the case is now closed.
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Britain's Covid wave has fallen on all fronts again according to official statistics, which show that cases, hospitalisations and deaths are all trending downwards.

Government dashboard data revealed another 54,218 Covid cases were recorded over the last 24 hours, down a fifth on the tally from last Wednesday.

Infections have been consistently falling for over a fortnight and data released today from a major surveillance study confirms the decline.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates England's outbreak shrunk by 13 per cent last week, based on random testing of 100,000 Britons.

Daily data shows there were 199 Covid deaths, which marks a 27 per cent fall in a week.

Latest hospital figures showed 1,096 Covid patients were admitted to wards on February 12, the smallest number of daily admissions for eight weeks. It was also down eight per cent in seven days.

And the number of Covid patients in hospitals across England fell below 10,000 for the first time since the end of 2021. A total of 9,804 patients were recorded as of 8am this morning, the lowest figure since December 28.

The latest figures will further encourage Boris Johnson to push ahead with his plans to 'live with' the virus, which will see the final Covid curbs  including self-isolation  scrapped.

Under the plans, the Prime Minister is also thought to be considering ending free lateral flow tests next month and dropping contact tracing for contacts of positive cases.

The daily figures from the UK Health Security Agency showed there were 42,756 new cases in England, 7,449 in Scotland, 2,889 in Northern Ireland and 1,124 in Wales.

Latest testing figures show almost a fifth fewer swabs are being carried out a week, with 880,000 tests done on February 15.

But the positivity rate  the proportion of swabs that detect the virus  is also trending downwards, suggesting that the fall in cases is genuine and not just down to fewer tests.

And the number of patients infected with the virus in hospital is continuing to drop. Fewer than 10,000 Covid patients are in hospitals in England.

The figure spiked at 17,120 on January 10  although this was only half of the level seen at the peak last winter due to high levels of protection from vaccination and previous infection, as well as the dominant Omicron strain triggering less severe illness.

And around a half of all Covid patients in England's hospitals are being treated primarily for something else, up from a quarter in the autumn of last year.

England will start offering Covid jabs to ALL over-5s Healthy children aged five to 11 in England will be offered two Covid jabs on a 'non-urgent' basis, it was announced today. No10's vaccine advisers have said that the jabs will protect a 'very small number of children from serious illness and hospitalisation'. Officials stressed that the offer is not urgent because Covid poses such a tiny risk to healthy children. Its main purpose is to safeguard youngsters against future waves. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has warned the jabs should not be prioritised over other childhood vaccinations in this age group. It highlighted that MMR and HPV vaccine uptake has plummeted during the pandemic, believed to be due to the emphasis placed on the Covid jab rollout. The move comes after Scotland and Wales both announced they were expanding their vaccine programmes after accepting the JCVI's recommendations. Roughly 5million more children are now eligible for the jabs and will be given them 12 weeks apart. The Government aims to offer a first dose to all eligible children by April. But only half of children aged 12 to 15 have received a Covid vaccine in England and just a fifth have had two doses  raising questions about public demand for the move. The JCVI believes around 85 per cent of primary school-aged children have already had Covid and have some immunity. Unlike with previous expansions of the vaccine rollout, the JCVI's update made no mention of the jabs' impact on infection rates. Two doses have been shown to offer as little as 10 per cent protection against Omicron, but immunity against moderate and severe disease is much higher. Advertisement

It came as separate figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed England's outbreak shrunk by 13 per cent last week, confirming the Omicron wave is receding.

Unlike the daily numbers which rely on people coming forward for tests, the ONS can estimate cases in those that would not normally get tested because it relies on 100,000 random swabs a week.

They estimated 2.4million people had Covid on any day during the week to February 12  equivalent to one in 20 people  down from 2.8million over the previous seven-day spell.

Cases dropped in every region except the South West, where the trend is 'uncertain', they said, and across every age group.

The ONS' weekly report  which is currently published twice a week to help ministers keep tabs on the Omicron variant  showed Covid cases fell in England last week.

Wales followed the same pattern, where cases also dropped (down to 112,600).

But the outbreak grew in Scotland with 219,000 estimated to have been infected last week or one in 25 people, and in Northern Ireland with 146,000 cases or one in 13.

London had the highest Covid case rate in England (5.27 per cent), the ONS said.

It was followed by the South East and East of England (4.8 per cent).

It comes as healthy children aged five to 11 in England were today offered two Covid jabs on a 'non-urgent basis'.

No10's vaccine advisers said the jabs would protect only a 'very small number of children from serious illness and hospitalisation'.

Officials stressed that the offer is not urgent because Covid poses such a tiny risk to healthy children. Its main purpose is to safeguard youngsters against future waves.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has warned the jabs should not be prioritised over other childhood vaccinations in this age group.

The move means roughly 5million more children are now eligible for the jabs, to be given 12 weeks apart. The Government aims to offer a first dose to all youngsters by April.

Amid the falling cases England is preparing to shift to a 'living with' the virus strategy the same way it does with the flu.

Mr Johnson is expected to unveil the plan  currently being thrashed out with ministers  when Parliament returns from recess on Monday.

But plans to end free lateral flow tests three months earlier than planned faced opposition from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer today, who told the Guardian it would be a 'mistake'.

Sir Keir told the newspaper that his party will oppose the end of free testing but he is said to have stopped short of calling for self-isolation rules to continue.

The devolved governments in Scotland and Wales have both warned against scrapping free testing.

King College London scientists estimate there were 203,973 new daily symptomatic cases in the week ending February 7, up 4.5 per cent on the 195,068 recorded last week

Cases remain highest in children aged under 18 (blue line) at around 80,000 per day, although they appear to now be falling in the age group. They are slowing in all age groups other than those aged 18 to 34 (orange line) and the most vulnerable over-75s (purple line), although the latter is still seeing the lowest daily numbers at under 7,500. Other lines: 35 to 54 (green), 55 to 74 (red)

Prevalence is highest in Northern Ireland, where one in 19 people are thought to have the virus, with 8,389 cases estimated a day in total. It was followed by London, where one in 20 were infected and there were 34,080 new daily cases. Wales had the lowest prevalence (one in 36), with just 6,737 total daily cases

But the Treasury believes the estimated 10billion a year cost of the testing operation is not sustainable and has been pushing for it to be scaled back.

A Government spokesman said no decisions had been made on ending free testing.

They said: 'We've previously set out that we'll keep the provision of free testing under review as the Government's response to Covid-19 changes.

Long Covid may be caused by the virus damaging crucial vagus nerve, scientists claim Some long Covid symptoms could be caused by the virus damaging a vital nerve, a study suggests. Scientists believe inflammation to the vagus nerve could explain some of the broad and seemingly unrelated range of symptoms that can plague survivors months after beating the illness. Long Covid, the umbrella term for symptoms ranging from neurological to digestive, heart and lung problems, has puzzled scientists throughout the pandemic. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body, connects vital organs including the brain, heart, lungs and intestines, and controls muscles used for swallowing. Experts describe it as the motorway of the nervous system. Scientists from a hospital in Spain conducted tests on 350 long Covid patients and quizzed them on their symptoms to determine whether the nerve was linked to the lingering health problems. Results from their preliminary analysis, based on 20 patients, shows symptoms such as gastrointestinal problems and an elevated heart rate were linked with damage to the vagus nerve. The researchers said their findings, not published in full or peer-reviewed, suggest structural changes to the vagus nerve are a 'central' feature of long Covid. Advertisement

'No decisions have been made on the provision of free testing. Everyone can continue to get free tests and we are continuing to encourage people to use rapid tests when they need them.

'Testing continues to play an important role in helping people live their day-to-day lives, keep businesses running and keep young people in school.'

Last week a symptom-tracking study also suggested that Covid cases had peaked across the country.

King College London researchers say 200,000 people were falling ill with the virus every day in the week ending February 7, flatlining at just 4.5 per cent higher than last week's estimates.

Professor Tim Spector, lead author on the study, warned the figure is still 'far too high' but insisted it is 'reassuring to see signs of rates slowing'.

The figures were based on 50,000 swab tests from hundreds of thousands of app users in the fortnight ending February 7.

The ZOE study has been criticised previously for being biased, with app users choosing to report cases rather than based on random samples of the population.

Critics also believe the way it works  based on people reporting symptoms of the virus  makes it hard to definitively differentiate between Covid and other viruses that trigger tell-tale symptoms.

Its estimates have significantly diverged from the Government's own case figures and other major surveillance studies on numerous occasions throughout the pandemic.

Professor Spector said: 'Although the true rate of new cases  unlike the Government dashboard  is currently far too high, it is somewhat reassuring to see signs of rates slowing down.

'And it looks like weve now passed the second big peak of the year, with hospitalisations, ICU cases and deaths also continuing to fall.

'Cases need to decline more among older and more vulnerable age groups before we can start to relax, and its still too early to tell the effects of Long Covid as a result of an Omicron infection or the effect of the super infectious BA.2 variant that continues to increase nationally.

'Despite the Governments hasty decision to end all restrictions this month, and the message this sends, this does not mean the pandemic is over and we should all try to be good citizens by continuing to self-isolate when ill and protect ourselves and others from what can be a really nasty infection.'

ZOE's data has previously been criticised for getting the state of the pandemic wrong, saying the 'Omicron wave has finally peaked' in January 13 before today's report claimed it has hit its second peak of the year.

It also said cases had 'peaked for 2021' in November before the emergence of the Omicron variant.
Donald Trump's hold over the Republican party may be slipping, as Wednesday's Politico survey suggests GOP voters would rather a candidate focus more on the economy than the 2020 election

As Donald Trump and his critics battle it out for the future of the Republican Party, a new poll released Wednesday show right-leaning voters are just as torn about which way they want the GOP to go.

Fifty percent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters want their party to move on from Trump's claims the 2020 election was stolen, according to the new survey from Politico and Morning Consult. Just 35 percent said it should still be a focus of the party.

However, a majority of those same voters supported rebuking Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for working with the Democrat-led Capitol riot committee.

The Republican National Committee voted to censure the Trump critics earlier this month for their work with the House panel investigating the January 6 insurrection as well as the ex-president's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Establishment Republican lawmakers like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Utah Senator Mitt Romney criticized the move, while pro-Trump members of Congress, particularly in the House, applauded it.

Of the GOP voters surveyed, 40 percent said they agreed with the RNC's censure compared to 32 percent who don't support it.

An even greater number, 44 percent, agreed with RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel characterizing the Capitol attack as 'legitimate political discourse.'

However when asked whether they themselves branded it 'legitimate or 'illegitimate,' a majority said it was not -- suggesting some right-leaning voters' willingness to fall in line behind political authority despite holding a different opinion on an issue themselves.

Thirty-seven percent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters said the Capitol attack was an 'illegitimate' form of political discourse while just 33 percent said the opposite.

Most registered Republicans and Republican-leaning voters said they want their party to move on from focusing on the 2020 election, something longtime lawmakers like Senator Lindsey Graham have been warning about ahead of the looming midterm elections

However when it comes to Trump, the same voting group is more supportive of the former president airing his 2020 election grievances himself

The margin is close between GOP voters who support their party censuring Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger over the Capitol riot, though slightly more do support it

Most GOP voters when asked said the riot was illegitimate, though more supported the RNC's censure

And while most of these voters want their party officials to move on from 2020 fraud claims, Wednesday's survey also shows the messenger matters.

Despite 50 percent not wanting the GOP to re-litigate 2020, the results flipped when survey respondents were asked if they want Trump to keep pushing the claims himself.

Fifty-one percent said they support the ex-president's 'continued focus on his claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.' Thirty-eight percent said they did not.

The survey polled 2,005 registered voters between February 12 and 13.

The lack of a consensus among Republican voters about election fraud is a sign that Trump's iron grip on the party may be weakening.

While previous polls have indicated that he's still the favorite potential 2024 candidate, Wednesday's data showing voters are fatigued by Trump's constant complaints about the past. It's in line with some longtime lawmakers warning that the GOP could give up its opportunity to take back Congress in November's elections unless they look forward.

Notably, a majority of Republican voters supported the RNC calling the Capitol riot 'legitimate political discourse' than the amount who said they thought so themselves

Earlier this week, Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham sent a public message to the former president that he is 'hurting his chances' of winning in 2024 should he run if he keeps re-litigating the 2020 race.

'I am not contesting the 2020 election. I'd like to reform the system. The problems we found in 2020 need to be addressed. But the 2020 election is over for me,' the South Carolina Republican senator said on ABC News' This Week.

'He has a great chance of being president again in 2024, if he'll start comparing what he did as president versus what's going on now and how to fix the mess we're in. If he looks backward, I think he's hurting his chances.'

GOP Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota invoked Trump's rage last month when he said there were no voting irregularities found of the 2020 election count that could have changed the outcome.

In Wednesday's poll a 46 percent majority of Republican voters said they wanted a candidate for federal office to focus on the economy.
The Orlando Museum of Art has been accused of unveiling 25 counterfeit paintings they claim were created by renowned artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, with one expert pointing out that one of the works was painted on a FedEx box not used by the company until six years after the painter died of a drug overdose.

The works in question are valued at roughly $100 million.

Last weekend, the museum publicly unveiled the array of paintings said to be created by the late American Neo-expressionist painter, who rose to fame in the 1980s.

The Orlando Museum of Art has been accused of unveiling 25 counterfeit paintings they claim were created by renowned artist Jean-Michel Basquiat

One of the works, titled 'Untitled (Self-Portrait or Crown Face II), pictured, was painted on a FedEx box not used by the company until six years after the painter died of a drug overdose

According to the museum, the works were created by the artist in 1982 while he was living and working out of a studio space in Venice, California.

Aaron De Groft, the museum's director and chief executive, says the artworks - many of which were painted and drawn on slabs of scavenged cardboard - were sold by Basquiat directly to the Hollywood screenwriter Thad Mumford for just $5,000 in cash.

The museum asserts that the 25 artworks in question then sat in an LA storage unit belonging to the producer of TV hits like M*A*S*H and The Cosby Show for three decades, resurfacing in 2012 after Mumford - who died aged 67 in 2018 - failed to pay a bill for the unit.

Its contents were subsequently auctioned off and bought by Massachusetts treasure hunter William Force and his financial backer Lee Mangin, who regularly scour small auctions for mislabeled items, for about $15,000, with Mangin providing receipts of the purchase to museum officials.

Before his death in 1988 from a drug overdose, Basquiat is believed to have created approximately 2,100 artworks, according to the Brooklyn Museum.

According to the museum (pictured), the works were created by the artist in 1982 while he was living and working out of a studio space in Venice, California

Aaron De Groft, the museum's director and chief executive, says the artworks - many of which were painted on slabs of scavenged cardboard - are authentic, even after a source close to the institution said staffers expressed their concerns to the museum head that they were fake

Multiple art experts, however, have since questioned the authenticity of the works purchased by Force.

Los Angeles art dealer Larry Gagosian, who lived directly above Basquiat's studio when the paintings were allegedly created, told The New York Times that he 'finds the scenario of the story highly unlikely,' citing that the artist had been preparing works for his LA gallery at the time and kept close tabs on his studio progress, and that he would have known of their existence.

Basquiats assistant, John Seed, has also said that he did not notice the creation of the 25 paintings, some done on large sheets of canvas.

Basquiat, pictured with pop art icon Andy Warhol in 1985, rose to fame in the 1980s

The museum says the artworks were sold to Hollywood screenwriter Thad Mumford for $5,000 by Basquiat in 1982. The institution asserts the works remained in an LA storage unit owned by Mumford (above) until 2012, when they were sold at auction. Mumford died in 2018

Gagosian is not the only art expert to doubt the works' authenticities, with several curators known to specialize in Basquiats creations uncommonly hesitant to weigh in on the controversy. Sothebys and several art world professionals declined to comment on their authenticity.

Los Angeles art dealer Larry Gagosian, who lived directly above Basquiat's studio when the paintings were allegedly created, said that he 'finds the scenario of the story highly unlikely'

Perhaps most revealing, however, is that one of the painting attributed by the museum to Basquiat, titled 'Untitled (Self-Portrait or Crown Face II),' said to have been created by the artist in 1982, was crafted on a surface that proves such a sentiment impossible.

The work, painted on cardboard, was done on a Federal Express shipping box - one that a brand expert who designed the company's typeface says was not used by the company until 1994 - six years after Basquiat's death.

'It appears to be set in the Univers 67 Bold Condensed,' former Landor Associates advertising firm Senior Design Director Lincoln Leader said of the labels distinctive purple font upon viewing a photo of the cardboard. 'They were not using Univers at that time.'

What's more, according to a person close to the Orlando museum, who spoke to The New York Times under condition of anonymity due to the institution's barring of revealing details of its internal discussions, museum staffers expressed their concern to De Groft that the FedEx text did not seem to be from 1982.

The museum has cited myriad reports commissioned by the artworks current owners regarding the their authenticity, which included a 2017 forensic probe by handwriting expert James Blanco, who determined the signatures that appear on many of the works as Basquiats

'This show raised red flags for them,' the insider told the paper, adding that the director brushed off their concerns.

One dealer who personally worked with Basquiat and saw photographs of the paintings in the museum's new exhibit, titled Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat, The Thaddeus Mumford, Jr. Venice Collection, told the Times, 'The way Basquiat places elements in the composition has an interior logic which is missing in these images.'

An official confirmation of the works' authenticity by Basquiat's estate is no longer an option, after the group closed its authentication committee in 2012 following a lawsuit over supposed Basquiat artworks that were deemed fake.

One dealer who personally worked with Basquiat and saw photographs of the paintings in the museum's new exhibit, titled Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat, The Thaddeus Mumford, Jr. Venice Collection, told the Times, 'The way Basquiat places elements in the composition has an interior logic which is missing in these images'

Consequently, auction houses and art dealers have been hesitant to handle the recently surfaced works, which have to date found no takers, according to owners Force and Mangin - who hope the showing at the Orlando museum could help encourage potential buyers.

Further difficulty of determining the date the works were crafted stems from the fact that many of them are on carboard, which boasts a composition that is impossible for forensic scientists to date accurately enough to differentiate a sample originating from the '80s or from more recent times.

'Nobody had an answer,' Mangin told the Times, explaining how he and Force had previously tried to determine some of the works' authenticity by enlisting experts. 'Cardboard is cardboard.'

The works, if real, should fetch an enormous sum - roughly $100 million, according to Putnam Fine Art and Antique Appraisals.

One of Basquiat's paintings currently holds the record for the highest amount fetched by an American artwork at auction, selling for $110.5 million at Sothebys in 2017.

When asked about his staffs concerns this week, De Groft asserted the painting's authenticity.

'The cardboard is legit,' the He added, 'I believe deeply these are authentic Basquiats. I cant answer the question on FedEx, theres an anomaly there.'

'My reputation is at stake as well,' he said in an interview. 'And Ive absolutely no doubt these are Basquiats,' citing the myriad reports commissioned by the artworks current owners, which included a 2017 forensic investigation by handwriting expert James Blanco, who determined the signatures that appear on many of the paintings as being Basquiats.

A 2017 analysis by the University of Maryland associate professor of art Jordana Moore Saggese, author of 'Reading Basquiat: Exploring Ambivalence in American Art,' also attributed the paintings to the late artist, as well as signed statements from the late curator Diego Cortez, an early supporter of the artist and founding member of his estates now-dissolved authentication committee, which has remained adamant that each of the paintings are authentic.
Disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are continuing to mount with a fresh lawsuit from the ex-girlfriend of his murdered son who says she was left 'permanently disfigured' from a boat crash while killed a teenage girl.

Murdaugh is currently in jail for trying to fake his own death and faces a total of 74 criminal charges after allegedly trying to swindle $8.8million in wrongful death and accident settlements while working as a South Carolina injury lawyer.

In February 2019, Murdaugh's son Paul allegedly ploughed their 17ft bay boat into a bridge, sending three people overboard.

Two were rescued from the water but Mallory Beach, 19, was killed and her body was recovered from the water seven days later.

Paul was allegedly drunk at the time he was driving the boat, but he was not given a sobriety test, booked in jail or even handcuffed after the crash, leading to speculation he received special treatment due to the family's legal connections.

At the time, Paul was dating Morgan Doughty, who was on the boat at the time and is now seeking punitive damages for the 'permanent scarring and disfigurement' she suffered in the disaster, according to a new lawsuit.

Morgan Daughty, who was dating Paul Murtaugh (pictured together) has filed a lawsuit saying she was left 'permanently disfigured' from a boat crash in 2019 that left a teenage girl dead

Disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are continuing to mount with a fresh lawsuit from the ex-girlfriend of his murdered son

Mallory Beach (pictured), 19, was killed after Paul was allegedly drunk driving the boat and her body was recovered from the water seven days later

The lawsuit claims Paul's mother Maggie spoke to her son shortly before the crash and 'failed to stop' him from driving despite his apparent drunkenness.

The mother is also accused of 'liking' social media posts of her son drinking while underage.

Miley Altman, another boat crash survivor, filed a separate suit this week alleging the parents enabled the tragedy after they 'knowingly and willfully allowed their minor son to illegally purchase and consume alcohol.'

But before he was charged over the death of Mallory, and while Alex was being probed for his potential interference in the case, Paul and his mother Maggie were brutally shot dead at the family hunting lodge in a murder mystery which has baffled investigators.

Paul was facing felony charges including boating under the influence causing death at the time of the killings, leading to theories the two tragedies are connected.

Alex's lawyers have adamantly said he had nothing to do with it and repeatedly said they hope investigators are working as hard to find their killers, and to this day no arrests have been made over the pair's deaths.

Miley and Morgan are seeking damages from the estate of Paul and Maggie, which is now in the hands of Alex.

The scion of the legal family also faces accusations of attempting to arrange or fake his own death after he allegedly ordered his former client Curtis Smith to shoot him in the head so his son Buster could collect a $10million life insurance policy.

Buster himself has also been linked to the 2015 killing of his classmate Stephen Smith, who was found dead with blunt force trauma.

Alex is the fourth generation of a prominent legal family in tiny Hampton County.

Murdaugh began grabbing national attention after his wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, were killed at a shooting in the family's home in June 2021 (pictured together)

His great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all elected prosecutors and his family helped run the biggest law firm in the county for a century.

Alex has been in jail since October for the ever-growing list of breach of trust, forgery, money laundering and computer crime charges.

A judge set his bail at $7million and refused to reduce it, even as Murdaugh's lawyer argued his bank accounts were seized in civil lawsuits and he could barely afford to buy underwear at the Richland County jail.

Last month, the 53-year-old was slapped with 23 new charges issued by the state grand jury from four new victims who were reportedly swindled, including the family of a deaf quadriplegic.

The new indictments extend Murdaugh's crimes back more than a decade to 2011, about four years before he was accused of opening two fraudulent accounts with Bank of America in 2015.

As part of his plan, Murdaugh would negotiate settlement money for his clients without telling them what they earned and then deposit the checks meant to pay for their pain and suffering, or the anguish of the death of a loved one, into his own personal accounts to pay off loans or debts in ways prosecutors have not yet fully detailed.

In one of the indictments, the family of deaf quadriplegic Hakeem Pinckney, pictured, was defrauded of $398,714.90 that Murdaugh allegedly used for his own personal benefit

Prosecutors say Murdaugh used money orders given to an unnamed family member to get his hands on the cash.

One of the alleged victims was Hakeem Pinckney, a deaf man involved in a 2009 traffic accident that required permanent life support.

Murdaugh represented the Pinckney family in a lawsuit against the tire manufacturers, but he did not give the $309,000 check to the family, it is claimed.

Instead, he bought money orders that went to cover money he took from the accounts of other clients, to pay down a loan and get cash for himself and an unnamed family member, according to the indictment.

When Pinckney died in a nursing home from the lingering effects of his injuries, Murdaugh got an additional $89,000 settlement on Pinckney's behalf, but deposited that check in his account without ever telling the man's family, prosecutors said.

The lawyer for the Pinckney family said the transactions are complex and hard to follow and even more money may have been stolen.

Prosecutors have suggested at Murdaugh's bond hearing that they still haven't gotten to the bottom of his shady practices.

Pinckney was black, and most of the people Murdaugh stole from were like him - minorities and not well off, family attorney Justin Bamberg said.

'Alex gave them just enough money so they would drop on their knees and say "thank you, Jesus" and took the rest,' Bamberg said.

Another indictment from Natasha Thomas states that Murdaugh allegedly made an effort to defraud her of $350,245.08 starting in 2011 and used the funds for a money order payable to a family member and the Palmetto State Bank in Hampton.

Buster, Margaret 'Maggie', Paul and Richard Alex 'Alec' Murdaugh (left to right) are at the center of a number of recent tragedies in recent years

Thomas was Pinckney's cousin and was in the passenger seat of his vehicle at the time of the crash that had left him paralyzed. Murdaugh had represented them both in the 2010 lawsuit against the tire company.

The third indictment details how starting in 2013, Murdaugh allegedly collected 14 settlement checks totaling more than $1.3 million for Arthur Badger whose wife died in a wreck and stole all the money for himself.

Murdaugh allegedly used the money and make it payable to one of his family members, a business associate, and 'into a conservator's account for a different person from which Murdaugh had previously been allowed to borrow money.'

A fourth indictment from Deon Martin detailed how Murdaugh allegedly defrauded him of $200,000 in addition to the $338,056.14 investment that was meant to be used for his injuries as well as an additional $45,000 for his settlement.

Murdaugh deposited the checks into the fake bank account which he used for personal reasons, prosecutors say.

His other alleged victims have ranged from family friends and a state trooper, to an immigrant living in the country illegally and a person injured in a car crash, prosecutors have said.

In June 2016, prosecutors allege that 'while relying on his prestige and reputation as a lawyer,' Murdaugh reportedly told one of his clients, Johnny Bush, that he allocated $100,00 of his settlement money on 'accident reconstruction' for his case.

However, an indictment obtained by DailyMail.com shows that Murdaugh transferred $95,000 to his fraudulent bank account for his personal gain.

Alex Murdaugh was shot in the head and injured on September 4, 2021, while he had car trouble on a road in Hampton County, South Carolina

'Murdaugh had created this bank account for the purpose of misappropriating funds belonging to others with the illusion that the money was being paid 'to a legitimate business, the indictment read, noting the lawyer used the money stolen from his clients to pay for his own credit card bills, cash, and checks to associates.

Two months later, Murdaugh allegedly rerouted a $90,000 trust account check that 'was supposed to be compensated to Jamian Risher for his injuries' into his secret bank account.

Another indictment reads that Murdaugh had another of his clients, Randy Drawdy, 'sign a settlement disbursement form which reflected the withholding of $8,819.30 for medical bills and $750.00 for private investigator services' in November 2017.

But instead of using Drawdy's settlement fees to pay the other clients he had stolen from, Murdaugh allegedly put the $9,569.30 into his fake bank account.

Nine months later, in August 2018, prosecutors allegedly found records of Murdaugh stealing $85,000 from Jordan Jinks, portrayed as a 'longtime friend of the family who had come to Murdaugh for help.'

Murdaugh allegedly told Jinks he needed to hold the settlement proceeds to 'satisfy a medical insurance lien', according to the Daily Beast. The indictment reads that two months later, Murdaugh then sent a $65,000 check to his personal, hidden bank account.

Prosecutors further allege Murdaugh stealing $112,500 in April 2019 from the personal representative for the estate of Blondell Gary for his own gain.

The disgraced lawyer diverted millions of dollars to a fake bank account from a wrongful-death settlement meant for the sons of the back-then family housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield

Nine months later, between February and July 2020, Murdaugh scammed another client who came to him for help. In time, Murdaugh moved a $750,000 check meant for the client and his injuries to his fraudulent account, according to the indictment.

Between November and December 2020, prosecutors claim Murdaugh assured a client representing the estate of Sandra Taylor that 'the total wrongful death recovery would only be $30,000' and that he was not even going to charge a fee because the recovery was so 'low.'

However, the indictment alleges, Murdaugh managed to recoup 'over $180,000' in the wrongful death settlementbefore eventually wiring more than $150,000 to his fraudulent bank account.

Murdaugh's lawyers have tried several times to get his bail reduced. An attempt to get the state Supreme Court involved earlier this month also failed.

Murdaugh previously told Judge Lee he was in 'the throes of withdrawal' from an opioid addiction when he arranged to have himself shot on September 4, and also apologized for swindling $4.3 million from the relatives of his housekeeper.

'I understand there may be concern I may be a danger to myself,' Murdaugh told the court at the bail hearing.

'I made a terrible decision that I regret and frankly I'm embarrassed about. I'm not in that place now.'

Through his lawyers, Murdaugh gave a statement to the court in which he confessed to taking $4.3 million from the family of his housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, which was meant as settlement funds in a wrongful death case.
By C. Raja Mohan





Expectations or concerns about major shifts in the U.S. nuclear posture review have not really matched the outcomes from the exercise that began with the end of the Cold War. All U.S. presidents since Bill Clinton  George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump  have produced these reviews.



The results of these reviews have been modest and have oscillated within a narrow band between the Republican emphasis on strengthening the U.S. nuclear arsenal and the Democratic desire to minimize the reliance on nuclear weapons.



Nonetheless, the Democrats have struggled to translate this into practical policy. The enthusiasm of the Democratic presidents to make bold departures from the nuclear doctrine have always met stiff resistance from the Pentagon and the nuclear traditionalists.



U.S. allies in Asia and Europe have always cautioned against radical departures in American nuclear policy that might weaken American security commitments to its close partners. Any drift toward nuclear "no-first use," the allies fear, will increase the incentives for Russia and China to mount sub-nuclear attacks on their neighbors.



This time around, the Biden administration is under greater pressure from the progressive constituency in the Democratic Party to pronounce that the "sole purpose" of nuclear weapons is to deter a nuclear attack by an adversary.



During the presidential campaign, Biden often said, "Deterring, and, if necessary, retaliating against a nuclear attack should be the sole purpose of the U.S. nuclear arsenal." Biden, however, gave himself some room by adding the caveat that his administration "will work to put that belief into practice, in consultation with our allies and military."



A similar balancing effort is seen in the Interim Strategic guidance issued by the White House in March of last year, which promised to "take steps to reduce the role of nuclear weapons" in U.S. strategy while ensuring at the same time that "our extended deterrence commitments to our allies remain strong and credible."



Meanwhile, the very talk of reducing the role of nuclear weapons and adopting a posture of "no-first-use" of nuclear weapons has been met with significant bureaucratic pushback within the United States as well as the allied lobbying against the idea they fear would weaken the U.S. nuclear umbrella for its allies. Washington apparently has assured allies that the administration will not adopt a "no-first-use" doctrine, while fiddling with language that might satisfy the progressives in the Democratic Party.



Verbal gymnastics with the language of the posture review, however, are unlikely to resolve the structural challenges confronting the U.S. and its Asian allies on the role of U.S. nuclear weapons in the regional security order. These challenges are rooted in the profound regional redistribution of power in favor of China that tests the long term sustainability of U.S. alliances far from its homeland as well as the credibility of its U.S. nuclear umbrella in Asia.



Fortunately, there is renewed commitment in Washington to Asian alliances that Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump frequently trashed. In fact, Biden's Indo-Pacific strategy underlines the centrality of alliances by affirming that the U.S. "will prioritize our single greatest asymmetric strength: our network of security alliances and partnerships."



Translating that ambition into reality will be hard amidst the rapidly growing Chinese military power, the modernization of its nuclear arsenal and its assertiveness on territorial disputes with its Asian neighbors, including the threat to invade Taiwan. Then there is the continuing North Korean nuclear challenge. In these circumstances, the credibility of extended deterrence is now tied to three important factors.



One is the question of deploying more nuclear weapons in Asia to strengthen the U.S. nuclear umbrella. This move might also serve as an antidote to pressures on some allies to develop their own nuclear weapons. While the logic of more nuclear weapons might make sense to some from the operational requirements of strengthening extended deterrence, it is bound to sharpen political cleavages in the domestic politics of key allies.



Second, another way of boosting deterrence in the region is to strengthen the conventional military capabilities of U.S. allies, thereby raising the threshold for nuclear escalation. Many countries in East Asia are already moving in that direction by acquiring more missiles with longer ranges that can be equipped with powerful conventional warheads. This trend is bound to blur the firewall between nuclear and conventional deterrence.



Third, imperatives of strengthening extended deterrence have seen the US lift all restrictions on missile production by South Korea and take the unprecedented step of supplying nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia (a non-nuclear state) along with the United Kingdom. Although this move is technically legal under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, it marks an important political discontinuity in U.S. nuclear policy.



After years of emphasizing restraint in transferring sensitive nuclear technologies, the U.S. now appears to be moving toward "conditioned proliferation" among key allies and partners to allow them to contribute to their defense better. While the debates surrounding the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review tend to be too rigid, Washington is adapting  willy-nilly  to the new geopolitical dynamic in Asia that has exposed the old verities of nuclear arms control. Given the scale of the challenge that the newly risen China presents to the U.S. primacy in the region, this situation was but inevitable.





C. Raja Mohan is a senior fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute, New Delhi and a visiting research professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. He is also a member of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (APLN). His article is published in cooperation with the APLN (www.apln.network).
Healthy children aged five to 11 in England will be offered two Covid jabs on a 'non-urgent' basis, it was announced today.

No10's vaccine advisers have said that the jabs will protect a 'very small number of children from serious illness and hospitalisation'.

Officials stressed that the offer is not urgent because Covid poses such a tiny risk to children. Experts estimate as few as 0.001 per cent of all youngsters who get infected will die, with the risk even lower for the healthy.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has warned the jabs  which will safeguard youngsters against future waves  shouldn't be prioritised over other childhood vaccinations in this age group.

It highlighted that MMR and HPV vaccine uptake has plummeted during the pandemic, believed to be due to the emphasis placed on the Covid jab rollout.

The move comes after Scotland and Wales both announced they were expanding their vaccine programmes after accepting the JCVI's recommendations.

Roughly 5million more children are now eligible for the jabs and will be given them 12 weeks apart. The Government aims to offer a first dose to all eligible children by April.

Healthy children aged five to 11 in England will be offered two Covid jabs on a 'non-urgent' basis, it was announced today (stock image)

Only 20 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds (shown in purple, bottom) have been double-vaccinated in England since the rollout was expanded to them in November. But they must wait 12 weeks between doses

Little over half of children in the age group have had one dose

Q&A: How safe are Covid vaccines for under-11s and are they compulsory? Is the jab safe for under-11s? The UK regulator approved the vaccine for use in children aged five and over in December after ruling it was safe and effective. What are the benefits? Government advisers modelled how a wider vaccination of this age group could be a benefit in future virus waves. In a scenario where the wave is severe, for every million children given two doses, it was predicted 98 hospital admissions would be prevented including three admissions to intensive care. Is it compulsory? No. Parents will be able to decide whether to give their child the vaccine when it is offered to them. If they do not accept it immediately they should still be able to accept it at a later date, although experts advise taking it at the earliest opportunity. What about the under-5s? It is possible children under five could eventually be offered a jab, but a decision is likely to be a long way off. The UK has taken time to weigh up the risks and benefits of vaccinations for children and often taken much longer than other countries to confirm it is happy for its youngest citizens to get a coronavirus jab. Advertisement

But only half of children aged 12 to 15 have received a Covid vaccine in England and just a fifth have had two doses  raising questions about public demand for the move.

The JCVI believes around 85 per cent of primary school-aged children have already had Covid and have some immunity.

Unlike with previous expansions of the vaccine rollout, the JCVI's update made no mention of the jabs' impact on infection rates.

Two doses have been shown to offer as little as 10 per cent protection against Omicron, but immunity against moderate and severe disease is much higher.

The JCVI explored whether the vaccines could prevent disruptions to children's education by preventing mild disease but said there was not enough evidence.

It said the main purpose of the jabs is to act as a safeguard in case a new variant emerges that is more dangerous to children.

Officials estimate that for every million five to 11-year-olds double-vaccinated, 100 hospital admissions will be averted  if there is a more severe wave in future.

This would also prevent three ICU admissions and 58 cases of an inflammatory condition suffered by a very small number of children who get Covid.

If there is an even milder wave than the current Omicron outbreak, a million second doses could prevent 17 hospital admissions, around one ICU admission and 10 cases of paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PIMS).

Whereas for every million doses administered, just two cases of myocarditis could be expected.

Concerns about the rare form of heart inflammation was one of the reasons the JCVI held off for so long on recommending the jabs for youngsters.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of Covid immunisation on the JCVI, said: 'The Committee has carefully considered the potential direct health impacts of vaccination and potential indirect educational impacts.

'The main purpose of offering vaccination to 5-11 year olds is to increase their protection against severe illness in advance of a potential future wave of COVID-19.

'Other important childhood vaccinations, such as MMR and HPV, have fallen behind due to the pandemic.

'It is vital these programmes continue and are not displaced by the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine to this age group.'

Parents are being urged to wait until they are invited by the NHS before trying to make an appointment.

Officials stressed that the move is 'not an emergency offer' because Covid is mild for the vast majority of children in the age group.

What are the risks of Covid and vaccines to five-year-olds? Covid Most children only experience mild symptoms after being infected with Covid. As few as one in 100,000 children who catch Covid will die, according to UK Government advisers. Studies have found the risk to actually be even lower. The risk for children who do not have underlying health conditions is even lower. And the risk of being hospitalised and getting admitted to ICU is similarly low. The JCVI has yet to release its updated guidance on vaccinating children aged 11 and under. But its latest advice on recommending first jabs to over-12s suggested one Pfizer dose only prevents 131 hospital admissions per million 12-15-year-olds. And second doses only prevent nine hospital admissions for every million dished out to the age group. The figures are likely to be less for five- to eleven-year-old, who are less vulnerable to the virus. Vaccines Myocarditis  an ultrarare form of heart inflammation  is the main side effect of the Pfizer vaccine that concerns experts. Data shows the risk is slightly higher in adolescents than adults, particularly in boys. The JCVI has not released data on how many cases are expected in children aged five to 11 but studies show children in younger age groups are less at risk than teenagers. It found myocarditis cases in between 2.6 to 17.7 million first vaccine doses in children aged 12 to 15. And the condition was found in between 20.9 to 42.2 children in the age group per million second doses dished out. Advertisement

Fewer than 40 children aged five to 14 have died after testing positive for Covid in Britain since the pandemic began.

The JCVI has also warned that Covid jabs should be prioritised for every other age group ahead of five to 11-year-olds.

Children in the age group will be offered two 10mcg doses of Pfizer's vaccine - a third of the amount in a standard adult dose.

The decision to roll out the vaccines to primary school-aged children after reviewing clinical trials of thousands of children, as well as real-world data on millions of youngsters aged five to 11 who have been vaccinated in the US, Canada, Israel and Ireland.

Britain's medicines watchdog found there were fewer side effects in children than adolescents and adults after vaccination.

The Department of Health and NHS England will now decide how best to deliver the vaccines.

The Welsh Government has said it will dish them out in health centres rather than schools.

There was fury last year when it emerged 12-year-olds could overrule their parents' wishes and get vaccinated if they were deemed mature enough.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said: 'I have accepted the advice from the independent JCVI to make a non-urgent offer of COVID-19 vaccines to all children aged five to 11 in England.'

He added: 'Children without underlying health conditions are at low risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and the priority remains for the NHS to offer vaccines and boosters to adults and vulnerable young people, as well as to catch-up with other childhood immunisation programmes.

'The NHS will prepare to extend this non-urgent offer to all children during April so parents can, if they want, take up the offer to increase protection against potential future waves of COVID-19 as we learn to live with this virus.'

The JCVI stressed that other childhood vaccinations should take priority over the new rollout.

Around one in 10 children in England now start school at risk of catching measles after vaccination rates plummeted to a decade low during the pandemic.

All youngsters are offered their first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at the age of one year, and a top-up when they are three.

But latest figures  which go up to September 2021  show uptake plunged to just 88.6 per cent for one dose in two year olds, and to 85.5 per cent for both jabs among five year olds.

This was the lowest share fully vaccinated since 2011 and well below the World Health Organization's 95 per cent target to keep the virus at bay.

The JCVI's advice for five to 11-year-olds was supposed to be published last Friday, then again this Monday, but was delayed both times.

Reports suggest it was delayed by Downing St  although the reason remains unclear.

Sajid Javid (left), the Health Secretary, said all children aged five to 11 in England will be offered Covid vaccines from April as part of learning to live with this virus. The move comes after Scotland and Wales both announced they were expanding their vaccine programmes after accepting the JCVI's recommendations. Nicola Sturgeon (right), Scotland's first minister, today said the country was preparing to rollout the jabs

The JCVI stressed that other childhood vaccinations should take priority over the new rollout. Around one in 10 children in England now start school at risk of catching measles after vaccination rates plummeted to a decade low during the pandemic

There is a suggestion that No10 wanted to announce the expansion as part of its 'living with Covid' strategy when it is unveiled next week.

Wales became the first country to announce it would implement the JCVI's advice on Tuesday, with its health minister hinting that the delay in England was political. Scotland then followed suit today.

Under previous guidelines across the UK, only five to 11-year-olds who have a weakened immune system, or live with someone who does, were eligible for two doses of the vaccine.

Number of children getting MMR jab falls to LOWEST in a decade Around one in 10 children in England now start school at risk of catching measles after vaccination rates plummeted to a decade low during the pandemic. All youngsters are offered their first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at the age of one year, and a top-up when they are three. But latest figures  which go up to September 2021  show uptake plunged to just 88.6 per cent for one dose in two year olds, and to 85.5 per cent for both jabs among five year olds. This was the lowest share fully vaccinated since 2011 and well below the World Health Organization's 95 per cent target to keep the virus at bay. Experts claim the focus placed on the Covid vaccination drive took emphasis away from other routine inoculations. Measles is highly infectious, meaning even a small drop in uptake could lead to more outbreaks. It is also life threatening for around one in 500 children. Advertisement

Healthy children face a vanishingly low risk of severe illness from the virus, with only six children dying of the virus in England's first year of the pandemic.

And two doses of a jab offers as little as 10 per cent protection against catching the antibody-resistant Omicron variant, UK data suggests.

Many scientists have questioned the need to vaccinate children when so many have already had Covid.

The Office of National Statistics estimates nearly three-quarters of youngsters aged 8 to 11 had Covid antibodies as of January 10.

Normally the JCVI's recommendations are accepted by the Department of Health and implemented within a matter of days.

But there are reports that No10 stepped in and blocked its publication last week so it could 'review' the advice.

It is unclear what exactly caused the hold up, but in the past ministers have expressed frustration at the JCVI's caution over jabbing children.

The group initially dragged its heels on recommending jabs to 12 to 15-year-olds in September, citing a lack of safety data and concerns about side-effects.

In the end ministers had to circumvent the JCVI, and relied on Professor Chris Whitty and the chief medical officers in the devolved nations to approve the jabs on the basis they would prevent further disruption to schooling.

There is a suggestion the Government wanted to announce the roll out to five to 11-year-olds as part of Boris Johnson's plan for England to live with Covid like flu.

That strategy is set to be unveiled in Parliament after the recess on February 21 and include radical plans to ditch even the most fundamental Covid rules.

Vaccination rates for children are similarly low in the US, where just three in 10 five to 11-year-olds have received one Covid jab and two in 10 are double-jabbed, according to data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Children are given two Pfizer injections  which are a third of the dose given to adults  three weeks apart.

Vaccine uptake is highest among white and mixed-race youngsters and lowest among black children. And children from the richest families are nearly three times more likely to be vaccinated (28.2 per cent) compared to those from the poorest areas (10.7 per cent).

CDC data shows 17 per cent of children aged five to 11 rushed forward for their first jab in the month after the US approved the vaccine for the age group on November 2.

But since then, uptake has slumped, with only eight per cent of opting to get the jab in the following month.

The CDC's website states children as young as six months could be eligible for a Covid vaccination 'soon', with the country's Food and Drug Administration due to make a decision by February 21.

But the FDA last week warned its announcement on the rollout to babies and toddlers is at least two months away. It is waiting for an update on the efficacy of three doses in the age group from Pfizer before it makes a decision.
Harrowing surveillance footage captured the moment a homeless Los Angeles man forced a young woman into a residential garage where he 'nearly raped her' before she was able to escape.

Just 20 minutes later, the suspect tried to force his way into another woman's apartment but fled when she screamed, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

In the first incident, surveillance footage, first obtained by ABC 7, captured the man gripping the woman by her arm as they walked through the West Hollywood neighborhood, where homes sell for an average of $1.5million each.

He then pulled her inside the garage of a stranger's home at the 800 block of North Vista Street near Melrose Avenue around 12.30 pm.

The member of the Los Angeles Police Department's media relations team told DailyMail.com that the man 'made threats and demands that made her fear bodily harm.'

Moments later, the woman is seen racing out of the garage to her freedom. She then ran to get help.

The unidentified man can then be seen walking back out of the garage.

Scroll down for video

In surveillance footage of the Tuesday incident, the man can be seen gripping the first woman by her arm and pulling her inside the garage at the 800 block of North Vista Street near Melrose Avenue around 12.30 pm

Moments later, the woman is seen racing out of the garage to her freedom

Then, in the video obtained by ABC 7 , that woman can be seen bolting out of the garage - she managed to escape the man, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Then, the unidentified man walks back out of the garage

About 30 minutes later, a man believed to be the same transient allegedly pushed a woman into her apartment in the 7600 block of Hampton Avenue in West Hollywood. She managed to scare him away by screaming at him, police said.

'It sounds like he basically followed the female in. It was unlocked and he was able to enter in through the unlocked,' Lieutenant John Adams of the West Hollywood division of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told Dailymail.com.

Police have yet to arrest the unknown man, who they suspect is homeless. Detectives described him as a man in his early 30's who was wearing dark clothing at the time and carrying a bag.

The first attack happened less than a mile away from where furniture store clerk Brianna Kupfer, 24, was murdered unprovoked at the store where she worked last month.

Her alleged killer Shawn Laval Smith, 31, was out on bail when he allegedly stabbed Kupfer to death.

LA is battling rising crime, with homicides in Los Angeles rising 52 per cent in 2021 from 2019, and shooting incidents were up 59 per cent, according to LAPD data. Year to date, as of February 5, violent crime is already up by .5% from 2021.

Critics, like Kupfer's father, are blaming Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon's 'soft' policies, and an effort to recall him is underway.

'We need to champion [my daughter] as a beacon of what's wrong and make sure that people recognize that  because it could be their children next, and it's just an impossible price to pay,' he said on Fox News last month.

Former LAPD police chief Charlie Beck and a slurry of high-profile LA democrats have joined the campaign to recall Gascon, including Jonathan Sheinberg, a former 20th Century Fox executive; Grant Heslov, who works frequently with George Clooney; and Marc Nathanson, a media billionaire and prominent LA real estate investor; and Mike Medavoy, co-founder of Orion Pictures.

In the final three months of 2021, the campaign to recall Cuban-born Gascon raised $1.8 million in the final three months of 2021.
Harjinder Butoy, 45, ran the Sutton-in-Ashfield post office with his wife

A former subpostmaster whose family was 'destroyed' after he was wrongfully convicted and jailed for stealing more than 200,000 due to flaws with the Post Office computer system has revealed his ordeal at an inquiry today.

Harjinder Butoy, 45, ran the Sutton-in-Ashfield post office with his wife in Nottinghamshire until he was arrested, charged and then jailed for three years and three months in 2008 for stealing 208,000.

His prison sentence - thought to be one of the largest sentences among the Horizon cases - was accompanied by a 60,000 confiscation order, which forced Mr Butoy to file for bankruptcy.

Speaking to an inquiry into the scandal today, Mr Butoy said his family were 'destroyed' by the false conviction as he described his 'terrible' ordeal in prison, losing more than six stone as he battled stress 'every day'.

He said: 'I kept thinking how did I end up here, just thinking about my family. It was the same for them as it was for me - we all got destroyed.'

Mr Butoy said it was 'awful' for his wife and three children, who had to move in with his parents in Chesterfield after shutting down the business.

Mr Butoy was among more than 700 subpostmasters and subpostmistresses (SPMs) prosecuted between 2000 and 2014, based on information from the Horizon IT system, installed and maintained by Fujitsu.

However, in December 2019 a High Court judge ruled that Horizon contained a number of 'bugs, errors and defects' and there was a 'material risk' that shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts were caused by the system.

The High Court overturned Mr Butoy's conviction along with those of 38 other former postmasters in April last year.

Karen Wilson holds a photograph of her late husband Julian, a former sub-postmaster who took a plea deal in 2008, after giving evidence at the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry today in London

Another subpostmaster's wrongful conviction over missing funds 'massively contributed' to his early death aged 67, his widow has said.

Julian Wilson, who ran a post office in Astwood Bank, Worcestershire, took a plea deal in 2008 after auditors found more than 27,000 missing in the branch accounts.

Mr Wilson died from cancer in 2016 - more than four years before his conviction was overturned in April 2021.

Speaking to the inquiry into the scandal on Wednesday, his widow, Karen Wilson, 67, teared up as she described how the ordeal "massively contributed" to his early death.

Mrs Wilson also said her husband, who previously loved to take part in music and sports events, 'just hid himself for about a year'.

'He couldn't face it," she said, adding that he would sometimes "just fall apart and talk about suicide'.

In January 2016, Mr Wilson was diagnosed with bowel cancer and as it progressed, Mrs Wilson promised him she would fight to vindicate him.

'I will carry on and that was my promise to him from a wife,' she said.

'He was only 67. I never said that this did kill him but it did massively contribute, definitely.'

Left to right: Postmaster Harjinder Butoy, Balbinder Butoy (wife of Harjinder Butoy), Kesar Singh (father of Harjinder Butoy) speaking to media outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after his conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal, April 23, 2021

Former subpostmaster Mr Butoy said that between 2004 and 2007, his branch had no problems passing the Post Office's audits and was even signed off on an audit without any issues a week before his arrest.

But on April 24 2007, he was detained by Criminal Investigation Department officers after a group of people turned up to his branch to do a security audit and found 208,000 missing.

Mr Butoy said he felt 'shocked', 'confused' and 'ashamed' as customers watched him being taken away by the police.

In September 2008, he faced trial at Nottingham Crown Court where he maintained his innocence and questioned whether the Horizon information was correct but the Post Office argued it was '100% robust'.

Mr Butoy said when the guilty verdict came in he 'just fell apart' he 'wasn't prepared for it'. He said he ended up filing for bankruptcy as he struggled to pay back the 60,000.

'Everything has just fallen apart for me. I have no confidence in myself anymore,' he said. 'I had a really good reputation with the public and then I just lost it by the click.'

On what he wants from the Post Office now, he said: 'I want somebody to go to prison.'

William David Graham, 53, a former branch manager, said he was diagnosed with depression after being wrongly convicted of falsifying accounts.

The father of two, who had worked his way up through the Post Office since 1992, told the inquiry he used to be 'the life and soul of the party'.

Left to right: Kesar Singh (father of Harjinder Butoy), Satya Devi (mother of Harjinder Butoy), Balbinder Butoy (wife of Harjinder Butoy) and Postmaster Harjinder Butoy outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after his conviction was overturned

Mr Graham eventually left the Post Office itself to become the manager of the Riverside branch in Sevenoaks.

But shortfalls of 65,000 were incorrectly identified in 2009 and he was charged with theft and falsifying accounts before taking a plea deal in 2011.

After paying back a 5,000 shortfall found in 2004 from his own pocket, Mr Graham then discovered a 50,000 shortfall, which he chose not to report.

'That was my whole salary for a year,' he said. 'That was how I put food on the table for my wife and children.'

Auditors discovered 65,000 missing in the accounts in early 2009 and he admitted to inflating the figure to make the balance look right.

He was offered a plea deal to avoid a custodial sentence in 2011 and was handed a 32-week suspended prison sentence.

'When they said the 32 weeks in prison, the gap before they said it was suspended - I could hear my wife scream,' Mr Graham said, growing visibly emotional as he described the hearing as 'hell'.

Following the ordeal, he said: 'I went to the doctor and I was diagnosed with depression because I just felt worthless.'

Mr Graham added: 'I've got a wife and children at home. I couldn't provide for them.'

On what he wants now, Mr Graham said: 'I just want the Post Office to stand up and say, we knew there's a problem, this is when it started, this is what we didn't do, this is what we should have done and get justice for the people that have gone through this pain.'

The inquiry, which is expected to run for the rest of this year, is looking into whether the Post Office knew about faults in the IT system and will also ask how staff were made to take the blame.

Jason Beer QC, counsel to the inquiry, said during his opening that the ordeal of those affected could be concluded as 'the worst miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history'
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is leading the bipartisan effort to reform the 135-year-old Electoral Count Act, which former President Donald Trump's allies tried to use to have Vice President Mike Pence overturn the 2020 election.

Politico reported Wednesday that Manchin is trying to fast track a bill - after getting most of the flak for killing President Joe Biden's Build Back Better legislation - with the goal of putting together a framework by the end of the week.

Republicans, who have signaled an openness to changing the act, aren't on board with Manchin's quick timeline and they also fear that Democrats will try to insert voting rights provisions into the legislation.

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is leading the bipartisan effort to reform the 135-year-old Electoral Count Act, which former President Donald Trump's allies tried to use to have Vice President Mike Pence overturn the 2020 election

'Democrats keep trying to push the envelope and talk about challenging state election laws in federal courts,' a GOP aide familiar with the talks told Politico.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, also pointed out that things generally move at a snail's pace on Capitol Hill.

'Take a look at the length of time for the bipartisan infrastructure bill,' Tillis told the website. 'Everybody thinks it's going to get done in a week or two. But that took months.'

'We're still weeks into a process of discovery and scoping. So, it wouldn't surprise me if we're looking at a May, June timeframe before we have a consensus work product,' he added.

Manchin and Tillis are part of a 16- member bipartisan group of senators looking into making modifications to the 1887 act.

Broad goals include clarifying that the vice president only plays a symbolic role when Congress meets on January 6 after a presidential election to count the Electoral College votes.

Additionally, senators want to make it more difficult for members to challenge states' election results.

The current law allows a challenge to go forward with the objection of just one House member and one senator.

In the lead-up to January 6, 2021 - when the Electoral Count Act mandates Congress hold a joint session for the vote-counting - Trump's allies pushed an unconventional interpretation of the law: that Pence could choose which Electoral College votes to count.

They went so far as to have 'alternate' slates of pro-Trump electors meet on December 14, 2020 - the date the Electoral College made Biden's win official - in key swing states to give Pence an option.

Pence ultimately agreed with the traditional interpretation of the law - that his job was to count the Electoral College votes and that's all.

In late January, Trump admitted that he had wanted Pence to overturn the election that day.

Trump has taken offense to the senators' efforts to change the law, suggesting in doing so Pence did have the power to pick and choose the results.

'Actually, what they are saying, is that Mike Pence did have the right to change the outcome, and they now want to take that right away,' Trump claimed. 'Unfortunately, he didn't exercise that power, he could have overturned the Election!'
A teacher at one of London's oldest schools has been banned from the classroom for life after he 'pleasured himself' while talking to a 14-year-old girl online.

Christopher Dunsmore taught for ten years at the independent 18,300 a year Colfe's School in Greenwich, London, which was established 350 years ago.

The 41-year-old was arrested by the Met Police in November 2020 and at Woolwich Crown Court he admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child in August 2017.

He was sentenced to six months, suspended for two years, and ordered on the Sex Offenders' register for ten years.

Dunsmore admitted that he would try and speak to girls aged 13-15 years of age and that he would not speak to pre pubescent girls or older girls as people in their 20s 'are unwilling to chat'.

Christopher Dunsmore taught for ten years at the independent 18,300 a year Colfe's School in Greenwich, London, which was established 350 years ago

A Teaching Regulation Agency disciplinary panel heard that Dunsmore responded to someone posing as a 14 year old girl in a chat room and said he was 36, a teacher and gave his Christian name.

A sexualised conversation then took place in which Dunsmore pleasured himself.

He said he had a long term habit or addiction to online chat rooms over 20 years when he was training to be a teacher.

He said he had not had many serious girlfriends and preferred younger girls as he was not very confident.

He admitted engaging in sexual conversations with 13-15 year olds for sexual gratification and 'suspected that this would be illegal'.

He said he had never met up with a child during the weekly chats and was not sexually attracted to children - but said the nature of what he was doing 'made him excited and he liked the idea of breaking the rules'.

Dunsmore was not present at the disciplinary hearing which ruled he would be banned from teaching for life.
Police attempting to track down a dangerous sex offender who absconded from an open prison three days ago have issued new pictures of him without a distinctive braided beard.

Paul Robson, described as a 'particular danger to women and young children', is serving a life sentence for attempted rape and indecent assault and was reported missing from HMP North Sea Camp near Boston at about 7am on Sunday, Lincolnshire Police said.

Officers have urged people not to approach the 56-year-old, who arrived at the open prison on January 21 this year, as he 'can cause real harm to anyone he comes across'.

Paul Robson 56, from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, is serving a life sentence for attempted rape and indecent assault. He absconded from an open prison HMP North Sea Camp in Boston, Lincolnshire, on Sunday

Police have said Robson has a dark donkey jacket with a large collar and blue on the shoulders in his possession.

In a statement, the force said: 'We also believe that his facial hair might not look similar to the image we've previously circulated, and that it might not be tied and may be lighter in colour.'

During his fifth parole review in February last year, Robson was refused release but recommended for a move to the Category D open prison.

The Newcastle-born sex offender was jailed at Oxford Crown Court in 2000 after he entered a woman's home through a cat flap before tying her up, putting a pillow case over her head, and brutally assaulting her while holding a knife to her throat.

Robson fled open prison HMP North Sea Camp in Boston, Lincolnshire, and was reported missing at around 7am on Sunday

He was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of nine years, but has spent an additional 11 years in prison.

Robson had only been released from prison three weeks before the attack and was on licence  with the sentencing judge describing him as a 'menace to females'.

Providing an update on the search, Chief Superintendent Kate Anderson said: 'It has now been three days since Paul Robson was last seen and we continue to appeal to members of the public for their help to find him.

'We are keeping an open mind as to his current whereabouts and we're pursuing extensive lines of enquiry based on the information that the public have shared with us so far.

Robson was jailed at Oxford Crown Court in 2000 after he entered a woman's home through a cat flap before tying her up, putting a pillow case over her head, and brutally assaulting her while holding a knife to her throat

'We're grateful to those who have already contacted us, and we would urge people to continue doing so.

'Any information, no matter how small, is useful in allowing us to build a bigger picture and it leads us closer to taking a dangerous man off our streets.

'We understand there may be concerns around personal safety, but we have allocated a number of resources to this investigation to aid in his swift arrest.

'Rest assured we are taking this seriously and advise that if you do see him, please contact us immediately and try not to approach him or apprehend him yourself.'

After Robson is caught, it is understood he would be returned to a closed prison and not be eligible for parole for at least a further two years.

The prisoner was previously described as a white male with a bald head, a long goatee beard and of a slim build.
A $500 Walmart gift card was the smoking gun that led to the arrest of a Manhattan husband and wife - who dubbed herself the Crocodile of Wall Street - in a $4.5 billion bitcoin heist.

Ilya 'Dutch' Lichtenstein, 34, and Heather R. Morgan, 31, were arrested this month after they allegedly conspired to launder cryptocurrency that was stolen during the 2016 hack of Bitfinex, a virtual currency exchange platform.

Federal investigators say they were able to crack the six-year-old case and tie the couple to the missing cryptocurrency by tracking the $500 gift card after it was sent to a Russian-registered email. The transaction was conducted via an IP address linked to a cloud service provider in New York that investigators were able to tie to Lichtenstein, officials said.

Court documents said that portions of the gift card were redeemed through Walmart's phone app and three purchases were conducted online using Morgan's name, one of her emails, and the couple's Wall Street apartment address for delivery.

That was one of more than a dozen other gift cards - including for Uber, Hotels.com and PlayStation - that investigators were able to trace back to emails and cloud service providers belonging to the couple, according to prosecutors.

Heather Morgan and Ilya Lichtenstein have been accused of creating a scheme to launder $4.5 billion in bitcoin in 2016

In this courtroom sketch, attorney Sam Enzer, center, sits between Heather Morgan, left, and her husband, Ilya 'Dutch' Lichtenstein, in federal court last week

On Monday, a New York City judge freed Morgan, pending trial by a federal court, but ordered the pretrial detention of Lichtenstein due to prosecutors' fears that he could seek immunity in Russia, where he is also a citizen.

'Their financial resources could be easily used to facilitate flightand could all be used to evade' liability in this case, the judge said.

Morgan is a tech entrepreneur and journalist who called herself the Crocodile of Wall Street in rap songs about investing in meme stocks, dealing with the pandemic and getting high in a cemetery.

The couple are accused of using several techniques to launder Bitcoin, including using fake identifies to create accounts; coding computer programs to execute fast, automated transactions; depositing stolen funds in several accounts across one crypto exchange to cover their previous transactions; converting Bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency; and creating U.S.-based business accounts to wire their funds and make them seem legitimate.

They are not being accused for actually stealing the bitcoin in the hack. The hackers have never been identified.

Over five years, someone allegedly laundered 119,754 bitcoin through 2,000 transactions on Bitfinex's website before transferring the crypto funds into Lichtenstein's digital wallet.

A $500 gift card for Walmart was sent to a Russian-registered email that investigators were able to link to Lichtenstein

It revealed last week in court that more than $3.6 billion worth of bitcoin linked the 2016 hack has been seized having allegedly been in crypto wallets controlled by the couple

Investigators analyzed the public transaction ledger for all Bitcoin using a process called cluster analysis to find patterns that can reveal groups that seem to share a common source or connection.

One cluster of bitcoin addresses, identified in court filings as 36B6mu, was the one that led them to the couple.

'The money laundering accusations in the Government's complaint are predicated on a series of circumstantial inferences and assumptions drawn from a complex web of convoluted blockchain and cryptocurrency tracing assertions,' the couple's lawyers said in a court memo.

Bitfinex is a cryptocurrency exchange registered in the British Virgin Islands. In August 2016, hackers were able to breach its security firewall before stealing about 120,000 bitcoin from its customers.

The amount that was stolen was worth roughly $70 million at the time, when the price of bitcoin was around $600. The cryptocurrency is currently valued at $44,295.60 for one bitcoin

Prosecutors said they had seized more than $3.6 billion worth of bitcoin linked to the 2016 hack that was held in crypto wallets controlled by the couple.

When the breach occurred, 120,000 bitcoins were allegedly transferred into a crypto wallet that Lichtenstein still had access to last month, they said.

Prosecutors also stated how despite having recovered 'the majority of the stolen funds, there are at least 24 virtual current addresses linked to the hack [and believed to be in the defendants' control] for which law enforcement does not possess the private keys.

'The remaining addresses contain about 7,500 bitcoin, which is currently valued at over $328 million,' prosecutors said.

At the time, Bitfinex announced to its customers that they would lose 36 percent of their funds to compensate for the losses from the incident. It also created special digital tokens that were able to keep track of customers' losses.

Some of the tokens could exchanged for shares of iFinex, the company that operates Bitfinex, while other tokens could be redeemed if the stolen bitcoins were recovered in the future.

The US Department of Justice announced that it would create a special judicial process for victims of the hack to reclaim their losses.
A pair of white New Jersey police officers are being investigating for pinning a 14-year-old black boy to the ground, putting a knee on his back and arresting him after a fight with a white teen - who they allowed to walk away.

Troubling video footage shows the two teens exchanging words February 13 at the Bridgewater Mall before their argument turned violent.

The white teen is seen shoving the black teen before punches are thrown in the fight recorded by a number of teens at the popular shopping center.

Within seconds, a Bridgewater Police Department officer arrived and pulled the white boy away as her male partner tackled the black teen and held him on the ground.

The white teen, identified as a 15-year-old named Joey, was ushered to a nearby couch, but the black teen was led away in handcuffs.

Before he was lifted from the ground, the female cop placed her knee on his back while he was laying face down on the ground.

'Yo it's cuz he's black,' said a girl filming the scene. 'Racially motived.'

The female officer is seen pressing her knee against the boy's back during the arrest

A widely-shared video shows two teens engaging in a verbal argument at a New Jersey mall

The argument turned violent when the white teen pushed the black teen, which kickstarted a fist fight

The white boy involved in the scuffle accused the cops of mistreating the black teen.

'I knew it was wrong, and I knew there was gonna be problems when they did that,' Joey told local news station PIX 11. 'They didnt go for me.'

He said he couldn't comprehend why he wasn't also arrested.

'I didnt understand why,' the teen said. 'I even offered to get handcuffed as well.'

Joeys friend Sienna Freidinger, who caught the fight on video, said she also considered the officer's response to be unfair.

'The black kid was the only one who was getting tackled,' she told the outlet.

Teens watch, and some videotape, as the boys brawl at the mall on February 13 before police arrive to break them up

When cops arrive, one pulls the white boy out of the way while the other tackles the black boy to the ground and arrests him

The white teen said he also offered to be arrested, but wasn't, after the black teen was cuffed and led away

The viral video sparked a response from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who took to Twitter to voice his concern.

'Although an investigation is still gathering the facts about this incident, Im deeply disturbed by what appears to be racially disparate treatment in this video,' Murphy tweeted. 'Were committed to increasing trust between law enforcement and the people they serve.'

The Bridgewater Police Department referred media inquiries to the city, which did not respond to a DailyMail.com request for comment.

They would not say whether the cops have been disciplined.

The department posted a statement on Twitter where it said, in part, that it was 'thankful for our community partners and [looked] forward to continuing to build our positive relationships.

'We recognize that this video has made members of our community upset and are calling for an internal affairs investigation,' the statements said. 'The officers were able to respond quickly to this incident and stop it from escalating because of a tip we received from the community.'

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he was 'deeply disturbed by what appears to be racially disparate treatment in this video'

The department posted a statement on Twitter where it said, in part, that it was 'thankful for our community partners and [looked] forward to continuing to build our positive relationships'

The department asked the Somerset County prosecutors to assist in the investigation.

A number of people voiced outrage over the arrest on social media.

'The white boy instigated it but the black boy got arrested,' Kim Lively wrote on Facebook. 'How f***ing typical.'

'I can't wrap my head around this,' Lynn MacDowell wrote on the social media site. 'This could not be more clear. If no one notices anything off, they are just plain evil humans.'
The Biden administration is not budging on mask guidelines just yet, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday.

During the White House COVID-19 briefing, Walensky said officials were 'cautiously optimistic' about the direction of the pandemic given the rate at which Omicron cases are declining nationwide.

She added that the CDC is currently examining its guidance and that it 'will be updated soon.'

An update could be expected late February or early March, giving President Joe Biden the opportunity to announce it right around the State of the Union on March 1, CNBC reported.

The White House has been under fire for dragging its feet to update COVID-19 health guidelines like mask-wearing even as a majority of states have raced to drop or roll back restrictions in recent weeks.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona was dragged on Twitter for stating his favorite part of teaching is seeing kids' smiles, while some Democrat-led states like New York and California are still facing intense criticism for lifting mask mandates in bars and restaurants but not public schools.

At Wednesday's briefing Walensky acknowledged the fatigue brought on by public mandates, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky conceded she knew people were 'eager to remove' COVID mandates but said guidance would be updated 'soon'

'We know that you have many questions regarding what prevention strategies are really necessary for this moment, especially as people are so eager to remove them,' the medical expert said.

She suggested the White House was looking at a new phase that included transitioning from the current stage while being ready for the threat of a new variant.

'We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen,' Walensky explained.

'If and when we update our guidance, we will communicate that clearly. And it will be based on the data and the science.'

COVID testing czar Dr. Tom Inglesby underscored the CDC's position during a CNN interview earlier on Wednesday morning, encouraging kids to use 'whatever' material is available to cover their faces despite studies showing some cloth masks may not be effective in stopping the virus.

'Cloth masks are better than no masks. Surgical masks are better than cloth masks. So whatever mask is available and fits well for kids should be used,' Inglesby told CNN.

The Omicron strain was first discovered by South African officials in late-November and quickly took the world by storm. It caused COVID cases to spike in much of the western world, and infections in the U.S. rocketed to a record of 800,000 per day in mid-January.

Despite science, WH Covid adviser @T_Inglesby still says kids should be forced into facemasks:



Cloth masks are better than no masks. Surgical masks are better than cloth masks. So whatever mask is available and fits well for kids should be used" pic.twitter.com/g9gBYZ2oag  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 16, 2022

Omicron quickly burned out and ran out of steam, though. Daily cases have plummeted to about 147,000 average per day, according to the CDC, down 40 percent over the past week.

The average rate of COVID-linked hospital admissions fell by 28 percent, Walensky said at the briefing.

COVID testing czar Dr. Tom Inglesby told CNN on Wednesday morning that kids should continue wearing any kind of mask they can find

Deaths have flattened as well, down nine percent over the past week according to the CDC. Mortality figures from Omicron never reached the same heights as the Delta variant over summer, or the winter 2021 COVID surge, as the strain is more mild than previous versions of the virus and the U.S. population is now largely vaccinated.

Experts are hopeful that its high infection rate combined with the variant's relatively mild nature spells the end of the pandemic coming soon.

As the pandemic's toll on American life begins to ease, pressure is ramping up for President Joe Biden to budge on health guidelines.

The Democrat governors of New Jersey, New York, California, Connecticut, Oregon and Delaware all announced rollbacks of their mask mandates last week.

In New York, state Republican lawmakers are examining legislative avenues to get around Governor Kathy Hochul's mask rule for K-12 schools.

Democrats in California meanwhile are being accused of a double standard after images of maskless celebrities partying at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles over the weekend was followed by state health officials announcing school mask rules would be in place at least until the end of the month.

Meanwhile Education Secretary Miguel Cardona was torched on Twitter for calling student's faces his favorite part of having been a teacher -- with Republicans pointing out that most educators haven't seen such a sight in months because of mask rules

Education Secretary Cardona, a former teacher, felt similar blowback when he tweeted on Tuesday night: 'Todays #LoveTeaching theme is Tremendous Tuesday where we are challenged to tell a 6-word story that describes why you #LoveTeaching.'

'Mine is: The smile on a student's face.'

Republican lawmakers were quick to point out that teachers going into school today in some Democrat-run states likely wouldn't get that view.

'Their smiles are still covered up! UNMASK OUR KIDS!' Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York said.

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas responded on Twitter: 'Really? I mean'

The official Twitter handle of the House GOP also joined in the criticism.

'Haven't seen one of those in years because of your authoritarian and unscientific mask mandate,' they wrote.

White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Monday that although case numbers are 'going in the right direction' he doesn't want anyone to be 'declaring victory prematurely.'

Meanwhile the rate of new COVID-19 cases has slowed dramatically after a weeks-long Omicron surge

'Well if you look at the trajectory downward of the cases and the hospitalization, it's clearly going in the right direction,' he said on MSNBC.

'I mean obviously the CDC still now recommends masking because of the degree of infection that we're seeing, but what I believe the states are doing is anticipating that we are going in the right direction and they feel they might as well just get back to trying to get back to some form of normality by pulling back on restrictions.'

Fauci also warned that states need to 'be careful' about their decisions because doing so 'prematurely' could have unwanted consequences.

He said that is why the CDC will 'continue to monitor these things and make modifications of recommendations as we see the trajectory continue to come downward.'

'But it's entirely understandable why the states, at the local level, are looking at what their own local situation is and are making decisions,' Fauci stated.

'That's the way it works. The CDC makes recommendations and locally the decision is made on the basis of what's going on in your particular location.'
A pensioner who sent 'frightening' anti-Semitic letters to Lord Sugar was jailed for more than three years yesterday.

Patrick Gomes, 70, told the Apprentice star he wanted 'to murder all Jews in Britain' as part of a threatening campaign.

In another letter, he warned he would 'round all [Jews] up and put you in camps ready for deportation'.

And, in a third, he wrote: 'We might drop by and pay you a visit, shove your head in a hot oven. We call it baking Jewish bread.'

In a victim impact statement, Lord Sugar, 74, said the whole incident had left him 'shaken up'.

He added: 'I'm now always looking over my shoulder in case someone is close to me and about to attack me or my family.'

Chelmsford Crown Court heard that Gomes, from Leyton in east London, had contacted Lord Sugar after the business tycoon commented on allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.

In a victim impact statement, Lord Sugar (pictured), 74, said the whole incident had left him 'shaken up'.

Lord Sugar  a former Labour donor  was a vocal critic of the party under Jeremy Corbyn and had blamed the then leader for the party's anti-Semitism crisis.

In September 2018, he told the House of Lords: 'What kind of leader is he to not take his party by the scruff of the neck and make them see sense and kill the matter off once and for all?'

Between October and December that year, Gomes sent three letters to Lord Sugar's business premises in Loughton, Essex, ranting that there was 'no anti-Semitic element within the Labour Party'.

He was arrested after his DNA and fingerprints were found on one of the letters, which had been opened by Lord Sugar's assistant.

Officers searching his property also found an address book with Lord Sugar's contact details and four more letters, all of which were 'discriminatory' in nature.

Gomes was charged with religiously aggravated harassment putting those targeted in fear of violence.

He was found guilty following a trial last year which took place in his absence after he failed to attend.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was remanded in custody until his sentencing.

Mr Pearson told the court that Lord Sugar 'had been made to feel extremely scared and upset' and 'hadn't told his family as he know how scared and upset it would make them'.

The court heard that Gomes had become increasingly isolated after retiring five years ago.

Oliver Renton, mitigating for the pensioner, said his mother had died just before the trial last year leaving him with no surviving family.

Patrick Gomes (pictured), 70, told the Apprentice star he wanted 'to murder all Jews in Britain' as part of a threatening campaign.

But Judge Timothy Walker said he had received a handwritten letter from the defendant which showed no mention of an 'apology towards Lord Sugar' or any remorse.

He added that the letters were 'frighteningly and deeply offensive, warning: 'Society will not tolerate behaviour such as yours.'

The judge also noted there had been 'no concerns raised' about Gomes' mental health.

The pensioner, who was jailed for three years and six months, was also given an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting Lord Sugar.

He showed no reaction as he was led to the cells.

Yesterday investigating officer PC Marc Arnold, of Epping Forest's Community Policing Team, said: 'At no point has [Gomes] shown remorse for his actions and I'm glad that he's now been made to answer for his crimes.'
Necessary step for both environmental and industrial purposes



The Seoul city government has decided to offer subsidies to 27,000 electric vehicle (EV) buyers this year in a bid to get more eco-friendly cars on the streets of Seoul. During the first half of the year, subsidies will be given out to about 14,000 vehicles.



The municipality has subsidized 52,400 electric vehicles from 2009 until last year in order to help reduce fine dust and greenhouse gas emissions. This year's planned figure for EV subsidies exceeds half of the cumulative number to date. The number of subsidized cars in Seoul will reach nearly 80,000 by the end of this year.



Seoul City has set a target for EVs to make up 10 percent of cars in the capital city by increasing their number to 400,000 over the next five years. The city administration also plans to replace 50 percent of intra-city buses and 20 percent of taxies with EVs. At present, a maximum subsidy of 9 million won ($7,517) is offered to those who buy electric passenger cars.



Subsidies for more EVs will have the effect of making Seoul a clean city by distributing more eco-friendly cars for use. In Seoul, the transport sector is responsible for 37 percent of ultrafine dust emissions and 19 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. So, it is imperative to ramp up pollution-free EV distribution.



EVs are also emerging as a key industry with great prospects as global automakers such as General Motors and Hyundai Motor are competing fiercely to dominate the market in advance. Seoul's expansion of subsidies deserves credit for stimulating demand for one of Korea's next-generation industries as well as contributing to enhancing air quality.



There is no doubt that expanding subsidies will remain the most powerful policy tool that can keep Korea's electric car industry competitive at home and abroad. Yet there must be more efforts to make EVs more popular. For example, it is necessary to establish more charging stations across the country and give greater toll or parking incentives to buyers.


Rep. Buddy Carter said that the only thing Dr. Anthony Fauci has been 'consistent' about is his 'inconsistency,' after the Georgia Republican sat down for a briefing with the top White House coronavirus advisor Tuesday night.

Carter said in an interview with DailyMail.com that he 'found it to be quite comical' that Democratic governors were dropping their mask mandates at the onset of an election year, after Fauci on Tuesday insisted it was 'not about politics.'

'He deflected as much as he could,' Carter said. 'He is still misleading the American public. He's inconsistent. The only thing the only thing consistent about him is his inconsistency.'

Carter said Fauci was pressed on why he had not appeared before the House Energy and Commerce committee in a year, and became 'defensive.'

Last week, six Democratic governors dropped their mask mandates in some form. Half of Virginia Democrats sided with Gov. Glenn Youngkin to drop the mask requirement in schools. But the White House has held on to masking, with President Biden saying he thinks it is 'premature' to end the mandates.

'It's hard to say whether they're wrong,' Biden said in an interview over the weekend with NBC's Lester Holt. 'I think it's probably premature, but it's a tough call.'

'This is nothing but politics on the part of the Democrats. We've known for quite some time that that masks don't work,' Carter said.

Carter said in an interview with DailyMail.com that he 'found it to be quite comical' that Democratic governors were dropping their mask mandates at the onset of an election year, after Fauci insisted it was 'not about politics'

'I mean we use the word politics, I'm not so sure it's that. I just think at the local level, there's a strong feeling of needing to get back to normality,' Fauci said of six governors changing their mask rules last week

'These Democrats aren't following the science, they're following the political science is what they are doing. I just find it to be quite comical that they are nixing the mask mandates during an election year. I mean, this is their attempt to shore up their polling numbers.'

'We've got Stacey Abrams in my home state of Georgia, posing with children in a classroom. All the children have a mask on but Stacy sitting right up front without a mask on. We're here we've got the mayor of LA who is at the at the Super Bowl unmasked,' he continued.

Abrams is pictured unmasked with Glennwood Elementary School students

Abrams is pictured with school staff members, all of whom are wearing masks

Fauci, however, denied that politics are involved.

'I wouldn't say it's the politics,' he said on MSNBC. 'I think it's the different evaluation of what's right for a particular community.'

'I mean we use the word politics, I'm not so sure it's that. I just think at the local level, there's a strong feeling of needing to get back to normality. Now if you look at the science of it, the direction is going in the right direction. Are we there yet in every single place throughout the country? I don't believe so.'

When Fauci appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Tuesday evening, Carter said he pressed him to commit to supporting legislation that would put a five-year moratorium on government funding of gain-of-function research, to which the NIAID director demurred.

'He just deflected as much as he could,' Carter said. 'He's very defensive about that.'

Fauci has told Congress that the National Institutes of Health never funded gain-of-function research. But a nearly $600,000 NIH grant to EcoHealth Alliance, was in turn distributed to its collaborator, the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The NIH admitted in October it could have been used to make viruses more deadly through gain-of-function research.

The admission came in a letter addressed Kentucky congressman James Comer, in which NIH's principal deputy director Lawrence A. Tabak refers to a 'limited experiment' conducted to test if 'spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model,' at the Wuhan lab.

According to Tabak, the mice infected with the modified bat virus 'became sicker' than those infected with the unmodified bat virus.

'As sometimes occurs in science, this was an unexpected result of the research, as opposed to something that the researchers set out to do,' Tabak said.

While never using the term, Tabak essentially confirms that gain of function research, which looks at both transmitting disease between animals and humans and is a way for scientists to alter organisms and diseases to study how they could become deadlier or more transmissible, took place at the Chinese lab despite consistent denials from Dr. Fauci.
Reality TV star Stephen Bear has been arrested today after he breached bail conditions over charges related to revenge porn, which he has allegedly discussed online.

Bear, 32, faces trial for allegedly recording himself having sex with his former girlfriend Georgia Harrison without her consent and sharing the footage online.

Georgia has given written permission to MailOnline to be named in connection to this case, waiving the normal anonymity afforded to complainants.

The star, who rose to fame following his appearances on reality shows Ex On The Beach and subsequently Celebrity Big Brother, appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court today after being re-arrested this morning for breaking the conditions of his bail arrangement.

The Celebrity Big Brother winner pleaded not guilty to two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs or films, and one count of voyeurism, in July 2021 last year.

He was bailed following his initial arrest, but has allegedly been speaking about the case on social media since.

Reality TV star Stephen Bear has been arrested today after he breached bail conditions and over charges related to revenge porn, which he has allegedly discussed online

Bear, 32, faces trial for allegedly recording himself having sex with ex-girlfriend Georgia Harrison without her consent and sharing the footage online (Bear pictured outside court last July after pleading not guilty)

Stephen Bear sighted outside Chelmsford Crown Court on July 30, 2021 in Chelmsford, England. Bear is accused of secretly recording a sex tape and posting it online without consent

Georgia has given written permission to MailOnline to be named in connection to this case, waiving the anonymity normally afforded to complainants

Essex Police confirmed that the reality TV star has been re-bailed ahead of his trial in December after admitting a breach of bail conditions.

It comes a week after Bear was set to stand trial for the allegations on February 7, before the hearing was pushed back to the end of the year just two days before he was expected to take the stand.

A police statement read: 'Stephen Bear, 32, appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court on 16 February where he admitted breaching bail conditions.

'He has been bailed to appear at court in December.'

Bear was first arrested in January 2021 upon arrival at Heathrow Airport following a holiday in Dubai.

He was accused of secretly recording himself having sex with Harrison on August 2, 2020, before subsequently sharing the video without consent on adult websites OnlyFans and Pornhub on August 2 and November 8 respectively.

Bear was formally charged in May with one count of voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private, sexual photographs or films with intent to cause distress.

Bear mimed firing an invisible machine gun as the photographers pictured him outside court (Bear sighted outside Chelmsford Crown Court on July 30, 2021 in Chelmsford, England)

Bear gave detail of what suit he was wearing at his court hearing, saying that he had been contacted by people who asked him

The reality TV star arrived at court in July wearing a white suit and garish pink shirt, sporting shades and slicked back hair as he performed for the press.

He posed for waiting photographers as if he was firing a machine gun and then pointed at cameras, before giving the judge at the hearing a double-thumbs up as he was read his charges.

As he left the court he did another thumbs up to the cameras and shouted the words 'not guilty' from the steps.

In the hours following the hearing, Bear tweeted 'life's a movie' and said he was 'jetting off to Turkey' for a holiday despite the allegations.

Bear, of Bryony Close, Loughton, Essex, won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 and co-presented Just Tattoo Of Us with Charlotte Crosby on MTV in 2017.

He will now face trial on December 6 at Chelmsford Crown Court.
An afterhours party at a top London estate agent's offices saw workers apparently inhaling 'hippy crack' from balloons - clearly visible to passers-by.

The extraordinary scenes took place at the offices of the Kinleigh, Folkard and Hayward estate agency in West Hampstead, North London, after the office had closed for business on Friday night last week.

The partying group was made up of smartly dressed professionals who are understood to have included staff members from KFH.

Workers at the branch are had been taking part in an online awards event during the afternoon and instead of going home at the close of business some then stayed on in hte office to party.

At least two people in the group appear to be using the balloons, usually associated with inhaling nitrous oxide.

A party at the offices of the Kinleigh, Folkard and Hayward estate agency in West Hampstead, London, saw workers (left and right) apparently inhaling 'hippy crack' from balloons

A 15-second clip filmed on February 11 was posted on TikTok by a user who can be heard saying 'they are doing balloons' as he films the party through a display window from the street outside the KFH office.

A spokesman for the company said they had launched an investigation into what took place inside the offices after they were closed to members of the public.

A statement from the company said: 'On Friday 11 February we closed our offices at 4pm and hosted our annual awards virtually.

'We are aware of the video circulating on social media and are in the process of investigating why several members of staff remained in one of our offices into the evening.

'Due to the investigation being ongoing, we are not able to comment further at this time.'

In the film a female agent can be seen apparently inhaling from a yellow balloon while a male colleague clutches a white balloon to his mouth.

A 15-second clip filmed on February 11 was posted on TikTok by a user who can be heard saying 'they are doing balloons' as he films the party through a display window from the street

A spokesman for the company said they had launched an investigation into what took place inside the offices in West Hampstead (pictured)

There is no sign of any other party decorations as the group stand around chatting.

Hippy crack, or nitrous oxide, is illegal for recreational use under a 2016 law.

Users experience a euphoric high after inhaling the gas which is also known as laughing gas as inhalers can't think straight causing fits of laughter.

The exact chemical action of the drug is still not clearly known, but it is a depressant, which means it slows down your brain and therefore your body's responses.

The drug can even be fatal if the person experiences a lack of oxygen.

This happens when all the oxygen is displaced by nitrous oxide. The risk of this is amplified if both the mouth and nose are covered in a plastic bag breathing it in.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there have been 36 deaths in Great Britain associated with nitrous oxide from 2001 to 2016.

Recreational use of hippy crack  often seen being inhaled by young people at music festivals such as Glastonbury  is illegal under the 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act.

Selling Nitrous Oxide is not illegal and small silver cannisters can be bought from catering wholesalers for less than 50p each.

Established in 1977 Kinleigh, Folkard and Hayward boasts 60 offices across London with over 800 staff.
The creator of The Eden Project in Cornwall has branded some of the locals 'tossers' for criticising outsiders and romanticising the 'good old days'.

Sir Tim Smit, 67, was discussing local criticism about celebrity chef Rick Stein on the podcast The Reason Why, hosted by actor and musician Seamas Carey.

Sir Tim, who was born in Holland but grew up in Sussex, opened the Eden Project - a collection of glass domes housing thousands of species of plants - in the year 2000, and it has since brought an estimated 1billion to the Cornwall economy.

In the podcast episode, entitled Overexposure, which discussed 21st century life in the seaside town, Mr Stein was labelled a 'highly controversial' figure in Cornwall - where he regularly visited his second home in Padstow growing up, and where he now runs several restaurants and a cooking school.

One local said Mr Stein had caused an influx of tourists to Padstow, which has 'created a lot of jobs', although such tourism booms have been criticised for out-pricing locals in the past.

Another admitted he was a 'great cook' before branding his food boxes as 'w***y' and telling him to 'f*** off.'

Another young woman had no qualms with the chef before discovering he was not actually born in Cornwall, adding: 'Oh well then f*** Rick Stein.'

When the podcast asked Sir Tim for his view, he rushed to defend Mr Stein, a personal friend of his, before launching into a tirade against some of the local populace.

Sir Tim Smit, 67, (pictured by The Eden Project) was discussing local criticism about celebrity chef Rick Stein on the podcast The Reason Why, hosted by actor and musician Seamas Carey.

He told the podcast: 'People forget that he's a chef with a successful restaurant who was the first chef on television who rooted his chef-ery in the town in which he lived.

'His foundation was the fishermen of Padstow and him being a chef of fish.

'He is personally quite anxious about being seen as a spokesman for Cornwall because he knows you get bricks thrown at you for saying you speak for anybody here.'

He then added: 'One of the problems in Cornwall is if you say anything - if you're not Cornish - and you say anything about it, they say you're an arrogant so-and-so speaking for the Cornish.

'You feel, and I don't, but you feel like saying "well if you were a bit more f***ing articulate you could speak up for yourself but you haven't".

'You've all got mums who made the best pasties in the world and it's fantastic and it's fabulous, and you talk about the good old days and the good old days never were the good old days.

'They've been bad for about 70 years - and they've been bad because of tossers like you.

'And that's what I would actually say to quite a lot of Cornish people.

'I really would because you cannot define your life in terms of what you don't like.

The family's empire has been buoyed by furlough and the success of the Stein's At Home seafood meal boxes (pictured: with his ex-wife Jill in Padstow)

'You've actually got to define your life sometimes in terms of the sunny uplands you'd like to aspire to, and what makes me cross is that there was plenty to be genuinely angry about injustice in Cornwall, in terms of the way central government saw it and it was allowed to be painted as if it was political as opposed to being factually correct.

'It is factually correct that Cornwall has been dealt a bad hand and it deserves significantly more.'

Other locals defended Mr Stein, saying he had brought jobs to areas like Padstow - dubbed by some as Pad-Stein, due to the chef's influence there.

He opened The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow in 1975 which operates as his flagship eatery, and he also has restaurants in Barnes, Sandbanks and Winchester.

Since then has launched a bistro, cafe, fish and chip shop, bar, fishmongers and cookery school in the seaside town.

His ex-wife Jill remains a co-owner and is an interior designer for the business, as well as being chairwoman of the tourism organisation Visit Cornwall.
A Hawaii man has been arrested on murder and weapons charges for allegedly shooting dead his wife's acupuncturist lover, six months after learning of their love affair.

Eric Thompson, 34, of Honolulu, was taken into custody on Monday and charged with second-degree murder and carrying or use of a firearm in commission of a felony in connection with last month's killing of 47-year-old Jon Tokuhara.

Thompson was released from jail after posting $1million three hours later. He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

Court documents allege that Thompson's wife, Joyce, and Tokuhara had a two-month affair last year, and that her husband found out about her infidelity in July, after which she ended the liaison.

Eric Thompson, 34 (left), has been charged with second-degree murder and carrying or use of a firearm in the January 12 killing of Honolulu acupuncturist Jon Tokuhara (right), 47

Police say Thompson arrived at Tokuhara's clinic in Waipahu on the evening of January 12 and shot him three times in a span of 48 seconds

Surveillance video was said to have captured Thompson at the crime scene, where Tokuhara's body was discovered by his mother the next day

At around 6.15pm on January 12, 2022, just two days before his fifth wedding anniversary, police say Eric Thompson arrived at Tokuhara Acupuncture and Healthcare, carrying a shopping bag.

Surveillance cameras were said to have captured the cuckolded husband inside his romantic rival's clinic, where he remained for just 48 seconds, reported Hawaii News Now.

Police say they believe Thompson shot Tokuhara three times from a .22 caliber gun, which he had concealed inside the bag, before fleeing in a white Chevy Silverado.

Tokuhara's mother arrived at his business on Waipahu Depot Street the following morning and discovered her son dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

Police pulled surveillance video from nearby businesses, which showed a white pickup truck in the vicinity. They ended up having to track 53 similar white trucks and interviewing all their owners, before zeroing in on Thompson.

Investigators said the 34-year-old was the only vehicle owner who did not have an alibi for the time of Tokuhara's murder.

Police obtained more footage from the vicinity of Thompson's home in East Honolulu, allowing them to establish a timeline of his movements on the evening of the killing.

On February 1, police executed a search at Thompson's house and recovered a dozen firearms registered to him, and an additional two guns that were unregistered, reported Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Eric and Joyce were high school sweethearts who had been together for 13 years before getting married in January 2017, according to a wedding announcement in the online magazine Midweek.

Eric owns a business that specializes in creating walk-in bathtubs for seniors and people with special needs.

In 2019, Eric and Joyce Thompson's friend, who was a patient of Tokuhara's, introduced the wife to the older man after learning that she was in need of acupuncture services.

Court documents alleged that Joyce and Tokuhara began a sexual relationship in May 2021, but she broke it off two months later, after her husband found out.

Police said Tokuhara (left and right) and Eric Thompson's wife, Joyce, had a two-month affair last summer, which she broke off after Eric found out of her infidelity

A makeshift memorial made up of pictures and flowers adorns the front of Tokuhara's clinic after his cold-blooded murder

Detectives obtained Instagram direct messages between Tokuhara and Joyce, in which the lovers allegedly exchanged sexually explicit photos and videos, and discussed their affair.

Tokuhara apparently wanted to continue his relationship with Joyce, but she did not want to leave her husband and allegedly warned her lover that Eric 'might kill you' if they continued their tryst. Their online communication seized on July 23, 2021.

Joyce Thompson has not been accused of any crime in connection with her lover's death.

Tokuhara's cold-blooded murder sparked an outrage and calls for justice in the small community of Waipahu.

'He's an amazing doctor and acupuncturist, and he's helped so many people,' said friend Nicole Trazo, according to KHON2. 'He just has that special healing touch.'
Hillary Clinton finally responded on Wednesday to the recent revelations that she hired people to spy on Donald Trump, calling it 'desperate' and a 'fake scandal.'

'Trump & Fox are desperately spinning up a fake scandal to distract from his real ones. So it's a day that ends in Y,' the former presidential candidate tweeted along with an article from the Democrat-friendly Vanity Fair.

'The more his misdeeds are exposed, the more they lie,' Clinton added. 'For those interested in reality, here's a good debunking of their latest nonsense.'

She linked to the Vanity Fair column filed under 'conspiracy theories' and titled: 'You'll never believe it but Hillary Clinton did not, in fact, spy on Trump's White House.'

The article is by the magazine's politics correspondent Bess Levin, who writes articles highly critical of the Trump's and Republicans and serves as a mouthpiece for the Democratic agenda.

The subtitle of her article Clinton shared said: 'In less breaking news, Donald Trump remains a moron.'

Levin claims in the piece that the findings do not prove that Clinton spied on Trump and instead that the cybersecurity researchers hired by Clinton were actually investigating malware at the White House.

'Trump and company got the whole thing hilariously, mortifyingly incorrect,' Levin wrote.

'But fear not: We're sure they'll issue a lengthy correction and heartfelt apology to the people whose reputations they impugnedand the ones Trump suggested should be put to deathin no time,' she sarcastically ended the article.

Donald Trump released two statements after Hillary's tweet, accusing the Democrats of an 'espionage campaign on his New York City apartment' and 'another way to undermine the 2020 election'.

He also asked 'who gave Crooked Hillary Clintons plumbers their orders?'

'With Hillarygate it is the Mainstream Media Coverup that is almost as big of a crime as the act of treasonous espionage itself. It is showing the world why our media is truly the enemy of the people!' he added.

Clinton's first response to the revelations comes after she refused to answer DailyMail.com's questions on Tuesday about Special Counsel John Durham's finding that allege her allies spied on the Trump campaign.

Clinton and her daughter Chelsea emerged from a Filipino restaurant in Queens after approximately three hours during which they appeared to be filming on Tuesday.

Exclusive pictures and video obtained by DailyMail.com show a stone-faced Clinton silently waving away repeated questions of whether she spied on Trump. She refused to say when or if she planned to comment.

The White House is still deferring any questions relating to the latest findings to the Department of Justice after it was revealed Clinton paid to try and find a link between Trump and Russia.

'I would point you  any questions about this  to the Department of Justice,' President Joe Biden's Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during her briefing Wednesday.

Hillary Clinton finally addressed on Wednesday the latest revelations that she hired a firm to spy on Donald Trump, calling the allegations a 'fake scandal'

Clinton refused to answer shouted questions on Tuesday about the Durham report. At approximately 3:40 PM she waved off questions from a DailyMail.com reporter as she left a Queens restaurant with daughter Chelsea

When pushed on if 'monitoring internet traffic' could be defined as spying, as detailed in Special Counsel John Durham's report, Psaki repeated her direction for reporters to take questions to the Justice Department.

Clinton linked to a Vanity Fair article by Bess Levin (pictured) that insisted Republicans and media got it wrong and Clinton did not spy on Trump. The subtitle of her article is: 'In less breaking news, Donald Trump remains a moron'

Republicans are renewing their attacks against the Democrat-led Russia probe into Trump's campaign connections following Durham's filing last week.

They claim the latest bombshell proves Democrats will do anything to win  including illegal acts  and are demanding probes into Representative Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler so they are held accountable for being 'complacent' in Clinton's spying.

Durham's report alleged that Clinton did pay to 'mine data' in Trump Tower and White House servers to create a fake scandal despite her lawyer Michael Sussmann telling federal officers that he was not hired by anyone specific to find the connections.

Durham's indictment made no specific claims of servers being 'infiltrated', but rather that DNS data from Trump Tower and Whitehouse servers was exploited in an attempt to document a link between Trump and Russian banks.

Representative Pat Fallon told Newsmax on Wednesday: 'This will put the final nail in the Clinton candidacy coffin  once and for all.'

'We an be sure that Hillary Clinton will be flippant about it,' the Texas Representative said to the conservative news outlet. 'This is a real issue. I think this is literally going to sink the Clinton political machine once and for all.'

Press Secretary Jen Psaki continues to refuse to comment on the latest revelations, referring reporters to the Justice Department for any questions relation to Durham's report  even though there are allegations that Biden knew about the claims when he was still vice president

Arizona Representative Andy Biggs sent out a statement Wednesday saying: 'Durham's recent revelations show what we knew all along  Hillary Clinton and her Democrat cronies actively spied on President Trump. No American should accept that a presidential candidate engaged in criminal activity and created a false scandal about their opponent to win an election.'

'These accusations beg the question, what else will Democrats do to win an election?' Biggs posed.

'Hillary Clinton and the corrupt actors involved in this scheme should be prosecuted. And the media should uphold their duty and responsibility to report the truth.'

Republicans are blaming media, as well as Democrats, for allowing the truth to go uncovered until now.

'For years the media parroted the Democrat narrative about Russia collusion. And now as we're learning, week after week, that was a complete lie,' Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott said on Tuesday.

'The latest with the Durham report is that the Clinton campaign  the same group that fear mongered this Russian collusion  actually spied on the President of the United States,' he added. 'They spied on the President of the United States! They spied and they lied.'

"I think this is literally going to sink the Clinton political machine once and for all." @RepPatFallon reacts to the latest revelations from the Durham report about the Clinton campaign allegedly spying on Donald Trump. @JohnFBachman



FULL: https://t.co/hOG0PeWoRi pic.twitter.com/7Vo7MxreKO  Newsmax (@newsmax) February 16, 2022

'We need accountability. We need accountability for the Clinton campaign, we need accountability for Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler because they were complicit in this,' Scott said. 'So the media needs to start doing their job, talk about exactly what's coming out and hold these people accountable. On top of that, the Attorney General [Merrick] Garland  he needs to be out there making sure that Durham has all the resources he needs to do a thorough investigation.'

Trump era Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said this week that then-Vice President Joe Biden and President at the time Barack Obama knew Clinton's 2016 campaign was trying to 'hack' into Trump's servers to 'fabricate' links to the Kremlin.

He also said Durham has 'enough evidence' to indict 'multiple people'.

Senator Rick Scott of Florida said that Clinton needs to be held accountable, along with Democratic Representatives Jerry Nadler (left) and Adam Schiff (right) for being 'complicit'

Clinton allegedly approved in the 2016 election 'a plan concerning U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server,' according to a CIA Counterintelligence Operational Lead (CIOL) first revealed when a heavily-redacted version became declassified in October 2020.

The filing notes that 'On or about October 12, 2018, Law Firm-1 issued a statement to multiple media outlets in which the firm stated, in part: 'When Sussmann met with [the FBI General Counsel] on behalf of a client, it was not connected to the firm's representation of the Hillary Clinton Campaign, the DNC or any Political Law Group client.'

It also says that the 'then-Managing Partner of Law Firm-1 wrote a letter to the editor of a major newspaper in which he asserted, in part, 'Mr. Sussmann's meeting with the FBI General Counsel James Baker was on behalf of a client with no connections to either the Clinton campaign, the DNC or any other Political Law Group client.'

Durham's filings now reveal that Clinton's campaign did hire Sussmann and that he lied to federal officers. He has pleaded not guilty.
Residents heard a woman screaming the night she was found dead in her flat by police on Valentines Day, neighbours said today.

The woman, who is thought to be in her early thirties, was found dead in her flat in Plumstead, south east London just before 8.30pm on Monday night.

Police were said to have broken down the door to get inside the home in a three-storey block on the edge of a large complex on Congleton Grove.

Police have launched a murder probe after the victim was found suffering from multiple injuries. So far no arrests have been made, Scotland Yard said.

The woman, who has not been officially named, was said to be black and did not have any children, neighbours claimed today.

Police cordoned off Congleton Road in Plumstead, south east London, after a woman in her 30s was reportedly stabbed to death

Andrew, 59, who lives in the block but did not want to be identified, said: 'I knew her. She had a string of different boyfriends.

'When she had had a few drinks she could be quite loud. She has lived here for around seven or eight years.

'I never saw her in work uniform. I never saw her in the morning either, I don't think she worked or had children.

'On the night she died someone heard her screaming and the police went in. They broke down the door and found her with wounds.'

Joy Oga, 34, said she sometimes heard the woman arguing with men in her home, or banging on neighbours' doors and may of had mental health problems.

She added: 'She was a black woman. She was quite rough in the sense that sometimes in the middle of the night I would hear her screaming with different men.

Neighbours described hearing the woman screaming during an argument in the period before her death

'Sometimes I saw her throwing things when they were arguing and she would try and throw stuff.

'She would shout and argue outside the flat. She would bang on people's doors and ask for a lighter.

'Sometimes she wanted to borrow my phone or she would say 'I have just left my key' and then she would run off with things. She had a very rough life.

'She had a lot of boyfriends, I can't even count how many. She looked like she had some mental health issues.'

Ms Oga also paid tribute to the woman, adding: 'She was beautiful but her beauty was hidden by all the problems she had. It is heart-breaking to hear about something like this happening here.

'Last night I could not sleep, all I was doing was thinking about it. Living here is not safe.'

Two police cars were parked outside the block today as forensic officers swooped the corridor outside her flat for clues.

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: 'I did not know her well but I think she was called Naomi. I don't know.

'We would chat a bit and say hello to each other but we were not friends.'

Another resident added: 'I knew she was a black woman and that she lived here but that's all I know about her. She did not have children.'

A post-mortem examination is due to take place to ascertain how she died, the Met Police said.

Police said officers are working to track down her relatives and tell her next of kin about her death.

Anyone with information can call police on 02087 214027 or on 101, tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 6610/14Feb or call independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Restaurants across the Unites States bracing for a shortage of avocados - or looking for cheaper alternative as prices skyrocket after the US banned imports from Mexico - are either taking the popular item off their menus or in some cases changing the age-old recipe for guacamole.

Alfonso Brito, who owns two Mexican eateries in Utah, has begun to substitute avocados with other green vegetables.

'It look like guacamole. You have to tell your customers that it's not guacamole,' Brito said. 'It's not avocados, it's zucchini, but also it's a great option, you know. Also with the cactus or spinach.'

Brito, other restaurateurs and shippers expect their supplies to run out in the next two weeks while also contending with avocado prices that have doubled and are expected to keep going up as the last of the shipments from Mexico dry up.

The US had banned imports of avocados from Michoacan, Mexico, the sole state allowed to export to America, after a US inspector was threatened over the phone amid continued violence at the lucrative Mexican farms by ruthless cartels looking to carve into the three billion-dollar-a-year industry.

Alfonso Brito, who owns two Mexican eateries in Utah, said he's begun experimenting with guacamole alternatives as avocado supplies are expected to drop and prices soar following the US ban on Mexican avocado imports

Brito said he's making substitute guacamole from zucchini, spinach and even cactus

The US imports about 80 percent of its avocados from Mexico. Without the imports, it's forced to rely on California for the green fruit, which typically provides only 13 per cent of the supply

Avocado prices have reached $26.23 per nine-kilogram box, the standard of transportation

Avocado prices are expected to increase in the coming days and then see a dramatic spike as the US avocado supply is depleted

Brito told KJZZ that prices have been fluctuating everyday, and he expects things to get worse.

'It raised like 50 to 60 percent,' he said. 'I can find avocados for 48 dollars today, but then next it's like 58 and then next day it's 80 dollars.'

Francisco Garcia, owner of La Casa Garcia in Anaheim, California, said he's already seen prices skyrocket. He is preparing to pay $150 per case of avocados compared to when he used to pay $30 last year.

'[I spend] three to four hundred dollars for all the avocados,' Garcia told CBS LA about his usual supply. 'If they raise it, it will be $2,000.'

Despite the rising costs, the restaurateur vowed not to raise the prices for his customers, who he said were like family.

'They've been paying $4 to $5 a guacamole,' he said. 'I ain't going to raise it $25 to $30. People ain't going to buy it They're my customer for years and years. I'll take the loss.'

Jose Leon, owner of Jalapeno's in Peoria, Illinois, said he usually buys Mexican avocados for $57, but expects the prices to go up to $200 next week.

He told CI Proud that rather than raise prices, he has already taken guacamole off his menu.

'If we can't find them, we're just not going to serve it,' Leon said.

'We're not going to pay that number to start off, and if we can't find it, we'll just take our guacamole off the menu until we get avocados back to the states.'

Francisco Garcia, owner of La Casa Garcia in Anaheim, California, said he's already seen prices skyrocket as he is preparing to pay $150 per case of avocados, triple what they were last year

Garcia vowed to not raise the prices of any of his guacamole dishes

Jonny Hernandez, a San Antonio restaurateur who owns 11 eateries, told Kens5 he has enough avocados for two weeks and expects dishes featuring the food to increase by 50 percent.

'It'll start affecting prices tomorrow,' he said. 'We're already dealing with labor and supply issues... That is going to compound everything.'

Some restaurants may run out of avocados faster than others, with Piero Sanchez, manager of the Baja Cantina in Los Angeles, saying supplies may run out for smaller restaurants in two to three days.

'Realistically we have enough for two to three days until we start to see our pricing kind of change,' Sanchez told Reuters.

'For us, we'll find a viable solution. We'll find a substitute. Or even that if we need to take a hit, we'll take it. But we're hoping this crisis or this situation ends very soon and we can get more supply out here and give restaurants a break.'

Restaurateurs are preparing for the price hike as Baja Cantina owner Piero Sanchez warned that smaller restaurants could run out of their usual supply in days. Pictured, Sanchez's head chef, Daniel Donis, preparing a bowl of guacamole

From drugs to 'green gold': How Mexico's cartels began terrorizing the avocado industry As the price of heroine crashed due to the creation of synthetic opioid alternatives, and many states legalizing cannabis, Mexican gangs sought to extend their ambitions to a much more lucrative business: avocados, known as 'green gold.' The conflicts centers around Michoacan, Mexico, the world's largest avocado exporter, yielding nearly $3 billion a year for Mexico. Before the US ban, the state was the sole Mexican provider of the fruit for America. More than a dozen criminal groups are battling for control of the avocado trade in and around the city of Uruapan, which had been scarred by violence since an infamous day in 2006 when five severed human heads were hurled on a nightclub dancefloor, heralding the start of a reign of terror by cartels trafficking Colombian cocaine. But in 2019, the focus went to avocados as gangs taxed growers up to $250 a hectare in 'protection fees' and regularly conduct kidnappings, murders and tortures against farm owners and employees, the Los Angeles Times reported. That year, Michoacan growers began taking up arms to protect themselves against thieves and drug cartels robbing them of their 'green gold,' using AR-15 rifles to defend themselves. In May 2019, a convoy of pickup trucks loaded with fighters from the neighboring state, Jalisco, engaged in an hour-long gun battle with local farmers. Juan Madrigal Miranda, a 72-year-old professor who runs a small nature center near where the shooting occurred, cowered on the floor of his small cabin as bullets flew overhead and killed 10 people that day. 'Around the country, the cartels want land, forest and water,' Madrigal said. 'Now they are fighting for the keys to life,' he told the Times. Gabriel Castaneda, director of security policy in Michoacan, says the gangs, which are thought to have 200,000 members in his state alone, have seized 35 per cent of the $3 billion sector in 2020. 'They're taking control of the whole industry,' he said. 'It is replacing many of their former activities, including drug-trafficking. In many cases the takeovers are done by murder, extortion and kidnapping.' Castaneda told how one collective of 40 farmers was being forced to pay nearly $1 million a month to gangsters, while up to four trucks carrying avocados are reportedly hijacked each day in 2020. 'It is so profitable,' Castaneda told Mail Online. After one avocado distributor refused to pay 'protection' money, his daughter was executed on the company's doorstep as a warning to others. Another grower was kidnapped from his orchard earlier this month and his body found days later. Although news of the conflict died down during the pandemic, the cartel is still an ongoing threat to farmers, who are pictured patrolling a checkpoint for shipping trucks in Ario De Roslaes, in July 2021 By August 2019, a team of US inspectors were 'directly threatened' in Ziracuaretiro, a town just west of Uruapan. While the government didn't specify what happened, local authorities said a gang robbed the truck the inspectors were traveling in at gunpoint. Mayco Ceja, an avocado picker at a farm Michoacan, told the Times that farmers are not only at risk of being robbed and killed, they can also be held captive and forced to work for free by cartel-run facilities. He said that's exactly what happened to he bought his employees to a farm in the state for a day's work, only to learn that the farm was run by a gang. 'They came at us with pistols,' he said. 'They forced us to pick for seven hours and didn't pay us.' Although news of the conflicts quieted down due to the pandemic, the dangerous situation was again highlighted in January, when footage showed drug cartels using drones to drop explosives onto inhabitants of a Tepalcatepec forest. It was the latest demonstration of unchecked violence in the region as the drones, controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, rained down explosives on the shacks. Footage from the attack emerged just weeks after the nearby city of Chinicuila in Michoacan reported that roughly half of its population fled, many illegally into the US, to escape the cartel's violence. Advertisement

Jim Shanley - president of Shanley Farms, a large avocado producer in California, said he doesn't believe the ban on Mexico will last long because it would be impossible for US growers to keep up with the demand.

Although the US created the original Hass avocado that most enjoy around the world, Mexico replicated the fruit and harvests it in much greater volume, shipping out about 1.5 million tons a year. By comparison, California produces only 188 thousand tons a year.

'The avocado industry is not set up to be able to provide as many avocados as the U.S. market demand without the Mexican supply,' Shanley told KSBY.

Shanley echoed fears that prices would skyrocket in the coming weeks and warned that the limited supply would leave customers avoiding avocados after the price hike.

'I don't want the guacamole in the restaurant I'm going to eat at going to $25. Nobody will buy it,' Shanley said.

Michael Wolfe, owner of Avocado Shack in Morro Bay, California, said he's already preparing for the worst-case scenario.

'I got on the phone with my organic supplier and said give me some Santa Barbara avocados at least. I got $1,200 worth of avocados coming in tomorrow and I'll still run out of these but they will be the best quality,' Wolfe told KSBY.

Chipotle Mexican Grill said it has enough supply to last about a month.

'We're working closely with our suppliers to navigate through this challenge,' the company's Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung said in a statement.

'Our sourcing partners currently have several weeks of inventory available, so we'll continue to closely monitor the situation and adjust our plans accordingly,' Hartung said.

The company did not say how much the prices for its dishes that use avocados would go up, only that the company has already been contending with higher costs.

Taco Bell said it would be able to avoid impacts from the suspension due to how it gets its guacamole.

'Taco Bell is not impacted by the US halting avocado imports from Mexico. We import guacamole and not whole avocados, which is not impacted by the current ban,' the company explained in a statement.

Moe's Southwest Grill, another popular Mexican-food chain in the US, declined to comment.

Mission Produce, the biggest distributor of avocados in the U.S., said the company is doing what it can to 'mitigate the impact as much as possible,' including trying to source for additional product around the world.

Steve Taft, president of Eco Farms in California, said he has been hearing from wholesale clients worried about running out of the key ingredient for menu items like guacamole, avocado toast and Cobb salad.

Michoacan is 'the big bully on the block. They dictate the market, so we have to be careful not to get carried away,' Taft said, according to Bloomberg.

He expects prices to rise by as much as 25 percent depending on the length of the ban.

Avocado prices hit $26.23 per nine-kilogram box, double what they cost last year. The price is nearing the highest in two decades, behind only a brief spike above $30 last July because of global demand and the end of the growing season in Mexico.

Guacamole lovers have seen the price of a single avocado rise to as much as $2.50 at some supermarkets from just $1.24 last month. They cost 99 cents in January 2021.

Raul Lopez, the Mexico manager of the market research company Agtools, told the Washington Post that prices would only continue to rise as the US depletes its avocado supply amid the suspension.

'In a few days, the current inventory will be sold out and there will be a lack of product in almost any supermarket,' Lopez said.

The US halted the avocado shipments after a health worker had been carrying out an inspection in Uruapan, a city in Michoacan, a gang-plagued region that's among Mexico's deadliest states. It has for decades been used as a drug-trafficking hub and the situation has only worsened amid frequent armed struggles for power between rival cartels.

Health officials did not disclose the specific nature of the threat, but it was serious enough to pause imports pending the results of an investigation by the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and and Department of Agriculture, the statement said.

Lopez told the Post the inspector had allegedly found avocados from the state of Puebla in the Michoacan facility that were intended to be exported to the US, which is not allowed.

'The people from the facility tried to intimidate and then [threaten] the inspector, so he reported it to the USDA, then they decided to pull out all the inspectors and close the border indefinitely,' Lopez explained.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador dismissed the threat received by a the health inspector as a ruse concocted by US President Joe Biden in order to protect American growers from Mexican competition.

'The truth is there is always something else behind it, an economic or commercial interest, or a political attitude,' Lopez Obrador said.

'They don't want Mexican avocados to get into the United States, right, because it would rule in the United States because of its quality.'

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said US ban on Mexico's avocados was part of conspiracy by President Joe Biden to protect American growers from Mexican competition

The suspension comes after a US inspector at a Michoacan facility received threatening phone call. Violence runs rampant in the Mexican state where farmers have armed themselves to guard checkpoints at the facilities to ward off the cartel

A a bullet hole is pictured on the window of a house, in El Aguaje, Michoacan in Mexico, on February 9, 2022, a region that's become overwhelmed by drug violence

The avocado conflict in Mexico centers in the state of Michoacan

Mexican drug cartel members have been for years threatening members of the lucrative avocado industry.

Michoacan growers in 2019 began taking up arms to protect themselves against thieves and drug cartels robbing them of their 'green gold,' using AR-15 rifles to defend themselves against deadly cartels.

Soaring US consumption has lifted the region out of poverty in the past decade, with Mexico in 2020 exporting more than $2.7billion of the fruit, according to Statista.

But the cash flow has also brought growing rates of extortion, kidnapping, and avocado theft.

The situation has become so dangerous that hundreds of avocado growers have formed a self-defense group called Pueblos Unidos to protect their fields.

It isn't the first time the US Department of Agriculture's officials have been threatened.

In August 2019, a team of inspectors were 'directly threatened' in Ziracuaretiro, a town just west of Uruapan in Michoacan. While the agency didn't specify what happened, local authorities said a gang robbed the truck the inspectors were traveling in at gunpoint.

The US lifted a ban on Mexican avocados in 1997, decades after it was implemented in 1914 to prevent weevils, scabs and pests from entering U.S. orchards.

The dangerous situation in gang-controlled Michoacan was again highlighted in January, when footage showed drug cartels using drones to drop explosives onto inhabitants of a Tepalcatepec forest.

It was the latest demonstration of unchecked violence in the region as the drones, controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, rained down explosives on the shacks.

Footage from the attack emerged just weeks after the nearby city of Chinicuila in Michoacan reported that roughly half of its population fled, many illegally into the US, to escape the cartel's violence.
A Hertz customer was arrested aboard a cruise ship in Florida while vacationing with his girlfriend after the company falsely accused the couple of stealing one of its rental cars nearly a year ago.

Charles Doucette of New Hampshire, who was arrested Friday and is currently in jail for up to 10 days, is the latest of 230 customers who are suing the car rental giant for falsely accusing them of theft due to an oversight by the company that often occurs when customers try to extend a rental.

'I am one of their best customers. And here I am sitting in jail,' Doucette told CBS News in a phone interview from Florida's Brevard County Jail, where he remained Wednesday.

'I'm sitting here for three days. Tell me that you're treating your customers right,' Doucette said during the Tuesday interview.

'This is the most horrific experience of my life.'

Charles Doucette was arrested aboard a cruise ship in Florida Friday while vacationing with his girlfriend, after the company falsely accused the couple of stealing one of its rental cars. He is currently being held in Florida's Brevard County Jail on a ten-day sentence

Doucette told the outlet that he's been a member of the company's President's Circle club for more than two years, during which he spent over $15,000 on Hertz rentals in 2020 and 2021 alone.

'It's just completely absurd that any company would allow something to affect somebody's life,' he said.

The oversight by the company occurred after Doucette extended a car rental more than a year before he and his girlfriend's Caribbean cruise getaway, which had docked in a Florida port early Friday morning.

The car-rental company is currently embroiled in a bitter legal battle with Doucette and hundreds of other customers who say the car rental giant falsely accused them of theft due to an oversight by the company that often occurs when they try to extend a rental, and are suing

Per the company's policy concerning payments, when a customer extends their rental, Hertz can place a hold on their credit card. If the hold doesn't go through, for often because a customer is approaching their credit-card limit and hasn't yet paid their bill, according to the guidance, Hertz staffers are supposed to immediately file a police report.

The is what happened in Doucette's case, according to the New Hampshire resident, who detailed to CBS how he and his girlfriend awoke in the early hours of Friday morning to boat officials banging on the door to their room on the vessel.

'We opened it and it was security for the boat,' he told CBS. 'Customs and Border came onto the boat and told me to turn around, face the wall with my hands behind my back.'

Doucette was then arrested and taken to the nearby jail, where he currently remains.

Doucette is the latest person to come forward saying the company filed a false police report against them, with bankruptcy court documents unsealed last week showing the company filed tens of thousands of reports since 2018 - some of them legitimate - at roughly 8,000 a year.

'I am one of their best customers. And here I am sitting in jail,' Doucette told CBS News in a phone interview from Florida's Brevard County Jail, where he remained Wednesday

Hertz had seemingly tried to keep a lid on the high number reports, until the Thursday unsealing, which came after a Delaware bankruptcy judge overseeing the case involving customers victimized by Hertz's policy, ordered the company to disclose the number of theft-by-conversion reports it files.

The company complied, revealing that of the roughly 8,000 arrest reports it files against customers each year, about 3,365 charged customers with car theft after they rented its cars.

The move by the judge, Mary Walrath, comes amid an ongoing lawsuit in which more than 100 customers, including Doucette, are suing Hertz for $529.7 million in bankruptcy court after they were stopped by police, arrested, and, in some cases, forced to spend months in jail for 'stealing' cars they had simply rented.

Documents from claimants say nearly 3,500 were filed against customers for what's called 'theft by conversion', '...that involve a renter who lawfully rented from Hertz...' '...and for which Hertz has payment information on file.'

The cases have been held up in court after Hertz filed for bankruptcy last year, but have been steadily building since 2015.

It is currently unclear how many of 3,365 police reports filed since 2018 came as a result of the company's payment policy concerning rental extensions.

According to Doucette, a pharmacy and healthcare consultant, the sordid saga began last year, after he rented the car from Hertz for his business. He properly extended the rental period several times, court documents show, but the company still accused him of stealing

According to Doucette, a pharmacy and healthcare consultant, the sordid saga began last year, after he rented the car from Hertz for his business. He properly extended the rental period several times, court documents show, but the company still accused him of stealing.

In March, police in Arizona stopped Doucette and told him of the police report Hertz filed against him saying his rental had been stolen. They towed the car, with Hertz still charging his credit card the full amount for the rental, Doucette says.

Then, in August, prosecutors who say they were acting on Hertz's police report took the case to a grand jury and indicted Doucette.

Facing a required court appearance in Arizona, Doucette said he then contacted a local attorney and sent notarized documents so he wouldn't have to appear in person. It's currently unclear what occurred in the local court, but it resulted in Doucette's arrest Friday.

Doucette's girlfriend of 18 years, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of losing her job, told CBS he is not doing well 'at all.'

'I just want him home,' she told the outlet Tuesday. 'I just want answers, so that we can pick up the pieces and move on.'

Hertz said in a statement that 'situations where vehicles are reported to the authorities are very rare and happen only after exhaustive attempts to reach the customer.' The company did not immediately respond to questions from DailyMail.com about Doucette's case.

Attorney Francis Alexander Malofiy, who represents Doucette and the other claimants, says the arrest is the result of 'inaccuracies' on Hertz's part, and that payments for Doucette's extensions were made and that the company knew of them.

'Hertz refuses to correct a police report when they've learned payments [were] made, when they've learned the car's been returned or when they've learned there's inaccuracies,' he said.

Malofiy sent a letter to Hertz over the weekend, asking the company's brass to help get Doucette out of jail. In his plea to the company, the lawyer asserted that unless something changes quickly, Doucette will be forced to serve the rest of his 10-day sentence for a crime he did not commit, as he awaits extradition to Arizona.

'I always thought that [the] world we live in is, "innocent until proven guilty,"' Doucette told CBS over the phone from jail Tuesday. He joked: 'This is, 'guilty until proven innocent.'

Doucette, currently branded an out of state fugitive, is due back in court on February 25. He is being held without bond.

Attorneys say there could be hundreds, if not thousands, more cases.

Philadelphia based contractor Hanna 'John' Ayoub was arrested outside his home on June 1, charged with a felony, and jailed for three months for driving a 'stolen' vehicle despite having receipts of his payments and rental agreement with Hertz.

'How do you have a receipt in your pocket and still get arrested for stealing car?' he questioned.

Ayoub needed an extra truck for a project in Delaware in April 2019 so he booked a long term with Hertz. Every week he called and paid $300 to extend his rental.

'By the third week, just after the extension, when they (Hertz) said everything was good and charged me for it, I received a call the following day saying that I am not authorized to use the vehicle anymore, even though I had been charged,' Ayoub told Delaware Online.

Hanna 'John' Ayoub was arrested for three months and hit with felony charges in New Jersey and Delaware for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle

Hertz reported Ayoub's rental car stolen on May 28, 2019 despite previously approving his rental and charging him $2,309.44 charge the next day

The felony charges against Ayoub were eventually dropped after he presented bank statements and recorded calls with Hertz associates approving his rental

On May 29, 2019 Hertz charged the contractor $2,309.44 for his continued rental but on May 28, 2019 the company filed a theft report claiming the car was stolen.

Four days later he was arrested outside his home in New Jersey and charged in Delaware and New Jersey criminal courts with crimes related to stealing the vehicle.

'They said that they had no record of the extension on the vehicle despite speaking to them a day before and receiving confirmation,' Ayoub said. 'Everything just turned into a nightmare from that point onward.'

Despite having receipts of his charges from Hertz he was jailed for three months. The felony charges were finally dropped by both courts after receiving bank statements and call recordings of Ayoub's conversations with Hertz associates confirming his rental.

'I lost everything, my life, my reputation, everything,' said Ayoub.

'I have not been able to work,' said Ayoub told the Philadelphia Inquirer. 'I take on odd jobs. I live with my parents. I don't even have a vehicle right now.'

Hertz told the Philadelphia Inquirer last year that they either did not have a record of his rental extensions or some were not approved.

James Tolen was arrested for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle on December 23, 2019

He was eventually let go when he showed officers his rental agreement which listed him as the authorized driver

Remembering being pulled over Tolen said: 'I was actually really thinking that I wasn't going to make it home'

Another contactor across the country has also filed a claim against Hertz after being falsely arrested for driving a stolen vehicle which he rented from the company.

Houston contractor James Tolen wasn't sure why he was pulled over on December 23 as he drove home after finishing a job around 10 pm.

He heard officers on a loud speaker ordering him to exit his vehicle, lift his shirt, and back up toward them. 'When I turned around I see both the officers trained their guns on me' Tolen told CBS News.

'It was just terrifying. It was bad. I was actually really thinking that I wasn't going to make it home.'

After being handcuffed, Tolen said officers told him the pickup truck he was driving had been reported stolen which is when he showed officers his rental agreement which listed him as the authorized driver.

'I was like, 'That's impossible. I rent from Hertz. I'm a contractor,'' he told police.

According to reports, the vehicle had been reported stolen three months earlier- prior to Tolen renting from Hertz.

After seeing his rental agreement, an officer called Hertz. Tolen said he overheard the officer questioning Hertz: 'Do you know what you put this guy through?...This guy could have lost his life.'

The officer condemned Hertz telling them they needed a better system and that Tolen had an authorized rental agreement and would be allowed to drive the truck home.

Tolen's partner, Krystal Carter, said that they had rented vehicles for Tolen's renovation company about 12 times that year. 'I was hot. Hot,' Carter said. 'Like, we rented several times from them that year. Several.'

Hertz has not commented on Tolen's claims.

Attorney Malofiy told CBS Hertz is 'trying to hide' what he calls 'a corporate disaster.'

'They've been aware of this for years, and instead of doing the right thing and addressing it, they're trying to sweep this under the rug, even through bankruptcy.'

Malofiy first worked on a similar case in 2015 when a friend of a friend spent 12 days in jail. At first he thought it was a one off but during the trial he discovered this is a systemic issue affecting people across the country. He has been helping people fight Hertz ever since.

'Hertz can't keep hiding anymore,' he said.

Lead attorney Francis Alexander Malofiy has been building his case against Hertz since 2015. The number of claimants in the suit has since ballooned by roughly 100

The Philadelphia attorney claimed that when Hertz loses track of their vehicles instead of working to locate the vehicle themselves they file a theft report with the police.

'Hertz is basically using the police as a tax paid repo service and shifting private matters to the community,' Malofiy claimed, 'instead of taking necessary steps they just file a police report shifting responsibility to police.'

The attorney explained that Hertz has especially aggressive standard operating procedures compared to their competitors because they were the first care rental company to rent to 'less credit worthy individuals' and allow renters to use debit cards.

But he believes these aggressive policies 'goes to destroying human lives.'

Hertz has claimed the attorneys representing the claimants 'have a track record of making baseless claims that blatantly misrepresent the facts.

Hertz allegedly has a secret database logging false police reports despite claiming to be unaware of an on-going problem

The trial is still ongoing.
Hillary Clinton's former campaign lawyer - the man who spearheaded a dirt-digging investigation that led to the unsubstantiated 'dirty dossier' on Donald Trump - is now working for Black Lives Matters, according to the secretive foundation's most recent tax filing.

Attorney Marc Elias's eponymous law firm was named several times in Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation's charity registration renewal filing, which was submitted in California on February 11.

The revelation comes after the leaderless organization faced intense pressure from California's Department of Justice, which accused it of failing to submit its annual financial reports and alleging it was in delinquent status.

The Elias Law Group is identified in the filings as the organization in charge of the books. The forms also listed longtime Clinton ally Minyon Moore as a member of its board of directors.

Elias and the Democratic National Committee funded a research campaign during the 2016 presidential election that was led by former British spy Christopher Steele, who produced the 'golden showers' dossier on Trump.

Black Lives Matter also referenced the Elias Law Group in a New Mexico charity registration statement, the Washington Examiner reported.

Lawyer Marc Elias, who helped fund the now-debunked 'golden shower' dossier on Donald Trump, is now working for the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation

A California legal filing by Black Lives Matter Global Network named Elias Law Group as the organization in charge of its books, and lists Clinton loyalist Minyon Moore as a board member

The partnership between Elias and Black Lives Matter, which has been under fire for failing to disclose its financial records, has raised eyebrows for some.

The never-proven, wild claims contained in the Democrat's Trump dossier The dossier claimed that Russian officials had videos of the president cavorting with prostitutes, filmed during Trump's 2013 visit to a luxury Moscow hotel for the Miss Universe contest. It also contained a highly unusual and unsubstantiated report that the call girls performed a 'golden shower' routine that involved them urinating on a hotel bed as a sign of disgust for then-president Barack Obama. Trump has repeatedly dismissed the document as false and in recent days has questioned whether Democrats or the FBI itself had helped fund it. Advertisement

'The latest filing's addition of partisan lawyer Marc Elias confirms the group is more political than charitable,' Capital Research Center president Scott Walter, told the Examiner.

'But it also suggests that finally some left-wing heavyweights have begun to deal with the embarrassing mess made by a major activist group the institutional Left has failed to, pardon the term, police.'

BLM's reluctance to release financial records had put its dealings under scrutiny, with California's Department of Justice last month accusing it of failing to submit its annual financial reports and alleging it was in delinquent status.

It warned that the leaders of the non-profit could be held personally liable if they failed to disclose financial records about its $60 million in donations by the end of March.

The notice came just days after it was revealed that BLM has not had anyone in charge of its finances since co-founder Patrisse Cullors resigned last May.

It is not clear who is currently in charge of the activist group after all three of its founding members - Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi - left the organization.

Cullors, 38, stepped down as executive director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network last year amid scrutiny of her $3.2 million property empire.

The scrutiny into BLMGN's finances came after it was reported that the group transferred $6.3 million to Cullors spouse, Janaya Khan, and other Canadian activists to purchase a mansion in Toronto in 2001.

Black Lives Matters leaders could be held personally liable if they fail to disclose financial records about the charity's $60 million in donations within the next 60 days (Pictured left to right: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi in 2016)

California's warning followed an order from Washington state instructing BLM to 'immediately cease' fundraising in the state due to its 'lack of financial transparency'

Elias did not respond to a DailyMail.com request for comment.

He served as general council for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, which is now accused of spying on Trump during the race and trying to smear him through unsubstantiated claims he was colluding with the Russians.

Clinton was accused last week of hiring a tech term to 'infiltrate' servers at the Trump Tower and the White House.

According to a filing from Special Counsel John Durham, the aim was to try and smear Trump by linking him to Russia.

Durham was appointed by then-Attorney General William Barr to serve as the Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice in October 2020, while Trump was president.

He continues to investigate a case that is sure to anger supporters of the 45th president.

Elias's eponymous law firm was listed 'repeatedly in the short-year Form 990 filing by the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. BLM supporters are pictured protesting the death of George Floyd on June 7, 2020

He served as general council for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, which is now accused of spying on Trump during the race and trying to smear him through unsubstantiated claims

Special Counsel John Durham

Durham's motion that was filed last Friday looked a potential conflicts of interest with regards to former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussman, who has been charged with making a false statement to a federal agent. Sussman has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The former chief investigator of the Trump-Russia probe for the House Intelligence Committee under Republican Devin Nunes, Kash Patel, said Friday's filing 'definitively showed the Hillary Clinton campaign directly funded and ordered its lawyers at Perkins Coie to orchestrate a criminal enterprise to fabricate a connection between President Trump and Russia,' reports Fox News.

'Per Durham, this arrangement was put in motion in July of 2016, meaning the Hillary Clinton campaign and her lawyers masterminded the most intricate and coordinated conspiracy against Trump when he was both a candidate and later President of the United States while simultaneously perpetuating the bogus Steele Dossier hoax,' Patel told Fox.

BLM's board of directors now includes Minyon Moore, who served as political director under former President Bill Clinton. He is now considered one of Vice President Kamala Harris's closest confidants.
By Park Yoon-bae





Koreans have high expectations for the March 9 presidential election which they hope will bring a drastic change for the better. Yet they face a tough choice in deciding who to vote for because of a lack of confidence in the presidential candidates.



Such difficulty is not the voters' fault. Rather, it stems from the questionable ability and ethical missteps of the candidates themselves. The two leading contenders are confronting allegations about corruption, abuse of power and other violations of the law. It is unprecedented for candidates to be facing an investigation while running for president.



Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has been dogged by allegations that he was deeply involved in a corruption scandal surrounding a lucrative land development project in Seongnam City, south of Seoul, while serving as mayor.



Besides, Lee has recently ignited the public's rage over his wife's alleged use of government credit cards for her personal use, while he was serving as governor of Gyeonggi Province. She has also been under fire for having had a provincial official run daily errands for her.



Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential contender of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), does not appear to be any better either. He is under investigation over his alleged abuse of power while serving as prosecutor general. He also faces allegations that he made little effort to conduct a thorough investigation into an investment fund fraud case so as to allegedly protect suspects.



Yoon, once a member of an independent counsel office, was lauded for investigating and indicting former President Park Geun-hye who was impeached for her involvement in a massive corruption and abuse of power scandal. Since the inauguration of President Moon Jae-in in May 2017, Yoon had spearheaded an anti-corruption campaign aimed at eradicating the "accumulated evils" of the previous government.



However, Yoon clashed head on with the Moon government because he launched an investigation of Cho Kuk, Moon's confidant and pick for justice minister, over corruption and academic admissions fraud involving his family. He enjoyed people's support for his courageous probe into the Cho case which revealed the hypocrisy of the liberal ruling elite who boasted of their dubious moral high ground.



Now, Yoon, the presidential contender, is drawing criticism over allegations that his wife falsified her credentials when applying for a teaching job at various universities. She apologized for the falsification, but tainted her husband's reputation as an anti-corruption crusader.



Under these less than ideal circumstances, both contenders are in a neck-and-neck race, although Yoon has a slight lead over Lee in several opinion polls. Minor candidates such as People's Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo and Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung are trailing far behind the leading two.



It is regrettable that the presidential race has been marred by a very negative campaign by Lee and Yoon. The rival candidates have continued to attack each other's moral integrity and credentials. This has led to the disappearance of high quality debates on policy proposals and future visions of the country for the public to consider.



What is notable is that voters are showing a higher degree of antipathy toward the candidates than in any other previous polls. It means that the two leading contenders have many faults, thus making voters struggle to choose between them.



Many voters complain that they cannot fully trust any candidate. So, voters say they will focus more on blocking candidates they dislike from winning the election than on selecting one they consider to be most qualified. Simply put, it is hard to find any contender who deserves sweeping support.



That is probably why Yoon's public support rate stands between 30 percent and 40 percent, despite most opinion polls showing that a majority of people favor a change of government. This trend may change on polling day. Yet it reflects voter's skepticism that no one can meet their aspiration for change whoever becomes the next president.



Against this backdrop, all of the candidates should do their best to win the people's trust before trying to win the election. To that end, they need to present broader proposals to restore democratic values and unite the nation which has been mired in ideological divisions between progressives and conservatives. They should refrain from resorting to populism and divisive tactics.



Voters, for their part, should make a wise decision to elect a new president who can promote fairness and justice which have been damaged under the Moon administration. Most of all, I hope that we will have a new leader who can make a change for the better and make the people happy.





The author (byb@koreatimes.co.kr) is the chief editorial writer of The Korea Times.


Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is set to follow NSW and remove virtually all Covid restrictions within a week, with QR codes the first rule to be axed.

Mr Andrews is expected to announce major changes in coming days, which could include removing the work from home recommendation and ending mask mandates in office settings.

Bars and pubs will be restored to usual business with density limits removed and singing and partying on dance-floors reinstated as part of Victoria's next steps to moving out of the pandemic.

The plan to ease restrictions in the southern state are likely to fall in line with NSW, where on March 1 all indoor mask mandates are set to be abandoned.

Dancefloors and singing are in and masks out in Victoria as Premier Daniel Andrews is set to announce sweeping new changes to Victoria (pictured, punters in St Kilda)

Mr Andrews (pictured) confirmed an overhaul of the state's mandates will be introduced in the coming weeks a Covid cases plummet down the east coast

QR codes regulations will also be removed from venues as officials stop contact tracing Covid cases.

Mr Andrews will encourage companies to bring workers back into the office and revitalise Melbourne's CBD, with masks rules in work settings to be removed.

CHANGES COMING TO VICTORIA: No density limits in venues

Singing and dancing reinstated

QR code check-ins removed

Victorians returning to offices

No masks to be worn at work Advertisement

'I hope to be able to make some really important announcements about rules (and) about normalising this virus,' he said on Wednesday.

Masks are set to remain in retail settings for a while longer, with Mr Andrews hesitant to remove requirements for face coverings completely.

A fresh batch of government-funded vouchers could also be handed to Victorians in order to boost the economy as the CBD comes alive once more.

The moves come as a result of stabilising Omicron cases in every state except Western Australia, who remain closed to the rest of the country.

Businesses in Melbourne's CBD will welcome the influx of city workers after the area was abandoned in early 2020.

Mr Andrews had previously indicated that once the definition of fully vaccinated was changed to requiring three vaccine doses, this would be extended to Victoria's vaccinated economy.

At the moment, Victorians must have received two doses to attend venues, including events, pubs and restaurants.

However, the premier seemed to walk back this stance on Thursday.

QR codes regulations will also be removed from venues as officials stop contact tracing Covid cases (pictured, crowds check-in using QR codes at the Australian Open)

'There comes a point where things become kind of impractical and you've got so many different systems operating at once that it doesn't really work,' he said.

'For instance saying to someone, 'you can't go to the pub unless you've got three jabs' but the person sitting at the table next to you... from another country has only got two, it kind of gets a bit hard to justify.'

Federal Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly said on Wednesday he didn't agree with mandating vaccinations.

'Philosophically and professionally, I'm not in favour of mandating anything including vaccinations,' he told a Senate estimates hearing.

The plan to ease restrictions in Victoria comes just over a week after NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet called for an end to working from home (pictured, a woman in Bondi is swabbed)

Indoor mask mandates and the working from home recommendation are set to be scrapped from March 1 (pictured, people shelter from rain in Sydney's CBD

The plan to ease some of Australia's most hated Covid rules in Victoria comes just over a week after the NSW premier called for an end to working from home.

Premier Dominic Perrottet is said to be considering the rule change to breathe life back into the Sydney CBD as the Omicron wave of Covid cases subsides.

However, a senior government source told Daily Mail Australia the decision on masks has yet to be signed off by the state cabinet.

Masks must be worn in all indoor public venues including supermarkets, pubs and cafes until February 28, Mr Perrottet announced last month.

The changes come as Covid hospital admission rates in NSW continue to stay below the state government's best-case scenario.

Premier Dominic Perrottet (pictured) is said to be considering bringing city workers back to offices in order to breathe life back into the Sydney CBD

At the time, his southern counterpart said rules on face-coverings would not change 'anytime soon' despite a significant decline in infection rates.

Until masks are axed, any Victorian caught breaking the rule will continue to face a crippling $21,909 fine for breaching the pandemic order.

Meanwhile, Melbourne's public hospitals will be able to perform category two surgery from Monday and private metro hospitals can ramp up to 75 per cent capacity for any type of elective surgery, up from 50 per cent.

The elective surgery shackles could be thrown off completely a week later on February 28, at the discretion of Health Minister Martin Foley.

Each hospital will also assess their own capacity based on staff availability and Covid-19 demands, with 44 still treating infected patients.

In regional Victoria, the private hospitals cap will rise from 75 per cent to 100 per cent from Monday and public hospitals will continue to carry out any elective surgery based on their individual capacity.

Victoria suspended all less urgent category two and three surgery in early January as the Omicron variant ran rampant through the community, ratcheting up pressure on the health system.

But the state's rolling seven-day Covid hospitalisation average now sits at 457 patients, down from a peak of more than 1200 patients in mid-January.

Staff unavailability figures have also fallen by roughly two-thirds to 1,400 workers.
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Emily Maitlis claimed tonight that Prince Andrew's statement within his out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre appears to contradict the answers he gave in his now-infamous Newsnight interview.

The BBC broadcaster sat down with the Duke of York in Buckingham Palace in 2019 to discuss Miss Giuffre's claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The prince strongly denied the claims throughout the interview, and continues to even after the agreement which was sensationally struck on Tuesday.

The discussion, in which Andrew made a series of claims - including insisting he couldn't have been with Miss Giuffre at the time because he was dining at Pizza Express in Woking, and that a medical condition left him unable to sweat - has since gained notoriety and is widely acknowledged to have embarrassed the royals.

Now Ms Maitlis has revealed her own thoughts following Tuesday's settlement, in which the Duke is set to pay a figure believed to be around 12m.

Emily Maitlis claimed tonight that Prince Andrew's statement within his out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre does not deal with the answers he gave in his now-infamous Newsnight interview

The BBC broadcaster sat down with the Duke of York in Buckingham Palace in 2019 to discuss Miss Giuffre's claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew, allegations he continues to deny

Virginia Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew 'three times, including one orgy', with the first encounter allegedly taking place in Ms Maxwell's London townhouse after they met at the Tramp nightclub on March 10. Recalling the alleged meeting, Andrew was said to be 'sweating profusely'

Full statement from both parties in Andrew's case Here is the full text of the statement regarding the out of court settlement reached between the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre. The statement was included in a letter submitted to US judge Lewis A Kaplan: 'Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. 'Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. 'Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.' Advertisement

Writing for the BBC, she said: 'At the heart of the settlement is the biggest question of all: why is a Prince who told me he had 'no recollection of ever meeting this lady' now paying her what we understand to be upwards of 10m?

'I distinctly remember putting Virginia Giuffre's accusations to him directly: 'She says she met you in 2001, she dined with you, danced with you, you bought her drinks in Tramp nightclub and she went on to have sex with you in a house in Belgravia.'

'And I have the Prince's reply in front of me now. Three words only: 'It didn't happen.'

'There are only three possible explanations then for the settlement: either he was lying in that response - and remembered her well; or he genuinely had no recollection - and was adamant they hadn't met - only for his memory subsequently to be jogged; or that he maintains his innocence, but feels the weight of legal and public opinion against him now make settling the easier option, albeit without accepting any liability.'

Ms Maitlis went on to clarify that it was not her place to declare which was true, but pointed to the careful wording of the settlement statement, which she said 'put distance between an acknowledgement of Giuffre's pain - and any responsibility he may or may not have had for it'.

She also admitted she was 'journalistically disappointed' that the case, and the full story, will not be played out in court.

'There would have been huge satisfaction in the sense of an ending - any ending - that saw the prince make his legal defence so comprehensively,' she wrote.

It comes as calls intensified today for the financial arrangements of Andrew's settlement to be revealed as Buckingham Palace again refused to say whether it could be partially funded by the Queen.

His mother is expected to foot some of the bill in a bid to draw a line under it before her much-anticipated Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer.

But there is anger at how the Queen, 95, has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid demands for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Andrew has been dogged by questions over the source of his wealth for years, and is believed to have relied on handouts from the Queen, personal investments and bequests from relatives such as the Queen Mother.

Prince Andrew waves goodbye to a woman he let out the door at Jeffrey Epstein's New York home in 2010

The Duke of York pictured leaving the famous Chinawhite nightclub in London at around 2am in July 2000

Did emails about Ghislaine picture sink Andrew's case? By Daniel Bates in New York for the Daily Mail Before he settled out of court last night, Prince Andrew was set to be dealt a major blow in his US sex case thanks to Ghislaine Maxwell. A leaked email from the prince's friend and now convicted sex trafficker appeared to confirm the authenticity of an infamous picture of the duke standing with his arm around his accuser, Virginia Roberts. The photograph, said to be taken in Maxwell's London townhouse in 2001, had been questioned by Andrew and just this week his legal team had demanded Miss Roberts turn over the original. The duke's legal team had claimed it might be a fake, but an email obtained by the Daily Mail shows that even Maxwell, who appears in the background of the photo, believes it to be real. In the message, sent in 2015, Maxwell says: 'It looks real. I think it is.' On a dramatic day of developments yesterday, it was claimed that Miss Roberts had lost the original copy of the image. But that was disputed by her legal team, who said the hard copy was with the FBI and that Miss Roberts misplaced a CD containing a copy of the image. The photo was set to be a key piece of evidence in her claims for battery and infliction of emotional distress against Andrew, 61, which he had denied. The duke's lawyers had lined up an image expert to cast doubt on the veracity of the photo. If Miss Roberts had not produced the original, Andrew's team could have argued copies could not be admitted as evidence as they could not be properly tested. Not being able to rely on the photograph as proof they met would have put a sizeable dint in his accuser's case. But in an email exchange seen by the Mail, the picture was discussed by Maxwell and Epstein's former lawyer, Alan Dershowitz. On January 10, 2015, Mr Dershowitz wrote: 'Dear G. Do you know whether the photo of Andrew and virginia is real? You are in the background.' Eleven minutes later, Maxwell replied: 'It looks real. I think it is.' The timing of the exchange is significant because days earlier Miss Roberts claimed for the first time in court papers that she had been forced to have sex with both Andrew and Mr Dershowitz. The allegation was struck out by a judge who branded it 'impertinent'. But it caused panic for Andrew and in emails previously reported by the BBC, he contacted Maxwell at 5.50am on January 3, 2015. The duke wrote: 'Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts.' Maxwell replied: 'Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.' Mr Dershowitz has vehemently denied having sex with Miss Roberts. Last year she dropped a battery allegation she filed against him after he claimed a civil settlement she signed with Epstein in 2009 gave him immunity. Miss Roberts is currently suing Mr Dershowitz for defamation, a case he is fighting. His lawyers did not respond to requests asking for comment. Advertisement

Graham Smith, from anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, insisted taxpayers 'deserve to know where the money is coming from for a settlement, which we must assume is in the millions, if not tens of millions'.

But the Queen's Communications Secretary, Donal McCabe, told MailOnline today: 'We have never commented on the financial arrangements of The Duke's legal matters and will not be going forward.'

But there is anger at how the Queen has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke of York, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid calls for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Sources also pointed out while there will now be a 'period of silence' during the Jubilee celebrations when both parties will have to stick to the terms of yesterday's carefully-worded statement, Mrs Giuffre would then not be stopped from writing a lucrative book telling her story which could hit the shelves in time for Christmas.

Prince Charles was said to have been supported by the Queen in making it clear to Andrew that he had no choice but to settle with Mrs Giuffre, with one source telling MailOnline that Charles had 'had enough of the situation' and 'would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible'.

A senior Royal Household member told the Standard that Charles and the Queen 'could not countenance another disastrous appearance by the Duke of York, in light of his BBC interview', adding: 'Decisive action was needed. There was little choice. He had to see sense.'

While Andrew is thought to be holed up at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor today, on the other side of the world a box of beers and a bouquet of flowers were being delivered to Mrs Giuffre and her husband Robert's home in Perth, Australia.

And her father Sky Roberts told the Sun: 'I knew he would settle out of court. That was a complete bluff. I think Virginia will be happy.'

Meanwhile, despite the settlement, it is feared the scandal could still overshadow poignant Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the UK in the coming months.

Also today, the Metropolitan Police said they have no plans to reopen their own probe into Andrew despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence after the deal.

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off and said 'I can't have this hanging over me for the rest of the year  I don't want you to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I'm the only royal who's lasted 70 years on the throne, and you've got to sort it out'.'

She added: 'I admire the Queen hugely as everybody does, and I don't want it to spoil anything for her, but I still think this is hanging over the country and the Royal Family and is going to go right through to the end of the year and maybe into next year, and there's no real way of cutting it off.

'Obviously that (a ban on Mrs Giuffre saying anything) was something that they could have put in the agreement and they haven't, and so it implies that there's a lot she (Mrs Giuffre) wants to say that Andrew will not want to hear.'

The settlement, which was agreed between lawyers in a sensational development yesterday, comes just weeks after Andrew vowed to contest the rape claims by Mrs Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, at a public trial.

Mrs Giuffre had alleged she was forced to have sex with the Duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew for unspecified damages in a New York civil court.

But despite vowing to fight the claims and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the Prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.

The long and sordid saga that ended with royal outcast Andrew settling rape lawsuit: From meeting Epstein to being accused of raping his 'sex slave' and THAT Pizza Express alibi By Rory Tingle and James Robinson for MailOnline It has been more than two decades since Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein first crossed paths. That meeting would set in motion years of damaging allegations, embarrassing interviews and eventually a US lawsuit against the Queen's third son. Over the next 23 years, Epstein would go on to abuse and sex traffic young girls across the world on his private jet with his madame Ghislaine Maxwell - the woman who would introduce the financier to Prince Andrew - by his side. Though he would go on to take his own life in prison while awaiting trial for his sex trafficking crimes, and ultimately robbing his victims of justice, the fallout would continue for those around him. Maxwell would end up in a US prison, herself found guilty of sex trafficking for Epstein, while Prince Andrew would face accusations of sexual assault by one Epstein victim, Virginia Giuffre. Determined to clear his name, Prince Andrew would agree to a toe-curling BBC in which he claimed he couldn't have had sex with Ms Giuffre, because he was at Pizza Express at the time. But Giuffre would continue to pursue the royal, eventually launching a US civil case against him - which has now ended in a settlement. Here MailOnline takes a look at the sordid saga, from start to finish: 1999: Andrew first meets Epstein, reportedly introduced through his friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell. Andrew welcomes Epstein to the Queen's private Scottish retreat in Aberdeenshire. Andrew later says he sees Epstein 'infrequently', adding 'probably no more than only once or twice a year'. 2000: Andrew and Ms Maxwell are seen on holiday with Epstein at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. Epstein and Ms Maxwell attend a party at Windsor Castle hosted by the Queen to mark Andrew's 40th birthday, the Princess Royal's 50th, the Queen Mother's 100th and Princess Margaret's 70th. 2001: Virginia Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew 'three times, including one orgy', with the first encounter allegedly taking place in Ms Maxwell's London townhouse after they met at the Tramp nightclub on March 10. Recalling the alleged meeting, Andrew was said to be 'sweating profusely'. Virginia Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew 'three times, including one orgy', with the first encounter allegedly taking place in Ms Maxwell's London townhouse after they met at the Tramp nightclub on March 10. Recalling the alleged meeting, Andrew was said to be 'sweating profusely' The Duke would later claim in his infamous BBC interview that this could have never happened because he was at a children's party at a branch of Pizza Express in Woking. In the same interview he says he has a medical condition after being shot at during the Falklands War that left him 'unable to sweat' because Ms Roberts, who was 17 at the time, claimed that they danced together and he had been 'sweating profusely' Ms Roberts claims to have had sex with Andrew on two more occasions, at Epstein's New York home and at an 'orgy' on his private island in the Caribbean. 2008: Epstein admits prostituting minors and is sentenced to 18 months in prison. 2010: Epstein is released from jail. Andrew is photographed with the disgraced Epstein in New York's Central Park. Footage emerges years later, reportedly shot on December 6 2010, showing him inside Epstein's Manhattan mansion, from where he is seen looking out from a large door of the property waving a woman goodbye after Epstein leaves to get into a chauffeur-driven car. 2011: The duke quits his role as UK trade envoy after the fallout from the Central Park photos. 2015: Buckingham Palace denies Andrew has committed any impropriety after he is named in US court documents related to Epstein. A woman, later named in reports as Ms Roberts, alleges in papers filed in Florida that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17, which is under the age of consent in the state. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Andrew, in his first public engagement since he was embroiled in the allegations, responds, saying: 'Firstly I think I must, and want, for the record, to refer to the events that have taken place in the last few weeks. I just wish to reiterate, and to reaffirm, the statements that have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace.' In April the claims against Andrew are struck from US civil court records following a federal judge's ruling. Newly released legal documents show that Johanna Sjoberg, another alleged Epstein victim, claims Andrew touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside the US billionaire's Manhattan apartment in 2001. Buckingham Palace denies the allegations 2019: Newly released legal documents show that Johanna Sjoberg, another alleged Epstein victim, claims Andrew touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside the US billionaire's Manhattan apartment in 2001. Buckingham Palace says the allegations are 'categorically untrue'. Epstein is found dead in his jail cell on August 10, having killed himself after being charged with sex trafficking. Later that month a pilot on Epstein's private jet claims Andrew was a passenger on past flights with the financier and Ms Roberts. The Sun newspaper reported that David Rodgers said in a testimony released in August that Epstein, Andrew and the-then 17-year-old travelled to the US Virgin Islands on April 11 2001. Buckingham Palace describes the evidence statement as having 'a number of inconsistencies' and said that Andrew was on a different continent in some cases. Following Epstein's death, a statement from the palace says that Andrew is 'appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes'. Breaking his silence on the issue for the first time since 2015, Andrew then releases a statement on August 24 saying: 'At no stage during the limited time I spent with him (Epstein) did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.' On November 16, the prince gives a 'disastrous' BBC interview in which he speaks about his friendship with Epstein and addresses allegations of his own sexual conduct. On November 16, the prince gives a 'disastrous' BBC interview in which he speaks about his friendship with Epstein and addresses allegations of his own sexual conduct He faced a barrage of criticism following his television appearance, with the royal accused of a lack of empathy with Epstein's victims. During the interview, Andrew, questioned by Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis, twice stated his relationship with Epstein, who died in jail while facing sex trafficking charges, had some 'seriously beneficial outcomes', giving him the opportunity to meet people and prepare for a future role as a trade envoy. The royal maintained he did not recall meeting Ms Roberts and did not spend time with her at Tramp Nightclub in London on March 10 in 2001 after which she claims the pair first had sex. The duke denies sleeping with her on three separate occasions, saying the encounter in 2001 did not happen as he had taken his daughter Princess Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking for a party, and they spent the rest of the day together. The duke denies sleeping with her on three separate occasions, saying the encounter in 2001 did not happen as he had taken his daughter Princess Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking for a party, and they spent the rest of the day together. He also said a medical condition after being shot at during the Falklands War left him 'unable to sweat' because Ms Roberts, who was 17 at the time, claimed that they danced together and he had been 'sweating profusely'. The Duke of York said: 'I was with the children and I'd taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon. 'And then because the Duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there. 'I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy so therefore I was at home.' However he continues to strongly deny any wrongdoing and claims he has never even met Ms Roberts, now a mother-of-three living in Australia who goes by her married name, Virginia Giuffre. Following the disastrous interview, which is widely panned, Prince Andrew announces in November that he will step back from frontline royal duties for the 'foreseeable future'. A number of companies with association to the prince step back. He says at the time he deeply sympathises with sex offender Epstein's victims and everyone who 'wants some form of closure'. 2020: With the Covid pandemic occupying much of the news and the minds of the British public, Prince Andrew has the chance to lie low, which he does, in Windsor Castle. Andrew hires Gary Bloxsome, a UK criminal defence solicitor, early in the year, just weeks after his car-crash Newsnight interview. Despite him lying low, talk continues to flow in newspapers like The Telegraph and The Times that he is planning a 'rebranding' and hopes to one day return to frontline royal duties. He is praised by one senior palace aide for not appearing in official wedding photographs at the marriage of his daughter Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. One said it shows a 'level of maturity' from Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew is praised by one senior palace aide for not appearing in official wedding photographs at the marriage of his daughter Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. One said it shows a 'level of maturity' from Prince Andrew However, despite attempting to keep a low-profile, the headlines continue for Prince Andrew. In February the US attorney for the Southern District of New York claims prosecutors and the FBI had repeatedly contacted the Duke of York's lawyers to follow up on his previous pledge that he was 'willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency'. In November, Lisa Bloom, who represents six of Epstein's alleged victims, cals on Andrew to submit to an interview with the FBI in their investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell. Sources close to Andrew say he is willing to speak to the FBI. 2021: In August, Virginia Giuffre files a lawsuit in the US against Andrew accusing him of sexual assault. In the civil case she alleges she had sex with Andrew and he was aware of her age. She also claims hat she was a victim of sex trafficking when she was forced to have sex with him in 2001. 'I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions,' she said in a statement via her lawyers in August that year. Andrew continues to vehemently denies the claim. He hires US defence attorney Andrew Brettler to represent him. He describes the lawsuit as 'baseless, non-viable, and possibly unlawful.' Initially there is some debate over whether Prince Andrew has received the lawsuit. His lawyers claim the royal has not been properly served. Giuffre's lawyers claim the legal papers were handed over to a Metropolitan police officer on duty at the main gates of Andrew's Windsor Great Park home on 27 August. David Boies, representing Giuffre, said the complaint had been 'delivered to the last known address of the defendant'. He added that the documents had also been sent 'by Royal Mail'. David Boies, representing Giuffre, said the complaint had been 'delivered to the last known address of the defendant'. He added that the documents had also been sent 'by Royal Mail' A previously secret 2009 settlement between Giuffre and Epstein is raised. Prince Andrew's lawyers claim the settlement protects the royal from Giuffre lawsuit. The judge agrees to unseal the agreement. Lawyers for the Duke of York also file a motion claiming Giuffre currently lives in Australia and so the court does not have jurisdiction to hold the lawsuit. But her lawyers argue the civil case was properly filed in Manhattan federal court because she is a citizen of Colorado and some of the sexual misconduct she alleges took place in the state of New York. Meanwhile, a jury in New York finds Epstein's former madame Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of sex-trafficking. The British socialist is also found guilty of conspiracy to entice individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, conspiracy to transport individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; transportation of an individual under the age of 17 with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under the age of 18. A jury in New York finds Epstein's former madame Ghislaine Maxwell (pictured in a court sketch) guilty of sex-trafficking. On December 30, Giuffre hits back. Her legal team ask the prince's lawyers to prove he cannot sweat in a court filing. The request is made in relation to Prince Andrew's claims in his disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview. In the filing, it says: 'If Prince Andrew truly has no documents concerning his communications with Maxwell or Epstein, his travel to Florida, New York, or various locations in London, his alleged medical inability to sweat, or anything that would support the alibis he gave during his BBC interview, then continuing with discovery will not be burdensome to him at all'. 2022: The 2009 agreement between Giuffre and Epstein is unsealed. It shows Giuffre settled with Epstein for $500,000. In the settlement, Giuffre is show to agree not to go after 'other potential defendants,' defined as 'second parties'. But it does not specifically name Prince Andrew. His legal team say he is included under 'other potential defendants' and ask the judge to throw out the case. Alongside attempting to use the Epstein agreement to shield Prince Andrew, his legal team claim Giuffre hadn't sufficiently alleged any violations of the New York Penal Code. They also argued that Giuffre's allegations would have been time-barred by the statute of limitations if not for the 2019 New York Child Victims Act, which they labeled 'unconstitutional' and that Giuffre's allegations in her complaint were not sufficiently detailed. But in a major blow to Prince Andrew case, a New York judge throws out his legal challenge to dismiss the lawsuit and rules it can go ahead. A day later, the Queen strips Andrew of a range of military affiliations and royal patronages after more than 150 veterans write to describe their 'upset and anger'. Advertisement

Nearly two-thirds of Britons believe Prince Andrew should lose his Duke of York title after settling US sex assault lawsuit, YouGov poll reveals as Palace says it has NO plans to strip him of it

Nearly two-thirds of Britons believe Prince Andrew should lose his Duke of York title after settling US sex assault lawsuit, a YouGov poll reveals.

The survey, of 2,658 adults in Great Britain today, found some 62 per cent felt he should lose the title, despite Buckingham Palace saying earlier it has no plans to strip him of it.

The poll also revealed 82 per cent of the public thought Andrew should continue to lay low and not return to royal duties any time soon.

A number of locals in the city of York told MailOnline their views today, with an overwhelming majority feeling he should lose the title.

Bernard Oglesbee, 74, said: 'He should be stripped off his title definitely. He must be be guilty, or why pay all that money out?'

Wife Val, also 74, stormed: 'He should be stripped of everything. I have never liked him. I always thought he was a waste of space.'

James Green, 65, said: 'He absolutely should be stripped of all his titles including Duke of York. I don't think there is any doubt he is guilty. He has put his foot in it good and proper and he only has himself to blame.'

Annie Wells, 85, who is disabled, said: 'It is a good job he is the Queen's son. He would be locked up if he was anyone else. The only good thing I can say about him is he did serve with honours in the Falklands. But if ever shows his face in York I will beat him with my stick.'

Josh Savage, 36, said: 'Nothing has been totally proved yet, one way or another, and he is the Queen's son. But I think he might lose the title anyway.'

York florist Richard Bothamley added: 'I think he will lose the title. It has obviously done him a lot of harm. The whole thing is fiasco. I am quite a patriotic person. So I am pleased for the queen the court case has been resolved.

'But I don't think he should keep the title. Who would want him? It is not just this woman it was the circle of people he was mixing with. He has done some wonderful work. But you can't tell me he did not know what was going on.'

It comes as a palace source today told MailOnline the situation regarding his remaining titles 'remained unchanged'.

They also include that of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy and the role of Counsellor of State Today, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said any decisions on his military honorific 'rests obviously with the Palace'.

Earlier today, Cllr Darryl Smalley, Liberal Democrat executive member of City of York Council, joined Labour MP Rachael Maskell in demanding Andrew abandon his local links.

Fresh scrutiny has been placed on Prince Andrew's remaining military title - that of Vice Admiral in recognition of his service in the Navy

Mr Wallace was asked today if the Duke of York should be allowed to represent the military.

He told Sky News: 'Well I don't think he represents any of them at the moment,

'I think the Palace took a decision that those titles were to be removed from him, so I think he is effectively acting now as a private citizen in so far as both addressing the challenges and the allegations.

'There's been a, obviously, a payment and I think that is where he currently remains, that the decision on titles rests obviously with the Palace in the future, but I think it's been pretty clear that this settlement is a recognition that he wants to bring this to a close and also recognise as his statement says the suffering and the challenges that the victims have been through as a result of their allegations and their stand against the exploitation by [Jeffrey] Epstein.'

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, has called on Andrew to withdraw his Duke of York title to 'show respect' for its people.

Cllr Darryl Smalley, Liberal Democrat executive member for culture, leisure & communities at City of York Council, agreed.

He told York Mix: 'Having been stripped of his military roles and royal patronages by the Queen, this should be the end of his direct link with our great city.

'York's unique connection to the Crown and the monarch is an important part of our city's legacy, history and a great source of pride.'

Today, Ben Wallace said any decisions on titles 'rests obviously with the Palace in the future'

Meanwhile, Ms Maskell welcomed the Duke of York's pledge to donate money to Mrs Giuffre's charity which supports victims' rights, but said his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein had caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to York residents.

The MP's calls comes after Prince Andrew today settled the sexual abuse lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre after he agreed an undisclosed deal said to be worth 12million with his accuser without admitting her accusations.

Prince Andrew at York Racecourse to open the new weighing room in May 2015

The monarch is expected to foot part of the bill for her son's settlement in a bid to draw a line under it before her much-anticipated Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer.

But there is anger at how the Queen, 95, has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke of York, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid calls for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Sources also pointed out that while there will now be a 'period of silence' during the Jubilee celebrations when both parties will have to stick to the terms of yesterday's carefully-worded statement, Mrs Giuffre would then not be stopped from writing a lucrative book telling her story which could hit the shelves in time for Christmas.

Prince Charles was said to have been supported by the Queen in making it clear to Andrew that he had no choice but to settle with Mrs Giuffre, with one source telling MailOnline that Charles had 'had enough of the situation' and 'would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible'.

Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, said the royal's relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein had caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to York residents

A senior Royal Household member told the Standard that Charles and the Queen 'could not countenance another disastrous appearance by the Duke of York, in light of his BBC interview', adding: 'Decisive action was needed. There was little choice. He had to see sense.'

While Andrew is thought to be holed up at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor today, on the other side of the world a box of beers and a bouquet of flowers were being delivered to Mrs Giuffre and her husband Robert's home in Perth, Australia.

And her father Sky Roberts told the Sun: 'I knew he would settle out of court. That was a complete bluff. I think Virginia will be happy.'

Meanwhile, despite the settlement, it is feared that the scandal could still overshadow poignant Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the UK in the coming months. Also today, the Metropolitan Police said they have no plans to reopen their own probe into Andrew despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence after the deal.

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off and said 'I can't have this hanging over me for the rest of the year  I don't want you to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I'm the only royal who's lasted 70 years on the throne, and you've got to sort it out'.'

She added: 'I admire the Queen hugely as everybody does, and I don't want it to spoil anything for her, but I still think this is hanging over the country and the Royal Family and is going to go right through to the end of the year and maybe into next year, and there's no real way of cutting it off.

'Obviously that (a ban on Mrs Giuffre saying anything) was something that they could have put in the agreement and they haven't, and so it implies that there's a lot she (Mrs Giuffre) wants to say that Andrew will not want to hear.'

The settlement, which was agreed between lawyers in a sensational development yesterday, comes just weeks after Andrew vowed to contest the rape claims by Mrs Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, at a public trial.

Mrs Giuffre had alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew for unspecified damages in a New York civil court. But despite vowing to fight the claims and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.
Nadine Ellis-Maffei said the police visit was like the 'thought police and Big Brother' knocking at her door

A Canadian woman has slammed police for making an unannounced visit to her home in response to her Facebook posts supporting the Freedom Convoy protests.

Nadine Ellis-Maffei posted video last Thursday showing an Ontario Provincial Police officer knocking on the door of her home near Peterborough to hand her a card and a pamphlet after seeing her post to a Facebook group.

Ellis-Maffei had written on social media that she was considering attending the protest in Ottawa. She said she had not been part of any demonstrations at that point.

'Because of the protests happening province wide, yes we have been monitoring the protest. So there's a protest coming up, I'm simply providing information about a peaceful protest,' the officer said in the video taken last Thursday by Ellis-Maffei.

'I was flabbergasted,' the mother of three, who operates a farm in Ontario's Peterborough County, told the Toronto Sun. 'I still can't believe it.'

Ellis-Maffei compared the incident to the 'thought police and Big Brother' from the dystopian novel 1984.

An Ontario Provincial Police officer knocked on the door of her home near Peterborough to hand her a card and a pamphlet after seeing her post to a Facebook group

'I thought this was a free country,' she said, explaining that she had considered attending one of the protests, but didn't think it was appropriate for the police to visit her over her social media posts.

'To say I'm furious is an understatement,' she said in a Facebook post about the incident. 'This is not ok. Ever!!!'

'What you see here in my video is not an OPP officer politely coming to my home to give me inform about how to peacefully protest,' she added.

'This is a violation of my privacy in every way, intimidation tactics and a huge waste of my tax dollars. It will not be tolerated.'

Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau is considering using his extraordinary powers under the Emergencies Act to establish 'no-go' zones in Ottawa to dispel the remaining protests in the nation's capital.

Ontario Provincial Police confirmed the video to the Sun but declined further comment, and it's not clear how many similar visits the service made in response to social media posts.

An Ontario Provincial Police officer knocked on the very door of Nadine Ellis-Maffei's farmhouse last week to hand her a pamphlet after seeing her post to a Facebook group about the Freedom Convoy

Canadian police on Wednesday warned demonstrators opposed to Covid rules who have been clogging Ottawa streets for nearly three weeks to leave or face arrest, fines and seizure of their trucks, according to AFP.

Federal authorities, meanwhile, negotiated a peaceful end to the last of several recent blockades by protesters of border crossings between Canada and the United States.

'You must leave the area now,' Ottawa police said in a notice distributed to truckers outside parliament.

Anyone blocking streets or assisting others in doing so will be arrested and face charges, the statement said.

Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau is considering using his extraordinary powers under the Emergencies Act to establish 'no-go' zones in Ottawa

A shirtless protestor participates in a blockade of downtown streets near the parliament in Ottawa on Wednesday as a demonstration led by truck drivers continues

Police also warned that anyone charged or convicted for taking part in the illegal demonstration may, in addition to criminal penalties, be barred from travelling to the United States.

As the notices were handed out, AFP journalists saw hundreds of trucks continuing to occupy streets in the parliamentary precinct, intermittently honking horns -- despite an extension Wednesday of a court order against the deafening noises, obtained by an area resident fed up with the disruptions.

'We're still a lot of trucks holding the line,' trucker David Shaw, 65, told AFP. If arrested, he added: 'I'll keep coming back.'

Fellow Trucker Jan Grouin, 42, decried Trudeau's decision earlier this week to impose a state of emergency, calling it 'a little overreacting maybe to think that we are terrorists.'
This is the heroic moment a unit of U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued a 33-year-old Haitian migrant from drowning while attempting to cross over from Mexico.

The frantic rescue took place on the Eagle Pass, Texas, shore of the Rio Grande on Saturday morning after a married couple and their five-year-old daughter were nearly swept away by a current.

The migrants were trekking through the waterway when the ground they were standing over gave way and plunged them into the Rio Grande, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

Still image from a cellphone video shot from Mexico captures the moment a U.S. Border Patrol performs CPR on a 34-year-old Haitian male after he was pulled from the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Saturday after nearly drowning with his wife and daughter while they attempted to cross over to the United States

A U.S. Border Patrol agent rescues a Haitian migrant from drowning at the United States-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Saturday

One of the agents assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sectors Eagle Pass Station jumped into the Rio Grande while another tossed a rescue bag as part of an attempt to pull the family towards the shore.

The border officer who had gone into the river was able to bring the 34-year-old mother and girl to the shore, and then risked his life by going back into the water to rescue the womans husband, who had gone underwater before the agent was finally able to get to him.

The agents got the man to the shore, where they were captured on video performing CPR to save his life.

An EMS unit rushed the Haitian couple and their child to a nearby hospital for additional medical attention.

U.S. Border Patrol agents tend to a Haitian family after they nearly drowned in the Rio Grande

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the migrants initially tossed a rescue bag to the mother and her daughter before one of the border agents jumped into the river and helped them to shore

CBP said the Haitian migrant family-of-three were taken to a hospital near Eagle Pass, Texas, and provided additional medical attention. They were discharged and processed. But CBP did not say if they migrants were still in custody or released

The migrants were eventually released from the medical facility later during the day and processed, per U.S. immigration guidelines.

CBP did not say if the family has been released or if they remained in custody.

DailyMail.com reached out to CBP for comment.

CBP's last monthly report for the southwestern border region showed a 700% increase in encounters with Haitian migrants stopped for unlawful border crossing in the December 2021 compared with November.

U.S. Border Patrol agents reported 910 interdictions of Haitian nationals at the border in October 2021, the start of fiscal year 2022. Encounters slightly rose to 1,022 in November before closing off the calendar year with 7,075.

The agency's reported 47,255 interdictions of Haitian migrants for fiscal year 2021, with the highest amount coming during the month of September when agents registered 17,638 encounters, largely driven by a massive caravan of migrants who had traveled from southern Mexico to the U.S. border to seek asylum.

Overall encounters of migrants at the southwestern border region are at 518,360 for fiscal year 2022, on pace to surpass the previous 12-month period when 1,734,686 interdictions were documented.

CBP's last monthly report for the southwestern border region showed a 700% increase in encounters with Haitian migrants stopped for unlawful border crossing in the December 2021 compared with November.
The former leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg has been promoted to top policy executive at Facebook parent company Meta - making him one of the most powerful people in tech.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Clegg's promotion in a Facebook post on Wednesday, signalling that the founder will have less of an involvement in policy going forward.

'We need a senior leader at the level of myself (for our products) and Sheryl (for our business) who can lead and represent us for all of our policy issues globally,' Zuckerberg wrote, referring to Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg.

The former leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg has been promoted to top policy executive at Facebook parent company Meta

Clegg, who was a British deputy prime minister from 2010 to 2015, joined Facebook, owned by newly renamed parent company Meta, in 2018 to run its global policy organisation

Nick Clegg: The rapid political rise and meteoric fall of David Cameron's deputy prime minister and 'whipping boy' Nick Clegg had been leader of the Liberal Democrats, the UK's third political party, for three years when he suddenly caught the public's imagination. His straightforward answer-the-question approach to televised debates in the 2010 general election triggered a wave of 'Cleggmania.' His party won 57 seats in Parliament, enough to force Conservative leader David Cameron to appoint him deputy prime minister - making him the most successful Liberal leader in 100 years. It was the peak of his political career. He had promised to fight any rises in university tuition costs but as Cameron's junior partner he was soon forced to vote for a tripling in student fees. The result was calamity. He was branded Cameron's 'whipping boy' for giving liberal cover to a conservative policy. And five years later his party crashed out of the coalition, winning a desultory eight seats. Clegg resigned the leadership. The humiliation was complete when he lost his own seat two years later. His appointment at Facebook surprised many of his former colleagues, who wondered why Facebook would want to hire a politician who had called for big companies to pay their fair share of tax. 'Im not especially bedazzled by Facebook,' he once wrote. 'I actually find the messianic Californian new-worldy-touchy-feely culture of Facebook a little grating.' His critics said Cameron's 'useful idiot' had become Mark Zuckerberg's 'useful idiot,' tasked with defending the indefensible. Advertisement

Clegg, 55, who was a British deputy prime minister from 2010 to 2015, joined Facebook in 2018 to run its global policy organisation.

He has led on issues like Facebook's content policy and elections and spearheaded its establishment of the company's independent content oversight board.

'Nick will now lead our company on all our policy matters, including how we interact with governments as they consider adopting new policies and regulations, as well as how we make the case publicly for our products and our work,' Zuckerberg said in the post.

It comes as Meta faces mounting scandals after whistleblower documents leaked last October claimed its platforms harmed users - and said chiefs were aware of the harm caused by Instagram and WhatsApp but failed to act.

The company is steeped deep in crisis after whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked internal documents and made bombshell claims last year that Facebook 'puts profits over people' by knowingly harming teenagers with its content and stoking anger among users.

Haugen, a Facebook former product manager, left the company with tens of thousands of confidential documents that she copied in secret and released to roughly two dozen news outlets.

The CEO said the change would allow him to focus more on leading the company as it builds new products while Sandberg focused on the success of its business.

Clegg's elevation to the role of 'president, global affairs,' reporting to both Zuckerberg and Sandberg, comes ahead of US midterm elections in November.

Clegg will also be tasked with handling regulatory issues as the company focuses on building the metaverse, a futuristic idea of immersive virtual environments.

'The next few years will be a crucial time for our company and our industry as new rules for the internet are written all over the world, and as we set out on our journey to help build the metaverse,' Sandberg wrote in a post.

Appointed in October 2018 as vice-president for global affairs and communications, Sir Nick commands a reported salary of 2.7 million and has been tasked by Mr Zuckerberg to defend the tech giant's interests abroad.

Trading in his 1.5 million townhouse in Putney, South-West London, for a 7 million mansion in the sleepy Californian hamlet of Atherton, Clegg has embraced the Silicon Valley lifestyle.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Clegg's promotion in a Facebook post on Wednesday, signalling that the founder will have less of an involvement in policy going forward

Mark Zuckerberg tells Meta staff they're now called 'METAMATES' as he announces new 'corporate values' for Facebook's parent company, including 'move fast together' and 'build awesome things' Mark Zuckerberg announced a number of new 'corporate values' for Facebook parent company Meta, and told staff they are now 'Metamates'. The announcement was made during a meeting for all staff on Tuesday, according to a report in the Verge, that saw Zuckerberg outline what it means to work for Meta. He included the introduction of new values, such as 'build awesome things', 'move fast together' and a new call to 'focus on long term impact.' These build on existing Facebook values, such as be bold and move fast. This is an evolution of slogans, which was once 'Move fast and break things', evolved into simply 'move fast' and is now 'move fast together'. Zuckerberg renamed Facebook to Meta last year, creating a parent company for some of the largest social media apps, including WhatsApp and Instagram. To create a new unified identify, for all employees of the firm, he said staff should consider themselves, Metamates, and that the priority order when considering self, versus colleagues and the firm should be 'Meta, Metamates, me.' On Facebook, Zuckerberg explained that the current values were wrote in 2007, but a lot had changed within the firm since then. 'We are now a distributed company. We have a global community and wide reaching impact. And we're now a metaverse company, building the future of social connection,' he explained, adding that 'now is the right time to update our values and our cultural operating system. 'I've always believed that in order for values to be useful, they need to be ideas that good companies can reasonably disagree with or emphasize differently. By working at Meta, we commit to applying these values to our work every day. I think these values capture how we must act as a company to bring our vision to life.' RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Meta threatens to SHUT DOWN Facebook and Instagram in Europe... Share this article Share Chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, said on Twitter that the Meta, Metamates, me slogan was in reference to a 'naval phrase which Instagram has used for a while' - 'Ship, Shipmates, self'. The word Metamates was an original idea suggested by Douglas Hofstadter, scholar of cognitive science, physics, and comparative literature, after an employee of MEta asked him for ideas, according to Bosworth. These changes, which also include a call from Zuckerberg for staff not to 'nice ourselves to death,' are part of a bid to build a new corporate identity. Zuckerberg explained that the 'naval-inspired' new slogan, that has spread from Instagram to the whole firm, was about being good stewards of the company. 'It's about the sense of responsibility we have for our collective success and to each other as teammates. It's about taking care of our company and each other,' he said. 'At the end of the day, values aren't what you write on a website but what we hold each other accountable for every day. I encourage you to reflect on these values and what they mean to you as we start working on this next chapter for our company.' The announcement was made at a town hall meeting, but also streamed through the virtual reality-based Horizon Venues. As well as new slogans, and a new name for employees, this is a shift away from a particularly open culture for the social media firm. Insiders predict this is a move to avoid leaks and repetitional damage, asking everyone employed by Meta to consider the welfare of the firm as a whole. Meta employs more than 71,000 people, all connected to an internal 'Facebook-like' chat system called Workplace that hosts deep debates on everything from Black Lives Matter to elections, as well as internal research on the company's impact. This is part of the open culture, once prized by the firm. But in recent years this information has made it out beyond the corporate firewall. In 20221 Frances Haugen, a whisleblower, released thousands of documents that had been posted to Workplace that revealed research into social harms caused by the likes of Instagram and Facebook. This prompted the firm to shut down groups within Workplace that were open to a lot of people, and having communications teams tell staff posting critical comments about Facebook and its business, that they were being disrespectful. Facebook has been faced with years of controversy, mainly linked to the sharing of data and impact on the mental health of its users, and politics of countries. Part of the name change to Meta was to shift away from being a social media brand, into a new 'metaverse' company, that also sold hardware such as the Oculus Rift. The rebranding came soon after a series of whistleblower reports that revealed how much damage to society Facebook, and its subsidiaries, was doing to society. This came in the form of affecting the body image of young women, through to allowing the spread of disinformation - on everything from vaccines to politics. The firm is still facing legal battles, including a law suit from the state of Texas over the use of facial recognition by Facebook. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who filed the lawsuit in state District Court in Marshall, said the company's capture of facial geometry in photographs that users uploaded between 2010 and 2021 resulted in 'tens of millions of violations' of Texas law, according to the Wall Street Journal. Early in February Facebook was ordered to remove content defaming a politician and post a banner on its Austrian homepage announcing the ruling after losing a legal battle, which also saw the internet giant pay 4,000 in damages. Yesterday it was announced that Meta had settled a decade-old class action lawsuit over the use of cookies in 2010 and 2011 that tracked people even when logged out. As part of the proposed settlement, which must still be approved by a judge, Meta has agreed to delete all the data it 'wrongfully collected' during that period. The company, which posted profits of $39.37 billion in 2021, will also pay $90 million to users who filed a claim, after lawyer fees are deducted. 'Reaching a settlement in this case, which is more than a decade old, is in the best interest of our community and our shareholders and we're glad to move past this issue,' said Meta spokesperson Drew Pusateri in a statement on Tuesday. Advertisement

Neighbours include tech titans Eric Schmidt, former head of Google, and Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer.

Soon after Clegg's appointment, he launched a charm offensive to win over key power brokers in Brussels. In fact, he held at least 12 meetings with European Commissioners  the EU's most powerful officials  in less than three years.

The day after his appointment was announced, he emailed Margrethe Vestager, a Danish politician and the then European Commissioner for competition.

'I know you have reservations about social media, and perhaps FB in particular, but I hope you'd agree it's good to have a European and a liberal in the heart of Silicon Valley!' he wrote.

A senior figure in Brussels, Ms Vestager has taken on the biggest technology companies in the world, including Facebook, which she fined 110 million (96.5 million) for being opaque about its takeover of WhatsApp.

It should also perhaps have been no surprise that one of Clegg's early key meetings at Facebook's headquarters near San Francisco was with Irish politicians and officials.

Neighbours include tech titans Eric Schmidt, former head of Google, and Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer

Clegg traded in his 1.5 million townhouse in Putney, South-West London, for a 7 million mansion in the sleepy Californian hamlet of Atherton (pictured)

Ireland plays a critical role for Facebook as it employs 5,500 people there and its Dublin office is one of the biggest of the company's locations outside of California.

Perhaps more importantly, Ireland's generous tax regime, and the complex way Facebook's business empire is structured, have allowed it to avoid paying billions of pounds in tax in other countries.

In 2018, one of Facebook's holding companies in Ireland recorded revenues of 21 billion, more than half of the company's total global turnover of 39 billion.

Facebook rebrands its News Feed to Feed to 'better reflect the diverse content people see' on the app By Sam Tonkin Meta is changing the name of Facebook's News Feed in an attempt to 'better reflect the diverse content people see' on the social media site. It will now be known simply as 'Feed', a rather modest change which many Facebook users have poked fun at. One Tweeted: 'Omg that's so creative. How did you come up with the name?' Another added: 'Only took 349 brainstorm meetings to decide this.' The feature, which is the site's main interface and allows users to scroll through what their friends and family have shared, has been known as News Feed ever since it was first introduced more than 15 years ago. Announcing the change, Facebook tweeted: 'Starting today, our News Feed will now be known as 'Feed.' Happy scrolling!' A Meta spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are changing the name of News Feed to Feed and you'll begin to see this change starting today. 'Feed better reflects the broad nature of content you see as you scroll.' Advertisement

That same year, Facebook's main Irish subsidiary paid 75 million in tax while recording profits of more than 10 billion  equivalent to just 0.8 per cent.

But while Ireland has been keen to offer Facebook financial incentives, other European countries, including the UK, have grown increasingly frustrated at how little the company pays in tax.

Around half of European countries have either proposed or implemented new taxes on technology firms, with the UK Government last April imposing a 2 per cent tax on the revenue that internet companies gain from British users.

Under such a system, Facebook can be taxed twice on the same revenue in two different countries.

Minutes of the meeting in California in January 2019  marked confidential  reveal how Facebook lobbied to ease its tax burden in Ireland to offset the hundreds of millions of pounds it faced paying out as other EU countries imposed new taxes.

'Facebook raised an issue with regard to whether payment of national digital sales taxes in some jurisdictions through its Irish subsidiary could be offset against Irish tax,' the minutes state.

Facebook has since wound up the key Irish holding company, and two others, amid criticism that it was shifting profits to Ireland to avoid tax.

In 2016, Clegg criticised Facebook and suggested the company should be paying more tax.

'I'm not especially bedazzled by Facebook,' he wrote in the London Evening Standard.

'While I have good friends who work at the company, I actually find the messianic Californian new-worldy-touchy-feely culture of Facebook a little grating.

'Nor am I sure that companies such as Facebook really pay all the tax they could  though that's as much the fault of governments who still haven't got their tax act together.'
More than 100 Congressional Democrats are urging President Joe Biden to find a solution to the southern border crisis that reflects progressives' 'commitment to inclusivity' on Wednesday.

The lawmakers compared an infamous scene of mounted Border Patrol agents lashing Haitian migrants crossing the Rio Grande with their reins to how slaves were treated in early US history.

A letter to the White House was signed by 102 Democrats in the House and Senate including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and 'Squad' members Reps. Cori Bush, Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

They're demanding the White House open an investigation into Customs and Border Patrol's treatment of black migrants at the southwest border and in the immigration court system.

Bush, Schumer and the others are also demanding President Joe Biden immediately repeal the pandemic-era policy that allows for fast-track deportations in the name of public health, known as Title 42.

The impassioned memo, backed by just under a quarter of Congress, suggests that the law enforcement officers at the border are racist toward black migrants.

They said footage of mounted Border Patrol agents whipping and forcefully handling Haitian migrants crossing the Rio Grande into the US in September 'conjured images of our countrys treatment towards enslaved Black people.'

'We urge you to break this cycle and respond to the recent rise in migration with a human rights centered approach and compassionate policies that reaffirm our commitment to inclusivity,' the letter states, going on to blame the US government for the migrant crisis.

A broad range of members in Democrats' caucus from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to Squad member Rep. Cori Bush are pushing Biden once again to end the COVID-era Title 42 expulsion policy

'For Haitians in particular, we must also be accountable for our political decisions and the decades of intervention by the United States, including a military occupation from 1915 to 1934, that has contributed to the political destabilization, impoverishment, and ecological vulnerability of Haitiforces that compel Haitians to seek safety and refuge outside of their country.'

Images of the officers on horseback using their reins as whips and charging their horses at migrants sparked outrage and calls for a humanitarian investigation.

Several migrants who were involved in the incident filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over their treatment, claiming they were coming back across the river to the encampment with food and supplies for their families when they were subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment by the mounted agents.

A wave of Haitian migrants at the southern border who were living in Central and South America after the 2010 earthquake sparked a humanitarian outcry late last summer.

Thousands of men, women and children seen in a squalid tent city underneath a Texas bridge sparked bipartisan criticism of the Biden administration's failure to stop the border surge, overwhelming Homeland Security infrastructure and straining local governments.

They said the September incident where mounted guards charged Haitian migrants and whipped them with reins invoked images of slavery. A group of Haitian migrants is suing the Biden administration over their inhumane treatment at the hands of the officers on horseback

Biden's invocation of Title 42 to expel many of them was met with criticism from progressives and activist groups. Many allies of the president called into question his campaign trail promise to undo Trump's border policies, which lawmakers said 'circumvent humanitarian obligations' in the Wednesday letter.

'It is time to undo the United States draconian immigration policies, particularly policies introduced under the Trump Administration, such as the use of Title 42, that circumvent our humanitarian obligations,' the group writes.

'In addition to stopping removals to regions such as Haiti that face serious insecurity, we also urge you to take steps to address the systemic challenges Black migrants face to receiving equal treatment.'

Title 42, which will have been used for two years in March, allows Border Patrol officers to turn asylum-seekers away immediately regardless of their claim in the name of keeping COVID cases down. It's the reason for two million deportations so far.

In addition to the treatment of Haitian refugees, the lawmakers cite a study from the University of California which found migrants detained from Africa and the Caribbean made up nearly a quarter of all solitary confinement detentions from 2012 through 2017 but only four percent of migrants in ICE custody.

Their push for an 'inclusive' approach to the border comes as Biden continues to grapple with a surge of migrant encounters at the border that's plagued most of his administration so far

'Black migrants are also likely to remain in detention longer than other migrants and pay significantly higher bonds for release,' they write.

The letter concludes: 'It is essential that we recommit ourselves to reversing anti-Black policies, including by adopting a human-rights centered approach to supporting immigrants and people seeking asylum in the United States.'

The progressive message also got the backing of Senator Bernie Sanders, Rep. Jerry Nadler, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Meanwhile Biden ended his first year in office with more than two million migrant encounters at the border, according to the most recent CBP data.

The number is 565,000 more than the previous two years combined.

After peaking at a 21-year high in July the number of people being encountered by law enforcement has dropped off somewhat in the last three months of the year, while hovering well above figures for the same quarter in 2020 and 2019.

There were 178.840 migrant encounters at the southwest border in December 2021, compared to 73,994 at the same time in 2020.
Outraged Sydneysiders have called for a shark cull in NSW after a swimmer was killed in the city's first fatal shark attack in 60 years.

Residents took to social media just hours after the horror mauling on Wednesday night and called for systematic killing of the feared predators.

Shark culling refers to a state government policy that allows the deliberate capturing and killing of the animals in the name of swimmer safety.

Australia is one of the only countries in the world to actively kill sharks with advocate groups arguing the measure is ineffective and only damages marine life.

Australia is one of the only countries in the world to actively kill sharks with advocate groups arguing the harsh measure is ineffective (pictured, a shark hooked off the Great Barrier Reef)

Residents took to social media just hours after the horror mauling on Wednesday night and called for systematic killing of the predators (pictured, a police boat at the scene)

Authorities were seen at Little Bay Beach on Thursday morning as a frantic search ensues for the shark that mauled and killed a swimmer on Wednesday afternoon

A permit to harm protected wildlife under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) must be obtained prior to harming animals, as the life of the 4.5m great white responsible for the attack hangs in the balance.

'Think it's time for a shark cull,' one woman wrote on Facebook.

'Idiotic Shark Protection 1959 still in force, human sacrifices to appease moron minority groups that the government lives in fear of,' another man tweeted.

'Cull these predators. Human lives do matter.'

Their calls come after a swimmer struggled to fight off a giant 4.5m great white shark before being eaten alive, as shocked witnesses watched on in horror.

Calls for a shark cull in NSW comes after a swimmer was mauled to death at Little Bay Beach on Wednesday afternoon (pictured, first responders at the scene)

Little Bay Beach was packed with dozens of swimmers, paddle boarders and rock fishermen at the time of the attack (pictured, people play golf as the search for the great white continues)

The man was taking an afternoon swim off Little Bay Beach on Wednesday afternoon when his life came to a brutal end in front of a crowd of spectators.

Regarded by locals as one of the best kept secrets in Sydney's east, the beach was packed with dozens of swimmers, paddle boarders and rock fishermen.

The great white shark - one of the few species dangerous to humans - was classified as a protected species in 1996 by the NSW Government.

Just three years later, their threatened species status was elevated to 'vulnerable' to extinction - however the animal is still targeted in shark culling programs.

Other opinionated Aussies argued the calls for a NSW shark cull went too far with some reminding other commentators that 'shark lives matter too'.

'Tragic for the man. But sharks aren't hopping into our homes attacking us' one woman argued. 'Why now hunt down and kill a wild animal for being a wild animal?'

A man takes a dip at the beach where the swimmer was attacked by the 4.5m beast

The first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 occurred at Buchan Point in Sydney's east

Police swarmed the scene on Wednesday afternoon and returned on Thursday morning to search for additional evidence from the water's edge

'Land = us. Sea = them. When they start leaving the sea and attacking people in the street then crack on with the cull,' another tweeted.

Andy Casagrande, a filmmaker and shark specialist, said Australian policy is 'infamous for it's brute-force shark nets and shark culls' but said these tactics were more likely to attract sharks to populated beaches than repel them.

'Bottom line, sharks are ocean based apex predators, and if they wanted to, they would hunt and kill humans every day of the year, but they dont. Humans on the other hand, do hunt and kill sharks every single day of the year,' he said.

'The ocean is their home, we are just visitors. I wouldnt want someone invading my home and killing off members of it,' one of his followers agreed.

However, another commenter said there was a time and place for his advocacy.

'Andy. Someone has lost a loved one. That's it. Yes. We love our sharks, but this is not the time nor the platform to promote your message - which I support,' she wrote.

The Western Australian government in 2014 introduced a contentious catch-and-kill policy following several fatal shark attacks on the state's coastline.

Sydneysiders are divided on calls for a shark cull in NSW after a swimmer was killed in the city's first fatal shark attack in over 60 years (pictured, Life Savers on jet-skis)

All beaches in the Randwick Council area will remain closed on Thursday as authorities launch a frantic search for the 4.5m shark responsible for the attack

Police were seen scouring the water's edge on Thursday morning in hopes of finding evidence

Over a 13-week period, 72 baited drums were used to target great whites, bull sharks and tiger sharks in a $1.3million venture that saw the slaying of 68 of the animals.

SYDNEY BEACHES CLOSED ON THURSDAY Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra, Coogee, Clovelly, La Perouse, Congwong, Little Congwong, Yarra Bay, Frenchmans Bay and Gordons Bay Advertisement

The initiative sparked national and international attention with leaked images of the first tiger shark shot dead as it struggled to free itself causing outcry.

WA Premier at the time Colin Barnett was forced to call for an end to the program - however sharks deemed a threat can still be slaughtered in the state.

The scenes on Wednesday afternoon were confronting for emergency service workers and lifeguards sent out in boats, rescue helicopters and on jet skis, who were deployed in a frantic search of the swimmer and the killer predator.

'Footage clearly shows a body, half a body being taken by a shark,' a police officer told colleagues over a scanner when human remains were found an hour later.

The swimmer's injuries were so catastrophic there was nothing paramedics could have done to save him, even if they got to him sooner.

Back on shore, dozens of fishermen and beachgoers were still reeling in shock as the desperate hunt for the predator continued.

Lifeguards on jet-skis (pictured), drones and the Life Saver helicopter will remain on the scene as police hunt for clues on the shoreline on Thursday

Locals were seen returning to the beach on Thursday morning despite the fatal mauling

Lifeguards on jet-skis returned to the water on Thursday to search the area for any evidence

The tragedy unfolded at Buchan Point, a popular spot for rock fishing and spearfishing between Little Bay and Malabar beaches.

'Someone just got eaten by a shark. Oh man! Oh no! That's insane. That's a great white shark,' one fisherman can be heard yelling in footage.

'The person's still there!

'I just saw a four to five metre great white explode on the surface just here on a swimmer and it was like a car landing in the water.

'F*** man, I heard a scream and the shark was just chomping on his body and the body was in half just off the rocks here.

'It came back and swallowed parts of his body and that was it. It disappeared.'

Emergency services (pictured at the scene) launched a desperate search for the swimmer and found human remains an hour later

The search for the great white shark will continue on Thursday, prompting the closure of at least 11 beaches

The scenes were just as confronting for those involved in the frantic search for the swimmer, including jet skiers (pictured)

Other frantic onlookers on the rocks can be heard swearing and screaming in horror. It's understood the victim was a local who knew the beach well and often swam out towards the headland.

'Some guy was swimming and a shark came and attacked him vertically,' fisherman Kris Linto told Nine News.

'We heard a yell and turned around it looked like a car had landed in the water, a big splash then the shark was chomping at the body and there was blood everywhere.

'It was really bad.'

Another shaken witness recalled how the attack lasted just seconds.

'He was yelling at first, and then when he went down there were so many splashes,' he told the ABC. 'The shark wouldn't stop. It's very, very upsetting.'

'He just went down for a swim, enjoying the day, but that shark took his life.'

Fatal shark attacks in Australia since 2020 January 5, 2020: Diver Gary Johnson, 57, was killed by a great white shark while diving with his wife near Esperance in WA April 6, 2020: Wildlife ranger Zachary Robba, 23, was mauled to death by a shark while swimming off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland June 7, 2020: Surfer Rob Pedretti, 60, was killed by a great white shark while he was boarding at Salt Beach near Kingscliff in far northern NSW July 4 2020: Spearfisher Matthew Tratt, 36, was mauled to death by a suspected great white shark in a 'provoked' attack on Fraser Island in Queensland July 11, 2020: Surfer Mani Hart-Deville, 15, was boarding when he was killed by a suspected great white shark at Wooli Beach, near Grafton on the NSW North Coast September 8, 2020: Surfer Nick Slater, 46, was mauled to death by a suspected great white at Greenmount Beach on the Gold Coast October 9, 2020: Father-of-two Andrew Sharpe was killed by a shark while surfing at Kelp Beds in Wylie Bay, near Esperance on WA's south coast November 22, 2020: Cable Beach, WA: Charles Cernobori, 59, who worked at a Cable Beach hotel was killed by a 4m suspected tiger shark while bodyboarding 2km north of the main tourist section November 6, 2021: Paul Millachip, 57, was believed to have been taken by a shark while swimming at a beach in North Fremantle in Perth - with the attack witnessed by multiple people January 17, 2022: A swimmer is killed off Little Bay in Sydney's east, believed to have been attacked by a four-metre-long great white Advertisement

Swimmers were ordered out of the water after the fatal shark attack at Little Bay Beach (scene pictured) on Wednesday afternoon, a popular spot for family swims

Four ambulance road crews and a rescue helicopter with a critical care doctor and a critical care paramedic on board attended the scene in the hope of saving his life.

'Unfortunately this person had suffered catastrophic injuries and there wasn't a lot paramedics could do when we arrived,' NSW Ambulance Inspector Lucky Phrachanh said.

Police spent several hours at the scene interviewing shocked witnesses and later removed an SUV from the carpark at nearby Malabar Beach.

The search for the shark was later called off for the night, and is due to resume at first light on Thursday.

The tragedy has rocked the local community as Randwick Council closed all 11 of its beaches for at least 24 hours, including Little Bay.

Shocked witnesses (pictured speaking to police) heard the swimmer's screams in the water

Kris Linto (pictured) was fishing at the time when he witnessed the horrifying shark attack

Popular swimming spots such as Malabar, Maroubra, Coogee, Clovelly and La Perouse will also be closed along with Congwong, Little Congwong and Yarra Bay beaches, Frenchmans Bay and Gordons Bay.

Many Sydneysiders had hoped to spend Thursday in the ocean with temperatures to reach a balmy 31C.

Signage and barricades have been installed warning swimmers to stay out of the water.

Little Bay Beach is regarded as one of Sydney's undiscovered jewels and a 'secret' beach popular with locals.

'The coast is our community's backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families,' Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said.

'To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock.

'Our entire community's hearts go out to the family of the victim.'

Many locals have vowed to avoid the water for a while in the wake of the tragedy.

The attack unfolded around 10m from shore at Buchan Point (pictured), a popular spot for rock fishermen

Police (pictured) spent several hours at the scene on Wednesday night examining the scene and interviewing witnesses

A local woman who regularly goes swimming around the area said the attack 'made her think twice'.

'So many locals go out swimming here, every day, and I've never seen a shark,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's terrifying'.

The latest tragedy comes after the death of a father and son rock fishing at the same site two weeks ago.

Peter and his son Mahan, 10, were fishing on a rock face at Little Bay on the last day of the school holidays on January 31 when they were dragged into the water by a freak wave.

'My husband and my son were just a few steps in front of me and now they are gone forever,' Peter's heartbroken wife told the Daily Telegraph.

'I wish it was me instead of my little boy. I don't have the will to live.'

Sydney's last shark attack claimed the life of television and radio actress Marcia Hathaway (pictured) in 1963 in Middle Harbour

Jet skis were also used in the frantic search for swimmer before human remains were found

It's the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 when actress Marcia Hathaway, 32, was mauled by while on a boating trip in Sugarloaf Bay in Middle Harbour.

She was attacked by a bull shark in just 30 inches (76cm) of water as her fiance and friends watched on in horror.

'I heard Marcia scream "oh dear", and then she was dragged into deep water,' her fiance Frederick Knight said at the time.

'I started to run to her and saw the fin of a shark.

'It seemed to have grabbed her on the calf of her right leg.

'When I reached Marcia, it struck again and seized her on the thigh.

'I started to kick the shark and beat it with my fists, most of the struggle is a blank but I remember at one time the shark was between my legs and I seemed to be straddling it.'

The critically injured actress was stretchered in an ambulance, which then broke down while navigating the steep track from the harbour.

She had stopped breathing by the time a second ambulance arrived.

It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney in almost 60 years (pictured, rescue helicopters at the scene)

Police (pictured at the scene on Wednesday) will liaise with the Department of Primary Industries to investigate the circumstances of the swimmer's tragic death

The police helicopter scoured the area from the air for an hour in search of the shark and swimmer

The fatal shark attack happened 10 metres away from rocks at Buchan Point, a popular spot for fishermen

Police will liaise with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the swimmer.

'DPI extends sincere condolences to the family and friends and first responders at this tragic time', a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'DPI will continue to work with NSW Police and SLS NSW to monitor the area and provide any technical advice and resources if required, including deploying SMART drumlines in the area.'

The department has also advised a bull shark was detected 15km further north near Bondi an hour after the attack. It has not been confirmed the shark is linked to the attack.

A SharkSmart app provided by the New South Wales government alerts swimmers and surfers in real time when a shark is detected nearby.

Paramedics say there was nothing they could do as the swimmer suffered catastrophic injuries
The former head of America's largest neo-Nazi group believes white supremacists and far-right extremists are planning to fight in Ukraine if Russia launches an invasion.

Jeff Schoep, who headed the Nationalist Socialist Movement before renouncing fascism, said war would attract extremists to both sides of the fight.

And just like the rise of ISIS in Syria turned that country into a training ground for Western Jihadists, so too Ukraine cold become a breeding ground for American fascism.

'The idea there is to get that training and to get that experience, because of course the far-right people feel that civil war is coming,' he told DailyMail.com.

'So for them it's an opportunity to fight and get that training.'

Some 150,000 Russian troops remain close to the border with Ukraine, raising fears that an invasion is imminent despite Moscow's claims it is pulling them back.

A former government official echoed Schoep's warning and said the Biden administration needed to work with eastern European countries to monitor the movement of known extremists.

And it comes after a leaked report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) revealed the way the Kremlin was indirectly supporting far-right groups in the US.

After 25 years as a neo-Nazi, Schoep now runs Beyond Barriers, which is dedicated to helping people leave extremist organizations.

Jeff Schoep spent two decades as commander of the Nationalist Socialist Movement. Now he campaigns against extremism and is warning that American extremists are planning to fight in Ukraine - on both sides - if Russia presses ahead with an invasion

Members of the Russian Imperial Movement seen here in St Petersburg have trained fighters to join pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. It has reportedly tried to recruit Americans

Moscow claims it is pulling back troops from Ukraine but the US and allies say they have seen no evidence and that an invasion could still happen at any time

He said his team monitoring online chat had flagged conversations about traveling to Ukraine.

And while examples of Americans joining the Azov Division - a Ukrainian extremist group facing off against pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country- were well known, in part because of Russian propaganda, he added that US. extremists were connecting with far-right groups on both sides.

'People volunteer on all sides and that's what we are seeing with Ukraine and Russia, which might seem strange at first,' he said.

'You have national socialists and far-right extremists on the Russian side but also on the Ukrainian side. So you end up with Americans fighting against each other, but they're both gaining training at the same time.'

In recent years, he added, the numbers have been small, but that could change quickly as extremists look for a chance to put their ideas into practice.

'It's not like different organisation are sponsoring people to go there,' he said.

'It's like someone here or someone there goes.

'But if an all out war breaks out, I think we will see a spike and it could be just like people gong to fight in Syria - a similar situation.'

Schoep now runs Beyond Barriers, which is dedicated to helping people leave extremist organizations, after renouncing his old life

Servicemen of the Azov battalion attend an oath ceremony in Kyiv in 2014. its original commander Andriy Biletsky said Ukraine's mission was to 'lead the white races of the world in a final crusade  against Semite-led Untermenschen [subhumans]'

Schoep, 48, became obsessed as a child with Adolf Hitler after learning that his German grandfather fought in World War II. He rose to head America's neo-Nazi movement at the age of 21.

He says it took him three years to leave the movement, helped by a former Al Qaeda recruiter who made a similar journey and became an anti-extremism campaigner.

Schoep spoke soon after a leaked intelligence report accused the Kremlin of turning a blind eye to links between Russian groups and the American far right.

It concluded the Russian government was providing 'indirect and passive support' to neo-fascist American groups as part of an effort to aggravate division in the West.

The Russian government 'probably tolerates some private Russian entities support' for U.S. and European white nationalist groups 'because it aligns with Kremlin efforts to aggravate societal fissures in the West,' said the ODNI report, obtained by Yahoo News.

The Rusich Reconnaissance and Sabotage Group, a Russian neo-Nazi organization, sent members to fight in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and 2015, according to the report.

And it said the Russian Imperial Movement has tried has tried to recruit Americans for paramilitary instruction at its camps.

On the other side, the Azov Group made headlines this week when pictures emerged of its volunteers training a 79-year-old grandmother with an AK-47.

Valentyna Konstantynovska, 79, became the face of a civilian combat drill in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, when she was photographed looking down the sight of the gun.

In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, Russian army tanks are loaded onto railway platforms to move back to their permanent base after drills in Russia

A former US government official said Russia had frequently accused neo-Nazis of fighting on behalf of Ukraine, but that was part of an effort to justify any move against its neighbor.

'It is incomplete to the point of inaccuracy to not also mention the fact that the pro-Russian side has attracted more than its fair share of unsavoury neo-Nazi types as well,' he said.

'This is an issue that we were very concerned about during the Trump administration, and I suspect the Biden administration is just as concerned.'

He said the administration should be working with Ukraine's neighbors to monitor arrivals, as well as urging Kiev not to rely on far-right elements to defend itself.

'We're giving you Javelins, we're giving you Stingers, we're giving you all kinds of weaponry and training, use that to protect yourself against Russia,' he added.

'You don't need to rely on neo-Nazis.'

But he added it would be harder to discourage Russia.

The CIA, ODNI and White House all declined to comment.
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant will take a break when the state scraps the remainder of its Covid-19 restrictions.

The government has confirmed Dr Marianne Gale will step into the role from February 28 while Dr Chant takes three weeks of annual leave.

'Like her colleagues in NSW Health, Dr Chant has worked extremely hard during the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic and is looking forward to spending some time with her family during this planned leave,' NSW Health said.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant (pictured) will take three weeks of annual leave when the state lifts the remainder of its Covid-19 restrictions

The top doctor will take her longest break since the pandemic began as the state plans to lift the bulk of its Covid restrictions by the end of the month.

Mask mandates for indoor public venues, QR codes and density limits are set to be scrapped under the new rules, with workers asked to return to the office by March 1.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said Dr Chant 'worked flat out' during the pandemic, as the Delta and Omicron Covid-19 variants ravaged the state.

'She works 18 to 20-hour days, seven days a week. Any leave she wants, she should get, and we should double it. It is a long-awaited and extremely well-deserved break,' he said.

The long-overdue break will come as Premier Dominic Perrottet plans to axe the state's remaining Covid restrictions by the end of the month.

Mr Perrottet announced a raft of restrictions will be lifted this Friday, including the recommendation to work from home and rules on density limits and QR check in codes.

The 2sqm density limit will no longer be enforced in hospitality venues with dancing and singing to return just in time for the weekend.

Mask mandates for indoor public venues, QR codes and density limits are set to be scrapped by the end of the month, with workers asked to return to the office by March 1 (pictured, residents are seen wearing masks in Sydney's CBD)

From February 25, face masks will be scrapped for all indoor settings, apart from public transport and a few other exceptions including hospitals.

QR codes will only be required for nightclubs and music festivals.

Sydney's public transport services will also return to a regular timetable at the end of the month to align with the return of workers to the office.

Public transport has been running on a reduced timetable since last month because of staff shortages caused by the Covid-19 Omicron wave.
Chris Cuomos wife, Cristina, appeared serene in a yoga session on Instagram Live on Wednesday  the morning after news emerged that her former CNN anchor husband was accused of sexually assaulting an ABC temporary staffer in 2011.

Cristina noted in her self-improving exercise video that she disabled comments, telling her viewers to be mindful of the power of the word.

I turned off the comments because the power of the word is so strong and to be mindful of that afterwards and when you go forward in the day, she said in her video, which had 1,291 views as of Wednesday afternoon.

Think about how impactful your words are to other people. The ones you write and the ones you say, Cristina concluded as she continued her yoga routine with instructor Erika Halweil.

Meanwhile, Chris Cuomo is contending with the power his own words held after a woman says they compelled her to come forward to disclose how he allegedly invited her to his office for sex and forced himself on her when she declined.

Chris Cuomos wife, Cristina, appeared serene in a yoga session on Instagram Live on Wednesday  the morning after a report revealed that her husband was accused of sexually assaulting an ABC temporary staffer in 2011.

Cristina noted in her self-improving exercise video that she disabled comments, telling her viewers to be mindful of the power of the word'

The New York Times claimed in a Tuesday report that Chris Cuomo was fired after a secret 'assault' allegation was made against him by a woman he used to work with at ABC News in 2011. He and Cristina are pictured above in New York City in 2014

The woman, who has not been named and is referred to as Jane Doe, had her account detailed in a New York Times report released late on Tuesday.

In December 2021, her attorney Debra Katz wrote to CNN to report the alleged assault, after Cuomo had been suspended for helping his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, through his own sexual misconduct scandal.

She says she was driven to come forward after watching him declare on-air in March 2021 that he cared 'deeply and profoundly' about the #MeToo movement and the sexual harassment claims against his brother.

'Before we start tonight let me say something that I'm sure is very obvious to you who watch my show. I'll be straight with you. Obviously I'm aware of what's going on with my brother and obviously I cannot cover it because he is my brother, Chris said in March 2021.

Now, of course CNN has to cover it. They have covered it extensively and they will continue to do so. I have always cared very deeply about these issues and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that,' he said.

The woman identified as Jane Doe is not the only woman who has accused him of misconduct; Shelley Ross, a former executive at ABC, said he groped her at a 2005 party and Melanie Buck claimed that she asked to be removed from Cuomo Prime Time because she found his conduct to be threatening.

The allegations are not the only reason for his firing but according to The New York Times, contributed to the wider net of scandals that followed him and ultimately became 'too much' for CNN President Jeff Zucker.

The unidentified woman says she was driven to come forward after watching him declare on-air in March 2021 that he cared 'deeply and profoundly' about the #MeToo movement and the sexual harassment claims against his brother

In November, CNN president Jeff Zucker told Cuomo (right) they were suspending him for his involvement with helping his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) amid the sexual harassment allegations made against the politician. The brothers are pictured at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018.

Zucker resigned for failing to report an affair with top aide Allison Gollust, who also left the company last night. All three are accused of 'newsroom' ethics failures for their inappropriately close relationship with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

It was previously known that Chris had been reported for sexual misconduct but new details of the allegation emerged on Tuesday night.

According to the woman, she was working as a temporary staffer on ABC News in 2011 and was hoping for a permanent role.

Chris invited her to his office for lunch, she says. She arrived but found there was no food. He then allegedly started 'badgering' her for sex and when she refused him, she says he sexually assaulted her. No other details about the alleged assault have been made public. The woman said she then sent him friendly emails to try to smooth things over.

When the #MeToo movement gained momentum, she said she heard from Chris - by this time CNN's star host. He said he wanted to run a segment on the firm where she worked.

She said she interpreted it as a veiled threat not to come forward with her own #MeToo claim. A spokesman for Cuomo denied the allegations outlined in the letter.

Chris and his wife Cristina have been married since 2001. He has always denied the allegation of sexual misconduct

Allison Gollust (left) was seen earlier this week in her Upper East Side apartment building. Jeff Zucker is shown, right, out and about in NYC. Gollust is furious about how she has had to leave the company

Zucker is said to have been hurt and 'misled' by Cuomo, who was helping his brother through his own scandal while also working on the network.

Zucker and Chris were close - in 2018, when Zucker was recovering from heart surgery, the pair would go for long walks in Central Park.

Late Tuesday, a spokesperson for the former CNN anchor issued a statement regarding The New York Times report and insisting that the real reason all three were fired was their involvement with Governor Cuomo.

'It is clear this was never about an undisclosed relationship,' according to the statement posted to Twitter by a Wall Street Journal reporter.

'As Mr. Cuomo has stated previously, Mr. Zucker and Ms. [Allison] Gollust were not only entirely aware but fully supportive of what he was doing to help his brother.

'The still open question is when Warner Media is going to release the results of its investigation and explain its supposed basis for terminating Mr. Cuomo.'

In November, then-CNN president Jeff Zucker told Cuomo they were suspending him for his involvement with helping his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, amid the sexual harassment allegations made against the politician.

Chris Cuomo reportedly offered to resign and Zucker allegedly informed him that he might be able to return to the network at some point.

But 24 hours after Zucker suspended Cuomo, the letter from the woman's lawyer arrived at CNN describing Cuomo's suspension as an 'abuse of power at CNN to attempt to silence my client,' according to The Times.

Shelley Ross, a former executive producer of Cuomo's Primetime Live show, previously accused him of groping her at a party in 2005

Later that week, Zucker fired Cuomo, telling him that a drumbeat of scandals had become 'too much for us,' according to the newspaper.

Zucker himself resigned on February 2 after revealing his romantic relationship with executive Allison Gollust.

Gollust resigned Tuesday night as CNN's executive vice president and chief marketing officer months after an internal probe into her alleged 'inappropriate' relationship with Zucker.

The 49-year-old left the network following a third-party investigation into 'issues associated with Chris Cuomo and former Governor Andrew Cuomo,' a source confirmed to DailyMail.com.

Gollust acknowledged her exit in a bitter email to her staff claiming CNN was trying to undermine her in public: 'WarnerMedia's statement tonight is an attempt to retaliate against me and change the media narrative in the wake of their disastrous handling of the last two weeks.'

'It is deeply disappointing that after spending the past nine years defending and upholding CNN's highest standards of journalistic integrity, I would be treated this way as I leave.'

'But I do so with my head held high, knowing I gave my heart and soul to working with the finest journalists in the world.'

'With much love and gratitude,' Gollust signed her goodbye message to her colleagues.

Chris Cuomo is still fighting for the $18 million he claims he is owed on the remainder of his contract, which Zucker firmly refused after the termination, arguing that he brought the network into disrepute.
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South Korea's chipmakers vowed to expand their domestic investment this year to more than a combined 56.7 trillion won ($47.36 billion) amid heated global competition and supply chain disruptions, the industry ministry said Wednesday.







The plan was announced by the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association based on a recent survey of its members, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, on their investment plans this year.







If fully executed, the amount represents a 10 percent increase from the 51.6 trillion won they invested last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.







The ministry said that large chipmakers plan to spend 53.6 trillion won in 2022, and smaller firms in the fabless and other system semiconductor field will invest of 1.3 trillion won. It did not disclose a detailed investment plan by company.







In a move to support the industry, the government will increase facility investment in relevant industrial complexes and set up an entity in charge of administrative support, according to the ministry.







It also vowed to increase the entrance quota at colleges with degrees in semiconductors to 700 this year and to operate new education programs to nurture 1,200 experts in the field every year.







"The government's active policy backing is a must to nurture professional manpower so as to win competition with global firms," association chief Lee Jeong-bae said during a meeting with Industry Minister Moon Sung-wook, Wednesday.







Lee, who is also the head of Samsung's memory business division, also called on the government to extend tax cuts and other various incentives and speed up deregulation. (Yonhap)


His devastated father Andrew paid tribute to his 'bright and considerate' boy

He was taken to hospital Sunday but his blood pressure was too low to operate

He complained of a headache and collapsed at Trinity Church in Stockport

A devastated father has told of how his teenage son died after suddenly collapsing in a church toilet from a brain bleed after complaining of feeling unwell.

Calvin Middleton, 16, died just hours after suddenly collapsing at Trinity Church in Cheadle, Stockport, on Sunday after saying he had a headache and was feeling sick.

His grieving father Andrew has spoken about the tragedy, saying 'one minute my son was there, and the next he had just gone' as he paid tribute to his 'bright and considerate boy'.

Last weekend, Calvin attended an evening church service as normal with his father, mother Jenny and two younger sisters Susie and Bethan.

The family, who live in Alsager, Cheshire, had enjoyed the service when Calvin, who was just months away from sitting his GCSEs, complained of a headache at around 7.30pm, and went to the toilet after feeling sick.

Calvin Middleton (pictured), 16, died just hours after suddenly collapsing at Trinity Church in Cheadle, Stockport, on Sunday after complaining of feeling unwell

When he didn't return, his concerned father, who had hugged Calvin just moments earlier, found him face down and unconscious in the cubicle.

What Calvin thought was just a migraine was an intracranial haemorrhage - a small vein in the back of his head which had burst.

The teenager, who was just months away from sitting his GCSEs, never regained consciousness after passing out in the bathroom, despite medics' desperate efforts to revive him.

The 'intelligent' boy, who studied maths and computer science, was pronounced dead shortly after 2am on February 14.

Speaking about his loss, Calvin's father Mr Middleton told Manchester Evening News: 'One minute my son was there, and the next he had just gone.

'He had given me a hug after the service and said he needed to go to the toilet as he had a headache and might be sick.

His father Andrew (pictured with Calvin, wife Jenny and daughters Susie and Bethan) has spoken about the tragedy, saying 'one minute my son was there, and the next he had just gone'

Calvin (pictured), who was just months away from sitting his GCSEs, never regained consciousness after passing out at church, despite medics' desperate efforts to revive him

'That was the last time I would ever get to speak to my son or see him conscious again.

'My wife had gone in to see if he was okay, and didn't hear anything from him. I went in and saw him lying face down on the floor of the cubicle.

'The ambulance and police came within minutes and were so compassionate and amazing with us all.'

What is an an intracranial haemorrhage? Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) refers to acute bleeding inside your skull or brain. It's a life-threatening emergency. The bleeding occurs in the lobes, pons and cerebellum of the brain. There are four types of ICH - epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracerebral hemorrhage. Most ICHs are due to a head injury. The signs and symptoms of ICH vary depending on the type, but they usually include a sudden and severe headache, confusion, drowsiness and vomiting. Source: Healthline Advertisement

Calvin was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital for treatment but his blood pressure had dropped too low for doctors to operate, while any surgery may have resulted in Calvin being left with life-altering disabilities.

Mr Middleton continued: 'The nurses did everything they could, but it was just not meant to be. It was his time to go.

'After they told us he could end up with disabilities, I just begged them to do whatever they could.

'They sat with us for hours and just wept as we prayed for him.

'Every interaction we had with police and the paramedics was so compassionate and human and I will remember that forever.

'This could've happened to anyone at anytime and just shows how precious every moment with your loved ones is. We cannot grasp that he is not here anymore.

'He just slipped away in a moment.'

The devastated father described Calvin, who was a prefect at his school and a Liverpool fan, as a 'considerate' person who had a 'bright future' ahead of him.

He added: 'He was such an intelligent boy, he was a prefect who was in top sets at school for everything and always wanted to do as best as he could.'

'There were times I look back on now when he asked me to help him with his revision and I couldn't have taken three hours out of my evening to help.

'I now am sat thinking we no longer have those hours together and I wish I'd have done and cherished every single second I had with him.

'He was such a bright and considerate human being. I had such a bright future planned for him.'

Calvin's blood pressure had dropped too low for doctors to operate, while any surgery may have resulted in Calvin (pictured) being left with life-altering disabilities

Calvin's family have set up a fundraising page to raise money to help Trinity Church's efforts to help disadvantaged children in Zimbabwe.

They have already raised their target of 500, with donations already reaching almost 1,000.

Speaking of the fundraiser, Mr Middleton said: 'We just cannot believe how unbelievable the response has been and how kind humans truly can be to one another.

'As a family, we would much rather people donate the money to something positive and constructive than buy cards and flowers.

'Calvin was a dedicated Liverpool fan who had previously undergone treatment at Alder Hey Children's Hospital for a heart issue unrelated to his death.

'He would be happy that we were asking people to donate for this amazing and useful cause.

'He has appreciated the Christian influence of Jurgen Klopp and players like Firmino and Allison.'

Plans are being made for Calvin's burial to be held at St Mary's Church in Sandbach next week.
GiveSendGo, the Christian crowdfunding site that raised more than $8.7 million for the Freedom Convoy, slammed Canada's Trudeau administration as a 'group of terrorist' and called on the FBI to investigate the hackers who shut down its site on Sunday and released the information of its more than 92,000 donors.

The company's founder, Jacob Wells, told Fox News that his company is standing behind freedom and democracy in its support of the Freedom Convoy movement, where Canadians led by truckers are protesting their country's COVID-19 mandates.

'This is the moment for them to rally, not be intimidated and say, Yes, I support freedom. Yes, I support peaceful protests 100 percent, he said.

'It's the bedrock of democracy, and it's the side that's opposing this that's really a group of terrorists. They're instilling terror. That's their goal."

He added that Sunday's hack of the donation site was a 'well-orchestrated' political doxing effort to hurt the Freedom Convoy and their cause.

'This is illegal, and these people should be going to jail,' Wells said. 'The FBI - I mean, it's surprising that we haven't heard from any investigative services. We will be reaching out ourselves to just see that there's some investigation into this. This is completely unacceptable.'

The attack on GiveSendGo on Sunday night redirected visitors to a taunting video from the Disney film Frozen, and a message slamming the Freedom Convoy as an 'insurrection' led by 'known extremists.'

The hack has already had an impact on Canadians who donated - a top political aide to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Marion Isabeau-Ringuette, was forced out of her job when a local news outlet QP Briefing outed her to his office for making a $100 donation.

Canada's national broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Company, has gone through the list of 92,844 donors to contact and publicly out them.

It revealed that the former leader of the country's Progressive Conservative Party Ches Crosbie made an $800 donation. He was unapologetic when confronted by CBC journalists, saying: 'Indefinite states of emergency, such as we are under in most of Canada, are a dangerous thing, a very dangerous thing. I support the right of peaceful protest and I see the Freedom Convoy as a peaceful protest.'



The CBC also outed a prominent business owner in London, Ontario, as giving the largest single donation to the Freedom Convoy. Holden Rhodes, who owns Killarney Mountain Lodge, donated $25,000.

Another donor outed in the leak was Tammy Giuliani, owner of Stella Luna Gelato Cafe in Ottawa, who was forced to shut down her business after she received an onslaught of threats over her $250 donation.

GiveSendGo founder Jacob Wells (above) called on the FBI to investigate the hack on his company's website that outed more than 92,000 donors of the Freedom Convoy

Wells said his company is ramping up its cybersecurity after Sunday's attack took down the website that raised more than $8.7 million for the truckers

The attack on Sunday night redirected visitors to a taunting video from the Disney film Frozen, and a message slamming the Freedom Convoy as an 'insurrection' led by 'known extremists'

The US-based Christian fundraising site became the main conduit for donations to support the Freedom Convoy after GoFundMe buckled to pressure to shut down another fundraiser that had raised some $10 million

The GiveSendGo website became the most popular way to support the Freedom Convoy after GoFundMe shut its donation page down, freezing the $10 million raised after it claimed the movement had turned violent following police reports from Ottawa, Canada.

Wells said that as the donation page for the Freedom Convoy was the largest the website had ever seen, it had been preparing for a cyberattack prior to Sunday, but the company was still caught off guard.

'We find it unacceptable on our side that this happened and that's why we're pouring into bringing on the best, Wells told Fox, referring to the company's plan to call out 'ethical hackers' to test the site's weaknesses.

'We never want to see this happen, and it's horrific to us that it has,' he said. 'The target on our back is really big because we do allow freedom and many people, they don't like that. They're going to come after us as hard as we need to be better than we've ever been before, and we're bringing in people to make that happen.'

Wells added that he believed the hackers were part of a 'highly coordinated' and 'very sophisticated' group intent on attacking the Freedom Convoy.

Frustration with the failure of Canadian police to lift blockades at the border and in the capital, along with scenes of protesters lounging in hot tubs near Parliament, ultimately drove Justin Trudeau to seek emergency powers earlier this week, sources told Reuters. Trudeau has been slammed by critics who accuse him of imposing 'martial law' to crush the protests over vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions

In a statement released on Tuesday, GiveSendGo said it was a dedicated team 'aggressively focused on identifying these malicious actors and pursuing actions against their cybercrime.'

The FBI declined to comment on the incident.

The US Department of Justice did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

The leaked data from the hack has been used by Canadian journalists to out donors to their employers.

Marion Isabeau Ringuette, who was Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones's director of communications, lost her job 10 days after making a $100 donation, according to the Toronto Star.

After the donor list to a GiveSendGo campaign supporting the protests was stolen and leaked by hackers this week, Isabeau-Ringuette's identity was apparently deciphered and reported to her employer, although she only used her initials when making the donation.

'Ms. Isabeau-Ringuette no longer works for the Ontario government,' Ivana Yelich, Ford's executive director of media relations, told the Star.

'We're not commenting any further as this is a staffing matter.'

Isabeau-Ringuette did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

The local news outlet QP Briefing said that it had 'brought the information to the attention of Isabeau-Ringuette and Premier Doug Ford's office late Tuesday afternoon'.

Marion Isabeau-Ringuette was forced out of her job as a staffer for the Ontario provincial government after hackers revealed that she donated $100 to the Freedom Convoy protests earlier this month

The country's national broadcaster, Canadian Broadcasting Company, has also gone through the list to contact and publicly out donors.

It revealed that the former leader of the country's Progressive Conservative Party Ches Crosbie made an $800 donation. He was unapologetic when confronted by CBC journalists, saying: 'Indefinite states of emergency, such as we are under in most of Canada, are a dangerous thing, a very dangerous thing. I support the right of peaceful protest and I see the Freedom Convoy as a peaceful protest.'

The CBC also outed a prominent business owner in London, Ontario, as giving the largest single donation to the Freedom Convoy. Holden Rhodes, who owns Killarney Mountain Lodge, donated $25,000.

He was just as unapologetic after being outed by the CBC, telling journalists: 'The overreach on the last two years has been astounding, but in the last two weeks in Canada it has been absolutely alarming for anyone believes in a peaceful and free society,' he said. 'Government at all levels has to realize they are elected to represent the people of Canada rather than lock up and threaten to arrest people for exercising their legal rights of peaceful protest.'

Another donor outed in the leak was Tammy Giuliani, owner of Stella Luna Gelato Cafe in Ottawa, who was forced to shut down her business after she received an onslaught of threats over her $250 donation.

GiveSendGo said that the cyberattack was 'highly coordinated' and aimed at the Freedom Convoy for their protest of Canada's COVID-19 mandates

Hundreds of Canadians continue to protest the countries COVID-19 mandates as they march on the streets of Ottawa outside the country's parliament

The movement features a blockade of the streets by truckers fed up with the mandates

The truckers have gained support and opposition from fellow Canadians

GiveSendGo said it was a dedicated team 'aggressively focused on identifying these malicious actors and pursuing actions against their cybercrime.'

The leaked data from the hacked GiveSendGo site revealed that most of the money raised for the Freedom Convoy did come from Canada and not the US - contradicting claims by the embattled Canadian prime minister.

Canadians donated $4.31 million to the anti-vaccine mandate protest while making up less than a third of all donors, compared with the $3.62 million given by Americans, according to the data. The rest of the $8.7 million came from the UK and several other countries.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had claimed that the majority of the donations came from foreign sources.

Americans did make the most individual donations to the Christian crowdfunding site, accounting for 56 percent of the 92,844 donors, compared to 29 percent of Canadians who donated.

While many donors remained anonymous, data from Sunday night's breach by unidentified hackers revealed Silicon Valley investor Siebel donated $90,000 to the protesters, the New York Times reported.

Silicon Valley investor and tech billionaire Thomas Siebel was named in the list of 92,844 donors to the Freedom Convoy. According to the breach, he gave $90,000

Ben Pogue (left), a Texas-based construction magnate, was listed as a donor who gave $20,000 to the Freedom Convoy. Canadian Brad Howland, president of a New Brunswick-based company that makes pressure washers, donated $75,000, commenting: 'Hold the line!'

Data from the breach revealed the Canadians only made up for 29 percent of the donor base. American's made up 56 percent of the donor base, while UK donors made up 2 percent.

GiveSendGO data breach reveals nationality of donors to Freedom Convoy United States: 51,666 Canada: 36,202 United Kingdom: 1,831 Australia: 588 Denmark: 300 Netherlands: 209 Iceland: 162 Sweden: 143 France: 130 Norway: 125 Advertisement

Ben Pogue, a Texas-based construction magnate, who had donated $200,000 for Donald Trump's re-election campaign, also gifted $20,000 to the Freedom Convoy.

Siebel and Pogue did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Several US donors also gave money through government emails that originated from NASA, the US Bureau of Prisons, the US Military, the Transportation Security Administration and the US Department of Justice.

One DOJ employees who donated through their government email gave $25 on two separate occasion, VICE reported.

Following the second donation, the person wrote: 'Thank you, Truckers! It is working. Others have taken your lead like Australia, New Zealand, UK.

'I think the reason all these blue states in the USA have stopped the mask mandates is there were rumors that truckers here in the USA were going to start a protest starting in CA to DC, and the local and federal governments did not want that. And it is an election year.'

Another donor using an email from the Delaware Transit Corporation wrote: 'God Bless you all, need your spirit here in the US!'

A large donation also game from Travis Moore, an Idaho man, who donated $17,760 with the comment: 'Let freedom ring, brothers of the north. Cryptocurrency is the future.'

Despite large donations from American's, Canadian's still made up the bulk of the support with Brad Howland, president of a New Brunswick-based company that makes pressure washers, donating $75,000, commenting: 'Hold the line!'

Howland confirmed his donation listed in the leak and told the Times that the protest 'will go down in the history books.'

Other large donations included $25,000 from an Ontario-based car dealership chain and $20,000 from an Ontario-based community and family support organization.

Several Canadian public employees also appeared on the list of donors, including a Quebec man who donated $102 from a Correctional Service of Canada email address, the National Post reported.

Trudeau stepped up his crackdown on Freedom Convoy demonstrators, with police now visiting the homes of people who post in support of the protests on Facebook and a woman forced out of her government job after donating to the demonstrations.

Trudeau on Wednesday was considering using his extraordinary powers under the Emergencies Act to establish 'no-go' zones in Ottawa to dispel the remaining protests in the nation's capital.

Ottawa police fanned out among the demonstrators on Wednesday afternoon, distributing pamphlets saying protesters faced fines, arrests and vehicle seizures, and reading: 'You must leave the area now'.

As the blockades in Alberta and Manitoba ended peacefully, all focus came to bear on the protest in Ottawa, now in its third week, with demonstrators paralyzing the streets over their demand for an end to vaccine mandates.

Frustration with the failure of Canadian police to lift blockades at the border and in the capital, along with scenes of protesters lounging in hot tubs near Parliament, ultimately drove Trudeau to seek emergency powers earlier this week, sources told Reuters.

Trudeau has been slammed by critics who accuse him of imposing 'martial law' to crush the protests over vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions.

An Ontario Provincial Police officer knocked on the very door of Nadine Ellis-Maffei's farmhouse last week to hand her a card and a pamphlet after seeing her post to a Facebook group about the Freedom Convoy

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, appearing to buckle under pressure after weeks of sustained protests, this week announced an end to COVID restrictions and seemed to echo the message of the protesters opposed to pandemic mandates, saying of capacity limits: 'Let's just start moving on, cautiously. The world's done with it, let's just move forward.'

But in a crackdown on the protests, an Ontario Provincial Police officer knocked on the very door of Nadine Ellis-Maffei's farmhouse last week to hand her a card and a pamphlet after seeing her post her post to the Freedom Convoy's Facebook group, video of the incident shows.

Ellis-Maffei said in the post that she was considering attending the proptest in Ottawa. She said she had not been part of any demonstrations at this point.

'Because of the protests happening province wide, yes we have been monitoring the protest. So there's a protest coming up, I'm simply providing information about a peaceful protest,' the officer said in the video taken last Thursday by Ellis-Maffei.

'I was flabbergasted,' the mother of three, who operates a farm in Ontario's Peterborough County, told the Toronto Sun. 'I still can't believe it.'

Ellis-Maffei compared the incident to the 'thought police and Big Brother' from the dystopian novel 1984.
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Russia is continuing to build its forces on the Ukrainian border, despite Vladimir Putin claiming he wants peace, Britain's defence intelligence chief has revealed.

Lieutenant General Sir Jim Hockenhull said there have been sightings of additional armoured vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital heading to the border zone.

His stark warning came after Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels said they had seen no evidence to support Russia's claims it had begun withdrawing troops to their bases.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence, Gen Hockenhull said: 'Contrary to their claims, Russia continues to build up military capabilities near Ukraine.

'This includes sightings of additional armoured vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital moving towards Ukraine's borders. Russia has the military mass in place to conduct an invasion of Ukraine.'

Earlier, alliance defence ministers said they remained 'gravely concerned' by the Russian military build-up and again urged the Kremlin to revert to the 'path of diplomacy' in line with its international commitments.

Secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Nato was considering establishing new battlegroups in central, eastern and south-eastern Europe to counter the threat from Moscow, which he described as 'the new normal'.

Russia has repeatedly denied that it has any intention of attacking Ukraine, despite massing an estimated 130,000 troops along the border with its southern neighbour.

Mr Stoltenberg said that while they welcomed signs Moscow was prepared to continue with diplomacy, Nato they had not seen any signs of de-escalation on the ground.

'What we see today is that Russia maintains a massive invasion force ready to attack, with high-end capabilities from Crimea to Belarus. This is the biggest concentration of forces in Europe since the Cold War,' he said.

'Moscow has made it clear that it is prepared to contest the fundamental principles that have underpinned our security for decades, and to do so by using force. I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe.'

Russian military trucks on the way to cross a bridge linking the Russia-controlled Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland

A Ukrainian frontier guard stands guard at Hoptivka (Goptovka) crossing on the Ukrainian-Russian in the Kharkiv region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (not shown) watches Ukrainian troops take part in a military drill outside the city of Rivne

Ukrainian border guards patrol a Ukraine - Russia border not far from Eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv amid growing tensions

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar (L) meets British Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace (R) as part of the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting in Brussels

The warning came after the Russian defence ministry issued video footage which it said showed armoured vehicles moving across a bridge away from Crimea, the peninsula Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

While Western allies have made clear they will not intervene militarily in Ukraine - which is not a Nato member - they are looking to shore up their defences elsewhere in eastern Europe.

Britain has already said it is doubling the number of troops in Estonia while sending 350 Royal Marine commandos to Poland.

Four additional RAF Typhoon jets are heading to Cyprus to join Nato patrols over eastern Europe while offshore patrol vessel HMS Trent will shortly be joined in the eastern Mediterranean by HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who has been attending the meeting in Brussels, said: 'Alongside our Nato allies, we are deploying troops and assets on land, sea and air to bolster European defences in response to the build-up of Russian military forces on the border of Ukraine.

'Nato and our allies have been clear that an invasion of Ukraine will be met with severe consequences. De-escalation and diplomacy remain the only path out of this situation.'

Boris Johnson discussed the crisis in a call with United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres, in which they agreed an invasion of Ukraine would have 'catastrophic and far-reaching consequences'.

'They agreed to continue working closely together to pursue an urgent diplomatic resolution and avert a disastrous military escalation and humanitarian crisis.' A No 10 spokesman said.

The Prime Minister has warned that Russia will face 'very tough' new sanctions if it invades Ukraine, but Moscow's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the UK would face reciprocal action if that happened.

'Sanctions could be imposed against any legal entities and individuals just for being Russian,' Mr Lavrov claimed about the UK plans at a press conference in Moscow.

Warning against a new round of 'sanction wars', he said: 'Both the Russian government and our parliament, they won't be idle when they see such things are happening in the West.'

In Ukraine, a 'day of national unity' was being marked on the day some analysts had predicted an invasion would take place.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address to the nation: 'We can defend our home only if we stay united.'

Although no invasion has been launched, the country was hit by a cyberattack which targeted its defence ministry and banks on Tuesday.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mocked the West over suggestions an invasion could take place on Wednesday.

She added: 'Even the withdrawal of a number of Russian units to their permanent duty stations after the end of the exercises was presented as a cunning manoeuvre designed to divert attention from the impending invasion.'

It comes as Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity today, even as the West warned it has seen no sign of a promised pullback of Russian troops from the country's borders.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, who declared the 'unity day' to coincide with the rumoured date of Putin's invasion, addressed the nation after the attack failed to materialise - telling his countrymen that 'we can defend our home only if we stay united.'

'We are united by a desire to happily live in peace,' he added, before flying via helicopter to a training range in Ukraine's west where live-fire tank and aircraft drills were underway.

Ukrainian fighter-bomb jets take part in training exercises Povursk airfield in the country's west as national 'unity day' protests take place in defiance of Russian threats

Hundreds of Ukrainians unfurled a 650ft flag at Kiev's Olympic Stadium as part of 'unity day' celebrations on Wednesday

Volodymyr Zelensky called for the celebrations to coincide with the rumoured date of a Russian attack, saying that Ukrainians are united by a desire to live in peace

Ukrainians wave flags in Maidan Square, where the revolution that ousted the country's last pro-Russian government was overthrown, setting it on a path to closer ties with the West

Ukrainians hold banners in Kiev's Maidan Square as they sing the national anthem during a day of unity, timed to coincide with a rumoured day of Russian invasion

 Slide me  A fake column of tanks is destroyed by Ukrainian jets during training exercises on Wednesday, amid the threat of invasion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky examines weapons as he attends tactical military exercises held by the country's armed forces at a training ground in Rivne, in the country's west

Ukrainian fighter planes take part in live-fire drills at the Povursk airfield in western Ukraine as they prepare for the possibility of an invasion by Russia

Concerns that Russian troops are not withdrawing from the borders of Ukraine as promised were met with a strong response from Britain, as Defence Minister Ben Wallace deployed hundreds more troops to Estonia to bolster NATO's defences

Four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 have arrived at RAF Akrotiri after transiting from the UK. UK's substantial contribution to NATO's uplift in Eastern Europe is strengthening the Alliance's Defences on land, sea and air, amid ongoing tensions with Russia

Across the country, people of all ages waved flags in the streets and from apartment windows as a two-fingered salute in the face of Putin's threat to attack with some 150,000 troops massed on the borders.

Hundreds unfolded a 650ft flag at Kyiv's Olimpiyskiy Stadium, while another was draped in a shopping centre in the capital. In the government-controlled part of Ukraine's eastern region of Luhansk, where a war with Russian-backed separatists has simmered since 2014, residents stretched another huge flag across a street.

As the celebrations took place, a fresh round of 'negotiating' got underway between East and West - with NATO warning Putin does not appear to be pulling troops back from the border as promised, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pledged to 'retaliate' to any new British sanctions on his country.

Concerns that Russian troops are not withdrawing from the borders of Ukraine as promised were met with a strong response from Britain, as Defence Minister Ben Wallace deployed hundreds more troops to Estonia to bolster NATO's defences while committing Typhoon fighter jets and Apache helicopters to strategic positions across Eastern Europe.

'Alongside our NATO allies, we are deploying troops and assets on land, sea and air to bolster European defences in response to the build-up of Russian military forces on the border of Ukraine,' Wallace said in a statement.

'NATO and our allies have been clear that an invasion of Ukraine will be met with severe consequences.'

It comes as Western defence ministers met in Brussels today to discuss plans to install four fresh battlegroups, each compose of 1,000 troops, along alliance's eastern front, firstly in Romania, in a move that directly contravenes Russia's security demand that the West reduces its military presence along its border.

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the proposal is being drawn up due to Russia's recent aggression near Ukraine and its 'lasting impact of the security situation in Europe'.

Mr Stoltenberg said earlier today videos of tanks being taken away from Crimea are merely routine troop movements instead of a promised drawn-down, and that Russia actually appears to be increasing its forces.

'If they really start to withdraw, that's something we will welcome. But that remains to be seen,' he added while sitting down for a NATO summit in Brussels on next moves. 'Just seeing the movement of battle tanks doesn't confirm a real withdrawal.'

Ben Wallace, UK defence secretary, sounded a similar note of caution as he arrived for the summit - saying that Russia's forces remain at a high level of readiness that can be maintained for 'weeks' as talks resume at the barrel of a gun.

'It's pretty clear that [Russia's] intentions towards Ukraine are to change their behaviour, and indeed change NATO's relationship with Ukraine, and they're doing so at the threat of invasion,' he added.

Mr Wallace's comments came as the UK's Ministry of Defence declared that Britain will send an additional 900 troops to Estonia to bolster NATO defences.

'The UK is doubling the number of personnel in Estonia and sending additional equipment, including tanks and armoured fighting vehicles. The troops and equipment will begin to move to Estonia today,' an MoD statement read.

'The Royal Welsh battlegroup, which includes armoured vehicles and personnel, will leave Sennelager in Germany and bases in the UK and begin to arrive in Estonia during the coming week. Apache helicopters will soon be making their way to conduct exercises with our Allies and partners in Eastern Europe.

'Four additional UK Typhoon jets have also landed in Cyprus and will shortly begin to patrol the skies with NATO Allies in Eastern Europe.

'HMS Trent  a UK Warship  has already begun conducting patrols in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea alongside NATO Allies from Canada, Italy, Spain and Turkey. HMS Diamond is preparing to set sail in the coming days for the Eastern Mediterranean and will join up with NATO allies.'

Meanwhile Lavrov, who has been leading negotiations with NATO and the US, said in Moscow today that 'hysteria' over an invasion is 'puzzling' to Russia while accusing the allies of trying to dictate where Putin can position troops on his own territory.

Underlining concerns about the Russian 'withdrawal', analysts from Conflict Intelligence Team - a respected group which tracks Russian military movements - said forces being withdrawn from Crimea will actually be moved closer to Ukraine.

Moscow says the units are being moved to their 'home bases', but the homes of at least three of the four units leaving Crimea are as close or closer than their current position relative to Ukraine.

Izvestia newspaper reported that units of the 3rd, 42nd and 150th Motorised Rifle Divisions are being sent back to their permanent bases.

Yet the 3rd is based at Valuyki and Boguchar, respectively 15 and 42 miles from the Ukrainian border in Belgorod and Voronezh regions respectively.

The 150th is based in Novocherkassk, Rostov region, some 31 miles from the border.

The troops will be as close - or closer - to the border at their permanent barracks.

Of the three named divisions being pulled out of Crimea, only the 42nd - in Chechnya - is a substantial distance from Ukraine, some 700 miles away.

It comes a day after Putin said he is willing to engage in negotiations with the West over security guarantees designed to ease sky-high tensions.

Both Mr Stoltenburg and Mr Wallace did welcome the change in tone from Moscow, while pointing out that the crisis is far from over.

'There's over 100 battalion tactical groups of the Russian ground forces, that's 60 per cent of the entire Russian land combat power on the borders of Ukraine,' Mr Wallace said.
More postmasters may die before getting justice because of delays in paying compensation, MPs warn today.

The Mail this week revealed that 33 victims of the Post Office IT scandal had already died without being paid  amid years of obfuscation, delays and court battles.

Today, MPs on the business, energy and industrial strategy committee condemn the slow progress in getting compensation to postmasters.

The Historical Shortfall Scheme (HSS)  the compensation scheme set up two years ago  has paid out to only about two fifths of its 2,300 applicants.

Between 2000 and 2015, more than 3,500 postmasters were wrongly accused of taking money from their own tills when dozens of glitches in the computer system, called Horizon, were to blame. Hundreds were convicted.

The full extent of the scandal was revealed only after 557 postmasters took the Post Office to the High Court in 2017, eventually winning a series of damning judgments.

But they were forced into a settlement, which  after huge legal fees  left them with just 20,000 each for their years of hurt. The Government has refused to hand over any more cash  and has barred them from the HSS.

More postmasters may die before getting justice because of delays in paying compensation, MPs warn today. The Mail this week revealed that 33 victims of the Post Office IT scandal had already died without being paid  amid years of obfuscation, delays and court battles. The inquiry into the sub-postmasters scandal is expected to last to the end of 2022

File photo dated 23/04/21 of former post office workers celebrating outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after their convictions were overturned by the Court of Appeal. Neil Hudgell, who represented 29 of the cleared subpostmasters, has told BBC Breakfast on Saturday they will seek compensation over the Horizon scandal

MPs on the business committee are disappointed by that decision and by how long the HSS is taking to pay.

Their report, published this morning, says: There is a danger that every delay will lead to many sub-postmasters continuing to suffer financially while more may sadly die before they receive justice.

MP Darren Jones, chairman of the committee, said families of postmasters who died without being refunded should be able to claim compensation. MPs said they were also deeply concerned that 576 postmasters with criminal convictions, out of a total of 706, are yet to come forward to have their names cleared by the courts. The committee has been told it was due to victims inherent mistrust of the Post Office.

The Government has earmarked 780million to pay victims who suffered wrongful convictions, but the final bill will be considerably lower if postmasters shun the process.

It is thought that the most severely affected victims have demanded several million in compensation. A long-awaited public inquiry into the scandal has been hearing from victims since it opened on Monday.

Yesterday, Gillian Howard, 62, who ran the New Mill Post Office in West Yorkshire, revealed she learnt she would be prosecuted over an unexplained 45,850 shortfall on the day of her daughters wedding. She described it as the worst day of my life.

She pleaded guilty in 2011 to fraud and received a six-month community sentence order and, unable to work, said she has lived in poverty as a recluse ever since. The Post Office has paid her 100,000 in interim compensation in advance of a larger final settlement.

Father-of-three Harjinder Butoy, 45, broke down into tears yesterday as he told how he was found guilty of taking 208,000 from his branch in Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire in 2008

Postmaster Harjinder Butoy, Balbinder Butoy (wife of Harjinder Butoy), Kesar Singh (father of Harjinder Butoy) speaking to media outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after his conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal (April 2021)

Father-of-three Harjinder Butoy, 45, broke down into tears yesterday as he told how he was found guilty of taking 208,000 from his branch in Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire in 2008.

He was jailed for 40 months, and lost six stone while in prison. His family lost their home and he was declared bankrupt by the courts for ten years. He never worked again.

He said: We all got destroyed. We all fell apart. The evidence has come out and its there. I want somebody to go to prison for whats happened.

Both had their convictions overturned last year.

The inquiry will hear from 50 postmasters over the coming weeks, before questioning former Post Office bosses and civil servants.
Russia could drag out the crisis over Ukraine for weeks - or even months - in an attempt to undermine Western unity, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned.

Ms Truss said it was essential not to be 'lulled into a false sense of security' by Moscow's claims it was beginning draw back its forces from the borders of its southern neighbour.

Her warning came after Britain's head of military intelligence said that contrary to the assertions of the Kremlin, Russia was actually continuing to move forces into the border zone.

Lieutenant General Sir Jim Hockenhull, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, said there have been sightings of additional armoured vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital in the area.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Ms Truss, who will this week visit Ukraine and Poland in a fresh show of support for allies, said there was no evidence Moscow was ready to pull back.

'We must not be lulled into a false sense of security by Russia claiming that some troops are returning to their barracks, while in fact the Russian military build-up shows no signs of slowing,' she said.

'We must have no illusions that Russia could drag this out much longer in a brazen ploy to spend weeks more - if not months - subverting Ukraine and challenging Western unity. This is a test of our mettle.'

Moscow has repeatedly denied that it has any intention of attacking Ukraine, despite massing an estimated 130,000 troops along the border.

Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy again dismissed the claims as 'fantasies' by Western politicians.

'This is a very ridiculous situation, there has been hysteria, even hype, fanned for several weeks by our Western colleagues,' he told ITV's Robert Peston.

'They convinced each other and the whole world that Russia was about to invade, they were even naming concrete dates. So it happened in their minds, in their heads.'

Russia could drag out the crisis over Ukraine for weeks - or even months - in an attempt to undermine Western unity, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned

Lieutenant General Sir Jim Hockenhull, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, said there have been sightings of additional armoured vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital constructed by Russia close to the Ukrainian border

Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy meanwhile dismissed the claims as 'fantasies' by Western politicians. 'This is a very ridiculous situation, there has been hysteria, even hype, fanned for several weeks by our Western colleagues,' he told ITV's Robert Peston

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro in Moscow, Russia February 16, 2022

Ms Truss went on to declare that 'Russia only respects strength' and that the 'free world' will not allow Moscow to intimidate Ukraine.

'Those in and around the Kremlin must be in no doubt that the free world will not look the other way while they mass more than 100,000 battle-ready troops along Ukraines borders,' she wrote.

'The fact is that Russia only respects strength, so we will maintain a strong response alongside our Nato allies, including the United States.

'We cannot allow this situation to become a running sore. That is why we are providing vital support to help our Ukrainian friends defend themselves.'

Her comments come as Defence Minister Ben Wallace revealed Britain is deploying hundreds more troops to Estonia to bolster NATO's defences close to Russia, while committing Typhoon fighter jets and Apache helicopters to strategic positions across Eastern Europe.

'Alongside our NATO allies, we are deploying troops and assets on land, sea and air to bolster European defences in response to the build-up of Russian military forces on the border of Ukraine,' Wallace said in a statement.

'NATO and our allies have been clear that an invasion of Ukraine will be met with severe consequences.'

It comes as Western defence ministers met in Brussels yesterday to discuss plans to install four fresh battlegroups, each compose of 1,000 troops, along alliance's eastern front, firstly in Romania, in a move that directly contravenes Russia's security demand that the West reduces its military presence along its border.

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the proposal is being drawn up due to Russia's recent aggression near Ukraine and its 'lasting impact of the security situation in Europe'.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin Wall in Moscow, Russia February 10, 2022

Concerns that Russian troops are not withdrawing from the borders of Ukraine as promised were met with a strong response from Britain, as Defence Minister Ben Wallace deployed hundreds more troops to Estonia to bolster NATO's defences (British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace attends the NATO Defence Ministers Meeting in Brussels, Belgium on February 16, 2022)

Four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 have arrived at RAF Akrotiri after transiting from the UK. UK's substantial contribution to NATO's uplift in Eastern Europe is strengthening the Alliance's Defences on land, sea and air, amid ongoing tensions with Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss meet in Moscow, Russia on February 10, 2022

Vladimir Putin has insisted that Russia is 'ready to go down the negotiations track' with the West - opening up the possibility of talks on arms control, military transparency and other measures aimed at reducing tensions

Footage released by Ukraine Armed Forces on Wednesday Feb 16, 2022 shows a code-named Blizzard 2022 command-staff military exercise in Rivne Region, Ukraine, near the border with Belarus amid fears of a possible Russian invasion

Ukraine's air force has been conducting military drills and missile test launches at the Povursk airfield in the Volyn region as part of the command and staff training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

In a statement issued late on Wednesday, Lieutenant General Hockenhull said: 'Contrary to their claims, Russia continues to build up military capabilities near Ukraine.

'This includes sightings of additional armoured vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital moving towards Ukraine's borders. Russia has the military mass in place to conduct an invasion of Ukraine.'

It comes as Western officials reported concerns that Russia's war games close to the Ukrainian border could rumble on for months.

The US ambassador to Ukraine, Kristina Kvien, last night said she was 'very concerned' the Kremlin could launch an attack 'within the next week'.

But after yesterday's predicted date for an invasion passed, Moscow was accused of creating a 'new normal', with military force being used to bully and intimidate  keeping up the pressure on Ukraine and keeping the West on high alert.

Intelligence officials said they were prepared for the long haul and fear there will be no let-up in Russia's war games, cyber-attacks and disinformation for many months.

They said President Vladimir Putin's 150,000-strong invasion force is to stay camped around its neighbour and may even launch ballistic missiles as part of its menacing military drills.

Moscow's claimed withdrawal came to a halt when this Lada ran into an armoured convoy on Crimea's Putin Bridge

Intelligence officials said President Vladimir Putin's 150,000-strong invasion force is to stay camped around its neighbour and may even launch ballistic missiles as part of its menacing military drills

Ukraine forces engaged in military training drills near the border with Belarus

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said yesterday that, despite Kremlin claims of a second day of troop withdrawals, Britain was actually seeing Putin's forces move to 'attack areas'.

At a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels  including Mr Wallace  Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia's use of military force to contest sovereignty was 'the new normal'.

He said: 'There are signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue, but so far we do not see any sign of de-escalation on the ground.'

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one security source said: 'President Putin's military is his most powerful tool but not his only one, cyber, disinformation and rhetoric are others, there's a constant drum beat.

'Russian military exercises will continue for many weeks and I expect things to remain really confusing and ambiguous. Russia is also likely to fire ballistic missiles eastwards from its bases in Belarus as part of these exercises.'

Ukraine yesterday reacted to the latest configuration of Russian forces by moving troops closer to the border.

Another official said: 'Ukrainian troops are up for the fight. We are in this for several months.'

The intelligence picture remains that Ukraine is effectively encircled, with Russian troops in Moldova, Belarus and Russia itself posing an immediate threat, while naval vessels in the Black Sea threaten southern cities such as Odessa.

Russian state news agency Tass confirmed there would be no withdrawal from Russia's border with Ukraine for 'three to four weeks'.

Officials said they were prepared for the long haul and fear there will be no let-up in Russia's war games, cyber-attacks and disinformation for many months

US President Joe Biden speaks in the White House about Russian military activity near Ukraine

However, troops may leave Belarus before then. Bilateral exercises are due to end there on Monday.

Yesterday, Moscow mocked the West's attempts to anticipate its actions, with a Kremlin spokesman inviting more predictions so she could arrange her holidays around them.

British troops landed in Estonia last night to shore up the country's defences over fears Putin could target the Baltic States.

The UK is doubling its personnel numbers and sending tanks and armoured fighting vehicles from the Royal Welsh battlegroup.

The Ministry of Defence declined to say how many UK soldiers are now in Estonia but it is thought to be in the high hundreds.

An MoD statement published yesterday evening read: 'The UK is doubling the number of personnel in Estonia and sending additional equipment, including tanks and armoured fighting vehicles. The troops and equipment will begin to move to Estonia today.

'The Royal Welsh battlegroup, which includes armoured vehicles and personnel, will leave Sennelager in Germany and bases in the UK and begin to arrive in Estonia during the coming week. Apache helicopters will soon be making their way to conduct exercises with our Allies and partners in Eastern Europe.

'Four additional UK Typhoon jets have also landed in Cyprus and will shortly begin to patrol the skies with NATO Allies in Eastern Europe.

'HMS Trent  a UK Warship  has already begun conducting patrols in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea alongside NATO Allies from Canada, Italy, Spain and Turkey. HMS Diamond is preparing to set sail in the coming days for the Eastern Mediterranean and will join up with NATO allies.'
A manhunt is underway for two men after a young woman was followed and grabbed from behind in Melbourne's north on Australia Day.

The 19-year-old woman was waiting for a bus in Craigieburn about 8.20pm on January 26 when she saw the men waving and smiling in a passing car.

The car, described as a black Chrysler 300C model, did multiple laps up and down the street before the passenger got out and stood near the women at the bus stop.

A manhunt is underway for two men after a young woman was followed and grabbed from behind in Melbourne's north on Australia Day

The men noticed the teen waiting at a bus stop and the passenger got out and stood near her

She got on the bus and the passenger returned to the car, which then followed the bus.

When she got off the bus at Mickleham, the woman noticed the car and ran but it pulled up near her.

The passenger grabbed her from behind but she was able to break free and ran to a nearby house, where a resident helped her raise the alarm.

The young woman was not injured.

Detectives on Thursday released security footage and computer-generated images of the two men, with the driver described as having a beard and wearing a red snap-back cap and the passenger in his mid-30s, about 172cm tall with a muscular build and black beard.

The car, described as a black Chrysler 300C model, followed the bus after she boarded
Jetstar has cancelled flights out of Perth until at least April due to ongoing uncertainty over the state's hard border closure.

In a statement, Qantas Group confirmed up to 15 flights a week will continue to land in Perth from interstate, carrying essential personnel and freight.

Flight prices through rival airlines from Perth to other Australian capitals have also increased.

Premier Mark McGowan has hinted that an announcement regarding the status of the border is 'likely' this month after a review of the current policy.

Budget airline Jetstar has cancelled flights out of Perth until at least April due to ongoing uncertainty over the state's hard border

The Premier is also adamant the hard border remains in WA's best interests.

'Dropping the border at this point in time will just mean we infect hundreds or thousands of new cases into Western Australia, whilst our third dose vaccination rate is not high enough,' he said.

In January, Mr McGowan cancelled the planned February 5 date to re-open the state amid fears the Omicron strain of Covid would rip through Western Australia.

The state recorded 115 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday - WA's highest daily total since the pandemic began in 2020.

Earlier this week, Qantas announced it would continue to route its London flights through Darwin rather than Perth, Nine News reports.

Premier Mark McGowan has hinted that an announcement regarding the status of the border is 'likely' this month after a review of the current policy

'The Perth to London service was scheduled to revert to operating via Perth in April, but with the West Australian Government yet to confirm a reopening date for the state, Qantas will continue to operate the route via Darwin until at least June 2022,' Qantas said in a statement.

The airline's Sydney-to-London flights will also stop over in Darwin, as opposed to the usual location Singapore.
Chris Carbert, 44, is one of four facing charges of conspiring to murder a police officer

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is claiming that the Freedom Convoy protests are being guided by extremists, as the final crackdown looms on demonstrators remaining in Ottawa.

Trudeau's Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino blamed extremist groups for helping organize the protests, and repeated allegations that some involved wanted to overthrow the Liberal government.

Police in the province of Alberta this week arrested 13 people near a border blockade at the town of Coutts and seized guns.

Four of the suspects have been charged with conspiring to murder Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers -- though the mayor of Coutts claims the suspects are all 'outsiders' who were not part of the border blockade.

Mendicino claimed that several of the individuals at Coutts have strong ties to a far-right extreme organization with leaders who are in Ottawa.

'What we're beginning to see emerge now are the hallmarks of a sophisticated and capable organization of a small number of individuals, but with a steel resolve, driven by an extreme ideology that would seek to create to overthrow the existing government,' he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked the little-used Emergencies Act, giving the Liberal government extraordinary powers to end the protest.

Candice Bergen, interim leader of the official opposition Conservatives, said invoking the act was akin to using a 'hammer on Canadians' and called it unnecessary.

On Wednesday afternoon, police in the Canadian capital Ottawa began warning truck drivers blockading the downtown core that they should depart or face arrest, part of a promised crackdown to end a three-week-old protest over COVID restrictions.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked the little-used Emergencies Act, giving the Liberal government extraordinary powers to end the protest

Mounties in Alberta seized this cache of weapons on Monday morning, but the mayor of the village where they were discovered claims the weapons weren't part of the Freedom Convoy protest

Meanwhile, four suspects face charges of allegedly plotting to murder police officers in connection with a trove of firearms that were seized at the Freedom Convoy border blockade in Coutts, Alberta.

Chris Carbert, 44; Christopher Lysak, 48; Anthony Olienick, 39; and Jerry Morin, 40, were arrested on Monday and charged with possession of weapons for a dangerous purpose, mischief, and conspiracy to commit murder.

The allegations are in connection with the trove of weapons seized in a police raid on raid on two camper trailers and a mobile home on 1st Avenue North in Coutts -- a property near the border crossing but not part of the actual blockade.

The mayor of Coutts told DailyMail.com that those arrested were not members of the Freedom Convoy, despite them being initially tied to the ongoing anti-vaccine protests.

'The people who were actually involved in the arrests were not part of the blockade group,' Mayor Jim Willett said. 'They were outsiders.'

The mayor described the individuals as outside agitators who came to town after the protest began.

'As time went on, the protest began to attract people from the outside,' he said. 'They were starting to attract the undesirable element. The people who were actually involved in the arrests were not part of the blockade group. They were outsiders.'

Police themselves say that the individuals charged were a 'small organized group within the larger Coutts protest' and a 'small segment of the protest' with a 'militant mindset'.

Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators leave in a truck convoy after blocking the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta on Tuesday

One of the four charged with plotting to kill Mounties in Alberta, Lysak, has ties to a right-wing Canadian movement dubbed 'Diagolon' and faces an additional charge of uttering threats.

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network dubs Diagolon 'a network of far-right accelerationist survivalists' and says that Lysak was once called the 'head of security for Diagolon'.

Diagolon founder Jeremy MacKenzie, who podcasts under the moniker 'Raging Dissident', issued a video statement in response to images showing the symbol of his movement on body armor seized in the Coutts raid, in which 13 long guns and multiple handguns were recovered by Mounties.

'I have no idea where those came from, who those belong to, who put them there, who brought them there -- did the police put them there?' said MacKenzie of the Diagolon symbol, a diagonal white band on a black field.

MacKenzie claims his movement was conceived as a joke while 'pretty stoned on edible marijuana' and that the name and symbol represent a diagonal swathe from Alaska to Florida, across Canada and the US, of states and provinces that oppose mandates and other pandemic restrictions.

Symbols of the 'Diagolon' movement were found on the body armor seized in Coutts on Monday. The movement's founder claims the police might have planted his flag on the seized material to incriminate his cause

Facing lesser charges in connection with the Coutts raid are: Luke Berk, 62; Joanne Person, 62; Johnson Law, 39; Jaclyne Martin, 39; Evan Colenutt, 23; Ursula Allred, 22; Justin Martin, 22; Eastin Stewart Oler, 22; and Janx Zaremba, 18.

They are charged with mischief and unlawful weapons offences in relation to the blockade, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

'Monday's weapons seizure and subsequent arrests speak to the serious criminal activities taking place during this protest and illegal blockade,' said RCMP Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablock in a statement.

'The dangerous, criminal activity occurring away from the TV cameras and social media posts was real and organized, and it could have been deadly for citizens, protesters and officers,' he added.

Johnson Law, 39, was among those arrested on lesser charges of mischief and unlawful weapons offences in relation to the blockade in Coutts, Alberta

Police vehicles look out over a an empty highway after anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators left following their blockade of the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta, Tuesday

Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators leave in a truck convoy after blocking the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta, Tuesday

Meanwhile, following the resignation of Ottawa's police chief, Trudeau's government is considering imposing 'no-go' zones in the nation's capital using special powers under the Emergencies Act.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said at a news conference that the action could include declaring 'certain zones that are adjacent to critical infrastructure like borders, like our national symbols including legislatures, like war monuments  as a no-go zone,'

The Freedom Convoy, a trucker-led movement calling on the government to lift vaccine mandates, is largely based in Ottawa, where parts of the country's capital city have been occupied by protestors since late January.

The convoy also blocked US border crossings, including a key trade route into Detroit that was cleared by police last weekend.

Now, the only remaining blockade is in Emerson, Manitoba, but the RCMP says that blockade is expected to end peacefully on Wednesday.

In a written statement Tuesday, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson and Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen thanked law enforcement in the province for 'respectfully de-escalating this situation without the use of force.'

They also called on the federal government in Ottawa to work toward lifting border restrictions, including the vaccine mandate for truckers that inspired the protests across Canada.
The great white shark that fatally mauled a swimmer may have been lured toward the shore by bait from nearby fishing, an expert has claimed - as a leading fisherman says the location 'screams (of) shark attacks'.

New footage shows the moment the shark circled the victim at Buchan Point, near Little Bay in Sydney's south east, at about 4.30pm on Wednesday, in the city's first fatal attack in almost six decades.

Eyewitnesses filmed the traumatising incident but were powerless to help with the victim, who police believe to be a 35-year-old man from Wolli Creek. He was swimming some 10m away from the rock shelf they were standing on.

Still, they were attacked on social media for watching on and filming the victim's last moments.

'This guy just continues to record and the other man looks like hes still fishing,' one person wrote on Facebook, with several others describing it as 'disturbing'.

Professional fisherman Joe Smythe told Daily Mail Australia Buchan Point is an ideal spot.

'That location screams shark attacks, there's a fish holding structure with the rocks and reef dropping off into deep water - and sharks patrol that territory.'

Shocked fishermen (pictured) who witnessed a shark fatally mauling a swimmer have been callously trolled online over their reaction to the tragedy. Above, the sark

Another fisherman said he warned swimmers to be wary of entering the water on Wednesday - just hours before the attack.

'I told the swimmers yesterday morning the water is 25C and that brings the big schools of fish and what eats those? Big sharks,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Meanwhile, police have spoken to the next of kin of the man believed to be the victim, but were still chasing DNA results to confirm his identity.

Local MP Michael Daley told ABC News Breakfast the victim isn't believed to be a local, but regularly swam at the bay, which is popular with locals but little known by those outside the area.

Drum lines were deployed and an intensive drone and sea search were launched for the killer shark, which disappeared into the sea within minutes of the attack.

It comes as:

A shark expert described the attack as 'particularly nasty' and of a kind only seen 10 to 12 times in the past 30 years

Police announced beaches along Sydney's eastern and southern coastlines are shut for 24 hours, including: Bronte, Tamarama, Bondi, Coogee, Clovelly, Sth Maroubra, Little Bay, Malabar/Long Bay, La Perouse, Wanda, Elouera, Nth Cronulla and Cronulla

A man was escorted from the water at Little Bay by police after he was seen swimming on Thursday morning

Surf lifesavers confirmed the shark disappeared despite surf life savers managing to scramble a helicopter within minutes of Wednesday's brutal attack. 'They didn't identify or detect any shark in that area,' said NSW Surf Life Saving CEO Steven Pearce

NSW Surf Life Saving CEO Steven Pierce revealed tagged bull sharks are known to live not far from the scene of the attack

Eyewitnesses report how the incident unfolded

Some of the callous online commentary about the witnesses included: 'Did anyone else notice the guy fishing that didnt even take his line in or anything? Just kept fishing.'

Another said: 'The video is disturbing, the fact someone was swimming while someone else is fishing on shore? This whole thing is disturbing.'

Another person said they were shocked the witnesses were able to 'just sit there and describe the attack.

The footage shows the predator thrashing around in the ocean and dragging its victim underwater as the sea turned red with blood, while stunned fisherman watched on in horror.

Two police officers search the water's edge at Buchan Point near Little Bay Beach in Sydney on Thursday

In the clip, the man recording the video can be heard yelling: 'Someone just got eaten by a shark.

'Big great white. That's insane.'

The predator's fin can be seen swerving through the waves as the water turns red and seagulls circle above.

A stunned fisherman standing on the rocks, just metres from the shark, clasps his head with his hand as he turns towards the man filming.

In another video posted online, fisherman can be heard screaming as the terrifying incident unfolds in front of them.

Surf rescue workers searched Little Bay Beach in Sydney's east for the shark that killed a swimmer as dawn broke on Thursday morning

Authorities have deployed drones to search the coastline for the shark responsible for the attack

'Someone just got eaten by a shark. Oh man! Oh no! That's insane. That's a great white shark,' one fisherman yells.

'The person's still there!

'I just saw a four to five metre great white explode on the surface just here on a swimmer and it was like a car landing in the water.

'F*** man, I heard a scream and the shark was just chomping on his body and the body was in half just off the rocks here.

'It came back and swallowed parts of his body and that was it. It disappeared.'

Other frantic onlookers on the rocks can be heard swearing and screaming in horror.

One of the fisherman at the scene said there was nothing they could do to save the man, as it became immediately apparent his injuries were fatal.

'Out of no where, we heard "ahhh", and then there was a big shark in the air - totally airborne - and it hit the guy very, very quick,' he told reporters.

'We couldn't do anything about it.'

The death at Buchan Point, a popular spot for rock fishing and spearfishing between Little Bay and Malabar beaches, is Sydney's first shark attack fatality since 1963.

Emergency services rushed out to the scene in boats, helicopters, and jet skis, but the swimmer suffered 'catastrophic' injuries and could not be saved

Beaches from for 24 hours in the wake of the attack. Pictured: Fishermen at Little Bay

Emergency services workers and lifeguards rushed out to the scene in rescue helicopters, boats, and jet skis, in a frantic search to find the swimmer and the predator.

SYDNEY BEACHES CLOSED ON THURSDAY Bronte, Tamarama, Bondi, Coogee, Clovelly, South Maroubra, Little Bay, Malabar/Long Bay, La Perouse, Wanda, Elouera, North Cronulla and Cronulla. Advertisement

'They're supposed to be saving people's lives not pulling body parts from the water but they're on duty, they're always there to keep us safe, we are very grateful,' he said.

Lifeguards stepped up patrols on Thursday and police were also seen searching the shore near the scene of the attack and will continue doing so throughout the day.

The tragedy has rocked the local community, with NSW Police at 10am announcing all 13 beaches from Bondi to Cronulla will be closed for 24 hours.

They include Bronte, Tamarama, Bondi, Coogee, Clovelly, South Maroubra, Little Bay, Malabar/Long Bay, La Perouse, Wanda, Elouera, North Cronulla and Cronulla.

The 2022 Murray Rose Malabar Magic Ocean Swim, a charity event for children with disabilities, has announced it may not proceed as planned on Sunday.

'The Murray Rose Malabar Magic Ocean Swim Organising Committee is aware of and saddened by the shark attack at Little Bay which is located to the south of Malabar Beach,' they said in a statement on Thursday.

'Our thoughts and prayers go to the family of the deceased. At this stage we are monitoring the situation in relation to our scheduled Ocean Swim on Sunday 20 February 2022.

'The safety of the swimmers is our paramount concern. If the swim is postponed an alternate date of 6 March 2022 has been set.'

A NSW Fisheries Patrol boat was out as dawn broke on Thursday morning to search the water for the predator

Authorities on jet skis at Little Bay on Thursday as the search for the killer great white shark continues

A brave man entered the water at Little Bay on Thursday morning to go for a swim but was forced to get out of the water

NSW Surf Life Saving CEO Steven Pierce said the Department of Planning and Environment was setting up drum lines in an effort to keep the killer shark and any others away from the beach.

He said tagged bull sharks were known to the area, but that surf lifesavers have yet to find the predator despite getting a helicopter into the air and jet skis into the water in minutes.

Bondi Rescue Lifeguards shared this photo of one of their staff putting up shark warning signs early on Thursday morning

'We need to ensure the beaches are cleared of danger to our best ability, so we'll keep surveilling that area today, leading into the weekend we'll have a high presence of water assets and will ensure the lifesaver helicopter will fly around the coast to have that extra presence,' Mr Pierce told the Daily Telegraph.

The rescue chief said even a shark net would not have prevented the swimmer's death, given the predator was so intent on attacking him.

'I don't think any form of shark netting would have prevented this attack, if a large shark is in the vicinity to attack someone,' he said.

'Nine out of 10 times when we do patrols we see sharks, and theyre often just swimming by... tragically this shark was intent on causing harm.'

Daily Mail Australia saw curious locals try to walk down to the beach early on Thursday morning but access to the shore was forbidden.

Parents with children and locals walking their dogs stood in shock as they looked out at the rocks where the man's life was brutally taken.

One brave swimmer entered the water but was quickly approached by police on jet skis and ordered to get out.

Randwick City Council Mayor Dylan Parker said the news was shocking.

'I learnt the news after coming out of the ocean myself at a different beach - swimming in the ocean is our pastime out here and to hear somebody die like this is just absolutely horrifying,' he said.

'An attack like this in recent memory is unprecedented.'

Mayor Parker added that it was likely some swimmers would be reluctant to get back in the water.

'As a passionate swimmer myself, it's definitely given me pause but it's something we will work through. It's very rare but there's always a risk, generally our coastline is safe however unfortunately tragedies do occur,' he said.

Police officers and surf life saving workers are pictured near the scene at Little Bay Beach on Thursday morning

NSW Police officers on the scene at Little Bay Beach on Thursday morning. Beaches across Sydney's east are closed after a swimmer was killed by a shark on Wednesday afternoon

Buoys have been set up in the water around the scene of the fatal shark attack on Thursday

Agriculture Minister Dugald Sanders said while shark management in Australia was a 'grey area', drum lines are a proven solution.

'I should point out this morning the fisheries guys have already been out to the location of the gutwrenching attack to put smart drum lines in,' he told 2GB's Ben Fordham.

'Smart drum lines have proven to be really successful and also tagging sharks to know exactly where they are and using our smart shark app, along with monitoring with drones.'

Mr Daley said he was 'horrified and shocked' upon hearing the news.

'I was deeply concerned for the family and sad for what happened. I'm really disappointed that a fatal attack as rare as it's been has come to pass, it really spoils the coastline in a way,' he said.

'I think a lot of people will think twice before going in the water or won't at all. For this to happen is shocking, sad and disappointing.

'There's a range of attitudes to things like this, there's some that pass it off and swim fearlessly and there are others that wont go in the water because they're scared. This will make everyone sit up and think about it, but hopefully it wont scare people away.'

But for Little Bay local Frances Ruisan, a shark attack won't be stopping his daily swims.

The first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 occurred at Buchan Point in Sydney's east

'I've lived here for 40 years, it definitely won't deter me,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

He explained that the bay where swimmers commonly go is protected by rocks.

'I would go for a swim this afternoon. I'm not too worried because it's protected,' he added.

At the time of the attack, Little Bay beach was packed with dozens of swimmers, paddle boarders and rock fishermen at the time of the attack.

They were alerted of the danger by the swimmer's ear-piercing screams but could do nothing but watch on in shock as the monster shark ripped him into two and 'swallow parts of his body'.

'Footage clearly shows a body, half a body being taken by a shark,' a police officer told colleagues over a scanner when human remains were found an hour later.

The swimmer's injuries were so catastrophic there was nothing paramedics could have done to save him, even if they got to him sooner.

Back on shore, dozens of fishermen and beachgoers were still reeling in shock as the desperate hunt for the predator continued.

Emergency services (pictured at the scene) launched a desperate search for the swimmer and found human remains an hour later

The search for the great white shark will continue on Thursday, prompting the closure of at least 11 beaches

Swimmers were ordered out of the water after the fatal shark attack at Little Bay Beach (scene pictured) on Wednesday afternoon, a popular spot for family swims

'Some guy was swimming and a shark came and attacked him vertically,' fisherman Kris Linto told Nine News.

'We heard a yell and turned around it looked like a car had landed in the water, a big splash then the shark was chomping at the body and there was blood everywhere.

'It was really bad.'

Another shaken witness recalled how the attack lasted just seconds.

'He was yelling at first, and then when he went down there were so many splashes,' he told the ABC.

'The shark wouldn't stop.

'It's very, very upsetting. He just went down for a swim, enjoying the day, but that shark took his life.'

The scenes were just as confronting for those involved in the frantic search for the swimmer, including jet skiers (pictured)

Four ambulance road crews and a rescue helicopter with a critical care doctor and a critical care paramedic on board attended the scene in the hope of saving his life.

'Unfortunately this person had suffered catastrophic injuries and there wasn't a lot paramedics could do when we arrived,' NSW Ambulance Inspector Lucky Phrachanh said.

Police spent several hours at the scene interviewing shocked witnesses and later removed an SUV from the carpark at nearby Malabar Beach.

Many Sydneysiders had hoped to spend Thursday in the ocean with temperatures to reach a balmy 31C.

Signage and barricades have been installed warning swimmers to stay out of the water.

Shocked witnesses (pictured speaking to police) heard the swimmer's screams in the water

Little Bay Beach is regarded as one of Sydney's undiscovered jewels and a 'secret' beach popular with locals.

'The coast is our community's backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families,' Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said.

'To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock.

'Our entire community's hearts go out to the family of the victim.'

Many locals have vowed to avoid the water for a while in the wake of the tragedy.

A local woman who regularly goes swimming around the area said the attack 'made her think twice'.

'So many locals go out swimming here, every day, and I've never seen a shark,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's terrifying'.

Fatal shark attacks in Australia since 2020 January 5, 2020: Diver Gary Johnson, 57, was killed by a great white shark while diving with his wife near Esperance in WA April 6, 2020: Wildlife ranger Zachary Robba, 23, was mauled to death by a shark while swimming off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland June 7, 2020: Surfer Rob Pedretti, 60, was killed by a great white shark while he was boarding at Salt Beach near Kingscliff in far northern NSW July 4 2020: Spearfisher Matthew Tratt, 36, was mauled to death by a suspected great white shark in a 'provoked' attack on Fraser Island in Queensland July 11, 2020: Surfer Mani Hart-Deville, 15, was boarding when he was killed by a suspected great white shark at Wooli Beach, near Grafton on the NSW North Coast September 8, 2020: Surfer Nick Slater, 46, was mauled to death by a suspected great white at Greenmount Beach on the Gold Coast October 9, 2020: Father-of-two Andrew Sharpe was killed by a shark while surfing at Kelp Beds in Wylie Bay, near Esperance on WA's south coast November 22, 2020: Cable Beach, WA: Charles Cernobori, 59, who worked at a Cable Beach hotel was killed by a 4m suspected tiger shark while bodyboarding 2km north of the main tourist section November 6, 2021: Paul Millachip, 57, was believed to have been taken by a shark while swimming at a beach in North Fremantle in Perth - with the attack witnessed by multiple people January 17, 2022: A swimmer is killed off Little Bay in Sydney's east, believed to have been attacked by a four-metre-long great white Advertisement

The latest tragedy comes after the death of a father and son rock fishing at the same site two weeks ago.

Peter and his son Mahan, 10, were fishing on a rock face at Little Bay on the last day of the school holidays on January 31 when they were dragged into the water by a freak wave.

'My husband and my son were just a few steps in front of me and now they are gone forever,' Peter's heartbroken wife told the Daily Telegraph.

'I wish it was me instead of my little boy.

'I don't have the will to live.'

It's the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 when actress Marcia Hathaway, 32, was mauled by while on a boating trip in Sugarloaf Bay in Middle Harbour.

The attack unfolded around 10m from shore at Buchan Point (pictured), a popular spot for rock fishermen

Police (pictured) spent several hours at the scene on Wednesday night examining the scene and interviewing witnesses

She was attacked by a bull shark in just 30 inches (76cm) of water as her fiance and friends watched on in horror.

'I heard Marcia scream 'oh dear', and then she was dragged into deep water,' her fiance Frederick Knight said at the time.

'I started to run to her and saw the fin of a shark.

'It seemed to have grabbed her on the calf of her right leg.

'When I reached Marcia, it struck again and seized her on the thigh.

'I started to kick the shark and beat it with my fists, most of the struggle is a blank but I remember at one time the shark was between my legs and I seemed to be straddling it.'

The critically injured actress was stretchered in an ambulance, which then broke down while navigating the steep track from the harbour.

She had stopped breathing by the time a second ambulance arrived.

Sydney's last shark attack claimed the life of television and radio actress Marcia Hathaway (pictured) in 1963 in Middle Harbour

Jet skis were also used in the frantic search for swimmer before human remains were found

Police will liaise with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the swimmer.

'DPI extends sincere condolences to the family and friends and first responders at this tragic time', a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'DPI will continue to work with NSW Police and SLS NSW to monitor the area and provide any technical advice and resources if required, including deploying SMART drumlines in the area.'

The department has also advised a bull shark was detected 15km further north near Bondi an hour after the attack. It has not been confirmed the shark is linked to the attack.

A SharkSmart app provided by the New South Wales government alerts swimmers and surfers in real time when a shark is detected nearby.

Paramedics say there was nothing they could do as the swimmer suffered catastrophic injuries
Artist Marc Quinn has destroyed some of his artwork he made of his ex-girlfriend and former muse Jenny Bastet thought to have been worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Quinn, 58, has for the past five years been embroiled in a bitter row with Bastet, 32, who has accused him of exploiting her body for his art.



Dancer Bastet said Quinns lawyers Harbottle & Lewis have confirmed that he has demolished a painting of her eyeball and all casts of her head, except one which she is to be given.

Bastet says it is a very small victory. He has made it clear via his lawyers that he will never show my naked bronze sculptures or destroy them, she adds.

Artist Marc Quinn has destroyed some of his artwork he made of his ex-girlfriend and muse Jenny Bastet (pictured together in February 2016) thought to have been worth hundreds of thousands of pounds

Bastet claimed that he used the sculptures without her consent.

He does not see the sculptures as my body. He sees them as his works of art. It is his way of tormenting me, to hold power over me, she tells me. She says she feels sick to the stomach that she doesnt know how many naked sculptures of her body exist.

Bastet and Quinn, who once made a bronze statue of model Kate Moss in a compromising yoga position, split acrimoniously in 2017, according to friends.

Earlier that year, Quinn, one of the trailblazing members of the Young British Artists movement, had put on a London exhibition, Untrimmed, which was inspired by Bastets body.

Bastet and Quinn, (pictured together in October 2015) who once made a bronze statue of model Kate Moss in a compromising yoga position, split acrimoniously in 2017, according to friends

Bastet says she is unable to afford to take Quinn to court, but she plans to write a memoir about her ordeal.

In 2020, Quinn drew attention for creating a statue of a protester to replace the one of slave trader Edward Colston which was toppled during Black Lives Matter protests in Bristol.

Both Quinn and his lawyers did not respond when asked for comment.
A customer orders beverages and food on Starbucks Korea's mobile application in Seoul on Dec. 10, 2020. Korea Times file



By Kim Jae-heun



Starbucks Korea will strengthen its collaboration with e-commerce affiliates such as SSG.com and Gmarket Global to expand its online sales by utilizing live commerce, the largest coffee chain operating here said Monday. E-mart, the country's largest discount store chain operator, has a 67.5 percent stake in Starbucks Korea and also controls SSG.com and Gmarket Global.



Starbucks Korea has been seeking to diversify its online business with its popular special gifts and e-coupons for caffeine beverages.



In December, it held a live commerce show on Naver selling special Christmas tumblers, mugs, pouches and kettles. Live commerce is a new marketing strategy where a company sells products through a livestream on a digital platform, often in collaboration with social media influencers.



However, Starbucks Korea said it has no plans to open the live video shopping service on its own platform.



Membership on Starbucks' mobile application here in Korea has grown to some 8 million and the coffee house also recruited an expert on digital platforms recently, indicating to the market that the chain will start selling via a live commerce service on its online platform.



Starbucks Korea estimates there are 6 million monthly active users on its mobile application in the country now. Customers can deposit money on the platform and order their beverages in advance before picking them up at a store.



They can also collect stamps to trade for special gifts offered every summer and winter for a number of drinks they purchase. The so-called "silent order," which was first started in Korea and has since spread throughout the country, will now be exported around the world.



Despite the huge potential for success with its mobile application, Starbucks Korea is still cautious to run online marketing independently.



"We don't have plan for hosting live commerce shows on Starbucks Korea's mobile application yet. But we are looking into various ways to work with Shinsegae online," a Starbucks Korea official said.


A former minister who played a key role in Australia's controversial asylum seeker 'pushback' policy has been hired to shake up Britain's border measures.

Priti Patel will announce today that Alexander Downer, ex-minister for foreign affairs Down Under, will carry out a thorough review of the UK Border Force.

His remit will include looking at the influence of unions over the agency's effectiveness.

It comes after the union that represents the majority of Border Force staff joined forces with a migrant charity to launch a legal challenge against Miss Patel's plans to turn Channel boats back to France.

Priti Patel (pictured) will announce today that Alexander Downer, ex-minister for foreign affairs Down Under, will carry out a thorough review of the UK Border Force

It is understood that Mr Downer will cover all of Border Force's work  including immigration checks at ports and airports, counter-smuggling operations as well as dealing with asylum claims.

His report will be due within months, and is expected to influence ministers' decisions on the next stages of immigration reform. It opens the possibility of a complete overhaul of Border Force.

Proposals could include a merger with a separate Home Office agency  Immigration Enforcement  which deals with foreign criminals, visa-breakers and organised crime gangs.

The Home Secretary's appointment of Mr Downer will be controversial because he has been a leading advocate of Australia's long-standing policy of blocking asylum seekers' boats off its coastline.

Introduced in 2001, it sees boats from Indonesia and other Pacific islands stopped at sea, refuelled and redirected away from Australian shores.

Last September Mr Downer, writing in the Daily Mail, said: 'Priti Patel has been widely ridiculed on both sides of the Channel for suggesting that boats carrying migrants be physically 'pushed back' towards the French coast.

Mr Downer (pictured), who played a key role in Australia's controversial asylum seeker 'pushback' policy, will look at the influence of unions over the agency's effectiveness

'Yet, from my experience as Australia's former minister for foreign affairs, I know that a 'pushback' policy can work.'

He set out how Australia took 'direct action' during its own migrant crisis, intercepting vessels and deploying naval forces to turn them away.

'As word spread around Indonesia that we were determined to stamp out the trafficking, it soon stemmed the numbers,' he wrote.

'I see no reason why this cannot be done in the Channel.

'My advice to Miss Patel would be to introduce the 'pushback' policy without fanfare, and to keep the French informed on a need-to-know basis only.'

Australia has conducted its turn-back policy for most of the last two decades.

Initially called the Pacific Solution, it was dropped by the country's Labour government in 2008 but later re-introduced after a series of migrant boat disasters.

Since 2013 it has been codenamed Operation Sovereign Borders.

His report will be due within months and is expected to influence ministers' decisions on immigration reform. Pictured: Migrants land in RNLI lifeboat in Dungeness, Kent, last year

Mr Downer, 70, was the Liberal Party's minister for foreign affairs  Australia's equivalent of the Foreign Secretary  under Australian prime minister John Howard from 1996 to 2007.

He was also Australia's High Commissioner to the UK from 2014 to 2018.

Concern over trade union opposition to Miss Patel's immigration plans came to a head last month when the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) joined forces with migrant charity Care4Calais to launch a judicial review of her Channel pushback proposals.

The PCS described the powers, which are currently going through Parliament, as 'morally reprehensible'.

Its general secretary Mark Serwotka said at the time that his organisation 'strongly opposes this policy, on moral and humanitarian grounds, and we will not rule out industrial action to prevent it being carried out'.

The legal challenge is yet to be heard. Last year more than 28,300 migrants reached Britain from northern France  triple the total in 2020.
A father was allegedly caught riding an unregistered trail-bike with his son on the front after drinking six beers.

The man, 29, was pulled over by police on Dick Johnson Drive, Oran Park, Sydney at 6.45pm on Saturday.

He was not wearing a helmet and his 18-month-old son was wearing only a bicycle helmet at the time.

The man appeared intoxicated and allegedly told police he had consumed six cans of beer in the hour and a half before he decided to ride.

The man (pictured) was not wearing a helmet and his son (pictured) was wearing only a bicycle helmet

He was taken to Narellan police station where his breath test returned a reading of 0.117.

NSW police called it a 'ludicrous decision' for the man to ride around intoxicated with his child on a Facebook post.

'The man was charged with a number of offences including unlicensed driving and driving with the middle range concentration of alcohol.' NSW Police Force wrote.

A commenter on the post wrote: 'Oh poor kid. Innocent life in danger.'

'Could have ended up a lot worse for old mate if he had an accident with the kid on board...' another wrote.

The man is due to appear in Picton Court on the March 2 and police have notified Family and Community services of the incident.
Australia's top domestic spy chief has warned 'incels' and radicalised teenagers as young as 13 are among the country's biggest security threats.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general Mike Burgess said 'it was not helpful' that national security issues were being politicised.

But he also revealed lesser-known security threats the agency is closely monitoring alongside far-right and Islamic terrorism and foreign spies.

Incel is short for involuntary celibate, an online subculture of men who express rage at women for denying them sex.

Originally formed in a Reddit group, incels frequently fantasise about violence and have been known to celebrate mass shootings.

'They are misogynists who believe women are the root of all of their problems and they've killed people overseas,' Mr Burgess told the 7.30 report on Wednesday night.

'We have people with those beliefs here in this country.'

ASIO chief Mike Burgess appeared on ABC's 7.30 and said incels and radicalised youth were among the security threats his organisation was dealing with in Australia

Mr Burgess also nominated the growing radicalisation of impressionable young people as 'most concerning'.

'We've seen an increase in the number of minors being radicalised. The age of them is decreasing. One of our youngest subjects is 13,' he said.

'It happens online and it happens actually in the real world, including in the schoolyard.

'We see minors who are actually attempting to recruit and radicalise other minors, using techniques similar to that you'd expect paedophiles to use - flattery, friendship, bringing them in, actually showing them material that gradually increases in terms of how horrific it is.

'And then turning it through intimidation, threats of isolation and bullying them to actually get them into their ideology.'

Mr Burgess said more than half of the security organisation's case load involved minors, who were being recruited both to far-right and radicalised religious causes.

'We've seen an increase in the number of minors being radicalised. One of our youngest subjects is 13. It happens online and it happens actually in the real world, including in the schoolyard,' Mr Burgess said

Lawful protest and dissent, such as that seen in anti-vaccine mandate protests in Canberra in recent weeks, were not of interest to ASIO, Mr Burgess said

Mr Burgess said the usual threats were still present and within the past two years, ASIO uncovered a 'nest of spies' in Australia and quietly removed it.

'They were looking to monitor a diaspora community and looking to steal defence technologies, they were looking to get access to police records, to follow up on people,' he said.

'They were trying to get access to security protocols at a major international airport.'

Mr Burgess agreed that the Covid-19 pandemic increased the threat from radicalised segments of society and 'anti-democratic behaviour'.

He said ASIO was not concerned with 'lawful' protest and dissent as seen at the recent 'Convoy to Canberra' anti-vaccine mandate protests.

'We predicted there would be a rise of anti-government, anti-democratic behaviour but it's not just Covid that's done that,' he said.

'There's a disturbing rise, including nationalism and racism and violent extremism, which are the grievances we see here.

'We predicted there would be a rise of anti-government, anti-democratic behaviour but it's not just Covid that's done that,' Mr Burgess told 7.30

'There are a small number of individuals that do act, think and plan, and will go to violence.

'The most likely terrorist attack in Australia continues to be the actions of an individual or a group of individuals that motivate to violence with little or no warning.'

But Mr Burgess said espionage and foreign interference had supplanted terrorism as his organisation's chief concern.

The spy chief said he was concerned national security was being politicised.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Peter Dutton suggested in Parliament on Wednesday claimed the Labor Opposition was sympathetic to China.

They also claimed Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was the superpower's preferred candidate as prime minister.

Mr Morrison then labelled Deputy Opposition Leader Richard Marles a 'Manchurian candidate' during question time, a comment he later withdrew.

The reference is to a 1959 book in which a politician is used as a puppet by an enemy power.

'I'll leave the politics to the politicians but I'm very clear with everyone that I need to be, that that's not helpful for us,' Mr Burgess said of the comments.
Campaigners last night demanded Prince Andrew talk to the FBI over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

One lawyer representing Epstein victims accused the duke of hypocrisy for pledging to help sex abuse victims but refusing to cooperate with authorities investigating the sordid web spun by his late paedophile friend.

Gloria Allred said that duke's promise to tackle the 'evils of sex trafficking' as part of his settlement with Virginia Roberts, who brought the lawsuit under her married name Virginia Giuffre, should start by consenting to be interviewed by federal agents.

It came as it was claimed last night that the Duke of York can no longer repeat his denial he raped Miss Roberts due to the terms of their out-of-court settlement.

It was claimed a gagging clause means neither side can discuss the case or the estimated 12million financial deal  although it is alleged the terms bought Miss Roberts' silence only for a specific time period.

Lawyer Gloria Allred said Prince Andrew's promise to tackle the 'evils of sex trafficking' as part of his settlement with Virginia Roberts (both pictured) should start by consenting to be interviewed by the FBI

It prevents the duke from even repeating his claim that he had no recollection of meeting Miss Roberts, it is said.

Of the duke's pledge to support sex abuse victims, Miss Allred said his words were 'meaningless' and a 'face saving public relations gesture' unless he followed through.

Andrew is still said to be a 'person of interest' to the FBI, which last addressed the matter in August 2021 in a Reuters news agency report.

But despite promising to cooperate with law enforcement in his interview with BBC's Newsnight in 2019, the duke has so far stonewalled American investigators.

They are thought to still be looking into others in Epstein's world after the conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell, another of Andrew's friends, in December for recruiting and trafficking underage girls to be abused.

In Tuesday's statement with Miss Roberts, Andrew said he 'pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking and by supporting its victims'.

Miss Allred said: 'It is long overdue for him to agree to answer their questions about what he knows and observed about Jeffrey Epstein and underage girls.

'For him to suggest that he will become an advocate against sex trafficking of underage girls while at the same time declining to provide law enforcement in the United States with answers to their questions about this issue is meaningless and hypocritical.

Andrew (pictured) is still said to be a 'person of interest' to the FBI, which last addressed the matter in August 2021 in a Reuters news agency report

'It is simply a face saving public relations gesture. He should announce he will immediately reach out to federal prosecutors and arrange a time and place to answer all of their questions. His silence is deafening.'

Lisa Bloom, a lawyer who represents eight Epstein victims, said: 'If he is going to live up to his promise to support victims, his first call should be to the FBI. Will he do it? Obviously not.'

Robert Marsh, a lawyer who represents victim Sarah Ransome, said: 'I would hope he would [co-operate] but the statement put out doesn't have any suggestion he will. All it seems to say is he will give money to a victim group.'

Andrew's refusal to cooperate with the FBI led to a spat with Geoffrey Berman, the former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who was overseeing the Epstein inquiry.

In June 2020, Mr Berman accused the duke of 'falsely portraying himself' as willing to be interviewed. Mr Berman also claimed that Andrew 'shut the door' on cooperating with them.

In the summer of 2020, it emerged US authorities had sent the British government a formal request asking for access to the prince as part of the Epstein inquiry.

However, now nearly two years on, it is still on a shelf in the Home Office, it is understood.

After the conviction of Maxwell, Mr Berman's successor Damian Williams said: 'This office will always stand with victims, will always follow the facts wherever they lead, and will always fight to ensure that no one, no matter how powerful and well connected, is above the law.'

The Southern District of New York declined to comment and the FBI did not respond yesterday.

A spokesman for the duke also declined to comment.
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The Queen personally made a 2million payment to Virginia Roberts' charity as part of Prince Andrew's 12m settlement, according to reports - as calls grow for a full disclosure about where the money to pay off his accuser has been found.

Royal aides had earlier refused to say whether the settlement will be partly funded by the monarch, but she is understood to have agreed to help the Duke of York, providing she was not linked to any personal payment to Miss Roberts.

A source told the Mirror: 'She could not be seen to be making a payment to a victim of sexual assault, who accused her son of being an abuser. But a deal was structured in such a way to arrange a sizeable financial contribution to the settlement by way of a charitable donation instead.'

Furthermore, despite growing pressure for him to be stripped of his titles, Andrew is expected to be allowed to remain as Queen's Counsellor of State and keep his dukedom and service rank of Vice-Admiral.

It came amid claims Andrew was offered a 'bridging loan' by Prince Charles and the Queen so his US lawyers could do a quick deal with Ms Roberts, now known by her married name Giuffre. The Duke of York's mother and older brother reportedly met last week before Charles wrote to his younger sibling urging him to 'see sense' and 'shut it down'.

An insider told The Sun: 'Charles wrote to Andrew asking for him to 'see sense'. Charles and the Queen prepared a bridging loan so that Andrew's lawyers could confidently make the offer. This means it goes away before the deposition date on March 10 and crucially before the service of Thanksgiving for the Duke of Edinburgh, which Andrew will attend as a family member.'

It comes as politicians and campaigners have insisted on 'full transparency' over whether public money will be involved in the settlement.

Miss Roberts  who brought the lawsuit under her married name Giuffre  has alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York agreed to an out-of-court settlement with Miss Roberts, now 38, on Tuesday, weeks after he had vowed to contest her rape claims at a public trial. In the settlement, there was no admission of liability by Andrew, who has always denied the specific allegations.

Demands for Buckingham Palace to reveal how Prince Andrew (L) will pay for his 12million sexual abuse lawsuit intensified last night after royal aides refused to say whether it will be partly funded by the Queen (R)

Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts, aged 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell at Ghislaine Maxwell's townhouse in London, Britain on March 13, 2001

Despite growing pressure for him to be stripped of his titles, Andrew is expected to be allowed to remain as Queen's Counsellor of State and keep his dukedom and service rank of Vice-Admiral

The Queen personally made a 2million to Virginia Roberts' charity as part of Prince Andrew's 12m settlement, according to reports

Details of the deal were not made public but it is thought he has agreed to pay up to 12million, including a 'substantial donation' to Miss Roberts's charity in support of victims' rights.

Last night questions remained about how Andrew would fund the settlement. Proceeds from the sale of his 18million Verbier ski chalet had been earmarked as the most likely source but the deal has yet to go through.

Buckingham Palace refused to deny reports that the Queen would help fund the payout through her private Duchy of Lancaster Estate, which generated 23million last year.

The Royal Family also receives part of its wealth from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant, which is given as a single payment every year by the Government. But that money is given to the Queen to cover the cost of the family's official duties and would not be used for personal needs.

Former minister Norman Baker last night called on the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee  which has previously looked into the Royal Family's income  to investigate the matter.

'If any public money is involved we have a right to know,' said the ex-Liberal Democrat MP. 'I don't think the public wants to see public money used to support the Duke of York.'

Ian Murray, Labour's Scotland spokesman, called for 'transparency about where the money's coming from'. He told BBC News: 'Prince Andrew has always maintained his innocence but will now not face a court of law to be able to determine whether that was true or not.' He added the case had left a 'nasty stain' on Prince Andrew and the Royal Family and 'full transparency in terms of the settlement may go a very, very small way in trying to resolve some of the damage they've created'.

Labour's spokesman for domestic violence and safeguarding Jess Phillips said 'it is perfectly reasonable for the public to be told if their money has played a part in this settlement'. She added: 'It would show a change of behaviour from the prince if he entered this phase with total openness and honesty.'

Prince Andrew has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, who said she was sexually trafficked to the British royal by the financier Jeffrey Epstein when she was 17. The deal described in a court filing Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in New York avoids a trial that would have brought further embarrassment to the monarchy

Harriet Wistrich, of the Centre for Women's Justice, said the settlement showed even the most powerful men were not immune from being held to account.

She said: 'We congratulate Virginia Giuffre for her courage in bringing this claim and sticking with it despite the attacks on her character and credibility.

'It is, however, important that any funds that go towards the settlement come from Prince Andrew's personal wealth and are not indirectly paid for by the public.'

Dr Charlotte Proudman, a Cambridge University academic and barrister who specialises in cases of violence against women, said: 'Not a penny of public money should be spent on this settlement, which is effectively buying a victim's silence and buying Andrew's way out of a civil trial.'

Brad Edwards, Miss Roberts's former lawyer, said: 'This settlement is a testament to the resolve and credibility of Virginia Giuffre.'

Buckingham Palace and a spokesman for Prince Andrew declined to comment.

Meanwhile, Emily Maitlis claimed tonight that Andrew's statement within his out-of-court settlement appears to contradict the answers he gave in his now-infamous Newsnight interview.

The BBC broadcaster sat down with the Duke of York in Buckingham Palace in 2019 to discuss Miss Giuffre's claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The prince strongly denied the claims throughout the interview, and continues to even after the agreement which was sensationally struck on Tuesday.

The discussion, in which Andrew made a series of claims - including insisting he couldn't have been with Miss Giuffre at the time because he was dining at Pizza Express in Woking, and that a medical condition left him unable to sweat - has since gained notoriety and is widely acknowledged to have embarrassed the royals.

Now Ms Maitlis has revealed her own thoughts following Tuesday's settlement, in which the Duke is set to pay a figure believed to be around 12m.

Emily Maitlis claimed tonight that Prince Andrew's statement within his out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre does not deal with the answers he gave in his now-infamous Newsnight interview

The BBC broadcaster sat down with the Duke of York in Buckingham Palace in 2019 to discuss Miss Giuffre's claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew, allegations he continues to deny

Full statement from both parties in Andrew's case Here is the full text of the statement regarding the out of court settlement reached between the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre. The statement was included in a letter submitted to US judge Lewis A Kaplan: 'Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. 'Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. 'Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.' Advertisement

Writing for the BBC, she said: 'At the heart of the settlement is the biggest question of all: why is a Prince who told me he had 'no recollection of ever meeting this lady' now paying her what we understand to be upwards of 10m?

'I distinctly remember putting Virginia Giuffre's accusations to him directly: 'She says she met you in 2001, she dined with you, danced with you, you bought her drinks in Tramp nightclub and she went on to have sex with you in a house in Belgravia.'

'And I have the Prince's reply in front of me now. Three words only: 'It didn't happen.'

'There are only three possible explanations then for the settlement: either he was lying in that response - and remembered her well; or he genuinely had no recollection - and was adamant they hadn't met - only for his memory subsequently to be jogged; or that he maintains his innocence, but feels the weight of legal and public opinion against him now make settling the easier option, albeit without accepting any liability.'

Ms Maitlis went on to clarify that it was not her place to declare which was true, but pointed to the careful wording of the settlement statement, which she said 'put distance between an acknowledgement of Giuffre's pain - and any responsibility he may or may not have had for it'.

She also admitted she was 'journalistically disappointed' that the case, and the full story, will not be played out in court.

'There would have been huge satisfaction in the sense of an ending - any ending - that saw the prince make his legal defence so comprehensively,' she wrote.

It comes as calls intensified today for the financial arrangements of Andrew's settlement to be revealed as Buckingham Palace again refused to say whether it could be partially funded by the Queen.

His mother is expected to foot some of the bill in a bid to draw a line under it before her much-anticipated Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer.

But there is anger at how the Queen, 95, has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid demands for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Andrew has been dogged by questions over the source of his wealth for years, and is believed to have relied on handouts from the Queen, personal investments and bequests from relatives such as the Queen Mother.

Prince Andrew waves goodbye to a woman he let out the door at Jeffrey Epstein's New York home in 2010

The Duke of York pictured leaving the famous Chinawhite nightclub in London at around 2am in July 2000

Did emails about Ghislaine picture sink Andrew's case? By Daniel Bates in New York for the Daily Mail Before he settled out of court last night, Prince Andrew was set to be dealt a major blow in his US sex case thanks to Ghislaine Maxwell. A leaked email from the prince's friend and now convicted sex trafficker appeared to confirm the authenticity of an infamous picture of the duke standing with his arm around his accuser, Virginia Roberts. The photograph, said to be taken in Maxwell's London townhouse in 2001, had been questioned by Andrew and just this week his legal team had demanded Miss Roberts turn over the original. The duke's legal team had claimed it might be a fake, but an email obtained by the Daily Mail shows that even Maxwell, who appears in the background of the photo, believes it to be real. In the message, sent in 2015, Maxwell says: 'It looks real. I think it is.' On a dramatic day of developments yesterday, it was claimed that Miss Roberts had lost the original copy of the image. But that was disputed by her legal team, who said the hard copy was with the FBI and that Miss Roberts misplaced a CD containing a copy of the image. The photo was set to be a key piece of evidence in her claims for battery and infliction of emotional distress against Andrew, 61, which he had denied. The duke's lawyers had lined up an image expert to cast doubt on the veracity of the photo. If Miss Roberts had not produced the original, Andrew's team could have argued copies could not be admitted as evidence as they could not be properly tested. Not being able to rely on the photograph as proof they met would have put a sizeable dint in his accuser's case. But in an email exchange seen by the Mail, the picture was discussed by Maxwell and Epstein's former lawyer, Alan Dershowitz. On January 10, 2015, Mr Dershowitz wrote: 'Dear G. Do you know whether the photo of Andrew and virginia is real? You are in the background.' Eleven minutes later, Maxwell replied: 'It looks real. I think it is.' The timing of the exchange is significant because days earlier Miss Roberts claimed for the first time in court papers that she had been forced to have sex with both Andrew and Mr Dershowitz. The allegation was struck out by a judge who branded it 'impertinent'. But it caused panic for Andrew and in emails previously reported by the BBC, he contacted Maxwell at 5.50am on January 3, 2015. The duke wrote: 'Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts.' Maxwell replied: 'Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.' Mr Dershowitz has vehemently denied having sex with Miss Roberts. Last year she dropped a battery allegation she filed against him after he claimed a civil settlement she signed with Epstein in 2009 gave him immunity. Miss Roberts is currently suing Mr Dershowitz for defamation, a case he is fighting. His lawyers did not respond to requests asking for comment. Advertisement

Graham Smith, from anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, insisted taxpayers 'deserve to know where the money is coming from for a settlement, which we must assume is in the millions, if not tens of millions'.

But the Queen's Communications Secretary, Donal McCabe, told MailOnline today: 'We have never commented on the financial arrangements of The Duke's legal matters and will not be going forward.'

But there is anger at how the Queen has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke of York, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid calls for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Sources also pointed out while there will now be a 'period of silence' during the Jubilee celebrations when both parties will have to stick to the terms of yesterday's carefully-worded statement, Mrs Giuffre would then not be stopped from writing a lucrative book telling her story which could hit the shelves in time for Christmas.

Prince Charles was said to have been supported by the Queen in making it clear to Andrew that he had no choice but to settle with Mrs Giuffre, with one source telling MailOnline that Charles had 'had enough of the situation' and 'would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible'.

A senior Royal Household member told the Standard that Charles and the Queen 'could not countenance another disastrous appearance by the Duke of York, in light of his BBC interview', adding: 'Decisive action was needed. There was little choice. He had to see sense.'

While Andrew is thought to be holed up at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor today, on the other side of the world a box of beers and a bouquet of flowers were being delivered to Mrs Giuffre and her husband Robert's home in Perth, Australia.

And her father Sky Roberts told the Sun: 'I knew he would settle out of court. That was a complete bluff. I think Virginia will be happy.'

Meanwhile, despite the settlement, it is feared the scandal could still overshadow poignant Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the UK in the coming months.

Also today, the Metropolitan Police said they have no plans to reopen their own probe into Andrew despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence after the deal.

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off and said 'I can't have this hanging over me for the rest of the year  I don't want you to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I'm the only royal who's lasted 70 years on the throne, and you've got to sort it out'.'

She added: 'I admire the Queen hugely as everybody does, and I don't want it to spoil anything for her, but I still think this is hanging over the country and the Royal Family and is going to go right through to the end of the year and maybe into next year, and there's no real way of cutting it off.

'Obviously that (a ban on Mrs Giuffre saying anything) was something that they could have put in the agreement and they haven't, and so it implies that there's a lot she (Mrs Giuffre) wants to say that Andrew will not want to hear.'

The settlement, which was agreed between lawyers in a sensational development yesterday, comes just weeks after Andrew vowed to contest the rape claims by Mrs Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, at a public trial.

Mrs Giuffre had alleged she was forced to have sex with the Duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew for unspecified damages in a New York civil court.

But despite vowing to fight the claims and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the Prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.

Nearly two-thirds of Britons believe Prince Andrew should lose his Duke of York title after settling US sex assault lawsuit, YouGov poll reveals as Palace says it has NO plans to strip him of it

Nearly two-thirds of Britons believe Prince Andrew should lose his Duke of York title after settling US sex assault lawsuit, a YouGov poll reveals.

The survey, of 2,658 adults in Great Britain today, found some 62 per cent felt he should lose the title, despite Buckingham Palace saying earlier it has no plans to strip him of it.

The poll also revealed 82 per cent of the public thought Andrew should continue to lay low and not return to royal duties any time soon.

A number of locals in the city of York told MailOnline their views today, with an overwhelming majority feeling he should lose the title.

Bernard Oglesbee, 74, said: 'He should be stripped off his title definitely. He must be be guilty, or why pay all that money out?'

Wife Val, also 74, stormed: 'He should be stripped of everything. I have never liked him. I always thought he was a waste of space.'

James Green, 65, said: 'He absolutely should be stripped of all his titles including Duke of York. I don't think there is any doubt he is guilty. He has put his foot in it good and proper and he only has himself to blame.'

Annie Wells, 85, who is disabled, said: 'It is a good job he is the Queen's son. He would be locked up if he was anyone else. The only good thing I can say about him is he did serve with honours in the Falklands. But if ever shows his face in York I will beat him with my stick.'

Josh Savage, 36, said: 'Nothing has been totally proved yet, one way or another, and he is the Queen's son. But I think he might lose the title anyway.'

York florist Richard Bothamley added: 'I think he will lose the title. It has obviously done him a lot of harm. The whole thing is fiasco. I am quite a patriotic person. So I am pleased for the queen the court case has been resolved.

'But I don't think he should keep the title. Who would want him? It is not just this woman it was the circle of people he was mixing with. He has done some wonderful work. But you can't tell me he did not know what was going on.'

It comes as a palace source today told MailOnline the situation regarding his remaining titles 'remained unchanged'.

They also include that of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy and the role of Counsellor of State Today, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said any decisions on his military honorific 'rests obviously with the Palace'.

Earlier today, Cllr Darryl Smalley, Liberal Democrat executive member of City of York Council, joined Labour MP Rachael Maskell in demanding Andrew abandon his local links.

Fresh scrutiny has been placed on Prince Andrew's remaining military title - that of Vice Admiral in recognition of his service in the Navy

Mr Wallace was asked today if the Duke of York should be allowed to represent the military.

He told Sky News: 'Well I don't think he represents any of them at the moment,

'I think the Palace took a decision that those titles were to be removed from him, so I think he is effectively acting now as a private citizen in so far as both addressing the challenges and the allegations.

'There's been a, obviously, a payment and I think that is where he currently remains, that the decision on titles rests obviously with the Palace in the future, but I think it's been pretty clear that this settlement is a recognition that he wants to bring this to a close and also recognise as his statement says the suffering and the challenges that the victims have been through as a result of their allegations and their stand against the exploitation by [Jeffrey] Epstein.'

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, has called on Andrew to withdraw his Duke of York title to 'show respect' for its people.

Cllr Darryl Smalley, Liberal Democrat executive member for culture, leisure & communities at City of York Council, agreed.

He told York Mix: 'Having been stripped of his military roles and royal patronages by the Queen, this should be the end of his direct link with our great city.

'York's unique connection to the Crown and the monarch is an important part of our city's legacy, history and a great source of pride.'

Today, Ben Wallace said any decisions on titles 'rests obviously with the Palace in the future'

Meanwhile, Ms Maskell welcomed the Duke of York's pledge to donate money to Mrs Giuffre's charity which supports victims' rights, but said his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein had caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to York residents.

The MP's calls comes after Prince Andrew today settled the sexual abuse lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre after he agreed an undisclosed deal said to be worth 12million with his accuser without admitting her accusations.

Prince Andrew at York Racecourse to open the new weighing room in May 2015

The monarch is expected to foot part of the bill for her son's settlement in a bid to draw a line under it before her much-anticipated Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer.

But there is anger at how the Queen, 95, has effectively been forced to bail out the 'disgraced' Duke of York, 61, whose modest pension from his time in the Royal Navy is now his only visible income - amid calls for the public to be told who is financing the deal.

Sources also pointed out that while there will now be a 'period of silence' during the Jubilee celebrations when both parties will have to stick to the terms of yesterday's carefully-worded statement, Mrs Giuffre would then not be stopped from writing a lucrative book telling her story which could hit the shelves in time for Christmas.

Prince Charles was said to have been supported by the Queen in making it clear to Andrew that he had no choice but to settle with Mrs Giuffre, with one source telling MailOnline that Charles had 'had enough of the situation' and 'would have said to Andrew that he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible'.

Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central, said the royal's relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein had caused 'deep hurt and embarrassment' to York residents

A senior Royal Household member told the Standard that Charles and the Queen 'could not countenance another disastrous appearance by the Duke of York, in light of his BBC interview', adding: 'Decisive action was needed. There was little choice. He had to see sense.'

While Andrew is thought to be holed up at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor today, on the other side of the world a box of beers and a bouquet of flowers were being delivered to Mrs Giuffre and her husband Robert's home in Perth, Australia.

And her father Sky Roberts told the Sun: 'I knew he would settle out of court. That was a complete bluff. I think Virginia will be happy.'

Meanwhile, despite the settlement, it is feared that the scandal could still overshadow poignant Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the UK in the coming months. Also today, the Metropolitan Police said they have no plans to reopen their own probe into Andrew despite calls for officers to re-examine evidence after the deal.

Royal author Angela Levin told Sky News today: 'I think that the Queen would have given him a big telling off and said 'I can't have this hanging over me for the rest of the year  I don't want you to spoil my Platinum Jubilee. I'm the only royal who's lasted 70 years on the throne, and you've got to sort it out'.'

She added: 'I admire the Queen hugely as everybody does, and I don't want it to spoil anything for her, but I still think this is hanging over the country and the Royal Family and is going to go right through to the end of the year and maybe into next year, and there's no real way of cutting it off.

'Obviously that (a ban on Mrs Giuffre saying anything) was something that they could have put in the agreement and they haven't, and so it implies that there's a lot she (Mrs Giuffre) wants to say that Andrew will not want to hear.'

The settlement, which was agreed between lawyers in a sensational development yesterday, comes just weeks after Andrew vowed to contest the rape claims by Mrs Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, at a public trial.

Mrs Giuffre had alleged she was forced to have sex with the duke three times when she was 17 under the orders of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Only last month, she was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew for unspecified damages in a New York civil court. But despite vowing to fight the claims and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince yesterday agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reaches a jury.
Prince Andrew will effectively disappear from public life after a memorial service for his father next month, say sources.

The Queens second son is expected to attend the Westminster Abbey service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip, but it is understood he will have no role in the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Prince Charles is believed to have insisted that Andrew withdraw completely from public life, with no return to his patronages or role as a senior member of The Firm.

While he will see the Queen and other royals at private occasions, a Palace aide said Andrew would no longer attend formal events, nor would he be pictured on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for official events, and is unlikely to attend society occasions such as Royal Ascot.

Prince Andrew will effectively disappear from public life after a memorial service for his father next month, say sources. The Queens second son is expected to attend the Westminster Abbey service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip, but it is understood he will have no role in the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations

While he will see the Queen and other royals at private occasions, a Palace aide said Andrew would no longer attend formal events, nor would he be pictured on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for official events, and is unlikely to attend society occasions such as Royal Ascot

He is said to be determined to attend his fathers memorial service on March 29, despite fears that his presence could dominate coverage of the event.

Representatives from charities and organisations which Philip supported are likely to attend, include members of the Grenadier Guards, as he was their Colonel for more than 40 years.

Andrew took over the role in 2017, but it was one of the military titles he was forced to give up earlier this year.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward said: People will understand that he would want to join the family at his fathers memorial.

'But after that he will certainly have to lay low and just disappear for at least a year or two.

'He cannot live the life he once did, as a member of the Royal Family, because he would face questions and even ridicule.

He could live quietly, possibly at one of the Queens houses in Scotland, but he cannot be allowed to give interviews or even write an autobiography.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward said: People will understand that he would want to join the family at his fathers memorial. But after that he will certainly have to lay low and just disappear for at least a year or two. He cannot live the life he once did, as a member of the Royal Family, because he would face questions and even ridicule'

It has been suggested that Andrew could aim for a Profumo-style rehabilitation, gaining public forgiveness by devoting himself to quiet good works like the Tory Minister shamed in a 1960s sex scandal.

But royal biographer Angela Levin said many charities would not welcome any association.

She told GB News: I think it will be very hard for him to find something to do.

'Even if he wanted to work for a charity, I dont think anyone would want him on their headed notepaper.
Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth has claimed the omicron variant of Covid is 'clearly not' more dangerous than the flu.

Dr Coatsworth said people without pre-existing medical conditions had little to fear from the milder strain once vaccinated and most wouldn't need booster shots.

The Canberra infectious disease physician earlier told Daily Mail Australia the time had come to stop wearing masks and predicted the pandemic would end in 2022.

Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth has claimed the omicron variant of Covid is 'clearly bot' more dangerous than the flu

'No, it's not. It's clearly not,' he told Sky News when asked if Omicron was more dangerous than seasonal flu.

Dr Coatsworth claimed Covid booster shots were only necessary for vulnerable or elderly Australians and those with chronic illnesses.

'Young, fit, healthy adults and kids, their risk was so low anyway that if you take it from 0.007 to 0.001 per cent  I'm using those numbers to demonstrate the effect, I'd have to get the actual numbers for you,' he said.

'So, for the booster perspective, from the disease perspective, this is an illness that will very rarely cause harm to young, fit, healthy adults and kids,' he said.

This is despite the waning of Delta and Omicron waves in Europe and Israel being correlated with the rollout of booster shots.

Booster shots are mandated for workers in 'high risk' areas such as hospitals, aged care, schools and prisons, in most states across Australia.

Dr Nick Coatsworth has also called to end mask wearing as the nation enters its second year living with the virus (pictured, shoppers wear masks in line with Brisbane reintroduced Covid restrictions in September)

The federal government updated its vaccine policy last week on the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.

Australians will no longer be classed as 'up to date' on their Covid vaccinations if they have not had a booster six months after their second dose.

Dr Coatsworth has also called to end mask wearing as the nation enters its second year living with the virus.

The top doctor has been highly critical of mask mandates in schools (Pictured, masked students are seen walking to class at Toorak College in Melbourne)

Dr Coatsworth said during the uncertainty of 2020 - when there was more severe strains of the virus and no vaccine - measures had been implemented had 'minimal benefit' in curtailing new infections

'I think the tide has turned on masks. People recognise they had a place at a time of uncertainty, but are appropriately reassessing their value especially in schools,' he tweeted on Tuesday.

The top doctor has been outspoken about Australia's route out of the pandemic believing community-wide restrictions weren't fair on the rest of the community, who were already protected by a robust health care system alongside mass vaccination.

Dr Coatsworth said during the uncertainty of 2020 - when there was more severe strains of the virus and no vaccine - measures had been implemented that had 'minimal benefit' in curtailing new infections.

'When you drop restrictions the first ones you drop are the ones without any evidence-based, and there's no evidence-based for masks in schools,' he told 2GB radio on Wednesday.

'We have to be honest with the Australian community about that, if we're not, when we need to dial-up the level of restrictions in the future - which I think is unlikely - you'll start losing people.'

He recommended the 'low value interventions' be ditched first with masks in schools the first to be scrapped.
Flat owners hit by the cladding crisis have welcomed the announcement that the money they pay towards repairs will be capped.

However, while the relief at the 15,000 cap for those living in London - and 10,000 for those living outside of the capital - is palpable, the announcement doesn't come without regrets from those affected.

One flat owner, Rachel Loftus, summed up the thoughts of many cladding-hit leaseholders when she said: 'It is only a measure of how apocalyptic these years have felt that facing 'only' 10,000 or 15,000 feels like a relief.'

The Leeds homeowner continued: 'We'll never get back the time, the trust, the sleepless nights, the hard choices we've faced. Many of us won't be the same again And yethope?'

The Government has announced new measures to help cladding-hit leaseholders

Ms Loftus lives in a seven-storey block in central Leeds, where leaseholders have been faced with costs of more than 100,000 each for cladding-related issues.

They have already paid 15,000 each for a waking watch, a fire alarm and insurance.

When asked about whether she expected to not have to pay anything more following the cap announcement by the Government, she told MailOnline Property: 'That's our working assumption.

'But our lived experience has been that no announcement so far has actually protected us from the costs we've faced, or got the work started to make the building safe. So we are very anxious to see the details.'

Ms Loftus is one of many flat owners across Britain who have have received bills running into hundreds of thousands of pounds to fix unsafe cladding and other fire safety defeats.

And they have been unable to sell their homes as lenders refuse to lend on the properties until the work is carried out.

Pictured: Rachel Loftus lives in a seven-storey block in central Leeds and has already paid 15,000 towards the cost of a waking watch, a fire alarm and insurance

Campaigner Liam Spender also welcomed the Government's announcement but is concerned about whether it will work in practice.

The Government has now made it clear that developers and manufacturers are expected to pay first. Freeholders are expected to pay second, subject to an affordability test to be set out in the future.

And leaseholders are only expected to pay a capped amount towards non-cladding costs only. This contribution can only be collected where the landlord is not - and has never been a company associated with the original developer.

The aim is that any contributions from leaseholders become the last resort.

Mr Spender explained: 'For the past several years, leaseholders have been the first resort as a result of the way that lease terms have been drafted.'

He went on to say that the Government's change in stance announced this week addresses the conflict of interest inherent in the leasehold system.

'At present, landlords can spend leaseholders' money without any effective control,' he said.

Campaigner Liam Spender has welcomed the Government's announcement

'The fact that freeholders are on the hook to pay concentrates their minds on the question of cost-benefit analysis. Are the works that they have deemed necessary when they did not have to pay still necessary when they do have to pay?'

The amendments are to the Building Safety Bill which is currently being scrutinised by the House of Lords. It is expected to become law later this Spring.

No-one living in a building more than 11 metres tall - or with five storeys or more - will have to pay anything for remediating flammable cladding.

And no-one living in a building more than 11 metres tall - or with five storeys or more - will have to pay more than 10,000 - or 15,000 in London - to remediate non-cladding defects.

Meanwhile, no-one living in a building where the freeholder or head lessor is an associated company of the developer will have to pay anything, for cladding or non-cladding costs.

There is a higher limit of up to 25,000 for properties worth between 1 million and 2 million, wherever situated. A still higher limit of 50,000 applies for properties worth more than 2 million, again wherever situated.

The caps can be spread over five years, in equal instalments. For someone living outside of London in a property valued at less than 1 million, that would mean contributions of 2,000 a year for 5 years.

Remediation and waking watch costs paid by leaseholders in the period of five years before these new provisions are commenced - so roughly back to June or July 2017 - will count against the limits.

It means that those living in a building requiring further work who have already paid to the limit of their contribution cap, will not have to pay anything further.

Leaseholders in buildings under 11 metres tall, or with fewer than five storeys, get no assistance for cladding or non-cladding remedial works. The Government's view is that such buildings are not of sufficient risk to justify remediation.

Concerns about cladding nationwide emerged following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017

Campaigners End our Cladding Scandal also welcomed the changes, issuing a statement saying:' Finally, nearly five long years after the Grenfell tragedy, the penny seems to have dropped with the Government that leaseholders are the innocent party and that the polluters who caused this crisis must be the ones to pay to fix it.

'However, many questions still remain. The most significant is the leaseholders' cap of 10,000 - or 15,000 in London - when developers or building owners are unable to pay for remediation.

'Since 2017, successive Ministers have said in the Commons that leaseholders should not have to pay to fix buildings they don't own  but here we see some may have to. How is this fair? While these may seem small sums to Ministers, they are enormous amounts to many ordinary people across the country  especially coming at a time of pay freezes, food price rises and energy cost hikes.

'There are still a number of areas of concern, unanswered questions and gaps in the proposed solution, so we welcome the commitment to deliver the right result for leaseholders. Our campaign has, at its heart, always been one of justice and the simple notion of fairness: why should leaseholders have to pay to fix a problem for which they are in no way responsible?'
Vatican astronomers have discovered a mysterious new object beyond Neptune that could help in the search for our solar system's supposed ninth planet.

The trans-Neptunian body, called 2021 XD7, takes 286 years to travel around the sun and is almost certainly smaller than the dwarf planet Pluto.

It was spotted by Richard Boyle using the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope on December 3 last year.

Much like Pluto, which in 1930 became the first of more than 800 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) to be discovered, 2021 XD7 has a strange orbit that is considerably more tilted than the movements of Earth, Mars and other planets.

The closest it gets to the sun is still 30 times further than our own world.

Astronomers hope the exploration of TNOs could help them find the elusive so-called Planet Nine.

Vatican astronomers have discovered a mysterious new object beyond Neptune that could help in the search for our solar system's supposed ninth planet. The trans-Neptunian body, called 2021 XD7, takes 286 years to travel around the sun

Mysterious: 2021 XD7 was spotted by Richard Boyle using the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope on December 3 last year. It has a strange orbit that is considerably more tilted than the movements of Earth, Mars and other planets

Astronomers hope the exploration of TNOs could help them find the elusive so-called Planet Nine (pictured in an artist's impression)

WHY IS PLUTO NOT A PLANET? In 2006, the International Astronomical Union, a global group of astronomy experts, established a definition of a planet that required it to 'clear' its orbit, or in other words, be the largest gravitational force in its orbit. Since Neptune's gravity influences its neighbouring planet Pluto, and Pluto shares its orbit with frozen gases and objects in the Kuiper belt, that meant Pluto was out of planet status. Pluto was relegated from its definition as a planet to a dwarf planet, which, despite its name, is not a 'planet' as defined by the IAU. The main difference between 'dwarf planet' and 'planet' is that the latter does not dominate its region of space. Before 2006, there was never a formal definition for what constituted a planet. Scientists argue that this means Pluto's demotion is unjust and unreasonable. 'Just so you know, in my view, Pluto is a planet,' said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine.

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They believe that the orbits of a number of bodies in the distant reaches of the solar system have been disrupted by the pull of an as yet unidentified planet.

First proposed by a group at CalTech in the US, this alien world was theorised to explain the distorted paths seen in distant icy bodies.

In order to fit in with the data experts have, the supposed planet would need to be roughly four times the size of Earth and ten times the mass.

Researchers say a body of this size and mass would explain the clustered paths of a number of icy minor planets beyond Neptune.

Its huge orbit would mean it takes between 10,000 and 20,000 years to make a single pass around the sun.

The theoretical Planet Nine is based on the gravitational pull it exerts on these bodies, with astronomers confident it will be found in the coming years.

It was only last year that another team of experts plotted Planet Nine's likely location, roughly 46.5 billion miles away from the sun.

Pluto was once considered the ninth before eventually being demoted to a dwarf planet.

More TNOs are likely to be discovered next year with the construction of the survey telescope at the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile in 2023.

In September last year, researchers reported the results of a six-year survey to map the outer solar system, called the Dark Energy Survey (DES), which uses a telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, high in the Chilean Andes.

Their search has yielded 815 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), with 461 objects reported for the first time in a pre-print research paper.

TNOs are so-called because they're further than any minor planet or dwarf planet in the solar system with an orbit beyond Neptune.

They are thought to be remnants left over from the formation of the solar system and composed of mixtures of rock, amorphous carbon and volatile ices such as water and methane.

The image above shows the orbits of Earth, Venus, Mercury and Mars. 2021 XD7 is much further from the sun

Their current orbital distribution is believed to be result of the migration of the giant planets  Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune  to their current orbits.

If it exists, Planet Nine is in the outer reaches of our own solar system, beyond the Kuiper Belt, the doughnut-shaped ring of icy objects that extends just beyond the orbit of Neptune.

However, so far astronomers have only circumstantial evidence for its existence.

An alternative hypothesis is that there is not one giant planet, but instead the gravitational pull is due to the combined influence of much smaller objects.

This was put forward in May 2020, by researchers who suggested that Planet Nine may be nothing more than a mirage.

They suggested that what others think is the influence of an identified planet is actually 'collective gravity', a sprawling disk of icy debris that consists of millions of small bodies.
From Ex Machina to I, Robot, humanoid robots have been staple features of science fiction blockbusters for years.

Now, lifelike robots are becoming more and more popular in the real world, and the latest offering is one of the most humanlike yet.

Researchers from the RIKEN Guardian Robot Project in Japan have developed a robot child called Nikola, which can convey six basic emotions.

The android has moving 'muscles' in its face that allow it to convey happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust.

While the bot currently lacks a body, its developers hope that it could have a range of uses in the near future.

Wataru Sato, who led the research team, said: 'Androids that can emotionally communicate with us will be useful in a wide range of real-life situations, such as caring for older people, and can promote human wellbeing.'

The android has moving 'muscles' in its face that allow it to convey happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust

How the robot conveys facial expressions Nikola's face includes 29 pneumatic actuators that control the movement of artificial muscles, with a further six actuators used to control head and eyeball movements. These actuators are controlled by air pressure, which the team says results in 'silent and smooth' movements. Using a coding system called the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), the team can control subtle movements such as 'cheek raises' and 'lip puckers', allowing them to convey six emotions. Advertisement

Nikola's face includes 29 pneumatic actuators that control the movement of artificial muscles, with a further six actuators used to control head and eyeball movements.

These actuators are controlled by air pressure, which the team says results in 'silent and smooth' movements.

Using a coding system called the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), the team can control subtle movements such as 'cheek raises' and 'lip puckers', allowing them to convey six emotions.

To put these facial expressions to the test, the researchers showed Nikola to a group of participants while it displayed its six facial expressions.

They found that the participants could recognise the six emotions  albeit with varying accuracies.

'Nikola's silicone skin is less elastic than real human skin and cannot form wrinkles very well,' the researchers explained.

'Thus, emotions like disgust were harder to identify because the action unit for nose wrinkling could not be included.'

Suprisingly, the team also found that the speed of different emotions had an effect on how realistic they were.

Nikola's face includes 29 pneumatic actuators that control the movement of artificial muscles, with a further six actuators used to control head and eyeball movements

For example, the most natural speed for sadness was slower than it was for surprise, according to the team.

In the short term, the researchers believe that Nikola could have a range of applications in both social psychology and neuroscience.

'Compared with human confederates, androids are good at controlling behaviours and can facilitate rigorous empirical investigation of human social interactions,' Mr Sato explained.

Meanwhile, in the future, Nikola could have a range of applications in the real world  at least when he gets a body.

'While Nikola still lacks a body, the ultimate goal of the Guardian Robot Project is to build an android that can assist people, particularly those which physical needs who might live alone,' the researchers added.

It remains unclear how much Nikola cost to develop, or how much a working version will cost in the future.




A Philip Morris Korea employee holds a sign promoting the company's policies that extend parental leave up to 18 weeks. / Courtesy of Philip Morris Korea
Meta has announced that it is changing the name of Facebook's News Feed in an effort to 'better reflect the diverse content people see'.

It will now be known simply as 'Feed', a rather modest change which a number of users and commentators have poked fun at, with some suggesting that the social media giant is trying to shake off its reputation as a hub of misinformation.

Facebook critics have taken to Twitter in their droves to blast the change, with one user John de Guzman writing: 'Suuuuuureeee. Now you'll be able to pretend people don't get their news from you. Good one.'

Another added: 'Can't criticize them for feeding people misinformation if they don't call it "news".'

One Twitter user wrote: 'Well, that's certainly easier than dealing with the right-wing propaganda problem in the News Feed.

'"We don't call it News anymore, not our problem!"'

Research has shown that misinformation gets a lot more engagement on Facebook than fact-based reporting, and regulators have been looking into how big tech companies algorithmically rank content in their feeds.

Announcing the change, Facebook tweeted: 'Starting today, our News Feed will now be known as "Feed." Happy scrolling!'

The feature, which is the site's main interface and allows users to scroll through what their friends and family have shared, has been known as News Feed ever since it was first introduced more than 15 years ago.

Meta is changing the name of Facebook 's News Feed to 'Feed', but critics have poked fun at the announcement (pictured), with one suggesting the social media giant is trying to 'shake off its reputation as a hub of misinformation

Meta is changing the name of Facebook's News Feed in an attempt to 'better reflect the diverse content people see' on the social media site

It will now be known simply as 'Feed', a rather modest change which many Facebook users poked fun at. One Tweeted: 'Omg that's so creative. How did you come up with the name?'

HOW HAS FACEBOOK CHANGED THE WAY IT PRIORITISES POSTS IN YOUR NEWS FEED? Up until 2018, Facebook prioritised material that its algorithms thought people would engage with through comments, 'likes' or other ways of showing interest. But founder Mark Zuckerberg said he wanted to change the focus to help users have 'more meaningful social interactions.' The move followed his resolution to 'fix' the site. It was also in response to criticism that Facebook and its social media competitors reinforce users' views on social and political issues. Critics claim that sites like Facebook lead to addictive viewing habits. Zuckerberg cited research that suggests reading 'passively' on social media was damaging for people's mental health, while interacting proactively with friends was positive. According to Adam Mosseri, Facebook's then New Feed boss, the change involved: Posts from friends and family getting more prominence than video, news, and other content from formal Facebook pages, such as companies and celebrities

The number of comments on a post counting more than the number of Likes

Posts where people have spent the time to write lengthy comments being prioritised over those with only short comments

While news and video still appear in News Feed, the number of friends sharing it was made to matter more than its overall popularity Advertisement

A Meta spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are changing the name of News Feed to Feed and you'll begin to see this change starting today.

'Feed better reflects the broad nature of content you see as you scroll.'

A spokesperson also told The Verge it was 'just a name change to better reflect the diverse content people see on their Feeds', before adding that it 'does not impact the app experience more broadly.'

However, critics have suggested that the announcement is a way of deflecting controversy associated with Facebook's distribution of news stories.

Twitter user Hillary Rowe wrote: 'Wouldn't want to be accused of distributing news Good to know.'

Others mocked the social media giant for its perceived lack of creativity in the name change.

One Tweeted: 'Omg that's so creative. How did you come up with the name?'

Another added: 'Only took 349 brainstorm meetings to decide this.'

Meta has vowed to reduce the amount of political content that shows up on people's News Feeds, with even the company's own research suggesting that its algorithm could push politicians to take more extreme positions.

Changing the News Feed name could also help clear up potential confusion within the app.

When it was introduced, Facebook didn't also have a News tab that users could confuse it with.

According to a memo sent to Facebook employees, Meta said the News Feed name made people think it was a place for news stories rather than posts from friends and relatives.

It comes as it emerged that Meta employees now have a new term to refer to themselves: Metamates.

During a meeting on Tuesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly shared a list of new corporate values that his company will go by.

One of them was the catchphrase 'Meta, Metamates, me,' designating the order of importance by which employees should rank their own interests vs. their colleagues' and the company's well-being.

There are three main factors that go into determining which suggested posts appear in your News Feed, according to Facebook.

Research has shown that misinformation gets a lot more engagement on Facebook than fact-based reporting. Following the News Feed name change, Twitter user John de Guzman wrote: 'Suuuuuureeee. Now you'll be able to pretend people don't get their news from you. Good one.'

A post may be suggested for you if other people who interacted with the post also previously interacted with the same group, Page, or post as you.

Alternatively, if you've recently engaged with a certain topic on Facebook, the platform may suggest other posts that are related to that topic.

The other main area is location. You may see a suggested post based on where you are and what people near you are interacting with on Facebook.

Between March 2020 and October 2020, Facebook and Instagram removed 12 million pieces of misinformation related to Covid-19.

In April of that year alone, it put warning labels on about 50 million pieces of content, with 95 per cent of people who saw the label not clicking past to view the content.

Between March and October 2020, it put warning labels on 167 million pieces of content.
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The enormous underwater volcano off Tonga last month not only caused record plumes of ash into the air, but also led to one of the largest volcanic lightning events ever seen.

According to GLD360, the ground-based global lightning detection network owned and operated by Vaisala, the eruption triggered nearly 590,000 lighting strikes that were 'unlike anything on record.'

The lightning almost engulfed the surrounding islands in the Tonga archipelago, according to Chis Vagasky, a meteorologist at Vaisala.

'I can't imagine what the people on the islands would have been going through, with a huge ash cloud overhead, a tsunami flooding everything they own, and cloud-to-ground lightning coming down around them,' he said.

'It must have felt apocalyptic.'

The lightning almost engulfed the surrounding islands in the Tonga archipelago, according to Chis Vagasky, a meteorologist at Vaisala

Ash from the Tonga eruption was seen from SPACE Ash sent spewing into the air from the massive underwater volcanic eruption in Tonga was photographed by International Space Station astronauts. NASA shared the remarkable pictures taken out of the ISS Cupola windows, showing a blanket of ash from plumes spewing thousands of feet into the atmosphere. The event was so striking that satellites captured the moment of the eruption, with astronauts on the ISS taking images of plumes and blankets of ash over the region. Read more: Ash from the volcanic eruption in Tonga is seen from SPACE Advertisement

Based on the data, Reuters has created an incredible animation showing the surge in lightning strikes from January 13 through to January 15.

On January 13, a blast above the surface caused a major lightning event, which lasted through until January 14.

Then, on January 15 the massive eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano triggered a wave of almost 400,000 strikes in just six hours.

In total there were almost 590,000 lighting strikes over the three days  significantly more than the next largest event, the eruption of Anak Krakatau in Indonesia in 2018.

'In the December 2018 Anak Krakatau eruption, we detected about 340,000 events over a 1-week period, so to detect nearly 400,000 in just a few hours is extraordinary,' Mr Vagasky said.

According to the GLD360 data, around 56 per cent of the lightning around Tonga struck the surface of the land or ocean  including 1,300 strikes that hit the main island of Tongatapu.

The other 44 per cent of the lightning strikes likely travelled within the ash plume, or between the clouds.

'The percentage of lightning that was classified as cloud-to-ground was higher than you would normally see in a typical thunderstorm, and higher than you typically see in volcanic eruptions, so that creates some interesting research questions,' said Vagasky.

A volcanic eruption causes two main types of lightning  dry-charging and ice-charging.

Based on the data, Reuters has created an incredible animation showing the surge in lightning strikes from January 13 through to January 15

Although caused by different materials in the atmosphere, volcanic lightning and that from a typical thunderstorm are both a result of particles becoming charged. When there are big positive and negative charge build-ups in the atmosphere, electrons flow between them, which is called lightning

Dry-charging occurs when the plume from a volcano is 'small' (up to 2.5 miles in height), and ash, rocks and fractured lava particles rub against each other, building up enough charge to cause a lightning strike.

Meanwhile, ice-charging occurs with tall plumes (up to 7.5 miles in height), which reach the area where water can freeze.

In the case of volcanic eruptions, this water tends to come from the magma, whereas with standard lightning, it comes from the clouds.

According to Mr Vagasky, both forms of lightning took place during the Tonga eruption  dry-charging on January 13, and ice-charging on January 15.

The presence of seawater around the eruption also likely played a role in the lightning storm.

The enormous underwater volcano off Tonga last month not only caused record plumes of ash into the air, but also led to one of the largest volcanic lightning events ever seen

It triggered a 7.4 magnitude earthquake, sending tsunami waves crashing into the island, leaving it covered in ash and cut off from outside help

When lava comes into contact with water, it breaks down into smaller pieces, increasing the number of particles available for collision.

However, several questions remain on why volcanic lightning happens, especially at the microscopic particle interaction level.

'Scientists are already working to understand what caused the Hunga Tonga eruption to be so violent, from the size of the explosion, to the shockwave and pressure wave that travelled around the world, and the tsunami and the amount of lightning,' Mr Vagasky concluded.

'Lots of research will be coming in the months and years ahead to understand it.'

The eruption itself was one of the strongest ever recorded, according to a recent study.

Its explosive yield has been put at anything from 5 million to 30 million tons of TNT equivalent by NASA scientists who've studied preliminary data from the January 15 blast.

The eruption of Mount St Helens in Washington state in 1980 produced the same yield as around 24 million tons of exploding TNT.

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific, spewed debris as high as 25 miles into the atmosphere when it erupted almost a fortnight ago.

This 7.4 magnitude earthquake sent tsunami waves crashing into shorelines, causing destruction, and resulted in the death of three people in the region.
NASA predicts it would take about 500 days for humans to reach the Red Planet, but Canadian engineers say a laser-based system could cut that journey to just 45 days.

The US space agency is planning to send a crew to the Red Planet in the middle of the 2030s, around the same time China also plans to land humans on Mars.

Engineers from McGill University, in Montreal, Canada, say they have developed a 'laser-thermal propulsion' system, where lasers are used to heat hydrogen fuel.

It is directed-energy propulsion, using large lasers fired from Earth to deliver power to photovoltaic arrays on a spacecraft, that generate electricity, and in turn thrust.

The spacecraft accelerates very quickly while near Earth, then races towards Mars over the next month, releasing the main vehicle to land on the Red Planet and returning the rest of the vehicle to Earth to be recycled for the next launch.

Reaching Mars in just six weeks is something previously only thought possible using nuclear fission powered rockets, which present increased radiation risks.

The spacecraft accelerates very quickly while near Earth, then races towards Mars over the next month, releasing the main vehicle to land on the Red Planet and returning the rest of the vehicle to Earth to be recycled for the next launch

NASA predicts it would take about 500 days for humans to reach the Red Planet, but Canadian engineers say a laser-based system could cut that journey to just 45 days. Artist impression

Speaking to Universe Today, the team behind the study said this system could allow for rapid transport within the solar system.

Directed-energy propulsion isn't a new idea, it has hit the headlines recently with Breakthrough Starshot, a project aiming to use lasers to send tiny lightsail probes to the nearest star system, Proxima Centauri at relativistic speeds.

The system uses laser beams to propel a spacecraft into deep space, at relativistic speeds - a fraction of the speed of light - with the more powerful the laser, the faster the spacecraft can be accelerated.

Some research predicts it could send a 200lb satellite to Mars in just three days, with a more massive spacecraft requiring about a month to six weeks.

The concepts require a gigawatt-power laser array on Earth, that can be fired into space, directed at a light sail attached to a spacecraft to accelerate it to rapid speeds - at a fraction of the speed of light.

Emmanuel Duplay, a McGill graduate and MSc Aerospace Engineering student at TU Delft, published a paper suggesting this could be applied to a trip to Mars.

Directed-energy propulsion isn't a new idea, it has hit the headlines recently with Breakthrough Starshot, a project aiming to use lasers to send tiny lightsail probes to the nearest star system, Proxima Centauri at relativistic speeds

The US space agency is planning to send a crew to the Red Planet in the middle of the 2030s, around the same time China also plans to land humans on Mars. Artist impression

He told Universe Today: ''The ultimate application of directed-energy propulsion would be to propel a lightsail to the stars for true interstellar travel, a possibility that motivated our team that did this study.

'We were interested in how the same laser technology could be used for rapid transit in the solar system, which will hopefully be a nearer-term steppingstone that can demonstrate the technology.'

The hypothetical spacecraft the team created would require a 32ft diameter, 100 megawatt array of lasers, to be built somewhere on the Earth.

HOW IT WORKS A 32ft diameter 100W array of lasers fires a targeted beam at a spacecraft in low Earth orbit. The laser is focused into a hydrogen heating chamber via an inflatable reflector, that acts in a similar way to a solar panel - but capturing more energy. The hydrogen propellent within the chamber is exhausted through a nozzel that drives the spacecraft forward. This generates enough thrust to push the spacecraft to rapid speeds. It is expected it will reach Mars within about six weeks of launching. 'Our approach would use a much more intense laser flux on the spacecraft to directly heat propellant, similar to a giant steam kettle,' said Duplay. 'This permits the spacecraft to accelerate rapidly while it is still near earth, so the laser does not need to focus as far into space.' As it gets to Mars it can break in the atmosphere, allowing the crew compartment to split off and land. 'We believe we can even use the same laser-powered rocket engine to bring the booster back into earth orbit, after it has thrown the main vehicle to Mars, enabling it to be quickly recycled for the next launch.' Advertisement

This would, given the current trend in the development of photonic laser technology, be enough to power a spacecraft headed for Mars.

It works by focusing the laser into a hydrogen heating chamber via an inflatable reflector - the hydrogen propellent is exhausted through a nozzle to drive it forward.

'Our approach would use a much more intense laser flux on the spacecraft to directly heat propellant, similar to a giant steam kettle,' said Duplay.

'This permits the spacecraft to accelerate rapidly while it is still near earth, so the laser does not need to focus as far into space.'

'Our spacecraft is like a dragster that accelerates very quickly while still near Earth,' Duplay explained,' and the approach could help get it back from Mars, where there won't be a large laser array, ready to send it on its way.

'We believe we can even use the same laser-powered rocket engine to bring the booster back into earth orbit, after it has thrown the main vehicle to Mars, enabling it to be quickly recycled for the next launch,' he told Universe Today.

The inflatable reflector is key to the technology working properly, as it would be designed to be very reflective so it can sustain a greater laser power per unit area than a photovoltaic panel.

This is what makes the mission feasible with a relatively modest - 32 ft diameter - laser array on the Earth.

By reducing time in space, astronauts face lower levels of radiation, which could make a trip to Mars and back considerably safer.

All of the new elements would be required to allow spacecraft to get to Mars in six weeks - significantly less than the nine months predicted by NASA.

'Arrays of fiber-optic lasers that act as a single optical element, inflatable space structures that can be used to focus the laser beam when it arrives at the spacecraft into the heating chamber,' is essential, said Duplay.

Also 'the development of high-temperature materials that allow the spacecraft to break against the Martian atmosphere upon arrival.'

Being able to break against the atmosphere is the trick that will allow for return.

The problem is that many of these technologies are still in their infancy, and haven't been tested in the real world - raising questions over its viability by 2035.

'The laser heating chamber is likely the most significant challenge,' Duplay told Universe Today, questioning whether hydrogen gas could be contained.

Engineers from McGill University, in Montreal, Canada, say they have developed a 'laser-thermal propulsion' system, where lasers are used to heat hydrogen fuel. Artist impression

Asking whether it could be contained as 'it is being heated by the laser beam to temperatures greater than 10,000 K while at the same time keeping walls of the chamber cool?'

'Our models say this is feasible, but experimental testing at full scale is not possible at present because we have not yet built the 100 MW lasers needed.'

Professor Andrew Higgins from McGill, who supervised the work of Duplay, said: 'The ability to deliver energy deep into space via laser would be a disruptive technology for propulsion and power.

'Our study examined the laser thermal approach, which looks encouraging, but the laser technology itself is the real game changer.'

The findings have been published in pre-print on arXiv.
Gerard Pique pleaded with Barcelona not to renew Lionel Messi's contract last summer in order to save the club's finances, according to reports.

Messi was told by the Catalans' president Joan Laporta that they could not afford to keep him, despite the Argentine offering to slash his wages by 50 per cent, which was worth in excess of 425million over four years.

The 34-year-old then completed a move to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, signing a two-year contract at the Ligue 1 giants worth 35m a season.

Gerard Pique (right) reportedly told Barcelona chief Joan Laporta (left) to let Lionel Messi go

Barcelona told Messi (above) they couldn't afford to keep him last summer so he joined PSG

And according to Spanish newspaper El Pais, Barcelona defender Pique betrayed his lifelong friend Messi by urging the club to let the forward go for the sake of the club.

Pique and Messi came through the same youth team in Barcelona's La Masia academy and then spent 14 years as team-mates in the Catalans' senior squad.

But it is the not the first time that reports have emerged of a fracture between Messi and Pique since the Argentina star completed his move to Paris.

Last month, reports in Spain claimed that Messi felt deceived by Pique after the defender cut his Barcelona wage package down until after the forward had left.

Pique (left) and Messi (right) are lifelong friends having come through Barcelona's youth set-up

Messi's other close friends at Barcelona, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, both took salary cuts in a bid to free up room for Messi to stay - but Pique did not confirm his slashed salary until it was too late.

Journalist Lluis Canut told Onze on TV3: 'The last contract renewal signed by Pique did a lot of damage to Messi and he felt disappointed.

'In part, he also felt deceived by Pique, because [he then didn't further reduce his contract] until Messi left the club and Messi felt he should have done that earlier to try and avoid his exit.'

Onda Cero reporter Alfredo Martinez, meanwhile, says their relationship is 'broken'. Just a month ago, Pique revealed it was difficult to see Messi depart his boyhood side, and hailed him as the 'best in history'.

But reports have emerged that Messi (left) felt deceived by Pique over their contract situations

'I have shared a dressing room since I was 13 years old, he is almost like a brother, and it was very hard on a sporting and personal level,' he told El Homiguero. 'This year things have not started well in part because the best in history has left us.'

Meanwhile, SPORT claimed that Messi refused to invite Pique to a Barcelona reunion involving Alba and Busquets during last month's international break.

Messi was joined by both Busquets and Alba at a high-end Japanese restaurant on January 24, although Pique, his old friend, was not present.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have joined the chase to sign Chelsea starlet Armando Broja, who has impressed during his loan spell at Southampton.

The 20-year-old is at St Mary's for the entirety of the 2021-22 season and has scored seven goals in 24 appearances under Ralph Hasenhuttl - catching the eye of many elite clubs across Europe.

Premier League rivals Arsenal were already monitoring the forward, but German giants Dortmund and Munich are both now reportedly interested in bringing the youngster to the Bundesliga, according to the Sun Online.

Chelsea starlet Armando Broja is attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich

The 20-year-old has impressed during his loan spell at Premier League side Southampton

It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will even be open to selling the forward once he returns from his loan spell at St Mary's, as they will be keen to determine if he has a future at the Blues under Thomas Tuchel.

Broja only just put pen to paper on a five-year contract in July, meaning he will not go cheap or at all, especially considering Chelsea have struggled to get consistent goals from their attackers this season.

The youngster continues to impress with more regular playing time as he gave Manchester United captain Harry Maguire a torrid time in their 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Broja gave Manchester United captain Harry Maguire a torrid time in their 1-1 draw on Saturday

Arsenal legend Martin Keown waxed lyrical about Broja's immense talent after the Saints held the Red Devils to a draw.

Keown drooled while on BT Sport: 'You have to applaud him, the pace he has. He's really impressed for Southampton.

'He's a physical specimen as well, the ball has been going into him, and Maguire hasn't been able to win them.

'He's got everything to his game. His pace there, look at how he wins it - he bullies Maguire there.

'So quick, direct. Players around him. This man is so difficult to play against.'
Julia Garner says fame can be 'gross' and 'dangerous', and that intense public attention can become an 'unhealthy higher power'.

The actress, 28, plays manipulative fake heiress Anna Delvey in Netflix series Inventing Anna, with the real-life convicted criminal scamming banks and New York's downtown socialite scene out of thousands of dollars between 2013 and 2017.

But screen star Julia says she finds life in the spotlight uncomfortable, adding that it can affect how people operate in their lives in negative ways, such as in the case of the character she portrays in the show.

Speaking out: Julia Garner, 28, says fame can be 'gross' and 'dangerous', and that intense public attention can become an 'unhealthy higher power'

She told The Sunday Times: 'I think fame is gross to be honest.

To have it be an unhealthy higher power, I think thats dangerous so much so that look what happened with Anna.'

She added: I never thought I had anything interesting to say. Its weird that people are asking you all these questions.

In character: The actress plays manipulative fake heiress Anna Delvey in Netflix series Inventing Anna

Posing as a German heiress with a $67 million trust fund back in Europe named Anna Delvey, Sorokin scammed banks and New York's downtown socialite scene out of thousands of dollars while living in Manhattan between 2013 to 2017.

In April of 2019, Sorokin was convicted of four counts of theft services, three counts of grand larceny, and one count of attempted grand larceny and was sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison.

Detailing the nuances of the accent she adopted, Julia explained on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon earlier this month: 'It's about this girl who scams New York's high society and pretends to be something she's not. She's a very complex character and it's better to watch her.

In court: Real-life convicted criminal Anna (pictured) scammed banks and New York's downtown socialite scene out of thousands of dollars between 2013 and 2017 (pictured 2019)

'She says she's Russian, but she's not really Russian, so first I had to do like a European accent. Like a German accent, but very subtle. Then add a bit of bad Russian for certain words.

'Then it gets Americanised and I like add a question at the end of every sentence. Europeans don't do that.

'I really wanted to make sure it was one of those things where if she goes back to Europe all of her friends would be like, "You sound so American". And then here they'd be like "Oh my god, you sound so European!". '

In the name of research: Julia visited Anna in prison to learn about her and her life in preparation for filming

Julia also spoke about meeting the real life Sorokin behind bars in jail.

She explained: 'I went to go and visit her in jail and she was like "So, uh, how's the shoot going?" I said it's going well and she asked, "How are you playing me? What are you doing with my character?"

'I didn't know what to do and just started mirroring what she said and she was like [giggling], "That's so funny!"'
A hilarious segment on the Today show has been featured on The Late Late Show with James Corden in the United States.

The bizarre moment last week saw Karl Stefanovic burst into laughter when his co-host Allison Langdon said: 'My cooch is dying.'

Introducing the segment, comedian James Corden explained: 'An Australian TV host had an accidental slip-up while discussing lawn maintenance live on the air.'

Gaffe: A hilarious segment on the Today show has been featured on The Late Late Show with James Corden in the United States. Left: Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon

'Here she is discussing her problems with a grass called couch grass, which she pronounces differently,' he added.

During the segment, the Nine presenters were interviewing two men who own a lawn-mowing business when Allison asked them for advice about her backyard woes.

She told them her couch grass, a type of warm-season grass also known as Bermuda grass, was 'dying' because her dog 'keeps peeing on it'.

Because 'couch' is pronounced 'cooch' in this context, Karl and the guests couldn't quite believe it when Allison said: 'I want to ask... because my cooch is dying.'

Funny: Late-night host James Corden explained, 'An Australian TV host had an accidental slip-up while discussing lawn maintenance live on the air. Here she is discussing her problems with a grass called couch grass, which she pronounces differently'

Even one of the Today show producers could be heard asking backstage: 'What?!'

'The dog pees all over it!' Allison added, as Karl covered his face in embarrassment and burst out laughing.

The lawnmower men didn't have much to offer in terms of advice, besides telling Allison to keep her dog off the lawn.

By this stage, Karl had keeled over on the sofa and was hiding behind his script.

The set-up: The Nine presenters were interviewing two men who own a lawn-mowing business (right) when Allison asked them for advice about her backyard woes

Even though everyone around her was laughing, Allison still didn't get it, and asked: 'I still don't understand? What...'

Regaining his composure, Karl said: 'Possibly the best segment ever. More great stuff coming up after the break... if we're still on air.'

'Cooch' is, of course, an American slang term for vagina.
Her Home and Away co-star Lynne McGranger hinted she might return to the show after abruptly quitting last year.

And Sam Frost herself has now teased a return to the long-running soap.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the former Bachelorette, 32, shared a throwback blooper from the show in which she tripped over while filming a beach scene.

Making a comeback? Sam Frost (pictured) has teased a return to Home and Away, after abruptly quitting the long-running show last year

In the accompanying caption, the reality TV star-turned actress admitted she missed working on the series.

'Looking through my camera roll for H&A clips and found this gem... what an idiot,' she wrote, before adding she was 'legit the worlds clumsiest person!

'Geez I miss laughing with the crew, so much fun #homeandaway @homeandaway #bloopers @penny.mcnamee.'

LOL: The former Bachelorette, 32, shared a throwback blooper from the show in which she tripped over while filming a beach scene

Missing you: In the accompanying caption, the reality TV star-turned actress admitted she missed working on the series

Sam, who joined the cast as Jasmine Delaney in 2017, quit the Channel Seven soap in December, two months after revealing she hadn't had the Covid vaccine.

But her co-star Lynne McGranger told Nova's Fitzy & Wippa last month that Sam was now fully vaccinated, meaning she could potentially return to the show.

Seven Productions has a policy requiring all cast and crew be vaccinated against Covid; however, sources said last year Sam's exit was unrelated to the mandate.

Change of heart: The former Home and Away actress is reportedly now double vaccinated

'There was some issues of course with getting vaccinated but I'm here to tell you she is double vaccinated, now possibly boosted as well,' Lynne revealed.

She added: 'She needed to be with her family and they're down in Melbourne, but the door is definitely open for her to come back, and I'm sure as we speak she is in negotiations with producers.'

Sam filmed her last scenes for Home and Away in December at Sydney's Eveleigh Studios. She then moved to Melbourne to be closer to her friends and family.

Exit: Sam, who played nurse Jasmine Delaney since 2017, quit the Channel Seven soap in December, two months after revealing she she hadn't had the Covid vaccine

Sam sparked backlash in October when she revealed she hadn't had the Covid jab, and also compared restrictions on the unvaccinated to 'segregation'.

She said in a tearful Instagram video: 'I was really hesitant about doing a video or even speaking up about this sort of thing, but I feel like it's getting to a point now in the world where there's a lot of segregation.

'There's a lot of harsh judgement and opinions being thrown around a lot and it's taking its toll on my mental health for sure, and I know people around me are struggling - particularly if they're on the side of they don't want to get vaccinated, for whatever reason.

'There are lots of different reasons why people are not getting vaccinated and it might be because of their medical history, their concerns, they might have family history, it could be religious reasons.'

The door is open: Her co-star Lynne McGranger (right) told Nova's Fitzy & Wippa last month that Sam was now fully vaccinated, meaning she could potentially return to the show

Sam then said she hadn't been vaccinated, but claimed she had spoken to her medical doctor as well as a psychologist about her decision.

She added tearfully: 'It's a really hard time to be in society right now and you feel like you are less of a human and you feel like people judge you.

'And you're too scared to talk about your opinion or your feelings and part of you wants to go, "Well it's none of your damn business why I'm not! And there's good reasons why I'm not and I don't want you to judge me."'

After facing criticism for her video, Sam deactivated her main Instagram account and blocked all comments on the account for her mental health charity Believe.

Channel Seven later announced Sam's exit from Home and Away in December.

While a vaccine mandate is in place for Home and Away cast and crew, a network source said her departure was not related to this policy.
Married At First Sight's Cody Bromley has bared his bottom in racy scenes on the hit reality show this season.

And the 30-year-old opted to strip down yet again on Monday as he enjoyed a refreshing swim at Henley Beach in Adelaide.

The personal trainer, who is paired with 'wife' Selina Chhaur on the show, flaunted his muscular physique in a pair of very tiny budgie smugglers.

Tiny! Married At First Sight's Cody Bromley left little to the imagination in a pair of VERY small floral budgie smugglers as he took a solo dip at the beach in Adelaide on Monday

Cody showcased his flat stomach and toned upper body in the skimpy swimwear.

Cody was later spotted soaking up the sun on a beach towel.

It comes after he and wife Selina stunned viewers after she was tasked with using hair removal cream on Cody's bottom crack on Tuesday.

Cody was bent over the couple's bed as Selina stood behind him and got to work removing the unwanted hair.

'I'm just gonna spread your cheek with my knee,' she explained as Cody urged her to put the cream 'all over the hair on my bum crack'.

In good shape! Cody showcased his flat stomach and toned upper body in the skimpy swimwear

Sun tan time: Cody was later spotted soaking up the sun on a beach towel

But even Selina appeared grossed-out by the confronting hair removal task, pulling a series of disgusted faces as she navigated Cody's crack.

'Oh my God! I'm so confused. Where does it start and where does it end? Ugh! This was probably the most confronting thing I've ever had to do,' she confessed.

Fans were equally revolted, complaining about the graphic scene on Twitter, with one person simply commenting: 'Ewww Cody...'

Up close and personal: Cody and Selina stunned viewers with their bedroom exploits as she waxed his bottom on Tuesday night

'TELL ME WHY I JUST WATCHED SOMEONE GET THEIR BUTT CRACK WAXED BY THEIR PARTNER AS A DATE??? OMG,' questioned another.

'Cody and Selina - what am I watching!! That de-hairing the bum crack is not something that would bring any couple closer!' added another.

Married At First Sight continues on Wednesday, Nine, 7.30pm
Jessica Alba spoke about her struggles as a parent during an episode of the Raising Good Humans podcast that was released earlier this month.

During her appearance on the show, the 40-year-old performer discussed several aspects of raising children and offered a bit of insight into what she felt was the most difficult part of being a mother.

The actress shares daughters Honor and Haven, aged 13 and 10, as well as son Hayes, aged four, with her husband of over a decade, Cash Warren.

Being honest: Jessica Alba spoke about her struggles as a parent during an episode of the Raising Good Humans podcast that was released earlier this month

During the sit-down, Alba noted that she felt that letting her children make wrong decisions and measuring how much they should deal with them on their own was what she felt was the most difficult aspect of parenthood.

'The hardest part about being a parent is allowing your kids to make a mistake and knowing when it is going to be too hard or too much,' she said.

The Machete actress noted that her children would learn from their experiences and become better people in the future.

'But I also like it, they're not mistakes, they're lessons, and they're meant to go through the challenges and it's meant to bring them out the other side,' she said.

Going their own way: During the sit-down, Alba noted that she felt that letting her children make wrong decisions and measuring how much they should deal with them on their own was what she felt was the most difficult aspect of parenthood

Alba described finding the balance between controlling her children and letting them learn on their own as 'one thing that I definitely struggle with.'

The performer then spoke about her husband and pointed out that, although he had 'a different experience' from her in terms of growing up, they still agree about many parenting topics.

'We have a lot of the same values when it comes to families and raising kids,' she stated.

Key differences: The performer then spoke about her husband and pointed out that, as he had 'a different experience' from her in terms of growing up, they still agreed about many parenting topics

Alba did point out, however, that although her husband was more lax as a parent and generally concerned about their children's personal and academic well-being, she preferred to take a more hands-on role in their kids' upbringing.

The Sin City actress also discussed the differences between her children's experiences and pointed out that each of her three kids had specific issues that needed to be addressed by their parents.

She specifically noted that Honor's 'emotional needs, her intellectual needs' differed greatly from Haven's.

Hands-on: The Sin City actress also discussed the differences between her children's experiences and pointed out that each of her three kids had specific issues that needed to be addressed by their parents; she is seen with her family in 2019

Alba stated that her eldest daughter was starting to move away from her childhood issues and beginning to encounter those of a young adult.

'You have sort of like the 10-year-old fifth-grader stuff, which is the beginning of the hormone shifts and the awakening of this next stage of self, and Honor's like right in the thick of it,' she stated.

The performer also expressed that Hayes had moved past his baby days and had become a much more active young boy.

'They are just at very different stages. And then the baby, he's not a baby, he's 4. He's very cute and he just wants to play,' she said.
Cars are ready to ship at the export loading dock at Hyundai Motor's Ulsan plant. Yonhap



By Kim Hyun-bin



Local automakers have been closely monitoring the escalating Russia-Ukraine military tensions, as they export a significant number of vehicles to both countries, according to company officials Wednesday.



The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) expressed its concerns to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy over a possible decline in demand and disruption in the supply of parts in the event of a war between Russia and Ukraine, calling for a contingency plan.



Last year, about half of Korea's exports to Russia were made up of automobiles and auto parts, and $2.496 billion worth of cars were exported. Auto parts ranked second with exports of $1.454 billion. Automobiles and related parts accounted for 29.2 percent and 15 percent of Russia's total imports, respectively.



KAMA predicted that in the event of continuing Russia-Ukraine tensions, domestic sales in Russia would decrease by 10 percent and if the situation expands into an all-out war, a 29 percent drop is predicted to occur.






She shares three children with her husband of eight years, actor Sam Worthington.

But Lara Worthington, 34, showed she's lost none of her power as a top model on Tuesday when she showed off her sensational physique at Whale Beach in Sydney.

After enjoying a quick dip, the Cronulla-born bombshell showered off on the beach before heading into a photo shoot.

Model mum! Lara Worthington, 34, showed she's lost none of her power as a top model on Tuesday when she showed off her sensational physique at Whale Beach

Worthington (nee Bingle) splashed around the ocean while wearing a black short sleeve wetsuit.

She then enjoyed her own Bond girl moment as she emerged from the surf and chatted for a while with a friend.

Hitting the showers, Lara stripped off her wetsuit, exposing a black one-piece beneath.

Slippery when wet! After enjoying a quick dip, the Cronulla-born bombshell showered off on the beach before heading into a photo shoot

Public figure: Rinsing herself down, Worthington showcased the figure that made her a top model ever since breaking out in 2006 with the Tourism Australia campaign So Where The Bloody Hell Are Ya?

No rest: Despite having just arrived back in her homeland after a long haul flight from Los Angeles on Monday, the Dancing with the Stars alum was straight back to work this week

Rinsing herself down, Worthington showcased the figure that has made her a top model ever since breaking out in 2006 with the Tourism Australia campaign So Where The Bloody Hell Are Ya?.

Lara stretched her gym-toned arms and displayed her washboard abs in the swimsuit,

Despite having just arrived back in her homeland after a long haul flight from Los Angeles on Monday, the Dancing with the Stars alum was straight back to work this week.

Later in the day she could be seen in a studio, preparing for a photo shoot.

Simple and chic: She stripped off her wetsuit, exposing a black one-piece beneath

Don't forget the face! Lara washed the salty water from her famous visage

Splish splash: The blonde beauty had a ball as she slipped on a wetsuit for a refreshing dip

Loving it: Lara splashed in the ocean while wearing a black short sleeve wetsuit

Lara is married to Avatar actor Sam and the couple share three young sons; Rocket, six, Racer, four, and River, one.

The family moved back to Australia temporarily in January last year, after spending the better part of a decade living in New York and Los Angeles.

The fiercely private couple tied the knot in December 2014 in a low-key ceremony, saying 'I do' in front of just 10 people at a private house in Melbourne.

'It was very intimate, we just popped in to Melbourne where Sam's family is from. It was just our families, less than 10 people,' she said.

'We wrote the whole celebration, we wrote all our vows. I was pregnant as well.'

Making an entrance: She then enjoyed her own Bond girl moment as she emerged from the surf and chatted for a while with a male friend

Just the essentials: She carried a towel and her mobile phone as she walked along the beach

Describing her wedding day look, Lara added: 'It was super chilled.

'Just before the wedding I was in London, it was really cold at the time and finding a dress at six months pregnant was difficult.

'I found something at Louis Vuitton, it was white.'

In 2018, Lara reflected on how getting married and having children had completely changed her life.

Catching up: Lara dried off with monochrome towel as she chatted to her companion

LOL: The pair enjoyed a laugh on the Sydney beach

Refreshed: Lara then strolled up the beach towards the showers as she prepared to rinse off

Busy: Lara is married to Avatar actor Sam Worthington and the couple share three young sons; Rocket, six, Racer, four, and River, one

'Five years ago I felt like a different person to what I am now, and it's nice to be able to grow,' she told Popsugar.

'When you get married and have children it's not all about you anymore, you have a responsibility to make your family proud and I really cherish that,' she continued.

'That's probably the most important thing to me.'

On set: Later in the day Lara was seen preparing for her modelling shoot
AJ Bunker and Ella Rae Wise looked incredible as they stepped out in London to attend the Ex On The Beach VIP screening on Tuesday.

AJ put on a very leggy display in a red satin corset dress, that showcased her lithe legs and svelte waist.

The Love Island star, 29, elevated her height in a pair of strappy black heels, and toted a matching black handbag.

Wow: AJ Bunker and Ella Rae Wise looked incredible as they stepped out in London to attend the Ex On The Beach VIP screening on Tuesday

Her honey coloured tresses were styled in feathery waves and she added a slick of lipgloss across her pout.

Ella looked positively angelic in a white full-length gown that boasted cut out details on the sides to flash some tanned skin.

The TOWIE star, 21, oozed Hollywood glamour in the lacey outfit and completed her look by styling her locks in neat waves.

Stunning: AJ put on a very leggy display in a red satin corset dress, that showcased her lithe legs and svelte waist

Flawless: The TOWIE star, 21, (L) oozed Hollywood glamour in the lacey outfit and completed her look by styling her locks in neat waves

Siren: Joining her at the event was Love Island's Amy Day who looked drop dead gorgeous in a black cut out dress that showcased her ample cleavage

Joining her at the event was Love Island's Amy Day who looked drop dead gorgeous in a black cut out dress that showcased her ample cleavage.

Keeping the cold at bay, she layered up with a black jacket with faux fur detailing on the hem and sleeves.

Hot on her heels was Kris Boyson, who opted for a casual look in a black hoodie and blue denim jeans.

Cute: Ibiza Weekender star Jordan Davies and his girlfriend Isobel Mills also attended the bash

Handsome: Hot on her heels was Kris Boyson, who opted for a casual look in a black hoodie and blue denim jeans

Victoria Winterford showed up in a stylish white co-ord that flaunted her toned tummy.

She added a grey blazer over the top and swept her hair back in bun on top of her head, with her fringe framing her face.

Also in attendance were Maddie Grimaldi, Jessie Lefteri and Rachel Slasor-Wilkinson.

Looking good: Victoria Winterford showed up in a stylish white co-ord that flaunted her toned tummy

Amazing: Maddie Grimaldi looked sublime in a corset dress, that cinched her at her tiny waist, and showed off her toned legs

Maddie looked sublime in a corset dress, that cinched her at her tiny waist, and showed off her toned legs.

She accessorised with an eye-catching butterfly necklace and carried her essentials in a black handbag that matched her black heels.

Jessie exuded sex appeal in an all leather outfit, made up of a yellow co-ord that showed off her long legs.

Lady in red: Rachel Slasor-Wilkinson stood out from the crowd in a bright red dress featuring a sweetheart neckline, which she paired with pale pink shoes and clutch

Leather look: Jessie Lefteri exuded sex appeal in an all leather outfit, made up of a yellow co-ord that showed off her long legs

She added an oversized brown blazer and a pair of eye-catching hoop earrings that stole the show.

Rachel stood out from the crowd in a bright red dress featuring a sweetheart neckline, which she paired with pale pink shoes and clutch.

Meanwhile Megan Salmon-Ferrari arrived in a chic outfit, made up of a tweed blazer and coordinating miniskirt with a white silk blouse.

Elegant: Meanwhile Megan Salmon-Ferrari arrived in a chic outfit, made up of a tweed blazer and coordinating miniskirt with a white silk blouse

Twins: Amber Woods (L) had a twinning moment with her female friend, as they arrived in similar pale pink outfits, that showed off both their ample assets

Amber Woods had a twinning moment with her female friend, as they arrived in similar pale pink outfits, that showed off both their ample assets.

Also in attendance was Tasha Newcombe who wore baggy black leather pants and a tiny crop top that flaunted her chiselled midriff.

Meanwhile Mia Boardman put on a very busty display in a black hook-and-eye top and smart black trousers.

Trendy: Also in attendance was Tasha Newcombe who wore baggy black leather pants and a tiny crop top that flaunted her chiselled midriff

Flashing the flesh: Amber was sure to show off her toned midriff as she posed for photos
They will be on different sides of the class divide when they appear in the new Downton Abbey film.

But Michelle Dockery and Michael Foxs new project is far removed from life above and below stairs.

They have formed a folk music duo  as Michael and Michelle rather than Lady Mary and the Footman  with their first single and live shows in the pipeline.

New direction: Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery, 40, and Michael Fox, 33, have formed a music duo  as Michael and Michelle - with their first single in the pipeline

Michelle, 40, and Michael, 33, both sing and play guitar on The Watching Silence, a four-song EP recorded in London last year and released on Decca Records this coming May.

The EP also features Mumford and Sons Chris Mass on percussion and Willy Masons Tommy Heap on piano and drums.

]Michelle said: 'There was something about that time after the series [Downton] had ended  About looking at something with fresh eyes and feeling nervous about whats ahead.

'Then suddenly we were just writing music.'

Making music: Michelle and Michael both sing and play guitar on The Watching Silence, a four-song EP recorded in London last year and released on Decca Records this coming May

She added: 'Its a whole different set of skills and vulnerability; Acting tends to start with whats already written on the page. Music can begin anywhere. Its different and very freeing.'

The pair will also play gigs, starting with a show at Omeara in south-east London on June 6.

Michelle, who plays Lady Mary Talbot in Downton, has previously sung at the London Jazz Festival and at Ronnie Scotts.

Born to perform: Michelle, who plays Lady Mary Talbot in Downton, has previously sung at the London Jazz Festival and at Ronnie Scotts

Talented: Michael, who reprises his role as footman Andrew Parker in Downton Abbey: A New Era, out in the UK in April, has already written and released indie folk and electronica records

Michael, who reprises his role as footman Andrew Parker in Downton Abbey: A New Era, out in the UK in April, has already written and released indie folk and electronica records.

He is in a relationship with another Downton star, Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Marys sister, the Marchioness of Hexham.

It comes after a full length trailer for Downton Abbey: A New Era was released earlier this month.

In the teaser for the sequel to the 2019 film, the Crawley family head to the South of France to uncover a mystery at a villa bestowed to Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley, while an ambitious director plans to make a film at Downton.

One to watch: It comes after Downton Abbey: A New Era makers released their full length trailer earlier this month

Strife: And it looks like there could be trouble in paradise for Lady Mary (Michelle) as she talks about the struggles of marriage in the trailer

The trailer opens with fan favourite Dame Maggie Smith say as Violet: 'I've come into the possession of a villa in the South of France.

'Years ago, before you were born. I met a man.' It then transpires Dowager Grantham and her lover 'spent a few days together and he gave her a house'.

The upcoming sequel will see the return of the much-loved cast including Hugh Bonneville, Penelope Wilton and Michelle.

Money: And in the teaser for the sequel to the 2019 film, the Crawley family head to the South of France to uncover a mystery at a villa bestowed to Dowager Countess of Grantham

Fling: The trailer opens with fan favourite Dame Maggie Smith say as Violet: 'I've come into the possession of villa in the South of France. 'Years ago, before you were born. I met a man'

And it looks like there could be trouble in paradise for Lady Mary (Michelle) as she talks about the struggles of marriage in the trailer.

Lady Mary is seen talking to Hugh's character, saying: 'You don't need me to tell you that marriage is a novel full of plot twists along the way.'

The film had originally been scheduled for release on March 18, but has been pushed back to April 29 for the UK and May 20 in the US, due to Covid.
Sunrise's Natalie Barr was reduced to tears on Wednesday's Sunrise as she interviewed a grieving mother whose son was tragically killed in a freak farm accident late last month.

12-year-old aspiring pianist Kyan Pennell was tragically killed on his family's Queensland property after being crushed against his father Ian's car while trying to open a gate.

Kyan's mother Amanda Brierley had subsequently shared a Facebook revealing she'd discovered a half-written song her son had composed in secret.

She was quickly inundated by musicians and orchestras offering to perform the song at Kyan's funeral.

Barr and co-host David Koch were visibly moved as they spoke to Ms Brierley about these generous offers.

'Everyone has been so willing to help and to bring a little piece of our boy to life that we could keep forever. They've given me something that I can never repay them for,' Ms Brierley said.

Heartbreaking: Sunrise's Natalie Barr (pictured) was reduced to tears on Wednesday's Sunrise as she interviewed a grieving mother whose son was tragically killed in a freak farm accident late last month

Loss: 12-year-old aspiring pianist Kyan Pennell (pictured) was tragically killed on his family's Queensland property after being crushed against his father Ian's car while trying to open a gate.

'It's a gift of listening to Kyan, listening to what he could have done and the potential that he had.'

Ms Brierley also revealed that she had no idea Kyan - who had only been learning piano for seven months - was writing music.

'I'll never know what his composition was actually meant to sound like, but what people have given us is such as special gift,' she said.

'We're so sorry for your loss': Visibly-overwhelmed, Barr choked up and began tearing up as she thanked Ms Brierley (pictured) for her time

Visibly overwhelmed, Barr choked up and began tearing up as she thanked Ms Brierley for her time.

'We're so sorry for your loss Amanda, it's just such a tragic story,' she said, her voice quivering with emotion.

Kyan was helping his father Ian on their property in Mary Valley, 169km north of Brisbane, about midday on January 31 when he was crushed.

Kyan (pictured), was helping his father Ian on their property in Mary Valley, 169km north of Brisbane , about midday on January 31 when he was crushed

The primary school student got out of his father's car to open the gate at the steep property entrance on Chinaman's Creek Road.

As Mr Pennell drove through the gate it partially closed, trapping Kyan between the car's trailer and the gate.

Police said Mr Pennell heard a 'bang' and a 'yell' which sent him, Kyan's little sister, his mother, and a neighbour running to help.

But sadly the young musician didn't survive his severe injuries despite the efforts of paramedics.

On February 3 Ms Brierley shared a post to Facebook detailing how her son had been learning the piano for seven months and had seemingly half-written a classical song he had hoped to perform one day (pictured)

On February 3 Ms Brierley shared a post to Facebook detailing how her son had been learning the piano for seven months and had seemingly half-written a classical song he had hoped to perform one day.

'I found this. Kyan was composing his own classical (I could be wrong but I think he said 'modern' classical) and I never heard what he was composing,' she said, sharing a photo of his musical score.

'Is there anyone that can read music and play it and send it to us? If I remember rightly he told me about this and there were bits that repeated, and changed tempo, with light and shade, but he didn't write that down. It would mean the world to us to hear his composition.'

Ms Brierley could only find the introduction to Kyan's song and knew he was planning on introducing a 'grand mid section' into the piece that would be played by both wind and string instruments, but he never got to finish it.

Ms Brierley could only find the introduction to Kyan's song and knew he was planning on introducing a 'grand mid section' into the piece that would be played by both wind and string instruments, but he never got to finish it

'Piano was his calling, he was 12, and had seven months of learning, teaching himself music theory, performance and composition, and he had committed to memory multiple classical pieces and some modern pieces... but just so he could bring a crowd in, and then educate them with the beauty of classical he would say cheekily,' she said.

'He wanted to be a concert pianist and spent every waking hour on the piano he scraped and saved to buy.

'He was diagnosed with Asperger's and ADHD and used that superpower to become an incredibly beautiful and unique human who just wanted to learn and excel at everything he could, about everything there was.'

Incredibly Ms Brierley received tens of videos from teenagers right across Australia playing Kyan's song and 16 members of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra plan on recording a version to play at his funeral on Sunday.

'He would have been so chuffed that all these wonderful people are now playing his music,' Ms Brierley added.

'He did tell me that many people have to die to become famous, well my beautiful boy, here we are,' his mother wrote

'Little did he know he was actually composing his own funeral song.

'He did tell me that many people have to die to become famous, well my beautiful boy, here we are.'

The Pennell family moved to the Gympie region two years earlier with the hope of living a quiet, country life.

Mr Pennell shared a heart-breaking tribute to his lost son in a Facebook post the day after his death.

'As many may already know Amanda, Lauryn and I lost our beautiful, creative, quirky, smart, talented, funny, animal-loving son/brother Kyan yesterday in a freak accident,' he wrote.

'Just wanted to thank everyone for their heartfelt messages of love and support.

'Also special thanks to the amazing flight doctors, paramedics, police personal and our neighbours who fought for over an hour in an attempt to save him. His injuries were simply too great.'
NCIS: Sydney is headed Down Under for its first ever international series.

The series is set to launch in 2023 after a deal was made between Paramount Plus Australia and Network Ten.

It will feature local stories with Australian actors and producers.

Exciting! NCIS: Sydney is headed Down Under for first ever international series - and the series will feature local stories with Australian actors

Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President, ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand, Beverley McGarvey, said in a statement to TV Tonight: 'We are thrilled to welcome the inaugural international series of NCIS to Australian shores.'

'It is such a privilege to be able to continue the legacy of such a wonderful show and incorporate the superior NCIS storytelling while introducing new Australian characters and locations.'

'We can't wait to get production underway,' Ms McGarvey said.

Coming soon: The series is set to launch in 2023 after a deal was made between Paramount Plus Australia and Network Ten

It comes after the hit CBS show NCIS was renewed for a 19th season with star Mark Harmon returning as Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Fans just can't get enough of drama series which is ranked as TV's most watched series and attracts an average of 12 million viewers per episode.

Season 17 and 18 were cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic and it isn't currently known how many episodes there will be in season 19.

Storyline: It will feature local stories with Australian actors and producers

The series may eventually edge out three shows in the Law & Order franchise to become television's longest running show. The present title holder is Law & Order: SVU which is going on 23 seasons.

NCIS was a spin-off of CBS' JAG, both of which were created by Donald P. Bellisario, which ran for 10 seasons between 1995 and 2005.

The show ended up spawning a number of CBS spin-offs itself, NCIS: Los Angeles, which debuted in 2009 and is currently in its 13th season, NCIS: New Orleans, which was canceled after seven seasons, and NCIS: Hawaii, which debuted this fall.
Ferne McCann's boyfriend Lorri Haines was seen holding a bag of white powder before appearing to lift the contents to his nose in a video which emerged on Tuesday.

The partner of former The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne was seen dancing shirtless in the clip while holding two small clear plastic bags.

In the film obtained by The Sun, he is seen scooping the powder out of the bag and up to his nostrils, with a pal shouting in the background: 'No! No ket, no ket.'

On film: Ferne McCann's boyfriend Lorri Haines was seen holding a bag of white powder before appearing to lift the contents to his nose in a video which emerged on Tuesday

Haines has told the paper that he was not taking drugs and was 'joking about'.

Lorri's friend told him to 'put the ket down' before the entrepreneur was seen throwing the packet onto a nearby table. It has not been confirmed what substance Lorri was holding.

The man then says: 'Thats none of your business,' prompting Lorri to shake his head and reply: 'None of my business.'

He then held the smaller bag up before before clapping his hands and dancing to the music.

Coupled-up: Ferne, 31, and Lorri went public with their romance earlier this month with the pair sharing pictures of one another on social media

Sources told The Sun Lorri had been partying on a yacht at the marina with six friends earlier in the day.

A source told the publication: 'They went to an apartment and carried the party on until about 4am.'

MailOnline has contacted Lorri and a representative for Ferne for comment.

In focus: The partner of former The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne was seen dancing topless in the clip while holding two small clear plastic bags

Bling: The 'part time jeweller' enjoys flashing his watch collection and cars on Instagram

The clip surfaced three weeks after Ferne, 31, shared her first picture with Dubai-based Lorri, with the reality star writing at the time: 'When you know, you know.'

Lorri is based in the United Arab Emirates and runs a jewellery firm, an investment business and a software company.

Authorities in the desert country have a zero-tolerance policy with regards to drugs, with the standard minimum jail sentence for possession being four years.

Look of love? The clip surfaced three weeks after Ferne shared her first picture with Dubai-based Lorri, with the reality star writing at the time: 'When you know, you know'

'Thankyou for showing me true love': Ferne McCann shared a gushing tribute to her new boyfriend Lorri on Monday during a Valentine's getaway to the Maldives

Television personality Ferne has famously had a rocky love life, most recently splitting from DJ Jake Padgett last year after they spent the second lockdown together.

Ferne and Jake moved in together amid the winter lockdown shortly after they began dating, and admitted that taking the next step in their relationship was its downfall.

Before that she was in a relationship with jailed acid attacker Arthur Collins, whom she shares her daughter Sunday, four, with.

Abrupt end: Ferne's relationship with Arthur Collins came to an abrupt end following his involvement in a shocking nightclub acid attack in 2017

Arthur, 29, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence at Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes, after carrying out an acid attack at a London nightclub in 2017 which saw sixteen people suffer chemical burn injuries and three people left temporarily blinded.

Ferne dumped Arthur after learning about the incident.

She was pregnant with her daughter Sunday when then boyfriend Arthur threw corrosive acid over a crowd on the dance floor at Mangle E8 in Dalston in April 2017, within weeks of their pregnancy announcement.

Before Arthur, Ferne was in an on-off relationship with fellow TOWIE star Charlie Sims and their tumultuous love story was captured for viewers of the reality show.

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Disgraced media mogul Conrad Black has form for criticising the Queen.

And even now, as the nation prepares to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, the former jailbird has targeted the 95-year-old by saying she 'lacks charm', is 'not a spectacular monarch' and 'not a riveting public speaker', nor a 'great innovator'.

Lord Black, 77, even likened her legacy to a departing big top act. 'Though she has not been a spectacular monarch, this Queen's achievement will be like that of a great circus performer whose talents are best appreciated after departing the stage,' says Black.

Despite praising the Queen's seven-decade tenure as 'one of selfless and unpretentious duty', he says she has lacked charm. 'The Queen is not a riveting public speaker and has not been a great innovator,' he writes in an article for Canada's National Post.

Conrad Black and his wife Barbara Amiel pictured leaving a federal court in Chicago in 2011

This is not the first time that Canadian-born Black, who was released from a U.S. jail in 2012 after serving three years for fraud, has turned his opprobrium on the Queen.

As disclosed in this column a few weeks ago, he vented his disapproval of her 'abandonment' of Prince Andrew after it was announced that her son would fight his sexual assault charges as a private citizen.

Black declared that he thought it was a 'disgrace' for the monarch 'to have withdrawn from him all the dignities exercised ex-official for centuries by the second son of the reigning monarch'.

Black vented his disapproval of the Queen's 'abandonment' of Prince Andrew after it was announced that her son would fight his sexual assault charges as a private citizen.

The former Telegraph owner, who was pardoned by President Trump in 2019, balanced his critique of Her Majesty with glowing praise.

He wrote: 'She was never a swashbuckling, rabble-rousing or otherwise proselytising monarchist, but she has steadily surmounted all the ostensible demotions and trivialisations of the monarchy over the past 70 years.'

No doubt she'll be flattered.

Love is in the air for Jude's girl

21-year-old Burberry model Iris Law marked Valentine's Day by having a heart shaved in her hair

While most people celebrated St Valentine's Day by buying roses and booking candlelit dinners for their loved ones  Jude Law's daughter, Iris, had other ideas entirely.

The 21-year-old Burberry model marked the day by having a heart shaved into the side of her short platinum blonde hair.

'Love is everywhere,' she says about her edgy haircut.

I'm sure Iris's new do received the seal of approval from her 23-year-old artist boyfriend Jyrell Roberts.

The Ronsons' multi-coloured swap

Mark Ronson and wife Grace Gummer celebrated the gender neutrality of their marriage by switching their clothing

Mark Ronson and his actress wife, Grace Gummer, are celebrating the gender neutrality of their marriage by dressing up as one another.

The record producer, 46, and Gummer, 35, who is the daughter of Hollywood's Meryl Streep, swapped every part of their out fits down to their shoes, from his lime green blazer to her sunglasses.

'We switched outfits because she's the best ever and we share everything,' says Ronson.

I wonder if they swap their underwear, too.

Hopkins: I will keep going till I die on the job

At the grand age of 84, Sir Anthony Hopkins is showing no signs of slowing down  especially when it comes to his art.

Hopkins, who won Oscars for his roles in The Silence Of The Lambs and The Father, reveals he would rather die doing the job he loves than retire  and he insists he's received his wife's blessing to do so.

Hopkins says of his third wife Stella Arroyave, 65, whom he married in 2003: 'She once said to me: 'Let me ask you  do you want to die as an actor? Do you want to keep going until you drop dead?'

'I said: 'I guess so.' She said: 'Well, that's good then if it's really what you want to do.'

News just in, Reeta slams BBC elitism

Is this another nail in the coffin for the BBC's licence fee? She's normally cool as a cucumber on screen but newsreader Reeta Chakrabarti reveals off-screen that she is irritated by the corporation's elitist culture.

'The newsroom is unrecognisable from the way it used to be when I started out in terms of gender. But sadly that's not true of ethnicity or social class,' she confides in me.

'They really do need to change as we need more working-class people from poorer backgrounds. The product will be much better if we are properly representative of the whole country.'

As excitement grows for the new Downton Abbey film, it appears some of the crew got rather carried away during filming.

The Countess of Carnarvon, the real-life chatelaine of Highclere, reveals one of the two pillars in the stately home, near the Hampshire-Berkshire border, was damaged. 'These things happen from time to time, and the film company was excellent about accepting responsibility,' says Fiona Carnarvon.

'But the next task was to find the right craftsmen to repair it.' She has given the job to her designer pal Sarah Morris. Watch this space

Billie thinks it's a sin that Lucy didn't win

Emerald Fennell, Billie Piper and Lucy Prebble attend the Writers Guild Of Great Britain Awards at the Royal College Of Physicians on February 14

One could be forgiven for thinking Billie Piper's choice to wear a bright green trouser suit for the Writers Guild Awards was to honour scriptwriter Emerald Fennell.

But Billie, 39, was in more of a supporting role for her playwright friend Lucy Pebble, 41, who was nominated for their drama I Hate Suzie, in the Best Long Form TV Drama category at the awards, which took place at the Royal College of Physicians.

Sadly, Pebble lost out to Russell T. Davies's C4 series It's A Sin.

Meanwhile, Emerald, 36, was presented with the award for Best First Screenplay for her Oscar-winning #MeToo film Promising Young Woman.
MAGIC Las Vegas, often described as the world's largest fashion marketplace in the U.S., is underway at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The McCord List co-founder, Rachel McCord, enlisted the help of model Joy Corrigan, in her company's pitch to 'help brands, buyers, creative entrepreneurs, and public figures build and transform their businesses.

And being that they've both had plenty of experience strutting their stuff in front of admiring photographers, McCord and Corrigan teamed up and showed off their chemistry and fashion sense for a round or two of photographs.

Event underway: Rachel McCord brought her McCord List team, which included model Joy Corrigan to MAGIC Las Vegas, which has been described as the world's largest fashion marketplace in the U.S.

McCord, 32, oozed confidence in a champagne-colored ensemble consisting of pants, which hugged her hips and legs before flaring out from the knees down, and a matching blazer over a white top.

The jacket cinched-in at the waist with a belt that tied in the the front, and had more than a foot of loose fabric at the elbow that draped off her arm.

Upping the sex appeal, she also donned a pair black-patterned stiletto heels, and had her blonde tresses styled long and flowing well past her shoulders with added loose curls.

Like a sweet drinK: The McCord List co-founder, 32, oozed confidence in a champagne-colored ensemble consisting of pants, which hugged her hips and legs before flaring out from the knees down, and a matching blazer over a white top

Fashion sense: The jacket cinched-in at the waist with a belt that tied in the the front, and had more than a foot of loose fabric at the elbow that draped off her arm

Glowing: After playing with the camera solo, McCord was eventually joined by Corrigan, and the two ladies proceeded to light up the room with their glowing smiles

Seemingly playing off Valentine's Day, McCord struck a number of poses by herself in front of a MAGIC sign shaped like a heart.

She eventually was joined by Corrigan, 27, and the two ladies proceeded to light up the room with their glowing smiles.

The fashion model, fashion designer, and sometimes actress made her presence felt and seen in a striking red suit that was paired up with a light pink corset top, which gave more than a hint of her toned midriff and cleavage.

At certain points, she took off her blazer to give a full view of her lean upper body in the spaghetti-strap shirt.

Having begun her career at the age of 14, Corrigan modeled in campaigns for the likes of Guess, Urban Decay, Victoria's Secret, and Jimmy Choo, and went on to become Playboy Playmate Of The Month for February 2017,.

She too has gotten the entrepreneurial itch and has since co-founded the clothing brand, Naked Species.

Lady in red: The fashion model, fashion designer, and sometimes actress made her presence felt and seen in a striking red suit that was paired up with a light pink corset top

Sweet: Seemingly playing off Valentine's Day, the ladies struck poses in front MAGIC heart

The extras: Corrigan accessorized with a lovely small purse, and wore her blonde tresses long, to about the middle of her back, with a center part

Held each February and August in Las Vegas, MAGIC fashion marketplace showcases women's, men's and children's apparel, footwear, accessories, and manufacturing resources from around the world.

The event brings together both fashion buyers and brands that includes the latest in the apparel industry.

While its advertised to have more than 2,600 brands from more than 45 countries, MAGIC also offers people the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the industry by taking part in over 50 free seminars and panels led by the industry experts.

McCord was among those experts who took to the stage to discuss The McCord List, which helps mold businesses, during the Social Media Sitdown.

'Working with Rachel and The McCord list team has been a game changer for the MAGIC event,' Kelly Helfman, the President COTERIE | MAGIC | PROJECT | Informa Markets, said of The McCord List's impact.

'Her thought leadership and marketing expertise provided during the live show programming has helped thousands of fashion retailers and brands evolve their businesses.'

Fashionistas: The event brings together both fashion buyers and brands

Global: MAGIC fashion marketplace showcases women's, men's and children's apparel, footwear, accessories, and manufacturing resources from around the world

Walk this way: The ladies made their way to one of the 50 seminar and panels being held

Dishing: McCord was among the experts who took to the stage to discuss The McCord List, which helps mold businesses, during the Social Media Sitdown panel

Molding businesses: McCord and Corrigan sat down with the rest of her team for the event

Knowing the importance of social media, McCord shared a series of photos and videos of the event, which included images of her time on stage for the panel discussions with Corrigan and the rest of her team.

'MAGIC FEB2022 has been amazing so far! We've officially launched @TheMcCordList Fashion & Beauty MBA program to help so many incredible brands, buyers, celebs, and influencers build and scale their businesses,' McCord wrote in the caption.

She added, 'Feeling so honored to help you reach your potential and dreams in 2022 and beyond! Are you ready?! #magic2022 #magiclv #fashion #beauty #themccordlist #melissagorga #rhonj'

Corrigan also shared a series of snaps and pictures on her Instagram page.

'Thank you @themccordlist for having me!!!,' Corrigan wrote above one of the video clips

Knowing the importance of social media, McCord shared a series of photos and videos of the event, which includes being on stage for one of the panel discussions with Corrigan.

Humbled: Corrigan thanked The McCord List for having her at the event

Vibing: The model flashed a peace sign outside the MAGIC at the Las Vegas Convention Center
Gina Stewart has become one of Australia's most popular online modelling exports in recent years thanks to her ageless good looks.

And now the 51-year-old, who is known as 'the world's hottest grandma', has revealed one of her youthful beauty secrets.

The mum of three bizarrely claims that sleeping naked every night has helped her produce 'anti-ageing hormones' and even enhanced her vaginal health.

Eternal: The World's Hottest Grandma Gina Stewart has claimed that sleeping naked every night has helped her produce 'anti-ageing hormones' and even enhanced her vaginal health

'Sleeping without clothes is one of the best ways to enhance your vaginal health,' she explained, before adding: 'It will also keep your vagina infection-free.'

Gina then said that sleeping nude has also boosted her sex life, helps her sleep better at night, and has even assisted with weight loss.

'Your vagina is more likely to release moisture during the time of sleep. Underwear and pyjamas can block that moisture and form a cradle for the bacteria,' she said.

'Sleeping naked can help in boosting your sex life. It's safe to say that your chances of having sexual intercourse go high if you sleep with your partner without clothes.

'More sex is equal to better sex as practice does make perfect. Sleeping without clothes helps reduce your body temperature, which results in a deep sleep. The more good sleep you get, the higher your chances are of losing pounds.'

Wellness: 'Sleeping without clothes is one of the best ways to enhance your vaginal health,' she explained, before adding: 'It will also keep your vagina infection-free'

In a separate post, the former Maxim model said that going to bed nude keeps her young by giving her a more restful night's sleep, which results in her body producing natural anti-ageing hormones.

Back in 2018, the mother of four was forced to deny rumours that her stunning appearance on social media was the result of Photoshop and airbrushing apps.

To prove her good looks weren't just smoke and mirrors, Gina shared an exclusive unfiltered video with Daily Mail Australia at the time.

'Some of my pics are smoothed and some arent,' she said.

'You definitely cant airbrush a video so thats why I put them up frequently.'

Shining bright! Back in 2018, the mother of four was forced to deny rumours that her stunning appearance on social media was the result of Photoshop and airbrushing apps

The Gold Coast grandmother sparked Photoshop rumours following an appearance on Channel Seven current affairs show Sunday Night in July 2018

Viewers noticed she looked different on TV compared to her social media accounts.

However, it now appears her looks on Sunday Night may have been down to unflattering lighting and camera angles.

Gina is now one of the biggest names on OnlyFans and leads a lavish lifestyle from her earnings.
Bethenny Frankel said Kanye West needs to stay focused and avoid airing dirty laundry amid his publicized split with estranged wife Kim Kardashian.

Frankel, 51, spoke on the issue on her podcast Just B with Bethenny Frankel Tuesday after West walked back controversial statements he made in recent weeks that he said 'came off as harassing Kim.'

On her podcast, the Skinnygirl entrepreneur said that West, 44, had been taking the wrong approach in airing his grievances with Kim over a multitude of issues, including his attendance at a family birthday party, their daughter North's presence on TikTok, and Kim's relationship with comic Pete Davidson, 28.

The latest: Bethenny Frankel, 51, said on her podcast Tuesday that Kanye West, 44, needs to stay focused and avoid airing dirty laundry amid his publicized split with estranged wife Kim Kardashian, 41

'My advice to Kanye would be, you have to stay the course you cannot go rogue and take matters into your own hands when it comes to the divorce and custody process - it will only hurt you,' she said. 'Kanye in particular hes talking into the court of public opinion instead of talking to the court of the custody of your children.'

The former Real Housewives of New York City star drew from her experience amid a public and acrimonious divorce and custody battle with ex-husband Jason Hoppy, 51, over their daughter, Bryn, 11.

'Kim and Kanye were married for several years, he really adored her, they had this beautiful family and this great life and things then unraveled,' Frankel said of the celeb couple, who share children North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, three, and Psalm, two. 'It happened to me, it happens to everyone.'

Frankel said that the path through the legal system required a different set of tools that might have served West in his show business career.

On her podcast, the Skinnygirl entrepreneur said that West had been taking the wrong approach in airing his grievances with Kim over a multitude of issues

The former Real Housewives of New York City star drew from her experience amid a public and acrimonious divorce and custody battle with ex-husband Jason Hoppy, 51, over their daughter, Bryn, 11

Frankel said that the path through the legal system required a different set of tools that might have served West in his show business career

'You cannot play to the court of public opinion and avoid the court of law,' she wrote in the caption of an Instagram post on the topic. 'Custody & Divorce is a process (albeit a sometimes long and arduous one).you cannot beat the system. You cannot PR your way out of it and judges do not like side shows & games.

'Like a terrible storm or a personal loss, you simply must face challenges head on no matter how emotionally challenging that may be. Faith, hope, patience, will and survival are the means to survive something so difficult. When dealing with children, the stakes are as high as possible. You cannot play games. Anything can happen in a court room.'

She said that West 'is clearly going through something emotional that supersedes reason and logic, but someone has to get through to him.its a serious matter from an emotional and custody standpoint.'

West on Tuesday took to the social media site and erased past posts he had made on the topic, posting a contrite message after sharing screengrabs of discussions he'd had with Kardashian and Davidson.

'I know sharing screen shots was jarring and came off as harassing Kim,' he wrote. 'I take accountability. I'm still learning in real time. I don't have all the answers. To be [a] good leader is to be a good listener.'

Frankel said that 'faith, hope, patience, will and survival are the means to survive something so difficult'

West on Tuesday took to the social media site and erased past posts he had made on the topic, posting a contrite message after sharing screengrabs of discussions he'd had with Kardashian and Davidson

West on Tuesday posted an image of Kardashian with the caption, 'VISION OH SORRY ALL CAPS IS BACK FOR THE THE PEOPLE THATS ALL CAP'

West said that he was looking to soften and refine his approach while posting about the sensitive topic.

'I've learned that using all caps makes people feel like I'm screaming at them. I'm working on my communication,' he said. 'I can benefit from a team of creative professionals, organizers, mobilizers and community leaders. Thank everybody for supporting me.'

West later posted and deleted an image of a billboard that read, 'Stop telling fathers they should have fought harder to see their children & start asking mothers why he had to fight at all.'

He also posted an image of Kardashian with the caption, 'VISION OH SORRY ALL CAPS IS BACK FOR THE THE PEOPLE THATS ALL CAP.'

Kardashian earlier this month took to Instagram to condemn West's recent behavior in the wake of their split.

'Kanye's constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create,' Kardashian said. 'Divorce is difficult enough on our children and Kanye's obsession with trying to control and manipulate our situation so negatively and publicly is only causing further pain for all.

'From the beginning I have wanted nothing but a healthy relationship because it is what is best for our children and it saddens me that Kanye continues to make it impossible every step of the way.'
gettyimagesbank



By Park Jae-hyuk



The European Union's (EU) tendency of tightening industrial regulations against non-EU companies has been drawing backlash from Korean businesspeople, who view the tougher rules as trade barriers designed to protect European markets, according to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), Wednesday.



It said Korean companies joined foreign businesses in submitting a statement expressing their concerns about the European Commission's proposed regulation on foreign subsidies. The proposal is mainly intended to restrict the entry of foreign firms into the European market, if they were subsidized by non-EU governments.



Including the Korea Business Association Europe, the signatories are advocacy organizations representing companies from the U.S., Japan, Australia and India. The Computer & Communications Industry Association, which represents the ICT industries, also joined them.



"We are concerned that the proposal will have unintended consequences for multinationals, including EU-headquartered companies, who are most likely to engage in M&As and public procurement activities liable to trigger notification requirements under the proposal," the signatories said in the statement. "The future regulation should be balanced and proportionate as it could otherwise impair fair competition."



Last July, KITA told the European Commission about Korean companies' concerns over the proposed regulation, as it seeks to force foreign firms to report subsidies they have received from non-EU governments over the past three years and to get prior permission from EU regulators when they want to participate in sizable M&As and public procurement activities in the bloc.



If foreign firms fail to submit correct subsidy data, they can be slapped with fines equivalent to 10 percent of their annual sales, according to the proposed regulation.



"Companies may fear that the wide range of support measures received in third countries globally could not be accounted for in full compliance, and this could expose them to high fines," the signatories said.



KITA said it will continue to make efforts to influence the EU regulators to take into account opinions from Korean companies, when implementing trade regulations.



Earlier this year, Korea Development Bank (KDB) Chairman Lee Dong-gull criticized the EU for being "extremely selfish and only prioritizing the interests of its member countries," after the organization decided not to approve Hyundai Heavy Industries' (HHI) proposed acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).



"Because it is critical to make sure that Korean industries are not easily pushed around by the EU, I personally hope HHI will file lawsuits to ask for compensation and cancellation of the disapproval," the KDB chairman said in a press conference, Jan. 27.



The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) also told EU Ambassador to Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez last month that Korean companies are concerned about the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which is a proposed tariff on carbon-intensive products.



"There are concerns that the CBAM could be a new trade barrier or an additional burden on Korean companies exporting to the EU members," FKI Vice Chairman Kwon Tae-shin said at that time.



The business lobby group sent a letter to the European Commission last July to ask for the inclusion of Korea in countries to be exempt from the carbon tariff.


Traces

Rating:

Secrets of the Krays

Rating:

Trigger warning: this column will discuss the animal rights of dead pigs. If you or your loved ones have experienced pork-related trauma issues, please seek help from an accredited bacon counsellor.

Students of forensics expert Kathy Torrance (Jennifer Spence) were protesting about the welfare of pig carcases at their university, as the Scottish police procedural drama Traces (Alibi) returned for a second series.

The pigs are dead! objected Kathy, exhibiting a woeful lack of wokeness that might get her sacked by episode three.

Kathy and her colleague Sarah Gordon (Laura Fraser) specialise in examining the carnage left by arson attacks and terrorist explosions. Theyre in the right place, because bombs are going off left and right in Dundee.

Written by Amelia Bullmore, from an idea by crime queen Val McDermid, Traces is a unique mix of the technical and the emotional

Why they need the pigs was not explained, but its probably got something gruesome to do with analysing shrapnel wounds.

Running a tape measure over the debris after a pipe bomb obliterated a church hall, Sarah muttered: This bomb was deflagrating, not detonating.

Thats crime-scene jargon for how the fire spread in pressurised waves. Id make a joke about flame-grilled pork sausages, but I dont want to be cancelled.

Sarah has other worries. Shes nursing a crush on her boss, DI Neil McKinven (Michael Nardone), and his wife has noticed.

Mrs McKinven could hardly miss it. At a party after a police awards ceremony, Sarah was giggling and blushing like a 1950s schoolgirl meeting Cliff Richard.

Jennifer Spence as Kathy Torrance, Laura Fraser as Prof. Sarah Gordon, Molly Windsor as Emma Hedges and Martin Compston as Daniel McAfee in Traces

The DI was oblivious to it. Youre such a man! scolded his missus, who proceeded to tease him so much that the following day he asked Sarah not to text or call him at home. Naturally, she assumes he has fallen hopelessly in love with her and is trying in vain to fight the yearnings of his heart.

Written by Amelia Bullmore, from an idea by crime queen Val McDermid, Traces is a unique mix of the technical and the emotional.

Characters are either squinting into a microscope at a tell-tale speck of evidence, or gazing in romantic turmoil at the horizon.

Most conflicted of all is earnest-but-thick Daniel (Martin Compston), who is living at his mums house with his girlfriend, forensics trainee Emma (Molly Windsor).

Its awkward, because his dad is on trial for murdering Emmas mum . . . and Daniel is a witness. Even more awkward, Emma is pregnant. You should not have a baby with that girl, snaps his mother. You should not even be with that girl  no good can come of it ever.

For Freeview users, the frustration is that Alibi is a subscription channel. But BBC1 snapped up the previous series of Traces, and we can only hope these new instalments air soon, too.

Britbox viewers have been able to watch Secrets Of The Krays (ITV) since last year. For everyone else, the wait was worth it, because this in-depth biography of the crime twins is absorbing and provocative. The final part charted their rise to the status of cultural icons, as Ronnie and Reggie achieved the fame they craved at the cost of their liberty.

Secrets of the Krays (ITV) is an in-depth biography of the crime twins is absorbing and provocative. Pictured: British gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray

A crowd of 70,000 at the Reading Festival chanted their names, while Reggie listened over the phone from Parkhurst prison.

Souvenir merchants plastered their image over mugs, pens and shopping bags. The Kray tea towel was particularly popular. To witness the transition from reign of terror to national treasures was truly disconcerting.

We also heard a chilling tip from Cockney hard man Chris Lambrianou: You cant put a fully grown mans body in the boot of a Ford Consul. Useful to know.

Filthy habits of the night: Dr Adam Kay bought a bottle of Jack Daniels to cheer up a patient, in the medical drama This Is Going To Hurt (BBC1), set in 2006. Then he joined a patient on oxygen for a ciggie in the car park. The Noughties really were a different era, werent they?
She is preparing to tie the knot with former soap star and actor Harley Bonner soon.

And on Wednesday, model Natalie Roser looked every inch the blushing bride-to-be as she stepped out in a floaty white dress ahead of their nuptials.

The 31-year-old, who celebrated her hens on the weekend, was seen walking one of their pet pooches in Double Bay, Sydney.

Not long now! Natalie Roser showed off her trim figure in a white dress as she took her puppy for a walk in Double Bay, Sydney on Wednesday ahead of her nuptials to Harley Bonner

Natalie looked flawless in her frock, which showed off her cleavage and long, trim pins.

Her dress featured a chic floral design and she teamed the look with runners and a black handbag.

The blonde bombshell wore her long locks out and around her shoulders and was glammed up in natural-looking makeup.

Adorable! Natalie doted on her pet pooch Prim on the outing, looking relaxed as she enjoyed some downtime after a big weekend

Natalie doted on her pet pooch Prim on the outing, looking relaxed as she enjoyed some downtime after a big weekend.

At the weekend, Natalie celebrated her hens with close friends including model and Australian Survivor star Shannon Lawson, Big Brother alum Aisha McKinnon and model Laura Dundovic.

Natalie is preparing to tie the knot with actor Harley Bonner, who recently quit Home and Away after less than a year on the soap.

Party time: At the weekend, Natalie celebrated her hens with close friends including model and Australian Survivor star Shannon Lawson, Big Brother alum Aisha McKinnon and model Laura Dundovic

The couple announced their engagement in November, sharing a time-lapse video on Instagram of the moment Harley popped the question during a romantic picnic.

Harley surprised the blonde bombshell with an engagement ring, before getting down on bended knee.

Natalie was overwhelmed by the gesture and wasted no time saying yes.

'HB and NR,' the pair captioned the announcement.

The couple celebrated their five-year anniversary of dating earlier this month.
Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn cut a casually chic figure when she was spotted stepping out in Beverly Hills this week.

Sweeping her signature platinum locks into an updo, the 33-year-old Texan bombshell showed off her endless pins in a pair of leggings.

She warded off the wintertime chill with a cream Gucci hoodie and swung along a glimmering silver purse, accessorizing with shades.

Selling Sunset star: Christine Quinn cut a casually chic figure when she was spotted stepping out in Beverly Hills this week

The Christine is married to retired tech entrepreneur Christian Richard with whom she welcomed a baby son called Christian last May.

Just as Christine finished filming a season of Selling Sunset her water broke and she had an emergency cesarean.

Shortly afterward she joked to People: 'Let's just say he was born with good taste. He has a closet filled with designer outfits that I cannot wait to dress him in!'

However she recently gave an interview to ET Canada where she frankly discussed having postpartum depression on the shoot of Selling Sunset.

Glam in Gucci: Sweeping her signature platinum locks into an updo, the 33-year-old Texan bombshell showed off her endless pins in a pair of leggings

To make matters worse, the show was edited to hide her pregnancy and Christine had to cope with blowback from viewers as a result.

They edited me from you know, the boobs up so I got a lot of backlash on social media saying: "I cant believe youre doing yoga two weeks after giving birth after having an emergency C-section,"' she said.

'My process was not easy by any means and on TV, they make it look easy. But I was I was struggling in real life. I really was.'

Swanking about: Christine, who became one of the breakthrough stars of Selling Sunset, is pictured turning up the glam factor on her Instagram page

Meanwhile she said she was treated in an 'extremely hurtful' way by her co-stars despite being 'absolutely' open with them and the producers about her troubles.

'They make fun of the fact of me being late in the show. "Oh, Christines late. Oh, Christines late,"' she told the outlet.

'And its because I was literally having panic attacks and I was worried about my pregnancy and something going wrong because every time I was working, I was walking into work. It was a lions den and these girls were pitted against me. And it was really, really difficult.'

Precaution: After getting death threats because of the show she told the Daily Star in 2020 that she acquired a tiger as part of her home security detail

Christine became a sensation on Selling Sunset and achieved a reputation as the show's 'villain' on account of her friction with some of her co-stars.

After getting death threats because of the show she told the Daily Star in 2020 that she acquired a tiger as part of her home security detail.

In spite of her circumstances she said she was 'thankful to be in this position. Youre only hated if youve done something great. Thats how I like to look at it.'
She's the young Aussie model who captured billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes' heart.

And it's not hard to see why, as Madeline Holtznagel looked incredible on Wednesday as she enjoyed a Pilates session with her lookalike sister Simone Holtznagel in Sydney.

Madeline, 26, showed off her cleavage and washboard abs in a pink crop top and matching shorts as she worked up a sweat.

Pretty in pink! Justin Hemmes' model girlfriend Madeline Holtznagel showed off her incredible figure at Pilates with her lookalike sister Simone on Wednesday

The blonde shared a mirror selfie as she celebrated the new studio launch for Body Love Pilates.

Simone, 28, also shared a selfie of the pair together, captioning it: 'My lil Barbie'.

It comes after Madeline gave a glimpse at her notoriously private romance with Merivale boss Justin Hemmes, 49.

Cute! Simone, 28, also shared a selfie of the pair together, captioning it: 'My lil Barbie'

She posted a sweet tribute to him on Instagram on Monday to mark Valentine's Day.

A bikini-clad Madeline was seen kissing Justin in one photo, while in another the couple is pictured together on his seaplane.

'Valentine's Day every day with you,' she captioned one photo.

Agents have reportedly been warning Madeline she could be missing important opportunities in the modelling industry because she is prioritising her relationship over her career.

Tribute: It comes after Madeline gave a glimpse at her notoriously private romance with Merivale boss Justin Hemmes, 49. She posted a sweet tribute to him on Instagram on Monday to mark Valentine's Day

'It's not like Madeline is going out with a Hemsworth,' one industry source told The Daily Telegraph.

'I don't think this relationship with Justin will have much of an impact on her career. If anything, she will be more known as a bit of a celebrity model as opposed to a fashion model.'

Another source close to the couple said: 'It's all well and good now, but there might come a time when the relationship runs its course and she will need her modelling career, so she can support herself financially.'

Madeline and Justin have been dating for some time, and she also spent lockdown at his Vaucluse mansion in 2020.

She now reportedly lives in a Coogee penthouse he owns.
Married At First Sight's dinner party is set to feature plenty of drama.

A trailer for Wednesday night's episode saw Holly Greenstein confront her 'husband' Andrew Davis after he branded her a 'narcissist' during a blazing row.

After arriving to the dinner party, Holly decided to sit at the opposite end of the table to Andrew.

Tension: Married At First Sight's dinner party descends into chaos as Holly Greenstein shocks the relationship experts by confronting sex-crazed Texan husband Andrew Davis

MAFS expert John Aiken then said: 'I don't think we've actually seen that happen before.'

Holly then confronts Andrew, saying: 'You made me feel lesser than dirt.'

Elsewhere in the trailer, Tamara is seen yelling at Brent, before he tells producers: 'I will never be spoken to like that again.'

Confrontation: A trailer for Wednesday night's episode saw Holly Greenstein confront her 'husband' Andrew Davis after he branded her a 'narcissist' during blazing row

It comes after Andrew left his bride Holly reeling after branding her a 'narcissist' during a blazing row on Tuesday night - leading her to kick him out of her apartment in shock.

The couple's relationship has gone from bad to worse in recent weeks, after Andrew slammed Holly's skills in the bedroom before saying he felt she was pressuring him into wanting children.

'You just don't like me, and I can feel that. I don't think you're capable of being my friend right now,' Holly told her partner during the tense discussion.

'Holly. I've still not heard any apologies of how you showed up in any way, or any accountability,' Andrew bit back.

Shocked: MAFS expert John Aiken then said: 'I don't think we've actually seen that happen before'

'Until that happens, I don't see this progressing in any way.'

Andrew had chosen to 'stay' in the experiment with Holly during the first commitment ceremony on Monday, after initially writing 'leave' and scribbling it out.

'I said stay because there was, like, a one per cent of me that was like, give it a chance, give it a go...' he told Holly during their chat.

'[But] I feel that you're demonstrating a bit of narcissistic behaviour, if I'm being honest with you.

'I'm just saying how I feel, if you don't agree with that you're entitled to that.'
Skye Wheatley has responded to ongoing rumours she's split from her longtime partner, Lachlan Waugh.

In a post on Instagram Stories on Tuesday, the 27-year-old Big Brother star shared a close-up photo of her pasta dish.

'Baby daddy's spag bowl is something else,' she captioned the post, referring to Lachlan, 30.

Dropping hints: Skye Wheatley has responded to ongoing rumours she's split from her longtime partner, Lachlan Waugh

It's the first time Skye has referenced Lachlan on Instagram since December 29, when she last shared a photo with him.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Skye's management for comment.

Reports of a breakup first emerged in September last year, after Skye and Lachlan unfollowed each other on Instagram.

Food for thought: In a post on Instagram Stories on Tuesday, the 27-year-old Big Brother star shared a close-up photo of her pasta dish

Back on the radar: 'Baby daddy's spag bowl is something else,' she captioned the post, referring to Lachlan, 30

Lachlan appears to have since deleted his Instagram account altogether, and is no longer tagged in any of Skye's photos.

Skye was also forced to apologise at the time after making an 'insensitive' joke on Instagram about the couple's sex life.

During an Instagram Stories Q&A with fans, the video blogger joked that she demands sex from Lachlan even when he isn't in the mood.

Last post: It's the first time Skye has referenced Lachlan on Instagram since December 29, when she last shared a photo with him

When asked who was more dominant in bed, she responded: 'Hahahahaha me... but only when he's mad and says he doesn't want to have sex.'

'Hahahahaha ain't nobody telling me no... I won't take no for an answer if I want sexy time,' she added.

She later apologised for her 'insensitive, triggering' words and promised to think twice before making similar jokes in the future.

Telling: Reports of a breakup first emerged in September last year, after Skye and Lachlan unfollowed each other on Instagram

'Lachlan and I have a healthy, balanced sexual life. I have never been in a situation with Lachlan where he [has] done anything he hasn't wanted to do sexually or vice versa,' she wrote.

'At no point would I ever do anything to another human being that they don't consent to.'

Lachlan also responded to the furore created by Skye's comments with a separate post on his Instagram Stories at the time.

Disappearing act: Lachlan appears to have since deleted his Instagram account altogether, and is no longer tagged in any of Skye's photos

'I can't believe I have to come on here and address this on my behalf. Don't f**king message me asking if "I'm okay",' the tradie raged.

'Come on guys honestly our sex is always consensual. What Skye posted was worded incorrectly. Please stop harassing us.'

Skye and Lachlan met on Tinder back in 2017, and are parents to two young sons, Forest, three, and Bear, 10 months.
Married At First Sight star Davina Rankin has returned to Instagram days after shocking her followers by abruptly deleting her account.

In an emotional post addressing her return to the social media platform, the influencer and reality star admitted that she'd been struggling with stress.

'Even though social media is my job, I do find myself getting stressed out about it,' the 29-year-old wrote.

She's back! Married At First Sight star Davina Rankin has returned to Instagram days after shocking her followers by abruptly deleting her account

'I find myself mindlessly scrolling, comparing & feeling the responsibility to share more and more of my life,' she continued.

'So its really important for me to take a few days out here and there and really just give my full attention to whats going on around me.'

Davina, who is best remembered as the 'villain' of Married At First Sight's fifth season in 2018, recently deactivated her account - despite boasting a whopping 359K followers.

Hard times: In an emotional post addressing her return to the social media platform, the influencer and reality star admitted that she'd been struggling with stres

While her absence sent alarm bells ringing for some fans, earlier this week a source close to the star said there was nothing to worry about.

'Davina's just having some time off Instagram,' the pal explained.

'She's on the Gold Coast enjoying a low-key holiday with [her fiance] Jaxon and their daughter. She just wanted a detox and time to enjoy herself,' they added.

Davina announced her engagement to Jaxon in March last year. The couple share two-year-old daughter Mila-Mae.

Phew! 'She's on the Gold Coast enjoying a low-key holiday with [her fiance] Jaxon and their daughter. She just wanted a detox and time to enjoy herself,' they added. Pictured: Davina and Jaxon

Davina outraged viewers back in 2018 when she 'cheated' on her husband Ryan with co-star Dean on the show.

On an episode of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! this year, Davina told campmate Beau Ryan that she 'didn't leave the house for three months' when the saga played out on screen.

The brunette, who revealed she had not even kissed or slept with Dean, went on to say that her parents were 'so devastated' for her, as parts of the wedding that revealed Ryan's true behaviour were cut from the show.

Remember this? Davina was paired with Ryan Gallagher on MAFS, but she soon found herself at the centre of a 'cheating' scandal with co-star Dean Wells (right)

Asked by Beau how she handled the villain portrayal and negative headlines, Davina broke down in tears and revealed: 'When it all came out and MAFS was airing, I didn't leave the house for three months.'

Wiping away tears, Davina went on to recall her parents being 'so devastated' for her.

'I had all my friends and family at the wedding. They saw how it all went down and how he [Ryan] was, and when they watched the wedding on TV they were like, "Wow!"

'There was so much stuff that went down at the wedding that made him look bad, but none of it got aired. It was just me and my b**chy bridesmaids.'

Davina went on to say that she's now 'in a great place' and is grateful for the opportunity to star on I'm a Celebrity.
She was reported last month to be divorcing her bodyguard husband Dan Hayhurst after being married for just over a year.

But Pamela Anderson was soldiering on on Tuesday night, when she was seen dining out at the swanky Japanese restaurant Nobu Malibu with her son Dylan Jagger Lee, 24, and her assistant Jonathan.

The 54-year-old Baywatch star put on an elegant display for the evening with a classic black dress.

Family outing: Pamela Anderson, 54, looked sleek in a black dress as she joined her son Dylan Jagger Lee (L), 25, for dinner at Nobu Malibu on Tuesday evening

Pamela's look featured long sleeves and reached down to her knees, with a short slit in the back of her skirt that highlighted her fit legs.

She contrasted the dark outfit with a beige set of pointy open-toe heels that elevated her 5ft7in stature.

The Barb Wire star wore her instantly identifiable blond locks with a middle part and cascading down her shoulders in thick waves.

She kept her look modest and only accessorized with a quilted black handbag.

Dylan, whom she shares with her ex-husband Tommy Lee, looked casual in a paint-splattered gray hoodie with loose-fitting light blue jeans and weathered gray sneakers.

Stylish: Pamela's look featured long sleeves and a short slit in the back that highlighted her fit legs. She wore it with pointy beige open-toe heels

On point: She accessorized with a black quilted handbag. Pamela was also joined by her assistant Jonathan (L)

He sported a goatee and had on a tan ski cap under his hood.

Pamela and her Motley Crue ex also share another son, 25-year-old Brandon Thomas Lee.

Late last month, Rolling Stone reported that the actress and her husband Dan Hayhurst were divorcing after just 13 months of marriage.

She filed to end her marriage in her native Canada, where she had spent much of her time at the height of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

DailyMail.com had reported exclusively in January 2021 that Anderson had tied the knot with Hayhurst, who had been her bodyguard.

It's over! Late last month, Rolling Stone reported that the actress and her bodyguard husband Dan Hayhurst were divorcing after just 13 months of marriage

Pamela, who was born in Canada and holds dual citizenship, had been living in Canada with her husband throughout her short-lived marriage.

She appears to be back home in Malibu now and more regularly spending time with her family after ending things with Hayhurst.

Pamela's first marriage to rocker Tommy Lee has lately been in the news again after their turbulent union became the subject of the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy.

Lily James transformed herself into Pam for the role with veneers, blond wigs, prosthetic breasts and even a fake forehead.

Avengers star Sebastian Stan got covered in fake tattoos to nail Tommy's appearance during the period.

The couple married in 1995  after only knowing each other for four days  and divorced in 1998.

On TV: Her marriage to rocker Tommy Lee is back in the news as Lily James and Sebastian Stan play the couple in Hulu's Pam & Tommy, which focuses on the theft and distribution of their infamous sex tape (pictured right in 2005)

The show focuses on the period in which the couple's infamous sex tape was leaked to the world.

Seth Rogen, who co-executive produces the series, also stars as Rand Gauthier, a craftsman whom Tommy pulls a gun on and refuses to pay for work he did on the couple house.

Gauthier sneaks back later to steal a safe in the their garage as revenge, and he discovers it contains a recording of the couple's lovemaking, which he and the pornographer Uncle Miltie (Nick Offerman) decide to sell.

Earlier in February, a source close to Pamela worried to People that the series had 're-traumatized' the actress all over again.

'After the tape was made public, it was a very traumatizing situation and it's unfair that she is being re-subjected to this trauma, like re-opening a wound,' they claimed.

'She's a human being and a mom. There's a sense of hypocrisy about it. It's her life and she should have the decision [as to] whether it's turned into a commodity for public consumption.'
Shanna Moakler has stopped following her boyfriend Matthew Rondeau on Instagram following her recent elimination from Celebrity Big Brother.

The 46-year-old model left the CBS show on Monday and it was noticed on Tuesday that she was no longer following Matthew, 29, on the social media site, according to an article by Us Weekly.

Her move followed claims that Matthew was having misgivings about his plans to pop the question to Shanna after watching her compete on Celebrity Big Brother.

Trouble in paradise: Shanna Moakler has stopped following her boyfriend Matthew Rondeau on Instagram following her recent elimination from Celebrity Big Brother

He was allegedly unhappy with the double entendres she exchanged with Lamar Odom, insiders told TMZ.

The conjecture came just days after Matt was spotted shopping at a Tiffany's in Thousand Oaks, California outside Los Angeles.

Matthew is reportedly particularly miffed because there are some specific turns of phrase that he says around her that she is allegedly deploying in the house.

Sources claim that Matthew regarded Shanna's behavior as being fueled by the reality TV producers.

Bad timing: Matt, shown with Shanna on Instagram, was recently spotted shopping at a Tiffany's in Thousand Oaks, California outside Los Angeles

Star turn: Shanna recently competed on the US edition of Celebrity Big Brother - and Matthew reportedly watched the public live feed from the house

Goofing around: Matthew, 29, was allegedly unhappy with the double-entendres Shanna exchanged with Lamar Odom, insiders told TMZ

One clip cited by TMZ shows Shanna playfully helping Lamar, 42, apply a couple of gold treatment masks under his eyes.

As she pressed one of the masks onto his cheek, she pointed out it was 'wetter' and Lamar said with a chuckle: 'That's always better.'

Shanna responded by laughing herself and saying: 'It's always better when it's wetter! That's my motto.'

Matthew, a model, began dating Shanna in 2020 and last year he staunchly denied an allegation that he cheated on her.

The accusation came from Shanna's own daughter Alabama Barker, whom she shares with her ex-husband Travis Barker of Blink-182 fame.

Helping hand: One clip cited by TMZ shows Shanna playfully helping Lamar apply a couple of gold treatment masks under his eyes

Having fun: As she pressed one of the masks onto his cheek, she pointed out it was 'wetter' and Lamar said with a chuckle: 'That's always better.' She responded by laughing herself and saying: 'It's always better when it's wetter! That's my motto'

Alabama, 16, was at the time waging a public war of words against her mother online and took aim at her boyfriend as well, saying: 'Matthew is nothing but awful to her. Not only that, but he cheats on her.'

Matthew responded in Life And Style: 'Our love is real. We had our ups and downs in the past but never have we cheated on one another.'

Shanna, who has been both Miss USA and a Playboy Playmate, blamed the trouble with her children on Travis' relationship with Kourtney Kardashian.

'I don't really understand why Kourtney is queen,' she told Life And Style, confessing her children had 'a lot of animosity' to Matthew.

Oh, dear: Sources claim that Matthew regards Shanna's behavior as being fueled by the reality TV producers, and he is allegedly of the opinion that she is stepping over the linePlaying along: Shanna responded by laughing herself and saying: 'It's always better when it's wetter! That's my motto'

'They'd been really not nice to him, as well, and he hasnt done anything except be really supportive to me,' Shanna insisted.

Although Shanna and Matt briefly broke up last year, it emerged last October that they had decided to give the romance another try.

Travis and Kourtney are now engaged and are so famous for their public displays of affection that her sister Kim sent them up for it on Saturday Night Live.

In the past Shanna has trafficked in allegations that her marriage to Travis broke up after he had an affair with Kim.

Off and on: Although Shanna and Matt briefly broke up last year, it emerged last October that they had decided to give the romance another try

Just last year Shanna claimed on social media: 'I divorced Travis because I caught him having an affair with Kim!' prompting a Kim source to insist to Page Six that there was 'zero truth' to the allegation.

Meanwhile Kim and Kourtney's younger sister Khloe Kardashian was once married to Lamar, who was serially unfaithful to her.

While their marriage was falling apart he infamously overdosed in a Nevada brothel and wound up in a coma which he luckily survived.

During his current stint on Celebrity Big Brother he confessed he would not feel complete unless he were given another chance with her.

Whoops: Lamar made headlines on this season of Celebrity Big Brother by accidentally defecating in bed and then blaming it on too much milk

He shared in a confessional that when one takes 'a vow under the Lord's eye that you expect to honor that vow which I didn't and it kind of haunts me.'

Lamar admitted that 'I do miss her and her family dearly,' adding: 'Even just to her family, I am sorry that I let them down.'

He said of the Kardashians: 'They had so much faith in me and gave me my own nickname "Lammy." I would do anything to make it up.'

Early in the run of this season of Celebrity Big Brother he made headlines by accidentally defecating in bed and then blaming too much milk.
Drake honored his son Adonis in a new snap on his Instagram story, which featured his only child in a unique way.

The 35-year-old Canadian rapper (real name Aubrey Drake Graham) took to his Instagram story on Tuesday.

The photo showed that he always keeps his son close, showcasing a miniscule photo of his four-year-old son on a tiny earpiece.

Earpiece: The photo showed that he always keeps his son close, showcasing a miniscule photo of his four-year-old son on a tiny earpiece

Adonis was born to French model and painter Sophie Brussaux on October 11, 2017, with the rapper confirming he was the father on his 2018 album Scorpion.

His photo comes just weeks after the rapper was seen with his son at a Toronto Raptors game in his hometown, as they battled the Chicago Bulls.

He was spotted masking up with his son as they sat in the front row at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto

Parents: Adonis was born to French model and painter Sophie Brussaux on October 11, 2017, with the rapper confirming he was the father on his 2018 album Scorpion.

Drake attracted a horde of celebrities as he performed before the Super Bowl during 'Homecoming' weekend.

The Canadian rapper performed at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood on Saturday before the big game.

Celebs such as Justin and Hailey Bieber, Lizzo, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, Cardi B and Shay Mitchell were spotted at the event.

Perform: Drake attracted a horde of celebrities as he performed before the Super Bowl during 'Homecoming' weekend

The rapper is also getting back to work in the studio, spotted heading into the studio twice last week before the Super Bowl.

While there is no indication when the new record will be ready, he's coming off his 2021 album Certified Lover Boy, his first album since 2018's Scorpion.

The album broke both Apple Music and Spotify records for the largest streaming debut in a single day.

Studio: The rapper is also getting back to work in the studio, spotted heading into the studio twice last week before the Super Bowl

Life Is Good, a collaboration between American rapper Future and Drake, was released as their third single to Future's eighth studio album, High Off Life (2020), which dropped in January 2020 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It would get certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 21, 2021. The visual version ended up going over a billion views in just eight months, and then two billion views in just over two years.

Before the success of Life Is Good, Drake's most viewed music video was for Hotline Bling, the first single off his fourth studio album Views (2016), which currently has over 1.8 billion views on YouTube.

Life is good: Life Is Good, a collaboration between American rapper Future and Drake, was released as their third single to Future's eighth studio album, High Off Life (2020), which dropped in January 2020 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100
China facilitates development of AG600 large amphibious aircraft

Xinhua) 15:59, February 16, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- China is facilitating the development of the homegrown AG600 large amphibious aircraft, a key member of the country's "large aircraft family," according to the developer Wednesday.

In 2022, the AG600 project has set a target to see three new aircraft enter the final assembly phase and three aircraft to take maiden flights, said the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker.

The AVIC is endeavoring to ensure the progress of the AG600 project, which is tailored to serve the country's demand in strengthening the emergency rescue system and natural disaster prevention and control system.

Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 is a key piece of aeronautical equipment in China's emergency rescue system. Together with the Y-20 large transporter and the C919 single-aisle passenger airplane, it is also part of China's key project to independently develop a "large aircraft family."

As a model of special-purpose aircraft, the AG600 has been developed by the AVIC to meet the needs of firefighting and marine rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency rescue operations.

The AG600 is also among the world's largest under-developing large amphibious aircraft with high requirements and diverse test areas due to its complicated missions and working conditions, according to the AVIC.

It is designed to operate in complex weather and environmental conditions. During rescue missions, it can conduct low-altitude water surface searches and can act as an anchor during water and maritime rescue missions. The aircraft is capable of rescuing up to 50 people per mission.

The AG600 successfully completed its maiden flight in 2017, its first takeoff from a water reservoir in 2018, and its maiden flight over the sea in 2020.

The AVIC has completed the production of three AG600 aircraft prototypes. Among these, the first prototype is undergoing test flights and the second is in static testing.

At the Airshow China 2021, an AG600 aircraft performed an aerial water drop and displayed its firefighting capabilities to the public.

Last December, the third AG600 prototype rolled off the production line in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province. Made purposely for the test flight, it is now undergoing related ground tests for the mission, according to the AVIC.

The following aircraft production, airplane static test, ground test and other works are moving forward in an orderly manner in diverse branches of the AVIC across the country, said the Chinese plane-maker.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics chant during a press conference in front of the company's building in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap



By Park Jae-hyuk



Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics took a step back from starting the first-ever strike in the company's 53-year history, amid negative public sentiment about their ongoing protest, as they are paid much higher wages than most salaried employees in Korea.



Representatives from the conglomerate's four unions told reporters Wednesday that they were not in favor of going on strike at this moment, calling it a "last resort."



"Samsung's group-wide problems cannot be resolved simply through our strike," said Lee Hyun-kook, the leader of the emergency planning committee of the Nationwide Samsung Electronics Union, the largest among the four unions.



The unionized workers were initially expected to announce their strike plan at Wednesday's press conference, after they won the legal right to go on strike when the National Labor Relations Commission's arbitration failed on Monday to lead to efforts to reach an agreement between company workers and management over their wages for 2021.



The conglomerate's unions can go on strike legally, if a majority of their members vote in favor of the action.



Instead of going on strike immediately, however, they demanded a dialogue with Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong or other top executives, such as Vice Chairman Chung Hyun-ho, Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee or President Kyung Kye-hyun.



Samsung Electronics' unions threatened to join hands with unionized workers at other Samsung affiliates to take every possible measure, if the top executives refuse to participate in negotiations.



The unions plan to hold another rally next Wednesday in front of the conglomerate's building in Seoul, along with other Samsung affiliate unions facing difficulty reaching wage agreements with management.



In response, Samsung Electronics' management reiterated that it will continue to hold talks with workers. However, it has remained reluctant to accept the union's request for a 10 million won ($8,400) increase in each employee's annual salary and payment of performance-based bonuses equivalent to 25 percent of the conglomerate's operating profit.



Last March, the company's joint labor-management council had already agreed to raise the base salary for 2021 by 4.5 percent and the performance-based bonus by 3 percent.



Minority shareholders of Samsung Electronics have expressed concerns that higher salaries could reduce their shareholder returns. There is also criticism that the four unions cannot represent all of Samsung Electronics' employees, because the combined number of their members accounts for only 4 percent of the 110,000 employees.




Bindi Irwin has revealed a new tattoo during an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

The 23-year-old wildlife warrior showcased the ink - which reads 'graceful warrior' - during an interview with guest host Taraji P. Henson on Wednesday.

In footage shared to Instagram, Bindi is seen revealing the touching meaning behind the artwork, which adorns her left forearm.

Touching: Bindi Irwin revealed a new tattoo on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Wednesday - and shared the heartwarming link with her late father Steve Irwin

'When beautiful Grace Warrior was born, my first words were that she's our graceful warrior. And that's how she actually got her name,' Bindi explained.

'And so in her honour, I got graceful warrior tattooed on my arm with my dad's writing so that my beautiful daughter and my dad could always be together and be with me,' she said.

Bindi told Henson that it's 'really special' to have both her daughter and her father 'close' to her, 'no matter what happens in life'.

Context: The 23-year-old wildlife warrior showcased the ink - which reads 'graceful warrior' - during an interview with guest host Taraji P. Henson

Heartwarming: In footage shared to Instagram, Bindi is seen revealing the touching meaning behind the artwork, which adorns her left forearm. Pictured with her husband Chandler Powell and daughter Grace Warrior

'And so I'm really blessed. I have such a wonderful family and I feel like dad is always with us in everything that we do,' she emotionally added.

Bindi's symbolic tattoo dedicated to her daughter and father comes as her mother Terri Irwin shared a sweet tribute to her late husband on Valentine's Day on Monday.

The 57-year-old American personality shared a throwback picture of the couple sharing a kiss before Steve fed some crocodiles at Australia Zoo in the years before his tragic death.

Sweet: Terri Irwin shared a sweet tribute to her late husband Steve on Valentine's Day on Monday. The 57-year-old shared a throwback picture of the couple sharing a kiss before Steve fed some crocodiles at Australia Zoo in the years before his tragic death

Terri said that despite all their responsibilities at the zoo, the couple always found time for 'love'.

'Before feeding our beautiful crocodiles @AustraliaZoo, there was always a moment for love!' Terri wrote, adding the hashtag 'happy Valentine's Day'.

In the flashback image, the pair were both clad in their khaki Australia Zoo uniforms and kiss near the crocodile enclosure.

It comes after Terri shared another tribute to Steve earlier this month as she marked their engagement anniversary.

'There was always a moment for love!': Terri said that despite all their responsibilities at the zoo, the couple always found time for 'love'

She posted a never-before-seen image of the pair sitting on a lounge together on Twitter, and revealed it has been 30 years since he proposed.

'It was 30 years ago today that Steve proposed,' Terri began.

'One word - Yes! - began our journey of love, adventure, travel, and filming in all the "glamorous" locations! Most of all, we had fun.'

Steve tragically died in September 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a documentary on the Batt Reef in Queensland.
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Pam & Tommy's fifth episode, entitled Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth, saw Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) come under strain as their sex tape made the inevitable move from the sleazy corners of the internet to mainstream news.

The episode, set in 1996, began with a Los Angeles Times reporter learning of the tapes existence and attempting to pitch an article to her editor to no avail, who dismisses the story as gossip and is not convinced the story meets the level of respectable news reporting.

As talk of the tape continues to spread like wildfire, Pamela is 'distracting' herself from her devastating miscarriage depicted in episode four, as well as the tape, by doing press for Barbed Wire, admitting to the journalist that she 'doesn't want to dwell on any bad things in the past and move on'.

Pam & Tommy episode 5 recap: The couple's marriage came under strain as their sex tape moved from the internet to national news while they faced a legal battle with Penthouse magazine

Meanwhile, Tommy is struggling to cope with his grief and is seen in a downward spiral of drinking, partying and fighting in a bid to numb his pain, leaving Pamela in crisis talks with her publicist Gail Chwatsky (Mozhan Marno).

Pamela then sits down to discuss her sex tape and learns it's beginning to spiral out of control online, prompting a ferocious row with Tommy later in the evening as she accuses him of benefiting from the release of the video.

As the couple's private investigator continues to hunt down the initial leak of the tape, Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) is nowhere to be seen after abandoning his apartment shortly after clearing out the porn studio of all hard copies of the tape. Miltie (Nick Offerman) is also suspiciously absent from the episode.

Under strain: As talk of the tape continues to spread like wildfire, Pamela is 'distracting' herself from her devastating miscarriage depicted in episode four, as well as the tape, by doing press for Barbed Wire

Where are they? As Pam and Tommy's sex tape becomes headline news Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) and Miltie (Nick Offerman) are suspiciously absent from the episode

Tommy's bad luck also continues to spiral as he learns his record label is starting to lose interest in Motley Crue and is investing their time and energy in a viral video.

Undeterred by her editor's initial rejection, the LA Times reporter continues to dig around for a story, calling Tommy for comment, and while he tells her in no uncertain times to 'f**k off', he makes the fatal error of revealing the video was stolen, giving the story a newsworthy angle.

The tape then falls into the hands of Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione, with Pamela and Tommy's lawyers quick to suggest they sue in a bid to stop images from the video appearing in the adult magazine.

On the scent: The episode, set in 1996, began with a Los Angeles Times reporter learning of the tapes existence and attempting to pitch an article to her editor to no avail, who dismisses the story as gossip

Tension: Tommy is struggling to cope with his grief and is seen in a downward spiral of drinking, partying and fighting in a bid to numb his pain, leaving Pamela in crisis talks with her publicist

Their plan backfires, however, with Bob's legal team aren't willing to roll over, arguing that it's 'freedom of speech' that will allow them to publish 20 of the 'nastiest' images, while the LA Times catches wind of the legal battle and decides to publish it as news.

As Pamela assures herself that 'no one will even see' the back page feature, she's unfortunately misguided, with Jay Leno's (Adam Ray) team and also Hugh Hefner (Mike Seely) picking up on article.

While Pamela and Tommy continue to drift apart with their constant rows, the couple then see their tape being mocked on The Tonight Show, with Leno quipping that being completely naked is Pamela's 'work attire' and that her 'floatation devices' have pleased boating safety experts.

The episode ends with Pamela being summoned to give an oral deposition in the legal battle with Penthouse's team. As Tommy reminds her 'were in this together', the glamour model is seen realising that this isn't truly the case.

Distressing: Pamela informs publicist Gail Chwatsky (Mozhan Marno) of the tape's existence and the pair learn it's being mass produced on the internet

Sexism: The pair are left discussing how to navigate through life as women in a man's world

Fury: Pamela then sits down to discuss her sex tape and learns it's beginning to spiral out of control online, prompting a ferocious row with Tommy later in the evening as she accuses him of benefiting from the release of the video

Uh oh: The tape then falls into the hands of Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione, with Pamela and Tommy's lawyers quick to suggest they sue in a bid to stop images from the video appearing in the adult magazine

The fifth episode dropped following claims Pamela Anderson's inner-circle reportedly fears she is being 're-traumatized' by the series.

'After the tape was made public, it was a very traumatizing situation and it's unfair that she is being re-subjected to this trauma, like re-opening a wound," the source says,' a source told PEOPLE.

The leaking of the tape was a time of devastation for the Nineties pin-up, now 54, and the Motley Crue rocker, now 59, as their X-rated honeymoon moment was spread across the internet for all to view.

Oh dear: Their plan backfires, however, with Bob's legal team aren't willing to roll over and vow to publish 20 of the 'nastiest' images, while the LA Times catches wind of the legal battle and decides to publish it as news

In the public eye: As Pamela assures herself that 'no one will even see' the back page feature, she's unfortunately misguided, with Jay Leno's (Adam Ray) team and also Hugh Hefner (Mike Seely) picking up on article

Strained: While Pamela and Tommy continue to drift apart with their constant rows, the couple then see their tape being mocked on The Tonight Show

It had been locked away in a safe, which was later snatched by a disgruntled former employee, Rand Gauthier. Once the tape was found, it was soon released to the public.

PEOPLE's source claimed that those close to Pamela believe that the series 'is re-exploiting Pamela' and that, like anyone else, she 'deserves a level of respect.'

They continued: 'She's a human being and a mom. There's a sense of hypocrisy about it. It's her life and she should have the decision [as to] whether it's turned into a commodity for public consumption.'

Furious: Pamela watches on as Leno quips that being completely naked is Pamela's 'work attire' and that her 'floatation devices' have pleased boating safety experts

Alone: The episode ends with Pamela being summoned to give an oral deposition in the legal battle with Penthouse's team. As Tommy reminds her 'were in this together', the glamour model is seen realising that this isn't truly the case

At the time, Pamela was already well-known for her role as swimsuit-clad C.J. Parker on the hit TV series Baywatch, as well as her hot-and-heavy relationship with Tommy. But it was the sex tape that really sent her fame into overdrive.

'Then when [the leaked sex tape] happened, there were paparazzi following her and always outside of her home. She was not seeking any more attention  she had enough,' the source alleged.

Pamela had willingly posed topless for Playboy back in 1992, before going on to add more covers to her impressive roster, but having her body exposed without her consent was deeply upsetting to the star.

'If you go back to her Playboy [cover], she always had the perspective that that was her conscious choice.

Pam & Tommy drops on Wednesday on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in Europe

'Sweaty' silicon breast plates, four hours in makeup and an animatronic penis: How Lily James and Sebastian Stan were able to replicate Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's sex scenes

Lily James

Body

For Baywatch babe Pamela, her 34DD bust is just as well known as her acting skills, with English rose Lily forced to apply a prosthetic breast plate in order to boost her 32B bra size.

Special makeup effects designer Jason Collins was tasked with making the fake bust look as real as possible, revealing that it was made out of gel-filled silicone that gave it the appearance and movement of natural skin.

Jason told Harper's Bazaar that he would blend the prosthetic just past Lily's clavicle and an inch past her breast line to secure it properly and revealed that a new breast plate was required daily, estimating they made their way through 50 prosthetics.

Discussing the prosthetic, Lily said: 'The breast piece was amazing. You would never, never know it wasn't me. It was shocking.'

Wow: While the pair have been praised for their incredible transformation, there was initially doubt over whether the duo could take on the roles (Pamela and Tommy pictured right in 2005)

Yet despite the realistic nature of the item, practical reasons meant that Lily filmed several of her scenes without it.

She explained: 'Because it took so long to put on, I didn't wear it as much as I wanted to. We sort of cheated with my own boobs and figured out outfits and stuff to camouflage or hide and faked the illusion they're bigger.'

She added: 'It would be boiling hot  I got really sweaty and my boobs were coming off - I'm English, it's too hot!'

Lily also worked on overhauling her figure in a natural sense as well, working with a personal trainer for six months prior to filming in order to mimic Pamela's slight physique.

She told Entertainment Weekly: 'He worked me so hard and I got really fit. I lost a ton of weight.'

'It was really wonderful to feel like that, to feel so in my own body. It was really tough though, but it was rewarding.'

Lily revealed that her training didn't ease up during filming either, explaining: 'He would make me do all my work and reading my script on a running machine.

'And I did boxing with a really cool guy in LA, which I love too, being physically strong like I could literally beat someone up.'

Boosted: English rose Lily (pictured left in 2017) was forced to apply a prosthetic breast plate in order to boost her 32B bra size to Pamela's famous 34DDs

Hair

With Pamela being the ultimate blonde bombshell, it was vital Lily worked with the best hair stylists in order to hide away her naturally brunette locks.

Lily filmed her scenes on a rotation of four custom lace front wigs, each a blend of three to four different blondes to achieve Pam's perfect platinum color.

Hair stylist Barry Lee Moe told Harper's that they shaded the roots of the wigs in order to add 'depth' and a 'natural' look, while each wig featured a separate custom nape piece for the updos.

Transformed: With Pamela being the ultimate blonde bombshell, it was vital Lily worked with the best hair stylists in order to hide away her naturally brunette locks (pictured right in 2017)

So enamoured was Lily by her new blonde look, that the actress invested in a wig of her own and would wear it while running errands off the set, noting it helped with her staying in character.

She said of her transformation: 'I've never done anything where I look very different from myself before. And I'd really like to continue in this vein, because I felt there was something very freeing and liberating in it.

'There was a bravery that came from that. A courage that came from disappearing.'

Suits you: So enamoured was Lily by her new blonde look, that the actress invested in a wig of her own and would wear it while running errands off the set

Face

While the most obvious physical dissimilarities between Lily and Pamela may have been their figures, great care was still taken to match them facially.

Lily explained: 'We explored tons of different prosthetics like nose, chin, eyebrows, forehead, but in the end we stripped it back as much as possible.

'We didn't want there to be too much of a barrier between me and my expressions. I think they did a really great job. I was really pretty shocked by what they were able to do.'

Gorgeous: While the most obvious physical dissimilarities between Lily and Pamela may have been their figures, great care was still taken to match them facially

Lily had a daily forehead appliance attached to widen the distance between her brows and hair line and used lace eyebrows to match Pamela's Nineties thin style - with Lily having her own brows bleached blonde so that they could be hidden under makeup.

The actress also wore acrylic teeth dentures, in order to give 'a capped-teeth feel' as well as provide a subtle protrusion of her lips.

Lily said of her transformation: 'I was in the makeup chair at 3:30 a.m., and there would be this four-hour process to get me into the Pamela look.

'Eyes, wig, teeth, there was just a whole process.'

Seeing double: Lily's transformation into Pamela Anderson took three to five hours every day during filming (left is Lily in costume and right Pamela in 1995)

Sebastian Stan

Body

Sebastian was required to go nude for many of the scenes, with a prosthetic member made from silicone and cast using a mold of his own penis so it could be sculpted and blended to fit.

Special makeup effects designer Jason detailed the process for GQ magazine, explaining: 'We apply the piece by having the actor saddle himself into the appliance like a sleeve. We then glue it into place and paint it with sheer washes of colour including vein work.

'All modesty is out the door in these scenarios and we become quick personal friends when you're in those positions!'

Realistic: Sebastian was required to go nude for many of the scenes, with a prosthetic member made from silicone and cast using a mold of his own penis so it could be sculpted

One of the standout scenes from the series showed Sebastian talking to his penis, an adaptation from a bizarre chapter in Tommy's memoirs, which required a separate appendage.

Jason told Thrillist that Sebastian was fitted with an animatronic penis that was a 'whole different sculpture' than the other prosthetics he donned.

While Tommy's genitalia may have been the most delicate item to replicate, it was his numerous tattoos that proved to be the trickiest to mimic

The team meticulously researched Tommy's tattoos in chronological order, designed them on Photoshop and printed them on a specialized paper known as a waterslide that they could adhere to Sebastian's skin every couple of days - a process that would take up to two hours.

Seeing double: While Tommy's genitalia may have been the most delicate item to replicate, it was his numerous tattoos that proved to be the trickiest to mimic (Tommy pictured right in 1998)

Hair

Although hairstylist Barry crafted 25 different wigs for the characters on the show, Sebastian was the only lead star who opted not to wear one, instead growing out his own hair for the role.

He had his hair treated with a Brazilian straightening process every six weeks in order to match his hair texture to that of the rocker.

Even the shade of black was a cause of contention, with Barry telling Variety: 'We didnt want it to read as flat black hair on camera because Tommys hair always had light and shine in it.

'So we were conservative in the color process until we got to the shade we needed.'

Once the team had perfected the colour, they set to work giving it the rock and roll edge it needed, with the goal 'to make it look like he hadnt shampooed it in several days, and at the same time not make it product-heavy so he could run his fingers through it.'

Such was the laborious process that it would take 45 minutes daily just to apply the hair products and style it in place.

New look: Although there were 25 different wigs crafted for the show, Sebastian was the only lead star who opted not to wear one, instead growing out his own hair (pictured right in 2019)

Face

Sebastian did not require any facial prosthetics in order to transform himself into Motley Crue rocker Tommy and was instead able to rely on expertly applied makeup and a fake nose ring to nail the Nineties grunge look.

He was quick to praise his, 'very best hair and makeup team,' who he said simply, 'killed it' for his transformation into Tommy Lee.

He added: 'They deserve whatever awards that are given. We couldn't have done it without them.'

He went on to note it was a 'crazy process' to really nail down the look in the costumes for these characters, noting he would spend three hours in the makeup chair.
Mark Wahlberg revealed he'd been checking out the stock market as he flashed his phone while heading to Jimmy Kimmel Live in Hollywood on Tuesday.

The 50-year-old actor showed off his phone screen while waving at fans as he arrived at the famous studios in Hollywood.

Mark was no doubt checking on his business ventures, as the multi-talented star has invested in many projects alongside his acting career.

Checking your Wahlberger shares? Mark Wahlberg flashed a stock market app on his phone as he waved at fans outside the Jimmy Kimmel studios in Hollywood on Tuesday

The star has eight businesses taking up most of his attention: Closest to the Hole (a film and TV production company for scripted content); Aquahydrate (a water company), Performance Inspired (a nutrition company); F45 (a chain of gyms), Municipal (a clothing company); Mark Wahlberg Auto Group (a car dealerships), Unrealistic Ideas (a production company); and Wahlburgers (a chain of burger restaurants).

Yet Mark was on the show not to talk business, but to promote his action adventure film Uncharted, based on the video game franchise.

The two-time Oscar nominee looked smart as he wore a plain black round neck jumper and navy trousers.

What's that? The 50-year-old actor showed off his phone screen while waving at fans as he arrived at the famous studios in Hollywood

Yum: The star has eight businesses taking up most of his attention, including Wahlburgers, a chain of burger restaurants (pictured at the opening of the London chain in 2019)

Opting for comfort on the day, the producer chose some brown and navy shoes with a white sole which added a hint of brightness to the look.

The businessman's hair was groomed to perfection while he wore a black face covering.

Mark recently discussed his struggle to lose the two stone he gained for his role in Father Stu.

Dapper: The businessman's hair was groomed to perfection while he wore a black face covering

Casual: The 50-year-old actor cut a casual figure in a jumper while waving to fans outside of the famous studios in Hollywood

Hard: Mark recently discussed his struggle to lose the two stone he gained for his role in Father Stu, admitting it's easier to stay in shape than get in shape

The talented actor is amongst the ranks of Christian Bale, Jared Leto and Jake Gyllenhaal when it comes to completely transforming his body for a role.

Earlier this week, Mark spoke about drastically altering his physique again on The Kyle and Jackie O Show in Australia.

The former Calvin Klein model gained a whopping 30 pounds (two stone) for his upcoming movie.

'I would say it's easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape,' Mark began.

'I put on 30 pounds after for another film, that was really difficult. I'm not getting younger,' he added.

New look: Mark showed off his dramatic body transformation, after trying to 'put on as much weight as possible' for his role as a boxer-turned-priest in the upcoming film Father Stu

Mark showed off the dramatic weight change for Father Stu last May on Instagram.

The Departed star shared before-and-after comparison photos as he revealed in the caption that he put on 13.5kg (30 pounds) in six weeks for his role as boxer-turned-priest Stuart Long.

'From this 3 weeks ago, to this, now. Thanks to @chef_lawrence_d cooking,' the Ballers actor captioned his jaw-dropping before-and-after.

In Mark's shirtless photo, he could be seen displaying his muscular figure at the gym.

The second snap, taken after he purposely packed on the pounds, captured him lying in bed, looking visibly heavier without his washboard abs.

Father Stu is a faith-based biopic loosely based on the late Father Stuart Long, who started off his career as a boxer and eventually became a priest.

Before: The second snap, taken after he purposely packed on the pounds, captured him lying in bed, looking visibly heavier without his washboard abs

The movie, which has been said to be close to Wahlberg's heart for a number of years, was written and directed by Mel Gibson's girlfriend Rosalind Ross.

Mel Gibson stars in the picture along with fellow Aussie actor Jacki Weaver, which is set for release on April 22.

Mark has previously gained and lost weight for movies such as Pain and Gain, Spenser Confidential, The Gambler and The Fighter.
She regularly gives her followers on social media insights into her privileged life.

And on Tuesday night, Chrissy Teigen, 36, posed in a stunning sequin midi dress as she gave a glimpse inside her stylish home, which she shares with husband John Legend, 43.

Taking to Instagram, the model shared a snap of herself looking incredible in a statement frock boasting multicoloured oversized sequins.

Gorgeous: On Tuesday night, Chrissy Teigen, 36, posed in a stunning sequin midi dress as she gave a glimpse inside her stylish home, which she shares with husband John Legend, 43

She boosted her height with a strappy pair of black platform heels and held onto a pleated gold fan style clutch bag.

Chrissy stood in front of her sleek, minimalist staircase for the snap, and was sure to including her stunning picture wall.

The photographs, which included shots of daughter Luna, five and son Miles, three, were perfectly arranged on the wall behind her.

The mother-of-two wrote alongside her upload: 'you're just gonna zoom in on all the pics aren't you.'

Stunning: Taking to Instagram, the model shared a snap of herself looking incredible in a statement frock boasting multicoloured oversized sequins

Chrissy and her Oscar-winning musician husband John have been married since 2013.

She quit drinking in late November of 2020 and has documented her sobriety journey on social media.

Chrissy has been open about her complicated relationship with alcohol in the past and has a history of alcohol abuse in her family.

She embarked on the journey as a way to help herself heal following the loss of her and husband John Legend's son 'Jack' due to partial placenta abruption in late September at just 20 weeks.

Perfectly curated: The mother-of-two was sure to including her stunning picture wall

In a 2017 Interview with Cosmopolitan, she said of her relationship with alcohol: 'I was, point blank, just drinking too much.

'I got used to being in hair and make-up and having a glass of wine. Then that glass of wine would carry over into me having one before the awards show...

'And then a bunch at the awards show. And then I felt bad for making an a** of myself to people that I really respected.

'And that feeling, there's just nothing like that. You feel horrible. It's not a good look for me, for John, for anybody.'

In 2018 she spoke to Women's Health Magazine and said that postpartum depression after having Luna also caused her to drink to cope with the pain before she was prescribed an antidepressant.

'After Luna, I was drinking too much. I wasn't eating as much because I was full from drinking. I wasn't being good to my body.'
It was reported in January that Julia Roberts and George Clooney had returned home to the US, after production on Ticket to Paradise was shut down due to a Covid outbreak in Queensland.

But it appears things are now back up and running on-set, as Julia was spotted filming scenes for the romantic comedy alongside Billie Lourd on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

The Hollywood actress, 54, was spotted wearing a purple jumpsuit and black bum bag for the occasion, which she teamed with a beige sun hat.

Back in action: Julia, 54, was spotted filming scenes for romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise alongside Billie Lourd on the Gold Coast on Wednesday

She was seen heading into a trailer on-set, while another crew member held an umbrella above her head to shelter the star from the blazing Queensland sunshine.

Julia wore her long locks in a bun for the occasion, and teamed her outfit with a pair of flat shoes.

She was joined by American actress Billie Lourd, 29, who was spotted wearing a floaty green minidress and sandals for filming.

Filming: Julia was seen heading into a trailer on set, while another crew member held an umbrella above her head to shelter the star from the blazing Queensland sunshine

Style: She was joined by American actress Billie Lourd, 29, who was spotted wearing a floaty green minidress and sandals for the scene

Fashion: She teamed her look with a long cotton jacket and a pair of sunglasses

She teamed her look with a long cotton jacket and a pair of sunglasses.

Also spotted on the set of the movie - which is set in Bali, but was moved to Australia due to Covid case fears in Indonesia - was a colourful shuttle bus and some artificial cliffs.

Ticket To Paradise is due for release in October this year, with high expectations for its success because of the reuniting of George and Julia after box-office successes Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve in the early 2000s.

Setting the scene: Also spotted on the movie set - which is set in Bali, but moved to Australia due to Covid case fears in Indonesia - was a colourful shuttle bus

Realistic: The set also featured some artificial cliffs

Plot: George and Julia will play a divorced couple who travel to Bali in a desperate bid to stop their daughter, played by Kaitlyn Dever, from getting married

They also starred together in the 2016 crime thriller, Money Monster, directed by fellow actor, Jodie Foster.

The plot of Ticket To Paradise sees Clooney and Roberts star as a divorced couple who, on hearing their daughter plans to get married in Bali, race to the island to stop her from 'making the same mistake they once made'.

The movie also stars Billie Lourd as Dever's best friend, who travels with her to Bali where she decides to marry a local.

Writer-director Parker formerly created The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Clooney relocated to Australia in October with his human rights lawyer wife Amal and the couple's five-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, completing a mandatory 14-day quarantine period at a sprawling NSW Southern Highlands estate.

Roberts also arrived in October, spending her quarantine period at a $56.9million mansion in Sydney's Vaucluse.
She's winning praise for her turn as Anna Delvey in the Netflix series Inventing Anna, and Julia Garner has revealed she actually met with the conwoman in prison.

In a cover interview for Marie Claire Australia's March 2022 issue, the 28-year-old actress spoke about her bizarre meeting with the real-life Delvey.

Julia said she met with Delvey - real name Anna Sorokin - at a medium-security women's prison in the US in the lead-up to portraying her onscreen.

Meeting her match: She's winning praise for her turn as Anna Delvey in the Netflix series Inventing Anna, and Julia Garner (pictured as Delvey) has revealed she actually met with the conwoman in prison

She recalled how Delvey, 31, had bluntly asked her: 'How are you going to play me? Can you do me right now?'

The Ozark star admitted she was initially taken aback by Delvey's request, before repeating her own question back to her, while mirroring her hybrid accent.

'It was very intimidating, but when I just repeated what she was saying, she thought it was so funny,' Julia told the publication.

Face-to-face: In a cover interview for Marie Claire Australia 's March 2022 issue, the 28-year-old actress spoke about her bizarre meeting with the real-life Anna Delvey (pictured in court in New York City in May 2019)

Taking inspiration: Julia said she met with Delvey - real name Anna Sorokin - at a medium-security women's prison in the US in the lead-up to portraying her onscreen

'I told Anna that it was my goal for people to see her as a person instead of a caricature.

'They don't have to agree with what she did, but they should be open and willing to understand why she did it. People make mistakes and Anna is a person.'

Russian-born Delvey gained notoriety after she posed as a German heiress and swindled wealthy New Yorkers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

'I told Anna that it was my goal for people to see her as a person instead of a caricature,' Julia told Marie Claire Australia

Convicted conwoman: Russian-born Delvey gained notoriety after she posed as a German heiress and swindled wealthy New Yorkers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Pictured in court in New York City in April 2019

Between 2013 and 2017, she defrauded banks, hotels and friends a total of $275,000 (AUD$383,668) to fund her lavish lifestyle.

She was finally arrested in October 2017 in a sting operation, and was found guilty of eight charges, including grand larceny, in April 2019.

Delvey was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison, and was released in February 2021, before being imprisoned again for overstaying her visa in the US.
Coronation Street's Alexandra Mardell was filming some of her final scenes with co-star Jordan Ford Silver in Manchester on Wednesday.

The actress, 28, last week announced she has quit her role as barmaid Emma Brooker on the soap after four years.

She looked in great spirits as she shot her scenes with Jordan - who plays Jon Spear - and wore a bright purple coat with button detailing.

Happy: Coronation Street's Alexandra Mardell was filming some of her final scenes with co-star Jordan Ford Silver in Manchester on Wednesday

Alexandra teamed the coat with a pretty pink flowery blouse and wore white jeans while toting a pink leather bag with embellish detailing on it.

In the scenes Emma was meeting up with new love interest Jon who is the grandson of Ted - the man she accidentally ran over -, suggesting they could be leaving the cobbles together.

She will film her very final scenes on the ITV soap later this month and will be on air until the end of April.

Sad: The actress, 28, las week announced she has quit her role as barmaid Emma Brooker on the soap after four years

Speaking to The Sun about quitting, Alexandra said: 'Four years have gone so fast. Compared to other cast members I still feel like a newbie, which makes my decision to leave all the more difficult. But I feel it's the right time for me.

'I can't thank everyone at Coronation Street enough for welcoming me and trusting me to tell so many wonderful and heartfelt stories. And for the friendships.'

Bosses have said the door will be left open for the character to make a return to the cobbles in the future.

All smiles: She looked in great spirits as she shot her scenes with Jordan - who plays Jon Spear - and wore a bright purple coat with button detailing

Style: Alexandra teamed the coat with a pretty pink flowery blouse and wore white jeans while toting a pink leather bag with embellish detailing on it

Moving on: She will film her very final scenes on the ITV soap later this month and will be on air until the end of April

Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeon said: 'Emma has found herself in a massive pickle  one which will cause her to wave goodbye to the cobbles. At least for now. Alexandra has been pure Corrie gold and I wish her all the best.'

Alexandra's character Emma was introduced back in 2018 as the secret daughter of Steve McDonald and his ex-girlfriend Fiona Middleton.

The character is currently at the centre of a dramatic storyline after Faye Windass knocked down a pensioner during a driving lesson with Emma who had had too much to drink.

Plot: In the scenes Emma was meeting up with new love interest Jon who is the grandson of Ted - the man she accidentally ran over -, suggesting they may be leaving the cobbles together

Brave: Speaking to The Sun about quitting her role, Alexandra said: ' I feel it's the right time for me'

Alexandra's portrayal of the character won her a Best Newcomer gong at the British Soap Awards in 2019.

Alexandra got engaged to her fiance Joe Parker in April after four years of dating.

The couple moved in together just before Britain was plunged into the first lockdown and their romance has continued to go from strength to strength.

Star: Alexandra's character Emma was introduced back in 2018 as the secret daughter of Steve McDonald and his ex-girlfriend Fiona Middleton

Much-loved: Alexandra's character Emma was introduced back in 2018 as the secret daughter of Steve McDonald and his ex-girlfriend Fiona Middleton

Amazing: Alexandra's portrayal of the character won her a Best Newcomer gong at the British Soap Awards in 2019

Story: Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeon said: 'Emma has found herself in a massive pickle  one which will cause her to wave goodbye to the cobbles'

Documenting the occasion on Instagram, Coronation Street star Alexandra showed off her dazzling new diamond as she admitted she was smiling so much that her face hurt.

Alongside a cute snap with her new fiance, Alexandra penned: 'Love locked down!! 1000000 times yes! You make me so happy, my face hurts! Love you ridiculously. Future Mrs Parker'.

Joe also shared a slew of snaps from the moment he popped the question as he penned: 'Went in to lockdown with a girlfriend, came out with a fiancee. What a lucky man I am. Can't wait to marry you @alexandramardell I love you '

Show: The actress will film her very final scenes on the ITV soap later this month and will be on air until the end of April
Azealia Banks has branded Kanye West's ex Julia Fox a 'low rate escort with a crack baby' in a vicious row between the two women.

The exchange was sparked when Azealia sharing a screenshot of Julia's statement about her split from Kanye, with the rapper calling out the actress' drug use and sex work.

Julia, 32, has spoken about her battle with drugs before, revealing she had used heroin and suffered from more than one overdose. The actress has also been candid about her work as a dominatrix, but has insisted she never had sex with her clients.

Shocking: Azealia Banks (left) branded Julia Fox a 'low rate escort with a crack baby' in vicious row following the actress' split from Kanye West

Azealia, 30, wrote on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday: 'We already know the tea Foolia! [You] came to Miami looking for sex work, [the] same lawyer was in contract with Ye and it was a weak PR stunt from the jump.

'What did you hustle him [Kanye] for? A bag and some Lucien's? You absolutely did not come up because if this is how women who 'always date billionaires' behave when s**t goes south, threatening tell-all books... You can kiss your days as a low-rate escort goodbye, sis.

'The things you have made public in regards to your drug abuse (s**t he probably had no clue about in the beginning) are not what he needs associated with him in any custody battle that may arise in court during divorce proceedings.'

Kanye is currently in the midst of divorcing Kim Kardashian, and last year the pair agreed on joint custody of their children North, eight, Saint, six, Chicago, four and Psalm, two.

Row: The exchange was sparked when Azealia sharing a screenshot of Julia's statement about her split from Kanye West, with the rapper calling out the actress' drug use and sex work

She added that Julia was a 'liability,' adding that 'the fact [she] thought [Kanye would] pick [her] over his children just reeks of entitlement, a lack of any real motherly instinct, and proves that [she is] in fact, a woman child.

'We won't be purchasing your book, I wouldn't write it if I were you. It'll make [you] look racist and bitter. You are not Karrine Steffans level of legendary. You've already told your secrets, sis. It's over.'

Azealia then shared a screenshot of an alleged text exchange with Julia, in which the actress had warned her not to 'talk s**t' about her son.'

Julia shares her 13-month-old baby boy with estranged husband Peter Artemiev,.

Azealia typed atop of the message: 'Okay your son is a crackbaby....what next.'

Azealia completed her Instagram tirade by sharing a image of Julia appearing to inject herself with a needle, that she captioned 'nausea'. It is not known when the photograph was taken.

'Crackbaby': Azealia then shared a screenshot of an alleged text exchange with Julia, in which the actress had warned her not to 'talk s**t' about her son'

Nausea: Azealia completed her Instagram tirade by sharing a image of Julia appearing to inject herself with a needle, that she captioned 'nausea'

Not taking the swipes lying down, Julia then took to her Stories to post a series of text exchanges allegedly between herself and Azealia, which she has since deleted.

In one of the screenshots, Azealia allegedly asks: 'Julia who sells molly and Percocet in NYC?'

Julia then responds: 'Hi love sry i was sleeping!!! let me ask around cuz i deleted all the dealers from my phone when my sis OD'd.'

Julia wrote over the screenshot: 'So it has come to my attention that this troll keeps calling me a junkie umm sis do u recall @azealiabanks.'

Hitting back: Not taking the swipes, Julia then took to her Stories to post a series of text exchanges allegedly between herself and Azealia in which the rapper asked who sells drugs

Swipes: Julia also shared another exchange in which Azealia asked Julia if she could help her with setting up staged paparazzi shots and secure her a discount at a hotel

Julia also shared another exchange in which Azealia asked Julia if she could help her with setting up staged paparazzi shots and secure her a discount at a hotel.

Julia captioned the screengrab: 'I'm such a junkie and I'm so gross but here she is asking to get papped with me and then also asking me for a hotel plug.'

The actress then addressed her past with drugs in a since-deleted statement that read: 'I'm open about my issues with addiction because I want to destigmatize it! Not al addicts are 'junkies'.

'That is so horrible to say. It's a real f*cking disease. And I've also been open about my recovery journey!!! But nobody wants to mention that right..... If this troll says one more thing about my parenting or my son...

'I was too nice to her cuz I felt sorry for her but now I realize why she spends all the holidays alone. Nobody wants that energy sis!!!'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Azealia and Julia for comment.

Former flames: Julia has become a household name following a short-lived two-month romance with Kanye, from whom she split with earlier this week

Julia has become a household name following a short-lived two-month romance with Kanye, from whom she split with earlier this week.

She was recently blasted by an Instagram follower who commented telling her: 'You talked about the man in the press like you all were married. Just desperate for the attention. Wasn't even 15mins, maybe like 2 mins of fame.

But Julia fired back at the troll, writing: 'He f***ing wanted me to!!!!'

Meanwhile Azealia is known for her shocking social media outbursts.

The pair's horrific feud comes days after Azealia called Kanye an 'abusive psychopath' amid his public feud with estranged wife Kim.

She shared a story last week that read: 'Kanye West is an abusive psychopath, it's beyond mental illness.'

She went on to criticise his parenting, saying: 'Y'all are making way too many excuses for Kanye. This is the second time he has publicly bullied North West.'

Referring to Kanye's comments in 2020, when he admitted he and Kim had considered terminating their first pregnancy, Azealia continued: 'First with the abortion s*** and now putting her on blast on his Instagram page as if she is some sort of criminal.'

She continued: 'Kanye had no problem with that magazine cover where North had on a f***ing belly top and purple eyeliner with her little buds showing thru the shirt, he thought it was fashion. You all said nothing.'

She went on to claim Kanye was 'making it his business to try and wreck the mental health of the only person to care for his children'.

Azealia also implied Kanye was engaging in promiscuous behavior with multiple women and abusing drugs, but people want to 'call it a mental health issue,' referencing the rapper's past reveal that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

She then referenced Kanye's claims that Kim had tried to kidnap daughter Chicago 'by not providing the address' to her birthday party.

Under attack: The pair's shock feud comes days after Azealia called Kanye an 'abusive psychopath' amid his public feud with estranged wife Kim

Azealia said: 'Trying to accuse a mother of kidnapping her own child???? Was Chicago supposed to be hanging out with him and Julia's horrible cool sculpting while they get drunk and high so Julia can blow vape pen smoke in Chicago's face?'

She concluded: 'Maybe North is looking for a fun escape because she has to look online and see her dumb ass dad always talking s*** about her mother and when Kim won't give him the attention he begs for he turns his anger on her by posting her picture to his Instagram, talking about 'his will' as if she is a f***ing piece of property and not a young Black girl just trying to be happy.

'For f***s sake. Stop trying to help him and start trying to help the poor child that he keeps on trying to embarrass and abuse publicly to garner sympathy for his ashy a**.'
Cindy Crawford cut a low-key figure as she headed out for dinner with husband Rande Gerber at Tra di Noi Italian restaurant in Malibu on Tuesday night.

The supermodel, 55, threw a denim jacket over her shoulders as she left the swanky eatery with the American businessman, 59.

Cindy teamed the look with a white knitted jumper, green chinos and tan suede heels.

Dinner date: Cindy Crawford cut a low-key figure as she headed out for dinner with husband Rande Gerber at Tra di Noi Italian restaurant in Malibu on Tuesday night

Rande was casually-clad in a grey jeans and donned a black zip-up jacket and T-shirt.

The couple appeared in high spirits as they were pictured leaving the restaurant.

While Cindy and Rande were living it up in LA, across the pond their daughter Kaia and her actor boyfriend Austin Butler were spotted on a coffee run together in north London on Monday.

Couple: The supermodel, 55, threw a denim jacket over her shoulders as she left the swanky eatery with the American businessman, 59

The model, 20, looked casually chic in a long brown coat teamed with a sky blue hat.

She wore the wrap over a black jumper and jeans, accessorising with a medallion necklace.

Letting her luxurious brown hair down, Kaia headed to a bakery to grab a pastry and fuel up on caffeine.

Looking fab: While Cindy and Rande were living it up in LA, across the pond their daughter Kaia and her actor boyfriend Austin Butler were spotted on a coffee run together in London

Meanwhile her boyfriend, who is a decade her senior, opted for a midnight blue coat over a grey sweater and a pair of black trousers.

Austin has acted on such shows as Switched At Birth and also famously used to date High School Musical starlet Vanessa Hudgens.

Last year, Kaia was involved with The Kissing Booth actor Jacob Elordi but in December it emerged that they have broken up.

Off she goes: The daughter of Cindy was wintertime chic in a long brown coat teamed with a sky blue hat

Off she goes: Letting her luxurious brown hair down, Kaia carried a snack in a paper bag along with her coffee cup during her latest outing

Meanwhile: Her boyfriend, who is a decade her senior, opted for a midnight blue coat over a grey sweater and a pair of black trousers

By the way: Austin has acted on such shows as Switched At Birth and also famously used to date High School Musical starlet Vanessa Hudgens

Shortly before Christmas an insider told People Kaia 'seems really happy' with Austin and that 'All of her friends think he's really cute.'

Said the source: 'All of her friends think they are so adorable and it's a total step up from her last relationship and she knows it too.'

She previously dated Jacob for over a year before their eventual split, which Page Six reported was 'amicable.'

Jacob remarked in a recent Men's Health profile that Kaia had taught him how to cope with fame through her own example.
Tom Cruise displayed his hunky frame as he waved at fans during Mission Impossible 8 filming in South Africa on Wednesday.

The action man, 59, cut a windswept figure with tousled locks, while revealing his honed midriff in a navy blue shirt paired with jeans.

Work on the eighth instalment began last year, following a turbulent production for M:I 7, which has demanded an unprecedented $290million outlay.

Looking good: Tom Cruise displayed his hunky frame as he waved at fans during Mission Impossible 8 filming in South Africa on Wednesday

The star cracked a cheery smile before taking to the skies to pilot his own helicopter for yet another incredible stunt in Hoedspruit, Limpopo.

The Oscar nominee looked focused as he donned a black face mask behind the cockpit and prepared to film.

On Monday, the star also piloted his own helicopter to touch down in South Africa.

Off he goes: Tom was at it again as the experienced aviator flew a helicopter

Youthful: The action man, 59, cut a windswept figure with tousled locks, while revealing his honed midriff in a navy blue shirt paired with jeans

It is thought Tom and the Mission Impossible crew will stay in the northernmost province of South Africa for the next two months, with Blyde River Canyon providing a beautiful backdrop for the film's setting.

Tom looked effortlessly cool in a navy polo neck and donned his signature pair of aviators.

After touching down, the Top Gun star headed over to his shuttle vehicle to take him to his lodgings.

Impression: On Monday, the star also piloted his own helicopter to touch down in South Africa

Nerves of steel: Tom, who is famous for doing his own stunts, showed off his skill as he landed the helicopter

Thumbs up: The Hollywood heavyweight, 59, gave a friendly wave to cameras as he arrived in to film scenes for Mission: Impossible 8 in Hoedspruit in Limpopo

The production of the eighth installment so far has experienced a few difficulties during location shoots across England.

It has been reported two yellow biplanes arrived in the area last week. Tom practiced a death-defying jump at Duxford Airfield in Cambridge back in November.

Pictures taken at the time showed the actor hanging upside down from the wing of a World War II Boeing B75N1 Stearman biplane.

Tom had been taking flying lessons at the airfield in preparation for exhilarating scenes and was seen climbing out of the bright yellow biplane as it soared to 2000 feet.

Filming: It is thought Tom and the Mission Impossible crew will stay for the next two months, with Blyde River Canyon providing the perfect film backdrop

Delays: Mission: Impossible 7 is set for release on July 7, 2023, following a turbulent production which has demanded an $290million outlay, with the eighth installment due 2024

The Hollywood actor, dressed in a brown jumpsuit and helmet, was then seen bravely clinging onto the wing of the 80-year-old aircraft as it performed a nosedive and an array of aerobatics in a jaw-dropping stunt.

Mission: Impossible 7 is set for release on July 7, 2023, following a turbulent production which has demanded an unprecedented $290million outlay.

One notable factor in the film's enormous budget has been the global pandemic, which swept across mainland Europe shortly after principal photography got underway in Venice in February 2020.

Arrival: After touching down, the Top Gun star headed over to his shuttle vehicle to take him to his lodgings

Action man: It has been reported two yellow biplanes arrived in the area last week, with Tom practicing a death-defying jump at Duxford Airfield in Cambridge back in November

Lockdown and a desperate attempt to work around COVID-19 resulted in the production enduring an inauspicious start - with cast and crew forced to stop work after Northern Italy closed its doors.

Sources claim constant infections, coupled with national health restrictions and the pandemic's refusal to die down resulted in more costs, because crew members needed to be paid, given expenses and offered hotel accommodation during extended quarantine and lockdown periods.

Meanwhile the film's release date has been subject to change, with its original September 2021 launch pushed back to July 2022, with Paramount citing 'delays due to the ongoing pandemic.'

The wait adds interest to an already overblown budget while having a domino effect on work-in-progress Mission: Impossible 8, which is now expected to launch on July 24 2024 instead of its intended release date, July 7 2023.

Wow: The actor was seen filming the death-defying stunt at Duxford Airfield in Cambridge this week, with the 1941 Boeing B75N1 Stearman biplane performing a stomach-churching loop

The relentless pressure to finish the film may well have been the catalyst for Cruise's high-profile meltdown on set in December 2020 after a crew-member breached COVID protocol - putting the production in further jeopardy.

'We are the gold standard!' A frazzled Cruise is heard yelling in a recording of the incident. 'Theyre back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us!

'Im on the phone with every f***ing studio at night, insurance companies, producers, and theyre looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs... we are not shutting this motherf***ing movie down. Is that understood?'

Sources claim there were further issues in 2021, when Paramount were confronted with a bill for $50million in overages, caused by co-producer Skydance declining to exceed their pre-agreed contractual requirement regarding financial contributions.
White House Press Secretary Jennifer Psaki speaks during the daily briefing in the James S. Brady press briefing room of the White House in Washington, Feb. 15. AFP-Yonhap





President Joe Biden is fully committed to cracking down on hate crimes targeting the Asian American community, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday.







Her remarks came after two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim said she daily feared for her and her family's lives amid a steady rise in hate crimes against people of Asian descent in the United States.







"I will say that the President has put in place a task force, he has hired a senior level staffer to be a representative and be someone who can speak to these threats and these concerns and these fears felt by the Asian American community, because there's a number of steps we need to take and continue to take to address," Psaki said in a press briefing.







She added that what she called an unfortunate increase in hate crimes was largely due to "hate-filled rhetoric and language around the origins of the (COVID-19) pandemic."







Earlier reports said anti-Asian hate crimes jumped by more than 330 percent from a year earlier in 2021 despite Biden taking office in January that year.







Biden signed the Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Act into law in May 2021, enabling federal investigations of crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, about two months after eight people, including six women of Korean descent, were killed in brutal shootings in Atlanta.







Biden, however, has since remained largely silent on the issue.







"So I can just reiterate for you that the president is absolutely committed to continuing to speak out, to crack down, to take steps," Psaki said.







The White House spokesperson also applauded the Korean American Olympic gold medalist for speaking out.







"(Kim) is 21 years old, and she made those comments, which is incredibly courageous and brave that she spoke out about the fear she had, the fear she has for her family members," Psaki told the press briefing.







"And so I just want to take a moment to applaud her for her courage in doing that." (Yonhap)


Scarlett Moffatt put a stylish display in a fun orange dress as she joined stars including Jess Wright and Jacqueline Jossa for a lavish celebratory breakfast at BAFTA on Wednesday.

The Gogglebox star, 31, opted for a 60s-inspired dress with a pretty floral print and a black leather jacket as she arrived for the swanky celebration.

Scarlett joined a slew of guests including Jess and Jacqueline at the event which was thrown to celebrate their management InterTalent's 30th Anniversary.

Looking good! Scarlett Moffatt (left) cut a stylish figure in a fun 60s-inspired mini dress as she joined Jacqueline Jossa (right) for a swanky breakfast at BAFTA in London's Piccadilly

Glowing: Jess Wright was also in attendance for the event hosted by the stars' management InterTalent

The I'm A Celebrity star teamed her colourful look with black opaque tights and chunky boots, and carried her essentials in a Louis Vuitton bag.

Meanwhile Jacqueline cut a chic figure in a fun frilled mini dress with a delicate black and white spotted print, teamed with a leather jacket as she arrived for the swanky occasion.

Jess, who is expecting a baby boy with her husband William Lee-Kemp, highlighted her growing bump in a fitted black dress, teamed with a longline white coat, as she joined her brother Mark and their mum Carol for the occason.

Lovely: The I'm A Celebrity star teamed her colourful look with black opaque tights and chunky boots, and carried her essentials in a Louis Vuitton bag

Oops! Meanwhile Jacqueline cut a chic figure in a fun frilled mini dress with a delicate black and white spotted print, as she grappled with the windy weather

Bumping along: Jess, who is expecting a baby boy with her husband William Lee-Kemp, highlighted her growing bump in a fitted black dress, teamed with a longline white coat

The former TOWIE star cradled her growing bump in the sophisticated dress, and accessorised her look with a black Chanel handbag.

EastEnders star Louisa Lytton opted for a longline taupe jacket and matching trousers for the breakfast, and completed her look with a nude knitted jumper and white heels.

The star has been on maternity leave from her role as Ruby Allen after giving birth to her baby daughter Aura in September.

Suave: Her brother Mark cut a more casual figure as he arrived for the lavish breakfast

Simple: EastEnders star Louisa Lytton opted for a longline taupe jacket and matching trousers for the breakfast, and completed her look with a nude knitted jumper

Time away: The star has been on maternity leave from her role as Ruby Allen after giving birth to her baby daughter Aura in September

Couples' outing: Presenter Ore Oduba was accompanied by his wife Portia, and their two children as they arrived for the BAFTA event

Scarlett recently returned from a sunny getaway to Dubai with her beau Scott Dobinson.

They began dating in late 2018 and went public with their relationship in March 2019.

She took to Instagram on Thursday to celebrate her three-year anniversary with her policeman boyfriend.

The former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here campmate shared a slew of snaps and claimed she had 'thought about giving up on finding a nice guy'.

Sensational: Sinitta cut a glamorous figure in a fun black and gold printed dress with platform heels as she headed into the breakfast

Edgy: Strictly Come Dancing pro Karen Hauer opted for a simple all-black ensembe with a pop of colour thanks to her yellow handbag

Standing out: Actress Chizzy Akudolu sported a fun floral print wrap dress with tan boots

Scarlett captioned the post: 'Three years officially together my love @scottdobby. I had honestly thought about giving up on finding a nice guy.

'I felt like I'd been handed enough luck in my life and so love wasn't going to be a part of my story, felt almost like I didn't deserve it.

'Until I met you and everything clicked into place. I realised every relationship before you was a lesson that would lead me to you and I'm so grateful for that.

'Please never give up on true love I promise there's somebody out there who was made for you and don't rush it.

Dynamic duo: Eamonn Holmes was accompanied by his GB News Breakfast co-host Isabel Webster, who donned a sophisticated black jumpsuit

Pals: The pair were seen heading into the lavish breakfast together

Looking chic: Strictly judge Shirley Ballas was looking gorgeous in a wide-brimmed red hat and carrying a Chanel bag

'I've known Scott nearly 15 years. Sometimes everything happens for a reason #love.'

The couple have always kept their fans up to date with their romance which has been plain sailing aside from a one day split back in March 2021 due to a stressful house move.

Scarlett took to Instagram at the time and said: 'Nothing major has happened, it's just one of those sad things.'

Together: Ex Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher arrived with his wife Liz. The couple are expecting twins later this year

Gorgeous: Singer Amelia Lily looked fab in a velvet coat and matching leggings

Famous faces: Naughty Boy, who starred on last year's I'm A Celebrity, and Loose Women's Linda Robson were also seen arriving

Strictly fun: Ex Strictly Come Dancing professional Kevin Clifton made a low key arrival
Demi Rose is continuing the Valentine's love, sharing a series of racy shoots to celebrate the big day earlier this week.

The Instagram sensation, who boasts 19million followers wowed in love-themed shoots for the social media platform, flaunting her famous curves in an array of saucy lingerie.

Demi, 26, posed in a daring scarlet corset for one set of shots, reclining on the side of a heart-shaped pool as she teased: 'Be my Valentine?'

Wow! Demi Rose is continuing the Valentine's love, sharing a series of racy shoots to celebrate the big day earlier this week

Teaming the corset with glittering platform heels and heart-shaped sunnies, Demi channelled Jessica Rabbit in the jaw-dropping ensemble.

The top model also wowed in a sheer red robe with furry trim for a second set of images, pouting and posing under a 'in the mood for love' neon sign.

She showed off her ample assets by going bra-less under the robe, while reclining on a huge bed.

'Glamour girl' she wrote underneath the racy snaps with a string of heart emojis.

Love: The Instagram sensation, who boasts 19million followers wowed in love-themed shoots for the social media platform, flaunting her famous curves in an array of saucy lingerie

Demi hit the headlines last year after she revealed that she was the victim of bully when she was younger.

Speaking to Radio 1 Newsbeat, she said: 'I always wanted to get into modelling and when I eventually got there I classed it as a blessing because I grew up being bullied and didn't have many friends at all.'

Demi, who has been modelling for eight years credits her career for being a 'blessing'.

Be mine? The top model wowed in a sheer red robe with furry trim for a second set of images, pouting and posing under a 'in the mood for love' neon sign

Taking a dip? Demi, 26, posed in a daring scarlet corset for one set of shots, reclining on the side of a heart-shaped pool as she teased: 'Be my Valentine?'

In 2019, both of Demi's parents died, just seven months apart and the star said going into lockdown straight after their deaths was 'a time of reflection.'

She added 'having to deal with my parents' house and selling their stuff - it was a really sad place for me.'

'I wanted to go and travel but I had three months in London, which was a lot of facing what I had been through and was a time of reflection.'

Birmingham-born beauty Demi became known in the public eye after being seen with US rapper Tyga, after his high-profile split from Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Kylie Jenner four years ago.

Stunning: Teaming the corset with glittering platform heels and heart-shaped sunnies, Demi channelled Jessica Rabbit in the jaw-dropping ensemble

Still in the limelight: Birmingham-born beauty Demi became known in the public eye after being seen with US rapper Tyga four years ago and has built a huge social media following since then
She recently revealed that she 'truly loves' her pregnancy curves.

And Olivia Bowen prepared to celebrate her changing shape as she jetted off for a photoshoot in Barcelona on Wednesday.

The Love Island star, 28, looked sensational as she posed for selfies ahead of the flight in a bump-hugging white vest and emerald green tracksuit.

She captioned the selfie: 'Airport Attire, Barcelona Bound for an exciting shoot'

Snap happy: Pregnant Olivia Bowen cradled her bump in a green tracksuit on Wednesday ahead of jetting to Barcelona for a photoshoot

While the mother-to-be looked radiant in the snap, she admitted that her morning had got off to a hectic start as she shared a selfie in bed captioned: '2 and a half hours to pack and sort my life out and leave for the airport.'

Last week, Olivia took to her Stories to post a video posing in her bathroom mirror and penned: 'I find it mesmerising that I LOVE my body right now during this pregnancy.

'I don't think I've ever truly loved my body but right now I literally could stare all day! I know it's going to get difficult for me in the last months and after I think, but soaking in this self-love right now.'

Low-key look: The Love Island star, 28, looked sensational as she posed for selfies ahead of the flight in a bump-hugging white vest and emerald green tracksuit

Oops: While the mother-to-be looked radiant in the snap, she admitted that her morning had got off to a hectic start as she shared a selfie in bed

Olivia recently told MailOnline of her pregnancy: 'I'm so excited to become a mum. It feels very surreal still to even say it, but we both can't wait for the next part of our lives. Alex is going to be the best dad - he's so caring, kind and a big kid at heart.

'My pregnancy is going really fast; We still both can't quite believe it's happening. We're having to stop ourselves buying all the baby clothes at the moment, we just get too excited.

'Our family and friends were so shocked when we told them, but I just knew very early on, you know your body. We're not going to find out what we're having, I think the surprise will make it extra special.'

Self-love: Last month she took to her stories to post a video posing in her bathroom mirror and penned, 'I find it mesmerising that I LOVE my body right now during this pregnancy'

Last month, Olivia took to Instagram to share the news that she is expecting.

Her New Year's Day post showed a series of instant photos and a pair of booties alongside the caption: 'Happy New Baby Bowen', before Alex then shared the same post and penned: 'This year we get to meet Baby Bowen'.

The trio of images included a shot of husabnd Alex Bowen kissing his wife's stomach, a selfie showing them holding the booties and a baby grow alongside sonogram pictures.
Ferne McCann has shared a slew of bikini-clad posts during her sunny getaway to The Maldives, after her new beau Lorri Haines appeared to hold a bag of white powder to his nose in a resurfaced video.

The former TOWIE star, 31, who recently jetted to the island with the real estate mogul, indulged in a delicious breakfast while relaxing in the swimming pool with her daughter Sunday, but Lorri was noticeably absent from her posts.

In the film obtained by The Sun on Tuesday, Lorri, who has since insisted he was not taking drugs, is seen scooping the powder out of the bag and up to his nostrils, with a pal shouting in the background: 'No! No ket, no ket.'

Drama: Ferne McCann has shared a slew of posts during her getaway to The Maldives, after her beau Lorri Haines appeared to hold a bag of white powder to his nose in a resurfaced video

In a gallery of images posted to her grid, Ferne couldn't contain her excitement after surprising Sunday with breakfast she could enjoy in the water.

The star shared a cryptic caption about 'the pure frequency of love,' while noting she would 'forever cherish' these 'special moments' with her daughter.

Ferne wrote: 'In the pure frequency of love there is gratitude, creation, happiness, and oneness. Love is all and all is you .

On film: In the film obtained by The Sun, Lorri, who has since insisted he was not taking drugs, is seen scooping the powder out of the bag and up to his nostrils

Lavish: Ferne who recently jetted to the island with the real estate mogul, indulged in a delicious breakfast while relaxing in the swimming pool with her daughter Sunday

Giddy: In snaps shared to her grid, her daughter Sunday was grinning with excitement after seeing breakfast waiting for them in the water

Message: In her post's caption, Ferne shared a cryptic quote about how 'love is all and all is you', with Lorri noticeably absent from her social media posts

'I woke Sunday up this morning to a floating breakfast. She was so excited and puzzled to how it got there. Special moments with my girl today that will be forever cherished.

'The Mommy Sunday bracelets she made us in kids club today get me. This hotel really is very special and has such a charm @trendingtravel.co.uk @thestandardmaldives.'

In one clip posted to her Stories, Ferne could also be seen carrying her daughter Sunday back to her hotel following an afternoon at the kids club.

'My girl': One video shared to her Stories showed Ferne carrying Sunday back from the children's club

The I'm A Celebrity star showcased her toned figure in a pale green bikini, in the video which was dubbed to the soul hit My Girl by The Temptations.

After sharing a clip of her stunning Maldives villa, Ferne enjoyed a relaxing afternoon listening to a guitarist and detailing to her followers how she was attempting to be more sustainable, and vowing not to buy new clothes.

It's unclear whether Lorri is still with Ferne during The Maldives break. MailOnline has contacted a representative for Ferne McCann for comment.

On Tuesday a video resurfaced showing Ferne's new beau holding a bag of white powder before appearing to lift the contents to his nose.

Important: Another video showed the star discussing her efforts to be more sustainable with her fashion, and avoiding buying new clothes

The partner of former The Only Way Is Essex star was seen dancing shirtless in the clip while holding two small clear plastic bags.

In the film, which was recorded before Lorri had met Ferne, he is seen scooping the powder out of the bag and up to his nostrils, with a pal shouting in the background: 'No! No ket, no ket.'

Haines has told The Sun that he was not taking drugs and was 'joking about'.

Lorri's friend told him to 'put the ket down' before the entrepreneur was seen throwing the packet onto a nearby table. It has not been confirmed what substance Lorri was holding.

The man then says: 'Thats none of your business,' prompting Lorri to shake his head and reply: 'None of my business.'

He then held the smaller bag up before before clapping his hands and dancing to the music.

Coupled-up: Ferne and Lorri went public with their romance earlier this month with the pair sharing pictures of one another on social media

Sources told The Sun Lorri had been partying on a yacht at the marina with six friends earlier in the day.

A source told the publication: 'They went to an apartment and carried the party on until about 4am.'

MailOnline has contacted Lorri and a representative for Ferne for comment.

Bling: The 'part time jeweller' enjoys flashing his watch collection and cars on Instagram

The clip surfaced three weeks after Ferne, 31, shared her first picture with Dubai-based Lorri, with the reality star writing at the time: 'When you know, you know.'

Lorri is based in the United Arab Emirates and runs a jewellery firm, an investment business and a software company.

Authorities in the desert country have a zero-tolerance policy with regards to drugs, with the standard minimum jail sentence for possession being four years.

Look of love? The clip surfaced three weeks after Ferne shared her first picture with Dubai-based Lorri, with the reality star writing at the time: 'When you know, you know'

'Thankyou for showing me true love': Ferne McCann shared a gushing tribute to her new boyfriend Lorri on Monday during a Valentine's getaway to the Maldives

Television personality Ferne has famously had a rocky love life, most recently splitting from DJ Jake Padgett last year after they spent the second lockdown together.

Ferne and Jake moved in together amid the winter lockdown shortly after they began dating, and admitted that taking the next step in their relationship was its downfall.

Before that she was in a relationship with jailed acid attacker Arthur Collins, whom she shares her daughter Sunday, four, with.

Abrupt end: Ferne's relationship with Arthur Collins came to an abrupt end following his involvement in a shocking nightclub acid attack in 2017

Arthur, 29, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence at Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes, after carrying out an acid attack at a London nightclub in 2017 which saw sixteen people suffer chemical burn injuries and three people left temporarily blinded.

Ferne dumped Arthur after learning about the incident.

She was pregnant with her daughter Sunday when then boyfriend Arthur threw corrosive acid over a crowd on the dance floor at Mangle E8 in Dalston in April 2017, within weeks of their pregnancy announcement.

Before Arthur, Ferne was in an on-off relationship with fellow TOWIE star Charlie Sims and their tumultuous love story was captured for viewers of the reality show.

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Jane Lynch says the 'sober fairy' gave her 'one more chance' after she relapsed.

The 61-year-old actress, who has been open about her battle with alcohol addiction, has opened up on her relapse five years ago after feeling 'a kind of magical lifting of my compulsion to drink' in her 30s.

The performer went on to express that she had experienced a similar feeling six months after she started drinking again.

Being open: Jane Lynch says the 'sober fairy' gave her 'one more chance' after she relapsed; she is seen in 2020

She told The Guardian: '[It was] like the sober fairy said, "OK, I'm giving you one more chance." And it was over. Five o'clock would come and I didn't notice it.'

Jane explained how she started drinking as a teenager as she could not come to terms with her sexuality, which made her feel ashamed.

She explained: 'The first time you [have a drink], it's like: "Ah, I found it. I feel happy in my body, this feeling of bliss. No one can say anything to me that would make me upset or feel badly about myself right now."'

The performer then expressed that the same feeling occurred every time she picked up a bottle, much to her detriment.

Addressing her own concerns: Jane explained how she started drinking as a teenager as she couldn't come to terms with her sexuality, which made her feel ashamed; she is seen in 2020

'And then maybe the next time you drink, you get it again. Before you know it, it's not doing it for you. So for the most part, when I was in the throes of addiction, it wasn't working,' she recalled.

Lynch then expressed that her drinking habit had become a way to push hard-to-answer questions out of her mind.

'You end up chasing [that feeling]. And then if you're not chasing that, what are you doing? Who are you? You have to really face this emptiness,' she said.

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel star was grateful for all her opportunities and credits her success to sobriety as even though she was a functioning alcoholic, she arrived at a point where she had 'a kind of magical lifting of my compulsion to drink.'

Stopping in her tracks: The Marvelous Mrs Maisel star was grateful for all her opportunities and credits her success to sobriety as even though she was a functioning alcoholic, she arrived at a point where she had 'a kind of magical lifting of my compulsion to drink'

The performer was very open about making a decision to join Alcoholics Anonymous in an effort to maintain her sobriety.

She added: 'I felt sorry for people who weren't alcoholics: I just loved AA, It was very much a gift; it was almost like I was struck sober.'

Jane fell off the wagon five years ago when she decided to have a glass of wine with her dinner, and she 'went back into denial.'

She also noted that she had rediscovered her attraction to drinking after the incident and dove right back into alcoholism.

Recurrent behavior: Jane fell off the wagon five years ago when she decided to have a glass of wine with her dinner, and she 'went back into denial'

'I was tied to this thing again, to some hope of what it was going to do for me, and the rest of the day didn't matter. The only part of the day that really mattered was five o'clock,' she said.

Despite her glittering career, Jane admitted she started drinking again out of boredom, of which she was ashamed.

Jane said: 'I was a little ashamed, and also the denial, the justifications. My friends were fooled. I remember a friend said: "I told you you're not an alcoholic any more." I'd go: "I know!" I was.'
Holly Willoughby shared an inspirational post urging fans to 'let their inhibitions fall' as they observed Wednesday's Snow Moon.

The This Morning presenter, 41, has been a longtime fan of astrology and constellations, launching her associated brand, Wylde Moon, late last year - and took to the brand's Instagram stories to share the message.

She wrote: 'Welcome to Wylde Moon in February, where the Snow Moon rises in majestic Leo placing emphasis on self-expression, creativity and confidence.

Wow: Holly Willoughby shared an inspirational post urging fans to 'let their inhibitions fall' as they observed Wednesday's Snow Moon

'Now is the time to let your inhibitions fall, be brave and share your passions with the world. The universe has got you and it's full of positivity out there!' she wrote on Wylde Moon's Instagram Stories.

The star also shared a post about about harnessing the power of the Leo Moon while promoting the February Edition of her brand,

Accompanied by a glamorous photo of herself, she discussed her new perfume and a 'WyldeEnergy ritual to help you tap into that illusive 6th sense.'

February's full moon  the phase of the moon in which its whole disc is illuminated  will reach 100 per cent illumination at 4:56pm GMT (11:56am EST) on Wednesday, February 16.

Mystical: February's full moon  the phase of the moon in which its whole disc is illuminated  will reach 100 per cent illumination at 4:56pm GMT (11:56am EST) on Wednesday, February 16 (pictured - the 2021 Snow Moon)

However, this is before sunset (5:18pm in the UK), so stargazers will get the best view later in the evening when the sun has gone down.

A full moon occurs once every 29.5 days  the length of time it takes for the Moon to go through a whole lunar cycle.

When the full moon arrives in February, astronomers give it the name 'Snow Moon' because it often coincides with with heavy snowfall.

The post comes after Holly celebrated her 41st birthday in style during last week's This Morning, downing champagne before enjoying her own personalised cocktail in a boozy start to the show.

The presenter was taught how to make her own drink by Mayfair expert, before being surprised with an unexpected gift by her close pal Phillip Schofield.

Given her love of astrology Holly was gifted with a piece of the moon itself by her close pal Phillip, and she struggled to hide her excitement as she gushed: 'I can't think of a more incredible gift.'

Post: The This Morning presenter, 41, has been a longtime fan of astrology and constellations, launching her associated brand, Wylde Moon, late last year - and took to the brand's Instagram stories to share the message

At the start of the show, Phillip revealed he and Holly were going to celebrate her birthday with a custom-made cocktail class, where an expert would show them how to make aptly-named drink 'The Willoughby.'

The pair were then guided through making the drink, which contained Holly's favourite tipple, tequila, by a Mayfair barman, before enjoying the boozy beverage together.

Enjoying the drink, Holly gushed: 'I'm definitely better at drinking them than making them but that is so nice, thank you.'

Phillip then revealed his special gift for Holly, announcing he'd got her 'a piece of the moon,' before presenting her with the small rock.

Struggling to hide her surprise, Holly gushed: 'I can't believe it. Who's allowed me to do this? Look, I've got the moon in my hand. That is amazing.'

'Mars is heavier than the moon! I can't think of a more incredible gift. When are you ever going to get something like that? Thanks everyone, I can't believe it.'
She has become well-known for sporting eye-catching outfits while walking in runway shows around the world.

And on Wednesday morning, Irina Shayk turned the streets of New York City into her personal catwalk while stepping out for a brisk walk in the chilly winter air.

The 36-year-old fashion industry personality sported a comfortable-yet-chic outfit while heading out to go pick up coffee and pastries at a local cafe, Oslo.

Stepping out: Irina Shayk turned the streets of New York City into her personal catwalk while stepping out for a brisk walk in the chilly winter air on Wednesday morning

Shayk sported a sizable brown overcoat that obscured much of her frame and was worn on top of an olive green shirt during her walk.

The runway regular tucked her top into a pair of slightly loose-fitting dark gray jeans and rocked a stylish set of heeled shoes.

The supermodel's gorgeous brunette locks were tied back into a tight bun and she accessorized with a set of jet-black sunglasses.

She also wore a facial covering to reduce her chances of contracting COVID-19 while spending time in public.

Layering up: Shayk sported a sizable brown overcoat that obscured much of her frame and was worn on top of an olive green shirt during her walk

Pairing well: The runway regular tucked her top into a pair of slightly loose-fitting dark gray jeans and rocked a stylish set of heeled shoes

Shayk's outing comes just after she walked in Michael Kors' Fall 2022 show during New York Fashion Week.

The media figure sported several outfits during the event, and she was pictured wearing a reflective silver double-breasted coat.

Numerous other figures from the world of fashion, including Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski, were also present at the show.

Several photos from the star-studded affair were later shared on Vogue's official Instagram account.

Shayk spoke about her modeling career during an interview with Numero, where she expressed that she had become used to stretching her boundaries during every professional endeavor.

'Being exposed, it is a part of my profession and I can say that I am proud of the job that I do  I always give my maximum and try to do my best for every shoot, show or event,' she said.

The runway regular then noted that she had grown to love the changes in outfits that she encountered in between modeling stints.

'I love changing my appearance for shoots and providing different characters. It's always a great challenge and an interesting experience. When you're in the right hands you have this feeling of true magic happening,' she said.

Going the distance: Shayk spoke about her modeling career during an interview with Numero, where she expressed that she had become used to stretching her boundaries during every professional endeavor; seen at the Kors show

Bella of the ball: Bella Hadid was also at Kors as she stunned in a cream colored dress

Shayk also spoke about the changing face of the fashion industry and was happy to see the ongoing modernization of the profession.

'I think that fashion today is all about personality. I love it how fashion is bringing more and more diversity into fashion campaigns and on the runways every year,' she said.

The model discussed the changing face of the industry and pointed out the one thing she felt was entirely stagnant.

'Fashion changes so fast, some fashionable looks of the past seem weird for the next generations, but inner beauty is always there. I am convinced that every woman is beautiful in her own, unique way,' she stated.
Four-time Emmy nominee Jennifer Garner attended a screening of her Netflix film The Adam Project at The London West Hollywood on Tuesday.

The Texan-born, West Virginia-raised 49-year-old dressed conservatively in an olive-green corduroy blazer over a black turtleneck, blue jeans, and black knee-high boots.

Jennifer got to reunite with her dashing castmate Ryan Reynolds, who plays her character Ellie Reed's grown-up son Adam in director Shawn Levy's time-traveling flick.

Werrrk: Four-time Emmy nominee Jennifer Garner attended a screening of her Netflix film The Adam Project at The London West Hollywood on Tuesday

The Canadian 45-year-old wore a black zip-up jacket over a Polo shirt, grey pleated pants, and brown patent leather loafers selected by stylist Ilaria Urbinati.

Joining Garner and Ryan was their 13-year-old co-star Walker Scobell - who plays the younger version of Adam - as well as Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

The sci-fi action adventure - premiering March 11 on Netflix - also features the Yes Day producer-star's onscreen leading man Mark Ruffalo (as Louis Reed), Zoe Saldana, and Catherine Keener.

Jennifer and the 54-year-old Emmy winner famously portrayed love interests Jenna Rink and Matt Flamhaff in Gary Winick's time-hopping rom-com 13 Going on 30 way back in 2004.

Sitting pretty: The Texan-born, West Virginia-raised 49-year-old dressed conservatively in an olive-green corduroy blazer over a black turtleneck, blue jeans, and black knee-high boots

Dashing: Jennifer got to reunite with her castmate Ryan Reynolds (R), who plays her character Ellie Reed's grown-up son Adam in director Shawn Levy's time-traveling flick

Swag: The Canadian 45-year-old wore a black zip-up jacket over a Polo shirt, grey pleated pants, and brown patent leather loafers selected by stylist Ilaria Urbinati

Group shot: Joining Garner and Ryan was their 13-year-old co-star Walker Scobell (2-R) - who plays the younger version of Adam - as well as Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos (R)

'It was wonderful! We were playing a married couple and we just have this instant comfort,' Garner told Good Morning America last March.

'Obviously, there's just such a connection and a warmth. It was actually a really beautiful experience to revisit that relationship.'

The screening served as a sort of meet-and-greet with Reynolds, who gamely posed with R&B belter John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen.

The 36-year-old 'canceled' influencer wore a green suede duster while the 43-year-old EGOT champ rocked a brown leather shearling-collared jacket.

Premiering March 11 on Netflix! The sci-fi action adventure also features the Yes Day producer-star's onscreen leading man Mark Ruffalo (R, as Louis Reed), Zoe Saldana, and Catherine Keener

Bride and groom: Jennifer and the 54-year-old Emmy winner famously portrayed love interests Jenna Rink and Matt Flamhaff in Gary Winick's time-hopping rom-com 13 Going on 30 way back in 2004

Garner told GMA last March: 'It was wonderful! We were playing a married couple and we just have this instant comfort. Obviously, there's just such a connection and a warmth. It was actually a really beautiful experience to revisit that relationship'

The wisecracking Grammy nominee also posed with Emmy winner Keegan Michael-Key and his second wife Elisa 'Elle' Pugliese.

The Adam Project also served as date night for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney and his wife Kaitlin Olson.

Ryan also posed with Slovakian social media star David Dobrik - who bounced back after he and his Vlog Squad faced allegations of sexual assault and bullying last year.

Reynolds later posted on Instagram: 'Well, that was incredible. Thank you everyone who came out for the sneak peak of #TheAdamProject. True story - everybody feels thirty percent better standing next to @jennifer.garner. Also, I feel thirty percent taller next to @walker.scobell (but give it a year) P.S. @slevydirect was desperately missed.'

Celebrity guests: The screening served as a sort of meet-and-greet with Reynolds, who gamely posed with R&B belter John Legend (R) and his wife Chrissy Teigen (L)

Fall fashion looks: The 36-year-old 'canceled' influencer (L) wore a green suede duster while the 43-year-old EGOT champ (R) rocked a brown leather shearling-collared jacket

Comedian: The wisecracking Grammy nominee also posed with Emmy winner Keegan Michael-Key (M) and his second wife Elisa 'Elle' Pugliese (R)

Gun show: The Adam Project also served as date night for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney and his wife Kaitlin Olson

Clout chaser: Ryan also posed with Slovakian social media star David Dobrik - who bounced back after he and his Vlog Squad faced allegations of sexual assault and bullying last year
Coronation Street star Amanda Barrie has claimed she couldn't come out while she was on the soap because she feared being sacked.

The actress, 86, best known for her role as Alma Baldwin on the soap, appeared on Wednesday's Loose Women with her wife of seven years, writer Hilary Bonner, and discussed keeping her sexuality a secret for decades.

Amanda, who came out as bisexual in 2002, explained that only a few of her closest friends on the soap knew the truth about her sexual identity, including Helen Worth (Gail Platt) and Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner).

Candid: Coronation Street star Amanda Barrie has claimed she couldn't come out while she was on the soap because she feared being sacked

Speaking about being in the closet while she was on the soap, Amanda admitted she feared some co-stars would want to work with her if they knew her sexuality.

The actress played Alma on the soap from 1980 to 1981, and returned again in 1988 before Alma died of cancer in 2001.

'There was no camp of any kind at that time,' Amanda said.

'There was various people in charge of the show so, they call[ed] the tune. Do we call it homophobic? Call it what you like... What people did was they sold you to the press who thought ''there's a story there''.

In the closet: The actress played Alma Baldwin on the soap from 1980 to 1981, and again from 1988 until 2001, and during that time kept her bisexuality a secret

Sweet: Amanda was a guest on the show alongside her wife, writer Hilary Bonner, who she married in 2014

'The press came and the very same people who would've done that would then say, ''I'm not going to work with someone who's gay.''

Amanda, who married Hilary in 2014, added that only a few select co-stars knew the truth about her sexuality.

She said: 'Nobody at Coronation Street knew but my very close friends Helen [Worth], Sue Nicholls and Barbara Knox.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Coronation Street for comment.

Open: Amanda, who came out as bisexual in 2002, explained that only a few of her closest friends on the soap knew the truth about her identity

Putting it out: She implied tht certain people who worked on the soap implied they wouldn't want to work with a cast member who was gay

During her guest appearance on Loose Women, Amanda discussed her wedding to partner Hilary in 2014, after the couple exchanged vows in London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

'I'd been with Hilary for years and we didn't want to get married before. I kept going, 'Oh my God, I can't bear one of those receptions. Ugh!' she said.

'Then when I did pantomime I asked my Dandini [Cinderella's sidekick] where he got married and he said Drury Lane Theatre. And I went, 'Hilary! That's it, we're doing it!'

'It's my favourite theatre  the first place I went when I arrived in London at 13. I said my prayer on Drury Lane steps, 'Please can I be in the theatre?'

'I've never played there except a charity show, although that was my ambition. So we married there instead.'

Sweet: During her guest appearance on Loose Women, Amanda discussed her wedding to partner Hilary in 2014, after the couple exchanged vows in London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane

During her time on Corrie, Amanda was married to theatre director and actor Robin Hunter, whom she wed in 1967. The couple separated in the mid-1980s and were still legally married when Robin died from emphysema in 2004.

Although she was married to a man, rumours of Amanda's bisexuality continued to swirl, with Amanda telling the Conversation Street podcast: 'Every week I would come up to the office.

'They'd go, ''You're coming out.'' ''Am I?'' ''Yeah, they've got this thing on you.''

'I spent a fortune on solicitors because believe me if that had happened to me at that time they would not have kept me in Coronation Street and I will stand by that.

'Not because of them [the producers] but because of people, who shall be nameless, who would've said, 'I'm not working with her.''

Amanda went on to note that things are far different now due to the LGBT cast members on the soap such as Antony Cotton, Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard.

Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV.
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Ioan Gruffudd submitted 113 pages of abusive text messages, emails and social media posts from his ex-wife Alice Evans as he applied for a restraining order on Tuesday, claiming that she threatened to do to him 'what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp' and paint him as a drug-addicted abuser.

Gruffudd filed the request for a restraining order yesterday in California. The Welsh actor had been married to Evans for 14 years before he filed for divorce in March. Their messy split centers around his new relationship with Bianca Wallace.

In his court filing on Tuesday, Gruffudd claims he told Evans that he wanted out of the marriage in August 2020 and that since then, she has harassed him with hundreds of unanswered text messages, abusive emails and social media posts - many of which he included in the filing.

He claims she verbally threatened to tell the media he had abused her.

'Alice told me verbally multiple times that she would do to me what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp. Alice threatened to tell people I had abused her and our daughters; she threatened to call the police on me if I did not comply with her demands; she threatened to tell people I am a drug addict and put me in prison; she threatened to write a fake diary that reflected an abused victim, and to have the diary published; and she threatened to destroy my mother. Alice told me she would win, and everyone would believe her over me,' Gruffudd said.

In her response in court, Alice said she had 'never threatened' him with slanderous statements or harassed him. Her representatives have not responded to requests for comment about the texts and emails contained in the lawsuit.

In one, she berated Wallace, calling her a 'vixen' who his 'nuts stuck in her veneers', and accused him of abandoning her.

'If you throw me out of the house, I will call all the tabloids in the UK. There is NO going back now though. I just think you should know what you've gotten yourself into. You think you have a bad reputation now? Lol! You think once it's over I will stop talking? I am going to dedicate the rest of my life to spreading awareness of what you have done,' she said in one text.

She went on to allege that he'd told her of times castmates bought cocaine, and that he never gave her sexual pleasure.

Some of the messages were sent using the app MyFamilyWizard, which was designed for divorced parents to communicate through

Texts from Alice to Ioan include many about their kids, custody agreements and her ranting about other portions of their lives

The actor claimed Alice had also turned on his new girlfriend, Bianca Wallace, (who he is pictured with)

Some of the many texts submitted to the court by Ioan Gruffudd from his estranged wife Alice Evans

Ioan Gruffudd is trying to get a restraining order against his estranged wife, Alice Evans, according to court documents. The pair separated in August 2020 after 13 years of marriage. They are shown above in 2016

Alice covered a 'horrible' black eye with sunglasses as she headed out for a stroll in Los Angeles on Tuesday

Alice covered the black eye with sunglasses in Los Angeles on Tuesday

Ioan Gruffudd and Bianca Wallace walk the dog in Los Angeles last month

Ioan Gruffudd and Bianca Wallace walk the dog in Los Angeles last month

Ioan Gruffudd and Bianca Wallace walk the dog in Los Angeles last month

In the declaration, Ioan goes on to claim Alice had already made 'false and harassing' posts about him on social media', as well as sending 'hundreds' of abusive emails, texts and video calls.

Dozens of messages were included in the court documents, in which Alice appeared to criticize the star for not working.

'It' embarrassing now that everybody is telling me you are done. That nobody wants to [employ] you. That Dom West is at the top of the lists because he 'did the right thing'. And by the way it doesn't matter what is really going on in the relationship, for god's sake. It's about appearances. Jesus Christ think of Cary grant and Rock Hudson.

'Why on EARTH do you think Tom Cruise and John Travolta went to such extents? I'm increasingly angry that you have sabotaged your career. Insanely angry. I GAVE UP my career for this.

'And you throw it away because you feel a stronger connection to [your parents] than you do to your own brethren? It's just o confusing. . . You KNOW your Mum is a mental case. Why on earth do you want to give up everything we've established for the sake of somebody who doesn't even love you?'

In one text exchange, Gruffudd begged her to stop 'harassing' him and only contact him to speak about the kids

In her court filing, Alice said she that had never 'threatened or harassed' Ioan. Her attorneys and reps have not commented on the texts that were submitted

In other emails, she accused Bianca of 'ruining four other marriages' and told Ioan 'when her MS gets bad enough you need to take her to all her castings in a wheelchair'

Evans also sent emails to Ioan's mother, Margaret Griffiths, about his relationship with Bianca

At times, she appears to show remorse but then flips quickly back to insulting him

She added: 'Your face and body now look hideous to me. I am starting on dating apps ( not had the balls to actually go live yet) because I want to find a man who really loves me after being deprived of that for 20 whole years.

Hollywood carcrash: Amber Heard publicly accused Johnny Depp of beating her and emotionally abusing her during their marriage. She won the case in court and was found to be telling the truth

'I am convinced I still have time, and my personality will shine through. I have no idea why the hell I fell in love with you. Biggest mistake if my life. ( except for the kids)'

The actor claimed she had also turned on his new girlfriend, Bianca Wallace, such as by publishing private information about her.

He continued: 'It was extremely upsetting and stressful for me to continuously receive these types of hostile and aggressive text messages from Alice. On July 22, 2021, I blocked Alice's phone number on my phone.'

One of the examples appeared to show Alice saying: 'Dude your film with Bianca is the most embarrassing thing I have EVER seen in Deadline. . . You have left a family you were providing for. You had SPECIFICALLY asked this loving family to wait for you while you worked abroad. We did.

'Then you met the most psychopathic succubus ever minnow to man, and fell for her. even Prince Harry... whatever. No NO NO NO nO.

'Find some financing then make whatever film you want. But don't take away everything you have because some vixen has your nuts between her veneers. PS: There is already betting on how long until she leaves you! PROPER BETTING! Now THAT'S famous.'

Alice rejected all the claims made by Ioan in the restraining order application.

She wrote: 'I believe that Petitioner is filing this request merely as a ploy to gain some sort of advantage over me in our divorce proceedings.

'As Petitioner has not seen our children for over 8 months, I believe he is trying to set some type of record that I am a horrible mother.'

Alice was seen heading for a stroll in Los Angeles, with pictures showing her covering a 'horrible' black eye with sunglasses.

The actress wrapped up in an oversized black kaftan and striped shorts while carrying her dog during the walk.

Alice, who split from husband in January 2021, revealed on Instagram she suffered a painful black eye after 'falling down the stairs in heels,' explaining she has had to put 'a stack' of her Cameo requests on hold due to the incident.

Alice cut a casual figure in a black kaftan wrapped around her as she headed out for a walk in the sunshine, teamed with cropped striped shorts and suede loafers.

The star was accompanied by her dog during the walk, having first shared the injury with her Instagram followers on Monday.

Standing in the California sunshine in a striped top and red sunglasses, the doting mother explained: 'Hi guys, quick update [gestures to bruising around her eye].

That's got to hurt! Standing in the California sunshine in a striped top and red sunglasses, the doting mother explained: 'Hi guys, quick update [gestures to bruising around her eye]'

'If you requested me on Cameo and it's expired, please do it again.

'All I have to say to you is I tried to run up a couple of steps to pick up a dropped mask in heels on Thursday, just after I'd recorded my last Instagram.'

She added: 'And, you don't want to see what's underneath here, but it's horrible and I have a stack of requests that are piling up that I can't do because eye-hurty. I'm thinking about three or four days for this, sorry!'

Alice previously announced her decision to join Cameo, sharing an Instagram video captioned: 'I am on Cameo!! Watch this and PLEASE book me! I am a single mum and sadly need the money.

'But the good news is that I'm cheap as chips! So do one yourself and pass it on! I love you guys [sic].'

Alice is selling video messages for personal use priced at 30 and messages for businesses at 207.

In the clip, Alice stated: 'In case you didn't know, I'm on Cameo now and will do anything you want. No, I will not take my clothes off.

'No, I will not cut my hair off as there's nothing left of it anyway. No, I will not engage in sexual acts with other people... that's for the other site whatever it is.

'But I will, any questions you have to ask me, any anniversaries, any birthdays, any anything. I am a little bit clumsy so sometimes I get it wrong but it's a little bit funny anyway.

'That's about it really. I just want you to know that I am fully, fully engaged in this and I will endeavor to do the best I can for anyone. And if you don't like it I will do another one for free, ok.

'Also, my husbands trying to take all the money away - I shouldn't say that, but I'm going to make sure I make more money than him, haha, love you.'

Alice, who shares daughters Ella, 12, and Elsie, eight, with husband of 13 years Ioan Gruffudd confirmed their split in a series of furious tweets posted in January 2021.

She has since documented every toxic turn in their subsequent divorce proceedings across social media, and repeatedly slated him for being in a relationship with Bianca Wallace.

Gruffudd and Alice's lawyers are due in court on March 11 for a hearing on the restraining order.
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Canada will ease entry for fully vaccinated international travelers starting Feb. 28 as COVID-19 cases decline, allowing a rapid antigen test for travelers instead of a molecular one, officials said Tuesday.







Antigen tests are cheaper than a molecular test and can provide results within minutes.







The new measures, which include random testing for vaccinated travelers entering Canada, were announced by federal government ministers at a briefing.







Canada will monitor conditions with an eye on dropping coronavirus testing requirements for fully vaccinated Canadians who make short trips  less than 72 hours  abroad, usually to the United States, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said.






Georgia Steel sent temperatures soaring wile treating her Instagram followers with a racy slew of snaps from her Dubai getaway on Wednesday.

The former Love Island star, 23, flashed her cleavage as she suggestively tugged at her white bikini top which she combined with a skimpy pair of matching bottoms.

Posing inside the swanky beach club Twiggy By La Cantine, she wore a delicate gold chain around her svelte waist and smouldered up a storm for the camera.

Jaw-dropping: Georgia Steel flaunted her cleavage as she suggestively tugged at her skimpy white bikini top during her Dubai getaway in a Wednesday Instagram post

Her walnut locks had been styled into a chic fringe and she enchanced her natural beauty by flawlessly applying a full face of make-up.

In her caption, the influencer wrote: Every day bikini dayyy @fashionnova ad.'

Georgia took the opportunity to post another slew of sensational bikini pictures on Tuesday during her sun-soaked getaway.

Oozing confidence, the TV personality posed up a storm in a miniscule red bikini that barely contained her ample assets.

Wow! Posing inside the swanky beach club Twiggy By La Cantine, she wore a delicate gold chain around her svelte waist and smouldered up a storm for the camera

Stunning: Her walnut locks had been styled into a chic fringe and she enchanced her natural beauty by flawlessly applying a full face of make-up

Having a blast! In her caption, the influencer wrote: Every day bikini dayyy @fashionnova ad'

For several shots she leant against a tree on the sand, and turned away from the camera to flaunt her peachy derriere in the thong bottoms.

Her sun-kissed glow, from soaking in the sun for the past several days, was on full display in the brightly coloured two-piece.

Georgia's brunette locks were styled in loose waves and tumbled down her back, while her fringe was swept to the side.

As her famous friends and fans flooded the comments with praise, she cheekily captioned the snaps: 'Front to back'.

It comes after she joined by fellow Love Island bombshell Hayley Hughes for a bikini mirror selfie last week.

The girls aligned their swimwear style, both opting for white which drew out their sun-kissed skin.
Chris Pine starred in the action-packed first trailer for the upcoming movie The Contractor, which was released on Paramount Movies' official YouTube account on Wednesday.

In the trailer, the 41-year-old actor was seen transforming into an elite mercenary and attempting to evade forces trying to stop him from returning home after a dangerous mission.

The Tarik Saleh-directed movie is currently scheduled to be released in theaters this coming spring.

On screen: Chris Pine starred in the action-packed trailer for the upcoming movie The Contractor, which was released on Paramount Movies' official YouTube account on Wednesday

The trailer begins with James Harper, played by Pine, enjoying dinner at the family home of his best friend, portrayed by Ben Foster.

When his friend's son begins asking about their experiences in the military, they express that they 'looked after each other' and were 'kind of like brothers.'

Harper is then shown being discharged from the army, and is told that the organization is 'cleaning house.'

Although the character is honorably discharged from the service, he is informed that he will be losing several benefits that he had rightfully earned, much to his chagrin.

Going home: The trailer begins with James Harper, played by Pine, enjoying dinner at the family home of his best friend, portrayed by Ben Foster

Tight bond: When his friend's son begins asking about their experiences in the military, they express that they 'looked after each other' and were 'kind of like brothers'

After Pine and Foster are seen standing at a grave, an offscreen character comments that the military took 'our minds, our bodies and our spirit, and they chewed us up and spit us out.'

Harper is then shown deleting a message about a missed payment before a character portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland offers him a job in a 'deep black OGA offshoot with direct presidential authority.'

Foster encourages him to take the job, and after spending a romantic evening with his partner, played by Gillian Jacobs, Pine expresses that he needs 'to take care of my family.'

Harper later receives information about his target, and the team of operatives is dispatched to Europe to 'cowboy up, get it done and go home to our families.'

Ungrateful: After Pine and Foster are seen standing at a grave, an offscreen character comments that the military took 'our minds, our bodies and our spirit, and they chewed us up and spit us out'

Starting over: Harper is then shown deleting a message about a missed payment before a character portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland offers him a job in a 'deep black OGA offshoot with direct presidential authority'

Working hard: Harper later receives information about his target, and the team of operatives is dispatched to Europe to 'cowboy up, get it done and go home to our families'

The team breaks into a research facility and downloads valuable information during their raid, although their target comments that they are only doing it for the money, which gives Pine's character pause.

The mercenary is then shown having a tense conversation with Sutherland, and he voices doubt about the morality of their mission.

He is then attacked by several operatives after refusing to comply with an extraction order and escapes into a local river.

After Pine fends off a group of mercenaries, a fellow soldier, played by Eddie Marsan, ominously comments that 'it's easy to kill, but it's much harder to survive.'

Second thoughts: The team breaks into a research facility and downloads valuable information during their raid, although their target comments that they are only doing it for the money, which gives Pine's character pause

Double-crossed: He is then attacked by several operatives after refusing to comply with an extraction order and escapes into a local river

Reflection: After Pine fends off a group of mercenaries, a fellow soldier, played by Eddie Marsan, ominously comments that 'it's easy to kill, but it's much harder to survive'

When Harper is seen sharing a tender moment with his partner, his counterpart then points out that, for individuals like him, 'home is a memory.'

The trailer ends with a rapid-fire montage in which Pine's character is seen defending himself from several adversaries, and he declares that he is 'going home.'

Development on the project, which was originally entitled Violence of Action, was initially announced in May of 2019 when the Star Trek star was first attached to the film.

Much of the cast, which also includes performers such as Nina Hoss and J.D Pardo, was brought together over the length of that year.

Fighting his way out: The trailer ends with a rapid-fire montage in which Pine's character is seen defending himself from several adversaries, and he declares that he is 'going home'

Heading to work: Development on the project, which was originally entitled Violence of Action, was initially announced in May of 2019 when the Star Trek star was first attached to the film

Lineup: Much of the cast, which also includes performers such as Nina Hoss and J.D Pardo, was brought together over the length of that year

Filming began in late 2019, and production on the feature took place in locations such as Germany and Romania.

The feature was initially supposed to be released in December of last year, although it was ultimately pushed back.

The Contractor was ultimately given a debut date of April 1st, where it currently stands.
Storage Hunters star Boudicca Scherazade looked totally different from her stint on the television show as she posed in lingerie for a sexy Valentine's Day shoot this week.

The antiques dealer, 53, put on a busty display and looked stunning in a black and red mesh bra in the sultry social media snaps, before making a jibe at 'humourless' social media and writing that she was enjoying the 'lighter side of life'.

She could be seen posing with her hand behind her head with her tattoo visible on her other arm.

Sultry: Storage Hunters star Boudicca Scherazade, 53, looked totally different from her stint on the television show as she posed in lingerie this week

The screen star wore her blonde hair pinned back behind her head and she wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty features.

She captioned her post: 'When they unblock you .. just in time for Valentines Day.

'Because insta can be full of the most humourless interiors cushion scattering queens in the business..why not see the lighter side of life.'

Screen star: In 2015 she appeared in nine episodes of the UK version of the hit American TV series, Storage Hunters

Boudicca previously shared pictures of herself in her underwear, saying she is proud of her figure.

She wrote online: 'You dont get a figure like mine from eating salads - Cos one Boudicca is never enough.

'Some are going to judge you whatever you do. Lifes too short to care too much about other people's self-imposed limiting boundaries.

Chilling out: The antiques dealer put on a busty display and looked stunning in a black and red mesh bra

'Be yourself, everyone else is taken #beyourselfeveryoneelseistaken #plussizemodel.'

Boudicca hit headlines in 2020 when she avoided jail after contacting a hunky antiques dealer she'd stalked in a three-year campaign of suggestive photographs and messages.

The reality star bombarded furniture dealer Laurence Roche with explicit emails, texts and voicemails, and was barred from contacting him when she was convicted of a similar offence, toward the same man, in 2016.

Strike a pose: Boudicca previously shared pictures of herself in her underwear, saying she is proud of her figure

She would even turn up to his stall in Wimbledon, south west London, to shout at him and take photographs.

Scherazade, of Hampton Court, left hate filled rants on his phone and would also send him intimate photographs and selfies.

A court heard her stalking campaign lasted for three years and began when the younger man made it clear he didn't want anything to do with her and didn't return the affection she felt for him.

According to the Sun, Scherazade was arrested again in December after Roche, 31, saw her at an antiques fair he was working as a market trader at. He then contacted police.

At court: Boudicca hit headlines in 2020 when she avoided jail after contacting a hunky antiques dealer she'd stalked in a three-year campaign of suggestive snaps and messages

She pleaded guilty and was ordered to complete rehabilitation activities. She was also handed another restraining order, which stipulated she may not appear at Roche's home address or place of work, or anywhere else he may be.

Scherazade, who is Sotheby's trained, appeared for sentence at St Albans Magistrates' Court in Hertfordshire following her conviction in 2016 for an offence of stalking Mr Roche.

In 2015 she appeared in nine episodes of the UK version of the hit American TV series, Storage Hunters alongside Celebrity Big Brother star, Heavy D.

In the show she and other dealers attempted to outbid each other to buy the contents of abandoned security lock ups without knowing what they were getting.

They then had to try and sell the items they had acquired for a profit.
Michael B Jordan publicly declared his feelings for his girlfriend, Lori Harvey, with a post that was shared to his Instagram account on Wednesday.

The Creed star made his affection for his partner apparent in his post's caption, where he simply wrote: 'I love her.'

The 35-year-old performer's shot showed the 25-year-old social media personality sporting an especially eye-catching outfit while posing for a glammed-up photo.

Affectionate: Michael B Jordan publicly declared his love for his girlfriend, Lori Harvey, with a post that was shared to his Instagram account on Wednesday

Harvey sported a lovely white minidress that exposed her impressively toned legs while posing for the image.

The social media personality also rocked a flowing fuzzy overcoat that matched with her top in the pinup picture.

The daughter of Family Feud's Steve Harvey wore a chic pair of transparent high-heeled shoes and accessorized with beautiful diamond earrings.

Her voluminous brunette hair cascaded onto her shoulder and backside and contrasted perfectly with the light shade of her clothing.

Being honest: The Creed star also made his affection for his partner apparent in his post's caption, where he simply wrote: 'I love her'

Jordan and Harvey were initially romantically linked in November of 2020 when they were seen with each other at an airport in Atlanta.

The two later spent time with each other during New Year's Eve, and vacationed in Utah while ringing in the holiday.

The happy couple eventually went Instagram official in January of last year, when they made the news about their romance known to the public.

They have since appeared in several shots shared to their respective accounts ever since then.

Sighted: Jordan and Harvey were initially romantically linked in November of 2020 when they were seen with each other at an airport in Atlanta

Jordan discussed going public with his relationship during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he acknowledged that he was previously unprepared to deal with the public's opinion of their romance.

'When I was younger, I don't know if I could have handled the onslaught of opinions and being picked apart,' he said.

He then expressed that constantly trying to keep the romance under wraps was starting to have an adverse affect on his connection to Harvey.

'There's a premeditated planning of staying out of the way [of the public eye] that sometimes kills spontaneity and intimacy,' he stated.

Discussing the pitfalls: Jordan discussed going public with his relationship during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he acknowledged that he was previously unprepared to deal with the public's opinion of their romance

Jordan pointed out that, as he had found an ideal partner in the social media personality, he wanted to do everything he could to strengthen their relationship.'

'I wanted to take that away and give this the best chance it had, in this weird world that we live in, to be somewhat normal,' he stated.

The Black Panther actor concluded by expressing that he was happy to finally be able to express his love for Harvey in public.

'The situation for me was real enough...long story short, I think it's just the timing of everything. It was the right time for me,' he said.
Actor Columbus Short has been charged with one misdemeanor count of domestic violence and another for child endangerment, according to TMZ.

Following an argument with his wife Aida Abramyan that allegedly became physical earlier this month, the Scandal star was accused of trying to grab his spouse's phone, which resulted in him scratching her hand.

Short, 39, reportedly did not have any marks or bruises from the incident, which is said to have occurred in front of a child.

Yikes: Actor Columbus Short has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence and one for child endangerment, according to TMZ

On February 6, he spoke about his arrest in a tweet, which read: 'Marriages are challenging but getting through it is the blessing! I AM not a abusive man nor am I on drugs but drinking alcohol makes my words unholy sometimes. My wife and I are working on our marriage.'

He also linked to a since-deleted Instagram video, in which he attempted to clear his name.

'I know there's some stuff out here in the media again, arrested for felony domestic violence, but let me tell you what really happened,' he began.

Speaking out: On February 6, he spoke about his arrest in a tweet, which read: 'Marriages are challenging but getting through it is the blessing! I AM not a abusive man nor am I on drugs but drinking alcohol makes my words unholy sometimes. My wife and I are working on our marriage'

Telling his side: He also linked to a since-deleted Instagram video, in which he attempted to clear his name and explain what 'really happened'

Columbus continued: 'I asked my wife to leave the home due to my frustration and I grabbed her phone, which I shouldn't have [done] and I scratched her hand.'

'Post-OJ, the police came here, detectives were here, it was a whole just ridiculous thing,' he whined.

Ultimately, he claimed the authorities 'had to make a decision' on whether to arrest him or Abramyan.

Troubling: Short reportedly did not have any marks or bruises from the incident, which is said to have occurred in front of a child

'Based on that scratch, I went to jail,' the actor said in the video, re-shared by The Shade Room. 'I'm sorry for anybody that I let down. I'm grinding, I'm working hard, but, my apologies.'

It is unclear if the minor that witnessed the fight was their son or one of his kids from past marriages to first wife Brandi Short and second wife, Tanee McCall.

In 2018, Short was sentenced to serve a year in jail on domestic assault charges after beating Abramyan, who he married in 2016.

He only ended up serving 34 days of his 365 jail sentence.

Scary: It is unclear if the minor that witnessed the fight was one of their sons or kids from past marriages to first wife Brandi Short and second wife, Tanee McCall

At the time, he was already on probation for knocking a man out in a bar fight.

Four years prior to that conviction, Short was charged with domestic violence by his then-wife Tanee McCall, after putting a knife to her throat.

The charges were later dismissed, but Tanee filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences and she claimed sole custody of their daughter Ayala.

Due to his troubled past, Short was forced to leave the ABC's political thriller Scandal in 2014.

Struggles: Prior to his 2018 jail sentence, the Stomp the Yard actor served a week in jail in 2016, after failing a drug test and violating his previous probation; seen three years ago

The announcement of his exit from the series followed his spousal battery charge along with accusing him of felony battery that seriously injured a man during an altercation at a West Hollywood restaurant.

Short has also publicly suffered from substance abuse, which is an other reason the star was forced to leave the hit show.

Prior to his 2018 jail sentence, the Stomp the Yard actor served a week in jail in 2016, after failing a drug test and violating his previous probation.
Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley have called it quits on their two-year relationship, a month after reports they don't discuss political differences.

The 38-year-old Green Bay Packers quarterback quietly proposed in 2020, but waited until last February to confirm their whirlwind engagement.

'It was an amicable split; it just wasn't working,' an source told People. 'They're very different people with busy careers and there were obstacles that they couldn't surmount.'

It's over! Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley have called it quits on their two-year relationship, a month after reports they don't discuss political differences

The insider continued: 'They will remain friendly; there's no bad blood and no drama. It just didn't work out for them.'

While the pair battled long distance while dating, they enjoyed trips to Disney World, a romantic getaway to Mexico as well as a couples vacation in Hawaii with her longtime pal Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry.

DailyMail.com has reached out representatives for both Shailene, 30, and Aaron, who have so far been unavailable for comment.

Better times: While the pair battled long distance, they enjoyed getaways around the world together trips to Disneyland, a couples vacation in Hawaii with Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry and a romantic getaway to Mexico; seen together last April

Laying low: DailyMail.com has reached out representatives for both Shailene, 30, and Aaron, who have so far been unavailable for comment

In January, an insider also told People that the Big Little Lies star and her ex 'mutually made the decision to avoid topics on which they disagreed' after he came forward about his controversial anti-vax stance.

The source added, 'They disagreed on a lot of things. Early on, they decided to agree to disagree about things and not debate them.'

The insider noted that The Fault in Our Stars actress is very firm in her opinions which discouraged the NFL star from broaching to the topic.

Better times: While the pair battled long distance, they enjoyed getaways around the world together trips to Disneyland, a couples vacation in Hawaii with Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry and a romantic getaway to Mexico; seen together last April

'She is not someone whose mind you can change, so Aaron hasn't even tried,' the source told the media outlet.

Shailene is an environmental activist who was arrested in 2016 for criminal trespassing while protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The California native has been involved with progressive political organizations and endorsed Bernie Sanders in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Activism: Shailene is an environmental activist who was arrested in 2016 for criminal trespassing while protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline

In November 2021, Aaron faced backlash after it was revealed that he had not received the COVID-19 vaccine despite having previously said he was 'immunized.'

The football player had opted for a homeopathic treatment from his personal doctor. He was later fined by the league for violating COVID-19 protocols.

Ahead of his team's playoffs loss to the San Francisco 49ers last month, Aaron slammed President Joe Biden's stance on vaccines.

Vocal: Ahead of his team's Monday playoffs loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Aaron slammed the President Joe Biden's stance on vaccines

He told ESPN, 'When the president of the United States says, "This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated," it's because him and his constituents, which, I don't know how there are any if you watch any of his attempts at public speaking, but I guess he got 81 million votes.'

Aaron continued, 'But when you say stuff like that, and then you have the CDC, which  how do you even trust them?  but then they come out and talk about 75% of the COVID deaths have at least four co-morbidities.

'And you still have this fake White House set saying that this is the pandemic of the unvaccinated, that's not helping the conversation.'

The comments came after President Biden toured tornado damage in Kentucky and told a Packers fan, 'Tell your quarterback he's got to get the vaccine.'

Selective: 'They have a different, non-traditional relationship,' a source told PEOPLE in December, but remained mostly mum on what makes their partnership so

Memories: Woodley and Rodgers attended the Kentucky Derby with Miles Teller and friends last year

Meanwhile, Shailene and Aaron reportedly have a 'non-traditional' relationship which includes being more 'private' about things than the average Hollywood couple.

'They have a different, non-traditional relationship,' a source told People in December, but remained mostly mum on what makes their partnership so atypical.

Since announcing their engagement, the two have continued to be very private with their relationship.

Rodgers seemed to celebrate his birthday on December 2 without his lady love by his side, and she did not acknowledge it on social media.

But despite no over the top social media tributes and scant public outings, the couple are reportedly very much 'still together.'

'Shailene and Aaron are still together,' the source said. 'It's not odd they don't post about each other on their birthdays in that sense, and are very private about things.'

Couples outing: The pair are scantily spotted out together publicly but took a trip to Hawaii with Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry Teller in May 2021 where rare images of them were shared

Even the manner at which they went about announcing their engagement was anything but standard,.

Rodgers had coyly thanked his 'fiancee' while accepting the NFL MVP award in February, though he did not mention her by name.

People was the first outlet to identify that the fiancee in question was indeed Woodley, and she later confirmed they had been 'engaged for a while' on a February 22 appearance with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

'Yes, we are engaged. But for us, it's not new news, you know? So it's kind of funny. Everybody right now is freaking out over it and we're like, 'Yeah, we've been engaged for a while,'' she said while flashing a glimpse of her ring.

She gave a rare interview about their relationship over the summer during an interview with Shape Magazine while gushing they 'jumped in headfirst' on account of the pandemic.

'Starting a relationship where you immediately move in with someone  because it's a pandemic and you can't just get on a plane and go back and forth on weekends  taught us a lot about each other very quickly.'
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Molly-Mae Hague took centre-stage on Wednesday as she launches her long awaited PrettyLittleThing collaboration with an inclusive runway show at Londoner Hotel in London.

The Creative Director, 22, cut a chic figure in a stylish blue co-ord as she emerged on stage following the catwalk show which featured a diverse range of disabled and plus-sized models.

Molly-Mae was supported by boyfriend Tommy Fury, her Love Island pals and a plethora of reality stars at the star-studded event, with the stunner seen posing with her boxer beau, 22, after the show.

Woman of the moment: Molly-Mae Hague took centre-stage on Wednesday as she launches her long awaited PrettyLittleThing collaboration with an inclusive runway show at Londoner Hotel in London

Her love: Molly-Mae was supported by boyfriend Tommy Fury, her Love Island pals and a plethora of reality stars at the star-studded event, with the stunner seen posing with her boxer beau, 22, after the show

The beauty teamed her leather jacket and trousers combo with a beige tank top and barely-there heels, accessorising her look with simple gold hooped earrings.

The social media influencer finished things off by sweeping her blonde tresses into a sleek ponytail with a side parting and cascading curls, while accentuating her features with perfectly-applied understated make-up.

Molly-Mae looked over the moon as she emerged on the catwalk to rapturous applause following the fashion show.

She beamed and waved at the crowd as she joined her models on the runway during the exciting finale.

Couple: The lovebirds posed for sweet snaps backstage with boxer Tommy looking proud of his girlfriend

Gorgeous: Molly-Mae was met with applause as she strutted down the catwalk following her very inclusive show

Radiant: The social media influencer swept her blonde tresses into a sleek ponytail with a side parting and cascading curls, while accentuating her features with perfectly-applied understated make-up

Tommy meanwhile cut a casual figure in a black baseball jacket teamed with a white T-shirt, black joggers and black and white trainers.

Ahead of the runway show, a group of protestors were seen gathering outside The Londoner Hotel, and among them was Love Island 2021 star Brett Staniland.

He told OK! that PLT's parent company Boohoo are contributing to the ongoing climate crisis, saying: 'The fashion industry doesn't get taken seriously with the climate crisis. Boohoo Group don't care about anyone, and they contribute more to the crisis than any other fashion brand in the UK.

Drama: Ahead of the runway show, a group of protestors were seen gathering outside The Londoner Hotel, and among them was Love Island 2021 star Brett Staniland

Hitting back: He told OK! that PLT's parent company Boohoo are contributing to the ongoing climate crisis, saying: 'The fashion industry doesn't get taken seriously with the climate crisis'

'They use women of colour at the front of their campaigns to mask women of colour in their supply chains that they don't pay. It's exploitation from where ever you look at it.

'They have tried to brainwash us by saying they've taken over a factory, and it accounts less than one per cent of their whole contribution. It's so ridiculous, they're experts in brainwashing.'

Images outside the hotel showed the protestors brandising signs alluding to the alleged low wages paid to PrettyLittleThing's workers, with another noting 'If factories are safe, stop blocking unions!'

Woman of the moment Molly-Mae had earlier taken to Instagram where she shared snaps of herself on the runway ahead of her big show during London Fashion Week.

The star showed off her Creative Director T-shirt in a nod to her job title as she prepared to debut her latest collection.

Delighted: Molly-Mae looked over the moon as she emerged on the catwalk to rapturous applause following the fashion show

Looking good: The Instagram star looked amazing as she took centre-stage on Wednesday

What a star: She beamed and waved at the crowd as she joined her models on the runway during the exciting finale

Walk this way: The creative director looked as pleased as punch as she and the models showcased the latest PLT collection

Standing ovation: The audience were on their feet as Molly-Mae emerged from backstage

Backstage antics: The TV personality flashed a glimpse of her toned abs as she posed up a storm behind-the-scenes

Busy-bee: Molly-Mae was seen wearing her head-set as she rans things at the show, before keeping refreshed with branded water

Attendance: Tommy posed for snaps ahead of his girlfriend's big show

Low-key look: Tommy meanwhile cut a casual figure in a black baseball jacket teamed with a white T-shirt, black joggers and black and white trainers

That's my girl: Tommy was every inch the proud boyfriend as he posed in front of a giant poster of his girl

In her caption, the influencer wrote: 'I've been waiting for this moment for 6 months it's go time @prettylittlething ad.'

Molly-Mae's contract as EU Creative Director with PrettyLittleThing will expire in August, but the star doesn't see 'why it won't continue.'

She said: 'This fashion show is going to show everyone what we're doing in my role, which I'm really excited about. There's been a lot of unanswered questions, and this catwalk will display exactly what I've been doing the last six months because it's taken that long to plan it.'

In attendance: Molly-Mae's lookalike sister Zoe Hague and mother Debbie Gordon were also on hand to support the launch

All change: Molly-Mae eventually traded her blue co-ord for a thigh-skimming minidress and knee-high boots

Party time: The influencer and TV personality was ready to party with boyfriend Tommy after her clothing launch

Getting ready: Woman of the moment Molly-Mae had earlier taken to Instagram where she shared snaps of herself on the runway ahead of her big show during London Fashion Week

All good? The star gave her seal of approval as a member of the crew snapped her before the show

Pre-show vibes: Molly-Mae cut a trendy figure in an all-black ensemble as she updated her social media ahead of her big show

It will be fine: The beauty took a moment to herself as she prepped for her big moment

Leading the way: A model in an electric wheelchair led her fellow runway stars as they showed off the PLT collection

Brilliant: Molly-Mae's runway show featured a diverse and inclusive set of models

Stylish: One model rocked a chic brown midi dress teamed with strappy heels

Diverse: Molly-Mae's collection was modelled by beauties of all shapes and sizes, with all the models looking gorgeous on the night

Something for everyone: The new collection featured items in a whole range of sizes

Queens: Molly-Mae posed with her gorgeous models after the show

Meanwhile Maura Higgins and Roxy Horner were sure to turn heads as they led the stars cheering on Molly-Mae at the catwalk show.

The Irish beauty Maura, 31, wowed as she went braless beneath a perilously plunging structured mini dress as she stepped out to support her BFF and fellow Love Island's star Molly's latest collection with the online retailer.

Meanwhile, Roxy, 30, showcased her endless pins as she slipped into a sexy little black dress at the star-studded event.

Maura looked stunning in the pale grey, blazer-style number which featured a daring necklace with a split then went right down to her naval.

Wow: Meanwhile Maura Higgins and Roxy Horner were sure to turn heads as they led the stars cheering on Molly-Mae at the catwalk show.

Glam: The Irish beauty Maura, 31, wowed as she went braless beneath a perilously plunging structured mini dress as she stepped out to support her BFF and fellow Love Island 's star Molly's latest collection with the online retailer

Dare to bare: Maura looked stunning in the pale grey, blazer-style number which featured a daring necklace with a split then went right down to her naval

Eye-popping display: Maura posed with her hands on her hips as she rocked the cleavage-flashing number

Leggy: The TV personality oozed confidence as she put on a showstopping display in her outfit, which allowed her to flashed her tanned legs

From the back: Maura was sure to show off the back of the dress which had a completely cut-out panel

Walk this way: She had earlier showed off her toned legs as she made her way into the star-studded event

Supportive Molly's boyfriend and best pals looked chuffed as they supported her on her big night

What's the goss? Maura and Ellie Brown were also engrossed with something on a mobile phone

The TV personality oozed confidence as she put on a showstopping display in her outfit, which allowed her to flashed her tanned legs.

She boosted her height with towering white lace-up heels, while her raven locks were swept into a sleek bun.

Roxy also put on a confident display, teaming her thigh-skimming dress with a fluffy black coat and strappy black heels.

The model girlfriend of Jack Whitehall added a pop of colour with a red handbag, finishing off her look with a gold Chanel necklace and diamond studs.

Stunner: Roxy also put on a confident display, teaming her thigh-skimming dress with a fluffy black coat and strappy black heels

Details: The model girlfriend of Jack Whitehall added a pop of colour with a red handbag, finishing off her look with a gold Chanel necklace and diamond studs

Whoops: Roxy had earlier flashed a little more than intended as her semi-sheer skirt showed her black underwear beneath the glare of the flashbulbs

All black everything: The beauty later posed up a storm inside ahead of the show

Glamorous: The model looked effortlessly chic at the star-studded catwalk event

Meanwhile, Hana Cross cut a stylish figure in a brown and orange patterned co-ord as she attended the event.

The model, 24, showed off her slender frame in the zip-up top and matching flared trousers as she posed up a storm at the bash for the former Love Island's star's latest collection with the online retailer.

Hana, who has been linked to KUWTK star Scott Disick, 38, oozed glamour while posing for the camera with one hand tucked in her pocket.

The beauty draped a furry black coat over her shoulders for the event, teaming her ensemble with chunky black boots, a gold necklace and hooped earrings.

Hana's brunette locks was worn in a part braided style, while she highlighted her striking features with a dewy make-up palette.

Also attending the event were TOWIE stars Demi and Frankie Sims, who both opted for casual ensembles at the event.

Style: Meanwhile, Hana Cross cut a stylish figure in a brown and orange patterned co-ord as she attended the event

Pose: The model, 24, showed off her slender frame in the zip-up top and matching flared trousers as she posed up a storm

Work it: Hana, who has been linked to KUWTK star Scott Disick, 38, oozed glamour while posing for the camera with one hand tucked in her pocket

Ready for the main event: Hana took her seat and posed alongside her goody bag ahead of the show

Posers: Hana and Roxy pulled off their best pouts as they sat next to each other on the front row

Twinning: Hana and Roxy sported matching black furry jackets at the event

Hey there: Roxy happily posed alongside Janice Joostema, who woed in a neon green dress

Frankie slipped into a printed white T-shirt, which she teamed with royal blue trousers, a white hoodie and tan heeled mules.

Meanwhile her sister donned a black corset-style top worn under a black and grey jacket.

The TV star added black trousers and chunky black boots to her look, adding a pop of colour with a blue handbag draped across her body.

The siblings were in great company as their older sister Chloe Sims also attended the glitzy fashion event.

Here they are: Also attending the event were TOWIE stars Demi and Frankie Sims, who both opted for casual ensembles at the event

Cool look: Frankie slipped into a printed white T-shirt, which she teamed with royal blue trousers, a white hoodie and tan heeled mules

Hair today: Frankie's caramel locks were styled into cascading soft waves

Edgy: Meanwhile her sister donned a black corset-style top worn under a black and grey jacket

Here she is: The siblings were in great company as their older sister Chloe Sims also attended the glitzy fashion event

Emerging: Chloe went braless while flashing her ample assets in a plunging black shirt while slipping her toned legs into a pair of coordinating leather trousers

Of course: The make-up artist unsurprisingly rocked a sleek, perfectly-applied make-up palette

Sisters: Chloe and Demi posed for a cute snap together

Spectators: The Sims sisters took their place on the front row

Chloe went braless while flashing her ample assets in a plunging black shirt while slipping her toned legs into a pair of coordinating leather trousers.

Sporting a pair of Karl Lagerfeld fingerless leather gloves, she clutched a charcoal snakeskin handbag as she sizzled up a storm for onlookers.

Elsewhere, Kendall Rae Knight wowed onlookers in an unmissable yellow minidress which featured a knot over her midriff and cutouts on either side to exhibit her svelte waist.

Looking good: Elsewhere, Kendall Rae Knight wowed onlookers in an unmissable yellow minidress which featured a knot over her midriff and cutouts on either side to exhibit her svelte waist

Golden girl: Kendall showed off her long, bronzed legs as she took a seat at the catwalk show

Hot stuff: The beauty flashed her bronzed legs in an unmissable yellow minidress which featured a knot over her midriff and cutouts on either side to exhibit her svelte waist

Dazzling: Both Kendall and Roxy put on leggy displays in their thigh-grazing numbers

Girls: Kendall happily posed with Roxy and fellow Love Island alumni Ellie Brown

My type on paper: The Love Island ladies were on fine form as they stepped out to support Molly-Mae

She teamed the shoulder-padded number with a dazzling gold handbag while adding inches to her enviable frame with a pair of coordinating lace-up heels.

The Love Island star continued her look with a delicate chain necklace and wore her glossy chocolate locks in a sleek middle parting.

She accentuated her natural beauty with a full face of flawlessly-applied make-up and completed her ensemble with a pair of gold-and-white drop earrings.

Also at the event was Love Island's Ellie Brown, who looked stylish in a black cropped jumper and matching mini skirt, while she draped a leather jacket over her shoulders.

Pose: Also at the event was Love Island's Ellie Brown, who looked stylish in a black cropped jumper and matching mini skirt, while she draped a leather jacket over her shoulders

Green Goddess: While fellow islander Kax Kamwi turned heads in a striking green mini dress which she teamed with a cream handkerchief top, ivory boots and a brown leather jacket

While fellow islander Kax Kamwi turned heads in a striking green mini dress which she teamed with a cream handkerchief top, ivory boots and a brown leather jacket.

Natalya Wright looked sensational as she showcased her washboard abs in a black crop top teamed with taupe corduroy trousers.

The younger sister of Mark and Jess Wright added pointed black heels and a designer handbag as she posed for snaps.

Elsewhere, artist Sophie Tea looked pretty in pink as she slipped into a corseted mini dress with diamante embellishments as she joined in the fun at the bash.

The event also saw Ashley James taking in the show, with the former MIC star cjutting a sophisticated figure in a black pinstripe jumpsuit.

While her fellow Chelsea beauty Tiffany Watson flashed her midriff in a top blazer-style crop top which she teamed with brown leather trousers.

Stunner: Natalya Wright looked sensational as she showcased her washboard abs in a black crop top teamed with taupe corduroy trousers

So chic: The younger sister of Mark and Jess Wright added pointed black heels and a designer handbag as she posed for snaps

Pink lady: Elsewhere, artist Sophie Tea looked pretty in pink as she slipped into a corseted mini dress with diamante embellishments as she joined in the fun at the bash

Flawless: The event also saw Ashley James taking in the show, with the former MIC star cjutting a sophisticated figure in a black pinstripe jumpsuit
Gabrielle Epstein is clearly a woman of many talents.

In addition to her unique abilities as an OnlyFans performer, the 27-year-old model also knows how to handle herself on a horse.

The Aussie showed off her equestrian skills on Thursday in a gallery of Instagram snaps showing her riding down the beach in a skintight dress.

Giddy up! Aussie model Gabrielle Epstein showed off her equestrian skills on Thursday as she rode a horse down the beach in a skintight dress

The braless beauty ditched the traditional jodhpurs for a slinky silk number that clung to her jaw-dropping curves.

The frock featured a low-cut design that drew attention to her ample bosom.

It comes after Gabrielle looked like a bona fide sex kitten on Wednesday when she stripped down for a pair of sizzling lingerie snaps.

Eyes up here! The frock featured a low-cut design that drew attention to her ample bosom

Turning heads: The braless beauty ditched the traditional jodhpurs for a slinky silk number that clung to her jaw-dropping curves

She flaunted her ample cleavage and toned tummy in a lilac bra and matching G-string from PrettyLittleThing.

The cheeky underwear set came with a sheer backless mini skirt that drew attention to her pert derriere.

In November, she fired back at critics who said her photos were 'too explicit'.

Every man's dream: It comes after Gabrielle looked like a bona fide sex kitten on Wednesday when she stripped down for a pair of sizzling lingerie snaps

Booty: The cheeky underwear set came with a sheer backless mini skirt that drew attention to her pert derriere

Speaking to Maxim, Gabrielle called out the 'toxic double standard' between how men and women are treated differently on Instagram.

'There are plenty of photos of men without their shirts on showing their nipples, but the fact that mine can be covered and a photo still gets removed creates a very toxic double standard,' she said.

'We are all human, we are all born with bodies and we should not be taught to be ashamed of how they look in a natural state.'

Drenched: Gabrielle isn't exactly known for her subtlety when it comes to fashion

She said she'd turned to OnlyFans to get around Instagram's censorship.

'I also feel like I can be more of myself on OnlyFans,' she explained.

'To me showing my body isnt about me being objectified; its about me feeling confident, powerful and beautiful in my own skin.'

Prior to finding fame as an adult model, Gabrielle was a competitive swimmer and ambassador for fitness brands.
Independent Spirit Award winner Channing Tatum unveiled his cryptic new ink - 'L333' - on Wednesday, which he called 'basically a prison tattoo.'

The Alabama-born 41-year-old - who boasts 45.6M social media followers - got matching tatts with his fitness trainer buddy Trey Allen, who got 'N853' above his left knee.

Channing also Instastoried a picture of his Dutch Shepard called Rook, whom he adopted in 2020, captioned: 'My killer cutie.'

'Basically a prison tattoo': Independent Spirit Award winner Channing Tatum unveiled his cryptic new ink - 'L333' - on Wednesday

Tatum adopted Rook two years after the loss of his Pit Bull/Catahoula mix Lulu, who loosely inspired his new movie Dog.

The divorced father-of-one co-produced, co-directed (with Reid Carolin), and starred as Army Ranger Briggs in the thrice-delayed PCH road drama finally hitting US/UK theaters this Friday.

'Lulu was my little shadow. She was everything. She was my best friend,' Channing told People on Wednesday.

Is that what a 5 looks like to you Trey?' The Alabama-born 41-year-old (R) got matching tatts with his fitness trainer buddy Trey Allen (L), who got 'N853' above his left knee

'She got cancer and she gave up a good fight. I kept her in the fight for way too long. I do regret that. Towards the end, I took her on a little road trip to Big Sur and we camped and watched the sun come up. It was everything that you probably imagined it to be. She almost passed away the next day. You never want to lose them.

'I was losing my best friend at a time that I really didn't want to be losing anything. Someone said to me, "They're not supposed to be here forever." And that really helped me with my sadness. I was just like, "Right, right. They're not." She was here for the exact amount of time that she was supposed to be here and she did a great job.'

Dog also features Q'orianka Kilcher, Jane Adams, and three different Belgian Malinois.

'My killer cutie': Channing also Instastoried a picture of his Dutch Shepard called Rook, whom he adopted in 2020

'She was my best friend': Tatum adopted Rook two years after the loss of his Pit Bull/Catahoula mix Lulu (pictured), who loosely inspired his new movie Dog

As for making his directorial debut with Dog, Tatum admitted he hated the process of having to shoot and edit shots of himself.

'Developing the story was really natural. There were certain aspects, talking about the characters, talking about the actual acting inside of the scene was really easy for Reid and I,' the Finding Magic Mike producer explained to the mag.

'Plus we didn't have a ton of other actors, it was just me and the dog mainly. What was not intuitive was editing. I did not enjoy it. I don't think it was good for my mental health to watch myself onscreen and pick apart what we should use and what we shouldn't use.'

Hitting US/UK theaters this Friday! The divorced father-of-one co-produced, co-directed (with Reid Carolin), and starred as Army Ranger Briggs in the thrice-delayed PCH road drama

Channing told People on Wednesday: 'Lulu was my little shadow. She was everything. She got cancer and she gave up a good fight. I kept her in the fight for way too long. I do regret that'
She soldiered through Wednesday's Kyle and Jackie O Show despite testing positive for Covid-19.

But radio queen Jackie 'O' Henderson took the day off on Thursday to rest up, leaving her co-host Kyle Sandilands to handle presenting duties alone.

Kyle, 50, anchored the show solo with assistance from executive producer Sonia 'Palestine' Jahshan and senior producer Pedro Vitola.

Recovery mode: Radio queen Jackie 'O' Henderson (right) took the day off on Thursday to rest up, leaving her co-host Kyle Sandilands to handle presenting duties alone. Jackie and her daughter Kitty (left) are recovering from Covid at home after testing positive earlier this week

Jackie, 47, 'will be fine' and is expected to 'recover well', her manager said.

She had confirmed her diagnosis shortly after 6am on Wednesday's show, saying she'd caught the virus from her 11-year-old daughter Kitty.

Despite sounding a little croaky, she was well enough to broadcast from home.

Getting better: Jackie, 47, 'will be fine' and is expected to 'recover well', her manager said

She explained coronavirus was 'rampant' in her daughter's school, so it was only a matter of time before she 'joined the Covid club'.

The mother of one descried her symptoms as 'somewhere between the flu and a cold'.

Jackie had been in the KIIS FM studio in North Ryde, Sydney, on Monday when Kyle and his fiancee Tegan Kynaston announced they were expecting a child.

However, she was testing negative at the time.

'Running rampant': She caught the virus from her 11-year-old daughter Kitty (left)

Baby joy: Jackie had been in the KIIS FM studio on Monday when Kyle (left) and his fiancee Tegan Kynaston (centre) announced they were expecting a child

It comes after Kyle, 50, and Tegan, 36, confirmed their baby news live on air.

The couple don't yet know the sex of the baby, which is due is August, but have already decided on boy's and girl's names.

'We're having a baby!' Kyle declared as the entire KIIS FM studio cheered.

He added that he was hoping for 'either a girl or a little gay son', before praising his partner's 'beautiful, big, meaty t***ies' since becoming pregnant.

No worries: Fortunately, Jackie was testing negative at the time

Jackie said she was 'so happy' for the pair and told them their lives were about to change forever.

The couple, who got engaged in Port Douglas over the Christmas holidays, learned Tegan was expecting last week.

She is three months pregnant.
A street of restaurants and bars is seen in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, Jan. 26. Reuters-Yonhap





The Dutch government will lift most of its coronavirus restrictions as of Friday, as the record levels of infections triggered by the Omicron variant have not translated in to peak hospitalizations, Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said Tuesday.







"The country will open up again ... happily we are in a different phase now," Kuipers said during a press conference.







Bars and restaurants will be allowed to stay open until 1 a.m. (local time) as of Friday, instead of 10 p.m.







Netherland's Health, Welfare and Sport Minister Ernst Kuipers speaks during a press conference regarding the current COVID measures in the Hague, Feb. 15. AFP-Yonhap




Dermot O'Leary and his wife Dee Koppang put on a cosy display as they attended a star-studded private view of photographer Dave Benett's new exhibition on Wednesday evening.

The couple joined a host of stars at London event Great Shot, Kid in partnership with Champagne producer Perrier-Jouet at the JD Malat Gallery.

Dermot, 48, looked dapper in a navy blue turtle neck top and smart black trousers which he teamed with a tan coat and brown suede shoes.

He could be seen beaming as he stood alongside Dee, 42, who wore a mint green, white and black striped top beneath a leather jacket with a faux fur trim.

Loved-up: Dermot O'Leary, 48, and wife Dee, 42, looked cosy as they stood arm-in-arm at a private view of photographer Dave Benett's new exhibition Great Shot, Kid on Wednesday

She wore a pair of skinny black trousers and added a few inches to her stature by opting for some heels in the same colour with a gold buckle.

Producer and director Dee carried a handbag packed with belongings for the evening and wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty facial features.

The couple were spotted posing outside the venue after arriving in a chauffeur-driven silver Audi.

In style: Dermot looked dapper in a navy blue turtle neck top and a tan coat at the star-studded event in partnership with Champagne producer Perrier-Jouet at the JD Malat Gallery in London

Happy couple: Dermot could be seen beaming as he stood alongside Dee who wore a mint green, white and black striped top beneath a leather jacket with a faux fur trim

Also in attendance was model Daisy Lowe, 33, who looked stylish in a black winter coat with a faux fur trim and a silky maroon dress.

She stood alongside her boyfriend Jordan Saul who wore a khaki green shirt with a camo-style pattern and a black T-shirt.

He completed his look by wearing some black trousers and opted to wear some chunky black boots.

Fashionista: Also in attendance was model Daisy Lowe, 33, who looked stylish in a black winter coat with a faux fur trim and a silky maroon dress

Coupled-up: She stood alongside her boyfriend Jordan Saul who wore a khaki green shirt with a camo-style pattern and a black T-shirt

Famous friends: Daisy looked happy to be in the company of Dave Bennett who posed at his exhibitiou

Meanwhile, Sadie Frost, 56, was seen posing alongside DJ Fat Tony and his partner Stavros Agapiou who stepped out with a cute dog.

Actress Sadie wore a black mini-dress with lace detail and a pair of edgy boots with a chunky soul.

Tony and Stavros dressed casually for the occasion and stood arm-in-arm.

Star quality: Actress Sadie Frost, 56, wore a black mini-dress with lace detail and a pair of edgy boots with a chunky soul

Good pals: She was seen posing alongside DJ Fat Tony and his partner Stavros Agapiou who stepped out with a cute dog

Glitterati: Fat Tony was seen posing alongside fashion designer Kyle De'Volle and photographer Dave

Strike a pose: Model Mary Chateris, 36, wore a black and white striped top and a black feathered coat while Amber Le Bon dressed in a black dress with an asymmetrical hem

Family affair: Yasmin Le Bon looked stylish in a floral-patterned dress as she posed with sister Amber

Actress Jaime Winstone, 36, showed off her svelte figure in a navy blue mini-dress with a pattern of red cherries.

She posed alongside model Mary Chateris, 36, who wore a black and white striped top and a black feathered coat.

She wore a black rimmed hat and trousers in the same colour while she held a snakeskin purse.

Out for the night: Mary Chateris posed alongside actress Jaime Winstone, 36, showed off her svelte figure in a navy blue mini-dress with a pattern of red cherries

All stars: The pair posed alongside Sadie as they all stood in front of a photograph taken by Dave

Edgy style: Musician Robbie Furze looked edgy in a black leather jacket and skinny jeans along with a pair of chunky boots

Photographer Dave Bennett, 64, wore a grey suit with a black turtleneck top and was seen posing alongside Queen drummer Roger Taylor's daughter Tigerlily Taylor, 27.

Tigerlily wore a black leather jacket and a pair of trousers in the same colour.

She carried a black handbag with white studs and added a few inches to her stature by opting for a pair of heels.

Posing up: Photographer Dave Bennett, 64, wore a grey suit with a black turtleneck top and was seen posing alongside Queen drummer Roger Taylor's daughter Tigerlily Taylor, 27

Fashion focus: She carried a black handbag with white studs and added a few inches to her stature by opting for a pair of heels

Fashion forward: Television presenter Zara Martin looked chic in a black coat with houndstooth sleeves while American TV host Noelle Reno wore a glitzy sequinned dress

Slinky: Swimwear designer Kimberley Garner, 31, showed off her taut abs in a cropped top with wrap around string detail which she teamed with a pair of black trousers and a white jacket

Television presenter Zara Martin looked chic in a black coat with houndstooth sleeves.

She wore a pair of matching leather trousers and opted for a pair of heels with low rise gold platforms.

Swimwear designer Kimberley Garner, 31, showed off her taut abs in a cropped top with wrap around string detail which she teamed with a pair of black trousers and a white jacket.

Blooming: Pregnant television presenter Nicki Shields looked stylish in a black and white dress from Phoebe Grace and cradled her growing baby bump at the event

Glamour pusses: Annie Pereira and Director of JD Malat Gallery Victoria Aboucaya looked glamorous as they posed alongside one another
Maura Higgins turned heads as she arrived at Molly-Mae Hague's PrettyLittleThing catwalk show at Londoner Hotel in London on Wednesday.

The former Love Island contestant, 31, wowed as she went braless beneath a perilously plunging structured mini dress as she stepped out to support her BFF.

She looked stunning in the pale grey, blazer-style number which featured a daring necklace with a split then went right down to her naval.

Emerging: Maura Higgins turned heads as she arrived at Molly-Mae Hague's PrettyLittleThing catwalk show at Londoner Hotel in London on Wednesday

The TV personality oozed confidence as she put on a showstopping display in her outfit, which allowed her to flashed her tanned legs.

She boosted her height with towering white lace-up heels, while her raven locks were swept into a sleek bun.

It follows reports that the Irish beauty and Roman Kemp were 'all over each other' as they flited up a storm at Tom Grennan's BRIT Awards afterparty on Tuesday night.

The Capital FM breakfast show host, 29, headed to Tom's bash at The Orange Yard in London's Soho after bumping into Maura at the ceremony at the O2 Arena.

Centre of attention: The former Love Island contestant, 31, wowed as she went braless beneath a perilously plunging structured mini dress as she stepped out to support her BFF

Work it! She looked stunning in the pale grey, blazer-style number which featured a daring necklace with a split then went right down to her naval

An onlooker told The Sun: 'Everyone was talking about how Maura and Roman were flirting and all over each other during the bash.

'They were dancing together and laughing a lot, they seemed to be glued to each other's sides all night.

'Maura has been unlucky in love lately, but hanging out with Roman seemed to put a smile back on her face.'

The pair partied with Roman's breakfast show co-hosts Sonny Jay, 28, and Sian Welby, 35.

Hot stuff: The TV personality oozed confidence as she put on a showstopping display in her outfit, which allowed her to flashed her tanned legs

Out of this world: She boosted her height with towering white lace-up heels, while her raven locks were swept into a sleek bun

A representative for Roman told MailOnline: 'Roman and Maura are friends.' We have contacted a spokesperson for Maura for further comment.

Roman took to Instagram on the night to share a picture of himself with a drink in his hand as he wore a white vest and smart trousers.

Meanwhile, Maura showed off her taut abs in a black and white co-ord made up of a cropped top and mini-skirt with a side split.

The reality star travelled to the awards in in style as she sat in the back of a white Rolls Royce.
Madeline and Simone Holtznagel enjoyed some retail therapy on Wednesday.

The model sisters flaunted their toned figures in skintight activewear as they arrived home after a shopping trip in Sydney.

Madeline, 26, showed off her toned abs in a pink crop top and shorts as she held a box of new clothes.

Sisters outing! Model sisters Madeline and Simone Holtznagel showed off their figures in skintight activewear as they arrived home after a shopping trip in Sydney on Wednesday

The girlfriend of billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes teamed her look with a pair of white sneakers and a pink bag.

Simone wore a white top and leggings as she walked alongside her sister.

The 28-year-old completed her ensemble with a pair of black sneakers and concealed her gaze behind dark sunglasses.

Out and about: Simone wore a white top and leggings as she walked alongside her sister

The outing comes after Madeline received a stark warning over her relationship with Hemmes.

Agents have reportedly been warning Madeline she could be missing important opportunities in the modelling industry because she is prioritising her relationship over her career.

'It's not like Madeline is going out with a Hemsworth,' one industry source told The Daily Telegraph.

Pretty in pink! Madeline, 26, showed off her toned abs in a pink crop top and pink shorts as she held a box of new clothes

'I don't think this relationship with Justin will have much of an impact on her career. If anything, she will be more known as a bit of a celebrity model as opposed to a fashion model.'

Another source close to the couple said: 'It's all well and good now, but there might come a time when the relationship runs its course and she will need her modelling career, so she can support herself financially.'

Madeline and Justin have been dating for some time, and she also spent lockdown at his Vaucluse mansion in 2020.

She now reportedly lives in a Coogee penthouse he owns.
Two-time Australian Survivor star Felicity 'Flick' Egginton has welcomed her first child with her American husband Jonathan 'JJ' Henry.

The 29-year-old gave birth to son Maverick 'Mavy' John Henry on January 18 at Gold Coast University Hospital.

'Maverick John Henry arrived into this world at 8:09pm on January 18 during the Full Wolf Moon like we had imagined. We then spent every moment holding our beautiful boy, and sharing the news with our intermediate family,' she wrote on Instagram.

Baby joy! Two-time Australian Survivor star Felicity 'Flick' Egginton has welcomed her first child with her American husband Jonathan 'JJ' Henry (all pictured)

Flick has been documenting her life as a new mum on Instagram, and this week she shared a photo of baby Mavy at four weeks old.

'Our boy is growing up so fast. Already four weeks old!' she captioned a photo of her child.

The reality star and her US-born husband tied the knot on Currumbin Beach in Queensland back in August.

Bundle of joy: The 29-year-old gave birth to son Maverick 'Mavy' John Henry on January 18 at Gold Coast University Hospital

Possibly due to the Covid pandemic, the couple eloped and wed outdoors by the ocean.

'We eloped very privately just the two of us and even though it was not originally our plan it ended up being the most magical and beautiful day,' Flick said at the time.

'Although our families and friends could not be there with us we were most certainly thinking of them all. We didnt want to put our life on hold any longer but we will celebrate when we can with everyone together we promise.'

Flick was one of the standout contestants on the first season of Australian Survivor in 2016.

She then returned for the first season of Australian Survivor: All Stars, where she was the twelfth person voted out.

'Our boy is growing up so fast!' Flick has been documenting her life as a new mum on Instagram, and this week she shared a photo of baby Mavy at four weeks old

The Gold Coast native has been struggling with stage-two endometriosis for years.

In 2020, she went public with her condition to empower others experiencing symptoms to 'go and get checked' by a doctor.

'If something doesn't feel right, get it checked. No matter what is going on in your life, please look after your health. It truly is the most important thing,' she told her Instagram followers at the time.

'I've been dealing with excruciating pains when I have my period, after intercourse, when I am ovulating and also randomly throughout the month,' Flick added.

Romance: The Gold Coast native and her American-born husband tied the knot on Currumbin Beach in Queensland back in August

'Along with breakthrough bleeding and unpredictable periods, I have had issues with urgency of the toilet in the morning and horrible stabbing pain.

'If I don't pass urine or gas when I need to, it turns into a deep ache that lasts for hours.

'I have back aches and the worst headaches too during and around that time of the month. '

Flick underwent surgery to remove it from her bladder, ovarian fossa, uterosacral ligament (USL), bowel, left pelvic walls - as they were sticking together - and pararectal.

Flashback: Flick was one of the standout contestants on the first season of Australian Survivor in 2016

A uterine polyps - or endometrial polyps - was also removed.

The surgery was a success, with Flick later uploading pictures of herself recovering at home and being looked after by her then-fiance JJ.

'As I am wanting to have a family of my own one day it was so important for me to get this under control along with being able to hopefully eliminate the pain I have endured almost daily from it,' she said.

'I am not embarrassed anymore. I hope from my experience it can help everyone reading this.'
Roxy Horner put on a chic display as she arrived at Molly-Mae Hague's PrettyLittleThing catwalk show at Londoner Hotel in London on Wednesday.

The model, 30, left little to the imagination as she flashed her underwear through a semi-transparent black mini dress which exhibited her bronzed legs.

Her boyfriend Jack Whitehall, who she began dating in March 2020, was nowhere to be seen as she made a solo appearance at the star-studded event.

Wow! Roxy Horner put on a chic display as she arrived at Molly-Mae Hague's PrettyLittleThing catwalk show without her boyfriend Jack Whitehall at the Londoner Hotel in London on Wednesday

The Essex native added inches to her enviable frame with a pair of lace-up black heels and she toted her essentials around in an unmissable red leather clutch.

She wrapped up in a fluffy charcoal jacket and accessorised her look with a silver chain necklace featuring a glitzy Chanel pendent.

Inside the venue, Roxy mingled with Scott Disick's love interest Hana Cross, who looked out of this world in a brown jumpsuit with psychedelic pink swirls.

She also cosied up to Love Island's Kendall Rae-Knight, who put on a leggy display in a yellow knotted minidress.

Jaw-dropping: The model, 30, left little to the imagination as she flashed her underwear through a semi-transparent black mini dress which exhibited her bronzed legs

Show-stopping: Roxy accentuated her natural beauty with a full face of flawlessly-applied make-up, including an alluring cat-eye look

Where is he? Her boyfriend Jack Whitehall, who she began dating in March 2020, was nowhere to be seen as she made a solo appearance at the star-studded event

Looking good: She wrapped up in a fluffy charcoal jacket and accessorised her look with a silver chain necklace featuring a glitzy Chanel pendent

Influencer Janice Joostema amplified her ample assets in a busty green corset top as she chatted up a storm with Roxy.

The Vogue star recently enjoyed a romantic trip to Iceland with her comedian partner.

The loved-up couple wrapped up against freezing temperatures as they posed outside Reykjavik's Hallgrimskirkja, the tallest church in Iceland.

The duo then moved on to a lavish resort at the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, where they quaffed champagne while overlooking a stunning view.

Sizzling: The Essex native added inches to her enviable frame with a pair of lace-up black heels

What a pair! She soon cosied up to Love Island's Kendall Rae-Knight (left), who put on a leggy display in a yellow knotted minidress

Sensational: Influencer Janice Joostema (left) amplified her ample assets in a busty green corset top as she chatted up a storm with Roxy

The couple were already enjoying their second holiday of the year after taking in an African safari in January.

The actor and comedian and the model started dating in March 2020, shortly before the first national lockdown, and quickly moved in together.

Jack recently expressed his fear that he could be cancelled by Hollywood if some of his past jokes ever came back to haunt him.

Speaking with fellow comedian Jarlath Regan on the An Irishman Abroad podcast, Jack said: 'I feel like I've definitely said jokes in the past that would be worthy of cancellation.

Pals: Inside the venue, Roxy mingled with Scott Disick's love interest Hana Cross (left)

Stunning: Hana looked out of this world in a brown jumpsuit with psychedelic pink swirls

'I guess it's how you weather that storm if it does ever come up.'

He explained that as a comedian, he feels historic jokes are easier to get away with, as opposed to tweets or 'comments in interviews', as the public know that it was a joke.

He explained: 'I've had it, sort of, occur a few times and I think, maybe, people are a little better now.

'We've had a few of these ridiculous cancellations of people because of historic jokes that - especially with a comedian because it was told in jest and the context of it was only ever intended as a joke - that you do tend to get away with it a little bit more.'
Molly Sims isn't letting winter stop her from rocking a bikini.

In a photo posted to her Instagram account on Wednesday, the model, 48, put her defined abs on display as she frolicked in the snow in her swimsuit.

Molly wowed as she braved the powder wearing little more than a scalloped bikini, a fur hat, and black snow boots.

Snow babe! Molly Sims put her bikini body on display as she hit the snow in a photo posted to her Instagram account on Tuesday

She shot her index finger into the air as she posed before a majestic view of a snow topped mountain.

'Ski week I'm coming for you,' Molly captioned the photo along with a snowflake emoji.

Molly was practically living in her bikini during her travels to Cabo San Lucas with her family over the New Years holiday.

In late December, Molly showed off her slim figure in a crinkle coral swimsuit and joked about how she's staying fit with her 'new on-the-go wine workout hack'.

Holiday in the sun: Sims showed off her slim figure in a crinkle coral swimsuit and joked about how she's staying fit on vacation in Mexico with her 'new on-the-go wine workout hack'

'Came for the boat, stayed for the rose,' Molly penned in a social media caption.

The television personality posed on the bow of a boat in a crinkle textured one-piece Hunza G swimsuit with a matching glass of rose wine in one hand.

Her sandy blonde tresses were pulled back in a low messy bun and Molly protected her flawless skin from the sun with a woven cowboy hat and black aviator Ray Ban sunglasses.

She later donned a gauzy cover-up over her swimwear in the same pastel peachy shade.

'Came for the boat, stayed for the rose,' Molly penned in a social media caption.

Gorgeous: Her sandy blonde tresses were pulled back in a low messy bun and Molly protected her eyes from the blazing sun with black aviator Ray Ban sunglasses

'Peep the last slide for my new on-the-go wine workout hack,' Molly quipped on Instagram.

In a short video the leggy model is seen laying on the boat with her wine glass in one hand. For her joke 'workout' she lifted her glass and leg at the same time for several repetitions.

Sims was in Mexico with her three children that she has with Netflix honcho Scott Stuber.

'Peep the last slide for my new on-the-go wine workout hack,' Molly quipped, referring to a funny video where she did leg and arm lifts with her wine glass

The couple had son Brooks Alan in June, 2012. They then added their daughter, Scarlett May, to their family in 2015.

Their youngest child, Grey Douglas, was born in 2017.

While on holiday, the family has been getting in plenty of beach time, enjoying dinners out and lots of cocktails for the model.

Molly shared a snap of a large 'epic' yacht that the family chartered, quipping that she loves 'a boat day.' Later, the whole group posted on the boat for a family photo.

Epic! Molly shared a snap of a large 'epic' yacht that the family chartered, quipping that she loves 'a boat day.'
Are you an employee in Belgium? Well if you are, lucky you! And if you aren't, well let's learn what Belgium is doing for its country (and ask for it in our own country in the next elections maybe?).

It looks like Belgium's Prime Minister is taking inspiration from the popular 4-day work week and using it to help bring reforms in the lives of Belgium's workers, both private and public. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo announced the updated employee reforms recently and here is how Belgium is giving more work flexibility to its public and private sector employees:

Belgian Labour Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne. Photo: Getty Images

WHO IS THE 4-DAY WORK WEEK FOR?

The federal government employees in the public sector already follow a better working policy and these new guidelines are now applicable for ALL companies (be it private or public) where the staff exceeds 20. It also includes inititiatives for gig workers.

WHY IS BELGIUM MOVING TO A 4-DAY WEEK?

Belgium aims to create an economy that is more innovative, sustainable and digital, and it recognises that parents need to spend more time with their children. The move is aimed to be able to make people and businesses stronger.

Photo: Getty Images

WHAT KIND OF WORK REVOLUTION IS THIS EXACTLY?

Under the Belgian policy, employees would be able to condense the current five-day week into four days to experience a condensed work week. Now, the catch: Employees will have to work for longer hours than normal hours on those 4 days to enjoy a three day weekend. The employee has an option to request this for a period of six months and the employer can only decline it if they have a solid reason. After the six-month period, the employee can choose to continue the arrangement or return to a five-day week with no negative consequences. Full-time workers can also request variable work schedules but have to give a minimum notice period of at least 7 days.

Irrespective of what option they choose, the number of working hours will remain the same, i.e, a 38-hour working week.

So, employees either get a condensed four-day work week or a comfortable five-day work week.

Some reforms were created in January 2022, but were applicable only for civil workers of the federal government. But from February 2022, the same will be applicable for private sector employees too. This includes:

Giving the right to turn off work devices and Ignore work-related messages after work hours without fear of reprisal.

WHAT'S FOR THE INDEPENDENT/SELF-EMPLOYED/GIG WORKERS?

Self-employed persons will have more autonomy while workers who work for platforms like Uber, Deliveroo and Just Eat Takeaway will receive insurance against work-related injuries and there will be clearer rules defining who is - and is not - self-employed.

Photo: Getty Images

OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE A FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK IS APPLICABLE

A six-month trial of a four-day week is due to start in 2023 in Scotland, with a 10 million fund made available to participating companies by the government.

If you had a choice, what would you choose?
This combination of pictures shows Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York, in Windsor, England, April 11, 2021; and Virginia Giuffre in New York City, Oct. 22, 2019. AFP-Yonhap





Britain's Prince Andrew, accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl supplied to him by financier Jeffrey Epstein, has agreed to settle by making a substantial donation to his accuser's charity and declaring he never meant to malign her character, a court filing revealed Tuesday.







The deal avoids a trial that would have brought further embarrassment to the monarchy. Besides the undisclosed donation to Virginia Giuffre's charity, it says Andrew acknowledges she has suffered as an abuse victim. It did not specify whether Giuffre would personally receive money as part of the settlement.







Attorney David Boies, representing Giuffre, told the New York federal judge overseeing the case in a letter that a settlement in principle had been reached and lawyers on both sides would request a dismissal of the lawsuit within a month.







Andrew's lawyer did not immediately return a message seeking comment.







Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said he would suspend the case until March 17, when he might set a trial date if the lawyers don't ask for a dismissal by then.







Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds a news conference outside a Manhattan court following the jailhouse death of Jeffrey Epstein, in New York, Aug. 27, 2019. AP-Yonhap





Giuffre, 38, sued Andrew in August. The American accused the British royal of sexually abusing her while she traveled with Epstein.







Andrew strenuously denied Giuffre's allegations and attempted to get the lawsuit tossed earlier this year.







Attached to the letter from Boies was a statement that read: ''Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms. Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed).''







''Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks.''







According to the statement, Prince Andrew acknowledged that Epstein trafficked ''countless young girls'' over many years and said the prince ''regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.''







He also pledged to support the victims of sex trafficking as part of demonstrating his regret.







The tentative settlement comes weeks after Kaplan last month rejected the prince's attempt to win an early dismissal of the lawsuit, meaning depositions and other evidence gathering could commence.







Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York, attends a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Bruges, in this Sep. 7, 2019, file photo. AFP-Yonhap





After Kaplan ruled, Andrew  who had already stepped back from royal duties  was stripped of his honorary military titles and roles and leadership of various charities, known as royal patronages. He also can no longer use the title ''His Royal Highness'' in official settings.







The decision was an effort to insulate the House of Windsor from the fallout from potentially years of sordid headlines if the lawsuit moved forward.







It came after more than 150 veterans and serving members of the armed forces asked the queen to strip her second son of his military titles, saying he had failed to live up to the ''very highest standards of probity, honesty and honorable conduct'' that are expected of British officers.







Mark Stephens, an international lawyer, said pressure from the royal family would have pushed Andrew to settle, particularly as Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Platinum Jubilee  or 70 years on the throne. The carefully worded settlement  in which Andrew admits only an unfortunate association with Epstein  allows him to save face, Stephens said.







''Essentially, what he's done is throw himself on this judicial grenade to prevent wider damage to the royal family,'' Stephens told The Associated Press. ''And I think he had no alternative but to settle because otherwise this case would have really overshadowed the Queen's Jubilee, and we would have been hearing details of what he was alleged to have done with Virginia Giuffre. And all of that would have really caused problems for the royal family more broadly.''







Stephens estimated that Andrew paid around $10 million to settle, having gotten the cash after selling a ski chalet at a ''fire sale'' price. He speculated that the cash would be split into three unequal portions  with Guiffre, her lawyers and charities taking a piece.







Besides the settlement, Giuffre gets to champion her support of abuse victims, and avoid having to relive ''this whole experience in the public circus of a courtroom,'' he said.







''She's been vindicated in the sense that Prince Andrew acknowledges that she's a victim of sexual abuse,'' Stephens said.







Giuffre asserted that she met Andrew while she traveled frequently with Epstein between 2000 and 2002, when her lawyers maintain she was ''on call for Epstein for sexual purposes'' and was ''lent out to other powerful men,'' including Andrew.







Her lawsuit said she still suffers significant emotional and psychological distress and harm. She has alleged she had sex with Andrew three times: in London during a 2001 trip, at Epstein's New York mansion when she was 17 and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18.







A handout photo released on Aug. 9, 2021, by the United States district court for the Southern District of New York shows, from left, Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell posing for a photo. AFP-Yonhap

Andrew repeatedly denied Giuffre's allegations and has said he can't recall ever meeting her, although a photograph of Giuffre and Andrew together in a London townhouse, his arm around her bare midriff, was included in Giuffre's lawsuit against him.







Inconsistencies in her statements over the years that would have been highlighted by Andrew's attorneys at trial may have motivated her, in part, to settle, though she has explained them as innocent mistakes that occur when recalling traumatic events years later.







The settlement may be a relief to others beyond the prince and Giuffre because of the names that might have arisen at trial.







Besides Andrew, Giuffre has said she was sexually trafficked to former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, high-profile lawyer Alan Dershowitz, French modeling scout Jean Luc Brunel and billionaire Glenn Dubin, among others. All have said her accounts are fabricated.







Andrew served in the Royal Navy for two decades, including as a helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War. The honorary military roles he lost included several overseas ones, such as his title as colonel-in-chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment.







He has spent years combatting concerns about his links with Epstein, the U.S. financier who took his life at age 66 in 2019 in a Manhattan federal lockup while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. Epstein's longtime companion Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of related charges last month.







A settlement of the Andrew lawsuit would follow deals reached by Giuffre years ago to resolve separate lawsuits against Maxwell and Epstein. It was recently revealed that Epstein settled for $500,000.







The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Giuffre has. (AP)


Many parents are feeling two opposing forces on the subject of masks in schools. One is the perception of expert opinion. We are told students must wear masks for safety. Countervailing is the day-to-day reality we live. Parents sense something illogical about the protocols. We see inconsistencies and question the efficacy. We come across evidence that seems to counter the experts, not just in dark corners of the internet, but in respectable, center-left publications such as The Atlantic. We hear of normalcy in countries such as the United Kingdom and Denmark dropping restrictions, and hear from friends in the 34 states that do not have state mask mandates for students. We know that a great cost is being imposed on our children. And yet the experts say to bear it. What to do?

Max Planck, the Nobel Prize-winning quantum physicist, observed in his autobiography a new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it. Planck, credited as the father of quantum physics, was apt to make this point; his friend Albert Einstein went to the grave unable to embrace the quantum field (memorialized by his God does not play dice with the universe.)

Plancks point was a specific application of human nature to the scientific community  even great scientists can get so set in their ways that they never adapt to new paradigms. This is not an isolated pithy observation. Thomas Kuhn, the MIT philosopher and historian of science, wrote a book on the phenomena in 1962, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Kuhn documented a repeated pattern of scientists being unable to accept paradigm shifts (a phrase coined by Kuhn).

If great scientific minds throughout history have repeatedly been unable to accept new observations that upend what they have been trained to believe, is it so far of a leap to imagine that the current experts driving COVID policies may be stuck in a similar state? Also consider that many of the authoritative scientists and experts are just bureaucrats, in that the incentives and constraints they face largely exempt them from consequences of being incorrect. Arguably their greatest incentives are to conform to their peers, keep their job, and ascend the ladder of power and influence. This is a luxury parents do not enjoy with the stakes being their childrens well-being.

As a member of the Greenwich Board of Education, I see growing parental frustration every day, email by email. My inbox has been flooded from parents concerned about the mask mandate. The urgency, the frequency and the variety of these emails continues to grow. This has become an issue for almost all parents in Greenwich. It is a problem we need to address.

Here is what I say back to every person that writes  the mandates must end. And for a very simple reason  there is no significant and credible scientific evidence that justifies such a dramatic and impactful intervention in childrens lives. Parents need to understand that there is not a discrepancy between the reality they see every day with their children and the science. Instead, the discrepancy exists between the science and the administrators and experts who continue to ignore it.

Basic econometrics says that to firmly establish causation, there needs to be a randomized controlled study to isolate the effects of an intervention or independent variable  in this case, mandatory cloth masks in schools. This is not controversial. However, the CDC does not justify its mask recommendations with a single randomized controlled study. Much has been written elsewhere about the deficiencies of the CDCs arguments. Suffice to say that when it comes to the gold standard of establishing causation, the CDC ignores the only two randomized controlled studies available on masks and COVID transmission. Neither could establish causation between cloth masks and transmission rates (and both were conducted with adults and both pre-vaccines).

One of these studies looked at 350,000 people across Bangladesh comparing 300 intervention villages and 300 control villages. Bangladeshs population density and history with NGOs for poverty intervention made it an ideal choice for researchers to test mask efficacy. The researchers found just an 11 percent reduction in confirmed symptomatic COVID infection among adults (pre-vaccine) wearing surgical masks. They found a de-minimis impact from cloth masks, even though the cloth masks distributed in the study had 3- 4-times higher filtration efficiency than normal cloth masks worn by students. And yet, one might have missed this from the headlines on the study. Nature went with Face masks for COVID pass their largest test yet only to note beneath that cloth masks fall short.

True science is an adaptive process of discovery. It has nothing to do with dogmatic mask policy as set by the CDC, which has been closed to emerging evidence. Unlike experts, parents do not have the luxury to hide from what is being done to their children. They cannot avoid hard decisions by deferring to faraway administrative bodies and are not focused on avoiding the embarrassment of being wrong. They do not have to balance political incentives with the pursuit of truth.

Parents know what the experts dont because of what Planck and Kuhn observed: even great scientists get set in their ways, defying the observational evidence to the end. Parents are observing the truth that the actual science is uncovering (and there are many scientists doing credible work on this subject). We should not wait for those who choose to ignore the evidence to change their mind.

Kuhn wrote that, Political revolutions are inaugurated by a growing sense ... that existing institutions have ceased adequately to meet the problems posed by an environment that they have in part created.

Is there not a better way to describe the current awakening happening with COVID? Our institutions are failing us with a system they designed. And yet they perpetuate this failure and deflect their own culpability by deferring decision-making to others. This is why Gov. Ned Lamont did not directly lift the mask mandate, but instead deflected the decision to a bizarre combination of the Legislature, the Department of Health and the local school boards.

Institutional failure is why parents are revolting. It is why it is imperative that parents remember this moment come November, when the imposers of this failed and anti-scientific system can be held to account. Parents must know that their inclinations on this subject are in line with the science, and that the history of science itself helps explain why. The state government and Boards of Education, like ours in Greenwich, must end this mask mandate as soon as possible. It is time to free the children of this treatment.

Cody Kittle is a member of the Greenwich Board of Education.
Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, gestures as he speaks during a campaign rally in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Feb. 14. Reuters-Yonhap





Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he wants his country to have a military presence in the South China Sea, "not to fire upon" vessels but to defend its waters in a long-running dispute with China.







Marcos, son of the late autocrat of the same name, is leading in opinion polls ahead of the May 9 election and appears poised to complete a remarkable rebranding of the family name 36 years after a "people power" uprising ended his father's rule.







In the first televised debate of the campaign, with just four of 10 candidates taking part, Marcos floated the idea of deploying navy ships or coast guard vessels to the disputed strategic waterway to allow fishermen to fish freely.







Marcos, 64, said he will not prioritize a military resolution to the South China Sea dispute and would continue the "correct approach" of pursuing a policy of engagement with China.







"The reason why I spoke about putting a military presence there is so the government has a presence there to show China that we are defending what we consider our territorial waters," Marcos said.







China's assertive pursuit of its claims in the South China Sea has drawn repeated complaints from the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan, which all have competing claims. The United States has also repeatedly condemned China's policy.







An international tribunal in 2016 invalidated China's claim to almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, which is also a major trade route, but Beijing does not recognize the ruling.







Marcos described the Philippines' relationship with longtime defense treaty ally the United States as special and "very important", adding that he would have to "walk a very, very fine line" between China and the United States.







Marcos faced off against three other contenders in the debate. There are 10 candidates in total, but only four are leading contenders, none of whom attended. (Reuters)


On a dark road in the Mississippi Delta in the summer of 1988, a fast car with its high beams on veered toward me as I stood outside my overheated Corolla. My dad yanked me from its path, and we watched as the car continued down the road, its occupants shouting the n-word into the wind.

If I were to share this story in a classroom today in one of the 14 states that an Education Week magazine analysis found had banned or restricted teachers from discussing issues involving race, along with another 23 states that have proposed bans or limits, Id be guilty of  what?

Making some students uncomfortable, say proponents of these bills.

Introducing divisive concepts, say others.

Teaching critical race theory, disdainfully shout others.

But I say I would be guilty of one thing for certain  presenting an unpleasant truth about race in America.

I proclaim this guilt openly in the sunlight of all scrutiny, loudly over disdainful shouts and freely over those who would gag my mouth and chain my mind from the very mention of race in the classroom because it might make some students uncomfortable.

For the past quarter-century, I have presented unpleasant truths about race to hundreds of students who enrolled in my Race and the News course, an elective course I created to examine the roots of race in Americas news media from the past to the present to show how race affects the news and how news affects race.

You'll be presented with images, words and information that will likely be something that you've never seen or heard before, I say in my video introduction. Some of this will cause discomfort. But that's OK. Because sometimes it's important that we move from our area of comfort to one of discomfort in order to have the greatest opportunity for learning.

The learners of these unpleasant truths have been a diverse group comprising every racial and ethnic group and all genders. That said, the majority of my students have been white students who, like all other students in America, have been taught an American history in which white people have been portrayed as the good guys.

However, the honest and truthful presentation of Americas history shows that most white people were not the good guys  at least not in everybodys eyes. Certainly not in the eyes of Africans and their descendants in America who experienced the dehumanizing hell of slavery and Jim Crow, nor in the eyes of Native Americans who suffered the Trail of Tears and the genocidal mantra the only good Indian is a dead Indian.

But about my story of how a car full of white men tried to kill me: Should I withhold it because its divisive, negative or might cause some white readers to feel guilty?

Certainly, my personal history is not told to make any person feel guilty. The descendants of those who did wrong did not themselves do the wrong, and the descendants of those who were wronged did not themselves receive those specific wrongs. But both bear the legacy of those deeds done long ago.

I share this story because the people in that car acquired their thoughts and feelings toward those who look like me from people with the similar thoughts and feelings of those who enslaved my ancestors.

Consider that those in that car had never seen me before. Consider that I had done nothing to them. It wasnt personal; yet when they saw my brown skin, they wanted to kill me.

Americas history is rife with such instances of anti-Black actions at an individual, group and systemic level. Not all of Americas history was violent, but much of it was and continues to be. Whether it was opposition to voting, working, worshiping, buying property, attaining an education  much of the anti-Black opposition was sanctioned by government laws, policies and bills like the ones being presented today by Republican legislatures and others in states across the country.

Fortunately, Connecticut is not among those states. In fact, Connecticut is arguably the only state going the opposite direction by requiring in the coming 2022-23 school year that high schools include an elective course relating to the contributions of African-Americans, Puerto Ricans and other Latinos to this country.

Hopefully, as this date draws near, Connecticuts people will not go the way of these other states.

American history cannot effectively be taught without presenting and discussing the role that race and slavery played in shaping this country and its people. The unpleasant truth is that when this history is truthfully presented, most white people will not look so much like the good guys.

Yet it must be presented.

The discussion of unpleasant truths about race does not guarantee Americans will be better, but banning all discussion guarantees we will be worse.

Frank Harris III, of Hamden, is a journalism professor at Southern Connecticut State University.
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Its a known truth that people are judged by looks. In this age of social media and beauty filters, it is now almost impossible to escape the scrutiny. If an individual doesnt have the specifications of beauty and desirability, they will be judged and looked down upon. While much has been talked about how societys narrow-minded scrutiny objectifies and harms women, we are yet to venture into the growing reality of male body shaming.

Body dissatisfaction or shame about ones appearance has similar psychological impacts on men as well. An article published in the American Journal of Mens health titled Men Respond Too: The Effects of a Social-Evaluative Body Image Threat on Shame and Cortisol in University Men clearly mentions the negative impacts of body shaming on men.

Understanding male body shaming

Men too, despite being the privileged gender compared to others, face social pressure when it comes to looks. The hyped terms of masculinity and manliness leave little or no space for nuances, and anyone who looks different is vulnerable to body shaming and the consequent harms that come with it.

Men are often targeted for being skinny, or plus size, or for not having enough facial hair, or sometimes even for not having a manly voice - whatever that means. Jokes about size of private parts is a go-to remedy people rely on when they dont have the capacity for better humour.

In an attempt to escape this scrutiny, many opt to seek medical help to alter how they look.

Dr. Joseph Thomas, a practising aesthetic physician based in Thiruvalla, Kerala, says that 50 per cent of the patients who consult him are men, out of which 70 per cent have been subjected to social or psychological trauma at various points of their life.

Dr Joseph Thomas

More than 50 per cent of the patients visiting our hospital for body shaping or body contouring procedures are men. Apart from the health reasons, most of them opt for such procedures due to social stigmatisation, says Dr. Joseph.

The growth of Indias multi-million aesthetic industry is a clear indication of how people are becoming conscious of their looks. The aesthetic industry in states like Kerala, where it is still in the initial stage, is worth Rs.75 crore to Rs.100 crore per year, according to stakeholders.

Apart from just wanting to look good, there are other concerns that make them consider body shaping and body contouring. As Dr. Joseph says, body shaming has more side effects

Low libido caused by depression due to body shaming is a major reason for male infertility. Effective psychological support is crucial to boost the confidence of patients as they are too conscious of their bodies and feel ashamed of their looks. Individuals facing body shaming will start to avoid outdoor activities, exercise and functions. They prefer to be secluded at home and will gradually dip into depression. Some of them even show suicide tendency, Dr. Joseph adds.

Positive changes after undergoing body shaping procedures can bring immense transformation to an individuals mental health. Earlier, I couldnt even think of going to the gym where well-toned people come to work out. I was too conscious of my appearance and often felt ashamed. After the body shaping procedure, my entire lifestyle has changed. I am now regularly going to the gym and confident of my looks. This is actually a rebirth for me, said one of the patients of Dr. Joseph.

As the concept of body inclusivity has been widely debated to counter the ideal body image of women, such campaigns should also cater to men. Because like women, men are also deeply affected by body shaming though with slight differences.
the lawyer representing the victim in the case said the case would be hopefully pushed to a sessions court on February 25. (Representational image/DC)

HYDERABAD: A metropolitan magistrate court in Delhi denied bail to Telangana cadre IAS officer Kalicharan Sudamrao, who was booked for allegedly raping and threatening a minor girl by the Delhi police.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, the lawyer representing the victim in the case said the case would be hopefully pushed to a sessions court on February 25 and that the next bail hearing was scheduled on March 5.

Earlier, the National Commission of Women (NCW) from New Delhi wrote to the Chief Secretary of Telangana regarding the lack of action by the department against the IAS officer booked for sedating and raping a minor girl but in vain. The bail is denied, the victim has submitted the proof and yet there is no action against the man. She recently approached a TV channel here in Delhi and made an appeal to the Chief Secretary of Telangana Somesh Kumar to at least take a departmental action against the accused, but no such action was seen, sources close to the victim in the case revealed.

Sources from the Delhi Commission for Women, on condition of anonymity, said they had sent multiple letters and reminders to the Chief Secretary of Telangana but did not get any proper response yet.

Kalicharan Sudamrao Khartade, an IAS officer of Telangana cadre, was booked by the Tilak Marg police for the alleged rape of a minor girl, who was repeatedly sexually assaulted and threatened by the man over many years. Sources close to the victim shared that he used to send photos on WhatsApp and threaten to leak the photos and videos he shot when she was sedated in his room at the Telangana Bhavan, Delhi.

Following a complaint on November 28, 2021, the Tilak Marg police booked cases under section 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence.), 354 (assault), 354-A (sexual assault), 354-D (follows a woman and contacts, or attempts to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest by such woman) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. The PoCSO sections were added when the Delhi Commission for Women intervened.
Hyderabad: Inspired by a series on Netflix, a 27-year-old who is also the brother of a habitual property offender like the Professor in Money Heist, formed a group to honey-trap and kidnap people in the city to demand ransom.

The Asif Nagar Police arrested him and his gang on Tuesday. The mastermind was Gunjapogu Suresh alias Suri, a driver by profession.

Police began a probe after a complaint came from a woman resident of Asif Nagar. She said her son Prashanth was kidnapped and she received a ransom call for money, stated city police commissioner CV Anand.

On February 5, Prashanth left his house and did not return. After paying a ransom of Rs 50,000 against a demand for Rs 1 lakh, the family approached the police. A meticulous investigation with technical evidence led to the arrest of Suresh and his gang-members, M. Rohit, 18, Induri Jagadish, 25, and K. Kunal, 19.

Another aide, Swetha Chary alias Sweety, is absconding, said the police, adding that they have been running this racket for the last 2 years.

Suresh, involved in 14 cases of robbery and property offences, was wanted in six cases of kidnappings. He had planned one on February 13 too, police sources said.

A well-trained driver, Suresh purchased a Mitsubishi Pajero in August 2021 and has been practically living in the car. He only steps out to eat and use some washroom. He plans his kidnappings very carefully and targets the victims well in advance, police found out.

In the latest kidnapping, the victims family was made to roam around the city and the ransom money was later tied to a rope from under an ORR flyover and it was pulled up by the gang from above to avoid a confrontation.

Commissioner Anand said Suresh was inspired by the Netflix series, Money Heist, where the main character, a Professor, recruits several people to commit crimes. Similarly, he hatched a plan and recruited a few persons, including a woman, to kidnap innocent people to earn easy money.

He targeted innocent people in his circle and initially induced them with the help of hired girls by sending them voice messages or text messages over WhatsApp and Instagram to gain their faith. Later, he would ask the victim to meet at a convenient place to execute his plan. From there, he would kidnap the person in his car.

Everyone inside the car, including the victim, is given a mask to wear. He then uses the victims mobile phone and would demand money ransom through WhatsApp calls to avoid police-tracking. He also uses a friends hotspot by keeping his phone in flight mode.

As the victims were trapped and lured by women, they usually were not complaining to the police, stated the commissioner.

Suresh is the brother of habitual house burglar Gunjapogu Sudhakar involved in several cases. He committed his first crime in 2011. He had been last arrested by the Miyapur Police and was released from prison in February, 2020.
Muslim women Association, and other organisations protesting against ban on Hijab at Hockey Ground Shanti nagar near Masab Tank in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Hyderabad: Hundreds of Muslim women including students and elderly citizens from different organisations protested against the hijab ban by the Karnataka government at Shantinagar in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Most of the women who took part in the protest were from Mallappally, Nampally, First Lancer, Towli Chowki, Bowenpally and other areas. They came from different areas of the city in buses, autos and two-wheelers.

Though the protest was silent, the elderly women and college students said that their religious sentiments were deeply hurt, while some of the old women who became aggressive during the protest were controlled by the organisers.

I have crossed 90 years of age and my granddaughter is a surgeon in one of the citys top multispecialty hospitals. I was born, brought up and got educated in Hyderabad. I or any of my children have not been restricted from wearing hijab, Mahamuna Begum, one of the protesters said. When I saw the video of Muskaan, my eyes were filled with tears. It is an act performed by cowardly politicians, she said, referring to the schoolgirl who protested against the ban of hijab in Karnataka schools.

The protesters stood on the footpath on either side of the road, maintained silence and cooperated with the police officials to allow the traffic to flow.

Another protester, Dr Asma Zehra, said, It is just intolerance. Being a doctor, I have never faced any hurdles in my lifetime or even heard about one. I personally thank our Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, who has never spoken anything against any religion, she said.

Senior police officials including women personnel were deployed to avoid any untoward incident.

All student organisations from Osmania University are in our support. It is my humble request to the Chief Minister to take stern action if at all such incidents are reported here, Mariam Ahemedi, a PG student of Osmania University said. We along with other students will organise silent protests and create awareness among Muslim students about the importance of education, she said.
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday urged Indian students in Ukraine to maintain calm and not panic if they are not able to get flight tickets to return home, adding that the government was in touch with several airlines to expand the number of flights between India and Ukraine. Control rooms have also been set up by the external affairs ministry and emergency helplines announced by the Indian embassy in Ukraine to handle queries by Indian citizens in Ukraine and their families in India in view of mounting anxieties.

The Indian embassy in Ukraines capital Kyiv told the students, in the form of responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): It is important to maintain calm and not give rise to panic. Those desirous of travelling back to India are advised to book available commercial flight tickets. The MEA is also in discussions with the civil aviation ministry (in New Delhi) and various airlines for expanding flights between India and Ukraine. As of now, available flight connections are Delhi-Kyiv (Ukraine International Airlines) and other connections via Sharjah, Dubai, Almaty, Frankfurt, Doha. Tickets should be purchased from verified and reliable sources only.

As reported earlier, India had on Tuesday asked its nationals in Ukraine, including students, to consider leaving temporarily, adding that Indians outside Ukraine are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine. The advisory was also meant for Indian students in Ukraine whose stay is not essential. Indian nationals were also asked to update Indias embassy in Kyiv on their movements so that they could be reached, with New Delhi saying the embassy was functioning normally.

Earlier on Wednesday, sources said: We are aware that many Indian students are in Ukraine, and their families are anxious about their wards, particularly about getting flights to India. Discussions are underway with civil aviation authorities and the airlines on how to increase the number of flights between India and Ukraine.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been rising in the past few weeks in view of the reported mobilisation of Russian troops along the Ukranian border, but now there is hope that the situation may finally de-escalate.
VIJAYAWADA: Union minister Nitin Gadkari will launch 51 projects worth  21,000 crore on Thursday. A highlight of the day will be Gadkari, along with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, inaugurating the Benz Flyover-2 at a programme being organised at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium in Vijayawada.

The Union minister and the Chief Minister will inaugurate 13 projects completed at a cost of  11,191 crore. They will lay the foundation for 23 new projects involving an expenditure of  10,368 crore.

Gadkari will arrive at Gannavaram Airport at 11.45 am on Thursday and proceed directly to Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada. He and the Chief Minister will launch projects and lay the foundation stone for national highway projects. Further, they will address a public meeting organized at the IGMC Stadium on the occasion. Later, the two will reach Benz Circle and launch the newly built Benz Flyover-2.

The Union minister will visit CM's Camp Office in Tadepalli and hold a review meeting on national highway projects in the state. At 3.30 p.m., Gadkari will visit the Kanakadurga Temple on Indrakeeladri Hill to offer prayers. Later, he will meet party leaders and activists at BJP office in Vijayawada. Thereafter, he will reach Gannavaram Airport at 5:45 p.m. and leave for Nagpur.

R&B minister M. Shankar Narayana said highways are being developed at a swift pace as per the appeal made by the Chief Minister. As a result, more funds are being allocated for the highway projects.

The minister made a few suggestions on arrangements to be made in keeping with Covid protocols at the photo exhibition, unveiling of the plaque, and public meeting, with the placement of LED screens.
HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Andhra Pradesh farmers challenging the GO 34 issued by the Telangana government in 2021 to utilise the Krishna river waters for power generation.

Stating that the said petition filed by the farmers was having components of interstate river, water valley dispute etc., the court said, Article 262 of the Indian Constitution gave powers to adjudicate such disputes and complaints to Parliament. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili made it clear that the petition was not maintainable.

The bench quoted the clause of Article 262, which clearly mentions that Parliament may, by law, provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court shall exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-state river or river valley.

The farmers had filed a petition in the first week of July 2021, challenging the power generation from the Krishna water, when there were no full levels of water stored in the projects.

Contrary to the regular hearing and side-lining the bench, which has provision to hear the inter-state issues, the petitioners counsel requested for hearing before another bench on Sunday, which deals with AP Reorganisation issues. But the office of advocate general of Telangana government asked the judge of that bench to recuse from hearing of that petition.

It created some disquiet, till the then Chief Justice Hima Kohli interfered in the matter and adjourned the case. The petition has been pending since then and it was dismissed now.
An Indian Coast Guard ship and a hovercraft with three Bangladeshi boats at sea. (Photo: by arrangement)

Kolkata: 88 poachers from Bangladesh were caught by the Indian Coast Guard for illegally fishing in three boats in the Indian waters of Bay of Bengal around 10-15 nautical miles inside the International Maritime Boundary Line. Around 360 kgs of fish were recovered from them.

The Indian Coast Guard (North East Regional Headquarters) said that it's ship, during routine patrol, spotted them off Bangadhuni Island close to the coast under the exclusive economic zone early on Tuesday and tried to establish contact on the very high frequency communication with them but they did not respond.

Alerted of the presence of CG ship, the Bangladeshi boats increased speed and entered shallow waters to evade. The CG ship also increased speed to intercept but could not reach close to the boats due to depth restrictions.

It shared the information with a hovercraft operating in the area to conduct a coordinated operation. The 88 poachers in the three boats were handed over to marine police at Frazerganj in South 24 Parganas on Wednesday afternoon.
A devotee along with her daughter sits on a scale to buy jaggery in a quantity equal to her weight to worship tribal deities ahead of the Medaram Jatara festival, at a wholesale shop in Hyderabad. (Photo: AFP)

Hyderabad: The historic 'Sammakka Saralamma Jatara', a four-day mega tribal festival, began at Medaram village in Mulugu district of Telangana on Wednesday with participation of thousands of devotees.

During the biennial 'Medaram Jatara', declared a state festival by the Telangana government, tribal devotees offer obeisance to Goddesses Sammakka and her daughter Saralamma at Medaram which is located in a forest area.

As per folklore, the festival commemorates the fight of Sammakka and Saralamma against the oppression of Kakatiya rulers.

The Adivasis living in forest fringe habitations in several states along the river Godavari congregate once in two years to celebrate the valour of their kin Sammakka and Saralamma. They treat them as Goddesses and hail their bravery in trying to protect them.

On the first day, the traditional arrival of Saralamma on the 'Medaram Gaddhe' (platform) is celebrated, while the second day (Thursday) marks the arrival of Sammakka. The jatara will culminate with 'Vana Pravesham' ritual on Saturday.

Jaggery is the traditional offering made to the deities.

The tribals offer jaggery of their weight considering it to be gold. They also offer red blouse pieces, vermilion, and turmeric to the deities in large quantities. They take a little part of the same as prasadam from the altar back to their homes, officials said.

They also take a holy dip in Jampanna Vagu (stream).

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao will attend and offer prayers at 'Medaram Jatara' on Feburary 18, an official release said.

Large number of devotees from Telangana and other states, including Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, are thronging the remote hamlet bursting at seams once in two years during the jatara. The police expect about 1.25 crore people and the arrival of 3.5 lakh private vehicles and 4,000 RTC buses.

As the crowds began swelling, the state government pitched in making arrangements for the devotees.

Over 9,000 police personnel drawn from various districts are deployed as part of jatara duties, officials said adding a total of 382 CCTVs, two drone cameras, 20 display boards and huge command control centre to monitor the jatara round-the-clock were put in place.

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) expects to transport nearly 30 lakh people operating 4,000 buses while the rest are expected to arrive by 3.5 lakh private vehicles.
Newly appointed director general of police Kasireddy Venkata Rajendranath Reddy called on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at CMs Camp Office in Tadepalli on Wednesday. (Photo:DC)

VIJAYAWADA: Newly appointed director general of police Kasireddy Venkata Rajendranath Reddy called on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at CMs Camp Office in Tadepalli on Wednesday.

Rajendranath Reddy continues to remain the intelligence chief of the state even though he has been appointed the DGP.

Meanwhile, Gautam Sawang, the outgoing DGP, has not yet been given any posting. He has merely been asked to report to General Administration Department until further orders.

Opposition parties are continuing to criticise what they call shoddy treatment meted out to Gautam Sawang. CPI state general secretary K. Ramakrishna said Jagan Mohan Reddy had used the services of Gautam Sawang in all possible manners, only to now insult him by transferring and not giving him any posting.
Union minister for culture and tourism G. Kishan Reddy participates in the global summit on Reimagining Museums in India , organised by the ministry of culture in Hyderabad. (DC)

HYDERABAD: Union minister for culture and tourism G. Kishan Reddy said museums were a great means to preserve, propagate and perpetuate Indias rich cultural heritage. The minister was speaking at the first-of-its-kind global summit on Reimagining Museums in India in the city on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given us the mantra of Vikas and Virasat. With this vision for Vikas, we are ensuring that the poor receive the benefits of development and with Virasat we protect our wonderful heritage, he said.

People from Australia, France, Italy, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States are taking part in the two-day virtual summit, which is being organised as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Alberto Gariandini, president, International Council of Museums, in his inaugural address said, The museums of the future are already being built and museum professionals are creating new connections with communities and experimenting with innovative forms of cultural engagement.
New Delhi: In another blow to the Congress days before the Assembly elections in Punjab, former Union law minister and senior leader from the state Ashwani Kumar has quit the party. In a resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Mr Kumar said he could best serve the national interest outside the Congress fold. He wrote: Having given my thoughtful consideration to the matter, I have concluded that in the present circumstances and consistent with my dignity, I can best serve larger national causes outside the party fold. I am accordingly quitting the party after a long association of 46 years and hope to proactively pursue public causes inspired by the idea of transformative leadership, based on the dignitarian promise of a liberal democracy envisioned by our freedom fighters.

A three-term parliamentarian, Mr Kumar was completely ignored in the management of the Punjab election. His name also did not make it to the star campaigners list. In the letter, he further said: There comes a time when you cant take any more. Hitting out at the Congress, he said: My sense of the ground situation in the Punjab election is that the Congress is losing the polls and the AAP is coming to power. He further added: I am not an astrologer, but I am saying what I am seeing on the ground. There is a wave for the AAP.

Responding to the G-23 letter writers, he went on to say: My opposition to the G-23 was that they only talked about an election. Did not they know that they stood no chance in any election against a member of the Gandhi family?

The former Union law minister claimed that the Congress was facing an existentialist challenge as a national party, and added that it had lost touch with the ground reality and no longer reflected the national mood. On the question of joining any other political party, he clarified that he had not thought of joining any other political party, but will remain active in the pursuit of public and national causes. He further lamented the partys treatment of former Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, and said: The manner in which Capt. Amarinder Singh was humiliated and forced to resign was an ominous signal. He deserved better. The dismal state of Punjabs economy demands an elevating and consensual politics and the shunning of narrow personal prejudices.

Mr Ashwani Kumar is one of the three former Central ministers to have left the Congress. Though Mr Kumar had not been a part of the G-23 grouping, he has mostly raised same issues regarding the running of the party. Mr Kumar has claimed that it is impossible to make changes in the party while staying within the organisation. The resignation of the veteran leader will also affect the Congress prospects in the upcoming February 20 elections in Punjab.
KCR recently called for political forces to come together to "oust" the BJP from power. (Photo: Twitter/@TelanganaCMO)

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will be meeting his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on February 20.

This comes after Thackeray extended support to KCR's call for unity among non-BJP CM's to fight the anti-federal policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government.

Chief Minister's Office Telangana, in an official statement, said, "Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on February 20 at the invitation of CM Thackeray. Maharashtra CM has expressed his full support for the fight being waged by CM KCR for federal justice."

Recently, Chandrashekar Rao had hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that it should be "expelled" from the country or else the country will be "ruined".

He called for political forces to come together to "oust" the BJP from power.

"The whole country is silent on the hijab issue, What will happen if this type of hatred in Karnataka is spread across the nation? Hate politics should be avoided. All the political forces in the country should unite and oust the BJP," he had said.

KCR had also said that he would play a major role in uniting political parties opposed to BJP.
Speaking to reporters here at his residence, Revanth Reddy said the Telangana police registered a petty case against the Assam Chief Minister. (Photo: DC)

HYDERABAD: Congress leaders were house arrested across the state on Wednesday as the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) called for protests in front of police commissionerates and superintendent of police offices demanding to register cases on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for making objectionable comments on Rahul Gandhi.

TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy, Bhuvanagiri MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, former PCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah, TPCC political affairs committee convener Mohammad Ali Shabbir, working presidents J. Geeta Reddy, Anjan Kumar Yadav and AICC official spokesperson Dasoju Sravan were among those who were house arrested.

Police officials including women constables reached several Congress leaders' houses and placed them under house arrest. Meanwhile, MLC T. Jeevan Reddy was house arrested by local police in Jagtial, before he could join the protest programme at Jagtial SP office. Congress activists strongly condemned the house arrests of senior leaders.

Huge police force was deployed at the residence of the TPCC chief in Jubilee Hills. Police officials prevented Revanth Reddy from coming out of his residence to participate in a protest march from Nizam College to the city police commissionerate. However, arrested Congress leaders were shifted to Jubilee Hills, Narayanaguda and other police stations.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders lodged complaints in various police stations demanding the case of Himanta Biswa Sarma for his derogatory comments against Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters here at his residence, Revanth Reddy said the Telangana police registered a petty case against the Assam Chief Minister. "We urged strong charges be framed against Sarma for insulting motherhood and Gandhi family," he said.

Revanth Reddy said stringent action should be taken against Sarma after consulting legal experts. He said following the directives of bigwigs in the state government, the police filed a nominal case on Sarma. "If the police fail to initiate action, we will fight in the court," he said.

The TPCC chief found fault with TRS leaders for celebrating Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao's birthday for three days. Unemployed youths were under tremendous distress and all sections of people suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic, but in these circumstances, the TRS leaders were celebrating the birthday of Chandrashekar Rao, he said.

Revanth Reddy said Youth Congress leaders would conduct protests against the birthday bash of Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday. He demanded that as Chandrashekar Raos birthday gift, an employment recruitment notification for one lakh jobs should be issued. He criticised Chandrashekar Rao was trying to weaken the UPA allies on the pretext of a third front proposal. Chandrashekar Rao is a supari gang leader, who aimed to support Modi and BJP in UP elections, he alleged.
In 2020, after leaving OnePlus, the company, which he co-founded with Pete Lau, Carl Pei announced new hardware firm Nothing Inc in 2021. Within months, the UK-based company introduced the Nothing earphones and it received rave reviews around the world.

In September 2021, the Pei-owned firm signed a deal with Qualcomm, which makes chipsets for a majority of Android smartphones around the world. This led to speculations that Nothing's new product might be a mobile handset, but there was no word on when we could expect it to hit stores.

Now, Pei in a series of cryptic tweets has indicated the imminent launch of a smartphone. Pei said--- "back on Android" and tagged Android head Hiroshi Lockheimer praising "Android 12 is nice".

Android 12 is nice! @lockheimer  Carl Pei (@getpeid) February 15, 2022

Inspired by the see-through design language of the Nothing earphones, a fan on Twitter showcased a sketch of a phone with a transparent back panel revealing the internal hardware. Pei appreciated the work of the fan and retweeted the photo.

There's so much talent in our community  https://t.co/VNa1lZVcIp  Carl Pei (@getpeid) February 15, 2022

This gives away the hint that we may expect to see the Nothing phone within the first half of 2022. Already, Google has released Android 13 Preview for developers and is slated to come only in the fall season around the September-October timeframe.

Having gained vast experience in terms of marketing products at OnePlus, Pei has developed a knack on how to build curiosity among prospective consumers and we will see the official teasers sooner than later.

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.
Last month, Google had announced to bring the newly redesigned layout for Gmail for web users. Now, as promised, it has begun releasing the update in phases to all types accounts including workspace clients and private individuals around the world.

"Were introducing a new, integrated view for Gmail, making it easy to move between critical applications like Gmail, Chat, and Meet in one unified location," the company said.

By the end of February, all will begin to see Gmail with a new layout and user interface. Initially, users will get the choice to opt-in to test the new experience. This will help get the hang of the new design. If they are not happy with it, they can revert to classic Gmail via settings.

Others who didn't opt-in for the new Gmail UI will see the change by default in April and they will get the option to go back to retro design.



Gmail's new layout. Credit: Google



And, by the end of June, everybody will see the new Gmail UI and this will be permanent, as they won't be an option to go back to the old layout design.

All the Google apps in Gmail will be on the menu to the far left. Users have to click on the app's name to switch between them or point to an icon to see a preview.

Also, when the user taps on chat, it will show a small pop-up window at the bottom of the screen. Users can go to the top of any chat or next to the chat message in the side panel, and click Open in a pop-up. The window stays in view as the user moves to other tabs, such as Mail or Spaces.

Google has released a video showing the new changes coming to Gmail:

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.
Gender budgets have come to be recognised as a fiscal tool to rectify gender inequities and ensure women have access to socio-economic benefits as much as men. With this aim in mind and to bridge the prevailing gender divide, India began issuing gender budgets in 2005. India's gender budgets have succeeded in drawing attention to pressing gender issues. Now, given the adverse impact of Covid-19 on women and girls, gender-responsive budgeting has become more critical than ever.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented India's 17th gender budget on February 1. In her speech, the FM emphasised shifting the focus from women's development to women-led development. In the context of the ongoing health crisis and the exacerbating gender inequalities, it is essential to understand whether the current gender budget truly serves as an instrument for ushering women-led development in the post-pandemic era.

A quick snapshot

The direction provided by India's 2022-23 budget predominantly focuses on stimulating growth, with several new initiatives launched to place the country on a well-defined path of economic recovery. Taking this vision forward, India's gender budget 2022-23 also aims to address challenges women face and create opportunities for inclusive development, a top priority of Amrit Kaal, the 25-year lead up to India at 100.

But unfortunately, despite the country's big vision, the quantum of this year's gender budget, like previous years, has continued to remain below five per cent of the total expenditure and less than one per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). Meanwhile, in terms of absolute numbers, Rs 1,71,006.47 crore has been allocated for women-centric schemes under the gender budget 2022-2023, which is an increase of 11.5 per cent from Rs 1,53,326 crore allotted in the 2021-22 budget estimates (BE).

However, as a proportion of total expenditure, the gender budget has declined from 4.4 per cent to 4.3 per cent for 2022-23. This is despite the 4.72 per cent of the total expenditure allocated to women's programmes in the pre-pandemic era of 2020. According to an analysis by the All India Democratic Women's Association, the overall gender budget has decreased from 0.71 per cent of the GDP of the revised estimates (RE) for 2021-22 to 0.66 per cent of the BE for 2022-2023.

Under the current gender budget, the Part A component, which comprises 100 per cent women-specific schemes, has been allocated Rs 26,772.89 crore, increasing by six per cent from the last gender budget where Rs 25,260.95 was allocated. Part B, which includes programmes where at least 30 per cent of the allocation is for women, has witnessed a hike of 12 per cent compared to last year, increasing from Rs 1,28,749.83 to Rs 1,44,233.58 crore.

Also read: India Inc will need 195 years to close gender gap: Report

Shattered expectations

And though the gender budget in India has evolved with learning and recommendations year after year, witnessing an eleven-fold increase in the last 17 years, women have, in reality, continued to form the country's untapped potential. But the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has further heightened their vulnerabilities where women are experiencing disproportionate job losses, layoffs, and slower employment recovery.

In January 2022, the size of the female labour force in India was still 9.4 per cent smaller than in January 2020. Meanwhile, the rate of the male labour force has already recovered to the pre-pandemic levels. The Covid-19 health crisis has pushed more and more women towards casual labour. From January to March 2021, women accounted for 9.3 per cent of the casual labour force against 7.7 per cent during January to March 2020.

The current gender budget was, thus, expected to provide assistance to women to recover and grow through economic opportunities, tax benefits, formal sector jobs and better financial inclusion. However, approximately 91 per cent of the increase in this year's gender budget is from schemes in Part B, which are only 30 per cent reserved for women. In contrast, the increase in Part A that is entirely reserved for women only received a meagre hike. While one might think these percentages are staggered across ministries, the truth is that a total of 10 schemes constitute nearly 80 per cent of the gender budget 2022-23.

This clustering of the gender budget into a few schemes is, nonetheless, indicative of the lack of gender mainstreaming, particularly in job-creating sectors, including infrastructure or industrial development. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), of which women constitute a large number of the beneficiaries and often depend on it for employment, has been reduced by 20 per cent. Evidently, women-centred employment opportunities have not been prioritised in the current gender budget, especially in rural areas.

But apart from women employees, the situation of women entrepreneurs also appears calamitous. According to the National Sample Survey (NSS), less than 21 per cent of women are in the MSME sector in India, concentrated across industries hardest hit by the pandemic, such as hospitality, tourism, salons, etc. To help these women entrepreneurs to recover efficiently, the government should have provided tax relaxations or incubation centres so that small brands could sustain themselves. However, fiscal response measures in the current gender budget have failed to protect the affected women-led MSMEs and did not provide them with any tax relief.

In her budget speech, the FM announced that nearly two lakh Anganwadis would be upgraded this financial year to have better infrastructure and audio-visual aids to improve early childhood development environments. But the schemes that will cover these expansions, such as the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, have received Rs 20,263.07 crore, a little hike of 0.75 per cent from last year's budget.

Also read: Bridging gender gaps in mental health

Apart from rising unemployment and income losses, growing vulnerabilities due to the pandemic have also confronted women in India with increased unpaid care work burdens, more domestic violence cases, and the widening gender digital divide. Yet, schemes that focus on providing safety to women, such as One Stop Centres, Mahila Police Volunteer, Women's Helpline, Nari Adalat, have declined from Rs 587 crore in 2021 to Rs 562 crore this year. In addition, the Digital Saksharta Abhiyan targeted towards the promotion of digital literacy saw a reduction of 17 per cent in this year's gender budget and allocation for the Digital India Programme was reduced to zero.

The education sector has been a significant gainer for this financial year, with allocations for the Samagra Shiksha scheme for school education increased by 25 per cent. The Department of Higher education received a 10 per cent hike. But despite this laudable move, allocations for the National Scheme for Incentive to Girl Child for Secondary Education, a key programme to bridge learning losses for teenage girls as schools reopen, has been provided with no allocation at all. Lest we forget, women's access to education at all levels is an essential prerequisite for development and building a better society.

Conclusion

Overall, the focus of the 2022-2023 gender budget might have been on alleviating gender inequality, but in reality, it has failed to present a sensitive front to prioritise critical challenges that women are facing in light of the ongoing pandemic. However, given that India's economic growth had already been witnessing a decline even before the onset of Covid19, its revival in the post-pandemic era will be impossible if women continue to be left out. It is perhaps time that the Indian government begins to walk its talk on bringing about women-led development.

(Akanksha Khullar is the Country Coordinator for India at the Women's Regional Network)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
Political campaign intensifies for other phases of state elections, with PM Narendra Modi set to address voters in Uttar Pradesh, after a rally in Punjab's Pathankot. Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offered prayers to Saint Ravidas on his birth anniversary, with Yogi Adityanath also expected to visit the temple in Varanasi. Meanwhile, the AAP has roped in Amritsar's sitting mayor to boost its presence in Punjab. Stay tuned for live updates.
Former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar, who resigned from the Congress on Tuesday, targeted Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and claimed that the party's defeat in the state in the February 20 Assembly polls is certain.

In an interview with IANS, Ashwani Kumar, who was perceived as a loyalist of the Gandhi family and had supported against the 'G23', said it was getting difficult to continue in the party. He also said he is open to joining any other party.

Here are excerpts of the interview.

After being so long in the Congress, you have decided to quit now. Why?

I was feeling uncomfortable, helpless and ignored for the last many months and I understood that now I am not needed in the party. Therefore, I distanced myself. I was not able to do whatever I wanted to do by staying inside the party. That's why I decided to fulfil my duty and now I can do what I feel comfortable to do.

Also Read | Gandhi loyalist and former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar quits Cong ahead of Punjab polls

You tried to keep your point on the party platform. Were all those points ignored?

What is the platform of the party now... I tried to tell them (the top leadership) in my own way, but indication was clear that I am not needed in the party. I gave a lot of thought to this and came to the decision that according to the current circumstances and my limitations, it would be better for me to break away from the party and work in the national interest on a larger scale.

Is everything going well in the Congress in Punjab? You have indicated that result will be shocking.

I have been involved in the work of party organisation in the campaign of Punjab for many weeks and from what I have seen on the ground, it seems that the Aam Aadmi Party is moving ahead there with a huge majority.

Why do you feel that Congress is losing in Punjab?

A. Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi says he is from a poor family, then how come he has Rs 10-12 crore in his house. So the definition of poverty has changed in the eyes of the Congress, especially for Channi. Now let's see how many people in Punjab have Rs 10-12 crore in their homes. Those who have so much money will definitely vote Congress. Congress is being made fun of in Punjab. Apart from two-three leaders, no one has done anything for the party. It is beyond my understanding how such an old party will move forward in such circumstances. As far as I understand, Congress is losing elections in Punjab and Aam Aadmi Party is winning hands down. In rural areas, where once Akali Dal, Congress dominated, new candidates are getting support.

You were in the Congress for about 46 years and were also the Union Law Minister. Now that you have resigned, what advice would you give to the Congress?

This is not my duty to give advice. Now I will do politics on my own strength, will write my own destiny because today the country needs politics that connects people.

Have you thought of joining other party?

I have not given any thought so far, but no party is untouchable. It is also not right to hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for every shortcoming in the country. I have always believed that ideas should be fought, not persons.

Will you go to BJP like Jitin Prasada, Jyotiraditya Scindia and R.P.N. Singh or with Aam Aadmi Party?

I said earlier that no decision has been taken yet in this regard, nor have I talked to the BJP or the AAP. I have met (AAP chief) Arvind Kejriwal and (West Bengal Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee also. I have good relations with all the leaders but have not decided yet.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called the AAP a photocopy of the Congress, alleging that both parties are pretending to fight against each other in the Punjab Assembly elections.

Listing similarities between the two parties, he alleged both of them opposed the Ram temple in Ayodhya and they speak the "language of Pakistan" when Indian soldiers show their valour.

Addressing a rally here ahead of the February 20 elections, Modi also said the Congress had committed a "sin" by failing to keep Kartarpur Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, within India's territory at the time of the Partition.

Also Read | PM Modi seeks votes in the name of peace in Punjab

He urged voters to bring the BJP-led alliance to power in Punjab for the all-round development of the state.

Taking on the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, Modi said, "Both these parties, despite being 'ek thali ke chatte batte' (two sides of the same coin), are now together doing 'noora kushti' (pretending to fight) in Punjab. Have you seen WWF? This is what they are doing. They are pretending to be rivals."

"It is a Xerox copy of the Congress. Everything is the same," he said referring to the AAP.

"See the similarities between these two parties, when the Ram temple was coming up in Ayodhya, both of them opposed it. When India's bravehearts show their valour, the leaders of these parties speak the language of Pakistan," he added.

Modi said, "The truth is that if the Congress is the original, then the second party (AAP) is its photocopy."

One pushed the youth into the drug trap and the second party is busy getting the youth of Delhi addicted to liquor. One looted Punjab and the second is committing scams one after another in Delhi, he alleged.

BJP leaders have accused the AAP-led Delhi government of "drowning" the youth in liquor, saying more liquor vends have been opened in the city. The AAP, however, has maintained that liquor vends have only been evenly spread under the new excise policy and their number has not increased.

Modi said the Congress has now got a "partner in crime". He also pointed out that the Congress had extended support to the AAP when it fell short of majority in its first Delhi Assembly elections.

Targeting the Congress over Kartarpur Sahib, Modi asked the gathering, "Have they committed a sin or not?"

He said the party crushed people's sentiments. Could they not understand that Kartarpur Sahib was just 6 odd km away? Should it not have been included in India's territory?

Later, the opportunity to include Kartarpur Sahib in India's territory was missed again during the wars of 1965 and 1971 with Pakistan, he said.

Modi said if the government of the day had the guts, it could have bluntly told Pakistan (in the 1971 war) that their 90,000 prisoners of war would be released only if India got Kartarpur.

The prime minister said it was the good fortune of the NDA government which later realised the dreams of thousands of devotees, who earlier used to catch a glimpse of the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara across the border, when the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was built.

He also hit out at the Congress over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. "We punish the culprits of these riots, whereas they reward them with big positions in their party," he said.

Attacking the BJP's rival parties, Modi said, "We see Punjab from the Punjabiyat angle. For us, Punjabiyat is the priority. But our rivals see Punjab only through the political prism."

He invoked Sant Ravidas, a Bhakti movement poet-saint, and said his government is following his ideals, and the welfare of the poor is its top priority.

The prime minister arrived here to address the rally after offering prayers at the Shri Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham temple in Delhi's Karol Bagh on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti.

With a large number of followers of Sant Ravidas visiting Varanasi on the occasion of his birth anniversary, Modi said the BJP-led Yogi Adityanath government is making all efforts to facilitate the pilgrims in every manner.

"Railways is also running two special trains. As the Varanasi MP, it is my responsibility to see that when you are my guest, you get all facilities," he said.

Modi assured voters that if the BJP-led alliance comes to power in Punjab, it will make farming, trade and industry profitable.

"Give me five years to serve you. I assure you farming, trade, industry will be made profitable," he said.

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BJP MP from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh claimed that AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi was a Kshatriya Hindu and a descendant of Lord Ram.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh made the remark while he was campaigning for his son who is a BJP candidate from Gonda.

Also read: Asaduddin Owaisi dials Mandya girl heckled for wearing hijab, praises her 'fearlessness'

"Owaisi is an old friend of mine. As far as I know, he was Kshatriya Hindu earlier. He is a descendant of Lord Ram, not the one belonging to Iran," Times of India quoted Singh as saying.

Owasi has been vehemently slamming the BJP government over the hijab row that initially began in Karnataka, but has now reached other states as Muslim students have been protesting against the ban on using hijab on educational campuses.

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BJP MLA from Telangana, T Raja Singh, sparked a controversy with a video in which he could be heard threatening the voters in Uttar Pradesh, saying that if they don't cast their votes for the BJP, their houses will be demolished and they will be driven out of the state.

A video of the member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly went viral on social media in which he warned the UP voters of dire consequences if they voted against the saffron party.

The controversial MLA from Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad voiced concern over 'huge voter turnout in some areas' of Uttar Pradesh during the second phase of polling on Monday. He believes that UP CM Yogi Adityanath's enemies came out in large numbers to cast their votes.

Also read | Asaduddin Owaisi a descendant of Lord Ram, was a Kshatriya Hindu: BJP MP

Singh also appealed to 'Hindu brothers and sisters' to come out and vote in the remaining five phases of polling in Uttar Pradesh.

"To those who don't vote for BJP, I want to tell you that Yogi ji has called for thousands of JCBs and bulldozers. They are on the way to Uttar Pradesh. After the elections, those who did not support Yogi Ji will be identified. You know what JCBs and bulldozers are used for," the MLA said.

"I want to tell those traitors in Uttar Pradesh who don't want Yogi ji to become the Chief Minister again, 'beta', if you want to live in Uttar Pradesh, you will have to say 'Yogi Yogi', or else you will have to leave the state," Singh added.

The MLA has drawn flak for the video with many netizens calling for action against him for making open threats. They urged the Election Commission to take action against him.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working President K T Rama Rao has also slammed Singh and called him a 'comedian'.

"Just when you think they can't stoop any lower, yet another amazing comedian pops up," tweeted KTR.

"Vote for Yogi in UP polls or face JCB & bulldozers. Your home will be crushed." This is an open threat of T Raja Singh, Hyd BJP MLA, to the UP people. This is happening under your protection. @ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/dH1VclTRTY  Mission Ambedkar (@MissionAmbedkar) February 15, 2022

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As dusk falls, a lively political chat begins outside a tea shop at Etawah railway junction on the KanpurDelhi section of the HowrahDelhi main line.

"There is no job for youths. Politicians know if the youths in the beehad (ravine) get employment, there will be nobody to carry their banner," says Arjun Srivastava, reeling out a list of complaints.

"There are no industries here. The government has done nothing. There is no development. There is strong resentment against the local MLA (from BJP)."

The BJP holds both the parliamentary seat of Etawah and Etawah Town Assembly seat. MP Ramashankar Katheria is a former Union Minister and former Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes, while the Etawah Town MLA is Sarita Bhadauriya, who is also the party's candidate for the 2022 polls.

So, will he vote against the BJP candidate? "How can I? My family has been voting for the BJP for years. I will vote for it," Srivastava says with a hard-to-decipher grin.

This was a common refrain as this reporter travelled nearly 300 km from Jhansi to Etawah. Parties have managed to keep their core voters with them and the fight is really is for castes whose leadership is not prominent in the parties.

Also read: 'Babua', 'bua' crumbled UP's economy; Yogi brought it back on track: Amit Shah

Twenty-five miles away in Karhal, the constituency of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, BSP worker Arvind Kumar Jatav, a street vendor, predicts a cakewalk for the SP leader.

Notwithstanding that, he talks about the BSP's prospects with a glint in eyes.

"We have got a cap, angochcha (towel of thin cloth) and a leaflet, all of blue colour. BSP will get votes from Kori, Gaderia, Dhanuk, Dobhi, Kunjad and Khateek," Arvind says.

The fight here is between Akhilesh and BJP candidate Union Minister S P Singh Baghel.

In Shivpal Yadav's constituency Jaswant Nagar, which is nine miles away from Karhal, Rajeev Kumar Yadav says his vote has always been for the SP.

At Konch bazaar, 80 miles away from Jaswant Nagar, BSP worker Veer Singh from Madhogarah attended a Mayawati rally and is supremely confident of her victory. "There was a 10 lakh crowd in Behenji's Lucknow rally," says Singh.

Brijan Gautam, who is from the cobbler community, but has dropped the caste title 'Ahirwar', says he will stick to the BSP since it is a question of "respect".

"Why should we vote for any other party? Even if we do so, people will say since we are Jatav, we have voted for the BSP," he says.

In Nishad-dominated Bhuraguredi in Banda, when some youngsters complain of unemployment, elders proffer an explanation.

"Not even 10 years have passed. Modi ji has just settled. They will now give employment also. At least there is less corruption now," says an elderly man.

With committed voters staying firm with their respective parties, the outcome seems to be in the hands of fringe voters.

Yadavs and Muslim are staying with the SP but shifting their allegiance only if there is no formidable candidate from the SP.

Jatavs are with the BSP but another Dalit caste Kori (weaver) are backing the BJP. Prajapatis appear divided.

Upper castes are with the BJP (some Brahmins straying to the BSP, Congress and SP), but the Kushwahas seem divided after the exit of Swami Prasad Maurya from the BJP, but the impact wears off as one travels into regions outside eastern UP.

In Mauranipur Bazar in Jhansi, Bhagat Kushwaha, who voted for the BJP in 2017 polls, says, "As far as the issue of employment is concerned, there is a deficit on this count from Modi Sahab and Yogi Sahab." He is unsure if the community will vote for any other party.

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Sea levels along the coastal United States will rise by about 1 foot or more on average by 2050, government scientists said Tuesday, with the result that rising water now considered nuisance flooding will become far more damaging.

A report by researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other agencies also found that, at the current rate of warming, at least 2 feet of sea level rise is expected by the end of the century.

What were reporting out is historic, Rick Spinrad, the NOAA administrator, said at a news conference announcing the findings. The United States is expected to experience as much sea level rise in the next 30 years as we saw over the span of the last century.

Also read: Measuring climate change: It's not just heat, it's humidity

Spinrad said that while cutting greenhouse gas emissions to limit warming is critically important, the projected sea level rise by 2050 will happen no matter what we do about emissions.

The report, an update of a 2017 study, has relatively precise estimates of sea level rise by 2050, a result of improved computer modeling and better understanding of the impact of global warming on the huge Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. That is providing more confidence in our ability to predict effects by midcentury, said William Sweet, an oceanographer with NOAAs National Ocean Service and an author of the report.

About 40% of the U.S. population, or 130 million people, live within 60 miles of the ocean. But sea level rise will not affect all of them equally because it is not uniform.

In the United States, land subsidence and compaction of sediments along much of the East and Gulf coasts add to the increase; in those areas, sea level rise may exceed 1 foot in the next three decades, the report said.

Many communities on those coasts experience regular nuisance flooding, when high tides become even higher because of the influence of the moon, wind or other factors.

But what were once nuisance floods are likely to become damaging, Sweet said. We definitely are predicting a flood regime shift, he said.

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North Korea marked the 80th birthday of leader Kim Jong Un's late father with a mass outdoor meeting in sub-zero temperatures, state media reported Wednesday, but with no missiles or military parade.

Kim was joined by top officials in celebrating the 'Day of the Shining Star' in snowy Samjiyon, a city near Mt Paektu, where official narratives say Kim Jong Il was born in a secret guerilla camp on February 16. The North Korean calendar is peppered with anniversaries related to the nation's official history, in particular to Kim's father and his grandfather Kim Il Sung, the country's founding leader.

The occasions are celebrated with flower shows, mass dances and laudatory tributes in state media, in what analysts say is a means to instil loyalty to the leadership. Kim Il Sung's April 15 birthday is called the 'Day of the Sun.'

Photos and video in North Korean state media Wednesday showed participants gathered before a giant statue of Kim Jong Il to celebrate what the official KCNA news agency called "the great auspicious holiday of the nation". The crowd was said to have burst into "stormy cheers" at the sight of leader Kim Jong Un, who has called Samjiyon  located along the Chinese border in Ryanggang province  the "home of our revolution."

Also Read  North Korea calls for economic growth, improved lives despite 'persevering struggle'

Kim has poured huge resources into the area's redevelopment in recent years, with the vast project including new apartments, hotels and a ski resort.

This year's anniversary has been closely watched as it comes amid fresh tensions on the peninsula. Some observers had anticipated a military parade by the North to showcase its new weapons. Pyongyang carried out an unprecedented seven weapons tests in January, including of its most powerful missile since 2017, when leader Kim Jong Un baited then-US President Donald Trump with a spate of provocative launches.

It has also warned it could abandon its self-imposed moratorium and resume testing intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons. But Pyongyang appears to have paused testing during the Beijing Winter Olympics, possibly out of deference to key ally China, analysts have said.

Experts say Pyongyang could use its next key anniversary  the 110th birthday of Kim Il Sung on April 15  to carry out a major weapons test.

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Whether they have been camped out on Ukraine's borders or moving tanks across the vast country, Russia's battle-hardened troops have made the world listen to Vladimir Putin, who wants to redefine European security.

President Putin has made reviving the army one of the top priorities of his 20-year rule.

After years of post-Soviet neglect, the armed forces received new aircraft, tanks and missiles, opened new bases in the Arctic and resumed Cold War-style strategic bomber patrols.

Today, experts say, the modernised Russian army has become a key tool of Putin's foreign policy.

Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, says Putin thinks big.

"The Ukraine crisis has demonstrated, for the first time since the end of the Cold War, Russia's readiness to use military force to prevent further expansion of the Western alliance into former Soviet territory," he said.

Also read: Is sleepy Joe Biden making Vladimir Putin blink?

"The geopolitical retreat that Russia began three decades ago has ended."

For months Russia has been moving troops towards the border with pro-Western Ukraine, prompting Western capitals to warn a Russian attack was imminent and start pulling personnel out of the country.

Amid Russia's latest show of force the United States relocated its embassy in Kyiv to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, citing a "dramatic acceleration" in the build-up of Russian troops.

On Tuesday, Russia announced that some of the troops were returning home following the planned conclusion of exercises but other military drills were ongoing.

For months, social networks have been flooded with images of Russian tanks parked in the snow near the Ukrainian border or trains transporting multiple rocket launchers and other materiel.

On the EU doorstep, Russia has flexed its muscles in Belarus, during joint drills that involved sophisticated weapons systems such as S-400 surface-to-air missiles and Pantsir air defence systems.

Russia last month also announced a series of naval exercises in the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Mediterranean and elsewhere.

With roughly one million active-duty military personnel and state-of-the-art weapons, the Russian army is one of the largest and most powerful in the world.

Also Read  Ukraine's Zelenskiy says he has heard invasion could be Feb 16, declares day of unity

Moscow has the world's second-largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and a huge cache of ballistic missiles.

Putin has also boasted of developing a number of "invincible" weapons that can surpass existing systems, including the Sarmat intercontinental missiles and Burevestnik cruise missiles.

In recent years the Kremlin strongman has scored a number of battlefield -- and foreign policy -- triumphs that helped boost his popularity despite economic malaise at home.

In January, Russia swiftly sent troops to the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan to back a Kremlin-friendly regime in what was touted as a peace-keeping operation amid deadly unrest.

In 2015, Russia charged into Syria with an air campaign that turned the tide of a complex conflict in favour of the Damascus regime.

The intervention helped President Bashar al-Assad reclaim swathes of territory his forces had lost to Islamists and Western-backed opposition groups. Syria has also proved a valuable training ground for the Russian military.

A year earlier, Russian special forces helped the Kremlin seize Crimea from Ukraine in a largely bloodless military operation.

In 2008, Russian troops routed the Georgian military in five days of fighting.

Also Read  Ukraine leader invites Biden to visit Kyiv in 'coming days'

"The army is a good tool of influence," Vasily Kashin, a military analyst at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, told AFP.

"From a military point of view, any concentration of troops requires a response," he added.

But analysts also point out that apart from the show of force, the Kremlin has few other powerful levers to assert its influence on the international arena.

The West has repeatedly accused Moscow of using its vast energy resources as a geopolitical tool, but observers say Russia cannot afford to deprive itself of the major source of hard-currency income.

Russia's military modernisation has also come at the expense of key economic diversification efforts and major infrastructure and social projects.

However impressive, the Russian army cannot compete with the American war machine, and if war breaks out there will be no winners.

"Hypothetically, the Russian army would be capable of countering NATO forces in Europe for some time, but in general, in terms of conventional weapons, the United States has a very significant superiority over Russia," said Kashin.

"Any direct military clash with NATO in Europe will lead to an uncontrollable escalation and the spillover into a nuclear war."

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Russia on Wednesday said military drills in Moscow-annexed Crimea had ended and that soldiers were returning to their garrisons, a day after it announced a first troop pullback from Ukraine's borders.

"Units of the Southern Military District, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points," Moscow's defence ministry said in a statement, as state television showed images of military units crossing a bridge linking the Russian-controlled peninsula to the mainland.

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NATO can prove Russia's failure to withdraw troops from Ukraine's borders with satellite images, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.

"The intelligence we are sharing is actually confirmed also with open sources, with satellite imagery from commercial satellites," he told reporters at a two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

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Leaders of the G-23 group within the Congress have expressed serious concern over Ashwani Kumar's exit from the grand old party amid a stoic silence from the party leadership.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, one of Congress' senior-most leaders, said that exits of "leader after leader" is a "matter of serious concern," with Anand Sharma the party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha  and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari calling for serious introspection.

It is a matter of great concern that leader after leader is leaving the party. (Ashwani) Kumar, I think, is the fourth or fifth former Union minister who has left, besides a large number of leaders and workers at various levels across the country, Azad was quoted as saying in a report by The Indian Express.

Also Read  Congress is losing in Punjab, says Ashwani Kumar after quitting party

The G-23 grouping had called for sweeping changes in the party in 2020, following several disagreements in the aftermath of the poor poll showing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

According to the report, Azad has called for a strong internal review to ascertain the cause for the leaders quitting the party. "It is not right to say these leaders are going at the behest of any individual, or (any) party. There must be some disquiet within the party (that) makes even hardcore Congress leaders uncomfortable, he was quoted as saying.

Besides, other leaders said that more exits or implosion of the party may be expected after March 10, if the party does not draw favourable results in the five states.

Senior leader Manish Tewari is quoted as saying in the report, Ashwani Kumar and I worked together in Dr Manmohan Singhs government. He and I have had civilised differences on a number of issues. However, even if a small worker leaves the party, it calls for introspection.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is also a part of G-23, took to social media to comment on Kumar's exit. The news of Sh Ashwani Kumar leaving Congress is sad and unfortunate. He is an old dear friend and one belonging to a freedom fighters family, Hooda tweeted.

Also Read  Gandhi loyalist and former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar quits Cong ahead of Punjab polls

Sharma, taking to Twitter, said, Sad to see a valued colleague Ashwani Kumar quitting Congress. Unfortunate that someone who gave four decades to serve the party has left. A matter of collective concern.

Sad to see a valued colleague Ashwani Kumar quitting Congress. Unfortunate that someone who gave four decades to serve the party has left. A matter of collective concern.  Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) February 15, 2022

You cant run the party only with some Youth Congress people. All senior leaders are seriously disgruntled, another leader was quoted as saying in the report.

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India reported an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus on a poultry research farm in Bihar, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Wednesday.

The virus killed 787 out of 3,859 birds on the farm in Patna and all of the remaining birds were slaughtered, the Paris-based OIE said, citing a report from India's authorities.

The outbreak started on January 18 and was reported on February 16, according to the report.

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Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday said the Centre is willing to more seats in Parliament and in the State Assembly to resolve the decades-old Naga political issue.

Addressing a mammoth gathering during the inaugural session of the Platinum Jubilee celebration of Chakhesang Students Union (CSU), an apex body of Phek district, Rio said the Central government and the Naga nationalist groups are willing to give more seats to Nagaland in both houses of Parliament.

Rio said Nagas need to start anew as one family with no hurt burning against one another or deceiving one another to create disharmony in the society, he said.

The four-time Chief Minister and one time Lok Sabha MP added that the Naga negotiation parties and the Government of India are prepared to give more Lok Sabha seats, more Rajya Sabha seats, more MLA seats to Nagaland. Only when all these political spaces for the people are created to participate, justice and peace can prevail in Nagaland, he said.

"Unless there is a settlement and solution to the Naga issue there is no perfect peace in our land ... in the process we got a statehood and through this statehood we are surviving and somehow have been progressing, said Rio.

Expounding on settlement, Rio said there is so much injustice in Naga society- from the government, to the leaders, to the communities and there is a need to rearrange the whole state and also change the mindset of the people to become a better society and survive as a people.

I want a solution because that will bring a new hope for the youth, the students and for the future, he said. Towards this he said the 60 members of the State Assembly have come together and formed the opposition-less United Democratic Alliance (UDA) as the government wants the Nagas to be united and while the coming together is for the cause of Naga political solution to the vexed problem.

The Naga Chief Minister reiterated that the Oting incident in December last year, where army personnel fired, killing 14 civilians in a case of mistaken identity, was most unfortunate.

He said, For the first time, the Government of India and the Army have admitted their mistakes and there is a public hue and cry, for repeal of AFSPA.

He said Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which grants extra-judicial powers of arrest to the armed forces, was introduced in the state in 1958, to combat Naga insurgency.

Even if AFSPA cannot be repealed from the whole country, we are demanding it should be lifted from Nagaland, except the international border and interstate boundaries Rio said. The chief minister also pointed out that in the name of the Naga struggle, extortion, illegal taxations, threat and intimidations have been existing sapping away the morale of the people and hoped that with a lasting peace, all this would end.

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The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Monday protested outside the Tamil Nadu House here, accusing the state government of "suppressing voices" that demand justice for Lavanya, who died by suicide allegedly after forced conversion.

The outfit alleged that the Tamil Nadu Police "brutally treated" ABVP activists protesting outside the chief minister's residence seeking justice for Lavanya.

ABVP national general secretary Nidhi Tripathi, national secretary Muthu Ramalingam, southern province state secretary Sushila and other activists were arrested, they claimed.

The outfit accused the Tamil Nadu government of suppressing voices that demand justice for Lavanya, a Class 12 student at Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, who was allegedly coerced to convert to Christianity, following which she consumed poison and died on January 19.

National Secretary of ABVP, Jit Singh said, The behaviour of the Tamil Nadu government in the Lavanya case is unfortunate. Lathi-charging the peaceful protesting students and implicating them in wrongful cases shows the intention of the Tamil Nadu government."

ABVP's National Secretary Sakshi Singh said the voice of justice for Lavanya is coming from every corner of the country.

"Students in educational institutions across the country are fighting for justice for Lavanya. This fight is not about a girl student, but for all the students who face harassment for conversion across the country," she said.

"ABVP has called for protests across the country today and if our karyakarats are not released, these protests will continue across the country," she added.

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A special PMLA court on Wednesday granted bail to Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor, businessman Gautam Thapar and seven others in a case pertaining to the sale of a property at a prime location in Delhi.

Kapoor and Thapar, however, will not walk out of jail as they are in judicial custody in connection with some other cases. The present case pertains to allegations in the sale of a property situated on Amrita Shergill Marg in Delhi to a company owned by Rana Kapoor's wife, Bindu Kapoor, for which a separate FIR had been registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mumbai last year.

Later, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a money laundering case against Rana Kapoor, Bindu Kapoor, Gautam Thapar and seven others based on the CBI's FIR. After taking cognizance of the charge-sheet filed by the ED in December last year, the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had summoned the accused. Accordingly, the accused appeared before the court on Wednesday.

They sought bail after marking their presence before the special court judge M G Deshpande. The bail filed through advocates Vijay Agarwal and Rahul Agarwal said that Kapoor was never arrested in the present case and has fully co-operated with the probe. The ED has examined him, recorded his statement and he is ready to abide by any condition imposed by the court, the plea said.

Thereafter, the judge granted bail to Rana Kapoor, Bindu Kapoor, Gautam Thapar and seven other accused in the case. The ED is probing the alleged transaction between Thapar's Avantha Realty, Rana Kapoor and the latter's wife, and has filed a money laundering case after taking cognisance of the CBI's FIR.

The FIR claims that Rana Kapoor, the then MD and CEO of Yes Bank Limited, obtained illegal gratification in the form of a property belonging to Avantha Realty Ltd (ARL) in a prime location in Delhi at much less than the market rate after Thapar's firm was given a loan as well as concessions in existing credit facilities by the lender.

The ED, in its charge-sheet, has alleged that Rana Kapoor connived with ARL to wrongfully gain or get transferred a property situated at prime location in New Delhi to a firm named Bliss Abode, which is owned by his wife Bindu Kapoor. In order to get the property, Rana Kapoor created a monthly lease-rent agreement between the two group companies of Avantha and got a loan of Rs 400 crore sanctioned from Yes bank by getting mortgaged the said property to bank.

The ED probe further revealed that by projecting the accounts of the said group of companies as stressed accounts or NPA accounts, the said property was put up for sale by the bank. When the account of ARL group company was on the verge of turning into NPA, Bliss Abode (beneficially owned by Rana Kapoor) offered Rs 378 crore for acquiring the said property.

The said property had been valued at Rs 550 crore, ED said. Thapar is currently in judicial custody in Delhi's Tihar jail after being arrested by the ED in August last year in a related case, while Rana Kapoor is lodged in Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai after his arrest in Yes Bank scam in March 2020.

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The newly formed State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir police Wednesday arrested ten over-ground workers (OGWs) of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant outfit during multiple raids across the Valley.

A spokesperson of the SIA said the raids were primarily focused on the network of the Jaish, saying ten identified persons who were part of OGW modules and taking instructions from Jaish terrorist commanders have been arrested.

The police categorize anybody who supports the militants as an OGW. A person providing a safe house, passage, information or acting as a messenger for suspected militants automatically comes under the radar of the police as an OGW.

The module whose members were organised into sub-modules, in the form of verticals, so that in the event of detection of one member the bigger network does not get compromised had been painstakingly discovered through discreet surveillance in which corroborative intelligence capable of being converted to admissible evidence in court was used to ascertain and confirm the Jaish OGW membership of the individuals, the SIA spokesperson said.

The module could be connected to other modules through higher levels of Jaish leadership. Their discovery is likely as the investigation rolls out in coming days, he added.

The SIA said the detected portion of the module had been active in recruiting other young persons, arranging finances, transporting weapons in south and central Kashmir besides providing other logistic support.

The SIA was constituted by the J&K government last year in November on the lines of National Investigation Agency (NIA), to handle most high-profile terror cases in the Union Territory (UT).

In the searches, besides arrests, cell phones, SIM cards, records to show the use of banking channels and even a dummy pistol were seized. Among arrested persons, there is one at whose house four terrorists had been killed on April 4, 2020, the spokesperson said.

The arrested members were mostly recruiting vulnerable school and college-going students as a few of them are students themselves. They were in close connection with the regular terrorists of Jaish outfit and had been under surveillance for quite some time, it added.

The SIA said that the digital records seized are being sent to FSL for evidence analysis and the arrested persons would be presented before the NIA court in Srinagar seeking permission for custodial questioning.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out raids at multiple locations in Kashmir in a case pertaining to 'radicalising, motivating and recruiting youth of J&K by Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) and recovery of an IED at Bhatindi in Jammu.

Reports said the premier probe agency sleuths accompanied by police and CRPF personnel, carried out separate raids at three locations in Kashmir in a case ((RC-32/2021/NIA/DLI).

The case pertains to radicalising, motivating and recruiting of youth of J&K to effect violent activities in J&K and rest of India by Sajjad Gul, Salim Rehmani @ Abu Saad and Saifullah Sajid Jutt, Commanders of LeT/TRF. 04 persons have been arrested in the instant case so far, a spokesperson of the NIA said.

In a separate case the NIA sleuths conducted searches in case of recovery of IED from Bhatindi area of Jammu in June last year.

The NIA carried out searches at nine locations in Srinagar two each in Kupwara and Anantnag and one each in Pulwama, Bandipora, Kulgam and Baramulla districts (01 location) across the Kashmir Valley in NIA case RC-04/2021/NIA/JMU, he said.

On June 27, hours after two explosives-laden drones crashed into the Indian Air Force (IAF) station at Jammu airport, two people were arrested by J&K Police with an IED from the neighbouring Narwal area. The accused identified as Nadeem Ul Haq, Nadeem Ayub Rathar and Talib ur Rehman, according to the NIA probe, were under orders to carry out an IED blast at a major religious place of Jammu.

After investigation five accused persons have been arrested in the case, out of which three were charge-sheeted on December 22 last year, the spokesperson said and added that during the searches incriminating material and digital devices were seized from the premises of suspects in both the cases.

The NIA has raided dozens of places in J&K in the recent months to unearth the conspiracy.

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Thiruvananthapuram city mayor Arya Rajendran, who shot to fame in 2020 by becoming the youngest mayor in the country, is getting married to a party colleague in the CPM, KM Sachindev, who is the youngest MLA in Kerala.

The families already discussed the proposal and decided to conduct the marriage.

Rajendran, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, and Sachindev, who is from Kozhikode, had worked together in the Students Federation of India. Rajendran had also participated in Sachindev's election campaign in Baluserry in Kozhikode district.

Rajendran was doing her degree course while she became mayor in 2020 at the age of 21. Sachindev, who did graduation in English literature and completed LLB, is 28. He is also the All India joint secretary of SFI.

Rajendran told the media that she and Sachindev were longtime friends. They discussed the marriage plan and informed their parents. Since both of them believe in the same political ideology they hope to have a good mutual understanding. The marriage dates would be decided by the party and their families, she said.

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The Ukraine story is far from over. But if Vladimir Putin opts to back away from invading Ukraine, even temporarily, its because Joe Biden  that guy whose rightwing critics suggest is so deep in dementia he wouldnt know Kyiv from Kansas or AARP from NATO  has matched every Putin chess move with an effective counter of his own.

Putin has been on such a run of outmanoeuvring the West and destabilising US politics that it is easy to overrate him. It is also hard to believe a word that comes out of his mouth. But if Putin was sincere when he said Tuesday that he was ready to continue on the negotiating track to ensure that Ukraine never joins NATO and was also pulling back some of his menacing forces  US officials say theres no sign of that yet  its because Bidens statecraft has given Putin pause.

Specifically, the Biden team has mobilised enough solidarity among the NATO allies, enough advanced defensive arms transfers to Ukraine and enough potentially biting economic sanctions on Russia to put into Putins mind the only thought that matters: If I go ahead with a full-scale invasion, and it goes bad  wrecking Russias economy and resulting in Russian soldiers returning home in body bags from a war with fellow Slavs  could it lead to my own downfall?

Also Read  Ukraine's Zelenskiy says he has heard invasion could be Feb 16, declares day of unity

That is the only calculation that matters, and Biden has done the best job a US president could do, given the asymmetry in interests between America and Russia on Ukraine, to frame it. Ukraine is not only right next door to Russia, but its also a country whose fate and future are vitally important to Putin personally. By contrast, most Americans could not find Ukraine on a map and feel zero emotional attachment to its future. And, as Putin found when he seized Crimea in 2014, Americans will not send their sons and daughters to preserve Ukraines territorial integrity.

So Biden has had to thread a real leadership needle. He could not credibly threaten direct US military force. Therefore, he had to do the next best thing: assemble a solid-enough coalition of NATO allies. Get enough of them to ship arms to Ukraine. Convey to Putin exactly what crippling economic sanctions will be piled on his economy, banking system, factories and cronies if he invades Ukraine. And make clear that an invasion will actually produce the NATO that Putin fears  one that is totally united, with more NATO troops and maybe even missiles moving closer to his border. It might also spur non-NATO members Finland and Sweden to deepen their ties with the alliance.

That will leave Russia with only one friend in the world: China. And China has no friends, only vassals.

Indeed, in addressing Putin, Biden has also sent an important message to China, along these lines: Its true, I messed up in how I exited Afghanistan. But I learned from that  and you should, too. We arent the Trump administration, whose America First strategy turned into America alone. We believe in alliances, and when we act in concert with our allies, we can still make a powerful fist  in case youre thinking of seizing Taiwan.

Also Read  Ukraine leader invites Biden to visit Kyiv in 'coming days'

Again, none of this may stop Putin. He may not have grasped, or just doesnt care, that his threat to seize Ukraine and forcibly return it to Russias historical sphere of influence has evoked for the NATO allies nothing less than the spectre of Hitlers forced union of Austria with Germany, imposed through annexation in 1938. Putin is posing such a raw and crude threat to a free nation  backed up by some 150,000 Russian troops  that it has served as an electroshock to the heart of the NATO alliance, a bolt that brought it out of its sclerosis like nothing else since the end of the Cold War.

Biden and his top national security advisers have been in contact multiple times a day for the past few weeks with leaders and national security officials from NATOs core of Britain, France and Germany, as well as smaller nations. There has not been this degree of intimate NATO collaboration in years, one European ambassador in Washington remarked to me. The West might not be dead quite yet.

So much for the good news. Now the cold shower  and some reasons Putin could still invade and soon.

For starters, Putin is obsessed with Ukraine, not only because of his fear that it could join NATO, but also because of its deep cultural-religious-historical connection to Russia. While he may not seize the country by invasion, he will not easily give up meddling in its politics, trying to install lackeys in its presidential palace and empowering Russian speakers there to constantly try to pull the two countries closer together. And Putin has many covert means to keep tugging Ukraine his way in a manner that will not trigger as robust a Western response as his massing tanks on its border.

Second, US officials say that while there is opposition in the Russian government to Putins brinkmanship, its not clear if any of it got through to him. Andrew Wood, the former British ambassador to Moscow, writing in the journal American Purpose on Monday, noted: Since Covid-19 struck in 2020, Putin has worked from his bunker most of the time. Face-to-face meetings are difficult to arrange. Putin, unlike his Soviet predecessors, doesnt have to consult with a Politburo or any party leadership. If, as it appears, there are now fewer trusted persons with ready access to Putin, the dearth must affect his judgment.

Also Read  Ukraine's president tries to avert panic as pressure mounts

Third, having opposed NATO expansion at the end of the Cold War, I am not indifferent to legitimate Russian concerns about Ukraine joining NATO. Both NATO and Russia should agree to Ukraine being a geopolitically neutral state, like Finland. But in my view, Putin is not really afraid of Ukraine joining NATO, which the US has made clear is not in the cards now. Instead, Putins fear is that Ukraine becomes Westernised.

He fears that one day Ukraine will be admitted to the European Union.

It was never a coincidence that Putin seized Crimea and first invaded part of eastern Ukraine in February-March 2014. What else was happening then? The European Unions 28 member states were forging a new EU-Ukraine Association Agreement to foster closer political and economic ties, signed March 21, 2014.

No, the Ukraine crisis has never been exclusively about Putins fear of the expansion of NATOs forces to Russias borders. Not even close. His greater fear is the expansion of the EUs sphere of influence and the prospect that it would midwife a decent, democratic, free-market Ukraine that would every day say to the Russian people, This is what you could be without Putin.

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Contrary to the claims of the proponents of the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019, the problems for Jammu & Kashmir have only multiplied. Ground realities in Jammu & Kashmir belie the promise that the repeal of Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to the erstwhile state, will usher in an era of development and employment opportunities.

Against this backdrop, and unease among the people of both the Jammu and Kashmir regions, the preliminary report of the Delimitation Commission, has added to the confusion. It seems from a cursory examination of the report, the delimitation exercise has been done more with politically motivated electoral purposes than meeting constitutional obligations and making life easier for the people.

The delimitation of constituencies was meant primarily to carve out constituencies keeping in view the size of their population and, as is the case of hilly areas of Jammu & Kashmir, their topography. However, the preliminary report suggests these factors have been ignored. There are allegations that politics of a particular kind received precedence over other factors. There is little doubt that elections are about politics, and so is, to an extent, the delimitation process itself. More importantly, elections and the delimitation process are about ensuring the people's well-being, which the exercise has ignored.

Jammu & Kashmir has a special status because of its strategic location, diversity, and plurality. The preliminary report has ignored these factors, giving credence to the allegations that there is more to the report than what meets the eye.

Apart from the constitutional requirement of undertaking a delimitation process, another equally important factor should always be considered in the case of Jammu & Kashmir and the northeastern states - the ethos and history of these areas. This ethos is sought to be sacrificed at the altar of political and ideological considerations of the ruling dispensation and, above all, the electoral maths to guarantee victory.

The high point of the creation of Jammu & Kashmir as a state was its regional, linguistic and ethnic diversity with three regions - Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (now a separate Union Territory). It was the only Muslim majority state of India bordering the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. This Muslim majority character has become an irritant in the new political atmosphere. But, in the plan of the framers of a secular state, it was an excellent rebuff to the narrow and religion-based neighbouring country, and that stood the test of the time.

The draft report of the Delimitation Commission, as shared by the panel with its associate members (five Lok Sabha MPs from the UT), has stirred a hornet's nest with political parties (barring the Bharatiya Janata Party) and social organisations in both Jammu and Kashmir regions, questioning the logic behind its redrawing of boundaries of the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats.

There are two central irritants reflected in the preliminary report. The one having the most severe consequences is the attempt of the Delimitation Commission to consider the Union Territory as a single unit to redraw Lok Sabha constituencies, an apparent effort to erase the regional characters of both Jammu and Kashmir, respectively. This has already created a hue and cry in both regions.

A sample to this effect is adding the assembly constituencies from two border districts of the Jammu region- Poonch and Rajouri- to the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat of the Kashmir Valley. The move is untenable in all respects, namely geographical, political, and regional. It has led to doubts in the people's minds, particularly in the Valley, about the real motive behind treating the Union Territory as a single unit.

The Poonch and Rajouri areas of the Jammu region were earlier part of the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency. Apart from disturbing the identity of the two areas, this arbitrary proposal of "unification" of the two regions has overlooked the geographical factors which are of immense importance in a hilly area such as Jammu and Kashmir.

A critical purpose of delimitation is to keep the geographical factors in mind to make it easy for the people to get their problems redressed. In this instance, Anantnag (Kashmir region) and Poonch-Rajouri (Jammu region) are separated by the towering Pir Panjal range of mountains with a road connecting the two regions on this side, the Mughal Road, which is only a fair-weather road. That would imply that residents of Poonch-Rajouri will have to traverse through Jammu to reach Anantnag, a distance of nearly 500 kilometres, to meet their MP if they belong to that area. The same would be true for the residents of Anantnag if someone from the Poonch-Rajouri area becomes their MP. The question is, how will this provide better administration?

The second irritant has been the manner in which the constituencies meant for the Scheduled Castes have been reserved and de-reserved, or some other constituencies scrapped to deprive the strong claimants of other political parties a chance. And at the same time, questions are also being raised on the process of reserving seats for the Scheduled Tribes category, which is already mired in conflict between the Gujjars (nomads) and Paharis. At least in the case of Scheduled Tribes, this arrangement has been questioned even by the BJP.

Jammu & Kashmir has a chequered history of delimitation of constituencies. The latest draft report adds another chapter to this history. It has also sought to alter further the regional character of Jammu & Kashmir, with Ladakh already having been separated.

(Anil Anand is a journalist)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
A Chinese mRNA vaccine candidate showed a sharp drop in neutralising antibody activity against Omicron in a small study, but a booster readily induced antibody production in animal tests, researchers said.

The ARCoV vaccine, jointly developed by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Suzhou Abogen Biosciences and Walvax Biotechnology, is being tested in an international Phase-3 clinical trial.

It is China's locally developed mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccine candidate furthest along in trial progress. The country has yet to approve mRNA vaccines developed locally or overseas, but has vaccinated 87.1 per cent of its population using several domestically developed shots based on other technologies.

In a lab study analysing samples from 11 vaccinated people, eight demonstrated "low but detectable" neutralisation activity against Omicron, researchers said in a letter to editors published in the journal Cell Research.

Also Read  Oxford scientists to study effects of Covid variants, shots in pregnancy

The neutralising antibody level against Omicron showed a 47-fold reduction compared with the level against a "wild-type" that contains no major mutations, said the paper published on Monday.

But in animal tests, a third dose, given about nine months after the second shot, readily induced the production of neutralising antibodies against Omicron and a wild-type strain, it said. "Our data presented here clearly demonstrate that a third dose of ARCoV would probably lead to a sharp increase in neutralisation antibodies not only against the WT (wild type) SARS-CoV-2 but also the newly Omicron variant," the study said.

China, which is battling small but constant outbreaks of Covid-19 infections, has boosted around one-third of its 1.4 billion people, using non-mRNA shots.

The researchers said they also conducted animal tests on two new mRNA vaccine candidates targeting Omicron and the result showed that the induced antibody levels were comparable to those elicited by the original ARCoV. Authors of the paper include scientists from AMMS and Suzhou Abogen Biosciences, as well as researchers from other Chinese institutes.

A Walvax executive said last month it had recruited most of the 28,000 participants it planned for the Phase-3 trial and was now looking to focus more on identifying Covid-19 infections among trial participants for data analysis.

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Mexico celebrates 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with China

Xinhua) 16:08, February 16, 2022

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Various events have been held in Mexico to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mexico.

The Mexican Senate Monday celebrated bilateral ties with an event attended by various Mexican authorities, legislators and academics, as well as Chinese diplomats.

Mexico and China continue to endorse "a mutual commitment of loyalty and trust" after half a century of diplomatic relations, said Olga Sanchez Cordero, president of the Mexican Senate, when addressing the event.

"The 50 years of diplomatic relations are only the beginning of building the future together as fraternal countries," she said. "Today, the strength of our relationship is evident, which allows us to continue deepening it."

For his part, China's Ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingqiao said that regardless of changes in the international landscape over the 50 years, both countries "have always moved forward hand in hand in the correct direction," leading to political mutual trust that "has continuously deepened."

"The two countries have established comprehensive, multi-level and wide-ranging exchange and cooperation, achieving more than 80 major cooperation agreements," he said, adding that economic and trade cooperation between China and Mexico has expanded.

As part of the celebration, both in-person and virtual, a photography exhibition was inaugurated in the Senate's main courtyard, highlighting key meetings over the past half century which strengthened the friendly relations.

Moreover, a book titled "50 years of Diplomatic Relations between Mexico and China: Past, Present and Future" was presented after the event during the ordinary legislative session. The book was published by the Center for China-Mexico Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Belisario Dominguez Institute of the Mexican Senate.

On the same day, Mexico and China jointly issued a series of stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and a ceremony on the issuance was held at the Postal Palace in the historic center of the capital Mexico City.

The stamps showcase two historical and cultural landmarks: the Dengfeng Observatory in China's Henan Province, and the Pyramid of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza, Mexico.

"Both were astronomical observatories, which show the high level of development of ancient astronomy in the two countries, while representing a vivid portrait of the long history and splendid cultures of both countries and reflecting the cultures' similarities regarding respecting nature," Zhu said at the ceremony.

Director General of the Mexican Postal Service Rocio Barcena told Xinhua that the two historical landmarks selected spotlight the millennial cultures of China and Mexico, and the invaluable ancestral heritage, and that the issuance of joint stamp series "is a very significant act of friendship and consolidation of our relations."

China-Mexico diplomatic relations were established on Feb. 14, 1972 before being upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2013.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Antibodies produced by immune cells become steadily more formidable and precisely targeted against the SARS-CoV-2 virus for at least six months after Covid-19 vaccination, according to a study.

The researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in the US assessed the antibody response to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in detail in people. The findings, published on Tuesday in the journal Nature, suggest that declining antibody levels in the months after vaccination primarily represent a shift to a sustainable immune response.

The researchers also noted that even quite low levels of antibodies would continue to provide some protection against disease, as long as the virus does not change. "If the virus did not change, most people who got two doses of this vaccine would be in very good shape," said senior study author Ali Ellebedy, an associate professor at Washington University.

Also Read  Exercising after getting Covid-19 vaccine boosts antibodies: Study

"The antibody response we saw is exactly what we would expect from a robust immune response. We never thought that six months following that second injection, many people would still be actively improving the quality of their antibodies, Ellebedy said.

The researchers collected blood from 42 participants and lymph node samples from 15 participants before each person received their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine and at weeks three, four, five, seven, 15 and 29 afterwards. They also obtained bone marrow samples from 11 participants 29 and 40 weeks after the first vaccine dose.

Eight people provided all three kinds of samples, allowing the researchers to track the development of the antibody response over time within those individuals. The researchers found that B cells, a family of immune cells that produce antibodies, targeted against SARS-CoV-2 persisted in the germinal centres of all participants for months.

Even six months after vaccination, 10 of 15 people still had B cells in their germinal centresboot camps where B cells are trained to make ever-better-quality antibodies. The more time B cells spend in germinal centres, the more potent their antibodies get.

Germinal centres had been thought to last only a few weeks, so finding these boot camps still training B cells in a majority of people so long after vaccination was a surprise, Ellebedy said.

Also Read  When will Covid-19 become an endemic in India? Virologist explains

It indicates a strong antibody response that continued to mature and improve, he said. Six months after vaccination, the antibodies were noticeably better than they had been in the beginning, he said.

In one set of experiments, the researchers found that only 20 per cent of early antibodies bound to a protein from the virus. Six months later, nearly 80 per cent of antibodies from the same individuals bound to the viral protein, they said. "When you look at antibodies, quantity should not be your only concern. The antibodies in six months might be less in quantity, but they are much better in quality," Ellebedy said.

The researchers, however, noted that the quality of the antibodies is measured against the original virus that was used to design the vaccine. If a new variant is different enough from the original, it may be able to escape once-powerful antibodies, the researchers said.

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Several students wearing hijabs in colleges across Karnataka staged fresh protest on Wednesday as they were denied entry citing High Court's interim order. Section 144 has been imposed near SJMVS' Arts & Commerce College for Women in Hubballi. Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister maintained that 'overall situation was peaceful'. The Karnataka HC will resume hearing on Thursday afternoon.
Hundreds of students across the state continued to boycott classes on Tuesday protesting against prohibition of hijab on school campuses.

The conflict pervaded into even Urdu medium schools, with parents and students protesting against the ban. In some instances, parents took their children back for forcing their children to remove hijab.

In Kalaburagi, a majority of the girl students were missing from classes in Urdu schools. In one such instance, a heated debate ensued between teachers and students in Moulana Azad School in Ijeri village, Yadrami taluk in the district when the teachers refused entry to students wearing hijab. The police had to intervene.

In Gadag city government Urdu High School, parents entered the classroom and brought their children out. If you want to teach our kids without hijab, send them home, they argued with the teacher.

Also read: Hijab row: BJP, Kateel delete tweets revealing personal details of petitioners

In Indavara village in Chikkamagaluru, the DDPI had to declare holiday to Maulana Azad School as at least 15 students insisted on sitting inside classes wearing hijab.

In some cases, schools began insisting even parents who had come to drop children, to remove burqa. Such an incident was reported in Tumakuru, in front of SVS school where the teachers did not allow parents who were wearing burqa to enter the school premises.

Irate parents demanded whether there was any regulation against parents wearing religious attire. While until now they were allowed to drop their children inside the school, the sudden prohibition irked them. Even as the parents shouted slogans in protest, police had to intervene to control the situation. Some parents took their children home.

Absenteeism from SSLC preparatory exams also continued. As many as 43 students skipped the SSLC preparatory exams in Mysuru district, including 39 students in Nanjangud taluk, three students in KR Nagar taluk and one student in Mysuru taluk.

In Chitradurga, the BEO of Hosadurga initiated action against two guest teachers for not complying with the High Court interim order. The incident took place in Moulana Azad School in Hosadurga, where two teachers, along 20 students, refused to attend school without hijab. The teachers applied for leave and left.

Protests continued in other places too. In Belur, students of the high school division of the government PU college boycotted classes and staged protest in front of the school.

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Missing the opportunity to market the Northern Ireland Protocol to the world would be outrageous says Derry Chamber of Commerce President, Aidan O'Kane.

Figures published yesterday by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in the Republic of Ireland show that cross-border trade between the North and the South is booming.

Imports from the North to the Republic for last year were up by a staggering 65 per cent to 3.9billion euros  a jump of 1.5billion from 2020.

Exports from the Republic to the North also increased in 2021 by 54 per cent to 3.7billion euros  a rise of 1.3billion from the previous year. Overall, the total trade rise came to 2.8billion euros.

CSO figures showed that food, livestock and fuel were the biggest cross-border commodities. There was also a huge rise in the value of chemical exports from the Republic to the North to the tune of 850million euros  a rise of 280million euros.

Aidan O'Kane, who was appointed President of the Derry Chamber of Commerce last year, said that these figures from the CSO showed that the North was benefiting from continued access to the European Single Market and its economy might be doing even better if the Executive at Stormont properly promoted to other trading nations the unique benefits that the Protocol brings to the North.

He said: The figures show that we're on something that could be, if marketed properly, we could have a really, really successful economy here  something that isn't really emulated anywhere else in the world.

To miss that opportunity would be outrageous. Can you imagine the success that we would have if it was properly marketed and backed by the Government locally? What would we be saying?

We would be asking post-election that the new Executive should jointly commit to overcome any problems or issues caused by the Protocol and commit to advertising to the rest of the world the benefits that it brings to businesses that are based in Northern Ireland.

As a cross-border region, the North-West stands to benefit massively if they (the Executive) could get their act together. In terms of beaming this around the world, it hasn't happened yet because it's got that constitutional element to it.

It is not fully bought into by all parties, but imagine if it was. We would have a huge opportunity globally.

The figures from the CSO also revealed the downside of Great Britain having a hard border with the European Union post-Brexit.

British exports to the Republic of Ireland dropped by 13 per cent to 15.4billion euros  a drop of just over 2.3billion euros from 2020. Exports from the Republic to Britain however, rose by 17 per cent to 14.4billion euros.

For O'Kane, these figures in particular highlight the potential difficulties the North  especially businesses and traders in frontier areas such as Derry  might have had if a hard land border had been placed on the island of Ireland instead of the Irish Sea.

He added: That is a little bit of a tell-tale of what could have happened with a harder border into Northern Ireland.

It shows that while there is some things to be ironed out on the Protocol side of things  that are more than achievable through goodwill and negotiation  those figures in particular show what could have happened had the Protocol not been in place.

A hard land border would have been disastrous  there is no doubt about it. A hard land border inhibits trade of goods and services. For people, it would have been disastrous for the Northern Ireland economy. Particularly those border regions  the economies around those would have been hugely and adversely impacted.

There may have been less paperwork to and from the UK to Northern Ireland. But to us, that is not a good enough outcome for a hard border that inhibits trade across a border region.

From our perspective, it is really positive to see strong cross-border trade on the island. While Brexit and the Protocol have caused difficulties for business over the past number of years, businesses have really stayed resilient and adaptable.

The figures from the Central Statistics Office show that new markets and new buyers have re-orientated to new supply chains and new sources of products.

The increase of 65 per cent of imports from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland to a value of nearly four billion euros proves that businesses, when faced with challenges, always find a way to naturally follow the path of least resistance.

Dual-market access to the UK and the rest of the EU is definitely an attractive prospect for Northern Ireland-based businesses. It's really important we make the most of that.

The message from the Chamber and membership is also very clear. We've heard over the course of the last couple of years  and now with the recent collapse of the Executive  that the Protocol remains a problem politically. While the Protocol isn't perfect in practical terms for businesses, there are also clear-cut opportunities that should be grasped by our Executive with a strategy put in place to make the most of those opportunities.

Unfortunately, there is with the Protocol a stigma or an association in and around the constitutional question. If we are to be very clear-cut and purely transactional in terms of what the Protocol is and the impact it's having, then the data tells us that this is a positive thing for Northern Ireland-based businesses.

That's a general statement. That is not to say there are businesses that are feeling negative impacts  that could very well be the case and likely is the case  but the vast majority of businesses want to have a proposition that is unique for Northern Ireland.

It enables dual-access to both the UK and the EU markets  that is always going to be a positive thing. The statistic in this (CSO) report shows that this is actually the case.
Gas bills in Derry look set to remain high despite Foyle MLA Ciara Ferguson meeting with energy suppliers Firmus to try and resolve the issue.

The Sinn Fein representative sat down with Firmus officials to challenge the 33.57 per cent increase to energy tariffs that is set to kick in later this month.

This latest rise comes on top of the one that came in last December that saw an increase of 38.18 per cent  a whopping 71.75 per cent in total.

With 30 per cent of Derry's residents currently living below the poverty line, it is feared that the massive hike will put more of the city's citizens in greater financial peril.

Ms Ferguson pointed out to Firmus the effects that this would have on her constituents but the energy supplier insisted the gas bill rise will go ahead.

She said: Spiraling global energy prices and rising living costs are placing a huge burden on already struggling workers and families.

We have met with Firmus Energy to challenge extortionate hikes to gas prices in the city over recent months.

We made it clear to Firmus that recent hikes to gas prices  which amount to over seventy percent  are a huge blow to workers and families across the city.

Ordinary people are already struggling with a rising cost of living and these hikes are a result of global energy prices spiraling out of control.

Foyle Sinn Fein MLA, Ciara Ferguson

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has stepped up and delivered an extra 200 payment to help over 280,000 people to heat their homes.

More needs to be done. The British government has the money to increase support for people and I am reiterating the call on them to scrap VAT on energy bills to immediately cut household costs.

They should also introduce a windfall tax on energy companies who are making huge profits with the money raised being redirected towards tackling fuel poverty and supporting families.

This has been a difficult winter for many families, and we need to look at all measures to try to limit the impact and ensure people can heat their homes and put food on the table.

More needs to be done to support people, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has stepped up to provide support to hundreds of thousands of families, the British government needs to play its part now and take action.

The Derry News contacted Firmus who told us that they had no option but to enforce a further hike in gas bills.

A Firmus spokesperson said: We fully understand the difficult position many are in with the continued increases in the cost of living.

Unfortunately, due to sustained high prices in wholesale gas markets we have had no option but to make a further increase in our gas tariffs.

This is not just a Firmus issue, but a challenge faced by every local and national supplier of gas and electricity all of whom are affected by the huge upsurges which have taken place in wholesale gas and energy costs.

Regrettably, we, in Northern Ireland, are at the mercy of the global wholesale gas market and are unable to influence these prices.

The Derry News asked what Firmus themselves were doing to try and source cheaper supplies of gas.

While they did not answer this question, they did state that they were working directly with the Department of Communities on their emergency payment scheme which residents in Derry and the North can apply for up to 200 to help them with their bills.

The spokesperson added: We understand the pressure this will have on the most vulnerable. Thats why we are directly contributing to the Department for Communities scheme to help those most in need and we will continue to do so. If any of our customers feel that they require additional support please contact us directly to see how we can help.

Firmus energy is providing both financial and administrative support to the Department for Communities scheme. This scheme is providing invaluable support to those most in need of financial assistance within the communities we serve.

The Department of Communities is delivering this scheme in partnership with Bryson Energy who are appropriately positioned to ensure those most in need of this assistance are in receipt of support.

The Derry News asked Firmus if their financial contribution to the Department of Communities scheme would not be better served going straight to their customers to help alleviate the burden of paying high bills.

Again, Firmus did not respond to the question only adding that: Customers who need advice on their natural gas bills or direct debit payments should contact the Firmus energy customer services team on 0330 024 9000.

Our telephone lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For free and independent advice on how to save energy please contact NI Energy Advice Line on 0800 111 4455.
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A bill that has the potential to shift the landscape of education in Northern Ireland is to come to Further Consideration stage in the NI Assembly next week.

The Integrated Education Bill was moved by Alliance MLA for Strangford, Kellie Armstrong, in June 2021, and has made its way through the legislative process to what is fifth stage.

If adopted as an Act, the bill would lead to the promotion, reform and expansion of integrated education in the North.

Currently only 7% of pupils in Northern Ireland are educated in just over 90 integrated schools and colleges, which aim to mix pupils from Protestant, Catholic and other backgrounds.

Seven of these are in County Derry.

Education representatives from the four main churches have criticised aspects of the bill, while letters sent home from a number of schools have claimed the bill 'aims to elevate integrated schools above every other type of school'.

The DUP have expressed their opposition to the bill, with Mid Ulster MLA Keith Buchanan saying it had been 'rushed'.

"This bill has been rushed, without any proper consultation and would only serve to create a three tier education system, elevating one sector to the disadvantage of all others," he said.

"It will not create a level playing field for schools in terms of funding and resources.

"The idea that only integrated schools are integrated is wrong. We need to champion the fact that our controlled schools are open to all faiths and none. They are integrated but in name.

"Shame on those that support this," he added.

Aontu election candidate for East Derry, Gemma Brolly, has said the bill 'ignores diversity' in education.

"An education system that favours one ethos above all others, is an affront to pluralism and diversity, it erases parental choice," she said.

"We will not allow our schools to be scapegoated as the cause for division among communities. A truly integrated education system must respect and not seek to delete ethos.

"There can be no hierarchy of educational ethos: Catholic, Protestant, Multi-faith based, Irish-medium or Integrated. There must be room in our society for all."

We want your views.

A link to the bill as it currently stands is available here.

Take our short survey below and give us your views on the Integrated Education Bill and how you feel it will impact education in County Derry.

If the survey does not load properly, it can be accessed here.
-Intel jumpstarts foundry model with Tower semi buy @$54B Gets complementary tech to round out offerings

-Approval based on satisfying Chinas needs as well

-Margin concerns overblown- Will it be allowed to flourish?

Intel pays up to get foundry and technology.

Intel announced a $5.4B acquisition of Tower Semiconductor in Israel. This amounts to $53 per share for a company whose last trade was $33 per share or a whopping 60% premium.

Intel is getting a very well run company that has been a foundry for a long time as well as technology that it currently does not offer that will add to a broader foundry offering other than just bulk CMOS.

In addition the company gets more China business as well as military business both of which are needed to support Intels strategic direction. In essence this deal covers multiple birds with one stone which likely accounts for the premium.

Click here to read more ...




Minister Byrne welcomes Court of Justice decision upholding Budget Conditionality Regulation

Press release

Minister Byrne welcomes Court of Justice decision upholding Budget Conditionality Regulation aimed at addressing breaches of the Rule of Law

This morning, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued its judgment in Cases C-156/21 and C-157/21 upholding the legality of Regulation on a General Regime of Conditionality for the Protection of the Union Budget. This Regulation provides for the Council of the European Union to adopt measures suspending EU funding to Member States if breaches of rule of law principles there present a risk to the protection of the EU budget.

Ireland welcomes this decision.

At the October 2021 hearings in these cases, Ireland had intervened along with nine other like-minded Member States and the European Commission to oppose the actions Hungary and Poland had brought seeking annulment of the Regulation. Todays judgment confirms Irelands position that this Regulation is fair, proportionate and serves a legitimate and important purpose by installing a more rigorous regime for proper disbursement of the EUs budget.

Welcoming the judgment, Minister of the State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne T.D., said:

"I welcome the Court of Justices decision affirming the validity of Budget Conditionality Regulation. The Courts judgment allows the EU to use this important tool to protect the EU budget and to respond to rule of law challenges in Member States. I would like to thank the legal team involved in Irelands intervention for their work in this case.

"I have consistently underlined the need for a robust response to ensure the EUs foundational values, including rule of law, are safeguarded. Indeed, the 2021 EMI/RED C poll of opinions of people across Ireland about Europe and the EU saw 77% of respondents agree that the EU should only provide funds to Member States if their Governments adhere to rule of law principles, such as democracy, human rights and equality. Ireland will partake fully in any upcoming Council discussions should the European Commission opt in due course to make use of the budget conditionality mechanism."

ENDS

Press Office

16 February 2022

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Statement by Ambassador Byrne Nason at the USNC Briefing on Yemen

Statement

Mr. President,

Firstly, I wish to thank our briefers today, Special Envoy Grundberg, Under Secretary General Griffiths, and Ambassador Hoxha. I very much look forward to hearing a bit later from Major General Beary. We support your vital work in trying to forge pathways for peace, and to improve the lives of Yemenis.

As we have heard in stark and horrifying terms today, January 2022 marks the deadliest month on record for civilians in Yemen in this bloody conflict. It is estimated that more than 650 civilians have lost their lives or were injured over the past month alone  thats one every hour.

From Marib to Taiz, Shabwah to Hodeidah, the people of Yemen continue to pay a dreadful price while warring parties wreak havoc and destruction on their country.

We reiterate the Secretary Generals condemnation and share his deep concern at Coalition airstrikes across the country in recent weeks, including those in in Saada, which struck a detention centre where migrants were held  amongst the worst civilian casualty incidents in Yemen in three years. Victims included women and children.

Vital civilian infrastructure has also been disabled or destroyed, and essential services disrupted. As Radhya Al-Mutawakel briefed this Council last month, all aspects of life are devastated by the ongoing conflict and military escalation.

We repeat that cross-border attacks claimed by the Houthis on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are totally unacceptable. Ireland strongly condemns all such attacks, including Januarys attack on Abu Dhabis International Airport and the Musaffah industrial area which killed three civilians.

All parties must fully comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law in relation to the protection of civilians and civilian objects, and adhere to the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.

The path forward must also include an end to impunity and the pursuit of accountability for all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The message which we have relayed time and time again at this Council still stands - there can be no military solution to this conflict. We call for an immediate de-escalation in violence, and for all parties to engage in good faith with Special Envoy Grundberg towards an inclusive politically negotiated solution, including on the framework outlined today. We call for women, youth, and civil society to take their rightful places at the tables where those solutions will be shaped.

Mr. President,

The current escalation seriously undermines peace efforts and worsens an already dire humanitarian situation.

As we heard today, more than two thirds of the population are now in need of urgent humanitarian assistance following seven years of war and economic collapse. The most vulnerable are increasingly unable to cope, and hunger remains alarmingly high.

We welcome the timely allocation via the Central Emergency Response Fund to support those who have been displaced and forced to flee their homes in recent months. However, the severe funding shortfalls faced by the aid operation, as described by USG Griffiths this afternoon, are deeply concerning. It is clear that Yemenis need the strong support of the international donor community, to allow aid agencies on the ground to continue their vital lifesaving work. The need to strengthen and rebuild the fragile Yemeni economy is also clear. In this regard, we look forward to further progress towards realising the proposed UN Economic Framework.

Mr. President,

To conclude on a slightly more hopeful note  we welcome recent progress on the Safer oil tanker. The UN-coordinated proposal to shift the oil onboard the vessel to another ship represents a potential first step towards mitigating the grave environmental and humanitarian threat posed by the vessel. We encourage all parties to continue to engage constructively with the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator on concrete action towards a sustainable solution.

Thank you Mr. President.

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Page Content

The 15th of February marked the second and final day of the virtual conference The Conflict in Yemen: Current Situation and Future Prospects organized by the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS), in cooperation with the Arab Center in Washington DC (ACW) and DeepRoot Consulting. All conference proceedings were livestreamed through the three organizations social media platforms. Dr Khalil Jahshan, the Executive Director of ACW, emphasized in his welcoming remarks the need to alleviate human suffering and expressed gratitude for the research efforts towards a peaceful end to the Yemeni conflict. He praised the discussions of the previous day and shared his eager anticipation for further progress on a joint effort towards the de-escalation of hostilities in Yemen.

Muein Shreim Keynote Remarks on Peace Efforts in Yemen

The opening session began with a speech by Muein Shreim, Deputy Head of Mission at the Office of the Special Envoy for Yemen, who spoke on behalf of HE Hans Grundberg, UN Special Envoy for Yemen. He highlighted the importance of holding this academic conference in a time of great international concern over the outcome of the Yemeni peace process. The UN approach is working on reaching an agreement for a national ceasefire based on inclusive and comprehensive consultations with different segments of Yemeni society. Shreim promotes a multi-track process so all segments of Yemeni society can find joint solutions in a timely political process that does not hinder the progress of other tracks. The UN Special Envoy particularly believes that opening ports and airports must be included in the bundle of measures made to reach a joint-settlement.



The Ansar Allah Perspective on the Yemeni Peace Process

Following Muein Shreims remarks, Abdul Malik Al-Ejri, a member of the Political Bureau for Ansar Allah, addressed the Ansar Allah (Houthi) groups viewpoint on the future situation in Yemen, in addition to the outcome of the peace process and its challenges. He reiterated the need for a political settlement in Yemen and not just a military solution due to the dire humanitarian crisis resulting from the siege, lack of resources, closing of the ports, and blockade. Al-Ejri declared that any peace that does not start with prioritizing Yemeni victims will be unsuccessful, and he cited the GCC collective as a prime example. He also clarified that the negotiation process should not be coerced by evoking pressure on the Yemeni people and using civilians as bargaining chips. The Ansar Allah perspective stresses a humanitarian angle on three fronts, issuing a ceasefire, evoking necessary economic arrangements, and addressing the humanitarian issues that place Yemeni civilians at the core of the political process.

Reactivating the Peace Process: Lessons Learned and Routes Forward

The third panel of the conference Reactivating the Peace Process: Lessons Learned and Pathways Forward was moderated by Imad Harb, Director of Research and Analysis at ACW. The session commenced with Asmahan Alalas critical investigation into the Yemen conflicts trajectory and steps towards peace. Ahmed Al-Shami, the Executive Director of the Arabian Rights Watch Association (ARWA), followed with a presentation on Saudi-Yemeni relations that argued how Yemen offers strategic depth for Saudi Arabia due to its distinctive geopolitical significance and proximity to Saudi Arabia. Alex Shoebridge, Peace Process Support Coordinator at Inclusive Peace in Geneva, presented on behalf of Thania Paffelholz, Director of Inclusive Peace, with a critical appraisal of peacebuilding efforts in Yemen by identifying flaws in recent and ongoing approaches since the 2014 National Dialogue Conference. To conclude the panel, Rafat Al-Akhali, Founding CEO of DeepRoot Consulting, was offered on the Hikma Fellowship, presented on behalf of his and Professor Barakats research on a local Yemeni youth capacity-building program, Hikma Fellowship. Al-Akhali assessed the programs successes and outlined challenges in ensuring inclusivity in the Yemeni peace process.

The Future of Yemen: Recovery, Reconstruction, and Development

The fourth and final panel of the conference focused on the future of Yemeni recovery, reconstruction, and development, which was deeply explored by three panellists under the moderation of Professor Sultan Barakat, Founding Director of CHS. The panel began with Sabria Al-Thawr, university lecturer at Sanaa University, who offered possible approaches to engaging local level actors, including internally displaced peoples, in the current peace process and in post-conflict reconstruction in Yemen. Following this, Abdulghani Jaghman, a researcher and consultant in natural resource and sustainable development, proposed a post-conflict framework directed at the government of Yemen, which begins with a resolution to the conflict and advancing a peace dialogue, then supporting justice and reconciliation organizations to ultimately stabilize and grow the economy. Helen Lackner, a renowned expert on Yemen, ended the panel by examining long-term and war-related constraints to Yemens socio-economic development, shedding light on the complex issues that will arise after a semblance of governance is achieved in the country.

Closing Remarks

At the conclusion of the conference, Dr Sultan Barakat, thanked the esteemed participating researchers, attendees and organizers of the conference. Barakat expressed the importance of these discussions and research that are essential for shaping a peaceful joint-solution in Yemen. He also highlighted the uniqueness of this conference in enabling the diversity of opinions and speakers to analyse future prospects for Yemen.

This conference came at a very critical time during the conflict in Yemen, but also during a period filled with many opportunities to accelerate and progress the peace process. In view of this, we must not hesitate as researchers, experts, and political practitioners to push for sustainable peace and invest everything possible towards a joint-solution. The humanitarian situation in Yemen cannot wait, as the further protraction of the conflict will only exacerbate catastrophe at all levels, not only in Yemen, but in the region as a whole.

To benefit from the conferences outcomes, the papers presented will be revised to incorporate insights from the panel discussions before they are consolidated into a book volume, to be published in both English and Arabic. Additionally, the entire conference was broadcasted live on the CHS social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, along with event partners platforms for public viewing.


Yvonne Farrell (Tullamore, Ireland, 1951) and Shelley McNamara (Lisdoonvarna, Ireland, 1952) began marching slowly but surely toward global success in 1978, when they established their firm Grafton Architects in Dublin. International fame came in the late 2000s but it was definitely worth the wait.

The extension of the Bocconi University in Milan (2008) is an architectural masterpiece resulting from the dialogue between a forward-looking client, a top-tier competition jury chaired by Kenneth Frampton, and Graftons ground-breaking project for a suspended architecture/infrastructure, emphatic yet carefully contextualised, allowing the campus and the citys public domain to merge visually and spatially.

Imbued with kaleidoscopic references ranging from brutalism to early modern avant-gardes, the Bocconi was the watershed that led to a series of successful designs for teaching institutions, all sharing the same momentum towards spatial generosity, and peaking with the dramatic man-made cliffs of the Lima UTEC campus (2015). At changing scales and responding to different commissions, such projects as the Solstice Arts Centre in Navan, Ireland (2008), the office building for the Department of Finance offices in Dublin (2009) and the presidents house at the University of Limerick (20062010) add to the clarification of Graftons main preoccupation: through the last four decades, they have been searching for freespace in architecture.

Freespace was the title of the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale curated by Farrell and McNamara. As the architecture critic Rowan Moore noted in The Guardian(29 April, 2018), in addition to their ongoing commitment to teaching  they are both full professors at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio, Switzerland  Farrell and McNamara remain well-respected architects who, determinedly, consistently and over a long period of time, do their stuff, always searching for the spatial gifts that architecture can offer, as they themselves describe their quest.
The Government has been accused of failing miserably to deal with the crisis in hospitals by the leader of Sinn Fein.

Mary Lou McDonald told the Dail that new figures showed 1,100 people aged 75 and older were on a trolley for more than 24 hours while waiting for a hospital bed in January.

Answering leaders questions, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said emergency departments were experiencing record attendances and clinicians believe it is a legacy of Covid.

Mrs McDonald said: On your watch as Taoiseach, figures show that in January alone 1,100 patients aged 75 and over were lying on trolleys for 24 hours and more.

Eleven hundred elderly patients left waiting on a trolley in a single month is 1,100 scandals, one after the other.

Be sure that behind every one of those 1,100 is a person, somebodys loved one.

This crisis hasnt fallen out of the sky, the IMO (Irish Medical Organisation) has been ringing the alarm bell for weeks and weeks.

So the the big question which arises is what is the health minister doing? What is the HSE doing?

(Health) Minister (Stephen) Donnelly is paid 225,000 euro, Paul Reid of the HSE 412,000 euro, Robert Watt, secretary general of the department (of health), 298,000 euro.

When you pay that type of money you expect big results, you expect that the job is done.

The scandal of trolleys continues despite paying these men almost one million euro between them.

Taoiseach, do you and the minister for health accept responsibility for this crisis in our hospitals?

Mr Martin responded: Without question there have record attendances in our emergency departments over the last month and the situation is very challenging.

The clinicians on the ground are saying this is clearly a legacy arising out of the Covid period in terms of people not presenting early on during Covid.

He said there had been record investment in health, and bed capacity had increased under the current government.

Mrs McDonald said: You and your Government are failing miserably in your task and I dont accept your excuse that this is a consequence of Covid.

She referenced an appearance by Mr Watt before the health committee, saying she was alarmed to hear that it seems that the secretary general of the health department is not signed up for Slaintecare.

Mr Martin said: Did you read the secretary generals speech to the Oireachtas committee this morning?

You seem to simply think you can come in and say anything and it doesnt matter whether its true or not.

If I throw enough mud it will stick seems to be your approach to what are very serious issues.
Priscilla Presley's son, Navarone Garibaldi, has tied the knot.

The 34-year-old musician - whose father is Marco Antonio Garcia - married Elisa Achilli in Switzerland on Tuesday (15.02.22).

He gushed to People: "I never thought I would find a counterpart that is so understanding and supportive.

"She makes everything we do effortless, and I can't imagine life without her."

His new wife said: "Navarone is truly the most genuine, sweet and sensitive man I have ever known and I'm so lucky that after four years of long-distance, we can start our life together as husband and wife."

The pair said their "I Do's" within the grounds of the Schloss Hunigen hotel in front of friends and family.

Priscilla, 76, gushed that she "couldn't be happier" for her son and his other half.

She told the publication: "They've been together for four years and we all have been waiting patiently for this day."

Alongside wedding snaps, she wrote on Facebook: "Navarone and Elisa are MARRIED!!!

"The wedding was at the beautiful Schloss Hunigen Hotel in Switzerland.

"I couldn't be happier!"

The couple announced their engagement in December 2020.

Navarone wrote at the time: "SHE SAID YESSSS!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!"

The wedding comes just over a year after Priscilla and her family were left "devastated" by the death of her grandson Benjamin Keough.

The 27-year-old son of Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough took his own life in the form of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in July 2020.

Breaking her silence on the tragic loss, Priscilla - who had Lisa Marie with her late ex-husband and music legend Elvis Presley - said: "These are some of the darkest days of my family's life. The shock of losing Ben has been devastating. Trying to put all the pieces together of all the possible whys has penetrated my soul. Each day I wake up I pray it will get better."

Priscilla also paid tribute to various members of her family who were struggling with Ben's passing, including Navarone, Ben's uncle, his sister Riley Keough, and Lisa Marie's twin daughters Finley and Harper, whom she has with ex-husband Michael Lockwood.

The 'Dallas' star added: "Each day I wake up I pray it will get better. Then, I think of my daughter and the pain she is going through as she was a doting mother. Ben's father, Danny, who is completely lost, as Ben was his only son. Riley, so loving and so close to him; Harper and Finley, who absolutely adored Ben. Navarone, who struggles deeply with loss and death. Rest In Peace Ben, you were loved."
Johnny Depp declared he's "on the verge of a new life" as he received the Gold Medal of Merit In Serbia on Tuesday (15.02.22).

The Hollywood actor was honoured by the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic in recognition of his outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, especially in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world.

Depp was pictured with his golden disc as he attended Serbias Statehood Day in Belgrade, where he filmed his 2021 movie 'Minimata'.

The 58-year-old star - who also voices Johnny Puff in the Serbian-produced animated series 'Puffins' - said at the event: I truly, sincerely thank you, President Vucic, and this medal of merit, if I am given the honour to walk away with this, I thank you for being kind enough to bestow it upon me."

He added: Im right now on the verge of a new life and I like it, I like a re-beginning.

And I would love for that beginning to start here.

In recent years, the former 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star has faced many controversies.

Depp agreed to step down from his role in the 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise in 2020, after losing his libel case against The Sun newspaper, who had branded him a "wife beater".

His ex-wife, Amber Heard, previously accused him of domestic abuse - allegations he has denied - following the end of their marriage in 2016.

And a judge granted the 'Black Mass' actor the right to pursue his defamation case against the 35-year-old actress over an op-ed piece she wrote for the Washington Post newspaper in 2018 about surviving domestic abuse.

Depp previously admitted he feels he's been boycotted by Hollywood.

He was frustrated that studio MGM refused to release his new movie Minamata' in the US and thinks the unpleasant and messy situation he was in with his ex-spouse has been allowed to overshadow his career.

Speaking about the movie - which tells the tale of real-life photographer W Eugene Smith, whose photos in Life magazine exposed the mercury poisoning of Japanese villagers in the early 1970s  he said: We looked these people in the eyeballs and promised we would not be exploitative. That the film would be respectful. I believe that weve kept our end of the bargain, but those who came in later should also maintain theirs.

Some films touch people. And this affects those in 'Minamata' and people who experience similar things. And for anything . . .For Hollywoods boycott of, erm, me? One man, one actor in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years?

But, you know, Im moving towards where I need to go to make all that . . . To bring things to light.

The film ended up being released by Samuel Goldwyn Films in the US in December.
Douglas, WY (82633)

Today

Mostly cloudy and windy with showers developing this afternoon. High around 60F. Winds SE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 37F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
No doubt, the star turn at Dundalk last Friday was A Case Of You. A winner at Dundalk last March, he went on to land the Prix de lAbbaye at ParisLongchamp in France in October, a victory that gave trainer Ado McGuinness a landmark first Group 1 success.

Following a comfortable win in the Book Online @DundalkStadium.com Race, hell be chasing another big prize at Meydan in March at the Dubai Racing Carnival.

There were only three course-and-distance winners in the cards opening race and two of them filled the first two places, with Annecherie (10/3 co-fav) running on strongly to hold another of the co-favourites, Jake Peter, by half-a-length as the pair hit the line well. It was 6.5 lengths back to the third.

Billy Lee was on board the progressive Sheila Lavery-trained filly, who is owned and was bred by England-based John Runeckles and Singapore-based David Llewelyn.

Billy went on to complete a double when Catena Zapata (7/1) finished fast and late to collar long-time leader Chavajod in the View Restaurant At Dundalk Stadium Handicap.

Winning trainer Henry de Bromhead might be readying his powerful team for the Cheltenham Festival but has now had three Dundalk winners since January 14th.

Having finished second in each of his last-three races, the Michael Halford-trained Elzaamsan was sent off as a short-priced favourite for the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Maiden and, for most of the contest, looked likely to score.

However, he had to settle for second again as the Chris Timmons-trained Razdan (7/1), who was bred by the Aga Khan, swooped fast and late to collar him close home.

The winner, who races for the Royal Racing Club and was ridden by Gary Halpin, had finished 8.5 lengths behind Elzaamsan over course and distance on January 19th but emphatically reversed that form today on what was just his second start for his new stable.

The fine form of trainer Luke Comer continued when Bring Us Paradise (20/1) was an emphatic winner of the cards 12-furlong handicap. Luke, who also owns Bring Us Paradise, has now had nine winners at the Stadium since October 29th.

Successful jockey Chris Hayes, who was Dundalks champion jockey last year, has now had a winner at three of the four Dundalk meetings at which he has so far ridden this year.

The Gavin Cromwell-trained Singsong Lady had made a good impression when winning a maiden at Dundalk on January 21st and she came home in front tonight in the Racing TV Club Day At Dundalk Race but was then demoted to second following a Stewards Enquiry.

Getting the race was the Ger Lyons-trained newcomer Jezebel Queen (7/2), who was ridden by Mark Enright and is owned by Newtown Anner Stud Farm, whose strike-rate at Dundalk in the last year is impressive.

The winner, who was purchased by her owners as a yearling for 170,000, has a lovely pedigree, being by Galileo out of Banimpire, who was trained by Jim Bolger and won two Group 2 races and three Group 3s for him when owned by his wife Jackie.

Banimpire, who also finished second in the Irish Oaks, was then sold for 2,300,000 at the Goffs November Mares Sale in 2011 before fetching 1,500,000 guineas at the Tatts December Mares Sale in 2012. Jezebel Queens value as a broodmare will have increased considerably because of this success.

The Tom Dowling-trained Mullacash Buzz, who is owned by his landlord Martin Flinter, caused a 66/1 surprise when winning at Dundalk on November 19th but proved that to be no fluke when, on his fourth run since then, he ran out a good winner of the first division of the apprentice handicap.

His SP on this occasion was 8/1 and the success proved particularly pertinent as it provided Jack Cleary with his first fourth win as a jockey, but his first since October.

The second division went to the well-supported Woodrow (6/1), who, trained a few miles north of Dundalk in Warrenpoint by Leanne Breen, scored by half-a-length in the hands of Scott McCullagh for owner Patrick Gallagher.
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Plaistow - Linda Diane Bettincourt, age 71, of Plaistow, NH, formerly of Wakefield, MA passed away Thursday, April 28 at the Exeter Center in Exeter, NH. Born in Potsdam, NY on March 13, 1951 she was the daughter of the late Leon and Jean (Kembel) Schuyler. Linda was raised in Foxborough and
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Some of the best years of my life  I miss those people.

Good times and memories, but I have moved on.

Not my best days, but I have made peace with them.

Glad to be away from those people  I dont miss the high school experience.

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EBRD and GCF to provide financing of up to 25 million to Credit du Maroc under GEFF programme

Investment incentives of up to 10 per cent will be paid to eligible sub-projects

Loans to finance investments dedicated to climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the European Union, is providing a financial package of up to 25 million to Credit du Maroc to boost Moroccos green transition.

The financing, of which the equivalent of 18.75 million in local currency (MAD) will be provided by the EBRD and 6.25 million by the GCF, will be on-lent to small and medium-sized enterprises and to corporates for investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies.

The signing ceremony took place in Casablanca during the EU-Africa Business Forum 2022, which was held on the margins of the European Union  African Union Summit, in the presence of Heike Harmgart, EBRD Managing Director for the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region, Antoine Salle de Chou, EBRD Head of Morocco, Jean-Christophe Filori, Head of Cooperation of the EU in Morocco and Bernard Muselet, President of the Board of Credit du Maroc.

A comprehensive technical capacity package and investment incentives, funded by the EBRD, the European Union (EU) and the GCF, will support Credit du Maroc in the deployment of the programme.

As part of this package, Credit du Maroc will also enhance equal opportunities for women and men to access finance for green technologies. The institution will achieve this by conducting awareness-raising activities among potential sub-borrowers, building the capacity of its staff to help address gender-specific obstacles to supply and demand, and carrying out gender-related baseline assessments.

The financing is the fourth project under the Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) in Morocco  which is supported by the GCF  and the second green facility that the EBRD has provided to Credit du Maroc.

Credit du Maroc, a subsidiary of the Credit Agricole France group, is a major participant in the development of the Moroccan economy, with an extensive commercial network (more than 310 points of sale) throughout the country.

Morocco is a founding member of the EBRD and became an investee economy in 2012. To date, the EBRD has invested close to 3.2 billion in the country through 80 projects.
EBRD 12 million loan for Morocco Mobility and Automotive Centre (ATC)

Loan to back setup of the first automotive testing centre of its kind in Africa

Assistance includes gender-inclusive training programme

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is strengthening the competitiveness of the private manufacturing and service sector in Morocco, with a 12 million loan to Morocco Mobility and Automotive Centre (ATC), a Moroccan company involved in automotive testing.

The EBRDs funds will help ATC acquire equipment to set up the first automotive testing centre of its kind in Africa.

This large-scale centre is expected to start operations in 2022. It will contribute to the sectors competitiveness and the extension of supply chains in the country by introducing new types of service at different stages of the production process or distribution channels that are currently unavailable on the market.

In Morocco, the vehicle sector has been affected significantly by the Covid-19 pandemic, with an 11.6 per cent decline in vehicle sales in 2020.

The automotive industry is a key driver of exports and employment in the country, contributing to 25 per cent of exports, involving more than 260 suppliers and supporting over 148,000 jobs. Currently, Morocco has four integrated industrial clusters for the industry, in Casablanca, Kenitra, Rabat and Tangier.

As part of the new collaboration with the EBRD, the company will create and conduct a training programme for young people in the technical skills of automotive testing in Oued Zem, a less-developed area of Morocco. These efforts are in line with EBRDs Equality of Opportunity Strategy 2021-25.

The testing centre will be certified to ISO 9001 for its quality management system for testing, analysis, construction of equipment and prototyping of vehicle powertrains and powertrain components. This will help introduce non-environmental standards that are internationally accredited and currently not widespread in the sector in Morocco.

ATC is a greenfield company established in Morocco. It is jointly owned by FEV North Africa, which is in turn owned by the FEV Group, a German service provider in the vehicle and drive system development sector, and by UTAC Maroc, owned by UTAC Group, a French testing company.

The loan agreement was signed at the EU Africa Business Forum in Brussels, co-organised by the European Commission, the African Union Commission, and African and European Union business organisations.

Morocco is a founding member of the EBRD. To date, the Bank has invested nearly 3.2 billion in Morocco through 80 projects.
North Macedonias proposal will create new GFF supported by EBRD, UN, government and private banks

Scheduled to launch mid-2022, GFF will serve SMEs and households

Proposal creates new model for EBRD-UN cooperation on climate finance

Selected from a global pool of submissions coming from over 100 countries, North Macedonias joint programme for establishing a Green Financing Facility (GFF) was among a total of 10 programmes considered by the Joint SDG Fund to be the most impactful and investment-ready and to have the greatest co-financing leverage.

With financial support from the Joint SDG Fund, this programme will set up a new financial vehicle, which will provide access to affordable green financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individuals and households (including marketable but underserved individuals and households) for investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. With these investments, the GFF will directly contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, and strengthen the local ecosystem for green finance.

The US$ 7.9 million from the Joint SDG Fund will help the establishment of the programme, worth a combined US$ 46.5 million, including the anticipated co-funding coming from partners (pending approval). To help the country combat air pollution and climate change, in addition to the United Nations (UN) organisations involved (the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the International Organisation for Migration) and the government (represented by the Deputy Prime Minister of Economic Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning), the programme will also bring together the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and most of the countrys private banks.

A major strategic objective of the government is the transition to a more sustainable energy mix through the increased production of renewable energy (particularly solar) and energy-efficient retrofitting of buildings and homes.

Fatmir Bytiqy, Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia, says: The GFF is the future of finance and economic growth in achieving the green transition from a modest to a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. Our government is already taking steps towards opening new alternatives for the economy where both citizens and businesses have opportunities to achieve a green and sustainable way of living and doing business. We are dedicated to this goal and open for cooperation with other progressive partners in achieving this goal. This is one of the key aspects of the great success behind the GFF, especially as a driver in the wider region of south-eastern Europe.

By developing and putting into operation access to GFF finance for SMEs and households, investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency will be significantly enhanced. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. The programme is aligned to and supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (SDCF) targets. It will result in 70,068 MWh of annual energy savings, avoid 80,510 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent emissions, and create 10.7 MW of new renewable energy capacity. Furthermore, enabling access to affordable financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions will contribute to advancements towards SDGs 7 and 13.

Rossana Dudziak, UN Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia, says: Many countries are working on financial models to blend and leverage government and private-sector funding. The UN is therefore very proud to contribute US$ 7.9 million to the GFF, which will bring together financing and expertise from the government, the banking sector in the country, the EBRD (one of the most experienced international financial institutions in this field) and the United Nations to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Accelerating the energy (green) transition in each country requires significant financial investment, which can only be supplied if government, private and international financing sources are put together, so that businesses and households can have access to affordable finance for these types of investments.

Andi Aranitasi, EBRD Head of North Macedonia, says: Supporting the green transition is one of the top priorities for the EBRD in North Macedonia. In recent years we have stepped up our support by promoting investments in energy efficiency and renewables, and by facilitating the decarbonisation of the countrys energy sector both directly and through our partner financial institutions. Over the last five years, we have provided more than 70 million of green financing to SMEs and households through the local banking system and with strong support from donors. These instruments have been very successful and have created a strong demand for green products. We are very glad that the UN and the Joint SDG Fund, through their grant support, will further enhance the infrastructure we have created on the market for the quick deployment of such attractive products. This will be the first-ever cooperation of this nature between the EBRD and the UN system and it is a great honour for us that North Macedonia will be the pilot country for this cooperation. We are confident that this project will be successful and will lead to extended cooperation with the UN and the Joint SDG Fund. The EBRD looks forward to working together with the UN and the government on extending additional affordable financing for investments in green technologies to an even bigger number of SMEs in North Macedonia.

The new GFF will be launched in the summer of 2022 and is expected to become fully operational by the end of the year.

The UN Joint SDG Fund is a multi-partner trust fund established by the UN General Assembly. The fund supports UN member states by de-risking investments that drive financing solutions to accelerate achievement of the SDGs. The goal of this fund is to disburse US$ 1 billion in grants annually in the race to 2030. All programmes share one critical element: their ability to leverage multimillion-dollar grants from the Joint SDG Fund into billions for sustainable development.

In 2021 the EBRD invested 134 million in North Macedonia. Since cooperation began in 1993, the Bank has committed more than 2.2 billion to 154 projects in the country, with substantial grant funding mobilised to date. In line with the EBRDs target to increase its green financing, 61 per cent of EBRD investment in North Macedonia in 2021 was in green projects.
By Dominic McGrath, PA

Two Irish diplomats will remain in Ukraine for the foreseeable future, amid ongoing tensions at the Russian border.

Russia has said it is returning more troops and weapons to bases, but Nato has said it sees no sign of a drawdown.

The Foreign Affairs Minister told a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday that 98 Irish citizens are currently registered with the Irish embassy in Kyiv.

Simon Coveney also told party colleagues that 33 Irish citizens have departed.

Mr Coveney said that two Irish diplomats in Ukraine will remain there to assist Irish nationals as long as it is safe.

Official Irish Government advice is to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine, with Irish citizens in the country being told to leave by commercial means.

European leaders will discuss Russia/Ukraine crisis tomorrow; Ill meet with partners at @MunSecConf over weekend, incl Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba. Irelands support for Ukraines sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to choose its foreign and security policy is unwavering  Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) February 16, 2022

Russia has massed about 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine, sparking Western concerns it was planning an attack.

Moscow denies it has any such plans and this week said it was pulling back some forces and weapons, though it gave few details.

Those claims have been met with scepticism from the US and its allies  even as they seemed to lower the temperature following weeks of escalating East-West tensions.

Mr Coveney told Fine Gael TDs and senators that there exists significant consular challenges being worked on, including surrogacy cases.

He also told colleagues that ahead of a meeting the UN Security Council, the focus of preventing Russian aggression in the region would continue and that he did not expect the story to abate.
Harvard University will divest its $41 billion endowment from fossil fuels, citing the financial imprudence of those investments, its leadership announced late last week.

The move from the nations oldest university, with the largest university endowment, is a dramatic turn in the years-long battle between the administration and organizers both on- and off-campus. The universitys statement did not set a timeline, nor use the words divest or divestment, but activists are taking the win.

So long as Harvard follows through, this is divestment, Connor Chung 23, a Divest Harvard organizer, told the Crimson. This is what they told us for a decade they couldnt do, and today, the students, faculty, and alumni have been vindicated.

Harvards announcement could have greater implications than just its sizable endowment. The fact that Harvard is finally indicating that it is no longer supporting the fossil fuel community is a large domino to fall, Danielle Strasburger, a 2018 Harvard graduate who co-founded an alumni divestment movement, told the New York Times. Hopefully this will encourage other universities to put the pressure on those who havent yet.

As reported by the Boston Globe:

The announcement is being hailed a major success by organizers on campus and beyond, and supporters of the broader movement hope that Harvards announcement will add fuel to the growing divestment movement  and not just on college campuses. Already, states, financial institutions, and private companies have joined the effort, in the hope the decisions they make with their investment dollars will pay dividends in the fight to combat the climate crisis. Given the size of Harvards endowment, its history of resistance, and its storied position as an institute, the decision to divest could have profound implications.

The richest school on earth, which in 2013 pledged never to divest, has been forced to capitulate, activist and divestment movement leader Bill McKibben wrote in a series of tweets. I cant overstate the power of this win. It will reverberate the world around.

In recent years, divestment as a means of pressuring fossil fuel companies has gained steam. The concept is relatively simple: The less money that fossil fuel companies have at their disposal, the harder it is for them to operate. The less fossil fuels are burned, the less extreme the consequences of the climate crisis.

For a deeper dive:

Boston Globe, The New York Times, Harvard Crimson, The Washington Post, Democracy Now, The Hill, MarketWatch, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Reuters, The Guardian, AP, NPR, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, sign up for daily Hot News, and visit their news site, Nexus Media News.
U.S. coasts will be inundated by one foot of sea level rise over the next 28 years, according to a report released Tuesday by NOAA and other federal agencies.

Sea levels, driven higher by climate change primarily caused by the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels, are rising faster than at any point in the last 3,000 years and will rise as much in the next three decades as they have over the past century.

Higher sea levels means a further, dramatic increase in high tide flooding, storm and wastewater systems unable to cope with the influx of seawater, crop fields sterilized by saltwater inundation, and septic systems overwhelmed by higher water tables  not to mention increased vulnerability to hurricanes and tropical storms.

The predicted sea level rise will make some areas effectively uninhabitable with about 140,000 homes at risk of twice-a-month flooding. We can see this freight train coming from more than a mile away, Andrea Dutton, a University of Wisconsin-Madison geoscientist, told the AP. The question is whether we continue to let houses slide into the ocean.

As reported by The Washington Post:

Looking ahead to the end of the century, the amount of planet-warming pollution people release into the atmosphere could mean the difference between sea levels stabilizing at about two feet above the historical average or surging by almost eight feet, NOAA reports. This report is a wake-up call for the U.S., but its a wake-up call with a silver lining, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad told journalists in a teleconference Tuesday. It provides us with information needed to act now to best position ourselves for the future.

"Were unfortunately headed for a flood regime shift," said the nation's top sea level rise scientist.



Humanity's carbon emissions has locked in a foot of sea level rise over the next 30 years. But swift climate action can still prevent worse impacts.https://t.co/4pyCaVm0wQ  Sarah Kaplan (@sarahkaplan48) February 15, 2022

For a deeper dive:

AP, The Washington Post, E&E News, Axios, NPR, Reuters, CNN, POLITICO, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal; Sea level rise explainer: The Conversation; Climate Signals background: Sea level rise

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, sign up for daily Hot News, and visit their news site, Nexus Media News.
A federal judge rejected a Trump administration lawsuit to put a stop to Californias carbon cap and trade program, which regulates the states transportation sector, as The Hill reported. The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions as of 2018.

The market-based program is designed to reduce carbon emissions by making companies pay for the excess carbon they use. Since its signing in 2006 by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, it has forced companies to spend billions on carbon credits, according to The Sacramento Bee. The California legislation enters the state into a marketplace with the Canadian province Quebec. The administration challenged the program, arguing that California had no authority to deal directly with the government of another nation and that the program usurps the federal governments primacy in foreign affairs, as Our Daily Planet reported.

The alliance between California and Quebec allows companies in both states to sell carbon credits to each other and, California officials say, broadens the market for credits and strengthens the overall program. The White House argued that the trade deal was equivalent to California signing a treaty with a foreign nation, which it is prohibited from doing under the constitution. Californias Governors have defied this clear constitutional structure, federal officials argued in court papers, according to The Sacramento Bee. They have positioned the State in open opposition to the foreign policy of the United States on greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the judge in the case, U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb, said California hasnt exceeded its legal limits or intruded on Trumps foreign affairs power. The federal government has shown no concrete evidence that the Presidents power to speak and bargain effectively with other countries has actually been diminished, the judge wrote, as The Sacramento Bee reported. In a tweet, Gov. Gavin Newsom called Shubbs decision a huge victory in an unwarranted and vindictive lawsuit against California.

Twitter A huge victory in an unwarranted and vindictive lawsuit against California.

#COVID19 is not the only unprecedented challenge and crisis were facing right now  we cannot afford to waver in our efforts to fight the existential threat of climate change. https://t.co/DeJUxa35Vh  Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 17, 2020
Students at five major U.S. universities have found a new legal argument to get their schools to divest from fossil fuels.

The students from Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Vanderbilt and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filed legal complaints with their states attorneys general Wednesday asking them to investigate whether their schools were breaking the law by continuing to invest in energy sources that contribute to the climate crisis.

In the face of the overwhelming nature of the climate crisis, we look for levers of power and change to which we have access, Anna Liebowitz, Princeton 09, said in a press release. Our universities are amongst the worlds wealthiest and most prestigious institutions of higher education, and their investments in the fossil fuel industry  an industry whose actions place the health and future of students and the entire planet at risk  amount to nothing less than complicity in the climate crisis.

The argument, prepared with the help of lawyers from the Climate Defense Project, revolves around a law known as the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA). This act mandates that universities consider their charitable purposes when making investments. The students argue that investing in oil, gas or coal contributes to the climate crisis and the suffering it causes, therefore conflicting with the universities missions. They also contend that it is financially risky to invest in fossil fuels, which have been volatile over the last decade. This risk, they contend, violates the universities duty of care.

The law can be a powerful ally in fighting climate change, but only if people are held accountable for actually following it, CDP staff attorney Alex Marquardt said in the press release. Universities have a duty to promote the public interest in exchange for their tax-exempt charitable status, and that duty is incompatible with fossil fuel investments.

UPMIFA is about a decade old and varies slightly from state to state, The Washington Post explained. CDP co-founder and staff attorney Ted Hamilton said the law was under-inforced, and that he hoped the students campaign would change that.

We are trying to get more of a legal consensus around this idea of fiduciary duties, Hamilton told The Washington Post, adding, A public charity cant only be thinking about profit. They have other obligations. Were trying to make that a concrete legal fact.

The new strategy is the latest move in the student movement to push universities to divest from fossil fuels. Harvard University finally agreed to divest last September, but other major institutions are still dragging their feet, motivating the new strategy. Students at schools including Harvard, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, Boston College, Marquette University and the University of New Mexico have also filed legal complaints under UPMIFA, the press release said.

Theres been nine years of fossil fuel divestment organising at Princeton and no commitment or action by Princeton, Divest Princeton co-coordinator Hannah Reynolds told The Guardian. Weve exercised every option, weve made every argument that we can, and Princeton hasnt taken it seriously.

The new push comes with a campaign backed with more than 10,000 signatures, including endorsements from professors, elected officials, community members, climate scientists, alumni and green groups, the press release said.

The five universities have a combined endowment of more than $155 billion, though The Guardian noted that most of this is not invested in fossil fuels. Still, the students argue that every dollar counts.

In the past decade, 1,485 institutions have publicly committed to at least some form of fossil fuel divestment, representing an unprecedented $39.2 trillion of assets under management, Ellie Rabenold, MIT 23, said in the press release. Our peer institutions have taken this step, and its time for our universities to join them.
The Southwestern U.S. is currently experiencing its worst megadrought in 1,200 years, a new study has found.

The research, published in Nature Climate Change Monday, found that the period from 2000 to 2021 was the regions driest since at least 800 A.D.

Anyone who has been paying attention knows that the west has been dry for most of the last couple decades, study lead author and University of California, Los Angeles climate scientist Park Williams told The Guardian. We now know from these studies that is dry not only from the context of recent memory but in the context of the last millennium.

A megadrought is a dry spell that lasts for more than 20 years. These extended dry spells are naturally occurring in the region. However, the climate crisis has made the current drought 42 percent more extreme.

The results are really concerning, because its showing that the drought conditions we are facing now are substantially worse because of climate change, Williams told the Los Angeles Times. But that also there is quite a bit of room for drought conditions to get worse.

The researchers based their findings on evidence of past droughts recorded in tree rings from around 1,600 sites in the North American West, from Montana to Northern Mexico. They focused on droughts that lasted for 23 to 30 years.

The new study builds on previous research which found that the period from 2000 to 2018 was the driest since a megadrought in the 1500s. The extremely dry summer of 2021 really pushed it over the top, Williams told The New York Times, making the current 22 year period the driest since 800 A.D., which is the point at which the researchers data set begins. The study authors calculated that around 19 percent of the severity of 2021s drought could be attributed to climate change.

The megadrought is already having major impacts across the region, the Los Angeles Times pointed out. It has depleted Californias reservoirs, shrunken Utahs Great Salt Lake to record low levels and fueled extreme wildfires. And the bad news is that there isnt necessarily an end in sight.

This drought at 22 years is still in full swing, Williams told The New York Times., and it is very, very likely that this drought will survive to last 23 years.

In fact, researchers believe it is likely to last as long as 30 years. Further, if it werent for the climate crisis, the drought would likely have ended in 2005 or 2006 when rainfall would have been enough to relieve it, The AP reported.

Julie Cole, a University of Michigan climate scientist who was not involved in the research, told The New York Times that the study shows how temperature can make more of a difference than precipitation when it comes to prologing a drought.

[T]he air is basically more capable of pulling the water out of the soil, out of vegetation, out of crops, out of forests, Cole said. And it makes for drought conditions to be much more extreme.

Average temperatures in the Southwestern U.S. have been 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit higher since 2000 when compared to the previous 50 years, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Jonathan Overpeck, the dean of environment at the University of Michigan who wasnt part of the study, told The AP that it was an important wake-up call.

Climate change is literally baking the water supply and forests of the Southwest, and it could get a whole lot worse if we dont halt climate change soon, he said.




Malaysian poultry industry affected by fixed ceiling prices for chicken and eggs

Malaysian poultry industry players have cautioned that the fixed ceiling prices for chicken and eggs set by the government will badly affect the sector, New Straits Times Malaysia reported.

They said raw materials, especially bran, have risen in price between 30% to 40% since early 2022.

Chew Eng Loke, Leong Hup International Bhd group chief financial officer, said producers, especially small-scale and medium-scale farmers who make up the majority of poultry industry players, will struggle to break even because of the higher production costs.

Chew said Leong Hup is able to operate efficiently as it has farms across the country and has diverted into the commodity business. The company also has a business-to-consumer channel called The Bakers Cottage.

Another source said the fixed ceiling prices for chicken and eggs has affected companies' revenues, because the regulation imposed was unfair with a bran subsidy provided to livestock farmers and egg-producing hen breeders.

The source also said labour shortage and supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19 also contribute to the higher costs.

Local poultry industry players have urged the Malaysian government to provide subsidies for bran purchases.

The Federation of Livestock Farmers' Associations of Malaysia said the industry is hoping for government financial aid such as soft loans or feed cost subsidies, adding that many small and medium farms will be forced to stop operations in the coming months.

- New Straits Times Malaysia




Malaysian minister urges swine farmers to intensify biosecurity measures against African swine fever

Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Malaysia's said Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development, has urged swine farmers in the Malaysian state of Sarawak to intensify their farm biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF), The Borneo Post Malaysia reported.

The measures the minister proposed include deterring visits to swine farms and prohibiting vehicles from entry that are not disinfected or properly cleaned.

He said farmers should stop swill feeding as contaminated food items cause ASF to spread.

The Sibu and Sarikei districts of Sarawak state were found to be infected with ASF on January 14, 2022.

The minister said the Department of Veterinary Services would continue monitoring all swine farms, which include clinical and serological surveillances to determine the spread of ASF in the two districts.

- The Borneo Post Malaysia




USDA monitoring African swine fever detected in the Dominican Republic and Haiti

The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said it is monitoring the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak detected in the Dominican Republic and Haiti as it could have a devastating impact on US pork producers if the disease were to spread to the US Midwest, Iowa Public Radio reported.

Jack Shere from APHIS said the US will confiscate and incinerate any pork-related products that come from Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Shere said the country has strengthened border protections and prohibited the import of pork from the Caribbean countries. The US is also monitoring pork meat plants in Puerto Rico for ASF.

- Iowa Public Radio
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
To say that Jose Maria Aznar never leaves anyone indifferent is not an exaggeration. The former Spanish prime minister once again showed his teeth today, making his usual fierce criticism of the Catalan independence movement as well as the Spanish executive formed by Socialists and Unidas Podemos. At a conference entitled Intersecting Agendas Madrid-Barcelona held this afternoon at Barcelona's Circulo Ecuestre club, Aznar threw barbs on several Catalan issues - in particular, leaving no doubt over his position on the current debate on Catalan language immersion: "It's not a debate on how to protect Catalan, but about wanting to exterminate Spanish." In fact, he also considered this to be an impossible goal, because "Spanish cannot be exterminated, even if they insist on it".

He also spoke out strongly against the independence movement, whose situation he compared to a "melancholic stuck record". Regarding the possibility of finding a solution to the political conflict between Catalonia and the Spanish state, he affirmed that it is possible, although he is suspicious of the current Spanish government: "It is not being done, but there are possibilities". Aznar did not raise many options for this reunion between the two governments, given that the only guideline he put forward was that it must not go beyond the limits of the Spanish Constitution. "The law has no alternative," he said. "It is part of the solution, and if it is not implemented, there will be no solution."

In the same vein, the former Popular Party (PP) leader also referred to the Catalan political prisoners and exiled leaders arising from the referendum of October 1st, 2017. And as on other occasions, he did not miss the chance to comment on them directly. The day of the referendum, he said, was not "glorious" for the independence movement. "It was an unfortunate day for the interests of Catalonia and for its prestige, as well as for the prestige and interest of Spain." But as on other occasions, he did not even come close to condemning police violence: "Spain did what it had to do: comply with the law. Those convicted of sedition are those who broke the law."

There can be no Catalonia without Spain

Aznar went on with his criticisms of the Catalan independence forces. In fact, he accused the movement of being "based on unreality." "Sitting politically in unreality is a mistake. There is no self-government for Catalonia possible without Spain. There is no Europe is possible without Spain. The independence of Catalonia is not possible and will not be possible," he said. Instead, he urged the Catalan government to stop moving in its "impossible world", stating that when it has positioned itself in the field of the possible is when things have gone well for Catalonia.

A PP pact with Vox?

A hypothetical association of the PP and far-right Vox was also put on the table, but the former prime minister decided not to bite. He described Vox as a "right-wing" party, as opposed to the PP: a "constitutional party, absolutely European". And he did not propose that his former party should enter into an agreement with those of Santiago Abascal: "For Spain, I do not see any advantages in Madame Le Pen being in government," he said, drawing a simile between Vox and the main far-right party in France.

However, in one change from his usual habits, he refrained from mentioning the current leader of the PP, Pablo Casado. Aznar did not even mention Casado, one of his favourite targets, when he spoke about the recent elections in Castilla y Leon. On the result, he stressed that the PP became the most-voted party, commenting that the messages of some media "suggest that it is not clear who won". "Another thing altogether is that the result was not as was hoped, but the party did win," he said. However, he did not dwell on possible pacts, stating that it is up to the regional leader, Alfonso Fernandez Manueco, who will have to decide: "Whoever wins the elections must fight to govern."

More barbs for Sanchez

Aznar did not miss the chance to toss some invective in the direction of the current Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez. For example, over the matter of Europe's NextGenerationEU funds, much awaited in Spain, the former PP leader commented that he would like to know how much money has arrived in Spain under this mechanism and what it is being applied to. "The situation bothers me because of the ignorance it generates and because I can't criticize it," he joked. He also said that it was the European Union financial aid that was responsible for the recently-approved lukewarm labour reform: "Brussels said that if the previous labour reform was scrapped, there would be no funds." The previous reform, which severely reduced rights of employees, was passed by a PP government.

But where he really put the boot in to to the Socialist PM was in reference to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, as he recalled that the United States president, Joe Biden, has twice ignored Sanchez in his round of calls to European allies. "A few years ago you were at the table where decisions are made. But now you aren't, because you decided to leave," he said. The cause of Biden's disinterest in the Socialist leader, according to Aznar: his alliance with "communists, separatists and former terrorists."
Catalonia's political exiles have once again stood up for their objectives, taking advantage of the presentation this Wednesday of the international strategy of the Belgium-based pro-independence body, the Council for the Republic. The Council's leader, president Carles Puigdemont, warned that the return of the exiles must be based on a "victory for fundamental rights" and not on a political pact or personal solutions. The MEP and pro-independence leader gave this warning in a press conference in Brussels in which he explained the will of the Council for the Republic to pursue its international action "without complexes", without fears or limits, in the face of the Spanish state's repression in Catalonia.

Puigdemont made the appearance accompanied by the Council's foreign action commissioner, Adria Alsina, and Council board member, Neus Tobisco. His statement comes a day after he had replied to the speech of the current Catalan president, Pere Aragones, publicly urging him to respect the strategy of the exiles and leave it out of the negotiations with the Spanish government. President Aragones's speech at the MNAC on Monday also provoked a harsh response from the general secretary of the Junts (Together for Catalonia) party, Jordi Sanchez, who criticized the fact that Catalonia lacked strong leadership. Puigdemont is also president of Junts.

Despite the clash that took place on Tuesday between the two Catalan government partners, Puigdemont assured that he did not want to get into an argument with Aragones. "We decided, and have made an effort, so that I think people perceive that we do interfere with the logic of the [political activity in the] interior. I will not do so now," he replied when asked about the issue. He assured that the role of the Council is not to replace the government of Catalonia but to go places that the government cannot, given that no Spanish court or "any fascist group in opposition" can pursue the action of this organ of exile.

Puigdemont explained that the goal when he and fellow members of the 2017 pro-independence government went into exile was, given the realization that internationalization was essential, to reverse the political conditions that led them to this situation. In this regard, he stressed that he has never sought personal solutions and that "the return must be based on a victory of fundamental rights, not a political pact of a government that wants to get rid of an obviously uncomfortable factor."

In his efforts to evade controversy over internal Catalan politics, he also avoided giving any assessment over the denouement of the case of MP Pau Juvilla and his removal from office, limiting himself to emphasizing that the affair case provides more internationalization of the situation in Spain, demonstrating how "it is being accepted in such a benign way that an elected official can have his way blocked by an administrative body without powers and with clearly political motives". "It helps us to explain things in Europe, it makes things easy for us," he joked.

Leadership of the Council

Puigdemont reclaimed the importance of the Council for the Republic's role in the face of the ambivalent attitude to the body from both the government of Pere Aragones and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) party, and defended a joint strategy to lead the international defence of the independence process. "The leadership should come out of that logic. I know I'm not saying anything original because we've been asking for this for 4 years," he said.

The pro-independence leader argued that all those actions abroad that could lead to persecution for representatives of the administration within the Generalitat of Catalonia could be carried out by the Council for the Republic "without fear" and without having to give explanations to any minister or ask permission from any embassy. "The Council must assume functions from which the Catalonia government and its institutions are prohibited," he explained.

Puigdemont recalled that the Council's external projection was legitimized by a motion in Parliament moved by Junts, which was the response to the "coup d'etat of article 155" - "sometimes some of its authors seem embarrassed and act as if it hadn't happened, but it was one of the most serious attacks on the fundamental pillars of European democracy," he said, adding that the body has the support of more than 102,000 people - the number who have made an active commitment to the Council.

Alsina stressed that Catalonia has a problem explaining itself internationally in the face of the Spanish states decision to persecute the Generalitat's foreign action, taking action against political office holders "simply for travelling to places, knocking on doors and talking about politics". For this reason, he defended the international network promoted by the Council, which he described as a "free foreign ministry", with representatives out in the world dedicated to explaining the conflict that Catalonia has with the Spanish state. To this end, he appealed to Catalans living abroad to consider whether they could represent the Council, inviting them to register on the Council's website.

Torbisco spoke about the current situation of the Catalonia-Spain conflict, in the fifth year since the 2017 referendum: the Spanish state has not promoted any dialogue strategy, the repression has not stopped, and that the pardons and the reduction of sentences should never be interpreted as acts of good faith. "The state's route to a solution is indignant, because it leads us to assume the inevitability of these violations of rights and the endemic subordination that characterizes our relationship with Spain," he warned.
Mr. Luke Avery Noblitt, 89 of Athens, AL Died Saturday, April 30, 2022 his Residence. He was born June 25, 1932 in Shelbyville, TN to Henry & Ruth Noblitt. He was a Member of Carriger Church of Christ, Retired from Northwest Airlines and a US Army Veteran. Graveside Services will be Mond
As Apple pushes on with its anti-tracking features on iOS and Google continues to refine its Privacy Sandbox for serving targeted web ads without third-party cookies, it's time for Android to come into the spotlight. Google announced today it's starting a "multi-year initiative to build the Privacy Sandbox on Android, with the goal of introducing new, more private advertising solutions."

The existing Privacy Sandbox is itself a set of proposals that would eventually grow into a set of open standards Google hopes the industry will adopt. Last year, one of the primary approaches Google was putting forward was FLoC (or Federated Learning of Cohorts) that would group people with thousands of other users with similar browsing histories. That was replaced last month by Topics API, which let Chrome use your browsing history to serve publishers a list of five subjects it determines you're interested in, again based on your browsing history.

What that demonstrates is the current fluidity of Privacy Sandbox, which is a collection of ideas at the moment. In today's announcement, vice president of product management for Android security and privacy Anthony Chavez wrote that "these solutions will limit sharing of user data with third parties and operate without cross-app identifiers." That would include advertising IDs. Chavez said "we're also exploring technologies that reduce the potential for covert data collection, including safer ways for apps to integrate with advertising SDKs."

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

But there are no real concrete methods actually being executed right now, and Google is in the design and testing stage. Starting today, the company said developers can "review our initial design proposals and share feedback on the Android developer site." It is planning to "release developer previews over the course of the year, with a beta release by the end of the year." Google also promised "regular updates on designs and timelines."

In the meantime, the company said it will continue to "support existing ads platform features for at least two years, and we intend to provide substantial notice ahead of any future changes."

Google also referenced Apple's approach on iOS today (without naming the iPhone maker), acknowledging that "other platforms have taken a different approach to ads privacy." But Chavez described that approach as "bluntly restricting existing technologies used by developers and advertisers." The company believes it still needs to provide a way for businesses to serve targeted ads to users and to make sure those ads are relevant.

Chavez added that "we know this initiative needs input from across the industry in order to succeed," and the company included statements from many partners in its news post today. These include Snap, Duolingo, Rovio, Activision Blizzard and seven other app makers, who each expressed similar sentiments about respecting the privacy needs of Android app users. Google's Privacy Sandbox has already faced regulatory scrutiny from the EU and the UK, with the latter's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) having accepted Google's latest proposals last week.

Clearly, there is a lot of work to be done while the internet's giants and the ad industry figure out how best to balance personalized ads with user privacy, and Google's inclusion of Android in its considerations is happening not a moment too soon.
Nick Clegg, the former UK politician turned Facebook executive, has been promoted. Clegg is now the President of Global Affair at Meta, a position that reports directly to Mark Zuckerberg.

Clegg was already seeing much of Metas policy positions as VP of Global Affairs and Communication, a position that reported to COO Sheryl Sandberg. But the new title underscores how much Zuckerberg has relied on the former Deputy Prime Minister as Facebook deals with numerous scandals, investigations and the prospect of increased government regulation.

He first joined Facebook in 2018, after his political career abruptly imploded. Facebook officials had hoped he could help the company improve its tarnished reputation following Cambridge Analytica, and guide its interactions with lawmakers and government officials.

Since then, Clegg has played a significant role in some of Facebook's most controversial decisions in recent years, including its handling of Donald Trumps suspension. Clegg was also the chief spokesperson for the companys much-maligned decision to exempt politicians from fact checking . Elevating Clegg now could also help shield Zuckerberg and Sandberg from future controversies as he becomes the face of Metas policies. The former politician will also likely continue to represent the company at hearings and other interactions with government officials.

Nick will now lead our company on all our policy matters, including how we interact with governments as they consider adopting new policies and regulations, as well as how we make the case publicly for our products and our work, Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook . As Nick takes on this new leadership role, it will enable me to focus more of my energy on leading the company as we build new products for the future, and it will support Sheryl as she continues to focus on the success of our business.

The new role comes amid some bigger changes at the company now known as Meta. Besides an impending pivot from social networking to the metaverse, the company also just rebranded its News Feed to Feed and informed employees they will now be known as Metamates.

In a comment on Zuckerbergs Facebook post, Clegg wrote that the company is at an important inflection point. Our existing, and future, products will continue to be a subject of intense societal interest and debate. I am hugely looking forward to playing a role in that debate on our behalf, and ensuring that we have the right policies to both reflect our responsibilities and to support the building of innovative new products for years to come!
A recent batch of SpaceXs Starlink internet-beaming cubesats met with tragedy on February 3rd when a 49-member cohort of the newly-launched satellites encountered a strong geomagnetic storm in orbit.

These storms cause the atmosphere to warm and atmospheric density at our low deployment altitudes to increase. In fact, onboard GPS suggests the escalation speed and severity of the storm caused atmospheric drag to increase up to 50 percent higher than during previous launches, SpaceX wrote in a blog update last Wednesday. The Starlink team commanded the satellites into a safe-mode where they would fly edge-on (like a sheet of paper) to minimize drag. Unfortunately, 40 of the satellites never came out of safe mode and, as of Wednesdays announcement, are expected to, if they havent already, fall to their doom in Earths atmosphere.

While this incident constitutes is only a minor setback for SpaceX and its goal of entombing the planet with more than 42,000 of the signal-bouncing devices, geomagnetic storms pose an ongoing threat to the worlds electrical infrastructure  interrupting broadcast and telecommunications signals, damaging electrical grids, disrupting global navigation systems, while exposing astronauts and airline passengers alike with dangerous doses of solar radiation.

The NOAA defines geomagnetic storms as a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere that occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth. Solar winds, composed of plasma and high-energy particles, are ejected from the Suns outermost coronal layers and carry the same charge as the suns magnetic field, oriented either North or South.

When that charged solar wind hits Earths magnetosphere  moreso if it is especially energetic or carries a southern polarization  it can cause magnetic reconnection of the dayside magnetopause. This, in turn, accelerates plasma in that region down the atmospheres magnetic field lines towards the planets poles where the added energy excites nitrogen and oxygen atoms to generate the Northern Lights aurora effect. That extra energy also causes the magnetosphere itself to oscillate, creating electrical currents which further disrupt the regions magnetic fields  all of which make up magnetic storms.

Storms also result in intense currents in the magnetosphere, changes in the radiation belts, and changes in the ionosphere, including heating the ionosphere and upper atmosphere region called the thermosphere, notes the NOAA. In space, a ring of westward current around Earth produces magnetic disturbances on the ground.

Basically, when the Sun belches out a massive blast of solar wind, it travels through space and smacks into the Earths magnetic shell where all that energy infuses into the planets magnetic field, causing electrical chaos while making a bunch of atoms in the upper reaches of the atmosphere jiggle in just the right way to create a light show. Behold, the majesty of our cosmos, the celestial equivalent of waving away a wet burp from the slob next to you at the bar.

Solar flares occur with varying frequency depending on where the Sun is in its 11-year solar cycle with fewer than one happening each week during solar minimums to multiple flares daily during the maximal period. Their intensities oscillate similarly, though if the electromagnetic storm of 1859  the largest such event on record, dubbed the Carrington Event  were to occur today, its damage to Earths satellite and telecom systems is estimated to run in the trillions of US dollars, requiring months if not years of repairs to undo. The event pushed the Northern aurora borealis as far south as the Caribbean and energized telegraph lines to the point of combustion. A similar storm in March of 1989 was only as third as powerful as Carrington but it still managed to straight up melt an electrical transformer in New Jersey as well as knock out Quebecs power grid in a matter of seconds, stranding 6 million customers in the dark for nine hours until the systems equipment could be sequentially checked and reset.

European Space Agency

Even when theyre not electrocuting telegraph operators or demolishing power grids, geomagnetic storms can cause all sorts of havoc with our electrical systems. Geomagnetically induced currents can saturate the magnetic cores within power transformers, causing the voltage and currents traveling within their coils to spike leading to overloads. Changes within the structure and density of the Earths ionosphere due to solar storms can disrupt and outright block high frequency radio and ultra-high frequency satellite transmissions. GPS navigation systems are similarly susceptible to disruption during these events.

"A worst-case solar storm could have an economic impact similar to a category 5 hurricane or a tsunami," Dr. Sten Odenwald of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said in 2017. "There are more than 900 working satellites with an estimated replacement value of $170 billion to $230 billion, supporting a $90 billion-per-year industry. One scenario showed a 'superstorm' costing as much as $70 billion due to a combination of lost satellites, service loss, and profit loss."

Most importantly to SpaceX, solar storms can increase the amount of drag the upper edges of the atmosphere exert upon passing spacecraft. There isnt much atmosphere in low Earth orbit where the ISS and a majority of satellites reside but there is enough to cause a noticeable amount of drag on passing objects. This drag increases during daylight hours as the Suns energy excites atoms in lower regions of the atmosphere pushing them higher into LEO and creating a higher-density layer that satellites have to push through. Geomagnetic storms can exacerbate this effect by producing large short-term increases in the upper atmospheres temperature and density.

NOAA

There are only two natural disasters that could impact the entire US, University of Michigan researcher, Gabor Toth, said in a press statement last August. One is a pandemic. And the other is an extreme space weather event.

"We have all these technological assets that are at risk," he continued. "If an extreme event like the one in 1859 happened again, it would completely destroy the power grid and satellite and communications systems  the stakes are much higher."

Austin Brenner, University of Michigan

In order to extend the time between a solar eruption and its resulting winds slamming into our magnetosphere, Toth and his team have worked to develop the Geospace Model version 2.0 (which is what the NOAA currently employs) using state-of-the-art computer learning systems and statistical analysis schemes. With it, astronomers and power grid operators are afforded a scant 30 minutes of advanced warning before solar winds reach the planet  just enough time to put vital electrical systems into standby mode or otherwise mitigate the storms impact.

Toths team relies on X-ray and UV data from a satellite measuring plasma parameters one million miles away from the Earth, he explained, in order to spot coronal mass ejections as they happen. From that point, we can run a model and predict the arrival time and impact of magnetic events," Toth said.

NASA has developed and launched a number of missions in recent years to better predict the tumultuous behavior of our local star. In 2006, for example, the space agency launched the STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) mission in which a pair of observatories measured the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. Currently, NASA is working on two more missions  Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) and HelioSwarm  to more fully understand the Sun-Earth connection.

MUSE and HelioSwarm will provide new and deeper insight into the solar atmosphere and space weather, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA, said in a February news release. These missions not only extend the science of our other heliophysics missionsthey also provide a unique perspective and a novel approach to understanding the mysteries of our star.

MUSE aims to study the forces that heat the corona and drive eruptions in that solar layer. MUSE will help us fill crucial gaps in knowledge pertaining to the Sun-Earth connection, Nicola Fox, director of NASAs Heliophysics Division, added. It will provide more insight into space weather and complements a host of other missions within the heliophysics mission fleet.

The HelioSwarm, on the other hand, is actually a collection of nine spacecraft tasked with taking first multiscale in-space measurements of fluctuations in the magnetic field and motions of the solar wind.

"The technical innovation of HelioSwarm's small satellites operating together as a constellation provides the unique ability to investigate turbulence and its evolution in the solar wind," Peg Luce, deputy director of the Heliophysics Division, said.

These ongoing research efforts to better comprehend our place in the solar system and how to be neighborly with the massive nuclear fusion reactor down the celestial block are sure to prove vital as humanitys telecommunications technologies continue to mature. Because, no matter how hardened our systems, we simply cannot afford a repeat of 1859.
Sony is still struggling to keep up with the demand for the PlayStation 5 due to the global chip shortage issue affecting companies across industries. It even recently dropped its sales forecast and told analysts that the company expects the console to continue to be in short supply this year, especially in the first half. Indeed, retailers' PS5 listings often show that it's "Out of Stock" or "Currently Unavailable" most of the time, and catching a restock is a race against scalpers and other fans also on the lookout for a unit. Now, Sony has launched a contest that gives you (the semblance of) a chance to finally get your hands on a PS5.

Over the next few weeks until March 7th 10AM PST/1PM EST, Sony will be releasing 14 unique codes resembling the PlayStation controller through various means. It will post some online, on its social media channels, but it will also release them through high-profile events in sports, gaming, film and music. In other words, you'll have to keep their eyes peeled and maybe even make friends to turn the hunt into a group effort. Finding them doesn't automatically mean you win a console, after all.

Nope  each code will only give you the opportunity to win a draw for the PS5. You'll have to enter the code in the dedicated page for the promo and then answer a question relevant to where the code was shown before you can be eligible. Oh, and the promo is only open to residents of participating territories:

Argentina, Canada, Chile, Mexico and United States, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand, Poland, United Kingdom.

At least you'll have 14 chances to win if you can find all the codes (and live in the right country,) but you may have a better chance just refreshing the PS5's Best Buy listing over and over again.
Ericsson's chief executive officer Borje Ekholm has told Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri that the company may have made payments to the Islamic State (ISIL/ISIS) terrorist organization for its operations in Iraq. According to Bloomberg, the CEO said the telecoms giant has identified "unusual expenses dating back to 2018." While the final recipient of those payments has yet to be identified, Ekholm has admitted that they're seeing records of purchased transport routes "through areas that have been controlled by terrorist organizations, including ISIS."

Ekholm's admission comes after Ericsson issued a statement in which it said it continues to "invest significantly" into an investigation regarding compliance concerns surrounding its Iraq-based business. In that statement, Ericsson said that unusual expense claims triggered an internal investigation in 2019, which led to the discovery of "serious breaches of compliance rules" in the conduct of its employees, vendors and suppliers in Iraq. Regarding those purchased transport routes in particular, Ericsson said they were used in "connection with circumventing Iraqi Customs." The company wrote:

"Ericsson invested significant time and resources to understand these matters. The investigation could not identify that any Ericsson employee was directly involved in financing terrorist organizations."

After Ericsson released its statement, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed that the company spoke to address the wrongdoing the consortium uncovered as part of a global investigation. The ICIJ also said that it will publish its own findings "soon."

Ericsson has been landing massive 5G contracts around the world in the past couple of years, in part because some countries need to replace banned Huawei equipment used in their networks. This isn't the first time the telecoms giant has been caught in a corruption scandal, however. It was previously charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act between 2000 and 2016 for bribing officials and falsifying records. In 2019, Ericsson settled with the US Justice Department and the SEC for $1.1 billion to leave it mostly free of criminal convictions, sanctions and penalties. But US prosecutors determined last year that it violated the terms of the settlement by failing to provide certain documents and information related to it.
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The explosion of true wireless earbuds has finally settled down in recent years. However, this has also meant theyre all starting to look and behave pretty similarly.

Sonys latest experiment  its new Linkbuds  shakes that up with an open-ear design made for ambient sound. The company has attempted to nail open-design buds since 2017, and rival Samsung, to its credit, also tried something similar with its beanish Buds Live .

Engadget

The LinkBuds, according to Engadgets Billy Steele, almost nail the concept. There are a lot of cool features built into these tiny things. The Linkbuds will mute audio when they detect youre talking, and motion sensors mean you dont have to tap the device to manually pause or skip tracks, which is nice to see  I hate whacking something inside my ear to adjust other in-ear buds. Wide-area tap covers the area in front of your ear. Sadly, theres no noise cancellation (and even if there was, this open design would inevitably let noises through), but Sonys design seems built for background listening. Check out our full verdict here.

 Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

It's the latest game the service is adapting.

Take2

Netflix says it's teaming up with 2K and Take-Two Interactive for a film adaptation of the BioShock series. No other details are available as yet, but based on the image Netflix shared in its announcement, it wouldn't be a surprise to see it tackling the first game.

2007s BioShock may translate well to the big screen. The original game has a striking Art Deco/underwater setting and an unforgettable story. No spoilers, promise.

Continue reading.

A multi-camera miracle that falls short of greatness.

Ive been playing with Logitechs multi-camera Mevo Start pack. It consists of three wireless cameras you can network together to create a livestream studio. You can transition between cameras or get the companion app to do it for you. For streamers looking to elevate their broadcasts, theres a lot of potential here. The learning curve is steep, however, and connectivity can be a little temperamental.

Continue reading.

Over 1,800 redesigned characters have arrived

Last summer, Microsoft teased Clippy would return to Office and a handful of other apps as part of a broader update to more than 1,800 emoji. The new characters reflect the companys Fluent design language, and you can now check them out in Microsoft Teams.

To enable the emoji, navigate to the apps settings menu, then head over to the About section and click Public Preview. Microsofts goal, it said, was to design characters that better reflect how people work in the 21st century. That means dinosaur emoji.

Continue reading.

It can output 4K 10-bit or external ProRes RAW video at up to 60 fps.

OM Digital Solutions has unveiled the Micro Four Thirds OM-1, its first mirrorless camera since purchasing Olympus . It packs a new sensor and technology that gives it a big leap in performance over the last flagship Olympus models . This could, however, be the last Olympus-branded model.

Continue reading.

The vehicle body and battery platform are assembled as one.

The Polestar 5 will be cut from a different cloth than its predecessors when it launches at the end of 2024. Polestar announced on Tuesday its upcoming electric performance sedan will ride atop an entirely new, lightweight bonded aluminum platform. This time-saving design has already borne results, enabling the company to produce and deliver an early series of prototypes, just 18 months after the start of development.

Continue reading.

The chain is planning to bring Flippy 2 to 100 more locations.

Miso Robotics

White Castle has announced itll be bringing Flippy 2, a robot chef that can essentially perform the same tasks as a team of fry cooks, to 100 more locations this year. This amounts to roughly a third of White Castle restaurants nationwide. Its unlikely the average White Castle patron will notice the new robots. Since Flippy 2 is designed to perform back-of-the-house kitchen functions, thats where youll find it. This might just be the start: Miso Robotics has come out with a wing-making version of Flippy. Buffalo Wild Wings is currently testing it out.

Continue reading.
WASHINGTON  Britain is the United States' closest ally but their long friendship may be sorely tested as the two countries try to forge a new trade agreement after Britain's exit from the European Union.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday in London that he was optimistic that a bilateral deal with Britain could be reached as soon as this year.

But Mnuchin gave up no ground after a second meeting with his UK counterpart, Sajid Javid. Javid has insisted that Britain will proceed with a unilateral digital services tax, despite a U.S. threat to levy retaliatory tariffs on British-made autos.

Mnuchin told reporters after Saturday's meeting that such taxes would discriminate against big U.S. tech companies like Alphabet Inc's Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.

The UK Treasury declined to comment on the private meeting.

The divide highlights the challenges ahead as the Trump administration seeks a new bilateral agreement with Britain, part of a broader push to rebalance relations with nearly all its major trading partners.

The stakes are high  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pegged the trade deal with United States as a way to ease the pain of breaking with Europe, Britain's largest trade partner. U.S. President Donald Trump, has promised a "massive" trade deal to support Brexit, the product of a populist movement similar to his "America First" agenda.

The goodwill and special relationship the two countries have enjoyed for decades may not count for much, experts say.

"Trump is not going to be doing Johnson any favors," said Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington. "He's not going to give him a trade deal without major concessions."

Even before the digital tax issue arose, the Trump administration threatened to tax foreign car imports, which could hit British-made Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, and Honda Civic hatchback cars.

Stiff U.S. trade demands include increased access for U.S. farm goods, concessions that will be difficult for Britain's entrenched natural food culture to swallow.

The United States also wants Britain to change the way its National Health Service prices drugs and allow in more U.S. pharmaceuticals, which could prove politically unpopular for Johnson's government.

Washington's demand that London block Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for national security reasons could also cloud talks.

Reaching a meaningful deal will be "exceedingly difficult," said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. "There are very deep-rooted issues on which the United States and the UK are diametrically opposed."

Differences over those and other issues meant three years of U.S.-European Union trade negotiations ran aground during the Obama administration.

Car tariff threat

Tensions boiled over at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Mnuchin raised the threat of car tariffs after Javid's pledge to proceed with the digital services tax. If officials "just arbitrarily put taxes on our digital companies, we'll consider arbitrarily putting taxes on car companies," Mnuchin said.

British officials struck back.

"Let me be absolutely clear, UK tax policy is a matter for the UK chancellor, it's not a matter for the U.S., it's not a matter for the EU, it's not a matter for anybody else," Trade Minister Liz Truss said.

Britain exported $11 billion in passenger cars, engines, tires and other automotive components to the United States in 2018, the largest sector in a total of $127 billion in exports.

Eliminating the existing 2.5% U.S. car tariff and averting future auto tariffs will be a high priority for Britain in the talks.

Britain will also seek greater access to U.S. state and local public procurement contracts, and services such as U.S. coastal shipping. But those are areas governed by U.S. laws, and a trade agreement may not apply.

Chlorine chicken

The U.S. negotiating objectives published last year by the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) office seek to grow U.S. farm exports to Britain.

That includes the removal of non-tariff barriers, such as restrictions on chlorine-treated chicken, genetically modified crops and hormone-treated meat. Such products are common in the United States but shunned in Britain.

The United States is also pressing for full market access for U.S. pharmaceutical products and medical devices. That would require changes to Britain's NHS pricing restrictions, and could increase the cost of drugs in Britain.

In comments to the USTR last year, a U.S. pharmaceutical trade group argued that the NHS' cost controls for pricing "innovative" drugs did not "recognize their value to patients and society."

That is not likely to sway British officials. "The NHS is a religion in the UK. That's where the real red line is," said Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. "If the U.S. is saying: 'Pay more for medicine,' that's quite difficult to get past the Treasury and the taxpayers."

Some analysts say Washington's best bet is a limited "Phase 1" deal with Britain, as was recently signed with China. Such an agreement would not likely require approval by the U.S. Congress.

That would provide short-term political victories for both Britain's Johnson and Trump, said Lowe. Trump is seeking re-election in November.

A mini-deal could focus on financial services and convergence on some product and services regulations. It would fall far short of a deal that provides an alternative to Britain's unfettered access to the European Union that both Trump and Johnson have promised.

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New York Fashion Week is happening now, and a collection of A-List celebrities came through to watch the legendary Michael Kors show in action.

The Michael Kors Collection Fall/Winter 2022 runway show is one of the most highly anticipated, sought after events of both the fashion world and elite society. The attendees really serve as a documentation of who is who in the world of high status and glamour. The style on and off of the runway consistently exceeds expectations.

Everyone who arrived at the show looked absolutely flawless. Lori Harvey wore an absolutely breathtaking white suit, but that's no surprise. She has been the top-dog on everyone's fashion radar for the last year. In stark contrast to Lori Harvey's white suit, Nazanin Mandi looked sensational in a black leather suit.

Of course, not everyone came sporting a three piece (well, a two piece- neither Harvey nor Mandi wore a shirt under their suit jacket). Recent Oscar Award nominee Ariana DeBose looked fashionably adorable in a long black dress with her hair pulled back in an elegant up-do. Fashion icon Blake Lively wore a blue skirt, shirt, and jacket. She kept the jacket draped over her shoulders like a cape: proving she is the true fashion super-hero we have always known that she is.

(However, all true Gossip Girl fans know that Blair is probably furious that Lively is sitting front row at Michael Kors and not watching Eleanor Waldorf's show backstage with her!)

It was a fashionably unforgettable night! Here are some pictures to remember it by.
When Lithuania, a Baltic country of 2.8 million people, decided last year to open a Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius and a Lithuanian one in Taiwan, Chinas response was swift and draconian. Giving Taiwan any kind of legitimacy or status that challenged Beijings One China principle, which considers Taiwan an inalienable part of the mainland, would not be tolerated. So when Lithuania announced the new office would bear Taiwans name  rather than that of Chinese Taipei, used by other countries to avoid conflict with China  Beijing began to pile the pressure on Vilnius. Over the past few years, Lithuania has attracted lucrative investments from fellow EU member states as well as the United States. The latter strongly supports Lithuanias criticism of Chinas human rights and trade policy.

In December 2021, Vilnius was temporarily removed from Chinas customs clearance system. Earlier that year, Beijing stopped direct China-Lithuanian freight trains. It also closed credit lines for Lithuanian companies and blocked imports of existing orders from China. Vilnius didnt change its stance, even when China downgraded diplomatic ties with Lithuania to charge daffaires level, forcing the Lithuanian ambassador to return home. Beijing then applied a different, stronger kind of pressure. It warned multinational companies, European and otherwise, to reduce their investments in Lithuania and stop sourcing supplies in the country. Beijing even threatened to retaliate against these companies operations in China  a well-tested policy aimed at playing EU member states off against each other.

At first, the German Chamber of Commerce in the Baltic States warned the Lithuanian government about the economic consequences of opening a Taiwanese representation office. German companies bringing goods from China to Lithuania and vice versa would face big difficulties. But the Federation of German Industries (BDI), which has taken a very tough stance against Chinas economic policies and human rights policies, often in contrast to the previous and current government in Berlin, was much more critical. Beijings actions amounted to a trade boycott. This is about the weaponization of trade. This is about the weaponization of European value chains, Zygimantas Pavilionis, the Lithuanian parliaments foreign affairs expert, told Strategic Europe. Its no longer just a bilateral issue. Its a European one. It needs a European solution, he added.

One could be on its way. Its called the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), presented by the European Commission on 8 December 2021. In a nutshell, the instrument is a response to the rising problem of economic coercion and aims to protect the Unions and Member States interests and sovereign choices. In clear language, the Commission also warns that as a last resort, when the economic coercion persists, the Union may consider taking countermeasures against the country in question in order to counter act such economic coercion. The ACI has been on the Commissions desk for some time. The impetus grew under the Trump administration, said Theresa Fallon, founder and director of the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies. Former U.S. President Donald Trump not only took a hard line against Chinas trade, economic, and political policies. He also threatened Germany and other EU countries with sanctions if Berlin didnt stop the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

According to Fallon, The EUs proposed anti-coercion instrument will be designed to protect the EU from various forms of economic coercion, not only from Beijing, but also from Washington and Moscow. One can only imagine the strains on the transatlantic relationship if the ACI was applied to the United States, particularly over its continued threat to impose sanctions on German and other European companies involved in completing Nord Stream 2. Leaving aside the ACI and Chinas weaponization of European trade in attempt to force Lithuania to change its Taiwan policy, Beijings actions have exposed the vulnerability of the EUs trade and security policy. The blocs trade is dependent on the Chinese economy, not to mention the global supply chains so dominated by Beijing. Beijing has shown us what they are capable of by threatening to impose sanctions on EU member states that have Lithuania products in their value chains, Fallon said. The only correct response to this threat is to decrease dependence, build resilience, and invest in future technologies in the EU. The Commission cannot carry on with business as usual.

That, of course, is easier said than done. In practice, it would require a major EU strategic shift. Pavilionis and other Lithuanian officials are pinning their hopes on the French presidency of the Council of the EU. They want President Emmanuel Macron to hold an EU 27+1 summit that should set out a united European stance toward China. And Lithuania, which pulled out of the 17+1 format, a group for Chinas engagement with many countries in Central Europe and the Western Balkans, would like to see the demise of that particular divisive venture. By forcing Europe to diversify supply chains, Chinas weaponization of European value chains may end up boosting the EUs Indo-Pacific strategy and strengthening Frances growing strategic, military, and economic presence in the region. Such are the unintended consequences of Chinas bullying tactics towards Lithuania. Chinese diplomacy is backfiring, Fallon said. But dont expect China to give up such tactics overnight.

Chinas Bullying of Lithuania Spurs European Unity  Opinion by Judy Dempsey  Carnegie Europe.

The Opinion can be downloaded here
The summit between the European Union and the African Union (AU) that will be held on 17-18 February in Brussels may dedicate some time, not least unofficially and behind closed doors, to repair growing cracks in the relationship between the two strategic partners. Leaving nothing to chance, only a few days before the meeting between officials from the European Commission and the African Union, the head of EU executive Ursula von der Leyen flew to Dakar, to personally clarify final details with the Senegalese president and current AU chairperson, Macky Sall. Our two unions share the same vision of a common area of stability and prosperity. The EU needs the meeting to be successful, because relations with the African Union have been frayed for a long time. The summit planned for 2020 fell through  officially because of the pandemic  but observers saw other reasons for the cancellation, including that it was seen as a political signal.

One of the rifts was due to their disagreement over vaccine patents. Ahead of the summit, the EU on Monday (14 February) stood by its refusal to lift patent protections on Covid vaccines. With African Union countries viewing the issue as a priority, South Africa and India have led calls since October 2020 at the World Trade Organization for the temporary removal of intellectual property protections for vaccines, treatments and diagnostics in the fight against Covid-19. Proponents argue this would boost production globally and help address the glaring inequity in access between rich and poor nations. While the African Union members have pushed to include the demand in the conclusions of the joint EU-AU summit, a number of wealthy European countries hosting large pharmaceutical companies have opposed the move, saying patents are not the main roadblocks to scaling up production and are crucial to innovation.

Meanwhile, this summit must ascertain concrete ways and means to achieve it, von der Leyen said after meeting Sall. Signaling Brussels good will, she added that the EU would mobilize 150 billion with its EUs Global Gateway investment program over the next few years to help develop African infrastructure. For Europe, which has been losing ground to China in Africa for a decade, the announcement and summit are the first tests for this EUs grand strategy to counter Chinas $1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative, which has been reorienting global commerce around Beijings strategic needs. Dissatisfaction with the quality of Chinese products and Chinas business practices have created an opportunity and hence Europe can turn the tables by filling the investment gap in value-added production in sub-Saharan Africa. But to achieve this, Europe will have to move beyond its old patron-client relationship patterns to create joint venture partnerships with African stakeholders in local manufacturing that employs Africans and adds to African GDP.

But, from trade to investment to climate issues, many stakeholders on both sides call for future relations to be built on mutual respect and societal needs. For example, small, rural farmers from umbrella organizations in Africa and Europe are calling for coherent policies that protect small-scale African and European agriculture. The Network of Farmers and Agricultural Producers Organizations of West Africa (ROPPA) and European Coordination Via Campesina have jointly expressed the urgent need to rebuild food sovereignty on the two continents. Although scientists agree on the urgency of a global agro-ecological transition to respond to the climate crisis and the collapse of biodiversity, in reality, deregulation policies and the opening of agricultural markets have weakened small and medium-sized farms on both sides of the Atlantic. Subjected to competition from low-cost imports, local agricultural production is being undermined to the point where many farmers are abandoning their farming activity. Both organizations claim that the EU-AU Economic Partnership Agreements are primarily responsible for this situation. This is far from a balanced partnership. The interests of large European companies have systematically been prioritized over the interests of people and society, they say, adding that It is high time to rebuild relations between our two continents based on mutual respect and the interests of our peoples.
Mathews was with Mindshare China for 11 years and was handling clients like Nestle Group, PepsiCo, Essilor and New Zealand Tourism

Vinish Mathews has stepped down as Managing Director at Mindshare China after a 11-year stint. He made the announcement through a social media post.

Mathews was responsible for handling brands like Nestle Group, PepsiCo, Essilor and New Zealand Tourism.

Prior to Mindshare, Mathews was with organisations like Unilever, Rediffusion Y&R and The New Indian Express.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
Three former Lion & Rose Restaurant & Pub employees who allege they were fired after reporting COVID-19 symptoms want a San Antonio jury to award them lost wages and benefits, along with compensatory damages for emotional distress.

During opening statements in a trial that started Tuesday in U.S. District Court, labor lawyer Michael V. Galo Jr. said his clients terminations were in retaliation for taking time off to quarantine in 2020.

The law says you cant fire someone  because they had COVID, or they had COVID symptoms and they went to quarantine, they went to the doctor, Galo told jurors during opening statements. Thats protected. You cant fire someone for that. We contend, ladies and gentlemen, thats exactly what happened here.

Attorney Robert D. Kilgore, who represents the Lion & Rose and owner Allen Tharp, denied the three were terminated in retaliation for not working because of the coronavirus.

I dont think youre going to hear evidence that he was motivated out of retaliation, Kilgore said of Tharp. I think what youre going to hear, the overall evidence is going to support the conclusion that he had other reasons other than retaliation in his mind as he went through these decision-making processes.

The three employees  manager Gary Bruce and bartenders Spencer Cox and Michael Summers  worked at the Lion & Rose at the Rim. The restaurant closed at the end of last year when its lease expired.

They each filed their own lawsuit in 2020, but the three complaints were subsequently consolidated into one case.

Bruce alleged in his complaint that he experienced COVID-19 symptoms on July 8, 2020, after two co-workers tested positive for the virus. He went for testing and was subject to quarantine for 10 days while he awaited the results.

Bruce later was cleared to return to work after he was diagnosed with an ear infection. When he received his paycheck, his suit said he was discouraged to see that he was not paid for sick leave as he was entitled under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, which was part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The law was in effect from April 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020.

Under the law, workers could receive up to 80 hours of paid sick leave if they had COVID-19 symptoms and sought a diagnosis.

The FFCRA helps the United States combat the workplace effects of COVID-19 by reimbursing employers with tax credits for the cost of providing workers with paid leave taken for reasons related to COVID-19, the U.S. Labor Department says on its website.

Bruce complained to Tharp about not getting sick pay. Tharp allegedly replied he would pay Bruce when he worked. Tharp denied such a conversation ever took place.

The Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act generally applied to private employers with fewer than 500 workers.

Tharp has maintained the law didnt apply to him because his companies are an integrated enterprise that employs more than a combined 500 workers. While the Lion & Rose had about 40 employees, his Allen Tharp LLC had about 600 employees at the time, operating dining facilities at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and Camp Bullis. He also had about 170 workers employed at his Golden Chick restaurants.

Galo noted the Lion & Rose and Golden Chick individually received government assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program at the beginning of the pandemic.

Kilgore countered that Tharp shared COVID-related policies among his businesses. He also described Tharp as a hands-on manager.

Allen is not a passive investor, Kilgore said in his opening statement. Hes not Scrooge McDuck in the back of his corporate headquarters, just counting his dollars. He gets into the nitty-gritty. He rolls his sleeves up and he asks very pointed questions of his managers.

Galo called Tharp as the first witness to testify, reading him an email Tharp wrote that said Summers failure to show up for work had cost it thousands of dollars in bar sales.

Its foolish to try to twist or spin that we get furious with employees for being sick, Tharp said. Of course we dont. We have people out sick all the time. Weve had over 200 people at Lackland out for COVID. Didnt fire one of them. Had other people at Lion & Rose out for COVID. Never fired anyone for COVID.

Senior U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth is presiding over the trial. Jurors are expected to begin deliberations later this week.

pdanner@express-news.net
Back when Scott Ball first got into photography, he could have used a place like the freshly minted San Antonio Center of Photography, which he and his wife just opened

I didnt have a place like this, said Ball, 34, who has been shooting for 10 years and is photo editor for the San Antonio Report. Im self-taught  I didnt go to school for this. And its really hard to make those connections with photographers because its such a solitary exercise. It requires luck and it requires a lot of knocking on doors and emails, and I kind of wanted to drop some of those barriers.

The San Antonio Center of Photography opened in Southtown in January.

It is open to the public and is aimed at anyone with an interest in photography, including professionals, those who shoot stuff with their phones and folks who just appreciate the art form. It offers workshops and exhibitions as well as a space where photographers can work and network. Some offerings are free; others will charge a fee. Members will receive a discount on those as well as on Digital Pro Lab print products and studio rental. Members also can make make appointments for legal advice or formal mentoring.

The center has about 30 members right now.

William Luther /Express-News staff.

Were trying to bring the photo community together, just giving them a little hub to network, said Shannon Gowen, 34, Balls wife and business partner. We want it to be a crossover space for everyone to feel welcome. There are a lot of people who are on the gear side of it, which I dont understand at all, and people who just like the final product. Were trying to bring all of those worlds together.

The space, which is housed in the former home of Southtown Yoga, is open and airy, with exposed brick here and there. Movable walls allow sections to be blocked off for studio work or opened up for presentations. Lots of photo-friendly light streams through the windows: Around 4:30 or 5, it becomes gold, Ball said.

The light and the overall vibe of the space were big selling points for the couple.

On ExpressNews.com: Polka king Alex Meixners move to New Braunfels may make city a music draw

We wanted a place that was inspiring, that wasnt just a windowless box, Ball said. And we wanted people to feel like they could be here, they could go through a book or just have a conversation and not feel like they have to leave. I think its working.

Tall bookcases are filled with hundreds of photography books. Many came from Ball and Gowens home, though other photographers have donated books, as well.

More Information San Antonio Center for Photography Where: 724 S. Alamo St., Suite 3 Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, noon to 7 p.m. Saturdays Details: thephotocenter.org See More Collapse

It makes us feel like, OK, were doing something right, people are trusting us with their books, Ball said. Its a great resource for anybody to come in here and look through. I know thats what always worked for me, and it still does. I go to those often if Im feeling Im in this weird rut creatively.

Ball and Gowen, who have been together since 2015 and married in 2018, have been talking about the possibility of opening a photo center for a long time.

On ExpressNews.com: Candlelight Concerts bring a new glow to SAs classical and pops scene

They did a kind of beta test of the idea in 2016, when they launched the Four X Five Photo Fest, a free, one-day annual event that included workshops and talks by professional photographers. They lined up some big sponsors, including Geekdom.

Each year, weve had about 1,000 or 1,500 people attend, which is awesome, and its mostly been word of mouth  we dont spend a ton of money on advertising, said Gowen, who does marketing and communications for the YMCA. Its just a small event, but it kind of grew, and a lot of the feedback we got was, We wish there was something year-round like this.

The festival has been on pause since 2020 because of the pandemic, but Ball and Gowen are hoping to revive it next year.

William Luther /Express-News staff

Ball and Gowen had started looking for a space for the center when the pandemic hit. They originally envisioned a much larger spot that would include office space for photographers but found there isnt much of an appetite for that right now. So they shifted gears.

This is where were at right now, Gowen said. Were starting small and we hope to eventually expand, but we also want to be careful during the pandemic.

They like the fact that they are right across the street from the studio that photographer Al Rendon has had for about 20 years.

Rendon walked over to check out the space the day that it opened and said he would like to eventually collaborate with the center.

It kind of reminds me a little bit of how Blue Star got started, Rendon said. None of the museums were paying attention to the local contemporary artists, and its the same thing with photographers. We dont get many photography shows at the institutions here in town unless its a traveling exhibit from somewhere else. Maybe with him starting that organization and starting that center, it could led to something bigger.

There definitely is interest in the center. Workshops are selling well, and Ball and Gowen have seen photographers offer critiques of each others work, as well as established photographers giving advice and contacts to up-and-comers.

Its just that kind of stuff gets us the most excited, Gowen said.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN
Television travel host Samantha Brown knows that some folks may be surprised that the San Antonio episode of her PBS series does not include the Alamo.

But Samantha Browns Places to Love isnt that kind of show. Its not about the past, its whats happening now, Brown said.

Thats why Mission San Jose did make the cut for the 30-minute episode, which will air 2 p.m. Saturday on KLRN.

The missions are so incredibly unique and a beautiful piece of history preserved, but we also wanted to show it for what it means today, she said.

On ExpressNews.com: New art piece in SAs Martin Luther King Park reflects civil rights leaders ideas

So to find someone like Epifanio Hernandez and his wife Gloria, who are also Tehuan Indians, Native Americans who are direct descendants of the original people of those missions and really understand it through a personal perspective instead of just 300 years ago, these were built  thats a Places to Love pillar right there. We want to find out, why is this place important now to the people today?

A guiding idea for Brown on her visit to San Antonio was to spotlight things that are broadly accessible. In addition to the mission, the San Antonio episode touches on kayaking along the River Walk, the bats at the Bracken Cave Preserve, the Echo Bridge concert series and the food at Carnitas Lonja and Pharm Table.

We want to make sure that people are seeing things that you dont need VIP access to, she said. I look for things that are available to the public, to all, so there is no financial barrier to experiencing a way of life.

She and her team shot all of that over four days in October. Its rock em, sock em. Its 12-hour, 14-hour days. But its easy to do in beautiful weather, thats for sure, she said. We were there at a nice time.

Brown has been traveling on television for 22 years. She had hoped for a career as an actress  she studied musical theater at Syracuse University  but ended up mostly waiting tables for about 10 years before she got her first big break: an audition to host Great Vacation Homes on the Travel Channel.

Samantha Browns Places to Love

Because I could improvise and just have fun, I got the job, she said. It was never something that I thought I would do. I thought I would be a Shakespeare actress. Then it became my job and I fell in love with travel. I cant believe Im still here.

Other shows shes hosted over the years include Girl Meets Hawaii, Passport to Latin America and Great Weekends.

Samantha Browns Places to Love is in its fifth season. There are international episodes, including treks to New Zealand, China and Ireland, as well as plenty of installments shot all over the United States.

The Dallas native has paid a few visits to the Lone Star State over the course of the series, including a trip to her hometown as well as episodes focused on the Hill Country and Houston. I love Texas, she said. We love showing Texas. Its a great state, great people.

On ExpressNews.com: Polka king Alex Meixners move to New Braunfels may make it a music destination

Production for the series sixth season is slated to start next month. Work on the show shut down for a while at the start of the pandemic, which was tough.

There is no remote option for me, nor did I want there to be, she said. We just knew we had to lay low until it was safe.

They shot a couple of episodes in 2020 before the vaccine was available. There are a few episodes in which Brown and the folks shes talking to are masked, providing a snapshot of this moment in time.

The good thing is the human spirit comes through no matter what, even when we were wearing masks on camera with other people, she said.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN
Texas State University fired the chair of its radiation therapy department after the Texas Tribune began asking questions about how he was using money for a campus bone marrow registry program, according to documents posted by the Texas State University System.

The personnel documents show the termination of Reynaldo Ronnie Lozanos employment was effective Dec. 16. The schools board of regents will officially approve that decision at its meeting held Thursday and Friday.

The board is also scheduled to approve Megan Trad as the new permanent chair of the department.

The university system launched an investigation into Lozano on Nov. 4, one week after the Tribune submitted an open-records request for the financial records of a group he oversaw called Texas States Cancer Advocacy Movement for Colleges and Outreach, or CAMCO.

CAMCO signs up students for the national bone marrow registry to increase the chances someone in need of a transplant can find a match.

CAMCO bank statements and Lozanos university emails that were provided to the Tribune showed that from January 2019 to May 2020, Lozano was spending the money in the account for his personal use.

The financial transactions suggest that the money, given by Texas donors, was instead being used to pay for a romantic tryst, including payments to the womans apartment complex and cash bail to help her after she was picked up on a warrant. In an email provided to the Tribune, Lozano said the woman was arrested due to two criminal charges, assault and theft in Tarrant County.

Local cancer care centers, including St. Davids HealthCare, Texas Oncology and the Austin Radiological Association, had provided annual donations to the group for multiple years. A St. Davids HealthCare spokesperson confirmed to the Tribune the organization has donated $55,000 to CAMCO since 2012.

The university previously declined to answer questions about Lozanos employment status, even after it scrubbed the university website of his faculty profile and named an interim chair of the program in early January. It also removed webpages related to CAMCO. Texas State University System spokesperson Mike Wintemute declined to provide a status update on the investigation into Lozano's activities with CAMCO.

Its unclear how much of the money deposited in the account Lozano used for himself or if he was depositing personal money into the account.

But according to bank documents, the CAMCO fund was used to pay for a renters insurance policy and a payment to San Antonios utility company, totaling about $700; a $691 emergency vet clinic bill; $1,397 to Big Dans Furniture in San Antonio; $1,000 to the womans lawyer; $430 to Aladdin Bail Bonds; and nearly $1,400 to another woman via Cash App.

Texas State University also would not release CAMCOs financial documents to the Tribune, arguing to the Texas Attorney Generals Office that releasing them would violate an ongoing compliance investigation. The attorney general agreed with the university, allowing it to withhold the documents.

Disclosure: Texas Oncology, St. David s HealthCare, Texas State University and the Texas State University System 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.
WASHINGTON  The progressive parade through South Texas continues next week with U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren headed to San Antonio to campaign for Jessica Cisneros, who is challenging one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar.

The Massachusetts Democrat is also set to travel to Austin to rally support for Greg Casar, a former Austin city council member running in a district stretching from Austin to San Antonio.

VOTER GUIDE: What to know for the Texas primary election

Her visit follows U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's trip to San Antonio over the weekend to support Cisneros and Casar, who have been raking in endorsements from progressive stars. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders this week announced his support for the two.

Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Warren are arguably the most popular politicians on the left, and their attention to Texas comes as a slate of progressive candidates has popped up in congressional races from Dallas to Austin to the Rio Grande Valley.

WE HAVE TO STAND FOR SOMETHING: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rallies with San Antonio progressives

More Information PROGRESSIVES RALLY IN SAN ANTONIO WHO: U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Jessica Cisneros, NARAL Pro-choice America president Mini Timmaraju WHAT: Get Out the Vote Rally WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Cherrity Bar, 302 Montana Street, San Antonio See More Collapse

If we send a Democrat who doesnt give a damn about people, why would we expect people to vote for that person? Ocasio-Cortez said at her San Antonio rally last weekend. How can we win when we support Democrats who dont support child care or health care or immigrants or stand up for women and gender-expanding people? How can we win when we dont stand for nothing? We have to stand for something in order to bring it home.

Cisneros, a Laredo immigration attorney, is running a closely watched rematch against Cuellar, a nine-term incumbent from Laredo. Cisneros drew national attention in 2020 when she came within just a few points of beating Cuellar in the primary.

Progressives hope she can win the rematch as Cuellar is under a cloud of suspicion after the FBI searched his home and campaign headquarters in January. Tannya Benavides, a former educator and community organizer, is running against Cuellar from the left this time, too.

Casar is one of four Democrats running in a district that stretches along Interstate 35 from San Antonio to Austin long held by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who is seeking election in a new district. Casar is a self-avowed Democratic socialist who pioneered the Austins defund the police move last year.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

The outside support has drawn criticism from Cisneros and Casars opponents.

The voters will decide this election, not far left celebrities who stand for defunding the police, open borders, eliminating oil & gas jobs, and raising taxes on hard working Texans, Cuellars campaign said in a statement last week. Members should take care of their own district before taking failed ideas to South Texas.

Warren has deep ties to Texas. She graduated with a teaching degree from the University of Houston in 1970. She taught at both University of Houstons law school and at the University of Texas at Austin.

Ocasio-Cortez for years was involved in National Hispanic Institute programs headquartered outside of San Marcos in Maxwell that were designed to help promising Latino students develop leadership skills and public policy knowledge to help them become lifelong leaders.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Small but determined numbers of military personnel have resisted the Pentagons mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy  some hoping for exemptions and some flat-out refusing.

But they have become an increasingly tiny minority, their numbers shrinking as they quit the service or get kicked out.

In the Air Education and Training Command, headquartered in San Antonio, 97.7 percent of uniformed personnel are fully vaccinated. There remain just 86 airmen who have refused, along with 957 who are seeking exemptions, according to a series of PowerPoint slides prepared last week for the organization.

That response is similar across the Air Force as a whole; the service reported last week that 97.8 percent of active-duty airmen had complied with the vaccination mandate ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in August. So have most members of the Army, Navy and Marines.

Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News

The Air Force has provided servicewide statistics to the public but not for individual commands such as the AETC, which is responsible for training new recruits and all subsequent specialties, including pilots.

2 1 of 2 Jessica Phelps /Staff file photo Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Jessica Phelps, Staff photographer / San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less



An Air Force source who obtained the PowerPoint slides shared them with the San Antonio Express-News. An AETC spokeswoman could not confirm or dispute their authenticity when contacted this week.

Across the armed services, 23 lawsuits have been filed to try to avoid the vaccine order, according to a Jan. 31 memo from Maj. Marc Nowak, an attorney with the Judge Advocate Corps at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

The memo was posted last week on a Facebook page curated by a former airman who publishes commentary on Air Force activities and policies from service members and their families.

The lawsuits variously name Defense Secretary Austin, President Joe Biden or Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall III.

In four of these, the memo stated, the plaintiffs use pseudonyms claiming their identities need to be shielded from the defendants or the public. The judges in those cases have issued protective orders requiring the plaintiffs to reveal their identities to the Department of Justice and to certain individuals within DoD.

On ExpressNews.com: Masked and made over

A federal court in Georgia on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction against the Pentagon in a lawsuit by an Air Force officer represented by attorneys for the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit that takes on religious liberty cases. The order affected a single case involving religious objections to the vaccine mandate.

The Army last week said 3,350 of its soldiers had not taken the vaccine, from among whom it has received 2,910 requests for religious exemptions and 709 for medical exemptions. Only a few exemptions had been approved, while 3,073 official reprimands had been ordered.

As of Feb, 9, the Navy said, 5,162 active-duty sailors and 3,167 reservists were unvaccinated. The Navy said it kicked out 218, including one reservist, granting all of them honorable discharges.

The Navy has reported 17 deaths among 84,059 COVID-19 cases.

The Marine Corps has approved 735 exemptions, including just three of 3,567 requests for religious accommodations. So far, 566 Marines have been separated from the corps for refusing to comply with the mandate.

The Air Force reported it had approved 1,476 medical exemptions and 1,837 administrative exemptions for the active-duty, guard and reserve components, which together contain 501,000 service members. Religious exemptions were far harder to get, with only eight approved and 3,222 disapproved.

So far during the pandemic, the Air Force has had 12 deaths among 75,309 COVID cases among active-duty airmen and reservists.

The AETC runs 12 major installations and supports other units on numerous bases across the globe.

On ExpressNews.com: Outworking COVID in San Antonio, Air Force kept basic training going

The series of slides updating its commander, Lt. Gen. Marshall Brad Webb, and others included that the 86 vaccination refusals by airmen who did not seek exemptions had numbered 115 the previous week. It was unclear if the reduction was caused by those leaving the service.

The slides showed that 487 airmen in the 19th Air Force, based at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, had not received their shots, most of whom had sought religious exemptions. The total included 25 outright refusals.

Holdouts numbered 50, including 12 outright refusals, in the 502nd Air Base Wing, which provides logistics support for the three major installations and the Camp Bullis training range that make up JBSA.

The AETC dramatically restructured basic training after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted life across the United States two years ago, rigidly enforcing mask discipline and isolating new arrivals during their first two weeks at boot camp at JBSA-Lackland.

Since last fall, after 23 recruits had refused to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, the Air Force Recruiting Service has required enlistees to sign a document before entering basic training, acknowledging that they will get their shots.

But the recruiting service itself had 56 airmen who had not received the vaccine, including two who didnt seek exemptions, according to last weeks presentation.

Most civilian workers in the AETC had been vaccinated, 17,496 in all, but 879 had sought religious exemptions and 274 requested medical waivers. Only two exemptions have been granted, according to the presentation.

On ExpressNews.com: In San Antonio, 23 Air Force recruits refused vaccine  but now they know before they go

At the 59th Medical Wing, home to Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center at JBSA-Lackland, 75 airmen sought exemptions and six outright refused to be vaccinated.

Religious exemption requests undergo a process that tries to balance the governments compelling interest in accomplishing our mission with the members sincerely held belief, and teams of chaplains, medical providers, Air Force lawyers and others recommend the least restrictive way to do that, the training command said.

If the commander determines the accommodation cannot be made without adversely affecting military readiness based on the health and safety of the unit and member, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline, he will deny the religious accommodation request, an AETC statement said.

The struggle to get all service members vaccinated and the process of discharging those who wont comply is taking place against a decline in new virus cases and slower declines in hospitalizations and deaths.

None of 698 recruits arriving for basic training Feb. 8 tested positive for the coronavirus, and positive cases there remain at or below 6 percent, the AETC said.

Among the slides in last weeks presentation was a COVID-19 situation report prepared by Col. Mike Higgins, the AETCs surgeon general, which contained a message marked BLUF, an acronym for bottom line up front.

Overall omicron case rates, hospitalizations and test positivity rates dropping, it stated. Death rates stable. Military Health System (including key AETC medical platforms) remain stressed.

sigc@express-news.net
A former janitor at a Northwest Side middle school was arrested Tuesday, accused of sending sexually explicit texts to a 12-year-old student while employed by the Northside Independent School District.

Noah Steven Brune, 26, was charged Tuesday with online solicitation of a minor and is being held on $85,000 bail. He was a janitor at Rawlinson Middle School from October 2021 to December 2021, the Northside ISD said.

In December, the students mother called police after finding texts from Brune to her daughter describing how much the girl aroused him, according to an affidavit supporting Brunes arrest.

On ExpressNews.com: Grand jury indicts 7 San Antonio-area men accused of soliciting children on social media

The messages included him talking about masturbating and how he never expected to be this turned on by a twelve year old, the affidavit said. Brune also asked the child for photos of herself.

The mother filed a report with NISD police, who reported the incident to San Antonio police.

Child Protective Services was also called to determine whether any physical contact was made, the affidavit said.

When questioned by police, Brune initially denied the accusations, but after police told him that they had the childs phone, he admitted to communicating with her via Instagram and a text messaging app. He said that he couldnt remember exactly what he said to the girl but that I was inappropriate, the affidavit said.

On ExpressNews.com: Music tutor arrested after being confronted by pedophile catchers visiting San Antonio

He told police that he was turned on by all the attention.

NISD officials immediately investigated the allegations, district spokesman Barry Perez said.

Brune submitted his resignation when he was contacted by the school districts employee relations staff.

taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway
One person is dead after a shooting at a Southeast Side apartment complex.

San Antonio police were called at about 6 p.m. Tuesday to a complex in the 3200 block of Bolmore Drive in the Highland Hills area, where they found an unidentified man lying in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds.

The man was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

On ExpressNews.com: Man, woman arrested in fatal shooting of woman near Fort Sam

The suspect fled in an unknown vehicle.

Officers searched the area on foot and with a police helicopter, but they did not find the suspect.

The investigation is ongoing.

taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway
Update, Feb. 22: The agenda for Thursday's Helotes City Council meeting includes an item to discuss and act on QuikTrip's request to approve its design plan. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.

Some Helotes residents are expressing concern that the bright lights from a gas station would be out of place along a rural stretch of road in the city.

The QuikTrip Corp. is eyeing the intersection of Bandera and Scenic Loop roads for a potential 5,300-square-foot convenience store and gas station. The intersection is filled with trees and greenery and serves as an entry point to the picturesque 7-mile loop.

On ExpressNews.com: Residents find small changes have big impact on San Antonio neighborhoods

Richard Hawk, a 73-year-old who has lived in the far northwest Bexar County city for 20 years, said the scenic loop should be protected from developments like gas stations.

Hawk lives about a mile from the the site of the potential convenience store and previously served on Helotes' planning and zoning commission.

Im not against having a commercial building being put there," he said. "Im not against progress. Im just against this big gas station for the reason of preserving the character and rural atmosphere of Helotes.

Helotes prides itself on its small-town ambience and Hill Country atmosphere and is notable for the old stacked stone look to some of its buildings and homes. Most of the city's commercial development has taken place on Bandera Road near Loop 1604, south of the proposed site of the gas station.

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Over 100 people have signed a Change.org petition to "save" the scenic loop. In a Nextdoor post from two weeks ago, Hawk urged residents to share their concerns with the mayor.

Hawk's call to action on the social media platform received a mixed response. Some residents were concerned about the number of trees that would be uprooted to make room for a large gas station. Others said they welcomed a QuikTrip in Helotes.

QuikTrip operates more than 900 locations in mostly the midwestern, southern and southeastern regions of the United States.

The city said it has not issued building permits to the convenience store chain because the company is still in the process of purchasing the land. In a unanimous decision on Feb. 1, Helotes' planning and zoning commission rejected QuikTrips proposed building plan because of code violations and concerns that the look of the gas station will not fit in with the city.

On Expressnews.com: Trial underway in three San Antonio restaurant workers lawsuits alleging COVID-19 firings

David Wanders, the company's real estate project manager, shared QuikTrip's proposed plan during the meeting that included a 13-foot-high sign to display gas prices, which goes against the city's code of an 8-foot maximum height for signs.

Mario Rios, a member of the planning and zoning commission, said QuikTrip is not taking the community seriously.

Ive counted five variances, Rios said during the meeting. If youre going to build something thats controversial in that area, wouldnt you dot the Is and cross the Ts to make sure that everything is addressed?

A QuikTrip spokesperson said the company will work with the community and has made changes to the project to comply with the city's ordinance. Wanders also told the commission the building and sign will have Sonoma stacked stones to fit Helotes' aesthetic.

This is not the first time residents have opposed a commercial project in the area. Residents from Helotes and neighboring Grey Forest successfully blocked plans to have a Walmart built near the same site of the potential gas station over similar concerns.

After more than a decade on the city's agenda, plans were approved to build the Walmart about 2 miles south near the intersection of Bandera and Leslie roads. It opened in 2013 and is one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable stores in the San Antonio area, a Walmart spokesperson told KSAT when the store opened.

Ultimately, Helotes' elected officials will have the final say. The city has not said when the proposed QuikTrip will be an item on the City Council's agenda.

On ExpressNews.com: 1930s Atlee B. Ayres house in Terrell Hills gets modern refresh

During a Feb. 10 City Council meeting, Janine Primomo, 73, voiced her concern about a potential QuikTrip's environmental impact. She told the Express-News she moved to Helotes 24 years ago and enjoys the serene and beautiful views the city offers but is worried the gas station would clash with those characteristics.

I know growth and development happens, but we dont have to allow it to be that urban sprawl, Primomo said. Before long, well start looking like Leon Valley, which is basically businesses; theres no charm to that city.

One of the requirements for commercial and residential landscape elements in the municipality is to preserve and protect the unique identity and environment of the City of Helotes, which Mayor Rich Whitehead said the City Council will adhere to when voting on the gas station.

Whitehead said he has gotten calls in support and in opposition of the gas station, adding that there are several properties that are zoned for commercial development that will eventually be developed. He said it is up to the city to ensure businesses stick to Helotes' ordinances.

We will keep our charm and well keep our identity regardless of what decision is made by city council, Whitehead said.

Malak.Silmi@express-news.net
On June 25, 2013, Democrat Wendy Davis spoke on the floor of the Texas Senate for 11 hours and successfully stalled the passage of a Republican bill to restrict abortion access.

That night, Julian Castro, then the third-term mayor of San Antonio, was sufficiently inspired by Daviss efforts to post the following tweet: When Texas turns blue, tonight may well be looked upon as the beginning.

The key word in Castros tweet was when. From his perspective, there was no doubt Democrats would flip this stubborn bastion of Republicanism. It was just a question of how it would happen and when it would occur.

Nearly nine years later, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stood on the stage of Paper Tiger, a rock club on the North St. Marys strip. Ocasio-Cortez came to San Antonio on Saturday to champion the congressional campaigns of two young movement progressives: Jessica Cisneros and Greg Casar.

On ExpressNews.com: Ocasio-Cortez rallies progressives in San Antonio

But she also talked about her belief  no, make that her certainty  that this state ultimately will go Democratic.

Texas turning blue is inevitable, AOC said, to the most thunderous applause she heard that day.

Adam Serwer, the San Antonio-based writer for The Atlantic, took issue with Ocasio-Cortezs guarantee.

It is not inevitable, Serwer tweeted. And sometimes I think this kind of rhetoric is galvanizing for the right and demobilizing for the left.

Republicans get to rile people up about supposedly becoming California, and Dems think they can sit back and not have to persuade.

Of course, Ocasio-Cortez wasnt suggesting that a political realignment would occur by magic or some act of divine intervention. She urged audience members to organize and work to make it happen.

Nonetheless, her promise carried echoes of reassurances that Texas Democrats periodically have given themselves over the 28 years since they last carried a statewide election.

It also raised legitimate questions about the best way to motivate a team that specializes in getting its hopes dashed.

When you tell people that their side is destined to prevail, are you providing them with sustenance to soldier through challenging days or are you arming them with complacency?

It depends on the listener.

For too long, Texas Democrats hitched their hopes to the demographics-is-destiny argument, the principle that this states growing minority population  particularly its Latino electorate  will eventually overpower the GOP base.

We heard it as far back as 2002, when Texas Democrats assembled their so-called Dream Team, led by gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez and U.S. Senate hopeful Ron Kirk.

I think the demographics will bring about a political tsunami, and its coming. And hopefully it will come this cycle, then-state Sen. Rodney Ellis told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in March of that year.

Ellis didnt use the word inevitable, but the idea was the same.

Republican Gov. Rick Perry defeated Sanchez by nearly 18 percentage points. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn beat Kirk by 12 percentage points.

In August 2013, a Texas Monthly cover story proclaimed that the Texas Democratic Party has suddenly found a spring in its step, spurred by Davis filibuster and Julian Castros star-making keynote address at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Fifteen months later, Texas Democrats lost every single statewide election (including Davis gubernatorial race against Greg Abbott) by at least 19 percentage points.

Given those setbacks, wariness is warranted for Lone Star Democrats. At the same time, positive signs are there if you look for them.

In 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain carried Tarrant County by nearly 12 percentage points and came within two percentage points of winning Harris County.

In 2020, incumbent Republican President Donald Trump lost Tarrant County and got drubbed in Harris County by 12 percentage points.

Its undeniable that this states metropolitan areas are growing rapidly, and theyre simultaneously taking on an increasingly blue tint.

As Serwer suggested, Republicans can use these trends to scare their voters into going to the polls  and into donating to GOP campaigns.

Nonetheless, the tone of optimism struck by Ocasio-Cortez has value for her fellow Democrats.

In May 2013, a month before her filibuster, Davis told Texas Monthly writer Robert Draper that Democratic politicians needed to step up.

Davis said too many Democrats accepted the narrative that the state had no chance of turning blue for the foreseeable future.

That perpetuates the problem, she said.

For Texas Democrats, the trick is to find the sweet spot between overconfidence and defeatism.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
The workers of the world should unite, so long as it isnt against COVID-19 restrictions. In that event, they are hateful kooks who deserve whatever they get.

The political drama playing out in Canada, where truckers protesting a vaccine mandate are blockading the streets, is an expression of growing exhaustion with coronavirus restrictions but also of a class conflict.

The criticisms of the truckers by Canadas political and media establishment are heavy with contempt, reflecting an assumption that they are ignorant clods who cant possibly have a point  when they clearly do.

On the narrow question that sparked the protests, the truckers are right. Despite the number of COVID-19 cases collapsing since early January, the government imposed a new rule the middle of last month requiring truckers crossing the border back from the United States to be vaccinated or isolate for two weeks.

This would effectively make it impossible for unvaccinated truckers to work, and for what?

Truckers arent selling concessions at arenas, or waiting tables at at crowded restaurants  they work in a remarkably self-contained profession. And its not the case that the 10 to 15 percent of truckers who are unvaccinated  and who have obviously been unvaccinated during the entire pandemic  are going to start a new surge of coronavirus cases in Canada.

The vaccine mandate simply isnt a very important policy, and a reasonable Canadian government would admit as much. Indeed, the government went back and forth on the mandate before finally deciding to impose it.

Yet Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is reacting as if the truckers must be fought on the beaches and landing fields like an invading force rather than regarding them as fellow citizens who deserve respect even if he considers them grievously mistaken.

We wont give in to those who fly racist flags, he has intoned. We wont cave to those who engage in vandalism or dishonor the memory of our veterans. No, according to Trudeau, hate can never be the answer.

The truckers are another sign of the class inversion in advanced Western countries. The left continues to lose working class voters and pick up college-educated voters, and the well-coiffed Justin Trudeau, fully attuned to haut progressive sensibilities, is the perfect paladin for the upper middle class. On the other hand, the right is doing the opposite and sees blue-collar virtue in the truckers to whom it once would have felt no natural connection.

Usually, the left has championed international cooperation among aggrieved workers, but in this case, its the populist right in the U.S. and elsewhere that is promoting the truckers and importing the idea to their own countries.

The protest has had such resonance because it is the first significant break in Canadas long-standing, far-reaching regime of coronavirus restrictions. Unlike in the United States, very few people, either in elected politics or the media, have made the case against restrictions  until now.

The populist eruption from the truckers has changed the politics of the pandemic response, emboldening or forcing conservatives finally to say enough. The conservative leader who lost to Trudeau last year and is a relatively conciliatory figure has been dumped and will likely be replaced by a more combative alternative. Alberta and Saskatchewan moved this week to lift various restrictions.

That said, the situation will have to be defused. Lawbreaking by the truckers shouldnt be condoned or tolerated. Trudeau should give in to the truckers on the vaccination mandate, and then the protesters should declare victory and go home or, at the minimum, take a step back from any confrontation with the police.

The protests will likely be remembered as an inflection point in the response to the pandemic. In the U.S., it took worrisome polls for blue-state governors to break the ice on mask mandates; in Canada, it took an unlikely protest by a segment of sneered-at and insulted workers.
Malaynia Darden is a student at St. Philips College, a lifelong San Antonio resident and an aspiring nurse.

She is also a Black woman in a state that some say has a history of passing bills that disproportionately affect the Black populations ability to participate in civic life.

A lot of times, its not fair, Darden said. The system is designed for you not to be successful.

With the primary election on March 1 fast approaching, the advocacy organization Black Voters Matter has embarked on a week-long bus tour to educate students at historically black colleges and universities in Texas about their voting rights.

VOTER GUIDE: Candidate info and recommendations from the Editorial Board

San Antonio was their second stop. Emblazoned with the mugshots of civil rights activists such as Rosa Parks and John Lewis, the Blackest Bus in America pulled into one of the St. Philips parking lots Tuesday morning.

Getting out the vote is really imperative in the state of Texas, given everything that weve been through over the past year in terms of suppressive voting laws that have been passed, said Kimiya Factory, central Texas regional organizer for Black Voters Matter.

Inspired by the hotly contested results of the 2020 presidential election, Republican-led legislative efforts to prevent voter fraud have been successful in much of the Southern United States. Two separate bills, Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 3, sought to tighten restrictions regarding voting by mail-in ballot.

Josey Garcia, a Democratic candidate for state representative, said the rapidly changing rules made it harder for youth to vote.

Theyre really just coming into their own in terms of figuring out where they stand on different issues and political ideologies, she said. And so these voter suppression laws not only put barriers in between voters and a ballot box  theyre also meant to confuse people.

Simultaneously, youth represent an especially important voting bloc, said Pharaoh Clark, with Reliable Revolutionaries  a San Antonio-based civil rights group formed in the wake of protests over George Floyds death.

Josie Norris /Staff photographer

This is our next generation, Clark said. These are the (people)  that are going to be your next lawyers and doctors and senators.

Organizers, including Factory, set up shop in the lobby of the E.L. Turbon Student Center. Surrounded by lingering Valentines Day decorations, they spent an hour helping curious passersby verify their registration status, identify a voting plan and (learn more) about voting rights and voting access, according to Factory. Some faculty encouraged their students to take the time to interact.

Its important to have your voice heard, said Jacqueline Stevenson, assistant professor and program director for the occupational therapy assistant program. And the best way to have your voice heard is to vote.

But that may be easier said than done for some communities.

Reflecting on her own experiences with voter suppression, Factory recalled being racially profiled.

Growing up in the state of Texas as a black woman means being watched at the polls, she said. Being a hardworking college student, being a citizen of the United States, I absolutely have faced intimidation tactics when encountering the polls and when going to cast my vote.

Darden said she supports movements against systemic racism such as Black Lives Matter because of all the injustices that we do experience nowadays in society.

Mainly, I want to vote to make sure that we get what we deserve, she said.

In addition to St. Philips, Black Voters Matters activists planned visits to San Antonio College, Northeast Lakeview College and UTSA Tuesday before continuing to Austin.

caroline.tien@hearst.com
Jose Corona began dreaming of flying when he was 3 or 4 years old. Thats when he watched an Army helicopter land in his neighborhood, pick up an injured patient and take off for a hospital.

It was shocking as a kid, just standing there at the fence, you know? he said. From the very beginning it was always wanting to do it for a living. That was the goal.

When he was in his early 30s, Corona took flying lessons in New Braunfels. He eventually became an instructor and began conducting tours for Alamo Helicopter Tours, a company based at Stinson Municipal Airport on the South Side.

In 2016, Corona and his wife, Betty, purchased the company from its prior owners, also a husband-and-wife team. The Coronas now oversee a staff of eight, including five pilots, in San Antonio and Austin. They offer sightseeing tours and flying lessons as well as charter flights, often to business executives shuttling between meetings in the two cities.

Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News

Its remarkable  every day its different, Corona said. The people I fly, no ones ever upset, you know? No ones angry, theres nobody arguing or anything like that. Everybodys excited. Everybodys fascinated to see the ground at a different level.

One of the busiest times of the year for the business was this past week  Valentines Day, when Alamo Helicopter offers tours with names such as Love Bird Tour and Love at First Flight that take couples to see San Antonio from above as they nibble on chocolates and sip Champagne.

Corona recently sat for an interview to discuss the decision to buy the company, the reaction Houston and Dallas residents have upon seeing San Antonio from above, and the recovery of the citys tourism industry from the darkest days of the pandemic. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: Could you describe your thinking when you bought the company?

A: It was exciting and strange. My concern (when the previous owners put the business up for sale) was, Whats going to happen with the pilots? My worry was that everyone was going to lose their job. Whoever purchased the company would probably not keep the company running; they only wanted it for our certificates. The (Federal Aviation Administration) certificates are very hard to get. It takes a long time, so people usually will buy the company, dismantle the company, just to have their certificate.

Josie Norris /San Antonio Express-News

Q: Do you ever get used to being so high up?

A: Its always a pleasure. Its never, Oh, I gotta go to work today. No, its exciting, especially when its with somebody thats never been up in the air. San Antonio has a lot of people that have never been up, not even in an airplane. Flying with those passengers gives me the biggest thrill because theyre experiencing it for the first time.

Q: Do you get many people who cant handle being so high up?

A: Ive been flying for a long time. Ive only had probably two people that actually were nervous enough to say, No, I cant do this, and I turned around and landed. Other than that, when people are nervous I kind of calm them down. At the very beginning, Ill just hover the helicopter for a few minutes until theyre like, This isnt bad. Then Ill slowly take off.

Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News

Q: When Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash, did that impact your business?

A: The very day it happened, and probably a few days afterwards, we did have some people cancel. But I explained that from the very beginning, when the news broke, I immediately knew it was a pilot error. Unfortunately, the pilot flew basically in clouds, didnt go straight to the instruments and tried to get out of it. He went right into the side of that hill. Its sad, and it does kind of hurt the industry, but were a very safe company, very safe pilots. Most of our students that eventually graduate our courses become our pilots, our instructors.

Q: What portion of your business would you say are locals versus tourists?

A: It depends on the time of the year. I would say 90 percent of our Christmas passengers are local. In the summertime, Id say about 90 percent is actually from outside the area. A lot of Houston, Dallas passengers in the summertime.

Q: What do you show people around Christmas?

A: Its the Christmas lights, seeing downtown and the (Alamo) Quarry Market and even (Six Flags) Fiesta Texas at night during Christmas. Its beautiful with all the lights.

Thats another thing that has really increased and picked up. We noticed years ago that we get a lot of business for our night tours, Christmas tours, and that we get a lot of business for our Valentines Day flights. So last year we started so that every night we do night tours. Theres the option to have daytime and nighttime now.

Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News

Q: In your experience, has the tourism sector bounced back from COVID-19?

A: Its one of those things  everybody is tired and they want to get out. Even if its in their backyard, they want to get out. You know, when were in the aircraft, since were so close, we all wear masks and we have our passengers wear masks. But people are just tired of being inside. As soon as the city of San Antonio allowed us to operate again after the lockdowns people were just  its kind of like people coming out of hibernation a little bit. They were weary but tired of being cooped up inside.

Q: How long did you have to be completely shut down?

A: It was about six, seven months. But federal help allowed us to keep all our employees and pay them and come back to work. We werent flying passengers yet, but we were just able to work on stuff inside the building, work on the helicopters, and so on, until the city said, OK, you can start flying passengers again.

Q: How is your business doing now compared to before COVID?

A: Its still a little down. Numberwise its not 100 percent back to what it was before. Its getting there, its getting better, but its not 100 percent yet.

Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News

Q: Is there a lot of overhead in the helicopter business?

A: Yeah. Our biggest overhead is insurance. You know, we have to have it. Insurance, maintenance and the facilities. You dont want to be a tour company where you have a little shack and you walk up to the shack and the helicopter is outside on grass. You want to be able to see a footprint where people feel comfortable and they can come inside and look at stuff. So there is a lot of overhead. Thats one of the biggest complaints that we have, when people ask us our pricing. And our pricing has gone up since COVID because everything else has gone up, unfortunately. Fuel has, maintenance has, insurance has.

Q: What kinds of people use your charter service?

A: People with a lot of money. A lot of money, not enough time. They dont want to drive. Helicopter flight time is about half the time of driving. So if it takes you three hours to drive from Houston, it will take us about an hour and 20 to fly there. Mostly executives, some celebrities.

Specifically, from here to Austin  a lot of people, you know, they drive over here every other day or so. Sometimes they have two meetings, one in San Antonio, one in Austin, so well fly them from San Antonio to Austin, wait for them, then fly them back.

Q: When you take people up in the sky, what do you point out to them?

A: I talk pretty much the whole time. The San Antonio River is right here  you know, a lot of people, especially from San Antonio, dont even know this part of the river exists, that you can kayak, the running trails, the biking trails, the whole system. All the way downtown, I point out the roads. The reason I point out the roads is that people in the air, theyre lost, theyre like, Oh, my God, where are we? I can see downtown, but I dont know if Im on the North Side, the West Side, the South Side. So I point out landmarks and stuff.

Josie Norris / San Antonio Express-News

In commercial airliners, youre so used to seeing your outside from a window the size of your head. In the helicopter, youre able to see pretty much all of this, up and down. Its just a way different view than a commercial airliner.

Q: What other sites in San Antonio are magnificent from the air?

A: The Hill Country. On our Hill Country tour, we start to go more northwest after the Quarry Market. Pretty much right after (Loop) 410 and Northwest Military, you start to see the Hill Country  I mean, the elevation just starts to increase and increase and increase. Once you get to Fiesta Texas, people from Houston call it their mountains. No, its hills, but its different than this side of town.

Q: Theres a lot of talk about downtown having a resurgence. Do you find that local people are more interested in seeing downtown?

A: They are, especially the new construction. For instance, the Thompson Hotel. That came up fairly quickly, but its a beautiful looking hotel. Its exciting to see new buildings in downtown San Antonio. You know, I fly Austin, and when I fly Austin, theres so many big, huge  theres so much money in Austin, especially with Lady Bird Lake, the Colorado River being right there. But this is home. I enjoy flying in San Antonio.

Q: When people come from Houston and Dallas, what impression do they get from seeing San Antonio from above?

A: When I inform them that this is the seventh-largest city in the United States, theyre like, Oh, my God! Then they look out on the horizon, and youll see it: San Antonio is big, man. Its a big city, its just not all in one place. But their view is that the downtown is small. And they really think that the Alamo is small.
Sterling, VA (20165)

Today

Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 74F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 57F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Drawing on research from a multimillion-dollar Mark Zuckerberg-linked initiative viewed as pivotal in the 2020 presidential election, 14 states carried by Joe Biden have appealed to him for billions of dollars more to secure elections for the next decade. But most of them have spent less than half their shares of previous federal funding to counter alleged Russian election meddling and other threats to election security.

The states letter to the president cites a report by the Election Infrastructure Initiative, a progressive nonprofit that estimates $53 billion in taxpayer money will be needed to ensure election security over the next decade.

The Election Infrastructure Initiative is an arm of the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which in 2020 distributed nearly $400 million in private grants  $350 million from Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan  to local election offices in 48 states and the District of Columbia for the pandemic-challenged presidential election.

Some conservative analysts contend the money, dubbed Zuck Bucks, was strategic in its placement, beefing up vote totals for Biden in swing states and allowing him to win the election -- a view that found support in a Time magazine cover story on the effort. Tiana Epps-Johnson, executive director of the Center for Tech and Civic Life, did not respond to an interview request.

The 14 states seek $20 billion in federal money over the next 10 years. (Theirs is not a national estimate, unlike the Zuckerberg-linked groups). It would pay for election administration, including security, personnel, and other essential needs.

While no money has yet been allocated, federal funding remains a key part of Democrat-backed voting rights measures that would set new voting standards for federal elections. But sitting in state coffers are hundreds of millions of dollars still left from two funding rounds of $380 million (2018) and $425 million (2020) under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA).

Colorado, for example, has spent 15% of its security grant money, according to the most recent report from the Elections Assistance Commission, the federal agency that oversees HAVA grant spending. Vermont has spent 27% of its funding, and Minnesota 13%. All three states are among those appealing to Biden for more money -- as are swing states Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Michigan along with deep-blue states such as California and New York.

Collectively, states still have 48% of the $805 million in HAVA security funding doled out over the past four years, or $383 million.

Democrats are not alone. While the Biden administrations plan to federalize national elections has so far been thwarted in Congress, a growing number of Republicans are joining Democrats in calling for more federal money for elections  albeit insisting on retaining state autonomy.

Last month, a group of think tanks including the conservative American Enterprise Institute issued a proposal that would allow states to voluntarily accept federal money for election needs. Republicans oppose as a federal takeover of elections Democratic measures like the recently defeated Freedom to Vote Act, which sought to impose uniform rules on states for federal elections while providing federal funding. Democrats contend the measure would make ballot access easier and voting more secure.

Its not exactly clear why the 14 states and the Zuckerberg group believe an exponential increase in federal funding is required for elections in coming years when the money previously allocated proved more than sufficient in the past -- and with the pandemic receding.

RealClearInvestigations emailed interview requests to the 14 secretaries of state and election chiefs who signed the letter to the administration seeking the $20 billion. Thirteen did not respond. Michigan, the lone respondent, declined to make Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson available. It asked for emailed questions, then declined to answer them.

The Brennan Center, which advocates on behalf of progressives in election issues including increased election funding, did not respond to an interview query. Elections are traditionally funded with a combination of local and state money, and budgets fluctuate, depending on factors such as the number of elections each year, recount costs and equipment needs.

Several states and counties have boosted their election funding by double-digit percentages over the past five years.

We dont know how much elections cost in this country because of how decentralized it is, said Matthew Weil, director of the Elections Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, one of the groups that developed the report.

He acknowledged that bureaucratic inefficiency hinders the ability of funding to reach the municipalities that run elections. Just because a state has money doesnt mean its getting to the locals, he said.

In 2018, EAC Commissioner Christy McCormick projected in congressional testimony  incorrectly, as it turns out  that states would spend $324 million of the $380 million of 2018 HAVA grant money alone in advance of the 2020 presidential election.

States in 2020 were allowed to use HAVA security grants on pandemic-related election expenses, although states are now returning unused personal protection equipment to the federal government. States were also given $400 million to help run elections in 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill.

A spokeswoman at the National Association of State Election Directors declined a request for an interview on the unspent money, but in an email said it could have been allocated to contracts that pay out over a period of years. In other cases, states keep funds in reserve, accruing interest, to make sure they can afford expenses that come up in the future. 

The HAVA grants have no expiration, said Election Assistance Commission chairman Don Palmer, a Trump appointee. He echoed the supposition that some states hold on to the money for future expenses. In the past, Congress has put deadlines on the spending of HAVA grants, he said. But in the case of the most recent security grants, it has not, which is something unique.

I dont believe these states are hoarding that money, Palmer said. State legislatures were required to approve some matching funding for the grants  5% for the 2018 money and 20% for the 2020  which could be holding up the spending in some cases.

In other cases, he said, states may have plans for system upgrades or equipment purchases that are still being worked out. Some states outline the use of their funding in biannual reports. The spending includes voter roll upgrades, security, new hires, polling place accessibility and messaging.

Among the places with large increases in election funding in recent years are New Mexico, where the budget jumped 73 percent between 2013 and last year. In Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston, commissioners increased the election budget by $17.1 million to $27 million in 2020 after spending $4 million in 2016.

Elections have evolved in the past 20 years, said Julie Leathers Stahl, who is director of the board of elections in Wayne County, Ohio. Stahl, a Republican, signed a letter to Congress in June along with 250 other elections administrators and local and state elected officials from around the U.S. asking for federal elections money.

Stahl said that she doesnt need any funding at this point, nor has her office encountered any threats to its elections. She still sounds as though she wouldnt turn it down. Weve got to have the funding to keep up with technology and bad actors, she said. Cant everybody use more money?

Since 2002, the Election Assistance Commission has made periodic grants for system upgrades and other necessities under HAVA, the law Congress passed in the wake of the 2000 presidential election, when ballot-counting snafus in Florida led to an outcome that had to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

As the move toward regular federal election grants gains momentum  including the conservative proposal backed by the American Enterprise Institute  the EAC is increasing its own ranks as bureaucrats ask for more federal involvement in elections. In 2021, the agency added 11 full-time staffers, a personnel increase of 26%. Its budget was hiked to $17 million, up 84% from 2019s $9.2 million, and the highest since 2010s $17.9 million budget.

Between 2010 and 2018, there were no HAVA grants issued, and election disputes were typically limited to local problems, mostly related to mail-in balloting and ineligible voting.

With the debate over election security, though, there was a renewed sense that we needed to help the states, Palmer, the EAC chairman, said.

Greater adoption of federal funding for elections poses the same mixed blessing of cash with conditions that has long applied to road allocations, education, law enforcement and other federal largesse.

If you continue to pump federal money into elections, the feds will eventually start trying to tell you how to run things, said Doug Lewis, former executive director of the Elections Center, also known as the National Association of Election Officials. That means whatever party is in control gets to control the process. 
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture launched a free crisis hotline specifically for farmers and other members of the states agricultural community.

The AgriStress HelpLine is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The number is 833-897-2474.

The staff answering the hotline has received 300 hours of crisis hotline training and an additional 3.5 hours of training specifically on agricultural stressors.

What were excited about is the staff answering that line understand farming, said Natalie Roy, executive director of AgriSafe Network, a national nonprofit aimed at reducing health disparities in agricultural communities. Theyre not going to tell a dairy farmer to take a two-week vacation.

Origins

The hotline is the first of its kind in terms of a crisis helpline specifically designed for farmers, Roy said. The state is partnering with AgriSafe to launch the pilot program, which is also being piloted in Texas and Wyoming.

The hotline is funded by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agricultures National Institute of Food and Agriculture Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. Grant monies also went to expand mental health resources through the Center for Dairy Excellence and launch a regional collaboration with National Young Farmers Coalition.

While its no secret that farming is uniquely stressful, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said the gravity of the situation was driven home at a mental health roundtable hosted by state Sen. Elder Vogel, R-New Sewickley, in Beaver County in February 2020. Vogel is chair of the senate agriculture and rural affairs committee and a former dairy farmer.

People from across agriculture and healthcare gathered to discuss how difficult it is overcoming the stigma surrounding seeking help and to find affordable and accessible help from someone who understands the challenges farmers face.

Farmers often work alone, live where they work and encounter pressures of changing markets, unpredictable weather, business transitions and legacy, Redding said Feb. 11 at a virtual press conference announcing the new helpline.

Making a call

When someone calls the hotline, theyll be asked to put in their ZIP code first. The call will then be routed directly to a trained crisis specialist. All calls are confidential.

Crisis specialists will work with callers to establish safety, access coping mechanisms and explore next steps such as accessing available mental health and agricultural resources, said Tara Haskins, total farmer health director for AgriSafe. This process is defined by crisis hotline protocols through the lens of agricultural stress.

Callers will be offered a follow-up call in 24 hours to check in and explore further options and resources. If the caller cant answer or changes their mind about receiving the call, staff will leave a message that wont reveal the nature of the call if someone else picks up or hears the message.

Helpline staffers are trained in FarmResponse, a continuing education course for healthcare professionals thats part of the AgriSafe network, said Tara Haskins, total farmer health director for AgriSafe.

In it, they will learn about the causes of agricultural stress, how stress is expressed in the ag community, barriers to care and strategies to foster conversations. AgriStress helpline staff must undergo FarmResponse training annually, as well as quarterly trainings to stay up to date with whats going on in the agricultural community.

AgriSafe serves as a conduit between our state partners to communicate emerging agricultural issues in each contracted state such as weather, disasters, price, production issues, Haskins said. The goal is to keep the AgriStress Helpline staff aware of current stressors and emerging issues in the contracted states.

(Reporter Rachel Wagoner can be contacted at 800-837-3419 or rachel@farmanddairy.com.)
by Julia Pierrepont III

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. state of Hawaii is up in arms over an ongoing water contamination crisis due to fuel leaks from the Navy's Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

Hawaii House lawmakers on Tuesday advanced two bills aimed at shutting down the enormous fuel facility built inside mountains, which has contaminated water supply and is sending hundreds of residents to the hospital and forcing thousands of households to be relocated.

House Bill 2514 would add a provision to state law mandating that the maximum capacity of an underground storage tank "shall not exceed" 100,000 gallons. While HB 2274 would prohibit the issuance of state permits for underground fuel storage tanks within a half-mile (804.5 meters) of an aquifer, starting July 1.

The Red Hill depot located near the Pearl Harbor-Hickam Joint Base includes 20 massive 250-foot underground steel tanks encased in concrete, each holding more than 12 million gallons of jet and other fuel. And it is situated just 30 meters above Hawaii's main aquifer that supplies fresh water to most of Honolulu and much of Oahu County.

However, despite local lawmakers' latest efforts to close the facility through legislation, the federal government has been fighting against the Hawaiians' demand by challenging the state's shutdown order in court.

Following reports of the contamination in late November 2021, Hawaii's health department issued an emergency order to the Navy to shutdown the facility immediately to avoid further contamination and escalation of the public health crisis.

Instead of complying, on Feb. 2, the Navy opted to file lawsuits against the state of Hawaii in federal and state courts in an effort to delay the shutdown.

The courts upheld Hawaii's shutdown order, but the Navy is now appealing, arguing that it needs the fuel facility to protect national security and to use as a "strategic reserve" for operations in the Pacific. Two legal appeals are currently pending in federal and state courts.

Military families started complaining of the smell of jet fuel in the tap water in their homes. By Dec. 1, testing showed that the local elementary school water was contaminated with fuel, but the Navy commander issued a statement saying that the water was safe to drink. Hundreds of people ended up at the hospital due to the tainted water.

The whistleblower, Congressman Kaiali'i Kehele from Oahu, said at an online briefing Tuesday that he immediately went door-to-door in the affected area, speaking to worried residents and collecting water samples that clearly smelled of jet fuel.

Alarmed by continued denials on the part of the Navy, he immediately flew to Washington, D.C., where he and some of his congressional colleagues demanded immediate action.

"Would you drink this water?" Kehele demanded of the Navy officials at an emergency hearing, offering them a sample of the contaminated water. "This is a catastrophe for Hawaii."

Governor David Ige and Hawaii's Congressional delegation have called for immediate shutdown of the Red Hill tanks and, on Sunday, the health department ordered the Navy to suspend operations at the facility and remove all fuel from the tanks.

The Navy refused, calling Hawaii's emergency order "Erroneous, Arbitrary, Capricious, and an Abuse of Discretion; Clearly Unwarranted," despite official data from the Navy's Annual Water Quality Report showing toxicity readings well above legal safety limits.

Water is sacred to native Hawaiians, because fresh water on an island isolated in the middle of the salty sea is very hard to come by. "All Hawaiians are taught from childhood that Water is life", Kelehe said.

Since the facility became operational during WWII in 1943, there have been 72 documented leaks. The public was never warned of most of those leaks until the facility was declassified in 1995.

At a press conference on Feb. 2, Oahu Water Protector Mikey Inouye insisted that there should be consequences for the Navy violating the terms of the health department's emergency Order.

The Navy argued that because the tanks are buried, the number of leaks and degrees of damage to the tanks and supply piping are difficult to assess.

But local media pointed out that the Navy's broader concern is that the depot supplies fuel for military operations throughout the entire Indo-Pacific theater, or roughly 50 percent of the world. Decommissioning part of or all of it would seriously impact the scope of the naval and other U.S. military operations worldwide.

The public outrage and dismay has rapidly spread from community activists in the native-Hawaiian community to the public at large, and all the way up to Hawaii's state and federal leadership.

Senator Mazie Hirono issued a statement on Feb. 1, saying "This (draining of the tanks) must happen expeditiously and without any unnecessary delays. Let me be clear: the safety and well-being of the people of Hawaii must be the top priority."

Senator Brian Schatz also noted in a statement, "The DOD made a grave and unforced error that undermines public trust. Fortunately, we have civilian oversight of the military."

Law firm Earthjustice's attorney David Henkin, who represents the Sierra Club of Hawaii, said in statement on Jan. 31, "We cannot leave it up to the military to decide what is needed to protect Oahu's irreplaceable drinking water supply."

"The military should take very seriously the outrage of the local population over their threat to the drinking water for all the residents of the island and should withdraw its lawsuits and immediately state that it will permanently shut down the dangerous fuel tanks," Ann Wright, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and U.S. diplomat, said.

Other local residents are calling on President Joe Biden, as the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, to shutdown or even dismantle the Navy's red Hill storage tanks.
Advocates for issues like more sustainable food systems, better policies against systemic racism and climate-smart practices in agriculture have an opportunity to be heard as legislators begin work on the 2023 farm bill, said speakers at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Associations virtual conference Feb. 12.

Scott Marlow, deputy administrator for farm programs at the U.S. Department of Agricultures Farm Service Agency, said for a long time, these advocates have been trying to get a seat at the table.

But now, even the secretary of agriculture is directly talking about topics including climate-smart agriculture, systemic racism and building back food systems in a more sustainable way, including on the local and regional levels.

This is a critical moment, Marlow said. You have a seat at the table.

That makes this next farm bill an important time for these farmers to get involved with policy and advocating for these issues.

Problem solving

That means focusing on systems, when it comes to problem solving, and not just symptoms, Marlow said. The pandemic revealed a lot of issues with the current food system. But because that system is based on policies and decisions that have been made, it is possible to change it.

The food system is not broken, he said. The food system is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

For example, it was designed to be highly efficient, and it is. There arent a lot of redundancies in some parts of the food system. But that comes at a cost. When something like a pandemic hits, there can be major disruptions. Thats why its important to address the systems and situations that are creating problems, and not just the problems themselves.

Modest

That doesnt necessarily mean this farm bill will be the start of a huge change. Many people involved in policy have been spending a lot of time and energy on pandemic-related challenges over the last two years, and some are getting worn out, said Eric Deeble, policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

And unfortunately, just because a problem is visible doesnt mean people will manage to fix it.

Time is short, and ambitions seem pretty modest at this point, Deeble said.

Jonathan McCracken, the recently-appointed rural development state director in Ohio for the USDA, formerly the senior policy adviser for Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, said the farm bill isnt likely to grow much this time around. But there are also things happening outside of the farm bill that could take some pressure off.

For example, nutrition benefits, like SNAP, are a big part of the farm bill. Those benefits recently increased for the first time in decades, which means organizers arent just depending on the farm bill to deliver that, McCracken said.

Deeble added there hasnt been new money in the farm bill since 2002. But farm bills since then have still made policy updates and changes, so bills dont necessarily need to add funding to be successful.

Priorities

There are several things sustainable agriculture and organic farming organizations are hoping to see in the next farm bill. Making sure crop insurance and conservation programs are working for organic farmers is one, said Abby Youngblood, executive director for the National Organic Coalition.

For example, Deeble said, NSAC is an advocate of whole farm revenue protection as an insurance program for farmers. Focusing on that as a main program, and less on single crop policies, could help organic farmers.

Youngblood also identified increased reimbursements for the certification costshare program, and more work on issues like land access and access to other resources for farmers.

McCracken added much will depend on who the chairs of the House and Senate agriculture committees are after the 2022 elections. In addition to party differences, there are geographic differences.

A Midwestern senator or representative is more likely to be in tune with what Midwestern farmers need, while a Southern legislator will be more aware of what Southern farmers are concerned about.

You can get wins in a farm bill, McCracken said. Do the farm bills ever go as far as any of us what?  No, but that said, theres still a lot we can do here.
Farmers' mental health was already at a critical point prior to the pandemic, which only widened existing cracks in support, according to new research.

While Covid-19 led to worsening mental health among farmers, those surveyed as part of the study said that they were already struggling prior to the pandemic.

Incoming changes to the basic payment system to support farmers following Brexit were a major factor for worsening mental health, alongside issues such as isolation, bureaucracy, and climate.

MPs and farm leaders heard today about results from the Landscapes of Support for Farming Mental Health project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), in response to the pandemic and the impact it had on farmers.

Neil Parish MP, chair or the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee (EFRA), attended the presentation of the research. He said farmers often faced stress caused by isolation, insecure incomes and unpredictable weather.

My parliamentary committee has launched an inquiry into rural mental health and Im hoping well learn valuable lessons from the Landscapes project.

Expert research into this issue from the team and others will help inform the recommendations well eventually make to government about how its support to rural communities on mental health matters can be improved.

Dr David Rose, Associate Professor of Agri Innovation at the University of Reading led the research. He explained that Covid had a 'profound effect' on the UK agricultural community.

One of the biggest impacts was the widening of already existing cracks between farmers and their support networks, he said, which exacerbated poor mental health that many were already experiencing.

Covid itself was just the tip of the iceberg, with the biggest change to agriculture as a result of Brexit beginning in January 2021," Dr Rose added.

"Against the backdrop of huge regulatory change, the first wave of the global pandemic was especially hard on farmers with the driest spring on record, the removal of formal and informal support networks and major shifts in patterns of consumption and demand.

Charities, trade and governmental bodies normally play an important role in supporting farmers, but the new research, published on Wednesday (16 February), highlighted how usual touch points for those services and informal help were unavailable.

It identified how the wide range of formal and informal sources of support are usually available for farmers, noting that formal support channels are often signposted by peers, friends, and roles such as vets or merchants.

But the numerous UK-wide charities and organisations that support farmer welfare suffered major losses in income during the pandemic, affecting their services.

Due to particular demands that agricultural communities face, researchers recommend mental health first aiders to urgently train up, so they can provide signposting and support for farmers.

Furthermore, the shift to online provision for many support services and charities makes the digital divide on broadband access more urgent to ensure that provision can reach farmers, the study said.

Dr Caroline Nye, research fellow at University of Exeter's Centre for Rural Policy Research, said the challenges currently faced by farmers continued to put pressure on their business, resources, and health.

Formal support systems for the agricultural community have long played a vital role towards maintaining not only business resilience but also personal wellbeing.

It is important to understand how farmers might best be supported into the future, and how support organisations sustainability is impacted by major crises like Covid.
A new social media campaign has launched to highlight what retailers are doing to support British pig farmers during the sector's backlog crisis.

The #PorkReport aims to highlight examples of supermarkets sourcing, promoting, labelling and displaying British pork products.

The National Pig Association's (NPA) campaign comes as prices continue to plummet, alongside record costs of production and an on-farm backlog of 200,000 pigs.

The sector has faced a range of challenges, including the loss of exports to the Chinese market for certain pig processors, global disruption to CO2 supplies, and crippling labour shortages.

The NPA said that to help alleviate the crisis, it wanted to see as much British pork products on supermarket shelves as possible.

The body is also keen to highlight where retailers could be doing more to get British pork moving off farms and onto customers plates.

To take part in #PorkReport, the public are being asked visit their local supermarket and take a picture of the selection of pork on the shelves.

"Are there lots of clearly labelled and prominently displayed British products? Is the Red Tractor logo prominent?" the NPA explained.

"Or is there a lot of imported meat, including bone-in product? And where there is imported product, is it clear to shoppers where it came from?

"Of course, we understand that retailers will need to import some pork products, but we want to see as much British pork products on supermarket shelves as possible."

The NPA added: "What we particularly want to avoid are products that have been imported and butchered here, so look for anything imported that is bone-in.

"We need all the butchery resource we have got for British products at the moment."

The public are then being asked to post their images on their social media accounts, tagging both NPA and the retailer using #PorkReport.

Alternatively, those who wish to take part can send the images and location to the NPA by emailing andrea.tranter@npa.net.org.uk.
A charity's 2 million woodland scheme has expanded to help Scottish farmers and other land managers create native woodlands.

Future Woodlands Scotland has unveiled the next phase of its Future Woodlands Fund pilot scheme to make it easier for farmers Scotland to plant trees.

New to the scheme are three options  upfront area payments for small woods, carbon ownership and ghost woodlands.

The schemes original annual payments option has been increased to 3,500 per hectare over 20 years, to provide extra incentive for woodland creation.

Any farmer and land manager in Scotland can apply to the charity's fund provided their proposed project is between 3 and 100 hectares and meets the criteria.

Future Woodlands Scotland, a Scottish charity working to create native woodlands, aims to establish one million trees by November 2023, with the potential to lock up 235,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2080.

Tim Hall, chair of Future Woodlands Scotland, said that interest in native woodland regeneration was increasing, but many farmers were still worried about costs.

"Providing them with a range of options will mean they can choose whats best for their business," he explained.

"This will be good for both farming and wildlife, while helping Scotland meet its biodiversity and climate commitments."

Developed following feedback, the charity's new range of options addresses demand for differing levels of support and retaining carbon units arising from the woodlands.

Through the fund, farmers and land managers will now be able to apply for up to 3,500 per hectare spread over 20 years if they choose the annual payment option.

Future Woodlands Scotland has introduced an upfront area payment option for smaller woodlands to help ease cashflow at implementation.

A new, carbon unit ownership option also gives farmers the option to keep any carbon units arising from their woodland as an investment or to offset their own land-based emissions.

Another option is to restore ghost or derelict native woodlands with high ecological value. Ghost woodlands are relics of old or ancient woodlands, where less than 20% of the canopy cover remains.

The Future Woodlands Fund has been made possible by 2 million of support from energy company, bp.
The Ulster Farmers' Union has requested an urgent meeting with dairy processors to address farmers receiving a poor return for their milk, despite rising dairy commodity prices.

The union said there had been a substantial increase across all products in the last six months, but dairy farmers were yet to benefit from the booming market.

It has asked for a meeting with Northern Ireland dairy processors, as farmers were 'extremely frustrated and angry' with the situation.

Butter and skimmed milk powder (quoted by DDB/ZuivelNL) have increased by 57% and 48% respectively, and mozzarella (Trigona) by 46%.

Yet, the Northern Irish base milk price has only risen by 12 percent in the last six months.

It comes as farmers across the country witness increasing pressure due to rising feed, fuel and fertiliser prices.

UFU dairy chair Mervyn Gordon said: The UFU milk price indictor has shown that dairy markets are continuously improving, offering significantly better returns than what processors are paying their farmers.

"Theyre the primary producers but have yet to see the positive impact of rising commodity prices in the market which is completely unjust after such a long period of ongoing increases.

Mr Gordon said farmers had seen the data first-hand, showing the widening gap between market returns and the farmgate price theyre receiving from processors.

"Weve been inundated by calls from members who are supplying various processors about the unfair price theyre getting for their milk," he added.

"They want an explanation as to why the gap between the two is widening so substantially, as well as the opportunity to present a strong case for a more reflective milk price supported by the statistics."

Dairy processors have said that their pricing is being impacted by rising processing costs.

According to AHDB, the rise in energy costs and labour has increased the processing costs by 0.48ppl.

Going by these figures, Mr Gordon explained that NI dairy producers were "yet again being sold short".

"Theyre taking the hit to make up for the extra expense processing companies have to meet," he added.

"It will not be tolerated, especially when farm businesses are already under so much financial pressure.
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TOKYO, Feb 16, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi High-Tech Corporation ("Hitachi High-Tech") has announced that it is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Azerbaijan this year. As part of its exchange program to commemorate the "Year of Friendship between Japan and Azerbaijan 2022(1)", a total of four science lessons will be held online for students aged 8-13 in schools in Azerbaijan between February and November 2022. Hitachi High-Tech RUS Limited Liability Company (Hitachi High-Tech Russia, Moscow) are conducting online classes for schools in Azerbaijan, in which we plan to have students remotely control the tabletop electron microscope installed at the Hitachi High-Tech Head Office (Minato-ku, Tokyo), requiring all three locations to be connected simultaneously.By participating in this project, Hitachi High-Tech will contribute to developing the next-generation of scientific researchers by communicating the fun of science to students in Azerbaijan through the microscopic world.Schedule and host cities for Hitachi High-Tech online lessons:Friday 02/18/2022 - BakuFriday 05/20/2022 - ShamakhiFriday 07/08/2022 - BakuFriday 11/11/2022 - ShekiHitachi High-Tech's science outreach programThe Hitachi High-Tech Group has identified important issues to engage with in order to use its own businesses to address social issues based on the SDGs, a set of common rules and targets for the international community in the 21st century. One of these issues is "Contributing to the Sustained Development of Science and Industry." Hitachi High-Tech's core technologies of Observation, Measurement, and Analysis, which we have cultivated through our business operations, as well as our products that support the promotion of science education, contribute to developing the next generation of scientific researchers.The Hitachi High-Tech Group develops and sells cutting-edge tabletop electron microscopes that are compact while enabling sample observation and analysis with high magnification and precision. By using these to conduct lessons at elementary and junior high schools, along with lending them to science museums and exhibitions, the Hitachi High-Tech Group has offered schoolchildren the experience of being able to observe everyday items at the micro scale, and has provided science outreach programs to get more children interested in science since 2005.These activities are not just limited to Japan, with lessons being carried and equipment lent to educational institutions all over the world. They are now conducted in 28 countries around the world, with more than 240,000 children and students taking part(2). As part of the 2017 "Year of Japan in Ukraine(3)" and the 2018 "Year of Japan in Russia(4)", lessons and science events featuring tabletop electron microscopes were held for local students in commemoration. Opportunities for online science education support activities have increased since 2020, and online lessons were also offered as part of this commemorative exchange program.In the future, Hitachi High-Tech will continue to work on science outreach programs with various related organizations, contributing to solving educational issues and creating social and environmental value in order to develop the next generation of research and development personnel.(1) In 2022, Japan and Azerbaijan celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The "Year of Friendship" refers to the Year of Friendship between Japan and Azerbaijan, which aims to deepen the relationship between Azerbaijan and Japan by conducting exchange projects in various fields, such as culture, economy, and politics. For more information, please see the following page about the 2022 Year of Friendship between Japan and Azerbaijan.(2) Results for FY2005-2020(3) 2017 was the 25th year since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Ukraine so was designated as the "Year of Japan in Ukraine," with various cultural and exchange events held in Ukraine.(4) The "Year of Japan in Russia" and the "Year of Russia in Japan" were jointly held to promote increased people-to-people interaction between the two countries, with various events being held to introduce Japan across a wide range of fields.About Hitachi High-TechHitachi High-Tech, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is engaged in activities in a broad range of fields, including Analytical & Medical Solutions (manufacture and sales of clinical analyzers, biotechnology products, and analytical instruments), Nano-Technology Solutions (manufacture and sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and analysis equipment), and Industrial Solutions (providing high value-added solutions in fields of social & industrial infrastructures and mobility, etc.).The company's consolidated revenues for FY 2020 were approx. JPY 606.3 billion [USD 5.7 billion]. For further information, visit http://www.hitachi-hightech.com/global/Source: Hitachi, Ltd.Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Directors Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah chart Kanye Wests fascinating journey over 20 years in the new multi-part documentary, jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, which is being rolled out in installments on Netflix. (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Heres a collection of the best of whats arriving on TV and streaming services this week.

jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy

Directors Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah chart Kanye Wests fascinating journey over 20 years in the new multi-part documentary, jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, which is being rolled out in installments on Netflix. In part one, hitting Netflix on Wednesday, Ye is not yet famous and trying to make a name for himself, while his friends document his every move and his sweet relationship with his late mother Donda before his life changed with the release of College Dropout in 2004. Also coming to Netflix on Wednesday is a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in which Leatherface returns after 50 years to terrorize some new unlucky souls starring Eighth Grade breakout Elsie Fisher.

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Rachel Brosnahan and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel returns Friday for its pandemic-delayed fourth season on Amazon Prime Video. (AP)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel returns Friday for its pandemic-delayed fourth season on Amazon Prime Video, which means stand-up Miriam Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) can attempt her own comeback. When last seen shed been abruptly fired from a gig, but is ready to reclaim her mojo. You know whats great about me? Its when Im ME, she tells manager Susie (Alex Borstein). Every single show, Im gonna say exactly whats on my mind. The Emmy-winning series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino is reunion central for stars of her Gilmore Girls, with Kelly Bishop and, perhaps briefly, Milo Ventimiglia the latest alumni to join the Maisel fun.

Sundown

Tim Roth and Charlotte Gainsbourg star as members of a wealthy family on vacation at a luxurious resort near Acapulco in Michel Francos Sundown, which comes to VOD on Thursday. A family tragedy cuts the holiday short, but Roths character Neil stays behind, saying hes left his passport at the hotel. But it soon becomes clear he has no intention of going back to real life. The film is intentionally withholding with the most basic information, but Franco does a tremendous job balancing beachside ennui with escalating tension. Its The White Lotus meets Somewhere.

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The Kings Man

Matthew Vaughn continues his Kingsman series with a prequel, The Kings Man, which is every bit as manic, vulgar and violent as the others, but now just based in and around World War I and starring the always delightful Ralph Fiennes. It is a marked improvement over the off-the-walls sequel in which Julianne Moore feeds someone a human burger that shes freshly ground and grilled herself, but also straddles the uneasy line of using a real historic context for its own irreverent sensibility. But you can decide for yourself when it comes to Hulu on Friday.

Lincolns Dilemma, out Friday on Apple TV+, promises to examine a complicated man in the context of his time. (ALEXANDER GARDNER, Associated Press)

Lincolns Dilemma

A little attention, please, to two of the presidents who make possible a three-day weekend for a grateful America. Lincolns Dilemma, out Friday on Apple TV+, promises to examine a complicated man in the context of his time and tell the story of those caught in slavery. Jeffrey Wright is the narrator with Bill Camp voicing Abraham Lincoln and Leslie Odom Jr. as abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Skip to the 20th century for CNNs LBJ: Triumph and Tragedy, a two-part documentary on Lyndon Baines Johnson airing at 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Feb. 20 and 21. Archival broadcast material, audio tapes of the president and interviews with those close to him tell the story of Johnsons groundbreaking social policies and wartime disaster.

Harold Perrineau (Getty Images)

Harold Perrineau in From

Actor Harold Perrineau of Lost had luck with a single-word titled series before, so maybe the combo sci-fi and horror series From will follow suit. Characters in the Epix drama debuting Sunday are anything but fortunate: Trapped in a middle American town described as nightmarish, they also face scary creatures who emerge after dark from surrounding woods. There are Lost alumni among the producers as well, Jack Bender and Jeff Pinker. The ensemble cast headed by Perrineau includes Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey and Hannah Cheramy.

AP writers Lynn Elber and Lindsey Bahr contributed to this report.
To meet robustly growing demand, we will continuously implement facility investments

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo; President: Yasuhiko Saitoh) will implement over 80 billion in facility investments for its silicones business, one of its main businesses, with the aim of further expanding and strengthening this business.

As a result of the announcement in September 2018 concerning its facility investment plan of 110 billion for its silicones business, Shin-Etsu Chemical increased its production capacity of silicone monomer, the intermediate material of silicones, at its two bases in Japan and Thailand by about 1.5 times, compared to the previous level. We have implemented appropriate investments so far in this downstream area of our silicones business. However, because there is very strong demand from customers mainly for advanced functional products, we are going to further increase our production capacity in this business field as a result of this new facility investment. Shin-Etsu has already stated that it will strengthen the development of new silicone products and put the emphasis in our products structure on so-called specialty products. This new facility investment plan is aimed at strengthening this business strategy, and the investment amount is expected to exceed 80 billion. By these means, we will meet the vigorously increasing demand for these products, and at the same time, we will be able to strengthen our stable supply system.

Our new facility investments will increase our production capacity of highly diversified types of silicone fluids, resins and rubber end products. In addition, we will go forward with our endeavors toward contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact and to the development of advanced technologies such as by introducing equipment for molding silicone rubber that does not require post cure and by introducing trial production equipment for Micro LED-related materials, which will improve productivity and save energy. This new series of facility investments will be implemented centering around our plants in Japan, starting with our main plant, the Gunma Complex in Gunma Prefecture, as well as the Takefu Plant in Fukui Prefecture and the Naoetsu Plant in Niigata Prefecture. We aim to sequentially complete these capacity-expansion projects and begin operations by 2025.

Shin-Etsu Chemical will contribute to the realization of the sustainability of society by striving to enhance our ability to contribute to the solutions of various societal and customer issues by developing and supplying silicone products that have high-added value through making use of the knowhow and technological strengths that we have accumulated up to now.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220215006235/en/

Contacts:

For inquiries about this matter, please contact:

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

Public Relations Dept., Tetsuya Koishikawa

TEL: 03-6812-2340, or from outside Japan: 81-3-6812-2340

FAX: 03-6812-2341, or from outside Japan: 81-3-6812-2341

e-mail: sec-pr@shinetsu.jp
Zbooni releases new global website, app and dashboard aligned with geographic expansion

CAIRO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zbooni, MENA's leading cCommerce platform, has announced its official launch in Egypt. The rapidly scaling start-up, which is backed by regional and global investors, will support the backbone of the Egyptian economy by providing digital commerce tools for the estimated 3.5 million small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) across the country.

'cCommerce', (connected commerce) enables businesses to sell more through popular chat apps, like WhatsApp and Telegram. Businesses can convert conversations into transactions through sharing of real-time shopping baskets and payment links. With more than 50 million social media users in Egypt, Zbooni provides an opportunity for businesses across the country to capture orders, accept payments, and sell more, while tracking everything. The average cCommerce cart is 2.7 times bigger than traditional eCommerce and conversion rates are 20 times higher than eCommerce.

Ashraf Atia, co-founder and COO of Zbooni said, "We're excited to launch in Egypt and pioneer cCommerce with inspiring Egyptian entrepreneurs and businesses. As an Egyptian-American who has lived and worked across the region, it's humbling to be able to bring new tech solutions to my home country. With the help of our key partner JumiaPay and National Bank of Egypt, we expect to support thousands of Egyptian businesses to sell more with Zbooni in 2022."

Zbooni's launch in Egypt signals continued growth for the company which has previously opened regional offices in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and currently serves a merchant base of more than 6,000 businesses. In September 2021, Zbooni completed a $9.5mn Series A funding round to fast-track its expansion across the region, develop new products and hire key new team members.

In December 2021, Zbooni signed a payment partnership with JumiaPay, Egypt's rapidly growing payments platform which is a part of major e-commerce company Jumia Group. The agreement enables payments across Zbooni's cCommerce platform through JumiaPay's payment gateway. It will allow businesses across Egypt to benefit from using Zbooni's proprietary cCommerce tools to interact and engage with customers, with the safety and security of transactions being processed through JumiaPay.

Advantages of cCommerce include being able to do business through popular chat and social apps with no need for the customer to download any additional apps or build their own website eCommerce carts. It simplifies purchasing and enables quicker, mobile-first transactions which are also entirely secure as the business is PCI DSS (payment card industry data security standard) compliant. Zbooni uses advanced machine learning and AI (artificial intelligence) tools to protect merchants and customers, ensuring robust KYC ('know your customer'), AML (anti-money laundering), and fraud prevention via World-Check.

About Zbooni

Zbooni was founded in 2016 and provides tools and solutions that empower businesses to capture orders, accept payments, sell more, and track every order. The company was incubated at Facebook, one of only a handful of global businesses to receive such access and support from the social media giant. Its merchant app went live in 2018, developing to its current robust platform as the MENA region's pioneer in cCommerce.

Through the power of one-to-one conversation, Zbooni enables businesses to convert customer interactions into transactions via social and messaging apps. In this way, Zbooni is reinventing how businesses seamlessly transition into the new era of "cCommerce".

Zbooni has grown rapidly to a team of 45 people across regional offices in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. The business serves over 6,000 merchants across the MENA region, powering transactions for hundreds of thousands of customers and sales of over $5mn per month. In September 2021, the business completed its $9.5mn Series A funding round, targeting geographical expansion, product development and strategic team hiring.

For more information about Zbooni, visit www.zbooni.com

Download the app via the Google Play Store or Apple App Store .

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747846/Ashraf_Atia_COO_Zbooni.jpg
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 16, 2022) - DIGIMAX GLOBAL INC. (CSE: DIGI) (the "Company" or "DigiMax") is pleased to announce that it has launched its new mobile app version of CryptoHawk AI on Apple and Google App stores around the globe.





New "Freemium" Subscription Also Launched

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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CryptoHawk AI is one of the most comprehensive crypto investing insight tools available in the market today. Bringing free access to this insight means that anyone on the planet can access Artificial Intelligence to help them make better investing decisions.

CryptoHawk AI provides three sets of trading insights providing benefits to virtually any type of trader or investor that includes:

LONG-SHORT - provides buy and sell recommendations hourly for BTC and ETH

TREND WATCH - provides swing-trade buy and sell opportunities over a multi-week basis for 10 larger market cap cryptocurrencies

ALTCOIN RADAR - assesses unusual volume and sentiment activity toward up to 200 coins that are below the top 100 market cap coins and alerts traders when this occurs.

Following a soft launch last week, CryptoHawk AI is so far enjoying a 4.9 and 5.0 rating on Apple and Google App stores, respectively, with more than 100 positive ratings and reviews combined.

CryptoHawk AI is available on Apple App Store and Google Play or through the web at www.cryptohawk.ai

The App is now available in three versions: Freemium, Smart Plan, and Pro Plan.

Further, the AI supporting the Long-Short predictions has been updated to include additional database correlations and input, which has decreased the number of such calls and also increased the accuracy and timing.

"CryptoHawk AI is a game-changer that elevates cryptocurrency investing opportunities to a larger population", - says DigiMax CTO Thierry Hubert. "Whether cryptocurrency prices are rising or falling, using artificial intelligence assists any investor in confirming their own theories, or developing new trading strategies. Artificial intelligence will continue to produce a less biased and more accurate set of trading data indicators than an individual can do on their own, or simply by using technical analysis."

About DigiMax

DigiMax is an Artificial Intelligence technology company committed to unlocking the potential of disruptive technologies by providing advanced financial, predictive, and cryptocurrency solutions across various verticals. DigiMax is an official IBM partner, and the Company's engineering team has extensive experience in Machine Learning, Neural Language Processing, AI, Big Data, and Cryptocurrency technology.

To learn more, visit our website: https://digimaxglobal.com/

Contact: (833) - DIGIMAX (833-344-4629)

Thierry Hubert

Chief Technology Officer

(833) 344-4629 x701

thubert@digimax-global.com

Chris Carl

President & CEO

(833) 344-4629 x700

ccarl@digimax-global.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE, NOR THEIR REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: anticipate, intend, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, estimate, expect, strategy, future, likely, may, should, will and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements we make regarding the Company's future plans, expectations and objectives.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the adequacy of our cash flow and earnings, the availability of future financing and/or credit, and other conditions which may affect our ability to expand the platforms and software described herein, the level of demand and financial performance of the cryptocurrency industry, developments and changes in laws and regulations, including increased regulation of the cryptocurrency industry through legislative action and revised rules and standards applied by the Canadian Securities Administrators, Ontario Securities Commission, and/or other similar regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions, disruptions to our technology network including computer systems, software and cloud data, or other disruptions of our operating systems, structures or equipment, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in disclosure documents filed by the Company with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. There is no assurance that the purchase of MADA will be completed upon the terms stated above or at all or that the Company will be able to successfully enforce payment of amounts advanced by it under the Note in the event of a default thereunder.

Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/113904
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - AstraZeneca (AZN.L, AZN) said that the European Commission has approved Saphnelo (anifrolumab) as an add-on therapy for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe, active autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus, despite receiving standard therapy. The approval follows the recommendation by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency in December 2021. Saphnelo is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to subunit 1 of the type I IFN receptor, blocking the activity of type I IFN. Type I IFNs, such as IFN-alpha, IFN-beta and IFN-kappa, are cytokines involved in regulating the inflammatory pathways implicated in systemic lupus erythematosus. Saphnelo was recently approved in the US, Japan and Canada for the treatment of SLE, and regulatory reviews are ongoing in additional countries. Systemic lupus erythematosus is a serious and complex autoimmune condition that can affect any organ, and patients often experience inadequate disease control, long-term organ damage and poor health-related quality of life. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on the " "Global Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies Market Trends, Clinical Trial/Pipeline Analysis, Funding Analysis, Industry Competition Analysis, Revenue and Forecast To 2030."

According to the latest research report, the global regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies market is expected to reach US$ 1,138.6 million by 2030, with a CAGR of 52.8% during the forecast period of 2025-2030. Currently, no approved marketed product is available in the global market for Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies, and the first product in the market is expected to get launched in 2024-2025.

Request for Sample Pages:https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1200

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a specialized subset of immune cells that can suppress the immune response and help maintain homeostasis and self-tolerance. Many preclinical studies have shown that Tregs can inhibit T cell proliferation cytokine production and play an essential role in controlling autoimmune responses. The growth of the regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies market can be attributed to various factors, such as the high prevalence of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, the growing geriatric population, increasing awareness among people about healthcare & wellness, the emergence of new techniques such as next-generation T-cells immunotherapy, rising healthcare expenditure, and increasing R&D investments to innovate adoptive Treg therapies.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged researchers to invest more in decoding the innovative applications of T-cell therapies in viral infection research. For instance, in December 2020, Miltenyi Biotec (Germany) launched new all-in-one kits for the efficient stimulation and functional analysis of SARS-CoV-2?reactive T cells. Developed for rapid detection in PBMC samples after stimulation with the SARS-CoV-2 PepTivator Peptide Pools released earlier this year, the kits represent decades worth of experience in developing solutions for virus-specific T cell research. Hence, the increasing R&D activities are projected to offer new opportunities for the growth of the regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies market in the next few years.

However, the complex manufacturing of regulatory T-cell immunotherapies, the high cost of Treg therapies, and the few side effects of these therapies are anticipated to hamper the market adoption over the forecast years.

Region-wise, the Asia Pacific region is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period (2025-2030) due to the government's increasing research funding and investments, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and the fast adoption of advanced drug development and therapy techniques in this region.

Request for ToC/Proposal:https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/global-regulatory-t-cell--tregs-therapies-market/1200

Major market players operating in the regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies market include Abata Therapeutics (US), Cellenkos Inc (US), Coya Therapeutics (US), Roche (Switzerland), Caladrius Biosciences (US), Sonoma Biotherapeutics (US), Nektar Therapeutics (US), Eli Lilly and Company (US), REGiMMUNE (US), Miltenyi Biotec (Germany), TeraImmune (US), TRACT Therapeutics (US), VT Bio (South Korea), Amgen (US), Sangamo Therapeutics (TxCell) (US), Pfizer Inc. (US), PolTREG S.A.. (Poland), Parvus Therapeutics (Canada), ILTOO Pharma (France), Philogen S.p.A. (Italy), Celgene (US), AHEAD THERAPEUTICS S.L. (Spain) among others.

Key developments in the market:

In July 2021 , the U.S. FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation to Coya Therapeutics's ALS001, an autologous, expanded Treg cell therapy in development to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

, the U.S. FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation to Coya Therapeutics's ALS001, an autologous, expanded Treg cell therapy in development to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In February 2021 , Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (US) merged with Nicoya Health, Inc. It raised $10 million in Series A financing from institutional and accredited investors to advance the pipeline of regulatory T cell therapeutics optimized for neurodegeneration and autoimmune diseases.

, Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (US) merged with Nicoya Health, Inc. It raised in Series A financing from institutional and accredited investors to advance the pipeline of regulatory T cell therapeutics optimized for neurodegeneration and autoimmune diseases. In May 2021 , Nektar Therapeutics (US) announced the first publication of NKTR-358, a first-in-class composition of stable PEG conjugates of native IL-2 designed to selectively stimulate expansion and selective function of T regulatory cells, in the journal of translational autoimmunity. NKTR-358 is in the development for the treatment of a range of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.

, Nektar Therapeutics (US) announced the first publication of NKTR-358, a first-in-class composition of stable PEG conjugates of native IL-2 designed to selectively stimulate expansion and selective function of T regulatory cells, in the journal of translational autoimmunity. NKTR-358 is in the development for the treatment of a range of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. In November 2020 , the U.S FDA approved TRACT Therapeutics's investigational drug candidate, TRK-001, for its potential to reduce organ rejection following solid organ transplantation.

Market Segments

Global Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies Market, by Target Indication, 2025-2030 (Valu US$ Mn)

Crohn Disease

Bipolar Disorder

Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis

COVID 19

Diabetes Mellitus

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Alzheimer Disease

Graft Vs Host Disease

Global Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies Market, by Products, 2025-2030 (Valu US$ Mn)

Tregs

Interleukin 2

Monoclonal Antibodies

Small Molecules

Other Products

Global Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies Market, by Region, 2025-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

North America Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies Market, by Country, 2025-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

U.S.

Canada

Europe Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies Market, by Country, 2025-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies Market, by Country, 2025-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

India

China

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Latin America Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies Market, by Country, 2025-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

The Middle East & Africa Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies Market, by Country, 2025-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Why should buy this report:

To receive a comprehensive clinical trial/pipeline analysis of the prospects for the global regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies market

To receive an industry overview and future product launch trends of the regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies market

To analyze the regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies market drivers and challenges

To get information on the regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies market size (Value US$ Mn) forecast to 2030

Significant investments, mergers & acquisitions in the regulatory T-cells (Tregs) therapies market industry

For More Information @https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1200

Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic:

Global Immuno-Oncology Cell Therapy Market

Global Allogeneic Cell Therapies Market

Global CAR T-Cell Therapy For Multiple Myeloma Market

Global CD Targeted Cell Therapy Market

About Us:

InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain a competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets, and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Contact Us:

Priyanka Tilekar

InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd.

Asia: +91 79 72967118

Tel: +1 551 226 6109

Email: info@insightaceanalytic.com

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LONDON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Japanese chef Natsuko Shoji of Ete in Tokyo is the 2022 recipient of the Asia's Best Female Chef Award. Voted for by the members of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Academy, the award provides an opportunity for successful women to be celebrated, whose dedication, skills and creativity set new standards in gastronomic excellence.

Shoji will be honoured as part of the 10th annual Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, broadcast globally on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Facebook page and YouTube channel, on Tuesday, 29th March.

William Drew, Director of Content for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, says: "Natsuko Shoji's elegant dishes reveal her respect for seasonality, attention to detail and creative vision, making her a worthy recipient of the Asia's Best Female Chef Award. With her brilliant aptitude for blending fashion and gastronomy, the chef's creations embody the artistry of Japanese cuisine."

Shoji began her career at Florilege, the Tokyo restaurant that has been a high-flier on recent Asia's 50 Best Restaurants lists. In 2014, Shoji opened Ete, a modest tart shop in Tokyo's Shibuya neighbourhood, later transforming the space into a four-seat, invitation-only restaurant.

Drawing inspiration from iconic fashion houses, Chef Shoji developed a line of signature cakes, including her sought-after strawberry cake that takes its cues from Louis Vuitton's Damier print. While the cake shop earned near-immediate global attention, Shoji was also honing her culinary craft at the intimate restaurant, whose profile steadily rose in Tokyo's competitive dining scene. Ete earned acclaim from both celebrities (David Beckham) and renowned chefs, including Rene Redzepi and Ferran Adria. Shoji's status as one of the culinary world's emerging stars was confirmed when she was named the 2020 recipient of the Asia's Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by Valrhona.

In December 2019, Ete expanded to a six-seat restaurant, allowing Shoji to welcome diners into her exclusive eatery and personally serve her guests. The chef's 10-course seasonal menu embraces both savoury and sweet dishes and showcases her meticulous approach and highly creative execution.

Accepting the honour, Shoji says: "I'm deeply grateful for this award and would like to express my gratitude to the people who have supported me. I hope to be a role model to other female chefs in Japan and trust this award will motivate them to follow their passions."

Media centre access

https://mediacentre.theworlds50best.com/

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- New in-vitro diagnostic kits help patients fight cancer in the EU -

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), a leading medical genetics company, today announced the availability of FusionPlex Dx and LiquidPlex Dx in Europe, part of its industry-leading Anchored Multiplex PCR chemistry in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) products. Invitae is delivering essential high quality innovation for precision oncology in the fight against cancer.

With this announcement, Invitae provides the highest quality CE-IVD products to enable European pathologists and oncologists to efficiently provide vital information, in a timely manner, to guide cancer therapy for patients.

"This is a major step toward our mission to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine," said Vishal Sikri, President of Oncology at Invitae. "Our best in class FusionPlex and LiquidPlex tests will enable more patients access to the right cancer therapies at the right time, which is especially critical in Europe where the majority of molecular testing is performed locally in decentralized hospital settings."

In line with ESMO guidelines for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Invitae's FusionPlex Dx and LiquidPlex Dx allow comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and companion diagnostic (CDx) use for solid tumor neoplasms including NSCLC in tissue biopsy and where tissue is a limiting factor. The panels are intended to be used on Illumina's Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms for IVD testing.

"Increasing patient access to content on our instrument fleet through partnerships such as those with Invitae speaks to our mission to improve human health by unlocking the power of the genome," said Joydeep Goswami, Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer at Illumina. "We congratulate Invitae on its first CE-IVD cancer testing kits, a significant milestone."

FusionPlex Dx identifies structural variants including fusions in RNA derived from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor specimens. FusionPlex Dx covers multiple actionable variants in a 41-gene panel to provide CGP for patients with solid malignant neoplasms. FusionPlex Dx is intended to be used as a CDx to aid in identifying patients diagnosed with NSCLC with mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) exon 14 (METex14) skipping alterations, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusions, ros proto-oncogene 1, receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1) fusions, ret proto-oncogene (RET) fusions, neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 1-3 (NTRK1, NTRK2, NTRK3) fusions, and for whom treatment with a targeted therapy may be beneficial.

LiquidPlex Dx identifies substitutions and insertion-deletion mutations in cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) isolated from plasma derived from whole blood of cancer patients (liquid biopsy). LiquidPlex Dx interrogates 29 genes to provide CGP for patients with solid malignant neoplasms. LiquidPlex Dx is intended to be used as a CDx to aid in identifying patients diagnosed with NSCLC with METex14 skipping alterations, and for whom treatment with a targeted therapy may be beneficial.

"With Invitae's simplified workflow and reporting solutions, both tests will enable any facility with sequencing technology, combined with our solutions, to accurately profile solid tumors using tissue or blood samples for therapy selection," said Sikri. "Precision medicine has increasingly delivered better outcomes for many cancer patients over the last several years. Molecular pathology has never been more important as the fight against cancer shifts towards precision oncology and targeted therapies based on genomic testing. Yet globally, access to the exponentially increasing therapy options is not guaranteed."

About Invitae

Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) is a leading medical genetics company, whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website at invitae.com .

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the availability, features and potential impact of the company's products; the company's belief that its tests will enable more patients access to the right therapies at the right time; and the company's beliefs regarding the shift towards precision oncology and the importance of genomic testing. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the company's history of losses; the company's ability to compete; the company's failure to manage growth effectively; the company's need to scale its infrastructure in advance of demand for its tests and to increase demand for its tests; the company's ability to use rapidly changing genetic data to interpret test results accurately and consistently; security breaches, loss of data and other disruptions; laws and regulations applicable to the company's business; and the other risks set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Invitae Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

pr@invitae.com

(628) 213-3283

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Written from the life, wisdom and experiences of Ingrid Arlington, 'Kinky Roots' is an uplifting, poignant and reflective journey alongside the author. From a tumultuous upbringing in Zimbabwe, where violence and assault was rife - to Ingrid meeting her husband in South Africa before starting an arduous new life in the UK. It's a story that explores how identity, excuses, religion, relationships, self-worth and family heritage all ultimately lay life's crazy pathway.

LONDON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When Ingrid Arlington looks back on her life, it's been a rollercoaster defined by adversity, poor relationships with men, a move to the other side of the world - and some bold life lessons that have ultimately made Arlington a fearlessly strong woman.

In her new memoir, 'Kinky Roots', Arlington invites readers to step alongside her as they rise from the ashes of loss and harassment in Zimbabwe, to a new life in the UK. No step has been without its challenges, yet Arlington steadfastly defines each as a vital part of her story.

"I started re-evaluating my life when I hit unemployment rock bottom in the UK," explains the author. "It was a very raw process of questioning myself and my identity and reliving my tough upbringing in Zimbabwe - a place where my mother chose her new husband over me, and where I'd been harassed by the age of fourteen. I took a long, hard look at how I'd always chosen controlling men, and felt powerless in every relationship I'd gotten into. As I unraveled things, I began to figure out who I really am."

Continuing, "My biggest life change was meeting my white husband in race-tense South Africa, only to find him relapsing on a drug habit - fiercely challenging my Christian upbringing. After our separation, I began to mull over everything from excuses, my beliefs, biases around religion, the LGBTQ community, my emotions and how music connects it all - and the definitions I devised are now all shared in this volume". It's going to leave people with plenty to think about.

Reviews have been extremely positive. AM Publishers writes, "Engrossing, strikingly honest, reflective piece."

Authorsreading.com, "a feisty and delightfully irreverent memoir" and James Sparkman Jr called it, "Raw and authentic."

A Bibliophiles Book Blog, "I loved the way this book was written! The warmth and friendliness of her tone really invites you into her story. 7/10"

"A brilliant account of challenges faced by a girl child." Amazon Customer

With the volume's demand increasing, interested readers are urged to secure their copies without delay.

'Kinky Roots' is now available at Waterstones and Barnes and Noble. Get it wherever you buy your books online or request it from your bookstore.

More details: https://linktr.ee/ingrid_arlington

About the Author:

She is a wife and mum to two adorable Jack Russell's. Cybersecurity consulting is her daily vocation, and her ideal day is spent in her pj's with a bottomless cup of tea.

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DGAP-News: First Hydrogen Corp. / Key word(s): Agreement

FIRST HYDROGEN AND CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY SIGN HYDROGEN COLLABORATION AGREEMENT



16.02.2022 / 00:00

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



For Immediate Release TSXV/FHYD/OTC/FHYDF/FSE/FIT



FIRST HYDROGEN AND CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY SIGN HYDROGEN COLLABORATION AGREEMENT Vancouver, B.C., February 16, 2022 - Vancouver, British Columbia - First Hydrogen Corp. ("FIRST HYDROGEN" or the "Company") (TSXV: FHYD) (OTC: FHYDF) (FSE: FIT) is pleased to announce its' subsidiary First Hydrogen Limited has entered into a Research and Collaboration Agreement for an initial 5-year period with the University of Cambridge (the "University") in the United Kingdom. The collaboration with the University of Cambridge has as its centrepiece, the joint development of hydrogen related technologies to unlock the hydrogen economy with particular focus on the automotive industry, hydrogen production and fuel distribution industries. The University of Cambridge team will be led by Professor Seamus Higson of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, a world leading institution in energy transition and the department that first developed the hydrogen fuel cell, which was subsequently used in the Apollo moon missions. The initial project which First Hydrogen will be developing with the University is an AI software learning tool to harvest user and supplier information related to hydrogen usage to better inform hydrogen business cases and help direct the significant investments into hydrogen mobility and related infrastructure. This dynamic tool is expected to be a source of additional revenues for First Hydrogen and to give the Company a unique data advantage to help it develop its own technology and infrastructure in the hydrogen sector. Professor Higson said: "I am delighted to have reached an agreement to work with First Hydrogen in a field where we see huge growth and a conversion of the automotive industry to full scale adoption of hydrogen as a primary fuel source. This collaboration between my university and First Hydrogen also contributes to the United Kingdom leading the way to decarbonisation and reaching our ambitious net zero targets."



Nicholas Wrigley, Chairman of First Hydrogen UK said: "We are very pleased to announce this industrial and commercial partnership with Professor Higson and such a prestigious and world-renowned university as the University of Cambridge. The engineering teams within the University are leading the way to decarbonising our futures and their World class researchers will help First Hydrogen become a leading player in the hydrogen automotive and technology businesses." Professor Clemens Kaminski, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge, says: "This partnership exemplifies the opportunities that can arise when academia combines with commercial entities. The hydrogen economy is rapidly evolving, and this project offers an excellent opportunity to solve industrial problems and reduce impact on the environment. I am absolutely delighted that this venture is going ahead." About First Hydrogen Corp.

First Hydrogen Corp. is a Vancouver and London UK based company focused on zero-emission vehicles and supercritical carbon dioxide extractor systems. The company is designing and developing a hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered light commercial demonstrator vehicle under two agreements with AVL Powertrain and Ballard Power Systems Inc. The LCV will have a range of 500+ kilometres. First Hydrogen is developing refueling capability working with FEV Consulting GmbH, the internal automotive consultancy of FEV Group of Aachen Germany.



On behalf of the Board of Directors of FIRST HYDROGEN CORP. "Balraj Mann" Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Contacts: North America

Balraj Mann

First Hydrogen Corp.

604-601-2018

investors@firsthydrogen.com Europe

Nicholas Wrigley

First Hydrogen Limited

+44 7917-114434

Nicholas.Wrigley@firsthydrogen.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains information or statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Forward looking information may include, without limitation, statements regarding the operations, business, financial condition, expected financial results, performance, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, ongoing objectives, milestones, strategies and outlook of First Hydrogen, and includes statements about, among other things, future developments and the future operations, strengths and strategies of First Hydrogen. Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. The forward-looking statements made in this news release are based on management's assumptions and analysis and other factors that may be drawn upon by management to form conclusions and make forecasts or projections, including management's experience and assessments of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Although management believes that these assumptions, analyses and assessments are reasonable at the time the statements contained in this news release are made, actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Examples of risks and factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from forward-looking statements may include: the timing and unpredictability of regulatory actions; regulatory, legislative, legal or other developments with respect to its operations or business; limited marketing and sales capabilities; early stage of the industry and product development; limited products; reliance on third parties; unfavourable publicity or consumer perception; general economic conditions and financial markets; the impact of increasing competition; the loss of key management personnel; capital requirements and liquidity; access to capital; the timing and amount of capital expenditures; the impact of COVID-19; shifts in the demand for First Hydrogen's products and the size of the market; patent law reform; patent litigation and intellectual property; conflicts of interest; and general market and economic conditions. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of First Hydrogen as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. First Hydrogen undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICE PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

16.02.2022 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


TAALERI PLC STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 16 FEBRUARY 2022 AT 10:00 EET

Taaleri Plc: Notice to the Annual General Meeting

Date 6 April 2022 at 10 a.m.

Place Taaleri Plc's headquarters, Kasarmikatu 21 B, 00130 Helsinki, Finland

The shareholders of Taaleri Plc are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting to be held on Wednesday, 6 April 2022 at 10 a.m. at Taaleri Plc's headquarters, Kasarmikatu 21 B, 00130 Helsinki, Finland.

Based on the temporary deviation Act (375/2021) in force from 8 May 2021, Taaleri Plc's Board of Directors has decided that the Annual General Meeting of Taaleri Plc is organized so that shareholders or their proxy holders may not participate in the General Meeting in person at the meeting venue. The company's shareholders and their proxy holders may participate in the General Meeting and exercise their shareholder rights only by voting in advance and by submitting counterproposals and asking questions in advance. Instructions for shareholders are provided in section C: Instructions for the participants in the General Meeting.

A. MATTERS ON THE AGENDA OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

1.Opening of the Meeting

2.Calling the meeting to order

Attorney Marko Vuori will serve as chairperson of the meeting. In the event Marko Vuori is prevented from serving as the chairperson for a weighty reason, the Board of Directors will appoint the person they deem the most suitable to serve as the chairperson.

3.Election of persons to scrutinize the minutes and supervise the counting of votes

The Company's General Counsel Janne Koikkalainen will scrutinize the minutes and supervise the counting of the votes. In the event Janne Koikkalainen is prevented from scrutinizing the minutes and supervising the counting of the votes for a weighty reason, the Board of Directors will appoint the person they deem the most suitable to scrutinize the minutes and supervise the counting of the votes.

4.Recording the legality of the Meeting

5.Recording the attendance at the Meeting and adoption of list of votes

Shareholders who have voted in advance within the advance voting period and who are entitled to participate in the General Meeting in accordance with Chapter 5, Sections 6 and 6a of the Limited Liability Companies Act will be deemed shareholders participating in the meeting. The list of votes will be adopted according to the information provided by Euroclear Finland Ltd.

6.Presentation of the financial statements, the report of the Board of Directors and the Auditor's report for 2021

As participation in the General Meeting is possible only by voting in advance, the company's annual accounts, the report of the Board of Directors and the auditor's report published on 16 March 2021 at the latest, are deemed to have been presented to the General Meeting.

7.Adoption of the financial statements

8.Resolution on the use of profit shown on the balance sheet and distribution of a dividend

The Board of Directors proposes that a dividend of EUR 1.20 per share be paid based on the balance sheet adopted for the financial year ended 31 December 2021. The proposed dividend is based on a dividend of EUR 0.40 of profit from continuing operations and a dividend of EUR 0.80 of profit from the sales of the asset management business. The dividend will be paid to shareholders who on the dividend record date of 8 April 2022 are entered as shareholders in the company's shareholder register held by Euroclear Finland Ltd. The Board of Directors proposes that the dividend be paid on 20 April 2022.

9.Resolution on the discharge from liability of members of the Board of Directors and the CEOs from the accounting period 1 January 2021 - 31 December 2021

10. Considerationof the Remuneration Report

The Remuneration Report for governing bodies available at the latest 16 March 2022 on the company's website https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings (https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings) is considered. As participation in the General Meeting is possible only by voting in advance, the Remuneration Report published is deemed to have been presented to the General Meeting.

11.Resolution on the remuneration of members of the Board of Directors

The Shareholders' Nomination Board proposes that the members of the Board of Directors be paid annual remuneration as follows:

- Chairman of the Board EUR 55,000 per year,

- Deputy Chairman of the Board EUR 41,000 per year,

- Chairman of the Audit Committee EUR 41,000 per year,

- Member of the Board EUR 35,000 per year.

The Shareholders' Nomination Board proposes concerning the Audit Committee that the members of the Audit Committee will be paid a meeting-specific fee of EUR 1,000 to the Chairman of the Audit Committee and EUR 500 to each other member of the Audit Committee.

The annual remuneration will cover the entire term of office and Committee work.

The Shareholders' Nomination Board proposes additionally that travel and accommodation expenses of the members are paid against invoices when the meeting of the Board of Directors and the Committees takes place outside members' domicile.

12.Resolution on the number of members of the Board of Directors

The Shareholders' Nomination Board proposes that the number of the members of the Board of Directors be confirmed as six (6).

13.Election of the members of the Board of Directors

The Shareholders' Nomination Board proposes that the current members of Board of Directors, Elina Bjorklund, Petri Castren, Juhani Elomaa, Hanna Maria Sievinen and Tuomas Syrjanen, be re-elected to the Board of Directors. Further, the Shareholders' Nomination Board proposes that Jouni Takakarhu be elected as new member of the Board.

The term of office of members of the Board of Directors expires at the end of the Annual General Meeting that follows their election.

The above-mentioned nominees have agreed to their membership of the Board of Directors.

The Shareholders' Nomination Board has evaluated the Board nominees' independence based on the Corporate Governance Code issued by the Finnish Securities Market Association in 2020. According to the evaluation carried out by the Shareholders' Nomination Board, all Board nominees are independent of the company, except Juhani Elomaa who has had a service contract with Taaleri Plc. in the last three years on a non-temporary basis, and all Board nominees are independent of major shareholders of the company.

Board nominee Jouni Takakarhu is presented in the CV attached to this notice to the General Meeting, and proposed current members of the Board of Directors are presented on Taaleri's website:

https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/board-of-directors-and-committees (https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/board-of-directors-and-committees).

14.Election of the chairman and deputy chairman of the Board of Directors

The Shareholders' Nomination Board proposes that Juhani Elomaa be elected as the chairman of the Board of Directors.

The Shareholders' Nomination Board proposes that Hanna Maria Sievinen be elected as a deputy chairman of the Board of Directors.

15.Resolution on the remuneration of the auditor

Based on the proposal prepared by the Audit Committee, the Board of Directors proposes that the remuneration of the auditor be paid against invoices approved by the Audit Committee.

16.Election of the auditor

Based on the proposal prepared by the Audit Committee, the Board of Directors proposes that Ernst & Young Oy, a firm of authorised public accounts, be re-elected as the company's auditor for a term ending at the close of the next Annual General Meeting.

Ernst & Young Oy has announced that Johanna Winqvist-Ilkka, Authorised Public Accountant, would act as the auditor with principal responsibility.

17.Authorising the Board of Directors to decide on the purchase of the company's treasury shares

The Board of Directors proposes that it be authorised to decide on the purchase of the company's own shares using assets belonging to unrestricted equity on the following conditions:

Up to 2,000,000 shares may be purchased, corresponding to 7.05 per cent of all the company's shares. The purchase may be made in one or more instalments.

The purchase price per share shall be the price given on the Helsinki Stock Exchange or another market-based price.

The shares may be acquired to develop the company's capital structure, to finance or implement corporate acquisitions, investments or other arrangements related to the company's business operations, to be used as part of the company's incentive scheme, or to be cancelled if justified from the point of view of the company and its shareholders.

The authorisation issued to the Board of Directors includes the right to decide whether the shares will be acquired in a private placement or in proportion to the shares owned by shareholders. The acquisition may take place through private placement only if there is a weighty financial reason for it from the company's perspective.

The Board of Directors has the right to decide on other matters concerning the purchase of shares.

This authorisation is valid for 18 months from the date of the close of the Annual General Meeting.

This authorisation cancels the authorisation to purchase the company's own shares issued at the General Meeting of 25 March 2021.

18.Authorising the Board of Directors to decide on share issue and the issuance of option rights and other special rights entitling to shares

?The Board of Directors proposes that it be authorised to decide on the issue of new shares and the assignment of treasury shares in the possession of the company and/or the issuance of option rights or other special rights entitling to shares, as referred to in Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Finnish Companies Act, on the following terms:



The Board of Directors may pursuant to authorization issue new shares and assign treasury shares in the possession of the company up to a maximum of 2,500,000 shares, corresponding to 8.82 per cent of all the company's shares.

The new shares may be issued and the treasury shares possessed by the company may be assigned and/or option rights or other special rights entitling to shares may be issued to the company's shareholders in proportion to their ownership of shares or deviating from the shareholder's pre-emptive subscription right in a private placement, if there is a weighty financial reason for it from the point of view of the company, such as using the shares as consideration in potential corporate acquisitions or other arrangements that are part of the company's business operations, or to finance investments or as part of the company's incentive scheme.

The Board of Directors may also decide on a free-of-charge share issue to the company itself.

The new shares and/or option rights or other special rights entitling to shares may be issued and the shares possessed by the company may be assigned either against payment or without payment. A private placement may only be without payment if there is an especially weighty reason for it from the point of view of the company and taking into account the benefit of all its shareholders.

The Board of Directors will decide on all other factors related to share issues and the assignment of shares and decide on all terms and conditions of the option rights and other special rights entitling to shares. It is proposed that the authorisation be valid until the end of the next Annual General Meeting, however no longer than 30 June 2023.

This authorisation cancels the authorisation regarding the share issue issued at the General Meeting on 25 March 2021.

19.The maximum ratio between fixed and variable components of remuneration

The Board of Directors proposes that a maximum ratio limit of 200 % concerning the ratio between fixed and variable components of remuneration as decided by the General Meeting on 28 February 2017 will not be applied to employees of Taaleri Plc or its subsidiaries.

As Taaleri Group has not included an investment services company since 1 May 2021, there is no longer a legal basis for limiting the amount of variable remuneration.

Based on the legislation applied to investment services companies, Taaleri Plc's General Meeting decided on 28 February 2017 to increase the maximum amount of annual variable remuneration of personnel in investment banking functions, retail banking functions and wealth management functions, corporate functions, independent control functions and other functions from 100% to 200%, so that the amount of a person's variable remuneration can be up to 200% of their fixed salary.

20.Closing of the meeting

B. MATERIALS FOR THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The proposals for decisions on the matters in the agenda of the Annual General Meeting as well as this notice are available to shareholders on the Taaleri Plc's website at the address https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings (https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings). Taaleri Plc's financial statements, report of the Board of Directors and the auditor's report as well as the Remuneration Report will be available on the above-mentioned website at the latest on 16 March 2022.

The minutes of the Annual General Meeting will be available to shareholders on the afore-mentioned website at the latest on 20 April 2022.



C. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS IN THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

In order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, will not be possible for shareholders to participate in the General Meeting in person at the meeting venue. No video link will be provided for the shareholders to participate in the meeting. The company's shareholders may participate in the General Meeting and exercise their shareholder rights only by voting in advance in accordance with the instructions set out below.

1. Shareholders recorded in the shareholders' register

Shareholders whose holdings have been registered on the shareholders' register held by Euroclear Finland Ltd on 25 March 2022 may participate in the Annual General meeting. A shareholder whose shares are registered on his/her Finnish book-entry account, is registered in the company's shareholders' register. Shareholders may participate in the meeting and use their shareholder rights only by voting as set our below.

2. Registration and advance voting

Notification of participation may be submitted, and advance voting will begin on 21 March 2022 at 10:00 following the deadline for submitting counterproposals. A shareholder registered in the shareholders' register of the company, who wishes to participate in the General Meeting, must register for the General Meeting and vote in advance no later than by 31 March 2022 at 16:00 by which time the notice of participation and advance votes need to be received.

When registering to attend the Annual General Meeting, individuals are required to provide the following information: the shareholder's name, personal identity/business identity number, address and phone number. Any personal information given to the company or Euroclear Finland Ltd will only be used in connection with the Annual General Meeting and the related processing of necessary registrations.

Shareholders, whose shares are registered on his/her Finnish book-entry account, can submit the notice of participation and vote in advance on certain matters on the agenda between 21 March 2022 at 10:00 and 31 March 2022 at 16:00 in the following ways:

(a) via the website at the address https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings (https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings)

Private individuals will login the system through strong electronic identification with online banking codes or mobile ID. Entities will need the number of the shareholder's book-entry account together with the business ID or other identification code for the login.

(b) by mail or email

A shareholder may send the advance voting form available on the company's website or corresponding information to Euroclear Finland Ltd by letter to Euroclear Finland Ltd, Yhtiokokous / Taaleri Oyj, P.O. Box 1110, FI-00101 Helsinki, Finland or by email at yhtiokokous@euroclear.eu.

If the shareholder participates in the General Meeting by submitting the advance votes to Euroclear Finland Ltd by mail or email, the submission of votes before the end of the notification of participation and advance voting period also constitutes due registration for the General Meeting, provided that the required information for the participation listed above is given.

The voting instructions will be available on the company's website at https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings (https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings)

3.Proxy representatives and proxy documents

A shareholder may participate in the Annual General Meeting through a proxy representative. The proxy representative of a shareholder may also only participate by voting in advance in the manner instructed above. A proxy representative shall provide a dated proxy document or otherwise in a reliable manner demonstrate his/her right to represent the shareholder. Should a shareholder participate in the Annual General Meeting by means of several proxy representatives representing the shareholder with shares in different book-entry accounts, the shares by which each proxy representative represents the shareholder shall be identified in connection with the registration.

A model proxy document including voting instructions is available on the Company's website https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings (https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings) on 21 March 2022 at the latest when the advance voting begins.

Proxy documents should be delivered by mail addressed Euroclear Finland Ltd, Yhtiokokous / Taaleri Oyj, P.O. Box 1110, FI-00101 Helsinki, by email to yhtiokokous@euroclear.eu before the end of registration and advance voting 31 March 2022 at 16:00, by which time the proxy documents must be received. Delivering a proxy document to the Company prior to the end of the registration period constitutes due registration for the general meeting, provided that the above information required for registration is provided.

Proxy representatives of shareholders are also required to vote in advance in the manner instructed in this notice.

4.Shareholders with nominee registered holdings

Shareholders with nominee registered holdings are entitled to attend the Annual General Meeting by voting in advance on the basis of their shares held on the record date, 25 March 2022, that would entitle them to be included in the shareholders' register maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd. Attendance also requires that these shareholders are temporarily registered into the shareholders' register held by Euroclear Finland Ltd by 1 April 2022 at 10:00. This is deemed to be the registration of a shareholder with nominee registered holdings to attend the Annual General Meeting. Any changes in the ownership of shares after the record date of the Annual General Meeting do not affect the right to participate in the meeting by voting in advance nor the number of votes of the shareholder.

Shareholders with nominee registered holdings are advised to request without delay necessary instructions regarding the registration in the temporary shareholder's register of the company, the issuing of a letter of proxy and how to register to attend the Annual General Meeting from their custodian bank. The account management organisation of the custodian bank has to register a shareholder with nominee registered holdings, who wants to attend the Annual General Meeting by voting in advance, temporarily into the shareholders' register of the company no later than the deadline given above and to carry out the advance voting on behalf of the shareholder with nominee registered holding.

5.Other instructions and information

Counterproposals

Shareholders who hold at least one hundredth of all the shares in the company have a right to make counterproposals on the agenda items, to be placed for a vote. Such counterproposals are required to be sent to the company by email yhtiokokous@taaleri.com no later than by 20 March 2022. In connection with making a counterproposal, shareholders are required to provide adequate evidence of their shareholding. The counterproposal will be placed for a vote subject to the shareholder having the right to participate in the General Meeting and that the shareholder holds at least one hundredth of all shares in the company on the record date of the General Meeting. Should the counterproposal not be placed for a vote at the meeting, advance votes in favor of the proposal will not be taken into account. The company will on 21 March 2022 publish on its website at https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings (https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings), if any, the counterproposals that may be voted on.

Questions

A shareholder has the right to ask questions referred to in Chapter 5, Section 25 of the Limited Liability Companies Act until 23 March 2022 at 16:00 with respect to the matters to be considered at the General Meeting. Such questions may be delivered by email to yhtiokokous@taaleri.com or by mail to the address "Annual General Meeting" Taaleri Plc, Kasarmikatu 21 B, FI-00130 Helsinki, Finland. Such questions from shareholders and the company's management's answers to them, and any counterproposals that have not been placed for a vote will be available on the company's website at https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings (https://www.taaleri.com/en/corporate-responsibility/governance/general-meetings) on 28 March 2022 at the latest. In connection with asking questions and making counterproposals, shareholders are required to provide adequate evidence of their shareholding.

On the date of issue of the notice to the Annual General Meeting, 16 February 2022, Taaleri Plc had a total of 28,350,620 shares, each of which grants entitlement to one (1) vote at the Annual General Meeting. On the date of this notice, the company holds a total of 45,000 of its own shares. The shares held by the company do not carry a right to participate in the Annual General Meeting.

Helsinki 16 February 2022

TAALERI PLC

Board of Directors

Further information:

General Counsel, Janne Koikkalainen, Taaleri Oyj, Tel. +358 40 501 2691, janne.koikkalainen@taaleri.com (mailto:janne.koikkalainen@taaleri.com)

Attachments:

Jouni Takakarhu, CV





Siri Markula, Head of Communications and IR, tel. +358 40 743 2177, siri.markula@taaleri.com





Attachment
Bethlehem City Council approved three South Side developments despite several council members concerns about two of them, including a nine-story mixed-use building.

At a meeting Tuesday night, six of the seven Bethlehem City Council members said they worried about the integrity of Bethlehems historic South Side, the impact on traffic congestion in the busy area and the height of the building, which would tower over most of the surrounding neighborhood. The building is planned for the commercial heart of the South Side on Third and South New streets.

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But despite their expressed reservations, only one member, Wandalyn Enix, voted to deny the certificate. Council members who begrudgingly voted in favor said they want to avoid a lawsuit from the developer, but vowed to reevaluate councils process for granting certificates of appropriateness in the future.

This will be one vote I really regret, council Vice President Grace Crampsie Smith said.

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The certificates of appropriateness allow the city to grant building permits to the developers, paving the way for construction to begin.

Enix, councils newest member, said she doesnt want to lose Bethlehem to developers and hopes to preserve the history of the neighborhood where she grew up.

The vote on three of the developments were delayed last month after council members voiced concerns about the projects, and because council at the time lacked a solicitor to answer its legal questions.

Developers Rafael Palomino, owner of Mesas Modern Mexican in Easton, and Jeffrey Quinn are seeking approval to demolish four structures at 317-327 S. New St. to make way for the building they hope to construct, which would bring 61 apartments and a food court to the South Side.

Developers have said they plan to make 10% of the apartments affordable to low-income renters, and the building would retain the historic facade of buildings on 321-323 S. New St., per a historic commission recommendation.

Palomino filed eviction notices to tenants of the 317-327 S. New St. buildings this year, and is allowing them to stay rent-free until April 1 to give them time to find a new home. He declined an interview Wednesday afternoon, saying that he needs to connect with Quinn before answering questions, but said we are doing the right thing for everybody.

Tuesdays vote came after over a year of back and forth between the developers and city authorities. Developers had to scale down their original plan of a 13-story building with more than 80 apartment units.

The historic conservation commission unanimously approved the New Street project this year, even though the developers did not agree to the commissions suggestion to set back the top two floors of the building.

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City Council has the final say in issuing the certificate of approval, however. Had council denied the certificate, the developer would have the right to appeal the denial to the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas.

I am concerned, the [historic conservation commission] did recommend the setbacks and they did not do that, Crampsie Smith said. I value the [historic conservation commission] and I want to let them know I support them and will stand for whatever they decide but I hope that they realize and know they can deny these if the developers do not do what they recommend.

Crampsie Smith called for the community and economic development committee to arrange a meeting with the historic conservation commission to discuss the citys process for issuing certificates of approval.

Council member Paige Van Wirt called the development problematic and said it could threaten the historic character of south Bethlehem and cast a shadow over the citys greenway.

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I do feel that City Council has the ability to say no to the [certificate of appropriateness] but I dont feel that a lawsuit and the distraction that it may cause ... would be worth it at this point, Van Wirt said. So with total reluctance, I would say Im going to be supporting this so we can focus more on what we can really do and make an impact on going forward.

Tuesdays vote points to greater problems with development in Bethlehem, Van Wirt said. Zoning in south Bethlehems business district allows for buildings up to 150 feet, which conflicts with the guidelines of the historic district. Those guidelines state buildings more than two or three stories tall seriously impact the district, and require particular attention to the surrounding neighborhood.

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Van Wirt hopes to present the conservation commission with firmer guidelines that City Council is willing to accept, and wants to create a process to review the impact of development on the Bethlehem Greenway, particularly the effect of shade from tall buildings.

This council may be very different from the last council, Van Wirt said. If so, lets show the HCC what were willing to accept.

Council also voted to issue certificates of approval for a five-story development on 305 E. Third St. and a project at 127 E. Fourth St. that would convert the former Holy Infancy School into a mixed-use apartment complex. The three projects are in the citys South Side Historic District, which is why they require certificates of approval from council before being built.

Morning Call reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at 610-820-6681 and liweber@mcall.com.
Highlands Ranch, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - February 16, 2022) - Foremost Lithium Resource & Technology Ltd. (CSE: FAT) (OTCQB: FRRSF) (FSE: F0R0) (WKN: A3DCC8) ("Foremost" or the "Company") (www.foremostlithium.com), is pleased to announce it has contracted EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc. ("EarthEx") to perform an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, ("UAV") magnetic survey to be flown at its Zoro and Grass River Claim ("GRC") Lithium Projects near the historic mining district of Snow Lake, Manitoba commencing in March, 2022. EarthEx was selected by Foremost Lithium as it has repeatedly demonstrated a track-record of finding new prospective drill targets with precision and high-resolution utilizing UAV more commonly known as a drone, or aircrafts without any human pilot, crew or passengers on board. Just recently the Company's neighbor, Snow Lake Resources Ltd. announced its successful first results from their very own UAV magnetic surveys on February 15, 2022 on the adjacent Sherritt Gordon asset.

Foremost's Lithium's survey will be comprised of 4,066 line-km providing 100% coverage over both the Zoro and GRC lithium properties. The survey will be flown at 25 metre line-spacing, with 250 metre spaced tie-lines. It is estimated the total work will take approximately 4 weeks to complete with the final interpretation scheduled to be delivered 6 weeks thereafter.

Scott Taylor, President and CEO of Foremost Lithium, states: "We continue to operate and work for our shareholders by leveraging the highest quality technology to find more lithium drill targets. EarthEx flew the exact same UAV magnetic survey for us in December 2021 over 100% of the Company's Jean Lake Lithium Project where the high-grade lithium Beryl pegmatite dyke was re-discovered in August of 2021. Assay results from two locations on the Jean Lake Beryl pegmatites gave a range of 3.89-5.17% lithium (Li2O). Foremost is scheduled to receive the final interpretation of the Jean Lake results next week. We are anxious to release these results to the public as we will have the first look into the sub-surface at Jean Lake and determine quantity of potential drill targets. We are using this technology to define the 3D location, shape, size, and distribution of potential spodumene rich pegmatite dykes. This technology together with Mobile Metal Irons surface geochemistry work is how The Company is building an inventory of de-risked, high-quality drill targets on each of its three lithium properties located in the Snow Lake Mining District of Manitoba. We will now fly this technology to ensure we have 100% coverage over all of our Snow Lake Lithium Projects and build the maximum inventory for drilling in the Winter of 2022."

Daniel Card, President of EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc., adds "We are delighted to be working with Foremost Lithium on what is a very exciting and promising lithium project. We are thrilled with the effectiveness with which known pegmatites and new targets are being mapped in the data and we are proud to provide Foremost Lithium with such an effective exploration tool. We are particularly encouraged by the amount of data being acquired in the Snow Lake District, as this enhances the reliability of our work in this specific geological setting."

About EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc.

EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc is a Manitoba company, founded in 2014 in Selkirk, Manitoba. The President and Chief Geophysicist, Daniel Card, P.Geo, RPGeo, holds a BSc. Hons degree from the University of Manitoba (2007). EarthEx is highly specialized in geophysical prospecting for hard-rock minerals, and works with cutting edge technologies and data analysis methodology. Since its inception in 2014, EarthEx has quickly become a household name in the Canadian mineral exploration industry, with rapid and continued growth expected in the coming years.

About Foremost Lithium Resource & Technology Ltd.

Foremost Lithium is an energy technology company focused and committed to become one of the first North American Companies to produce high quality battery-grade lithium hydroxide. Lithium hydroxide is a strategic battery mineral mainly consumed in the production of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Lithium based batteries power the daily use of consumer electronics, enable electrification of the transportation sector, and provide stationary grid storage, critical to developing a clean-energy economy. The Company is prudently and systematically exploring and building tonnage on its four lithium properties, Jean Lake, Grass River, and Zoro located in Snow Lake, Manitoba, and Hidden Lake in the Northwest Territories. Foremost Lithium also holds assets in precious commodities with its Winston Gold/Silver Project in New Mexico, USA.

For further information please contact:

Scott Taylor

President and CEO

Foremost Lithium Resource &Technology Ltd.

Email: scott.taylor@foremostlithium.com

Phone: +1 (604) 330-8067

Twitter: @lithiumlane

Follow us and contact us on social media:

Twitter: @foremostlithium

Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/foremost-lithium-resource-technology/mycompany

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForemostLithium

Forward Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Foremost within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Foremost provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct, and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to market conditions, exploration findings, results, and recommendations, as well as those risks and uncertainties identified and reported in Foremost's public filings under Foremost's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Foremost has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Foremost disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as lithium as result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/113959
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 16, 2022) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) (FSE: DTC) (OTC Pink: DTCFF) ("Defence" or the "Company"), a pre-clinical biotechnology company developing various products for the immune-oncology space, is pleased to announce the establishment of an agreement with CATO SMS, to advise on the submission of its clinical application to Health Canada in order to initiate a Phase I trial using AccuTOXTM against breast cancer.

CATO SMS is a consulting firm with more than 30 years of global experience to guide clinical development of biopharma pipelines. With offices across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, CATO SMS has experience conducting trial designs in more than 25 countries. Their specialists deliver innovative regulatory consulting solutions to guide complex challenges with a proven center of excellence in oncology.

"We are very pleased to work with CATO SMS on our AccuTOXTM program. This step is central to Defence as it ensures the achievement of important milestones for our clinical program. Cato SMS will be designing the clinical protocol, pre-CTA meeting package, CTA Compilation and Submission as well as regulatory affairs for our AccuTOXTM Phase I trial," says Mr. Plouffe, the CEO of Defence.

The AccuTOXTM program consists of using a lead variant of the AccumTM molecule to trigger cell death in cancer cells. When combined with the immune-checkpoint inhibitor CTLA-4, this lead AccumTM triggered potent anti-tumoral response in several cancer models including, T-cell lymphoma, melanoma, colon and breast cancer. As such, Defence plans to use AccuTOXTM in its Phase I to treat breast cancer patients in Q4 of 2022.

According to Fortune Business InsightsTM, the Global Breast Cancer Therapeutics Market to exhibit 13.1% CAGR and hit USD 55.27 Billion till 2027.

About Defence:

Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUMTM technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases.

For further information:

Sebastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Director

P: (514) 947-2272

Splouffe@defencetherapeutics.com

www.defencetherapeutics.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither the CSE nor its market regulator, as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/113950


PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Belgium-based Solvay SA (SLVYY), an advanced materials and specialty chemicals business and France-based Veolia Environnement S.A. (VEOEY) that provides water, waste, and energy management solutions, on Wednesday announced the launch of energy transition project 'Dombasle Energie'. The project at the Dombasle-sur-Meurthe site would require an investment of 225 million euros and is scheduled to come on stream in 2024.



The project aims to stop the use of fossil fuels by replacing coal imported from abroad with refuse-derived fuel (RDF) produced in France, primarily from the Grand Est region and neighboring regions. The project is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 50 percent or 240,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.



The project consists of replacing three coal-fired boilers with a boiler room equipped with two furnaces running on RDF, produced from waste that cannot be recycled, allowing to halve the carbon footprint of the industrial activity and stop importing 200,000 tons of coal annually.



The new facility, to be built by Solvay and operated by Veolia, would have a capacity of 181 megawatts (MW) thermal power and 17.5 MW electrical power, which would be reused for the industrial process. The site would have a cogeneration unit that uses 350,000 ton of RDF per year, supplied by Veolia as of 2024.



The project forms part of Solvay's sustainable development roadmap, Solvay One Planet, that aims in particular at carbon neutrality by 2050.



The conversion of the plant offers a real advantage in the context of volatile fossil fuel prices and the taxes imposed by European regulations on the use of coal. The gain in competitiveness allows the site to be sustained and the employment pool to be preserved with 1,000 direct and indirect jobs. This project has benefited from the support of the Grand Est region and ADEME.



Shares of Solvay closed Tuesday's trading at $12.28, down $0.13 or 1.05 percent from previous close.



Shares of Veolia Environnement closed Tuesday's trading at $36.60, up $1.10 or 3.10 percent from previous close.







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Consumer genetic testing pioneer DnaNudge has launched its 90-minute PCR Covid-19 test in Australia through a new partnership with Pantonic Health.

CovidNudge is an RT-PCR point-of-care testing platform that delivers accurate results without the need for a lab or any manual sample pre-processing. The test has been made available to correctional facilities, the mining industry, and local aged care sector settings during Australia's Omicron wave, which saw more than 175,000 new cases in a week at its peak.

The portable nature of the device means that PCR tests can now be conducted at the point of care, alleviating capacity constraints within the pathology testing network in Australia.

CEO and co-founder of DnaNudge, Regius (Royal) Professor Chris Toumazou FRS, FREng, FMedSci, said: "We are delighted to launch our technology in Australia through our partnership with Pantonic Health. The ability to rapidly identify COVID-positive individuals is of absolutely paramount importance, and key to infection control. We hope that by making our rapid, lab-free RT-PCR test more widely available, will offer further support to Australia's Covid response."

DnaNudge's RT-PCR test CovidNudge consists of the DnaCartridge and the NudgeBox. The DnaCartridge is a disposable and sealed lab-on-chip device that enables sample-to-result PCR without the need for any transport medium or pipetting. It can multiplex up to 72 assays and detect every published Covid-19 gene and all known variants including Omicron as well as Influenza A, B and RSV. The NudgeBox is a standalone instrument that drives the DnaCartridge and runs RT-PCR tests. It is connected to the DnaNudge Cloud for processing the test results that can be made available simultaneously to a Laboratory Information Management System of hospitals, clinics, or the health authorities within 90 minutes of the test being taken.

CovidNudge is also able to pool multiple samples for evaluation in a single cartridge, making it the most cost-effective technology of its kind without compromising on accuracy.

To provide support and validate the technology, Pantonic and DnaNudge provided the test to select organisations in Australia's local aged care sector during the height of their Omicron case wave. Whiddon Aged Care, a prominent provider of critical aged care services in NSW, used the DnaNudge testing units and cartridges over the challenging Christmas and new year period. The sample devices were provided on an independent, cost-free basis, allowing Whiddon to evaluate the DnaNudge technology alongside traditional laboratory-based PCR testing.

Chris Mamarelis, CEO of Whiddon Aged Care, described the DnaNudge technology as a "game changer" to the currently capacity constrained Covid testing landscape in Australia. He said: "CovidNudge is a pathology lab the size of a shoe box, giving us the rapid testing we need in the aged care setting. Results from the independent, side by side evaluation, showed the portable CovidNudge PCR device preformed as accurately as the traditional lab-based PCR tests at a considerable time and cost saving. We believe it should be deployed for every aged care facility and hospital across Australia as a matter of urgency."

Sally Panton, co-founder of Pantonic Health, said: "We couldn't be happier to have partnered with Professor Toumazou and the DnaNudge team. It's clear we have an aligned value set between the two organisations. Pending our application with the TGA to approve the device for local commercial use, we are eager to see the DnaNudge rapid RT-PCR device deployed across Australian aged care, the Australian hospital network and large-scale corporates to support their immediate testing needs in this challenging period."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

DnaNudge is the developer of the world's first service to use consumers' own DNA plus lifestyle factors to nudge people towards healthier choices while shopping. The DnaNudge service analyses and maps users' genetic profile to key nutrition-related health traits such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol, enabling customers to be guided by their DNA towards healthier eating. The service has been developed by world-renowned biomedical engineer Regius Professor Chris Toumazou FRS and published geneticist Dr Maria Karvela.



This ground-breaking in-store DNA testing service created to address an epidemic obesity and Type 2 diabetes has now been successfully adapted for the fight against a pandemic, with the development of the rapid, lab-free CovidNudge RT-PCR test. CovidNudge can accurately detect COVID-19 and other viruses in just over an hour, without the need for a laboratory, and is now in use in healthcare settings around the world.

Pantonic Health is a leading Australian provider of rapid diagnostic devices and wholly Australian owned and operated out of Victoria for over 20 years, led by co-founder directors Sally Panton and Laura Panton.



Pantonic Health's focus is partnering with world-leading manufacturers and innovators to make affordable and accurate medical and diagnostic devices available to the Australian market. For more information, please visit: https://www.pantonichealth.com.au/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005143/en/

Contacts:

Becky Attwood

becky@beckyattwoodcommunications.co.uk
AirAsia Aviation Group orders 100 VX4 eVTOL aircraft

90% of Avolon's VX4 order book now placed

Avolon, the international aircraft leasing company, today announces that one of the world's leading airline groups, AirAsia Aviation Group Limited ('AirAsia'), has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to lease a minimum of 100 VX4 eVTOL aircraft from Avolon. These eVTOL aircraft will allow AirAsia to further revolutionise air travel by providing advanced air mobility to a whole new range of passengers, transforming how we all connect more efficiently in our everyday lives.

In addition to the eVTOL aircraft, Avolon, through its investment and innovation affiliate Avolon-e, will partner with AirAsia to commercialise zero-emissions eVTOL aircraft and develop an industry leading urban air mobility ('UAM') platform in Southeast Asia. Avolon and AirAsia will form a working group to pursue local certification, research potential market opportunities and infrastructure requirements for UAM. AirAsia will also leverage its successful travel and lifestyle mobile app, the AirAsia Super App, to help support and build an eVTOL ride sharing platform with Avolon.

Avolon VX4 Order book

In June 2021, Avolon ordered 500 VX4 eVTOL aircraft from Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL) ('Vertical'), valued at US $2 billion. Since announcing that order, Avolon placed 250 VX4 aircraft with Gol and Grupo Comporte in Brazil, up to 100 aircraft with Japan Airlines in Japan, and a minimum of 100 aircraft with AirAsia. As a result, Avolon has now placed up to 90% of its initial orderbook, underlining the demand for VX4 aircraft from the world's leading airlines.

Domhnal Slattery, CEO of Avolon commented: "Tony Fernandes is an aviation pioneer who has built AirAsia into one of the leading airlines in the world and has now also created Southeast Asia's fastest growing Super App anchored on travel. We are delighted to partner with AirAsia who share our vision of revolutionising the future of air travel. We look forward to working with Tony, and the AirAsia team, on their eVTOL journey. Together we will develop a ride sharing platform and bring the zero-emissions VX4 aircraft into service, positioning AirAsia as the operator of choice for sustainable air travel in the region."

Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A commented: "Innovation has always been in our DNA and using technology to look at more efficient and sustainable ways of doing things is a core focus across Capital A (formerly AirAsia Group). We are now much more than just an airline with over 20 products and services on our super app leveraging off each other including flights, hotels, food, retail, delivery, ride hailing and more. I am truly excited about this partnership between Avolon and AirAsia and the potential for zero-emissions ultra-short-haul air travel in Southeast Asia. The digital era is now. In the VX4, we have identified what we believe will be the eVTOL aircraft of choice and we are thrilled to be the launch airline for the aircraft in Southeast Asia. We are also delighted to extend our long-standing relationship with Avolon, which has a proven track record of delivering for its customers and is in sync with our goal to become the leading one stop travel and delivery platform in Asean."

Stephen Fitzpatrick, CEO of Vertical commented: "We are delighted that AirAsia is the latest leading airline committing to lease our zero operating emissions VX4 aircraft. AirAsia provides many fantastic opportunities to travel around some of the most beautiful and diverse countries in the world, and I am thrilled that we will be bringing zero emissions flight to people all across Asia."

ENDS

About VX4 eVTOL Aircraft

VX4 eVTOL Aircraft The four passenger, one pilot VX4 is projected to have speeds up to 200mph, a range over100 miles, near silent when in flight, zero operating emissions and low cost per passenger mile. The VX4 is expected to open up advanced air mobility to a whole new range of passengers and transform how we travel. Find out more: vertical-aerospace.com

About Avolon

Headquartered in Ireland, with offices in the United States, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai, Avolon provides aircraft leasing and lease management services. Avolon is 70% owned by an indirect subsidiary of Bohai Leasing Co., Ltd., a public company listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SLE: 000415) and 30% owned by ORIX Aviation Systems, a subsidiary of ORIX Corporation which is listed on the Tokyo and New York Stock Exchanges (TSE: 8591; NYSE: IX). Avolon is the world's second largest aircraft leasing business with an owned, managed and committed fleet, as of 31 December 2021 of 824 aircraft.

Website: www.avolon.aero

Twitter: @avolon_aero

About Vertical Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace is pioneering electric aviation. The company was founded in 2016 by Stephen Fitzpatrick, an established entrepreneur best known as the founder of the Ovo Group, a leading energy and technology group and Europe's largest independent energy retailer. Over the past five years, Vertical has focused on building the most experienced and senior team in the eVTOL industry, who have over 1,700 combined years of engineering experience, and have certified and supported over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems.

Vertical's top-tier partner ecosystem is expected to de-risk operational execution and its pathway to certification allows for a lean cost structure and enables production at scale. Vertical has a market-leading pre-order book (by value) for a total of up to 1,350 aircraft from American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow and Iberojet, which includes conditional pre-order options from Virgin Atlantic and Marubeni, and in doing so, is creating multiple potential near term and actionable routes to market.

Vertical's ordinary shares listed on the NYSE in December 2021 under the ticker "EVTL". Find out more: www.vertical-aerospace.com

About AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd (AAAGL)

AAAGL is the holding company that oversees all airlines inCapital A (formerly AirAsia Group Berhad), as well as related international support functions including AirAsia Consulting, shared corporate services division AirAsia SEA, the Santan food group and the ground handling services joint venture business called GTR.

About Capital A

Capital A is an investment holding company with a portfolio of synergistic travel and lifestyle businesses that leverage data and technology to deliver the best value at the lowest cost, supported by high quality data and one of Asia's leading brands that remains committed to serving the underserved.

Website: www.airasia.com

capitala.airasia.com

Twitter: @airasia

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005554/en/

Contacts:

Ross O'Connor

Head of Capital Markets

roconnor@avolon.aero

T: +353 1 231 5818

Jonathan Neilan/Sam Moore

FTI Consulting

avolon@fticonsulting.com

M: +353 86 231 4135/+353 87 737 9089

communications@airasia.com
ArisGlobal's industry-leading regulatory software chosen by top pharmaceutical company for IDMP preparation and global readiness

MIAMI, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ArisGlobal , the leading provider of life sciences software that automates core drug development with its end-to-end technology platform LifeSphere today announced a top 5 pharmaceutical research and development company has recruited LifeSphere IDMP to identify issues, overcome challenges, and achieve readiness and compliance regarding the Identification of Medicinal Products (IDMP) standards. The selection of LifeSphere IDMP marks an added solution to the pharma company's LifeSphere technology stack, which also includes LifeSphere MultiVigilance, the industry's leading safety case processing software.

Notably, the company is a US based biopharmaceutical leader with significant global operations, highlighting the relevance of IDMP compliance for pharma, biotech, and medical device companies even if their operations are based outside of the EU-specific regulation.

"Today, teams are working collaboratively at a global scale, proving that country-specific compliance standards are now applicable for all teams, regardless of the location of their headquarters," shares Pat Jenakanandhini, Chief Product Officer at ArisGlobal. "IDMP should be considered a framework for investing in processes and technology to not only achieve compliance in the EU, but to maintain it, while also addressing the end-to-end processes throughout the regulatory lifecycle from a global perspective."

As a secure validated cloud solution, LifeSphere IDMP adapts over time to support the regulatory journey through continued xEVMPD compliance, multiple phases of IDMP compliance, UDI, and beyond. LifeSphere IDMP is a simple-to-use, ISO IDMP cloud application that specifically addresses the challenges of implementing Identification of Medicinal Products (IDMP) standards. With LifeSphere IDMP, life sciences companies can achieve compliance with xEVMPD, IDMP, UDI, SPL, and other standards, and collect data in an ISO IDMP-compliant fashion.

The news comes following recent regulatory analyst recognition for LifeSphere IDMP in Gens & Associates for IDMP Readiness report as the most-ready technology for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies, among others.

About ArisGlobal

ArisGlobal transforms the way today's most successful Life Sciences companies develop breakthroughs and bring new products to market. Our end-to-end drug development technology platform, LifeSphere, automates all core functions of drug development. Designed with deep expertise that spans more than 35 years, LifeSphere is a unified platform that boosts efficiency, ensures compliance, delivers actionable insights, and lowers total cost of ownership through multi-tenant SaaS architecture.

For more updates, follow ArisGlobal on LinkedIn .

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LONDON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- You must have heard people emphasising the risks involved in entrepreneurship. But it is an entrepreneur that looks at the struggle and risk as a reward. By keeping this in mind, the Director and Managing Director of Olivastu, Pritesh Vekaria, and Hitesh Halai pulled out all the stops.

Olivastu is a symbol of people's dreams and what they can do to achieve them. Founded in 2019, Olivastu has emerged as one of the premium online headshops in the UK. But even after climbing the ladder of success, they haven't forgotten what it was like in the beginning. They confessed that "Understanding the confusing UK laws around cannabis was a task, but it was when we entered the industry that we could accurately interpret how to conduct business."

Apart from the obvious confusion around the laws, and challenges posed by the competitors, there were several other issues. Faced with the constant taking down of social media posts and marketing constraints, Olivastu went through a lot. The payment gateway also posed a challenge. It is unfortunate that rarely any of them allow CBD products and other services that are provided by Olivastu.

Even in such a closed environment and harsh conditions, Olivastu still made it. How? Loyal customer support and keeping their wishes before anything else. Olivastu is one of the rare headshops in the UK that provides authentic, high-quality smoking accessories at the lowest possible price.

The reason for their success is not just the pocket-friendly prices but the discretion with which Olivastu delivers the products. In fact, you can avail yourself of the Free Shipping option by purchasing above 30 in the UK. Don't panic! They have also started shipping its services to other countries like the USA, France, & Germany.

Olivatsu features an extensive collection of bongs, rolling accessories, grinders, vaporizers, vape pens, CBD products & edibles, dab rigs, and so much more. They also offer a unique feature called OliPoints. You will get to earn 2 OliPoints with the purchase of 1 and if you collect 10 OliPoints, you will get a discount of 1.

For all freebie lovers, you can also get an exclusive OliBox in a giveaway. These giveaways are pretty frequent if you follow Olivastu's official social media handles.

It is very difficult to carve out your name in such a closed-off industry but Olivastu still emerged as the winner.
Pre-Stabilisation notice

16thFebruary 2022

Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

European Stability Mechanism (ESM)

 2,000,000,000 Tap due 2026

Pre-Stabilisation Notice

Commerzbank AG (contact: Daniela Olt-Farrelly; telephone: +49 69 13620) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014).

The security to be stabilised: Issuer: European Stability Mechanism (ESM) Guarantor (if any): none Aggregate nominal amount:  2,000,000,000 Tap Description: senior, unsecured tap due 15th Dec 2026 Offer price: tbc Other offer terms: 0% coupon, settlement 23rd Feb 2022, immediately fungible Stabilisation: Stabilisation Coordinator:

Stabilising Managers: Commerzbank AG

BofA

Morgan Stanley Stabilisation period expected to start on: 16th February 2022 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Luxembourg Stock Exchange's regulated market

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

END


ROME (dpa-AFX) - Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo (ISNPY.PK, IITSF.PK) Wednesday said it has reached an agreement with Nextalia SGR, on behalf of the Nextalia Private Equity Fund, to create DIGIT'ED, a digital learning company.



The binding agreement provides for the acquisition of Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione, the Intesa Sanpaolo company focused on training initiatives, by a newly incorporated company.



Confirming the importance of the project, Intesa Sanpaolo will take a 20% stake in DIGIT'ED, in line with the 2022-2025 Business Plan, whereas Nextalia will control the new company.



DIGIT'ED will be engaged in education, training and digital learning. The new company will target both the corporate segment, i.e. large companies, small and medium enterprises, the public administration and professional associations, as well as the consumer segment.



DIGIT'ED's education and training offerings will focus on premier solutions to support the development of specific skills for the digital transition and ecological transition.



Intesa Sanpaolo is expected to contribute specific assets relating to the planning and production of training products and services for Group employees. Personnel from Intesa Sanpaolo will be a particularly important part of the new DIGIT'ED organisation.



As part of the operation, multi-year agreements will be concluded for the exclusive provision of training products and services to both Intesa Sanpaolo Group employees and Group customers.







Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

INTESA SANPAOLO-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
LONDON and SINGAPORE, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage, the international multi-asset broker, announces its multi-year partnership with McLaren Racing as an Official Partner of the McLaren Extreme E (MX) team. This announcement comes ahead of the launch of the 2022 season, with the first race, the Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia, scheduled for February 19th and 20th.

Extreme E is a new concept in motorsport, that challenges teams to race off-road across remote areas of the globe, in cutting-edge electric SUV's, to raise climate awareness.

The partnership between Vantage and McLaren Racing is a union of like-minded, globally recognised brands who believe in the same values: sustainability and diversity as well as gender equality, inclusion and representation while championing for and advocating climate change awareness.

Vantage has partnered with McLaren's Extreme E (MX) team because of the concept behind Extreme E. A key focus for Vantage is to provide access to trading in far flung regions of the globe, which aligns perfectly with Extreme E's intention to raise awareness of the challenges of climate change through the locations in which it races.

Vantage joins McLaren's MX team for its debut season in the race series, which is only in its second year, with its branding carried on the chassis side and roof of the McLaren MX race car. Drivers Tanner Foust and Emma Gilmour will also sport the Vantage colours on their racing overalls throughout this year's 5-race season.

David Shayer, CEO, Vantage UK, said:

"The partnership with McLaren Racing is a big step for Vantage. The company values speed and innovation in the same way we do. Throughout the course of our rebranding exercise, we did some soul searching about what kind of company we are. As part of our strategy to accelerate our exposure, we decided to explore a sponsorship in a sport we felt would raise awareness of our upgraded services.

"Considering we are a broker that provides unparalleled technology to allow for fast trading execution, it made sense to look at something in racing, which is when we discovered Extreme E and McLaren. It became clear immediately that there were some parallels between our brands and sectors, but beyond that, we decided we wanted to engage more actively with and contribute to a sport that raised awareness about climate change and show our support to address this global issue."

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said:

"We're delighted to partner with Vantage ahead of our first season competing in Extreme E. It's crucial that we work with partners who reflect our team's values, and Vantage shares our commitment to sustainability, innovation and performance.

"Racing in Extreme E marks an exciting new chapter for McLaren Racing, and our partnership with Vantage supports us in taking this important step in expanding our racing portfolio whilst accelerating our learnings in sustainability."

https://www.vantagemarkets.com/sponsorship/mclaren/

About Vantage

Vantage is a global, multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading CFDs on Forex, Commodities, Indices, and Shares.

With more than 10 years of market experience and headquartered in Sydney, Vantage now has over 1,000 employees/personnel across more than 30 global offices.

Vantage is more than a broker. It provides a trusted trading ecosystem and a faster and simpler trading platform that enables clients to take advantage of trading opportunities.

Be empowered to trade on market opportunities when you

trade smarter @vantage.

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Walter Milinichik of Whitehall attends service at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church in Easton Tuesday, February 15, 2022. The Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood of the Lehigh Valley gather together at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church to celebrate the Moleben, liturgy, for the intention for peace in Ukraine and also for Russia. (JANE THERESE / Special to The Morning Call)

On Tuesday night, a handful of faithful gathered at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church in West Easton to pray for peace in Europe, a practice common in the last century but largely unknown in this one.

But with Russias army parked on Ukraines doorstep in a jarring reprise of Cold War belligerence, leaders in the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches with roots in that land decided it was time to seek divine assistance through prayer and fasting, in hopes that hearts and minds might be turned and the troops sent home.

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Its unnerving, said Holy Ghosts pastor, the Rev. Paul Makar, whose was born into his love of Ukraine as the grandchild of immigrants and sees the perennial prospect of war through the lens of faith  as a consequence of humanitys fallen nature.

This is a message for me, Makar said. Whats really important is that we pray for forgiveness of sins, starting with ourselves, so we can get ourselves right.

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The Ukrainian-American population in the Lehigh Valley isnt especially large  about 8,400 people in Lehigh and Northampton counties, a little over 1% of the population, claim at least partial ancestry  but its roots are deep.

Holy Ghost, a century old, is one of several churches serving people who share the ethnicity  Ukies, as they are jovially known  or who have moved here from Ukraine more recently. Others include St. Marys Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Allentown and the Orthodox Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Northampton. Their pastors joined Makar for Tuesdays moleben, which is a service beseeching Gods intercession.

Divided by theology, the priests were nonetheless united by the desire to preserve peace in long-suffering Ukraine, where Christianity arrived in 988  centuries after the apostle St. Andrew, tradition says, visited the region as a missionary.

Its an issue of corrupt governments fighting over resources, said Makar, offering one take on a conflict of many dimensions pitting Russia under Vladimir Putin against a resource-rich nation long known as Europes breadbasket.

Slava Harasymowych of Bethlehem prays at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church in West Easton. The Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood of the Lehigh Valley gathered at Holy Ghost to pray for peace between Ukraine and Russia. (JANE THERESE / Special to The Morning Call)

For some Russians, Putin among them, Ukraine isnt a country at all, but an extension of Russia. It suffered as such under the Soviet Union; millions died there under Josef Stalin in 1932-33, an event known as the Holodomor  literally, killing by starvation  and recognized as genocide by Ukraine and more than a dozen other governments.

Putin has called Ukrainians little Russians, a sobriquet that rankles St. Marys pastor, the Rev. Richard Jendras.

Im little nothing! he said. Its Putins warped sensed of history that Ukrainians and Russians are one people.

Putins aim, ostensibly, is to create a bulwark against European power, perhaps by installing a pro-Russian government or otherwise thwarting Ukraines ambition to join NATO. Jendras is hardly the only one to see a more sinister long-term plan  resuscitating the Soviet empire that Putin served as an agent of the KGB intelligence service.

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This year is 100 years since the creation of the Soviet Union, Jendras said. So you see what hes trying to do.

By all accounts, people in Ukraine have been stoic as the nations president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, downplays talk of an invasion. If it happens, though, it would be a disaster  not only in the initial bloodshed, but in the possibility that millions of Ukrainians could become refugees.

I was speaking to priests in Ukraine today, Jendras said. Everyone is walking around normally. Youve got to get your shopping done. Its bizarre to me.

Bizarre but understandable, suggested Janice Milinchik of Whitehall Township, a parishioner from St. Marys attending the service with her husband, Walt. Life has to go on, she said.

Still, there is surely an undercurrent of trepidation. Katherine Praschyk-Sargent of Palmer Township, a Holy Ghost parishioner for 60 years whose parents came from Ukraine, said her relatives in the country have been conspicuously quiet of late on Facebook.

I dont know if theyre afraid to speak or say anything, she said.

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Marlene Lightcap of Easton said the days hint of good news  that some Russian units were withdrawing from the border, a claim the U.S. hasnt substantiated  offered a little hope.

First Call Daily Leading local stories delivered on weekday mornings >

I am just so worried about the poor people over there, she said. It just seems like theyve been fighting forever. I hope God will intervene and keep us safe.

Makar said some of the older parishioners of Holy Ghost, natives of Ukraine, lived through the horrors of the Soviet years and remember them vividly.

Some traumas run deep and those scars are very deeply felt, he said. People were forced from their homes, they were told to speak Russian and not Ukrainian.

But even younger parishioners, third- and fourth-generation Ukrainians in the 83-family parish, feel the threat keenly.

You have that love in your heart and that veneration for where your roots are, he said.

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Morning Call reporter Daniel Patrick Sheehan can be reached at 610-820-6598 or dsheehan@mcall.com.

This story has been updated; the previous version included the Ukrainian-American population of Northampton County, instead of the entire Lehigh Valley.
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
62% OF FINANCIAL SERVICES LEADERS EXPECT THEIR CLOUD INVESTMENTS TO INCREASE REVENUE OVER NEXT TWO YEARS

Capco and Wipro's FullStride Cloud Services global study finds financial services companies' cloud goals are focused on business and revenue growth.

Financial services leaders cite increased future revenues (62%) and improved future profitability (52%) as leading reasons to deploy cloud technologies, according to a new financial services study by Capco, a Wipro Company, the global technology and management consultancy, and Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company.

In the report entitled Cloud's Transformation of Financial Services Capco and Wipro's cloud experts take a deeper look at the financial services data collected in the Wipro 2021 global survey and report Making Business Thrive: A Cloud Leader Roadmap for Achieving 10x ROI. The report identifies the key trends and opportunities ahead and offer insights to allow financial services institutions (FSIs) to become cloud leaders. Wipro's FullStride Cloud Services study incorporated 1,300 responses from C-suite executives and key decision-makers across 11 industries, of which 26% were drawn from financial services specifically, banking, insurance and capital markets, including wealth advisory and asset management firms.

Looking exclusively at the financial services and insurance-related dataset within the main study, the new findings include:

1. The top three ways COVID has impacted the operations of FSIs:

Elevated the prioritization of cloud as a means to improve customer experience (70% of banks, 63% of capital market firms, 55% of insurers)

Enhanced recognition of the importance of cloud usage to making processes more efficient and agile (54% of banks, 67% of capital market firms, 59% of insurers)

Increased institutions' willingness to make cloud investments (49% of banks, 52% of capital market firms, 45% of insurers).

2. FSIs have started their journey toward full digital implementation in the cloud, and anticipate moving forward to realize that vision:

Banks' cloud spending averaged $36M in 2021, rising to $41M for capital markets firms and $55M for insurance companies

Currently firms run, on average, 38% of their business applications through the cloud, and they anticipate that percentage will increase to 55% in two years.

3. Cloud investments have paid off for FSIs in terms of both their top and bottom lines:

Improved profitability (62% of banks, 55% of capital market firms, 59% of insurers)

Increased revenue (55% of banks, 50% of capital market firms, 46% of insurers)

Increased market share/expanded client base (55% of banks, 55% of capital market firms, 38% of insurers)

Decreased costs (50% of banks, 51% of capital market firms, 40% of insurers).

4. Over the next two years, financial services leaders expect to make their most significant cloud investments in:

Product development/R&D (62%)

Cybersecurity (48%)

Business development and sales (42%).

5. The top three obstacles to cloud implementation listed by FSIs were as follows:

Banks Difficulty in deciding on best technology options (48%); uncertain ROI and use cases (45%); and lack of enterprise-wide strategy and roadmap (42%)

Difficulty in deciding on best technology options (48%); uncertain ROI and use cases (45%); and lack of enterprise-wide strategy and roadmap (42%) Capital markets firms Lack of enterprise-wide strategy and roadmap (48%); difficulty in deciding on best technology options (42%); and uncertain ROI and use cases (41%)

Lack of enterprise-wide strategy and roadmap (48%); difficulty in deciding on best technology options (42%); and uncertain ROI and use cases (41%) Insurance companies - Lack of enterprise-wide strategy and roadmap (42%); inadequate IT and data systems (40%); and difficulty in deciding on best technology options (39%).

Peter Kennedy, Partner Cloud Lead at Capco, said: "We believe financial services firms often do not consider the total cost benefits when measuring return on investment (ROI) on the cloud. Only 40% cited benefits arising from decreased non-IT costs, and even fewer measure reduced carbon footprint, accelerated time to market, or improved productivity."

Commenting on perceived obstacles to cloud implementation, Kennedy added: "Roadmaps that charted a digital journey for the entire organization were slow to emerge, if at all. Early in the transformation process it is crucial to develop an enterprise-wide cloud strategy and roadmap that details technology choices, governance measures and spending priorities, and that moderates other potential battlegrounds that can dilute implementation." He also noted that the survey results reinforce that training, recruitment, and retention are fundamental competencies that need careful and early planning or risk snagging an institution's shift to the cloud: "An average of 25% of FSIs said limited access to cloud skills and talent along with a need for training were serious impediments to successful cloud implementations."

Download Capco's research report Cloud's Transformation of Financial Services to discover practical and actionable recommendations for financial services leaders on how to design and expedite a successful journey to the cloud.

About Capco, A Wipro Company

Capco is a global technology and management consultancy specializing in driving digital transformation in the financial services industry. With a growing client portfolio comprising of over 100 global organizations, Capco operates at the intersection of business and technology by combining innovative thinking with unrivalled industry knowledge to fast-track digital initiatives for banking and payments, capital markets, wealth and asset management, insurance, and the energy sector. Capco's cutting-edge ingenuity is brought to life through its Innovation Labs, and award-winning BYAW culture and diverse talent. To learn more, visit www.capco.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn Instagram, and Xing.

About Wipro

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 220,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005169/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Malea Lydon

BackBay Communications

capco@backbaycommunications.com
- Company secures strategic hire amid competitive global environment for talent to establish the Firm's continued growth across Commerce & Industry.

LONDON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leathwaite is proud to welcome Chris Smith. Based in London, Chris will co-lead Leathwaite's global HR practice, while also steering and accelerating the firm's strategy of ongoing diversification outside its core markets of financial & professional services.

Chris brings extensive global search and advisory experience across HR, Human Capital, and the Corporate Officers landscape, with a proven track record garnered in both leading global top-tier and boutique executive search and consulting firms. With human capital at the forefront of corporate strategy, never more so than in response to the global pandemic, Chris will continue to be a key partner to business leaders and CHROs seeking to ensure they have the very best talent at the top of their organisations.

Further, Chris will take a leadership role in steering Leathwaite's growth in a number of key industries. Leathwaite was founded in 1999 and has since established itself as the leading search firm for corporate functions, especially within financial and professional services. Leathwaite sees significant ongoing opportunity and demand to support clients across commerce & industry, which Chris will drive as a sector.

Tom Pemberton, Co-Head of UK & Ireland for Leathwaite comments, "We are delighted to welcome Chris to Leathwaite. The CHRO and HR leadership community have been critical partners to Leathwaite since our inception, and we look forward to Chris expanding & enhancing those bonds."

Andrew Wallace, Leathwaite's Managing Partner, added "Chris will be a wonderful addition to the Leathwaite team. We have experienced rapid growth in recent years across several commerce and industry markets and look forward to Chris driving that expansion in its next phase'.

About Leathwaite

Leathwaite is a global executive search and leadership talent advisory firm. Leathwaite is unique given its focus on senior level functional talent: CIO/CTO, CFO, HR, Risk and Compliance. Since establishing the business in 1999, Leathwaite has developed key global client partnerships across a range of industry sectors. The company is guided by one purpose: 'To Create Meaningful Change Through Exceptional People', which drives the internal culture of the business and helps to make Leathwaite a leader within this industry. More information: www.leathwaite.com.

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LONDON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Diginius, a leading provider of digital solutions, has had an impressive start to 2022, being recognised by Microsoft for its ongoing successes and contributions to the digital sphere.

Receiving the prestigious title of Microsoft's Europe Channel Partner of the Year for 2021, Diginius has once again been identified for its excellence across the board as part of its partnership with Microsoft Advertising.

With a focus on creating both quantitative and qualitative results, Diginius manages businesses at scale, and this dedication to growing businesses in varying sectors is just one of the many reasons why it has been awarded this title.

In the words of Nate Burke, CEO and founder of Diginius: "we align our technology to work with our clients and drive performance," and in a video released by Microsoft Advertising, Diginius has been described as a business that "personifies innovation creativity and partnership in all that they do," further establishing Diginius' identity and reputation in the digital field.

Particularly, it was the Diginius Insight Bidding Engine software, designed in-house by a team of experts, that positively contributed towards its success, as it allows Diginius to produce more impressive results for its clients though the native Microsoft platform.

"I'm delighted to have been awarded this title," Nate began.

"I want to take a moment to thank my team for their continued hard work and dedication, and to our clients, for allowing us to work on their accounts and deliver the results we do."

After such a positive start to 2022 for Diginius, we're expecting continued achievements throughout the year, and can't wait to see what they do next.

For more information please visit: https://www.diginius.com/

You can read more about the Microsoft Advertising Partner Awards Europe winners here, or watch Microsoft's video here.
Bertelsmann subsidiary Arvato Financial Solutions becomes shareholder of Nexxiot AG

Nexxiot strengthens Arvato Financial Solutions digital portfolio through advanced supply chain optimization technology and analytics

Game-changing partnership to accelerate supply chain precision, dependability through 'Know Your Cargo' transparency standards

Arvato Financial Solutions, financial service provider of Bertelsmann, today announced it has acquired a stake in Swiss logistics digitalization and TradeTech pioneer Nexxiotfurthering its strategy to invest in cutting-edge, data-driven solutions that advance global supply chain precision and dependability.

The groundbreaking partnership, whereby Arvato Financial Solutions will become a shareholder in Nexxiot, aspires to set a new standard in worldwide cargo transparency. Leveraging onboard digital technologies backed by AI powered Cloud solutions, they will ensure unparalleled trust and accountability spanning intermodal freight networks around the world while delivering unsurpassed value to customers in more than 160 countries.

Already one of the largest enterprise IoT and big data analytics companies in the supply chain space, Nexxiot will now add enhanced software and controls through the Bertelsmann subsidiary financial and systems expertise, while Arvato Financial Solutions will harness the dependability, reach, and performance of Nexxiot's industry-leading sensors, gateways, and Cloud solutions. Together, these capabilities promise unique business intelligence unlike anything in the cargo transportation sector.

"Financial services and global logistics are intertwined. Containers, railcars and the cargo they contain, represent significant financial investments. Stakeholders are looking for ways to manage risk and reduce operating costs," said Jan Altersten, Chief Executive Officer of Arvato Financial Solutions. "We see a tremendous opportunity to transform the global cargo shipping industry through the deployment of digital solutions and the application of Big Data-enabled AI. We are pleased to become an investor in Nexxiot and will rapidly deploy a business collaboration to accelerate the digital revolution in shipping."

Stefan Kalmund, CEO of Nexxiot AG, added, "As an important global player and being well known for its digital innovation, Bertelsmanns' Arvato Financial is the ideal partner to develop an intelligent cargo shipping platform that meets the needs of commerce today and into the future. Nexxiot's TradeTech is already the leading digital cargo transformation tool across Europe and beyond, and this new collaboration promises to further accelerate its adoption worldwide."

Nexxiot already creates significant value for asset and cargo owners in the supply chain. Providing field-proven precision IoT hardware, software applications and cutting-edge analytics, Nexxiot's technology is critical to fleet owners, carriers, and beneficial cargo owners alike. Adding Arvato Financial Solutions' experience for the financial connection and as fellow standard-bearers, will enable clients to benefit from full cargo and transactional transparency in one place. This includes movements, handling, quality, provenance, and more. The technology also enables automation of processes and the reinvention of business models to be more 'outcome based', meeting the demands of digital trade participants everywhere.

'Know Your Cargo' Poised to Transform Global Shipping

Just as the financial services sector has been transformed in efficiency and traceability through international "Know Your Customer" (KYC) standards, Arvato Financial Solutions and Nexxiot believe global trade will now experience the radical new "KYC" benefits for shipping "Know Your Cargo

In 2021, seven ocean vessels were destroyed by fire due to weaknesses in today's cargo declaration processes. This is just one example demonstrating how today's "good faith" cargo transparency standards are no longer good enough. Each stakeholder from carriers to customs, insurers and owners, ports and terminals need better assurances when third parties take on critical processes, many times on the other side of the planet. Advanced digital services ensure cargo quality, safety and sustainability, and are required to control risks like damages, loss, theft, illegal trafficking and movements of hazardous goods.

To fully realize Know Your Cargo, raw data from robust hardware must be combined with advanced and secure platform analytics to deliver trusted stakeholder value. The resulting visibility will drive streamlined processes and establish better standards and business models. Always a frontrunner on new global megatrends, Arvato Financial Solutions recognized this emerging market and responded by creating the 'Customer Information Network Intelligence' platform known as Cinfoni. When combined with Nexxiot's powerful Connect Intelligent Cloud, a new paradigm in cargo accountability will be defined.

Arvato Financial Solutions

Arvato Financial Solutions is a subsidiary of Bertelsmann SE Co. KGaA, a privately owned company held by the Mohn family. The affiliated company, Arvato Financial Solutions, provides professional financial services to renowned international brands as well as respected local businesses allowing them to leave their credit management to a professional, so they can focus on what matters most for their business. The services center around cash flow in all segments of the customer lifecycle: from credit risk management to payment, factoring and accounting services to debt collection. The Arvato Financial Solutions team is made up of around 7,000 experts in 15 countries and is aligned by a common goal: to make sure client's credit management runs effortlessly and efficiently, ultimately resulting in optimized financial performance. www.finance.arvato.com

Nexxiot

Nexxiot AG is a driver of the digital logistics of tomorrow. An industry leader in the digitalization of cargo transportation, Nexxiot empowers global shipping companies and suppliers to harness the power of their data through proprietary, cutting-edge technology and integrated data solutions to track, find and protect cargo across more than 160 countries around the world and via 450 network roaming partners to ensure accountability, security, and efficiency. Headquartered in Zurich, Nexxiot operates throughout Europe and the U.S., employing people from 21 countries. The company's secure, industry-leading Cloud comprises data from over 2,5 billion traveled miles Committed to sustainability through corporate and social responsibility, Nexxiot's goal is to enable a five percent reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions by increasing cargo transport efficiency and eliminating waste caused by empty runs and inefficient routes. https://nexxiot.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005640/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Nexxiot AG: David Simpson at 914-262-2950 dsimpson@lakpr.com
Flutterwave attracts all-star line-up of leading new investors

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutterwave, a leading technology company, announced today that it has raised USD $250 million in Series D funding, valuing the company at over $3 billion as the brand continues to transform the way Africans transact on the continent and worldwide.

Flutterwave has become the highest valued African start-up with this investment. It is a validation of African talent, innovation and its young inspiring people. It is also a huge endorsement in the growth of the business, innovation and technology landscape in Africa.

Flutterwave's latest backers include some of the world's most respected investors led by B Capital Group, and with participation from Alta Park Capital, Whale Rock Capital, Lux Capital, among others. Several existing investors who also participated in previous rounds also followed this round, including, Glynn Capital, Avenir Growth, Tiger Global, Green Visor Capital, Salesforce Ventures. The new funds will drive Flutterwave's ambitious expansion plan to accelerate customer acquisition in existing markets and growth through M&A; and develop complementary products while encouraging new innovations in its products and services development. The Company will share more details during the Flutterwave 3.0 event. The virtual event is billed for 18th February 2022 and members of the public can RSVP here.

Since inception in 2016, the Flutterwave team has been on a mission to create endless possibilities for customers and businesses in Africa and the emerging markets. The Series D fundraise comes on the back of an impressive run of five years in which Flutterwave has processed over 200M transactions worth over USD $16B to date across 34 countries in Africa. It also follows a year of rapid growth for the brand which now serves over 900,000 businesses across the globe.

In 2021, Flutterwave launched a range of new products including Flutterwave Market for merchants to sell their goods via an online marketplace and, most recently, Send, a remittance service that empowers customers to seamlessly send money to recipients to and from Africa. Flutterwave has also partnered with leading global and pan-African technology and telecommunication companies such as PayPal, MTN, Airtel Africa to drive financial inclusion on the continent and create endless possibilities for customers who can build customisable payment applications through its APIs

Olugbenga 'GB' Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, said: "Our story is that of resilience and hard work. Our growth so far is due to the support of our customers, our partners, the banks, the public, the regulators, and importantly our people. The Central Bank of Nigeria, under the leadership of Dr. Godwin Emefiele, laid the vision of a transformational Payment System in Nigeria, provided the framework for innovation in this space, and has continued to create regulations that have enabled us to grow and thrive. We are grateful to them and to all the other Central Banks in all the countries where we operate. We set out to build a platform that simplifies payments for everyone and today, our solutions are used across the globe to connect Africans to the world and the world to Africans. We are delighted that investors believe in us and our story and are committing their resources to this belief. This latest funding demonstrates the conviction of some of the world's leading investors in both our business model, team and the Africa technology market. It gives Flutterwave the much-needed support to deliver on our plans to provide the best experience for our merchants and customers around the world."

Matt Levinson, Partner at B Capital, said: "At B Capital, we seek to back generational companies with broad platform potential. Flutterwave has a unique opportunity to accomplish this as the dominant payments' infrastructure provider across Africa. In addition to their emergence as the leading enterprise payments processor for the continent, Flutterwave is innovating at breakneck speed with novel fintech solutions for large corporates, SMEs and consumers. I've had the pleasure of backing this world-class team since 2017 and couldn't be more thrilled that B Capital is leading their Series D. Flutterwave may ultimately build one of the most consequential fintech business in the world, enabling hundreds of thousands of merchants to transact online and connect Africa to the global economy."

David Glynn, Managing Partner of Glynn Capital, said: "We believe the digitization of payments globally is one of the largest and most important trends in technology. Having been investors in Flutterwave since 2017, we have had a front row seat in seeing Flutterwave establish itself as a leading payments company in Africa as it drives adoption of seamless digital payments experiences for merchants and consumers alike. We look forward to supporting the company as it addresses its significant growth opportunity in the years ahead." This latest fundraising has seen Flutterwave's valuation more than triple since its last funding round in March last year when it became one of Africa's fastest growing Unicorn.

About Flutterwave

Flutterwave is a leading technology company that enables businesses across the world to expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets through a platform that enables cross-border transactions via one API. Flutterwave has processed over 200M transactions worth over USD $16B to date and serves more than 900,000 businesses including customers like Uber, Flywire, Booking.com, etc. The Company's key advantage is international payment processing in 150 currencies and multiple payment modes including local and international cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers, Barter by Flutterwave etc. Flutterwave has an infrastructure reach in over 34 African countries, including Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. For more information on Flutterwave's journey, please visit: www.flutterwave.com

About B Capital Group

B Capital Group is a multi-stage global investment firm founded in 2015. Investing in companies transforming large traditional industries across borders and geographies, B Capital leverages an international team of seasoned experts, as well as its strategic partnership with BCG. The firm helps founders navigate business challenges, raise capital, and attract talented leadership at every stage of the startup lifecycle. B Capital invests in enterprise software, healthcare, financial services, consumer enablement, and industrial and transportation companies. The B Capital portfolio includes global, industry-leading companies like Atomwise, Carro, Dailyhunt, Datarobot, Evidation Health, Icertis, Innovaccer, Ninja Van, Tuhu, and Yalo. For more information, visit bcapgroup.com

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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. gun manufacturer Remington Arms, whose rifle was used in the Sandyhook mass shooting, has agreed to settle a lawsuit with the families of victims for $73 million.



The dreaded Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that shook the conscience of the country occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza opened fire indiscriminately and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and six were adult staff members.



The incident is the deadliest mass shooting at an elementary school in U.S. history, and the fourth-deadliest mass shooting overall.



The Bushmaster AR-15 rifle model, manufactured by Remington Arms Co., was used in the shooting.



Two years later, the families of nine of the victims filed a lawsuit against Remington in a Connecticut court alleging that the gun-maker marketed and sold assault rifles to civilians, 'prioritizing profit over public safety.'



According to Josh Koskoff, an attorney for the victims' families, Remington's four insurers have agreed to pay the full amount of coverage available, amounting to $73 million.



Each family will receive a share of the settlement.



The settlement is believed to be the first time a gun-maker has faced liability for a mass shooting.



Until now, a federal law has been shielding gun companies from liability.



The 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act grants broad immunity to gun-manufacturing companies and dealers from prosecution over crimes committed with their products.



'This victory should serve as a wake up call, not only to the gun industry, but also the insurance and banking companies that prop it up,' Koskoff said at a news conference.



'For the insurance and banking industries, it's time to recognize the financial cost of underwriting companies that elevate profit by escalating risk,' he added.



Responding to the settlement news, President Joe Biden said, 'While this settlement does not erase the pain of that tragic day, it does begin the necessary work of holding gun manufacturers accountable for manufacturing weapons of war and irresponsibly marketing these firearms'.



'They have demonstrated that state and city consumer protection laws - like Connecticut's Unfair Trade Practices Act - provide an opportunity to hold gun manufacturers and dealers accountable for wrongdoing despite the persistence of the federal immunity shield for these companies,' he said in a statement.



Biden repeated his call to Congress that it repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act 'so we can fully hold gun manufacturers and dealers accountable'.



He urged state and local lawmakers, lawyers, and survivors of gun violence to pursue efforts to replicate the success of the Sandy Hook families.



The President warned gun manufacturers and dealers that they must either change their business models to be part of the solution for the gun violence epidemic, or they will bear the financial cost of their complicity.



U.S. cities are going through a historic spike in gun violence and mass shootings.



In April last year, the Biden administration announced a number of executive actions aimed at curbing gun violence in the wake of a series of mass shootings that shocked the country.







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OTCQX: SHWZ

Additional Indoor Grow Acquisition Increases Cultivation Capacity

Company Continues to Execute Growth Strategy Through Acquisitions

DENVER, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) ("Schwazze" or the "Company"), announced today that it has closed the transaction to acquire the assets of Brow 2, LLC, located in Denver, Colorado. The planned transaction includes a 37,000 square foot building and equipment designed for indoor cultivation. This transaction continues Schwazze's aggressive expansion in Colorado and will enhance the Company's cultivation capabilities, providing product directly to its dispensaries. The consideration for the acquisition was $6.7 million and was paid in cash at closing.

"This is another step in building operational depth and capabilities in Colorado for Schwazze. This acquisition will add a talented team of growers, high-quality indoor flower cultivation capacity, new strain genetics, and another profitable asset to our platform. The new facility will supply our growing network of dispensaries and customers with a broad assortment of high-quality indoor flower," said Justin Dye, Schwazze's CEO.

Corporate Update

Late in 2021, Schwazze announced a transformational $95 million raise with institutional investors and individuals, allowing the Company to expedite its aggressive expansion plans and become a regional MSO with operations in Colorado and New Mexico. The Company's differentiated strategy is to build a leadership position in retail and operational depth within its operating areas.

Since December 2021, Schwazze has completed five acquisitions adding a total of 15 cannabis dispensaries, including Smoking Gun (December 2021); Drift (February 2022); Emerald Fields (February 2022); and the ten Greenleaf New Mexico dispensaries (February 2022). See Figure #1, outlining Schwazze's dispensary assets.

Since July 2021, the Company has acquired a total of six cultivation facilities, two in Colorado including, SCG Holding LLC (July 2021); and Brow 2 LLC (February 2022) - and four licensed in New Mexico (February 2022). The Greenleaf New Mexico acquisition also added a manufacturing asset, Elemental Kitchen & Laboratories, LLC to the Company's Purplebee's manufacturing plant in Colorado.

The Company continues to evaluate merger and acquisition transactions that meet our strategic screening criteria.

About Schwazze

Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.

Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.

Figure #1

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "plan," "will," "may,", "predicts," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, (x) the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws, and (x) out ability to satisfy the closing conditions for the private finding described in this press release. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

Investors: Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations, Joanne.jobin@schwazze.com, 647 964 0292; Media: Julie Suntrup, Schwazze, Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising, julie.suntrup@schwazze.com, 303 371 0387

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SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global clinical decision support systems market size is expected to reach USD 8.60 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.7% from 2021 to 2028. Surging demand for quality care is one of the primary factors driving the market for clinical decision support systems (CDSS). Constant lookout for reliable technology solutions by care providers is also expected to work in favor of the market. The growing interest in enhanced medical care and efficient decision-making is projected to fuel the adoption of CDSS and EHR.

Key Insights & Findings from the report:

The standalone CDSS product segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020 owing to its low cost. The integrated EHR with CDSS segment is poised to witness noteworthy growth over the coming years due to the rapid adoption of healthcare IT solutions by clinicians.

In terms of application, drug allergy alerts held the largest revenue share in 2020 owing to the rising burden of allergies.

By delivery mode, the on-premise systems segment dominated the market with a share of over 40.0% in 2020 owing to its high adoption by healthcare organizations.

Based on component, the CDSS software segment is expected to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period owing to novel innovations for technical support and interoperability of the CDSS software.

North America dominated the market in 2020 due to the presence of a large number of key players and the high adoption of advanced technologies. Asia Pacific is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 13.0% during the forecast period.

Read 150-page market research report, "Clinical Decision Support Systems Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Product (Standalone CDSS, Integrated EHR with CDSS), By Application, By Delivery Mode, By Component, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028", published by Grand View Research.

Clinical Decision Support Systems Market Growth & Trends

To manage the COVID-19 pandemic, many initiatives are being undertaken by the government and community organizations to support the current healthcare system. These comprised front-line clinics by state governments, a volunteer panel of doctors, and many private telemedicine applications. CDSS is a playing a vital role during the pandemic as it is helping physicians make effective choices at the point of care. As a result, market players are capitalizing on this opportunity to address the problem and provide support to front-line doctors. For instance, in May 2020, DHIndia announced a collaboration with EHRC@IIITB and Healthelife to develop CDSS for COVID-19 screening. This collaboration also included the formation of a minimal triage application for front-line clinicians.

Decision support in critical health situations proves to be significant. Furthermore, these systems analyze patient medical records and provide a list of possible solutions from which the most appropriate is to be selected. Easy compatibility and interoperability of systems with different platforms have enhanced the growth prospects of the market. Collaborative efforts of researchers and software developers to make medical knowledge available to users are anticipated to contribute toward lucrative revenue generation over the forecast period.

At present, CDSS is being widely implemented across various healthcare functions such as diagnosis, drug prescription, and clinical investigations. The importance of CDSS has been acknowledged across several healthcare entities, including public and private healthcare sectors. Furthermore, healthcare organizations are undertaking initiatives for promoting the installation and integration of EHR and CDSS, which is expected to positively impact the market growth by encouraging hospital and healthcare groups to implement such solutions.

Market players are involved in strategic initiatives such as new product launches, product innovations, acquisitions, and partnerships to gain a competitive edge over each other. For instance, in October 2021, DreaMed Diabetes AI LTD. proclaimed that it has received FDA Clearance for its Type 2 Diabetes AI-based CDSS, thereby enhancing its offering.

Clinical Decision Support Systems Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global clinical decision support systems market on the basis of product, application, delivery mode, component, and region:

Clinical Decision Support Systems Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Standalone CDSS

Integrated CPOE with CDSS

Integrated E.H.R. with CDSS

Integrated CDSS with CPOE & E.H.R.

Clinical Decision Support Systems Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Drug-drug Interactions

Drug Allergy Alerts

Clinical Reminders

Clinical Guidelines

Drug Dosing Support

Others

Clinical Decision Support Systems Delivery Mode Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Web-based Systems

Cloud-based Systems

On-premise Systems

Clinical Decision Support Systems Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Hardware

Software

Services

Clinical Decision Support Systems Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

Germany



U.K.



France



Italy



Spain

Asia Pacific

Japan



China



India



Australia



South Korea

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico



Argentina

Middle East and Africa (MEA)

and (MEA) Saudi Arabia



South Africa



Israel

List of Key Players of Clinical Decision Support Systems Market

McKesson Corporation

Cerner Corporation

Siemens Healthineers GmbH

Allscripts Healthcare, LLC

athenahealth, Inc.

NextGen Healthcare Inc.

Koninklijke Philips N.V. ( Royal Philips )

) IBM Corporation

Agfa-Gevaert Group

Wolters Kluwer N.V .

Check out more related market research studies published by Grand View Research:

eClinical Solutions Market - The global eClinical solutions market size is expected to reach USD 21.8 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 13.6% from 2022 to 2030. Increasing R&D activities by biopharma and pharma companies, application of software solutions in clinical trials, and expanding customer base are anticipated to fuel market growth.

The global eClinical solutions market size is expected to reach by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 13.6% from 2022 to 2030. Increasing R&D activities by biopharma and pharma companies, application of software solutions in clinical trials, and expanding customer base are anticipated to fuel market growth. Healthcare Software As A Service Market - The global healthcare software as a service market size is expected to reach USD 51.7 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is projected to register a CAGR of 19.5% from 2021 to 2028. The growing adoption of cloud computing in the healthcare industry is driving the growth.

- The global healthcare software as a service market size is expected to reach by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is projected to register a CAGR of 19.5% from 2021 to 2028. The growing adoption of cloud computing in the healthcare industry is driving the growth. Healthcare Cloud Infrastructure Market - The global healthcare cloud infrastructure market size is expected to reach USD 142.0 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 16.7% from 2021 to 2028. The growing trend of healthcare digitalization, rising expenditures, overburdened health systems, rising traffic on the network, growing data siloes, and the emergence of remote working is contributing to the demand for healthcare cloud infrastructure systems and solutions.

Browse through Grand View Research's coverage of the Healthcare IT Industry

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

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MANILA, Philippines, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes even more to protect one.

In a webinar marking Safer Internet Day on February 8, Philippine digital solutions platform Globe and international organizations United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) vowed to continue efforts in fighting Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) in the country.

The event was anchored on Globe's long-running MakeITSafePH campaign geared towards online safety and protection.

At the webinar, Globe highlighted the importance of holistic cooperation among the public and private sectors, international and local civil society organizations, and digital citizens.

"As a digital solutions group, Globe recognizes the need for children to be safe online. We celebrate Safer Internet Day today with the intention of raising awareness and educating consumers about the continued rise of OSAEC in the Philippines, and what we can do to protect our children from further risks of online violence and exploitation," said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.

The company has invested more than US$2.7 million for content filtering systems that block websites and online imagery that promote child pornography and piracy.

"There is an urgent need to address online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, especially with the growing digital landscape," said UNICEF Child Protection Officer Ramil Anton Villafranca.

He added, "We saw an alarming trend even before the pandemic that led to abuse, which was further exacerbated by economic hardships during the pandemic. As a community, we need to create better opportunities that will enable our children and their families, without exposing them to the risks of abuse and exploitation."

IWF Communications Director Emma Hardy cited the importance of global partnerships to address the cross-border problem.

"We've been doing this for 25 years now and we cannot do it without great partnerships from around the world. And we were so delighted to be able to welcome Globe Telecom as one of our members in the Philippines. Key to the work that we do is having a global network of Internet companies that we work with," she said.

IWF is a UK-based child protection body that employs cutting-edge technology to find, remove, disrupt and prevent child sexual abuse imagery on the internet. The non-profit organization works closely with international law enforcement agencies, governments, and other non-government organizations (NGO). Each report on an exploitative image or video it receives is examined by a pool of expert analysts, who proactively scour the internet for OSAEC content.

Hardy presented recent data showing a 64% rise in child sexual abuse imagery from 2020 to 2021 globally, with nearly three-quarters of total reported content "self-generated."

This means a child online alone is "encouraged, groomed and coerced into sexual activity by the person on the other side of the webcam," who then records this and shares it on Internet forums for people who have sexual interest in children.

"In the work that we do we see that the images, once captured, we see them recirculated time and time again," Hardy said at the forum, citing that girls 11 to 13 are most vulnerable.

Boosting local efforts in the Philippines is an imperative as the country has been found to be among the world's top producers of content involving child sexual abuse, according to a study by the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Reports of online child exploitation have risen during the pandemic, as struggling families resorted to producing illicit content using children to earn money quickly to make ends meet.

"Stopping OSAEC is everybody's fight. As a commited advocate for Internet safety, Globe has been working closely with government and key stakeholders to protect our children from sexual abuse online for several years," said Globe Chief Data Privacy Officer Irish Salandanan-Almeida.

She added, "The only way for us to truly win this fight is by working together across sectors and recognizing how we as individuals can play a part in preventing further cases of OSAEC in the Philippines."

Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9 which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development, and UN SDG 17 which highlights the value of partnerships in achieving the sustainable development goals. Globe is committed to upholding the United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs.

To know more about OSAEC and StopOnlineChildAbuse, watch the webinar via the Globe Bridging Communities Facebook page .

About Globe:

Globe is a leading full-service telecommunications company in the Philippines and publicly listed in the PSE with the stock symbol GLO. The company serves the telecommunications and technology needs of consumers and businesses across an entire suite of products and services including mobile, fixed, broadband, data connectivity, internet and managed services. It has major interests in financial technology, digital marketing solutions, venture capital funding for startups, and virtual healthcare. In 2019, Globe became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, committing to implement universal sustainability principles. Its principals are Ayala Corporation and Singtel, acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region.

About UNICEF:

Unicef works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, UNICEF works for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

About Internet Watch Foundation:

The IWF works globally to stop child sexual abuse imagery on the internet. It is part of the UK Safer Internet Centre , working with Childnet International and the South West Grid for Learning to promote the safe and responsible use of technology. If you ever stumble across a sexual image or video of someone you think is under 18, please report to the IWF . Reporting can be done anonymously and confidentially - we don't need your details, just your help. For more information please visit www.iwf.org.uk

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747948/UNICEF_Child_Protection_Officer_RA_Villafranca_presents_key_statistics_on_OSAEC_prevalence_in_the_Ph.jpg

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Margo Davidson, the disgraced former state lawmaker, stood before a judge Monday to learn her fate for ripping off taxpayers.

She was sentenced to pay a fine of $150.

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Wow, is that lenient.

What message does that send? If youre a big shot who gets caught and repays the money, its no big deal?

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Some double parkers in Allentown are penalized more harshly. Their fines can be $200 or more.

Davidson was charged last summer after an investigation by the state attorney generals office. At the time, she was a five-term Democratic state representative from Delaware County.

She was accused of billing taxpayers for hotel stays in Harrisburg that had been paid for by her campaign. She also was accused of being reimbursed through per diem claims for overnight stays on nights when she did not stay overnight.

The attorney generals office alleged Davidson tried to interfere with the probe by soliciting a witness to lie to investigators.

Former state Rep. Margo Davidson, D-Delaware (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

After being charged, Davidson, 59, immediately reimbursed the state nearly $7,000 in restitution. And she resigned from the office she had held for about a decade.

In December, she pleaded guilty to theft by deception; solicitation to hindering apprehension or prosecution; and three campaign finance offenses. All are misdeameanors. She is prohibited from holding public office again in Pennsylvania.

She was sentenced Monday by Dauphin County Judge Scott Arthur Evans.

Davidsons attorney told The Associated Press after her sentencing that she expressed remorse during the hearing. He said she is moving forward and has been very graceful and very humble.

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And very lucky.

She can move forward now that her case is closed. Taxpayers, though, still cannot rest easily.

As I wrote after Davidson was charged, the system for reimbursing legislators for their expenses lacks accountability. Its too easy to game. This case showed that.

Legislators dont have to document all of their costs. To be repaid for hotels and meals, they can claim a flat rate per diem expense, ranging from $178 to $200. Some days, that may be more than their expenses. Other days, they may not recoup all of their costs.

Its time to reform the system.

Lawmakers must be held to the same standard as employees in the private sector. They should be required to document business expenses, to the penny.

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That would allow taxpayers to rest easy.

Morning Call columnist Paul Muschick can be reached at 610-820-6582 or paul.muschick@mcall.com
LONDON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New website offers NFT owners the ability to keep the NFT artwork in their wallet even after they sell the asset.

A London-based software company has just launched CloneMyNFT.com which offers NFT owners the ability to "keep their NFT artwork forever" even after they have sold it.

It claims to be the world's first NFT backup service which allows you to keep a copy of your NFT in your wallet even after selling the original.

The system works by creating an exact digital copy of the artwork but with another unique contract on the block chain, effectively making it an almost exact clone of the original NFT.

The digital art copy will lack the provenance of the original NFT but will look identical in appearance, and could even be sold as a copy.

The CloneMyNFT.com website says: "Many collectors get attached to their NFTs and want to continue to view the artwork in their wallet long after they have sold them. Sometimes collectors have to sell them to realise their assets, but for whatever reason they often want to keep a reminder of the NFT they once owned, and now they can."

We are offering the ability to clone your NFT and keep an identical duplicate copy forever in your wallet.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747958/UK_NFT_Art_Clone_My_NFT.jpg

Contact:

Ellis Cameron

cloneme@techie.com
HELSINKI, Finland, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "To err is human", and it's impossible to ship things entirely without error. The DEVOPS Conference focuses on how we build culture, teams and practices where we take care of people building great software.

Eficode, a company creating the future of software development, organizes Europe's largest DevOps event, The DEVOPS Conference, on March 8th and 9th. Event participation is free of charge. This year's conference focuses on the human side of DevOps: how people thrive with the right culture and processes.

Eficode's research* shows that innovating at speed remains the most critical objective in the DevOps community - for the second year. One in three DevOps practitioners and IT decision-makers selected "Delivering value to customers faster" as the challenge they most want to solve.

However, as a change from last year, improving software quality is now the second most important objective: almost one in five selects it as their key challenge to solve. Conversely, CI/CD is now the most favorable topic of the event. The question is, how to create a great working environment where this is possible.

"DevOps is no longer about new tools and practices. Instead, it is about measuring and improving value chains together with everyone in the company. Now that novel DevOps services are readily accessible for everyone, healthy Agile and DevOps culture is the source of success in delivering great digital services." says Marko Klemetti, CTO of Eficode.

The DEVOPS conference gives people the opportunity to not only learn, but share their knowledge and challenges with peers - and eventually apply what they learn to their DevOps services. By bringing people with technology and business orientation together, they find ways to apply Agile, DevOps, Cloud, and IT Service management in real life.

The DEVOPS Conference is organized by Eficode, with Atlassian and AWS as its main partners. Speakers include thought leaders in the DevOps community, such as Nicole Forsgren, Partner at Microsoft Research; Kelsey Hightower, Principal Engineer at Google Cloud; Dom Price, Work Futurist at Atlassian, and Helen Beal, Chief Ambassador at DevOps Institute.

Along with Atlassian and AWS, many other industry vendors sponsor the event: Snyk, GitLab, HashiCorp, Beyond Identity, GitHub, LinearB, NetFoundry, CircleCI, Microsoft, StackHawk, Xray, NordicMind, and Secure Code Warrior. Participation is free of charge for all attendees.

* Eficode collected the responses between January 1st 2021 - December 31st 2021 from Eficode's website visitors. The sample size was 3398 respondents.

CONTACT:

Lauri Palokangas, Chief Marketing Officer, Eficode. lauri.palokangas@eficode.com, +358 50 486 4918

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/eficode-oy/r/the-devops-conference-highlights-the-human-factor-in-devops-and-agile,c3507762

The following files are available for download:
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Goodbody Health Inc. (CSE:GDBY) (Goodbody Health" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the rollout of its plan to introduce blood testing through its existing network of clinics while it continues to contract with more new pharmacies including 15 last week.

This process includes venous blood draws with an in-clinic phlebotomist and Goodbody have launched its own phlebotomy training academy, training up staff within its existing clinic network to allow them to offer in clinic health and wellness blood tests. Newly partnered clinics will also have the opportunity to train up to three members of their staff within the phlebotomy training school.

At the same time the Group continues to bring in innovative technologies into its clinics to offer results to tests, such as cholesterol and diabetes, delivered in minutes.

These tests help people assess their wellness and determine any lifestyle changes required to live better, giving feedback to Goodbody Health to develop the model including additional products and services.

Meanwhile COVID testing revenues are still averaging at over 500 tests per day, remaining strong due to other country entry requirements although the UK restrictions have eased.

Geremy Thomas, Executive Chairman, said; "We have set up a model for blood testing, that our partners cannot wait to roll out as they see the benefits for everyone in their local area, while continuing to provide PCR testing for our customer base."

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Fury Gold Mines Limited (TSX:FURY)(NYSE American:FURY) ("Fury" or the "Company") is pleased to provide results from the 2021 exploration program at the Raven prospect within its Committee Bay project in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut. Highlights include drill intercepts of 9.18 g/t gold (Au) over 1.5 metres (m) and 7.30 g/t Au over 1.0m in drill hole 21RV-012 and 0.88 g/t Au over 8.00m in drill hole 21RV-011 as well as rock grab results of up to 32.90 g/t Au from a newly identified gold mineralized outcrop 150m to the south of the Raven structure that was drilled in this program.

The reported intercepts have extended mineralization 160m down dip and 70m along strike from historical drilling at Raven (Figure 1). These results paired with the identification of a previously untested gold mineralized structure clearly indicate the significance of the Raven structure and shear zones in general, as exploration targets along the belt. Results from the exploration holes are listed below (Table 1).

"We are very pleased to announce recent drill results from the Raven prospect, as they confirm that the mineralization is open and has room to grow. We have also identified high grades in new areas on surface, which warrant follow up, in addition to continued exploration along the identified shear zones seen at Raven," commented Tim Clark, CEO of Fury.

"Committee Bay is a tremendous exploration opportunity for Fury, the results of this program including our recent expansion hole at Three Bluffs are the best we have seen in the past five years, and we feel there is considerable potential for world-class high-grade gold discoveries; 2022 plans at Committee Bay are currently being reviewed."

Table 1: 2021 Raven Drill Results
Technology helps utilities identify, update aging infrastructure

BOISE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / POWER Engineers, Incorporated (POWER) has officially partnered with Buzz Solutions, a Palo Alto-based startup focused on helping utilities spot and fix power line problems before faults can spark wildfires.

Buzz Solutions offers Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven image recognition that allows utilities to inspect equipment, flag anomalies, and determine which repairs to prioritize. Previously, utilities have used field crews and helicopters to inspect equipment manually, which is both more time-consuming and less accurate than AI-based solutions.

Utilities across North America, but particularly in natural disaster-prone California, face daunting requirements to inspect and update equipment across their aging assets without causing customer rates to skyrocket. Because AI solutions are more cost-effective, Buzz Solutions hopes its technology will allow utilities to reduce operations and maintenance spending and re-allocate those funds to much-needed transmission and distribution replacements and improvements.

"Our relationship with POWER will allow utilities to tremendously speed up and improve the accuracy and efficiency of their inspections and reviews, ultimately making the grid safer for everyone," said Vikhyat Chaudhry, co-founder and COO/CTO, Buzz Solutions.

"This partnership allows us to accelerate the remarkable progress Buzz Solutions has already achieved," said POWER President and CEO Jim Haynes. "Critically, this technology can improve our customers' reliability and cost profiles at a time when there are so many competing demands on a utility's balance sheet."

POWER's team will partner with Buzz Solutions to demonstrate and refine the impact and value of the technology. Buzz Solutions has already begun deployments across North America, including performing transmission and distribution inspections for Newfoundland Power and the New York Power Authority.

"Buzz Solutions is excited about the partnership with POWER Engineers given their strong solution offerings and expertise in the space," said Kaitlyn Albertoli, co-founder and CEO of Buzz Solutions. "As the market continues to drive toward a digital transformation, we look to be at the forefront of AI adoption to help utilities improve the speed and efficiency of the inspection workflow."

About Buzz Solutions: Buzz Solutions is a Palo Alto-based startup company focused on AI-based improvements to some of the critical tasks that utilities face in maintaining high-reliability electric systems. Buzz aims to provide utilities with solutions for asset and vegetation management, infrastructure inspection workflow automation and digitization. The company's offerings deliver AI-based digital solutions, GIS and LiDAR systems, work order systems integrations and scalable data management for making workflow processes more efficient. For more information, visit www.buzzsolutions.co .

About POWER Engineers: POWER Engineers is an engineering and environmental consulting firm specializing in integrated solutions for clients in the power delivery, power generation, food & beverage, government, renewables and storage, campus energy, and oil and gas industries. Founded in 1976, it is an employee-owned company with 45 offices and more than 3,000 employees across North America.

For more information about POWER Engineers Incorporated, please visit www.powereng.com or contact:

Janet Metzger

Corporate Marketing & Communications Director

janet.metzger@powereng.com

(208) 288-6132

SOURCE: POWER Engineers

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/689020/POWER-Partners-With-Energy-Focused-AI-Startup
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE), (NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Randy Reichert as President of the Company, effective April 2022. Mr. Reichert will report to Skeena's CEO, Walter Coles, and will be responsible for all technical aspects of the Company's operations including geology, engineering, sustainability and permitting.

Walter Coles, CEO, commented, "We are excited to welcome Randy to the senior management team of Skeena. As the Company transitions toward construction, we will continue to add engineering and operational expertise to the team. Randy brings a wealth of experience in getting mines built on time and on budget. In parallel, I will remain focused on Skeena's strategy and corporate finances."

Mr. Reichert, who is currently a Skeena board member, has over 30 years' experience in the mining industry. He will be moving from his current role as Vice President, Operations with B2Gold Corp. where he oversees their three international gold operations. Prior to this, Mr. Reichert was General Manager at the Fekola Mine in Mali where he was part of the development team and led the transition from development into operations.

Mr. Reichert has been working internationally in mining for the past 20 years starting with Bema Gold, followed by Oriel Resources and other junior companies in executive roles where he was responsible for various development projects in Russia, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Nevada. He was General Manager during the development of the Kupol Mine in Russia with Bema Gold and subsequently Kinross. Mr. Reichert started his career with Cominco in Canada working at various operations including the Snip Mine in BC's Golden Triangle. Mr. Reichert's experience includes consulting on due diligence for mine financings for Canadian financial groups. Mr. Reichert has a BASc in Mining and Mineral Processing, an MScEng in Rock Mechanics, a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and is a registered Professional Engineer.

About Skeena

Skeena Resources Limited is a Canadian mining exploration and development company focused on revitalizing the past-producing Eskay Creek gold-silver mine located in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a Prefeasibility Study for Eskay Creek in July 2021 which highlights an open-pit average grade of 4.57 g/t AuEq, an after-tax NPV5% of C$1.4B, 56% IRR, and a 1.4-year payback at US$1,550/oz Au. Skeena is currently completing both infill and exploration drilling to advance Eskay Creek to a full Feasibility Study in 2022.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,

Walter Coles Jr.

President & CEO

Contact Information

Investor Inquiries: info@skeenaresources.com

Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725

Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. The use of words such as "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "contemplates", "generates", "targets", "is projected", "is planned", "considers", "estimates", "expects", "is expected", "potential" and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "will", "could", or "would" be taken, achieved, or occur, may identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the results of the PFS, completion of a feasibility study, processing capacity of the mine, anticipated mine life, probable reserves, estimated project capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, results of test work and studies, planned environmental assessments, the future price of metals, metal concentrate, and future exploration and development. Such forward-looking statements are based on material factors and/or assumptions which include, but are not limited to, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and the assumptions set forth herein and in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the year ended December 31, 2020, and the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 25, 2021. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made, and are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein, and are subject to significant operational, business, economic, and regulatory risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including permitting and other government approvals; changes in economic conditions, including changes in the price of gold and other key variables; changes in mine plans and other factors, including accidents, equipment breakdown, bad weather and other project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of the Company; environmental risks and unanticipated reclamation expenses; and other risk factors identified in the Company's 2020 MD&A and AIF, and in the Company's other periodic filings with securities and regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States that are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligations to update and/or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Skeena Resources Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/688969/Skeena-Welcomes-Randy-Reichert-as-President
Warrior Gold Inc. (TSX-V WAR) ("Warrior Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has staked additional claim blocks, adding to the KLW land package (Figure 1) increasing the Company's total land position from 19,350 hectares to 20,769 hectares. Warrior Gold is the second largest landholder in the Kirkland Lake camp with a combined strike length of 32 km (east west) and 22 km (north south) containing numerous regional structures, anomalous minerals showings and favourable geophysical anomalies.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005527/en/

Figure 1. Warrior Gold Land Position in the Kirkland Lake Gold Camp (Graphic: Business Wire)

The Company's land package in the Kirkland Lake camp is hosted in the Blake River Assemblage, the same rock unit that hosts Agnico Eagle's Upper Beaver gold deposit (1.4Moz/5.43 g/t Au)1. The newly acquired claims host several regional structures interpreted from the Ontario government maps as well as several anomalous geochemical sample sites as identified by the Geological Survey of Canada regional geochemical surveys which were undertaken in 1975 and 19802. The addition of these new claims blocks will facilitate Warrior Gold's exploration targeting exercises as the Company reviews data acquisition plans for the upcoming field season.

About Warrior Gold Inc.

Warrior Gold is a TSX Venture Exchange listed company that has consolidated significant and prospective land packages in the Kirkland Lake Gold Camp in Ontario, Canada. The properties are hosted in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, one of the world's best-endowed greenstone belts with +200 million ounces of gold produced to date3. The properties are host to regional and property-scale mineralized structures that are considered to be second-order structures off the Larder Lake Cadillac Deformation Zone LLCDZ the regional structure in the belt known to be spatially associated with the gold mines hosted in the camp.

?The properties assembled include: the 100%-owned Goodfish-Kirana, the Arnold property and the recently optioned KL West (KLW) and KL Central (KLC). Warrior's land position in the Kirkland Lake Gold Camp comprises 20,769 ha, over 444 claims and 29 patented claims and ranks the Company as one of the largest landholders in the Kirkland Lake region.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although Warrior Gold believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Warrior Gold can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. In addition to other risks that may affect the forward-looking statements in this press release are those set out in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis of the financial condition and results of operations for the year ended March 31, 2021 and the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, which are available on the Company profile on SEDAR www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Warrior Gold undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

1 Ontario Geological Survey, Ontario Mineral Inventory, Record MDI32D04SW00068, Created 1984, Updated January 30, 2022

2 Goodwin, A.M. 1980. Archean Volcanic Studies in the Timmins Kirkland Lake Noranda Region of Ontario and Quebec; Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 278, 1980, 51 pages (1 sheet) https://doi.org/10.4095/106237

3 https://mmsd.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/PDF/MIS2020TableG01a-en.pdf

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005527/en/

Contacts:

Daniele Spethmann, P.Geo.

President CEO

Warrior Gold Inc.

+1 647 344-3433

dspethmann@warriorgoldinc.com

Daniel Rodriguez

Corporate Development

Warrior Gold Inc.

+1 604 353-4080

drodriguez@warriorgoldinc.com
- Rise in consumer preference toward using environment-friendly products is encouraging companies in the aluminum foil packaging market to boost their R&D and develop sustainable packaging solutions

- Expansion of the food & beverage industry in Asia Pacific is projected to result in increased growth opportunities in the regional market

ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per a research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global aluminum foil packaging market is expected to register growth at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period from 2020 to 2025.

Due to rise in understanding among consumers on environmental concerns pertaining to materials utilized for the packaging of products, people are inclining toward the use of environment-friendly products. Moreover, government bodies of many nations globally are focusing on the development of regulations that encourage consumers to use eco-friendly products. Hence, varied companies associated with different end-use industries are increasing focus on the use of packaging solutions as per the current market demands. This factor is encouraging players in the global aluminum foil packaging market to increase R&D activities in order to develop eco-friendly products, notes TMR study.

Companies operating in the global aluminum foil packaging market are increasing different strategies such as mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations in order to expand their presence in newer regions. These moves are estimated to help in the market growth in the forecast period.

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Aluminum Foil Packaging Market: Key Findings

Companies operating in the food packaging industry are demanding aluminum foils, owing to the ability of this product to provide protection to food items from different exterior factors, including bacteria, moisture, and oxygen. Hence, the expansion of the food packaging industry is prognosticated to boost the sales growth in the global aluminum foil packaging market in the forecast period.

With rise in trends in the packaging industry, several packaging service providers across the globe are increasing the use of cost-efficient, lightweight, easy-to-use aluminum foil for products from different end-use industries such as pharmaceutical, construction, and food & beverages. This factor is anticipated to play a key role in the growth of the global aluminum foil packaging market.

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Aluminum Foil Packaging Market: Growth Boosters

Rise in demand for eco-friendly aluminum foil from the packaging industry is creating substantial sales prospects in the market

Expansion of the food & beverages industry is prognosticated to help in generating revenue-generation opportunities in the aluminum foil packaging market

Moreover, surge in demand for cosmetics and personal care products is creating prominent demand avenues in the market for aluminum foil packaging

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Aluminum Foil Packaging Market: Regional Analysis

The global aluminum foil packaging market in Asia Pacific is projected to gain exceptional business prospects during the forecast period, owing to many factors such as rise in product demand from the pharmaceutical and food & beverages industries. Moreover, surge in demand for online food services is generating sizable sales opportunities in the Asia Pacific aluminum foil packaging market.

is projected to gain exceptional business prospects during the forecast period, owing to many factors such as rise in product demand from the pharmaceutical and food & beverages industries. Moreover, surge in demand for online food services is generating sizable sales opportunities in the aluminum foil packaging market. The market for aluminum foil packaging is estimated to observe ample growth prospects in Europe and North America , owing to increase in demand for packed food products in these regions. Food manufacturers in these regions are increasing the use of superior quality high barrier packaging solutions. Moreover, the market in these regions is estimated to expand due to surge in demand for processed food and ready-to-eat meals.

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Aluminum Foil Packaging Market: Key Players

Some of the key players profiled in the report are:

United Company RUSAL Plc

China Hongqiao Group Limited

Hulamin Ltd

Amcor PlcHindalco Industries Ltd.

Alcoa Corporation

Eurofoil,

Novelis Inc.

Penny Plate , LLC

, LLC Pactic LLC

Ess Dee Aluminium Ltd.

Wyda Packaging (Pty) Ltd.

Alufoil Products Pvt. Ltd.

Nicholl Food Packaging

Aluminum Foil Packaging Market Segmentation

Thickness

0.007 mm - 0.09 mm

0.09 mm - 0.2 mm

0.2 mm - 0.4 mm

Foil Type

Printed

Unprinted

Application

Food

Dairy



Bakery & Confectionary



Ready-to-eat



Others

Beverages

Pharmaceuticals



Personal Care & Cosmetics



Others

End Use

Bags & Pouches

Wraps & Rolls

Blisters

Lids

Laminated Tubes

Trays

Region

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific (APAC)

(APAC) Middle East & Africa

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STOCKHOLM, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MSD Sweden, an affiliate of the American multinational pharmaceutical company, has been officially recognized as one of the best places to work in Sweden for 2022. Over the years, the company has invested in its talent and culture and driven innovative people practices cutting across inclusion & diversity, employee well-being and personal growth. MSD Sweden succeeded in introducing many initiatives and policies that act as catalysts for the workforce where 87% of employees are recommending the organization as one of the best employer in the market.

Best Places to Work is an international certification program, considered as the 'Platinum Standard' in identifying and recognizing top workplaces around the world, providing employers the opportunity to learn more about the engagement and the satisfaction of their employees and honour those who deliver an outstanding work experience with the highest standards in regards to working conditions.

Commenting on this achievement, Sarah Aiosa, General Manager for the organization said, "I am truly humbled by this result as it recognizes the contribution of every single one of our valued employees, and reflects our strong culture of belonging and collaboration. We work hard every day to ensure that we are providing an environment where our people can bring their whole, authentic selves to work so we can have a positive and lasting impact on the lives of the patients, customers and society we serve in Sweden."

Meanwhile, Hani Aoun, HR lead for the organization said, "We are very proud to receive this certification in challenging and uncertain times! It gives us drive to continue focusing on our most important asset. It also gives us drive and motivation to continue and improve what we have been doing and make sure we set the bar higher! It is our commitment to build and strengthen an innovative and inclusive environment."

The certification provides a valuable benchmark for employees and reinforces the company's commitment to retaining and attracting the best talent to serve its clients locally and internationally.
Costerfield gold reserves increase by 24%; Bjorkdal maintains long mine life

TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mandalay Resources Corporation ("Mandalay" or the "Company") (TSX: MND, OTCQB: MNDJF) is pleased to announce updated Mineral Resources and Reserves estimates for its Costerfield gold-antimony mine in Victoria, Australia and its Bjorkdal gold mine in Skelleftea, Sweden as at December 31, 2021. All dollar amounts in this press release are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.



Highlights:

Costerfield

Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves for contained gold increased by 24%, net of depletion for 2021 production; and

Extended mine life by two years to 2027, net of depletion for 2021 production.

Bjorkdal

Maintains long mine life until 2030;

Improved geological understanding allowing for upgrade to higher confidence Measured Resources and Proven Reserves; and

Increase to Measured and Indicated gold Resources of 59,000 oz net of yearly depletion.



Dominic Duffy, President and CEO of Mandalay, commented:

"Mandalay's exploration efforts in 2021 yielded significant success. We made major additions of Mineral Reserves at Costerfield through the successful discovery of the Shepherd zone below the Youle deposit, and discovered significantly higher gold grades to the east at depth at Bjorkdal.

"As 2021 year-end, Mandalay's total Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves totaled 854,000 ounces of gold and 19,600 tonnes of antimony, compared to 799,000 ounces of gold and 21,800 tonnes of antimony at 2020 year-end. These Mineral Reserves were added at an exploration cost of $30.79 per gold equivalent ounce; further evidence of the cost effectiveness and sustainability of our exploration programs.

"To date, five continuous high-grade veins have been discovered within Shepherd and it is expected to be an area of substantial Mineral Resources and Reserves growth over the coming years. During the 10 months from discovery to data cut-off in 2021, Shepherd has already added 296,000 tonnes of ore at a grade of 12.4 g/t gold and 1.0% antimony into Mineral Reserves. This significant contribution in a short timespan highlights the richness of the Costerfield mineral system. Currently, the Shepherd veins are open and will be the focus of ongoing exploration efforts at Costerfield.

"At Bjorkdal, due to its current long mine life of approximately nine years, the exploration focus was not on Mineral Reserve addition, but on identifying areas that could potentially add higher-grade mine feed. This program was extremely successful with the discovery of the high-grade zones to the east at depth of the Main and Central zones (press releases January 24, 2022, and June 29, 2021). Most of the significant results for this area were recovered after the data cut-off point for this Mineral Resources and Reserves update, hence the success of this program and the significant potential in upgrading the overall grades will be better reflected in the following years and will be a continued exploration focus at Bjorkdal during 2022.

"Looking forward into 2022, alongside the continuation of growth projects around Shepherd and the Eastern Extension projects, Mandalay is advancing several highly prospective areas at both properties. At Bjorkdal, exploration continues north of the Aurora orebody as well as the commencement of surface drilling on regional Bjorkdal style and multi-element targets. At Costerfield, the potential of further Youle and Shepherd style targets will continue to be explored in parallel with renewed efforts on satellite deposits within 2 km of the mining activities."

Table 1: Mineral Reserves as of December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2020

2021 2020 Reserve Category BjorkdalContained Au (koz) Costerfield Contained Au (koz) Costerfield Contained Sb (kt) Bjorkdal Contained Au (koz) Costerfield Contained Au (koz) Costerfield Contained Sb (kt) Proven 74 150 13.1 - 110 12.8 Probable 468 162 6.5 544 145 9.0 Proven + Probable 542 312 19.6 544 255 21.8

Notes:

1. Reserves are contained at Bjorkdal, Costerfield properties only.

2. See tables 4 and 6 for details of Proven and Probable Reserve tonnages and grades at Costerfield and Bjorkdal, including cut-off grades and Qualified Persons.

Table 2: Mineral Resources, Inclusive of Mineral Reserves, as of December 31, 2021, and December 31 2020



2021 2020 Resource Category BjorkdalContained Au (koz) Costerfield Contained Au (koz) Costerfield Contained Sb (kt) BjorkdalContained Au (koz) Costerfield Contained Au (koz) Costerfield Contained Sb (kt) Measured 156 215 21.8 - 164 20.6 Indicated 990 259 17.5 1,087 218 18.8 Measured + Indicated 1,146 474 39.3 1,087 381 39.4 Inferred 359 114 6.7 318 89 6.0

Notes:

1. See tables 3 and 5 for details of tonnages and grades at Costerfield and Bjorkdal.

2. Totals may appear different from the sum of their components due to rounding.

Details of the Mineral Resources and Reserves estimates at each property are related below. Estimates were prepared or verified by the following independent third parties: Mining Plus Pty Ltd. ("MP") at Costerfield and Bjorkdal; and SLR Consulting Ltd. ("SLR") specifically at the Norrberget open pit zone at Bjorkdal.

The year-end 2021 estimates of Mineral Resources and Reserves for the Costerfield and Bjorkdal will be fully documented in independent Technical Reports prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101and the Mandalay website www.mandalayresources.comwithin 45 days of this press release.

Costerfield Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Summary

During 2021, Mandalay drilled a total of 36.3 kilometres ("km") of exploration diamond core at a cost of $6.0 million. The breakdown of this significant drilling campaign is as follows:

27.0 km to test extensions of the Youle and Shepherd ore bodies;

2.6 km to test other near-mine targets; and

6.7 km to test regional targets beyond current mine operations.



In addition to drilling, 4,585 m of on-vein development was completed within the Youle ore body, with 75 m development from October 2021 into the Shepherd ore body. Rock chip samples used in mine grade control were also included in the geological database and used in the Mineral Resources estimation process to improve Mineral Resources classification in areas accessed by development.

Drill core was logged and sampled by Costerfield geologists, who also performed mine sampling. All samples were submitted to Onsite Laboratory Services in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia for sample preparation and assay. Site geological and metallurgical personnel have implemented a QA/QC process that includes the regular submission of site specific and externally sourced standard reference materials, duplicates and blanks with drill and face samples submitted for assay. Site specific standard reference materials were both produced and certified by Geostats Pty Ltd. or ORE Research and Exploration Pty Ltd. (OREAS). Both Geostats Pty Ltd. and OREAS are Australian consultancies who specialize in laboratory quality control systems.

The acQuire Geoscientific Information Management ("GIM") system was used to store and validate all geological data used for the Mineral Resource Estimate. A two-dimensional ("2D") accumulation estimation method was used for all models. This method is considered most applicable for the narrow veins of Costerfield. The Datamine Studio RM platform supports 2D accumulation estimation and was used to complete the Mineral Resource Estimation. Validated drilling and mine sampling data were imported into Datamine and composited to true vein width. Gold ("Au") accumulation, antimony ("Sb") accumulation (accumulation = vein true width x vein grade) and true vein width were estimated into a 2D block model for each lode using ordinary kriging interpolation. Estimated Au and Sb vein grades were back-calculated from the block estimated accumulated data and true vein width.

Where vein true widths are less than 1.2 m, vein grades were diluted to a minimum mining width of 1.2 m using dilution grades of zero g/t Au and zero percent Sb for host lithologies. Where vein true widths are greater than or equal to 1.2 m grades were not diluted.

Mineral Resources were estimated at a cut-off grade of 3.0 g/t Au equivalent ("AuEq") which was determined using Costerfield's 2021 production costs, and using a Au price of $1,700/oz and an Sb price of $8,500/t. Cut-off grade is expressed as AuEq to allow for the inclusion and expression of the secondary metal (Sb) in terms of the primary metal (Au). AuEq is calculated using the formula AuEq= Au + (Sb x 1.58) where Sb is expressed as a percentage, and Au is in grams per tonne, both based on 1.2 m diluted grades.

Table 3: Mineral Resources at Costerfield, Inclusive of Mineral Reserves as of December 31, 2021



2021 Resource Category Tonnes (kt) Au Grade (g/t) Sb Grade (%) Cont. Au (koz) Cont. Sb (kt) Measured Resources Underground 408 15.4 5.0 202 20.4 Stockpile 41 10.1 3.3 14 1.4

Indicated Resources Underground 938 8.6 1.9 259 17.5 Total Measured and Indicated 1,387 10.6 2.8 474 39.3 Inferred Resources Underground 532 6.7 1.3 114 6.7

Notes:

1. The Mineral Resource is estimated as of December 31, 2021 with depletion through to this date.

2. The Mineral Resource is stated according to CIM guidelines and include Mineral Reserves.

3. Tonnes are rounded to the nearest thousand; contained Au (oz) is rounded to the nearest thousand; contained Sb (t) is rounded to nearest hundred.

4. Totals may appear different from the sum of their components due to rounding.

5. 3.0 g/t AuEq cut-off grade over a minimum mining width of 1.2 m is applied where AuEq is calculated using the formula: AuEq = Au g/t + 1.58 * Sb %

6. The AuEq factor of 1.58 is calculated at a Au price of $1,700/oz, an Sb price of $8,500/t, and 2021 total year metal recoveries of 93% for Au and 95% for Sb.

7. Veins were diluted to a minimum mining width of 1.2m before applying the cut-off grade and peripheral mineralisation far from current development was excluded to comply with the Reasonable Prospects for Eventual Economic Extraction (RPEEE) criteria.

8. The Stockpile Mineral Resource is estimated based upon surveyed volumes supplemented by production data.

9. Geological modelling, sample compositing and Mineral Resource Estimation for updated models was performed by Joshua Greene, MAusIMM, a full-time employee of Mandalay Resources.

10. The Mineral Resource Estimate was independently reviewed and verified by Dr Andrew Fowler MAusIMM CP (Geo), a full time employee of Mining Plus. Dr Fowler fulfils the requirements to be a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of NI 43-101, and is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 for the Mineral Resource Estimate.

The Measured and Indicated categories of Mineral Resources were used to update the mine plan using predominantly a long-hole stoping mining method with cemented rock fill. A cut-off grade of 3.8 g/t AuEq was determined from Costerfield's 2021 production costs, and minimum stoping width of 1.5 m were used, with planned and unplanned dilution at zero grade for both Au and Sb. AuEq grade for Mineral Reserves is calculated using commodity prices of $1,500/oz for Au, and $7,500/t Sb. AuEq is calculated using the formula AuEq= Au + (Sb x 1.06) where Sb is in % and Au is in grams per tonne.

Financial viability of Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves was demonstrated at metal prices of $1,500/oz Au and $7,500/t Sb.

Table 4: Mineral Reserves at Costerfield as of December 31, 2021



2021 Reserves Category Tonnes (kt) Au Grade (g/t) Sb Grade (%) Cont. Au (koz) Cont. Sb (kt) Proven Reserves Underground 267 15.9 4.4 136 11.7 Stockpile 41 10.1 3.3 14 1.4 Probable Reserves Underground 460 10.9 1.4 162 6.5 Total Proven and Probable 769 12.6 2.5 312 19.6

Notes:

1. Mineral Reserve estimated as of December 31, 2021, and depleted for production through to December 31, 2021.

2. Tonnes are rounded to the nearest thousand; contained Au (oz) is rounded to the nearest thousand; contained Sb (t) rounded to nearest hundred.

3. Totals may appear different from the sum of their components due to rounding.

4. Lodes have been diluted to a minimum mining width of 1.5 m for stoping and 1.8 m for ore development.

5. A 3.8 g/t AuEq cut-off grade is applied.

6. Commodity prices applied are Au price of USD1,500/oz, Sb price of USD7,500/t and exchange rate USD:AUD of 0.71.

7. The (AuEq) is calculated using the formula: AuEq = Au g/t + 1.06 * Sb %.

8. The Mineral Reserve is a subset, a Measured and Indicated only Schedule, of a Life of Mine Plan that includes mining of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources.

9. The Mineral Reserve Estimate was prepared by Dylan Goldhahn, AusIMM under the direction of Daniel Fitzpatrick, MAusIMM, who are both full time employees of Mandalay Resources. The Mineral Reserve estimate was independently verified by Aaron Spong FAusIMM CP (Min) who is a full-time employee of Mining Plus. Mr Spong fulfils the requirements to be a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of NI 43-101, and is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 for the Mineral Reserve.

The net increase of 57,000 ounces of Au in Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves for 2021, relative to 2020, consists of the addition of 113,000 ounces of Au added by Mineral Resource conversion and addition of resources to the Youle and Shepherd ore bodies and a total of 55,000 ounces of Au depleted from the 2020 Mineral Reserves through mining production in 2021. The 2,200 tonnes of Sb net decrease in Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves consists of 3,600 tonnes of Sb added by Mineral Resources conversion and addition of Mineral Resources to Youle and Shepherd and 5,800 tonnes of Sb depleted from the 2020 Mineral Reserves through mining production in 2021. The Mineral Reserves of the Youle and Shepherd ore bodies were added at an exploration cost of $30.79 per AuEq ounce.

Bjorkdal Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Summary

Since September 30, 2020 to the data cut off of September 30, 2021, Bjorkdal completed 59 drill holes totaling approximately 20,755 m in length. The data cut-off date at Norrberget remains the same as previous years; September 30, 2017. In addition, underground operations completed 5,988 m of on-vein development, which was mapped and sampled in detail according to the grade control protocols.

Other than the normal course updating of the mineralization wireframes to account for new drilling and sampling information, the workflow and estimation parameters used to prepare the year-end 2021 Bjorkdal long-term block model were largely unchanged.

Classification criteria were changed allowing a measured resource to be reported.

Table 5: Mineral Resources at Bjorkdal, Inclusive of Mineral Reserves, as of December 31, 2021

2021 Category Tonnage (kt) Au Grade (g/t) Contained Au (koz) Measured Resources Underground 1,851 2.62 156 Indicated Resources Underground 9,663 2.30 713 Open Pit 3,017 2.19 212 Norrberget Open Pit 144 3.29 15 Stockpile 2,532 0.61 50 Total Measured and Indicated 17,207 2.07 1,146 Inferred Resources Underground 3,484 2.12 237 Open Pit 3,326 1.13 121 Norrberget Open Pit 3 4.03 0.5 Total Inferred 6,813 1.64 359

Notes:

1. The Bjorkdal Mineral Resource is estimated using drill hole and sample data as of September 30, 2021 and depleted for production through December 31st, 2021. Norrberget Mineral Resources are based on a data cut-off date of September 30th, 2017.

2. CIM definitions (2014) were followed for the Mineral Resource.

3. The Mineral Resource is inclusive of the Mineral Reserve.

4. The Mineral Resource is estimated using an average Au price of $1,700/oz. and an exchange rate of 9.0 SEK/US$.

5. In situ bulk density is 2.74 t/m for veins and host rock. In situ bulk density is 2.92 t/m for skarn ore bodies. Stockpile bulk density is 1.8 t/m.

6. High Au assays were capped at 60 g/t Au for the first search pass and 40 g/t Au for subsequent passes.

7. High Au assays at Norrberget were capped at 24 g/t Au.

8. Interpolation was by inverse distance cubed utilizing diamond drill, reverse circulation, and chip channel samples.

9. The Bjorkdal open pit Mineral Resource is estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.33 g/t Au and constrained by a resource pit shell to comply with the reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction (RPEEE) criteria.

10. The Norrberget open pit Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.35 g/t Au and constrained by a resource pit shell to comply with the RPEEE criteria.

11. The Bjorkdal underground Mineral Resource is estimated at a block cut-off grade of 0.77 g/t Au for all veins

12. A nominal two meter minimum mining width was used to interpret veins and comply with the RPEEE criteria.

13. The Reported Mineral Resource is depleted for previously mined underground development and stopes.

14. The Stockpile Mineral Resource is estimated based upon surveyed volumes supplemented by production data.

15. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

16. Numbers may not sum due to rounding.

17. The Mineral Resource Estimate as of 31st December, 2021 for Bjorkdal was independently reviewed and verified by Dr Andrew Fowler MAusIMM CP (Geo), a full time employee of Mining Plus. Dr Fowler fulfils the requirements to be a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of NI 43-101 and is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 for the Mineral Resource. The Independent Qualified Person for Norrberget Mineral Resource estimate is Reno Pressacco, P.Geo., Principal Geologist with SLR, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

Other than the normal course updating of the underground long term wireframes, and the re-optimization of the open pits to account for the updated long-term resource model, the workflow and modifying factors used to prepare the year-end 2021 Bjorkdal Mineral Reserves were largely unchanged from those used during the previous year.

The reporting cut-off grades for the Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves statement were slightly increased to reflect higher processing costs. Updated operational costs and input parameters based upon 2021 actual figures, and the 2022 budget, were used in the Mineral Reserves estimation process.

Financial viability of Probable Mineral Reserves was demonstrated at a $1,500/oz Au price.

Table 6: Mineral Reserves at Bjorkdal, as of December 31, 2021

2021 Category Tonnage (kt) Au Grade (g/t) Contained Au (koz) Proven Underground 1,127 2.05 74 Probable Underground 5,350 1.76 302 Open Pit 2,949 1.07 101 Norrberget Open Pit 162 2.80 15 Stockpile 2,532 0.61 50 Total Proven and Probable 12,121 1.39 542

Notes:

1. Bjorkdal Mineral Reserves are estimated using drill hole and sample data as of September 30, 2021 and depleted for production through December 31st, 2021.

2. Norrberget Mineral Reserves are based on a data cut-off date of September 30th, 2017.

3. CIM definitions (2014) were followed for Mineral Reserves.

4. Open Pit Mineral Reserves are based on mine designs carried out on an updated resource model, applying a block dilution of 100% at 0.0 g/t Au for blocks above 1.0 g/t and 100% at in-situ grade for blocks below 1.0 g/t, but above a cut-off grade of 0.37 g/t Au. The application of these block dilution factors is based on historical reconciliation data. A marginal cut-off grade of 0.37 g/t Au was applied to estimate open pit Mineral Reserves.

5. Underground Mineral Reserves are based on mine designs carried out on an updated resource model. Minimum mining widths of 3.7 m for stopes (after dilution) and 4.75 m for development (after dilution) were used. Stope dilution was applied by adding 0.6 m on each side of stopes as well as an additional 10% over break dilution. Further dilution, ranging from 5% to 50%, was added on a stope-by-stope basis depending on their proximity to other stopes. An overall dilution factor of 25% was added to development designs. Mining extraction was assessed at 95% for contained ounces within stopes and 100% for development. A cut-off grade of 0.88 g/t Au was applied to material mined within stopes. An incremental cut-off grade of 0.37 g/t Au was used for development material.

6. Stockpile Mineral Reserves are estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.37 g/t Au and are based upon surveyed volumes supplemented by production data.

7. Mineral Reserves are estimated using an average long-term Au price of US$1,500/oz, for Bjorkdal, US$1,300/oz for Norrberget, and an exchange rate of 9.0 SEK/US$.

8. Tonnes and contained Au are rounded to the nearest thousand.

9. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

10. The Mineral Reserve Estimate as of 31st December, 2021 for Bjorkdal was independently verified by Aaron Spong FAusIMM CP (Min) who is a full time employee of Mining Plus. Mr Spong fulfils the requirements to be a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of NI 43-101, and is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 for the Mineral Reserve.. The Independent Qualified Person for the Norrberget Mineral Reserve estimate is Rick Taylor, MAusIMM (CP), Principal Mining Engineer with SLR, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

The net decrease of 2,000 ounces of Au in total Mineral Reserves for 2021, relative to 2020, included mining depletion of 52,800 ounces of Au during 2021. Therefore, a total of 50,800 ounces of Au were added to Mineral Reserves for 2021, with an exploration expenditure of $2.09 million. The exploration cost of adding those Mineral Reserves was $41.24 per ounce of Au.

Qualified Persons:

All Qualified Persons listed below have read and approved the contents of this news release as it pertains to the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates disclosed in this news release.

For Costerfield and Bjorkdal: The Mineral Resource Estimate was carried out under the supervision of Dr Andrew Fowler, MAusIMM CP(Geo), an employee of Mining Plus and independent of Mandalay Resources Corporation. He is a Qualified Person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. The Mineral Reserve Estimate was carried out under the supervision of Aaron Spong, FAusIMM CP (Min), an employee of Mining Plus and independent of Mandalay Resources Corporation. He is a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

For Norrberget: The Mineral Resource Estimates for Norrberget were carried out under the supervision of Reno Pressacco, P.Geo., Principal Geologist, and an employee of SLR and independent of Mandalay Resources Corporation. He is a Qualified Person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. The Mineral Reserve Estimate was carried out under the supervision of Rick Taylor, MAusIMM CP (Min), Principal Mining Engineer, and an employee of SLR and independent of Mandalay Resources Corporation. He is a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

For Further Information:

Dominic Duffy

President and Chief Executive Officer

Edison Nguyen

Manager, Analytics and Investor Relations

Contact: 647.260.1566

About Mandalay Resources Corporation:

Mandalay Resources is a Canadian-based natural resource company with producing assets in Australia (Costerfield gold-antimony mine) and Sweden (Bjorkdal gold mine). The Company is focused on growing its production and reducing costs to generate significant positive cashflow. Mandalay is committed to operating safely and in an environmentally responsible manner, while developing a high level of community and employee engagement.

Mandalay's mission is to create shareholder value through the profitable operation and continuing the regional exploration program, at both its Costerfield and Bjorkdal mines. Currently, the Company's main objectives are to continue mining the high-grade Youle vein at Costerfield, bring online the deeper Shepherd veins, both of which will continue to supply high-grade ore to the processing plant, and to extend Youle Mineral Reserves. At Bjorkdal, the Company will aim to increase production from the Aurora zone and other higher-grade areas in the coming years, in order to maximize profit margins from the mine.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, changes in commodity prices and general market and economic conditions. The factors identified above are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Mandalay. A description of additional risks that could result in actual results and developments differing from those contemplated by forward-looking statements in this news release can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" in Mandalay's annual information form dated March 31, 2021, a copy of which is available under Mandalay's profile at www.sedar.com. In addition, there can be no assurance that any inferred resources that are discovered as a result of additional drilling will ever be upgraded to proven or probable reserves. Although Mandalay has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Pennsylvania is this Novembers gubernatorial election away from becoming Texas.

The increasing MAGAzation of the Republican caucus in Harrisburg is making it clear that without the stopgap of a governors veto, the GOP majority is likely to push our purple state much further into the red on guns, abortion rights, voting rights, gerrymandering, public health and other areas that have driven Texas to the far right under Gov. Greg Abbott.

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At least our electrical grid seems to be safe. But not much else is.

Bill White (MONICA CABRERA / THE MORNING CALL)

Rallygoers cheer as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott addresses the crowd before former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally, Jan. 29, 2022, in Conroe, Texas. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP) (Jason Fochtman/AP)

As a consistently nasty critic of the Democratic majority that once ruled in Harrisburg, I take no pleasure in pointing out that our state government today is even worse than that frequently corrupt, arrogant bunch of yesteryear.

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Thats because whats happening now poses a greater threat to our day-to-day lives than run-of-the-mill corruption did.

And what makes our legislative majoritys shift away from traditional conservative politics into the realm of Trump cultists particularly frustrating is that we have such a desperate need for responsible state government solving our real problems  not 2020 election audits and other fake ones.

Where to start?

How about a fair funding formula for our schools? Its a disgrace that people who care about properly educating our children had to file suit to challenge the constitutionality of our inequitable school funding system. That trial continues and is our best hope for finally ensuring all children in Pennsylvania have the educational resources they need to succeed.

[ Bill White on antimaskers at Northampton Area school meeting: Surprisingly, Steve Lynch wasnt the nuttiest speaker ]

How about our disgraceful charter school system, particularly with cyberschools? Were draining our public schools of funds they desperately need in a system that lacks accountability and even a semblance of fairness.

Morning Call columnist Paul Muschick recently had a terrific column about the ridiculous windfall were handing to cyberschools because theyre funded at the same rate as brick and mortar charter schools that need buildings, supplies and infrastructure, not to mention more teachers.

How about the redistricting turmoil were facing again this year because the Legislature refused the reforms that grassroots citizens groups have been clamoring for?

The state Supreme Court once again will have to decide on a congressional redistricting map because our dysfunctional state government couldnt agree on anything. And Republican legislators  angry that the state legislative map may deny them the unfair advantage they gave themselves 10 years ago  are pushing a future redistricting scheme that would return us to the gerrymandering dark ages.

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How about finally bucking the powerful Catholic church and insurance industry lobbyists whose contributions have helped block reform to our antiquated statutes of limitations for survivors of past child sex abuse?

How about the legislative rules that allow powerful party bosses to bury bills  such as the one that finally would have addressed that child sex abuse injustice  that have strong bipartisan support?

Then theres no-excuse mail-in voting, passed with strong bipartisan support and vital to helping many people vote during the pandemic.

Unless the state Supreme Court overrules a recent state Commonwealth Court decision in a suit brought by Republicans  including 11 legislators who voted for it  embracing former President Trumps bogus claims of fraud, no excuse mail-in voting eventually will be prohibited as unconstitutional.

Ive given up on resisting voter ID, even though its a solution to a problem that no one has been able to demonstrate really exists. But Im struck, not just in Pennsylvania but around the country, by how much effort has gone into making it more difficult for people to vote, when any good governments goal should be higher turnout.

I could go on and on  Property tax reform? Stronger lawmaker and state employee gift laws? Term limits?  but you get the idea.

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If our democracy functioned the way it should, we would be voting legislators of both parties out in droves for not solving  or in many cases, even addressing  Pennsylvanias serious problems.

Instead, thanks to carefully crafted safe election districts, voter apathy and fat incumbent campaign coffers, we return the same people to office, over and over, no matter how useless or vile they are.

I have no reason to believe it will be any different this year, even for those in a political party that has gone so far off the tracks that it now officially embraces a violent assault on our democracy as legitimate political discourse  and lets a disgraced, deranged former president call its shots.

How low can they go? Without a stopgap in the governors office, were likely to find out.

Bill White can be reached at whitebil1974@gmail.com. His Twitter handle is whitebil.
For Immediate Release

16 February 2022

ROGUE BARON PLC

("Rogue Baron" or "The Company")

Shinju Whisky UK Entry

Non-Board Management Appointment

Rogue Baron PLC (AQSE: SHNJ OTCQB: SHNJF), a leading company in the premium spirits sector, is pleased to announce that production on the first Shinju bottles for the U.K. has finished. The Company intends to launch its multiple award-winning Shinju Whisky into the U.K. market within the next 60 days, with the arrival of approximately two hundred cases of 6 bottles each. This stock will consist of the newly redesigned bottles along with the first bottles of the Shinju 8-year-old. The U.K. market will be the first market in the world to have the Shinju 8-year.

Rogue Baron is also pleased to announce the addition of Lavert Phillips to its management team. Mr Phillips will serve as the Head of Group Sales, specifically in charge of overseeing the expansion and growth of the Company's flagship brand, Shinju Whisky. Mr Phillips is a 20-year spirits industry veteran. He has served in executive leadership roles with some of the industry's leading companies including Miller-Coors, Diageo, Southern Wine and Spirits and most recently, Republic National Distribution Corporation, the United States' second-largest distributor of wine and spirits, where he was the Washington DC area Division Director for the Pernod-Ricard On and Off Premise sales teams.

Ryan Dolder, CEO of Rogue Baron commented:

"We're excited to finally bring Shinju to the U.K. market. London is the Company's home, so it's always been a top priority to not only launch Shinju into the market, but to also make sure the product and timing were right. Being able to launch an 8-year-old expression, at a time when aged Japanese whisky is in very limited supply, is a pivotal moment for the Company."



The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

For further information, please contact:

The Company

Ryan Dolder

rdolder@roguebaron.com

AQSE Corporate Adviser:

Peterhouse Capital Limited

Guy Miller +44 (0) 20 7469 0936

AQSE Corporate Broker:

Peterhouse Capital Limited

Lucy Williams +44 (0) 20 7469 0936
Total passenger traffic continued the recovery trend reaching 63.0% of January 2019 traffic levels.

Strong improvement in Armenia, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Brazil at over 82.0% of January 2019 traffic.

Corporacion America Airports S.A. (NYSE: CAAP), ("CAAP" or the "Company") the largest private sector airport operator in the world by number of airports, reported today a 78.6% YoY increase in passenger traffic in January 2022, and a 37.0% decline when compared to the same period of 2019.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005488/en/

Passenger Traffic Monthly Performance (vs. 2019) (Graphic: Business Wire)

Passenger Traffic, Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements Highlights (2022 vs. 2021) Statistics Jan'22 Jan'21 % Var. Domestic Passengers (thousands) 2,855 1,689 69.0% International Passengers (thousands) 1,107 354 212.6% Transit Passengers (thousands) 599 511 17.3% Total Passengers (thousands) 4,561 2,554 78.6% Cargo Volume (thousand tons) 25.1 20.4 22.8% Total Aircraft Movements (thousands) 50.8 35.0 45.1% Passenger Traffic, Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements Highlights (2022 vs. 2019) Statistics Jan'22 Jan'19(1) % Var. Domestic Passengers (thousands) 2,855 4,010 -28.8% International Passengers (thousands) 1,107 2,380 -53.5% Transit Passengers (thousands) 599 850 -29.5% Total Passengers (thousands) 4,561 7,240 -37.0% Cargo Volume (thousand tons) 25.1 33.0 -24.0% Total Aircraft Movements (thousands) 50.8 74.7 -32.0%

(1) Note that preliminary passenger traffic figures for 2019, as well as January 2020 for Ezeiza Airport, in Argentina, were adjusted to include additional inbound passengers not accounted for in the initial count, for an average of approximately 5% of total passenger traffic at Ezeiza Airport and 1% of total traffic at CAAP, during that period. Importantly, inbound traffic does not affect revenues, as tariffs are applicable on departure passengers. (2) Preliminary data on 1,256 flights in January 2020 at Brasilia Airport, due to delays in the submission of information by third parties. (3) Cargo volumes in Uruguay were rectified from January 2019 to June 2020, to reflect all cargo passing through the cargo terminal, instead of air cargo only.

Passenger Traffic Overview

Total passenger traffic in January 2022 grew 78.6% compared to the same period of last year, or 90.2% excluding Peru, driven by increases across all countries of operations, particularly in Argentina, reflecting easier comparisons due to tougher travel restrictions in the year ago period and the opening of borders since November 1, 2021. When compared to January 2019, overall passenger traffic declined 37.0%, or 34.8% excluding Peru, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. International and domestic passenger traffic dropped 53.5% and 28.8%, respectively, from pre-pandemic levels of January 2019.

In Argentina, total passenger traffic increased 1.4x YoY. Against January 2019, overall passenger traffic declined 41.0%, with international passenger traffic decreasing 62.8%, showing a strong recovery from the decline of 93.8% in July, 2021, benefiting from the opening of borders on November 1, 2021, and the summer season. Domestic passenger traffic declined 28.0% compared to 2019, improving sequentially from the declines of 34.3% and 31.1% recorded in November and December, respectively.

In Italy, passenger traffic grew 4.3x YoY and declined 58.5% when compared to January 2019. International passenger traffic experienced another monthly sequential decline, reflecting weaker demand impacted by the Omicron variant. This new variant also impacted domestic traffic which reached almost 60% of pre-pandemic levels.

In Brazil, total passenger traffic was up 24.2% YoY. Compared to the same month in 2019, overall passenger traffic declined 18.2%, showing a continued strong improvement from the 69.1% drop posted in April 2021, reflecting advanced vaccination roll-out and increased passenger demand. Domestic traffic stood at over 90.0% of pre-pandemic levels. During the month, however, passenger traffic was also affected by the cancelation of a number of flights due to COVID cases within the crew.

Total passenger traffic in Uruguay increased 6.5x YoY. Against January 2019, passenger traffic was down 53.8% showing, but posted a 10.7% sequential improvement when compared to December 2021, mainly driven by higher traffic demand during the summer season. To note, traffic improved strongly after the opening of borders effective November 1, 2021.

In Ecuador, passenger traffic increased 95.5% YoY. When compared to the same month of 2019, total traffic in January 2022 declined 31.3% showing a strong improvement since the 64.8% decrease posted last April. International passenger traffic stood at over 86% of pre-pandemic levels, boosted by routes with the US and Panama which are seeing higher passenger traffic than in 2019. Domestic passenger traffic, in turn, declined 46.5% against January 2019.

In Armenia, where the vaccination roll out has improved significantly in the past two to three months, total passenger traffic increased 2.3x YoY. Passenger traffic continued with its positive recovery trend surpassing, for the first time in January, pre-pandemic levels.

Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements

Cargo volume increased 22.8% YoY. When compared to January 2019, total cargo volume dropped 24.0%, mainly driven by decreases of 33.3% in Brazil and 27.6% in Argentina, accounting for over 90% of the reduction. Importantly, Italy and Armenia reported higher cargo volumes compared to pre-pandemic levels of January 2019.

Aircraft movement increased 45.1% YoY. When compared to January 2019, Aircraft movements declined 32.0%, or 29.9% excluding Peru, mainly as a result of a 37.1% decrease in Argentina, which explains over 60% of the overall drop. To note, aircraft movement in Armenia, Brazil and Ecuador stood at 89.9%, 83.7% and 79.3% of January 2019 levels, respectively.

Summary Passenger Traffic, Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements (2022 vs. 2021) Jan'22 Jan'21 % Var. Passenger Traffic (thousands) Argentina(1) 2,273 929 144.8% Italy 191 36 425.2% Brazil(2) 1,527 1,230 24.2% Uruguay 114 15 651.3% Ecuador 243 124 95.5% Armenia 214 64 232.4% Peru 156 -100.0% TOTAL 4,561 2,554 78.6% (1) See Footnote 1 in previous table. (2) See Footnote 2 in previous table. (3) See Footnote 3 in previous table.

Cargo Volume (tons) Argentina 13,638 10,599 28.7% Italy 1,155 1,132 2.0% Brazil 4,027 4,458 -9.7% Uruguay(3) 2,070 1,777 16.5% Ecuador 3,130 1,458 114.6% Armenia 1,050 787 33.4% Peru 206 -100.0% TOTAL 25,071 20,417 22.8% Aircraft Movements Argentina 25,230 16,477 53.1% Italy 3,022 997 203.1% Brazil 12,277 10,597 15.9% Uruguay 2,831 632 347.9% Ecuador 5,676 4,116 37.9% Armenia 1,752 740 136.8% Peru 1,442 -100.0% TOTAL 50,788 35,001 45.1%

Summary Passenger Traffic, Cargo Volume and Aircraft Movements (2022 vs. 2019) Jan'22 Jan'19 % Var. Passenger Traffic (thousands) Argentina(1) 2,273 3,853 -41.0% Italy 191 460 -58.5% Brazil(2) 1,527 1,866 -18.2% Uruguay 114 247 -53.8% Ecuador 243 353 -31.3% Armenia 214 212 0.7% Peru 249 -100.0% TOTAL 4,561 7,240 -37.0% (1) See Footnote 1 in previous table. (2) See Footnote 2 in previous table. (3) See Footnote 3 in previous table.

Cargo Volume (tons) Argentina 13,638 18,845 -27.6% Italy 1,155 1,027 12.4% Brazil 4,027 6,042 -33.3% Uruguay(3) 2,070 2,121 -2.4% Ecuador 3,130 3,733 -16.1% Armenia 1,050 859 22.3% Peru 370 -100.0% TOTAL 25,071 32,996 -24.0% Aircraft Movements Argentina 25,230 40,140 -37.1% Italy 3,022 4,644 -34.9% Brazil 12,277 14,670 -16.3% Uruguay 2,831 3,941 -28.2% Ecuador 5,676 7,154 -20.7% Armenia 1,752 1,948 -10.1% Peru 2,164 -100.0% TOTAL 50,788 74,661 -32.0%

About Corporacion America Airports

Corporacion America Airports acquires, develops and operates airport concessions. Currently, the Company operates 53 airports in 6 countries across Latin America and Europe (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Armenia and Italy). In 2021, Corporacion America Airports served 35.7 million passengers, or 42.4% of the 84.2 million passengers served in 2019. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange where it trades under the ticker "CAAP". For more information, visit http://investors.corporacionamericaairports.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005488/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations Contact

Patricio Inaki Esnaola

Email: patricio.esnaola@caairports.com

Phone: +5411 4899-6716
SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Helo Corp. (OTC PINK:HLOC) ("Helo" or the "Company"), a leading developer of wearable, wireless devices and a pioneer at the forefront of digital health, is pleased to announce that it has provided funding to support the development of santePatch, a technology that claims to enable monitoring of wearer micronutrients.

Helo's funding will be used to validate the technology and assist in bringing santePatch to market, where Helo's subsidiary, Vyvo Technology Corp intends to use the status of the santePatch wearer's micronutrient data to inform its AI engine and supply more accurate personalized nutrition to its customers worldwide.

The precision nutrition market is predicted to grow significantly over the next few years. Unhealthy eating habits, hectic lifestyles, and the rising prevalence of various diseases drive demand for personalized nutrition, which in 2020 created a global market of more than US$8 billion. This market is expected to exceed US$24 billion in 2028, according to Research and Markets.

"Under its Vyvo brand, Helo seeks to grow its share of the precision nutrition market using non-invasive technology to measure individual customer mineral and vitamin data to identify their specific deficiencies, so that our customers only take what they need," said Fabio Galdi, Chairman and CTO of Helo Corp. "We are excited to add the benefits of measuring vitamins and minerals to the already wide range of biomarkers detected by our Life Sensing Technology, deployed with all our devices. We expect that santePatch's technology will provide additional data sources to inform our AI process further and provide even more accurate personalized nutrition to our customers worldwide.

"We seek to bring greater transparency to the nutrition and supplement industry," he continued, "by using santePatch technology to demonstrate to our customers the change in their micronutrient levels when they take vitamins and minerals. This approach fits with our corporate vision of using life-changing technology to benefit our customers worldwide."

According to santePatch's founder, Yasar Tunc, "santePatch uses an advanced biochemical process (called reverse iontophoresis) built into the patch worn on the skin to attract nutrients present in the fluid around skin cells. A spectrometer micro-sensor in the patch non-invasively measures the fluid for nutrients and provides a view of the vitamin and mineral levels present. This data can then be transmitted wirelessly to the cloud for further analysis. The whole process is easy, convenient, pain-free, and real-time (after wearing the patch at least 15 minutes)."
Innovative treatment is a candidate to become regular service offering for healthcare workers

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Novamind Inc. (CSE:NM)(OTCQB:NVMDF)(FSE:HN2) ("Novamind" or the "Company"), a leading mental health company specialized in psychedelic medicine, is pleased to update shareholders on a clinical pilot investigating the efficacy of group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for frontline healthcare workers ("Frontline KAP"). With the final cohort of participants expected to begin treatment in March 2022, data analysis is currently underway and will be published following completion of the clinical pilot.

Frontline KAP represents a unique opportunity for Novamind to scale an innovative research pilot into a novel treatment program and make it accessible at all Novamind clinics. The pilot launched in July 2021, in partnership with Colorado-based Wholeness Center, to address pandemic-related stress and trauma in frontline healthcare workers. Novamind's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Reid Robison, and Wholeness Center's Dr. Scott Shannon designed a six-session KAP protocol delivered in a group setting. A cohort of 40 participants are enrolled in the pilot across research sites in Utah and Colorado.

"Frontline KAP is an example of real-time, evidence-based innovation that leverages Novamind's clinical and research expertise to bring new treatments to patient groups in need" said Yaron Conforti, CEO and Director, Novamind. "The risk of burnout in healthcare professions is strikingly high, particularly during the pandemic. We designed a protocol addressing an unmet need for healthcare workers, we're completing the clinical pilot at our research sites, and we anticipate that Frontline KAP will be an accessible treatment available at all Novamind clinics."

Ketamine has demonstrated efficacy for rapid relief from symptoms of depression, while the group setting provides a platform for processing trauma with peers, more effectively building community and reducing feelings of isolation compared to individual treatment. Frontline KAP involves a ratio of two therapists to four patients per cohort, greatly reducing the total number of therapist hours when compared to traditional one-on-one treatment, which increases the treatment's affordability and enables Novamind to serve a larger patient population.

"Frontline KAP has been incredibly rewarding and meaningful for everyone involved as we've witnessed first-hand the healing potential of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in a group setting that uses the power of social connection," said Dr. Robison.

He continued, "Interim data from the pilot shows depression and anxiety scores trending down, and resilience scores going up. Many participants report having breakthroughs when assisted by the ketamine treatments, and that's further enhanced by processing the experiences in a group setting with peers. We're looking forward to completing the pilot and exploring the opportunity to scale access to this innovative treatment at Novamind clinics."

To learn more about the Frontline KAP clinical pilot, please visit this link.

Last year, Novamind's Dr. Reid Robison and two frontline healthcare workers, Jen Cope and Ryan Perez, were featured in the inaugural episode of Truffle Talks by the Truffle Report.

About Novamind

Novamind is a leading mental health company enabling safe access to psychedelic medicine through a network of clinics and clinical research sites. Novamind provides ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and other novel treatments through its network of integrative mental health clinics and operates a full-service contract research organization specialized in clinical trials and evidence-based research for psychedelic medicine. For more information on how Novamind is enhancing mental wellness and guiding people through their entire healing journey, visit novamind.ca.

Contact Information

Yaron Conforti, CEO and Director

Telephone: +1 (647) 953 9512

Samantha DeLenardo, VP, Communications

Email: media@novamind.ca

Investor Relations

Email: IR@novamind.ca

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations including the risks detailed from time to time in the Company's public disclosure. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable laws.

SOURCE: Novamind Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/688974/Novamind-Advances-Clinical-Pilot-for-Frontline-KAP
KELOWNA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Avant Brands Inc. (TSX:AVNT)(OTCQX:AVTBF)(FRA:1BUP) ("Avant" or the "Company"), an award-winning leading producer of handcrafted, high quality cannabis products, announces the launch of BLK MKT Peanut Butter Mac Live Rosin (1g). Avant has also launched a new flavour for its Tenzo 510 Thread Cartridges, Wedding Crasher.

"After months of formulation and R&D, we are proud to deliver BLK MKT's first premium concentrate to the Canadian adult-use market. The limited small-batch run was a result of Avant bringing together the best industry partners to ensure a high-quality product for consumers," said Norton Singhavon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Avant. "As a result, BLK MKT was the top selling live rosin product in Ontario during its first two weeks of launch, outselling all other competing products, solidifying Avant's market share within the concentrates category. This, alongside our Tenzo Wedding Crasher 510 Thread Cartridge, once again demonstrates how we continue to be innovative, while providing consumers high quality product from seed to shelf."
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Casual footwear maker Crocs Inc. (CROX), while announcing fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, said it expects first-quarter revenues to be approximately $605 to $630 million, a growth of around 31 percent to 37 percent from the prior year. This assumes the HEYDUDE acquisition closes in February 2022. Excluding HEYDUDE, Crocs brand revenues are expected to be about $520 to $535 million, which implies organic growth of approximately 13 percent to 16 percent. Adjusted operating margin for the first quarter is expected to be about 22 percent. Further, the company maintained fiscal 2022 outlook, and continues to expect revenue growth for the Crocs brand, excluding HEYDUDE, to exceed 20 percent compared to 2021. The company projects adjusted earnings per share of $9.70 to $10.25. Adjusted operating margin is now expected to approximately 26 percent. Analysts on average expect the company to earn $9.9 per share for the year, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. In fiscal 2021, earnings per share were $11.39 and adjusted earnings per share were $8.32 on revenues of $2.31 billion. Andrew Rees, Chief Executive Officer, said, 'Our fourth straight year of revenue growth was fueled by continued strong consumer demand for the Crocs brand globally. We are excited about our sustainable growth trajectory for both the Crocs and HEYDUDE brands and are confident in our plan to grow to $6 billion in revenues by 2026.' Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Toronto-based CO2 GRO Inc. ("CO2 GRO" or the "Company") (TSXV:GROW, OTCQB:BLONF, Frankfurt:4021) is pleased to provide an update of its 2021 operations and an outlook for 2022.

John Archibald, CEO, commented, "While COVID did and is still hampering the pace of our commercial development in some regions, we have shown continuous progress in 2021 and in the first month of 2022 with more growers around the world adopting our technology. Our 2022 revenue forecast is between $1.5M-$2.5M which we are confident of achieving through the successful completion of on-going and new Technology Trials and subsequent Commercial Technology Purchases such as with Hidroexpo in 2021, as well as accelerating our direct Commercial Technology Purchases such as the US$127,750 sale announced on January 26th 2022."

Our Financial Review

33% Q/Q revenue growth from Q2 2021 ($91,660) to Q3 2021 ($122,103).

391% Y/Y revenue growth from Q3 2020 ($24,857) to Q3 2021 ($122,103).

Achieved ten CO2 Delivery Solutions Commercial Technology Purchases (sales) in 2021.

Two realized after successful Technology Trials (formerly called commercial feasibilities).

Eight realized as direct sales.

Received CanExport funding to support international activities

Other 2021 Highlights

Entered the Mexican Protected Ag Market with Rancho Nexo as a Marketing Partner.

Entered the Spanish Protected Ag Market with Jose Andres Munoz as a Marketing Partner.

Entered the Japanese Protected Ag Market with a Technology Trial at a vegetable greenhouse and joined the Japan Plant Factory Association.

Entered the Malaysian Protected Ag Market with CH Green Sdn. Bhd. as a Marketing Partner.

Largest sale in 2021 was in Q4 to El Salvador based Hidroexpo for 1 hectare out of their 36 total hectares of greenhouse peppers.

Seventeen Technology Trials were announced in 2021 in Canada, the US and internationally in France, the Netherlands, the UK, Israel, South Africa, Japan and Malaysia.

Ten CO2 Delivery Solutions sales, one to a repeat customer.

The collective square footage of grow facilities conducting CO2 Delivery Solutions Technology Trials now exceeds 200 million square feet, with one customer operating 100 million square feet of grow space.

Ongoing Canadian Trade Commissioner Business Development Support

CO2 GRO's business development support by Canada's Trade Commissioners has been exceptionally helpful since first being selected in 2019 for California marketing introductions. Most potential international customers for CO2 Delivery Solutions are in geographies between 40 N & 40 S of the equator. About 70% of ongoing Technology Trials are currently with international customers.

Canada's Trade Commissioners who managed the Canadian Technology Accelerator Ag Tech Program, Mexico selected CO2 GRO to participate. This was the Company's first entry to Mexico's 6 billion square foot protected ag market in Q2 2021.

Canada's Trade Commissioners in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, France and Germany selected CO2 GRO to present at the May 2021 Collaborations in Sustainable Technologies in Agriculture webinar.

Canada's Trade Commissioners to the Netherlands and Belgium selected CO2 GRO in early January 2022 to participate in their Virtual Trade Mission for revenue generating Canadian Ag Tech companies exporting to the EU, to be held February 21-25 2022.

Other 2021 Trade Missions and Trade Conferences of note

Ontario's MEDJCT and the Toronto Board of Trade selected CO2 GRO to participate in the Mexico Virtual Trade Mission that supported Ontario Clean Tech companies.

CO2 GRO participated in Mexico's Greentech America's and AMPHAC Annual Congress 2021 with Mexico marketing partner Rancho Nexo.

CO2 GRO participated in the Cultivate '21 horticulture conference and tradeshow in Columbus, Ohio.

Joined and presented at Japan's Tenth Annual Plant Factory Conference.

John Archibald, CEO commented "We have seen a continuous improvement each quarter in Technology Trials with the support of both our North American sales force and our international marketing partners. The support of Canadian Trade Commissioners in various key markets has been instrumental in accelerating introductions to potential key customers. We are very grateful to the Canadian Trade Commissioners for their continued support and we look forward to working with them to accelerate penetration of key markets globally."

"In addition, the value of Commercial Technology Purchase contracts signed, such as our recently announced US$127,750 sale and our sale to Hidroexpo, are increasing. The US$127,750 sale is particularly encouraging as it was achieved without a Technology Trial being conducted. These 2021 and early 2022 developments give us confidence as we look forward to achieving our 2022 $1.5M-$2M revenue forecast."

Visit www.co2delivery.ca ?for more information on CO2 Delivery Solutions or ? watch this video .?

About CO2 GRO Inc. CO2 GRO Inc.

CO2 GRO's proprietary CO2 Delivery Solutions technology is revolutionizing the global 600 billion square foot protected agriculture industry (Cuesta Roble 2019). We create a dissolved CO2 solution that when misted onto plants provides growers that cannot gas with CO2 the opportunity to increase plant yields by up to 30% and gross profits by up to 100%. Applying dissolved CO2 also suppressed the development of pathogens such as E.coli and powdery mildew, helping to reduce crop losses. CO2 GRO's CO2 Delivery Solutions is protected by a suite of patents and patents pending.

The worldwide market for CO2 GRO's disruptive CO2 Delivery Solutions technology is the 50 billion square feet of greenhouses and 550 billion square feet of protected agriculture facilities (Cuesta Roble 2019). Growers can maximize revenue and profits with our systems' low fixed and variable costs and ease of systems installation.

CO2 GRO's management is rapidly expanding its international marketing partner relationships into Mexico, Spain, the EU, the UK, South Africa, the Middle East, Israel, South East Asia and Latin America as well as in its North American base.

CO2 GRO is committed to good Environment, Social and Governance (ES&G) policy and practices. We are an equal opportunity employer of choice and opportunity.

Our mission is to accelerate the growth of all value plants safely, economically, naturally and sustainably using our patented advanced CO2 Delivery Solutions while accreting value to our customers, stakeholders and shareholders.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities. Forward- looking information is often identified by the words "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: statements regarding the future direction of the Company; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business and financial objectives; plans for expansion and the ability of the Company to obtain, develop and foster its business relationships; and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect the Company's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning the business of the Company's future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates that management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Such assumptions include but are not limited to: general business and economic conditions; the Company's ability to successfully execute its plans and intentions; the availability of financing on reasonable terms; the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and technology offered by the Company's competitors; and that good relationships with business partners will be maintained. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; in particular, in the ability of the Company to raise debt and equity capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes in applicable laws or adverse changes in the application or enforcement of current laws; the biotechnology industry and the greenhouse growers market are highly competitive, and technical advances in the industry will impact the success of the Company, and other risks described in the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com . Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Michael O'Connor, Manager, and Investor Relations at 604-317-6197 or michael.oconnor@co2gro.ca

SOURCE: CO2 Gro Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/689009/CO2-GRO-Inc-Provides-a-2021-Review-Highlighting-Significant-Progress-and-a-2022-Outlook
Proceeds to Be Used to Increase Market Penetration and Sales

ST. PETERSBURG, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Energy and Water Development Corp. (OTC PINK:EAWD) (the "Company"), an engineering company focused on delivering innovative and sustainable solutions of water and energy, today announced that it entered into a common stock purchase agreement and registration rights agreement (together, the "Agreements") with an institutional investor for up to $5 million worth of shares issuable over a 24-month period time, based upon the current market price of the stock at the time. Separately, upon entering into the Agreements, the investor made an initial fixed price equity investment of $300,000 at the then market price, no discount, which is subject to Rule 144 and a 6-month holding period.

Ralph Hofmeier, Chief Executive Officer of Energy and Water Development Corp., stated, "I want to reiterate that this investment is a step up for us, as the upfront capital of $300,000 is substantial for us to continue to grow our sales and it is in common stock equity at a fixed price. Of note, the common stock equity agreement will provide us additional growth capital to increase our sales and is at our control and discretion in regards to the amounts and timing. We believe this financing is not dilutive to current shareholders and enhances our value by increasing our cash and shareholder equity positions over time. It better positions us toward our capital markets goal for 2022-23 of an uplist to a major U.S. national exchange."

Hofmeier, continued, "We are extremely happy to partner with this institutional investor in regards to a common stock equity agreement. This is a major milestone for our Company, as we look to accelerate the number of active projects and revenue in 2022. Energy Development & Water is an emerging growth company going after a multi-billion-dollar market opportunity.If we had more capital to deploy, we could be growing much faster and this is a market that is rewarding growth. We are confident that the existing capital structure will support our operational cash flow requirements while providing the flexibility to achieve our growth targets. Plenty of high-profile public companies utilize similar equity agreements including American Battery Technology, Roku, Ballard Power among others, which have all seen their stocks perform very well post announcements. Of extreme importance to us was the faith and enthusiasm of the investor to provide a $300,000 upfront investment at a fixed equity price and our control over the timing and amounts of future equity capital which allows us to take advantage of sudden increases in our stock price."

Following the initial investment, and subject to the conditions of the Agreements, including that a registration statement is filed and declared effective with the Securities and Exchange Commission the Company has the right, in its sole discretion, to sell up to an additional $5 million worth of shares over a 24-month period. The Company will control the timing and amount of any sales to the investor and the investor is obligated to make purchases in accordance with the Agreements.

There are no upper limits to the price per share the investor may pay to purchase common stock and the purchase price of the shares will be based on the then prevailing market prices of the Company's shares at the time of each sale. No warrants, derivatives, financial or business covenants are associated with the Agreements.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in this offering, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer solicitation or sale are unlawful prior to registration or qualification under securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

Energy and Water Development Corp.

Energy and Water Development Corp. (OTC PINK:EAWD) is an engineering solutions company focused on delivering innovative and sustainable solutions of water and energy. EAWD builds its systems out of proven technologies, using their technical know-how to customize solutions to their clients' needs. The Company offers design, construction, maintenance and specialty consulting services to private companies, government entities and non-government organizations (NGOs).

For additional information, please visit: https://energy-water.com

Forward-Looking Statements:

Statements contained herein that are not based upon current or historical fact are forward-looking in nature and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations about its future operating results, performance, and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. When used herein, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "upcoming," "plan," "target," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to Energy and Water Development Corp., its subsidiaries, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.

Corporate:

investor.relations@energy-water.com

Investor Relations Contact:

Brian Loper

ClearThink

bloper@clearthink.capital

p347-413-4234

SOURCE: Energy and Water Development Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/688931/Energy-and-Water-Development-Corp-Establishes-Common-Stock-Equity-Agreement-to-Support-its-Growth
HIGHLIGHTS

Mineralised Mine Horizon intercepted between 936.3m to 970.5m (downhole)

Visible gold observed at 942.6m (deepest drilling on Project to date)

Electromagnetics targeting allowed for wide +100m spaced step-outs drill holes

D Zone mineralisation has now been identified over 1,400m downdip / plunge starting near surface and extending to 885.0m vertical depth

Geological continuity of the Mine Horizon established over the whole 1,400m

Current intercept approximately 500m down dip of Benz's best intercept to date of 7.9m at 35.9g/t gold in the same mineralised horizon

Multiple mineralised horizons are present in the hanging wall with all drillholes intercepting shallower mineralisation underlined by multiple levels of EM conductors

Assays for 62 holes completed in 2021 still pending screen fire assays of mineralised zones, 16 with observed visible gold

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 16, 2022) - Benz Mining Corp. (TSXV: BZ) (ASX: BNZ) (the Company or Benz) is pleased to announce that drillhole EM21-228, completed earlier on in the drilling season, intercepted the Mine Horizon at D Zone at a depth of 885.0m below surface (vertical depth). The horizon is gold bearing as 21 small (sub-millimetric) specs of visible gold have been identified by the logging geologists at 942.6m depth (core).

CEO, Xavier Braud, commented:

"This is an excellent result. Once again, we prove that our targeting method is extremely well suited to the style of mineralisation seen at Eastmain. We are still working through a large gold system with multiple high grade gold occurrences identified over 10km of strike."





Figure 1: Visible gold grains in EM21-228 ~942.6m deep. This is the deepest intercept of the mineralised Mine Horizon to date.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/113949_b562af04c4deca58_001full.jpg





Figure 2: Mineralised interval with alteration, quartz veining and pyrrhotite mineralisation, EM21-228 ~944m. Pyrrhotite is the iron sulphide detected by electromagnetics.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/113949_b562af04c4deca58_002full.jpg

"We are very fortunate to have an exploration technique such as electromagnetics to target high-grade gold mineralisation. We now have enough confidence in our technique to drill 1,000m holes or broad 100m step outs and consistently hit gold mineralisation.

Every conductor we have hit to date has intersected mineralisation making EM a great tool for rapidly assessing where the best parts of the gold system may be. After 18 months of drilling, we still have a multitude of targets to test, highlighting that we may not have drilled the best of them yet."

D Zone Drilling

D Zone is a zone of gold mineralisation sitting approximately 750m from the existing 376,000oz resource at Eastmain[1]. Shallow mineralisation was identified by previous explorers in the late 1980's by rock chip sampling and shallow drilling which intersected zones of high-grade gold mineralisation (2.2m at 18.1 g/t Au). Continuity of mineralisation was not sufficiently established and the area was left without any further drilling since the late 1980's.

Via the use of electromagnetics in late 2020, Benz identified that previous drilling had only intercepted a small part of the system. Large conductive zones outside the previous drilling were identified in 2020 and 2021 with potential to significantly increase the scale of this mineralisation.

The conductors identified in D Zone via FLEM and DHEM underlined a prospective area approximately 500m x 1,100m, which is comparable to the footprint covered by the existing 376,000oz resource at A-B-C Zones.





Figure 3: D Zone long section with visible gold intercepts, pierce points of 2021 drillholes - note EM21-228, 885m below surface with DHEM conductors associated with the Mine Horizon.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/113949_b562af04c4deca58_003full.jpg

Unlike other companies who commit large amounts of capital to blanket drill on a tight spaced pattern, Benz has chosen a more targeted exploration approach initially testing the scale of the mineralised system before committing to tighter spaced resource definition drilling.

Commenting on the Company's recent exploration activities, CEO, Xavier Braud said:

"In the past 18 months, all the drilling completed by the Company has been extensional in nature. Benz is determined not to drill any "verification holes", "twin holes" or other very closed spaced holes into known mineralisation, sometimes referred to as "director's specials". A 1,000m hole was perfectly justified because we knew how successful our direct detection method has been."

Benz has a lot of information on the style of mineralisation in the Mine Horizon from the very tight spaced (down to 6m x 6m in some places) drilling completed on A, B and C Zones over the past 40 years by its predecessors. Over 100,000m of drilling has historically been completed in an area 400m x 1,100m resulting in an Resource estimate of 376,000oz at 7.9g/t Au with a large component of indicated resource. With the benefit of hindsight, Benz's management acknowledges that a lot of unnecessary drilling has been conducted on that area with all the associated unnecessary costs.

Benz's 50,000m of targeted drilling in 2021 has been a lot more successful thus far at growing the mineral system's footprint and discovering new zones and new mineralisation styles.

D Zone has recently returned spectacular grade and width with 7.9m at 35.9g/t gold (EM21-168, see ASX/TSXV release 2 December, 2021) 500 metres up dip from EM21-228.





Figure 4: Map view of D Zone drilling with EM conductors, drillhole collars coloured by gold abundance and EM21-228



To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/113949_b562af04c4deca58_004full.jpg

The Mine Horizon is remarkably consistent throughout the property, with richer ore shoots associated with NE oriented structures that also concentrated the sulphides. Benz is simply using electromagnetics to find the sulphides leading the drill rigs to those ore shoots.





Figure 5: Mineralised Mine Horizon with quartz veining and pyrrhotite EM21-228 ~963.0m to 9975.5m. The ultramafic horizon continues at depth with less sulphides and quartz veins but is still deformed and altered in biotite.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/113949_b562af04c4deca58_005full.jpg

Follow up downhole EM (DHEM) helps refine targets. DHEM of hole EM21-228 shows multiple conductors at the Mine Horizon level as well as in two shallower places in the hanging wall warranting further drilling.

Benz's strategy for Eastmain was entirely based on the concept of quickly and efficiently grow the existing deposit using electromagnetics. The Company has been consistently delivering that strategy for the past 18 months.

Extremely slow laboratory turnaround on screen fire assays (metallic screen assays) has hampered Benz's news flow delivery. The exclusivity deal with MSA Laboratories for the use of the first PhotonAssay laboratory in North America will help accelerate the potential discovery rate with much faster assay turnaround time.

Eastmain Gold Project

The Eastmain Gold Project, situated on the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada, currently hosts a NI 43-101 and JORC (2012) compliant resource of 376,000oz at 7.9gpt gold (Indicated: 236,500oz at 8.2gtp gold, Inferred: 139,300oz at 7.5gtp gold). The existing gold mineralisation is associated with 15-20% semi-massive to massive pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite in highly deformed and altered rocks making it amenable to detection using electromagnetic techniques. Multiple gold occurrences have been identified by previous explorers over a 10km long zone along strike from the Eastmain Mine with very limited but highly encouraging testing outside the existing resource area.

This press release was prepared under supervision and approved by Dr. Danielle Giovenazzo, P.Geo, acting as Benz's qualified person under National Instrument 43-101.





Figure 6: Benz tenure over Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt simplified geology.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 6, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1818/113949_b562af04c4deca58_006full.jpg

About Benz Mining Corp.

Benz Mining Corp. (TSXV: BZ) (ASX: BNZ) brings together an experienced team of geoscientists and finance professionals with a focused strategy to unlock the immense mineral potential of the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Northern Quebec, which is prospective for gold, lithium, nickel, copper and other high-value minerals. Benz is earning a 100% interest in the former producing high grade Eastmain gold mine, Ruby Hill West and Ruby Hill East projects in Quebec and owns 100% of the Windy Mountain project.

The Eastmain Gold Project is situated within the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada and currently hosts a NI 43-101 and JORC (2012) compliant resource of 376,000oz at 7.9g/t gold (Indicated: 236,500oz at 8.2g/t Au - Inferred: 139,300oz at 7.5g/t Au). The existing gold mineralisation is associated with 15-20% semi-massive to massive pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite making it amenable to detection by electromagnetics.

Multiple gold occurrences have been identified by previous explorers over a 10km long zone along strike from the Eastmain Mine with very limited but highly encouraging testing outside the existing resource area. Benz has subsequently identified over 180 DHEM conductors over a strike length of 6km which is open in all directions.

In 2021, Benz confirmed the presence of visible spodumene in a pegmatite at the Ruby Hill West project, indicating lithium mineralisation which Benz intends to further explore in 2022.

This announcement has been approved for release by the Board of Directors of Benz Mining Corp.

For more information please contact:

Paul Fowler

Head of Corporate Development (Canada)

Benz Mining Corp.

Telephone: +1 416 356 8165

Email: info@benzmining.com

Xavier Braud

CEO, Head of Corporate Development (Aus)

Benz Mining Corp.

Telephone +61 8 6143 6702 email: info@benzmining.com

Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains regulatory approval. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, that occurrences such as those referred to above are realized and result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company's financial condition and development plans change, and delays in regulatory approval, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Competent Person's Statements: The information in this report that relates to Exploration Results is based on and fairly represents information and supporting information compiled by Mr. Xavier Braud, who is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG membership ID: 6963). Mr. Braud is a consultant to the Company and has sufficient experience in the style of mineralisation and type of deposits under consideration and qualifies as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr. Braud holds securities in Benz Mining Corp and consents to the inclusion of all technical statements based on his information in the form and context in which they appear.

The information in this announcement that relates to the Inferred Mineral Resource was first reported under the JORC Code by the Company in its prospectus released to the ASX on 21 December 2020. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original market announcement and confirms that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimate continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.

Appendix 1: Drilling data

Table 1: Drillhole coordinates

Project Hole_ID Type Core size End Depth UTM NAD 83Z18 Northing UTM NAD 83Z18

Easting Elevation Azimuth Dip Eastmain EM21-228 DDH NQ 1017 5798720 700453 478 210 -75

Table 2: Mineralisation description

Hole ID From (m) To

(m) Mineralised horizon Description EM21-228 616.8 620.56 DHEM conductors 0.5% Pyrrhotite, 0.5% pyrite as patches associated to mafic material in a white quartz vein (45% of the section) in a silica, sericite altered and poorly foliated basalt EM21-228 936.36 984 Mine Horizon 1 - 2% pyrrhotite (locally 10 - 15%), 0.1% sphalerite and trace chalcopyrite. Mineralization as 1 mm to 3 cm patches ( sphalerite), pyrrhotite veinlets and dissemination. 21 sub-millimetric gold specks floating (up to 0.5 mm) in clinopyroxene (or amphibole?) rich basalt close to a dark-grey quartz vein (2 cm wide, 65 AC) at 942.62 m. Mineralization is located in a large (47.64 m wide) Mine Horizon with metasomatized basalt / gabbro, mylonitized ultramafics, and metasomatized ultramafics. Throughout the interval, idiomorphic green minerals, locally with clearly visible cleavage (close to 90 degrees). Locally strong pervasive biotitization and garnet porphyroblasts (3 types). Up to 30% quartz veins (up to 70 cm wide).

Appendix 2: JORC Tables

Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data

(Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.)

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling.

Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used.

Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report.

In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. No sampling results. Visual information from drill core observation Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). Triple tube NQ core drilling.

Core was oriented using downhole orientation tool Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed.

Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples.

Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Core recoveries are measured by comparing the length of core recovered against the length of drill rods used and recorded by the drilling contractor.

Typical recoveries in fresh rock at Eastmain are between 95 and 100% Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies.

Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography.

The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. All core was logged for Lithology

Alteration

Mineralisation

Mineral species abundance

Veining

Structures Both qualitative and quantitative logging was conducted 100% of the core drilled is being logged Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken.

If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry.

For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique.

Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples.

Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling.

Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Geological observations reported were done on whole core This release does not include analytical drill results Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total.

For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc.

Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. Only visual observations reported in this release Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel.

The use of twinned holes.

Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols.

Discuss any adjustment to assay data. This release does not include drill results Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation.

Specification of the grid system used.

Quality and adequacy of topographic control. All drillhole locations have been surveyed by handheld GPS with a typical accuracy of +/-4m Downhole surveys are conducted using a Reflex Multishot Gyro. Grid: UTM NAD83 Zone 18N Topographic control is cross-checked with a 2013 LIDAR survey Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results.

Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied.

Whether sample compositing has been applied. Exploratory drilling. Drilling is not conducted on a regular pattern and at this stage, reported results are not part of a resource estimate. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type.

If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Exploration drilling in area with no historical drilling.

Structures in the area are not well enough defined to determine whether drilling orientation is orthogonal to the structures encountered. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Core samples mentioned in this release are kept at the Eastmain Mine site under control of Benz Mining until thee samples are being shipped to an accredited laboratory using accredited professional transport contractors. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. The Company is constantly reviewing its sampling and assaying policies.

A heterogeneity test on gold assays and core sampling is nearing completion.

No external audit has been completed at this stage.

Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results

(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.)

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings.

The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. The Eastmain Mine Project comprises 152 contiguous mining claims each with an area of approximately 52.7 ha covering a total of 8,014.36 ha plus one industrial lease permit that are owned by Eastmain Mines Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fury Gold Mines. The claims are numbered 1133433 to 1133583 consecutively plus claim 104458. All of the claims are located within NTS sheet 33A 08. The former Mine Lease BM 817 was issued on January 10, 1995 and expired in 2015 after a 20-year term. This former Mine Lease was converted to Industrial Lease 00184710000 on September 1, 2015 and contains all normal surface rights. The former mineral rights for BM 817 are now included in the expanded Claims 1133523, 1133524, 1133525, 1133505, 1133506 and 1133507. The claims are 100% held by Fury Gold Mines subject to certain net smelter royalties ("NSR"). On August 9, 2019, Benz Mining Corp. announced that it has entered into an option agreement with Eastmain Resources Inc. (now Fury Gold Mines) to acquire a 100% interest in the former producing Eastmain Gold Project located in James Bay District, Quebec, for CAD $5,000,000. Eastmain Resources would retain a 2% Net Smelter Return royalty in respect of the Project. Benz may, at any time, purchase one half of the NSR Royalty, thereby reducing the NSR Royalty to a 1% net smelter returns royalty, for $1,500,000. The Eastmain Mine, as defined by the perimeter of a historic mining lease, is subject to a production royalty net smelter return ("NSR") of 2.3% through production of the next 250,000 oz produced and 2% thereafter. A package of claims surrounding the mine precinct is subject to a production royalty (NSR) of 2% in favour of Goldcorp as a result of their succession to Placer Dome in an agreement dated December 30, 1988 between Placer Dome, MSV Resources Inc. and Northgate Exploration Limited. The 152 claims that form the Eastmain Mine Property are all in good standing with an active status. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. 1930s & 1940s - Prospecting of gossans 1950s & 1960s - Riocanex - Exploration of the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt Mid 1960s - Fort George - Diamond drilling of a gossan zone 1696 - Canex Aerial Exploration Ltd & Placer Development Ltd - Airborne magnetic and EM surveys with ground geophysics follow up. 1970 - Placer Development Ltd - Seven holes testing an EM anomaly. Discovery of A Zone with 1.5m @ 13.71g/t Au 1974 - Nordore - Aerodat airborne AEM survey and Ground geophysics. 3 holes returned anomalous gold values adjacent to B Zone 1974 - Inco Uranerz - Airborne geophysical survey over the whole greenstone belt. 1981 & 1982 - Placer - Airborne and ground EM, ground magnetics. Drilling of EM anomalies discovered B zone and C zone. 1983 to 1985 - Placer - Airborne and ground EM, downhole PEM, 91 holes over A B and C zones. 1986 - Placer - 25 holes into A B and C zones 1987 &1988 - Placer Dome / MSV JV - Drilling of A, B and C zones 1988 to 1994 - MSV Resources - Drilling, surface sampling, trenching, regional exploration, Seismic refraction over ABC Zones, 1994 & 1995 - MSV Resources - Mining of 118,356t at 10.58g/t Au and 0.3%Cu, processed at Copper Rand plant in Chibougamau, 40,000oz recovered 1997 - MSV Resources- Exploration, mapping, prospecting, trenching. 2004 - Campbell Resources - M&I resource calculation for Eastmain Mine. 2005-2007 - Eastmain Resources - Purchase of the project from Campbell Resources, VTEM, Prospecting, regional exploration. 2007-2019 - Eastmain Resources - Sporadic drilling, regional exploration, mapping, sampling, trenching. Surface geochemistry (soils) Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. In the Eastmain Gold Deposit, gold mineralization occurs in quartz veins with associated massive to semi-massive sulphide lenses/ veins and silicified zones associated with a deformation corridor. The mineralized zones are 3 m to 10 m thick and contained in a strongly deformed and altered assemblage (Mine series) consisting of felsic, mafic and ultramafic rocks. Mineralized quartz veins and lenses show a variable thickness between 10 cm and 13 m, and sulphide contents average 15% to 20% in the mineralized quartz veins and sulphide lenses. In order of decreasing abundance, sulphides consist of pyrrhotite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite, with minor sphalerite, magnetite and molybdenite. Visible gold occurs in the mineralized quartz veins as small (<1 mm) grains associated with quartz and (or) sulphides in the A, B and C Zones. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level - elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length.

If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. See appendix 1 above Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated.

Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail.

The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. No quantitative results reported. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results.

If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported.

If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg 'down hole length, true width not known'). No downhole intervals reported. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. See figures in the body of text Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. It is the Company's intention to report all exploration results together when they become available. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples - size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. Benz is currently completing a fixed loop electromagnetic survey over the Southern Anomalies

All drillholes completed are surveyed using Downhole / borehole Electromagnetics Benz is currently planning an airborne VTEM survey Benz is currently tendering work for an induced polarization (IP) survey covering targeted anomalies. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling).

Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Benz Mining is currently executing a 25,000m drilling campaign which started in January 2022 and will see completion in June 2022 Additional drilling is being planned for the rest of the year This drilling campaign is conducted concurrently with regional Electromagnetic surveys. This release reports results from a completed regional survey over a new area of the project All newly drilled holes are systematically surveyed by BHEM. A selection of historical holes has been surveyed by BHEM.

[1] Indicated: 236,500oz at 8.2gtp gold, Inferred: 139,300oz at 7.5gtp gold

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/113949
DGAP-News: Volatus Aerospace Corp.

Volatus Aerospace Forecasts Revenues of $38 million in 2022, a 138% Growth from 2021, with an expected gross margin of 31%



16.02.2022 / 14:30

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Volatus Aerospace Corp. (TSXV:VOL) ("Volatus" or the "Company") is pleased to pre-announce its unaudited Pro-forma revenue for FY2021 of approximately $16.5 million of sales and expects to release its audited 2021 financial statements in April of 2022. Additionally, Volatus is providing revenue guidance of $38 million for FY2022 with a blended gross margin of 31%. The forecast includes twelve months of all operating subsidiaries and ten months of MVT Geo-Solutions, an acquisition scheduled to close on or around February 28th, 2022. All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. The Company will host a webcast on February 28, 2022, at 3 pm EST to discuss recent operational highlights and forward-looking guidance in connection with 2022 forecast revenues. 'Volatus is recognized as a leader in the drone industry. Our ability to scale has allowed the Company to accelerate growth, consolidate earnings, and access greater revenue-generating opportunities,' said Glen Lynch, President and CEO of Volatus. 'We have a mature aerospace team with a demonstrated ability to execute and a growing opportunity fuelled by the rapid adoption of drones across industry, government, and defense sectors.' "Volatus grew revenues from less than $1 million in 2020 to more than $16 million in 2021. At the same time, we completed a reverse take-over and were approved for listing on the TSX Venture by year-end," said Abhinav Singhvi, Chief Financial Officer. "Volatus is built on the foundation of scaling businesses on a sustainable basis - we are blitzscaling, but responsibly, with our eyes on the bottom line. While the global drone industry is a US$58.4 billion market, growing at a CAGR of 16.4% (as per the Markets and Markets 2021 report); we intend to capture as much market as possible through our growth strategy." Business Highlights for 2022 Emerging, growth segments of the business include public safety, defense, unmanned commercial cargo and military re-supply, forestry, and autonomous solutions with integrated remote flight operations software

Scaling existing customers with national service offerings

Leveraging the Company's premier Canadian position in the services and equipment sales into growth in the US and Latin American markets

Commencement of assembly and testing of long-range, high endurance drones at the Lake Simcoe facility in Ontario Business Outlook and Webcast Details Glen Lynch, President and CEO of Volatus, Abhinav Singhvi, Chief Financial Officer, and Rob Walker, Chief Operating Officer, will host a conference call and webcast on February 28, 2022, at 3 pm EST to discuss details of the company's performance and certain forward-looking information. The session may be accessed here. The webcast will be available for replay on March 1, 2022. About Volatus Aerospace: Volatus Aerospace Corp. is a leading provider of integrated drone solutions throughout Canada, the United States, and Latin America. Operating a vast pilot network, Volatus serves commercial and defense markets with imaging and inspection, security and surveillance, equipment sales and support, training, and design, manufacturing, and R&D. Through its subsidiary Volatus Aviation, Volatus carries on the business of aircraft management, charter sales, and cargo services using piloted, remotely piloted, and autonomous aircraft. This news release contains statements that constitute 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Corporation with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as 'plans', 'expects', 'is expected', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'estimates', 'forecasts', 'intends', 'anticipates', or 'believes' or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will' (or other variations of the foregoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or come to pass. Forward-looking information includes information regarding (i) the business plans and expectations of the Corporation; and (ii) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Forward-looking information is based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans, strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors may be based on information currently available to the Corporation, including information obtained from third-party industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on management's current expectations or beliefs. Any and all forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Forward-looking information reflects the Corporation's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to it and on assumptions it believes to be not unreasonable in light of all of the circumstances. In some instances, material factors or assumptions are discussed in this news release in connection with statements containing forward-looking information. Such material factors and assumptions include, but are not limited to: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Corporation; meeting the continued listing requirements of the TSXV; and anticipated and unanticipated costs and other factors referenced in this news release and the Circular, including, but not limited to, those set forth in the Circular under the caption 'Risk Factors'. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release and, other than as required by law, the Corporation disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Source: Volatus Aerospace Corp. TSXV: VOL Contact Details Volatus Aerospace Corp. Rob Walker +1 514-447-7986 rob.walker@volatusaerospace.com Company Website https://volatusaerospace.com

News Source: News Direct



16.02.2022 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


We are school board members from across the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Our school districts range from small to large, rural to urban, well-resourced to underfunded.

Despite our varied contexts, we each earnestly believe full and fair funding for education is a prudent and fruitful investment in our commonwealth and the state Legislature should lead the way in ensuring every student in the state has the educational resources they need and deserve.

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In our roles as school directors and, for some of us, as parents, we observe the effect educational investment has on the day-to-day realities of our students. We see, repeatedly, access to educational resources makes the difference in whether students can flourish or whether their potential goes unrealized.

For example, those of us in better-funded districts see that our students benefit from access to a wide range of Advanced Placement courses. This results in a head start on post-secondary credits and increased college preparedness.

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However, some of us see the opposite for our students  a pittance of available AP courses due to a lack of resources supporting those programs. Students without those courses are missing out on a critical opportunity due to conditions well outside their control.

The Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg. (MORNING CALL FILE PHOTO)

As we talk about the conditions in our various districts, the wide-ranging effects of under-investing in schools become clear. We observe that while some students have ready access to school counselors, others must share overstretched counselors with 500 or more students.

Weve seen students thrive with an array of programming, yet we also see the demoralizing effects of severe cuts to already modestly funded art, music and foreign language programs.

We observe students in well-funded districts enjoy the blessing of safe and suitable facilities, the latest technology, and up-to-date curricular materials. In contrast, students in poorly funded districts make do with toxic and unsafe buildings and inadequate supplies.

Given our experience on the ground in our districts, it is unsurprising that years of research back up the economic and social value of high-quality education. For example, studies confirm that consistent investment in education results in increased graduation rates and college enrollment.

These improved outcomes lead to higher-paying jobs, greater economic stability and less reliance on government assistance for graduating students. They also encourage economic growth and tax revenue for our local communities and the commonwealth.

Improvements in outcomes like these are particularly notable for students from low-income families, who count on our public schools to provide access to opportunities and upward mobility and help break cycles of generational poverty. In this way, high-quality education is essential and foundational to the very concept of the American Dream.

We find that the individual and the statewide benefits of investing in full and fair funding for public schools and all children across the commonwealth are indisputable.

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We call on the Pennsylvania Legislature to exercise wise stewardship of taxpayer dollars in the 2022-2023 budget by investing to ensure a high-quality education for every student.

This op-ed was signed by 55 school district board members from throughout the state including Winston C. Alozie, Karen Beck Pooley, Dean M. Donaher, Michael E. Faccinetto, Craig Neiman, Shannon Patrick, Emily R. Schenkel, Kim Shively and Silagh White of the Bethlehem Area School District; and Audrey L. Mathison, Jennifer L. Ortiz, Patrick Palmer, Charlie Thiel and Nancy Wilt of the Allentown School District.
H.H. Ruler of Dubai attends ceremony along with high-profile dignitaries

Event highlighted the UAE's growing law enforcement capabilities and commitment to community safety

Event witnessed first military parade by female officers in the Middle East

DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Expo 2020 Dubai recently witnessed the graduation ceremony of 706 police cadets from various police colleges and academies in the UAE. Held under the theme 'Graduation of the Fiftieth' signifying the 50th anniversary of the UAE's Union, the event was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, along with high-profile dignitaries.

Hosted by the Ministry of Interior and organized by Dubai Police, the event emphasized the police officers' pivotal role in ensuring the safety and security of citizens, residents, and visitors, as well as supporting the UAE's development journey. It honored the top graduates from among the three police academies and featured various military performances set against the backdrop of dazzling light shows.

The graduation ceremony featured cadets from Abu Dhabi Police College, Dubai Police Academy, and Sharjah Police Science Academy, including two batches of female cadets. More than 10% of the new graduates this year were women, and the ceremony was also distinguished by the first-ever military parade by female officers in the Middle East.

The event witnessed the passing-out of the first batch of graduates with a bachelor's degree in police science and criminology, signaling the nation's law enforcement system's commitment to detecting and inhibiting crimes and improving operations. In addition, the ceremony included graduates from different nationalities, namely Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Comoro Islands, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, demonstrating the UAE's keen focus on improving its police force's engagement with families and children to maintain community safety.

The UAE aims to become the safest place in the world by reinforcing the sense of security among its citizens and residents and achieving the highest standards of security, emergency preparedness, reliability of police services, and road safety.

The prominent ceremony was organized for the third consecutive year by UAE-based 'Memories Events Management' in accordance with the highest international standards followed in organizing high-profile global events.

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Rise in demand of the ASFI systems in banking & finance, & government sector and surge in adoption of AFIS in smartphones & automated teller machines (ATM) drive the growth of the global AFIS market

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) Market By Component (Software and Hardware), By Search Type (Tenprint Search, and Latent Search) and Application (Commercial, Governments, Banking & Finance, Healthcare, Hospitality, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030". According to the report, the global automated fingerprint identification systems industry generated $8.4 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to generate $68 billion by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 23.3% from 2021 to 2030.

Download Sample Report (Get Full Insights in PDF - 295 Pages) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/12561

Prime Determinants of Growth

Rise in demand of the ASFI systems in banking & finance, & government sector and surge in adoption of AFIS in smartphones & automated teller machines (ATM) drive the growth of the global AFIS market. However, lack of skilled technicians hinders the market growth. On the other hand, rise in demand of AFSI in border management and growth in adoption of online transactions across the globe present new opportunities in the coming years.

Covid-19 Scenario

All the production and manufacturing facilities were halted due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to slowdown the AFIS market growth in 2020.

Nevertheless, the market is going to recover once the global situation is beck to normalcy.

The Hardware Segment to Maintain its Leadership Status throughout the Forecast Period

Based on component, the hardware segment held the highest market share in 2020, accounting for nearly three-fifths of the global AFIS market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is due to adoption of hardware system in police department. Moreover, the software segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 24.8% from 2021 to 2030, owing to continuous technological advancements in software technology.

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The Government Segment to Maintain its Lead Position during the Forecast Period

Based on application, the government segment accounted for the largest share in 2020, contributing to more than one-fourth of the global AFIS market, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is due to usage of AFSI in government for security verification. However, the hospitality segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 26.6% from 2021 to 2030, owing to usage of AFSI for passport services.

North America to Maintain its Dominance by 2030

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2020, accounting for more than one-third of the global AFIS market. This is due to presence of major players in this region. Moreover, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 26.6% from 2021 to 2030, owing to increase in demand for security screening.

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Leading Market Players:

THALES

IDEMIA

Synaptics incorporated

SecuGen Corporation

HID global Corporation

Precise biometrics

Innovatrics

Suprema

Aware Inc.

DERMALOG Identification Systems

GmbH.

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Similar Reports:

Finance Cloud Market

MEMS Sensor Market

Memory Chip Market

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Fingerprint module Market - Global Opportunities and Forecasts, 2021-2030

Contactless Smart Cards Market - Global Opportunities and Forecasts, 2021-2030

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- China and India to collectively contribute over 70% Market Revenue in 2022 and beyond

- Fact.MR's latest report on the push-to-talk market offers a 10-year forecast through 2022 & beyond. The report explicates vital dynamics, such as drivers, restraints, and emerging opportunities shaping the market dynamics. To present the information in a more vivid manner, the report has been segmented in terms of product type, capacity, power type, and region.

NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global push-to-talk (PTT) market is expected to generate a market value of US$ 20.01 Bn in 2022, growing at an 8.2% CAGR from 2022 to 2032, and reach a value of US$ 44 Bn by 2032.

Push-to-talk services are widely used in the government and defense sectors. Demand from these two industries is expected to grow at an exponential rate, resulting in revenue growth for push-to-talk service providers.

For More Valuable Information on Market Dynamics, Request a Report Sample

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=5717

Government and private R&D investments have helped fuel market demand for PTT services. Manufacturers' PTT innovations and progress with AI in android mobiles and tablets will help expand the market across end-user applications. Several studies have been conducted with the goal of improving critical communications across a wide range of market industries.

Recently, research organizations have refocused their efforts on the future of critical communications using new technologies such as 4G and 5G. Researchers investigated the significance of privacy and security levels associated with push-to-talk devices for various businesses around the world.

Report Attributes Details Base Year Value (2021A) US$ 19.75 Bn Estimated Year Value (2022E) US$ 20.01 Bn Projected Year Value (2032F) US$ 44 Bn Global Growth Rate (2022-2032) CAGR 8.2%

Key Takeaways

Demand for LMR push-to-talk services to flourish impressively, at a 9% value CAGR from 2022 to 2032

The push-to-talk market is dominated by public safety and security, which use the technology to improve public safety communications and coordination, during times of emergency, with a market share of more than 50%.

The construction industry is expected to emerge as an important beneficiary of push-to-talk services, expected to surpass a valuation of US$ 40 Bn by the end of 2032

by the end of 2032 Given the immense growth scope of the automotive industry, demand for PTT services in Germany will likely accumulate 25% of global revenue

will likely accumulate 25% of global revenue Demand in China is being driven by increased need from the commercial and government sectors. The Chinese market is expected to have a market share of 33%.

is being driven by increased need from the commercial and government sectors. The Chinese market is expected to have a market share of 33%. Extensive development of the government, defense and construction sectors to widen PTT service deployment across India , forecast to accumulate nearly 2/5th revenue

Growth Drivers

Increasing commercial demand from retail, transportation and other industries has boosted industry growth over the last five years, from 2017 to 2021.

The rapid growth in urban management and monitoring enabled by IoT is expected to drive the future adoption of Push-to-Talk products, services, and solutions.

Key Restraints

Increasing costs of establishing network connectivity infrastructure to hamper PTT services deployment

Possibilities of latency and communication gaps with respect to 2-way communication may discourage adoption

To learn more about Push-to-Talk (PTT) Market, you can get in touch with our Analyst at

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=5717

Competitive Landscape

The global push-to-talk market is characterized by fierce competition among key players. Key industry players are launching a broader range of products in order to capitalize on new opportunities.

IDIS, a video security company, and KT Powertel, a radio equipment provider, completed a reverse merger in February 2021 . KT Powertel specializes in the marketing of radio equipment and push-to-talk over cellular technologies, which are complementary to IDIS' video surveillance business.

. KT Powertel specializes in the marketing of radio equipment and push-to-talk over cellular technologies, which are complementary to IDIS' video surveillance business. Motorola Solutions launched WAVE PTX in Singapore and Malaysia in April 2021 , a nationwide instant messaging service that will help businesses and governments improve safety and efficiency. Companies can use WAVE PTX to connect their various work teams instantly and reliably, allowing operations to run smoothly regardless of network technology.

Key Companies Profiled by Fact.MR

Azetti Networks

GroupTalk

Zello

Iridium

AT&T

Simoco Wireless Solutions

Motorola Solutions

AINA Wireless

To Remain 'Ahead' of Your Competitors, Buy Now @

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More valuable Insights on Push-to-Talk Market

Fact.MR's report provides a market analysis of the global Push-to-Talk market, with forecasts through 2022 and beyond. This survey reveals the advancement of technology in the Push-to-Talk Market, with the following detailed segmentation: -

By Network

LMR Push-to-Talk Services

Cellular Push-to-Talk Services

By End Use Industry

Push-to-Talk Services for Public Safety

Push-to-Talk Services for Commercial Use

Transportation & Logistics



Construction



Retail



Travel & Hospitality



Health



Government & Defense



Others

By Region

North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia & Oceania

& Oceania Middle East & Africa

Key Questions covered in the Push-to-Talk Market Report

What is the global Push-to-Talk Market scenario?

How far is the global demand expected to reach over the forecasted period?

What was the last 5-year CAGR for the demand in the demand in the Push-to-Talk Market?

Who are the prominent players in the global Push-to-Talk Market?

Which is the leading region in the Push-to-Talk Market?

Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on the Technology Domain -

Public Safety Software Market- As smart cities development across the world acquires pace, the need to boost public safety is acquiring major importance. Public safety authorities are beefing up existing security protocols by incorporating advanced technology, which is anticipated to widen prospects for public safety software in forthcoming years.

Integrated Video Surveillance Systems Market Analysis- Burgeoning infrastructure development in the wake of rapid urbanization has necessitated deployment of advanced security apparatus. This has widened prospects for integrated video surveillance systems. Besides, demand is also surging in the BFSI industry, attribute to rising incidences of malpractices and fraudulent activities in the enterprise.

Customer Relationship Management Industry Outlook- The customer relationship management landscape is witnessing increased implementation of AI across digital technologies to act as an efficient business strategy. The growing demand for AI-powered software across digital technologies is to play a significant role in driving the market in the coming time.

Advanced Antenna System Market Scope- Ongoing research by Fact.MR on the advanced antenna system market reveals that the industry is expected to witness steady growth. Growing reliance on lightweight smart devices is prompting heightened need for efficient connectivity solutions, leading to increased demand.

About Fact.MR

Market research and consulting agency with a difference! That's why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. We have offices in US and Dublin, whereas our global headquarter is in Dubai. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range - from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Reach out to us with your goals, and we'll be an able research partner.

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Military Airborne Electro-Optics Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% during 2022-2027, reports Stratview Research.

RAIPUR, India, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research, a leading market research firm, has launched a report on the Military Airborne Electro-Optics Market which provides an in-depth analysis of the market dynamics, current and emerging trends, industry forecast, and competitive landscape.

Click Here to get the free sample pdf:

https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/2475/military-airborne-electro-optics-market.htmlform

How is the Report Helpful?

The report has a very high utility for the key decision-makers and strategists in terms of accurate market insights, future growth opportunities, and key success factors.

Most importantly, the report analyses the possible impact of COVID-19 on the market dynamics which offers cushioning against the uncertain business environment and helps in streamlining the resources and investment decisions in a fruitful manner.

What are the Top Market Drivers?

According to the report, the Military Airborne Electro-Optics Market is driven by a host of factors, some of which are noted below:

Increased focus on the development and deployment of stealth aircraft by countries such as China , India , Germany , and France , in the forthcoming years to strengthen their aerial defense capabilities.

, , , and , in the forthcoming years to strengthen their aerial defense capabilities. Rapid increase in military aircraft programs along with the increasing need for surveillance and early warning solutions.

The report also includes growth rate estimates based upon the intensity of drivers and constraints and provides the users with several graphical illustrations of the key insights.

Military Airborne Electro-Optics Market Segmentation:

Stratview Research has segmented the market in the following 3 ways which fulfill the market data needs of multiple stakeholders across the industry value chain.

Aircraft Type (Military Helicopters, Military Aircraft, and Military UAV)

(Military Helicopters, Military Aircraft, and Military UAV) Product Type (Hyperspectral and Multispectral)

(Hyperspectral and Multispectral) Region ( North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World)

Military Airborne Electro-Optics Market Insights

Market Trends by Aircraft Type

The military airborne electro-optics market is segmented based on the aircraft type, product type, and region. On the basis of aircraft type, the market is segmented into military helicopters, military aircraft, and military UAVs.

Among these types, the military aircraft segment held the major market share, followed by military helicopters, and military UAVs. On the other hand, the military UAV segment is expected to witness the fastest market growth during the forecast period due to a large focus of several countries for the production of UAVs.

Also, in recent years, UAVs are largely being equipped with these electro-optic solutions, which help in enabling efficient target identification along with providing wide-area surveillance, even under unfavorable weather and light conditions.

Market Trends by Product Type

Based on the product type, the market is classified into multispectral and hyperspectral electro-optic solutions.

Multispectral electro-optics is expected to remain the dominant as well as the faster-growing market segment during the forecast period. This is because the multispectral systems are of a lower cost and provide effective results for all types of military aircraft.

On the other hand, hyperspectral electro-optic systems are very high in cost and are therefore rarely used in the defense industry.

Which region offers the best opportunity and growth?

In terms of regions, North America is expected to remain the largest market for military airborne electro-optics during the forecast period. This region is home to several major companies, such as L3 Harris Technologies Ltd., Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Raytheon Technologies Corporation, which makes the region the growth engine of the global market.

Asia-Pacific is likely to be the fastest-growing region in the market during the forecast period, due to the rising military expenditure in countries such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea.

COVID-19 Impact on the Military Airborne Electro-Optics Market

COVID-19 has put an instant halt to many industries across the globe. Lockdown norms in several countries have swiftly affected the global economy by affecting the supply chain, production, and demand in the market. Both direct, as well as indirect impacts of the pandemic, have been incorporated in this report.

To know more about the covid-19 impact, get a free sample report, here:

https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/2475/military-airborne-electro-optics-market.htmlform

Who are the Top Market Players?

After a thorough analysis of the market, the experts have listed few key players and discussed company profiles of below-given players -

L3Harris Technologies, Inc.

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Leonardo S.p.A.

Elbit Systems Ltd.

Thales Group

Northrop Grumman Corporation

IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries)

Teledyne FLIR LL

HENSOLDT

What deliverables will you get in this report?

- In-depth analysis of the Military Airborne Electro-Optics Market.

- Detailed market segmentation.

- Competitive-landscape analysis.

- Historical, present, and future market size analysis.

- Industry trends, technologies, and advancements.

- Growth and operation strategies adopted by key players.

- Potential segments/regions offering promising growth.

- Geographical presence of the key players.

Related reports which might be useful:

Military Platform Electro-Optics Market Drone Defense System Market

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US$ unless otherwise stated TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945

BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife Investment Management today announced that it has named Marc Feliciano as global head of real estate, private markets. In this position, reporting to Christoph Schumacher, global head of real assets, Marc will oversee all aspects of the real estate business, including portfolio management, investments, asset management, and the integration of sustainability into both investments and operations. He will also be responsible for developing and implementing Manulife Investment Management's global real estate investment strategy and increasing its capabilities on behalf of clients, including Manulife's General Account.

For decades, Manulife Investment Management has secured investment opportunities for clients through its private markets offerings. It has built a holistic private markets business bringing solutions to investors in timber, agriculture, real estate equity, infrastructure equity and private equity and credit, with a total AUM of US$59.2 billion globally.1 As of?December 31, 2021, the global real estate equity portfolio totals over 64 million square feet of office, industrial, multi-family residential, and retail space strategically located in markets across Canada, the United States, and Asia.

"Marc's experience in real estate portfolio strategy and his strong analytic approach will be essential to expanding the competencies of the global team as they meet the demand for sustainability and return from investors," said Christoph Schumacher, global head of real assets for private markets at Manulife Investment Management. "We are excited to have him onboard and feel his expertise will allow for aggressive growth across the real asset platform for our clients."

Marc joins Manulife Investment Management from DWS where he was the chief investment officer (CIO) of real estate, Americas, and the head of portfolio and asset management for the Real Estate Americas business. He was also head of the Americas debt investments group. He has nearly 30 years of experience spanning public and private real estate investment management. Marc received undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting with an additional concentration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

"I look forward to joining a team with a reputation for a stable and disciplined approach to real estate investments and for delivering good outcomes to clients," said Marc Feliciano. "We will continue to build on the foundation that has been established and also look to grow our capabilities, using our global lens and diversified approach to asset and capital allocation, to continue to meet the expectations of our investors."

1 As of December 31, 2021

About Manulife Investment Management

Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.

Media contact: Asia, Carl Wong, Carl_KK_Wong@manulifeam.com; Canada, Cheryl Holmes, Cheryl_Holmes@manulife.com; United States and Europe, Elizabeth Bartlett, Elizabeth_Bartlett@manulife.com
Internet coverage is coming to the remote city of Agua Boa in Mato Grosso state, Brazil and with it the Case IH Connected Farm. Watch this latest episode in our Behind the Wheel series to find out more about how Case IH was instrumental in bringing connectivity tothe region and discover how it will not only benefit agriculture but the wider community at: bit.ly/connectedfarm



London, February 16, 2022

Case IH, a global agricultural machinery brand of CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI), has selected Agua Boa, a region renowned for its high agricultural productivity, as the location for its Connected Farm project. The brand is the driving force behind the initiative to bring 4G infrastructure to the region and has provided financial investment, worked with telecommunications provider TIM Brazil, and forged links within the local community to bring the project to fruition.

"Case IH is recognized as the brand of choice for technology-oriented farmers. It has been instrumental in introducing cutting edge technologies to Brazilian farmers," said Vilmar Fistarol, President Latin America, CNH Industrial. "The Connected Farm shows how the brand is leading the Brazilian digital agriculture revolution."

This Connected Farm aims to demonstrate how rural connectivity increases in-field productivity, even in an already highly productive region. A 4G internet connection installed at the farm enables the entire operation, and its machines, to report data and be monitored by the new AFS (Case IH's precision farming package) Connect Center, based at the Case IH Sorocaba Plant in the state of Sao Paulo.

Connectivity provides the farmer with a wealth of benefits including increased productivity, reduced water consumption, efficient logistics, machine uptime information, and more efficient inventory management. The financial benefits include an increased return on investment and optimization of overall and specific input costs.

"The Case IH Connected Farm brings together the most advanced technologies the brand has to offer," said Parag Garg, Chief Digital Officer, CNH Industrial. "The new connected infrastructure and Case IH's advanced machines demonstrate the benefits connectivity will bring to the area's farmers."

In addition to showcasing the Connected Farm project, the video contains interviews with members of the Agua Boa community. These interviews give an insight into how the local population is keen to embrace new technologies in the workplace, schools and the public health sector, which are made more accessible by the new connectivity infrastructure.

Find out more about how Case IH is bringing connectivity to Agua Boa and the Connected Farm at: bit.ly/connectedfarm

CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI) is a world-class equipment and services company that sustainably advances the noble work of agriculture and construction workers. The Company provides the strategic direction, R&D capabilities, and investments that enable the success of its five core Brands: Case IH, New Holland Agriculture and STEYR, supplying 360 agriculture applications from machines to implements and the digital technologies that enhance them; and CASE and New Holland Construction Equipment delivering a full lineup of construction products that make the industry more productive. Across a history spanning over two centuries, CNH Industrial has always been a pioneer in its sectors and continues to passionately innovate and drive customer efficiency and success. As a truly global company, CNH Industrial's 35,000+ employees form part of a diverse and inclusive workplace, focused on empowering customers to grow, and build, a better world.

For more information and the latest financial and sustainability reports visit: cnhindustrial.com

For news from CNH Industrial and its Brands visit: media.cnhindustrial.com

Media contacts:

Rebecca Fabian Anna Angelini

North America United Kingdom

Tel. +1 312 515 2249 Tel. +44 (0)7725 826 007

Email: mediarelations@cnhind.com

Attachments
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Fernhill Corp's (OTC PINK:FERN),Institutional Digital Asset Trading platform, MainBloq, continues to launch enterprise-grade, widely-requested features. Fresh off of January's FTX and Coinbase Prime integrations, MainBloq is now launching support for Sub-Account Trading available immediately.

CEO Ryan Kuiken stated "Sub-Accounts are a feature that has been greatly lacking across the industry as a whole. Many participants come from the traditional institutional side where sub-accounts are not only supported, but expected. That's just not the case in crypto. Only a handful of exchanges support sub-account functionality so we needed to truly write this functionality into our codebase, not just connect via an API "

Sub-accounts are used by institutional investors to segregate funds, for different clients, different desks, or different strategies, while drawing upon a single pool of capital. MainBloq already segregates clients by running copies of xSOR in a container specific to that client. Sub-accounts processing is further segregated by running their workload in different processes, which may reside on separated machines, all interconnected with our blazing fast data-bus. There are no limits on the number of sub-accounts xSOR can handle.

Sub-accounts segregate:

Trading

Balances

Positions

Risk

Kuiken continued, "The Sub-Account functionality provides the ability to seamlessly integrate into our clients trading workflows. Hedge Funds often have multiple traders, each executing their own strategies within an exchange. In the past, these traders shared a single account, or used multiple master accounts, resulting in inefficient use of capital, and limited risk controls."

CTO Marc Deveaux commented "Integrating the sub-account functionality into the MainBloq trading platform provides immediate support for those trading venues that currently support that functionality. For exchanges that do not offer Sub-accounts, MainBloq will provide that functionality with select exchanges being added every month. This will open the door to some new interesting tools, including our Global Wallet Rebalancer.

Mainbloq offers its solutions:

Hosted in the the cloud

On dedicated cloud servers

As Self-Hosted docker containers

Connecting via FIX, REST or Web Sockets API

Be sure to stay tuned to MainBloq and Fernhill Corp (OTC:FERN) for upcoming, exciting new updates.

About MainBloq:

MainBloq, a Fernhill Company ($FERN), is a digital asset connectivity platform connecting to leading exchanges to serve the needs of clients around the world. MainBloq offers a modular platform including a smart order router, suite of execution algorithms, FIX / SOCKETS / REST gateway, and consulting services to help banks and hedge funds execute on their trading strategies. For more information please visit www.mainbloq.io

MainBloq Website: mainbloq.io

MainBloq Twitter

MainBloq Facebook

MainBloq Linkedin

About Fernhill:

Fernhill Corp is a developer and acquirer of high-performance proprietary software solutions focused on crypto currency mining, digital asset trading and infrastructure applications that are designed to simplify, optimize and automate the blockchain ecosystem, including Mining, Minting, Trading and DeFi. Fernhill is a Signatory Member of the Crypto Climate Accord (CCA).

For all official Fernhill corporate information, please refer to our filings, news and updates on the following resources:

OTC Markets

Nevada SOS

Fernhill Twitter

Fernhill Facebook

Fernhill Linkedin

Fernhill Website: FernhillCorp.com

Company Contact Information: info@fernhillcorp.com

Any other links are not official & should be taken as such nor have anything to do with Fernhill Corp or its subsidiaries.

#$FERN FernhillCorp MakeCryptoGreen CryptoCurrencies GreenMiningPools FinTech SaaS CryptoClimateAccord LFG PerfectMine CryptoMining MainBloq DigitalAssetTrading

Forward-Looking Statements: This release includes '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. Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute 'forward-looking statements.' Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words 'estimate', 'project', 'intend', 'forecast', 'anticipate', 'plan', 'planning', 'expect', 'believe', 'will likely', 'should', 'could', 'would', 'may' or words or expressions of similar meaning. Such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from those included within the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Company's ability to grow its business. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company's limited operating history, the limited financial resources, domestic or global economic conditions, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing various engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced vendors, services or components, and various other factors beyond the Company's control.

SOURCE: Fernhill Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/688924/MainBloq-is-Pleased-to-Announce-Sub-Account-Trading-for-Selected-Exchanges
BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Today, Boston commercial real estate firm Cresa released its annual Market Insight Reports. As the leading provider of unbiased, occupier-focused real estate services, Cresa provides a unique viewpoint into the shifts in market activity, trends, and tenant perspectives.

The reports synthesize client data and recent marketing activity into actionable strategies for Greater Boston tenants in 2022. For each market and geographic region, Cresa's advisors summarize notable shifts since the start of the pandemic and forecast 2022 real estate activity as it relates to occupier planning and decision making. Some of the highlights include:

Life sciences expansion continues to dominate the Greater Boston market, with several new lab-enabled developments scheduled for completion in the next two years. With Cambridge prices soaring and workstyles evolving, tenants are more willing to consider the suburban space.

As landlords and developers race to keep up with tenant demand, occupiers who need space solutions in the near term have limited options.

Occupiers are eyeing spaces that can evolve with their business functions, support a variety of uses, and accommodate future growth. As a result, flexible infrastructure is increasingly desirable.

With many organizations navigating their return to the workplace, downtown office tenants have focused on high-quality, amenity-rich buildings.

Each of the reports provides additional findings and context around these trends, as well as suggestions for tenants looking to restructure their short and long-term real estate strategies. Having closely monitored the market and its pandemic-related shifts, Cresa offers data-driven insights and predictions for the future of real estate and the workplace in Greater Boston.

View all reports here.

About Cresa

Cresa is the world's only global commercial real estate advisory firm that exclusively represents occupiers and specializes in the delivery of fully integrated real estate solutions. Our purpose is to think beyond space, strengthening those we serve and enhancing the quality of life for our clients. Delivered across every industry, Cresa's services include Transaction Management, Workplace Solutions, Project Management, Consulting, Lease Administration, Technology, Investment Banking & Capital Markets, and Portfolio Solutions. In partnership with London-based Knight Frank, Cresa provides service through 16,000 people, across 380 offices in 51 territories. For more information, please visit cresa.com.

Media Contact

Susan Shelby, FSMPS, CPSM

Rhino PR for Cresa Boston

cresaboston@rhinopr.com

978.985.4541

SOURCE: Cresa Boston
16 February 2022

PHSC PLC

("PHSC" or the "Company")

Transaction in Own Shares

PHSC (AIM: PHSC), a leading provider of health, safety, hygiene and environmental consultancy services and security solutions to the public and private sectors, announces that it has today made the following purchases of ordinary shares of 10p each ("Ordinary Shares") pursuant to its share buyback programme announced on 21 January 2022 (the "Buyback Programme"):

Date of purchases: 16 February 2022 Number of Ordinary Shares purchased (the "Buyback Shares"): 114,850 Highest price paid per Ordinary Share: 24.10p Lowest price paid per Ordinary Share: 23.70p Volume weighted average price: 24.02p

The Company will hold the Buyback Shares in treasury. Following the repurchase of the Buyback Shares set out above, the Company's issued share capital consists of 12,756,983 Ordinary Shares (excluding treasury shares), and the Company will hold 1,920,274 Ordinary Shares in treasury with no voting rights attached. Therefore, the total voting rights in the Company will be 12,756,983. This figure for the total number of voting rights may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

Directors' Dealings and Concert Party Holding

As announced on 21 January 2022, the Board notes that certain of the Company's directors, namely Stephen King (Chairman and CEO) and Nicola Coote (Deputy Chairman and Deputy CEO) (the "Concert Party Directors"), co-founders and longstanding executive directors of the Company, are deemed, along with their respective spouses and close relatives, to be members of a concert party in respect of the Company as defined in the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "City Code") (the "Concert Party").

Accordingly, the Concert Party Directors agreed, prior to any share purchases occurring pursuant to the Buyback Programme, to enter into irrevocable undertakings in respect of the Buyback Programme (the "Irrevocables"). Pursuant to the terms of the Irrevocables, the Concert Party Directors have irrevocably and unconditionally agreed to sell (in the case of Stephen King, via his SIPP provider, the entity which holds the majority of his interest in the Ordinary Shares) to the Company such number of Ordinary Shares as is required to ensure that the existing aggregate percentage holding of the Concert Party does not increase at any time as a result of the implementation of the Buyback Programme.

Pursuant to the Irrevocables, the Buyback Shares above therefore include Ordinary Shares acquired by the Company from Stephen King and Nicola Coote, as detailed below along with their resulting interests:

Shareholder(s) Ordinary Shares sold to the Company on 16 February 2022 Resulting holding of Ordinary Shares (including spouse's holding) Resulting percentage interest in the Ordinary Shares (including spouse's holding) Stephen King 25,369 2,762,848 21.66 Nicola Coote 24,481 2,724,220 21.35 Other Concert Party members - 50,000 0.39 Concert Party 5,537,068 43.40

The Company will make further announcements in due course following the completion of any further purchases pursuant to the Buyback Programme.



For further information please contact:

PHSC plc

Stephen King Tel: 01622 717 700

Stephen.king@phsc.co.uk

www.phsc.plc.uk

Strand Hanson Limited(Nominated Adviser) Tel: 020 7409 3494

James Bellman / Matthew Chandler

Novum Securities Limited (Broker) Tel: 020 7399 9427

Colin Rowbury



About PHSC

PHSC, through its trading subsidiaries, Personnel Health & Safety Consultants Ltd, RSA Environmental Health Ltd, QCS International Ltd, Inspection Services (UK) Ltd and Quality Leisure Management Ltd, provides a range of health, safety, hygiene, environmental and quality systems consultancy and training services to organisations across the UK. In addition, B2BSG Solutions Ltd offers innovative security solutions including tagging, labelling and CCTV.

PDMR Forms:

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated a) Name: Stephen King 2. Reason for the notification a) Position/status: Director b) Initial notification/Amendment: Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name: PHSC plc b) LEI: 213800H1B3AR1XRE2674 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a)



b) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument:

Identification code: Ordinary shares of 10p each



GB0033113456 Nature of the transaction: Sale of ordinary shares to Company pursuant to Buyback Programme c) Price(s) and volume(s): Price(s) Volume(s) 24p 25,369 d) Aggregated information:

n/a (single transaction) e) Date of the transaction: 16 February 2022 f) Place of the transaction: Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated a) Name: Nicola Coote 2. Reason for the notification a) Position/status: Director b) Initial notification/Amendment: Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name: PHSC plc b) LEI: 213800H1B3AR1XRE2674 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a)



b) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument:

Identification code: Ordinary shares of 10p each



GB0033113456 Nature of the transaction: Sale of ordinary shares to Company pursuant to Buyback Programme c) Price(s) and volume(s): Price(s) Volume(s) 24p 24,481 d) Aggregated information:

n/a (single transaction) e) Date of the transaction: 16 February 2022 f) Place of the transaction: Outside a trading venue

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as amended).
- The market for Radiofrequency Ablation Devices is witnessing huge growth due to the growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, rising geriatric population, and technological advancements in product development and design improvement.

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Insights and Forecast report provides the current and forecast Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market, upcoming innovation in the devices, individual market shares, challenges, drivers, and barriers, market trends, and key competitors in the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market.

Some of the salient features from the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market report:

As per DelveInsight analysis, in terms of revenue share, North America is predicted to register the fastest growth in the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market.

is predicted to register the fastest growth in the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market. Key Radiofrequency Ablation Devices companies proactively working to develop novel devices include names such as BIOTRONIK Schweiz AG, Medtronic, Abbott, Olympus., Stryker, Boston Scientific Corporation, AngioDynamics., CONMED Corporation, Lepu Medical Technology ( Beijing ) Co.,Ltd, Arthrex, Inc., STARmed Co., Ltd., HOLOGIC, INC, Baylis Medical Company, Inc, Medical Devices Business Services, Inc.(Johnson & Johnson), Smith & Nephew, Sutter Medizintechnik GmbH, Bramsys, RF Medical Co., Ltd, OSYPKA AG, Avanos Medical, Inc., and others.

and others. DelveInsight analyzes that Global Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market was valued at USD 3.35 billion in 2020, and is expected to grow at a substantial CAGR of 9.34% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2026. The Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market size is anticipated to reach USD 5.69 billion by 2026.

in 2020, and is expected to grow at a substantial of during the forecast period from 2021 to 2026. The Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market size is anticipated to reach by 2026. In October 2021 , Venclose Inc received the 510k FDA clearance for their Maven endovenous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) catheter for minimally invasive treatment of incompetent perforator veins (IPVs).

received the FDA clearance for their for minimally invasive treatment of incompetent perforator veins (IPVs). On January 28, 2021 , Medtronic announced the FDA approved its temperature-controlled, irrigated radiofrequency ablation system with diamonds - DiamondTemp Ablation Catheters - P200028, for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation that is unresponsive to drug therapy.

announced the FDA approved its temperature-controlled, irrigated radiofrequency ablation system with diamonds - for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation that is unresponsive to drug therapy. In August 2020 , Biosense Webster, a Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies subsidiary, received European CE mark approval for their QDOT MICRO radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheter.

a Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies subsidiary, received European CE mark approval for their In February 2020 , Avanos Medical, Inc. received FDA approval for marketing of its new, 80-Watt COOLIEF Radiofrequency (RF) system for neurological lesion procedures.

To pick on the latest highlights related to Radiofrequency Ablation Devices, get the snapshot of the key highlights entailed in the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Detailed Report

Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Overview

Radiofrequency Ablation procedures are a type of medical devices that are considered appropriate for minimally invasive procedures of patients with cardiac diseases (such as atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, cardiac arrhythmias), cancer and pain management. They provide an option of treating diseases such as arrhythmia and various cancers with the use of thermal energy under controlled temperatures. Few of the Radiofrequency Ablation side effects include discomfort, swelling, and bruising at the site of the treatment, but this generally goes away after a few days

Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Insight

Among all the regions, North America is expected to account for the significant market share in the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market. This domination is attributed to various aspects such as lower back pain, neck pain, and arthritis among the rising population of elderly as well as high awareness among people regarding disease management and the new product launches in the region. Furthermore, a well-established patient care system along with knowledge regarding medical devices among patients and caregivers specifically for different types of radiofrequency ablation devices is further expected to propel the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market growth.

In addition to that, the presence of key players in the region and supportive reimbursement programs further provide immense growth opportunities for the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market. For instance, in February 2020, Boston Scientific Corporation received the product approval from the Canadian medical device regulatory authority, Health Canada for their IntellaNav StablePoint Ablation Catheter which is indicated to be used in conjunction with a radio frequency (RF) generator for carrying out cardiac ablation.

Click here to understand more about the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Landscape @ Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Assessment

Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Dynamics

There is a rise in demand for Radiofrequency Ablation Devices observed in recent years due to many factors such as the growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, rising geriatric population, technological advancements in product development and design improvement as well as the entrance of key market players in the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market. Moreover, Radiofrequency Ablation Devices are a popular method that is employed for atrial fibrillation treatment so the rise in atrial fibrillation cases globally, it will aid the Global Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market growth. Also, the rising prevalence of cancers of different etiologies, and comparatively lower Radiofrequency Ablation cost is expected to contribute to the growing demand for Radiofrequency Ablation Devices, eventually taking the radiofrequency ablation devices market forward during the forecast period.

The Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market witnessed a period of temporary setback due to the imposing of the lockdown restrictions as necessary measures to contain the COVID-19 spread. One of the major steps during this was the suspension of numerous elective procedures and outpatient visits which reduced the demand for Radiofrequency Ablation Devices in the market as various Radiofrequency Ablation procedures were deemed non-essential during the initial lockdown period, thereby limiting the market growth for a short time.

Get a sneak peek at the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market drivers & barriers @ Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Drivers Analysis

Scope of the Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Report

Coverage : Global

Global Study Period: 2021-2026

2021-2026 Market Segmentation By Product Type - Radiofrequency Generators, Radiofrequency Catheters, Rf Electrodes, And Others)

- Radiofrequency Generators, Radiofrequency Catheters, Rf Electrodes, And Others) Market Segmentation By Application -Cardiology, Surgical Oncology, Pain Management, And Others

-Cardiology, Surgical Oncology, Pain Management, And Others Market Segmentation By End-User - Hospitals, Specialty Clinics, And Others

Hospitals, Specialty Clinics, And Others Market Segmentation By Geography - North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of World

- , , , and Rest of World Key Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Companies - BIOTRONIK Schweiz AG, Medtronic, Abbott, Olympus., Stryker, Boston Scientific Corporation, AngioDynamics., CONMED Corporation, Lepu Medical Technology ( Beijing ) Co.,Ltd, Arthrex, Inc., STARmed Co., Ltd., HOLOGIC, INC, Baylis Medical Company, Inc, Medical Devices Business Services, Inc.(Johnson & Johnson), Smith & Nephew, Sutter Medizintechnik GmbH, Bramsys, RF Medical Co., Ltd, OSYPKA AG, Avanos Medical, Inc., and others.

BIOTRONIK Schweiz AG, Medtronic, Abbott, Olympus., Stryker, Boston Scientific Corporation, AngioDynamics., CONMED Corporation, Lepu Medical Technology ( ) Co.,Ltd, Arthrex, Inc., STARmed Co., Ltd., HOLOGIC, INC, Baylis Medical Company, Inc, Medical Devices Business Services, Inc.(Johnson & Johnson), Smith & Nephew, Sutter Medizintechnik GmbH, Bramsys, RF Medical Co., Ltd, OSYPKA AG, Avanos Medical, Inc., and others. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Product Profiles

Case Studies

KOL's Views

Analyst's View

Delveinsight Analysis: The Global Radiofrequency Ablation Devices market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.34% during the forecast period and will reach USD 5.69 billion by 2026.

Know more about which MedTech player is set to emerge as the trendsetter @ Key Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Companies

Table of Contents

1 Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Report Introduction 2 Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Executive summary 3 Regulatory and Patent Analysis 4 Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Key Factors Analysis 5 Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Porter's Five Forces Analysis 6 COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market 7 Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Layout 8 Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Global Company Share Analysis - Key 3-5 Companies 9 Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Market Company and Product Profiles 10 Project Approach 11 KOL Views 12 DelveInsight Capabilities 13 Disclaimer 14 About DelveInsight

Learn more about the report offerings @ Radiofrequency Ablation Devices Regulatory And Patent Analysis

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Industry-leading investment expected to translate to nearly 30bn peak sales potential

Game-changing Short Stature Corn advances, readying for 2023 commercial trials

More than 500 new high-performing seed hybrids and varieties deployed and greater than 300 new registrations refresh crop protection portfolio

Digital transformation well underway as Climate FieldView reaches more than 180 million acres; unlocks climate-smart models with expansion of Bayer Carbon Initiative

Bayer announced today the advancement of key innovation projects that showcase the latest in crop protection, seeds traits and digital solutions. These significant advancements, plus more than 500 seed deployments and greater than 300 new crop protection product registrations in 2021 are expected to fuel both mid-and-long-term growth for the company as they bring new value to growers around the globe. The company's new solutions for agriculture are geared to support farmers in their need to meet the growing global demand for food, feed, fiber, and fuel, while also advancing a climate-smart future for the industry. This commitment to Bayer's farmer customers and innovative research brings forward a pipeline valued at up to 30bn peak sales potential over the next two decades.

"Our pipeline reflects the dedication of our world-class scientists and the value our suite of cutting-edge technologies has in bringing sustainable and integrated farmer-focused solutions to life," said Rodrigo Santos, President of the company's Crop Science Division. "Fueled by an investment in research and development that's unmatched in the industry, Bayer has a clear, transformative and deep-seated commitment to maximize the value we can offer to our farmer customers."

Disruptive corn technologies expected to empower growers across the globe

Bayer's Short Stature Corn moves a step closer to farmers' fields as the company's shorter hybrids advance to Phase 4. Standing one-third shorter than standard height corn hybrids, the technology improves standability, including better greensnap and stalk lodging tolerance, to help reduce crop loss from challenging environmental conditions and extreme weather like high winds. Short Stature Corn allows for the more precise application of crop protection and the optimized use of key inputs such as nitrogen. Thanks to benefits like these Bayer sees an incremental peak sales opportunity of about 1bn for North America alone.

In addition, work continues on a full system approach to managing corn more sustainably through Bayer's Smart Corn System. The system, an entirely new growing structure for one of the world's most widely produced crops, creates a way for growers to take full advantage of Bayer's entire portfolio of digital tools, customized seed and crop protection prescriptions, crop health management, and density planting optimization. The Smart Corn System is a win for farmers, sustainability, and food security.

Seeds and traits pipeline demonstrates best-in-class innovation and a farmer-first approach

Bayer's commitment to customers and sustainable agriculture is underscored by key pipeline advancements in traits, which sees critical products enter the next phase of development.

Bollgard 4 cotton moves into Phase 3, offering season-long protection with multiple modes of action for key lepidopteran pests, along with HT4 cotton with five herbicide tolerances.

The launch of the next-generation technology Intacta 2 Xtend offers a significant performance advantage for soybean farmers delivering about 2.9 bushels per acre compared to similar varieties that are in the market. With the third-generation project in Phase 3, the company announced the fourth generation is moving to Phase 1, cementing the franchise's position as the cornerstone for how Bayer is leading the industry in protecting soybean yield against insect and weed pressure.

To bolster the company's offerings for below-ground insect control in corn, VTPRO4 Technology and SmartStax PRO give growers in the Americas access to Bayer's new RNAi-based corn rootworm trait the first in the industry and crucial for resistance management. It offers the most advanced technology for control of insects in Brazil while supplementing SmartStax corn in the U.S. with another mode of action.

Launching new approaches in crop protection and complimenting biological solutions.

In crop protection, Bayer's newest launches directly address growers' most critical needs.

In Brazil, Bayer upgrades its number one position in soybean fungicides in Latin America, with the next generation in the Fox franchise, Fox Supra. Expected to launch later this year, this new formulation includes Indiflin, a novel active ingredient for unrivalled control of Asian Soybean Rust.

Australia expects to see two launches in 2022. Xivana, a new global horticulture fungicide with a best-in-class mode of action with very low use rates, delivers outstanding protection of grapes, potatoes, and vegetables. Mateno Complete, with a third herbicide mode of action, is for use in wheat and barley.

Bayer's biological crop protection portfolio remains an industry leader with more than 20 commercial and in-licensed products reaching 60 million acres in row crops and high value vegetables. Recent launches, like Flipper and Serenade, provide excellent control options in all organic production systems and are complementary to Bayer's conventional crop protection.

Leading the digital transformation of agriculture and unlocking climate-smart business models

The use of data and analytics continues to rapidly evolve, and agriculture is no different, which is why Bayer is committed to leading digital transformation in the industry. The company's digital farming solutions are positively impacting agriculture by increasing yield and profitability, managing risk and variability, and improving efficiency and sustainability on the farm through more informed decisions. The digital opportunity set for Bayer also extends beyond the farm, as it expands its digital platforms and marketplaces, and seeks to create downstream value in carbon.

Climate FieldView, now across more than 180 million acres in 23 countries with the largest database of grower and field trial seed performance data in the industry, continues to help farmers better manage their operations and optimize yields. For instance, Bayer is seeing higher product sales when growers compare and track performance through the digital interface of the FieldView platform. Specifically, in the U.S., sales were more than 5% higher for Bayer corn seed customers using FieldView Plus versus non-users. Digital capabilities support efforts to offer farmers tailored solutions for their operations and create new offerings in regions around the world. Climate LLC research programs and FieldView are utilizing advanced data analytics and agronomic modeling to allow farmers to understand their operations better than ever before.

To unlock downstream value and enable climate smart business models, Bayer expanded its Carbon Initiative with Project Carbonview focused on the United States, designed to create low-carbon feed, fuel, and fiber products. This collaboration, conceptualized by Bayer and developed with support from Bushel and Amazon Web Services is a first-of-its-kind technology solution that will enable ethanol producers to report, analyze and better assess their end-to-end supply chain carbon footprint. Bayer is also working with The Andersons, one of the leading ethanol producers in the U.S., to bring this value to growers.

Finally, the partnership with Microsoft will build a new cloud-based set of digital solutions for use in agriculture and adjacent industries, bringing new infrastructure and foundational capabilities to accelerate innovation, boost efficiency and support sustainability across value chains. Orbia, the company's digital ag marketplace in Brazil, has expanded its reach to more than 185,000 farmers covering more than 70% of the country's planted area, and expansion throughout Latin America is underway.

"Once again Bayer's pipeline extends the company's track record of converting R&D into value-adding solutions for growers," said Bob Reiter, head of R&D for the company's Crop Science Division. "Whether it is leading innovation in the core business, tackling climate change with carbon-smart practices, or transforming agriculture with Digital Farming Solutions, Bayer continues to deliver solutions and remains committed to making global food systems more resilient while catering for the need to feed a growing population."

Notes to journalists:

To hear Head of R&D Bob Reiter and additional Bayer R&D experts discuss 2022 R&D Pipeline highlights, join a virtual media Q&A session for journalists on February 17 at 8 a.m. EST 2p.m. CET. Please register here.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability, and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2020, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 41.4 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 4.9 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conformthem to future events or developments.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005860/en/

Contacts:

Contact for media inquiries:

Charla Lord, Tel. +1 343 7196

Email: charla.lord@bayer.com



Alexander Hennig, phone +49 175 30 89 736

Email: alexander.hennig@bayer.com



Contact for investor inquiries:

Bayer Investor Relations Team, phone +49 214 30-72704

Email: ir@bayer.com

www.bayer.com/en/investors/ir-team



Find more information at www.bayer.com.
MOSCOW, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chairman of the Russia-Brazil Business Council and CEO of PhosAgro, Andrey Guryev, has proposed the creation of a working group on carbon neutrality in collaboration with Brazilian businesses.

The idea was floated on 15 February in Moscow during a Forum for the two countries' Business Councils.

"Russia and Brazil account for 32% of global forests. This means that Russia and Brazil are de facto the 'lungs' of modern industrial civilisation as well as global leaders in carbon sequestration.

"It would make sense to form a working group comprised of leading scientists from Russia and Brazil, as well as regulatory organisations, to develop and validate a methodology to track carbon sequestration in Russian and Brazilian forests. The goal would be to create a mechanism for monetising carbon sequestration on a global scale.

"This could lead to the creation of a joint carbon trading platform with the goal of providing carbon credits to other carbon-emitting countries. The New Development Bank could serve as the basis for the initiative.

"I suggest that Russia and Brazil work together on the scientific and business fronts to show that they have a negative carbon footprint despite their mature industries. Given the possibility of carbon regulation in the EU, the US and later other nations around the world, this would give us an additional competitive advantage," said Mr Guryev, Deputy Chairman for Russia to the Intergovernmental Russian-Brazilian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

Mr Guryev stated that, in the context of agriculture - the driving force behind Russia and Brazil's expanding trade - it is critical to jointly develop and apply technologies for soil carbon sequestration. Furthermore, Brazil was invited to join the Green Club, a newly formed group of countries that use eco-efficient fertilizers to grow crops that are free of dangerous substances. The ability to produce food using eco-efficient and potentially carbon-neutral fertilizers from Russia will create a unique green platform for interaction with Brazilian agribusiness. The green platform will enable the responsible production of agrochemicals, agricultural products and food based on sustainability principles as well as the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

The Brazilian part of the Business Council supported the recommendations, which are to be submitted to the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, on Wednesday, 16 February, during his meeting with representatives of Russian business.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Homebuilder confidence in the U.S. has unexpectedly edged lower in the month of February, according to a report released by the National Association of Home Builders on Wednesday.



The report showed the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index slipped to 82 in February from 83 in January, while economists had expected the index to come in unchanged.



The NAHB said the unexpected dip in homebuilder confidence came as ongoing building material production bottlenecks are raising construction costs and delaying projects.



'Production disruptions are so severe that many builders are waiting months to receive cabinets, garage doors, countertops and appliances,' said NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter.



'These delivery delays are raising construction costs and pricing prospective buyers out of the market,' he added. 'Policymakers must make it a priority to address supply chain issues that are harming housing affordability.'



The unexpected drop by the headline index came as the component charting traffic of prospective buyers tumbled to 65 in February from 69 in January.



The gauge measuring sales expectations in the next six months also fell to 80 in February from 82 in January, while the index gauging current sales conditions inched up to 90 from 89.



On Thursday, the Commerce Department is scheduled to release a separate report on new residential construction in the month of January.



Housing starts are expected to edge down by 0.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.70 million, while building permits are expected to plunge 6.6 percent to an annual rate of 1.76 million.







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As of December 31, 2021, cash and cash equivalents were EUR 32.3 million (USD 36.6 million)

Company reports revenues of EUR 13.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021

Results of PXL065 Phase 2 (DESTINY-1) trial in NASH expected in Q3 2022

Fast Track Designation (FTD) granted to PXL065 for adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD); Phase 2a clinical Proof-of-Concept (POC) biomarker program now anticipated to start midyear, with results to follow in early 2023

For more details on this publication, a video interview of Thomas Kuhn, CEO of Poxel, is available here.

POXEL SA (Euronext: POXEL FR0012432516), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for chronic serious diseases with metabolic pathophysiology, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and rare metabolic disorders, today announced its cash position and revenue for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 and provided a corporate update.

"2021 has been another productive year for Poxel. We supported our partner Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, a leading company in the diabetes field in Japan, across all steps that led to the Japanese approval of TWYMEEG (Imeglimin) in June followed by its launch in September. Sumitomo has a track record of success and we look forward to their further activities in Japan and other territories to maximize TWYMEEG's commercial performance," said Thomas Kuhn, CEO of Poxel.

"The year also marked the beginning of our strategic transition into rare diseases where we believe we can become a leading player due to our novel, first-in-class products, combined with our team's expertise. Our first effort in this area involves two planned Phase 2a clinical POC biomarker studies for PXL065 and PXL770 in X-linked ALD and we are thrilled that the FDA has granted Fast Track Designation to PXL065 for this important program," continued Thomas Kuhn, CEO of Poxel. "While we are very pleased with the progress of the preparatory activities for our development program in ALD, we now believe our clinical program in ALD will initiate midyear, followed by results in early 2023. Overall, for 2022, we remain committed to executing our strategic plan and are excited to share topline results from DESTINY-1, our Phase 2 trial in NASH for PXL065, which are expected in Q3."

As of December 31, 2021, total cash and cash equivalents were EUR 32.3 million (US$ 36.6 million), as compared to EUR 40.2 million (US$ 49.4 million) as of December 31, 2020. Net financial debt (excluding IFRS16 impacts and derivative debts) was EUR 2.6 million as of December 31, 2021, as compared to EUR -17.2 million as of December 31, 2020.

EUR (in thousands) Q4 2021 Q4 2020 Cash 28,753 15,588 Cash equivalents 3,534 24,615 Total cash and cash equivalents* 32,287 40,203

Unaudited data. *Net financial debt (excluding IFRS 16 impacts and derivative debts) was EUR 2.6 million at the end of Q4 2021 and were EUR -17.2 million at the end of Q4 2020.

FY21 revenue

Poxel reported revenues of EUR 13.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to EUR 6.8 million during the corresponding period in 2020.

EUR (in thousands) 2021 2021 2021 2021 FY FY Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2021 2020 3

months 3

months 3

months 3

months 12

months 12

months Roivant Agreement 18 Sumitomo Agreement 13,274 103 13,377 6,787 Other 201 20 1 Total revenues 13,274 123 13,397 6,806

Unaudited data.

The revenues for 2021 include the following payments from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma (Sumitomo) under the Sumitomo license agreement:

JPY 1.75 billion (EUR 13.2 million) milestone payment for the approval of TWYMEEG in Japan on June 23, 2021, and

JPY 7.5 million (EUR 58 thousand) of royalty revenue which represents 8% of TWYMEEG net sales in Japan.

In accordance with the Sumitomo license agreement, Poxel is entitled to receive escalating royalties of 8 18% on net sales of TWYMEEG and sales-based payments of up to JPY 26.5 billion (approximately EUR 200 million)2. Based on the current forecast, Poxel expects to receive 8%royalties on TWYMEEG net sales in Japan through the Sumitomo fiscal year 2022 (April 2022 to March 2023)3

As part of the Merck Serono licensing agreement4, Poxel will pay Merck Serono a fixed 8% royalty based on the net sales of Imeglimin, independent of the level of sales.

Commercial Update

TWYMEEG (Imeglimin)

As of December 31, 2021, royalty revenue to Poxel based on TWYMEEG net sales in Japan under the Sumitomo license agreement has been limited following TWYMEEG's recent commercial launch on September 16, 2021. TWYMEEG's initial commercial uptake has been impacted by prescribing restrictions for new products during the first year of sales and COVID-19 conditions. This has reduced the frequency of physician visits and limited the significant market education efforts required for an innovative new product with a new mechanism of action. However, due to Sumitomo's comprehensive launch activities and promotional efforts, TWYMEEG has high awareness amongst prescribing physicians.

Following Metavant's decision to return all US and European rights for Imeglimin to Poxel, the Company conducted and completed a comprehensive evaluation of partnering options in 2021 and does not expect to enter into a broad strategic partnership for these geographies in the near term. The Company is now considering opportunities to leverage the Imeglimin data package in specific territories, including those resulting from inbound interest.

Results from two Phase 3 clinical trials of Imeglimin were recently published in the medical journal Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism : The TIMES 2 publication titled, "Long-term safety and efficacy of Imeglimin as monotherapy or in combination with existing antidiabetic agents in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (TIMES 2): A 52-week, open-label, multicentre phase 3 trial" was published in December 2021. The TIMES 3 publication titled, "Efficacy and safety of Imeglimin add-on to insulin monotherapy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (TIMES 3): A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial with a 36-week open-label extension period" was published in January 2022.

:

Clinical Updates

NASH (PXL065 and PXL770)

The PXL065 Phase 2 trial (DESTINY-1) in NASH with 123 noncirrhotic biopsy-proven NASH patients across multiple clinical sites in the US is a 36-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, dose-ranging study designed to assess efficacy and safety; completion of enrollment occurred in September 2021. Results from this Phase 2 study are anticipated in Q3 2022. The goal of DESTINY-1 is to identify the optimal dose or doses of PXL065 to advance into a Phase 3 registration trial for the treatment of noncirrhotic biopsy-proven NASH patients.

Last November, Poxel presented new clinical analysis on PXL065 DESTINY-1 screening data at the AASLD The Liver Meeting 2021.

2021. Future development of PXL770, a first-in-class, oral direct AMPK activator, in NASH will be assessed pending results from the PXL065 Phase 2 trial in NASH and both Phase 2a POC studies in ALD.

Rare metabolic diseases (PXL065 and PXL770)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted Fast Track status to PXL065 for ALD in patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN). Fast Track Designation (FTD) is awarded by FDA to investigational drugs which treat a serious or life-threatening condition, and which fill an unmet medical need. FDA notes that 'the purpose [of the Fast Track program] is to get important new drugs to the patient earlier'. 5

The Phase 2a clinical Proof-of-Concept (POC) biomarker program in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is now anticipated to begin midyear, followed by results in early 2023.

On December 6, 2021, as part of its strategy to increase its focus on rare diseases, Poxel announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for rare metabolic diseases The first meeting of this SAB, in 2021, included productive discussions that informed the design of the upcoming ALD POC Phase 2a studies and provided insights into pivotal trial concepts.

During Q4 2021, Poxel participated in several scientific and patient advocacy conferences related to X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and presented its programs, including the comprehensive preclinical pharmacological package, targeting this severe orphan neurometabolic disease with no approved therapies. This included presentations at two major advocacy organizations, Alex The Leukodystrophy Charity in the United Kingdom and ALD Connect in the U.S.

Planned Presentations and Participation at the Following Upcoming Events

Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, June 8-10

JMP Securities 2022 Life Sciences Conference, June 15-16

Next Financial Press Release: 2021 Annual Results on March 23, 2022

About Poxel SA

Poxel is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for chronic serious diseases with metabolic pathophysiology, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and rare disorders. Poxel has clinical and earlier-stage programs from its adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator and deuterated TZD platforms targeting chronic and rare metabolic diseases. For the treatment of NASH, PXL065 (deuterium-stabilized R-pioglitazone) is in a streamlined Phase 2 trial (DESTINY-1). PXL770, a first-in-class direct AMPK activator, has successfully completed a Phase 2a proof-of-concept trial for the treatment of NASH, which met its objectivesFor the rare inherited metabolic disorder, adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), the company intends to initiate Phase 2a proof of concept studies with PXL065 and PXL770 in patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN). TWYMEEG (Imeglimin), Poxel's first-in-class lead product that targets mitochondrial dysfunction, has been approved and launched for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in Japan Poxel expects to receive royalties and sales-based payments from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma. Poxel has a strategic partnership with Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma for Imeglimin in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and nine other Southeast Asian countries. The Company intends to generate further growth through strategic partnerships and pipeline development. Listed on Euronext Paris, Poxel is headquartered in Lyon, France, and has subsidiaries in Boston, MA, and Tokyo, Japan.

For more information, please visit: www.poxelpharma.com

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

__________________

1 Other revenue includes a payment from ENYO Pharma SA related to Vonafexor (EYP001), an FXR agonist that was licensed from Poxel in 2015.

2 Converted at the exchange rate at the date of the agreement (30 Oct 2017).

3 Corresponding to Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma's Fiscal Year.

4 As described in the "2.3.1. Merck Serono Agreement" section of the Poxel 2020 Document d'Enregistrement Universel.

5 https://www.fda.gov/patients/fast-track-breakthrough-therapy-accelerated-approval-priority-review/fast-track

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005911/en/

Contacts:

Contacts Investor relations Media

Aurelie Bozza

Investor Relations Communication Senior Director

aurelie.bozza@poxelpharma.com

+33 6 99 81 08 36

Elizabeth Woo

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Communication

elizabeth.woo@poxelpharma.com

NewCap

Emmanuel Huynh or Arthur Rouille

poxel@newcap.eu

+33 1 44 71 94 94
Regulatory News:

In accordance with its policy in favor of employee shareholding, TotalEnergies SE (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) (the "Corporation") is implementing its annual capital increase reserved for employees and former employees of the TotalEnergies company (the "Company"). Through this operation, TotalEnergies SE intends to continue involving its employees in the Company's growth. Employee shareholders, within the meaning of Article L. 225-102 of the French Commercial Code and article 11 par. 6 of the Articles of Association of TotalEnergies SE, held 6.8% of TotalEnergies SE's share capital as of December 31, 2021.

The seventeenth resolution of the Shareholders' Meeting held on May 28, 2021 granted the Board of Directors (the "Board") the authority to decide, within a maximum period of 26 months, to carry out one or more capital increases of ordinary shares without preferential subscription rights, not to exceed 1.5% of the share capital at the date of the Board meeting deciding on the operation and reserved to members of a savings plan pursuant to the provisions of Articles L. 225-129 and seq., L. 225-138-1 of the French Commercial Code and Articles L. 3332-1 to L. 3332-9 and L. 3332-18 to L. 3332 24 of the French Labor Code.

The Board, pursuant to the above-mentioned authorization, decided during its meeting on September 15, 2021 to carry out, in 2022, a new share capital increase reserved for employees and former employees of the Company pursuant to the following conditions:

Maximum number of shares to be offered and total amount of the offer: 18 million shares with a nominal value of 2.50 each, representing a total nominal amount of 45 million, which is the equivalent of 0.68% of the share capital as of the date of the Board's decision.

Description of the newly issued shares:same category as existing TotalEnergies shares with immediate dividend rights. The rights attached to the newly issued shares are the same as the rights attached to the existing shares of the Corporation, and are described in the Articles of Association of TotalEnergies SE.

Listing of the newly issued shares on Euronext:on the same line as existing TotalEnergies shares (ISIN code FR0000120271), from their issuance. American Depositary Receipts admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange may be issued in exchange for the new shares.

Share subscription price : equal to price corresponding to the average of the last listed prices of the TotalEnergies shares on Euronext over the 20 trading sessions preceding the date of the decision setting the opening date for the subscription period ("Reference Price"), reduced by a 20% discount, and rounded off to the highest tenth of a euro. The subscription price will be definitively fixed before the beginning of the subscription period.



: equal to price corresponding to the average of the last listed prices of the TotalEnergies shares on Euronext over the 20 trading sessions preceding the date of the decision setting the opening date for the subscription period ("Reference Price"), reduced by a 20% discount, and rounded off to the highest tenth of a euro. The subscription price will be definitively fixed before the beginning of the subscription period. Indicative timeline (subject to the Chairman and CEO's decision): Determination of the subscription price: April 27, 2022; Subscription period: from April 29, 2022 to May 13, 2022 (included).

(subject to the Chairman and CEO's decision):

Please refer to the appendix to this press release for further information on this operation.

____

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

@TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies

Cautionary Note

The program, reserved to eligible employees and retirees of the Company, will be implemented in France as well as in certain foreign countries, including the United States, where the shares offered in the United States will be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Shares and FCPE units offered outside the United States will not be registered with the SEC. In particular, the units of the below-mentioned FCPEs cannot be offered or sold in the United States directly or indirectly (or in its territories or possessions), or for the benefit of a "U.S. Person", as defined in American regulations. Persons wishing to subscribe to units in these FCPEs, will have to certify, when subscribing, that they are not "U.S. Persons". The definition of "U.S. Person" is available on the FCPE Management Company's website (www.amundi.com).

This press release is produced for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer for the sale or the subscription of securities. Moreover, this press release should not be distributed in the countries where the offering remains subject to approval of the local authorities.

The offer will be issued only in the countries where the local administrative and regulatory procedures have been implemented (in particular, the registration procedures, notification, granting of authorizations and/or applicable exemptions and the information or the consultation of the representatives of the employees).

This press release represents the document required to qualify for the exemption from the requirement to publish a prospectus as defined in Articles 1 4i) and 5h) of the Regulation (UE) 2017/1129 of June 14, 2017.

Appendix to the press release on February 16, 2022

Issuer: TotalEnergies SE

Information related to TotalEnergies SE is available on its website (www.totalenergies.com) and more specifically in its 2020 Universal Registration Document, the French version of which was filed with the Autorite des marches financiers ("AMF") on March 31, 2021 under the registration number D. 21-0232 and is also available free of charge at the head office of TotalEnergies SE.

Scope of the reserved offering: corporations and Beneficiaries

Approximately 115,000 beneficiaries are eligible to participate in the 2022 capital increase.

Subject to compliance with regulations and required administrative approvals being obtained in the different countries, this capital increase will be reserved to employees and former employees of the Corporation and its French and non-French subsidiaries, the capital or voting rights of which, as of the opening date for the subscription period, are directly or indirectly held at more than 50% by TotalEnergies SE (the "Subsidiaries"), members of the PEG-A:

employees of TotalEnergies SE and its Subsidiaries:

who have at least 3 months of employment with the Company as of the last day of the subscription period; and

former employees of TotalEnergies SE or the Subsidiaries, if they:

have left the Company due to retirement or early retirement;

had made at least one payment in the PEG-A before termination of their employment;

still have assets invested in the PEG-A, and, thus, are members of the plan.

Matching contribution

Employees subscribing to the offering will benefit from a matching contribution in the form of a free allotment of additional shares, determined based on the amount of the personal contribution and within the limits of five free shares per employee and within the maximum amount of the offering set by the Board at its meeting on September 15, 2021.

Subscription terms and conditions

The beneficiaries will have the opportunity to subscribe via employee shareholding funds ("FCPEs") created for the needs of this offering and which have been approved by the AMF. In the countries where this option is not available the shares will be directly subscribed.

Voting rights attached to the shares subscribed through an FCPE will be exercised by the Supervisory Board of such FCPE. With respect to the shares subscribed directly by employees, the voting rights will be exercised by the subscribers individually.

Maximum subscription

Pursuant to Article L. 3332-10 of the French Labor Code, the amount of the payments made each year by an employee as part of a savings plan (excluding matching contribution and profit-sharing schemes, i.e., interessement and participation) cannot exceed one quarter of the employee's gross annual salary.

Lock-up period for the units or shares

Pursuant to Article L. 3332-25 of the French Labor Code, shares or FCPE units subscribed in this offering must be held during a lock-up period of five years, except for certain early release cases provided for by Articles L. 3324-10 et R. 3324-22 of the French Labor Code. For beneficiaries who are not French tax residents, the list of early release cases may be adapted due to legal provisions applicable locally.

Rule for reduction of subscription requests

The capital increase will be fulfilled by the total number of shares subscribed directly by employees and via the FCPEs. If the total number of subscribed shares exceeds the maximum number of shares offered by the Board of Directors at its meeting on September 15, 2021 (18 million shares, including additional shares of the matching contribution), the subscriptions will be cut back in the following manner:

all subscription undertakings will be fully honored up to the subscription average, defined as the quotient between the maximum number of shares offered by the Board and the number of subscribers,

subscriptions undertakings that exceed the subscription average will be fulfilled in proportion to the number of subscription undertakings not yet fulfilled with the reduction being made as follows:

the reduction will be carried out on a pro rata basis according to the subscription undertakings; and

the reduction will be carried out first on the portion of the offer paid with salary advance, then on the portion paid in cash.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005570/en/

Contacts:

TotalEnergies Contacts

Media Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR

Investor Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com
Solutions 30 announces the signing of a partnership agreement with Mobilize Power Solutions. Under the terms of this agreement, Solutions 30 is now one of two Mobilize Power Solutions partners in charge of deploying charging stations for Renault customers in France.

Mobilize Power Solutions is part of Mobilize, an entity that that brings together all Renault's activities tied to solutions for managing mobility and energy. The company is addressing the challenges of developing electric mobility across the entire value chain, as the Group's electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are becoming increasingly popular. Mobilize Power Solutions offers a turnkey solution for home charging to facilitate the customer journey when buying an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Mobilize Power Solutions has selected Solutions 30 for the installation and maintenance of its charging stations. As such, since February 15th, Solutions 30's network of expert technicians is working with Renault customers who have opted for the Mobilize charging offer. Solutions 30 has a unique software platform for managing teams and optimising call-outs, ensuring the quality and reliability of its services through its offer and standardised operating processes. This process guarantees that the station will be installed before the vehicle is delivered.

Renan Livet, Director of Retail Operations for Mobilize Power Solutions, states: "Charging is a key issue for anyone looking to buy an electric vehicle.In offering to install a home charging solution when they order their vehicle, we bring reassurance to our customers. We guarantee them a simple purchasing process, together with a firm price and no hidden costs, and that their charging station will be installed before the delivery of their vehicle.Mobilize Power Solutions is committed to facilitating the growth of electric mobility. The installation of a charging station at our customer's home is an important moment in the customer relationship.We want our partners to guarantee quality call-outs wherever the vehicle is purchased and provide the best experience for our customers."

Tanguy Leiglon, Director of the Energy Business Unit at Solutions 30 in France, states: "We are extremely pleased to start working with Mobilize Power Solutions and would like to thank them for their confidence. This partnership is the fruit of our expertise in the field of energy transition and especially electric mobility, of our organization and our particularly dense territorial network, in France and in Europe. Together, we have defined procedures and quality standards for each of our call-outs, as we have been doing successfully for more than 15 years with all our customers. Our technicians are a key link in the operational value chain for our customers, and we are very proud to be working with such a renowned company as Renault."

About Mobilize Power Solutions

Mobilize Power Solutions is a service of Mobilize , Renault's brand dedicated to mobility and energy services. Specializing in custom charging solutions for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, Mobilize Power Solutions facilitates and accelerates the transition to sustainable mobility for businesses and individuals. For more information, visit mobilize-power-solutions.com or follow Mobilize Power Solutions on LinkedIn .

Mobilize is one of Renault's four brands. Mobilize offers flexible services related to mobility, energy, and data to meet the new needs of individuals, companies, cities and regions. Based on open ecosystems, Mobilize is opening the road for a sustainable energy transition, in line with the Renault's goal of achieving carbon neutrality in Europe by 2040 and its ambition to promote the values of a circular economy. For more information, visit mobilize.comor follow Mobilize on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Solutions 30 SE



The Solutions 30 group is the European leader in solutions for new technologies. Its mission is to make the technological developments that are transforming our daily lives accessible to everyone, individuals and businesses alike. Yesterday, it was computers and the Internet. Today, it's digital technology. Tomorrow, it will be technologies that make the world even more interconnected in real time. With more than 30 million call-outs carried out since it was founded and a network of more than 15,700 local technicians, Solutions 30 currently covers all of France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Iberian Peninsula, the United Kingdom, and Poland. The share capital of Solutions 30 SE consists of 107,127,984 shares, equal to the number of theoretical votes that can be exercised.

Solutions 30 SE is listed on Euronext Paris

Contact

Individual Shareholders:

Investor Relations - Tel: +33 1 86 86 00 63 | shareholders@solutions30.com

Analysts/Investors:

Nathalie Boumendil - Tel: +33 6 85 82 41 95 - nathalie.boumendil@solutions30.com

Press - Image 7:

Leslie Jung - Tel: +44 7818 641803 - ljung@image7.fr

Charlotte Le Barbier - Tel: +33 6 78 37 27 60 - clebarbier@image7.fr

Attachment
HRS chosen by Hopium to install a hydrogen station at its testing facility

Grenoble, February 16, 2022 - HRS, a leading European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, has received an order from Hopium, France's leading manufacturer of high-end hydrogen-powered sedans, to supply and install a transportable dual-pressure hydrogen refueling station at its testing and development facility.

This latest generation station, which can refuel 200 kg of hydrogen per day, is designed to be easily dismantled and transported, and can be installed on different sites according to the manufacturer's needs.

Manufactured at the HRS plant in Grenoble, the station will already be installed and commissioned in the second half of 2022, thanks to our proven production capacity and efficient industrial organization. The station is expected to be used in the development of the Hopium Machina, a hydrogen-powered sedan delivering over 500 horsepower and a range of over 1,000 km with a filling time of only 3 minutes.

This first cooperation with Hopium paves the way for future joint developments.

Olivier Lombard, Founding Chairman & CEO of Hopium: "With HRS, we share the desire to actively contribute to the democratization and development of hydrogen. It's because we have this common ambition that we have sought their expertise, to set up efficient and innovative refueling solutions as part of the development of our prototypes."

Hassen Rachedi, Founding Chairman & CEO of HRS: "We are particularly pleased to have been selected by Hopium for its first station order, which will allow us to contribute to the development of the Hopium Machina. This vehicle is set to revolutionize hydrogen mobility with performances superior to combustion engines in many areas. This is further proof of trust in our expertise and ability to develop hydrogen's role in mobility. We are continuing to establish ourselves as the preferred partner for bold projects at the core of the hydrogen revolution."

ABOUT HRS

Founded in 2004, Hydrogen-Refueling-Solutions (HRS), formerly TSM, is pioneer in hydrogen mobility. European designer and manufacturer of hydrogen refueling stations, for over ten years, the Company has been committed to reducing transport emissions.

Thanks to its unique experience and know-how, HRS has developed a complete range of hydrogen refueling stations for all types of fuel cell vehicles that is perfectly suited to the needs of a fast-growing European market. At its Champ-sur-Drac site, HRS has mass production capacities that enable it to assemble up to 60 units per year in record time, in as little as 8 weeks. A new 14,300m2 production unit, planned for the fall of 2022, in the Grenoble metropolitan area in Champagnier (Isere), will increase HRS's production capacity to 180 stations per year.

The Company posted 2020/2021 revenue of 10.5 million. As of December 31, 2021, the company had 79 employees. (ISIN code: FR0014001PM5 - ticker symbol: ALHRS).

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Gregoire SAINT-MARC

hrs@actus.fr

Tel. +33 1 53 67 36 94 Press Relations

ACTUS finance & communication

Anne Catherine BONJOUR

acbonjour@actus.fr

Tel. +33 1 53 67 36 93

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PRESS RELEASE

Paris, 16 February 2022 - 5:45 pm

Societe de la Tour Eiffel and Nokia announce the signing of a lease

for 11,400 m of real estate in Massy

Societe de la Tour Eiffel, a leading player in office real estate in Greater Paris and high-potential regions, announces the signing of a 9-year lease with the Nokia Group covering 70% of its building located in the heart of the Atlantis business district in Massy. This operation confirms the appeal and dynamism of the city of Massy, as well as the ability of Societe de la Tour Eiffel to support companies in their new challenges of updating their workspaces. This deal raises the building's occupancy rate to 100%.

The new site will enable Nokia to accommodate 2,000 employees currently based at the Nozay site and is fully in line with the group's policy of offering its employees a hybrid work mode, with modern workspaces that have been completely redesigned to meet today's new needs. It also confirms the group's desire to anchor itself in the Paris-Saclay region, at the heart of a very vibrant ecosystem. The Nozay site will also continue to host the 5G development platforms, as well as 30% of the R&D teams in the Paris region working on these platforms.

11,400 m at the forefront of comfort and modernity

Located at 10-12-14 rue Jean Bart in Massy, the 16,400 m building, designed in 2009 by Wilmotte & Associes architects, has BREEAM IN USE and HQE certifications. Societe de la Tour Eiffel is always striving to improve the working environment and began work in late 2021 to redesign the building by enhancing its intrinsic qualities: big volumes, light, striking views, and generous outdoor spaces.

Pierre-Gael Chantereau, President and CEO of Nokia in France said: "We are very pleased to announce the signing of the lease for our new site in Massy. Nokia is a key player in the Paris-Saclay ecosystem, and this new site makes clear our desire to put down roots in the region. This project is part of Nokia's global policy of offering modern and collaborative workspaces to its employees, while allowing them to have very high flexibility in their workplaces, particularly due to telecommuting, which was already widespread within our French teams before the pandemic."

A building in the heart of Massy, the economic and strategic hub in the southern part of Greater Paris.

The building, located in Massy, the southern capital of Greater Paris, benefits from a unique location in the Ile-de-France region with direct access to the A10, A12, and Orly airport, as well as its own high-speed rail station and numerous public transport services. This location in the heart of Massy allows its users to benefit from the growing dynamism of this business district.

"The negotiations began many months ago, in the middle of the pandemic. I would particularly like to praise the efforts of our teams who guided and advised Nokia during that complicated period. We are proud to welcome their 2,000 employees to Massy in a building that we have renovated to optimise employee comfort at a time when the issue of well-being is predominant in new work structures," said Christel Zordan, Chief Executive Officer of Societe de la Tour Eiffel.

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a trusted partner for critical networks, we are committed to innovation and technology leadership across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. We create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

Adhering to the highest standards of integrity and security, we help build the capabilities needed for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive world.

Nokia France press contacts

Soizick Lamande d'Aloia Agence Eliotrope - Gilles Lyonnet

Tel: +33 6 07 39 65 12 Tel:+ 33 6 07 86 36 13

E-mail: soizick.lamande@nokia.com Email: lyonnet@eliotrope.fr

About Societe de la Tour Eiffel

Societe de la Tour Eiffel is an integrated commercial real estate company with 1.8 bn in assets and a powerful service culture. It operates across the real estate cycle, supporting companies of all sizes and sectors, and directly manages assets in high-potential regions via a rigorous management process

Societe de la Tour Eiffel is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (Compartment B) - ISIN Code: FR0000036816 - Reuters: TEIF.PA - Bloomberg: EIFF.FP - Indexes: IEIF Foncieres, IEIF Immobilier France.

www.societetoureiffel.com

Societe de la Tour Eiffel press contacts

Media relations Laetitia Baudon - Consulting director Agence Shan Tel. + 33 (0)1 44 50 58 79 laetitia.baudon@shan.fr Investor Relations Alienor Kuentz - Account director Agence Shan Tel. +33 (0)1 42 86 82 45 alienor.kuentz@shan.fr

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2022 Insiders' Summit: An event built for 3D Software Application Developers; learn what is new at Spatial and how to best utilize its technologies.

Spatial Corp, the leading 3D software development toolkit provider for design, manufacturing, and engineering solutions, and a subsidiary of Dassault Systemes, announces today its 2022 3D Insiders' Summit happening April 7, 2022. This event will be held at the Eurostars Grand Central Hotel in Munich, Germany, and is open to anyone who is interested in Spatial's technology. This educational event focuses on technical topics that will help 3D software application developers further their utilization of Spatial's Software Development Kits.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005968/en/

Spatial 3D Insiders' Summit 2022 (Graphic: Business Wire)

This event will have a range of educational sessions and activities, including:

Presentations on different Spatial initiatives from plans for specific industry workflows and solutions to product road maps and industry thoughts.

Opportunities to meet with Spatial team members one on one.

Partner presentations showing cutting-edge and innovative solutions to tough challenges and new industries.

Networking activities to get to know others in software development and the 3D Modeling space.

Discover what is new at Spatial, learn about the latest features, and gain insights into future product plans.

Registration is completely free; however, attendees will be responsible for their travel, accommodations, and meals outside of a coffee and lunch on April 7. Register to join us here: https://info.spatial.com/2022-insiders-summit-information-registration

About Spatial Corp

Spatial Corp, a Dassault Systemes subsidiary, is the leading provider of 3D software development toolkits for technical applications across a broad range of industries. Spatial 3D modeling, 3D visualization, and CAD translation software development toolkits help application developers deliver market-leading products, maintain focus on core competencies, and reduce time-to-market. For over 30 years, Spatial's 3D software development toolkits have been adopted by many of the world's most recognized software developers, manufacturers, research institutes, and universities. Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Spatial has offices in the USA, Germany, Japan, China, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.spatial.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005968/en/

Contacts:

Spatial Corp Press Contact

Jeffrey Switzer

+1 774 843 6217

jeffrey.switzer@3ds.com
The Ikoniscope20 performs immune monitoring functionsmore effectively, easily and competitively than conventional flow cytometers (the standard tool used for such detection)

The Ikoniscope20detects rare cells at a superior rate to that provided by flow cytometers, also providing detailed morphology information thanks to its high-quality images

Monitoring of immune responses in cancer patients is an increasing need because of newly approved immunotherapy treatments

Those results pave the way for new opportunities for commercialization of the Ikoniscope20, as a better alternative than the flow cytometer

Regulatory News;

Ikonisys SA (Code ISIN: FR00140048X2 Mnemonique: ALIKO),a company specializing in the early and accurate detection of cancer with a unique fully-automated solution for medical diagnostic labs, announced preliminary results of the sensitivity of the Ikoniscope20 to detect rare cells carried out in collaboration with the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Medicine.

The Ikoniscope20 can detect as many as one positive cell among each 250 tested cells from mice immunized with ovalbumin (protein found in chick eggs). This frequency of detection is comparable or higher than that obtained by flow cytometry (the standard tool used for such detection).

Moreover, the Ikoniscope20 was able to detect as few as 1 positive cell among each 1,000 tested cells from un-immunized mice (specific T cell is expected to be even lower than in immunized mice). In contrast, standard flow cytometry could not detect them at all.

The Ikoniscope20 can compete with more costly flow cytometry instruments, and perform immune monitoring functions more effectively, inexpensively and easily.

Thus, it opens other commercialization opportunities of the Ikoniscope20 as a tool used by research laboratories for immune response monitoring. There is a fast-growing addressable market for monitoring newly approved immunotherapy treatments for cancer patients.

Pramod Srivastava PhD MD, Director of the Neag Cancer Center: "The ability of the Ikoniscope20 to detect such rare cells should have a broad potential for applications in monitoring immune responses to cancers in experimental studies including monitoring of human cancer immuno-oncology trials, and is very exciting".

Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, Chief Scientific Officer of Ikonisys, added: "We are honored to be working with a leading medical center to further demonstrate the potential of the Ikoniscope20 platform in the detection and quantification of specific populations of clinically relevant cells in immuno-oncology. These results open a new market opportunity for the Ikoniscope20 as an instrument of choice, for research laboratories dedicated to immuno-oncology, in addition to being an instrument of discovery in the field of circulating tumor cells".

About Ikonisys

Ikonisys SA is a cell-based diagnostics company based in Paris (France), New Haven (Connecticut, USA) and Milan (Italy) specialized in the early and accurate detection of cancer. The company develops, produces and markets the proprietary Ikoniscope20 platform, a fully-automated solution designed to deliver accurate and reliable detection and analysis of rare and very rare cells. Ikonisys has received FDA clearance for several automated diagnostic applications, which are also marketed in Europe under CE certification. Through its breakthrough fluorescence microscopy platform, the company continues to develop a stream of new tests, including liquid biopsy tests based on Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC).

For further information, please go to www.Ikonisys.com

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements about the Company's prospects and development. These statements are sometimes identified by the use of the future tense, the conditional tense and forward-looking words such as "believe", "aim to", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "believe", "should", "could", "would" or "will" or, where appropriate, the negative of these terms or any other similar variants or expressions. This information is not historical data and should not be construed as a guarantee that the facts and data set forth will occur. This information is based on data, assumptions and estimates considered reasonable by the Company. It is subject to change or modification due to uncertainties relating to the economic, financial, competitive and regulatory environment. This information contains data relating to the Company's intentions, estimates and objectives concerning, in particular, the market, strategy, growth, results, financial situation and cash flow of the Company. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made only as of the date of this press release. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation. The Company operates in a competitive and rapidly changing environment and therefore cannot anticipate all of the risks, uncertainties or other factors that may affect its business, their potential impact on its business or the extent to which the materialization of any one risk or combination of risks could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking information, it being recalled that none of this forward-looking information constitutes a guarantee of actual results.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216006047/en/

Contacts:

Ikonisys

Alessandro Mauri

CFO

investors@ikonisys.com

NewCap

Olivier Bricaud Louis-Victor Delouvrier

Investor Relations

Ikonisys@newcap.eu

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 92

NewCap

Nicolas Merigeau

Media Relations

Ikonisys@newcap.eu

Tel.:+33 (0)1 44 71 94 98
NORWICH, England, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BizClik Media Group, the UK's fastest-growing publishing company, has published the February edition of eight of its popular business-to-business titles.

New digital issues of Technology Magazine, AI Magazine, FinTech Magazine, Healthcare Global Magazine, Sustainability Magazine, Supply Chain Digital Magazine, Data Centre Magazine, and Business Chief Magazine are now available to read for free on each publication's website.

Technology Magazine features an extensive lead interview with Chief Technology Officer, Niranjan Ramsunder, and Chief Innovation Architect, Kuruvilla Mat, from UST Global. It also contains exciting features with companies such as Sunrise UPC, Lyft, PwC, Randstad, NTT, Plains All American Pipelines, Capgemini, Vodafone Ziggo, Virgin Media, and O2.

Also from our technology portfolio of magazines, Data Centre and AI have new releases this month too. Data Centre features profiles from the likes of NTT Global Data Centres, OpenColo, CEPH and Circle B. AI, meanwhile, includes exclusive interviews from Lyft, Randstad UK, Cure Insurance and Ferrexpo.

FinTech Magazine, which releases monthly, features a lead interview with DK Bartley, Chief Diversity Officer at Moody's, as well as profiles of Capgemini, Kuwait International Bank, Finastra, Netguru, and Happy Money.

Fellow monthly publications Sustainability and Supply Chain Digital also contain a whole host of fascinating interviews and features. This issue of Sustainability includes an interview with Eric Smith, Global Head of Supplier Assurances at JPMorgan Chase & Co., as well as thoughts from leaders at Circl, EY, Capgemini, Thoughtworks, TIER Mobility, and BAE Systems. Supply Chain Digital contains profiles on Visa, Microsoft, Alvotech, SCALA Consulting, GoodOps, and many more.

Meanwhile, our February edition of Healthcare Global features exciting profiles from the likes of Lenovo, Cardinal Health, Varian, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, and mdgroup. The latest issue of Business Chief contains exclusive interviews with Interxion HP, EY, Capgemini, Thoughtworks, Aggreko and GACW.

Media Contact:

Kathryn Webb

kathryn.webb@bizclikmedia.com
Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 16, 2022) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) (FSE: CGK1) (OTC Pink: TNMLF) ("White Metal" or the "Company") announces that for personal reasons Michael Stares has resigned as CEO and as a director of White Metal Resources Corp., effective today. Michael has served since June of 2014. During his tenure, the Company acquired two major Copper-Silver Assets in Namibia and the Tower Mountain Gold Project just west of the port city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. All three projects are currently being explored aggressively. Michael also leaves the Company well financed for future work. While the Board regrets losing Michael's leadership it is pleased to announce that Michael has accepted a consulting contract with the Company so that it may continue to draw on his decades of experience and expertise.

The Company's current VP Exploration, Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P. Geo.) will assume the role of interim CEO until a replacement can be found. Dr. Jobin-Bevans has over 20 years of experience with public and private companies as an officer, director and technical advisor, and has taken several private companies public and has been in the mineral exploration industry since 1988. He is a registered geoscientist with the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO), an adjunct professor in the Department of Geology, Lakehead University and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

This management change does not alter the Company's current Phase 3 drilling program which continues to test the Tower Mountain Gold Property, with results to be released as they are received.

About the Tower Mountain Gold Property

The Tower Mountain Gold Property is located 50 km west of the port city of Thunder Bay, Ontario and consists of unpatented and patented lands totalling 1,968 ha (19.68 square kilometres) The Property has excellent infrastructure and can be worked year-round with well-maintained roads and a power grid within <5 kilometres. Gold mineralization on the Property is described as intrusive-associated disseminated gold and may have similarities to gold mines hosted in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt of northeastern Ontario, such as in the Kirkland Lake and Malartic gold camps. One example, the Young-Davidson Mine, is currently one of Canada's largest underground gold mines and in 2021 produced 195,000 ounces of gold (Alamos Gold news release January 17, 2022).

Mineralization hosted by established operations and other exploration projects is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's Property.

To view drill hole sections and additional project information and maps please visit the White Metal website and slide show at https://www.whitemetalres.com/tower-mountain-au.html. For a detailed overview of the Tower Mountain Gold Project click here.

About White Metal Resources Corp.

White Metal Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company exploring in Canada and southern Africa. The Company's two key properties are the Flagship Tower Mountain Gold Project in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and the Okohongo Copper-Silver Project in Namibia, Africa. For more information about the Company please visit https://www.whitemetalres.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Elliot Strashin" Chairman of the Board

For further information contact:

Scott Jobin-Bevans

White Metal Resources Corp.

684 Squier Street

Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 4A8

Phone: +1-647-405-3632

scott.jb@caraclecreek.com

Elliot Strashin

+1-416-504-0077 ext 22

elliot@strashindevelopments.com

Thomas Do, Investor Relations Manager

CHF Capital Markets

Phone: +1-416-868-1079 ext 232

thomas@chfir.com

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/113951
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Retained executive search firm Caldwell (TSX:CWL)(OTCQX:CWLPF) today announced a major enhancement to its industrial sector recruiting capabilities with the addition of Jenifer Anzalone as a principal in the Industrial Practice.

"Jenifer's combination of strong business acumen and highly-developed people skills make her an invaluable asset to our clients," said Dave Winston, managing partner of Caldwell's Industrial Practice. "She has a proven track record in all aspects of business management-from hiring and financial management to sales strategy, marketing and growth - and her formal training as a clinical social worker gives her unique insight into assessing and understanding the needs of others."

Ms. Anzalone joined Caldwell from Martek Industries, a global distributing company within the industrial lighting sector. As the chief executive officer, she oversaw all aspects of the business for over a decade, creating stability within a rapidly evolving industry.

Prior to her career at Martek Industries, Ms. Anzalone was a licensed social worker serving a diverse client population within a wide range of settings, ranging from the criminal justice system to public schools.

Ms. Anzalone holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a master's degree in social work from Columbia University.

??"Jenifer is an innovative and versatile leader who comes to us with a unique blend of core strengths and a wide-ranging global network of contacts in the industrial space," said Chris Beck, president. "She's a fantastic addition to the Caldwell team and will enhance our ability to serve our clients in this sector. We Will continue to focus on making strategic additions to our client-facing teams and look forward to welcoming more new partners to the Caldwell team in the coming year."

About Caldwell

Caldwell is a leading retained executive search firm connecting clients with transformational talent. Together with IQTalent Partners, we are a technology-powered talent acquisition firm specializing in recruitment at all levels. Through the two distinct brands - Caldwell and IQTalent Partners - the firm leverages the latest innovations in AI to offer an integrated spectrum of services delivered by teams with deep knowledge in their respective areas. Services include candidate research and sourcing through to full recruitment at the professional, executive and board levels, as well as a suite of talent strategy and assessment tools that can help clients hire the right people, then manage and inspire them to achieve maximum business results.

Caldwell Partners' common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CWL) and trade on the OTCQX Market (OTCQX: CWLPF). Please visit our website at www.caldwellpartners.com for further information.

For further information, please contact:

Caroline Lomot

Caldwell

clomot@caldwellpartners.com

+1 516 830 3535

SOURCE: Caldwell Partners International, Inc.
Paris - February 16, 2022



At its meeting of February 15, 2022, the Board of Directors has decided to appoint its Chairwoman, Sophie Bellon, as Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo, a position she has held on an interim basis since October 1, 2021. The Board expresses its full support in Sophie Bellon, who has successfully led the transition phase of the last few months. The Board considers she is the best placed to lead the Group through this new phase in its history. Her in-depth knowledge of the activities of the Group, which she joined in 1994, was considered by the Board as a major asset.

The Board of Directors noted the very strong momentum around the priorities set by Sophie Bellon to strengthen Sodexo's competitiveness and accelerate its transformation.

Moreover, in recent months, the work and decisions concerning Sodexo's strategic direction have intensified. In particular, the Board of Directors has launched a project to develop and render more autonomous the Benefits & Rewards Services activity, which would lead to providing it with a dedicated governance, while remaining controlled by Sodexo.

These factors reinforce the Board's conviction of the necessity for perfect alignment between the definition and execution of the strategy, at a time when the acceleration of Sodexo's transformation requires, in particular, speed and agility in the company's decision-making processes. In this context, despite the quality of the candidates evaluated as part of this search process, the Board of Directors felt that recruiting an outside personality would definitively slow down the momentum.

Consequently, the Board of Directors unanimously decided to maintain the current governance structure and to end, as of March 1, 2022, the interim period. Sophie Bellon, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, will thus continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo.

The Board of Directors, which includes a majority of independent directors, has also decided to appoint Luc Messier, a Sodexo director since January 2020, as an independent Lead Director. His main mission will be to ensure the proper governance of the company.

Sophie Bellon, Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo, said: "I would like to thank Sodexo's Board of Directors for the support it has given me. I will continue to rely on the skills and diversity of the members of the Board, as well as the commitment and expertise of the Executive Committee and our teams to accelerate Sodexo's transformation and strengthen its competitiveness. The principles that will guide my actions will be loyalty to Sodexo's values, entrepreneurial spirit, as well as efficiency and speed of execution. More than ever, I am committed to reinvigorating Sodexo's growth path, which has been part of the Group's DNA since its creation. Together with my family, we reaffirm our long-term commitment to maintaining control of Sodexo and supporting its development"

Luc Messier, Lead Director, said: "I am honored to have been invited to assume the role of Lead Independent Director and will exercise this role with determination.I am convinced, as are all the members of the Board, that this governance model is the best suited to this stage of the company's development. I will ensure that it functions properly in the interests of the company and of all its shareholders. The Board of Directors is fully convinced by Sophie Bellon's ability to lead Sodexo on the path to profitable and responsible growth, thanks to her extensive knowledge of the Group, its markets and its clients, her experience and the trust placed in her by the teams."

Biography of Sophie Bellon

Sophie Bellon has been Chairwoman of Sodexo's Board of Directors since 2016 and has also acted as interim Chief Executive Officer since October 1, 2021.

Sophie joined Sodexo's finance team in 1994. In that capacity, she contributed to the successful integration of Gardner Merchant in the United Kingdom and Marriott Management Services in the United States, two strategic acquisitions that consolidated Sodexo's international scope and contributed to twice doubling the Group's revenues. Following these acquisitions, Sophie became Head of Operational Management Control in 2001 to improve and streamline financial performance monitoring of the various subsidiaries. She was appointed Group Client Relations Director in 2005 and contributed to the significant increase in the client retention rate. In 2008, Sophie became Chief Executive Officer of the Corporate Services business unit for Sodexo France. In 2010, she also became Head of Facilities Management activities in France. In 2013, Sophie took overall responsibility for Sodexo's Research, Development and Innovation strategy. That same year, she was appointed Vice Chairwoman of Sodexo's Board of Directors, of which she has been a member since 1989.

A strong advocate for the service industry, Sophie is committed to ensuring that its social value and its impact at the local level are recognized. She is deeply attached to the human dimension of these professions, and has a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, in particular gender equality.

Sophie has been a member of the Board of Directors of L'Oreal since 2015, of the AFEP (the French Association of Private Enterprises) since 2017, and of Catalyst since 2022.

Prior to joining Sodexo, Sophie worked for eight years in the United States.

Biography of Luc Messier

Luc Messier began his career in engineering and project management at Pomerleau. He joined the Bouygues group in 1993 as an engineer, project manager in Hong-Kong and in South Africa and was later appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Bouygues subsidiary handling construction work in Hong Kong.

In 2003, he joined Technip as Chief Operating Officer and was then named President and Chief Executive Officer of Technip Offshore Inc. before being appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Technip USA.

Between 2007 and 2015, he served as Senior Vice President for ConocoPhillips, where he was responsible for projects, aviation and procurement.

Since 2015, he has been President of Reus Technologies LLC, a technology development company that acts primarily as an angel investor in new technology, focused ventures.

Luc Messiers holds dual nationality, Canadian and American. He has been a member of Sodexo's Board of Directors since January 21, 2020 and is a member of the Nominating Committee.

Luc Messier is also a member of the Board of Directors of Bird and of Greenfield Holdings.

About Sodexo

Founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the global leader in services that improve Quality of Life, an essential factor in individual and organizational performance. Operating in 56 countries, Sodexo serves 100 million consumers each day through its unique combination of On-site Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services. Sodexo provides clients an integrated offering developed over more than 50 years of experience: from foodservices, reception, maintenance and cleaning, to facilities and equipment management; from services and programs fostering employees' engagement to solutions that simplify and optimize their mobility and expenses management, to in-home assistance, child care centers and concierge services. Sodexo's success and performance are founded on its independence, its sustainable business model and its ability to continuously develop and engage its 412,000 employees throughout the world.

Sodexo is included in the CAC Next 20, CAC 40 ESG, FTSE 4 Good and DJSI indices.

Key Figures

17.4 billion euro in Fiscal 2021

consolidated revenues

consolidated revenues 412,000 employees as of August 31, 2021

#1 France-based private employer worldwide 56 countries

100 million consumers served daily

12 billion euro in market capitalization

(as of January 5, 2022)

Contacts

Group Media Investors Mathieu Scaravetti

+33 6 28 62 21 91

Mathieu.scaravetti@sodexo.com Virginia Jeanson

+33 1 57 75 80 56

Virginia.jeanson@sodexo.com

Attachment
Trillion Energy (TCF) has signed an agreement with Schlumberger to provide well design services and drilling support at the SASB gas field. Schlumberger is the world's leading provider of technology for drilling and production to the global energy industry. Art Halleran CEO of Trillion Energy sat down with Dave Jackson to discuss the news.

For the full interview with Art Halleran and to learn more about Trillion Energy's news, click here.

Sprout AI (CSE:BYFM) releases its 2022 sustainability goals

Sprout AI (BYFM) has released its 2021/2022 Environmental, Social & Governance Corporate Policy. The policy details the company's ESG practices in key areas that include environmental impact, health & safety, diversity, community, equity & inclusion, anti-corruption, and employee engagement.Chris Bolton, Chairman and CEO of Sprout AI sat down with Dave Jackson to discuss the policy.

For the full interview with Chris Bolton and to learn more about Sprout AI's news, click here.

Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald.

About The Market Herald

The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.

DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. We are retained and compensated by the companies that we provide information on to assist them with making information available to the public. All information available on themarketherald.ca and/or this press release should be considered as commercial advertisement and not an endorsement, offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Report Card is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority in any province or territory of Canada, will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies and do not provide nor claim to provide investment advice or recommendations to any visitor of this site or readers of any content on or originating from themarketherald.ca. Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees may from time to time acquire, hold or sell securities and/or commodities and/or commodity futures contracts in certain underlying companies mentioned in this site and which may also be clients of Market Herald's affiliates. In such instances, Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees will use all reasonable efforts to avoid engaging in activities that would lead to conflicts of interest and Market Herald and/or its affiliates will use all reasonable efforts to comply with conflicts of interest disclosures and regulations to minimize any conflict. All the information on this document and/or the website - themarketherald.ca - is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Report Card does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this document and/or website (themarketherald.ca) is strictly at your own risk. Report Card will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website. From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link which may have gone 'bad'. Please be also aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information.

CONTACT:

The Market Herald

Brianna Anthony

brianna.anthony@themarketherald.ca

themarketherald.ca

SOURCE: The Market Herald
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - New York-based baby product manufacturer, Unique Baby Products USA LLC., has recalled about 1,290 units of its baby strollers due to risk of fall, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The company said that the stroller, Valco Baby Snap Duo Trend Strollers, has a faulty front wheel, which breaks off during usage risking the babies posing a fall hazard. The strollers with order numbers 7884, 7885, or 7886 and model numbers N9938, N9939, N9872, or N0001, were sold from February 2020 through October 2020. The models came in charcoal, gray, night, and denim colors. The models can be identified with the model, batch, and order number permanently affixed to the frame. The statement said that there have been 207 cases of falls however, no injuries have been recorded. The company has advised the consumers to stop using the product and contact the company to receive a free front wheel assemble with the required instructions. The product was manufactured in Taiwan and was imported by Unique Baby Products USA LLC, trading as Valco Baby, and was sold at juvenile stores offline and online for $700. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
DGAP Voting Rights Announcement: QIAGEN N.V.

QIAGEN N.V.: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] with the objective of Europe-wide distribution



16.02.2022 / 22:04

Dissemination of a Voting Rights Announcement transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The AFM (the Netherlands Authority For the Financial Markets has informed us on February 16, 2022 that a notification related to our institution has been released by the AFM. The following notification has been disclosed in the relevant register on the AFM website: Date of transaction: 11 feb 2022

Person obliged to notify: Goldman Sachs Group Inc., The

Issuing institution: Qiagen N.V.

Registration Chamber of Commerce: 12036979

Place of residence: VENLO Distribution in numbers Type of share Number of shares Number of voting rights Capital interest Voting rights Manner of disposal Settlement Ordinary share 770.696,00 770.688,29 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International Physical Delivery Ordinary share 230.295,00 230.292,70 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Physical Delivery Ordinary share 5.987,00 5.986,94 Real Real Indirectly - United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC Physical Delivery Ordinary share 44,00 44,00 Real Real Indirectly - Folio Investments Inc. Physical Delivery Ordinary share 38.932,00 38.931,61 Real Real Indirectly - Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE Physical Delivery Ordinary share 23.445,00 23.444,77 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE Physical Delivery Ordinary share 14.775,00 14.775,00 Real Real Indirectly - The Goldman Sachs Trust Company of Delaware Physical Delivery Ordinary share 265.117,00 265.114,35 Real Real Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International Physical Delivery Convertible bond 674.493,00 674.493,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International Physical Delivery Option 3.863.782,00 3.863.782,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Physical Delivery Swap 7.424,00 7.424,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC In cash Swap 306.951,00 306.951,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International In cash Warrant 203.292,00 203.292,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE In cash Distribution in percentages Type Total holding Directly real Directly potential Indirectly real Indirectly potential Capital interest 2,77% 0,00% 0,00% 0,14% 2,63% Voting rights 2,77% 0,00% 0,00% 0,14% 2,63% QIAGEN N.V. is not responsible for the accuracy and correctness of the notification above. The content has

been taken from the relevant register of the AFM:

https://www.afm.nl/en/professionals/registers/meldingenregisters/substantiele-deelnemingen/details?id=120157

16.02.2022 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / Galore Resources Inc. (TSXV:GRI)(OTCQB:GALOF) is pleased to announce that diamond drilling at the Company's San Jose Prospect commenced and the initial results observed from the field are promising.

As announced on January 19, 2022, Galore has received permits to diamond drill 4,000 meters at its San Jose and El Alamo prospects in the Company's 100%-owned Dos Santos Property in Zacatecas State, Mexico. Previous exploration at these two projects has provided valuable information to encourage and facilitate the search for viable, economic mineralization. The initial phase of the current drill program is focusing on San Jose, where the Company expects to drill about 1,350 meters. This could change, depending upon what is learned in the field. The planned depth of this first drillhole ("SJ 021") is 250 meters and information from the field indicates that the driller is nearing that objective.

What the Company seeks from drilling this first hole is to intersect a Northeast Mineralized System and identify any fault systems and the direction of any folds. The Company expects that additional holes will expand this knowledge and delineate a North-South Mineralized Trend that has been identified from surface observations.

Current interpretations indicate that the San Jose area is rich with Lower and Middle Cretaceous sediments that display profound and diverse alteration, weak to moderate silification, weak phyllic alteration, and significant recrystallization in carbonates, presumably as the result of intense hydrothermal activity. Field observations indicate that San Jose is dominated by veinlets and a feeder system running in nearly right-angle directions to each other. The veinlets appear to be running to the northwest and are filled with calcite, calcite quartz, calcite barite, and occasionally ferric or ferrous oxides. The feeder system appears to be running to the northeast and is abundant with oxidized pyrite, hematite, goethite, and manganese. An early drilling report from the field states that drillhole SJ 021 already has been cutting these systems well before the hole was at a depth of 112 meters. A more recent drilling report, sent to the Company when the drillhole was at 191 meters, states that the alteration continues at least to 191 meters, alternating between weak and moderate, and that there are "traces of mineralization in the structures."
MedX Health Corp. - Thursday, February 17, 2022

Val-d'Or Mining Corporation - Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Bonterra Resources - Monday, February 28, 2022

Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - February 16, 2022) - PBA ("PBA" or "Paul Benwell & Associates") is pleased to announce that it will be virtually hosting MedX Health Corp. (TSXV: MDX), Val-d'Or Mining Corporation (TSXV: VZZ), and Bonterra Resources (TSXV: BTR), for their signature PBA a Noon webinar.

Join PBA a Noon tomorrow, Thursday, February 17, at 12 pm EDT for a virtual webinar with MedX Health Corp. (TSXV: MDX), a global leader in teledermatology. MedX President of Dermatological Services, Mike Druhan, will update viewers on the company's progress on scaling global access to its unique dermatological image capture technology and fully integrated telemedicine platform, DermSecure. The screening platform features high-resolution image capture technology that enables the accurate evaluation of moles, lesions, and other skin conditions, providing a complete, virtual dermatological assessment by a certified dermatologist within just 72 hours.

The link provides online registration to join the webinar:

www.tinyurl.com/PBAaNoonwithMedx

Val-d'Or Mining Corporation (TSXV: VZZ) focuses on the generation of new projects ("project generator") and early-stage exploration. The mineral interests are broad and range from precious and base metals to industrial and energy minerals. In addition, they hold a 100% interest in a group of grassroots properties located in Ontario and Quebec. Val-d'Or Mining, CEO Glenn Mullan will present on Tuesday, February 22 at 12 pm EDT.

The link provides online registration to join the webinar:

www.tinyurl.com/PBAaNoonwithVal-dOrMining

PBA is very excited to welcome back Bonterra Resources (TSXV: BTR), a Canadian gold exploration company with an extensive balanced portfolio of exploration and mining assets, including the Gladiator, Barry and Moroy deposits, Urban-Barry Mill and multiple highly prospective exploration prospects. Bonterra is located in the mining-friendly province of Quebec, within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Recently appointed President, CEO and Director, Marc-Andre Pelletier, will present with PBA on Monday, February 28, 2022, at 12 pm EDT.

The link provides online registration to join the webinar:

www.tinyurl.com/PBAaNoonwithBonterra

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

A recording of the webinar will be available on PBA's YouTube channel shortly after the presentation, https://tinyurl.com/PBAonYouTube.

Sophy Cesar

Managing Partner, PBA

scesar@paulbenwell.com

(514) 641-6897

ABOUT PBA

PBA is a market awareness company founded by Paul Benwell, offering a full range of capital market services to micro and small-cap companies building custom-tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of their clients. PBA hosted popular monthly investor 5a7 presentations in Montreal since 2011. Since March 2020, PBA now hosts online webinars. The webinars have drawn an international audience.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/114033
Hong Kong: Taxis set for COVID-19 patients

The Transport & Housing Bureau today said it has set up a designated taxi fleet with the taxi industry to provide COVID-19 patients with free transport services between the designated clinics and their residences starting February 18.

The Hospital Authority activated seven designated clinics today to help provide diagnosis and treatment for people awaiting hospital admission with mild symptoms of infection after being notified by the Department of Health of their positive COVID-19 results.

The bureau said it set up the designated fleet after taking into account the public health risks of these patients visiting the designated clinics and to implement appropriate infection control arrangements.

About 300 taxis are participating and that number will be adjusted according to the actual demand, the bureau added.

It also urged patients to visit the designated clinics by designated taxis as far as possible.

To reduce the infection risk, the front passenger seat will not carry passengers and patients must use the back seat.

The designated fleet will also not pick up other passengers, it will only transport those with appointments at the designated clinics.

Specific labels will be affixed on the taxis for public identification.

Patients with appointments at designated clinics can book the designated fleet services through the dedicated booking platform from 7am on February 18 or through the hotline at 3693 4770 from 8am to 10pm daily also from the same day.

The Government will provide operators and drivers of the designated fleets with anti-epidemic guidelines.

Designated fleet drivers must wear protective equipment, including protective face shields, masks and protective gowns, and fully disinfect the compartments every day and perform a daily rapid antigen test before providing services. Only those who have tested negative for the virus can provide these services.

The Government thanked the taxi industry for organising the designated fleet service on short notice.

This story has been published on: 2022-02-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The flotilla comprised of two ships departed from a port in south China's Guangzhou City on Jan. 31 to deliver China's disaster relief supplies to the South Pacific island nation of Tonga.

Weighing approximately 1,400 tonnes, the latest supplies include mobile homes, tractors, electricity generators, water pumps, water purifiers, food and medical supplies.(Photo by Yin Zheng/Xinhua)
Biosketch

Denise Montell is a cell and developmental biologist recognized for her work on dynamic cell behaviors such as collective migration and recovery from extreme stress. She was born in Jackson, Mississippi and grew up in New Orleans. She earned a B.A. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego and a Ph.D. in Neurosciences from Stanford University. She was a postdoctoral fellow and then independent investigator at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. She joined the faculty of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1992, where she served as the founding director of the Center for Cell Dynamics. Montell moved to the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2013 where she is a Distinguished Professor. Montell has served on advisory councils for the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the American Cancer Society, and the American Society for Cell Biology, and as President of the Genetics Society of America. Montell is a recipient of the Lucille P. Markey Award, W.M. Keck Foundation Award, and the NIH Directors Pioneer Award. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society for Cell Biology and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr Roberto Pinelli, CEO of the Switzerland Eye Research Institute, announced today the publication of a breakthrough paper in Archives Italiennes de Biologie, one of the oldest journal neurosciences in the world. http://www.architalbiol.org/index.php/aib/article/view/159134

"The neurobiology of nutraceuticals combined with light exposure has solved a case of age related macular degeneration, AMD; the drusen disappeared in six months after this treatment called Lugano Protocol"- Dr Pinelli said "thanks also to the collaboration with other Institutions."

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the College of Health and Human Services, San Diego State University, USA are represented by Dr. Violet Vakunseh Bumah.

She said: "I am happy to collaborate with Dr Pinelli on this clinical advancement in the resolution of AMD with light and nutraceuticals".

The Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa and IRCCS Neuromed Pozzili, Italy, were represented by Prof. Francesco Fornai.

He said: "Dr Pinelli asked me to assist in evaluating the scientific basis of this finding and I am happy to help and collaborate with him and Dr. Bumah, to advance this project in the future".

"The scientific innovation"- Dr Pinelli said "involves the neuroregeneration of cells, by the combination of specific phytochemicals and photobiomodulation; the mitochondria reacts by activating ATP production in the photoreceptors in AMD and this combination of energies (light radiation and phytochemical property) helps in autophagia and in the process, maintains the integrity of the retinal tissue.

This paper is opening a new door into the role of light and nutraceuticals in neuroscience of the eye through the retina, a "stargate" to the nervous system and, hopefully, in the direction of the neurodegenerative pathologies.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216006064/en/

Contacts:

Switzerland Eye Research Institute

Elena Scaffidi

elena@seri-lugano.ch
DURHAM, NC / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2022 / 374Water Inc. ( OTCQB:SCWO) a social impact cleantech company today announced the promotion of Israel Abitbol, CPA to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and John Hofmann, CPA to Senior Vice President, effective immediately. Hofmann previously served as the Company's part-time CFO and is a partner at KSDT & Co. Abitbol was appointed to the role of Head of Finance in 2019 and will now succeed Hofmann as the Company's full-time CFO. These moves are consistent with the Company's expected growth plans and outlook.

For 11 years, Hofmann has been pivotal in establishing the Company's financial foundation, serving as CFO of PowerVerde, Inc. prior to and throughout its 2021 merger with 374Water. Hofmann will continue to contribute to the Company's success with an expanded role as Senior Vice President. Abitbol joined 374Water in 2019 as Head of Finance. In this role, he was responsible for all accounting functions, including financial planning and budgeting, preparation of financial statements, SEC reporting, and management of audits.

"Israel has taken on the increased scope and complexity of establishing and managing a world-class finance and accounting group," said Kobe Nagar, CEO of 374Water. "With his experience and leadership skills, as well as his thorough knowledge of 374Water's financial operations, Israel was the obvious choice to become our full-time CFO. Israel is a great addition to the executive team and has the full confidence of myself, our Board, and the entire 374Water organization."

"I am excited to take on increased responsibilities and move into the role of CFO," said Israel Abitbol, CFO of 374Water. "I look forward to joining the 374Water executive team and working together to develop and implement business strategies that enhance the Company's position as a market leader and add value for our stakeholders"

Cautionary Language

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates," and other words of similar meaning.

About 374Water

374Water is a US-based cleantech, social impact company whose mission is to preserve a clean and healthy environment that sustains life. We are pioneering a new era of sustainable waste management that supports a circular economy and enables organizations to achieve their sustainability goals.

CONTACT:

Mr. Richard Davis

ir@374Water.com

(786) 412-7015

SOURCE: 374Water, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/689189/Cleantech-Company-374Water-Appoints-Israel-Abitbol-as-CFO-and-John-Hofmann-as-Senior-Vice-President
LOS ANGELES and MUNICH, Feb. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In an exclusive edition of 99 automobiles, a limited number of the M850i xDrive Gran Coupe were created by Jeff Koons and BMW in close collaboration. With THE 8 X JEFF KOONS, the most elaborately designed vehicle in all of BMW's history will be presented to a global audience.

Jeff Koons, artist: "My edition of the BMW 8 Series is my dream car! I can't wait to drive it and ride in it, and I hope that people will enjoy the Gran Coupe just as much as I do."

Only four cars will be painted each week. The interior is comprised of high-end materials, fine leather and a cupholder lid with an edition badging and the artist's signature. The seats are made up of the red and blue which reflects the colors of superheroes from the comic book universe as well as those of BMW M. The exploding lines of color are an homage to the artist's 2010 BMW Art Car, while the "POP!" and the vapor thrust imagery symbolize the power and speed of THE 8 X JEFF KOONS.

THE 8 X JEFF KOONS will be on display in Manhattan's Rockefeller Plaza before one vehicle, signed by Jeff Koons, will be auctioned off at Christie's in New York on April 4. All proceeds from the highest bid will go to the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC). Jeff Koons has been personally involved with this nonprofit NGO for over two decades.

THE 8 X JEFF KOONS: Price upon request, available via BMW dealerships. Requests and further information at THE8XJEFFKOONS@bmw.com as well as in the BMW PressClub.

- Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) -

Media Contacts:

Doris Fleischer

BMW Group Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49 89 328 27806

Email: Doris.Fleischer@bmw.de
Appboxo, a Singapore-based super app platform, raised $7m in Series A funding.

The round was led by RTP Global with participation from Antler and 500 Southeast Asia, as well as new investors SciFi VC, Gradient Ventures  Googles AI-focused venture fund, and business angels Huey Lin and Kayvon Deldar.

The company intends to use the funds for further product development and international expansion. Appboxo will further develop Shopboxo, expand its merchant ecosystem by bringing more businesses to the app, and build out its international partnerships and presence. Global expansion will initially focus on the Asia-Pacific region where super apps are on the rise, followed by Europe and the US.

Established in 2019 by founders Kaniyet Rayev (CEO) and Nursultan Keneshbekov (CTO), Appboxo connects miniapps to super apps and powers the integration between them. The platform allows apps to offer multiple third-party services and increase revenue by generating commission from each transaction.

The company offers two products, Appboxo Miniapp Platform and Shopboxo. Their Appboxo Miniapp Platform simplifies the process of transforming any app into a super app with user-friendly software development kits (SDKs) and application programming interfaces (APIs). The platform offers a SaaS software that is accessible to all developers, allowing them to easily create and launch miniapps.

The second product, Shopboxo, helps entrepreneurs, brands and SMEs create online stores to offer their goods and services directly to consumers. Businesses can set up an online store via their mobile phones; Shopboxo provides all the essential tools for entrepreneurs to run their business thereafter. Each storefront is customisable, and integrating it with super apps through Appoxos Miniapp opens up a wide variety of sales and marketing capabilities, as well as additional customer acquisition channels for businesses.

The company is currently working with some of the largest super apps across Southeast Asia, India and South Africa, including GCash, Paytm, and VodaPay. Appboxo boasts a combined base of more than 500 million users and has worked with more than 250 small and medium businesses.

FinSMEs

16/02/2022
DataRails, a leading software solution for financial planning and analysis (FP&A), has announced a strengthening of its executive team.

Having completed a Series A round in June 2021, the startup, based in Tel Aviv and New York, has drawn an impressive $53.5 million in total funding from investors. Since then, the founders have recruited several key additions to their executive team, aiming to bolster their foundations as they look to continue their rapid growth. Their latest hire is David Rosenburg as the new VP customer success.

Rosenberg brings considerable experience in managing scale within the data industry. In his previous role, he was the managing director for the data consulting firm Keyrus and oversaw the growth of the company from 35 employees to 120 during his tenure. Rosenbergs distinguished, 17-year career includes roles at vision.bi, Allscripts, and Intel. He was handpicked for his experience in both data analytics and customer-facing leadership.

Announcing the hire, DataRails Co-founder and CEO Didi Gurfinkel gave Rosenberg a warm welcome message. Customer success has always been at the core of everything we do at DataRails, he said in a statement, and David will bring enormous experience and insight into delighting customers at every stage of their journey.

The outgoing VP of customer success, Tal Goori, remains with DataRails in a new role as VP of strategy. The speed with which DataRails has grown has necessitated the creation of her role in order to allow further scaling for the young company. The announcement was a triple-header, as Sergey Spivakov also joined the executive team as VP of R&D, having been promoted from his previous role as DataRailss R&D director.

These announcements follow fresh off of several major hires in October 2021, as DataRails builds its executive dream team. In that recruiting surge, Zviki Shimon joined as CFO, Yair Areli joined as senior VP global sales, Nir Mandel joined as VP product management and finally, Aviv Canaani joined as VP of marketing. The announcements today indicate that DataRails is committed to operating under a world-class leadership team.

DataRails was founded in 2015 by Didi Gurfinkel, Eyal Cohen, and Oded Har-Tal. The idea behind the company is simple and relatable for many organizations around the world that rely on Excel spreadsheets. The Microsoft program has many strengths and is the go-to solution for generating reports, but its weaknesses can cause significant friction for finance teams, especially when it comes to time lost through manual processes.

DataRails recently estimated dysfunctional financial reporting will cost US businesses $7.8 billion in 2022, primarily due to tedious, error-prone work that can be easily automated.

As a software product, DataRails aims to solve this common problem by allowing FP&A teams to consolidate and process data connected to third-party sources, while working in spreadsheets. Information is then stored in a database in the cloud, which allows for much more powerful modeling to be done and for more effective forecasting. Through integrations, users can be confident their models are using the most up-to-date information possible, and executives will always be looking at the best data available.

A major competitive advantage for DataRails is that finance teams continue to rely on Excel, so there is far less training needed than standalone platforms. This could be a major reason why they were able to take off during the pandemic, as companies rushed to digitize. Increased uncertainty, meanwhile, meant that financial planning became even more critical for many businesses, and DataRails was a natural choice for those who were already comfortable with Excel.

DataRails has announced that the company is on course to have 1300 customers by the end of 2022, and it will be interesting to see how they can build from here with their new executive team.
Rubi Laboratories, the San Francisco, CA-based developer of carbon-negative cellulosic textiles, raised $4.5m in seed funding.

The round was led by Talis Capital and Necessary Ventures, with participation from Climactic, Collaborative Fund, Plug and Play, Incite Ventures, Darco Capital, Cayuse Partners, Axial VC, Climate Capital Collective, CapitalX and angels, including James Reinhart, CEO and founder of thredUP; Manny Mashouf, CEO and founder of Bebe Stores; Nicolaj Reffstrup, founder of GANNI; Alexander Lorestanti, CEO and co-founder of Geltor; and Rei Wang, co-founder of The Grand and former CEO of Dorm Room Fund. The round also includes a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

The company intends to use the funding for R&D and commercialization.

Founded in 2020 by Neeka and Leila Mashouf, Rubi Laboratories is pioneering the creation of carbon negative cellulosic textiles through its patent-pending, cell-free biocatalytic process, starting with viscose. To do this, Rubi captures CO2 from the waste streams of manufacturing facilities using its proprietary enzyme system which can capture and convert CO2 from a gas input at any concentration. The CO2 is then converted into cellulose, which can then be used to create viscose-based yarn. By utilizing enzymes as the catalyst, Rubi is able to turn 100% of CO2 inputted to the end product with zero waste.

While Rubi will initially focus on the fashion market, the companys longer-term plans include applying the same technology to other industries such as food, packaging and building materials.

FinSMEs

16/02/2022
Uniphore, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based leader in conversational automation, raised $400m in Series E funding at a companys valuation of $2.5 billion.

The round, which brought total funding to $610m, was led by NEA. March Capital and other existing investors along with new entities are also participating in this funding round. Hilarie Koplow-McAdams, Venture Partner, NEA, joined Uniphores Board of Directors.

The company intends to use the funds to extend technology and market leadership with advancements in voice AI, computer vision and tonal emotion, as well as to expand its business operations globally, specifically in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Led by Umesh Sachdev, CEO and co-founder, Uniphore has built a comprehensive conversational automation platform that combines conversational AI, workflow automation, and RPA (Robotic Process Automation) with a business user-friendly-UX in a single integrated platform to transform and democratize customer experiences across industries, including customer service, sales, HR, education and more.

In 2021, the company made two major acquisitions  Emotion Research Lab for added capabilities in emotion AI, and Jacada, for enhanced low-code/no-code capabilities.

FinSMEs

16/02/2022
Voila!, a Los Angeles, CA- and Beijing, China-based AI-driven social commerce platform, raised $6m in series A funding.

The round was led by Sinovation Ventures and joined by FOSUN RZ Capital, Artesian, and SOSV.

The company intends to use the funds to expand its engineering team as well as its marketing team in Los Angeles.

Led by Ke Shang, founder and CEO, Voila! enables creators on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to create a custom storefront populated with products from popular brands and retailers that match the creators interests. AI-based systems help automate product selection and updating. The creators share their storefronts using the link-in-bio on the social platforms and collect affiliate revenue for products sold through their storefronts.

Voila has a creator community of 15,000 people and their storefronts currently attract 3.2 million unique visitors each month. The company works with more than 16,000 brands and retailers to make 3+ million products available to creators. It has 40 employees based mainly in Los Angeles and Beijing.

FinSMEs

16/02/2022
Magic, Mirth, and Mortality: Musings on Black Motherhood Exhibition Coming to St. Augustine

The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center (LMCC), St. Augustine Historical Society (SAHS), and Crisp-Ellert Art Museum (CEAM), are pleased to present a multi-institutional exhibition and panel series Magic, Mirth, and Mortality: Musings on Black Motherhood in April 2022. Both the exhibition and panel series are inspired by the lived experiences of writer, curator, wife, and mother Shawana Brooks, and celebrates the resilience of Black mothers through the lens of visual and literary art, and historical and archival objects.

Sage Mother with Flame Boy 2020 Acrylic on canvas

Centered on Brooks during her pregnancy and the premature birth of her son Roosevelt, her musings'' will be shown alongside artwork by Cheryl McCain, Marsha Hatcher, and Tatiana Kitchen. The visual and literary component will be supplemented with local and national statistics on infant and maternal mortality rates that demonstrates current inequities to healthcare access and draws attention to the institutional bias that Black women continue to face. Originally organized by Hope McMath at Yellow House in Jacksonville, Magic, Mirth, and Mortality was shut down due to the pandemic and had only a limited public viewing in the Summer of 2020. With the original exhibition as a starting point, this iteration will be expanded to include material that reflects St. Augustine and St. Johns Countys unique history. Using their archival collections, each venue historically contextualizes some of the contemporary inequitys Black women experience.

In conjunction with the upcoming exhibition, Laura Mongiovi, Professor of Art, and Isabella Worthington-Shea, Flagler College Fine Art student and CEAM Intern, will lead two knit/crochet circles on Tuesday, March 1st and Tuesday, March 22nd at 6pm at the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum (48 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine, Fl). During these meetings we will make baby blankets to be donated to local womens shelters. Supplies will be provided, and light refreshments will be served.

The exhibition component of Magic, Mirth, and Mortality: Musings on Black Motherhood will take place in two separate locations: the LMCC (102 ML King Avenue, St. Augustine, Fl ) and SAHS (14 St. Francis Street, St. Augustine, Fl). Both locations will open on Friday, April 1st from 5 to 9 pm in conjunction with First Friday Art Walk. Old Town Trolley will operate a trolley between the two venues for the duration of Art Walk.

Related panels will take place at Flagler College throughout April. On Tuesday, April 12th, Dr. Martha Bireda, Scholar and Director of Blanchard House Museum of African History and Culture, will join Writer and Curator Shawana Brooks, and Dr. Lori Lee, Associate Professor of Archeology and Anthropology in a discussion that will focus on Black maternal health through a historical lens.

On Saturday, April 23rd, 2022, artists Shawana Brooks, Cheryl McCain, Marsha Hatcher, and Tatiana Kitchen will lead a panel discussion to discuss their work in relation to the exhibition, historical representations of Motherhood in art, and issues around the representation of BIPOC women artists within the fields of visual and literary art.

The exhibition will be made available virtually and our public programs will be live-streamed, and the recordings will also be made available online.

Public programming at Flagler College will be in an accessible building. Sign Language Interpreters will be available for all panel discussions. Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center is an accessible building. An interactive virtual exhibition will be available at the St. Augustine Historical Society venue for those with accessibility needs.

Funding for this program was partially provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Magic, Mirth, and Mortality: Musings on Black Motherhood is supported in part from grants from The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida and the St. Johns Cultural Council.

Old Town Trolley has generously provided transportation for the opening night events.

For more information about this exhibition and related programs, please contact Julie Dickover at 904-826-8530 or jdickover@flagler.edu or Jeanette Vigliotti at jeanette@sahs1883.com.

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NANJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The eastern Chinese city of Suzhou has tightened travel restrictions as new COVID-19 cases emerged recently, according to local authorities.

Starting Wednesday, passengers leaving the city by train are required to provide a negative result certificate for nucleic acid testing taken within 48 hours before departure, the city's epidemic prevention and control headquarters said.

The city also closed more highway entrances and ferries, and added traffic checkpoints to curb the spread of the virus. Previously, the operation of shuttle buses between Suzhou and other provinces and cities had been suspended.

Special lanes are open only for logistic trucks transporting necessities.

By the end of Tuesday, a total of 26 confirmed COVID-19 cases and five asymptomatic carriers had been reported in the latest resurgence in Suzhou. 
VIENTIANE, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Laos recorded a trade surplus of 41 million U.S. dollars in the first month of 2022, with China continuing to be the country's largest export market.

The total trade value in January, including exports and imports, was recorded at 1.156 billion U.S. dollars, including 598 million U.S. dollars worth of exports and 557 million U.S. dollars worth of imports, according to the latest information from the Lao Trade Portal website.

Laos' main export products are mixed gold (gold bars), paper and paper products, copper ore, wood pulp and waste paper, rubber, cassava, bananas, clothing, glass and glassware, and cassava starch.

The main import products are road vehicles (other than motorcycles and tractors), diesel, mechanical equipment (other than motor vehicles), auto parts (including goggles and chains), electrical wiring, cables, plastics, gasoline, food waste and waste from the food industry, chemical products, and pharmaceutical products.

The government is hoping to make use of the China-Laos Railway to bolster the export of Lao products.

It is believed the railway will result in the growth of many industries, such as tourism, trade and investment, especially in the processing industry, and will assist Laos' post-pandemic recovery. 
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Video: UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said on Feb. 15, 2022 that he is developing a framework that will set out his plan to move toward an inclusive political settlement, including the establishment of a multi-track process. (Xinhua)

Hans Grundberg will next week begin a series of structured bilateral consultations aimed at informing and refining the framework.



UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said on Tuesday that he is developing a framework that will set out his plan to move toward an inclusive political settlement, including the establishment of a multi-track process.

Through this process, the warring sides' interests can be addressed within the context of a broader Yemeni agenda along the three tracks of political, security and economic matters, he told the Security Council in a briefing.

Despite many challenges, there is a way out of the war in Yemen. Allowing the war to continue is a choice, and so is ending it, he said. "We all know that ending it will not be easy, but I firmly believe that it is possible."

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg speaks at a Security Council meeting on Yemen at the UN Headquarters in New York on Feb. 15, 2022. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

He said he will next week begin a series of structured bilateral consultations aimed at informing and refining the framework. He will engage with multiple Yemeni stakeholders, including the warring parties, political parties, representatives of civil society, and Yemeni experts in the political, security and economic arenas.

"The consultations will explore Yemenis' priorities for the immediate and longer term for the three tracks, as well as their aspirations and broader vision for ending the conflict," said Grundberg. "I count on the support of this council to encourage all actors to participate constructively without delay. This is a real opportunity for Yemeni parties to shift gear and charter a peaceful way forward."

For too long Yemenis have been without a political process and without hope that this conflict can end. Through initiating a structured process trying to address the key elements of the conflict, hope for an end to the devastating military, political and economic battles can be restored, he said.

Grundberg said he looks forward to presenting his framework later this spring. 
Fort Wayne, IN (46808)

Today

Rain this morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. High 68F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Garfield Elementary School, 1205 NW Garfield Ave. in Corvallis, will be open for community tours Feb. 28 from 4 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

The school was one of the first major projects to get underway as part of the nearly $200 million facilities improvement bond Corvallis voters approved in May 2018.

Garfield was originally built in 1955, and construction projects include a new wing with six classrooms, new parking and pedestrian areas in front of the school and general renovations to the entire building.

Community members must sign up to attend one of the tours, which will be held in English and Spanish. Attendees must wear a properly worn mask and physical distancing will be required.

The sign up form is available on the district website at www.csd509j.net/news/bond-update-garfield-tours-this-month/.

Joanna Mann covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_.

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Braden Manning, Gettysburg baseball: Braden went 9-for-13 with 2 doubles, 2 triples and 7 RBI over 4 games. He also struck out 11 batters in a win over South Western.

Amy Anderson, Delone Catholic softball: Amy went 5-for-12 with 6 RBI, 3 runs scored and a triple over 3 games. She also struck out 17 batters and went 2-1 in those games.

Parker Sanders, Bermudian Springs Tennis: Parker won 3 matches on his way to a fourth-place finish in the YAIAA Class 2A Singles Tournament.

Andrew Koons, Fairfield baseball: Andrew went 5-for-11 with 8 RBI, 4 runs scored and 2 home runs over 3 games, including a grand slam. He was also the winning pitcher against Biglerville.

Ben Angstadt, Biglerville baseball: Ben went 8-for-17 with 7 RBI, 4 runs scored, a double and a home run over 4 games for the Canners.

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A visitor consults with an exhibitor at the booth of honey products from New Zealand at the Food and Agricultural Products exhibition area during the third China International Import Expo in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 7, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A protocol on upgrading the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and New Zealand will come into force on April 7, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and his New Zealand counterpart Damien O'Connor held talks via video recently, jointly announcing the date for the protocol's entry into force, said a statement on the MOC's website.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and New Zealand. The two sides have agreed to take it as an opportunity to promote the sound implementation of the upgraded FTA, said the statement.

Joint efforts will be made to further facilitate trade and investment between the two sides, and promote the development of bilateral economic and trade relations to benefit the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership, it said.

In 2008, China signed an FTA with New Zealand, the first FTA between China and a developed country. The two sides announced the conclusion of their three-year negotiations on the upgrade in November 2019 and signed a protocol in January 2021.

For the trade of goods, the upgraded FTA will see both countries open their markets for certain wood and paper products and optimize trade rules such as rules of origin, technical barriers to trade and customs facilitation.

On the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand to boost the trade of services.

The two sides have also pledged to strengthen cooperation in the fields of e-commerce, competition policy, government procurement, the environment and trade, according to the protocol. 
BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- China is facilitating the development of the homegrown AG600 large amphibious aircraft, a key member of the country's "large aircraft family," according to the developer Wednesday.

In 2022, the AG600 project has set a target to see three new aircraft enter the final assembly phase and three aircraft to take maiden flights, said the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's leading plane-maker.

The AVIC is endeavoring to ensure the progress of the AG600 project, which is tailored to serve the country's demand in strengthening the emergency rescue system and natural disaster prevention and control system.

Codenamed Kunlong, the AG600 is a key piece of aeronautical equipment in China's emergency rescue system. Together with the Y-20 large transporter and the C919 single-aisle passenger airplane, it is also part of China's key project to independently develop a "large aircraft family."

As a model of special-purpose aircraft, the AG600 has been developed by the AVIC to meet the needs of firefighting and marine rescue missions, as well as other critical emergency rescue operations.

The AG600 is also among the world's largest under-developing large amphibious aircraft with high requirements and diverse test areas due to its complicated missions and working conditions, according to the AVIC.

It is designed to operate in complex weather and environmental conditions. During rescue missions, it can conduct low-altitude water surface searches and can act as an anchor during water and maritime rescue missions. The aircraft is capable of rescuing up to 50 people per mission.

The AG600 successfully completed its maiden flight in 2017, its first takeoff from a water reservoir in 2018, and its maiden flight over the sea in 2020.

The AVIC has completed the production of three AG600 aircraft prototypes. Among these, the first prototype is undergoing test flights and the second is in static testing.

At the Airshow China 2021, an AG600 aircraft performed an aerial water drop and displayed its firefighting capabilities to the public.

Last December, the third AG600 prototype rolled off the production line in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province. Made purposely for the test flight, it is now undergoing related ground tests for the mission, according to the AVIC.

The following aircraft production, airplane static test, ground test and other works are moving forward in an orderly manner in diverse branches of the AVIC across the country, said the Chinese plane-maker. 
Sydney, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Gabon-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW





The government has in the past demonstrated effective husbandry of the resources at its disposal.



Having previously failed to sell most of its remaining interest in Moov Gabon in a bid to attract the financial support and skills of foreign players, the 2021 Finance Law included provisions for the government again to whittle down its holdings in several companies, including Moov Gabon. Some share will be retained in the company, enabling the state to retain some influence on its management decisions.



The country has sufficient international internet bandwidth on submarine cables, while progressive work on the CAB cable has also increased backhaul capacity supporting mobile data traffic. The governments universal service strategy since 2016 has aimed to eliminate mobile coverage white spots increase the reach of broadband services, and improve internet and mobile connectivity. Eventually the entire country will be covered by networks under the universal service. The fund was provided for by the Telecommunications Law and is financed through contributions made by telcos. The government continues to invest in national and international fibre connectivity in a bid to increase the contribution of digital services to GDP, in line with the objectives of the Gabonese Emerging Strategic Plan.



These measures are being supported by private sector operators. Moov Gabon in mid-2021 began investing XAF10 billion in network infrastructure to provide national 3G and LTE coverage, supporting mobile data rates of up to 10Mb/s.Group Vivendi Africa (GVA) has also expanded the reach of its fibre network since having been awarded a telecoms license in January 2017. Its fibre-based CanalBox service has been available in Libreville since mid-2017, and is to be extended to Port-Gentil and other urban centres later in 2022.





Key developments:





Gabon Telecom to trial 5G in Libreville;

Airtel Africa sells its telecom tower business in Gabon to Helios Towers;

GVA to launch CanalBox FttP service in Port-Gentil later in 2022;

Moov Gabon and Airtel Gabon renew mobile licences for ten years;

Government commits XAF150 billion in backbone infrastructure work;

Gabon and Congo end mobile roaming charges;

Universal Service project gets underway, aiming to deliver telecom services to 2,700 villages;

Report update includes the regulators market data to June 2021, operator data to Q3 2021, assessment of the pandemic on the telecoms sector, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:





Moov Gabon (Maroc Telecom, Libertis, Gabon Telecom, Telecel Gabon), Airtel Gabon (Zain), Bintel (USAN, Azur), Internet Gabon, Solsi, IBN Corporate







Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Gabon-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
New Orleans, LA, Feb. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Friday, February 18, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman , head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for Americas 32.5 million small businesses in President Bidens Cabinet, will visit the New Orleans, LA metro area to uplift and highlight Black health and wellness during Black History Month.

Administrator Guzman will join former Congressman Cedric Richmond, senior advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter for a roundtable hosted by Rep. Carter to meet with Black and local leaders and discuss new federal contracting changes that will help underserved and small disadvantaged businesses compete for contract opportunities presented by President Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and through other avenues. SBA resource partners, Community Navigators, and others will share information on resources and opportunities for small business owners to increase their financial wellness at the event.

Rep. Carter and Administrator Guzman will also meet with small business owners who utilized SBA programs to highlight the economic impact of President Bidens American Rescue Plan and other relief programs and discuss their continuing needs as our communities recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

This visit marks the Administrators first official visit to the New Orleans area. In her first year in office, Administrator Guzman has visited 25 states and U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, and over 40 cities.

Media are invited to join specific stops but must RSVP by 5:00 p.m. CDT, Thursday, February 17, for credentialing and trip locations.

WHEN:

Friday, February 18, 2022

WHERE:

New Orleans metro area

WHO:

Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, U.S. Small Business Administration

U. S. Representative Troy Carter, Louisianas 2nd Congressional District

Cedric Richmond, senior advisor to President Biden and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and former Louisiana Congressman

WHY:

In celebration of Black History Month, Administrator Guzman is traveling to New Orleans to discuss new federal contracting changes that may help small business owners to access upcoming Bipartisan Infrastructure Law opportunities, to highlight the economic impact of President Bidens American Rescue Plan and other relief programs. And to hear more about the ongoing needs of New Orleans small businesses.

MEDIA RSVP: Please RSVP to Marjorae Ball at Marjorae.ball@sba.gov with a reporters name and press outlet. Additionally, one-on-one interviews with Administrator Guzman may be requested but are limited, so an early response is requested.

Small businesses are the engine of our national economy, with 32.5 million small businesses nationwide. Across Louisiana, there are 82,644 small businesses, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

###

About the U.S. Small Business Administration
EDMONTON, Alberta, Feb. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian-based and precision-agriculture startup, AlphaPhenomics announced today that it has reached agreement with AgSights which will become a shareholder and commercial partner. AlphaPhenomics will provide its range of real-time data capture multi-spectral cameras to various ongoing multi-species commercial projects that AgSights has with its customers and sub-distributors across North America.



AlphaPhenomics CEO, Dr. Jack Behan stated, We are extremely pleased with this technology development agreement and indeed with AgSights becoming a valued shareholder of our company. This agreement follows significant collaboration and detailed discussion with AgSights over the course of the last year to work jointly toward the testing of our phenotypic data capture system for animal weight and carcass yield that enables real-time information to integrate with the comprehensive software system developed by AgSights. AgSights have exciting technology that ensures animal traceability, records individual animal performance from birth to slaughter, and genotypic records to improve animal production. AgSights have an established track record of success in commercializing innovation and technology; they are an ideal partner for our Company and we are excited about working with AgSights on taking this technology to their customers and partners.

Betty-Jo Almond, General Manager of AgSights added, We now have a contract to represent AlphaPhenomics in Canada, and the U.S. with our beef, sheep and goat customers and we are very excited. We are confident that AlphaPhenomics has the potential to become a global leader in Precision Livestock and we want to help them to achieve their mission. The technology will greatly assist real time measurement and bring valuable insight to further improve the production efficiency within cattle, and small ruminants for our customers.

About AlphaPhenomics, Inc.

AlphaPhenomics state-of-the-art technology can be applied across multiple sectors including; animal breeding, reproduction, agriculture, bio-security / bio-surveillance and veterinary supervision. The images are captured in 3D format, with multispectral potential to capture images from microwave and infra-red along with 4D video format. Using encrypted block-chain technology, the highly compressed data is sent wirelessly to central servers for biometric data processing.

The Company continues to develop solutions that will allow real-time assessment for a number of purposes to assist in more accurate outcome predictions. These include metabolic surveillance as an early warning system for the prediction of disease and viral or bacterial infections. Additional information about these programs will be disclosed in the coming months. AlphaPhenomics continues to pursue additional opportunities for pipeline expansion.

AlphaPhenomics mission is to be the leading precision livestock partner for our customers by providing a fully integrated image and data capture and analytics platform in the precision agriculture and data driven sustainable livestock farming sector.

Our digital biotechnology platform, IMAGENOMICS, enables our customers to increase productivity, improve yield, and lower production costs through the use of our proprietary real-time, non-invasive, full body biometrics technology for phenotypic data capture.



For more information, please visit us at www.alphaphenomics.com

Investor or Media Inquiries:

Kelly Elkow

Investor & Media Relations, AlphaPhenomics

kelly.elkow@alphaphenomics.com

+1 780 995 0391

Dr. Jack Behan

CEO, AlphaPhenomics

jack.behan@alphaphenomics.com

+44 7500 878269
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MicroPets, one of the most popular crypto projects on Binance Smart Chain with over 68,000 holders, has announced a massive overhaul to their rewards system. Although the changes just rolled out, MicroPets has already experienced a 100%+ increase in their price within a short period.



Rewards Changes

Like nearly every NFT staking project out there, MicroPets rewarded its native asset ($PETS). Since inception the team had given out an estimated $10.5MM in rewardsThat's just three months! Despite the team hitting an all time high of $207 million, the selling pressure from rewards was a constant drain on the price.

The new rewards changes are a game changer and have been called genius by members within their own community. The team has dramatically limited rewards in $PETS tokens and instead gone with a completely different approach that combines NFT burning with BNB rewards.

The MicroPets team created two distinct pools: Unevolved and evolved. Investors who choose to receive $PETS rewards receive a tightly controlled quantity on a monthly basis. However, with the evolved pool, users receive BNB rewards in addition to the ability to buy $PETS tokens with BNB completely tax free. The result is a green wall that enables investors to dollar cost average their BNB rewards with a 0% buy tax while helping pump the chart at the same time.

Evolution

Knowing the NFT supply was high, the team incentivizes users to burn an NFT to begin the evolution process. Pairing an NFT with one of equal or higher rarity, the user burns one of the two and the NFT enters a 14 days incubation period. After, the user collects the Evolved NFT, which then enters the BNB staking pool.

The result? A reduction in NFT supply, less reward demand due to the incubation period, and a great pump, especially when you consider the team has put 800 BNB in the Evolution pool for the first 30 days. As of this writing, the reinvestment rate of BNB rewards is 85%, which is an incredible metric.

Data-Driven Decisions

The team has also brought on another key role that will support them in analyzing their blockchain data, ensuring live statistics on everything from rewards and reinvestment rates to pet prices, in addition to all major financial decisions. Such practice is a rare sight in the world of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), yet puts MicroPets in a class of its own. This level of transparency and insights is simply very very uncommon.

In fact, the team plans to use these key metrics to reward the right actions regarding the reward systems, ensuring a 30 days review with the community with performance goals.

P2E Innovation

MicroPets Runner is due out this quarter and is developed by a renowned app development firm. Recognizing that nearly every P2E game funds its own demise with its rewards systems, the MicroPets team has opted for an approach not yet seen in the space. Leveraging P2E as a marketing funnel, the team will draw in new users with free pets while leading them through the complete buying process as they work to acquire their first paid MicroPet.

How's this unique? First, the team will have a shop that's refreshed every 30 days that's powered by smart contracts. The shop will have 3D NFT's among other items players can claim in addition to a raffle ticket type system that enables smaller investors to still have fun and potentially earn as well!

The team will combine the best aspects of both Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, creating a rewards system that doesn't lead to excessive selling pressure while acting as a monthly draw for players to check out the refreshed shop!

Metaverse Expansion

The MicroPets team will be building its own metaverse expansion, named Petropolis, and is already working on telling the story of that vision using award-winning animation studio.

In Petropolis, MicroPets investors will be able to leverage their 3D NFT portfolio and land assets within a community-driven ecosystem and economy, all powered by the Petropolis token. Planned are six different land types, each with their own unique city, gathering & crafting resources, and more!

Upcoming Exchange Listings

Coinciding with the major upcoming releases for the MicroPets project and their upcoming P2E game are additional exchange listings. In fact, the MicroPets team has found a key partner that's guiding them on an "exchange blitz" that's designed to consistently move the project up the various exchange tiers, further driving visibility and awareness amongst several key markets, such as China.

Conclusion

The MicroPets team is poised for great success considering the recent changes to the rewards systems. The chart and resulting price action has spoken for itself thus far alongside the enthusiasm from the community. With everything else the team at MicroPets is working on, the future is bright and ripe with opportunity.

About MicroPets

MicroPets has taken the hottest memes in the crypto space, from Doge to Floki, and transformed them into loveable 3D NFT's. Users purchase MicroPets tokens on PancakeSwap, visit their custom-built dApp and then purchase a crate. Inside of the crate is a random 3D NFT, each with their own unique rarity and staking multiplier. The rarer the NFT the better the rewards. The team also has an upcoming Play-To-Earn (P2E) game in development by a renowned app development company, set for release this quarter. Thus far, the team has sold tens of thousands of 3D NFT's.

Social Links

Telegram: https://t.me/micropet s

Twitter: https://twitter.com/micropetsbsc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/micropets.bsc/

Media Contact

Brand: MicroPets

Email: marketing@micropets.io

Website: https://www.micropets.io

SOURCE: MicroPets
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Morgan James' new release MAXIMUM CAPACITY: A Novel by Troy Suesse is a daring adventure set in a fascinating dystopian world where for every baby born, another human must die  the good hunt the bad and a monumental struggle to survive on a dying planet Earth intensifies.

Dazzle the imagination with the terrifying reality that Earth's depleted resources cannot sustain further population growth. Massive overcrowding and starvation have compelled a mysterious ruling body to conduct fight-to-the-death competitions to eliminate society's worst offenders. Events take place before a live, interactive audience. At the same time, to avoid extinction, mankind desperately searches for new, habitable planets.

MAXIMUM CAPACITY combines two parallel themes: the allure of an Earth-based futuristic action thriller and the fascination of deep space travel and discovery. A truly unique storyline delivers original concepts and clever twists, designed to enthrall Sci-Fi and action-adventure enthusiasts. This gripping novel ushers in an exciting new wave of dystopian intrigue  a must-read for fans of The Hunger Games.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Troy Suesse

Author, MAXIMUM CAPACITY

443-889-3463 (cell)

2suesses@gmail.com

Website: https://www.maximumcapacity.net/

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awvUu60RyIY

For more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with the author, please contact Troy Suesse at: 2suesses@gmail.com / 443-889-3463.

About the Author:

Troy Suesse is a professional employee with 35 years of federal service in the Intelligence Community. Raised near the robust watershed of the Chesapeake Bay, he developed a fond appreciation for the planet and the majestic beauty of all living things. It's humbling to know that planet Earth is but a speck of dust nestled among billions of galaxies in a colossal universe. Inspired by science, nature, and outer space, Troy hopes readers will enjoy immersing themselves in an incredible dystopian world as a troubling scenario plays out and, at the same time, garner a greater appreciation for Earth's precious resources. He invites his audience to share his fascination that there simply must be another planet Earth, somewhere out there, able to sustain us  a place capable of perpetuating the existence of man. Join Troy's quest to find it.

More About This Title:

MAXIMUM CAPACITY: A Novel, by Troy Suesse, released by Morgan James Publishing on Feb. 15, 2022. MAXIMUM CAPACITY  9781631956423  has 286 pages and is being sold as a trade paperback for $18.95.

About Morgan James Publishing:

Morgan James publishes trade quality titles designed to educate, encourage, inspire, and entertain readers with current, consistent, relevant topics that are available everywhere books are sold.

(www.MorganJamesPublishing.com)

Related Images











Image 1: MAXIMUM CAPACITY





Official cover wrap for MAXIMUM CAPACITY novel









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Zaandam, the Netherlands, February 16, 2022  To protect customers and employees and support local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ahold Delhaize and its brands have spent 364 million in COVID-19 relief costs in 2021, of which 20 million of additional charitable donations. In total, Ahold Delhaize and its local brands contributed over 199 million of monetary value in charitable donations across the globe. The COVID-19 relief costs consisted amongst others of health and safety measures and additional paid quarantine leave for local brands associates in the U.S. The charitable donations comprise support to local and national charities, hospitals and institutes, aimed at supporting the communities in which the various local brands operate.



The past year was volatile and in multiple ways unpredictable, something that affected many. After the hardship we had already seen in 2020, in 2021 local communities again faced unprecedented challenges caused by the pandemic and natural disasters. We felt it was important to continue our support. I am proud that our local brands and associates have been dedicated to fight hunger and inequality, support education for children and mental health initiatives and donate to hospitals. The COVID-19 relief costs add up to nearly 1 million euros per day, during the entire year. All with the goal of fulfilling our vital role in those local societies and living our values, said Frans Muller, Chief Executive Officer of Ahold Delhaize.



Some examples of the charitable donations by our great local brands across the globe are:

The GIANT Company, U.S., contributed $3.3 million to more than 160 school districts to help feed 475,000 students across four states.

Albert Heijn, Netherlands, donated over 800,000 to food help programs at its permanent community partners.

Hannaford, U.S., contributed $400,000 to organizations that provide resources and support for individuals affected by mental illness.

Mega Image, Romania, donated medical equipment for hospitals.

Bol.com, Netherlands, supported the education of children with a donation of books worth 400,000 during the Children's Book Week.

Albert, Czech, donated 1900 tons of food, the equivalent of 3,8 million meals.

Stop & Shop, U.S., delivered 21,500 turkeys equaling a total of nearly 340,000 pounds- to 25 community partners and hunger relief organizations via their Turkey Express program.

Delhaize Serbia donated trucks to the local food banks, to support their logistics.

Giant Food donated to six long-standing nonprofit partners that focus on educational programming, mentorship and nutrition reaching African American communities.

In 2021, Stop & Shops Turkey Express program delivered 21,500 turkeys to 25 community partners and hunger relief organizations.

-Ends-

Cautionary notice

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words and expressions such as continue, support, goal, focus or other similar words or expressions are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the Company) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Companys public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Companys management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Companys management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.



For more information:

Press office: +31 88 6595134 / media.relations@aholddelhaize.com

Investor relations: +31 88 659 5213

Social media: Instagram: @Ahold-Delhaize | LinkedIn: @Ahold-Delhaize | Twitter: @AholdDelhaize



About Ahold Delhaize

Ahold Delhaize is one of the worlds largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-commerce. Its family of great local brands serves 54 million customers each week, both in stores and online, in the United States, Europe, and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 410,000 associates in 7,137 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States. Ahold Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly, supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. The companys focus on four growth drivers  drive omnichannel growth, elevate healthy and sustainable, cultivate best talent and strengthen operational excellence  is helping to fulfil its purpose, achieve its vision and prepare its brands and businesses for tomorrow. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges (ticker: AD) and its American Depositary Receipts are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. and quoted on the OTCQX International marketplace (ticker: ADRNY). For more information, please visit:www.aholddelhaize.com.

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LONDON, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Air quality has been topping the list of global issues for decades now. That is why Meridian Gaming Group has kick started one of the biggest environmental projects so far.



The company which operates in over 30 markets of Europe, LATAM and Africa will donate over 20.000 seedlings in each market it operates to actively promote afforestation. This project, with the aim to improve air quality and public health worldwide, has already started in Europe, and will have a global character from the very beginning.

A massive environmental project will also include donation of significant financial resources to local self-governments for the needs of planning the land and terrain.

This is the part of Meridians green agenda, as since 2020 its retail outlets use the state-of-the-art air purifiers, constructed in accordance with EU Directive 125/2009 on indoor air quality conditions and the highest European eco-standard continent - CEN 14511.

Meanwhile, this companys contribution in fighting pandemics has been substantial so far. Over 2 million euros to Covid-related projects and charities was donated, having reached more than 350 hospitals and medical centers of Europe, LATAM, and Africa.

Corporate Communications and Queries

For more information, to make additional queries and appoint the meeting with the Studios team, contact:

Meridian Gaming Ltd.

Villa Seminia, 8

Sir Temi Zammit Avenue,

Ta' Xbiex XBX1011 Malta

www.meridian.bet

info@meridianbet.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/87a14da3-b633-4b61-ba2b-e45713292006
Dublin, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Cannabis Products Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth and Change to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Major players in the cannabis products market are Canopy Growth Corporation, Aphria Inc., Aurora Cannabis, Cara Therapeutics and GW Pharmaceuticals PLC.



The global cannabis products market is expected to grow from $16.51 billion in 2020 to $18.37 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3%. The market is expected to reach $46.19 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 25.9%.



The cannabis products market consists of sales of cannabis products and related services. Cannabis is a psychoactive drug which is obtained from the cannabis plant of the cannabaceae family. Cannabis can be used for the treatment of various diseases such as chronic pain, cancer pain, depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disturbances and neurological disorders.



The cannabis products market covered in this report is segmented by product type into flower, concentrates, others. It is also segmented by usage into medical, recreational; by compound into THC-dominant, CBD-dominant, balanced THC & CBD and by route of administration into oral solutions and capsules, smoking, vaporizers, topicals, others.



The presence of several legal norms related to the use and possession of cannabis is an important restraint on the cannabis products market. These norms include regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as rules set up by the government of each state in the USA.

The FDA reviews all applications of cannabis products for their safety and effectiveness. Despite having laws allowing cannabis businesses, many states in the USA still do not allow such businesses. For instance, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego have laws allowing cannabis businesses, but 80% of California's nearly 500 municipalities do not allow retail marijuana businesses.



Solar cannabis cultivation is an emerging trend in the cannabis products market. As cannabis cultivation requires a large amount of energy for lighting, heating, air-conditioning, and dehumidification systems, cannabis products manufacturing companies are investing in solar cannabis cultivation.

This is mainly a result of legalizing cannabis products in various states of the USA, which is continuously increasing the consumption of energy and leading cannabis manufacturers to opt for solar cannabis cultivation. For instance, Aurora acquired 71 acres of land in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and installed a high-technology hybrid greenhouse cannabis production facility.



The growing applications of cannabis in the medical field is an important driver for the cannabis products market. Cannabis is a drug that comes from Indian hemp plants such as Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica, with THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) being the main active chemical in it. Cannabis has several medical applications in conditions such as nausea and vomiting, glaucoma, epilepsy, asthma.

Hence, many countries have legalized the use of cannabis for medical applications despite it being a psychoactive drug. Medical applications of cannabis include treating cancer, chronic pain, depression, arthritis, diabetes, glaucoma, migraines, epilepsy, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.



The government of California regulates the safety in manufacturing cannabis under the California Code of Regulations, Title 17 Division 1. It states that every manufacturer of cannabis product should obtain a valid license issued by state cannabis licensing agency.

To obtain an annual license for cannabis manufacturing, the manufacturer should submit the physical address of the manufacturing premises and a written security plan. The security plan should include the security measures to prevent access of unauthorized people into the manufacturing premises and prevention of loss or theft of cannabis and cannabis products. Hence, this is expected to maintain vigil on manufacturing of cannabis in the coming the years.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Cannabis Products Market Characteristics



3. Cannabis Products Market Trends and Strategies



4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Cannabis Products



5. Cannabis Products Market Size and Growth

5.1. Global Cannabis Products Historic Market, 2015-2020, $ Billion

5.1.1. Drivers Of the Market

5.1.2. Restraints On the Market

5.2. Global Cannabis Products Forecast Market, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

5.2.1. Drivers Of the Market

5.2.2. Restraints On the Market



6. Cannabis Products Market Segmentation

6.1. Global Cannabis Products Market, Segmentation by Product Type, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

Flower

Concentrates

Others

6.2. Global Cannabis Products Market, Segmentation by Usage, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

Medical

Recreational

6.3. Global Cannabis Products Market, Segmentation by Compound, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

THC-Dominant

CBD-Dominant

Balanced THC & CBD

6.4. Global Cannabis Products Market, Segmentation by Route of Administration, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

Oral solutions and capsules

Smoking

Vaporizers

Topicals

Others

7. Cannabis Products Market Regional and Country Analysis

7.1. Global Cannabis Products Market, Split by Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

7.2. Global Cannabis Products Market, Split by Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion



Companies Mentioned

Canopy Growth Corporation

Aphria Inc

Aurora Cannabis

Cara Therapeutics

GW Pharmaceuticals PLC

Maricann Group

Tilray

The Cronos Group

Tikun Olam

United Cannabis Corporation

Medical Marijuana Inc

MedReleaf Corporation

Insys Therapeutics

CanniMed Therapeutics

Organigram Holdings

ABcann Medicinals

Lexaria Corp

Cannabis Sativa

LivWell Enlightened Health LLC

Scotts Miracle-Gro Co

Sprott Inc

Cannabis Science Inc

VIVO Cannabis

STENOCARE

Terra Tech Corp

MedMen

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/f1xh5u

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Dublin, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global LNG Bunkering Market, By Product Type, By Application, By Region, Estimation & Forecast, 2017 - 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global LNG bunkering market held a market value of USD 2,212.9 Million in 2020 and is forecasted to reach USD 25,045.8 Million by the year 2027. The market is projected to witness a CAGR of 42.6% during the forecast period.



LNG Bunkering is providing liquefied natural gas fuel to a ship for its own consumption. IMO regulation on sulphur content in the marine fuel is anticipated to boost the market growth. Also, increase in gas exploration and production activities are also estimated to boost market growth.



Despite the driving factors, demand supply gap for LNG bunkering are estimated to hinder the market growth. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the market experienced a decline in growth due to temporary bans in export and import. However, the market is anticipated to recover from declining revenues in the second half of 2021, owing to rise in demand for LNG as bunker fuel from the maritime transport.

Companies Mentioned

Bomin Linde LNG GmbH & Co. KG

Engie SA

ENN Energy Holdings Ltd

FueLNG Bellina

Gas Natural Fenosa

GazproBneft Marine Bunker LLC

Harvey Gulf International Marine LLC

Kawasaki

Korea Gas Corporation

Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd.

Royal Dutch Shell PLC

Sembcorp Marine Ltd.

Statoil AS

Skangas AS (Gasum)

Total SA

Toyota Tsusho Corp.

Growth Influencers:

MO regulation on sulphur content in the marine fuel



IMO or International Maritime Organization, in January 2020, announced a new limit of the presence of sulphur content in fuel used in ships. The new regulation is known as IMO 2020 and limits the sulphur content in marine fuel used in board ships which operate outside the designated emission control areas to 0.50% m/m. This is a significant reduction from 3.5%, which was the previously set limit. Owing to this regulation, the demand for liquefied natural gas has increased, which contains negligible amount of sulphur.



Segments Overview:

The global LNG bunkering market is segmented into product type and application.



By Product Type

Truck-to-Ship

Port-to-Ship

Ship-to-Ship

Portable Tanks

The truck-to-ship segment accounts for the largest market share of about 60% owing to high adoption of trucks for transportation of marine fuels. The port-to-ship segment is estimated to grow at the fastest rate of around 44% owing to its rising demand globally.



By Application

Container Fleet

Tanker Fleet

Cargo Fleet

Ferries

Inland Vessels

Others

The container fleet segment is anticipated to hold the largest market share, as it is the most common type of fleet used for transportation of fuels and other goods as well. The inland vessels segment is expected to account for a market size of about USD 693.6 million by 2027 owing to its rising penetration across the globe, especially in the developed economies.



Regional Overview:

On a regional basis, the global LNG bunkering market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America.



The Middle East and Africa region is anticipated to hold the dominant share of 54% in the market. This is owing to the favourable government initiatives for the development of more LNG bunkering hubs in countries such as UAE. Furthermore, decreasing prices of LNG coupled with increasing focus on expanding the gas pipeline infrastructure are also likely to fuel the market growth.



The North American market is estimated to witness the fastest growth rate of about 40.9% owing to the presence of a large consumer base along with the rise in maritime trade activities in the region. The Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific region are also expected to contribute to the market growth significantly.

The global LNG bunkering market report answers questions such as:

What is the market size and forecast of the Global LNG bunkering Market?

What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 on the Global LNG bunkering Market during the assessment period?

Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the assessment period in the Global LNG bunkering Market?

What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global LNG bunkering Market?

What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global LNG bunkering Market?

What is the market share of the leading players in the Global LNG bunkering Market?

What modes and strategic moves are considered favorable for entering the Global LNG bunkering Market?

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/oyrcfw

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new white paper released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and titled Digital Quality Summit White Paper: Rethinking Diabetes Care in the Digital Age calls for improved protocols to boost the quality of diabetes care across the country. The recommended upgrades were collectively authored by a cohort of diabetes, primary care and digital measurement experts gathered late last year at NCQA's Digital Quality Summit. Coordination and release of the paper are generously funded by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The International Diabetes Center, HealthPartners Institute (IDC) was part of the Digital Quality Summit program development and facilitation team.

The experts identified several areas for improvement in type 1 and type 2 diabetes care. They include:

Integrating continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) as a quality performance metric.

Addressing patients' behavioral health and social needs to improve outcomes.

Promoting precision response to diabetes distress  screens, assessment and intervention.

Leveraging digital technology to collect the right data, at the right time, for the right patient across clinical settings.

NCQA expects the recommendations to inform upgrades to its own Diabetes Recognition Program that identifies high-performing primary care clinicians and practices.

"We've seen diabetes care evolve very rapidly over the past few years with rapidly advancing clinical care and technology," said Margaret E. O'Kane, NCQA President. "So, it only made sense that we recruit these experts from across the healthcare spectrum to help us recommend advancements in performance measurement and improve clinical outcomes even further."

Experts convened at the Digital Quality Summit during five separate sessions to discuss "Rethinking Diabetes Care in the Digital Age." Discussion topics included Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), diabetes distress, digital measurement and measure concepts related to diabetes care, optimal care for individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, NCQA's own Diabetes Recognition Program, and more.

"Diabetes is a complex condition to manage and it's different for each patient, so the best clinical care needs to be tailored," said Richard M. Bergenstal, MD, Executive Director of IDC. "Fortunately, we now have many technologies to help do that. It's our responsibility as clinicians to leverage these evidence-based tools to better support our patients."

Diabetes is a persistent issue in American healthcare. Nearly 11.3% of the American population, or 37.3 million people, are believed to have diabetes, not including 96 million adults deemed prediabetic. Racial and ethnic minorities continue to develop type 1 and type 2 diabetes at higher rates than whites. Since 2011, type 1 diabetes has significantly increased among Asian and Pacific Islanders, as well the overall youth population of America, especially in Black and Hispanic children.

"Our single most important criterion for funding any project or initiative is that it must have the potential for significant impact," said Laurel Koester, MPH, Program Officer for Helmsley's Type 1 Diabetes Program. "There has never been a more opportune time to collect and benefit from patient data, or a more dire need for behavioral health support. This white paper represents the first step towards an upgraded performance measurement ecosystem in diabetes that has the potential to change diabetes care as we know it."

For more details, download Digital Quality Summit White Paper: Rethinking Diabetes Care in the Digital Age from the NCQA website.

For More Information:

Matt Brock

202-955-1739

brock@ncqa.org

About NCQA

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA Accredits and Certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices. NCQA can also be found on Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.

About the Helmsley Charitable Trust

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $3 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. The Helmsley Type 1 Diabetes Program is one of the largest private foundation funders of T1D in the nation focused on understanding the disease, developing better treatments, and improving care and access in the U.S. and low- and middle-income countries. For more information on Helmsley and its programs, visit helmsleytrust.org.

About International Diabetes Center (IDC)

IDC provides world-class diabetes care, education, publications and research that supports people with diabetes and their families. It is part of HealthPartners Institute, which annually conducts more than 400 research studies and trains more than 700 medical residents and fellows and 1,200 medical and advanced practice students. Its integration with HealthPartners' hospitals, clinics and health plan strengthens the Institute's ability to discover and develop evidence-based solutions and translate them into practice. Based in Minneapolis, the Institute's work impacts care, health and well-being across the region and nation as well as internationally. Visit healthpartnersinstitute.org for more information.

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Dublin, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Cybersecurity Market, By Component (Solution, Services), Security (Network Security, Endpoint Security, Cloud Security), Deployment (Cloud-Based, On-Premise), Application (BFSI, Healthcare, Manufacturing), Enterprise Size Forecast till 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global Cybersecurity market was valued at USD 149.7 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 346.0 Billion by the year 2027. The market is expected to register a CAGR of 13.4% during the forecast period.



Cybersecurity is the application of processes, technologies, and controls to protect networks, systems, devices, data, and programs from potential cyber-attacks. The market is majorly driven by the growing demand for cybersecurity mesh and the rising number of data breach incidents worldwide. Furthermore, the rapid technological advancements requiring more advanced, as well as secure business models, are also expected to contribute to the market growth. For instance, in June 2021, Palo Alto Networks' Prisma Cloud announced new updates to its Security Posture Management (CSPM) solution. The solution aids in eliminating unsafe cloud blind spots and frees security teams from the lumber of alert fatigue. In addition, the increasing penetration of IoT devices is estimated to fuel market growth.



Growth Influencers:

Growing demand for cybersecurity mesh



Cybersecurity mesh involves design as well as implementation of an IT security infrastructure. It establishes smaller and individual perimeters around each access point and does not focus on building a single perimeter around all nodes or devices of an IT network. With the COVID-19 pandemic, as functional hybrid working models were developed, there were structural changes that had to be made for businesses. This also resulted in evolving and shifting the way, cybersecurity was dealt with. As the demand for flexible and agile systems is increasing, the demand for cybersecurity mesh has also accelerated.



Rising number of data breach incidents worldwide



With the increasing number of data breaches, the demand for cybersecurity solutions is also rising. According to Varonis, due to the pandemic, around 50% of Americans were concerned regarding data breaches in natural disasters and personal safety. Presently, data breaches impact thousands of consumers in one attack itself on an organization. For instance, according to Varonis, on 18 February 2021, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) alerted the drivers regarding a data breach, after the billing contractor, Automatic Funds Transfer Services, was hit by a ransomware attack. Furthermore, on April 14, 2020, credentials of around 500,000 Zoom accounts were found on the dark web for sale.



Rapid technological advancements requiring more advanced and secure business models



The ability of small and medium-sized enterprises to survive and also thrive, especially in the pandemic, has been dependent on the use and adoption of technology. As technology has become more integrated into everybody's lives, the importance of cybersecurity has increased more. Many market players are investing in partnerships as well as product launches, to bring in new technologies to the market. For instance, in May 2021, Qualys Inc., introduced a new cybersecurity asset management solution, which is built on the Qualys Cloud Platform, to inventory the complete IT ecosystem, detect potential security gaps and react to the risk, all from a integrated platform. Such technological advancements fuel market growth.



Increasing penetration of IoT devices



With the advent of technology, the demand for IoT devices is also increasing. These devices are potentially vulnerable, due to the lack of efficient security solutions. This is anticipated to boost the demand for cybersecurity solutions for IoT devices. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for managed security for IoT devices by companies has increased, to safeguard the data of their employees as well as the organization. This is also positively impacting the market growth.



Segments Overview:

The global cybersecurity market is segmented into component, security, deployment, enterprise size, and application.



By component

Solution

Threat Intelligence

Identity and Access Management

Security and Vulnerability Management

Risk and Compliance Management

Others

Encryption

Data Loss Prevention

Network DLP

Storage/ Data Center DLP

Endpoint DLP

Unified Threat Management

Firewall

Intrusion Detection Systems/ Intrusion Prevention Systems

Disaster Recovery

Distributed Denial of Service

Others

Services

Professional Services

Design and Integration

Risk and Threat Assessment

Consulting

Training and Education

Support and Maintenance

Managed Security Services

The solutions segment accounts for the largest share of more than 65% due to the high adoption of cybersecurity solutions. The services segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR owing to the increasing number of market players adopting cybersecurity services.



By Security,

Network Security

Endpoint Security

Application Security

Cloud Security

Others

The network security segment accounted for the largest share of around 25%, as it is meant to protect the integrity, accessibility, and confidentiality of computer networks and data by using both hardware as well as software technologies.



By Deployment,

Cloud-Based

On-Premise

The cloud-based segment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment based on deployment. The demand for cloud-based solutions is increasing, as more and more applications are getting deployed on the cloud, hence requiring cybersecurity solutions for the cloud-based solutions.



By Enterprise Size,

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Large Enterprises

The small and medium-sized enterprises segment accounted for the largest market share in the enterprise size segment. The rising number of small and medium-sized enterprises is estimated to fuel the market growth of the segment.



By Application,

BFSI

Government

Retail

Healthcare

IT and Telecommunication

Manufacturing

Others

The BFSI segment accounted for the largest market share of more than 22% in the application segment. The healthcare segment is expected to grow at the fastest growth rate owing to the rampant growth of cybercrime activities in healthcare facilities, such as data breaches, threats, and ransomware, among others.



Regional Overview

On regional basis, the global Cybersecurity market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America.



The North American region accounted for the largest market share of more than 34% in the global market. This is due to the prominent presence of prominent market players in the region, especially in the U.S. These market players include McAfee, IBM Corporation, Microsoft, and Palo Alto Networks, among others.



The European region holds the second largest market share in the global market, owing to the rising spending on security services as well as solutions by SMEs and large enterprises in the region. The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to grow at the fastest growth rate owing to a large number of data attacks in the region.



Competitive Landscape

Key players operating in the global Cybersecurity market include McAfee, Trend Micro Incorporated, IBM Corporation, Microsoft, BAE Systems, Inc., Check Point Software Technology Ltd., F5 Networks, EMC Corporation, FireEye, Inc., Proofpoint Inc., Sophos PLC, Fortinet, Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Symantec Corporation, Juniper Networks, Palo Alto Networks, Inc., and Qualys Inc., among others.



The cumulative market share of the four major players is near about 37%. These market players are engaged in partnerships, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions to strengthen their market presence. For instance, in July 2021, McAfee signed a partnership with Visa. This enabled North America and EMEA-based financial partners of Visa to provide internet security to Visa Business cardholders.



The global Cybersecurity market report provides insights on the below pointers:

Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the prominent players

Market Development: The report offers detailed information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes penetration across mature segments of the markets

Market Diversification: Provides in-depth information about untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

Competitive Landscape Assessment: Mergers & acquisitions, certifications, product launches in the global Cybersecurity market have been provided in this research report. In addition, the report also emphasizes the SWOT analysis of the leading players.

Product Development & Innovation: The report provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments

The global Cybersecurity market report answers questions such as:

What is the market size and forecast of the Global Cybersecurity Market?

What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 on the Global Cybersecurity Market during the assessment period?

Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the assessment period in the Global Cybersecurity Market?

What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Cybersecurity Market?

What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Cybersecurity Market?

What is the market share of the leading players in the Global Cybersecurity Market?

What modes and strategic moves are considered favorable for entering the Global Cybersecurity Market?

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Research Framework



Chapter 2. Research Methodology



Chapter 3. Executive Summary: Global Cybersecurity Market



Chapter 4. Global Cybersecurity Market Overview

4.1. Industry Value Chain Analysis

4.2. Technology Roadmap

4.3. PESTLE Analysis

4.4. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.5. Market Dynamics and Trends

4.6. Covid-19 Impact Assessment on Market Growth Trend

4.7. Market Growth and Outlook

4.8. Competition Dashboard



Chapter 5. Cybersecurity Market Analysis, By Component

5.1. Key Insights

5.2. Market Size and Forecast, 2017 - 2027 (US$ Bn)



Chapter 6. Cybersecurity Market Analysis, By Security Type

6.1. Key Insights

6.2. Market Size and Forecast, 2017 - 2027 (US$ Bn)



Chapter 7. Cybersecurity Market Analysis, By Deployment

7.1. Key Insights

7.2. Market Size and Forecast, 2017 - 2027 (US$ Bn)



Chapter 8. Cybersecurity Market Analysis, By Application

8.1. Key Insights

8.2. Market Size and Forecast, 2017 - 2027 (US$ Bn)



Chapter 9. Cybersecurity Market Analysis, By Enterprise Size

9.1. Key Insights

9.2. Market Size and Forecast, 2017 - 2027 (US$ Bn)



Chapter 10. Cybersecurity Market Analysis, By Region/Country

10.1. Key Insights

10.2. Market Size and Forecast, 2017 - 2027 (US$ Bn)



Chapter 11. Asia Pacific Cybersecurity Market Analysis

11.1. Key Insights

11.2. Market Size and Forecast, 2017 - 2027 (US$ Bn)



Chapter 12. Singapore Cybersecurity Market Analysis

12.1. Key Insights

12.2. Market Dynamics and Trends

12.3. Competition Dashboard

12.4. Market Size and Forecast, 2017 - 2027 (US$ Bn)



Chapter 13. Company Profile (Company Overview, Financial Matrix, Key Product landscape, Key Personnel, Key Competitors, Contact Address, and Business Strategy Outlook)

13.1. MacAfee

13.2. Trend Micro Incorporated

13.3. IBM Corporation

13.4. Microsoft

13.5. BAE Systems, Inc.

13.6. Check Point Software Technology Ltd.

13.7. F5 Networks

13.8. EMC Corporation

13.9. FireEye, Inc.

13.10. Proofpoint Inc.

13.11. Sophos PLC

13.12. Fortinet, Inc.

13.13. Cisco Systems Inc.

13.14. Symantec Corporation

13.15. Juniper Networks

13.16. Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

13.17. Qualys Inc.

13.18. Other Prominent Players

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2dc6kd
Dublin, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Ceramic Tiles Market by Type, Application, Construction Type and End User: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global ceramic tiles market was valued at $343.9 million in 2020, and is projected to reach $633.5 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 6.3% from 2021 to 2030. Ceramic tile is manufactured from natural clay, sand and water. These materials are mixed and molded into square or rectangular tiles and baked to eliminate the majority of the moisture. Ceramic tiles are available in many varieties and are used in a variety of locations across the structure and homes. These tiles are ideal for use on walls, floors, counter-tops, and other surfaces because of their greater absorption rate. Ceramic tile is coated with a unique finish that seals and protects it while also increasing its longevity. Ceramic tiles come in a wide range of colors, patterns, styles, and sizes.



The market is primarily driven by an increase in demand for residential and commercial infrastructure improvements. Furthermore, government measures to assist the tile sector continue to fuel the expansion of the ceramic tile industry. Similarly, increased demand for residential construction propels the industry forward. Low replacement rate of tiles, on the other hand, has a direct impact on the market growth. Furthermore, the expansion of the market is projected to be aided by increased innovation in tile production and printing machinery.



Various key players are strengthening their market position and improving their product portfolio with latest design of ceramic tile. For instance, in July 2020, Crossville, Inc. has launched new Swatches ceramic wall tile series. This unique product is attractive for its extensive options for creating custom wall designs. The colors can be mixed and matched to create attractive and exciting patterns or placed monochromatically for better looks. Hence, this strategic move in business is projected to increase the demand for ceramic tiles and hence offer lucrative growth opportunities during the forecast period.



The ceramic tiles market is segmented on the basis of type, application, construction type, end user, and region. By type, it is divided into glazed tiles and unglazed tiles. By application, it is bifurcated into floor tiles and wall tiles. By construction type, it is categorized into new construction and renovation & replacement. By end user, it is classified into residential and non-residential. Region wise, the market analysis is conducted across North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and Rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa).



Competition Analysis

Key companies profiled in the ceramic tiles market report include Ceramica Saloni, China Ceramics, Crossville Inc., Kajaria Ceramics, Lamsoa Group, Mohawk Industries, R.A.K. Ceramics, Siam Cement Group, Ceramica Carmelo Fior, STN Ceramica.



Key Benefits

The report provides an extensive analysis of the current and emerging ceramic tiles market trends and dynamics.

In-depth market analysis is conducted by constructing market estimations for the key market segments between 2020 and 2030.

Extensive analysis of the ceramic tiles market is conducted by following key product positioning and monitoring of the top competitors within the market framework.

A comprehensive analysis of all regions is provided to determine the prevailing opportunities.

The global ceramic tiles market forecast analysis from 2021 to 2030 is included in the report.

The key market players within ceramic tiles market are profiled in this report and their strategies are analyzed thoroughly, which help understand the competitive outlook of the ceramic tiles industry.

Key Topics Covered:



CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



CHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW

3.1. Market definition and scope

3.2. Key findings

3.2.1. Top investment pockets

3.2.2. Top winning strategies

3.3. Market player positioning, 2020

3.4. Porter's five forces analysis

3.5. Market dynamics

3.5.1. Drivers

3.5.1.1. Rise in urbanization & industrialization in developing countries

3.5.1.2. Increase in spending on home remodeling

3.5.1.3. Recovery in the construction sector

3.5.2. Restraint

3.5.2.1. Volatile raw material prices

3.5.2.2. Popularity of natural stones for flooring

3.5.3. Opportunities

3.5.3.1. Implementation of advanced digital printing

3.6. COVID-19 Impact Analysis



CHAPTER 4: CERAMIC TILES MARKET, BY TYPE

4.1. Overview

4.1.1. Market size and forecast, by type

4.2. Glazed

4.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

4.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region

4.2.3. Market size and forecast, by country

4.3. Unglazed

4.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

4.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region

4.3.3. Market size and forecast, by country



CHAPTER 5: CERAMIC TILES MARKET, BY APPLICATION

5.1. Overview

5.1.1. Market size and forecast, by application

5.2. Floor Tiles

5.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

5.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region

5.2.3. Market size and forecast, by country

5.3. Wall Tiles

5.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

5.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region

5.3.3. Market size and forecast, by country



CHAPTER 6: CERAMIC TILES MARKET, BY CONSTRUCTION TYPE

6.1. Overview

6.1.1. Market size and forecast, by construction type

6.2. New Construction

6.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

6.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region

6.2.3. Market size and forecast, by country

6.3. Renovation and Replacement

6.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

6.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region

6.3.3. Market size and forecast, by country



CHAPTER 7: CERAMIC TILES MARKET, BY END USER

7.1. Overview

7.1.1. Market size and forecast, by end user industry

7.2. Residential

7.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

7.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region

7.2.3. Market size and forecast, by country

7.3. Non-residential

7.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities

7.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region

7.3.3. Market size and forecast, by country



CHAPTER 8: CERAMIC TILES MARKET, BY REGION



CHAPTER 9: COMPANY PROFILE

9.1. CERAMICA CARMELO FIOR

9.1.1. Company overview

9.1.2. Key executive

9.1.3. Company snapshot

9.1.4. Product portfolio

9.2. CERAMICA SALONI

9.2.1. Company overview

9.2.2. Key executive

9.2.3. Company snapshot

9.2.4. Product portfolio

9.3. CHINA CERAMIC CO., LTD.

9.3.1. Company overview

9.3.2. Key executive

9.3.3. Company snapshot

9.3.4. Operating business segments

9.3.5. Product portfolio

9.3.6. Business performance

9.4. CROSSVILLE INC.

9.4.1. Company overview

9.4.2. Key executive

9.4.3. Company snapshot

9.4.4. Product portfolio

9.4.5. Key strategic moves and developments

9.5. KAJARIA CERAMICS LIMITED

9.5.1. Company overview

9.5.2. Key executive

9.5.3. Company snapshot

9.5.4. Operating business segments

9.5.5. Product portfolio

9.5.6. R&D expenditure

9.5.7. Business performance

9.5.8. Key strategic moves and developments

9.6. LAMOSA GROUP

9.6.1. Company overview

9.6.2. Key executive

9.6.3. Company snapshot

9.6.4. Operating business segments

9.6.5. Product portfolio

9.6.6. Business performance

9.7. MOHAWK INDUSTRIES, INC.

9.7.1. Company overview

9.7.2. Key executive

9.7.3. Company snapshot

9.7.4. Operating business segments

9.7.5. Product portfolio

9.7.6. Business performance

9.8. R. A. K. CERAMICS

9.8.1. Company overview

9.8.2. Key executive

9.8.3. Company snapshot

9.8.4. Operating business segments

9.8.5. Product portfolio

9.8.6. Business performance

9.8.7. Key strategic moves and developments

9.9. SIAM CEMENT GROUP

9.9.1. Company overview

9.9.2. Key executive

9.9.3. Company snapshot

9.9.4. Operating business segments

9.9.5. Product portfolio

9.9.6. R&D expenditure

9.9.7. Business performance

9.10. STN CERAMICA

9.10.1. Company overview

9.10.2. Key executive

9.10.3. Company snapshot

9.10.4. Product portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9f44tz

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SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grassroots Carbon, a Texas-based soil carbon credit company that connects American ranchers with companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint, released over $200k in payments to Texas ranchers for soil carbon credits. Ranchers are paid for capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide in their healthy soils, which they achieve through the use of regenerative grazing practices. Regenerative grazing actually draws atmospheric carbon back down into the soil.

Loy Sneary, a rancher in the program, said, "It's been an exciting time for us at Sneary Cattle to be a part of this," and went on to offer this piece of advice for ranchers looking into Grassroots Carbon. "For ranchers who are considering the type of regenerative grazing management we are doing, this payment could very well give them the impetus to move into this type of grazing management."

It's not just the credits that excite ranchers like Loy, it is great to be a part of a movement that could have major implications for revitalizing America's grassland ecology and in this way also combating climate change.

Sneary continued, "The other thing that is exciting about it is seeing the companies buying the carbon credits from Grassroots Carbon and their commitment to actually reducing their carbon footprint. This is more than just a paragraph on their website that says they are being good stewards of the environment; these folks are actually putting their money where their mouth is and I really appreciate that."

These payments represent the first of many payments to ranchers: several additional soil sampling campaigns are being scheduled and Grassroots Carbon plans to certify and deliver another 200k tCO2 of measured and certified soil carbon credits this year.

"We are absolutely thrilled to pay the first ranchers in our network for the atmospheric CO2 they capture and store in their soils," said Henk Mooiweer, CEO and Co-Founder of Grassroots Carbon. "This is the start of an exciting journey where thousands of American ranchers will be rewarded for the millions of tons of CO2 they will store in their soils. The companies in our network who buy these nature-based and certified carbon credits are not just reducing their carbon footprint, they support the revitalization of America's grassland ecology with impacts far beyond just carbon."

The first group of ranchers paid by Grassroots Carbon in January can look forward to a much higher payment at the end of this year. The first-year payment is lower due to the high cost of rigorous soil sampling, which is conducted every five years. As an added benefit to ranchers participating in Grassroot Carbon's soil carbon credit program, they do not incur any out-of-pocket costs in the measurement process and can enjoy regular technical and educational support from the Grassroots Carbon team.

Parties interested in supporting the restoration of American grasslands can purchase soil carbon credits or learn how they can become a participating rancher under Grassroots Carbon at BuildGrassroots.com

ABOUT GRASSROOTS CARBON:

Grassroots Carbon is a public benefit LLC focused on helping companies reduce their carbon footprint so they are positioned to win in a carbon-constrained world, while offering ranchers an easy, transparent way to be rewarded for their regenerative practices.

For additional information please contact:

Lauren.Miller@buildgrassroots.com

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SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DuploCloud , the industry pioneer for no-code/low-code infrastructure automation and compliance, announced today the company has closed a $15 million Series A funding round led by Mayfield , a top-tier global venture capital firm, with participation from existing seed investor, Monta Vista Capital . These funds bring the total capital raised to date to $17.5 million. Driven by the increasing skills gap for DevOps engineers, DuploClouds DevOps-as-a-Service platform is being embraced by startups and mid-sized businesses, as well as others migrating applications to the cloud.



Built by the original engineers of Microsoft Azure and AWS, DuploClouds no-code/low-code platform is the easiest to use and fastest to deploy for cloud infrastructure automation and compliance. From infrastructure provisioning and application deployment to security controls and alerts, the solution has been designed to meet all the cloud infrastructure needs of growing companies.

Since its debut in 2018, DuploCloud has experienced unprecedented demand for its solution, resulting in 270% year-over-year revenue growth. The new funds will be used to drive product improvements and innovation, expand the sales and marketing teams and enhance the companys global footprint.

The global DevOps shortage is very real and we are excited to partner with Mayfield to expand our software and service offering, and grow the company to meet industry demand, said Venkat Thiruvengadam, Founder and CEO of DuploCloud. We are well on our way toward delivering on our mission of empowering both application developers and DevOps engineers to create and quickly launch secure and compliant cloud-based applications.

DuploCloud has been powering the creation of cloud applications for dozens of emerging and growth-stage companies. Customers such as Kami Vision and Uniphore can attest to launching fully-compliant apps months ahead of schedule and the ability to implement hundreds of infrastructure changes with minimal to no DevOps resources.

Most cloud security software solutions are employed for post-provisioning and monitoring of the security and compliance controls, limiting their impact to a mere 30% of the entire solution. This leaves the core of the problem to be solved by human DevOps experts writing thousands of lines of automation code. DuploCloud on the other hand is fundamentally a provisioning system with built-in compliance controls, then adds monitoring and auditing. The solution frees DevOps engineers from the mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on activities that truly differentiate the business.

By elevating the developer and accelerating the delivery of delightful secure cloud applications, DuploCloud joins the wave of iconic devcentric companies that have been created over the last decade," said Navin Chaddha, managing director of Mayfield. "Venkat and his team have felt the pain directly, so have built a comprehensive DevOps as a service product with a low-code/no-code model which has resulted in their momentum.

DuploCloud is bringing the industry a unique cloud automation platform for no-code/low-code DevOps which has become extremely prevalent especially for companies needing to deploy applications quickly, said Will Schoeppner, Research Director at EMA. Automating the provisioning and compliance process for cloud-native applications is key to lowering costs and speeding time to market while reducing errors, where traditional methods could take months.

For years businesses large and small have been writing Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) to deploy their applications to the cloud. While IaC is an admirable way to shave the time and effort required to deploy cloud applications, it still leaves much to be desired by developers and security professionals alike, said Venktesh Shukla, founder and general partner of Monta Vista Capital. Our investment in DuploCloud underscores our belief that the fundamental change in the approach to IT will come from putting control into the hands of developers with a no-code/low-code solution.

DuploCloud offers one uniform platform with many pricing options based on customer needs. To learn more, visit https://duplocloud.com/pricing/ .

About DuploCloud

DuploCloud is an end-to-end low-code/no-code DevOps automation and compliance platform, designed to make DevOps and Infrastructure-as-Code accessible for everyone. Founded in 2017 and built by the original engineers of Microsoft Azure and AWS, the software platform helps startups, SMBs, and companies that are building enterprise-grade applications or migrating to the cloud, save time and money. The DuploCloud platform translates high-level application specifications into detailed and fully managed cloud configurations utilizing best practices around security, availability and compliance guidelines. With DuploCloud, companies see 10x faster deployment, faster implementation of security and compliance frameworks, and 24x7 infrastructure monitoring and alerting. Learn more at https://duplocloud.com/ .

About Mayfield

Mayfield is a global venture capital firm with a people-first philosophy and a 50+ year track record of inception and early-stage investing, partnering with founders to build iconic enterprise, consumer and engineering biology companies. Since its founding, the firm has invested in more than 500 companies, resulting in 120 IPOs and more than 200 acquisitions, and currently has $2.2B under management. For more information, go to https://www.mayfield.com or follow @MayfieldFund .

Contact:

CommStrat for DuploCloud

duplocloud@commstrat.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8bc36418-8d36-4906-befd-81646792984f
CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) announced today that Calgary-based, multinational petroleum transportation and infrastructure limited company Inter Pipeline had made a $150,000 donation to the organization as part of a multi-year commitment.



This investment enables MCSC to continue fulfilling its mandate of locating and returning missing children to safety. Inter Pipeline's donation will be a donor-directed fund focused on delivering Indigenous safety and empowerment programs that address the needs of some of the most vulnerable children in communities.

In addition to this generous corporate donation, Calgary-based anonymous major donors have pledged to match donations up to $100,000 to MCSC to launch the Missing Children Society of Canada Rescu & Reunite Campaign. The MCSC board of directors has also personally pledged an additional $50,000, bringing the major donations to $300,000, with a total campaign goal of $1,000,000.

Together, these major gift donations kick off this important inaugural fundraising campaign.

"We are so thankful for the overwhelming contributions from Inter Pipeline and our anonymous donors," says Amanda Pick, Chief Executive Officer, Missing Children Society of Canada. "We wouldn't be able to help return children to safety without the support of our partners in the community."

Inter Pipeline has been a proud supporter of the Missing Children Society of Canada since 2017, committing a total of $885,000 to their programming to date, said Anita Dusevic Oliva, Senior Vice President, Corporate Services at Inter Pipeline. We proudly support their unique and comprehensive programs that assist police and families in active and ongoing searches for missing children in hopes of bringing them home safely within our operation communities and beyond.

For more than 35 years, the Missing Children Society of Canada has worked tirelessly alongside police agencies to help find missing kids and closely with families to offer guidance, support and resources in the most difficult moments of their lives.

Missing Children Society of Canada has supported thousands of cases since it was founded in 1986, closing over 90% of cases and driving the evolution of Canada's child search and protection processes. Today, we leverage an extensive network of partners, supporters, and social media to harness technology and reach through our rescu app.

Learn more about rescu | Watch the rescu video | Donate Now | Download the rescu app

For more information, contact Amanda Pick, Chief Executive Officer, Missing Children Society of Canada at apick@mcsc.ca.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/71e9338a-d39f-44d6-acbe-c803b2575ae1
Dublin, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Industrial Batteries Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global industrial batteries market reached a value of US$ 19.33 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 28.68 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.3% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, they are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor



Industrial batteries are electrochemical devices used as a power source for large, rugged equipment. They consist of cathodes, anodes and electrolyte solutions and offer resistance to vibrations and extreme temperatures. Lithium-ion, nickel-based, lithium titanate, lithium magnesium oxide and lead-based batteries are some of the commonly available variants. They are widely used in medical equipment, uninterruptible power source (UPS), safety alarms, tracking systems and automobile accessories. In comparison to the traditionally used consumer batteries, industrial variants have longer operation life and can be utilized in extreme environments and remote locations. As a result, industrial batteries are extensively used in energy, grid storage, utility, and telecommunication systems



Industrial Batteries Market Trends:

Rapid industrialization and increasing requirement for factory automation across the globe are among the key factors driving the growth of the market. The rising requirement for continuous and reliable sources of energy is leading to the widespread adoption of industrial batteries to power heavy-duty equipment. Additionally, the increasing utilization of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries across industries is favouring the market growth. Li-ion batteries are widely used in surveillance and alarm systems, industrial electronics, and solar power backup storage systems.

Moreover, various product innovations, such as the launch of green industrial batteries that assist in reducing carbon footprint and are environmentally friendly, are providing a thrust to the market growth. In line with this, the increasing product utilization in health monitoring systems, critical care equipment and power cleaning tools in hospitals and healthcare centres is positively impacting the market growth. Other factors, including the rising demand for electric vehicles (EVs), along with the widespread product adoption in the manufacturing industry, are anticipated to drive the market toward growth



Key Market Segmentation:

The publisher provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global industrial batteries market, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2022-2027. Our report has categorized the market based on drive type, technology and application



Breakup by Drive Type:

Electric

Hydraulic

Others

Breakup by Technology:

Lithium-Ion Battery

Lead-Acid Battery

Others

Breakup by Application:

Forklift

Telecom

UPS

Others

Breakup by Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Australia

Indonesia

Others

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Russia

Others

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Others

Middle East and Africa

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Accumulatorenwerke HOPPECKE Carl Zoellner & Sohn GmbH, Amara Raja Group, American Battery Solutions, Bulldog Battery Corporation, C&D Technologies Inc., EnerSys, Exide Industries Limited, GS Yuasa Corporation, Industrial Battery & Services Inc., Johnson Controls International, Panasonic Corporation and Saft (TotalEnergies SE)



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global industrial batteries market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global industrial batteries market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the drive type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the technology?

What is the breakup of the market based on the application?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global industrial batteries market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Industrial Batteries Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Drive Type

6.1 Electric

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Hydraulic

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Others

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Technology

7.1 Lithium-Ion Battery

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Lead-Acid Battery

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Others

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Application

8.1 Forklift

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Telecom

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 UPS

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Others

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region

10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Accumulatorenwerke HOPPECKE Carl Zoellner & Sohn GmbH

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2 Amara Raja Group

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 Financials

14.3.3 American Battery Solutions

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 Bulldog Battery Corporation

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5 C&D Technologies Inc.

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 EnerSys

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6.3 Financials

14.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.7 Exide Industries Limited

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7.3 Financials

14.3.8 GS Yuasa Corporation

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 Financials

14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.9 Industrial Battery & Services Inc.

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10 Johnson Controls International

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10.3 Financials

14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.11 Panasonic Corporation

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11.3 Financials

14.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.12 Saft (TotalEnergies SE)

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/okyp3v

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Berkeley, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Stefanie Spear, sspear@asyousow.org, 216-387-1609

JOIN OUR WEBINAR: Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. ET. Register here.

Clean200 Continues to Outperform MSCI ACWI Global Index, Leaves Index of Dirty Energy Companies in the Dust

BERKELEY, CAFEB. 16, 2022As You Sow and Corporate Knights today released their 9th update of the Carbon Clean 200TM, a list of 200 publicly traded companies worldwide that are leading the way among their global peers to a clean energy future.

Key findings include:

Clean200 companies generated a total return of 107.09% beating the MSCI ACWI broad market index (103.15%) and MSCI ACWI/Energy Index of fossil fuel companies, (31.67%) on Total Return Gross  USD Basis from the Clean200 inception of July 1, 2016 to Jan. 31, 2022.

$10,000 invested in the Clean200 on July 1, 2016, would have grown to $20,709 by Jan. 31, 2022, versus $20,315 for the MSCI ACWI broad market benchmark and $13,167 for the MSCI ACWI/Energy benchmark for fossil fuel companies.

10 companies that contributed the most to the Clean200s outperformance over the past year were primarily from China, the U.S., South Korea, and Canada and include electric vehicles, environmental protection, energy conservation solutions, and green energy themes.

In 2016 we created the Clean200 in response to investors saying, if we divest fossil fuels there is nothing to invest in, said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow and report co-author. The Clean200 has demonstrated consistently that the clean energy future is the clean energy present. This year, the scale and global diversity of leading companies continue to expand and redefine the term cleantech to be any company that has products and services that will reduce demand for fossil fuels and water.

The top 10 companies on the list by revenue include Apple Inc., which offers sustainably-certified phones and laptops; Alphabet Inc. whose operations are 100% powered by renewable energy; Intel Corp.; Taiwans TSMC for low-energy microchip solutions; and Iberdrola SA for clean power generation. Thirty-two countries are represented in the Clean200, including the U.S. (53), Canada (18), China (16), France (12), and Japan (11).

Here are the top 10 companies by revenue on the Clean200:

Name Clean Revenue Product or Service PPP* Clean Revenue Clean Revenue Ratio Apple Inc Sustainably-certified phones and laptops 190,127,000,000 69% Alphabet Inc Fully powered by renewable energy 159,983,000,000 88% Intel Corp Energy efficient microchips 69,167,000,000 89% TSMC Energy efficient microchips 45,747,936,085 51% Iberdrola SA Renewable energy 32,742,732,558 68% Tesla Inc Electric vehicles 31,536,000,000 100% Cisco Systems Inc Energy efficient hardware 29,798,618,017 60% HP Inc Energy efficient hardware 28,073,745,000 50% Schneider Electric SE Energy management 26,329,186,047 72% Siemens AG Emissions reduction products 26,162,790,698 32%

*PPP: Purchasing Power Parity or the International Dollar is based on the rate at which the currency of one country is converted into that of another country to buy the same amount of goods and services in each country.

Without major tech outperformers like Amazon and Microsoft or any of the fossil fuel stocks now surging on the back of high oil prices, the Clean200 still managed to outperform both the blue-chip and oil and gas indices over the past five years, signaling the markets confidence in their mojo to take our economy forward post-pandemic, said Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights and report co-author.

The Clean200 utilizes Corporate Knights Clean Revenue database which tracks the percent of revenue companies earn from clean economy themes including energy efficiency; green energy; electric vehicles; banks financing low-carbon solutions; real estate companies focused on low-carbon buildings; forestry companies protecting carbon sinks; responsible miners of critical materials for the low-carbon economy; food and apparel companies with products primarily made of raw materials with a significantly lower carbon footprint; and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies that are leading the way on renewable energy while also being best-in-sector according to currently accepted privacy benchmarks.

The list excludes companies that are flagged on As You Sows Invest Your Values suite of mutual fund transparency tools that identify companies involved in fossil fuels, deforestation, weapons, gender inequality, tobacco, and the prison industrial complex.

We will continue to track and share the emergence of this economic powerhouse, Behar continued. There is now clear financial evidence showing a broad spectrum of companies and market forces making the economic transformation, which is our greatest hope in controlling climate change.

# # #

As You Sow is the nations leading shareholder advocacy nonprofit, with a 30-year track record promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility and advancing values-aligned investing. Its issue areas include climate change, ocean plastics, pesticides, racial justice, workplace diversity, and executive compensation. Click here for As You Sows shareholder resolution tracker.

Corporate Knights is a research and media B Corp that seeks to provide information that empowers people to harness markets for a better world.



**As You Sow and Corporate Knights are not investment advisors nor do we provide financial planning, legal, or tax advice. Nothing in the Carbon Clean 200 Report shall constitute or be construed as an offering of financial instruments or as investment advice or investment recommendations.**

Attachment
PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ScyllaDB, the company behind the ScyllaDB database for data-intensive apps that require high performance and low latency, today announced the winners of their annual ScyllaDB Innovation Awards. The program honors teams who went above and beyond to deliver exceptional data-intensive applications. This years winners cover a broad range of NoSQL use casesfrom AI/ML feature stores, to cybersecurity threat detection and time-series data.



The 2022 ScyllaDB Innovation Award winners are

Greatest Technical Achievement: Palo Alto Networks - For architecting a solution using ScyllaDB as a high-performance low-latency database for network events *and* as a message queue. Their solution achieves near real-time correlation of millions of different types of network security events per second, from multiple different sources. [Palo Alto Networks recently shared details of this implementation at Scylla Summit 2022 .]

New User: Instacart - For their rapid implementation of ScyllaDB as a unified feature store for their company-wide Machine Learning initiative. Faster ingestion of company-wide Machine Learning pipeline data translates to more helpful recommendations for both customers and shoppers.

Data for Good: The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson - For developing, through its R&D Data Science team, an integrated, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven graph of biomedical knowledge to help researchers accelerate drug discovery. This innovative approach, recently presented at BioIT World, has taken knowledge graphs beyond the convention of standalone network visualizations and applied them across the companys therapeutic areas to help enhance their understanding of the underlying mechanisms of diseases and interpretation of study results.

Smart Growth: IBM - For nearly doubling cluster storage capacity with zero request rejections despite internal system challenges such as server memory issues and disks with bad sectors. This feat was orchestrated by adding higher storage capacity nodes, decommissioning lower storage capacity nodes, updating ScyllaDB releases, and working closely with the ScyllaDB team.

Greatest Business Impact: Happn - For a strategically planned and flawlessly executed migration from 68B rows of data from Cassandra to ScyllaDB. The move from Cassandra to ScyllaDB reduced Happns TCO by 75%. [Happn recently shared details about this migration at Scylla Summit 2022 .]

Alternator DynamoDB API Achievement: China Mobile - For their use of Alternator , ScyllaDBs DynamoDB-compatible API, to store metadata that is critical for realizing low-latency and high-performance metadata storage for the companys next generation architecture. They were also an important contributor to the APIs development; they started using it in 2019 (pre-production), put it to the test, and helped make it an even better option for companies seeking a more flexible, cost-efficient alternative to DynamoDB.

Scylla University Valedictorian: Meraj Rasool, SkyElectric - For his success completing the core Scylla University courses plus his participation in Scylla University Live. Meraj also invited his colleagues to Scylla University and applied their lessons learned to more efficiently utilize ScyllaDB for SkyElectrics production load.

We are excited to recognize the impressive impacts that organizations are making through innovative game-changing applications, commented ScyllaDB CEO and co-founder Dor Laor. Data is now at the core of every companys success, and these industry leaders are instrumental to helping their companies transform that data into exceptional user experiences.

About ScyllaDB

ScyllaDB is the database for data-intensive apps that require high performance and low latency. It enables teams to harness the ever-increasing computing power of modern infrastructures  eliminating barriers to scale as data grows. Unlike any other database, ScyllaDB is built with deep architectural advancements that enable exceptional end-user experiences at radically lower costs. Over 400 game-changing companies like Disney+ Hotstar, Expedia, FireEye, Discord, Crypto.com, Zillow, Starbucks, Comcast, and Samsung use ScyllaDB for their toughest database challenges. ScyllaDB is available as free open source software, a fully-supported enterprise product, and a fully managed service on multiple cloud providers. For more information: ScyllaDB.com

Media Contact

Wayne Ariola

wayne.ariola@scylladb.com
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Tuesday that the international community should stick to the direction of political settlement in Yemen despite many challenges.

The past months have seen the continued deterioration of the situation in Yemen with conflicts and confrontations between parties intensifying and cross-border attacks and airstrikes escalating in turns, and China is deeply concerned about this and urges all parties to immediately cease fire and stop the violence, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

The Chinese envoy said all parties to the conflict should strictly abide by international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian facilities, and refrain from any action that could aggravate tensions. The Security Council is obliged to keep an eye on the situation in Yemen and the region and play its due role in promoting a de-escalation of the conflict.

UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg has just told the council that he would start consultations for developing a framework for an inclusive political settlement, including the establishment of a multi-track process, which is welcomed by China, and China hopes that he will help all parties to the conflict enhance mutual trust and restart dialogue, said Dai.

The roadmap for peace in Yemen should be workable and reflect the way forward for a political settlement based on the reality on the ground, he said, adding all parties to the conflict should demonstrate political will and cooperate with the special envoy without preconditions.

The conflict in Yemen has been dragging on till this very day in which no party will emerge as a winner, and insisting on a military option will only hurt everyone, Dai said, noting China hopes all parties to the conflict will make wise choices and relevant regional countries should play an active role in facilitating peace talks.

Yemen is facing multiple challenges such as food insecurity, COVID-19, fuel shortages and unemployment. Alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and saving its economy are urgent tasks for the international community.

With the crisis in Yemen continuing to worsen, the international community should provide assistance to Yemen in a more effective and sustainable manner, he said.

The United Nations has recently launched the Yemeni economic framework to implement a phased approach for short-, medium- and long-term relief. China supports this approach and hopes that the international community, including donors, will strengthen coordination with the UN system, step up support for Yemen and sustain the humanitarian programs in the country, Dai said. 
Syracuse, New York, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Syracuse, New York, [DATE] (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inc. Magazine, in partnership with Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), has announced the fifth annual Vet100 lista compilation of the nations fastest-growing veteran-owned and -operated businesses. The ranking was born out of the iconic Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies based in the U.S. Both distinctions are considered hallmarks of entrepreneurial success.

Originally established as the Vet50 list, this years list is the third iteration expanded to include 100 veteran-owned and -operated businesses in acknowledgment of the growing culture and success of veteran entrepreneurs.

Economic prosperity is so important to so many aspects of American life, from home and main street to even our standing in the world, says Scott Omelianuk, Inc.s Editor in Chief. Given that prosperity is driven by small business, and given, we now know, the impact Veteran founders have on that small business, we can only continue to recognize them and say, again, thank you for your service.

This years list includes 33 veteran-owned businesses that have been named to a previous Vet50/Vet100 list, including Lovell Government Services, the top-ranking Vet100 company two years in a row. This years honorees have an average growth rate of more than 1500% and 14 CEOs/companies on this years list are alumni of the IVMFs entrepreneurship programs.

All veteran entrepreneurs bring a unique set of proven skills and knowledge to the business world as a result of their military service, said Mike Haynie, Syracuse University Vice Chancellor and IVMF Founder and Executive Director. This years list reflects the grit and resilience veterans demonstrate every day, logging enormous growth amid a dynamically challenging business environment. Our partnership with Inc. magazine is critical to highlighting the success of these veteran-owned businesses.

The 2022 Vet100 honorees will be formally recognized during the Vet100 Dinner and Awards Ceremony in June.

For more information on the Inc. Vet100 list, visit https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/Vet100/.

About Inc. and the Inc. 5000

About Inc. Media

The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

About Syracuse Universitys Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) delivers no-cost career training and entrepreneurship programs across the US and globally. And we help ease the transition after service back into communities for service members, veterans and their families as well as prepare them for successful careers and business ownership. We've supported over 160,000 to date. It's our mission to support theirs. For more information, visit ivmf.syracuse.edu and follow the IVMF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Attachments
Los Angeles, CA, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Endonovo Therapeutics Inc. (OTC-ENDV) an Innovative Medical Devices developer and distributor is pleased to announce it has filed a Regulation A+ financing for expansion of their operations and has retained Dalmore Group (Dalmore), a veteran industry leading broker-dealer to provide operations and compliance services in the completion of this Regulation A+ and its anticipated subsequent Reg A+ offering. The financing proceeds for this Reg A+ are planned to be used to repay its senior secured Note, for research and development and working capital.



Click here to see and review Endonovos Regulation A+ filing and to receive press releases and SEC filings via email when they occur.

In retaining Dalmore Group, Endonovo has positioned their Reg A+ Financing to capitalize on the strengths and successes that Dalmore Group has established as being an industry leading broker-dealer in Reg A+ Financing services. Dalmore Group, with more than 16 years experience as a full-service investment bank with deep institutional, private equity, venture capital and family office relationships in multiple financial markets, is considered the US industry leading broker-dealer for Reg A+ offerings having onboarded over 175 Reg A+ issuers since 2019.

As a consultant Dalmore Group offers Endonovo marketing guidance and experienced securities regulation compliance review as well as a wide variety of financial funding alternatives and structures. Dalmore Group is a registered broker-dealer providing services in the equity and debt securities market, including offerings conducted via exemptions from registration with the SEC such as Reg D 506(b), 506(c), Reg CF and Reg A+ offerings. Dalmore clients include a mix of private and publicly listed companies in both the US and Canada.

Dalmore services include strategic partnerships with industry experts in marketing and PR, distribution and syndication-partnerships with multiple Reg A+ marketplace platform distribution partners, and secondary trading solutions for their Reg A+ issuers, thereby enabling issuers to offer ongoing liquidity solutions to their investors. Etan Butler, Chairman of Dalmore Group states, having onboarded over 175 Reg A+ issuers since 2019, we are now seeing a rapid increase of OTC companies utilizing the Reg A+ exemption as a means to raise capital for their businesses.

Additionally, Mr. Butler explains "Dalmore has onboarded over 20 publicly traded Reg A+ issuers. With our expanding list of institutional investors seeking to invest in OTC companies through Reg A+, and our relationships with syndicate broker dealers and their retail investor bases, Dalmore is seeing a trend of OTC companies choosing the Reg A+ path to finance their capital raising needs." As stated in Dalmore Groups February 8, 2022 press release.

Endonovo entering into a consulting agreement with Dalmore Group will help us to raise the funding necessary to complete the expansion of our present medical device business while expanding our build-up strategy of acquiring profitable companies in the specialty construction market as well as pay off our sole senior secured note and establish a future avenue for resolving remaining convertible notes. Alan Collier, Endonovo CEO, states Through the filing of our Reg A+ financing, we will continue to build the Endonovo merger and acquisition team and further develop our medical device business. Completing our Reg A+ offerings with Dalmore Group is, in our opinion, the best option available to us. There are significant advantages to Reg A+ offerings for OTC market companies including: 1) No Baby Shelf rules; 2) Premarketing of the offering; 3) No quiet period; 4) General solicitation; 5) Fixed price on the securities at the time of qualification; and 6) Multiple investors participation. We believe that Reg A+ offerings are the best option with the least amount of dilution for OTC companies such as ours.

Collier continues, With Dalmore Groups stellar Reg A+ track record over the past few years we couldnt have a better partner in furthering the development of SofPulse, our FDA Cleared device, paying off our senior secured note, and building our specialty construction vertical, and building investor equity and company profitability in each area Endonovo is expanding. Under Etan Butlers guidance the Dalmore Group has evidenced its ability to successfully set-up and launch an industry leading number of successful Reg A+ financing platforms that will help Endonovo realize our goal of converting our business model to a highly sought-after holding company model for its investors. As this process proceeds to a successful conclusion converting Endonovo to a holding company we believe is the best move for Endonovo moving forward to become a profitable company in the near future.

2021 was another banner year for Dalmore Group. The veteran Reg A+ broker continued its trajectory of growth, and more than doubled its prior years new clients  as it moved from 85 Reg A+ clients in 2020 to more than 175 through 2021.

Notable Dalmore Reg A+ deals include Gage Cannabis $50M, Flora Growth $29.5M+, Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals $45M+, Juva Life $18M, Draganfly 19M+ and WINC Inc. $11.5M+. And within Dalmores active pipeline it supports Ei Ventures with $20M+, Miso Robotics $35M+, Cloudastructure $30M+, Aptera Motors $26M+, Schackelford Pharma $10M+, Legion Works $10M+, Brazil Potash $34M+, and many others. As stated in Dalmore Groups December 30, 2021 press release.

About Endonovo Therapeutics

Endonovo Therapeutics, Inc. is a commercial-stage developer of noninvasive wearable Electroceuticals therapeutic devices. The Company's current portfolio of commercial and clinical-stage wearable Electroceuticals therapeutic devices addresses wound healing, pain, post-surgical pain and edema, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), acute concussions, post-concussion syndrome and multiple sclerosis. The Company's noninvasive Electroceutical therapeutic device, SofPulse, which uses pulsed short-wave radiofrequency at 27.12 MHz, has been FDA-cleared and CE marked for the palliative treatment of soft tissue injuries and post-operative pain and edema and has CMS national coverage for the treatment of chronic wounds. The Company's current portfolio of preclinical-stage Electroceuticals therapeutic devices addresses chronic kidney disease, liver disease non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cardiovascular and peripheral artery disease (PAD), and ischemic stroke. The Company's noninvasive, wearable Electroceuticals therapeutic devices work by restoring key electrochemical processes that initiate anti-inflammatory and growth factor cascades necessary for healing to occur. www.endonovo.com .

Click here to see and review Endonovos Regulation A+ filing and to receive press releases and SEC filings via email when they occur.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, trends, analysis, and other information contained in this press release including words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," and other similar expressions of opinion, constitute forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results described within the forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could contribute to such differences include those matters more fully disclosed in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of the press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Investor Relations Contact:
Dallas, Texas, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Puration, Inc. (OTC Pink: PURA) today emphasized that the companys new Farmersville Hemp brand is a global brand. PURA management pointed out that the U.S. today is only a small fraction of the global hemp market currently dominated by the Asia Pacific region .

Last year, PURA launched an initiative to expand the utilization of hemp worldwide under the brand name Farmersville Hemp.

PURA is building a co-op of hemp growers and processors to raise market awareness around the multitude of yet to be realized uses of hemp and build a brand name to benefit all co-op participants under the name Farmersville Hemp.

Today, PURA management points out that its co-op participants reach substantially includes global targets.

The industrial hemp industry, to include the portion of CBD exclusively from hemp, is anticipated to grow to $18 billion by 2026 .

PURA management thinks this is a substantial underestimate because the industry has yet to recognize the multitude of ways hemp can be utilized.

The Sustainability Market is expected to expand from $9 billion reported in 2021 to over $41 billion by 2028 .

PURA management believes the impact hemp can have on sustainability is not fully baked into the industrial hemp forecasts.

PURA anticipates generating $1 million in revenue in 2022 with the potential to reach $10 million in revenue this year. The $10 million revenue opportunity outlook is improving based on the recent progress of PURAs co-op partners.

PURA published a 2022 strategic overview at the onset of this year detailing the companys plan to grow revenue and increase shareholder value by driving market wide demand for the multitude of yet to be realized uses of hemp.

Next week, On Tuesday, February 22nd, PURA management will publish its first progress update report on the execution of its strategic plan specifically focusing on the progress of the co-op partners that is improving PURAs 2022 revenue outlook.

PURA co-op partners include Alkame Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: ALKM), PAO Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: PAOG), North American Cannabis Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: USMJ), and UC Asset LP (OTCQX: UCASU).

For more information on Puration, visit http://www.purationinc.com

Disclaimer:

This News Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from any these statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any those forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this news release. None of such forward-looking statements should be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the objectives and plans set forth in this News Release will be achieved or be executed.
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate finance company, announced Triloki Kaushal has joined the firm as a Managing Director. In this role, he will focus on debt sales and services for multifamily clients across Greystones Agency platforms and lead the firms Affordable Lending Sales Desk.



Prior to joining Greystone, Mr. Kaushal most recently served as a Chief Underwriter for Newmarks Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac platforms, where he oversaw the structuring, underwriting, and approval of conventional and affordable transactions. Before his role at Newmark, Mr. Kaushal was a Managing Director and a Senior Credit officer at Hunt Mortgage Group (now Lument) in various capacities within underwriting and risk.

Greystone is a leader in affordable housing finance, and we expect to grow the debt platform supporting Fannie Mae and Freddie Macs mission-driven goals in 2022 and beyond, said Mr. Kaushal. I look forward to working with the team to serve clients in the multifamily sector as Greystone continues its upward trajectory as a capital markets provider.

Mr. Kaushal is based in New York and reports to Chip Hudson, co-CEO of Agency lending at Greystone. He earned a Bachelors degree from New York University and Masters degrees in Economic and International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University.

About Greystone

Greystone is a private national commercial real estate finance company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac lender in these sectors. Loans are offered through Greystone Servicing Company LLC, Greystone Funding Company LLC and/or other Greystone affiliates. For more information, visit www.greystone.com.

PRESS CONTACT:

Karen Marotta

Greystone

212-896-9149

Karen.Marotta@greyco.com
New York, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dataiku, the platform for Everyday AI, is proud to announce the appointment of Edward Bush as Chief Operating Officer with a focus on enabling the companys operational growth by leading global people, expansion, and program management. Ed joined in 2017 as Dataikus VP of Finance and has helped Dataiku raise over half a billion dollars and grow the company from less than 50 employees to almost 1,000 today. Ed has a strong track record of building and running teams at Dataiku and beyond, having also done so at rapidly scaling companies like WeWork and VTS across finance, legal, people, business operations, and analytics functions. Along with his operational experience, Ed brings deep knowledge and appreciation of Dataikus people and processes, enabling him to continue scaling the business while further strengthening the companys global employee culture.

Dataiku is such a special company because of the people we're lucky to work alongside every day. We have 1,000 colleagues in over 20 countries dedicated to building, selling, and supporting the worlds pioneering Everyday AI platform, said Ed Bush, COO of Dataiku. Maintaining and expanding our strong operational culture as we scale requires a commitment to be intentional and inclusive in everything we do. I am excited and humbled to be in a position to help facilitate Dataikus next phase of growth.

Last year, the Dataiku team successfully doubled in size by hiring over 400 new employees  38% of whom are fully remote  while maintaining its strong culture focused on work-life balance, diversity of people and perspective, and dedication to learning. 2021 highlights include:

As my colleagues like to say, last year was a ride on the rocketship, said Florian Douetteau, co-founder and CEO of Dataiku. Not only were we able to scale the company and team, but we never lost sight of the importance of also maintaining and growing our company culture alongside it. The two should never be seen as mutually exclusive as they are one and the same, which Ed understands and has fully embraced. As our new COO, I know Ed will continue to be a bastion of this strong work culture as well as a driver of growth as we continue riding that rocketship throughout 2022.

As part of todays announcement, the company has also recently made several additional senior internal promotions, many of whom have been with Dataiku for several years, including:

Dataiku will continue to grow in 2022 and the award-winning company as of today is hiring for over 300 positions as it scales its business globally.

About Dataiku

Dataiku is the platform for Everyday AI that allows companies to leverage one central solution to design, deploy, govern, and manage AI and analytics applications. Since its founding in 2013, the company has been the leader in democratizing data and empowering organization-wide collaboration. Today, more than 450 companies worldwide use Dataiku to integrate and streamline their use of data, analytics, and AI, driving diverse use cases from fraud detection and customer churn prevention, to predictive maintenance and supply chain optimization. Stay connected with us on our blog, Twitter (@dataiku) and on LinkedIn.

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Chicago, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Europe data center market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5.53% during the period 20212027.



KEY HIGHLIGHTS OFFERED IN THE REPORT:

The European data center market by investment in 2021 was led by Western Europe with over 70% of the overall regional investment, followed by Central & Eastern Europe, and Nordics. The Nordic region will witness the highest growth by 2027, growing at a CAGR of ~12%. Some major growth contributors in the region include the UK, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, and Poland, among others. The growth is contributed by factors such as availability of renewable energy, spread of 5G, government support, increasing enterprise use of cloud, and adoption of advanced technology such as AI, IoT and big data. Europe has witnessed investment from major colocation operators such as Digital Realty (Interxion), Equinix, Colt Data Centre Services, Vantage Data Centers, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, and NTT Global Data Centers, expanding their services across various countries. Europe, especially the Nordics, has also witnessed self-built data centers by hyperscale operators such as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. The region is also a hotspot for High Performance Computing (HPC) applications. Growth in Western Europe is led by the FLAP-D markets, followed by secondary markets such as Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy. In 2021, Ireland contributed to over 20% of the power capacity added in the region, followed by Germany. Within Central & Eastern Europe, Russia leads investment, followed by Poland, which is expected to become a data center hub in the future, owing to its strategic location, among other benefits that the country offers. Austria and Czech Republic are also growing markets.

EUROPE DATA CENTER MARKET REPORT SCOPE

REPORT ATTRIBUTE DETAILS MARKET SIZE (INVESTMENT) USD 65.66 BILLION (2027) MARKET SIZE (AREA) 12.26 MILLION SQUARE FT. (2027) MARKET SIZE (POWER CAPACITY) 2515 MW (2027) CAGR (INVESTMENT) 5.53% (2022-2027) BASE YEAR 2021 FORECAST YEAR 2022-2027 GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS Western Europe, Nordic, Central and Eastern Europe COUNTRIES COVERED (WESTERN EUROPE) UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Other Western European Countries, COUNTRIES COVERED (NORDIC) Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland COUNTRIES COVERED (CEE) Russia, Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, and Other Central and Eastern European Countries INFRASTRUCTURE IT Infrastructure, Electrical Infrastructure, Mechanical Infrastructure, and General Construction IT INFRASTRUCTURE Server Infrastructure, Storage Infrastructure, and Network Infrastructure ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE UPS Systems, Generators, Transfer Switches & Switchgear, Power Distribution Units, and Other Electrical Infrastructure MECHANICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Cooling Systems, Racks, and Other Mechanical Infrastructure COOLING SYSTEMS CRAC & CRAH Units, Chiller Units, Cooling Towers, Condensers and Dry Coolers, Economizer and Evaporative Coolers, and Other Cooling Units COOLING TECHNIQUE Air-Based Cooling Technique and Liquid-Based Cooling Technique GENERAL CONSTRUCTION Core and Shell Development, Installation and Commissioning Services, Engineering and Building Design, Physical Security, Fire Detection and Suppression, and DCIM/BMS Solutions TIER STANDARDS Tier I & II, Tier III, and Tier IV FACILITY TYPE Hyperscale Data Centers, Colocation Data Centers, and Enterprise Data Centers

KEY OFFERINGS:

Market Size & Forecast by Investment | 2021-2027

Market Size & Forecast by Power Capacity (MW) | 2021-2027

Market Size & Forecast by Area (Sq. Ft.) | 2021-2027

Market Dynamics  Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by infrastructure, IT infrastructure, electrical infrastructure, mechanical infrastructure, cooling systems, cooling technique, general construction, tier standard, facility type, and geography

Competitive Landscape  21 IT infrastructure providers, 39 support infrastucture providers, 74 construction constractors, 45 data center investors, and 5 new entrants

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/europe-data-center-market-report-2025

EUROPE DATA CENTER MARKET  KEY INVESTMENTS

In December 2020, Google announced the opening of its second data center in the Netherlands that will be powered by renewable energy.

Edge data center deployments will continue to drive innovations in the data center power space, with increased modular infrastructure offerings. 5G rollout across Germany will increase edge deployment with a power capacity of less than 500 kW.

In May 2020, Rolls-Royce and Daimler partnered to develop generator systems with hydrogen fuel cells for data centers to run carbon-neutral facilities.

In November 2021, OVHcloud announced a partnership with Atos to offer 100% European public cloud services to customers in France.

The revenue from the public cloud market in the country is expected to reach around $4.8 billion by the end of 2021, with the largest market volume to be witnessed from SaaS and revenue expected to be over $3.2 billion. The market revenue is expected to reach around $10.7 billion by 2026.

In August 2021, AWS announced partnership with Greece Government to support space industry in the country with the help of AWS cloud services.

EUROPE DATA CENTER MARKET  SEGMENTATION

Europe Data Center Market by Infrastructure

IT Infrastructure

Electrical Infrastructure

Mechanical Infrastructure

General Construction

Europe Data Center Market by IT infrastructure

Server

Storage

Network



Europe Data Center Market by Electrical Infrastructure

UPS Systems

Generators

Transfer Switches & Switchgear

Power Distribution Units

Other Electrical Infrastructure



Europe Data Center Market by Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

Racks

Other Mechanical Infrastructure



Europe Data Center Market by Cooling Systems

CRAC & CRAH Units

Chiller Units

Cooling Towers, Condensers, and Dry Coolers

Economizers & Evaporative Coolers

Other Cooling Units



Europe Data Center Market by Cooling Technique

Air-Based Cooling Technique

Liquid-Based Cooling Technique

Europe Data Center Market by General Construction

Core & Shell Development

Installation & Commissioning Services

Engineering & Building Design

Physical Security

Fire Detection & Suppression

DCIM/BMS

Europe Data Center Market by Facility Type

Hyperscale Data Centers

Colocation Data Centers

Enterprise Data Centers



Europe Data Center Market by Tier Standard

Tier I & II

Tier III

Tier IV



Europe Data Center Market by Geography

Western Europe UK Germany France Netherlands Ireland Switzerland Italy Spain Belgium Luxembourg Portugal Other Western European Countries

Nordic Sweden Finland Denmark Norway Iceland

Central and Eastern Europe Russia Poland Austria Czech Republic Other Central and Eastern European Countries







EUROPE DATA CENTER MARKET  COMPETITOR LANDSCAPE

The market witnessed significant growth in revenue contribution from ODM server manufacturers such as Quanta Cloud Technology (QCT), Wistron (Wiwynn), and Inventec. These ODM server providers manufacture bare-metal servers without software solutions and ship to hyperscale data center operators such as Facebook. These ODM providers also supply systems that are based on the Open Compute Project (OCP) design, which is contributed by hyperscale providers in the market. ODM server manufacturers are continuing to be a major threat to other vendors such as HPE, Dell, IBM, Inspur, Lenovo, and Cisco Systems. However, these vendors are also involved in the manufacture of customized ODM solutions for enterprises. It is mainly due to the lack of expertise among enterprises to develop a solution that perfectly fits their operational requirements. These servers are available at a cheaper price, with an increased interest shown by enterprises in OCP-designed solutions.

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/europe-data-center-market-report-2025

Key IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Atos

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Extreme Networks

Fujitsu

Hitachi Vantara

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Inspur

Juniper Networks

Lenovo

MiTAC Holdings

NEC Corporation

NetApp

Pure Storage

Quanta Computer (Quanta Cloud Technology)

Super Micro Computer

Wistron (Wiwynn)



Key Support Infrastructure Providers

3M

ABB

Aermec

Airedale International Air Conditioning

Aksa Power Generation

Alfa Laval

Carrier

Caterpillar

Condair

Cummins

Daikin Applied

Delta Electronics

Eaton

ebm-papst

EMICON INNOVATION AND COMFORT

Enrogen

FlaktGroup

GESAB

HiRef

HITEC Power Protection

Johnson Controls

KOHLER-SDMO

KyotoCooling

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric

Munters

NetNordic

Nlyte Software (Carrier Global Corporation)

Perkins Engines

Piller Power Systems

Riello Elettronica (Riello UPS)

Rittal

Rolls-Royce

Schneider Electric

Siemens

Socomec

STULZ

Trane (Ingersoll Rand)

Vertiv



Key Construction Contractors

AECOM

AEON Engineering

ARC:MC

AODC

Ariatta

ARSMAGNA

Artelia

Arup

Atkins

Aurora Group

Basler & Hofmann

BENTHEM CROUWEL ARCHITECTS

Bouygues Construction

Callaghan Engineering

Cap Ingelec

Caverion

Collen

Coromatic

COWI

DataDome

Deerns

Designer Group

Dipl.-Ing. H. C. Hollige

Dornan

DPR Construction

Etop

EYP MCF

Ferrovial

Fluor Corporation

Free Technologies Engineering

Future-tech

Gottlieb Paludan Architects

Granlund Group

GreenMDC

Haka Moscow

ICT Facilities

IDOM

IMOS

ISG

JCA Engineering

JERLAURE

Kirby Group Engineering

KKCG Group

Linesight

Mace

M+W Group (EXYTE)

Mercury

Metnor Construction

MT Hojgaard

Nicholas Webb Architects (NWA)

NORMA Engineering

Oakmont Construction

PM Group

PORR Group

PQC (Power Quality Control)

Quark

Qumak

Ramboll Group

RED

Royal HaskoningDHV

STARCHING

STO Building Group

STRABAG

STS Group

Sweco

TECHKO

Tetra Tech

TPF

TTSP

Turner & Townsend

Warbud

Winthrop Engineering and Contracting

YIT

ZAUNERGROUP

Key Data Center Investors

3data

3S Group

Amazon Web Services

Artnet

Aruba

Apple

atNorth

Bahnhof

Beyond.pl

China Mobile

ClusterPower

Colt Data Centre Services (COLT DCS)

CyrusOne

DATA4

DigiPlex

Digital Realty

Echelon Data Centres

EcoDataCenter

EdgeConneX (EQT Infrastructure)

Equinix

Euclyde Data Centers

Facebook

Global Switch

Google

Green Mountain (AZRIELI GROUP)

Iron Mountain (IO)

IXcellerate

KDDI

Liberty Global

Magenta Telekom

Microsoft

Mobile Tele Systems (MTS)

Neterra

Netia

NDC-GARBE Data Centers Europe

NTT Global Data Centers

Orange Business Services

Proximity Data Centres

Rostelecom Data Centers (RTK-DC)

T5 Data Centers

Telecom Italia Sparkle

Vantage Data Centers

Virus Data Centers (ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC))

VK Cloud Solutions (MAIL.RU)

Yandex



New Entrants

AtlasEdge

AQ Compute

Global Technical Realty

Nautilus Data Technologies

Stratus DC Management





Explore our data center knowledge base profile to know more about the industry.

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HOUSTON, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- David Howell's new release, Breaking Into Prison, presents God's unfathomable love, grace, and kindness through the showcasing of God's glorious working through the transformation of an unredeemed life to be filled with zeal to spread the Gospel to prisons and detention centers across the United States and abroad. God in His kindness brought the author out of his old ways of being self-centered, a drug addict, an alcoholic and a womanizer to reveal an unending story of God's abundant Grace.

Prison evangelist, multi-published Christian author and businessman, David Howell, has a call from God to "Reach millions with the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Yet, this book is not a biography on David Howell. This book reveals how God wastes nothing, even past failures, and creates a new vessel of honor and glory to represent God and in such a way that is pleasing to God. Faith, hope and the new life in Christ are found. Freedom and peace can be one's portion in life.

Howell's book sheds light on the importance of the atonement of Christ, God's gracious gift of salvation, and is bringing freedom in Christ to millions of prisoners. His ministry and books offer an in-depth and an easy-to-understand format with Scripture and visual representation that helps prisoners grow spiritually. Foundational truths of coming to Jesus represents the importance of the regeneration of the spirit, the renewal of the mind in Christ Jesus and brings the truth of the Gospel in simple ways. David Howell also includes shocking statistics of prisons, jails, and detentions centers, that despite the common myth that Christian material is easy to come by in prison, the material is often missing and insufficient.

David Howell's nationwide prison ministry is serving the local prison, chaplains, and inmates with salvation and true discipleship. As founder of Prison Evangelism (www.prisonevangelism.com), his books have reached over 5 million in prison. Lives and families are being transformed through such. David Howell's Prison Evangelism's mission and goal is to fully "reach the incarcerated for Christ in Federal, State, and local prisons, jails, and detention centers throughout the United-States and beyond."

A hard copy of Breaking Into Prison will be mailed to media persons on request to: davidhowell@prisonevangelism.com.

As a multi-published author, David Howell, has published next step books such as: How to be a Child of God (Witness Edition), Fully Alive and Finally Free / Knowing God as Father, and Seeking God Through Prayer and Meditation.

Breaking Into Prison

Publisher  :  David Howell, Author (November 5, 2021)

Language :  English Paperback  :  244 pages

ISBN-13  :  978-0578923550

For more information about David Howell (author), his prison ministry, or his books, visit: prisonevangelism.com, howtobeachildofgod.com, or davidhowell@prisonevangelism.com or call him at 713-623-0690.

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GUILFORD, Conn., Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AI Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for rare diseases, today announced the appointment of Brigette Roberts, M.D. as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Roberts brings more than 20 years of experience in healthcare investment and biotechnology entrepreneurship to AI Therapeutics, which is part of 4Catalyzer, a Connecticut-based biotechnology accelerator founded by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg.



AI Therapeutics has a tremendous opportunity to help advance drug treatments for underserved patients suffering from rare diseases. There are over 7,000 known rare diseases, which collectively impact more than 25 million Americans, said Dr. Roberts. The vast majority of these diseases have no approved therapeutic options and disproportionately affect children, often leading to early death. I am honored to lead AI Therapeutics, as we work diligently to improve the prognosis for these patients, one disease at a time.

Serving as acting chief executive since May 2021, Dr. Roberts has fortified AI Therapeutics founding mission of bringing life-saving drugs to patients with rare diseases, raising more than $28 million in private investment capital to advance the Companys product pipeline. Under her leadership, the company initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial for a first-in-class therapy to treat patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)1, and set the groundwork for multiple Phase 2 studies with a novel therapeutic approach for pulmonary sarcoidosis, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)2.

We are extremely fortunate that Dr. Roberts has chosen to bring her talent and energy to AI Therapeutics, stated Dr. Murat Gunel, Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Yale University and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of AI Therapeutics. As an investor and entrepreneur, she has a proven track record of identifying and cultivating promising biotechnology companies. I am confident that her expertise, commitment and drive will bring our transformative therapies forward to patients in need.

About Brigette Roberts, M.D.

Dr. Roberts joined AI Therapeutics after serving as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Fortress Biotech. Prior to this, she spent over fifteen years in healthcare investing as a portfolio manager at hedge funds including Third Point, CDP Capital, Angel Lane Principal Strategies, DKR Capital and her own hedge fund, YYC Capital, which landed her on the Fortune 40 under 40: Ones to Watch list. Over her investment career, she conducted activist work in several biotechnology companies, including Ligand Pharmaceuticals where she served as a Board Member. Dr. Roberts holds an M.D. degree from NYU and a B.A. degree in Physics and Chemistry from Harvard.

About AI Therapeutics

AI Therapeutics was founded by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg, serial entrepreneur and Recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for inventing high speed Next-Gen DNA sequencing, with the goal of utilizing artificial intelligence to accelerate the clinical development of drugs for rare diseases. The company is building out an expansive rare disease pipeline with the help of its Guardian Angel Platform, a suite of artificial intelligence tools that use deep learning to understand complex disease biology and the action of potential new therapeutics. To learn more, visit: AI-Therapeutics.com.

About 4Catalyzer

AI Therapeutics is part of biotechnology accelerator 4Catalyzer, which has launched Butterfly Network, Quantum-Si, Hyperfine and Liminal Sciences, Detect, Tesseract, and Protein Evolution. All of the 4Catalyzer companies strive to transform 21st century medicine and improve our planet by solving todays most challenging problems across life science research tools, medical devices, therapeutics and the environment. To learn more, visit: 4Catalyzer.com.

_________________

1 AIT-101 is a first-in-class, highly selective PIKfyve kinase inhibitor currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with ALS.

2 LAM-001 is the first inhaled formulation of rapamycin, under development for the treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis, BOS, and PAH.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/db59eb58-9ba3-4889-9237-5ccef398970e




French English

New global survey finds businesses using spreadsheets for cash management twice as likely to have high number of overdue invoices



42% of businesses still reliant on spreadsheets reported a high ratio of late payments

This figure almost halved to 22% for those using dedicated software

72% of teams that only use spreadsheets to manage payment delays are unsatisfied

79% of respondents say that Artificial Intelligence and automation will be a strategic priority

Sidetrade, has today revealed the detrimental impact spreadsheets have on business teams effectiveness, in Cash Culture Pulse 2022.

Cash Culture Pulse 2022 , conducted by Sidetrade, interviewed international firms across the UK, Europe, US, Asia and the Middle East to explore ways to improve efficiencies in the management of unpaid invoices in B2B and the current cash culture trends.

Key to this new study was a focus on measuring the direct impact of the use of accounts receivable software in improving the cash collection results:

It revealed that 42% of finance teams still heavily reliant on spreadsheets reported a high ratio of late payments overall (15%).

Conversely, this number was almost halved (22%) for finance teams that use a cash and credit management software.

Nearly  of teams using spreadsheets are unsatisfied

Cash Culture Pulse 2022 provided insight into how businesses track customer payments, and measured the satisfaction and expectations of the teams in charge of this business area:

While 87% of finance teams still relying on spreadsheets to manage accounts receivables - either fully or partially - 72% claim to be dissatisfied with the process.

In contrast, 80% of teams that use a dedicated solution to manage this process are satisfied.

Artificial Intelligence: a strategic priority for cash & credit management

While 61% of finance departments are not taking full advantage of new technologies, this trend is expected to change in the coming years, as 79% of respondents say Artificial Intelligence and automation will be a strategic priority to generate cash faster and more efficiently.

In the fallout from the pandemic, cash culture has been positioned higher on business leaders agendas, as companies look to secure and accelerate cash flow generation and establish a 360 vision on the whole Order-to-Cash cycle. This paradigm shift provides seamless collaboration among Finance, Sales and Support functions and ensures that Finance has the best technologies available.

Sidetrades CFO, Philippe Gangneux, commented: It's clear that spreadsheets have an increasing number of limits and complexities. Now intelligent technologies support changing methods of delivering enterprise business capabilities. CFOs have a vested interest in including these intelligent technologies in their new roles and new challenges, or risk missing opportunities to optimize value and drive growth. The modern CFO should now take advantage of AI technology to streamline financial processes, particularly in cash management, and receivables.

Beyond this, there are a whole host of other ways in which spreadsheets prevent finance leaders from reaching their potential; they limit an organizations ability to instill a cash culture, they dont provide any intelligent recommendations, and they cannot promote data centricity and visibility across the business. The crisis we have been through has revealed the importance of securing cash flows, and more and more financial leaders are recognizing the benefit of working with a dedicated technology for enhanced Order-to-Cash performance.



Media relations

Becca Parlby

+44 7824 5055 84 / bparlby@sidetrade.com

About Cash Culture Pulse 2022 (see here )

Cash Culture Pulse 2022 is a three-part study, conducted by Sidetrade in the last quarter of 2021, and gives a realistic and uncompromising view of the characteristics and trends of cash culture.

The quantitative data provided, along with qualitative information from businesses, offer invaluable insights for finance departments seeking to secure and accelerate cash flow.149 businesses across North America, Europe, UK & IE, Middle East and Asia were surveyed as part of the study.

About Sidetrade ( www.ww.sidetrade.com )

Sidetrade (Euronext Growth: ALBFR.PA) is a fast-growing international SaaS company unlocking customer value. Sidetrades next-generation AI, nicknamed Aimie, analyzes huge amounts of B2B customer payment behavior data to intelligently automate the Order-to-Cash process. Based on predictive analytics, Aimie delivers actionable recommendations in real time to enhance retention, up-sell/cross-sell, and cash collection. Aimie is a real gamechanger in augmented intelligence- a system whereby individuals and machines work together faster and smarter, in complementary ways. Sidetrade has a global reach, with 250 talented employees based in Paris, London, Birmingham, Dublin, Amsterdam, Houston, and Calgary, serving clients in 80 countries. Over 2,700 businesses of all sizes in a range of industries count on Sidetrade technology to outperform the competition. Amongst them: KPMG, Nespresso, Hearst, Expedia, Manpower, Veolia, Inmarsat, and Bidfood,

For further information, visit us at www.sidetrade.com and follow us on Twitter @Sidetrade.

In the event of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of this press release, only the English version is to be taken into account.







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WORCESTER, Mass., Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "AdCare is pleased to welcome George S. Farrell to its boards of directors for AdCare Rhode Island in North Kingstown and AdCare Hospital in Worcester, MA," announced Fred Trapassi, Regional CEO for the Northeast.

The retired Chief of the Providence Rhode Island Fire Department has served as COO of AACs Sunrise House Treatment Center in Lafayette, NJ, and in 2021, was named Man of the Year by the Rhode Island Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for his outstanding fundraising efforts.

Founder and Chair of the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub, Farrell is also passionate about taking veterans in assisted living facilities and nursing homes on once-in-a-life-time trips to our capitol. He not only raises the funds to pay for the veterans trip expenses, but also orchestrates trip logistics, and flies veterans to Washington, D.C.

October 30th of 2021 was Farrells first Honor Flight in two years, due to COVID and his 25th in nine years. Formerly the Chairman of the Rhode Island Fire Safety Code Board of Appeal and Review, he describes himself as a safety task master who takes gold standard precautions for COVID while in the air, on buses, eating, and visiting memorials such as the Arlington National Cemetery.

Experience matters. AdCare is a pioneer in the field of substance use treatment, providing hospital-based care in Worcester, MA for over 45 years, AdCare/AAC also operate a residential treatment program in North Kingstown, RI, and outpatient/telehealth services throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. AdCare joined American Addiction Centers, a leading, national provider of substance use treatment, in March of 2018.

Contact: Mary Beth Papcsy AdCare - Media Relations 508-799-9000, ext. 4058 mpapcsy@contactaac.com










CHONGQING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Julio Cruz, a 30-year-old Mexican, came to southwest China's Chongqing Municipality as an exchange student in 2012, the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Mexico.

He was among the first Mexican students to study in the city. A decade later, he is still in Chongqing and deeply in love with the city.

As China and Mexico usher in the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year, Cruz is preparing to embrace his new role in Chongqing: chairman of a local China-Mexico chamber of commerce.

Cruz came to Chongqing due to his late application for the exchange program, as Chongqing was his only choice. "When I knew the result, I thought it would be a nightmare. I knew nothing about Chongqing and I could not speak any Chinese at that time," he said.

However, the seemingly strange city offered him a homely warmth. As he went out and made new friends in China, he soon fell in love with the mountainous city and took many pictures of Chongqing's developed urban landscape.

He also met his wife during the exchange program and decided to pursue a master's degree in this city.

After graduating, he opened a Mexican restaurant in Chongqing and became its owner and chef, achieving popularity as the locals have a taste for spicy food just like those native to his homeland of Mexico. "I believe Mexican food has a huge market," he said.

His restaurant developed a large customer base beyond his initial expectations, and some regulars could be seen in tears when he closed the eatery in 2018.

Cruz began to operate foreign trade businesses after his short career as a chef. He now runs a consulting agency for companies based in Chongqing or Mexico, helping those located in one of the two countries to start businesses in the other.

"Everyone knows Beijing and Shanghai, but Chongqing, the major motorcycle supplier for Mexico, is easy to get ignored. However, it has large potential to develop," said Cruz.

He said that in recent years, Mexico has been paying more attention to Chongqing, and Chongqing has also been eyeing the opportunities in the North American market.

In 2012, the Mexican company Nemak established a branch in Chongqing with an investment of almost 130 million U.S. dollars, marking the launch of Mexico's first foreign investment program in China. In 2021, the 14th China-Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Business Summit was held in Chongqing.

In 2021 alone, the trade value between Chongqing and Mexico was 14 billion yuan (about 2.2 billion U.S. dollars), up 6.1 percent year on year, of which exports totaled 11.88 billion yuan at an annual increase of 20.1 percent.

Cruz witnessed the new cultural bond that was established between Chongqing and Mexico. In 2021, Chongqing's Fengdu County established a sister-city relationship with Guanajuato in Mexico.

Cruz now regards himself as half Mexican and half Chongqing local.

"Coming to China is life-changing. I love Chongqing very much and I want to connect Chongqing with the market of North America, not just Mexico's," he said. 
Tampa, Fla., USA, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AACSB International (AACSB) announces that Athabasca University (AU) has earned business accreditation for its Faculty of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting learners, educators, and businesses worldwide.

AACSB accreditation recognizes institutions that have demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curriculum development, and student learning, said Stephanie M. Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB. We congratulate Athabasca University on earning accreditation and applaud former dean Deborah Hurst and the entire Faculty of Business teamincluding the administration, faculty, staff, and studentsfor their roles in earning this respected honor.

We know that learners, faculty, and the broader community take established and trustworthy accreditations seriously, said Peter Scott, president of Athabasca University. Achieving such highly regarded accreditation sends a signal to the world that AUs Faculty of Business is among the worlds very best, and that our graduates are positioned to excel in their careers and the communities they serve. On behalf of the AU community, I congratulate the team at the Faculty of Business on this momentous achievement.

Synonymous with the highest standards of quality, AACSB accreditation inspires new ways of thinking within business education globally. As a result, less than 6 per cent of the world's schools offering business degree programs hold AACSB business accreditation.

AACSB accreditation ensures continuous improvement and provides focus for schools to deliver on their mission, innovate, and drive impact. AACSB-accredited schools have successfully undergone a rigorous review process conducted by their peers in the business education community, ensuring that they have the resources, credentials, and commitment needed to provide students with a first-rate, future-focused business education.

Athabasca Universitys commitment to earning accreditation is a true reflection of their dedicationnot only to their students, alumni network, and greater business community, but to the higher education industry as a whole, said Bryant. Todays students are tomorrows business leaders, and the addition of the Faculty of Business to the network of AACSB-accredited business schools will have a lasting positive impact for their institution, both locally and globally.
NAPLES, Fla., Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tuesday, February 8, was an important event for the IT industry. During Diia Summit 2022 held in Kyiv with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the special legal framework of Diia City was officially launched, as well as presented new electronic services in Diia.



For the live broadcast record follow the link .

Intetics supports IT industry development and actively participates in tech progress and initiatives.

"Indeed, the idea is fine and Intetics supports it from the very beginning. Yet, the big boys should dive first. Then the majority of Ukraine IT will join. Overall, DiiaCity is a great step forward, congratulations everyone!"

Boris Kontsevoi, President and CEO, Intetics Inc.

Discover IT leaders opinions (RUS/UKR versions).

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted law No. 4303 introducing special tax conditions for residents of Diia City.

Thus, the Parliament introduced a special regime for Ukrainian IT companies, which the Ministry of Digital Transformation developed.

Basic principles of functioning: voluntary entry, freedom of activity (all residents have the right to choose forms of cooperation with third parties), non-interference of the state, presumption of legality of residents, stability (special regime is introduced for at least 25 years), extraterritoriality  the regime will operate in any corner of the country.





Components of Diia City: favorable tax system  income tax of 18% or distributed profit tax of 9%, UST at the level of 22% of the minimum wage, personal income tax of 5% and military tax of 1.5%; flexible forms of cooperation with IT specialists  gig contracts that combine the benefits of freelance and social guarantees; guarantees of intellectual property protection; elements of English law that facilitate access to investment; guarantees of protection of the person and property from illegal intervention of security officers.

Joining Diia City is voluntary. The special regime will operate in parallel with the current conditions of IT development. Thanks to Diia City, IT companies will pay lower taxes, be able to build a transparent corporate structure and have better access to investment.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire -- IBN (InvestorBrandNetwork), a multifaceted communications organization with 50+ brands such as CryptoCurrencyWire, is pleased to announce that it has been chosen by Chain of Events to serve as an official newswire for its upcoming events.



Chain of Events is an innovative conference organizer hosting multiple high-level events across Europe and internationally. The next two events include Paris Blockchain Week Summit and Paris NFT Day.

We are pleased to be collaborating with IBNs CryptoCurrencyWire and having its team provide online coverage of our events. We have been impressed with the extensive reach of IBN and its growing number of brands, which will play a key part in ensuring that our message gets to as many blockchain enthusiasts as possible. As we focus on promoting the upcoming blockchain events, it is crucial to have a partner that can bring attention from the right audiences, and we believe that IBN is well placed to achieve this, said Arnaud Damien, Head of Global Marketing for Chain of Events.

Jonathan Keim, Communications Director of IBN, said, We are excited to be working alongside Chain of Events this year. The team has a proven history of producing incredibly successful events in rapidly growing industries, and we look forward to being part of both Paris Blockchain Week Summit 2022 and Paris NFT Day.

Paris NFT Day will take place at the historic Parisian Landmark Palais Brogniart on April 12, 2022. Participants are looking forward to a deep dive into the basics of NFTs and blockchain technology, with the event expected to bring together 1,500+ attendees and 70+ speakers. With the NFT space undergoing rapid changes every day, this event will link attendees and pioneers of the technology who will be diving into metaverses and exploring the endless possibilities that come with it. In addition to this, the event will offer a platform that will also let collectibles projects explain why and how they became so successful.

Prominent industry actors will have the opportunity to share their vision for the NFT space and highlight the hottest use cases and the promising ones. Speakers will include Sebastien Borget, Co-founder and COO of the Sandbox; Rayan Boutaleb, Founder of Cyber (Metaverse); Julien Bouteloup, Founder of Blackpool Finance; and Jenkins The Valet, Founder of The Writers Room.

Highlights of the Paris NFT Day will include the opportunity to physically print NFTs thanks to the partnership between the events owners and Solid NFT. There will also be a virtual reality gallery where attendees can discover and immerse themselves in the future of museums and art exhibitions through a carefully curated gallery of NFTs.

Paris Blockchain Week Summit (PBWS) is the flagship event of Paris Blockchain Week and is scheduled to take place on April 13-14, 2022, at Palais Brogniart. The gathering is expected to bring together more than 3,000 attendees, 70 sponsors, 250 speakers and 100 media partners.



For two days, PBWS will host sessions about traceability, leveraging blockchain on the innovation journey, digital governance, what's been built in 2021/2022, the state of digital asset liquidity, international regulatory cooperation and much more.

The third in this series of events, PBWS will feature keynotes, panels, conferences, workshops, hackathons and parties to enhance attendee engagement. Whether you are involved in open finance, public policy, enterprise blockchain or tech building, the event will cater to all participants needs. Some of the discussion topics that participants should expect include: Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) - How to Implement Corporate governance; The role of Stablecoins in a Decentralized ecosystem; Regulation of digital assets - How to protect Stakeholders; Blockchain as a tool towards a carbon-neutral ecosystem and many more.

The event will also feature well-known speakers such as Tim Draper, Founder and Managing Partner of Draper Associates, DFJ and the Draper Venture Network; Ryan Selkis, CEO and Co-founder of Messari; and Matt West, Yearn Developer and Democratic Candidate for Oregon's 6th US House District. In addition, more renowned speakers from the best blockchain and digital asset companies globally will share their stories and insights on the market and its prospects.

About IBN

IBN (InvestorBrandNetwork) consists of financial brands introduced to the investment public over the course of 15+ years. With IBN, we have amassed a collective audience of millions of social media followers. These distinctive investor brands aim to fulfill the unique needs of a growing base of client-partners. IBN will continue to expand our branded network of highly influential properties, leveraging the knowledge and energy of specialized teams of experts to serve our increasingly diversified list of clients.

Through NetworkNewsWire (NNW) and its affiliate brands, IBN provides: (1) access to a network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets; (3) enhanced press release solutions to ensure maximum impact; (4) full-scale distribution to a growing social media audience; (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions; and (6) a total news coverage solution.

For more information, please visit https://www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com.

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PARIS, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapid.Space, the Fully Open 5G-converged cloud provider, has created a tri-sector 4G/5G base station (BBU or DU/CU) based on Open Compute Project's Aowanda servermanufactured by MITAC.

Each Aowanda sled runs a Xeon Gold 5320T CPU and Amarisoft stack, as well as open-source components such as SlapOS OSS/BSS, babel latency optimised router, and scikit-learn AI engine. Each sled can drive three 5G NR sectors of 100 MHz in DL MIMO 4x4 - UL SISO. Only 55% of the total CPU power was used with 0.66 ms remaining budget. In a separate test, one sled could drive a single sector of 100 MHz in DL MIMO 4x4 - UL MIMO 4x4 with less than 25% of the total CPU power and 0.66 ms remaining budget. This leaves many resources for carrier aggregation or edge computing applications. It also allows deployment of remote units up to 66km away from the Aowanda server for optimised operation cost.

MITAC Aowanda edge server is one of the most promising servers from the Open Compute Project portfolio for vRAN applications based on 3rd-Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors. Its compact form factor and power efficiency design are ideal for telecom operators deploying vRAN based on SimpleRAN.

"SimpleRAN open-source OSS/BSS supports mass operation of Aowanda fleets which are typical of converged 5G edge clouds such as Rapid.Space. In partnership with Amarisoft stack's 5G software and Rapid.Space's integration, it offers an alternative 5G open-source solution for telecom operators," said Danny Hsu, Vice President of Server Infrastructure Business Unit of MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation.

Jean-Paul Smets, CEO of Rapid.Space, adds, "Current results based on a simulated radio unit (RU) driver are very promising. We hope to confirm them by March 2022 by connecting Aowanda server to a fronthaul switch over eCPRI."

"Amarisoft pure software stack means that, with SimpleRAN, there is no need for FPGAs or proprietary hardware accelerator to deliver the best of 5G vRAN. As a consequence, hardware can be simpler, more compact and consume less power, just like MITAC's Aowanda server," said Franck Spinelli, CEO of Amarisoft.

Rapid.Space will be present at Mobile World Congress 2022: Hall 5 Stand 5H68

About Rapid.Space

Rapid.Space is a unique, high-performance, and "fully open" cloud provider committed to building an international cloud infrastructure focusing on openness, transparency, and reversibility. As co-founder of the SimpleRAN initiative and member of the Open Compute Project, Euclidia, Gaia-X and EANGTI, Rapid.Space strives to be at the forefront of next-generation cloud computing infrastructure development, making a case for its fully open architecture built from open-source software, open hardware, and open processes.

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LA and VANCOUVER, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of their Am I Dreaming? campaign that premiered during the Super Bowl LVI pre-game programming on NBC, Visit California launched an all-new immersive digital experience designed and built by global digital partner, Appnovation. Welcome to the DREAM Theater.

The DREAM Theater website greets users with an idyllic vista of California and entices them to explore a sideways-scrolling journey to discover Californias iconic attractions and thrilling adventures.

The site answers the question of Am I Dreaming? immediately with the title, Youre Not Dreaming, as it envelops the user in an immersive, engaging digital experience that proves that, as fantastic as it may seem, all this and more is possible in The Golden State.

Visitors can choose their journey by selecting from five key tourism categories: Beaches, Culinary, Family Attractions, Outdoors and Arts & Culture. Within each category, users discover places to visit, can build itineraries and road trips, and uncover fun facts about California, with the ability to click on any area of interest to explore further into the deep, rich content of the multi-award winning Visit California experience. Users can easily access travel videos, free travel guides, Visit Californias newsletter, the California Now podcast and information on California Welcome Centers.

Visit California exists to inspire travelers to plan their next trip to The Golden State. When concepting and building the DREAM Theater, we wanted to lean into that too-good-to-be-true feeling you get when planning the trip of your dreams, said Anton Morrison, VP Experience Design at Appnovation. Whether planning an adventure or just discovering the possibilities, DREAM Theater immerses users in a dream-like experience that is ALMOST as good as visiting the destination itself!

Additional design features of the new site include:

Horizontal Scrollytelling

Interactive scroll-based navigation adds to the sense of unreality, as users experience the same dreamlike quality as the Am I Dreaming? commercial. The digital story holds users' attention, as stunning visuals come to life as they go, making them want to keep scrolling to the very end.

Use of White Space to Allow Users Imaginations to Run Wild

The intentional use of white space allows users own imaginations to fill in the blanks and leaves room for different interpretations. The negative space background holds together the visual elements and multiple layers of imagery making them stand out, while improving the user experience, usability and navigation.

Motion Design that Creates a Parallax Effect

The illusion of depth on the site immerses users further into the dream narrative, adding whimsy and delight. The subtle but constant motion design and interactivity keeps users' attention as they explore the page further and supports the scrollytelling element of the site.

Rotoscope Animation

Creating a more intuitive and authentic user experience, rotoscoping gives a lifelike feel to the animation throughout the dreamscape. The human-centered design experience creates meaningful, more natural interactions for users, reducing cognitive load.

With scrolling imagery of the states unique vistas as the backdrop, this rich, multimedia experience incorporates video, photography, podcasts and motion design that bring the dreamy destination to life.

Appnovation worked with Visit California to design and develop the new website, providing art direction, concept design consulting, user experience design and strategy and programming services. The Appnovation team that worked on the digital experience was led by Anton Morrison and included Derek Lucchese, Dylan Gerard, Myles OLeary, Rose OHiggins, Robin Price, Sam Mason, Gavin Estey, Nathan Boutilier, Alexander Iannantuono, Ken So, Cathelijne Hornstra, Michael Parker, Danielle Dos Santos, Hala El Himer, Maxwell Rayman, Rajbeer Singh, David Langarica, Daniel Medeiros, Ilya Motrych, Hugo Serrano, Nataniel Dias, Nehba Namreen, Rubayat Muntasir, Shaffick Joomratty, Waqas Ahmed, Tim Kirby and Maryam Khalili.

More information about Visit Californias Am I Dreaming? campaign can be found here. The DREAM Theater is a continuation of Visit California and Appnovations award-winning relationship.

About Appnovation

Appnovation helps brands thrive through innovative, people-inspired experiences and solutions. By embracing the powerful combination of technology and agility, we seamlessly integrate strategy, experience, design, development and analytics.

We create standout digital experiences by collaborating with brands to understand the individual challenges and goals for every initiative. Focusing on our clients customers, we effectively combine empathy, evidence and real-world insight so that solutions are derived from truth and meaning. Appnovation is an award-winning team dedicated to inspiring possibility.

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New York, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on  Radiation Dose Management Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Service/Software (Radiation Dose Management Services and Radiation Dose Management Software), By Medium (Computed Tomography, Radiation and Mammography, Fluroscopy and Mammography, Others), End User (Hospitals, Research and Medical Institutes, Others).

The radiation dose management market growth is driven by the characterization of environmental nanoparticles, the growing concerns related to radiation exposure and rising cases of cancer demanding radiation therapy, growing focus on interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. The radiation dose management software segment dominated the global market and held the largest revenue share of 77.67% in 2021. North America is the fastest-growing region growing at the CAGR of 13.8% during 20212028.





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Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in US$ 270.32 million in 2021 Market Size Value by US$ US$ 646.87 million by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 13.3% from 2021 to 2028. Forecast Period 2021- 2028 Base Year 2021 No. of Pages 206 No. Tables 138 No. of Charts & Figures 78 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Service/Software, By Medium, End User Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends





Radiation Dose Management Market: Competition Landscape and Key Developments

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation; Bayer AG; Bracco Imaging S.p.A; GE Healthcare; Koninklijke Philips N.V.; Medsquare; Novarad Corporation; QAELUM INC; Sectra AB; and PACSHealth, LLC are among the key companies operating in the radiation dose management market. The market leaders adopt strategies such as new product launch, expansion and diversification, and acquisition, which allow them to tap into prevailing business opportunities.

In August 2021, GE Healthcare announced the installation of its latest version of the DoseWatch contrast and radiation monitoring software by Affidea. They further announced that Affidea's centers in Hungary are utilizing version 3.2 of GE's DoseWatch software, along with a new business intelligence tool that permits enhanced monitoring of dosing.





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In December 2020, Bayer AG announced the newest evolution of its enterprise dose management application, Radimetrics v3.0. Radimetrics 3.0 assists patient-care teams report, track, and manage radiation dose and contrast dose throughout the chain of care with enhanced functionality and features.

In 2021, North America dominated the radiation dose management market. The US holds the largest share of the market in this region. The market growth in the country is attributed to increasing concern on the exposure to high doses of radiation due to risks associated with ionizing radiation. However, shortage of well-equipped healthcare facilities and high installation costs of equipment hinder the market growth in the region.

Growing Concerns Related to Radiation Exposure Fuels Radiation Dose Management Market Growth:

Patient exposure to radiation has increased significantly over the past two decades. This is due to the increasing use of radiological procedures such as CT, fluoroscopy, and interventional imaging procedures, combined with an increase in the radiation doses used in these procedures. According to a study by the American Medical Association that analysed data from more than 135 million imaging exams in the United States and Ontario, Canada over the period 2000-2016, the annual increase in CT, MRI, and ultrasound exams was highest in the earlier years (i.e., between 2000 and 2006), but increased by 15% annually between 2012 and 2016 for most age groups. Unnecessary radiation exposure can result from using a radiation dose over that optimal to meet the clinical needs of a particular procedure. In diagnostic imaging modalities, higher tube currents are generally used for obese patients for the purpose of improving the image quality. For this reason, the risk of radiation exposure for obese patients is high. Historically, dose management has not been a significant concern for the medical community as their primary focus has been on image quality (where overexposure yielded better images). As a result, the doses of radiation used in procedures gradually increased. This increased the risk of overexposure to radiation in patients.





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Radiation Dose Management Market: Segmental Overview

Based on service / software, the global radiation dose management market is bifurcated into radiation dose management services and radiation dose management software. The market for the radiation dose management services segment is subsegmented into implementation and integration services, support and management services, and other services. The market for the radiation dose management software segment is further bifurcated into integrated software and standalone software. In 2021, the radiation dose management software segment held a larger share of ~77.67% of the market. Based on medium, the global radiation dose management market is segmented into computed tomography, radiation and mammography, fluoroscopy and mammography, and other medium. In 2021, the computed tomography segment held the largest share of ~42.54% of the market. Based on end user, the market is segmented into hospitals, research and medical institutes, and other end users. In 2021, the hospitals segment held the largest share of ~51.14% of the market.





















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The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.

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Nags Head, NC, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Accidents on the water are almost impossible to imagine, yet you may be stunned to learn that roughly 4,000 people a year in the United States pass away from drowning. Every second counts when it comes to search, rescue and recovery, and AquaEye is a device that is looking to completely transform the way underwater search operations are conducted. AquaEye is a handheld sonar device that helps to quickly locate and identify human bodies underwater. The device is able to scan 85,000 square feet in five minutes, sometimes making the difference between life and death.

Open waters are a notoriously dangerous place, therefore, the ability to quickly assess a scene with AquaEye is critical for rescue and recovery operations. AquaEye is a one-of-a-kind product and is rapidly being adopted by fire rescue, lifeguards, law enforcement and search and rescue teams. With the device responders can identify potential victims within seconds, speeding up the rescue or recovery and therefore reducing overall time and resources.

We were blown away by what AquaEye could detect, it has been an absolute gamechanger, says Mike Smith of Wings and Hope Search and Rescue, a non-profit that leads search and rescue missions for grieving families. As a family going through tragedy, you always hold out hope that the missing person is going to come home. AquaEye has cut down our search in half, allowing us to bring closure to families much faster. Being able to put someone to rest and begin the healing process is worth more than all the money in the world.

AquaEye aims to transform waterfront rescue the same way that AED machines improved the success rate of CPR. Search and rescue is a long, tedious process that is emotionally taxing for all involved, but when help is needed quickly, AquaEye is designed to be grab-and-go for crises. This durable handheld sonar needs only one emergency responder to operate and is ready for immediate shore-based deployment, cutting down search time significantly.

With over 115 teams in 31 states and 8 provinces employing AquaEye, it is proving to be a vital asset for water rescue and recovery work. AquaEyes distributor, Barrier Waterman LLC, is devoted to putting this device into the hands of as many emergency responders as possible. If you are interested in learning more about AquaEye or purchasing this device call Barrier Waterman LLC (877) 413-8332 or head to its website for more information: https://aquaeyeusa.com/.

###

AquaEye, launched in 2019, is distributed by Barrier Waterman LLC and developed by Vodasafe Inc. This device brings technology to water search, rescue, and recovery and transforms water rescue practices. The handheld sonar device is used to assist in finding missing persons in the water resulting in quicker victim recovery. AquaEye is ready at a moment's notice, speeding up rescue and recovery. With AquaEye, the need for additional recovery resources is reduced and closure is provided for all involved sooner.

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Old Bethpage, New York, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Millennium Investment & Acquisition Co. Inc. (Ticker: MILC) (MILC or the Company) today announced that it has changed its name to Millennium Sustainable Ventures Corp. As announced earlier this year MILC, is seeking deregistration as a 1940 Act Company and pivoting to operating businesses rather than investing in securities. MILC currently has two lines of business: sustainable cultivation of Cannabis in greenhouses through Millennium Cannabis and sustainable production of Activated Carbon through Millennium Carbon. The name change is appropriate as we work to complete the deregistration process.



David Lesser, Chairman and CEO commented, Millennium Sustainable Ventures is excited to announce its new name which more reflects the environmentally-friendly business focus it now has for its areas of focus: Sustainable Cannabis Cultivation in greenhouses and Sustainable production of Activated Carbon. Our name change is reflective of our businesss core mission, driving shareholder value through environmentally conscious practices. Simply put, if it is not economically viable, it is not sustainable. We are focused on the triple bottom line - profits, planet and people.

Millennium Cannabis

Millennium Cannabis is taking a sustainable approach to cannabis cultivation through Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) in the form of greenhouses. Greenhouses significantly reduce carbon footprint by lowering the energy cost of cultivation by growing under natural sunlight compared to indoor cultivation which requires a higher level of supplemental lighting. Lower construction cost and HVAC demand of greenhouses also significantly reduce resource use and energy demands.

Millennium Cannabis currently has three greenhouse cultivation locations:

Colorado

Millennium Cannabis currently operates a 22.2-acre property in Walsenburg, CO. Upon completion of improvements, the site will have approximately 102,000 square feet of greenhouse and related space. The Walsenburg facility was a distressed acquisition that had ceased operations. We commenced the rehabilitation of the property in May, 2021, and are now operational. During 2021, we harvested and processed our first crops and sales are underway.

Colorado is a relatively mature market. After a very frothy year in 2020 for cannabis, cultivation increased dramatically in 2021. Given the reduction in tourism to Colorado, demand growth has slowed. Accordingly, wholesale cannabis prices hit all-time lows starting in late 2021. The current low prices are likely below the production costs for indoor cultivation facilities. Since Millennium Cannabis is focused on greenhouse cultivation, we believe we have a sustainable approach based on our lower cultivation costs. This should position us well when prices recover but the climate for sales of our inventory remains challenging.

Millennium Cannabis is currently building a Marijuana Infused Products (MIP) manufacturing facility. This project will allow us to create THC extracts from the plants we grow as well as process plant material from third-party cultivation facilities. THC extracts are used to produce a variety of consumption form factors which continue to increase in market share relative to smokable flower. The price for THC extract has not compressed as significantly and we believe the MIP can be part of a strategic solution for Millennium Cannabis in Colorado in the near term.

Oklahoma

Millennium Cannabis currently operates a 9.35-acre property in Vinita, OK. The site features 40,000 square feet of greenhouse and related space and approximately 100,000 square foot outdoor growing area. The Vinita facility was a distressed property operated by an undercapitalized operator. We commenced the rehabilitation of the property in June, 2021, and are now fully operational. During 2021, we harvested and processed our first crops and sales are underway.

In Oklahoma, there was significant large-scale outdoor cultivation that came online in the summer of 2021 which has caused significant wholesale price compression. Since Millennium Cannabis is focused on greenhouse cultivation, we believe we have a sustainable approach based on our lower cultivation costs relative to indoor cultivation, however, greenhouse cultivation certainly can have a somewhat higher cost than outdoor cultivation. The quality of greenhouse cultivation should be favorable relative to outdoor cultivation. Millennium Cannabis is currently evaluating strategic options to adapt to the current environment in Oklahoma.

Michigan

In September 2021, Millennium Cannabis entered into a lease to operate what will be Michigans largest cannabis cultivation facility and one of the largest in the United States. The state-of-the-art, 566,146 square-foot greenhouse facility features advanced cultivation controls and a best-in-class irrigation/fertigation system. We are currently pursuing final local and state approvals and licenses required to commence operations. We are actively working on a variety of improvements to the facility for efficient cannabis cultivation and believe we will be in a position to start growing plants immediately upon obtaining all of the required approvals.

Jared Schrader, President of Millennium Cannabis added, We have built a strong team and commenced cultivation including developing operating procedures and successfully created inventory to sell during 2021. Unfortunately, the wholesale market has not cooperated in Colorado and Oklahoma, and we continue to evaluate all strategies given the current environment. In Colorado we are adding a MIP which should help drive sales and income going forward. The current environment challenges may also present opportunistic transactions that we are exploring. We are excited to commence cultivation in Michigan where we are seeking to become the largest producer of cannabis at a cost competitive price by growing at a large scale in a greenhouse. Once our Michigan greenhouse comes online, MILC will have one of the largest multi-state cannabis cultivation footprints in the United States. We remain steadfast in our commitment to greenhouse cultivation as a sustainable approach relative to indoor cultivation which is the predominant approach in the cannabis industry.

Millennium Carbon

Millennium Carbon, LLC (MillCarbon) is a wholly owned subsidiary that is currently developing a novel technology for the sustainable production of Activated Carbon. The primary feedstock for the production of Activated Carbon is coal and the overall process has a very high carbon footprint. Our proprietary technology will use carbon dense waste streams that often represent disposal problems as its feedstock. In doing so, MillCarbon not only solves a waste disposal problem but also generates Activated Carbon that can be used in industry for purification and filtration. MillCarbons sustainable Activated Carbon production has the potential off-set more carbon than is released in the process.

MillCarbon has constructed a proof-of-concept pilot-scale plant in Kentucky, using novel technology to produce Activated Carbon from a waste stream (Stillage) that is available in large quantities from Bourbon distilleries which is a large industry in Kentucky and which represents a significant waste problem that is impacting the industry. MillCarbon believes that the bourbon industry in Kentucky generates in excess of 1 billion gallons per year of Stillage and this represents a significant environmental disposal problem. Initial results from the operation of the pilot-scale plant are encouraging. To build the pilot plant, MILC, through its wholly owned subsidiary, MillCarbon purchased several used pieces of equipment at a fraction of the cost of new equipment in order to construct a plant capable of establishing the viability of the process beyond a lab-scale demonstration. To date, MillCarbon has operated this pilot plant and believes that the concept is valid and can be scaled to a commercial operation. MillCarbon is currently formulating a plan for a commercial scale Activated Carbon plant based on the experience with the pilot plant.

Millennium HI Carbon, LLC (MHC) is a wholly owned subsidiary that acquired an Activated Carbon plant in Hawaii (the Hawaii Plant) that was intended to produce a very high-grade form of Activated Carbon for the production of ultracapacitors which are an advanced electrical storage device. During the first half of 2019, MHC concluded that the Hawaii Plant was not capable of producing consistent results and has made efforts to minimize overhead and cash drain while it seeks a strategic alternative for the Hawaii Plant.

Updated Website and Investor Deck

Millennium Sustainable Holdings has established a new website and posted an updated investor deck which is available on our website: http://www.millsustain.com/

Deregistration as a 1940 Act Company

During 2020, MILC announced that it was seeking to de-register as an Investment Company that is regulated under Investment Company Act of 1940. MILC is currently seeking an Order from the SEC declaring that it has ceased to be an Investment Company as it no longer meets the definition of holding itself out as investing in securities but rather has pivoted to focus on direct investments in operating businesses.

On October 14, 2020, shareholders approved a proposal to change the nature of the Companys business from a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) and to a holding company that focuses primarily on owning and operating businesses (collectively, the Deregistration Proposal). The Company is in the process of implementing the Deregistration Proposal so that it is no longer an investment company under the 1940 Act and has applied to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) for an order under the 1940 Act declaring that the Company has ceased to be an investment company (the Deregistration Order).

On January 21, 2022, MILC filed its third amendment to its application for deregistration. On February 2, 2022, the SEC issued a notice that it was commencing the 25-day public review period in response to MILCs application. The SEC notice is available using the following link:

https://www.sec.gov/rules/icdereg/2022/ic-34495.pdf

If there are no objections, it is anticipated that MILC will receive the Deregistration Order shortly after the 25-day notice period expires. There can be no assurance as to when or if the Deregistration Order will be finalized.

ABOUT MILLENNIUM SUSTAINABLE VENTURES CORP.

Millennium Sustainable Ventures Corp. (ticker: MILC), with a focus on the Triple Bottom Line and a commitment to Profit, Planet and People currently has two areas of focus:

sustainable cultivation in greenhouses

sustainable production of Activated Carbon.

Additional information about MILC can be found on its website: www.millsustain.com

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements are those that predict or describe future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. You can generally identify forward-looking statements as statements containing the words "believe," "expect," "will," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "project," "plan," "assume", "seek" or other similar expressions, or negatives of those expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements contained in this document regarding our future strategy, future operations, future prospects, the future of our industries and results that might be obtained by pursuing management's current or future plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements because the matters they describe are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our forward-looking statements are based on the information currently available to us and speak only as of the date of the filing of this document. Over time, our actual results, performance, financial condition or achievements may differ from the anticipated results, performance, financial condition or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, and such differences may be significant and materially adverse to our security holders.

CONTACT:
Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States

TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIMCO Canada Corp. (PIMCO Canada) is pleased to announce today that it has declared monthly distributions on its Class A Units (the Units) of the PIMCO Canada closed end funds (the Funds). The distributions will be paid on March 14, 2022 to the holders of record at the close of business on February 28, 2022.

Details of the distribution amounts are as follow:

Fund Name Ticker Cash Distribution

per Unit Change from

Previous

Month Percentage

Change from

Previous Month PIMCO Global Income Opportunities Fund PGI.UN $0.05688 - - PIMCO Tactical Income Fund PTI.UN $0.05208 - - PIMCO Tactical Income Opportunities Fund PTO.UN $0.05000 - -

Unitholders are reminded that each Fund offers a distribution reinvestment plan (DRIP) which will provide unitholders with the ability to automatically reinvest their distributions. Eligible unitholders are encouraged to contact the institution through which they hold their Units to confirm enrollment procedures and timelines. A copy of the DRIP is available at www.pimco.ca.

The Manager, PIMCO Canada, retains Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), to provide investment management services to the Funds.

About PIMCO

PIMCO was founded in 1971 in Newport Beach, California and is one of the worlds premier fixed income investment managers. Today we have offices across the globe and 3,000+ professionals united by a single purpose: creating opportunities for investors in every environment. PIMCO is owned by Allianz S.E., a leading global diversified financial services provider.

This is not an offer to sell Units and not a solicitation of an offer to buy Units in any region where the offer or sale is not permitted. Before you invest, you should carefully read the Funds disclosure documents and consider carefully the risks you assume when you invest in the Units. There can be no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objectives or be able to structure its investment portfolio as anticipated. Copies of the Funds disclosure documents may be obtained from your financial advisor.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions expect, intend, will and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Funds. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect each Fund, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCOs current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, market factors. Although the Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors which affect this information, except as required by law.

You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell Units on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the TSX). If the Units are purchased or sold on the TSX, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying Units and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them. There are ongoing fees and expenses associated with owning Units. An investment fund must prepare disclosure documents that contain key information about the fund. You can find more detailed information about the Funds in these documents. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

Each Fund is a closed end exchange traded investment fund. Closed end funds, unlike open end funds, are not continuously offered. After the initial public offering, shares of closed end funds are sold on the open market through a stock exchange. For additional information, contact your financial advisor.

For a summary of the risks of an investment in each Fund, please see the Principal Risks of the Fund section of the prospectus. Units of closed end funds frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase risk of loss. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination.

PIMCO as a general matter provides services to qualified institutions, financial intermediaries and institutional investors. Individual investors should contact their own financial professional to determine the most appropriate investment options for their financial situation. This material contains the current opinions of the manager and such opinions are subject to change without notice. This material has been distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission. PIMCO is a trademark of Allianz Asset Management of America L.P. in the United States and throughout the world. 2022, PIMCO

The products and services provided by PIMCO Canada Corp. may only be available in certain provinces or territories of Canada and only through dealers authorized for that purpose.

PIMCO Canada has retained PIMCO as sub-adviser. PIMCO Canada will remain responsible for any loss that arises out of the failure of its sub-adviser.

PIMCO Canada Corp. 199 Bay Street, Suite 2050, Commerce Court Station, P.O. Box 363, Toronto, ON, M5L 1G2, 416-368-3350

Contact:

Agnes Crane

PIMCO  Media Relations

Phone: +212 597.1054
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week WeTip, the national anonymous tip reporting system, celebrates its 50th anniversary. From frightened children to the hunt for infamous serial killers, WeTip enables anyone to call, click or text a tip about a crime or suspicious activity to our national hotline.

Because of the two million anonymous crime reports that WeTip has received:

More than 20,000 criminal arrests have been made

400 murderers were arrested

951 robbery/burglary suspects were arrested

$340 million in drugs and narcotics were seized by law enforcement

902 wanted fugitives and 300 parole violators were captured

168 violent gang members have been arrested and taken out of neighborhoods

125 sex crime offenders went to prison

Helping Catch the Most Infamous Serial Killers

Working with law enforcement and television stations across the country, WeTip answered the call by actively taking 24/7 tips on the Night Stalker serial killer, the Hillside strangler, Jeffrey Dahmer and the Green River Killer as well as thousands of other media calls to capture dangerous criminals.

Because of WeTip, thousands of parents are hugging children whose lives might have been lost. Just imagine the children who didn't deal with the pain of abuse and the families who didn't bury a loved one because anonymous crime reports poured into WeTip, alerting law enforcement of the predators in their communities.

Turning a Crime Fighting Vision into Reality

It all began in February 1972 when WeTip's founders, Bill and Miriam Brownell, turned their vision for safer communities into a reality. They worked tirelessly to grow and expand this novel and innovative way to report a crime or incident without fear of reprisal. As the grandfather of all anonymous reporting hotline services, WeTip's founders blazed a trail that enabled communities, schools and businesses to join forces with WeTip in the War on Crime.

The 1970s and 1980s began a new era of community action and safety awareness. WeTip was at the forefront of the movement, leading the charge for safer neighborhoods. This quickly expanded anonymous reporting on all major crimes.

Agencies throughout America have partnered with WeTip to launch anonymous reporting on Arson, Human Trafficking, Bullying, Fraud, Bank Robbery, and Sexual Abuse. President Ronald Reagan lauded WeTip as a "shining example of true community involvement."

The Future of Anonymous Reporting

As we enter the next decade of growth, WeTip is now WeTip 2.0, powered by CatapultEMS. Our new solution provides interactive capabilities for law enforcement agencies to search and see tip data in their cities and counties. WeTip's new processes, hardware and software will empower the new WeTip website to receive tips for decades to come.

WeTip invites all communities, schools and businesses to join together for safer neighborhoods for us all.

Contact:

VANESSA TORRES

CALL: (909) 987-5005 Ext. 239

EMAIL: vtorres@wetip.com

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Related Images











Image 1: WeTip 2.0 Anniversary









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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China's Ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingqiao (2nd R) attends a ceremony on the issuance of a series of stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries at the Postal Palace in the historic center of the capital Mexico City, Mexico, Feb. 14, 2022. The stamps showcase two historical and cultural landmarks: the Dengfeng Observatory in China's Henan Province, and the Pyramid of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza, Mexico. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Various events have been held in Mexico to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mexico.

The Mexican Senate Monday celebrated bilateral ties with an event attended by various Mexican authorities, legislators and academics, as well as Chinese diplomats.

Mexico and China continue to endorse "a mutual commitment of loyalty and trust" after half a century of diplomatic relations, said Olga Sanchez Cordero, president of the Mexican Senate, when addressing the event.

"The 50 years of diplomatic relations are only the beginning of building the future together as fraternal countries," she said. "Today, the strength of our relationship is evident, which allows us to continue deepening it."

For his part, China's Ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingqiao said that regardless of changes in the international landscape over the 50 years, both countries "have always moved forward hand in hand in the correct direction," leading to political mutual trust that "has continuously deepened."

"The two countries have established comprehensive, multi-level and wide-ranging exchange and cooperation, achieving more than 80 major cooperation agreements," he said, adding that economic and trade cooperation between China and Mexico has expanded.

As part of the celebration, both in-person and virtual, a photography exhibition was inaugurated in the Senate's main courtyard, highlighting key meetings over the past half century which strengthened the friendly relations.

Moreover, a book titled "50 years of Diplomatic Relations between Mexico and China: Past, Present and Future" was presented after the event during the ordinary legislative session. The book was published by the Center for China-Mexico Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Belisario Dominguez Institute of the Mexican Senate.

On the same day, Mexico and China jointly issued a series of stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and a ceremony on the issuance was held at the Postal Palace in the historic center of the capital Mexico City.

The stamps showcase two historical and cultural landmarks: the Dengfeng Observatory in China's Henan Province, and the Pyramid of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza, Mexico.

"Both were astronomical observatories, which show the high level of development of ancient astronomy in the two countries, while representing a vivid portrait of the long history and splendid cultures of both countries and reflecting the cultures' similarities regarding respecting nature," Zhu said at the ceremony.

Director General of the Mexican Postal Service Rocio Barcena told Xinhua that the two historical landmarks selected spotlight the millennial cultures of China and Mexico, and the invaluable ancestral heritage, and that the issuance of joint stamp series "is a very significant act of friendship and consolidation of our relations."

China-Mexico diplomatic relations were established on Feb. 14, 1972 before being upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2013. 
Des Moines, IA, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Monday, February 14, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman , head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for Americas 32.5 million small businesses in President Bidens Cabinet, visited the Des Moines, Iowa metro area. Administrator Guzman joined U.S. Representative Cindy Axne to highlight the economic impact of President Joe Bidens American Rescue Plan, the SBAs Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program (SVOG), and other relief funding programs. The two leaders met with small business owners who utilized various SBA programs to assist with their economic recovery and discuss their continuing needs as our communities recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

Iowas small business community has been a driving force for our nations extraordinary recovery, seizing opportunities created under President Bidens leadership to deliver record-setting job creation and the strongest economic growth America has seen in 40 years, said Administrator Guzman. My thanks to Congresswoman Axne and all the small business owners, public servants, and local leaders who welcomed me on their main streets and shared insights so that our entire SBA team can help support the great ideas and entrepreneurs that are defining Iowas incredible small business economy.

Administrator Guzman kicked off her visit in Des Moines by traveling to West Des Moines and met with Rep. Axne. There, they visited Fox Brewing, a small business in the area, and met with owner Brian Fox who turned to the SBA for help and received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan after the pandemic hit. Fox used PPP funds to help keep his business open and employees on payroll.

Iowa business owners have proven they are creative, resilient, and determined to keep their doors open  no matter what challenges are thrown their way, said Rep. Axne. Im so grateful SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman joined me in Iowa to hear stories of perseverance directly from our business owners. Im thankful for the SBAs work in making sure the small businesses that anchor Iowas economy have equitable access to capital, programs, and the support they need to keep Iowa a great place to live and work.

While in West Des Moines, Administrator Guzman and Rep. Axne also met with the owners of MoMere, Kay Schiller and Meredith Wells. Schiller and Wells also benefited from SBAs programs like PPP and COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan during the pandemic. Administrator Guzman and Rep. Axne also met with the owner of St. Kilda Collective, Alex Hall, as well as the owner of El Fogon Mexican Grill, Blanca Plascencia.

In the afternoon, Administrator Guzman and Rep. Axne participated in a discussion about the SBAs SVOG program, which helped 136 venues in Iowa weather the pandemic. Administrator Guzman and Rep. Axne ended their visit with a small business owner roundtable at the Greater Des Moines Partnership, where they heard from small business owners about how SBA assistance helped keep them afloat and how they plan to navigate a changing small business landscape. In addition, they also discussed access to capital for minority and women-owned micro-businesses and how SBA's networks can ensure that small businesses are aware of SBA programs and services.

This visit marks the Administrators first official visit to the Des Moines area. In her first year in office, Administrator Guzman has visited 24 states and U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, and over 40 cities.

###

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov .

Attachments
English French

TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) today announced that FIS Financial Solutions, Canada Inc. has joined the organization as an affiliate member.

On behalf of our board and membership, I am pleased to welcome FIS Financial Solutions to IFIC, said Paul C. Bourque, President and CEO. With its expertise in the fintech space, IFIC looks forward to the unique perspective the firm will offer to ongoing industry discussions.

Founded in 1989, FIS Financial Solutions, Canada Inc. is part of FIS, a leading technology provider that connects merchants, banks, and capital markets. With more than 55,000 experts across 50+ countries, the company offers more than 450 solutions and processes over $79 billion transactions globally.

For more information on FIS, please visit www.fisglobal.com.

About IFIC

The Investment Funds Institute of Canada is the voice of Canadas investment funds industry. IFIC brings together approximately 150 organizations, including fund managers, distributors and industry service organizations, to foster a strong, stable investment sector where investors can realize their financial goals. By connecting Canadas savers to Canadas economy, our industry contributes significantly to Canadian economic growth and job creation.

For more information, please contact:

Pira Kumarasamy

Senior Manager, Communications and Public Affairs

pkumarasamy@ific.ca

416-309-2317
OGDEN, UTAH, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is facing new threats from potential adversaries who are rapidly developing new capabilities. The greatest limitation to maintaining dominance in the future is the amount of time it takes to field new opportunities. Because of this, the Department of the Air Force Digital Campaign was designed as an effort to move the acquisition and sustainment enterprise towards 21st Century digital capabilities and processes. This Digital Campaign will manage Air Force technical baselines from conception through sustainment. The desired end state is a collaborative, integrated digital environment that guides, orchestrates, and delivers the means for everyone across the enterprise to access the data, functions and elements needed to do a his or her job in a purely digital manner. This includes all functions, from acquisition to sustainment and beyond, not just engineering.

The DAF Digital Transformation Office (DTO) will be responsible for creating the digital governance structure and facilitating any digital acquisition transformation activities. This office is the first organization that will stand-up from an enterprise-wide perspective to address digital needs with a long-term perspective in mind, said James Kyle Hurst, chief of the DAF DTO. Though the office sits at AFMC, it carries a perspective for the entire Department of the Air Force acquisition community and encompass activities from research and development to fielding, sustainment and beyond  the entire cradle-to-grave of life cycle management.

The Ogden Catalyst Accelerator, powered by the DAF Digital Transformation Office, is currently accepting applications seeking Digital Data Strategy technologies for its 3-month Spring Accelerator. Applications are currently being accepted for small businesses and startups possessing dual-use technology that can be used by the Air Force. The problem statement this accelerator hopes to solve is:

How might we facilitate the development of an overarching acquisition and sustainment digital data strategy that allows for a secure and scalable cloud hybrid data environment?

The Department of the Air Forces Digital Transformation Office is seeking companies with innovative methodologies/technologies that will accelerate development of cloud hybrid data architectures and/or facilitate the development of an overarching data strategy for the enterprise while ensuring the movement of the data happens for Air Force users in real time, near-real time. The capability envisioned is an open architecture services platform which enables plug-and-play digital functionality including increased efficiency during the product development process, support for distributed teams working on common engineering objectives, and support for an online community of users sharing data and models and building software tools.

The DTO seeks digital transformation technologies to develop, demonstrate and validate advanced digital engineering and digital manufacturing tools to accelerate their adoption and implementation of data strategies within the Air Force enterprise. The disparate way data is currently being delivered is not keeping pace with tactical timelines of the threat. The desired end state is a collaborative, integrated digital environment that guides, orchestrates, and delivers the means for everyone across the enterprise to access the data, functions, and elements needed to do his or her job in a purely digital manner.

The Ogden Catalyst Accelerator team invites early-stage companies with innovative technologies pertaining to this call to apply for the inaugural cohort focused on Digital Data Strategies.

Digital Data Strategies use cases include the following: Overarching Air Force Acquisition Data Strategy; Data Integration; Data Governance; Data Strategy Training; Data Strategy Frameworks; Data Strategy Success metrics; Trusted access to common data storage; Management of data resources across the architecture; Data visualization and data-based/model-based decision making

The Digital Data Strategies Accelerator cohort kicks-off May 2nd. Several companies will participate in the accelerator, drawing on expertise from military and commercial Sherpas, Government leaders and consultants. Participant companies will make crucial connections within Government and industry that will enable them to promote their technology and advance their position in acquiring government contracts. The Digital Data Strategies cohort will conclude with a Demo Day event on July 25th attended by Government and commercial scouts.

The Ask Me Anything event for this accelerator is on February 24th at 1:00pm EST. For more information and to apply, go to https://catalystcampus.org/catalystaccelerator-ogden/.

About Ogden Catalyst Accelerator

The Ogden Catalyst Accelerator is headquartered on the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI) in Ogden, Utah. CCTI is a collaborative ecosystem where industry, small business, entrepreneurs, startups, government, academia, and investors intersect with Utahs aerospace and defense industry to create community, spark innovation, and stimulate business growth. The Ogden Catalyst Accelerator is a collaborative program hosted by Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI, a 501(c)3) in partnership with the United States Space Force, and the Air Force Research Laboratory to provide a robust, mentor-driven curriculum for accelerator teams.

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BURNABY, British Columbia, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Automotive Retailers Association (ARA) applauds todays announcement by the B.C. government that skilled trades certification is coming to the province in the near future. The association has long-advocated for skilled trades certification for the automotive repair sector, citing that British Columbia is the only Canadian province that does not already have such requirements in place.



The ARA states that automotive technology has advanced to the point where no one should be allowed to offer automotive repair and service without the proper training and qualifications, and believes that most British Columbians would be surprised to learn that no such requirements exist in the province at this time.

If two cars are approaching each other on the highway, going 120 km/h, they are really approaching one another at 240 km/h, which is the speed of a Formula 1 race car and, at present, there is no requirement that whoever fixed the brakes on either of those vehicles is certified in the trade, says ARA President and CEO, Adrian Scovell. Its crazy to think that there is no requirement for a person servicing your vehicle to be a certified in any way.

Modern vehicles are equipped with an array of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) -- automatic braking, lane-departure warning, and other collision avoidance technology -- designed to improve safety. However, these systems are complex and require a much higher skill level to repair and service. As motorists come to depend on these systems, it is imperative that they are functioning as designed, which requires technicians to be properly trained.

In todays announcement, Government has added the structure to monitor and administer the Skilled Trades Program. This is a critical component to ensure that all technicians offering service to the public are actually properly certified.

This is one of the biggest breakthroughs weve ever been a part of as the association representing the automotive sector, says Scovell, who explains that skilled trades status for mechanical and collision repair will add value to trades jobs and elevate the level of professionalism within the industry.

There are many highly skilled automotive tradespeople in British Columbia, and they support changes in legislation with a system to ensure standards are maintained. A Skilled Trades Certification system, including a process to ensure standards are met, will restore respect for trades, put skilled back in skilled trades, and with it respect for skilled trades people.

Scovell adds, Skilled trades certification offers a chance for students training for a first job, those retraining for a new reality, those born here, and those who have chosen to live here, to be a part of reigniting the engine of a vibrant B.C. economy as we come out of this pandemic.

The ARA looks forward to continuing work with the government in support of skilled trades certification.

About the ARA: Proudly driving industry excellence for over six decades, the Automotive Retailers Association (ARA) is the trusted resource and respected voice of the automotive industry, representing over 1,000 automotive businesses in British Columbia. Look for the ARA logo, your sign of a preferred service provider.

For more information:

Adrian Scovell

President and CEO

Automotive Retailers Association

Ph: (604) 432-7987

Email: communication@ara.bc.ca

ara.bc.ca
LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQX: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP) (the Company or TAAT) is pleased to announce that its Chief Science Officer Dr. Cindy Orser has conducted an emissions study of all three TAAT varieties (Original, Smooth, and Menthol) in comparison to the top two brands of tobacco cigarettes in the United States, revealing several attributes of TAAT products that are advantageous. Instead of tobacco, TAAT is made with a proprietary base material known as Beyond Tobacco, which contains no tobacco or nicotine and undergoes a patent-pending refinement process to create a substantially similar user experience to that of smoking tobacco. In September 2021, the Company announced that several European wholesalers acclaimed its advanced formulation of Beyond Tobacco using reconstituted biomass as it offered a number of experiential advantages compared to the previous formulation (e.g., more realistic taste and smell, similar puff count to a tobacco cigarette) as well as a scale up in production to reliably meet demand. The advanced formulation using reconstituted material was assessed for the presence of key chemical constituents found in tobacco products including nitrosamines, tar, and ammonia. TAAT products were either found to have none of these chemical constituents or considerably less in the emission studies of mainstream smoke.



A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/91e52cb3-4484-44a9-a19b-4e99f694e024

Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access SEDAR or the Investor Relations section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media.

In its November 10, 2020 press release , TAAT announced that Dr. Orser joined the Companys advisory board to lead scientific, regulatory, and product development initiatives. With over 20 patents, a tenured professor position at the University of Idaho, and experience in areas such as biodefense, diagnostics, and agriculture, Dr. Orsers unique scope of experience has been instrumental to the ongoing development of TAAT and Beyond Tobacco as the Company continues to launch its products in new global markets in 2022. Dr. Orser was officially named the Companys Chief Science Officer in August 2021. The Company has published a series of short video clips featuring Dr. Orser explaining various aspects of the TAAT product from a scientific perspective, which can be accessed through the following link: https://www.youtube.com/c/TryTAAT/search?query=orser

A summary overview of select findings from Dr. Orsers study of TAAT compared to popular tobacco cigarettes is provided below.

Attribute Description Findings in TAAT Study Compared to Tobacco Cigarettes Nitrosamines Highly carcinogenic, formed on unburned tobacco leaves during processing (i.e., curing, fermentation, aging). TAAT products contain no detectable nitrosamines. Alkaloids Nicotine is the main alkaloid present in unburned tobacco and tobacco smoke, with additional alkaloids to include nornicotine, anabasine, anatabine, and myosmine. TAAT products do not contain any of the alkaloids found in tobacco. Total Particulate Matter (TPM) Measure of particles (e.g., nicotine from combusted tobacco) found in liquid aerosol droplets from tobacco smoke on a glass-fiber filter. Smoke from TAAT products contains 25% less TPM than mainstream smoke of popular tobacco cigarettes. Tar Determined by subtracting nicotine and water content from TPM in smoke. TAAT products have a 15% lower tar level compared to popular tobacco cigarettes. Ammonia Commonly added to tobacco during processing, believed to make nicotine more absorbable. TAAT products do not contain any added ammonia, and as a result its emissions contain 50% less ammonia than popular tobacco cigarettes. Aromatic Amines Aromatic amines such as aminonaphthalenes are produced during the combustion of tobacco. TAAT products contain less than 10% of the levels of aromatic amines found in popular tobacco cigarettes.



TAAT Chief Science Officer Dr. Cindy Orser commented, Part of the value proposition behind TAAT and its Beyond Tobacco base material is that consumers who currently smoke can choose to leave nicotine behind, while still keeping the smoking experience. Based on feedback from consumers, wholesalers, and strategic partners in which curiosity has been expressed about certain aspects of TAAT and its emissions profile, we conducted this study to provide quantitative answers on emissions. Although it is not common for consumers to wonder about such things as ammonia and nitrosamines, it is helpful to understand that lower levels or a complete absence of these chemical constituents fortify the advantages TAAT has as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes that eliminates more than just nicotine from the equation.

TAAT Chief Executive Officer Setti Coscarella added, In the tobacco industry it is not common to release findings from emissions studies, and I believe this is because if consumers who smoke knew just what things they were inhaling on a regular basis they would become far less inclined to continue doing so. One of the most common questions weve gotten from consumers and distributors internationally is whether TAAT contains the same amount of harmful or potentially harmful attributes as cigarettes with tobacco. Although we have been emphatic about how TAAT has no tobacco or nicotine, it is clear that todays savvy consumers want to know about more than that. Under Dr. Orsers leadership we compared TAAT Original, Smooth, and Menthol against the top two American cigarette brands, which allowed us to better understand how the emissions of TAAT products stand out, which we believe makes TAAT an even better alternative. We are therefore quite pleased to publish these outcomes, so that the world can see how TAAT stands out in so many meaningful ways. TAAT is already known by its tagline Beyond Nicotine, but now we can say were Beyond Nitrosamines, Beyond Ammonia, and above all else Beyond Tobacco.

The Company also announces that Tim Corkum has left his position as Chief Revenue Officer for TAAT. Mr. Corkum served in a vital role in the early stages of the Company as the TAAT brand was launched in the United States. As the Company has grown and moved into new markets, its sales operations have been consolidated in the United States where TAAT is primarily sold. TAAT provides its best wishes to Mr. Corkum, and values his counsel and friendship.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

TAAT GLOBAL ALTERNATIVES INC.

Setti Coscarella

Setti Coscarella, CEO and Director

For further information, please contact:

TAAT Investor Relations

1-833-TAAT-USA (1-833-822-8872)

investor@taatglobal.com

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSES REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER.

About TAAT Global Alternatives Inc.

The Company has developed TAAT, which is a tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternative to traditional cigarettes offered in "Original", "Smooth", and "Menthol" varieties. TAAT's base material is Beyond Tobacco, a proprietary blend which undergoes a patent-pending refinement technique causing its scent and taste to resemble tobacco. Under executive leadership with "Big Tobacco" pedigree, TAAT was launched first in the United States in Q4 2020 as the Company seeks to position itself in the $814 billion1 global tobacco industry.

For more information, please visit http://taatglobal.com .

References

1 British American Tobacco - The Global Market

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the anticipated performance of TAAT in the tobacco industry, in addition to the following: Potential outcomes and impacts from the emissions study of TAAT compared to tobacco cigarettes. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the tobacco markets; and (iii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Companys products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Companys products on an individuals health and well-being. The Companys products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees.

Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms
CALGARY, ALBERTA, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marksmen Energy Inc. (TSXV: MAH) (OTCQB: MKSEF) (Marksmen or the Company) announces that the success of its two Davis Holbrook wells at Pickaway County, Ohio validates drilling at other offset locations in the Cambrian Knox formation. Marksmen is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with its long-term partner, Houghton Investments LLC (Houghton) to drill three Cambrian Knox Davis Holbrook offset wells in Pickaway County, Ohio. Marksmen will be the operator and Houghton will have the option prior to spudding of each well to participate from 10% to 25% as a working interest partner.



Additionally, Marksmen and Houghton will drill a fourth well in Pickaway County, Ohio at the Walker-Sheets location, a new Cambrian Knox Remnant delineated by Marksmens 3D seismic acquisition programs. Marksmen will also be the operator of this well and the working interest split will be 50% for Marksmen and 50% for Houghton.

The capital cost of each well to drill, complete, tie-in and equip is expected to be $350,000 USD. Marksmen will begin the process of surveying and applying for drilling permits in the next few days. Drilling of the first well will commence when a drilling rig and other essential equipment is available and when ground conditions are suitable, sometime in mid to late March. All wells are planned to be completed as soon as possible.

The Company expects to pay for its share of the capital costs of the initial wells from cash on hand and cash-flow from existing wells.

As part of its 2022 capital program Marksmen plans to optimize existing wells in Pickaway County and will continue to review capital projects presented by other oil and gas companies in Ohio and Canada.

For additional information regarding this news release please contact Archie Nesbitt, Director and CEO of the Company at (403) 265-7270 or e-mail ajnesbitt@marksmenenergy.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release may contain certain forward-looking information and statements, including without limitation, statements pertaining to the drilling of offset wells, the timing and capital costs thereof and future optimization efforts. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Marksmens disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Marksmen does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.




OTTAWA, Ill., Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ottawa Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX: OTTW) (the Company), the holding company for OSB Community Bank (the Bank), announced today that the Companys Board of Directors has approved an increase in the Companys quarterly cash dividend from $0.10 per share to $0.11 per share. The increased quarterly cash dividend will be paid on or about March 16, 2022, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 2, 2022.



The Company also announced today that Dianna Torman has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company and the Bank. Ms. Torman served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Prairie Community Bank, headquartered in Marengo, Illinois, from January 2003 until her retirement in December 2021.

We are very pleased to welcome Dianna Torman as a director of the Company and the Bank, said Craig M. Hepner, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank. The Board of Directors believes that Diannas experience and background make her an ideal candidate to serve on the Board and we look forward to working with Dianna going forward.

About Ottawa Bancorp, Inc.

Ottawa Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for OSB Community Bank, which provides various financial services to individual and corporate customers in the United States. The Bank offers various deposit accounts, including checking, money market, regular savings, club savings, certificate, and various retirement accounts. Its loan portfolio includes one-to-four family residential mortgage, multi-family and non-residential real estate, commercial, and construction loans as well as auto loans and home equity lines of credit. OSB Community Bank was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in Ottawa, Illinois. For more information about the Company and the Bank, please visit www. myosb.bank .

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements in this release that are not strictly historical are forward-looking and are based upon current expectations that may differ materially from actual results. These forward-looking statements, identified by words such as will, expected, believe, and prospects, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements made herein. These risks and uncertainties involve, among other things, general economic trends and changes in interest rates, increased competition, changes in consumer demand for financial services, the possibility of unforeseen events affecting the industry generally, the uncertainties associated with newly developed or acquired operations, market disruptions and the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local and national economic environment, on our customers and on our operations as well as any changes to federal, state and local government laws, regulations and orders in connection with the pandemic. Ottawa Bancorp, Inc. undertakes no obligation to release revisions to these forward-looking statements publicly to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unforeseen events, except as required under applicable law.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow on Feb. 15, 2022. (Kremlin press release)

Russia will act "in accordance with the plan" and its moves will reflect the latest realities, Putin said.

MOSCOW, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday underlined the need to avoid a war over Ukraine and to settle the crisis via diplomatic efforts.

"Regarding whether we want this (war), of course we don't. This is why we have put forward proposals for the start of a negotiation process in a bid to reach an agreement ensuring equal security for everyone," Putin said during a press conference with Scholz following their talks in the Kremlin.

Scholz said despite that the positions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union may differ from those of Russia, dialogue remains crucial.

Europe is faced with one of its most dangerous crises in decades and there is an urgent need to defuse the tensions regarding Ukraine and prevent a possible war, the German leader stressed.

As a war in Europe is "unimaginable," Scholz considered it the duty of both Putin and himself to prevent any military escalation on the continent.

"Diplomatic opportunities have not yet been exhausted ... We have heard that some (Russian military) units are being withdrawn (from the borders) and this is a good sign," Scholz said.

As for Russia's security concerns, Scholz assured Putin that NATO's expansion is not even on the agenda.

However, Putin said that postponing Ukraine's possible accession to NATO will resolve nothing for Russia, and Moscow wants its security concerns to be addressed seriously.

Russia will act "in accordance with the plan" and its moves will reflect the latest realities, but no one can predict how the situation will unfold, Putin said, adding that Moscow, nevertheless, will strive to resolve all the existing issues by diplomatic means.
DAMASCUS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday discussed such issues as Moscow's military maneuvers in the Mediterranean, local media have reported.

Shoigu briefed Assad on the naval drills being conducted by the Russian military navy starting off the port of Syria's coastal city of Tartous, where Russia maintains a military base, state news agency SANA reported.

He also discussed with Assad military cooperation on Syrian soil in terms of the war on terror groups, affirming Russia's continued support for the Syrian government in this regard, said the report.

As to Western sanctions, Shoigu said Russia will continue to help the Syrian people to overcome the impacts of the sanctions and the "unjust embargo imposed on the country."

Russia has deployed MiG-31K fighters, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and Tupolev Tu-22M long-range strategic bombers to its air base in Syria for maneuvers in the Mediterranean, according to local media. 
Goshen, IN (46526)

Today

Cloudy with rain this morning...then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 59F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low near 45F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Grand Haven, MI (49417)

Today

Rain likely. High 53F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 41F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
KIEV, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- "The importance of peace is difficult to overestimate," an Ukrainian serviceman with the first name Petro told Xinhua recently when asked about the current tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

The 32-year-old, who refused to give his last name over security concerns, was enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2011. Since 2014, he has served as a sergeant in eastern Ukraine's Lugansk and Donetsk regions, together known as Donbas.

The conflict in Donbas started in April 2014 after government forces launched offensives to regain control of the cities and towns seized by armed groups which had declared independence from Kiev.

Russia has long accused Kiev of refusing to comply with the Minsk peace agreements designed to end the conflict in Donbas. Ukraine said it stands ready to implement the deals but not on Moscow's terms.

"In 2014, I went to Donbas without really knowing the reason for it. I just had to perform the tasks of the command," Petro said.

He said Ukrainian soldiers have remained calm despite media reports of possible escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

Since November, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Russia of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion."

Denying any intention to attack any country, Russia said it has the right to mobilize troops within its borders to defend its territory, as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's increasing military activities near Russia's borders constitute a threat to Russia's border security.

In another development, the United States and some other countries have advised their citizens to leave Ukraine, stoking fears that a conflict is looming.

"Well, the tension is felt, of course, but in fact, nothing has changed. My relatives and classmates constantly call me and ask: 'Will there be a war?' But I don't know if there will be a war," Petro said.

Born into a military family, Petro always knew that he would become a serviceman and defend his motherland. Still, Petro said he would like to see a peaceful resolution of the situation.

"I have been a serviceman for my whole adult life. I can't say that I'm dissatisfied with my life, but it's hard," Petro said, adding that he is dreaming of having a family after the situation stabilizes.

"I want to have a wife and children, but it is difficult to make a family on the frontline," he said.

Last week, authorities in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev approved an evacuation plan in case of a possible escalation of tensions between Ukraine and Russia, in which they determined the location of evacuation centers, required number of vehicles, and safe regions to accommodate the evacuees.

Alexander Pogrebisky, a deputy at Kiev City Council, told Xinhua that the council last month adopted a program "to increase the defense capability within the framework of the powers that we have at the local level."

Meanwhile, most of the chats in offices and restaurants in Kiev among ordinary Ukrainians ended up with discussing the tensions. Many Kiev residents have temporarily moved abroad or to cities in western Ukraine, like Lviv or Uzhgorod, in search for a safer place.

Tatiana, a 39-year-old Ukrainian design engineer for heating and boiler systems, who only gave her first name, is among those who stayed.

She told Xinhua that she is not afraid of the current tensions, but sometimes feels anxious about the security situation in Kiev.

"Sometimes I have negative emotions due to informational pressure and intimidation of people with fake news," she said.

Tatiana, who is on maternity leave, noted that the current situation has not affected the life of her family and the construction business of her husband.

"The planned work is carried out. He got some new projects," she said.

The mother-of-two did not stock up food and water amid the tensions. "We do not plan to make special stocks of products. The grocery shops will continue to operate as they did in 2014 and during the (COVID-19 quarantine) red zone," Tatiana said.

At the same time, Tatiana said she hoped that all the conflicts can be stopped one day to prevent more human suffering and that people can learn to resolve issues peacefully. 
MOSCOW, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Russia said Wednesday its convoy with military equipment of the Southern Military District units crossed the Crimean Bridge, returning to permanent deployment points after the completion of drills in Crimea.

"Units of the Southern Military District, which have completed participation in tactical exercises at the training grounds of the Crimean Peninsula, are heading to the points of permanent disposition," the Russian Defense Ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service reported.

"A train of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery weapons, mounted on railway platforms at loading stations, crossed the Crimean Bridge," it added.

The military equipment will be maintained and prepared for new exercises upon arrival at military bases, Zvezda said. 


GOVERNMENT yesterday threatened to expel all striking teachers and school heads who fail to report for duty by Tuesday next week and replace them with college graduates and unemployed trained educators.

The threat came despite the High Court yesterday overturning last weeks suspension of educators by Primary and Secondary Education minister Evelyn Ndlovu.

Teachers dragged Ndlovu to the High Court after she summarily dismissed those who had not reported for work since schools opened for the first term on February 7 citing incapacitation.

But the Public Service Commission (PSC), in a statement, said teachers, who failed to report for work by February 22, would be deemed to have resigned from the civil service and would not be allowed to reapply.

Teachers and school heads, who are demanding the pre-October 2018 salary of US$540, have rejected the government offer of a 20% pay increase and US$100 cash to be deducted from their local currency salary component.

The opening of schools has brought to the fore the importance of safeguarding the inalienable right of every Zimbabwean child to an education as provided for in section 75 of the Constitution, the PSC statement read.

Unemployed trained teachers, university and college graduates in the sciences, engineering, vocational areas and other disciplines who are interested in joining the teaching profession should ensure that they are registered at the nearest district education offices as the recruitment process shall begin soon after February 22, 2022.

Those reporting for duty but not teaching will also be deemed to have resigned. Those deemed to have resigned shall not be eligible for this recruitment. Government has taken the position that it will now work with those who demonstrate their commitment by performing their duties at all times to serve the nation.

Teachers representatives said they would fight for their rights.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said: We warned the government that it was going to be an uphill task to call teachers to schools without paying them first. Teachers are incapacitated and we need a comprehensive roadmap to be followed in addressing our issues.

The PTUZ also petitioned Education International, a global federation of teachers trade unions which is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, where President Emmerson Mnangagwa is attending the European Union/African Union summit, to intervene to resolve their impasse with the government.

We are requesting Education International to intervene on our behalf and engage the government of Zimbabwe to avert a labour crisis. It is important to note that the government can afford to act in blatant disregard of normal labour relations with workers because it has consistently failed to adhere to International Labour Organisation Conventions 151 and 154 which obliges it to adhere to good labour relations, the PTUZ letter dated February 15, read.

Federation of Zimbabwe Educators Union chairperson Obert Masaraure said: The employer cannot resign on behalf of the employee. Government is in a clear state of confusion. Our members remain incapacitated despite the government threats that they will fire those who cannot attend duty. We have already taken steps for our legal action against the goverment directive.

Legal expert Tawanda Mapuranga said governments decision had no legal backing.

Its a silly decision, it is legally incompetent. It is a decision that has been motivated by political interests. The government cannot give an order on a blanket level like that. Legally, they have to start at an individual level. 

Parents that spoke to NewsDay yesterday said the government ran the risk of employing inexperienced teachers, compromising education standards.

Meanwhile, High Court judge Justice Fatima Chikapamambo Maxwell set aside the suspension of teachers which was announced by Ndlovu last week. This was in response to a court application by the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) seeking nullification of Ndlovus statement which suspended teachers.

Artuz was represented by Noble Chinhanu and Tatenda Zvobgo of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum.

In her ruling, Justice Maxwell declared: The Press statement by the respondent is hereby declared to be unconstitutional and unlawful and is hereby set aside in its entirety.

Ndlovu did not file an opposing submission. She also did not attend the hearing and was ordered to meet the cost of the suit. Newsday
ANA Holdings and Joby Aviation are forming a partnership that will see Japans largest airline join with Joby to bring aerial ridesharing services to Japan. Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) also joined the partnership, with the intention of exploring opportunities such as ground-based transportation.





Jobys all-electric aircraft performing a flight test near Big Sur, California

Joby is a California-based company developing an all-electric, five-seat aircraft that can take off and land vertically (eVTOL). (Earlier post.) With a maximum range of 150 miles (241 kilometers), a top speed of 200 mph (321 km/h) and a low noise profile to allow it to access built-up areas, Jobys piloted aircraft is designed to make convenient, emissions-free air travel an everyday reality. For example, the 31-mile (50 km) journey from Osaka station to Kansai International Airport could take less than 15 minutes by air rather than one hour by car.

ANA and Joby are set to collaborate on all aspects of establishing this new form of transportation in Japan, including the development of infrastructure, pilot training, flight operations, air traffic management, public acceptance, and the regulatory requirements to operate.

The integration with ground transportation will also be considered, with Toyota supporting the effort. The parties will also conduct joint discussions with relevant private companies as well as local and national governments.

The partners are all existing members of Japans Public-Private Conference for the Future Air Mobility Revolution, established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Investment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to accelerate the adoption of aerial ridesharing in the country.

Joby has spent more than a decade developing the technology behind its aircraft, completing more than 1,000 test flights and becoming the first, and only, eVTOL company to sign a G-1 (stage 4) Certification Basis for their aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The concept of aerial ridesharing has been rapidly gathering momentum in Japan as the country accelerates its efforts to prepare for the 2025 World Expo to be held in the western capital of Osaka, the third-most populous city in Japan and the largest component of the Keihanshin metropolitan area of more than 18 million residents.

While Jobys aerial ridesharing service will be operated directly by the company and offered to passengers via the Joby app or Uber app in core US markets, this announcement with ANA reflects Jobys strategy to partner with local companies committed to delivering exceptional customer service and operational excellence to launch its service in select markets outside the US. Additionally, Joby expects to work with local ground mobility partners to deliver seamless, end-to-end journeys for customers.

Joby already has strong connections with Japan, having worked alongside Toyota since 2019. As well as continuing to lend their expertise on manufacturing process development and high-volume production to Joby, Toyota will also support todays announcement by looking to partner in other aspects of the value chain such as ground-based transportation. Toyota is Jobys largest outside investor, with nearly $400 million invested to date. (Earlier post.)
Ken Kurson, the former editor-in-chief of the New York Observer and close pal of Jared Kushner, quietly pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the same cyberstalking conduct that former President Donald Trump pardoned him of during his last hours in office.

Former editor-in-chief of the New York Observer Ken Kurson leaves Manhattan Criminal Court Wednesday after pleading guilty to cyberstalking conduct that former President Donald Trump had pardoned him of before leaving office. (Molly Crane-Newman)

Kurson, 53, appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court about 9 a.m. to cop to attempted-computer trespass and attempted eavesdropping, downgraded state misdemeanor charges. The charges stem from an August 2021 complaint alleging he harassed and spied on his wife when they divorced between September and November in 2015.

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Jared Kushner and Ken Kurson attend GalleristNY celebrates New York's Artists at The Standard on February 20, 2013 in New York City. (Amber De Vos/Patrick McMullan via Getty Image)

If Kurson leads a law-abiding life for one year, Manhattan Judge Josh Hanshaft said he would vacate the misdemeanors, leaving him with a violation of harassment, which is not a criminal record.

The Trump family friend admitted to carrying out the conduct via the Observers W. 44th St. newsroom in Midtown. Kushner owned the paper when he hired Kurson to run it in 2013.

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Wearing a black sweater, a light blue patterned shirt, tan trainers and a cloth surgical mask, Kurson sat in the gallerys third row with his head between his hands before his case was called. He had no comment leaving court.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn first charged Kurson in an October 2020 indictment after a two-year investigation prompted when Trump appointed him to the National Endowment for the Humanities board. The nomination came with a background check that tipped off authorities.

The Brooklyn indictment accused Kurson of stalking and harassing three other people he blamed for his divorce. It said he slandered his victims online under different aliases and visited their places of work, where he took photos and inquired about their schedules.

Ken Kurson is arraigned in Manhattan Criminal court after being pardoned by the Trump administration for cyberstalking and harassment at Manhattan Criminal Court on August 18, 2021. (Wes Parnell/for New York Daily News)

Trump pardoned Kurson of the disturbing conduct during his final moments in office.

When former Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. revived the case in August 2021 the state charges were narrower in scope but focused on the same period.

The Manhattan complaint charged Kurson with installing spyware software on his exs computer and leaking private messages from her Gmail and Facebook accounts when they were still living together.

Kursons attorney Marc Mukasey declined to comment Wednesday.
The writer is editor of National Review and a political commentator. Copyright 2022, by King Features Syndicate.
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The Pantochino teen theatre is presenting Bat Boy, The Musical for three performances beginning Feb. 25, at the MAC, Milford Arts Council, building in downtown Milford.

Inspired by a supermarket tabloid story, this rock-infused contemporary musical comedy is written by Keith Farley, and Brian Flemming, with music and lyrics by Laurence OKeefe of the movie, Legally Blonde.

The story follows a half boy, and half bat creature that has been discovered in a West Virginia cave, and taught to act like a normal boy.

Bat Boy is happy with his new life, but when he naively tries to fit in with the narrow minded community, a struggle for acceptance ensues.

This is a unique opportunity for our teen company members to learn a unique style of musical theatre, the director of the play Bert Bernardi told Hearst Connecticut Media.

It teaches tolerance, acceptance and compassion, he said.

Sponsored by The Milford Bank, Bat Boy, The Musical features a cast of 27 young actors from Milford, Stratford, Orange, West Haven, East Haven, Trumbull, Shelton, Woodbridge, Ansonia, Branford, Seymour, Bethany, and Killingworth.

Pantochino Teen Theatre allows young actors the opportunity to work with professional directors, and designers outside the academic setting, on a schedule that is matching that of professional summer theater.

The show has been cast, learned, and rehearsed in an immersive 10 rehearsals.

Bernardi directs the show with Justin Rugg as musical director, and Becki Arena as choreographer.

The show features set design by Von Del Mar, costumes by Jimmy Johansmeyer, lighting by Megan OBrien, and sound by Tobias Peltier.

Sherri Alfonso serves as the stage manager.

Bat Boy, The Musical performances are Friday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m, Saturday Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m., and Sunday Feb. 27, at 2 p.m.

The Milford Arts Council building with reduced seating capacity, is located at 40 Railroad Ave., in Milford.

Parking is free in train station lots of the Milford train station, at showtimes.

For more information and tickets, visit pantochino.com.

People, who are attending must show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of each performance, at the door.

People must also wear masks that covers their noses, and mouths, during the show.
GREENWICH  As the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra continues its search for a new leader, it will welcome a guest conductor who has ties to the area for its two concerts later this month.

Conductor Joshua Gersen will be on the podium for the concerts at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 and 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at Greenwich High Schools Performing Arts Center.

Also a composer, Gersen recently concluded his tenure as the assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic. Previously he served as the music director of the New York Youth Symphony and in 2013, he was principal conductor of the Ojai Music Festival, where he led numerous performances by celebrated American composers such as Lou Harrison and John Luther Adams.

Gersen grew up in nearby Monroe, attended some Greenwich Symphony concerts in his youth and had many teachers in the orchestra. He earned his undergraduate degree in composition from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and received his degree in conducting from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

For the concerts in Greenwich, the program includes The Golden Palace from Sun Warrior by Eleanor Alberga; Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff with Sara Davis Buechner as guest soloist on piano and Enigma Variations by Elgar.

Buechner has performed in every state and province of North America - as a recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with top orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic.

Adult tickets are $40 per person, students $10. Proof of vaccination required at entrance. Call 203-869-2664 or visit greenwichsymphony.org for more information.

Also, the Greenwich Retired Mens Association will host a talk with Gersen as part of its free weekly speaker program. At 11 a.m. Feb. 23, Gerson will speak in a conversation format with concertgoer Gerald Pollack of the RMA.

The talks are at the First Presbyterian Church, 1 W. Putnam Ave. Attendees must show proof of vaccination and booster at the door, and masks are required. For information, visit www.greenwichrma.org.

Gersen is one of five candidates for the position of conductor. The others are Melisse Brunet, Martin Majkut, Stuart Malina and Ransom Wilson.

Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify that Gersen previously served as the music director of the New York Youth Symphony.
After nearly five years in its original location, Yoga By Danit Method has moved to a new location at 6 Lewis St., just off Greenwich Avenue, in the Arthur Murray Dance Studio.

We are happy that we are able to offer such a stunning and expansive space in such a central location for our community to practice yoga, said Danit Schreiber, its founder and owner.

The move enables Yoga By Danit to offer its community members a space to practice yoga and meditation in an inspiring five-star setting, Schreiber said. The studio will continue to offer her unique brand of classes, privates and workshops while maintaining her same convenient schedule, she said.

When we learned that our previous space was slated for redevelopment, we knew we had a responsibility to our community to find a new space that would provide an even better experience than our original location. We hope that we have fulfilled this mission, Schreiber said in explaining the reason for the move.

She said she founded her own studio nearly five years ago after teaching yoga in Greenwich for more than a decade.

Her goal was to provide a welcoming and intimate experience in a premium boutique atmosphere, she said. Every class that she teaches is an original class tailored to the students in the room, enabling each student to derive the maximum benefit regardless of their level, Schreiber said.

For more information, visit www.yogabydanit.com.

UW-Madison honors local students for high grades

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has recognized students who achieved at a high level academically for the fall semester of the 2021-22 academic year.

Hannah Rifkin from Cos Cob and Darian Fauser from Old Greenwich, who are both students in the College of Letters and Science, were among the students named to the Deans List.

The following students from Greenwich also were named to the Deans List: Ethan Cohen and William Kugler, who are students in the School of Business; and Samantha Brooks and Tori Rothschild, who are students in the School of Education.

Jack OBrien, a student from Greenwich in the College of Engineering, was honored with inclusion on the Deans Honor List.

To be eligible for the Deans List, students must complete a minimum of 12 graded degree credits in that semester. Each university school or college sets its own GPA requirements. Most call the honor deans list, but some grant the Deans Honor List and Deans High Honor List.

Local residents honored at William & Mary

Four Greenwich residents were recently named to the Deans List at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., for the fall 2021 semester.

The honored students are William Catalani, Ryan Miles, Delaney Roth and Paulina Swigart.

In order to achieve Deans List status, an undergraduate student must take at least 12 credit hours and earn a 3.6 Quality Point Average during the semester.

Bucknell University honors local students

A number of local students were named to the Deans List at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., for outstanding academic achievement during the fall semester of the 2021-22 academic year.

A student must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a scale of 4.0 to receive Deans List recognition.

The honored students from Cos Cob are Gerty Hisler, an undeclared major in the Class of 2024; Gigi Jervis, a political science major in the Class of 2023; Vicky Romero, an undeclared major in the Class of 2025; and Margaux Vaccari, a political science major in the Class of 2022.

The honored students from Greenwich are: Nate Allen, an economics major in the Class of 2023; Molly Bugniazet, a sociology major in the Class of 2023; Chloe Burraway, an undeclared major in the Class of 2024; Seve Calderini, an environmental engineering major in the Class of 2022; Billy Carangelo, an undeclared major in the Class of 2025; Nick Daetwiler, an international relations major in the Class of 2022; and Sydney Duncan, class and major not released.

Additional honored students from Greenwich are AJ Febles, an undeclared major in the Class of 2025; James Howe, a computer engineering major in the Class of 2023; Katie Kulesh, an undeclared management major in the Class of 2024; and Ethan Lange, an undeclared management major in the Class of 2025.

The following Greenwich students were also honored: Christina Lawrence, a psychology major in the Class of 2022; Sterling Mock, an undeclared major in the Class of 2025; Christian Ruf, a political science major in the Class of 2022; Chloe Simonte, an education major in the Class of 2023; Bladen Smith, an undeclared major in the Class of 2024, and Zach Tucker, an accounting and financial management major in the Class of 2022,

The honored students from Old Greenwich are Grayson McIntyre, undeclared major in the Class of 2024, and Lia Zavattaro, an environmental studies major in the Class of 2022.
A tanker full of gasoline slammed into a vacant Long Island furniture store early Wednesday, exploding in a massive fireball that could be seen from blocks away, county officials said.

The driver was rolling through Rockville Centre  about 30 miles east of New York City  when he lost control and crashed into a La-Z-Boy showroom at North Center Ave. and Sunrise Highway about 1 a.m.

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The tanker overturned and exploded, spilling an estimated 9,000 gallons of fuel.

Emergency personnel work at the site of gas tanker accident in Rockville Centre early Wednesday. (Alex DiGregorio/AP)

There was fire everywhere  the streets, the tanker, the two buildings, and when I looked down Sunrise Highway there was fire coming out of seven or eight manhole covers, Rockville Centre Fire Chief James Avondet told reporters at the scene. Its one of the worst things Ive seen in my 47-year career.

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Fuel Tanker Accident & Explosion on the corner of N Center Ave & Sunrise Highway #rockvillecentre #accident #explosion pic.twitter.com/CgdHJtzBeY  John Leavitt (@jleavit) February 16, 2022

The driver of the tanker and three firefighters were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The extent of their injuries were not immediately released.

No one was killed in the blast, and Rockville Centre police interviewed the trucks driver after his release from the hospital, Newsday reported.

Rockville Centre cops found the driver, who got out of his cab, on the street and pulled him to safety before the flames erupted out of control, Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael F. Uttaro told Newsday. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries.

The showroom collapsed into a heap of rubble as firefighters scrambled to put out the fire. The blaze came dangerously close to a nearby gas station.

A tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building and burst into flames on Long Island early Wednesday, injuring the truck's driver and three firefighters who responded, authorities said. (Seth Wenig/AP)

One nearby resident, Billy Long, told Newsday the blast shook his house, which is two blocks away.

It was like a mild earthquake. It shook the house and I heard everything, but I couldnt get near it, he said. It was hot and you could smell the gas inundating the neighborhood.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

Firefighters from more than 18 municipalities worked together to put out the blaze, which was under control, but still smoldering, by dawn. Those lending assistance included the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which sent over crash trucks  emergency vehicles that usually respond to airplane crashes.

Heat from the fire began having an effect on underground gas lines and power had to be shut down in the area, News 12 Long Island reported. At least 500 homes in the area remained without power as of 9:30 a.m., Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman told reporters as he visited the scene.

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Some power has been restored, but the electricity remains shut off in some areas where clean-up efforts are ongoing, village officials announced Wednesday afternoon.

Major fire on Long Island- Rockville Centre. A 12,000 gas tanker overturned into a building then burst into flames. Burning gasoline went into the sewer & is burning for blocks. PAPD is sending crash trucks from JFK. pic.twitter.com/z17PXFLuMt  NYCFireWire (@NYCFireWire) February 16, 2022

Gov. Hochul directed multiple state emergency response agencies to assist in the investigation and cleanup.

The Department of Environmental Conservation has deployed environmental conservation police officers and spill responders, including a drone pilot, to assess the potential environmental impacts to the Mill River and surrounding area and to pump out, clean, and flush the impacted drainage system, Hochul said.

Sunrise Highway between North Centre Ave. and North Park Ave. remained closed in both directions Wednesday as the investigation and clean up continued.

With News Wire Services
While Samsung India posted the Galaxy S22 press releases on the 9th along with the rest of the world, the local branch of the company did not reveal the pricing for the new flagships. This will happen tomorrow, February 17, during an online event.

The start of sales date is the same as elsewhere, February 25 (Friday next week). What you can do today is pre-reserve a unit with a 2,000 down payment (you can get a 100% refund if you change your mind). As a perk for being such an early adopter, Samsung will gift you a free Galaxy SmartTag (normally worth 2,700). Note that this deal applies to any of the three S22 phones as well as the three Galaxy Tab S8 slates.

#GalaxyFans, assemble! 



We're revealing everything about the #GalaxyS22 series in a Live event featuring the MVPs of #Samsung on 17 February 2022 at 12.30pm. Stay tuned for more details.  SamsungNewsroomIN (@SamsungNewsIN) February 16, 2022

This year the Galaxy S series for India is coming with a Snapdragon chipset (the SD 8 Gen 1) instead of an Exynos like previous years. Whether that is good or bad is yet to be determined, but it might be a sign that only Europe is getting the Exynos 2200.

Anyway, last years prices were 70,000 for the vanilla phone, 82,000 for the Plus model and 106,000 for the Ultra. There is a rumor that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will get slightly pricier (4,000 more), while the vanilla Galaxy S22 will cost the same as the S21. There is no word on the Galaxy S22+ pricing, official or otherwise.

As for the three Galaxy Tab S8 slates, they are not explicitly mentioned, but we expect to hear more about their launch at the event tomorrow.

Source | Via
Daniel Bernardo gives advice to those who are wanting to start their own Star Wars collection.
Bills to roll business privilege taxes for certain small businesses back to 3% and issue $10,000 fines to owners of unsafe derelict buildings will be up for debate at the Legislature Friday.

Guams business privilege tax is set at 5%. Small businesses with a gross income between $50,000 and $500,000 would only have to pay 3% on their income if Bill 202 is signed into law.

Lawmakers last year succeeded in getting the same 3% limited tax exemption for small businesses, but only for the first $250,000 in earnings.

Department of Revenue and Taxation Director Dafne Shimizu reported last year that about 90% of business privilege tax filers have an income of $500,000 or less.

Bill 202 was introduced by Sen. Mary Camacho Torres.

Fines

Bill 151 would update local laws on unsafe and derelict buildings. It calls for fines of $10,000 for property owners who fail to comply with regulations. Continued noncompliance will result in a lien being placed on the property and fines up to 20% of the property value.

The measure sets timelines for property owners to address violations and vacate any unsafe property. It was introduced by Sen. James Moylan.

Other measures up for debate:
A number of residents have been reporting that health care practitioners with a history of complaints against them are being licensed on Guam and that complaints filed with local licensing boards are being held up, according to Legislative Speaker Therese Terlaje.

Oversight hearings were held at the Legislature on Wednesday for the Guam Board of Medical Examiners, which handles the licensing of physicians, and the Guam Board of Allied Health Examiners, which licenses everyone from veterinarians to psychologists and chiropractors.

Very few doctors with past discipline problems have been licensed on Guam, according to Guam Board of Medical Examiners chair Dr. Nathaniel Berg. Vice Chair Phil Flores said he could remember three or four cases.

The speaker requested an exact number and said the Medical Examiners Board received advanced notice of the request Feb. 8. Berg deferred to administrators at the Health Professional Licensing Office.

As physicians, we dont keep track of those statistics. I dont think thats our job, Berg said.

Terlaje said the Legislature was aware of at least two doctors with a history of complaints, based on media reports.

Six complaints alleging sexual misconduct by former government of Guam psychiatrist Dr. Abner Pasatiempo in 2019 are still pending with the Medical Examiners board. Prior to being licensed on Guam, Pasatiempo was disciplined by the Maryland Board of Physicians in 2008, following sexual misconduct complaints filed against him.

Prior to being licensed on Guam, Dr. Ugochukwu Akoma was disciplined by the Iowa Board of Medicine after sexual misconduct allegations were filed against him, PDN files show. A complaint filed against Akoma late last year is pending with the Medical Examiners board.

Case-by-case basis

Earlier in the hearing, Berg said, We cannot control the actions of a licensee after they get their license, but we certainly try our best.

The medical examiners board did not license doctors with ongoing investigations, but handled other matters on a case-by-case basis. It was almost impossible to have a single criteria for licensing and if a doctor reached a settlement over a complaint in another jurisdiction, the medical examiners board had to honor it, based on advisement from the Federation of State Medical Boards.

We have to balance the need of our community to have health care providers with the much more prominent need to protect the public, he said, and doctors were sometimes given conditional licenses.

Mamie Balajadia, Allied Health board chair, said during her tenure, her board had awarded a license to one person with a history of complaints.

Complaints

A number of complaints filed with the Allied Health board have been outstanding for years, according to Terlaje. The board was handling 33 investigations on outstanding complaints, 14 of which were filed before 2018.

According to Balajadia, the Allied Health board was trying to handle them in a more timely manner but did not have the resources to do so.

Along with the other boards housed under the Health Professional Licensing Office, the Allied Health board and medical examiners board have not had steadily employed legal counsel or investigators are needed to prosecute complaints against licensees since 2015. Board members have been responsible for investigating complaints on top of other duties. Neither board has prosecuted a complaint in six years, PDN files show.

Resources

The nine boards housed under the Health Professional Office share a budget of about $297,000 this fiscal year, according to Terlaje.

The main (goal) we have is to protect the public, but with the level of resources we have, its far from protecting the public, Balajadia said.

Berg said it takes around a year for the medical examiners board to investigate a complaint, but it could take longer depending on the complexity of the case. He said the board could do a better job of notifying complainants about the status of their investigations.
A Navy sailor has pleaded not guilty to charges connected to a December 2021 traffic death.

Nickolas Hoffpauir, 23, was charged in the death of 59-year-old Pedro Tevar after a crash on Route 1 in Yigo near the Guam Animals In Need shelter.

On Dec. 9, 2021, Hoffpauir was driving north on Route 1 when he ran off the road after trying to pass another car by changing lanes, according to charging documents.

As he came back on the outer lane, he struck Tevars vehicle. That caused Tevar to lose control and crash into a concrete pole, charging documents state.

Hoffpauir was charged Jan. 19 with negligent homicide, vehicular homicide, reckless driving with injuries as a misdemeanor and unsafe lane change as a violation.

In an interview with police, Hoffpauir said he wasnt aware of how fast he was going but that when he changed lanes, he saw a slower-moving car and hit his brakes. Hoffpauir lost control of the car and hit the other vehicle, documents state.
A firefighter administers an antigen COVID-19 test at a CNMI Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services drive-thru event in Kagman in December 2021.
Guams COVID-19 surge is showing the first signs of decline, Department of Public Health and Social Services officials said Wednesday.

Average case rates began

declining from the peak of 650 cases a day Jan. 29, Territorial Epidemiologist Ann Pobutsky said. As of Valentines Day, cases were averaging about 500 a day. Pobutsky said the suspected omicron variant surge should decline once case rates peak, as it did in other U.S. jurisdictions.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 werent going down as of Wednesday. They usually lag behind case rates, Pobutsky said.

Were still in a surge, she said. We need to get down to a low level of cases that weve seen between these surges. And then its a question of what happens if more variants pop up  or if we go toward endemicity. For something to go from pandemic to endemic, that means its going to be around and people will get it and it might be mild, and itll be like a cold or the flu, but were not there yet.

Fernando Esteves, Public Health COVID-19 incident commander, said the lifting of any restrictions or vaccine mandates would be done conservatively. Public Health used Guam National Guard testing services less often when the delta variant surge began declining in December, for example. That was increased during the January surge, he said.

I think we all agree we cant have a quarantine facility forever.  We cant have an isolation facility forever, we cant have mass testing forever, Esteves said.

Testing, supplies

Since January, Guam has been responsible for purchasing its own COVID-19 test kits, Esteves said.

Gone are the old days,  where the federal government was basically providing all the testing supplies, he said.

Jurisdictions are now encouraged to use local funds and federal grants to get test kits, he said. The island exhausted federal grant money for test kits and American Rescue Plan money is earmarked for test kits. Tests are being purchased through an emergency procurement but will move toward an invitation for bid eventually, Esteves said.

A shipment of 30,000 COVID-19 test kits arrived this week, Esteves said, and another was expected to come in by next week. The new shipment is expected to bring the islands test kit reserve to 70,000.

Opening mass testing was an ongoing consideration, but being ready to test thousands of people a day, thats just not a practical way to go forward, he said.

The supply of COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies and other treatments are beginning to level out. The Mangilao antibody treatment center will reopen, Esteves said. Patients must get approval from doctors to get an IV infusion of Sotrovimab antibodies.

Vaccine reaction

Public Health is reviewing the medical records of an individual whose death was associated with an adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Public Health spokesperson Janela Carrera.

It was just a contributing cause of death. So it was one of many causes of death there. There usually are numerous causes of death, Pobutsky said.

Even if you were to count that as a vaccine-related death, one out of how many thousands of people that have been vaccinated, and you put that into context, youve got a very low rate, Carrera said.
Joyner Scott Sked asked a woman in the Department of Corrections facility if she knew about Skeds uncle being found dead.

She said, Did you know that they found Uncle Daniel dead in my home? Sanchezs niece, Sirena Yamasta, testified at Skeds trial Wednesday morning.

In April 2021, Yamasta was detained at the Department of Corrections when Sked, who had been arrested in connection to the death of former Humatak Mayor Daniel Quinata Sanchez and confined at DOC, called her male.

Yamasta testified she had never met Sked before but learned she was her Uncle Rudys  Rudy Fegurgur Quinatas  girlfriend and co-defendant in Sanchezs death. Sked and Quinata are being prosecuted separately.

As for Uncle Daniel, Yamasta didnt know at first who Sked was talking about.

I was trying to figure out who and then she said Uncle Hulk Hogan and we all know whos Uncle Hulk Hogan because hes a buff guy, Yamasta said of Sanchez.

Yamasta then asked Sked if Sanchez died of natural causes.

And what did she say? Assistant Attorney General Leonardo Rapadas asked.

She said, Now Sirena, if he died of natural causes I wouldnt be in here.

Yamasta remembered calling the guards to ask if it was true and after it was confirmed, Yamasta said she yelled at Sked and said (expletive), you troll.

What did she do? Rapadas asked.

She laughed at me and told me Im next and Ill have a hard time putting my kids heads back on their body, replied Yamasta.

What did you take that to mean? asked Rapadas.

That she wanted to kill me and she was going to take my kids heads off, Yamasta said. I wasnt very happy about that.

Yamasta said she talked to Sked again after Skeds magistrates hearing for the murder case.

He told on me, he said everything was me, Yamasta recalled Sked saying in reference to Quinata.

Autopsy

The prosecution teams last witness before resting their case was forensic pathologist Dr. Martin Ishikawa, who discussed the autopsy he conducted on Sanchezs body two weeks after he was found dead.

Official cause of death were multiple injuries, including chop wounds to the head and stab wounds to the torso, said Ishikawa. He testified via Zoom from Hawaii.

Ishikawa testified the chop wounds could have come from a hammer and the stab wounds could have come from scissors. A hammer and scissors, covered in blood, were found near Sanchezs body, found in Quinatas home.

According to Rapadas opening statements, Sanchezs body had at least 20 stab wounds and four chop blows to the head.

After the discussion of the injuries, Skeds attorney, Terrence Timblin, asked Ishikawa if its possible for one type of wound to have been the actual cause of death instead of the other.

I wasnt able to assign significance of one or the other, Ishikawa said.
The killer of a Bronx mother of two was waiting when she walked through the door.

Victim Flora Elasia Recio Noble was savagely stabbed to death by her estranged husband early Wednesday after she arrived home to find the madman already inside her apartment, police said.

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Police responding to a 911 call reached the bloody victims residence on Noble Ave. in Van Nest about 4:30 a.m. to discover Recio Noble sprawled on the floor of the trashed apartment with multiple stab wounds, cops said.

Her alleged killer, Exiquio Castillo, 47, surrendered himself to police later in the day, and immediately asked for a lawyer, cops said. Hes charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.

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Flora Elasia Recio Noble was found stabbed in her bronx apartment Wednesday morning. (Obtained by Daily News)

Recio Noble, 45, known to friends as Lisette, returned home from a party with a friend to find her apartment in shambles and the enraged spouse lurking with a knife after apparently lifting a key from one of their children during a visit this past weekend, according to Fatima Cruise, whose sister lives in the building and was the victims best friend.

He destroyed everything in the house, said the tearful Cruise. When he was stabbing her, (the friend) was on the phone with police. (The friend) was afraid he was going to hurt her too.

Castillo, whose rap sheet included prior arrests for rape, robbery and weapons possession, slapped Recio Noble across the face before the two fought over the knife  with the crazed ex then grabbing a second blade and stabbing her multiple times, a police source said.

She didnt want to be with him but he was insistent for her to go back, Cruise said of the doomed couples troubled relationship.

The killer quietly exited the apartment, taking the elevator downstairs like nothing happened, said Cruise.

The friend inside the apartment was desperately calling 911 as the unhinged spouse grabbed a knife, beating and stabbing Recio Noble in the pre-dawn attack, Cruise said. Castillo had custody of the kids on past Sunday.

When (the friend) saw that the apartment was destroyed she pulled (Recio Noble) to take her out and said Lets go to my apartment, said Cruise. He took the knife and was trying to stab her.

Cops responding to a 911 call for an assault in progress at the womans apartment on Noble Ave. near Mansion St. in Van Nest around 4:30 a.m. found the victim sprawled out on the floor. She had been repeatedly stabbed all over her body, cops said. (Nicholas Williams/New York Daily News)

Police confirmed the killer was waiting inside when Recio Noble returned to the apartment.

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The couple had separated and were living apart with Recio Noble moving into the building about two years ago and working at a Manhattan liquor store.

Its so sad, oh my God, said Cruise. She was a very nice person, a very hard-working woman. Her home was very nice, beautiful apartment. She took care of her kids, she was just a very nice person.

Co-workers at Palace Wines and Liquors on Broadway and W. 175th St. remembered her warmly.

She was a very compassionate, hard-working woman, said Bobbie Michaels, 36, a coworker. She opened the store every morning.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Reico Noble made sure to decorate the store at each change of season, and kept a festive attitude, Michaels said.

She was friendly with everyone in the neighborhood. She went out of her way for everyone, Michaels said, adding that she had two daughters.

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The couples children were not in the apartment when the attack took place. The stabbing victim died at Jacobi Medical Center.

Another building resident was astonished to learn of the brutal killing.

A woman died? asked a 15th-floor tenant. Oh my God, I didnt hear anything like that happening. Im so sorry to hear that.

With Kerry Burke and John Annese
The Guam Congress building in Hagatna, Guam. Senators have attempted to appropriate $120 million in projects using a $50 million EITC reimbursement as a funding source.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell vowed that cops will make the subway system safe and prevent the city from returning to the bad old days.

The top cop made the promise Tuesday and spoke about other crimefighting strategies at the annual State of the NYPD breakfast, held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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She said she is well aware of the perception that the city is heading in the wrong direction, noting the surge in gun violence as well as unchecked shoplifting merchants have complained about.

I know what a lot of people are fearful of, she said, that weve somehow fallen all the way back to the bad old days  a time when in our worst year, 1990, there were more than 2,200 murders in New York City.

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But she said New Yorkers deserve better and that police have a plan.

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

In the subways, where serious crime is up 75% so far this year, 1,000 more cops are deployed into the system every day, Sewell said. They have conducted more than 70,000 station inspections in the past five weeks, creating a blanket of public safety that riders, at all hours of the day and night, can see and feel as they make their way to and from school, work or home.

The subway system is for everyone, she added. It is the lifeblood of our city. It must be  and it will be  safe.

After laying out her plan, she took questions from the audience of mostly moneyed New Yorkers who help fund the Police Foundation.

Front page for Jan. 15, 2022: Suspect got cash, but still killed defenseless teen at Burger King: police. Winston Glynn is cuffed Friday in killing of East Harlem Burger King worker Kristal Bayron-Nieves (above). She was shot even after gunman stole $100. (New York Daily News)

For reasons not clear, reporters, who normally attend the event and meet afterward with the commissioner, were not invited this year. A source who attended the event provided the Daily News with a transcript of Sewells comments.

Sewell, who met the city press corps Dec. 15  the day she was named commissioner by Mayor-elect Adams  has taken questions from reporters gathered at hospitals after police officers were shot, but has yet to have a formal news conference at Police Headquarters in lower Manhattan.

Police sources have said Sewell, the former Nassau County Police Department chief of detectives, has been busy getting up to speed on the inner working of the NYPD and the various issues that dominate the headlines.

A person holds a candle during a vigil on Jan. 18, 2022, in Times Square, in honor of Michelle Alyssa Go, a victim of a subway attack several days earlier. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

Sewell also said training started last week for the nearly 500 cops who will constitute the neighborhood safety unit and concentrate on gun violence in 34 commands around the city.

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The new unit follows the disbandment by former Police Commissioner Dermot Shea of the plainclothes anti-crime unit, whose officers were credited with taking guns off the street, but also harshly criticized for being involved in too many shootings and accused of unconstitutional street stops and raids without warrants.

Front page for Dec. 13, 2021: Adams looks to boost NYPD's foot patrols. Incoming Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD cop, wants officers to increase face-to-face interactions with communities they serve. (New York Daily News)

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Neighborhood safety unit officers will have dashcams in their unmarked cars and wear body-worn cameras. They will not don a traditional uniform, Sewell said, but rather clothing that clearly identifies them as cops.

And, she added, They are receiving training in constitutional and civil rights before they are assigned to their commands.

She said the focus on gun violence also includes daily 10 a.m. meetings with other city agencies, an apparent nod to the holistic approach that Adams promised  incorporating correction, probation, parole and others.

Participants pore over the shootings, the suspects, the guns and the shell casings, Sewell said. They dive deep into the cases and the facts and they connect the dots.

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

But she also noted the continued efforts of NYPD Kids First, a mentorship and employment program viewed as a way to prevent teens from getting pulled into gangs.

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Last year, Sewell said, 1,877 people were shot in the city, with 46% of the shootings classified as gang-related..

And we know that 35% of the people pulling the triggers were between the ages of 18 and 24, she added. An increasing percentage of these shooters are 14 or 15 years old. Some shooters have been as young as 12.




Haiti - Politic : The Montana delegation sets preconditions for the resumption of dialogue





Let's recall that on Monday, February 14, members of the Montana Agreement Monitoring Office (BSA) left the Prime Minister's Office without having held the second meeting scheduled with the Government. Ted Saint Dic member of the BSA justifies the premature departure of his colleagues by the non respect for the second time of the schedules by the Prime Minister https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35969-haiti-news-zapping.html



But beyond this pretext, it seems that it is above all a strategy of the members of the BSA to regain control of the negotiations by now setting their conditions for the resumption of dialogue.



In a correspondence addressed to Prime Minister Ariel Henry dated February 14, it is written "[...] we are ready to resume the political dialogue, subject to the following prerequisites :



- That the Head of the Government in place publicly declares to suspend, the time of the discussions for the search for a consensus, with the illegal appointment of the Judges of the Court of Cassation, with the installation of its Provisional Electoral Council, of its Assembly Constituent Assembly and its Supervisory Authority, so many decisions that can only be legitimized by a broad consensus;



- That the Head of Government in place, in the name of the moralization of political life, declares that he is ready to respond to any invitation from the courts and to facilitate the resumption of the investigation alone in order to contribute to removing the allegations relating to his involvement in this file; 



- That the headquarters of the meetings be moved to a neutral location, a hotel whose costs will be borne equally by the two (2) parties."





Imperturbable the Prime Minister posted on his Twitter account "It is time for dialogue and we must find a negotiated solution to the country's problems. We are waiting for our brothers and sisters in Montana to continue the discussions. No sacrifice is too great for our dear Haiti"



The Prime Minister's allies who signed the September 11 Accord denounce the attitude of the negotiators of the Montana Accord.



Me Andre Michel, Spokesperson for the radical opposition known as the "Democratic and Popular Sector", a member of the September 11 agreement, describes as "dilatory" the strategy of the members of the Montana Agreement, who lay down preconditions for the resumption of dialogue. He asks Prime Minister Henry to move forward with the establishment of the structures provided for in the framework of the September 11 Agreement.



see also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35969-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35953-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35941-haiti-politic-laborious-meeting-between-the-pm-and-a-delegation-of-the-montana-agreement.html



SL/ HaitiLibre


















Romney, WV (26757)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 75F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 57F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
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A Queens dad stashed a loaded handgun in his 7-year-old sons backpack and sent him to a city elementary school, police said Tuesday.

The little boy walked into Public School 95 on 90th Ave. in Jamaica for a school-related program on Saturday and announced that he had a gun in his bag, cops said.

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The school principal found a Glock 19 loaded with nine 9-mm rounds, and contacted police.

Public School 95 in Jamaica, Queens. (Google Maps)

Cops went to the boys home about a half-mile away and arrested his father, Renee Anam, 36.

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I was going to the range yesterday. I put it in the wrong bag, Anam explained to police according to a criminal complaint.

He had a license to keep the gun in his home, according to the complaint.

Anam was charged with child endangerment and failure to safely store a firearm. He was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Sunday and released without bail.
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Hartford City, IN (47348)

Today

Showers and thunderstorms. High 71F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 48F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Two Lake County men convicted of heinous crimes decades ago are being released early from prison to skilled nursing facilities due to serious health conditions and cognitive issues that require they receive 24-hour medical care for the rest of their lives.

Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Thursday his grant of "medical clemency" to Charles Calhoun, 83, and Jerome Maclin, 70, in accordance with the recommendations of the chief medical officer of the Indiana Department of Correction and the Indiana Parole Board.

"I granted the medical clemencies after a great deal of research and consideration," Holcomb said. "These men are no longer a threat to society, and its been determined they are better cared for at a skilled nursing home."

According to the governor's executive order, both men are being released from prison subject to lifetime parole and residence in a skilled nursing facility.

The Republican governor said "in the improbable event" either man no longer is permanently bedridden, his original sentence will be restored and he must return to prison.

Records show Calhoun, of Gary, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 80 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Roland Johnson, 47, of Gary, following an argument March 17, 1982, at the Double B Barber Shop, 15 W. 25th Ave., Gary.

The governor said Calhoun suffers from dementia that's required him to remain in the infirmary at the Westville Correctional Facility since 2018 because Calhoun cannot bathe, dress, eat or take care of other physical needs without assistance.

Maclin, meanwhile, has served 45 years of a life sentence after being convicted in 1978 for the kidnapping and rape of a Gary woman.

Holcomb said Maclin has been a paraplegic since being shot in 1985. Maclin also has cognitive defects and other comorbid conditions that require 24-hour physical care at the Miami Correctional Facility.

The governor also granted a third medical clemency, to Alphonzo Griffin, 67, who is bedridden at the Miami Correctional Facility following a 2014 stroke.

Griffin has served 20 years of a 50-year sentence for a 2001 robbery causing serious bodily injury in St. Joseph County, records show.

This is the first time Holcomb has used his power to grant clemency to Indiana prison inmates because of their medical conditions.

He last granted clemency in 2019 to an Elkhart County man convicted of drug possession in 2003 who the governor said had rehabilitated himself in prison.

Holcomb also issued seven pardons in 2017, primarily to individuals who already had completed their prison terms and made restitution.
Plans for transforming the site of one of metro Phoenixs first major malls are taking shape. A development groups plans for the Metrocenter Malls site include multifamily housing surrounding a a pedestrian-oriented town center with shops, restaurants, a park and offices. The mall along Interstate 17 in north Phoenix was built in 1973 and was a popular community hub and teen hangout over the years. But foot traffic declined and the mall closed in mid-2020 during the pandemic. The timeline for the site's transformation include demolition during the fall and winter and the start of construction in early 2023.
Amir Locke, the 22-year-old Black man shot dead by cops who startled him awake on a couch while executing a no-knock search warrant for someone else, will be memorialized on Thursday with a public viewing and a funeral.

The Rev. Al Sharpton will preside over the service at Shiloh Temple International Ministries, the same church where Daunte Wrights funeral  which Sharpton also officiated  was held last April after Wright was shot by a suburban Minneapolis cop, The Associated Press reported.

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A protester holds a sign demanding justice for Amir Locke at a rally on Feb. 5 in Minneapolis. (Christian Monterrosa/AP)

Locke lost his life when a Minneapolis SWAT team, acting on behalf of St. Paul police, used a key fob to burst into an apartment he was staying at and was shot by an officer who glimpsed a gun. Police at the time said he had been pointing it toward them, but body-cam footage showed the gun  which Locke was legally licensed to carry  pointing toward the floor. Locke was swathed in a comforter.

It took just nine seconds for officer Mark Hanneman to deem Locke a threat and become judge, jury and executioner, shooting him three times, the body-cam footage showed.

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In this image taken from Minneapolis Police Department body-camera video, 22-year-old Amir Locke wrapped in a blanket on a couch holding a gun moments before he was fatally shot by Minneapolis police. (AP)

Locke was not the person being sought in the warrant, which was related to the Jan. 10 shooting death of Otis Elder, 38. The subject of the warrant was Lockes cousin, 17-year-old Mekhi Speed, who was arrested on Feb. 6 about 105 miles southeast of St. Paul. While Speed was not named in the documents themselves, he was thought to be the target.

Minneapolis police had been the ones to insist on the no-knock warrant, citing its subjects history of violent crime and cops need for surprise. St. Paul police had not asked for a no-knock warrant, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has since banned it pending further study.

Lockes parents have decried their sons death as an execution.
Editor: Today I had coffee with the man who will probably be my candidate for US C
from Montana Farmers Union

BILLINGS  The new Winter Rendezvous, sponsored by Montana Farmers Union, provides an open forum to share and ask questions of leaders in agriculture and rural development.

The free, public event will run 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 17, at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.

MFU President Walter Schweitzer said the event is scheduled to optimize producers time as they travel to Billings for the MATE. A complimentary meal will be served to attendees as they learn about processing and funding opportunities.

We have an opportunity right now with country of origin labeling, right to repair, and USDA grant funds available to both rural communities and producers that havent been available in a long time. Montana Farmers Union strives to inform the farmers and ranchers in coordinated events like the Winter Rendezvous to ensure maximum information gets shared with minimum time taken away from the farm or ranch, Schweitzer said.

One of the event highlights is an update on the Montana Premium Processing Co-op, which is in the final stages of getting up and running.

Montana is severely limited in our capacity to slaughter our livestock in state. Even more so for an operation requiring USDA certification to retail. The Montana Premium Processing Co-op was built from the ground up for Montana ranchers looking to get the absolute most value from their animals. The co-op is member owned and member controlled. No private entity controls hook space, quality control, or prices. The membership elects a revolving board of directors and they make the decisions, MFU Chief of Staff Matt Rains said.

Rains added he looks forward to answering producer questions about the co-op and how it can positively impact their operations at the Winter Rendezvous.

Other event highlights include:

 Presentation by Kathleen Williams, USDA state director of Rural Development.

 USDA funding opportunities available to producers.

 Livestock market reform.

Montanans can always use local events to learn about valuable opportunities available to them. MFU tries to bring in great speakers like Director Williams at Rural Development to share grant and loan options. Its one thing to read a few lines, but having a question-and-answer session allows ranchers to get ahead more directly, Rains said.

Reservations for the Rendezvous are appreciated but not required. For more information, people can go to https://montanafarmersunion.com/event/winter-rendezvous .

Montana Farmers Union has worked more than 100 years for family farms, ranches and rural communities. MFU supports its members through, strong education programs for both youth and adults; by advocating member-driven policies and legislation at the state and federal level; and cooperation through producer-owned co-ops. For more information, people can visit http://montanafarmersunion.com .
SOHR has reported that rocket fires carried out by Damascus forces on the fuel market of  Watad Petrol Fuel Company in the vicinity of Termanin town in the northern Idlib countryside, where a widows camp is also located in the vicinity of the market. Plumes of smoke have been seen rising there, amid reported of casualties.

SOHR also documented the death of a regime soldier of 46th Regiment by Turkish mercenaries west of Aleppo.

Moreover, another regime soldier was killed on the frontline of Miznaz village western of Aleppo.

A.K
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Shepherd funeral home agrees to surrender preneed contracts

A copy of July 15 corporate minutes contained in the court file in the Thos. Shepherd & Son license revocation case shows that Michael Edney, a county commissioner who is the funeral homes attorney, became chairman and president.

In May of last year, when Commissioner Daniel Andreotta asked fellow commissioners to join him in sending a complaint to state regulators about the condition of Shepherd Memorial Park, one commissioner objected.

My brothers out there and my fathers out there, Commissioner Michael Edney said. But Ive had relationships with the Shepherds over the years so I reached out to them to see whats going on. The biggest issue is the lack of people willing to work. They havent had enough people on staff to do what needed to be done. That is being remedied.

I think Raleigh already knows anyway, he said, adding that he had not seen a lot of good come from Raleigh for quick fixes for anything.

Edneys appeal persuaded three other commissioners to decline signing the letter and Andreotta sent the complaint on Board of Commissioners letterhead over his signature alone.

Several residents have reached out to me with anguish and frustration over being denied access to their loved ones final resting place, said the letter, dated May 20, the day after the Board of Commissioners mid-month meeting.

What was unknown to the public at the time was that Edney was closely involved with the cemetery and with Thos. Shepherd & Son Funeral Directors, which at the time had its license suspended and would later have its licenses for funeral services revoked. In addition, a judge in November ruled in favor of a motion by the North Carolina Cemetery Commission to put Shepherd Memorial Park into receivership. (A decision by Superior Court Judge Marvin Pope to appoint a receiver is pending.)

Two months after the May Board of Commissioners meeting, Edney became president and chairman of Thos. Shepherd & Son Inc. and Shepherd Memorial Park. The action in a July 15 meeting at Melody and Tom Shepherds home in Flat Rock was revealed in a court filing by the N.C. Board of Funeral Services on Jan. 28.

On Wednesday, two days after a Lightning reporter asked him about his public defense of and private behind-the-scenes work for the Shepherd family and business, Edney publicly disclosed his legal representation for the first time.

In my day job Im a lawyer and Ive been working with the Shepherds  to make sure folks are taken care of because thats what they want, he told his colleagues during the regular mid-month Board of Commissioners meeting.

Conditions and service at Shepherd Memorial Park, he added, are improving.

Theres been five or 10 burials in the last month so things are progressing, he said. There will be a receiver appointed at some point. I just want to reassure folks that nobodys being forgotten  things are working and moving forward and everyone top to bottom understands that the Shepherds are part of this community  theyve been there since 1903 and people are being taken care of one way or the other.

One of Edney's efforts on behalf of the now-shuttered business was to file an appeal, on Jan. 10, of the order by the state funeral services board. In response, the boards general counsel, Catherine E. Lee, filed a motion in Henderson County Superior Court to dismiss the appeal of the boards decision.

Lee and Edney, who filed the petition for judicial review in the case on behalf of Shepherd, appeared before Superior Court Judge William Coward on Monday at the Transylvania County Courthouse in what was scheduled as a hearing on the states motion to dismiss Edneys appeal. Instead, after a delay of about 30 minutes, Edney and Lee emerged from behind closed doors and announced an agreement to settle the dispute.

Edney told Judge Coward that the agreement would result in his withdrawal of the appeal of the license revocation and the funeral homes compliance with the Board of Funeral Service order to surrender preneed contracts to the board. Coward accepted the attorneys explanation of the agreement, which Lee plans to set forth in writing for the judges review and signature.

Edney said after the open court session was over that he is no longer acting as president of the two Shepherd businesses.

That was a year ago, he said. All thats changed. I havent looked to see if its updated.



Edney said Monday there was no conflict in his attempts to help the Shepherd family while also blocking Andreottas effort to have the Board of Commissioners send the letter of complaint about the cemetery last May.

The cemetery and funerals are two separate issues, he said. We were working on some things last summer, yeah. I represent both corporations.

In a Board of Commissioners meeting a few weeks after the May 2021 meeting, Edney reported that managers had hired more help at Shepherd Memorial Park and that things were stabilized. Andreotta said he sees no conflict in Edneys roles as a commissioner and as an attorney for a distressed business.

I did know that he was involved with them in trying to work with them and give them assistance to help them work through their issues and get them resolved, Andreotta said Tuesday. As far as the final details of his roles and titles through that process, I did not pursue them. They wouldnt be a concern to me then or now.

He said Edney had disclosed his relationship with Thomas R. Tom Shepherd, who died on Dec. 31, and his wife, Melody.

We did I think talk about this in a closed session, he said. He was very upfront that he was involved in helping. He was also somewhat of a liaison from them to us so we could know what was going on and we could try to be of help. I mean, this is one of the oldest businesses in the county and the last thing we want is to see any business, especially one of that legacy, encounter difficulty.

Bill Lapsley, the Board of Commissioners chair, is also aware of Edneys role as the corporations attorney. He, along with County Attorney Russ Burrell, were present in Superior Court when Edney defended Shepherd Memorial Park in the receivership petition filed by the Cemetery Commission.

Funeral home withheld preneed contracts

In her response to Edneys motion for a stay in the funeral service boards final order revoking the Thos. Shepherd & Son license, Lee wrote that the petition for judicial review is not supported by any sworn evidence, nor an accompanying affidavit.

The quick scheduling of a hearing on the state boards motion suggests there was some urgency in the matter, specifically regarding the status and security of the preneed contracts. State law and Board of Funeral Service rules closely regulate the contracts, which are often paid in advance, with the money placed in trust at a bank. Lees motion asked the court to order Thos. Shepherd & Son officials to cease and desist all copying, downloading, and retaining, of active preneed funeral contracts and to order those officials to immediately turn over hard copies of the contracts to the state and then to destroy all copies they had in their possession. Lee cited the relevant state law that requires a funeral home, when its license is terminated, to immediately divest of all preneed funeral contracts.

To date petitioners have not done so, Lee said.

Because preneed contracts often contain personal information  including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and insurance policies  allowing Shepherd officials to retain those files poses significant harm to hundreds of consumers in and around western North Carolina, Lee said.

She also said that counsel for Petitioner  presumably Edney  had indicated that copies of such preneed contracts are necessary for the potential sale of the business, even after being informed that Petitioners no longer have any legal right to retain copies of the files.

In addition to her request that the court order the funeral home to immediately relinquish the preneed contract files, Lee asked that it grant the state board attorney fees for the case and to rule that the funeral home recover nothing from the state board.

Attempts to reach Melody Shepherd, Tom Shepherds widow and the last family member to be actively involved in running the 119-year-old business, have been unsuccessful.

In the Final Agency Decision it issued on Dec. 8, the Board of Funeral Service directed the board staff to refer the case findings to law enforcement authorities for potential criminal charges. Stephen Davis, the executive director of the regulatory board, said on Dec. 15 that attorneys and compliance officials were still assessing whether to send any recommendations to law enforcement if criminal violations are identified.

Outside the Transylvania County Courthouse on Monday, Lee said that review is still under way.

Weve been in touch with the district attorneys office, thats all I can say, she said.

Asked whether regulators are concerned about the security of the money that is by law required to be held in a trust, she said, Were looking forward to getting the preneed contracts.
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Theft is a crime as old as time.

An Arizona man swiped a dinosaur claw worth $25,000 from a gem show and was caught when he tried to resell it at the same event, police said.

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Cops said Christopher Thomas, 39, swiped the claw from a booth helmed by Eric Miller at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show on Jan. 30, NBC News reported. Miller said two Spinosaurus claws disappeared from his setup.

But with each fossil worth $25,000, Miller didnt give up hope. Instead, he came up with a plan to claw them back by alerting other vendors at the show, figuring a thief might try to resell one.

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The Spinosaurus claw that was stolen from the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. (Tucson Police Department)

Lo and behold, police said Thomas returned days later and offered one claw for a much lower price to vendor Adam Aaronson, according to NBC News. Aaronson worked with Miller to run a classic sting operation.

Aaronson let Thomas know hed found a different buyer and set up a meeting Feb. 8, police said. But the buyer was actually Miller, whod tipped off cops at the event, NBC News reported. Thomas was arrested and charged with trafficking stolen property.

While Miller got the one claw back from Thomas, the second missing claw remains unaccounted for.
Anderson, IN (46016)

Today

Thunderstorms - some locally heavy downpours are possible, especially during the afternoon hours. High 71F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 49F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Saint Joseph, MI (49085)

Today

Rain diminishing to a few showers this afternoon. High 53F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 42F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Former reality star Josh Duggar is set to be sentenced in the spring after he was convicted last year of federal child pornography charges.

U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks on Tuesday scheduled Duggars sentencing for April 5 in Fayetteville in northwest Arkansas, about 140 miles outside of Little Rock. He is facing up to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines for each of his two counts.

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Once a fixture alongside his family on TLCs reality TV show 19 Kids and Counting, 33-year-old Duggar was found guilty in December, following a two-week trial in Arkansas. Hed been accused of downloading hundreds of child porn files onto a computer at his now-shuttered car dealership over the course of three days in May 2019.

The political activist was arrested in April on charges of receiving and possessing child sex abuse material and later pleaded not guilty to both counts the following month.

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During the trial, Duggars attorneys said that anyone could have downloaded the images discovered on his computer.

In 2015, the former reality star also admitted to molesting multiple girls when he was a teen, including some of his sisters. The scandal caused the cancelation of the hit TLC show, which spent years documenting the Duggar familys day-to-day life.

Duggar has been in custody since the conclusion of his legal proceedings. His attorneys meanwhile have already filed for a new trial in the case, arguing that prosecutors failed to prove the father-of-seven had been guilty of the charges against him.

With News Wire Services
Uniontown, PA (15401)

Today

Mostly cloudy with some showers this afternoon. High 78F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers likely. Low 62F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
The San Francisco Police Department has used DNA submitted by victims of rape and sexual assault to identify them as suspects in separate and unrelated cases, according to District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who called the method a huge privacy violation as well as discouraging to those looking to report sex crimes.

In a statement issued on Monday, Boudin revealed his office launched a probe into the controversial practice after the review of a case involving a woman recently arrested for property crime. An assistant district attorney at the time learned that the evidence identifying the woman as a suspect was a sample collected from a rape survivor in 2016.

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When Boudin inquired about the case, the head of the San Francisco crime lab confirmed to him such searches are done on a regular basis.

Boudin denounced the practice in a fiery statement in which he also called to protect the privacy of sexual assault survivors who have reported their experience to law enforcement.

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Rapes and sexual assault are violent, dehumanizing, and traumatic. I am disturbed that victims who have the courage to undergo an invasive examination to help identify their perpetrators are being treated like criminals rather than supported as crime victims, he said.

We should encourage survivors to come forward  not collect evidence to use against them in the future, Boudin continued. This practice treats victims like evidence, not human beings. This is legally and ethically wrong.

FILE - The San Francisco Police Department has allegedly used DNA submitted by victims of rape and sexual assault to connect them to separate and unrelated cases. (Couperfield // Shutterstock)

The district attorney also called on local and state lawmakers to introduce legislation that will bring about an end to the practice.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott dubbed Boudins allegations sufficiently concerning and vowed to investigate the issue.

We must never create disincentives for crime victims to cooperate with police, he added.

State Sen. Scott Wiener echoed the sentiment, calling the district attorneys findings extremely troubling. He also said he would, if necessary, seriously consider introducing state legislation to ban the practice.
The Coast Guard said late Tuesday it was suspending its search for survivors following a small plane crashing into the ocean off the coast of North Carolina.

Eight people, including four teens, were aboard a Pilatus PC-12 single-engine airplane when it crashed around 2 p.m. on Sunday near the Outer Banks about 4 miles east of Drum Inlet.

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After recovering one of the bodies and finding plane debris earlier this week, the Carteret County Sheriffs Office said additional remains were found on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard said it would continue working with local agencies on the recovery effort.

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Our deepest sympathies are with the Down East community, Capt. Matt Baer, sector commander, Sector North Carolina, said.

Authorities say four teenagers and four adults returning from a hunting trip were on board a small plane that crashed off the coast of North Carolina over the weekend. (AP)

The eight people were returning from a hunting trip in Hyde County and headed to Beaufort.

Stephanie Ann McInnis Fulcher, 42, her son Jonathan Kole McInnis, 15 and her fiancee Douglas Hunter Parks, 45, were among those aboard the plane.

Noah Lee Styron, 15, Michael Daily Shepard, 15 and Jacob Nolan Taylor, 16, were the other teens on the plane.

Ernest Durwood Rawls, 67, is believed to have been piloting the plane. Jeffrey Worthington Rawls, 28, was also aboard.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. An air traffic controller earlier said the plane was acting strangely before disappearing from radar.
These baptisms were watered down.

More than a decades worth of baptisms performed by a Phoenix priest have been declared invalid because the priest made a single alteration to the sacrament.

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The Rev. Andres Arango of the Diocese of Phoenix was baptizing people by saying We baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Instead, he shouldve been starting with I baptize you.

The issue with using We is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and Christ alone, who presides at all of the sacraments, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes, Bishop Thomas Olmsted wrote in a January announcement.

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An example of a baptism (Shutterstock/Shutterstock)

Arango resigned as pastor at St. Gregorys in Phoenix on Feb. 1. He had led several different congregations across the Diocese of Phoenix beginning in September 2005 and worked in San Diego and Brazil before that.

But only his baptisms after June 17, 2021, have been confirmed as valid. The diocese said any baptisms from before that date should be presumed invalid and that replacement baptisms were required.

I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere, Arango wrote in his own letter to the community. With the help of the Holy Spirit and in communion with the Diocese of Phoenix I will dedicate my energy and full time ministry to help remedy this and heal those affected.

Because the order of the seven sacraments is important, people who had invalid baptisms must repeat some of the other rituals, the Diocese of Phoenix said.

If your baptism was invalid and youve received other sacraments, you may need to repeat some or all of those sacraments after you are validly baptized as well, reads an FAQ post on the organizations website.

That post also addressed concerns that it might be pedantic to invalidate baptisms over a single word, with the Diocese of Phoenix saying that changing any of the words of a sacrament renders it invalid. The group also referenced a 2020 notice from the Vatican addressing the exact issue.

The Vatican decision angered many people at the time, who decried the literalist translation. At least two priests, one in Detroit and one in Oklahoma City, learned that their own baptisms were actually invalid. Their experiences led to lengthier investigations.
A lawyer for the Kansas man who allegedly drove to the nations capital after threatening to kill President Biden  whom he believed was the Antichrist  says his client is a war hero who inadvertently killed an Afghan child in a firefight and is suffering from severe PTSD.

Maryland court records obtained by the Daily Beast indicate Scott Ryan Merryman is said to be a decorated paratrooper who served his country for five years, beginning in 2005. Last month, he was arrested outside a Maryland Cracker Barrel after telling an FBI agent he planned to lop off the head of the serpent in the heart of the nation.

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President Biden walks across the South Lawn after arriving on Marine One at the White House on Feb. 10, 2022. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

[ Kansas man traveled to D.C. to kill Antichrist Biden: report ]

Merryman was in possession of ammunition for a .45 caliber gun, but no firearm, when he was detained. He claimed to have been following Gods instructions. He confirmed the president was his target.

Im coming for his b--- ass Sleepy Joe, Merryman said. Im talking about President Biden and you can quote me.

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The Army veteran reportedly spent 15 months in Afghanistan after enlisting in the military when he was 20 years old. His experiences there are said to have included the death of a partner and the shooting of a young person who was standing near a Taliban fighter.

The emotional and physical toll of Scotts time in Afghanistan was extensive, Merrymans court-appointed attorney reportedly told the court in a letter.

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Merrymans accoladed are said to include an Army commendation medal that he was awarded after using great skillfulness and sound judgment to save the life of a soldier whod been shot.

[ Michael Che makes counter-offer after Kanye West bribes him to stop working with Pete Davidson ]

The defense attorney said while still enlisted, Merryman was hospitalized in 2008 due to suicidal thoughts. In 2009, he was again treated for psychological issues. He is said to have been taken to an emergency room in 2021 because of depression, alcohol use and suicidal ideation. That letter also said Merrymans efforts to adjust to civilian life have included prescribed medication and therapy. His wife Hannah, whom he married in August, reportedly said that her husband said one day in December, He was going to hang himself today.

Postings on his Facebook page around that time reportedly worried those close to the 37-year-old veteran.

You think Hannah is a mess right now? Wait til she lives out this prophecy being fulfilled through the King of Kings in me, he reportedly wrote. Dead at 40 going out like a rock start (sic) doing Gods work for His kingdom and glory. Get on the train. Choo choooo. Its leaving soon. Someone get me a shot of Thorazine.

A Facebook page believed to have been operated by Merryman at the time of his arrest included several biblical postings, mention of pro-veteran events and statements that allegedly concerned law enforcement officials.

There will be a miracle happening at the White House, he reportedly wrote.

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Merryman is also accused of communicated to a switchboard operator at the White House that he intended to harm the president.
Trusted by the most notable brands around the globe, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons a Belmond Hotel is one of many Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Belmond luxury properties running on Silverware today as the rollout continues in Italy, Peru, Russia, and U.S.

Belmond, part of the worlds leading luxury group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has selected Silverware as the full-service point-of-sale solution for its hotels and restaurants. Today nine of the global brands properties, including the iconic Le Manoir aux QuatSaison s a Belmond Hotel in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England, and its two Michelin-star restaurant, led by celebrated Chef Raymond Blanc, are successfully running on Silverware. Also in the pipeline are the famed Cipriani a Belmond Hotel in Venice, Italy, and the El Encanto a Belmond Hotel in Santa Barbara, Calif.

When Le Manoir aux QuatSaisons reopened in May 2021 following a series of COVID lockdowns, we found that Silverware had replaced our previous system, said Peter Prusaczyk, food and beverage manager at Le Manoir aux QuatSaisons a Belmond Hotel. It was a corporate decision to make the switch globally, and our staff was delighted with the change. Silverware is the most efficient and user friendly POS that I have encountered throughout my hospitality career. Ive learned over time that technology is only as good as its set up. Its in the set-up where Silverware shines. Its foolproof  anyone can use it with minimal training. I especially enjoy the systems drag-and-drop functionality and query prompts that pop up to make certain that orders are being input properly the first time, every time. With Silverware, we are confident that our discriminating guests will have exceptional dining experiences.

Prior to Silverware, Prusaczyk said he was required to input menu and pricing changes in a single terminal in the back of house. With Silverware, all updates can be made via any of the 10 terminals on property, saving considerable time and getting servers back to doing what they do best, provide uncompromising service to guests.

The service and support we receive from the Silverware team is extraordinary, Prusaczyk said. When Thomas Small (Silverwares Global Enterprise Sales Director) came to oversee implementation, he and his team were devoted to the project. They spent whatever time was necessary to ensure that we understood how to leverage the POS to get the efficiencies we wanted to achieve. They even stayed a few days after the project was complete to just to be present and visible if we needed their help. The entire Silverware migration was seamless and trouble free. Today we can run reports, review a guests order history, and add meal specials or promotions in minutes from anywhere a terminal is available. Its just a very good system. Ive worked with many, and Silverware is by far the POS solution I enjoy using the most.

Silverware is designed to proactively ensure that operators are providing an elevated guest experience, from the quick-glance screen with user-friendly design to the fully customizable order panel that enables staff to save time when ordering during peak times. Silverware POS also provides flexible and powerful reporting and printing based on revenue center, segment, and service type, including cost center on guest checks. With Silverware, operators of todays most prestigious hotels and restaurants are improving profitability through innovative technology.

We started Silverware with a simple goal: to help our clients elevate their guests experience, said Lucky Thalas, Silverware Executive Vice President. Since inception, that mission has not wavered and holds truer today than ever before. When a luxury hospitality company such as Belmond uses words like exceptional, extraordinary, efficient, user-friendly, and foolproof to describe our solution, we know we are doing something right. Our customers dont just believe we are the right technology partner now, they trust that we will consistently innovate, drive change, and partner with them to fulfill their vision. We are proud to be working with Belmond and look forward to announcing further rollouts in the future.

Silverware POS Source: SilverWare POS Inc.

About Belmond

Belmond has been a pioneer of luxury travel for over 45 years, building a passion for authentic escapes into a portfolio of one-of-a-kind experiences in some of the worlds most inspiring destinations. Since the acquisition of the iconic Hotel Cipriani in Venice in 1976, Belmond has continued to perpetuate the legendary art of travel, taking discerning global travelers on breathtaking journeys. Its portfolio extends across 24 countries with 46 remarkable properties that include the illustrious Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train, remote beach retreats like Cap Juluca in Anguilla, Italian hideaways such as Splendido in Portofino, or unrivalled gateways to world natural wonders such as Hotel das Cataratas inside Brazils Iguazu National Park. From trains to river barges, safari lodges to hotels, each unique property offers an incomparable experience with its own story to tell. The essence of the Belmond brand is built upon its heritage, craftsmanship and genuine, authentic service. Belmond sees its role as custodians of timeless heritage, dedicated to preserving its assets through sensitive ongoing restoration plans. Belmond is part of the worlds leading luxury group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

About SilverWare

Trusted by the most notable brands around the globe, we provide enterprise solutions for restaurants, large venue operations, hotels & resorts, and deploy systems to meet the specific needs of multi-revenue operations with restaurants, bars, lounges, room service, banquet, and retail facilities. Our solutions are designed and delivered specifically for organizations who are fanatical about thrilling their guests. Our obsession is to drive efficiency and improve the profitability of our clients by relentlessly delivering the most innovative solutions on the market. We strive to enhance every aspect of the guest experience, from when the first guest walks in, until the last one walks out. We bring more to the table, so you can bring more to yours. www.silverwarepos.com

Barbara Worcester
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Memorial Hermann health system are nearing an impasse in contract negotiations, which, if not resolved by the end of the month, could throw some 100,000 patients out of network and force them to find care elsewhere or pay significantly more.

The most difficult sticking point in the negotiations between the states biggest insurer and the regions biggest health system centers on the independent physicians affiliated with Memorial Hermann. Blue Cross Blue Shield wants the doctors to contract directly with the insurer rather than through Memorial Hermann, which now negotiates rates for nearly 3,000 independent doctors in its system.

Blue Cross Blue Shield on Monday sent a letter to the independent physicians within Memorial Hermann asking them to contract directly with them or other health care organizations, including ones the insurance company owns, infuriating Memorial Hermann officials.

Never, in our previous history have they terminated the physician agreement, said Dr. Jamie McCarthy, chief physician executive for Memorial Hermann. In fact, we weren't even asking for anything different with the physician agreements we were talking about, just keep exactly the program running exactly how it has been.

Blue Cross Blue Shield and Memorial Hermann said they are making progress on all other matters, including reimbursement rates, but the fate of the doctors group has so far proven intractable. At issue are both cost and control.

The independent physicians are part of Memorial Hermanns Accountable Care Organization, or ACO, which brings together hospitals, doctors and other providers to coordinate and improve care. Under the ACO, Memorial Hermann negotiates rates for the physicians, and in exchange, the independent physicians share data with the hospital.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Memorial Hermann Health System may soon be out of network for for those who have Blue Cross Blue Shield

Hospital administrators say this coordinated network of providers streamlines care and produces better outcomes for the money  known in the industry as value-based care. But insurers and health care experts worry it can drive up costs by encouraging physicians to make referrals within the health system, even if there are less costly alternatives, said Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice University.

Ho serves on the advisory council for Blue Health Intelligence, the insurers research arm, and has collaborated with Blue Cross Blue Shield and other academics to use claims data for peer reviewed research. These positions are unpaid.

Consolidation of any type is raising prices for consumers, Ho said. When people think of value-based health care they think it saves people money, but thats not whats happening here. Its giving (hospitals) more market power.

Break from the pattern

So far, 1,000 Memorial Hermann doctors  about one- third  have taken Blue Cross Blue Shield up on its offer, said Shara McClure, senior vice president of health care delivery for Blue Cross Blue Shield, and more are signing contracts with the insurer each day. Whether they contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield, McClure said, or through Accountable Care Organizations not affiliated with Memorial Herman, the goal is to end the kind of self-dealing that keeps services within health systems regardless of the cost.

This gives the physician the opportunity to make choices not necessarily influenced by a hospital being the contracting authority, McClure said.

But Memorial Hermann executives say the move by Blue Cross Blue Shield is little more than a money grab. McCarthy said doctors have told him that ACOs owned by the insurer are offering rates that are 110 percent of Medicare payments, compared to 85 to 92 percent that Blue Cross Blue typically pays to independent physicians in the Houston area.

McCarthy said if Memorial Hermann sought that kind of increase, Blue Cross Blue Shield would almost certainly reject it. The insurers goal, he said, is to lure doctors away from Memorial Herman to bolster its own bottom line.

From our perspective it looks like they're trying to get the revenue through the ACO and keep that themselves, McCarthy said.

Divide-and-conquer

The physician contracts have become the major issue because they can determine which side has more leverage in negotiations, where size matters, said Ge Bai, a professor of health policy and accounting at Johns Hopkins University.

The key reason that the hospital includes these physicians in the system is to enhance negotiation power as one entity so as to get a higher price for both hospital and physician services, Bai said. For (Blue Cross Blue Shield) to wrestle with such a giant to lower prices is much harder than to divide-and-conquer it. Divide-and-conquer would allow (Blue Cross Blue Shield) to leverage its own size to gain an upper hand against the physicians and hospitals separately.

More than one-third of US physicians were employed by hospitals either directly or indirectly through hospital-owned practices in 2018, according to a survey from the Physicians Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for physicians.

Hospitals contracting with private practices only became more rampant during the pandemic, Ho said, when doctors struggled to keep private practices opened as elective procedures were canceled, and patients put off routine care. With most of the federal relief funding targeted toward hospitals, more independent physicians signed contracts with health systems, hoping to benefit from hospitals greater negotiating power with insurers and win higher reimbursement rates.

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Hospitals, meanwhile, gained more power in the marketplace. And insurers, under pressure from employers to control health care costs, are now trying to trying to rein in that power.

Insurers didnt pay attention or didn't see what was happening until it was too late Ho said. Big insurers now realize they made a mistake and theyre trying to back off of it.

The contentious negotiations between Memorial Hermann and Blue Cross Blue Shield represent the latest dispute between insurers and hospitals in the Houston market as health care costs continue to rise. At the end of 2019, About 100,000 UnitedHealthcare plan members lost in-network access to eight Houston Methodist hospitals and dozens of outpatient facilities when the insurer and hospital system failed to resolve their differences. They finally reached an agreement five months later

In October, Cigna and CHI St. Lukes Health and Baylor College of Medicine failed to reach agreement before their contract expired in October, and some 70,000 St. Lukes patients lost network coverage. In December, St. Lukes ended its contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield when the parties couldnt reach agreement on reimbursement rates, but not for long. By Jan. 8 the hospital and insurer signed a new agreement.

Memorial Hermann and Blue Cross Blue Shield each say they want to renew the contract.

Memorial Hermann they're a great organization and we want to reach a deal with them, McClure said. They are vital to our members.

But she added, the insurer has other hospitals in its network, and they are prepared to maintain continuity of care with the independent physicians they contracted from Memorial Hermann.

McCarthy said he hopes it doesnt get to that point.

At my heart, Im an optimist, but Im also pragmatic. Its silly not to come up with something that works for the both of us, McCarthy said. But theyve got to engage us in this space around the physician network, which they have been hesitant to do.

This story has been updated to disclose Vivian Hos affiliation with Blue Cross Blue Shield.

becca.carballo@chron.com
DETROIT (AP)  Anyone who has ever been temporarily blinded by high-beam headlights from an oncoming car will be happy to hear this.

U.S. highway safety regulators are about to allow new high-tech headlights that can automatically tailor beams so they focus on dark areas of the road and don't create glare for oncoming drivers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it issued a final rule allowing what's called adaptive driving beam headlights on new vehicles. It will go into effect when published in the Federal Register in the next few days.

The headlights, commonly used in Europe, have LED lamps that can focus beams on darkness such as the driver's lane and areas along the roadside. They also lower the intensity of the light beams if there's oncoming traffic. Camera sensors and computers help determine where the light should go.

HYUNDAI, KIA RECALL: Owners of nearly 485K vehicles are told to park outdoors due to a fire risk

This final rule will improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists by making them more visible at night, and will help prevent crashes by better illuminating animals and objects in and along the road, the agency said in a news release on Tuesday.

The new rule, which was supported by the auto industry, comes as the safety agency grapples with a dramatic rise in traffic deaths nationwide.

The number of U.S. traffic deaths surged in the first nine months of 2021 to 31,720, the government reported Tuesday, keeping up a record pace of increased dangerous driving during the coronavirus pandemic.

The estimated figure of people dying in motor vehicle crashes from January to September 2021 was 12% higher than the same period in 2020. That represents the highest percentage increase over a nine-month period since the Transportation Department began recording fatal crash data in 1975.

TEXAS ROADS: Three years into a plan to cut roadway deaths in half, Texas has second-deadliest year ever

The tally of 31,720 deaths was the highest nine-month figure since 2006.

Sam Abuelsamid, principal mobility analyst for Guidehouse Research, said the new lights will show up in higher-cost luxury vehicles at first, but will spread to more mainstram vehicles as the price of the technology falls.

Currently Audi charges $3,000 for the top version of the lights in the U.S. on its e-tron Sportback electric vehicle. The adaptive beam lights are offered on most Audi models in the U.S., but until now, could not be used. An Audi spokesman says the company is evaluating whether the lights meet NHTSA standards and whether they can be activated in the future.

The technology uses an array of light emitting diodes that can change where light beams are sent, rather than the current technology of high beams hitting everywhere. You have the ability to basically create a light pattern on the fly that is optimized for real-time conditions, Abuelsamid said. You can cast the light where it's most useful.

The new lights also will help partially automated driver assist systems keep cars in their lanes and avoid objects in front of the vehicles at night, Abuelsamid said.

The new lighting regulation also comes more than 1 1/2 years ahead of a requirement in the bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress last year, NHTSA said.

In the past the agency has moved slowly on safety measures mandated by Congress. An Associated Press review last year of NHTSAs rule-making activities under the last three presidents found at least 13 auto safety rules that are years overdue based on deadlines set in laws passed by Congress.

The agency has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator since early 2017. President Joe Biden has nominated former California air quality regulator Steven Cliff for the post. Cliff is awaiting confirmation by the full Senate.

Hope Yen contributed to this report from Washington.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is opening its new global headquarters north of Houston as construction wraps up soon on its 440,000 square-foot campus.

Contractors are nearly finished with building out the campus and employees have started to move into the space on a voluntary basis, said Adam Bauer, HPE spokesman, in an email.

HPE has about 2,200 employees in the Houston area, Bauer said, although he declined to say the exact number working out of the Spring campus.

The new 60-acre campus is now the global headquarters for HPE, which announced its plans to relocate from California in December 2020. The campus is expected to become the companys primary location for research and development, sales operations, supply chain, finance, human resources and marketing.

Because HPE still allows employees to work remotely, its campuses are expected to act like "collaborative cultural centers" where employees can gather for meetings and events, HPE's chief executive, Antonio Neri, previously said during a fall 2021 lecture hosted by Rice Universitys Baker Institute.

The new campus design include open, collaborative workspaces and lab space, where face-to-face interactions could boost the speed of innovation, Neri said.

Hundreds of employees from San Jose to Houston were expected to move gradually over time once the campus opens, he said.

Related: HPE's move could spur "technology renaissance" in Houston

Located at 1701 East Mossy Oaks Road, HPEs new digs are about 26 miles north of downtown Houston within City Place, the mixed-use development formerly known as Springwoods Village where Exxon Mobil is also moving its headquarters.

Developed by Patrinely Group, USAA Real Estate and CDC Houston, HPEs campus includes two, five-story buildings connected by bridges at each level. The campus includes indoor and outdoor amenities, including a fully landscaped roof terrace overlooking a large central courtyard. It's also a LEED Silver certified campus, meaning it meets internationally recognized sustainable design standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

A company managed by co-developer CDC Houston  a subsidiary of Coventry Development Corporation, New York  recently bought out its partners in the campus' real estate and now owns 100 percent of the real estate.

Reaching this campus milestone is a testament to the strength and capabilities of our partnership with Patrinely Group and USAA Real Estate, which has proven itself time and again in its abilities to thoughtfully and efficiently deliver large scale, premium projects in a location that has become one of Houstons top corporate campus hubs, said Robert Asselbergs, President of Coventry Development Corporation. We are excited about this purchase, which not only buoys the JV, but also reinforces our long-term commitment to the increasingly vibrant City Place.

City Place growth

Over the past five years, City Place developers Patrinely Group, USAA Real Estate and CDC Houston have jointly built out 1.5 million square feet of commercial office and retail within the urban core of City Place, including the headquarters of the American Bureau of Shipping, along with major offices for HP Inc. and Southwestern Energy. The development also includes a 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport Gym and a 10-screen Star Cinema Grill. Exxon Mobil has a sprawling 385-acre campus spread over about 20 buildings in City Place.

Once HPE employees move in to their new digs and other City Place employers bring workers back to the office, City Place will have about 20,000 employees working within the development, estimates Warren W. Wilson, executive vice president at CDC Houston, the co-developer behind City Place, in an interview.

New office growth is happening alongside residential expansion as the developer tries to tap into the demand from office workers seeking to live nearby.

Last year, CDC Houston unveiled a new partnership with DMB Development to develop thousands of residential units within City Place at the confluence of Interstate 45, the Grand Parkway and Hardy Toll Road.

Wilson said in a January interview that CDC was preparing to start clearing out 400 acres of land on the western side of City Place to accommodate future construction of single-family homes in addition to the 1,100 apartments and 160 single-family homes already in City Place. Once the project is fully built out, City Place is expected to encompass as many as 2,500 to 3,000 single family homes.

Overall, CDC and its partners are planning another 2.5 million square feet of commercial office, retail and residential in City Place.

Were basically going full speed ahead, Wilson said.
A renewable energy company has relocated its headquarters to Houston planning to expand here with a new office in a hip adaptive reuse project in The Heights.

Archaea Energy is moving its headquarters from the Pittsburgh area into a 40,000 square-foot space at M-K-T, the new mixed-use project developed by Triten Real Estate and Radom Capital at 600 N Shepherd Drive.

Archaea Energy merged with Detroit-based Aria Energy last year and the combined company went public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger with Rice Acquisition Corp. in September 2021.

Around that time Archaea quietly set up a small temporary office in the River Oaks area of Houston at 4444 Westheimer Road through a subleased space, said Megan Light, spokeswoman for Archaea in an interview.

The company expects to maintain a small presence in Pittsburgh and Detroit but will now be doing the bulk of its hiring in Houston, where it currently has about 89 employees, Light said.



Archaea picked Houston for its new headquarters because of its access to talent within the energy capital of the world, Light said.

The company is planning to move into the M-K-T mixed-use project in the fall of 2022, Light added.

Its a really modern, compelling space. We really wanted an office that people wanted to come to, Light said.

Archaea has been operating in a flexible, hybrid capacity and the hope is that locating in the new hip project in The Heights will motivate employees to come into the office more often, she said.

M-K-T is already bustling with events, trendy retailers and new restaurants that could help with recruiting talent, noted tenant representatives with CBRE.

M-K-T offers access to bike trails, parks, restaurants, retail and other amenities employees increasingly desire. This is a great outcome for the company and the city of Houston, said Kevin Kushner of CBRE who represented the tenant along with William Padon.

Boutique adaptive reuse projects are seeing strong leasing activity in the pandemic despite the weakness of the office market in Houston overall, industry experts say.

M-K-T developers have actually added more office space than they originally planned in response to the demand  including adding a mezzanine level to Archaeas office and converting some retail space into office use, said Steve Radom, principal at Radom Capital who is co-developing the project, in an interview.

Archaea Energy is expected to get signage on Building 5 of the project, where residential real estate company Compass and primary healthcare provider Village Medical already have office space in the project, he said.

Archaea becomes the largest office tenant in M-K-T, which now has about 120,000 square feet of office space and 90,000 square feet of retail space, Radom said. Radom Capital and Triten Real Estate were represented by CBRE's Russell Hodges, Bubba Harkins and Jenny Mueller.

Developers recently inked additional office leases with financial services group IMA Financial for 7,500 square feet of space and oil and gas firm McGonagill, Lambert & Bay for about 2,800 square feet, a spokesman for the project confirmed.

Archaeas space includes direct access to the adjacent hike-and-bike trail, as well as access to interior bike storage, state-of-the-art lounge areas and dedicated wellness and fitness spaces. The building  a former industrial space converted into an office  has a garage door that opens up to allow for fresh air and nature views, Radom noted.

Archaea is coming to Houston just as economic developers are trying to position the city for the energy transition.

At a time when everyone is concerned about what the future of energy looks like, this group committing to Houston just reaffirms the fact that we have this energy ecosystem here whether its renewable or traditional, were the epicenter, Radom said.

Archaea Energy Inc. describes itself as one of the largest renewable natural gas producers in the U.S. The company has 28 operating sites across the country where it converts waste into renewal natural gas, reducing local air emissions at the site of landfills by an estimated 90 percent, said Light.
When chef Hugo Ortega opened Hugos in 2012 and put sotol on the menu, there were few places to find the Mexican spirit in Houston and not that many products on the market.

Sean Beck, the beverage director of Ortegas H-Town Restaurant Group, said most people were not familiar with sotol, or even the now-trendy mezcal, at that time. He recalls the days when most margaritas served in Houston were from sweet-and-sour mix or a frozen margarita machine.

The whole idea was to change the way people approached and drank Mexican spirits, he said. Hugos began serving margaritas with fresh lime juice shaken to order and offering palomas with sotol instead of tequila.

For years, says Beck, the only sotol available in Texas was Hacienda de Chihuahua, a Mexican brand so established in the category it owns the domain sotol.com. More recently, an increasing number of sotols from Mexico have been imported to the U.S., and we are beginning to see the emergence of sotol producers in Texas, including Desert Door Distillery and The Marfa Spirit Co.

Sotol is a spirit distilled from the Dasylirion wheeleri plant, commonly known as a desert spoon. It is native to northern Mexico, particularly Chihuahua, and can also be found growing wild in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.

Texans have likely seen sotol plants without even realizing it: The shrub has spindly leaves that form a spiky bush somewhat reminiscent of a sea urchin.

Native people have used sotol in varying applications for thousands of years: weaving the leaves into baskets, honing the stalks into tools and weapons, cooking the hearts for food and, eventually, fermenting the plant into an alcoholic beverage.

Today in Chihuahua, sotol is a way of life, says sixth-generation sotolero Jacobo Jacquez, owner of Sotol Don Celso in Janos, Mexico.

Many families (in the desert) struggle to make a batch on a day-to-day basis, he said. The only way they can survive is by making a living out of what is around them. The sotol plant is abundant in northern Mexico, and for many families, it is the bread and butter.

In 2018, Jacquez met a few current and former Houstonians who were looking to start their own sotol venture on the other side of the border. Morgan Weber, co-owner and beverage director of Houstons Agricole Hospitality, has been a sotol enthusiast since local bar owner Bobby Heugel opened a bottle of Hacienda de Chihuahua for him in 2009. Seth Siegel-Gardner came to Marfa after closing his lauded The Pass & Provisions in 2019, leaving his grumpy restaurant dude life behind. Josh Shepard moved to the area after launching Smilebooth in Austin.

Weber, Siegel-Gardner and Shepard have traveled extensively in northern Mexico and visited sotol distilleries to understand the culture behind the spirit and understand the process sotoleros have been honing for centuries. The three of them developed a friendship with Jacquez on their visits to Mexico and hosted him in Texas in turn, connecting over sips of sotol and home-cooked food.

Back in the day, there were no borders for the wild sotol, said Jacquez, who is keen on expanding the category and wants opportunities for neighboring states. His family has roots in Texas, he explains, and his father was one of the first to export sotol to the state, creating a distribution hub from El Paso to Houston. When the chance at a partnership with the three Texans arose, he dove straight in.

Marfa Spirit launched its first product with Jacquez and Sotol Don Celso, in what Weber calls a true collaboration between distilleries on both sides of the border. Chihuahuan Desert Sotol debuted in August 2021 and Marfa Spirit opened its tasting room and distillery, in the former Godbold Feed Mill in Marfa, in October. Their products  which also include a gin, a vodka, and an orange and grapefruit liqueur  are available at retailers, bars and restaurants across Houston and Texas.

Marfa Spirit wasnt the first to make a sotol in Texas. Austin-based Genius Gin launched one in 2015, but its been discontinued since.

In November 2017, Desert Door Distillery opened in Driftwood, adding a sotol offering and experience to wine-centric Texas Hill Country. Desert Door has a tasting room and distributes across the state.

Desert Door harvests its plants about four hours away from the distillery. The company sources sotol from a total of 60,000 acres, between its own 8,000-acre ranch in Terrell County and partnerships with other landowners out there.

The Marfa Spirit team also plans to harvest from wild Texas plants, a project Jacquez is helping them with. The first bottling will come from Cibolo Creek Ranch, which has a history of distilling that dates back to the 1800s.

Both producers are making sotol with environmental sustainability in mind, which is easier to do with sotol than other spirits. To make tequila or mezcal, the agave plants roots must be dug up; it takes several years for new agaves to reach maturity. With sotol, on the other hand, the plants root is left as is.

The desert spoons seed spreads with the wind and germinates in the wild, so at Desert Door, for example, the plants they source from arent actually planted by them. The crew harvests only 20 percent of available plants at one time, in order to always leave mature and flowering plants, explains Desert Door co-founder Ryan Campbell. No insecticide, pesticide or fertilizer is used.

When Marfa Spirits harvesting program in Texas gets started, the team will also identify a percentage of plants to pick from and then not revisit them for years to let them regrow.

Houstonians now have many more options for sotol than they used to. Sean Beck loves the Mexican producers Por Siempre, Flor del Desierto, Sotol Ono, La Nina and La Higuera. Behind the bar at Hugos, one of his favorite sotol-based cocktails is the West Texas Walkabout, made with a lightly wood-aged sotol, sweet vermouth, peach bitters, praline liqueur and agave nectar that is infused with chile de arbol. Siegel-Gardner remembers Hugos being the first restaurant or bar in Houston to truly highlight sotol, instead of just throwing it on the list in the middle of all the tequilas.

Beck says its a little more work to introduce people to sotol, but like with everything, its about finding the connective thread with something customers are more familiar with. While the tequila comparison is an over-simplification, he says, it works.

I always tell people: Its very similar to some of the agave spirits youve had, but its more floral, more herbal, more viscous, he said. Its wilder, you know, its a little more untamed.

Marfa Spirit has found interesting ways to highlight sotol, starting with the classic Mexican cocktails but going beyond that, too. Weber says its a very versatile spirit  one of his favorite applications is using sotol instead of gin in a negroni.

New restaurants in Houston are also shining a light on sotol and its Mexican roots. At Maize, which opened last December, the cocktail list features a drink called the Cintli (meaning dried ears of maize) made with sotol, purple corn and corn liqueur.

emma.balter@chron.com
Its a move in the ripe direction and theyre holding onto their Hasses.

The United States is suspending avocado imports from Mexico after a U.S. plant safety inspector received a threatening phone call.

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Mexicos Agriculture Department said the incident occurred in Michoacan, the only part of Mexico with U.S. market access. Avocados are also grown in the U.S., so inspectors work in Mexico to ensure the exported fruits dont have diseases that will affect American crops.

Avocados are displayed for sale at Michoacan market in Mexico City. (Fernando Llano/AP)

U.S. health authorities ... made the decision after one of their officials, who was carrying out inspections in Uruapan, Michoacan, received a threatening message on his official cellphone, the department said.

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According to the Associated Press, the region has been a hotbed of drug cartel activity, including turf battles and extortion attempts made against avocado farmers.

The suspension will be in place until further notice, and it is unknown when the U.S. might start experiencing shortages of the superfood or see price increases at restaurants and grocery stores. However, a spokesperson for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told Bloomberg News the situation would likely be resolved in a few days and that the source of the threat has already been identified.

It has no importance, Jesus Ramirez said. Theres no problem so were going to see what more is required.

The U.S. Embassy said that facilitating the export of Mexican avocados to the U.S. and guaranteeing the safety of our agricultural inspection personnel go hand in hand.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

We are working with the Mexican government to guarantee security conditions that would allow our personnel in Michoacan to resume operations, the embassy wrote on social media.

U.S. inspectors were previously directly threatened in Ziracuaretiro, a town just west of Uruapan, in August 2019. Local reports said the cartel members robbed the truck the inspectors were in and pointed guns at them.

Farmers who are extorted by the cartel can pay as much as thousands of dollars per acre.

In September 2020, Edgar Flores Santos, a Mexican employee of the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, was shot and killed after traffickers thought he was a police officer.

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Mexico exports about 100,000 tons of avocados a month and there are about $3 billion in annual exports. About 99% of the avocados the U.S. imports are from Mexico.

We encourage all those actors in this value chain to take extreme care and vigilance to preserve such an important export program, the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico said in a statement.

With News Wire Services
Houstons neighbor to the north has a lot to offer these days, especially with recent restaurant openings that are revitalizing the dining scene.

Roots Southern Table is chef Tiffany Derrys culinary rendition of her upbringing in the South, and chef Junior Borges showcases his Brazilian roots at Meridian. The historic Adolphus Hotel downtown delivers classic yet modern luxury after a major renovation and the reopening of its revamped Rodeo Bar.

Heres how to spend a fabulous 48 hours in Dallas.

Meridian

Meridian at The Village Dallas Meridian at The Village Dallas Meridian at The Village Dallas Meridian at The Village Dallas Meridian

After earning his culinary stripes in New York and opening the Dallas location of Uchi, chef Junior Borges finally strikes out on his own with Meridian, showcasing the vibrant flavors of his native Brazil. He unveiled the restaurant at The Village, a swanky mixed-use complex in North Dallas, in May 2021.

Borges gives Brazilian street foods the fine-dining treatment, like the grilled beach cheese  queijo coalho  on a stick with hot honey, oregano and lime, presented at the table on a small portable grill; and the traditional tapioca cheese fritters served with 24-month prosciutto, pickles and housemade smoked hot sauce. For entrees, dont miss the seafood moqueca. Depending on the night, the stew may have blue prawns or scallops alongside charred plantain slices and tomato, sitting in a bright orange coconut and dende oil broth that is poured tableside.

5650 Village Glen Dr., Dallas, 469-659-6382; thevillagedallas.com/meridian

MORE NORTH TEXAS LOVE: Where to eat and what to see at the Fort Worth Stockyards

Roots Southern Table

Roots Southern Table Roots Southern Table Roots Southern Table

Former Top Chef contestant and Beaumont native Tiffany Derry opened her most ambitious and personal restaurant yet, Roots Southern Table, in the northern Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch. The cuisine is an ode to her Southern upbringing, shaped by the flavors of Texas and Louisiana.

Derrys mothers gumbo is one of the bestselling items on the menu, made with Zummos sausage from Beaumont, chicken, shrimp and blue crab. The chef shows off her creativity with dishes such as smoked pork-tinged Southern greens served alongside a small squeeze bottle of potlikker and balls of hot water cornbread; and the shrimp and grits, which folds chopped shrimp, jalapeno and cheesy grits into arancini-like fried balls for a twist on the classic. A whole chicken fried in duck fat  which Derry is known for at her Roots Chicken Shak locations in Plano and Austin  finds another home at Roots Southern Table.

13050 Bee St., Farmers Branch, 214-346-4441; rootssoutherntable.com

The Adolphus Hotel

The Adolphus Hotel The Adolphus Hotel The Adolphus Hotel The Aldolphus Hotel

For a luxurious stay in Dallas, look no further than the classic Adolphus Hotel downtown. The Beaux Arts-style building opened to guests in 1912, the tallest in Texas at the time. It went through a major renovation in 2018, its first since the 1980s, giving the common areas a stylish, modern feel that still vibes with the hotels historic stature.

Guests can swim in the shadow of surrounding skycrapers at the roofdeck pool. A few doors down, Spa Adolphus has six personal treatment rooms, a couples room with a private terrace, and a relaxation room with a patio and a view. On the ground floor, Ottos is an optimal spot for coffee, pastries and checking email. The Adolphus also has two restaurants: the fine-dining French Room and more casual City Hill Bistro.

In January, the hotel unveiled a completely revamped Rodeo Bar, the Adolphus watering hole that dates back to 1981 but had been closed since 2018. Expect cocktails, beers, a late-night food menu of bar favorites, and cowboy flare from vintage rodeo posters and other memorabilia.

Rooms from $220 a night. 1321 Commerce, Dallas, 214-742-8200; adolphus.com
Home goods stores are constantly opening and closing, expanding or downsizing. The shifts can be big and sudden or more subtle and purposeful.

The push-pull of wanting new furniture while not being able to get it in a timely fashion because of manufacturing and shipping issues has affected both shopkeepers and their customers.

A year ago, London-based OKA opened OKA Houston in the home of a short-lived Wisteria store on West Alabama while affordable home goods chain Ballard Designs opened in the former Gap location in River Oaks Shopping Center. CB2, West Elm and Lovesac all opened storefronts in Rice Village.

Other changes have been in the works in more recent months, including Herman Miller opening a storefront in The Woodlands and Houston-based Wells Abbott expanding to the theMART in Chicago.

Shoppers can greet the highly curated taste of designer Joani Scaff at her new Paisley House location in the Heights as they say greet a new owner at Westheimer Plumbing and Hardware and say goodbye to Renovate in Spring Branch and RR Home at the Houston Design Center.

Oasis Fino

Launched from her staging and styling business, Erica Fleeks Mallet and business partner, Terrance Williams have opened one of the citys newest Black-owned furniture stores, Oasis FINO, in the retail strip alongside the Mosaic condo/apartment towers across the street from the Hermann Park.

Most of her career, Mallet has worked in social services, but for years sold furniture as a side gig. Eventually it became furniture staging and when she was delivering furniture to Williams  who had an empty apartment at Market Square Tower  he was struck by her enthusiasm and joined her effort.

Williams works in real estate and has a trucking company, so sometimes youll find him delivering furniture  if thats whats needed on any given day.

Neither has formal training in interior design, but theyve filled a nearly 2,800-square-foot showroom with mostly contemporary furniture and accessories. They also sell art supplied by Bisong Art Gallery.

Youll find beds for $2,000 to $10,000 and chairs from $250 to $2,500 and other furniture in a wide range of prices.

The store is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily except Mondays.

Wells Abbott

Lauren Hudson, owner of Wells Abbott as well as Wells Textiles, Classic Cloth and Rose Cumming fabric lines, has expanded to Chicagos theMART, formerly known as the Merchandise Mart.

Business is very robust, even with the longer lead times, Hudson said. People are making changes and enhancing their homes and designers are incredibly busy. I dont see that slowing down. We had the best year weve ever had last year and this year is off to a great start.

Hudson said she saw the Midwest as an opportunity to put her textile lines  artisanal and boutique fabrics in front of a new audience in 13 states. Her Chicago showroom will be run by Robert Brass and though theyre in a temporary space there now, Hudson expects to be moved into her 2,200-square-foot Chicago showroom in June.

Hudson bought Wells Design in 2015 and soon after purchased Betsie Weatherfords Ellouise Abbott furniture showroom  her neighbor in the Decorative Center Houston  and renamed it Wells Abbott. In 2019 she bought Classic Cloth and Rose Cumming fabric lines. Wells Abbott also has a showroom in the Dallas Design Center.

Paisley House

Joani Scaff had just signed a new lease for space for her Paisley House store at 2420 Washington Avenue when the pandemic hit. Shed been operating in Memorial since 2012 in a couple of locations and was interested in shifting to the Heights, which gets more interesting in residential, hospitality and commercial space by the day.

What initially felt like very bad luck  getting keys to the new place on March 13, 2020  has turned out to be an interesting turn for her business.

Shes adapting inventory for a broader audience with a wider array of price points, carrying furniture, art, bedding and a variety of home accessories. She also carries wallpaper, which is almost impossible to find in a store right now.

Paisley House is closed Sunday and Monday, open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.

Westheimer Plumbing and Hardware

This Upper Kirby business, known for high-end plumbing and hardware fixtures, has changed hands, with longtime owners Marilyn and Bob Hermance and their son, Doug, selling to employee Stephen Waguespack.

Years ago Marilyn owned a business called Custom Accessories (founded in 1977) while Bob and Doug started Westheimer Plumbing in 1991. When she joined their firm two years later, they renamed it Westheimer Plumbing and Hardware and it came to be known as one of the top places for builders, architects and interior designers looking for stylish and well made plumbing fixtures and hardware. (Its open to the public, too.)

Marilyn met Waguespack several years ago when he was a waiter at Tony Mandolas and she was so impressed with his attitude and service that she hired him. He was then a U.S. Army veteran  with two tours in Iraq  trying to figure out what his path would be.

Marilyn told me I was the best server shed ever had and asked me if I ever thought about doing something different, Waguespack said, telling the story of his transition from waiter to plumbing salesman. I said Every day, I love sea bass but Id rather not go home smelling like it.

Eight years later, he now owns the business that the Hermances founded. He said hell still carry brands such as Dornbracht, Sigma, Hansgrohe and Newport Brass, and hell be attending industry shows soon to see what new collections to add.

Renovate

This mother-daughter shop filled with home decor and gifts has closed, citing a mix of changing life priorities.

Cathy Hutton and her daughter, Courtney Prochaska, opened their shop in Spring Branch more than seven years ago with an interesting mix of goods not often found in bigger department stores. They provided a venue for local artists and artisans and were loved by interior designers.

Hutton is also an interior designer and will continue helping those clients. Otherwise, they say theyre exploring new opportunities. Stay tuned for what comes next from these energetic and creative women.

RR Home

Interior designer Rainey Richardson is closing out her RR Home furniture showroom at the Houston Design Center, selling in-stock furniture for 30 to 50 percent off. She expects to be out of the space in early to mid-April.

Richardson opened the store five years ago as Off White, with a showroom of furniture all in off white fabric. Not only was white furniture popular then, but it was also a way to market furniture pieces as a blank canvas, so customers could imagine what it would look like with fabric of their choosing.

A few years ago she rebranded as RR Home and abandoned the off-white theme, since color filled homes are more in tune with her design style.

Richardson cited supply-chain difficulties, and said that her company  Rainey Richardson Interiors  will move to another, smaller location in the Design Center next to Kitchen and Bath Concepts. There, she and her staff, which includes her husband and business partner Tom Richardson, will focus on continuing her interior design business while amping up their custom home specifications and home remodeling work.

diane.cowen@chron.com
A murder suspect whose bond was revoked was shot and killed Wednesday as authorities were attempting to execute a felony search warrant at a north Harris County hotel, authorities said.



Members of Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force were attempting to apprehend the man at the hotel at 16620 North Freeway when he attempted to remove two guns from around his waist, according to Pasadena Police Chief Josh Bruegger.

More on HoustonChronicle.com: Daughter of woman found dead in west Harris County charged with murder

"They were waiting to get their game plan together as he was walking through the parking lot," Bruegger said. "They confronted him and gave him verbal commands. He didn't listen to them and started to raise his shirt where he had two hand guns in his waistband that he began to reach for."

A Pasadena police officer and a member of the U.S. Marshals Service shot and struck the man, hitting him multiple times, according to Bruegger. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

No officers were injured in the incident, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez updated in a tweet late Wednesday morning.

The identity of the man has yet to be released by authorities, who are asking residents to steer clear of the area as the investigation continues.

At least two people who arrived at the hotel said they were relatives of the man. One of them said the family declined to comment.

No other information is available at this time.

This scene is breaking and updates will be added.

Joel.Umanzor@chron.com
Galveston County Sheriff's Office

Police are asking for the public's help in locating a suspect accused of fatally shooting a Texas City mother while she was in a car with her 3-year-old child inside, according to a Tuesday release from the Galveston County Sheriff's Office.

Bria Lockett, 27, was shot and killed inside her car around 8:30 p.m. on January 6 while traveling in the area of Wayne Johnson Avenue and Prino Road in Hitchcock, Texas. Her 3-year-old child was inside the vehicle at the time but was unharmed, police said.
A suspect is dead and two deputies were injured in a Katy-area shooting Tuesday night, according to Harris County Sheriffs Office.



Authorities got a call for service around 8 p.m. in connection to a discharge of a firearm within a residence and responded to the 6600 block of Amberfield Lane, sheriffs office chief deputy Edison Toquica said in a briefing streamed by KHOU11 Tuesday night. A suspect confronted the deputies when they arrived, pointing his weapon at them and firing toward them, he said.



Thats when the deputies fired toward the suspect, who was struck, according to Toquica.



Toquica said the suspect is about 43 and the deputies  one of whom was struck in the right leg, and the other whose head was grazed and leg was also struck  are 27 and 28. Theyre both in stable condition, he said.



One of the deputies has been on the job for two years and the other for one year, according to Toquica.



Toquica said the suspect was out on bond in connection to an aggravated assault of a family member charge.



Toquica commended the deputies in the briefing, saying they did an awesome job.



We train our deputies well, and we take pride in that. Tonight was no exception, he said. They reverted to their training and they did an exceptional job. I think that they probably wouldnt have done anything different  they approached the residence as they should have, as they were trained to do, and basically, they were ambushed.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Courtesy of Klein ISD

Two adults were arrested Tuesday after they allegedly assaulted a Klein ISD principal, court filings and Klein ISD officials say.

According to court documents, Diandra Arrona, 28, and Trancito de Jesus Arrona, 47, are each charged with assaulting a public servant, a felony. They're accused of assaulting the Schindewolf Intermediate School principal during a meeting. The district said that medical personnel and Klein ISD Police immediately responded and arrested the adults.
After showering reporters with praise during his first week in City Hall, Mayor Adams slammed the citys press corps Tuesday, complaining that it isnt diverse enough and that coverage of his trip to Albany a day earlier was a distortion of what actually went down.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams makes a summer youth employment announcement at City Hall in lower Manhattan, New York on Feb. 15, 2022. (YouTube)

You guys kill me, he said at the very beginning of a City Hall news conference Tuesday. What part of Albany were you covering? Eric gets beat up in Albany? What meetings were you guys in?

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Adams didnt call out any publications by name, but he appeared to be referring to a Daily News article that addressed the resistance he ran into from Albany lawmakers when broaching two measures hes been calling on them to implement for weeks.

Adams spent his Monday in Albany meeting with state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers), Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and other legislators to discuss what hed like them to prioritize for the city.

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New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

Two of his priorities include revisiting bail reforms enacted into state law in 2020 and the 2017 Raise the Age law, which prohibits teens younger than 18 from being criminally prosecuted in New York.

Heastie and Stewart-Cousins kept their cards close to their vests after their Monday meetings with Adams, but one Democratic source briefed on the matter told The News that the mayors top two criminal justice priorities didnt get much love.

New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) (Hans Pennink/AP)

But Adams offered a totally different take Tuesday.

Andrea gave me a pear and an apple, he said. We walked out and said in front of everyone that we are aligned in keeping our city and our state safe.

He described the meetings as cordial, at one point using the term lovefest and noting that there was no arguing, no yelling, no screaming.

Areas we disagreed about  we talked about it, and we walked through them, he said. We talked about all of these issues in a civil way.

Adams then vowed to stop taking off-topic questions from reporters during briefings, told the reporters assembled to stop distorting the news, and pivoted to another criticism of the press  diversity within its ranks, or lack thereof.

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Im gonna say this, and Im not saying it out of hate, Im saying it out of love. Im a Black man thats the mayor. But my story is being interpreted by people that dont look like me. We gotta be honest about that, he said. I say that to all your owners of your papers, your editorials  diversify your newsroom so I can look out and see people that look like me.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams makes a summer youth employment announcement at City Hall in lower Manhattan, New York on Feb. 15, 2022. (YouTube)

Adams spoke to the mostly white reporters assembled in City Halls Blue Room.

Look, we need you. We need you, Adams said of the press. That was really unfortunate  what I saw in the papers and in the news today. Really unfortunate. And if this is how this is going to be, Im just going to come in and do my announcements and bounce. Why am I even answering these questions? And it happens over and over and over again.

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Adams did not pose the question Tuesday that former Mayor Ed Koch used to like asking voters  Howm I doing?  but he offered his own form of a response to it.

If you want to acknowledge or not, I have been doing a darned good job, he said.

The stated subject of his news conference  summer jobs for the citys youth  was discussed after the mayors media critique.

Under Adams new plan, the summer jobs program will be expanded to 100,000 jobs  up from 75,000 the previous year. Adams, who has focused much of his time as mayor on addressing gun violence, suggested Tuesday that beefing up jobs for people between the ages of 14 and 24 who need them would go a long way toward that end.

This is the largest number of jobs made available in this programs history, he said. Were opening the doors of opportunities for our sons and daughters of this city that have historically witnessed the doors being shut in their faces. Well, darn it, were kicking those doors open.
Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Jason Tabor resigned Monday night as mayor of Santa Fe, a city of roughly 13,000 people in Galveston County, a city official said.

"It has been a pleasure to work with all of you," Tabor said in a letter of resignation addressed to city council. "Thank you for the support and your dedication for the city, community, and citizens."
When Pfizer announced in late December that its COVID-19 vaccine for kids under the age of 5 had failed in clinical trials, Dr. Caitlin Sutton was torn.

As a mom I was super-bummed and disheartened, but as a doctor Im glad the trials are so diligent, said Sutton, a Texas Children's Pavilion for Women anesthesiologist and mother to two kids under 5.

Sutton and other parents eager to vaccinate their young children became hopeful again when federal regulators set a special meeting for Feb. 15 to review Pfizers modified pediatric vaccine. But days before the meeting, the parents were dealt another disheartening setback with the news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration wanted to push it back to gather more data on a third dose. Now, the shots are not expected to become available until April at the earliest.

The back-and-forth developments have triggered anxiety among some parents eager to have their children vaccinated, but they are in the minority. Surveys suggest the majority of young parents remain hesitant, and may not take advantage of the vaccines availability upon authorization.

Pfizer has said its low-dose vaccine is safe for children under 5, but trials have yet to prove it works.

Nationally, only 31 percent of children in the 5- to-11-year-old age group had received at least one dose by Feb. 11, more than three months after it became available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Harris County, only 18 percent of children ages 5 to 9  the youngest category on the countys COVID dashboard  are fully vaccinated.

Im very dismayed by (those figures), said Dr. Michael Chang, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UTHealth and Childrens Memorial Hermann Hospital. For these individual kids, the vaccines are still the most effective way to prevent illness and hospitalization. Its unfortunate that more parents arent taking advantage of this.

Despite persistent vaccine hesitancy among parents of young children, the omicron surge generated some fresh enthusiasm, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study. One third of parents of children under 5 say theyll get their child vaccinated right away when a vaccine is authorized, a 10 percent increase since July. Another third say they will wait and see before seeking out the shot. And a quarter of parents say they will definitely not vaccinate their young child, while the remainder say they would do so only if required by law.

Baytown resident Diana Donath is looking forward to the day her 3-year-old granddaughter Lilliann will be eligible for the vaccine. As Lillianns daytime caregiver, Donath is careful to plan outdoor activities, like visits to the park and the zoo, that dont imperil her vulnerable charge.

Its nerve-wracking, Donath said while playing barefoot in the rain with Lilliann at Donovan Park Wednesday afternoon. Its scary there is nothing to protect her.

Although children make up a small percentage of COVID hospitalizations and deaths, they still run the risk of developing long-term complications that linger beyond the infection.

A study published last month by the CDC found children and adolescents were more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes more than 30 days after a COVID infection, compared to those without the virus and those with pre-pandemic respiratory infections.

A national study in the United Kingdom found that 7 to 8 percent of children with COVID reported symptoms more than three months after diagnosis. And scientists are still studying the link between COVID and MIS-C, a conditions that inflames the organs, most commonly seen in children who have been exposed to the virus.

Dr. James Versalovic, chief pathologist at Texas Children's Hospital and director of Texas Children's Microbiome Center, said the hospital system has identified nearly 300 cases of MIS-C during the pandemic and expects more in the coming months. More than half of those patients have required ICU care, he said.

Versalovic emphasized the importance of vaccinating children with underlying illnesses who remain especially vulnerable to the virus.

Weve seen a greater proportion of children under 5 now impacted during the omicron surge because they have had no vaccine available, he said, adding that up to 40 percent of hospitalized children fell into that age group at one point.

This delay in terms of the FDA review is in no way dampening our enthusiasm for the vaccine, he said. If anything, its just strengthening the argument for vaccination.

Parents hoping to vaccinate their children can find the full list of Texas providers here. They can also call their pediatricians office or check vaccines.gov.

julian.gill@chron.com / nora.mishanec@chron.com
Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Aldine ISD plans to lift its mask mandate before the districts spring break in March, district officials said Wednesday, citing a decrease of COVID-19 cases paired with expanded vaccine eligibility for some youngsters.

The district will not require students, staffers or visitors to wear a face covering at any facilities or events when the mandate is lifted March 11.
Americas coastline will see sea levels rise in the next 30 years by as much as they did in the entire 20th century, a government report warns, hitting the Texas coast especially hard.

Between now and 2060, scientists predict almost 25 inches of sea level rise in Galveston  a dramatic scenario for a coastal city already vulnerable to hurricane storm surges and tidal flooding.

Seas lapping against the U.S. shore will be 10 to 12 inches higher by 2050, with parts of Louisiana and Texas projected to see waters a foot and a half higher, according to a 111-page report issued Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and six other federal agencies.

The western Gulf of Mexico coast, should get hit the most with the highest sea level rise  16 to 18 inches  by 2050, the report said.

Make no mistake: Sea level rise is upon us, said Nicole LeBoeuf, director of NOAAs National Ocean Service.

The projected increase is especially alarming given that in the 20th century, seas along the Atlantic coast rose at the fastest clip in 2,000 years.

LeBoeuf warned that the cost will be high, pointing out that much of the American economy and 40 percent of the population are along the coast.

However, the worst of the long-term sea level rise from the melting of ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland probably wont kick in until after 2100, said ocean service oceanographer William Sweet, the reports lead author.

Warmer water expands, and the melting ice sheets and glaciers adds more water to the worlds oceans.

The report is the equivalent of NOAA sending a red flag up about accelerating the rise in sea levels, said University of Wisconsin-Madison geoscientist Andrea Dutton, a specialist in sea level rise who wasnt part of the federal report. The coastal flooding the U.S. is seeing now will get taken to a whole new level in just a couple of decades.

We can see this freight train coming from more than a mile away, Dutton said in an email. The question is whether we continue to let houses slide into the ocean.

Sea level rises more in some places than others because of sinking land, currents and water from ice melt. The U.S. will get slightly more sea level rise than the global average. And the greatest rise in the U.S. will be on the Gulf and East Coasts, while the West Coast and Hawaii will be hit less than average, Sweet said.

For example, between now and 2060, expect just under 2 feet of sea level rise in St. Petersburg, Fla., while only 9 inches in Seattle and 14 inches in Los Angeles, the report said.

While higher seas cause much more damage when storms such as hurricanes hit the coast, they are becoming a problem even on sunny days, including in Galveston.

Other cities such as Miami Beach, Florida; Annapolis, Maryland; and Norfolk, Virginia, already get a few minor nuisance floods a year during high tides, but those will be replaced by several moderate floods a year by mid-century, ones that cause property damage, the researchers said.

Its going to be areas that havent been flooding that are starting to flood, Sweet said in an interview. Many of our major metropolitan areas on the East Coast are going to be increasingly at risk.

The eastern Gulf of Mexico should expect 14 to 16 inches of sea level rise by 2050 and three moderate sunny-day floods a year. By mid-century, the Southeast coast should get a foot to 14 inches of sea level rise and four sunny-day moderate floods a year, while the Northeast coast should get 10 inches to a foot of sea level rise and six moderate sunny-day floods a year.

Both the Hawaiian Islands and Southwestern coast should expect 6 to 8 inches of sea level rise by mid-century, with the Northwest coast seeing only 4 to 6 inches. The Pacific coastline will get more than 10 minor nuisance sunny-day floods a year but only about one moderate one a year, with Hawaii getting even less than that.

And thats just until 2050. The report is projecting an average of about 2 feet of sea level rise in the United States  more in the East, less in the West  by the end of the century.

Houston Chronicle Staff writer Emily Foxhall contributed to this report
Houston is slated to get just 2 percent of the regional council's $488 million tranche for storm mitigation, angering city leaders who say the city consistently has been shorted when it comes to the federal money.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council, a regional group made up of representatives from local governments, voted Tuesday to proceed with a funding plan that skirts Houston over the opposition of city officials. The plan still needs state and federal approval, along with a lengthy public comment period, before moving forward.

This is not the end, said At-Large Councilmember Sallie Alcorn, who represents the city on the regional body.

H-GAC is a regional planning council covering 13 counties. It often serves as the decision maker for alloting federal funding for infrastructure projects with an eye toward improving cooperation among local governments.

Mayor Sylvester Turner, who went to the councils meeting to make the case for more funding, said the money should follow the damage from Hurricane Harvey. His office issued a statement Tuesday evening calling the councils plan disappointing.

The fact is, Texas received this money for damages that occurred in Houston and Harris County, Turner said. Houston and Harris County suffered 50 percent of the damages during Harvey, which is not up for debate. What am I missing? If circumstances were different, I would advocate for the other jurisdictions. This decision hurts the city of Houston and hurts our regional alliance.

The dispute centers on federal funding distributed after Harvey and other storms to help state and local governments finance infrastructure to mitigate the risk of future disasters. Last year, the Texas General Land Office announced Houston and Harris County would get none of an initial $1 billion funding round for communities. The agency later reversed course and said it would give Harris County a direct allotment of $750 million. The city is not slated to get any of that money. The city and county had expected to receive about half of the $4.3 billion in total funds, or $1 billion each.

H-GAC then removed Houston and other Harris County cities from its plans to distribute $488 million to local governments. Commissioners said those cities stand to benefit from the separate, $750 million GLO tranche. It is not clear, however, whether any of the money will reach the citys coffers. The county faces a $900 million funding deficit for its bond program alone and is unlikely to send some of its money to the city, although it may work on joint projects.

Were basically penalizing Houston and other cities in Harris County because we might get some benefit from the Harris County money, Alcorn said. And we dont know that yet.

Houston, which makes up about 30 percent of the regional councils population base, would get about $9 million under the regional councils plan, or 1.9 percent.

Chuck Wemple, H-GACs executive director, said the board felt Houston would see some of the $750 million headed for the county. He emphasized that there will be time for public comment, and the plan is not yet final.

I would offer that the complication we have before us today is a result of that $750 million allocation to the county, without any definition of what the expectation is for that money, Wemple said. That makes all of our jobs more difficult.

The council covers 13 counties and helps local governments cooperate on regional issues, such as workforce development and infrastructure. Alcorn and Councilmember Letitia Plummer represent Houston on the councils 36-person board of directors.

Galveston and Fort Bend counties, $89 million and $83 million respectively, stand to reap the most under the plan H-GAC voted to send to the state. The rest would go to governments in 10 surrounding counties, including Montgomery, Matagorda, Brazoria and Waller.

Alcorn urged H-GAC members to adjust the plan, proposing a formula that would send about $148 million to Houston, roughly proportional with population figures. The council rejected that amendment, and another from Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia to delay the vote.

Turner, Houstons chief recovery officer Stephen Costello and other council members also urged a revision, and Turner last week went so far as to question the citys involvement in the council.

We got zeroed out by the GLO, and it seems as though we are getting almost zeroed out by the H-GAC, Turner said last week, when Alcorn broached the issue at City Council. If theyre going to operate at the exclusion of the city of Houston, then the city of Houston needs to reevaluate its relationship with H-GAC going forward.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
Texas A&M University will gather input from student newspaper representatives after drawing criticism for a sudden demand to halt its weekly print publication.

The order last week raised immediate concerns about censorship of the 129-year-old paper, The Battalion. President M. Katherine Banks initial ultimatum  to stop printing immediately and move under the purview of an academic department, or lose many of its current resources - came without any consultation from members of the newspaper or its faculty adviser.

Banks on Friday walked back her directive and gave the paper until the end of the spring semester to make a decision. And on Monday, she said she would add two students as well as other media experts to a working group to rebuild a journalism department at the College Station campus, emphasizing a desire for The Battalion to maintain its own editorial influence.

In addition, the Working Group should assess how The Battalion can best achieve its mission to be a strong, independent student voice in the future, Banks said in a statement. Thank you to everyone who shares my commitment to elevate Texas A&M as a leader in protecting the role and enhancing the quality of the free press in our society.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas A&M leaders move to phase out student newspapers print version

Banks, who assumed the presidency in June after nine years as dean of the engineering college, had told leadership at The Battalion that the change would move A&Ms student journalism in the same direction as the changing media landscape. She added that it was not being done in response to any of The Battalions editorial content.

That explanation did not satisfy many supporters of the newspaper. Most decisions to cut print editions have to do with funding, one college media expert said, and the A&M paper isfunded almost exclusively through advertising  not through the university.

That just doesnt pass the smell test, said Barbara Allen, director of college programming for Poynter. I sort of wonder if maybe this is punitive after years of people complaining about the newspaper making the exact kind of mistakes it should be making to help students prepare for a career in journalism.

Administrators understand that student newspapers are ultimately a training ground for journalism careers, so mistakes are inevitable and thus necessary for the future of journalism, Allen said.

The Battalion has operated without the support of a journalism school for years. Texas A&M did away with its journalism department in 2003, leaving students with options for either a minor or independent study. Banks last year announced her intention to re-form a journalism department at the university.

The student newspaper has still managed to run a successful publication, with a longstanding online presence, Allen said. It has remained nationally respected and has a well-known faculty adviser.

To suggest that there was something broken about their system of doing journalism seems a little strange, she said.

Under Banks initial edict, the newspaper had to choose whether it would remain a student organization or move under the planned Department of Journalism. Remaining a student organization means it would no longer receive certain resources, including its current office space and its faculty adviser, the papers leadership said.

Many students turned to Twitter to voice outrage under the hashtag #SaveTheBatt

Initially asked why no one from the newspaper was involved in the decision, Banks said it was purely a decision made by university leadership, according to the newspaper.

samantha.ketterer@chron.com
Thousands of mail-in ballots have been sent back to voters statewide over new identification requirements, the latest in a saga of election troubles linked to Texas new voting law.

Early voting is now well underway for the March 1 primary election, as local elections officials juggle that problem alongside their usual responsibilities.

At first, counties were returning mail ballot applications en masse over the ID stipulation, as voters are required to provide the same identification number they used when first registering to vote. Many Texans have written down their drivers license number when they registered with a Social Security number and vice versa.

Those record rejection rates on the applications have since slowed, but local officials are now encountering the same problem with the mail ballots themselves.

TEXAS TAKE: Get the latest news on Texas politics sent directly to your inbox every weekday

As of Monday, Harris County had sent 38 percent of filled-in ballots back to voters over the new ID requirements. That translates to roughly 2,700 ballots of 7,200 received so far.

Dallas County has also reported higher-than-usual rejection rates, with 26 percent of nearly 1,500 filled-in ballots sent back to voters.

Other counties have reported similar problems over the past several days, with Austin-area counties sending back about 30 percent of ballots for correction.

Bexar, Tarrant and Travis counties did not provide their most recent rejection rates by publication time, and the Texas Secretary of States office did not respond to a request for statewide statistics.

Voters whose ballots were rejected will have an opportunity to correct their ballot by mail, or, if the deadline is coming up too soon, officials will call or email voters. They would need to then go to their local elections office in person. Another option would be to use the states new online ballot tracker to correct any mistakes.

Completed ballots have to be postmarked by 7 p.m. on March 1. They can also be delivered in person on election day.

200,000 votes counted in 2 days

The first day of early voting this year fell on Valentines Day  and also the day after the Super Bowl.

But that didnt stop roughly 101,000 voters from turning out to the polls on Monday  nearly 64,000 in the Republican primary and 37,000 in the Democratic primary. Thats roughly .58 percent of all registered voters statewide.

Still, the first-day tallies lagged slightly behind those of 2018, when the last midterm election cycle took place. On the first day of early voting in February 2018, about .52 percent of registered voters cast an in-person ballot in Texas top 15 most populous counties.

In those same counties on Monday, the total was .51 percent.

On Tuesday, another 100,000 voters hit the ballot box, with roughly the same party split as day one. Nearly 24,000 mail ballots have been counted so far.

Ballot mix-ups in Blanco County

Last week, 88 voters in Blanco County in the Hill Country opened up their newly arrived mail ballots and immediately noticed something was off.

Though the voters had requested the ballot for one party, theyd received the opposite  Democrats opened Republican ballots, and Republicans opened Democratic ballots.

The error was attributed to a third-party printing company, which was advised of the mistake two days after the ballots were sent. The business, San Antonio-based AMG Printing, sent out corrected ballots the next day.

The new ballots came with a notice of correction signed by Blanco County Elections Officer Kristen Spies. The document, reviewed by Hearst Newspapers, directs voters to destroy the incorrect ballot if they have not yet mailed it back.

If the voter had already returned the wrong ballot, they should still fill out and submit the correct ballot by Election Day. The printing company provided county officials with the sequence numbers of the incorrect ballots to ensure theyre not double-counted.

Aaron Gonzales, the owner of AMG Printing, said the incident was isolated to Blanco County. The company provides services for roughly 170 of Texas 254 counties.

Local officials ask all affected voters to notify the Blanco County Elections Office at 830-868-7168.

cayla.harris@express-news.net
Thirty years ago on Ash Wednesday, a storm dumped 10 inches of rain on Houston in just six hours, causing widespread flooding. The deluge brought Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, the earthen dams built by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1940s to protect downtown Houston, to the brink of a catastrophic breach that would have inundated thousands of homes.

Scared straight by this freak disaster, the Corps commissioned a study of potential solutions to the regions flooding problem. The 1996 study also highlighted a "unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to build a tunnel  a 12-mile conduit beneath the Katy Freeway that would carry water out of the reservoirs to a discharge point near downtown Houston. A tunnel would have alleviated the inadequate drainage tributaries in the Buffalo Bayou watershed. According to Corps projections, it also would have protected, at the time, thousands of homes and potentially saved hundreds of millions of dollars in future flood damage, at an eye-popping cost of $325-$400 million.

Anyone who lived through Hurricane Harvey knows how this story ended.

City and county leaders punted on the tunnel, in part due to concerns about whether the technology even existed to safely tunnel through Houstons soft, spongy terrain.Yet storms continued to produce historically large reservoir pools again through the 1990s and 2000s. When Harvey blew through town four years ago, 10,000 to 12,000 properties in nearby suburban subdivisions flooded.

Fixing these dams remains a vital goal of the regions flood control strategy. It seems that technological advances in tunnel boring, combined with the desperation for solutions, have finally caught up to the ambition laid out in that original decades-old study.

The Corps and Harris County Flood Control District are each studying the feasibility of underground tunnels to funnel storm water downstream. The Corps envisions a tunnel 150 feet below the ground, starting at the reservoirs and discharging in the Houston Ship Channel. The flood control districts ongoing study is far more comprehensive, one of the most ambitious projects the agency has ever conceived: a system of massive tunnels serving potentially many different watersheds  there are 22 in Harris County alone  that would use gravity to funnel storm water beneath the regions bayou network to the ship channel or Galveston Bay. Cost estimates range from $3-12 billion depending where it is built.

Scott Elmer, assistant director of operations for the flood control district, told the editorial board that the next step is figuring out which parts of the county would benefit most from such a project. The district hopes to release its study next month.

One advantage of a tunnel is that it can be far less intrusive than other flood control methods. Tunnels can cross watersheds without adversely affecting other parts of the city and in theory prevent tributaries such as Buffalo Bayou or Brays Bayou from flooding. .

But there are many potential drawbacks as well. Right now, its incumbent on the Corps and flood control district to finish their studies and answer several fundamental questions:

Will flood tunnel proposals factor in equity? For too long, the Northeast section of Harris County has suffered disproportionately from flooding, with no major federal project on the horizon to address it. The Corps tunnel concept, for instance, would primarily benefit upper middle class and affluent homeowners. Its crucial that a flood tunnel not alleviate flooding in one part of the county while ignoring other flood-prone neighborhoods.

What will the environmental impacts be? Any outfall from the tunnel would likely eventually make its way to Galveston Bay, an ecological and economically vital jewel. Any tunnel project must ensure that it wont be dumping tons of contaminated water and toxic sediment into public waters.

Will it avoid private property? Even though a tunnel would be built underground, there are a number of potential obstacles that could arise if its not aligned with public rights of way. To keep the costs down and win political support, the public must have confidence it wont become a construction nuisance or an excuse for a massive land seizure through eminent domain.

As we await answers, its important not to view this project, or any large-scale infrastructure project,as a magic bullet to solve flooding. Houstons fundamental problem is geography: we live in a pancake-flat region where Mother Nature regularly dumps huge amounts of rain in very short periods of time. No flood barrier or tunnel will change that, but it can certainly help mitigate the aftermath. Its critical that a tunnel project doesnt lull policymakers into a state of complacency where we revert to the poor planning habits of yore  such as developing even more residential housing on floodplains. A tunnel may indeed be an effective defense against the destruction we saw after Harvey, but its not the only one.
Out of all the actions the Biden administration could have taken on Afghanistan, commandeering the nations foreign currency reserves is, to put it mildly, unhelpful.

In an executive order signed Friday, President Joe Biden began the process of releasing the $7 billion in Afghan Central Bank funds held in the Federal Reserve. It froze those assets last August when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan as American and NATO forces withdrew. His plan proposes directing $3.5 billion into a trust fund for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan while putting the other $3.5 billion aside for families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.

The problem is, the U.S. doesnt own that money; Afghanistan does. That Washington doesnt want to release billions to the Taliban is understandable. No one wants rivers of cash to go a regime thats simply picked up where it left off two decades ago, restricting girls access to schools and universities, preventing women from working, abducting protesters and journalists from their homes and killing opponents.

But while the United Nations and other humanitarian groups work to convince the U.S. and the World Bank to ease what amounts to an economic blockade on Afghanistan, Bidens actions are blatantly counterproductive.

With more than half of the countrys nearly 40 million people facing acute hunger and a million children at risk of dying amid a harsh winter, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres in January called on the World Bank to immediately release $1.2 billion in reconstruction funds to ease the humanitarian crisis and inject liquidity to prevent an economic collapse. It had already transferred $280 million to the U.N. Childrens Fund and the World Food Programme a month earlier.

But as many experts have pointed out, you cannot feed an entire country with aid.

Aid cannot make up for an economy deprived of oxygen, International Rescue Committee President and former U.K. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism on Feb. 9. The humanitarian community did not choose the government, but that is no excuse to punish the people, and there is a middle course - to help the Afghan people without embracing the new government, Miliband wrote.

Lets remember, this entire crisis was triggered by the poorly planned U.S. withdrawal after two decades of war and what appears to be a complete lack of foresight about how to deal with the aftermath. In the uproar that followed Fridays announcement, many in Afghanistan and its diaspora pointed out the obvious: This appears to be a backward attempt to punish Afghanistan for its role in the 2001 attacks on the U.S. If so, the aim was off-target. Of the origins of the 9/11 hijackers, 15 came from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates and one each from Lebanon and Egypt. Not one was Afghan. The Taliban, who ruled most of the country, had provided refuge to Osama bin Laden; but, given the median age of Afghans today is 18, those attacks took place before many were even born.

As Obaidullah Baheer, a lecturer in transitional justice at the American University of Afghanistan, told the BBC, there is deep anger and frustration at the U.S. decision. The money underpins the Afghan currency and is not meant for aid, he noted. Afghanistan needs a sustainable economy if it is to survive in the long run, and the federal reserves are fundamental to it.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Talibans political office in Qatar, Mohammed Naeem, tweeted on Friday that the seizure of Da Afghanistan Banks reserves was theft and a sign of moral decay.

The U.S. and its allies have rightly demanded that the Taliban form a more inclusive government, guarantee the rights of women and ethnic minorities, allow girls to go to school and university and break ties with terrorist groups before any money is released.

But there are workarounds to make sure an entire nation doesnt slip into famine. As Human Rights Watch suggested on Feb. 11, the World Bank could require that all banking transactions are overseen by independent auditors to address concerns that providing the Afghan Central Bank with assets could enrich the Taliban.

If Bidens plan is implemented, Human Rights Watchs Asia Advocacy Adviser, John Sifton, wrote, it would create a problematic precedent for commandeering sovereign wealth and do little to address underlying factors driving Afghanistans massive humanitarian crisis. The entire $7 billion already legally belonged to the Afghan people.

Bidens administration needs to urgently rethink its decision and show some political will to help Afghanistan out of a crisis it helped create. Its the only right thing to do.

Ruth Pollard is a columnist and editor with Bloomberg Opinion. Previously she was South and Southeast Asia Government team leader at Bloomberg News. She has reported from India and across the Middle East and focuses on foreign policy, defense and security.
On Sunday, Canadian police finally cleared away anti-vaccine demonstrators who had been blocking the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, a key commercial route that normally carries more than $300 million a day in international trade. Other bridges are still closed, and part of Ottawa, Ontario, the Canadian capital, is still occupied.

The diffidence of Canadian authorities in the face of these disruptions has been startling to American eyes. Also startling, although not actually surprising, has been the embrace of economic vandalism and intimidation by much of the U.S. right  especially by people who ranted against demonstrations in favor of racial justice. What were getting here is an object lesson in what some people really mean when they talk about law and order.

Lets talk about what has been happening in Canada and why I call it vandalism.

The Freedom Convoy has been marketed as a backlash by truckers angry about COVID-19 vaccination mandates. In reality, there dont seem to have been many truckers among the protesters at the bridge (about 90% of Canadian truckers are vaccinated). Last week a Bloomberg reporter saw only three semis among the vehicles blocking the Ambassador Bridge, which were mainly pickup trucks and private cars; photos taken Saturday also show very few commercial trucks.

The Teamsters union, which represents many truckers on both sides of the border, has denounced the blockade.

So this isnt a grassroots trucker uprising. Its more like a slow-motion Jan. 6, a disruption caused by a relatively small number of activists, many of them right-wing extremists. At their peak, the demonstrations in Ottawa reportedly involved only around 8,000 people, while numbers at other locations have been much smaller.

Despite their lack of numbers, however, the protesters have inflicted a remarkable amount of economic damage. The U.S. and Canadian economies are very closely integrated. In particular, North American manufacturing, especially but not only in the auto industry, relies on a constant flow of parts between factories on both sides of the border. As a result, the disruption of that flow has hobbled industry, forcing production cuts and even factory shutdowns.

The closure of the Ambassador Bridge also imposed large indirect costs, as trucks were diverted to roundabout routes and forced to wait in long lines at alternative bridges.

Any attempt to put a number on the economic costs of the blockade is tricky and speculative. However, its not hard to come up with numbers like $300 million or more per day; combine that with the disruption of Ottawa, and the trucker protests may already have inflicted a couple of billion dollars in economic damage.

Thats an interesting number, because its roughly comparable to insurance industry estimates of total losses associated with the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the killing of George Floyd  protests that seem to have involved more than 15 million people.

This comparison will no doubt surprise those who get their news from right-wing media, which portrayed BLM as an orgy of arson and looting. I still receive mail from people who believe that much of New York City was reduced to smoking rubble. In fact, the demonstrations were remarkably nonviolent; vandalism happened in a few cases, but it was relatively rare, and the damage was small considering the huge size of the protests.

By contrast, causing economic damage was and is what the Canadian protests are all about  because blocking essential flows of goods, threatening peoples livelihoods, is every bit as destructive as smashing a store window. And unlike, say, a strike aimed at a particular company, this damage fell indiscriminately on anyone who had the misfortune to rely on unobstructed trade.

And to what end? The BLM demonstrations were a reaction to police killings of innocent people; whats going on in Canada is, on its face, about rejecting public health measures intended to save lives. Of course, even that is mainly an excuse: What its really about is an attempt to exploit pandemic weariness to boost the usual culture-war agenda.

As you might expect, the U.S. right is loving it. People who portrayed peaceful protests against police killings as an existential threat are delighted by the spectacle of right-wing activists breaking the law and destroying wealth. Fox News has devoted many hours to fawning coverage of the blockades and occupations. Sen. Rand Paul, who called BLM activists a crazed mob, called for Canada-style protests to clog up cities in the United States, specifically saying that he hoped to see truckers disrupt the Super Bowl (they didnt).

I assume that the reopening of the Ambassador Bridge is the beginning of a broader crackdown on destructive protests. But I hope we wont forget this moment  and in particular that we remember it the next time a politician or media figure talks about law and order.

Recent events have confirmed what many suspected: The right is perfectly fine, indeed enthusiastic, about illegal actions and disorder as long as they serve right-wing ends.

Paul Krugman is a columnist for the New York Times.
Did you have to bring up your bedroom, Rudy?

Just when you thought Rudy Giulianis ties to former President Trump couldnt get any more cringeworthy, the former presidential lawyer claimed he has 1,000 documents related to the Russia collusion probe stashed in his boudoir.

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I happen to have it in my bedroom, or my den, actually, Giuliani told the far-right wing Newsmax network late Tuesday. Ive had it there for years.

Rudy Guiliani (left) and Hillary Clinton (right) (Getty Images)

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Giuliani made the bizarre claim during an interview about the latest revelations from the Trump-appointed special prosecutor investigating the launching of an FBI investigation into contacts between the 2016 Trump presidential campaign and Russia.

The onetime member of Trumps infamous elite legal strike force candidly admitted that most Americans cant make heads or tails of the murky suggestion that Clintons campaign may have been indirectly involved in raising the feds suspicions about Trump.

They feel that its gobbledygook. But its gobbledygook supported by about 1,000 pieces of evidence, none of which have been revealed yet, Giuliani said.

[ Giuliani drips hair dye in latest humiliating performance ]

Right-wing media is suddenly ablaze with speculation about what shoes might drop next in the probe being led by federal prosecutor John Durham, even though the probe has dragged on for nearly three years with scant results.

As Giuliani conceded, its difficult to understand what might be scandalous about the decision to launch a probe into the Trump campaign.

The FBI apparently became suspicious of Trumps extensive contacts with suspected Russian agents in summer 2016. A June 2016 meeting hosted by Donald Trump Jr. and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner concluded with Don Jr. telling the Russians he welcomed any dirt they could air about Clinton.

If its what you say, I love it, Trump Jr. wrote in an email.

The existence of the FBI probe into Trump was not revealed to voters before the 2016 election. But then-FBI Director James Comey saw fit to release a highly unusual update about the unrelated probe into Clintons use of a private email server just days before Americans went to polls and elected Trump in a massive upset.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  Two abortion providers in Oklahoma said Tuesday that theyre still seeing a massive influx of women from Texas who want to terminate their pregnancies after Texas last year passed the most restrictive anti-abortion law in the U.S. in decades.

Officials with Trust Women and Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which both operate abortion clinics in Oklahoma City, said some women from Oklahoma are being forced to seek abortion services in other states because of two-week wait times for services in Oklahoma.

Our phones have not stopped ringing in the last six months," said Rebecca Tong, co-executive director of Trust Women. We're being forced to turn people away in desperate situations."

LEGAL CHALLENGES: Federal appeals court slow-plays ruling on Texas abortion ban lawsuit

Tong said the clinic has added an additional physician and the clinic is open more days per week but it still has longer wait times, which leads to longer pregnancies, more complications and an increased likelihood that a woman will have to receive a surgical procedure instead of a medication-induced abortion.

Statistics released last week by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission show abortions in Texas fell by 60% in the first month after the new law took effect that bans the procedure once cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy, without exceptions in cases of rape or incest.

Tong said the companys Oklahoma City clinic went from seeing 12 Texas patients in August to 130 in September after the Texas law passed. She said their clinic in Kansas saw similar increases.

IN-DEPTH: U.S. Supreme Court leaves Texas 6-week abortion ban in effect but allows some challenges to law

Emily Wales, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, said Planned Parenthood went from seeing about 50 patients from Texas at their clinics in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma in the fall of 2020 to more than 1,000 last year.

Tong, Wales and other abortion rights advocates say they're particularly concerned the Oklahoma Legislature intends to follow Texas' lead and pass a similar bill or even more onerous restrictions that could bring an end to abortion services in Oklahoma altogether.

Oklahoma lawmakers have introduced more than a dozen bills this year to further restrict or prohibit abortions in Oklahoma, including measures that make it a felony crime to perform or receive an abortion.

A BAN'S IMPACT: What Texas abortion ban means for survivors of rape, incest and others whose choices were stolen

Meanwhile, hundreds of anti-abortion activists are expected to descend on the Oklahoma Capitol on Wednesday for the annual Rose Day where they present red roses meant to signify the lives of the unborn and encourage the passage of anti-abortion bills.

Tony Lauinger, chairman of Oklahomans for Life and a longtime anti-abortion activist in Oklahoma, said that while he's greatly concerned" at the increase in the number of abortions being performed in Oklahoma, he's also optimistic that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a legal challenge that could lead to the historic Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion to be overturned or limited.

ANALYSTS: Harris County can spend public money to counter Texas strict new abortion law

Its a great concern to us if women from anywhere go to an abortion facility," Lauinger said. When a pregnant woman goes into an abortion facility, two human beings enter and one leaves. Whether the women are from Texas, Oklahoma or elsewhere, thats a tragedy in our view every time it occurs."
Chicago, IL (60637)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers and windy conditions developing for the afternoon. High 47F. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Windy with rain showers early with some clearing overnight. Low 41F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
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An 8-year-old boy was killed earlier this week after going down an under maintenance waterslide in a Brazilian water park. His father is now saying that the park failed to properly warn guests about the dismantled attraction.

The boy, Davi de Lucas Miranda, and his family went to diRoma Acqua Park, a water park in Caldas Novas, in the northern Brazilian state of Goias, on Monday.

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According to his father, 43-year-old Luciano Marcio Miranda, the family has been going to the same park for years.

Davi knew the park like the palm of his hand. He started going there when he was 8 months old. It was our first family trip and since then weve been going every year. You could always see where he was and he was aware of his surroundings, Miranda told Brazilian news outlet UOL Noticias.

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Pais de menino que morreu apos cair de toboagua reclamam de falta de informacoes e apoio do clube ==> https://t.co/zCioDjk20H #g1go #g1goias pic.twitter.com/W2R99isvCN  g1 Goias (@g1goias) February 16, 2022

This week, a tragic fall in the park cost him his life.

The incident happened shortly after the family arrived at the hotel, which is located inside the park.

After the boy told his parents he couldnt wait to get into the park, Miranda took Davi and his other child, a 1-year-old boy, and headed to the water attractions. When they arrived at the rides, Davi asked his dad to go to the bathroom.

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His bathroom break took longer than normal. Miranda waited for a while and began looking for his son. When he saw a crowd next to a waterslide called Vulcao (Hurricane) and an ambulance, he started shaking.

According to the local news portal G1 Goias, the boy managed to access the ride, which was closed off to the public.

The boy reportedly entered one of the slides, which had missing parts, and fell from a height of about 45 feet. He then hit a metal structure that supports the ride and rolled into a pool.

Miranda said that nobody said anything about the ride being closed off. A lot of people later told me that the area was sectioned off only with tape, but not totally blocked. There was nothing, not a sign, or a poster, he said.

The place is very busy, but nobody warned him not to go into the ride, he added.

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Davi was taken to a hospital, where he later died. He was buried in his familys hometown of Conselheiro Lafaiete in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.

Police say that the investigation is ongoing.
North Adams Building Committee OKs Contract for School Project

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The School Building Committee on Tuesday approved a contract with Colliers International to take the Brayton/Greylock school project through the next steps.

The fee is $224,509 for services over an estimated 21 months beginning in March. The funding was approved last year by the School Committee to come from the school choice account.

"So this contract represents all five modules, 2 through 5, all work beginning in March of 2022 through November of 2023," said Superintendent Barbara Malkas. "It is broken down based on the staff equivalency per month in terms of their FTEs and their assignment based on a percentage, that and then that percentage is applied to a monthly hours in order to determine the total number of hours."

March would begin putting the team together, and then the feasibility work will run between June and April 2023, followed by the schematic design phase and then funding.

"From really March of '23 through November of '23 would be when we would be doing the work of identifying how much funding was needed for the project, as well as the provision of funding for the project," Malkas told the School Building Committee.

"The first order of business is identifying the design team, entering into the feasibility study process, which takes the bulk of the amount of time and then, based on the work of that feasibility study process, we will clarify and identify a particular design and then they will enter into the schematic phase and create that design."

The OPM Selection Committee voted unanimously on Feb. 3 to recommend Colliers over two other finalists. A total of 16 companies indicated interest in the project and six submitted responses.

Colliers was the OPM for the award-winning $30 million Colegrove Park Elementary School and the Williamstown Fire District selected Colliers last year for its fire station project.

Malkas said Kenneth Guyette, who shepherded the Colegrove project, will return to work with the city again. Guyette, in a letter to the committee, said he would be acting as project director with the assistance of Phil Palumbo as senior project manager and Thao Nguyen overseeing the financials.

Colliers is anticipating more than 1,100 hours of work to get the project to the funding stage and has already filled out the OPM contract template required by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Committee member Tara Jacobs asked what would happen if more time or team members were needed. Malkas said she had been told that any in-house services would be included in the cost. Additional funds have been reserved as part of the feasibility study for items such as site evaluation, she said.

Business Administrator Nancy Rauscher said the MSBA has seen this contract many times.

"It's very standard in terms of contracts that they've executed with other districts on similar projects," she said. "So [Guyette's] expectation is that the MSBA would not be surprised by anything that's detailed there in this particular contract."

Malkas said she anticipated having Guyette attend the next School Building Committee when she hoped to inform them that the MSBA had approved the contract.

The contract had been expected to be submitted by last Friday but Malkas said she wanted to wait to get the full approval of the School Building Committee.

She noted that the contract with Colliers is only up the point where a vote will be taken on funding the project.

"If we were to continue with them on as a project manager through the completion of the project, at that point we will be negotiating a new contract for the construction and punch-list postconstruction phase," Malkas said.
Jacob's Pillow Hosts Free West African Dance Workshop

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Jacob's Pillow will be hosting a free West African dance workshop with artist Iddrisu Saaka at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield on Sun., Feb. 20, as part of Love Pittsfield's 1010 Upstreet Arts Festival.

This workshop is being held in partnership with the NAACP Berkshire County Branch and The Town of Great Barrington W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Festival. The event will take place in the Common Room of the church at 74 First St. in Pittsfield, from 2-3:30 p.m.

Jacob's Pillow has partnered with Love Pittsfield's 1010 Festival for over 5 years, supporting their mission to provide accessible, family-friendly cultural programming to Pittsfield in February.

Pre-registration strongly encouraged; limited walk-ups available. COVID-19 Protocols strictly enforced. Register at jacobspillow.org

Join dancer, storyteller, and drummer Iddrisu Saaka for a workshop exploring Ghanaian culture through movement and storytelling. Families and participants of all ages are invited to learn the Kpatsa, a traditional recreational dance from the southern part of Ghana, and hear about its cultural background and role in modern Ghana. All participants must observe COVID-19 policies.

Open to all levels, no prior experience needed, wear comfortable clothing to move in.

Iddrisu (Iddi) Saaka is an award-winning West African dance and music performance artist and teacher who specializes in Ghanaian dance and music as well as contemporary dance. Saaka holds a Diploma (with distinction) from the University of Ghana and an MFA in Dance from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has performed and taught nationally and internationally in several venues including Los Angeles, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Florida, Israel, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. In 2003, he performed for the president of Israel. He has created original multifaceted works that address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ghana and Malawi and has worked with youths in detention centers across Connecticut as well as with physically challenged youth in Israel, using dance and music to equip them with lifelong skills such as anger management, respect for cultural diversity, and self-dignity. Saaka has served as Visiting Instructor of Dance at the University of California, Los Angeles and San Diego, and the University of Ghana. He has taught dance at Wesleyan University since 2008 and is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at Wesleyan and a recipient of Wesleyan's prestigious Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching award in 2018.

What To Expect:

Upon arrival, check-in to confirm registration and present vaccination status.

Expect to move together, with music, socially distanced, and wearing masks. The workshop concludes with a Q&A with the artist.

Extra masks, hand sanitizer, and first aid kits will be available.

Public parking: Directly across the street at First Street Parking Lot

Accessibility: The space is wheelchair accessible. Questions about accessibility? Contact Thasia Giles at tgiles@jacobspillow.org or at 413.243.9919 x161.

This workshop is in-person. However, due to the continually shifting landscape of COVID-19 in the community, this workshop may shift to a Zoom virtual event in an effort to ensure the collective health and safety. Participants will be notified promptly via email regarding any changes to this workshop.

To Register: Visit jacobspillow.org, or go directly to:
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By Shi Xiantao

The US President Joe Biden signed an executive order a few days ago, seeking to embezzle half of the frozen Afghan central bank assets deposited in the US to compensate the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, causing international public outcry. The US blatantly plundering the assets of another country, has reached a point where it doesn't care about its "appearance" and the world's perceptions. Astonishingly, the US has brought an image of "modern pirate"to a new high.

There is no doubt that the 9/11 attacks victims should get compensation. However, it has to be clarified at least as to who is responsible to pay. It is downright nonsense to blatantly misappropriate the assets of the Afghan people, forcing the irrelevant Afghan people to "take the blame". As Inamura Samangani, deputy spokesman of the Ministry of Interior of the Afghan Interim Government pointed out in an interview, the Afghan people did not participate in the 9/11 attacks, and it is completely unjust to compensate the victims with Afghan assets.

The US government's blatant looting of Afghanistan's national assets is in lack of legal basis, highlighting the extreme cold-bloodedness of the US government at a time when Afghanistan is mired in a humanitarian crisis. Statistics from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) show that there are a total of 22.8 million Afghans facing acute food insecurity, more than half of the total population of Afghanistan. A total of 3.2 million Afghan children under the age of five are severely malnourished, and 3.5 million Afghans have been displaced without warm shelters or winter supplies, according to the UN agency. Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman fo rthe Taliban's political office in Doha, pointed out that "Stealing the Afghan people's money that was frozen by the United States is the lowest a country could stoop to morally and humanly."

The Afghan people are innocent, and they are the biggest victims of the US war in Afghanistan. The US invasion and long-term military presence in Afghanistan have left Afghanistan shattered and made people live in despair. The 20-year history of the US military presence in Afghanistan is a history of damage to Afghanistan, where more than 30,000 civilians were killed by the US military or lost their lives due to the war, and about 11 million people were reduced to refugees. During military operations, the US troops tended to forcibly break into houses, wantonly kill civilians, having caused huge psychological trauma to the local people.

After the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US government has never reflected on the damage the US military had caused to Afghanistan; instead, it has intensified the efforts to "sprinkle salt on the wounds" of Afghanistan. After the Taliban took control of the country, the US froze over$9 billion of the Afghan Central Bank in reserve assets in the US, a heavy blow to the Afghan financial and bank payment system, causing a shortage of foreign exchange and rising prices. Afghanistan is facing a severe economic and humanitarian crisis and is on the brink of disaster, to which the US is the culprit.

The Afghan economy has been hit hard, affecting the public service system, especially the medical service system. Currently, the Afghan medical system is on the verge of collapse. As its overseas assets got frozen in the US and international aid to Afghanistan has greatly reduced, many hospitals that rely on aid funds met difficulties in maintaining operation, making it harder for the Taliban-led Afghan interim government to achieve any result in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic. Even worse, the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic has made the Afghan people in lack of food and clothing suffer even more.

As a Chinese saying goes, even robbers have their own codes of conduct. The US, a "modern pirate", has thrown the most basic ethics into the Pacific Ocean. The US government has no bottom line and completely ignored the suffering of the Afghan people, feeling at ease to steal money from the hungry Afghan people. The US harm to Afghanistan will linger on.

(The author is a correspondent from Xinhua News Agency in Kabul.)
Dozens of people have been confirmed dead as a result of Tuesdays mudslides and floods in Rio de Janeiros mountainous state, according to local authorities.

At least 38 deaths have so far been confirmed as a result of the treacherous conditions in Brazil, including just over 10 inches of rain within three hours Tuesday, in the German-influenced city of Petropolis, about 42 miles north of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

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Mayor Rubens Bomtempo warned that more fatalities could be confirmed as those searching through the damage continue their work. By Wednesday, there were still multiple streets that could not be accessed.

A man carries a dog away from a residential area destroyed by mudslides in Petropolis, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (Silvia Izquierdo/AP)

The citys waterway is lined with mansions while its mountainsides are home to homes situated closely together, including some for which the foundations are improper.

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This isnt the first time the regions weather has resulted in a slew of deaths.

Heavy rains set off mudslides and floods in a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state, killing multiple people, authorities reported. (Silvia Izquierdo/AP)

Back in January 2011, more than people in the area lost their lives due to heavy rainfall.

The amount of rain that fell in the area on Tuesday was nearly equal to the rainfall seen by the region over the past 30 days combined.

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It was like an avalanche, it fell all at once, Emerson Torre, 39, told The Associated Press of the roof of the bar he owns. Ive never seen anything like it.

Torre noted that he provided shelter to frantic neighbors, and while he saved his mother and three others, one neighbor and their daughter were trapped.

Every neighbor has lost a loved one, has lost two, three, four members of the same family, kids.

Heavy rain has afflicted southeastern Brazil since early 2022, killing more than 40 people between Minas Gerais incident early last month and Sao Paulo in later January.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tweeted from Moscow, Russia on Tuesday night, acknowledging the devastation and noting hed been in contact with other officials on the ground.

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Even distant, we remain committed to helping others, Bolsonaro tweeted. May God comfort the family members of the victims.

With News Wire Services
The Ottawa police began issuing written warnings the remaining anti-pandemic restriction truckers of the Freedom Convoy that they risked arrest if they did not drive their rigs elsewhere.

The Canadian capital also extended its temporary ordinance against honking horns in the city until Easter weekend.

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You must leave the area now. Anyone blocking streets, or assisting others in the blocking streets, are committing a criminal offence and you may be arrested, the warnings, which were posted on the internet as well, read.

A police officer speaks with a demonstrator during a protest by truck drivers over pandemic health rules and the Trudeau government, outside the parliament of Canada in Ottawa on Wednesday. (ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

Police went truck to truck to hand deliver the fliers.

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The warnings also include a section geared toward those considering joining the other truckers.

The Federal Emergencies Act allows for the regulation or prohibition of travel to, from or within any specified area. This means that anyone coming to Ottawa for the purpose of joining the ongoing demonstration is breaking the law.

A protester poses with a Police Notice being handed out as truckers continue their protest against Covid-19 mandates, in Ottawa on Wednesday. (ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

The number of truckers has gradually started decreasing since the protests started nearly three weeks ago as more truckers have been arrested and funding for the protesters has run into different snags. City officials said only 360 vehicles remained in the city, down from nearly 4,000.

Truckers have received notice from police to leave the area now. This protester says hes not going anywhere. #OttawaOccupied #ottnews pic.twitter.com/DNAd5tROwu  Rachelle Elsiufi (@Rachelleelsiufi) February 16, 2022

The written notices come a day after Police Chief Peter Sloly resigned and replaced by deputy chief Steve Bell, who was named the interim chief, according to the CBC.

A demonstrator holds a placard during a protest by truck drivers over pandemic health rules and the Trudeau government, outside the parliament of Canada in Ottawa on Wednesday. (ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

The Ottawa police are coordinating their response to the protests, which earlier this month blocked the Ambassador Bridge, with the federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Ontario Provincial Police.

Elsewhere, police in Manitoba said the last protesters had been cleared from a blockade in Emerson, across from North Dakota, meaning none of Canadas border crossings with its southern neighbor were impeded anymore.

With News Wire Services
During the COVID-19 pandemic it was thought that forced remote working would bring about a technological level playing field for workers. However, Gartners 2021 Digital Worker Experience survey showed this not to be universally the case, with just over half of workers considering themselves proficient, demonstrating a clear divide between workers.

In parallel, the offer of working remotely or flexibly has failed to attract or retain top talent at organisations. Most employers can offer identical conditions in the context of hybrid working, resulting in identical stress, burnout, and disappointment. Owing to the resulting consensus of displeasure, workers are demanding that employers deliver an equitable employee experience and upgrade digital proficiency.

Application leaders can achieve such an employee experience by addressing the following five employee preferences to better support their workforce.

Ensure digital proficiency

Very few organisations actively promoted digital dexterity until the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, workforces havent unanimously displayed an ambition or ability to work with technology. To encourage greater digital dexterity, they must actively provide workers with the tools they need. Gartners 2021 Digital Worker Experience survey finds that workers who are satisfied with their work applications are twice as inclined to stay with their current organisation as those who are dissatisfied.

Unfortunately, IT departments have been characterised on delivering applications that are similar, but not identical to tools workers prefer to use, leading employees to shy away from them and avoid greater digital proficiency. To address this, begin every digital tool inventory or technology consideration by carrying out a robust evaluation of how well the tool will address the varying needs of a global hybrid workplace, and support employee digital dexterity.

Drive employee productivity based on schedule preference and location

Productivity has become a controversial metric in the hybrid workplace and a desire of management to use monitoring solutions to keep track of workers productivity has led to concern among employees of privacy intrusion and distrust.

To ensure an improved worker experience, allow workers the freedom to work from a variety of locations. In addition, consider improving hybrid workforce productivity by balancing technology and flexibility with new work patterns, preferences, requirements, and limitations to enable employees to perform at their best.

Implement new work tools to support hybrid models

Today, workers use a combination of consumer, business internal and external content, collaboration, social networking, and meeting technologies to get work done. In a hybrid workplace, these same applications and services remain critical tools to perform both contextualised and collaborative work.

To address this, support hybrid workforce productivity, collaboration, and engagement by investing in new work hub technologies like meeting solutions, collaborative work management and workstream collaboration tools. Furthermore, promote the use of real-time messaging tools that are suited to an identified set of workplace scenarios, remote, in-person etc.

Accommodate a variety of meeting formats

During the COVID-19 pandemic, workers have had little choice but to pivot toward turning their homes into their workplace. That same place may have also become child or elder care facilities, schools, and quarantine centres, as COVID-19 evolved. As a result, for some, working at home has become a boon and, for others, an inconvenience  with the office representing a place to socialise and build camaraderie away from home.

To accommodate these working preferences, align meeting technology with your organisations needs and culture by applying best practices. This means redesigning smart office spaces for in-person and hybrid meetings to enable high-quality audio and video from anywhere  like, for example, installing collaborative digital whiteboarding tools, or upgrading existing meeting equipment.

Evolve IT support toward improving digital dexterity

IT often has a bad reputation within an organisation, generally attributed to its forceful implementation of technologies into the workflow. This is especially true in cases where the IT support team is never fully able to resolve issues arising from the use of those technologies. IT must advance from playing this mundane support role to becoming an advocate for worker digital dexterity.

Unlock virtual support agent solutions by optimising IT service management (ITSM) practices, ensuring the availability of quality data from which to learn, predict and react. Improving employees digital dexterity by evolving the IT service desks capabilities is also key, to ensure an equitable employee experience, facilitating enhanced collaboration, peer support and improved productivity.

Gavin Tay is a research vice president and Gartner Fellow. His research focuses on global digital workplace strategies, the future of work, hybrid work and the New Work Hub.
Bayad, the countrys most trusted brand in payments, has received recognition for continuously innovating its cybersecurity platform to effectively adapt to the dynamic digital financial landscape.

In the recently concluded Asia Pacific Cloud & Data Center Awards organized by W. Media, Bayad was conferred the Outstanding IT and Cloud Project Award under the Cybersecurity Implementation Category for its accelerated and efficient deployment of a full cloud system for its cybersecurity platform.

The upgraded platform enables the company to further improve its security solutions while keeping pace with its evolution from a traditional payment center into a full-fledged fintech player that facilitates both onsite and online financial transactions.

This international achievement is a recognition of Bayads commitment to ensuring the integrity of our service and our relationship with our stakeholders. For us, maintaining, facilitating, and intensifying digital trust is critical as we help spur the countrys digital transformation journey, said Bayad President and CEO Lawrence Y. Ferrer.

We help shape the Philippine payments landscape by elevating the financial experience of Filipinos, and this rests heavily on ensuring that each and every transaction coursed through Bayad is not only reliable, but also secure, he added.

Bayads advanced digital infrastructure is designed to support the growing service offerings of the company. It enables efficient risk management programs and cyber incident response systems that help strengthen the companys capability to protect, detect, and respond to cyber threats.

Bayad Chief Information Security Officer Mel Migrino highlighted that the upgraded cybersecurity posture of Bayad gives its stakeholders the confidence to continuously ideate, innovate, and initiate new projects while staying protected.

Cybersecurity is mission-critical as we process real-time bills payments and remittances, expand our partner network, and grow our e-wallet services, she said.

Bayad is also one of the fastest growing subsidiaries of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the Philippines largest electricity distributor.

It is imperative that cybersecurity becomes core to the culture of all our companies in Meralco. This is especially true for Bayad as a major player in the Philippines financial and payments landscape. This award, conferred by an international pool of experts, is a confirmation that we are moving in the right direction, said Meralco President and CEO Atty. Ray C. Espinosa.

Bayad will continue to lead in bringing financial services closer to Filipinos by offering innovative solutions to better serve the public amid the continuing challenges posed by the global pandemic, Espinosa, who is also the Chairman of Bayad, added.

From being the pioneer of over-the-counter payment collection service to becoming the largest multichannel payment provider in the Philippines today, Bayad has become a fintech trailblazer enabling Filipinos to reap the benefits of secure and innovative financial services.
Mayor Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks have an ambitious agenda, promising to shift the focus of reform from specialized high schools that serve a narrow slice of students toward expanding opportunities for all New York City kids. Reimagining the citys successful College Now dual enrollment program, which already exists  imperfectly  at 470 of the citys 520 high schools is one promising strategy they should consider.

New York City students are in crisis after two years of severely disrupted schooling. Too many high school students are disengaged from school and see no purpose in their studies. Too many have lost motivation to go to college after high school, exacerbating the sharp drop in enrollment at CUNY. Dual enrollment is a vehicle for addressing all of these challenges.

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New York Citys College Now program allows students to take CUNY courses and earn college credit while still in high school, and those who participate earn better grades in high school and end their first year of college with more credits and higher GPAs than their peers.

Indeed, research from around the nation indicates that dual enrollment  taking college courses while in high school  is a reform strategy with strong potential. A recent study from Teachers Colleges Community College Research Center (CCRC), for example, found big gains in enrollment and persistence in college STEM majors among Black and Latino students who completed college algebra in high school.

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States have responded to this growing evidence by expanding dual enrollment programs, and as a result, high school students make up an increasing share of community college enrollment. In New York State, high school students are now one in five of all SUNY community college students.

Unfortunately, too many of these programs are not maximizing their potential reach and impact and are marred by inequitable access and outcomes. Too often, the students who take these courses tend to be wealthier, whiter, and already on the path to college. In New York City, only 23,500 high school students  roughly one out of 13, or 8% of CUNY enrollment  enrolled in a college course in 2019-20 despite the fact that the vast majority of high schools offered College Now.

But it is possible to expand and deepen the benefits of early college for far more students. A 2020 study led by CCRC and the Aspen Institute identified dual enrollment programs with strong outcomes and impressive records of closing equity gaps. All of them shared specific approaches that New York City can adopt to transform College Now.

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First, these successful programs were characterized by strong partnerships between colleges and high schools to identify which students were underserved by dual enrollment and actively encourage their participation, with methods such as administering placement tests to all eighth or ninth graders, making free preparation for these tests available for promising students who would not otherwise apply, and providing transportation.

Second, these programs rejected an approach we call random acts of dual enrollment where students  unfortunately including those in College Now  are expected to seek out and choose courses with little guidance. Worse, the classes offered tend to be a hodge-podge and not aligned with requirements for college programs that lead to good jobs or to seamless transfer in a chosen major at a four-year college.

By contrast, successful dual enrollment programs purposefully made courses available that were the first step on clearly defined college pathways. Importantly, they provided robust advising and counseling so students had opportunities to explore available programs, choose one that interested them, and enroll in key gateway courses that were guaranteed to fulfill requirements.

The good news is that New York City already has some high schools demonstrating the power of efficient dual enrollment models. There are 11 early college P-Tech high schools that offer six-year programs tailored to a specific career, designed in close partnership with an employer and a CUNY college, and culminating in an associate degree; these schools have proven effective in preparing and motivating students for technical jobs that require two-year degrees.

Banks could now partner with CUNY to extend a more strategic approach to dual enrollment beyond P-Tech schools to students in the majority of high schools, while expanding available routes to bachelors degrees (whether through community colleges or directly at four-year colleges) in areas critical to the citys economy, such as cyber security, business analytics, and nursing.

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New York City high school students need robust counseling and advising around their interests and expanded access to courses that can start them on a clear path through college and to high-demand careers that truly interest them. A redesigned, purposeful and expanded College Now program can empower them to reengage in learning that is essential for their futures and for the future of our city as a whole.

Bailey is president of and Jenkins is research professor and senior research scholar at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Career platform Recruitday is proud to announce its rebranding to help Philippine tech talents connect to better opportunities and grow their career.

Recruitday recognizes that many Filipino workers want to work in tech-related roles, where the opportunities and career growth are. Yet there are many obstacles to completing the transition, such as skills mismatches and opportunity gaps.

Recruitdays first initiatives to rebrand itself as a career platform focus on providing courses to help Filipinos excel in tech, rather than just listing job openings. With the pandemic retrenching workers from industries like hospitality and tourism, they needed a guide to help them shift to a more lucrative career pathwhich is what Recruitday aims to be. Both self-paced and instructor-led online courses teaching anything from the programming language of Python to cybersecurity analysis are now readily available on the platform.

The platform will also now offer webinars, workshops, and trainings all created with the goal of helping them land a tech job. All of these opportunities will help them join and connect with a community of like-minded people looking to grow their careers in the same industries.

The digital transformation that was accelerated by the pandemic is showing us how crucial tech will be for the future, said Recruitday CEO and Founder Joel Garcia. But the reality is that there is a gap between supply and demand, with many Filipinos not yet equipped to work in the global tech landscape. We want to solve that.

By helping opportunity seekers upskill themselves and move towards a more fulfilling career, Recruitday is going above and beyond the normal role of a job search platform.

Globally, hiring in tech-related roles is expected to continue enjoying impressive growth. In the US alone, employment in computer and tech-related roles is projected to grow 13% by 2030, with the rest of the world likely following suit. The apparent growth in tech is attractive for many looking for a career shift, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 22% of all workers have already done some sort of online tech training during the pandemic to boost their employability in an increasingly digital world.

Thus, even with all the opportunities readily available on its platform, Recruitday continues to work to find new ways to help opportunity seekers. This coming April, the platform plans to hold a career fair in the metaversethe first of its kind in the Philippines.

Because the metaverse allows people to meet and collaborate in virtual spaces, its set to have an outsize impact on the way we work, Garcia explained. Tools like MS Teams and Zoom have already shaped the way we work now and we believe the metaverse will have a much larger impactwe want Recruitday to be at the forefront of this change in the recruitment space.

Given the proper training and opportunities, Filipinos have a lot to offer, concluded Garcia. With Recruitday, well hopefully start seeing more Filipinos in the global tech space soon.
realme, the PHs no. 1 smartphone brand for 2021 (based on Canalys sell-in data Q1-Q4 2021) and the world's fastest-growing smartphone brand, launched the realme 9 Pro Series globally today via a livestream event.

The realme 9 Pro Series is the latest addition to the brands hero smartphone lineup. It is headlined by the realme 9 Pro+ which features the first Sony IMX766 OIS camera in its segment, along with the Dimensity 920 5G processor, Dolby Atmos dual stereo speakers, a mind-blowing Light Shift design, and 90Hz Ultra Smooth Display, among many others.

The realme 9 Pro, on the other hand, boasts the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor, a 64MP Nightscape Camera, and 120Hz Ultra Smooth Display.

realmes first flagship camera in the midrange segment - realme 9 Pro+

As the latest iteration of the realme Number series, the realme 9 Pro+ adopts the best camera technology in its segment. Equipped with ProLight Imaging Technology powered by the Sony IMX766 flagship sensor, OIS & EIS dual stabilization, and AI Noise Cancellation 3.0 Technology, the realme 9 Pro+ offers the best image quality in segment which can go head-to-head with other premium flagship phones, based on the recent realme Camera Lab experiment.

In addition, the realme 9 Pro+ also boasts outstanding performance as it is among the first smartphones to feature MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G processor, with a benchmark score of over 500,000. Its screen is made of Super AMOLED material and supports a high refresh rate of 90Hz, providing brilliant colors and an incredibly smooth display, with an in-display fingerprint sensor that can detect heart rate.

Designed by the realme Design Studio, it comes in three color variants, bringing an inspiring color-shifting design to the smartphone industry dubbed as the Light Shift Design. Together with other features such as Dolby Atmos dual stereo speakers, X-axis motor tactile engine and 60W Super Dart Charge, the realme 9 Pro+ is designed to deliver an overall flagship-level experience.

The most powerful 5G performance in its segment  realme 9 Pro

As the standard edition in the powerful realme 9 Pro Series, the realme 9 Pro is also a performance powerhouse in its segment. Equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor, up to 13GB Dynamic RAM, and a liquid cooling system, the realme 9 Pro can deliver incredible capabilities. It also features the advanced Light Shift design and a powerful 64MP Triple Camera with exclusive Street Mode 2.0. It also features a 3.5mm Hi-Res Certified Headphone Jack and the latest realme UI 3.0 based on Android 12.

realme 9 Pro series and co-created smartphone bag to debut at Paris Fashion Week

As part of the realme 9 Pro Series launch, realme announced the founders of fashion label HELIOT EMIL have become the Guest Designers of realme Design Studio. The partnership with the fashion brand aims to make waves in the design world by uniting technology and fashion in a trendsetting approach. The Light Shift design of the realme 9 Pro Series will lead the trend of smartphone design as it will be the first smartphone to debut in Paris Fashion Week 2022.

realme Design Studio is an independent design team of realme, specializing in the industrial and visual design of realme products. As the first mobile design studio in the industry, realme Design Studios previous collaborators include Naoto Fukasawa and Jose Levy, who have contributed their expertise to realme by designing trendsetting new products in partnership with the brand. The creation of realme Design Studio aims to build realme's brand image of being a technology innovator and providing young people around the world with trend-setting product and visual design that exceed expectations.

realme announces the worlds first Free Fire co-designed smartphone

Free Fire, one of the world's most popular mobile games, is the world's most downloaded game in 2019 and is loved by young players worldwide. This time, to bring a high-powered 5G gaming experience to Free Fire players, realme also announced that it will join forces with Free Fire to release the co-designed realme 9 Pro+ with more surprise customization features, set to be introduced to the market in April this year.

Currently, theres no word on the availability of the realme 9 Pro Series in the Philippines. In the meantime, you can know more about realmes latest innovations by staying tuned at the realme PH Facebook page or visiting the official realme website.
Last week, Samsung unveiled its latest Galaxy hardware. In addition to refreshing its Tab line of Android tablets, it introduced the S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra. It's tempting to think of those three devices as a low-end, mid-range, and high-end S-series lineup, except, the S22 Ultra is really something different.

For years, Samsung made two different lines of flagship smartphones: the Galaxy S series and the Note. The two models were on different upgrade cycles, which meant that Samsung's highest-end devices often had competing features.

The Galaxy was focused more on consumers and had, at the high end, better cameras and better battery life. The Note was the premier Android device for people who cared first and foremost about productivity. It had a boxier form factor, which allowed Samsung to include an S-pen stylus that slid into the bottom of the phone.

Now, Samsung basically brought back the Note, positioned it at the high end of the S lineup, and called it the S22 Ultra. It has the boxier form factor, but with the cameras you'd expect from a flagship consumer device. Oh, and it has the S-pen.

It's a little confusing, but it's actually good news if what you want is an Android device that can do, well, everything. No more tradeoffs between better cameras and more productivity. A lot of that comes down to the S-pen. For people who use their phones primarily for work, the S-pen is fantastic.

Look, I'm not advocating that every smartphone should have a stylus. I'm not even arguing that any other smartphone should have one. But the fact that Samsung has now included it in what it considers its top-of-the-line device is a good thing. It means that people who want the best productivity device running Android no longer have to compromise on other features, like cameras.

I get that a stylus on a smartphone is controversial. Steve Jobs famously dunked on the idea of using a stylus as barbaric when he introduced the iPhone. Even after Apple made the Apple Pencil for the iPad, you still can't use it on an iPhone.

Partly, I think that's because one of the selling features of the Apple Pencil is that it magnetically attaches to the side of the iPad. Even the largest iPhones are still too small for that to be an elegant solution.

It's also because Apple fundamentally doesn't think of the iPhone as a device where you would use a stylus. It's not built into iOS on the iPhone, the way it is on iPadOS. A stylus makes interacting with the device a little more removed. The iPhone is more personal than that. As a result, the iPhone is never going to get a stylus, and I don't think it ever should.

For Samsung, however, that's an opportunity. For a lot of people, the S-pen is a sort of productivity superhero. On a productivity device, the benefit of a stylus outweighs that loss of intimacy. Besides, you could use an S22 Ultra for years and never once use the S-Pen.
In 1998, when entrepreneur and activist Dan Pallotta came up with the idea of three-day walks for breast cancer, the big innovation was asking participants to do as much as they could--training for six months, raising significant funds from friends and family, and then walking 60 miles over three days.

He presumed people would care and give of themselves generously--and they sure did. In contrast, most charitable initiatives meekly asked for as little time and money as possible, as though stinginess was to be expected.

Consider your generosity as a leader. Ask yourself how much you can pay employees, how much you can invest in customer service, and so on. When you model generosity, your people will respond in kind. It's one way to profitably put the uplifting power of amare, or love, to work in your business. FYI, for more on how to join other companies making love part of their business practice, download my free ebook, 10 Ways to Catch the Amare Wave.

Reflect on these questions:

Is the fundamental mindset in your organization closer to generosity or stinginess?

What beliefs about the nature of people influence your generosity as a leader?

Are you willing to consider making generosity part of your leadership style?

3 Amare Ways to Become a Generous Leader

Get clear on what generosity means to you. Take five minutes and write your beliefs about what generosity looks like in your business. Write what you think will happen when you are, and are not, generous. You may find some limiting beliefs to release. Flex your generosity muscles. When faced with business choices, ask yourself: What would I do if I was generous in this situation? Then, experiment and be generous sometimes. Notice what happens, including your internal reactions. Do a "Generosity SWOT" for your company. Brainstorm with your team what strengths and weaknesses you have with respect to generosity. Go big and explore traditions, culture, rewards, etc. Then identify both opportunities to be more generous company-wide and threats that may inhibit generosity.
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After witnessing pandemic waves in the last two years, we are witnessing a positive trend across various parameters of corporate health. Whether its deleveraging, preserving cash, mobilizing funds through equity market or increasing promoters holding, corporates are leaving no stone unturned to keep the balance sheet in shape and preparing themselves for a future ready organization. While private participation in the investment announcements increased to 70% from around 50% a year ago, indicating revival of the capex in the economy, improvement in credit ratios across sectors in 9MFY22 as compared to 9MFY21 suggest improving balance sheet strength and outlook.



During the pandemic, more than 1000 listed corporates, in NSE have increased their promoters shareholding, particularly in sectors including Finance, Textiles, Trading, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, IT -Software, Steel, Capital Goods  Non Electrical Equipment, Auto Ancillary etc.



Despite FY21 being overshadowed by the pandemic, Indian corporates have raised an all-time high amount of Rs1.89 lakh crore through public equity markets, more than double of Rs91,670 crore raised in FY20. In current year also, in first nine months i.e., up to Dec2021, corporates raised equity of more than Rs1.50 lakh crore through public equity market.



Against this backdrop, India has been experiencing robust export performance with Apr21-Jan22 cumulative exports at $335.9 billion, which is higher than the maximum amount achieved in any year. Exports of engineering goods, petroleum products, gems and jewellery, organic and inorganic chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronic goods have all done well.



When we look at imports, India continues to reduce its trade deficit with China in FY21, however, share of China in our total merchandise imports has been steadily increasing to 16.5% currently. At 8-digit level, in FY22 Apr-Dec21 there were 6367 products with total value of $68 billion (or 15.3% of the total imports) imported by India from China. We estimated the import dependence of each product on China, by checking the share of Chinese imports in Indias overall imports of these categories. The maximum aggregate value ($9.7 billion) is of the products in which our import dependence on China is between 50-60%, although the number of products is lower. Although number wise the imports were highest in the category where our dependence was lowest (0-10%), the value is not that high at around $1894 million.



The most important imports for FY22 so far are personal computers and parts of telephonic and telegraphic equipment, electronic integrated circuits, solar cells, urea and micro-assemblies lithium-ion and diammonium phosphate. There are other goods also under the electrical and electronics imports. Our dependence on China is huge in these products, constituting around 48% of total imports of these. Drastic reduction in these areas can only be possible if, we source from other countries, while building a domestic manufacturing base for these. The items in the low value category are a mix of finished goods and intermediate inputs and India has a revealed comparative advantage in most of these imports. If India wants to wean itself off its dependence on China, capabilities have to be developed in these areas, especially chemicals, textiles, footwear, so that both inputs and final consumer goods in these low value imports can be manufactured domestically.



Amidst the increasing imports from China, the PLI scheme deserves to be mentioned. In FY21 of $65 billion of imports from China, around $39.5 billion is commodities and goods where PLI scheme has been announced (textile, agri, electronics goods, pharmaceuticals & chemicals). If by leveraging PLI scheme we can reduce our dependence on China even to the extent of 20%, then we can add around $8 billion to our GDP and overtime if our dependence is further reduced by 50%, we can add $20 billion to GDP because of the incentives to domestically manufacture these goods owing to the PLI scheme.



Lastly, about our participation in Global Value Chains (GVC). As per the Global Value Chain Development Report 2021 of ADB Indias participation has improved over the years in production-based GVC. The good thing is that there has been a significant improvement in case of medium to high technology manufacturing. When compared to China, Indias participation is higher in case of both trade based and production based GVC. India should focus on building the right infrastructure which can help in making Indias exports more cost competitive. Also increased investment in R&D spend is required so that more innovative products are developed.



The author of this article is Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser, State Bank of India



The views and opinions expressed are not of IIFL Securities, indiainfoline.com
In its regulatory filing on Wednesday, Punjab & Sind Bank Ltd. has informed the exchanges of the new Marginal Cost of Fund Based Lending Rate (MCLR) which shall be effective from February 16, 2022, for different tenors.The bank stated that rates for Overnight MCLR will be 6.80%. One-month and three-month MCLR will be 6.90% and 7% respectively.MCLR will be the highest for One-year tenor at 7.45%, whilst for six-month tenor will be 7.20%, being the second-highest rates.Punjab & Sind Bank is a nationalized bank under the ownership of the Finance Ministry and head office located in New Delhi.In a recent news, it was seen that the government in likely to infuse Rs4,100 crore in the bank during the current fiscal. Following which, its stock showed an upward movement and gained over 12% in today's trade.However, it was last trading at Rs16.85, up by 90 paise or 5.64% against its previous closing price of Rs15.95. Its scrip touched days high of Rs18 so far.
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Authorities have a new theory behind Bob Sagets sudden, stunning death last month.

Citing sources, TMZ reported that officials believe the comedian and TV star hit his head extremely hard on a hotel beds headboard.

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Saget, 65, died from blunt force trauma to the head on Jan. 9. He was found dead in a hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Fla. In an autopsy report, the Orange County Medical Examiner said the Full House star likely suffered the injuries in an unwitnessed fall backward.

But according to the TMZ report, investigators believe Saget actually hit his head on the headboard, causing a severe injury that led to blood pooling in and around his brain and skull.

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Bob Saget arrives at a screening of "MacGruber" on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. (Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Cops are certain there was no foul play, and they determined that Saget couldnt have made the two-hour drive from Jacksonville to Orlando if hed suffered such a serious injury out in northern Florida, according to TMZ. Sagets final comedy performance came earlier that night in Jacksonville.

Saget, known for the TV shows Full House and Americas Funniest Home Videos, was found dead in the bed, and no one else entered the room before hotel staff found his body.

Sagets family has sued to block the release of evidence from the scene, including photos from the hotel room and the full autopsy report. A temporary restraining order was granted in their favor Wednesday morning.

As we continue to mourn together, we ask everyone to remember the love and laughter that Bob brought to this world, and the lessons he taught us all: to be kind to everyone, to let the people you love know you love them, and to face difficult times with hugs and laughter, the Saget family said in a statement last week.
One of the first celebrities to comment on Hijab row, Swara Bhasker who has often become a target of trolls, is once again facing the heat on the internet for her tweet about Mahabharat and Draupadi.

Also Read: Karnataka Hijab Row: Sonam Kapoor Trolled For Asking If Turban Can Be A Choice, Why Not Hijab

Twitter

What did Swara Bhasker tweet?

In Hindi, she wrote, "In Mahabharata, Draupadis clothes were forcibly taken off.. and the responsible, powerful, law-makers sitting in the assembly kept watching.. just remembered today."

Also Read: 'Raise Your Sons Better', Violence Over Karnataka Hijab Row Angers Bollywood Celebrities Too



        ..     , ,     ..       Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) February 14, 2022

Her tweet came after several Twitter users shared about how blocked the entry of Muslim girls wearing Hijab, after the Karnataka High Court ordered that students could not wear their religious dress while entering schools.

This incident happened at govt Sardar high school, #Belagavi city #Karnataka as reported by @shreyas_ToI wherein #Hijabi students were asked to remove hijab infront of school gate. https://t.co/Jr9ztBVcch pic.twitter.com/6Grio4Gvce  Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) February 14, 2022

People think she is drawing a parallel between the harassment of Muslim girls in Hijab to Draupadi's cheer haran in Mahabharat.

Taliban are really nice guys who keep their women under a tent . Wanna go there  https://t.co/TcnRPff00l  kirti (@kirti10895317) February 16, 2022

Atheist has no right to quote the scriptures. https://t.co/ATDhJkAd4B  Nomad (@secularliberals) February 16, 2022

Who's clothes are removed today? Don't make false allegations to back a part of the society. This is quite a divisive tweet on your part. Don't instigate and force a black lash https://t.co/mFgbXC2vLd  Rajiv Mulye (@RajivMulye) February 15, 2022

Why don't you start wearing burkha https://t.co/Nj2wV793gE  Ashish Verma (@Ashishrvglobal2) February 15, 2022

Ur really a stupid who can create the hatred statement against Majority by the comment on their beliefs if u have guts just once appose ur loving community bad religious practice next moment u will be in two pices.lets talk positve sometimes to be relevent in public. https://t.co/uVQDdYRd3A  Umesh Shukla (@78091273fdc94fe) February 15, 2022

Why don't you wear hijab and burkha so that we are saved from your ugly face https://t.co/TVA1XGuJMJ  SS (@suryakant_shaha) February 15, 2022

@ReallySwara such stupid remarks from a so called educated person. Truly you lack reasoning powers and you only seek media attention as the top story is empty. Bevakoof aurat. https://t.co/7bq8p0bkQj  Pravin Patel (@silverspark) February 15, 2022

was on the train with a Muslim family.

They were returning after the admission of his daughter into medical college.



They told me that people like Swara, Arfa, Rana Ayyub etc are living modern life but they want to push us into a dark age. #HijabRow #burqarow #FreeFromHijab https://t.co/x3uF9t7gOB  kanha sharma ji (@kanha_ki_duniya) February 15, 2022

Does it make any sense?? Like literally heights of prejudicial thoughts!! https://t.co/sBuQ3fYowC  esha joshi (@eshajoshi777695) February 14, 2022

There is difference between burka and clothes @Swarabhasker.

Actually thats not the problem.

The problem is ur thinking. Kuch na kuch toh jarur bolna hai warna limelight me Kaise rahnge.

Hai na?? https://t.co/ShG2q6Bmim  ramansaini (@deepsaini132) February 14, 2022

Just when I thought Swara Bhasker's Hindutva and Taliban comparison couldn't be more hilarious, she is back at it with equating Hijab and Burqa with Draupadi's Vastraharan  Gayathri Sivathmika (@Gayathri__S) February 14, 2022

Meanwhile, Karnataka High Court in its order said, "Pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa) scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like, within the classroom, until further orders."

"We make it clear that this order is confined to such of the institutions wherein the College Development Committees have prescribed the student dress code/uniform".

It also added that the right to freedom of religion was not absolute. "However, such a right not being absolute is susceptible to reasonable restrictions as provided by the Constitution of India. Whether wearing of hijab in the classroom is part of the essential religious practice of Islam in the light of constitutional guarantees, needs a deeper examination.

"Ours being a civilized society, no person in the name of religion, culture or the like can be permitted to do any act that disturbs public peace and tranquility. Endless agitations and closure of educational institutions indefinitely are not happy things to happen. The hearing of these matters on an urgent basis is continuing," the full bench said.

(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)
Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, Foxconn has teamed up with India's oil, gas and metals giant Vedanta to manufacture semiconductors in India while the electronics giant plans to diversify its business amid the global chip shortage that has engulfed the world.

Reuters

Also Read: Apple iPhone Maker Foxconn To Invest $1 Billion In India, Create 6000 Jobs, Says Report

Reported first by TOI, Foxconn has stated that it plans on investing $118.7 million which is around Rs 900 crores to set up a joint venture firm with Vedanta. The latter would also be the majority shareholder of the firm with the Taiwanese giant holding 40 percent of the stake.



Foxconn has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vedanta to make semiconductors while calling it a significant boost to domestic manufacturing of electronics in India.

This move comes right after the announcement of the Rs 76,000 crore PLI scheme for manufacturing semiconductors in India to make India one of the leading markets for semiconductor production across the globe. Based on this scheme, it will extend financial support of up to 50 percent of the project cost to eligible applicants.

In fact, just last year, Vedanta Chairman, Anil Agarwal had stated that it would invest Rs 60,000 crore to set up a chip manufacturing ecosystem over a three-year period.

Reuters

Also Read: How Foxconn Forces Kids To Work Overtime To Build Amazon 'Alexa' Echo In Chinese Factories

The tempting PLI scheme has attracted several chipmakers including Intel, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) and United Microelectronics Corporation to explore setting up semiconductor manufacturing facilities in India.



Discussions as of now are ongoing with state governments to decide where the plants for chip manufacturing will be set up.

Keep reading Indiatimes.com for the latest science and technology news.
An Australian teenager is $80,000 (roughly Rs 43,10,025) richer after winning a fishing competition in Victoria's Nagambie. The GoFish competition witnessed over 883 Murray Cod caught - it was a total of 40,629.3 centimetres.

In total, 2,250 fish were caught that measured up to 89,131.6 centimetres. Another fun thing to point out is that 2,594 beers were consumed. Everyone wanted to win the $80,000 cash price for the largest Murray Cod caught on the day.

LadBible

The winner was 18-year-old Jono Moore who had been fishing for only 20 minutes when he made the catch.

In conversation with ABC, Moore said that he has been fishing with his dad from before he could walk.

"Me and my mates, we go out pretty much every weekend just fishing everywhere from Mitchelton all the way down to Murchison," he told ABC.

"It was pretty hectic. It got me on the snags for about five minutes, and the heart was going," he said.

"Then I got it up next to the boat and got it in the net, and me and my mate looked at each other and thought, 'Oh, it's not going to go a metre'," he added.



He also spent an anxious night when he heard rumours that someone had made a bigger catch. However, good news came on Sunday morning when it was confirmed that he had won.

"My mate and I, I said we'd go 70-10 if we win," he said.

"And he was like, 'No, we'll go 75-5', because he thought he was going to catch the bigger one. "But he was more excited than me that I won," he said.

LadBible

He told ABC that even though he wants to use the money to buy his dream boat, his mom wants him to invest in property.

He said he'll be back at GoFish again next year.



The Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii) is a large Australian predatory freshwater fish of the genus Maccullochella in the family Percichthyidae. The big barrel-shaped fish has a huge mouth and small eyes set well forward on its head. It has a creamy yellow-to-white belly and olive-to-blue and even yellow/ green skin on top.



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Last year marked a spectacular recovery in lithium prices, with the market rebounding into growth from the lows of 2020 and pushing lithium carbonate back to the forefront of the battery market. Underpinned by a renewed wave of demand in China and elsewhere, the relentless rise of lithium carbonate prices during 2021 took the compound to a premium from what was historically a discount against further-refined lithium hydroxide.

The counter-intuitive price progression took the sector by surprise, but market participants have argued that there are fundamental factors that may continue to support the carbonate premium over hydroxide into early 2022.

"What [2021] has shown is that carbonate is here to stay," one Europe-based lithium processor source told Fastmarkets. "The push on carbonate in 2021 [was] phenomenal."

Lithium prices more than doubled across the board during 2021, and the sector entered a new bullish cycle following the multi-year lows of late 2020.

Fastmarkets price assessment for lithium carbonate 99.5% Li2CO3 min, battery grade, spot prices, cif China, Japan & Korea, was $6.00-7.50 per kg in early January 2021. At the same time, the assessment for lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price, cif China, Japan & Korea, stood at $8.50-9.50 per kg, showing a solid couple of dollars per kg of premium over carbonate.

That was broadly the way the two prices had interacted since Fastmarkets launched the assessments in 2017  the spreads had widened and narrowed, but they never traded places. Last year changed that.

Fast-forward to January 2022, and hydroxide hit $41-43 per kg on January 27, 2022, a 366% increase at the mid-point compared with where it was a year before. Carbonate, meanwhile, had started lower but ended at a higher level than its further-processed cousin. The Fastmarkets carbonate assessment hit $44-47 per kg on January 27, 2022  that is 574% higher than in January 2021 and, crucially, more than $3 per kg higher than hydroxide.

From December, Fastmarkets has increased its price assessment frequency to daily for the two seaborne Asia assessments of lithium carbonate and hydroxide.

An LFP battery story

The surge in carbonate demand and price is largely credited to the performance of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries since last year, and their expected medium-term outlook.

Among the most tried and tested battery technologies, LFP batteries have a relatively low energy density compared with other chemistries, but they offer reliability, stability and safety. Costs of LFP are also lower than other batteries, such as nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM), which employ costlier raw materials.

While LFP batteries were seen as somehow on the back foot in previous years, with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) favoring higher-performance NCM or nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCA) chemistries, developments over the past year have drawn a different picture.

LFP has cemented its position as the leading chemistry among manufacturers in China, currently the single largest market for electric vehicles (EVs). At the Antaike Nickel & Cobalt conference last November, attendees estimated that LFP batteries now account for the largest share (some 60%) of the market in China, with NCM taking most of the remaining 40%.

Outside China, LFP has also been gathering new interest from international OEMs. German automotive group Volkswagen said last March that it would adopt multiple battery technologies in its models across the group, depending on the type of car and consumer to whom they will be marketed. LFP will feature mostly in VWs compact-vehicle range.

United States-based EV manufacturer Tesla announced last October that its standard-range models sold globally will employ LFP batteries.

Panelists speaking at Fastmarkets Lithium 2021 conference said that, although lithium-ion is set to remain the dominant technology for the EV market, the industry will simultaneously rely on various chemistries depending on performance, raw material costs and companies own strategies.

The outlook appears supportive of growing LFP demand  and, as such, will be key to determining the future price trend of lithium carbonate feedstock.

Premium to persist?

Market participants in conversation with Fastmarkets said that the current premium that the carbonate price holds against hydroxide is likely to persist throughout the first half of 2022, although the overall price differential between the two compounds will be elastic.

Sources pointed to a variety of factors that are expected to underpin this trend, including capacity ramp-up of LFP battery materials versus other chemistries; conversion capacity bottlenecks for carbonate against hydroxide; and the entrance of more intermediaries into the carbonate space.

The aggressive production ramp-up of LFP battery capacity to meet automotive demand will continue to challenge the availability of lithium carbonate, market participants said. As LFP chemistries gained new favor among major OEMs, producers in China that have until now been solely focused on NCM materials are keen to join in and are investing to supply LFP materials as well.

China NCM battery precursor materials manufacturing giant Huayou Cobalt announced in November that it plans to build an integrated plant with Xinfa Chemicals with capacity for 500,000 tonnes per year of LFP material.

"There will be a high ramp-up of LFP capacity, supporting battery-grade carbonate demand and price while, at least for now, NCM production has not [seen the same degree of expansion]," a China-based trader said. "Even with new NCM capacity, it will take a while before that is fully realized and translates into higher demand for hydroxide."

Market sources said they estimate that the annual production growth rate for LFP batteries will exceed 100% in 2022, while that of NCM batteries is expected to be around 30%. "Rising demand of LFP batteries will underpin the price for lithium carbonate and support a premium [over] hydroxide until mid-2022," a lithium producer in China said.

The Fastmarkets battery materials research team forecast a pick-up in both carbonate and hydroxide output in 2022, with carbonate rising by 118,000 tonnes and hydroxide rising by 70,000 tonnes.

"Given the changing demand for LFP, perhaps the market would have preferred less hydroxide, but with US and EU demand gaining momentum, more hydroxide is going to be needed anyway," William Adams, head of battery materials research at Fastmarkets, said.

Traders enter the fray

More intermediaries active in the market are expected to play a part in price projections. The high level of activity in lithium carbonate has attracted a growing number of traders to the space over the past year, which is likely to fuel further price volatility and accelerate price upturns while supply tightness persists.

A trader in China acknowledged that it is easier for traders to get involved in carbonate since it has fewer logistics restrictions and can be stored more easily and for longer. Conversely, hydroxide is mostly moved directly between producers and consumers since OEMs can only purchase materials from qualified producers  which effectively limits traders exposure.

The price parity achieved by lithium carbonate and hydroxide last September was mentioned as an example of this momentum when traders piled in to stockpile at the end of the quarter.

The September monthly average price of Fastmarkets battery-grade lithium carbonate assessment in domestic China rose by 56% to 160,000 yuan ($25,150) per tonne from the prior month  marking the single biggest monthly price increase since Fastmarkets launched the assessment. "While the carbonate market will be undersupplied in 2022, its price may rise more quickly [than hydroxide] with traders involvement," the same trader source in China said.

In addition, the seaborne Asia market is expected to mirror the domestic China market in early 2022, market sources told Fastmarkets, citing tighter availability of carbonate outside of China as a factor that would prop up the carbonate price against hydroxide.

"Supply of hydroxide is comparatively adequate in the seaborne market, with the additional Chinese output exported to Japan and South Korea, but China will export less carbonate since the bulk of it will be consumed domestically," the first lithium producer source said.

Elastic differentials

All that said, market participants believe the price differential between carbonate and hydroxide will be elastic during 2022. The potential for a widening price gap would push producers to shift more to carbonate, which in turn would ease the supply constraint and narrow the price gap between the two compounds.

Some have suggested that producers may be encouraged to convert their lithium hydroxide units into carbonate if the latters spot price is at least 20,000-30,000 yuan per tonne higher, given that the additional processing costs (a few thousand yuan per tonne) are relatively low.

"When the price gap allows converting hydroxide to carbonate, [tightness] in hydroxide should increase, which would support a higher price," a second lithium producer source in China said, adding that he expected an "equilibrium [to eventually develop between] the two prices."

Other sources pointed out that the new production lines in China are flexible in terms of switching between hydroxide and carbonate. Producers output could, therefore, be adjusted based on the price differentials in the market; this could go some way toward easing a carbonate shortage, but might also affect the bullish price momentum in carbonate.

A European processor distinguished between an immediate-term and a longer-term outlook. He said that the capacity constraints of carbonate would ensure a near-term premium to continue "in the first quarter and probably beyond that."

"In the long-term," he said, "I still think that hydroxide will ultimately be the more expensive of the two  its a further refined compound, needs additional processing, so it should go back that way. But until then, the carbonate premium will stay."




February 16, 2022

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Original news Hapag-Lloyd will set up a direct service Germany-China and at the same time will cancel three rotations between Asia and Europe

The new China Germany Express line will connect the ports of Hamburg and Dachan Bay

The shipping company Hapag-Lloyd of Hamburg has strong links with her city, where she was founded in the 1847, constraints that go beyond the simple belonging more than a hundred years to a given community that part of the share capital of the company - 13.9% - is owned by HGV, the holding company of the Hanseatic city to which many public companies are owned by the city. To highlight and confirm the importance that Hamburg, and of course the entire market German, covers for Hapag-Lloyd, the company announced today the decision to inaugurate a new service on the first of April direct between the port of Hamburg and the Chinese port of Dachan Bay.

At a time like the current one in which the congestion of the logistics chains often prevent maritime carriers containerized to promptly meet the demand, several shipping companies have planned and announced various links that should connect directly supply and demand. However, unlike other services proclaimed as direct but in reality not very suitable to propose an immediate response to the needs of the markets, the China service Germany Express (CGX) presented today by the German company has characteristics designed to meet the requests from producers and consumers, starting from the frequency of the new line that will take place weekly. In addition, the transit time Hamburg-Dachan Bay is scheduled for only 27 days, probably also thanks to the use of eight container ships Panamax which, although smaller in size and therefore of less capacity than the last container carriers generation capable of transporting much larger volumes of goods elevated, they are evidently able to develop a greater browsing speed.

If the new China Germany Express service certainly rewards the city of Hamburg and its port, however, it is likely that the innovation announced by Hapag-Lloyd will result in a concomitant reduction of the overall hold supply of the German company on routes between Asia and Europe. Communicating the decision to inaugurate the CGX line, in fact, the company has made I note that the new service will replace services 6, 7 and 8 between Asia and Europe so far operated by Hapag-Lloyd. Loop 6 connects currently the Chinese ports of Ningbo and Yantian with the European ports of Felixtowe, Le Havre and Antwerp through the Asian hubs of Laem Chabang, Singapore and Tanjun Pelepas. Service 7, through Singapore and Tanjun Pelepas and Tanger Med, connects the Chinese ports of Dalian, Xingang, Shanghai, Ningbo and Yantian and the South Korean one of Busan with the European ports of Rotterdam, Wilhelmshaven, Bremerhaven and Gothenburg. Line 8, through the port hubs of Tanjung Pelepas and Algeciras, connects the Chinese ports of Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan and Yantian and the South Korean one of Kwangyang with the European ports of Rotterdam, Bremerhaven and Gdansk.



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Virginia parents will be able to opt out of school mask mandates no later than March 1 under a bill adopted by the Virginia House of Delegates on Wednesday afternoon.

Just hours later, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who proposed amendments making the bill effective immediately, signed the legislation in a ceremony on the steps of the state Capitol. Without the amendment, the bill would not have been effective until July 1.

School systems have until March 1 to comply with the new law. Shortly after the governor signed the legislation, Loudoun County Public Schools announced masks are optional in schools effective Feb. 22.

The legislation does not prohibit school systems from implementing mask mandates to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or other diseases but allows parents to opt out of requirements that their children wear masks without providing any explanation or reason. It also stipulates that students who do not wear masks cannot be disciplined or face any academic consequences.

Today we are re-establishing and restoring power back to parents, Youngkin said at the signing ceremony. But we are also re-establishing our expectations that we will get back to normal and this is the path.

The emergency amendment was approved by the House on a party-line 52-48 vote, with Republicans backing it. That followed a 21-19 vote late Tuesday in the state Senate, where the bill originated. Three Democrats joined 17 of the 18 Republicans in the Senate in supporting the amendment.

Emergency clauses usually require approval by four-fifths, or 80, of the House members, but Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert, a Republican, ruled that because the amendment was proposed by the governor, only a majority vote was required. He noted that emergency clauses recommended by the governor were approved by simple majority votes during the 2020 and 2021 sessions of the General Assembly, when Democrats were in control.

Del. Marcus Simon, D-Falls Church, spoke briefly against the amendment before the vote. "This has been a rush to get the governor a needed political win," he said.

A separate vote was held on another amendment proposed by Youngkin, stipulating that nothing in the legislation would prohibit him from issuing an executive order during a public health emergency. The vote to approve that amendment was 77-23.
An employee of Quincys pension fund wrongly sent $3.5 million in a wire transfer in February 2021 in response to a scam email and the funds have not been recovered.

The Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission is investigating the Quincy Retirement Board after it reported the transaction in October, the Patriot Ledger reported on Monday.

An investment manager for the pension fund made the transfer after receiving instructions in an email from a former employees email account that had been hacked, the newspaper reported. The board did not uncover the fraud until months later.

Once the board learned of this unauthorized transfer of funds, it immediately notified the appropriate state and federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies and the board is fully cooperating with the ongoing civil and criminal investigations into this matter, Michael Sacco, the boards lawyer said in a statement.

John Parsons, executive director of the commission, said that its investigation would take several more months and that it would issue a public report when it is complete.

The email hack and the fraudulent transfer were not immediately reported to public, the newspaper reported.

The five-member board and four staff members manage hundreds of millions of dollars in the citys pension fund. It is prohibited from entering into new investments until the commissions investigation is complete, the newspaper reported.

The theft was not initially disclosed as part of a request from Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch to approve more than $450 million in bonds to fund the citys pension plan. Parsons told the newspaper that when the commission learned in May 2021 that the theft was not disclosed as part of the bond request, it contacted the board who amended its disclosure the next day.

The pension bond has been fully funded but is managed by a different body, the Pension Reserves Investment Management Board, the newspaper reported.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Massachusetts
Bob Sagets family says publicly releasing parts of the late comedians death investigation would cause irreparable harm to his loved ones.

A lawsuit filed in Florida on Tuesday by Sagets widow and three children aims to prevent details from the Full House stars autopsy, photographs, and audio and video recordings from being made public.

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Bob Saget (Jeremy Fraser LA Exposures/Getty Images)

Saget was found dead in his Orlando hotel room on Jan. 9 at age 65. His family said last week that officials determined Saget died from head trauma, with an Orlando medical examiner later saying Sagets death was accidental.

His injuries were most likely incurred from an unwitnessed fall, Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany said in a statement.

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The new lawsuit, which was viewed by the Daily News, was filed by Kelly Rizzo, who married Saget in 2018, and the comedians three daughters from his first marriage to Sherri Kramer.

The filing names the Orange County Sheriff in Florida, as well as the District Nine Medical Examiners office in Orange County.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 27 Bob Saget, beloved actor, host and stand-up comic, was found dead on Jan. 9, 2022. He was 65. Take a look back at life and career to remember America's funniest and sweetest sitcom dad. Pictured, Bob Saget performs at the "Boys Night Out" comedy benefit at The Laugh Factory hosted by talk radio host Tom Leykis on Oct. 11, 2001, in Hollywood, Calif. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the September 11 relief efforts. (Jason Kirk/Getty Images)

The lawsuit contends releasing records from the probe wouldnt serve the public but would make Sagets family suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress.

Saget starred on all eight seasons of the Full House family sitcom as father-of-three Danny Tanner from 1987 to 1995, before reprising the role in 2016 for the Netflix spinoff series Fuller House.

He was also known for his raunchy standup routines and had performed a set in Jacksonville, Fla., on the night before he was found at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando.

With News Wire Services
Two activist investors in Generali GASI.MI on Tuesday urged Italys leading insurer to engage in an open and constructive dialog to overcome issues that have held back its growth.

Generali is at the center of a shareholder battle pitting a group of investors including eyewear billionaire Leonardo Del Vecchio against its single biggest shareholder Mediobanca MDBI.MI.

Generali Asks Italian Regulators to Review of Tycoons Stake-Building Generali Chairman to Step Down Amid Investor Tensions

Del Vecchios Delfin investment vehicle and banking foundation Fondazione CRT said it was important for a company of strategic relevance for Italy such as Generali to engage with shareholders and respect their rights.

Delfin, Generalis third-largest investor, and CRT said their consultation pact over Generali remained in place, as they sought to provide their view of what the insurers future should be like after investing significant resources in it.

Delfin and Fondazione CRT are long-term shareholders, they said in a joint statement.

As such they firmly believe only an open and constructive dialog  can allow the insurer to pursue a path of sustainable growth, overcoming issues that affected its competitive positioning in Europe.

Generali declined to comment.

Del Vecchio and fellow tycoon Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, a construction magnate who is Generalis No.2 investor, have complained in the past that Generali lags in size compared to peers such as Frances AXA AXAF.PA or Germanys Allianz ALVG.DE.

Generali for its part has pointed out its total shareholder returns since CEO Philippe Donnet presented his first business plan in November 2016 surpass those of AXA and Allianz.

Throwing the gauntlet at Mediobanca, Del Vecchio and Caltagirone in September joined forces in a consultation pact that was later joined by CRT. The two magnates are both investors in Mediobanca, of which Del Vecchio owns nearly 20%.

Caltagirone last month quit the Generali pact to avoid drawing regulatory scrutiny ahead of proposing a slate of nominees for the renewal of Generalis board in April.

Del Vecchio and Caltagirone have questioned Donnets reappointment, which is backed by Mediobanca and faces a shareholder vote in April.

People familiar with their thinking have said they believe Generali has favored paying dividends over expansion through M&A.

After backing Donnets first two business plans, Caltagirone voted against the CEOs new strategy in December while a representative for Delfin did not attend the board meeting. They have both stepped down from Generalis board since then.

(Reporting by Claudia Cristoferi, writing by Valentina Za; editing by Keith Weir)

Photograph: Generali sign sits on top of a building in New Belgrade, Serbia, in Aug. 2, 2018.

Topics Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc.
bolttech has completed the acquisition of AVA Insurance Brokers and AVA Insurance Agency, a Singapore-based specialist broker and insurance intermediary. The acquisition follows bolttechs completion of its US$247 million Series A funding round last year.

The acquisition of AVA will accelerate the deployment of bolttechs insurance exchange in Singapore, connecting insurers, distributors and customers, making it easier and more efficient to buy and sell insurance. Headquartered in Singapore, bolttech has grown its global footprint to 30 markets since its inception in 2020 as part of its international expansion strategy.

We are delighted to welcome AVA to our growing team. Singapore has served as our home base and a crucial springboard for our global expansion since we launched in early 2020, commented Rob Schimek, group chief executive officer, bolttech.

We will continue to invest in Singapore, both as an international hub for innovation and as a market that presents bolttech with significant opportunity to enhance the insurance experience for local customers and partners, he added.

This is an exciting and much anticipated milestone for the AVA team. Together with bolttech, we will significantly increase our ability to bring new, innovative solutions to customers in Singapore and the greater region through bolttechs pioneering insurtech capabilities, said Michael Chew, chief executive officer, AVA.

Yen Yen Koh, general manager for bolttech in Singapore, will oversee AVAs operations, which will be integrated with bolttech and subsequently rebranded later this year. The change in ownership has no impact on AVAs service to its partners or customers, and the existing AVA team remains intact post integration.

Source: bolttech

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Agencies InsurTech Tech
Argo Group International Holdings Ltd., the Bermuda-based underwriter of specialty insurance products, announced the completion of the sale of Argo Seguros Brasil S.A. to Spice Private Equity Ltd.

The closing of this transaction is another definitive step as Argo evolves as a specialty insurer focused on US-based insurance risks, said Andy Borst, interim president of Argos International Operations. I wish the team in Brazil the best of luck in the future.

The terms of the transaction, which was first announced in October 2021, were not disclosed.

In its October 2021 announcement about the deal, Spice Private Equity said it would invest US$35 million in the transaction, including the purchase of 100% of the shares of Argo Brazil, as well as an equity injection to supplement Argo Brazils liquidity position, according to the announcement.

Argo Brazil posted gross written premiums of approximately R$380 million (US$70 million) in 2020 and a book value of equity of R$123 million (US$24 million) as of December 2020, according to the statement from Spice PE.

Zug, Switzerland-based Spice Private Equity Ltd. is an investment company focused on global private equity investments. Its investments are mostly held by Spice Private Equity (Bermuda) Ltd. and managed by GP Advisors (Bermuda) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of GP Investments, Ltd. a leading alternative investments firm.

Source: Argo International and Spice Private Equity

Topics USA
The chairman of Italys biggest insurer, Generali GASI.MI, plans to step down in April after 11 years in the job, saying that current tensions among investors were a source of regret.

Gabriele Galateri di Genola told the board he would continue as chairman only until a shareholder meeting when investors are due to vote on a new team of directors.

Generali Activist Investors Urge Open Dialog to Overcome Perceived Growth Issues Generali Asks Italian Regulators to Review of Tycoons Stake-Building

His departure comes at a delicate time for Generali, with some influential investors opposed to Philippe Donnet staying on as chief executive for another term, although its top shareholder backs him.

I will leave the board in full harmony, Galateri, who is 75 and a former Fiat chief executive, wrote in a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

He indicated it was time to allow a more independent chair to take the position after such a long time in the role.

I have done the sums and its almost amazing to realize I have been chairman for 11 years, he added, noting he had also previously served for seven years as vice-chairman.

He did not directly link his departure to pressure for reform at Generali from investors Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone and his fellow Italian billionaire Leonardo Del Vecchio.

However, he expressed regret for recent tensions in the shareholder base that Generali certainly doesnt deserve.

The insurer later on Wednesday said in a statement its board appreciated Galateris decision, which was in line with plans to pick a future chairman who fully met independence criteria.

Under Italian corporate governance rules, a board member can no longer be considered as independent after three mandates.

Construction magnate Caltagirone and Del Vecchio, founder of eyewear company Luxottica, have both opposed plans by Generalis board to retain Donnet, who has been CEO since 2016.

The pair want the insurer to be more ambitious in expanding via acquisitions.

Donnet retains the support of Mediobanca, the leading Generali investor, ahead of a shareholder meeting at the end of April.

It is not clear who will succeed Galateri in the chairmans role, with independent Generali director Diva Moriani seen as a possible candidate.

Generalis board is working on a slate of candidates for the new board to be put to a shareholder vote in April.

After discussing an initial list of more than 25 names, the board on Wednesday examined a short list of 15 to 20 candidates.

It is expected to meet again on Monday to discuss criteria for the composition of the board before finalizing the list in March.

(Reporting by Valentina Za in Milan; writing by Keith Weir; editing by Michael Urquhart, Mark Potter and Matthew Lewis)

Topics Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc.
Thick smoke billowed from the vacant, crumbling St. Louis house, but Benjamin Polson knew homeless people might be inside taking refuge from the January chill.

So the 33-year-old firefighter went in. It cost him his life.

Eleven days later, three Baltimore firefighters died when an abandoned row home collapsed. The same vacant house was the site of another fire seven years earlier that injured three firefighters.

Vacant homes dot the landscape _ urban and rural _ across the U.S. Theyre far more prone to catch fire, and because the structures are often compromised, they are especially dangerous for firefighters.

Officials in St. Louis and Baltimore are looking at ways to reduce those risks.

St. Louis fire leaders are doing an inventory of every vacant home _ all 10,000 of them _ with plans to develop a computerized database so firefighters know what theyre getting into. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott directed every department to evaluate how to deal with the citys 15,000 vacant homes.

This is a top priority of my Administration, Scott said in a statement on Jan. 31. Anything less than our very best attempt at solving the problem would be a discredit to the lives of the brave firefighters we lost last week and the residents we serve day in and day out.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are more than 17 million vacant homes nationwide. Many have been abandoned and left to rot, but red tape and a lack of money prevent cities and counties from moving quickly toward demolition.

Even in buildings with no utilities, crumbling walls and dangling roofs, homeless people often take shelter, especially in winter. When they make a small fire to cook or stay warm, the blaze can spread.

St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson wasnt surprised that Polson went into the flames on Jan. 13, especially since neighbors alerted first responders that people were potentially inside.

Were there to help people and help them make it each day, Jenkerson said. There wasnt any question.

A 2018 report by the National Fire Protection Association found that U.S. departments responded to an average of more than 30,000 vacant building fires each year. Those fires injure, on average, 3,300 firefighters annually.

Curt Floyd, technical lead for responders at the National Fire Protection Agency and a retired firefighter in Connecticut, said there is no single approach that works best for all departments. But, he said, firefighters are simply wired to save lives.

Its a risk assessment evaluation everybodys going to make, but theres that chance that a life could be in there, Floyd said.

Still, many communities have adopted new policies to protect firefighters.

After an internal study found that 60% of firefighter injuries in Flint, Michigan, were at vacant buildings, the city changed protocols in the mid-2010s. Now, firefighters do not enter homes that have been deemed unfixable and are awaiting demolition unless lives are clearly at risk.

We adopted this policy so we didnt have to have that line at a funeral, Fire Chief Raymond Barton said. It was like, why are we running into these vacant structures, putting our firefighters at risk?

The U.S. Fire Administration, which is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, suggests that communities determine the structural soundness of each vacant building and provide a visual exterior marker.

Worcester, Massachusetts, established a marking system after six firefighters died at an abandoned warehouse in 1999. An X in an exterior box indicates firefighters should not enter a vacant building unless a known life is endangered. A single slash means use extreme caution. An empty box means the building was stable at the time of the marking. Several other cities use similar systems.

In Baltimore, where firefighters Paul Butrim, Kelsey Sadler and Kenny Lacayo died Jan. 24, firefighters decided to go into the vacant home because an adjacent row home was still occupied, Chief Niles R. Ford said. A fourth firefighter was critically injured but survived.

WJZ-TV, citing property records, reported that the home had been vacant 11 years.

On Jan. 31, Scott directed all city departments to conduct 30-day reviews to determine ways to address vacant homes and the dangers they pose. Scott said COVID-19 stimulus money will be used toward the solutions.

In St. Louis, Polson grew up in a firefighter family. His dad, Jim, spent more than 30 years with the department and retired as a captain.

So despite earning an MBA and a law degree, Polson jumped at the chance when a spot opened in the St. Louis Fire Academy. He joined the department in 2019.

Jenkerson understands. His own father and grandfather were firefighters, too.

For whatever reason it gets ingrained into your psyche, Jenkerson said.

The St. Louis home where Polson died has long sat vacant. Built in 1895, records show the owner lives out of state and has ignored repeated notices.

The city typically demolishes 600 to 700 homes annually at a cost of up to $14,000 per building. Democratic Missouri state Rep. Donna Baringer of St. Louis has proposed a bill aimed at expediting vacant home demolitions in the city.

Meanwhile, Jenkersons department is assessing the structural soundness of every vacant building. By March, he expects to have a database accessible from computers in each fire truck listing every structure as either high risk, medium risk or low risk. Firefighters wont enter high-risk vacant buildings without clear evidence that someone may be inside.

Barton, the Flint fire chief, said the more defensive approach will take some getting used to, just as it did in Flint.

Now its accepted, he said. If its a vacant structure with no exposures, they dont have a problem letting it go.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics USA
President Joe Biden couldnt have been more blunt about the risks of cyberattacks spinning out of control. If we end up in a war, a real shooting war with a major power, its going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence, he told his intelligence brain trust in July.

Now tensions are soaring over Ukraine with Western officials warning about the danger of Russia launching damaging cyberattacks against Ukraines NATO allies. While no one is suggesting that could lead to a full-blown war between nuclear-armed rivals, the risk of escalation is serious.

The danger is in the uncertainty about what crosses a digital red line. Cyberattacks, including those that cripple critical infrastructure with ransomware, have been on the rise for years and often go unpunished. Its unclear how grave a malicious cyber operation by a state actor would have to be to cross the threshold to an act of war.

The rules are fuzzy, said Max Smeets, director of the European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative. Its not clear what is allowed, what isnt allowed.

The United States and other NATO members have threatened crippling sanctions against Russia if it sends troops into Ukraine. Less clear is whether such sanctions, whose secondary effects could also hurt Europe, would be imposed if Russia were to seriously damage Ukrainian critical infrastructure  power, telecommunications, finance, railways with cyberattacks in lieu of invading.

And if the West were to respond harshly to Russian aggression, Moscow could retaliate against NATO nations in cyberspace with an intensity and on a scale previously unseen. A major cyberattack on U.S. targets would almost certainly unleash a muscular response. But what of lesser cyberattacks? Or if Russian President Vladimir Putin restricted them to a NATO member in Europe?

Under Article 5 of the organizations treaty, an attack on any of its 30 members is considered an attack on all. But unclear is what it would take to unleash full-scale cyber retaliation. Or how bad an attack would have to be to trigger retaliation from NATOs most potent cyber military forces, led by the U.S. and Britain.

No Treaties

Cyberspace is exceptionally unruly. No arms control treaties exist to put guard rails on state-backed hacking, which is often shielded by plausible deniability as its often difficult to quickly attribute cyberattacks and intelligence-gathering intrusions. The technology is cheap and criminals can act as proxies, further muddying attribution. Freelancers and hacktivists compound the problem.

In 2015, the major powers and others agreed on a set of 11 voluntary norms of international cyber behavior at the United Nations. But they are routinely ignored. Russia helped craft them only to knock Ukraines power grid offline that winter and set in motion its hack-and-leak operation to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Hacking is now a core component of great power conflict. In 2016, NATO formally designated cyberspace a domain of conflict, alongside land, sea and air.

Nowhere has the militarization of cyberspace been more clear than in Putins bid to return Ukraine to Moscows orbit.

To Serhii Demediuk, the No. 2 official on Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, a noisy cyberattack last month was part of a full-scale Russian operation directed at destabilizing the situation in Ukraine, aimed at exploding our Euro-Atlantic integration and seizing power.

The attack damaged servers at the State Emergency Service and at the Motor Transport Insurance Bureau with a malicious wiper cloaked as ransomware. The damage proved minimal, but a message posted simultaneously on dozens of defaced government websites said: Be afraid and expect the worst.

Such attacks are apt to continue as Putin tries to degrade and delegitimize trust in Ukrainian institutions, the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said in a blog on Russian military cyber wreckage in the former Soviet republic: Winter attacks on the power grid in 2015 and 2016 were followed by NotPetya, which exacted more than $10 billion in damage globally.

United Nations

Michele Markoff, the U.S. State Departments deputy coordinator for cyber issues, thinks muscular diplomacy is the only way to end such immoral, unethical and destabilizing behavior.

But how? Unlike nuclear arms, cyberweapons cant easily be quantified, verified and limited in treaties. Nor are violators apt to be held accountable in the United Nations, not with Russia and China wielding veto power on its Security Council.

Weve wallowed kind of in a quagmire for years now on making transgressors accountable, said Duncan Hollis, a Temple Law professor and former State Department legal adviser.

Members endorsed in May an update to the 2015 U.N. norm s that further delineates what should be out of bounds: including hospitals, energy, water and sanitation, education and financial services. That has hardly deterred Russian-speaking ransomware crooks, who are at the very least tolerated by the Kremlin. Nor have U.S. indictments of Russian and Chinese state hackers and the blacklisting of tech companies accused of aiding them helped much.

Under a new policy NATO adopted last year after U.S lobbying, an accumulation of lower-level cyberattacks _ far below, say, blacking out the U.S. East Coast _ could be enough to trigger Article 5. But NATO is vague on what a tipping point might be.

NATOs doctrinal shift followed a pair of seismic cyberespionage shocks  the highly targeted 2020 SolarWinds supply chain hack by Russia that badly rattled Washington and the reckless March 2021 Microsoft Exchange hack attributed to Chinese state security that set off a criminal hacking free-for-all.

A cluster of wholesale data pilfering in the mid-2010s attributed to China  from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, United Airlines, Marriott hotels and the health insurer Anthem  inflicted a deep national security wound. And U.S. officials have worried for more than a decade about rivals  Russia especially  quietly pre-positioning enough malware in U.S. critical infrastructure including the energy sector to cause considerable chaos in an armed conflict.

In response, U.S. Cyber Command developed a strategy in 2018 it calls persistent engagement to counter rivals who operate continuously below the threshold of armed conflict to weaken institutions and gain strategic advantages.

The aim: deny foes the chance to breach U.S. systems by operating across the interconnected battlespace, globally, as close as possible to adversaries, Cybercom commander Gen. Paul Nakasone wrote.

That has sometimes meant penetrating not just adversaries networks but also those of allies  without asking permission, said Smeets, the European cyber conflict analyst.

Disinformation campaigns have also muddied the definition of a cyber threat. No longer do they merely encompass malware like NotPetya or the the Stuxnet virus that wrecked Iranian nuclear centrifuges, an operation widely attributed to the U.S. and Israel and discovered in 2010.

During the 2018 U.S. midterm elections, Cybercom temporarily knocked offline a key Russian disinformation mill.

Most major powers have the equivalent of a U.S. Cyber Command for both offense and defense.

Also active are terrorists, criminals working as state proxies, begrudged freelancers and hacktivists like the Cyber Partisans of Belarus.

Hollis compares the current messy cyber moment to the early 19th century when U.S. and European navies were so small they often relied on privateers  we know them now as pirates for high-seas dirty work.

The U.S. and other NATO partners are, meantime, helping Ukraine stand up a separate cyber military unit, said Demediuk, the Ukrainian security official. Since Russia seized Crimea in 2014, NATO has closely and systematically coordinating cyber actions with Ukraine, including joint missions, he said.

In November, Ukraine exposed an eight-year espionage operation by agents of Russias FSB in Crimea involving more than 5,000 attempted hacks. The main goal: to gain control over critical infrastructure, including power plants, heating and water supply systems, Ukraines state news agency said.

This month, Microsoft said the operation, dubbed Armageddon, persists with attempts to penetrate Ukraines military, judiciary and law enforcement. Microsoft detected no damage, but that doesnt mean Russian cyber operators havent gained undetected footholds.

Thats where hackers hide until they are ready to pounce.

Associated Press writer Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

Photo: A street sign marking Boris Nemstov Plaza is seen at the entrance of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington, Thursday, April 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Cyber USA Russia Europe China Ukraine
The nations top public health agency has proposed changing  and in some instances, softening  guidelines for U.S. doctors prescribing oxycodone and other opioid painkillers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions previous guidance, issued six years ago, helped slow the kind of prescribing that ignited the worst overdose epidemic in U.S. history. But it also caused some doctors to become too quick to cut off patients taking prescription painkillers and too strict in keeping the drugs from patients who might benefit, CDC officials said.

We began to hear how the guidelines were being misused and misapplied, said the CDCs Christopher Jones, a co-author of the draft guidance.

The proposed changes, contained in a 229-page draft update in the Federal Register, would roll back some suggested limits on the drugs. Their publication opens a 60-day public comment period. The CDC will consider comments before finalizing the updated guidance.

The general intent is to foster individualized patient care, Jones said. It also offers more options for treating the kind of short-term, acute pain that follows surgeries or injuries.

One expert expressed initial wariness about a proposed revision.

The 2016 guidance succeeded in helping to reduce inappropriate and dangerous prescribing, said Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman of Georgetown University Medical Center. Its critics have included pain patients, but also painkiller manufacturers and groups they fund, she said.

There was nothing wrong with the original guidelines, said Fugh-Berman, a paid expert witness for plaintiffs in cases targeting pharmaceutical marketing practices.

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, a head and neck surgeon in Flint, Michigan, welcomed the update.

Mukkamala said the guidelines have been a barrier to patient care, with some pharmacists pointing to the CDCs suggested limits and refusing to fill prescriptions as doctors wrote them.

Thats disastrous for patients in pain, said Mukkamala, chairman of the American Medical Association board of trustees.

Opioids can be an important tool in treating severe pain from cancer, surgery and serious injuries. But they also can be addictive _ even when used under doctors orders.

Beginning in the 1990s, some drugmakers, insurers and pain specialists called for wider use of the drugs for more common ailments like backaches and arthritis. The push was tied into the marketing of drugs like OxyContin, which were billed as less addictive than other opioids.

When U.S. overdose deaths began skyrocketing, prescription painkillers were identified as a big reason. Governments tried to restrict the prescriptions, but the overdose epidemic worsened as people hooked on pills switched to heroin and then to fentanyl. Those kinds of illegal injected drugs are now associated with the majority of U.S. overdose deaths.

The CDCs 2016 prescribing guidelines said opioids should not be the first treatment for chronic pain. Doctors were urged to first try other medications or nondrug options, limit opioid prescriptions for short-term pain to three days, and to prescribe the lowest effective dose possible.

The guidelines are voluntary, but they were widely adopted and added momentum to a dramatic decline in opioid painkiller prescriptions.

They also came under attack from pain patients and drug manufacturers, who argued some people in severe pain were being denied needed relief.

In 2019, CDC officials signaled that they were concerned about those reports. They examined newer research, resulting in the new proposal, Jones said. Drugmakers had no input into the writing of the draft revision, he said.

Changes include:

The CDC would no longer suggest trying to limit opioid treatment for acute pain to three days.

The agency would drop the specific recommendation that doctors avoid increasing dosage to a level equivalent to 90 milligrams of morphine per day.

The CDC would say doctors should consider having patients undergo urine tests to see if they are using other controlled and illicit drugs, but no longer would call on having such testing done annually.

For patients receiving higher doses of opioids, the CDC would urge doctors to not abruptly halt treatment unless there are indications of a life-threatening danger. The agency would offer suggestions about how to taper patients off the drugs.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics USA Drugs
Alliant Adds James Madigan as Senior Vice President Within Employee Benefits Group

Alliant has added James Jimmy Madigan as senior vice president within its employee benefits group. Based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Madigan has nearly two decades of experience as an employee benefits consultant, working with organizations across a range of industries and sizes.

As part of Alliants Southeast employee benefits team, Madigan will work with a diverse portfolio of regional and national clients as Alliant continues to grow its presence in the region.

Prior to joining Alliant, Madigan was senior vice president with a global insurance and employee benefits consulting firm.

BXS Insurance Names Von E. Breaux as Texas Regions Chief Development Officer

BXS Insurance, Inc., a subsidiary of Cadence Bank, has named Von E. Breaux as its Texas regions chief development officer. In this capacity, Breaux will oversee BXSIs expansion from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area throughout the I-35 corridor and Texas Triangle marketplace. Prior to joining BXSI, Breaux was the president and CEO of Sleeper Sewell Insurance Services and ANBTX Insurance Services, Inc. Over the course of his three-plus decade career, he has developed expertise in executive management in agency operations, sales, mergers and acquisitions, regional and national sales, sales management, international and domestic marketing, sales and business development, underwriting, project management, strategic planning and product development.

Topics Texas Arkansas Alliant
The Texas Attorney General is suing Facebook parent Meta, saying the company has unlawfully collected biometric data on Texans for commercial purposes, without their informed consent.

Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit Feb. 14 in a state district court claiming Meta has been storing millions of biometric identifiers _ identified as retina or iris scans, voice prints, or a record of hand and face geometry _ contained in photos and videos people upload to its services, including Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook will no longer take advantage of people and their children with the intent to turn a profit at the expense of ones safety and well-being, Paxton said in a statement. This is yet another example of Big Techs deceitful business practices and it must stop. I will continue to fight for Texans privacy and security.

The filing of the lawsuit coincided with the first day of early voting in a primary election in Texas, where Paxton faces several GOP challengers in the wake of his top deputies reporting him to the FBI for alleged corruption.

Paxton has been going up against Big Tech _ a common foe for both Republicans and Democrats even if their criticisms dont always align. He earlier launched an investigation of Twitter over its ban of former President Donald Trump and filed several lawsuits against Google.

Under Texas law, the lawsuit says, companies must obtain informed consent from people to use their biometric data. This means people have to be informed before their biometric data is captured and it can only be done if they agree to it. Such data also cannot be disclosed for anyone else, although there are some exceptions, such as law enforcement subpoenas

In a statement, Meta Platforms Inc., which is based in Melo Park, California, called the lawsuit without merit.

The company said in November that it was shutting down its facial recognition program and deleting its data.

Texas is asking the court to fine Meta $25,000 for each violation of the informed consent rule and $10,000 for each violation of the states deceptive trade practices act.

Meta, then called Facebook, paid $650 million to settle a similar lawsuit over photo the use of photo face-tagging and other biometric data in Illinois last year.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Texas
Floridas chief financial officer is applauding lawmakers for approving a home-hardening measure that could affect homeowners insurance rates in years to come.

Since last year, weve been pushing hard on the idea of helping homeowners better fortify their homes from storms with our Home Hardening initiative, CFO Jimmy Patronis said in a statement. This is a practical way of saving folks money while incentivizing homeowners to better protect their homes from hurricanes.

The Florida House Ways and Means Committee this week passed a tax package that includes sales tax incentives for homeowners who install impact-resistant windows, doors, garage doors and roof tie-downs. In many cases, the homeowners will also receive credits on their home insurance premiums.

Patronis also supported the passage of Senate Bill 1054 by the Senate Rules Committee. The bill, if signed into law, would require schools to teach financial literacy to high school students, including the basics of insurance, money management, credit scores, loan applications and related matters.

That bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee earlier this month. A House subcommittee passed a similar bill today, Feb. 16.

Topics Florida Homeowners
Its dynamite news for BTS fans.

The Korean-pop supergroups concert in Seoul on March 12 is set to be broadcast live at movie theaters across the globe.

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That concert will be one of three performed by BTS at the Seoul Olympic Stadium next month. The seven-member group is also performing at the venue on March 10 and March 13.

The shows mark BTS first live performances in front of an audience in Seoul since October 2019.

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BTS at the 2021 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for MRC)

Known for songs such as Dynamite and Butter, BTS has been nominated at the Grammys for best pop duo/group performance in both of the last two years.

BTS has six No. 1 hits on Billboards Hot 100 singles chart, tying them for the fifth most of all time.

The concert announcement came shortly after news emerged Tuesday that the BTS member V had tested positive for COVID-19.

Last month, BTS member Jimin underwent appendicitis surgery and also tested positive for COVID-19. Fellow BTS members RM, Suga and Jin, meanwhile, tested positive for the virus in December.
Carmen Hall Soruco, 70, and her husband Antonio Soruco, 75, both of Novato, California, were sentenced after pleading guilty to workers compensation fraud charges.

Hall was sentenced on multiple felony counts to two years of probation with full search and seizure, 120 days in jail, and ordered to pay more than $925,000 in restitution to State Compensation Insurance Fund and Employment Development Department.

Soruco was sentenced to one year of probation with full search and seizure, 120 days in jail, and was also ordered to pay more than $925,000 in restitution to SCIF and EDD after pleading guilty to multiple misdemeanor charges.

The California Department of Insurance began an investigation into Soruco Structures, a general contractor company, after a worker filed a workers comp claim alleging to be injured on a job site while working.

The business reportedly had not reported employees or payroll on their workers comp policy until the claim was filed. Although Soruco Structures was licensed as a sole proprietorship under Carmen Hall Soruco, Antonio Soruco, Halls husband, also operated the business.

The investigation reportedly showed Hall and Soruco committed workers comp premium fraud by failing to report employees and payroll to SCIF from Oct. 15, 2013 through Dec. 8, 2016.

The investigation further revealed unreported payroll to SCIF, leading to a premium loss of approximately $585,666. Investigators also reportedly discovered Hall and Soruco committed payroll tax evasion by failing to report employees and payroll to Californias EDD from Oct. 15, 2013 through Feb. 6, 2019 which resulted in a payroll tax loss to EDD of roughly $342,405.

The case was prosecuted by the Marin County District Attorneys Office.

Topics California Fraud Workers' Compensation
Senior government officials will meet on Wednesday ahead of Nphet meeting a day later to discuss ongoing mask-wearing requirements.

The senior official's group meeting comes as Government sources said that they felt the requirements could be lifted as soon as next week. The positive feeling around the scrapping of remaining Covid-19 restrictions comes after a meeting between public health officials and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

It is understood that the feeling from medics is that Ireland's progress in dealing with the virus was broadly upbeat. Nphet will meet on Thursday to discuss the ongoing situation and could recommend mask wearing end ahead of a planned review on February 28. This would likely see the end of mask-wearing in schools, as well.

However, it is unlikely that a Cabinet meeting would follow on Friday, with any changes to rules not expected until Tuesday or Wednesday.

Sources said that any decision will be guided by Nphet but it is understood that the wearing of masks would become a recommendation rather than law on public transport and retail settings.

Last week, the Taoiseach said that he believes masks should continue to be worn even if Nphet recommends they no longer need to be mandatory.

"Irrespective of whether it is mandated or not, I would recommend that people would wear masks in retail and public transport for some time yet. But the news is good in respect of the Omicron variant."

The Taoiseach said that it was his personal view that masks should be worn but said that this would not influence decisions if Nphet greenlights getting rid of the mandatory requirement.

Sources said that the expectation is now that the last restrictions held over from the end of January will be dropped. However, air travellers will have to continue to wear face coverings as those rules are set by the EU.

It is understood that Covid was not discussed at the meeting of Cabinet.

While Ministers will consider any advice that comes out of Nphets meeting later this week, Government sources said it is unclear whether the advice would require an emergency Cabinet meeting.

Asked about the winding up of Nphet, a Government spokesperson said public health advice has to be maintained. However, it is expected that there will be discussions around the make up and continuation of Nphet as we exit the emergency phase.
More than 1,000 older people waited for more than a day for a hospital bed in January, new figures show.

Numbers from the HSE show that in January alone, some 1,093 people aged over-75 waited at least 24 hours for admission to a hospital bed, with 173 of those in Cork University Hospital (CUH), the worst affected hospital.

In addition to Cork, St Vincent's (119) and UH Limerick (109) are above 100 cases, while the pressure is also acute in the Mercy University Hospital, which saw 76 over-75s waiting for a bed for longer than 24 hours.

At University Hospital Kerry, there were 42 cases, and seven at University Hospital Waterford.

In Dublin, in addition to St Vincent's 119, Tallaght had 91, the Mater had 87, Mullingar had 39, Wexford 21 and St James's and Connolly had 5 and 3, respectively.

Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane said the situation is 'unacceptable'. File Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The figures were released to Sinn Fein's health spokesperson David Cullinane by HSE on foot of a parliamentary question he put to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

Mr Cullinane said that the situation was "unacceptable" and said that he did accept that the situation had been brought about by Covid-19.

"It's hard to be shocked when you hear numbers from the health service like 900,000 on waiting lists," the Waterford TD said.

"But nearly 1,100 older people in EDs waiting on beds for more than a day is extraordinary. We don't have the beds in the hospitals, we don't have discharge beds and we don't have community facilities.

"So failures across the system are leading to people waiting on chairs and trolleys for over 24 hours and that's not acceptable. I don't accept for a second that it's all Covid related. People in hospitals are telling me that it's because we don't have GP capacity, out-of-hours capacity or step-down beds needed."

The Department of Health did not respond to a query on the matter.

The HSE said that the issue was due to a number of factors including the impact of winter and the high numbers in hospital and attending emergency departments, which are leading to "very high" demand on both hospital and community services. It said the situation has improved and that over half of patients over 75 were discharged or admitted within nine hours in the week ending February 6.

"Our hospitals are seeing record attendance levels, with over 27,900 attending Emergency Departments this last week alone, and almost 7,000 people admitted to hospital (an increase of 23.8% on the same week last year). We have seen an average of 333 people on trolleys each day last week, a 203% increase on the same week last year. A high proportion of those admitted are over the age of 75. This has resulted in longer stays in hospital for people who have complex care needs and oftentimes require considerable community supports on discharge."

Last week the HSE's Anne O'Connor said that older people are sicker when coming to hospitals.

Sean Moynihan, the CEO of older person's charity Alone said that the numbers were "not surprising", but said that there may be even more older people who are not presenting to hospitals due to Covid-19 fears or fears that they may end up in nursing homes if they do.

"This is a long-standing problem and we're not surprised in a lot of ways.

"Post-pandemic there's a lot of older people who need health, housing or community supports. One of the main reasons that older people can't access EDs, is delayed discharges."

The figures came as the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) warned of a "dangerous" situation at CUH, with 84 people on trolleys - the highest figure the union has recorded at CUH since it began tracking the figures in 2006. Medical sources said the issue is "the worst they've ever seen".

A CUH statement said that the hospital was " exceptionally busy today and over the last number of days".
The worlds attention was focused on Australias immigration detention regime in January when a wealthy athlete got a court challenge to his detention. Novak Djokovic was ultimately released and sent home, with the court affirming the ministers decision to cancel his visa because of his stance on Covid vaccines. But still 32 men languish in the Park Hotel, each of them desperate to leave.

Australia successfully stopped the boats, but it forgot that there were people on those boats whose lives they stopped with them. These same people have been suffering for nearly nine years, unable to move on with their lives, unable to find peace of mind, stability or certainty.

It is a crushing blow to ones confidence when held in such a position by forces beyond their control. You find you begin to question yourself. Am I really good enough? Do I deserve to have anything good? Am I a human being like everyone else?

Psychological effects

Even for those of us who have been resettled in the US, due to the infamous deal between the Australian government and then US president Barack Obama in 2016, the psychological effects of years of prolonged uncertainty has stayed with every one of us. Even so, I could not imagine what I would be going through right now if I was still on Nauru.

Yet this is the reality for the more than 200 still trapped in Australias offshore detention regime, those still detained in Australia, and the thousands more who are living in limbo in the community on short-term visas.

Detention of refugees indefinitely is a cruelty imposed on innocent people for a political agenda. It is a dog-whistle to the racist elements within Australian society, with the sorry excuse of preventing deaths at sea

We know this because every independent review of Australias offshore detention policy has shown it to be one disastrous failure after another, on every level. An ineffective, impractical, extremely expensive, illegal, and deliberately cruel policy. The human and financial cost of this will not be known for decades to come as the medical problems suffered by both detainees and staff manifest themselves and the compensation cases pile up.

Put simply, its a disaster of huge proportions.

Despite the human rights crisis Australias offshore detention policy has created, the world is learning the wrong lessons. The UK government is currently debating an indefinite offshore detention bill based on the Australian model. As UK refugee rights advocates and the media have begun examining what that actually looks like, many are walking away shocked and appalled by what they have learned. I hope this will be enough to persuade them that this is not a path they should follow.

Electoral ploy

The issue in Australia and the UK is its never been about the policy. Its simply a strategy used to propel oneself to electoral victory. But nearly nine years on, surely the political utility of this tactic is now approaching its use-by date. Were talking about real peoples lives, not chips on a poker table. These are people who simply sought safety, and they have been tortured for it.

Yet even if the plight of refugees does not move you, even if human rights abuses are not a high priority for you, even if you view international laws and obligations as meaningless and only applicable when it suits you  surely you can still agree that if a country like New Zealand has been offering a solution to this mess, any sane government would take it.

The truth is that the New Zealand government has offered to resettle refugees from Australias offshore detention regime since 2013, yet the Australian government has still not officially accepted it. How many more people need to lose their lives to this policy? What more will it take?

As someone who has experienced Australias offshore detention policy first-hand, my message to Australia is simply that its time to end it. There are no more excuses left

After nearly nine years, the Australian government needs to let people find safety and move on with their lives. At a minimum, let them go to New Zealand, a country that still observes its international human rights obligations and is ready to accept them with open arms.

As a federal election looms, I call on Australian political leaders to end this shameful chapter in Australias history and let the healing begin for these refugees, and for Australia as a nation.

Elahe Zivardar is an Iranian architect, artist, journalist and documentary film-maker based in Los Angeles and an advisor to Amnesty International Australia. She was held on Nauru from 2013 to 2019. The Guardian
Russias president, Vladimir Putin, likes to play mind games with his adversaries, to get them off guard and disrupt their concentration.

He did it at his meeting in Moscow, in July 2017, with German chancellor Angela Merkel, by bringing his black Labrador dog, Koni, into the room. Ms Merkel has had a deep fear of dogs since childhood and was quite tense and distracted throughout the meeting.

The Russian public loved it. The media had their story, and nobody remembers what the meeting was all about. And now Putin has gone and done it again. This time in stage-managing his meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron on the crisis in Ukraine.

Before the meeting, Mr Putin invited Mr Macron to take a Russian test for Covid. Mr Macron declined and was then led into this conference room with the crazy long table. The shots of two relatively small men sitting so far apart at opposite ends of an elongated table looked weird.

Read More Putin says Russia ready to discuss confidence-building measures with US and Nato

Moreover, the cameraman was much closer to Mr Putin, who looked calm, relaxed, normal-sized. When the camera panned to Mr Macron, he seemed ridiculously far away and small, like a child who had been banished to the end of the table for not taking his medicine.

Nevertheless, Mr Macron is the right man in the right place and could make a real difference. What the media have largely not commented on is that France holds the presidency of the EU. The last time they had the presidency, there was a 10-day war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008.

Mr Macrons predecessor as president, Nicolas Sarkozy, successfully negotiated a ceasefire and a withdrawal of all forces back to their boundary lines. The French are best placed to repeat that role.

As it was, Mr Macron had a five-and-a-half-hour meeting with Mr Putin. Reports indicate that progress was made, and a consensus has emerged that stakeholders might return to the negotiations and seek a resolution through the Minsk Agreement.

The diplomatic pathway for this can remain open, even through the coming conflict, should it take place.

Russian military build-up

In assessing the Russian build-up, everyone can be a defence analyst. The quite high resolution of commercial satellite photography is easy to read on Google. The Russian forces assembly areas are located close to the main likely axes of advance and no attempt is made to camouflage the main units.

The current Russian build-up shows they have the capacity to invade Ukraine along nine different access routes. It remains to be seen which routes of advance are primary and which are just diversionary.

The first consideration is the paramount importance of the Dnieper River, a major obstacle to land movement, so broad, in fact, that it resembles a chain of lakes. There are very few bridges, mostly at key towns. The river divides west Ukraine from east.

Russia's options for attack

There are two important objectives in the Crimea area. The Russians will try to open up a land link from Russia to Crimea, heading west from Rostov-on-Don, capturing the port of Mariupol and on to Melitopol, where they could link up with units from Crimea.

Then an attack northward out of Crimea to the Khersen area, to secure the western end of the North Crimean Canal. This was blocked by the Ukrainians in 2014, in retaliation for the Russian intervention in the Donbas region and the annexing of Crimea.

This attack would be preceded by Spetsnaz (Russian special forces) attacks to seize Khersen. This canal carried water from the Dnieper River and is used to supply from 85% up to 90% of Crimea. Crimea has resorted to deep-well drilling and desalinisation. To the west of Crimea, there is a possibility of a seaborne attack on Odessa and a land invasion north to Transdniestria.

Read More Where do diplomatic efforts to resolve Ukraine impasse stand?

The main Russian attacks from eastern Ukraine would move rapidly to the Dnieper capturing the bridges in the three river towns of Kremenchuk, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia. It would be more likely that the advance from Belgorod would bypass Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv.

If Mr Putin plans to overthrow the regime, he could launch a pincer movement from Kursk in western Russia direct to Kyiv and with Russian and Belarusian forces heading south from Mazyr in Belarus to Kyiv.

If the Russian advance is fast enough and uses Spetsnaz to capture the Dnieper bridges, the Russians could capture half the Ukrainian army on the east side of the Dnieper. If Mr Putin leaves western Ukraine alone, he should achieve his other objectives in a week, and return to a revitalised Minsk agreement in a stronger position.
Karen Frawley and Caroline ODriscoll, tax partners with Deloitte Ireland, outline the value of FDI to Irish business

Caroline O'Driscoll and Karen Frawley, tax partners with Deloitte Ireland.

As Ireland and the rest of the world cautiously look to what many hope will be the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, the role of US investment will continue to have significant importance for the Irish economy. In addition, US investment is likely to play an increasingly important role in continued regional development.

Recent figures show a strong rebound in global foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2021, with inflows into the EU expected to increase by 8%. Against a backdrop of strong Irish performance in 2020 and FDI flows during that time of $75bn (driven by sizeable transactions, financial flows and corporate restructurings), Ireland now appears well placed to drive significant development from continued inward investment.

Figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis for 2020 would support this, showing a direct investment in Ireland of $390m in 2021 (10.6% of total EU investment made), comparing favourably to $158m in 2010 (7.8% of total EU investment made).

Impact of inward investment

The impact of such increased investment can be felt at a local level and particularly within the regional economy.

Recent data would suggest that Ireland has successfully attracted inward investment to regional locations with regional employment in specific multinational companies reaching nearly 145,000 people.

The continued impact of inward investment in the regional economy also goes beyond direct headcount figures, as IDA Ireland figures would suggest that as many as eight jobs are created in the economy for every ten created through inward investment and IDA client companies.

Expenditure in the Irish economy is further driven by such inward investment, giving rise to an estimated 10.1bn in annual expenditure on Irish materials and services and 7.4bn of capital investment on new buildings, machinery and equipment.

Recent Government figures show significant growth in regions in 2021, with 133 of 249 investments won going to regional locations an overall increase in employment levels across all regions (with South West regions experiencing an uplift of 2.8%). In terms of the strategy going forward for regional areas, the work is not yet done.

Last year marked the first year of IDA Irelands strategy for recovery and sustainable growth to 2024. The strategy focusses on targeting 800 new inward investments as opportunities for sustainable growth, with half of these to be geared towards the regional economy.

Regional centres such as Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford have experienced significant wins in the pharmaceutical, life sciences and technology sectors in recent years; focus should be given to ensuring that the ambitious policy set out under Project Ireland 2040 to achieve balanced economic growth and enhance regional connectivity and competitiveness is brought to fruition. As we move out of the pandemic, there is a significant opportunity for regional hubs to become global centres of excellence in rapidly expanding industries such as Cyber and FinTech.

Building for success

Against this backdrop of ambitious targeted growth, and increased focus on regional development, there is still much to be done in order to build a foundation for future success.

Corporate tax regime

Ireland has been a major beneficiary of globalisation and one of the principal drivers of that has been our corporate tax regime and the focus on providing taxpayers with clarity and certainty. While there are many reasons other than tax for Irelands success, we cannot ignore the reality that the 15% minimum tax will to some degree level the playing field with other competitor countries. Accordingly, other areas of the tax system and economy must be adequately served to ensure that Ireland remains a competitive location in which to invest and grow businesses from the perspective of inward investment and regional development.

Increased focus on income tax rates

Talent attraction and retention will undoubtedly play a significant role not only in increasing inward investment from abroad but in encouraging members of our own diaspora to return to Ireland; an increased focus on the rates of income tax, relief such as the Special assignee relief programme and the foreign earnings deduction (FED) will become more important and are likely to receive more attention on foot of the recently closed Commission on tTxation public consultation.

Remote working  a shift in mindset

For many, the pandemic has changed how  and where  we live and work. The proliferation in remote working also represents a shift in mindset away from urban centres to more regional hubs and allows for greater worker mobility. In particular, evidence would suggest a reshuffling in demand and increased focus on regional areas.

Continued investment in road networks, flight connections and housing will be vital to cement any continued future success.

In addition, connectivity and rural broadband improvement is a vital piece of the regional development puzzle.

Success stories such as the Ludgate Hub in West Cork help close the digital divide between rural and urban and support greater flexible working.

Ireland has benefited significantly from US inward investment  but we are now at a pivot point where our world of working is re-defined, where talent and investment is mobile, where there is real choice. We are not competing among ourselves, we are competing with regional hubs all over the globe.

Now is the time to ensure that our regions have the infrastructure and capacity to compete on the world stage.

Deloitte Ireland Tax Services
Alison Campbell is director of Knowledge Transfer Ireland, the national office with responsibility for connecting businesses with publicly funded research. KTIs new webinar series, Unlocking Knowledge Transfer, is newly launched.

Alison Campbell, Director of Knowledge Transfer Ireland.

Irelands research and innovation through public research is thriving. With latest annual figures showing that more than 3,600 businesses engaged in new research with higher education institutes, the time is ripe for business to consider the means through which working with the Irish research base can innovate business and improve performance and boost overall competitiveness.

Building out in-house research expertise, digitalising business functions, improving processes and production and innovating products and services  through access to expertise, specialised facilities and funding opportunities  are just some of the reasons why working with Irish public research makes good commercial sense.

Looking ahead

The pandemic has brought into focus how researchers and businesses come together to share knowledge and collaborate for the benefit of society. Innovation is happening at a phenomenal speed  lives have quite literally depended on it.

This is going to be equally as important as we look to re-igniting the economy. The ability of companies to innovate, to work smarter and to develop new products and services that differentiate them in competitive markets will be essential.

Studies have shown that organisations involved in R&D perform better than those without such activity. For example, SMEs who own intellectual property (IP) rights have 28% higher revenues per employee.

This is where working with the higher education sector can add value. In Ireland, companies that collaborate on R&D have been shown to have exports twice as high, and employment 1.5 times higher, than those that do not.

Enterprise Ireland clients engaging with one or more higher education institutes have twice the turnover compared to those that do not. To this end, there is a wealth of funding supports available to encourage collaboration, and with over 2,700 research engagements between companies and this research base, these collaborations are clearly working.

Embracing the system

Ireland also has a successful track record in facilitating research collaboration with companies who have decided to create a large presence on our shores.

Boston Scientific recognises the value of research in Ireland, with an RD&I investment 30M announced last year into its Cork facility. The company has engaged with several Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country.

In 2020, Boston Scientific engaged University of Limerick on a piece of academic consultancy into research gas barrier coatings used in the production of medical instruments. The research resulted in a new technology being developed which directly led to Boston Scientific in Clonmel establishing a nanotechnology coating lab on-site and in turn a focus within the organisation on commercialising the technology across multiple product platforms.

The consultancy also evolved into a wider piece of research under Enterprise Irelands Innovation Partnership Programme  a funding programme that can provide business with up to 80% of the cost of a research project with an Irish HEI. Furthermore, the project positioned UL and Boston Scientific to collaborate on a submission for funding from Horizon Europe, the EUs funding programme for research and innovation.

Another company embracing the opportunity of working with Irish state research is Rockley Photonics Ltd. Rockley Photonics is a leader in silicon photonics  a technology through which data is transferred among computer chips by optical rays.

Since 2017, Rockley has collaborated with the Irish Photonics Insights Centre (IPIC) based at the Tyndall National Institute at University College Cork during which time the company has taken 11 commercial licences to research outputs.

The relationship and successful outputs from the research undertaken contributed to the companys decision to establish Rockley Photonics Ireland in Cork in 2020, which grew to 21 employees last year. The company continues to engage with the university and IPIC and has signed a new contract with UCC to continue working together until 2024.

Alcon is the worlds largest ophthalmic company specialising in innovative life-changing vision and eye care. The company sought to improve its manufacturing line process for an instrument called the IOL nozzle injector.

Working with the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway CAPPA, based at Munster TU, they developed a new, early-automated software system that can predict the quality of products and remove reject injectors. The underpinning software was licensed to Alcon and meant significant improvements in manufacture and production line-testing for the company.

It also provided valuable new information on company products and manufacturing process. This was the first time Alcon developed a process improvement outside of the US and Alcon Ireland is now seeking approval to deploy a second system at the Cork plant for use on another production line. Alcon and MTU went on to review options for a follow-on process improvement project.

This type of activity creates employment and sustains economic activity in the regions and far beyond.

The case for competitiveness research matters. The foundations that are laid through sustained research funding allow us to respond in times of crisis and to build a brighter future for the well-being of society and the economy.

Researchers are open to new opportunities and new ways of working. Government agencies can work swiftly to support R&D challenges. Partnerships between companies and higher education are effective.

With the added economic pressures of the pandemic, Irish firms need to hold and build their competitive advantage and its more vital than ever that the role of research as a driver for innovation is understood and funded.

Ireland, through the support provided by the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Employment as well as the newly formed Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science has seen great strides made in supporting knowledge transfer  the commercialisation of research resulting from partnerships with HEIs and other State research organisations.

In 2019, Ireland was in 12th place in the Global Innovation Index and in 2020 the European Innovation Scoreboard placed Ireland as a Strong Innovator in a group of seven Member States with a performance between 95% and 125% of the EU average.

Our national policy for research commercialisation produced by KTI and the Irish system of public research in Ireland are well recognised throughout Europe and beyond. These are just some of the outcomes of measures taken over the last two decades, including the founding of the Knowledge Transfer Ireland, which places our country in good standing.

Getting support

There are a range of funding supports available through Government agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and others.

In addition to funding for the research, support is also available for companies seeking to access the expertise more directly, by bringing new talent and skills in-house through programmes delivered by bodies such as the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland.

As well these national supports, Horizon Europe  the EUs funding programme for research and innovation  also provides business with funding opportunities and offers a number of funding schemes and programmes to help companies bring public research talent in-house.

The Directory of Research, Development and Innovation Supports 2021, available from the KTI website, details the various national and European research and innovation supports available to businesses operating in Ireland  from SMEs to multinationals.

The global economy is in line for unprecedented changes over the coming years and it is imperative that our nation remains competitive and innovative to cope with that.

Businesses based here, foreign and domestic, and research institutions must be supported to come together and develop solutions for societal problems; not because we are forced into it, but because that is how we position ourselves ahead of the challenges of tomorrow.

www.knowledgetransferireland.com
Royal Caribbeans Mariner of the Seas departs Port Canaveral, Fla., on a 4-night Bahamas cruise, Tuesday, January 11, 2021. Royal Caribbean temporarily suspended cruise operations on three of its ships sailing from other Florida ports earlier in the week due to the surge of COVID cases in the state. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

Some members of the Port Canaveral board of commissioners joined Port CEO John Murray questioning the logic behind the new voluntary cruise safety program from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, especially one day after the CDC lowered its risk level for cruise travelers.

On Tuesday, the CDC guidance for cruise travel was reduced from a level 4 health notice to level 3, which suggests travelers just be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines ahead of cruising. Those at high risk of severe illness from COVID should still avoid cruising, the warning states. The warning level had been raised to level 4 in December as the omicron variant exploded across the nation, during which some lines canceled sailings including five voyages for ships out of Port Canaveral.

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We are pleased that the omicron peak was only a blip on the radar screen and I think were in good shape, Murray said during the board of commissioners meeting Wednesday.

Despite optimism for cruise business to climb back up, Murray was skeptical of the 57 pages of revised protocols from the CDC.

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The protocols clearly are working. The industry survived omicron and is still operating successfully, he said. The fact that the CDC has lowered the level from 4 to 3 is a good indication that the industry is managing itself quite well.

The new voluntary CDC program that was announced last week asks for cruise lines to opt into the safety protocols that replace the conditional sail order that all cruise ships sailing from the U.S. were subject to until it expired on Jan. 15.

Part of it is recategorizing ships as either not highly vaccinated or highly vaccinated, but also a new level called vaccination standard of excellence. The latter is given only to ships that can guarantee that at least 95% on board have not only had all their required vaccines, but also every available booster.

This is a whole new level of bureaucracy thats being added on tracking of vaccination status of crew members and passengers, Murray said.

Cruise lines have until this Friday to opt into the program. Murray said that of the 110 ships being tracked by the CDC, 106 of them are considered highly vaccinated already, meaning 95% of crew and passengers have had at least the first full round of vaccination. Murray said he expects most ships will opt into the program, but that only ships planning for extended sailings of 15 nights or more would pursue this new highest level of vaccination.

I think it sounds a lot like communism to me personally, if you want to know my personal view about it. It doesnt make sense, said commissioner Micah Lloyd. Why they would put this extra layer on top of it to try to control commerce is beyond my comprehension of American values. I cant speak for my fellow commissioners, but its hindering our operations in my opinion.

Commission Chair Jerry Allender agreed with Lloyd saying, There are academians making decisions without any regard to business because theyre not business people. Its easy to make rules affecting whatever business it is without any consideration to the drastic effect its going to have on business.

Murray pointed out that the highest levels one benefit for lines is a reduction of required quarantining for those who test positive during a sailing being reduced from 10 days to five days. He questioned why it would be 10 days on any ship since its only five days on land.

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I highlight again its overreach by a government agency, but Ill leave it at that, he said.

Despite the criticism, Murray said that he expects the cruise lines to keep up working with the CDC.

Everyone will work with it. I mean the CDC is an agency thats necessary, he said. Theyve got their job to do and if this is how we all have to deal with it, well deal with it.
President Joe Biden said the US has not yet verified Russias claim that some of its forces have withdrawn from the Ukraine border, adding an invasion of Ukraine remains a distinct possibility.

Mr Biden made the remarks at the White House hours after Russia announced that some units participating in military exercises near Ukraines borders would begin returning to their bases.
The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into an alleged cash-for-honours scandal after Britain's Prince Charles and his former close confidant were reported to police over the claims.

The pressure group Republic contacted Scotland Yard last September and reported both the future king and Michael Fawcett, Britain's Prince Charless former royal valet, on suspicion of breaching the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.

At the time Clarence House said the prince had no knowledge of the alleged cash-for-honours scandal.

Mr Fawcett, who has since resigned as chief executive of Charless charitable body The Princes Foundation, was accused of promising to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a Saudi billionaire donor.

Scotland Yard said in a statement: The Metropolitan Police Service has launched an investigation into allegations of offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.

"The decision follows an assessment of a September 2021 letter. This related to media reporting alleging offers of help were made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national.

The Special Enquiry Team has conducted the assessment process which has included contacting those believed to hold relevant information.

Officers liaised with The Princes Foundation about the findings of an independent investigation into fundraising practices. The foundation provided a number of relevant documents.

These documents were reviewed alongside existing information. The assessment determined an investigation will commence.

There have been no arrests or interviews under caution.

Britain's Prince Charles is president of the foundation but not involved with its governance, with the charitys trustees overseeing its day-to-day activities.

Clarence House reiterated its previous statement: The Prince of Wales had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities.
Burma COVID-19 Cases Spike Again in Myanmar

A nasal swab being collected from a COVID-19 suspect in Yangon in 2020. / The Irrawaddy

Myanmar faces a sharp spike of reported COVID-19 cases and 2,467 confirmed cases were recorded by Tuesday night by the junta-controlled Ministry of Health.

The ministry tested approximately 30,770 people and found an infection rate of 8 percent, it said on Tuesday night. It marked a sharp rise from Mondays figure of 1,586. Three people died of coronavirus on Tuesday.

Last months daily infections were in double figures.

A Tamwe resident said: There are a lot of houses on my street and almost all of them have someone sick.

Yangon General Hospital, one of Myanmars biggest public hospitals, announced yesterday that it had closed outpatient departments for five wards because so many doctors are suffering from COVID-19.

A volunteer from a private health-care charity in Yangon said: The number of positive cases is increasing. Most people with symptoms are testing positive.

Some people are storing oxygen tanks because of a scarcity in July 2021.

Observers suspect the actual number of cases will be far higher because many people isolate at home. Swab test results are regularly posted on Facebook.

A doctor, who gives telephone consultations to COVID-19 patients, said few Omicron patients need oxygen. When Delta hit in July about 70 percent of her patients were severely ill but now she has no severe cases.

Based on my experience, Omicron is less severe than Delta. But, if you are careless, you could still be admitted to intensive care, a doctor said.

The regimes health ministry said 550,824 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded since March 2020 with 19,314 deaths and 518,884 recoveries.

In ASEAN, Indonesia has the highest reported number of COVID-19 cases with 57,049, followed by Vietnam with 31,814.

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Burma Myanmar Junta Rounds Up NLD Members After Pipeline Attack

The National League for Democracy has been consistently targeted by the regime.

More than 40 National League for Democracy (NLD) members and supporters, including the brother of the civilian defense ministrys secretary, have been arrested by the regime forces in Natogyi Township, Mandalay Region, this week.

The arrests followed a resistance attack on regime personnel providing security at the China-backed oil and gas pipelines in the township.

Myanmars junta has been urged by China since March 2021 to protect the 973km-long pipelines which link China with the Rakhine coast when anti-regime protesters called for a boycott of Chinese products and for the pipelines to be targeted, believing Beijing had a hand in the coup.

On Monday, Natogyi Peoples Defense Force (PDF) attacked 13 regime security guards at a pipeline service station using two grenades at the site about 6km east of Natogyi town.

The regime forces responded with tighter security and arrests across the township, bringing in reinforcements.

On Monday evening the regime forces arrested Daw Tin Moe Nwe, in her 50s, and U Nyeing Chan Aung, who are both central executive committee members of Myingyan District NLD, Ko Aung Thu, an NLD member, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday.

Ko Sithu Aye Swe, the younger brother of ousted NLDs lawmaker U Naing Htoo Aung, who is permanent secretary of the civilian National Unity Government defense ministry, was also arrested in Natogyi on Monday evening.

On Tuesday, more than 30 NLD members and supporters from Nanontawboe village and six Ka Daung villagers in the north of the township were arrested, according to residents.

No reason was given for the arrests.

We have no comment about the junta. The arrests again prove the junta is persecuting all NLD members and supporters, said Ko Aung Thu of Natogyis NLD branch.

Residents said regime forces continue to raid villages and there are checkpoints at the towns entrances.

A Natogyi PDF resistance fighter told The Irrawaddy that regime forces are arresting innocent civilians who were not involved with the attacks in the township.

They should not arrest innocent civilians. Come and arrest us if they can, said a resistance fighter, who was involved in the pipeline attack. We are not afraid of dying. We would be pleased if the regime forces were forced out of our land.

Natogyi PDF also claimed to have killed two regime personnel and burned four junta motorbikes during an ambush in the township on Sunday.

In May 2021, 28 people were sentenced to 20 years in prison with hard labor over arson attacks on Chinese-backed factories in the Hlaing Tharyar industrial zone, Yangon.

The juntas military tribunal took urgent action against the 28 after Beijing demanded that the junta target suspects and protect Chinese citizens and interests.

Amid intensifying armed resistance against the regime, China last month urged the NUG to ensure the resistance movement does not harm Chinese investments.

The military regime is facing daily attacks from PDFs and many ethnic armed groups across the country.

As of Tuesday, 1,553 people have been killed and another 12,158 people, including democratically elected government leaders, have been detained by the junta since the February 2021 coup, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group compiling the deaths and arrests.



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Myanmar Regime Downplays Japanese Brewer Kirins Exit From Country
Burma Myanmar Regime Downplays Japanese Brewer Kirins Exit From Country

Japanese drinks giant Kirin announced Monday it would withdraw from Myanmar. / AFP

Myanmars junta on Tuesday dismissed the latest exit from the country by a foreign company after last years coup, saying beer brewed in partnership with departing Japanese drinks giant Kirin would be easy to substitute.

Human rights groups have pressed foreign companies to rethink their activities in Myanmar following the February 2021 coup and a subsequent crackdown which, according to local monitoring groups, has left more than 1,500 people dead.

Kirin on Monday became the latest to turn off the taps in recent weeks, following energy giants TotalEnergies, Chevron and Woodside  although the junta has not commented directly on any of these.

The junta said in a statement it had no comment on Kirins internal company affairs and its decision to end its involvement in Myanmar Brewery Limited.

But it added the withdrawal of beer business is easy to substitute people will switch to other beer.

Kirin said its decision came after months of wrangling following the February 2021 coup that toppled Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government and prompted the company to express concerns about human rights.

The junta statement also said it had yet to receive any submission by Kirin regarding the sale or transfer of shares in the firms joint partnership in the country.

The Japanese firm ran the brewing firm in a joint venture with Myanma Economic Holdings (MEHPCL), one of the military juntas sprawling conglomerates.

Myanmar Brewery, whose beverages include its flagship and ubiquitous Myanmar Beer brand, boasted a market share of nearly 80 percent, according to figures published by Kirin in 2018.

Kirin had been under pressure even before the coup over its ties to Myanmars military, and launched an investigation after rights groups called for transparency into whether money from its joint venture had funded rights abuses.

Its beer has been widely boycotted since the coup.

Sales losing fizz

The pandemic and supply chain disruptions have also hit the country, with Kirin saying in its earnings report released Monday that Myanmars beer market has shrunk by about 20 percent.

It said Myanmar Brewerys sales volumes had decreased by around 30 percent compared to the same period last year.

Investors flocked to the country after the military relaxed its iron grip in 2011, paving the way for democratic reforms and economic liberalization in the country of more than 50 million people.

Since the coup, however, human rights groups have pressed foreign companies to rethink their activities in Myanmar.

The US government last month warned companies worldwide that doing business with Myanmar ran the risk of engaging in conduct that may expose them to significant reputational, financial and legal risks.



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Burma Regime Forces Torch Houses in Upper Myanmar in Latest Arson Attack

Dozens of houses were consumed by fire in the juntas latest arson attack on Kabaung Kya Village. / CJ

Thirty-nine houses were burned down in a village in Sagaing Regions Taze Township last week in the latest arson attack by Myanmar junta forces. It was the 13th such attack on Kabaung Kya Village over the past few months, in which a total of 124 houses have been reduced to ashes, according to local residents and resistance groups.

Junta troops deployed in Kabaung Kya from February 11 to 14 and torched 39 houses, said residents.

They have been torching houses almost every day in the village. The latest [arson attack] caused heavy damage. There was also a shooting. Casualties are still unknown, said a Kabaung Kya resident, who returned to the village after fleeing to see the damage caused by the fires.

Kabaung Kya Village is in the west of Taze Township and is normally home to some 30,000 people in nearly 700 households. The village has been repeatedly raided and the villagers fled months ago. No residents were present during the latest arson attack.

Local resistance groups said that they ambushed the military regime troops with remote-detonated mines as they left the village. At least 20 junta soldiers are thought to have been killed in the attack.

Junta forces have torched four villages in Taze Township since February 1, with almost 80 houses: 20 in Padi Village, four in Pechaung Village, 15 in Kayutaw Village and 39 in Kabaung Kya Village, burned down, according to Taze Peoples Defense Force (PDF).

Some 4,570 houses nationwide are estimated to have been damaged or destroyed by junta arson attacks since the coup, according to Data for Myanmar. Sagaing Region suffered the heaviest damage with 2,567 buildings torched by the regime, followed by Chin State with 976 buildings, Magwe with 626 buildings and Kayah State with 310 buildings.

Tens of thousands of Taze residents have been displaced by the fighting between the Myanmar military and local PDFs.

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Burma Resistance Fighters Warn Local Officials in Myanmar Capital to Resign

Police guard a road in Naypyitaw two days after the coup last year. / The Irrawaddy

A combined group of Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw has warned junta-appointed local administrators to resign from their posts, according to a statement released by the group.

Naypyitaw has eight townships, 54 wards and 795 villages. Each one has an administrator.

Tuesdays statement was issued by three PDFs active in Naypyitaw and demanded the resignations of all local officials, whom the PDFs regard as vital to the military regimes administration of the country. The PDFs demand that the administrators resign is part of their plan to ensure that the junta cannot govern the country.

The warning to local administrators in Naypyitaw comes amid the ongoing assassinations of local officials nationwide, with many accused of being junta informants.

Last week, an administrator in Mandalays Mahlaing Township was shot dead by a local PDF.

As of January 20, 367 junta administration officials have been killed nationwide since last years coup, while another 336 have been wounded, according to regime statistics.

Residents in Naypyitaws Pyinmana Township said that local authorities held a meeting on Wednesday morning with ward administrators, telling them to stay alert and to be careful.

Despite being a regime stronghold, Naypyitaw has seen an increasing number of attacks on junta targets by resistance fighters.

Most recently, guerrilla groups attacked five targets in Pyinmana Township, including the military-owned Myawaddy Bank and the local police station, on February 11 and 12 just as coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was holding a grand military review in the capital.

The PDFs claimed to have killed six junta forces and injured two more, but The Irrawaddy has been unable to confirm their claims independently.

Last year, there were a number of bomb attacks on branches of the Myawaddy Bank and ward administration offices in Naypyitaw causing some causalities.

Despite the recent attacks, Naypyitaw residents said on Wednesday that security was not as tight in the capital as it has been previously.

One local said: Before February 12, security forces were stationed at major junctions like Myoma Market, the busiest place in Naypyitaw, but now we dont see many of them.



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Burma Russian Military Pilots Visit Myanmar as Junta Steps Up Air Strikes

Russian technicians helped Myanmar Air Force engineers upgrade MiG-29B multirole jet fighters to MiG-29SMs. / Myanmar Defence Weapon

Amid increasing junta air strikes in ethnic areas as well as Sagaing and Magwe regions in Myanmar, a Russian military delegation comprising pilots is visiting the country.

The 24-member Russian delegation has been in Mandalay since Jan. 28. Russian pilots have often visited Myanmar to provide aviation training as well as maintain and upgrade aircraft at Meiktila Air Base in Mandalay Region. It is not clear whether the latest visit by Russian pilots is for the same purpose.

On previous visits, Russian pilots lodged at the Royal Mingalar Hotel in Mandalay owned by Dr. Naing Win Par, the son of former Deputy Yangon Mayor Colonel Maung Par. But this time the Russian delegation is staying at the Sunset Palace Hotel, which is owned by the manufacturer of the Seinkhal Shwekhal brand of fish sauce, a figure who has close ties with Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, wife of coup leader Min Aung Hlaing.

Col. Maung Par served as the deputy Yangon mayor under dictator Than Shwes military regime, and was a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA). He was also the head of the Yangon Region USDA. The association was transformed into a political party to serve as the militarys proxy ahead of the 2010 general election, and became known as the Union Solidarity and Development Party. Maung Pars son Dr. Naing Win Par owns the Seven Mile hotel group.

Myanmars military has bought MiG-29 and Su-30 multi-role aircraft, Yak-130 jet trainer and light combat aircraft, Mi-17 transport helicopters and Mi-24 helicopter gunships from Russia.

The Russian pilots have arrived as the military regime mounts increasingly frequent air attacks on ethnic armed organizations fighting for greater autonomy and on local Peoples Defense Force groups that emerged after the military coup last year. The visit also coincides with attacks on the houses of Myanmar junta pilots allegedly involved in junta airstrikes after their names and addresses were leaked on social media.

Myanmars bilateral relations with Russia have reached a new level since the coup, regime spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun said in August last year. Russia plays the central part in Myanmars air defense systems, followed by China. And the cooperation between the air forces is expanding, the spokesman told reporters.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Myanmar just a few days before the coup, and pledged to sell air defense weaponry to Myanmar during his visit. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin attended Myanmars Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyitaw in March.

The Russian navy warship Gremyashiy made a friendly visit to Myanmar in October, and coup leader Min Aung Hlaing met the Russian delegation led by Russian deputy navy chief Vice Admiral Vladimir Lvovich Kasatonov aboard the ship.



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Guest Column Letting Junta Defend Myanmar in Rohingya Genocide Case Sets Troubling Precedent

The ICJ holds a hearing on Myanmars case in December 2019. / ICJ

Following the Myanmar military-led clearance operation that forced 750,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017, the West African nation of Gambia in November 2019 brought a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. Later on, in response to the courts unanimously indicated legally binding provisional measures to protect the Rohingya from further atrocities, on January 2021, Myanmars then National League for Democracy (NLD) government filed preliminary objections to the jurisdiction of the court and the admissibility of the application.

In this context, the ICJ recently announced that it will hold a fresh round of hearings from Feb. 21-28 in the Great Hall of Justice in which the regimes leaders will be potential defendants, sparking speculation that the court is implicitly taking a position in the ongoing civil war and legitimizing the unrecognized military regime. It is worth noting that the junta-formed State Administration Council (SAC) and the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) have been struggling for recognition from the international community since the coup detat in February 2021.

When UN investigators concluded that the militarys crimes against Rohingya Muslims in 2017 had genocidal intent, both the civilian government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the military denied the accusation. In 2019, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi even personally attended hearings to defend the military against genocide and crimes against humanity charges. However, the armys takeover in February 2021 has put an end to Myanmars quasi-democratic process, preventing her from representing the country at the ICJ, the UNs top judicial body. Meanwhile, the military administration has organized a new legal team led by its foreign minister, U Wunna Maung Lwin, to mount a defense in the genocide case.

Accepting representation from the illegitimate military regime under the UN system and international law would contradict the UN General Assembly stance taken in December 2021 that firmly rejected the juntas credentials, leaving U Kyaw Moe Tun (who is aligned with the NUG) as Myanmars incumbent permanent representative to the United Nations. It would imply that the ICJ acknowledges the Tatmadaw (Myanmars military) as the rightful representatives of Myanmar, despite the fact that no UN member state, UN agency, or other international organization has formally recognized the junta government. Though the ICJ has no jurisdiction to decide who lawfully represents Myanmar, UN General Assembly Resolution 396 (V) (1950) specifies that the decision of the Credentials Committee should be taken into consideration by other UN bodies when deciding on member state representation.

Again, the court cannot disregard the UN resolution passed in June 2021 that condemned the coup in the strongest terms and demanded a fully inclusive civilian government, in which 116 countries voted in favor and just one (Belarus) voted against.

Whoever represents Myanmar must represent its people. However, following the juntas mass killings and atrocities in the ethnic states of Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Shan and Karen since the coup, the people of Myanmar have clearly rejected the regime, which could be charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC). So, allowing unlawful officials who overthrew civilian governments would thus undermine the UN Charter and call the courts role in promoting the rule of law into question. According to a recent statement issued by the NUG, the court risks setting a dangerous precedent that would be detrimental to Myanmar and its people including the Rohingya.

It is understandable that the junta will leverage the hearings to gain substantial de jure recognition as the legitimate government of Myanmar within other UN bodies and beyond. As a result, the moral and strategic positions of international state actors to deny mass-murderous military acceptance will be weakened to some extent. Similarly, it would send a terrible message to the civil society groups that are demanding the restoration of democracy and human rights in Myanmar. In a joint letter to the ICJ president, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), along with Fortify Rights and the Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP), argued that the courts acceptance of the junta to represent the country would risk legitimizing the juntas unlawful seizure of power. Importantly, in a letter, 807 Rohingya refugees in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar camp urged the president of the ICJ to reconsider any act that could give legitimacy to the junta and move forward with substantive hearings on the case.

The juntas representation in the legal proceedings could further complicate the implementation of the ICJ ruling, because the regime lacks effective control over the administration of Rakhine States key functions like taxation, revenue collection, and territorial stability. The Arakan Army (an anti-junta ethnic armed organization based in Rakhine) claims to control 60 percent of the Rakhine State administration and collects household revenues from both the Rohingya and the rest of the population.

The ICJ should also note the juntas failure to uphold the provisional measures of protection. In a flagrant violation of the ICJs decisions, new evidence revealed in an order issued by the junta-run General Administration Department of Buthidaung Township in Rakhine State demonstrates the regimes draconian denials of freedom of movement, preventing Rohingya from accessing livelihoods, health care, and other aspects of basic survival. The NUG, on the other hand, has proposed two realistic measures for a sustainable solution of the crisis. The first is agreeing to grant full citizenship rights to all Rohingya people, and the second is formally withdrawing all preliminary objections in the case by admitting past atrocities committed against Rohingya people.

However, it is unlikely that either the NUGs or the juntas representation at the ICJ will have any direct practical ramifications for the court proceedings. Because defining the legal authority of Myanmar is not the subject of the Gambia v. Myanmar case. So, whoever represents Myanmar, the ICJ should proceed on substantive grounds that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and/or genocide have occurred in Rakhine.

Parvej Siddique Bhuiyan is a security and strategic affairs analyst focused on South Asia.



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Trinity, TX (77320)

Today

Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 72F. Winds light and variable.
Dr. Fatma Levent, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at AdventHealth for Children in Orlando, has heard a refrain over the last few weeks from patients and even nurses and doctors: When will COVID-19 vaccines come out for kids under 5?

Everybody has been asking whats going to happen, what is next and are they coming soon? she said. Everybodys anxiously waiting  we are too.

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Other parents are less certain. Lauren Bumgarner, a 38-year-old mom in Melbourne, is hesitant to vaccinate her 4-year-old son. She had a fever, chills and nausea after her second shot and worries her child would be frightened and confused if he reacted similarly.

Im terrified my youngest will have a similar reaction and I dont want to do that to a small child and not be able to explain whats happening to him, she wrote in an email. I believe in the science. I just dont know if its the best choice for my 4-year-old.

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On Friday, parents learned they must wait until April at the earliest to decide whether to vaccinate their youngest kids. An estimated 1.5 million Florida residents are under 5, about 5.3% of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Food and Drug Administration had originally planned to consider emergency authorization for two doses of what was intended to be a three-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine series, with the idea that kids 6 months through 4 years old could start their vaccinations before the third dose was available. A third dose is given at least two months after the second dose.

The FDA had urged Pfizer to submit this initial data after omicron sent a record number of children to the hospital with COVID-19, said Dr. Janet Woodcock, the FDAs acting commissioner, and Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a news release.

After looking at the data, the administration decided it needed more information about the protection offered by a third dose before voting on whether to authorize the shots for the public. A news release did not specify what trends in the data motivated the agency to delay its review.

Our approach has always been to conduct a regulatory review thats responsive to the urgent public health needs created by the pandemic, while adhering to our rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness, Woodcock and Marks said. Being able to begin evaluating initial data has been useful in our review of these vaccines, but at this time, we believe additional information regarding the ongoing evaluation of a third dose should be considered.

This decision came after two shots of the kid-sized vaccine didnt seem to provide as much protection to 2 through 4-year-olds as two full-sized shots did for 16 to 25-year-olds, according to a December news release. Pfizer scientists believe a third shot will improve their immune response, the company announced Friday. A clinical trial evaluating the protection offered by a third dose is ongoing, and Pfizer anticipates results in early April.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, current Pfizer board member and former head of the FDA, told CNBC on Monday the review was delayed because there were a low number of symptomatic COVID-19 cases in the trial. The low number of cases made it harder to evaluate the vaccines performance.

Most kids are not getting symptomatic COVID, he said. One case in one direction or another can tip the perception of the vaccines overall effectiveness.

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The company said the vaccine was safe for kids 6 months to 5 years old, in December.

FDA emergency authorization is the first step in getting shots into arms; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention needs to recommend it. The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approved the vaccine for kids 5 to 11 in November in a unanimous vote.

Florida parents have already been reluctant to vaccinate their older kids: Florida ranks 38th among U.S. states for its COVID-19 vaccination rate of kids 5-11, according to the New York Times; 21% of Floridas 5- to 11-year-olds are vaccinated as of Feb. 10, according to Florida Department of Health data.

To those parents who are reluctant, Levent says the delay of the FDAs authorization should be reassuring.

Its good to have good data before we go ahead and recommend this, she said. This should reassure parents that this is going through a good evaluation before its implemented.

Levent recommends vaccinating kids in this age group once the vaccine becomes available. She has seen babies and toddlers hospitalized with COVID-19 during the omicron surge. Kids who are immunocompromised and have chronic conditions are most at risk.

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With omicron, I know you probably have heard multiple times its milder than delta, and we have seen milder cases, she said. But the problem is if you have a chronic disease  lets say you were born premature and you have a chronic lung disease  we have seen many of these cases, unfortunately, being hospitalized.

Now, child COVID-19 hospitalizations are going down, but cases of post-COVID-19 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) are going up, Levent said.

The rare complication can cause inflammation of body parts including the heart, lungs and brain. MIS-C can occur two to six weeks after COVID infection, according to the CDC. Symptoms of MIS-C include a fever combined with abdominal pain, bloodshot eyes, feeling unusually weak or dizzy, rash, or acting sleepy or confused.

A complete list is available on the CDCs website, cdc.gov.

The Health Report Weekly A weekly update on health news in Florida. >

A CDC study published in January found vaccination can prevent MIS-C. The estimated effectiveness of Pfizers vaccine against MIS-C was 91%.

Still, making the decision to vaccinate can feel confusing.

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Parents with concerns should consult their pediatrician, Levent recommends.

She recently had a conversation with a mom concerned about myocarditis as a possible vaccine side effect. Levent told her that she has seen a few kids with myocarditis and they recover well. Myocarditis in kids who have COVID-19, however, was worse and required longer hospitalizations, she said.

I would encourage parents to go to reliable resources, she said. Theres a lot of misinformation.

In the meantime, the best way to protect children is to practice social distancing and masking, and for those in the family eligible for vaccination to get vaccinated, she said.

ccatherman@orlandosentinel.com


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Nokia announced it has signed a contract with 450connect, a joint venture backed by German companies from the energy and water sectors, to build its nationwide LTE450 radio network.

The deal will cover the supply of radio system technology for the 450 MHz network, including the central technology, radio stations, microwave radio links for the backhaul network, and power back-up systems. Nokia will manage the supply and performance of all LTE components, including maintenance services, until 2040, Nokia advised.

In March 2021, 450connect was awarded the 450 MHz frequencies until 2040 by the Federal Network Agency. With 450connect's new nationwide, highly-available and secure LTE450 radio network, operators of critical infrastructures will receive the platform they need to digitalise their infrastructure, implement the energy transition to decarbonisation, and further secure the energy supply, the company says.

Nokia says its LTE450 technology is ideally suited to achieve wide-area coverage and operate services such as voice and machine-to-machine communications (M2M) or Internet-of-Things applications for critical infrastructure. This industrial-grade private LTE / LTE-M solution is optimised for M2M applications and critical voice communications.

450connect CEO Carsten Ullrich says, "In view of the major challenges involved in setting up the 450 MHz platform, we are pleased to have Nokia as a strong and capable partner at our side for the long-term, with whom we can meet the high technical requirements of our customers as operators of critical infrastructures."

Nokia Enterprise vice president Central and East Europe Dirk Lewandowski said, "The task of digitalisation of Germanys critical infrastructure is of enormous strategic importance.

"Nokia can make an important contribution to securing this countrys energy supply with our industrial-grade 450 MHz private LTE network, especially considering the challenges posed by the energy transition to decarbonisation and decentralisation. We look forward to a trusting and close cooperation with 450connect on this long-term and important project for the Federal Republic of Germany."

Due to the high demand for highly available and resilient communications, both parties said they have agreed to a rapid implementation of the radio network.

Initial end-to-end tests will take place in the field by mid-2022 to ensure performance for the upcoming rollout. Radio services will be offered in the first regions of Germany in 2023. The nationwide rollout will take place by 2025.

The Nokia solution includes geo-redundant LTE cores, RAN network, Nokia Wavence microwave radio backhaul, management solution and installation, commissioning, integration, training and support services. In addition, 20 years of lifecycle network management of this critical network will be provided by Nokia.

Deploying this type of network at 450MHz will result in a significantly reduced number of cells compared to higher frequency bands.

The amount of spectrum usually available at 450MHz is reduced, so it isn't ideal for applications that have heavy demand for capacity. Applications where the demand can be well planned and not significantly variable can result in a network that can be deployed quickly to generate prompt business improvement. Applications such as smart metering and critical infrastructure monitoring are well suited to the limited capacity these systems provide.

In the early 2000's I submitted a paper to a House of Representative Committee on rural broadband proposing the use of 450MHz in low density rural areas as a broadband wireless access solution. At the time such a system would have been a viable alternative to satellite solutions, in a time when the main applications were email and web browsing. Now 20+ years such a system even if upgarded to 5G would not have the capacity to meet consumer demand.
McAfee Enterprise and FireEye have come together to create a resilient digital world as Trellix, and the new companys first research report has come out. It reveals the magnitude of the Log4j vulnerability which dominated headlines and the focus of security teams and defenders alike - along with other insights into security issues in the third quarter of 2021. The report is a fascinating - and deeply sobering - read.

Trellix has been a part of the Log4j story since the vulnerability's exposure, with its rapid release of network-based detection signatures and a write-up of the vulnerability.

In a nutshell, Apache Log4j is a popular and widely-deployed open-source Java-based logging library. Logging is a critical aspect of most any application, allowing software developers and support teams to understand precisely what a system is doing and how its internal variables change. A great logging library is a huge asset to developers, and Log4j enjoyed vast popularity, and hence, deployment across enterprises and governments across the globe. Were talking companies of all sizes - including Apple iCloud, Steam, Samsung Cloud storage, and absolutely thousands of apps across all industries.

The Log4j vulnerability was identified and disclosed responsibly to Apache on November 24, which affected nearly all Log4j versions from 2.0-beta9 through 2.15.0 and allowed an attacker to execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability was rated critical due to Log4js prevalence and the seriousness of its impact. However, the vulnerability, now code-named CVE-2021-44228, was released on Twitter on December 9 along with proof of concept code on GitHub. With code in the wild, malicious attackers could weaponise affected versions of Log4j which were in use on applications and clouds all over the planet.

Apache released a fix in Log4j 2.16.0, but there was no rest for them; on December 18 a second vulnerability, dubbed CVE-2021-45105, came to light which affected Log4j versions from 2.0-alpha1 all the way through to this new release, version 2.16.0. Apache subsequently released a fix in 2.17.0 and has since followed up with 2.17.1.

Trellix has tracked the vulnerability closely since it first emerged, recognising the criticality for security teams to keep pace with fast-evolving threats. The company quickly researched and outlined the precise DNA of a Log4j attack and how it works, and what it means for affected software and systems.

Source: Trellix Advanced Threat Research Report: January 2022

Trellix explains in their research report they originally sought to determine the ease of exploitation using the public proof-of-concept and were able to achieve this. The Trellix researchers explain they are continuing to test variations of the exploit and have released a network signature KB95088 for customers leveraging NSP (Network Security Platform).

Trellix further pointed security teams and incident responders to a Log4j scanner from CISA.gov, that identified if an organisation was susceptible, and released its own ENS Expert Rules and Custom Scan reactions which were designed to apply precise countermeasure against emerging threats like this.

Of course, while Log4j dominated the security headlines, attackers were busy on all fronts. The Trellix research report identifies ransomware activity continued and, in fact, it was research from Trellix that aided the FBI and Europol in arresting Evil affiliates and seizing $US 2 million paid in ransoms from victims.

Trellix additionally investigated the BlackMatter ransomware threat, the association between the Groove Gang and the Baby Gang, LockBit 2.0, and noted REvil/Sodinokibi claimed responsibility for successfully infecting over one million users through a ransomware attack on Kaseya VSA. REvil reported a ransom demand of $US 70 million, the largest publicly-known ransom demand to date. The attack forced the closure of hundreds of supermarket stores.

Trellix explains the US Government launched a campaign to reduce the effectiveness of ransomware, with the launch of StopRansomware.Gov offering rewards up to $US 10 million for information identifying or locating state-sponsored threat actors involved in cyber activities against critical US infrastructure.

Trellix is continuing its research into ransomware attack techniques and threat research and details the work in the report.

Additionally, the Trellix research report details the notable attack trends against countries and continents, industry sectors, and the attack vectors used. Not surprisingly, malware remains the technique most often used, though Trellix observed a decrease of 24% in quarter three vs. quarter two.

The Trellix research report next turns its attention to "living off the land" - a cybercriminal technique that uses legitimate software and functions (such as PowerShell) to perform malicious activities on a victims system, and then to the organisations work on tracking and evaluating new bugs which may end up being exploitable vulnerabilities.

Trellix concludes its first research report with a moment of reflection. Apache had a rough year, of course, with two impactful bugs that hit hard. However, Palo Alto also receives a mention for a bug detected in its Global Protect VPN. In both the Apache and Palo Alto cases the bug could be leveraged remotely, without authentication, providing an entry point to a network and serving as a gateway to a larger-scale attack.

Special note is given to Microsoft, with a Windows Install Service local privilege escalation bug which was allegedly patched and fixed, but the patch did not work as expected. With a publicly available proof of concept and a failed patch, Trellix has already seen bad actors selling weaponised exploits on the dark web.

The Trellix research report is out now and is a highly-engaging, accessible report, full of useful insights and links to expanded detail. Practically, it provides advice and guidance to CISOs and their teams, while also explaining the ongoing work Trellix is performing to uncover and mitigate threats, and to work with law enforcement in eradicating bad actors.

This is the first report from Trellix, the combination of McAfee Enterprise and FireEye, and its definitely a must-read and a series to keep an eye on.
Breast cancer organisation BreastScreen Victoria has switched to Rimini Street Support for its Oracle Database software, liberating additional capacity within its internal IT team, limiting costs for expanding staff, and reducing annual enterprise software support fees.

By selecting Rimini Street, BreastScreen Victorias IT team can now focus on more initiatives such as data centre migration project.

BreastScreen Victoria provides free mammograms to eligible women in Victoria. The government funds the organisation and has performed more than 230,000 breast screens in the last financial year from its 43 permanent screening clinics and two mobile service units across Victoria.

The organisation runs its operations centrally leveraging a system largely built on Oracle Database software.

Our Oracle Database is a very stable platform that works incredibly well for us to this day, and we expect it will continue to work well into the future, says BreastScreen Victoria IT services director Georgina Marr.

We run all of our IT centrally, with our own software built on top of our Oracle Database platform, which manages the end-to-end operation from booking screenings to maintaining clinical records.

Because their existing support was not situated locally, response times and ticket logging were delayed, forcing their internal IT staff to troubleshoot the issues themselves.

Marr wanted to free up the IT team from these time-consuming issues. This led BreastScreen Victoria to leverage the benefits of Rimini Street Support.

Its common for an organisations internal IT team to want to undertake all the issues for its environment, but we wanted to free up our team to assist with more valuable tasks, says Marr.

The financial savings were just one factor in our decision to move to Rimini Street. As a result of our partnership with Rimini Street, weve been able to focus on more high-value work including big projects to improve our service to clients without expanding the team.

BreastScreen Victoria benefits from Rimini Streets software support model, which includes service level agreement of 10-minute response times for all critical Priority 1 cases.

All clients are also assigned a primary support engineer with an average of 20 years experience in the clients enterprise software and backed by a team of engineers.

Having a primary support engineer based locally in Australia and available on demand takes a huge weight off our shoulders, says BreastScreen Victoria IT operations manager Darren Firth.

Rimini Street is an extension of our IT team, with knowledge of our IT environment that enables them to dive into an issue and address it immediately, Firth says.

We are proud to partner with non-profit organisations such as BreastScreen Victoria to maximise the value of their enterprise software systems, provide our ultra-responsive expert support and enable them to focus their resources on strategic initiatives that will allow them to deliver critical services that better support their communities, concludes Rimini Street group vice president and regional general manager Oceania Daniel Benad.
After 43 years in South Florida, Bobby Rubinos, the last surviving location of a once-mighty rib-shack chain, will close its doors later this month. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

It was a relic of South Floridas 1980s heyday when Tony Romas and barbecued baby back ribs chains ruled the local restaurant roost. Now, the last surviving location of a once-mighty rib chain  Bobby Rubinos  will close its doors on Sunday, Feb. 20.

After 43 years of serving prime rib and colossal onion ring loaves in South Florida, Bobby Rubinos low-slung, one-story restaurant on North Federal Highway in Pompano Beach will be demolished later this year, owner John Castellano told the Sun Sentinel. It will be replaced  perhaps fittingly  by another fast-growing restaurant chain: Baton Rouge, La.-born chicken tender joint Raising Canes.

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Castellano told longtime staff on Feb. 7 about the final day of business, after Raising Canes mailed him a notice to vacate the 10,000-square-foot building. The news came as no surprise to managers and servers, whove known about the restaurants demise for months, he says. Castellano signed a contract in March 2021 to sell the Bobby Rubinos building and lease its 2.1 acres of land underneath  worth $1.7 million, per county records  to tenant Clear Channel Outdoor LLC.

Describing the past few days as a somber, sad emotional situation for us, Castellano admits COVID-19 shutdowns and stiff barbecue competition nearby soured his passion. It also made him think pragmatically about keeping the old-school rib joint alive.

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Bobby Rubinos, photographed on Feb. 14 in Pompano Beach, is closing after 43 years in South Florida. It is the final location of the Fort Lauderdale-born rib shack chain. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Its my family legacy, Castellano says. But are we going to do this 20, 30 years from now? I dont envision my children being in the restaurant business, and maybe this would have been a different story if they wanted to inherit, but they have their own interests. It was a good run.

Reservations have jumped as much as 75 percent in the waning days of Bobby Rubinos as longtime customers clamored for last-minute prime rib and vintage crocks of cheesy French onion soup. But lunch and dinner bookings are far from full, Castellano admits, perhaps yet another sign of the chains declining influence.

Plans call for a teardown of Bobby Rubinos this spring to make way for a 3,267-square-foot Raising Canes, which specializes in slinging chicken fingers with coleslaw and Texas toast. That restaurant will include 104 seats  52 indoor, 52 on an outdoor patio facing Federal Highway  plus three drive-thru lanes, according to city documents.

Theres still no timeline for Raising Canes debut in Pompano Beach, one of five restaurants planned as part of its Florida expansion, says AJ Kumaran, the restaurant chains COO and co-CEO. (The first, at 351 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, is set to open in March after months of pandemic delays.)

Raising Cane's, a chicken tender restaurant chain founded in Baton Rouge, La., will replace Bobby Rubino's, which will be demolished later this spring in Pompano Beach. (bluemaumau / Flickr)

After years of waiting, people in Florida are finally going to get their own Canes, Kumaran says in a recent statement.

Castellano, who grew up working in Bobby Rubinos kitchens, says hell be sad to see his restaurant die, adding that the extra rent money from Raising Canes lease will help pay for my kids education, he says.

Founder Bobby Rubino had been a charismatic maitre d at Jillys, a lounge run by Frank Sinatras friend Jilly Rizzo, when restaurateur Tony Roma recruited him to join his rib chain in Miami Beach in the early 70s. When Rubino spun off his own restaurant, he modeled the format and menu  right down to its onion-ring loaves  after Tony Romas. He opened the Pompano Beach location of his namesake restaurant in 1979, not long after the July 1978 debut of Bobby Rubinos Place for Ribs at 4100 N. Federal Highway, in Fort Lauderdale.

Bobby Rubinos and Tony Romas competed for rib-chain supremacy throughout the 80s, with the former, at the height of its powers, opening 25 ribberies from San Francisco to New York.

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But as more barbecue restaurants flooded the South Florida market, Bobby Rubinos couldnt compete, closing all but seven of its restaurants by 2000.

[ RELATED: South Florida restaurants: Now open, coming soon and closed | PHOTOS ]

No chronicle about the legacy of Bobby Rubinos is complete, of course, without mentioning its notorious connections to the mob. The rib restaurant was a front for New Yorks Gambino crime family practically from its outset; between 1981 and 1986, for example, a Mafia bagman named Pasquale Nigro testified in court to skimming $2,500 a week from a Bobby Rubinos in West Palm Beach, making payments to reputed Gambino mob captains Ettore Zappi and Natale Richichi  with the full knowledge of Rubino himself.

Rubino sold his chain in 1987 to Zappis grandsons, Anthony and Frank Galgano, and two other descendants of Mafia royalty: brothers Paul and Joe Castellano. The Castellano name is tied to grisly mob history: Gambino crime boss John Gotti had ordered an unsanctioned hit on the Castellanos father, Paul Sr., gunning him down outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan in 1985.

In 2000 police arrested Frank Galgano, who owned two Bobby Rubinos in Fort Lauderdale and one in Hallandale Beach, for failing to turn over $248,000 in sales taxes he collected from customers.

In high school in the 1980s, John Castellano worked shifts at Bobby Rubinos as a server-assistant, finally taking over the restaurant from his father, Paul, by the late 1990s. Some people who worked for us, who still work for us, have known me since I was basically a kid, Castellano, 50, says, referring to his manager, Barbara Baker, an employee of 30 years.

These days Castellano isnt comfortable talking about Bobby Rubinos past  he says he was never involved  choosing instead to remember the rib joints loving customers and good deeds. That included Unity in the Community, an annual event for which Bobby Rubinos donated hundreds of pounds of baby back ribs.

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[Bobby Rubinos] always gave back at events like that, says Rex Hardin, Pompano Beachs mayor and a longtime customer. What a loss. It tugs at your heartstrings when you see a longtime restaurant not survive.

A previous version of this article misstated when Bobby Rubinos will close permanently. The restaurant will close Sunday, Feb. 20.
In honor of National Space Day on May 6, Stacker has compiled a list of key astronomy and astrophysics terms that are out of this world! Click for more.
Jacksonville, TX (75766)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 79F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
Dan Miller, 57, and his son with autism Nathan Miller, 17, pose for selfies together in their house in Lake Worth.(Contributed/Fresh Take Florida) (Fresh Take Florida)

Florida failed for nearly three months to pay tens of thousands of health-care claims for the states sickest and neediest children due to software glitches blamed on the corporate merger of its two largest payment vendors, officials and executives said.

Families with critically ill children who relied on Medicaid-paid health providers were stranded in some cases. A father in Lake Worth was forced to cut back his contractor work to remain home and care for his son when payments stopped. A mother in Ocala said the company that helped care for her 15-year-old disabled son temporarily shut down because of the payment problems.

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We had to find caregivers for him, said AnnMarie Sossong of Ocala, whose son has a neuro-immune condition and profound autism. You cant do anything else. You cant go to work, you cant go to school, you cant even make a phone call because youve got this kid with such high needs.

Payment problems panicked more families, especially as unpaid bills for nursing care and other home health services began stacking up over months with no quick resolution in sight.

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Executives at Sunshine State Health Plan Inc. of Tampa, Floridas largest Medicaid payment vendor, said the payment glitches stemmed from the companys merger on Oct. 1 with the second-largest payment vendor, WellCare of Florida Inc. Combined, Sunshine and Wellcare have multi-year contracts worth $31.6 billion from the states Agency for Health Care Administration, according to figures from the states chief financial officer.

It was among the most serious technology meltdowns  affecting one of the most vulnerable populations  under the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis since unemployment claims overwhelmed Floridas Department of Economic Opportunity early in the pandemic.

Nobody responded to all these cries for help, said Lavette Gulley, owner of Serenity Companion Service Inc., which cared for Sossongs son. She temporarily closed her company due to unpaid invoices, stranding families that relied on the services she provided. Some of these kids Ive been with six, seven years, and I never had to call those parents and say, Hey, Ive got to stop service because Im not getting paid.

Dan Miller of Lake Worth is a single father of a 17-year-old son with autism and an electrical contractor. His sons provider, Blessing Hands Services Inc. of nearby Palm Springs, stopped the familys services after it went unpaid for months, forcing him to take time from work to care for his son full-time. He said he was at risk financially of losing his familys home.

I have jobs right now that Im in fear of losing because I cant get to them and cant get them finished fast enough, he said. Its very bad for me right now financially.

Sunshine said it realized the scale of the growing issues paying health-care providers by December, and by January was discussing its serious problems with the Agency for Health Care Administration. The agency confirmed it wasnt aware of problems until January  and indicated it found out about the problems from others, not Sunshine.

Sunshine said the problems affected children receiving care under its Sunshine Health Medicaid program and the Childrens Medical Services Health Plan it operates on behalf of the Florida Department of Health, for patients under 21 who are eligible for Medicaid and who have serious, chronic conditions.

Gulley, the owner of the health provider Serenity, said payment problems started far earlier than December. She said she was unable to submit claims in late October. In November, she noticed some children who were clients were missing from Sunshines system. She said she remained on hold with the company by phone one day for eight hours before the call was disconnected. Parents told her they also were filing grievances with Sunshine over unpaid bills for services for their children.

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At the end of December, I knew I was going to have to shut my doors after 26 years, Gulley said. She was able to restart her business over the last two weeks.

Frustrated families said they did not blame their childrens health providers who werent being paid.

I dont know how shes staying in business, said Miller, the father in Lake Worth who owns Miller Electric Inc. I couldnt go three months without getting any money coming in and still pay payroll if I had somebody working for me.

The Health Report Weekly A weekly update on health news in Florida. >

The Agency for Health Care Administration said in a statement it was considering all available recourse options to punish Sunshine Health  including liquidated damages and sanctions  if its investigation determines the company had violated terms of its contract.

The improperly rejected payments were all re-processed by Jan. 31, Sunshine said. Even though the problems involved its work under a government contract, it declined in interviews to specify the number of families it estimated were affected, the number of health-care providers whose payments were rejected, the exact number of claims it improperly rejected  or even identify who at the Agency for Health Care Administration it was notifying.

The company said in a statement that relatively few providers were affected, representing what it said were one-half of 1% of its 9.2 million total payment claims it processed during the period. That works out to be 46,000 rejected claims, although the figure is believed to be closer to 30,000 rejected claims from about 400 health-care providers.

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The company was communicating with the state agencys Chief of Staff Cody Farrill, who coordinates Medicaid issues with other Florida agencies, the U.S. government and the Legislature. Farills office has not yet responded to a Feb. 3 request under Floridas public records law for copies of emails or other communications he exchanged with Sunshine about the crisis.

Owners of another health provider, The Lamp Post Therapy Center LLC of Gainesville, also said they werent paid after the Sunshine corporate merger. It provides occupational and speech therapy services. Its been since maybe October when they took over, so thats a lot of time to go without a paycheck, CEO Elise Caton said.

The payment problems have drawn almost no public attention. Sunshine acknowledged payment issues in a press release it published on its website Jan. 20, blaming it on an unspecified information-technology problem and not hinting at the scale or seriousness of the issue.

This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at kristin.bausch@freshtakeflorida.com.
Johnson City, TN (37604)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Johnson City, TN (37604)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Joplin, MO (64801)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 62F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 47F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
A nostalgic ward prepared by the Dalian Veterans Hospital for the veterans fought in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (Photo by Zhao Lei)

To provide more effective treatment to veterans with Alzheimer's disease (AD), the Dalian Veterans Hospital in North Chinas Liaoning Province, which was established in late July 2021, has transformed some wards into "nostalgia wards" in military style according to the clinical manifestations of AD patients, to help the veterans retrieve their lost memories.

It is like a time travel while entering the themed ward where the walls are painted with murals of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, the bedside table is placed with yellowed notebook, iron portable thermos, mottled bugle and military medals, and the hanger is hooked with a whitening military coat. This ward is specially prepared for two Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) veterans with AD.

Two years ago, Wei Piting, a CPV veteran fought in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, suffered from severe memory loss and was diagnosed with AD.

However, the day Mr. Wei walked into the nostalgic ward, he became a different person. Gazing at the poster displaying the War of Resisting U.S. Aggression and Aiding Korea on the wall, he posed a solemn military salute, and then sang the Battle March of the CPV Army without missing a single word. Everyone on site was deeply touched at the moment.

Then, Mr. Wei gently touched the bugle placed by the bedside and stared at the large mural on the wall for a long time until his door of memory reopened. He took out a handkerchief from his underwear pocket. "This was given to me by the condolences group of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. Look, there is a dove of peace on it," he said.

Cao Fali, another CPV veteran suffering from AD, was Mr. Weis roommate. When he was wheeled into the ward for the first time, he just observed the room quietly. It took him a long while before he reacted to the themed decorations. He picked up the cup distributed to him when he returned from the battlefield, looked at it up and down for a while. "It was in 1953 when I returned from the war... I got this cup and a thick notebook with green cover," he said intermittently.

Although Mr. Cao's recalling of his past was partly vague, those on site were able to put together the story of a brave war hero.

"Having forgotten lots of things, some veterans tend to resume their high spirit with brighter eyes when recalling the days of fighting," introduced a medical staff of the neurology department of the hospital. Scientific research has shown that the brain tissue affected by AD carries music, memory and emotion functions. "Living in environment with nostalgic elements, their vague memories will become clear, solid and vivid," the doctor said. The auxiliary treatment with the nostalgic wards has successfully helped the two veterans recover some memories, and enabled them to take care of their basic daily life as their condition gets better now.
Comedian Bob Sagets family asked an Orange County judge on Tuesday to block local authorities from releasing records related to his death investigation.

The lawsuit filed by Sagets wife Kelly Rizzo and his daughters, Aubrey Saget, Lara Saget and Jennifer Saget, seeks to prevent Orange County Sheriff John Mina and the District Nine Medical Examiners Office from releasing further information in response to public records requests.

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Sagets family will suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress if more details about his death investigation are released, the complaint said. No legitimate public interest would be served by the release or dissemination of the records to the public.

Saget, 65, was found dead Jan. 9 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Orlando. The Orange County Sheriffs Office has already released an incident report and a recording of the 911 call by hotel security.

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While we are sensitive to the familys concerns about the right to privacy, that must be balanced with our commitment to transparency, compliance with the law, and the publics right to know, the Sheriffs Office said in an unsigned statement Wednesday morning.

According to Sagets autopsy report, which the Medical Examiners Office made public last week, he died of head trauma that most likely incurred from an unwitnessed fall in his room. A toxicology analysis did not reveal any illicit drugs or toxins. His death was ruled an accident.

Details of the autopsy findings were first made public in a statement released by Sagets family to multiple media outlets.

Now that we have the final conclusions from the authorities investigation, we felt it only proper that the fans hear those conclusions directly from us, the familys statement said.

Lawyers for the GrayRobinson firm in Orlando, representing Sagets family, wrote in the complaint that photographs, video and audio recordings from the investigation of Sagets death and his autopsy are confidential and should be exempt from release.

Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. >

The facts of the investigation should be made public, but these materials should remain private out of respect for the dignity of Mr. Saget and his family, attorney Brian Bieber said in a statement. Its very simple  from a human and legal standpoint  the Saget familys privacy rights outweigh any public interest in disclosure of this sensitive information.

Photos, video and audio recordings of autopsies are already exempt from public disclosure under Floridas public records laws. That exemption was created by state lawmakers following a controversy over the autopsy photos of another celebrity: NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, who died in a February 2001 crash at the Daytona 500.

Saget, star of Full House and the first host of Americas Funniest Home Videos, was on a tour of Florida cities last month with his stand-up comedy act. He performed at Hard Rock Live at Orlandos Universal CityWalk two days before his death.

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On Monday, Rizzo shared a TikTok on her Instagram Stories of a cooking segment with Saget on how to prepare jumbo lump crab cakes.

I havent had crabs in years, honey, Saget joked.

Rizzo wrote that her husband always thought Valentines Day was kind of a silly holiday, but he always sent her roses and always showered me with love ... like he did every single day.

lgarza@orlandosentinel.com
Faced with skyrocketing mental health demands and a dramatic rise in opioid overdose deaths, Florida needs to apply for more than $128 million in federal funds that it has so far ignored, according to a nonpartisan advocacy group.

In a report released this week, analysts at the nonprofit Florida Policy Institute found that state leaders have yet to apply for behavioral health funds available under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which became law last March. The report said the need is especially urgent given the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impending launch of a nationwide three-digit suicide hotline  988  that will route callers in crisis to local response teams.

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Even before the pandemic, our state was struggling to meet the demand for behavioral health care services, with hundreds of thousands of people unable to access affordable mental health and substance use disorder treatment, said Florida Policy Institute CEO Sadaf Knight. The influx of American Rescue Plan Act dollars presents a crucial, time-limited opportunity for Florida lawmakers.

The FPI report cites unprecedented demand created by the isolation, anxiety, grief and anger of the pandemic. In 2020 alone, the report said, more than 7,500 Floridians died from opioid overdoses, a 37% increase from 2019, and over 35,000 Florida children and teens were involuntarily institutionalized  arrested, transported, held for up to three days and subject to psychiatric exams under the states Baker Act.

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The American Rescue Plan money will be disbursed starting in April. The funds are earmarked for mobile response teams that operate around the clock, sending mental health professionals to homes, schools and businesses to address children or adults in crisis, often preventing the need for hospitalization or arrests. The state already pays for 39 such teams, but the federal money would fuel a critically needed expansion, advocates said.

You would think at this point, especially after what weve experienced in the past two years, that the state folks who make decisions about these things would want to point those dollars towards the people who need them most, said Marni Stahlman, president and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Central Florida. The impact has just been staggering. Were seeing a lot of 11- to 18-year-olds ending up in emergency departments with self-harming behaviors.

The federal program does require the state to spend a portion of its own budget to get the money, but the Florida Policy Institute analysis said the states existing $18.3 million annual investment in mobile response teams  part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, passed after the 2018 Parkland massacre  could be used to draw down over $100 million new federal dollars for the first three years and more than $28 million in subsequent years.

This is really low-hanging fruit, said attorney Anne Swerlick, an FPI senior policy analyst and the reports author. I mean, theyre already making this state investment, so its a very good deal. And Congress intended that. They realized that this is a time of increased need for behavioral health care services.

Some 15 states already have applied for planning grants under the federal program just to figure out how best to use the funds. Florida was not among them, and the deadline for planning grants has passed. But that doesnt preclude the state from applying for the mobile response team funding itself, Swerlick said.

But while state officials havent formally rejected the money, Swerlick said, theyve given no indication that they intend to apply for it, either.

It generally feeds into this theme of a complete lack of transparency around how federal COVID dollars are getting used, she said.

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Neither the Florida Department of Children and Families, which oversees youth mental health programs, nor the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration responded to questions on the issue.

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Maria Bledsoe, CEO of Central Florida Cares, which manages state-funded substance abuse and mental health services for Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, said state money currently goes to four Central Florida mobile response teams targeting children and young adults up to age 25, although the team in Orange is mostly bankrolled by the county.

In addition, the Orange County Sheriffs Office and Orlando Police Department have their own crisis response teams.

I highly support the expansion of mobile crisis teams across our region and across the state, Bledsoe said. The data shows the success record. We have seen a 95% reduction in diverting children from the hospitals, the crisis units and criminal justice involvement. Thats just us [in Central Florida]. And all others  across the state are seeing the same type of success.

Mobile teams are expected to be a key part of the 988 national suicide hotline program, which is slated to go live on July 16. Calls will be routed through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, but states will be largely responsible for making it work, including building a response network, training staff and integrating 988 with other emergency services.

When that hotline is activated, I think theres going to be a giant thud in Florida, Stahlman said. There just isnt the infrastructure to provide the help people need. Were really up against it here to get something in place.

ksantich@orlandosentinel.com
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Susan covers the towns of Somers and Enfield. She joined the JI in May 2021 and graduated from Skidmore College. She recently completed docent training for the Wadsworth Atheneum and hopes to start giving tours some time next year.
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An elderly Afghan man went on trial in a Dutch court on Wednesday for alleged war crimes while in charge of a notorious jail for the communist regime in the 1980s.

The 76-year-old identified as Abdul R. came to the Netherlands in 2001, later acquiring Dutch nationality, and was arrested in 2019.

Prosecutors say that from 1983 to 1990 he was the chief of Pul-e-Charkhi prison east of Kabul, where regime opponents were held without fair trial in appalling conditions.

The trial in The Hague is the latest in a series of efforts in European countries to bring people to account for crimes in conflict-torn countries, including Syria and Afghanistan.

This trial is about a man, whom we believe committed a number of war crimes in Kabul, prosecutor Mirjam Blom told AFP.

We suspect that he, as commander and chief of political affairs, was working in the prison where inmates were arbitrarily robbed of their personal freedom and treated them inhumanely.

Appearing in court in a wheelchair, father-of-four Abdul R. said he was the victim of a case of mistaken identity.

I am not the person you are looking for, he told the court, before refusing to answer questions, saying that he felt unwell and wanted to return to prison.

I dont remember anything, not even my own name.

Prosecutors said police started investigating in 2012 after blogs said that the former commander of Pul-e-Charkhi under Afghanistans Soviet-backed regime was possibly living in the Netherlands.

Finally we picked up his trail. The public prosecution service has the point of view that he is here (in the Netherlands) under a false name, said Blom.

Dutch authorities spoke to 25 witnesses in various countries and used countless open-source materials.

We are convinced that we have the right person, Blom said.

Notorious for its grim conditions, Pul-e-Charkhi has remained in use under various regimes until the Taliban freed prisoners from it last August.

The Dutch proceedings are made possible by the legal principle of universal jurisdiction  which allows countries to try people for crimes of exceptional gravity, including war crimes, even if they were committed in a different country.

It has so far mainly been used for cases involving the Syrian conflict, including the recent trial in Germany of a Syrian refugee doctor accused of torturing detainees in his homeland.
A Sierre Leone rebel on trial in Finland for war crimes in Liberias bloody conflict has been released by the court ahead of its verdict where he risks life in prison, the court said Wednesday.

Gibril Massaquoi, 51, has been on trial at Pirkanmaa district court for rape, ritual murder and recruiting child soldiers during the later years of Liberias second civil war, which ended in 2003.

The verdict is due in March or April.

Massaquoi denies all charges and claims he was not in Liberia when the alleged offences took place.

On Wednesday, the court released Massaquoi pending the verdict due to the fact that Massaquoi has been imprisoned for approximately two years, which can be considered an exceptionally long period.

Moreover, an exceptionally long period of almost 20 years has already elapsed since the alleged acts, the court said in a statement.

Finland tried the case as Finnish law allows the prosecution of serious crimes committed abroad by a citizen or resident.

The continued detention of Massaquoi would be unreasonable, the court said, calling for him to be released immediately pending the outcome of the district courts judgment.

The court placed no restrictions on Massaquois movements, district court judge Juhani Paiho told AFP.

He added that the release should not be seen as an indicator of how the court would rule on the question of guilt.

A life sentence in Finland means a convict can be considered for parole after 12 years. Most are released after serving between 12 and 20 years.

Born in 1970, Massaquoi was a senior commander of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), a Sierra Leone rebel group that also fought in Liberia.

He moved to Finland in 2008 and was arrested there in March 2020 after a rights group investigated his war record.

In an unprecedented move, the Finnish court decamped to Monrovia between February and April last year, and again in September, to hear witness testimony in the case.

The proceedings were described as historic, as very few people have been tried for war crimes committed in Liberia, and none inside the country itself.

Around a quarter of a million people were killed between 1989 and 2003 in the West African country, in a conflict marked by merciless violence and rape, often carried out by drugged-up child soldiers.

There are regular appeals to establish a war crimes tribunal inside Liberia, a poor nation of five million people where some ex-warlords remain powerful.

President George Weah has resisted the calls, however.
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A Central Florida man was arrested and is suspected of possessing child pornography and sexually abusing his wifes dog, according to authorities.

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Volusia County deputies arrested Brandon Shelton, of Ormond Beach, Tuesday, according to the Volusia Sheriffs Office Facebook page.

In October, Volusias Child Exploitation Unit started investigating and found 11videos and photos of children in sexually exploitative situations, according to the Facebook post. The victims ages ranged from two to nine years old. Shelton admitted to investigators he downloaded the content and forwarded it to others.

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He also admitted to being in a video having sexual contact with his wifes dog. Authorities executed a search warrant on Sheltons home on Jan. 6. They seized multiple items, electronics, his gold watch, and two family dogs. Authorities turned the dogs over to Volusia County Animal Services, according to the post.

He has been released from the Volusia County Branch Jail on $116,000 bail.
"Single's Inferno" star Choi Si Hun showed off his oozing charm as he graced MZ's online magazine Your Vibe. The reality star also set the record straight regarding a controversy involving his past and details about his career and relationship status.

Choi Si Hun Flaunts Stunning Visuals for Your Vibe Magazine

It seems like the "Single's Inferno" participants are booked and busy after the massive success of the Netflix reality dating program.

With his newfound fame, 29-year-old heartthrob Choi Si Hun spoke about his experience on the show and his life after it.

On Finding Connection in 'Single's Inferno' and Current Relationship Status

Choi Si Hun shared that he "completely immersed" himself despite being stranded on an island with unfamiliar people, adding that he enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

As for finding a genuine connection, the model and entrepreneur explained that he didn't force himself to go out and look for a relationship on the island.

However, he chose the person he liked the most, which was clearly Song Ji Ah.

In the eight-part episode series, Choi Si Hun was smitten by the YouTuber's radiating beauty and since day one, he constantly expressed his feelings towards her.

He still chose her until their last day on the island, but Song Ji Ah left Inferno with Kim Hyun Joong.

Interestingly, Choi Si Hun also opened up about his dating experience and revealed that he hadn't had any relationship for quite a while.

So is he single? The answer might probably be yes, as the reality star mentioned that he "hasn't been able to date since" "Single's Inferno."

Choi Si Hun Controversy: Did He Work at a Host Bar?

During his interview with the online magazine, the 29-year-old South Korean once again set things straight and clarified the issue.

Right after "Single's Inferno" gained massive hype, Choi Si Hun became a trending topic in a Chinese online community, noting that he is a former escort at a host bar.

However, he tells Your Vibe that he was misunderstood and explained that he used to work as a part-timer for events in China.

Apart from it, he also worked at a convenience store, pointing out that he "never did anything bad."

As for being a budding actor, Choi Si Hun shared his struggles, revealing that he only earned "2 million won for two years as an actor," adding, "I didn't want to be ridiculed for the time I had endured."

Aside from being a contestant in "Single's Inferno," he debuted in the 2019 Instagram-themed drama series "I Started Following Romance" alongside "At a Distance, Spring Is Green" actor Choi Jung Woo.

He also appeared in the youth drama "Clumsy Love" and "Cafe Kilimanjaro."

Apart from trying his luck in showbiz, Choi Si Hun successfully built a fashion brand, Hoten Original, where he serves as the creative director and lookbook curator.

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Geca Wills
Kang Hoon has another incoming project to work on following "The Red Sleeve Cuff's" conclusion. Continue reading for more details!

Nam Ji Hyun and Kang Hoon as Potential On Screen Partner in 'Little Women'

Rising star and K-drama scene-stealer Kang Hoon is getting attention after he appeared in MBC's successful romance series "The Red Sleeve Cuff." Though his character had a sad ending, lots of doors opened for him, and now the rookie star is receiving new projects since the start of 2022.

According to a verified media source on February 16, Kang Hoon received a casting offer to star in the forthcoming tvN drama "Little Women" to be headed by "Vincenzo" director Kim Hee Won, and scriptwriter Jung Seo Kyung.

"Little Women" started to introduce its potential cast in the second half of 2021. Later on, Kim Go Eun, Nam Ji Hyun, Park Ji Hu, and Wi Ha Joon were the chosen stars to lead the drama. The story is all about the three sisters Oh In Ju, Oh In Kyung, and Oh In Hye who are poor but have a close bond with each other. Their life starts to change when they get entangled in a huge incident against the richest family in Korea.

In addition to the published news, Kang Hoon is reportedly to act and establish a love line with Nam Ji Hyun. "Little Women" is one of the many projects that the actor is considering to appear in.

Kang Hoon, Lee Junho, and Lee Se Young Had Their First Virtual Fan Meet

First week of February, Kang Hoon is confirmed to join Jeon Yeo Bin and Ahn Hyo Seop in the Korean adaptation of the famous Taiwanese series "Some Day or One Day." Thanks to his notable performance in TRSC, Kang Hoon is overwhelmed with potential dramas this year.

On the other hand, Kang Hoon together with his drama co-stars Lee Junho and Lee Se Young attended their first-ever virtual fan meeting with Taiwanese fans last February 13.

In collaboration with friDay, the biggest streaming platform in Taiwan, the lead stars successfully had the chance to communicate with their fans. The historical-romance series also ranked first in the said OTT platform for two consecutive months proving the popularity of the drama in the country.

The online fan meeting had 30,000 attendees including the various media in Taiwan. The three stars also made headlines in the country after their successful event.

Furthermore, if Kang Hoon accepts the offer to join the "Little Women" cast, it marks as his second drama for 2022. It has been said that the romance series is expected to air in the second half of this year.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lee Junho, Lee Se Young, Kang Hoon Attract 30,000 Fans on Their First Virtual Fan Meet

What are your thoughts about the potential drama team up of Kang Hoon and Nam Ji Hyun in "Little Women"? Share your comments with us!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Shai Collins.
The families of five children and four adults killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have reached a $73 million settlement with the now-bankrupt gun manufacturer Remington and its four insurers, the plaintiffs' attorneys said February 15.
How anti-mandate rebels took on  and took over  their California county
When Floridians look back at this period in their history  particularly, the 2022 legislative session  one law will stand out as definitive.

Its the law of unintended consequences.

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Because Floridas legislative leadership, provoked by Gov. Ron DeSantis, made a calculated commitment to abandon statesmanship. Instead, they loaded up their plates with issues custom-baked to drive their increasingly radical bands of followers into a frenzy.

But heres what they repeatedly fail to understand: They can stage a culture war, but they cant control which cultures come out to play.

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Thats why the 2022 legislative session may well come to be known as the session where:

It became illegal for deeply religious teachers to say, during class discussion, that they might be uncomfortable with the ascendance of civil rights for LGBTQ+ people or that they believe people should stick with the gender God assigned them. HB 1557/SB 1834, the so-called dont say gay bill, bans inappropriate discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms. Lets see how that works out when a judge says Yep, heterosexuality is in fact a sexual orientation. Heathers two mommies are fine suing the school board because their teacher made them uncomfortable.

It became legal for doctors and nurses to go on social media and endorse quack therapies or fraudulent cures. HB 687/SB 1184 is obviously meant to protect the small, deluded band of science-denying nurses and others who refuse to get vaccinated, or post misinformation on social media. But its protections are broad, saying simply that no licensing entity can sanction a medical professional for exercising his or her free speech, including posts on social media. Before he signs this bill, Gov. Ron DeSantis should scroll through TikTok and see what the vast majority of doctors and nurses posting have to say about him. Pro tip: He wont be happy.

It became much more difficult for senior citizens to cast their votes, and much easier to steal their identities. More than any single population, seniors are the most likely to use mail-in ballots (and also, the most likely to vote Republican. Just sayin.) In SB 524/HB 7061  a hot mess of a bill that includes several other nonsensical provisions  lawmakers want to introduce an elaborate new setup for mail ballots that requires three separate envelopes and requires voters to include their drivers license number or last four digits of their Social Security number. Ostensibly, the third envelope would protect the personal information. Do lawmakers think scammers are too stupid to know what a mail ballot looks like or what information it would contain? Do they think criminals dont own letter openers? Meanwhile, seniors and others struggling with the newly intricate ballots will have a harder time finding help, because this bill criminalizes some traditional voter-assistance activities.

People view the atrium between House and Senate chambers while taking a guided tour of the Florida state Capitol building during a legislative session, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)

Trial lawyers got a lot richer, and property taxes went up. Many of the culture-war bills pushed by House and Senate leadership over the past three years include open invitations to sue taxpayer-funded entities. But when school districts are sued because a teacher did say gay, guess who pays? When local governments are forced to fork over cash for any development decision that causes a business a 15 percent loss, who pays? Enough of these big-dollar verdicts, and local officials will have no choice but to raise taxes. (Meanwhile, legislators seem to have turned their backs on the business and insurance lobbyists pleading for tort reform.)

If you see a consistent theme here, its the dogged refusal to think these proposals out  or worse, a cynical calculation to throw red meat to likely voters, regardless of the messes these bills could create.

Either way, we see unpleasant surprises in store  especially for those politicians who plotted their strategy with the assumption that voters werent smart enough to figure out what they were up to.

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio, Jay Reddick and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com.
Leslie John McCulloch was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for drug production and trafficking but the Kelowna man was granted day parole after just two years. Last week, the Parole Board of Canada found he had violated conditions and he has been returned to prison.
Hopkinsville, KY (42240)

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Hopkinsville, KY (42240)

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Partly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms becoming likely this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 78F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

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Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, is sponsoring Senate Bill 10, which seeks to alleviate the nursing shortage by tackling several issues, including making it easier to accept nurses from other states and expedite licensing while not sacrificing quality of care. (LRC photo)
Last week, the Florida Senate passed a very bad bill: SB 520, exempting from public disclosure the names of applicants to be the president of a state university. Its one of 57 bills lawmakers are considering this session to create more exemptions to the states public records law. According to the First Amendment Foundation, of which Im a board member, there are now 1,138 such exemptions  and the total rises each year.

But SB 520 is especially bad. At a time when four state universities  including the flagship University of Florida  are or will be seeking new presidents, SB 520 will essentially exclude the public from the selection process. Only the names of finalists will be made public  and then the public will have just 21 days to vet them.

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Bob Shaw (Orlando Sentinel)

There would be no way to determine if highly qualified applicants had been rejected in favor of politically connected finalists. Faculty, students and alumni will be effectively eliminated from the process. And, given the battles over academic freedom at the University of Florida, and last sessions requirement that what amounts to an ideological survey be conducted of each universitys faculty, theres every likelihood that the publicly identified finalists will be little more than partisan hacks.

Floridas university presidents  all selected in the sunshine  have worked hard and successfully to raise the rankings of their schools and improve the quality of education of their students. The system has worked  for students, faculty, alumni and taxpayers. No one has offered any specific examples of how or why the system is broken, other than unsubstantiated assertions that the best and the brightest candidates may be scared away by having to reveal theyve applied for the job.

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But lawmakers chose to fix it anyway.

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Shame on them.

Every member of the Legislature should support open government and public records. They were elected to represent all of us, not to restrict participation in government to selected insiders and elites.

One would think that Republicans  who traditionally have opposed big government and wasteful spending  would embrace openness as an antidote to both. But in Tallahassee, where theyve controlled every branch of government for more than 20 years, the GOP has been quite comfortable voting to make government more opaque and more secretive.

As a minority in Tallahassee, Democrats complain that their views on policy are disregarded. But thanks to a citizen-backed constitutional amendment, an exemption to the public-records law needs a two-thirds vote to pass. In the 40-member Florida Senate, that means 16 members can block passage.

The final vote on SB 520 was 28-12; the 12 dissenters were all Democrats. But four other Democrats  including Linda Stewart of Orlando  voted for it. Had they stuck with other members of their party, SB 520 would have died  as it did last year, in the face of unified Democratic opposition. Given the opportunity to be relevant, they flinched.

Which raises the question: Who among our elected representatives in Tallahassee is standing up for your right to know what your government is doing?

Bob Shaw has been a director of the First Amendment Foundation for more than 30 years. He is a retired Orlando Sentinel editor.
Ketchikan, AK (99901)

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This article is sponsored by BeMo Academic Consulting, one of the most sought-after academic consulting firms for helping applicants with admissions to highly competitive programs and its staunch advocacy for fair admissions.

Almost every professional or academic program has its most feared admissions component. Those who look for help from college admissions consulting often cite college essays and college admissions interview questions as their biggest obstacle. Those working with law school admissions consulting most commonly ask for help with the statement of purpose, law school personal statement, and law school interview questions. MBA admissions consulting regularly provides tips for organizing an MBA resume and MBA personal statement, as well as strategies for MBA interview questions. And for those applying to medical school, the second section of the infamous MCAT exam, MCAT CARS, is one of the most challenging hurdles in the entire admissions process.

MCAT CARS is notoriously difficult to prepare for. The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section tests more than your knowledge  it is aimed to assess aptitudes that are not easily developed during the 3- to 6-month MCAT study schedule you create for yourself. No wonder most students dread preparing for CARS  there is no recipe for quickly developing skills like comprehension and analysis. Of course, the other alternative is to apply to the rare medical schools that dont require the MCAT, but this will significantly diminish your choices.

While the other three MCAT sections can be tackled by practicing with physics equations, biology questions, or chemistry questions, you cannot prepare for CARS by simply going over MCAT CARS practice passages. While it is a good tool to help you get accustomed to the tests format and the habit of analyzing passages, those practice questions will not be enough to prepare you for this challenging evaluation.

There are of course those who are naturally gifted. They require no MCAT tutors or prep courses as they tackle CARS passages without a problem from the first time they face them. Whether it is due to their life experience or the wiring of their brain, some people are simply prone to logic and deduction. However, this is an exception rather than the rule. Most of us find CARS passages and questions difficult, often non-sensical, and extraneous.

But then why is this section of the MCAT so revered by most medical schools in Canada and medical schools in the United States? Why do some schools, such as the McMaster medical school or the Cumming School of Medicine, only care for your CARS score, disregarding the rest of the MCAT score? Because it is believed that CARS demonstrates your ability for sound judgment and problem-solving, which are essential for a practicing physician. Whether thats the case or not is another story. The true value of CARS and MCAT as a whole is still being assessed, and some studies have suggested that it may cause bias against certain applicants. Nevertheless, it is impossible to deny that, currently for admissions committees, CARS is a very valued indicator of your abilities.

Does this mean that everybody who struggles with CARS should be banned from seeking a career in medicine? Certainly not. As I already mentioned, while its difficult to build these skills from the ground up in the few months you dedicate to MCAT prep, they can certainly be habituated and developed over time. This is why the liberal arts should become your friend if you plan on taking the MCAT.

Why this discipline? Simply put, those who do well in CARS read a lot. The kind of skills required to ace this section are cultivated and encouraged when reading philosophy, literature, music and art theory, political thought, and so on. Reading such content forces you to delve deeply into the text, ask questions about what you encountered, draw parallels with other texts, debate arguments, analyze strengths and weaknesses of the authors points, reason beyond the text to ask what the author may think about current events, and so on.

And if you think that people like Aristotle, Avicenna, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Mary Shelley, are long dead and irrelevant  think again. Not only did their writings contribute to the development of human civilization, but their questions and convictions are relevant in our world to this day. Have we not all wondered what is happiness? Do we not all seek freedom? Is justice not the question on everyones mind today? Though many of them lived centuries ago, they were concerned with the human condition just as we are today.

But even if we want to focus on the practical side of taking humanities courses, its easy to show how reading some of the authors I mentioned can enhance your MCAT CARS strategy. For example, Aristotle often used the method of elimination in his writing. Through deduction, reasoning, and exclusion, he came to conclusions about important questions such as what friendship is, what the best political regime is, why the world is a rotating sphere, and so on. As many of you may know, eliminating incorrect answers is a huge part of learning how to review MCAT CARS and one of the keys to figuring out the correct answer. Taking some cues from this ancient Athenian thinker may help you practice how to build this important skill.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is not only a classic of literature, but is also one of the best commentaries on the possible side effects of technological and scientific progress. When reading this timeless book, consider how the world of 19th century England compares with ours. Ponder the ethical dilemmas presented by the author and reason within and beyond the text on questions of humanity, kindness, isolation, and empathy. After all, you might have thought about these issues yourself when you were deciding why you want to become a doctor.

Some of you might panic  does this mean that you have to become a humanities major in college to develop these skills? I assure you, you do not. If you want to cultivate analytical and reasoning skills, and to increase your MCAT reading comprehension, you simply need to habituate yourself to reading. Many of you will be surprised to learn that you might like the challenging language of William Faulkner or the controversial opinions of Thomas Hobbes.

If you do not like reading philosophy or literary theory, read newspapers and magazines. Analyze what you read and question the authors intent, the strength of the arguments, or general delivery. This is the key to preparing yourself for CARS.

Being a science major on track to applying to medical school does not mean that you cannot dabble in the humanities. You can always try taking liberal arts electives or joining a book club on campus. You can simply read the literature of the genre you personally enjoy and continue asking those important questions that will broaden your comprehension and reasoning skills. Or you can religiously read the newspaper on the bus every morning on your way to school, work, or the gym, and dissect every thesis, argument, and question you encounter in your reading.

While the humanities may not be your forte, they are incessant in our world and they are a sure way to help you improve your MCAT CARS score. But the skills you will learn by engaging with the liberal arts will serve you beyond your MCAT. The humanities will not only help you develop your analytical and reasoning skills, but they will also help you broaden your understanding of the human condition  the condition of your future patients. Becoming a doctor is about more than acing the CARS section. Its about deepening your connection with humanity and seeking virtue in the face of eventual human deterioration and mortality. While the sciences and social sciences will prepare your mind and body to tackle these eventualities, the humanities will habituate empathy and comprehension of these inevitabilities.

If you want to learn more about CARS or how to ace CARS, check out BeMos MCAT Prep programs and take advantage of our experts guidance. And thats not all  BeMos MCAT Prep comes with some bold guarantees, including the 90-Day 520 Challenge, No B.S. Free Repeat, and more. Visit our website to learn more.

Yevgeniya Kramchenkova is a content developer, BeMo Academic Consulting. BeMo is one of the most sought-after academic consulting firms for helping applicants with admissions to highly competitive programs and its staunch advocacy for fair admissions.

Image credit: BeMo Academic Consulting
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As our health care system teeters yet again on the brink of collapse, the big questions on so many of our minds are: What does our future hold for us as physicians? What is our path forward?

As physicians, we currently live and work in a constant state of crisis. Weve seen record numbers of patients, experienced personnel shortages, and instituted crisis staffing and standards of care. Weve cared for patients under conditions that weve never experienced in our privileged and wealthy nation.

And the questions continue to arise. When will these conditions end? Can health care continue as we know it? And how long can we physicians bear the daily strainwe who vow to do no harm, and to care for others, but who now can barely care for ourselves?

I see this situation every day in my work as medical director of provider wellness for my health care system. The personal stories shared by colleagues have shaken me to the core, and their words are a punch to the gut. Our ICU physicians have withstood months of shouting from angry family members, who blame them for the death of unvaccinated loved ones with COVID. Our ED docs stare bleary-eyed, numb from the continuous onslaught of incoming patients, who often spill into the waiting room and even outside. Through the hospital speakers come the daily announcements of Code Blues in the parking lot: emergency calls for patients who cant make it into the ED, because there is no space left.

At times, Im reminded of the months I spent shortly after the end of the Liberian civil war, as a med-peds resident. With only fifty physicians and meager resources, we cared for a population of more than 3 million people. Over the course of a month, I saw dozens of children in the pediatric ward die of illnesses that would have presented no challenge for a developed country and health care system. That harrowing experience remains etched in my memory and heart nearly fifteen years later, with eerie echoes of our current pandemic.

Last year, I wrote about the need for physicians to have boundaries, and about giving ourselves and our colleagues grace. More than ever, these are not mere suggestions; the actions I propose have become essential to our survival. Trained for decades to sacrifice our own well-being and personal needs in the service of our patients, we must now set a limit to our stoicism and to our giving. If we are not well, then we cant care for our patients or for anyone else.

Far from signaling weakness, asking for and receiving help is not only a sign of strength, but a sign of courageous leadership. And so, I ask you to put on your own oxygen mask, and then to reach out and help your colleagues put on theirs, too. As physicians, the trauma weve experienced through our decades-long education and training, through our competitive medical culture, and through years of silence and self-sacrifice have created a common bond and an unspoken understanding. We must give ourselves the love and compassion that I know is deep within each of us, and we must help each other to do the same. Our greatest power comes from standing in support of each other, together. And it is the only way forward.

Tammie Chang is a pediatric hematology-oncology physician and co-founder, Pink Coat, MD. She can be reached on Instagram @tammiechangmd and at her self-titled site, Tammie Chang, MD.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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I still recall the ICU physician holding my hand and preparing me for the possibility I might not survive the blood clots in my lungs, pulmonary embolism. It was eighteen years ago when out of the blue, I found myself unexpectedly holding the hand of that gentle, concerned doctor, whose name I do not even know. My son was three years old at the time, and all I could think about at that moment was him growing up without his mother. I was lucky to survive my blood-clotting event because many people do not. In 25 percent of patients with pulmonary embolism, there is no time to even ponder ones mortalitythe first and only symptom is sudden death.

I am high risk for having another such clot event. I take an oral anticoagulant, or blood thinner, to prevent it. It is a therapy that comes with risks, foremost bleeding. The mortality rate of an intracranial bleed developed while on anticoagulation is a staggering 50 percent.

My father also took a blood thinner for clots he developed in his lungs while undergoing cancer treatment. Unfortunately, while he was on anticoagulation, he developed a massive internal bleed that could not be controlled. I watched the doctors try to save him while he bled to death. It brought home the treatment risk I am walking around with every day of my life in very real terms.

My hematologist and I review my treatment options regularly to ensure Im on the appropriate drug therapy. We talk about the latest clinical trials, changes in my health, my clot and bleeding risk, and then we decide together which medication is best for my unique need. It truly is a best practices model for evidence-based shared-decision makingsomething which the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has identified as crucial to improving our health system to ensure optimal health outcomes.

Ive been stable and successful on my current blood-thinning medication, Eliquis, for eight years. My insurance has been the same during that time-a plan for state employees in North Carolinaand theres never been any issue with my anticoagulants being covered by my insurance, until recently.

I received a letter the week of Thanksgiving from my insurance plans pharmacy benefits manager (PBM), informing me that Eliquis would no longer be covered. It said before January 1, I should ask my doctor about writing a new prescription for either warfarin or Xarelto.

That was it. The letter provided no phone number to call if I had questions. It did not mention an appeals process.

Cardiovascular community response

I was not the only patient at high risk for a cardiovascular event to receive such a letter. My PBM manages the prescription benefits for 110 million Americans, and in removing Eliquis from its 2022 commercial formulary, approximately 150,000 patients already stable on it were forced to switch anticoagulants for non-medical reasons.

The move was viewed as so dangerously disruptive by the cardiovascular community that 14 nonprofits began working together under the coordination of the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health on short notice to try to get the decision reversed. It was an unprecedented collective effort Ive never seen before in my two decades as a patient advocate. The group wrote a letter to the PBM signed by all 14 nonprofits and copied to the Attorney Generals of all 50 states, started an online petition, and nearly 200 physicians wrote letters to the Chief Medical Officer of the PBM.

In addition, clinicians representing the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Hematologythe two medical societies which draft the thrombosis and anticoagulation clinical care guidelinesmet directly with medical leadership of my PBM to persuade them to reinstate Eliquis to their formulary. Since the president of my PBM is also a cardiologist, I personally held out great hope this physician-to-physician discussion would yield a positive outcome for patients.

Why such concern about the insurance coverage of this one drug? Eliquis is a new generation anticoagulant FDA approved to prevent stroke associated with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and to prevent and treat venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism). It is a very popular blood thinnernearly 3 million Americans take Eliquis, including President Joe Biden.

A plethora of positive efficacy and safety studies were published in 2021, further elevating Eliquis desirability. These studies showed that patients on Eliquis have significantly lower rates of major bleedingthe types of intercranial and gastrointestinal bleeding that can be fataland better overall outcomes with lower rates of recurrent thrombosis. The speed at which collective action came together in response to the news that this safe, effective top go-to drug would be unavailable is testament to the perceived dangers of the decision to remove this as a treatment option.

Patients are captive PBM consumers

Despite the pleas of 16 nonprofits in total, the formulary change went forward. That my PBM clearly knows the clinical evidence, the safety data and still proceeded over the objection of patients, individual physicians, and these top medical societies is unconscionable. As a patient, the question I have is why? What is the motivation for this dangerous decision to proceed at all costs?

There is no clinical evidence whatsoever to support switching stable patients from Eliquis to Xarelto or warfarin for non-medical reasons. None. Eliquis and Xarelto retail for about the same price in terms of financial cost. The only possible reason for this change is if the PBM made an exclusivity arrangement with the manufacturer of one drug for a more desirable rebate/kickback consideration over another. Such deals are not transparent, and we patients will never know the true reasons why we are not allowed to continue the medication our doctor ordered and which we have been taking for years.

Patients are captive PBM consumers. We do not choose a PBM; our insurance company does that. We cannot simply switch PBMs if we do not like their drug policies. These are the very conditions in which federal consumer protections are warranted.

Anticoagulants are the #1 class of drugs for adverse events. They require careful clinical management. I trust my doctor of 18 years to manage my anticoagulant therapy, not my insurance PBM who is motivated by non-transparent profit motives.

As a patient, how am I supposed to feel good about switching drugs knowing the one Im being switched to is not the one my doctor recommends nor the one which the clinical evidence suggests is best for my specific condition? That a corporation whom I did not contract with can essentially practice medicine without license over me against the direct medical advice of my doctor has come as quite a shock. Its legality and the lack of consumer protections to prevent patient harm is astonishing.

Beth Waldron is a patient advocate and can be reached on Twitter @bethwaldron.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, at the Archdiocese of Miami Pastoral Center in Miami Shores, Fla. Wenski was joined by business and community leaders, some of which were unaccompanied minors brought to the U.S. from Cuba during Operation Peter Pan in the 1960's, urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state legislative leaders to "stop advancing anti-immigrant policies that hurt children and Florida's economy." (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

MIAMI  Gov. Ron DeSantis press secretary escalated the war of words on Tuesday with the leader of Floridas Roman Catholic Church, saying Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski lied last week when he spoke against an executive action that targets shelters housing unaccompanied migrant youth.

Lying is a sin, Christina Pushaw wrote in a tweet accompanying a photograph of the archbishop that included a quote from Wenski from a Feb. 10 press conference at the Archdiocese of Miami where business and religious leaders along with immigration advocates opposed DeSantis immigration policies.

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About 20 minutes after her tweet, Pushaw clarified in another tweet that she meant to refer to Wenski personally: I pointed out that he lied about what @GovRonDeSantis said....

Pushaw was referring to a comment by Wenski last week in which the archbishop said, Children are children, and no child should be deemed disgusting, especially by a public servant.

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Wenskis comments alluded to a Feb. 7 discussion, in which DeSantis said it was disgusting to compare Operation Pedro Pan, a 1960s relocation of thousands of Cuban youth to South Florida, to the resettlement of unaccompanied minors under President Bidens administration, which the Republican governor has called a human-smuggling operation.

This engagement seems to be between the governors staff and his public, said Mary Ross Agosta, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Miami. Besides heading the archdiocese, Wenski also carries the title of Metropolitan, meaning he oversees all seven dioceses in the state. He is a former bishop of the Orlando diocese.

The photograph Pushaw used on Twitter was originally posted by the American Business Immigration Coalition, an organization made up of pro-immigration reform businesses that also participated at last weeks press conference with Wenski.

Felice Gorordo, a board member of the coalitions Florida chapter and son of a former Pedro Pan participant, said it was absurd and hypocritical for the governors spokesperson to say the archbishop was lying.

I think its clear who has the moral authority in this matter, and I applaud and appreciate the Archbishop for his steadfast leadership in pushing back and standing up to politicians like DeSantis trying to weaponize these innocent children, Gorordo said.

Pushaws comments came on the same day that a Spanish-language ad blasting DeSantis for the shelter rule launched Tuesday on South Floridas airwaves. The governors executive action announced in December mandates state regulators to not issue or renew licenses for shelters that house unaccompanied migrant children through partnerships with the federal government.

The American Business Immigration Coalition Action, a partner organization of ABIC, is behind the campaign, which will be broadcast on multiple AM and FM radio stations for several days.

The radio ad is titled Disgusting?

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Disgusting? Disgusting is that Gov. DeSantis is trying to benefit himself politically by attacking innocent immigrant children who are only seeking refuge, says the narrator of the ad.

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The ad campaign describes Miami as Floridas own Ellis Island. It also blasts the governor for positioning Pedro Pan kids as more worthy of help than minors fleeing instability in their home countries today.

The ad explicitly mentioned Haitian and Venezuelan migrants, two communities with growing political clout in South Florida.

Children are children, whether they are escaping the oppressive Castro regime or violence, socialism and dictatorship in Venezuela, Haiti and Central America. None of these children are disgusting and caring for them is an act of humanity, said Mike Fernandez, a Cuban exile and co-chairman of the coalition that paid for the ad.

The governors office pushed back against the ad after it started airing.

Pushaw said the ad was false and characterized it as a blatant example of Spanish-language misinformation, mainly because of how the governors previous comments were framed.

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Gov. DeSantis didnt call unaccompanied minors disgusting, she said.

Miami Herald Tallahassee reporter Ana Ceballos contributed to this story. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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To say that Daithi Holohan has suffered for his art would be the easy way to open this piece. But would it be the most accurate? Perhaps not.

Theres so much more to him than that. Its best to leave the trope of the tortured artist at the door.

When you stand in front of Daithi, you know youre standing in front of a man with stories to tell. Hes a walking tapestry of tales. As real as it gets.

Daithi was born into a staunch Catholic working class family in Kilkenny City in the 1950s.

There was eleven of us in a two-bedroom house, he recalls.

Daithis mother and father moved from Johnstown to the city in the early 1920s. Both were fluent in Irish and had been involved with the Gaelic League.

Back then, you just got on with life. You played with the cards that youre dealt. Thats what you had to do. There was no other way, Daithi explains.

Daithi always had an eye for creativity and in his early teenage years he was taken on as an apprentice goldsmith by Rudolf Heltzel. After a year, he packed his bags and headed to the Aran Islands to learn Irish.

Daithi switched schools from the CBS to Kilkenny Vocational School when he arrived back in Kilkenny and immediately took to subjects such as technical drawing and metalwork.

It turned out to be a great decision. I was able to put together a really diverse portfolio of art from the subjects I did in school and the drawing I did at home, Daithi says.

His portfolio was so impressive that it bagged him a scholarship and he went on to study Fine Art in the National College of Art and Design (NCAD).

As part of his degree, Daithi went on an exchange to Minneapolis, and dug his heels into bohemian youth culture.

Into the third and fourth year of his degree, when not needed physically in college, Daithi would find work where he could.

This included jobs picking strawberries in Wexford and sweeping the streets across the water for the London Corporation.

It was in London, whilst staying in a grotty squat in upmarket Maidavail, that Daithi had his first major mental breakdown.

He had brought a girl back to his squat to show her his art after she had expressed interest only to tell him that it was wicked and immoral and that he should be ashamed.

The comments shook him to his Catholic core and made him question everything. All of a sudden, this young woman shape-shifted into the devil himself before his very eyes. He had never been so scared in all his days.

The experience totally changed Daithis life and work, with ensuing admissions, voluntary and involuntary to psychiatric hospitals including in Mountjoy Prison and the so-called Criminal Lunatic Asylum in Dundrum.

These experiences in institutions would shape a great core of Daithis work throughout life, and he often drew portraits of fellow patients to wile away the hours.

The great thing, Daithi says is, that mental illness does not differentiate between class and creed and that you meet people of integrity from all walks of life.

Thankfully, his stints getting treatment did not stop him from exhibiting his work when he was back on the outside. He gleefully exhibited in countless exhibitions in Kilkenny and in locations across the country throughout the 80s and early 1990s.

The birth of his daughter Shauna in 1994 further helped to ground him and gave him a renewed sense of purpose.

I live for her now, Daithi says. Plus she keeps me on the straight and narrow, he adds, with a chuckle.

Over the ensuing years, Daithis art style shifted from predominantly fine line detail portraits to loose interpretations of city and landscape. His recent work reflects an appreciation of his new surroundings, positive mental health and love of his daughter.

National art critic Aidan Dunne has described Daithi as an instinctive naturalist with a good eye.

Tess Felder, former journalist at the Kilkenny People, now working at the New York Times, points out a sense of freedom and calmness in his more recent work.

By not following any particular medium or style, I try to retain a vibrancy and freshness in my approach to each new piece, Daithi explains.

Recent exhibitions of his work have taken place predominantly as part of the Alternative Kilkenny Art (AKA) programme.

The most recent major exhibition was at Hendersons on The Parade in 2018.

Post-pandemic, Daithi would like to push his art even further and exhibit it to even more eyes, as any artist is entitled to do.

Daithi is now seeking to exhibit all the eras of his work as part of a grand retrospective on himself as an artist and states that he has applied to Butler Gallery for that very purpose.

Theres a great story to tell here. I just need to be given the opportunity and space to show it, he emphasises.

Daithi has produced art in times of suffering that can only be achieved through intense moments of perceptual clarity.

The art of Daithi Holohan has helped to ground him within the reality of his immediate world throughout his life.

Has he suffered for it? Perhaps. Has he lived for it? Without doubt.
Republican Marco Rubio has a 7-point lead over Democratic challenger Val Demings, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy survey also shows President Biden with a 55% disapproval rating in Florida and 40% approval.

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U.S. Sen. Rubio had a 49% to 42% advantage over U.S. Rep. Demings, D-Orlando, according to the poll, with 9% undecided.

Demings trailed Rubio in every region except heavily Democratic Southeast Florida.

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Still, said pollster Brad Coker in his analysis, an incumbent running below 50% often leaves the door open for a challenger to significantly tighten a race under the right circumstances.

Coker wrote that voters seem to be dug in along party lines.

The key for Demings to pull off an upset will be the ability to attract more unaffiliated voters, Coker wrote.

Currently, independents are backing Rubio by 10 points, 47% to 37%.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

Rubio also had a 27-point recognition advantage, with 95% of voters saying theyre familiar with him compared to 68% familiar with Demings.

That gap, Coker wrote, will naturally shrink by the later stages of the race. As that gap closes, independent voters must swing to Demings. As the campaign progresses, that will be the trend to watch for. Absent that shift, Rubio will be re-elected.

Demings also has to hope for Bidens approval numbers to get better, Coker wrote.

Bidens low job rating with Florida voters  particularly his weak showing among independents  is likely going to have a larger impact, he wrote.

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Among independents, 33% approve of Biden while 61% disapprove.

It will be difficult for her to make the necessary gains among those who are unaffiliated as long as they remain hostile to the president, Coker wrote.

The poll was of 625 registered Florida voters between Feb. 7 and 10. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
A 140 million cheese factory proposed for Belview in South Kilkenny can now be built - following a decision by the Supreme Court, published this morning.

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal against the development by An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, and upheld the High Court's decision to uphold An Bord Pleanalas permission for the factory at Belview.

The decision has been welcomed by Fine Gaels John Paul Phelan TD, who lives just minutes from the proposed development site. Farmer representative organisations have called for the decision to be respected.

IFA President Tim Cullinan said the decision of the Supreme Court to give the green light to the Glanbia cheese plant should be respected by everybody.

ICMSA's Pat McCormack said that todays decision by the Supreme Court represented a welcome boost for both Glanbia and the wider Irish dairy sector.

In January the appeal by An Taisce was heard, with judgement reserved until today.

The Supreme Court has decided to uphold An Bord Pleanalas ruling to grant planning for Glanbia Ireland and Royal A-wares continental cheese plant at Belview on the Kilkenny-Waterford border.

Over the two-day hearing, counsel for An Taisce argued that the 'significant indirect effects' of producing the amount of milk needed for the plant, and the effects on the environment from this agricultural activity, should have been taken into account when considering the planning application.

The planning permission should be quashed, is An Taisce's position.

Counsel for An Bord Pleanala said they were not required to assess the potential environmental effects of activities that are not within the scope of the development itself.

Legal argument in favour of the plant's planning permission was also made by the Attorney General and counsel for Kilkenny Cheese Ltd (the developer).
A 700 year old Irish castle has been voted Europe's favourite filming location, beating four other shortlisted countries for the top spot.

Cahir Castle, which overlooks the River Suir and is managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW), has won the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) Location Award 2021.

The popular Tipperary destination was nominated by Screen Ireland as the location for The Green Knight and won by public vote against Norway (Dune), Spain (The Crown), Croatia (Murina) and Germany (The Queens Gambit).

The award was announced at the Berlinales European Film Market last night (Tuesday February 15).

One of Irelands largest and best-preserved historic castles, Cahir Castle has captured the imagination of multiple filmmakers over the past decades. In David Lowerys 2021 film  a fantasy retelling of the famous medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight  the 13th-century fortress features as the Camelot of Arthurian legend, a role it has starred in before in the 1981 film Excalibur.

Receiving the award trophy in Cahir Castle yesterday, Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Patrick ODonovan, said: I am delighted and I wish to thank all the people here in Ireland and abroad who answered our call and voted for Cahir Castle to win the EUFCN Location Award 2021. Winning this award is deserved recognition for one of Irelands stunning locations as well as for the dedicated OPW team of heritage and conservation experts committed to restoring, preserving and promoting Irelands cultural heritage for present and future generations to enjoy.

"The OPW cares for 780 of Irelands most iconic heritage sites. As part of its mission, it is proud to offer access to its sites to filmmakers from all over the world, working closely with film crews to maintain the highest standards of safety, integrity and authenticity."

OPW site manager at Cahir Castle, Eleanor Morrissey, said, All of us working in Cahir Castle are immensely honoured and feel proud of this fantastic achievement that acknowledges how special Cahir Castle is not only in Ireland but in Europe. Working on site during the filming of The Green Knight was a wonderful experience which allowed us to see the courtyards dressed for filming, re-creating the appearance and atmosphere of how they may have been in centuries past.

"The craftsmanship of the medieval masons provided a wonderfully authentic backdrop for this tale of honour, bravery and courage, but Cahir Castles own history is no less fascinating and really comes to life in our guided tours and multilingual audio-visual show."

Senator Garret Ahearn called the win "a massive achievement" for the castle and a testament to everyone from the town.

He said, "This is a major statement by the film industry that Cahir Castle is leading the way as a location of beauty. I want to congratulate Eleanor Morriseey and all who have worked so hard to support and promote Cahir Castle and of course everyone who voted for Cahir Castle.

"We have come out of a very difficult two years and tourism plays a vital role to the local economy of cahir and it's surrounding area. This award will be an added advantage, along with St Declan's Way and the Suir BluyWay, to attract visitors to this region. I look forward to seeing the benefit of this over the coming months with large numbers of tourists returning to Cahir."
A political committee called The Truth sent out mailers promoting Jestine Iannotti, an independent candidate in the 2020 Florida Senate District 9 race who did not campaign and did little fundraising. (Provided to the Sentinel / Courtesy photo)

Two members of Congress are calling on the U.S. Postmaster General to crack down on deceptive mail practices that allowed operatives to deliberately conceal their identities and send more than 500,000 mailers promoting ghost candidates in three Florida Senate districts in 2020.

U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-FL, and Gerald Connolly, D-VA, are asking U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to consider increasing identification requirements for people purchasing political mail and establishing a public database that would list people who design and market mail pieces as well as the beneficiaries of the ads.

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In calling for the changes, Wasserman Schultz and Connolly cited the ghost candidate scheme in three competitive Florida Senate races, where GOP operatives promoted independent candidates as progressives in an apparent attempt to siphon votes from the Democrats in those races.

Deceptive political mailers are, unfortunately, a common part of our countrys electoral process, Wasserman Schultz and Connolly wrote in a letter sent Wednesday to DeJoy. In a small number of contests, however, malicious political actors so egregiously abuse the U.S. Postal Service through the use of political mailers that it distorts electoral outcomes.

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Wasserman Schultz and Connolly, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Operations, which oversees the U.S. Postal Service, wrote that the postal service also needs to better enforce current reporting requirements, which demand disclosure of the designers, marketers and beneficiaries of political mailers.

Despite potential criminal or civil penalties for failing to report this information, much of it appears uncollected, they wrote.

There must be accountability when fraudulent, intentionally deceptive mail is sent, Wasserman Schultz and Connolly wrote. Proper administration of current rules is a good place to start.

Last year, the Miami-Dade State Attorneys office filed charges against former lawmaker Frank Artiles, accusing him of paying a friend nearly $45,000 to run as an independent candidate in a competitive South Florida state Senate race in 2020. Artiles payments to Alex Rodriguez, which were not recorded on campaign finance reports, violated election finance laws, prosecutors said.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty in August and agreed to testify in the states case against Artiles.

Prosecutors said the scheme was intended to confuse voters in the Miami-area district, siphon votes away from the Democratic incumbent, Jose Javier Rodriguez, and help Republican Ileana Garcia, who won by 32 votes. Alex Rodriguez received more than 6,000 votes.

South Florida voters received mailers championing Alex Rodriguez as a progressive who would fight climate change, hold the police accountable, and guarantee a living wage, even though Rodriguez did not campaign. Similar ads went to voters promoting independent candidates in two other Florida Senate districts, including Central Floridas Senate District 9, where Republican Jason Brodeur defeated Democrat Patricia Sigman.

The advertisements were sent by two political committees chaired by young women who told South Florida investigators they played no role in running the groups and were paid for the use of their names on official committee documents.

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The operative who paid the women for the use of their names and ran the committees behind the scenes, Alex Alvarado, has received a letter from prosecutors with the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office notifying him hes also a target of their investigation.

The committees received all of their funding from an Alabama-based dark-money nonprofit organization that was run by consultants who were working closely with Florida Power & Light executives in 2020.

The man who appears as the nonprofits chairperson on official documents, Richard Alexander of Cullman, Alabama, is the brother of one of the consultants and also has received a letter from Miami-Dade prosecutors saying he is a target of their probe.

Besides Artiles and Alex Rodriguez, nobody else has been charged in connection with the scheme.

Wasserman Schultz said in the statement she and Connolly hope to work with the U.S. Postal Service to increase reporting requirements to help prevent mail system abuse in elections.

Laws were broken to promote several ghost candidates in Florida races, and these bad actors relied heavily on leveraging the mail system to manipulate voters, Wasserman Schultz said in the statement. Enforcing existing disclosures requirements, and adopting common-sense transparency rules could have discouraged this abuse, or forced them into the light before voters decided these races. We can help our democracy if we arm the public and press with more knowledge about who buys mail ads.

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anmartin@orlandosentinel.com
Three NASA astronauts including two of the last people to ever fly on a space shuttle are headed to the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame.

The choices announced this week by the the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation include astronauts David Leestma, Sandy Magnus and Chris Ferguson, set to inducted June 11 to the Hall of Fame as its 2022 class of honorees. The three will join a small group of 101 other individuals who also received the distinguished honor. Leestma, Magnus and Ferguson were selected by the foundation for their demonstration of outstanding accomplishments in furthering NASAs mission of exploration and discovery, according to a press release from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which houses the hall of fame.

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The ceremony will take place in the massive exhibit that displays Space Shuttle Atlantis, which flew on STS-135, NASAs final space shuttle mission back in 2011. The Atlantis backdrop is a fitting homecoming for Magnus and Ferguson who were both part of the 2011 Atlantis crew for its final mission. The shuttle was later decommissioned and became an exhibit in 2013 at the Visitor Complex.

FILE - In this Friday, July 8, 2011 file photo, space shuttle Atlantis astronauts, in the center, Commander Chris Ferguson, waves as they leave the operations and check-out building. On his left, Dr. Sandy Magnus. The two were part of the Atlantis crew in its 135th and final space shuttle launch for NASA. (AP Photo/Terry Renna) (Terry Renna/AP)

NASA is inviting space enthusiasts and community leaders to the annual ceremony. The 30-year tradition was skipped in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 veteran astronauts  Pamela Melroy, Scott Kelly and Michael Lopez-Alegria  were officially inducted at a rescheduled ceremony last November.

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As we embark on a new era of space travel and interplanetary exploration, we are pleased to resume this annual program  as scheduled  and welcome these accomplished individuals into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, said Curt Brown, chairman of the ASF, which oversees the hall of fame selection process.

Sandy Magnus washes her hair aboard the space shuttle Atlantis in 2002. MUST CREDIT: NASA/Johnson Space Center (NASA/Johnson Space Center)

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To qualify for the hall of fame, an astronaut must have made their first flight at least 17 years prior to the induction year and they must be a NASA-trained commander, pilot or mission specialist who has orbited Earth at least once. U.S. citizenship is also necessary.

All three have demonstrated the characteristics that define a Hall of Famer: heroism, commitment and bravery, Brown said.

Born May 6, 1949, in Muskegon, Michigan. He received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1971, and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1972. He has logged over 3,500 hours of flight time, including nearly 1,500 hours in the F-14A. A veteran of three space flights, Leestma has logged a total of 532.7 hours in space. He served as a mission specialist on Challenger (October 5-13, 1984), Columbia (August 8-13, 1989), and Atlantis (March 24 to April 2, 1992). (NASA photo)

Leestma became an astronaut in 1980 and flew three space shuttle missions. Later, he became the director of flight crew operations where he oversaw 41 space shuttle flights and seven shuttle-Mir flights. Leestma wore many executive hats with NASA and twice received the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive.

Joining the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1996, Magnus flew in space on four shuttle missions riding in Atlantis twice, first in 2002, as well shuttles Endeavour and Discovery. She was one of the four astronauts who flew on NASAs final shuttle flight in 2011. She also flew to the International Space Station in 2008 spending nearly five months onboard as the ISS flight engineer and science officer. Magnus career also includes international work the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on facility-type payloads for the ISS.

Ferguson is a retired U.S. Navy captain and former NASA astronaut logging more than 40 days in space and 5,700 hours in high-performance aircraft. Ferguson worked as space shuttle pilot and commander of the 2011 Atlantis mission. He previously served as deputy chief of the astronaut office and currently works as a flight crew representative for Boeings Commercial Crew Program.

Jpedersen@orlandosentinel.com
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High around 55F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph..

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Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low around 40F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
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Kokomo, IN (46901)

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Light rain this morning. Scattered thunderstorms for the afternoon. High near 70F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

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Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 47F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Kokomo, IN (46901)

Today

A few showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. High around 70F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 47F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
HALLSVILLE  Up for debate again, the Hallsville School District is reassessing the option of a 4-day school week for the 2022-2023 school year.

According to school district meeting minutes, Hallsville's School Board will vote on the issue at their monthly meeting on Wednesday night. The issue is slated under "unfinished business" on the agenda.

In February 2020, the school board voted against the 4-day school week for the 2020-2021 school year, at a vote of 4 to 3. Now, the issue is up for debate again with staff and parents on both sides of the 4-day week.

When the issue was first up for discussion in February 2020, the district created a page on their website dedicated to "Exploring a Four Day School Week." The page includes the district's motivations, surveys, presentations, research, draft calendars and contact information for a study group who presented information to the school board.

On the page, the district cites motivations for the potential change as: recruiting and retention of staff, increased attendance, increased time for staff collaboration and increased quality time for families in the district.

In Wednesday's meeting agenda, the district includes feedback and survey results from parent, faculty/staff and community surveys.

The district shared a survey to parents and community members on Feb. 3 and received responses until end of day Feb. 7. Staff members were surveyed via paper format from Feb. 7 to Feb. 9 to ensure all staff members participated.

Of the parents and guardians of current students in the entire district:

51.5% favored a 4-day school week

39.5% favored a 5-day school week

8.9% had no preference

Of the 197 faculty and staff surveyed:

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66.3% favored a 4-day week

13.3% favored a 5-day week

20.4% had no preference

Hallsville School Board Treasurer Craig Stevenson said last January, when they approved the current school year, a 4-day week was not discussed in depth. He says this year, a group of faculty members made public comment in support of the 4-day week citing retention and recruitment.

"The rationale/reasoning this time is recognizing that there are fewer and fewer college students going into teaching, meaning there are fewer and fewer applicants for teaching positions and that a 4-day week could keep teachers and also be a recruiting tool," Stevenson said.

Stevenson said the motivation for the school board and community to reassesses this issue is "because of vocal teachers and some parents who have continued to raise concerns about retention and recruitment of staff."

He said at first, the feedback was nearly from all faculty advocating for a 4-day week.

"As time has gone on, the voices have become more diverse and much more equally divided rather than early on which was nearly all pro-4-day week sentiments," he explained.

In 2020, the district created draft versions of possible calendars for community members to review and discuss located on their 4-day school week page. Now, with the topic being discussed again, the school board will address the different possible calendars for the 2022-2023 school year in their meeting on Wednesday.

The different calendar possibilities discussed are:

Traditional 5-day school week August 23 to May 25 (162 days) 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. 1,094.75 total instructional hours 6.75 hour school day

4-day school week extended by 30/35 minutes August 23 to May 25 (150 days) 7:50 a.m. to 3:35/3:40 p.m. 1099.5/1087.5 total instructional hours 7.33 to 7.25 hour school day

4-day school week without extending school day Aug. 23 to June 15 (162 days) 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. 1,093.5 total instructional hours 6.75 hour school day

4-day school week extended by 15 minutes Aug. 23 to June 7 (157 days) 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 1,099 total instructional hours 7 hour school day

4-day school week extended by 15 minutes with 3 fewer days Aug. 23 to June 2 (154 days) 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 1,078 total instructional hours 7 hour school day



The school district says they will not comment on the issue until a decision is made by the school board on Wednesday night, which starts at 6 p.m. in the Hallsville Primary School cafeteria.
Alec Baldwin and others named in wrongful death lawsuit filed by family of Halyna Hutchins
By Deng Xianlai and Li Jizhi

The US and European countries have launched a series of diplomatic actions around the Ukraine issue recently. Some analysts pointed out that the US tends to "add fuel to the fire" while European countries tend to "put out the fire".

US tends to "add fuel to the fire"

The US has played up the tension in Ukraine through public opinion hype up, threats of sanctions, and military escalation.

The US kept releasing intelligence to the outside world, claiming that the war is imminent. Jake Sullivan, US National security adviser, said on February11 that US intelligence indicates that Russia may "invade" Ukraine before February 20. According to US media reports citing US government officials, Russia set the time of the invasion on February 16. All these claims were denied by both Russia and Ukrainian President.

In addition, the US repeatedly threatened that if Russia "invades" Ukraine, the US as well as its allies will impose severe economic sanctions on Russia. Recently the US shipped several batches of weapons to Ukraine and deployed troops to NATO allies close to Ukraine, such as Poland and Romania, promising to provide Ukraine with more military and economic assistance.

European countries tend to "put out the fire"

Leaders of many European countries have been actively mediating the situation in Ukraine recently, and European countries are more inclined to seek solutions. The leaders of Germany, France and Poland met in Berlin on February 8. The three parties emphasized that they should maintain talks with Russia so Europe will not suffer from war.

In addition, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, issued a statement on February 12 emphasizing that the EU and European countries are still coordinating on the situation in Ukraine, and the EU diplomatic institutions are still operating in Kyiv. Borrell's statement is clearly different from the evacuees of the US embassy and the US citizens in Ukraine.

Substantial differences

Analysts pointed out that the different responses of Europe and the US responded in the Ukraine crisis exposed the deep differences between the two sides in terms of geostrategy.

Due to the poor performance of the Biden administration in internal affairs, the US will use the Ukraine issue to divert domestic attention. At the same time, by making Russia a common enemy, the US can win over and bind European allies, so as to maintain the European order dominated and controlled by the US. It is in the interest of the US to keep the situation in Ukraine tense.

Analysts pointed out that a military conflict over Ukraine will have limited impact on the US. However, it will lead to a series of unbearable consequences for European countries, including a large influx of refugees, huge economic losses due to sanctions against Russia, and the grounding of the Nord Stream 2 project. In addition, compared with Russia's small proportion in US foreign trade, Europe, especially countries close to Russia, have close trade relations with Russia, and therefore Europe has more concerns about sanctions against Russia. For this reason, avoiding conflict in Ukraine is Europe's primary goal.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republicans and Democrats are working together to fix the states Department of Social Services (DSS) and its Childrens Division. The unison approach comes nearly 6 months after a federal report exposed systemic failure in its watch over Missouri children in foster care.

The legislative approach has been layered by hearings, funding debates and new bills; all designed to improve the health of the DSS and equip frontline case workers with the tools to keep track of missing kids.

Subsequently, what happened was, some of these kids were sex trafficked, said Rep. Dottie Bailey (R-Eureka). Now, imagine being a foster kid already having a difficult time. But then, the state failing so bad, that you're pushed into prostitution by unsavory people, and predators and pedophiles.

Some of the missing children documented in the federal report, which examined cases in 2019 although the Office of the Inspector General published the report in 2021, were recovered during federal busts of sex-trafficking operations, including the FBIs Operation Independence Day.

The DSS inability to fully keep track of all kids in its foster care program is rooted in other secondary problems, such as staffing, technology and money.

If the caseworker changes, if somebody knows where the child is, but then they leave, the next person might not know where that child is, unless it's documented in the case file, said Rep. Sarah Unsicker (D-Shrewsbury).

The turnover rate for staff in the Childrens Division of the DSS is at 34%, according to a consulting report paid for by the department. The report also states most frontline staff only stay for 6 to 12 months before leaving.

We need to have a better working environment. We need to pay them more, we're going to work on that, Rep. Bailey said, hoping to incentivize less turnover. And again, you know, the department within the departments, they need to figure out a way to retain these folks.

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The Missouri House passed a supplemental budget plan on Feb. 10 designed to pay its state workers more, including those working for the DSS.

That would do an across the board pay raise bringing state workers pay, across the board, up to $15 an hour, and a 5.5% pay raise for those making more, Rep. Unsicker said. So, that would really go a long way to bring back some of those Children's Division workers and reducing staff turnover.

Lawmakers are turning their focus to all staff, including those at the very top. Robert Knodell took over as acting director of DSS in 2021, but Gov. Mike Parsons office is searching for a permanent replacement. Knodell previously served as Gov. Parsons deputy chief of staff.

The Childrens Division also has a new director: Judge Darrell Missey. Misseys experience includes serving as a judge in Jefferson County and working with juvenile court matters.

He has a lot of experience, first as a guardian ad Litem and a lawyer, and then as a judge, Rep. Unsicker said. He has more than 20 years of experience with the child welfare system in that role, so I think he has a better perspective to look at the cases and see what's happening with them and what needs to change.

Even with two new leaders at the top, one state lawmaker is translating her words into dollars.

I actually put an amendment on a bill going through children and families that if a foster child goes missing, and it has not been reported by the placement provider or Children's Division, one or the other  they got to communicate  there's going to be a civil penalty of $50,000, Rep. Bailey said.

New proposed legislation, including House Bill 1559 which raises the age of who is considered a missing child in Missouri, will be just part of a bigger solution, lawmakers said.

We're gonna help them as much as we can, Rep. Bailey said. But our job is to hold them accountable, to protect these kids, and for God's sake, not let them be ushered into sex trafficking.

Read and watch the first installment of KOMU 8's Forgotten in Foster Care series here. The second installment of the series can be found here.
Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun, second from left, meets with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri Kani, in Vienna on Jan. 6, 2021, to discuss the issue of Tehran's frozen assets under U.S. sanctions, in this photo provided by Seoul's foreign ministry. Yonhap





South Korea and Iran have held working-level consultations to discuss ways to resolve a years-long dispute over Tehran's assets frozen here under U.S. sanctions, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.







Iranian bankers and officials from the state-run oil company and the petroleum ministry are here to meet with South Korean government and company officials to talk about pending economic issues, as multilateral talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal enter the final stretch.







Bilateral relations remain frayed over US$7 billion in Iranian funds locked in two Korean banks under U.S. sanctions, which were re-imposed after former President Donald Trump in 2018 withdrew from the landmark deal.







During the two-day meetings from Tuesday, the two sides discussed detailed payment options and the possibility of resuming oil trade in preparation for potential U.S. sanctions relief on Iran.







The country, which sits on the world's fourth-largest oil reserves, had been a key oil supplier to South Korea, importing its goods such as industrial equipment, household appliances and vehicle parts. (Yonhap)


Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Heavy rain and thunderstorms likely. High 62F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low near 45F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Garrett, IN (46738)

Today

Rain. Thunderstorms possible...mainly in the afternoon. High around 65F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 46F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Rain this morning with thunderstorms by evening. High 61F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low near 45F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
The East Carolinian has created a forum that centers around topics within the community where readers can express their experiences and concerns. With Valentine's Day coming up, do you think the ECU community and the City of Greenville is doing all they can to make people feel loved and supported?

Survey
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Rain this morning with thunderstorms by evening. High 66F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Following EVERGLOW Yiren's controversy, other Chinese idols like SEVENTEEN Jun and The8, as well as aespa NingNing are drawing scrutiny for also not doing the Korean big bow. But why is it big deal in the first place?

From SEVENTEEN Jun to aespa NingNing: Chinese Idols Criticized for Not Doing Korean Big Bow

On February 15, articles titled "Chinese members who do not bow because of Chinese customs" were posted on various online Korean communities.

In particular, the root of the issue started when girl group EVERGLOW held a fan meeting event during New Year. Unlike other members who gave a big bow to fans, Wang Yiren, a Chinese member, did the Chinese-style greetings instead.

ALSO READ: EVERGLOW Yiren Draws Mixed Reactions for Not Doing Korean New Year Greetings

The female idol then received negative feedback in return, urging her to go back to China if she'll not acknowledge Korean culture.

Due to this, the other Chinese idols and some of those who were pointed not doing the Korean big bow, SEVENTEEN Jun & The8 and aespa NingNing, received scrutiny.

In an episode of MBC Every1's "Weekly Idol," the male idols just stood and bowed their backs while the other members knelt on the ground.

aespa NingNing was also seen refusing to do the bow in some of their live broadcast, starting a heated debate among people on the web.

Reason Chinese Idols Don't Do Big Bow, and Why Koreans Are Disappointed

Due to this, a clash between Koreans and Chinese web commenters happened. The two sides explained that this is a big deal as their culture and customs are involved.

In traditional Chinese culture, bending your knees is the worship of someone and represents loyalty and respect for the other person. Chinese bow only to the heavens, earth and their parents. It is known that being forced to bow by others is considered an act of shame in China.

In response, Chinese netters are praising the aforementioned idols for not bowing in Korean.

On the flip side, Korean netizens who encountered the Chinese members' "refusal to bow" responded with criticism such as "Isn't it because Korea is 'below' them?" "If you don't want to follow the culture of our country, go out," and "I just all of want you to go back to China!"

In context, Korean big bow is also known as "Keun Jeol" where "jeol" means bowing down on knees. Different from China's customs, this is an etiquette practice in Korea, which shows respect to family and colleagues particularly on formal occasions such as New Year.

What do you think about this issue?

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Eunice Dawson
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
UPDATE FEB. 17 AT 1:51 PM:

The Yellowstone County Coroner has released the name of the man shot by a Billings Police Officer Tuesday.

The man has been identified as 39-year old Raymond D. Dupree Jr. of Billings

The cause of death has been determined to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner is homicide, which the coroner says is the standard for officer involved shootings.

UPDATE AT 12:11 PM:

Billings Police Chief, Rich St. John held a press conference Wednesday after an officer-involved shooting on 7th St. West.

Chief St. John noted that the investigation is still in its early stages and that it could take some time to complete, and that at this time, law enforcements understanding of the incident could change as more evidence is gathered.

Around 8:00 pm Tuesday night, Billings Police Officers were sent to the area of 7th St. and Broadwater Ave. for a report of a man with a handgun walking down the middle of the street.

Chief St. John reports the caller watched the man walk down the middle of the street, and specified that he was holding and displaying a handgun.

Officers first arriving on the scene did not see the man and began to search the area.

Officer Brett Hilde, who has worked with the Billings Police for five years, arrived a few minutes later in the area of 7th St. and St. Johns Ave. where he saw the man standing in the street.

The officer then reportedly saw the man point a handgun at the driver of an unrelated vehicle before turning and pointing the gun towards a group of people outside a residence.

Officer Hilde pulled forward to intervene, stopping in the middle of the street about 40 feet from the man.

When Officer Hilde opened the cars door, he drew his department-issued handgun.

Before any orders were given, the man turned towards Officer Hilde and pointed the handgun at the officer.

Chief St. John says Officer Hilde, fearing he was going to be shot and for the safety of others in the area, fired a total of eight rounds at the man.

At this time, Chief St. John reports he does not know how many rounds struck the subject, but he was hit and collapsed on the street.

Other officers arriving on the scene secured the area before securing the subject.

Live saving measures were attempted, however, the man died on the scene.

Near the subject, officers found a pellet-gun replica of a Glock-17 semi-automatic handgun according to Chief St. John.

The mans name has not yet been released, however, he has been identified as a 40-year-old Billings resident who is well known to local law enforcement.

Officer Hilde was wearing a body camera at the time, however, it was not activated until immediately after the shots were fired.

Per policy, Officer Hilde is on critical incident protocol and will be on administrative leave for at least two weeks.

The Billings Police Departments Detective Division and agents from the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation are investigating the shooting.

The Montana Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) will ultimately assume the lead on the case.

When the investigation is complete, the DCI and Billings Police will refer the case to the Yellowstone County Attorneys Office for review.

The attorneys office will ultimately schedule a coroners inquest.

This was a rapidly involving incident that took place in just seconds, and it could have been disastrous, Chief St John said. I am very relieved that Officer Hilde and no other citizens were injured, and my thoughts are with those who are affected.

Previous coverage:

Billings Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting on the 100 block of 7th Street West.

BPD has confirmed one man was killed in the altercation.

22-10033: 2950 Hrs 100 Block of 7thW. Officer Involved Shooting. Detectives on-scene. One male deceased. Officers ok. Investigation ongoing. -LT Wooley  BillingsPD (@BillingsPD) February 16, 2022

This investigation is ongoing and Montana Right Now has a reporter live on the scene.
Have a news tip or would like to report a typo? Email Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@kvoa.com.
LINN CREEK, Mo.  A local horse can trot freely again, after being saved from a metal hay feeder by Mid-County Fire Protection District.

On Feb. 11, MCFPD responded to a horse trapped in a hay feeder in the Linn Creek area. When firefighters arrived they found the 16-year-old Belgium named Hannah with her front legs trapped in the metal feeder.

Missouri Forget Me Not Horse Rescue and Sanctuary personnel were already on scene to assist Hannah and firefighters when MCFPD personnel arrived. The Missouri Forget Me Not Horse Rescue and Sanctuary personnel were able to sedate the horse allowing MCFPD firefighters to use hydraulic tools to cut the metal hay feeder to free the trapped horse.

Once the horse was freed, Hannah appeared to be uninjured and was left in the care of the Missouri Forget Me Not Horse Rescue and Sanctuary personnel.
Wisconsin lawmakers are considering legislation to make it easier to sell off public lands, raising concerns that the proposal could undermine trust from private donors whove helped preserve thousands of acres.

The bill would allow the sale of some lands purchased with Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funds, a program through which the Department of Natural Resources helps local governments and nonprofit organizations preserve land for nature-based use by the public.

Since its creation in 1989, the Knowles-Nelson program has been used to preserve more than 800,000 acres throughout the state, including places like the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and Cherokee Marsh.

In Walworth County, the Geneva Lakes Conservancy has been active in protecting land through the help of the stewardship program.

Current law prohibits the sale of Knowles-Nelson lands without DNR approval, something the agency rarely grants.

Companion bills sponsored by a pair of northern Wisconsin Republicans would allow lands acquired through grants to nonprofit conservation groups and local governments to be sold for private use so long as the state grant is repaid.

Groups including Clean Wisconsin, The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited and the Wisconsin Bike Fed oppose the bill, which they say would compromise the stewardship program and the states outdoor economy.

Its a pretty significant departure from where the law stands now, said Charles Carlin, director of strategic initiatives for Gathering Waters, an alliance of more than 40 private land trusts. It undermines this incredibly popular conservation program.

While the bill would require repayment of state grants, theres no such provision for private donors who often put up half the funds to buy the land or people who sell at below-market prices with the expectation that land will be conserved for the public.

This bill is really about honoring the commitments weve made, said Peter Burress, government affairs manager for Wisconsin Conservation Voters.

Carlin notes the bill affects just a fraction of Wisconsins roughly 6 million acres of public land but would make it harder for conservation groups to help local governments acquire public lands.

Madison Audubon has used Knowles-Nelson funds to protect more than 2,700 acres, including the roughly 700-acre Goose Pond Sanctuary in Arlington. Executive director Matt Reetz said the limitations on future use are essential to securing matching funds.

It gives people the assurance that the conservation of that land is forever, Reetz said. You have that trust.

Conservation groups also warn the bill could create a perverse incentive to use stewardship funds as low-interest financing for land speculation.

If youve got a park and you conserved it 25 years ago and now the real estate value is 25 times what it was  you can sell it to a developer, Carlin said.

Fear tactics

The sponsors say they are simply trying to make it easier for grant recipients to get rid of land that no longer meets their needs  something thats currently burdensome and rarely ever approved, said Sen. Mary Felzkowski of Irma.

No one is required to sell their stewardship land, said Rep. Calvin Callahan, R-Tomahawk. We are simply attempting to make it easier for those who no longer need the land for their own conservancy goals.

The DNR estimates about 10 properties would be sold off each year if the bill is passed.

DNR spokesperson Sarah Hoye said the agency has not approved the sale of any land bought with Knowles-Nelson funds but has approved some land swaps in cases where the land was subject to eminent domain or otherwise sold to a utility or the state Department of Transportation.

Under the bill, a county or other landowner would simply have to notify the agency, pay back the grant with interest and keep the land open until its sold.

In comments submitted to an Assembly committee last week, Felzkowski said her office has received an influx of calls from people concerned she is gutting the stewardship program.

This is incredibly far from the truth, and were extremely disappointed with these fear tactics, said Felzkowski, who accused opponents of being more concerned with protecting their business than preserving healthy ecosystems.

Boy Scout site

Collin Driscoll, an aide to Felzkowksi, said the bill was drafted in response to a request from Langlade County, which is seeking to sell part of a former Boy Scout camp it bought about five years ago with Knowles-Nelson funds.

County Administrator Jason Hilger said the board wants the option to sell some of the 652 acres to fund improvements on the rest.

I understand some (people) may not like what were proposing, Hilger said. Why couldnt we sell a few lots to help develop the rest of the property?

There are better ways to patch local budgets, said Mike Kuhr, state council chair for Wisconsin Trout Unlimited. Selling off public lands is a short-term fix, an economic band-aid that robs future generations of their outdoor recreation rights and prevents the expansion of our sustainable outdoor recreation economy.
A local nature preserve along Highway H is set to be renamed in honor of an advocate who helped maintain the nature area for many years.

Members of the Lake Geneva City Council unanimously approved, Feb. 14, to rename the Four Seasons Nature Preserve to the Mary Koutsky Four Seasons Nature Preserve.

The city councils finance, licensing & regulation committee unanimously recommended the name change, Feb. 1. Members of the Park Board of Commissioners first recommended renaming the nature preserve in honor of Koutsky June 15, 2021, before she died.

Koutsky formerly of Lake Geneva died Jan. 13 at the age of 80.

Koutsky and her husband, James L. Koutsky, helped establish the Four Seasons Nature Preserve Restoration and the Warbler Walkway, also known as the Duck Lake Nature Trail.

She and her husband helped maintain the nature preserve areas for more than 20 years.

Alderwoman Mary Jo Fesenmaier said Koutsky helped to remove invasive species from the Four Seasons Nature Preserve and would lead groups of high school students to clean out areas of the preserve.

Koutsky also helped establish the Prairie Dogs Project to help educate at-risk-youths about nature.

She was an excellent role model, Fesenmaier said. Unfortunately, Mary passed away a couple of weeks ago, but Im sure she knows this will be done in her name.

Fesenmaier proposed that the city purchase a new sign for the nature preserve to reflect its new name. The finance committee is set to discuss purchasing the new sign during an upcoming meeting.

Fesenmaier said she hopes to have the new sign purchased and installed before summer.

Alderwoman Cindy Flower proposed installing the sign closer to the roadway so more people are able to see it. She said the current sign is difficult to see because it is further back from the road.

So when people enter the park they know where it is, Flower said. Its kind of hard to see that sign where it is today. So if that could be incorporated in that agenda item (for the new sign) so it doesnt get lost, that would be great.

Koutsky lived in Lake Geneva her entire life and had a love for nature, animals and plants, according to her obituary. She graduated from Badger High School and studied biology, computer science and education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and worked as a biology teacher.

The Four Seasons Nature Preserve, N1889 County Highway H in Lake Geneva, features prairie restoration area, hiking trails, dog exercise area and picnic areas. The nature preserve includes a variety of plants and animals.

Members of the Lake Geneva Avian Committee and students from St. Francis de Sales established a storybook trail at the nature preserve in 2021.

The storybook trail includes a story path, information about plants and animals and nature-related activities.

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Walworth County Clerk Kim Bushey is set to retire from her elected position as county clerk, April 2.

Bushey has served Walworth County for the past 25 years and was first elected in November of 1996.

It is with a little anxiety and much excitement that I tender my resignation effective April 2, 2022, with my final work day to be April 1, Bushey said in a news release. I would like to thank the citizens of Walworth County and, of course, the Walworth County Board of Supervisors for the opportunity to serve for the past 25 years.

Bushey is the fourth longest-serving Walworth County clerk, and only the 18th county clerk to have served in the countys 183-year history. She was elected to her current four-year term in November 2020.

During her tenure, Bushey oversaw the countys transition from four separate voting systems to a single, countywide system, collaborating with county municipalities to write a grant to recoup the costs.

Additionally, her office was part of the statewide recounts of a Wisconsin supreme court justice and the president of the United States.

Walworth County is extremely fortunate to have benefited from Kimberlys professionalism, dedication, and knowledge these past 25 years, Walworth County Administrator Mark Luberda said in a news release. I have learned a great deal from her, and she will be greatly missed. We wish her well in her future endeavors.

At its Feb. 8 meeting, the Walworth County Board of Supervisors forwarded Busheys resignation to the executive committee for discussion regarding how to fill the county clerk position.

The executive committee was to meet Feb. 14 to forward recommendations to the full county board regarding the vacancy.
State election officials on Wednesday pushed back against the unverified, fantastical claims of widespread election fraud in Wisconsins 2020 election at an informational hearing with the GOP-led committee that has provided a forum for many of the allegations.

Claims of sweeping election fraud have persisted since the 2020 election, due in part to former President Donald Trumps baseless assertions that the election was stolen.

The ongoing debate over Wisconsins election has fomented a rift among legislative Republicans. Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, who has called for a full forensic audit of the states 2020 election, called out Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, for referring several election-related bills to the Assemblys state affairs committee  legislation that would traditionally be taken up by her committee.

Claims of fraud

Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe and technology director Robert Kehoe provided more than two hours of testimony before the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections, which is chaired by Brandtjen.

The commission officials tried to answer ongoing questions regarding Wisconsins statewide voter registration database WisVote, while also addressing unfounded claims of fraud, including those made last week before the committee by Peter Bernegger, who was convicted in Mississippi federal court in 2009 for making fraudulent claims to investors in his business.

A lot of concerns about the November 2020 presidential election are based on assumptions that lack a full understanding of election policies, laws and technologies, Kehoe said. Other concerns expressed to this committee have alleged startling claims of fraud without providing adequate evidence.

Recounts and court decisions affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the battleground state by almost 21,000 votes.

Among the evidence Bernegger cited last week was his inability to find a registered voter named Ambrose Aadventure, suggesting the name may have been a fake. But Aadventure, formerly known as Cory Wierl, is a real person who changed his name in June 2020.

In the end, it took me a few minutes on a public website to solve the case of Mr. Aadventure, Kehoe said. Thats what due diligence looks like. No supercomputer required.

Bernegger was one of several individuals invited by the committee to provide testimony over the last several months. Others include Erick Kaardal, a Republican attorney for the conservative Thomas More Society who has challenged the use of private grant funding provided to cities to help administer the 2020 election; former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, a Republican who has been hired by the Legislature to conduct a GOP-ordered review of the election; and Doug Frank, an Ohio scientist who made baseless claims that Wisconsins election likely was stolen.

The committee last invited commission staff to testify almost a year ago, in March 2021.

Wolfe said the commission has seen questions and complaints related to elections skyrocket since the 2020 vote, creating challenges for the agencys limited staff.

Call for clarity

Rep. Ron Tusler, R-Harrison, took issue with calling claims of fraud sensational and fantastical and called on the commission to make more of an effort to proactively respond to such questions  something commission officials said they already do.

Each one of these allegations for the most part would be pretty terrible if they were true, Tusler said. Folks that have these concerns, they dont strike me as poorly intended. But I think a lot of times they need information that they dont have and we rely on WEC to provide that.

Kehoe also pointed to Berneggers claim that more than 300 people registered to vote at an address that no longer exists, noting that the address in question belongs to a UW-Parkside apartment complex on a street that has since been renamed. In another instance, Bernegger cited hundreds of registered voters at 437 N. Frances St., one of the largest apartment complexes in Madison.

Some people are using these voters to support their claim that tens of thousands of fake voters were created to cast ballots in the 2020 general election, Kehoe said. Again, thats a shocking and frightening claim, still without one single example.

GOP debate

State Republicans have continued to question the results of the 2020 election, despite multiple recounts, lawsuits and reviews affirming there was no widespread fraud.

Following pressure from Trump, Vos hired former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, at a cost of $676,000 to taxpayers, to review the 2020 election. Vos has said the GOP-ordered review should be completed in a matter of weeks.

Despite that, others in the Legislature, including Brandtjen and Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, have pressed for a full forensic audit of the election.

Both Ramthun, who is running for governor based largely on his claims of widespread fraud, and Brandtjen spoke at a rally in the Capitol Tuesday seeking to take back the states 10 electoral college votes already certified for Biden. Nonpartisan legislative attorneys have said such a maneuver is impossible. Rallygoers held signs that read Toss Vos during the demonstration, signifying the protesters criticism of the longtime Republican leader.

The following day, Brandtjen said Vos had referred several election-related bills meant for her committee to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs.

In a statement, Brandtjen took aim at Vos and Republican Sen. Kathy Bernier, who chairs the Senate elections committee, for severely downplaying the significance of the voter fraud that the elections committee, the special counsel, and numerous independent groups have uncovered.

To take away the Assembly Committee on Campaign and Elections ability to provide the level of scrutiny that these bills require, and the citizens of Wisconsin deserve, is unconscionable and irresponsible, Brandtjen said. My question is simple: What are Robin Vos and Kathy Bernier afraid of?

Brandtjens spokesperson Bill Savage said the office did not receive any communication from Vos before the bills were referred. The proposed legislation pertains to the states voter registration database, absentee ballot applications, indefinitely confined voter status and election fraud, among other measures.

Vos responds

In an email responding to Brandtjens criticism, Vos described the state affairs committee as the Legislatures most versatile, flexible committee, handling a myriad of issues in a very timely matter. Vos also pushed back against Brandtjens claim that the referral was done to kneecap her committee.

There is no kneecapping happening to Rep. Brandtjens committee, he said, adding that the plan is to bring the bills before the full Assembly for a vote next week.

Bernier, a former elections clerk who is not seeking reelection this fall, has been one of the few legislative Republicans defending the 2020 election results.

Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, previously described any ongoing effort to decertify the 2020 election, which has been accepted and counted by Congress, as the dumbest thing I have ever heard of in my life.

Vos disciplined Ramthun earlier this year by removing his lone staff member, but not for Ramthuns comments about who won the states 2020 election. Rather, the removal of Ramthuns staffer stemmed from his false accusations that Vos had signed a deal with attorneys for former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to authorize absentee ballot drop boxes, Vos office said.
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Dubai [UAE], February 16 (ANI/NewsVoir): India will pitch to become the preferred sourcing partner for the global food processing industry during the fortnight and host various seminars and conferences to deliberate on ways to explore international collaborations and further strengthen its export potential.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, will inaugurate the 'Food, Agriculture and Livelihood' fortnight at the India Pavilion in EXPO2020 Dubai on February 17. The fortnight will showcase India's prowess in sectors like food processing, horticulture, dairy, fisheries, and organic farming and the vast investment opportunities that it offers.

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As part of the key theme - 'Millets', the fortnight will witness the millets food festival, the launch of Millets Book, and various seminars focusing on its health and nutritional benefits. It is noteworthy here that the UN General Assembly has recently adopted the resolution, sponsored by India and supported by more than 70 countries, declaring 2023 as the 'International Year of Millets'.

Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest livelihood provider in the country. The sector contributes a significant share of around 21% to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP). With total exports of agricultural and allied products at US$ 41.25 billion in FY21, India is among the 15 leading exporters of agricultural products in the world.

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To harness the untapped potential of this sector, the Government has allowed 100% FDI in the marketing of food products and food product e-commerce under the automatic route. An incentive outlay of Rs 10,900 crore (US$ 1,484 million) for the food processing sector has also been approved under the PLI scheme. In addition, the comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy has been introduced to increase India's agricultural export to US$ 60 billion by 2021-22 and US$ 100 billion in the next few years.

The sector is set to witness increased investment in agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation facilities, warehousing, and cold storage, with global consumption reaching the pre-pandemic level.

The fortnight will also see participation from several senior government officials who will be present during the various sessions.

The 'Food, Agriculture and Livelihood' fortnight will conclude on March 2nd.

To know more about India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai, please visit:

Website - www.indiaexpo2020.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/indiaatexpo2020

Instagram - www.instagram.com/indiaatexpo2020

Twitter - twitter.com/IndiaExpo2020?s=09

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/india-expo-2020/?viewAsMember=true

YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UC6uOcYsc4g_JWMfS_Dz4Fhg/featured

Koo - www.kooapp.com/profile/IndiaExpo2020

To know more about EXPO2020 Dubai, please visit - www.expo2020dubai.com/en.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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Sitapur, (UP), Feb 16 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that having a BJP government in Uttar Pradesh means control over rioters, 'mafia raj' and 'goonda raj' which was prevalent during previous regimes.

Addressing a rally here, PM Modi said the enthusiasm of people shows that the BJP will get their support in the remaining five phases of polling in UP as well.

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"A BJP government in UP means freedom to celebrate festivals, safety of sisters and daughters. Our government here means continuous work for the welfare of the poor and double speed work on Centre's schemes," he said.

Modi's rally covered nine assembly segments of Sitapur district that will go to polls in the fourth phase on February 23.

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Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 16 (ANI): Union Minister Anurag Thakur and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Wednesday filed a complaint with Election Commission over an alleged attack against Union Minister SP Singh Baghel.

Baghel is the BJP candidate from the Karhal Assembly seat, from where Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav is also contesting the Uttar Pradesh assembly election.

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A case has also been registered in connection with the incident, following the complaint lodged by Union Minister SP Singh Baghel in Mainpuri.

Meanwhile, Baghel has been provided 'Z' category security by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sources said on Wednesday.

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The senior BJP leader's convoy was attacked with stones and sticks near Attikullapur village in Manipuri district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening.

As per reports, the BJP leader escaped unhurt during the attack. However, the window of a vehicle in Baghel's convoy was hit by stones and shattered.

The BJP has strongly condemned the attack on Baghel. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister KP Maurya alleged that Samajwadi Party "goons" were behind the incident.

The incident took place in Rahmatullahpur village of Thana Karhal when Baghel was out during campaigning in the area ahead of the second phase of UP Assembly polls and was on his way to Atikullapur village with other party leaders.

There were some people already present outside the village who began pelting stone at Baghel's cavalcade. A vehicle was damaged in the attack, though the people were not hurt.

The police were informed but by the time they reached the spot, the stone pelters had fled. (ANI)

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Panaji (Goa) [India], February 16 (ANI): After Congress exuded confidence in winning Goa Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said that Congress should stop daydreaming about forming government in the coastal state.

The BJP is the incumbent government in the state.

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"Congress should stop daydreaming. Their greed for power is visible through their statements. As I said before, the huge turnout shows people have voted for BJP. Our win and Congress' defeat will be clear on March 10," BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanawde said in a statement.

Notably, Goa reported a high voter turnout in Assembly elections held on Monday after which All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Goa, Dinesh Gundu Rao said that there is a huge anti-incumbency wave and Congress will form the government with a full majority.

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Goa achieved a voter turnout of 78.94 per cent in polling for the 40 assembly seats.

The statement by BJP State President comes following claims by Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat and President of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar that BJP will be reduced to a single digit.

"Congress leaders are nervous about losing the 2022 Polls after a huge turnout yesterday. A massive response to voting is indicative that BJP will once again form the government in Goa," Tanawde said.

Exuding confidence in BJP's victory, he said, "Of course, Congress has the right to dream of its victory but they should not speak utter nonsense that BJP will get single digit. We are sure to sweep to victory and form the government for the third consecutive time. We have full faith in our people. We know our electorates have voted for development that only the BJP can execute. We have turned this into a reality over the last 10 years."

Calling Congress a "self-centered party", the BJP state president said, "They should not forget how it made Goa suffer under its rule. All through their election campaign this time they have only tried to mislead and hoodwink everyone, although we are sure people have smartly handled it." (ANI)

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New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) A Delhi court has granted bail to a woman arrested for aiding the alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case.

The court granted the relief to accused Pinky Irani who allegedly introduced Chandrasekhar to Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez and was acting as an agent for him to facilitate his certain actions such as buying gifts for various celebrities or sending gifts, flowers, meals to them as and when instructed.

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Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh passed the order on February 15, saying the accused was a woman of advanced age.

Therefore, once the investigation has been completed and the evidence, which is mostly documentary in nature, has been collected, I do not find that there is any possibility of the accused applicant tampering with the evidence. Considering the overall facts and circumstances, I find that no fruitful purpose will be served by keeping the accused in further custody, the judge said.

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The court granted bail on a personal bond of Rs one lakh with one surety of like amount.

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier questioned Fernandez in case.

Another actress Nora Fatehi was also questioned by the ED here in connection with the same case.

This ED case is based on an FIR filed by Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against Sukesh Chandrasekhar who is accused of cheating and extorting Aditi Singh, wife of the former promoter of Religare Enterprises Shivinder Mohan Singh, who was arrested in October 2019 in a case related to alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Ltd.

Chandrasekhar and his associates reportedly took money from Aditi after posing as government officials and promising to get bail for her husband.

Chandrasekhar reportedly persuaded Aditi to transfer money by impersonating a central government official over a spoof call while he was lodged in Rohini jail and promised to manage bail for her husband.

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Kolkata & Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], February 16 (ANI): Schools in West Bengal re-opened today for primary and upper primary students after a gap of about two years.

Students from Classes 8 to 12 are already attending physical classes in the state.

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COVID-19 guidelines were being followed as the students returned to school.

"We have re-opened for primary and upper primary classes from today and have followed all the COVID-19 guidelines for the safety of all. Students' hands have been sanitized before they entered the school premises", said Sulogna Bhattacharya, Assistant Head Mistress of a primary school in Silguri.

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The students are maintaining distance, wearing masks and bringing their own sanitizers to school, Bhattacharya further said.

"I am enjoying the day as I have come to school after a very long gap. We are all taking precautions and wearing our masks", said a young student.

Lipika Mukherjee, an assistant teacher at the school said, "We have been missing school and the ambience as we were teaching online for quite some time now. We all are very excited that the schools are re-opening and hope everyone remains safe and healthy while following all the COVID protocols."

In view of an improvement in the coronavirus pandemic situation, the West Bengal government on Monday revised the COVID-19 restrictions in the state and announced the reopening of all primary and upper primary schools with effect from February 16.

The schools will be reopened keeping in place all the COVID protocols. However, the night curfew will remain in force from midnight to 5 am till February 28, as per an order issued by the state government. (ANI)

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Dehradun, Feb 16 (PTI) Voter turnout in Uttarakhand which went to polls on Monday was 65.37 per cent, the Election Commission said.

The final voter turnout figures in the state were released by the EC on Wednesday after addition of data from the polling parties deployed in remote areas of the hill state.

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Polling percentage in the 2017 assembly polls in Uttarakhand was 65.56 per cent.

According to the final figures, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts in Uttarakhand plains recorded the highest polling percentages of 74.77 per cent and 72.27 per cent.

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Among the hilly districts, Uttarkashi recorded the highest polling percentage of 68.48 per cent followed by Nainital (66.35 per cent), Dehradun (63.69 per cent), Rudraprayag (63.16 per cent), Bageshwar (63 per cent), Champawat (62.66 per cent), Chamoli (62.38 per cent), Pithoragarh (60.88 per cent), Tehri Garhwal (56.34 per cent), Pauri Garhwal (54.87 per cent) and Almora (53.71 per cent).

Results of the 70 assembly seats in Uttarakhand will be declared on March 10.

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New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): In the memory of Guru Ravidas's birth anniversary, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the saint was dedicated to uniting the society by giving equal rights and justice to every person.

Taking to Twitter, Shah said, "The life of Sant Ravidas ji was dedicated to uniting the society by giving equal rights and justice to every person. I bow at the feet of the revered saint Shri Ravidas ji, a symbol of harmony and harmony, on his birth anniversary."

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"He showed the path of the welfare of mankind by awakening spiritual consciousness in the society with his thoughts and creations. His message of unity, equality and karma primacy will always guide us," senior BJP leader said in a tweet.

The Home Minister also stated that the Centre is working continuously to raise the standard of living by making every section a partner in development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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"Under the leadership of @narendramodi ji, the central government is working continuously to raise the standard of living by making every section a partner in development, realizing the ideas of Sant Ravidas ji," Shah tweeted.

PM Modi will also visit the Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham temple in Delhi's Karol Bagh today.

Sant Ravidas belonged to the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century and his hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. He is considered the founder of the 21st-century Ravidassia religion.

Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day of the Magh month as per the Hindu calendar. (ANI)

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Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 16 (ANI): Hyderabad Police booked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his alleged derogatory comments against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Following the complaint filed by TPCC president Revanth Reddy, a case has been registered under sections 504 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code at Jubilee Hills police station of Hyderabad city.

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Earlier on Monday, the TPCC president has lodged a complaint against Assam CM for making indecent remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the Jubilee Hills police station.

Congress leaders have filed a criminal case against Himanta Biswa Sharma and demanded his immediate arrest.

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"Assam CM's remarks are humiliating for a woman, Why did the Chief Electoral Officer of the National Election Commission not order the arrest of Himanta Biswa Sharma" asked Revanth. "BJP should remove Himanta Biswa from the post of Chief Minister. But the BJP is supporting the remarks of the Assam CM."

The TPCC president added, "Some say it is an insult to the Gandhi family, but it is an insult to the women of this country. An FIR should be registered against our compliant immediately."

According to him, the Assam CM should be served notice immediately. "It is the responsibility of the police to arrest the Assam CM."

Further investigation is on. (ANI)

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Motihari (Bihar) [India], February 16 (ANI): A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was allegedly vandalised by some miscreants at Charkha Park of Motihari district in Bihar.

After the vandalism, proper security arrangements have been put in place in the area.

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"Some eyewitnesses have given statements to police about the incident. A police team has been formed to apprehend the accused. Proper security arrangements are being made. A home guard has been deployed here," said Kumar Ashish, Superintendent of Police, East Champaran, Motihari.

According to East Champaran District Magistrate S Kapil Ashok, the statue was installed in the park by Power Grid Corporation under CSR activity.

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"Since this place was not handed to the administration formally, we will ask the corporation as to why proper security arrangements were not made here," added the DM. (ANI)

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Dehradun, Feb 16 (PTI) The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday lifted night curfew after over one-and-a-half months and allowed various other economic activities to resume fully following a decline in daily Covid cases.

According to revised COVID-19 SOP, night curfew imposed in the state on December 27 to rein in a spike in pandemic cases has been lifted, and gyms, shopping malls, cinema halls, spas, salons, theatres, auditoriums and meeting halls allowed to open with full capacity.

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However, swimming pools and water parks will remain closed till February 28.

The ban on political rallies and dharnas will also continue till February 28, the standard operating procedure (SOP) said.

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Hotels, restaurants and dhabas can also open for dining with their full capacity, but will have to strictly follow Covid norms.

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By Ashoke Raj

New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Transport, Tourism and Culture on Wednesday expressed deep concern for Indians including students residing in Ukraine amid a looming threat of war with Russia, and urged the Union government to prioritize their safe return.

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This comes after the Indian Embassy in Ukraine issued an advisory stating the nationals, particularly students whose stay is not essential, "may consider leaving temporarily" on Tuesday.

A member of the committee raised the issue of Ukraine in the meeting and urged the committee chairman to take up the issue of the safe return of Indians from Ukraine with concerned ministries.

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"All the committee members agreed on this and they were of the view that the process of the safe return of Indians in Ukraine should be expedited," a member present in the meeting told ANI.

The committee, while discussing the Ukrainian matter, also urged for a special focus on the return of students studying in Kyiv.

According to the meeting agenda, the parliamentary standing committee for Transport, Tourism and Culture headed by BJP Rajya Sabha MP TG Venkatesh had called for a meeting, "To hear the views of Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on Demands for Grants (2022-23) of the Ministry".

As per reports, there is no official number of students in Ukraine, but there are currently thousands of students in different places in Ukraine and there is a demand for their safe return in India.

Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of preparing to invade. Meanwhile, Moscow denies the claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country.

White House spokesperson had earlier said that the US would welcome any country's attempt to play a role in de-escalation of mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including India. (ANI)

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Lucknow, Feb 16 (PTI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday took a jibe at Yogi Adityanath, saying he should take care that he does not "wake up in his dreams" and take the Jhansi-Delhi expressway or "ride in the Jhansi Metro" which he had promised after becoming the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

Adityanath was in Jhansi on Wednesday evening to campaign for BJP candidates and also take out a roadshow.

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"Babaji who is sleeping in Jhansi should keep in mind... that he should not wake up in his dreams and take up 'hawa hawai' Jhansi-Delhi expressway or ride in the Jhansi Metro, which were false promises that he made to the citizens of Jhansi after becoming the CM," Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.

"This time people of Bundelkhand will destroy those who betrayed them," he added.

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During his Jhansi visit, Adityanath paid obeisance at the Mahadev temple and said he wanted to visit the temple seven years ago but he was arrested before reaching there.

The chief minister is staying at the Circuit House of Jhansi and he will address a meeting on Thursday.

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New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to suspend the sentences of a seven-year jail term of real estate barons Sushil, Gopal Ansal in the Uphaar cinema fire evidence tampering case.

The bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad on Wednesday dismissed the application seeking suspension of sentences of businessmen. Meanwhile, Justice Prasad allowed the application of suspension of sentence of one other accused Anoop Singh.

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The trial court had awarded them seven years imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs. 2.25 Crore.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appeared for Ansals, earlier had submitted before the bench that no judicial system considered the primary conviction as final. There is a need to adopt a larger view and not a tactical one. He further submitted that the allegations were related to continuing conspiracy of tampering with evidence. "But there is no direct evidence of tempering the evidence. The only ground was that I would be the beneficiary of delay," he added.

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Senior Advocate had argued for Ansals, ''Everything was based on the point of benefit from conspiracy. But there can not be an open-ended, continuing conspiracy. He said 95 per cent of documents were those whose author was not examined. In this situation, the admissibility of a document can't go without the authenticity of the author.

Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa appeared for the Association of The Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) strongly opposed the petitions and submitted that the offence of tampering is extremely serious in nature, as it affects the entire criminal justice system. It is direct interference in the administration of justice and thus requires serious consideration while suspending the sentence of seven years & a fine of 2.25 Crores.

Businessmen Gopal Ansal, Sushil Ansal and one other had moved the Delhi High Court against the order of Session Court. The sessions court had not suspended their sentence.

Earlier they moved Sessions Court against Magistrate Court order convicting and sentencing them to 7 years jail for tampering with evidence in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court on November 8 last year had sentenced seven-year imprisonment and imposed Rs 2.25-crore fine each on Sushil and Gopal Ansal for tampering with evidence

CMM Dr Pankaj Sharma was sentenced to seven years jail terms to convict businessmen Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal and three others in the case related to tampering with the crucial evidence in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case. The Court also ordered to take them into custody.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court while passing the order also said "After thinking over nights and nights, I have come to the conclusion that they deserve punishment."

In the matter, Court had earlier convicted businessmen Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal along with their two employees among others in the case related to tampering with the crucial evidence in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy case. The Court had found all accused guilty under sections 409, 201, 120B of IPC and pronounced the order.

Along with Ansal brothers, a court staff Dinesh Chand Sharma and other individuals PP Batra, Har Swaroop Panwar, Anoop Singh, and Dharamvir Malhotra were booked in the tampering of evidence case.

Out of seven accused, two accused Har Swaroop Panwar and Dharamvir Malhotra died during the course of the trial.

At least 59 people died of asphyxia and over 100 others were injured in the stampede after fire broke out in Uphaar cinema on June 13, 1997, during the screening of JP Dutta's film 'Border'.(ANI)

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Mumbai, Feb 16 (PTI) Uniphore, the start-up which is into conversational automation, has raised USD 400 million in its Series-E funding round, led by foreign fund NEA, March Capital and other existing investors along with new entities, at a valuation of USD 2.5 billion.

With this round, the Chennai-headquartered Uniphore's total funding has touched USD 610 million at a valuation of USD 2.5 billion.

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The company, co-founded by Umesh Sachdev, who is also the chief executive, said this is its largest to date and will be used to extend its technology and market leadership with advancements in voice AI, computer vision and tonal emotion, apart from expanding its operations to North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

The market for automating enterprise conversations has rapidly accelerated in the past few years as companies recognise the impact of positive customer interactions on their brand image and customer loyalty. As a result, many businesses have turned to artificial intelligence and automation to create smooth and frictionless customer experiences.

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Uniphore's conversational automation engine delivers powerful and innovative solutions to help enterprises not just survive but thrive amidst all the demands placed on them by customers.

He said that with this investment, Hilarie Koplow-McAdams of NEA will be on the board of Uniphore. HRS hrs

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New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) Telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) on Wednesday said it has successfully demonstrated 5G Voice over New Radio (VoNR) capability with its technology partner Nokia, during the 5G trials currently underway in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Explaining the new capability, a VIL statement said that once deployed, the VoNR solution will enable it to offer subscribers high-definition voice experience over 5G, as well as several advanced voice applications and use cases in the future.

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The company is conducting 5G trials on government-allocated 5G spectrum in Gandhinagar, Gujarat and Pune in Maharashtra.

"Vodafone Idea has announced that it has successfully demonstrated 5G Voice over New Radio (VoNR) with its technology partner, Nokia, during the ongoing 5G trials in Gandhinagar, Gujarat," the statement added.

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The VoNR trial was done on Nokia's wide portfolio of solutions.

"Once commercially deployed, the solution can provide superior user experience on a reliable, low latency network, as it uses the 5G network for both voice and data services," the statement added.

Jagbir Singh, chief technology officer of Vodafone Idea Ltd, said, "We are testing technology solutions for offering superior network experience and use cases of relevance to digital enterprises and consumers, during our 5G trials".

The government expects Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to give its recommendations on 5G spectrum pricing and other modalities, by March.

The spectrum auctions will be conducted in 2022, to facilitate the roll out of 5G mobile services within 2022-23 by private telecom providers.

The market is gearing-up for roll out of 5G services, that will usher in ultra high-speeds and spawn new-age services and business models.

According to VIL's statement, earlier, during its 5G trials with Nokia in Gandhinagar, VIL recorded speeds of over 4 Gbps and showcased unique consumer use cases such as "AI (artificial intelligence) based VR streaming, Roller Coaster Gaming, VR 5G Connected Schools and 360 degree VR Content Playback".

VIL "also used Nokia's 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and 5G core to successfully demonstrate secure network slicing use case, as well as trialed the utilisation of 5G in mid-band to provide rural broadband connectivity in Gandhinagar", the statement added. HRS hrs

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The family of late 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has filed a lawsuit against Alec Baldwin and others involved in the film, alleging that reckless behaviour and cost-cutting led to her death. As per Variety, Hutchins was shot and killed on October 21 while preparing for a scene at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin, the film's star, was holding the gun when it fired, though he has stated that he did not pull the trigger. Hutchins was shot through the torso, and the bullet lodged in the shoulder of the director, Joel Souza. Hutchins was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque, where she died. Rust Shooting Incident: Crew Member Says Halyna Hutchins Was 18 Inches Away From Gun Alec Baldwin Was Holding.

She left behind her husband, Matthew Hutchins, and the couple's 9-year-old son. "He lost his long-term wife who was the love of his life, and his son lost a mother," said Brian Panish, who represents Hutchins' estate, at a press conference announcing the suit. "It never should have happened." The lawsuit, filed in New Mexico, cites text messages and emails sent by Lane Luper, the camera assistant who raised red flags about accidental discharges on set, and who left the production with several others just before Hutchins' death.

The suit also alleges that Baldwin violated numerous rules for the safe handling of firearms. It also suggests that Baldwin committed reckless discharge of a deadly weapon, "which is a criminal offence in the State of New Mexico." Baldwin has said he does not expect to face criminal charges, though the local prosecutor has refused to rule that out. Randi McGinn, the estate's attorney in Albuquerque, said she expected the lawsuit would get to trial within a year and a half to two years, which she said is relatively fast.

"In New Mexico, we're used to people coming in from out of town to play cowboy who don't know how to use guns," McGinn said. "You don't hand somebody a gun until you've given them safety training... No one should ever die with a real gun on a make-believe movie set." In addition to Baldwin, the suit names seven producers as defendants -- Ryan Smith, Allen Cheney, Nathan Klingher, Ryan Winterstern, Anjul Nigam, Matthew DelPiano, and Emily Salveson -- as well as crew members Sarah Zachry, Dave Halls, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, Gabrielle Pickle, Seth Kenney, and others.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office has been investigating the incident, focusing on determining how a live round made it onto the set. Search warrants have revealed that the armourer, Gutierrez Reed, loaded the Colt .45 with what she believed were dummy rounds. She then gave the gun to Halls, the first assistant director, who proclaimed that it was a "cold gun," while handing it to Baldwin. Rust Shooting Incident: Alec Baldwin in Legal Trouble After Films Gaffer Files Negligence Suit Against Him.

Three other crew members have already filed suit: Mamie Mitchell, the script supervisor, Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer, and Cherlyn Schaefer, the key medic. Gutierrez Reed has also sued Kenney, who supplied ammunition to the set, alleging that he mixed live and dummy ammunition. The production had a liability policy with a limit of USD 6 million. In response to Mitchell's suit, the producers -- including Baldwin -- have argued that the case should be thrown out because it involves a workplace accident, which should be handled through the state workers compensation system.

Aaron Dyer, the attorney who represents Baldwin and the other producers, issued a statement in response to the suit. "Everyone's hearts and thoughts remain with Halyna's family as they continue to process this unspeakable tragedy," Dyer said. "We continue to cooperate with the authorities to determine how live ammunition arrived on the 'Rust' set in the first place. Any claim that Alec was reckless is entirely false. He, Halyna and the rest of the crew relied on the statement by the two professionals responsible for checking the gun that it was a 'cold gun' - meaning there is no possibility of a discharge, blank or otherwise."

Dyer added, "This protocol has worked on thousands of films, with millions of discharges, as there has never before been an incident on a set where an actual bullet harmed anyone. Actors should be able to rely on armourers and prop department professionals, as well as assistant directors, rather than deciding on their own when a gun is safe to use." At the press conference, Panish showed a video that included a recreation of the shooting using computer animation, along with supporting material laying out the allegations of negligence.

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Islamabad, Feb 16 (PTI) At least six terrorists were killed during a gunfire with security forces in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Wednesday, army officials said.

Based on an information about the presence of terrorists in a camp in Injirkan Range of Buleda, the security forces started clearance operation in the area following which the militants tried to escape, the army said in a statement.

Also Read | TERI Summit 2022: India Has Walked the Talk on Commitments To Deal With Climate Change, Says PM Narendra Modi.

The security forces opened fire at them and six terrorists were killed in the heavy exchange of fire, it said.

A huge cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered from their possession, the statement said.

Also Read | Pakistan PM Imran Khan Wont Be Able to Save Himself Despite Using States Power, Says Maryam Nawaz.

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Washington [USA], February 16 (ANI/Sputnik): The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday held wide-ranging discussions with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama of mutual interests, including concerns over the Ukraine situation, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

Earlier in the day, President Joe Biden at a presser said it would be "good" if reports are true that Russia pulled some troops from the Ukraine border. He said the US is ready to engage in diplomacy with Russia but also claimed that an invasion is still possible.

Also Read | Imran Khan Governments Financial Challenges Worsen as Pakistan Asked to Return Saudis USD 3 Billion Loan.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Washington, DC," Price said in a press release on Tuesday. "The Secretary noted our strong cooperation at NATO and on the UN Security Council, and thanked Prime Minister Rama for Albania's clear support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russian aggression," added Price.

Blinken also reaffirmed the United States' support for Albania's EU accession and regional economic integration, but he underscored a need for reform efforts to combat corruption in the country, Price said.

Also Read | Kim Jong-un Sends Gardeners to Labour Camp for Failing To Make 'Kimjongilia' Flowers Bloom for Father's Birthday.

Over the past few months, the United States and its European partners have grown worried about Russia's military activity near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion."

Moscow has denied the accusation, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said it has the right to move troops within its national territory. (ANI/Sputnik)

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Kabul [Afghanistan], February 16 (ANI): Pakistan's embassy based in Kabul on Tuesday denied that its spy agency ISI chief met with Afghan Jihadi leaders- Atta Muhammad Noor, Abdul Rashid Dostum, and Muhammad Muhaqiq- in Turkey and dubbed the news as "fake".

Diplomats in the embassy refuted the media reports about the meeting, reported The Khaama Press.

Also Read | Imran Khan Governments Financial Challenges Worsen as Pakistan Asked to Return Saudis USD 3 Billion Loan.

Earlier, it was claimed that Lieutenant-General Nadeem Anjum, chief of ISI has met with a number of Afghan Jihadi leaders and has discussed the establishment of an "inclusive government" in Afghanistan.

This comes as officials of the Taliban have urged Afghan politicians in exile to "return to the country and live peacefully". (ANI)

Also Read | Kim Jong-un Sends Gardeners to Labour Camp for Failing To Make 'Kimjongilia' Flowers Bloom for Father's Birthday.

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Washington [US], February 16 (ANI): Pakistan's poor foreign exchange reserves and lack of financial reforms have increased its dependency on China, according to a media report.

"Pakistan's problem is it does not have enough foreign exchange reserves because the economy isn't growing fast enough for it to get money," VOA quoted Aparana Pande, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, as saying with regard to the recent visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to China and the deepening relation between Islamabad and Beijing.

Also Read | Huawei, Chinese Telecom Firm, Raided For Tax Evasion.

Islamabad is refusing to undertake structural reforms, which would enable the second and third tranches of the IMF and enable other foreign investors to invest money, Pande said.

Experts have also raised concerns over the rising debt of China on Islamabad with some saying that the relation between Beijing and Pakistan is a clear case of the communist regime's debt-trap diplomacy.

Also Read | Ukraine Hit by Massive Cyber Attack Amid Standoff With Russia.

However, Madiha Afzal, a Brookings Institution fellow, cautioned against concluding too quickly that Chinese loans are bad for the Pakistani economy.

"It will depend on the terms of the loans, and China has proven to be a player which ... holds Pakistan to the terms of the loans. So Pakistan can't necessarily defer payments on those loans, even if it needs to or wants to," VOA quoted Afzal as saying.

It came after Islamabad and Beijing released a joint statement on February 6 following Imran Khan's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

The leaders of the two countries held an in-depth exchange of views on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as the regional situations and international political landscape. The meetings were marked by traditional warmth, strategic mutual trust and commonality of views that characterize the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, according to the joint statement.

Reiterating his felicitations on the centenary of the Communist Party of China, Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the role of CPC leadership with President Xi Jinping at its core for China's growth and prosperity and appreciated President Xi for his personal contribution to promoting the enduring Pakistan-China partnership, the statement read.

The meeting between the two leaders comes in the wake of the US-led diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games to protest the allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which China denies.The high-profile meeting was meant to showcase support for Beijing in this period of diplomatic tension, according to VOA.

The US-based publication also said that a series of new financial agreements between China and Pakistan are signalling a shift in political alignments in the region with implications for South Asian neighbours, the United States and for the economic future of Pakistan itself. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan will hold a Virtual Summit on February 18, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed on Wednesday.

The MEA in a press release said the two leaders will discuss bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Also Read | Huawei, Chinese Telecom Firm, Raided For Tax Evasion.

"Both leaders are expected to lay out their vision of the historic and friendly relations between the two countries, at a time when India is celebrating 75 years of its Independence as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and UAE is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its foundation," the MEA said in a press release.

In recent years, bilateral relations between India and the UAE have strengthened in all areas, and both sides have embarked upon a comprehensive strategic partnership. Prime Minister visited UAE in 2015, 2018, and 2019 while the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi visited India in 2016 and 2017. Ministerial visits between the two sides have also continued, including three visits of External Affairs Minister and a visit of Commerce and Industry Minister to UAE in 2021.

Also Read | Ukraine Hit by Massive Cyber Attack Amid Standoff With Russia.

Both sides have collaborated closely during the Covid-19 pandemic in critical areas of healthcare and food security. Bilateral trade, investment, and energy relations have remained robust. The two sides are also strengthening their cooperation in new areas of renewable energy, start-ups, fintech, etc. India is participating with one of the largest pavilions in the Dubai Expo 2020.

A major initiative in bilateral relations is the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Negotiations for CEPA were launched in September 2021 and have been completed, the MEA said.

The Agreement will take India-UAE's economic and commercial engagement to the next level. UAE is India's third-largest trade partner, and bilateral trade and investment ties are expected to see significant enhancements.

UAE hosts a large Indian community which numbers close to 3.5 million. Prime Minister has expressed India's appreciation to the leadership of UAE for supporting the Indian community during the pandemic. UAE leadership has also been appreciative of the contribution of the Indian community in its development.

Both sides had agreed on an Air Bubble Arrangement in 2020 during the pandemic which has enabled the movement of people between two countries despite the challenges posed by Covid-19. (ANI)

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Muzaffarabad [PoK], February 16 (ANI): Police resorted to baton charge at a university in the city of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in a bid to disperse a group of protesting students, a media report said on Wednesday.

The students were demonstrating on Tuesday for holding online exams due to the surge in Covid-19 cases, the Dawn newspaper reported.

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Police took some 50 students into custody but they were later released in the evening after a commitment that they would not disturb the exam process.

According to the university officials, the same group of students had also created a ruckus on the city campus last week. They had urged the varsity to go for online exams.

Also Read | Russia Appears to Be Continuing Military Build-up Around Ukraine, Says NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

But the demand could not be met given the guidelines by the Higher Education Commission. (ANI)

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Moscow [Russia], February 16 (ANI/Sputnik): Russia does not plan to move its embassy in Ukraine from Kiev, a source told Sputnik.

Answering the question whether the Russian side plans to temporarily move the embassy to Kharkov or Odessa amid the transfer of Western embassies from the capital of Ukraine, the source said: "No, our foreign missions continue to work."

Also Read | Ukraine Hit by Massive Cyber Attack Amid Standoff With Russia.

"There are no such plans," he said. (ANI/Sputnik)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Oregon is on the precipice of becoming the second state after California to adopt a cap-and-trade program, a market-based approach to lowering the greenhouse gas emissions behind global warming.

Supporters call it the United States most progressive climate policy, saying it not only cuts emissions but invests in transitioning the state economy and infrastructure to better prepare for more intense weather events as climate change worsens.

We have an opportunity to invest a substantial amount into low-income communities off the backs of the 100 or so major polluters that caused this problem, said Shilpa Joshi, with the lobbying group Renew Oregon. Joshi has spent years working with dozens of organizations around the state to help shape the final legislation.

Cap and trade has been a top priority this year for Oregons majority Democrats, and Gov. Kate Brown has said she would sign the measure, noting in a statement that Oregon can be the log that breaks the jam nationally on climate policy.

Though the programs approval is shaping up to be a sure bet, a decades worth of baggage from Californias cap-and-trade program has fractured support for the policy among environmental groups. Some question whether Oregon can truly meet its lofty emission goals and keep its promise to prioritize investments in low-income communities and Native American tribes ability to prepare for a changing climate.

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The division underscores a larger fight on the left over how to best tackle climate change, which scientists warn poses a global existential threat. Some progressives have balked at any solutions less than those outlined in the Green New Deal, a sweeping climate platform from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) that calls for the decarbonization of nearly every industry.

Strong climate policy requires steep regulations on business and a total transformation of our current infrastructure, said Shawn Fleek with OPAL Environmental Justice, one of the main organizations on the left against the bill. Cap and trade does none of that. Just like in California, Oregons bill has instead turned into a Frankensteins monster in handouts to industry.

Under a cap-and-trade program, the state puts an overall limit on emissions and auctions off pollution permits or allowances for each ton of carbon that industries plan to emit. Only the largest polluters are targeted, and the idea is that as the emissions limit becomes stricter over time, it will be in industries financial interest to switch to green technology. Oregons program would begin in 2021, and the state wants to reduce emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

Most of the money raised  estimated to total $550 million in the first year  would be used to fund a sweeping progressive platform that encourages further emission cuts and prioritizes investments in low-income and tribal communities ability to respond to climate change.

Were seeing the effects of climate really hammer people who can least afford it, said Rep. Karin Power, a Democrat from Milwaukie and one of two key lawmakers behind the bill.

The proposal also contains a $10-million investment to protect workers adversely affected by climate change policy, as some in transportation or manufacturing could face layoffs. The legislation provides unemployment benefits and pathways to clean energy jobs that, under the law, must provide competitive wages and benefits.

Its provisions such as these that make the changes some of the countrys most progressive, Joshi said.

We are showing other states that its not an impossible dream to hold big polluters accountable and use the funds to invest in clean energy and in our most vulnerable communities, she said.

Detractors on the left note that Oregons program, like Californias, offers concessions to nearly every industry to dampen the potential financial impact. For the programs first few years, the state will cover a majority of pollution allowances for some industries, including natural gas and utilities companies. The fossil fuel industry is essentially the only one on the hook for paying the full price.

The plan gets mixed reviews from industries. While some, including Nike and Uber, have come out in favor of cap and trade, others from the logging and agricultural sector say it will lead to increased fuel prices, mass layoffs and shuttered businesses.

Stimson Lumber, west of Portland, laid off 60 sawmill workers in anticipation of cap and trade and other new taxes pursued by Democrats. Chief Executive Andrew Miller said in a statement that rural and agricultural communities are paying the price for Oregons assault on businesses.

And opponents from both parties note cap and trade likely wont radically reduce emissions. While Californias emissions have noticeably dropped since the state implemented its program less than a decade ago, only 20% of those reductions can be tied to cap and trade.

Dallas Burtraw, an economist with the think tank Resources for the Future who advises Californias cap-and-trade program, said cap and trade is still the most efficient way to reduce emissions. High pricing is a powerful motivator in encouraging businesses to invest in green technology, something Burtraw said will set Oregon apart and possibly provide an economic boost.

Californias program has added 2 million jobs and grown its GDP by $700 billion since taking effect in 2012. The nine northeastern states with a more limited cap-and-trade program saw $1.4 billion in net economic benefits and 14,500 new jobs from 2015 to 2017, according to a report from Analysis Group.

These programs can cut emissions all while providing a more stable business environment that will attract new investors, Burtraw said.

For Sen. Michael Dembrow, the other main lawmaker behind Oregons bill, the program is less about solving the global climate crisis and more about raising the money needed to prepare for a heating planets worst effects.

This is a worldwide problem, and if we hit businesses too hard with regulations, theyll simply move out of Oregon and pollute at the same rates somewhere else, the Portland Democrat said. That solves nothing.
Some advocates and lawmakers are pushing for the fourth round of stimulus aid that would promptly send recurring payments until the end of the pandemic. However, some states have taken the matter into their own hands to provide economic support to their own residents.

Child Tax Credit, which is another form of financial support, has been removed, according to an AS News report.

States such as Florida and California have offered their own financial aid that their residents can access.

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Florida Stimulus Check 2022

Around 177,000 teachers and principals are expected to qualify for the Florida stimulus check as a "thank you" for their hard work throughout the pandemic.

The new round of stimulus checks for Florida teachers and principals is believed to be worth around $1,000 each.

The state of Florida's 2022 budget also includes a $1,000 bonus for teaching staff.

In January, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis explained why it is a good idea to offer teachers rewards, saying that the state is making a significant difference in the lives of the students by boosting teacher pay and handing bonuses to principals and teachers.

DeSantis added that it fosters a strong civics curriculum, according to a Marca News report.

Florida's Department of Education also allocated three and a half million dollars for the time and bureaucracy needed to administer the checks.

Teachers could collect a fifth stimulus check in 2022 after the three federal ones and one state check from the past few years.

Golden State Stimulus Check

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that Californians can expect a stimulus check this year.

Newsom explained they expect in the May language when he updates the budget that they are likely to have an additional rebate to the taxpayers, according to another Marca News report.

A state lawmaker raised an issue on sending another round of stimulus checks to deal with a huge projected budget surplus.

Republican State Sen. Brian Jones released a video online, using grains of rice to break down the projected budget surplus. As of January, it was estimated at $45.7 billion.

The senator noted that the amount is enough to send every Californian a tax rebate of $1,125 or $4,500 for a family of four, according to a KTLA News report.

Jones supports the sending of Golden State Stimulus payments, adding that any amount that they can convince the state will benefit every Californian and family.

Meanwhile, in the second expanded stimulus payments program, eligible Californians got $600, with an additional $500 if they had one or more qualifying dependent.

Stimulus Payments Amid the Pandemic

Millions of Americans remain in financial distress with the spread of the Omicron variant creating new economic hurdles, despite the financial assistance.

New data from a Census survey noted that more than one-quarter of Americans struggled to pay their household expenses in the first week of February, according to a CBS News report.

In addition, the unemployment rate is at 4.2 percent, which is still higher than the pre-pandemic level of 3.5 percent.

There are still about 2.3 million fewer people on payrolls as of now than before the pandemic despite massive business hiring.

READ MORE: Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis Feud Fueled by Sen. Mitch McConnell, Trump Advisers Say

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Fourth Stimulus Check 2022: $1,400 payment on offer at the start of 2022 - from MARCA






A prominent Mexican scientist pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of being co-opted by Russian agents into surveilling a U.S. government informant in Miami.

Hector Cabrera Fuentes was arrested in 2020 at Miami International Airport while attempting to return to his home in Mexico City with his Mexican wife (the other is from Russia).

The couple had caught the attention of a security guard the day before, on Valentine's Day. Surveillance tape shows the couple tailgating another vehicle onto the premises of a condominium in the Miami area and taking a photo of the U.S. source's car and license plate - despite being told not to take any pictures and only jot down the vehicle's location, ABC News reported.

Prosecutors recommended a four-year sentence for Cabrera on a single charge of acting in the United States on behalf of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. attorney general, per a plea agreement revealed Tuesday in Miami federal court.

According to Border Report, Cabrera will be sentenced on May 17.

Cabrera's Intelligence Mission

Cabrera's failed intelligence mission began in 2019 when he came to Russia with his Russian wife and two daughters to deal with a bureaucratic issue.

An FBI agent stated in an affidavit accompanying the original indictment that when the woman attempted to return to Germany, she was denied entry.

Cabrera then traveled to Russia to visit his family when he was allegedly called by a Russian official he had met in a professional capacity years before. The anonymous individual advised Cabrera and his family not to travel to Europe or apply for a visa in the United States, according to court documents.

Cabrera began to suspect the individual who worked for Russia's FSB intelligence agency around that time, according to the FBI.

The same official later produced previous emails from Cabrera's account at a subsequent meeting in Moscow, in which the Mexican scientist appeared to be looking for real estate in Miami.

According to the original indictment, the Russian official brought up Cabrera's family situation and told him, "We can help each other."

Cabrera proceeded to Miami on the official's orders and rented an apartment in the same complex as the U.S. government source, using an associate's identity.

It is unclear whether the scientist understood why the Russians wanted him to rent the property, but intelligence agents frequently strive to protect themselves by recruiting others to complete various duties. Recruits rarely have a complete understanding of the entire mission.

Cabrera's pursuant is characterized only as a U.S. government "confidential human source" who previously provided information about Russian intelligence activities affecting U.S. national security interests.

ALSO READ: Mexico: 5th Journalist Dead This 2022 as Media Killings Continue to Rise

'It Is Very Strange' - Says El Espinal Mayor

Cabrera is regarded as a local hero in his hometown of El Espinal, in the southern state of Oaxaca, for his efforts to promote scientific research, rehabilitate diabetics, and aid in the reconstruction of homes following severe earthquakes.

Town Mayor Hazael Matus told The Associated Press shortly after his arrest that it is "very strange" since the scientist is a "very altruistic person with a lot of social conscience."

Mayor Matus believes it is a case of mistaken identity or an attack for scientific reasons.

"We don't know what happened, but I bet it is a confusion or an attack for scientific reasons," the mayor said.

Cabrera was an associate professor in Singapore at a medical school established jointly by Duke University and the National University of Singapore.

He was also appointed director of the FEMSA Biotechnology Center at the Monterrey Institute of Technology in northern Mexico in 2018. He earned doctorates in molecular microbiology and molecular cardiology in Russia and Germany, respectively, according to the institute.

READ MORE: South Phoenix Shooting: Suspected Gunman and Woman Dead, 9 Police Officers Injured

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: US Stops All Avocado Imports From Mexico Following Threat To American Plant Safety Inspector- from CBS Miami


Mexico prosecutors on Monday identified the first civilian victim of the land mines set up by Mexican drug cartels who fight for the control of the Michoacan state.

According to Associated Press, the prosecutors confirmed that the first civilian victim of the cartel land mine was a farmer from Tepalcatepec. Authorities did not release the name of the said farmer, but they mentioned that the man was 79 years old.

On Monday, Michoacan's prosecutor office reported that the civilian died after his truck ran over an improvised land mine, The Independent reported.

"It was an explosion of homemade explosive device... it is not known what type of device it was, but investigations are underway," the office said.

Reports noted that a farmer has land in the hamlet of El Aguaje. The said area is known to be the front line of fighting between Jalisco Cartel and the Viagras gang.

Local outfits were also known to fight for the rural state where the farmer died, as it allows them access to smuggling routes and Michoacan's avocado growers, who are targets of an extortionist.

READ NEXT: Mexico: Jalisco Cartel Chief 'El Fantasma' Believed to Have Hung 10 Bodies From Overpass Arrested by Military

Other Victims of Mexican Drug Cartel Land Mines

There are supposedly other victims of cartel land mines aside from the 79-year-old farmer from the Michoacan state.

In September, a woman told an AP photographer that her brother was allegedly blown to pieces when he stepped on a land mine in Tepalcatepec. However, the unnamed woman stressed that an investigation was never carried out by the authorities.

In November, Michoacan residents showed a small crater with a round metal piece. Residents claimed with AP journalists siding that time that a land mine was set off.

Last week, an army vehicle was disabled by an improvised explosive device (IED). The said IED was planted on a road, making 10 soldiers injured.

The said attack on the military vehicle was the first successful use of IED against the military officers.

Mexico Soldiers Deactivate Land Mines

The confirmation of the first civilian victim came after Mexican soldiers deactivated at least 12 land mines in Tepalcatepc, Michoacan earlier in February.

According to reports, the said land mines were composed of cylinders that contained gunpowder and two-millimeter-thick iron that acts as shrapnel.

Authorities from the United States noted that the land mines found in Mexico can explode with at least 2.2 kilograms.

In response to the violence the residents of Michoacan face, The Independent noted that residents organized an armed self-defense group to fight off the drug gangs.

Aside from land mines, drug cartels in Michoacan were also reportedly using drones in dropping bombs as they attempt to seize control over the state.

Mexico's Security and Civil Protection Secretary claimed that around 2,000 murders were recorded in Michoacan, ranking as the third-deadliest state in the country.

The victims of the drug cartel violence in the state include Avocado farmers as they were routinely threatened with death unless they would pay extortion money to the gangs.

READ NEXT: Jalisco Cartel Forces New Members Into Cannibalism, Makes Them Eat Raw Human Flesh

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Which Countries Still Have Active Landmines? - From NowThis World
A tech executive had used his access to computer data at the White House to find any "derogatory information" about former President Donald Trump.

Special counsel, John Durham, made the claims in a court filing on Friday. He was appointed during the Trump administration by former Attorney General William Bar in 2020 to launch a probe on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's probe of Russian election interference.

Now, the tech executive identified as "Tech Executive 1" appears to admit that he shared data that was collected on Trump with the CIA, according to The Daily Wire report.

Durham said in a new court filing lawyers for the Clinton campaign paid a tech company to "infiltrate" servers belonging to Trump Tower and the Trump White House to establish an "interference" and "narrative" that connects Trump to Russia.

The court filing was made late last week and centered on potential conflicts of interest connected to the representation of former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussman.

Sussman has been charged with allegedly lying to the FBI.

READ NEXT: Florida: Melania Trump Event That Costs up to $50,000 per Ticket Under Investigation, Ex-First Lady Slams 'Dishonest Reporting'

Donald Trump on Tech Executive "Exploiting" Access

The New York Times identified the Tech Executive as Rodney Joffe. Joffe was accused of using access to domain name system data to compile information about which computers and servers the White House servers were communicating with.

The former president and his allies noted that the disclosure was "proof" that Trump was under surveillance while he was in office.

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan said that they were spying on the "sitting president of the United States," adding that it goes right to "the Clinton campaign," according to an NBC News report.

Trump then alleged the spying as "the biggest story of our time," noting that it was bigger than Watergate. However, the filing does not specify whether any of the data collection occurred while Trump was sitting as the U.S. president.

Joffe has not been charged, but his case went into light after a court case was filed against Sussman.

Prosecutors said that Joffe gave Sussman data about communications between computer servers at the office of the president, two Trump-owned buildings in New York, and a medical firm with Russian-made cellphones near the White House.

Prosecutors further alleged that Sussman gave the data to an unnamed federal agency at a meeting in February 2017.

Legal experts noted that Sussman could face additional legal exposure if he failed to open his connection to Joffe.

The New York Times reported that Sussman told the CIA about odd internet data suggesting that someone using a Russian-made smartphone may have been connecting to networks at Trump Tower and the White House.

Meanwhile, Jody Westby and Mark Rasch said that what Trump and news outlets are saying is wrong. The two are lawyers for David Dagon, a data scientist who helped develop the so-called DNS logs.

Westby and Rasch said cybersecurity researchers were investigating malware in the White House, not "spying on the Trump campaign."

Joffe, on the other hand, said that he was apolitical and did not work for any political party. He added that he had lawful access under a contract to work with others to analyze DNS data to look for security breaches or threats.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Urges Supporters to Hold Nationwide Protests if Prosecutors Investigating Him 'Do Anything Illegal'

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: John Durham Knows This Data Precedes Trump, Says Journalist - from MSNBC






California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday endorsed the first Latina Judge to their state's Supreme Court.

Justice Patricia Guerrero from San Diego will serve as the associate justice of the California Supreme Court if confirmed, per NBC News.

Governor @GavinNewsom has appointed former San Diego County Superior Court Judge Patricia Guerrero as Californias first Latina Supreme Court justice. Judge Guerrero, 50, a former Assistant US Attorney, has served as a state appellate court judge since 2017. pic.twitter.com/45HkMtJtBb  Marie Coronel (@10NewsCoronel) February 15, 2022

According to Associated Press, if confirmed, Guerrero will fill the vacancy in California's Supreme Court, which was left by Associate Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar. It can be recalled that Cuellar left the post to become the president of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Im proud to nominate Justice Patricia Guerrero to be the first Latina Justice on the California Supreme Court.



Her story is what CA is all about:



Brilliant, accomplished & widely respected.



The daughter of immigrants & raised in the Imperial Valley. pic.twitter.com/46pPQvhxkr  Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 15, 2022

In a tweet, Governor Gavin Newsom said that he was "proud to nominate" Guerrero for the post, contending that the 50-year-old nominee is "[b]rilliant, accomplished, and widely respected."

"Her [Guerrero] extraordinary journey and nomination to serve as the first Latina justice on the bench of our state's highest court is an inspiration to all of us and a testament to the California Dream's promise," Newsom said in a statement.

According to reports, Guerrero's nomination will be submitted to the state bar's Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. After that, it will be confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

"I am deeply honored by this incredible opportunity to uphold the rule of law and make a positive impact on the lives of Californians across the state," Guerrero said in a statement.

READ NEXT: California Installs Mask Mandate During Super Bowl LVI | Did Super Bowl Fans Follow the Requirements?

Reaction on First Latina Judge Nomination in California Supreme Court

The nomination announced by Gavin Newsom on Tuesday gathered positive reactions from entities and personalities.

#CHC congratulates Judge Patricia Guerrero on her historic nomination as the first Latina to serve as Associate Justice of the CA Supreme Court! Judge Guerrero, a daughter of Mexican immigrants, has an extensive career that makes her exceptionally qualified for this position. pic.twitter.com/S1tF1pN9uC  Hispanic Caucus (@HispanicCaucus) February 15, 2022

In a statement, the Hispanic Caucus congratulated Guerrero for her nomination, mentioning some of her notable achievements in the field and calling her a "Latin trailblazer."

"The CHC [Congressional Hispanic Caucus] applauds Governor Newsom's decision and proudly supports Justice Guerrero's nomination. Californians will be well-served by Justice Guerrero on the Court," the Hispanic Caucus said in a statement.

Congratulations Justice Patricia Guerrero!



Not only is the CA Supreme Court gaining invaluable insight and talent from an outstanding jurist, the appointment of the Court's first Latina is historic & marks an important step toward ensuring our judicial system reflects our state. https://t.co/LZW6cBbB58  Rob Bonta (@AGRobBonta) February 16, 2022

California Attorney General Rob Bonta also hopped in to congratulate Guerrero on her nomination, saying that the state's Supreme Court will gain "invaluable insight and talent" if Guerrero would be confirmed as the new Associate Justice.

"The appointment of the Court's first Latina is historic and marks an important step toward ensuring our judicial system reflects our state," Bonta said.

Senator Maria Elena Durazo said Latinas make up 20 percent of California's population, but they remain underrepresented. Durazo then underscored the importance of having Latinas who represent them.

"When Latinas are absent from this critical branch of government, our experiences and perspectives are excluded, and this ripples throughout our communities in so many other ways," Durazo highlighted.

First Latina Judge Nominated in California Supreme Court: Who is Justice Patricia Guerrero?

Guerrero, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, grew up in Imperial Valley, located in Southern California.

When she was 16 years old, Guerrero reportedly worked at a grocery store before she graduated high school as co-valedictorian.

She then attended the University of California, Berkley, and Stanford Law School, where she earned a Juris Doctor Degree.

In December 2017, Guerrero took office in the Court of Appeals, Fourth Appellate District, Division One. But before that, the associate justice nominee served as a judge of the San Diego Superior Court.

From 2002-2003, Guerrero also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of California.

"I didn't get here alone... I stand on the shoulders of my parents and my grandparents who came to this country for better opportunities for their children," Guerrero said.

READ NEXT: California Judge Restores Gray Wolf Protections Across Much of U.S., Reviving Federal Recovery Efforts

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Governor Newsom Nominates Justice Patricia Guerrero to Serve as the First Latina on CA Supreme Court - From California Governor Gavin Newsom
Prince Andrew has agreed to settle a sexual assault lawsuit from Virginia Roberts Giuffre but made no apology to her or admitted any guilt.

Giuffre, who was also one of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's victims, accused the Duke of York of raping her when she was a teenager.

The amount that the 61-year-old prince will pay Giuffre is confidential, the parties said in a joint statement attached to the new court filing in Manhattan on Tuesday, The New York Times reported.

The statement added that Prince Andrew plans to make a "substantial donation" to Giuffre's charity in support of the victims' rights.

The settlement comes just weeks before the Duke of York was set to sit for a deposition, in which Giuffre's lawyers would have questioned him under oath.

Prince Andrew did not make admittance to any of Giuffre's accusations against him in the statement. But he accepted that Giuffre suffered both as "an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks."

The statement further noted that the Duke of York regrets his association with Epstein and "commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others."

Giuffre said in 2020 that Andrew "should be panicking" and that the royal family needs to "be held accountable."

In January, Giuffre's lawyer said he believed she would only be interested in an out-of-court settlement if Andrew acknowledged that he had done something wrong.

READ NEXT: Prince Andrew Could Pay Virginia Roberts Giuffre $5 Million if Case Goes to Trial; Settlement Amount 10 Times the Sum Jeffrey Epstein Paid

Prince Andrew's Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the sex abuse allegations outlined in the suit and has not been criminally charged, The Washington Post reported.

But the prince has lost his position as a trade envoy since Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused him of sexual abuse. He also lost his status as a "senior working loyal," including his military titles and remaining patronages,

He had been patron to more than 100 charities before organizations had broken their ties over his association with Jeffrey Epstein and the allegations.

In a 2019 BBC interview, the Duke of York claimed never to have met Giuffre, implying that the picture of 17-year-old Giuffre with Prince Andrew, who has his arm around her waist, must have been fake.

Giuffre wore a midriff-exposing shirt in the photo, while British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell can be seen grinning in the background.

In her complaint filed last August 9, Giuffre alleged that the Duke of York sexually abused her while inside the home of socialite Ghislaine Maxwell in London when she was 17 years old.

She noted that Andrew abused her at least three times in London, New York, and the U.S. Virgin Islands between 2000 and 2002.

Giuffre claimed that she was forced to have sexual relations with Andrew by Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. She said she feared "death or physical injury to herself" if she disobeyed Epstein and Maxwell's orders.

Queen Elizabeth to Help Pay for Prince Andrew Settlement

The Daily Mail disclosed that Prince Andrew would pay Virginia Roberts Giuffre at least 12 million with the help of his mother.

The outlet noted that Queen Elizabeth II would partly fund the settlement. Legal analysts and palace watchers said there is no obvious path for Andrew to return to his royal status despite settling the lawsuit.

Nick Goldstone, an attorney and the head of dispute resolution at the Ince law firm in London, noted that it looks very much like an admission of bad conduct from the prince in the court of public opinion.

Dickie Arbiter, a former Buckingham Palace spokesman, said the situation will probably bring a certain "amount of relief for the royal family." However, Arbiter added that it would not ensure that Prince Andrew's place will be restored.

READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth II Warns British Media to Stay Away From Balmoral - And Her Son Prince Andrew

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Prince Andrew Reaches Settlement With Sex-Abuse Accuser Virginia Giuffre - From CBC News






Honduras' former President Juan Orlando Hernandez has turned himself in to authorities Tuesday following a U.S. extradition request.

In an audio message he posted on Twitter early Tuesday, Hernandez said it was not an easy moment, and he does not "wish it on anybody."

In a separate message on Facebook, the former president wrote that he was ready to present himself voluntarily and defend himself "in accordance with the law."

Honduras police officers surrounded Hernandez's home on Monday night, Axios reported. According to Al Jazeera, a judge ordered Hernandez's arrest amid an extradition request by the U.S. on accusations of drug trafficking.

On Tuesday afternoon, court spokesman Melvin Duarte told reporters that an arrest warrant for Hernandez was issued as hundreds of police continued to surround the former president's home in Tegucigalpa pending a decision on the U.S. bid. The spokesman added that Hernandez must appear before the judge within 24 hours.

Television footage showed the former president leaving his home in the Honduran capital and being escorted by armed police. The former president was given a bulletproof vest by police and was handcuffed as he went out of his residence.

READ NEXT: Honduras Eyeing First Female President As Xiomara Castro Creates a Wide Lead

Charges Against Honduras Ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez

The former president of Honduras has become unpopular after leading the country for eight years and stepped down less than a month ago.

Juan Orlando Hernandez was accused of allowing organized crime and corruption to penetrate the highest positions of power, keeping Honduras be one of the poorest and most violent countries in Latin America.

The New York Times reported that Hernandez allegedly participated in a "violent drug-trafficking conspiracy" that since 2004 has transported 500 tons of cocaine from Venezuela and Colombia to the U.S. through Honduras.

The extradition request document claimed that he also received millions of dollars in bribes for allowing the shipments and protecting drug traffickers from being prosecuted.

Hernandez has been considered a U.S. ally. However, it turned into a different direction after U.S. prosecutors charged members of the Honduran political family with using state resources to traffic drugs to the U.S.

Hernandez's brother, Tony Hernandez, was convicted by a New York federal court of drug trafficking charges. Tony was sentenced last year to life imprisonment, The Washington Post reported.

Prosecutors in his brother's case also argued that Hernandez agreed to facilitate the use of Honduras armed forces personnel as security for drug traffickers.

Another court filing noted that the former president allegedly said, according to a witness, that he wanted to shove drugs "right up the noses of the gringos" by supplying and flooding the U.S. with cocaine.

Honduras Supreme Court Judge to Decide on Extradition Request

Honduras's Supreme Court will decide whether to grant the extradition request from the U.S. Juan Orlando Hernandez's defense team said the process could last between two and three months.

The Supreme Court judge who is set to hear Juan Orlando Hernandez's case is affiliated with the former president's party and has a record of absolving suspects in corruption cases, according to the head of the National Anti-Corruption Council, Gabriela Castellanos.

Hernandez's U.S. extradition will be seen as a huge win for President Joe Biden's administration when it comes to foreign policy.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier said that Hernandez was on a list last year of people accused of corruption or undermining democracy in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Honduras' new president, Xiomara Castro, has said that Hernandez turned Honduras into a "narco-dictatorship."

READ MORE: "False Testimonies": Honduras President Hernandez Refutes Drug Dealing Allegations

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Honduras decidira si extradita a Juan Orlando Hernandez a EE. UU. - From DW Espanol






Canadian socialite Jasmine Hartin was scheduled to return to court for her manslaughter by negligence case over the shooting death of a Belize cop on Wednesday.

However, Hartin's attorney, Richard "Dickie" Bradley, told Breaking Belize News that the socialite failed to appear in a local court in San Pedro town since she was diagnosed with COVID-19.

To avoid the spread of COVID-19, Bradley said Hartin was not allowed to visit the police station to sign in daily as part of her bail conditions.

However, the lawyer noted that their camp is looking forward to mounting a "vigorous defense" with the assistance of two British attorneys, whom he confirmed contacted him.

Bradley said the court is expected to set a new hearing date. However, he noted that Hartin would likely face "civil liability" for the death of San Pedro Superintendent Henry Jemmott.

Aside from the manslaughter case, Hartin also faces charges of common assault and possession of an illegal drug.

Belizean authorities had accused the socialite of common assault for assaulting a hotel worker. They also added a charge of possession over a small quantity of cocaine found on her on the night she shot the Belize cop.

Jasmine Hartin is the estranged partner of Andrew Ashcroft, the son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft.

READ NEXT: Jasmine Hartin's Ex Andrew Ashcroft Was Booted off American Airways Flight in Handcuffs for Public Intoxication

Jasmine Hartin's Trial in Belize Court

Jasmine Hartin's last appearance in San Pedro Magistrate's Court for the manslaughter case was last December.

News 5 reported that the hearing was quickly adjourned due to a "file" not being forwarded to a prosecutor. The court then set the next hearing on February 16, when Hartin will be provided with the final disclosure.

In criminal law, "disclosure" refers to the process of exchanging information between the parties to prepare for legal proceedings. Police must provide all statements, documentary evidence, and exhibits gathered during their investigation.

The Canadian socialite earlier said that she believed that the file was not ready because "they need more time to finish designing whatever they are trying to create."

Henry Jemmott's family was also reportedly present in the court, and they sat across Hartin. Jemmott's sister said she was disappointed with the delay in the process.

At the time, the emotional sister told reporters that their family was leaving everything to God and believed that her brother would get justice.

Manslaughter Case of Jasmine Hartin Over the Shooting Death of a Belize Cop

Jasmine Hartin and Henry Jemmott had been reportedly long-time friends. The Belize cop was socializing and drinking with Hartin on a secluded area of a hotel pier before his death.

Jasmine Hartin earlier confessed to authorities that she was practicing loading a gun when it went off and fatally shot Jemmott on a pier last May 28.

Hartin said the Belize cop handed her his gun as they sat next to each other on the pier. He then asked Hartin to demonstrate her gun skills to see if they had improved.

Hartin noted that Jemmott told her to get a gun for her own personal protection after a random man harassed her.

The socialite said that while she was trying to eject the magazine clip, she struggled with it, and that was when the gun went off. Hartin said she had no idea that the gun still had a bullet.

She was detained before she was charged with manslaughter by negligence in connection with the officer's death. She then paid for her bail, which was set at 30,000 Belize dollars.

Jasmine Hartin was also ordered to surrender her passport and personal documents as she was not allowed to leave the country without permission from the Supreme Court.

The socialite has also been attending court hearings in connection with the custody battle against her ex-partner Andrew Ashcroft, who was granted interim custody of their young twins in July last year.

READ MORE: Jasmine Hartin Says Ex-Partner Andrew Ashcroft's Camp Had Her Sign Papers About 'Assets' and 'Shares' in Men's Lavatory of Belize Jail

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Socialite Accused of Fatally Shooting Police Superintendent in Belize Speaks Out - From CBS Mornings
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a mass retirement of Black and Latino teachers, another challenge facing U.S. education.

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the California State Teachers' Retirement System reported a 26 percent increase in teacher retirements in the second half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

More than half of those surveyed said their primary reason for resigning was the challenges of teaching during the pandemic.

According to a national survey released on February 1 by the National Education Association, 55 percent of teachers planned to retire earlier than planned, up from 37% in August 2021.

The numbers were highest among Black and Latino teachers, with 62 percent and 59 percent, respectively.

Teacher Retirements Became Evident Since January 2021

According to Kaiser Health News (KHN), the problem became apparent in January 2021, when face-to-face classes resumed in Southern California.

During the first week, more than a quarter of students in some large districts were absent. Some students returned to class without their teachers, who under-qualified substitutes had replaced.

Furthermore, like in all industries, the educators most affected by the pandemic have been teachers of color, who were forced into early retirement due to lack of support and poor working conditions.

Although students of color are predicted to make up 56 percent of the student population by 2024, the primary and secondary educator workforce remains largely white, the U.S. Department of Education reported.

To make matters worse, retention of teachers of color is also affected by the fact that they tend to work in under-resourced urban schools with higher teacher turnover rates because of retirement or leaving the profession.

READ NEXT: Mexico: 5th Journalist Dead This 2022 as Media Killings Continue to Rise

Teacher Shortage Severely Affects Low-Income Families, Students Of Color

According to a 2019 study by the Learning Policy Institute, a Palo Alto-based nonprofit research organization, the shortfall affects 80 percent of California school districts, with low-income families and students of color being hit the hardest, LA Times reported.

More than 1,100 families in the Los Angeles Unified School District whose children attend historically low-income public schools were surveyed by the University of Southern California and Partnership for Los Angeles Schools in July 2020.

It found that about 1 in 6 had no internet access, and about 1 in 12 only had internet on their cell phones. Meanwhile, 1 in 7 said they never had a space free of noise or distractions.

Since a single positive test in the classroom can disrupt all teaching plans in a second, Katie Caster of Latinos for Education in Boston told KHN that teaching in person with the threat of COVID is "living in a constant state of anxiety."

"I call it the brown tax," said Caster. "They (people of color) have to go above and beyond all the time, whether it's the cultural connection, the language, being asked to translate, or connecting families to resources."

According to Caster, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation worse.

READ MORE: South Phoenix Shooting: Suspected Gunman and Woman Dead, 9 Police Officers Injured

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: This School Is So Understaffed, The Principal Drives the Bus - From VICE News
Natural Resources Board set to take up regulation of PFAS

MADISON (AP)  After more than two years, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board is set to take up proposed standards to regulate harmful forever chemicals known as PFAS in drinking water, surface water and groundwater later this month.

Federal regulators have been aware of the health hazards of PFAS for more than two decades. Even so, the Environmental Protection Agency has yet to develop standards for the chemicals. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is proposing strict standards the agency argues will protect public health and the environment, warning federal standards are still years away.

Wisconsin environmental groups and residents affected by PFAS are at odds with water and industry groups over the DNRs proposed regulations.

Even so, there seems to be agreement that the chemicals should be regulated, said David Strifling, director of the Water Law and Policy Initiative at Marquette University Law School.

I think theres a general agreement that they should be regulated, that we dont want to be ingesting them and distributing them throughout the environment, but what to do is a subject of much dispute, Strifling said.

Heres a rundown on what people should know about PFAS and the proposed standards that will be considered by the DNRs policy-setting board Wednesday, Feb. 23.

What is PFAS?

PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of thousands of manmade chemicals found in firefighting foam and everyday products like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant clothing.

Where does PFAS come from?

PFAS was first invented in the 1930s, and the chemicals have been used by industry since the 1940s. Companies like Delaware-based DuPont and Minneapolis-based 3M manufactured products using PFAS chemicals, including the two most widely studied substances PFOA and PFOS.

What are the risks of PFAS?

The chemicals are concerning because they dont break down easily in the environment. Multiple studies of people living and working in areas with high PFOA levels have shown links to serious health effects that include increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers, thyroid disease and fertility issues. The chemicals have also been tied to reduced response to vaccines.

Where has PFAS been found in Wisconsin?

As awareness of PFAS has grown, the scope of contamination has been more widely documented. As of last fall, the DNR said regulators were addressing PFAS pollution at more than 50 sites within 25 communities.

The chemicals have affected residents in communities both large and small, contaminating public and private wells.

People in towns like Peshtigo and Campbell have been forced to rely on bottled water due to PFAS contamination of private wells that stems from the use of firefighting foam containing the chemicals. Cities like Madison, Eau Claire, and La Crosse have shut down wells due to concerning levels of the chemicals in municipal wells. Wausau is the most recent city to report elevated levels of the chemicals in all its city wells.

What standards are being proposed by the DNR?

Gov. Tony Evers directed the agency to develop standards to address PFAS as part of an executive order issued in August 2019. The Natural Resources Board signed off on developing those standards in January the following year.

The DNR is proposing an individual and combined standard of 20 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, as recommended by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Nearby states have either proposed or put in place similar or more restrictive drinking water standards for PFAS, including Illinois and Michigan.

Meanwhile, the EPA announced a broad plan last fall to set federal drinking water standards. The agency has currently set a health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion.

EPA is looking at that number and the rulemaking that it has underway, and so its not clear to me exactly where that will settle, Strifling said. But, again, thats in that area of scientific disagreement between the opponents and supporters of this rule package: Where should we set that number?

State regulators are also proposing a standard of 20 parts per trillion for the two chemicals in groundwater, as well as a preventive action limit of 2 parts per trillion. That level is used to trigger actions to prevent further contamination.

In surface water, the agency is proposing a standard of 8 parts per trillion for PFOS in all waters with limited exceptions. For PFOA, the DNR is recommending a standard of 20 parts per trillion in waters deemed public water supplies and 95 parts per trillion for all other surface waters.

Who wants state PFAS regulation and who doesnt?

Water and industry groups have urged the DNR to wait for federal standards for drinking water rather than proposing statewide limits on PFAS. Those groups include the Wisconsin Rural Water Association, the Municipal Environmental Groups Water Division, the Wisconsin League of Municipalities, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, Wisconsin Paper Council, American Chemistry Council and Midwest Food Products Association.

Manufacturers that are multi-jurisdictional dont want to have to deal with one standard in Minnesota, and another one in Wisconsin, and another one in Connecticut, and so on and so forth, Strifling said.

Residents of PFAS-polluted communities and environmental groups have submitted comments saying state standards are sorely needed to protect public health and the environment. Those groups include Midwest Environmental Advocates, Clean Wisconsin, River Alliance of Wisconsin, Sierra Club of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Conservation Voters, and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.

Some of the environmental and public health advocates would tell you that the numbers arent strict enough, (and) they should be lower, Strifling said.

Why is the DNR proposing PFAS standards now?

The agency has 30 months to develop environmental regulations under the states rulemaking process. Since the agency launched the effort two years ago, time is running out.

If the NRB declines to approve the rule, it seems to me that theres a very real likelihood that (the) DNR would have to scrap this effort and go back to square one, Strifling said.

Last fall, the agency said it was abandoning proposed nitrate standards in areas vulnerable to groundwater contamination because the DNR ran out of time.

How much would it cost to regulate PFAS?

For drinking water, the DNR anticipates it would cost businesses and local governments about $5.6 million in the first year and an average of $3.9 million annually in the years immediately following.

Environmental regulators say nine systems will likely exceed those standards and resort to treatment systems that could be financed through the states Safe Drinking Water Loan program. The nine systems are expected to cost $35.2 million over two decades plus maintenance costs of nearly $2 million each year.

For groundwater, the DNR expects the average cost of compliance would be roughly $2.6 million each year. For surface water, the agency estimates the maximum cost to meet the standard each year would be around $4.8 million.

Regulators expect 48 small businesses that include paper companies, metal finishers and chemical manufacturers would see roughly $2.1 million each year in added costs.

Strifling said the cost of the proposed standards may prove a barrier to their passage after lawmakers required legislative approval for regulations that exceed more than $10 million in any two-year period under the REINS Act.

Thats another objection here that (the) DNR is underestimating the cost of this, Strifling said.

The DNR has said in its economic impact analyses that the cost of implementing the standards would be under $10 million in any two-year period.

How much could regulating PFAS save the state?

The DNR doesnt have state-specific health data. Even so, the agency used two reports to estimate Wisconsin could save hundreds of millions of dollars in avoided health care costs that stem from low birth weights and hypertension by reducing PFOA exposure. The agency also said regulations would likely limit any loss in property values or recreational revenues in areas affected by contamination.

What happens next?

The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board will take up the proposed standards at its meeting Wednesday, Feb. 23. If the NRB approves the agencys PFAS standards, the rules would require the approval of the Republican-controlled Legislature. The standards are likely to face an uphill battle from Republican lawmakers. GOP legislators have previously weakened PFAS regulations and stripped most of Evers funding proposals to address PFAS from the budget.
GAO, MALI, Feb. 16 -- Recently, after 20 days of intense construction, the 9th Chinese peacekeeping engineering contingent to Mali completed the construction of the defense wall for the oil depot at Gao airport, 10 days ahead of schedule.

The staff of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the Gao airport all spoke highly of the amazing Chinese speed and the high-quality Chinese standards.
Local Enterprise Office Laois in collaboration with Laois Chamber will be hosting a Women in Business Networking lunch to celebrate International Womens Day.

The special guest is Louise Phelan, CEO of Phelan Energy Group Ltd and former Vice President of PayPal.

The event will take place in The Killeshin Hotel on Tuesday, March 8 from 12.30pm to 2.30pm.

Louise spent 13 years as Vice President at PayPal leading and developing the business, taking a large performance team from 200 people to 3,000 people, across multiple geographies.

Louise has served as a Director of Ryanair since December 2012, and was appointed Senior Independent Director (SID) in June 2020. She held the position of President of the American Chamber of Commerce in 2014, the first woman to hold this role.

Louise has won a number of accolades. She was named Business Leader of the Year in 2017 and Businesswoman of the Year in 2013 and 2017. Louise was also named Irelands Most Trusted Leader at the Great Place to Work awards and Irish Innovation Champion at the 2014 Innovation Luminary awards.

In 2012, Louise was awarded the Sir Michael Smurfit Achievement Award by The Ireland Chamber of Commerce  United States. That same year, she was presented with an Outstanding Contribution to Irish Industry Award by the CCMA.
A woman charged with assault felt aggrieved over a comment, Portlaoise court heard last week.

Iveta Pacajova, 38, of 386 Market Mews, Maryborough Village, Portlaoise was charged with assault at Laois Kebab House on January 18, 2020.

Sgt JJ Kirby told the court that at 1am on that date people were queuing for food at the Laois Kebab House. A woman was grabbed by the hair and pulled to the ground by another woman who started to claw at her.

The woman required some hospital treatment and was on painkillers for a while.

Solicitor Philip Meagher said that Ms Pacajova was a 38-year old woman with five children. She was Czech and had spent 22-years in Ireland.

She had an unblemished record. She was a part time housekeeper in a hotel.

She went out about once a year. On this occasion she had not had a drink in seven months.

She was waiting for food and had a lot of alcohol taken. A comment was made about her appearance and she felt aggrieved by this comment. She escalated the incident.

She had indicated in a letter of apology her shame and embarrassment over what had happened. It was a once off. She was extremely sorry over what had happened.

Judge Staines noted she had no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty.

The injured party did not want a victim impact report. The Judge noted she had five children. This incident appeared out of character.

She fined her 100 and ordered 500 in compensation for the injured party from the court poor box.
Part-time farmers should be held in higher regard than they are, according to the Green Party's Laois Offaly based senator Pippa Hackett who is also Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.

The Minister of State, who is a farmer in Geashill on the border between Laois and Offaly, made a speech in Leinster House about the obstacles faced.

Most farmers in Ireland are in fact part-time, she told Seanad Eireann. And there is nothing wrong with that. Some of the best farmers I know are part-time. Yet the term hobby farmer is bandied around in relation to part-time farmers like some sort of insult.

With a levelling of EU direct payments in the form of convergence and other measures, its quite likely that we will see more part-time farmers into the future. Some bemoan that, but I believe it is something which should be welcomed, encouraged, and indeed supported, said a statement issued after the speeck.

The Minister, who sits at cabinet with Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar, questioned the regard in which productive or commercial farming is held and the effect it is having on the environment.

Perhaps we shouldnt be quite so quick to consider the drive for more and more production as an unquestionable good, she suggested.

Take something as basic as hedges. Data from Teagasc has indicated that a staggering 90% of hedges on intensive farms are classified as low quality  exhibiting issues such as impoverished ground flora, low species diversity, and gappiness.

And, increasingly on such farms, there are also other pressures. Rising energy, fertiliser and feed costs have impacted on farmers across the country. Our pig sector is in huge difficulty, and our grassland farmers are facing very challenging decisions in terms of fertility inputs this year, she said.

The Minister concluded that it shouldnt matter whether a farmer is full-time or part-time, rather that they do more than produce a profit at any cost.

Lets start acknowledging those farmers who see themselves as true custodians of the land - as managers of enterprises, yes  but also as caretakers who are just passing through, determined to leave to the next generation land, which has been nurtured, regenerated, and enriched," she said.
A new report by the child and family protection agency TUSLA has backed the need for a refuge in Laois for women who have been the victim of domestic violence.

The report says Laois should have eight family refuge spaces. The county is among 10 locations nationwide recommended to get a total of 82 new spaces.

Laois is waiting on a permanent shelter in Portlaoise, with Laois County Council, the Laois Offaly Garda Division and Laois Domestic Abuse Service working together to make it a reality.

Earlier this month, Laois Domestic Abuse Service confirmed to the Leinster Express that a site has been identified in Portlaoise to build a purpose built safe unit, that would have individual homes in a safe enclosed setting.

However Laois County Council CEO John Mulholland declined to confirm the site until the deal was over the line, speaking at the January meeting.

Laois/Offaly Fine Gael TD, Charlie Flanagan welcomed the inclusion of Portlaoise Refuge as a priority in the publication of the Tusla review of accommodation services for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

He said that while the review says that a minimum of between 50 and 60 new refuge places are needed as a priority, further analysis has identified 10 locations nationwide where the delivery of 82 family refuge spaces would have the most impact if prioritised

I have been working on this issue over recent years and am delighted that the green light has now been signalled. I am assured that resources are not an obstacle.

I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of Marna Carroll of the Laois Domestic Abuse Service, Chief Superintendent John Scanlon and his team at Garda HQ Portlaoise and John Mulholland of Laois County Council," he said.

Sean Fleming T.D., Minister of State in the Department of Finance welcomed the plan to provide a new 8 unit refuge for victims of domestic violence in Portlaoise.

"This is welcome news for victims of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based violence and their children. There has been no such facility in Laois up to now and this is a major improvement that people will be able to seek refuge accommodation within the county.

"I personally discussed this matter with An Taoiseach, the Minster for Justice, Laois County Council and Laois Domestic Abuse Service throughout 2021. I received commitment from the Government before Christmas that this 8 bed unit would be approved for Portlaoise.

"I have been guaranteed by the Government that the funding is immediately in place to progress and complete this new 8 unit refuge. It is great to have this official announcement today. I will be personally working with all interested parties to ensure the accommodation is available for victims as soon as possible.

"Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-based Violence should never be tolerated in our society, but while we continue our work to achieve our shared goal of zero tolerance we need to protect and support the victims. Finally I want to thank all those who have been directly involved in this project in recent times and we will continue to work together until the Domestic Abuse refuge is finally completed, staffed and in full operation," Minister Fleming said.

The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic OGorman, today welcomed the publication of the Tusla review of accommodation services for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The Ministers also outlined the priority areas for refuge provision, as well as long term structural reforms to improve supports for victims and tackle domestic, sexual and gender based violence.

The Tusla review highlights gaps in geographical coverage and inadequate provision of safe accommodation, including refuges, to meet the countrys needs. It recommends an approach to address these issues with immediate, medium and long-term actions required.

At the end of 2021, Tusla funded 155 DSGBV-related accommodation units, provided by 44 organisations. These consisted of 137 refuge units and 18 safe houses. In addition, Tusla supports 16 rape crisis/sexual violence organisations who provide critical and specialist services to victims.

The Ministers acknowledge the need to dramatically increase the provision of refuges.

While the review says that a minimum of between 50 and 60 new refuge places are needed as a priority, further analysis has identified 10 locations nationwide where the delivery of 82 family refuge spaces would have the most impact if prioritised.

These locations and refuge need have been chosen on the basis of required proximity to a refuge, as well as a need for refuge spaces per population in densely populated areas.

These represent areas where there is the most significant under-provision and represent a starting point to increasing refuge spaces comprehensively and in every county across the country.

They are:

 Sligo (8 family places)

 Cavan/Monaghan (8 family places)

 Cork city (12 family places  6 new, 6 replacement)

 North Cork (5 family places)

 West Cork (5 family places)

 Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown (10 family places)

 Westmeath (8 family places  four new, four replacements)

 Portlaoise (8 family places)

 Balbriggan (10 family places)

 Longford (8 family places)

In addition to the locations identified by Tusla, there will now be engagement with local authorities, government departments and State agencies to source refuge provision in Offaly, Carlow, Roscommon, Leitrim and Cavan/Monaghan.

The timelines for delivery of these places, as well as further targets for nationwide delivery of refuge accommodation, will be outlined by Minister McEntee as part of the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender based violence and accompanying action plans, which will be published in April.

Reformed structures for delivering refuge spaces, to accelerate the process and ensure a truly nationwide availability of services, will also be included in the new strategy.

Minister McEntee also asked the many local organisations doing excellent work in this area to come forward to Tusla, working initially with its partners on a new interdepartmental group until new processes are established, if they need assistance in furthering projects to provide refuge places.

The Minister today updated those working in the sector on the third national strategy, which has been co-designed with those working on the frontline with victims. The Minister will also launch a wider public consultation tomorrow (Thursday).

The new structures include consideration of a new statutory agency on domestic, sexual and gender based violence.

This agency, which will require legislation, staffing and funding to succeed, will be tasked with:

 Delivering excellent services to victims of DSGBV, which will include delivering on the number of safe and accessible accommodation spaces needed for victims of DSGBV, as well as ensuring that helpline and other supports are available to everyone who requires them;

 Ensuring a robust set of national service standards and governance arrangements are in place to ensure adherence to the appropriate standards for such supports;

 Answering to the Minister for Justice, following policy direction set by the Minister and the Department of Justice and, working with the Minister, co-ordinating the actions of the third national strategy across government

 Reporting to a dedicated Cabinet sub committee

 Leading on awareness raising campaigns designed to reduce the incidence of DSGBV in Irish society as well as ensuring that all victims know how to access the supports they require;

 Leading on consistent and ongoing research to inform DSGBV policy development, working with others, such as the CSO, who have research and data projects underway.

Publication of the accommodation review follows the recent publication of an independent audit of responsibility for domestic, sexual and gender based violence across Government.

On foot of this audit it has been agreed that the Department of Justice will take over responsibility for service delivery, in addition to its policy responsibility for this important area. The new agency would form a major part of this approach.

Until the new agency is established, Tusla will report to the Minister for Justice for service provision for domestic, sexual and gender based violence.

Minister McEntee said:

It is clear that we have a lot to do to achieve our shared goal of zero tolerance of domestic, sexual and gender based violence.

It is also clear that it will undoubtedly be a challenge to meet the needs of our vulnerable women and men who need our help. But it is a challenge I have no doubt that we will meet.

To do so, we must put in place structures and policies which will protect and support victims for generations, and bring about the societal shift in attitudes that is so desperately needed.

We must also take action in the near term, and I intend to prioritise a significant number of areas for accommodation need and, in the medium term, there will be further service expansion in other areas.

The response to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a cross departmental and multi-agency issue. Im leading the development across Government on our new national strategy, which will set an overall goal of zero tolerance for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

It will also make provision for how we deliver refuge spaces, both in the immediate and longer term, to cater for the needs of victims.

It is my goal that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one, and we will work with those working in the sector to achieve that goal.

I would urge any local organisations around the country to come forward to Tusla, working initially with its partners on a new interdepartmental group until new processes are established, if they need assistance in furthering projects to provide refuge places.

The Minister has established a High Level Interdepartmental Group to look at the issue of delivery and how it can be improved.

Minister OGorman said:

The Government is committed to delivering a strong response to domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence. It is clear that more needs to be done, both for those who are in immediate need of a safe place, but also in tackling the root causes of gender-based violence in Ireland. Through the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-based Violence, we can deliver that transformative change.

I would like to place on record my thanks to Tusla for producing this review, which will help guide the Governments wider response to the provision of services, and for their ongoing work supporting victims of domestic violence.

Coordination and delivery structures are being finalised but they will include support from the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Equality, chaired by the Taoiseach, and a high level oversight board co-chaired by the Secretary General to Government and the Secretary General of the Department of Justice.

Minister McEntee added,

Today we spoke with the NGO sector about the Tusla accommodation review and shared a draft of the third national strategy as part of our ongoing consultation. Tomorrow I will launch a public consultation on the strategy.

Following these consultations, the strategy and action plan will be finalised, brought to Government and published as soon as possible.
The return of the nationally beloved Durrow Scarecrow Festival hangs in the balance.

The Laois festival attracts busloads of visitors from all over Ireland every August Bank Holiday week, but the scarecrows had to go into storage for the last two years thanks to the Covid pandemic.

Now the local community is meeting to decide if the will and manpower is there to revive it once again.

"After a difficult two years a decision will be made in the coming days regarding the 2022 Durrow Scarecrow Festival. We would appreciate it if all businessses, clubs and potential volunteers could attend so that we can establish if the event is viable to run this year," the committee has announced.

This Thursday, a meeting will take place at Durrow Library at 8pm to consider its future.

If the festival goes ahead, it will take place from July 24 to August 1 inclusive.
Over 5,000km of regional and local roads in Ireland will benefit from a 597million investment programme.

Details of the scheme were announced today (Wednesday February 16) by the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, revealing the funding package will allow for the maintenance of approximately 3,100km of roads and the strengthening of a further 2,550kms.

Speaking today, Minister Eamon Ryan said, "The main priority in 2022 continues to be the protection and renewal of the existing regional and local road network."

According to the Department of Transport, twelve regional and local road improvement projects were identified for development in the 2018-2027 National Development Plan, six of which are completed with construction underway on another four.

Minister Ryan continued: "Last year I introduced a climate change adaptation grant for works on roads at risk due to the impact of climate change and severe weather events. I am pleased to say that this funding will continue in 2022 with 15 million being allocated for 355 climate change adaptation projects.

Other allocations for the investment programme include 282million for road pavement strengthening works, 20million for drainage works, 75million for preventative surface dressing work, and 12million for safety improvement works.

As well as this, funding of 16 million is being allocated for 350 bridge rehabilitation schemes to be progressed.

Bridge rehabilitation work is required to maintain and renew old bridge stock, which is made up of approximately 80% masonry arch structures.

The minister concluded: "I would also explain that these grants supplement local authorities own resources expenditure on regional and local road projects and do not represent the total investment in regional and local roads for this year."
Young people across Ireland are invited to be a part of a European-wide project that will relieve eco-anxiety and support the future of youth climate action and well-being.

ECO-UNESCO, Irelands leading environmental education and youth organisation is partnering with five world class organisations to develop an international Youth Action for Nature and Well-Being framework.

The Youth Action For Nature and Well-Being project will give young people the opportunity to take part in international events across Europe where they will participate in, and create new ways young people can get involved in climate action, reduce the fear of climate change and experience the positive benefits of the natural environment.

The project is a partnership led by ECO-UNESCO Ireland with Gaia Education Scotland, Youth 4 Smile Latvia, Resilience Earth Catalonia Spain, Ecowellness Consulting Ireland and OZ VIPA SK Slovakia, that is designed to test best practices in learning and creating environmental projects.

Elaine Nevin, National Director of ECO-UNESCO said:

In a recent survey by ECO-UNESCO, 60% of young people feel anxious about climate change with 52% wanting more opportunities to be involved in climate action projects. This is clearly a concern amongst young people and the Youth Action for Nature and Well-Being project will help relieve these eco-anxieties while enhancing their leadership skills and competence to take action for sustainable development.

As set out by the European Union, 2022 is the year of the Youth and it is now more important than ever that we focus on the interests of young people and encourage them to re-engage in society post-pandemic.

The Youth Action for Nature and Well-Being project will support young people to improve their well-being and mental health, develop an appreciation of nature while also developing life-long skills in the context of climate action and environmental projects. Its a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, learn from peers and experience an international programme.

This project will focus on people aged 16 - 25 years of age from across Ireland, Latvia, Spain, Scotland and Slovakia. ECO-UNESCO hopes that the strategy developed from this programme will be implemented by educators, youth workers and by young people themselves across Europe by the end of 2023.

For more information on how to get involved, please go to Ecounesco.ie
One of the top officials in Laois County Council believes a former bank in Portarlington in an eyesore that is already derelict and he has warned the owners that County Hall officials are ready to force action.

Mr Gerry Murphy, Director of Services with responsibility for the Laois side of the border town, was replying to calls for action at a meeting of the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District in relation to the state of the former AIB bank.

Cllr Aidan Mullins, Sinn Fein, led the clamour for work to be done. He said the condition of the building would be tolerated in no other part of Ireland.

He tabled a motion calling on Laois County Council to enforce the Derelict Sites Act with regard to the former AIB building on Main Street in Port.

In a written reply Mr David O Hara, A/Senior Planner, outlined what steps have been taken.

A cross department team between Housing and Planning / Derelict Sites has been set up to review this property and its potential use. A list of works will be prepared under the Derelict sites Act and sent to the developer to render it non derelict.

It should be noted that under planning application Pl Ref 19/319, Laois County Council has granted planning permission to applicants Drumgoan Developments Limited for a comprehensive redevelopment of this site which contains two Protected Structures, RPS 128A and RPS 128B. The permission is valid up to 17th November 2024, he sated.

While Cllr Mullins welcomed this he said he had raised the issue repeatedly in the last five years.

Its a protected structure and a lovely building but its condition wouldnt be tolerated on any Main Street of any town in Ireland, he said.

Cllr Mullins insisted that the grant of permission should not prevent the council from enforcing the derelict sites act.

The developer may sit on the building for x number of years before anything is done, he said.

He called on the council to make the developer clean up the front of the building part of which is cordoned off by a galvanise hoarding.

It is an eyesore that is so frustrating for the tidy towns who work so hard around the town and you have this disgusting site, he said.

He added that the whole of Main Street has been upgraded and now looks great.

The property owners feel very frustrated. Everyone else is making an effort, he said.

He praised the council for the help given and the work done on the street.

Cllr PJ Kelly, Fine Gael, agreed.

It almost looks like that if it was left long enough it would fall, he said.

Cllr Aisling Moran, Fine Gael, also backed her colleague but she was not convinced about what meaningful steps had been taken. She said the council had given him the same response when Cllr Mullins raised the matter previously. She said the owners could be penalised differently.

The developers should not be given any more planning permissions until they look after the problems in Portarlington, he said.

She asked the council if a derelict site levy would be imposed.

Mr Gerry Murphy, Director of Services with responsibility for Port, told councillors that that the owners would be given a number of works to carry out work.

If they dont do that it would probably be declared derelict - because it is derelict. We all see that, he said.

He said it should not take long for the derelict site process to move forward especially if there is no communication from the owners. He said charges would follow on from a notice of dereliction being served.

It is an eyesore in the middle of Portarlington, he said.

Mr Murphy told Cllr Paschal McEvoy that other buildings could be added to the work of the team appointed to tackle the bank dereliction.
The death has occurred of Gerard D Harnett

New York and late of 77 Fassaugh Avenue, Cabra West, Dublin / Kildare



Harnett, Gerard (Gerry), 9th February 2022. New York. Peacefully after a short illness. Beloved and devoted husband of Maura and much loved father of Terence. Gerry will be sadly missed by his loving wife, son, brother Lawrence, sister June, sisters in law Mary, Carmel, Doreen, Rita, brothers in law Sam, Peter and Brendan, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

MAY HE REST IN PEACE

Reposing at Forest Hills Funeral Home, New York followed by private cremation in Forest Hills, New York. A celebration of Gerrys life will take place in Dublin at a later date. Date yet to be announced.

The death has occurred of Gwen Marsella (Macari)

Rathcoole, Dublin / Kill, Kildare



Marsella (Macari), Aunty Gwen (Kilwarden, Kill and late of Clasattico, Montattico, Italy), February 14th, 2022 peacefully at Lisheen Nursing Home, Rathcoole surrounded by her loving family. Beloved wife of the late Marietto. She will be sadly missed by her heartbroken family, brother Glorio, sister-in-law Maria, nieces, nephews, extended Macari and Marsella families and friends.

Rest in Peace.

Reposing at Eircode W91 W2V8 from 7pm Tuesday (February 15th) and again Wednesday (February 16th) from 12pm. Removal on Thursday (February 17th) to the Church of the Holy Family, Rathcoole arriving for 12pm Funeral Mass. A burial will take place in Italy at a later date. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to the Irish Kidney Association. All enquiries to Fanagans Funeral Directors, Tallaght Village  01 451 6701.

The death has occurred of Patrick (Paddy) MCNALLY

Drehid, Carbury, Kildare



Peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family. Loving father of the late Willie. Paddy will be sadly missed by his loving wife Angela, sons John, Oliver and Eddie, daughters Mary and Olivia, grandchildren, brother, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, daughter-in-law, niece, extended family, relatives and friends.

May Paddy Rest in Peace.

Reposing at his home on Wednesday from 4pm to 8pm with Rosary at 8pm. Please wear a face covering and adhere to current guidelines. Funeral Mass on Thursday at 1.30pm in Holy Trinity Church, Derrinturn followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. You can also take part in Paddy's Funeral Mass on the Carbury Parish Webcam via the following link:

https://www.carburyparish.ie/our-parish/webcam-derrinturn/

Condolences can be left using the link at the bottom of this page. The family would like to thank you for your kindness and support at this sad and difficult time.

Family flowers only please, donations, if desired, to The Irish Cancer Society.

The death has occurred of Derek Brennan

Clane, Kildare / Navan Road, Dublin



Derek Brennan (Clane and formerly the Navan Road, Dublin 7) died 12th of February 2022 suddenly in the Mater Hospital, after a long illness, borne with cheerfulness.

Predeceased by his parents, Eileen and Larry. Sadly, missed by his brother Paul, sisters Avril and Barbara, his sister-in-law Geraldine, nephew, nieces, aunts, cousins and his many friends and carers at Simplicitas.

Derek will be reposing at Bourke's Funeral Home, 71 Queen Street, Dublin 7 from 3pm to 5pm Wednesday afternoon. Funeral Mass at 10am Thursday the 17th of February, Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Navan Road, Dublin 7, D07CKR7, which can be viewed live via the parish website  Click Here. Burial after Mass in Mulhuddart Cemetery, Church Road, Dublin 15.
The value of Northern Irish imports into the Republic of Ireland reached nearly four billion euro last year, according to new data.

New figures published by the Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that imports to the Republic from Northern Ireland increased by 65% to around 3.956 billion euro between 2020 and 2021.

The data also shows that Irish exports to Northern Ireland grew to 3.696 billion euro in 2021  a 54% rise on the year before.

In contrast, imports from Great Britain to the Republic of Ireland slumped by 13% to 15.4 billion in 2021.

Exports from Ireland to Great Britain, which make up 9% of Irish exports, rose by 17% to more than 14 billion compared to 2020.

The figures come amid ongoing negotiations between the UK Government and the European Union over the future of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Unionists argue that the post-Brexit trade arrangements damage the union between Northern Ireland and Great Britain by placing a border in the Irish Sea.

Those trade arrangements have created economic barriers on the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with the aim being to avoid the creation of a hard border on the island of Ireland.

It has achieved that by effectively keeping Northern Ireland within the EUs single market for goods, an arrangement which has led to the checks on products crossing the Irish Sea from Great Britain.

The figures were pointed to by some parties on both sides of the Irish border as one of the benefits of the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.

SDLP MLA Matthew OToole said that the figures show that many businesses on both sides of the border are adapting to take full advantage of the Protocol.

He said: Northern Ireland now has the unique ability to export seamlessly into both the British market and the EU single market  making us the envy of exporters in Scotland, England and Wales having to deal with new barriers to trade.

Mr OToole said that data proves the DUPs scaremongering and brinkmanship does not reflect the interests of our economy or the vast majority of people here.

Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond said the CSO figures were very welcome news.

He added: Positive Brexit dividends have been few and far between and it is vital that we capitalise on them where possible.

The Protocol is not only protecting Northern Ireland from the worst of Brexit, economically, but it also offers far greater potential than many would have expected.
Starkville, MS (39762)

Today

Generally cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
Drinkaware, the national charity working to reduce and prevent the misuse of alcohol in Ireland, is offering a free mental health resource to the public online.

The 2021 Drinkaware Barometer found that 61% of adults in Ireland cite coping as a reason to drink alcohol*, but this can have unintended consequences. The negative impact of alcohol on mental health is significant. It can contribute to the development and/or worsening of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

Mental well-being is examined in the annual Drinkaware Barometer survey and the findings indicate that mental well-being has stabilised throughout the pandemic with 35% reporting low mental well-being in 2021 versus 37% in 2020**. However, it is important to note that the rate of low mental well-being reported in 2018 pre the pandemic was at 11%.

Winter can be a difficult time for our mental health, now more so than ever. In the lead-up to Christmas, Drinkaware resource orders increased by over 1000%. Our resilience has been tested over the past two years, but more and more people are taking positive steps to look after their health.

The Drinkaware Alcohol and Your Mental Health booklet contains facts about alcohols impact on mental health, and advice to develop healthy coping strategies without alcohol. It also explains why your mental health can be negatively impacted by alcohol.

The risk of these impacts increases when an individual is drinking above the HSE low-risk weekly guidelines for alcohol. Only 2-3% of Irish adults are aware of these guidelines**, making it difficult for people to consider the potential impact of their drinking on their mental health. Regularly drinking more than the HSE low-risk weekly guidelines interferes with chemicals in the brain needed for strong, balanced mental health.

Some of our top tips in this guide includes:

Keep Learning: Learning about the HSE low-risk weekly guidelines will help you create a healthier relationship with alcohol

Get Active: Regular exercise can improve your mental and physical health

Connect: Making an effort to re-connect with friends and family nourishes your mental and emotional health

Take up a new hobby: Doing something you enjoy is a healthy coping mechanism during times of difficulty

Take notice: Meditating or practising yoga give you the space to acknowledge and understand your feelings

Give: Do something nice for a loved one, or for a total stranger. Doing good for others does good for your own mental health.

CEO for Drinkaware Sheena Horgan commented, We all know the on-going pandemic has had a tremendous impact on our mental health as a nation. The findings from the Drinkaware Annual Barometer from both 2022 and 2021 bear this out, with a significant drop in self-reported levels of high well-being. The 2534-year-old age group are most likely to report low mental well-being as are those who report their alcohol consumption has increased in the past 12 months.

The Drinkaware Alcohol & Your Mental Health booklet is a public health resource for anyone who feels they need information on how alcohol can affect their mental health, along with tips and advice for how to maintain, protect and improve your mental health and well-being. We have all had our resilience tested during the past two years, and this resource could be a step in a positive direction for people who want to develop healthy coping strategies that dont include alcohol.

Order your free booklet today at: https://drinkaware.ie/order-resources/
Homelessness charity Focus Ireland (FI) has urged the government to help 'generation rent'.

It follows after research cited Ireland as one of the most poorly regulated rental sectors in western Europe.

Dr Richard Waldron, of Queens University Belfast, presented research findings from his article Generation Rent and Housing Precarity in Post Crisis Ireland earlier today during FI's monthly Lunchtime Talks.

His research found the number of households in the rental sector with children has surged by 272 per cent among couples and 137 per cent among lone parents with children.

Commenting on the research, FI's director of advocacy, Mike Allen, said: The timely piece of analyses from Dr Waldron shows how stark and prolonged the rental crisis is: when the economic crash hit in 2008, we witnessed thousands of young people forced to leave the country due to a lack of jobs."

"We are now again facing further emigration as generation rent are left with a scarcity of secure accommodation in Ireland."

Mr Allen continued: "For the last 14 years, we have seen repeated govts prioritise the interests of landlords instead of tenants rights who been priced out of housing markets.

"The most unforgiving of this crisis is the sheer number of children and families who are on the verge of homelessness due to the unstable housing sector.

"Meanwhile, there are 2,500 children who are homeless with their families and most lost their homes in the rental sector due to rocketing rents, insecurity of tenure and the rising cost of living."

Mr Allen also said that Dr Waldron's analysis "rightly cites" Rory Hearnes assertion that the security of tenure and the length of leases are key concerns for renting families (Hearne is an Assistant Professor/Lecturer in Social Policy in the Department of Applied Social Studies at Maynooth University).

He elaborated: "Irish tenancies are typically arranged on an annual basis, often with upward rent reversions imposed at the end of each year.

"This article also states there is also long-standing issues with lack of enforcement and penalties for landlords who break lease agreements or let poor quality accommodation," Mr Allen added.

Further findings:
Hello, its lunchtime in Paris, and you can now drink your coffee at a bistro counter, or eat your sandwich during your train ride thanks to the lifting of some covid-19 restrictions as the omicron wave is receding.

What happened yesterday? Marine Le Pen accused one of her former right-hand men of treason. She said Nicolas Bay, a Rassemblement national member of the European Parliament, leaked internal information to her far-right rivals campaign. Nicolas Bay was deprived of his duties. He denied any wrongdoing but is expected to rally Eric Zemmour as soon as this week.

Why does it matter? With the first round of the presidential election in less than two months, the impact of this internal struggle is hard to measure. It appears as the first act of the great upheaval to come for the nationalist-populist wing of the right.

In early January, Eric Zemmours bid for president seemed doomed. After a dazzling start in October, he had plateaued in the polls and fuelled doubts after a series of setbacks, especially when he gave the finger to a passerby in Marseille after a ghostly visit of Frances second-largest city. His rival on the far-right, Marine Le Pen, had been able to withstand his pressure, and the Conservative Party had crowned as its candidate a self-proclaimed doer and a moderate, Valerie Pecresse.

Six weeks later, the former polemicist is back in the race and vying for the presidential runoff. In Le Mondes poll published on Friday, he is tied with his two other main right-wing contenders. On Tuesday, he made much of a phone call with Donald Trump, a double-edged sword given the overwhelming unpopularity of the former American president in France. Donald Trump didnt endorse him officially and said nothing of the call.

On Sunday, the far-right candidate received an unexpected boost when Valerie Pecresse borrowed some of his trademark lines (also an old far-right soundbite) during her biggest rally to date. She mentioned the "Great Replacement" (of the French population by non-White immigrants) and "French of paper" (administrative French) as opposed to "French of the heart" (native French).

As everything is intertwined, Eric Zemmour probably hopes that Valerie Pecresse's stumblings could detach enough voters from her bloc to his benefit. True, their electorates overlap. They are older, wealthier, and more educated than Marine Le Pens voters. The Les Republicains candidate also has a soft spot: at this point, only 47% of her voters say their choice is final, compared to Eric Zemmours 60% and Marine Le Pens 69%. As to those who could change their mind, 38% would pick likely candidate Emmanuel Macron as a second choice, 19% Eric Zemmour and 15% Marine Le Pen.

As a former columnist for le Figaro, the daily Bible of the conservative right, he enjoys name recognition. It should be remembered that he gave his first political speech at the invitation of the head of Les Republicains, Laurent Wauquiez, in January 2019. As a result, Valerie Pecresse left her party for five months denouncing an unacceptable drift to the far-right.

Eric Zemmour is not only trying to win Valerie Pecresses voters but also Marine le Pens senior executives. Since January, dozens of elected officials have left her to join the former polemicist. Most of them have explained their departure by criticizing Marine Le Pen's strategic decision to soften her tone and appeal to a broader audience than the traditional right-wing voters. They have also complained about her harsh management. It was not coincidental that defectors left one by one to create a devastating dripping effect.

On Tuesday, Marine Le Pen denounced a "sabotage" operation "which consists of staying for weeks and weeks in the nuclear heart of the organization of a presidential campaign to obtain information and incidentally in some cases to transmit it to a political competitor." "I consider it to be high treason," she went on saying. "I call it the slug strategy, not only because the slug is slow but also because it is sticky," she added.

Eric Zemmour still faces an uphill battle. Voters consider him the most worrying candidate. According to a Le Monde poll, he would suffer a landslide defeat if he was to face Emmanuel Macron in a runoff. With his offensive comments, he is "recreating a glass ceiling that we managed to get rid of," said Marine Le Pens right-hand man Jordan Bardella, on Sunday. A vote for him "will ensure the re-election of Emmanuel Macron," he added. That is not exactly the argument Eric Zemmour uses to appeal to his voters.

More on this topic: Whos who in the 2022 French presidential election

Quote of the day

"If you date down the street... Then vote down the street!"

Online dating giant Tinder and civil rights NGO A Vote announced Wednesday the launch of a campaign to encourage young people to register to vote and get "GenZ matched with voting!" "If you date down the street... Then vote down the street!" says an ad. In France, low voter registration affects 51% of 25-29-year-olds, according to the work of sociologist Celine Braconnier.

Graphic of the day

Marine Le Pen, Eric Zemmour and Jean-Luc Melenchon are still far from 500 sponsors

Countdown

53 Days until the presidential elections first round

67 Days until the presidential elections second round

Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow

Read the previous column: Jean-Luc Melenchon, king of the ruins

Gilles Paris(Columnist)
STUDENTS at a Limerick secondary school are encouraging their classmates to 'Think before they click'.

Transition Year students at Ardscoil Mhuire encouraged other pupils to look after their wellbeing while browsing while marking Safer Internet Day 2022.

The school marked the day with a series of student-led initiatives that spilled out into the wider community.

Fourth Year students Ava Collins and Elvan Dilmac were determined to make an impact, having received leadership training from Webwise Ireland with a focus on promoting internet safety.

They went on to devise a programme of online safety events, supported by Webwise Youth Panelist and Fifth Year pupil Meabh Ryan and their classmates.

These included the creation of bespoke resources for use in Junior Cycle SPHE classes, a whole-school poster competition, awareness-raising via the official #SID2022 wristbands, and motivational messages dotted around the school.

They spent most of Safer Internet Day meeting the schools First Year students, helping them to develop critical thinking skills and promoting strategies for maintaining ones wellbeing whilst using social media.

The highlight of the day was a virtual visit to the Sxxth Class pupils in Scoil Ide. Ava and Elvan delivered a session on safe and respectful communication online, even hosting a mini-quiz after sharing some personal experiences as internet users.

Ardscoil Mhuires Principal, Ms Brid Herbert, celebrated these student-led initiatives: "Safer Internet Day is a well established tradition in Ardscoil Mhuire.

"This initiative is one of many in our school which draws attention to the importance of students being safe, aware, and responsible online.

"I commend our SID Ambassadors and members of the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel for sharing their knowledge and experience with our school and wider community.
The justice minister has said the ultimate goal for domestic violence policy is to have a bed for anyone who needs to flee their home.

Helen McEntee said the long-term plan is to ensure every county across the country has refuge spaces for domestic violence victims.

It comes as Tusla published an accommodation review which sets out the number of beds needed to meet the needs of victims.

The audit says additional family places are required in some locations and accommodation provision for victims of domestic abuse in Ireland must be improved.

Ministers @HMcEntee & @rodericogorman welcome publication of accommodation review for victims of domestic violence. New agency on DSGBV under consideration Refuge accommodation priority areas identified Update on 3rd national DGSBV strategy https://t.co/YYO0N9kNvr pic.twitter.com/bQY1QSgbor  Department of Justice (@DeptJusticeIRL) February 16, 2022

The Istanbul Convention says there should be one family place for every 10,000 of population, which means Ireland needs 476 family refuge places.

Based on this figure, Ireland provides less than 30%.

The review found that if Ireland reached 70%, an additional 198 family places would be needed.

To achieve 100%, a further 335 family places would be required.

Ms McEntee met stakeholders on Wednesday ahead of the launch of the public consultation on the strategy on domestic, sexual and gender based violence.

Afterwards she said Tusla has identified 82 beds that could be developed across 10 areas as part of its short-term plans.

They have identified a medium-term objective which ensures 70% of our population are within 30 minutes of a refuge, and then the longer-term objective of the Istanbul Convention, which is a figure of 476 which may change, the Fine Gael minister added.

The ultimate goal is that anyone who needs a space will have one.

Not every county has refuge accommodation for those fleeing domestic violence.

Data shows that 1,134 women and 2,918 children were accommodated in 2019.

The average length of stay was 34 days, with 40% of stays lasting three to six weeks and 80% less than six weeks.

In 2019, 4,381 enquiries about availability of a refuge place did not lead to a bed space, and almost two-thirds of these were because of a lack of available or suitable places, according to Tusla.

The review said the demand represents only the visible aspect need.

Ms McEntee said she will publish the targets to set up refuge accommodation in April.

She added: My commitment is that anyone who needs a space or a bed or accommodation or safe refuge will get that.

The target for the Istanbul Convention based on our population and based on one per 10,000 of the population is 476.

With time that may change. What Id like to do is introduce new measures which dont just focus on providing that safe space but ensuring that people can remain in their home, that in the most instance women and children can remain in their home where they are victims of domestic sexual and gender-based violence.

The targets are clear though in the short term  we have 82 units spread across a number of counties.

The medium-term objective is 70% of the population will be within 30 minutes of refuge. We have to make sure that we engage with local authorities, with agencies, with frontline workers in counties Roscommon, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, Offaly and Carlow.

So the longer-term objective then is making sure that we have every county, every area covered.

Ms McEntee said an interim group has been established, made up of officials from the Department of Justice, Department of Children, Tusla, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and Department of Housing.

That is to make sure that we can develop a system that enables these resources and these refuges to be developed as quickly as possible, she added.

But Im very clear its not just about bricks and mortar, its about the services that are to be provided.
Simon Coveney has been urged to set in motion a referendum on Irish state neutrality, as opposition TDs condemned the decline of the Defence Forces under his watch.

During a debate in the Dail today (Wednesday February 16), the Foreign Affairs and Defence Minister called for a cross-party consensus on the way forward for Irelands beleaguered military.

The Commission on the Defence Forces earlier this month warned that continuing business as usual will leave Ireland without a credible military capability to protect the country, its people and its resources for any sustained period.

The body spent more than 13 months compiling the report, and received 480 submissions and spoke to 1,000 Defence Forces personnel of all ranks.

The report said many reported a strong sense of crisis in the Defence Forces, with one immediate cause being understaffing.

Mr Coveney told the Dail: Lets not focus on whether this is two months, three months or four months. The important thing is to get this right.

Were talking about fundamentally changing the defence forces for the better in the future.

And I think as long as we bring forward a series of recommendations, which of course will have a significant funding obligation to come with them, before the summer, then I think that is a realistic target.

Successive TDs in the chamber on Wednesday blasted the Governments failure to properly resource the Irish Defence Forces.

Sinn Fain defence spokesperson John Brady said: In essence, this report deals with the legacy of the ministers failures.

The ministers inability to address the core issues at the heart of the Defence Forces has resulted in the steady and alarming rate of departure of members within the defence forces and it is now an enduring major crisis.

Mr Brady, who specifically welcomed several of the recommendations, said that Ireland too often relies on other states or organisations to patrol its waters and monitor its airspace.

He said: We need to see the principle of neutrality being protected by enshrining it in our Constitution, which will come about following a referendum.

We need to invest in our defence forces to ensure that our nation has the capacity to defend our nations security.

How the government responds to this report will not only reveal its attitude to the members of the defence forces, but its vision for Irelands place and standing within the international community for years to come.

Sinn Fein Dublin TD Mark Ward, whose father worked in the Cathal Brugha barracks in Dublin city, told the Dail that many soldiers residing there had concerns about plans for a feasibility study into the use of the barracks for social and affordable housing.

Allegations of sexism, bullying, sexual assault and rape in the Defence Forces, made by Members of the Women of Honour group, were also raised by multiple TDs as symptomatic of broader problems in the military.

The Dail heard calls for a public statutory investigation to be carried out, as opposed to the judge-led review commissioned by the Government.

Labour TD Brendan Howlin said it was time for an honest, open debate on the future of the Irish Defence Forces.

He said that Ireland had sometimes confused military neutrality with military impotence.

He added: Raise the flag of neutrality and that shielded us from having to invest in the array of equipment and the capacity that actually are the hallmarks of a military neutral nation.

One that does not depend on others, to monitor its airspace, or economic waters.
MET Eireann is warning of "severe and potentially damaging" winds in Limerick during Storm Eunice when it arrives later this week.

A status yellow wind warning, which was issued earlier today, has been upgraded to orange for Limerick and several other counties.

"Storm Eunice will bring severe and potentially damaging winds, gusting up to 130km/h, higher in exposed areas. Some disruption is expected along with a possibility of coastal flooding," states the warning which will come into effect at 5am on Friday.

The status orange weather warning, which will remain valid until 11am on Friday, also applies to counties Clare, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Galway and Wexford.

Meanwhile, a status yellow warning which is associated with Storm Dudley is now in effect.

Ahead of the arrival of the two storms the Crisis Management Team at the The National Directorate for and Emergency Management held a second virtual meeting today with Met Eireann, the OPW, local authorities and other state agencies.

"The NDFEM CMT continue to liaise with Met Eireann to monitor the evolving weather situation. A further meeting of the group is scheduled for 12pm on the February 17," said a spokesperson.
Cutting jobs in France is never easy. So Stellantis NV, the manufacturer of Peugeot cars and Jeep SUVs has come up with a novel way to slim down its payroll: It sends workers emails with tips on how to get exciting new jobs -- elsewhere.

Employees are routinely sent alerts on career fairs and services that help write winning CVs -- so much so that union representatives are accusing management of harassment.

This isnt a good way to motivate people to work hard for the company," said Christine Virassamy, a representative of the CFDT union. Weve asked them to let up."

The unusual effort is a measure of how hard pressed Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares is to cut the sprawling automakers payroll in major markets in Europe as he strives to make good on 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) of synergies pledged as part of the 2021 merger between Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group. France alone could see as many as 10,000 departures by the end of 2025, according to estimates by some unions.

Like rivals across Europe rapidly shifting to electric vehicles, Stellantis -- with 14 car brands and some 300,000 employees globally -- is under pressure to trim its workforce. EVs are simpler to produce and require fewer workers than conventional vehicles. Emails promoting career moves outside Stellantis are to help those who might be interested in a voluntary departure scheme, a company spokesman said.

The transition to EVs is unprecedented in terms of speed and impact for the automotive industry," said Alexandre Marian, a managing director in Paris at AlixPartners. There will be winners and losers given the level of investment required, and this will have implications on the workforce."

In a study published in December for Frances auto lobby, of which Stellantis is a member, the consultancy estimates France risks losing nearly a third of its automotive jobs by the end of the decade. The grim forecast could be applied to other countries, especially in Europe, Marian said.

Coders Needed

While Stellantis and other legacy carmakers have plans to retrain staff and hire software specialists to develop self-driving and digital features for their future models, not every mechanic will be able to code.

Shrinking workforces remains a challenge across the industry," Citigroup analyst Gabriel Adler wrote in a report. The average age of industry employees in Europe is between 40 and 45 years old and workers are predominantly focused on conventional motors, he said.

At Stellantis, the drive to get people out the door is accelerating in France, where the company employs about 45,000 people and commands 34% of the market mostly through sales of Peugeots and Citroens. In Italy, the birthplace of brands including Fiat and Alfa Romeo, Stellantis has reached a number of so-called performance accords with unions. With 50,800 workers, Stellantis is also offering incentives for voluntary departures.

Stellantis began talks with French unions Feb. 1 on a two-year plan for 2,600 voluntary job cuts. Union leaders forecast the downsizing will continue at least at the same pace through 2025. When early departures of more senior staff are included the numbers could reach as many as 8,000. In addition, they predict, as many as 2,100 workers could leave to work at joint ventures in northern France: Automotive Cells Company for batteries, and the Emotors and e-Transmissions businesses. The Stellantis spokesman dismissed the union estimates as false."

The union numbers are largely an extrapolation from current trends put forward by the company. These include the voluntary departure plan, the roughly 1,400 staff who could move to the JVs and various other estimates of early retirement and future JV needs. Last year there were 1,380 voluntary departures and 1,100 new hires, mostly in sales and engineering.

EV Revolution

Tavares has said his quest to make Stellantis more efficient wont necessarily include site closures and job cuts. Yet he has warned the rapid switch to EVs will require 10% annual productivity gains compared with the 2% to 3% of past years. That may also come from squeezing suppliers.

Rivals like Volkswagen AG and Renault SA are also under pressure to trim their workforces to compete with Tesla Inc. and other new entrants that dont make combustion engines. VW CEO Herbert Diess has come under fire from labor representatives accusing him of plotting mass layoffs to make the company more nimble.

The political stakes are high because of the risk to jobs. While Renault has plans to eliminate thousands of posts in France, it also made a pledge to the government to keep much of its EV manufacturing at home around the same time the automaker accepted a state-backed loan to get through the pandemic.

Among the biggest overlooked risks of electrification for the balance sheets of legacy automakers is that their factories making combustion engines become stranded assets, according to Citigroups Adler.

With such doomed foundries in rural France -- from Jinjiang Industries Europes auto parts plant in Aveyron to Renaults Fonderie de Bretagne in Caudan that makes cast-metal pieces for combustion engines -- workers are feeling the pinch.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
National capital Delhi is likely to reduce Covid restriction soon as the third wave wanes. According to a report in Hindustan Times, Livemint's sister publication, health experts have also suggested the Delhi government remove the Covid restrictions due to the decline in daily caseload.

A senior health official told the daily that senior doctors from dedicated Covid facilities have agreed that the Covid situation is under control and the remaining curbs can be lifted.

However, the final call is likely to be announced when the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meets next week.

Over the past two weeks, the average number of daily cases has fallen from 4,207 to 923, and the positivity rate has dropped from around 30% in mid-January to 1.5% on Tuesday.

Yesterday, Delhi registered 756 new Covid-19 cases at a positivity rate of 1.5%. At least 97% of beds for Covid patients are vacant in the national capital at present. The city added more recoveries (830) than new infections on Tuesday, as per the daily health bulletin. The total active case tally in the national capital went up to 3337 after Tuesday's addition.

DDMA, headed by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal has the final say on the restrictions related to the pandemic in Delhi. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government had lifted some restrictions on January 27 and February 4, such as removal of weekend lockdown, reopening of schools, gyms, and cinema halls.

Meanwhile, traders' body have written letters to the government afresh to ease restrictions so that the losses from the closures during the Omicron wave can be recovered. Atul Bhargava, president of the New Delhi Traders Association told the daily that the city should be allowed to remain open at least till 9.30 PM, instead of the current time of 8 PM.

Health experts have also said that there is no scientific evidence about the efficacy of these restrictions to control the spread of Covid infections, especially when the cases in the city are already low.
3 min read . Updated: 16 Feb 2022, 04:23 PM IST

Russia-Ukraine LIVE: Biden said the US is still open for diplomacy to resolve the issue while stressing that more than 150,000 Russian troops remain on the Ukrainian border.
Russia is continuing its military build-up around Ukraine, the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations secretary-general said Wednesday, even as Moscow announced that it began drawing down some of its troops and released footage of tanks and armored personnel carriers being removed from the Crimean peninsula.

On Wednesday, the day on which some U.S. intelligence officials had said a Russian invasion was likely to occur, Ukrainians rallied across the country in a display of solidarity and defiance, raising the national flag and singing the anthem in morning ceremonies. The country was rattled by a cyberattack the previous night that targeted two of its biggest banks, temporarily disrupting payments and showing zero balances on accounts.

We have heard the signs from Moscow about readiness to continue diplomatic efforts," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said as defense ministers from the alliances 30 member states gathered in Brussels. But so far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground. On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues its military buildup."

Some 130,000 Russian troops have gathered near Ukraine, including some 30,000 for military drills in Belarus, in recent weeks, prompting the U.S. to shut down its embassy in Kyiv and to evacuate American diplomats and military personnel. Russian President Vladimir Putin said after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday that he had ordered a partial troop withdrawal" and that he is open to continuing talks with the West about Russias security demands and the future of Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Russias Defense Ministry said that some of these units had begun leaving Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine and annexed in 2014, for their permanent bases. Some of these bases arent far from Ukraine.

Ukraine has launched military drills of its own along the borders with Russia and Belarus, as well as on its southern coast, which is vulnerable to Russian amphibious landings. Everyone who needs to defend Ukraine is doing their jobs. All the troops that needed to be deployed to positions to strengthen dangerous approaches have been deployed, and everyone who needed to receive ammunition has received it," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a televised appearance Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, donning fatigues, arrived Wednesday to inspect these exercises in the Rivne region near Belarus, and later planned to visit the front-line troops near Donetsk in the countrys east, according to his office. Our shared desire to live unites us, to live together in peace," he said in an address Wednesday. We are in Ukraine and no one can defend our home like we can."

Russias military drills in Belarus, which U.S. officials say could be used by Russia to attack the Ukrainian capital from the north, are slated to end on Feb. 20, while Russian navy exercises in the Black Sea are scheduled to last until Feb. 19. Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey said Wednesday that not a single service member, not a single piece of equipment" will be left in the country by Moscow once the exercises are completed.

U.S. officials are skeptical of such assurances, saying the drills could be a cover for a military strike on Ukraine. President Biden said Tuesday that a Russian invasion remained distinctly possible." Ukrainian officials have also dismissed Russias statements on withdrawals, saying that Russian troops could easily move back toward the borderand that Kyiv should be preparing for a permanent threat of a Russian invasion. Putin wakes up every morning thinking of how to make sure that we dont exist anymore," said Oleksii Danilov, the head of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has been at the center of a flurry of diplomatic activity, with the leaders of France and Germany shuttling between Kyiv and Moscow in an attempt to avert hostilities. These diplomatic efforts focused largely on the Minsk-2 agreements brokered by France and Germany in 2015 that ended major combat between Ukraine and Russian-backed forces in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russias interpretation of the accords, which has been rejected by Kyiv, could give Moscow a veto over Ukraines key policies.

While the talks have been fruitless so far, Mr. Putin said after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow on Tuesday that he expected Washington, Paris and Berlin to exert appropriate influence" to pressure Ukraine on Minsk-2. On the same day, the Russian parliament asked Mr. Putin to recognize the Russian-controlled statelets in Donetsk and Luhansk as independent nations. Mr. Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the Russian president has received the request but intends to focus on implementing the Minsk agreements, under which Donetsk and Luhansk would become autonomous areas within Ukraine, according to the RIA news agency.

U.S. officials on Monday said the Russian military presence near Ukraine had grown to 105 battalion tactical groups, up from 83 groups earlier this month. Russia has also moved around 500 combat aircraft within range of Ukraine and has 40 combat ships in the Black Sea, according to U.S. officials.

Amid these warnings, Ukraines Mr. Zelensky sought to raise morale and upend the narrative by proclaiming Wednesday as a national holiday. Yellow-and-blue national flags lined Kyivs main thoroughfares, and a morning rally at Kyivs central sports stadium drew Ukrainians out to sing the national anthem, which starts with the line Ukraine is not dead yet."

We have to show support for our country and our president. This is a difficult time. Were worried, but were trying to keep from panicking," said Roman Dudiak, 20, a university student who fled his hometown of Donetsk when Russian-controlled forces seized it in 2014. Russia didnt attack us yesterday or last week, weve been fighting Russia for eight years."
Rat snakes are medium-to-large, nonvenomous snakes that kill by constriction. They pose no threat to humans, and as their name implies, rats are one of their favorite foods. There are Old World (Eastern Hemisphere) and New World (Western Hemisphere) rat snakes, and the two types are genetically different.

New World rat snakes are found throughout North America. One such species of rat snake is the corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus), a docile animal and popular pet.

What is a rat snake?

In the past two decades, the question "What is a rat snake?" has become increasingly complicated to answer. Until the early 2000s, both Old and New World rat snakes were generally thought to belong to the same genus, Elaphe, according to Alan Savitzky, a professor of biological sciences at Utah State University who specialises in the biology of snakes .

"There was a time not that long ago when all rat snakes were considered closely related," Savitzy told Live Science. "We know now that the rat snakes in North America are more closely related to the king snakes than the Old World rat snakes."

New technologies for studying evolutionary biology at the molecular level have enabled scientists to look at the DNA differences between snakes, Savitzy said. This has caused a great deal of upheaval in snake classification, and snakes are being moved into different genuses. In 2002, herpetologist Urs Utiger published findings in the Russian Journal of Herpetology and proposed reclassifying North American rat snakes as members of the genus Pantherophis.

The proposal met with mixed reactions. Some authorities adopted the classification. For example, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), a collaborative network of researchers, accepts Pantherophis, as does the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), an international non-profit organization that supports herpetological research and education.

However, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), recognized as the arbiter for the correct use of the scientific names of animals, does not recognize Pantherophis; nor does the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

What do rat snakes look like?

According to Reptiles Magazine , rat snakes can vary widely in appearance. They can have blotches, stripes, a combination of both or be single-colored. They can be black, red, brown, yellow, gray or black-and-white colored. They have keeled scales  scales with a ridge running down the center  slender bodies and wedge-shaped heads. Their pupils are round, as are those of most nonvenomous snakes.

Some species of rat snakes reach lengths of 10 feet (3 meters), though 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m) long is more common, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

Here are descriptions of the appearances of some common rat snake species.

Eastern rat snake/black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta or Pantherophis alleghaniensis)

According to the Virginia Herpetological Society , this is a shiny, primarily black snake. It has a white chin and many individuals have white bellies. When their skin is stretched, such as after a meal, a spotted pattern may be visible. Spots might be white, yellow, red or orange. Bellies are sometimes checkered in gray, brown, white or yellow. Juveniles are more blotchy and have white or gray bodies.

Yellow rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata or Pantherophis alleghaniensis quadrivittata)

According to the Cincinnati Zoo , yellow rat snakes are the most common rat snake in the Florida peninsula. Their coloration is a morph  a visual difference between populations, caused by a genetic mutation  of the eastern rat snake (also known as the black rat snake) that produces yellow or orange hues over the snake's entire body. Their eyes typically have yellow irises, and the snakes have four narrow brown stripes going down their backs.

Red rat snake (Elaphe guttatus or Pantherophis guttatus)

According to Savitzky, "red rat snake" is an old-fashioned synonym for corn snake. Red rat snakes vary in color but have yellowish or orange bodies with large red blotches on their backs, dark marks on their bellies, and a "V" shape on the tops of their heads.

Gray rat snake (Pantherophis spiloides or Elaphe spiloides)

According to Ontario Nature , gray rat snakes are the longest snakes in Canada, measuring up to 7 feet (2 m) in length. They have grayish coloring with black or dark gray blotches on their backs and bellies. Juveniles are vividly patterned, but that fades somewhat with adulthood.

Where do rat snakes live?

Rat snakes are found throughout North America, from Central America to Southern Canada. Their habitats vary by species. The following is a list of some common rat snake species' ranges and habitats.

Eastern rat snake/black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta or Pantherophis alleghaniensis)

The largest species of rat snakes, this snake lives throughout New England and south to Georgia. They are found as far west as Northern Louisiana and as far north as Southern Wisconsin. They can live in a variety of forests and grasslands but a deciduous forest surrounded by grass is their preferred habitat, according to Pennsylvania State University .

Texas rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri or Pantherophis obsoleta lindheimeri)

As their name implies, Texas rat snakes are found throughout Texas, though they also live in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. According to the University of Texas at Arlington, they can live in a wide variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, suburbia and urban areas.

Yellow rat snakes are the most common rat snake in Florida. (Image credit: ZenShui/Odilon Dimier/Getty Images)

Yellow rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata or Pantherophis alleghaniensis quadrivittata)

According to the Cincinnati Zoo, these snakes are found along the coasts of North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. They live in pine flatlands and shrubs, forests and cypress swamps, as well as citrus groves, abandoned buildings and pastures.

Red rat snake (Elaphe guttatus or Pantherophis guttatus)

These snakes are found throughout the southeastern United States, particularly in Florida. They live in pine flatlands, mangrove swamps, forests and urban areas, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission .

Gray rat snake (Pantherophis spiloides or Elaphe spiloides)

Gray rat snakes are found in the central United States, from Indiana to Florida and west to the Mississippi River. They are also found in southern Ontario. According to Ontario Nature , gray rat snakes spend their time in forests, venturing out into grassy areas when it is warm enough.

What are rat snakes' habits?

Rat snake behavior varies among species. Some species, such as the black rat snake/eastern rat snake, are known to be shy but aggressive when cornered, according to Marshall University's Herpetology Lab in Huntington, West Virginia. They produce a bad-smelling musk when touched by a predator or picked up by a person, and they spread the scent around with their tail. On the opposite end of the spectrum are corn snakes, some of the most docile serpents in the world.

All species of rat snakes may vibrate their tails in an attempt to trick a predator into confusing them with a rattlesnake. "This type of mimicry, where a harmless species mimics a harmful species, is known as Batesian mimicry," said Bill Heyborne, a herpetologist and professor of biology at Southern Utah University. While such behavior may be helpful for keeping predators away, Batesian mimicry can cause problems for rat snakes. Humans often kill them after mistaking them for venomous rattlers.

Rat snakes are semi-arboreal, which means they spend some of their time in trees, said Savitzky. While rat snakes are nocturnal in warm areas, they are still active during the day fairly frequently. You may see them lying out in the sun or foraging in the forest or on the plains. They also take shelter in tree cavities to wait for prey. Rat snakes are often found in barns, where farmers appreciate their rodent-eating habits.

Rat snakes are excellent swimmers, and the Everglades rat snake is known for swimming to escape from predators, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

In cold climates, rat snakes typically hibernate in the winter, according to Marshall University.

How do rat snakes hunt and what do they eat?

Rat snakes are constrictors, squeezing their prey to death and swallowing it whole. There are some common misconceptions about how constricting works, said Heyborne. One is that constrictors crush or break the bones of their prey. Another is that they suffocate it, squeezing the prey's lungs too tightly for the prey to breathe. "It turns out that the squeezing overwhelms the circulatory system ," explained Heyborne. "Blood cannot get to the brain, and the animal dies within seconds due to ischemia."

Rat snakes often feed on small rodents, such as mice, rats, chipmunks and voles, but they are also known to eat frogs , lizards, birds and bird eggs. Juveniles are more likely to eat cold-blooded prey, while adults stick almost exclusively to warm-blooded animals, according to Marshall University. Some species of rat snake are called chicken snakes because they like to eat chicken eggs.

Rat snakes are known to wait for and ambush their prey as well as actively hunt it, according to Savitzky.

According to Penn State, sometimes after killing their prey, rat snakes continue hunting. They do this because once they are cloaked in their prey's scent, other prey is less likely to notice them. Rat snakes might kill more prey and then return to their original kill, devouring many animals in a single meal.

How do rat snakes reproduce?

Rat snakes are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs that spend little to no time incubating inside the mother, said Savitzky. If conditions are right, females may lay two clutches of eggs per year. Otherwise, they usually lay one. In cold climates, they may lay eggs even less frequently.

Mating season is often in the late spring, though it depends on the climate. Males attract females through pheromones and will sometimes fight other males for the same female, according to Penn State University.

Five weeks later, females lay clutches of about 12 to 20 eggs in a hidden spot, such as in a hollow log or pile of compost. According to Penn State University, the burying beetle (Nicrophorus pustulatus) commonly parasitizes rat snake eggs. The beetle lays its eggs in the snake's eggs, and the baby beetles eat the snake embryos.

Rat snake young hatch after about two months and are quite long as hatchlings, measuring around 13 inches (33 centimeters) from nose to tail. Rat snakes offer no parental care to their young, and their babies are often eaten by hawks and other snakes.

Are rat snakes endangered?

Some species of rat snakes are endangered. Canadian grey rat snakes are either endangered or threatened, depending on the location (a population in Ontario's Carolinian forest is endangered, while a population in the Frontenac Arch region is threatened, according to the Government of Ontario ). Eastern/black rat snakes are considered endangered in Massachusetts , and red rat snakes are part of the Imperiled Species Management Plan in the Florida Keys, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Additional resources

When temperatures drop during the winter, rat snakes enter a state of reduced metabolic activity, called brumation; the Discovery Place in Charlotte, North Carolina, explains how brumation differs from hibernation. Check out Pennsylvania State University's website to learn more about beetles that parasitize rat snake eggs, and the Florida Museum of Natural History describes how to identify the Eastern ratsnake, which is also known as the chicken snake, the yellow rat snake and the Everglades rat snake.

This article was updated on Feb. 15, 2022 by Live Science Senior Writer Mindy Weisberger.

Bibliography

"Biology: Pantherophis Alleghaniensis." HandWiki, https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biology:Pantherophis_alleghaniensis .

"Global Biodiversity Information Facility." GBIF, http://www.gbif.org/ .

"Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles." Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 4 Feb. 2022, https://ssarherps.org/ .

"International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature." International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, http://iczn.org/ .

"Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species." CITES, https://cites.org/ .

"Snake Species - Reptiles Magazine." Reptiles Magazine - Reptiles Magazine, Your Source for Reptile and Herp Care, Breeding, and Enthusiast Articles, 6 Oct. 2021, https://reptilesmagazine.com/snake-species/ .

Virginia Herpetological Society, https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/eastern-ratsnake/blackrat_snake.php .

Pantherophis Obsoletus Black Rat Snake - Cincinnatizoo.org. https://cincinnatizoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Black-Rat-Snake.pdf .

"Gray Ratsnake." Ontario.ca, https://www.ontario.ca/page/gray-ratsnake

"Eastern Rat Snake/Black Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta or Pantherophis Alleghaniensis)." Black Rat Snake, http://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/blackratsnake.htm .

"Red Rat Snake." Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/snakes/red-rat-snake/ .

"Black Ratsnake." Marshall University Herpetology Lab, https://www.marshall.edu/herp/Snakes/Black_Ratsnake.htm .

"Learn about Eastern Ratsnakes." Mass.gov, https://www.mass.gov/service-details/learn-about-eastern-ratsnakes

"Hibernation vs. Brumation vs. Estivation." Discovery Place Nature, 13 Jan. 2016, https://nature.discoveryplace.org/blog/ask-a-naturalist-hibernation-vs.-brumation-vs.-estivation .
Laredo Independent School District campuses will be closed Friday, Feb. 18, for staff development training. LISD administration, faculty and staff will report to work on Friday morning for their required staff development training.

However, there will be no classes for students on Friday due to the required training. Students will resume their regular schedule on Monday, Feb. 21.
After its approval, a new battlefield cross will be erected in Webb County after a unanimous decision by Webb County Commissioners.

According to the National Museum of American History, it is unclear when its first appearance was, but the battlefield cross is believed to have been used during the Civil War.

A memorial that distinguished all veterans, all warriors, all fallen heroes, American Legion Post 59 Chaplain and Commander of the Honor Guard Guadalupe Alvarez said. Back in Omaha was the first time we saw a marker of the rifle pointing down with a helmet on top.

The battlefield cross was proposed and requested by the veterans office and members of the local veteran community. It will be placed at the Veterans Cemetery in dedication to all the fallen soldiers, and it has a long history even past the Civil War.

Alvarez told the commissioners that the battlefield cross was depicted in the Christian Wars, when Saint George killed a dragon demanding human sacrifice. He said that the image of the spear pointing down onto the dragons head was a symbol of the conflict ending.

The rifle pointing down symbolizes the spear, or weapon, the boots signify the last march, and the helmet represents Gods grace and the armor worn into battle for God and country.

It is important to mark our graves and graves sites. Alvarez said.

The National Museum of American History concurred and referenced Richard Holmes Acts of War: The Behaviour of Men in Battle stating, Proper burial of the dead, accompanied by a degree of formalized mourning, is as necessary for those who die in battle as it is for those who perish in more peaceful circumstances. Having some sort of focus for mourning is useful for the dead soldier's comrades.

Beyond the symbols of the cross, the museum also states that there are multiple interpretations behind each component and how they are placed. For example, the rifle facing downward means a soldier was killed in action and a rifle with a bayonet in the ground tells a soldier went down fighting.

Its not hard to interpret the placement of the boots or the presence of the dog tags: the soldier has marched the final march to battle, and he will never be forgotten, the museum concluded.

The decision appeared easy for the commissioners present and was approved. Funding of the project will reach approximately $13,000, with $10,000 coming from the county veterans office and an additional $3,000 from the operational reserve.

It was made clear than the cost of the project would not exceed $5,000 from the reserves but remain aware that incidentals such as shipping may incur an additional cost.

Because of your action and because of your persistence, we appreciate you very much, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina told Alvarez prior to the approval.

While the final design is still to be determined, the local veterans will have some say in what is added to the plaque. Alvarez suggested No greater love than he, who gives his life for the bottom of the plaque, but Tijerina explained that he will have plenty of time to change the plaque.

However, the words are in the same vein as the ones used in a plaque offered to the family of Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza minutes before the battlefield cross presentation. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, Tijerina read on the gift before handing it to Espinozas parents.

It followed the renaming of the new Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza Fitness Center, an honor presented on Monday as well.

Both honors continue a longstanding trend of honoring veterans. Between honoring the sacrifice of Espinoza, recognizing Gold Star families and multiple of events revolving around veteran support year-round; Monday was another day of support.

cocampo@lmtonline.com

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HOUSTON (AP)  A man who had just been robbed at gunpoint at an ATM in southeast Houston opened fire in an attempt to stop his attacker but instead shot a 9-year-old girl in a truck driving nearby, police said. The girl later died at a hospital.

Arlene Alvarez had been on life support before she died on Tuesday, her father Armando Alvarez told reporters.

Alvarez said Arlene was sitting in the backseat of his truck and was wearing headphones when the shooting started Monday evening.

When we were getting shot at the first time, and I told them get down,' she was the only one who didnt get down. She didnt hear me," Alvarez said.

Tony Earls, 41, was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault, serious bodily injury, in the shooting, police announced. He was being held in the Harris County Jail on a $30,000 bond. Court records did not list an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Arlene's death was announced shortly after police said Earls had been charged. Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney's Office, said prosecutors will look at possibly upgrading charges against Earls.

Our hearts go out to the Alvarez family. We will find out what happened and seek justice on their behalf," Schiller said.

Executive Assistant Police Chief Matt Slinkard on Monday night called the shooting an unbelievably tragic event."

Arlene is the second 9-year-old girl to be shot in Houston within a week. Ashanti Grant remains hospitalized after being shot in the head during a road rage attack Feb. 8.

On Monday, Earls and his wife were at the ATM at around 9:45 p.m. when another man walked up to their vehicle and robbed them at gunpoint, Slinkard said.

As the suspect fled on foot, Earls got out of his vehicle and opened fire, including at a pickup truck he thought the robbery suspect had climbed into, police said.

But the truck carrying a family of five was not involved and had been simply driving down a street near the ATM, Slinkard said.

It just goes to show, anytime that theres guns involved, the danger to innocent bystanders is extremely high, Slinkard said.

Alvarez said he was driving his family to Arlene's favorite restaurant when the shooting happened. He said his instinct was to drive faster when he heard the shooting start, to get away from the scene.

As soon as I speed up, what are you doing? You are already coming next to him. Youre going toward the guy shooting. So I guess when I speed up, he thought I was with that guy," Alvarez said.

Earls, who later called police to report the robbery, told authorities he did not know his gunfire had hit the truck.

Police were searching for the robbery suspect. They have not determined if that man returned fire or was shot.

Several children have been shot this year in the Houston area.

On Feb. 3, an 11-year-old boy was fatally shot as he walked from his apartment to his familys car to get his coat. On Feb. 8, a 13-year-old was shot multiple times and injured outside a grocery store. On New Years Day, the 4-year-old niece of George Floyd was wounded when someone fired into her Houston apartment as she slept.

Earlier this month, Houston officials announced a $44 million plan to tackle rising violent crime in the nations fourth largest city. Like other major cities across the U.S., Houston has seen an increase in violent crime in the last couple of years amid the pandemic.

During a news conference Monday announcing a $30,000 reward for information in the shooting of Ashanti Grant, Mayor Sylvester Turner said officials were set to go the extra mile to protect children from violent crime.

These are our children and this foolishness has to stop, Turner said.

___
Courtesy of SAPD

The latest volunteer search for missing 3-year-old Lina Sadar Khil has come up empty. Nonprofit the Eagles Flight Advocacy and Outreach hosted another search with Lina's family along a San Antonio greenbelt on Sunday, February 13.

"Bittersweet ending to the last search on the greenbelt," the group wrote in a Facebook post. "My prayer is that we are one day closer to Lina being back in the arms of her family."
Willliams

I first learned about the so-called key trick from a Boston police officer on my first day of college. With a Dunkin Coolatta in the other hand, she demonstrated how to wrap your hand around your keys like Freedy Kroogah to ward off potential attackers.

Borrowing from this logic bestowed upon me in the fall of 2009 is this CRKT Williams Defense Key; a self-defense multitool you can bring with you anywhere.
Melissa Blair is facing 18 counts of aggravated statutory rape involving McMinn Central High School students along with other charges.
Lockport, NY (14094)

Today

Becoming cloudy with occasional light rain during the afternoon. High 64F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Rain. Low around 50F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
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Liam Cosgrove discovers that close to 14m was spent fixing water leaks and carrying out repairs over past two years

Irish Water has spent almost 14m of taxpayers money fixing leaks and replacing ageing pipes across county Longford over the past two years, the Leader can exclusively reveal.

Approximately 13.64m was shelled out carrying out a raft of repairs and improvement works over the course of 2020 and 2021.

The figures are detailed this week in a series of documents released to this newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act.

They show how over two thirds of that total, or 9.7m has been directed towards carrying out large scale water mains replacements as well as various enhancement works at 20 different locations across the county.

The remainder of monies allocated from the public exchequer reveal how almost 4m has been spent propping up Longfords creaking water services network through the fixing of leaks, mains bursts and other maintenance related tasks.

Details of the vast seven figure sum which water bosses have used to maintain and improve supply levels countywide come barely two months after almost half of the countys population emerged from a four and a half week boil water notice.

A cryptosporidium barrier at Newtownforbes Lough Forbes Treatment plant was found to have been compromised following a deterioration in raw water quality from the plants lake source.

Following consultation with the HSE, Irish Water and Longford County Council decided to issue a boil water notice, affecting 17,500 people in the process.

Figures obtained by the Leader this week show over 4.2m has already been spent on a large-scale overhaul of Lough Forbes Treatment Plant with expectations high that figure could rise further by the time works are scheduled to conclude later this year.

Like Lough Forbes, significant funding totalling over 3m has been spent over the past two years at two separate water treatment locations in the north of the county.

Irish Water chiefs have, over the course of the 2020-21 period allotted 3.02m in a bid to remove both its Smear and Lough Kinale treatment plans from its Remedial Action List (RAL).

The public utility has, meanwhile, spent over 400,000 to try and remove various bugs, chemicals and pesticides by carrying out a major lead replacement programme across the county.
The No to Derryadd Wind Farm Community Group has welcomed the latest decisions by all parties in relation to the high court case around the proposed Derryadd wind Farm.

The decision of An Bord Pleanala and Bord na Mona to not appeal the refusal of the Derryadd development means the proposed 24 turbine development wont be going ahead.

A spokesperson for the No to Derryadd Wind Farm Community Group said the news comes following several years of talks, meetings, public information events, evidence gathering, early mornings, late nights and countless lost weekends with our families, whom we thank for their patience throughout.

The spokesperson continued, We would like to thank those in the local communities who supported and donated to these efforts and likewise those outside of these communities who offered their support and advice throughout this time.

We also wish to show our appreciation to organisations, such as, Birdwatch Ireland, The Irish Wildlife Trust, The Golden Eagle Trust and the I.S.P.C.A who seen the importance of these lands for wildlife, species of conservation and their ability to answer many of the current declared Government emergencies, such as the climate and biodiversity emergency.

We owe a special gratitude and congratulations to Mr Peter Sweetman for bringing the Judicial Review and his vast knowledge around planning and environmental issues and to Walter P. Toolan & Sons, (Gabriel Toolan) for their professional and legal expertise on this matter. They brought a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the field and it was greatly appreciated.

As we have expressed many times before, our door is always open to Bord na Mona to work with the local communities with the view to establishing a biodiversity project on a scale never seen before on the island of Ireland and help to establish the Mid Shannon Wilderness Park in its entirety across the thousands of acres of cutaway boglands of Derryaroge, Lough Bannow and Derryadd.

A fantastic project that can not only deliver on answering the above declared emergencies, but also play a vital part of the Just Transition and local economy.

Too many years have already been lost. The time for implementation is now and we are calling on not only Bord na Mona to help establish this, but our Government, local and neighbouring councils, our county councillors, our local TDs and Senators and our communities.

To keep up to date on the activities and findings within these lands, be sure to follow the Mid Shannon Wilderness Awareness Group pages on Facebook, @mswplongford & Twitter @midshannon.
A Longford man has been found not guilty of assault and falsely imprisoning a young woman at a basement in Waterford city.

Vytautas Siaulys, 44, with an address provided at Thomas Street, Waterford, but who is now living in Longford, told the court he was misidentified and forced to work for a Lithuanian crime gang selling drugs at a house on Henrietta Street, on the edge of Waterfords medieval tourism spot, the Viking Triangle.

The defence had contended that gardai and the complainant Tammy Dowdall, 22, from Cappoquin, had misidentified the defendant and that the house was actually kept by a man named Viktor at the time the alleged crimes took place on June 23-24, 2019.

She alleged she was threatened with having her breasts and fingers cut off and was not allowed to leave the house after going there to buy weed. Ms Dowdall, who was 19-years-old at the time of the incident, insisted that Vytautas Siaulys was also known in Waterford as Viktor.

Her account was supported by two gardai but a jury returned a verdict of not guilty on both counts after deliberating last Friday at Waterfords Circuit Criminal Court.

Niall Flynn, in defence, argued there had been shortcomings in the State's evidence.

He said the jury had not been privy to a series of key evidence, including half a dozen eye witnesses and medical records for Ms Dowdall.

The defence maintained that Mr Siaulys, who required an interpreter, came to Ireland weeks prior to the incident, with very little English and had been living in a tent beside the Tower Hotel up the road from Henrietta Street.

In a Garda interview he said he came to Dublin from Lithuania on promise of work but found his passport taken by his fellow countrymen.

He was then brought to Waterford and forced to sell drugs, he said.
The trial of a man charged with two counts of threats to kill began this morning before Judge Comerford and a jury of ten people at Longford Circuit Court.

Thomas McDermott of 68 Cluain na Sidhe, Killashee, Co Longford, pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill or seriously harm a fisherman on September 25, 2019 and to threatening to kill or seriously harm another fisherman on February 2, 2019.

Maps of the area were provided to judge and jury this morning by the prosecution and Gda Anne Lawless of the Divisional Crime Scene Investigation Unit provided a collection of eight photographs taken at the scene in December 2021.

When questioned by prosecuting barrister Shane Geraghty, Mr Geoffrey Cooper, one of the men who allege Mr McDermott threatened them, told the court that he was fishing on the west bank of the Royal Canal near Killashee with a friend of his, Martin Blacow, who was visiting from the UK.

"We were fishing and minding our own business. It was September 25, 2019," he explained from the witness box, using the photographs provided to indicate where exactly they were fishing.

"There's a cut-off which used to be the old canal going into Longford and we were fishing at that junction. We were fishing with poles, which are put-together fishing rods that are up to 16 metres long. But on that particular day, I was fishing at 13 metres across the canal.

"I noticed to my left, two black and white springer spaniels followed by a gentleman on the bank," Mr Cooper continued.

He described the man as six feet tall, stocky and wearing a three-quarter length jacket with the word 'Arctic' emblazoned on the right shoulder. The man also wore green wellington boots and a hat, the court was told and, while Mr Cooper couldn't see his hair colour under the hat, he "got the impression he had very light hair".

"I speak to everybody if I'm fishing and most people speak back," said Mr Cooper. "I spoke to the dogs and to the guy and I got more or less a grunt in return."

The court heard that Mr Cooper's silver jeep was parked about six feet away from him - "on the bank but not blocking the walkway". Mr Blacow was fishing just 20 yards away from Mr Cooper.

"He walked by, went to the hedge, pulled two big tree branches out of the hedge and launched them into the canal," said Mr Cooper.

"The dogs jumped in after them and then he pulled the logs out and did it again. I said 'that's not very considerate', and all hell broke loose."

Mr Cooper told the court that the accused "dropped one log" and carried the other over to him and "the language started".

"He said 'you f*cking English c*nt' and 'you b*stard' and he stood behind me with the log waving behind my head. I said nothing," said Mr Cooper.

"He said 'I'll f*cking kill you, you English c*nt, you're from Yorkshire' and I said yes I am from Yorkshire. He said 'I've f*cking dealt with you before, you c*nt, you're a f*cking dead man, I'll cut your balls off, I'll cut your throat'.

"I kept talking very quietly," Mr Cooper recalled, "he put the branch down and knelt beside me and took his phone out.

"He said, 'you don't live here, I do' and I told him I do live here. He took my photograph so I said 'now you've taken my photograph, what about me taking yours?'.

"He said 'you'll be f*cking dead before you get your phone out. I'll f*cking kill you. I'll kill your whole family. Only f*cking idiots fish with rods that long. You're a f*cking idiot. Don't ever come down here again on your own because I'll f*cking kill you'.

"And if you want my comment, he definitely would," said Mr Cooper.

Mr Cooper then told the court that he and Mr Blacow began to pack up their equipment and that he himself wrote everything that had happened in a notebook he kept in his car because of "certain experience".

"You said you have certain experience with certain things," Mr Geraghty prompted.

"Yes, I worked 25 years for the British Prison Service and spent seven years working in a psychiatric unit for the criminally insane," said Mr Cooper, stating that he carried a notebook with him then and still carries one now.

"I made some brief notes so I remembered what took place and then I went home, typed a statement and took it to Longford police station," said Mr Cooper.

"I waited a while and didn't think anything would happen. Then Garda (Tom) Killin contacted me and I liaised with him. I went to Killashee and I knew where the guy lived and I identified him in Killashee."

Mr Cooper explained that he sat in his car adjacent to an address "on a funny named road" until he saw a taxi pull up outside the house and someone went inside.

"I waited and a person came out of the house and walked down the pavement. I took photographs on my phone and then I drove by as close to the gentleman as I am to the judge now," said Mr Cooper.

"It was the same guy as was on the bank, wearing the same three-quarter length sport jacket."

He added that the first photo was taken of the taxi outside and the man going into the house. The second photo, he said, was taken about an hour later when the man came out of the house.

"I came out from where I was parked and drove very slowly past. It was the same man who verbally assaulted us on the canal on the 25th of September, 2019," he said.

"As I drove by, it was obvious it was the same jacket as he had in the bank. I took the photographs to the Garda Station and gave them to Gda Killion."

Defending barrister, Gerard Groarke, began his cross-examination by asking a number of questions about fishing, specifically the length of the poles and how much of that pole lies behind a fisherman as he fishes, establishing that part of the pole was behind Mr Cooper as he fished.

Asking about the distance between the car, Mr Groarke established that there was space on the other side of the jeep for people to pass.

"So the walkways wasn't blocked," said Mr Groarke.

"No, I wouldn't do that," Mr Cooper replied.

"So this man approaches with two dogs and you said you talked to the dogs. Did they come over to you?" asked Mr Groarke.

"No," said Mr Cooper, adding that the dogs ran past on the other side of the jeep.

"Did you notice sticks in their mouths?" asked Mr Groarke.

"They had no sticks in their mouth," Mr Cooper replied.

"I'm putting it to you that they had sticks in their mouths," said Mr Groarke.

"That's rubbish," said Mr Cooper.

Mr Cooper also refuted a statement by Mr Groarke that the accused had been listening to music when he passed.

"Mr McDermott says your rod was in his path and he had to step over it," said Mr Groarke.

Mr Cooper insisted that was "rubbish" because he would usually ensure his rod doesn't block anyone.

"I wouldn't let anybody step over that. It's a valuable piece of equipment," he said.

"He would say he proceeded and Martin's rod was also in his way," said Mr Groarke.

"That's ridiculous," said Mr Cooper.

Mr Groarke put it to the witness that his client had difficulty with the rods because he had a back problem at the time.

"He didn't have a back problem when he bent down and threatened to slit my throat," said Mr Cooper.

"He didn't bend down and threaten to slit your throat," said Mr Groarke.

"He did," insisted Mr Cooper.

Mr Groarke went on to say that his client passed both fishermen and proceeded to take the sticks from his dogs.

"No, they didn't have sticks in their mouths. The sticks were four foot long and three inches round or a bit more," said Mr Cooper. "I've had springers and they are incapable of carrying sticks that large at speed.

He says he threw the stick into the canal for them to fetch and when he did so, he received abuse from the first fisherman he encountered, said Mr Groarke.

No, Im not that kind of person, thats an absolute lie, said Mr Cooper.

He says he took two photographs - one of you and one of the rear of your jeep. He said while he was taking the photograph of the first fisherman - you - that you said to him, Ill take your f*cking phone and throw it in the canal, said Mr Groake.

Mr Cooper laughed loudly at this and said, look at the size of him and look at me.

Thats not true. Theres no point in me telling a lie. I dont lie. Why should I pick on this guy who Ive never seen in my life? I was out fishing, minding my own business, he said.

Mr Groarke then moved on to Mr Coopers decision to drive around Killashee, noting that Mr Cooper knew where to go because he'd been told where to go by Gda Killion.

"You brought your statement into Longford and you had contact from Gda Killion from Lanesboro but at this point, you didn't know who you had seen," said Mr Groarke.

"Gda Killion told you to go down to a particular location in Killashee and see if you could spot the man there."

Mr Cooper agreed and said that he initially went there with Gda Killion.

"You made a statement - 'I decided to look around Killashee' - but Gda Killion told you where to go," said Mr Groarke.

"I knew where to go," said Mr Cooper.

"Why did you drive around Killashee on a number of occasions when the reality is you knew where you were going and Gda Killion had told you where to go?" asked Mr Groarke.

I relayed my story to several people and they all told me who it was, said Mr Cooper.

I didnt ask you that. Youre attempting, in your own sweet way, to tell the jury that there are other people who would give the same evidence as you, but theyre not here to give evidence, said Mr Groarke.

A second witness, Martin Blacow, who had been fishing with Mr Cooper on September 25, gave evidence from Burnley Crown Court via live video link.

He explained that he and Mr Cooper had been fishing in Killashee when a man came towards them. He confirmed to Mr Geraghty that the man had been throwing sticks in the water for his dogs and that Mr Cooper had said it was inconsiderate.

When cross-examined by Mr Groarke, Mr Blacow said that the man had been throwing sticks in for the dogs to fetch and that he had seen him do it ten or a dozen times.

And he did that ten or a dozen times before Mr Cooper said anything? asked Mr Groarke

Yes, said Mr Blacow.

Mr Blacow also said that he didnt know whether or not Mr McDermott had to step over the rods in order to pass, nor was he sure if Mr McDermott was listening to music as he went.

He disagreed that Mr Cooper had become verbally abusive towards the accused, stating that his friend was quite pleasant when speaking with Mr McDermott.

The trial continues tomorrow morning before a jury of ten people and Judge Francis Comerford at Longford Circuit Court.
Prince Charles and Camilla are set to visit the midlands and the Hidden Heartlands as part of a trip to Ireland next month.

The Tipperary Star is reporting that the royal couple will pay a visit to Offaly and Tipperary as part of their trip to Ireland.

While the exact itinerary has not yet been revealed, it is understood that Charles and Camilla will pay a visit to historic Birr Castle.

Also believed to be included in their trip will be visits to Coolmore Stud, Cahir Castle, the Rock of Cashel and Bru Boru.

Advanced preparations are underway for the staging of the visit with the British ambassador having visited Cashel last week and security personnel have been scouring the area to ensure that no stone will be left unturned to maintain the safety lines around the Royal couple.

It is expected that a major security operation will be underway throughout the visit
Local News, Business & Finance, Community, Charity & Cause

By Ls Cohen Published: February 16 2022

Funds will help revitalize downtowns of Amityville and Riverhead.

Both Amityville and Riverhead towns have been awarded $10 million each as a part of the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative. This is the fifth round of the initiative and the two communities join Westbury, Hicksville, Central Islip and Baldwin, which were the Long Island winners in the first four rounds.

The state will work with residents, community leaders and public officials to revitalize downtown areas.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said that giving local communities the resources they need to thrive is critical to New York's economic resurgence.

"Amityville and Riverhead both play important roles in the overall economic health of Long Island and I have no doubt that with this funding, they won't only recover from the impacts of COVID-19, but will flourish in the long term," said Hochul.

The communities will have to develop a strategic plan that articulates a vision for the revitalization of its downtown and identifies a list of signature projects that have the potential to transform the downtown and leverage further private and public investments. The funds will then be awarded for selected projects that have the greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and realize the community's vision for the downtown.

In Amityville, there are multiple completed and ongoing projects to revitalize its downtown, including a pedestrian and bike lane project, multiple residential developments, and multiple mixed-use developments. To build on this momentum, Amityville wants to revitalize their train station and its immediate surrounding area, increase pedestrian/bike access, and expand green space.

Riverhead hopes to continue the momentum of completed and ongoing projects, including a new aquarium, the reopening of the Suffolk Theater, and multiple housing projects. The hamlet also looks to increase public gathering space capitalizing on the Peconic River waterfront, create new pedestrian/bike access, and improve pedestrian/bike safety.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone commented on the awards saying that they reinforce the ongoing revitalization efforts and will allow these communities to push forward with transformative projects.

"In Suffolk, our downtowns are the heart of our communities, and over the last few years, both Riverhead and Amityville have worked incredibly hard to reinvigorate their business districts and bring new life into their communities, said Bellone.
Crime

By Ls Cohen Published: February 16 2022

A Montana man was contacted by scammers and instructed to send cash to a location in Amityville.

A Montana man almost fell victim to a bail money scam that seemed to originate on Long Island.

The Suffolk County Police Financial Crimes Unit detectives said that they are investigating a scam where the Montana man shipped cash, which was intercepted by police, to an address on Long Island.

The 71-year-old man from Kalispell, Montana was contacted by someone claiming to be his son who said he had been arrested for DWI after a car crash where a pregnant woman was critically injured. The victim then received another call from a man claiming to be his sons lawyer who directed him to ship $17,000 in cash to cover bail expenses to a location in Amityville.

Financial Crimes Unit detectives were notified of the scam and the money was intercepted before it was delivered to the intended destination.

Detectives are asking anyone who believes they may be a victim of a scam or anyone who has information about a scam to call the Financial Crimes Unit at (631) 852-6821.
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Face coverings still mandated in La Porte schools, but superintendent says that could change soon
Starkville, MS (39762)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Widely scattered showers or a thunderstorm this evening. Then partly cloudy. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Jefferson, GA (30549)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High 87F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low around 65F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
The scale of Tuesday's police operation in Mallorca against money laundering was such that agents from the FBI, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and Italy's Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate were involved.

Operation Casino was directed at a powerful mafia, based in Mallorca, which has laundered millions of euros over two decades - the proceeds from drug trafficking and prostitution. The Guardia Civil's intelligence service has been investigating this organisation since 2018, its head figure said to be a Kosovar Albanian who came to Mallorca in 1999. Identified as B.O., he has a mansion in Camp de Mar.

The origins of the organisation date back to the aftermath of the Kosovo War in 1999, which was when the gang began to create drug trafficking and prostitution networks throughout Europe. It became powerful in the San Pauli district of Hamburg and in Amsterdam's red light district. The UK, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Croatia and Spain all became centres of operation.

Investigators focused on Mallorca, as there was evidence of huge amounts of money being laundered on the island - luxury villas, top-of-the-range cars, art collections, hotels and restaurants. Palma and Calvia were the favoured municipalities.

The investigations were far from straightforward. Encrypted communications were used, and the members are described as being highly professional. They often travelled to Dubai, Mexico and Colombia and exported large amounts of cocaine from Latin America to Europe.

On Tuesday, Operation Casino was launched simultaneously in Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Croatia and the UK. A total of 80 searches of houses and businesses were carried out and 45 arrests were made; some 600 police officers were deployed. In Mallorca specifically, there were 15 searches of hotels, restaurants, homes and other addresses. There were raids in Can Valero, La Lonja, S'Aigo Dolca, Puerto Portals, Portals Nous, Camp de Mar and Santa Ponsa. The police searched the BO Hotel in Palma and the Ritzi restaurants in Palma Puerto Portals. Eight people were arrested.

Officers used sniffer dogs to search for money and cocaine. They seized paintings, large sums of cash, cars, watches and jewellery. The volume of computer material is such that study of this will last months. There are also bitcoins. Significant investments are said to have been made in cryptocurrencies.

Another line of business was casinos, hence the name of the operation, which is not expected to lead to further arrests as all the suspects had been under surveillance for some time and had no chance to escape.
Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
Mankato, MN (56001)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 53F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low 36F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Real Madrid arrived in Paris on Tuesday night with two players a yellow card away from suspension in the Champions League, those being Casemiro and Ferland Mendy.

The Brazilian was cautioned in the first half, meaning he will now have to sit out of the second leg against Paris Saint-Germain at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for a tackle he made on Leandro Paredes in midfield.

The tension between the two was clear as the Brazilian grabbed the Argentine by the throat. VAR did take a second look at the incident, but nothing more than a yellow card was deemed necessary. But the booking is costly for Carlo Ancelotti's second-leg plan.

With Casemiro's suspension already causing problems for Los Blancos, Ancelotti would have been left frustrated when Mendy picked up a yellow card of his own, meaning he too will miss out on the second leg in Madrid.

Ancelotti's decision ahead of Sheriff

In the group stage, Casemiro was on a warning in the fourth round against Sheriff. With Real Madrid's qualification sealed, there was talk of how poorly timed his yellow card was as it left a potential suspension hanging over him.

Ancelotti was approached by Casemiro and the player asked if he should force another yellow card to get his suspension out of the way. Ancelotti, though, decided that he shouldn't, insisting that he was needed to battle for top spot.

Now, though, the consequences of that decision are having to be managed by Ancelotti, as he'll have to draw up a plan without one of his most important players for a crucial game.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
By Li Xiaobo, Shan Senmiao, Cheng Cheng and Chen Bing

Master Sergeant First Class Gao Yuhua was born in 1972 in Zhumadian, Henan province. Enlisted in March 1990, he is now a technician assigned to a brigade of the Chinese PLA Strategic Support Force.

Gao Yuhua in his youth as a new recruit

Gao is swarthy and lean. His hands, covered by callus and scars, bear full witness to his glorious military career of more than 30 years.

For his exceptional performance as a new recruit, Gao was selected to study at a technical school, where he soon stood out for his acumen and diligence and was offered a chance to stay and work as a teaching assistant. Passionate about the vibrant military camp, Gao turned it down and went back to his troops as an engineer.

Not a single day passed without him working with spanners and screwdrivers on machinery and equipment, and it was not long before he became an expert in maintaining and operating the apparatus. He was able to drive or operate and independently maintain all the vehicles and electric equipment in the troops.

Gao Yuhua(left) replaces spare parts for a vehicle

In 2012, the military assigned a new task for Gao. He was designated to lead a team of master sergeants to compile the operation manual for new types of equipment. He and his team developed more than 20 special-purpose devices and came up with over ten troubleshooting methods. His elaborate study notes, totaling about 400,000 words, were used as an encyclopedia of solving assorted problems that might happen to the machinery and equipment.

Guo Yuhua learns mechanical theory

In recent years, Gao has become so renowned for his expertise that several local companies have tried to poach him with a high paycheck, but he said no to all of them. He didn't want to leave his fellow soldiers who respected and trusted him and didn't want to take off the military uniform just yet. In 2018, when he could apply to retire, a friend called him and suggested running a repair factory together that could earn him nearly one million a year, but Gao said no again. He decided to extend his service term and continue contributing to the military becoming the first master sergeant in his unit to do so ever.

Guo Yuhua(Left) explains the working principle of an engine to young sergeants

The past 30-plus years have seen Gao's hair turn gray and also seen him become a master hand at the operation and maintenance of more than 50 kinds of equipment, participate in the compilation of over ten teaching materials, and cultivate over 500 backbone technicians well versed in different domains. He has been honored with Second-class Merit Citation twice and Third-Class Merit Citation seven times. Gao has already extended his service term twice and is about to apply for a third time this year.

Guo Yuhua in uniform with his military medals

"The moment I put on the uniform, I was ready to devote my life to national defense. The longer I stay here, the more responsibility I have on my shoulders. I will continue to work hard as always, and impart all that I know to more fellow soldiers," he said.
Bollywood celebrities have been mourning the death of India's 'Disco King' Bappi Lahiri since the news broke that he had passed away at the age of 69 at a suburban hospital in Mumbai's Juhu area in the early hours of Wednesday.

Akshay Kumar tweeted: "Today we lost another gem from the music industry... Bappi Da, your voice was the reason for millions to dance, including me. Thank you for all the happiness you brought through your music. My heartfelt condolences to the family. Om Shanti."

Ajay Devgn also took to Twitter to say: "Bappi Da was so endearing in person. But his music had an edge. He introduced a more contemporary style to Hindi film music with 'Chalte Chalte', 'Suraksha' and 'Disco Dancer'. Shanti Dada, you will be missed."

Vidya Balan, on whom Bappi Lahiri's popular number 'Ooh la la' was picturised in the film 'Dirty Picture', posted on her Twitter handle: "I wish you joy wherever you go Bappi da because that's what you brought to the world through your music and your being. Love always, Bidda (as you'd so endearingly call me)."

Noted filmmaker Hansal Mehta recalled his personal association with Bappi Lahiri and said: "Another legend gone. Had the good fortune of working closely with him when I shot an ad for P&G and then when I worked with White Feather Films for @_SanjayGupta. Man of incredible melody and talent."

Music composer Vishal Dadlani, spoke for his generation, when he tweeted: "Bappi Da was more than a legend. He was a friend. He was always kind to Shekhar and me and we shared mutual respect and admiration. Can't believe he isn't with us."

On a personal note, he added: "First my Dad, then Lataji, then Bappi Da. 2022 is really hitting hard. Far too hard. My deepest condolences to Bappa, Rema, Mrs Lahiri and the grandkids."

Bhumi Pednekar tweeted: "Complete Loss of Words. Heartbroken by the demise of the legendary Bappi Lahiri Ji. Truly a big loss. My condolences to his family and fans. Your music will live on forever, sir #RIPBappiLahiri."
Meadville, PA (16335)

Today

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain for the afternoon. High near 65F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 56F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday offered prayers at Shri Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham Mandir in Karol Bagh on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti.

Prime Minister Modi reached the temple and prayed for the welfare of people. During his half an hour stay at the temple, he participated in 'bhajan kirtan' along with devotees and interacted with them.

On the eve of Ravidas Jayanti on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi remembered the saint saying that he feels proud that every step taken by his government has imbibed the spirit of Guru Ravidas.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said: "I feel proud to say that we have imbibed the spirit of Guru Ravidas ji in every step and every scheme of our government. The construction work in his memory in Kashi is progressing with full grandeur and divinity."

He also mentioned how the saint dedicated his life to eliminate evil practices like caste and untouchability from society.

Remembering Ravidas, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu tweeted: "My respectful tributes to the great poet-saint Guru Ravidas Ji on his Jayanti. Guru #Ravidas Ji was a strong proponent of equality & gender parity who spread the message of unity & social harmony through his writings. His emphasis on universal brotherhood has eternal relevance."

President Ram Nath Kovind also greeted citizens on the eve of the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas. In a message, the President said: "I extend warm greetings and best wishes to all the fellow citizens on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidasji. Guru Ravidas was a great saint, poet and social reformer. Through his devotional songs, he tried to eradicate the social evils and bring about harmony in society. He is considered a leading poet saint of the Bhakti Movement.
A Memorial Service of Christian Burial will begin at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home Chapel. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements. Mrs. Cobb, 68, of Meridian, passed away Sunday, May 1, 2022, at Bedford Care Ce
Campaigning for his party just days before the Assembly polls in the Sikh-dominated Punjab, the birthplace of the year-long mass agitation against three now repealed market-friendly farm laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is believed to have taken religious consideration into account while deciding to woo the urban Hindu voters to strengthen the BJP's hold.

Also, the saffron party is testing waters for the first time as a major ally after playing second fiddle for over two-decades with its once regional ally, the Akali Dal, which initially supported the laws but later reversed its stand and quit the government to support the farmers' agitation, arguably the world's biggest, gained momentum.

Located close to the India-Pakistan border, Modi held an election rally on Wednesday, the second in series in the state, in Pathankot town from where he as the PM candidate held a rally on April 25, 2014.

He's holding his culminating election campaign on Thursday in Abohar, the town in Fazilka district known for the saffron coloured kinnow production and accounts for 60 per cent of the state's fruit produce.

Political observers told IANS that the BJP is now focusing at the Hindu dominated at least 23 constituencies as a political field with the immense potential for making Modi's Punjab visit, the first visit since his security breach in Ferozepur on January 5 when protesters forced him to cut short the visit, all the more fruitful.

Punjab's Hindu stronghold constituencies include Pathankot, Dinanagar, Mukerian, Dasuya, Hoshiarpur, Phagwara, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Abohar, Fazilka and Rajpura where hoardings of Ram Temple of Ayodhya in backdrop with inscription of Ram Mandir and Jai Shri Ram have become a common sight.

At Modi's Jalandhar and Pathankot rallies, chants like Jai Shri Ram, Bharat Mata ki Jai and Modi-ji ko Jai Shri Ram rent the air, gradually raising the pitch of slogans related to its Hindu nationalism.

Playing a religious card, Modi, who was sharing dais with two prominent Sikh leaders -- Capt Amarinder Singh and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa -- in Jalandhar blamed the local administration for expressing its inability to make arrangements for him to pay obeisance at revered Devi Talab Mandir during his visit to Jalandhar.

The saffron party is fighting in alliance with former Congress leader and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and breakaway faction of the Akali Dal led by Rajya Sabha MP Dhindsa's SAD (Sanyukt) for the February 20 elections.

Pitching the slogan, 'Nawan Punjab Bhajpa De Naal' (New Punjab with the BJP), Modi paid tributes to the Pulwama martyrs and recalled his association with Punjab in both his rallies that evoked massive response from the audience.

Also missing no opportunity to take a jibe at the party's former alliance partner SAD, the Prime Minister said, "There was a time when SAD was not having absolute majority and with the BJP's support, it could form the government.

"But SAD did not pick a Deputy CM from the BJP and Badal sahib (Parkash Singh Badal) chose his son as Deputy CM, but we stayed with them because we wanted Punjab's development."

In Pathankot, Modi invoked the teachings of Sant Ravidas. To woo the Sikhs, Modi said, "Who were the leaders when India was divided? Kartarpur was just 6 km away, they should have included it in India."

Political observers believe that the BJP has its traditional roots in the state that is largely ruled by the traditional Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

In 1997, when the BJP first entered into an alliance with SAD, won 18 of the 22 seats it contested. In 2007, their number in the Assembly rose to 19, but their strength nosedived to just three in 2017.

Pollsters believe the BJP is eyeing to set foot on at least 35 out of 73 seats it is contesting this time, primarily in the urban areas with large number of Hindu and Dalit voters.

Punjab is broadly divided into Malwa, Doaba and Majha regions. The Malwa region comprises 69 Assembly constituencies, while Majha and Doaba have 25 and 23 seats respectively.

Hindus comprise approximately 38 per cent of the state's population, while Dalits have 32 per cent population, both divided among the Congress, the BJP, SAD and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

In the 2017 elections, the Congress formed the government by winning 77 seats. On the other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged as the main opposition party for the first time by winning 20 seats. While SAD got 15 seats and BJP got three seats. Two seats were won by others.

The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to the polls on February 20 and the counting of ballots on March 10.

While the ruling Congress is keen to retain power in the state, the BJP is looking to form the next government or at least set a foot on the Modi wave. The Aam Aadmi Party and SAD are also in the fray.
When tornadoes roared across western Kentucky in December, Lexington-based Michael Johnathon went on his radio show, Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, and asked people to donate musical instruments to replace those that families lost when their homes were destroyed.

The show is heard on 537 radio stations from Australia to Ireland and on American Forces Radio Network in 177 countries.

As of Tuesday, Johnathon had collected close to 1,000 instruments, including pianos, organs, cellos, drums, guitars, banjos, fiddles and mandolins.

On March 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., he will bring several hundred of those instruments to Owensboro  to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum  to distribute to those who lost their instruments.

Hell also be stopping in Bowling Green, Mayfield and Dawson Springs.

Every act of love takes a lot of sweat, Johnathon said.

Some of the instruments are new.

Others have been restrung, polished and made ready for new homes.

One family, Johnathon said, lost a 150-year-old fiddle and a Martin guitar.

Hes found an old fiddle and another Martin guitar for them.

The organs and pianos will go to schools and churches that lost theirs, Johnathon said.

He said the instruments came from all over the United States, including Alaska.

Johnathon said hes worked with music stores from Nashville to Washington, D.C., on the project.

He worked with Curriers Music World in Richmond to get instruments restored.

People in need of instruments should register at www.woodsongs.com/tornado/.

People can also come to the distribution on March 19 even if they havent registered, Johnathon said.

This is all absolutely free, he said. A lot of people are still displaced from the tornado. We want to get the word to them.

The acoustic instruments, he said, represent the music of Americas front porch.

And this project will restore that music, Johnathon said.

I believe that love is the greatest transaction of the arts, he said. It drives everything we do, everything we create and everything we feel.

Erin Rouse, project manager for the Hall of Fame, said shes expecting a large group of people from across western Kentucky to be at the Hall of Fame for the distribution.

Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com.
Owensboro Health president and CEO Mark Marsh said Tuesday that the hospital system has plans to expand its services and grow where feasible, while noting the system faces a nursing challenge created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We want to grow and become a regional health system, Marsh told Owensboro city commissioners at City Hall, adding that a goal would be to reduce the number of people who have to travel to other communities for health services.

It breaks my heart when I hear people say, I have to leave the community  for health care, he said.

Owensboro Health has three hospitals, including the main campus in Owensboro and hospitals in Grayson and Muhlenberg counties. Including clinics and other facilities, the OH system employs 5,499 people, Marsh said.

Owensboro Health recently added 25 physicians.

The pandemic has been difficult on the nursing profession nationwide, Marsh said.

Team members are exhausted; they are burned out, Marsh said. Hospitals across the country are using what they call travelers, nurses who travel to different hospitals to cover shifts, at higher rates than nurses on staff.

We are estimating 25% of the health care nurses in Kentucky are planning on leaving (the profession) in the next six months.

Later, Marsh said the system has given raises to retain staff, and OH officials are working with colleges and high schools on a future program to draw students into the profession.

We have 125 nursing jobs open, Marsh said.

On salaries, Marsh said, we paid out more than $404 million in salaries and benefits in Fiscal Year 2021, and the hospital gave eight pay increases in my first eight months as CEO.

Marsh said the system provided $2.4 million in charity care in FY2021 and provided $14.718 million in benefits to cover Medicaid shortfalls. In all, the system provided $20.136 million in underprivileged care, community health education and other benefits. The system also gave $719,000 to 35 nonprofit groups, Marsh said.

On the nursing shortage, Marsh said the nurses, some of whom were right out of nursing school when the pandemic hit, have been through the experience of pronouncing several patients dead daily.

They say, Mark, Im 23, and Im on three antidepressants,  Marsh said. We are very blessed with the individuals we have.

When asked about the possibility to expanding into other regions, such as Evansville, Marsh said, we will expand ... if its prudent and conversations are occurring to help other facilities.

When Commissioner Mark Castlen asked when Owensboro Health plans to recruit more nurses, Marsh said the hospital would get in line with everyone else.

We are doing everything we can, he said.

Marsh said he couldnt elaborate on plans to partner with schools for future nurses, but that we are going to grow our own.

James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse
The Owensboro Area World Affairs Council (OAWAC) is hosting a free public event that will feature an Afghani speaker detailing a short history of Afghanistan, as well providing information about the U.S. withdrawal from the country and the upheaval that resulted.

Aleena Jun Nawabi, policy and advocacy coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, will present the lecture Central Asia and the Afghan Diaspora at 7 p.m. Thursday on OCTCs main campus, 4800 New Hartford Road, in room 107 of the Advanced Technology Center.

Nawabi is working with displaced Afghans in San Diego, California, to help place them in jobs and housing. She also is the co-founder of Muslimahs in Search of Knowledge, a nonprofit women empowerment organization, as well as the chair of Civil and Human Rights for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the board advisor for the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium.

Matt Alschbach, OCTC professor of history who also sits on the OAWAC board, said the group wanted to host an event on Afghanistan because it is timely. Also, with Afghanis new to Owensboro, the group thought it would be a good opportunity to provide more information about how they came to be here and why they chose to leave their country.

Some of the Afghan refugees will also be present during the event, he said.

With recent reports of violence against some refugees in the area, Alschbach also said this is an educational opportunity for community members to learn these individuals are here because they assisted the U.S. military or government in some capacity.

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about who our Afghani folks are and how they got here, Alschbach said. If we can shine some light on the subject and explain why they are here ... hopefully it leads to a greater understanding.

OAWAC is also planning a panel discussion in March or April that will feature some of the displaced Afghanis, and more details will be shared about that in the coming weeks, Alschbach said.

Those who attend the in-person talk must wear a mask. The talk is also available via Zoom through the link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81674891817?pwd= bElnLzVXRkVuYWRtR WRQUnBob0RuUT09&f bclid=IwAR0Hrvk5EbU_CDAMr_YLkRZOyKDdxm jvbt1LXmnuirR5DgyIlrNUE f8KA4A#success. The meeting ID is 816 7489 1817, and the passcode is 082497.

For more information about the event contact the OAWAC at goawac@gmail.com.

Bobbie Hayse, bhayse@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7315
Miami, FL (33127)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
With a declared net worth of Rs 202 crore, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal is the richest candidate in the assembly elections in Punjab, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Punjab Election Watch said on Wednesday.

However, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is among the 21 MLAs whose assets have decreased over the past polls.

An analysis of election affidavits of 101 legislators in the fray for the elections has found that on an average, the assets of the re-contesting MLAs have increased by 21 per cent since the last assembly polls in 2017.

Out of the 101 re-contesting MLAs, assets of 78 MLAs (77 per cent) have increased ranging from two to 2,954 per cent and assets of 21 MLAs (21 per cent) have decreased ranging from minus two to minus 74 per cent.

According to the ADR and Punjab Election Watch, the average assets in 2017 of these 101 re-contesting MLAs fielded by various parties, including independents, was Rs 13.34 crore.

This time, the average asset of the re-contesting legislators is Rs 16.10 crore with the average asset growth between 2017 and 2022 of Rs 276 crore.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is in the fray from Jalalabad, has declared the maximum increase in assets of Rs 100 crore i.e. from Rs 102 crore in 2017 to Rs 202 crore in 2022.

The assets of his estranged cousin and Congress leader Manpreet Singh Badal, who is contesting from Bathinda Urban have increased by Rs 32 crore, from Rs 40 crore in 2017 to Rs 72 crore in 2022.

The assets of AAP's Aman Arora, who is contesting from Sunam, have risen by Rs 29 crore, from Rs 65 crore in 2017 to Rs 95 crore in 2022.

Assets of two-time Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Patiala and owns no personal vehicle, rose to Rs 68 crore this time from Rs 48 crore in 2017.

In the 2017 elections, the Congress formed the government by winning 77 seats. On the other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged as the main opposition party for the first time by winning 20 seats. While the SAD got 15 seats, the BJP secured three seats. Two seats were won by others.

The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to the polls on February 20 and counting of votes will be held on March 10.
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Michiganders in the four districts holding special election primaries March 1 who have not yet registered to vote can do so in person at their city or township clerk's office now through 8 p.m. on Election Day. They can also request and submit an absentee ballot at the clerk's office in the same trip.



Citizens who wish to vote in a primary and still need to register must do so in person at their clerk's office, as online and mail registration is not permitted within 15 days of the primary.



Also, due to the proximity of the primary, citizens who have received but not yet returned their absentee ballots are encouraged to deliver them to local drop boxes or their clerk's office to avoid postal delays.



"Voters have options to vote in the upcoming special elections, and if they choose to submit their ballots before Election Day they can do so easily by hand delivering them to their local drop box or clerk's office," said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. "Doing so is a secure way to ensure your vote is counted and your voice is heard in this important election."



Special election primaries will be held March 1 for the following House districts:

15th in Wayne County

36th in Macomb County

43rd in Oakland County

74th in Kent County

Ballot drop box and clerk's office locations for individual jurisdictions can be found at Michigan.gov/Vote. Before submitting their absentee ballot, voters must sign the outside of the ballot envelope.



Voters in districts holding special election primaries can also cast their ballots in person at their polling place on March 1. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.



The March 1 special election primary will determine the candidates to fill partial terms for the vacated seats in the respective districts, meaning those elected in the May 3 special general election will serve until Dec. 31, 2022. The seats to be filled will represent districts based on the district maps that have been in effect since the prior state redistricting took place after the 2010 census.



Primaries and general elections for the next term, beginning Jan. 1, 2023, and based on the new district maps from the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, will be held in August and November of this year.



Voters can find more information including a sample ballot and the location of their clerk office and polling place at Michigan.gov/Vote.



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE??

February 15, 2022

Contact:?Press@Michigan.gov??

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PHOTOS: Governor Whitmer Visits Global Auto Seating Supplier Lear Corporation To Discuss Michigan's Global Manufacturing Leadership

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LANSING, Mich. --?Governor Gretchen Whitmer today joined business, state and local officials for a tour of Lear Corporation's facilities in Flint, highlighting the global automotive seating manufacturer's longstanding commitment to Michigan and the value the company brings to the state's leadership in automotive supply chains.

"As we continue to grow Michigan's economy, Lear Corporation's continued investment in Flint, and across the state, underscores the strength of our robust automotive ecosystem and supply chain and our longstanding heritage as a global manufacturing leader," said Governor Whitmer. "Lear is committed to creating good jobs for our workforce in Michigan and we remain committed to ensuring their long-term growth and success in our state."

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Lear Corporation, founded in 1917 in Detroit and currently headquartered in Southfield, is a manufacturer of complete seating and electrical systems for automobiles. In 2017, Lear announced it was constructing a 160,000-square-foot building at the location of the former administration building at Buick City, north of downtown Flint. The $29.3 million project created 525 new jobs in the state, supported by a $4.35-million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund.

"It's an exciting time for the industry and for Lear," said Lear President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Scott. "With a 100-year plus history, we are eager to help Michigan continue as the hub of automotive excellence by supplying world-class products for our customers, growing jobs for residents and strengthening our community presence. These goals become reality only when you have great teamwork and true collaboration among Governor Whitmer, the Michigan Legislature, local municipalities, and our union partners. We are honored to be part of this growth and change in Michigan."

The work of Lear Corporation in Michigan is helping to drive the state's ongoing reputation as a leader in mobility and automotive manufacturing, with 96 of the top 100 automotive suppliers to North America having a presence in the state, including 71 suppliers, including Lear, calling Michigan home to their headquarters.

"We are extremely proud that Lear Corporation continues to invest in, and call Michigan home," said Michigan Economic Development Corporation Chief Business Development Officer and Executive Vice President Josh Hundt, who joined Governor Whitmer for the tour. "As we work to create economic wins in our automotive sector and for communities across our state, we look forward to continuing to work closely with Lear to create upward economic mobility for the Flint community and beyond."

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE??

February 15, 2022

Contact:?Press@Michigan.gov??

PHOTOS: Governor Whitmer Visits Hemlock Semiconductor Operations to Discuss Michigan's Global Manufacturing Leadership

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer today joined business, state and local officials for a tour of Hemlock Semiconductor's facilities in Hemlock, commending the global silicon and semiconductor chemicals manufacturer for its longstanding commitment to Michigan and its contributions to Michigan's leadership position in the semiconductor supply chain.

"Hemlock Semiconductor's continued investment is further evidence that Michigan remains a place where high-tech talent needs can be met and companies of all sizes can grow," said Governor Whitmer. "Hemlock's presence in Michigan underscores our global manufacturing and automotive R&D leadership in helping to address the universal industry demand for semiconductors while creating good jobs for Michigan workers."

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Governor Whitmer is tackling the chip crisis facing the auto industry. She worked to bring SK Siltron, a new semiconductor wafer manufacturing and R&D facility, with 150 jobs near Bay City to support electric vehicle growth and support auto industry needs in-state. She also facilitated the opening of a new facility by KLA, a high-tech, Fortune 500 firm specializing in systems and software integral to chip and electronics manufacturing. The new KLA facility will create 600 good-paying jobs in Ann Arbor.

Michigan's automotive industry purchased nearly $35 million in products and services from semiconductor companies in Michigan in 2020, building on the state's leadership in semiconductor R&D and testing. Hemlock Semiconductor is part of a growing, comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem in the state that is supported by SK Siltron, KLA in Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, which is the top global institute for semiconductor training on today's issues to help solve tomorrow's problems. As Michigan also continues leading the mobility industry in the development of electric and autonomous vehicles, demand for suppliers in the semiconductor supply chain like Hemlock.

Governor Whitmer called on federal officials to fund the CHIPS Act in her State of the State address to fight the ongoing chip crisis head-on and take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to help grow critical sectors in Michigan's economy.

"HSC is well-positioned to play a key role in building a robust domestic supply chain for semiconductors right here in Michigan," said Hemlock President and Chief Executive Officer AB Ghosh. "Our hyper-pure polysilicon is a key component in the semiconductors found in billions of electronic devices around the world and in the solar panels that are essential to our transition to a clean energy economy. As a global market leader in both spaces, we see exciting tremendous growth opportunities ahead that will benefit HSC and the state of Michigan."

"Hemlock's longstanding presence in Michigan underscores our demonstrated leadership in advanced manufacturing within the semiconductor field," said Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO and Michigan Strategic Fund President and Chair Quentin Messer Jr, who joined Governor Whitmer on the tour. "We congratulate the entire Hemlock team on your tremendous growth and success and look forward to working together as you continue to grow and add jobs here in Michigan."

###


Prime Minister Narendra Modi While addressing a rally in Punjabs Pathankot ahead of the February 20 Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, alleging that they are partners in crime. One party has pushed Punjabs youth into drugs, the other has pushed Delhi into liquorDespite being two sides of the same coin, both these parties are doing WWF in Punjab. In Delhi, AAP only could form the government with the Congresss support. If Congress is original, this other party is its photocopy, Modi said. He also added that Congress had raised doubts over the armys capabilities during the Pulwama attack, so voters must decide if they trust the security of a border state like Punjab in such peoples hands. He said, Wherever BJP develops a firm foot in a state, people running the governments through remote-control from Delhi get washed out from that state. The PM urged voters in Punjab to allow him and the BJP party to serve the state, saying that BJP has ensured peace and development in the state at the cost of the party.




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 19, 2022

Contact: press@michigan.gov

Believe in Michigan: Supporting Small Businesses

Michiganders celebrate why they believe in Michigan through video series leading up to Governor Whitmer's State of the State address

LANSING, Mich. - Leading up to the Governor's State of the State address, Gov. Whitmer's team set out to hear from Michiganders across the state on why they believe in Michigan. We'll share their thoughts each day leading up to the address in a video series.

"Small businesses form the backbone of our economy and are cornerstones of so many communities across our state," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "As we usher in a new era of prosperity for Michigan, I am committed to ensuring small businesses can thrive. Countless small business owners like Ali work hard every day to invest in their communities and create good-paying jobs. Together, we will help our innovative, entrepreneurial small business owners thrive and continue growing Michigan's economy."

Meet Ali Rose VanOverbeke, owner of Genusee, a small business making eyewear in Flint, Michigan from recycled plastic water bottles as a result of the Flint Water Crisis.

"I want my state government to focus on supporting more small businesses, providing more aid, more guidance, more relief," said Ali Rose VanOverbeke, owner of Genusee. "Because we're still in a pandemic, it's still hard for so many of us and we need more support so we can support and take even better care of our employees."

When asked why she believes in Michigan, VanOverbeke said, "I'm most excited about a future that's inclusive and creates more access for individuals to become entrepreneurs. I most believe in the state of Michigan simply because of the people. The community here is hardworking and knows how to persevere regardless of our circumstances."

Governor Whitmer's Focus on Small Businesses

Through COVID, the state implemented 23 economic relief programs for businesses, supporting more than 25,000 companies and retaining more than 200,000 jobs. Now, Governor Whitmer is dedicated to helping small businesses navigate existing programs and services available to help them recover and thrive for years to come.

Recently, the governor laid out a $2.1 billion proposal to grow Michigan's middle class, support small businesses, and invest in communities by tackling several underlying issues. As Michigan's economic jumpstart continues, bolstered by a strong GDP, and a historic surplus, Governor Whitmer's proposals will tackle underlying issues faced by small businesses and take advantage of the massive influx of federal resources Michigan has received to deliver meaningful change that makes a real difference for small businesses and Michigan workers.

Additional signature accomplishments under Whitmer's administration include:

Ushered in 7.6% GDP growth , the best in the Midwest in Q1 of 2021 and 8.3% GDP growth , best in the Midwest again and third-best nationwide in Q2.

Took Michigan from a projected $3 billion deficit to a $3.5 billion surplus.

Launched 23 economic relief programs providing over $240 million in vital economic support to small businesses across all 83 Michigan counties. The programs supported over 25,000 companies and retained over 200,000 jobs with nearly 75% of support going to restaurants, bars, retailers and other service industry small businesses.

Saved 52,500 jobs by providing grants to 6,000 small businesses.

Provided $100 million through the Small Business Restart Program to help restaurants and other place-based businesses cover costs by providing grants up to $20,000 for mortgage, rent, taxes, payroll and other operating expenses.

Set up free virtual job fairs connecting over 2,600 employers and 9,900 job seekers.

Additional highlights of Whitmer's efforts to support small businesses can be found online.

Visit the 2022 State of the State page for videos and more.

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EVART  Ten months after the previous director of the Evart Downtown Development Association resigned, the organization has a hired new director. Todd Bruggema was offered the position by the DDA board recently and has accepted.

Bruggema is a resident of Evart and is currently a facilities manager and safety coordinator for Avon Protection Systems in Cadillac. He will be leaving that position at the end of the month as he transitions into his new position as DDA director.

He worked for the Cadillac school system for many years, serving in multiple roles, including classroom teacher, assistant principal and principal.

Bruggema said he is happy to be back in Evart and looks forward to being part of the community.

I grew up in Evart and lived here for the first 22 years of my life until I graduated from college and my career took me away, he said. I have always had family here and have been coming back to the area. I have always loved the town.

Two years ago, I moved back to the area, and I wanted to get involved in the community, he continued. "This opportunity became available to try to help continue the progress that has been made over the past few years, and to try to do some positive things for the town, which I have always called home.

Bruggema said that when he begins his position as DDA director, he will first take time to figure out where the DDA board and the city council are at and where they want to go from here, using his listening skills he developed over his 35 years in education.

I will be ears and eyes to hear what they want to do and what they want to see in the community, and help be a leader in accomplishing those visions that they have, he said. I am going to lean on the downtown business owners to help me find out what their ideas are and expand on those, and develop some goals to accomplish those things."

In addition to connecting with local business owners and business leaders, Bruggema plans to reach out to former DDA director Eric Kehoe and other DDA directors in towns with a similar demographic.

The first year will definitely be a learning curve, Bruggema said. I will be reaching out to others and use them to get ideas about what they have done and what we might be able to do. I will reach out to Eric Kehoe and see what he was doing and where he was trying to go and build off of that. I plan to network a lot and get input from a lot of different people.

One of his main goals, he said, is to reach out to local business owners and find out where they want to see the city grow, as well as to larger employers to see how he can help them recruit and retain workers.

I would like to see the downtown stores all filled, and for the downtown to be more vibrant and busy, with more people out and about, walking around and interacting with the city, he said.

He also plans to continue to follow through with the Sustainable Built Environment Initiative with Michigan State University, he said.

They have some really good ideas, and I plan to reach out to them and expand on what they have planned for the community, he said.

I am very excited about moving back to the area and about getting involved, and hopefully making a positive difference in the growth of downtown, he added. I am excited about getting to know store owners and getting involved with a new generation of Evart. Whatever I can do to keep the young people in town and keep the town thriving, I will try to do.

The Evart city council approved Bruggema's contract for the DDA director position during its meeting last week. The contract, effective March 1 through Feb. 29, 2024, sets the annual salary at $62,000.

Council member Matt Hildebrand noted that the contract reflects a significant salary increase and asked if the DDA budget would support that.

DDA president Alan Bengry said since the DDA has been without a director for 10 months, those funds are still available.

The current budget will support the difference in salary for two years, he said. Future budgets will reflect the increase.

Kehoe, who became the DDA director in August 2020, resigned his position in May 2021 to accept an offer with Michigan community Capital. The position has been vacant since that time.
NOTE: Following is the conclusion of the Midland Remembers story that was published in the Daily News on Feb. 2.

The first Midland Soil and Water Conservation District office was shared with the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, with a hall dividing the two offices. The conservation district had the smaller part of the building, with one office for federal District Conservationist Bill Phillips and a larger room for the administrator and the forester.

Gerald Laurenz had new ideas about how the conservation district could best serve farmers and landowners in Midland County. He wanted the district to reach more people. He wanted the importance of conservation to get down to the future generations of children who were currently in school. The district had to get the farmers themselves interested in new methods of farming. And having enough money to support the district was imperative. Lansing gave each district a stipend of $7,500 to help cover expenses. Beyond that, each district was on its own to raise money.

The agenda for the district was huge, and Gerald Laurenz was the man to carry it out.

In 1982, he hired an administrator for the office. Laurenz told her, You can make this job what you want it to be. In a year, a monthly newsletter was sent to people who owned land in Midland County. A newsletter for children, entitled, Little Talks, was being distributed to elementary school children, eventually reaching 3,600 children each month in public and parochial schools in Midland, Coleman and Breckenridge.

Slide presentations about conservation were given to schools and to any organization requesting a program. The district teamed up with dairy farmers, and hundreds of programs about the value of dairy products were given.

Tree sales had been a steady way to bring more money into the districts bank account. In 1987, Laurenz hired a young man named Randy Aldrich as the district forester. The next year, tree sales tripled.

Unexpected help came out of nowhere. Ariel Haebler, who was retired from Dow Corning, let the district use his 64 acres for wood lot tours for school children.

The Midland Daily News began publishing write-ups from the district office on a weekly basis, providing much-needed publicity for the tree sales and what was available through the district office. In November of 1982, the editor of the Midland Daily News wanted to know why the district hadn't submitted its annual report to the paper. That began an 11-year association between the Midland Daily News and the Midland Soil and Water Conservation District..

Innovations came fast and furious in farming, tree planting, and no-till planting. Aldrich held tours to show people what they could do with their land. Grants for several summers gave the district the services of the Youth Corps. Board member Joel Holzhausen was in charge of that program.

Young people were elected to the board: Paul Aultman from Coleman, Joel Holzhausen from Hope, Maria Sandow from Mills Township, and Connie Dullock from Bullock Creek.

When Laurenz decided to retire from the board in 1991, Lou Badour was an important part of how the district would continue. Aldrich left in 1998. Deb Rogers became administrator in 1996.

In 2000, the Midland Conservation District had its own office in Sanford at 1031 East Saginaw Road, and in 2004, the district purchased a building at 275 West Saginaw Road in Sanford. Under the direction of Rogers and Badour, the district forged ahead and grant money enabled them to offer services not previously available.

When the district celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2000, its board consisted of Dale Wolfgang, Badour, Chuck Servinski, Tom Lenon and Paul Ludwig. On September 14, 2000, the public was invited to a free BBQ at the district office.

Along with all of the other changes, the name was changed. Previously called the Midland Soil and Water Conservation District, it now was given the less-cumbersome name of Midland Conservation District.

But in 2012, the Midland Conservation District office was closed by Lansing. Invalid voting and no funds were given as the reasons for the closing. Only Will Sears, the district conservationist, remained because he was a federal employee. For two years, there was no conservation district in Midland County.

In 2014, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development asked the district conservationist to find people who were interested in being board members and to send letters out. Karen Thurlow wrote a letter and became a board member in 2014. In 2015, she became the administrator for the Midland Conservation District. She said, I was kicked upstairs.

Thurlow attended training to become a technician assistant. She is now a technician assistant and district administrator. She feels as comfortable going into farm fields and giving advice to farmers as she does overseeing the employees who make up the district office. She enjoys her work.

When Thurlow took over as administrator, selling trees was still a reliable source for income. The years 2016, 2017 and 2018 found her selling trees out of a U-Haul truck in the parking lot of the district office at 954 East Isabella Road. In 2019, Thurlow rented a garage from a friend and sold seedlings from there. In 2020, she sold seedlings out of her own garage. And in 2021, seedlings were sold from the newly-purchased barn at 814 East Olson Road. At last, the tree sales have a permanent home.

The barn, now owned by the Midland Conservation District, is a source of pride to Thurlow, who worked for weeks cleaning the barn out so the renovations could begin. The barn is now almost 98 years old, having been built by Edward Tomlinson in 1924. Thurlow remembers power-washing the old siding and cleaning out the mounds of junk that had accumulated in the empty barn. After her work was done, Integral Builders put on steel siding, new doors and windows, and a new roof. Today, the barn is officially The Tomlinson Barn Education Center.

Karen Thurlows job as administrator has changed greatly from what it once was. Grants have added trained staff to the office in new fields. Some weeks, Thurlow finds herself attending three different meetings. A ten-page Strategic Plan for 2021-2026 has been put together, guiding the board of directors and staff. Here is their vision: Identify customers and their needs. Provide sustainable conservation outreach and education. Provide technical assistance to improve the quality of soil, air and water for Midland County. Seek creative funding sources. Improve Midland Countys infrastructure and accountability. And lastly, to have an engaged board of directors and staff.

But above all, the staff, the board of directors and administrator Karen Thurlow work hard to keep the vision that Hugh Hammond Bennett dreamed of in 1935.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk's brain-chip company Neuralink has denied claims from an animal rights group that accused the company of subjecting monkeys to "extreme suffering" during years of experiments.

The nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has accused Neuralink and UC Davis of nine violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

In a statement, Neuralink said that they are absolutely committed to working with animals in the most humane and ethical way possible.

"While the facilities and care at UC Davis did and continue to meet federally mandated standards, we absolutely wanted to improve upon these standards as we transitioned animals to our in-house facilities," the company said late on Tuesday.

The company further said that the questions around Neuralink's use of research animals at the University of California, Davis Primate Center "come from people who oppose any use of animals in research".

"Currently, all novel medical devices and treatments must be tested in animals before they can be ethically trialed in humans. Neuralink is not unique in this regard," it added.

Neuralink's brain chips were implanted in monkeys' brains during a series of tests at the University of California, Davis from 2017 to 2020, according to the PCRM compliant filed with the US Department of Agriculture.

In one example, a monkey was allegedly found missing some of its fingers and toes "possibly from self-mutilation or some other unspecified trauma".

The monkey was later killed during a "terminal procedure," the complaint claimed.

In another case, a monkey had holes drilled in its skull and electrodes implanted into its brain, then allegedly developed a bloody skin infection and had to be euthanised, according to the complaint.

In a third instance, a female macaque monkey had electrodes implanted into its brain, then was "overcome with vomiting, retching and gasping".

Days later, researchers wrote that the animal "appeared to collapse from exhaustion/fatigue" and was subsequently euthanised.

The experiments involved 23 monkeys in all. At least 15 of them died or were euthanised by 2020, according to the animal rights group.

The company, however, said that no such injuries occurred at any time to animals housed at UC Davis while part of Neuralink's project".

"At Neuralink, we are never satisfied with the current standards for animal well being and we will always push ourselves to do more for the animals that are contributing so much to humanity," it added.

Musk claims that Neuralink's brain chips will one day make humans hyper-intelligent and let paralysed people walk again.
MIDDLETOWN  The citys state House representative says he has changed his last name to better reflect his family identity as well as cement his journey to be true to myself.

State Rep. Quentin Q Phipps, D-Middletown, has changed his name to Quentin Williams, which he said will become official Thursday.

His mother, Queen, an active member and trustee of Cross Street AME Zion Church, is also named Williams.

My love and joy and drive for serving the community, a lot of that is in my blood and DNA as a Williams, said Quentin Williams, who made the change after mulling the idea for some time.

Its also about a more equitable recognition of the parent that really nurtured and loved me, and inspired the work Im doing, he said.

He said the change is long overdue. It is time for my name to reflect who I am, he added.

He and his wife, Carissa, a psychologist, made the decision as a family, the lawmaker said.

Quentin Williams said hes less concerned about the possibility of losing name recognition than having his name reflect who he is.

More importantly, Im known as Quentin or Q. My first name isnt going anywhere, he said.

Quentin Williams began his second term in the Connecticut General Assembly in 2021 after being first elected in 2019. He was recently named chairman of the legislatures Housing Committee.

Queen Williams, who goes by her maiden name, is pleased and proud of her son. Her father, a Baptist deacon, was a wise man, she said.

He learned the political way, she said. This was his calling  serve the people  and thats what he loves to do. He grew up to be an honest man and he cares about the people.

She said the family has strong religious roots.

My dad was a wise and God-fearing man. In our home, he hung the plaque, as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord  a commitment and declaration he left Quentin, and, hopefully, a multitude of us will benefit from for generations to come.

Quentin Williams maternal grandfather was a deacon and mason, and his grandmother was a deaconess in the church. His paternal uncles have also had a big influence on his life, the legislator said.

Queen Williams retired in 2005 after 35 years working for the state, including at Connecticut Valley Hospital under the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

She taught her son that love makes a family, Quentin Williams said. While some of my best friends may not be biologically related, they are my brothers and sisters.

Her son admires his mothers longtime mission of helping people with their particular needs, such as housing, food and healthy living, he said.

Its something she continues to do, he said.

There are things that I fight for because I saw her fight for and help support some of the most vulnerable in our community, he said. That has always inspired me to follow in her footsteps.

It includes advocating for workers to get a dignified retirement through a pension, something his mother received from the state, he added.

Shes always inspired and led, even if she doesnt directly say something. She always modeled what she knew to be right and true and moral, Williams said.

Hearst Connecticut Media Associate Editor Dan Haar contributed to this article.
Meriden Police / Contributed

MERIDEN  A man was charged Monday after threatening to shoot and kill someone last week, according to police.

On Feb. 9, officers got a tip that a man named Nathaniel Falcon was in possession of a firearm, police said. Since the 31-year-old had been previously convicted of a felony offense, federal law prohibits Falcon from having a gun, they added.
The Boys & Girls Village, which is a leader in providing mental health treatment, permanency planning as well as educational, and vocational services for Connecticuts most vulnerable youth, has announced a $30,000 bequeathed gift from the estate of Anthony G. Zanavich, who was a retired teacher.

The donation will provide support for the organization, including its Charles F. Hayden Day School, which is also a special education, and vocational facility that provides comprehensive educational, and clinical treatment services for at risk youth in the community.

Additionally, the schools new Vocational Learning Center prepares older youth with training to find jobs, and prepares them for successful adulthoods.

Zanavich, who was a resident of Waterbury, Conn., also previously worked as a teacher for the City of Waterbury Department of Education for over 25 years until his previous retirement from the Wilby High School at 568 Bucks Hill Road in Waterbury.

As a former teacher, Boys & Girls Villages mission of helping at-risk children resonated.

A visit with Dr. Steven Kant, who is the non-profit organizations former CEO, helped Zanavich to learn more about how the organization changes lives.

As an educator, Tony was passionate about young adults being on the right path and happy to support the mission of Boys & Girls Village, Anne Morrissey, who is the executrix for the Anthony Zanavich estate, said.

In addition to leaving donations to family members, and Boys & Girls Village, Zanavich also provided support to several other non-profit organizations that he cared about.

As an attorney, it is a good opportunity for people that are looking to make donations to include nonprofits such as Boys & Girls Village in their estate, Attorney Joseph Tramuta, who previously managed Zanavichs estate planning, and is a longtime Boys & Girls Club board member, said.

In this case the gift was a bequest, but stock or other financial instruments can also be left to an organization, Tramuta said.

These funds will help the youth we serve throughout the state to overcome obstacles and build brighter futures, the President of Boys & Girls Village, Kim Shaunesey, Ph.D., said.

"We are grateful to Mr. Zanavich for his foresight and his willingness to strengthen the foundation of Connecticuts most vulnerable youth and their families, Shaunesey said.

To learn more about Boys & Girls Village, visit bgvillage.org, or call 203-877-0300.

To learn how to include Boys & Girls Village in estate planning, contact the Boys & Girls Village Development Coordinator Marie Pelaccia at pelacciam@bgvillage.org.

For 80 years, Boys & Girls Village has served thousands of children, and families from 50 Connecticut communities, providing behavioral health, educational, family preservation, and stabilization, and vocational services with the belief that all children can develop a healthy developmental pathway.

The organization is located at 528 Wheelers Farms Road.in Milford.
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Marines and sailors will get an additional week of leave to bond with their new baby or adopted child under announcements from the services on Monday.

The maximum amount of leave for "secondary caregivers" increased from 14 days to 21 days effective Feb. 11, according to administrative messages released by the Navy and the Marine Corps.

Once known as paternity leave, secondary caregiver leave is usually for the parent who did not give birth, although military families have leeway to designate who are the primary and secondary caregivers.

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The leave must be taken consecutively and includes weekends and holidays.

The move matches changes in recent years by the other services, as the Air Force and the Army have awarded up to 21 days of secondary caregiver leave to new moms and dads since 2018 and 2019, respectively.

"The expansion of caregiver leave will provide additional relief to the families of Marines and sailors, further improving Marine and family readiness, as well as recruiting, retention, and overall talent management of the force," the Marine Corps said in a statement released Monday.

"Navy is dedicated to supporting our new parents, and we fully understand that our families are as much a part of our service as our Sailors," Vice Adm. John Nowell, chief of naval personnel, said in a press release.

The extra leave will soon be overtaken by an increase to 12 weeks of secondary caregiver leave that was included as a requirement in the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

Under the law passed late last year, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps must provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for military personnel designated as either the primary or secondary caregiver of a child.

This would mean that new mothers who are in the military and are the designated primary caregiver would receive 12 weeks of leave in addition to the six weeks given for convalescent leave following a birth or adoption.

Secondary caregivers also would receive up to 12 weeks of leave.

The benefit, which already is standard for federal employees, must go into effect by Dec. 27, according to the defense authorization law.

 Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

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The Navy must review thousands of general and other-than-honorable discharges awarded to sailors and Marines over the past decade for behavioral problems that may have stemmed from a military-related mental health condition or sexual assault.

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Haight approved a settlement Monday in a class-action suit known as Manker v. Del Toro, which alleged that the Navy and Marine Corps wrongly discharged members for behavior that may have been related to trauma or an injury they endured while serving.

Under the settlement, the Navy will be required to review and reconsider all discharge upgrade requests made from March 2, 2012, to Feb. 15, 2022, that were partially or fully denied.

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The review of these cases will be automatic; service members will not need to request one.

But the settlement also gives those who were discharged and denied an upgrade from Oct. 7, 2001, through March 1, 2012, the opportunity to reapply for a change in their status with the Naval Discharge Review Board.

The suit stemmed from the case of former Marine Cpl. Tyson Manker, who was dismissed from the service with an other-than-honorable discharge after he was caught using marijuana. Manker told The New York Times that he turned to the drug after being exposed to a series of traumatic experiences in Iraq in 2003.

Manker applied for an upgrade in 2016 but was denied, as have roughly 85% of requests filed to the Naval Discharge Review Board by sailors and Marines.

A general discharge under honorable conditions precludes a veteran from accessing their GI Bill benefits. An other-than-honorable discharge, also known as a "bad paper discharge," prevents veterans from receiving medical care, disability compensation and education benefits through the GI Bill at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

These discharges also can affect a veteran's long-term earning power, since many employers will not hire anyone with less than a good conduct discharge.

Monday's ruling, in the U.S. District Court of Connecticut, follows Haight's ruling in April 2021 that required the Army to review its other-than-honorable discharges dating back to April 17, 2011.

The Army already had initiated the review of an estimated 3,500 discharges, but the settlement in that case, Kennedy v. McCarthy, also required the service to notify soldiers given bad paper discharges from Oct. 7, 2001, to April 16, 2011, that they could apply for an upgrade or appeal a previous decision.

More than 51,400 discharges under other-than-honorable conditions were issued for active-duty personnel from fiscal 2010 through 2020, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center.

Under the Manker settlement, the Navy will allow veterans to appear before the Naval Discharge Review Board by video teleconference -- a change from the requirement that they travel to Washington, D.C., for their hearings. The service also will be required to increase training for board members.

Navy and Marine Corps veterans, including members of the reserve component, who were discharged under general or other-than-honorable conditions and who also have a diagnosis of -- or symptoms of -- post traumatic stress disorder, a traumatic brain injury, mental health conditions or were victims of military sexual trauma may be eligible for the review.

Status upgrades will be decided on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed, noted Manker's legal team, which included the Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School and Jenner & Block LLP in a press release.

In granting approval of the settlement, Haight called it "an impressive example of the manner in which a class action can be made the vehicle for doing substantial justice."

Brandon Baum, with the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, could not provide an exact number of veterans who may be affected by the ruling but said in an email that it could be in the "tens of thousands."

Garry Monk, executive director of the clinic, said the settlement "helps bring accountability and justice for thousands of veterans suffering every day from the invisible wounds of war."

"It is a recognition of their service, their value, and their dignity, and we look forward to the impact it will have on the lives of so many service members," Monk said in a press release.

More information is available at the Manker Settlement website.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: Bill Would Give Vets With 'Bad Paper' Discharges Better Appeal Options
A federal judge in Georgia on Tuesday blocked the Air Force from requiring an officer to get the COVID-19 vaccine, marking the first case where a court successfully blocked the mandate for an airman.

The airman, a woman who has served in the military for 25 years and works at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, was not named in court documents. The officer's request for a religious exemption, based on the idea that some vaccine testing was done on fetal cell lines, was denied late last year.

In January, the Air Force officer filed a lawsuit against the service in the United States Court for the Middle District of Georgia. She is being represented by attorneys from the Thomas More Society, a conservative law firm based in Chicago.

Read More: Senate Responds to Threat of Russian Invasion of Ukraine with Strongly Worded Statement

Judge Tilman E. Self granted a preliminary injunction, temporarily stopping the Air Force from enforcing the mandate on the officer, writing in the court order that the airman's religious liberty should be paramount.

"All Americans, especially the Court, want our country to maintain a military force that is powerful enough to thoroughly destroy any enemy who dares to challenge it," Self wrote. "However, we also want a military force strong enough to respect and protect its service members' constitutional and statutory religious rights. This ruling ensures our armed services continue to accomplish both."

The injunction covers only the Air Force officer and does not grant a widespread injunction for other airmen or service members.

The Georgia preliminary injunction follows at least two high-profile cases filed in court districts within conservative-leaning states .

Early in January, a federal judge in Texas ordered the Navy and Defense Department to halt disciplinary procedures against 35 members of the service's special operations community for refusing to take a COVID-19 vaccine.

Another federal judge in Florida stopped the Navy from removing a commander and a Marine lieutenant colonel from their jobs earlier this month. In that court filing, the Air Force confirmed it had granted its first set of religious exemptions, before announcing them publicly several days later.

Mark Zaid, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney who fought and prevailed over the military's last major vaccine mandate for anthrax, told Military.com last week that it's likely many of these cases will be settled between the respective service branches and the plantiffs.

"It's so few people involved ... it wouldn't surprise me, at the end of the day, that something is worked out so that these cases don't continue and these guys don't take the shots," Zaid said. "Maybe they're just put somewhere else in sort of a compromise."

News of the airman's temporary victory comes after the Air Force granted its first handful of religious exemptions last week and as other court cases file in for individual injunctions.

As of Feb. 14, the Air Force had administratively separated 160 active-duty airmen for declining to get inoculated, while 96% of the service had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Additionally, the force has approved eight religious exemptions and one appeal has been successful, according to the latest Air Force data.

It's not yet clear whether any of these cases looking to block the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate will change the military's policy.

Refusers, such as the Georgia Air Force officer, state that the use of fetal cell lines in the creation of the vaccine is a point of contention for those with strict religious stances against abortion.

The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines do not need fetal cell lines for development or production but were tested on fetal cell lines replicated from an aborted fetus in the 1970s to ensure their efficacy. Only the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is made using fetal cell lines.

Notably, the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine is standard for military service and is made by growing the rubella virus inside fetal cells.

Lawyers for the Thomas More Society said they believe their lawsuit may have put pressure on the Air Force to start approving religious exemptions.

"The Air Force had granted over 1,500 medical exemptions by the time we filed this lawsuit, but not a single religious exemption -- not one," Stephen Crampton, senior counsel with the Thomas More Society, said in a press release. "After we filed, it suddenly decided to start granting or claiming to grant religious exemptions, albeit only a handful."

The law firm said in the press release that the Air Force officer is not a risk to other airmen because "she has already had COVID-19 and twice tested positive for the antibodies in the year following her recovery" and also follows social distancing measures. Research has shown that, while natural immunity does provide some protection against COVID-19 infection, vaccination reduces the risk of contracting the illness for both those who have gotten the coronavirus and those who haven't.

After the Air Force announced the first batch of religious exemptions, the service did not clarify whether those approved were already on their way out of the ranks.

"The Department of the Air Force determined the service members' accommodations could be supported with no impact to mission readiness," spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in an emailed statement.

The Marine Corps made headlines last month when it became the first military branch to grant three religious exemptions, but all three went to Marines who were functionally no longer serving.

-- Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report. Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Air Force Grants First Religious Exemptions for COVID-19 Vaccine, But Won't Provide Details
Three weeks after an F-35C Lightning II fighter bounced off the deck of a ship and sank into the South China Sea, the U.S. Navy decided to highlight its salvage and deep-sea recovery capabilities in a press event for reporters Wednesday while insisting the two weren't related.

On Jan. 24, an F-35C fighter crashed onto the USS Carl Vinson and slid off the flight deck, into the South China Sea. Images of the plane floating in the water, complete with missing ejection seat and surrounded by debris, were later leaked online. After the crash, the Navy announced that it was "making recovery operations arrangements" for the aircraft but gave no other details.

But at the start of Wednesday's event, Alan Baribeau, a spokesman for Naval Sea Systems, noted that they were "not going to answer anything that's tied to anything of an ongoing, current-day, real-world nature."

Read Next: Judge Temporarily Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Air Force Officer Seeking Religious Exemption

"No hypothetical questions, please," he added.

Capt. Jay Young, the Navy's supervisor of Diving & Salvage, explained that major deep-sea recovery operations are typically broken up into two parts -- the search and the salvage portions.

To locate anything the Navy wants brought up -- like an F-35C -- the team can use a very efficient and deep diving autonomous underwater vehicle called the "Hugin," which can go 20,000 feet below the ocean's surface.

"In a 20-hour period, with the Hugin, we can search an area about 25 square miles, and with our towed system, that same area would take about a month," Young explained.

Then, to bring up your underwater item of interest -- for instance, an aircraft that had fallen off the side of a ship -- the Navy has a remotely operated vehicle called the CURV 21, which is also able to dive to 20,000 feet. Young explained that the CURV and other remotely operated vehicles are used to the "go down  validate the object is what we're looking to recover. It will connect rigging to the object ... to support connecting to our salvage system to bring the object up to the surface."

Then, all that's left is to let the Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System -- "a portable motion-compensated lift system connected through the ship's crane boom," to hear Young describe it -- lift your sunken item, perhaps a stealthy multirole fighter, to the surface.

Last year, the Navy showed that these depth limits are far from aspirational by recovering an MH-60S helicopter from a depth of 19,075 feet off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, and setting a salvage depth record for the team along the way.

On Jan. 29, the Japanese Coast Guard posted a maritime navigational alert to stay clear of an area west of the Philippines and south of Hong Kong, the general area where the F-35C crash occurred, due to "salvage operations  until further notice," but it did not explicitly reference the Vinson mishap.

The deepest part of the South China Sea is about 18,000 feet and, according to Google Earth, the depth at the coordinates for the Japanese navigational alert is about 13,000 feet.

Bradley Martin, a Rand Corp. researcher and former Navy captain, told Military.com in an interview that trying to bring up lost aircraft like the F-35 "is a completely normal reaction to the mishap."

He added that "something similar would probably occur regardless of what aircraft might be."

Martin noted that the wreckage could help investigators get a better understanding of the crash but added that there are security considerations as well.

"It's sort of reminiscent of the Cold War  the race to recover the sunken fighter plane," Steven Wills, a naval historian and researcher for the think tank CNA, told Military.com. "It's not just a simple salvage; there could be a race out there."

Wills explained that there is a good precedent for adversaries or even allies of convenience to nab military gear -- especially planes.

"You can reverse engineer it. ... Historically, some of our friends have been really good about that," Wills said.

Specifically, Wills noted two incidents. In the closing months of World War II, the Soviets held on to an American B-29 bomber that was forced to make an emergency landing near Vladivostok. That plane would be meticulously copied to make the Soviet Tu-4 bomber.

The long-range bomber, a first for the Soviets, would go on to be a powerful tool in early days of the Cold War.

More recently, Wills noted the 2001 Hainan Island incident in which a Navy EP-3 signals intelligence plane collided with a Chinese jet and was forced to land on the Chinese island. The plane was eventually returned to the U.S. but in pieces, and by the Russians.

"All that comms stuff and how we encrypt communications ... that's probably higher priority than the airframe or any of the avionics or weapons or anything else," Wills explained. "Just getting ahold of that, I think, would be a real Intelligence coup for people who aren't friendly to us."

Luckily, Young says his team recovers all sorts of things fairly regularly from the ocean's depths. In 2021, they conducted five operations, six in 2020, and four in 2019 and 2018 each. So far, none seems to have been an F-35, however.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Another Leaked Video Offers a Dramatic View of F-35C Crash Aboard Carl Vinson
As 150,000 Russian troops bear down on Ukraine's borders, the U.S. Senate is offering Ukrainians something to help face their "dark hour" after failing to pass an aid bill that had been languishing in the chamber for weeks: words.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; their top deputies, Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and John Thune, R-S.D.; and the top Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Armed Services, Banking, Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees released a statement Tuesday afternoon extending a "bipartisan message of solidarity and resolve to the people of Ukraine, and an equally clear warning to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin."

The statement was meant to present a united front on supporting Ukraine -- but it comes after senators have struggled to reach a bipartisan deal that would send military aid and other concrete forms of support to Kyiv while it is staring down the possibility of an imminent Russian invasion.

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The partisan disagreement centers on sanctions, particularly over the Russia-to-Germany natural gas pipeline known as Nord Stream 2, and sanctions on Russian banks that could have ripple effects across Europe.

But the impasse has also doomed proposals with bipartisan support that could offer tangible help to Ukraine, including more funding for weapons and other military aid and a lend-lease program to quickly arm Ukraine with a promise of repayment later.

Despite a lack of agreement on sanctions, the bipartisan statement released Tuesday vowed that any Russian invasion would be met with "the immediate imposition of strong, robust and effective sanctions."

"Make no mistake: the United States Senate stands with the people of Ukraine and our NATO allies and partners most threatened by Russian aggression," the statement said. "Our troops stand ready to reinforce the defenses of our Eastern European allies, and we are prepared to respond decisively to Russian efforts to undermine the security of the United States at home and abroad."

But even as they released what was meant to be a bipartisan show of support for Ukraine, senators continued to snipe at each other over an actual bill.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and 33 fellow Republicans released a bill Tuesday dubbed the Never Yielding Europe's Territory Act, or the NYET Act, a play on the Russian word for "no." Risch said in a statement the bill "sends a powerful deterrent message" to Russia.

The GOP bill included areas of bipartisan agreement, such as the lend-lease program, $500 million for military aid and $270 million for more U.S. military exercises in Europe. But it also included the Nord Stream 2 and banking sanctions opposed by Democrats.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J., responded to Risch's bill by decrying Republicans who have "decided to choose partisan posturing instead of working to reach consensus."

Nonetheless, Menendez expressed hope that "there is still time to reach a bipartisan agreement so the U.S. Congress can help impose the swiftest and harshest of responses for any unprovoked, unjustified actions by Russia."

While Congress hesitates, U.S. troops continue to flow into the region to bolster NATO allies worried a war in Ukraine could spill into their countries. On Tuesday, hundreds of soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) were preparing to deploy to Europe as part of the 6,000 U.S. soldiers being sent to Poland, Romania and Germany amid the crisis.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday some of its troops would be pulling back from the Ukrainian border, but later Tuesday afternoon, President Joe Biden said U.S. analysts had seen no signs that was true.

"An invasion remains distinctly possible," Biden said in a speech from the White House.

-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.

Related: Aid to Ukraine Might Not Make it Ahead of Potential Invasion as Congress Is Gridlocked
By 1945, 432 American service members had received the Medal of Honor for their gallantry in the face of the enemy during World War II. Not a single Black man was among them. It took almost 50 years for the Army to recognize some of the incredible heroics of Black American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines during the war.

More than a million Black men wore the uniform of the United States in World War II, and many of them saw combat. Among them, only a few received the highest awards, and none received the Medal of Honor. In 1993, the Army initiated a review of its World War II records to find out why.

It discovered a culture of discrimination that prevented the Army from awarding the medal to a handful of deserving heroes. When the Medals of Honor were officially presented in 1997, only one of these vets was still alive.

Robert Child, an Emmy-nominated writer and military historian, discusses this history in a new book, "Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II." He also gives a detailed account of the lives of the seven men, then tells their Medal of Honor story.

1. Lt. Charles L. Thomas

Thomas was drafted into the Army in January 1942, and by August 1944, he was an anti-tank officer on his way to France, where the Allies were pushing inland. He volunteered to lead an assault on Climbach, France, just five miles from Germany. As his lead M-20 Scout car crested the hills approaching Climbach, it was suddenly destroyed by enemy artillery.

Charles L. Thomas. (U.S. Army) Charles L. Thomas. (U.S. Army)

Wounded, Thomas helped his crew out of the wreck before he was hit again in the chest, legs and arm by small arms fire. He still directed his anti-tank platoon in placing their guns and returning fire effectively. Thomas briefed a junior officer on their situation and ensured his platoon could hold its position before allowing himself to be evacuated. They fought for four hours before the Germans were forced to fall back.

His platoon was the first Black unit to be awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, and its soldiers received four Silver Stars and nine Bronze Stars. Thomas received the Distinguished Service Cross, survived the war and died of cancer in 1980.

2. Lt. Vernon J. Baker

Baker enlisted in 1941 but was an infantry officer by 1943. In command of a weapons platoon in the 370th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Infantry Division, the famed Buffalo Soldiers, Baker was sent to Italy in 1944, where he was wounded near Naples. In April 1945, he was back in action and sent to storm Castle Aghinolfi, which was a heavily fortified German artillery post. The three previous assaults on Aghinolfi had already failed, and Baker was leading a unit that had little combat experience.

Read: 2nd Lt. Vernon Baker

Vernon Baker receives the Medal of Honor from President Bill Clinton in 1997. (The White House) Vernon Baker receives the Medal of Honor from President Bill Clinton in 1997. (The White House)

Baker led the initial survey and, once the Americans were discovered, an all-out assault. Baker single-handedly killed six enemy troops before the attack began. Once it did, Baker led C Company even after its commander had fled, knocking out enemy mortars and other positions. When the situation became desperate, Baker then led his men out, using grenades to clear enemy machine-gun nests. They fought for 12 hours.

The next day, Baker again led his men, this time through a minefield, and captured Castle Aghinolfi. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. When it was finally upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 1997, Baker was present to receive it.

3. Pfc. Willy James Jr.

In September 1942, James enlisted in the U.S. Army. By April 1945, he was a scout leading a company of the 104th Infantry Division in establishing a bridgehead across the Weser River in Germany. To maintain their bridgehead, the soldiers had to capture the nearby town of Lippoldsberg. As a scout, James was the first to make his way to the town.

The grave marker of Willy James, Jr. in Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands. (U.S. Army) The grave marker of Willy James, Jr. in Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands. (U.S. Army)

He drew sniper and machine-gun fire for more than an hour in order to pinpoint where the enemy defenders were. He ran across 300 yards of open terrain to relay the information to his platoon. When a new attack plan was made, Pfc. James led the lead team. As his squad advanced, he saw his platoon leader gunned down. Without regard for his personal safety, James rushed to the officer's aid but was gunned down himself.

James was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in September 1945.

4. Sgt. 1st Class Edward Allen Carter Jr.

Before joining the U.S. Army in 1941, Carter already had a lot of combat experience. He joined the Chinese in fighting Japan after its invasion and occupation of Manchuria and fought in the Lincoln Brigades of the Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War. He rose quickly through the ranks of the 12th Armored Division and was a 28-year-old staff sergeant in Europe during the Battle of the Bulge.

Edward Allen Carter, Jr. receiving the Distinguished Service Cross. (U.S. Army) Edward Allen Carter, Jr. receiving the Distinguished Service Cross. (U.S. Army)

After his tank was knocked out, he advanced alone on the German position. Wounded and under heavy fire for two hours, an eight-man Nazi patrol came to take him prisoner. He killed six of them and took the other two as prisoners. After they provided intelligence on their position, he used them as shields to return to American lines and relay the information to the waiting Americans.

Carter was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on Oct. 4, 1945, and promoted to sergeant first class for his heroism.

5. Pvt. George Watson

Watson was drafted into the Army in 1942, a quartermaster bound for the Pacific Theater. He had barely arrived in the region before boarding a troop ship, a Dutch steamer called the SS Jacob in March 1943. As it neared the port of Porlock Harbor, New Guinea, it was attacked by nine Japanese bombers. As it sank, everyone was ordered to abandon ship.

World War II Medal of Honor recipient George Watson. (U.S. Army) World War II Medal of Honor recipient George Watson. (U.S. Army)

Instead of swimming to save himself, Watson swam to help several soldiers who could not swim make their way to the life rafts. The exertion of swimming to save so many others cost him his life. Exhausted from the effort, Watson was pulled under by the suction from the sinking troop ship. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in June of that year, the first Black service member to receive it.

6. Staff Sgt. Ruben Rivers

Rivers enlisted in 1942 and was sent to join the 761st Tank Battalion, also known as "The Black Panthers." Rated as a "superior" unit, the Panthers were sent to France and landed at Omaha Beach in October 1944, where they fought their way to Germany with Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army.

Ruben Rivers in World War II Europe. (U.S. Army) Ruben Rivers in World War II Europe. (U.S. Army)

As Rivers' tank drove toward the town of Guebling, France, in November 1944, it encountered a downed tree and was hit by a complex ambush. Rivers' tank also hit a mine, and he was wounded. He dismounted under heavy fire, attaching a cable to the tree and clearing it with the tank. Refusing evacuation, he fought on with his unit.

The next morning, his company was advancing toward the village of Bourgaltoff when it encountered fierce resistance. The company commander ordered the tanks to withdraw. Rivers, in the lead tank and with eyes on the enemy, led his and another tank against the ambush, covering their withdrawal. His tank was hit by German artillery fire, killing everyone inside.

7. Lt. John Fox

Fox was an ROTC cadet who was in the Army before the United States entered World War II. When it finally did, Fox was a forward observer with the 92nd Infantry Division and was sent to Italy in 1944. On Dec. 23, he volunteered to lead an observation post in the village of Sommocolonia, a small hamlet held by 70 Black soldiers and a handful of Italian partisans.

Lt. John R. Fox in 1943. (U.S. Army) Lt. John R. Fox in 1943. (U.S. Army)

As the Americans held off the Germans, the enemy soldiers mounted an overwhelming offensive the day after Christmas and the town was overrun. As German troops fought closer and closer to his position on the second floor of a house, he called in artillery on himself to buy time for his men and Italian civilians to escape. His sacrifice blunted the German advance and allowed the Americans to retake the town a few days later.

Read: A Black Soldier Received the Medal of Honor More Than 50 Years After Calling Artillery on His Own Position

Fox's commander initially recommended him for the Distinguished Service Cross, but the paperwork was lost until 1982 when the Reagan Administration finally awarded him the medal. When it was upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 1997, his widow, Arlene, was on hand to receive it from President Bill Clinton.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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Katie Vail will be the first to tell you -- she has a full, happy life.

She's a mother of three, happily married and a successful blogger and Instagram influencer, sharing fashion, home decor, wellness tips and more.

But while Vail feels fortunate and content, it isn't necessarily the life she thought she'd have.

That's because Vail is also a Gold Star spouse.

Many people haven't gotten married or started a career by 23. Meanwhile, Vail was already a war widow and serving as an Army officer.

She comes from a long line of Army officers.

"The military was always a part of my life -- and I knew what it was to serve and what the military lifestyle was," Vail said.

Still, it wasn't part of her plan.

"Honestly, it never crossed my mind to join the military," she shared. "I told my dad there was a 1% chance I'd go to West Point."

But she agreed to a visit, and before long, that long shot started to look more like a sure thing.

"Just walking around the campus, I had a feeling I'd never had before. It was a realization that this was where I belonged."

Vail, who grew up in Georgia, had always pictured herself attending the University of Georgia and joining a sorority.

"Suddenly, my future looked very different," she said. "I thought, if I get in, I'm going to be wearing Army boots and a uniform. I won't be able to decorate my barracks room. It was a lot to take in."

Still, Vail's decision to become a cadet was the right one.

"I've never regretted it."

It was at West Point that she met fellow cadet Dimitri del Castillo.

"He was funny, nice to everybody, just a joy to be around. I was smitten from the beginning," Vail said.

They commissioned in 2009. Vail in the Adjutant General Corps (human resources) and del Castillo as an infantry officer, later becoming an Army Ranger.

Both were slated to deploy to Afghanistan in 2011.

"I was scared, but I was incredibly anxious for Dimitri. He was going to be an infantry platoon leader. We'd already lost friends and had friends injured, but you suck it up and do what you're asked to do," Vail said.

They married in a courthouse ceremony in December 2010 with a more traditional wedding scheduled for July 2012, shortly after they were supposed to return from Afghanistan.

But that second ceremony wasn't meant to be. Del Castillo was killed by enemy sniper fire on June 25, 2011, leading a platoon in Afghanistan's Kunar province.

Vail learned of her husband's death sooner than the typical military spouse would have.

"I found out the same day," she revealed. "You can protect your spouse when they are not also deployed, getting the same information. That wasn't possible with me. I'd been anxious all day. I remember walking into my commander's office. He and the chaplain were there. I saw their faces, and I knew immediately."

Del Castillo was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star posthumously. They remain in Vail's jewelry box more than 10 years later.

Also, more than a decade later, Vail is remarried and has three children.

"When I was pregnant with Jack [her oldest], I had so much grief in my heart because it was not the baby I had in my mind for all of college time."

But -- "Circumstances change. They are the perfect children for me," Vail said. "But with every milestone, grief never leaves you. And it comes up when you don't necessarily expect it."

For that reason, Vail is especially thankful for her current husband, Tom, a former Army EOD officer.

"I really needed someone strong that wouldn't be threatened by the loss that I experienced. He knows that Dimitri will always be in my heart," Vail said. "He's not threatened, and I'm so thankful for that."

Vail added it's important not to compare the two men.

"I found Tom, who is totally different than Dimitri, but I felt his soul was exactly what I needed," she said. "I couldn't have asked for better."

While her children are still young, Vail admits she hasn't found the words to explain her loss.

"I've tried," she said. "Jack has visited Dimitri's grave. And I'll continue to try as they get older. I want them to know about him, about our story ---- he deserves that."

Vail left active-duty service in 2014 and has since shifted her focus to family and her lifestyle blog, Stripes and Whimsy, which she started in 2013.

"I was two years removed from Dimitri's death," Vail said. "I was working at the Pentagon and wanted a creative outlet. I'd always been interested in decorating, and clothing and writing was therapy for me."

She's built a community of more than 15,000 on Instagram, sharing decorating projects, fashion ideas, her love of running and more.

"I will say after losing Dimitri, after losing a spouse, I grew in a way," she said. "I grew in my confidence. Knowing I could get through something so devastating, it gave me the courage to pursue some things I'd always wanted to try."

Follow Vail on Instagram @stripesandwhimsy.

Read the original article on MilitaryFamilies.com.

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How to use the mindat.org media viewer

Click/touch this help panel to close it.

Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image)

Controls - all media types

Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device.

Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen.

< and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys.

< and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys.

> in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys.

? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key.

Other keyboard shortcuts:

1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons

Scalebar

If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular.

Controls - Video

Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key.

Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation)

Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys.

The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types.

The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control.

Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images

If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways:

- without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method

- with stereoscope

- with anaglyph glasses.

- on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system)

For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D

To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them.

Controls - photo comparison mode

If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu.

Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder.

Summary of all keyboard shortcuts
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2MT Marconi Hut reimagined for centenary Artist Sian Fan is collaborating with Chelmsford Museum to create Forecast22  Birth of British Broadcasting, an immersive digital model of the Marconi Writtle Hut, where groundbreaking 2MT radio broadcasts started on February 14, 1922



Interdisciplinary artist Sian will scan the Writtle Hut using Lidar technology to create a virtual 3D version of the building and its contents, including a replica of the 2MT transmitter and the piano used in the original 1922 broadcasts. The immersive, interactive model will blend historic content from museum curators with present day performances and contributions from the Chelmsford community, producing a new interpretation of this famous space.



Read the full story at

https://citylife.chelmsford.gov.uk/2022/02/14/groundbreaking-writtle-hut-reimagined-for-bbc-centenary/

Chelmsford radio amateurs operated "GB100 2MT" to commemorate the centenary

http://g0mwt.org.uk/events/gb1002mt-writtle/index.htm



https://www.essexham.co.uk/2mt-centenary.html Essex Ham operated GB2MTC from the East Essex Hackspace
16.02.2022 LISTEN

Mr Francis Everlove Tay, the Chief Executive Officer of online television station, Evelove TV, has supported a physically challenged 11-year-old class one girl of Tegbi Evangelical Presbyterian basic school in the Anloga district of the Volta region with crutches on Monday, February 14, 2022.

The crutches will aid her to walk to and fro school as well as in the community.

According to Mr Tay, the pupil was spotted by his team some months ago with the walking difficulties.

He disclosed to ModernGhana News that, the gesture was to show love and care to the girl on the Valentine's day.

Mr Tay said they are working to put things together to extend help to physically challenged persons in other districts and beyond.

Mr Seth Goka and Madam Atsufui Bakah, who are the parents of the girl thanked Mr Tay for his kindness.

"We thanked you very much for your gesture toward our child who is physically challenged, may God bless you," they added.

Madam Zita Eyram Kofi, the child's teacher also thanked Mr Tay for his support.

She stated that, due to the physical nature of the child, she feels isolated during break times while others mingled, interact with each other playing outside the classroom.

She added that she will help protect the child and the crutches.

Madam Asiwome Kofi Kumah, the headmistress of Tegbi EP Basic School also mentioned that there are other physically challenged pupils who also need some support from the general public.

"We also have some children who are partially impaired, hearing impairment among others who also need the public supports," she stated.

She appeals to the general public to help children who are physically challenged in any way possible.

She debunked the perception that being physically challenged is a curse.

"Being physically challenged is not a curse from God. God has His own ways of doing wonders and we should not look down on such people with such conditions," she emphasised.

She also urged physically challenged people to be hardworking and stick to their goals in life.

She challenged them to work towards their aims and goals and should not let anyone shut their dreams for them.
France's top court on Tuesday confirmed that a probe should be closed into the shooting down of a presidential plane that triggered the 1994 Rwanda genocide, ending a two-decade legal saga.

The Court of Cassation rejected the appeal by families of people killed in the missile attack on president Juvenal Habyarimana's aircraft on April 6, 1994.

They had asked judges to reverse a lower court's decision to abandon the case against people close to current President Paul Kagame.

Relations between Paris and Kigali had long been strained by the probe and its associated arrest warrants.

"The investigation was complete and sufficient charges did not exist against anyone for committing the alleged crimes, nor any other infraction," the Court of Cassation found.

The Falcon 50 plane was carrying Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira from a summit in Tanzania, where they had been discussing the crisis in the two countries and continuing negotiations with Kagame, then leader of the mostly Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR).

Its downing is widely seen as the spark that ignited the genocide in which more than 800,000 people are believed to have died -- most from the Tutsi minority at the hands of Hutus.

Rwanda's representative at the UN said at the time that the plane was shot down by "enemies of the peace," while the defence ministry said "unidentified elements" were responsible.

Relatives of the French flight crew turned to the courts in 1998.

French investigators long suspected that Kagame's rebels fired on the flight as it landed in the Rwandan capital.

Timeline with maps of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.. By Paz PIZARRO, Alain BOMMENEL AFP

Later they chased up the theory that Hutu extremists unsatisfied with the moderate Habyarimana were behind the attack, with no more success.

But a French expert report found in 2012 that the plane was hit by missiles fired from a camp occupied by Habyarimana's own presidential guard.

Defending their dropping the case in December 2018, the investigating magistrates said there was a "lack of indisputable material evidence," and this left the charges resting on witness accounts that were "mostly contradictory or impossible to verify."

They also underlined the "detrimental atmosphere" around the case, including killings, disappearances of witnesses and manipulation of testimony.
The Africa Centre for Women in Politics (ACWP), has expressed concern over what it terms as vitriolic attacks against the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya Constituency and Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Adwoa Safo.

The group in a statement stated that the comments made against the MP over her continuous absence in Parliament are in bad taste and attempt to drag her name into disrepute.

We have observed with deep concern the recent vitriolic attacks on Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya Constituency and Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.

We view this development as a well-calculated attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. It is nothing but a well-calculated attempt by the two male MPs and the male editor/pollster to make Hon. Adwoa Safo look bad in the eyes of the public, her constituents, and especially members of the NPP, the groups statement read in parts.

ACWP cited utterances by a Member of Parliament for New Juaben South and a Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Michael Kofi Okyere Baafi, and Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central constituency who have said their colleague MP is sabotaging the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP)

It also expressed disappointment in Mr. Ben Ephson, editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper and pollster, advocating for the partys dismissal of Sarah Adwoa Safo.

It is the view of the Centre that these attacks from her colleague MPs are unjustified, unwarranted, mischievous, and most unfortunate. We are aware that the many male MPs absent themselves from Parliament for similar periods without such calls for them to be sacked. It is our considered view that this is the time Hon. Adwoa Safo deserves the support of her colleagues in Parliament and for that matter the leadership of the NPP to go through these difficult times as a nursing mother.

It is therefore difficult for us to come to terms with the recent attacks on Hon. Adwoa Safo. We are of the view that Hon. Adwoa Safo is being persecuted because she is a woman. These persecutions are happening at a time when she is going through difficulties for which she requires the support of all of us and in particular her party leadership.

We are therefore calling on all Ghanaians especially Queen Mothers, Women Groups, gender advocates, and market women to rise to the defense of one of our own. This is the time to show solidarity to a fellow woman who deserves our support. We cannot leave her to fight this battle alone. A threat to a fellow woman in politics is a threat to all women, it added.

Background

Sarah Adwoa Safo had been absent from Parliament for a while following an extension of her leave which was granted by the President.

She had become the subject of public debate some months ago following allegations that she was impersonated during Parliamentary proceedings on November 30, 2021, because the Majority side needed the numbers at all cost to approve the government's 2022 budget, which they did despite the disapproval by the minority side.

The controversy was deepened by the fact that videos and photos of a woman believed not to be the Dome Kwabenya MP from the proceedings in Parliament went viral on social media.

In the video, the woman was seen wearing a nose mask, leaving the chamber right after the headcount which led to the approval of the budget statement.

Meanwhile, Madam Adwoa Safo has been away from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry as well, after President Akufo-Addo directed the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, to temporarily serve as caretaker Minister in October 2021.

---citinewsroom
A United Nations (UN) Eminent Peace Ambassador and the Country Director for International Association of World Peace Advocates, Ghana Chapter, Dr Samuel Owusu has warned that the intolerance of free speech of citizens by government can mar the peace of Ghana if care is not taken.

That, he said can also affect Ghanas position on the Global Peace Index next year.

His comments come after some persons in the country were arrested for speaking against the sitting government and the President.

The Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mr Mensah Thompson was arrested last week after claiming that the relatives of the President Akufo-Addo used the Presidential Jet for shopping in London during the Christmas holidays.

Recently, Mr Kwabena Bobbie Ansah of Accra FM was also arrested in connection with an alleged case of publication of false news and offensive conduct about the First and Second Lady.

In a latest development, the Fix The Country Convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor who was arrested recently has also been charged with treason felony and denied bail, following a social media post in which he sought to create the impression of staging a coup if the E-Levy is passed.

In an interview, Ambassador Dr Samuel Owusu urged the government to adopt ways to address issues against persons who incite violence without going against their freedom of speech.

The way intolerance is emerging in the country and the way the police or the government is talking about some people against their free speech and human rights can disturb the peace in Ghana and Ghanas position on the Global Peace Index next year.

He continued, The whole world is watching and so I will plead that there are many options that the police, soldiers or the government as a whole can use to control persons who say things that can incite violence, but the way we are doing it can bring a lot of issues so the government should take note."
16.02.2022 LISTEN

An astute member of the movie industry in Ghana and Programmes Director of Nhyira FM in Kumasi, Okukuseku has expressed his disappointment in the Members of Parliament in Ashanti Region concerning the ongoing debate on the siting of the 'Film Village' in Ghana.

According to Okukuseku, the MPs should have been quick in pushing for the siting of the Film Village in the Ashanti Region rather than sitting unconcerned.

"I'm highly disappointed in MPs in Ashanti Region. Everybody knows how Kumawood is doing well in making good movies. Those MPs even buy our movies. It shouldn't have even come out for people to debate about where to site the Film Village. The Ashanti MPs should have been quick, long ago. Meanwhile, they need the endorsement of some of us during their campaigns in political season."

A cross section of movie personalities led by Nana Ama McBrown in some months ago presented a petition to government requesting that the proposed Film Village should be sited in Ashanti Region since the movie industry has a strong root in the region.

There has been rumours in the news that the government is planning of siting the Film Village in the Eastern Region, the home region of the President of Ghana.

Even though government has not given any statement and indications, a lot of Ghanaians who love local movies seems not to buy the idea of citing a Film Village in the Eastern Region.
15.02.2022 LISTEN

In the efforts to demonstrate leadership and influence in Africa, Uganda has assumed the mantle to mobilize African leaders in taking practical steps towards averting further military incursions that have so far witnessed three successful takeovers in Africa within the past 18 months and the wave still rages. Before the recent mini-summit of African leaders in the Republic of Congo, Kampala had been networking to reach out to a number of African leaders, proposing this kind of forum in which to thoroughly address this issue.

The meeting in Congo

Three leadersMr Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo Republic, Mr Faura Gnassingbe of Togo and Mr Felix Tshisekedi of Democratic Republic of Congo, beside president Museveni attended the summit in the quiet Oyo town of the Congo Republic on February 13. Most of them, save that of DRC, are products of military takeovers against the governments they inherited. They discussed the security implications of military coup detats. They also touched on security situations in other regions of Africa including the Sahel, Great Lakes Region, Central Africa and West Africa. In West Africa three governmentsin Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso have successfully fallen to their respective militaries. In East and Central Africa, the attempt in the vast DRC against president Tshisekedi simply backpedaled on February 5.

Kampalas experience

Uganda has a tested and proven ability to thwart attempted military coups but, in equal measure, enjoys a rich history of military takeoverswith a regional record of seven previous changesall military aided. Lately, Uganda demonstrated the capability of averting a military takeover in South Sudan where a splinter army faction, the SPLA-IO of Dr Riek Machar nearly overthrew President Salva Kiir in 2013 but the Ugandan army responded swiftly to foil the mission. President Museveni has recently revealed his disappointment with fellow African leaders when they slowed on his call for a continental armed protection of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. His son, commander of Land Forces, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has lately been threatening to intervene in West Africa to protect the governments threatened by their own armies. He says he is only delayed by the order from the Commander-in-Chief to proceed. The Ugandan military is currently providing VIP protection to a number of African leaders including Somalia and Equatorial Guinea.

Impacts of coups detats

They have generated enormous panic among a number of African leaders as the surge takes a contagious dimension. It has thrown various leaders into a state of uncertainty as they are not sure of the next victim. This is going to erode their focus from national priorities to individual survival, effectively impacting domestic and international engagements. Therefore, the measure beingpromoted by Uganda is timely. The question, however, is to what extent can it go to stop the rage? Yet along the way, are thorns such as:

The non-intervention rule: A principle of international law that restricts the ability of outside nations to interfere with the internal affairs of another nation. Fears are that if a new precedent of direct interference gets established, its broader effects might become unbearably worse than the problem sought to solve. It is upon this basis that not only African leaders have habitually been slow at responding to Ugandan calls but also international bodies of AU and UN levels.

New wine in an old bottle: Most of the current African leaders are initially beneficiaries of military takeovers; their moral stand against the practice today sounds questionable to scholars.

Popular attitudes: If the masses in the affected countries have welcomed the changes, it then becomes contradictory to impose against them a leadership deemed short of representing their aspirations.

The elusive consensus: As experienced on Gadaffi, to generate a continental consensus is a huge challenge because whereas not all countries face similar governance issues, some are unbothered, sensing no threat at all. Most sleepless nations are those rife with question marks over democratic practices, flawed elections, human rights records, arbitrary killings and arrests, disappearances, corruption, ineffective judiciary, rampant youth unemployment, etcetera.

What to do

The militaries dont antagonize popular governments. They exploit unpopular situations. Kampalas drive will, therefore, gain instant regional and international legitimacy with success if its accompanied with messages encouraging prone African leaders towards fixing governance weaknesses. It is such gaps that coup soldiers exploit to the delight of citizens.

Swaib K Nserko

Department of Mass Communication, Islamic University in Uganda
The prosecution in the case involving Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and two others is to file an outstanding witness statement by February 12.

This was after, the State was unable to file some disclosures on the directives of the Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe.

It was in open court that the State served other parties, the disclosures they filed earlier.

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Yvonne Attakora-Obuobisa told the Court that the reason why the disclosures were not filed, and service not done was, they had some difficulties with two of the members, who had to sign but were out of the jurisdiction.

When the case was called, Dr Forson and Dr Sylvester Anemana, were present while Mr Richard Dzapka was absent. This forced the Judge to issue a bench warrant for his arrest, but that decision was revoked later.

Earlier, accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against them.

Dr Forson, a former Deputy Minister of Finance was granted a self-recognisance bail of GH3 million for allegedly willfully causing financial loss of 2,370,000 euros to the State.

He is also facing an additional charge of Intentionally misapplying public property contrary to section 1 (2) of the Public Property Protection Act, 1977 (SMCD 140).

Dr Anemana, a Former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health was also granted, a bail of one million Ghana Cedis with three sureties one of whom shall be a public servant not below the rank of a director.

While Mr Dzakpa, a Businessman, was also granted bail of five million Ghana Cedis with three sureties one of whom must be justified with documents of landed property.

The Judge, commenting on the inability of the prosecution to file the disclosure on time said, l hope that this will not cast shadows of greater things to come during the trial.

She said she was not excited about the current happenings and expected that everyone should have their expectations for the trial.

Before the case was adjourned, the Judge cautioned Mr Dzakpa, saying you need to endeavour to be in Court always, because there is a difference when you are involved in a criminal matter and when you are in a civil matter.

The case was adjourned for the Case Management conference on March 1, 2022.

GNA
I may be forced to file an official report to all the international associations AngloGold Ashanti is a member of and a signatory to if they decide to continue with their decision to illegally per their standards take off the water supply from the Wawasi and Creek communities.

These said communities had their own source of water which was destroyed by the activities of mining companies. Through a bilateral agreement, the company promised to provide the communities with water. This development later changed for Ghana water company to supply the water so the mining company pays. Interestingly Ghana water cut off the supply reporting the refusal of the mine to fulfill its part in the form of payment some months ago.

To set the records straight, these communities were present before the mining company decided to erect buildings for their employees. So any faulty decision taken by the mining company affects the community members.

It is also for a fact that the mining activities have polluted the lands of these areas rendering them incapable to drill well for water supply. First most areas of the land the communities fall within can possibly cave in if wells are drilled since this land is enclosed with two Shafts; the Eaton Turner Shaft (ETS) and the Adansi Shaft. Second the water from land are polluted with massive filth and traces of dangerous chemicals, a typical example is the drill the Obuasi East assembly made at the durbar grounds Wawasi area which is currently not in use due to the polluted water it yields.

The AngloGold Ashanti company has the responsibility in their conduct codes to provide such amenities to communities their activities have destroyed and we expect the company to relegate all pride and provide what is deserving to the named communities. I'm also calling on the District Chief Executive of the Obuasi East district, Madam Faustina Amissah who represents the president at the local level to ensure this illicit treatment by the mine towards the communities comes to an end. My advice to her is, madam your silence on this issue is too loud.

End.

Supremo Mensa

NDC COMMUNICATION MEMBER

YOUTH ACTIVIST
The Executive Director of the National Labour Commission (NLC) , Ofosu Asamoah, says members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) are expected to resume work, following the Accra High Courts decision to grant an interlocutory injunction on their industrial action.

Mr. Asamoah said UTAG members are bound to resume work, as it swore an affidavit to suspend its strike if the court grants an injunction.

In their sworn affidavit, they told the court that if the court upholds our affidavit they will have no option than to return to the classroom, so I do not think they can go back on their word. It is a sworn affidavit before the court said Mr. Asamoah on Eyewitness News.

UTAG has been on strike since January 10, 2022, in demand for better conditions of service.

During proceedings on Tuesday, February 15, the NLC's legal team appealed to the court for an interlocutory injunction against the action by UTAG before the hearing of its substantive case seeking enforcement of its order to UTAG to call off its industrial action.

However lawyer for UTAG, Kwasi Keli-Delataa, objected to the motion and pleaded with the court to deal with the substantive matter before it.

In his ruling, His Lordship Rockson Aboadwe said the negotiations between both parties would not yield the needed results if the strike persists and thus granted the injunction.

The NLC in a statement said the court will give a ruling on the substantive case on February 22, 2022.

The main motion will however be heard in the same court to determine the substance of the matter on 22nd February 2022.

Meanwhile, the National Secretary of UTAG, Dr. Asare Asante- Annor, says UTAG will decide on its next line of action after the court gives a ruling on the substantive case seeking enforcement of the NLCs order to UTAG to call off its industrial action.

There was a directive from the NLC concerning the lecturers going back to the lecture room. The case was heard for the interlocutory injunction today, Tuesday, and then the substantive one will be heard on Tuesday. We would have to wait for the certified order and then we can take our next action.

citinewsroom
It is, thus, of the utmost necessity that countries like Guyana and Ghana find ways of bringing their substantial hydrocarbon resources to production, and quickly too. We must add value to these resources, and not export them in their raw form if we're to transition to the status of developed countries. The effective management of these resources will determine whether we make it or not.

These were the words of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, when he delivered a keynote address at the maiden International Energy Conference and Expo in Georgetown, Guyana, on Tuesday, 15th February 2022.

Whilst bringing these fields to production as quickly as possible, President Akufo-Addo urged that Ghana and Guyana must balance carefully social, economic and environmental benefits of these hydrocarbon resources in a continuously changing world.

No energy project, therefore, no matter how high its return on value, is worth it if the interests of some or majority of the stakeholders are not properly represented, and they are left impoverished and dissatisfied, he added.

Delivering his speech, President Akufo-Addo told the Conference, which was attended by the President of Guyana, President of Suriname, the Prime Minister of Barbados, and the CEO of Exxonmobil, amongst others, that Ghana is, today, touted as a model case in Africa in the management of oil and gas resources.

According to the President, the discovery of oil resources in Ghana, in 2007, offered a unique, historic opportunity the country to leverage its new found oil and gas resources for the development of the Ghanaian economy, and to finance priority domestic investments crucial for diversified growth.

By the Grace of God, many more discoveries have since followed, and Ghana's ability to use these resources for the development of the economy, and for enhancing the welfare of citizens remains robust, he said.

With some resource endowed nations in Africa failing to achieve sustainable development from the exploitation of their natural resources, President Akufo-Addo noted that Ghana has implemented a number of policies and initiatives to change the narrative.

These policies, he explained, are focused on ensuring sustainable growth of the sector through legislative development, employment creation, protection of the environment, revenue and cost management, transparency, diversification of the economy, capacity building, and local content development.

We resolved, soon after our oil discovery, to improve the legal, regulatory, and institutional framework for the efficient management of our oil and gas industry. To demonstrate further our commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability, Ghana set up a Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) to deal with challenges relating to transparency and accountability, with respect to the use of petroleum revenues, he said.

The President continued, Ghana has also signed up to the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiatives (EITI) in relation to oil and gas, which requires that we publish revenues from petroleum resources, and agree to use these resources efficiently for the benefit of the people.

He told the gathering that a major challenge Ghana has been confronted with is how to develop the oil and gas industry with optimal local content and participation, enhance national development, and create jobs.

To this end, President Akufo-Addo noted that Ghana resolved that the involvement of Ghanaians, in the exploitation of oil and gas resources, could be achieved through mandatory local content in all aspects of petroleum activities, hence the adoption of a Local Content and Local Participation Policy in 2010.

We have been relatively successful in creating skilled and internationally competitive domestic suppliers through this law. It is important to note that Ghana's local content law is not about nationalisation of the petroleum sector or a protectionist initiative, but a vehicle for partnering investors to develop domestic capacity that will bring mutual benefits to the investors and the citizens of the country, who own the resources, and, thereby, ensure social harmony and cohesion, he said.
80th anniversary of the Voice of America On February 19 and 20, three special event amateur radio stations will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Voice of America. W3V at VOA headquarters in Washington. W8O at the Bethany Ohio site. W4A at the Greenville NC site. 1400-2200 UTC each day.

https://w4amc.com/2022/01/07/80th-anniversary-of-voa/  Our thanks to Mike Terry for the above information
The Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission (NLC) , Mr Ofosu Asamoah, has welcomed the court order compelling the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to call off their strike action.

The Labour Division of the Accra High Court on Tuesday, February 15 granted an interlocutory injunction application filed against the strike by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) by the NLC.

Speaking to journalists after court proceedings on Tuesday, February 15, lawyer for the UTAG Kwesi Keli-Deletaa said: The motion was seeking to enforce the directive of the [National] Labour Commission, which was filed before the injunction application was filed.

In our view, the main motion which is seeking to enforce the directive of the NLC should have been heard first but the judge thought otherwise and decided that the injunction application should be heard first and the outcome of that application is what you all witnessed in court today, the judge decided to grant the interlocutory injunction application.

Also speaking to journalists after the court ruling, Mr Ofosu Asamoah said When there is strike during negotiation it brings undue influence on the other party as well.

Yes they have been on strike for a long time, we all have known that  I think the court has taken notice that it is enough time to press home their demand.

The NLC had ruled that the strike by UTAG, embarked upon on Monday, January 10, was illegal.

This was after a meeting with the labour unions and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations held on Thursday, January 13.

After the meeting, Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations Bright Wireku Brobbey told journalists that the government was expecting that the unions did the needful.

In the spirit of transparency and very mutual respect for them, they have assured them that whatever allowance is due them because they were captured in the 2022 budget [by] January they are going to be paid, he had said on that day.

Therefore, the Commission has directed that they go and call off the strike immediately.

But UTAG failed to call off the strike, a situation that forced the NLC to go to court to enforce its order.

The court earlier asked the two parties to settle the issue out of its jurisdiction but that did not happen until Tuesday when the injunction application by NLC was granted.

3news.com
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), is appealing to the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to within this week, ensure that enough food is distributed to all schools to avert any shortage.

The President of CHASS, Abubakar Yakub, in an interview with Citi News, indicated that even though the distribution of food has begun in some schools, they are not sufficient to sustain the students throughout their stay for the term.

He said the best approach would be for the government to ensure that the food items are sent in ahead of time and also other resources such as furniture which is lacking in a lot of the Senior High Schools are provided before the reopening of schools in April.

Weve already made them aware that we need to sit and do proper planning and ensure that some of these things go to the schools before school reopens. That way you can do a proper management of the school, otherwise you find a lot of heads engaged in the issue of food when they should rather concentrate on how they can get quality outcomes as far as education at their level is concerned, he said.

Abubakar Yakub further expressed concern that first year students in the various Senior High Schools may not have furniture to use when they report to school. He said desks in classrooms and beds in dormitories are not enough to accommodate the freshmen students.

Some schools cannot even receive form one students if they are not supplied with furniture. Weve made the government aware and beds in various dormitories are in short supply. Previously parents were helping us get these things but with the inception of Free SHS, the burden is on the government to provide all these things.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei-Adutwum, has given assurances that all the resources needed by the schools will be provided before April 4, when the schools resume.

We are coming up with new ways of making sure that they get the resources that they need to run the school well. This year, we are going to give them the list of all the food items they should be receiving so that if the item is not in, they will know and follow-up with the Buffer-Stock Company, he said.

citinewsroom
16.02.2022 LISTEN

Kwame Baffoe popularly known as Abronye DC will be arraigned before the court today after he was arrested and detained by the police yesterday.

Abronye DC was detained by the Accra Regional Command on February 15 when he honored an invitation by the police for accusing former President John Dramani Mahama of planning with Al Qaeda to stage a coup in Ghana.

He was charged with the publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.

While he is expected to face the court today, Hopeson Adorye, member of the NPP communications team believes strongly that Abronye DC shall prove his innocence in the court.

Speaking to Accra based Citi News; Hopeson Adorye stated that, the accused was just reacting to comments made by another person.

The charges that have been levelled against him are unfair. He was minding his business when he was called from a radio station to react to a comment another person had made.

Hopeson Adorye added that, the team was going to prove to the courts that the accused was innocent as he was just minding his business.

How can this pass for misconduct? I am not a law student but I dont think it does. I believe the IGP thought he spoke from the studio, but he did not. We are going to prove this to the IGP tomorrow [Wednesday]. He only said the mindset of Oliver is what Mahama carries. Isnt that the case? Dont they work together? They have the same vision, he stated.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben South, Mr. Michael Okyere Baafi has asked his constituents and Ghanaians, in general, to switch networks if the one they are already subscribed to deducts too much charges on their Mobile Money (MoMo) transactions.

The Parliamentarian on Monday, February 14, 2022, engaged market women and taxi drivers on the e-levy in Koforidua as part of a move to explain the reasons for the levy.

During the engagement, Mr. Michael Okyere Baafi said anyone who feels MTN deducts too much on MoMo transactions should switch to Vodafone when the implementation of the E-Levy commences.

You are the one who pays the levy. So for instance, if you are sending GHS200 to your child at OPASS, you wont pay tax on the first GHS100. So the first hundred cedis is free. The GHS100 left is what you will pay the e-levy on. The one sending is the one who will pay the levy.

Your child who is receiving will not pay anything. The Telecommunication companies in Ghana are many. We have MTN, Vodafone, and Airtel Tigo. For MTN, they charge, Vodafone doesnt charge so if you think MTN is charging too much just migrate to Vodafone. Simple, the New Juaben South MP said as quoted by Star News.

He told market women and drivers that if Ghanaians do not accept the E-Levy, the government may be forced to cancel the free Senior High School programme which will, in turn, affect school children.

If we dont pay the E-levy and we go to the World Bank or the IMF for loans, they will ask Akufo-Addo to cancel the free SHS which will affect your children so you must all accept the E-levy and pay it so it helps all of us, Michael Okyere Baafi noted.

While the Minority in Parliament has remained resolute in its efforts to reject the E-Levy, the government is pushing the Majority side of Parliament to have the levy approved at all cost.
16.02.2022 LISTEN

The Ghana Education Service (GES) will today start the verification process of schools selected by the 2021 BECE candidates through bulk SMS, USSD messaging and online for confirmation and correction of the details of the students.

In a statement released by GES, it said, to ensure a smooth placement, the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) secretariat has made available the choices of the students on these platforms to avoid mistakes and any other problems when school placements come.

According to GES , the new move will ensure that, all errors in name, schools selected and any other will be corrected before the candidates start their exams.

It added that the verification process will take effect from today February 16 till Tuesday February 22, 2022.

The USSD code *899*88# can be used if candidates do not receive a bulk message or they can log on to https://csspsverify.com to verify their details.

GES noted that upon verification, candidates are expected to contact their head teachers if there is any error.

It emphasised that the verification does not allow students to change their schools selected as it is not a new process, however, errors noted can be corrected.
The 2020 presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. John Dramani Mahama has defended the Minoritys clash with the Majority during the brawl in Parliament last year.

The many misunderstandings between the two groups in Parliament in 2021 reached its highest peak in December when Members of Parliament engaged in a fistfight.

Addressing the clergy during a meeting in Accra, former President Jon Dramani Mahama justified the role the Minority played in the brawl arguing that it was a fight to protect the countrys democracy.

If you get the details of our concerns you will understand the view from where we are coming from. I do think this meeting is timely, it is good to hear from all sides.

By the time you have heard what we have to say you will realize that the problem is much deeper than what you think. That is why I have brought some of the MPs. That fight was a fight for democracy, John Dramani Mahama shared.

He continued, there is no way a speaker can sit in the chair, relinquish the chair, let somebody else come and sit and take a vote in something that he has presided over.

It was felt that our MPs should sit timidly and let them pass this unconstitutionality, it wont happen. I am happy that that rowdy scene has woken your consciences that you must intervene because there is a lot that is happening in this country that if we dont intervene it will affect our democracy.

After backlash from Ghanaians following the brawl in Parliament last year, both the Minority and Majority in the house have promised never to engage in such an act again.
Former president, John Dramani Mahama has expressed displeasure at governments posture on the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).

Speaking to members of the clergy in a meeting in Accra, the 2020 presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said the decision to reduce the charge from 1.75% to 1.50% is as if the government is doing negotiations at the Makola market.

Dialogue comes from the ruling party, we are in opposition we have nothing. If the ruling party says come and dialogue of course we will come and sit and dialogue. If you are bringing something like E-levy, why was there no dialogue before you introduce it in parliament?

It is only after introducing it and there is a pushback then you say come and let us dialogue. When you go and set your 1.75 percent and then you bring and you say because there is a pushback, the country is pushing back, the Minority is pushing back then you come and say let us dialogue, then you say, I have reduced it to 1.5, It is like we are negotiating in Makola [Market], John Dramani Mahama has said.

He said the brawl in Parliament in December 2021 on the levy was a fight by the Minority to protect the countrys democracy.

According to John Dramani Mahama, the Akufo-Addo government in the last four years has become autocratic.

E-levy is not the problem. E-levy is the symptom of what has gone on for the last four years, government feels that it can ride over anybody and take decisions and bring anything into parliament, do whatever it like, pass its decisions it wants without dialoguing because we have 169 seats.

So the current 137-137 seats is a withdrawal symptom. So the government has to climb down from its high horse and realize that the people of Ghana have been tired of that tyrannical, dictatorial majority rule that they have, John Dramani Mahama shared.
The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) has said over 10 million doses of the five Covid -19 vaccines have so far been administered to combat the pandemic as at 2nd February 2022.

A statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Mrs Delese A. A. Darko, said the cumulative doses of the five vaccines consist of 6,979,491 doses of Oxford/ AstraZeneca, 1,354,527 of Pfizer, 1,054,371 of Moderna, 883,772 doses of Johnson & Johnson and 17,982 doses of Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccines.

The statement noted that at the Joint Covid-19 Vaccine Safety Review Committee (JCVSRC) 14th meeting held on 3rd February 2022, it reviewed all safety reports received from the vaccinations in the country including those from pregnant women and persons aged 15-17 years old who have recently been included in the vaccinations.

The committee concluded that there were no safety concerns with the vaccinations in the two newly included groups.

Monitoring of all vaccine will continue with the same rigor as the FDA and EPI have done since COVID-19 vaccination started the statement noted.

It further disclosed that the JCVSRC also reviewed cases of appetite loss reported as the side effect following vaccination with Janssen Covid-19 vaccine but concluded that there is no evidence for a causal relationship between the Jansen covid-19 vaccine and appetite loss but recommended continuous monitoring of this event by the FDA.

The statement concluded that the vaccine deployed in Ghana are safe and effective and has, therefore, advised for the continuous use of the vaccines as well as continuous dissemination of information to vaccine recipient on how to report any side effect they may experience.

 Classfmonline.com
Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin on Friday questioned the sincerity of the Minority in Parliament for kicking against the government's proposed tax for electronic transactions popularly known as E-Levy.

He accuses them of always changing the rules on the issue in a way that makes success more difficult.

He particularly derided the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, for bowing to pressure from hardline NDC members to abandon his earlier proposition for the government to reduce the rate from 1.75 to 1% in order to gain their support for the passage of the bill.

Responding to criticisms from the NDC MPs on the floor of Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said Mr. Iddrisu appeared to be too politically weak to defend his stance on the E-Levy and had allowed himself to be manipulated by his party to work against the governments latest measure to tackle revenue shortfall

Haruna's Assertions

The NDC MP for Tamale South had suggested that the Finance Minister was usurping the powers of Parliament by running across the country to undertake sensitisation on the E-Levy at the time the E-Levy Bill was already in the bosom of Parliament.

As far as we are concerned, a bill known as the Electronic Transfer Bill was introduced in this House and referred appropriately to the Finance Committee. My strong view is that even in the search and elucidation of views and inputs, it does not lie in the Minister, Hon Ken Ofori-Atta. It lies with our Finance Committee, he asserted.

He continued, What he ought to do under Article 106 is the explanatory memorandum which accompanies the bill, but [for him to] go around the country in a town-hall [meeting] is not his responsibility.

He is not the Parliament and he is not the Finance Committee of Parliament. There is a bill before this House [which is] appropriately referred to our Finance Committee. If there must be an engagement, the engagement must be the Finance Committee of Parliament.

This after thought or corrective measures of himif we had taken through the certificate of urgency he gave it would he be consulting the public? he quizzed.

The Minority Leader added, Mr. Speaker, we should get it right. Our rules and the constitution impose authority and mandate in our Finance Committee, and not the Minister for Finance. We will not sit down for him to usurp our small power and authority.

Criticism

He again said the Majority was struggling to get the numbers to pass the E-Levy Bill, noting, As to when you bring E-levy, as I have always assured you, we are ready for you. You are struggling and you won't let Ghanaians know that you are struggling.

This is the first time the Majority walked out on their budget. You bring a bill, two months into it and revenue measure is not passed and then you come for withdrawal. You walk back on amendment because you are searching for numbers. That is not even how parliaments are run, he intimated.

Rebuttal

But in a quick rebuttal, the Deputy Majority Leader, who had stood in for the Leader of the House, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in reading the Business Statement, scoffed at acting Mr. Iddrisu for allowing himself to be intimidated into submission by the hawks in the NDC.

This is the same Minority that said the government should engage the people of Ghana. This is the same Minority Leader who said he agrees for 1%.

You were ready for 1% until your hardliners attacked you and you gave up. Your hardliners were all over your neck. You were ready for 1% and what did you do? You couldn't stand on your feet; you ran away. You gave up. Even some of your backbenchers wanted to take your seat by calling for 1%.

Now when the Minister of Finance is engaging Ghanaian people he is again saying that we should not engage them; we shouldn't explain it despite the propaganda around it.

Only yesterday, the Minority Leader's party said they don't like too much tax and said they would not introduce E-Levy but should they come to power they would introduce different forms of taxation, he stated.

Inconsistencies

Where do you stand? These consistent inconsistencies are unfair to the Minister of Finance. The submissions by the Minority Leader, with the greatest respect, cannot be fair to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Afenyo-Markin submitted.

He explained that the Minister was not doing that on behalf of Parliament, and Mr. Ofori-Atta and his team were going rounds to educate Ghanaians on the government policy.

He is saying two things  the roads are bad, and we want to fix the road and we know our revenue sources are not sufficient. We have identified some areas that are hanging fruits and we want to tap into, and that is why we are introducing E-Levy, he posited.

The Deputy Majority Leader said, We took a cue from what you said and that the reasons for the amendment are as a result of the listening posture of the government.

The contention that the Finance Minister is usurping the powers of Parliament is never true. He is explaining government policy. He is telling Ghanaians that the E-Levy will be used for road works, and also to support the entrepreneurial drive of our young graduates.

That is what the Minister of Finance is telling Ghanaians. There was a lot of misunderstanding and confusion, he said.

E-Levy Withdrawal

On the issue of whether the Minister will withdraw the current bill and replace it with an amended version, Afenyo-Markin indicated that both ways were the same.

If you bring a bill and you are of the view that you should withdraw wholly and introduce a new bill, it is within your right. You, the one introducing it, can do that.

However, if you think you can only amend and proceed, the rules again allow us. So I don't see how we got it wrong on that, he intimated.

Daily Guide
Former Ghana President, John Agyekum Kufuor has advised Ghanaians not to hail coup plotters.

Speaking to the VOA in an interview, the revered Ghanaian leader stressed that a coup is not an experience he will recommend for any generation.

He said people who intend to stage coups should not be hailed because, in the long run, they may not only be incompetent, but they will end up destroying the lives of the people.

I wouldnt advise anybody to hail a coup detat. It comes from faceless people you dont know, who havent given anything to keep for you or to manage for you, and they may not even be competent enough to do anything, ex-President JA Kufuor said while adding, And if they come, they use an opportunity and come to impose themselves on you and destroy your life. Is this what anybody should want?"

Amid the several coups in the West African region in recent times, JA Kufuor has admonished heads of states to go by their oath to their people.

He said heads of states that want to serve for longer terms should use the Constitutions of their countries to negotiate same.

try to live by your oath to the people because it is the underpinning of good governance.

If you think the period is too short, use the constitutional means to convince the people to amend constitution or reform constitution to lengthen tenure a bit but please dont play smart and on the eve when you should be stepping down, you say theres a third term. You do that and you push people into feeling they too can take things into their own hands and do what they mustnt do, the ex-Ghana President shared.
Digital SSTV transmissions from the ISS ARISS Europe and ARISS USA teams plan to perform special SSTV Experiments on February 20 using a new SSTV digital coding scheme. The downlink from the International Space Station will be 437.800 MHz FM



AMSAT-ON report:



The first experiment in the series will utilize ARISS approved ground stations in Europe that will transmit these digital SSTV signals. These will be available for all in the ISS footprint when SSTV transmissions occur.



We kindly request that the amateur radio community refrain from the use of the voice repeater during this ARISS-SSTV experiment on February 20, 2022, over Europe.



The first SSTV experiment is planned for February 20, 2022, between 05:12 UTC and 11:51 UTC for five ISS passes over Europe. Please be aware that this event depends on ARISS IORS radio availabilities and ISS crew support, so last-minute changes may occur.



Full details at

https://www.amsat-on.be/ARISS-SSTV%20Experiments/
The Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament has summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, to appear before it to answer questions relating to the GhanaCard as e-passport.

A member of the Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed.

She is expected to appear before the Committee on Thursday February 16 at 10AM, Mr Ablakwa said.

Mr Ablakwa who is lawmaker for North Tongu said emerging issues surrounding the GhanCard, especially when the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) described as incorrect media reports that it had agreed that the card is equivalent to an electronic passport, are embarrassing to the country for which the Minister has been asked to appear before the committee.

Speaking on the New Day show on TV3 with Johnnie Hughes on Wednesday February 17, he said The foreign Affairs Committee has written to the the Foreign Minister to appear before us tomorrow Thursday at 10AM and explain to us what is going on.

We are worried about the image ofour country. ICAO statement is embarrassing, to say that what the Vice President is saying is incorrect . They say that it is not even for them to determine, it takes bilateral agreements to decide and ICAO is right because we have been approving these bilateral agreements, they come before us.

The Spokesperson of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia , Dr Gideon Boako, had in reaction to the ICAO statement insisted that the certification ceremony at the Montreal by the ICAO to have Ghana's National Identity card, the Ghana Card, captured in the Organization's PKD was the final step to accept the card as a travelling document.

It clarified that that decision can only be made by Ghana's government as it is the sovereign right of each individual state to decide upon its entry and exit requirements and the documents that need to be presented by those travelling to and/or from its territory.

In a Twitter thread on Friday, February 11, the United Nations specialized agency for civil aviation emphasized that it is not its role to certify the use of a member's ID card for international travel in place of a passport.

Any decision to accept such alternative travel identity document is made by the receiving state itself.

But In a post to respond to a tweet by ICAO, which had suggested that it does not determine for a member state which travelling document it accepts , Dr Boako stated that any holder of the Ghana Card can board a flight anywhere in the world into the country, just as with the normal passport.

Meanwhile the Management of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has written to all airports and airlines to allow persons holding valid GhanaCard to board flights to Ghana without the need for visa.

A statement issued by the GACL on Saturday February 12 said Following a key ceremony at the Headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal ,Canada on 9th February 2022 Ghana's National Identity Card (GhanaCard) is now duly recognized globally as a valid ID card passport, a Machine Readable Travel Document that can be read and verified by the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD) at most airports.

 Ghana Airports Company Limited announces to all airports and airlines that holders of a valid Ghana card should be allowed to board flights to Ghana without the need for a visa.

3news.com
The Minority in Parliament has asked the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben South Constituency in the Eastern Region to stop throwing dust into eyes of Ghanaians with his comments on E-Levy outside the floor of Parliament.

According to the NDC, the best place for an MP to show his or her debating skills is the floor and not the marketplace.

The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim reprimanded the NPP MP who is also a Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi, on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on Accra 100.5 FM Tuesday, February 15, 2022.

The NDC MP for Banda Constituency in the Bono East Region was reacting to a statement by the Deputy Trade Minister at a marketplace in the Koforidua municipality of the Eastern Region during an outreach programme on the E-levy that the NDC MPs support the controversial E-Levy.

He explained that if the NPP MP feels good at speaking to convince the electorate, he should bring it to the floor of Parliament.

The Deputy Minister should endeavour to bring these skills to the floor or hes shying away from the floor because it is not a place for lying, he queried.

He questioned why the NPP delegates in the first place voted Mr. Michael Okyere Baafi as their representative.

He added that the people of New Juaben South have sold their fat cow for a goat by voting for Mr. Okyere Baafi.

He added that Mr. Okyere Baafi comes nowhere near the former MP, Dr. Mark Osei Assibey when it comes to parliamentary duties.

According to him, unlike Dr. Assibey, Mr. Okyere Baafi has not contributed to a single debate on the floor since he became the MP for the area.

Classfmonline.com
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for La-Dadekotopon Constituency, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah has taken the Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu to the cleanest for saying contractors are on-site at the La-General Hospital project.

I visit the area every day and I can say that nothing is ongoing in the area as claimed by the Health Minister, she said.

According to the NDC MP, the sector minister must be sacked for lying about the abandoned La-General Hospital project.

Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah negated the claims by the sector Minister at the Meet-the-Press series held at the Ministry of Information's conference room last week that contractors were on-site working for the construction of the ultra-modern La-General Hospital.

The MP was speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM hosted by Kwame Obeng Sarkodie Wednesday, February 16, 2022.

She said the sector Minister has lied to the people of La.

I hope president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is listening to the lies told by the Minister over the construction of the project, she maintained.

She argued that the project has been abandoned.

It is time for the president to call the sector Minister to order for lying to the people about the project, she stressed.

She said since August 2020 when the old structure of the hospital was pulled down with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cutting -the -sod for works to begin on the ultra-modern structure, the site has been left to gather weeds.

Ive not been able to sleep over the La-General hospital because the lack of the hospital is causing so much discomfort for the people of the area, she lamented

 Classfmonline.com
16.02.2022 LISTEN

Mr Godson Bill Ocloo, a security analyst who doubled as a crisis and management professional has condemned the threat by Lawyer Oliver Baka Vormawor to stage a coup should the controversial E-Levy bill be passed by Parliament.

According to Mr Ocloo, the comments from Mr Vormawor was unfortunate and should not be encouraged by any citizen since the country has tasted the bitterness of a military regime.

Mr Ocloo indicated that, though the comment from lawyer Barker Vormawor was undemocratic, President Nana Addo Dankwa led NPP government must listen to the people regarding the controversial E-levy.

"Yes, many are against this E-Levy bill and they keep on demonstrating this over and over. Why can't government listen their people and withdraw this?" Mr Bill Ocloo said this in a phone-in interview with Evans Worlanyo Ameamu on Keta based Jubilee radio during their major news at 5 on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 monitored by ModernGhana news.

He continued, "l don't believe coup can be stage by one person, for that matter Mr Vormawor."

According to him, many Ghanaians are psychologically traumatized while others seem to lost hope in the ruling government since they felt their messages and grievances always fall on deaf ears.

He noted that the coup plots in countries such as Guinea, Burkina Faso among others recently was heartbreaking and warning for African leaders to sit up to avoid such happenings.

He continued that,"Ghana is not different and unique than other African countries who have already recorded coups and if governance continues this way, the unfortunate may happened".

He added that the arrest of some journalists was unfortunate but advised all journalists to fact check their stories before putting them across.

Mr Bill Ocloo further advise Ghanaians to desist from comments which may put the country's peace into jeopardy and cause fear and panic in others.
Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, Minister for Works and Housing has announced that government has begun moves to recommence work on the affordable housing projects in Tamale to provide accommodation for the people.

The State Housing Company Limited had taken charge of the project to assess the housing structures and take inventory of the land allocated for the project to allow for full construction works to begin.

Mr Asenso-Boakye announced this when he visited the project site at Wamale, a community in Tamale, as part of his two-day working visit to the Northern Region to take stock of the Ministry's assets and liabilities.

The Tamale affordable housing project started during former President John Kufuor's era but was abandoned after he left office.

At the project site, there were about three structures (storey buildings) at various stages of construction, which remained abandoned since 2009.

The State Housing Company Limited recently took charge of the project as part of government's moves to recommence construction works on it, and its initial assessment showed that the plot of land allocated for the project had been encroached upon.

The Ghana News Agency understands that the plot of land allocated for the project was 261 acres, but the State Housing Company Limited's assessment had shown that it was now left with only about 94 acres.

Mr Asenso-Boakye said, I know the people of this region are looking forward to this government continuing with this project and we will do everything possible to make sure that this project commences, and will be completed.

He spoke about the encroachment on the land and mentioned that I am calling on the leadership of the region, both traditional rulers and the political leaders to help government to stop the encroachment so that we can use the land for the purpose it was acquired.

He said to ensure that the housing units were affordable, government was now working with the private sector to develop affordable housing projects where Government is subsidising up to 20 per cent of the whole construction cost to make it truly affordable for the people.

He added that Government is also working with banks so that the individuals, who are on payrolls whether in private sector or public sector, can actually buy these homes using their salaries as mortgage so that they can pay over a period of time.

Meanwhile, Mr Asenso-Boakye also visited the Sakasaka Estate, Choggu Low-Cost Estate, the housing unit for personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service, and major drains at Kalariga, Vittin, Koblimahagu and Gurugu in the Tamale Metropolis and Sagnarigu Municipality.

He spoke about efforts to prevent floods in the Tamale and Sagnarigu assemblies saying, the ongoing moves to establish the Ghana Hydrological Authority would help to tackle drainage issues in the country.

Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister was hopeful that his sanitation campaign in the region would ensure that the drains were desilted to improve drainage especially during the rainy season.

Alhaji Saibu, therefore, called on residents to take the sanitation campaign seriously by cleaning their environment and properly disposing refuse to stop silting of the drains.

GNA
Dr Amadou Diouf, Chief, Sub-Regional Initiatives Section, Economic Commission for Africa Sub-Regional Office for West Africa (ECA/SRO-WA), has called for the need for the sub-regional bloc to tackle challenges associated with manufacturing, services, industry and agriculture.

He said low structural transformation and economic diversification was a sustainable development challenge in West Africa in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Diouf making presentations on the Socio-economic situation in West Africa and the medium and long-term perspectives in a conference for journalists in Lome, Togo said the export of resources in their raw state by West African countries was worrying.

The two-day Conference, Conversation with Members of the West African Economic Journalists Network is themed: Achievements by the ECA/SRO-WA in 2021 and Outlook for 2022-2023.

Dr Diouf noted that vast and increasing financing needs by countries in the subregion was also a challenge with the fiscal deficit deteriorating in West Africa to 6.8 per cent in 2020 against 4.4 per cent in 2019.

The deficit widened in all the countries except Liberia due to the limited resources collected and the increase in spending on health and economic responses to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He said the level of public debt remained relatively high in the region, considerably reducing the margins for manoeuvre for socio-economic investments.

Dr Diouf noted that the risk of external debt distress was high in five West African countries with high debt-to-GDP ratio such as Cabo Verde (137.6 per cent), Ghana (81.5 per cent), Guinea-Bissau (78.1 per cent), The Gambia (73.9 per cent) and Sierra Leone (70.4 per cent).

He noted that Africa had lowest resource mobilization coupled with tax evasion and corruption which must be tackled to ensure growth while suggesting that countries could widened tax payment which would cover other income earners who made revenues yet not taxed directly.

He noted that the population in West Africa had one of the fastest growth rates in the world (2.6 per cent), doubling every 27 years while the region population was estimated to reach 412 million in 2021, accounting for 5.2 percent of world population and 30.0 percent of Africas population.

He said there must be policies to address the low economic diversification and structural transformation adding that to this regard, the benefit of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and digitalization should be better harnessed.

Dr Diouf said West African countries should address several governance deficits that have contributed to instability and conflict in the region, ranging from issues of state authority and capabilities, the consolidation of democracy, transparency and accountability, social exclusion and human rights violations through policies.

Solutions to address the peace and security challenges should be built collectively through inclusive dialogue.

Dr Diouf also called for enhanced domestic resource mobilisation and reinforced call for more debt relief and initiatives to facilitate access to more liquidity for Africa as well as policies to address the population dynamics with West African countries accelerating investment in health and education to unleash the potential of its human capital.

Ms. Ngone Diop, Director of the ECA/SRO-WA, said the meeting was part of the implementation of the SRO-WA/ECA's communication and knowledge management strategy of organising policy dialogues and Conversations... to better engage its key partners such as policy makers and other development actors.

She said the series of policy dialogue and Conversation... were also organised in response to the strong recommendation of the 24th Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts of West Africa held from November 10-11, 2021 in Banjul, The Gambia, for better dissemination of the results of the SRO-WA/ECA.

The Director said the meeting was important because it consisted in informing the members of the West African Economic Journalists Network on the work of the ECA Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, its tools of intervention and support to the countries, the Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) and to emphasize the very important role of West African journalists in the achievement of the results of their Office.

It will also be an opportunity to discuss with the media upcoming ECA flagship events such as the 54th Session of the Commission and Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development scheduled for March 2022 under the theme: "Financing Africa's Recovery: A New Beginning."
On the 11th of December 2021, the Peruvian Ambassador to Ghana visited the Soul Clinic International School.

The well-publicized visit seems to have sparked diplomatic interest surrounding the school, as on the 8th of February 2022 H.E - Kenyan Ambassador to Ghana also paid a courtesy call on the school.

The visit was another opportunity for cultural exchange, as students of the school put on beautiful displays that brought the beauty of Ghanaian and Kenyan history and traditions to the foreground.

In addition to a sign that read, "Karibu, shuleni kwetu" which translates in Swahili to "Welcome to our school", students of the International School read poems and citations in Swahili and English that highlighted the significance of Ghana and Kenya's sisterhood.

Welcoming the Ambassador was a banner that had the school's name translated into Swahili. According to the diplomat, this made him feel at home and even assume the school was of Eastern African origins.

Speaking to the pupils and students, H.E Mugendi Barine exhorted the future leaders on the importance of finding themselves in an awe-inspiring educational institution and the need to take advantage of the benefits in the quest to better our world. He insisted that they must be the change they seek to see.

During a question and answer session, the pupils and students asked questions about the Kenyan economy, origins of the Kenyan flag and the difference between Ghana and Kenya, amongst others. Answering the question about the differences between Ghana and Kenya, the Ambassador explained that the only variations are artificial borders. He asked pupils and students to see themselves as a united global front.

At the time of his departure, he was presented with a uniquely made Kente clothe and the banner bearing the school's name in Swahili. Explaining the rationale behind the gift, reps of the school stated that the items were significantly intended to ensure that the diplomat takes away a piece of his beautiful experience.

The Ambassador expressed his utmost gratitude and reaffirmed his commitment to the sisterhood between Ghana and Kenya, before he was mugged by pupils for his autograph.
Ghana Police has extended an official invitation to the host of political talk show on Hot 93.9FM, 'Dwene Ho Bio' Agya Wusu to report himself for questioning.

It would be recalled that on Monday, February 14,2022, the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC alleged in an interview on the 'Dwene Ho Bio " show that former President John Dramani Mahama has connived with Al Qaeda Militants to stage a coup in Ghana.

The police invited Abronye DC to report to the Accra Regional Police Command by 4 on Tuesday where he was arrested and detained.

The NPP stalwart has been charged on two counts of publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace.

The Hot FM radio presenter who happens to be the one who interviewed Abronye DC has then been invited by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police.

In a letter signed by the Regional Crime/AR Joseph Oppong (C/Supt), the police pleaded with the Management of Hot FM to release Agya Wusu in order to report at the Regional CID on Wednesday with a copy of the tape to assist.
MOGADISHU; SOMALIA. Relations between Turkey and Somalia have a history dating back to the Ottoman empire. Turkish embassy in Mogadishu was inaugurated in 1979 closed in 1991 due to civil strife and was officially re-opened on 1st November 2011.

A decade has elapsed since Turkish president Recep Tayyib Erdogan in Mogadishu at the height of one of Somalia's worst famines announcing grandiose projects like the launch of Turkish Airlines flights to Somali capital. The remodeling of a hospital and the opening and the opening of the biggest embassy in Africa. All designed to show that Turkey's mission goes well beyond aid and that Ankara is an alternative to Somalia's traditional donors, Erdogan's historic visit earned him high praise throughout Somalia.

Although his trip appeared to be a heartfelt humanitarian mission, in reality it was part of a long-term strategically planned efforts Erdogan had been scouting out Somalia as early as 2007, when he met former president of the transitional federal government Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and asked him to provide a list of what Somali needs. His efforts were counterproductive, however until president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed assumed authority in late 2008. Sharif visited Turkey three times between 2009 and 2011, reluctantly signing a military pact with Turkey, which asked to help Somalia with Security.

There were plethora of pacts signed with Turkey and the deals were opaque and murky and were not approved by the federal parliament of Somalia and therefore it makes null and void.

If Turkey had come to Somalia before 2011, it would have been seen as a foreign occupying forces willing to annex the entire country. Just like the African Union Mission in Somalia. (Amisom) that were deployed in Somalia in early 2007 and there was a pervasive animosity and antagonism among Troops contributing countries in terms of military strategy and chain of command as well as leadership structure.

But in 2011; amid the devastation of one of the worst famine that adversely afflicted the country and was recorded to be the worst famine in the country's history.

Turkish self-proclaimed humanitarian mission was perceived differently. Erdogan's historic visit to Somalia was well- orchestrated and well-timed; it came during a holy month of Ramadan, nine days before the Eid festival, after 250,000 Somalis had starved to death and during an election year when Somalia's donors were scrambling to address a major humanitarian crisis.

Ever since Erdogan declared 2005 the year of Africa, he has pursued every Muslim Majority African country that is ravaged by conflict, locked out by IMF. Starved by man-made climate change and neglected by the west a fragile Somalia checks all the boxes.

A decade on, Somalis are starting to realize that Turkey has evolved from friend to foe, trade partner to trade protectionist, state builder to outright spoiler. Turkey is an opportunist just like any other country and has its own agenda focused on geoeconomics and Geopolitics, instead of facilitating Somalia's development Turkey has used State-sponsored corporations to exploit its assets all as part of development trap cloaked under the guise of religion.

Post-2011 Turkey's humanitarian mission gradually shifted from an emphasis on soft power to a more assertive, politicized state-building efforts involving defacto and dejure exploitation of Somalia's federal government development projects and monopolization of the economy in Mogadishu's Benadir region. Turkish private entities Albayrak Group and Favori LLC were offered lucrative no-bid contracts to run Mogadishu's Port and Airport and protected by Ankara as was documented in 2016 UN monitoring report, these companies have allegedly been engaged in criminal practices ranging from bribery of government ministers to money laundering.

Somali political and economic scholars had polarized the issue of who are the real beneficiaries or which country benefited most in this decade-long partnership. Some said Somalia while others said Turkey it requires to scrutinize deeply and on the other hand there was highly organized ceremony hosted by Turkish embassy in Somalia and was attended by both Somali and Turkish officials and they jointly commemorated the 10th anniversary of the partnership between Turkey and Somalia...

It was August 2011 when the current president of Turkey Recep Tayyab Erdogan made a bold visit to Somalia in Solidarity with the Somali people at the critical time and to show the world that Somali needs attention. Severe drought has affected our country as a whole from the environment to livestock to human. people fled from their homes to Mogadishu in search of the basic needs to survive. In response to that humanitarian catastrophe, Turkish people and their government provided drugs, food, clean water and life-saving medicines to the people who had impacted those humanitarian emergencies. Up till now. Turkey is a major ally to the Somali government politically and contribute to the military, social service, business and infrastructure development..

After a decade of partnership between Somalia and Turkey. The Somali government acknowledged publicly the role of Turkish government and its people in providing development assistance to the Somali government and its people by stating that this longstanding partnership which is dated back to the Ottoman empire will last forever. Taking into account this statement and the influence of Turkey to Somalia commercially. Somali economists would like to open discussion about current trade relations between Turkey and Somalia and if there is a chance that we can promote our resource abroad.

The relations between Turkey and Somalia has a long history that dates back to centuries and the current development cooperation is multi-tiered which includes economic, military, social service and infrastructure partnership. Turkey contributed to the renovation of the economic infrastructure of the capital city such as main roads. The airport and seaport. This has facilitated the daily business operations of the capital city and reduced the time and other uncertainty that involve business management.

From the social service perspective. Turkey has contributed to the refurbishment of Digfeer hospitalwhich has improved the health sector of Somalia and has kept it to the international standards or benchmark in terms of health facility. In-kind expatriates and the quality of the drugs they prescribe to patients. On the other hand. Turkey has built schools in Somalia and provided both undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships to Somali students who are planning to advance their future career and professions.

Another tangible example of the partnership between Somali government and Turkey private sector is the authorization of Somali government to Turkey firms to manage the airport and seaport which are key sources to the revenue generations of the Somali federal government these companies will operate under the model of build-operate- transfer to renovate and improve the capacity of those sectors.

As a result this has increased higher operations efficiency of those sectors and increased the transparency in the use of funds. Moreover; the public had enjoyed and access to improved and high quality services and employment opportunities for the Somali labor force. This is the perspective of some economists.

The direct flight of Turkish Airlines between Mogadishu and Istanbul which officially embarked in September 2013 was a noble and giant stride towards our economic revival or resuscitation and allowed Turkish businesses to thrive and engage easily in Somalia. In addition it also helped and incentivized the Somali diaspora return to their country and invest it by establishing new business and enterprises. It has improved the lead time of imports and continuously improved business processes across Somalia; Besides that. It convinced Somali businesses to shift their money into Turkey and invest in real-estate and housing industry. Another Turkish company has opened Decale hotel, a five star hotel inside Mogadishu international Airport which is the first of its kind that delivers exquisite rooms and the best A la Carte restaurant in Mogadishu Somalia.

The humanitarian intervention of Turkey in Somalia was crucial as many believe and was important step towards increasing the product knowledge that Turkish companies can offer to Somalia this has increased the import and the influx of Turkish products in Somalia. From food to clothes to furniture and drugs, Somali Business owners have invested alot in Turkish products. Moreover; the adverse political stands of the current government of Somalia towards the Republic of Kenya and United Arab Emirates coerced Somali Business owners to establish business offices in Turkey and invest in their real estate and housing industry.

Somalia is located strategically at the Gulf of Aden just at the entrance of the red sea and the Suez Canal, which is crucial shipping lane connecting to the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean sea due to the importance of this Maritime route to the World economy and the extensive number of ships that pass through the strait has offered a compelling reason for the Turkish government to open its largest embassy across the world in Somalia and due to distinct security actors. Turkish military involvement in Somalia has became significant and crucial.

Considering the partnership of Turkey with Somali federal government as a positive strategic tie between the two countries can enhance the interests of both countries politically, economically and commercially the economists believe there is a great chance that Somalia could market to the world from the natural resources and income generating sources such as agriculture, livestock, fishing, tourism and natural oil and gas by receiving the know-how and technology from Turkish business through building business partnership with them. That mindset is required from Wealthy Somali business owners by building trust in themselves and having a common goal of developing their country and community.

Stable, legal environment system that motivates foreign investors to do business in Somalia is the number one priority that many international businesses are skeptical about putting their foot in Somalia knowing that the country's strategic position and the active and cheap labor forces in which our community can provide professional legal consulting firms, skillful lawyers and the endorsement of most essential commercial laws can boost the chance of Mogadishu to became a business hub for the continent and the world as well.

Energy and solar system are becoming another unique factor that we cannot establish myriad, Small, different kinds of manufacturing businesses in the country due to the high electricity costs which is produced mainly from imported petroleum..

This also becomes major factor that the country cannot attract foreign direct investment. However; if the mindset of our business leaders became collaborative and cooperative among themselves instead of competing with each other, and provide a complete service package that covers the basic needs of the country in the energy sector.

In essence the partnership between Somalia and Turkey and shed light into the areas that we can expand further to benefit from this partnership and Somali people recognize the efforts of private sector that has shown entrepreneurship and resilience and succeeded to maintain the economic activity within the country during the challenging times after the collapse of Central authority.

Finally the economists remind the private sectors to adapt with the dynamic business and technology environment and familiarize themselves to exploit the benefits of globalization with the strategic location of the country and expand their operations into the continent starting from the neighbouring countries.

Critical views of the politicians and economists they believe Erdogan has exploited Somalia's fragility to pursue his ambition of making Turkey an international power and furthering his "Neo-ottoman" aspirations. Erdogan's new empires is a thinly veiled feudal system that depends on Militarism and economic exploitation for its survival. It is threat to Somalia's stability and prosperity and if replicated elsewhere, it could destabilize and jeopardize other countries too.

MOHAMED HUSSEIN MENTALIST. Author, blogger, prominent researcher, Horn of Africa Affairs analyst and senior lecturer at Mogadishu University.

AUTHOR, holds BA in English Language and literature at Mogadishu University and BA in Business administration at Simad University. Master of arts in applied Linguistics at Kisii University in Nairobi, as well as Master of peace and conflict studies at Uppsala University in Sweden.
16.02.2022 LISTEN

The Bono Regional chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, better known as Abronye DC has been granted bail to the tune of GHS100,000 with two sureties.

The vociferous politician was arrested on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, after he accused former President John Dramani Mahama of plotting to stage a coup in the country.

He was arrested at the Police headquarters in Accra when he honoured a Police invitation to assists with investigations with regards to his allegations.

The Police in a press release after the arrest informed the public that it had established from preliminary investigations that the coup allegation against John Dramani Mahama was untrue.

Preliminary investigation has established that his claims against the former President are untrue and likely to occasion a breach of the peace, part of the Police press release reads.

Today, the Police arraigned Abronye DC before a court on two charges of publication of false news to cause fear and alarm and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace.

In court, the NPP Bono Regional Chairman pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

His counsel secured a GHS100,000 for him with two sureties.

The court presided over by Her Honour Adelaide Abui Keddy has adjourned the case to March 9, 2022, for Case Management Conference.
New postage stamps feature Amateur Radio in Greece

Hellenic Post (ELTA) has released a special set of four postage stamps featuring amateur radio in Greece



A post by the national amateur radio society of Greece (RAAG) says:



We would like to inform you that, on the occasion of the opening of the Radiocommunications Station of the General Secretariat for Telecommunications and Post of the Ministry of Digital Governance, the Hellenic Post will release a booklet of 4 Self-Adhesive Personal Stamps which will be available from Tuesday, February 15, 2022.



Five thousand (5,000) pieces will be produced.





See the RAAG post at

https://raag.org/radioerasitexnismos-ellada-stamps/
The German Government has expressed its commitment towards supporting Ghana to develop the framework for domestic vaccine production.

The Government of Ghana has initiated a ten-year vaccine manufacturing roadmap intended to make Ghana a vaccine production hub in the sub-region.

Speaking to journalists at his residence in Accra on Tuesday, Mr Daniel Krull, the German Ambassador to Ghana, said the German Government, as part of its development cooperation with Ghana, would support the successful implementation of the project.

The German Government will jointly with the support of the European Union support the Ghana Government in its attempt to set up the framework for this project to be successful, he said.

Mr Krull said the partnership would facilitate the upgrade and strengthening of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and contribute to the production of various vaccines in the country.

The support would ensure that the FDA has the capacity in terms of facilities and personnel to ensure quality, safety, and efficacy of locally manufactured vaccines that meet World Health Organisation (WHO) and international standards, he said.

Mr Krull said Germany also provided technical and logistical support to the Presidential Vaccine Committee tasked with the mandate to develop the roadmap for the domestic production of vaccines.

He said Representatives of the Committee are currently in Germany in a bid to strengthen partnerships with German and other European players involved in vaccine production.

Two weeks of meetings, inspections of research facilities and vaccine production sites are lying ahead, he said.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as part of his official visit to Germany, is expected to attend the presentation of the BioNtech modular production facility for MRNA vaccines on Wednesday, February 16, 2022, towards a pan-African Project for the establishment of a vaccine manufacturing plant in Africa.

Mr Krull said Germany remained a major bilateral provider of cooperation funds for Ghana, adding that the current cooperation portfolio amounts to more than 700 million.

He said economic ties between Germany and Ghana have a bright future with the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Despite COVID-19, trade figures between Ghana and Germany remain relatively stable and that is a very encouraging sign.

...In the development cooperation portfolio, we are focusing on green energy, inclusive growth and good governance, he said.

Mr Krull said in the field of inclusive growth, the German Government was working to foster private sector initiatives and start-ups in various fields of the economy.

GNA
16.02.2022 LISTEN

Our continent is the most vulnerable to climate change, warming faster than the global average temperature, and the least able to afford the cost of implementing policies and practices that collectively make up what is called adaptation to climate change. Without immediately embracing a revolutionary approach, we will cause our own demise. We must agree it is African biodiversity, habitats, and livelihoods that are most threatened by climate change.

While climate change is accentuating the biodiversity crisis, we also threaten African habitats with loss and degradation when they are not managed in accordance with best scientific knowledge. Water supplies are jeopardized and food insecurity grows when biodiversity is lost. Livelihoods are imperiled when fishing areas, forests, and grasslands are polluted or overexploited, especially by large companies that dispossess indigenous inhabitants. These destructive activities weaken the ability of nature to continue to provide us with food and economic livelihoods. And just as a healthy patient is better able to survive major surgery, a healthy ecosystem is better able to withstand climate change. We thus must do all we can to protect and promote the health and resilience of natural systems so that they can provide us with the food and economic benefits on which the entire continent depends.

Many nations in Africa are ready to decarbonize their economies, to preserve their delicate ecosystems, and to restore their damaged habitats. Science clearly shows that protected areas must be prioritized if the natural world is to stand a chance. Without expanding protected and conserved areas to at least 30% of the worlds surface by 2030, achieving national priorities such as climate mitigation, sustainable land and water management, food and energy security, and human security will be jeopardized which is why we must act now. Some highly ambitious nations like Nigeria have already joined international coalitions to accomplish these goals. Nigeria is a member of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC), a worldwide initiative advocating for the designation of at least 30% of the Earths land and seas as protected areas by 2030. Nigeria is also a member of the Blue Leaders, an ambitious group of countries committed to protecting at least 30% of the global ocean through a global network of highly and fully protected marine areas by 2030, along with a robust new global treaty to protect the ocean.

Ahead of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Nigeria calls on every member of the African Union to join the HAC and the Blue Leaders. Without rallying behind the protection of at least 30% of the planet by 2030, we cannot solve the biodiversity crisis. While these initiatives are essential, they are not cheap and our wallets must match our ambition for nature.

Experts note that to address biodiversity loss we need to increase our investment in nature protection by between US$ 500 and 900 billion per year, the bulk of which should be directed from more developed countries to biodiversity-rich middle and lower-income countries. Investments in nature deliver the most positive results when priorities are defined from the ground up with countries themselves guiding donors and development partners on priorities for investments. Countries in Africa are eager to develop funding partnerships to maximize the impact of expanding protected areas for conservation. We have a clear understanding of priority needs for sustainable investments across the subregion. Nigeria will, therefore, be hosting an African nature finance forum in 2022 to open debate on the development of funding partnerships and on the opportunities for philanthropies and development partners to invest in nature recovery in Africa.

In Africa, we have the technical know-how and the indigenous knowledge to reproduce natural resources. We have the ambition and the expertise to lead a globally coordinated effort. And we have the biodiversity to re-establish thriving habitats. What we do not yet have is a consensus among African nations that we must do this for ourselves and that the wealthy nations must help finance our efforts because they will benefit, too.

Barr. Sharon Ikeazor , Minister of State for the Environment, Nigeria.
Speaker of Ghanas Parliament, Alban Bagbin has cautioned against the use of mobile phones known in Ghanaian parlance as Yam phones in the chamber.

Yam are the old fashioned mobile phones most of them without internet services.

The Speakers caution came to bear on the floor of the house today, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, when a phone rang interrupting questions and answers time.

It was at this time that the Speaker called on members of the house to stick to the use of phones like android which can allow a silent mode or flight mode rather than the use of many of these yam phones which is loud and difficult to put on silent.

So if you know you can't buy a smartphone, don't bring a yam here, he said, adding that many of these phones disrupt proceedings on the floor.

He said parliament is a house of serious business and does not need disruptions from personal devices such as yam phones.

---Classfmonline.com
Sixty years after the end of the Algerian war of independence, the French Senate has validated a bill formalising an apology to Algerian Harki soldiers who fought on behalf of the French colonial army. It paves the way for compensation for thousands of family members and descendants who were forced to live in squalid conditions when they came to France.

The move is a culmination of steps taken by President Emmanuel Macron who asked the Harkis for "forgiveness" during a ceremony on 20 September.

"France did not pay its dues to Harkis, their wives, their children after the war," he said, adding "the Harkis gave their strength, spilled their blood for France."

The Harkis were the Algerian muslims who fought on the side of the French during the war of independence, but afterwards were left to fend for themselves after the peace accords were signed in Evian on 18 March 1962.

This bill is "one of recognition by the nation of a deep wound, a French tragedy, a dark page in our history," Minister for Veterans Affairs Genevieve Darrieussecq said.

"We are making progress along the path of reconciliation and memory, something we know will take a long time," the rapporteur of the bill Marie-Pierre Richer from the Republicains (LR) said of the text which was approved by the lower house of parliament (Assemblee Nationale) last week.

Emotions running high

"No text could possibly heal the wounds of a war," echoed Laurent Burgoa (LR), illustrating the level of emotion associated with the debate, both among politicians and the Harki community themselves.

Up to 200,000 Harkis - the name comes from the Arabic word for "movement" - fought for the French colonial power during the bloody war from 1954 to 1962 against Algeria's National Liberation Front (FLN).

There were atrocities on both sides and the conflict left at least 400,000 dead.

The law recognises the "mistreatment" of some 90,000 harkis who escaped to France at the end of the war. Around half of them were forced to live for years in squalid internment camps.

These villages in the forest were "places of banishment where some died, and many were traumatised," Darrieussecq said.

The law aims to provide compensation packages ranging from 2,000 to 15,000 depending on the amount of time spent in the camps, with sums to be awarded by a special national commission.

Unforgiveable acts

Around 50,000 people are eligible for this reparation, which will cost the government 310 million over a six-year period.

There has been some criticism of the fact that those who missed out also lived in difficult circumstances, even if they lived in urban housing estates and were allowed to move around.

A national day of homage was established on the 25 September, following a decree in 2003, a date that will be enshrined in the law.

During a speech at the Elysee Palace in January, Macron also recognised the "unforgiveable" acts of the French Republic namely for the shooting of dozens of citizens by the French military in Algiers and in Oran in 1962.

On Tuesday last week, Macron also paid homage to the nine victims of an attack on a Paris metro station on 8 February 1962 which coincided with a peace rally held in Algiers on the same day.
16.02.2022 LISTEN

The Bono Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye DC, has said he will continue to speak his mind despite his arrest and prosecution.

Speaking for the first time after his arrest and subsequent bail for claiming that former President John Mahama was planning to stage a coup, he said no amount of populist incarceration will injunct me from voicing out or speaking my mind.

According to him, he had some issues with the Inspector General of Police.

In the coming days, I will come out with some personal issues I have with the IGP, he said to the press.

He indicated that the police deliberately delayed the process so he could be detained.

As for today, Ill take the advice of my lawyers so that while going home, Ill advise myself properly. Im happy with the bail As indicated by my lawyers, this is not an offence that they will deny me bail. That is why the court granted me bail. It was not like the police were searching for me. I personally went to the regional police head office yesterday. They deliberately delayed me in order to keep me in custody. As a politician, Im not afraid of things like this. This will not distract or worry me, he added.

Abronye DC was arrested and detained on Tuesday by the Accra Regional Command after he honoured their invitation over the said allegations.

He was subsequently charged with the publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.

Mr. Baffoe pleaded not guilty to all counts of these charges.

He has been granted Ghc100,000 bail with two sureties.

The court presided over by Her Honour Adelaide Abui Keddy has adjourned the case to March 9, 2022 for Case Management Conference.
The triennial high-level summits between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) are often criticised as being photo opportunities without substance. Nevertheless, even photo opportunities are important. They show that European leaders are willing to receive their African counterparts on par with full honours.

This is important given the increasing competition with other summits, such as China-Africa and Russia-Africa . It is also important given the colonial legacy of a number of EU countries and a host of African countries.

Nothing underscores the continued patterns of colonial power more than the issue of money. The outcomes of all the summits between the two blocs are usually dominated by announcements about the aid and investment that should flow to the continent. This year the EU will be able to boast a staggering 150 billion euro (about US$170 billion).

But this money comes with a predefined European rationale and reinforces uni-directional patterns. The inflows are not derived from the list of priorities that the AU has drawn for itself. Instead, the main objectives are set by the ambitions of the EU's own agenda , such as diversifying its energy sources, achieving its climate goals, impeding migration and curbing the global influence of China and its Belt and Road Initiative.

As long as the AU lacks a comprehensive Europe strategy and as long as the EU does not involve African partners in European matters, declarations of a  renewed and deeper partnership  will continue to ring hollow.

Awkward issues

Over the past 12 months several successful coups d'etat took place in Africa. Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea are now headed by unelected members of the armed forces.

This poses serious challenges to the EU. Not only does it undermine its aim to foster democracy and good governance in Africa, but the new leaders have also fuelled anti-imperial sentiments and severed ties with the European partners .

There is nothing the EU can do to prevent any of these unwelcome leaders from showing up at the summit having already set a precedent . In 2007, it failed to enforce a travel ban against Robert Mugabe, then President of Zimbabwe, who triumphantly attended the summit in Lisbon.

Yet, it would be awkward if Charles Michel, a Belgian politician serving as President of the European Council and French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, are forced to roll out the red carpet for somebody like Assimi Goita, the president of Mali. Goita's government just expelled the French ambassador and pulled the rug under the EU's military task force Takuba .

The coups d'etat are also considered unwarranted by the African Union, which has reacted with sanctions against most of the unconstitutionally installed governments.

On top of avoiding diplomatic scandals, the summit will try to avoid thorny issues, such as the future of the heavily criticised West and Central African currency CFA Franc, which is pegged to the euro and exemplifies the institutionalised continuities of colonial practices between European actors and complicit African leaders.

Similar to previous summits , both sides seek to put a good face on things and address disputes that can be addressed by throwing money at them.

One such dispute is the EU's handling of the pandemic, which dashed any existing hopes of genuine partnership with Africa and cemented patterns of disparity. European countries have treated vaccination in Africa as a matter of unilateral and nonbinding charity rather than a common good. And the European Commission did not hesitate to rush through with dubious blanket travel bans against African countries .

The summit is the occasion to draw lessons and resolve some of these differences, for instance by announcing further investments in vaccine production on the African continent .

Read more: How member states and partners impede the African Union's quest for financial autonomy

Aid and investment

An important part of any summit's declaration is thus the amount and purpose of aid and investment that should flow to the continent. The 150 billion euro that the EU and its members intend to spend on Africa over the next seven years will undoubtedly be welcomed by African countries. It will also reassure the African Union itself, which relies on the EU for the lion's share of its operational budget.

Although African leaders might be able to flag up the EU's financial commitments as a success when returning to their countries, this does not solve the issue of the partnership. What the AU is still lacking, is a strategy for Europe. This mismatch is not only about how the EU can contribute to the African agenda, rather than the other way round.

A real partnership entails proper reciprocity. This means that the AU needs to reflect on how it wants to promote its own values and interests in Europe. And for the EU, it means taking off paternalistic lenses and requesting Africa's assistance to help solve the many challenges the EU is facing on its own continent.

Africa not only has much knowledge to share for the EU's efforts to digitalise societies and coordinate responses to pandemics . The AU also has a wealth of experience in promoting peace-building and democracy.

In the wake of the rule of law crisis in several EU member states, the AU's election observation missions would be as well placed in Hungary's upcoming election, mirroring the EU's mission that monitored the recent elections in Zambia .

Frank Mattheis receives support from the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union and from the Luso-American Development Foundation.

By Frank Mattheis, Research fellow, United Nations University
16.02.2022 LISTEN

The Executive Director for the African Centre for Health Policy Research and Analysis, Dr. Thomas Anaba said the Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman Manu should be dismissed.

He said the findings of the committee of inquiry reveal that the sector minister committed a crime.

Speaking on Accra based Joy News, he stated that, the minister lied and committed perjury countless times when asked about the countrys dealings on Sputnik-V vaccine.

According to him, the Majority Caucus argument that the Minister's actions did not cause any financial loss to the state does not hold any water.

He noted that the sector minister lied under oath that no amount of money was paid the middleman without Parliament's approval.

The position that they have reached a consensus is neither here nor there. The case is whether the gentleman, the minister committed perjury or not, whether he lied to the country or not and the truth is, he did. On several counts, we have seen that he deceived all of us. He, first of all, came out to say there was never an argument like that. He came out to say there was never money given out. He himself came out to confess that he was not having his head on his shoulders very well, he intimated.

Dr. Anaba added that, for someone who has been the head of public procurement, the minister knew very well the implications when answering questions on the Sputnik V deal.

If someone has gone against the constitution, public procurement act, who knew very well how the public procurement authority worked because he was the head of the accounts committee who drilled people who flouted the laws of this country so I dont see why the majority or the general consensus should be something that will pardon the person.

The Sputnik-V controversy began when a Norwegian newspaper, VG reported that, government had purchased 3.4 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines through a middleman.

The procurement was overpriced at $19 than the factory price of $10.

The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu earlier claimed that the state had made no payments however, later findings proved otherwise.

The Minority in Parliament, after the findings of the Parliamentary Committee, has set in motion, a vote of censure to remove the Health Minister from office.
Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin

16.02.2022 LISTEN

The Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has made a passionate appeal to the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), asking members to return to the lecture halls for the sake of students.

Although the Labour Division of the Accra High Court on Tuesday granted an interlocutory injunction directing UTAG to suspend its strike and go to the negotiation table, lecturers did not return to work today.

Amid the frustrations students went through, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu constituency, Afenyo-Markin on behalf of the Majority in Parliament has urged UTAG to consider the plight of students and return to the lecture halls.

Ours is to make a plea to UTAG to consider the plight of students and good faith from the government to still seat down with them. And on the basis of that plead with them to go back to the classroom and support our kids in school.

Of course, they have every legitimate right to demand what is theirs. At the same time we are pleading with them to balance that demand with the plight of our students so that the academic calendar is not unduly disrupted, the Deputy Majority Leader told journalists in Parliament.

Hon. Afenyo-Markin added, The Majority caucus is accordingly, humbly pleading with UTAG to please get back to the classroom. At the same time, we are also urging the government to continue to show good faith and corporate to ensure consensus on the demand of UTAG. So that this matter is dealt with once and for all.

Sources tell Modernghana News that UTAG leadership has held a crunch meeting today and will soon release a statement on the decision taken whether to return to the lecture rooms despite the court order.
Members of the Northern Regional Security Council and the Tamale Metropolitan Security Council have paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Lamashegu in Tamale as part of efforts to de-escalate the tension in the area.

The courtesy call was also to commend the Chief for saving the situation as well as express their condolences to the bereaved family, the victims and apologise for the incident.

This was in relation to last Sunday's shooting incident at the Lamashegu Chief's palace involving a Police Patrol team.

On Sunday afternoon, February 13, some Police officers allegedly shot at a driver of an unregistered vehicle at the Lamashegu Chief's palace in Tamale.

The driver allegedly refused to stop after he was signalled to do so by the Police and they pursued him to the palace.

Stray bullets also allegedly hit some bystanders and all the injured were rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for treatment.

One of the injured, a boy believed to be 16 years, who just graduated from JHS, died of his injuries on Sunday.

Tension was high in the area following the incident.

According to eye-witnesses, but for the timely intervention by the Chief of Lamashegu, one of the Police officers would have been subjected to a mob attack by the irate youth among other possible escalations.

Meanwhile, six Police officers of the Police Patrol team at the centre of the incident have since been interdicted to help in the investigation, which has since begun.

Members of the joint Security Council assured the Chief and residents that the authorities were determined to get to the bottom of the matter and accordingly punish any officer or officers, who would be found culpable among other interventions.

They also appealed to the public, particularly residents of Lamashegu, to remain calm as well as cooperate with the Police in the investigation.

Naa Ziblim Abdulai, Chief of Lamashegu, called on the Police to be professional in the performance of their duties to ensure peace in the country.

He also appealed for some local stakeholders to be made part of the Police Investigative team to ensure transparency.

GNA
Nana Panyin II, Tufohene of Enchi, in the Aowin Municipality in the Western North Region has refuted the claims that the Enchi town was a hard-to-reach area and a God-forsaken town where people are transferred to as a punishment.

He said contrary to the assertions that Enchi was far and a difficult place to live, the town proved to be a haven to live with the numerous opportunities it offered.

The Tufohene of Enchi who made the remarks in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, added that the town was also not far as purported depending on one's location just as everywhere in Ghana could be far or near depending on one's location.

For instance, Takoradi is far from Accra but not far from Cape Coast and Sunyani is far from Accra but not far from Kumasi whereas Enchi is far from Accra but not far from Kumasi. So, the difference is about the location where one is coming from meaning that your location determines your distance, he stated.

He disclosed that the Traditional Authority had demarcated a vast piece of land for industrial and accommodation purposes and invited real estate developers and business owners to come and invest in the town for mutual benefit.

He indicated that health care delivery was one of the best in the Region as the town is the home of the District hospital, Enchi Government Hospital with an additional sizable Presbyterian Health Center operating under the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG).

He pointed out that Enchi has all the social amenities needed to live a better life, like potable water, uninterrupted electricity supply, traditional caterers, restaurants, bars, and pubs with bus terminals that provide quality service to Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Bibiani among others.

Nana Panyin II, hinted that the Enchi town and the Aowin Municipality was a cosmopolitan area with people from all social classes from different religious backgrounds and therefore called on the Ghanaian populace to welcome any job postings to the area.

The people are nice and welcoming, there is friendliness and communism among residents with peace and a serene environment devoid of public nuisance in any form. The presence of the Ghana Police Service is massive having the Divisional headquarters. It has a huge and varied market which takes off every Wednesday, he indicated.

The Tufohene also mentioned that the town had a good road network that led to the area, except portions that come before it from Tarkwa and Asankragwa, and added that Enchi has both rural and universal banks, higher education schools like Brentu Senior High Technical and the Enchi College of Education (Enchico).

Enchi is the capital of the Aowin Municipality and the paramountcy of the Aowin Traditional Area in the Western North Region. Other main towns in the Aowin Municipal include Old and New Yakasi, Achimfo, Boinso, Jema, Omanpe, Sewum, Jensue, Yiwabra, Yiwabra Nkwanta, Nyankomam, Kwawu, Abochia, and Jomoro.

The Aowin Municipal Assembly is one of the nine Districts in the Western North Region. Originally it was part of the then-larger Aowin-Suaman District in 1988, which was created from the former Aowin-Amenfi District Council, until a small northwest part of the district was split to create Suaman District on June 28, 2012.

Thus, the remaining part had been renamed as Aowin District, which was later elevated to Municipal assembly status on November 16, 2017 (effective March 15 2018) to become the Aowin Municipal Assembly.

The current leaders included the Paramount Chief, Nana Beyeeman Benbu I, of Aowin Traditional Area and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), is Mr Samuel Adu Gyamfi, the Member of Parliament (MP) is Mr Oscar Ofori Larbi of the National Democratic Party (NDC).

Enchi is close to Elubo (Cote d'Ivoire). The largest river in the Municipality is the Tano with Disue as one of its tributaries which flows in the middle of Enchi.

Farming is the major occupation of the area with Cocoa farming as the largest contributor to the local economy.

Enchi recently gained popularity, when the suspended MCE of Sekondi-Takoradi, Mr Abdul-Munim Issah threatened a Police officer with a transfer to the town, during a misunderstanding between the Police officer and the MCE at a check point close to the Takoradi cemetery on the night of February 2,2022.

GNA
The deep CIA penetration of Africa was evident in the Agencys apparent recruitment of Barack Obama Sr., a protege of Tom Mboya, an anticommunist, pro-capitalist Luo from Kenya who had served as the African representative of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICTFU), which received covert CIA funding through the AFL-CIO.

by Gerald Horne

Over the last decade, the U.S. has been quietly expanding its covert intelligence empire in Africa as part of a growing geopolitical rivalry with China.

A new book published by Susan Williams, entitled White Malice: The CIA and the Covert Recolonization of Africa, reminds us that the likely consequences will be disastrous.

Williamss book updates an earlier study edited by Philip Agee, Ellen Ray, William Schaap and Louis Wolf, entitled Dirty Work 2: The CIA in Africa.

She focuses mostly on the ties between Ghana and the Congo roughly between 1957 and the coup in Accra in 1966, and the close relationship between early paramount leaders Kwame Nkrumah and the assassinated Patrice Lumumba; however, she manages to cover other hotspots as well.

The deep CIA penetration of Africa was evident in the Agencys apparent recruitment of Barack Obama Sr., a protege of Tom Mboya, an anticommunist, pro-capitalist Luo from Kenya who had served as the African representative of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICTFU), which received covert CIA funding through the AFL-CIO. The U.S. was trying to groom Mboya as a replacement for Kenyas first Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta, who was perceived as more left-wing. (for more details, see Gerald Horne, Mau Mau in Harlem: The U.S. and the Liberation of Kenya. New York: Palgrave McMillan, 2009). Obama was brought to the University of Hawaii in an exchange and then studied economics at Harvard, though his career floundered when Mboya was assassinated in 1969.

Williams notes that the CIA generally specialized in assassination, overthrowing elected governments, sowing conflict between political groups and bribing politicians, trade unionists and national representatives at the UN, all clandestine and coercive strategies that were applied in Africa. Other strategies took the form of soft power initiatives; the secret sponsorship and infiltration of educational facilities, artistic endeavors, literature and Africa-focused organizations. [465]

Covert action of any sort, said Frank Church, the Idaho Democrat who chaired the Senate Select Committee investigation into the abuses of the CIA, was nothing more than a semantic disguise for murder, coercion, blackmail, bribery, the spreading of liesand worse. [475]

Still, despite the revelations emerging from this senatorial investigation, the author reprimands the narrow focus of this body which largely neglected CIA operations elsewhere in Africa, beyond Congo. This bodys findings also were weakened by its reliance on the testimony of CIA officials. [506]

The industrious author mines archives in Austria, Belgium, Ghana, The Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Britain, the United Nations and, of course, the U.S., outstripping the 1970s congressional investigation. [527-528]

Still, she argues accurately that the files released in 2017-18 under the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act contain a wealth of information that is not available elsewherebut they are heavily redacted. [420] Nonetheless, President Biden has postponed further releasesfor the time being.

Kwame Nkrumah, first leader of independent Ghana in 1957, had studied in the U.S. between 1935 and 1945, principally at historically Black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. [15]

There he became acquainted with leaders of the Left, including W.E.B. Du Bois and his spouse, Shirley Graham Du Bois, along with actor-activist Paul Robeson, whom he invited to Accra to serve as a professor by 1962.

Although the foregoing leaders played a sterling role in forging solidarity, the same cannot be said for all of the hundreds of American Africans, to use the descriptor applied to them. Franklin Williams, a former NAACP leader, was U.S. envoy to Ghana in 1966 when Nkrumah was overthrown and he was widely suspected of complicity. [495] Pauli Murray, a justifiable heroine of the anti-Jim Crow movement in the U.S., was considered by a leading scholar of Ghana to be something more than an unwitting asset of U.S. imperialism. [190]

The author also points the finger of accusation at Horace Mann Bond, father of yet another civil rights hero: Julian Bond. [58] Intellectuals, e.g., novelist Richard Wright and Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, were apparent unwitting tools of the CIA. [62, 64].

She manages to include Barack Obama, Sr., in this circle of iniquity (though she has him arriving in 1962 on these shores although the president was born in 1961). [206]

U.S. imperialism was quick to isolate and marginalize those, e.g., Paul Robeson, who were pro-socialist and keenly in favor of true African independence: virtually every sector of opinion not within his orbit was penetrated thoroughly. In the late 1930s he had spearheaded the formation of the Council on African Affairs but, by the mid-1950s, it had been forced into liquidation by government harassment and arising in its stead were the American Committee on Africa, the African American Institute, the American Society of African Cultureand if they are to be held to the same standard that was used to brand so-called Communist frontsthese groups could be well considered CIA fronts (despite worthwhile work especially by the ACOA).

Even the precursors of Black Power had their limitations, e.g., in 1961 when in a still startling episode captured on film, writer Maya Angelou and others entered the United Nations building in Manhattan to engage in a stormy protest against U.S. complicity in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba of the Congo. So far, so militant.

However, they chose to bar Robesons closest comrade, Communist Party USA leader Ben Davis, on anti-communist groundsunmentioned by the authorthough it was the latters comrades worldwide who were seeking to preserve Congolese sovereignty and Lumumbas life both, which these New Yorkerswhatever their good intentionswere incapable of achieving. [398-399]

Still, since the author writes definitively that it has been established that President Eisenhower authorized the assassination of Lumumba, these protesters anger was well-justified. [511]

This Pan-Africanism was bilateral: Amilcar Cabral, founding father of Guinea Bissau who was assassinated in a dastardly fashion in 1973, spoke movingly of the dire plight of African-Americans, especially after the August 1965 revolt in Los Angeles, an anguished cry against police terror. We are with the blacks of the United States of America, he declaimed, we are with them in the streets of Los Angeles and when they are deprived of all possibility of life, we suffer with them. [500]

Of course, these American Africans were bit players compared to the U.S. elite hungry for Ghanas diamonds and Congos uranium, so necessary for atomic bombs. Maurice Tempelsman, long-time consort to Jacqueline B. Kennedy, widow of the slain president, was pivotal here. [90-94]

Then there were the labor leaders tied to the AFL-CIA, e.g., Irving Brown and Jay Lovestone, whose deviltry continues to boggle the imagination. [76]

Invoking the premier U.S. scholar of Angola, the late John Marcum, who was supported financially by the CIA, Williams demonstrates [458] how she often soars beyond the Ghana-Congo tie.

This southwest African nation was instrumental in regional and continental politics when, upon independence in 1975, the regime invited Cuban troops there to vouchsafe sovereignty in the face of a militarized intervention by apartheid South Africa, aided by the CIA. They stayed on until the late 1980s and guaranteed freedom for Namibia by 1990 and South Africa itself by 1994.

Why was U.S. imperialism so bent on foiling African self-determination? Part of it was gaining a stranglehold on the continents vast resources: diamonds, uranium, the gold of South Africa, the oil of Angola, etc. Part of it was guaranteeing cheap labor particularly in industrialized South Africa for U.S. automobile manufacturers and tire plants among others. And part of it was disrupting an African Left that was seen as much too close to Moscow and its allies.

Tragically, we may never know the full extent of the skullduggery to which the CIA resorted in order to accomplish its devilish goals. Robesons son suspects his father was subjected to the MKUltra mind depatterning technique, involving drugsbut records related to MKUltra were destroyed in 1973, says the author. [486]

We also need to know more about the agency seeking to trigger amnesia by concussion of the brain. [442] We need to know more about a number of suicides, all with a similar methodology: They all fell from the balconies of New York high-rises. [474]

Nevertheless, the author merits our heartfelt thanks for her indefatigable labor that has rescued a history that needs to be better known and will be instrumental in the final defeat of U.S. imperialism on the beleaguered continent.

About Gerald Horne: Dr. Gerald Horne holds the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston. His research has addressed issues of racism in a variety of relations involving labor, politics, civil rights, international relations and war. Dr. Horne has also written extensively about the film industry. His latest book is The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America. Dr. Horne received his Ph.D. in history from Columbia University and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and his B.A. from Princeton University.
Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was sworn in as Burkina Faso's new president Wednesday, just over three weeks after he led a coup to topple the elected head of state Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

Dressed in a camouflage uniform and wearing a red beret and a sash in the colours of Burkina Faso's national flag, Damiba swore to "preserve, respect, uphold and defend the Constitution", the nation's laws, and a "fundamental act" of key decisions approved by the junta, which took power on 24 January.

The inauguration ceremony, broadcast on television, was held in a small room at the offices of the Constitutional Council, which last week formally determined that Damiba was president, head of state and supreme commander of the country's armed forces.

The ceremony observed a minute's silence for the victims of a bloody jihadist insurgency that started in 2015.

Damiba paid tribute to "the Burkinabe people, who have been enduring the scars of terrorism for more than six years" and called for "collective awareness about the effort and sacrifice" that were needed to continue the fight.

On 24 January, Damiba led disgruntled officers to force out Kabore, following public anger over his handling of the insurgency.

A commander of the 3rd Military Region, which covers eastern Burkina Faso, one of the areas worst hit by the insurgency, Damiba had criticized strategies to fight jihadists.

The junta, which enjoys popular support, at first suspended the constitution after taking power, but later reversed the decision in the face of international pressure.

It said that Damiba would serve during a transitional period, assisted by two vice presidents.

Authorities have promised to re-establish "constitutional order" within a "reasonable time", but no date has been set for elections.

The country was suspended from the West African bloc Ecowas community of West African states on 3 February. Two days later the junta announced that a commission would be tasked with "drawing up a draft charter and agenda, together with a proposal for the duration of the transition period."
A newly constructed gold refinery aimed at adding value to the country's gold resource is set to be operationalised by the end of the second quarter this year.

The project which commenced in 2018 at an estimated cost of approximately $20million is a joint venture partnership between the national assayer of gold, Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) Limited and Rosy Royal limited, an Indian company.

The Managing Director of PMMC, Nana Akwasi Awuah in an interview with the Ghana News Agency disclosed that President Nana Akufo-Addo was likely to commission the facility within the first quarter or latest by the end of the second quarter of the year.

He said civil works has been completed and the needed technology had been installed with testing being conducted.

As of December, last year, we were able to inspect progress of work there and we observed that there were engineers who had come down from Europe to come and test the machines to ensure that whatever has been installed was properly functioning he said.

The facility which he said has the capacity of refining 400 kilogrammes of gold per day at 99 per cent purity, is expected to change the narrative of the country being a raw material exporter to one of value addition.

Beyond producing good delivery bars and feeding the local jewellery industry, the venture, Nana Awuah said, had the potential of creating jobs.

When you look at the value chain, you are looking at close to about 100 direct jobs and for the indirect jobs, you are looking close to around another 100 or 150 jobs he said.

Mr Awuah indicated that work was ongoing to acquire international certification through the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) to facilitate the process of marketing gold on the international market.

When you look at the LBMA requirement, the minimum it will take a country to acquire its membership is three years so as we speak there is multi-stakeholder group to ensure we have been able to acquire this LBMA membership, he said.

LBMA members, are among other things, required to have an effective governance framework that ensures accountability and oversight of their business.

They are also expected to have a compliance and risk framework which identifies and manages risks associated with their engagement in the precious metals market.

He called on government to help the company improve its profitability rate by clearing its legacy debt which was estimated to be GH65.5 million, saying that every month we keep paying for that debt, but it is like fetching water into a basket and when we pay it goes to set off the interest.

GNA
Ghana, Rwanda and Senegal are partnering with German biotechnology company, BioNTech SE, to fill, finish, and package BioNTech mRNA vaccines in Africa, as a first step in the chain of domestic vaccine production which will to improve vaccine supply in Africa.

This was announced at a high-level meeting in Marburg, Germany, on Wednesday, 16th February 2022, where President Akufo-Addo, together with Presidents Macky Sall and Paul Kagame of the Republics of Senegal and Rwanda respectively, witnessed the presentation of a BioNtech modular production facility solution for the production of mRNA vaccines in Africa.

The event was also attended President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization.

Together with BioNTechs CEO and Co-Founders Prof. Ugur Sahin and CMO, Prof. Ozlem Tureci, and COO Dr. Sierk Poetting, they jointly discussed the infrastructural, regulatory and technological requirements to establish an end-to-end manufacturing network for mRNA-based vaccines in Africa.

BioNTech SE has introduced this approach to establish scalable vaccine production by delivering turnkey mRNA manufacturing facilities based on a container solution. At a high-level meeting at BioNTechs manufacturing facility in Marburg, and at the invitation of kENUP Foundation, the company presented the container solution named BioNTainer to key partners of its efforts in Africa.

Describing the modular production facility as a BioNTainer, it will consist of one drug substance and one drug product module, each built of six ISO sized containers. They are clean rooms which BioNTech equips with state-of-the-art semi-automated manufacturing solutions.

Each module requires 800 sqm of space and offers an estimated capacity of several hundred of million doses of mRNA-based vaccines depending on the specific vaccine.

The BioNTainer will be equipped to manufacture a range of mRNA-based approved or authorized vaccines targeted to the needs of people in African Union member states, like BioNTechs COVID-19 vaccine, and its malaria and tuberculosis vaccines, if they are successfully developed and approved.

The first BioNTainer is expected to be shipped to the African Union in mid-2022. BioNTech expects to ship BioNTainers to Rwanda and Senegal in close alignment with the respective country and the African Union. BioNTech will be responsible for the delivery and set-up of the modules, while local authorities and governments will ensure the needed infrastructure.

Ghana will support the manufacturing with fill-and-finish capacities. In cooperation with WHO, Africa CDC/AMA, and the European Union, BioNTech is supporting, identifying and setting up the necessary regulatory framework.

BioNTech will initially staff, own and operate the facilities to support the safe and rapid initiation of the production of mRNA-based vaccine doses. In the longer term the company plans to transfer manufacturing capacities and the know-how to local partners to enable sustainable production of mRNA vaccines in Africa. Vaccines manufactured in these facilities are expected to be dedicated to domestic use and export to other member states of the African Union at a not-for-profit price.

Pan-African Project

Speaking at the event, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the meeting heralds an important step in end-to-end vaccine manufacturing in Africa.

This pan-African project fits very well into Ghanas roadmap for vaccine development and manufacturing, developed by the Vaccine Manufacturing Committee, which I constituted nearly a year ago, he said.

The President added, We are willing to work together with our counterparts in Rwanda and Senegal to fill, finish, and package BioNTech mRNA vaccines, as a first step in the chain of domestic vaccine production.

He told the gathering that Ghanas Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the principal Ghanaian regulatory agency, which is currently at WHO Maturity Level 3, and being upgraded to Maturity Level 4, will be readily available to work closely with regulatory bodies from the two (2) partner countries, to enhance the regulatory capacities for domestic vaccine development and manufacturing in Africa.

Moreover, with Ghanas growing pharmaceutical industry, which already has broad footprints in West Africa, President Akufo-Addo added that, backed by the nations industrious research institutions, strong political will and commitment, fueled by lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, he is of the utmost belief that Ghana is prepared for this project.

We have gleaned a lot from this pandemic, and we are determined to enhance our ability to handle more efficiently any future outbreaks, including building domestic capacity for vaccine production. We are ready to contribute and to be part of the manufacturing of mRNA COVID-19, Malaria and TB vaccines from drug substance through drug product to Fill, Finish and Package. Ghana is raring to go, he added.
Pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch Newspaper, Ben Ephson, has suggested the opposition National Democratic Congress may be afraid revenue accrued from the controversial E-levy if passed will help the NPP retain power in 2024 hence their stiff opposition.

According to him, the extent of opposition by the Minority to the proposed levy when its introduction should rather hurt the governing party in the next election is baffling.

Im tempted to believe that the NDC suspects that with the benefits of E-levy Ghanaians will say that things like roads and schools have become better so I will vote for the NPP when I go to the polls in 2024.

The way the e-levy is structured. In two and a half years time, the NPP are going to show Ghanaians what they used the e levy for, he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Wednesday.

The comment comes on the back of the Clergys visit to former President John Mahama to reportedly among other things appeal to him and NDC MPs to help government pass the controversial bill.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for New Juaben South Michael Okyere Baafi has asked Ghanaians to change their mobile network if they want to reduce the impact of the e-levy, if it is passed.

You are the one who pays the levy .so for instance if you are sending Ghc200 to your child at OPASS , you wont pay tax on the first Ghc100 .so the first hundred cedis is free. The Ghc100 left is what you will pay the e-levy on. The one sending is the one who will pay the levy. Your child who is receiving will not pay anything. The Telecommunication companies in Ghana are many. We have MTN, Vodafone and Airtel Tigo. For MTN, they charge , Vodafone doesnt charge so if you think MTN is charging too much just migrate to Vodafone. Simple.

The lawmaker said this during a townhall meeting with market women and taxi drivers on the e-levy in Koforidua on Monday February 14,2022. The engagement was to explain into details the nexus of the e-levy bill and its benefits to accelerated development.

The MP had earlier warned that IMF could ask government to cancel Free Senior High School Policy as part of the conditionalities should Ghana run to the Bretton wood institution for support.

If we dont pay the E-levy and we go to the World Bank or the IMF for loans, they will ask Akufo-Addo to cancel the free SHS which will affect your children so you must all accept the E-levy and pay it so it helps all of us, Okyere Baafi told members of his constituency during a town hall meeting.

---Starrfm.com.gh
16.02.2022 LISTEN

The Central Regional Minister, Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, has expressed worry over the rising incidence of bleaching among pupils in some basic schools in the Central Region, describing it as a dangerous canker that needs to be addressed urgently.

According to her, the situation was a problem that needed to be dealt with before it destroyed the health of the children.

Addressing a stakeholders engagement with queen mothers in the region last Monday, Mrs Assan said it was bad enough that the region was grappling with the high incidence of adolescent pregnancies, and that the issue of bleaching among some pupils in the region further threatened the health of those young people.

Bleaching was one of the issues that came up during my conversations with our queenmothers, and most parents dont seem to care about this challenge.

Its a problem that we cant sit by and watch it wreak devastation on our young people without being worried about, she said.

Task

The regional minister called for immediate action and asked the queenmothers, as well as all other key stakeholders in the region, to bring the issue of bleaching among pupils under control.

The region must battle this issue in every way possible, and all essential stakeholders, particularly queenmothers, must play a critical role in realising this dream, she said.

Mrs Assan further charged the various head teachers in the primary and junior high schools to continue to monitor pupils and students and interact with their parents on any abnormal developments they noticed, stressing that it was one of the ways to stop the children from bleaching

Adolescent pregnancy

She said despite concerns about adolescent pregnancy, the interventions put in place were working, as the situation was steadily declining in the region.

She emphasised the need for efforts to be sustained to guarantee a drastic reduction in adolescent pregnancy in the region.

According to statistics, the region recorded 10,301 cases of adolescent pregnancy in 2020, as against 10,914 in 2019, indicating a drastic drop of 613 cases, the seventh consecutive year the region had recorded a reduction in teenage pregnancy.

From 13,355 cases recorded in 2014, stakeholders had constantly worked to reduce the pregnancies to 13,014 in 2015, reducing it further to 12,404 in 2016.

The pregnancies further declined to 11,474 in 2017 and to 11,386 in 2018.

It is good to know that adolescent pregnancy has seen a two per cent reduction, but still we cannot sit aloof and watch our girls as young as nine years get pregnant and end their dreams, the regional minister said, stressing how critical it was for the various metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to rally behind the queenmothers and allocate resources to them, so that they could launch various sensitisation campaigns and other educational fora to help reduce adolescent pregnancies.

To sustain the gains made in this regard, I urge the various MMDCEs to support our queenmothers to fight this battle to the core by providing the needed logistics within their means, she intimated.

The Central Regional Director of Education, Mrs Martha Owusu Agyemang, urged queenmothers in the region to use their positions and influence to promote the continuation of formal education for girls.

She appealed to them to encourage community youth, particularly teens, to take advantage of the regions many educational institutions, get formal education and avoid actions that might lead to early and unexpected pregnancy.

Our girls get pregnant along the way and they are not able to access these schools. It is critical that our queenmothers come in to support and use their revered offices to clamp down on this challenge, she said.

Support

The President of the Central Regional Queenmothers Association, Nana Adwoa Aduam III, reaffirmed the commitment of the association to reduce adolescent pregnancy in the region.

We will collaborate with key institutions to help reduce this situation and also help educate parents in the communities on the need to take interest in their childrens education, she said.

Bleaching

The bleaching, locally referred to as conshore, involves pupils and students of basic and second-cycle schools in the region.

They also apply a mixture of bleaching cream, toothpaste and akpeteshie on their lips to achieve reddish or pinkie lips in a bid to become more beautiful.

---Graphic
Bishop T.D. Jakes has said when he first travelled to Ghana less than a decade ago, there were a lot of dirt roads and people just in meagre gear and what have you and very few buildings and nice hotels but seven years later, I came back and there were interstates, highways, hotels, five-star accommodations, restaurants everywhere, which, in his view, are a testimony to President Akufo-Addos transformational leadership.

Theres nothing like great leadership, the American televangelist observed while noting that Mr Akufo-Addo has turned Ghana into one of Africas wealthiest countries.

Introducing the Ghanaian leader to his audience as one of the speakers for his upcoming summit on leadership, the world-renowned American preacher noted: I have, for some time, watched with amazement, the president of the Republic of Ghana and the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, will speak at our International Leadership Summit this month.

And, in case you are not up to speed on how things are going in Africa; Ghana is one of Africas wealthiest countries; he [President Akufo-Addo] has completely turned it around.

It is the largest producer of gold on the continent and the worlds second-largest producer of cocoa, Jakes explained, adding: Under President Akufo-Addos leadership, Ghana has emerged as a booming tech centre  even welcoming Twitter.

[Twitter] is moving to Ghana. Africas corporate headquarters of Twitter is going to be there, he mentioned.

Aside from that, T.D. Jakes said: President Akufo-Addo is also working to transform Ghana into key travel destinations, particularly for Americans but particularly, for African-Americans and the African diaspora and aggressively promoting investment in the country.

Over the last couple of years, he told the audience, Ghanas government has set aside 500 acres of land for foreigners looking to resettle there.

Let me explain to all of you African-Americans  Ghanas move to embrace African-Americans has particular significance because some of the largest ports of slavery [were] from Ghana and, so, the return home and some of the amenities that hes extending [are] a step toward healing and restoration, Jakes explained.

He said: Imagine the prodigal son coming back home and the father running to meet him and welcoming him back home. It has tremendous significance and hes done some amazing things in that regard.

Were thrilled, delighted to welcome President Akufo-Addo and several other esteemed leaders to the next International Leadership Summit, he added.

The American pastor praised Mr Akufo-Addo saying: The man is brilliant; hes just smart.

In his view, Mr Akufo-Addo has totally transformed Ghana.

I was watching him being interviewed in Paris and the guy was, of course, speaking to him in French and President Akufo-Addo speaks English quite fluently, several different languages fluently and when he started speaking French to the man and the president turned and started speaking back to him in French; it speaks to his global ability and his massive  let me show you just a 60-second clip to make you aware.

---Classfmonline.com
President Akufo-Addo has turned Ghana into one of Africas wealthiest countries, African-American televangelist T.D. Jakes has observed.

Introducing the Ghanaian leader to his audience as one of the speakers for his upcoming summit on leadership, the world-renowned American preacher noted: I have, for some time, watched with amazement, the president of the Republic of Ghana and the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, will speak at our International Leadership Summit this month.

And, in case you are not up to speed on how things are going in Africa; Ghana is one of Africas wealthiest countries; he [President Akufo-Addo] has completely turned it around.

It is the largest producer of gold on the continent and the worlds second-largest producer of cocoa, Jakes explained, adding: Under President Akufo-Addos leadership, Ghana has emerged as a booming tech centre  even welcoming Twitter.

[Twitter] is moving to Ghana. Africas corporate headquarters of Twitter is going to be there, he mentioned.

Aside from that, T.D. Jakes said: President Akufo-Addo is also working to transform Ghana into key travel destinations, particularly for Americans but particularly, for African-Americans and the African diaspora and aggressively promoting investment in the country.

Over the last couple of years, he told the audience, Ghanas government has set aside 500 acres of land for foreigners looking to resettle there.

Let me explain to all of you African-Americans  Ghanas move to embrace African-Americans has particular significance because some of the largest ports of slavery [were] from Ghana and, so, the return home and some of the amenities that hes extending [are] a step toward healing and restoration, Jakes explained.

He said: Imagine the prodigal son coming back home and the father running to meet him and welcoming him back home. It has tremendous significance and hes done some amazing things in that regard.

Were thrilled, delighted to welcome President Akufo-Addo and several other esteemed leaders to the next International Leadership Summit, he added.

The American pastor praised Mr Akufo-Addo saying: The man is brilliant; hes just smart.

In his view, Mr Akufo-Addo has totally transformed Ghana.

I was watching him being interviewed in Paris and the guy was, of course, speaking to him in French and President Akufo-Addo speaks English quite fluently, several different languages fluently and when he started speaking French to the man and the president turned and started speaking back to him in French; it speaks to his global ability and his massive  let me show you just a 60-second clip to make you aware.

"I went to Accra, which is the capital of Ghana, many many years ago and it was about a seven-year gap since Ive been there before. When I first went there, there were a lot of dirt roads and people just in meagre gear and what have you and very few buildings and nice hotels and seven years later, I came back and there were interstates, highways, hotels, five-star accommodations, restaurants everywhere, theres nothing like great leadership".

---Classfmonline.com
Ghanaian journalist Eric Nana Gyetuah is seen after being attacked by police. Photo credit withheld

16.02.2022 LISTEN

Abuja, February 16, 2022  Ghanaian authorities should swiftly identify and hold to account the police officers who attacked journalist Eric Nana Gyetuah, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.

At about 1:30 p.m. on February 3, in the western city of Takoradi, a group of at least five police officers in plain clothes attacked Gyetuah, a program producer with the privately owned broadcaster Connect FM, according to reports by Connect FMs affiliated news website 3news.com and a journalist familiar with the incident who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

Gyetuah photographed the officers while they sat in a restaurant with their guns showing and joined by men in handcuffs; when the officers saw him take photos, one of them approached Gyetuah and demanded he hand over his phone, according to those sources.

When he refused, the officer tried to grab the phone and, together with other officers, began beating Gyetuah all over his body with their fists and guns until his face was covered in blood. The officers dragged Gyetuah to their vehicle, handcuffed him, and brought him to the local police station, where they said he was charged with taking pictures without their consent, the journalist familiar with the situation told CPJ.

At about 5 p.m., Gyetuah was allowed to leave the station after a colleague posted bail by signing a surety for him, according to that journalist and those news reports.

Authorities in Ghana must ensure that all those responsible for the violent attack on journalist Eric Nana Gyetuah are held to account, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in New York. Ghanas police should ensure the safety of the press, and that includes holding to account those in their ranks who beat up journalists.

Gyetuah sustained damage to his right ear and his lips were cut open in the attack, the journalist familiar with the incident said.

He received treatment at a local hospital for his injuries; he has since developed severe headaches and cannot hear well, according to that journalist and those reports. 3news.com later published an update that Gyetuah had been diagnosed with a perforated ear drum.

On February 7, Ghanaian Inspector-General of Police George Akuffo Dampare called Gyetuah to apologize for the officers conduct and promised to investigate the matter, according to the reports by 3news.com.

Dampare also told Gyetuah that the charges against him had been dropped, according to the journalist who spoke with CPJ.

Gyetuah produces Connect FMs Omanbapa (Good Citizen) morning program, aired on the outlets Facebook page, which discusses general interest topics.

CPJ called and messaged Police Director of Public Affairs Kwesi Ofori for comment but did not receive any reply.
Honey has been used as a super food for centuries. Was it processed, filtered or heated in those days? Noso why is processing required now and is your processed honey truly pure?questioned Mukesh Pathak, beekeeper and founder of Faba Honey, while speaking at a webinar organised by Moneylife Foundation.

While honey is considered to be a natural sweetener that has numerous health benefits, it is also a product that has been widely adulterated with rice and corn syrup. Big brands buy honey from farmers like us, heat it, filter it and process it by adding chemicals to achieve a consistent colour and in the process also add rice or corn syrup before it gets labeled and sold as pure honey, he explained while talking about the difference in branded and natural raw honey.

Honey is a naturally occurring product that bees create by pollinating and collecting nectar from flowers of various plants such as lychee, ajowan caraway (ajwain), Java plum (jamun), mustard, wild acacia and others. Honey created from the nectar of different of flora is not only visually different, but also has a subtle difference in taste. However as Mukesh explained in his talk, labelling which flora a particular bottle of honey comes from is not mandated by the food safety regulator, so none of the big brands ever mention which flora their honey originates from.

Branded honey is always consistent in appearance and viscosity, with the same colour and taste in all of their bottles. This as Mukesh explains can only be achieved by a consistent method of processing and adding unwanted chemicals to the naturally occurring product. During his talk, he displayed the difference in appearance of honey collected from bees that pollinated particular flora, emphasising that naturally occurring honey is never consistent in colour or taste, and that consistency is only achieved by processing.

Mukesh also emphasized that while processing was not necessarily bad, it is important for a consumer to understand what is done to naturally occurring honey in the name of processing. The common belief that crystalline honey is impure is incorrect, as honey naturally crystallizes. However due to this misinterpretation, manufacturers chemically modify and process natural honey to maintain its liquid form, and this process often involves heating the honey. However, if honey is heated beyond 60C it loses its medicinal properties. Naturally occurring antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins are all destroyed beyond this temperature, he explained.

Mislabeling honey as natural, pure or organic is also a widespread problem that has not been addressed effectively by the food safety regulator. As Mukesh explained, Certain percentage of rice or corn syrup is allowed to be mixed in natural honey and allowed to be sold as 100% natural honey. While logically this is incorrect, the FSSAI permits this type of adulteration up to a certain percentage. So when products as labeled as natural or pure honey, how pure are they truly?

Adulteration in branded honey is often designed to bypass food safety standards and it is not something that can be detected with purity tests conducted at home, believes Mukesh. During the talk, he advised people to avoid home purity tests that are popularly shared in YouTube videos, because only a test conducted through a verified laboratory will correctly identify adulteration in honey.

Mukesh also answered questions from concerned attendees during the webinar. One such question was about brands selling different flavours of honey and whether this meant that the honey was collected from bees pollinating such flowers. In response, Mukesh warned consumers that most such flavoring is just addition of an artificial essence to the honey, as is this the case with cinnamon flavored honey. Cinnamon does not flowers which can be pollinated by a bee, so when you see a cinnamon flavored honey bottle, know that it is been artificially flavoured and not natural, he advised.

Answering a question on the negative effects of introducing genetically modified (GM) seeded plants and crops in an environment on the bee population, Mukesh said, Decades ago, bees used to pollinate and collect nectar from sunflowers in India. This is not the case today, as GM sunflowers are now prevalent across India and bees do not seem to pollinate such GM plants. This is also the case with eucalyptus. So if we continue to introduce GM seeds, the bee population is bound to decline rapidly and perhaps even become extinct. Around 80% of all crops and plants across the world are pollinated by bees, so if bees becomes extinct the food supply chain will be broken and humans will certainly die of starvation in a matter of years. If GM seeds are to be introduced it should be with done by carefully considering and maintaining a balance in the profits and also with the harmful effect on the environment.

Sucheta Dalal, founder trustee of Moneylife Foundation asked a question about the revelation a few years ago that honey sold by manufacturers often contains antibiotic contaminants, and whether this was true even today. In the earlier days, beekeepers were not as conscious about the use of antibiotics or pesticides, but these days such practices are known to be harmful. Nowadays, beekeepers only use products that will keep their bees healthy and away from harm. I personally keep my farm as close to a jungle as possible, so that external elements as eliminated. In my opinion, consumers should realise that antibiotics or pesticides are present in almost all food products, it is the percentage at which it becomes detrimental to your health which is important.

The session was attended by many on Zoom, and Moneylife Foundations YouTube and Facebook channels. A video recording of the session can be viewed here:
A special court set up under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has ordered the confiscation of properties worth about $40 million (Rs300 crore) of City Limousines (or Limousine) (I) Ltds chairman and promoter Sayed Masood, the maker of Chak de India and close buddy of Bollywood superstars, and those of his family members.

The property in Singapore is already attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in this multi-crore Ponzi scam.

PMLA Special Court Mumbai ordered confiscation of properties worth approx.40 million USD (Rs.300 Crore) attached by ED, held in Singapore in a Ponzi Scheme Fraud case owned by Shri Sayed Masood, Chairman & promotor of M/s City Limouzines (I) Ltd& his family members.  ED (@dir_ed) February 16, 2022

City Limousine had floated a scheme under which investors paid for the cars to be bought in their names, and rented out by the company. But later, the cheques issued by the company began to bounce.

Read: Black money: Swiss bank accounts of City Limousine owner frozen ) In 2012, as the first instance of an Indian agency getting access to Swiss bank accounts in its black money probe, the ED froze about Rs6 crore of stashed funds of Mr Masood, a Mumbai-based businessman in the money laundering scam. At that time, ED had said, During the course of investigations, ED has issued 14 attachment orders attaching movable and immovable properties in India with a market value of over Rs130 crore in the names of City group of companies, Sayed Mohamed Masood, Mrs Chand Masood Sayed (his wife), Jabeen Masood Sayed (daughter) and Jibran Masood Sayed (son) and other directors. (

Later in 2016, the ED attached over Rs91 crore kept in a Singapore bank in connection with a money laundering probe of Citi Limousine, taking the total seizure of assets in this case to Rs385 crore. A year before ED had attached Rs166 crore in Singapore.

City Limousine had raised at least Rs1,300 crore; in fact, an officer from the SFIO had told Moneylife that they had discovered an overseas transfer of over Rs900 crore through a political leader. It had 10 cases registered against it in 2003, although complaints mounted dramatically within a year or two.

Thousands of investors have been duped, but media reports quietly downsized City Limouzines default anywhere between Rs500 crore-Rs1,000 crore while claiming that the operation shut down only in 2009.
How many times have you received a phone call from someone at Dealer Services seeking to sell you an extended warranty for your vehicle?

You might not receive them anymore, if the Federal Trade Commission gets its way.

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The FTC is suing a Fort Lauderdale company it claims bilked customers out of more than $6 million over four years by making illegal sales calls to sell auto warranties that did not cover what its sales representatives claimed.

But Fort Lauderdale-based American Vehicle Protection Corp. is fighting back. The company has filed its own suit against the FTC, claiming that the federal agency used flawed information to conclude that the company is operating a scheme to bilk consumers.

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The companys suit also claims that the FTC is overstepping its legal authority by seeking monetary relief on behalf of consumers. It cites a 2021 Supreme Court ruling from a separate case that found the agency had no such authority under federal law.

The FTCs complaint states that American Vehicle Protection Corp. called hundreds of thousands of customers over four years, pretending to represent their vehicles dealer or manufacturer while offering bumper-to-bumper or full-vehicle coverage for prices ranging from $2,800 to $3,400, the suit states.

[ RELATED: How two South Florida women lost thousands to the Geek Squad email scam ]

A Toyota owner was told the caller was from Toyota, while a Jeep owner was told the sales rep was with Chrysler/Jeep Dealer Services, the complaint states.

They also falsely claimed that consumers can get a full refund of their down payment or full payment within 30 days of buying the warranty if they are not happy with it, an FTC news release said.

According to a statement by Samuel Levine, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, AVP blasted consumers with illegal calls and made bogus claims about bumper-to-bumper warranties.

The truth is that the warranties didnt come from the manufacturer, didnt cover the repairs people needed, and werent sold legally. We are holding the AVP accountable.

The company misrepresented which parts of consumers vehicles were covered by the warranties, the FTCs complaint states. Consumers only see a long list of excluded parts and systems, the suit says, after they paid their down payment or initial payment.

Based on representations from the company, one customer tried to get an oil pump replaced while another tried to get struts replaced. Both were excluded from coverage, the FTC said.

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The calls violated both the FTC Act and the FTCs Telecommunications Sales Rule, the release said, adding that many of the targeted consumers were on the Do Not Call Registry.

The FTCs lawsuit seeks monetary relief, including rescission or reformation of contracts, the return of money, the return of property, or other relief necessary to redress injury to consumers.

However, the companys suit against the FTC claims it overstepped its bounds with that demand.

In a case that the FTC brought against AMB Capital Management LLC, the Supreme Court found in April 2021 that the FTC had no authority under federal law to obtain monetary relief.

By seeking money in this suit, the FTC has doubled down on its abusive and incorrect enforcement methods, the company claims.

The FTC also seeks a court order permanently barring further violations of the Telecommunications Sale Rule through illegal and deceptive marketing, as well as from remotely creating and depositing remote checks, from violating Do Not Call Registry rules, and from failing to pay fees required to access numbers on the registry and scrub them from their call lists, the release stated.

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[ RELATED: Moving companies with no trucks or movers can break your bank account, your stuff and your heart. Heres how to avoid them ]

Co-defendants listed on the FTCs complaint filed Feb. 9 in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale were CG3 Solutions Inc., doing business as My Protection Plan Inc.; Tony Allen Gonzalez and Charles Gonzalez, owners, officers and/or managers of American Vehicle Protection Corp.; Tony Gonzalez Consulting Group; Sunrise-based Kole Consulting Group Inc. and its owner, officer and/or manager Daniel Kole.

In its lawsuit, filed on the same day that the FTC filed its complaint, American Vehicle Protection Corp. and nearly all of its co-defendants accused the FTC of building its case by relying on flawed information.

The case was built, the company claimed, on outdated Better Business Bureau data and ratings as well as whistleblower accounts from a felon whose convictions include, among other things, mail fraud, fraud on financial institutions, practicing optometry without a license, stalking, and grand theft. The suit does not identify the whistleblower.

The FTCs suit states that consumers often do not get requested refunds until after their complaints to the Better Business Bureau are forwarded.

Complaints about the company on the Better Business Bureaus website have been removed. A statement on the companys page states, This business profile is being updated.

[ RELATED: Health insurance scam made millions; victims will get a pittance ]

After learning about the FTCs investigations, the company took the allegations seriously and last November made the business decision to revamp [its] policies, practices and procedures, the companys suit states.

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On Nov. 8, the company temporarily ceased operations and hired a third-party consulting firm to review and modify its sales practices, policies and procedures, its suit says.

The companys attorney, Mitchell Roth, said in an emailed statement, While AVP disagrees that it was violating the law, it embarked upon an extensive and unprecedented revamping of its policies and practices to ensure compliance with federal laws.

Roth also said, Notwithstanding being made aware of these steps, it is disappointing that the [FTC] chose to pursue this path. We believe the [FTCs] chosen path is in disregard of the limitations imposed on it by Congress, is without legal support and will be struck down by the Court.

While the companys suit states that compliance training took place between Nov. 15 and Nov. 17, the FTCs suit claims that illegal sales activity continued as recently as November 22.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.
In a significant order giving relief to lakhs of home-buyers, the Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that the interest of home buyers is more important than the interest of banks in cases where the developer or builder fails to repay the bank loan.

A division bench of justice MR Shah and justice BV Nagrathna says, "In case of conflict between the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) and recovery proceedings under Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (SARFAESI), the former will prevail."

"If the real estate company is not able to repay the bank loan and is not even giving possession to the homebuyers, then in these cases, homebuyers should get attention," the bench observed.

The Court was hearing an appeal filed by Union Bank of India against a decision of the Rajasthan High Court. In this case, while cancelling the property auction, the Rajasthan Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) authority had asked the Bank to hand over possession of the incomplete project.

However, Union Bank challenged the order in Rajasthan High Court. The Bank contended that since it does not fall under the purview of RERA, the Authority cannot stop the auction or recovery process.

In its order, the High Court ruled that even if the Bank had taken possession after a default by the promoter, the homebuyers could still file a complaint in RERA. Union Bank had challenged the HC order in the apex court.

After holding home-buyers as financial creditors as per the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), in January 2021, the SC accepted an amendment in the IBC as constitutionally valid, which requires no less than 100 or 10% of homebuyers to initiate insolvency proceedings against the builder or developer. Under the IBC amendment passed by the Parliament in March 2020, a single home-buyer is barred from approaching the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) under Section 7 of the IBC.

Before the SC ruling in August 2019, home-buyers were treated as other creditors and they were not regarded as 'financial creditors' or as 'operational creditors', which restricted their ability to initiate insolvency proceedings under the IBC against a defaulting builder or developer.

In its August 2019 order, the apex court had upheld the government decision to grant home-buyers the status of financial creditors. The Court had also upheld the IBC Amendment with certain safeguards.

Read: Moratorium under IBC applicable to corporate debtor, not its promoters: SC ) Last year in September, while hearing a case connected with builder-home- buyers' dispute arising out of the abandoning of a housing project, the apex court allowed the home-buyers to move against the promoters of corporate debtor, Today Homes and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, even though a moratorium has been declared under Section 14 of the IBC. The bench of justice DY Chandrachud, justice Vikram Nath, and justice Hima Kohli also clarified that the moratorium was only in relation to the corporate debtor and not in respect of the directors/management of the corporate debtor, against whom proceedings could continue. (

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday shot a volley of questions at the Centre in connection with its current policy on One Rank, One Pension (OROP) in the armed forces.

A bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath told the Centre's counsel, "How have you implemented OROP, and what happens after...give us some examples, how people have benefitted."

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) N. Venkatraman, who represented the Centre, pointed out that the petitioners have raised three contentions -- they say it should be automatic, not periodic; review once in 5 years is not acceptable; and third is the chart which he will present before the court. He added that the chart shows that one should take the scale and not go by the mean. The bench said the government has taken the mean, but no one is brought down? The ASG agreed.

Venkatraman referred to a tabular chart citing a comparison between sepoys, who retired after 2015 and before 2015. The bench queried suppose somebody retired in 1990 and the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme came in 2006, the rank will still remain but the officer will get the different pay scale. The ASG urged the top court not to bring MACP into the matter.

The bench asked the ASG, OROP is a benefit that comes after a service period and MACP comes during service? "We want to know how many people have got MACP. You are saying persons who have MACP are a different specific class," it queried further.

The ASG replied that MACP is not the subject matter of the writ petition before the court. Justice Kant replied, but it is important for OROP, and if 80 per cent of sepoys get MACP, then will they get OROP? The bench said: "It seems MACP is a barrier for OROP..."

Justice Chandrachud said petitioners' contention is regarding the discrepancy between parliamentary discussion and the policy, which ultimately came. "Problem is your hyperbole on the policy presents a much rosier picture than what is actually given," said Justice Chandrachud. The ASG emphasised that the decision on the policy has been taken by the Union Cabinet. Justice Chandrachud said: "As I said OROP is not a statutory term, it is a term of art".

The ASG replied, "Yes, it is a term of art which we have defined with nuance and without any arbitrariness."

Justice Kant said the petitioners are claiming that by connecting OROP with MACP the government has reduced the benefits substantially and the principle of OROP gets defeated.

The bench asked the ASG to show the figure when MACP was introduced, how many got benefit of the scheme and how many are eligible to get benefit of OROP.

Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM), said what is the morality of this government after giving a statement that it has in principle agreed to implement one rank one pension. He added that the sum and substance of their arguments is that they are not inclined to give OROP, but they will give one rank different pensions. He added that the ASG said it could have been given at 10 years but they chose 5 years for the review. "What is the morality of a statement made by a minister on the floor of the House," said Ahmadi. The plea has been filed through advocate Balaji Srinivasan.

After a detailed hearing in the matter, the top court scheduled it for further hearing next week.

On Tuesday, the top court asked the Centre whether it can consider automatic annual revision instead of the existing policy of periodic review, done once in five years.

The petitioners have questioned the November 7, 2015, notification issued by the Centre while implementing OROP, in which the government adopted a modified definition of the expression, under which the gap between the rates of pension of current and past pensioners were to be bridged at periodic intervals.

The petitioner's counsel submitted that the government's decision is arbitrary and mala fide, as it creates a class within a class and effectively grants one rank, different pensions.

The top court, in July 2016, sought Centre's response on a petition by IEMS seeking implementation of OROP as recommended by the Koshyari Committee with an automatic annual revision, and not the periodic review of once in five years.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
The Congress has attacked the government questioning the silence of the finance minister (FM) on the issue of an alleged ghost baba giving directions to Chitra Ramkrishna, the former chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) of the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

"The NSE is India's largest stock exchange with a combined market capitalisation of close to $4 trillion (Rs 303 lakh crore), and was guided by a BABA residing in the Himalayas. BABA was appointing KMP's (Key Managerial Personnel), fixing salary and increments of executives of the NSE. Not only this, BABA was also deciding and appointing Public Interest Directors. Operating Margin of NSE was at 70 per cent (which is abnormal)," the Congress said.

Ms Ramkrishna was ousted from NSE in 2016 for her role in the co-location and algo trading scam and abuse of power in the appointment of COO.

Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh said, "The probe found that Ramkrishna ran NSE with impunity. No one from the senior management, board, or the promoters, which include big government institutions and banks, ever objected to her ways. Instead, Ramkrishna was given Rs44 crore as pending dues and salary when she left NSE."

Mr Vallabh questioned the silence of the Prime Minister and the FM on India's biggest financial scam of all time. "Why an IP address of emails sent by BABA can't be traced till now? The entire world is laughing at us that a country known as the Tech powerhouse of the world can't trace a BABA who is sending emails from an IP Address," he said.

The party asked who all had invested in NSE in the last 7.5 years, complete details of the holding, price of acquisition, and date of investment should be made public. The NSE is planning for an IPO (initial public offer) and, immediately after an IPO, value of investment made in the last 7.5 years will increase by 10 times.

"What was SEBI doing from 2016 on Chitra Ramakrishna shenanigans when scandalous facts were reported? When SEBI is not having any expertise on search and seizure, why the case was not transferred to the CBI, SFIO, ED and IT for investigation in the last 6 years. Who is stopping SEBI from doing the same?" he asked.

The party asked since 2015 when co-location and algo trading scam was reported, what action was initiated by the finance ministry and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) against the NSE and alleged that instead of investigating co-location and algo trading scam on its own, asked NSE to undertake a forensic audit.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
The announcement of green sovereign bonds (GSBs) in the Budget speech of finance minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman on 1 February 2022 is a breakthrough in promoting clean and sustainable investments. Indias ambitious commitment to become a net-zero carbon emitter needs dedicated investments to finance clean infrastructures. It is a praiseworthy step, especially after the recently held Glasgow COP 26, where India has committed to becoming a net-zero carbon emitter.

India needs to execute strategic transitioning of its carbon-centred energy infrastructures, which needs devoted investments to finance climate-friendly projects. Indian capital markets are growing in terms of their volumes and have the potential to fund Indias ambitious commitments. But some regulatory concerns and challenges need to be tackled to ensure a credible and robust market of the green sovereign bonds (GSBs).

GSBs are fixed-income debt security, that raises funds from investors who are willing to invest in environmentally benign projects, and have already turned into a mature market in different countries. It has attracted diversified investors like corporate, multinationals, and sovereign wealth funds. In India, GSBs is a new financial experiment and, considering the global experiences, there are regulatory challenges that need addressing.

The Four-pronged Green Bond Principles

International Capital Market Association (ICMA) has put down a set of four-pronged principles that outline the governance of GSBs.

1. The proceeds from the bonds need to be used to finance or refinance eligible green projects.

2. Criteria to be framed to evaluate and select the eligible green projects. It includes third-party opinions regarding the greenness of the concerned projects.

3. Proper management of the proceeds to ensure that it remains invested in green projects or activities.

4. Project monitoring to be done using a third party or independent entity to ensure transparency and accountability.

Key Regulatory Challenges

Ensuring GSBs Remain Green  There are no uniform guidelines to determine activities that qualify for eligible green projects. Therefore, the issuer relies on the opinions of third parties to assess the greenness of projects. The third-party opinion may vary or can create uncertainties about the eligible green projects. This leads to a lack of clarity over the eligible green projects, which generates the scope for diverting the proceeds in non-green projects.

The proceeds remain with the issuers for prolonged durations and therefore, the issuer may divert them in non-green activities. This constitutes a breach of investment criteria and can hamper the credibility of the GSB market.

Ineffective Contractual Protections to the Bondholders Against Defaults  In the case of GSBs, the use of proceeds in eligible green projects is an essential investment criterion that the issuer needs to abide by. The investment contract governing the GSBs issuance does not treat the use of proceeds in non-green projects as default, as per the OECD policy report on green bonds titled  In the case of GSBs, the use of proceeds in eligible green projects is an essential investment criterion that the issuer needs to abide by. The investment contract governing the GSBs issuance does not treat the use of proceeds in non-green projects as default, as per the OECD policy report on green bonds titled  Green Bonds Mobilizing the capital market to low carbon transition . As long the investors get timely payment of interest, they have no right to protest against the issuer.

The Problem of Rampant Greenwashing  This is one major problem in the issuance of GSBs, where the issuer spreads a fake impression that the proceeds will be invested in environment-friendly activities. It happens because there are no uniform global definitions or market criteria to identify green sovereign bonds or to measure the extent of the greenness of a bond. Greenwashing leads to scepticism in investors minds about the credibility of GSBs.

Suggestions

Incorporate Green Use of Proceeds as a Contractual Obligation  To ensure the credible and robust GSBs market, proceeds from it must be invested in environmentally benign activities. To ensure this, one possible solution is to incorporate green use of proceeds as an obligation under an investment contract. This will trigger the contractual protection in case of a breach and give remedies to investors.

Frame Guidelines on Eligible Green Projects  As there are no uniform guidelines or market standards to determine which projects or activities qualify for eligible green projects, the Indian regulators should formulate guidelines for identifying the eligible green projects.

Introducing Penalties for Defaults  It is important to clearly define the incidents of contractual defaults. I strongly argue for treating noncompliance with the green use of proceeds as contractual default and attaching corresponding penalties. It will ensure that the proceeds from the issuance of GSBs remain invested in green projects throughout the life of the investment.

Incentivise Accomplishment of Green Actionable Goals  Lastly, the issuers should properly define their respective green actionable goals for which they are issuing GSBs. This will bring clarity among investors and help in investment decision-making. In addition, incentivising accomplishing the respective green actionable goals will help a lot. The incentivisation could be in terms of tax exemptions. This will encourage the issuers to accomplish their individual actionable goals.

(Saksham Misra is an Assistant Professor of Law at Indore Institute of Law. He is an LLM from the National Law School of India University Bengaluru.)
MISSOULA -- After years of planning for a new community center, Missoula's Parks and Recreation Board voted unanimously to adopt a proposal for the Currents Center for Recreation and Creativity.

Director of Parks and Rec, Donna Gaukler, said the Center is designed to complement existing services in the community like the YMCA and the ZACC>

"It doesn't repeat what's already out there; or if it does, it only repeats it like gym space, because we have such desperate need in our community that we are regularly turning people away," Gaukler said.

The Montana Budget and Policy Center said the current supply of childcare opportunities meets only 50% of demand. Parks and Recreation officials said the Community Center won't compete with licensed providers, but plans to help bridge the gap between childcare and out-of-school care.

"It's multi-generational. It's a place where we all come together, it's a place that provides unique amenities that we really don't have exactly the same thing anywhere else," Gaukler said.

Unique amenities like a ballroom for dance classes and performances, rooms for meetings and events and a multi-purpose gym.

Gaukler said she hopes it will be a place that bring Missoulians of all backgrounds together.

"Sometimes we forget that recreation is really about being social together. As much as it is in keeping bodies and our minds healthy, we keep our social sense happy and engaged," she said.

The next step is to go before City Council to ask for adoption of the Conceptual Master Plan. Gaukler said that will allow them to continue to build partnerships and research funding options.

You can click here to learn more about the project and next steps that are posted on Engage Missoula's website.
What makes a good apology? Pam Marino here, pondering that question after the Pacific Grove Feast of Lanterns Board released a statement on Sunday apologizing to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community for any harm done by the feast. Members of the AAPI community are already calling it a non-apology apology.

One would think that by now, after weve seen so many examples of bad public apologies made by politicians and celebrities for racist remarks, #MeToo statements and tone-deaf Covid comments, that wed all know better. But apparently the Feast board didnt get the memo.

It was never our intent to harm anyone however we recognize there was harm caused year after year by the pageant and the use of Chinese costumes and lanterns, as stated in the documents third paragraph, directly beneath one touting the positive goals of the Feast. We sincerely apologize for the harm caused to the AAPI community and any others impacted.

The pageant, costumes and lanterns. Thats it. Nothing about the pageants birth in 1905, just a year before the Point Alones Chinese fishing village burned to the ground, its residents driven out and not allowed to return amid anti-Chinese sentiments. Nothing about the practice many years ago during the Feasts pageant of white teen girls wearing yellow face and taping their eyes back to portray Chinese characters.

No words about how the pageant, based on a faux-Chinese legend, was a damaging, divisive and racist cultural appropriation of Chinese culture. Nothing about how the pageant once encouraged people to laugh and jeer at a Chinese villain in the pageant, until Gerry Low-Sabado, a descendant of those who lived in the Point Alones Chinese village, convinced the board to take that part out. (You can see a collection of Weekly stories and opinion pieces detailing more history here.)

Finally, nothing to acknowledge the collection of AAPI voices currently rising to a crescendo at recent P.G. public meetings, detailing the hurt that people have experienced for decades. The people using their voices are now weighing in on the boards statement, issued just three days before the Pacific Grove City Council will discuss whether to continue to categorize Feast events as city-sponsored.

An authentic apology starts with reaching out to the victims and listening to their issues. There is no indication that the Feast Board has made any attempt to do so, a letter from The Coalition for Asian Justice to the council reads. The letter is co-signed with six members of the coalition plus Klarity Coleman, a former Feast queen, and former P.G. mayor Carmelita Garcia.

You make our work happen. The article youre about to read is from our reporters doing their important work  investigating, researching, and writing their stories. We want to provide informative and inspirational stories that connect you to the people, issues and opportunities within our community. Journalism takes a lot of resources. Today, our business model has been interrupted by the pandemic; the vast majority of our advertisers businesses have been impacted. Thats why the Weekly is now turning to you for financial support. Learn more about our new Insiders program here. Thank you. JOIN NOW

All of this smacks of a public relations maneuver to offset the growing awareness of the fundamental cruelty of the Feast, the realization that the Feasts legacy will always be one of exclusion, unresponsiveness to community input, and insensitivity to the harm that it has caused, it continues.

This insincere apology does nothing to heal the wounds; the lateness in which it was offered and the complete absence of reaching out to those most impacted show a lack of empathy and compassion.

The letter ends by arguing that the title Feast of Lanterns is tainted and carries historical baggage that can never be erased. It can never express a spirit of diversity, equity or inclusion and the event needs to end.

Thats the message the Coalition is taking to the P.G. City Council tomorrow, Feb. 16 at 6pm on Zoom. Defenders of the Feast are organizing to show up as well to argue for keeping the Feast as a city-sponsored event. For an agenda and instructions on how to participate, click here. As always, I welcome hearing your thoughts.

Read full newsletter here.
February 16, 2022

Happy 'Russian Invasion' Day

I woke up early today because the moon is full and I have been promised a 'Russian invasion'.

The sky was clouded, no moon to see, and the 'invasion' is for some reason way less bloody than anticipated.

Not all hope is lost though. It may still be coming:

The 3am time (1am GMT) when US intelligence sources suspected a Russian attack came and went without incident last night as Putin continued to keep The West guessing. Cold clear skies over capital Kyiv - where locals had braced for an aerial blitz - remained silent save for passing commercial flights. But tension remained high before dawn on the day American officials had said Putins invasion force would be unleashed on Ukraine.

I wonder why the map accompanying The Sun screed has four of the five arrows showing a 'possible Russian advance' plus all those artillery cannons and tanks point towards the east.

What is this supposed to say?

Anyway, let's have a happy 'Russian invasion' day.

Posted by b on February 16, 2022 at 7:02 UTC | Permalink

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Former Broward Mayor Dale Holness has agreed to pay a $1,000 fine after state investigators said he violated state laws that require him to make his finances public record to ensure he doesnt have any conflicts of interest.

State investigators said Holness did not report income from 2016 to 2019 for two companies he owns or the accompanying income he receives from rental properties.

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Holness, a county commissioner from 2010 until his resignation went into effect in January, owns two companies  American Holding Group Inc. and All Broward Realty Inc.  but told investigators he had no income from those companies during the four years  the only years they investigated. Although originally part of the complaint, investigators did not go back to 2012 because of the statute of limitations.

Holness owns seven rental properties, but he told investigators he didnt know he had to report the rental income because it was offset by expenses and depreciation. He has since filed amended paperwork that includes the rental income.

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His fine will be $250 for each of the four years of violations. The ethics commission still has to sign off on the settlement when it meets March 4. If the commission rejects the settlement, Holness would have to renegotiate another settlement, or go to a public hearing, essentially a trial, according to a commission spokeswoman.

[ RELATED: Broward Commissioner Dale Holness didnt disclose his rental income, ethics panel finds ]

Holness acknowledged a text message from the South Florida Sun Sentinel asking for comment Wednesday but then did not respond to questions.

There will be at least one objection to the settlement agreement when the commission meets next month: from political consultant Richard Giorgio, who filed the original complaint. Giorgio started digging into Holness when he worked for former County Commissioner Barbara Sharief. Holness and Sharief were battling in a Congressional primary, and both lost.

What we realized is for the entire 10 years [Holness has] been a county commissioner, he never reported any income other than his salary as a county commissioner which is not only illegal, but not true, Giorgio said. The investigator should not have taken his word for it that he didnt have an income for the past 10 years.

Thats his primary source of income, he said, since records show Holness has owned the two real estate companies since before he entered public office.

On Monday, Giorgio sent an email to the ethics commission saying that Holness has employees for his two businesses, and he urged them to get Holness tax returns and bank statements to verify if he has reported all of his income.

I strongly suggest you not just take Mr. Holness word for anything, he wrote.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com or 954-572-2008 or Twitter @LisaHuriash
Moultrie, GA (31768)

Today

Mostly sunny skies this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. High 87F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram

The number of COVID-19 cases inside Midland County last week has dropped nearly 90 percent in the last month.

The Midland Health Department reported on its website Tuesday that 339 cases were reported from Feb. 6-12. Not only did that total represent the fourth-straight weekly decline, but it also was nearly one-tenth of the total from Jan. 9-15 (3,124). The 339 cases were less than one half of the cases from the previous week (Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 722 cases).
Chuys officials told the Reporter-Telegram they are excited to expand their West Texas footprint and open a restaurant in Midland.

They said all plans for growth paused in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in 2021 the decision was made to open new stores and put our focus toward markets in and around Texas.

Were a proud Texas-based restaurant company, that started in Austin in 1982, with strong brand recognition and a very loyal fan base, said Stephanie Burger Field Marketing manager for Chuys. Since we already have a West Texas presence with El Paso, Lubbock and Amarillo, it makes sense to continue to build out this strong market with a Midland location.

Chuys website shows locations in 18 states.

Burger called the Midland market competitive and one that has its challenges based on the current price of oil.

This variable can make staffing and volume a challenge, Burger said. Even with these factors, the potential of growth and building roots within the community is worth the extra effort, but we have to earn it. Consistently great food and service is the key to success in a competitive market like Midland. Were only as good as our food and our people.

The Chuys website states the companys founders had a vision of a fun and funky Tex-Mex restaurant that served authentic and fresh food in an atmosphere that appealed to everyone.

It all starts with a solid foundation, Burger said. We are 100 percent committed to serving great food, hiring and training the friendliest employees in the world and becoming an integral part of the Permian Basin community. If we treat our staff with respect and give them the tools they need, theyll stay and not leave for the next new concept that comes to town. Rule #3 at Chuys is, Have Fun! and we want our staff and our customers to always feel that in our restaurants.

Chuys officials has said the Midland location is expected to open in the late spring or early summer. Renovations are current taking place at the former Logans Roadhouse location southwest of the corner of Midland Drive and Loop 250.
Courtney Sacco/Associated Press

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP)  One of two Utah residents charged with capital murder for killing a New Hampshire couple found buried on a South Texas beach in 2019 pleaded guilty Tuesday to a lesser murder charge.

Amanda Noverr, 34, of Logan, Utah, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felonies, including murder, under a plea agreement with prosecutors, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported. Noverr, who remained in the Kleberg County Jail in Kingsville, entered her plea during a sentencing videoconference with state District Judge Jack Pulcher.
A Florida appeals court has overturned the conviction of a former North Miami police officer who was convicted for shooting at an autistic man holding a silver toy truck, a case that drew national headlines.

The Third District Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned the misdemeanor culpable negligence conviction for Jonathon Aledda, who claimed he believed the man was holding a firearm and holding another man hostage during a standoff in July 2016. The Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office must now decide if it will re-try Aledda, who was fired from the police department after the shooting.

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Former North Miami officer Jonathon Aledda reacts during the testimony given by Cornelius Lattimore at Aledda's sentencing hearing on Wednesday, July 3, 2019 in Miami. Aledda was sentenced to probation for shooting at a severely autistic man and wounding the man's caretaker in 2016. (Jennifer King)

Aledda fired three times at Arnaldo Rios Soto, but hit and wounded Charles Kinsey, an unarmed behavioral therapist who was laying on the ground with his hands in the air, begging police not to shoot.

Read more at Miami Herald.
On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott distanced himself from a question about the so-called Robin Hood school finance system of education funding in Texas.

On Feb. 1, Allen West, Chad Prather and Don Huffines appeared at a GOP candidate forum for governor at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center and were asked about school finance, specifically the current system which moves hundreds of millions of dollars from districts in West Texas to other districts across the state.

Midland ISD alone has sent $671 million to Austin for redistribution since the 2013-14 school year. That includes annual payments of at least $137 million each of the last three years.

The following are highlights of their answers during the forum.

West said, First and foremost, if you think about the No. 1 tenet of socialism, it is wealth redistribution, and the Robin Hood program is an exact example of wealth redistribution. West added that money from individual tax bases should be used to educate children in those areas, not be redistributed to other school districts.

We're not going to take away from you and give it to someone else, West said.

Huffines school finance plan does away with recapture  at least within a decade  because  like West -- he wants to do away with property taxes. Huffines said that Texans will have the opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment that shifts the burden on property taxes over to a consumption tax.

We're going to keep the schools fully funded, Huffines said. We're not going to change the funding formula. The money's just going to come from the state versus property taxes.

Prather said Robin Hood, its got to go away because its a Marxist philosophy but didnt say much about how he will fund one of the largest expenditures in the state budget. His website shows he would use a 1 percent increase in sales tax and an addition to the fuel tax to eliminate recapture.

A value added or perhaps a consumption tax capped around 9 percent would effectively raise state revenue from the most affluent in our society, Prather wrote.

Both West and Huffines talked about bringing in private businesses to help deliver a higher quality education at a lower price, especially for lower-income areas.

All three were against funding for any school involved in the indoctrination of students they said happens whether that meant push big government concepts, cultural Marxism or critical race theory.

Abbott, despite being in Midland on Feb. 1, chose not to participate in the forum with the other Republicans.
After an 18-month-long investigation into drug sales involving members of West Palm Beachs 4th Street Gang, authorities have arrested 18 people in what they dubbed Operation Goodfellas.

On Feb. 6, West Palm Beach Police executed nine search warrants throughout the county and arrested 17 adults and one minor on charges including racketeering, drug sales, gun violations and attempted first-degree murder, Police Chief Frank Adderley announced at a news conference Tuesday with Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg and West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James.

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The investigation, headed by the West Palm Beach Organized Crime Section, targeted open-air drug sales in the area of Fourth Street and Tamarind Avenue  a hotspot for the 4th Street Gangs activity. The gangs members have operated in the area for at least 15 years, Adderley said, and are tied to multiple other violent crimes.

The suspects of a multi-agency investigation that resulted in major organized crime bust by on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

At least 30 guns, narcotics, vehicles, properties and cash were seized in the investigation, Adderley said. Cocaine, Xanax, Oxycodone, PCP, MDMA, fentanyl and marijuana were all seized in the investigation, assistant state attorney Diva OBryan said.

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The suspects range in age from 16 to 58. A 19th suspect has been charged, but he or she remains at large, officials said.

The 18 suspects in custody are:

Vernon Verne Tanksley, 41;

Marcus Buddy Tanksley, 37;

Henry Mann, 41;

Eugene Chief Chatman, 32;

William AR Chatman, 28;

Lee Lemo Moore Jr., 23;

Quentavious Bam Brown, 32;

Pamela Auntie Perry, 58;

Cornelius Williams, 36;

Jonathan Patterson, 33;

Bryan BG King, 19;

Jacques Quez Ellington, 16;

Lataura Bell, 32;

Triverious Jungle or Gambino Tanksley, 24;

Danny MG White, 23;

Avens Vegas Lemieux, 26;

Danlee Russell, 21; and

Robert Unc Easley, 55.

The 4th Street Gang has ongoing rivalries that turn violent with three other gangs in the West Palm Beach, unincorporated Palm Beach County and Riviera Beach areas, according to a probable cause affidavit. Its members share hand signs, tattoos and names to identify themselves.

The gang has been involved in criminal activity in the area since the 1990s, the affidavit says. The feuds between the gangs have resulted in people getting hurt and killed.

The gang is known to operate in the alley between Third and Fourth Streets near North Tamarind Avenue and Douglass Avenue, the affidavit says, where they sold drugs and used the alley to maintain clout with rival gangs by brandishing and displaying firearms in open air.

James said some of the guns seized were assault-style rifles.

Today we send yet another powerful message. To those who want to participate in illegal activities in our city, just know that we have zero tolerance for such activities, James said. These arrests signify West Palm Beachs continued commitment to making our city safer.

West Palm Beach police Chief Frank Adderley speaks during a press conference on a multi-agency investigation result in major organized crime bust on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Aronbeg said that the arrests in the Operation Goodfellas investigation have now decimated the 4th Street Gang. With all 19 suspects maximum penalties combined, the total number of years in prison comes to 3,725.

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The minor arrested in the operation is accused of shooting another minor in the face, Aronberg said, because the victim challenged an older gang member. The minor suspect is being prosecuted as an adult.

As part of this gangs ongoing criminal activity, what they would do is they would recruit people who had clean records so that they could buy guns for them, and then they would sit in the alleyways in broad daylight to protect the drug-trafficking business with their firearms, Aronberg said.

This was so brazen that you could see this with a naked eye from the courthouse. Thats how close it was to us. These deals went down from 7 a.m. to well past dark, he said.

The West Palm Beach Police Departments Organized Crime Section was aided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; the Office of the State Attorney; Delray Beach Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office.

Adderley said the investigation continues and additional arrests may be forthcoming.

Were not standing here waving a flag saying that its victory and the whole open drug sale problem in the city is over, Adderley said. Were going to continue to work as hard as we possibly can and utilize these resources to eliminate it, and I think thats a work in progress.
Reverend Terry Garrett, in his 64th year, Surrendered his Soul Tuesday from Tulsa. His Sacred Farewell, 10:00 AM, April 30, 2022, Worship Community Center, and until then, he will rest in Oak Hill Cemetery, Talladega, Alabama. biglowfunerals.com
More than 100 motorists line up for Covid-19 testing at the Tiyan testing site in Barrigada in this Jan. 10, 2022 photo.
Migrants begin a hunger strike with their mouths sewed shut during a protest to demand free transit through the country outside the office of the National Migration Institute in Tapachula, Mexico, Feb. 15, 2022.
Sarah Palin, 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor, speaks with media as she exits the court during her defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, at the United States Courthouse in the Manhattan borough of New York City, Feb. 15, 2022.
OPINION | Truth & Consequence (36): The Senate  OF, FOR & BY the People!
MIAMI  A businessman linked to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was secretly signed up by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a cooperating source in 2018 and provided agents with information about bribes he paid to officials as well as forfeiting more than $9.5 million in illegal proceeds he earned from corrupt state contracts.

The stunning revelation was made public following a heated closed-door hearing Wednesday in Miami federal court in which attorneys for Alex Saab argued his family in Venezuela could be jailed or physically harmed by Maduros government if his interactions with U.S. law enforcement became known.

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They are basically under the thumb of the government, attorney Neil Schuster argued in the hearing, a transcript of which was later unsealed by Judge Robert Scola. If the Venezuelan government finds out the extent of what this individual has provided, I have no doubt that there will be retaliation against his wife and his children.

The U.S. has described Saab as the main conduit for corruption in Venezuela, someone who reaped huge windfall profits from dodgy contracts to import food while millions in the South American nation starved. The Maduro government considers him a diplomat who was kidnapped during a refueling stop while on a humanitarian mission to Iran made more urgent by U.S. sanctions.

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The Associated Press in November reported that Saab has held several meetings with U.S. law enforcement in his native Colombia as well as Europe. As part of his cooperation, he wired three payments to a DEA-controlled account containing nearly $10 million obtained through corruption, stating that he had paid bribes to Venezuelan officials.

However, he was deactivated as a source after failing to meet a May 30, 2019, deadline to surrender himself. Two months later, he was sanctioned by the Trump administration and indicted in Miami federal court on charges of siphoning millions from state contracts to build affordable housing for Venezuelas socialist government.

Saab, shackled and wearing a beige jumpsuit, attended Wednesdays hearing. The public was briefly barred from the courtroom as the two sides haggled over whether two documents filed by prosecutors nearly a year ago, while Saab was fighting extradition from Cape Verde, should remain sealed.

Pedestrians on Sept. 9, 2021, walk near a poster of Alex Saab that reads in Spanish "Alex Saab Free. They haven't been able to bend him," in Caracas, Venezuela. Newly unsealed court records show that the Colombian businessman linked to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was secretly signed up by the D.E.A. as a cooperating source in 2018 and gave agents information about bribes he paid to Venezuelan officials. However, he was deactivated as a source after failing to meet a deadline to surrender himself and was indicted in Miami federal court on charges of siphoning millions from state contracts. (Ariana Cubillos/AP file) (Ariana Cubillos/AP)

With the courtroom sealed, Schuster asked for Saab to be released on bond in light of his multi-year cooperation  something other attorneys for Saab have always denied.

Judge Scola immediately rejected the idea, citing Saabs failure to surrender and past attempts to evade extradition, according to a transcript of the closed proceedings that he ordered unsealed.

So you are going to have all this evidence that this guy is a flight risk, hes involved in this humongous crime, hes tried it, he fought extradition, and the judge inexplicably grants him a bond? Scola said.

Prosecutors a year ago had sought to keep secret those meetings with U.S. law enforcement out of concern for Saabs safety and that of his family, some of whom are still in Venezuela.

But they downplayed any such dangers on Wednesday, saying Saabs legal team hadnt taken them up on an offer to assist his family in leaving Venezuela. Scola agreed, saying the publics right to access criminal proceedings outweighs any concerns about his familys safety.

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The details of Saabs outreach to U.S. law enforcement surfaced in a related case involving a University of Miami professor who served as an intermediary for payments Saab was making to his U.S. attorneys.

Another Saab attorney, who is fighting to get Saabs status as a Venezuelan diplomat recognized by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta, vehemently rejected claims that the businessman had been cooperating with U.S. investigators.

New York-based David Rivkin, who was not present in court Wednesday, said the sole purpose of Saabs meetings with U.S. law enforcement officials was to clear his name and were undertaken with the full knowledge and support of Maduros government. He said the release of the document, at the request of the Department of Justice, is no more than an attempt to harm Venezuelas interests, its relationship with Saab, and illustrates the weakness of the governments case.

Alex Saab remains a loyal citizen and diplomat of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and will never do anything to harm the interests of the country and people that have given him so much, Rivkin said in a statement.

As part of U.S. criminal investigations, its common for targets to meet with U.S. law enforcement agents to sniff out information about the probe.

However, the documents unsealed Wednesday described Saabs cooperation as proactive and more extensive and meaningful than previously believed.

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According to prosecutors, the first debriefing with agents from the DEA and Federal Bureau of Investigation took place in Colombias capital of Bogota over two days in August 2016. Other meetings in which Saab was represented by Colombian and U.S. attorneys ensued and in 2018 he was signed up as a cooperating source after stating to agents that he had paid bribes to Venezuelan officials, none of whom were named in the documents unsealed Wednesday.

At the last meeting, in Europe in April 2019, he was warned that if he didnt surrender by the May deadline he would be sanctioned and criminally charged, something that indeed happened in July 2019.
The family of a 13-year-old girl falsely detained and accused of threatening to kill a teacher and blow up a school has filed a lawsuit against the school and the social media giant where the threats were made by somebody who impersonated her.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the 13-year-old, Nia Whims, by her mother, Lezlie-Ann Davis, seeks damages in excess of $30,000 from Renaissance Charter School in Pembroke Pines and Meta, the parent company of Instagram, where the threats appeared.

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The lawsuit said the Pembroke Pines Police Department, which arrested Whims, will be added as a defendant.

Pembroke Pines police admit a 12-year-old classmate impersonated Whims on Instagram and made threats toward the 12-year-old, a teacher, and the school. The 12-year-old now has been charged with the crime.

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Attorney Marwan Porter, 13-year-old Nia Whims, and Nias mother Lezlie-Ann Jones, at a Wednesday news conference where they announced a lawsuit over Nia's arrest and detention on charges of threatening a teacher, a former classmate, and a school. The former classmate has been arrested and accused of impersonating Whims and making the threats. (Chris Perkins/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The lawsuit is claiming malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and a violation of civil rights on the part of the defendants as well as negligence on the part of Instagram.

Whims has always denied sending the messages. She said her time in the detention center was scary and said she doesnt like talking to people about the experience.

[ VIDEO: Car goes around railroad crossing arm before being hit by Brightline train ]

People will come up to me and say, Nia, are you the person on the news? Whims said. I just have to lie and say, No.

Whims and Davis say the threats were part of a months-long bullying effort by a number of students against Whims. Davis said she withdrew Whims from the school due to the bullying only a day before the threats were received.

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The threats, received Nov. 18, said Whims would kill the 12-year-old, kill a teacher at the school and her family, and blow up the school.

On Nov. 19, Pembroke Pines police learned of the threat, secured the school, and determined it was safe. Police interviewed Whims and her mother at their home later that afternoon, which is when Whims was arrested.

[ IN OTHER NEWS: Shooting victim dies, baby saved when car plunges into canal ]

Pembroke Pines Police spokesman Capt. Adam Feiner said at a news conference last week that police were acting under exigent circumstances when they made the arrest.

Davis disagrees.

After 4 p.m., when school is closed, where is the danger? she asked. Why was she arrested?

Whims spent almost two weeks at a juvenile detention center, where her attorney, Marwan Porter, said she was threatened by older girls.

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Porter and Davis said Davis contacted the school a few times and attempted to address the bullying situation but got no response.

Colleen Reynolds, public relations and marketing counselor for Edge Communications, which handles media responses for Renaissance Charter School, said in a statement, Our highest priority remains the safety and security of our students. We always have and always will take all appropriate actions to ensure our students and staff are safe. We do not comment on pending litigation.

Maj. Al Xiques of the Pembroke Pines police said the agency has no information regarding a lawsuit.

No response has been received from Meta/Instagram.

Chris Perkins can be reached at chperkins@sunsentinel.com.
Although they were still putting some finishing touches on the new location for Conways Planning and Building departments, all of the employees were there Friday morning already doing business.

The 11,700-square-foot building, located at the corner of Laurel Street and Second Avenue in Downtown Conway, officially opened this morning.

Arborist Wanda Lilly was one of the first employees settled in the building Thursday.

I finally have a window, and its wonderful, she said of her new office.

Many of the employees who are in the new building have come from the Ike Long building, just down Laurel Street.

No one was left in the Long building Friday morning.

GIS analysis Christina Powers also likes the location of the new building downtown. Before this week her office was out U.S. 378 in the city shop.

Powers definitely expects her lunch hours to be different downtown where she will be close to the city marina, riverwalk, downtown shops and restaurants.

She was transitioning Friday from sharing an office to being her offices only occupant.

She wasnt sure how she was going to like that.

Its going to be different, very different, she said.

Powers said in the past if she wanted to meet with other employees she had to drive downtown.

Still, she said, leaving her old office and fellow employees was bitter sweet, and she wondered about leaving her very quiet surroundings to settle into the new building where she said, Its a full house here.

Lilly especially likes that much of the buildings interior was left, giving the offices a lot of character.

Robert Cooper, who helped transform the building into well-lighted, up-to-date offices with computers and printers, said not a lot was changed in the buildings transformation.

It already had, and still does, five bathrooms. There are fifteen offices, plus one small and one large conference room. City workers built a porch on the back and another one on the front. They havent done anything to a large attached warehouse.
CARLINVILLE  A Macoupin County Board member is taking heat after comments he made  sarcastically, the board chairman says  during a board meeting about establishing a cat hunting season akin to deer hunting season found their way to social media.

Board member Todd Armours comments came after a former Macoupin County Animal Control and Adoption Center employee complained to the board during its Feb. 8 meeting about conditions at the shelter.

"I wish that someone would come in and set the animals free, Macie Brown said of the shelter. They would have been better on the streets than trapped at that place."

Brown alleged that the shelter  a limited-kill facility  would house sick cats with healthy cats, wasnt clean, that she found dead cats in closets, and that she wasnt reimbursed the out-of-pocket money she spent on helping the cats.

"Working there was the worst month of my life," Brown said.

Armour defended the shelter by putting the blame on the stray cat population.

"Having a no-kill shelter anywhere is insanity," Armour said. "You cannot stay ahead of wild animals breeding in the wild; you cannot do it. That's why we have deer hunting season; that's why we have duck hunting season. At risk of making everybody mad, cat hunting season isn't totally a bad idea, because you can't stay ahead of it. There is not unlimited funds out there to bring these cats in, especially when they're sick. You bring a sick cat into a healthy shelter, you've got an unhealthy shelter."

Armours comments were captured on camera and posted to Facebook by Macoupin County resident Jim Cloud, who attended the meeting to record Browns presentation to the board. He said he didnt realize how much pushback would be directed Armours way as a result.

"I have nothing against Todd," Cloud said. "I actually cringed at some of the comments people were saying.

Armour did not respond to requests for comment.

Seven of nine cats that were brought to the shelter in January died of feline panleukopenia, Macoupin County Board Chairman Larry Schmidt said, noting that he visited the shelter the day after he heard concerns about it.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, feline panleukopenia is a highly contagious virus that once was a leading cause of death in cats but is much rarer today because of effective vaccines.

"They were all given their shots and the vet checked them out, but (panleukopenia) was not diagnosed by the vet," Schmidt said.

Schmidt downplayed Armours comment about cat hunting season, saying "he was just being sarcastic" and noting that "it's illegal" to kill cats.

He also downplayed Browns complaints about the shelter, saying they were based in her passion for animals more than in facts.

"I believe this girl is trying to make more than what it is," he said.

Along with visiting the Macoupin shelter, Schmidt talked with the Animal Protective League in Springfield and learned that 60 cats there recently have died of feline panleukopenia, he said.

"This is not an isolated incident, he said, noting that state inspectors also recently gave the Macoupin shelter a passing grade.

"I don't feel we have been neglectful in the past," he said. "We try to do everything we can for the welfare of the animals."

Macoupin animal control has two full-time employees, two part-time employees and no intention of becoming a shelter that euthanizes animals not adopted within 30 days, Schmidt said.

"We're currently hiring a third part-time employee," he said.
Thaddeus Bergschneider of Franklin High School has taken first place in the Central Illinois Poetry Out Loud competition at Hoogland Center for the Arts in Springfield.

Bergschneider recited Jimmy Santiago Bacas I Am Offering this Poem, among others, to lead the competition.

Cole Delaney of Franklin High School and Jackson Vogel of Eureka High School finished in second and third places, respectively.

As a result of their regional finish, Bergschneider and Delaney will advance to the state Poetry Out Loud contest in March. That virtual competition will feature poetry recitations by two students from each Poetry Out Loud region in the state, with the champion advancing to national competition.

Some 973 students and 17 teachers at six central Illinois schools began the Poetry Out Loud season in the fall.

Others making it to the regional contest were: Elizabeth Palagi and Jazmyn Schnetzler, Eisenhower High School (Decatur); Emma Ingersoll, Eureka High School; Josephine Brunner, Lutheran High School (Springfield); Jillian Herter and Gracie Reeder, Sacred Heart-Griffin High School (Springfield); and Dallis Anderson, Springfield High School (Springfield)

Matt Schwartz of Jacksonville was among the regional contests recitation judges.

Poetry Out Loud is a national effort to encourage high school students to learn about poetry through analysis, memorization, performance and competition. In Illinois, it is sponsored by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and seven regional agencies, including the Springfield Area Arts Council.
Walking for Wellness: 7 a.m.-1 p.m., Jacksonville High School Bowl, 215 S. Church St. Free | Indoor walking program open each day Jacksonville schools are in session.

Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 9 a.m.-noon, Jacksonville Food Center, 316 E. State St. Free | For Morgan County residents.

Free Noon Meal: 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., The Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. | Meals in to-go containers can be picked up at side door.

CASA Volunteer Informational Meeting: 12:15 p.m., Advocacy Network for Children, virtual event. | Informational meetings via Zoom for those interested in becoming a court-appointed special advocate. Training in Morgan County Feb. 18-20. For more information, contact Danielle Buss at 217-223-2272 or dbuss@advonet.org.

Walking for Wellness: 12:30-3 p.m., First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. Free | Indoor walking program offered year-round Monday-Thursday. For more information, call 217-243-6445.

Commodity Food Distribution: 1:15 p.m., The Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. Free | For income-eligible residents of Morgan County. Bring proof of residence and a box for food.

Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen: 3:30-4 p.m., Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen, 105 E. Dunlap St. Free | Serving meals to go for anyone in need.

County Line Dance Club Class: 6:30 p.m., The Hangout Bar & Grill, 901 W. Superior Ave. $5.

Author Event with Jasmine Guillory: 7 p.m., Jacksonville Public Library Zoom program. Free | Author Jasmine Guillory discusses her new book and is joined by author Morgan Rogers. View event at home or at the library. To register, email Sarah at ssnyder@jaxpl.org.

Thursday

Walking for Wellness: 7 a.m.-1 p.m., Jacksonville High School Bowl, 215 S. Church St. Free | Indoor walking program open each day Jacksonville schools are in session.

Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 9 a.m.-noon, Jacksonville Food Center, 316 E. State St. Free | For Morgan County residents.

Free Noon Meal: 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., The Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. | Meals in to-go containers can be picked up at side door.

Walking for Wellness: 12:30-3 p.m., First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. Free | Indoor walking program offered year-round Monday-Thursday. For more information, call 217-243-6445.

Blood Drive: 1-6 p.m., Illini Community Hospital, 640 W. Washington St., Pittsfield. | To make an appointment, go to blessingshealth.org.

Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen: 3:30-4 p.m., Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen, 105 E. Dunlap St. Free | Serving meals to go for anyone in need.
MIAMI  Gov. Ron DeSantis press secretary escalated the war of words on Tuesday with the leader of Floridas Roman Catholic Church, saying Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski lied last week when he spoke against an executive action that targets shelters housing unaccompanied migrant youth.

Lying is a sin, Christina Pushaw wrote in a tweet accompanying a photograph of the archbishop that included a quote from Wenski from a Feb. 10 press conference at the Archdiocese of Miami. At the event, business and religious leaders along with immigration advocates opposed DeSantis immigration policies.

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Archbishop Thomas Wenski celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in an empty St. Mary Cathedral in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, April 5, 2020. (Ana Rodriguez-Soto / Courtesy)

About 20 minutes after her tweet, Pushaw clarified in another tweet that she meant to refer to Wenski personally: I pointed out that he lied about what @GovRonDeSantis said.... Pushaw was referring to a comment by Wenski last week in which the archbishop said: Children are children, and no child should be deemed disgusting, especially by a public servant.

Read more at Miami Herald.
Republican state Sen. Steve McClure of Springfield is asking lawmakers to allow state Department of Children and Family Services investigators to carry personal defense equipment such as Mace or pepper spray.

The move comes after the January death of Deidre Silas. The 36-year-old DCFS caseworker was stabbed to death while making a home visit in Thayer in Sangamon County.

It was the second death of a DCFS employee in the past three years. Pam Knight was beaten severely during a 2019 home visit in Milledgeville and died months later from her injuries.

McClure on Tuesday introduced legislation that would allow Department of Children and Family Services employees to carry Mace or pepper spray while investigating child abuse and neglect reports. Workers would have to complete a training program by Illinois State Police on proper use of the defensive measures.

It is legal for people to carry pepper spray for their own protection, as many do all over this state. Yet DCFS workers, who have to walk into abusive homes, are not allowed that same protection, McClure said. This is a common-sense step to help them stay safe while performing what is an incredibly important job.

Identical legislation was introduced in the House by state Rep. Sandy Hamilton, R-Springfield.

It is the right thing to do so that those who are working to protect abused children can also have at least one tool to protect themselves in these situations," Hamilton said. "This is something they can keep on a key chain to disable an attacker long enough to get away and get help."

Similar proposals have been introduced during this session of the General Assembly. Among them is one by state Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, that would allow caseworkers to be armed in the course of their duties.
Nothing stops the push by Congress for more immigration  not 9/11, not the mortgage meltdown and Wall Street crisis, not dismal Bureau of Labor Statistics job reports and not COVID-19.

Despite the fact that about 1 million new lawful permanent residents get work authorization each year, about 750,000 guest workers arrive annually in a typical year and dozens of types of non-immigrant visas include employment permission, Congress is never satisfied.

Congress insists, predictably and tediously, that without more foreign-born labor, the economy will collapse and small businesses will vanish. These baseless claims, consistently proven false, are repeated year after year after year.

Example: In 2017, mostly at the horse racing industrys behest, the Senate and House both introduced bills that predicted without more H-2B nonagricultural visas, horse racing might become extinct. But, four years later, the Kentucky Derby and smaller races at other nationwide tracks continue to draw large, revenue-generating crowds.

Another example: Last year, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-California, an immigration lawyer and chair of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, introduced a bill that would create a new temporary visa for founders of start-up ventures. In her press release, Lofgren said that more immigration leads to more American jobs, an often-made, but misleading claim.

Although Lofgrens bill went nowhere, Silicon Valley recorded record profits in 2021, and The New York Times predicted that titans Google, Apple, Microsoft and other tech giants will be rolling in dough for years to come. From its July story: The combined stock market valuation of Apple, Alphabet, Nvidia, Tesla, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook increased by about 70% to more than $10 trillion. That is roughly the size of the entire U.S. stock market in 2002. Apple alone has enough cash in its coffers to give $600 to every person in the United States.

The latest assault on American workers is an immigration train wreck coyly called the America Competes Act of 2022. Boiled down to the bills most harmful elements, the America Competes Act would:

Create a non-immigrant visa program for foreign investors of start-ups and entrepreneurs, their families and so-called but undefined essential foreign workers who work for them, also allowing their family members to receive work permits.

Create a one-year path to an unlimited number of "green cards" for any visa holder who meets certain investment and ownership stake requirements.

Create an unlimited number of green cards for foreign citizens who hold a doctoral degree from a U.S. institution of higher learning or an equivalent degree from a foreign university.

Create a five-year program that creates 5,000 Special Immigrant Visas yearly for Hong Kong residents, amounting to an additional 25,000 green cards over the five-year period.

Authorize an unlimited refugee/asylee program for certain Hong Kong residents.

Change existing law to treat Hong Kong as a separate state from China in determining per-country limits for existing green card categories.

Grant Temporary Protected Status with work permission for Hong Kong residents currently in the U.S., regardless of their existing immigration status, which may include unlawfully present status.

Under the guise of promoting American innovation, the acts hodgepodge of vague language makes almost anything possible. One thing is certain  the America Competes Act will massively increase legal immigration, flood the labor market, make job searches for Americans in all sectors more difficult, and have an adverse effect on recent U.S. college graduates hoping to begin their careers.

The bill intentionally harms U.S. citizens, but will be a bonanza for arriving foreign nationals, employers addicted to cheap labor and Silicon Valley multimillionaires. No greater gap exists between voters and Congress than on immigration policy.

The thoroughly awful, destructive America Competes Act is one of the most powerful examples of why the immigration chasm is so wide.
A few weeks ago, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman made a startling suggestion. He proposed a cross-party 2024 presidential ticket: Joe Biden and Liz Cheney, perhaps, or Kamala Harris and Mitt Romney, or another combination of a leading Democrat and an anti-Trump Republican.

Friedmans reasoning is that the U.S. is at a crossroads, and he contends that the main body of the Republican Party has shown that it isnt committed any longer to playing by democratic rules, leaving the United States uniquely threatened among Western democracies. Under these circumstances, he wrote, the country needs a broad national unity vehicle that would draw members of both parties. We all have to be small-d democrats now, or we wont have a system to be big-D or big-R anythings, he continued.

To buttress his argument, he turned to Israels current national unity government, which united members of the right and left in an effort to turn down the heat generated by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus bid to delegitimize the government and judicial system. As Israeli leaders treat each other ... with a little more respect, and a little less contempt, because they are out of Facebook and into face-to-face relations again, stuff is getting done, Friedman writes.

It was certainly an attention-getting column, and its hard to argue with the idea that we and our democratic system remain in perilous times. It may well be that to avoid a lurch toward authoritarianism, or at least toward a government that willfully violates democratic norms, some dramatic development like Friedmans suggestion will prove appealing to many Americans.

But looking back at the sweep of American history we also need to keep in mind that our system as it stands now, for all its flaws, has served us remarkably well. For over 200 years, through some very tough times, weve wrestled with the problem of how government should work in a democracy. Weve persisted through economic turmoil, world wars, a terrible depression, and social and racial tumult. Each time, though the path has at times been harrowing, weve adjusted, found common ground, passed legislation that, in general, has made this a fairer and more just nation, and moved forward.

Its worth remembering that this is a pragmatic country that mostly prefers the middle to the extremes. In a writeup noting that 2021 saw the balance in party identification shift from leaning Democratic toward leaning Republican as the year wore on, Gallup pointed out that, overall last year, an average of 29% of Americans identified as Democrats, 27% as Republicans and 42% as independents. Roughly equal proportions of independents leaned to the Democratic Party (17%) and to the Republican Party (16%). Ours is still an electorate that is most comfortable in the center.

The truth is, its impossible to see around the next political corner. Theres no question that there are worrisome trends, especially the taste for restricting and possibly even overturning the vote that weve seen in recent years in Republican-dominated state legislatures and the increasingly outsized influence that sparsely populated states hold on Capitol Hill. Yet if theres one thing that our centuries of experience with representative democracy tell us, its that Americans are fiercely creative about exercising their democratic rights and that when things get out of kilter they pull the country back on course.

Dont get me wrong. When Lincoln asked at Gettysburg whether this nation so conceived and so dedicated can endure, he was posing a question for all time. Our status as a democracy and as a land of opportunity for all has never been a given, and never will be. Lincoln spoke at a battlefield that was the result of the last time we failed utterly to navigate deep national divisions; the Civil War left such deep scars that were still not over them.

Clawing our way back from perilous times to a government in Washington that is capable of getting things done, as Friedman put it in his column, will take time, patience, and a willingness to compromise  on both sides of the aisle  thats been in short supply in recent years.

Weve done it before. My hope and belief is that we can do it again.
In attempting to censure Republicans investigating the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, the Republican National Committee criticized these members of Congress for their participation in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.

With those three words, the Republican National Committee joined the biggest historical blunders, perhaps costing the party dearly. Its time for the members of the GOP to take back the RNC from the Trump faction.

Mistakes are common throughout history. Theres Dewey Defeats Truman and The Unsinkable Titanic. But this 2022 RNC party resolution might even top naive British Conservative Prime Minister Neville Chamberlains assertion that the Munich Pact brought us Peace in our time when Hitler was on the verge of launching World War II.

History is not a burden on the memory, but an illumination of the soul, Lord Acton said. And thankfully, the soul of the Republican Party is starting to wake up to dangers of one-man party rule, which leads to resolutions like this.

GOP Indiana Sen. Todd Young said, Dont know any American who views Jan. 6 as legitimate political discourse'. North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis disputed the characterization of Jan. 6 as legitimate political discourse. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney of the GOP said, To suggest that a violent attacks on the seat of democracy is legitimate political discourse is so far from accurate as to shock and make people wonder what were thinking. He added, Anything that my party does that comes across as being stupid is not going to help us.

Former GOP New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie decried the resolution as made by a small group of Trump loyalists, bemoaning how the resolution is distracting from the GOP message. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell labeled it as a violent insurrection.

Is the use of dangerous and deadly weapons on officers, hitting officers with bear spray, threatening the lives of leaders, theft and damage to the U.S. Capitol in the millions of dollars, really legitimate political discourse? Why is law enforcement prosecuting them if it was actually legitimate?

The damage will go well beyond the RNC as well as Trump. As the conservative National Review magazine wrote, the words legitimate political discourse and saying nobody should be prosecuted would be used against hundreds of elected Republicans who were not consulted in its drafting and do not endorse its meaning ... its wording is political malpractice of the highest order.

Republican politicians and most of their supporters were clearly not consulted about these words. If they had, few if any would opt for such terms that could well cost the party the election in 2022 and 2024. Turning the party message over to the anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers was a serious error, while attacking an economy, which improved over what Trump left us, was another mistake (they should be focused on all of the red ink and government spending). But now the RNC is firmly aligning itself with those who committed perhaps the darkest act in U.S. history. By calling it legitimate political discourse, it insults the intelligence of anyone who watched any video of the coup attempt.

The Republican Party could have generally written off the actions of those who stormed the U.S. Capitol as a few hundred crazies who dont speak for the party, targeting the GOP as much as Democrats on Jan. 6. Not anymore.

To save the party, the Republican faithful must reclaim it from those who see their priority as protecting a man who never really reflected the party.
Three more cities will ask voters to OK use tax
TEHRAN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A top Iranian security official said on Wednesday that Tehran will hold no talks beyond the scopes of a 2015 nuclear deal with the "oath-breaker" United States and "idle" Europe.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani tweeted the United States and Europe have failed the test of fulfilling their commitments under the nuclear pact, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

He noted that at present, the JCPOA has turned into an "empty shell" for Iran, failing to produce any economic dividend or lift the sanctions.

His tweet read "No negotiations beyond the JCPOA will be held with the oath-breaker United States and idle Europe."

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments one year later and advance its halted nuclear programs.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Austria's capital Vienna between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties, namely Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the United States indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal. 
Blackshear, GA (31516)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 91F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Tuolumne and Calaveras, and Mariposa and Stanislaus Public Health report Active Covid Case numbers View Photo

Calaveras County Public Health reports the death of a man in his 80s due to Covid-19.

There are 50 new cases since Mondays report, active cases increased seven to 49 including six Covid hospitalizations. There are 42 more counted as recovered for a total of 6,882 and 57.05% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated in the county.

Beginning tomorrow masks are only required on public transit, in schools (update here), in care/hospital settings, and indoors for those not vaccinated. Surgical masks or higher-level respirators (e.g., N95s, KN95s, KF94s) with good fit are highly recommended. The updated masking order and information can be found here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/guidance-for-face-coverings.aspx Mega events guidance, long-term care, hospital visitation, skilled nursing and care facilities visitation guidance are here. Public health recommends fully vaccinated individuals continue indoor masking in high-risk settings.

Tuolumne County Public Health reports 35 new Covid cases since Mondays report, 30 are community cases, active community cases decreased 22 to 153 including 10 people who are hospitalized. There are five newly identified inmate cases at the Sierra Conservation Center. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reports 66 active inmate cases. There have been 2,398 inmate cases according to Tuolumne Public Health. The first wave of inmate cases reached a peak of 831 cases in 14 days vs. a peak of 775 in the most recent wave. The prisons inmate population is currently 2,928.

The newly reported community cases include seven cases age 17 or younger and 10 cases age 60 or older. The new Covid cases demographics: one girl and two boys age 11 or younger, one girl and three boys age 12 to 17, three men age 18 to 29, three women and two men in their 30s, one woman and two men in their 40s, two men in their 50s, two women and three men in their 60s, and three women and two men in their 70s.

The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County decreased to 49.4 from 51.7 per 100,000 population. The case rate reached a high of 174.8 on January 24th. A total of 52 were released from isolation in all 9,955 have been released from isolation. The 7-day test positivity rate is 9.8% and 62% of the population eligible to get vaccinated has been vaccinated. Vaccination details per case are no longer reported, the state vaccination trends are here.

You can help slow the spread of COVID-19 by self-isolating when you have symptoms or a positive test result. Also, notify any close contacts youve had from 2 days before you became ill or got tested. Any close contacts should follow current quarantine guidance and get tested 3-5 days after exposure. If you are at high risk of severe disease or hospitalization, you can contact your doctor to discuss potential treatment options. If you are not symptomatic, have not tested positive for COVID-19 recently, and are not in quarantine, public health officials recommend getting vaccinated or boosted.

COVID-19 Testing Public health recommends scheduling an appointment to get tested 5 days after possible exposure and if you are having any symptoms, to get tested right away. The Tuolumne County State testing site schedule is 7 days a week from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds. Appointments can be made at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123. Testing is also available at pharmacies, at Rapid Care, and the hospital emergency department if you are experiencing any symptoms, or contact your healthcare provider. More details are here.

COVID-19 Vaccine The CDC recommends people receive a booster shot if they completed a Pfizer series at least five months ago, or the Moderna series at least six months ago, or a J&J vaccine at least two months ago. Vaccine appointments for children ages 5 to 11 can also be made through myturn.ca.gov, or by calling 833-422-4255, or through local pharmacies, more details are here. For ways to manage a fear of needles or a phobia and help others with it, view the CDCs information guide here. Learn more about self-care strategies by visiting namica.org

County

Date

New

Active (Hospital)

Total 2022 All Cases (All Deaths) Amador 2/14 (M/Th) 64 139 (11) 1,602 5,768

(68) Calaveras 2/15 50 49 (6) 2,338 7,039

(108) Mariposa 2/15 4 40 (21) 1,031 2,894

(20) Mono 2/15 3 N/A 984 2,954

(8) Stanislaus 2/15 130 5,613 (152) 31,891 116,696

(1,597) Tuolumne 2/15 62 175 (11) 4,610 12,637 (166) Reported cases at end of 2021 and 2020 Amador updates Monday and Thursday.
The Abraham Art Gallery is excited to announce the new exhibit from the National Center for Childrens Illustrated Literature, TALL TALES & HUGE HEARTS: THE ART RAUL COLON. The show features over 70 original watercolor works selected from a variety of childrens books. The exhibit is open to the public through April 8.

Born in New York City in 1952, Raul Colon moved with his parents to Caguas, Puerto Rico at age 10 where he was able to study commercial art funded by a US government program. He derived inspiration from comic books as well as music, with particular admiration for the original artist of the comic books Spider Man, Steve Ditko. Over the years, he also found inspiration in the films of Stanley Kubrick and editorial illustrator, Brad Holland. Colon moved to Florida in 1978 where he gained experience designing everything from puppets to animated short films for educational television. By the 1990s, Colon had settled in New York City with his family as a freelance artist with a diverse skillset, landing work in editorial illustrations, novel covers and posters. He illustrated his first picture book in 1995.
Fuse/Getty Images

Texas is home to many snake species, but when a non-native creature slithers into the wild, it can cause a stir. That's what happened last summer when a venomous West African Banded Cobra escaped from its enclosure in North Texas. On February 9, the snake's owner was arrested for illegally releasing the creature into the wild, the Dallas Observer reports.

Lawrence Matl, 23, of Grand Prairie was apprehended by authorities for violating the "release from captivity" law under the Texas Parks and Wildlife code.
Animal Care Services

Officers with the Animal Care Services are rehoming close to 50 dogs found living in a small house on the Eastside without a primary caregiver in San Antonio Tuesday morning, according to a post from the agency. ACS tells MySA the dogs are predominantly Labrador mixes, ranging in all ages from puppies to adults.

ACS said a pair of relatives of the primary caregiver, who recently passed away, has been trying to care for the pets on the property, but added the time and expense quickly became overwhelming as one of the caretakers has special needs and the other is from out of state.
SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett

The CEO of a Texas construction company was among a leaked list of 90,000 names of individuals who donated to a GiveSendGo fund for the Canadian anti-vaccine mandate protestors calling themselves the Freedom Convoy.

Ben Pogue, the CEO of Pogue Construction out of McKinney, donated $20,000 to the GiveSendGo trucker convoy fund. Pogue is the same Texas CEO that provided use of a private jet to Donald J. Trump's 2020 campaign. Pogue's father, who pled filing false tax returns in 2010, would receive a pardon months later.
As the investigation into Austin's recent three-day boil-water notice moves along, Austin City Council called a special meeting on February 15 to ask questions of outgoing Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros. A bevy of reasons for the spate of water issues were brought up  employee retention and training, climate change  but Meszaros, who resigned on February 11, was first showered with accolades by city council.

Despite overseeing the third boil-water notice in the past four years, which representatives from the water utility made clear to mention multiple times were "unique" events, each city council member began their line of questioning with heavy praise for Meszaros, who has led Austin Water for 15 years.

"Today is the beginning of many steps the city must take to rebuild that public trust," said councilwoman Paige Ellis, adding, "This was due to an employee oversight at the Ullrich Plant."

She praised the city's staff and mentioned that she did not want to vilify specific employees but rather zoom out and figure out how the accident could have happened. Is the city hiring and retaining the best possible staff? Is training and pay up to snuff? Are working conditions safe?

Austin Water began by explaining exactly what happened leading up to the most recent boil-water notice on February 5.

Crews filled a basin with water to start treating it the night before. At that point, the utility begins "seeding," defined as mixing water and processed solids into the basin. Typically, a representative for Austin Water said, that process takes a few hours, but for reasons as yet defined, the seeding continued throughout the night, which created high turbidity in the water.

That water continued on to the 18 filters at the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, and the water exiting the filters into an underground storage tank  the reservoir that pumps water out to various distribution systems  set off alarms indicating an issue with the filters. The water then was "pumped out to the community for about an hour and a half of higher turbidity water that exceeded some of the regulatory standards," according to Austin Water.

Staff was notified the morning of February 5, the plant was immediately shutdown, the filters cleaned, and production at the Davis and Handcox plants was ramped up to meet community needs.

City council asked why there was a 12-hour delay between Austin Water learning of the situation and the boil-water notice being issued. Meszaros said that they were working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to potentially issue a boil-water notice more limited in scope than the one that was eventually issued. But once determining that Ullrich served water that could potentially get to two-thirds of customers in the city, Meszaros says he personally made the call for a citywide boil notice.

"You're balancing this desire to get the facts right and understand what happened and work with TCEQ and configure your boil water notice and line up to notify the public with the time," he said. "You don't want to wait too long, but you want to be thoughtful with your decision-making. Regulatory-wise  that's our Bible, regulations  you must do it in 24 hours, ideally sooner."

City council also had questions about why the other Austin Water plants couldn't handle the city when the Ullrich Plant shut down. Meszaros said that though the system is interlinked with multiple points of redundancy, Ullrich is the largest plant by far, and that efforts to strengthen it are imperative.

"When Ullrich is wobbly, the system is going to be wobbly," he said. "Ullrich is critical. It is uniquely situated with regards to distribution and transmission."

He also brought up a stark statistic regarding the culture at Austin Water, a question that many city council members brought up in regards to preventing future errors. Meszaros said that 20 employees left Austin Water in January of this year.

"That's the most we've ever had leave in one month," he said. "Our experience is being diluted. We used to have a lot of operators with 20, 25 years of experience. Those days are gone. We are seeing persistent turnover."

Chito Vela, Austin's newest councilman, asked about refunding customers or crediting their bills following the water boil. Meszaros said that he has looked into that possibility.

"We are evaluating how we can give a credit to customers for this event," he said. "Not only the upset, but maybe they used more water to flush the pipes. There's an opportunity for us to acknowledge that. A 2,000 gallon credit for us would be very manageable, something like that."

After Meszaros answered questions, city council voted to break, noting that they'll have more to discuss at Thursday's Austin Water Oversight Committee meeting, with some members asking that the utility prepare to put these answers and explanations in writing.
The unofficial term for the real estate market right now is "bonkers." Housing costs are rising and cities across Texas and the U.S. are seeing an influx of new residents. Making things more complicated is there are now multiple generations vying for the same properties as millennial home buyers try to enter the market while Boomers look to downsize.

It's all leading to some of the most interesting trends (or mind-boggling, depending on your financial outlook), such as the rise of million-dollar cities. In 2021, the U.S. added 146 new cities where the typical home value is priced at $1 million or more, according to a new Zillow report. It was the most million-dollar cities added to the list in a single year, the real estate site says.

For the first time, a San Antonio-area enclave was added to the list: Hill Country Village. The city, which is located south of Loop 1604 and just west of 281, had a typical home price of $1,215,000 in December 2021, earning it a spot among the most expensive cities in the country. (Two weeks ago, San Antonio Express-News even featured this stunning Hill Country Village mansion, listed for $1.5 million.)

Only 12 months before, Hill Country Village would not have qualified for the list. In December 2020, it had a typical home value of $971,451, but during the pandemic-fueled real estate frenzy of 2021, Hill Country Village's typical home price grew 25 percent.

Hill Country Village's rise in typical home prices actually echoes the nationwide trend. According to Zillow, the typical U.S. home gained 19.6 percent in value last year.

"The surge in demand for housing last year sent home values skyrocketing, even in places where prices already were sky-high, and that helped tip a record number of cities into the million-dollar club," said Jeff Tucker, Zillow senior economist, in the report. "The locations of these newly seven-figure towns bust the myth that everyone fled California and the Northeast last year, as California, Massachusetts, and New York led the pack for the most new cities with home values above $1 million. Still, we're seeing how the geography of wealth in the U.S. has begun to shift."

In total Texas has 13 million-dollar cities, the rest of which are in Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin. Joining Hill Country Village on this year's list is Bartonville, Southlake Westlake, Westover Hills, Highland Park, and University Park, all located in the DFW Metroplex. Million-dollar cities in the Austin region are West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, Lost Creek, Volente, Sunset Valley, and Bear Creek.

Despite the country's average 19.1 percent rise in home prices that Zillow reports, the real estate authority says home buyers don't need millions to purchase a new home. Instead, should come prepared  and pre-approved.

"With such sharp increases in home prices over the last year, we're seeing tons of demand come from current homeowners who've decided to tap into their home equity to move up into their dream home," said Erik Throm, an agent with Fast Real Estate in San Francisco. "But even expensive homes are moving quickly in this market, and shoppers should be prepared with a pre-qualification letter and the help of a trusted local agent who knows the pros and cons of their specific neighborhood and how to structure a winning bid that still protects a buyer in an incredibly competitive and high-priced market."
NEW BRAUNFELS  Ron Snider, the businessman who brought Krauses Cafe back to life, knew he had a terminal case of pulmonary fibrosis about five years before he died in April, said his son Chris Snider, who now operates the restaurant.

For most of that time, though, he shared his diagnosis only with family and close friends while defying his doctor by keeping a busy schedule overseeing construction of Krauses biergarten and pavilion.

He was definitely a proud person, and he didnt want sympathy. But it gave us a time to connect, Chris said. I got the opportunity to work with him, to understand his vision and get my hands around what it takes to operate what we affectionately refer to as a three-ring circus.

Founded in 1938, Krauses closed its doors in 1985. It reopened in 2017 with 70 beers on tap and a menu full of German staples (schweinshaxe, or roasted pork shank, and potato pancakes) as well as Texas ones (fried chicken, pig burgers). That year, it got a rave review from Express-News food critic Mike Sutter  A beerhall that could be airlifted, survive and thrive in any city hungry for the convergence of Old World archetypes with New World style, he wrote.

Today, Snider co-owns the cafe with his mother, Carol, and his sister, Megan Lowe.

Kin Man Hui / Staff photographer

Ron Snider had a passion for starting businesses, his son said. When he and Carol moved to New Braunfels in the 80s, they operated a company making playground equipment. They later sold it and started a company making barbecue pits. Selling that company, they invested in real estate in downtown New Braunfels. Along with Krauses, they opened the Italian restaurant 188 South.

At the time, downtown New Braunfels was largely vacant, the younger Snider said. I think he just saw the opportunity. He definitely fell in love with the process of redeveloping old buildings and finding good tenants for them, and helping those tenants be successful.

Snider, who also operates the Texas Titos pepper and pickle company, recently sat for an interview in Krauses pavilion to discuss his fathers legacy, difficulties finding staff and the rapid growth of New Braunfels. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

Q: Im surprised by how active your downtown is, how many small businesses there are.

A: It looks a lot different than it did 20 years ago. Its very vibrant now and occupancy is about 100 percent. Theres almost no vacant buildings down here anymore.

Q: Was there ever a question in your mind whether you would follow him in taking control of Krauses?

A: I had my doubts sometimes. He and I, we worked well together sometimes and other times it was a big challenge. You know, the restaurant business is a big business. It consumes a lot and were open a lot. We run seven days a week, we run long hours. I have a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old. I dont know that it would necessarily be a choice that I would make for my family and me, but its definitely something that we enjoy. My kids were raised here, they grew up here, they run around like they own the place.

Q: From what Ive read about your father, it sounds like he was a very energetic businessman. Is it difficult to carry that on?

A: It is. I didnt realize how many things he actually did and how much energy he actually had, especially at his age and with his diagnosis. Its amazing. But he taught me how to work with people and not trying to do everything myself. And trust people. You know, things werent ever going to go perfectly, but make prompt decisions and just keep moving.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

Q: Do you do things differently from him?

A: He taught me most of what I know, but he and I definitely had a slightly different approach. One thing, he loved starting companies, but he didnt necessarily like operating companies. He got bored with operating companies and I like operating companies. I like processes and procedures, I like putting things and systems in place. Its got daily challenges, mostly personnel-related, especially in this business. I mean, its all about people, right? Its the customers, its the employees. Its such a people business. I like the challenges of operating day in and day out. That may be one of the only things Im better at than he was!

Q: Theres a lot of tradition at this business. How do you respect that tradition while staying up to date with modern tastes?

A: We try to be respectful of the typical German beer hall, respectful of the cafe, and then bring some more modern elements, especially outdoors here. For example, were installing TVs out here right now, but we kind of have a no-TV mandate in the beer hall and the cafe.

We keep the traditional dishes on. Obviously, those have to evolve as well, though. We tried a lot of the original recipes from 1938, what was popular at Krauses, and it was amazing how much criticism we got with those recipes, a lot of it from the people that remember them back then, that were like, This is not how it used to be!

You know, tastes evolve, but so do towns. We kind of look at this as, you know, New Braunfels is a very traditional town, but, boy, has it evolved. The population has grown. The roads have grown, the traffics increased. We look at Krauses as a microcosm of that. We try to grow Krauses and keep up with demand, keep up with modern times, but also honor the traditions. Put the German beers on tap, put the Texas beers on tap. Theres not a microwave in the kitchen. Cook everything, as much as we can, from scratch.

Q: What do you do to ensure authenticity from the standpoint of German culture? Do you have employees who are German?

A: We definitely have some German transplants on staff. One of them is a manager. For example, its her recipe from Germany thats our special this week. Its a very authentic German sauerbraten.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

At the same time, were a German American restaurant, hands down. I kind of compare that to your Tex-Mex restaurants. I mean, we have a chicken-fried steak on the menu. We have Shiner Bock on tap.

Q: Do you get visitors from Germany?

A: Sure do. We also get members of the military from San Antonio who were stationed in Germany. They like to come here and have the same experience. You know, Germany is big. Theres a lot of regions, and the food varies by region. We find that we get feedback depending on what region of Germany people are familiar with or stationed at. They kind of have praise or criticism of the German elements of our food accordingly.

Q: Have you had difficulty finding staff lately?

A: Yes, we have, but we also have a really, really good staff. I think everybodys having trouble finding staff, or everybody that I talk to. I keep seeing restaurants posting shortened hours. We try to avoid that as much as possible. We achieve some social distancing by limiting the number of people. We rarely fill all of these tables, and that comes largely from our inability to staff to the levels that we would like to. We had a record year, but we could have done a lot more sales with more staff, I believe.

Q: What are some ways youve tried to deal with the lack of staff?

A: One, weve worked on retention because its easier to keep somebody, typically, than to find somebody. Weve done that through paid time off, improving some of the policies for the workers, raising compensation, which is also in response to just the general market. Also, improving facilities. Were working on our kitchen right now to make it a better place to work. We really just try to have a good culture, to have good facilities and treat our staff well.

Photos by Kin Man Hui / Staff photographer

Q: New Braunfels is one of the fastest-growing towns in the U.S. How do you feel about that?

A: I definitely have mixed feelings. Growing up here, I think there were 20,000 people when we moved here, and it was a very tight community. And now, boy.

One thing I can say for sure is the opportunities have increased, and thats evidenced in downtown. The fact that theres zero vacancy, it just speaks to the demand. The fact that Krauses can exist in this size speaks of the demand. Theres a ton of opportunities. Its easy to get nostalgic and not want things to change.

I also dont have to drive to San Antonio and Austin to buy clothes, or go to the mall, or do all the things that I remember doing growing up. You know, you really dont have to leave town for much anymore.

Q: On your website you refer to New Braunfels as a German town. With so many people moving in, could you still say that?

A: Thats an interesting question. I would say its a German town with a lot of other heritage, including the Hispanic community, always growing. Theres a lot of tie-ins to that, too. German and Mexican culture, theres a lot of crossover, even in the music.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

New Braunfels is getting more and more diverse, and I think its for the better. It was a German town. It still has some strong German roots.

Q: You feel good about the direction New Braunfels is heading?

A: I do. Theres a lot of citizens here that care a lot about the future of the community. And the problems that we have here are good problems, right? Were trying to figure out how to  I dont want to say fight the growth  but how to control the growth. What kind of growth we want to see, what kind of housing we want to see. Were not worried about the fate of the community like some rural cities are. We have good problems in New Braunfels.
When Matt Brown stepped in as CEO of Centro San Antonio in 2019, the public-private nonprofit had just emerged from scandal after its staff accountant was accused of embezzling $291,000.

After the alleged fraud was discovered in 2017  leading to the resignation of then-CEO Pat DiGiovanni  some of Centros board members talked about narrowing its focus. Centro oversees two nonprofits with separate missions: One, the Centro Alliance, acts as a lobbying group for downtown investors, while the other manages the downtown public improvement district on the citys behalf.

Instead, Brown has expanded Centros reach, taking on new responsibilities to create public art, help small businesses and fight against homelessness. Under his watch, the nonprofit has turned Peacock Alley, which runs beside its offices on Broadway, into a venue for jazz concerts and movie nights. There is a plan to illuminate all of downtowns parks and plazas into a holiday wonderland during the Christmas season.

Jessica Phelps /Staff photographer

Brown, who grew up in Los Angeles, started his career as a lawyer practicing litigation, but it made him miserable.

You are a zero-sum game where youre battling the person or persons across the table from you, he said.

He moved into the childrens toy industry, co-founding Primordial, the maker of Zoob building sets. A desire to give back to the community led him to become director of the Office of Economic Development in Santa Fe, N.M., in 2017.

With his move to Centro in 2019, he has now worked in the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

I categorize it all in the effort of trying to make a more playful world and a more humane world. These are the kind of twin North Stars that drive everything that I do, he said.

Brown recently sat for an interview to talk about Centros recovery from the 2017 scandal, its lobbying activities and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected downtown. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: How have you changed Centro?

A: We did one main strategy shift, which was we stopped our one-off programs (i.e., one-time-only events) and focused exclusively on events that are scalable. That resulted, for example, in Peacock Alley.

The reason for doing that is if you want to have marketing value out of things like this, one-offs just cant do it. You spend a lot of money on a one-time event, and you just cant get that much attention. But if youre like, Hey, we got Peacock Alley, and then were going to have jazz every Friday, were going to have a skate event, you can attract different kinds of people over a period of time, and it builds a head of steam.

The other area is fundamental new additions of what we are. We are now a small business economic development agency. We have three people doing that full time.

Q: That wasnt there when you started?

A: It was non existent. There was the West Side Development Corp., (San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside), Southside First (Economic Development Council)  nonprofits that work on economic development and supporting small businesses, west of us, east of us and south of us, but nobody was here in downtown. The city had economic development, but a lot of that got redeployed to respond to COVID. We raised our hand, like, Well do that.

Q: Thats interesting, because after the scandal some board members were talking about narrowing Centros focus. But it seems like it has broadened.

A: Yes, definitely. In hearing from board members who were deeply involved (in the response to the scandal), the sense I got was survival. Warren (Wilkinson), who preceded me, was a great hire as an interim to do that turnaround work. Hes the one who led the messy work, the inglorious work.

When I was being interviewed, it was very clear that the board by then had decided that trying to narrow the focus was not going to be the goal. They wanted to do more and have greater impact downtown. There was no direction to me to go become a public arts organization, or be a Main Street business organization, but they wanted to do more. They wanted to put their money and talent to greater effort.

Q: What has Centro done to make sure that the financial improprieties discovered in 2017 wont happen again?

A: The board hires an auditing firm to audit us every single year, and we keep getting a super-clean bill of health. And then the city does its own audit, so we get a lot of examination of our work. The auditing firm put in place a whole new set of protocols. Now weve also hired a professional agent at ATKG, so every single month they do all of the reconciliation. We have a third party, on a monthly basis, looking at all of our financials.

Q: I want to talk about the Centro Alliance, your lobbying arm. What is it focusing on?

A: Advocacy areas for us: addressing homelessness. Public safety is a big, big area. Public art, of course. Small businesses. Housing, not just for homeless, but all forms. We want more housing downtown, everywhere, and of all types.

We advocate for the completion of bond projects and that the completion matches up with the promise of whatever bond project got voted on. So if the community voted for the Broadway corridor to have beautiful protected bike lanes and trees, we advocate that that happens. We stick on those things to be one of the voices on behalf of the people downtown to say, Hey, lets deliver not just a function, but the beauty and the promise of these.

Q: Im glad you brought up the Broadway corridor. How are you responding to the states reversal on that project?

A: We were shocked. What we did was to work with a group of people and ultimately sign on to a letter that went to (the Texas Department of Transportation), and I believe to the governor, expressing our desire that TxDOT fulfill its commitment to transferring the street over.

The most we could actually do was to express our desire. We dont have any control over it. So now we continue to have conversations with city staff, with property owners and investors, and were all still talking about, Well, what do we do now? I think the sobering news is theres not much to be done right now. I think everyones hoping that over time the political impulses for that will change.

I think the consensus is that the decision was political in nature. We disagree with (Gov. Greg Abbotts) premise that it was going to create extraordinary traffic or something like that. The models dont show that. Looking at other cities and other developments, there is no evidence. In fact, its the opposite. The more you widen streets, and the more you widen freeways, the more people go onto them, the more traffic comes. I grew up in Los Angeles, right? I lived in the Bay Area, and its just predominantly a fallacy that the more you build the more traffic relief you get.

Q: Which projects are you prioritizing for the upcoming bond?

A: Our strategy shifted: Most of the projects we were advocating for, through the leadership of (Assistant City Manager) Lori Houston and (District 1 City Councilman) Mario Bravo, got moved over into TIRZ (tax increment reinvestment zone, an alternative funding mechanism). Theyve all already been approved. The three remaining on the bond are Probandt (Street), Hemisfair Boulevard and Hemisfairs Civic Park.

Q: You mentioned housing. What are your thoughts on what the housing policies should be for downtown?

A: I think we would benefit from a range of incentives, not one for all. We need market-rate housing, we need affordable housing, we need well below market-rate. We need housing all across the spectrum, so I think that we need to have appropriate incentives all across.

One of the reasons  this is something I learned when I was in Santa Fe  is that housing is an entire system. People in that system will trade up and down based on what the system has to offer. So if you dont have enough market-rate housing, but the demand is there, then the people that have that demand will trade down (to more affordable options), because they cant trade up. What happens to (less wealthy) folks? They get pushed and they get traded down. So what you actually do is, if you dont have the entire system built, and if you overbuild on the just the lower end of (affordability), you actually build a system where the people who have more ability to afford keep taking up the asset until you push more people out of housing altogether.

Q: How has downtown fared through the pandemic?

A: Its been rough. The commercial occupancy is down. Conventions were killed, tourism dried up almost immediately. And we experienced a disproportionate share of people experiencing homelessness, which is just awful. Anyone who becomes homeless, thats one tragedy. When its thousands, its painful and hard for them and for the people trying to provide services to them. The demands go up and it has put a ton of strain on all the different organizations. We are not equipped to handle it all.

In relative terms, we actually did better than most of my peers. During this time, I set up a weekly call with the CEOs of the other seven largest cities in Texas. Fifth street in Austin had, like, 70 percent of the businesses shut down and they were predicting as many as 50 percent would never come back. Were not even close to that level of business loss. Same thing with the homelessness. It is bad, dont get me wrong, its bad. But when we witness encampments, in comparison to Austin or San Francisco or Los Angeles, our situation is much better. And its in part because of the work of all kinds of people, not just Centro  city government, nonprofits, individuals, the (San Antonio) Food Bank. This city has such a huge compassionate heart. Having lived in other cities, I think were at the high end of that chart.
We understand how the oil and gas sector works  weve worked in it, studied it, defended it and impacted the policy that regulates it, a 2015 presentation delivered to the Tennessee Oil and Gas Association begins. We have been instrumental players in the industrys highest profile business issues, regulatory hearings, legal disputes and arbitration.

Those bona fides came not from an oil and gas company or investor, but from FTI Consulting, a sprawling consulting firm that markets its strategic communications services to a wide range of industries  including coal, oil, and gas producers.

FTIs 2015 presentation, obtained by DeSmog, offers a rare glimpse at what PR firms offer to fossil fuel companies and how they work their messaging and strategies into news articles and headlines. It comes at a time when the PR industry has been wrestling with its role in the climate crisis. In January, the Clean Creatives campaign, which represents PR professionals concerned about their industrys role in promoting fossil fuels, released a letter signed by 450 scientists. It calls on PR firms to drop fossil fuel clients and stop spreading what the letter described asadvertising and PR efforts by fossil fuel companies that seek to obfuscate or downplay our data and the risks posed by the climate crisis.

FTIs claim in the 2015 presentation to have been instrumental for the oil industry isnt bluster. In November 2020, a New York Times investigation found that FTI has been involved in the operations of at least 15 current and past influence campaigns promoting fossil-fuel interests in addition to its direct work for oil and gas clients.

This is reflected in the 2015 presentation, in which FTI touted its connections to dozens of fossil fuel and chemical companies, including Shell, Halliburton, and Range Resources, and lists groups like the Marcellus Shale Coalition, the Shale Resource Centre Canada, and the Center for Liquified Natural Gas under the heading redefining communications support. The presentation focuses on what is perhaps FTIs best-known project for the fossil fuel industry: Energy In Depth, a project thats served as a rapid response platform for the shale industry.

Outside experts called the presentation revealing.

PR firms  I guess FTI Consulting is also strategic management  they dont want to ever be seen officially to be very overtly trying to control the conversation, Melissa Aronczyk, a professor of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University, told DeSmog. They want to be able to say, no, no, were just producing our facts, were just producing our evidence and using the statistics that are out there.

And so this is pretty damning, she added.

Entering FTIs World

A major focus of FTIs 2015 presentation, mentioned on more than 20 of its 45 slides, is Energy In Depth, which calls itself a research, education and public outreach campaign that was launched jointly by FTI and Independent Petroleum Assn. of America (IPAA) in 2009 and is specifically focused on shale and fracking. In 2011, DeSmog obtained a leaked memo crediting fossil fuel companies including BP, Anadarko, Shell, Halliburton, and others, as well as trade associations, including IPAA and the American Petroleum Institute, with early financial commitments without which the Energy In Depth project would not be possible.

FTIs 2015 presentation tallies more than 1,100 Energy In Depth rebuttals and 600,000-plus Google hits for Energy In Depth, and claims the initiative was at the center of the shale booms biggest moments.

To enter the world of Energy In Depths messaging, as seen in FTIs 2015 presentation, is to enter a world where the facts about methane emissions show that the greenhouse gas pollution from some of the most prolific U.S. oil and gas fields had dropped considerably. Graphs show carbon dioxide and methane emissions plunging as shale gas production takes off. Happy Earth Day! From Energy In Depth, an accompanying video still reads.

A screenshot from FTI Consultings May 2015 presentation.

It sounds like a happy story because it looks like CO2 emissions are going down, said Ben Franta, an attorney and director of accountability research for the Climate Social Science Network, when asked about FTIs slides on methane. But, of course, what matters is the entire global warming effect from all greenhouse gases.

Today, we know that methane levels in the atmosphere were on the rise in 2015  and theyve continued to climb since then, in no small part due to the oil and gas industrys leaks and routine venting of unburned methane. After a plateau which began in 1999, concentrations of the gas in the atmosphere started rising again in 2007, a trend that continues to this day, the Economist reported last year. Both ground-based and aerial studies show that leaky natural-gas pipes are one culprit.

Methane matters enormously because its a powerful and fast-acting greenhouse gas thats partly responsible for the climate crisis shifting into high gear. In recent years, natural gasfired power plants have increasingly displaced coal-fired plants.

Franta pointed to the broader PR industrys involvement in fossil fuel climate messaging for decades. The idea of promoting natural gas as a climate solution goes back to at least the late 80s as well, he said. In some of the fossil fuel industrys internal documents, they identify various strategies they can use to look like theyre addressing climate change while actually keeping fossil fuels dominant in the market  and one of those strategies is, promote more natural gas.

We lost decades of opportunity, says Michael Mann, a geophysicist who heads up Pennsylvania State Universitys Earth System Science Center. We could have prevented much of the damage that we are now seeing play out.https://t.co/apfM7hBAY6  Mary Cathryn Ricker (@mcricker) October 27, 2021

But that, as an August 2021 editorial in the scientific journal Nature explains, has come at a cost to the climate, since methane has contributed as much as 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit of todays global warming, compounding the problems caused by the most closely tracked greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide.

PR professionals have been helping the industry craft its messages and those messages have been designed to create delay, Franta said. Looking at the presentation, it seems pretty clear that Energy In Depth  and FTI whos behind that  is playing a role in not telling the whole story about fossil gas.

Debunk and Discredit

FTIs understanding of its own work in 2015 appears to have included, in the presentations words, debunking prominent documentaries and discrediting scientific research.

The presentation includes slides about FTIs work Debunking Gasland, referring to an award-winning 2010 documentary that explores the environmental consequences of fracking and its 2013 sequel. Energy In Depth claims credit for launching a 35-minute video dubbed Truthland, to combat Gasland, adding that they executed a 60-stop screening tour in 20 states.

One subsequent slide is devoted to discrediting the Duke Methane Studies, a collection of scientific research from Duke University into the shale industrys environmental impacts. On the slides left, a news headline reads Pennsylvania fracking called peril to water, while on the right, a bolded passage from a different article suggests water problems were unrelated to nearby fracking wells. An arrow bearing Energy in Depths logo draws the eye from the left side of the slide to the right.

A screenshot from FTI Consultings 2015 presentation highlight its efforts to cast doubt on scientific studies.

In the years since, Dukes early research has in fact held up well within the scientific community, with the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences listing hundreds of citations of the paper pictured, including 72 within the past two years.

Our research, its meant to be criticized and its meant to be talked about, said Nathaniel Warner, a Penn State University professor and lead author of the 2012 study pictured on FTIs slideshow. And if somebody comes up with a way in which to disprove it by doing a scientific study then thats great and thats okay. But most of these are more  I dont know  theyre more just trying to suggest things that could be wrong and not necessarily go about demonstrating that they are wrong.

I thought I was going to be kind of a champ for industry here, Warner added, explaining that some, though not all, of the papers findings on water contamination had actually proved favorable for industry.

The FTI presentation is by Katie Brown, then an Energy In Depth spokesperson according to the slides, which add that she previously worked for an education campaign for the Keystone XL pipeline. Brown also authored numerous Energy In Depth posts, such as this July 2015 piece on methane leaks whose description of a set of scientific studies published by a number of universities and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) was so flawed that EDF, which coordinated the series, put out a response calling Energy In Depths work flat wrong and a willful misrepresentation of the findings.

Seeding a Response

FTIs 2015 presentation is also noteworthy because it doesnt just look backwards at Energy In Depths work to date. It also looks forward, identifying a handful of what FTI called priority issues  that is, potential crises that might hit the industry.

That look forward illustrates an area where Aronczyk, co-author of the new book A Strategic Nature: Public Relations and the Politics of American Environmentalism, said polluting industries have historically tended to outperform environmentalists.

PR firms, she explained, developed the practice of issue management, strategically tackling long-term liabilities and simmering problems that could one day boil over. That strategy involves laying the groundwork so their clients  in this case, oil and gas companies  will have an early entry into debates that could impact regulation. More generally, the strategy is meant to burnish an industrys or companys credibility in areas where their operations are likely to cause bigger headaches down the road.

FTIs first priority issue slide focuses on earthquakes  a problem that is indeed still plaguing the oil and gas industry.

In 2015, there was still debate over whether fracking directly caused earthquakes, and regulators were just starting to scrutinize the role played by the oil and gas industrys wastewater disposal practices. In April 2015, a month before FTIs presentation, the state of Oklahoma had acknowledged for the first time that the oil and gas industry was likely responsible for a massive surge in earthquakes that had begun rattling the state.

They see that its a problem waiting to explode because the more earthquakes that happen, the more people are going to panic and cause some sort of reckoning, Aronczyk told DeSmog. She pointed to a CBS News interview highlighted in FTIs presentation, explaining that theyre showing how their Energy In Depth spokesperson is already talking about it and saying, were sharing science, were cooperating, were part of this conversation, were in the mix. Theyre seeding, essentially, their future response so that when the crisis hits, theyve already got everything in place to respond.

FTI tagging earthquakes as a priority issue proved prescient. The temblors have indeed continued in Oklahoma  and the United States Geological Survey has even noted that they are known to be induced by hydraulic fracturing  though their numbers dropped after state regulators placed curbs on the oil and gas industrys wastewater disposal practices. More importantly, that strategic approach suggests that Energy In Depths priority issues  which in 2015 also included local efforts to ban fracking and the Environmental Protection Agencys closely watched research into fracking and water contamination  may offer clues to where bigger problems for oil and gas may be about to emerge.

Wherever you see Energy In Depth as part of the conversation, said Aronczyk, thats where the problem is.

The Climate Threat

Its worth bearing in mind that FTI is not simply a PR firm and that many of its clients are not fossil fuel companies. A May 2015 FTI investor presentation shows that a mere 10 percent of FTIs first quarter 2015 revenues came from its strategic communications work. According to this presentation, a majority of the firms revenue came from other activities like consulting on economics and litigation or working on bankruptcies and corporate finance.

But this sliver of work might pose a potential risk to FTIs overall operations. The companys public climate-related policies show the firms management is aware of the risks it faces from climate change, including potential damage to its reputation. FTI Consulting recognizes that climate change is a global threat, an Environmental Responsibility and Climate Change Disclosure Policy released by FTI in March 2021 says, and one of the most significant environmental challenges of our time.

Towards the end of 2021, the firm also acknowledged climate change directly in its first-ever corporate sustainability report. The report referred to the ongoing climate crisis and observed that FTI itself may be indirectly affected from a reputational standpoint based on work we do for our clients in high emissions industries.

Reputational risk is critically important to our firm and brand because our ability to attract and retain leading experts, as well as our retention by global clientele including on their own reputational risks, is driven by our own reputation, FTIs report adds. In other words, the firm is aware that its reputation is key to hiring experts and retaining clients who are conscious of their own reputations.

From the quality plastic around your hand warmers to the snow booties you put on your dog to protect their paws, #petroleum products are found in the smallest creature comforts during winter. https://t.co/VBG502KJLw pic.twitter.com/U8HvH6GlJL  Energy In Depth (@EnergyInDepth) February 1, 2022

Climate campaigners were quick to point out the disconnect between FTIs climate messaging and FTIs public relations work for fossil fuel firms.

If climate change is a global threat, Duncan Meisel, director of the Clean Creatives campaign, said in an email to DeSmog, fossil fuel companies are a global threat.

They are primarily responsible for the growth of global carbon pollution, and its irresponsible for FTI to retain them as clients, particularly in this capacity, Meisel continued. Simply put, we cannot stop the climate emergency in a world where these companies continue to grow, and that is what they hire FTI to help them do.

FTI declined to say whether it would heed Clean Creatives call. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on client engagements, Matthew Bashalany, head of FTIs global media relations, said in an email.

FTI did however provide a response to our inquiry regarding the Duke methane studies. Just for background information and factual context regarding the slide you referenced below, I thought it would be helpful to include a sample of what third-party, independent researchers and government agencies said about the conclusions of the paper you cited following its release back in 2011, FTIs spokesperson wrote.

He offered links to two news articles and three scientific publications that cast doubt on the broader series of Duke methane studies. The slide covered the series, he clarified in an email.

The scientific publications, however, included a study that carries a correction because its lead author had failed to disclose that he was funded privately by Chesapeake [Energy] for this work and omitted information about the other two authors ties to fossil fuel companies.

FTIs work through Energy In Depth has drawn congressional attention in recent years. Here in Congress, we cant keep dancing to the tune of this crowd, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said in a December 2020 speechdiscussing FTIs work for fossil fuel clients. It is on us whether this web of denial will hold us back or whether we will break free at last of its corrupting influence and do, for once  for once  our duty instead of its bidding.
(Natural News) A new bombshell court filing from Department of Justice Special Counsel John Durham says that Hillary Clintons campaign paid a tech firm to infiltrate White House servers and Trump Tower to reportedly create fake evidence that Trump colluded with Russia.

(Article by Casey Harper republished from HeadlineUSA.com)

? Shocking new details coming from Durham: They spied on Trump WHILE he was President. If they can do this to a president, imagine what they can do to you. Scary. Time for serious consequences. https://t.co/j8K96E6maw  Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) February 12, 2022

Durham filed the motion, first reported by Fox News, related to potential conflicts of interest for Michael Sussman, who is also facing a charge of lying to the FBI, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Tech Executive-1 tasked these researchers to mine Internet data to establish an inference and narrative tying then-candidate Trump to Russia, Durham said. In doing so, Tech Executive-1 indicated that he was seeking to please certain VIPs, referring to individuals at Law Firm-1 and the Clinton campaign.

The story made major waves Saturday, with former President Donald Trump calling for reparations and saying the scandal is bigger than Watergate.

The latest pleading from Special Counsel Robert Durham provides indisputable evidence that my campaign and presidency were spied on by operatives paid by the Hillary Clinton Campaign in an effort to develop a completely fabricated connection to Russia, Trump said. This is a scandal far greater in scope and magnitude than Watergate and those who were involved in and knew about this spying operation should be subject to criminal prosecution. In a stronger period of time in our country, this crime would have been punishable by death. In addition, reparations should be paid to those in our country who have been damaged by this.

The story sparked major controversy and calls for action online.

BREAKING: Donald Trump and the RNC funded SIGINT collection AGAINST the Executive Office of the President of the United States, just like the Russians do. This is TREASON! Just kidding, it was Hillary Clinton and a big tech executive. Durham is coming.  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 13, 2022

Holy moly! New Durham filing. Rodney Joffe and his buddies at Georgia Tech monitored Trumps internet traffic *while* he was President of the United States.https://t.co/NyT1bFvcROpic.twitter.com/cbGh5k9oi2  Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) February 12, 2022

Wow!!! Clinton campaign paid to infiltrate Trump Tower, White House servers to link Trump to Russia: Durhamhttps://t.co/1mabgkr5w6  Eric Trump (@EricTrump) February 12, 2022

? HUGE NEWS ? New statement from our Senior Fellow #KashPatel on the latest Durham filing. pic.twitter.com/9eLRzUKtQP  Center for Renewing America (@amrenewctr) February 12, 2022

I remember when the legacy media used to excitedly cover filings of special counsels during Trump years. Havent seen much outside of @FoxNews on coverage of Special Counsel Durham filing implicating Hillary Clinton campaign and CIA in illegal spy op against President Trump.  Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) February 13, 2022

Read more at: HeadlineUSA.com
(Natural News) The crimes and lies surrounding the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic will now be investigated by a public grand jury made up of lawyers from around the globe in hopes of creating a court of public opinion. The criminal investigation will be modeled after the United States grand jury proceedings.

Ben Armstrong talked about how lawyers are taking COVID crimes into their own hands during the February 11 episode of The Ben Armstrong Show.

The grand jury investigation will serve as a model to legal proceedings in presenting available evidence of COVID-19 crimes committed by leaders, organizers, instigators and accomplices who participated in the formulation and execution of a common plan for a pandemic. The investigation is of the people, by the people and for the people, and will serve as the peoples court of public opinion.

Reiner Fuellmich, a leading German lawyer and member of the German Corona Investigative Committee with a specialization in the prosecution of fraudulent corporations, will be leading the team of international lawyers in what will be the worlds largest global tort case concerning what is now termed as The COVID Scandal.

Pandemic planned by ultra-rich to control the world

Fuellmich alleged that the pandemic is a long-planned agenda from a group of ultra-rich people and their financial mafia based in London and on Wall Street. These people are said to use a pseudo-pandemic to gain complete control over people. The group includes thousands of global corporations with at least $5 billion in annual sales, politicians, media representatives and other high-profile personalities. They meet once a year to plan The Great Reset, and promote the shifting of the worlds assets to this group of super-rich people.

By 2030, it is expected that ordinary people will no longer earn anything and will be under a one-world government with digital currency. They aim to reduce the worlds population and manipulate the rest by altering their DNA or even moving forward toward transhumanism.

Their most important goal is, however, the implosion of the completely looted financial system and simultaneous introduction of a digital currency issued by the World Bank, controlled by them, and the introduction of a world government under the United Nations, which has come under their full control in 2019, Fuellmich said.

He also said that this group has made concrete plans for the pandemic since at least the spring of 2001, which they called Operation Dark Winter. This was followed by another lockstep exercise by the Rockefeller Foundation in 2010, and finally the Event 201 in October of 2019 in New York, which was sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (Related: International criminal grand jury investigation finds that globalist psychopaths used covid to commit crimes against humanity.)

Fuellmich said members of the jury will be calling a number of different expert witnesses from all walks of science, but there will also be witnesses who will testify to the damage they suffered as a result of getting the experimental vaccines.

Among those that the jury will call is someone who participated in Operation Dark Winter in 2001, James Bush. Others will explain the historical and geopolitical backgrounds of what is going on and will show that this pandemic agenda has been planned for at least 20 years.

Other experts will also explain the legend of the Wuhan wet market outbreak, and prove that the virus is no more dangerous than the common flu because the PCR test that is used for detection cannot really diagnose COVID.

Furthermore, the vaccines are not only ineffective, but they are dangerous as well. Regardless of whether the COVID virus is natural or man-made, the humans natural immune system is capable of dealing with it, as evidenced by the infection fatality rate of between 0.14 and 0.15 percent or less. (Related: Oregon lawmakers call for federal grand jury investigation into covid fraud.)

There had been no excess mortality anywhere until the experimental vaccine arrived. But it appears that the group needed the cases in order to declare a public health emergency of international concern.

More related stories:

Canadian lawyers introduce The Free North Declaration to end covid fascism.

Oregon senators sue CDC, FDA for lying about covid deaths.

Alaska joins Texas in lawsuit against Covid vaccine mandate for guardsmen.

FDA now burying incriminating documents showing Modernas covid vaccine to be harmful.

Josh Sigurdson talks about worldwide protests against Covid vaccine mandates.

Watch the full February 12 episode of The Ben Armstrong Show below.

This video is from The New American channel on Brighteon.com.

Follow Pandemic.news for more updates related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Parliament.Vic.gov.au
(Natural News) The CEO of German medical and safety technology manufacturer Drager suggested that those who do not want to get vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) should not be allowed to have publicly funded hospital treatment. Drager CEO Stefan Drager also said these individuals should be automatically considered to have forfeited their right to obtain COVID-19 treatment in public hospitals.

Anyone who refuses vaccination must forgo treatment in the hospital, Drager said. If he refuses, this is automatically considered a patient decree that if he falls ill with the virus, he will not be treated in hospital at the expense of the general public.

While the statement is sure to draw criticism, he said this should be the case to avoid overburdening hospitals and staff. However, he is not sold on mandatory vaccinations, either, saying that when the state makes the decision for the people, it relieves them of their own responsibility.

Furthermore, he believes that a large, silent majority is suffering from the unrepentant minority. According to Drager, he meant this suffering in a medical sense as well, because treatment for other illnesses or operations is likely to be postponed.

European counties in recent days have moved to rescind many COVID-19 rules, such as the need for vaccine passports due to the falling cases. However, countries like Germany and Austria have opted to implement more restrictions instead.

The German government, for instance, is reportedly considering a general vaccine mandate for all residents 18 and older. Chancellor Olaf Scholz told news outlets in January that he supports this idea, saying hes convinced that without compulsory vaccination, the country wont be able to get their vaccination rates up to the level that is necessary to get them out of the pandemic.

The Austrian Parliament also passed a similar measure signed into law earlier in February, where harsh fines amounting to thousands of euros could be levied several times per year for those who refuse to comply. (Related: Austria implements mandatory covid vaccination for EVERYONE.)

A top German court rejected a legal challenge to temporarily block the implementation of a vaccination mandate for healthcare workers, which was supposed to be enforced in March. The move was welcomed by the German government, with Scholz indicating that he and health officials believe the cases will rise in the autumn and winter of 2022. This means that it is especially necessary to make vaccines compulsory.

Scholz also reiterated his stance during a speech to parliament. He said that the next fall and winter will see a rise in infections again, so vaccine mandates also make sense.

Singapore no longer covers medical bills of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients

Singapore has already done what Drager wanted to do. The Southeast Asian nation stopped covering the medical bills of those unvaccinated by choice beginning December 8 last year, with the countrys Ministry of Health citing the strain that the unvaccinated are putting on the nations health care system.

Unvaccinated persons make up a sizeable majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our healthcare resources, the ministry said in a statement.

The Singaporean government had been covering the cost of COVID-19 care for all of its citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders, excluding those who tested positive after returning from overseas. The ministry explained that it was supposed to avoid financial considerations adding to public uncertainty and concern when the virus was emergent and unfamiliar.

However, the system will continue to apply to the majority who are vaccinated until the situation becomes more stable. The policy change meant that the government started charging those unvaccinated COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals and treatment facilities since December 8. However, the patient can still use their regular health care financing arrangements to pay bills where applicable.

Those who are not eligible for vaccination like children under 12 and people with medical exemptions will still have their bills covered. (Related: Fully vaccinated individuals make up majority of COVID cases and hospitalizations in NSW.)

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said hospitals really prefer not to bill the patients at all, but they have to send an important signal to urge everyone to get vaccinated if they are eligible.

More related stories:

ECONOMIC TERRORISM: Italy tells companies to stop paying unvaccinated workers.

How is it that vaccines suddenly STOP WORKING when the unvaccinated come near the vaccinated?

CDC declares covid vaccines will be an endless treadmill of injections  and if you ever stop, you will be immediately labeled unvaccinated.

Since thousands of doctors are already saying they wont treat unvaccinated people, shouldnt they also stop treating patients who eat sugar and who dont take vitamin D?

Minneapolis Federal Reserve launches vaccine mandate for its more than 1,100 employees.

Watch the video below about the globalists threatening the unvaccinated.

This video is from the World Alternative Media channel on Brighteon.com.

Follow Pandemic.news for more updates related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NPR.org

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) One of the most unique and biodiverse forests in the world is about to get clear-cut to make room for a massive new wind park.

The Reinhardswald, located in the beautiful hilly region west of Gottingen in Germany, is widely recognized as the treasure house of European forests. Some people also call it Grimms fairy tale forest because of how enchanting it is  though not for too much longer.

According to reports, 2,000 hectares of what is considered to be one of the last undisturbed forests in the world are being destroyed to make way for a green energy monstrosity that will include the construction of large windmills.

The behemoth metal structures, which supposedly produce clean energy, will replace untold thousands of mature trees and other life-giving forage that have rested on that land untouched for millennia.

The State of Hesse government continues to ignore pleas from local citizens to leave the forest alone and build the power plant park elsewhere. Construction of access roads has already begun, and some of the trees are already being cleared, chopped up, concreted over, and eventually built on.

Sadly, if the forest was located just a few kilometers away in nearby North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, it would have been protected as a historical site worthy of protection, especially for its biodiversity. But not in Hesse.

From the very beginning, this project in the Reinhardswald forest district was rammed through in a manner of an overlord against all protests from municipalities, groups, initiatives, associations and, in any case, over the heads of the people affected, as a prestige project of the Hessian state government, reports explain.

For years, the project developers have been able to rely on the political and technical support from Wiesbaden  right up to the approval process. The Regional Council of Kassel, which is bound by directives, only needed to implement them.

Green projects like this are destroying the planet, not saving it

Once completed, the wind turbine project will be the largest in Hesse with over 14 kilometers worth of new and upgraded roads capable of carrying heavy loads. The local ecosystem, conversely, will become that much smaller as a result.

The area is the largest contiguous forest area in Hessen in a virtually uninhabited, undisturbed and therefore in itself an extremely valuable natural area, reports further explain.

Its beauty serves as a recreational area of outstanding importance in the midst of a landscape that is partly classified as cultural-historical and of the highest value. Even according to Hessian Environment Minister Priska Hinz (Greens), it is one of the most scenic regions in Germany.

The Reinhardswald was so untouched by industry up until now that the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation describes it as Landscapes that appear close to nature without technical influences that must be preserved.

The advocacy group Action Alliance is calling the project shockingly wrong and an example of yet another politically motivated move by politicians who could not care less about anything but themselves and their interests.

We are already announcing that we will document all events in the Reinhardswald and make them public, as well as all existing expert reports and expert authority statements, the group announced.

In addition, we are already asking all supporters who take photographs and film to contact us so that we can coordinate the work if necessary. The clearing began immediately today as over one hundred-year-old beech trees have already fallen.

Various environmental groups and possibly even local municipalities have announced lawsuits that could still stop the worst of the damage from occurring. (Related: Germany would not be in an energy crisis had it left its nuclear industry intact.)

The latest news about green energy can be found at Climate.news.

Sources for this article include:

WattsUpWithThat.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Centella asiatica, more commonly known as Indian pennywort, has long been used as a medicinal herb in Ayurvedic medicine. This medicinal plant and its extracts are known for their wound healing properties.

With that in mind, researchers conducted a study to see if a hydrogel formulation developed from C. asiatica extract could accelerate wound healing.

C. asiatica has many uses in Ayurvedic medicine. In addition to wound healing, extracts from this herb have also been used to treat various skin conditions such as leprosy, lupus, varicose ulcers, eczema, and psoriasis, among others. The plant is also used for relieving anxiety and improving cognition.

Most of its therapeutic effects have been associated with triterpenoid saponins. One of these saponins  asiaticoside  has been identified in clinical evaluations as the main constituent responsible for C. asiaticas wound healing properties.

Asiaticosides wound-healing activity has already been uncovered through in vivo and in vitro models. Researchers from the International Islamic University Malaysia, the University Malaysia Pahang, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University and the Universiti Putra Malaysia looked to see if an asiaticoside-rich hydrogel could be developed from C. asiatica extracts.

The findings of their study were published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Developing an asiaticoside-rich hydrogel from C. asiatica

To conduct their study, the researchers prepared a hydrogel using an asiaticoside-rich fraction of C. asiatica.

The researchers first dried C. asiatica at a temperature of 25 to 40 C before pulverizing it, after which, 100 grams (g) of the pulverized C. asiatica was macerated thrice in 300 milliliters (mL) of 95 percent ethanol for three days. The final extract was filtered and subjected to vacuum liquid chromatography.

To prepare the hydrogel, the researchers dissolved eight percent poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) in deionized water for 1 hour on a hotplate, followed by the addition of five percent poly ethylene glycol (PEG). They then incorporated the asiaticoside-rich fraction into the resulting PVA/PEG hydrogel after five consecutive freeze-thaw cycles.

Testing the wound-healing properties of the C. asiatica hydrogel

To test the asiaticoside-rich hydrogels wound healing effects, the researchers conducted an animal study using male white albino rabbits, which they divided into four groups.

The first group was treated with the asiaticoside-rich hydrogel while the second group, which served as the positive control, was treated with a commercial cream. The third group was treated with a blank hydrogel, while the fourth group, which served as a negative control, did not receive any treatment.

The researchers found that the group treated with the asiaticoside-rich hydrogel experienced enhanced wound healing. Specifically, the groups wounds healed 15 percent faster than that of the group treated with a commercial cream, and over 40 percent faster than the group that did not receive any treatment. (Related: The top herbs and supplements for wound healing and post-surgical recovery.)

In addition, the researchers noted that the hydrogel formulation did not cause any signs of irritation on the rabbits skin.

Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that the asiaticoside-rich hydrogel made from C. asiatica extract was safe to use and had good physicochemical properties, making it suitable for topical wound healing applications.

For more studies on natural wound treatments, follow NaturalCures.news.

Sources include:

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

JPharmSci.org

BMCComplementMedTherapies.BioMedCentral.com
(Natural News) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) actions violate the basic rights and freedoms of all Canadians, according to one of the signatories of Canadas Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms, a Canadian conservative legal advocacy organization, has launched a lawsuit against Trudeaus mandates in Federal Court. The main applicant of this legal matter is Brian Peckford, a conservative politician and the former premier of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The 79-year-old Peckford is also notable for being the last surviving premier and one of the few people still alive today involved in the drafting of the Canadian constitution and the countrys bill of rights, the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

When I heard Prime Minister Trudeau call the unvaccinated racists, misogynists, anti-science and extremist and his misusing do we tolerate these people? It became clear he is sowing divisions and advancing his vendetta against a specific group of Canadians  this is completely against the democratic and Canadian values I love about this country, said Peckford.

In the suit, Peckford and the other petitioners claim that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate effectively bans Canadians who have chosen not to receive an experimental medical treatment from domestic and international travel by airplane.

Trudeaus response to the Freedom Convoy and pro-health freedom protesters around the country is to threaten them with imprisonment. He once claimed that people joining these protests are breaking laws and that if they get caught, they will end up with a criminal record, which will impact your job, your livelihood. (Related: Tiananmen Square in Ottawa? U.S., Canadian governments pushing for tyrannical crackdown on Freedom Convoy truckers.)

He has also used his position as prime minister to get the Canadian parliament to unanimously pass a condemnation against the supposed antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, homophobia and transphobia that he and other politicians claim to have seen on display in the protests.

COVID-19 pandemic does not justify restricting peoples rights

In an interview held after he spoke to thousands of health freedom protesters in British Columbia, Peckford said the rallies and other demonstrations against the vaccine mandates will make a difference.

All civil disobedience makes a difference. You do influence the powers that be. They do take notice, he said. Having been in government myself for 17 years, Im familiar with that.

Peckford added that, as someone who was involved in crafting Canadas charter, he is concerned that the current federal government is misrepresenting the powers it has over Canadians. He takes this very personally because of his involvement in writing the charter.

The federal government is claiming that Section One of the Canadian Constitution, which allows the government to limit peoples basic rights and freedoms in certain cases, is justified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Peckford doesnt think this is the case.

It was never meant to be used in this kind of circumstance, he said. It was meant for very serious circumstances like if the state was in peril, war or insurrection or other things that threatened the state as a country. Not this kind of circumstance where 99 percent of people recover from a virus. Thats not a threat to the state.

More related stories:

Victory for freedom! Ontario Premier Doug Ford caves to pressure, backs down from covid vaccine passport scheme.

Canadas Freedom Convoy invokes waves of protests against Canadas COVID mandates.

With US Truckers about to take Washington D.C. by storm, globalists to demonize convoys as terror attacks on the food and supply chain while ratcheting up their own tyranny.

Ottawa police ban bringing supplies to trucker Freedom Convoy  no soup for you!

Canadian trucker says drivers are being electronically tracked by government; Trudeau admin pressing Biden regime to do the same for U.S. drivers.

Watch this clip of Brian Peckford speaking at a gathering of Freedom Convoy supporters in the notoriously liberal province of British Columbia.

This video is from the The Willow channel on Brighteon.com.

Read more stories about the opposition to Canadas COVID-19 vaccine mandates at Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

GlobalResearch.ca

NationalPost.com

TimesColonist.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) This is the most important Daily News note that I have ever written. Read on and you will understand why I wrote this to go out with the LifeSite Daily News email to subscribers last night.

(Article by Steve Jalsevac republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

Monday was a wild, roller coaster day for Canadians and the Convoy 2022 movement that has attracted immense international attention and support. One nation after another has seen the rise of a trucker movement imitating the incredibly successful Canadian one. Each one verifies similar citizen disgust and desperation over covid mandates in their respective nations.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced end to vaccine passports mandate

The day started out with an astonishing press conference from COVID tyrant and Ontario premier Doug Ford. Ontario is Canadas most populated and wealthy province. Ford announced a completely unexpected, supposed end to the provinces vaccine passports mandate. I use supposed because he is also going to allow businesses to continue to demand proof of vaccination if they so wish. That is a contradictory policy of giving with one hand while taking away with the other.

He also vaguely indicated that masks will stay in place until a later date and threatened Truckers with serious consequences for lawless activity, ignoring his own constantly failed, massively lawless COVID policies that have been catastrophic and resulted in thousands of otherwise preventable deaths and severe injuries that are ongoing.

Trudeau/federal government invocation of Emergency Measures Act

Then there was the carefully staged Justin Trudeau and various aids press conference, where for the first time in Canadian history the extreme Emergency Measures Act (EMA) was invoked. It gives this chronically lying prime minister frightening dictatorial powers to crush terrorists or similar threats to the nation.

Trudeau has never been known to be consistent on his beliefs and policies which back in 2020 would have strongly supported todays truckers actions  even if they lasted a year. See the following excerpt from the New York Times editorial board noted in an illuminating Hot Air column today:

Entertaining the use of force to disperse or contain legal protests is wrong. As Mr. Trudeau said in November 2020, in expressing his support of a yearlong protest by farmers in India that blocked major highways to New Delhi, Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest.

The Hot Air author logically concludes, Trudeaus sudden grasp of emergency powers to shut down peaceful protest is not just a clear case of hypocrisy, but also a warning sign for authoritarianism.

LifeSites Kennedy Hall writes that what Trudeau has actually done was to give himself new powers to squash a freedom movement that is engaging in civil disobedience peacefully. And that civil disobedience has been a sacred, traditional right in Canada.

Ford seems to have a political death wish which the provincial Liberals will take full advantage of in the upcoming provincial election.

Tucker Carlson was quick to respond last night to Trudeau as having declared Canada to be a dictatorship, which, as he explains, is not an unreasonable charge.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has thankfully announced last night that Trudeau has gone too far. They added, the federal government has not met the threshold necessary to invoke the Emergencies Act. This law creates a high and clear standard for good reason: the Act allows the government to bypass ordinary democratic processes. This standard has not been met.

They are correct. There is no justifiable, honest reason for its invocation. This is major fraud involving massive exaggerations and lies about the truckers and supporters.

At an earlier truckers press conference, Canadian Senator Brian Peckford, the last remaining drafter of Canadas Charter of Rights, and a great Canadian expressed dismay over the expected invocation of the EMA. Both Peckford and a trucker organizer stated that Convoy 2022 will hold the line and the protests will continue to try to free Canadians from the destructive mandates.

Canadas federal police, the Mounties, have engaged in overnight, Mafia-like violent sabotage of three huge excavators on private property in a field near the Coutts, Alberta truckers blockade which they only suspected would be used in the blockade. They also claim to have arrested persons connected to the blockade who allegedly had a large number of guns and planned violence against the Mounties when they moved to dismantle the blockade.

At the truckers press conference a journalist asked a question about the arrests and guns. There was an immediate outcry from the truckers shouting lies, lies, lies. Almost everyone related to the truckers has long been expecting a false flag setup of this type by the Mounties in order to turn the public against them and to justify extreme actions.

The Conservative parliamentary motion to end the COVID restrictions was unfortunately defeated Monday 185 to 151, with only all the Conservatives supporting the motion.

Dr. Robert Malone warns Canadians to defend their nation from Globalists

This is the big one: Dr. Robert Malone posted an article on his blog supporting the Canadian truckers and warning that Canadians must defend their nation if they wish to keep it, or the Globalists will take it from you. The article is a MUST-READ for all Canadians and citizens of all other nations.

Malone explains what the catastrophic COVID policies are really all about  imposing the Great Reset on every nation in the world. That also explains the real purpose of Mondays Canadian federal government press conference. In reality, it had NOTHING to do with terrorists or other serious threats to the security of Canada. Justin Trudeau is a protege of Great Reset creator Klaus Schwab and has a number of times publicly expressed his support for the evil Great Reset scheme.

The truckers are very patriotic Canadians giving their whole heart and soul to defend Canada from those who are destroying it. Every truck and all those cheering them on in Ottawa and on every bridge and stop along the way to Ottawa from the different parts of Canada displayed a sea of Canadian flags.

During rallies, there has been frequent singing of the national anthem. In Ottawa, contrary to Liberal and media lies, truckers cleaned and protected the monuments in front of Parliament. They are no terrorists nor any threat to the nation among them compared to the threat that the federal and provincial governments have been with their two years of COVID tyranny and destruction.

Check out my February 11 article that now includes five moving, short videos revealing the true heart and soul of Convoy 2022 and the millions of Canadians supporting them. Forward that article and videos to others so they can use them to convince skeptics and critics of the truckers that they are actually very different from what they have been told every day by the bought and controlled media.

Convoy 2022 has become an unexpected, international, and very serious threat to Great Reset global plans as well as a convenient opportunity to exploit for the purpose of rapidly advancing Great Reset policies in Canada sooner than planned.

Deputy PM Freelands shocking financial control measures

The especially big give-away yesterday was the lengthy explanation by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland of radical new financial policies announcing the government will seize truckers assets at will.

Watch Freeland to the left of Trudeau at the beginning of the video of the press conference yesterday when all of this was announced. She was obviously extremely anxious about what she was about to say and the governments huge risk in trying to get away with its extreme measures.

I have never seen a Deputy PM so obviously near what seems to be a panic attack before speaking. She had every reason to be that anxious as Justin Trudeau also seemed to be very uncomfortable as he announced his unsupportable invoking of the Emergency Measures Act against a huge, popular movement of peaceful Canadian patriots.

She stated, We are broadening the scope of Canadas anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules so that they cover Crowd Funding Platforms and the payment service providers they use. That is an unprecedented, revolutionary and frightening change to Canadas financial system and protections for citizens.

There was much more, including authorizing banks to unilaterally suspend any account for any reason on the basis of suspicion alone, no court order required, with legal immunity.

She also announced the government is even planning to seize crypto-currency funds which the truckers have begun using to protect their money from tyrannical government measures. Freelands announcements were the most frightening of all the government actions to date.

What Freeland announced strongly appeared to be the next stage of later, full government control of everyones financial assets, not just the truckers, and a suspension of all financial privacy rights, with arbitrary and often changing bank and government conditions required of citizens to earn, move and use money.

That total control of personal finances is right out of the Great Reset book and all too similar to Communist Chinas social credit system. This is even worse than if Trudeau sent in the army to remove the protesters. What Freeland and Trudeau have begun, unless there is an immediate, great uproar among all Canadians to stop this planned financial slavery, is a grave threat to every Canadian.

Trudeau, Freeland, and the others who spoke during the press conference indicated that these drastic new measures, other than the crowdfunding controls, were temporary and would last only for an unspecified period of time. Trudeau also stated that they are not intended to be applied to all Canadians.

More warnings about the duration and dangers of emergency measures

I need to remind everyone that Trudeau, Ford, and many others promised back in 2020 that they only needed two weeks to flatten the curve. How did that turn out? There has been an ongoing string of broken promises and policy reverses for the past two years on almost everything related to Covid. There is good reason to not believe any of the assurances given yesterday afternoon.

Watch the Trucker press conference this morning during which Ontario MPP Randy Hillier and the renowned Dr. Paul Alexander provide sobering responses to yesterdays developments. Both are very blunt about what Canadians are now facing. There will surely be many more such warnings that Canada has now gone down a very dangerous, unnecessary path.

The entire Ottawa press conference was pure political theatre. It was carefully scripted to further unjustly demonize the Convoy 2022 and provoke Canadians to turn against each other. That is, nothing in it was honest and all Canadians and others watching were considered to be subjects for psychological conditioning to believe that the truckers are violent terrorists threatening national security and economic stability. That is preposterous and unconscionable!

Canadians were assured that the suspension of civil rights and severe actions were targeted only against anyone even suspected of supporting this patriotic movement. That would likely include even millions of Canadians. But it wont stop there, I can guarantee you.

All Canadians, whether they support or oppose the truckers should be alarmed about this development. It portends the end of democracy in Canada. That would threaten every one of whatever views who are not among the globalist elites.

See the full, one-hour-long press conference here. It is important to endure watching and viewing it from the perspective that has been presented in this article.

I urge all LifeSite readers, no matter what country you are in, to pray for the continued success of Canadas Convoy 2022 because what happens in Canada over the next few months will have an impact on the rest of the world.



RESIST and NEVER COMPLY with unjust laws and policies.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) Early in the pandemic, it became clear that zinc was a valuable tool in fighting COVID-19. However, it is important to note that although it may be effective when it comes to killing the virus, zinc doesnt always have an easy time getting where it needs to be to have this effect.

Dr. Vladimir Zelenko has been one of the leading voices in the use of zinc in fighting the virus, and he found success by pairing it with hydroxychloroquine. As a zinc ionophore, the drug helps zinc get inside the cells so that it can work its magic.

However, for reasons that are mostly political, hydroxychloroquine was essentially demonized by the press and many people were falsely led to believe that it was dangerous. Doctors were threatened with losing their licenses for prescribing it to patients, and many pharmacies refused to dispense it to people.

This prompted Dr. Zelenko to search for alternatives. Ivermectin is also a zinc ionophore, but like HCQ, Big Pharmas pricey solutions and vaccines are so threatened by these cheap treatments that they have carried out a successful campaign, in conjunction with the mainstream media they sponsor and their government cronies, to deride and mock those who dare to discuss the success theyve had with these treatments.

Thankfully, Dr. Zelenko has found a natural substance with a similar effect in the form of quercetin. Dr. Zelenko admitted that he hadnt even heard of this antioxidant prior to researching the National Institutes of Healths servers for zinc ionophores.

He said: That was one of the most significant realizations in my life and probably in humanity. Why do I say that? Because now there was a cure for tyranny. There are two risk factors for dying from COVID: Its the doctor you choose and the government you live under. Besides that, theres no reason a person should die from COVID.

In other words, thanks to quercetin, there is no need to visit a doctor or get permission from the government as anyone can go to a supermarket or pharmacy and buy quercetin and zinc over the counter.

Dr. Zelenko recommends combining them with vitamins C and D to create a powerful immune booster. Although the FDA does not allow him to make any claims beyond calling this combination a nutritional supplement and immune booster, its clear that this combination ticks all the right boxes.

Dr. Zelenko says that zinc and zinc ionophores such as quercetin, Ivermectin and HCQ can be thought of as a bullet and gun approach.

Zinc is the bullet  it kills the virus. The only problem is the bullet doesnt get to the place where it needs to be. The virus is inside the cell. The enzyme is inside the cell. And the zinc on its own cannot get into the cell. You have a bullet without a gun  useless, he says.

However, zinc ionophores open up a channel, a door, which allows zinc to go from outside the cell to inside the cell. The zinc ionophores are like guns shooting the zinc bullet into the cell, where it stops the virus enzyme from helping it to replicate within the body.

Vitamin D is also important for fighting COVID-19

Dr. Zelenko also recommends including Vitamin D in your protocol. He says: And Vitamin D  the studies all show  Vitamin D3 levels between 50 and 70 virtually eliminate hospitalizations or admissions in the intensive care unit. It optimizes their immune system..so you need Vitamin D, then you need Zinc, which is the bullet. And then to form a functioning gun, you need Vitamin C and quercetin

This idea is supported by a recent Israeli study that researchers say is the most convincing evidence yet that vitamin D can reduce the risk of serious illness or death in COVID-19 patients. One doctor said that simply looking at a patients age and vitamin D level is enough to tell how well they will fare with the disease.

Sources for this article include:

BigLeaguePolitics.com

NaturalNews.com
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(Natural News) An author and Ph.D. grad is claiming that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the son of the late communist Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, adding that previous reports seeking to debunk the claim did no such thing.

In the age of sloppy journalism, few authors are sloppier than those who claim they debunked the story that Fidel Castro is Justin Trudeaus biological father. They recite the Canadian governments official travel dates to Cuba and painfully avoid the Trudeaus extensive personal trip to the Caribbean trip in Spring 1971. It is a fact the Trudeaus were in the Caribbean in Spring 1971. It is a fact they adored Castro. It is a fact the Trudeaus were swingers. This is what you need to know, writes Karen Leibowitcz on her Medium account.

In addition to providing details, Liebowitcz also includes several photos that appear to show a likeness between Trudeau and a young Castro, as well as historical photos involving Trudeaus parents interacting with the brutal late dictator, who, over the course of decades, ruined the Cuban economy and caused hundreds of thousands of citizens to flee to the United States.

She adds:

First, Margaret Trudeau, Pierre Trudeau, and Fidel Castro were all notoriously sexually promiscuous. Margaret Trudeau was a partier who unquestionably had sex with men while married to Pierre. Nobody knows if Pierre objected. They met when he was 48 and she was 18. They got married when he was 53 and she was 23. Their marriage surprised Canada because Pierre had been a lifelong playboy with no wife or children.

He would be turning 60 when she was barely out of her 20s. She publicly states today she suffered from bipolar disorder and self-control issues. She smuggled drugs in the Prime Ministers official government luggage. She sneaked away from official functions to get high. She partied scantily clad at Studio 54. She became embroiled in a scandal for having sex with Ted Kennedy (gross). According to Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Pierre broke up with her while she was having an affair with Ronnie Wood. The list goes on.

Citing published reports and other documents, Liebowitcz notes that the Trudeaus were huge fans of Castro. According to John Englishs Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliot Trudeau 19682000, the Cuban leader charmed them both and made a number of trips to the Caribbean island just to see him during an era when Cuba was embargoed by much of the free world (because Castro was a tyrant who murdered or jailed his enemies).

And in 2000, Castro also made a rare trip out of his country to go to Pierres funeral in Canada. During the trip, Margaret welcomed him at his hotel on behalf of the Trudeau family, Liebowitcz writes, adding that over the years the Trudeaus introduced Castro to their kids.

When Castro died, Justin Trudeau was the only Western leader to give him an extremely positive eulogy and never addressed his murderous ways.

As for the Canadian PM, Liebowitcz, citing documents and travel, notes:

Justin Trudeau was born on Christmas day, 1971. In order for his father to be Fidel Castro, his mother would have to be somewhere close to Cuba in March and April 1971.

She was.

In April 1971, the Trudeaus took a long second honeymoon all around the Caribbean. According to Wikipedia, they visited one island they declined to disclose. It is the only island they did not disclose.

Justin Trudeau was born 8 1/2 months later, she noted, adding that the photos from 1976 show an unusual amount of familiarity with Fidel considering he was a national leader they just allegedly met.

Trudeau, meanwhile, does not at all seem to resemble his alleged father:

And as we have seen in recent days regarding Canadas treatment of the Freedom Convoy truckers, Trudeau the PM certainly has an authoritarian streak.

Sources include:

Medium.com

Tyranny.news
(Natural News) The revolution in Canada is one of the most important fights currently happening in the world, said BardsFM host Scott Kesterson during the February 10 episode of his show on Brighteon.TV.

Whats happening in Canada right now is one of the most important fights. Youre going to hear a variety of narratives going on out there, Kesterson said. He stressed that whats happing north of the border is not really a protest, but rather a revolution. The backpack journalist and documentary filmmaker noted that it is a significant event for Canada because its the countrys first true revolution.

The nation is starting to dig in deeper and realize that this is far greater than the mandates. And what theyre doing right now is they are stopping the movement of commerce. Thats a critical piece here, said Kesterson.

So what is Canada doing? Canada is disrupting the biggest pacifier ever put upon humanity. Theyre removing the ability to easily get access to goods and services. Thats the brilliance of whats happening. The other part of whats happening in Canada is that the Canadians are learning the power of unity and the strength in numbers. (Related: American, European, Australian truckers gear up to follow anti-vaccine mandate strategy pursued by Canadian truckers.)

Revolution causes massive awakening in Canada

Kesterson pointed out that 1.4 million Canadians are actively pursuing this revolution, which they didnt plan. He added that the Canadian movement, or the truckers protest, that became a Canadian revolution has caused a massive awakening in Canada, with Canadian churches coming together to offer safe haven, warm shelter and food for all the truckers.

Dubbed the Freedom Convoy, the movement was sparked by a vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the United States-Canada border that was implemented by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government last month.

This is unprecedented. A country that is primarily agnostic has become increasingly more close, more anchored in their faith and closer to Christ each and every day, Kesterson said. He also mentioned that Canada has the potential to truly deal a massive blow to Deep State operations.

According to Kesterson, the Deep State isnt some nefarious group but a network of people controlled ultimately by 13 elite families. He added that these people are strategic, smart and long-term players who count on the fact that humanity cant think past the end of its nose.

But Canada, Kesterson said, is proving that it can hold the line.

Theyre doing relays so that people can go down and save for a day. Theyre related and theyre backed up by others. And right now in Ottawa, if you havent heard, theyve shut down the airport and theres a new wave of support coming in from Alberta to reinforce them for the weekend, the BardsFM host said.

This is a real war for them. And if the rest of the world would take this fight as intensely and focused as Canada, we would drop the Deep State on its knees within 90 days. The U.S. truckers are starting to mobilize and as we continue to see that happening, hopefully, the Americans will stand up and join the Canadians.

Kesterson said that the Canadians have realized that their government has become more corrupt. Canadians, he said, have rallied around to support the truckers and support the cause of liberty and their nation.

The whole world is keeping an eye on Canada

Canada has a long ways to go. But the worlds eyes are watching Canada. And let us hope that Canada continues to have the strength and to hold the line. We need Canada to take the lead now, Kesterson said, adding that America must now understand that it can truly conquer the enemy with a revolution of information and truth.
(Natural News) Canada is leading the way in the fight against oppression with the truckers strike for freedom, according to The Prather Point host Jeffrey Prather.

So all praise, honor and prayers to Canada for stepping up and taking the lead. And this is really significant because the communists have always been looking to start a peoples revolution, Prather said during the February 11 edition of the The Prather Point on Brighteon.TV.

But it is really very good news that Canada is leading the way, and I was really honored, privileged and proud to talk recently with the Team Canada leader who is working very closely with the Canadian truckers strike. And they are doing very well. They actually have plenty of fuel and food. Canada was divided, but it is now united. Traditional parts of Canada that were not united before are now uniting under oppression.

Prather mentioned former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Corporal Daniel Bulford, who left Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus protection detail after refusing to take the mandatory Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Bulford has given his support to the truckers movement and is now part of the leadership and security for the Freedom Convoy.

Truckers movement is real working class revolution

Prather noted the movement of the truckers is very significant because it is a real working-class revolution that has started in Canada. (Related: Freedom Convoys spreading around the world as truckers fed up with vaccine mandates respond en masse.)

This is a real bottom-up workers revolution. And truckers are really important because they are salt of the earth. They are the working middle class. They are the folks that drive the trucks, Prather said. Theyre also the folks that build the bridges, make the roads and fight the wars and win the wars. They are very well-informed because they travel throughout the country. They see the countryside, they travel internationally.

He added that the significance of the truckers, and now the farmers joining the truckers, is the base of the system. The system, according to Prather, depends upon them.

The former intelligence officer took note that the global elite still wants to get all of their food and just wants to starve and control everybody else. Prather also mentioned that American truckers were trying to put together a convoy to support the Canadians in their efforts.

Violence, however, is far from Prathers mind, saying supporters of the truckers must work through legal, moral, ethical and nonviolent ways to support them.

Prather added the truckers movement is not only growing in Canada but in other countries as well, with trucker strikes starting to happen worldwide. He also cited the distraction and misinformation being done by the Deep State not only in America.

According to Prather, the Canadian government is now starting to blink the same way as the Joe Biden administration has done, with the requirement for vaccinations being lifted in Canada. He also noted the sense of solidarity between Canada and the United States being shown and the massive presence of young people who are supporting the protest.

Canadian strike for freedom is important to world economy

Prather said the Canadian strike for freedom through the truckers is important to the world economy because the Chinese are trying to control it with virtually everything made in China. He also noted Chinas attempt to control the shipping siege that is happening and the proactive action taken by truckers around the world to control the situation.

Prather also cited former Canadian Premier Brian Pickford, the last living author of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, who said the Trudeau government has failed to demonstrably justify their infringement on fundamental freedoms.

Pickford has filed a lawsuit in federal court over the lockdowns and vaccine requirements for air travel, which is in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Prather also brought up the reports of protesters being racist and stealing from pantries, which he said are false flags. He mentioned that the suspect who ran over one of the Freedom Convoy members in Winnipeg, Canada was arrested. He lauded the police for doing their job and encouraged them to stand up as warrior protectors.

More related stories:

The elite gathers its forces for a counterattack on the Truckers.

Ottawa police chief threatens to ARREST citizens who give food and water to convoy truckers the POLICE have become the terrorists.

Fascist Canadian police state attacks trucker Freedom Convoy, supporters say government is ripping everything apart.

Censorship at its finest: Facebook removes page for DC Freedom Convoy.

Watch the full Feb. 11 episode of The Prather Point with Jeffrey Prather below. The Prather Point airs every Friday at 10-11 a.m. on Brighteon.TV.

Follow Freedom.news for more stories about the fight for freedom, liberty and human rights.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

GeorgiaStarNews.com
(Natural News) The longer left-wing Western leaders use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to become authoritarians, the less legitimacy their governments will hold with the citizens they mean to rule, and chaos will ensue.

Thats whats coming to Canada, of all places, thanks to the creeping tyranny of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has proven now that he only approves of protests if they support his left-wing political views.

On Monday, Trudeau invoked emergency authorities meant for wartime so he could crush the ongoing Freedom Convoy protests against his insane COVID-19 vaccine mandate, drawing immediate criticism from one of the countrys top civil rights groups.

Among the actions Trudeau is taking include freezing bank accounts of anyone associated with the protests, including Canadians who provide the truckers with any material support  an action normally reserved for dictatorships.

This is not a peaceful protest, Trudeau lied during a press conference, adding: The federal government is stepping in because local police authorities have had difficulty enforcing the law.

Then he lied again: This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting peoples jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions.

We are broadening the scope of Canadas anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules so that they cover Crowd Funding Platforms and the payment service providers they use, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland added.

BREAKING: Trudeau regime now using terrorism laws to go after crypto and crowdfunding pic.twitter.com/Fj8ge0Pyzy  Truckistani Underground Poso ? (@JackPosobiec) February 14, 2022

This is about following the money. This is about stopping the financing of these illegal blockades, she said, adding: A bank or other financial service provider will be able to immediately freeze or suspend an account without a court order.

Literally, by abusing his authority, Trudeau and his government toadies are undermining confidence in Canadian government institutions; Trudeau has effectively implemented martial law in the country, but according to Human Events editor Jack Posobiec, not all Canadian leaders are on board with the tyranny.

BREAKING: Premiers of Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, and Saskatchewan oppose Trudeau decision to invoke the Emergencies Act on the truckers, he tweeted.

BREAKING: Premiers of Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, and Saskatchewan oppose Trudeau decision to invoke the Emergencies Act on the truckers  Truckistani Underground Poso ? (@JackPosobiec) February 14, 2022

In a series of tweets, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association notes:

The federal government has not met the threshold necessary to invoke the Emergencies Act. This law creates a high and clear standard for good reason: the Act allows government to bypass ordinary democratic processes. This standard has not been met.

The Emergencies Act can only be invoked when a situation seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada & when the situation cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada.

Governments regularly deal with difficult situations, and do so using powers granted to them by democratically elected representatives. Emergency legislation should not be normalized. It threatens our democracy and our civil liberties.

The federal government has not met the threshold necessary to invoke the Emergencies Act. This law creates a high and clear standard for good reason: the Act allows government to bypass ordinary democratic processes. This standard has not been met. 1/3  Canadian Civil Liberties Association (@cancivlib) February 15, 2022

The Emergencies Act can only be invoked when a situation seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada & when the situation cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada.  Canadian Civil Liberties Association (@cancivlib) February 15, 2022

Governments regularly deal with difficult situations, and do so using powers granted to them by democratically elected representatives. Emergency legislation should not be normalized. It threatens our democracy and our civil liberties. #cdnpoli  Canadian Civil Liberties Association (@cancivlib) February 15, 2022



It should be plain to more people that their ruling liberal democrats are not democratic at all but are instead closet authoritarians using a virus as a means to permanently change the form of government.

If liberty-minded people throughout Western societies dont stand up now while they can, there will come a time in the not-too-distant future when they wont be able to at all without bloodshed.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Dr. Jane Ruby presented evidence of growing cancer cases among individuals injected with Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine boosters during the February 14 episode of Dr. Jane Ruby Show.

Ruby talked about how booster shots are expected to be more potent and more dangerous. In fact, according to Ruby, there is already data showing just how terrifying the boosters are.

So whats happening is were starting to see a growing number of cancers, cancer diagnoses in the injected especially as multiple doses continue, Ruby said.

She noted that the boosters were being pushed by Dr. Anthony Fauci and criminals at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration despite initial studies and reports that are less than reassuring. (Related: Cancer patients who recovered but then got vaccinated for covid now seeing cancer return with a vengeance.)

The initial reports state that people were experiencing swollen lymph nodes throughout their body for more than just a few days after getting these injections that they thought were vaccines, Ruby said. She added they were getting reports that women were showing these results for their mammograms, and they were being told that there are a lot of swollen lymph glands around their axilla, which is located under their arms and surrounds their breast tissue.

We now know from a lot more reports and additional studies that have been published, that this is more than just a temporary swelling of your lymphatic system, Ruby said. She then explained that the Comirnaty vaccine from Pfizer has been linked to cases of swollen lymph nodes on imaging and PET scans as well as lesions.

Cancerous growths reported post-vaccination

Ruby showed a baseline picture from a patient, and then another one five to six months after getting an mRNA vaccine. The patients baseline report showed normal readings for white blood cells, lymphocytes and immunoglobulin levels. But one week after he had his booster shots, there had been dramatic increases in nodal and gastrointestinal and hypermetabolic lesions.

And in the lymph nodes, there were cancerous growths. (Related: Government whistleblowers warn about rises in miscarriages and cancer since the introduction of COVID vaccines.)

Vaccine pushers, according to Ruby, are dismissing these results as some sort of normal response to the vaccine. What they dont want to admit is that after the patients booster shot, the structure of his lymph nodes changed. It is likely due to the development of rapid lymphoma, which is a lymphatic cancer. This is the first observation that suggests the administration of the vaccine may induce angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma progression.

Ruby reiterated that the man was not a cancer patient. He had an unremarkable medical history except for high blood pressure, diabetes and a little bit of high cholesterol. And he was being treated for those three things. No history of cancer, no current cancer diagnosis before this scan, she said. This cancer of his lymph system did not only develop, it expanded within a week of getting his booster.

According to Ruby, there are reports of this development all over the world, and its mostly in vaccinated patients. The way the patients cancer developed, and how it is developing in others, convinced Ruby of the possibility of boosters contributing to the rise in lymphoma.

Because the mRNA vaccines are known to induce enlargement and hypermetabolic activity of draining lymph nodes, it is reasonable to postulate that they are triggering the changes that have been observed.

In October 2021, a post circulated on Facebook containing warnings from a doctor who said that COVID-19 booster shots could increase the risk of lymphoma. The post, which was translated from Thai to English, said Dr. Pirom from Chulalongkorn Hospital in Thailand warns that there is a higher chance of getting lymphoma after getting a booster shot.

Thai doctors and international reports say that the COVID-19 infection rate is now higher, and a lot of people are looking for booster shots. They are looking for vaccines that stimulate their immunity level.

But the immunity  such as [immunoglobulins] or antibodies  that are created in our body is produced by the activity of lymphocytes. If they are stimulated too much, it may cause lymphoma as well as autoimmune disease (LSE), the post stated.

More related stories:

All of the evidence is in: The covid vaccine is a failure.

SHOCK: German physicians discover astonishing impurities in COVID vaccine.

FDA now burying incriminating documents showing Modernas covid vaccine to be harmful.

Cover up: DOD silent after whistleblowers expose COVID vaccine injuries in military.

CovidVaccineReactions.com documents injuries and reactions caused by covid vaccines.

Watch the full February 14 episode of the Dr. Jane Ruby Show below.

This video is from the SecureLife channel on Brighteon.com.

Follow Pandemic.news for more updates related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Facebook.com

FactCheck.AFP.com
(Natural News) Scientists in the United Kingdom recently conducted a forensic examination into the contents of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines, leading them to discover that the mystery fluid is loaded with graphene oxide.

These graphene nanomaterials, they learned, are capable of penetrating the bodys natural barriers, including the blood-brain barrier. This can damage the central nervous system and internal organs, as well as destroy blood health, trigger cancer, and cause permanent changes to gene function.

A British medical practitioner who was damaged by vaccines herself came forward back in December to assist in the investigation. The aim was to determine whether earlier evidence of graphene oxide in the vials could be verified a second time, which it was. (Related: A Spanish news outlet confirmed that covid vaccine vials contain up to 99 percent graphene oxide.)

This doctor seized an injection vial from a refrigerator housed in the surgery where she works. She then gave it to an independent investigator who helps with investigating cases related to injuries caused by the injections.

Since that time, additional vials were obtained for analysis as well. Now, the research covers the three main covid jab manufacturers in the U.K.: Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.

The final report, entitled Qualitative Evaluation of Inclusions in Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines, was presented to the police involved with U.K. Criminal Case 6029679/21, which the authors say constitutes more than enough reasonable suspicion, if not verifiable evidence, that serious indictable offenses have been committed with regard to the administration of these experimental treatments.

The report contains the toxicology reports of injection vials that have been forensically examined, with findings that provide more than enough grounds for the Police to apply for the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Warrant and seize injection vials for themselves, reports the Daily Expose.

The Police will then be able to submit them to a Home Office Laboratory with a view to replicate the findings and will enable them to possess their own hard evidence to support serious indictable offences  Additionally, the police, in line with the duty of care to the public, have been asked to request the immediate cessation of the experimental treatment rollout.

All covid vaccines contain graphene nanoparticles, study finds

It turns out that none of the aforementioned covid injection manufacturers list graphene or carbon-related nanostructures in the form of carbon or graphene composites in their ingredients lists. They also fail to mention the presence of graphene in association with polyethylene glycol, graphene oxide, iron oxide compounds and calcite.

And yet all of these ingredients and more were identified in the vials, proving contamination if not the deliberate poisoning of people with metallic chemicals. Here are all of the mystery ingredients identified:

1. Graphene nano ribbons coated with polyethylene glycol

2. Graphene composite Form 1

3. Graphene composite Form 2

4. Microcrystalline calcite with carbonaceous inclusions

5. Graphene nano form with and without fluorescence

6. Graphene nano objects

7. Graphene nano scrolls

Imagery of these contaminants and the specific vials they were found in can be viewed at the Expose.

All three vaccines commonly employ the self-assembling lipid nanoparticles as drug delivery mechanisms, the Expose reports. Where the central find of this project has been the confirmation of the presence of graphene in all four samples, it is important to evaluate this find in the context of the subject itself.

It is also important to mention, that the source of fluorescence within the samples was unknown while the investigations were underway, and due to tight timescales were not able to be investigated at the time.

More related news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

DailyExpose.uk

NaturalNews.com

UKCitizen2021.org
(Natural News) Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe dropped legitimate bombshells on Monday during a Fox News interview pertaining to special counsel John Durhams ongoing probe into the origins of the Russiagate counterintelligence operation against then-GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, and if true, there is literally no reason why a former president and current president should not be wearing prison stripes.

According to Ratcliffe, former President Barack Obama, then-Vice President Joe Biden, and others in Obamas national security and intelligence sphere were aware of the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaigns efforts to infiltrate internet servers at Trump Tower and then at the White House after Donald Trump beat her. And whats more, its a plot that Clinton herself ordered.

In addition, according to the Daily Mail, Ratcliffe said Durham  empowered as a special counsel by then-Attorney General Bill Barr towards the end of Trumps term  has found enough evidence to indict multiple people.

The outlet notes:

Ratcliffe said former CIA Director John Brennan told Obama, the then-president, and Vice President at the time Biden in 2016 about allegations Clinton was trying to fabricate Trumps links to Russia to distract from the scandal over her deleted emails.

The former DNI also told Fox News Digital on Monday there is enough evidence to indict multiple people in Special Counsel John Durhams probe into the origins of the Russia investigation into ex-President Donald Trump.

Ratcliffes revelations follow a shocking court filing by Durham late last week indicating that Clintons campaign paid a firm to infiltrate servers at Trump Tower, and then the Trump White House, in a bid to create a phony Russian collusion scandal while he was in office.

Clinton allegedly approved in the 2016 election a plan concerning U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server, according to a CIA Counterintelligence Operational Lead (CIOL) first revealed when a heavily-redacted version became declassified in October 2020, The Daily Mail reported.

The September 2016 memo was forwarded from the CIA to the FBI to the attention of then-FBI Director James Comey and then-Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok  the FBI lover who had a relationship with Lisa Page, the outlet added.

Ratcliffe discussed those findings and others in an interview with Fox News.

What did John Brennan tell President Obama in the Oval Office in 2016? anchor Bill Hemmer asked.

He briefed President Obama and Vice President Biden and other members of the national security team about this specific intelligence that John Durham now has about a Hillary Clinton plan to falsely accuse and vilify Donald Trump with a scandal, and the discussion around that and whether or not it was good intelligence, the former DNI, Texas congressman and U.S. attorney responded.

And so everything that happened after that is one of the reasons that John Durham is investigating, he continued.

Those are the issues that John Durham is looking at and I think there will be many more, Ratcliffe added before dropping a bomb: I would expect there to be quite a few more indictments because of that. There wasnt a proper predicate to begin that investigation and John Durham has said that publicly already.

Trump himself has also responded to these new revelations, indicating that, once again, he has been proven right about past allegations he has made.

The latest pleading from Special Counsel John Durham provides indisputable evidence that my campaign and presidency were spied on by operatives paid by the Hillary Clinton Campaign in an effort to develop a completely fabricated connection to Russia, he said.

This is a scandal far greater in scope and magnitude than Watergate and those who were involved in and knew about this spying operation should be subject to criminal prosecution.

In a stronger period of time in our country, this crime would have been punishable by death, Trump continued. In addition, reparations should be paid to those in our country who have been damaged by this.

Trump added: I was proven right about the spying, and I will be proven right about 2020!

Democrats have weaponized every aspect of our government, and if theyre not held accountable, its all going to collapse out of a lack of trust from we the people.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

USAFeatures.news
(Natural News) A Freedom protester in Canberra has filmed an act of road rage as a local driver runs into their car and shouts abuse through her window.

(Article by Alexandra Marshall republished from RebelNews.com)

The two vehicles were parked at a set of traffic lights when, after a small incident, the protester got out of their car to ask the woman behind for her licence  as is standard practice after an accident.

What are you doing? asks the protester, filming the incident. What are you doing  you f**king bogan sl*t? replies the local driver. Get the f**k out of Canberra. Go and get a job and find something better to do with f**king time. What have you done? Can I please have your licence? You just reversed into me. I have a f**cking camera- Ah  sorry. Were at a traffic light and you- Sweetheart, the media doesnt care about you.

The protester walks around to the other side of the car, still attempting to get the Canberra womans license details.

The local leans against her steering wheel and asks, What are you looking for?

Dont you worry-

At which point something seems to knock the protester and her camera, although it is not clear if she was pushed by someone.

Did you see that? says the local. Maniac. Yeeeeeeah! So get the f**k out of Canberra! There are a lot of us. The Canberra woman grins, and then starts to drive off without providing her details following an accident.

The Canberra woman speeds off, misjudges, and drives straight into the side of the protesters car, almost tipping her own vehicle over with the force of the collision. Her car ends up suspended on two wheels, leaning against the car she has just struck.

YOU F**KING IDIOT! shouts the freedom protester, horrified by watching her car crashed into.

The Canberra local involved in the crash later took to social media (in now deleted posts) to claim that the police were not going to press charges and forced the woman that she had crashed into to pay the cost of being towed.

One post read:

Hi, yep ME But what they dont tell you is that the police will not press charges. They forced the ant[i]vaxx scum to pay the damage and tow for my captiva. They were moved along and asked to move, the pathetic attempt at social media, is just the last ditch effort to claim victimisation. Another from the woman claimed to have, parked my car on an antivaxxer. Appearing to justify her actions, a Facebook post reads, Realistically though, there would never have been an issue if they werent there to create one in the first place. There is no comment yet about who paid for the towing of the vehicle or if charges will be laid.

ACT Police told Rebel News in a statement:

About 10.15 am yesterday (Saturday, 12 February 2022) police were called to a two car collision in Watson. Police spoke to both drivers and confirmed there were no injuries as a result of the collision. Enquiries relating to the incident are continuing and infringements or charges may be laid. ACT Policing urges all drivers to remain patient on our roads and to drive safely.

#BREAKING: @ACTPolicing decide NOT to charge the unhinged driver who INTENTIALLY crashed into a protesters car in Canberra. Instead, theyre issuing her an infringement notice for negligent driving. There was nothing negligent about it. She had the intent to harm. pic.twitter.com/t0438WQabf  Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) February 13, 2022

Read more at: RebelNews.com
(Natural News) When demonstrations following the death of George Floyd turned to criminal looting and rioting, then-President Donald Trump stepped up and vowed to do whatever it took to bring back law and order.

As president, he could only do so much, like order federal monuments and buildings reinforced and protected, and he did that.

But also as president, he had a massive bully pulpit to bring awareness to the criminality, and that, in turn, led Americans living in besieged communities to demand action from their local leaders.

As the nominal president, Joe Biden has the same bully pulpit to implore local and regional district attorneys bought and paid for by that Marxist destroyer of societies, George Soros, to do the jobs they were elected to do: Enforce all laws without prejudice and bias instead of taking a woke soft-on-crime approach that only enables more criminal activity.

But he wont, of course, because his left-wing handlers wont instruct him to do so, and because of that, crime is spiking in jurisdictions where Soros DAs and prosecutors are in charge  so much so, in fact, that retailers are being forced to close locations because they are essentially being legally looted.

Shoplifting has gotten so bad nationally that chains like Rite Aid are closing hard-hit stores, sending terrified employees home in Ubers and locking up aisles of seemingly mundane items like deodorant and toothpaste, Axios reported this week.

Already, retailers were reeling economically thanks to nearly a years worth of lockdowns and mandatory business closures to slow the spread of COVID-19, a lunatic strategy that had zero effect on reducing viral infections.

In addition, retailers have also been suffering supply chain problems (thanks, again, to perpetual lockdowns) and shortages of workers. Now they have to deal with organized gangs of thieves, most of which are becoming increasingly violent and brazen.

Its out of control  it is just out of control, Lisa LaBruno, SVP of operations and innovation at the Retail Industry Leaders Association, told Axios.

We have experienced a 300% increase in retail theft from our stores since the pandemic began, CVS spokesman Michael DeAngelis told the outlet.

A RiteAid in midtown Manhattan was forced to close down after having some $200,000 worth of goods stolen from the location in January alone, the New York Post reports.

They come in every day, sometimes twice a day, with laundry bags and just load up on stuff, one store employee told The Post, as two others nodded their heads in agreement.

They take whatever they want and we cant do anything about it. Its why the store is closing. They cant afford to keep it open, the store employee added.

Often, goods that are stolen are then resold online and while that alone indicates racketeering and should warrant federal law enforcement intervention, Biden is nowhere to be found speaking out about the problem, nor is Attorney General Merrick Garland, the latter of whom is too busy going after parents who protest curriculum at school board meetings.

A decision to close a store is one we take very seriously, and those decisions are based on a variety of factors that retail businesses consider such as overarching business strategy, lease and rent considerations, local business conditions and viability, and store performance, a RiteAid spokesperson told The Post, not having the guts to blame the closures on bands of thugs enabled by left-wing soft-on-crime Soros prosecutors  including Manhattan DA Alvin Briggs.

But there are some efforts to get things back under control.

The retail industry is pressing Congress to pass the INFORM Act, which would require online marketplaces (like Amazon, eBay and Facebook) to verify sellers and provide contact information to buyers, Axios reported.

In reality, though, nothing is going to change. This is all by design.

The left is destroying our society one major city at a time. Collapse is imminent; if you live in one of those cities, you need to get out.

Sources include:

Axios.com

NYPost.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) In a debate class or group, the people who disagree with your theories or opinions are not considered terrorists. If you say Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, then someone else emphatically says, No, he landed here and found indigenous people, they are not terrorists for debating the so-called facts. Yet somehow, the regulatory agencies of the United States of America are now calling anyone terrorists who argue or debunk their fake facts. How can this be?

Regulatory agency goons and billionaires who fund the manufacturing of toxic medicine and deadly vaccines are behind this attack on Americans right to question, to think, to choose, what is safe and healthy for their own body, mind, family and livelihood. The people screaming misinformation! are the very people responsible for the spreading of 99 percent of it. Not everything science is golden, and today, with Covid, a lot of science is faked and deadly. Its unsafe and ineffective, as opposed to the misinformation myth that its always all safe and effective.

DHS, FDA, CDC all undermine public trust in government institutions with all their fake and falsified misinformation about Covid

Millions of Americans who simply disagree with the Covid narrative are being punished and labeled a threat or even a terrorist. If you dont wear your mask 24/7/365, you are a terrorist who wants to murder millions of people by spreading the Chinese Flu. If you believe in eating whole organic food and taking supplements to build and maintain immunity, you are a terrorist (because you wont succumb to gene mutation injections).

DHS is using taxpayer monies to pursue perpetrators of their misinformation Covid narrative, creating a hit-list like some FBI most-wanted list. If you hear someone saying anything bad about any of the deadly vaccines the CDC pushes, report it, right? Code red (for Republican or Pro-American).

The CDC and FDA are guilty of proliferating false and misleading narratives, that sow discord and undermine public trust in our governmental institutions. This proliferation has led to the death of millions of Americans, who trusted that the clot shots and the bacteria-breeding masks would flatten the curve and keep them from getting a deadly case of Covid. It was all just dead facts. Fake facts. Falsified science. Lies.

Sleepy Dementia Joe, Fauci, social media and mainstream news  all GUILTY of treason and the spreading of propaganda

If Big Pharma did not run America, these leaders and followers would all be in prison instead of making a fortune off their disease-spreading cult. For 100 years now Big Pharma has run Americas medical colleges, hospitals, doctors licenses, and all the commercials on television for those chronic-sick-care drugs.

Isnt it ironic how the people who take medicine in America, as prescribed by medical doctors, are the sickest people in the world and REMAIN that way until they die early from preventable diseases and disorders? They are missing out on years, even decades, of their lives due to bad advice from their doctors, surgeons and web searches for information. They are dying from MIS  misinformation syndrome.

Disease propaganda runs 24/7/365. It never stops. There are paid government researchers who create fake graphs, data, results, lab tests and even falsify peer-reviewed articles to create the illusion that science rules their false-narrative about everything Covid. Its all made up. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is guilty of treason and bio-terrorism for spreading misinformation about early treatment protocols that could have saved millions if not a billion lives in the next couple years.

Anthony Fauci, NIAID Director, not only spreads misinformation regularly, but funded the lab-made virus, lied about it to Congress, and still pushes propaganda thats killing more people than Covid.

Reuters and the Associated Press lied about the deadly effects of nanoparticles and covered up the fact that they stay inside the body indefinitely. The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, still claims the age old, debunked myth that vaccines are safe and effective even WHILE the Covid vaccines are causing blood clots and arent preventing the contraction or spread of Covid. Vaccines literally increase hospitalizations and deaths, and thats already a statistical fact.

The list of bio-terrorists and pharma shills is long, and too long to include them all here. Be sure to research it so you will know your enemies. Stay tuned and stay frosty. Tune your internet to Censored.news for huge swaths of truth news thats being censored from the rest of media as you read this.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

TheGatewayPundit.com

Censored.news

SteveKirsch.substack.com
Earthquakes occurred near a North Korean nuclear testing site amid the country's hints to resume its testing program for the first time after several years.

Since late last week, several low-intensity earthquakes were recorded near the site, highlighting the continuance of seismic activity and geological instability in North Korea and its surrounding regions.

South Korean government experts have said that previous nuclear explosions have permanently changed the geology of the region, resulting in seismic activity.

However, nuclear-driven seismic activity is common. In fact, the same phenomenon was recorded when some countries in the past have tested their nuclear capabilities.

Amid hints to resume nuclear testing, North Korea is reportedly facing a potential backlash once again over potential threats posed by its nuclear.

Over recent years, international regulations and sanctions, notably from the United States, have prompted a series of failed talks between North Korea with the US and its allies.

Recent Earthquakes Highlights Geological Instability

Between Friday and Tuesday, Feb. 11 and Feb. 15, at least four natural earthquakes occurred near the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site in North Korea, as per Sky News.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, damage, or a tsunami warning.

The earthquakes ranged between 2.5 and 3.1 magnitudes.

The latest 2.5 magnitude earthquake occurred 36 kilometers (22 miles) from the site, as per the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) in Seoul.

The recent earthquakes highlight the continuance of seismic activity and geological instability in the region, as per the KMA.

South Korean government experts reportedly stated the nuclear explosions in the past have permanently changed the geology in the region, as cited by CTV News.

However, the geological changes from nuclear explosions are not new as there were recorded similar instances when the US and Russia also conducted their nuclear tests over the past several decades.

Also read: North Korea Tests Space Rockets, Ballistic Missiles

Potential Resumption of Nuclear Testing

The KMA recorded the recent earthquakes amid North Korea's indications to resume its nuclear testing for the first time after several years.

For instance, North Korea started the year with a series of missile tests, as per The New York Times.

The last known nuclear test of North Korea was in September 2017 when the country detonated its sixth and largest nuclear bomb.

Since then, criticism and economic sanctions against North Korea have grown, but the country is still engaged in missile tests amid the international pressure.

Failed Talks with the US and its Allies

According to US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, North Korea was "in a phase of provocation" due to a nuclear threat posed by North Korea when it started the year with a series of missile tests, as per NBC News.

Blinken's statement came on Saturday, Feb. 12, when the US, Japan, and South Korea held a meeting in Hawaii, USA, to condemn the recent missile tests of North Korea and discuss potential measures to address the threats.

Over recent years, despite the efforts of the Trump administration and the government of South Korea, North Korea's continued missile tests have resulted in failed talks with the US and its allies.

Related article: North Korea Conducted Missiles Test -- Here's Why You Should Care
A massive asteroid is heading towards Earth but is projected to safely fly by later this week.

The asteroid is estimated to have a size comparable with the Empire State Building in New York City.

Although the space rock has been projected to unlikely hit Earth, its size has the reported capability to destroy an entire continent on our planet.

The passage of space rocks near our planet (also called as near-Earth asteroids) is common. However, planet-killing asteroids are rare and there are no known complete measures for them yet.

However, current measures are already being conceptualized and developed with the aim of preventing an asteroid from directly hitting Earth.

Empire State Building-Sized Asteroid

The massive asteroid is also called BH7, which has been projected to pass by Earth on Friday, Feb. 18, with a distance of approximately 2.9 million kilometers (1.8 million miles) from us.

When the BH7 asteroid passes Earth, it is even farther than the moon, which orbits our planet at a distance of 384,000 kilometers (236,606 miles).

The asteroid has an approximate width between 170 and 380 meters, the reason it is compared to the size of the Empire State Building.

The comparison is based on the maximum estimation of the rock.

Almost similar to the Apophis asteroid, the BH7 has the capacity to destroy an entire continent, as per the Jerusalem Post.

Also read: 'Potentially Hazardous' Asteroid Expected to Fly by Earth on March 4

Recent Asteroid Passages

Prior to the approach of the BH7 asteroid, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recorded on Tuesday, Feb. 15 the passage of five other asteroids named: 2022 CO6, 2022 CH7, 2022 CQ4, and 2022 CT6.

These recorded asteroids had only a comparable size with a bus or an airplane and posed no threat at all as their distance was also far enough to directly hit Earth.

Still, even space rocks are common and planet-killing asteroids are rare, NASA continues to monitor all asteroids due to the possibility that an asteroid could one day hit us.

According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a large asteroid hitting us one day is imminent and Earth has no complete defense or measures yet against it.

Earth's Planetary Defense System Against Asteroids

There are no currently unifying and complete defense measures yet against asteroids, especially against a planet-killing level space rock.

However, conceptualized defense strategies and ongoing test measures are underway to address the future challenge that one day an asteroid will hit us.

One of these instances is NASA's current engagement in a program called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission and the recent next-generation asteroid impact monitoring system, as per NASA's JPL.

NASA's DART mission aims to deflect an incoming asteroid towards Earth in the future.

There is a multitude of asteroids in our solar system, but NASA prioritizes the near-Earth asteroids (NEAs).

So far, approximately 28,000 NEAs have been detected as of December 2021.

Related article: Gigantic Asteroid Will Pass By Earth in 7 Years, Do We Have Defense Against Such Threats?
Prostrate milkweed (Asclepias prostrata), a rare plant species in the US state of Texas and Mexico's northeastern provinces, is on the brink of extinction due to human-driven activities.

The US government has proposed that the rare Texas plant, including its natural habitat, be under the list of endangered species to conserve and protect it.

The prostrate milkweed is known for contributing to a food support system and pollination for bees, wasps, and butterflies.

However, habitat loss and degradation due to human activities have put the plant species to near extinction.

The United States Endangered Species Act of 1973

The prostrate milkweed is known for its role of being a host plant for monarch butterflies and attracting pollinators, such as large bees and wasps.

However, human activities in the contemporary period have pushed the rare Texas plant to the brink of extinction.

The United States Fish and Wildfire Service (USFWS) on Monday, Feb. 14, has proposed to place the prostrate milkweed plant under the list of endangered species, as per CBS News.

The move was due to the decreasing population of the said plant species caused by human activities.

Due to the threat of expanding human settlement, the USFWS proposed the rare Texas plant, including the plants' 691-acre of critical habitat, under the federal law Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 to protect the endangered species from completely dying out.

Under the ESA law, the import, export, possession, selling, or transport of endangered species are illegal under US soil.

The ESA law covers both animal and plant species, including those found inland or bodies of water, as per the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Also read: A Number of Invasive Plants Still Being Sold on the Market Despite Being Banned in US

Current Conservation Efforts

In one of the initial efforts to protect the plant species, the USFWS suggested applying the ESA law to the nearly 700 acres of critical habitat of the prostrate milkweed-located in the Starr and Zapata counties in Texas, near the Rio Grande, as per CBS News.

The USFWS reportedly chose the area since it has features conducive for the plants to live and grow.

There are only 24 reported populations of prostrate milkweed in the mentioned Texas counties, as per the Center for Biological Diversity.

Prior to the USFWS' proposal, the Center for Biological Diversity organization filed a lawsuit to the said US agency regarding the decreasing number population of the rare Texas plant.

The organization was the prime initiator to protect the prostrate milkweed.

Currently, the proposal has been published in the US government journal Federal Register where the public can post comments regarding the proposal until April 18.

Human Activities Threaten the Prostrate Milkweed Plants

The USFWS attributed the decreasing population of prostrate milkweed to human activities such, as root-plowing, border security measures, infrastructural development, road constructions, and route maintenance, as per International Business Times.

Over the past two decades, there have been calls by environmentalists to push for the protection of the prostrate milkweed under the ESA law.

The recent proposal of the USFWS can be considered as the first step towards a regrowth of the population of the rare Texas plant.

Related article: Poaching Threatens South Africa's Rare Desert Plants
Below average temperature is headed toward west of Denver as wave of cold air in the Rocky Mountains send fresh snowfall in Salt Lake City, days after a "springlike" warmth.

Conditions across the region will turn mostly cloudy Tuesday with mild temperatures in the 30s and 40s, and a snowstorm for Wednesday evening is forecasted.

"The Denver area will be caught between a storm moving out of the Southwest and a high pressure surging southward across the northern Plains," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Michael LeSeney explains, as the storm draws moisture northward into the southern Plains.

By the time it crosses, temperatures are predicted to trend downward, delivering widespread snow across the region.

"As cold, arctic air presses southward across Wyoming and Colorado, an easterly wind will draw upon that moisture in the southern Plains and push it up into the Rocky Mountains," LeSeney added.

Denver weather forecast

Forecasters say snow will spread in a southeasterly direction on Tuesday night and over portions of Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming. A mix of rain and snow will also start in places like Salt Lake City before it overspreads the mountains in Colorado early Wednesday.

As per the local news Fox31, nearly 15 degrees above average will be felt on Tuesday, as snow moves in Wednesday subsequently.

The Pinpoint Weather Team had issued a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day ahead of Wednesday's snowstorm and forecasted how much snowfall is expected: snow in Central and Northern Mountains starts early Wednesday; Northern Colorado starts 7 a.m. or later; 12 p.m. in both Boulder and Denver; and 12 p.m. or later in Castle Rock.

"As this cold, moist air flows up the slope of the Rockies, it will produce widespread snow across eastern Colorado and will bring several inches of snow to the cities and communities along the Front Range from Fort Collins, Colorado, in the north to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the south," LeSeney said.

Also read: Human-Made Snow in Beijing Could be Dangerous as the Earth Warms

How to prepare for Wednesday's snowstorm

Fox31 reports things to know about the next round of snow after last week's storm. It will arrive in the mountains by Wednesday morning and in Denver by around 12 p.m, sending temperatures at or below freezing, and will continue until around midnight before it ends in the Mile High City. A a total of about 3 inches is expected by the time it's all said and done.

Additionally, the Wednesday evening commute appears to be the biggest impact to travel for Denver. The local news also forecasted the projected snowfall totals for this storm.

As snow accumulates, it is likely to cause slippery road conditions, reduce visibilities, and create travel delays across the West. Motorists traveling on interstates 15, 25, 70, 76, 80, 84 and 86 are recommended to "slow down and avoid unnecessary travel" during the storm.

The return of harsh winter cold in Denver after last week's high temperatures "could feel even colder" with AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures in the upper 20s. According to the National Weather Service, "this bitter cold will be most significant during the overnight hours, but it will stay quite cold during the daytime."

Also read: Antarctica's Rivers and Lakes Hidden Under Ice Could Play a Significant Role in Rising Sea Levels
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BETHEL  Despite commands not to drive, a state trooper charged with driving under the influence last weekend told an officer to watch this before driving away, a police report obtained Wednesday shows.

Andrew Murphy, a trooper assigned to the Troop A barracks in Southbury, is facing charges of operating under the influence of alcohol, disobeying the signal of an officer and interfering with an officer. He was released from custody after a friend posted $500 bond and is due to appear Monday in state Superior Court in Danbury.

Murphy, a state trooper since July 2019, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, state police officials said.

In a police report obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, Bethel police said Murphy repeatedly told them he was a state police officer, and claimed they were hurting one of their own in a expletive-laden interaction.

The report also said Murphy refused a urine test, and was uncooperative during questioning after his arrest, forcing officers to repeatedly ask him to stop yelling, according to the report.

The incident began around 2:10 a.m. Sunday when a patrol officer spotted Murphy standing by the open door of his Mazda sedan in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven on Stony Hill Road, according to the report.

As the officer approached, he reported that he saw Murphy was having difficulty keeping his balance, the report said. He shouted at Murphy to ask if he was all right, and was told in very slurred speech that he was fine, according to the report.

The officer told Murphy he looked like he needed a ride and did not want him to be driving, the report read.

When the state trooper got into his car, the officer wrote in the report that he yelled at him to stop and not to drive, but Murphy told him watch this, watch me!

Murphy then pulled out of the lot without wearing his seat belt and drove to his home about a mile away, the report said.

When the officer spotted a tire on Murphys car go off the road, he put on his lights and siren to pull Murphy over, but he did not stop, the report said. Along the way, the officer claims Murphy was drifting around turns and driving at around 10 mph, the report said.

When Murphy pulled into the driveway of his home, the officer requested backup.

As Murphy got out of his car, he had such poor balance  he needed to brace himself on his vehicle, the report said.

When the officer asked Murphy why he didnt stop, he told the officer he wanted to go home, and pointed to his Connecticut State Police cruiser in the driveway, according to the report.

The officer wrote in the report that he smelled a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from Murphys breath, and that the trooper told him he had had four drinks that night, the report said.

The officer conducted a field sobriety test, during which Murphy told police he needed an ambulance because everything hurt, the officer wrote in the report.

When police questioned Murphy about whether his firearm was in the car, he became aggressive and began yelling, according to the report, claiming Bethel police were (expletive) one of your own.

He was transported to Danbury Hospital before being taken to the Bethel Police Department and processed, according to the report.

About two hours after arriving at the police station, the officer reported that Murphy began talking with me and appeared able to gather his words better than before. Murphy began asking me questions about the motor vehicle stop and how he ended up getting arrested.

The questions included how Murphy ended up at the 7-Eleven, the officer wrote in the report.

Murphy is not the only state police trooper to face a DUI charge in recent years. State police charged one of their own, Sgt. John McDonald, with driving under the influence in 2019. State police said McDonald was leaving a retirement party for another officer at a Brewery in Oxford when he drove through a stop sign and struck a car carrying a woman and her daughter.

McDonald pleaded nolo contendere to to two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment last month as part of a plea agreement that will allow him to complete a pretrial alcohol education program and have the DUI charge dismissed. State police said Wednesday McDonald remains on administrative suspension.
New Castle, PA (16103)

Today

Rain likely. High near 70F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms. Low 59F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.


Norfolk churches join together for Life '22 mission Norfolk churches join together for Life '22 mission

Churches across Norfolk are joining with many others throughout the UK and Ireland for Life 22, a month of mission throughout March  praying, learning and stepping out to make Jesus known in their communities.

Life 22 Norfolk includes Norfolk churches such as Surrey Chapel, Holy Trinity, Servants and St Andrews in Norwich, Broadgrace in Coltishall, St Mary Magdalene in Gorleston and Diss Baptist Church.



It will include well-known speakers such as Rico Tice (of Christianity Explored), Hilary Nicholls and Nate Morgan Locke. Other events include a film night, style tips, workers lunch, cream teas, deep indie music with Pyramid Park, a youth night and inflatable fun for children.



Venues includes churches, a coffee shop, a city bar and St Andrews Hall in Norwich.



Susan Manning, from Surrey Chapel, said: Life 22 Norfolk is a series of events which we would love as many Christians as possible to bring along their friends to hear the gospel.



We are very excited to have speakers Rico Tice (of Christianity Explored), Hilary Nicholls and Nate Morgan Locke, come to Norfolk  all of whom are faithful, winsome and engaging communicators for todays culture.



There are events for men, women, children, students and seniors, and these are all listed on the website: Life 22 Norfolk which has booking details, information about the speakers, and contact details of churches who will be running Hope Explored courses as follow-up to the events.



Please have a look at the website and let your church and most importantly, your non-Christian friends know about it, said Susan



For churches in Norfolk who want to get in touch, please contact Bev@SurreyChapel.org.uk or jarmstrong073@gmail.com (Diss Baptist Church)



www.life22norfolk.co.uk

Keith Morris, 17/02/2022
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PLAINFIELD  Plainfield Police officers found a 52-year-old man dead in a parking lot in Central Village Tuesday, the police department said in a news release.

Police received calls around 12:30 p.m. about an unresponsive man lying on the ground of the parking lot of a building on Putnam Road, the police department said.

At the parking lot, police found the 52-year-old man still unresponsive. Police requested medical services immediately, and medical personnel determined the man was dead, police said.

An investigator with the states Office of the Chief Medical Examiner went to the scene to help in the investigation. An autopsy will be conducted, police added.

Police are still investigating the incident. Anyone with information should contact the Plainfield Police Departments Special Investigations Unit at 860-564-0804.
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Kroger opens Customer Fulfillment Center in Forest Park

Special Photo Officials with Kroger and Forest Park officially cut the ribbon signifying the opening of the new Customer Fulfillment Center. Special Photo The Kroger grocery store has opening a new Customer Fulfillment Center in Forest Park. Special Photo The Kroger grocery store has opening a new Customer Fulfillment Center in Forest Park. Special Photo The Kroger grocery store has opening a new Customer Fulfillment Center in Forest Park.

FOREST PARK  The Kroger grocery store chain has opened a Customer Fulfillment Center in Forest Park.

Kroger Deliverys CFC offers thousands of grocery products to residents up to 90 miles away. Orders are transported in temperature-controlled delivery vans.

Kroger Delivery provides reliably fresh food in a convenient, innovative way. We are excited to deliver Krogers exclusive brands, including Simple Truth, the countrys largest natural and organic private label, and Private Selection throughout metro Atlanta, said David Matthews, Krogers general manager of the Forest Park Customer Fulfillment Center. The new Customer Fulfillment Center will introduce Kroger Delivery to both existing and new customers, accelerate our e-commerce capabilities, and create hundreds of new career opportunities from our centralized location here in Forest Park.

The opening of the Forest Park CFC follows another e-commerce achievement for the retailer in the area, the recent launch of the Boost by Kroger Plus annual membership program. For either $59 or $99 per year, Boost provides customers access to benefits like free delivery and the opportunity to earn up to $1 off per gallon of fuel twice as often.

Additionally, during the launch period, new e-commerce customers are invited to try the service and receive $15 off their first three delivery orders of $75 or more by visiting www.kroger.com/pr/pickup-delivery-savings-4.

With direct access to three interstate highways, an international airport and railways, our city has become a strategic partner that supports large-scale commerce and growing industries, said Mayor Angelyne Butler. This type of economic development progress only helps to strengthen our message that it is a new day in Forest Park. We trust that our public-private partnership with Kroger will help pave the way for more high-wage jobs and serve as an investment toward our goal of creating an even more robust business climate.

The Forest Park CFC currently employs more than 250 associates and continues to hire, with roles focusing on customer service and engagement, engineering, operations, inventory and quality management, and transportation. To view available careers, visit Jobs.Kroger.com.

The Forest Park location joins CFCs in Groveland, Fla.., and Monroe, Ohio. The fulfillment network plans additional Customer Fulfillment Centers in California, Dallas, Texas, Maryland, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as South Florida and the Northeast.
LeConte Nix: We have to normalize that going to therapy is great and is needed  just like going to a movie or your regular doctors appointment. We all have stuff that we hide mentally or avoid. Now, think about a young adult who only knows how to deal with anger by violence of some sort, because he or she has never been taught how to handle certain situations."
Ethan Simmons is a reporter at The News-Gazette covering the University of Illinois. His email is esimmons@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@ethancsimmons).
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
MANZINI  The Swaziland Union of Students (SNUS) and the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) will tomorrow stage a march, to demand the release of Colani Maseko.

Maseko, who is the President of SNUS, was arrested and charged with sedition and two counts of malicious damage to property. Subsequent to this, a meeting was held yesterday wherein TUCOSWA and the SNUS leadership took a resolution to march to demand for the release of Maseko while also voicing out the concerns over the recent occurrences faced by students union leaders. TUCOSWA Secretary General Mduduzi Gina said the federation noted the supposedly increasingly deplorable political state obtaining in the country and had agreed in unison that the political situation was one that required serious attention.

Resolutions

He said in their meeting, four resolutions were reached, which included that the federation must attend all planned activities calling for the unconditional release of political prisoners including the SNUS president, the two incarcerated legislators in Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube. In this connection, it was resolved that the federation should participate in the activities planned by SNUS for the February 3, 2022, in Manzini, Gina said. He said it was resolved further that, a petition be delivered to the Manzini Police Regional Headquarters (RHQ) in protest against the alleged ongoing senseless and targeted assault of activists. He said a case in point was that of Sakhile Nxumalo , the Political Educator and Training Officer of the SNUS, which happened yesterday.

Gina also claimed that there was the general victimisation and intimidation of pro-democracy leaders supposedly by the State security forces. Furthermore, he said it was resolved, that in consultation with other formations in the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF), a consideration must be made to have sleepover protests in selected United Nations offices and embassies. This, he said, would be a build-up towards a mass stay away, which must ensue through wide membership consultations. Supporting this was SNUS Secretary General Wakhile Lukhele through a statement. Lukhele said the SNUS leadership had taken a resolution to call upon all forces to the battlefield as of tomorrow, February 03, 2022. He said the SNUS appealed to all its allies, the youth, the church and all members of the mass democratic movement to join forces and render the country ungovernable.

In the statement, Lukhele said, the freedom of all emaSwati was in their hands. Lukhele also urged all students and the nation at large to stay united and rally behind the union and its president, all political prisoners inclusive of Amos Mbedzi and the two incarcerated legislators. In the statement, the secretary general said history had taught them that when the youth united against any injustice that prevailed, no matter what the circumstances, they would conquer. Even now, in this moment, the union leadership is confident that any form of injustice that attempts to silence the voice of students can be defeated in solidarity, he said. Lukhele said while the SNUS president was officially charged, the campaigns officer of the organisation Sibusiso Commander Nkwanyana, was released after allegedly being tortured and throttled by police officers at Mliba Police Station.

He also said another student, Simphiwe Sgubhu Gamedze from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) Luyengo campus, was taken to Malkens Police Station and was later released on the same day. He alleged that the SNUS political and education officer (Nxumalo) was tortured and later taken to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital. This, he said, made it clear to them that they were supposedly being kidnapped, tortured and injured. He advised students to be vigilant and safe from the police. Meanwhile, TUCOSWA held a consultative meeting yesterday at the Shosholoza Preschool Hall to reflect on the increasing attack on pro-democracy activists. The meeting was necessitated by the arrests of Student Union leaders that happened on January 31 and February 1, 2022, respectively.

Meanwhile, the meeting wherein the resolutions were taken was attended by the national executive committees (NECs) of the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) , Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), Swaziland Commercial and Allied Workers Union (SCAWU) and Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU).

Also present were National Workers Union of Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI), Swaziland Health Institution and Allied Workers Union (SHIAWU), Swaziland Transport Communication and Allied Workers Union (SWATCAWU), Swaziland Agricultural Plantation Workers Union (SAPWU) and the Youth Structure.
There's no change for now to the rules for students but starting Friday, vaccinated and boosted staff members and "certain visitors" can go mask-free in rooms where no students are present, the door is closed and at least 6 feet of distance is kept between all present.
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
Longview, TX (75601)

Today

Mostly cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 79F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
RTHK: US condemns Russian support for Ukraine separatists

The United States on Wednesday strongly condemned a Russian parliament proposal to recognize Ukraine's two separatist republics as independent.

Such a move would "constitute a gross violation of international law," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

Russia's parliament on Tuesday voted to urge President Vladimir Putin to recognize the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as "sovereign and independent states" amid soaring tension with the West over Moscow's troop build-up.

"Kremlin approval of this appeal would amount to the Russian government's wholesale rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements," Blinken said, referring to a landmark 2014 deal meant to settle the Ukraine conflict.

He added that such a decision would undermine Moscow's "stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis, and necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our allies and partners." (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-02-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
MBABANE  The scrapping of close to 100 unroadworthy public transport vehicles has created hostility at the Mbabane Bus Rank.

The local kombis were removed from the road by public transport inspectors during an operation which began on Monday and had to be immediately suspended, following that public transport workers staged a protest halting operations at the capital citys bus terminus. Operations came to a halt after public transport workers blocked the entrance and exit points at the bus rank, rendering commuters stranded yesterday afternoon. This happened for close to 30 minutes as police officers tried reasoning with the workers who were demanding that their kombis be allowed to operate and return to their different routes.

Complained

Among other things, the public transport workers complained that the terrible road conditions were damaging their vehicles, hence the reason for them being unroadworthy. Addressing the Acting Regional Commander Simangele Motsa and Station Commander Superintendent Sabelo Dlamini, rank marshal Jabulani Dlamini, said government needed to attend to the roads before rendering their vehicles unroadworthy. Dlamini said the charges faced by the kombi drivers should be dropped and they should be given back their documents until the roads in the country were fixed by government. He said they were not against cars being examined, but due to the condition of the roads, the public transport examiners should not fine the operators after rendering their vehicles unfit. Instead, they stated that they should allow the operators to fix the problems that had been pointed out on the motor vehicle.

In response, the police chiefs stated that what was raised by the public transport workers needed to be negotiated with the public transport examiner. They said they (public transport workers) could not make conditions at this point but should engage first the examiners and voice out their concerns. This, they said, was because the motor vehicles had been found defective. However, the police officers stated that they would negotiate for the return of the drivers licences and permits as the operators attended to their motor vehicles.

Meeting

The police officers said they would be meeting with the public transport inspectors to try and resolve the matter. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni, said examiners did nothing wrong as they were doing their duty to examine public transport vehicles. Mnguni said all those who had been found on the wrong were charged. She said police could not allow public transport that was unroadworthy because by doing so they placed the lives of the commuters at risk. She said another meeting would be held with public transport vehicle owners to try and find a way forward.
Long-term survival data from the first prospective, randomized biomarker validation trial in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer being treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy before surgery will be reported at the 2022 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (GU ASCO) on February 18, 2022.

The results are from the S1314 clinical trial conducted by the SWOG Cancer Research Network, a cancer clinical trials group funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Primary results of the S1314 study were published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research in 2021 and reported an association between a gene-expression biomarker called the COXEN GC score and a tumor's pathologic response to chemotherapy. The new findings being presented at GU ASCO are results of a prespecified secondary analysis of S1314 data that looked for associations between COXEN score and how long a patient lived after starting treatment (a measure known as overall survival, or OS), and between COXEN score and how long a patient lived without their disease getting worse (known as progression-free survival, or PFS).

The work was led by Thomas W. Flaig, MD, a SWOG investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and vice chancellor for research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center. "The work on S1314 was a tremendous collaborative effort across many institutions," Flaig said, "and it provides important information on patients being treated with preoperative chemotherapy for bladder cancer."

The S1314 trial enrolled 237 patients with muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer that had not spread to other parts of the body (had not metastasized), all of whom were slated to have surgery for their cancer.

After they enrolled in the study, patients were assigned at random to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy  that is, chemotherapy before surgery  on one of two treatment arms. Patients on the first arm were treated with a combination of two drugs  gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC). Those on the second arm were treated with a dose-dense cocktail of four drugs: methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (known as MVAC). All patients had surgery after completing chemotherapy. Doctors examined the tumors removed from patients to determine whether they had shrunk in response to the chemotherapy.

The COXEN score (short for co-expression extrapolation score) is generated by a test that measures the expression, or activity level, of a specific set of genes in a patient's tumor cells. The COXEN test is tailored to each treatment. Roughly speaking, it attempts to predict how sensitive a tumor is to a specific drug or to a combination of drugs.

The S1314 trial used a separate, treatment-specific COXEN test for each of the two treatment combinations. These two tests were called COXEN GC and COXEN MVAC. Before the trial started, researchers identified a specific cutoff score for each test  scores above that cutoff were considered favorable, scores below it unfavorable.

The trial was designed to determine whether a better COXEN score was associated with a more favorable response to chemotherapy. The goal was to determine whether the COXEN score could serve as a potential biomarker that could then be validated later in a prospective clinical trial. The primary trial results had shown that the COXEN GC score could predict pathologic response to chemotherapy among a pooled analysis of patients from both the GC and MVAC treatment arms.

In the secondary analysis reported at GU ASCO, the researchers found no significant association between the COXEN GC score and OS or PFS in the GC treatment group, nor between the COXEN MVAC score and OS or PFS in the MVAC treatment group. However, when they looked at the COXEN GC score values for both treatment groups combined, they found that the score was a significant predictor of overall survival.

Flaig emphasized that much more remained to be learned from S1314. "There is very little prospective data in this setting," he said, "and beyond the COXEN analysis reported here, samples and patient outcomes from S1314 are being used to facilitate the evaluation of several additional biomarkers."
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) the causative agent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected over 414 million worldwide and caused the deaths of over 5.83 million. SARS-CoV-2 continues to place a significant burden on international healthcare systems due to its effective interhuman transmissibility and clinical disease which, in extreme cases, can lead to hospitalization.

Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) such as physical/social distancing, improved hand hygiene adherence, mask mandates, business and school closures, city-wide lockdowns, and international border closures have all been used to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission and avoid overburdening healthcare systems.

Study: The REinfection in COVID-19 Estimation of Risk (RECOVER) study: Reinfection and serology dynamics in a cohort of Canadian healthcare workers. Image Credit: Marcos Homem / Shutterstock.com

Background

SARS-CoV-2 reinfection epidemiology in healthcare workers and the general public has been studied in several large-scale prospective and retrospective cohort studies. For example, the main goal of the REinfection in COVID-19 Estimation of Risk (RECOVER) study is to evaluate the level of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 in a group of healthcare workers (HCWs) who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 either in the first or second wave of the pandemic.

In the RECOVER study, which is published on the preprint server medRxiv*, a team of researchers from various Canadian institutions document all cases of reinfection discovered during the first year of the project. The researchers also calculate the reinfection frequency in unvaccinated HCWs, explain the antibody response following recovery from COVID-19, and offer an in-depth profile of a cohort of previously infected HCWs.

About the study

The initial infection with SARS-CoV-2 caused symptomatic COVID-19 disease in a majority of the individuals included in this study, with acute symptoms lasting for an average of 14 days. According to participants, the initial infection was caused by encounters that occurred mainly at the workplace or at home.

Timeline of the RECOVER study, overlayed with variants in circulation during the study period. The enrolment of participants was from August 17th 2020 to April 8th 2021. The follow-up period (for the results presented in this paper) was from August 17th 2020 to October 19th 2021. Enrolled participants acquired their primary infection between March 6th 2020 and February 14th 2021. Approximate periods for circulation of variants were derived from provincial surveillance data.

Thirty-four HCWs needed to be admitted to the hospital for COVID-19-related treatment, with 12 requiring oxygen therapy, two requiring intensive care, and one requiring mechanical ventilation. The multivariate logistic analysis found obesity as the primary significant individual risk factor for hospitalization. Age, sex, ethnicity, pre-existing medical disorders other than obesity, vitamin D intake, and smoking status were not associated with an increased likelihood of being admitted to the hospital.

Between August 17th, 2020, and October 19th, 2021, the authors discovered five suspected cases of reinfection. Six months after the initial sickness, one person claimed a reappearance of acute symptoms and was found to be positive for COVID-19 during the investigation. This incident was removed from the analysis because it did not fulfill the primary outcome definitions, despite the fact that it was suggestive of reinfection.

The total time spent at risk of possible reinfection whilst unvaccinated was 54,675 person-days, resulting in a reinfection rate of 3.3 per 100 person-year.

Of the possible reinfections, three out of five were asymptomatic as compared to just 5% of initial infections. Importantly, none of the reinfections necessitated hospital treatment.

One asymptomatic reinfection was discovered during enrolment screening, one was discovered at work, and the third was discovered through contact tracing. Individuals who tested positive for reinfection through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing often indicated modest virus levels. Three out of the five reinfection cases had direct exposure within two weeks of the second positive PCR.

As compared to those who presented with a few symptoms after the first infection, those with an asymptomatic original infection were less likely to remain seropositive over time. Comparatively, participants who experienced symptoms after the first infection were more likely to stay seropositive as compared to those who reported only a few symptoms.

Kaplan-Meier curve for the probability of reporting symptoms attributable to the primary infection as a function of time since primary infection.

When compared to younger participants, those aged 55 and up were more likely to remain seropositive. Obese people are much more likely to stay seropositive than those of average weight.

When analyzing obese or underweight participants to normal-weight participants, the hazard ratio for testing seronegative did not differ significantly. Finally, when compared to Caucasian participants, non-Caucasian HCWs were more likely to remain seropositive.

Longitudinal follow-up results for serology, displayed as Kaplan-Meier curves. All curves represent the probability of remaining seropositive as function of time since primary infection, in absence of vaccination. Negative serology was the primary event and vaccination was a censoring event. Panel A: Crude Kaplan-Meier curve including all participants. Panel B: Kaplan-Meier curves stratified by symptomatology of primary infection alone (asymptomatic vs symptomatic). Panel C: Kaplan-Meier curves stratified by ethnic group alone (Caucasian vs ethnic group other than Caucasian). Panel D: Kaplan-Meier curves stratified by symptomology of first infection and ethnic group; confidence intervals not shown for clarity.

Implications

Occurrences of reinfection resulted in a reduction of disease severity when compared to the primary infection with low virus levels. Most of the participants had levels of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) that were detectable at the time of recruitment due to the first infection.

The frequency of symptoms during the acute phase of primary infection, age over 55, obesity, and non-Caucasian ethnicity were all linked to the duration of seropositivity. These findings demonstrate that initial SARS-CoV-2 infection provides protection against reinfection over several months.

More research is needed to determine how common asymptomatic reinfections are and how transmissible they are as compared to original infections. In addition, an in-depth investigation of the humoral and cellular responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection is required to complement these findings.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
The Government is today (Wednesday 16 February) asking for health and security experts to inform the refresh of the UK's Biological Security Strategy, which aims to protect the country from a range of biological threats, including emerging infectious diseases and potential misuse by hostile actors.

The updated Strategy will incorporate learnings from the recent response to COVID-19, consider evolving priorities since the pandemic, and reflect the rapid advances in science and technology across all aspects of biological security.

The Call for Evidence, published on gov.uk, will seek feedback on specific biological security risks from experts including those with a background in biological engineering, biological security, contingency planning and other related technical fields.

The key areas that will be considered in the refresh include:

A major health crisis, such as pandemic influenza, non-influenza infectious outbreaks or new infectious disease

Antimicrobial resistance

A deliberate biological attack by state or non-state actors

Animal and plant diseases, which themselves can pose risks to human health

Accidental release, such as when smallpox and Foot and Mouth escaped from insecure labs, and dual-use research of concern, where life science research is misapplied to do harm

The Integrated Review published last year set out the vision for the UK's role in the world over the next decade and highlighted the need to review and reinforce the cross-government approach to biological security, including a refresh of the 2018 Strategy. This Strategy brought together for the first time the work that takes place across Government to protect the UK from significant biological risks, no matter how these occur and no matter who or what they affect.

Whilst the UK has developed world-leading biological defences, such as public health testing facilities and genomic sequencing capability, the Integrated Review recognises that we must embrace innovation to bring to bear new biological security capabilities, exploit the opportunities that arise as a result, and build back better, at home and overseas, from COVID-19.

The updated Strategy will be published later this year.

Michael Ellis QC, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, said:
Before lifting mask mandates in elementary schools in the U.S., local COVID-19 case rates should be far below current rates to avoid the risk of increased transmission among students, staff, and families, according to a study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

Their work was published online on February 14, 2022, in JAMA Network Open.

It is critical that communities have a conversation about their goals for in-school mitigation measures. Do they want to prevent all in-school transmissions? Or do they want to keep the number of cases among students, staff, and families low enough that no one is likely to be hospitalized? Or do they want to minimize absences due to isolation and quarantine so students could take advantage of in-person learning, a goal which also requires keeping overall cases low? These are all valid goals, and once they are clearly articulated, we can use a systematic, mathematical approach to estimate the level of mitigation needed to meet them." Andrea Ciaranello, MD, investigator, Department of Infectious Diseases at MGH and senior author of the paper

About 37 million students attend elementary school in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics, and little information exists to help school decision-makers navigate when to lift mask mandates and when to reinstate them, if necessary. The researchers used model-based simulations to quantify how changes in mitigation measures like masking might impact COVID-19 transmission among students, teachers, staff, and their families. The results indicated that the appropriate "off-ramps" for lifting mitigations and "on-ramps" for instituting mitigations vary widely based on the goals that school policymakers want to achieve, but that in order to meet a range of reasonable goals, local case rates will generally need to be far below those seen during the current wave of the pandemic before unmasking.

For example, in an elementary school in which 25% of students and 70% of teachers are vaccinated, the study found that decision-makers should only remove masks when the local COVID-19 case rate is below 14 cases per 100,000 per day, if the aim is to limit the number of additional cases to less than 10 per month. If vaccination coverage increased to 90% among both students and teachers, decision-makers could remove masks when the local case rate was higher than 50 cases per 100,000 per day and still achieve the same goal.

The study authors found that several factors could change these case rate cutoffs. In general, increasing vaccination rates or instituting weekly screening would allow schools to remove masks even when there are higher rates of community transmission.

Although the study focused on the Delta variant, lead author John Giardina noted that the decision framework will still be useful to school decision-makers dealing with other variants.

"This study emphasizes that it is important for schools to set clear objectives for what they want to achieve from their policies around masks and other mitigation measures," said Giardina, a PhD candidate in health policy in the Center for Health Decision Science at Harvard Chan School. "Having data-driven metrics about when we want to take off masks or add them back on can help clarify the decision-making process, and make sure policy decisions both align with the goals of a community and are responsive to the ever-shifting dynamics of this pandemic."

The authors were supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention though the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (NU38OT000297-02), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R37AI058736-16S1; K01AI141576; and K08127908), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (3R37DA01561217S1), and Facebook (unrestricted gift).
A Queensland researcher will lead a new project aimed at improving the lives of people with aphasia, a debilitating condition that impacts one in three survivors of stroke.

Dr Jessica Campbell, University of Queensland researcher and recipient of the Lady Marigold Southey Aphasia Research Grant. Image Credit: Stroke Foundation

Dr Jessica Campbell has been awarded the inaugural Lady Southey Aphasia Research Grant of $99,869 over two years, as part of the Stroke Foundations 2022 Research Grant Round announced today.

The grant will support the project titled CHAT-Maintain: Maintaining language and quality of life gains with low-dose technology-delivered aphasia therapy.

Dr Campbell, from the University of Queensland, said aphasia is a common and chronic disability that affects the ability to talk, to understand what people are saying, and reading and writing.

Aphasia increases the risk of social isolation and depression and often makes it difficult or impossible to people to return to work. It is difficulty with language, not a loss of intelligence. One good treatment for aphasia is intensive therapy, but for some people, that is not enough for long lasting language improvement. We want to achieve long-term improvement to ultimately improve quality of life. Dr Jessica Campbell, University of Queensland researcher and recipient of the Lady Marigold Southey Aphasia Research Grant.

In the CHAT-Maintain research trial, people with aphasia will be trained to drive self-directed home therapy with technology for six months after they have completed intensive therapy. Speech therapists, volunteers and peer mentors will provide ongoing support. The results of people participating in CHAT- Maintain will be compared with those who have completed intensive therapy without this support, providing an insight into the success of the intervention.

The research will build on the success of CHAT and TeleCHAT intensive therapy programs at the Queensland Aphasia Research Centre which are partnered with the Speech Pathology Department at the Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) at Metro North Hospital and Health Service in Brisbane.

Stroke Foundation Research Advisory Committee Chair Professor Amanda Thrift said this research is a positive step towards helping people with aphasia for generations to come.

Aphasia is difficult condition to study. As a result, people living with aphasia have been under-represented in research, Prof Thrift said.

We are pleased to support this important study through Stroke Foundations first dedicated aphasia grant in its 25-year history.

The Lady Marigold Southey Aphasia Research Grant was launched through the generosity of Stroke Foundation patron Lady Marigold Southey AC and Stroke Foundation supporters. It is one of four grants in the Stroke Foundations 2022 Research Grant Program. Information on the other grants here.

Stroke Foundation hopes to continue to offer a dedicated aphasia research grant at least every second year and is calling on the community to follow Lady Southeys inspiring example by donating now to its Research program.

Key statistics
A one-time infusion of stem cells from bone marrow improves the survival of mice with sepsis, shows a study published today in eLife.

The findings could lead to potential new treatments for sepsis, a life-threatening inflammatory condition triggered by bacterial or viral infections.

Sepsis causes an overwhelming immune response that can lead to organ failure and death. Around 20% of deaths worldwide and one-third of hospital deaths are caused by the condition.

New treatments are urgently needed to help reduce the number of sepsis-related deaths. We set out to study the effects of sepsis in mice for clues of potential new targets for treatments." Daniel Morales-Mantilla, first author and HHMI Gilliam Scholar, Predoctoral Fellow at the Katherine King Lab, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, US

First, the team examined the effects of sepsis on mice following infection with Streptococcus pyogenes, the pathogen that causes strep throat. They found that a detrimental effect of the condition is a severe drop in the number of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the animals' bone marrow. These cells are responsible for the day-to-day production of all blood and immune cells.

The team suspected that the number of HSPCs drops because the cells work overtime to produce the immune and blood cells needed to fight both the infection and the severe inflammation caused by sepsis.

Following this discovery, the researchers investigated whether an infusion of new healthy HSPCs could improve sepsis outcomes. To answer this question, they gave mice with sepsis an infusion of approximately 10,000 healthy new HSPCs around 24 hours following infection. The treatment increased the animals' survival by 5060% compared with mice that did not receive an HSPC infusion. This treatment also decreased the number of inflammatory molecules called cytokines in the animals.

"Surprisingly, we found that HSPC infusion did not reduce the amount of bacteria in the mice," Morales-Mantilla says. "Instead, it increased the numbers of immune cells that reduce inflammation."

Currently, clinicians sometimes transfuse a different type of immune cell, called granulocytes, to treat sepsis patients with depleted immune cells. But these transfusions offer a limited benefit to patients. Additionally, granulocyte transfusions require large numbers of donor cells and must be given repeatedly.

"Our work demonstrates a potential alternative to granulocyte transfusions that uses a fraction of the number of cells in a single infusion," concludes senior author Katherine King, Associate Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston. "If our findings are verified by further studies, this could pave the way to a much-needed treatment alternative for sepsis patients."
The illicit use of amphetamines, the stimulants commonly known as 'speed', is linked to a 5-fold heightened risk of psychosis, finds a 10 year study published online in the journal Evidence-Based Mental Health.

This increased risk was seen across all age groups, but was especially noticeable among women and those who had been arrested several times for possession of the drug, the findings show.

The estimated global prevalence of amphetamine use is less than 1%, but around 1 in 10 users become addicted.

The drug's impact on neurotransmitter signaling in the brain often causes psychosis, the symptoms of which mimic those of schizophrenia, with paranoia, voices, and hallucinations.

These psychotic episodes usually subside after a few days, but may persist for years in up to 15% of users.

While the link between amphetamine misuse and psychosis has been known for many decades, it's not clear exactly what the magnitude is of this risk or how effective rehab is at successfully weaning users off the drug.

To try and find out, the researchers drew on information supplied to the Taiwan Illicit Drug Issue Database (TIDID) and the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) between 2007 and 2016.

The TDID contains anonymized data on date of birth, sex, arrest records and deferred prosecution for rehabilitation treatment for illicit drug users, while the NHIRD contains anonymized data on mental and physical health issues for the population of Taiwan.

The researchers identified 74,601 illicit amphetamine users and 298,404 people matched for age and sex as a comparison group from these records. Their average age was 33 and most (84%) were men.

Compared with those who weren't using, illicit amphetamine users had poorer health: depression (2% vs 0.4%); anxiety (0.9% vs 0.3%); ischaemic heart disease (1.3% vs 0.8%); cardiovascular disease (0.8% vs 0.45%); and stroke (1.3% vs 0.7%).

By the end of the 10 year monitoring period, amphetamine users were more than 5 times as likely to experience psychosis than those who weren't using after accounting for age, sex, and coexisting health issues.

The annual cumulative incidence rates for psychosis among the comparison group and amphetamine users were 77 and 468/100,000 people, respectively.

The number of new cases of psychosis was similar across all age brackets, but was more common in the amphetamine users among those aged 45 and above.

While the likelihood of psychosis increased in tandem with the number of coexisting conditions, overall, it was higher among illicit amphetamine users without coexisting conditions, suggesting a direct impact of amphetamine on inducing psychotic symptoms, say the researchers.

The risk of psychosis rose in tandem with the number of arrests, and fell when patients received psychotherapy for their addiction (rehab).

Those who had been arrested 5 or more times were more than 6 times as likely to experience psychosis, while users who went to rehab during deferred prosecution were 26% less likely to experience psychosis than those who didn't.

This suggests that rehab may help to stave off the risk of subsequent psychosis, say the researchers.

In line with previous research, illicit amphetamine use in this study was associated with greater levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as cardiovascular complications.

"Because persistent psychotic symptoms could represent a risk for cognitive decline in amphetamine users, identifying [those] with psychosis and providing treatment early might prevent subsequent damage of cognitive functions," write the researchers.

But rehab is voluntary, and only offered to around 1 in 10 users, they point out.

By way of an explanation for the gender discrepancy observed, the researchers suggest that the detrimental impact of amphetamines on behaviour might be enhanced by the presence of oestrogen.

"Another possibility is that women arrested for illicit amphetamine use were particularly disadvantaged in comparison with men, with higher levels of trauma, lack of psychosocial support and stigma," they add.

This is an observational study, and as such, can't establish cause, nor was it possible for the researchers to quantify addiction as there were no validated measures of dose, frequency, amount of use or severity of dependence in the TIDID.

Illicit amphetamine use could also precipitate and aggravate schizophrenic symptoms, so it's possible that amphetamine induces rather than causes the psychotic symptoms seen in amphetamine users, point out the researchers.

They conclude: "The relation of an induced paranoid psychosis with amphetamine abuse has been known for many decades. None the less, our findings are from a detailed and comparative analysis using a comprehensive and large population dataset.

"Furthermore, it would be worthwhile to investigate the health benefits and cost effectiveness of deferred prosecution for drug crime offenders by providing appropriate therapy for drug addiction."
Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 measurably improved the psychological well-being of participants in the Understanding Coronavirus in America study, a large longitudinal look at the impact of the pandemic on individuals in the United States. Vaccination was associated with declines in distress and perceived risks of infection, hospitalization, and death. The study, appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, validates the intuitive but previously unanswered questions of whether becoming vaccinated reduces perceived risks associated with COVID-19, and whether the reduction of these fears leads to improvements in mental health and quality of life.

Our study documents important psychological benefits of vaccination beyond reducing the risk of severe illness and death associated with COVID-19." Jonathan Koltai, PhD, Lead Investigator, Department of Sociology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA

Psychologic distress and anxiety increased sharply across the population following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several factors contributed, such as widespread job and income loss, food insecurity, social isolation, caregiving burdens, substance abuse, and racialized discrimination. Depressive symptoms persisted and increased into 2021 for those experiencing an accumulation of stress exposures. Not surprisingly, many individuals are also experiencing anticipatory fears that contribute to rising mental health problems.

Data from a nationally representative study of 8,090 adults who were interviewed regularly between March 2020 and June 2021 revealed declines in COVID-related risk perceptions and psychological distress following vaccination. Specifically, adults who received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine between December 2020 and June 2021 reported a 7% relative reduction in mental distress, as measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire 4 (PHQ-4) distress scores, from average levels in the survey period immediately prior to vaccination.

Reductions in distress were partially explained by declining risk perceptions following vaccination. Becoming vaccinated was associated with a 7.77 percentage point decline in perceived risk of infection, a 6.91 percentage point decline in perceived risk of hospitalization, and a 4.68 percentage point decline in perceived risk of death. Adjusting for risk perceptions decreased the vaccinationdistress association by 25%.

These effects persisted and became stronger up to at least eight weeks following vaccination. It is noteworthy that while responses from vaccinated and never-vaccinated participants followed similar trends pre-vaccination, they significantly diverged post-vaccination. Becoming vaccinated made people feel safer in addition to being safer.

The impact of vaccination on mental health varied by race/ethnicity. The largest reductions in distress were observed among American Indians (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) individuals, who have suffered disproportionately from COVID-19. The breakout among racial/ethnic groups was proportional to the overall US population during the study period, with the highest rates of vaccination observed among Asian and Pacific Islanders, and the lowest rates of vaccination observed among Black participants.

With the rapid rise of the Omicron variant in late 2021 and early 2022, urgent measures are needed to increase vaccination rates and achieve vaccine equity, both locally and globally. These efforts need to be coupled with effective communication about the benefits, both physical and mental, associated with vaccination.

Dr. Koltai stressed, "To ensure these benefits are widely shared, efforts to increase vaccination and booster rates in early 2022 need to prioritize equitable distribution and access to vaccines."
Virginia Commonwealth University will radically expand treatment options for liver and liver-related metabolic diseases thanks to a historic, transformational $104 million gift from Richard Todd Stravitz, M.D., and his family's Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation.

This gift is the largest in VCU's history, the second-largest publicly shared gift to a university in the commonwealth of Virginia and the largest publicly shared gift to support liver research in U.S. history -; over four times more than the previous largest gift. It will position VCU as a global leader in liver disease and metabolic health research, teaching and patient care.

Words cannot capture my feelings of gratitude for the transformative gift of Dr. Todd Stravitz and the Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation. Todd has made history with his incredible leadership and generosity to VCU, supporting an institute that will forever change VCU and catalyze its commitment to our work with the human liver and metabolism. This gift firmly puts the needs of patients first." Michael Rao, Ph.D., President of VCU and VCU Health

Rao continued: "The institute's research will have an enormous impact on our lives, changing medicine and our understanding of the role the liver plays in human health. This gift is extraordinarily generous, and it is most certainly generative. It allows us to bring together top teams to deliver clinical care, to ask important questions, develop new tools to explore what causes liver disease and how we stop it, prevent it and even reverse it. Most importantly, it will immediately make a difference in the lives of thousands of people with liver disease. Ultimately, this will positively impact millions."

Stravitz, a physician-philanthropist in the Department of Internal Medicine at the VCU School of Medicine, dedicated his whole career as a liver clinician and researcher to VCU. Before retiring in 2020, he served as medical director of liver transplantation at VCU Health's Hume-Lee Transplant Center for a decade.

Urgent need for research, new treatments in liver disease

About 1 in 10 Americans have some type of liver disease, and it is one of the top 10 factors reducing life expectancy in the U.S. It is sometimes called a "silent killer" because it can go unnoticed until a liver transplant is the only treatment option. In 2021, about 3 people died on the liver transplant waiting list every day.

"The vision for this institute is to make liver transplant the last, but not the only, option for patients," Stravitz said. "We will do this by investing in gene therapy and working hand in hand with biotech companies. In the process, VCU will train and educate the next generation of world-renowned liver experts."

Focus on translational science

The Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health at VCU will take full advantage of VCU's position as one of the nation's top public research universities and its 50-year legacy of excellence in liver care and research.

The patient-centered institute will bring together and align the work of several entities already dealing with liver disease or its effects on other organs. These include the hepatology and research teams in VCU School of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine, VCU Health's Hume-Lee Transplant Center, VCU Massey Cancer Center and VCU Health's Pauley Heart Center. Over time, VCU Health will be able to serve twice the patient volume for liver-related illnesses.

Focused on translational science, the institute will grow research and health care teams for liver-related clinical specialties, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, end-stage liver disease, liver transplantation, liver cancer, women's liver health issues and rare diseases in hepatology. Arun J. Sanyal, M.D., professor in VCU School of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine and a researcher and liver disease specialist at VCU Health, will serve as the institute's director.

"The liver impacts the health of all other organs because of its central role in metabolism and how the body uses energy. When the liver shuts down, all organs suffer," said Sanyal, interim chair of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at VCU School of Medicine. "Discoveries of the institute will develop new diagnostics and treatments and inform practice guidelines for liver-related diseases around the world, as well as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and kidney failure. The status quo of how we treat liver disease is no longer acceptable."

Platform for scientific innovation

Stravitz's historic gift enables VCU to accelerate implementing several priorities of the new institute, which was publicly launched in December:

Investment in microbiome research, gene editing approaches, imaging tools, digital technologies and data analytics to develop innovative solutions to both rare and common liver diseases, in close partnership with both academic and industry collaborators from around the world.

Investment in endowed positions and new degree programs at the graduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral level, to foster the development of current and future generations of researchers and clinicians. The institute will be able to recruit 30 to 60 new researchers, faculty and staff -; more than doubling the size of the existing interdisciplinary team dedicated to liver research at VCU.

Inclusion of other VCU disciplines in the interdisciplinary approach, such as engineering, nursing, pharmacy, social work, arts and business. The holistic approach allows treating the whole patient by also addressing lifestyle and socioeconomic factors that negatively impact liver health.

The remarkable private gift comes at a time where VCU's sponsored research is also breaking records, reaching an all-time high of $363 million in 2021 -; a 25% increase over the previous three years. The National Science Foundation in December ranked VCU No. 58 of public universities nationwide for federally funded research expenditures, putting the university within reach of its goal to break into the top 50 of its peers.

Sanyal's research interests include all aspects of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), especially non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), as well as alcohol-related liver disease and end-stage liver disease, for which he has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1995. He oversees multiple pivotal global clinical trials and works closely with the Food and Drug Administration on The Liver Forum to accelerate diagnostics and drug development for liver disease. He has also previously served as the President of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease.

Unparalleled mentorship

"It takes many leaders to enact an ambitious vision like this. At VCU, we have a community of bold and visionary leaders who are extending the human experience to new levels," Rao said. One of the early champions for the institute was Peter Buckley, M.D., former dean of VCU's School of Medicine. The institute will operate under the umbrella of the medical school.

"We are on the cusp of changing medicine, but it takes a visionary and mentor like Arun Sanyal to train the next generation of liver specialists and make VCU the No. 1 liver center in the world," Stravitz said. "This gift is just a means to achieve our goal to better care for patients around the world. A future where patients can undergo gene therapy to repair faulty genes instead of needing a liver transplant would be a monumental win for human health."

Sanyal holds the Z. Reno Vlahcevic Research Professorship in Gastroenterology, which honors his mentor, who died in 2000. A researcher at VCU Massey Cancer Center, Sanyal is also the associate director of the KL2 program for training faculty in research at VCU's C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, which oversees clinical trials at the university with the help of a $21.5 million NIH grant.

"As a world-class researcher himself, Todd Stravitz exemplifies the power of medical research to make the world a better place," Sanyal said about his longtime colleague. "With his generous, future-focused gift, Todd is ensuring that VCU's capacity to attract outstanding minds and produce future scientific leaders is very strong for generations to come."

The gift also establishes two endowed chairs at VCU's School of Medicine: the Arun J. Sanyal Endowed Professor of Medicine and the Phillip B. Hylemon Endowed Professor of Medicine and Microbiology.

"This is truly a transformative moment in VCU's history as a national research university and medical center," said H. Benson Dendy III, rector of the VCU Board of Visitors. "On behalf of the Board of Visitors, I am tremendously grateful for this historic gift. This generous investment in VCU will accelerate the university's efforts to prevent liver disease and to treat and heal those affected by it. The impact of this gift will be felt by people around the world."
In a recent review published in the journal Brain, Behavior, & Immunity  Health, researchers explored the links between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and sleep disorders such as insomnia using a thorough literature review.

Sleep-related conditions like insomnia are the most common health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Terms such as Coronasomnia, COVID-somnia, or Covidsomnia have been reported globally during the monitoring of mental health responses to the pandemic. Many surveys estimate the prevalence of insomnia in individuals affected by COVID-19 as 36.7% globally, 37.6% in Greece, 24.7% in the UK, 19.1% in France, 33.2% in the USA, and 18.9% in China.

About the review

In this review, researchers examined published literature to highlight the link between COVID-19 and insomnia and how the pandemic has increased the prevalence of insomnia.

Many studies showed that women, youngsters, urban residents, and individuals living in insecure livelihoods were more vulnerable to Coronasomnia, a sleeplessness condition caused by multiple stressors and deemed a severe and long-term complication of the pandemic.

According to one study, Google searches for the keyword insomnia increased rapidly in 2020 compared to the previous three years in the US. Furthermore, some COVID-19 patients or survivors with chronic diseases experienced long-term insomnia. According to some studies, 38.9% of global healthcare workers had insomnia, and one-third of the medical professionals in China suffered from insomnia during COVID-19.

The British Sleep Society (BSS) reported a negative impact of the pandemic on UK Sleep Services in 2020. According to them, COVID-19-related loneliness, anxiety, and depressive symptoms can all lead to insomnia. The pandemic-induced changes to work, socialization, and human activity and the impact of lockdowns on biological rhythms are significant factors that affect sleep cycles.

In the existing literature, COVID-related insomnia is identified as a mental health issue causing significant psychological burdens in different groups, including COVID-19 patients, medical / healthcare workers working with COVID-19 patients, caretakers, and those in lockdown.

Overall, the findings of the review show that the pandemic has led to an increase in several mental health issues, including anxiety, loneliness, fear, fatigue, and stress. It has also resulted in issues such as social isolation, parenting challenges, juggling work or study, and significant behavioral changes due to home confinement, in addition to financial insecurity and economic challenges. All these factors affect daily routines and significantly impact the three regulatory processes of sleep, namely the circadian rhythm, the homeostatic sleep drive, and the arousal system.

Limitations and future research

The reviewers found that several studies used various sampling methods, criteria, and measurements for insomnia, making it difficult to compare these studies. Many studies had sampling bias, and surveys were mostly dependent on respondent memory and thus may not be accurate. Also, viral transmission and lockdown policies vary widely across regions, and only a few studies account for these factors or other contributors to COVID-Somnia.

Most of the research on insomnia has been conducted using questionnaires and online surveys to gather data from the first wave of the pandemic. The respondent groups were divided based on their region, age, gender, occupation, and health status. However, there were no studies or surveys on specific populations. More supplement studies will be needed to analyze insomnia in specific populations and the long-term effects of social isolation.

The authors recommend future research focusing on:

1) long-term health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,

2) developing therapies and implementing social policies to support people suffering from sleep difficulties,

3) insomnia prevention programs and clinical interventions, and

4) developing national or cross-regional online psychological and sleep management systems to deal with the psychological strain of social isolation and other traumatic experiences linked to the pandemic.

Overall, based on their systematic literature review, the authors conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to pose long-term health threats collectively called long COVID, and the pandemic-related lockdowns and stress will be a source of many sleep disorders affecting sleep quality and quantity.
NHLANGANO - Apostle Jethro Malindzisa, who was the late Sharon Neves pastor, lamented on the manner in which Neves died.

GBV is now a national emergency, it is a pandemic, the pastor said. Speaking during the memorial service held yesterday, Malindzisa said Neves did not deserve to die in the manner she did, neither else did. We all know that one day we will die but not in such a cruel manner. Sharon did not deserve to die like this, nor any other human being, said Malindzisa. The apostle condemned any form of gender-based violence (GBV). Malindzisa stated that it was a pity that they did not know about her relationship with Simelane but they learnt about it on the day she died. Malindzisa went on to share the light moments he had with Neves one of which was when he was stressed over something and Neves stood up and helped him solve the problem.

Lamented

When sharing that story the mourners were in stitches as clearly they all could relate to how Neves was. Another speaker who also lamented about the manner Neves died was her friend and cousin Mahloni Mkhwanazi who spoke strong about GBV. Mkhwanazi said it was high time the Shiselweni Region stood up against GBV as a lot of people had died because of it.

He said as Neves friends they will continue seeking justice for her and would not allow men to be animals over women. Mkhwanazi said all people were created equally so men should not take advantage of having stronger muscles and harm women. Mkhwanazi also shared his good memories with Neves saying she was someone who could see when he was not okay and made sure that she assisted him whenever something bordered him. He said she did not do that to him alone but everyone she encountered. He stated that no one had ever sought for help from Neves and did not get it.

Neves sister Nozipho stated that her sister was so beautiful and decried the manner in which she was assaulted and disfigured as her leg was also broken. Nozipho also shared her good memories she had with her sister. She stated that in as much as she was older that her (Sharon), whenever there was something or event at home, Sharon would step up and make decisions for that particular event.

Children

She stated that her sister was taking care of children in their family such that she was even paying school fees for the children of their late sister. Nozipho said it was now upon her to step up and do all the work that was done by her now late sister. NERCHA National Executive Director Khanyakwezwe Mabuza highlighted that Neves served the organisation for 17 years with dedication and love. Mabuza urged the church to pray for NERCHA staff members as for the past few days after hearing the news about the death of Neves; they struggled to cope at work.

The director said the dark cloud hit them where their pride was as Neves was a trailblazer, motivator, soul guider and joker. Today we are saying all that is gone, said Mabuza. He highlighted that he was Neves only employer as he started hiring her when he was still with the United Nations Eswatini. He stated that he called Neves after he heard that she was doing some social work at the National Psychiatric Centre. He said when he joined NERCHA he recalled her to leave the UN and join him as she was a hard worker. He stated that besides being her boss, Neves would call him by his name. In a nutshell, he described Neves as a person who loved cracking jokes. He also stated Neves started the initiative of donating sanitary towels to school children after she discovered the dire need of the towels in some schools in the Shiselweni Region.
A team of international scientists has recently explored the impact of the omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on the prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. The findings reveal that COVID-19 prevalence is significantly higher in vaccinated individuals during the omicron-dominated wave compared to that during the delta-dominated wave. However, in unvaccinated individuals, both delta and omicron variants have a similar impact on COVID-19 prevalence. The study is currently available on the Research Square* preprint server.

Background

Since its emergence in November 2021 in South Africa, the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has caused a sharp rise in new infections worldwide. Because of a heavily mutated spike protein, the variant is expected to have a significantly higher ability to evade pre-existing host immunity induced by natural infection or vaccination. A sharp induction in breakthrough infections in omicron-dominated countries signifies improved immune fitness of the variant.

In 2020, researchers from the University of Maryland, USA, together with Facebook, conducted a large-scale survey (UMD Global CTIS) to prepare a database of self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infections, symptoms, testing, and COVID-19 vaccination status. Afterward, the researchers have used the survey data to assess the differences in vaccine efficacy between delta- and omicron-dominated waves. They have observed a sharp reduction in vaccine efficacy against the omicron variant.

The study

In the current study, scientists have used the UMD Global CTIS survey data to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 and vaccine efficacy among unvaccinated, partially vaccinated (single dose), and fully vaccinated (double dose) individuals in South Africa and other omicron-dominated countries.

The UMD Global CTIS survey collects more than 100,000 self-reported data daily worldwide. This survey uses self-reported symptoms as a proxy for active COVID-19 cases. However, a symptom-based proxy can sometimes overestimate the number of cases as similar symptoms might be shared by COVID-19 and other health conditions.

The scientists have re-analyzed the dataset using a machine-learning-based classifier to derive COVID-19 active cases to overcome this uncertainty. They have defined COVID-19 prevalence as the ratio of positive cases to the total number of responses.

COVID-19 prevalence and vaccine efficacy in South Africa

The prevalence of COVID-19 in South Africa was determined from June to December 2021. The analysis revealed that COVID-19 prevalence during the delta-dominated wave (August  September) in unvaccinated individuals is comparable to that during the omicron-dominate wave (December). In contrast, a significantly higher prevalence was observed among partially and fully vaccinated individuals during the omicron wave. Compared to partial vaccination, full vaccination provided a higher level of protection.

Regarding vaccine efficacy against infection, a clear reduction was observed during the omicron wave compared to that during the delta wave.

COVID-19 prevalence and vaccine efficacy in omicron-dominated countries

Similar to South Africa, COVID-19 prevalence and vaccine efficacy were determined for October (pre-omicron period) and December in a total of 24 omicron-dominated countries.

The analysis revealed a considerable drop in vaccine efficacy in fully vaccinated individuals during the omicron-dominated wave. However, the amplitude of reduction was smaller than that observed in South Africa. A significant negative correlation was also observed between vaccine efficacy and COVID-19 prevalence.

Study significance

The study demonstrates an increased prevalence of COVID-19 cases during the omicron-dominated wave in South Africa and other countries. The induction in prevalence is accompanied by a reduction in vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the study does not provide information on vaccine efficacy against severe COVID-19, hospitalization, and mortality.

*Important notice

Research Square publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
The drug industry, patient advocates, and congressional Republicans have all attacked federal officials' decision to decline routine Medicare coverage for a controversial Alzheimer's drug. They've gone as far as to accuse them of tacit racism, ageism, and discrimination against the disabled  and hinted at a lawsuit  over the decision to pay only for patients taking the drug in a clinical trial.

The drug, Aduhelm, with a listed price tag of $28,500 a year, has had few takers in the medical world. Brain doctors are leery of administering the intravenous drug because it appears dangerous and largely ineffective. Many of the nation's most prestigious hospitals  such as the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Massachusetts General in Boston  have declined to offer it to patients.

While groups representing the pharmaceutical industry and patients press to undo Medicare's decision, industry critics applaud the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for throwing obstacles in the way of a drug they think the FDA should never have approved in the first place.

For the industry, the campaign has a broader existential target: to prevent CMS from using its payment decisions to keep FDA-approved drugs off the market. In recent years, FDA programs to speed approval of new drugs have led to a rash of entries with often minimal scientifically sound evidence to prove they work, critics say.

The FDA's own expert panel recommended against approving Aduhelm for that reason. Last June, the agency approved it anyway.

CMS then announced Medicare would pay only when the drug was used in further clinical trials to assess its true benefit. That Jan. 11 announcement has drawn more than 9,000 comments to the agency's website  a tsunami compared with most approval decisions. The remarks are roughly divided among pros and cons, and many appear to be organized by groups on the pro side of the debate (such as the Alzheimer's Association) or those opposed (such as the nonprofit More Perfect Union). The agency could change or even reverse its decision, though experts believe the latter is unlikely.

"If the FDA were doing its job, CMS wouldn't have had to step in. But good for the CMS, they are helping to protect the public from drugs whose harms outweigh benefits," said Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman, a Georgetown University professor of pharmacology who directs PharmedOut, a group that publicizes what it sees as poor industry practices.

Aduhelm is the first FDA approval for a class of laboratory-made antibodies designed to clear away so-called amyloid plaques, which gradually accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

In clinical trials, Aduhelm did well dissolving the plaques, but its impact on the functioning of patients in earlier stages of Alzheimer's was so meager that an expert panel voted 10-0 (an 11th panelist was uncertain) in November 2020 to advise FDA to reject it. The science is unclear about whether the presence of such plaques  a so-called surrogate marker  correlates with the mental functioning of patients.

As such, the FDA gave "provisional approval" to Biogen, the maker of Aduhelm, allowing it nine years to provide evidence that the drug slows the progression of Alzheimer's. In that period, Biogen would make far more money than if the application had been rejected. Even under the CMS decision, it would reap Medicare payments from whatever is used in clinical trials, which would need to include thousands of participants to assess the drug's performance.

Drug companies and pharma investors have responded to CMS' ruling with special alarm because they have spent decades improving their relationships with the FDA, only to have CMS seemingly pull the rug out by exerting its own power over an expensive drug.

"The drug companies are worried that this could be a precedent for other drugs. And it should be," Fugh-Berman said. "This isn't just about money; it's about protecting the public."

This "accelerated approval" employed for Aduhelm got its start in 1992 and is aimed at moving promising new classes of drugs to the public faster. Companies whose drugs go through the process  more than 250 drugs or vaccines have been approved so far  are supposed to quickly gather evidence that the products likely improve health once they're on the market. But such follow-up studies often lag or are never performed. For example, the makers of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug eteplirsen, approved in 2016, didn't start recruiting patients into a post-marketing trial until 2020 and don't expect results until 2026.

Biogen originally said it would get confirmatory results for Aduhelm within seven years of approval. In response to the Medicare decision, it promised to trim that to four years. The company also hinted that it might sue the agency, calling its decision "arbitrary and capricious."

In the meantime, patients eager to get access to the drug are furious about the coverage decision. Jim Taylor, a New Yorker whose wife, Geri, says she improved on Aduhelm during a clinical trial, said Medicare had made an "unconscionable decision" that puts Alzheimer's patients "on a dark roller coaster."

Many patients' groups are organized or at least funded and fueled by drugmakers, providing sympathetic stories that buttress a manufacturer's commercial interests. Advocacy groups also receive large donations from the makers of certain drugs. A 2020 report by UsAgainstAlzheimer's shows at least $900,000 in donations from monoclonal antibody producers. The Alzheimer's Association's top corporate donors  Biogen, Lilly, Eisai, and Genentech  all have monoclonal antibody candidates and have provided the group $1.6 million in fiscal year 2021.

These donations are a tiny part of the group's funding, its policy director, Robert Egge, told KHN, and any alignment of its position with industry is "coincidental, because of what we and our constituents believe is right."

The Taylors appeared at an online news event with activists from UsAgainstAlzheimer's and the National Minority Quality Forum, a group focused on health inequities, who argued that the decision discriminated against Black and Hispanic patients, who are more likely to suffer from Alzheimer's and less likely to join clinical trials. In fact, CMS demanded that evidence for Aduhelm be collected more extensively from minority patients. Biogen's two major trials of the drug included only 19 Black patients out of a total of 3,285.

Groups representing people with Down syndrome wrote more than 1,000 letters to CMS because its decision requires that confirmatory trials exclude people who have additional neurological conditions. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a top drug industry cash recipient and the leading Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee with significant sway over pharma issues, said at a hearing last week that it was "extremely concerning and unacceptable" that Down syndrome patients would be ineligible.

But neither Biogen nor any other drug company has recruited Down syndrome patients for a major trial of a monoclonal antibody treatment. AC Immune, a Swiss company, conducted a safety study last year on 16 people with Down syndrome.

It's not surprising that groups representing those suffering from Alzheimer's placed high hopes on the monoclonal antibody drugs, which have seemed like a ray in the darkness for the estimated 2 million Americans with early Alzheimer's symptoms.

When asked why his group is so gung-ho about a product in which the medical profession shows such little confidence, Egge said the drug seems to have some benefits and that its risks  especially to patients who lack other means to slow a miserable, deadly disease  may be exaggerated. He acknowledged that 40% of patients in the biggest Aduhelm trial experienced brain swelling or bleeding, but Biogen's research showed these resolved with no apparent harm in most cases.

That said, the sluggish purchases of the drug  which earned a modest $1 million in the last quarter of 2021  signal the market is responding to its deficiencies.

In response to the lackluster response, Biogen halved its initial $56,000 price to $28,500. If CMS had granted full approval, that would have been followed by "marketing, marketing, marketing," said Dr. Joseph Ross, a public health professor at Yale University. Hospitals that wanted to attract patient business for a lucrative infusion  patients receiving the drug also require brain scans and other tests and monitoring  could advertise their willingness to give Aduhelm.

CMS' decision came under a policy called coverage with evidence development. Though the program began in 2005, Aduhelm is by far the most important product CMS has declined to reimburse without further study.

The agency's decision "is a little inelegant" because it puts the brakes on an FDA approval, said former CMS chief medical officer Dr. Sean Tunis, now a consultant and senior fellow at Tufts Medical Center, but "it seems completely justifiable since the evidence of benefit is pretty weak and the evidence of harm is pretty strong."
For decades, University of Cincinnati researchers have been pioneers in the field of stroke research.

Joseph Broderick, MD, was part of the UC team in the late '80s that conducted breakthrough studies that led to the use of a clot-busting drug as the first proven treatment for ischemic stroke, the most common form of stroke that occurs when a vessel supplying blood to the brain is obstructed.

Now, Broderick and his colleagues at UC are continuing to lead the field of research in an effort to find the first proven treatment for stroke due to intracerebral hemorrhage, when blood vessels in the brain rupture and cause bleeding in the brain. He is the contact principal investigator for a global trial called FASTEST.

A new treatment

The FASTEST trial will examine the effectiveness of a drug to help "plug the leak" of bleeding in the brain from intracerebral hemorrhage, Broderick said. The drug is a clotting protein our bodies naturally make to help seal leaks from blood vessels, for example when we get a cut on our skin.

The drug "is one of the important proteins our body uses to stop the bleeding," said Broderick, professor in UC's Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine in the College of Medicine, director of the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute and a UC Health physician. "The idea here is to give it in enough of a dose that it actually can stop the leaking from small arteries in the brain."

Time is of the essence for patients suffering hemorrhagic strokes, as Broderick said most of the leaking from the brain bleed occurs within the first couple of hours. Building off of trial data of other global trials where the drug was given up to four hours from onset, the FASTEST trial will administer the drug to patients within two hours of stroke onset.

To meet the two-hour time frame, Broderick said the trial will use mobile stroke units staffed with the needed professionals, brain imaging and medicine to deliver treatment to patients where they are having a stroke. Mobile stroke units are already deployed around Cincinnati to administer the drug effective for ischemic strokes and other treatments, but now hemorrhagic stroke patients may also be able to receive treatment.

"It's a whole team that's essentially bringing an emergency department to your doorstep, whether it's at work or home or wherever," Broderick said of mobile stroke units. "It really does decrease the time from onset of symptoms to when you're able to deliver treatment. I had a patient recently where we imaged the patient's brain in the mobile stroke unit and started treatment within 35 minutes from stroke onset. That's really fast."

Broderick said due to the time limitations, the trial will also engage in a practice known as "exception from informed consent."

The FDA and the government gives permission for certain types of study where you have to give the treatment really, really fast, the patient is affected so severely they cannot provide consent, and you aren't able to contact a legally authorized representative of the patient to discuss consent. And if it's a drug that could benefit these patients and it meets some other criteria, we can enroll the patient in the study even if we can't initially find someone to provide consent. We then obtain consent as soon as such a person is identified." Joseph Broderick, MD, University of Cincinnati

For the "exception from informed consent" to work, Broderick said it takes a lot of effort in the community to spread the word about the trial. At UC and in the Cincinnati region, this has included small group discussions and other community education initiatives so potential patients and family members can provide input about the study and can obtain a card which allows them to opt out of the study if they do have a brain hemorrhage in the future.

The trial will enroll more than 800 patients in approximately 100 sites including UC and other parts of the U.S., Japan, Canada and Europe. Since hemorrhagic strokes are less common and the patient needs to be given the drug within two hours, Broderick estimated the trial will take about five years to recruit all of its patients. The first patient in the trial was enrolled this past weekend at Ottawa Hospital in Canada. Kyle Walsh, MD, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, is local principal investigator for FASTEST at UC Medical Center.

Brett Kissela, MD, senior associate dean for clinical research in UC's College of Medicine, the Albert Barnes Voorheis professor and chair in the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine and chief of research services at UC Health, noted that while uncommon, intracerebral hemorrhage is the most fatal kind of stroke, with poor outcomes for patients who survive.

"The FASTEST trial will help us to find ways to minimize damage after a hemorrhage in the brain has occurred, thus leading to better outcomes for patients if they are unlucky enough to have an intracerebral hemorrhage," Kissela said.

National leadership

The FASTEST trial is funded through StrokeNet, a National Institutes of Health network of 27 regional centers and approximately 500 hospitals across the United States that serve as the infrastructure and pipeline for new potential treatments for stroke prevention, intervention and recovery research. About two-thirds of the U.S. population lives within a 65-mile radius of a StrokeNet site, Broderick said.

"The global aim of the network is to basically be a leading platform for stroke trials in the U.S. and globally," Broderick said.

Since StrokeNet was established in 2013, UC has served as the network's national coordinating center, with Broderick and Pooja Khatri, MD, professor of neurology in the Department of Neurology, currently serving as co-directors. UC was chosen based on its track record of leading and organizing innovative global stroke trials.

"For decades, the University of Cincinnati has been recognized as one of the international leaders in stroke care and stroke research, having defined new treatments to improve the care of stroke patients," Kissela said. "Being awarded the leadership of StrokeNet by the NIH here at UC and the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute recognizes this track record and demonstrates the importance of our department in the national and international landscape of stroke and neuroscience research more broadly."

Broderick said that sometimes the science is the "easy part" of studies, as the coordinating center is responsible for organizing the sites that host studies, procedures, clinical trial agreements and recruitment and enrollment of participants. Having the StrokeNet infrastructure in place allows new studies to hit the ground running rather than having to start from scratch each time, he said.

With StrokeNet's national coordinating center housed in Cincinnati, UC researchers have a hand in every large multicenter stroke study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke that takes place across the country.

"If you really want to know what's going on in stroke in the United States, UC is the place to find out," Broderick said.

According to Broderick, an essential part of UC's success in stroke research has been its commitment to move research into the community so that trials and studies occur in community hospitals in addition to the UC Medical Center.

"Patients in our community have access to literally the best research for stroke prevention treatment and recovery that there is, and that's a huge add for our community," Broderick said. "We look upon ourselves as a community resource based at the university, and I think that's why we've been successful."

Kissela said UC was one of the first stroke teams to expand to multiple disciplines, as experts from neurology, emergency medicine, neurosurgery, neuroradiology and other disciplines all collaborate together.

"This multidisciplinary approach, with truly outstanding individuals collaborating from all of these areas, have made the UC stroke team the best in the world in my opinion," Kissela said. "If I or a loved one was ever to have a stroke, I would want to be cared for by our stroke team, as there simply is no better team in the world."
Early data posted to the preprint server bioRxiv* suggests another Omicron lineage, called BA.2, is more contagious than BA.1  the Omicron lineage that sparked the winter surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in January 2022.

The current study identified the characteristics of the BA.2 variant and found that compared to the original Omicron strain, BA.2 is more immune resistant and shows greater cell fusion than BA.1.

As of February 2022, the Omicron variant has mutated into three lineages: BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3. A sublineage of BA.1 with an R346K substitution in the spike protein is classified as BA.1.1.

Evolutionary descent of Omicron lineages

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) BA.1 emerged first followed by BA.2 and BA.3. Similar to BA.1 the earlier strains of BA.2, BA.3 and BA1.1 were detected in the Gauteng Province in South Africa suggesting the diversification of Omicron occurred there.

While BA.1 spread across the world at a faster rate than BA.2, the BA.2 lineage became more prevalent than BA.1 since January 2022 in multiple countries, including the Phillippines, India, Denmark, Singapore, Austria, and South Africa.

The study researchers created a model to analyze the epidemic dynamics of different SARS-CoV-2 lineages and estimate the number of COVID-19 cases for each country by each viral lineage. The frequency of BA.2 lineage was 1.40-fold higher than BA.1, suggesting cases caused by BA.2 will expand and spread more rapidly around the world than BA.1.

BA.2 shows resistance to monoclonal antibodies

The genetic sequence in the spike protein of the BA.2 lineage differs considerably from the BA.1 lineage suggesting it may confer greater immune resistance against antibodies.

To study this, the researchers performed neutralization assays with pseudoviruses and neutralizing antibodies that would be produced after vaccination. Results showed that BA.2 was similar to BA.1 in resistant vaccine-induced antibodies. BA.1 has shown to be highly resistant against mRNA vaccines and the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Omicron BA.2 lineage was also completely resistant to two monoclonal antibodies known as Casirivimab and Imdevimab. Additionally, there was a 35-fold greater resistance to a therapeutic antibody, called Sotrovimab, compared to the B.1.1 virus containing D614G. Both BA.1 and BA.2 were highly resistant to convalescent serum samples containing antibodies after recovery from the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, the Alpha virus, and the Delta virus.

These data suggest that, similar to BA.1, BA.2 is highly resistant to the antisera induced by vaccination and infection with other SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as three antiviral therapeutic antibodies, wrote the research team.

The researchers also studied convalescent samples infected with BA.1. Thirteen convalescent samples came from fully vaccinated individuals, 1 convalescent sample came from a person with one vaccine dose, and 3 convalescent samples came from unvaccinated individuals. While the results were not statistically significant, BA.2 appeared 1.4-fold more resistant to BA.1-infected sera.

Another observation was that convalescent samples from fully vaccinated individuals showed stronger antiviral effects against all variants compared to the 1-dose or unvaccinated serum samples.

Further investigation showed that BA.1-induced humoral immunity is less effective against BA.2. Using convalescent serum samples from infected hamsters 16 days after infection, the team found both BA.1 and BA.2 showed high resistance against B.1.1 and Delta-infected serum samples. BA.2 showed a 2.9-fold resistance against BA.1-infected convalescent hamster sera compared to BA.1.

Virological characteristics of BA.2 lineage

BA.2 was more contagious than BA.1 when studying the replication process in human nasal epithelial cells. BA.2 also showed significantly more cell fusion than BA.1. There were 1.52-fold larger syncytia seen in BA.2 than BA.1.

The greater fusogenic properties of BA.2 were hypothesized to come from more efficient cleaving of the spike protein than BA.1. However, a Western blot analysis showed the BA.2 spike protein was cleaved less than BA.1s spike protein, indicating fusogenicity occurred independently of cleavage.

Instead, BA.2 may be more fusogenic and replicative than BA.1 in a TMPRSS2-dependent manner. Cell-based fusion assays revealed the fusogenicity of the BA.2.spike protein and the B.1.1 spike protein was similar in cells containing TMPRSS2 compared to those without it.

*Important notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
A Melbourne researcher has been awarded a $69,980 Stroke Foundation Seed Grant to investigate what level of physical activity is needed in stroke recovery to have a positive effect on health.

Dr Natalie Fini, recipient of a Stroke Foundation Seed Grant. Image Credit: Stroke Foundation

Dr Natalie Fini, from University of Melbourne, is one of four researchers to receive funding as part of the Stroke Foundation 2022 Research Grants round, announced today.

Dr Fini said the ultimate aim of the project, titled Personalised Physical Activity Programs for Stroke Survivors, is to reduce the risk of future stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Being physically active is important for preventing disease and people who have had a stroke are at greater risk of future health problems than the general population. However, sustaining regular physical activity can be a challenge due to stroke-related weakness, poor balance and memory issues. After hospital discharge, survivors of stroke also report there is not enough support to help them manage their overall health  and this includes physical activity. Dr Natalie Fini, recipient of a Stroke Foundation Seed Grant.

The researchers will test personalised, engaging and targeted physical activity programs which have been co-designed with survivors of stroke and stroke clinicians. The aim is to determine what physical activity dose (how much and how intense) is acceptable, feasible and safe for survivors of stroke, and also how effective it is at improving their cardiovascular health. The physical activity programs being tested have been co-designed with stroke survivors, carers and clinicians and it is hoped that this will mean they are more likely to be achievable and taken up in the long term as part of a daily routine.

Stroke Foundation Research Advisory Committee Chair Professor Amanda Thrift said optimising health after stroke is a priority to improve lives and reduce the burden of stroke on the health system.

Innovative research projects like this will help pave the way to maximise recoveries in the future, Prof Thrift said.

Three Seed Grants were offered in the Stroke Foundations 2022 Research Grant Program for early and early-mid career researchers to help address evidence and implementation gaps in stroke prevention, treatment and recovery.

Information on the other grants and the inaugural Lady Marigold Southey Aphasia Research Grant here.

The Stroke Foundation has also identified a need to increase support for survivors to thrive in recovery once discharged from hospital , with so many in its wider community likening their recovery journey to falling into a black hole. It is calling for the next Federal government to invest $10m in a StrokeConnect Navigator Program, to provide a consistent equitable national support service to help all Australians access appropriate treatment after a stroke.
Jeffersonville, IN (47130)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Scattered thunderstorms this evening. Low 53F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
MBABANE - Despite circulating reports that they were assaulted and tortured in prison, MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza yesterday told their supporters that they were well taken care of by officers from His Majestys Correctional Services.

Mabuza, who was in a jovial mood, was about to leave the courtroom after their matter was postponed, when he told their supporters that; Laba (warders) sihlala nabo 24/7 basiphetse kahle kakhulu. Siphetfwe kahle ngi safe kakhulu. He said this after the supporters who were standing next to the accused dock, asked them niphatseke njani lejele. When addressing the followers, the MP said he was happy to see his wives who were among those who had come to give them moral support.

Love

He also declared his undying love for them. He also shouted amandla and further assured them that they would fight until the end. It has been previously reported that the two MPs were purportedly assaulted and tortured by His Majestys Correctional Services (HMCS) personnel on Thursday night. HMCS Public Relations Officer (PRO) Senior Superintendent Gugulethu Dlamini, was previously quoted as having vehemently denied that the two MPs were assaulted. Instead, she said what transpired last Thursday was a random search aimed at ensuring that there were no illicit items in possession of offenders. This, she said, followed that there were cellphones that had been found in possession of inmates before.
(Newser)  Update: The parents of the Pakistani man who fatally strangled his own sister in a 2016 "honor killing" have pardoned the man. Muhammed Waseem confessed to the slaying and was convicted of murder, but a court ruled Monday he can be freed due to his parents' pardon, USA Today reports. Qandeel Baloch was a fashion model known as "Pakistan's Kim Kardashian" who rose to fame after auditioning for Pakistan Idol, that country's version of American Idol, and had hundreds of thousands of fans on social media. Her mother says she still mourns her daughter's loss but is happy her son will be released. Waseem's attorney tells the BBC his client's confession was coerced, and he recently retracted it. Human rights activists spoke out against his release, wondering why such a "loophole" exists, the Washington Post reports. Our original story from Sept. 27, 2019, follows:

He was accused of strangling his own sister to death, a killing that led to calls of revenge from his father and spurred a renewed debate about "honor killings" in Pakistan. Now, a verdict: Reuters reports Muhammad Waseem was found guilty on Friday of murdering 26-year-old fashion model Qandeel Baloch (real name Fauzia Azeem) and sentenced to life in prison, per his lawyer. Six others also accused of being tied to Baloch's murderincluding two other brothers, a cousin, a Muslim cleric, a driver, and a neighborhave been acquitted. Waseem confessed shortly after the 2016 murder that the risque social media posts of his outspoken sister, known as "Pakistan's Kim Kardashian," had prompted him to kill her. The BBC notes that Waseem backpedaled on his on-camera confession during his trial and said it had been given under duress.

The case brought new attention to the hundreds (maybe even thousands) of women killed each year in Pakistan by relatives who think shame has been brought upon the family because of them. In Baloch's case, she riled many in the conservative nation by posting provocative videos and pics online, including posing with well-known cleric Mufti Abdul Qavi; Qavi was one of the six acquitted. Some in Baloch's family blamed him for instigating the killing, saying he'd been upset by all the attention his photos with Baloch brought. As for the initial outrage Baloch's parents felt toward their son for killing her, that appears to have passed: The BBC noted last month they've apparently forgiven him and have been lobbying to set him free. Waseem's lawyer says he'll appeal. (Read more murder stories.)
(Newser)  America's coastline will see sea levels rise in the next 30 years by as much as they did in the entire 20th century, with major Eastern cities hit regularly with costly floods even on sunny days, a government report warns. Brace yourself for some jarring numbers, which come compliments of a 111-page report issued Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and six other federal agencies. By 2050, seas lapping against the US shore will be 10 to 12 inches higher, with parts of Louisiana and Texas projected to see waters a foot and a half higher. "Make no mistake: Sea level rise is upon us," said Nicole LeBoeuf, director of NOAAs National Ocean Service.

The projected increase is especially alarming given that in the 20th century, seas along the Atlantic coast rose at the fastest clip in 2,000 years, reports the AP. LeBoeuf warned that the cost will be high, pointing out that much of the American economy and 40% of the population are along the coast. However, the worst of the long-term sea level rise from the melting of ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland probably wont kick in until after 2100, said ocean service oceanographer William Sweet, the reports lead author. Sea level rises more in some places than others because of sinking land, currents and water from ice melt. The US will get slightly more sea level rise than the global average.

The western Gulf of Mexico coast should get hit the most with the highest sea level rise16 to 18 inchesby 2050, the report said. And that means more than 10 moderate property-damaging sunny-day floods and one "major" high tide flood event a year. The eastern Gulf of Mexico should expect up to 16 inches of sea level rise by 2050, the Southeast coast up to 14 inches, and the Northeast coast up to a foot. "This report is a wake-up call for the US, but it's a wake-up call with a silver lining," NOAA head Rick Spinrad said Tuesday, per CNN. "It provides us with information needed to act now to best position ourselves for the future."

(Read more sea level rise stories.)
(Newser)  For almost 70 years, they've been known as the "Babes in the Woods." Now, thanks to DNA, police in Vancouver, Canada, say they finally know the names of two young victims who were found bludgeoned to death by a hatchet in Vancouver's Stanley Park in 1953. They were 6-year-old David DAlton and his 7-year-old half-brother Derek DAlton, CBC News reports. The brothers, who lived in poverty, are believed to have descended from Russian immigrants. They were never reported missing. In fact, authorities believe they were killed by a family memberperhaps their mother, who died in 1996 at age 78, per the Vancouver Sun.

A relative lived near the entrance to Stanley Park when the murders are believed to have occurred in 1947. It would be years before a groundskeeper discovered skeletal remains, hidden by a woman's coat and thick brush. Experts in Ontario recently extracted genetic material from some of the bone samples not buried at sea in 2008, and scientists in Alabama were able to sequence Derek's DNA. Once the DNA was matched to a relative, "we still had a significant amount of work to do to locate family members, check school records and confirm specific details about the victims so we could be absolutely certain about their identities," lead investigator Det. Const. Aida Rodriguez tells the CBC.

Investigators met with a relative living in a Vancouver suburba granddaughter of the brothers' elder sisterwho had been told that the boys were removed from their home by child protection officials, per the Sun. The granddaughter had uploaded her DNA to a genealogy website with the goal of finding out more as "the only response they got from family was silence," Rodriguez says. "The absence of the boys was never discussed." In an interview with author Eve Lazarus, the granddaughter notes detectives said there were no records to show the boys were ever in the custody of child protection services. (Read more cold cases stories.)
(Newser)  At least 10 crew members from a Spanish fishing boat are dead and another 11 are missing in rough seas off Newfoundland. Authorities say the Villa de Pitanxo trawler sank at around 1am Tuesday morning shortly after a rescue center learned of an emergency beacon coming from around 250 nautical miles from the Canadian province's coast, CBC reports. Three survivorsand four bodieswere found in one of the vessel's four lifeboat, reports the AP. Two lifeboats were empty and authorities say a fourth is still unaccounted for.

The rescue center sent ships and planes from Canada's coast guard and air force to the scene. They spent Tuesday searching the area, assisted by other fishing boats, but hopes of finding more survivors are now fading. Spain's maritime rescue service says the 24-member crew included 16 Spanish citizens, five workers from Peru, and three from Ghana. Stephen Waller, a Canadian regional supervisor of maritime search and rescue, says 16-foot waves hampered the search operation Tuesday. He says it isn't clear why the boat went down and the rescue center hasn't yet been able to interview the survivors, who include the skipper and his nephew. "It appears whatever did happen happened quickly," Waller says. (Read more Canada stories.)
(Newser)  A man who had just been robbed at gunpoint at an ATM in southeast Houston opened fire in an attempt to stop his attacker but instead shot a 9-year-old girl in a truck driving nearby, police said. The girl later died at a hospital, the AP reports. Arlene Alvarez had been on life support before she died on Tuesday, her father Armando Alvarez told reporters. Alvarez said Arlene was sitting in the backseat of his truck and was wearing headphones when the shooting started Monday evening. When we were getting shot at the first time, and I told them get down,' she was the only one who didnt get down. She didnt hear me," Alvarez said. He said he was driving his family to Arlene's favorite restaurant when the shooting happened.

Tony Earls, 41, was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault and serious bodily injury in the shooting, police announced. He was being held in the Harris County Jail on a $30,000 bond. Arlene's death was announced shortly after police said Earls had been charged. Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney's Office, said prosecutors will look at possibly upgrading charges against Earls. Our hearts go out to the Alvarez family. We are going to review all the evidence, apply the law and determine what charges are appropriate," Schiller said.

Executive Assistant Police Chief Matt Slinkard on Monday night called the shooting an unbelievably tragic event." On Monday, Earls and his wife were at the ATM at around 9:45pm when another man walked up to their vehicle and robbed them at gunpoint, Slinkard said. As the suspect fled on foot, Earls got out of his vehicle and opened fire, including at a pickup truck he thought the robbery suspect had climbed into, police said. But the truck carrying a family of five was not involved and had been simply driving down a street near the ATM, Slinkard said. Earls, who later called police to report the robbery, told authorities he did not know his gunfire had hit the truck. Police were searching for the robbery suspect. They have not determined if that man returned fire or was shot. (Another 9-year-old girl was shot in Houston in a road rage incident last week.)
(Newser)  A young Florida law enforcement officer is out of a job, and facing charges, after an alleged scheme involving sex, drugs, and a promised trip to Europe was busted wide open. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said at a Friday presser that 25-year-old Niko Irizarry, a now-former deputy with his team, was fired and arrested Friday, all stemming from an incident in which Irizarry allegedly worked with two other men to frame an innocent real estate broker, reports NBC News. Per a review by the Washington Post of the records in the case, investigators say 36-year-old Charles Custodio wanted to take revenge on the broker for the latter's role in sending Custodio to prison in an unrelated case. And so Custodio recruited Scott Snider, 29, to pretend he was looking to buy some property and arrange to meet the broker on Dec. 15, a briefcase filled with drugs in hand, investigators say.

They note that when Snider and the man met in a local parking lot, Snider somehow slipped the briefcase into the broker's car. In the meantime, Custodio had texted Irizarry to arrange for the deputy to pull over the broker the next day, promising Irizarry "sexual favors and to take him to dinner in Paris for helping him," according to Irizarry's arrest warrant. Irizarry did just that on Dec. 16, per the warrant, "finding" the briefcase filled with more than 50 bags of meth, Xanax, ecstasy, amphetamine pills, Oxy, and fentanyl. The broker was arrested, but Marceno said Friday the Lee County Sheriff's Office's internal affairs unit got a tip last month that something wasn't right about the arrest, and an investigation was launched, uncovering the "elaborate conspiracy."

Irizarry is now facing a felony charge of official misconduct, while Custodio and Snider were charged with trafficking in fentanyl, possession of a controlled substance, and conspiracy. "Nobody is above the law, and that includes our deputies," Marceno said Friday. "Those who engaged in this disgusting conduct are now in jail where they belong." He noted that Irizarry, who'd first joined the Lee County Sheriff's Office in 2018, didn't have any past disciplinary matters on his record with them, per NBC. Irizarry and Custodio appeared in court Saturday and had their bonds set at $5,000 and $55,000, respectively, reports WINK. They're set to head back to court in mid-March. It's not clear when Snider is set to appear in court. (Read more deputy stories.)
(Newser)  A man who wanted to share his views on the COVID vaccine is accused of disrupting a Delta Air Lines flight Friday. During the flight from Salt Lake City to Portland, Ore., Michael Brandon Demarre, 32, allegedly tried to open the plane's emergency exit, the Washington Post reports. Passengers say they heard a loud sound of air whooshing as he pulled aggressively on the handle, the Oregonian reports. "The screeching of the wind and the change in pressure was felt by everyone," a passenger tells the Register-Guard. Flight crew and passengers alike intervened, the door was closed, and Demarre was restrained. Upon landing in Portland, he was taken into custody.

The FBI says that when asked why he tried to open the exit, Demarre said he wanted "the opportunity to share his thoughts on COVID-19 vaccines" in videos of the incident recorded by his fellow passengers. In passenger video of the incident, he can be heard yelling, "We're all being lied to, wake up!" and talking about COVID vaccines as he is led off the plane by authorities. He now faces federal charges of threatening to interfere and interfering with a flight crew and attendants and faces up to 20 years behind bars. He's currently on probation for a driving under the influence of intoxicants conviction from 2020, and was also convicted in a separate criminal mischief case last year. Passengers say he was laughing and crying simultaneously and staring blankly, causing some to think he was having a mental health episode. (Days ago, a disturbing disruption on American.)
(Newser)  Controversy-prone Meta is digging deeper into its overhaul with new company values revealed Tuesday. They didn't go over so well. As the Washington Post reports, the changes described at a virtual all-hands meetingstreamed for the first time on Facebook's virtual-reality platform, Horizon Venues"were ridiculed by some employees internally, who described them as corporate indoctrination and out of touch." A look at what's changing:



No more News Feed: Facebook's main interface will now be known simply as the Feed. In an employee memo, Metawhich has been heavily criticized for distributing misinformationnoted the name News Feed suggested it was a place for news stories. A rep tells the Verge that the new name will "better reflect the diverse content people see on their Feeds."

Facebook's main interface will now be known simply as the Feed. In an employee memo, Metawhich has been heavily criticized for distributing misinformationnoted the name News Feed suggested it was a place for news stories. A rep tells the Verge that the new name will "better reflect the diverse content people see on their Feeds." Hilarious reactions: The name change prompted memes galore, and many hilarious reactions on Twitter, per Mashable. "The 'on your brains' is silent, but you know it's there," wrote @FutureBoy. "*18 months later* we hear you. we see you. Feed is now known as Trough," added @erikhane.

'Be open' is gone, too: The previous corporate value of "Be open" has been replaced with "Be direct and respect your colleagues." Sources tell the Post that company's embrace of openness has suffered since whistleblower Frances Haugen came forward, with executives paranoid about further leaks. The company has also shut down certain conversations on internal communication system Workplace, where employees debate politics and share internal research, per the Post.

The previous corporate value of "Be open" has been replaced with "Be direct and respect your colleagues." Sources tell the Post that company's embrace of openness has suffered since whistleblower Frances Haugen came forward, with executives paranoid about further leaks. The company has also shut down certain conversations on internal communication system Workplace, where employees debate politics and share internal research, per the Post. New values: "Live in the future" is among several new values. It means "being the early adopters of the future products we're building to help people feel present together no matter where they are," CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post. "Build awesome things" means building products that inspire, he added.

Ahoy, metamates: Zuckerberg also said employeesformerly "Facebookers," now "metamates"would be expected to first prioritize Meta, their team, then themselves: "Meta. Metamates. Me." Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth tweeted that this was a play off a Naval phrase used by Instagram: "Ship, Shipmates, Self." It's "about being good stewards of our company and mission" and "the sense of responsibility we have for our collective success," Zuckerberg wrote.

Zuckerberg also said employeesformerly "Facebookers," now "metamates"would be expected to first prioritize Meta, their team, then themselves: "Meta. Metamates. Me." Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth tweeted that this was a play off a Naval phrase used by Instagram: "Ship, Shipmates, Self." It's "about being good stewards of our company and mission" and "the sense of responsibility we have for our collective success," Zuckerberg wrote. Long-term impact: Zuckerberg also told the company's 71,000 employees to "focus on long-term impact." This "encourages us to extend the timeline for the impact we have, rather than optimizing for near-term wins," Zuckerberg wrote. "We should take on the challenges that will be the most impactful, even if the full results wont be seen for years."

Bad press: The rebranding follows days of bad headlines for Meta. On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the company, arguing it unlawfully collected facial-recognition data for commercial purposes, per the AP. And on Tuesday, Meta said it would pay $90 million to settle a decade-old class-action lawsuit over its use of cookies, which tracked users even after they logged off, per the Guardian. Meta also said it would delete the wrongfully collected data.

(Read more Meta stories.)
(Newser)  In March last year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency launched a program to reimburse families for funerals for loved ones who died from COVID-19. With daily deaths currently at an average of well over 2,000, it is still a benefit needed by far too many families, but it is also underused, the New York Times reports. The pandemic has killed more than 925,000 Americans but fewer than half those deaths have led to a claim for funeral benefits, according to FEMA data. The agency says it has received around 415,000 claims, and 97% of those who provided all the necessary documents have been approved. Relatives of some COVID victims, however, they have struggled with issues including obtaining the correct documentation.

Kerri Raissian, a professor of public policy at the University of Connecticut, tells the Times that while she understand's FEMA's need to protect against fraud, the documentation requirements are very strict. She says her father died from COVID in December but doctors failed to list it on his death certificate, and she has spent hours on the phone trying to fix the issue. "This policy all but guarantees many people who are entitled to these benefits will not get them," she says. FEMA says it is working to make the process smootherand to make sure people are aware of the program, which reimburses families for up to $9,000 in funeral expenses. On its website, the agency says claims from after May 17, 2020, must have COVID listed as a direct or indirect cause of death on the death certificate.

FEMA says some 273,000 applicants have been paid a total of $1.78 billion, which comes from stimulus funds. According to FEMA data, there are big variations from state to state in the proportion of families reimbursed, from just 15% in Oregon and Idaho to almost 40% in North Carolina and Maryland. David Shipper, owner of a funeral home in Indiana, told NPR in December that his employees let grieving families know about the benefits and help them through the application process. He says families are much more likely to take advantage of the benefit when planning the funeral, as many find it too painful to revisit the death by applying for reimbursement later on. (Read more coronavirus stories.)
MBABANE - The trial of incarcerated MPs Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube was postponed unceremoniously yesterday.

This was after it was brought to the attention of the court that Dube was not feeling well. Dube, who was in court could not stand upright without support and was complaining of severe chest pains. When standing up, he would be seen leaning on a chair and would now and again drink water.

Continuation

This happened while the Members of Parliament (MP) and their legal team were waiting for the arrival of Judge Mumcy Dlamini in Court C for the continuation of their trial. Dube was overheard telling his co- accused and members of their legal team that he was not feeling well and needed to see a medical practitioner. So serious was the situation that lawyers for both parties approached the judge in her chambers to explain the situation. When the lawyers returned to court, Judge Dlamini entered the courtroom and informed those present that the matter was being postponed as Dube was reportedly not feeling well.

The court then directed the registrar of the High Court to communicate with the authorities of His Majestys Correctional Services so that Dube could be attended to by a medical practitioner, to determine whether he was fit for trial or not. It would be the medical report that would determine whether the matter continues today or not. After the matter was postponed, the visibly distressed Dube was put on leg irons by warders while he was about to leave the accused dock.
(Newser)  Donald Trump has been trying to keep various records out of the hands of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, but a new move from President Biden has put a wrench in one of those efforts. The New York Times reports that Biden has rejected Trump's assertion that visitor logs for the White House during the former president's time in office are subject to executive privilege and therefore shouldn't be made available to the House panel. Instead, Biden, via a Tuesday letter from White House counsel Dana Remus, has directed the National Archives to release those visitor logs, including ones from the day of the Capitol riot.

In her letter, Remus cites a "compelling need" by Congress to have access to those records, even though it's not clear what they would show or how well-kept they are. She noted that "constitutional protections of executive privilege should not be used to shield, from Congress or the public, information that reflects a clear and apparent effort to subvert the Constitution itself." Among the entries sought: "appointment information for individuals who were processed to enter the White House complex, including on Jan. 6, 2021," Remus' letter reads.

The documents from the National Archives should be handed over within 15 days, "unless prohibited by court order," Remus' letter notes, per CNN. The Obama administration had kept the White House's visitor logs public with limited exceptions, a move reversed by Trump early on in his presidency, for what his administration said were "grave national security risks and privacy concerns," per the Washington Post. Biden once more opened up the logs when he moved into the White House. (Read more White House visitors stories.)
(Newser)  Update: This file has been updated with US reports of Russia deploying more troops. Russia's de-escalation at Ukraine's border? It's not happening, says NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. "We have not seen any de-escalation on the ground. On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues its military buildup," Stoltenberg said Wednesday, the day the Wall Street Journal points out had been flagged by some US intelligence members as the likeliest day for a Russian invasion. Russia's Defense Ministry was singing a different tune, and on Wednesday released a video in which a trainload of armored vehicles were transported across a bridge away from Crimea, reports the AP. Stoltenberg wasn't convinced, saying Russia has "always moved forces back and forth," so footage like that "does not confirm a real withdrawal," per CNBC.

On Wednesday evening, a senior US official put a number on that recent buildup: 7,000 Russian troops, per CNN, calling the Russians' claims of pulling back untrue. "Every indication we have now is they mean only to publicly offer to talk, and make claims about de-escalation, while privately mobilizing for war," the official said. The US estimate of the Russian force before this escalation was about 150,000 troops positioned to the north, east, and south of Ukraine, per the AP.

A day earlier, the UK's Boris Johnson had said "the intelligence were seeing today is still not encouraging. ... We've got Russian field hospitals being constructed near the border with Ukraine in Belarus, which can only be construed as preparation for an invasion. So mixed signals, I think, at the moment." Asked by a German daily if Russia planned to attack Wednesday, Russia's ambassador to the EU shot back, "Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday." Still, in what the AP terms "a show of resolve," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky deemed Wednesday a "day of national unity," saying to the people, "We are united by a desire to happily live in peace. We can defend our home only if we stay united. (Read more Russia stories.)
(Newser)  A hitman who fatally shot a young mother in front of her 3-year-old daughter was paid with a federal loan meant to help small businesses during the pandemic, according to police in Florida. Jasmine Martinez had requested the Paycheck Protection Program loan to keep her beauty salon operating, though it's unclear if the salon actually existed, per the Miami Herald. She received $15,000 on April 20, 2021, then used a portion to pay the hitman to kill a woman with whom she violently feuded, Miami-Dade police said in an arrest warrant released Tuesday, per the New York Times. Police said she withdrew more than $10,000 from her bank account in the days before May 3, when a man fatally shot 24-year-old Le'Shonte Jones as she walked with her daughter, who was grazed by bullets.

The 33-year-old Martinez and her boyfriend, 35-year-old Romiel Robinson, are both charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Lawyers for both said they denied any involvement in the killing of Jones, who worked for the TSA at Miami International Airport, per the Herald. Police have also arrested 29-year-old Javon Carter, who previously served time in prison with Robinson and is accused of firing the fatal shots. A cellphone video shows him counting money hours after the shooting, saying it's "just another day at the office," according to the arrest warrant. He's charged with the first-degree murder of Jones, who died at the scene, and the attempted murder of her daughter, who was airlifted to a hospital.

Surveillance footage showed a man in a black hoodie exit a vehicle and approach the pair as they reached the Coral Bay Cove apartments. He then opened fire. It apparently didn't take much digging for detectives to point the finger at Martinez. In 2018, she was charged with battery after officers say they saw her punch Jones in the face. While testifying in that case, Jones was again punched during a robbery outside a courthouse, with Martinez's then-boyfriend Kelly Nelson subsequently charged, police said. In jail phone calls, Martinez allegedly told Nelson that Jones had to "die" and she was "ready to go kill this ho." In the weeks before her death, police said Jones had spoke of harassment and attempted bribes meant to keep her from testifying in the robbery case. (Read more murder stories.)
(Newser)  Firefighters from at least 18 municipalities rushed to the scene early Wednesday after a tanker carrying more than 9,000 gallons of gasoline overturned, slammed into a La-Z-Boy showroom in Long Island, caught fire, and exploded. Authorities say the driver lost control of the tanker around 1am and crashed into the showroom in Rockville Centre, around 30 miles east of New York City. The furniture store and a nearby liquor store caught fire and fuel spilled into the sewers. "There was fire everywherethe streets, the tanker, the two buildings, and when I looked down Sunrise Highway there was fire coming out of seven or eight manhole covers," said Rockville Centre Fire Chief James Avondet, per the New York Daily News. "Its one of the worst things Ive seen in my 47-year career."

"The driver was able to self-extricate and he was transported to to a local hospital," said Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro. Three of the approximately 150 firefighters who responded were also hospitalized, the AP reports. The La-Z-Boy building collapsed but firefighters managed to stop the blaze from spreading to a nearby gas station. "Were very glad if it was going to happen it happened at one o'clock in the morning with nobody else around, Avondet said. Authorities say some of the fuel got into local creeks, where it is being contained with booms. (In 2020, a woman who had given birth three days earlier helped save the life of a driver who was on fire after a tanker crash.)
(Newser)  Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke misused his position to advance a development project in his Montana hometown and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement, according to a report from federal investigators released Wednesday. The investigation by the Interior Department's inspector general found that Zinke continued working with the Great Northern Veterans Peace Park Foundation (which he helped established in 2007) on the commercial project in the community of Whitefish, Montana, even after he committed upon taking office to breaking ties with the foundation. The AP reports Zinke and his wife were in negotiations with private developers for the use of foundation land for a commercial development project that included a microbrewery.

The report also said that Zinke gave incorrect and incomplete information to an Interior Department ethics official who confronted him over his involvement, and that Zinke directed his staff to assist him with the project in a misuse of his position. The Washington Post reports investigators subpoenaed the developers' emails and text messages and determined Zinke communicated with them about the project 64 times over a year-long period beginning in August 2017.

Zinke is a candidate in the June Republican primary for an open Montana Congressional seat, a position he held prior to joining Trumps cabinet, and his campaign called the report "a political hit job." It noted his family's involvement in the foundation had led to the restoration of land that was made into a park where children can sled. Investigators referred the matter to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution but it declined to pursue a criminal case, according to the report. (Read more Ryan Zinke stories.)
Shamokin, PA (17872)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 68F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 51F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain and Israel are committed to further promoting bilateral relations and joint work to serve common interests as well as regional and global security, stability and development. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received at Al Sakhir Palace yesterday, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Naftali Bennett.

HM the King and Bennett reviewed diverse aspects of cooperation between both countries and means to enhance them, particularly in vital sectors of common interest, within the framework of the Declaration of Peace and Abraham Accords.

His Majesty welcomed the Israeli Premier, expressing hope his visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain would further boost bilateral relations and cooperation to serve mutual interests.

He affirmed the kingdoms vision and approach which are based on solid principles of good neighbourliness, mutual respect, understanding, dialogue, cooperation, peaceful coexistence, tolerance and rapprochement between peoples. HM Hing Hamad expressed hope that peace, security and stability would prevail in the Middle East for the benefit and prosperity of the region and the whole world.

HM asked the Prime Minister to convey his greetings to President Isaac Herzog, and his best wishes to the Israeli people of more growth and prosperity. Bennett expressed thanks and appreciation to HM the King for the gracious welcome and hospitality, voicing happiness about visiting Bahrain to continue bolstering bilateral cooperation. He lauded HM the King's keenness to further boost cooperation between both countries, wishing Bahrain and its people more growth and prosperity.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Audit, Tax and Advisory firm, KPMG in Bahrain, announced the expansion of its Advisory function with the appointment of Nicolas Ribollet to lead the firms Deal Advisory practice in Bahrain.

Nicolas appointment is set to reinforce the stability and continuity within the function while bringing a refreshed thought process on how to tackle key marketplace challenges for businesses in the region.

Over the course of his 25+ years career, Nicolas has successfully held numerous leadership roles and has worked extensively on areas pertaining to M&A, Due Diligence, and Corporate Finance.

Nicolas joins us from the Mazars Group where he has worked across a global network with a specific focus on the EMEA and Asia regions in terms of business development and practice management.

The marketplace in Bahrain is well known for its economic stability, and the businesses operating and thriving across the Kingdom for their maturity and longevity.

It will truly be a great opportunity to be able to support a wide range of clients right from financial institutions to large family businesses, stated Nicolas.

Nicolas brings a wealth of knowledge and information from a very diverse background, and he will be an asset to the leadership team at KPMG in Bahrain.

We are certain that our clients will value his contributions and advice as Nicolas settles into his role, said Jamal Fakhro, Managing Partner, KPMG in Bahrain
MBABANE  Mbuso Ncaza Nkosi has alleged that Sipho Shongwes wife, Vuyiswa and his son, Sifiso, offered him E300 000 to change his statement in the murder case.

Nkosi (41) was continuing with his testimony as a State witness during Shongwes trial for the murder of Victor Gamedze, which occurred on January 14, 2018. He told the court that a number of people tried to influence him not to testify against Shongwe, alleging that some people paid him a visit in prison where he was serving a sentence of 10 years for attempted murder while others called him. He alleged that most of these people had been sent by Shongwe to try to convince him against testifying against him (Shongwe). Nkosi alleged that he was approached even after January 10, 2022, which was when he went to the High Court of Eswatini for the first time following his extradition. On that date, Shongwes trial did not proceed and it was postponed and Nkosi was taken back to South Africa.

Returned

He then returned to Eswatini on Sunday. Yesterday, Advocate Michael Hellens, who represents the State, asked Nkosi if there had been other attempts to interfere with him regarding testifying in the murder case. He had told the court about Advocate Ntabiseng Mohomane, whom he said had been sent by Shongwe to offer him and Siphiwe Tata Ngubane R2 million worth of drugs and E700 000 upfront if they did not testify against the accused (Shongwe). Mohomane, according to Nkosi, allegedly also wanted them to sign affidavits to the effect that they no longer wanted to come to Eswatini to give evidence in the matter. The witness stated that after he had returned to South Africa, following his arrival in the country on January 10, 2022, one Mveli Dlamini, who is his friend from Eswatini, told him that he wanted to talk to him. Nkosi said he was communicating with Mveli through WhatsApp. He alleged that Mveli told him that Vuyiswa and Sifiso were offering E300 000 for him to change his statement.

This was a week after I was in Eswatini on January 10, 2022, said Nkosi. He further informed the court that he and Mveli communicated through voice messages or voice notes, which he captured and forwarded to the lead investigator, Senior Superintendent Sikhumbuzo Fakudze. He said there were about 20 such voice messages. He submitted that in 2019, after he had been arrested in South Africa for the murder of Gamedze, Sifiso informed him that a bus had been delivered to his (Nkosi) parental home. He said this was after Farouk Meyers, who was last year murdered in cold blood, had paid him a visit in prison. He alleged that Sifiso called him regularly trying to convince him not to testify against Shongwe and even sent him E10 000 for toiletry. He said he received the calls while in prison on his smuggled cellphone. Nkosi submitted that Sifiso did not want him to come to Eswatini to testify against his father.

Better

Nkosi said in 2018, he had been called by one Aziz, who told him that there was a bus from Shongwe. He said Aziz informed him that he knew he had a newborn and the bus would make the babys life better. He stated that he did not know Aziz but his name was familiar in the township. Nkosi said when Aziz called him, he was at his (Nkosi) parental home driving the bus and he left documents in the bus, which the witness gave to the court yesterday. The documents had a Matsapha United FC emblem and SwaziBank and Premier League of Eswatini on them. He said he asked his mother to make copies of those documents, which now form part of the exhibits. Nkosi said he did not know what became of the bus.

He further told the court that after January 10, 2022, Sifiso, Aziz and Shongwes friend Mpho allegedly came to Soweto and Aziz took them to Ronny (Nkosis friend). He alleged that they informed Ronny that they wanted to see him regarding changing his statement. He said they wanted him to state that he was not hired by Shongwe but by Farouk to kill Gamedze and also state that he knew the accused only by name. He said they would give him money. This proposal, according to Nkosi, was made to Ronny. Nkosi said he got this information from Ngubane. He submitted that Ngubane told him that it was up to him to decide what to do and advised him that if he took the money, it would be a problem. The witness said he contacted the head of the prison, Mthethwa, who said he should allow them to come to the prison and they would put them in an office where the conversation would be recorded. It is alleged that since Sifiso was afraid to come to prison, Mpho would come. However, according to Nkosi, none of them came.

Visited

Another person who visited Nkosi in prison, according to him, was Farouk. The witness told the court that Farouk told him that he had paid an officer who was in charge in Pretoria, and that he should not say that he was the one who shot Gamedze but implicate Ngubane. Farouk, according to Nkosi, told him that he would then make sure that Ngubane would die wherever he was. He said he told Farouk that sizobona and he (Farouk) gave him E300 and left. He said he called Ngubane and warned him to be careful of what he ate. When he testified also as a State witness last year, Ngubane submitted that he was once poisoned in prison. Sipho Mnisi, who is Shongwes former lawyer, allegedly tried to convince Nkosi to not come to Eswatini to testify, alleged the witness. Nkosi said he had called Mnisi previously before he was arrested and he wanted to speak to him but he allegedly refused. Nkosi said when Mnisi called him, he reminded him that he was arrogant when he called him previously but now wanted him to entertain him.

Attempts

He alleged that Mnisi said they should speak like gentlemen and I said I was not interested and had left everything to be dealt with by the law. Nkosi said he informed the Eswatini investigators and prosecutors about the alleged attempts to prevent him from coming to the country. Between late 2019 and 2020, Nkosi said, while being transported by prison officers from court, where he appeared for a remand hearing, they were followed by an Audi and a BMW. He said the occupants of the two vehicles were not sure in which vehicle he was in, and one of the officers signalled to make them aware that they had seen them and the two cars drove off. Yesterday, Nkosi gave the court names of four individuals whom he said Sandile Dzodzo Zikalala/Luthango alleged were involved in the plot to kill Gamedze. He said the people were Sthofen, Mike, Mamba and Zakes. The matter continues today.
Hillsborough, NC (27278)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Cincinnati, OH (45221)

Today

Cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 76F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 54F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media

DANBURY  A driver died Tuesday evening after colliding with ongoing traffic on Route 7 in Danbury, according to the Danbury Police Department.

Police were called to Route 7 around 5 p.m. Tuesday for a serious crash involving several vehicles near on Route 7 near Sugar Hollow Road, according to Detective Lt. Mark Williams on the police departments Facebook page.
Deepika Padukone, Ananya Panday starred in Shakun Batras latest film Gehraiyaan which is available on Amazon Prime video. The cast joined us for a fun chat virtually. In this exclusive conversation with NewsX, the stunning team of Gehraiyaan spilled the beans about their individual characters in the film and much more.

Sharing insights about the title of the show, the filmmaker, Shakun Batra replied, Our search for the title was the longest. It took me longer to arrive at the title than the script, cast, rehearsals and the takes. It was probably a two year journey to get to the title, but it happened really quick. We were in search for a title that didnt lend itself to some kind of judgement and we wanted it to be open to interpretations. When the co-writer of the film came up with the title, it took me a couple of days to feel that this was the one. But once we came up with the music, we felt like this was it. Also, I felt that if we waited any longer, we will not have a title.

Sakun then told us about how he came down to this cast. He said, Deciding the cast didnt take long. Deepika was always on my mind and I had watched Siddharth in Gully boy. Dhariya was someone we found through casting. Again, my co-writer, Aisha had worked with Ananya and she was sure that she is the right choice. Ananya just had to be herself in the movie.

Our next question was to Deepika about her part in the movie and if she imagined herself playing a role like this. The actor revealed, I just knew that a film with Shakun would be one where I could sink my teeth into, one that would be close to reality and raw. Shakun is mostly inspired by Woody Allen and the likes. Even I have been someone who enjoys the same genre. Also, experiencing the complexity of my character in the movie is something that I havent gotten the opportunity to do before. I think intimacy has been bought into this movie not just on a physical level but also the intimacy between the characters. Moreover, the music and the way its been shot is so fresh. Its new for India in so many levels.

Actor Ananya Pandey then shared what appealed to her about the whole project when it came her way. Ananya exclaimed, The complexity and the greyness in all the characters is what attracted me to this movie. In Gehraiyaan we dont categorize the characters as good and bad, instead we observe the characters and see how four people would respond naturally in a situation like this. We werent forming any judgements and thats what hit me the most. Honestly, I just wanted to work with Shakun.

Talking about her encounters with the co-actors, Ananya said, I knew Siddharth a little bit because we had done a bunch of interviews together. I had met Deepika socially at parties but we all together encountered together at the workshop. We kind of have a natural chemistry, our sense of humors and very similar and that way we all get along very well. But the workshops kind of cemented that. Shakun candidly added that Ananya initially thought that she was joining a cult because the workshops were ritualistic and the only thing they didnt tell her was to wear a uniform.

Talking about Gehraiyaan being her first OTT release, Deepika revealed, A lot of people might question this decision, and its so weird because couple of months ago, my agent and I wanted to discuss with the team that OTT was the best platform for this movie. We probably wouldnt have made this decision 2 years, but the pandemic has opened up so many avenues. The entire team unanimously wanted Gehraiyaan to be an OTT release.
The Sustainable Development Leadership Award introduced in 2005 to felicitate global leaders for their contributions to sustainable development and environment protection will be announced during the inaugural event on February 16.

Three heads of State and government including the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, Ministers for Environment from about a dozen countries, representatives from the United Nations, heads of inter-governmental organizations, and delegates from 131 countries will be a part of the deliberations on planetary resilience at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)s latest edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) beginning February 16.

The three-day Summit, TERIs annual flagship event, is the only independently convened event of such scale in the developing world that brings together world leaders, thinkers, scientists, industry and government representatives and other stakeholders on a single platform to work towards long-term solutions for the planets health. The Prime Minister Modi will deliver the inaugural address on Wednesday. Keynote addresses will be given by Dr Irfaan Ali, President of the Republic of Guyana, Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic and Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations. Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change will make the opening address.

Hosted as it is on the back of extreme weather events across the globe in the recent years, the virtually held WSDS 2022 will focus on planetary well-being. Curated on the theme Towards a Resilient Planet: Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future experts will deliberate on a range of pressing issues ranging from climate change, sustainable production, energy transitions, global commons and resource security.

A high-profile ministerial session on sustainable consumption and production in developed countries will be attended by John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, United States, as well as Ministers of Environment from France, Canada, Norway, Finland, France, Spain and Germany. Other key speakers at the Summit that ends on February 18 include Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Dr Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, Egypt, Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister, Maldives, and President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, and Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission.

Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, says, The World Sustainable Summit 2022 will deliberate on planetary resilience, a theme of particular significance especially in the wake of the extreme weather events the world has been witnessing lately. The WSDS is the most important event on TERIs calendar; it is our conscious effort at creating a platform where stakeholders from across the world sit together to deliberate on solutions that are based on sustainability and green growth. TERI is a pioneer in these areas and WSDS 2022 will play a crucial part in accentuating our role in providing technological, policy as well as knowledge solutions as India works towards realizing the commitments made at COP26.

The Sustainable Development Leadership Award introduced in 2005 to felicitate global leaders for their contributions to sustainable development and environment protection will be announced during the inaugural event on February 16.

Special features at the Summit will include ministerial sessions, media colloquium, youth and women leadership plenary, and corporate plenary and thematic tracks. Two documents  Act4Earth Manifesto and Act4Earth Strategy Paper  will be launched at the Summit. The strategy paper will guide activities under WSDS such as the COP27 Compass and SDG Charter. By playing a constructivist role, the Summit will seek to reinforce commitment at all levels to enhance ambition and action to create a more sustainable and equitable world for present and future generations.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is an independent, multi-dimensional research organization, with capabilities in policy research, technology development, and implementation. Headquartered in New Delhi, TERI has regional centres and campuses in Gurugram, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Mumbai, Panaji, and Nainital, supported by a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, sociologists, economists, engineers, administrative professional and state-of-the-art infrastructure.
The unprecedented deployment of the Emergencies Act gives police more tools to restore order in places where public assemblies constitute illegal and dangerous activities, such as blockades and occupations.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday (local time) invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in 50 years to give the federal government extra powers to handle ongoing truckers blockades and protests against the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. At a news conference on Parliament Hill, Trudeau said, It is now clear that there are serious challenges to law enforcements ability to effectively enforce the law. Trudeau said the measures will be geographically targeted and reasonable and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address.

The unprecedented deployment of the Emergencies Act gives police more tools to restore order in places where public assemblies constitute illegal and dangerous activities, such as blockades and occupations, he said, reported CBC News.

The government is also designating and securing critical areas such as border crossings and airports. Invoking the act will also allow the government to make sure that essential services  such as towing services to remove trucks  are rendered, said Trudeau.

The act also permits the federal government to direct financial institutions to render essential services to address the situation, and to prohibit the use of the property to fund or support illegal blockades, reported CBC News. Trudeau said the act also will enable the RCMP to enforce municipal bylaws and provincial offences where required. This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting peoples jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions, said Trudeau.

The Emergencies Act, which replaced the War Measures Act in the 1980s, defines a national emergency as a temporary urgent and critical situation that seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians and is of such proportions or nature as to exceed the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it.

The Act gives special powers to respond to emergency scenarios affecting public welfare (natural disasters, disease outbreaks), public order (civil unrest), international emergencies or war emergencies, reported CBC news.

It grants the cabinet the ability to take special temporary measures that may not be appropriate in normal times to cope with an urgent and critical situation and the resulting fallout. It is still subject to the protection of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Ottawa police have said they are outnumbered by crowds protesting vaccine mandates in the capital. Despite a provincial state of emergency, protesters ignored the threat of arrest and jail time and flocked to the citys centre over the weekend, reported CBC News. Demonstrators have erected tents, a stage, a large video screen and even a hot tub on various streets  including Wellington Street, which runs in front of the Parliament Buildings and the Prime Ministers Office. Ottawa police said safety concerns  including aggressive, illegal behaviour by demonstrators  are to blame for the limited police enforcement capabilities.

A blockade of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, a key supply link between Canada and the US, was dispersed by police earlier Sunday, with 12 arrests. The prime minister was joined by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as well as ministers David Lametti (justice) Marco Mendicino (public safety) and Bill Blair (emergency preparedness) at the conference.
Ground-penetrating radar was employed by the Keeseekoose First Nation, which is located 235 kilometers northeast of Regina, to examine the grounds of St. Philip's and Fort Pelly residential schools

A Saskatchewan First Nation has uncovered 54 possible unmarked graves on the premises of two former Catholic-run residential schools, adding to the national count of suspected school burials that has drawn international attention to Canadas treatment of Indigenous peoples.

Ground-penetrating radar was employed by the Keeseekoose First Nation, which is located 235 kilometers northeast of Regina, to examine the grounds of St. Philips and Fort Pelly residential schools. Keeseekoose Chief Lee Kitchemonia said that its going to be a tough time for their community. Notably, St Phillips was operated by the Catholic Church on behalf of the federal government from 1905 to 1913, while Fort Pelly was run by the federal government from 1928 to 1969.

During a two-month study that covered three hectares of ground that school survivors had indicated as a potential burial location, Ted Quewezance, the project manager for the hunt, claimed the radar had produced 54 hits  42 at Fort Pelly and 12 at St. Philips. Hits are unique radar reflections that frequently reveal columns of disturbed soil, indicating a burial. Ground-penetrating radar, in most circumstances, detects the shaft of dirt atop a burial rather than the contents of the grave. Before claiming last May that it had discovered the remains of 215 children who were pupils of the Kamloops Residential School, the First Nation of Tkemlps te Secwepemc in B.C.s interior used the same search strategy.

Saskatchewan mourns with you, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said on Facebook, as the Keeseekoose First Nation faces the same shock and grief as other First Nations around the country. From the late 1800s through the 1990s, about 150,000 First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students were compelled to attend these schools. The purpose of these institutions was to forcefully integrate the countrys indigenous population. Many children were physically and sexually assaulted by headmasters and professors who robbed them of their culture and language while they were separated from their families for months or years.

A truth-and-reconciliation panel reported more than 4,000 fatalities at schools in 2015, the most of which were caused by starvation, sickness, or suicide. The killings were described as cultural genocide in the report. Since May 2021, more than 1,300 burials have been uncovered.
STAMFORD  The parent company of Webster Bank, which recently completed its merger with Sterling National Bank, announced Wednesday an agreement to acquire Bend Financial, a cloud technology-based services provider for health savings accounts.

Boston-based Bend will continue to operate and serve its clients as it does today, according to the agreement. Over time, Bends personalized and connected user experience will expand to Stamford-headquartered Websters HSA Bank division, one of the country's largest providers of employee-benefits solutions, Webster officials said in their announcement.

This acquisition demonstrates Webster's commitment to enhance HSA Bank's client experience through strategic technology investments," Webster CEO and President John Ciulla said in a statement.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022.

Our goal is to simplify health care saving and make it easy for everyone to manage their long-term financial wellness, Bend CEO and President Tom Torre said in a statement. We're excited that this transaction allows us to expand on that mission.

HSA Bank counts about 3 million members nationwide. As of Dec. 31, 2021, it had $11.1 billion in total footings, comprising $7.4 billion in deposit balances and $3.7 billion in assets under administration through linked investment accounts.

Bend complements HSA Banks ability to drive even better outcomes and value for the millions of consumers we serve, HSA Bank President Chad Wilkins said in a statement. This accelerates efforts underway to deliver enhanced user experiences.

In response to an inquiry from Hearst Connecticut Media about how many Bend employees would be joining Webster and whether the acquisition would result in any layoffs, Webster said in a statement that the acquisition keeps the expertise of the 30-plus person Bend team, including developers who will expand our internal capabilities related to building, delivering and owning industry leading user experiences which can benefit our clients.

Webster employs about 4,300 people.

About two weeks ago, the parent companies of Webster and Pearl River, N.Y.-based Sterling National completed an approximately $10 billion merger, which created one of the largest commercial banks in the Northeast.

The combined company held approximately $65 billion in assets, $44 billion in loans and $53 billion in deposits, based on balances as of Dec. 31, 2021.

As a result of the merger, Webster has relocated its headquarters from Waterbury to Stamford. In filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Webster lists the downtown Stamford building at 200 Elm St., as the address of its principal executive offices.

While the new headquarters is in Stamford, Webster officials have said Waterbury and Pearl River, which is in New Yorks Rockland County, will be part of a multi-campus presence.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott
Lawmakers are proposing increasing penalties for fentanyl narcotic sales, supporting schools with access to the narcotic naloxone, and efforts to raise awareness about their matters.

State Senate Republican Leader Sen. Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, and Deputy Senate Republican Leader Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, were recently joined by fellow Republican Senators Craig Miner, R-Litchfield, and John A. Kissel, R-Enfield, at a news conference last week calling for action to address the fentanyl crisis in Connecticut.

The lawmakers are calling for increased penalties for fentanyl sales, establishing guidance for school districts that decide to keep naloxone in their schools, providing naloxone to schools, and raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.

In calling for action, the lawmakers referenced the growing rate of deaths associated with fentanyl, and the shocking death of a child who ingested fentanyl while in school.

The opioid epidemic is a public health and public safety crisis in Connecticut, Kelly said. It is destroying lives and has taken the lives of far too many.

Illicitly manufactured fentanyl has caused this crisis to explode even further, Kelly added. Deaths from overdoses, and particularly overdoses from fentanyl, are increasing at alarming rates in our state. Of the 1,374 lives lost to overdose in 2020 in Connecticut, 84 percent of those deaths involved fentanyl.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration via 2 milligrams of fentanyl, the size of a few grains of salt, can be a lethal dose, said Miner said.

Someone could take a pill without knowing it contains fentanyl. Or someone could knowingly take fentanyl, but theres no way of knowing if it contains a lethal dose, Miner added. The results are deadly. We need more awareness and we need stronger penalties to send a clear and powerful message that this is poison.

Kissel said, under current law, Fentanyl and Fentanyl analogues are defined as narcotics, and therefore the law treats all illegal Fentanyl sales the same as any narcotic. But Fentanyl kills at a far greater rate and with far more potency than other narcotics, he said.

Fentanyl is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. It is deadly in even smallest of quantities, Kissel said. Combatting the opioid crisis and the deadly nature of Fentanyl requires a comprehensive approach with continued support for substance abuse treatment, access to lifesaving measures, and strong penalties for the trafficking of such a deadly substance.
A Madison man pleaded guilty Tuesday to offenses stemming from a scheme defrauding investors and using the investments to pay off taxes and a credit card, according to federal prosecutors.

Brian Hughes, 57, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to one count of wire fraud, one count of making an illegal monetary transaction and one count of tax evasion, according to Leonard Boyle, the United States attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Each charge carries a maximum prison term of 20 years, 10 years and five years respectively. Hughes sentencing has not yet been scheduled, Boyles office said.

Hughes has also agreed to pay full restitution of almost $3 million to the IRS and all investors, Boyles office added.

In March 2015, Hughes founded Handcrafted Brands LLC to raise money to purchase alcoholic beverage company Salute American Vodka. Hughes then solicited and received funds from dozens of investigators supposedly to purchase and develop the vodka company, according to Boyles office.

Hughes used the first investment  about $150,000  to pay off his taxes and his American Express credit card, Boyles office said.

HCB later purchased Salute in June 2016 for $450,000. Despite this, Hughes continued to solicit investments from investors and used hundreds of thousands of dollars of invested funds to use on expenses unrelated to Salute, according to Boyles office.

Hughes also used these funds to pay off an earlier investor under the guise of a return on a prior investment, Boyles office said.

According to Boyles office, Hughes solicited additional investments on behalf of another company, which was not identified, that he had no official relationship with. Hughes spent this money on personal expenses, to pay earlier investors, and on business related to Salute, Boyles office said.

From the 2015 to 2018 tax years, Hughes evaded the assessment of his tax obligations by substantially underreporting his income to the IRS. This resulted in a tax loss of more than $470,000, according to Boyles office.

Hugh was arrested on Jan. 14, 2021. He has been released on $250,000 bond, Boyles office said.
Merger & Acquisition (M&A) activity in the Mena region witnessed a major resurgence in 2021, registering an increase of 66% from 2020, said professional services firm EY in a new report.



These record M&A levels were primarily driven by domestic (intra-regional) deals which increased to 366 in 2021, compared to 192 deals in 2020, according to the EY Mena M&A Insights report.



The report also showed that announced total M&A deal value in the Mena region increased by 16% in 2021 to $99 billion from $85.2 billion in 2020  while the top 10 deals by value in 2021 aggregated to $58.8 billion, 59% of total announced deal value.



Brad Watson, EY Mena Strategy and Transactions Leader, said: In 2021, we saw a tremendous surge in Mena M&A activity as a result of improving post-COVID-19 market conditions. The recovery in oil and gas prices and an improving public health backdrop have also helped to lift the economic outlook in the region, leading to renewed confidence in regional boardrooms.



GRE and PE activity

Government-related entities (GRE) including sovereign wealth funds and national oil companies were pivotal players in the Mena M&A market in 2021, contributing to a total deal value of $62.6 billion, or 63% of total disclosed deal value of $99 billion.



There was also an upturn in Private Equity (PE) participation in Mena deals, with PE executing 165 deals in 2021, as opposed to 73 deals in 2020. PE will continue to be net sellers in 2022 but with imminent fund raising in sight, buy-side PE activity is expected to increase in the future.



Strategic activity

Strategic M&A also had a good year with interesting deals such as the acquisition of Bayara (a nuts and spices company) by Savola as well as multiple acquisitions by Agthia in the confectionary and poultry space to strengthen their position in the Food & Beverage sector.



M&A activity by geography

UAE experienced the highest deal activity in terms of volume (303 deals) whilst Saudi Arabia attracted the most M&A capital ($47.4 billion). Egypt also saw robust deal activity in 2021 with 118 deals worth $7.7 billion.



Anil Menon, Head of Mena M&A and ECM, EY, said: Mena M&A activity in 2021 was unprecedented not just by sheer volume, but also because much of the deal making was conducted virtually. Furthermore, what makes 2021 remarkable is that the activity levels have been consistently good across sectors and geographies. We expect continued confidence and momentum in 2022.



Energy, natural resources, and chemicals

The region saw significant M&A activity within the energy, resources, and chemicals sectors in 2021, with several multi-billion-dollar deals being signed in Saudi Arabia. The oil and gas sector witnessed the highest deal activity in terms of deal values, largely driven by a stake sale by Aramco in its natural gas pipeline business. In April 2021, a consortium led by EIG Global Energy Partners acquired a 49% stake in Aramco Oil Pipelines Company from Aramco for $12.4 billion.



This was followed by a $12 billion deal in September after a consortium of buyers - including Air Products and Chemicals, ACWA Power Barka, Air Products Qudra and the Saudi Aramco Power Company - signed an agreement to acquire ASUs, gasification, syngas clean-up, utilities and power assets from Aramco. As the year ended, BlackRock Inc. and Hassana Investment Co. signed a lease and leaseback deal with Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) in December 2021. The deal will see the acquisition of its gas pipeline network for $15.5 billion.



Technology demand

The technology sector witnessed the highest deal activity in terms of deal volumes in 2021 and out of 43 inbound technology deals in the region, 20 were targets in the UAE. This showcases the growing appetite for digital transformation and UAEs position as a regional technology destination.



2022 outlook

Looking ahead, Mena M&A activity in 2022 is expected to remain robust. Key deal themes include continued GRE investment, digitization and technology, and portfolio optimization.



Additionally, EYs recent CEO Outlook Survey, which provides unique insights into how Mena CEOs from various industries view M&A and capital allocation, infers that above-average M&A activity is likely to continue in 2022, as Mena CEOs look to optimize portfolios and pursue scope deals. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Mena CEOs surveyed indicated that their companies will be pursuing M&A in the year ahead.  TradeArabia News Service
NEW HAVEN  More than a year after Yale graduate student Kevin Jiang was shot dead in New Haven, the case of slaying suspect Qinxuan Pan was continued again Wednesday, according to clerks at the New Haven Judicial District courthouse.

Pan, who has not yet entered a plea, now is scheduled to appear March 3.

His attorney, Norm Pattis, previously asked for more time to review evidence in the matter in December.

Pattis Wednesday evening told the Register that both he and Pan recently had COVID-19.

Jiang was shot to death on Lawrence Street in the citys East Rock neighborhood Feb. 6, 2021.

Born in Seattle and raised in Chicago, Jiang served as an environmental scientist/engineering officer and tank operator in the Army and National Guard and graduated from the University of Washington before coming to Yale. He was a certified fitness trainer and ran his own studio after serving in the military.

Those who knew Jiang have described him as a person of faith and energy, including his parents, speaking during his funeral at Trinity Baptist Church in New Haven.

Jiang lived full-heartedly, enthusiastically, like a ray of sunlight, his mother, Linda Liu said. He led his friends and family to faith; he had grown as a person while serving in the military. He was a good communicator; he loved science and nature. He had taken care of her, showing his thoughtfulness, reassuring her about the future, she said.

Kevins life was short but colorful, and brought so much joy, happiness and positivity to those around him, said his mother. As a mother, I will always miss Kevin, and treasure the blessings he brought me. Although Kevin is gone from us now, Kevin is the most wonderful gift God has ever given me on Earth.

His father, Mingchen Jiang, said his son had spoken to him a lot about faith as he walked his journey in life; they grew and matured together.

I realize, now, that Kevin himself is an angel. His mission to this world is to deliver love, said Mingchen Jiang. Love is the word Kevin used most often.

Jiang became engaged to Zion Perry, also a graduate student at Yale, about a week before his slaying. Photos later emerged online appearing to show Perry and Pan together at a Massachusetts Institute of Technology dance in 2020. Perry and Pan were friends on Facebook, where she posted about the engagement.

New Haven police obtained a warrant charging Pan with Jiangs slaying in late February. The department had named him as a person of interest in the case Feb. 10.

Affidavit: The guns, cars and DNA that led police to arrest Qinxuan Pan in slaying of Yale grad student.

Pan allegedly stole a GMC Terrain on Feb. 6 and changed his cellphone number before coming to Connecticut, according to a police report from Mansfield, Mass.

North Haven police stopped Pan that evening as he drove onto railroad tracks near Sims Metal Management.

According to an affidavit from that community, town officers had received a different description for the New Haven homicide suspect, so they let Pan go.

On the day after the interaction with Pan, North Haven police were called to the Arbys at 267 Washington Ave., where employees reported finding a bag containing a firearm and ammunition, along with other items, according to the North Haven affidavit.

A preliminary analysis of the cartridge casings found at the scene of Jiangs death, conducted through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, indicated they were associated with four other incidents of shots being fired in New Haven, including one on Osborn Street Feb. 5 and another about an hour before Jiangs death on Shepherd Street in Hamden on Feb. 6, one in January and one in December, according to an affidavit from New Haven police.

In a request for a search warrant to obtain OnStar data from the Terrain, Detective David Zaweski wrote in the New Haven affidavit that Pan had rented, and kept overnight, a different vehicle on the day of each shooting associated with the cartridge casings found at the scene of Jiangs death.

The Ruger .911 found at Arbys turned up no NIBIN connection to the cartridge casings found at the scene, according to the New Haven affidavit. Police still were searching for the firearm used in the slaying when the affidavit was written.

Fingerprints determined to match Pans were found on the Ruger, according to the New Haven affidavit. Residue consistent with gunfire was found on a yellow coat found at Arbys.

Pan, formerly a graduate student at MIT, was not arrested until May 13 in Montgomery, Ala., following a search by U.S. marshals and others.

His bail was set at $20 million on May 20 as he was arraigned on a charge of murder.

Pan subsequently filed a petition for the Connecticut Supreme Court to review his bond, arguing it was disproportionately high. Pattis Wednesday noted that they were waiting on that decision. That review, started in September, remains in progress.

Under the state constitution, defendants have the right to be released on bail upon sufficient security; the justices considered the meaning of that phrase during a Sept. 8 hearing.

During that hearing, Pattis raised the example of Peter Manfredonia, accused of two killings, kidnapping, home invasion and other crimes, in which bail initially was set at $5 million.

The Pan family wonders whether this is Yale, the shadow of Yale, cast on the criminal courts, said Pattis. Every case involving Yale seems to acquire a special gravitas.

Senior Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Sugrue argued that the court should uphold the bond, which he said took into account the totality of factors, including nature of the alleged crime, the likelihood of flight and the possibility of harm coming to the community, as well as Pans alleged resources.

The state is obligated to offer some bond to the defendant, Sugrue said, but in this case believes there is no amount that reasonably could assure he would reappear in court if released from custody.

If hes out, hes gone, said Sugrue. Hes a serious and acute flight risk.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Becoming cloudy with occasional rain during the afternoon. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Rain. Low 49F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
AD Ports Group has announced the opening of a new jetty at Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach coinciding with the 2022 Cruise Season.

With the new jetty - equipped with eight mooring dolphins, firefighting equipment, and solar lighting - two vessels will be able to dock at the same time, which will enable more than 5,000 passengers to embark and disembark at an accelerated rate at Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach.

Developed by AD Ports Group, Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach is renowned as the first and only dedicated cruise beach of its kind in the region offering a blend of relaxation and adventure to visitors. Previously, cruise ships set anchor about one kilometre offshore from the island and visitors were ferried to and from the beach via tender craft.

The new jetty will significantly increase the capacity of the number of visitors to the island, reduce the time it takes to move to and from a vessel, as well as enhance the overall experience for cruise passengers.

The cruise jetty was inaugurated by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Rulers Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, today (February 16) with MSC Virtuosa berthed at Sir Bani Yas Island as part of the ships regular 7-night cruises in the Arabian Gulf.

Sheikh Hamdan pointed out that with the support of infrastructure and tourism projects, Al Dhafra region continues to work towards enhancing its position in the tourism sector, while also elevating its contribution to the growth of tourism and leisure sectors within the region.

He highlighted the significance of these projects and their impact on various sectors, especially the private sector, which is of great importance in supporting the continued development of Al Dhafra region and fostering new opportunities.

"Inspired by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision and Plan Al Dhafra 2030, the opening of this new jetty is a milestone in Al Dhafras ambitious development plans. Economic diversification is fundamental to the long-term roadmap for the emirates progress," stated Sheikh Hamdan.

"We applaud AD Ports Groups efforts in fostering this growth through world-class leisure and tourism infrastructure that will not only strengthen tourism across the GCC region but will also further reinforce Abu Dhabis position as a premier global tourism destination," he added.

AD Ports Group Chairman Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi said: "The tourism sector, and cruise tourism in particular, plays a key role in driving economic diversification and sustainable development, with a significant impact on local, regional and national economies."

"With the creation of these enhanced facilities, we will be able to welcome more visitors to Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach than ever before and offer a superior disembarkation experience for passengers, raising the profile of Abu Dhabi and the Al Dhafra region in particular for global travellers. Today marks an important step forward in our strategy to establish Abu Dhabi as one of the leading hubs in the world for cruise tourism," he added.

Managing Director and Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi said: "AD Ports Group continues to support the development of significant maritime, logistics and tourism projects within the UAE and across the region, because we recognise the wider benefits such strategic investments deliver for the economy and the community. By developing Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach as a sustainable cruise destination, we are supporting our leaderships vision.

In 2019, prior to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the world cruise industry was valued at more than US$150 billion in direct and indirect revenues. With a strong recovery, we believe that it will achieve growth beyond that record and are working hard to ensure that Abu Dhabi builds its leadership position in this sector, he added.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said: We welcome the unveiling of a new jetty at Sir Bani Yas Cruise Beach, a key development that will aid operational efficiency at an increasingly popular stop on our Gulf itinerary.

"The commitment by AD Ports Group to spearhead the development of industry-leading facilities supporting cruise activities will undoubtedly contribute to the advancement of our highly popular and fast-growing industry as we at MSC Cruises look to strengthen our own position as the sectors market leader in the Gulf by deploying the most modern ships to what is a key region for us in our ambitious global growth programme, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Convener of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, has led some northern elders to meet with former President Olusegun...

The Convener of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, has led some northern elders to meet with former President Olusegun in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Abdullahi and his team met Obasanjo behind closed doors on Tuesday evening to discuss issues affecting the nation, especially as it goes into the 2023 general election.

Those in the entourage include the Chairman, CNG Board of Trustees (BOT), Nastura Ashir Shariff; and the Director, CNG Action and Mobilization, Aminu Adam.

Speaking after the two-hour meeting, Abdullahi disclosed that the country needed good tidings from the 2023 elections, hence the need to strategize.

He stressed that in spite of their ages, they still deemed it necessary to contribute to the society and the country, hence, the visit to Obasanjo.

He said, I dont want to stay away from him for so many months or years without seeing him, especially at this period.

So, Im visiting him to say hello and get a briefing from him on how I feel about the nation. We also briefed him on how we feel about the nation. We compared some notes and we agreed on some grounds.

While saying Obasanjo was on the same page with the northern elders on issues raised, the professor retorted, Yes. We are on the same page and Insha Allah it shall be well.

He spoke further, We have been having challenges and we have been talking on this. You are in the media and you know what we have been saying about the situation in the country. Things are not good enough and as we head for 2023, we hope to be strategising for the good of the nation.
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics ASUP has asked its members to be ready to stop work at any time when the need arises. This ...

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics ASUP has asked its members to be ready to stop work at any time when the need arises.

This was stated by the National President of the union, Mr. Anderson Umezurike Ezeibe while addressing members of the union at Hussain Adamu Federal Polytechnic, Kazaure.

The directive is coming a few days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU embarked on four weeks warning strike.

He said the ASUP had called off its industrial action on June 10th 2021 based on agreements it reached with the Federal Government.

Anderson explained that part of the agreement include the release of N15 billion for the revitalisation of Polytechnics and Monotechnics and payment of the arrears of minimum wage, the inauguration of the governing council and the pay as you earned liability issue

He said since the agreement was reached, the Federal Government has only fulfilled a few while others have not been achieved.

Despite the suspension of the strike the revitalization fund is yet to be released after its approval by the President Muhammadu Buhari as well as the minimum wage arrears

Renegotiation document is still on, the renegotiation process of the agreement is also going on

Therefore strike is a legitimate instrument of engagement for Government failure to meet our demands, he said.

Strike is a decision taken by National Executives, so any time we give a progress report if it doesnt meet the approval and satisfaction of NEC strike became an option

He noted that the NEC will take its possible decision on its next meeting to hold in March in Mubi.
Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti has warned Paris Saint-Germain that his team are not dead yet. This follows their 1-0 defeat to the Lig...





Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti has warned Paris Saint-Germain that his team are not dead yet.





This follows their 1-0 defeat to the Ligue 1 leaders in the Champions League round of 16 first leg on Tuesday night.





Kylian Mbappe netted the only goal of the match late on, to hand PSG an advantage ahead of the second leg in Spain.





We didnt play well, but we are not dead yet, Ancelotti said.





Ancelotti will, however, be without Casemiro and Ferland Mendy for the second leg at home on March 9.





Both players were both shown yellow cards and will be suspended for collecting three yellows in the competition.
Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River, says Nigerians must stop demarketing the country in order not to discourage foreign investors. ...

Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River, says Nigerians must stop demarketing the country in order not to discourage foreign investors.

Speaking on Tuesday in an interview with Channels Television, Ayade said investors will be discouraged from doing business with Nigeria if people continue to spread bad news about the country.

The Cross River governor bemoaned what he described as politics seeking the downfall of the ruling party, saying it does not translate to the good of the country.

Ayade urged Nigerians to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) for continuity in government, adding that countries that have made progress had long-term leadership.

If you look all over the world, nations that have really made progress are nations that have had a very stable government, a very consistent and long-term leadership. For a third-world country to run a first-world democracy is quite primitivist, he said.

It is just like the lifestyle we live in Nigeria is a first-world lifestyle in a third-world economy. There is a disconnect.

There is a broken corporate personality in this country. Until all those are addressed, we will continue to have this situation and this is why I have moved to the centre; to really add my own strong voice to the credibility and stability of this nation.

The young people are watching and are seeing that politicians are playing politics with their future.

Just look at the newspapers, go to the internet and everything you read about Nigeria is woe. How will you call any investor to come to a country like that?

When we use our own mouth, our own print media, our own newspaper to demarket the country, I think sometimes I shudder with pain.

And I will just really wonder if this is the way to go as a nation, particularly when Nigeria represents the growth and the direction of the black man in the world.
The National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it will not spare anyone found complicit in the 25kg cocaine deal allegedly involving Abba...

The National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it will not spare anyone found complicit in the 25kg cocaine deal allegedly involving Abba Kyari, suspended deputy commissioner of police.

On Monday, the anti-drug agency, in a press briefing, declared Kyari wanted over alleged links with an international drug cartel.

Femi Babalola, spokesperson of the NDLEA, narrated how Kyari and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) arrested some drug traffickers who arrived in the country from Ethiopia with 25kg of cocaine.

Babafemi alleged that Kyari and his team proposed to take 15kg of the seized cocaine for themselves.

Reacting to the allegation, the police, in a statement, said they arrested Kyari and four officers for tampering with narcotic exhibits and unprofessional infractions.

The police said investigation revealed that the international drug cartel involved in the case has strong ties with some NDLEA officers at Enugu Airport and asked the anti-drug agency to investigate its officers.

In what appears to be a response to the police, the NDLEA, in a statement on Wednesday, said the agency remains committed to evidence-based investigation and it will not be deterred by any misrepresentation of facts.

To correct some inaccuracies in the information in the public space that NDLEA officers at the Enugu airport were the ones who received from the cartel details about the mule coming from Addis Ababa, the statement reads.

The agency wishes to quote from the transcript of Abba Kyaris recorded conversation with our undercover officer and a portion of ASP James Bawas statement to the police as documented in the police investigation report, a copy of which was made available to the agency, to state that its an established fact that its the Abba Kyaris team that was contacted by the cartel and without doubt the records clearly show how their ring works.

Recall that after NDLEA requested for Kyari and others for interrogation, they were questioned by the police, after which they were handed over along with the report of their interrogation.

According to the police investigation report, ASP James Bawa in his statement to the police reveals that he was called by an informant identified as IK from Brazil who told him that a drug courier will be arriving on board Ethiopian Airlines in Enugu.

He explained further that a pointer from IK, the Brazil based informant met with him at about 1420hrs on 19th January 2022 outside the airport and showed him a picture of the courier.

Subsequently, they sighted the suspect as he exited the airport terminal after all arrival clearance formalities, and he was arrested with another associate.

The above no doubt establishes who the cartel was relating with and their modus operandi. Again, this is to correct inaccuracies in some reports and assure that the agency will not deviate from an evidence-based investigation that will spare nobody found complicit.

The development comes some months after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicted Kyari of conspiring with Hushpuppi, self-confessed international fraudster, in a $1.1 million scam.

The suspended police officer had denied the allegation, claiming that his hands are clean.
Nigerian actor and politician Desmond Elliot on Wednesday narrated how he helped to secure the freedom of 15 protesters arrested during the ...





Nigerian actor and politician Desmond Elliot on Wednesday narrated how he helped to secure the freedom of 15 protesters arrested during the #EndSARS movement that rocked the nation two years ago.





The member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Surulere 1 made this known during his appearance at the Your View talk show on TVC.





While airing his support for youth involvement in governance, the politician noted that he was one of the earliest supporters of the #EndSARS protest.





He said, From the state house of assembly, when the whole thing started, I was one of the first people to say, listen government, listen to the people, and the people agreed.





A few days later, a lot of people were arrested in Area C command. I was actually at plenary and before I came out, I saw my phone flooded with messages and I drove all the way to Area C.





I didnt leave Area C and Panti till 2 am; to free almost 15 people. I made sure they were freed. And how was it possible that in two days, somebody just changes? Its not possible. Come on Nigerians, lets think about it for a moment.





Elliot was reacting to the criticism he faced during the period of the protest when he made comments on the regulation of social media while in the Assembly chambers.





Though he initially denied making such comments, the video was released online and the actor-cum-politician was thoroughly bashed on the Internet.
Nollywood Actor, Yul Edochie, has called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Edochie, ...

Nollywood Actor, Yul Edochie, has called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Edochie, in a tweet via his Twitter handle on Wednesday while seeking the release of Kanu, called for dialogue.

He tweeted: Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and call for dialogue.

In a multi-tribal country like Nigeria, therell always be agitation from different quarters.

To keep the country united you should listen to your people, know why theyre agitating and resolve it peacefully. Not by the use of force.

Meanwhile, Nnamdi Kanu, at the hearing in court today, complained that he was going blind and pleaded with the Judge to rescue him.

Kanu disclosed that the Department of State Services, DSS, took away his glasses since his arrest.

He also asked the court to dismiss the charges against him on the grounds that the alleged offences were not committed in Nigeria.

The Biafra leader claimed that no prima facie has been made against him by the federal government throughout the proof of evidence in support of the charges.
As the global population edges towards the 10 billion mark by 2050 and world GDP more than doubles, natural gas will continue to play a crucial role in alleviating energy poverty, fuelling economic growth, expanding prosperity, and contributing to the protection of the environment, according to Engineer Mohamed Hamel, the Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

"Natural gas is the fuel for sustainable development in many developing countries. We shall not forget that today, more than three billion people still lack access to clean fuels for cooking," stated Hamel, while delivering his pre-recorded remarks in a panel session at the 5th Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS) 2022, in Cairo.

"Energy transition in Europe cannot be the same as in India, or in Africa," he said at the panel discussion titled Modernising the global energy dialogue for industry transformation, cautioning that a one-size-fits-all model will not work in the energy transition.

The GECF official was joined by several peers, including Dr Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Joseph McMonigle, Secretary General of the International Energy Forum (IEF), and HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary General of OPEC. The discussion was moderated by John Defterios, formerly of CNN.

Hamel expressed confidence that COP27 in Egypt  a developing country, and in Africa  will mobilise financial resources, transfer of technology, and capacity building to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Not investing in natural gas today is a recipe for much higher prices tomorrow. This penalises the poorest and the developing world, he asserted.

It risks creating a backlash against the very policies that stifled investment, and jeopardising the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and, thus, the very battle on climate change.

Hamel praised the Egyptian leadership for supporting the growth of the industry. Egypt is the rotating President of the GECF Ministerial Meeting in 2022.

In its fifth anniversary edition EGYPS has become the regions leading platform to shape the industrys commitment to sustainable hydrocarbons and their role in the energy transition.
Nigerian actress, Kemi Korede, has praised popular Nollywood star, Funke Akindele-Bello, for helping people without announcing it. ...

Nigerian actress, Kemi Korede, has praised popular Nollywood star, Funke Akindele-Bello, for helping people without announcing it.

Korede who gushed on her Instagram page on Wednesday said that although Akindele preferred to keep her selfless contributions private, she could not help but thank her publicly.

Thanking Akindele, Korede wrote, I have been struggling to find the appropriate words to use but I am not sure there are good enough words to express the joy I feel(tears of joy) rolling down my cheek.

I know you dont like publicity but @funkejenifaakindele I am so sorry I have to do this. You are one of the few people I know who go out of their way to help without announcing it to the world.

You are a rare gem. A woman of substance. A true definition of a Queen. Those who are blessed with the opportunity of knowing you personally can attest that your heart is even more beautiful than your outward appearance.

Ah,Funke Akindele Bello Oremi atata (my good friend). You will never know shame in your lifetime. You will never fall nor fail Insha Allah.

Your leaf will never wither. May God continue to bind your family together with love. God will never give you more than you can bear. You will not cry over your children. You will never lose your smile. Eniyan laso, eniyan rere ni e Funke (Funke is a good person).

May God continue to enlarge your coast, bless your territory and adorn you with his grace. Olorun Baba Agba will continue to protect you and your family. Thank you! Thank you!!Thank you!! I love you so much, my darling sister and friend.

Veteran actor, Jide Kosoko, also responded to her Instagram post. He said that Akindele had different sides to different people, but in all, she is a woman of honour.

Although the details of Akindeles recent act of kindness had not been disclosed, Korede had praised the actress last year for giving veteran actor, only called Pa James, a brand new house.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 53F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Airbus has signed a cooperation agreement with Changi Airport Group, global industrial gases and engineering company Linde and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to study the potential for a future hydrogen hub in the city state.



The agreement was signed at the Singapore Airshow by Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer, Han Kok Juan, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Yam Kum Weng, Executive Vice President of Changi Airport Group, and John Panikar, Executive Vice President, APAC of Linde.



It reflects the four partners shared ambition to leverage their respective expertise to support the decarbonization of the aviation industry and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.



Under the collaboration, the partners will look at how hydrogen can be transported, stored and delivered to aircraft at existing and new airports. This expands on an earlier agreement with CAAS to evaluate hydrogen infrastructures, widening the scope to include the airport and energy provider.



Airbus will provide characteristics on aircraft configuration and fleet energy usage, insight on hydrogen-powered aircraft for ground operations, and data on the estimated hydrogen aircraft ramp-up at airports.



The Asia-Pacific region will play a key role as we work towards making climate-neutral aviation a reality, said Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer. By partnering with Changi Airport and with Incheon Airport, Airbus will leverage the operational and technical expertise of two of the worlds leading hubs. The studies we will carry out together reflect the need for a cross-sectoral approach, including manufacturers, airlines, regulators, airports, energy providers and academia. We need bold and coordinated action to achieve our goals.



The use of hydrogen to power future aircraft is not only expected to reduce significantly aircraft emissions in the air, but could also help decarbonise air transport activities on the ground. In 2020 Airbus launched the Hydrogen Hub at Airports programme to jumpstart research into infrastructure requirements and low-carbon airport operations, across the entire value chain.



To date agreements have been signed with partners and airports in Paris, Seoul and Singapore.  TradeArabia News Service
Yes. Gov. Hochul chose Mr. Benjamin, and she's stuck with him through the election.

No. The state should have the option to remove someone under criminal indictment.

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Crowds who gather along the Uptown parade route as night falls Saturday will see the final works of Randy Morrison, a float artist who died before he could finish his work on the parade. Morrison's distinctive parade statuary, made of foam with a vivid, supple finish, depicts scenes from the myth of Persephone.

The artist used a chain saw to carve giant blocks of white plastic foam into the colossal nude figures he created for Pygmalion and other parades, said Jack J. Rizzuto, co-captain of the Krewe of Pygmalion. Then he used a wire horse brush to meticulously abrade the foam until it was beyond smooth, until it seemed to pulse with life.

Morrison died suddenly in January, just as Carnival 2022 was getting started. He was 53. The exact cause of Randy's death hasn't been determined, though hed had a severe heart attack earlier in life, his brother Steve said.

So the 2022 Pygmalion parade is Morrisons home run, Rizzuto said. Twenty-three of the 26 floats in the parade include Morrison sculptures. In a way, it will be a rolling memorial.

Morrison's death left a fog of sadness in the Pygmalion den. Rizzuto said that he and the other float builders had to scramble a little to make it to the finish line on time, but not much. Morrison had already given them a great game plan, Rizzuto said.

The figures on the Pygmalion floats almost appear to move, Rizzuto said. This year, Morrison's silky, unclothed statue of Persephone  the Greek goddess cursed to reign over the wintery underworld  seems to writhe with pensiveness as she beholds a blood-red pomegranate seed that symbolizes spring. She will certainly raise the blood pressure of many a parade-goer as she drifts down St. Charles Avenue on Saturday. So will Morrisons carving of a wind-blown, totally nude Persephone, swept up in swirling autumn leaves and soaring crows. As will the enormous shirtless sculpture of Pygmalion himself, rapt in concentration as he aims his hammer toward his chisel.

Pygmalion was a mythological sculptor of immeasurable talent, who was so absorbed in his carving that he actually fell in love with one of his female sculptures. That Thomas Randolph Morrison became the principal artist behind the Pygmalion parade is an example of a marvelous cosmic coincidence. Ask anybody. If there was a Carnival artist with the skill and intensity to properly represent Pygmalion, it was Morrison.

Man in black

He always wore black, said Rizzuto, a law student who is also vice president of the family float-building company, Rizzuto and Co. And the artist mostly labored at night. He came in at 5, when I was getting off, Rizzuto said.

He was a perfectionist, Rizzuto said, who would sculpt, and re-sculpt, and re-sculpt until he was finally satisfied. He would laboriously position a sculpture on a float, then take it down and try it another way, sometimes four times, Rizzuto recalled. Morrison had a special way of gluing together the big foam blocks before he started carving, using a special glue that he mixed up in special popcorn cups  and only popcorn cups. That's how he was.

Sometimes Morrison would send Rizzuto a multi-page email in the wee hours of the morning, elucidating new design ideas. At about 6 a.m., Rizzuto said, laughing, Morrison would text to see if he had read it yet. Morrison was planning a float in which the royal pages would ride atop greyhound dogs, which would rise and fall like carousel horses as though they were racing along the parade route.

Of course, Morrison routinely blew his deadlines, Rizzuto said. What should take a week, might take a month. Morrison didnt care about the calendar. And he didnt care about money. Rizzuto said that once, he brought Morrison a contract to produce six duplicate jesters. Just simple, generic Carnival clowns. Nothing to it. A nice, easy payday. But Morrison wanted nothing to do with it. He wasnt interested in jesters, and he wasnt interested in duplicates, Rizzuto said.

It wasnt about money for Randy, Rizzuto said, it was about art.

It was all worth it

Jack J. Rizzuto is just 24. Hes the son of Jack P. Rizzuto, who is the captain of Pygmalion and founder of the Rizzuto and Co. float builders. Young Jack said he first met Morrison when he was, like, 12 years old. Morrison was already a renowned float builder, mostly known for his work with the Krewe of Hermes. Morrison had gotten out of the float-building business at the time, and Jack the elder was trying to lure him back.

He succeeded. Morrison eventually came to work for Pygmalion and stayed, on and off, for a decade. I dont think well ever see another artist who did what this man did, Jack the elder said admiringly. But Morrison was Morrison.

Id tell him, You cant take six months on a prop,' Rizzuto said. I just couldnt handle the stress.

But young Jack could, and so he became Morrisons liaison with the krewe. Sure, they argued, but young Jack understood that it was all worth it.

From the time of the classical Greeks to today, any artist will tell you that sketching, painting, or sculpting the nude human figure is the single hardest thing to master. The nude is a complex form that is intimately familiar to absolutely everyone, so mistakes are obvious and uncomfortable. That might be why Morrison made it his specialty: because he craved the challenge.

Plus, the nude figure harmonizes with the whole neoclassical vibe that underlies many Carnival parades. Jack the younger said that Morrison pushed for even more nudity in 2022, but the krewe had to draw the line. Notice that a cupid in the parade is wearing a golden loincloth.

Eyes of a dreamer

Morrison was from Pittsburgh originally and had a background in physics of all things, so he was a sort of scientist/artist  like a latter-day Leonardo da Vinci. Years ago, he used to have these cool inventions in his apartment, in the attic of the old St. Vincent's orphanage. They were meant to measure force fields, or something like that. He was tall and quiet and had a big beaming smile and the deep, deep eyes of a dreamer.

Morrison's final work will be on display this year as the Pygmalion parade rolls through the dusk Uptown. But next years parade will be a more explicit tribute, titled "Legacy of Thomas Randolph Randy Morrison.

The parade rolls with about 800 riders, following the standard 2020 Uptown route.
Mystic Krewe of Barkus

2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, French Quarter, kreweofbarkus.org

Englands Queen Elizabeth II is known for her fondness of corgis, but dogs of all breeds will pay tribute to the British monarchy at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, when the Mystic Krewe of Barkus weaves through the French Quarter with its theme of Barkingham Palace: Barkus is Going for the Crown.

Barkus members are reportedly binge watching stories about this theme while sipping tea, eating biscuits and practicing the pinkie paw extension, says Catherine Olivier, a spokesperson for the canine krewe.

The hounds also are brushing up on their manners despite the French Quarters reputation for condoning unruly behavior during this time of year. Some have even learned that digging in the dirt for no reason and regularly sniffing butts as a proper greeting is as unacceptable as a misplaced table setting, Olivier joked in a news release.

The parade begins in Armstrong Park and follows a 15-block route through the French Quarter with a stop in front of a VIP Reviewing Stand at Good Friends Bar on Dauphine and St. Ann streets, where loyal subjects can raise a toast and salute the regal canines.

This years king of kings is Jumpin Jack Flash, a retriever who divides his time between the French Quarter and Jackson, Mississippi. His human parents are Laura and Mart Lamar. Queen of the parade is Mabel, a Chihuaha mix who was rescued by Southern Animal Foundation's founder Ann Bell.

I take the responsibilities of my reign seriously, King Jack said through the krewes Instagram account, adding that he will rule with a kind paw and influential heart and hopes to bring attention to dogs that have not yet found their forever homes.

Barkus first rolled in 1993 after some Margaret Orr fans came up with the idea at Good Friends while bonding over their love of the WDSU meteorologist  and, of course, dogs. The krewe also raises funds for animal rescue organizations around the Gulf Coast.

The pre-parade pawty starts at 10:30 a.m. in Armstrong Park with food and drink for canines and humans.

To sign a tail-wagging friend up for a spot in the parade or to find out more, visit kreweofbarkus.org.
Five people are displaced after a fire at a vacant Broadmoor home spread to a nearby duplex, New Orleans fire officials said Wednesday morning.

No injuries were reported.

The Broadmoor fire was one of two that New Orleans firefighters battled early Wednesday.

The fire was reported at 3:36 a.m. at a vacant building at 3210 Toledano Street (map), according to a written statement from the New Orleans Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived six minutes later, the vacant home was heavily involved in flames and the fire had spread to the neighboring duplex at 3212-3214 Toledano and a nearby home at 3206 Toledano.

Firefighters requested additional help at the scene, bringing it to a two-alarm fire. In total, 16 NOFD units carrying 45 personnel responded. They got the fire under control at 4:13 a.m.

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The duplex had significant fire damage, officials said, and the home at 3206 Toledano had minor exterior damage from radiant heat.

No one lived in the home where the fire started but neighbors told officials they often saw people coming and going.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The American Red Cross has been requested to assist the displaced residents, officials said.

Meanwhile, a "stubborn" blaze raged through a storage facility in Algiers Wednesday morning, officials said. That fire was reported at 4:48 a.m. at the Life Storage business in the 3200 block of General De Gaulle Drive (map) in Algiers, according to a news release from the New Orleans Fire Department. Fire crews upgraded the fire to three alarms, which means they requested backup twice while at the scene.

The fire was under control as of 8:29 a.m., officials said. At least 10 units were damaged, according to our news partners at WWL-TV. No injuries have been reported.

In total, 21 NOFD units and 54 personnel responded. There was no immediate word about the cause of the fire.
The Louisiana Department of Health is easing school quarantine guidelines in an effort to keep more students and educators in the classroom, state officials said at a Tuesday press briefing.

Previously, schools may have required students to quarantine for five days after they were exposed to someone with the virus unless they were vaccinated, which is in line with CDC guidance. Following those quarantine and isolation guidelines allowed schools to bypass a mask mandate for K-12 schools, but also meant a lot of asymptomatic students and staff missed a week of class.

Now, there are six different options  three each for daycares and K-12 schools  for how close contacts should quarantine following a classmate or teachers positive test. The new options require more testing but would allow for students to stay in class. Schools can also choose to continue to follow federal guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While CDC recommendations are going to provide the highest level of protection against transmission in these settings, what we have found is that full adherence to these guidelines really has posed significant operational challenges to schools and daycares, particularly during the omicron surge, said state epidemiologist Teresa Sokol.

K-12 rules for quarantine

The current CDC guidelines call for five days of quarantine for close contacts of a person who tested positive, and mask-wearing for ten days after contact, with testing if possible on day 5. Vaccinated students and staff, or those infected in the last 90 days, are exempt from quarantine but must wear a mask for 10 days.

Now, K-12 schools have two other options to guide their quarantine policies for those who are exposed but not experiencing symptoms.

In one scenario, unvaccinated students can return to school without any quarantine, known as a test to stay option. Those students must test twice during the first five days and mask for 10 days.

A third option allows for zero quarantines or contact tracing after a student or staff member tests positive but requires universal masking.

Preschool and daycare quarantine options

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The state came up with a different set of options for young children because they are not able to mask well and are not eligible for vaccination, said Sokol.

The first is to continue following CDC guidance for this young group, which recommends all close contacts quarantine at home for 10 days  the safest option, said Sokol.

The second option is letting close contacts return to the daycare center after five days of quarantine as long as they have no symptoms, but they must test twice over the next five days.

The third option is one Sokol described as acceptable but not ideal. In this scenario, young kids do not have to quarantine at all, but must test twice in the first five days and twice in the second five days, for a total of four tests over 10 days.

The guidelines have not changed for anyone with symptoms or those who test positive.

Its unclear how changes to the states emergency order, which will be renewed Wednesday, may affect the school guidelines. If Gov. John Bel Edwards removes the mask mandate for schools as he has indicated he will, the decision for quarantine and masking precautions will largely fall to the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or individual school districts.

In the past, BESE has left COVID decisions up to local school officials, who have varied in approach to masking practices.

In September of last year, the Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said quarantines were optional for students and staff who are close contacts of someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

The new guidelines are meant to help schools develop policies to keep kids in school, said Dr. Joe Kanter, state health officer, especially as the threat to kids declines alongside case numbers. Louisianas percentage of positive tests is currently around 9.1% this week compared to 29% in early January. Weekly cases have dropped from 52,549 one month ago to 7,436 over the last seven days.

Our job here is to look at what our situation is, said Kanter. I think its reasonable to give schools options.
Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) held discussions with Malca-Amit, Israels leading valuable goods shipping and logistics company, on the design and operation of a warehouse at Bahrain International Airports (BIA) Express Air Cargo Village.



These discussions took place on the sidelines of the Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts visit to Bahrain, reported Bahrain News Agency (BNA).



The discussions are in line with strategic plans to develop the airports cargo area in support of a comprehensive strategy to transform Bahrains logistics and air freight sectors into one of Bahrains key industries.



BIAs 25,000-sq-m Express Air Cargo Village is a sophisticated logistics platform that provides a one-stop-shop for express cargo operators, each of which will have their own premises within the facility.



This will enable BIA to handle larger volumes of cargo more efficiently, better catering to express cargo customers needs and creating new job opportunities.



Malca-Amit provides the valuable goods industry, high-net-worth individuals, and international banks with a global team of experts, including logistics, security, customs, and special operations professionals, and helps maximise the global capabilities of companies through the safe and express delivery of valuable goods to end-to-end logistics.
Mardi Gras 2022 will stay masked and vaxxed in New Orleans, following a decision from the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Justices last week declined to hear an emergency request from the more than 100 plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed two weeks ago, which was aimed at striking down Mayor LaToya Cantrells COVID restrictions in time for Carnivals high days. The sole justice to dissent was Will Crain.

Instead, a litany of rules on gatherings in public places will remain in force throughout Carnival season.

For now, people attending most indoor events are required to wear masks.

They must also show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test if they hope to drink at a bar, dine at a restaurant or party at a nightclub, among other places.

The current rules around masking have been in place since Jan. 11, when city officials, in an attempt to slow the sharp rising in case counts due to the omicron variant, reinstated the citywide indoor mask mandate that had lapsed.

Proof of vaccination or negative test results have been required for many businesses since August. The vaccine mandate was extended to children as young as five years old in January. All students in New Orleans public schools are supposed to have received a vaccine or requested an exemption as of Feb. 1, under a separate Orleans Parish School Board rule.

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New for Carnival, the mayor imposed a rule requiring members of parading krewes to show proof of vaccination or a negative test as well.

The rules are necessary because COVID-19 has killed more than 1,000 people from New Orleans, the mayor has said. The plaintiffs, who are represented by Alexandria-based attorney Jimmy Faircloth Jr. and the local firm Rodrigue & Arcuri, say the mayor's "authoritarian" actions infringe on their rights.

On Feb. 2, Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Rachael Johnson also denied the plaintiffs in their attempt to secure a temporary block on the mayors rules. She has set a March 3 hearing on their request for a permanent injunction.

But by then, its unclear how many of the rules will remain in effect. After Mardi Gras, Cantrell could let some of them expire if COVID case counts continue to decline. If she allows some restrictions to expire, that could moot claims in the lawsuit.

The Mayors Office declined to comment on the lawsuit, which remains pending. But a City Hall spokesperson emphasized that the current rules remain in force.

The vaccination and masking requirements will remain in place through Mardi Gras, said Beau Tidwell, director of communications.
This week the Orleans Parish coroner identified four victims killed in separate violent crimes in New Orleans.

Pamela Parish, 66, was identified as a victim in a double shooting that happened at around 9:43 p.m. Saturday in the 10000 block of Chef Menteur Highway. She was sitting in her vehicle when shots rang out, New Orleans police said. Parish and another man in a different vehicle were shot, and Emergency Medical Services took them to the hospital. Parish died from her wounds on Sunday.

Terrell Russell, 22, was identified as the man killed in a shootout with police Thursday morning in the 3300 block of South Robertson Street. A murder suspect, Russell fired at members of NOPD's Violent Offender Warrant Squad who served him a high-risk warrant. They returned fire and fatally wounded him.

Wilton Marks, 21, was the man fatally shot in a car Wednesday afternoon in the Desire area. Police responded to the call of aggravated battery by shooting at 3:45 p.m. at Old Gentilly and France roads. Marks was in the driver's seat, shot in the chest, and was declared dead at the scene, police said. A teenage boy in the car was shot in a leg, and Emergency Medical Services took him to the hospital. His current condition is unknown.

The coroner identified Henry Granville, 65, as the man stabbed during a Jan. 29 argument on St. Charles Avenue. New Orleans police said he argued with a woman named Milan Collins, 57, on Saturday at 11:10 p.m. in the 1000 block of St. Charles, near what was formerly known as Lee Circle. Collins allegedly stabbed Henry in the back. Henry was taken to a hospital. He died Feb. 1.
Wind-whipped flames are marching across more of New Mexicos tinder-dry mountainsides, forcing the evacuation of area residents and dozens of patients from the state's psychiatric hospital as firefighters scramble to keep new wildfires from growing. The big blaze burning near the community of Las Vegas has charred more than 217 square miles. Residents in neighborhoods on the edge of Las Vegas were told to be ready to leave their homes. It's the biggest wildfire in the U.S. and is moving quickly through groves of ponderosa pine because of hot, dry and windy conditions that make for extreme wildfire danger. Forecasters are warning of extreme fire danger across New Mexico and in western Texas.
Lewisburg, Pa.  The Lewisburg area may see two new restaurants by next year. Plans for an Arbys Roast Beef and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen will come to the Kelly Township supervisors for approval at the March 1 meeting.

The fast-food restaurants are proposing to go into the area of International Drive and AJK Boulevard in Kelly Township, not far from Sheetz. The plans originally came up for vote at the February township supervisors meeting, but a few missing items needed addressed before plans could move forward.

Township supervisor Dave Hassenplug said a couple of legal documents hadnt been approved by the developer. As long as the developers complete the paperwork, the plans will be voted on at the March meeting, according to Hassenplug.

The plans for the restaurants had already been approved by the Kelly Township Planning Commission and had gone through the Union County Planning Commission.

Hassenplug said the restaurants are side-by-side on the same lot. He did not know the anticipated opening dates for the restaurants.

A spokesperson for Popeyes said they are on track to open by April 2023. A request for comment from Arbys media team was not immediately returned.

The Kelly Township supervisor meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at 551 Zeigler Road.

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Williamsport, Pa.  The James V. Brown Library was recently awarded three grants from the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania.

The first grant was $8,381.00 from the Edward D. Neff Fund; the second was $8,086.00 from the Paul M. Neff Fund; and the third grant was $91.00 from the Poet Owl Fund.

The funding can be directed however the library sees fit, according to Dana Brigandi, Development, Marketing and Programming Director. Funding is often used for "operating expenses such as books and digital materials," said Brigandi.

The Poet Owl grant is specifically for nature or natural history-oriented materials, for children and young adults.

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American Heart Association News -- Could kindness be a magic elixir that makes us happier  and healthier?

Research suggests acts of kindness like donating money, volunteering, and mentoring can boost the giver's emotional health, but science also is studying how altruism improves physical health.

Acts of kindness can take many forms, especially amid Random Acts of Kindness Week from Feb. 13-19. It can be as simple as holding a door for someone, to a commitment like donating blood or starting a fundraiser. (The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has many ideas to get you going.)

The main takeaway is they promote social connection, said Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside. That's especially important during the pandemic as people have become more isolated.

"They can strengthen relationships, help you make new friends, give you a more positive, optimistic outlook and enable you to feel good about yourself," said Lyubomirsky.

Even just recalling acts of kindness could promote well-being. Lyubomirsky led a 2019 study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology showing that when participants recalled hugging a grandparent or buying lunch for a co-worker, for instance, their well-being improved as much as when they performed the act.

Some research studies link kindness with the release of neurotransmitters and hormones that contribute to mood and well-being. Waguih William IsHak, professor and clinical chief of psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, said the hormone oxytocin in particular benefits overall wellness because of its anti-inflammatory, pro-immunity and anti-stress effects.

"Kindness, whether it is experienced through performing random acts of kindness, loving kindness meditation or other means, has a profound impact on one's well-being," said IsHak.

Researchers also are studying how altruism improves physical health in measurable ways, such as lowering blood pressure or strengthening the immune system. One study showed spending money on others improved the cardiovascular health of at-risk older adults diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Another study looked at gene expression, the process that enables a cell to respond to its changing environment, and examined changes linked to long-term physical health outcomes. That research concluded that incorporating "small acts of kindness" into a daily routine could positively alter gene regulation.

"Few studies have shown causal mechanisms between prosocial behavior and improvements in biological processes," said Lyubomirsky, one the authors of the 2017 study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology. "Our findings point to possible changes in the immune markers that influence disease development or resistance."

Do all acts of kindness benefit givers equally?

Lara Aknin, director of the Helping and Happiness Lab at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, said emotional rewards are stronger when people give in ways that are socially connected.

Aknin led a review of research examining when and how generous actions are most likely to boost happiness, and when they are not. The analysis, published in 2020 in Social Issues and Policy Review, weighed the happiness impact of altruism using three motivation factors  autonomy, competence and relatedness  and concluded that the most rewarding experiences are those you voluntarily choose to perform (as opposed to be being compelled to), those in which you see your efforts make a positive impact, and those that connect you with other people.

"People tend to get more out of prosocial behavior when they give in a face-to-face manner and can see how their gift helped someone in need," said Aknin, who also is associate professor of psychology.

Her review also suggests how organizations and public policy can make prosocial actions more emotionally rewarding, suggesting that even paying taxes could be more satisfying if payers were given more positive feedback about the people and initiatives their tax dollars impact.

Researchers also want to measure the durability of the happiness we get from acts of kindness, Aknin said. We feel good right after acting generously and when we recall it, but how long does that last?

"We need large studies to test that," she said. "While we don't know the longevity of a single act, we do know there is a positive feedback loop between generosity and kindness. Giving makes people happier, and happier people are more likely to give."

American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.

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Williamsport, Pa.  A federal court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed last summer by a Union County family who alleged their child was a victim of extreme bullying at Lewisburg Area School District.

The lawsuit, which was filed at the federal courthouse in Williamsport in June, was dismissed on Feb. 10 by Judge Matthew W. Brann.

The lawsuit contends that the district violated Title IX Education Amendments of 1972 which prohibits the discrimination of a student based on sex. The student, who was 14 at the time, had endured months of sexually degrading bullying and harassment, according to the lawsuit.

Related Reading: Parents file lawsuit against Lewisburg Area School District for alleged bullying

In turn, Lewisburg Area School District asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the bullying and harassment the student "allegedly endured -- though sexually tinged -- is not cognizable as 'sexual harassment' under Title IX," Brann wrote in the opinion. In Brann's written opinion, he states the plaintiffs did not provide enough evidence to prove that the district violated Title IX.

The plaintiffs, the student's mother, and stepfather, claim in the lawsuit that the district's failure to stop the bullying resulted in the student not being able to attend school in person.

The student, who attended middle school in Lewisburg, was repeatedly called a rapist and pedophile based on a rumor that had circulated, according to court documents.

The bullying, which began in November 2020, eventually caused the student to suffer psychological effects, including depression, and physical illness, according to the complaint.

The bullying intensified in March 2021 after the student was falsely accused of rape when an anonymous report was made through Pennsylvanias ChildLine referral system, according to the lawsuit. Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department investigated and later determined the allegation was fabricated.

By May, the student left the school and finished the academic year via the districts home school program.

The complaint outlines several months of correspondence that started on March 17 between the parents and then-principal Jeremiah Bennett and principal George Drozin. Although school officials said they spoke with the students and parents of those students involved in the alleged harassment, the bullying did not stop, according to the complaint.

Several students allegedly harassed the boy at school by calling him names, side-eyeing him, whispering behind his back and purposely avoiding him, according to the complaint.

Police were eventually contacted to get involved. The lawsuit maintains that school officials failed the boy and did not do anything to punish the students who allegedly harassed him.

At one point, a student physically assaulted the boy by grabbing him by his shoulder, which he had recently broken in a dirt bike accident, the lawsuit alleges.

The complaint "does not allege that their child was harassed because of his sex. It alleges that he was harassed because he was falsely accused of committing sexually heinous acts," Brann wrote in the opinion.

The plaintiffs have until March 3 to file an amended complaint, according to an order filed by Brann.

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Scranton, Pa.  An inmate at Federal Correction Institute - Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill) was sentenced to additional prison time for possession of a prohibited object, according to The United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Mario Madrigal, age 29, currently incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill, Minersville, Pa., was sentenced by United States Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. to ten days imprisonment for possessing a black Samsung cellphone.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Madrigal knowingly possessed a Samsung cellphone on or about September 4, 2021, within the FCI-Schuylkill facility. Federal law prohibits inmates from possessing cellphones due to the institutional security risks posed by their use.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Saporito also ordered that his sentence be served after completion of the 24-month sentence Madrigal is currently serving for violations of the Controlled Substances Act.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.

Feb. 17, 2022 correction: The headline and article were corrected to reflect Federal Correction Institute

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The Center Square  Celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz is leading the Republican primary contest for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania by double digits, according to a new poll.

The survey of 1,070 likely Republican primary voters during the first four days of February shows 27.4% favor Oz if the election was held tomorrow.

The Pennsylvania primary is scheduled for May 17.

The poll, which was released Monday, was conducted by The Trafalgar Group, a political and corporate market research firm that bills itself as the consistently most accurate pollster of 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021 election cycles. The polls margin of error is 2.99%.

Businessman David McCormick received the second-highest percentage of support at 15.9%, followed by Carla Sands, former President Donald Trumps ambassador to Denmark, at 14.8%; Kathy Barnette, a veteran and political commentator, at 8.9%; and real estate developer Jeff Bartos with 6.6%. Attorneys Sean Gale and George Bochetto and businessman Everett Stern garnered less than 2% support.

More than 21% of respondents told Trafalgar they are undecided or would not vote.

Robert Cahaly, chief pollster with Trafalgar, told The Center Square he believes Fox News, and in particular host Sean Hannity, is influencing the numbers in a big way.

What we found interesting is in analyzing those who approve of Trump, Oz has the largest percentage (of support) of the top three contenders, Cahaly said. That is probably due to the fact that he has been promoted so much on Fox News and Hannity.

Theres nothing about Oz that makes him more of a Trump candidate, Cahaly said. Its just Trump voters trust Hannity, and trust Oz as an extension of that.

Cahaly said about 65% of Pennsylvania Republican voters have said they would vote for Trump if he ran for reelection in 2024, and the former presidents support for a specific candidate could sway the race. Trump previously endorsed Army Ranger Sean Parnell, who since has left the race. Parnell has endorsed McCormick, who entered the race in January.

Cahaly also noted Ozs high name recognition as another factor.

Theres only 3% of the population who doesnt know who he is, so anyone else in the race has got to get more known, Cahaly said. But when theres no one else to introduce yourself to, that can also be a concern.

A demographic breakdown of survey respondents showed 82.1% were over the age of 45, 87.6% were white and just over half were men.

The poll was taken around the same time the Pennsylvania Republican Party announced it will not endorse a candidate in the primary fields for governor, U.S. Senate and lieutenant governor. Committee members told The Associated Press the party held a voice vote against endorsement, confirming months of speculation.

The Trafalgar poll included only half of the 16 Republican candidates vying to replace U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., who is not seeking reelection.

Campaign finance reports through the end of 2021 show several Republicans contributing millions to their own campaigns, including personal loans of $5.2 million for Oz, $3.6 million for Sands and $1.2 million for Bartos. Bartos reported the most cash on hand at $2.4 million, though some candidates are not yet required to file reports.

In the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, a dozen hopefuls are vying for the ticket, with leading candidates including Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania Democratic Party last month failed to endorse a candidate in the U.S. Senate primary, though Lamb received about 60% of votes from the partys 350 committee members.

Fetterman leads Democrats in fundraising with $11.9 million through the end of 2021, compared with about $4 million for Lamb and $1.5 million for Kenyatta.

Pollsters have yet to gauge support among Democratic candidates, but a December poll from Data for Progress, considered partisan by FiveThirtyEight, showed Fetterman topping Oz, 44% to 42%.

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(The Center Square)  A new Republican primary poll for Pennsylvania governor shows former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta leading the field, though the percentage of undecided voters remains high.

A survey of 1,070 likely 2022 Republican primary voters conducted during the first four days of February shows 24.1% back Barletta if the 2022 Republican primary for governor were held tomorrow.

Pennsylvania's primary elections are scheduled for May 17.

The poll was conducted by the Trafalgar Group, a political and corporate market research firm that bills itself as the consistently most accurate pollster of 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021 election cycles. The margin of error on the poll was 2.99%

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, received the second-highest percentage of support with 19.9%, followed by Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Bellefonte, with 5.1%, former U.S. District Attorney William McSwain at 4.4%, and state Sen. Scott Martin, R-Strasburg, with 4%.

Those figures, however, are dwarfed by 29% of likely voters who told Trafalgar they still are undecided or would not vote. Another 13.6% of respondents would prefer another candidate.

It really seems to be trending toward Barletta, but with this many undecided, either of the top two could have a shot at it, Trafalgar chief pollster Robert Cahaly told The Center Square. We also dont know if (former President Donald) Trump is going to endorse in this race.

Cahaly said about 60% of Republican voters would consider Trumps endorsement important.

I think if Trump wanted to weigh in, he could sway it in either direction, Cahaly said, adding that campaign spending could be another key factor in the race. Its by no means over, but theres some clear trends developing.

A demographic breakdown of survey respondents shows 82% were over age 45, 87.6% were white and just over half were men.

The poll was conducted around the same time the Pennsylvania Republican Party announced it will not endorse a candidate in the primary fields for governor, U.S. Senate and lieutenant governor. Committee members told The Associated Press the party held a voice vote against endorsement, confirming months of speculation.

The Trafalgar poll included only five of 13 declared candidates for the GOP gubernatorial primary, though Martin since has left the race.

Martin, who has represented Pennsylvanias 13th Senate District since 2016, cited a leg injury he sustained in January for bowing out.

The injuries to my leg were beyond a simple broken bone and included a severing of numerous ligaments and tendons in my ankle that are going to require greater and longer rehabilitation than I originally hoped would be necessary, Martin said.

Continuing to campaign in the coming months would put my future ability to walk without impediment in danger, which is something I cannot do to my own family, he said. I would also mean that I would be unable to campaign in the manner I feel the people of Pennsylvania and the countess supporters who have come out to our effort deserve.

In the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro will face off against Tega Swann. Swann, of Aliquippa, is an activist of socioeconomic justice and a doctoral student at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

The Pennsylvania Democratic Party endorsed Shapiro and his running mate, state Rep. Austin Davis, D-McKeesport, in late January. Gov. Tom Wolf endorsed Shapiro to replace him in May 2021.

Campaign finance reports through the end of 2021 showed Shapiro went into the election year with $13.4 million, with $8.4 million coming from labor unions and donors who contributed $50,000 or more.

Delaware County businessman Dave White led in fundraising on the Republican side with $3.5 million in the bank, followed by Corman with about $2 million. McSwain, meanwhile, has touted the support of the Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, which he said plans to spend up to $20 million on his campaign, NBC Philadelphia reported.

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Leading industry players from Saudi Arabia will be taking part in the Gulf Construction Expo 2022 in Bahrain, which is being held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, next month.

Taking place at Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, the Gulf Construction Expo will be held from March 22 to 24 along with Northern Gulf's two other leading annual exhibitions - The Gulf Property Show and Interiors Expo, said the event organisers Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE).

Among the most prominent Saudi companies participating in the event Expo include Arabian Vermiculite Industries (AVI), Construction Material Chemical Industries (CMCI), KBE International, Panels Technology Factory (Techno Panel) and Saudi Perlite.

These companies will be offering a diverse product range of building and construction materials at the three-day event.

Leading companies in the construction sector of Saudi Arabia will be looking to take advantage of the business opportunities that Bahrain offers them as well as the strategic branding platform that taking part at the Gulf Construction Expo provides them.

"The presence of companies from Saudi Arabia is a positive testimony to the value that Gulf Construction Expo provides for building materials and construction companies from around the GCC," remarked Jubran Abdulrahman, the Managing Director of HCE.

"Saudi companies have taken a dynamic approach to build on their existing business strategy and to promote themselves outside the kingdom," he stated.

The expo along with Gulf Property Show and Interiors Expo will help ensure the continued success of the integrated b2b showcases for the construction, interiors and property sectors in the Northern Gulf.

Gulf Construction Expo also carries the Steel product sponsorship of Universal Rolling (Unirol).-TradeArabia News Service
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Rome City Schools Superintendent Lou Byars to retire at the end of school year

Louis C. Byars

Rome City Schools Superintendent Louis C. Byars announced Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the school year after serving five years in that role.

His last day is set for May 31 and that means the Rome Board of Education will need to begin the hiring process for that position. Several school board members, when reached Tuesday, said they were surprised by the announcement but spoke highly of Byars and his tenure leading the school system.

A Rome native, Byars was first hired in at the school system in 2008. He left in 2011 to work for the state department of education and returned in 2015.

In 2017, when then superintendent Mike Buck announced his retirement near the first of the school year, Byars  who was chief of operations for the school system  was named interim superintendent.

In that hiring process, the school board received 46 applications for the position. Of those applicants, most were from Georgia or surrounding states.

The timeline to get a new superintendent hired before the next school year is a short one. In years past, the school board has enlisted the assistance from the Georgia School Board Association in that process.

Because of legal requirements, there is a potential the school board will need to appoint a person to the role of interim superintendent as the process plays out.

The school board will likely announce a called meeting to discuss the topic, or it will be the first and foremost agenda item at their next regular meeting on March 8 at the College and Career Academy.

Byars shared the following letter for publication:

After much prayer and discussion with my wife and family, I had made the decision that it is time to retire from Rome City Schools at the end of the day May 31, 2022.

The decision was difficult because I love Rome City Schools. From attending Fourth Ward Elementary, West Rome Junior High School, and West Rome High School to eventually being able to serve as Superintendent for the last five plus years, I have cherished my time here with Rome City Schools. I have crossed paths with numerous people along the way. From my classmates and teachers at Fourth Ward to the students and teachers today, I love them all. I am so proud of the growth that Rome City Schools has experienced over these last five plus years. I am proud of not just the growth in the number of students but also in all aspects of the education we are providing.

I have been able to see Main Elementary transform from a school of five different buildings to a beautiful new school where students are safe and can be proud to attend. I have seen us put into practice the mission statement of All students graduating from Rome High School prepared for college or work. We did this by increasing our Advanced Placement offerings from 16 to 27, expanding our Dual Enrollment program by over 15 times, and building a new College and Career Academy that is second-to-none. We have grown our Career and Technical Courses/Pathways from one at Rome Middle School and nine at Rome High School to six at RMS and thirty at RHS.

We have reduced class sizes and improved employee benefits (increasing salaries, providing housing and offering tuition assistance) while achieving the largest fund balance ever in the district. We have increased the graduation rate to 93% while closing the gaps within all our subgroups. I am also extremely proud to see the diversity of our staff and leaders increase dramatically over the last five years with an increase in minority employees by over 76% and by 325% amongst the leadership team.

Over the past five years, we have had many challenges from having to take over the transportation in less than six months to dealing with COVID for the past two years. I am proud to say that our students, staff, leadership, board members, and our community have helped us step up to these and every other challenge. This became evident in the accreditation visit by Cognia last year when they recognized these great accomplishments. We received a score of 381.61, which was the highest in the State of Georgia and one of the top scores worldwide earning Rome City Schools the honor of being awarded Accreditation with Distinction.

I am extremely honored to have been a part of this great journey over the past five plus years. I could not have done it without the support of my wife and family as well as the many people that have come to work each day to serve the students of Rome City Schools.

However, I realize that it is time for someone else to take the helm of the district and take it even further. The Board of Education is committed to building upon the success we have achieved. I am certain the Board of Education will soon begin to work on the selection process to determine the next Superintendent of Rome City Schools.

I have been truly blessed to serve the students, parents, staff, school board, and the community as Superintendent for the past five plus years and look forward to the completion of this school year. Rome City Schools will always be in my prayers and I am truly honored to have been able to serve as its Superintendent.
Napoleon, OH (43545)

Today

Light rain this morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 66F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

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Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 48F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Aramco Trading Company (ATC) has signed a deal with Egypts Red Sea National Petrochemicals Company for a long-term crude oil supply for its planned refinery complex with a provision for offtake of refined and petrochemical products.

Under the agreement, ATC will supply 100,000 barrels per day of Arabian Crude into its Refining and Petrochemical complex, which is expected to be built at the Suez Canal Economic Zone in Ain Sokhna.

Mohammed Y Al Qahtani, ATC Chairman, said: This is in line with Saudi Aramcos strategy to maximise liquid-to-chemical conversion. We are committed to supporting the continued development of oil and gas resources in Egypt, a country which is capable of delivering technologically advanced projects of significant scale to meet the growing energy demands of the nation and the region."

The agreement will pave the way for ATC to buy products from Red Sea, which include polymers, olefins, and liquid refined and petrochemical products.

The Red Sea National Petrochemicals Company was established to meet the needs of the local market for refined and petrochemical products in addition to creating export opportunities for these products.

The planned petrochemical refinery is expected to have a liquid-to-chemical conversion rate of around 60-70%, which is the main pillar in Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resource national transformation programme.-- TradeArabia News Service
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Warren County supervisors will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday for this redistricting proposal.
Dragon Oil, an upstream exploration and production platform fully owned by the Government of Dubai, has unveiled its first oil discovery in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt.

The field could contain around 100 million barrels in reserves, representing one of the largest discoveries in the Gulf of Suez in the past 20 years, the company said.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the 5th edition of the Egypt Petroleum Show (Egyps 2022) held under the patronage of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi from February 14-16 at the Egypt International Exhibition Center with the support of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources-Egypt.

The new petroleum field is the first discovery by Dragon Oil in Egypt, where it has become a key player in the sector, following its full acquisition of BPs Gulf of Suez assets.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of Dragon Oil, said: We are glad to announce our first oil discoveries in Egypt, and we aspire to more success during the coming period. We will continue to work for more discoveries sustainably in the promising Egyptian market to create long-term value for the benefit of all.

He continued: The new discovery comes within the framework of the firm cooperation and the strong brotherly ties between the UAE and Egypt under the prudent guidance of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The discovery represents a new joint economic dimension to the Emirate of Dubai and Egypt with the global importance of the oil industry and its role in the fostering, strengthening and supporting other pivotal economic and development sectors, he added.

Ali Rashid Al Jarwan, CEO of Dragon Oil, said: The company is working to continue its growth and expansion in the Egyptian market in 2022 through intensifying the exploration, development of fields and reparation of wells to increase the production from the oil fields in Gulf of Suez. The company aims to reach production rates of 65,000-70,000 barrels per day, compared to an average of 60,000 per day in 2021, as its financial solvency allows for further expansion and exploration in several regions.

Dragon Oil is currently discussing with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation further plans to develop the Al Wasl field, which requires more new investments in production facilities, infrastructure and drilling, Al Jarawan added.

The field would be added to the portfolio of the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company (GUPCO), with expectations that its production would increase by 20% when the development plans are implemented, he said.

This success promises more discoveries in the Gulf of Suez as part of Dragon Oils strategic plans to increase production in the near future in MENA, he said.  TradeArabia News Service
CROWN POINT  There was nothing surprising about seeing a rhinoceros, a T-Rex, Spider-Man and others Saturday at NWI Comic-Con.

The annual show, held at the Lake County Fairgrounds, brought together hundreds of people to shop for memorabilia and, in many cases, show off their costumes.

Theres all kinds of stuff, dealer Randy Hogan, of Monee, Illinois, said. "Funko Pops, Disney and Marvel items were popular this year. Some dealers sold jewelry, comics, artwork and all kinds of other items."

I do comics and miniature figures like Legos," Hogan said.

David Carvelli, of Sugar Grove, Illinois, served as one of the judges for the team cosplay competition. Creativity, craftsmanship and overall presence count when hes judging costumes. He wants to make sure the play is evident when people cosplay.

Carvellis Laird C. Dracmor costume was elaborate and expensive. The fabric for his costume, which he finished putting together Friday night, cost $79 on sale. His foam head took 70 hours to create.

I used to do the Renaissance fair for 15 years," the retired postmaster said, and has been doing cosplay for NWI Comic-Con and other events for about eight years.

Carvelli wore a foam head. You heat it, you bend it, you cut it, he said.

Natalia Rosado, of East Chicago, brought her son Julian Rosado, 8, to his first convention. Ive been going to conventions for eight years now, she said. Growing up, she enjoyed comics. Its rewarding, and hes enjoying it.

Aidan Patrick, of Lynwood, created a Green Goblin costume. Im a huge nerd. I just love all of this, he said. I love the creativity. I love seeing how people are dressed.

His Green Goblin costume drew inspiration of a variety of sources. Theres just elements from a little bit of everywhere, he said.

Patrick helped sell a few things at a vendors booth, but he had fun, too. Ive walked around. Ive taken a lot of pictures, he said. I love the creativity. I love seeing how people are dressed.

Theresa Willis, of Valparaiso, attended with her family. We like Dungeons and Dragons, she said. NWI Comic-Con provided a fun outlet for the costumed family. Its a good excuse to dress up, honestly, she said. They planned to shop, too. Youve got to support your local artists.

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GARY  Prior to a fatal crash, police said the teen driver hit his mother with a brick and stole her vehicle, police said.

A 40-year-old Gary man has been identified as the driver killed early Tuesday when his vehicle was struck by another in the area 39th Avenue and Georgia Street, according to the Lake County coroner's office.

Investigations by police from the Lake County Sheriff's Department and the Gary Police Department revealed that a 15-year-old boy allegedly assaulted his mother and stole her SUV before the collision.

Derrick Jones suffered blunt force trauma in the fatal crash, which was labeled as an accident, according to the coroner. Jones died at the scene of the wreck.

It appears the 15-year-old boy was driving northbound on Georgia at 7:34 a.m. when he struck a westbound vehicle on 39th, Gary police Cmdr. Jack Hamady had said.

The driver of that westbound vehicle, later identified as Jones, died, Hamady said. The juvenile driver was taken to Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago, he said.

Both drivers were the only ones in their vehicles, according to Hamady.

The Lake County Sheriff's Reconstruction Unit responded to the scene of the wreck in Gary.

Preliminary investigations showed that the Chevy SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed when it collided with the westbound Hyundai Elantra near the intersection, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said.

The SUV drove off the road then hit a stop sign and rolled over, and the Hyundai Elantra came to a rest more than 200 feet north of the intersection, police said.

Martinez said that prior to the crash, it is believed the boy hit his mother in the head with a brick during a domestic disturbance. Police said the teen then drove off with her SUV.

The identity of the teen has not been released.

Gary Police Department continues the investigation of the incident and circumstances, with Lake County Sheriff's Crash Reconstruction Unit investigating the crash.

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Bob Kasarda Porter/LaPorte County Courts and Social Justice Reporter Bob is a 23-year veteran of The Times. He covers county government and courts in Porter County, federal courts, police news and regional issues. He also created the Vegan in the Region blog, is an Indiana University grad and lifelong region resident. Follow Bob Kasarda 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
CHICAGO  A suspect was taken into custody early Wednesday in Calumet City in the wake of an armed robbery the day before of a conductor on a Metra train in downtown Chicago, the commuter line said.

The man, who has not yet been identified, was a passenger and announced the robbery as the train arrived at the Van Buren station shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday, Metra Spokesman Michael Gillis said.

The suspect pulled out a black semi-automatic handgun and stole an undetermined amount of cash from a train conductor before fleeing the station on foot, Gillis said. No one was injured.

"During the investigation, Metra Police determined that the offender originally boarded the train at the 147th Street Station in Harvey," Metra said in a press release.

With the public's assistance, Metra police said they took the suspect into custody at an undisclosed location in Calumet City. Charges are pending.

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GARY  Detective Sgt. William "Bill" Fazekas has seen a lot of evil during his career, but he'll never let that stop him from fighting for the good of Gary.

The 32-year Gary Police Department veteran lost about half of the blood in his body after he was ambushed during a traffic stop Feb. 7 and found himself in a fight for his life.

He said Tuesday he owed his life to Officer Donald Briggs, who used a belt as a tourniquet to stop Fazekas' bleeding; Officer Daniel Gutierrez, who redirected the attention of the man shooting at Fazekas by engaging him; and Officers Larry Walker and Luis Collazo, who drove Fazekas to the hospital.

Fazekas, who made plans in January to retire in three years, underwent surgery Feb. 8 and was released two days later from the University of Chicago Medical Center.

The longtime detective wore his left arm in a sling during an interview Tuesday in his office.

Doctors told him he won't be able to return to work for four to six months, but he'll be back as soon as possible, he said.

He'll continue with the detective work he's done for 27 years and take overtime shifts in patrol, he said.

"That's how I'm going to end my career. Like nothing happened," he said. "This is about  I don't know if I want to use the term, because it sounds so righteous  but, good versus evil. And good prevails."

Fazekas said he was grateful for the support of the community and the medical treatment he received at Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus and University of Chicago Medical Center.

'It was fight time'

The day Fazekas was shot started out slow, so he went out about midday to run an errand, he said.

On his way back to the station, he noticed a male driver on Fourth Avenue go from the far left lane to the far right lane and nearly hit a woman walking.

"Thank God she was looking back," he said. "She literally had to dive like Superman out of his way."

Fazekas stopped the driver in the 400 block of Johnson Street.

Lake County prosecutors last week charged Kameron T. Cooks, 22, of Gary's Aetna section, with attempted murder and several other counts in connection with Fazekas' shooting. A Lake Criminal Court magistrate entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Friday.

Fazekas said the first shot went by his head, and he thought, "Oh, damn," and ducked down in his car. Under fire and trapped in the vehicle, Fazekas' fight or flight response kicked in.

"It was fight time," he said. "It was time to stand up and be a warrior."

Fazekas declined to discuss the shootout because of the pending case against Cooks, but court records allege Cooks fired at least 45 rounds from two different guns at the detective. One of the guns had been fitted with a switch that made it function as a fully automatic weapon, documents showed.

Fazekas was shot twice in the shoulder, and his police car was struck by 21 bullets. Investigators recovered six spent shell casings from Fazekas' handgun at the scene, records state.

When Gutierrez arrived and engaged the man, Fazekas initially tried to stay in the fight, he said.

He raised his arm up, but "it went three ways" and he saw a "waterfall of blood" running down the front of his left pant leg to his shoe.

"That's when I started to realize I was in bad shape," he said.

All he could think about was his wife, his family and his fellow officers, he said.

"I never thought, 'Oh, I don't want to die. Please save me,'" Fazekas said. "I thought, 'What are my wife and kids going to do?' I got two boys, you know? They're grown, and I got granddaughters, and then I got the Police Department family here."

Officers never forgot those they've left behind, he said.

During Fazekas' career, Gary police have lost Officer Dorian Rorex, Cpl. Louis Donald Jr., Patrolman Benjamin "BJ" Wilcher Jr. and Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield, he said.

"I didn't want to be No. 5, not because I'm selfish, but because when you go through that, when you have a work family like we do, it never leaves you," he said.

'We're going to make it'

Fazekas said he looked up, saw Methodist Hospitals and resolved to jog there.

"I got that mentality in my mind  'we're going to make it'  and then here comes Officer Briggs," he said.

Fazekas told Briggs he needed a tourniquet, so Briggs ripped off Fazekas' jacket and belt and used the belt as a tourniquet. The blood stopped flowing, he said.

Later, a doctor at Methodist told Fazekas and his wife Briggs saved his life, he said.

He wasn't out of the fight for long.

When an ER doctor turned to two nurses and said, "Get all the blood you can," Fazekas felt scared, he said.

The doctor was "barking orders" like "a drill sergeant," and Fazekas kept asking if the blood had come, he said.

"He's laughing. He's like, 'I got you,'" Fazekas said.

About 10 minutes after medical staff began blood transfusions at two different sites, Fazekas "started perking up." He also identified Cooks as the suspected shooter after Cooks was taken into custody, he said.

When his wife of 26 years came in and saw him covered in blood, she became upset.

"She said, 'I can't do this,' and I said, 'Oh, yes, you can. Get over here,'" he said.

She never left his side after that and went home Thursday in the same clothes she arrived in Monday.

If Fazekas could ask Cooks one question, it would be, "Why?" he said.

"Why? Why all this trouble?" Fazekas said. "It's the one that's going to bother me till I walk out, and maybe I'll never get an answer on that."

Fazekas was involved in a gun battle one other time during his career, he said.

On June 22, 1996, he responded to a report of shots fired and arrived to find a woman clutching two children as a man opened fire on her. Fazekas yelled at the man, and they began shooting at each other.

Fazekas suffered a graze wound to his arm, and he shot the man in the head. The man survived and was sentenced to prison time, he said.

Gary can be a "rough and tumble place," but it's full of good people, Fazekas said.

When he was shot last week, residents came out of their houses and helped other officers. They turned over doorbell camera videos, talked to investigators and said what they'd seen.

Looking back on his career, he wouldn't change a thing.

Fazekas said he was going to college with plans to be a physical therapist when his friend Jack Arnold, who retired from the department several years ago as a lieutenant, talked him into applying to be a police officer.

He joined the department in December 1989 and quickly realized officers often filled other roles, including medic, counselor and parental adviser.

Fazekas has investigated more than 2,000 homicides and shootings during his career.

He's seen a lot of evil, but he gives everyone a fair shake and remains an optimist.

"Doing this job, sometimes you deal with bad people for eight hours and then sometimes you don't, and you get to meet good people," Fazekas said. "I'm going to give people the benefit of the doubt."

When asked about the increasing number of high-powered guns and guns altered to function as fully automatic on the streets, Fazekas said Americans have a right to defend themselves.

"I'm going to walk a fine line here ... but I think it's a solid line," he said.

People don't realize that when they dial 911, they're at the mercy of law enforcement's call volume. Officers may not always be able to respond immediately because they're already dealing with some other serious call, he said.

Three, five and even 10 minutes can be a long time to wait for help when someone's life is in danger, he said.

"Every American citizen, if they want a weapon for the right reasons, then have it," he said. "Now, where we need to get strong is, if you are one of the bad people that get a weapon for the wrong reasons, we need to put you away."

'Let's roll'

The public's view of police has changed since former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, but communities need police to fight crime, he said.

"If you think every cop is Derek Chauvin, then I'm a failure because for 32 years, I've never done that to anybody," Fazekas said.

The detective said he had a friend who often told their kids, "You don't know what kind of person you are until adversity hits."

He worries about younger officers who may not fully understand that.

"You never stop the fight. You stay in the fight, no matter what happens," he said. "Even for civilians. Look at Virginia Tech."

In 2007, a student killed 32 people and himself during a shooting spree on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Fazekas said he was shocked to learn some of the students sat at their desks and were shot without ever fighting back.

"You control your own destiny. Don't be the victim," he said. "If the outcome is bad and you lose, you lose fighting."

He also thinks about United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to stop the plane's hijackers on Sept. 11, 2001.

The wife of one of the passengers later said the last thing she heard her husband say was, "Let's roll."

"So we always got to keep rolling," Fazekas said. "Let's roll."

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LANSING  After Anton Harris went missing in early November, his longtime friend Tiffany Edmonds parked her car near the last place he was seen and slept there for three nights. She searched the surrounding woods for days before she found Harris' body in the Little Calumet River.

On Sunday, about 20 of Harris' loved ones returned to the area where he was found and held a balloon release.

"When I was told that this was the last spot he was at, it was like I felt his spirit and his vibe and it was breaking me," Edmonds said. "I didn't want to find him like that, I loved him so much, my hope was that he was somewhere hurt and we could find him."

Harris, 36, of Gary was found dead on Nov. 4 in the Little Calumet River located within the 16600 block of Torrence Avenue in Lansing. The investigation by the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigations Zone 1 is ongoing. Currently his manner of death has been listed as undetermined with the main cause reported as a drowning, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

Edmonds knew Harris for almost 11 years, she said "he would do anything for you." Though Harris had no children of his own, Edmonds said he was always caring for other people's kids as well as his aunts and other family members. He was willing to "give anyone the shirt off his back," said Rose Rizo, a relative of Harris.

Harris was reported missing to the Gary Police Department on Nov. 1. Gary police said he was last known to be with a friend Oct. 31 into Nov. 1 by River Oaks in Calumet City and he was entered into the national database as a missing person.

Lansing Police Department Detective Michael Lazowski said their officers, among police from surrounding agencies, searched the river and woods in the area but no signs of the man were initially found.

Illinois State Police stated that due to the ongoing nature of the case, they cannot divulge any updates on the investigation's findings or describe information that has been provided to them regarding Harris's death. Anyone with information about the incident can send an email to ISP.CrimeTips@Illinois.gov.

The lack of available information has made Harris' death even more painful, Rizo said.

"It's hard, you can't get closure if you don't know," Rizo said. "We want closure and we want to keep his spirit alive ... if we don't care, the investigators won't care."

Edmonds said she will not stop searching for answers until there is justice.

"I wanted to throw a balloon release because his death was not really in the media. ... I am trying to keep his name in people's eyes and hearts so hopefully the Illinois State Police will continue fighting for him," Edmonds said. "I'm going to keep hounding the police, I am going to make sure they know my first and last name."

Roshawn Modisette, Harris's sister, had no idea Harris was her brother until he and his twin brother got in contact with her seven years ago through social media. They have the same father but different mothers and had grown up unaware of each others' existences.

Harris' aunt, Peggy Cheeks, said she was "grateful" Harris came into her life.

"He did not have to try and find us, but it gave us time to know him and love him," Cheeks said. "We got a chance to be a part of his life before he left here."

Harris was also working to better his community. In 2019, he and Edmonds opened Bartenders R Us, an organization that trains people in mixology and certifies bartenders and servers for employee liquor licenses and food handler's licenses at 754 Broadway in Gary. They aimed to not only help job seekers in the bar industry but also aid in finding a viable career path for convicted felons who are getting out of prison and looking to reintegrate into society. Anton was the primary teacher, a role he loved, Edmonds said.

In his honor, Edmonds recently changed the name of the business to Anton's Bartenders R Us.

To "keep his name alive," Edmonds said she will be returning to the Little Calumet every year on June 7 to host a balloon release on Harris' birthday.

"The balloons are going to heaven, where he is at, letting him know that we are still thinking about him," Cheeks said.

Times Staff Writer Anna Ortiz contributed to this story.

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CROWN POINT  The Lake County Council appears poised to support Crown Point's efforts to fund a new sanitary plant in the southeast corner of the city that may enable homeowners in nearby unincorporated areas to get off aging septic systems.

Following a pitch Tuesday by Crown Point Mayor David Uran, the Democratic-led council preliminarily agreed to use $5 million of the county's federal American Rescue Plan funds to secure a $5 million matching grant from the Indiana Finance Authority on behalf of the Crown Point sewer project.

Uran explained Crown Point also plans to use $5 million of its ARPA funds to score a matching IFA grant. Added together, the city would have $20 million of the $99 million it needs for the project before even looking at traditional funding sources, Uran said.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Uran said. "The city of Crown Point has been working very hard on our infrastructure to improve the quality of water, wastewater and storm water for going on 15 years now and beyond."

Uran said that constructing a new water treatment plant in the southeast corner of the city would take approximately 1 million gallons per day off the city's existing facilities  providing greater protection to current city sewer customers.

It also would open the door to adding new customers, both as Crown Point continues growing toward the southeast and by bringing online residents living in homes outside the city that currently rely on septic tanks or more costly sewer connections, he said.

In addition, Uran said the new plant potentially could bring more areas within the jurisdiction of the Lake Michigan watershed, enabling homeowners and businesses to replace their well water with Lake Michigan water.

"In the late 90s we switched from well water to Lake Michigan water, and that has been the absolute driving force for growth in our community," Uran said.

The Lake County Board of Commissioners previously announced plans to spend up to $94 million of the county's ARPA funds to replace failing septic systems with sewer service in both Calumet Township, between Griffith and Gary, and Center Township, outside of Crown Point.

It's not clear whether this proposal  set to be formally endorsed by the county council at its March 8 meeting  is distinct from that initiative or merely a way to ensure at least $5 million of that money is guaranteed to go to Crown Point.

Councilman Christian Jorgensen, R-St. John, whose council district includes parts of Crown Point and points south, said he's pleased to see Lake County partnering with Crown Point to improve the quality of life in the county.

"It's been in the works for some time. It's very encouraging for unincorporated south county, as well as the city of Crown Point, and the surrounding municipalities," Jorgensen said.

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CROWN POINT  An ambulatory micro-hospital and cancer treatment center is looking to call 10855 Virginia St., in Crown Point, home.

The Plan Commission unanimously approved a petition for a primary subdivision approval for the project during a Monday night meeting. The decision comes after the City Council approved the action of the Board of Zoning Appeals in supporting a special use variance to operate a hospital in a B-3 business district, in November.

The proposed UChicago Medicine facility will sit in the southwest corner of a 47.6 acre property that consists of two lots. The first lot is 16.6 acres and is where the micro-hospital will be; the use of lot two has not been determined.

The micro-hospital will include a surgical center, imaging department, ancillary services and medical offices.

When the project went before the City Council in November, the micro-hospital was 115,000-square-feet, a size that seemed small to some council members. The new design is 129,000 square-feet. The footprint of the structure has not changed, but a second floor has been added to the west side.

At the November council meeting Councilwoman Carol Drasga, D-5, a registered nurse, shared concerns about the possibility of people arriving at the ER and learning there is no room. During Monday's meeting, Councilwoman Laura Sauerman, D-4, asked if the facility's expansion addressed concerns about having ER unit but no 24-hour surgical unit.

Jake Rohe, a principal at the medical property developer PMB, said patients needing care beyond what is offered at the ER would be transferred to another local hospital. He said a transfer agreement is currently in the works.

The "general schedule" is to start construction this June and complete the project in early 2024.

Rohe said 15% of the residents of Northwest Indiana are leaving the area for health care needs, and 20% of those are for cancer. He added that 10% of University of Chicago Medicine employees already come from Northwest Indiana.

"This project is years in the making," Rohe said. "We believe this is a phenomenal project for Crown Point and the greater Northwest Indiana market."

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SCHERERVILLE  For over 100 years, Edith Coleman has been working to better herself and her community.

Born on Feb. 13, 1917, this weekend Coleman celebrated her 105th birthday outside her Schererville condo with friends, family and even a small parade of Schererville police cars and a fire truck.

"I feel wonderful to know I am still here," Coleman said, surrounded by birthday cards, flower bouquets and a stack of family photo albums.

Coleman came from a family of teachers. Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, she moved to the South Side of Chicago to live with her aunts after the death of her parents. Her family instilled in her a love of reading, an appreciation for the arts and, most importantly, a dedication to advancing herself any way she could. At age 22, she met her husband, Henry Coleman, while visiting Gary and moved to the city's Midtown neighborhood in 1940.

Her husband opened El Frio Beverage with his business partner Percy Canty. El Frio operated in Gary for 26 years and was one of the largest Black-owned bottling companies in America at that time. Coleman's husband eventually left the private sector to work under Gary's first Black mayor, Richard Hatcher, filling several roles, including city controller in 1973.

"We both were interested in anything that would better others and ourselves," Coleman said. "My husband used to say if a person did not go to college, if they traveled and read, they would be educated."

When Coleman began teaching at Frederick Douglass Elementary School in the late 1950s, schools were still largely segregated.

Coleman has kept a scrapbook filled with faded photos of former students, lessons and class trips to Chicago museums and theaters. Throughout her 27 years in the classroom, she said she taught "hundreds and hundreds" of students.

"I was around so many teachers growing up and just loved children. At that time as a Black woman, we could not do much but teach," Coleman said. "Teaching, if you have a desire to help, that is just a good field for you."

She also helped connect students with scholarships through her involvement with the Women's Association of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Society and the American Association of University Women.

Coleman left Gary after her husband's death in 1987. She said she has seen the city go through immense changes.

"When I came they had a wonderful downtown, and the mills were producing so much steel after the war and there was a lot of money in Gary," Coleman said. "After the steel mills stopped producing, Gary suffered. So many people left, the money left Gary because the shops left and people would have to go outside [the city] to buy groceries."

Pouring over a family lineage book created by her cousin, Coleman explains that she is one of the "only ones left," on her mothers side.

"I have lived a very good life," Coleman said. "My advice is to focus on things that elevate you. ... Try to lead a wholesome life."

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VALPARAISO  The Valparaiso City Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the renewal of a referendum that would increase the general fund operations for Valparaiso Community Schools for an additional eight years.

The operating referendum, originally passed in 2015, will be voted on in the May 3 election.

The Valparaiso Community Schools board unanimously approved a resolution to renew the referendum last week.

If approved, the referendum would proceed at a lower maximum tax rate, decreasing from $0.2042 to $0.1495 per $100 of net assessed value, according to a press release from VCS. The referendum would go toward hiring teachers and managing class sizes, managing health and safety initiatives, retaining teachers and staff, and funding academic programs.

In 2015, voters passed two referendums for the school district. One was for construction of the new Heavilin Elementary School and renovations elsewhere, including a new pool at Valparaiso High School. The other was to increase general fund operations about $4.4 million annually over seven years. That money has gone toward items like teacher salaries, technology and mental health workers.

The referendum for operating costs came with a seven-year expiration date, meaning it would need to be renewed this year.

The entire council voiced support for the referendum.

This body back in 2015 passed a similar referendum in support, Councilman George Douglas said. The need is still there. The schools have done an outstanding job of being stewards of the money they have received in the past, and we expect that to continue. ... I think it is really important that we show our support for the referendum and get the word out to the community."

Councilman Robert Cotton said that maintaining resources for Valparaiso schools is important but noted that "having to go back and ask the public for additional support" is "not necessarily a permanent solution." He added that funding changes need to be made at the state level.

In May, the question will appear on the ballot as:

Shall Valparaiso Community Schools continue to impose increased property taxes paid to the school corporation by homeowners and businesses for eight (8) years immediately following the holding of the referendum for the purpose of managing class sizes and essential health & safety initiatives, retaining teachers and staff, funding academic and educationally related programs and changing the maximum operating referendum tax levy fund rate from $0.2042 to $0.1495 per one hundred dollars ($100) of assessed valuation? The property tax increase requested in this referendum was originally approved by the voters in May, 2015, and originally increased the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a residence within the school corporation by 23.4% and originally increased the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a business property within the school corporation by 19.4%.

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Dubai-based airline Emirates has topped YouGov Travel and Tourism Rankings 2022 in the UAE, receiving the highest NET positive Impression score of +63.3 among the residents in the country.



Last year, during the summer months when many destinations eased their travel restrictions, Emirates responded to the strong travel demands by ramping up its route to 90% of pre-pandemic coverage.



Additionally, the continued emphasis on health and safety measures as well as making the process as contactless as possible with minimal interaction with people, together with the extension of Tier status deadlines by one year were all very well received by the public, contributing to the brands strong overall impression among the UAE residents.



YouGovs BrandIndex measures the publics perception of brands on a daily basis across a range of metrics. The Rankings were compiled using the Impression score, which is a measure of whether a consumer has a positive or negative impression of a brand calculated by taking the average net score for the year 2021 (1st January 2021  31st December 2021).



Emirates rival Etihad Airways is in second place with an Impression score of +40.5, while another popular airline Qatar Airways takes tenth (22.1) place in the rankings.



The rest of the list is dominated by Hotels & Resort brands. Dubai's most iconic hotel Burj Al Arab is placed third (+32.6). Last year, for the first time, the hotel opened its doors to non-guests (residents and tourists) to discover its most prestigious and inaccessible spaces, which might have helped the brand create a stronger positive impression among the people in UAE.



Ocean-themed luxury resort Atlantis, the Palm is fourth (+28.7), followed by other five-star properties Hilton (+25.9), Jumeirah (+25.6), and Emirates Palace (+24.6) in fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively.



Luxury hospitality brands Marriott and Rotana also feature in eighth (+23.6) and ninth place (+23.3), completing the top ten list in UAE.



YouGov also revealed the top 5 brands that made the largest improvement to their Impression scores over the past 12 months. Along with featuring in the 2022 UAEs top ten list, Qatar Airways is also the most improved brand of the past year with a change in score of +5.1 (going from an Impression score of 17.0 in 2020 to 22.1 in 2021).



The improvers list in UAE is mostly dominated by airlines. Along with Qatar Airways, Middle Easts low-cost carriers, flydubai and Air Arabia (both with ever expanding routes) as well as Hong Kongs flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways also feature as the most improved brands of the past year, securing the second (change in score of +2.5), third (+1.1) and fifth (+0.5) place, respectively.



Finally, completing the list of top five improvers in UAE is Hotel & Resort brand Hilton in fourth, with a change of score of +0.8.  TradeArabia News Service
The Northwest Missourian Editorial Board is comprised of the editors of the publication for the purposes of discussing and presenting commenta
So much for the good news. Now the cold shower  and some reasons Putin could still invade, and soon.

For starters, Putin is obsessed with Ukraine, not only because of his fear that it could join NATO, but also because of its deep cultural-religious-historical connection to Russia. While he may not seize the country by invasion, he will not easily give up meddling in its politics, trying to install lackeys in its presidential palace and empowering Russian speakers there to constantly try to pull the two countries closer together. And Putin has many covert means to keep tugging Ukraine his way in a manner that will not trigger as robust a Western response as his massing tanks on its border.

Second, U.S. officials say that while there is opposition in the Russian government to Putins brinkmanship, its not clear if any of it got through to him. Andrew Wood, the former British ambassador to Moscow, writing in the journal American Purpose on Monday, noted: Since Covid-19 struck in 2020, Putin has worked from his bunker most of the time. Face-to-face meetings are difficult to arrange. Putin, unlike his Soviet predecessors, doesnt have to consult with a Politburo or any party leadership. If, as it appears, there are now fewer trusted persons with ready access to Putin, the dearth must affect his judgment.

Third, having opposed NATO expansion at the end of the Cold War, I am not indifferent to legitimate Russian concerns about Ukraine joining NATO. Both NATO and Russia should agree to Ukraine being a geopolitically neutral state, like Finland. But in my view, Putin is not really afraid of Ukraine joining NATO, which the U.S. has made clear is not in the cards now. Instead, Putins fear is that Ukraine becomes Westernized.

He fears that one day Ukraine will be admitted to the European Union.

What struck me most from a trip I took to Ukraine in April 2014 was how many young Ukrainians I met were dreaming of Ukraine becoming a full member of the E.U.  not NATO  precisely to lock in their frail democracy and lock out corruption and Putinism.

Which is why I never believed it was a coincidence that Putin seized Crimea and first invaded part of eastern Ukraine in February and March 2014. What else was happening then? The European Unions 28 member states were forging a new E.U.-Ukraine Association Agreement to foster closer political and economic ties, signed on March 21, 2014.

No, the Ukraine crisis has never been exclusively about Putins fear of the expansion of NATOs forces to Russias borders. Not even close. His greater fear is the expansion of the E.U.s sphere of influence and the prospect that it would midwife a decent, democratic, free-market Ukraine that would every day say to the Russian people, This is what you could be without Putin.
Several related forces are fueling this anxiety, from deepening partisan polarization and our winner-take-all politics to our sharp division across lines of identity, culture and geography. There is the fact that this country is saturated with guns, as well as the reality that many Americans fear demographic change to the point that theyre willing to do pretty much anything to stop it. There is also the issue of Donald Trump, his strongest supporters and their effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Americans feel farther apart than at any point in recent memory, and as a result, many Americans fear the prospect of organized political violence well beyond what we saw on Jan. 6, 2021.

There is, however, a serious problem with this narrative: The Civil War we fought in the 19th century was not sparked by division qua division.

White Americans had been divided over slavery for 50 years before the crisis that led to war in 1861. The Missouri crisis of 1820, the nullification crisis of 1832, the conflict over the 1846 war with Mexico and the Compromise of 1850 all reflect the degree to which American politics rested on a sectional divide over the future of the slave system.

What made the 1850s different was the extent to which that division threatened the political economy of slavery. At the start of the decade, the historian Matthew Karp writes in This Vast Southern Empire: Slaveholders at the Helm of American Foreign Policy, slaveholding power and slaveholding confidence seemed at their zenith, the result of spiking global demand for cotton and the dependence of the entire industrial world on a commodity that only American slaves could produce with profit.

But with power came backlash. Over the course of the decade, Karp notes, slavery was prohibited in the Pacific states, came under attack in Kansas and appeared unable to attach itself to any of the great open spaces of the new Southwest. The growth of an avowedly antislavery public in the North wasnt just a challenge to the political influence of the slaveholding South; it also threatened to undermine the slave economy itself and thus the economic basis for Southern power.
Whats wrong with those ideas? For starters, global order is not a self-generating phenomenon. In the absence of Pax Americana, would the United Nations be capable of enforcing rules of the road, like freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, over which as much as one-third of the worlds commercial traffic passes? How about regional alliances, like the European Union or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations? Dont count on it.

This has some obvious knock-on effects. Its an invitation to predatory behavior  precisely of the kind were witnessing on Ukraines borders and also seeing signs of over the Taiwan Strait. And predatory behavior is rarely satisfied. A Russia that possesses more of Ukraine or a China that seizes Taiwan will each want more. Theyll be in a stronger position to get it.

Another obvious consequence: There will be no peace dividend in a post-Pax Americana world. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the United States today spends historically little on defense  about 3.7 percent of gross domestic product, compared to more than 5 percent in the last year of the Carter administration. But military spending would have to return to Cold War levels for an era in which core U.S. interests were constantly threatened by hostile and confident powers.

We would also find ourselves perplexed and frightened by the behavior of our traditional allies. Instead of having freeloaders, we would enter a world of freelancers, countries aggressively out for themselves, irrespective of American wishes or established norms. Without the assurance of U.S. protection, what would keep a future Japanese government from rapidly fielding a vast nuclear arsenal as a response to China? Why shouldnt Turkey and Saudi Arabia go nuclear, too, particularly if Iran winds up with a bomb?

A world in which several combustible regions each have multiple nuclear powers in varying configurations of alliance and hostility is a recipe for miscalculation, accident and tragedy.

Its also not a formula for prosperity. The idea that the United States should aspire to some sort of autarky is divorced from any conceivable economic reality. In a post-Pax Americana world, we would simply have to depend on flows of trade at the mercy of hostile powers and unexpected events.

Most dangerously, the post-Pax Americana world is one in which liberal democracy would wither. This is already happening abroad, from Budapest to Ankara to Mexico City. Why shouldnt it happen here, too?
NATIONAL

An article on Sunday about a lawsuit in which a Pennsylvania police department is being accused of misconduct in a murder case misstated, in several instances, the surname of one of the men accusing the police in Allegheny County, Pa., of misconduct. He is Cheron Shelton, not Selton.

SPORTS

An article on Tuesday about Jamie Andersons failure to advance to the womens big air snowboarding final in the Winter Olympics misidentified the event in which the freestyle skier Marin Hamill was injured. It was the freeski slopestyle qualifying event, not the snowboard big air qualifying event.

An article on Sunday about the Olympic snowboarders Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner erroneously attributed a distinction to Jacobellis. She is the oldest American woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, not the Olympics overall.

ARTS

A film review on Friday of Minamata misidentified the actress who plays Aileen Mioko. She is Minami, not Akiko Iwase.
IN THE FALL of 2019, the architect and designer Sophie Dries, 35, and her partner, the sculptor Marc Leschelier, 37, moved into a two-bedroom Haussmannian apartment in Pariss 11th Arrondissement, not far from the citys historic Place des Vosges. For several months, they lived almost entirely without furniture or household comforts, save for a mattress on the bedroom floor  which doubled as a hangout area and home office  and two dinner plates. They had no interest in buying stopgap items and wanted to take time to acquaint themselves with the space before making it their own. We would completely avoid the living room, though, Dries says. It was so empty, it had an echo.

But the couple werent exactly starting with a blank slate. The 1,450-square-foot second-floor apartment is an archetypal 19th-century Parisian home, complete with all the trappings of the eras refined, decorative architecture. The 10-foot-high ceilings have ornate, botanically themed moldings; the walls are wainscoted; and the floors retain their original geometric two-tone marquetry. At the western end of the 376-square-foot living room, there is an elaborately sculpted marble fireplace inscribed with the year of its creation, 1853, and on the adjacent wall a row of floor-to-ceiling French windows open onto a balcony overlooking the wide, tree-lined boulevard below. The home, in other words, was designed to be a sumptuous backdrop for the gilded commodes and carved-leg bergeres of its time. But Dries and Leschelier  who met not long after they both graduated from the architecture program at Pariss Ecole des Beaux-Arts  had an entirely different vision for it. We wanted to create a clash between this bourgeois typical Haussmannian home and contemporary furniture and ideas, says Dries. We live on the old continent, and we love its sense of history, but were young  its important to have that paradox.
BRUNSWICK, Ga.  Prosecutors in the hate crimes trial of Ahmaud Arberys pursuers on Tuesday focused on showing the ways in which the government believes that the defendants racism manifested itself on the day Mr. Arbery was murdered  including the fact that they did not try to help him as he lay dying in the street.

During the second day of the federal trial, lawyers from the U.S. Justice Department showed body camera footage from one of the first police officers to arrive on the scene. On the witness stand, Richard Dial of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, noted that Mr. Arberys head and right leg could be seen moving on the video as he lay in the street after being shot by Travis McMichael, 36.

The three white men who chased Mr. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, were close by at the time the body camera video footage was recorded, and they appear on the videos, cooperating with officers and describing what happened. But Mr. Dial noted that none of them administered aid to Mr. Arbery. Mr. McMichaels father, Gregory McMichael, 66, told police officers on the scene that he had moved Mr. Arberys arm after he was shot to try to determine whether he was armed. He was not.

At about the same time, Gregory McMichael called Mr. Arbery an asshole in a conversation with the police.
But whether Harvard should have pursued the confidential records is another matter, according to Dr. Caplan, the ethicist.

Thats very murky in terms of consent, because shes pressured, shes vulnerable, he said. Does she really know what shes turning over? Its a very fraught situation.

He added: Im not even sure if you said it was OK to share it, that it would be OK to do it anyway.

Neither side would release the name of the therapist.

Harvard also said that the parties to a dispute were told that information would be shared with both sides, and that if they were not willing to share it, they should not submit it. This is standard practice under Title IX, the federal education law that mandates investigations into sexual harassment claims, said Brett Sokolow, a lawyer and president of the Association of Title IX Administrators, who is unconnected to the case.

Harvard said that all parties were notified  during interviews and in writing  of the requirement to share documents, and that it was also included in a list of Frequently Asked Questions on its website.

One of Dr. Comaroffs lawyers, Ruth OMeara-Costello, denied that he had gaslighted Ms. Kilburn. She said in an email that she had worked with the same investigator in other Title IX cases, and that she is scrupulous about communicating to both parties that information and documents they share with the investigators will also be provided to the other party.

At many universities, if a complainant, like Ms. Kilburn, offers a therapists records as corroboration, the university will hand the accuser a consent form to fill out and sign, including the name of the therapist, Mr. Sokolow said.
WASHINGTON  Representative Kathleen Rice of New York announced on Tuesday that she would not seek re-election, making her the 30th House Democrat to opt for an exit ahead of what is expected to be a difficult midterm election cycle in which the party appears headed for losses.

Ms. Rices retirement announcement marked a grim milestone for House Democrats: The number planning to leave Congress is now the biggest since 1992, a sign of the partys lack of confidence that it will be able to hold the majority this fall. Ms. Rice, a moderate, provided no explanation for her unexpected departure. She announced it on her 57th birthday, saying only that she was moving on to the next chapter of her life.

As elected officials, we must give all we have and then know when it is time to allow others to serve, Ms. Rice, a former prosecutor who has represented part of Long Islands Nassau County since 2015, said in a statement.

Of the departing group, 22 House Democrats have said they are retiring, while eight are seeking another office. So far, 13 Republicans have also said they will not seek re-election.
Some of the loudest Stop the Steal voices on the right are actually far removed from the levers of Americas election machinery. When a member of Congress makes false claims about hacked voting machines or stolen ballots, he or she has little authority to do much about it.

Across the United States, however, there are tens of thousands of state, county and local officials who do have that power. They will set and enforce the rules on voting, then go about counting and reporting the votes in the elections to come.

To the alarm of independent experts, allies of Donald Trump have been targeting these once-anonymous offices, seeking to fill them with hard-core partisans all the way down to the level of precinct captain.

Now, the Democratic organization American Bridge, known primarily for its opposition research into Republicans, has launched what it says is a $10 million campaign to influence the races for election administration in a dozen key states. The local elections project is part of a $100 million paid media campaign that American Bridge announced a year ago.
The practice of using DNA from a rape kit to possibly identify the victim as a potential suspect in another matter is apparently widespread, according to Kate Chatfield, chief of staff to Mr. Boudin, who is the subject of a recall effort, testing the publics willingness to support progressive district attorneys amid headlines of rising crime. She said that using DNA from rape kits in this way might date back to 2015, when crime databases in the region were revamped.

After speaking with the director of the San Francisco Police Departments crime lab, Ms. Chatfield concluded: This is a standard operating procedure in the field. So we dont think that this practice is necessarily limited to San Francisco.

Chief William Scott of the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement on Monday that although he had been told that the suspect in the case in question had not been identified through a rape kit, the questions raised by our district attorney today are sufficiently concerning that he had asked his staff to look into the matter.

If its true that DNA collected from a rape or sexual assault victim has been used by S.F.P.D. to identify and apprehend that person as a suspect in another crime, Im committed to ending the practice, Chief Scott said. He also said, We must never create disincentives for crime victims to cooperate with police.

He also emphasized that the departments existing DNA collection policies have been legally vetted and conform with state and national forensic standards.
Georgias public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a regional agency to threaten the accreditation of the 26-school system.

The likely appointment of Mr. Perdue, a Republican, comes during a volatile time in Georgia politics, with the State Legislature considering several bills that would ban, or limit, how race and activism are taught in the classroom.

A chancellors job is to defend the system against such bills, said Matthew Boedy, a rhetoric and composition professor at the University of North Georgia and the president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors. I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.

The association has publicly condemned how the university system selected Mr. Perdue, a process that largely occurred in meetings without faculty input and closed to the public.
Such attacks are usually perpetrated by countries, he said. Such attacks need infrastructure.

Moscow denied responsibility for the DDoS attack. We know nothing about it, but we are not surprised that Ukraine is continuing to blame Russia for everything, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov told journalists. Russia has nothing to do with any DDoS attacks.

Mr. Vityuk said that the attack bore similarities to a mid January attack in which hackers brought down dozens of Ukrainian government websites, including Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the time, a message on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned: Ukrainians! All your personal data was uploaded to the internet. All data on the computer is being destroyed. All information about you became public. Be afraid and expect the worst.

On Tuesday, clients of the state-owned PrivatBank and Oschadbank began to complain about difficulties using teller machines and mobile phone applications. The banks confirmed the attack, but said the funds in users accounts had not been affected, though users said they had been temporarily unable to withdraw money or use their credit cards. Some clients of the banks were worried, as their bank balances appeared drained. By Tuesday evening that most services had been restored.

Pavlo Kukhta, an adviser to Ukraines energy minister, said in an interview that the hackers were possibly preparing for a larger attack, which could target the countrys vulnerable power grid.

The goal is quite simple: to sow panic, show what they are capable of, test the systems and see if they are vulnerable, he said. They are poking around and looking for weaknesses.

As of Wednesday evening, the DDoS attack, which began at 3 p.m. Kyiv time on Tuesday, had been going on for more than 24 hours, Ukraines Defense Ministry said. Ukrainian cybersecurity officials have managed to significantly reduce the level of harmful traffic, said Victor Zhora of the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, a government agency established to counter Russian disinformation.
Beverly Ross, who with hits like Lollipop became one of the top female songwriters in rock n rolls early years, but who ended her career early after a work relationship turned sour, died on Jan. 15 in a hospital in Nashville. She was 87.

The cause was dementia, said her nephew, Cliff Stieglitz.

While in high school, Ms. Ross would ride the bus from her familys home in New Jersey to Manhattan to hang around the Brill Building, then the center of New York music publishing. There she managed to strike up conversations with songwriters like Julius Dixon.

In 1954, when Ms. Ross was only 19, she collaborated with Mr. Dixon on her breakout song, Dim, Dim the Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere). A recording of it by Bill Haley & His Comets reached No. 11 on the Billboard singles chart, just months before the bands (Were Gonna) Rock Around the Clock became the first rock n roll song to reach No. 1.

Rolling Stone would later describe Dim, Dim the Lights as the first white song to cross over to R&B. It had bluesy electric guitar riffs, a jaunty walking bass and lyrics of come-hither flirtatiousness, even as it maintained an adolescent innocence, inspired by high school crushes and party games like spin the bottle: Im full of soda and potato chips/But now I wanna get a taste/Of your sweet lips.
Americans who stream a lot of television are likely to have some familiarity with British or South Korean or Latin American TV. They may even have an idea of what to expect from a Turkish or Israeli or South African show.

Its less likely that Finnish TV would conjure anything in their minds besides snow, or images of dour crime dramas from more celebrated TV-producing neighbors like Denmark and Sweden. But in a TV Venn diagram whose circles were tiny population, high productivity and surprisingly enjoyable, Finland would be in the center.

Dont go looking for Finnish comedies  they may exist, but they dont appear to be what the streaming services are buying. What youre going to find are dramas, typically ones that bring a twist to familiar genres. They also tend to have an unforced seriousness, without the sanctimony or self-consciousness that often mar their American counterparts.

Heres a look at some of the most recent Finnish shows to come to American screens, along with a slightly older one that has come closer than any other Finnish drama to really breaking through in the United States.
2. Anime Shinichiro Watanabe, Makoto Shinkai, Hideaki Anno  theyre really interested in the human condition, whether theres supernatural elements or just truly simple stories about people relating to one another in the face of great adversity. Shinichiro Watanabe is probably best known for Cowboy Bebop, which is my favorite show. Period. Makoto Shinkais Your Name was a big reason I was drawn to Archive 81, actually, because its kind of a love story separated by space and time. I dont use this word lightly: I do think theyre geniuses.

3. Victor Hugos Les Miserables In high school I was always walking past that book, but I was like, Man, thats a tome. I dont want to commit. Then a teacher put some adaptation with Liam Neeson on, and I was like, Ive got to stop watching this right now and just read this book. Jean Valjean, I mean, who doesnt love that guy? Hes a true definition of a hero. And Victor Hugo  the thing that struck me about that book was that he would describe the prison walls for 20 pages. Ive really grown to appreciate that level of detail and painstaking dedication to painting a crystal-clear picture of what you want to share.

4. David Bowie I remember reading something [at David Bowie is, the 2018 Brooklyn Museum exhibition] that said he was involved in every single bit of what was onstage, what was being worn, down to the curtains. It reminded me, There are ways to cut corners, and its never worth it. You have the time. If you have anything left to give, you should really just give it all.

5. His Bikes I used to ride my sisters bike when I was a kid, because that was the one bike that we had. I never got another bike until this summer. I was working out with this trainer and I was always admiring his array of bikes. He sold me a bike that he had secondhand. And I was like, Mamoudou, what the [expletive] is the matter with you? You can afford a bike now. Buy a bike. I now have this specialized Aethos that Im obsessed with. And also a Crux and an All-City Cosmic Stallion, which I bought because of the name. It happens to be a great bike, but I would be lying to you if I didnt tell you that.

6. TV on the Radio A lot of the pop examples of what cool is just seem bored and disinterested to me. But TV on the Radio, theres a real passion. They are a staple of every character playlist Ive ever created, really. What really impresses me more than anything, even more than talent, is when people put their all into something. I almost dont care about the end result.

7. Friedrich Durrenmatts The Visit It was a third-year production at Yale. And this is going to sound weird, but its the moment I realized why I want to be an actor. I loved it, but there were certain projects I was super bad in. I was definitely going through some growing pains, so it wasnt ever like, Oh my God, did you see Mamoudou? It just wasnt happening. But in The Visit, I played the school master, and hes a philosopher and he gets drunk one day and he goes over to the home [of the man next in line to be mayor] and he says, Theyre going to kill you, and Im going to join them. And he tells him why. Its so heartbreaking to see somebody go against  oh, man, sorry, its getting me now  go against all of their ideals because theyre just so desperate and want money. And the conversations Id have on the street about this play  people were talking to me in a way that Id never experienced before.
Markus Dohle, the chief executive of Penguin Random House, will personally donate at least $500,000 to the free-speech organization PEN America in an effort to combat book banning in the United States, PEN announced on Wednesday.

Dohle said in an interview that he hoped others would follow suit, donating to the newly created Dohle Book Defense Fund, which will provide support to communities where books are being challenged.

In recent months, there has been a surge in parents, activists and lawmakers across the country demanding the removal of certain books from schools, and challenges that have traditionally been confined to school-board meetings have exploded into the political sphere. Legislation has been written that would curtail books on subjects like sexual orientation or gender identity, and the governors of Texas and South Carolina have instructed state education officials to root out what they call pornographic material in school libraries.

There has also been an effort to legislate what can be taught in classrooms, with bans targeting critical race theory, which examines the role of laws and other institutions in racial inequality.
Born of Lakes and Plains begins in earnest in the 1600s and revolves mainly around five mixed-descent families, whose stories stretch from the Great Lakes down through the Midwest to the Southern Plains. The history she recounts is both sweeping and intimate, allowing her to trace larger developments while also showing how families responded differently to changing circumstances.

Image Anne F. Hyde, the author of Born of Lakes and Plains: Mixed-Descent Peoples and the Making of the American West. Credit... Ashley Porton

From the beginning, intermarriage between white and Native peoples was connected to the fur trade. For European settlers, there were obvious advantages to such unions, including access to the protection and knowledge of Ojibwes and Crees who for generations had weathered the harsh winters around the Great Lakes and Hudsons Bay. Native peoples, Hyde says, had their own stakes in this trade; they knew that European strangers presented both opportunity (information, goods, new allegiances) and peril (war, disease, theft). Making such traders into family could lessen the dangers, giving them a stake in the clan.

For the French, these arrangements were not only accepted but even encouraged by an official edict that governed mariage a la facon du pays, or the custom of the country. European men became known as hivernants  winterers who spent the cold months in Native forts and villages. Sometimes, when an hivernant married a Native woman, he was already married to a white woman. Or an hivernant might abandon his Native family once he became more established in the fur trade, calculating that entry into the Canadian elite required a white wife. Some hivernants continued to provide for their Native families, and some didnt. Abandonment was so common that there was an actual phrase for the process  to turn off, as in, When Alexander McKay retired, he turned off Marguerite.

Marguerite, who was born in 1775 to a Cree mother and a Swiss father, would eventually remarry another man involved in the fur trade. Hyde follows the stories of Marguerites family and others through the ensuing decades of American expansion, Andrew Jacksons policy of Indian Removal and the Civil War. Trading fur with Europeans turned out to be profoundly destabilizing to long-established relationships between Native nations; an expanded market brought guns and disease.

The proliferating narratives can make it hard to keep track of all the threads  a number of Georges and Johns and Williams within and across families means that a set of family trees would have been a welcome and clarifying addition to Hydes book. But the profusion of stories is part of her point, as she shows how the same events could affect people in disparate ways, with some adapting or even flourishing while others escaped or resisted or got crushed. Many mixed-descent people worked for the U.S. government as translators and military scouts; they were often mistrusted by others, their ability to switch between languages and cultures arousing suspicions, their loyalties held in doubt.
Three explanations

Vladimir Putin may still order an invasion of Ukraine, as President Biden said yesterday. Putin has long been obsessed with Ukraine, viewing it as part of Russias immediate orbit. And more than 150,000 Russian troops remain ready to pour over the border if Putin gives the order.

Yet Putin and his top deputies have taken several high-profile steps over the past 48 hours that seem to signal a de-escalation of the crisis. Why? Nobody knows for sure because Putin often shrouds his motives and his plans. But with help from our colleagues in Washington, Moscow and Kyiv, todays newsletter looks at three possible explanations.

1. Always been a bluff

Putin, after meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany yesterday, said that Russia had decided to partially pull back troops from the border. That announcement followed other signs of de-escalation since Monday, including encouraging comments from Russias top diplomatic officials about negotiations.

There does not seem to be any immediate cause for Moscows change in tone, which suggests that perhaps Putin never planned to invade, despite the huge buildup of troops. Putin might have been bluffing all along, Edward Wong, a Times correspondent in Washington, told me, so seeking a diplomatic resolution where he can wring guarantees, however small, from Ukraine, the United States and Western European nations might be the best outcome for him.
West sees no sign of Russian pullback

After Russia seemed to step back from a military confrontation with Ukraine, the U.S. and NATO said on Wednesday that they were still looking for proof that President Vladimir Putin was open to a diplomatic resolution and was pulling back troops from Ukraines borders.

Russia has deployed more than 150,000 troops that the U.S. says could invade Ukraine at any moment, but Putin said on Tuesday that he had ordered a withdrawal and was ready to continue negotiations on security in Eastern Europe.

Unfortunately theres a difference between what Russia says and what it does, Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, said. And what were seeing is no meaningful pullback. On the contrary, we continue to see forces  especially forces that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine  continuing to be at the border, to mass at the border.

The NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, echoed the U.S. assessment, saying that Russia remained capable of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine without any warning time. He added that the alliance was drawing up plans for new combat units in central and southeastern Europe.
The Biden administration has said it intends to hold China to the terms of that agreement, while also calling for a different approach to trade. But it has not clarified just how assertively it would enforce a deal it has described as fundamentally flawed.

The report said that the deal had failed to address the most fundamental concerns the United States had with Chinas approach to trade, and that the United States had serious concerns with Chinas follow-through on several of its commitments. Those included pledges to purchase U.S. goods and services, as well as promised reforms related to agriculture, particularly biotechnology, and an assessment China promised to conduct on the use in swine and cattle of ractopamine, a feed additive widely used in the United States that Beijing has banned.

The United States has raised concerns about Chinas progress during regular meetings between officials at various levels of government, the report said.

Data released this month showed that China fell far short of satisfying commitments it had made in the trade deal signed with the Trump administration to purchase an additional $200 billion of goods and services by the end of last year. The Biden administration said its patience with China was wearing thin, but it has not yet clarified what action, if any, it would take in response.
In the 1990s, Ms. Tani and her friends became so fed up with the sexism in Japans unions that they quit and started their own. She said that while she was cheering for Ms. Yoshinos success in bringing reform, a lifetime of disappointment with the labor movement had taught her not to get her hopes up.

Unions are built around men, she said. Its going to be difficult for any leader to break that mold and make new changes.

Midori Ito, a longtime labor activist, said gender discrimination in unions had been so bad for so long that many women had completely given up on them.

She dropped out of the union movement years ago because of frustration with its lack of action on the issues confronting Japanese working women. They dont listen to us, she said.

The problems with Japanese unions dont end with their treatment of women. While interest in labor groups has surged in the United States in recent years, they have become increasingly marginalized and irrelevant to many Japanese workers, said Kazunari Honda, a professor of human resources management at Mukogawa Womens University who studies gender in the labor movement.

It wasnt always that way. From the end of World War II through the 1970s, unions represented over 30 percent of Japanese workers.
Several jurors in the defamation case brought by Sarah Palin against The New York Times said they found out about the judges decision to dismiss the case while they were still deliberating, the judge, Jed S. Rakoff, said in an order on Wednesday.

On Monday, while jurors were still deliberating, Judge Rakoff said he planned to dismiss the case if the jury found in Ms. Palins favor. The next day, the jury delivered its verdict, also rejecting Ms. Palins claim that The Times had libeled her in a 2017 editorial that erroneously linked her political rhetoric to a mass shooting.

In an order on Wednesday, Judge Rakoff said the courts law clerk had spoken with the jury after the trial as part of routine inquiries and was told by several jurors that they had found out about the ruling through push notifications from news websites on their smartphones.

The jurors repeatedly assured the courts law clerk that these notifications had not affected them in any way or played any role whatever in their deliberations, Judge Rakoff wrote.
The Republican attorney general of Texas on Wednesday sued to strike down the Biden administrations mandate requiring travelers to wear masks at airports, on airplanes and on commuter bus and rail systems.

The suit comes as many governors, including in states governed by Democrats, have been rolling back mask mandates for indoor public settings as infections from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have plummeted following a record-setting surge last month. But forms of public transportation are regulated by the federal government.

Since it was first introduced a year ago, the federal mandate requiring travelers to wear masks has been extended several times, most recently until at least March 18. Brief breaks for eating and drinking are permitted. There are exemptions for travelers younger than 2 and for people with certain disabilities who cannot wear masks safely. Travelers who refuse to comply can be fined.

The suit by the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, was filed in federal court in Fort Worth. It argues that the mask mandate is unconstitutional and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lacks the authority to impose the requirement. The Supreme Court recently declined to hear another case that sought to block the mandate.
She has not won over the political class with a particular ideological agenda or new policy vision, to the chagrin of some of her left-leaning critics, but rather a bet that a state exhausted from years of political scandal and a draining pandemic is not particularly interested in more drama from Albany.

What is it they say about luck? Luck is when preparation meets opportunity, said James Featherstonhaugh, a fixture of Albanys lobbying scene. When she became governor, its not like she dropped in from the moon. She understands New York state government probably as thoroughly as anybody.

Ms. Hochuls seeming aversion to taking clear ideological stances on certain contentious policy disputes, like new caps on rent increases or whether to scale back the states recent changes to bail laws, appears motivated, at least in part, by a desire not to alienate the right or left. But it remains unclear whether that consensus-oriented approach can excite the real-world voters she needs to win.

Though polls show her with a comfortable lead, Ms. Hochul already faces accusations from her primary opponents  Representative Tom Suozzi and the New York City public advocate, Jumaane D. Williams  that she is obfuscating on issues like crime and housing, or kowtowing to the special interests funding her campaign.

And political strategists say there are signs in polls and on the ground that Ms. Hochul is not yet generating the kind of enthusiasm among the Black, Latino and young voters around New York City that she may need to assemble a winning general election coalition.

Enthusiasm means everything, said Gabby Seay, a labor strategist who served as Ms. Jamess campaign manager. She has to work in order to build that relationship where folks are on fire about her candidacy. The question is, does she have time to do that while she is governing?
We just want to try to take that away.

If approved for what is known as a retail microlicense, the three-generation family  whose members range in age from 31 to 78  plans to open a roughly 2,500-square-foot shop stocked with an array of cannabis products.

The store has a name, Simple ReLeaf, and a focus: homeopathic remedies. But its location is not yet clear, one of a number of crucial details that are still up in the air as they try to get a toehold in the multibillion-dollar cannabis market.

In an industry dominated by deep-pocketed multistate and international cannabis corporations, the hurdles for small-business owners are high, particularly while the drug remains illegal under federal law. This makes it hard to borrow money from most banks, open checking or savings accounts linked to a cannabis business, or lease property from landlords who worry the arrangement might violate the terms of federally backed mortgages.

Ms. Howard said the owner of a storefront they considered renting in Plainfield, N.J., which was advertised for $3,500 a month, increased the price to $7,200 after learning the nature of their business. Now they are thinking about buying property instead.

If youre paying that kind of money, Ms. Howard, 47, said, we might as well own.

Recognizing the challenges for smaller businesses, the states Cannabis Regulatory Commission will issue conditional licenses to groups that have not yet locked in lease or purchase agreements.

A large portion of the taxes generated by cannabis sales, as well as a so-called social equity excise fee, must also be spent on initiatives deemed by the Legislature to address racial and economic injustice in New Jersey.

Im super hopeful well actually see some positive results, said Tahir Johnson, who grew up in Trenton, N.J., and is the director of social equity and inclusion for the U.S. Cannabis Council in Washington, an industry coalition pressing for federal legalization of marijuana.
Eva Petric creates site-specific artworks and oversees their installation. She was on hand with the technicians and the riggers when Collective Heart, a translucent work made of lace, was hung over the high altar at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan several years ago.

She cannot supervise the installation of two of her latest works. For now, anyway, she cannot go where they are going, even though they are going only about 250 miles, roughly the distance from Times Square to Rochester, N.Y.

They are heading to the International Space Station, as a prelude to establishing an art gallery in an even more distant place: the moon.

The Moon Gallery Foundation, a nonprofit that says its partners include the European Space Agency, will announce plans for the mission to the space station and the lunar gallery today in Manhattan. Reaching low Earth orbit on our way to the moon is the first step in extending our cultural dialogue to space, Bernard Foing, the chairman of the foundation, said in a statement. He was the lead project scientist of the European agencys first moon mission, a satellite that orbited the moon in 2003.

The foundation said the gallery, a collection of 65 works, would be launched on Saturday on a rocket bound for the space station. The foundation said it was collaborating with Nanoracks, a company that arranges for experiments to fly to the space station. NASAs description of the mission said another part of the Moon Gallery would be photographs and videos from a new camera that could be used on future space platforms.

There are space constraints in space, so the artist had to think small  each compartment in the grid-like rack being sent to the space station is slightly more than a half-inch wide and a half-inch tall. Petric, who divides her time between New York, Vienna and the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, said she was happy to bid her two tiny works goodbye, though she said she regretted that she could not be on the space station when they arrived.
Jessica Grose: I was so struck by the point that you made about how for mothers of children with mental illness who are in danger, that often their only option is to call the cops. Most parents do not want to call the police on their children. You also talk about the very limited options in the United States if parents are not able to take on the work of housing and protecting their children anymore. Whats the low-hanging fruit of what we can change to help these parents in the near term? I know this is a decades-long, complicated, multipronged problem.

Judith Smith: I think the advocates for parents of adults with severe mental illness are hoping for something they call housing that heals  supportive housing, group homes for people with severe mental illness that also have treatment. I think housing has to be a priority. There also need to be more psychiatric beds available for when people need them in the short term.

This is a political battle within the advocacy for severe mental illness. In terms of the people who advocate for the rights of the person with mental illness, and the families who would like there to be more options for temporarily taking away the rights of the person and having them be protected and hospitalized when they are really aggressive and a danger to themselves and their families. But its a horrendous decision to say, Right now, my child will have to be homeless.

Jessica Grose: Reading about mothers in your book grappling with that decision was just awful. And I think part of why it was so awful for them is because of the blame that society tends to place on mothers. You quote the psychiatrist Stella Chess, who said, There are very few jobs in which one individual will be blamed for anything that goes wrong, and fewer still in which what can go wrong, and the feeling of being blamed, is so devastating. Can you tell me a bit more about how that ends up playing out, in terms of the guilt and shame that these mothers feel?

Judith Smith: I think we assume that women should be able to do everything, and we should be able to produce perfect kids. So I think for all parents, when our kids arent doing well, it affects our self-esteem. We feel bad and then we experience the conflict of ambivalence. Rozsika Parker wrote a wonderful book, Torn in Two, more than 20 years ago. Shes a psychoanalyst. And she really talks about how shameful it is for women to acknowledge their mixed feelings, which we all have.

If you want to take a shower and your kid wont let you take a shower, youre angry, but then you feel bad for being angry. And society doesnt allow women to have mixed feelings. Parker named the conflict of ambivalence as what is keeping mothers imprisoned and so isolated and feeling so bad about themselves  but that in fact, ambivalence is a part of all relationships. Thats a lot of what we do with clients, is allow them to express negative feelings about their parents or about their spouses and be able to live with it without feeling like theyre bad people.

Jessica Grose: Ive heard most concepts in terms of the caregiving literature, but I hadnt heard of chronic sorrow, before your book, which is something these mothers experience, and which is defined as the long-term periodic sadness the chronically ill and their caregivers experience in reaction to continual losses. I would love to hear you talk a little bit more about chronic sorrow  the hopes these parents once had for their kids that are now gone.
Heriot Bay, about a 20-minute drive, is the nearest village for necessities, Mr. Clevering said. More extensive shopping and dining is available in Campbell River, a city of roughly 35,000 on the east coast of Vancouver Island (not to be confused with the city of Vancouver.) The ferry leaves regularly from Quathiaski Cove, about a half-hour away, and takes about 10 minutes.

The Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre, also in Quathiaski Cove, honors the history and traditions of the Kwakwakawakw peoples. At the northern end of Quadra Island, Main Lake Provincial Park protects a chain of six freshwater lakes and allows camping, canoeing, and hiking.

The nearest international airport is Comox Valley Airport on Vancouver Island, about 90 minutes away, Mr. Clevering said.

Market Overview

Quadra Island is the largest of the Discovery Islands, an archipelago situated between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canadas westernmost province. The population swells to around 6,000 during the summer months, Mr. Clevering said.

The average sale price for the reported 35 homes sold on Quadra Island as well as neighboring Cortes Island, another busy summer destination, in 2021 was $809,586 Canadian ($635,000), down from the average of $980,431 Canadian ($770,000) for 32 sales in 2020, according to data provided by Erica Kavanaugh, a Realtor with Royal LePage Parksville-Qualicum Beach Realty and the president of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. (A single $3.565 million sale on Quadra in 2020, to that point the largest in the islands history, likely inflated the average that year.)

That average price would likely buy you a house in need of some updating on less than an acre of land without ocean views, Mr. Clevering said. A half-acre building lot with partial ocean views, a well and a septic system in place recently sold on Quadra for $295,000 Canadian ($230,000), he said.
IN HIS 1869 poetic novel, Les Chants de Maldoror, the French writer Isidore Lucien Ducasse, known pseudonymously as the Comte de Lautreamont, describes a young boy who is as beautiful as the chance encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table. Lautreamonts book was rediscovered and championed by the Surrealists after World War I, and this particular simile became a kind of foundational mantra for the movement. Its juxtaposition of mundane objects in an unexpected setting conveyed the Surrealists cheekiness, their love of the incongruous and irrational and their overriding fascination with found curiosities.

The Surrealists were, as we would put it today, obsessed with the totemic power of the object and its ability to re-enchant humdrum reality: Marcel Duchamps punning readymades and Hans Bellmers fetishistic dolls, Salvador Dalis winkingly evocative lobster phone and Meret Oppenheims more overtly suggestive furry teacup. Members of the movement roamed flea markets in search of treasures and documented the bizarre wonders that floated into their subconscious while they slept. On the occasion of the landmark Surrealist Exhibition of Objects, held in Paris in May 1936, Andre Breton, the godfather of the movement, wrote an essay in which he called for the total revolution of the object  a goal the Surrealists arguably achieved, as numerous artists, from Louise Bourgeois to Sarah Lucas, have been influenced by their sensibility, images and ideas.

Nowadays, a group of contemporary artists are making what one might call oddity ceramics: playful, imaginative, funny but often slightly menacing objets dart. Genesis Belanger, Rose Eken, Alma Berrow and Katy Stubbs are all working in a similar vein (as are a handful of notable others, such as Lindsey Mendick, Jessica Stoller and Woody De Othello). These four artists  all of them, not incidentally, women  take the notion of the readymade and subvert it, refashioning quotidian artifacts (cigarettes, sandwiches, shoes, lipstick, beer cans, sweaty plates of meat or eggs) in ceramics, a medium that was once considered a lowly craft but, in recent years, has been welcomed to the loftier echelon of fine art. Although their humorous, sometimes dark sculptures all share a spiritual DNA, each artist treats the object in her own highly specific, idiosyncratic way, which is perhaps not surprising, given the strange, often diminutive but eerily compelling works theyre creating.
Anthony Chavez, a vice president at Googles Android division, said in an interview before the announcement that it was too early to gauge the potential impact from Googles changes, which are meant to limit the sharing of data across apps and with third parties. But he emphasized that the companys goal was to find a more private option for users while also allowing developers to continue to make advertising revenue.

As the worlds two biggest smartphone software providers, Google and Apple hold significant sway over what mobile apps can do on billions of devices. Changes to increase privacy or provide users with greater control over their data  a growing demand from customers, regulators and politicians  come at a cost for companies collecting data to sell ads personalized to a users interests and demographics.

Mr. Chavez said that if Google and Apple did not offer a privacy-minded alternative, advertisers might turn to more surreptitious options that could lead to fewer protections for users. He also argued that Apples blunt approach was proving ineffective, citing a study that said the changes in iOS had not had a meaningful impact in stopping third-party tracking.

An Apple spokesman declined to comment.

The changes from Google and Apple are significant because digital advertising based on the accumulation of data about users has underpinned the internet for the last 20 years. But that business model is facing more challenges as users have grown more suspicious about far-reaching data collection amid a general distrust of technology giants.

The difference in approaches between Apple and Google also speaks to how each company makes the bulk of its money. Apple generates most of its revenue from selling devices, while Google makes its money largely from selling digital advertising and may be more open to considering the needs of advertisers.
The refugee resettlement program is overwhelmed and lacks resources because of all the cuts the prior administration made, said Steve Yale-Loehr, an immigration law professor at Cornell Law School who directs an Afghan law clinic that has filed dozens of parole applications, none approved so far.

In the statement by Citizenship and Immigration Services, it said the agency had been granting parole when warranted. In some limited circumstances, protection needs are so urgent that obtaining protection via the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is not a realistic option, it said.

The bar for qualifying is very high as the government tries to determine which applicants are in genuine imminent danger and which could wait to apply for ordinary refugee status. Applicants must provide documentation from a credible third-party source that specifically names the targeted person and details the potential harm that person faces. Lawyers helping applicants file the claims said the standard was higher than what is generally applied to parole applicants and would be very difficult for most people fleeing a country in conflict to meet.

This criteria makes it nearly impossible for the vast majority of cases to be granted, said Ms. Lilien, who has received 13 denials on the applications she has submitted and is waiting for decisions on an additional 78, almost all of which were filed before mid-September.

A letter sent on Tuesday to the Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, and signed by more than 200 representatives of legal-service providers, resettlement agencies and university law clinics called on the Biden administration to establish a streamlined, efficient system to bring vulnerable Afghans to the United States.

While the military evacuation efforts ended with the withdrawal of U.S. troops in August 2021, at-risk Afghans dire need for protection has not, the letter said.

In keeping with its promises, the administration must act with urgency to utilize all tools at its disposal, including parole, to provide protection from persecution and violence in Afghanistan due to the accelerating human rights and humanitarian crisis, the letter said, citing extrajudicial killings, disappearances and other human rights abuses.
A woman who went into labor at a jail in Clayton County, Ga., two years ago said the facilitys medical staff and sheriff ignored her pleas to be taken immediately to a hospital and are responsible for the death of her baby, according to a federal lawsuit.

The lawsuit contends that the jail administrators denied and refused to provide the woman, Tiana Hill, and her baby, D.H., prenatal and medical care, causing Ms. Hill physical pain and stress, and the wrongful death of the child on Jan. 3, 2020, four days after birth.

The lawsuit, which was filed in United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in December, was reported this month by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and 11 Alive in Atlanta.

Mitchell Albert III, a lawyer for Ms. Hill, did not immediately respond to a request for an interview on Tuesday.
Harriet S. Shapiro, the first female lawyer ever hired in the U.S. solicitor generals office to present cases to the Supreme Court on behalf of the federal government, died on Feb. 1 in a hospice facility in Rockville, Md. She was 93.

The cause was heart failure, her son Alfred said.

Ms. Shapiro joined the solicitor generals office in 1972 and spent 29 years there.

Perhaps what set her apart even more than being the offices first female lawyer was her preference for writing briefs over making oral arguments before the Supreme Court. And it was her exquisite written presentations that made her a renowned figure in Washington legal circles.

Harriet was an elegant brief writer, former Deputy Solicitor General Kenneth S. Geller said in an email.
The Paycheck Protection Program is intended to help businesses meet their payroll during the pandemic, but scores of people have faced charges that they used the federal loan money on extravagances like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, jewelry and lavish vacations.

Now the authorities in Miami say a woman there went to another extreme: using part of a $15,000 P.P.P. loan to pay a hit man.

The woman, Jasmine Martinez, 33, received the loan on April 20, 2021, two weeks before a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt shot LeShonte Jones to death as she walked to her apartment building with her 3-year-old daughter, the Miami-Dade police said in an arrest warrant dated Feb. 9. Ms. Martinez made withdrawals from her bank account totaling more than $10,000 in the days before the killing, the police said.

The police arrested Ms. Martinez and Romiel Robinson, a man Ms. Martinez was in a romantic relationship with, on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the killing of Ms. Jones, 24, a Transportation Security Administration employee at Miami International Airport, according to arrest warrants in the case. The Miami Herald reported on the warrants on Tuesday.
If the rate of decline in new cases continues at about 3.5 percent every day, wed get there in 25 to 30 days. And then, weve given ourselves a two-week window to make sure its a stable number. So thats why were looking at the middle of March or the end of March.

I think asking ourselves to all get through another month with masks on is really going to be worth it, because if we can get the rates down much lower, a lot of things become safer.

How are you approaching what comes after that indoor mask mandate is lifted? Theres been a lot of discussion recently about what endemicity might look like. What will restrictions look like in Los Angeles in the longer term?

What Ive welcomed with the pandemic is the ability to respond to the changing circumstances. Thats probably everyones greatest source of frustration, as well.

The near future holds for us a host of better therapeutics that will be more widely available, and thatll be a game changer. Its just like having access to antigen testing has been a game changer.

So while everyone would like us to have the crystal ball, I think what we can do is acknowledge that we live in a country with enormous resources that have helped make it possible for us to develop a larger cadre of tools that help us mitigate the endless challenges of an unpredictable virus. I dont think the unpredictable virus part is changing.

The way to think about it is when were in the valley  case rates are low, transmission is low, we dont have a lot of emerging variants of concern  we can remove some of the protection layers that we add in when were in the surges. But I dont know anybody that can predict there are going to be no more surges.
WASHINGTON  More than 100 Democratic members of Congress pressed President Biden on Wednesday to address disparate and often inhumane treatment of Black migrants by the immigration enforcement system, reviving concerns over the mass deportations last fall of asylum-seeking Haitians despite the ongoing crisis in their country.

In a letter to the president, the lawmakers, including Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, asked Mr. Biden to order a review of law enforcement and court records to assess how Black migrants are treated compared with other migrants at the border, in detention and in the immigration court system.

In addition to stopping removals to regions such as Haiti that face serious insecurity, we also urge you to take steps to address the systemic challenges Black migrants face to receiving equal treatment, the lawmakers wrote. It is essential that we recommit ourselves to reversing anti-Black policies, including by adopting a human-rights-centered approach to supporting immigrants and people seeking asylum in the United States.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent, joined 13 Democratic senators and 88 Democratic House members in signing the letter, which was initiated by Representative Cori Bush of Missouri, and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey.
Ronald E. Neumann, a former U.S. ambassador to three nations, including Afghanistan, said it could be difficult to convince Americans that they were on their own.

They dont get out, and then they think the militarys going to come and get them, said Mr. Neumann, who is now the president of the American Academy of Diplomacy.

But it is one thing to talk in the abstract about leaving Americans behind, and another to do it, he acknowledged. Some congressmans going to be screaming that youve got to find Mary Jo, he said. And youve got to do it, because thats what youre supposed to do.

Without casting judgment on the decision to relocate the Kyiv embassy, Mr. Neumann noted that U.S. diplomats had incurred great risk in the past to help Americans escape danger. During World War II, he said, embassy officials in France and Poland assisted Americans even after German offensives had begun. Diplomats were going out in the middle of air raids to find Americans and bring them into embassies, he said.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow also kept a skeleton crew there after the Nazis invaded Russia in 1941. (The diplomats stored water by freezing it in garbage cans and, when they werent preparing for the siege, attended the ballet Swan Lake approximately 50 times, according to an official State Department history.)

U.S. officials said that even American diplomats at the embassy in Kyiv, who were protected by a Marine contingent, were in too much danger to remain there. And former ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, a veteran of war zones like Afghanistan and Iraq, said he did not fault the decision.

I think it was the right call. The last thing the administration wanted was embassy casualties or hostages, and they came close in Afghanistan, he said. A U.S. Army investigative report obtained by The Washington Post included complaints that the State Department was dangerously reluctant to evacuate its embassy in Kabul.
In a recall election fueled by pandemic angst and anger, San Francisco voters ousted three members of the Board of Education on Tuesday, closing a bitter chapter in the citys politics that was rife with infighting, accusations of racism and a flurry of lawsuits.

More than 70 percent of voters supported the recall of each member when initial results were released just before 9 p.m. Pacific time, and one of the board members conceded defeat. Those votes made up about one-quarter of registered voters in the city, and turnout was not expected to be considerably higher.

The vote stripped the members, Alison Collins, Gabriela Lopez and Faauuga Moliga, of their positions on the seven-person board, which Ms. Lopez served as president. They will be replaced by members chosen by Mayor London Breed.

Its the people rising up in revolt in San Francisco and saying its unacceptable to abandon your responsibility to educate our children, said Siva Raj, a San Francisco parent of public school students who helped lead the signature campaign to put the recall election on the ballot.
The university also faces widespread public outcry for how it handled the investigation, mandated by federal law, into the professors conduct.

According to the lawsuit, Harvard obtained notes from one of the graduate students psychotherapy sessions without her consent and shared them with Comaroff, whom she had accused of kissing, hugging and groping her.

Lawyers for the graduate student, Lilia Kilburn, said she provided the name of her psychotherapist to Harvard, but said she did not consent to the university obtaining those records.

The university said it could not discuss her case specifically without breaching confidentiality, and provided only background information on what it does typically in such cases. Harvard said it would contact a therapist only if a patient said the therapist had relevant information  and then only with consent.

Harvard also said that the parties to a dispute were told that information would be shared with both sides, and that if they were not willing to share it, they should not submit it. This is standard practice under Title IX, the federal education law that mandates investigations into sexual harassment claims, said Brett Sokolow, a lawyer and president of the Association of Title IX Administrators, who is unconnected to the case.

Comaroff, through his lawyers, has denied any misconduct. In its investigation, Harvard found that he had violated sexual and gender-based harassment policies, but did not find him responsible for unwanted sexual contact.

Its a difficult, upsetting case, and in this tangle of charges and claims lies a messy reality: The Title IX process is complex, and accusers dont always understand the rules or the repercussions of their decisions.
On 15 February 2022, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), and H.E. Mr. Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, met at WCO Headquarters to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU aims at strengthening the organizational capacity, transparency and effectiveness of African Customs administrations in a sustainable manner through cooperation between both Organizations.

In his remarks on this occasion, Secretary General Mene explained that it had been a long road since the establishment of the AfCFTA Secretariat. Today, 41 of its 54 Member States had duly ratified Rules of Origin for 87.7% of tariff headings agreed upon, to name but one milestone. He recalled the mandate of his Secretariat and stated that Customs involvement is essential in order to realise the ambitions laid out in the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA. He also noted that expectations were high and that communities were eager to start trading under the Agreement. The AfCFTA Secretary General then acknowledged the WCOs expertise and role in delivering capacity building in highly-technical areas which were key for implementing the Agreement.

After congratulating his counterpart for the work done by the AfCFTA Secretariat, Dr. Mikuriya highlighted the areas where the WCO could contribute, including customs technical matters such as the Harmonized System, Valuation and Origin, as well as automation, risk management and trade facilitation which will yield economic benefits to the African continent.

He went on to outline the WCOs long experience in developing capacity-building materials for Customs administrations and in donor coordination to ensure the efficient delivery of training. He reaffirmed WCOs commitment to contribute to the regional integration efforts in Africa through customs modernisation.
The other thing is its given us this dystopian vision of the future. Naomi Klein argues that we suddenly got slammed forward to where we would have been in 15 years time with regard to technology. It has shown us a vision of the future that many of us hate. In the last two years, I have not once heard the phrase, Hooray, another Zoom call! So its given us a vision of the future we are moving toward that we can now consciously choose to abandon and move toward a much better future.

On that subject: There are those, like the writer and tech expert Nir Eyal, who say we need to be individually accountable for our own discipline around screen time, rather than blame technology for our distractibility. You call this cruel optimism, which you define as a solution that sounds good, but wont work.

J.H.: At the start of the research for the book, I had essentially two stories for what had happened to me. I thought: One, youre lacking willpower. And two, someone invented the smartphone. I decided to exert my willpower, and I went away without my smartphone for three months. I spent three months in Provincetown, Mass., completely offline, in a radical act of will. There were many ups and downs, but I was stunned by how much my attention came back. I could read books for eight hours a day. At the end of my time there, I thought, Im never going to go back to how I lived before. The pleasures of focus are so much greater than the rewards of likes and retweets.

Then I got my phone back, and within a few months, I was 80 percent back to where I had been. I only really understood why when I interviewed James Williams, who I would argue is the leading philosopher on attention in the world now, and he said to me, Its like you thought the solution to air pollution was for you personally to wear a gas mask.

Im not against gas masks. Gas masks are great. But theyre not the solution for air pollution.

If quitting technology for a sustained period of time isnt the answer, what were some of the techniques you found effective on an individual level?

J.H.: I sleep more, for at least eight hours. I have a time-locking container, which I put my phone in for four hours a day when I write. And I wont sit down and watch a movie with my boyfriend unless we both lock away our phones.

There are people who argue that worrying about the influence of Big Tech on our attention is just the latest moral panic, akin to the outrage that greeted the printing press. How do you respond when you hear that argument?
What we saw was a really extreme event, said Cassia de Castro Martins Ferreira, a researcher at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, who studies extreme weather events in the region. It didnt rain  it was an extraordinary amount of water that poured down.

For many of Petropoliss residents, the disaster was a painful reminder of 2011, when similar mudslides killed more than 900 people in the region  the worst natural disaster in Brazils history.

Carlos Eduardo Ribeiro, 22, was among those searching for missing neighbors on Wednesday. Mr. Ribeiro, who lives across the street from one hillside neighborhood swept by the mudslides, said he had been pulling children and older people out of the wreckage.

My arms hurt, everything hurts from digging people out of the mud. Weve been digging for hours, hoping to find more people, he said. My friends are missing, their houses are gone, everything is buried in mud. It turned into a graveyard here.
Hundreds listened as the former officials spoke about corruption, waste and theft in the government they once all served. Cabinet ministers, lawmakers and directors threw accusations at former colleagues of stealing public funds while largely absolving themselves.

Then it was Ahmad Ramin Ayazs turn.

If these friends had raised their voice at the time, Mr. Ayaz, a former government spokesman, said, we wouldnt be in this situation now.

Unfortunately, anyone who had a government position at the time was involved in corruption as much as they could, he told the audience last month.

The discussion was broadcast on Spaces, an audio live chat feature on Twitter, which has become a digital debate stage for Afghans still recovering from the collapse of the former government and seeking answers on everything from what went wrong to what comes next.
A shark killed a swimmer on Wednesday off the coast of Sydney, Australia, officials said, in what local news outlets called the first fatal shark bite near the city in decades.

At about 4:30 p.m. in Sydney, police officers and other emergency workers responded to a report of a shark incident in the vicinity of Buchan Point near Malabar, according to a statement from the New South Wales Police Force. They found human remains in the water, the police said.

Little Bay Beach, about seven miles southeast of the Sydney Airport, was closed after the discovery and as officers continued to search the area. The police said the coroner would prepare a report on the death.

The New South Wales Police Force and the states ambulance service did not respond to phone calls on Wednesday. The authorities did not identify the person who died.
[Follow our live coverage of the Ottawa Protests.]

The police on Wednesday ordered protesters clogging Ottawas streets to leave or face criminal charges, appearing to set the stage for a clampdown aimed at ending demonstrations that have roiled the nations capital for weeks, and reverberated around the world.

The impetus to stop protests buffeting the country was amplified this week after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadas national police, said Tuesday that four protesters in Alberta had been charged with conspiracy to murder R.C.M.P. police officers. Police officials said those arrested belonged to a small cell in the province that planned to use violence if officers tried to break up a now-disbanded blockade in Coutts, a village in southern Alberta bordering Montana.

A stockpile of weapons  including 13 long guns, handguns, a machete, multiple sets of body armor, and a large quantity of ammunition and magazines  was discovered by the police in trailers in Alberta on Monday morning.

Thirteen people were arrested, ranging in age from 18 to 62, the R.C.M.P said. In addition to charging four with conspiracy to commit murder, the police charged most of the remaining protesters with possession of a weapon.
archived recording (justin trudeau) Were entering the third week of illegal blockades that have been disrupting the lives of too many Canadians. The federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations. Invoking the Emergencies Act is never the first thing a government should do, nor even the second. The act is to be used sparingly and as a last resort. I know that everyone is tired of this pandemic. Were hearing your frustration with Covid and even with the temporary measures that we had to put forward to keep people safe. I know people are frustrated. I hear it. You have a right to express that frustration and even your anger with the government or government policies. Its something well always defend in this free and democratic country. But blockading streets and critical infrastructure and depriving your neighbors of their freedoms is a totally different thing. It has to stop.

[music]

michael barbaro

From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. For nearly three weeks now 

archived recording We begin the program in Canada, where a stand-off between truckers and the countrys government over Covid restrictions shows no sign of ending.

michael barbaro

 hundreds of truckers and their supporters have occupied Canadas capital city of Ottawa.

archived recording The truckers are protesting Canadas mandate that requires them to be fully vaccinated against Covid or to quarantine. [HONKING]

michael barbaro

In an unprecedented act of protest that has shocked the countrys government, yesterday, for the first time in half a century, Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a national emergency, granting him enormous powers to intervene. Today: I spoke with my colleague, Toronto bureau chief Catherine Porter, about a surprisingly American-seeming scene unfolding in Canada. Its Wednesday, February 16. Good morning, Catherine.

catherine porter

Good morning, Michael. Nice to see you.

michael barbaro

Catherine, you look surprisingly rested and fresh for someone who has been out covering protests for a week.

catherine porter

Im not rested, but I am fresh. And Im excited to talk to you.

michael barbaro

Me, too. So Catherine, lets talk about how we got to this point, where the prime minister of Canada is now invoking emergency powers to end this standoff with protesters in the countrys capital.

catherine porter

Well, this started about a month ago. There was a new law put in place that required truckers who cross the border into the United States to be vaccinated in order to come back across the border. Before then, that rule had not been something they had faced. And this was going to, for some of them who had not been vaccinated, threaten their livelihood.

michael barbaro

Mm-hmm. So this all begins with whats seen as an overly restrictive policy requiring that truckers get a vaccine.

catherine porter

In order to cross the international border and come back into Canada, yeah. Overly restrictive  well, some of these truckers obviously felt so. But I think the reaction in a lot of Canada was kind of a shrug because Canadas reaction to the pandemic, particularly as opposed to Americans reaction, was to follow science, to lock everything down and to get vaccinated as quickly as possible. Were now 85 percent of the population, five and up has been double vaxxed. Were one of the most vaccinated countries in the West. Were also one of the strictest countries when it comes to restrictions. It was only recently that Canada, or at least the part that Im talking to you from, which is the biggest province here, allowed indoor dining again. And since the beginning of the pandemic, its only been a matter of months that theyve allowed indoor dining. Its almost entirely been either outside in Canada, imagine, or takeout.

michael barbaro

Its cold.

catherine porter

Its very cold most of the  well, at least half of the year is very cold. And my kids, I have two kids, and they have spent the majority of the last two years on a screen learning. In fact, the local papers repeat here that kids in Ontario have spent the least amount of time in classes, in classrooms, in anywhere in North America.

michael barbaro

Wow, the whole continent.

catherine porter

Exactly. So the countrys been under an extreme lockdown. But at the same time, you really havent seen that pushback youve seen in the United States. Polling has shown that consistently, people support these type of strict public health measures to limit the spread of the virus. If anything, people here tend to criticize the government for not doing enough, not for what theyre doing, but what theyre not doing. And so its been a story of a largely compliant country where the national sentiment has been, lets take care of one another, and thats something were all going to do. Were in this together.

michael barbaro

So youre saying ahead of this protest, not only were Canadians quite used to these kinds of policies and restrictions, they had been quite accepting of them.

catherine porter

Yeah, definitely. In Canada, the pandemic has not been politicized like its in the States. Its not something thats pitted the political left versus the political right. Now even in the more conservative parts of the country with conservative local governments, even there, they have mostly followed the science, followed public health experts and put down fairly stringent rules. And in cases where politicians have broken the rules, like, for instance, gone on vacation over Christmas when there was a lockdown in place, the repercussions from the electorate have been severe, and theyve lost cabinet positions over it.

michael barbaro

Mm-hmm, so we should not understand this to be a story of more conservative working class Canadians opposing this mandate on political grounds.

catherine porter

Well, we could look at it through that lens now, but before this, I dont think that was the case at all. And I want to be clear. Around 90% of truckers in Canada are vaccinated, according to the Canadian Truckers Alliance. So this is a small percentage of them. But for that group, they say that their livelihood is at stake. And they wanted to bring their beef to the capital and let it be known.

archived recording [HONKING]

catherine porter

So in January, a group of truckers and other organizers began what they call the Freedom Convoy, driving across the country, starting in the very far west, towards the capital of Ottawa. Along the way, they get bigger and bigger. And interestingly, Im talking to you right now from Toronto, which is the biggest city in Canada.

archived recording [HONKING]

catherine porter

And people were lining the bridges, like they normally do when the bodies of soldiers come back. People line the bridges to wave flags at the convoy of hearses, historically. But people were lining the bridges with Canadian flags, mostly, with Canada flags, cheering them on.

speaker I believe in vaccinations. Im not an anti-vaxxer, but enough is enough. Our kids, my son, hes seven. And all he talks about is he wants his childhood back. Hes sick of wearing a mask at school. He cries to go to school. But he loves school. So I want my Canada back. I want freedom.

catherine porter

These werent huge crowds of people, but there were crowds of people. So there was evidence along the way that they had tapped into something. It wasnt just about the truckers. It wasnt just about their jobs. They had tapped into an undercurrent in Canada, a frustration.

michael barbaro

So what happens, Catherine, when this Freedom Convoy arrives in the capital in Ottawa?

catherine porter

So first, you need to know Ottawa is this sleepy capital of Canada. Its a generally small city full of bureaucrats and politicians, who fly in for business. One thing that its used to, though, is protests. Theres lots of protests, just like in Washington. So the fact that these guys come in doesnt take anyone by surprise. They roar into the city, and they end up on the street, really in the political heart of the country, right in front of the legislature, beside the prime ministers office, all of the elected representatives offices, the Supreme Court. And they line up their trucks along the street and onto many of the side streets, and they begin to protest. What I think surprised people was that I do know from local politicians that they had been briefed by the police, and they thought, OK, these guys are going to come. Theyre going to make a lot of noise. Its going to be a typical boisterous protest. Theyll be here for a day or two, probably for the weekend. And come Monday, they will roar out of town the same way that they roared in, having made their point. And what happened on Monday? They stayed, and they kept honking.

protestors Woo! Woo!

michael barbaro

And they are allowed to stay for some reason.

catherine porter

Yeah, I mean, I think a big debate went on, is still continuing to go on as to why the police did not try and move them. But I think the biggest innovation of this protest, the thing that took everyone by surprise is, you can move a bunch of protesters who are on foot, but moving a 30,000 pound tractor trailer takes something quite different. So these guys had moved in with these brilliant protest machines because theyre super heavy. Theyre really hard to move. I talked to tow truck operators who told me that it takes an hour just to hook one of these things up, let alone move it. They come with really big noise-making machines that are meant to tell the moose and whatever else is on the highway to get out of the way. So they had these huge protest sound machines built in. They have beds and heaters. I mean, its like very cold in Ottawa. Its one of the coldest capitals in the world. And they come equipped with heaters, too. So you can stay for as long as you want in one of these trucks. So were they allowed to stay? I think theres obviously going to be a post-mortem. The police will say that they kept telling them to leave, but they couldnt and did not make them leave.

michael barbaro

So Catherine, how does this progress, as these truckers really start to dig in?

catherine porter

Well, pretty quickly, there are a lot of questions of whats really going on here. Whats behind this? Ottawa residents were complaining about feeling terrorized by some of the protesters, that theyre being followed, being chased. Theres an attempted arson that they believe was by a protester. And theres this really threatening aspect that they, at least, feel to this. And then there are some signs of a more extremist alt right presence that people are wondering, like, where did this come from? There were these reports of a number of flags from alt-right groups like the Sons of Odin, but also flags with Nazi symbols like the swastika on them, and Confederate flags and this old Canadian flag from the time before our countrys immigration policy had opened up beyond Europe, Australia and New Zealand  in other words, largely white countries. And lots of the local reporting in Canada also started to reveal that many of the people who were declaring themselves the leaders of this protest were not actually truckers. In fact, very few were. Some were police officers. Some were army veterans. Some had direct ties to far-right groups. And they appeared to be helping to organize and to fundraise.

michael barbaro

And fundraise you mean for this protest on behalf of the truckers in Ottawa?

catherine porter

Yeah, to fundraise for their protest and keep it going as long as possible. And so I was like, what is this? Whats happening here? Whatever it is, its not something I have seen in Canada before. So I packed my bags, and I headed to the airport to get to Ottawa as quickly as I could to make sense of it.

michael barbaro

Well be right back. OK, Catherine, what do you find once you get to Ottawa?

catherine porter

I find a scene that is like nothing like Ive ever seen in a Canadian city before.

catherine porter Its 11:15 on a Saturday night. Its very cold. Its well below freezing. Two bonfires burning and people around me dancing to drums. The city has become one giant party. And the feeling really is 

catherine porter

The main street that runs through the power corridor of the country has been converted into this huge tailgate party filled with trucks.

[music - sister sledge, "we are family"]

catherine porter The sense is just complete cognitive dissonance that you cant believe youre standing in front of the countrys legislature.

catherine porter

And so theres this real sort of festival feeling of it. Theres also just the sense, I think, of people enjoying each others company. Weve all been in our homes for two years and not meeting strangers. So you see all these strangers hugging one another. I really felt it myself as a reporter. My job normally is to be out in the world and understanding whats going on, but Ive basically been stuck to my house, reporting from an office for the last two years. It was odd, but even reporting on the story just felt so good to be outside and among people. And that was really present in the atmosphere. But at the same time, there was some unexpected stuff that seemed unusual, or at least, un-Canadian to me.

catherine porter Im amazed by the American flags.

catherine porter

There are people draped in Canadian flags and American flags and Dont Tread on Me flags and flags that tell Trudeau where to go. In fact, there are signs all over telling Trudeau in a very politically  I would say, in Canadian, a very rude way where to go. And thats everywhere, all over these trucks, all over peoples signs, all over these flags.

catherine porter Its pretty astounding how many of them there are, right?

catherine porter

There are signs all along these ornate fences that separate the street from the Parliament buildings. And theyre full of everything from, we love truckers to Covid red pill. Theres also a real sense of an alternate reality where you hear snatches of conversations about people being abducted by aliens, literally heard that conversation, to vaccines being used to track people by the government.

speaker And then the QAnon Queen of Canadas convoy is just up here on the left.

catherine porter

And finally, there was this more menacing strain that Id heard about. I personally didnt see any Nazi flags or anything that overtly hateful. But in addition to those signs that were telling Trudeau where he should go, there was more threatening stuff, like pictures of him with a noose, pictures of him behind bars. So alongside the street party atmosphere, there was definitely a menacing element, too, which, like I said, Ive never seen before.

michael barbaro

And which certainly evokes images of what we have seen here in the United States as of late.

catherine porter

Right.

michael barbaro

So its a more complicated scene perhaps than the one you had heard about before arriving.

catherine porter

Yeah, and that became even more apparent as I started to talk to people. In the end, I ended up peeling off the main street, which is called Wellington, and going down the street called Kent, which surprised me because it was jammed with trucks four across for blocks going down. And there was a real encampment feeling.

catherine porter Im inside one of the camps. Theres one, two, three, four tables of people eating. And theres a grill inside and lots of tables with donations. Its an impressive, fairly large building with heaters, portable heaters, three of them.

catherine porter

I saw one truck that had a little post box set up outside. And there were fires burning, cords of wood, and huge numbers of supplies you could see on the back of trucks, from tampons to blankets to sleeping bags and toilet paper that had all been donated. And so I went looking to talk to people there. And I met someone who presented himself as an organizer of that street, and his name was Chris.

catherine porter Tell me, where are you from? chris Im from just northwest of Toronto. catherine porter OK, and are you a trucker yourself? chris Im a heavy tow trucker.

catherine porter

So Chris is a heavy duty tow truck operator. He tows the trucks, like these type of trucks himself.

chris Ive been here since late the 28th. catherine porter So since the beginning, more or less. chris Yep. catherine porter OK. And what brought you here? chris Im here to fight for everybodys freedom. And as Canadian citizens, we have the right to our own medical choices.

catherine porter

And he was there because, A: He hadnt been vaccinated. He didnt believe in the vaccine.

catherine porter So you dont trust them? chris Well, you know what? A good theory in life to have is trust nobody, right? Believe nothing what you hear and only half of what you see with your own eyes, right?

catherine porter

But he also really felt that he wanted the freedom to make his own choice. And he also talked about how he  and many people said this to me  believed that Trudeau should be 

chris We just want the courts to deal with him for all the crimes against humanity hes caused upon people.

catherine porter

 tried and locked up for crimes against humanity for, basically, they believe, forcing people to take a vaccine.

chris Its a war crime. They need to be  catherine porter Except for youre breaking the law. I mean, there is an irony of you saying its a war crime  chris Were not breaking the law. catherine porter Well, youre  chris Were here to peaceful  catherine porter Theres a bylaw. Youre parked in the middle of the street, which you cant do. Its a bylaw. You cant park in the middle of the street. chris As Canadian citizens, we have the right to protest in whatever means necessary to protest. And we must protest peacefully. So as long as we are protesting peacefully, then there is no problem.

michael barbaro

How do you square the things that someone like Chris is telling you with what you described as the sentiment of the vast majority of the country, which is to accept all this, not to view it in political terms, not to think of this as a question of freedom versus tyranny? Hes using very different language than it sounds like most Canadians are when it comes to this pandemic.

catherine porter

Yeah, the language of all of it really struck me, because Canada is a country that our founding motto is peace, order and good government. I mean, you really cant get much more rule following than that, right? And yet, here on the streets of Ottawa 

protestor Freedom!

catherine porter

 the biggest thing you heard over and over again was freedom. And it came out of the mouths of truckers, the mouths of protesters, but also it was echoing up and down the street 

protestors When do we want it? Now! Now!

catherine porter

 as a call and response, a way of people greeting one another. They would walk up and down the streets, shouting, freedom, and responding to one another  freedom!

catherine porter So this is a new thing that people are just generally screaming freedom.

catherine porter

And freedom is, I think, really stitched into the American D.N.A., but its not necessarily something you hear in Canada the same way. Clearly, we have freedoms that are protected in our charter, too. But its not necessarily a call to arms in Canada, like it is in the States. So that struck me.

michael barbaro

Right.

catherine porter

And there were a lot of people like that. And then there were people who just seemed done with the entire pandemic.

catherine porter Joseph Richard. joseph Yeah. catherine porter OK, I better actually write that down.

catherine porter

I met this guy named Joseph.

catherine porter And how old are you, Joseph? joseph Im 24. Im actually a beekeeper. catherine porter Are you?

catherine porter

He was a beekeeper from the smallest province of Canada called Prince Edward Island.

joseph We got here last Saturday.

catherine porter

And hed been there from the beginning. And he was eating a hamburger that a volunteer had just cooked for him on the street.

catherine porter So why did you come? joseph I was just tired of all the restrictions, the mandates, seeing what theyre trying to do to kids in schools now, forcing them to wear masks in class.

catherine porter

And he said he was drawn not because the restrictions had really affected his life 

catherine porter Do you have kids or  joseph I dont, but 

catherine porter

 but for other peoples lives.

joseph Even them not being able to go to school or see their kids or have a proper graduation, theyre robbing a lot of aspects of their childhood. And that really bothers me enough that I felt I had to come out and do something.

catherine porter

And the thing thats made me stop to talk to him is that I heard him meeting some other people, and he repeated something. And he said, were all a family here.

catherine porter When you said were all a family, can you talk to me a bit about that? joseph Oh, 100%. You just walk up and down the streets, Im sure you felt it for yourself. Everybody welcomes you in. And it just feels like a big family. And we are. Were all Canadian here. Were all brothers and sisters.

catherine porter

So obviously, this is a really different subset of people who had also shown up in Ottawa and very different from the earlier reports of a really scary and threatening crowd.

joseph Were just trying to spread love and peace.

catherine porter

And actually, Joseph talked about that. This feeling that the picture painted of them was just wrong.

joseph I have seen it for myself. Theyre saying that were violent and racist and white supremacist and terrorists and a lot of demoralizing things. But thats not it at all. And I can see how some residents, if they were  johnny rowe Welcome to Ottawa. Youve come to the right place.

catherine porter

And I also met this guy, Johnny Rowe. Well, actually, I heard Johnny first. I was in my room working on a story. And I heard his voice echoing below the hotel.

johnny rowe Welcome to Ottawa. Stay as long as you want.

catherine porter

He was saying, welcome to Ottawa. Youre in the right place. Welcome to Ottawa. And because I had heard so much that seemed unfamiliar to me as a Canadian, this was like such a quintessentially Canadian thing to do, to welcome people to the city. I literally got my snow pants on, got my boots, tied my massive mask and my thick gloves, and went running down to the street to talk to him.

catherine porter But the welcome to Ottawa, thank you for coming, is incredibly Canadian! So I wanted to ask you, just like  I was like, I have to talk to this guy, find out what is he doing. johnny rowe Ive done many, many, many things. The last 10 years, Ive been running a yoga school. catherine porter Oh, yeah? What kind of yoga? johnny rowe Bikram yoga. catherine porter I do Bikram.

catherine porter

He owns a yoga studio. And the moment I asked him what he was doing there, he just got tears in his eyes and was all choked up.

johnny rowe Im trying to help. Every single one of these people has been catastrophically hurt. Theyve lost a loved one or their business or their job or their house. Every one of them has had a catastrophic loss. And theyre suffering.

catherine porter

He said he needed to be there spreading love with people hurting so badly, and that included him. You can imagine Bikram yoga has not fared that well during the pandemic, right? Its yoga in a sauna. And he had lost his business.

johnny rowe I lost $10,000. All my students are suffering. Were having suicides. I bought a half a million dollar building for my studio, and Im gonna lose it. I lost my house. I lost my business. I lost half of my savings. This is the first chance Ive had in a long time to act like a real man, to come out and help people. Theres nothing to do but to give them love.

catherine porter

This was a man who was in a whole lot of pain and was also clearly finding some catharsis in being here with other people, who he understood had also been through a lot.

johnny rowe Theres a very good vibration. People are happy. Theyre proud. Theyre proud to be Canadian. Theyre proud to be out there. Theyre not angry. Theyre hurt, and theyre suffering. But thats not how theyre feeling while theyre here. Theres some Trudeau stuff, but most people are feeling good for the first time because theyre like, oh, my God, there are people 

catherine porter

So there was some real healing going on there, too.

johnny rowe I feel great. I feel so connected and re-energized  speaker Freedom! johnny rowe  and connecting to the humanity. Its real humans, right? These people 

[music]

michael barbaro

Its fascinating, Catherine. We started by talking about how different the U.S. and Canada have been in their responses to this pandemic, how non-political its been in Canada, and how kind of shocking its been to see these more alt-right elements suddenly showing up. But listening to you talk and describe the people you met, theres another aspect of this that also feels familiar to the U.S.  that this isnt just the story of the alt-right. Youre talking about a truck driver, a beekeeper, a yoga studio owner. And what weve seen in the U.S. is that the pandemic has helped to create a sort of new group, a group that doesnt really fit neatly into political categories that were used to thinking about. A group where people on the right and people on the left are kind of coming together to form something new, something thats united by their sense that something is wrong with how this pandemic is being handled and with the governments role in their lives.

catherine porter

Yeah, I think youve hit on something for sure, Michael. It struck me, too, that while some of the people at the protests had strong, conservative libertarian views, there were others who normally might be considered pretty lefty. And while they might appear very different in so many ways, the thing that united them that I saw was a real distrust of government, a real distrust of institutions and science, a sense also that they were being lied to and a frustration of where the countrys at. And thats real. Thats something that started with the truckers, but clearly tapped into something in this country. It formed a crack in the ice in some way. And weve seen all this frustration and tension just come pouring out, frustration and tension that maybe people didnt even fully realize they were feeling and that we might not recognize as Canadian, but maybe its been there all along. And it just hasnt aligned with our own narrative of ourselves. But whats also true and what were still working to understand and report out is that there appear to be groups who want to take advantage of all that frustration in the same way that weve seen in the United States. And the questions are like, are these more organized, more threatening elements looking to take that frustration thats been unleashed here and turn it into something else, something bigger? Is this the start of something new, like a new political movement? Or is it just kind of an outburst, something that will settle back down once the protesters have left the streets or been pushed off the streets, and Canada will settle back into a version of itself that feels more familiar to us? We just dont know yet.

[music]

michael barbaro

Well, Catherine, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

catherine porter

Thanks, Michael.

michael barbaro

Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had decided to pull back some troops from the border with Ukraine in a potential sign that he could be stepping away from the threat of an invasion. But 

archived recording We have not yet verified the Russian military units are returning to their home bases.

michael barbaro

 the United States and its allies cautioned against taking Putin at his word. Speaking from the White House, President Biden said that Russia still has about 150,000 troops surrounding Ukraine.

archived recording An invasion remains distinctly possible.

michael barbaro
LONDON  In a royal family where scandal seems to rotate among its members with nearly metronomic regularity, one might have predicted that Tuesdays news that Prince Andrew had settled a sexual abuse lawsuit against him would soon be followed by a fresh, troubling disclosure about another royal.

Sure enough, not 24 hours later, Londons Metropolitan Police announced an investigation into allegations that a charity led by Prince Charles offered to help with a knighthood and British citizenship for a wealthy Saudi in return for a donation. A spokesman for Charles insisted that he had no knowledge of any deal.

For Queen Elizabeth II, it was a fraught start to a year that is supposed to celebrate her seven decades on the throne. And yet for all the questions surrounding the Princes Foundation  which have already led to the resignation of its chief executive  the downfall of Prince Andrew is likely to leave a more lasting stain on the House of Windsor.

While Andrew, the queens second son, did not admit guilt in the settlement, he was forced to commend Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of raping her when she was a teenager, for her bravery in coming forward. He also agreed to pay her a sum that London newspapers reported to be more than $13 million.
BRUSSELS  Europes top court ruled on Wednesday that the European Union can withhold funding from member countries failing to uphold the rule of law, arming the bloc to step up its efforts to defend its core values.

The ruling shoots down a lawsuit by Hungary and Poland, the two countries most directly and immediately affected, whose governments the European Union has been increasingly at odds with, and opens a new chapter in the dispute that could see the countries losing out on tens of billions of euros in aid.

The European Court of Justice ruling, which is final, provides ample legal and political cover to the European Commission, the blocs executive, to flex its muscle and withhold vital aid to the two countries over what it has long seen as a pernicious and deliberate illiberal drift away from E.U. standards.

The timing of the ruling makes the courts decision politically explosive. Hungarys national elections are just weeks away, and the European Union is trying to close ranks in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, a major threat of war at its eastern borders, even though any actual funding cuts could be months away.
The current crisis is really much broader than Ukraine, Mr. Graham said. Ukraine is a leverage point but it is more about Poland, Romania and the Baltics. The Russians think it is time to revise the post-Cold War settlement in Europe in their favor.

In a meeting with Mr. Putin on Monday, Russias foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, emphasized that Russia wanted to see radical changes in the sphere of European security, far-reaching changes that go beyond just Ukraine to include a pullback of NATO troops now in Eastern Europe, limits on the deployment of offensive weaponry and restrictions on intermediate range missiles.

Tomasz Smura, director of research at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation, a Warsaw research group, said, This is a huge issue for Russia.

But shutting down the Redzikowo site, as Moscow wants, he added, is a red line that the United States and Poland will not cross, though NATO, in response to a list of demands made by Moscow in December, recently offered discussion of an unspecified transparency mechanism in the hope of calming Russian concerns over the Polish and Romanian sites.

But Moscow wants much more than that.

Missile defense has long been viewed by Russia as a dangerous American attempt to degrade the main guarantor of its great power status  a vast nuclear arsenal. The possibility that the United States could shoot down Russian ballistic missiles undermines the deterrent doctrine of mutually assured destruction, which posits that neither of the two biggest nuclear powers would ever risk a nuclear war because it would mean both get annihilated.

During the Cold War, Russia and the United States both worked on developing antimissile defenses, but agreed in 1972 to abandon their rocket shield programs so as to preserve mutual vulnerability and, they hoped, peace.
A security guard who recently vandalized a 1930s-era painting during his first shift at a museum in Russia has been suspended for what a top official at the museum called a stupid mistake.

In December, the guard at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center in Yekaterinburg, Russia, used a ballpoint pen to draw eyes on two of the faceless subjects of Three Figures, which the artist Anna Leporskaya painted from 1932 to 1934. The painting, which was on loan to the center from a museum in Moscow, was part of a temporary exhibition of avant-garde artwork.

The Yeltsin center, which is dedicated to Russias first elected president, did not announce the vandalism at the time. But after a report of the incident last month by The Art Newspaper Russia drew international attention, the center said in a statement that there was an accident.

In an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, Alexander Drozdov, the executive director of the center, identified the guard as Alexander Vasilyev and said he had been suspended during a police investigation of the vandalism. The guard is employed by a private security company and had been working his first shift at the museum.
Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
LONDON  Londons police department was already dealing with a crisis of trust amid allegations of misogyny, racism and bullying when it became embroiled in a political drama. Last month, it opened an investigation into parties at Downing Street during lockdown that could determine Prime Minister Boris Johnsons political fate.

The last thing the department needed was more uncertainty. Then its chief, Cressida Dick, stepped down under intense pressure.

It comes at the most dreadful time for the organization, said Zoe Billingham, a former inspector for an independent police watchdog group in Britain, referring to the force, the Metropolitan Police Service, and to Ms. Dicks resignation last week. And its in the midst of investigating the prime minister for a potential crime. You almost cant imagine a conceivably worse situation.

Ms. Dicks resignation further exposed the fraught political moment in which the London police service finds itself while it is also under heavy pressure to tackle an internal culture that a report last month said was rife with sexism and racism.
A little more than 10 years ago, I began looking back at the diaries I had kept over the previous decade. I wondered if Id changed. So I loaded all 500,000 words of my journals into Excel to order the sentences alphabetically. Perhaps this would help me identify patterns and repetitions. How many times had I written, I hate him, for example? With the sentences untethered from narrative, I started to see the self in a new way: as something quite solid, anchored by shockingly few characteristic preoccupations. As I returned to the project over the years, it grew into something more novelistic. I blurred the characters and cut thousands of sentences, to introduce some rhythm and beauty. When The Times asked me for a work of fiction that could be serialized, I thought of these diaries: The selfs report on itself is surely a great fiction, and what is a more fundamental mode of serialization than the alphabet? After some editing, here is the result.

This is part 5 of a 10-part series. Sign up to get it in your inbox.

Make enough money to live. Make him feel loved and special. Make sure you buy warmer boots. Make sure you have breakfast. Marriage and divorce as a rite of passage. Marriage is one step closer to divorce than being in a relationship. Marriage will not settle my restlessness. Maybe all the things I think about longingly, that I seem unable to do  be a certain kind of person in a loving relationship and so on  are dormant potentials in me, whereas the things we dont fantasize about would be more likely to shut us down. Maybe art is too dangerous for me. Maybe go to Montreal for a month? Maybe have a goal in mind so that time is not wasted. Maybe he was right when he said that I could only ever be happy with a man who degrades me. Maybe he was tired when he got home and didnt know how to put all his complicated thoughts into an email. Maybe hes not your life partner, she said. Maybe I am beginning to feel humbled, seeing people younger than me with so much success, and people my age, too, living lives that seem so glamorous, whose writing is so different from mine. Maybe I can get what I need in other ways, she suggested. Maybe I could go to Italy, to Florence. Maybe I could work it out with him. Maybe I let things go too far and now theres no return. Maybe I need to go underground and read. Maybe I should do it alone. Maybe I should go live with him. Maybe I should not talk to anybody. Maybe I should. Maybe I will be lonely again. Maybe I will be with someone else. Maybe I will see her for tea. Maybe I would grow tired of it, but right now, the idea of having sex every day with a man like Lark, or Lark himself, seems good. Maybe Ill even buy an old car. Maybe Ill get my nails done at some point. Maybe Ill spend some time in Los Angeles. Maybe my 20s were about writing and finding a man and my 30s will be about being with him and learning how to write. Maybe nobodys life is any different than that.

Maybe she has had better boyfriends than me. Maybe shopping is stupid  you think about yourself in all sorts of important ways, and youre not so important in all those ways. Maybe that is what is making me nauseated. Maybe that is when he stopped trusting me, or stopped wanting to be with me or sleep with me, and thats when I became scared and stopped trusting him, and perhaps thats when our conflicts began. Maybe thats just paranoid. Maybe this is how I always feel in November. Maybe we can talk in person when hes back. Meeting the same people you knew ten years ago, youre seeing how much worse youve all become  more dull, more cynical about each other, less pleasant to be around. Men always seemed so threatening, like they would be vines and choke me and would twist themselves around my hands and I would get no work done. Midday has come, and the sun shines in with a yellow light. Midnight. More sex. Mostly these days Im just lying in bed. My apprenticeship in art and my apprenticeship in romance. My arms were rigid. My book is done. My book is going badly. My book suddenly makes sense. My book will be done this year. My brain has turned itself off. My brain is like the viscous stuff around a brain  thats what it is, where its located, in the slippery goo between the two hemispheres, between the brain itself and the skull or between the gray matter or whatever the viscous part is; that is where my brain is located, and where my soul is located, too. My brain still feels fried after smoking up with her last night. My computer is getting increasingly slow. My courage had been circumstantial. My duty to sitting in a room and becoming a certain kind of writer, yet when I look at that future, it seems bleak to me  competing in the marketplace and whatnot. My elbow is getting better. My eyes were perfect. My faults, which ruin other aspects of my life, make me suited for writing. My feeling that Pavel should be with a woman with big breasts, that mine do not satisfy him. My friends will leave me to go to New York, and I will be the chump who stayed, wishing I had gone. My hair was pulled back off my face, in a ponytail. My head wants to explode. My heart is cold toward him. My heart is light again, and all that I was going to write about death seems to have vanished. My initial point and what I wanted to say was that every situation is different, and Im realizing that you cannot avoid unhappiness and cannot avoid pain and cannot make rules and live by them in order to lead a happy life, for I really think that that leads to a life of total isolation from people and experiences, because of course it is people and experiences that bring you pain. My jaw is tight, and I feel like Im going to cry  why does he keep me waiting, making me suffer? My life feels a little better since talking with Lemons. My life feels great. My loneliness can be attributed to Lark, yes, but more particularly to me not working. My love affair with Lark. My main wish for my life right now is not to think about men all the time, to ever more think about men less and less, and to look around at the world, and at my books  at the books I want to write and the work I want to do  and at other things too, and just really get over my neuroses about everything, and stop smoking and be healthy and confident inside, and to feel my own will, which is my soul, and to be able to have some control over how I react, and to be in the world in a more thoughtful way, and to come out of childhood and be a woman. My middle finger is still hurting from when I slammed it in the door. My mind is back with him since his email of the other night in which he suggested that perhaps he might move to the city for me. My mind was racing with these thoughts, and I asked myself if these thoughts were good, and my mind said, No. My mother cannot help me through this. My nose is raw. My nose is running. My realization that it was winter that made me want to go somewhere cold, so as not to miss the winter, and that is why I thought of St. Petersburg. My stories always involve a person walking, going away and coming back. My 20s are gone. My utter awfulness. My whole life changes.
A Catholic priest who has performed thousands of baptisms over the last two decades recently resigned after learning that they are all invalid, because of a simple mistake.

Father Andres Arango recently resigned as a priest from St. Gregorys Catholic Parish in Phoenix, Arizona, after a 25-year career. He stood accused of botching thousands of baptisms while serving as a priest in California, Brazil, and Arizona, and he was recently found guilty. Interestingly, it all came down to a simple wording issue, which apparently mattered a lot more than Aango or anyone outside the Catholic CHurch ever imagined.

Photo: Josh Applegate/Unsplash

Andres Arango would say, We baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, which is apparently wrong, because it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and Him alone, who presides at all of the sacraments, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptized.

You might think that using we instead of I is no big deal, but it is huge, according to the Catholic Church. In fact, the Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2020 affirmed that when baptism is conferred with the formula We baptize  it is invalid, and that person needs to be performed again, correctly.

They have to get baptized again, said Donat Murego, whose four daughters were baptized by father Arango last year. He told ABC15 that the Catholic Church subsequently sent him an email letting him know that the baptism was totally, 100% invalid.

Photo: Anna Hecker/Unsplash

Father Arango reportedly performed baptisms incorrectly since 1995 and up until last summer, when the Diocese of Phoenix was made aware of the issue. Baptisms performed after June 17 of 2021 are considered valid, but that still leaves thousands of invalid ones. Although it will not affect the First Holy Communion, the Church believes that the wording error may affect marriage and confirmation.

It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula, Andres Arango wrote in a heartfelt statement. It is with a heavy heart that I find myself writing this letter of notification to a wonderful parish family that I once served.

I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere. With the help of the Holy Spirit and in communion with the Diocese of Phoenix I will dedicate my energy and full-time ministry to help remedy this and heal those affected, the priest added. In order to do this, I have resigned from my position as pastor of St. Gregory parish in Phoenix effective February 1, 2022.

The Phoenix Diocese has said that Arango remains a priest in good standing, and that he will concentrate his efforts righting the mistakes he made.
A so-called faith healer in Pakistan convinced a pregnant woman that she would give birth to a baby boy if she had a metal nail hammered into her skull.

Doctors at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar were shocked when they examined the head of a pregnant woman who claimed to have a two-inch-long nail stuck in her skull. An X-ray confirmed the womans claim, but it was her story that really left hospital staff speechless. The woman explained that the nail in her head had been recommended by a faith healer who promised her that it would guarantee that she gives birth to her first son, rather than her fourth daughter.

The unidentified woman, who was fully conscious, but was in immense pain when she arrived at the hospital, had been trying to remove the metal nail from her skull herself, but couldnt do it. She told doctors that her husband had threatened to leave if she birthed another daughter, so she was desperate to have a son. A neighbor recommended a faith healer, and she decided it was worth a try.

At first, the woman told doctors that the healer had instructed her to sing some chants while hammering the long nail into her head, but, after examining the wound, doctors became convinced that she couldnt have done the deed herself, and that someone else must have hammered the nail in. Its unclear who did the deed, but its clear that the woman fully agreed to it.

She said that a woman in her locality did the same and gave birth to a boy even though the ultrasound had shown her unborn child to be a girl, Dr. Haider Suleman Khan, the resident neurosurgeon at Lady Reading Hospital, told Dawn. She is three months pregnant and because of her husbands fear she went to the faith healer who gave her taweez, things to recite and the nail.

Members of the womans family heard her screaming in pain and tried helping her remove the metal object, but they were unsuccessful. After performing an X-ray exam and confirming that the nail had not entered her brain, doctors managed to remove the foreign object from her skull.

Instead of alerting the police, doctors simply posted the X-ray and the bizarre story online, where it quickly went viral. Peshawar police eventually started an investigation, and it is currently trying to identify the victim, in hopes of eventually bringing the faith healer who tricked her to justice.

Special team has been made to bring to justice the fake Pir who played with the life of an innocent woman & put a nail in her head, with a false promise of a male child, Peshawar Police Chief Abbas Ahsan wrote on Twitter. The team will also investigate why [the] incident was not reported to [the] police by the treating doctor.



Faith healers, or pirs, are still very common in Pakistan, with people flocking to them for a variety of problems, but advising people to hammer nails into their own heads is definitely very uncommon.
University College Dublin, which has more than 33K students, is looking for a firm to help bolster its social media capabilities.

It wants a partner to provide social media listening, social insight, audience segmentation and identification, and competitor analysis services and related tools for the university relations office, according to the RFP.

The selected firm will enable Irelands biggest university to analyze signals from across its online audiences and data sources, including social media, online search, online news media, blogs, forums and web analytics.

The tools provided by the successful firm will help UCD professionally manage its channels and audience engagement, and to identify and gauge emerging issues.

UCD plans to issue a two-year contract with options to renew for an additional two years.

Proposals are due March 4 at www.eTenders.gov.ie.

Read the RFP (PDF).
Prince Charles and Camilla are set to visit Offaly as part of a trip to Ireland next month.

The Tipperary Star is reporting that the royal couple will pay a visit to Offaly as part of their trip to Ireland which will be based in Tipperary.

While the exact itinerary has not yet been revealed, it is understood that Charles and Camilla will pay a visit to historic Birr Castle during their trip to Ireland.

Also believed to be included in their trip will be visits to Coolmore Stud, Cahir Castle, the Rock of Cashel and Bru Boru.

Advanced preparations are underway for the staging of the visit with the British ambassador having visited Cashel last week and security personnel have been scouring the area to ensure that no stone will be left unturned to maintain the safety lines around the Royal couple.

It is expected that a major security operation will be underway throughout the visit
Offaly County Council area engineer John Mitchell says it's planned to start significant upgrading works on the Camcor River riverside walk in Birr during the second quarter of 2022.

A government grant of 285,000 was given to the project recently following the publication of a consultancy report.

"We want to start the work as soon as possible," said the Engineer. "In the first stage of the project low level bollard lighting will be installed along the dark section of path between Elmgrove Bridge and the Leisure Centre. "The lighting will be low level and not too bright," said John, "because we are conscious of light pollution affecting local wildlife such as Daubenton's Bats."

The Engineer said they mightn't be able to start the work as soon as they want "because, hindered as we are by the Brexit-Covid combination, we are finding sourcing of materials to be difficult. It's difficult to get steel and stone." He said the Council imports stone from China or Portugal (Portugal at the moment) and steel from the UK or France. "The paving stone from Portugal for Green Street was delayed by four or five weeks."

He added that after installing the bollard lighting the Council work will focus on the section of path from Wilmer Road to Moorpark Street. "The bank here is slipping and the tarmac is cracking."

Eventually, upgrading work will be carried out on the section of paths from Elmgrove Bridge and the Nursing Unit towards Springfield Bridge on the Kinnitty Road. John said the Council is in the early stages of consultation with the local landowners regarding this.

The proposed upgrading of the beautiful riverside walk follows on from the hard work of local community group Birr 20:20 who commissioned a report about the potential for development alongside the River Camcor in the town.

This report was a major study and it was published in May last year. A public zoom meeting was held by Birr 20:20 that month and the meeting was told that the River Camcor study aims to provide "a series of nature-based opportunities for improvements to the River and its adjacent public open spaces. "The study took place during summer 2020 and it involved a considerable amount of stakeholder consultation and baseline surveys as well as analysis in the fields of ecology, landscape architecture, hydromorphology, and civil engineering.

The result of many weeks of background work and extensive consultation, the study is a carefully thought out and evidence-based plan for the intelligent management of the river, with the aim of making the most of this public amenity for the sake of the general public while at the same time creating opportunities for biodiversity.The study includes a number of proposed projects for the management of the river and the river corridor with the appropriate balance of use between civic amenity and wildlife.It will also serve as a guide to Birr Municipal District and Birr Tidy Towns on the management of the river in the areas under their control.The study was carried out by JBA Consulting.

The study was commissioned by a letter by Salters Sterling on behalf of Birr 20:20, sent in June 2020. Several people worked on the study including Ecologists, Landscape Architects, a Geomorphologist and an Engineer. The Camcor River flows through Birr Town, begins the report, and is an important part of the community from multiple aspects. It has great ecological, social and amenity value to the town. In the 2008 Paul Hogarth Birr Public Realm study, a major expansion and enhancement of this river area was proposed. The JBA ecologists surveyed and recorded details of flora, fauna, non-native invasive species and any evidence of mammals that may be present. The JBA surveyors took note of any suitable habitat that might have potential for biodiversity enhancement including locations suitable for instream enhancement works. A hydromorphologist examined erosion on the river and noted areas where mitigation measures might be appropriate. Landscape Architects conducted extensive surveys to address issues with access, amenity issues and identify potential walking routes and opportunities to improve connectivity. The quality of adjacent public spaces was also assessed to determine if any additional improvements could be provided to enhance the distinctive character and value of the associated public realm. There was a focus on providing an assortment of accessible projects which could be undertaken by local voluntary groups such as the Tidy Towns group. The team collaborated to consider and provide a range of appropriate options for looped walking routes branching out from the main river route. These are in a range of different length routes of varying difficulty to cater for different physical abilities. Ecologists assessed potentially suitable locations for instream enhancement works. These can be used to increase fish numbers and improve water quality.The length of the river survey ranges from Springfield Bridge on the Kinnitty road (in the town's rural outskirts) through the town to the formal setting of Birr Castle Demesne. Planting will use a selection of native and ornamental planting, including species from the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. The plan looked at providing additional seating, improving footpath linkages, creating biodiversity trails, educational resources, temporary events spaces and historical interpretation.
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Emmanuel Masaba fetches water from a new water well donated by the Overseas China Uganda Charity Foundation in Bukasa village, Wakiso district, central Uganda, Feb. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping)

WAKISO, Uganda, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- For Betty Kyabajje, 28 years old, fetching water is an everyday struggle. Like in many African families, women are in charge of finding water, a resource their families need to survive -- for drinking, cooking, sanitation, and hygiene.

Kyabajje, who lives in Bukasa, a slum area neighboring the Ugandan capital Kampala, used to spend hours queuing for water at a hand dug well in her neighborhood.

She told Xinhua in a recent interview that the waiting was a burden as she had other house chores like washing clothes and preparing meals for her family of five.

The well, which is sometimes flooded with runoff rainwater, is a "death trap" as the water is contaminated that might transmit water-borne diseases, according Kyabajje.

"The water situation was bad, very bad. You walk a long distance to get water, sometimes as women we are carrying a child on the back. Then you also find a long queue at the well," said Kyabajje.

Bukasa slum, according to local leaders, has over 60,000 residents who all depend on such shallow wells, most of whom neighboring a swamp on the shores of Lake Victoria.

The Ugandan Ministry of Health figures show that the country loses 400 people daily from water-borne infections like diarrhea, dysentery, cholera and typhoid.

Kyabajje and her village mates are now better off because a new protected spring well has been constructed in their neighborhood.

Chinese families, who experienced such struggles when China faced extreme poverty, constructed the well, an addition to the over 20 others constructed elsewhere in Uganda.

"We are lucky because of our good government in China ... I think it is good that our Chinese families especially (those) living in Uganda will also give a hand to our Ugandan friends," said Zhong Shuangquan, a Chinese national who has been living in Uganda for over 23 years.

Zhong, who had come along with his family at the handover of the well to the community, invited other Chinese to join him in doing more things for the Ugandan families.

"Clean water is something that should be a fundamental basic of everyone's life, so I think by giving them a well, it should help everyone here to be able to drink clean water," said Zhong Manke, a Chinese student who studies in Uganda.

"You can make a difference in the world, you don't have to make something huge, but a small step, like coming here with my parents can also make a huge difference in the world," she added.

The Overseas China Uganda Charity Foundation, a Chinese charity, raised donations from Chinese families has constructed 25 such wells in rural Uganda and hopes to build up to 50 protected spring wells a year.

Emmanuel Masaba, a resident of Bukasa, said he will not suffer from waterborne diseases that have been eating up a chunk of his income now that he has access to clean water.

"Very many people have been going through the same situation like me. So I know we are not going to waste our money on buying medicine, instead we are going to educate our children," Masaba said.

"I want to thank the people who built the well," said Kyabajje, who was all smiles as she now has more time to do other things.

According to the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment, about 30 percent of the country's population does not have access to clean water. They get water from shallow wells, swamps, rivers and lakes. 

A woman carrying a baby fetches water from a new water well donated by the Overseas China Uganda Charity Foundation in Bukasa village, Wakiso district, central Uganda, Feb. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping)

Betty Kyabajje carries water from a new water well donated by the Overseas China Uganda Charity Foundation in Bukasa village, Wakiso district, central Uganda, Feb. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping)

The sponsor representative and initiator of Water Well Project Zhong Shuangquan (2nd R) attends the handover ceremony of the water well in Bukasa village, Wakiso district, central Uganda, Feb. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping)

Villagers fetch water from a new water well donated by the Overseas China Uganda Charity Foundation in Bukasa village, Wakiso district, central Uganda, Feb. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping)
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Brazils Bolsonaro is headed for Moscow in the latest of a flurry of calls and visits that sheds light on the Russian Presidents ambitions.
Vladimir Chizhov has ruled out an imminent attack on Ukraine. "There will be no escalation in the coming week, or in the week after that, or in the coming month," he told Die Welt.
US president Joe Biden has warned that a Russian invasion is still 'distinctly possible' despite reports Russia would withdrawal some of the 150,000 troops along Ukraine's border.
All eyes are on Frankfurt, on the trial of Franco A. a Bundeswehr soldier accused of plotting a terrorist attack while posing as a Syrian refugee. This week, he was taken into custody over fresh evidence.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance saw no de-escalation from Russia around Ukraine's borders. As NATO defense ministers met in Brussels, Romania is prepared to host a French-led battlegroup.
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The US president's warning comes despite claims from Russia that some troops are being withdrawn from Ukraine's border.
The US actor is being sued by the family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was killed on set after a gun discharged a live round.
Over 5,000 contestants from 89 countries and regions participated in an online Kung Fu contest hosted by Shaolin Temple in Henan, China. Follow Xinhua to find out what's special about this competition.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Elections Alberta has announced the launch of the four-week campaign in Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche, with voters in the northern Alberta riding heading to the polls March 15.
An anti-mandate protest outside a South Okanagan high school resulted in a verbal confrontation between adults and students and, in one case, a protester yelling a racially charged insult and profanity at a student.
Four years after the last summit between the African Union and the European Union, leaders from both sides are to meet in Brussels from February 17 to 18. With relations strained, they'll have a lot to talk about.
The two states had challenged an EU rule that allows funds to be conditional on democratic standards.
Newsy 26 Feb 2022

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US President Joe Biden once more rejected his predecessor Donald Trump's claims of executive privilege. In a letter to the National Archives, the White House said the disclosure was in the best interest of the nation.
If Russia attacked Ukraine, many Russians would not be surprised. For years, their state-run media have been paving the way, branding Ukrainians as "Nazis" and portraying the country as an enemy nation.
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said Tuesday that the depletion of funds for humanitarian operations in Yemen will be a death sentence for those who rely on assistance for survival.

Apart from access and security impediments, the biggest challenge, by far, for aid agencies in Yemen is funding. The humanitarian operation, a lifeline for millions of people across Yemen and for these many years, is about to start doing a lot less, he told the Security Council in a briefing.

Aid agencies are quickly running out of money, forcing them to slash life-saving programs. By the end of January, nearly two-thirds of major UN aid programs had already scaled back or closed altogether. In December, the World Food Programme reduced food rations for 8 million people. Starting next month, those 8 million people may get no food at all, or just a reduced ration, said Griffiths.

In March, the United Nations may also have to cancel most humanitarian flights in Yemen due to a lack of funds. Such a move would cause enormous problems for the aid operation, and for the movement of UN staff, he warned.

Looming disruptions to water and sanitation services -- again for want of funds -- could soon deprive 3.6 million people of safe drinking water, putting them -- and especially children under 5 -- at greater risk of deadly diseases. Programs to combat gender-based violence and promote reproductive health are also on the chopping block, as are a range of critical activities in the health, shelter and other sectors, he said.

"This council has heard aid agencies warn about funding shortages in the past. I have listened to my predecessor in this council along these lines. But the scale of the current gaps is unprecedented in Yemen. We have never before contemplated giving millions of hungry people no food at all, or to suspend the flights that we need to get aid workers and supplies into, around and out of the country," said Griffiths.

"If these gaps aren't addressed, it will simply be a death sentence for people whose coping mechanisms in some cases are completely exhausted and who rely on assistance for their survival," he warned. 
Daily Star 16 Feb 2022

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Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta says she would be concerned at any moves in Australia that could increase the number of New Zealand citizens being deported. The Australian government is working through changes to its Migration Act,...
U.S. gun manufacturer Remington Arms, whose rifle was used in the Sandyhook mass shooting, has agreed to settle a lawsuit with the families of victims for $73 million. The dreaded Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that shook the conscience of the country occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza opened fire indiscriminately and killed 26 people. Twen
Kinshasa (AFP) Feb 15, 2022



Environmental group Greenpeace on Tuesday said the Democratic Republic of Congo has failed to respect a multi-million-dollar agreement signed with Britain last year to finance protecting its ecologically vital forests. The DRC and Britain approved funds worth $500 million as part of the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) two months ago in Glasgow, which hosted the COP26 climate change
Satellite imagery disproves Russian claims it is withdrawing troops from Ukraine's border, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said - as he expressed concern that yesterday's large cyberattack could be a possible precursor to an invasion.
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia appears to be moving more troops near Ukraine's borders despite saying it is doing the opposite.


Greece Gambling Conference 2022 Comes to Athens on March 1st

Published February 16, 2022 by Florin P

The Greece Gambling Conference 2022 is scheduled for March 1 in Athens and will provide participants

It is time for business partners, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the latest gambling regulations and opportunities to get together. For more than two years, live events were disrupted by the pandemic, but the near future looks particularly bright. Thats because the Greece Gambling Conference 2022 is scheduled to start in a few weeks, hosted by the Novotel Athens on March 1. For a limited period of time, those interested in attending the event can get a 30% discount on tickets.

Get Your Tickets Early for the Greece Gambling Conference 2022

The Greece Gambling Conference 2022 will bring together industry leaders, expert speakers, and people with in-depth knowledge of the local gambling market. Attendees will learn more about how to open a business here, operate in accord with current legislation and be successful with Greek players.

The fact that discount tickets are available with a 30% markdown provides a good incentive to make the purchase. This offer is available until February 11 at applies to all the tickets in the business category. To benefit from these lower prices, you should enter the promo code during the registration process. Under normal circumstances, attendees would have to pay 250, but the discount brings the price down to 175.

Everything you must know about the Greek Gambling Market

People who are interested in learning more about the current state of the Greek gambling market and its prospects for the future should attend the Greece Gambling Conference 2022. Thats because the convention will bring together some of the brightest and most informed minds in the industry. You will rub shoulders with managers and owners of gambling establishments, developers, marketers, and SEO experts as well as lawyers and other legal professionals.

Representatives of top casinos and bookmakers will attend the event, as well as prominent speakers. Among the best-known experts who have confirmed their presence at the event are Stefanos Patsourakos, Saksham Sharda, Anastasios Vasios, and Levon Nikoghosyan. They represent some of the biggest names in land-based and online gambling and only have a reputation for attending top events.

The Greece Gambling Conference 2022 will also discuss other relevant topics related to the local gambling environment. BetWinner is the general sponsor of the event, a company with 15 years of experience and an excellent reputation. It is the preferred bookmaker for hundreds of thousands of users and brings a wealth of experience to the event. Attendees will have the chance to establish meaningful contacts, find business partners, and exchange invaluable information.
Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

The investment management firm Wellington Management is hiring the five-person investment team from Shelter Haven Capital Management, a market-neutral long/short equity hedge fund manager, to join the firm's $32.1 billion alternative investments unit.

Shelter Haven was founded in 2017 by Jerry Kochanski, an experienced alternatives portfolio manager, and currently oversees approximately US$350 million in client assets across separate accounts and commingled funds.

Shelter Haven's team of five investment professionals includes Hedge Fund Analysts Ross Hammer and Michael Yuan, and Research Associates Julia Karl and Alan Zhang, who will all be joining Mr. Kochanski at Wellington on 1 March. The manager that primarily focuses on small and mid-cap companies in the technology, media, telecom, and consumer sectors will close before the end of the year.

"This exciting development represents a unique opportunity for Wellington to expand our alternatives capabilities with an experienced investment team and an established client base," said Christopher Kirk, Senior Managing Director, Wellington Alternative Investments. "The market neutral strategy also aligns well with our alternatives priorities and demand from our clients."

The Shelter Haven team will continue to manage the same market-neutral, highly idiosyncratic investment strategy at Wellington. The strategy focuses on delivering returns that are uncorrelated with market betas, a......................

To view our full article Click here
AMMAN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Planning and International Cooperation Minister Nasser Shraideh on Tuesday underscored the importance of providing concessional funding for a major water project in the country.

The Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance National Project, estimated to cost some 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, will be fully implemented on Jordanian soil to provide some 300 million cubic meters of desalinated water a year, the minister said during a meeting with international financial institutions.

Shraideh said the provision of concessional funding for the project would help cut the total cost so as to provide citizens and economic sectors with water at a reasonable price.

Briefing the meeting participants on his country's water challenges linked to a refugee crisis, climate change, population growth and industrial demands, the minister said the project is regarded as the most important national investment in the economic priorities program for 2021-2023.

In February 2020, Jordan launched the Aqaba-Amman water project, the largest one in the country which will consist of a seawater conveyance system, a desalination facility in Aqaba and a freshwater conveyance system.

Jordan is one of the poorest countries in terms of water resources, as its water share per capita has declined to fewer than 100 cubic meters per year over the past decades. 
Opalesque Industry Update - Mercury Capital Advisors announced today that it has added James Howe and Michael Dunham as Partners to further enhance its origination and distribution capabilities. Howe and Dunham are based out of Mercury's New York office. Mr. Howe will be leading Mercury's US Origination efforts, while Mr. Dunham joins as a Partner on the US Distribution Team. "We are thrilled to welcome James and Michael to the Firm. We continue to see a strong momentum of deal flow in 2022 across all our verticals: fund placements, directs, and secondary advisory transactions. With decades of experience in private markets, we are confident that James and Michael will contribute significantly to the next phase of our growth," said John Franklin and Enrique Cuan, Managing Partners at Mercury. Mr. Howe joins Mercury from Stanwich Advisors where he managed Origination, Distribution and Project Management functions. He started his financial industry career at UBS, where he was one of the founding members of the UBS Private Equity Funds group and managed placement teams. After a 14-year tenure at UBS, he joined Strategic Value Partners in a fundraising capacity for its private equity structured vehicles and hedge fund products. Mr. Howe then spent 9 years at NovaFund Advisors, a private equity fund advisory and placement firm that he established and built. Mr. Dunham also brings a tenured placement expertise to the Firm after spending 16 years as a Partner at Pinnacle Trust Partners, an independent placement and advisory firm for alternative investments. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Mr. Dunham was a Senior Vice President at Trust Company of the West (TCW), a $265 billion asset management firm based in Los Angeles, CA, where he was responsible for marketing all investment products to insurance companies and other financial institutions. Earlier in his career, Mr. Dunham worked in Institutional Sales at JP Morgan Securities and UBS Securities in New York. These appointments come on the back of a very strong year for Mercury in 2021, having advised on several fund closings including those of American Landmark, Ocean Link, MML, Valor Equity Partners, Gaw Capital Partners, Blue Torch Capital and Investcorp. Mercury continues to expand its global placement capabilities; it has currently local distribution presence in New York, London, Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo and Los Angeles covering institutions and family offices in North America, Europe, Asia and the Gulf.
"Breaking barriers and Stigmas in Mental Health Awareness, Media Production and Women Entrepreneurs" Las Vegas, NV, USA | February 15, 2022 -- In association with Zandra Pollard of "ITS Where I Am" broadcasting from the campus of UNLV, KUNV 91.5FM Jazz and more. SLUGN THE MAGAZINE Presents: "WOMEN EMPOWERMENT 2022". S.L.U.G.N The Magazine is a print and online publication that focuses on issues such as gender equality, women's empowerment, and the newest 
Oskaloosa, IA (52577)

Today

Rain showers this morning with overcast skies during the afternoon hours. High 52F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 39F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
ELDON [mdash] A graveside memorial service, with military honors, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at the Eldon Cemetery in Eldon, IA for Charles and Irene Stribling. Family and friends are welcome to attend.
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MANISTEE COUNTY  Preserving an areas natural resources is a permanent commitment, and for over the last seven decades, the Manistee Conservation District has sought to do just that.

The districts mission, according to its strategic plan is to implement programs and provide services, including technical assistance that foster appreciation of the beauty and quality of the natural resources of western and northwestern Michigan and promote positive stewardship of the land, water, soil and wildlife, and to serve the communities that depend on those natural resources.

Manistee County voters will be asked for the continued support of their conservation district in the Aug. 2 primary election, through a proposed millage renewal that had previously been approved in 2018, as well as an increase to help fund its continued operations in the county.

The proposed language requests an addition of 0.125 mill for two years to coincide with the current millage and then to renew the current millage and the addition for nine years totaling 0.225 mill.

The millage increase will be applied to leverage funds including grant matching, infrastructure improvements for the district property and to retain and support its full-time staff, according to the ballot proposal.

Conservation district officials who spoke before the Ways and Means Committee on Feb. 2, said that they decided to put both the addition and renewal on the same ballot as they feel one request is contingent upon the other.

Executive director Renee Mallison said in a meeting with the Manistee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that the conservation district has a rare economic impact in Manistee County.

Conservation districts are one of the few units of local government that can actually bring funds in, she said.

The Manistee County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve the ballot language, which will place the millage renewal and adjustment on the August primary ballot.

The ballot language for the renewal is as follows:

Shall the tax rate limitation on general ad valorem taxes within the County of Manistce, imposed under Article IX Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution, and shall the County be authorized to:

"a.) Addition of 0125 of one (1) mill ($0.125 per $1,000 of taxable value) to the current .1 of one (1) mill ($0.10 per $1,000 of taxable value) levy to total .225 of one (1) mill ($0.225 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of two (2) years, 2022 through 2023 inclusive, and

"b.) Renew .225 of one (1) mill ($0.225 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of nine (9) years, 2024 through 2032 inclusive. If approved and levied in full, it is estimated that the addition of .125 mill, for a total of .225 mill, will raise $274,195 for Manistee Conservation District programs in the first calendar year of the levy, based on the 2021 county taxable value.

"A portion of the millage may be subject to capture by tax increment financing authorities.

In addition to the county millage, the conservation district is funded by state and federal grants, proceeds from its native tree, shrub and plant sales, along with private donations, according to its strategic plan.

In 2021, the conservation district was awarded $166,223 in state and federal grant income, according to its winter 2022 newsletter. The district also sold nearly 26,000 trees during its annual tree sale.

A conservation district is a local unit of government that utilizes state, federal and private sector resources to solve today's conservation challenges, according to the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts website.

Because best conservation practices vary widely depending on the region they're practiced, conservation districts were formed so that decisions on conservation issues could be made at the local level, by local people, with additional technical assistance provided by government-affiliated organizations, the website reads.

Mallison said that many of the states 75 conservation districts differ due to the different needs and challenges present in their individual regions.

I'm always surprised at how different each conservation district is, said Mallison. The staffing we provide, the focuses that they have, we (are) much different than say Midland County and what they need, just based on all of our shoreline that they don't have.

Conservation district staff provide forestry and wildlife habitat management; surface water and groundwater resources; invasive species management; federal cost-share program implementation; and educational programming on natural resources topics, according to documents provided by the county.

The Manistee Conservation District is located at 8840 Chippewa Hwy. in Bear Lake. The office can be reached at 231-889-9666, manisteecd2.org and at Facebook at /Manisteecon.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Collin Periatt.

Monday, Feb. 15

10:37 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Jerome Township location for a verbal domestic dispute. They made contact with a 31-year-old Auburn man and a 26-year-old Jerome Township woman. It was determined there was no assault, and the parties were separated.

4:07 p.m.  Officers investigated a crash resulting in property damage near Isabella Street and Huntley Lane.

3:42 p.m.  Officers investigated a case of retail fraud on Joe Mann Boulevard.

9:47 a.m.  Deputies spoke to a 45-year-old Lee Township man regarding a fraudulent cryptocurrency transaction. The man stated an unknown person fraudulently gained access to his crypto account and withdrew $4,500 worth of cryptocurrency.

5:49 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a single-vehicle crash at a Greendale Township location. The deputy spoke with the 38-year-old male driver, who was subsequently arrested for operating while intoxicated and was lodged at the Midland County Jail.
Tensions were high in Lee Township on Monday during a regular board meeting.

Township board officials were in conflict throughout Mondays regular meeting, while around 30 Lee Township residents and stakeholders attended to observe board business in the township hall.

Some of the topics of disagreement included the township's financial records, handling of public records, documenting public comments in meeting minutes, and wages for some employees, among other board items. Despite the discord, the board was successful in passing most of the items up for a vote.

Township Supervisor Kristy Gustafson said she couldn't vote "yes" in good conscience on some of the items because of the lack of information surrounding the township's financial records for the state of Michigan, for which she said Clerk Laura Dawson is responsible.

"We have to budget," Gustafson told the Daily News in an interview on Tuesday. "We have to be able to see this (financial records), and without seeing where we're at, (or) what we're really spending, it's not fair as financial watchdogs for the township to do this."

Dawson told the Daily News in an interview prior to the board meeting that there's not one particular person to blame. She said some board members won't work with her on the records.

According to a public notice issued on Monday, a special meeting to discuss the budget for 2022-23 will take place at 6 p.m. this Thursday at the township hall, which is located at 1485 W. Olson Road in Midland.

In other business, a discussion took place surrounding the issue of cellular and Internet connectivity. Some Lee Township residents offered suggestions, such as livestreaming, to address potential accessibility issues for residents who can't physically be present for township meetings.

Resident Kali List said those in Lee Township struggling with connectivity might be able to coordinate solutions with their cellphone carriers.

"There's a lot of young people that are purchasing homes or starting businesses. There are a lot of older folks, it's difficult for them to get out in the winter," said resident Rosemary Pieprzyk. "It would be nice for them to be able to see what's happening, minus some of the tensions."

Pieprzyk also said livestreaming could be helpful for documentation purposes. Meanwhile, five members of the audience held cameras and cellphones toward the board as they recorded the meeting.

The board meeting lasted around three hours, with a majority of the time spent on discord over whether or not an item of public record, which was documented in meeting minutes, could be removed from the public record.

This conversation began when Lee Township resident Joe Moore spoke in front of the board as a "guest" of the regular meeting.

Trustee Darla Rippee continued this discussion when she requested that Clerk Laura Dawson remove a public comment made by Pieprzyk during the board meeting's public comment period on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.

In addition, Pieprzyk provided a letter to the board, that is dated Jan. 19, which was included in the draft of the Jan. 17 meeting minutes. Rippee said the letter should be removed from the record because "the information was false."

Pieprzyk said to Moore that her "statements were true."

Despite some Lee Township concerns about the factual basis, Michigan public records under correction should reflect both the original entry and the correction. As exemplified in Michigan's Open Meetings Act handbook, corrections can use a strikethrough word processing feature.

Eventually, the board was able to successfully approve the Jan. 17 meeting minutes, including the comments that Rippee originally requested to be removed. Rippee declined to speak with the Midland Daily News at the Monday Lee Township board meeting.

The other two listed guests in Monday's meeting agenda were Midland County Commissioner Steve Glaser, who provides regular updates to Lee Township constituents during board meetings, and representatives of the drain commission.
A federal court ruling last week designates the gray wolves as a threatened species once again in the lower 48 states, including Michigan, after the Trump administration removed federal protections from gray wolves in 2020.

Gray wolves are native to Michigan, once present in all 83 counties before nearing eradication in 1960 as a result of persecution, habitat loss and predator control programs. The comeback of the wolf in Michigan is a remarkable wildlife success story, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The most recent survey of gray wolves, conducted between December 2019 and March 2020, by the Michigan DNR counted a minimum of 695 wolves, compared to only 20 wolves in 1992.

Wildlife advocates, including Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and 1.8 million Americans, fought fiercely against the delisting, arguing that federal protection is needed to keep states from allowing hunts.

For instance, after the gray wolf was removed from the protections of the Endangered Species Act, Wisconsin held a wolf hunt, where hunters with dogs killed 218 wolves in three days  exceeding the harvest quota by nearly 100 animals, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

Previously, wolves could only be legally killed in defense of human life in Michigan. Since the delisting of the gray wolf, farmers and ranchers in Michigan's Upper Peninsula were able to shoot wolves that posed a threat to their dogs or livestock, which is something they had argued for, according to Wolf.org.

With federal gray wolf protections restored, two Michigan laws governing the ability to kill wolves preying on livestock, pets and hunting dogs have been suspended, according to the Michigan DNR.

"The changes on wolf protections took effect immediately Thursday with the judges signing of the U.S. District Court order," Michigan DNR Public Information Officer Ed Golder said in a news release. "Ongoing work to update the 2015 Michigan Wolf Management Plan will continue, with completion of that process expected later this year."

The now-suspended state laws are Public Act 318 of 2008, which allows hunting dog owners to remove, capture or use lethal means to destroy a wolf in the act of preying on the owners dog, and Public Act 290 of 2008, which offers the same provisions to livestock owners.

In light of the reinstated protections, Nessel issued the following statement:

"Michigan is proud to be home to approximately 700 gray wolves," Nessel said in a press release. "These magnificent animals serve important roles in our Great Lakes ecosystems, and they show us that dedication to family is not unique to humans. I refused to stand idly by when the federal government tried to use the Great Lakes wolf recovery success story to remove needed Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in other states."

In July 2021, Nessel took part in an amicus brief in the Wolf Delisting litigation fighting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services decision to remove gray wolves from the list of endangered species, arguing that the agency made this move contrary to the Endangered Species Act and to the detriment of gray wolf populations in other states, according to the release.

The DNR had supported the federal rule to delist wolves because the states wolf population has long surpassed federal and state goals for recovery.

"The restoration of wolf protections comes as many wolf-hunt proponents have been advocating for a hunt across the Upper Peninsula," the Michigan DNR stated in a press release. "Decisions to implement and regulate hunts of state game animals reside with the Michigan Natural Resources Commission."

The DNR also said that before a wolf hunt should be considered, several things should take place, including updating the Michigan Wolf Management Plan, consulting with Native American tribes and that the legal status of wolves should be more permanently settled given a long history of legal challenges to delisting decisions resulting in a frequently shifting status of wolves.

Today there are recovering wolf populations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho; wolves have begun to inhabit Washington, Oregon and California; and unclaimed wolf habitat remains in states like Maine, Colorado and Utah, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

To learn more about wolves and wolf management in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Wolves.
Palestine, TX (75801)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 78F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Djibouti, Djibouti (PANA)  Heads of the military and the Police in Djibouti have been placed under house arrest and fired from their posts in unclear circumstances, the local media reported Tuesday
Washington, DC, US (PANA) - The United States has welcomed the lifting of the state of emergency in Ethiopia describing it as another important step by the Government to pave the way for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The Malian Ministry of Health and Social Development on Tuesday launched a registration campaign for internally displaced persons (IDPs) estimated at some three million,
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The deputy chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, Abdallah al-Lafi, on Tuesday discussed with the Speaker of Parliament, Aguila Saleh, support for the political path and the follow-up of the latest political situation in the country as well as efforts to achieve stability and national reconciliation
James Swan (C), the UN secretary-general's special representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, speaks at a Security Council meeting at UN Headquarters in New York on Feb. 15, 2022.(Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The humanitarian situation in Somalia remains extremely dire, with almost half of the population requiring assistance in 2022, said James Swan, the top UN envoy for Somalia, on Tuesday.

Somalia is the most severely drought-affected country in the Horn of Africa, with 4.3 million people impacted and more than 270,000 people newly displaced due to drought. With the next rains in April likely to be the fourth below-average cycle, Somalia is facing a potential humanitarian catastrophe, he told the Security Council in a briefing.

While the Somalia humanitarian operation has the know-how to deliver life-saving aid to people in need, it requires adequate resources. Unfortunately, the humanitarian response plan for 2022 is currently only 2 percent funded, he said.

"While I wish to express profound appreciation to the donor community for its continued commitment to Somalia, I once more call on donors to increase their support for urgent assistance to the most vulnerable Somali people," he said.

While critical, any humanitarian response is not a long-term solution. The UN family is therefore taking action to strengthen the humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding nexus. To this end, Somali-based UN agencies, funds and programs continue to pursue a joint approach to address challenges such as water management, durable solutions, fraud and corruption, said Swan, the UN secretary-general's special representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia.

The implementation of the women, peace and security agenda, as well as inclusion of youth remains central to UN work in Somalia, he said.

The United Nations and the government of Somalia jointly launched a new Women, Peace and Protection program in November 2021. This project aims to promote women's meaningful participation in peacebuilding processes, particularly within decision-making and leadership roles, he said. "This is an investment enabling us to implement the women, peace and security agenda at the federal and sub-national levels as well as to improve critical areas such as protection of women and girls from sexual violence in conflict."

On the youth front, the United Nations continues to support the Somali government to integrate youth dimensions to different areas, from electoral participation to local reconciliation and more, he said.

Al-Shabaab continues to pose the major security threat in Somalia, said Swan.

Political divisions and prolonged delays in the elections have allowed insurgent forces to make some recent gains. The group's modus operandi remains unchanged, with Banadir region and South West State the center of its attacks, he said.

In recent months, operations have also intensified in Hirshabelle and Galmudug states as Al-Shabaab has sought to exploit local political and security tensions, he said, adding that there has been extensive use of improvised explosive devices in the capital city of Mogadishu in recent weeks. 

Photo taken on Feb. 15, 2022 shows the Security Council meeting on Somalia at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The top UN envoy for Somalia on Tuesday saw possible overall progress in Somalia's situation.

"While political, security and humanitarian conditions in Somalia are still fragile, I remain guardedly hopeful that the country will make further progress in these areas in the coming months and beyond," James Swan, the UN secretary-general's special representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, told the Security Council in a briefing. (Evan Schneider/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

James Swan (C), the UN secretary-general's special representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, speaks at a Security Council meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York on Feb. 15, 2022.

The top UN envoy for Somalia on Tuesday saw possible overall progress in Somalia's situation.

"While political, security and humanitarian conditions in Somalia are still fragile, I remain guardedly hopeful that the country will make further progress in these areas in the coming months and beyond," James Swan, the UN secretary-general's special representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, told the Security Council in a briefing. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)
Parcel delivery company General Logistics Systems (GLS) Spain is to create a new logistics center in Madrid and has chosen Siemens Logistics to commission, design and integrate parcel sorting technology for the facility.

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Siemens Logistics will integrate several Visicon singulators, 2km of conveyor belt, a linear sorter system and software. The sorting system will have a throughput of up to 50,000 parcels per hour and the ability to process consignments of different formats and weight categories. The installation is scheduled to be completed by spring 2023.

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To meet the growth in parcel flows, GLS Spain chose to centralize its operations in the capital region. This parcel hub will be part of the Madrid Gate Logistics Centre, located near Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport, and cover approximately 75,000m2 .

Luis Doncel Fernandez, general manager, GLS Spain, said, Were looking forward to our collaboration with Siemens. Our new facility will be the most important GLS logistics center on the Iberian Peninsula and one of our most important hubs in Europe. We decided to rely on the Siemens team, who offered us not only powerful and reliable sorting technology, but also system design and installation. This will strengthen us to further increase the flexibility, quality and efficiency of all the services we offer to our clients.

Michael Reichle, CEO of Siemens Logistics, said, We are pleased to equip the new GLS logistics complex in Madrid with our reliable sorting system. This is a key project for both companies.

Nerea Torres, CEO of Siemens Logistics in Spain, added, We will work hand in hand with GLS. Our goal is to support them in optimizing their transit times and in further improving the quality of their operations to make this a definitive reference hub in the sector.
Photo: (Photo : Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Despite her status as a Hollywood superstar, Angelina Jolie said she's one nervous mom after witnessing the Senate introduce the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, her advocacy on women.

The "Maleficent" star shared a photo on Instagram that her daughter, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, joined her at the Senate to calm nerves before she spoke in the press conference, alongside the legislators and advocates of the bill.

In her post, Jolie said it had been a defining moment to share this milestone with Zahara. The mom of six said that her teenage daughter also shares the same advocacy of supporting women faced with violence.

Read Also: Angelina Jolie Still Sends Gifts to Her Step-Children With Billy Bob Thornton

Most Important Vote in the Senate

On Wednesday, February 9, Jolie also spoke in front of the lawmakers on Capitol Hill to appeal to them to cast their crucial vote in favor of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. According to ABC News, the bill includes provisions covering women's education, rape prevention, access to housing for survivors of domestic violence, as well as legal services.

Jolie's speech was described as emotional as she decries how many women could have been saved if this bill had been renewed earlier. The House had a similar bill passed in 2021.

In 1994, then-President Bill Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act into a law that provided federal funding for women victims of violence and sexual assault. In 2018, however, a review of the Act lapsed as members of the Republican Party said there were loopholes in some of the provisions.

Jolie said that many women have a more challenging time leaving abusive relationships because the lack of support from the government makes them feel worthless. She said that failure to renew the Act reinforced these feelings compounded by their abusers.

"The ugly truth is that violence in homes is normalized in our country."



WATCH: Complete remarks from Angelina Jolie at news conference on Violence Against Women Act. pic.twitter.com/MzS28BAbPm  CSPAN (@cspan) February 9, 2022

Before her speech on Capitol Hill, Jolie has made a series of visits to Washington, D.C., to lobby for the Act's renewal. She also met with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki to discuss the law.

Zahara Follows Her Mother's Footsteps

According to Deadline, Jolie's Capitol and White House visits also included discussions with EPA Administrator Micheal Regan, who said that issues affecting children's health are interconnected with the environmental stressors all around.

Two months before the meeting with Regan, Jolie was also in the capital with Zahara. The 17-year-old is following in the footsteps of her mother as a humanitarian.

Jolie adopted Zahara from Ethiopia when she was just six months old. As with the rest of her siblings, Zahara grew up out of the spotlight as the child of Jolie and superstar dad, Brad Pitt. However, in recent months, she has been attending red carpet events and various charity events with her mother.

The actress has been embroiled in a custody battle with her ex-husband. She has asked the courts for full custody of her minor children, including Zahara. Sources close to the Hollywood star said that Jolie is always looking out for the interests of her children after Pitt was investigated and then cleared for child abuse. The ex-couple has reached a temporary custody agreement for their kids.

Related Article: Angelina Jolie Says She's a 'Very Human' Mom to 6 'Very Individual' Children
Sometimes, a Chromebook beats a Windows laptop. Complexity often makes life harder for users easily confused by computersand the people who provide them IT support. A Chromebooks simplified interface does away with driver management, endless system updates, and even malware avoidance.

More importantly, Chromebooks run a lightweight operating system that feels fast and responsive on older and budget hardware, making them far more affordable. In fact, you can create your own Chromebook for free if you have an older laptop lying around. You just have to install the equivalent of Chrome OS on it.

The process takes less than an hour, and the end result often feels snappier than todays dirt-cheap Chromebooks. Heres how to do the conversion.

How to convert a laptop into a Chromebook

For this project, well be using Neverwares CloudReady operating system, which is based on Chromium OSthe same open-source code that Google built Chrome OS on. You can read more about the basic differences between the two if youre curious, but all you need to know is that Neverware has made the experience of using CloudReady nearly identical to Chrome OS.

The one key feature missing is support for Android apps. (Despite purchasing Neverware in December 2020, Google has not merged development for CloudReady and Chrome OS.) So if thats integral to your needs, youll have to buy an official Chromebook. Otherwise youre good to go.

Update (Feb 15, 2022): Google has launched an early version of Chrome OS Flex, which builds upon and will ultimately supercede CloudReady. Since Chrome OS Flex is a limited version of CloudReady, with some missing features and compatible devices still experiencing minor issues, this guide will continue to rely on CloudReady for now. Google says that existing CloudReady installations will automatically be upgraded to Chrome OS Flex when the latter is stable.

Step 1: Check that your laptop will meet the requirements

CloudReadys system requirements are very minimal: Just 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, full BIOS access, and manufactured after 2007.

Like Chrome OS, CloudReadys system requirements are very minimal. The laptop must have 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, full BIOS access, and ideally been manufactured after 2007. You will still need to check your CPU model, though, as Neverware says that processors with Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 500, 600, 3600, or 3650 graphics hardware dont meet CloudReadys performance standards. (In other words, Atom processors from the Silverthorne, Lincroft, and Cedarview families, which were found in low-end laptops between 2008 and early 2012.)

Your best-case scenario is to find your laptop on Neverwares list of certified devices, which clearly outlines support for features like a webcam or touchscreen. (Click on the models name to see those details.) We lucked out that our test model, a 2013 Lenovo ThinkPad X240, had full feature support across the board.

We lucked out with our test machine, a Lenovo ThinkPad X240: All of its major features are supported.

Note: On the compatibility list, youll see desktop systems like iMacs and NUCs listed as wellso if you have a spare monitor, mouse, and keyboard, you can instead spin up a Chromebox. Systems running integrated graphics work best.

If your laptop meets the hardware requirements but isnt on the certified devices list, dont worry. You can try out CloudReady from the flash drive youll create next, which will allow you to test out how well it works without having to nuke your system.

FRIENDLY REMINDER: Before you begin installing CloudReady, back up any files within your existing OS! The process is the same as a clean install of Windows, Linux, or MacOS and will completely wipe your drive.

Step 2: Prepare the flash drive for installation

To install CloudReady, youll need an 8GB USB drive (at minimum) and a PC, Mac, or Chromebook to create the installation media. The process takes about 20 minutes.

Well be using CloudReady Home edition, which is free and will work even if you plan to use this Chromebook for school. You can ignore any notes or warnings about restrictions related to management licensestheyre for the CloudReady Enterprise and Education versions, which would be purchased by an institution.

The easiest way to prepare a CloudReady installation flash drive is with a Windows PC.

Using a Windows PC to create the flash drive installer is easiest, as you can download the USB Maker and let it take care of the whole process. For Macs, Linux PCs, and Chromebooks, youll need to download the CloudReady Home Edition image first, then follow Neverwares instructions for manually building your installer.

Step 3: Boot to flash drive

In order to boot to your newly created flash drive, you must bypass your laptops automatic boot order, which usually defaults to the primary storage drive. Youll do this by hitting a key on your keyboard when your PC first powers up, similar to entering the BIOS. Search online for how to access the boot priority menu for your particular laptop, since its not universal. For example, our Lenovo ThinkPad X240 required mashing F12 right at startup, while for our HP Spectre x360, it was F9. CloudReady even provides a list of boot keys for major laptop makers.

An alternative method is to enter your laptops BIOS (again, you will need to search for which key to press when powering on your laptop) and rearrange the automatic boot order, then undo that change after your CloudReady install.

In either case, you should be able to choose the USB drive as your boot device. A white screen with the CloudReady logo will appear shortly thereafter.

Tip: Did you end up in your laptops default operating system after booting, despite repeated button mashing? You likely waited too long to start pressing the key, or you arent pressing the right combination of keys. (Example: Function keys may require also holding the Fn keyor not.)

Step 4: Install CloudReady

When the welcome screen appears, you can take one of two routes: Immediately wipe your laptops drive and install CloudReady, or configure CloudReady on the flash drive. Choose the latter if youd like to test drive CloudReady for short whiledoing so allows you to try out Neverwares OS without any destructive changes to your system.

Note: Neverware does not recommend running CloudReady indefinitely from a USB drive due to performance and storage limitations, as well as a lack of OS updates.

Option 1: Installation

After booting to the flash drive, wait for the welcome screen to appear, then click on the bottom right-hand part of the screen where the time shows. In the menu that appears, choose Install OS.

Youll find the option for installing CloudReady to your laptop within this menu.

Confirm youve backed up your data, and then proceed with the hard drive wipe and CloudReady installation. Neverware says the process will last between 5 and 20 minutes, depending on the speed of your flash drive and the size of your laptops hard drive.

Upon completion, your laptop will shut down. Remove the USB drive, then power the system back on (and undo any changes to your BIOSs automatic boot order, if applicable). Youll see a welcome screen once again, now running from your laptop. Click on Lets Go to begin setup.

Option 2: Try out CloudReady from the flash drive

When the welcome screen appears, click on Lets Go to start setup. After passing through configuration screens for Wi-Fi, data sharing, and Google account login, youll reach the desktop. Close out of the pop-up window that shows info on the paid editions and current release notes to begin using CloudReady.

Unless you wish to read the release notes, you can close out of this desktop start screen right away.

You can later install CloudReady locally by clicking on the time in the bottom right-hand part of the screen. Choose Install OS in the menu that appears. After completion, your laptop will shut down. Remove the USB drive, then power the system back on (and undo any changes to your BIOSs automatic boot order, if applicable). Youll see the welcome screen once again, now running from your laptop; begin setup by clicking on Lets Go.

Step 5: Log into your Google Account

If you installed CloudReady to the laptops storage drive, you now only need connect to the internet (either via Wi-Fi or ethernet), set your data sharing preference, and log into your Google account. Youll then reach the desktop, where youll see a pop-up window that shows info on the paid editions and current release notes.

Close it to start using your DIY Chromebookyoure all set to go. As of version 89 of CloudReady, proprietary media plugins no longer need to be installed manually. You can start streaming video from services that rely on DRM (Netflix, Hulu, etc) right away!

How well does it run?

As a Windows PC, our Lenovo ThinkPad X240 was starting to get long in the tooth. As a Chromebook, its hardware automatically made for a smooth, pleasant experience.

For this article, we used a 2013 Lenovo ThinkPad X240, borrowed from our IT departments stash of decommissioned laptops. This 12.5-inch touchscreen laptop is long in the tooth by todays standards, mostly due to a spinning-platter hard disk drivewhen working within Windows 8.1, the system felt sluggish even during basic use.

But our X240s Intel Core i5-4300U processor, 8GB RAM, and 500GB drive absolutely crushes todays budget Chromebooks. It hangs pretty well with mid-range models, too, despite its 1366768 resolution display. When we tried CloudReady off the flash drive, the touchscreen worked immediately and the system ran buttery smooth; even when installed on the hard disk drive, CloudReady had a much faster response time than Windows 8.1. Normally in an older laptop, Id swap in an SSD to prolong its life, but I found I could use CloudReady on the X240s existing hardware without yearning for that upgrade.

Standby battery life also improved, allowing us to go from a day of use between charges in Win 8.1 to a couple of days in CloudReady.

If you dont have an old laptop

Try hunting for gently used notebooks among reliable friends or family. Local universities sometimes also have surplus departments, which offload older computer equipment by selling it to the public. On occasion, you can find good refurbished computers through Amazon WarehouseRemove non-product link or Woot, too.

Final tips

If your older laptop has low-end hardware (or very old hardware) paired with a hard-disk drive, youll get better performance by swapping in an SSD. Find out the height of your existing hard drive before buying to ensure itll fit.

Though CloudReady functions all but the same as Chrome OS, one small difference is that the keyboard layouts dont match exactly. Most keyboard commands carry over, but a few are a little different. Our Lenovo ThinkPad X240 didnt even match Neverwares suggestion of CTRL + F5 for taking a screenshot; for some inexplicable reason, CTRL + F11 worked instead. You may also need to experiment to find the right key combos.

Editors Note: This story originally published on 8/24/2020 and has been updated with current instructions for installing CloudReady.
Microsofts Settings menu within Windows 11 has taken a quiet, significant step forward with the addition of subscription information, though its still incomplete. Nevertheless, it provides a handy starting point to understand and manage your Microsoft subscriptions.

Within the Windows 11 Settings menu > Accounts > Your Microsoft account, theres a new section at the top of the page: Your subscriptions. There, youll find the status of both your Microsoft 365 subscription (if you have one) as well as how full your OneDrive cloud storage is and other details.

Theres a new addition to the top of the Windows 11 Settings page, under Accounts. Mark Hachman / IDG

The new feature is actually part of a cumulative update for Windows 11 that Microsoft rolled out this month. That update is noteworthy for two things: First, it marks the new ways in which Microsoft will quietly roll out new features to your PC, outside of the normal feature updates. Second, it patches the notorious Windows 11 SSD slowdowns, once and for all. (Make sure your PC is up to date by checking Windows Update if you dont see this new feature.) Microsoft should add a small batch of additional features later this month to all Windows 11 PCs, including the first Android apps.

Right now, the subscription menu links to the provider of your Microsoft 365 subscription and who you share it with. The section is little more than a dashboard, connecting you to your Microsoft 365 subscription page if you want to make changes, or for more detail. The Windows Settings dashboard could stand to include some improvementsfor one, the manage sharing section of my Microsoft 365 subscription only tells me the three people with whom Im sharing my subscription with, and not that Im eligible to share with an additional two more. The fuel gauge for OneDrive capacity is helpful, if only for helping to avoid bumping up against OneDrives data cap, as was a problem with Google Photos.

Theres a big omission, however, and one that seems almost a little deceitful: If you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, it isnt listed on the dashboard. Microsoft has offered Xbox Game Pass for the PC for three years now, so not including it seems a little odd. To find the status of that subscription, you need to click on the All subscriptions sub-section, which leads to Microsofts services page. Again, this seems a little silly: You may have access to enterprise- or developer-associated Microsoft subscriptions like GitHub that would naturally fall into the All subscriptions bucket. But Microsoft 365 and Xbox Game Pass are the fundamental Microsoft subscriptions that are mentioned every quarter by top executives. Frankly, theres really no reason why Microsoft couldnt simply include every subscription that a user has subscribed to on this page.

And it may. Microsofts new update services mean that Microsoft can now tweak Windows regularly, and we should probably expect to see more information added to this page in the future. For now, its a decent start.
With an increased focus on security and privacy, Google has been trying to reinvent the way the internet tracks users via tiny embedded files called cookies. Its a tall order: Cookie-based advertising is the basis of the global digital advertising industry, including the ads you see on this very page. While reactions to Googles new Privacy Sandbox initiative have been tepid at best, the company is expanding it from Chrome on desktops and laptops to Android phones.

Google announced that it will bring the Privacy Sandbox to its Android platform and mobile versions of Chrome slowly, gradually introducing its component parts over the next two years. In addition to working with software developers to raise the bar for user privacy, the company is offering public comments to users. This move is, to a greater or lesser degree, a response to Apples widely lauded iOS app tracking tools introduced last year. Google acknowledges it: We realize that other platforms have taken a different approach to ads privacybut as a business thats essentially built on profitable advertising, it cant take the same radical stance Apple has.

Privacy Sandbox does away with conventional cookies, instead presenting advertisers with blocks of semi-anonymized users grouped together based on shared factors like interests, demographics, and behavior. Its a less specific and more general means of targeted ads, sacrificing the hyper-specificity of the current system (where youll see ads for a new frying pan for days after an Amazon search) for a more general approach focused on user anonymity and safety.

At least, thats how Google is presenting its cookie alternative: Its been met with rebukes from other members of the advertising industry as well as outside privacy advocates. The Electronic Frontier Foundation says that the Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) system would group users into potentially harmful targeted silos; the United Kingdoms Competition and Markets Authority said the new system could undermine advertising competition; and the makers of Brave, Vivaldi, and Microsoft Edge browsers all said they werent interested in this new paradigm. Eventually Google let go of the FLoC idea, but is still going forward with the Privacy Sandbox grouping technique.

Despite Googles plans to radically alter the way advertising on the web works, at least for users on Chrome and Android, it isnt going to change overnight. While we design, build and test these new solutions, we plan to support existing ads platform features for at least two years, the blog post says. In the meantime you can manually delete your Google advertising ID and opt out of personalized ads on any Android phone or tablet.
The Finance Ministry has re-clarified transactions that will be affected by the Electronic Transaction Levy which is expected to be tabled before Parliament this week.



It insists that only mobile money transactions above 100 will be taxed.



However, transfers between bank accounts owned by the same person will not attract any E-Levy.



Again, transfer from ones mobile money account (MTN) to another mobile money account (Airtel/Tigo of his/her) will not attract the tax.



Also, transfers for the payment of taxes, fees and charges to Ministries, Departments and Agencies or Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies via the Ghana.gov platform or other designated system will be exempted.



The Finance Ministry further pointed out that a transfer for payments made for a commercial establishments through a payment service (mobile money, bank application, financial technology firm etc.) to a person registered with for the purposes of income tax or value-added tax is exempted. This will apply to both online and physical sales.



There is also 0% E-Levy for salary and allowances of teachers with an average monthly incomes of Ghc1,500.



Workers with average monthly incomes of Ghc3,000 whose salary has mobile money linkage would also be exempted.



At the same time, farmers with average monthly incomes with 500 will also not be affected by the E-Levy. Their payment for farm inputs and medical bills would also not attract E-Levy.



The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, last week revised the rate of the E-Levy from 1.75% to 1.50%.



It is expected to be tabled before Parliament this week despite the stiff opposition from the Minority.















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
Two unemployed men who smeared pepper powder unto the face of a Bolt driver and made away with his Techno Carmon Phone valued at GH800, have been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment each by an Accra Circuit Court.

Raphael Maamah aka Tema Boy, Solomon Anum aka Container Money, broke down in tears after the sentence.



Maamah and Anum were found guilty by the court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah at the end of the trial on charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit robbery and robbery.



Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Haligah narrated that, the complainant, Kester Anderson is a professional driver with Bolt Transport Services and resides at Tema Community 11.



Chief Inspector Haligah said both accused were residents of Teshie Maami, Accra.



Prosecution said on November 29, at about 11:05pm, Maamah called the complainant for his services and that Anderson was to transport the accused from Teshie-Agblezaa to Salem Square also in Teshie.



The Prosecution said the accused asked the complainant to use the Teshie LEKMA Hospital Road through Teshie Mobile to Lascala through to Salem Square.



Chief Inspector Haligah said on reaching Salem Square, the accused persons alighted but while doing so Maamah who was sitting behind the complainant quickly smeared powered pepper unto the face of the complainant.



According to prosecution, Anum who was sitting at the front seat, forcibly took the complainants phone and they bolted.



The prosecution said the complainant shouted for help and some women came to his aid by providing him with water to wash his face.



He said a report was made to the Police and while the case was under investigations, the Bolt Transport Services provided Maamahs phone number which was used in securing the services of the complainant on the day of the incident.



He said the Police arrested Maamah who mentioned Anum as the one who committed the offence with his mobile number.



The prosecution said on January 5, last year, Anum was also arrested and the accused in their respective cautioned statements admitted the offence.







Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Strategic Communications Africa LTD. (Stratcomm Africa), Ghanas premier full service communication agency, won two awards at the Annual Public Relations Excellence Awards held at Dodi place in Akosombo on Friday 21st January 2022.



The multiple award winning agency was this time recognised as excelling in respect of communication content in its campaign delivery (Best content) and also for communication for nonprofit purposes (Best in Nonprofit communication). The citations accompanying the two awards said, Stratcomm Africa Provided regular, relatable and relevant content, packaged in engaging and easy to consume ways to key stakeholders. In respect of the award for best in nonprofit communication, which was in respect of communication about Covid -19, the citation said, Stratcomm Africa planned and executed an effective relationship, strengthening communication with a PR strategy, which yielded demonstrable results.



The Public Relations Excellence Awards, the flagship recognition activity of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana, awards members for excellence in various aspects of public relations/communications delivery.



Mawuko Afadzinu, President of IPR Ghana says, Our Institute promotes excellence through constant learning and relearning and we honour and reward excellence as this contributes to the growth of our profession.



Esther A.N Cobbah, Founder of Stratcomm Africa said, Excellent content is critical for impactful communication and that is the trademark of Stratcomm Africa. We at Stratcomm Africa, also deploy the excellence in communication for non-profit purposes to benefit society, not just for commercial purposes. We are therefore delighted to receive this year, the awards for Best content and Best in Nonprofit communication.



Stratcomm Africa turns Twenty-Eight years this year. In this period, it has continued to provide professional support to individuals and organisations, public and private, local and international, in numerous industries including agriculture, aviation, finance, mining, oil and gas, telecommunications, manufacturing and fast moving consumer goods. Development related programming - health, gender, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), child and youth development issues etc. have also been among the areas that have been addressed effectively by Stratcomm Africa.



Stratcomm Africas professional excellence has been consistently recognised by the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana, in different award categories, including Outstanding PR Agency of the year. Stratcomm Africa also continues to be recognized internationally.

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.

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Demand for locally produced chocolate and other finished cocoa products has picked up significantly, as more people heed calls by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and other stakeholders to consume more Ghana cocoa.

The Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) and other major cocoa processors are now struggling to meet the demand for the products, especially in this month of February when more people patronise chocolate and other products in a symbolic gesture to show love, as is associated with Valentines Day.



From the sale of 187 tonnes of chocolate and other finished cocoa products in February 2018, sales at the CPC have almost doubled to 300 tonnes this month as a result of a steady rise in demand over the period.



The marked increase in patronage also follows the revamping of the National Chocolate Day celebration to create awareness of the benefits of cocoa and the need to make its consumption a routine, instead of an event.



Rising demand



The Managing Director of the CPC, Nana Agyenim Boateng I, told the Daily Graphic over the weekend that his outfit was overwhelmed by the rise in demand, but said it had strategically repositioned its operations to take full advantage of the demand.



He attributed the growing demand to the awareness created by COCOBOD, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and other stakeholders of the need to consume more Ghana-made chocolate and cocoa due to its benefits.



The MD, who is the Chief of Amoaman in the Ashanti Region, added that apart from the month of February, Christmas and Easter were occasions people patronised CPCs products.



He said as a result of the high demand, the company was now sourcing funds to retool and expand its confectionery factory.



Activities



The National Chocolate Day was instituted in 2005 to coincide with Valentines Day, which falls on 14th February, every year, to boost the domestic consumption of chocolate and other cocoa-based products to promote domestic tourism.



This year, week-long activities for the celebration began on February 8 and climaxed yesterday. It was on the theme: Eat chocolate, stay healthy, grow Ghana, with the sub-theme: Our chocolate, our health, our earth.



The GTA also organised a float along some principal streets of Accra, ending at the Chocolate City, temporarily set up at the Tetteh-Quarshie Interchange.



The float sensitised the public to the health and economic benefits of chocolate and other cocoa-based products.



Speaking at the end of the float, the acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GTA, Mr Ekow Sampson, gave an assurance that the authority would intensify its campaign to help increase the per capita consumption of cocoa from 0.5 to 1.5 kilogrammes by the close of this year.



We intend to intensify the promotion of local consumption of chocolate and other cocoa based-products and also extend the campaign to the rural communities to make it more effective to ensure that we achieve our target.



I am sure that if we sustain the momentum in the next couple of years, more people are going to consume chocolate to put us up the ranking, which is very low at the moment, Mr Sampson said.



According to him, cocoa products were capable of improving blood circulation, reducing blood pressure and providing energy and vitality.









Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Ernest Addison, has said the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is a pillar of the political and economic stability of the country.



He is not only a pillar of peace but also a pillar of political stability and a pillar of economic stability for this country. These are the key ingredients to ensure that we have a higher growth and higher standards of living, he said.



Dr Addison said this when a team from the E ON 3 Group and its partners presented the Otumfuo Commemorative Gold Coin to him at his office in Accra on Monday, February 14, 2022.



Achievements



Commenting on the achievements of the Asantehene as enumerated by the delegation, Dr Addison said,  Not many people know how involved Otumfuo has been in ensuring peace and stability in this country but we have been following his exploits, especially the rle he played in Dagbon.



Exploits



Dr Addison thanked the E ON 3 Group for the honour done him by presenting the coin to him.



I thank you for including me in the list of recipients of this very important coin, he stated.



He added: I have been following your ( E ON 3 Group) exploits and this is a project that we are very proud of and happy to contribute to in honour of Otumfuo.





The spokesperson of the delegation, Mr Jesse Agyepong,thanked the Governor and the BoG for the support given to the gold coin project.Mr Agyepong who is the General Manager of the E ON 3 Group, said the presence of Dr Addison at the unveiling of the gold coin in Kumasi attested to the importance he attached to the initiative.He traced the history of Otumfuos peace initiatives and said the fact remained that the Asantehene had been phenomenal in his quest to see peace thrive in the country.Other members of the delegation included the Executive Chairman of E ON 3 Group, Mr Richard Adjei Mensah Ofori Atta; Mr Olumide Olatunji, the Managing Director of the Access Bank, and Mrs Yvonne Antonio, the Head of Retail Banking of the Access Bank.

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.

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The Market Centres Fumigation Project being championed by Crisis Management Company LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has reached Tema in the Greater Accra Region.



The fumigation exercise which was done in Tema on Sunday, February 13, 2022, saw the complete fumigation of the offices of the Tema Municipal Assembly, the Tema main Market in Community 1, spare parts shops and electrical shops at the Mankoadze roundabout.



In all, about Five Thousand (5,000) shops were fumigated free of charge in efforts by LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited to support governments fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.



A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited, the Market Centres Fumigation Project is aimed at fumigating market centres across the country to lessen the risk of traders catching the COVID-19 Virus.



So far the Greater Accra, Central, Ashanti and Eastern Regions have benefitted from the project with dozens of market centres containing more than Forty Thousand (40,000) Shops fully fumigated free of charge by the company.







Chief Executive Officer of LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited, Mr. Kareem Abu in an interaction with the media said the company was so far satisfied with the results and outcome of the exercise.



Were happy with what we have done so far in the regions we have covered. Im reliably informed by the leadership of GUTA that the traders whose shops have been fumigated are going about their business in confidence, cognizant of the fact that their environment has been rid of any infectious pathogens and viruses. That is our aim in this project, to create a safe, secure and healthy environment for traders to go about their business without let or hindrance. Mr. Abu said.



He added that we will continue to implore the traders to compliment this gesture by adhering to the safety protocols at all times. This way, well all be contributing our quota towards the fight against the pandemic with the conviction that together we can win.



Mr. Clement Boateng, the first Vice President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association on his part, lauded Authorities of the Tema Municipal Assembly and the traders for their cooperation which made the exercise a success.



He reiterated GUTAs desire to ensure that the Ghanaian traders interest is protected at all times and that they operate in a conducive and congenial atmosphere.



Mr. Boateng who was full of praise for LCB Worldwide Ghana Limited for carrying out the fumigation exercise at the market centres free of charge, hinted that the next beneficiary of the project will be the Western Region which will be done soon.

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.

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The Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project (GLRSSP) has been launched by the Government to strengthen the integration of the country's natural resource management.



The World Bank approved $103.4 million in August last year to implement the project expected to benefit 250,000 youth, farmers, artisanal small-scale miners and women.



Dr Kwaku Afriyie, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, on Tuesday, virtually launched the Project.



The Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and coordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency.



Dr Afriyie said the project aimed at strengthening the integration of the countrys natural resources management and increasing the benefits to communities in targeted savannah and cocoa forest landscapes.



It would also support sustainable land use, water, and forest management initiatives in climate-vulnerable target landscapes and support the formalization of small-scale mining.



The project would geographically target two landscapes, the Northern Savannah Zone, including the Guinea Savannah ecological zone, the Sudan Savannah ecological zone, and the upper portions of the Transitional ecological zone; and the cocoa forest landscape, including parts of the Forest ecological zone and the Pra River Basin.



The financing of the project includes an International Development Association (IDA) credit of $75 million and $28.4 million in grants from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the Extractive Global Programmatic Support (EGPS) and the Global Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Landscapes Multi-Donor Trust Fund.



The liberalization of Ghanas mining laws in 1989 legalized artisanal and small-scale mining with the fundamental goal of creating jobs and generating revenue.



However, the small-scale mining sector had created an array of challenges, including unsustainable and illegal use of lands for mining, destroying the country's lands, leading to deforestation, loss of biodiversity, accelerated soil erosion and sedimentation, water and air pollution, and degradation of productive agricultural lands, including cocoa farms, among other environmental damage.



These challenges have cost the nation over $6.3 billion annually, according to the World Banks Country Environmental Analysis (CEA) study conducted in 2017.



Dr Afriyie noted that if the natural resource extraction techniques and agricultural methods were not modified and landscape restored, the base of the country's rich natural resources would be destroyed without thoroughly exploring its benefits and render sustainable economic growth from the sector.



"Our current generation has a moral obligation to restore and sustainably manage the environment for the next generation.



"We may have wasted time, being selfish to an extent, but we can turn things around and strive to achieve a better, greener and healthier environment," Dr Afriyie stressed.







Source: GNA









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The Ghana Police Service has explained why Abronye DC was detained even after he was cautioned.



The Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party who appeared in court today was arrested over his claims that former President John Mahama is involved in a coup plot.



Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC following an invitation, reported himself to the Greater Accra Regional Police Command to assist in investigations.



The police subsequently cautioned and detained him on Tuesday.



The Service has however been criticized for this action.



Reacting to this, the Director-General of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Kwesi Ofori said the Service has the discretion to detain or release a suspect.



Speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', he insisted that their decision to keep Abronye overnight was not "highhanded".



"When it comes to these issues the police uses their discretion; either to take you to court or grant bail or be detainedits part of a professional decision to detain him even though he was cautioned," he added.



Meanwhile, Abronye DC has been granted a GHc100,000 bail by an Accra Circuit Court.



Listen to DCOP Kwesi Ofori in the video below





Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Mon- Tran Limited a Ghanaian outsourcing company that provides Cash-In-Transit (CIT), bullion and ATM services has donated ten motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service.



The motorbikes worth GH150,000 is to enhance police visibility and swift response in areas that are difficult to access with vehicles.



Presenting the motorbikes to the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare in Accra last Friday, the CEO of Mon- Tran Limited, Mr Tony Minka said the company as part of its corporate social responsibility decided o support the operations of the Ghana Police Service.



By the nature of our operations in CIT, bullion and ATM services, we have heavily relied on the Ghana Police personnel in the delivery of our services to our clients. It is on the basis of this cordial relationship that we have decided to present these motorbikes. We hope that it will increase police visibility, move service personnel around and reduce crime in the country, he stated.



Mr Minka said it was important for the public to support the police in maintaining law and order in the country and assured the police that the company will continue supporting the police.



Each of us can support the police in ensuring that the country is safe. Individuals and organisations can also make donations to support their work, he work.



Speaking on behalf of the IGP, the Director-General of the National Patrols Department of the Ghana Police Service ,Commissioner of Police (COP)Paul Manly Awini, expressed gratitude to the company for their contribution to further the course of the implementation of the community crime combat and reduction of fear of crime initiative being rolled out by the police administration.



He assured them that the motorbikes will be maintained, serviced and deployed to communities to help ensure that the communities are peaceful and law abiding.



Addressing the media after the presentation, the Head, Branch Operations and Business Development of the company, Mr Pascal Agbenu added that they had secured bulletproof bullion vans to provide more secured CIT services to commercial banks and other financial institutions in the country.



He explained that the move was in response to a directive by the Bank of Ghana to financial institutions to replace all soft-skinned (CIT) vehicles with armoured-plated vehicles.



We want to assure our clients, mostly banks that we have enough of the armoured vans to ensure a smooth and secured transfer of cash across the country. Our bullion vans are fit-for-purpose, therefore, reducing risks on both the personnel and money being transported, he said.

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.

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Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Corportation (STC), Nana Akomea has backed the Police arrests of journalists and persons who make seditious or libelous comments.



On Thursday, February 10, 2022, a journalist named Kwabena Bobie Ansah, host of ''The Citizen Show'' on Accra FM, was arrested by persons purported to be National Security operatives for accusing the First and Second Ladies of stealing some government lands.



He also posted on social media saying ''this current judicial system is corrupt and made up of crooks and criminals, led by a corrupt Chief Justice who's struggling to purge himself from a $5 thievery allegations. Facts are sacred''.



Bobie Ansah was arrested after refusing to honor Police invites for interrogation into his allegations, a Police statement said.



He is being held on a charge of offensive conduct.



Also Onua TVs Morning Show host, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly called ''Captain Smart'', was detained by National Security Operatives after he had been granted bail by the court following his arrest over extortion.



He was detained along with another staff, Eric Dadzie Copperfield, also called DJ GH Boy who is also facing charges of abetment to extort.



Furthermore, the leader of the pressure group #FixTheCountry, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who recently led a protest against President Nana Akufo-Addo's government was on Friday arrested after making comments on social media about plotting a coup.



"If this E-Levy passes... I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!", he said in a series of posts on Facebook.



Following his post, a Police report read; "The post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic of Ghana.''



Mr. Barker-Vormawor is charged with treason felony.



Reacting to the issue during a panel discussion programme on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Nana Akomea noted that the arrests are a measure to sanitize the airwaves.



He supported the action by the security agencies saying ''I find it to be restoring sanity. We have free speech as we all know. We have media freedom but we also have laws. So, the fact that we have free speech doesn't mean I can say anything against my brother Kwesi Pratt and claim it's free speech. If I say something against Kwesi Pratt and it sullies his integrity while I have no evidence, I can't say it's free speech. If we do that, the whole society will collapse''.



To him, a lot of people have made similar statements and have been ignored for far too long, hence, it's about time the laws were exercised.



''Most times, we ignore but should we continue to ignore it, it will become worse'', he stressed.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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STC CEO, Nana Akomea, has condemned the Police detention of the #FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor beyond the lawful 48 hours of arrest.



Oliver Barker-Vormawor arrested by the Police is said to have exceeded his 48-hour stay in Police custody under Police alibi that they couldn't find a court for him to be granted bail.



He is charged with treason felony for making comments on social media about plotting a coup.



"If this E-Levy passes... I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!", he posted on Facebook.



"The post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic of Ghana," a Police statement read following Mr. Barker-Vormawor's post.



Making submissions on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Nana Akomea expressed disgust over the conduct of the Police stressing, "two wrongs do not make a right''.



He rejected the Police alibi, maintaining they had no excuse to detain the Journalist for more than the specified period.



"There is no excuse. There is no excuse for breaking the law or else we will all break the law and give excuses. As for excuses, if you want some, you will get them," he said.



Nana Akomea also advised the Police not act in annoyance, hence slap people with extreme charges.











Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Chairman of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has made a passionate appeal to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to take steps to depolarise the country to foster development.



According to Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, current developments in the country shows how the country is deeply divided.



He called for the need for both President Akufo-Addo and his main opposition leader John Dramani Mahama to patch up their political differences as being sought by the Christian leadership for the development of the country.



He said some of the happenings under the current president have polarised the country, adding that this was not the case under late president John Evans Atta-Mills and later under former president John Dramani Mahama.



Mr. Ofosu Ampofo made the appeal on the Citizen Show on Accra FM, Monday night February 14, 2022.



We have gotten to where we are as a nation because the sitting president has failed to show leadership, he told show host Kwabena Bobie Ansah.



He revealed that since 2017, the former president has been trying to get in touch with the current president to no avail.



He explained that calls to the president's mobile phone number have always hit a snag.



He said after Mr. Mahama handed over to President Akufo-Addo, he handed over a cellphone number to the former president but for the past five years, the former president has been calling the line to no avail.















Source: class fm









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Market, Lorry station and Ghetto engagement's by the Forum for Delevelopmemt and Accountable Governance (FDAG) on the controversial E-levy is already public knowledge.



The Forum has taken notice of a recent video going viral on social media , where Micheal Okyere Baafi MP for New Juaben South was seen peddling falsehood and spewing the exact opposite of what the draconian E-levy seeks to achieve.



Unsurprisingly, the response and uproar from well meaning Ghanaians who after watching the video couldn't fathom why an MP could disrespect and mislead his constituents with palpable falsehood.



The Forum, as champion crusaders against the E-levy will therefore, as a matter of urgency *Storm Koforidua Market* to educate and enlighten the Market Women on *what the obnoxious E-levy is*, *what it seeks to achieve* and *the dieing repercussions it will pose on Ghanaians.*



We therefore urge the general public to disregard the said video and it's content.



Signed:





Kojo Danquah -Convenor

( 0204944440)



Peter Akwasi Mensah- Convenor

(0209531027)







Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Social Commentator, Allotey Jacobs, has endorsed the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) Henry Nana Boakye as the Organiser in the partys upcoming internal elections.



According to the former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nana B as he is affectionately called, has proved beyond doubts he is up to the task.



Nana B is currently the NPP National Youth Organiser but hopes to succeed Sammi Awuku who has now been appointed the boss of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).



Speaking on Asempa FMs Ekosii Sen, he opined it was a done deal for Nana B and it will be in the interest of competitors to reconsider their decision.



Looking at the political personalities in Ghana, he occupies a big space on social media and I will want to encourage him to continue. He has already won the race and I wish to ask my friend in Tema East not to waste his time, he said amid laughter.



The endorsement comes weeks after Nana B emerged as a hot favourite among the party faithful in a research conducted by the Research Bureau at the Office of the Presidency.



The research was conducted during the NPP National Delegates Conference, held in Kumasi from December 18 to 20, 2021, which was graced by NPP members from the 275 constituencies in the country.



Per the findings, Nana B would easily emerge victorious in the National Organiser race with 70.8% and he would be followed by Titus Nii Kwartei-Glover 10.1%, Dr Kwame Afriyie 7.7%, Eric Amoako Twum 5.7%, Archibald Cobbina 2.8% and Bright Essifie Kumi 1.3%. About 1.6% were undecided.



According to the party delegates, Nana B has displayed boldness, competence, hard work and loyalty during his tenure as the NPP National Youth Organizer, hence their decision to vote massively for him to sustain his splendid works for the party.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President Akufo-Addo has appointed Miracles Aboagye as the director of local government, decentralisation and rural development at the Presidency



Dennis Edward Aboagye is the newly appointed presidential special advisor on local government, decentralisation and rural development



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, acting in consultation with the Council of State, has appointed the former municipal chief executive for Akuapem North, Honourable Dennis Edward Aboagye  popularly known as Miracles  as a presidential staffer with special responsibilities for local government, decentralisation and rural development (LGD&RD).



Aboagye, a young and vibrant politician whom many describe as a key asset to the future New Patriotic Party (NPP), was relieved of his role as a municipal chief executive in August 2020. The development came as a shock to many who thought he was on top of his job.



At the time, he told sources that the president had explained he needed him to be in Accra to support the NPP campaign as Election 2020 hotted up. He consented, reasoning that the president had overarching insight into the range of abilities at his disposal, and saying he believed he was needed to support the campaign to ensure the party retained power.



Business and youth focus

In his new role, Aboagye is expected to be seconded to Dan Botwe, the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, providing specialist advice and assistance to the minister and ministry to support them to deliver their mandate.



Dennis is a chartered marketer with a postgraduate diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing UK and an MBA in marketing from the Central University Graduate School of Business.



He has ten years experience within the sales and marketing industry with exposure in fast-moving consumer goods and financial services.



He has professional experience in a variety of roles within the pensions industry, having worked with Enterprise Trustees Ltd and as a member of the Enterprise Group, starting as a client relations executive, earning promotion to client relationship manager and finally serving as a unit head in charge of client relations.



Before he joined Enterprise, Aboagye was the Eastern Regional director of Youth Enterprises and Skills Development Centre (YESDEC), a World Bank-funded project promoting job creation. He has particular interests in business development, sales management and brand positioning.



Aboagye also has an unblemished track record from his days in student politics at the University of Ghana, Legon, where he held various leadership positions, ranging from head of Akuafo JCR through to president of the University of Ghana SRC.



He set up the first ever youth wing of the New Patriotic Party in Akropong, Eastern Region.



Earning stripes

Miracles Aboagye has risen through the ranks of the NPP, going from polling station youth organiser to polling station chairman, through to constituency deputy youth organiser, youth organiser and then constituency campaign co-ordinator in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 elections in Akuapem North.



Admirers give him credit for contributing in many ways to raising the image and brand of the party.



Dennis Edward Aboagye was born and bred in Larteh Akuapem in the Eastern Region of Ghana. He began his basic schooling at the Larteh Presby Primary and completed it at Swedru International School (SWIS), where he sat his Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). He studied for his SSCE at Okuapeman School in Akropong.



Dennis proceeded to University of Ghana Legon, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.



He is a devout Christian and is married with three beautiful children.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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China and Russia have made undoubted contribution to promoting international and regional peace and development, and the international community can see very clearly who is the real trouble-maker and threat to security in the world, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. #GLOBALink





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Leading Member of the #FixingTheCountry Movement, Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, says he will never challenge the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) George Akuffo Dampare on his operating procedures after the latter issued orders for Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye DC to be detained.



Mr Adorye was earlier angry with the police superior when Abronye DC, who is the Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, was detained by the service after he had honoured an invitation extended to him.



The invitation was in relation to a coup plot he (Abronye) alleged ex-President John Dramani Mahama was involved in.



Not Picking Calls



Hopeson claimed the IGP had failed to pick up his calls after issuing the said order.



IGP is not picking his call, in this case, IGP is the complainant and he has instructed that he (Abronye) should be detained and charged for court, he told reporters.



Abronye DC is in police custody after failing to back his claims that the former President is in league with Al Qaeda militants and had met them in an attempt to stage a coup in Ghana; ostensibly to become president again.



The embattled NPP Chairman made the allegation on Accra-based Hot FM while responding to the arrest of the #FixTheCountry convener Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor on his attempt to stage a coup if Parliament passes the controversial 1.75% E-levy.



Hasty Retreat



Hours after making those remarks after Abronye's arrest, Mr Adorye, a failed NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency, beat a sharp retreat in a subsequent interview with NEAT FMs morning show, Ghana Montie.



According to him, his earlier utterance was not to challenge the operational work of the IGP.



I am not saying I disagree with the police on the arrest of Abronye. He (Abronye) goofed with the coup allegation on former President Mahama, it was not a continuous allegation, he just said it once....my issue is, why detain him for so long if he has been processed for court? Is this an issue of equalization? he quizzed.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Managing Editor of The National Forum newspaper, James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called Kabilla has backed the Ghana Police for arresting some journalists and politicians in the country.



Bobie Ansah's Arrest



Kwabena Bobie Ansah, a Presenter at Accra FM, was on Thursday, February 10, 2022, arrested for alleging that First and Second Ladies, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia have stolen State lands.



He also posted on Facebook that ''this current judicial system is corrupt and made up of crooks and criminals, led by a corrupt Chief Justice who's struggling to purge himself from a $5 thievery allegations. Facts are sacred''.



He is charged with offensive conduct.



#FixTheCountry Leader Charged With Treason



Also, the leader of the pressure group #FixTheCountry, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who recently led a protest against President Nana Akufo-Addo's government was on Friday arrested after making comments on social media about plotting a coup.



"If this E-Levy passes... I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!", he posted on Facebook.



The Police, in response, said; "The post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic of Ghana.''



Mr. Barker-Vormawor is charged with treason felony.



NPP Guru Under Police Detention



The Police also invited and detained the Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC and charged him with two counts of publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.



He is to appear in court today over his claims that former President John Mahama is involved in a coup plot.



Kabila Warns



Reacting to the issues during a panel discussion programme on Peace FM's morning show ''Kokrokoo'', Kabila slammed those cricitizing the Police for doing its job.



To him, what the critics are doing is to dignify wrongdoing but cautioned them saying ''let's not dignify wrongdoers by associating them with their media practice. Because, in fact, if they are going to go by their ethics and the code of conduct of their media practice, they would not be doing those things''.



He warned the populace to sift their words when speaking since their utterances could land them in trouble when found in a breach of law.



He noted that, although there is freedom of speech, it is however incumbent on every person to exercise such freedom without defaming nor slandering another.



''Look, no matter how wrong a constitutional government does or performs, conversation should never entertain anything about something called coup d'etat'', he advised.









Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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James Kwabena Bomfeh, also called Kabilla, has called on Ghanaians to stand up to anyone who flouts the laws of the country.



Speaking in relation to the arrests of broadcaster Kwabena Bobie Ansah, #FixTheCountry leader Oliver Barker-Vormawor and NPP Bono Regional Chairman Abronye DC, Kabilla noted that in as much as he lauds the Police for enforcing the laws, he also encourages the citizenry to be bold to challenge those in authority when they go wrong.



Bobie Ansah's Arrest



Kwabena Bobie Ansah, a Presenter at Accra FM, was on Thursday, February 10, 2022, arrested for alleging that First and Second Ladies, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia have stolen State lands.



He also posted on Facebook that ''this current judicial system is corrupt and made up of crooks and criminals, led by a corrupt Chief Justice who's struggling to purge himself from a $5 thievery allegations. Facts are sacred''.



He is charged with offensive conduct.



E-Levy Cake Fallout



Also, the leader of the pressure group #FixTheCountry, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who recently led a protest against President Nana Akufo-Addo's government was on Friday arrested after making comments on social media about plotting a coup.



"If this E-Levy passes... I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!", he posted on Facebook.



The Police, in response, said; "The post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic of Ghana.''



Mr. Barker-Vormawor is charged with treason felony.



NPP Guru Under Police Detention



The Police also invited and detained the Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC and charged him with two counts of publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.



He was processed for court on Wednesday and granted a Ghc100,000 bail over his claims that former President John Mahama is involved in a coup plot with some Al-Qaeda militants.



Touching on all these arrests, Mr Bomfeh reminded the populace and leaders in the nation of the country's constitution being supreme.



''Let's challenge people in authority on the standards that they manifest because no one is above the constitution. Even if the Supreme Court Judges do an unlawful thing, this constitution can checkmate them'', he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.





Kabilla commended the Police for their arrests believing they are sending the right signals to the public.''Let's not dignify wrongdoers by associating them with their media practice. Because, in fact, if they are going to go by their ethics and the code of conduct of their media practice, they would not be doing those things...no matter how wrong a constitutional government does or performs, conversation should never entertain anything about something called coup d'etat'', he accentuated.

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
A person walks among trucks as Wellington Street is lined with trucks during a protest against COVID-19 measures that has grown into a broader anti-government protest, in Ottawa, on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Kevin Frost, owner of Simply Fit Canada, cleans equipment at his gym in Montreal, Monday, February 14, 2022, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada. For the first time since Jan. 6, fewer than 2,000 people are in Quebec hospitals with COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2022 shows a firefighting helicopter dropping water on a forest fire on a mountain in Yeongdeok, some 350 km southeast of the capital Seoul, South Korea. A forest fire broke out in the southeastern coastal city of South Korea, and about 180 households have been evacuated, Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)

SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A forest fire broke out in the southeastern coastal city of South Korea, and about 180 households have been evacuated, Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday.

The wildfire first occurred on a mountain in Yeongdeok, some 350 km southeast of the capital Seoul, early Tuesday and was extinguished Tuesday afternoon.

The fire reignited overnight and spread into nearby residential areas, leading to the evacuation of households. No casualty has been reported yet.

The Korea Forest Service raised the four-notch wildfire warning from Level 2 to Level 3 on Wednesday afternoon.

The second-highest warning is issued when a forest fire is expected to consume more than 100 hectares of land amid an average wind velocity of over seven meters per second.

Thirty-six firefighting helicopters and around 600 personnel were sent to the scene, but the fire was hard to be put out due to strong wind. 

Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2022 shows a large transport helicopter dropping water on a forest fire on a mountain in Yeongdeok, some 350 km southeast of the capital Seoul, South Korea. A forest fire broke out in the southeastern coastal city of South Korea, and about 180 households have been evacuated, Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)

Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2022 shows a firefighting helicopter dropping water on a forest fire on a mountain in Yeongdeok, some 350 km southeast of the capital Seoul, South Korea. A forest fire broke out in the southeastern coastal city of South Korea, and about 180 households have been evacuated, Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)

Personnel extinguish a forest fire on a mountain in Yeongdeok, some 350 km southeast of the capital Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 16, 2022. A forest fire broke out in the southeastern coastal city of South Korea, and about 180 households have been evacuated, Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)

Personnel extinguish a forest fire on a mountain in Yeongdeok, some 350 km southeast of the capital Seoul, South Korea, Feb. 16, 2022. A forest fire broke out in the southeastern coastal city of South Korea, and about 180 households have been evacuated, Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday. (NEWSIS/Handout via Xinhua)
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Quick Preface

Example: Colorado Trail - Guide Book Before we dive into this new feature, it is important to emphasize this is a tool should be used in conjunction with official guides and print material. There are many excellent guidebooks, paper maps, and long form articles that highlight the beauty and detail of the routes. One of our favorite aspects of this feature, is the ability to see how these iconic trails interact with the many other complex trail systems they traverse. Seeing how they overlap, intersect and change based upon your favorite form of locomotion, be it hike, horse, bike, or motorized. Many of these routes are incomprehensibly arduous, and we believe this is another useful piece of equipment, whether you are tackling the entire route, or including a small part on a long weekend.





Why call them all a "National Scenic Trail"?

Why we love this feature

Pacific Crest Trail, Donner Pass, California At Trailforks, we wanted a way to visualize these monumental routes from a high level, allowing app users to easily view how they connect through multiple independent trail systems. This will help not only in the planning and navigation of routes, but also will also indicate when app users are traversing even small parts of a route or trail. These trail systems can be loosely connected, some with long paved road sections in between short sections. By highlighting these on the map, users can easily find the trails specific to these National Scenic Trails and other Official Routes .



As much as I would love to take an entire summer off to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, like most working stiffs, relatively short sections over a long weekend is a more doable option. With both the "ultra-backpackers" and "weekenders" in mind, we added the ability to visualize the route along with any connected trail systems. This enables users to see how they might incorporate a part of one of these iconic routes into a loop or smaller route that may be part of a connected trail system. Now users can make short loops to get a taste of an NST or plan specific segments as day trips. Here you can see how the Pacific Crest Trail cuts right through Donner Pass, providing easy access to one of the rocky high altitude sections right from the interstate.







Lake Tahoe has a lot of trails, and Donner Pass is a high point on the I-80 Highway. Using Trailforks, you can see exactly where you can connect to the PCT, get a short sampling off it, or tie it in with other connected trails to create your perfect loop. Then you can go home and say "I hiked the PCT this weekend".

This is a favorite section of mine to hike as I travel the I-80 from where I grew up in California to Utah where I now call home. The trail maintainers at The Pacific Crest Trail Association have done some amazing trail work by using the abundance of granite rock to build a very pleasurable hike. The steep sections that climb from the summit consist of crafted steps that bring you up to sweeping views of Donner Lake and the surrounding rocky peaks.Lake Tahoe has a lot of trails, and Donner Pass is a high point on the I-80 Highway. Using Trailforks, you can see exactly where you can connect to the PCT, get a short sampling off it, or tie it in with other connected trails to create your perfect loop. Then you can go home and say "I hiked the PCT this weekend". Donner Pass PCT

Trailforks Visualization

Colorado Trail (CT)

Continental Divide Trail (CDT)

CT

CDT

Activity Types and Alternate Routes

Dedicated Activity Types

Some routes are specific to your activity type. For example, the following routes are primarily for hikers (non-mechanized):

 Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)

 Superior Hiking Trail (SHT)

 Appalachian Trail (AT)



In Trailforks, these trails are highlighted automatically when you're in hike mode. They will not be displayed if you are in Mountain Bike mode because they simply do not apply. If you're riding your mountain bike in Duluth, instead of the Superior Hiking Trail , you will see the Duluth Traverse highlighted as shown in the map. Fancy a hike, switch your activity type, and the Superior Hiking Trail will be highlighted along with all the other context sensitive trail map theme changes.

Some routes are specific to your activity type. For example, the following routes are primarily for hikers (non-mechanized):In Trailforks, these trails are highlighted automatically when you're in hike mode. They will not be displayed if you are in Mountain Bike mode because they simply do not apply. If you're riding your mountain bike in Duluth, instead of the, you will see thehighlighted as shown in the map. Fancy a hike, switch your activity type, and thewill be highlighted along with all the other context sensitive trail map theme changes.

Activity Specific Reroutes

Many of these routes do not provide a unique path for each activity group. As we've seen, routes like the CDT provide reroutes, or variations of the same main line route to accommodate different activity types (non-mechanized, mechanized, motorized, etc.). Securing land permission, and building remote routes is difficult and maintaining fully separate routes by activity type is often not feasible. Again, back to our example routes:

 Colorado Trail (CT)

 Continental Divide Trail (CDT)



Both of these have large designated wilderness areas. The CT has a few rather long dirt and paved roads to get around the wilderness areas as shown to the left. The CDT has even bigger parks like Glacier National Park along with many wilderness areas that must be avoided by all mechanized usage. To facilitate this, we are documenting each route separately by activity type.

Many of these routes do not provide a unique path for each activity group. As we've seen, routes like the CDT provide reroutes, or variations of the same main line route to accommodate different activity types (non-mechanized, mechanized, motorized, etc.). Securing land permission, and building remote routes is difficult and maintaining fully separate routes by activity type is often not feasible. Again, back to our example routes:Both of these have large designated wilderness areas. The CT has a few rather long dirt and paved roads to get around the wilderness areas as shown to the left. The CDT has even bigger parks like Glacier National Park along with many wilderness areas that must be avoided by all mechanized usage. To facilitate this, we are documenting each route separately by activity type.

Route Sections and Naming

Some of the most iconic routes exist as a loosely connected series of trails that may span hundreds or even thousands of miles. Countries, States, and Provinces all over the world are proud of their official routes that often span multiple mountain ranges, some extending from border to border and often taking on the name of their particular region or state. To help you plan and tackle your bucket list of adventures, we have put together a shortlist of these trails and routes that inspired this new feature. We have added highlighting and tools to both document and visualize these National Scenic Trails.Outside provides many great long form articles both online and in print, like this article on Backpacker.com:While not all of these trails are officially designated as National Scenic Trails, nor are they even called that, we have grouped them under that moniker to make them easily recognizable and generally well understood to users in the thru-hike and bikepack community. We considered calling them Official Trails, but felt the need to highlight the fact that these routes have been created by dedicated cartographers and explorers not affiliated with our website. As we have been documenting these routes over the past year, it is clear that every one of these "Trails" could easily be designated as "Scenic". The name seems to fit, and from here on out, we will refer to them by the simple and relatively unique acronym of NST.These trails are beyond "trails", perhaps even beyond the term "route", as they often cannot be traversed in a single day. All of them are broken up into segments, and may even include point-to-point shuttles to bypass natural land formations and private property. National Scenic Trails often cross state boundaries, like the "Pacific Crest Trail" and "Continental Divide National Scenic Trail" . Trails of this magnitude often require government involvement, like in the case of the Pacific Crest Trail, which was established in the US by an Act of Congress as part of the National Trail Systems Act of 1968 Each NST has it's own landing page, which provides an entry point to start planning your adventure. These landing pages provide a complete elevation profile for the entire length of the route. All photos that are assigned to trails along the route are compiled and displayed here as well, so that you can see what's in store. We also provide a table of all the included trails with links, status, ratings and a quick button to check each trail off your list. We really love the Colorado Trail, and for demonstration purposes it provides that perfect mix of Hike/Bike specific reroutes, well documented segment names, in addition to multiple overlaps with another NST: The Continental Divide Trail.The amount of information from a single trail can be overwhelming sometimes. As anyone who has experienced the Monarch Crest on a busy day, can attest, the trail gets lots of visitors. Not only is it a stunning trail, but it is open to hikers, equestrians, bikes, and dirt bikes. It also shares a part with both theand theOne click on the website or in the app: Title Denoting Shared NST (CDT CT) Trail Usages Allowed Trail Vital Information Trail Status (Based upon most recent report) Elevation Media Links (Photos, Videos, Detected Routes) NST AssociationsThese "National Scenic Trails" exist all over the world, and while some are specific to activity types, many can be traversed using both "non-mechanized" like hiking (and equestrian), via "mechanized", and even motorized. In the US, there are several routes which simply require alternate routes for mechanized and motorized traversal. Theand theboth pass through several designated wilderness areas, which do not allow bikes. This means the type of activity selected may require a different NST to be displayed or to no display an NST that is dedicated to a different activity.Trailforks presents NST highlights specific to your activity mode.In Australia there are 2 National Scenic Routes in Western Australia that provide a hike option and a bike option in a similar way. The hiking-only route is called the "Munda Biddi Trail" , while bike packers have the option to ride the "Bibbulmun Track" NST routes do not have to be fully connected end-to-end like a traditional route. If the reroutes are small enough, simply adding the reroute as a spur trail is easily accomplished. For extensive routes like the 2 mentioned above, it makes sense to provide a completely separate NST route along with it's own landing page to provide information specific to the way in which users plan to traverse the route.The main part of this feature is documentation and how to best represent these routes in a common way. Many of these trails have their own trail name, while others are named after the NST, while yet others are given names denoting their start/end points. To facility this need for flexible naming, we have added the ability to add NST specific names for each trail. There is a main trail name and #, in addition to an unlimited number of subnames. When possible we use standardized section namesThe National Scenic Trail map layers and route pages are now live on both the website and app, so you can start planning your summer adventures now. Put together your bucket list weeklong expedition or plan out weekend trips to tick off some of the iconic trails closer to home.
Hyun Halts Sammartinos Epic Super MILLION$ Comeback

February 16, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" Hyun is the latest GGPoker player to become a Super MILLION$ champion after outlasted his eight final table opponents on February 15. Hyuns impressive victory came at the expense of Dario Sammartino, who sat down at the final table with the shortest stack but made it all the way to heads-up. What a comeback that would have been had Sammartino gone all the way.

Super MILLION$ Season 2 Episode 30 Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Sung Joo "ArtePokerTV" Hyun Hong Kong $487,256 2 Dario Sammartino Austria $375,726 3 Rui Ferreira Brazil $289,724 4 spaise411 Russia $223,408 5 Aleks Ponakovs Latvia $172,271 6 Yannick "ProbierEs" Schumacher Austria $132,839 7 pitrasyan Cyprus $102,433 8 joyeux Mexico $78,986 9 Daniel Dvoress Canada $60,907

Sammartino found aces early on and doubled through Cyprus "pitrasyan" to give himself some breathing room.

Daniel Dvoress

Equally as surprising as Sammartinos zero to hero story was the reverse for Daniel Dvoress. The former Super MILLION$ winner started the night third in chips and with a legitimate shot at securing his second title, but he was the ninth-place finisher. Dvoress lost a sizeable pot to pitrasyan that he never recovered from. His final hand saw Aleks Ponakovs raise to 175,000 with blinds and antes set at 35,000/70,000/8,500a. Dvoress called in the big blind before check-shoving his 413,806 stack in with queen-deuce of clubs on the ace-high flop that had two clubs in view. Ponakovs put in the calling chips with king-jack, which held to reduce the player count by one.

"joyeux" was the next casualty, busting during the next level. They open-shoved for 507,063 chips, or a mere 6.3 big blinds, with a suited ace-jack, and Rui Ferreira snapped him off in the big blind with pocket queens. The ladies held and joyeux was gone.

Don't Miss GGPoker's Special GGMasters Overlay Edition, $5M Gtd. on March 20

pitrasyan was delighted with joyeuxs exit because they were super short-stacked with less than four big blinds. That micro-stack went into the middle with ace-deuce and Yannick "ProbierEs" Schumacher called from the big blind with the dominating ace-ten. Schumachers ten-kicker played and the Cypriot collected $102,433, the tournaments first six-figure prize.

Schumacher could not put those extra chips to good use because he fell in sixth-place. The GGPoker YouTube stream went a little crazy and Schumachers exit had was missed.

Aleksejs Ponakovs

Start of the day chip leader Ponakovs was the next player heading into the night, his fifth-place finish coming with $172,271. Blinds were 80,000/160,000/20,000a when Hyun opened to 464,000 from the small blind before calling Ponakovs 2,098,691 shove. Ponakovs turned over pocket fours which were flipping against Hyuns ace-queen. The coinflip only lasted as far as the flop when an ace reared its head. Game over for Ponakovs.

Russias "spaise411" saw their tournament end in fourth place. Again, Hyun dealt the killer blow. spaise411 pushed all-in for eight big blinds with queen-jack, Hyun called on the button with suited ace-ten, and a ten on the flop was enough to send spaise411 to the showers.

Heads-up was set when Brazils Ferreira dusted off his stack in a cooler hand. Both Ferreira and Hyun made a full house on the river but Ferreira had the worst of it. All the chips piled in and when the dust had settled, Ferreira was gone.

That hand gifted Hyun a substantial 18,540,140 to 5,559,860 chip lead over Sammartino. Neither player had any timebank remaining, so the one-on-one battle progressed at a quicker pace than usual.

The final hand saw Sammartino shove for eight big blinds with king-queen, and Hyun call with ace-four. Sammartino hit his king on the flop, but Hyun caught an ace on the river to become the latest in a long line of GGPoker players who can call themselves a Super MILLION$ champion.
Charleston International soon can boast an even dozen air carriers.

Fledgling airline Avelo announced Feb. 16 it will launch flights in May between Charleston and New Haven, Conn., the low-cost carrier's East Coast base.

The Houston-based upstart is offering an introductory one-way fare of $49 for flights booked by March 2. Other fees may apply.

The new airline also will offer nonstop service between New Haven in southern Connecticut and Myrtle Beach on May 5 daily except Wednesday. Flights from New Haven to Savannah and Nashville will start May 6 with service four times a week.

The airline's expanded service will bring to 10 the number of nonstop routes it offers on the East Coast.

For the Charleston leg, Avelo will initially offer nonstop flights on the 147-seat Boeing 737-700 three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, starting May 5. The inaugural two-hour flight will leave Charleston at 5:05 p.m.

From May 8-24, the airline will depart the Lowcountry at 2:25 p.m. before switching to 1:30 p.m. departures on May 26.

On May 28, it will add Saturday nonstop service between the two cities, leaving Charleston at 1:55 p.m. to fly north.

Charleston airport CEO Elliott Summey called Avelo's announcement "another exciting milestone" for the Lowcountry's "rapidly growing low-cost, nonstop service" providers.

Avelo began flying last April, with initial flights to several West Coast destinations from its flight operations base at Hollywood Burbank Airport near Los Angeles.

Last November, the carrier set up it first East Coast base at Tweed New Haven Airport in the Constitution State with flights to six destinations in Florida.

The company's move to add the Lowcountry to its flight schedule shows the airline is paying attention to the region's growth as a travel destination, said Helen Hill, CEO of tourism agency Explore Charleston and chairwoman of Charleston County Aviation Authority.

Avelo was founded by Andrew Levy, formerly a co-founder and president of Allegiant Air and chief financial officer of United Airlines.

Charleston resonated with the carrier for several reasons, airline spokesman Jim Olson said.

"We pay real close attention to travel patterns and which destinations are seeing increases in leisure travel," he said.

He also said the carrier looks at relocations and noticed Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Savannah and Nashville are all benefiting from higher travel demand and new first- or second-home destinations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When people relocate or retire, they want to travel back to see their friends and family," Olson said. "We think these flights will be of huge interest to folks in Connecticut."

The airline started flying shortly before Utah-based, low-cost competitor Breeze Airways inaugurated service with its first flight from Charleston last May.

Avelo will be the second new air service provider landing in the Lowcountry this spring.

Sun Country Airlines will offer twice-weekly flights between Charleston and its home base of Minneapolis on April 7. Flights will run on Thursday and Sunday.

Other carriers serving Charleston include Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Silver, Southwest and United.

British Airways, which suspended service at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, has not announced when it will return, but Summey said the airport and the U.K carrier continue to be in talks for a possible resumption of flights in the spring of 2023.
Mount Pleasant has adopted new rules that put limits on where hotels can and can't be built.

The updated parameters come from the town's comprehensive plan that laid out which areas of the rapidly-growing municipality are appropriate for certain types of real estate developments.

In discussions about the ordinance, town officials have talked about staving off the kind of proliferation of hotels that has cropped up on the other side of the Ravenel Bridge, on the Charleston peninsula. At one meeting, council member G.M. Whitley said establishing the new rules was "making a decision about what Mount Pleasant is going to be long-term."

The town is breaking down hotels into two categories: boutique lodgings with no more than 25 rooms and full-size properties, which have more than 25 rooms.

Standard hotels will be allowed to be built in places designated as "town scale commercial" in the comprehensive plan. These areas were determined to be appropriate for larger developments, like full-size hotels, and are close to amenities that visitors would want to use.

Hotels will also be allowed in the waterfront district around Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum.

Also, council members voted 5-4 to include the Walmart-anchored Oakland Plantation development along U.S. Highway 17 near Porchers Bluff Road. Councilman Jake Rambo advocated for the amendment, saying the northern part of Mount Pleasant is in need of more lodging options.

Smaller boutique hotels will be allowed on properties that are zoned for commercial uses in "community scale" areas that fall within designated "hubs."

Community scale areas, according to the comprehensive plan, should be more focused on serving nearby residents. Designated "hubs" are the sites within those areas that are suited for a mix of businesses.

Boutique lodgings could also be built anywhere a full-size hotel is allowed.

The new ordinance passed with a 7-2 vote.

At least one property where a developer wants to build a hotel doesn't fall within the designation areas that allow new accommodations.

Michael Bennett of Bennett Hospitality, has addressed Town Council and planning officials at public meetings about his plans to build a 91-unit hotel on a parcel his Charleston-based firm recently acquired on Ben Sawyer Boulevard.

The roughly 4-acre property used to house the longtime used-furnishings store Page's Thieves Market. It also includes a volleyball court and a building leased to Santi's restaurant

Under the town's new rules, the property isn't in an area that allows either full-size or boutique hotels.

In his comments at town meetings, Bennett said a hotel would generate less traffic than other possible uses, such as an office building or retail space.

Tracy Ray of Bennett Hospitality said this week that the company is still working through how the new ordinance affects the project. For now, it's "status quo" for the property, she said.

Bennett Hospitality has other projects in the pipeline in Mount Pleasant that align with the new rules, such as Patriots Annex. That mixed-use development planned for the waterfront Patriots Point area includes hotels.
Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg will move forward with a mostly procedural step in the plan for a potential sea wall around downtown Charleston.

Tecklenburg said in a Feb. 15 meeting he will send a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers agreeing to finish the nearly 4-year feasibility study for the wall. If built, it would be the most significant infrastructure in Charleston to manage sea level rise.

"I intend to sign the letter tomorrow morning," Tecklenburg said, on the same day that a new federal report estimated that coastal communities like Charleston will see as much sea rise in the next 30 years as happened in the past century.

The total estimated cost of the wall project is $1.1 billion, with Charleston responsible for 35 percent, or about $385 million. Of that total, the city would have to pay $17 million over three to four years for the detailed design phase.

The structure is meant to deflect hurricane storm surge. The wall would wrap roughly 8 miles around the downtown peninsula and rise 8 feet above the level where the city starts to flood from high tides. Several gates would let rainwater drain when tides are low, and pumps would help drain it when Charleston Harbor swells around the city and the gates must be closed.

Tecklenburg's remarks came during a lengthy meeting in which City Council discussed the project in depth for the first time in months. Many members of the panel questioned the cost of the plan and flexibility of the upcoming planning stages, which Charleston has not officially committed to. The city and the Corps would have to hammer out a design agreement before that stage begins, at the earliest toward this end of 2022.

Parts of Tecklenburg's letter, according to a copy posted publicly with meeting documents, point out several areas where Charleston intends to challenge the Corp's plans during design. Among the issues raised are four crossings over Lockwood Drive, an important thoroughfare on the west side of the city, and the wall's proposed path down Johnson Street, where it divides, disrupts and substantially impairs the coherence, function and flow of the $600 million Morrison Yard development."

But above all, there was discussion during the City Council meeting about the fact that the Corps' main objective is storm surge, and not the tidal flooding and intense rains, driven by climate change, that the city faces much more frequently.

"Growing up in Charleston, those things happened once every 10 months, and now it's almost every other day," City Councilman Peter Shahid said. "This is the immediate threat were dealing with on a regular basis."

Tecklenburg replied that he had communicated with Corps officials, stressing the importance of a project that also solves those problems, and pointed to a recently filed piece of federal legislation that might loosen the Corps from its focus on surge waves in coastal projects.

Dale Morris, the city's chief resiliency officer, also said that another design consultant, hired by the city, could help push the work in a more creative direction that achieves multiple benefits at once.

Morris said that whether or not new federal laws are passed to change the Corps' mandate, Charleston could still find some ways to make the proposal address the broader problems of climate change and the city's regular flooding.

"There are some possibilities to deal with this, but it isn't an explicit goal of the Army Corps of Engineers," Morris said, adding, "we're trying to think as creatively as possible."
GREENVILLE  The perpetual project at the intersection of busy Pelham and Hudson roads in Greenville is back on the radar.

After 16 years and at least six prior failed attempts to rezone the property for higher density commercial or rental apartments, a new local developer wants to put a single-family subdivision on the corner lot.

But the latest rezoning attempt may face the same fate as past requests unless the developer gives the county more control over plans for the site.

Christopher Laney of Southern Investment & Development, LLC wants to rezone 11 acres at Pelham and Hudson roads across from the Patewood Medical Campus from R-20 residential to R-7.5 residential. The move would allow up to 65 houses to be built as opposed to 24 under the current zoning. Laneys preliminary plans show 56 houses in the development.

Keeping the corner zoned residential has long been a goal of numerous homeowners associations in nearby developments. Neighbors vehemently opposed four prior attempts to zone the land to use as a CVS Pharmacy between 2006 and 2011. It came back to the county two times last year as a Charlotte-based developer sought to build an apartment complex on the land. Neighbors again turned out in opposition, citing the additional traffic at the clogged intersection and density that didnt match the rest of the nearby Pelham Road corridor.

The county rejected that plan as well, despite attempts by Councilman Stan Tzouvelekas, who represents the area, to secure funding for more than $1 million in intersection improvements to appease some residents.

Laney said in a zoning public hearing on Feb. 14 that his company planned to develop the land with two-story homes that align with surrounding neighborhoods. He said they planned to surround the front of the neighborhood with a brick wall and dense greenery to shield it from traffic and would add a sidewalk along the length of the property along Pelham and Hudson roads.

The project would still require use of an existing traffic signal at Country Squire Court that currently services a small neighborhood. The team is working with city of Greenville traffic engineers to lengthen the timing of the light during peak hours.

A proposed entrance and exit on Hudson Road would allow traffic only to enter the subdivision from the right and exit to the right to avoid traffic crossing against oncoming traffic on Hudson Road, he said.

The subdivision would have a homeowners association and offer zero maintenance lawn care, as well as limiting trash service to one company to pick up trash once per week, he said.

Laney said the company has had multiple meetings with residents nearby and mailed information about the project to nearby residents.

Tzouvelekas asked Joshua Henderson, Greenville County zoning administrator, whether the county had a mechanism to compel the developer to build exactly as proposed. Henderson said no. Under residential zoning the county could only ensure the project is built to the countys codes, but not require sidewalks around the perimeter, specific building materials or traffic improvements beyond whats required by the state Department of Transportation on the state-maintained roads.

After the meeting, Tzouvelekas told Laney he didnt think he could support the project without guarantees that would come with a planned development zoning classification that would give the county control over approving aspects of the development plan.

Under that scenario, the project would need to submit a site plan and any major variance from that plan would require approval by the county.

About three dozen residents opposed to the project attended the meeting and several spoke in opposition, citing concern about added traffic at a congested and quick-changing signal along Pelham Road at Country Squire Court, which would be the main point of entry.

We are very concerned about the traffic situation on Country Squire, said Wally Zink, a resident along Country Squire Court. What we would look for would be a right-turn arrow from Pelham Road going into our subdivision at least at rush hours.

Connie Walker, who lives nearby in the Brookfield community, said she had raised her family in the neighborhood and watched the development of Pelham Road but understood there was an unwritten contract that the county wouldnt alter the residential nature of the community.

We have fought hard to keep that area from becoming what the other parts of this community have become, Walker said.

Walker said she was a new neighbor once, back in 1989, and was told then she was the problem with traffic that required Pelham Road to be widened. She said she would welcome new neighbors, but asked the county to stick to its zoning map and allow just the 24 houses to be built that the current zoning allows.

Im asking you as a county, rezoning is the problem, she said. Youve got to draw the line and say no.
Park 37 Office Park, a nine-building office development near the Interstate 85/385 interchange in Greenville, was sold for $53.25 million to an undisclosed buyer.

A private partnership between a full-service operator and a family office purchased the park on Executive Center Drive from an Atlanta-based real estate developer.

The office park was 76 percent leased at the time of sale, according to a press release. Amenities of the park include a fitness center, conference center, tenant lounge, restaurant and catering kitchen.

Swedish global customer service provider Transcom announced in December 2021 that it would occupy 33,000 square feet at the park to house its North American headquarters. Transcom plans to create 450 jobs in Greenville County at the onset and eventually grow to about 1,000 jobs.

Employees are expected to move into the space in the first quarter of 2022 around mid-February, said Kyla Starks, senior vice president operations and managing director of Transcom North America, in an article published in December.

Plastic closures company expands in Cherokee

A global plastic closure manufacturer plans to expand operations in Cherokee County with a $19.7 million investment.

Bericap SC  which supplies caps and seals for water, dairy, carbonated soft drinks and sport beverages markets  will add several production lines in Cowpens to serve its U.S. and Canadian customers. The company, founded in 1926, has 24 factories worldwide and serves customers in over 100 countries.

The expansion is expected to be completed by June 2026.

The company announced it would originally come to 1300 Mt. Olive Rd. in Cowpens in 2007 with an initial investment of $20 million and 45 jobs. The first phase was 90,000 square feet and completed in 2008. In 2013, Bericap SC announced plans to double the size of the facility with a $29 million expansion that created 50 additional jobs. That expansion was completed in 2014.

Ohio-based robotics automation provider acquires Greenville company

Wauseon Machine and Manufacturing  an Ohio-based provider of robotics automation, tube fabrication equipment and build-to-print precision machined parts  acquired McAlister Design and Automation in Greenville. McAlister Design is an Upstate privately-owned company founded in 1992 with four facilities totaling 48,000 square feet.

The acquisition has doubled the size of Wauseon Machine.

The acquisition hopes to "further Wauseon Machine's aim of creating comprehensive automation solutions to meet the needs of customers, both current and future" while also acting as a "springboard" for growth in other regions of the country, a release said.

Thats all for this week. Email your thoughts, tips, releases and newsy bits to smirah@postandcourier.com.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Sunshine this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 88F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
NORTH CHARLESTON  A mixture of nerves and excitement swirled inside the drill hall as dozens of soldiers stood at attention preparing to tell their loved ones goodbye before embarking on a yearlong deployment.

Around 80 soldiers with the S.C. National Guards 108th Chemical Company will leave the Palmetto State by Feb. 20 as part of a 12-month mission at Fort Bliss, Texas, to support COVID-19 operations within the military.

The 108th Chemical Company is a special unit, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Jones said at the Feb. 15 send-off ceremony at the National Guard Armory off Cross County Road.

When you have unique missions, the Army calls on special units  special units who can handle it.

The 10-year-old company typically conducts neuroscience-type missions, using detection equipment to survey an area and determine whether any chemical, biological or radiological risks are present, said Capt. Andrea Keesee, the companys commander.

Managing quarantine and isolation protocols at Fort Bliss isnt necessarily a common mission for the unit, which is familiar with conducting operations inside South Carolina. The company has never previously been deployed, she said.

The coronavirus mission will be the first of its kind for the S.C. National Guard, said Maj. Gen. R. Van McCarty, head of the states military department.

The company was ordered to deploy given the large volume of coronavirus cases and frequency with which soldiers are moving in and out of Fort Bliss, which is in El Paso, Texas, at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The company will help conduct operations for soldiers who must isolate after testing positive for COVID-19. This could include bringing the sick soldiers food, groceries and medications or checking in on how they're feeling.

The unit will also be responsible for tracking soldiers who need to quarantine after being identified through close-contact tracing.

Jones, the S.C. Military Departments deputy head, emphasized the missions importance: Assisting the COVID fight is just as critical to national security as anything else were doing now, he said.

Exciting opportunities

Soldiers were notified of the deployment in November, giving them a few months to get their civilian lives in order before departing.

Spc. Montez Washington said he is eager to explore Texas  a state hes never visited  but is nervous he might start to get homesick after a while.

The 21-year-old grew up in downtown Charleston, and the longest he's ever been away from home was the 10 weeks spent at basic training.

Still, his overall mood reflected excitement. The opportunity will help better himself physically, professionally and personally, he said.

Sgt. 1st Class Kimberly Calkins, who leads one of the companys four platoons, has spent the past few weeks preparing her soldiers for the mission. Shes helped them set goals for the deployment, hosted bonding activities and answered questions.

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The deployment to Texas will be Calkins fifth with the National Guard. It is a wonderful opportunity to serve her country as well as help other military members navigate the ongoing pandemic, she said.

Calkins, 50, moonlights as an operations specialist at a Charleston elementary school. Many of the National Guard soldiers have civilian jobs, which will be put on pause for the next 12 months.

Connecting with others who share this background is one of the best parts of stateside deployments, Calkins said.

We bring (civilians) together and we all do a mission, she said. The camaraderie that you have  and just knowing that youre with a group of people that you can really depend on, that you dont even know  its just really special.

Strong leaders

Essential to fostering this rapport among soldiers, and conducting a successful mission, will be strong leadership within the unit. McCarty, the states head military officer, expressed his confidence in Keesee, the company's commander.

Keesee, who also works as a first grade teacher in Columbia, was greeted with thunderous applause and cheers as she took the microphone.

This unit is up for the challenge, she assured. Were going to excel.

Keesees parents, Patrice and Christopher, proudly watched from the audience. Their daughter, the second-oldest of four children, is the familys grounding factor, Patrice Keesee said.

She is a commander with heart while still being driven and goal-oriented.

With Andrea, she expects nothing less than the successful completion of a mission, her mother said. She doesnt leave a task undone.

The looming deployment evokes sharp memories for the entire family: Andrea Keesee was in sixth grade when her father spent 14 months in Iraq on active duty.

Im just so proud of her right now, he said. Theres a lot of emotion.

The parents sat in the drill hall among dozens of other family members and friends, some of whom waved small American flags  a reminder that service always involves a degree of sacrifice.
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BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States' hyping of the threat of war in Ukraine has added obstacles to the promotion of dialogue and negotiation by relevant parties, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks when asked to comment on the Ukraine situation, adding that the U.S. move has had a serious impact on Ukraine's domestic economic and social stability, as well as the people's lives.

Wang highlighted a comment from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who said, "February 15, 2022 will go down in history as the day Western war propaganda failed."

He noted that Russia has accused the West of conducting "information terrorism" over the Ukraine issue. 
MYRTLE BEACH  Spirit Airlines, the largest carrier at Myrtle Beach International Airport, will add nonstop flights to five Midwestern and Northeastern cities this spring.

Meanwhile, a new airline, Avelo Airlines, announced plans to offer nonstop flights from its hub in New Haven, Conn., to Myrtle Beach.

Spirit will start service to Manchester, N.H., on April 20, Louisville and St. Louis on May 26, Milwaukee on May 27 and Rochester, N.Y., on June 24, the Miramar, Fla.-based airline announced.

Spirit nonstop flights resume to Niagara Falls, N.Y., on April 22, Indianapolis on May 25, and Minneapolis and Houston on May 26.

Spirit has nearly 30 daily departures during the summer season, accounting for 44 percent of passengers at the Myrtle Beach airport that posted record traffic in 2021.

Avelo will add flights to Charleston and Hilton Head Island/Savannah as well as Myrtle Beach from Tweed-New Haven Airport on May 5.

The Houston-based airline is offering introductory $49 one-way fares to the new S.C. airports.

Avelo first flew out of New Haven to six Florida airports in November and has a 10-month-old hub at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles.

"Our customers are telling us they would love for Avelo to fly to more places beyond Florida. These four new routes show we're listening," Avelo Airlines Chief Executive Andrew Levy said in a statement.

New Haven is a two-hour drive from New York City and Boston.

Flights between New Haven and Myrtle Beach will be offered every day but Wednesday.

Myrtle Beach International Airport Director of Airports Scott Van Moppes said in a statement that Avelo's "strong focus on service and affordability, is a perfect fit for our community."

The new flights are not the first direct service between Myrtle Beach and an airport in Connecticut. Spirit offers nonstop flights to Hartford.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
Raise your hand if you think the main problem with S.C. schools is that they just dont have enough partisan politics and what we really need is for school decisions to be made by the ideologically pure and uncompromising  rather than by pragmatists focused on providing the best education for our kids.

If you spend too much time on Twitter or watching partisan news networks, your hand is probably in the air. You might also believe that forcing school board candidates to declare a political party is the best way to ensure transparency and accountability. As if everybody who claims a party label agrees with everything that party stands for ... if they can even agree on what it is their party stands for.

Most of us dont live in a world where every answer fits neatly into a little red box or a little blue box. Thats why only about a third of South Carolinas active voters participate in our state primary elections. (And why many of us who do vote in primaries only do so because we know that in most cases, thats our only real opportunity to have a say in who gets elected in November.)

We live in a world where the best answer is usually the pragmatic one that has some liberal elements and some conservative elements. The one that's the result of working together to find that best possible answer, not the one that makes Republicans look bad or makes Democrats look bad. Those red and blue boxes might be a necessary evil under some circumstances, but it would never occur to most South Carolinians that the way to improve anything is to force it into one of those boxes.

As The Post and Couriers Nick Reynolds reports, thats what the Republican House members who represent tiny Lancaster County are trying to do, and theyd already be well on their way if Democrats and a few Republicans hadnt objected on Thursday. We encourage more Republicans to join the critics and reject this effort to turn even one more school board into something more akin to the Congress.

Theres nothing in state law that prevents candidates for nonpartisan offices from telling people what party they belong to. And if they dont, voters who consider that essential information can ask them; they can even go online to find out which (if any) primaries a candidate has voted in.

But as anyone who has watched political primaries knows very well, Lancaster Rep. Sandy McGarrys idea that partisan elections would make it easier for voters to tell where candidates stand on issues doesnt comport with reality. Particularly not today, when the voters who are demanding partisan elections are the ones who are on a crusade to oust a lot of members of their own party because they arent extreme enough.

Contrary to some Democrats' claims, forcing school board candidates to run in partisan elections probably wont make much difference in the racial makeup of school boards, and it probably wont make much difference in how many school board members prefer the Republican or Democratic party. What it will do is force candidates to survive primaries, where winners often are selected by fewer than 10% of the general-election voters  and specifically by the ones who are the furthest away from the political center.

If we made this change statewide, most of the members of the Charleston County School Board (and the Richland County boards and the school boards in most rural counties) would probably still be Democrats, but theyd lean more to the left, and theyd be a whole lot less interested in working with anyone who disagrees with them, and theyd be a whole lot more interested in scoring partisan points. Wed see a similar pattern in Lancaster County and other Republican-dominated school districts.

Rep. McGarry got one thing right, when she told Mr. Reynolds it didnt make any sense to have nonpartisan school board elections and partisan elections for the state superintendent of education. But her solution is backward: As long as we have to keep electing the superintendent of education, that should be a nonpartisan election, too.
Sirena Duenas Yamasta was being held at the Department of Corrections when she came face to face with murder defendant Joyner Scott Sked inside the prison in April 2021.

Yamasta, accused in a 2018 drug case, was being held on an arrest warrant.

I never met (Sked) personally before. I was previously detained at DOC, and (when) she came in is when I met her for the first time. I was in the lockup of the womens area, said Yamasta, who was called by the prosecution to testify during day five of Skeds murder trial in the Superior Court of Guam.

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Did she speak to you? asked Assistant Attorney General Leonardo Rapadas.

Yes, she did, she said. At first, when she came in, she said, Hey mali, and was taken away to get processed then she came back and said, Hi Sirena. I said, Hi, do I know you? She stated she was Joy  and mentioned she was Uncle Rudy (Quinatas) Joy. He is an uncle where I picked mangoes from his property and knew him growing up.

Sked, 32, and Quinata, 59, are being tried separately in the killing of former Humatak Mayor Daniel Quinata Sanchez.

Yamasta said that she operates a food stand in Humatak and testified that she used to get fruits from both Sanchez and Quinatas properties to sell.

He was Uncle Danny, she said. We all knew him as Hulk Hogan because he was a big guy.

Yamasta said she only knew of Sked, and met her for the first time inside DOC.

She mentioned, Did you know they found Uncle Danny Sanchez dead in my home. I said, In your home?' Yamasta said repeating the conversation. I said to her, Did he died from natural causes? She said, Now Sirena if he died from natural causes then I wouldnt be in here. I screamed for the guards. I was yelling for them to come down.

The officers confirmed with her that the former mayor had died.

I yelled at (Sked), she said. She laughed at me. She said I am next and will have a hard time putting my kids heads back on their bodies.

How did you take that? Rapadas said.

That she wanted to kill me, and she would take my kids head off, she said.

Yamasta said she spoke to Sked again a few days later.

She came in from her magistrate hearing. She was remanded and said, He told on me. Everything is me. He put it all on me, she said.

Did you know what she was talking about? he said.

She was talking about Uncle Rudy. All she said was, Are they going to believe me or him? She said they werent going to say anything  meaning her and Uncle Rudy.

Yamasta was emotional wiped tears from her eyes, as she looked at a photo of Sanchez inside the courtroom.

Defense Attorney Terrence Timblin asked Yamasta about her testimony.

You got emotional and yelled at (Sked)? said Timblin

Yes, I did, she said.

Did you tell her f*** you troll? Timblin said.

Yes, she said.

In a separate conversation, she said he told on me? he said.

Yes, she said.

She didnt say who he was or what he told on her about? he said.

No, she said.

23 stab wounds

Sanchez was stabbed 23 times, according to Dr. Martin Ishikawa, who testified virtually from Hawaii.

Ishikawa is the pathologist who performed the autopsy on the former mayor.

He noted Sanchez had multiple injuries including a chop wound to the head and stab wounds to the torso.

Photos captured during the autopsy were shown to the jury.

Prosecutors argue that Sanchez, a former police officer who served as his village as mayor from 2005 to 2009, was beaten and stabbed with a hammer and scissors before his body was found inside Quinatas shack.

Trial is ongoing before Judge Vernon Perez.
There have been contradictions about our local government's strategy on COVID-19 testing and limitations for those who have come in close cont Read more
RAMALLAH/GAZA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian territories on Tuesday reported 3,648 new COVID-19 cases and 24 related deaths in the last 24 hours.

In a press statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that 1,640 new cases were recorded in the coastal enclave Gaza Strip, ruled by the Islamic Resistance Movement of Hamas, with 1,128 new cases confirmed in the West Bank and 880 new cases in East Jerusalem.

Of the 24 deaths, 14 were logged in the besieged Gaza Strip, while the other 10 were registered in the West Bank, the ministry said, noting that the total COVID-19 death toll registered in the Palestinian territories has grown to 5,320 since March 2020.

According to the statement, 4,073 recoveries were reported in the Palestinian territories over the past day.

In Gaza, Mohammad Abu Selmiya, director of Shifa Hospital, told reporters that the Omicron variant "has exhausted the health system in the Gaza Strip due to the unprecedented rapid increase of cases in the last few days."

Abu Selmiya warned that the surging cases would risk the lives of the elderly and those with chronic diseases and weak immunity. 
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asserted emergency powers to try to shut down the trucker protests that have embarrassed his administration and interrupted trade across the bridge between Detroit and Windsor. (One of the ironies here is that truckers are protesting against, among other things, Canadian edicts that impaired trade between the U.S. and Canada. The Babylon Bee headlined, Trudeau Demands Protesters Stop Shutting Down City So That He Can Shut Down City.)

Trudeau and the Canadian and American press have tried to demonize the truckers by calling them racists, white supremacists, etc. This litany is so old, so tired, and so obviously inapplicable to the truckers that I didnt think it would have any impact. And it hasnt. On the contrary, Rasmussen finds that a clear majority of Americans support the protesters:

Canadas prime minister has invoked emergency powers in an attempt to shut down a protest by truckers seeking an end to COVID-19 restrictions, but most American voters support the so-called Freedom Convoy  and think a similar protest here would be a good idea. A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports finds that 59% of Likely U.S. voters support the Canadian trucker protest, including 42% who Strongly Support the Freedom Convoy. Thirty-three percent (33%) of voters oppose the trucker protest against Canadas COVID-19 restrictions, including 21% who Strongly Oppose the protest.

So: 59% support the truckers protest, while 33% oppose it. This is partly because most voters think Canada should do away with its covid restrictions:

Fifty-one percent (51%) say Trudeau should end Canadas COVID-19 restrictions, while 35% dont think Trudeau should concede to protest leaders by ending the restriction. Another 14% are not sure.

Many have said that it would be great if Americas truckers followed the Canadian example. Rasmussen finds that sentiment to be widespread:

There have been suggestions that American truckers should stage protests like Canadas Freedom Convoy. Fifty-four percent (54%) of U.S. voters say they would support trucker protests against COVID-19 restrictions in the United States, including 36% who would Strongly Support such protests. Thirty-eight percent (38%) would oppose U.S. trucker protests against COVID-19 restrictions, including 27% who would Strongly Oppose such protests in the United States.

I assume the Democratic Party is seeing similar numbers in its polling, which explains why so many Democratic governors are scrambling to end covid shutdowns or disassociate themselves from such policies.

But liberals are fighting a spirited rear-guard action. GoFundMe first said they would confiscate at least some of the money donated to the truckers and give it to someone else. When it was pointed out that this clearly would be illegal, they settled for kicking the truckers off their platform and refunding the donors money. The truckers moved to GiveSendGo, which so far has stood firm.

However, leftists have evidently hacked into GiveSendGo and have published personal information about those who have supported the truckersi.e., those who represent the majority. A friend of mine was among the donors, and received this communication from a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Company:

From: JOSEPH LOIERO

Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 11:22 AM

To: ________

Subject: CBC News Query  Freedom Convoy Donation Hi _________, My name is Joseph Loiero, Im a journalist with CBC News (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) based in Washington, D.C. Im emailing hoping you have some time to chat about a donation made to the Freedom Convoy in Canada in your name. I dont want to take up too much of your time, but let me know if you have a few minutes to connect today. You can reach me at this email address or on my cell at 202-841-0030. Or if you like, let me know if theres a number I can reach you and and I can give you a ring. Thank you very much. Sincerely, Joseph

I dont know, it is possible that Mr. Loiero might have written a fair story about thosethe majoritywho support the truckers protest. But given the tight connection between the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Canadian left, that seems unlikely. My friend declined to be interviewed.
The Hill reports that Senate Democrats are urging Joe Biden to speed up his process for picking a nominee to the Supreme Court. It has been about three weeks since Justice Breyer announced he will retire. It took only a month to confirm Amy Coney Barrett.

Confirming Barrett was a matter of great urgency because Republicans were well on their way to losing control of the Senate. Democrats arent up against an election deadline yet  the midterms are almost nine months away  but they hold the Senate by only one seat, and Sen. Lujan is out of action for health reasons, reportedly for four to six weeks.

With a majority this tenuous, its understandable that Senate Dems want to get on with confirming a replacement for Breyer. According to the Hill, they are also driven by a desire to show forward momentum on a high-profile issue after they spent months working on Bidens Build Back Better agenda and voting rights legislation  two issues dear to the partys liberal base  and came back empty-handed.

Theres another reason why Democrats should want Biden to give them a nominee very soon. The in-fighting taking place among backers of the three leading candidates for the nomination threatens to damage the reputation and/or standing of the eventual nominee.

Judge J. Michelle Childs has come under attack from organized labor for defending companies in labor and employment disputes (the horror!). Judge Leondra Kruger has been criticized, as somewhat moderate (the horror!), too privileged, and for losing badly in a religious freedom case she argued on behalf of the U.S. government before the Supreme Court (hey, it happens even to the best).

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is now opposed by Alabama civil rights icon and former U.S. district judge U.W. Clemon. He criticizes her for rejecting a class action settlement in a case against Lockheed Martin.

Clemon is a partner in a firm involved in that case, so he is not a disinterested critic. Still, if Brown Jackson is the nominee, Clemons attack wont do her any good.

The problem isnt so much that these attacks will derail the nominee, whichever judge that is. Once theres a nominee the Democrats, their interest groups, and the media will rally around her. And if Sen. Lujan gets back in action, the Democrats will have the votes to confirm any of the three. I wouldnt be surprised if the nominee gets a few Republican votes, as well.

The problem is that there will more bitterness than necessary and less enthusiasm than there could have been. Those who have dialed up attacks and those who took the attacks seriously will be more upset than if the nominee had been selected right away.

And even when confirmed, the new Justice will probably take the bench with a little less glow than otherwise would have been the case. The forward momentum the Democrats say they expect from finally winning something might not be all it could have been.

Its true that the White House needs thoroughly to vet its nominee. The price of bad mistake in vetting far exceeds the price of the squabbling going on now.

But Breyers retirement didnt come up of the blue, and the administration has always known that Joe Biden would have the opportunity to fill at least one seat on the Supreme Court before his term ends. The delay in selecting a nominee smacks more of indecision in the face of lobbying and a desire to please than of a need for more vetting.

If theres more delay, it will be yet another sign, albeit a minor one, that Team Biden isnt functioning well.
This past Monday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared an emergency under Canadas Emergencies Act of 1988. Its predecessor was the War Measures Act of 1914. Roger Kimball provides a link to the text of the Act in his Spectator column on the declaration.

Trudeaus emergency is the first such emergency since the enactment of the law. The declaration of emergency was occasioned by the truckers protesting in Ottawa and elsewhere. The truckers dont like the governments vaccine mandates for truckers and other restrictions. Their opposition undoubtedly extends in some cases to Trudeaus Liberal government generally. The truckers present themselves to the public under the rubric of the Freedom Convoy. Surely this cannot stand.

The declaration of emergency authorizes the government to take the kind of actions we associate with martial law. Trudeaus disclaimer of patently totalitarian measures does not appear to be necessitated by the power with which he is endowed under the Act. Such rights as the protesters retain are more or less at Trudeaus sufferance.

The Acts section on orders and regulations, for example, concludes with the power to impose (i) on summary conviction.a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both that fine and imprisonment, or (ii) on indictment, of a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both that fine and imprisonment, for contravention of any order or regulation made under this section.

Elliot Kaufman addresses the question of Trudeaus powers by virtue of the declaration in his Wall Street Journal column on the trucker emergency. Kaufman notes:

This broad authority [under the Act] doesnt junk the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It does, however, include the power to prohibit travel, public assemblies and use of any specified property, to force people or companies to render essential services, to impose fines and imprisonment for violating any of the emergency rules, and to use the military as police, though Mr. Trudeau suggests he wont do that last one. He says the powers will be used for 30 days, strengthening the federal police, beefing up penalties, dragooning private tow-truck companies and, incredibly, directing financial institutions, without court orders, to freeze personal and corporate bank accounts connected to the protests. Without due process, and used against despised and often caricatured protesters, these powers invite further abuse.

Thats what Im talking about. The BBC backgrounder on the Emergencies Act reports: Pressed by reporters about how far he would go in response to the crisis, Pierre Trudeau responded with the famous phrase: Just watch me.'

The New York Post quotes Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland: Consider yourselves warned. If your truck is used in these blockades, your corporate accounts will be frozen. The insurance on your vehicle will be suspended. Send your rigs home. Freeland, who is also the finance minister, said the government will also target crowd-funding sites that are being used to support the blockades. Freeland added that the government will use anti-money-laundering regulations to target crowd-funding sites that are being used to support the trucker blockades.

The Biden administration is of course on board with the Trudeau government. We should all consider ourselves warned.
I wrote here about what I called a Princeton-Morgan Stanley joint venture in discrimination. My reference was to Morgan Stanleys Freshman Enhancement Program, which is available only to Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and/or LGBTQ college freshmen. All other freshmen need not apply. Princeton participates in the program.

Today, former White House Counsel Boyden Gray sent a letter on behalf of the Project on Fair Representation to Morgan Stanley and Princeton University. It warns them that the Freshman Enhancement Program is illegal. The Project on Fair Representation is led by Edward Blum who also leads Students for Fair Admissions, the plaintiff in the discrimination suit by Asian-Americans against Harvard.

Grays letter is here. It states that while the program proclaims to serve laudable goals. . .the use of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation discrimination to advance these goals is blatantly illegal and immoral.

The letter cites two federal statutes. The first is the Civil Rights Act of 1866:

Under the Civil Rights Act of 1866now codified at 42 U.S.C.  1981federal law prohibits all forms of racial discrimination in private contracting. As the late Justice Ginsburg once explained, section 1981 is a sweeping law designed to break down all discrimination between black men and white men regarding basic civil rights. The internship programs ham-fisted restriction to only certain favored racial and ethnic groups is incompatible with this requirement.

The other statute is the Civil Rights Act of 1964:

[W]hile it is unclear whether interns will be compensated or whether this program is designed to provide a path to employment, if either is the case, then it likely also violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race, sex, and sexual orientation discrimination in employment in all but the rarest circumstances. Colleges and universities assisting in these efforts may also be liable as third parties. Similarly, colleges and universities like Princeton that accept federal funding are also subject to Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity not only in admissions and financial aid but also with respect to academic programs and training opportunities.

I really like this passage:

The programs existence also bespeaks a broader dysfunction at Morgan Stanley, Princeton, and any other colleges and universities participating in this recruitment program. . . .It is, frankly, astounding that these programs passed internal legal review in light of the clear statutory prohibitions discussed above. Im sure that you have felt pressure to ignore such legal prohibitions as many policymakers have argued that equity or parity demands that we use race and sex discrimination to undo past injustices or to achieve some kind of ideal representational balance. But as you must know, claims that this kind of discrimination is good, actually, will not hold up in court. If the entities you serve really believe that race and sex discrimination are necessary, you should seek to amend the laws prohibiting these practices rather than engaging in blatant violations of the laws and hoping that social pressure helps you avoid liability. It will not.

And this one:

Morgan Stanley and Princeton are leading institutions in our culture. What you do matters not only because it affects the individuals involved, but because you set an influential example for others. Pandering to activists with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives like this internship program is actively harming and racializing our already divided country while doing nothing to end the lingering injustices wrought by racist and sexist discrimination in the past. This is shameful, and you would be well advised to take note and change course now.

People used to argue that the many beneficiaries of racial preferences in college admissions will find the going tough once they leave the shelter of the university and enter the real world where they have to meet the same standards as everyone else. But corporate America is now closely allied with academia when it comes to racial preferences. The Morgan Stanley program demonstrates this, at least at the entry level.

Lets hope that Morgan Stanley backs away from this discriminatory program and that, if not, the courts shoot it down.
John OHara famously observed on the death of George Gershwin that he died on July 11, 1937, but I dont have to believe it if I dont want to. I feel like that hearing the news that P.J. ORourke died yesterday at home in New Hampshire at the age of 74. He was a gifted humorist and prolific author in the American grain. His death represents an irreplaceable loss in our life and letters. The New York Times obituary by Neal Genzlinger briefly reviews the record.

As a mainstay at the National Lampoon, he was one of the writers responsible for the Lampoons ingenious, hilarious, and best-selling 1964 High School Yearbook in 1974. That was hard to top, but top it he did so many times in his brilliant columns, books, and articles over the years. Every literate conservative is sure to have his favorite (or two or three).

I recall his brilliant article on the Yugo for Car and Driver in 1982. Unfortunately, he left it on the cutting room floor when he compiled Driving Like Crazy: Thirty Years of Vehicular Hell Bending, Celebrating America the Way Its Supposed to BeWith an Oil Well in Every Backyard, a Cadillac Escalade in Every Carport, and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board Mowing Our Lawn (2009). Even the title is funny. (Neal Genzlinger reviewed it for the Times.)

In tribute to P.J. Car and Driver has republished Ferrari Reinvents Manifest Destiny: P.J. ORourke Drives Cross-Country in a Ferrari 308GTS. The editors describe it as his classic story from 1980 in which he streaks westward in a blood-red 308GTS.

His audacious take on the political class in Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government has become a classic that joined the instructive with the agreeable. It has stood the test of time.

He made several trips to Minnesota to give speeches at the Center of the American Experiment and elsewhere. John and I chatted with him over beers after one such speech in downtown Minneapolis. He could not have been more gracious when I complained to him about the missing Yugo article.

On another visit to town he commented: A few years ago, you elected a man to be governor who was clearly insane. Jesse Ventura was a bold experiment and, with him, you proved a great truth: Crazy politicians arent much different than regular politicians. But you may be going too far with Al Franken.

As the featured speaker at the American Spectators twenty-fifth anniversary celebration in 1993, P.J. commented on the coming of the Clinton era. Here is one excerpt that stands the test of time:

[A] great advantage of conservatism is that we dont have to fill this evening with sanctimonious twaddle and self-righteous blather. Think of the dreadful dinners that liberals will be sitting through for the next four years  Yes, welcome to the 1990s. Let us all salute (and be sensitive to the needs of) the shiftless, the feckless, the senseless, the worthwhileness-impaired, the decency-challenged, and the differently moraled. And hello to their leaders  progressive, committed, and filled to the nose holes with enormous esteem for themselves.

The magazine has posted his speech here. I found it this morning in Backward and Upward: The New Conservative Writing (1995).

RIP.
Yesterday, the jury in the Sarah Palin case found that the New York Times is not liable for the false claim it made against Palin in an editorial. The judge had already ruled in favor of the Times but, in an unusual move, he allowed the jury to continue deliberating to a verdict.

Palin always faced an uphill battle because of the high level of protection current law affords journalists in cases involving public figures. Thus, the decision of a New York jury isnt surprising.

However, theres a wrinkle. As John Sexton points out, this jury wasnt sequestered. Therefore, its quite possible, and even likely, that jurors learned before they reached a verdict that the judge had already decided there wasnt sufficient evidence to support Palins case.

If so, was this a factor in the verdict? It might have been. Some jurors might have been swayed on the merits by what the judge concluded. Holdout or undecided jurors, if any, might have concluded it was a waste of time to maintain or take a pro-Palin position, since the verdict no longer really mattered.

Sexton also notes that the judge has advised jurors not to talk to the media. The New York Times argued against so advising jurors, but the judge rejected that position.

If jurors follow the judges recommendation, we wont know whether they knew about his decision before they reached their verdict.

Will Palin appeal? Her lawyers say they are considering their options.

Is there a fruitful basis for appealing based on the the fact that judge ruled and then allowed the jury to deliberate without eliminating the possibility that it would learn of his ruling while still deliberating? I dont think so. The appeal would be from the judges ruling on the merits. If the judge is found to have been right to toss the case, that should be the end of the matter (absent a petition to the Supreme Court). If he is found to be wrong, I assume there will be a new trial.

Either way, any error in the judges handling of the jury would be deemed harmless. That, at least, is my initial take. NOTE: I now think this initial take is incorrect. If the appeals court finds that the judge was wrong to take the case away from the jury, the Times can try to rely on the jurys verdict, saying that even if the judge hadnt taken the case away, Palin would have lost. Palin will want to argue that the jurys verdict cant be relied on because it was tainted by the judges ruling and the jurys knowledge of it, which has now been established.

Even if the court of appeals affirms the judges ruling as a sound application of existing law  the likely outcome  there would still be the question of whether existing law is correct. That would be a matter for the Supreme Court to decide.

Two Justices  Thomas and Gorsuch  have signaled unhappiness with the high barrier existing law provides journalists. However, it would take two more votes for the Supreme Court to consider Palins case and an addition vote to overturn the existing rule.

Thats another uphill battle, it seems to me.
I want to respond to the objections Steve Hayward presented to what Ive written about Donald Trumps handling of presidential documents. He objects to my statement that media reports of Trump tearing up documents seem to be accurate.

However, his main objection is that there wouldnt be anything wrong with Trump destroying documents because every White House document going back to the 1980s is composed on a computer. Ill start with that objection.

There are two problems with Steves statement. First, it is very likely not true. Second, it doesnt matter.

Its highly doubtful that all of the documents Trump was required to preserve were composed on a computer. Consider some of the documents that have come up in the recent reporting.

There are Trumps personal messages to Kim Jong-un that the former president took to Florida and turned over a year later after archivists sought 15 boxes of presidential documents. Were these composed on a computer?

Maybe. But Trump has described them as love letters, so its quite possible that he wrote them by hand and that they are not on any computer.

The boxes also contained a map showing the path of Hurricane Dorian. The map may be on a computer. However, Trump reportedly drew a line on it to try to show he had accurately predicted the storms course. Its highly unlikely that the version with the line is on a computer.

The presidents document preservation obligation isnt limited to typed pages. For example, handwritten notes taken during meetings must be preserved. If Trump destroyed these papers at the end of the meetings, they wont be found in computer backup.

But even if every document Trump handled could be found on a computer, this wouldnt justify him destroying the hard copies. The main reason why is that, as Steve acknowledges, the hard copies may contain writings.

Is it okay for the president to pick and choose among his documents and discard any he says have no writings? No.

Nothing in the Presidential Records Act allows this, and for good reason. We dont want the president to be the one who screens his documents for posterity.

In the same post in which he defends the presidents right to destroy documents Steve calls Donald Trump a hypocritical narcissist who will say anything and everything. I dont think we would want a president like that to destroy documents based on the claim that, in effect, theres nothing unique to see here.

Indeed, such a president, or any president actually, is most likely to destroy precisely those documents that have something to see  especially ones on which he has scribbled something noteworthy. Hence the obligation to preserve everything.

Trumps aides seem to have understood this obligation. According to reporting, some staffers went to great lengths attempting to do so  retrieving torn documents from waste paper baskets and taping them back together.

Steve speculates that Presidents Bush and Obama threw some documents away. Perhaps. But Ive seen no indication that they destroyed documents on the scale that Trump reportedly did or tried to do. Nor, from all that appears, did either president take boxes of documents to their post-presidency home, keep them for a year, and return them only when pressed by the Archives.

If Bush had done anything like this, the media would have been all over him for it. But as far as I know hes never been accused of it. However, if he or Obama did destroy more than the occasional random document, that conduct is problematic too.

This brings me to Steves other objection to what I wrote  that I said reports of Trumps attempts at document destruction seem to be accurate. He points to one example from a few years ago in which a negative story about Trump turned out to be inaccurate.

He could easily have pointed to others. Media reports of misconduct by Trump should always be viewed skeptically.

But in this case, Trump issued a statement on the subject. He denied flushing documents down the toilet, but did not deny tearing documents up. It was only then that I concluded that the media reports on the tearing, but not the flushing, seem to be accurate.

Trump has never been bashful about declaring media reports fake news. Sometimes hes right, sometimes hes not. However, when Trump denies one part of a negative story but not the other part, its fair to say that the allegations not denied seem to be accurate.

Both of the objections Steve presented in his sharp comment lack merit.
Maritime security is not limited to activities at sea  inland waterways are also part of the maritime domain, says the African Union (AU). Africas Great Lakes, several of which are among the largest water bodies in the world, are the lifeblood for surrounding communities numbering tens of millions of people.

This means that maritime security and blue economies require the attention not just of Africas coastal states but land-linked countries too. The continents lakes and rivers are increasingly threatened by illicit fishing, depredation of marine resources, illegal immigration and territorial disputes emanating from unclear borderlines.

Most larger lakes, particularly lakes Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi are transboundary bodies of water containing the borders of at least three countries. In some cases, these demarcations are disputed. Unless conflicts are amicably resolved, the waters risk becoming contested, causing insecurity among surrounding communities.

For example, in Lake Edward, the arrest of Congolese fishermen accused of operating in Ugandan waters led to violent clashes between Uganda and Congolese patrols in 2019. At least 13 people died.

Many lakes such as Edward lack a clear border  a legacy of colonial policies and treaties. For similar reasons, there have been occasional clashes between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Lake Mweru over fishing rights. Both countries frequently arrest each others fisherfolk.

Border disputes are rife on Lake Victoria, which is largely divided between Tanzania and Uganda. Kenya has a small yet significant portion as the 2,000 m2 Migingo island sits on the lakes contested Kenya-Uganda border, resulting in tension over ownership.

The fishing industry on Lake Victoria employs about 800,000 people, with 70,000 locally made vessels operating in its waters. The small-scale fisheries sector alone brings in about $300 million in annual fishing revenue among the three bordering countries. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by organised crime syndicates endangers the livelihoods of communities around the lake.

Climate change is another threat that has a significant impact on Africas waters. About 38.5 million people in the Lake Victoria Basin will experience climate-induced migration by 2050. Flooding and loss of crops on Lake Tanganyika due to increased rains and topsoil erosion could trigger a humanitarian crisis in Burundi. A similar dilemma confronts Lake Turkana, affecting communities in Kenya and Ethiopia, which border the worlds largest desert lake.

The safety of life on the lakes is also a priority  just as safety of life at sea is the subject of several international conventions. Boat accidents frequently occur on African lakes and rivers, made worse by overcrowding, unseaworthy vessels and a lack of search-and-rescue and life-saving aid.

A January 2022 accident on the Congo River in the DRC claimed 50 lives. The river is one of Africas most important inland waterways, with 14,500 km of navigable water in the DRC alone. Like many of the continents largest rivers, it forms the boundary between several countries and enables agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and food production, hydroelectric power generation and transportation.

Along with problematic colonial-era borders, the discovery of energy resources in shared lakes such as lakes Chad and Malawi could cause disputes if countries decide to act unilaterally. Significant oil and gas deposits have also been found in Lake Edward. This complicates an already tense situation and increases the pressure on all countries to reach resource-sharing and border-management agreements.

Various organisations aspire to improve governance in these transboundary settings, including the Congo Basin Climate Commission, the Nile River Basin Initiative, the Zambezi River Authority and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

Several options exist for states and organisations. For instance, Tanzania established mobile courts to help curb illegal fishing in its seas, lakes and dams. To work though, law enforcement must be applied by all lake states, as weak efforts in one might undermine progress in another. The Institute for Security Studies has called for such coordination in response to illegal fishing in West Africa and Lake Kivu.

Legal frameworks exist that oblige African countries to improve maritime security and safety standards. But most have not yet come into force due to insufficient ratifications. African states should throw their weight behind instruments such as the 2010 Revised African Maritime Transport Charter and the 2016 Lome Charter.

Article 4 of the Revised African Maritime Transport Charter strengthens state party cooperation to ensure maritime transport safety along inland waterways. Article 7 defines the role of the Association of African Maritime Administrations, which builds the capacity of national maritime administrations. Article 3 of the Lome Charter commits signatories to improve fishing governance, promote navigation safety and combat fisheries crime.

Initiatives such as the Congo Basin Climate Commission, which focuses on climate change and blue economies in several Central African countries, will help integrate regional efforts to mitigate climate change effects on Africas inland waterways. The commission needs the commitment of government, civil society and the private sector to succeed.

African multilateral mechanisms, especially the AU Border Programme, must be capacitated to help states resolve existing and emerging maritime border disputes. Policies and regulations on illegal fishing need to be implemented not just in Africas seas but also inland waterways.

Failure to do so will mean that blue economies along the continents rivers and lakes will be neither sustainable nor benefit Africans, as specified in Aspiration 1 of the AUs Agenda 2063.

David Willima, Research Officer, Maritime, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Pretoria

This article is published with support from the government of Norway.

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).
RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains and subsequent disasters such as landslides and flooding have caused over 30 fatalities in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, local authorities said on Wednesday.

According to a statement released by the authorities, at least 34 deaths have been confirmed. Officials said that the number could rise as searchers were working through the wreckage.

More than 180 firefighters and other rescue workers were at the scene in the hill town of Petropolis, 68 km north of Rio de Janeiro, fire department said in a statement. 
He was honoured by the House of Representatives in 2020 after becoming a Nigerian celebrity for his daring exploits in crime-fighting, but life appears to have turned half circle for deputy commissioner of police Abba Kyari following his arrest for allegedly aiding and abetting drug pushing.

Mr Kyari was taken into custody on Monday by the anti-drug trafficking agency, NDLEA, which accused him of involvement in trafficking 25kg cocaine by a drug cartel operating the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline.

Long dubbed super cop in the media because of his crime-busting heroics while he headed the Nigeria police intelligence team, the detective lived a socialite lifestyle strange to his profession. Security operatives are usually known for their discreet lifestyles. But not Mr Kyari who appeared to hug publicity.

Touted as one of Nigerias best brains in the police with many intelligence breakthroughs under his belt, Mr Kyari has also been accused of rights abuses, for which he denied wrongdoing.

Flirting with a fraudster

Mr Kyaris fall began last year when the US Attorneys Office, Central District of California, in July, issued an arrest warrant against him and five others for their roles in a scam spearheaded by a former Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi. Mr Abbas, the self-acclaimed Prince of Cash and Flash, has since pleaded guilty to internet fraud and money laundering charges and faces 20 years in jail.

With Hushpuppi awaiting sentencing in the U.S, Nigerians on social media were trolling the Nigerian government and police for their seeming determination to stall the extradition of Mr Kyari to the U.S. when the bombshell of the NDLEA catching him in a sting operation with his hand in the jar, dropped.

Who is DSP Abba Kyari?

Mr Kyari was born into a polygamous family on March 17, 1975, in Maiduguri, Borno State. As a kid, he had wanted to be either a police officer or pilot.

Three years after taking a Bachelors degree in Geography in 1997, he joined the police in 2000 as a cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

Before his promotion to DCP in 2018, he served as the Officer-In-Charge of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for five years at the Lagos Police Command. The unit was notorious for human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings which provoked a nationwide youth protest that ultimately led to the dissolution of the unit in 2020.

Mr Kyari has a record of bursting high-level crimes and was eager to share his exploits across his social media accounts. From netting kidnappers, ritual killers, armed robbers and other notorious suspected criminals, Mr Kyari over a few years made himself known to both the lowly and the highly placed in Nigeria.

Celebrity police officer

His Instagram page leaves little to the imagination about his flamboyant lifestyle. Mr Kyari enjoyed the glitz and glamour that social media platforms offer and often shared pictures of himself in the company of music stars, billionaire business people and the Nigerian high society.

From a review of his posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter from 2017, it is difficult to think of another Nigerian police officer who enjoyed social gatherings more than the now embattled officer. He had posted pictures of himself with music stars such as Innocent Idibia (2Baba) and David Adeleke (Davido) and nightclub operator, Obi Cubana.

If he was not sharing pictures of his family activities, Mr Kyari would be showing off to his over 81,000 followers with pictures of himself eating, working or gisting with his friends or visitors in his office space, always radiating the police is your friend sort of energy.

While his displays drew the consternation of critics, they earned the applause of his admirers.

Yet that lifestyle seems to sharply contradict one of the qualities that earned him his appointment as OC of the defunct SARS in Lagos by a former Assistant Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Manko.

In one of the Instagram posts Mr Kyari shared on his wall, Mr Manko recalled how he appointed the now embattled DCP to head the anti-robbery squad section in Lagos.

When I reported as a commissioner of police in Lagos, I made it a point of duty to always move around to assess situations. At the Anti-Robbery section, I discovered that a lot was happening that I didnt like. I had one-on-one talks with all the officers there and I made up my mind to immediately reorganise.

Kyari was the second-in-command of the section then, and was the quiet type, but after we interacted, I was wowed with his high level of intelligence. Then I said to myself, this is the new OC of the Anti-Robbery section. Some of the officers said he is too quiet, but I know a good officer when I see one. I knew hed go places.

And when he assumed command, he turned things around and we started getting results. It even came to a time when armed robbers were afraid to come and operate in Lagos, and those based there relocated entirely. It was due to the purposeful leadership of that young man that Lagos, at that time, was rid of criminals, the retired officer said.

Super Cop

Mr Kyari led the team of SARS operatives that ended the 14-year reign of a notorious South-west robbery gang called Godogodo, led by Abiodun Ogunjobi, in 2013.

Among his other, more notable feats are the March 2017 arrest of Henry Chibueze (Vampire)-led kidnapping gang in the Southeast and Rivers State. He also led the IRT to arrest Chukwudi Onuamadike, the notorious billionaire kidnap suspect popularly called Evans, in 2017; and Tarabas wanted kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Wadume.

Hero to Zero

Among many other recognitions and awards, the Maiduguri-born officer was in June 2020 given a standing ovation at a session of the House of Representatives for his exceptional work in the fight against criminality in Nigeria.

He had earlier bagged the Presidential Medal for Courage in April 2016 and was declared the 2018 Africas Best Detective and presented with Silverbird Groups Best Officer of the Decade Award. A street in his hometown of Maiduguri was also named in his honour.

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However, with his suspension by IGP Usman Baba for his alleged connection to the convicted fraudster Hushpuppi and his arrest on Monday over the indictment by the NDLEA, the sun of Mr Kyaris career in law enforcement appears to have set.

If found guilty of the several allegations made against him, Mr Kyari will spend several years in jail. He would also join in infamy the likes of deputy superintendent of police George Iyamu, who was executed by a firing squad in the mid-1982 for supplying guns to the deadly Lawrence Anini robbery gang that terrorised now Edo and Delta states in that period.
Six months after sacking a military base in the area, bandits have collected at least N40.7 million as protection levy from residents of Mutumji communities in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Residents said they delivered N9.7 million to the bandits on February 4 as the last instalment of the levy collected from various peasant communities in Mutumji.

PREMIUM TIMES reported last September how bandits attacked the Forward Operating Base in Mutumji, killing nine Air Force, two police and one army personnel. The bandits reportedly also stole weapons and other equipment before setting the base ablaze.

A traditional ruler in Mutumji, Abdulkadir Abdullahi, told PREMIUM TIMES that soldiers withdrew from the area after the attack on the military base. He said the withdrawal has made villages in the area a soft target for bandits, who have imposed protection levy on the communities.

Mr Abdullahi said Mutumji has 47 villages with four district heads and 32 ward heads. He said all the villages are now under the control of bandits and that those that chose not to pay the levy have relocated to neighbouring Kebbi and Niger states.

The traditional ruler said the deserted villages include Guru, Danfasa, Dogon-Ruwa, Tungar-Baushi, Jesa, Gazamba, Fankashi, Damkofa, Jesasarnesa, Maijankai and Gobirawar-Guru.

He also identified villages that have paid the protection levy as Sabon Garin-Mahuta, which paid N6 million; Randa, N6 million; Kwanar Dutse, N10 million; and Unguwar Kawo, N5 million.

Mr Abdullahi said Mutumji community initially paid N4 million to the bandits as harvest permit, before paying on Monday the N9.7 million balance of their protection levy.

The total amount imposed on Mutumji was N20 million. We were given one week to complete the payment, the traditional leader said.

He said the N40.7 million paid by all the communities did not include ransoms paid by individuals to the bandits for the release of kidnapped relatives.

Some residents are fleeing the communities because they cannot afford to contribute the money, the traditional ruler said.

How protection levy is being paid

Multiple sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the leader of the bandits terrorising the area is Lawalli Damina, who they said leads criminal activities in Dansadau Emirate.

Locals said Mr Daminas band of bandits routinely kidnap for ransom and rustle cattle in the area. They said the situation deteriorated with the withdrawal of security personnel at Mutumji base.

According to the residents, the bandits stormed Mutumji on Friday, February 4 and took over Mango plantations at the outskirts of the community. They moved into the town and blocked the road linking Mutumji to Dansadau, robbing residents of valuables.

On that Friday, which was a market day in Dansadau town, about 12 kilometres from Mutumji, residents said the bandits seized five motorcycles and foodstuff from residents returning to Mutumji from Dansadau market.

Following that incident, Mr Abbdullahi said their leader, Mr Damina, ordered the community to send two residents to meet him at Farar Doka in Dan-Gulbi ward. However, the traditional ruler said the community sent five emissaries to the meeting, including a Fulani, Alhaji Gudau, who resides in the outskirts of Mutumji.

At that meeting, Damina initiated a peace dialogue with Mutumji and asked the community to raise N50 million to appease his footsoldiers not to attack and kidnap in Mutumji. But after intense bargaining, Damina agreed to collect N20 million.

The deadline for the delivery of the N20 million levy was February 14, but we were only able to raise and deliver N9.7 million on Monday. He has given us one week to complete the payment, this is even as many residents are fleeing in fear of attacks, the traditional ruler said.

Whenever they wanted to impose a levy on a village, they would first abduct one or two residents of that community. Upon their release, they would send them to deliver a message to the villages, that they were ready for peace but a certain amount of money had to be paid for them to settle the troublesome bandits among them.

The bandits would tell us that any community that refused to pay the protection levy would be wiped out. That would compel the residents to pay because there are no security forces around to protect them, Mr Abdullahi said.

The troubled area

Mutumji is in Dansadau Emirate and sits at the edge of Kuyanbana forest in the ungoverned boundaries with Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger states.

Mutumji is in Bindin ward, one of the five wards of Dansadau Emirate. The other wards are Kuyanbana, Dan-Gulbi, Dan-Kurmi and Dansadau town. While Dansadau Emirate has five wards, the council headquarters, Maru, also has five wards which constitute Maru Emirate. The wards are Bingi, Kanoma, Mayanchi, Ruwan Dorawa and Maru town, which host the local council headquarters.

Dansadau Emirate alone covers 492 square kilometres out of the 1180 square kilometres of Zamfara State, that is over one third of the landmass of the state. The area has a land suitable for farming and rearing of livestock.

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PREMIUM TIMES findings revealed that despite the landmass and population of Dansadau Emirate, less than 100 security agents are patrolling selected places in the emirate. The residents said this was what has exposed them to the terror of the bandits.

However, the police said they did not receive any official complaint from the residents of the communities over the N40.9 million protection levy imposed on them by the bandits.

The Police spokesperson in the state, Muhammed Shehu, said the police cannot be in every community in the area but added that they have personnel on ground in Dansadau district.

He urged the residents to always inform and cooperate with the security forces in ensuring the security of lives and properties.

Mr Shehu said he could not speak on the withdrawal of soldiers from Forward Operating Base in Mutumji, because it was a military formation.

Efforts by this reporter to speak with the military authorities were unsuccessful as the known phone contact of the army spokesperson in Zamfara, Y.A Ibrahim, did not connect since Tuesday afternoon.
More than two weeks after replying a query issued by the Ministry of Transport, Hadiza Usman was on Tuesday replaced as managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), without a definite response from the ministry or a formal indictment by its probe committee, PREMIUM TIMES has learned.

Ms Usman has been at loggerheads with the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, over sundry issues regarding the running of the agency. Mr Amaechis ministry supervises the NPA, alongside other sister agencies.

Last May, the minister had alleged that the NPA recorded an outstanding unremitted balance of N165 billion (N165, 320, 962, 697), claiming that the financial account of the NPA be investigated and audited.

Ms Usman, whose second term at the agency had just been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, was suspended and a committee was set up to probe her tenure.

The president named Mohammed Bello-Koko as acting MD.

On Tuesday, Mr Buhari confirmed the appointment of Mr Bello-Koko as the managing director of the NPA.

The appointment was confirmed even when the former NPA boss had not been formally indicted by the Transport Ministrys probe committee and the ministry did not reply to her response to its query.

In the query issued to Mrs Usman, the ministry omitted the major charge of N165 billion unremitted balance, the major infraction leveled against her by Mr Amaechi in May.

Query

In the query seen by PREMIUM TIMES, dated January 26, 2022, the ministry said the committee accused Mrs Usman of various acts of insubordination.

It listed the acts to include disregard for ministerial directive in respect of the Bonny/Port Harcourt and Lagos port channel management contract; and unlawful procurement of the operation of truck transit park for port bound trucks (e-call up) with the non-payment into TSA;

It also includes unilateral execution of a supplemental agreement in respect of the Lekki Deep Seaport concession project; breach of the channels of the communication in the public service; and unilateral and improper use of the emergency procurement mode to procure vehicles.

In addition, the ministry alleged misconduct in waiver, rebates and tariffs granted by NPA without requisite approval; disobedience of court order in respect of pilotage contract between NPA and Intels.

It also alleged disregard of court order in the matter between NPA and BUA ports and terminal limited in respect of the concession of Terminal B Rivers ports complex; breach of presidential/ministerial directive in the matter of the LADOL/Samsung dispute; and lease of Koko Port to Messers Creek Shore Jetty and Terminal Ltd.

Response

Mrs Usman responded in a letter dated February 4, denying all the allegations leveled against her by the ministry.

Although she stated that her suspension meant that she had no access to official records, she dismissed all allegations of misconduct and insubordination raised by the ministry.

ALSO READ: Buhari appoints new NPA managing director

She said that in the Bonny/Lagos port management contract, the directive was forwarded to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) which clarified that it was an extension of an existing contract and such extensions do not require the attention of either the ministerial tenders board or the federal executive council.

She denied disobeying court orders in the Samsung-LADOL issues, adding that the NPA acted within the ambit of the laws, including on the issue of the lease of Koko Port.

On the e-call up system, she argued that it was practically impossible to have the e-Wallet account domiciled with the TSA as the amount standing to the credit of the transporters wallets still belong to the customers.

In addition, she said, the owners of the satellite parks and pre-gates used for gating trucks before their callup into the ports need to be paid weekly from the wallet account based on how many bookings were made for their parks.

She also denied unilaterally executing a supplemental agreement in respect of the Lekki Deep Seaport concession project.

PREMIUM TIMES learned that Ms Usman received no reaction to her response to the transport ministrys query, nor was she indicted by the probe committee.

However, events took a dramatic turn as she was replaced Tuesday by the president in a statement released by the transport ministry.

A spokesperson for the ministry, Eric Ejiekwe, did not respond to a call and a message seeking comment Wednesday.

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The State Security Service (SSS), on Wednesday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), cannot wear clothes with an insignia of a lions head.

Mr Kanu was accused of various offences, including treasonable felony and terrorism, offences he allegedly committed in the course of his separatist campaigns.

At the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, Mr Kanus lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, drew the trial judge, Binta Nyakos attention to the difficulties being encountered in trying to get new clothes to the IPOB leader at the spy agencys detention facility in Abuja.

Mrs Nyako had ordered the SSS to allow Mr Kanu change his clothes from the regular Fendi jumpsuit he had been wearing to court.

Responding to Mr Ozekhomes complaint, the judge asked the Director of Legal Services of the SSS, whom this newspaper could not ascertain his name, to provide explanations to the issue.

My Lord, clothes that were brought for the defendant had lions head embroiled on them, and the defendant (Mr Kanu) cant wear clothes with a lions head, he said.

The secret services lawyer explained that clothes with lions head offend the standard operating procedures of the SSS.

But Mr Kanu insisted on donning the Igbo ethnic attire which carries an insignia of a lions head, a typical dress worn by IPOB members in Nigerias southeastern region.

The IPOB leader is being prosecuted on a 15-count amended charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He was rearrested last June reportedly in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria, an action his lawyers termed extraordinary rendition by the Nigerian government.

The federal government filed the amended charges raising the number of counts from seven to 15 to incorporate terrorism offences he allegedly committed through broadcasts while he was abroad.
A State High Court, Uyo, on Wednesday set aside its judgement which awarded N1.5 billion in favour of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, over a libel suit.

Mr Emmanuel had sued Leo Ekpenyong, a lawyer, for defamation of character over a publication in which he accused the governor of buying judgment from the 2019 National Assembly Election Tribunal.

The court, in its judgment, ordered the defendant to pay N1.5 billion to the governor as general damages for libel.

In another defamation case, the court had ordered Mr Ekpenyong to pay N150 million as damages to a former senator, Effiong Bob.

Both judgments were given on December 15, 2020 by Justice Ekaette Obot who is now the chief judge of Akwa Ibom State.

A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, hired by Mr Ekpenyong, challenged the two judgements, and successfully persuaded the court to set them aside.

Justice Obot noted that Governor Emmanuel and Mr Bob did not file any counter affidavit to oppose Mr Ekpenyongs application.

She said for the interest of substantial justice, since Mr Ekpenyong had filed his defence in the two libel cases, it was important for the cases to be heard on merit, and that it would not be right to deny Mr Ekpenyong the opportunity of determining the case on merit.

The judge, therefore, granted an extension of time as requested by the lawyer, Mr Effiong, and also went ahead to set aside the two judgements.

The court earlier overruled Governor Emmanuels lawyer, Samuel Ikpos preliminary objection.

The lawyer had argued that Mr Ekpenyongs application was incompetent, having been brought outside the three months period stipulated by the law, and that the court lacks jurisdiction to extend such time.

Justice Obot admitted that the rules of court are meant to be obeyed.

She, however, said the provision of Order 25 of the Akwa Ibom State High Court Civil Procedure, which the governors lawyer relied upon, was unconstitutional.

She said the provision violates the Nigerian Constitution which allows access to court and also guarantees fair hearing.

Youre not on Channels TV, judge lashes out

The case attracted public attention, last year, when Justice Obot lashed out at the defence lawyer.

You dont stand before me and talk nonsense, she said to the lawyer, Mr Effiong.

Ive been on this side of the law for over 30 years and you dont come and teach me the law from there.

Mr Effiong, who had urged the court to give priority to his application for extension of time, cited the Supreme Court position on the matter, Notwithstanding that preliminary objection is on jurisdiction, provided there is an application before the court for extension of time that application must be taken first.

Refusing Mr Effiongs application then, the judge said, Preliminary objections are taken first in every proceeding, especially when it touches on jurisdiction. If you have replied to that objection, why are you afraid?

Is anything the matter with you? she continued. This is the court of law and things are done according to rules here. Sentiments do not overrule that.

You are not on Channels Television, neither are you on Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Television, she had said.

Its a battle between David, Goliath

The applications to set aside the judgments can be likened to the battle between David and Goliath. Im only a vessel that God used to enthrone justice in this case, Mr Effong told PREMIUM TIMES.

Those who believe that once a governor has sued someone in court, the person that is sued cannot get justice should see todays ruling as a reminder that the law is no respecter of persons.

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We are happily and readily waiting for Governor Udom Emmanuel and Senator Bob to enter the witness box and prove their defamation cases. The message for them today is that we will never be frightened by their status and power. They cannot have their way through shortcuts, he added.

Inimfon Eddie, a lawyer who worked with Mr Ikpo on the case, declined comment when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, on Tuesday, briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the improved security situation in his state.

Speaking to State House correspondents on the outcome of the closed-door meeting with the president in Abuja, Mr Bello noted that Kogi has been enjoying relative peace and stability in recent times due to new security measures introduced in the state.

According to the governor, Nigerians have a role to play in securing the nation. He called on all citizens to complement the governments effort by serving as agents of security in their homes and areas of abode.

He said: As usual, I came to visit Mr President to give him an update of the situation in my area of responsibility, which is Kogi State.

(As) you all know, Kogi, as (of) the time I assumed office, used to be the most dangerous, let me put it that way, crime state, before. But, as (of) today, with (the) special grace of God, Kogi is now the safest state, as far as Nigeria is concerned.

And the President is very pleased about our performance in the state in the area of security, economy, infrastructural development, integration, peace and unity that are being enjoyed in Kogi State today.

So basically, these are the briefs that I came with to see the President, and he sends his goodwill message to the people of Kogi.

According to him, the current administration has done greatly in tackling insecurity.

He, however, noted that the administrations successes in addressing insecurity are under-reported, and it may be politically motivated.

One of the loopholes I can see in tackling insecurity is in Nigerians ourselves. Today, in Kogi State, all citizens are potential security personnel.

If all Nigerians take it as their own business, insecurity would be tamed to the barest minimum.

So, we should be ready to take on security issues head-on, we shouldnt just be relying on the law enforcement agencies. The way we continue to hype issues of insecurity, especially our headlines in the media, will not help us.

For instance, take the statistics of the insecurity issues they had in America from 2020 to date and compare with that of Nigeria, you will discover that we have just overhyped ours. I think we should downplay some of our headlines.

Presidential Ambition

On chances of the North Central producing a presidential candidate under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections, the governor described the North-central as the most marginalised since 1960, when the country gained independence hence, most deserving of the presidency, come 2023.

Mr Bello was reacting to Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, an Igbo apex socio-cultural organization, which had been insisting that zoning the presidency to the South-east would remain a fundamental ingredient for national unity.

The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, George Obiozor, in a statement on Monday, said that wherever the next president of Nigeria comes from will send a strong message to Igbo people worldwide.

However, Mr Bello stated that the North-central had never produced the president or vice president of the country, and it was only proper that the region should produce the next president of the country in 2023.

READ ALSO:

He said: Well, if youre talking of the South-east, then you will equally talk of North-central not only since 1999, but since 1960. So what do you say of the North-central, which has never produced the president or vice president?

So, put the situation of South-east and that of North-central side by side, who is more disadvantaged in terms of the position of presidency or vice presidents?

So, if you put both sides together, then lets do justice. And whichever way you look at it, Im eminently qualified.

On who he thinks should take over from Mr Buhari in 2023, and if he informed the president of his political ambition, the governor said: Mr President would want a vibrant, experienced, energetic, patriotic Nigerian to take over from him and in all of the qualities that Nigerians are yearning or looking for today, I possess all of these qualities by the special grace of God.

Nigerians are yearning and asking me to run for the president come 2023, and by the special grace of God, I will not turn down that offer, Mr Bello added.

(NAN)

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Anambra State Governor-elect, Charles Soludo, has launched an online databank for the people of the state who are interested in serving in his administration.

Mr Soludo would be sworn-in as the state governor on March 17.

A statement issued by Mr Soludos transition committee and shared on Twitter on Monday by the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria said the databank is a tool for recruiting a talented team and volunteers who will serve Ndi Anambra in the course of his administration.

The committee said equal opportunity would be given to every indigene who has the requisite competencies and relevant valuable contributions to good governance in the state.

We hope to attract problem-solvers with passion, competence, capacity, and integrity who are interested in joining a team of other selfless public servants to transform Anambra State into a livable and prosperous smart megacity.

We have a comprehensive outline of political offices, public service, and volunteer options on the Talent DataBank platform to choose what aligns with your competencies, experiences, and passion, the statement said.

Interested persons are required to submit applications on or before February 28, according to the statement.

The Commissioner for Information in Anambra State, C. Don Adinuba told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday that although the initiative was designed specifically for indigenes, non-indigenes of the state are also encouraged to apply.

There are a lot of people who were born and raised in Anambra who may not be called indigenes, because of the way this country is, (but) nothing stops them from participating, Mr Adinuba said.
Some residents of Elite road, Oke Lantoro area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Wednesday attacked a yet-to-be-identified man found in their neighbourhood, on the suspicion that he was a kidnapper.

The man was about to be set on fire when the police arrived the scene and rescued him, it was learnt.

It was gathered that the young man was seen loitering around some school children at about 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

Residents who accused him of attempting to kidnap the children descended on him and were on the verge of setting him ablaze when an argument ensued about the mans sanity.

While some said the man was mentally ill, others opposed the claim.

A passerby, Nasir Alabi, who spoke with our correspondent explained that the man did not look mentally unstable until the mob attacked him.

I got to the point when he was about be beaten, he didnt look like a mad man but I think those who beat him didnt pay attention to his sanity.

It was a pathetic case because people who didnt know what his offence was also joined the mob for no just reason. I felt so sorry for him because it took the insistence of the police to take him away from the scene where he had already been tied as some youths were insisting on setting him ablaze, Mr Alabi said.

ALSO READ: Gunmen kill three police officers in Ebonyi

Another witness, Habib, noted that the victim was responding to questions earlier like a sane person, adding that the beating might have affected him mentally.

I felt really pity him, I was shocked because he wasnt like that when the people started beating him. But when the police was taking him away from that place, I really felt like crying, the witness said.

Our people are fond of jungle justice. If not for the police, he might have been set on fire or killed.

Contacted, the Ogun State police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, adding that the victim was truly mentally unstable.

He, however, warned that anyone caught in the act of jungle justice would face the full weight of the law.

Jungle justice is returning in Ogun State and we have been warning our people. Anyone caught in such act will not go unpunished, such person will face the full wrath of the law.

Recently, we all saw what happened in Oja Odan area of the state, where two suspects were set ablaze. We are really watching, we wont allow for an unlawful act here in Ogun State, Mr Oyeyemi said.
Two persons were killed early Wednesday morning while three others injured in an accident involving two articulated vehicles which crashed into the Oyo State Resettlement Centre at Akinyele Local Government Area in Ibadan.

A statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Wasiu Olatubosun, said the accident occurred at 4.37 a.m., adding that the dead have been buried according to Islamic rites while the injured were evacuated to a nearby government hospital.

The statement quoted Kalifat Olayiwola, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, as saying officials of government rescued the injured and evacuated them to the hospital.

We received a call about the accident that happened at the Resettlement Centre and immediately we responded, Mrs Olayiwola said.

When we got there, an eyewitness told us that a trailer loaded with rice hit another vehicle as a result of brake failure.

One vehicle rammed into the fence up to the female hostel while the other trailer collapsed on another perimeter fence.

As I speak, the injured ones are responding to treatment in the government hospital nearby while the corpses of persons who died have been buried according to Islamic rites.

Mrs Olayiwola condoled the community over the death of their loved ones and urged drivers to take greater safety precautions before driving. (NAN)
Nigerian payments company, Flutterwave, on Wednesday announced that it has secured $250 million in Series D funding, shooting its valuation beyond the $3 billion mark, a milestone conferring on the fintech firm the prestige of being Africas most valuable startup.

Founded in 2016 by Olugbenga Agboola, and Iyinoluwa Aboyeji and headquartered in San Francisco, United States, Flutterwave provides wide-ranging services from card issuing and management to flexible loans.

It aims to facilitate and leverage the booming African payments market driven by increased mobile phone use and faster internet speeds.

The latest fundraising round was led by US-based B Capital Group, with participation from Alta Park Capital and Whale Rock Capital. Salesforce Ventures, Tiger Global, Green Visor Capital and Glynn Capital, all existing investors, also participated.

The company had in March last year announced it raised $170 million in a Series C round led by Tiger Global and Avenir, putting its valuation at $1 billion.

The new deal, the start-up said, will help boost customer acquisition in existing markets and deepen growth through mergers and acquisitions as well as facilitate product development.

Flutterwave has processed more than 200 million transactions estimated at over $16 billion since inception and served more than 900,000 businesses across the world.

Our story is that of resilience and hard work. Our growth so far is due to the support of our customers, our partners, the banks, the public, the regulators, and importantly our people, Mr Agboola said in a website statement.

We set out to build a platform that simplifies payments for everyone and today, our solutions are used across the globe to connect Africans to the world and the world to Africans.

We are delighted that investors believe in us and our story and are committing their resources to this belief.

READ ALSO:

Matt Levinson, Partner at B Capital said, At B Capital, we seek to back generational companies with broad platform potential. 

He said Flutterwave has a unique opportunity to accomplish this as the dominant payments infrastructure provider across Africa.

In addition to their emergence as the leading enterprise payments processor for the continent, Flutterwave is innovating at breakneck speed with novel fintech solutions for large corporates, SMEs and consumers. Ive had the pleasure of backing this world-class team since 2017 and couldnt be more thrilled that B Capital is leading their Series D.

David Glynn, Managing Partner of Glynn Capital added, We believe the digitization of payments globally is one of the largest and most important trends in technology.

Having been investors in Flutterwave since 2017, we have had a front-row seat in seeing Flutterwave establish itself as a leading payments company in Africa as it drives adoption of seamless digital payments experiences for merchants and consumers alike.
The police have arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly raping an 87-year-old woman in Delhi, the Indian capital.

The police said the suspect was a sweeper who lived near the victims home in the city of Tilak Nagar area where he had committed the crime.

The woman, who is paralyzed, was alone at home on Sunday afternoon when she was attacked and robbed, BBC reported the police as saying.

The victims family earlier criticised the police for registering only a complaint of theft and not rape but the agency has denied the allegation, the BBC reported.

The police said the womans family on Sunday had reported only theft and alleged rape in the second complaint on Monday.

But a family member told the Indian Express newspaper that the police had allegedly told the victim and her daughter not to pursue the rape case as it would be stressful for them.

The police registered a theft case and didnt even inform us, the local newspaper said.

The Indian national womens commission said on Monday that the commission had written to the Delhi Police seeking action against the officers who had allegedly not reacted promptly, BBC said.

India has recorded more rape and sexual violence since the 2012 gang rape and the murder of a young woman on a bus in Delhi.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, released an updated list of landed properties seized from an unnamed top military officer.

The new list contains 24 landed assets valued at N10.9 billion, a sharp increase from the N3billion given as the worth of the properties in the commissions earlier statement on Monday.

A judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nkeoya Maha, issued an order of final forfeiture of the assets to the federal government on Monday, Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesperson for the EFCC, had disclosed in the earlier statement.

But in another statement on Tuesday, Mr Uwujaren listed 24 sets of assets worth N10.9 billion seized from the military officer in Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Cross River states.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, the EFCCs spokesperson confirmed that the list is an update on Mondays statement, which was without a list of the seized assets.

According to the commission, the assets include about nine filling stations with a total of 300 pumps scattered in Kano.

They also include an LPG plant with 30 shops, an event centre, a three storey plaza with 28 shops, and a block industry, all in Kano.

The 24 properties scattered across Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Cross River states, comprise land, shopping complex, gas station and fuel stations cumulatively valued at N10, 935,000,000.00. (Ten Billion, Nine Hundred and Thirty-Five Million Naira), the statement stated.

The commission had earlier disclosed on Monday that the assets were controlled by the military officer through proxies including the late General, Aminu Maude, and some companies such as Atlasfield Integrated Services Nigeria Limited, Marhaba Events Place, Aflac Plastics and Atlasfield Gas Plant Limited.

The judge, Nkeoye Maha, on Monday, granted the final forfeiture order in a ruling on the application by EFCCs lawyers, Cosmos Ugwu and Musa Isah.

Read EFCCs full list of the seized assets:

EFCC Press Release

Revealed: N10.9Bn Properties Seized From Military Officer

Justice N.E. Maha of th e Federal High Court on Monday February 14 ordered the final forfeiture of 24 properties held by fronts and proxies to a top military officer, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The Order was pursuant to a forfeiture application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which had in May 2020 secured the forfeiture of the properties on interim basis.

The court had ordered the publication of notices in national newspapers, inviting persons with interest in the properties to show cause why they should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

With no such interest shown by any entity, Justice Maha on Monday, February 14, 2022, ordered the final forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The 24 properties scattered across Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Cross River States, comprise land, shopping complex, gas station and fuel stations cumulatively valued at N10, 935,000,000.00. (Ten Billion, Nine Hundred and Thirty-Five Million Naira)

The properties are:

1. A 16 Pump filling Station located at Rijiyar Lemo, Kano.

2. A Filling Station with 41 pumps located opposite Federal Secretariat, Kano.

3. A Filling Station with 39 pumps located along BUK Road, Kano.

4. A Filling Station with 31 pumps located along Zaria Bypass, Kano.

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5. A Filling Station with 31 pumps located along Maiduguri Bypass, Kano.

6. A Filling Station with 29 pumps located along Maiduguri Bypass, Kano.

7. A Filling Station with 23 pumps located along Naibawa , Kano.

8. A Filling Station with 39 pumps located along Bachirawa, Kano.

9. A Filling Station with 51 pumps and a one-storey building with 35 shops attached to the Filling Station located along Shiek Jaafar Road Dorayi, Kano.

10. An LPG plant with 30 shops attached to it located along Zaria Road, Kano.

11. Marhaba Event Centre, Guda Abdullahi Road, Farm Centre, Kano.

12. A three storey building (Plaza) With 28 shops located on Hadeja Road, next to Sheshe Supermarket , Kano.

13. A three-storey building (Plaza) with 126 shops located on Audu Bako Way, Opposite Nation Plaza, Kano.

14. Classic Block Industry at Maiduguri Road, Kano.

15. Atlasfield Corporate Headquarters, No. L6 Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna.

16. Undeveloped plot located at Sharada, Adjacent A.A. Rano Filling Station, Kano.

17. Undeveloped plot located at Yan Rake, Adjacent Dala Orthopedic Hospital, Kano.

18. Undeveloped plot located along Kano-Gwarzo Road, Adjacent Kedco Regional Office, Kano North/Opposite Silver Spoon Restaurant, Kano.

19. Undeveloped plot located along Kano-Gwarzo Road, opposite Markaz Mosque, Kano.

20. Undeveloped plot located on Sani Marshal Road, Opposite Nissan Automobile, Kano.

21. 11.7 hectares located Adjacent TINAPA Resort, Adiabo, Calabar. 22. Truck Assembly Plant, Easter Bypass, Kano.

23. Event Center located in Calabar, Cross River State.

24. Aflac Plastics Limited located behind National Eye Center, Kaduna.

Find attached photographs of some of the properties.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

15 February, 2022
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, has urged past governors to reconcile and bring back their colleagues who defected to other parties.

Mr Ayu stated this at a meeting of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) with past governors and some zonal leaders of the party in Abuja on Tuesday.

The first task I will give you (the former governors) immediately, is to reach out to other of your colleagues, who have benefited from this party, enormously and abandoned the party.

Where they are, we know they are not happy. Some of them are grumbling in silence. Kindly reach out to them and bring them back home.

We still regard them as our prodigal children. When they come, we will receive them, and they will continue to help to build the party.

You who interact with them in the governors forum and others are the best people who can reach out to your colleagues to bring them back home, he said.

Mr Ayu described PDP as the only party truly owned by the people, that would not fall apart.

The only party that will not fall apart, no matter who leaves the party is the PDP, because its genuinely founded on the people and nobody owns it.

We all own it. We belong to it. Well continue to build it until we get back to power, he said.

Speaking earlier, the former governor of Jigawa and leader of the delegation of former governors, Sule Lamido, harped on the need for the party to be properly organised.

Mr Lamido said that proper organisation of the party was critical to ensure that power did not elude PDP in 2023.

He advised the leaders and members of the main opposition party to strive hard towards winning the 2023 elections.

If we dont get things right in 2023, Nigeria will be in problem, he said.

Mr Lamido said since Mr Ayus election, PDP is being looked upon to lead Nigeria in 2023.

A developed party is the only way in which government is formed.

A party that is not properly organised (or) directed cannot form a good government.

A good party platform, organised, committed to Nigeria, will produce a very good government.

A party which is in disarray, unorganised, will spell doom for Nigeria, he said.

READ ALSO:

Mr Lamido said the meeting was to express the support of the former governors and state party leaders to Mr Ayus leadership.

We are here to formally show solidarity with your leadership and give the message to Nigerians that PDP is a single family under your leadership and that PDP is the only hope for Nigeria in 2023.

We are here to support you and the party, also, to minimise acrimonious discussion in terms of power allocation.

We need the party first before the power. If the party is not properly organised, power will elude us, he said.

Former governors in attendance were Mr Lamido, Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Ibrahim Idris of Kogi, Emeka Ihedioha of Imo, Liyel Imoke of Cross River and Peter Obi of Anambra states.

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(NAN)
The State Security Service (SSS), on Wednesday, complied with the judges advice not to block access to the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja and environs over the trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trial judge, Binta Nyako, who fixed todays (Wednesdays) sitting at 1 p.m., had advised the operatives of the SSS to inform their office about her recommendation.

Although Mrs Nyako did not specifically make an order, directing the security outfit against such acts, she said this would allow the business of the court not to be grounded.

A morning check on Wednesday showed that the Federal High Court staff, lawyers, litigants, journalists, among others, had free access into the high-rise building and its surroundings.

As of the time of filing the report, there was free movement of people and vehicles within and outside the court

NAN reports that the judge had, on January 19, advised the DSS not to take over the security arrangement of the court today until 12 p.m.

The court instructed SSS to only take control of the court security arrangement when the trial of Kanu, on terrorism charges, resumes.

Mrs Nyako had complained that trials of other cases were being affected each time Mr Kanus trial takes place due to heavy security presence and blockade of roads leading to the court.

She then shifted the terrorism trial till 1 p.m. to ensure that other cases were accommodated.

Beyond the judges advice to the SSS to relax restrictions of access to the court during Mr Kanus trial, a human rights lawyer, Tope Temokun, has sued the heads of SSS, the Nigerian police, as well as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, over media restrictions barring many journalists from covering the trial.

(NAN)
A State High Court in Akamkpa, Cross River State, has sentenced a man, Ayanime Udo, to death by hanging for killing his twin daughters on allegation of being witches.

Delivering judgment on the case, Justice Agnes Onyebueke said; Udos act is satanic, demonic, and beyond human comprehension.

She held that the defendant had willfully and gruesomely murdered his 11 year-old twin, Mfoniso Anyanime, and Emediong Anyanime, in 2017 after branding them witches.

The defendant, who is in his 50s, could not defend his allegation of witchcraft against the female children when cross-examined.

He had given his 11-year-old girls a malt drink mixed with acid.

One died at the spot on January 10, 2017, while the second crawled to the road where someone picked her and took her to the hospital where she died the next day.

According to a child rights activist, James Ibor, the head of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BCRI) which facilitated the prosecution of the accused, the case was first reported in February, 2017.

Mr Ibor said after it was reported, the convict was arrested by the police after due investigation was carried out.

The police ensured that necessary medical examinations and autopsy were done on the deceased children, which aided the judgment.

This judgment is a great victory to the victims, Mfoniso Anyanime, Emediong Anyanime in particular, and the Government of Cross River, he said.

It would be recalled that the killing of twins was predominant in the Southern part of Cross River which includes Akamkpa before the intervention of the Scottish Missionary, Mary Slessor.

Branding children witches and pushing them out of their homes into the street has remained a major social issue in Cross River and the neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.

(NAN)
The House of Representatives on Wednesday used electronic voting to decide bills and motions on the floor of the House.

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila had announced on Tuesday that the House would start using e-voting instead of the normal voice vote.

Consequently, the lower chamber used electronic voting to decide on a bill for an Act to Establish Federal University of Agriculture, Umerum, Anambra State, sponsored by Vincent Ofumelu (APGA, Anambra).

Sixteen lawmakers voted in support, while four voted against it. The total votes were is far from the minimum quorum needed to sit. The quorum of the House is 120 members, excluding the presiding officer.

Reacting to the votes, Mr Gbajabiamila said many of the members are out for committee work.

Unkept promises

Despite making promises in the past to ensure the use of electronic voting, Mr Gbajabiamila had failed to deliver on that promise until now.

Electronic voting is also one of the items in the legislative agenda of the 9th House.

In 2020, Mr Gbajabiamila commissioned the installation of new voting machines in the green chamber.

During the commissioning, he said; This is one of the things we promised to do in the 9th Assembly. I am glad we have been able to deliver that within a year, adding that we promised e-voting, seamlessly, the chamber is now more or less paperless.

In front of you on your seats, you have little panels that we installed. This is in keeping with some of the reforms we have talked about that Nigerians will see. By tomorrow, I expect it to be fully operational. The whole system is based on the fact that we will soon now be having e-voting in this chamber.

Now, this will not be applicable to all motions and bills, because we have several of them. For those that we consider important, and of significance, we will be adopting the e-voting system. We dont need your voting card, you only need to press a button and it tells you who voted, which side they voted for, he said.

Many had expected Mr Gbajabiamila would allow the use of electronic voting on the electoral bill and Petroleum Industry bill, however, the leadership stuck to the old method. He gave the excuse that the bills had many clauses

The sudden move to allow electronic voting now may not be unconnected with the fact that the House is about to consider the Constitution bills.

A constitutional bill requires a specific number of lawmakers to decide a bill. For a bill to pass the House, it must be supported by 2/3 majority.

The Chairman of the House Constitution Review Committee and Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, had promised that the House will consider the bill before the end of February.

The last time electronic voting was done was in 2017 during the clause by clause consideration of constitution amendment bills.
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, has said marketing agents who brought in the adulterated fuel have refused to bear the cost of the fuel or take any liability.

Mr Kyari, who appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), on Wednesday, said NNPC had asked the partners for liquidation but they refused because they insisted they had imported the specifications it (NNPC) asked for.

The House had last week mandated the Committee to probe the importation of contaminated fuel into the country.

The lower chamber also asked the NNPC limited to suspend MRS, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, Oando and Duke Oil for importing the fuel.

The decisions followed a motion moved by Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno)

NNPC and the marketers have been trading accusations on who imported the fuel.

While appearing before the committee, Mr Kyari said the partners maintained that they imported the right specification, and that the NNPC did not conduct test for mentanol.

He added that the partners also did not test for methanol in the product they imported, hence, the liability is to the loading point.

What they (partners) are saying which we have accepted is that: I brought the product that is based on your specification and therefore I did not bring the adulterated product. This is the point they are making, Mr Kyari said.

I have also said that we didnt test for methanol both at the load port and also by the NNPC and the regulatory authority.

What they are saying is that what I brought met your specification.

What they probably didnt know is that it contains methanol and that methanol originated from the loading terminal. It is good to put this in perspective so that Nigerians are aware that what they (partners) are saying is that they have no liability.

But it is nowhere sustainable because we have also filed liquidated damages which they can pass on until it gets to originating depot.

READ ALSO:

We are not saying they know, but what we are saying is that the commercial partner of record that we have and it is their duty to transfer these liabilities to the origin of these products.

We did not know that this product contain methanol. We did not know and your investigation will give you the reality at the end of the tunnel.

Scarcity

Mr Kyari explained that the current scarcity is caused by the quarantine of the adulterated fuel.

Once you have this situation and you withdraw volumes in the market, you will have supply disruption.

We are very conscious of the consequence that will come with it. We have seen the disruption of the economic activities that are very obvious.

Also the liquidated damages that can be a legal process that you may never be able to recover your position.

Mr Kyari said measures have been put in place to ensure that importation of contaminated fuel does not occur again in future.
Three days into the one-month warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigerias Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has said the government was surprised by the unions action, saying it was still looking for ASUU to continue the dialogue on its demands.

The minister, who spoke to the media on Wednesday shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said the government and the striking lecturers will soon reach an agreement towards ending the ongoing industrial action.

But the union has denied the ministers claim, saying it received no invitation from the government.

ASUU had on Monday announced the commencement of the strike after its National Executive Council meeting which was held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka.

ASUU wants the government to address its demands including the immediate deployment of its University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace the government-imposed Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS); release a white paper on the visitation panel to federal universities, endorse the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, among others.

The minister was quoted to have said all the lingering issues are being addressed and that he was surprised when ASUU declared the strike on Monday.

Mr Adamu said the government is keen on a peaceful resolution with the union.

The minister was quoted to have said: Certainly, we are going to reach an agreement and it will be very soon. Unfortunately they have gone on strike and I am just looking for them because all the issues are being addressed.

The last thing that happened was the committee that looked at their demands; the re-negotiation that is going on. They submitted a draft agreement which the ministry is looking at; a committee is looking at it.

Immediately it finishes, then the government will announce what it has accepted. Then, suddenly I heard them going on strike. So, actually, Im looking for ASUU.

The federal government is ready to meet them on all the issues they have raised and if there are so many meetings and the gap is not closing, I think it is not the fault of the government.

But when contacted, ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, said the government or its delegation has not reached out to the union.

Not true. They did not reach out to us Mr Osodeke simply wrote in a text message to our reporter.
Radio is not in decline in Nigeria, despite the growth and sometimes overbearing arrogance of new communication technologies. There are 33 million active social media users in Nigeria. This is about 16 per cent of the population. But, according to the Broadcasting Board of Governors Gallup polls, more than 77 per cent of Nigerians still listen to the radio at least once a week, making radio the most dominant means of mass communication in Nigeria.

Radio seems to be getting a run for its money these days.

As we celebrate the World Radio Day, it would appear on face value that radio, as the first information and communication technology for instantaneous mass communication, is in decline. That a celebration of radio is perhaps even anachronistic, in this online, digitised world.

Has the relative ease of digital connectivity and multiplicity of platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok, among many others, relegated radio to a position of mere background noise, literally and figuratively?

Radios important role in society was defined by the first Director General of the fledgling BBC in 1920. John Reith said radio should inform, educate and entertain. Through his long tenure as the Director General of the BBC, Reith fought several battles to keep radio a public service devoted to the education and enlightenment of the British people.

Across the Atlantic in the United States, disparate groups of educationists, reformers and other professional groups fought a similar battle. But they failed in their efforts, and radio became a part of corporate America, diminishing its public service and educational role.

The first radio broadcasts in Nigeria in 1932 were programmes of the BBCs British Empire Service. In the 1940s, the Radio Distribution Service (RDS) broadcasted weekly educational programmes, and radio for education and development was entrenched in the Nigerian Broadcasting Service in 1951.

In fact, there is a generation of older Nigerians today whose first exposure to numeracy and literacy was through the educational broadcasts of Radio Nigeria.

Radio has everything to perform an educational role effectively. It has the warm intimacy and soothing voice of your favourite teacher. Radio breaks down the barriers of distance and illiteracy, reaching far-flung, difficult to access communities in their own languages. It is cheap and mobile.

Virtual  or remote  learning started with radio more than 70 years ago in Nigeria. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant lockdowns, coupled with the possibility of digital connectivity for education, seem to have put radio on the back foot.

These qualities have kept radio going despite the onslaught of its younger cousins, television, the internet, and social media.

Radio is not in decline in Nigeria, despite the growth and sometimes overbearing arrogance of new communication technologies. There are 33 million active social media users in Nigeria. This is about 16 per cent of the population. But, according to the Broadcasting Board of Governors Gallup polls, more than 77 per cent of Nigerians still listen to the radio at least once a week, making radio the most dominant means of mass communication in Nigeria.

Virtual  or remote  learning started with radio more than 70 years ago in Nigeria. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant lockdowns, coupled with the possibility of digital connectivity for education, seem to have put radio on the back foot.

But radio reached more children with remote learning during the lockdown than digital platforms did. It reached far more children in deprived neighbourhoods and hard-to-reach communities.

Any strategy that ignores millions of poor children in hard-to-reach communities who are digitally excluded, will only succeed in achieving less than half of its objective. It needs the complementary role of radio, the sound alternative that allows us to reach all.

UNICEF supported several state governments to pilot radio learning programmes for children during the lockdown. For example, working with the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Borno State, more than 300,000 children received learning in four core subject areas, including English and Mathematics.

In planning communication strategies and education interventions today, it is good to focus on the new technologies. Our future, after all, is digital.

But when we look to conquer the learning crisis that stares us in the face, with more than 13 million children not going to school in Nigeria; when we agonise over the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic on education and how to address them, let us not forget the importance of radio.

Any strategy that ignores millions of poor children in hard-to-reach communities who are digitally excluded, will only succeed in achieving less than half of its objective. It needs the complementary role of radio, the sound alternative that allows us to reach all.

Geoffrey Njoku is a Communications and Advocacy Specialist with the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF).

This article was written in commemoration of the 2022 edition of the World Radio Day as driven by UNICEF.
No nation succeeds by using only half of its resources. Nigerian women are 49.32 per cent of the population. Times are changing and our nation must also change with the times. We must retain those parts of our culture that are positives and begin to do away with the ones that bring sorrow to people like Farida and her family. Women hold half the sky. Let us support our wives, daughters, aunts and friends. It is possible if we pass the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill.

It has often bothered me that twenty-six years after we arrived at Beijing and committed to the 12 critical areas of concern for the advancement of women worldwide, that we are still talking about those things that undo us as humanity and disempower us as a nation. I was a proud delegate to the Beijing 1995 womens conference and even then, conversations about giving women a fair and equitable chance to contribute to national development were met with all manners of obstacles, but as Maya Angelou famously declared still we arise.

As a people, Nigerians are some of the most amazing in the world, big hearted and giving, communal and charitable, and brilliant to boot. But our realisation of the role our women can play in pushing the nation forward still needs a lot of work. And therein lies the plight of Farida. I tell Faridas tale in order for us to understand the power of supporting any process that improves the plight of women in our land.

Yusuf could hear the groaning from his room. He turned several times on the bed, unable to sleep. His wife Maimuna sat up; her night shirt drenched in sweat. It was difficult for her to sleep as well.

It was two years before that they had agreed to marry off Farida, their first daughter, to a man about her father, Yusufs age. Farida had expressed her displeasure and told anyone who cared to listen that she wanted to go to school. Moreover, she did not like her suitor. But no one was listening. Her father told her she would grow to like her suitor and explained further that she was doing it for the family. Do you want us to die in penury? Farida looked at her mother with pleading eyes. Her mother nodded in consent and looked the other way. Now Faridas husband, Mallam Musa, did not want her anymore and the reason is clear. She has now become an expendable individual; used and dumped.

Worldwide, one in three girls is subjected to one form of gender-based violence or the other but Nigeria has the third highest cases of child marriage and female genital mutilation globally. Statistics show that 8 per cent of girls aged between 15 and 18 are married before the age of 15, while 43 per cent are married before the age of 18. In addition, girls between 0-14 years have undergone one form of genital mutilation or another.

The groans from her room were sad and harrowing. At barely sixteen, Farida was just a child, who had gone on to carry another child. The entire process overwhelmed her fragile biology and destroyed her life. At the hands of a traditional birth attendant with little knowledge, she suffered the worst tear, lost her baby and ended up with Vesico Vagina Fistula. This is an opening that develops between the wall of the bladder and the vagina, which leads to the continuous leakage of urine. And incontinence. This abnormal opening can be caused by injury from prolonged labour, surgery or an infection. This injury caused by prolonged labour often occurs in young brides carrying a baby, which their bodies are not yet capable of dealing with.

In addition to the Fistula, Farida had also suffered physical violence at the hands of her husband, leaving a deep scar on her leg that caused her enormous pain. Add this to the stigma, the foul smell around her and the pain of no longer going to school. At only 18, Faridas life has been cut short, her schooling abandoned and the money her parents received from the marriage was not enough for her treatment and repair. Today, as Farida wails, her parents look at each other in regret. Vivid as this story is. It is all true! Who will help Farida and how can we stop this violence against our daughters?

Worldwide, one in three girls is subjected to one form of gender-based violence or the other but Nigeria has the third highest cases of child marriage and female genital mutilation globally. Statistics show that 8 per cent of girls aged between 15 and 18 are married before the age of 15, while 43 per cent are married before the age of 18. In addition, girls between 0-14 years have undergone one form of genital mutilation or another. This is a huge deprivation for girls who end up like Farida, unable to help themselves or contribute to society. How many persons in Nigeria really want their daughters to end up like Farida? I doubt that there is really any such person. Scholars and medical doctors, Stamakos et al, writing in the Indian Journal of Surgery in 2014 capture the most important factors contributing to Obstetric Fistulas in Africa as socio-economic; early marriage, the low social status of women, malnutrition and inadequately developed socio-economic infrastructures, especially in poor areas. They put the prevalence of the disease in Africa and narrow it in Nigeria to the North.

I am particularly concerned that domesticating international instruments concerning womens issues in Nigeria continue to face obstacles that are difficult to fathom.

The proposed Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill have made far-reaching provisions for people like Farida and her parents. One of these provisions is found in section 13, captured under the title, The rights of persons living in rural communities. This section provides for the education of both men and women living in rural areas, particularly women, to enable them benefit directly from social security programmes

The proposed Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill have made far-reaching provisions for people like Farida and her parents. One of these provisions is found in section 13, captured under the title, The rights of persons living in rural communities. This section provides for the education of both men and women living in rural areas, particularly women, to enable them benefit directly from social security programmes and obtain all types of training and education, both formal and informal, which would include those relating to functional literacy and opportunities through employment and self-employment. This section also provides for access to agricultural credit and loans, marketing facilities and appropriate technology for women. Can we all see the benefit to Faridas parents and how Faridas sad condition could have been avoided? No one would have needed to trade a girl-child for money.

The proposed Bill also advocates 18 years as the age of consent for marriage. I believe that if things are in place, as they ought to be, Farida would today be the pride of her family, would marry well, assist her family because she is educated and contribute to a healthy family life which, in turn, leads to national development.

No nation succeeds by using only half of its resources. Nigerian women are 49.32 per cent of the population. Times are changing and our nation must also change with the times. We must retain those parts of our culture that are positives and begin to do away with the ones that bring sorrow to people like Farida and her family. Women hold half the sky. Let us support our wives, daughters, aunts and friends. It is possible if we pass the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill.

Eugenia Abu is a Nigerian broadcast journalist, writer, poet and media consultant.
by Keren Setton

JERUSALEM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Greeted with a warm welcome and the Israeli national anthem played at the palace of Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Naftali Bennett became the first Israeli prime minister to visit Bahrain.

The historic visit is believed to usher the bilateral ties into a new era. The trip is amid heightened regional tensions, and also coincides with negotiations in Vienna between Iran and world powers over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

Bennett also met with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and other senior officials.

"The meetings have contributed to strengthening relations between both states and their governments," read a joint statement by the leaders of both countries. "They also presented an opportunity to enhance cooperation between the peoples of both nations in social, economic and security matters."

Israel and Bahrain agreed to establish diplomatic relations in September 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements sponsored by the United States between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Bennett's visit to Manama, the capital of Bahrain, came two months after his first official visit to the UAE.

Relations between Israel and the signatories to the Abraham Accords have been steadily advancing. As cooperation in security, technology, agriculture, and business ventures fledged, bilateral relations are being cemented.

"Our goal in this visit is to turn it from government-to-government to people-to-people peace, and to convert it from ceremonies to substance," Bennett said when meeting with his Bahraini counterpart.

The two governments agree on a ten-year plan called the "Joint Warm Peace Strategy," aiming at promoting exchanges in innovation, healthcare and education.

"The relations need to be strengthened on business, economic and social levels," said Nirit Ofir from the department of Middle Eastern Studies at Bar Ilan University.

"Nothing can be taken for granted, not everything is rosy," he said.

Ofir is referring to demonstrations throughout Bahrain ahead of Bennett's visit. Videos on social media showed a small number of protesters burning Israeli flags. Such demonstrations also occurred last year when Israel opened its embassy in Manama.

The Bahraini population is divided between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, explaining the differing attitudes towards relations to the Jewish state. There is also a minuscule Jewish community in Bahrain.

"Most of the Bahraini population welcomes the normalization," said Ofir, who also serves as Director-General of Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Israel-Gulf Countries. "But the cultural gap between Israel and the Gulf states still need to be bridged."

The visit comes two weeks after Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited Bahrain. During the visit, a historic defense Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed, formalizing the defense relations between the two countries. Media reports in Israel predicted the Israeli army would station a defense attache in Manama in the near future, marking another possible "historic first."

"Bahrain is stretching the boundaries and creating precedents with Israel in terms of defense cooperation," said Moran Zaga, an expert on the Gulf States at the University of Haifa and Mitvim.

Israel and Bahrain share a similar stance towards Iran. Iran's nuclear activities are even more concerning for the Gulf states due to their close proximity.

"Israel is another option for Bahrain as a regional ally," she said, adding that "the day when Israel stations a warship on the coast of Bahrain is not far."

In recent days, several media outlets reported that the U.S. Navy is considering posting Israeli unmanned boats as part of its operations in the Gulf. The move would signal increasing Israeli presence in the region and further put Israel at Iran's doorstep.

During his visit to Bahrain, Bennett also met with U.S. Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Brad Cooper.

"There is a promise of military cooperation between Israel and Bahrain," said Ofir. "It still remains to be seen how tolerant Iran will be towards these moves."

As the United States continues to send mixed signals about its Middle East involvement, regional actors are looking for alternative alliances.

Saudi Arabia and Israel are not yet close to normalizing relations, but it is difficult to envision such warming of ties is without the involvement of Saudi Arabia, which Bahrain is heavily dependent on.

"By hosting Bennett, the Gulf states are making a serious statement of intent about their relations with Israel," said Zaga. "These steps are difficult to retract and signal further association with Israel." 
This move would go a long way in supporting cutting-edge research in our universities and providing solutions to various problems bedeviling the society, as well as positioning Nigeria as a major player in the knowledge economy.

For any initiative launched or any work being carried out, a record of how effective, how useful, how beneficial and how much fund has been expended needs to be properly monitored to attain success.

I am impressed when I learnt that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund ) has developed a project impact tracking system to evaluate the correlation of its spending on research and results so far achieved.

This initiative is a welcome development, considering the billions of naira being expended by the agency in various research projects across higher institutions in the country. It is no longer news that the activities of the Research and Development Standing Committee (RDSC) of the Fund are gradually and firmly transforming perceptions about research in the country, as the committee is constantly changing a lot of opinions about the appropriate direction that Nigeria must take with regard to research and development in the country.

A while back, I participated in a virtual thematic group meeting on Democratisation of Higher Education in Nigeria through Open Access, co-hosted by TETFund and the Training Centre in Communication, Nairobi, as part of activities to mark International Open Access Week, where the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Professor Suleiman Bogoro, confirmed this development.

He further said: We realised that we need to know the impact of our research and so we have worked on and concluded a process that will help us to evaluate the impact of research grants administered, so that we are not just throwing money at research exercises without evaluating their benefits.

The National Research Fund is one of the major platforms put in place by the government through TETFund to support the academic community to achieve specific research objectives, particularly in the areas of science, technology and innovation. The Fund recently established 12 Centres of Excellence across the country, while it plans to mainstream open access/science through massive support for research and development.

I believe that with the recent approval of N8.5 billion as 2021 allocation for the National Research Fund (NRF) by the agencys Board of Trustees, the tracking process should start in earnest because over the last two-and-a-half years now, the agency has raised funds available for research in various fields. The fund raised for this purpose started with about N4 billion for eight years and was later increased to N5 billion in 2019. It is interesting to note that it was further increased to to N7.5 billion in 2020 before being currently raised to N8.5 billion.

This move would go a long way in supporting cutting-edge research in our universities and providing solutions to various problems bedeviling the society, as well as positioning Nigeria as a major player in the knowledge economy. It is however necessary that TETFund continues to lay emphasis on science, technology and innovation to solve societal problems, such as the democratisation of higher education in Nigeria. This would improve more access to research and its supportive platforms to institutions.

While TETFunds intervention lines on open science include the establishment of Centres of Excellence in universities, it should also consider the establishment of similar centres in polytechnics and colleges of education.

We all know that it is an undeniable fact that the problem of access in the Nigerian university system is both in terms of materials and the admission of students. With more than 200 universities in the country, only about 30 per cent of over a million candidates who apply for admission every year scale through the hurdles.

In this light, I want to urge the National University Commission (NUC) to take appropriate measures that will usher in easy access to materials and open learning to boost research output in the country which will, in turn, enrich our young minds.

Rahma Olamide Oladosu writes from Abuja and can be reached through: oladosurahma@gmail.com.
The Nigerian government, in its National Financial Inclusion Strategy adopted in 2011, had set for itself an ambitious target to financially include 80 per cent of its adult population by the year 2020. Needless to say, that target was not achieved as only 64 per cent were included by the end of 2020. The economic downturn, the security challenges in northern parts of the country, poor literacy rate, and low trust in financial service providers are factors militating against financial inclusion in Nigeria.

Kamoru, a Nigerian engineer, was visiting Accra, Ghana for the first time during his honeymoon in December 2021. As soon as he walked out of the arrival lounge of the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, he opted to get a phone line. He was naturally drawn to an MTN sim card, his preferred network in Nigeria. The shop attendant had asked him if he would like to also top up his mobile money account as soon his sim card was activated. He had read about the ubiquity of mobile money in East Africa and was surprised that it was also the rage in neighbouring Ghana. The shop attendant gave him a crash tutorial on the working of mobile money, and he came away impressed with the ease of using mobile money, especially its use case for sending money to relatives living in rural communities without banks and ATM machines.

While millions of Nigerians like Kamoru have access to financial products and services such as bank accounts, pensions, loans, and insurance products, EFINA, an independent think tank funded by the United Kingdoms Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) estimates that a staggering 38.1 million of Nigerias adult population are without access to basic financial products and services.

What It Means To Be Financially Included

According to the World Bank, financial inclusion means individuals and businesses having access to basic financial services and products such as bank accounts, loans, and insurance, in a manner that is sustainable and affordable. When there is little or no access to these financial products or services, recourse is made to cash-based transactions  with its attendant risks  and savings are done through informal means, such as esusu, ajo or the local thrift collectors.

Having access to a transaction account is the first step in the road to financial inclusion. This could be in the form of a digital wallet or a bank account. With an account or a digital wallet, people or businesses can save, transfer, and receive money. Those with access to transaction accounts/wallets have better chances of saving for the rainy day, buying insurance products that can help them weather difficult seasons and can even benefit from governments social investments, such as subsidies and grants.

In Nigeria, financial service providers are largely concentrated in urban areas, resulting in limited access to financial products and services for those who reside in rural and, in some cases, peri-urban areas. This demographic trend is in keeping with other parts of the world where those financially excluded are clustered in rural households.

The Burden of Financial Exclusion

Financial exclusion is symptomatic of poverty and, in a perverse sense, further deepens inequality. The implication of having a huge swathe of the population without access to basic financial products and services is that their exclusion puts them even in more precarious economic conditions. While Nigerians with bank accounts or mobile wallets can access critical loan products and build a credit history, those without access to digital financial services and products are shut out from these life-changing services that could improve their financial situations.

In Nigeria, financial service providers are largely concentrated in urban areas, resulting in limited access to financial products and services for those who reside in rural and, in some cases, peri-urban areas. This demographic trend is in keeping with other parts of the world where those financially excluded are clustered in rural households. Those without financial access are also likely to be found in areas without access to electricity, as financial exclusion is also correlated with poor access to modern energy services.

Financial Inclusion and Gender

There is also a peculiar gender dimension to financial inclusion. In a 2019 survey carried out by EFINA in Nigeria, financial exclusion for women stood at 36 per cent, relative to 24 per cent for men. Equally noteworthy is the fact that Nigeria trails less populous peers such as Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda, in terms of decreasing the gender gap in relation to financial inclusion. In Nigeria, women are more likely to rely on informal financial services such as thrift collectors for savings, than men. This gap is even starker in relation to insurance products, where the survey revealed that only 1 per cent of women were insured, despite their vulnerability to unplanned events and unexpected expenses. Some of the gender- specific barriers against women accessing financial products and services include long distance to financial access points, especially for women resident in rural communities and lower literacy levels.

Financial Inclusion and Youth.

Despite its youthful population, a significant portion of Nigerias youths are like its female folk, financially excluded. EFINA estimates that Young adults, between the ages of 18-35, are significantly more likely than older adults to be financially excluded. As of 2018, a report published by EFINA showed that only about 21.5 million young people, out of the 56.7 million estimated youths, have bank accounts. Financial exclusion of youth is also correlated with other socio-economic issues such as youth unemployment and underemployment.

Digital financial services, such as mobile money, represent a faster route to drive financial inclusion. While the requirements to open bank accounts  regulatory ID card, proof of residence  may be deemed onerous for the rural poor, the ownership of mobile phone and a sim card offers an easy access to financial inclusion. Thankfully, mobile phones are ubiquitous in Nigeria, even in remote communities.

Governments Tall Ambition

The Nigerian government, in its National Financial Inclusion Strategy adopted in 2011, had set for itself an ambitious target to financially include 80 per cent of its adult population by the year 2020. Needless to say, that target was not achieved as only 64 per cent were included by the end of 2020. The economic downturn, the security challenges in northern parts of the country, poor literacy rate, and low trust in financial service providers are factors militating against financial inclusion in Nigeria. Policy responses from the Central Bank of Nigeria in the last five years are indicative of full commitment on the part of the government to deepen financial inclusion. Interventions such as the Shared Agent Network Expansion Facility (SANEF), and the licensing of Payment Service Banks are policy instruments designed to reach the unserved and the underserved and to incentivise last mile access.

Routes To Financial inclusion.

Digital financial services, such as mobile money, represent a faster route to drive financial inclusion. While the requirements to open bank accounts  regulatory ID card, proof of residence  may be deemed onerous for the rural poor, the ownership of mobile phone and a sim card offers an easy access to financial inclusion. Thankfully, mobile phones are ubiquitous in Nigeria, even in remote communities. It is estimated that there were 187.9 million sim connections in Nigeria as at January 2021. As seen in East Africa and neighbouring West Africans countries, mobile money products have resulted in moving a huge swath of the previously unbanked into the ranks of the financial included. In Nigeria, the uptake of mobile money has been abysmally low. Of the factors adduced for the low penetration of mobile money, the regulatory regime that was put in place by the Central Bank of Nigeria provided little incentives for mobile network operators to take the lead in creating mobile wallets. The Central Bank of Nigeria has now developed more friendly regulations, which recognise the role of digital financial products such as mobile money in driving its financial inclusion agenda.

What Next

In the next installments of this series, we will look at financial inclusion in relation to energy access and food security and how access to basic financial services can catalyse access to modern energy services and improve food security.

Dotun Eyinade is a public policy advisor. He works at the intersection of financial inclusion and energy access and previously worked in management consulting.
A magistrate court in the Ajegunle area of Lagos has remanded a school teacher that physically assaulted a two-year-old girl.

The teacher, Joy Odili, was arraigned before the magistrate, Sikiru Adagun, on Tuesday.

According to a statement by the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Agency of the Lagos government on Wednesday shared on their Twitter handle, the teacher was arrested for allegedly physically assaulting a 2-year and 3-months old baby at school.

Faustina Ohamadike had told PREMIUM TIMES that the teacher whom she identified as Aunty Joy flogged her toddler at the Unic Vilos Montessori, a private school in the Maza-Maza area of Lagos on February 7.

Following the investigation conducted by the joint team comprising the Office of Education Quality Assurance, Department of School Social Work of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development and Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, it was disclosed that after the act, the teacher failed to express remorse, rather she boastfully stated that she would continue to physically assault the child, the statement reads.

During the interview, the teacher revealed that she had beaten the toddler because the child was distracting the class.

As a result of the physical abuse, the toddler was referred to Amuwo Odofin General Hospital on Saturday 12th of February, 2022 and the case was reported at the Family Support Unit of Festac Police Station on Monday, 14th of February, 2022.

When this newspaper contacted the school proprietress, Stella Omowela for a reaction, she said that it is a family matter and we have resolved it in the family.

She asked this reporter not to worry and insisted that the matter has been settled.

However, Faustina Ohamadike, the mother of the toddler confirmed the arrest.

Im not related to them, Im from Anambra State, they are from Benin, we are not related. Im not a family to them, we are just neighbours, said Mrs Ohamadike.

The case now is between them and the government.
Budding trees and blooming flowers.

The return of robins, loons and other migrating birds.

The return of bees, butterflies and frogs.

Melting snow and lake ice.

Longer days and light in the evening.

Shedding the winter garments.

The myriad scents of flowering trees and plants.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to a question from a reporter after announcing the Emergencies Act will be invoked to deal with protests on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022 in Ottawa. Trudeau says he has invoked the Emergencies Act to bring to an end antigovernment blockades he describes as illegal and not about peaceful protest. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Rise in investment in renewable energy resources, rapid industrialization, and technological advancements across the globe drive the growth of the global captive power generation market

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Captive Power Generation Market by Technology Type (Heat Exchanger, Turbines, Gas Engines, Transformers, and Others), Fuel Type (Diesel, Gas, Coal, and Others), Ownership (Single and Multiple), and End Use (Residential, Commercial, and Industrial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030." According to the report, the global captive power generation industry was pegged at $494.7 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach $823.1 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.3% from 2021 to 2030.

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities-

Rise in investment in renewable energy resources, rapid industrialization, and technological advancements across the globe drive the growth of the global captive power generation market. However, high installation costs and technological complexities of captive power generation restrain the growth to some extent. On the other hand, rapid development of infrastructure and investment of developing countries in renewable energy power generation isexpected to create lucrative opportunities in the industry.

Download Sample PDF (368 Pages PDF with Insights): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/11152

COVID-19 scenario-

The global captive power generation market was severely impacted due to the outbreak of covid-19. Many industrial operations have stopped and shut down due to the imposed lockdown by various governments to curb the spread of the pandemic, this in turn decrease in the development of the captive power generation.

The reduction in construction and infrastructural development operations and shutdown of cement and iron & steel manufacturing industries had a negative impact on the market growth.

The gas engines segment held the highest share in 2020-

By equipment type, the gas engines segment contributed to more than one-third of the global captive power generation market revenue in 2020, and is projected to maintain the lion's share from 2021 to 2030. This is due to a wide range of applications and advantages of gas engines such as power generation, cogeneration, mechanical propulsion, power supply in gas power plants, and others. At the same time, the heat exchangers segment would cite the fastest CAGR of 6.0% by the end of 2030. The report also includes an analysis of turbines, transformers, and others segments.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Captive Power Generation Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/11152?reqfor=covid

The coal segment to dominate by 2030-

By fuel type, the coal segment accounted for more than half of the global captive power generation market share in 2020, and is anticipated to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This is owing to the abundant availability and low cost of coal as compared to other power technologies. The diesel segment, however, would showcase the fastest CAGR of 6.4% by 2030. The rise in hospitals and data center development and rapid growth of the commercial sector drive the growth for the segment.

Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, to lead the trail in terms of revenue-

By region, Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, garnered the major share in 2020, contributing to more than two-fifths of the global captive power generation market. Moreover, this region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.4% and dominate the market during the forecast period. Rise in concern from governments across emerging nations, such as India, China, and South Korea, regarding zero carbon emission norms and rapid infrastructure development of commercial and residential buildings will provide huge potential for the development of the captive power generation market in the coming years.

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Leading market players-

ArcelorMittal S.A.

General Electric Company

Siemens

ADC LLC

Hindalco

PBS Group

Wartsila

Clarke Energy

Kohler Co.

Reliance Industries

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
TRIPOLI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday commended the release of 64 refugees from a detention center in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

"UNHCR is grateful to the Libyan authorities for the release of 64 vulnerable persons of concern, including women and children, from Ain Zara detention center today," said the UN refugee agency in a statement.

"The group will receive a package of urban assistance, including core relief items, emergency cash and medical assistance," it said.

The agency confirmed that it continues to work closely with the Libyan authorities for the orderly release of other refugees and asylum-seekers being held in detention.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.

Rescued migrants usually end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers. 
"I started re-evaluating my life when I hit unemployment rock bottom in the UK," explains the author. "It was a very raw process of questioning myself and my identity and reliving my tough upbringing in Zimbabwe  a place where my mother chose her new husband over me, and where I'd been harassed by the age of fourteen. I took a long, hard look at how I'd always chosen controlling men, and felt powerless in every relationship I'd gotten into. As I unraveled things, I began to figure out who I really am."

Continuing, "My biggest life change was meeting my white husband in race-tense South Africa, only to find him relapsing on a drug habit  fiercely challenging my Christian upbringing. After our separation, I began to mull over everything from excuses, my beliefs, biases around religion, the LGBTQ community, my emotions and how music connects it all  and the definitions I devised are now all shared in this volume". It's going to leave people with plenty to think about.

Reviews have been extremely positive. AM Publishers writes, "Engrossing, strikingly honest, reflective piece."

Authorsreading.com, "a feisty and delightfully irreverent memoir" and James Sparkman Jr called it, "Raw and authentic."

A Bibliophiles Book Blog, "I loved the way this book was written! The warmth and friendliness of her tone really invites you into her story. 7/10"

"A brilliant account of challenges faced by a girl child." Amazon Customer

With the volume's demand increasing, interested readers are urged to secure their copies without delay.

'Kinky Roots' is now available at Waterstones and Barnes and Noble. Get it wherever you buy your books online or request it from your bookstore.

More details: https://linktr.ee/ingrid_arlington

About the Author:

She is a wife and mum to two adorable Jack Russell's. Cybersecurity consulting is her daily vocation, and her ideal day is spent in her pj's with a bottomless cup of tea.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747554/1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747555/2.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747556/3.jpg

SOURCE Ingrid Arlington's Press Office
TRIESTE, Italy, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Iconic global coffee company illy won praise today for its updated commitment to source only cage-free eggs and egg ingredients globally by 2025. The Italy-based brand, which specializes in espresso, sells products in over 140 countries and operates a network of several hundred cafe locations across Europe, Asia and North America.

"As of 2021, all directly managed illy stores use cage-free eggs only, and illycaffe has placed the same obligation concerning all products available from the illy purchasing platform also on illy franchisees," the company noted in an updated statement posted on its website today . "In 2022, illycaffe has extended this obligation to its entire global franchising network, requiring its franchisees to commit to using cage-free eggs only for all food products by 2025."

In 2019 illy became the first Italian coffee company to obtain B Corp certification, a recognition for companies operating under the highest and strictest social and environmental standards.

"We applaud illy's commitment on this important issue, which will improve the welfare of animals in its global supply chain and will also benefit the company's international customers," said Kirsty Tuxford, Corporate Engagement Manager at Lever Foundation, which worked with illy on its commitment. "Nearly all of the largest cafe and coffee chains based in North America and Europe have now committed to using only cage-free egg ingredients in all stores globally."

Over the past two years coffee chains including Dunkin Donuts, Costa Coffee, Tim Hortons, Caribou Coffee, Krispy Kreme, Au Bon Pain and Peet's have set timelines for removing caged eggs from their worldwide supply chains, with top-ten coffee brand Caffe Nero issuing a similar pledge last week . Restaurant chains such as KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Baskin Robbins, Tim Hortons, Sonic, Popeye's, Papa John's and Arby's have made similar pledges.

ABOUT LEVER FOUNDATION



Lever Foundation is a global NGO with staff operating across Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America. Lever Foundation works with leading companies to help them upgrade their protein sourcing for a more humane, safe and sustainable supply chain, with a focus on cage-free eggs and alternative protein.

CONTACT

hi@leverfoundation.org +1 717-584-1805

SOURCE Lever Foundation
'cCommerce', (connected commerce) enables businesses to sell more through popular chat apps, like WhatsApp and Telegram. Businesses can convert conversations into transactions through sharing of real-time shopping baskets and payment links. With more than 50 million social media users in Egypt, Zbooni provides an opportunity for businesses across the country to capture orders, accept payments, and sell more, while tracking everything. The average cCommerce cart is 2.7 times bigger than traditional eCommerce and conversion rates are 20 times higher than eCommerce.

Ashraf Atia, co-founder and COO of Zbooni said, "We're excited to launch in Egypt and pioneer cCommerce with inspiring Egyptian entrepreneurs and businesses. As an Egyptian-American who has lived and worked across the region, it's humbling to be able to bring new tech solutions to my home country. With the help of our key partner JumiaPay and National Bank of Egypt, we expect to support thousands of Egyptian businesses to sell more with Zbooni in 2022."

Zbooni's launch in Egypt signals continued growth for the company which has previously opened regional offices in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and currently serves a merchant base of more than 6,000 businesses. In September 2021, Zbooni completed a $9.5mn Series A funding round to fast-track its expansion across the region, develop new products and hire key new team members.

In December 2021, Zbooni signed a payment partnership with JumiaPay, Egypt's rapidly growing payments platform which is a part of major e-commerce company Jumia Group. The agreement enables payments across Zbooni's cCommerce platform through JumiaPay's payment gateway. It will allow businesses across Egypt to benefit from using Zbooni's proprietary cCommerce tools to interact and engage with customers, with the safety and security of transactions being processed through JumiaPay.

Advantages of cCommerce include being able to do business through popular chat and social apps with no need for the customer to download any additional apps or build their own website eCommerce carts. It simplifies purchasing and enables quicker, mobile-first transactions which are also entirely secure as the business is PCI DSS (payment card industry data security standard) compliant. Zbooni uses advanced machine learning and AI (artificial intelligence) tools to protect merchants and customers, ensuring robust KYC ('know your customer'), AML (anti-money laundering), and fraud prevention via World-Check.

About Zbooni

Zbooni was founded in 2016 and provides tools and solutions that empower businesses to capture orders, accept payments, sell more, and track every order. The company was incubated at Facebook, one of only a handful of global businesses to receive such access and support from the social media giant. Its merchant app went live in 2018, developing to its current robust platform as the MENA region's pioneer in cCommerce.

Through the power of one-to-one conversation, Zbooni enables businesses to convert customer interactions into transactions via social and messaging apps. In this way, Zbooni is reinventing how businesses seamlessly transition into the new era of "cCommerce".

Zbooni has grown rapidly to a team of 45 people across regional offices in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt. The business serves over 6,000 merchants across the MENA region, powering transactions for hundreds of thousands of customers and sales of over $5mn per month. In September 2021, the business completed its $9.5mn Series A funding round, targeting geographical expansion, product development and strategic team hiring.

For more information about Zbooni, visit www.zbooni.com

Download the app via the Google Play Store or Apple App Store .

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747846/Ashraf_Atia_COO_Zbooni.jpg

SOURCE Zbooni
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Two years after the domestic onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, traveler uncertainty is still at an all-time high.

Consumer data gathered by travel insurance aggregator, Squaremouth.com , reveals three ways Covid-19 is still shaping traveler behavior:

Covid Leads Travel Insurance Demand

Squaremouth reports a 181% increase in travel insurance sales in January 2022, compared to January 2019, with almost half of travelers specifically looking for coverage related to Covid-19.

Nearly 40% of travelers buying insurance on Squaremouth.com have indicated specifically needing Covid coverage, virtually the same percentage as in 2020, despite border openings, vaccination efforts, and shortened quarantine restrictions.

Variants Cause Change in Concerns

Prior to the Omicron variant, travelers expressed being most concerned about contracting the virus and having to cancel a trip.

Following the variant, and subsequent responses by countries, travelers indicated being more concerned about border closures than a Covid-related illness. Nearly 32% of travelers identified border closures as their biggest concern that may cause them to cancel, while 29% are most concerned about contracting the virus and being unable to travel.

Travelers Scared to be Stuck Abroad

As countries remain open, the US continues to require a negative test prior to return.

Today, the leading Covid-19-related concern of travelers is contracting Covid-19 abroad and being unable to travel home as planned. 45% of Squaremouth travelers said they were most concerned with contracting Covid-19 during their trip, over twice as many as those concerned about contracting Covid-19 while traveling and needing medical care.

Methodology: Squaremouth.com hosts the largest number of travel insurance providers and policies that offer coverage related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Squaremouth Analytics has compared thousands of travel insurance policies purchased amid the Covid-19 pandemic to identify trends in how travelers are responding to the impact.

Additional Resources:

Travel Insurance and Covid-19 Resource Guide

Travel Insurance Live Data Page

ABOUT SQUAREMOUTH

Squaremouth.com, and their multi-award winning customer service team, has helped over 2 million travelers save time and money to find the best travel insurance policy for their trip.

Leveraging decades of travel expertise, and industry-leading technology, Squaremouth.com hosts the most intuitive travel insurance quoting and comparison engine on the market today.

Coupled with verified customer reviews and the largest portfolio of products, Squaremouth allows travelers to instantly purchase a travel insurance policy from every major provider in the US.

Available Topic Expert: Megan Moncrief, Chief Marketing Officer, is available for comment and interview. [email protected] (727) 378-0938

SOURCE Squaremouth
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently-owned PR firms in the U.S., announces today they are welcoming employees back to a new co-working space on the 19th floor of 3 Park Avenue.

"We've been patiently waiting for our return to the office, and are very excited about our new office space," said 5WPR Founder and CEO, Ronn Torossian. "5WPR has always been an agency that emphasizes the importance of collaborative thinking, and the new office offers a lot of collaborative environments to work together."

In 2021, 5WPR announced the opening of a Miami office after a year of unprecedented growth and the needs to service a diverse set of clients. Across both offices, 5W services clients spanning corporate, b2b and consumer technology, financial and transactional communications, consumer packaged goods, beauty, lifestyle, travel, health, parent & baby, home & housewares, food & beverage, cannabis, fashion, and more. The agency specializes in a full-service, integrated approach, offering media relations, media training, crisis management, online reputation management, influencer programming, digital marketing, social media management, content creation, creative services, and more.

About 5WPR

5W Public Relations is a full-service PR agency in NYC known for cutting-edge programs that engage with businesses, issues and ideas. With more than 250 professionals serving clients in B2C (Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, Nonprofit), B2B (Corporate Communications and Reputation Management), Public Affairs, Crisis Communications and Digital Marketing (Social Media, Influencer, Paid Media, SEO). 5W brings leading businesses a resourceful, bold and results-driven approach to communication. 5W was awarded 2020 PR Agency of The Year and CEO Ronn Torossian, was named 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year by the American Business Awards.

SOURCE 5W Public Relations
DALLAS, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aurox Holdings Inc. ("the Company"), the all-in-one cryptocurrency trading platform, today announced that it has closed a $5 million round of equity financing. This is the Company's first round of equity funding, which will be used to fuel its pursuit of a public markets listing as well as execute on its business plan to become a significant player in the multi-trillion-dollar cryptocurrency space. Terms were not disclosed.

The Company is considering other strategic endeavors including a going public transaction. This funding round follows the Company's recent announcement that it hopes to become the first US public company in 2022 focused solely on decentralized finance software products.

"This initial round of financing allows us to aggressively execute on our business plan by scaling our development team and to accelerate our efforts to explore becoming a publicly listed company," said Aurox Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Giorgi Khazaradze. "Additionally, we see our URUS token as a game changer for the $100 billion DeFi market that combines DeFi with our proprietary Terminal and utilizes DeFi lending to execute trades on high-liquid markets providing our customers with limitless opportunities to access this dynamic financial marketplace."

Since 2017, Aurox's solutions have provided several important benefits for traders including a cheaper platform, more in-depth information, and high-quality tokens. This includes the URUS token that the Company believes can change the face of the $100 billion decentralized (DeFi) market with its accessibility, efficiency, low fees, and ease of value transfer.

Brett Rosen from RB Capital Partners stated,"We are extremely excited to be part of the first investment round into Aurox. What they have accomplished by self-funding the entire company is nothing short of extraordinary. The dedicated following they have already amassed is very impressive and will lend itself well to their organic growth strategy. Helping them bring DeFi to the public markets will completely change the crypto industry."

In addition, the URUS token will power the Aurox DeFi Lending protocol with one of the highest annual percentage yield (APY) on the market. The Lending protocol combined with the Aurox terminal will allow traders to execute cross-chain trades using margin and leverage up to 4x. Margin and leverage trading guarantee high interest yields for the lenders while allowing traders to execute short-term high-volume trades with low amounts of required collateral.

ABOUT AUROX

Aurox is a free, all-in-one cryptocurrency terminal that integrates data, content, and strategies to help crypto traders make better decisions. Before Aurox, crypto traders had to deal with expensive platforms with fragmented information that included too many unstable low-quality tokens. Aurox solves those problems for traders and many more. Co-founded by crypto traders Giorgi Khazaradze, Ziga Naglic, and Taraz Andreyevich in 2017, today's community of more than 50,000 traders use Aurox to access powerful, easy-to-use terminal features, advanced market trend indicators, and 60+ crypto exchanges.

For more info, visit: https://getaurox.com/

Contact: John Collins

(917) 496-4587

[email protected]

SOURCE Aurox Holdings Inc.
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bundy Group, a 32-year-old investment bank, announces that it has advised Systems Electronics, Inc. ("Systems Electronics"), a communications, safety, and security systems integrator for mission-critical organizations, in a sale to Corbett Technology Solutions, Inc. ("CTSI"), a global systems integrator of critical communications, fire, and security systems. CTSI is a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm.

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Knightdale, N.C., Systems Electronics helps healthcare facilities improve patient care and financial performance through clinical workflow process improvement, nurse call integration, resource tracking, reporting, and analytics. The company also delivers fire, security, and other systems integration solutions across its customer base of healthcare facilities, education facilities, and corporations.

Stewart Carlin, Managing Director with Bundy Group, stated, "Systems Electronics is recognized as one of the premier providers of system integration services for many of the leading healthcare systems in the Mid-Atlantic. The company's long-term relationships with the region's branded healthcare systems, combined with growth opportunities in fire, security & safety, will allow CTSI to further strengthen its position in the Southeast." Stewart added, "Our team worked diligently in this transaction to deliver options that would accomplish shareholder goals and to find a buyer that would preserve the culture and business Mike Strickland and his team have spent the last 50 years cultivating. CTSI has made an outstanding investment in Systems Electronics, and we look forward to watching the two organizations grow together."

Mike Strickland, President of Systems Electronics, stated, "Bundy Group went to extraordinary lengths to explain each step of the sale process and to serve as a sounding board for our team at all inflection points. Bundy Group's senior team provided sound advice and genuinely had our best interests in mind." Mike added, "The professionalism of the process, coupled with Bundy Group's dedication to our team, led to an outcome that exceeded our expectations. Without reservation, I would recommend Bundy Group to any business owner considering a sale."

The transaction was led by Stewart Carlin, Clint Bundy, and Jim Mullens, Managing Directors with Bundy Group. Lorenc Biqiku and Megan Hagemann, Vice Presidents with Bundy Group, also worked on the transaction team.

Bundy Group has significant experience in the healthcare, systems integration, automation, and fire, security & safety sectors, and has previously advised such clients as MR Systems, Commercial Fyr-Fyters, Catawba Research, and Dorsett Controls. For more information about our industry expertise and other recent transactions, visit Industry Expertise - Bundy Group.

About Bundy Group

Bundy Group is an industry-focused investment bank that specializes in representing business owners and management teams in business sales, acquisitions, and capital raises. With over 250 closed deals over the past 32 years, Bundy Group's primary goals are to provide high quality options and actionable insights and to deliver an optimal strategic fit at a premium value for our clients.

Bundy Group Securities, LLC, is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Check the background of Bundy Group Securities, LLC at FINRA's BrokerCheck. Testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other customers and are no guarantee of future performance or success.

SOURCE Bundy Group
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Businessolver, a leader in SaaS-based benefits technology and services, today announced its 2021 year-end results, whichmarked by unprecedented business, product, and personnel successsolidify the organization's place as the clear market leader as it approaches its 25th year.

"In what was another challenging year for businesses nationwide, I am awed by and appreciative of the focus, resilience, and overall excellence demonstrated by our Solvers and partners during 2021," said Jon Shanahan, Businessolver CEO and President. "Thanks to their commitment, driven by the continued trust and support of our clients, we were able to meet the moment and deliver on our mission to 'grow our business and delight our clients' like never before."

Businessolver's 2021 business achievements propelled by key capital investment, strategic executive expansion, and expert thought leadership

In December 2021, Businessolver announced that funds managed by Stone Point Capital LLC had made a majority investment in the company. Stone Point, a leading private equity firm focused on investing in financial services, including the HR and benefits industry and human capital management spaces, joins existing investors Warburg Pincus and JMI Equity as Businessolver accelerates its growth and expands its market leadership. The investment not only brings a new perspective and investment from Stone Point, but also maintains consistency with all previous investing partners continuing their focus to scale the business.

Said Chuck Davis, Stone Point CEO: "We have watched Businessolver grow and deliver for years and are excited to be part of the cutting-edge benefits innovation that they bring to the industry."

Also in December, Businessolver announced it had elevated Don Smith, the architect of Businessolver's onboarding and client experience team, to its executive team in the role of Chief Client Officer. As Businessolver's executive leader responsible for all client engagement from onboarding to ongoing operations, Smith brings to the role more than two decades of experience in HR outsourcing, including all aspects of client service and support.

"Don's intense focus on quality, client experience, and workforce planningcombined with strong team leadershiphas allowed him to consistently deliver successful results," Shanahan said. "He also has a unique ability to strategically deploy resources to achieve maximum productivity, and leverages his blend of skill and strength to maintain the seamless alignment and effective communication needed to ensure client delight."

In May 2021, Businessolver released its sixth-annual State of Workplace Empathy study, with key mentions in Forbes and Time. The 2021 data revealed that, after declining for years, empathy in the workplace increased amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Businessolver's 2021 research also uncovered new expectations for employers in creating empathetic work environments; promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and protecting employees' mental health.

Fielded in February 2021, after nearly a full year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the data uncovered that after years of decline, employees' empathy ratings of companies and CEOs rebounded in 2021: 72% of employees rated their organizations as empathetic, four percentage points higher than the prior year; 72% also said their CEOs are empatheticnine percentage points higher than the 2020 rate.

"We're of course encouraged and gratified to see workplace empathy back on an upward trajectory," Shanahan said. "However, it took a global pandemic, a national reawakening around racial equality, and record-breaking employee attrition across the country to get there; clearly, last year's data exposed empathy gaps that need to be addressed to keep workplace empathy on the rise."

Product enhancements in artificial intelligence and user-experience personalization power Businessolver's 2021 innovation

Innovation through personalization was the tagline to Businessolver's 2021 product achievements, keeping the organization tightly aligned with its motto, "Technology with Heart."

In May 2021, Businessolver announced a strategic partnership with Amino a leading health care guidance platform, to launch MyChoice Find a Provider, a health care navigation tool to ensure individuals can find and book high-quality, cost-effective medical care. Powered by Amino's Smart Match technology, MyChoice Find a Provider seamlessly integrates with Businessolver's benefits technology platform Benefitsolver, MyChoice Mobile App, and personal benefits assistant SofiaSM to help individuals make informed health care decisions. MyChoice Find a Provider was awarded silver recognition in the semi-annual 2021 Digital Health Awards.

Also in May, Businessolver launched its Personalized NavigationTM solution, featuring Claims-Based Personalization and Activation Paths. Personalized Navigation connects employees with their benefits when they need health care services, such as booking an appointment, processing a claim, or managing a chronic condition. The solution drives further engagement for employees via personalized alerts and nudges to activate non-electable benefits, including telemedicine, cost-transparency tools, and employee assistance plans. Early client adopters with the Care Navigation tool already have seen a +30% increase in employee engagement.

During the summer, Businessolver launched its COVID-19 Tracker, allowing clients the seamless ability to track employee vaccination status in the same place as benefits data through the deep communication framework embedded in Benefitsolver. The product also enables employers to communicate to employees the importance of updating vaccination status; it also allows employers to provide digital automated reminders through mobile app notifications, e-mail, text messaging, and user prompts upon login to update vaccine information. Businessolver continued to enhance the COVID-19 Tracker later in 2021 to include employer options for tracking employee testing status and booster shots, as well as applying medical plan credits and surcharges based on employee vaccination status.

The company's innovation streak caught the eye of both the American Business Awards, which honored Businessolver as its Silver 2021 HR Technology Solution Provider of the Year, and Lighthouse Research & Advisory, which named Benefitsolver as the 2021 Best Comprehensive Solution in its HR Tech Awards.

"We're honored to be a trusted partner for our clients during this challenging time and want to repay that trust by giving them our very best in product innovation and exceptional service," Shanahan said. "The additions and enhancements we made to Benefitsolver in 2021 help bolster our clients' ability to meet current workforce challenges as well as arm them with data to effectively plan for the future."

Businessolver earns key 2021 personnel wins through unwavering commitment to employee engagement and organizational culture

After taking just three days in March 2020 to shutter its eight offices nationwide and shift operations to the homes of its more than 1,000 employees, in 2021 Businessolver solidified its transition from brick-and-mortar operations to remote-first, announcing in May its Workspace Anywhere model.

"With this initiative, we will no longer require an in-office force, but rather encourage employees to choose the workspace that is the right fit for them," Shanahan said at the time. As a result of Workspace Anywhere, Businessolver's employee engagement metrics in 2021 lifted nearly 6% over 2020, with attrition rates that were 4.5% lower. In addition, Workspace Anywhere has helped Businessolver affirm its commitment to expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion among its employee population. The company ended 2021 +20% recruitment among traditionally marginalized demographics, while maintaining a +50% female workforce.

Businessolver's strong organizational culture and product innovation helped vault three of the organization's top leaders onto the awards podium in 2021. In May, Shanahan was named one of the Top 100 HR Tech Influencers for 2021, among leaders from Google, Cisco, and Spotify. In September, Jamon Harrell, Businessolver Director of Client Onboarding, was named 2021 Emerging Leader of the Year in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workplace Excellence Awards from the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. And in October, Rae Shanahan, Businessolver Chief Strategy Officer, won silver-level distinction as Female Executive of the Year in the 18th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

About Businessolver

Since 1998, Businessolver has delivered market-changing benefits technology and services supported by an intrinsic responsiveness to client needs. The company creates client programs that maximize benefits program investment, minimize risk exposure, and engage employees with easy-to-use solutions and communication tools to assist them in making wise and cost-efficient benefits selections. Founded by HR professionals, Businessolver's unwavering service-oriented culture and secure SaaS platform provide measurable success in its mission to provide complete client delight.

Media Contact

Grant Stoker, Edelman (on behalf of Businessolver)

[email protected]

SOURCE Businessolver
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Covalon Technologies Ltd. (the "Company" or "Covalon") (TSXV: COV) (OTCQX: CVALF), an advanced medical technologies company, will release its Q1 Fiscal 2022 financial results on Tuesday March 1st, 2022, before markets open. A conference call and webcast to discuss the financial results will be held on Tuesday, March 1st, 2022, at 9:00am EST.

To view, listen to, and participate in the live webcast, please follow the link below:

https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1529622&tp_key=2a5681ae2b

To listen and participate via the conference call, please dial:

North American Toll-Free: 1-888-664-6392

Local (Toronto): 416-764-8659

Confirmation Number: 47526078

Participants will be able to ask questions of Company management during the Q&A portion of the conference call either by asking them on the call or by submitting them using the chat function on the webcast.

A recording of the call will be available by calling 1-888-390-0541 or 416-764-8677 and entering the encore replay entry code 526078# until March 15th, 2022. A recording of the call will also be available on www.covalon.com under News & Events on the Investors tab.

Copies of Covalon's financial statements and MD&A can be obtained on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and under Sedar Filings on the Investors tab of Covalon's website.

About Covalon

Covalon Technologies Ltd. is a researcher, developer, manufacturer, and marketer of patent-protected medical products that improve patient outcomes and save lives in the areas of advanced wound care, infection management and surgical procedures. Covalon leverages its patented medical technology platforms and expertise in two ways: (i) by developing products that are sold under Covalon's name; and (ii) by developing and commercializing medical products for other medical companies under development and license contracts. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, having the symbol COV and trades on the OTQX Market under the symbol CVALF. To learn more about Covalon, visit our website at www.covalon.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan, "estimate", "expect", "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, including the difficulty in predicting product approvals, acceptance of and demands for new products, the impact of the products and pricing strategies of competitors, delays in developing and launching new products, the regulatory environment, fluctuations in operating results, the impact and timing of COVID-19 on operating activities and market conditions, and other risks, any of which could cause results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Many risks are inherent in the industry; others are more specific to the Company. Investors should consult the Company's ongoing quarterly filings for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, further events or otherwise.

SOURCE Covalon Technologies Ltd.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Designer Brands Inc. (NYSE: DBI), parent of shoe retailer DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, announced today an investment of $2 million into advancing action-oriented Diversity, Equity & Inclusion through a partnership with Pensole and legendary footwear designer Dr. D'Wayne Edwards, President of Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design (PLC). Located in Detroit, PLC is the first and only Historically Black College & University (HBCU) in Michigan and the first HBCU with a focus on design. PLC, formerly known as the Lewis College of Business, is expected to reopen in May 2022.

In this new partnership, Designer Brands will invest in the first Black-owned footwear factory in the United States  JEMS by Pensole  to produce shoes designed by PLC graduate students, to be sold exclusively at DSW.

"We see the footwear industry lacking effective representation by people of color, specifically Blacks, and this $2 million investment will address root causes to remove barriers," said Designer Brands Chief Executive Officer Roger Rawlins. "Blacks represent less than five percent of those across all design industries, thus lacking much-needed diversity. Designer Brands and DSW's commitment with Pensole will create a U.S.-based shoe factory, with the goal of all work leading to the launch of Black designers' brands inside of DSW."

"The footwear industry needs more diversity. The partnership we are entering into with Designer Brands and DSW is a new business model that truly empowers the consumer to influence the industry toward that goal," said Dr. Edwards. "Together with Pensole, Designer Brands and DSW will provide designers opportunities to offer new products directly to consumers. Along the way we will create careers and invest in talented aspiring designers to become the future of our industry."

JEMS stands for "Jan Ernst Matzeliger Studio"  itself named in honor of the Black footwear pioneer who in 1883 received a patent that revolutionized footwear manufacturing, a process that inspired methods the industry still uses today. With Black History Month in February, Designer Brands has embraced "MORE THAN A MONTH" as the symbolic theme to recognize and pay homage to Black innovators and providing opportunities for designers of color. From now through Matzeliger's birthday on September 15, DSW will chronicle the opening of JEMS by Pensole and production of its first shoes.

About Designer Brands

Designer Brands is one of North America's largest designers, producers, and retailers of footwear and accessories. Designer Brands operates a portfolio of retail concepts in nearly 700 locations under the DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, The Shoe Company, and Shoe Warehouse banners. Designer Brands designs and produces footwear and accessories through Camuto Group, a leading manufacturer selling in more than 5,400 stores worldwide. Camuto Group owns licensing rights for the Jessica Simpson footwear business and footwear and handbag licenses for Lucky Brand. In partnership with a joint venture with Authentic Brands Group, Designer Brands also owns a stake in Vince Camuto, Louise et Cie, and others. More information can be found at www.designerbrands.com.

About Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design (PLC)

The Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design will become the nation's first-ever reinstated HBCU. Founded by Dr. D'Wayne Edwards, the founder of the PENSOLE Design Academy in Detroit, PLC will resurrect the Lewis College of Business in Detroit. Beginning in May 2022, PENSOLE Design Academy, in collaboration with the College for Creative Studies (CCS), will offer programs across design, sustainability, business, STEM, and more, serving young Black creatives across industries. For more information, please visit www.pensolelewiscollege.com.

For further information:

Designer Brands Media Relations

[email protected]

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words such as "outlook," "goals," "could," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "would," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates," or the negative version of those words or other comparable words. These statements are based on Designer Brands' current expectations and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Risks and other factors that could cause our performance and achievement to differ materially from our expectations are described in Designer Brands' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021, and risk factors identified in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the time when made. Except as may be required by law, Designer Brands undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any future events or circumstances.

SOURCE Designer Brands Inc.
NAIROBI, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) will forge partnerships with governments, industry and multilateral lenders to promote maternal health in the continent, a senior official said Wednesday.

Benjamin Djoudalbaye, the head of Policy, Health Diplomacy and Communication at Africa CDC, said that targeted investments were required to tackle the high burden of diseases affecting women of reproductive age.

"African women have borne the burden of diseases and deaths hence the need to place them at the heart of the new health agenda for the continent," Djoudalbaye said at a virtual briefing organized by Nairobi-based Africa Health Business.

He said the upcoming seventh edition of Africa Health Business Symposium, to be held in a hybrid format in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, on Feb. 24 will offer a platform on sharing best practices that can be adopted to reduce maternal deaths in the continent.

According to Djoudalbaye, policy reforms, domestic financing and retraining of the health workforce were a prerequisite to revitalizing action on the rising burden of diseases affecting African women including breast and cervical cancers.

He stressed that empowering women and girls through education, skills and employment was key to improving their health outcomes besides placing them on the frontline of the continent's transformation.

Djoudalbaye called for the integration of maternal health in Africa's universal health coverage agenda, adding that countries that have invested adequately in vaccines and therapeutics to manage diseases affecting women have reported improved socioeconomic outcomes.

Amit Thakker, the executive chairman of Africa Health Business, said the continent should prioritize regulatory and policy incentives in order to spur investments in programs that advance women's health.

Thakker said that revamping public health facilities through adequate staffing, installation of diagnostic equipment and family planning commodities is key to boosting health outcomes for African women and girls.

He said the upcoming Africa Health Business Symposium, under the theme of "Africa Women's Health 2022: The Role of the Private Sector in Advancing Women's Health in Africa," will endorse a new roadmap on financing maternal health agenda in the continent.

Daniella Munene, the head of Operations at Africa Health Business, said that partnerships, innovative financing, research and awareness creation were key to reducing maternal deaths in the continent.

Munene cited enhanced access to contraceptives, early screening for breast and cervical cancers as well as clean water and sanitation as measures capable of drastically improving health outcomes for women in the continent. 
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Education Loan Finance (ELFI), a division of SouthEast Bank, announced today the successful funding of over $2 billion in student loan refinancing and consolidation loans. This funding has positively impacted over 25,000 graduates, parents and cosigners. ELFI customers have reported they are saving an average of $214 per month or that they will save $18,699 in total interest over the life of their loan.1

"Forty three million borrowers in the United States owe in excess of $1.7 trillion on their student loans, and we are dedicated to our mission of helping these borrowers reduce their debt load and/or pay off their debt sooner," said Barbara Thomas, SouthEast Bank's Chief Operating Officer and Head of the ELFI Division. "The ELFI team is extremely passionate about helping college graduates address their student loan debt, especially during these unprecedented times. We are proud to have assisted over 25,000 borrowers in refinancing $2+ Billion of student loan debt. Guiding our borrowers step-by-step through our student loan refinancing program, with knowledgeable and experienced Student Loan Advisors (SLAs), sets us apart in the industry in terms of customer service. We have received numerous accolades from our customers time and time again as evidenced by our "Excellent" 4.9/5 rating on TrustPilot."

ELFI was launched in December 2015 with a senior management team that has over 30 years of experience in the student loan industry to offer student loan refinance products to borrowers nationwide through a highly-automated, state-of-the-art online loan origination system. With an executive team devoted to higher education, ELFI places a heavy emphasis on financial wellness and financial awareness. ELFI's early investment into technology and customer care has translated to a transparent and seamless user experience from start to finish.

ELFI's mission of "Empowering a Brighter Future" for their borrowers is supported by their Student Loan Advisor program. SLAs are individually paired to borrowers once they sign up, allowing for a single point of contact throughout the entire process. This personalized approach to customer care helps borrowers understand the process and ultimately make well-informed decisions regarding their student loan refinancing options.

ELFI also achieved another major milestone this past year with their $316.23 million ELFI 2021-A securitization financing. With this fourth transaction, ELFI has financed over $1.14 billion in the securitization markets and attained AAA ratings on their class A notes from S&P and DBRS.

Follow us on our social platforms:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educationloanfinance/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educationloanfinance/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elfi

About Education Loan Finance

Education Loan Finance, a division of SouthEast Bank, is a leading online lender designed to assist borrowers by consolidating and refinancing private and federal student loans into one simple, low-cost loan. Education Loan Finance believes that providing consumers comprehensive refinancing and consolidation options empowers the consumers on their financial journey. To learn more, visit www.elfi.com.

About SouthEast Bank

Headquartered in Farragut, Tennessee, SouthEast Bank operates branches throughout East and Middle Tennessee, blending modern amenities with hometown service and decision-making. Our customers enjoy convenient electronic and mobile platforms such as online banking, remote deposit, automatic fraud monitoring, and a worldwide ATM network. In the last decade, SouthEast Bank, along with its holding company, has donated over $20 million to support secondary and post-secondary education in our local communities and universities throughout the state of Tennessee. To learn more about SouthEast Bank, please visit southeastbank.com.

1: Average savings calculations are based on information provided by SouthEast Bank/ Education Loan Finance customers who refinanced their student loans between 12/25/2020 and 1/31/2021. While these amounts represent reported average amounts saved, actual amounts saved will vary depending upon a number of factors.

Media Contact:

Skylar Smith

(865) 210-0783

[email protected]

SOURCE Education Loan Finance
Exro has filed a lawsuit against ePropelled Inc. in Middlesex County Superior Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts .

. The lawsuit alleges that ePropelled made a damaging defamatory statement about Exro in its January 24, 2022 , press release, and that ePropelled violated Chapter 93A of the Massachusetts General Laws.

, press release, and that ePropelled violated Chapter 93A of the Massachusetts General Laws. Exro has filed this lawsuit to hold ePropelled accountable for its tortious conduct.

CALGARY, AB, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Exro Technologies Inc. (TSX: EXRO) (OTCQB: EXROF) (the "Company" or "Exro"), a leading clean technology company that has developed a new class of power electronics for electric motors and batteries, announced today that it has filed a defamation lawsuit against ePropelled Inc. on February 15, 2022, in Middlesex County Superior Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

This litigation concerns the bad faith tactics of ePropelled in publishing a demonstrably untrue and defamatory statement about Exro in a press release issued on January 24, 2022.

"Exro stands with conviction against the false claims made in the defamatory press release issued by ePropelled last month," said Exro CEO Sue Ozdemir. "It is our responsibility to uphold the reputation of Exro and its technology while protecting our shareholders. We are pursuing this lawsuit to hold ePropelled accountable for its tortious conduct."

About Exro Technologies Inc.

Exro is a clean technology company pioneering intelligent control solutions in power electronics to help solve the most challenging problems in electrification. Exro has developed a new class of control technology that expands the capabilities of electric motors, generators, and batteries. Exro enables the application to achieve more with less energy consumed.

Exro's advanced motor control technology, the Coil DriverTM, expands the capabilities of electric powertrains by enabling intelligent optimization for efficient energy consumption. Exro is working with many partners from all over the world to bring their technology to the electric mobility industries and beyond.

For more information visit our website at www.exro.com.

Visit us on social media @exrotech.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing these forward-looking statements are reasonable based upon the information currently available to management as of the date hereof, actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This information is qualified in its entirety by cautionary statements and risk factor disclosure contained in filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, including the Company's annual information form for the financial year ended December 31, 2020, and financial statements and related MD&A for the financial year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

SOURCE Exro Technologies Inc.
---Enabling a Fully Automated Vehicle Fleet and Key Management/Exchange Solution--

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Keycafe Inc. ("Keycafe", Clayton Brown CEO, Vancouver, Canada, www.keycafe.com ) and Fleetio ("Fleetio" Meghan Saunders, Partner Marketing Manager, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S., www.fleetio.com ) announced today that Keycafe has introduced a software integration between it's internet-connected key management solution with Fleetio's vehicle fleet management software suite.

Vehicle fleet managers using Fleetio can now use Keycafe's internet connected smart key lockers ("SmartBox") to assign vehicle keys to their vehicle operators, maintenance crew, or other staff. By integrating the two solutions, when a fleet manager assigns a vehicle using Fleetio's vehicle assignment feature, Keycafe will automatically send a unique 8 digit code to the user to pickup/dropoff keys using the SmartBox. The unique codes are only valid during the assignment, and can be deleted any time. The pickup/dropoff is easy and quick, and the internet connected SmartBox logs every transaction with remote, real-time monitoring from a cloud-based app or desktop.

Keycafe's VP of Global Business Ops, Ryo Ogochi has the following comment:

"The integration between the industry leaders allows vehicle fleet managers to take advantage of a truly remote/contactless vehicle fleet management operation--fleet managers can look forward to saving time/cost, less lost keys/key mixups, and minimize face-to-face contact while covid still lingers around the world."

Fleetio's Meghan Saunders has the following comment:

"We're excited to add Keycafe and their industry-leading key management solution to our growing list of integration partners. By connecting Fleetio with Keycafe, fleet managers will be able to save time by completely automating their vehicle assignment and access processes."

About Keycafe:

Keycafe is a business key management system designed for fleet vehicle access control. A Keycafe SmartBox is a modular IOT electronic key locker system operated remotely in real-time. For details visit their site at www.keycafe.com

About Fleetio:

Fleetio is a web- and mobile-based software that helps fleets of all sizes track, analyze and improve fleet operations. With Fleetio, users can manage maintenance, DVIRs, fuel, parts, inventory, vehicle assignments, recalls and more all in one place. Fleetio powers public and private fleets in more than 80 countries in industries like consumer and business services, construction, transportation and many others. Visit us at www.fleetio.com .

Pricing information for Keycafe SmartBoxes here:

https://www.keycafe.com/desktop#!/checkout/smartbox

See more about the integration here:

https://www.fleetio.com/app-directory/risk-safety/keycafe

Contact Information

About Keycafe: [email protected]

About Fleetio: [email protected]

SOURCE KeyCafe Inc.
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This past month, personal injury attorney Seth A. Gladstein became President of the Louisville Bar Association (LBA) . After working in medical malpractice defense for 10 years, Gladstein decided to start his own practice, Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC , with a focus on plaintiffs in personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Since founding his practice, Gladstein has received numerous recognitions for leadership, professionalism, and community involvement. This past month, Super Lawyers named Gladstein a Kentucky Super Lawyer in plaintiffs' medical malpractice for the seventh consecutive year. The recognition is reserved for only 5% of lawyers throughout the state in a particular practice area. He's had considerable success in medical malpractice cases, recovering substantial awards for his clients, including:

Seth Gladstein

$1.8 million settlement in a medical malpractice case for a patient who underwent an unnecessary surgery and suffered intraoperative and postoperative complications,



settlement in a medical malpractice case for a patient who underwent an unnecessary surgery and suffered intraoperative and postoperative complications, $1.75 million settlement for a client whose physicians failed to diagnose and treat their lung cancer in a timely manner,



settlement for a client whose physicians failed to diagnose and treat their lung cancer in a timely manner, $550,000 for a man who suffers permanent urinary problems due to their medical provider's failure to diagnose prostate cancer; and



for a man who suffers permanent urinary problems due to their medical provider's failure to diagnose prostate cancer; and $500,000 for the family of a person who died due to a medication error.

While these results set Gladstein apart from many other Kentucky attorneys , he's one of few attorneys that have experience on the other side of the table. His experience with defending medical malpractice is a boon for many plaintiffs, since he knows the tactics used by attorneys defending hospitals and other medical conglomerates.

Plans for the Future of the LBA

As President, Gladstein hopes to increase the local presence of the LBA, particularly when it comes to continuing legal education and community outreach. "The LBA plans on improving the way it communicates and interacts with its members, as well as the general public," Gladstein says in his first letter . "This means examining the LBA's branding, improving the LBA's technological capabilities, better evaluating members' needsand investigating ways for our members to better utilize the Bar Center." In addition to these goals, Gladstein wants to educate voters on the role of the judicial system and give candidates the opportunity to speak with the LBA and the community.

However, Gladstein doesn't intend to stop there. He also wants to create more volunteer opportunities for LBA members and their families. "By Spring 2022, we hope to have at least one LBA Habitat for Humanity home," he says. "It is my hope the LBA will always have at least one Habitat for Humanity project going at any time."

Ultimately, Gladstein wants the LBA to fill a supporting role for future generations of lawyers in the Louisville area. While he admits that interest in voluntary professional organizations has decreased since the start of the pandemic, he's eager to start making significant changes to the LBA's strategy. "I am personally excited to start my journey as LBA President, as well as to help start plotting the organization's course for the foreseeable future."

CONTACT:

Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC

2000 Warrington Way #170A

Louisville, KY 40222

502-791-9000

gladsteinlawfirm.com

SOURCE Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC
DENVER, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gates Industrial Corporation plc (NYSE:GTES), a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions, today announced that the Company will participate in Citi's 2022 Global Industrials Conference in Miami, FL, on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. Ivo Jurek, Chief Executive Officer, will present at 4:20 p.m. Eastern time.

To listen to a live webcast of this presentation, please visit the Events & Presentations section of the Gates Investor Relations website at investors.gates.com, and click on the event webcast link.

About Gates Industrial Corporation plc

Gates is a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions. Gates offers a broad portfolio of products to diverse replacement channel customers, and to original equipment ("first-fit") manufacturers as specified components. Gates participates in many sectors of the industrial and consumer markets. Our products play essential roles in a diverse range of applications across a wide variety of end markets ranging from harsh and hazardous industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing and energy, to everyday consumer applications such as printers, power washers, automatic doors and vacuum cleaners and virtually every form of transportation. Our products are sold in 128 countries across our four commercial regions: the Americas; Europe, Middle East & Africa; Greater China; and East Asia & India.

SOURCE Gates Industrial Corporation plc
DUBLIN, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market (2021-2026) by Ingredient, Synthesis Type, Molecule Type, Product Type, Manufacturing Type, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market is estimated to be USD 199.25 Bn in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 271.97 Bn by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.42%.



Key factors such as the increasing incidence of chronic diseases with a rising geriatric population have significantly increased the Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) market. Similarly, the growing dependence on API formulation in developing nations with lower costs and the rising investments of the pharmaceutical companies in API drugs also benefit market growth. Moreover, the advancements in API manufacturing with improvements in the API synthesis process and the evolving biosimilars market is expected to create opportunities in the Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market.



However, the price control policies and high costs of manufacturing API drugs are restraining the market's growth.



The Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market is segmented based on Ingredient, Synthesis Type, Molecule Type, Product Type, Manufacturing Type, And Geography.



Company Profiles

Some of the companies covered in this report are Cipla, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Albemarle Corporation, Pfizer Inc, Novartis, Sanofi, Abbvie, Aurobindo Pharma, Viatris Inc., etc.



Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes a Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using IGR Positioning Quadrants, Infogence's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Report Highlights:

A complete analysis of the market, including parent industry

Important market dynamics and trends

Market segmentation

Historical, current, and projected size of the market based on value and volume

Market shares and strategies of key players

Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary

4 Market Influencers

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Increasing Incidence of Diseases

4.1.2 Growing Baby Boomers and Millennials Medical Expenditure

4.1.3 Growing Demand of API Formulation and Generics in Developing Countries

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Manufacturing Costs

4.2.2 Regulatory Policies and Unfavourable Drug Price Control Policies

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Companies Investemnt in Development of New Drugs and Precision Medicine

4.3.2 Growth In The Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs)

4.3.3 Emergence Of Biosimilars Market

4.3.4 Growing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Adoption for Drug Discovery

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Drug Price Control Policies Across Various Countries



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.2 Impact of COVID-19

5.3 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market, By Ingredient Type

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Branded Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

6.3 Generic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients



7 Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market, By Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Synthetic

7.3 Biotech

7.3.1 Monoclonal Antibodies

7.3.2 Hormones & Growth Factors

7.3.3 Recombinant Vaccines

7.3.4 Therapeutic Enzymes

7.3.5 Others



8 Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market, By Molecule Type

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Small Molecule

8.3 Large Molecule



9 Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market, By Potency Type

9.1 Introduction

9.2 High Potent APIs

9.3 Low Potent APIs



10 Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market, By Manufacturer Type

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Captive API

10.3 Merchant API



11 Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market, By Geography

12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Competitive Quadrant

12.2 Market Share Analysis

12.3 Strategic Initiatives

12.3.1 M&A and Investments

12.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

12.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



13 Company Profiles

13.1 AbbVie, Inc.

13.2 Albemarle Corporation

13.3 AstraZeneca plc

13.4 Aurobindo Pharma Limited

13.5 Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH

13.6 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

13.7 Cipla, Inc.

13.8 Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd

13.9 Eli Lilly and Company

13.10 Glaxosmithkline Plc

13.11 Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

13.12 Merck & Co., Inc.

13.13 Novartis Ag

13.14 Pfizer, Inc.

13.15 Roche Holding AG

13.16 Sanofi

13.17 Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

13.18 Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

13.19 Teva Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

13.20 Viatris Inc

13.21 Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd



14 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1nwoge

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
ADDISON, Ill., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Huskie Tools, LLC (HUSKIETOOLS.COM), located just outside of Chicago, Illinois has built their 45-year reputation on designing and manufacturing the highest quality and safest battery-powered, hydraulic utility linemen tools in the industry. Today, Huskie Tools announces the introduction of the new streamline SLC lineup, the next evolution in precision cutting and crimping tools.

Huskie Tools New SLC Series

SLC BY HUSKIE TOOLS  AN EVOLUTION IN BATTERY POWERED HYDRAULIC CUTTING & COMPRESSION TOOLS FOR UTILITY LINEMEN

"At Huskie Tools, it is our mission to build and deliver the industry's most innovative tools that meet the demands of linemen. We know they work in tough conditions  overhead through storms and underground in the dark. We took those difficulties into account when developing the new SLC line. Compact and ergonomic with an industry-only selectable 360 LED light ring, the new compact SLC tools will weather the storms with maximum reliability, durability and safety," stated Nicholas Skrobot, CEO, Huskie Tools.

YOUR JOB IS TOUGH  YOUR TOOL CHOICE IS EASY

Huskie Tools' focus for over 45 years has been developing and building the best-performing, most durable, dependable, and safest line of cutting and compression tools for linemen in the utility industry. "We have the experience, knowledge, and resources to engineer the best and safest hydraulic tools in the industry. I'm proud to be part of such a talented product team launching the SLC line. This line has incredible new features such as the 18V brushless motor to provide longer life, an electronic switch for maximum reliability, durability and ease of use, plus an industry first -- our 360 LED light ring for working in dark areas and EVS jaws with improved performance and longer life. This is the reason we are the #1 choice of experienced linemen," explained Dan Voss, Product Development Director and 30-year Huskie Tools veteran.

FIRST TO INTRODUCE BATTERY-POWERED TOOLS

Huskie Tools introduced the industry's first line of battery-powered hydraulic cutting and compression tools in 1989, and today offer over 190 battery-powered tools on three leading battery platforms: Makita, Huskie Tools, and Milwaukee. We also have a full line of manual tools, presses, dies, and pole pullers -- no one in the industry has a deeper, wider utility industry product solution offering than Huskie Tools. We know what it's like to use our tools in a driving rainstorm with thousands of families depending on you to restore their power. Or to have to twist and contort your body just to access an underground area that needs repair. That's why we continue to offer battery-operated hydraulic tools, such as SLC, that are among the fastest, and most ergonomically designed and balanced on the market today," stated Charlie Kelly, VP, Sales.

ABOUT HUSKIE TOOLS, LLC

Born in Chicago over 45 years ago, Huskie Tools is a full-service company and proven leader in providing utility industry linemen a complete range of product solutions including battery-powered cutting and compression tools, presses, pumps, dies, manual tools and the TiiGER pole puller for all distribution, substation, transmission, overhead and underground utility projects.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: HUSKIETOOLS.COM

Dan Voss, Engineering, Product Development Director, [email protected], 630-485-2253

Greg Holmes, Brand Manager, [email protected], 630-485-2270

*NOTE: Huskie Tools is not affiliated with, authorized, or endorsed by Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. Milwaukee listed batteries and chargers are being re-sold by Huskie Tools. Milwaukee M18 REDLITHIUM are registered trademarks of Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. Huskie Tools is not affiliated with, authorized, or endorsed by Makita Corporation. Makita listed batteries and chargers are being re-sold by Huskie Tools. Makita and LXT are registered trademarks of Makita Corporation.

SOURCE Huskie Tools
DUBLIN, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "HVAC Filters Market by Material (Fiberglass, Synthetic Polymer, Carbon, Metal), Technology (HEPA, Electrostatic Precipitator, Activated Carbon), End-use Industry (Building & Construction, Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage) & Region - Global Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global HVAC filters market is estimated to be USD 3.5 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 4.5 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2021 to 2026.

The driving factor for the HVAC filters market is increasing demand for HVAC systems, growing awareness about indoor air quality, and government regulations and policies for efficient filtration. Further, increasing investments in the construction sector and technological advancements in HVAC filters are expected to offer significant growth opportunities to manufacturers.



Synthetic polymer is expected to be the fastest-growing material segment in the HVAC filters market during the forecast period.

Synthetic polymers are used for efficient filtration in residential and industrial HVAC systems. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyester, poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethylene, and polypropylene are used for the manufacturing of filter materials. The filtration of air in a synthetic polymer material occurs on its surface, whereas in fiberglass, the filtration happens within the filters. This property makes synthetic polymers suitable for application in industries such as pharmaceutical, food & beverage, automotive, and electronics & semiconductor. Synthetic polymer filter materials are available in the form of pleats or stretched films, which are either made from spun-bond or melt-blown manufacturing processes.

The pleats increase the surface area and make the filters more efficient at capturing airborne particles in the HVAC systems. Pleated synthetic polymer air filters, with a rating of 7-13, can provide more efficiency as compared to high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters but at a lower cost. Due to their durability, these filters can be washed and reused. Pleated synthetic polymer air filters are abundantly available, have lesser airflow resistance compared to HEPA filters, and support the silent operation of the blower fan of the HVAC system.



HEPA segment is expected to be the largest technology in the HVAC filters market during the forecast period.

HEPA technology consists of a filter that forces air through a thin mesh, which traps harmful particles such as pollens, molds, pet dander, bacteria, and dust mite debris to prevent them from entering the ambient environment. According to the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), to meet the HEPA standard, a filter must trap 99.97% dust particles that are 0.3 microns or larger in size.

HEPA filters have diverse application areas, including residential buildings, pharmaceutical production, food & beverages, and clean rooms in the electronics & semiconductor industry, among others. In the pharmaceutical industry, HEPA filters are installed in the production spaces, which are required to be free from contaminants. These filters also protect patients from infection and employees and visitors from airborne organisms. The only disadvantage of the HEPA filter technology is that it generates a barrier for smooth airflow, which may result in the failure or low performance of HVAC systems.



APAC is the largest market for HVAC filters

APAC accounted for the largest share of the HVAC filters market in 2020. Improved economic conditions of developing countries and rising global warming have contributed to the growth of the HVAC filters market in the region.



The HVAC filters market in APAC has been segmented into China, Japan, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, and the Rest of APAC. China is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period, owing to the growing commercial building construction in the country. On the other hand, the market in India is projected to register the highest growth rate owing to rapid urbanization & industrialization, growing disposable incomes, and increasing building and construction activities in the country.



In APAC, several associations, including the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE), Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air-conditioning and Heating (AIRAH), Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association of Australia (AMCA), Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association (JRAIA), and Air Conditioning Engineering Association of Thailand (ACAT), support the adoption of efficient HVAC systems. This support drives the market for HVAC filters in the region.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Opportunities in HVAC Filters Market

4.2 HVAC Filters Market, by Material

4.3 HVAC Filters Market, by Technology

4.4 HVAC Filters Market, by End-Use Industry

4.5 HVAC Filters Market, by Region

4.6 HVAC Filters Market: Major Countries

5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Increasing Demand for HVAC Systems

5.2.1.2 Growing Awareness About Indoor Air Quality

5.2.1.3 Government Regulations and Policies for Efficient Filtration

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 Rising Environmental Concerns

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Increasing Investments in Construction Sector

5.2.3.2 Technological Advancement in HVAC Filters

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 Higher Cost and Maintenance of Efficient HVAC Filters

5.3 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3.1 Threat of New Entrants

5.3.2 Threat of Substitutes

5.3.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

5.3.4 Bargaining Power of Buyers

5.3.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry

5.4 Environmental Factors

5.5 COVID-19 Impact on HVAC Filters Market

5.5.1 Impact of COVID-19 on HVAC Industry

5.5.1.1 Impact of COVID-19 on Building & Construction Industry

5.5.1.2 Impact of COVID-19 on Pharmaceutical Industry

5.5.1.3 Impact of COVID-19 on Food & Beverage Industry

5.5.1.4 Impact of COVID-19 on Automotive Industry

5.5.1.5 Impact of COVID-19 on Various Countries

6 HVAC Filters Market, by System

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Heat Pumps

6.3 Rooftop Units

6.4 Geothermal Heat Pumps

6.5 Packaged Air Conditioners

6.6 Split System HVAC

6.7 Ductless Systems

6.8 Hybrid HVAC Systems

7 HVAC Filters Market, by Material

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Synthetic Polymer

7.2.1 High Efficiency, Washability, and Longevity to Increase Uses

7.3 Fiberglass

7.3.1 Low Cost, Dimensional Stability, Design Flexibility, and Excellent Electrical Properties to Increase Demand

7.4 Carbon

7.4.1 Ability to Absorb Odors and Gases to Fuel the Demand

7.5 Metal

7.5.1 Easy Cleaning and Reusability Make It Suitable for HVAC Systems

8 HVAC Filters Market, by Technology

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Hepa

8.2.1 Rising Demand for Highly Efficient HVAC Filters in Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage, and Semiconductor Industries

8.3 Electrostatic Precipitator

8.3.1 Low-Pressure Drop and Washable Properties to Drive Demand

8.4 Activated Carbon

8.4.1 Increasing Demand for Odor, Gas, and Toxic Fumes Control Filters

8.5 Others

9 HVAC Filters Market, by End-Use Industry

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Building & Construction

9.2.1 Increasing Demand for Green Buildings and Awareness About Indoor Air Quality

9.3 Pharmaceutical

9.3.1 Increase in Demand for High-Efficiency Filters for Critical Manufacturing Processes

9.4 Food & Beverage

9.4.1 Increase in Demand for Improved Air Quality in Food Processing Plants

9.5 Automotive

9.5.1 Increase in Vehicular Traffic and Air Pollution

9.6 Others

10 HVAC Filters Market, by Region

11 Competitive Landscape

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Competitive Leadership Mapping

11.2.1 Star

11.2.2 Emerging Leaders

11.2.3 Pervasive

11.2.4 Emerging Companies

11.3 Strength of Product Portfolio

11.4 Business Strategy Excellence

11.5 Market Share of Key Players in HVAC Filters Market, 2020

12 Company Profiles

12.1 3M Company

12.2 Parker-Hannifin Corporation

12.3 Camfil Ab

12.4 Mann+Hummel

12.5 American Air Filter Company, Inc.

12.6 Donaldson Company, Inc.

12.7 Ahlstrom-Munksjo

12.8 Filtration Group Corporation

12.9 Freudenberg Group

12.10 Sogefi Group

12.11 Gvs Group

12.12 Spectrum Filtration Pvt. Ltd.

12.13 Emirates Industrial Filters LLC

12.14 Koch Filter

12.15 Sandler Ag

12.16 Troy Filters Ltd.

12.17 Dha Filter

12.18 General Filter Havak

12.19 Johns Manville

12.20 Hollingsworth & Vose

12.21 Other Players

12.21.1 Air Filters, Inc.

12.21.2 Tex-Air Filters

12.21.3 A-J Manufacturing

12.21.4 Filt Air Ltd.

12.21.5 Airsan Corporation

13 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i5iyot

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Content Management Market (2021-2026) by Component, Organization Size, Deployment Type, Industrial Verticals, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Content Management Market is estimated to be USD 29.6 Bn in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 54.0 Bn by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 12.8%.



The factors driving the market's growth are rising demand for proper content management to improve operations and increase firms' investment in big data analytics. The increasing industrialization and active initiation of government in increasing digitalization are fuelling the market growth. In addition, the growing focus on securing essential data and protection against data loss has further escalated the market growth. However, the risk of a data breach, limited skilled professionals, and the need for frequent updating of software is anticipated to hamper the market growth.



The content management market is anticipated to show opportunities with increased foreign investment in emerging countries and raise awareness of cloud analytics.



The Global Content Management Market is segmented based on Component, Organization Size, Deployment Type, Industrial Verticals, and Geography.



Company Profiles

Some of the companies covered in this report are Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Xerox, OpenText, Veeva, etc.



Countries Studied

America ( Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Mexico , Peru , United States , Rest of Americas)

, , , , , , , , Rest of Americas) Europe ( Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Norway , Poland , Russia , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , United Kingdom , Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Rest of ) Middle-East and Africa ( Egypt , Israel , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , United Arab Emirates , Rest of MEA)

and ( , , , , , , Rest of MEA) Asia-Pacific ( Australia , Bangladesh , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , Singapore , South Korea , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Taiwan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Competitive Quadrant

The report includes a Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Content Management Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using IGR Positioning Quadrants, Infogence's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Report Highlights:

A complete analysis of the market, including parent industry

Important market dynamics and trends

Market segmentation

Historical, current, and projected size of the market based on value and volume

Market shares and strategies of key players

Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Market Influencers

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Increasing Investment in Big Data Analytics by Firms

4.1.2 Better Backup and Disaster Recovery

4.1.3 Rising Concern for Securing Critical Data and Protection against Data Loss

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 Security Threat

4.2.2 Stringent Government Rules and Regulations

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Adoption of Robotic Process Automation

4.3.2 Growing Acceptance of Cloud Analytics and AI

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Issues with Integration and Implementation with Current Applications

4.4.2 Lack of Technical Skilled Workforce



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.2 Impact of COVID-19

5.3 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Content Management Market, By Component

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Solutions

6.2.1 Document Management

6.2.2 Case Management

6.2.3 Record Management

6.2.4 Imaging and Capturing

6.2.5 Web and Mobile Content Management

6.2.6 Digital Asset Management

6.2.7 Ediscovery

6.3 Service

6.3.1 Training and Consulting

6.3.2 Support and Maintenance

6.3.3 Deployment and Integration



7 Global Content Management Market, By Organization Size

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Large Size

7.3 Small and Medium Size



8 Global Content Management Market, By Deployment Type

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Cloud

8.3 On-Premises



9 Global Content Management Market, By Industry Verticals

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)

9.3 Energy and Utilities

9.4 Government and Defense

9.5 Healthcare

9.6 IT & Telecom

9.7 Manufacturing

9.8 Others



10 Global Content Management Market, By Geography



11 Competitive Landscape

11.1 Competitive Quadrant

11.2 Market Share Analysis

11.3 Strategic Initiatives

11.3.1 M&A and Investments

11.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

11.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



12 Company Profiles

12.1 Acquia

12.2 Adobe

12.3 Alfresco Software

12.4 Ascend Software

12.5 Atlassian Corporation

12.6 Box

12.7 Capgemini

12.8 Datamatics Global Services

12.9 DocuWare

12.10 Epicor Software

12.11 EVER TEAM SAS

12.12 Fabasoft

12.13 Hewlett Packard Enterprise

12.14 Hyland Software

12.15 IBM

12.16 Laserfiche

12.17 M-Files

12.18 Microsoft

12.19 Newgen Software Technologies

12.20 Nuxeo

12.21 OpenText

12.22 Oracle

12.23 SAP

12.24 Veeva Systems

12.25 Xerox



13 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/c94yfa

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) System Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market reached a value of US$ 7.36 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 10.09 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.6% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, they are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor



An uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system is an emergency power backup solution used in case of power failures. It has a short on-battery run-time, which is sufficient for securely shutting down active equipment and devices, such as computers, data centers and television systems. Some of the commonly available UPS systems include voltage and frequency independent (VFI), voltage-independent (VI) and voltage-dependent (VD) systems. They consist of flywheels, batteries and supercapacitors to store the power. In comparison to the traditionally used systems, UPS systems are silent, provide immediate protection against input power interruptions and consistent standby power supply to prevent operational disruption and data loss. As a result, UPS systems are widely used in healthcare centers, electric point of sales (PoS) terminals and telecommunication centers



The increasing demand for reliable power solutions across industries is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market. UPS systems are widely used for providing uninterrupted power supply to manage large-scale manufacturing facilities and prevent power shortages. Moreover, the widespread adoption of UPS systems across residential and commercial complexes is providing a thrust to the market growth. They aid in protecting smart electronic devices against voltage fluctuations and sudden power outages that can damage the sensitive components of the devices.

In line with this, the rising demand for zero power downtime to effectively run information technology (IT) operations is also contributing to the growth of the market. Additionally, various product innovations, such as the integration of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries with high operating temperatures, are acting as other growth-inducing factors. In comparison to the traditionally used valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries, these novel variants have longer operational cycles and higher efficiency. Other factors, including the increasing requirement for factory automation, along with significant growth in the electronics and telecommunication industries, are anticipated to drive the market toward growth

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being ABB Ltd., AEG Power Solutions B.V. (3W Power S.A.), CyberPower Systems Inc., Delta Electronics Inc., Eaton Corporation, Emerson Electric Co., Hitachi Hi-Rel Power Electronics Private Limited (Hitachi Ltd.), Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Legrand, Microtek International Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Shenzhen SORO Electronics Co. Ltd., Socomec and Toshiba Corporation



Key Question Answered in this Report

1. What was the size of the global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market in 2021?

2. What is the expected growth rate of the global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market during 2022-2027?

3. What are the key factors driving the global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market?

4. What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market?

5. What is the breakup of the global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market based on the type?

6. What is the breakup of the global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market based on the rating?

7. What is the breakup of the global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market based on the end-user?

8. What are the key regions in the global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market?

9. Who are the key players/companies in the global uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system market?



Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) System Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Type

6.1 Online

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Offline

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Line Interactive

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Rating

7.1 <_kva_br />7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 5-<_0 />7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 50-200 KVA

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 >200 KVA

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End User

8.1 Residential

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Industrial

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Commercial

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 ABB Ltd.

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 AEG Power Solutions B.V. (3W Power S.A.)

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3 CyberPower Systems Inc.

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3.3 Financials

14.3.4 Delta Electronics Inc.

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 Eaton Corporation

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 Emerson Electric Co.

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6.3 Financials

14.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.7 Hitachi Hi-Rel Power Electronics Private Limited (Hitachi Ltd.)

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8 Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.9 Legrand

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9.3 Financials

14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.10 Microtek International Inc.

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10.3 Financials

14.3.11 Schneider Electric SE

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11.3 Financials

14.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.12 Shenzhen SORO Electronics Co. Ltd.

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.13 Socomec

14.3.13.1 Company Overview

14.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.13.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.14 Toshiba Corporation

14.3.14.1 Company Overview

14.3.14.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.14.3 Financials

14.3.14.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1dax3l

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
TUNIS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the Tunisian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that its embassy in Moscow of Russia has been in contact with the Tunisian community in Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian authorities have assured that the situation in the country is normal and not worrying for the Tunisian community, in particular the students who continue their classes normally," the ministry said in a statement, adding that flights to and from Ukraine continue as usual.

According to the statement, "no significant difficulties have been recorded regarding the situation of our community in Ukraine."

"The ministry calls on all our citizens currently in this country (Ukraine) to communicate with our embassy in Moscow in order to update their data and report any difficulties they may encounter, in anticipation of any developments that may arise in the near future," it added. 
Important regulatory hurdle achieved in preparation for certification and commercialization of walkthrough detection system for concealed weapons and threats

WILMINGTON, Mass. and WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Liberty Defense Holdings Ltd. ("Liberty" or the "Company") (TSXV: SCAN) (OTCQB: LDDFF) (FRANKFURT: LD2), a leading technology provider of threat detection solutions for concealed weapons and threats, is pleased to announce that earlier this month the Company was the recipient of an order issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) addressing the rules governing the HEXWAVE system, clearing the path for final certification and commercialization.

HEXWAVE uses low-power radar imaging and artificial intelligence to detect all types of concealed weapons for high throughput, walkthrough people screening that responds to evolving threats and the need for socially distanced contactless security. It can be used as part of a layered defense strategy at indoor and outdoor locations so that threats can be detected early, at the perimeter of the property or at checkpoints, without compromising patron or passenger experience.

"This is a significant achievement and is the culmination of a process started over two years ago," says Liberty President & CTO Michael Lanzaro. "We see this action as further validation of our threat screening technology. As we transition into our build of beta systems and subsequent trials, we can do so with the confidence of having a robust platform that meets the screening performance and regulatory requirements customers expect and demand."

The FCC order includes, in part, the following language, "By this Order, we grant a request by Liberty Defense Holdings, Ltd. d/b/a Liberty Defense Technologies (Liberty), for a waiver of our rules governing unlicensed ultra-wideband (UWB) devices to permit the certification and marketing of its threat detection imaging system. We find that opening a path for the sale and operation of this equipment will allow this system to be deployed to protect Americans against threats in public venues and other high-traffic areas, in furtherance of the public interest, and that operation of this device under the specified waiver conditions poses no greater risk of causing harmful interference to communication services than those devices already permitted under the existing rules." And further, "HEXWAVE devices can provide protection and safety to the American public by passively detecting weapons and other threats in public venues. Thus, we find that the waiver standard has been met."

On Behalf of Liberty Defense

Bill Frain

CEO & Director

About Liberty Defense

Liberty Defense (TSXV: SCAN, OTCQB: LDDFF, FRANKFURT: LD2) provides multi-technology security solutions for concealed weapons detection in high volume foot traffic areas and locations requiring enhanced security such as airports, stadiums, schools, and more. Liberty's HEXWAVE product, for which the company has secured an exclusive license from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as a technology transfer agreement for patents related to active 3D radar imaging technology, provides discrete, modular, and scalable protection to provide layered, stand-off detection capability of metallic and non-metallic weapons. Liberty has also recently licensed the millimeter wave-based, High-Definition Advanced Imaging Technology (HD-AIT) body scanner and shoe scanner technologies as part of its technology portfolio. Liberty is committed to protecting communities and preserving peace of mind through superior security detection solutions. Learn more: LibertyDefense.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although Liberty believes, in light of the experience of their respective officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and information in this press release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the parties can give no assurance that such statements will prove to be correct. Such statements and information reflect the current view of Liberty. There are risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause Liberty's actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others: currency fluctuations; limited business history of the parties; disruptions or changes in the credit or security markets; results of operation activities and development of projects; project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; and general development, market and industry conditions. The parties undertake no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of their securities or their respective financial or operating results (as applicable).

Liberty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Liberty's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Liberty has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of Liberty as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Liberty does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

SOURCE Liberty Defense Holdings Ltd.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the March 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT), Mark Dresser, PhD, will accept the gavel as President, the first openly LGBTQ+ President in the Society's 122-year history. Dresser, who has been an active member of ASCPT since 2010, is Senior Vice President, Biomarker Sciences and Clinical Pharmacology, at Gilead Sciences, Inc. in Foster City, CA, Adjunct Professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), and an advocate for LGBTQ+ equality in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

"As President of the Society, I know Mark will bring his vision, energy, and enthusiasm to ASCPT's strategic plan, enhancing the value proposition for members of the Society," said Sharon Swan, FASAE, CEO of ASCPT.

In the course of his time with ASCPT, Dresser has served on the Board of Directors and as an Associate Editor for Clinical and Translational Science. He is also past Chair of the Scientific Program Committee and the Scientific Awards Nomination Task Force. Before entering the biotech industry, Dresser completed his education and training at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and UCSF. In 2019, Dresser received the UCSF Graduate Division Alumnus of the Year Award for his contributions to science and medicine.

"It is a tremendous honor to serve as President of ASCPT," Dresser said. "Volunteering and being part of ASCPT has been a highlight of my career. I look forward to working with students and trainees, scientists, physicians, regulatory professionals, educators, patients and their advocates, and our partners to advance the science and practice of clinical pharmacology and translational medicine for the therapeutic benefit of patients and society. I am especially excited about expanding our efforts in emerging areas of translational science, such as model-informed precision dosing and translational informatics, increasing our partnerships with patient groups, and promoting diversity and inclusion in science."

At Gilead Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, Dresser oversees R&D efforts spanning biomarkers, diagnostics, clinical translational science, clinical pharmacology, pharmacometrics, and clinical bioanalysis. He has also served as Global Development Leader for Gilead's Second Generation Remdesivir program.

While very much a private person, Dresser chose to come out in 2008, following his marriage to his husband, J.C. Thomas. He felt a responsibility to share his experiences visibly and openly to further inclusion within the scientific community. Dresser believes that once individuals are empowered to bring their authentic selves into all aspects of their lives, they can lead more comfortable and productive lives, in and out of the office.

"Mark leads with the utmost compassion and curiosity. Not only is he an exceptional scientist, he has a long-standing passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion," said Issam Zineh, MPH, PharmD, outgoing ASCPT President and Director for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Clinical Pharmacology. "I am thrilled to see him lead ASCPT during this uniquely exciting and challenging time."

ASCPT is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and Dresser's presidency is one of many actions the Society will carry forward in the years to come. You can read the Society's full Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement here. The leadership, members, and staff of ASCPT consider their ultimate goal the advancement of clinical pharmacology, translational science, and therapeutics for the benefit of ALL patients and society.

Contact:

Sharon J. Swan, FASAE, CAE

703-836-6981, x 100

[email protected]

SOURCE American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
COLUMBIA, Md., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Maxim Healthcare Group, a national provider of home health care, staffing and workforce solutions, today announced it has separated its two business units into independently operated companies  Maxim Healthcare Services and Maxim Healthcare Staffing  and will retire the umbrella Maxim Healthcare Group brand. The move allows each to build on existing growth, expand services and better serve its health care customers.

The change, which became effective in early January, provides an enhanced infrastructure within each company to meet the country's evolving health care needs. Bill Butz, longstanding Maxim leader, will serve as President of the staffing company Maxim Healthcare Staffing, while Jarrod DePriest, former Senior Vice President of Operations, has been appointed President of Maxim Healthcare Services, a home health provider.

Maxim was founded more than 30 years ago in response to a national nursing shortage and continues to work diligently to solve staffing challenges for patients and customers. Throughout, its mission remained to deliver quality compassionate care in the home and fill critical staffing needs.

"Rapid changes in health care are challenging our industry to seek new, better ways to deliver care," said Butz. "Separating our business units into independently operated companies is an important milestone in our company's growth, allowing each to strengthen with the focus and scale necessary to fuel innovation for our patients, customers and health care professionals."

Maxim Healthcare Staffing provides health care staffing and workforce solutions for hospitals, schools, government programs, correction facilities and managed care organizations. The company is passionate about connecting people to the work that matters, while also filling critical staffing needs so that patients don't go without care.

Maxim Healthcare Services delivers patient care through private duty nursing, at-home behavioral health care and personal caregiving services. While the company specializes in caring for medically-fragile pediatric patients, it is expanding its focus on Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy and companion care services, as well as launching technology to enable its nurses to document notes electronically.

DePriest, a 24-year company veteran, states, "Our nurses and caregivers enhance the quality of life within our communities each and every day. We strive to set the standard for delivery of home and community-based services, and are thrilled about our ability to expand our services to even more individuals who need care. "

About Maxim Healthcare Services and Maxim Healthcare Staffing

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Maxim Healthcare was founded in 1988 in response to a national nursing shortage.

Maxim Healthcare Services provides home health care, companion and behavioral care and is dedicated to serving communities across the country with compassionate care and clinical excellence. For more information, visit www.maximhealthcare.com.

Maxim Healthcare Staffing provides health care staffing and workforce solutions to customers, and provides meaningful career opportunities for medical professionals nationwide. For more information, visit www.maximstaffing.com.

CONTACT: Laura Elkins, [email protected]

SOURCE Maxim Healthcare Services, Inc.
Metal Fabrication Equipment Market - Scope

The metal fabrication equipment market in Germany covers the following areas:

Metal Fabrication Equipment Market - Driver & Challenges

The key factor driving growth in the metal fabrication equipment market is the expansion of the aviation and automobile sectors. Germany's machinery and equipment business has the best engineering and technical personnel productivity. In terms of German machinery and equipment firms, employment, corporate income, people productivity, output, and exports, the German economy ranks among the top economies in the world. Continuous technological improvements and expansion in the automotive and aviation industries drive overall market growth. Several governments' implementation of beneficial measures throughout the country is expected to increase demand for machine tools, consequently expanding the metal fabrication equipment market. The trend of manufacturing sectors relocating to emerging nations increases the demand for metal fabrication equipment in the manufacturing industry. Because of rising industrialization, Germany's metal fabrication equipment market is expected to expand at a rapid pace.

However, the shortage of skilled workers will be a major challenge for the metal fabrication equipment market during the forecast period. Germany, Europe's industrial superpower, is now battling to restart its manufacturing sector following the COVID shock. Detlef Scheele, chairman of the Federal Labor Agency, has stated that Germany needs to recruit 400,000 qualified immigrants each year to meet demand in all areas, including industry. According to Scheele, the country will have 150,000 fewer working-age inhabitants this year alone. In addition, the number of foreign nationals residing in Germany climbed by 204,000 last year, the smallest growth in the previous ten years. This is acting as a major challenge for the market in focus and will promote slow growth to the market in focus.

To know more about the drivers, challenges & trends - Download a free sample now!

Metal Fabrication Equipment Market in Germany Value Chain Analysis

The end-to-end understanding of the value chains is essential in profit margin optimization and evaluation of business strategies. The data available in our value chain analysis segment can help vendors drive costs and enhance customer services during the forecast period. The value chain of the Metal Fabrication Equipment Market in Germany includes the following core components:

Inputs

Inbound logistics

Operations

Outbound logistics

Marketing and sales

Aftermarket and service

Innovation

The report has further elucidated on other innovative approaches being followed by manufacturers to ensure a sustainable market presence. - To know more - Click now!

Metal Fabrication Equipment Market in Germany - Segmentation

Technavio analyzes the Metal Fabrication Equipment Market in Germany by End-user (automotive, aerospace, construction, and others) and Type (machining, cutting, welding, and others). Technavio report presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters.

Companies Mentioned

The metal fabrication equipment market in Germany is fragmented and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market.

AMADA Co. Ltd.

Atlas Copco AB

BTD Manufacturing

Bystronic Laser AG

Colfax Corp.

DMG MORI Co. Ltd.

Guangzhou Komaspec Mechanical and Electrical Products Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Hypertherm Inc.

Jet Edge Inc.

Mayville Engineering Co. Inc.

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Metal Stamping Market -The metal stamping market has the potential to grow by USD 25.62 billion during 2021-2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 3.54%. Download a free sample now!

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Metal Fabrication Equipment Market In Germany Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 4.03% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 33.74 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 4.37 Regional analysis Germany Performing market contribution Germany at 100% Key consumer countries Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled AMADA Co. Ltd., Atlas Copco AB, BTD Manufacturing, Bystronic Laser AG, Colfax Corp., DMG MORI Co. Ltd., Guangzhou Komaspec Mechanical and Electrical Products Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Hypertherm Inc., Jet Edge Inc., and Mayville Engineering Co. Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2021

Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by End-user

Market segments

Comparison by End-user

Automotive - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Aerospace - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Construction - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by End-user

Market Segmentation by Type

Market segments

Comparison by Type

Machining - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Cutting - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Welding - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by Type

Customer landscape

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor Landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

AMADA Co. Ltd.

Atlas Copco AB

BTD Manufacturing

Bystronic Laser AG

Colfax Corp.

DMG MORI Co. Ltd.

Guangzhou Komaspec Mechanical and Electrical Products Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Hypertherm Inc.

Jet Edge Inc.

Mayville Engineering Co. Inc.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
LONDON, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), the largest bank in Bahrain, has won the "Best Corporate Banking Brand -Bahrain, 2021" and "Best Retail Banking Brand- Bahrain, 2021" for the year 2021. The felicitation ceremony will be held at the Palm Jumeirah  Waldorf Astoria in early 2022 in Dubai.

The Global Brand Awards is an annual event held by Global Brands Magazine (GBM), an international publication headquartered in the UK. The award aims to recognise global brands achieving excellence in performance across a broad range of sectors while keeping its readers updated on key trends surrounding the branding world. The National Bank of Bahrain was evaluated based on customer service , satisfaction, digital innovation, strategic relationships and new business development.

Commenting on NBB winning the awards, Jay Reddy (Head of Branding) of Global Brands magazine said, "The National Bank of Bahrain has continued to excel not only as a traditional consumer bank, but also as a modern pioneer, diversifying its focus to include its people, business and brand as it encompasses different aspects of the banking sector. We're particularly impressed with NBB's dynamic ability to evolve with both its retail and corporate customers, meeting both local and regional needs, and become one of the leading, most recognised banks in the region."

Commenting on winning the awards, Hisham Al Kurdi (Group Chief Executive of Corporate & Institutional Investment Banking) said, "On our transformational journey, we have adopted a ' client first' approach; we have developed our coverage model, products capabilities and digital channels all with our corporate clients' requirements at the center of our efforts. Today, NBB lives by its motto and is closer than ever to its clients. We are the bank of choice for our corporate clients, possessing the necessary products, skills and resources to assist them with large strategic projects as well as the day to day operation of their businesses. Over the past few years, NBB has significantly improved its offering on all fronts, from large public mandates and strategic projects, to digital channels to working capital and treasury solutions. As a result, NBB is now viewed as a solid banking partner capable of adding value to regional corporates and GREs."

Arif Janahi, Head of Commercial and SMEs at NBB added: "As a major component towards the structure of our organisation, NBB has remained dedicated to supporting and funding corporate and SMEs across the Kingdom. This year alone we welcomed hundreds of new clients and launched Tamweel Al Watani as a means to provide the necessary access for SMEs during these challenging times. We additionally worked hand in hand with local banks, the Central Bank of Bahrain and the Bahrain Chamber as part of the Kingdom's Liquidity Support Fund, launched in 2019, facilitating the Corporates' banking transactions and truly becoming closer to them. Being the national bank of choice, and as part of our r esponsibility towards realising Vision 2030 , it is our duty to strengthen the local economy as we bring this vision to fruition."

Subah Al Zayani, Chief Executive of Retail Banking at NBB stated: "Since our establishment, NBB has built a strong brand. In line with keeping our brand promise of enriching the lives of generations, we have introduced a number of customer-centric products and services with a long-term positive effect, such as Alwatani Savings Scheme, Mazaya and Joint Housing real estate loans, Solar Financing, among others. Furthermore, our state-of-the-art digital app provides accessibility to our numerous financial services while also enabling financial inclusion. We remain committed to our philosophy of keeping our customers at the forefront of our decisions, and this has resonated throughout the entire organisation and enhanced our performance as the national bank of choice."

About The National Bank of Bahrain

NBB has a consistent drive to deliver against its brand promise, pushing the bank to make more investments in humanising its customer interactions and bringing the voice of its customers into the organisation. These investments have ensured the bank remains solid, agile and susceptible to adapting to changes in the market dynamics while also mitigating any risks. Furthermore, NBB has embarked on a solid sustainability journey, gradually integrating material ESG considerations into its business transformation story, reflecting its core values as an institution.

About Global Brands Magazine (England)

Global Brands Magazine (GBM) has been at the forefront, bringing news, views and opinions on brands shaping the future of their industry. The UK-based magazine provides its readers with the latest news and information on 'best-in-class brands across the globe. Each year, GBM develops a series of awards for companies that stood out, having a unique vision, exceptional service, innovative solutions and consumer-centric products among their industry leaders.

About Global Brand Awards

Global Brand Awards honours brands for their excellence in performance and rewards companies across different sectors for the quality of their services. The Brand Awards highlight accomplishments of organisations that have performed remarkably well in finance, education, hospitality, automotive, lifestyle, education, real estate, technology and several more. Global Brand Awards recognise vital players who progress towards excellence by providing a platform to acknowledge their efforts. In addition, GBM strives to create awareness concerning the significance of such organisations and rewards them for their notable efforts with the ultimate global recognition.

Check out the links below for Social Media Shout outs:

Facebook: https://bit.ly/32XPcx0

Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3L6P67d

Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rlYqMU

Instagram: https://bit.ly/35Bm6Eq

SOURCE Global Brands Publications Limited
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Business Architecture Guild, an international community of business architecture practitioners and the MBA Roundtable, a global association of business schools advancing graduate management education through curricular and co-curricular innovation, today released an analysis of findings from a survey to examine how strategy execution is taught in graduate business education and provide recommendations into the future role of business architecture in both academia and strategy implementation. The summary of findings and formal analysis are available in their new whitepaper, "Strategy Execution: An Incomplete Component of Business Education?".

"Research shows that a vast majority of strategies fail to be fully executed. This issue is most often not the strategy, but poor execution," said Brian Cameron, Associate Dean, Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University. "We conducted this study to assess the state of strategy execution education in graduate business curriculums and suggest possible reasons why strategy execution remains elusive in so many organizations today."

In July 2021, the MBA Roundtable and Business Architecture Guild partnered to develop a survey of administrative leads of graduate programs from a broad cross section of colleges and universities. Key findings suggest that 1) strategy execution is often taught in a cursory manner in graduate business curriculums, (2) the incomplete picture we see in higher education could be contributing to the strategy execution gap so many organizations face, and 3) business architecture offers an ideal counterpart to strategy execution education and addresses a gap in graduate business curriculums.

"The need for business architecture is a critical, but often missing link between strategy and execution, "said Whynde Kuehn, Chair of the Business Architecture Guild's Academic Program, adding that "business architecture offers a needed complement to business curriculum that prepares business and IT leaders with the foundation and in-demand skills needed to execute strategic change."

The MBA Roundtable and Business Architecture Guild plan to develop future white papers and webinars that further explore the possibilities business architecture brings to graduate business education and best practices for teaching and integrating business architecture into graduate business courses and curriculums.

Brian Cameron will present the study and explore the role of business architecture for strategy execution at the Guild's Business Architecture Innovation Summit on March 22-24, 2022, in Reston, VA, which will be a hybrid event, delivered in-person and virtually. Registration is now available.

About MBA Roundtable

The MBA Roundtable is a global association of business schools whose mission is to advance graduate management education through curricular and co-curricular innovation  for more information, please visit: https://www.mbaroundtable.org/.

About the Business Architecture Guild

The Business Architecture Guild is an international, not-for-profit, member-based association that provides valuable resources to business architecture practitioners and others interested in the field. The Business Architecture Guild is the source for A Guide to the Business Architecture Body of Knowledge (BIZBOK Guide) and exclusive provider of the Certified Business Architect certification program.

SOURCE The Business Architecture Guild
DENVER, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- First-time Black and African American homebuyers in the Denver metro area can utilize up to $40,000 in down payment assistance through the newly created Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth. Since its soft launch in September 2021, the Dearfield Fund has provided down payment assistance to more than 40 homebuyers and plans to support another 500 homebuyers in the next five years.

Some of the most persistent racial inequalities in Colorado are not just gaps in income but gaps in wealth. Centuries of discrimination and exclusion have prevented Black families from acquiring and passing on wealth, and so the wealth gap between white and Black families with kids can be as large as 100 to 1. The most powerful tool to building and passing on wealth is homeownership.

"Despite the fact that many Black and African American families have the income and credit to qualify for a home mortgage, a great majority of qualified Black families do not buy a home because they lack the wealth needed for a down payment," said Mike Johnston, President and CEO of Gary Community Ventures, which launched the Dearfield Fund. "The Dearfield Fund represents a first-of-its-kind solution to make sure that Black families who are ready to buy a home can get the down payment support they need to build intergenerational wealth."

To be eligible, Black and African American first-time homebuyers must plan to buy in the Denver metro area and use their home as their primary residence; have a family income of roughly $140,000 or less per year; and receive a conventional mortgage loan through participating lenders. Colorado's largest locally owned bank, FirstBank, is the anchor mortgage lender for the program, given their growing commitment to racial equity and multicultural banking. The Dearfield Fund is also actively expanding partnerships with other mortgage lenders.

"FirstBank is committed to creating a more equitable, inclusive environment for all," said FirstBank CEO Jim Reuter. "Part of that commitment involves prioritizing communities in need of better access to financial resources. We know Black and African American families represent the least likely ethnic/racial group to own a home compared to their peers, and we know homeownership can change a family's financial trajectory for generations to come. The Dearfield Fund represents just one way we're aiming to close social and financial inequities among communities of color."

In addition to borrowers' personal down payment contribution of at least 3% of the home price, the Dearfield Fund provides up to $40,000 in down payment assistance. Upon selling or refinancing, buyers repay the down payment assistance plus 5% of the home's appreciation, mainly to cover the cost of operating the Dearfield Fund. The Dearfield Fund has partnered with Impact Development Fund, a non-profit community development financial institution with strong experience in similar programs to help service clients throughout this process.

Named after Dearfield, Colo.  a historic Black-owned town established in 1910  the Dearfield Fund extends the vision of town founder Oliver "O.T." Toussaint Jackson, who believed the key to Black and African American communities owning their future was unlocking the door to their own homes and property.

"Today, the median wealth for a white family is $170,000 compared to just $18,000 for a Black family," said Santhosh Ramdoss, Vice President of Impact Investing at Gary. "Addressing this racial wealth gap requires us to dismantle the structural inequities that have been imposed upon Black communities, especially when it comes to ownership and asset building. The Dearfield Fund is part of a movement to create restorative capital tools that can help Black families build wealth and achieve financial mobility"

To learn more about the Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth, including complete eligibility guidelines and a wealth calculator, visit dearfieldfund.com.

About Gary Community Ventures

Gary Community Ventures partners with our community to reshape the arc of opportunity for Colorado kids and families. We leverage business, policy and philanthropy to break down the biggest barriers to opportunity and co-create breakthrough solutions for those who need it most. As we listen with humility to our community, partners, and each other, we learn together to drive action that guarantees School Readiness, drives Youth Success, and stimulates Family Economic Mobility. Whether we're growing solutions that already exist, building solutions that don't yet exist or changing the policy landscape to expand opportunity to those who need it most, we dare to be bold, working urgently with our community and partners to deliver a future where all Colorado kids can grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

About FirstBank

FirstBank began providing banking services in 1963. Today, it's known as an industry leader in digital banking and has grown to be one of the largest privately held banks in the United States, maintaining more than $25 billion in assets and 110 branch locations across Colorado, Arizona and California. FirstBank offers a variety of consumer deposit accounts, home equity loans, mortgages, rental property loans and a full range of commercial banking services, including business financing, commercial real estate loans, treasury management and more. Since 2000, FirstBank has been recognized as a top corporate philanthropist, contributing nearly $75 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. The company is also unique in that a large portion of its stock is owned by management and employees, giving employees a financial stake in the bank's success through its Employee Stock Ownership Program. MEMBER FDIC.

SOURCE Gary Community Ventures
CLEVELAND, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- US demand for grain-based foods is forecast to grow 2.5% annually in nominal terms through 2025, according to Grain-Based Foods: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Suppliers are projected to benefit from population growth and disposable personal income gains. Value gains through the forecast period are expected to benefit from increasing consumer desire for premium foods made with fresh, healthy, or organic ingredients. Faster gains will be restrained by consumers recommencing eating out, shifting spending from retail channels to foodservice and restaurant channels. This shift will increase low-cost bulk sales of grain-based foods to restaurants and other foodservice operators, while sacrificing some higher-priced retail sales.

Grain-based food producers are expected to raise prices, supporting gains in value terms, due to increasing input costs. Grain prices spiked in 2021 due to lower-than-average harvests caused by bad weather and natural disasters. Grain inventories contribute to a lag between movement in raw and milled grain prices. This lag will contribute to high prices in 2022. However, prices are expected to decline toward historical rates through the rest of the forecast period, which will moderate value gains after 2022.

Demand for grain-based foods is expected to see a 4.0% increase in 2021 from 2020 levels. Sales gains will accelerate from 2020's 2.5% increases due to rising prices for various inputs and logistical snarls that have raised prices on many food items. In 2020, unprecedented shifts in food consumption were seen from foodservice to grocery stores, which generally fetch higher profits for manufacturers. Grain-based food producers also benefited as many of these products are consumed at home. Consumption will shift back toward foodservice as people return to out-of-home activities, which will curb faster gains to some extent, as food manufacturers receive lower earnings from their sales to foodservice and restaurants.

These and other key insights are featured in Grain-Based Foods: United States. This report forecasts to 2021 and 2025 US grain-based food demand and shipments in nominal US dollars at the manufacturer level. Demand and shipments are segmented by product in terms of:

bakery products

dough, dry pasta, and tortillas

frozen foods

salty snacks

breakfast cereals

cookies

crackers

other products, such as granola bars and perishable prepared foods

To illustrate historical trends, total demand, total production, the various segments, and trade are provided in annual series from 2010 to 2020.

Grain-based foods are based on flour derived from the processed seeds of grain crops (including corn), yielding starch-enriched flours for use in baking and other modes of food preparation. Flours derived from alternative sources such as fruits, vegetables, or nuts (e.g., almonds) are also included. The value of non-grain ingredients in grain-based food items (e.g., pizza toppings and sauce on frozen pizzas) is included.

This report includes the results of a proprietary national online consumer survey of US adults (age 18+). This Freedonia Focus Reports National Survey has a sample size of approximately 2,000, screened for response quality, and representative of the US population on the demographic measures of age, gender, geographic region, race/ethnicity, household income, and the presence/absence of children in the household.

Animal food is excluded from the scope of this report, as are non-grain snack foods such as potato chips. Re-exports of grain-based foods are excluded from demand and trade figures.

More information about the report is available at:

https://www.freedoniafocusreports.com/Grain-Based-Foods-United-States-FF10016/?progid=91541

About Freedonia Focus Reports

Each month, The Freedonia Group  a division of MarketResearch.com  publishes over 20 new or updated Freedonia Focus Reports, providing fresh, unbiased analysis on a wide variety of markets and industries. Published in 20-30 pages, Focus Report coverage ranges from raw materials to finished manufactured goods and related services such as freight and construction. Additional Consumer Goods reports can be purchased at Freedonia Focus Reports or MarketResearch.com.

Analysis is intended to guide the busy reader through pertinent topics in rapid succession, including:

total historical market size and industry output

segmentation by products and markets

identification of market drivers, constraints, and key indicators

segment-by-segment outlook in five-year forecasts

a survey of the supply base

suggested resources for further study

Press Contact:

Corinne Gangloff

+1 440.842.2400

[email protected]

SOURCE The Freedonia Group
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ProJenX, a New York City-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel, brain-penetrant therapies targeting biologically-defined pathways for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other debilitating brain diseases, launched today. A $5.1M seed financing was led by Medical Excellence Capital, which created ProJenX in collaboration with Project ALS, a leading nonprofit organization committed to ALS research, and with renowned researchers at Columbia University.

ProJenX will use proceeds from the financing to fund early clinical development of its lead asset, prosetin, for the treatment of ALS, expand its leadership team, and advance additional preclinical programs in its pipeline. Prosetin, an oral, brain-penetrant, MAP4 kinase (MAP4K) inhibitor targeting endoplasmic reticulum stress, is the first investigational drug developed in a collaboration between researchers at the Project ALS Therapeutics Corea drug discovery and development program led by researchers at Columbia's Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease and its Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Centerand researchers from the Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology, Biological Sciences, and Chemistry at Columbia University.

ProJenX will build on the efforts initiated by Columbia and Project ALS to advance prosetin through ALS clinical trials with urgency, humanity, and scientific rigor. The company is named in honor of Project ALS founder Jenifer Estess, who was diagnosed with ALS at age 35. Valerie Estess, Project ALS Co-Founder and Director of Research, and ProJenX Co-Founder and Board Director, commented, "Since 1998, Project ALS has led aggressive, collaborative research to unlock the mysteries of ALS and the brainthe body's most complex organ. We are immensely excited that ProJenX will take on the critical task of translating these hard-won discoveries to people with ALSbeginning with prosetin."

Erin Fleming, Co-Founder and Senior Director of Operations at ProJenX, said, "Prosetin was developed out of a decades-long collaboration between the labs of Hynek Wichterle and Brent R. Stockwell at Columbia University and Project ALS to build more predictive models of ALSand then use them to identify better treatments. We have seen promising effects of prosetin in a range of laboratory models and are hopeful for its potential to improve the lives of many people with ALS and other devastating neurological conditions."

ProJenX's seed financing was led by Medical Excellence Capital, LLC, an early-stage life sciences venture fund that combines a proprietary global network of leading physician-scientists with a team of experienced investment professionals, company builders, and operators. Eric Heil, ProJenX Interim CEO and Medical Excellence Capital Managing Partner, commented, "Medical Excellence is delighted to have played a central role in the formation of ProJenX. Patients with ALS desperately need new therapies. We believe that the patient-specific, cell-based discovery platform at the heart of ProJenX's approach is an exciting opportunity for the creation of transformative neuroscience medicines."

About Project ALS

Founded in 1998 by Jenifer Estess, her family and friends, Project ALS identifies and funds the most promising scientific and medical research that will lead to the first effective treatments and a cure for ALS. Project ALS recruits the world's best scientists and doctors to work togetherrationally and aggressivelyto develop a better understanding of the ALS disease process and, in parallel, better therapeutic strategies. To learn more about Project ALS, visit projectals.org.

About Medical Excellence Capital, LLC

Medical Excellence Capital is an early-stage life-science venture capital firm that combines accomplished investment professionals and operators with a proprietary national medical network platform to create the most unique venture firm in life sciences. MEC deploys precision capital to nurture and advance the precision health innovations that solve the biggest, most complex medical problems. MEC has extensive experience investing in areas such as drug discovery, artificial intelligence, cell and gene therapy, synthetic biology, regenerative medicine, and precision medicine. Visit www.medexcelcap.com for further information.

About ProJenX

ProJenX is a clinical stage biotechnology company with novel, brain-penetrant, targeted therapies to address untreatable brain diseases, with an initial focus on ALS. ProJenX was created out of a long-term research collaboration between Project ALS and researchers at Columbia University to rapidly develop and commercialize its lead therapy candidate, prosetin, for people with ALS. At the heart of ProJenX's approach is an innovative patient-specific cell-based drug discovery platform that can be leveraged for research and drug development for ALS and other untreatable brain diseases. For more information, visit projenx.com.

About The Project ALS Therapeutics Core at Columbia University

The Project ALS Therapeutics Core at Columbia aims to bring the first meaningful treatments for ALS from the lab bench to patients, rationally and efficiently. Under the scientific leadership of Drs. Serge Przedborski, Neil Shneider, and Hynek Wichterle, the Core integrates seven research groupsclinical research; lipidomics; gene therapy; antibody development; in vitro screening; in vivo evaluation; and in vivo electrophysiologyat Columbia's Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease and Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center that engage in a world-class, patient-focused approach to ALS therapy development.

SOURCE ProJenX
Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba attends his swearing-in ceremony in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Feb. 16, 2022. Damiba was sworn in as the new president of Burkina Faso on Wednesday. (Burkina Faso's Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)

OUAGADOUGOU, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was sworn in as the new president of Burkina Faso on Wednesday.

The swearing-in ceremony was broadcast live on Burkina Faso's public television RTB.

Damiba, head of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR), took his oath in front of the Constitutional Council to "preserve, respect, uphold and defend the Constitution, the fundamental act and the laws."

Interim President of the Constitutional Council Boureima Cisse said that Damiba will exercise his functions as president of Burkina Faso for the duration which will be fixed by the Transition Charter.

A commission of 15 members was set up on Feb. 9 to draw up the Charter for a period of two weeks.

The Constitutional Council also asked Damiba to intensify the fight against terrorism and to work to preserve citizens' freedom of expression.

On Jan. 24, the military announced that they had put an end to the functions of then President Roch Marc Christian Kabore and that the MPSR took power from the civilian government.. 

Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba attends his swearing-in ceremony in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Feb. 16, 2022. Damiba was sworn in as the new president of Burkina Faso on Wednesday. (Burkina Faso's Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)

Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba attends his swearing-in ceremony in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Feb. 16, 2022. Damiba was sworn in as the new president of Burkina Faso on Wednesday. (Burkina Faso's Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)
DDB Chicago CEO Andrea Diquez said, "We felt amazing chemistry from the moment we met the Reynolds and Hefty teams to the final meeting. And most importantly, our values were aligned. From a love for smart creative work that drives culture to importance of diversity at every touchpoint of the process, it makes us very excited to be partners. It means a lot that some of the most well-known names have entrusted us to take their brand to the next level and use creativity and data to make them even more famous."

Since joining in 2021, CEO Andrea Diquez has built an incredibly strong, and diverse leadership team in Chicago, which includes Chief Creative Officer Rodrigo Jatene, Chief Strategy Officer Milo Chao, Head of Business Leadership Sandra Alfaro, and recently promoted Head of Production Matt Blitz.

Reynolds and Hefty will partner with DDB Chicago to drive loyalty and share to make its distinct portfolio brands even more famous and culturally relevant. They are the latest client to join the DDB Chicago's roster of iconic household name brands including Orkin, Molson Coors, McDonald's, Mars, and State Farm, among others.

VP of Hefty Marketing, Reynolds Consumer Products Brienne Neisewander said, "Their passion for creativity, genuine desire to help us grow our businesses, and energy in all of our meetings was truly inspiring. We are excited about this new partnership and the role both DDB and Hearts & Science will play in this next chapter for Hefty and Reynolds in 2022 and beyond."

DDB partnered with R3 consulting on this pitch and with Omnicom agency Hearts & Science who was awarded media responsibilities.

ABOUT DDB WORLDWIDE

DDB Worldwide ( www.ddb.com ) is one of the world's largest and most influential advertising and marketing networks. DDB has been named 2021 Network of the Year by D&AD and ADC, as well as numerous times by the Cannes International Festival of Creativity and the industry's leading advertising publications and awards shows. WARC has listed DDB as one of the Top 3 Global Networks for 12 of the last 15 years. The network's clients include Molson Coors, Volkswagen, McDonald's, Unilever, Mars, Peloton, JetBlue, Johnson & Johnson, and the U.S. Army, among others. Founded in 1949, DDB is part of the Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC) and consists of over 10,000 employees across 149 offices in over 63 countries, with its flagship office in New York, NY.

ABOUT OMNICOM

Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE  OMC) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries.

CONTACT: Donna Tobin, Global Chief Marketing & Communications Officer; [email protected]

SOURCE DDB North America
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (NYSE: RBA) (TSX: RBA) ("Ritchie Bros. and the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it will nominate Carol Stephenson and Mahesh Shah to its Board of Directors at its upcoming Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders being held on April 27, 2022.

Erik Olsson, Chairman of the Board for Ritchie Bros. said: "We are very pleased to nominate Carol and Mahesh to the Board of Directors. Each of the nominees bring strong and relevant backgrounds and will add valuable experience and perspective to the Ritchie Bros. Board of Directors as we serve our valued customers by working towards achieving our strategic vision to be the trusted global marketplace for insights, services, and transaction solutions for commercial assets. We are grateful that we continue to attract such high-quality directors to our Board."

Carol Stephenson has extensive public company board experience. She is currently on the boards of General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) and Maple Leaf Foods, Inc. (TSE: MFI) and has previously served on the boards of Ballard Power Systems, Inc. (2012 to 2017), Intact Financial Corporation (2004 to 2021), Manitoba Telecom Services, Inc. (2008 to 2016) and Sears Canada, Inc. (2001 to 2006). Ms. Stephenson served as Dean of the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario from 2003 until her retirement in 2013. Prior to joining the Ivey Business School, she was President and CEO of Lucent Technologies Canada from 1999 to 2003 and a member of the Advisory Board of General Motors of Canada, Limited, a GM subsidiary, from 2005 to 2009. Ms. Stephenson is an officer of the Order of Canada.

Mahesh Shah currently serves as EVP & Chief Technology and Products Officer at CDK Global, Inc. CDK Global focuses on providing end-to-end, omnichannel retail commerce solutions to partners in the automotive, heavy truck, recreation, and heavy equipment industries. In his role, Mr. Shah drives product innovation, R&D and the strategic roadmap for existing and future portfolios. While at CDK Global, Mr. Shah has led the transformation and modernization of architecture as well as an innovation-led introduction of a new product suite. He leads a 2,500 person team, a majority of which is in product and engineering. Prior to taking on this role in 2019, Mr. Shah served as SVP & GM, Applications & Global Business Process Services at DXC Technology Company from 2017 to 2019 and held various senior positions at Hewlett Packard, Inc. from 2001 to 2017 and IBM Corporation from 1996 to 2001.

In addition, Bev Briscoe has advised the Company of her intention to retire from the Board of Directors and, accordingly, to not stand for re-election at the Company's upcoming Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders. Ms. Briscoe has served on the Ritchie Bros. Board of Directors since 2004 and served as Chair of the Board from 2014 to 2020. Mr. Olsson said: "On behalf of the Board of Directors, we would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Bev for her insight, wisdom, and advice over the past 18 years; during which time we have undergone significant transformation and growth. Bev has been an integral part of our successful journey. We wish her the very best in her retirement."

About Ritchie Bros.:

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers , the world's largest industrial auctioneer offering live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with weekly featured auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Ritchie List, a self-serve listing service for North America; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales; and sector-specific solutions GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy. The Company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system; SmartEquip, an innovative technology platform that supports customers' management of the equipment lifecycle and integrates parts procurement with both OEMs and dealers; plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable U.S. and Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including, in particular, statements regarding the anticipated contributions of the anticipated new board members and any other statements regarding events or developments that Ritchie Bros. believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as "expect", "plan, "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or statements that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Ritchie Bros.' control, including the risks and uncertainties set forth in Ritchie Bros.' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and Ritchie Bros.' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, each of which are available on the SEC, SEDAR, and Ritchie Bros.' websites. The foregoing list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Ritchie Bros.' forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Ritchie Bros. does not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein unless required by applicable securities legislation. For the reasons set forth above, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR, a leading PR agency issued an excerpt from his public relations book, For Immediate Release which offers a number of rules on public relations.

As Torossian notes in his book, famed American journalist Michael Wolff, writing in Vanity Fair once said, "Publicity geniuses are different from you and me. They have the stomach for it. This temperamental combination of imperviousness and egomania that allows them, compels them, to dominate the media . . . means, too, that they dominate reality, that's their world and we just . . . well you know."

Some rules:

Attention is the most valuable form of currency in PR and marketing. Getting the right attention must be done strategically and consistently.

Digital media and self-created content give everyone a voice. For good and for bad, self-created content is tremendously importantand realize with today's media world everyone's opinion counts. blog, comment, and join the conversation when it suits your purposes and goals.

PR works best with evolution rather than revolution. a rabbi with whom I study the Torah (the Jewish bible) says religion is a series of steps. It provides a good analogy to change in business and PR strategy. If you gradually take two steps forward, you might fall back a step. That's okay. It's easier to recover from one step backward than it is if you hurry and take four steps at once and then another four. you might trip and fall three or six steps behindit's much harder to get back up to speed from that point.

PR has been and will always be about building relationships. In an earlier era, you needed only to worry about a few beat reporters, gossip columnists, or talk show hosts.Today it's also about knowing bloggers, Twitter communities, influential Diggers, Facebook groups, or other collectives.



Everyone loves a great storytellerbecome one. Your story is your ticket to people's hearts and minds. A great story can motivate a person to go from passive to participant. Participate in media training and then rehearse and prepare. It matters.



Write well. Understand the value of communicating properly, particularly in press releases, because they will often be used verbatim as news storiesit's called "churnalism." Yes, there's a name for it now.

Gossip is information delivered personally. Make it work for you and not against you. Think strategically: how can you use what you hear to do better, be better, and serve better?

Success and media attention come with a price; learn to accept it and adapt accordingly.



Don't try to be something you're not: authenticity may mean saying no to opportunities that may not fit your brand or work against your core mission and values. Politicians need 51 percent of a market to succeed; brands can win with a much smaller market share and become very successful.



Don't expect privacy. Privacy doesn't exist in today's open social media world. If you post something on Facebook, employees, clients, and the media can see it. Ronn Torossian is one of America's leading public relations executives.

SOURCE Ronn Torossian
MILWAUKEE, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating PAC (NYSE: APTS) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with Blackstone.

Click here to learn how to join the action: https://www.ademilaw.com/case/preferred-apartment-communities-inc or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you.

Ademi LLP alleges PAC's financial outlook and prospects are excellent and yet PAC shareholders will receive only $25.00 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $5.8 billion. The merger agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for PAC by prohibiting solicitation of further bids, and imposing a significant penalty if PAC accepts a superior bid. PAC insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements.

We are investigating the conduct of PAC's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for PAC.

If you own PAC common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/preferred-apartment-communities-inc.

We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contacts

Ademi LLP

Guri Ademi

Toll Free: (866) 264-3995

Fax: (414) 482-8001

SOURCE Ademi LLP
DALLAS, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) (the "Company") is excited to announce it has joined the Vision 2045 campaign, a collaboration among multiple organizations and companies to share films and resources that aim to inspire businesses and people to take action toward a more sustainable future.

"Southwest is honored to be part of the Vision 2045 campaign showcasing how the Company is making sustainability a priority through a series of near-term actions and long-term goals, while being the airline with Heart," said Stacy Malphurs, Vice President of Supply Chain Management and Environmental Sustainability for Southwest Airlines. "We're thrilled to join other organizations from across the globe that are telling their stories and highlighting the collective effort through this innovative campaign."

Sustainability is a priority for Southwest, and the Vision 2045 campaign highlights the Company's initiatives to address its environmental impact. This includes a 10-year plan to maintain carbon neutral growth to 2019 levels while continuing to grow its operations, and a long-term goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Watch the video to learn more about these initiatives.

Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world and strives to maintain a steadfast focus on a triple bottom line: People, Performance, and Planet. Learn about Southwest's citizenship efforts and how the carrier gives back to communities across the world by visiting Southwestonereport.com.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2021, Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline1. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its more than 55,0002 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among as many as 130 million Customers carried a year. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years3 of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest continues to develop tangible steps toward an environmental sustainability goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, including offering an opportunity for Customers to contribute toward helping Southwest offset its carbon emissions. For more information, please visit Southwest.com/wannaoffsetcarbon. Learn more at Southwest.com/citizenship about how Southwest Airlines leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world.

1) U.S. Dept. of Transportation most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded

2) fulltime-equivalent active Employees

3) 1973-2019 annual profitability

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.
DEL MAR, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New research by a team of board-certified plastic surgeons and co-authors sought to define the formula and characteristics behind what many women define as the ideal breast shape and proportions.

The research, published in the Aesthetic Society's Aesthetic Surgery Journal, provides measurable numerical data that could help plastic surgeons in the field nationwide make their patient's ideals a living reality.

Every year, nearly 325,000 women undergo breast-related cosmetic surgeries, from breast reductions that provide relief from pain and discomfort, to breast lifts, and breast augmentations using FDA-cleared saline or silicone implants.

While it is widely acknowledged that the safety and aesthetic outcome of the 325,000 such procedures performed annually depends more on the skill of the surgeon than anything else, less is known and documented about the ideal or attractive breast. What makes it? Is it measurable? And is it replicable?

The team of four plastic surgeons sought to discover that exactly, pointing out that much time and effort is invested in developing techniques for breast surgery, while lacking "a paragon for identifying what exactly are the factors that define an attractive breast."

The paper's senior author, Dr. Paul E. Chasan, had early noted that during the more than 5,000 consultations for breast surgery that he conducted with patients over the course of more than 26 years, the same 10-15 before-and-after images were chosen from his gallery by female patients over and over as depicting their desired surgery results.

The authors studied these and hundreds more clinical photographs, including photographs of a female celebrity widely considered attractive. The adage that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" may be true, but what of a plastic surgeon who seeks to help provide or enhance that beauty for a patientas uniquely envisioned by her alone? That surgeon needs proven formulae and measured numerical values to make her ideals an integrated and proportional reality for the patient's unique body type.

Three breast measurements proved vital and revealed a formula not dissimilar to the Fibonacci sequence, a "golden ratio" seen in nature, from seashells to spiraling galaxies.

The images reviewed and the data presented draws on the surgical results from one practice, Ranch & Coast Plastic Surgery in Del Mar, California, but it adds important information to breast cosmetic surgeries, a staple of the repertoire of plastic surgeons everywhere according to annual statistics from multiple professional societies.

About Dr. Paul Chasan

Dr. Paul E. Chasan, a "surgeon's surgeon" in private practice at Ranch & Coast Plastic Surgery in Southern California, is a member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He has been in practice for more than 26 years. In December 2021, Dr. Chasan was voted "Best Plastic Surgeon" in Ranch & Coast magazine's "Best of Fashion & Beauty 2021." Co-author Cameron Francis, M.D., a rising star in the world of aesthetic plastic surgery, received board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in December 2021.

About the Authors

Dr. Jourdain D. Artz, MD, MS, is a fourth-year integrated plastic surgery resident. Dr. Adam T. Hauch MD, MBA, is the aesthetic fellow in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Louisiana State University. Drs Francis and Chasan are plastic surgeons in private practice in Del Mar, CA.

Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12905281

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Ranch & Coast Plastic Surgery
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dominican Republic (the " Republic ") announced today the aggregate principal amount of notes that have been validly tendered pursuant to its previously announced offer to purchase for cash the Existing Notes listed in the tables below (the " Offer "), pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions described in the offer document dated February 9, 2022 (the " Offer Document "). The Offer expired as scheduled at 8:00 a.m. (New York City time) on February 16, 2022. The aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes tendered was US$1,162,218,000.00. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Offer Document.

The following tables indicate the aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes that had been validly tendered pursuant to the Offer as of 8:00 a.m. (New York City time) on February 16, 2022.

Table 1  Existing Global Notes

Title of Existing Global Notes ISIN / CUSIP Aggregate Principal

Amount Tendered(1) Percentage of

Aggregate Principal

Amount Tendered(2) Purchase Price(3) 6.6000% Bonds due 2024 144A: US25714PBZ09 / 25714P BZ0 Reg S: USP3579EAT49 / P3579E AT4 US$228,658,000.00 81.97% US$1,093.25 5.875% Amortizing Bonds due 2024 144A: US25714PBY34 / 25714P BY3 Reg S: USP3579EAS65 / P3579E AS6 US$536,495,000.00 87.74% US$1,057.50

___________________ (1) Information regarding the aggregate principal amount of Existing Global Notes is based on information received from the Tender and Information Agent (as defined below). (2) Principal amount of each series of Existing Global Notes tendered pursuant to the Offer expressed as an approximate percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Existing Global Notes outstanding of such series. (3) Per US$1,000 principal amount of the Existing Global Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase. Holders whose Existing Global Notes were validly tendered and are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will also receive Accrued Interest. Holders whose Existing Global Notes were validly tendered and are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will be paid in U.S. dollars as described in the Offer Document.

Table 2  Existing Local Notes

Title of Existing Local Notes ISIN Aggregate Principal

Amount Tendered(1) Percentage of

Aggregate Principal

Amount Tendered(2) Purchase Price(3) 7.000% US$-Denominated Notes due

July 2023 DO1005244525 US$397,065,000.00 79.41% US$1,090.00

___________________ (1) Information regarding the aggregate principal amount of Existing Local Notes is based on information received from CEVALDOM, Deposito Centralizado de Valores, S.A. (2) Principal amount of Existing Local Notes tendered pursuant to the Offer expressed as an approximate percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Existing Local Notes outstanding. (3) Per US$1,000 principal amount of the Existing Local Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase. Holders whose Existing Local Notes were validly tendered and are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will also receive Accrued Interest. Holders whose Existing Local Notes were validly tendered and are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will be paid in U.S. dollars as described in the Offer Document.

The Offer is conditioned, among other things, on the concurrent (or earlier) closing of an issuance by the Republic of one or more series of U.S. dollar-denominated, New York law-governed debt securities, in an aggregate principal amount, with pricing and on terms and conditions acceptable to the Republic in its sole discretion (the " New Notes Offering "). The Republic intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from the New Notes Offering to purchase the Existing Notes accepted for purchase. The New Notes Offering has been made solely by means of an offering memorandum relating to the New Notes Offering, and neither this announcement nor the Offer Document constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such new notes.

The Republic reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to accept any valid orders to tender Existing Notes in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Offer or to terminate the Offer with respect to one or more series for any reason. In the event of a termination of the Offer with respect to a series, the tendered Existing Notes of such series will be returned to the tendering Holder.

The total purchase price for the principal amount of a series of Existing Notes validly tendered by a Holder and accepted by the Republic will be an amount in cash equal to the outstanding principal amount of such Existing Notes, multiplied by the Purchase Price, plus Accrued Interest (the " Total Purchase Price "). If the Total Purchase Price minus Accrued Interest for all validly tendered Existing Notes (the " Tendered Aggregate Purchase Price ") would exceed the Maximum Purchase Price, then the Republic will, in its sole discretion, select one or more series of Existing Notes to be prorated on the basis of the same or different proration factors.

The Purchase Price applicable for each series of Existing Notes will be payable in U.S. dollars.

The settlement of validly tendered and accepted Existing Notes is expected to occur on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, subject to change without notice (the " Existing Notes Settlement Date ").

If the Republic accepts all or a portion of a Holder's tender of Existing Notes of any series, the Holder will be entitled to receive for such Existing Notes the applicable Purchase Price plus Accrued Interest, which will be paid on the Existing Notes Settlement Date if the conditions of the Offer are met.

On February 16, 2022, at or around 5:00 p.m. (New York City time), subject to change without notice, the Republic expects to announce: (i) the Maximum Purchase Price; (ii) the Tendered Aggregate Purchase Price; (iii) the aggregate principal amount of Tenders of each series of Existing Notes that has been accepted; and (iv) any proration of tenders of any series of Existing Notes.

The Offer Document may be downloaded from the website of Global Bondholder Services Corporation (the " Tender and Information Agent ") at https://www.gbsc-usa.com/dominican/ or obtained from the Tender and Information Agent or from any of the Dealer Managers at the contact information below. Questions regarding the Offer may be directed to the Dealer Managers at the below contact information.

The Dealer Managers for the Offer are:

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. 388 Greenwich Street, 4th Floor Trading New York, New York 10013 United States of America Attn: Liability Management Group Collect: +1 (212) 723-6106 Toll-Free: +1 (800) 558-3745 Email: [email protected] J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179 United States of America Attn: Latin America Debt Capital Markets Collect: +1 (212) 834-7279 Toll-Free: +1 (866) 846-2874

The Tender and Information Agent for the Existing Global Notes is:

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

65 Broadway  Suite 404

New York, New York 10006

United States of America

Attn: Corporate Actions

Banks and Brokers call: (212) 430-3774

Toll free +1 (855) 654-2014

Email: [email protected]

By facsimile:

(For Eligible Institutions only):

+1 (212) 430-3775/3779

Confirmation:

+1 (212) 430-3774

By Mail: By Overnight Courier: By Hand: 65 Broadway  Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America 65 Broadway  Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America 65 Broadway  Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America

Important Notice

This announcement is for informational purposes only. It is not complete and may not contain all the information that you should consider before tendering Existing Notes. You should read the entire Offer Document.

This announcement is not an offer to purchase for cash or a solicitation of invitations for offers to purchase for cash any Existing Notes. The distribution of materials relating to the Offer and the transactions contemplated thereby may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Offer is being made only by the Offer Document and in those jurisdictions where it is legal to do so. The Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the Offer come into your possession, you are required to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. Each person accepting the Offer shall be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed (in respect of itself and any person for whom it is acting) that it is not a person to whom it is unlawful to make the Offer pursuant to the Offer Document, it has not distributed or forwarded the Offer Document or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer to any such person, and that it has complied with all laws and regulations applicable to it for purposes of participating in the Offer. Neither the Republic nor the Dealer Managers accepts any responsibility for any violation by any person of the restrictions applicable in any jurisdiction.

The materials relating to the Offer, including this announcement, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. This announcement and the Offer Document do not constitute an offer to buy or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction in which the Offer is required to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and in which any Dealer Manager or any of its affiliates is so licensed, it shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Managers or such affiliates on behalf of the Republic.

SOURCE The Dominican Republic
DUBLIN, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Float Glass Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global float glass market was valued at US$ 53,709.30 million in 2020 and is projected to reach US$ 86,984.42 million by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2021 to 2028.



Float glass is an extremely smooth and distortion free glass which is being used in various end-use industries such as building and construction, automotive, electronics, solar, among others. It is basically made by pouring the molten glass from the furnace into a chamber which contains a bed of molten tin. The increase in the use of float glass in interior design and modern architecture has played a major role in increasing the demand of float glass and are used in other building and construction applications which includes ceiling, flooring, reflective, coated, windows, mirrors, tabletops, and insulated glass. In addition, the growing use of float in automotive applications is expected to drive the float glass industry over the forecasted period.



Based on application, the float glass market is segmented into automotive and transportation, building and construction, electronics, and others. In 2020, the building and construction segment dominated the market. Float glass is increasingly becoming the most used glass for consumer applications. While in a semi-molten, waxy state, it can be easily shaped and formed to suit various applications. Clear float glass, tinted float glass, and textured float glass are used in residential and commercial applications, such as windows and doors, for aesthetic and functional purposes. The increase in the use of the glass in interior design and architecture has played a major role in increasing the demand of float glass along with being used towards the ceiling, flooring, reflective, coated, windows, mirrors, tabletops, and insulated glass. The market for the building and construction segment is further segmented into residential applications comprising domestic houses; commercial applications consisting of retail outlets, shopping malls, and airports; and industries.



Geographically, the float glass market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), South and Central America (SAM), and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Asia Pacific is the fastest growing and the dominating region in the global market. Asia Pacific is the dominating region for float glass market over the forecast period. The growing building and construction industry along with the increasing projects related to the field of renewable energy source and development of solar industry is driving the growth of float glass market in Asia Pacific region.

Asia-pacific region especially China, Japan and India are expected to increase the demand for float glass as compare to other geographical regions which is due to an expanded and established automotive, building and construction sector in this region. Along with this, increasing manufacturing industries coupled with growing industrialization which offers ample opportunities for key market players in the float glass market. Presence of various domestic and international players in the region will increased the focus of manufacturers on providing innovative products leading to increased opportunity for the float glass market to grow.



AGC Inc.; Nippon Sheet Glass Co., LTD (NSG Group); Xinyi Glass Holdings Limited; SCHOTT AG; Guardian Industries Holdings; Cardinal Glass Industries, Inc.; China Glass Holdings Limited; Shenzhen Sun Global Glass Co. Ltd.; Saint Gobain Glass India; and Qingdao Migo Glass Co. Ltd. are among the major players operating in the global float glass market.



Reasons to Buy

Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.

The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the global float glass market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long-term strategies.

Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.

Scrutinize in-depth the market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.

Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. Global Float Glass Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

4.3.1 Raw Material:

4.3.2 Manufacturing/Process:

4.3.3 End Use:

4.4 Expert Opinion

4.5 Average Price of Float Glass At Global And Regional Level, 2020 (per ton)

4.6 Impact of China Electricity Issue with Respect To Glass Industry



5. Float Glass Market - Key Market Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Increase in Demand from Building & Construction Industry

5.1.2 Rise in Preference for Float Glass in Electronic Industry

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Volatility in Prices of Raw Materials

5.2.2 Global shortage of glass

5.3 Market Opportunities

5.3.1 Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Float Glass

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Applications of Float Glass in Solar Industry

5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints



6. Global Market- Global Float Glass Analysis

6.1 Global Market Overview

6.2 Float Glass Market -Revenue and Forecast To 2028 (US$ Million)

6.3 Competitive Positioning - Key Market Players



7. Float Glass Market Analysis - By Type

7.1 Overview

7.2 Float Glass Market, By Type (2020 and 2028)

7.3 Clear Glass

7.3.1 Overview

7.3.2 Clear Glass: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

7.4 Tinted Glass

7.4.1 Overview

7.4.2 Tinted Glass: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

7.5 Textured Glass

7.5.1 Overview

7.5.2 Textured Glass: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

7.6 Others

7.6.1 Overview

7.6.2 Others: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)



8. Float Glass Market Analysis - By Application

8.1 Overview

8.2 Float Glass Market, By Application (2020 and 2028)

8.3 Automotive and Transportation

8.3.1 Overview

8.3.2 Automotive and Transportation: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

8.4 Building and Construction

8.4.1 Overview

8.4.2 Building and Construction: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

8.4.3 Residential

8.4.3.1 Overview

8.4.3.2 Residential: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

8.4.4 Commercial

8.4.4.1 Overview

8.4.4.2 Commercial: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

8.4.5 Industrial

8.4.5.1 Overview

8.4.6 Industrial: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

8.5 Electronics

8.5.1 Overview

8.5.2 Electronics: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

8.6 Others

8.6.1 Overview

8.6.2 Others: Float Glass Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)



9. Float Glass Market - Geographic Analysis



10. Industry Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Market Initiative

10.3 New Product Development



11. Impact of COVID-19

11.1 Overview - Impact of COVID-19

11.2 North America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic

11.3 Europe: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic

11.4 Asia Pacific: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic

11.5 Middle East and Africa: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic

11.6 South America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic



12. Company Profiles

12.1 AGC Inc.

12.1.1 Key Facts

12.1.2 Business Description

12.1.3 Products and Services

12.1.4 Financial Overview

12.1.5 SWOT Analysis

12.1.6 Key Developments

12.2 CARDINAL GLASS INDUSTRIES, INC

12.2.1 Key Facts

12.2.2 Business Description

12.2.3 Products and Services

12.2.4 Financial Overview

12.2.5 SWOT Analysis

12.2.6 Key Developments

12.3 Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd

12.3.1 Key Facts

12.3.2 Business Description

12.3.3 Products and Services

12.3.4 Financial Overview

12.3.5 SWOT Analysis

12.3.6 Key Developments

12.4 China Glass Holdings Limited

12.4.1 Key Facts

12.4.2 Business Description

12.4.3 Products and Services

12.4.4 Financial Overview

12.4.5 SWOT Analysis

12.4.6 Key Developments

12.5 Guardian Industries Holdings

12.5.1 Key Facts

12.5.2 Business Description

12.5.3 Products and Services

12.5.4 Financial Overview

12.5.5 SWOT Analysis

12.5.6 Key Developments

12.6 SHENZHEN SUN GLOBAL GLASS CO., LTD

12.6.1 Key Facts

12.6.2 Business Description

12.6.3 Products and Services

12.6.4 Financial Overview

12.6.5 SWOT Analysis

12.6.6 Key Developments

12.7 Saint-Gobain Glass India

12.7.1 Key Facts

12.7.2 Business Description

12.7.3 Products and Services

12.7.4 Financial Overview

12.7.5 SWOT Analysis

12.7.6 Key Developments

12.8 SCHOTT AG

12.8.1 Key Facts

12.8.2 Business Description

12.8.3 Products and Services

12.8.4 Financial Overview

12.8.5 SWOT Analysis

12.8.6 Key Developments

12.9 QINGDAO MIGO GLASS CO.,LTD.

12.9.1 Key Facts

12.9.2 Business Description

12.9.3 Products and Services

12.9.4 Financial Overview

12.9.5 SWOT Analysis

12.9.6 Key Developments

12.10 Xinyi Glass Holdings Limited

12.10.1 Key Facts

12.10.2 Business Description

12.10.3 Products and Services

12.10.4 Financial Overview

12.10.5 SWOT Analysis

12.10.6 Key Developments



13. Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/l1lz4e

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DALBAR is excited to congratulate Putnam Investments in earning DALBAR's Total Client Experience Award for the eleventh consecutive year. This award recognizes Putnam for exceptional support through the contact center, including both what happens on the phone, and the processing and any other follow-up that the representative completes after the call concludes.

DALBAR Director Brendan Yeager explains, "A large portion of the financial services industry has engaged DALBAR to review what happens on their calls with clients, but Putnam Investments has gone a step further to make sure that every aspect of the telephone service experience is of the highest possible caliber, including what happens behind-the-scenes and after the call is over. Through our auditing we can attest to the great work that Putnam is doing. To earn this award in any given year would be an accomplishment, but to do it every year since our reviews began is a rare feat indeed."

DALBAR invites all firms to check on their performance, as measured by DALBAR, by visiting their award winner page.

The Total Client Experience Award looked at all of the critical aspects of customer interactions with Putnam Investment's shareholder services telephone support team, including:

Security  Were all security protocols followed?

 Were all security protocols followed? Attitude  Was the representative friendly and engaged?

 Was the representative friendly and engaged? Accommodation  Did they provide all of the relevant details related to the request?

 Did they provide all of the relevant details related to the request? Information  Were those details accurate?

 Were those details accurate? Processing  was everything processed per the customer's instructions?

 was everything processed per the customer's instructions? Expertise  Was the representative able to communicate effectively?

 Was the representative able to communicate effectively? Call Flow  How did they manage the flow of the call (including holds, transfers and dead air)?

DALBAR, Inc. has a 45-year history and is recognized by industry and government as an independent third-party expert in the business of providing audits, evaluations, ratings, and due diligence. DALBAR certifications are recognized as a mark of excellence in the financial services community.

SOURCE DALBAR, Inc.
Flexible and customizable, the new model offers four unique mid and aft cockpit configurations. Inside the EX 60, luxury is endless, with the salon and galley integrated seamlessly to the cockpit, boaters can maximize space for socializing and entertaining in comfort and style. Below deck, three peaceful sleeping quarters can accommodate six adults, while two private heads provide added convenience.

"This is really uncharted in some ways, for this particular design, as we blend elements that we know are proven in our outboard line and take portions we've learned from the inboard models," said Tom Slikkers, CEO and President of Tiara Yachts. "We've worked to accommodate the cruising proficiency and mix that with day boating, raising the bar about who we are and what we do all at the same time."

In a longstanding partnership with Volvo Penta, the EX 60 will offer multiple Twin IPS options paired with the latest Volvo and Garmin technology, including assisted docking. Peace, tranquility, and adventure are effortless with the reinvigorated and quiet Bluewater Performance that allows you to venture farther and explore for the day, weekend, or week.

To further highlight the story behind this model and its unique place in the Tiara lineup, Tiara Yachts commissioned an Eye of the Designer video.

A scale model of the EX 60 will be available for viewing at the Miami Boat Show, beginning on February 16. It is set to debut to customers and dealers later this year.

For more information about the new EX 60 model, please visit tiarayachts.com/ex-60.

About Tiara Yachts

Tiara Yachts, headquartered in Holland, Michigan, is one of the oldest privately held boat manufacturers in the United States. The Tiara Yachts model line includes inboard vessels from 39 to 53 feet, in the Open and Coupe lines. Outboard powered Tiara Yachts models range from 34 to 48 feet in three distinct Series: Luxury Sport (LS), Luxury Crossover (LX) and Luxury Express (LE). For more information, please visit tiarayachts.com.

Media Contact:

Lauren MacGregor

Lambert & Co.

[email protected]

989-944-5626

SOURCE Tiara Yachts
MOGADISHU, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday appealed for 7 million U.S. dollars before the end of March to urgently support 1.4 million children likely to suffer from acute malnutrition in Somalia.

The UNICEF said the money will be used to procure 104,000 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) for the treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition and avert deaths.

"The numbers we are seeing this year are quite high and unless urgent measures are taken, thousands of children are at risk of dying," the UNICEF Representative Angela Kearney said in a statement issued in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Kearney said a potential break in the supplies pipeline could result in a serious shortage of RUTF from June onwards and imperil the lives of more than 100,000 children.

UNICEF said more than 1.4 million children in Somalia, nearly half of the country's under-five population, are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition due to the ongoing drought that has left 4.1 million people on the brink.

According to the latest Somalia Food Security and Nutrition Assessment released last week, about a quarter of the 1.4 million children, equivalent to 329,500 children, will suffer from severe malnutrition this year.

"We know that humanitarian emergencies of this magnitude disproportionately affect children," said Kearney.

According to the UN, three consecutive seasons of failed rains combined with ongoing conflicts in many parts of Somalia have left a quarter of the population needing immediate food assistance.

"Without urgent scaling up of assistance, the humanitarian situation among the urban and rural poor and displaced populations is expected to deteriorate further between now and June 2022," the UNICEF warned.

It said the impact on pastoralist communities is especially dire, noting that a critical shortage of water has forced families to migrate to urban and peri-urban centers in search of water for both human and livestock consumption, adding to the 2.9 million people who were already displaced by conflict and climate change. 
"When we started Viking 25 years ago, we wanted to do things differentlyand since then, our mission has resonated with curious travelers. This week alone our guests are enjoying voyages north of the Arctic Circle and south to the Antarctic Peninsulaas well as to many great destinations in between," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "Antarctica has always inspired the most intrepid explorers; for many, visiting the 'White Continent' is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With the arrival of the Viking Octantis , we are offering our guests the opportunity to explore this unique part of the world in comfort and in the most responsible way possible."

With expeditions now underway, the first guests on Viking's Antarctic Explorer itinerary have provided outstanding ratings and enthusiastic feedback, praising it as one of their best-ever travel experiences. Examples include:

"The ship is amazing, inside and out. It has just been exceptional." Karen C.

Karen C. "Having been on Viking, I knew this would be first-class, first-rateit has just been phenomenal; I have learned a lot." Patrick F.

Patrick F. "It was nice to feel so confident and secure. The things we have been able to see up close and to step onto the real 'White Continent'being in the snow, being where you can hear the penguins and the birdsit is very special." Edna K.

Edna K. "Viking has done everything possible to make it safe for me to come on this remarkable, remarkable journey. What I have had with this ship has been an exceptional experience." Ramona F.

Ramona F. "The Viking experience and the Viking people make this one of the best experiences of my life." Ken K.

The Viking Octantis will spend the Austral summer in Antarctica, before traveling north to be named in April 2022 in New York City by her ceremonial godmother, Liv Arnesen, the world-renowned Norwegian explorer and educator. Arnesen became the first woman in the world to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole in 1994. She sailed on board the Viking Octantis for the ship's first two expeditions to Antarctica and recorded a special video message to welcome guests, which can be viewed here.

Following the ship's naming in New York City, the Viking Octantis will make her way to the Great Lakes region, for a series of voyages throughout the spring and summer. A second, identical sister ship, the Viking Polaris, will join the fleet later in 2022.

Viking Expedition Ships

The new Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris host 378 guests in 189 staterooms. Designed for discovery by the same team that designed the award-winning Viking Longships and ocean ships, the new vessels are purpose-built for expeditions, at an ideal size for safety and comfort in remote destinations. With more indoor and outdoor viewing areas than other expedition vessels, guests are as close as possible to the most magnificent scenery on earth. In addition to familiar ocean spaces such as the Explorers' Lounge, The Living Room, Mamsen's, Manfredi's, the World Cafe, The Restaurant and The Nordic Spa, Viking's new expedition ships feature new unique spaces, including:

The Aula: A stunning panoramic auditorium inspired by the University of Oslo's famed ceremonial hall, the former venue for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Used for lectures, daily briefings, documentaries and films, this spectacular venue features a 4k laser-projected screen that retracts to expose floor-to-ceiling windows and 270 views.

A stunning panoramic auditorium inspired by the famed ceremonial hall, the former venue for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Used for lectures, daily briefings, documentaries and films, this spectacular venue features a laser-projected screen that retracts to expose floor-to-ceiling windows and 270 views. Finse Terrace: An outdoor lounge area just above sea level with recessed, heated couches and lava rock "firepits," the Finse Terrace was designed to allow guests the comforts of the ship al fresco while enjoying the dramatic scenery. Named after the Finse Plateau in Norway , where some of the greatest polar explorers, including Nansen and Amundsen, did their expedition training in preparation for their North and South Pole expeditions.

An outdoor lounge area just above sea level with recessed, heated couches and lava rock "firepits," the Finse Terrace was designed to allow guests the comforts of the ship al fresco while enjoying the dramatic scenery. Named after the Finse Plateau in , where some of the greatest polar explorers, including Nansen and Amundsen, did their expedition training in preparation for their North and South Pole expeditions. The Hangar: A state-of-the-art, industry-first in-ship marina providing ease of embarkation and disembarkation of Special Operations Boats and other equipment while sheltered from the elements.

A state-of-the-art, industry-first in-ship marina providing ease of embarkation and disembarkation of Special Operations Boats and other equipment while sheltered from the elements. The Science Lab: Developed in partnership with the University of Cambridge and Akvaplan-Niva, The Science Lab, at 380 sq. ft., is designed to support a broad range of research activities and is equipped with wet and dry laboratory facilities. Guests have supervised access to The Science Lab to learn from and participate with scientists undertaking meaningful research.

Developed in partnership with the and Akvaplan-Niva, The Science Lab, at 380 sq. ft., is designed to support a broad range of research activities and is equipped with wet and dry laboratory facilities. Guests have supervised access to The Science Lab to learn from and participate with scientists undertaking meaningful research. The Bow: An important forward-viewing platform. And in the case of inclement weather, The Shelter is a comfortable, partially enclosed space for guests to warm up with a hot drink before going back out into the elements.

An important forward-viewing platform. And in the case of inclement weather, is a comfortable, partially enclosed space for guests to warm up with a hot drink before going back out into the elements. Expedition Central: The hub for the expedition team to consult with guests on their expedition activities and share knowledge about the destinations on a one-on-one basis, with the aid of 3D printed maps, digital screens, and a state-of-the-art spatial data visualization chart table.

The hub for the expedition team to consult with guests on their expedition activities and share knowledge about the destinations on a one-on-one basis, with the aid of 3D printed maps, digital screens, and a state-of-the-art spatial data visualization chart table. The Pools: A sanctuary of three different temperature pools (caldarium, tepidarium, frigidarium), including an "inside-outside" pass-through pool experience from which guests can admire the surrounding scenery of vast wildernessfrom polar ice fields to coniferous forests.

Additional highlights include:

Nordic Balcony: A first for polar expedition vessels, all staterooms on board Viking's expedition ships feature a Nordic Balcony, a sunroom that converts into an al fresco viewing platform with an observation shelf at elbow level to stabilize binoculars or a camera. Guests can choose from six stateroom categories that range from 222 sq. ft. to 1,223 sq. ft.all with a Nordic Balcony, as well as a king-size bed and large bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated bathroom floor and anti-fog mirror. Every stateroom is also equipped with a unique floor-to-ceiling drying closet that circulates warm air to dry and store clothing and expedition gear.

A first for polar expedition vessels, all staterooms on board Viking's expedition ships feature a Nordic Balcony, a sunroom that converts into an al fresco viewing platform with an observation shelf at elbow level to stabilize binoculars or a camera. Guests can choose from six stateroom categories that range from 222 sq. ft. to 1,223 sq. ft.all with a Nordic Balcony, as well as a king-size bed and large bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated bathroom floor and anti-fog mirror. Every stateroom is also equipped with a unique floor-to-ceiling drying closet that circulates warm air to dry and store clothing and expedition gear. Expedition Ship Suites: Nordic Junior Suites (322 sq. ft.) and Explorer Suites (580 sq. ft.) on Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris are similar to those on Viking's fleet of ocean ships, with wood detailing and amenities that include additional storage and seating, an expanded bathroom with extended shower and double sinks, welcome champagne, a fully-stocked mini-bar replenished daily, complimentary laundry, priority restaurant reservations and more. Explorer Suites feature two separate rooms, a Nordic Balcony and a full outdoor veranda. Additionally, each ship features one Owner's Suite (1,223 sq. ft.) that has three rooms a living room, a board/dining room and a bedroomas well as a 792 sq. ft. private deck with a traditional Norwegian badestamp (wood-sided hot tub) open to the invigorating outdoors.

Nordic Junior Suites (322 sq. ft.) and Explorer Suites (580 sq. ft.) on and are similar to those on Viking's fleet of ocean ships, with wood detailing and amenities that include additional storage and seating, an expanded bathroom with extended shower and double sinks, welcome champagne, a fully-stocked mini-bar replenished daily, complimentary laundry, priority restaurant reservations and more. Explorer Suites feature two separate rooms, a Nordic Balcony and a full outdoor veranda. Additionally, each ship features one Owner's Suite (1,223 sq. ft.) that has three rooms a living room, a board/dining room and a bedroomas well as a 792 sq. ft. private deck with a traditional Norwegian (wood-sided hot tub) open to the invigorating outdoors. Expedition Equipment: Viking offers a variety of ways for guests to experience their destination, according to their interests and activity level, at no extra charge. With a robust program of included experiences, expedition equipment available for guests includes a fleet of military pro zodiacs designed for professional use; a fleet of two-seater polar-tested kayaks; two 12-seater convertible Special Operations Boats; and two six-guest submarines with revolving seats and 270-degree spherical windows.

Viking offers a variety of ways for guests to experience their destination, according to their interests and activity level, at no extra charge. With a robust program of included experiences, expedition equipment available for guests includes a fleet of military pro zodiacs designed for professional use; a fleet of two-seater polar-tested kayaks; two 12-seater convertible Special Operations Boats; and two six-guest submarines with revolving seats and 270-degree spherical windows. Enrichment On Board and On Shore: Viking has created the world's leading enrichment environment in an expedition setting. Exclusive partnerships with the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University , The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)as well as other prestigious scientific institutions match leading researchers and educators with each expedition. Thirty-six experts accompany each journey as part of the Viking Expedition Team, including an Expedition Leader and support staff, photographer, field research scientists, general naturalists, mountain guides, kayak guides, submarine pilots and specialists (ornithology, geology, higher predator biology and history). On board, guests will enjoy daily briefings and world-class lectures about their destination. On shore, they can assist in fieldwork or interact through experiential activities during landingssuch as monitoring birds to help identify migratory patterns; accompanying scientists to collect samples; or taking their cameras ashore alongside a professional photographer to learn how best to capture scenic landscapes.

Viking has created the world's leading enrichment environment in an expedition setting. Exclusive partnerships with the Scott Polar Research Institute at , The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)as well as other prestigious scientific institutions match leading researchers and educators with each expedition. Thirty-six experts accompany each journey as part of the Viking Expedition Team, including an Expedition Leader and support staff, photographer, field research scientists, general naturalists, mountain guides, kayak guides, submarine pilots and specialists (ornithology, geology, higher predator biology and history). On board, guests will enjoy daily briefings and world-class lectures about their destination. On shore, they can assist in fieldwork or interact through experiential activities during landingssuch as monitoring birds to help identify migratory patterns; accompanying scientists to collect samples; or taking their cameras ashore alongside a professional photographer to learn how best to capture scenic landscapes. Environmentally Considerate: Viking's expedition ships have set a new standard for responsible travel with an energy-efficient design that exceeds the Energy Efficiency Design Index* (EEDI) requirements by nearly 36%. In addition to an integrated bow that creates a longer waterline for the ships, engines with heat recovery systems and Azipod Electric Propulsion, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris have received one of the industry's first SILENT-E notationsthe highest-level certification for quiet ship propulsion, minimizing underwater noise pollution.

Viking Health & Safety Program

Grounded in scientific research, the Viking Health & Safety Program was developed in partnership with an international team of medical advisors, including Raquel C. Bono, M.D., Viking's Chief Health Officer. Viking requires all guests and crew to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Furthermore, Viking is the first and only cruise line with full-scale PCR laboratories installed on board its ocean and expedition ships. Utilizing these onboard PCR laboratoriesand a strong network of dedicated shoreside labs for Viking river ships in Europeall guests and crew receive up to daily quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests. All Viking ships have always featured independent air handling units for each stateroom; new air purification technology has also been installed. Additional health checks, sanitization and physical distancing measures provide further protection for Viking guests and crew. For more details, visit: www.viking.com/health-safety.

About Viking

Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for experienced travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests The Thinking Person's Cruise in contrast to mainstream cruises. With more than 250 awards to its name, Viking has been rated the #1 River Cruise Line and #1 Ocean Cruise Line by Conde Nast Traveler in the publication's 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. Viking has also been consistently rated the #1 ocean cruise line and one of the best river cruise lines in Travel + Leisure's "World's Best" Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.

SOURCE Viking
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- eduroam, the global roaming Wi-Fi service, recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers across colleges, universities, and research facilities in the US. The eduroam service first came to the US in 2009 and has since grown to be the preferred encrypted Wi-Fi network of higher education institutions across the country. Its popularity paved the way to scale the service and expand access to eduroam across community anchor institutions, such as K-12 schools, libraries, and museums.

Read on to learn more about eduroam's growth in the US.

BONUS FACT: More than 10,000 eduroam hotspots are available in more than 100 nations around the world. In 2021, eduroam logged more than 6 billion individual authentications around the globe.

SOURCE Internet2
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationally syndicated radio talk show host Mark Kaye has hired 15-year-old Quincy Chapman to be the new voice of "The Mark Kaye Show." The radio host first met the teen during his annual holiday campaign for his "Kaye's Kids" charity called "The 12 Days of Christmas."

"Every Christmas we surprise local children who are battling life-threatening illnesses with dream gifts," explains Kaye. "This past December, Quincy was one of those kids.

Quincy on The Mark Kaye Show Mark Kaye & Quincy Chapman The Mark Kaye Show

Quincy was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease just after his first birthday. Since then he has had several blood transfusions, has had his spleen removed, and recently underwent a hip transplant.

"Quincy lives in constant pain," explains Kaye, "But you would never know it if you met him. He has an incredible personality, an amazing smile, and as soon as he spoke on the air we were blown away by the power of his voice. He sounds incredible!"

Later that day, Quincy posted a message on Instagram describing how much fun he had on the show and how he was "hooked" on radio. Kaye saw the post and came up with the idea of bringing him back into the studio to record elements for his show.

"We reached out to Quincy and invited him back," says Kaye. "As soon as he walked in the studio you could tell by the look on his face how happy it made him. We asked him to record some liners and promos for us. Dude was a natural."

Some listeners have even called in to ask if Quincy could record phone messages and other audio projects for them. "He could really have a long career ahead of him," says Kaye.

And what did Quincy think about the experience? "It was stupendously fun," exclaims the teen, "And I can't wait to do more radio work; either for Mark or anywhere else!"

The Mark Kaye Show airs on WOKV in Jacksonville, FL, WDBO in Orlando, FL, WHIO in Dayton, OH, KRMG in Tulsa, OK, and WGAU in Athens, GA.

The Mark Kaye Show can also be seen every Saturday at 7:00pm on NEWSMAX TV.

"Kaye's Kids" is a special Times program of Dreams Come True of Jacksonville.

Contact:

Mark Kaye

3019383044

[email protected]

SOURCE Mark Kaye
DENVER, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The ONE Club for Creativity  Denver's Annual Paper Fashion Show featuring haute couture fashions made entirely from paper by Colorado-area designers will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2022, 5:30 p.m. at the Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $35 and can be purchased at https://www.paperfashionshow.com/ .

"Since 2004, this event has continued to grow and push artistic boundaries through the paper medium," said Lindsay Buemi, Paper Fashion Show event co-manager. "Every year, I'm astonished by this creative platform and its ability to bring together so many generations from bourgeoning students to professional artists."

In its 16th year, the Paper Fashion Show has grown to be the largest paper fashion show in the nation. This year, 36 design teams will be strutting their fashions from paper donated by Neenah Paper , Mohawk , CTI Paper USA , and coordinated by Kelly Spicers .

The tickets range from $35 - $135. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and a cocktail hour will be hosted until 7 p.m. with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. The event will feature DJ Simone Says and Ya Girl Cedes will emcee the event. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the event benefit Downtown Aurora Visual Arts .

Sponsors and community event partners include: Bailey Van Etten , Bar Max , CTI Paper USA , D&K Printing , Eyecandy Graphics , Hofmeister Creative , International Paper , Leslie Van Stelten Photography , Link Product Development , Michelle Booren Art , Mohawk , Neenah Paper , Philosophy Communication , Piggyback Press , Proud Communications , ReCreative Denver , Rizzi , Sappi , Kelly Spicers , The Rivetier and Topo Chico .

Additional Information

For video assets and photography, visit https://www.paperfashionshow.com/media/

About The ONE Club for Creativity  Denver I Paper Fashion Show

The ONE Club for Creativity  Denver is a multi-disciplinary, 501c3 non-profit organization promoting collaborative creative culture throughout Colorado's Rocky Mountain Region. Since 2004, TOC-D has produced its signature Paper Fashion Show event, the nation's largest paper fashion show dedicated to featuring haute couture fashions made entirely from paper. The event judged by an esteemed panel of top Colorado-area designers and celebrities helps support the non-profit Downtown Aurora Visual Arts, a local community organization that provides after-school arts programs for urban youth.

SOURCE The ONE Club for Creativity - Denver
DALLAS, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Academic Partnerships (AP), the leading online facilitator that helps regional public universities expand access to top-quality, affordable and workforce relevant education, today announced the appointment of Fernando Bleichmar as its Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Darab ("Rob") Ganji who is retiring from the position and will continue to serve as Senior Advisor to the company's Board of Directors.

Fernando joins AP from Cengage Group, a global education technology company that serves millions of learners, where he led their U.S. Higher Education Division. Today's announcement follows an extensive nationwide search overseen by AP's Board with the support of a globally recognized executive search firm.

Dan Branch, Chairman of the AP Board of Directors, said, "Today, more than ever, universities are seeking trusted experts to help them meet student demand for flexible and accessible education, particularly in high need areas. We are deeply thankful to Rob for his vision and leadership in realizing AP's high-impact mission and his unwavering commitment to our employees, our university customers and the success of their students. Under his leadership, AP has grown to support more than 55 universities and more than 750 high need programs. Building on that foundation, we anticipate Fernando will elevate AP to great heights. He brings deep experience and a strong skill set to the job, having 20 years of experience in higher ed and strategic leadership roles, with a stellar record of growth and innovation."

Fernando served in leadership roles at Cengage Group for eight years, most recently as Executive Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Higher Education. During his tenure at Cengage Group, he also served as Chief Product Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to joining Cengage Group, he held roles at Elsevier Health Sciences and The Boston Consulting Group. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

In joining AP, Fernando Bleichmar said, "In talking to hundreds of universities and students over the years, I know the life-changing benefits of education. I've also seen the challenges many students face to access affordable education in a flexible way that allows them to achieve their goals. AP's commitment to realizing its mission is one reason I'm so proud to be joining the company and helping build upon this important legacy. I look forward to leading AP as we continue to support the needs of our university partners with a single-minded focus on driving university and student success."

"It was a great privilege to have been Academic Partnerships CEO for nearly four years and to serve AP's talented team in supporting regional universities and their students," said Rob Ganji. "Our commitment, aligned with our university partners, to affordable access, student success and workforce needs transforms lives, and I am honored to have played a part. Today, AP's mission is ever more critical, and I am pleased to hand the baton to a skilled and passionate leader to guide the company into its next chapter."

Dan Branch added, "Speaking on behalf of the entire Board, we're excited about this next phase for AP, and we look forward to working with Fernando to continue AP's mission focused on university and student success."

About Academic Partnerships

Based in Dallas, Texas, Academic Partnerships is an online facilitator that assists primarily public institutions of higher education across North America in taking their academic programs online and recruits and retains qualified students through program completion. AP's mission is to expand access to top quality, affordable and workforce relevant education, especially for working and adult students. Founded in digital innovation more than a decade ago, Academic Partnerships brings single-minded dedication, an integrated set of services and data-driven performance to our collaboration with university partnerseven more so as we face the challenges brought on by COVID-19. For more information on innovative online learning solutions, please visit www.academicpartnerships.com.

SOURCE Academic Partnerships
ANNAPOLIS, Md., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Access Ready has no confidence in the direction or choices being made by the Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) where a new pollbook system is concerned.

After a year of talking, we have found they have no real interest in accessibility.

They say they do, but their actions indicate otherwise.

Access Ready, and its community partners the IMAGE Center for People with Disabilities of Maryland, the National Association of the Deaf, and the National Federation of the Blind, seek to ensure that Marylanders with disabilities are able to exercise their right to vote with the same independence and privacy afforded to people without disabilities.

Access Ready presented our concerns to the state's Board of Public Works (BPW), asking them to reject the SBE's proposed $24 million contract with DemTech for an electronic pollbook system.

The Access Ready community partners are extremely concerned that the vendor selected by the SBE will not provide pollbooks that are accessible to people with disabilities. Marylanders with disabilities have faced this situation over and over again - state agencies like the SBE purchase expensive technology that does not prioritize accessibility and decline to adopt available technology that is already accessible. Again and again, agencies like the SBE accept vague vendor promises to add accessibility eventually - promises that never materialize.

The SBE's chosen vendor - DemTech -- has no history of accessible technology. DemTech's website does not even suggest that its electronic pollbooks are accessible. Access Ready's request for a demonstration of DemTech's accessibility went unanswered.

Only when the Board of Public Works demanded they meet with us did the meeting take place.

Unfortunately, the meeting did not allay our fears. The representatives of Demtech could not answer any of our questions about plans to make their product accessible.

The SBE may not have learned from past experience that purchasing technology based on vague promises of future accessibility is unwise, expensive, and illegal. But Access Ready and its community partners have learned those lessons.

We know that a technology vendor that cannot assert its accessibility, that has no history of accessibility, and that will not willingly engage with the disability community, is unlikely to produce an accessible product - no matter how eloquently it promises to do so. We have seen it too often - lofty promises give way to time pressure and other priorities. In the end, the promises turn into excuses. People with disabilities are left without options. And the technology is out of date and replaced before it is ever made accessible.

To avoid exactly this outcome, Access Ready raised their concerns with the Board in March. But here we are again - relying on hope and promises. For $24 million, Marylanders with disabilities deserve much more than hope and promises.

If the SBE chooses to go ahead with the inaccessible pollbooks, it is likely to violate Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal civil rights laws - Again.

Access Ready and its community partners will have to enforce those civil rights laws - Again.

The SBE will have to purchase a new accessible pollbook system or pay an expert to make the DemTech system accessible - needlessly increasing the cost to Maryland taxpayers - Again.

"The BPW has an opportunity to avoid this endless vicious cycle and to stand up for the civil rights of Marylanders with disabilities. If the Maryland Board of Public Works is unable to verify the accessibility of the electronic pollbook system, we request that the Maryland Board of Public Works reject the proposed SBE contract with DemTech.

Press Contacts:

Access Ready

Douglas George Towne

Chair and Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

(c) 727-452-8132

Brown Goldstein & Levy - Paul Herrmann

[email protected]

SOURCE Access Ready, Inc.
DUBLIN, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "ADC Cytotoxic Payloads / Warheads: Products and Services Market, 2021-2035" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

With six approved drugs, namely POLIVYT (2019), LUMOXITIT (2018), BESPONSA (2017), MYLOTARGT (2017, reapproval), KADCYLA (2013) and ADCETRIS (2011), and more than 300 candidates in the pipeline (clinical/preclinical stages), antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as a promising class of therapeutics for the treatment of various disease indications.

Over time, medical researchers have been able to further develop their understanding of the intricacies of ADC design and have also improved the development process of these complex pharmacological interventions. ADCs are engineered therapeutics comprised of monoclonal antibodies attached to potent cytotoxic payloads through chemical linkers. Given the fact that ADCs are highly potent cytotoxic molecules, the manufacturing of ADCs requires elaborate technical capabilities and highly potent chemical substances.

Specifically, the multi-step process of production of cytotoxic payloads, which are used in ADCs, requires a contained environment, dedicated manufacturing facilities, specialized analytical and purification techniques, and storage facilities. However, several ADC developers do not have the in-house capabilities to manufacture cytotoxic payload on a commercial scale and tend to rely on contract manufacturers. As per the estimates, 70-80% of ADC manufacturing operations are outsourced.

Since 2000, several contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), offering HPAPI and cytotoxic drug related services have been established to cater to the rise in demand of cytotoxic payloads in ADCs and other similar therapeutic interventions.

In addition, several ADC developers have forged strategic partnerships with payload providers to advance the development of pipeline ADC candidates. Given the growing clinical pipeline of ADCs, coupled to the various technological advancements, the market for ADC payloads and warheads is anticipated to witness substantial growth in the coming years.

Scope of the Report

The report offers a comprehensive study of the current and future opportunity within the ADC payloads and warheads market. The study features an in-depth analysis, highlighting the capabilities of developers/contract services providers engaged in this domain.

In addition to other elements, the study includes:

A review of the overall market landscape of the companies offering ADC payloads and warheads, featuring a detailed analysis based on the type of payload, type of microtubule inhibitors, DNA damaging agents and topoisomerase inhibitors. In addition, it includes information on the developer's year of establishment, and location of headquarters and company size of the players.

Elaborate profiles of players involved in the manufacturing of ADC payloads and warheads. Each profile features a brief overview of the company, its facility location, its financial information (if available), recent developments, and an informed future outlook.

An analysis of the partnerships that have been established in this domain since 2016, covering instances of licensing agreements, R&D agreements, mergers/acquisitions, manufacturing and supply agreements, product development agreements, service alliance, product development and commercialization agreements, and other relevant types of deals.

An analysis of the investments made, including seed funding, venture capital financing, debt funding, grants, capital raised from IPOs and subsequent offerings, at various stages of development, in companies focused on the development of ADC payloads and warheads.

A review of the expansions that have undertaken by the players engaged in developing ADC payloads and warheads for enhancing their respective offerings. It features a detailed analysis based on a number of parameters, including year of expansion, type of expansion (capacity expansion, facility expansion and new facility), location of facility and leading players.

An in-depth analysis of the various patents that have been filed/granted related to ADC payloads and warheads, highlighting key trends across the parameters, such as publication year, patent type, geographical location, issuing authority, assigned CPC symbol, emerging focus areas, and leading industry players (in terms of size of intellectual property portfolio). In addition, it includes a patent benchmarking analysis and a detailed valuation analysis.

An informed estimate of the annual clinical/commercial demand for ADC paylaods and warheads (in kilograms), taking into account parameters such as target patient population, dosing frequency and dose strength of approved products and clinical stage candidates.

A case study on the ADCs that are already approved and those that are under development (clinical and preclinical), providing information on their phase of development (approved, clinical and preclinical/discovery stage), therapeutic area, line of treatment, dosing regimen, target antigen, antibody isotype, type of linker, type of payload/warhead and type of payload category. In addition, it provides a list of ADC developers, along with information on their year of establishment, company size and geography. The chapter also highlights the key players (in terms of number of drugs developed) in this industry.

A case study on the ADC contract manufacturing market, highlighting a list of contract service providers and in-house manufacturers that are currently active in this space.

The chapter includes a detailed review of the overall landscape of companies offering contract services for the manufacturing of ADCs, along with information on the type of service offered, other services offered, scale of operation (preclinical, clinical and commercial) and location of manufacturing facilities.

One of the key objectives of this report was to evaluate the existing market size and the future potential of the ADC payloads and warheads market in the mid to long term.

Year-wise projections of the current and future opportunity have further been segmented on the basis of [A] type of payload (microtubule inhibitors, DNA damaging agents, topoisomerase inhibitors and Others) [B] payload/warhead (maytansinoids, auristatins, camptothecins, maytansinoids, pyrrolobenzodiazepines, calicheamicin, duocarmycin and Others), [C] type of product (clinical and commercial ADC) and [D] key geographies (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World).

In order to account for future uncertainties and to add robustness to our model, we have provided three forecast scenarios, namely conservative, base, and optimistic scenarios, representing different tracks of the anticipated industry's growth.

The opinions and insights presented in the report were influenced by discussions held with senior stakeholders in the industry.

The report features detailed transcripts of interviews held with the following industry stakeholders:

Kevin Daley (Market Director, Novasep)

(Market Director, Novasep) Floris Van Delft (Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Synaffix)

All actual figures have been sourced and analyzed from publicly available information forums and primary research discussions. Financial figures mentioned in this report are in USD, unless otherwise specified.

Key Questions Answered

Who are the leading players engaged in the development of ADC payloads and warheads?

Which partnership models are commonly adopted by stakeholders in this field?

What are the investment trends in this industry?

What are the key regions targeted by contract manufacturers for expanding or setting up of new facilities?

What is the current global demand for ADC payloads and warheads?

How is the current and future market opportunity likely to be distributed across key market segments?

Companies Mentioned

AbbVie

Abzena

ACES Pharma

ADC Therapeutics

Advanced Proteome Therapeutics

Alteogen

Antengene

Aptamer Group

Arrowpoint Partners

Ash Stevens

Avoro Capital Advisors

Bain Capital Life Sciences

Biospring Partners

Bliss Biopharmaceutical

BOC Sciences

Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund

BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology

Bristol Myers Squibb

Cambrex

Cancer Research UK

CARBOGEN AMCIS

Celltrion

Cerbios

Cfm Oskar Tropitzsch

AGC Biologics

Consonance Capital Investors

CordenPharma

Cormorant Asset Management

Creative Biolabs

Daiichi Sankyo

DH-LT-Investments

dievini Hopp Biotech

Eisai

Emergence Therapeutics

Exelixis

Femtogenix

Formosa Laboratories

GamaMabs Pharma

GEA Pharma Systems

General Catalyst

Glycotope

Goodwin Biotechnology

Gustave Roussy

Heidelberg Pharma

Iconic Therapeutics

ICROM

IDT Biologika

Iksuda Therapeutics

ImmunoGen

Innovent Biologics

Innovate UK

Invus

IONTAS

Kyowa Kirin

LegoChem Biosciences

Levena Biopharma

LI-COR Biosciences

Lonza

MabPlex

MacroGenics

Magenta Therapeutics

MD Anderson Cancer Center

MediaPharma

Mersana Therapeutics

MilliporeSigma (Merck)

MImAbs

MINAKEM

Mirae Asset Capital

Moderna

MuseChem

Navrogen

NBE Therapeutics

NerPharMa

New Enterprise Associates

NewBio Therapeutics

NJ Bio

Novartis

Novasep

Novo Holdings

Permira

Pfizer

PharmaMar

PinotBio

Piramal Pharma Solutions

Polar Capital Biotechnology Fund

PPF Group

Premier Partners

Rakuten Group

Rakuten Medical

Recipharm

Regeneron

Rock Springs Capital

SBI Group

Seagen

SEAL INVESTMENTS

Shimadzu

SOTIO

Spirogen (part of AstraZeneca)

STA Pharmaceutical (a subsidiary WuXi AppTec)

Synaffix

Syngene

Synthon

Takeda

TBD-Biodiscovery

Telix Pharmaceuticals

The University of Texas at Austin

University of Goettingen

Vincerx Pharma

Waterstone Pharmaceuticals

Wellington Management

WuXi Biologics

WuXi XDC

Zurich School of Applied Sciences

Zymeworks

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rzztz6

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
RAIPUR, India, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research, a leading market research firm has launched a report on the Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market which provides an in-depth analysis of the market dynamics, current and emerging trends, industry forecast, and competitive landscape.

Click Here to get the free sample pdf: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/2459/aircraft-electrical-solid-state-power-controller-SSPC-market.html#form

How is the Report Helpful?

The report has a very high utility for the key decision-makers and strategists in terms of accurate market insights, future growth opportunities, and key success factors.

Most importantly, the report analyses the possible impact of COVID-19 on the market dynamics which offers cushioning against the uncertain business environment and helps in streamlining the resources and investment decisions in a fruitful manner.

What are the Top Market Drivers?

According to the report, the Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller market is driven by a host of factors, some of which are noted below:

Faster operation and high service life expectancy as compared to contactors and circuit breakers.

Stable long-term demand for Commercial Aircraft.

The report also includes growth rate estimates based upon the intensity of drivers and constraints and provides the users with several graphical illustrations of the key insights.

Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market Segmentation:

Stratview Research has segmented the market in the following 4 ways which fulfill the market data needs of multiple stakeholders across the industry value chain.

Phase Type (Single Phase and Three Phase)

(Single Phase and Three Phase) Aircraft Type (Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, General Aviation, Helicopter, Military Aircraft, and UAV)

(Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, General Aviation, Helicopter, Military Aircraft, and UAV) Fit Type (Original Equipment and Aftermarket)

(Original Equipment and Aftermarket) Region ( North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of the World).

Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market Insights

Market Trends by Phase Type:

Based on the phase-type, the aircraft electrical SSPC market is classified as single-phase and three-phase systems.

Between system types, three-phase system is expected to remain the dominant segment of the market during the forecast period as these systems require less assembly time and can transmit more power at a lower cost.

Market Trends by Aircraft Type:

Similarly, based on the aircraft type, the market is segmented as commercial aircraft, regional aircraft, general aviation, helicopter, military aircraft, and UAV.

Among these aircraft types, commercial aircraft is expected to remain the dominant as well as the fastest-growing segment of the market during the forecast period.

Commercial aircraft has been under immense pressure due to several setbacks including the grounding of B737Max in 2019 followed by the onset of the pandemic

Despite short-term market challenges, it is estimated that the long-term demand remains sustainable. Boeing, in its outlook 2021-2040, estimates that 43,610 commercial and regional aircraft are likely to be delivered in the next 20 years, assuring a healthy demand in the years to come.

General Aviation and military aircraft are other market segments that are likely to generate sizeable demand for SSPCs in the years to come.

Which region offers the best opportunity and growth?

In terms of regions, North America is expected to remain the largest market for aircraft electrical SSPCs during the forecast period. This is primarily due to the large usage of aircraft for regional, commercial, as well as military applications in the region. Moreover, the regional investments in military aircraft (fighter aircraft and helicopters) are the largest across the globe.

Concurrently, Asia-Pacific is also likely to create significant market opportunities in the upcoming years, driven by the expected rebound in air passenger traffic paired with the opening of assembly plants in the region, mainly in China, Japan, and India.

COVID-19 Impact on the Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market

COVID-19 has put an instant halt to many industries across the globe. Lockdown norms in several countries have swiftly affected the global economy by affecting the supply chain, production, and demand in the market. Both direct, as well as indirect impacts of the pandemic, have been incorporated in this report.

To know more about the covid-19 impact, get a free sample report, here:

https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/2459/aircraft-electrical-solid-state-power-controller-SSPC-market.html#form

Who are the Top Market Players?

After a thorough analysis of the market, the experts have listed few key players and discussed company profiles of below-given players -

GE Aviation

Safran Group

Collins Aerospace (Raytheon Technologies Corporation)

TransDigm Group, Inc.

What deliverables will you get in this report?

- In-depth analysis of the Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market.

- Detailed market segmentation.

- Competitive-landscape analysis.

- Historical, present, and future market size analysis.

- Industry trends, technologies, and advancements.

- Growth and operation strategies adopted by key players.

- Potential segments/regions offering promising growth.

- Geographical presence of the key players.

Related reports which might be useful:

1. Avionics and Radio Test Market

2. Aircraft Circuit Breakers Market

About us 

Stratview Research is a global market research firm that offers reliable market reports, market entry strategies, strategic growth consulting, and more. The market experts compile high-quality market information to help users obtain granular level clarity on current business trends and expected future developments. Stratview Research also offers customisation of the reports. Reach out to the analysts to customize the given report according to your priority/requirement.

Stratview Research has also launched 'Composights', an online portal that offers free thought leadership reports, whitepapers, market report synopsis, and much more for Composites and allied industries, worth US$ 20,000 every year.

Click here to sign up (No costs involved): https://www.stratviewresearch.com/composights/sign-in

Connect with the team at 

Stratview Research

E-mail: [email protected]

Direct: +1-313-307-4176

SOURCE Stratview Research
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Underwriter Company, an ALM business, is launching the third course in the six-course Cannabis Insurance Coverage Specialist (CICS) designation, Understanding and Handling Cannabis Insurance Claims.

"We know that there are specific considerations involved in handling cannabis-related claims. With this course, we wanted to provide critical information for adjusters, as well as professionals insuring, representing or serving the cannabis industry. This deep dive into cannabis insurance claims will also bring better understanding to everyone involved, including growers, suppliers, manufacturers, dispensaries and others who are critical to this specialized industry," notes Molly Miller, ALM's chief content officer.

Understanding and Handling Cannabis Insurance Claims provides cannabis adjusters, other insurance professionals, and those involved in cannabis-related businesses, with additional information on cannabis and hemp to aid in their understanding of coverages in relation to ISO product definitions, exclusions, and exceptions. It starts with an overview of general claims before diving into cannabis-exclusive claims topics including exclusions and documentation. The course then takes a much deeper look at the claims-handling process in relation to cannabis for most major types of coverages, including auto, commercial general liability (CGL), workers' compensation and others. The course finishes with a discussion on subrogation, fraud, and ethics issues that arise with the unique topic of cannabis-related claims coverages, as well as sample questions to assist an adjuster in a cannabis claim investigation.

"National Underwriter's cannabis claims module is the bedrock for this emerging market. The deep dive into policy language prompts insurers and agents to carefully consider what is and is not covered," says subject matter expert, Chantal M. Roberts of CMR Consulting. "Without this fundamental, vital knowledge, insurance professionals would be unable to properly serve the cannabis and cannabis-touching communities."

Marijuana legalization is increasing across the United States, and more and more organizations have connections to cannabis-related businesses, which have unique insurance and risk management needs. The forward-thinking Cannabis Insurance Coverage Specialist (CICS) designation is being developed by ALM's subject matter experts and thought leaders in conjunction with multiple insurance, legal and cannabis industry authorities. The coursework is hot off the presses, and it's being developed and updated to reflect the ever-evolving cannabis industry.

Along with Cannabis Insurance 101 and Managing the Risks of Cannabis-Related Businesses, this latest course, Understanding and Handling Cannabis Insurance Claims, is the next step toward the Cannabis Insurance Coverage Specialist (CICS) designation, designed to help anyone understand the key issues, risks and business needs to be successful in operating and advising a cannabis-related business.

To register for the course at the introductory price of $199 or to learn more, visit www.nutraining.com or contact Johanna Abshear, Client Success Coordinator, by phone at 859-692-2131 or by email at [email protected] .

About ALM

ALM, an information and intelligence media company, provides customers with critical news, data, analysis, marketing solutions and events to successfully manage the business of business. ALM serves a community of more than 7 million business professionals in the legal, finance, insurance and commercial real estate industries. Please visit www.alm.com for more information.

ALM Media Contact:

Johanna Abshear

859-692-2131

[email protected]

SOURCE ALM
YANGON, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A military fighter jet crashed on Wednesday during a routine training, killing its pilot, a military spokesperson told Xinhua.

The fighter jet crashed into a lake east of Ohn Taw village, Sagaing region at about 10:43 a.m. local time (0413 GMT) on Wednesday.

The crash was attributed to technical malfunction, the spokesperson said.

The single seat fighter jet crashed after losing contact with the Tada-U airbase of the Myanmar Air Force, he added. 
KOCHI, India, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arjuna Natural Pvt. Ltd. has appointed Anup Krishnan as its CEO to lead the company to the next stage of market growth. Krishnan brings his vast experience in multidisciplinary areas and will steer the company through accelerating the pace of innovation, expanding manufacturing capacity, and implementing advanced manufacturing and delivery processes.

Arjuna Natural Names Anup Krishnan as New CEO

Krishnan holds two Master's degrees, one in chemistry from the University of Kerala and another in polymer technology from Cochin University of Science. He also completed the Advanced Strategic Management Program at the Indian Institute of ManagementKozhikode, India.

Krishnan brings to Arjuna 25 years of experience in innovation, business development, and operations. In his last assignment, Krishnan held dual roles at Kraton Polymers India Pvt. Ltd. He was the Managing Director of company operations, and, as the company's technical director he was in charge of all the innovation programs from India. Prior to this, Krishnan headed the Performance & Specialty Materials group for Syngene International, Ltd. in Bangalore, focusing on specialty chemicals for healthcare and cosmetics. He previously worked for GE, SABIC & Momentive, and other leading tech companies.

With his strong scientific, business, and technical background, Krishnan's primary objectives are to assure business growth by creating greater value to customers, offering innovative solutions and cost-effective delivery. Future plans include expanding in existing markets and entering new, growing markets.

"We welcome Anup Krishnan to Arjuna as the new CEO and head of the company," announces P. J. Kunjachan, Chairman & Managing Director of Arjuna. "His vast experience in R&D, leading innovation and technological change and process optimization, will help take the company to new horizons, accelerate growth through innovation in designing new products, and enhance the essence and core values of Arjuna and its talented team of experts."

"I'm excited to contribute to Arjuna's journey of exploring and creating branded botanical ingredients that will make a positive impact on consumers' well-being," states Krishnan. "We're already building a roadmap that positions all the company's ingredients for increased success. Arjuna's strength lies in its professional team of experts and ongoing commitment to grow and produce sustainable botanical extracts. I'm very impressed by the clean, science-based product portfolio of Arjuna and look forward to expanding that portfolio to better serve consumers worldwide."

"In 2021 we witnessed growth in the demand for high-potency, low-dose ashwagandha extract, Shoden as well as Rhuleave-K, a proprietary botanical formula clinically supported to for safe pain relief," notes Benny Antony, PhD, Joint Managing Director for Arjuna and inventor of BCM-95 (CURCUGREEN). "We are excited to enter a phase of increased innovation and accelerated growth. Mr. Krishnan's rich experience leading innovation teams will help Arjuna achieve this innovation-driven growth cycle."

About Arjuna Natural Pvt. Ltd.

For more than a quarter of a century, Arjuna Natural (Arjuna Natural Private Limited.) has been India's leading manufacturer of standardized spice and botanical extracts for food supplement industries, dedicated to ecofriendly and sustainable practices. Established in 1992, the company has grown rapidly, with customers in 64 countries, and has an advanced research facility that works in collaboration with international universities on phytochemistry, pharmacokinetics, formulation, development, pre-clinical and toxicity studies. Arjuna Natural's facilities comply with the highest world standards, are GMP-certified, and have ISO, NSF, and halal and Star-K kosher certification.

For further information please contact:

Company Contact Press Contact Arjuna Natural Pvt Benny Antony, PhD Joint Managing Director Email: [email protected] Website: www.arjunanatural.com Twitter: @ArjunaExtracts NutriPR Liat Simha Tel: +972-9-9742893 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nutripr.com Twitter: @LiatSimha

SOURCE Arjuna Natural Ltd.
BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Artemis, the leading Industrial Tech private equity firm, has announced the promotion of Olly Forrer to Principal. Forrer joined Artemis in 2018 and most recently served as a Vice President.

According to the Firm, Forrer's dual-track development  including both investment and portfolio responsibilities  is reflective of Artemis's hybrid value-creation model and the depth and growth of its next generation of leaders.

"From Day 1, Olly has been a true believer in Artemis's Vision to be the most trusted company builder in Industrial Tech  and a key contributor to the Firm's progress toward that goal. Olly is smart, technical, and tireless in everything he does  from driving transactional excellence to empowering our talented Origination, Operating, and Portfolio Teams to be their best selves." said James Ward, Partner at Artemis. "We're grateful for Olly's contributions to Artemis and congratulate him on his promotion to Principal."

Forrer currently serves on the Artemis portfolio boards of Superior Technical Ceramics (STC), Tekscan, and RM Lucas with previous Board service at BioDot.

Peter Hunter, Partner at Artemis, noted: "At Artemis, we ask a lot of our team members as we endeavor to build the very best Team in Industrial Tech. As his promotion acknowledges, Olly has consistently answered that call: showcasing a tremendous talent ceiling, keen analytical decision-making, and a commitment to continuous learning across his investment and operational duties. We look forward to Olly's continued contributions to the success of Artemis -- and his continued growth as a leader."

Before joining Artemis, Olly worked at Canaccord Genuity and AGC Partners in Tech investment banking roles and earned dual B.S. degrees in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

About Artemis

Founded in 2010, Artemis is a Boston-based private equity firm focused on acquiring and growing differentiated Industrial Tech companies, whose people and products contribute to a healthier, safer, and more productive tomorrow. For more information on Artemis, please visit: www.artemislp.com.

SOURCE Artemis Capital Partners
The report on the automotive navigation system market in North America covers the following areas:

Vendor Landscape

The market structure is expected to remain fragmented during the forecast period. Vendors are deploying different organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market.

Aisin Corp., Continental AG, DENSO Corp., Faurecia SE, JVCKENWOOD Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Pioneer Corp., Renault sas, Robert Bosch GmbH, and TomTom International BV, among others, are some of the few key vendors competing to maintain their market position in the market.

View more about the market's vendor landscape highlights with a comprehensive list of vendors and their offerings.

Key Market Segmentation

Segmentation by Product:

IVS:



The IVS segment will contribute largely to the overall market growth during the forecast period.





The adoption of voice assistance technology in IVS has been increasing in recent years. This helps in substituting touch-based destination entry and avoiding possible distractions. These advances are expected to contribute to the growth of the market during the forecast period.



PND

Segmentation by type:

Passenger cars :

:

In terms of type, the passenger cars segment will account for the highest market growth during the forecast period.





Passenger cars are equipped with navigation systems mounted atop the dashboard or installed in the dashboard. These factory-installed navigation systems offer better accuracy than navigation provided by smartphones, more features, and better integration.



Commercial vehicles

Request a FREE Sample of this report for more highlights into the market segments.

Regional Market Outlook

The US will contribute 76% of the market growth during the forecast period. This is because the penetration of automobiles in the US is very high due to the high purchasing power of people. Moreover, market growth in this country will be faster than the growth of the market in Mexico.

Download our FREE sample report for more key highlights on the regional market share of most of the above-mentioned countries.

Latest Trends and Drivers in the Automotive Navigation System Market in North America

Market Driver:

Increasing preference for onboard navigation systems over external devices:

The increasing preference for using onboard navigation systems such as IVS over external devices such as smartphones will contribute to the growth of the automotive navigation system market in North America. The display of an embedded navigation system is developed in accordance with external factors such as sunlight glare, heating, and car shaking. Furthermore, the GPS receiver of an IVS has a better capacity for receiving signals from GPS satellites than a smartphone.

Market Trend:

Increased usage by logistics companies:

The e-commerce sector in North America has witnessed significant growth in recent years. There is an increase in pressure on e-commerce companies to deliver their products to their customers on time due to the growing e-commerce sector in the region. Hence, several e-commerce companies in the region are collaborating with logistic providers for offering business to customer (B2C) delivery.

Find additional information about various other market drivers & trends mentioned in our FREE sample report.

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Automotive Navigation System Market in North America 2022-2026 : Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive navigation system market growth in North America during the next five years

during the next five years Estimation of the automotive navigation system market size in North America and its contribution to the parent market

and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the automotive navigation system market in North America

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive navigation system market vendors in North America

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Automotive Navigation System Market Scope in North America Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 1.99% Market growth 2022-2026 1.57 mn units Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 1.78 Regional analysis US, Canada, and Mexico Performing market contribution US at 76% Key consumer countries US Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Aisin Corp., Continental AG, DENSO Corp., Faurecia SE, JVCKENWOOD Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Pioneer Corp., Renault sas, Robert Bosch GmbH, and TomTom International BV Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2021

Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Product

Market segments

Comparison by Product

IVS - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

PND - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by Product

Market Segmentation by Type

Market segments

Comparison by Type

Passenger cars - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Commercial vehicles - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by Type

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Mexico - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor Landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Aisin Corp.

Continental AG

DENSO Corp.

Faurecia SE

JVCKENWOOD Corp.

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Pioneer Corp.

Renault sas

Robert Bosch GmbH

TomTom International BV

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
SHENZHEN, China and HONG KONG, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Azoya, an award-winning social commerce solution provider and full-service agency based in China today launched a turnkey social commerce suite, which assists renown cultural-retail pioneer K11 to develop a robust social presence in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). As a leading solution provider, with over 9 years of market expertise in China e-commerce and social media private domain marketing skills, Azoya supports dozens of premium international practices to grow their businesses in China's immense retail market.

One of the key features of the mini-program launched by Azoya is to integrate deeply with K11 membership system KLUB11. The fully-customized solution allows K11's private domain customers to earn and burn points in the same mechanism as in offline stores. Customers are allowed to redeem for both physical and virtual gifts. During the social distancing stipulation, this approach boosts exposure for tenants looking for increased access to customers.

The escalating Covid-19 situation continues to affect Hong Kong retailers. Shopping malls, pharmacies and duty-free businesses cannot get access to foreign customers and tourists, while local customers must continue to comply with social distancing. In response, retailers are turning to digital methods to continue their operations and serve customers whose demand for merchandise remains strong.

As an initiative to service the large portfolio of tenants, K11, an unique concept brand combines art and commerce in commercial with a growing portfolio of brands across different sectors in Greater China and around the world, which owns the iconic K11 Art Mall and K11 MUSEA, is exploring the opportunity with Azoya to deploy social commerce using the popular WeChat platform. As part of the solution, Azoya successfully assisted K11 to launch K11 Go HK WeChat mini-program using the proprietary technology of Azoya SaaS, and fully integrating with WeChat Work, where customers can interact directly with tenants and smart sales consultants. The mini-program leverages K11's strong portfolio of tenants and capacity of acquiring customer traffic both offline and online to increase overall brand awareness, customer loyalty and revenues for tenants, including Beyorg, Carbali, Champion, Kids 21, L'Occitane, Penhaligon's, Thann and a dozen more brands who are also available on the physical premises.

One of the key features of the mini-program launched by Azoya is to integrate deeply with K11 membership system KLUB11. The fully-customized solution allows K11's private domain customers to earn and burn points in the same mechanism as in offline stores. Customers are allowed to redeem for both physical and virtual gifts. During the social distancing stipulation, this approach boosts exposure for tenants looking for increased access to customers.

According to latest WeChat Open Class Pro, almost 97% of shopping centers in mainland China have launched mini-programs, and total transactions of WeChat mini-program from the retail and travel sectors have surged 100%. Azoya is continuing to upgrade the solution to better support retailers that want to capitalize on this boom. "Consumers want to form a closer relationship with brands in WeChat according to our study and practice. Our data shows over 34% of customers that participated in group chats have made at least 1 purchase in the past year, and we think the number will continue to increase," says Davy Huang, director of business development from Azoya, "We are working with our retail partners to transform a large amount of idle sales reps into smart digital beauty advisors, who can interact with customers in WeChat groups, and convert interpersonal connections into deeper customer relationships."

Backed by cutting-edge technology, Azoya's solution continues to help brands and retailers quickly set a presence for the WeChat ecosystem and marketplaces, and solve practical challenges of operating WeChat ads, content, livestream campaigns, and various other WeChat Ecosystem activities. The company, founded in 2013, is eyeing major growth over the next several years, and plans to power global retailers and brands with indigenous e-commerce solutions to help them to grow in China.

About Azoya:

Azoya is a leading China e-commerce enabler, which endeavours to help overseas retailers break into China via e-commerce. The company prides itself on being the e-commerce leader that has signed exclusive agreements with the largest number of overseas retailers in China, including K11 Hong Kong, Feelunique, Pharmacy Online, and FragranceNet.

Learn more: https://www.azoyagroup.com

About K11 Group

K11 Group was founded in 2008 by renowned entrepreneur Adrian Cheng. The unique concept brand combines art and commerce in commercial and residential real estate, and a growing portfolio of brands across different sectors.

A destination 10 years in the making, K11 MUSEA, K11 Group's most ambitious Cultural-Retail development, opened its doors in 2019. Reinvigorating Hong Kong's waterfront, Cheng's vision is to make K11 MUSEA the Silicon Valley of Culture that will facilitate a broader discussion on the interconnectedness of creativity, culture and innovation.

By 2026, K11 Group will have gained a footprint of 40 projects in 10 cities across Greater China. K11 was honoured by Fast Company as one of the most innovative companies in 2019 for its disruptive retail model.

Press Contacts:





Internationa l Hong Kong

Dan Dyer Queenie Yao

513-478-7818



[email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Azoya
IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bascom Group, LLC ("Bascom") has successfully closed the offering for its fifth fully discretionary multifamily real estate investment fund. The fund, Bascom Value Added Apartment Investors V, LLC ("Fund V"), raised equity commitments of $150 million. This equity, with leverage, provides up to $500 million of buying power for multifamily acquisitions in the U.S.

Dolce Villagio

According to Bascom Principal, Chad Sanderson, "We had very strong interest in Fund V and were able to raise the $150 million maximum offering amount. Fund V included high net worth individuals, family offices, and institutions. The bulk of Fund V investors are from RIAs (Registered Investment Advisors) and are repeat investors from previous Bascom-sponsored funds." Sanderson continues, "Fund V is designed to acquire value add, distressed, and opportunistic multifamily properties between $10 million and $90 million."

To date, Fund V has acquired thirteen multifamily properties with a total cost of $460,000,000 and is targeting one to two additional acquisitions. "Our goal is to have Fund V fully invested this year," comments Jerry Fink, Managing Partner of Bascom. "Our discretionary Fund V structure allows us to not only be disciplined buyers, but to close quickly when we identify attractive investment opportunities. A number of the acquisitions were acquired off-market, avoiding the highly competitive bidding process."

"Fund V includes properties ranging from older workforce housing to newer, higher-quality multifamily communities. We plan to complete a renovation plan targeting unit interiors, building exteriors, and community amenities, in addition to implementing an institutional-quality management team," adds David Kim, Managing Partner of Bascom. "Even in this low cap rate environment, we see an opportunity to improve operating performance by leveraging our team's expertise in renovations and operating efficiencies."

"We are continually evaluating all our markets and targeting inefficiently priced properties for our Fund investments," explains Bascom's Acquisitions Manager Joe Ferguson. "The Fund has allowed us to spend more time finding the best relative risk-adjusted returns and maximizing property operations."

The Fund has acquired thirteen apartment communities to date including Dolce Villagio Townhomes, Tempe, Arizona; Arium Towne Lake, Cypress, Texas; Sierra Charles, Sierra Vista, Arizona; Spectra at Katie, Las Vegas, Nevada; Spectra East, Las Vegas, Nevada; Spectra at 4000, Las Vegas, Nevada; Suncrest Townhomes, Las Vegas, Nevada; 415 Premier, Evanston, Illinois; Echo Pointe, La Mesa, California; Renew at Decatur, Las Vegas, Nevada; Sierra Point, Sun Valley, Nevada; Sun Chase, Las Vegas, Nevada and; NMS Northridge and NMS Superior, Northridge, California.

About The Bascom Group, LLC: Bascom is a private equity firm specializing in value-added multifamily, commercial, and non-performing loans and real estate related investments and operating companies. Bascom sources value-added and distressed properties including many through foreclosure, bankruptcy, or short sales and repositions them by adding extensive capital improvements, improving revenue, and reducing expenses by realizing operational efficiencies through implementation of institutional-quality property management. Bascom, founded by principals Jerry Fink, David Kim, and Derek Chen, is one of the most active and seasoned buyers and operators of apartment communities in the U.S. Since 1996, Bascom has completed over $20.5 billion in multifamily value-added transactions encompassing 349 multifamily properties and over 90,000 units. Bascom has ranked among the top 50 multifamily owners in the U.S. Bascom's subsidiaries and joint ventures include the Bascom Value Added Apartment Investors, Shubin Nadal Associates, Spirit Bascom Ventures, REDA Bascom Ventures, Bascom Northwest Ventures, Bascom Arizona Ventures, Harbor Associates, Village Partners Ventures, and Realm Group. Bascom's subsidiaries also include Premier Workspaces, one of the largest privately held executive suite, coworking and shared workspace companies in the U.S. For additional information, please visit www.bascomgroup.com.

For more information on Fund V, please call Chad Sanderson (949-955-0888 ext. 123) or email at [email protected]

SOURCE The Bascom Group
NEW YORK, PRINCETON, N.J. and TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Berlitz Corporation, ELS and the ILSC Education Group are pleased to announce they have joined Language Education Holdings ("LEH") to form one of the largest and most comprehensive language learning and study abroad platforms in the world; with approximately 375 centers in over 70 countries, cutting-edge online delivery capabilities, thousands of multinational and corporate customers, and 800+ university relationships. Investors in LEH include Quad Partners, an education-focused private equity firm in New York, Colbeck Capital and the LEH management team and founders.

The combined organization operates two principal divisions, each of which will continue to operate under its own brand name. Management of Berlitz and ILSC/ELS will remain consistent, and customers can expect to receive the highest-quality service and attention while enjoying the added benefits the organization can now offer.

Language Instruction. Through its proven immersive methodology, Berlitz offers language instruction for learners serious about their career or academic advancement. Through its omni-channel platform, lessons are delivered online, in-person and through a hybrid approach to corporate and government clients and directly to individual learners around the world.

Berlitz's proven methodology allows learners to gain their language proficiency in the fastest time possible while also teaching the students the cultural nuances needed to be successful, both socially and in the business environment.

Study Abroad and University Pathways. The combined ILSC/ELS, with operations in the U.S., Canada , Australia and India , brings together two of the world's premier study abroad, pathways and educational travel providers. ILSC recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and ELS has been in business for over 60 years. Both businesses have a proven track record of leadership in international education, have won numerous industry awards, and have provided transformative learning and living experiences to well over a million international students.

As part of ILSC/ELS, Greystone College offers diplomas and certificates in business, marketing, hospitality, teacher training and other disciplines to adults through its seven campuses in Canada and Australia using both in-person and blended delivery models. Greystone offers students multifaceted learning and work experiences that improve their communication skills and provide valuable international exposure.

Curt Uehlein, CEO of Berlitz and ELS, said "We are thrilled to bring together these two respected international education organizations. Together, we can build off our rich histories to expand the scope and further improve the quality and convenience of our educational offerings for our customers - whether they be multinational corporations, governments, universities, individual learners or college and high school students."

Paul Schroeder, CEO of ILSC, added "ILSC is excited to be returning to the U.S. market and partnering with ELS is ideal for us. Now with more campuses and programs in the most desirable English-speaking destinations in the world, we can offer our students a wider range of learning and work opportunities than ever before."

ILSC Education Group is a portfolio company of Quad Partners, an education-focused private equity firm based in New York. Colbeck Capital, a New York based investment firm, provided financing for the transaction. Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel for Quad Partners and ILSC. Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal counsel for Colbeck. Ernst & Young Capital Advisors, LLC acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Benesse Holdings, Inc. in connection with the transaction. Houlihan Lokey served as a financial advisor to ILSC Education Group.

About LEH. LEH is the newly formed parent company of ILSC Holdings LP, and its subsidiaries, Berlitz Corporation, ELS and ILSC Education Group. LEH is now one of the largest and most comprehensive language learning and study abroad platforms in the world; with approximately 375 centers in over 70 countries, cutting-edge online delivery capabilities, thousands of multinational and corporate customers, and 800+ university relationships.

About Berlitz. Founded in 1878 and headquartered in Princeton, NJ, Berlitz is one of the largest language education companies worldwide offering comprehensive language learning programs for serious learners. Programs are delivered online, in-person and through a blended format to multinational corporations, governments, and individual learners around the world.

About ELS. For more than 60 years, students have chosen ELS to achieve their English language goals. With 12 class levels, state-of-the-art language technology centers, multiple testing services and university admission assistance, ELS ensures success through its personalized approach and commitment to student achievement. At 12 locations across the USA in partnership with over 650 universities, ELS has helped more than 1.2 million students from over 143 countries around the world learn English quickly and effectively.

About ILSC Education Group. ILSC Education Group offers life-changing educational experiences in Canada, Australia and India, some of the world's most attractive and popular English-speaking work and study destinations. ILSC offers unforgettable learning adventures at eight ILSC Language Schools in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, Australia; Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada; and New Delhi, India; and opens global career and life opportunities at its seven Greystone Colleges in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, Australia; and Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada.

About Quad Partners. Since its founding in 2000, Quad Partners has invested exclusively in the education and corporate training industries and is one of the most active and experienced investors in the space. Quad has invested in over 40 education companies, made over 60 add-on acquisitions, and built an extensive network within the industry. Quad aims to create long-term equity value by enhancing the quality metrics and mission of its businesses. They are passionate about what they do as investors and partners. Quad has managed over $1 billion and currently is investing out of its sixth fund, a $388 million vehicle.

About Colbeck Capital. Colbeck Capital is a leading, middle-market private credit manager focused on strategic lending. Colbeck partners with companies during periods of transition, providing creative capital solutions. Colbeck sponsors its portfolio companies through consistent engagement with management teams in areas such as finance, capital markets and growth strategies, distinguishing itself from traditional lenders. Founded in 2009 by Jason Colodne and Jason Beckman, the principals have extensive experience investing through market cycles at leading institutions such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

SOURCE Quad Partners LLC
BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Biofourmis, a Boston-based global leader in virtual care and digital therapeutics, announced today that Vanderbilt University Medical Center has selected Biofourmis to support a clinical study measuring the safety and efficacy of monitoring patients in a home-like outpatient setting after receiving a leading oncology drug.

Patients with large B-cell lymphoma will receive the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel (YESCARTA) by Kite, a Gilead Company. Instead of remaining in the hospital after receiving the immunotherapy, which is the current standard of care, patients will be discharged to a home-like setting near the medical center. In addition to periodic physical exams, several vital signs will be continuously monitored through Biofourmis' analytics platform, which will assist the clinical team in detecting side effects of therapy to intervene as appropriate.

Patients receiving CAR-T therapy typically need to remain in the hospital up to seven to 10 days after the treatment, primarily to monitor for side effects, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Both of these reactions can cause severe and potentially fatal side effects.

"CAR-T therapy is highly effective, but the lengthy hospital stays add cost to the system and inconvenience to patients," said Olalekan O. Oluwole, MD, MPH, associate professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology at Vanderbilt University and primary investigator for the study. "Using remote patient management technology and telemedicine, we are investigating how patients can remain safely in a home-like setting while being monitored around the clock instead of in a hospitaland it is only those who develop specific symptoms and signs that will be admitted."

Developing a New Standard of Care

In the study, patients' heart rate, body surface temperature, oxygenation levels and respiratory rate will be monitored continuously while blood pressure will be collected every four to six hours. Biofourmis will deliver this collected data through a dashboard viewable by clinicians and researchers, who will also receive notifications based on vital signs when they deviate from baseline and/or if a study participant has not entered required blood pressure readings.

Biofourmis' artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Biovitals Platform, which received 510(k) clearance from the FDA in 2019 as a medical device for ambulatory physiological monitoring, continuously collects data from medical-grade biosensors to create a personalized view for each subject. This platform enables earlier detection of adverse events such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity.

Clinicians may intervene based on data received through the Biofourmis platform. As an exploratory objective, Vanderbilt researchers will track the frequency of abnormal vital signs. The analytics will be used to identify trends in hospitalization and other outcomes.

"More and more, clinicians and researchers are exploring ways to safely and effectively care for patients from their homes, which is where most want to receive care for an acute condition or recovery after a hospital stay," said Kuldeep Singh Rajput, CEO and founder of Biofourmis. "We are honored to partner with a highly respected research-driven organization such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center on this study utilizing Biofourmis' technology to help clinicians detect early signs of an adverse reaction so they can deliver a preventive intervention. As a result, we believe this program fosters a new standard of care for the treatment of patients receiving CAR-T therapy."

About Biofourmis

Biofourmis is a fast-growing global health technology company that is focused on leveraging software and data science to deliver virtual care and develop novel digital therapies. The company's robust care management platform, [email protected], enables remote disease management across a range of medical conditions for acute, post-acute and chronic care. The solution utilizes medical-grade wearables to continuously collect patient data, which is analyzed by Biovitals, Biofourmis' highly sophisticated, clinically validated AI-powered predictive analytics engine. With support from Biofourmis' in-house clinical care team, payers and providers can leverage the solution to predict clinical deterioration in advance of a critical eventwhich enables earlier interventions for better outcomes and cost savings. Likewise, the company discovers, develops and delivers clinically validated digital therapeutics. These monotherapies or "pill plus" prescription therapeutics support payers and providers in improving patients' lives while reducing healthcare utilization and associated costs. For more information, visit: www.biofourmis.com; and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE Biofourmis
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest analysis from BizVibe, a leading company insights platform, provides detailed insights for hundreds of furniture leasing companies and thousands of other leasing companies worldwide. BizVibe's furniture leasing company insights highlight the influence that the increasing frequency at which millennials move homes is expected to have in the coming years for market participants.

Get free insights for 100+ furniture leasing companies

Snapshot of key trend impacting BizVibe's furniture leasing industry group.

Key Industry Trend  Millennials Relocating More Frequently

The millennial generation tends to move more often than older generations, which can make furniture rental more practical than purchasing cheap pieces that don't last very long, or more expensive pieces that are harder to afford. Millennials as a group have tighter budgets than their parents, and this combined with housing prices that continue to climb means that they end up moving more frequently before settling down in a home that they own. This generation is also changing jobs more often, contributing to the need to move homes.

Because people are moving more frequently than in the past, the incentive to rent furniture rather than buy it is considerably higher. Renting means less hassle deconstructing and reconstructing furniture or moving large and awkward items from place to place. It can also be more budget-friendly: consumers can afford high-quality, expensive furniture pieces without needing to save up to buy them upfront. As subscription plans become more popular options for everything from meal kits to cars, furniture rentals will become increasingly common.

Trend Geographic Relevance  High Relevance in North America

Furniture rentals have become common in North America, with high demand in the US and Canada and many rental companies operating in the two countries. The growing prevalence of subscription services and other on-demand services makes the region highly receptive to the concept. Europe is also a growing market for furniture leasing companies, with Germany expected to be a lucrative market in the coming years.

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BizVibe is transforming the way buyers and sellers do business online. Our supplier intelligence and sales intelligence tools provide best-in-class company insights to help businesses discover, track, monitor, and evaluate companies of interest. BizVibe's platform contains more than 30 million company profiles, each packed with 50+ unique insights. For more information, please visit www.bizvibe.com or start your free trial today.

SOURCE BizVibe
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Owl Capital Inc. ("Blue Owl") (NYSE: OWL) announced today it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Wellfleet Credit Partners LLC ("Wellfleet") from affiliates of Littlejohn & Co., LLC ("Littlejohn"). The transaction is expected to close in March 2022 and is subject to customary closing conditions. The purchase price consists of upfront and earnout payments, which will be primarily funded by cash. Upon closing, Wellfleet will become part of Blue Owl's Owl Rock division, reporting into Craig Packer, Co-Founder and a Senior Managing Director of Blue Owl.

"We are excited to welcome Scott, Dennis and the rest of the Wellfleet team. Wellfleet adds a complementary, scalable business to Owl Rock's existing platform of credit solutions. Wellfleet's unique expertise, together with its deep institutional knowledge of the syndicated loan market and strong credit research platform, will enhance the overall strategic capabilities of the Owl Rock business," said Craig Packer.

Founded in 2015 as the performing credit arm of Littlejohn, a private investment firm based in Greenwich, CT, Wellfleet focuses on the management of CLO portfolios of broadly syndicated leveraged loans. Wellfleet also invests in third-party CLO equity and junior mezzanine tranches on behalf of separately managed accounts. The platform manages 16 CLOs with over $6.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2021 and is led by seasoned leveraged finance professionals Scott McKay and Dennis Talley. Following the closing of the transaction, both McKay and Talley will continue serving as lead portfolio managers for the platform as employees of Blue Owl.

Scott McKay commented on behalf of Wellfleet: "The Wellfleet team is excited to partner with Blue Owl as the cultural and strategic fit will further enhance our leadership in the products we manage. We would also like to thank the partners at Littlejohn for their seven years of unyielding support and look forward to their ongoing investment in Wellfleet managed funds."

Additionally, Michael Klein, Chief Executive Officer of Littlejohn, added: "Scott and Dennis helped build a highly successful, scalable and enduring CLO franchise that is poised for continued growth. We wish them continued success."

Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel and GreensLedge served as financial advisor to Blue Owl. Stradley Ronon acted as legal counsel to Littlejohn.

About Blue Owl Capital Inc.

Blue Owl is a global alternative asset manager with $82.9* billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2021. Anchored by a strong permanent capital base, the firm deploys private capital across Direct Lending, GP Solutions and Real Estate strategies on behalf of Institutional and Private Wealth clients. Blue Owl's flexible, consultative approach helps position the firm as a partner of choice for businesses seeking capital solutions to support their sustained growth. The firm's management team is comprised of seasoned investment professionals with more than 25 years of experience building alternative investment businesses. Blue Owl employs over 350 people across 9 offices globally. For more information, please visit us at www.blueowl.com.

*Pro forma as of 9/30/21 to include AUM attributable to Oak Street which became a division of Blue Owl on December 29, 2021.

About Littlejohn & Co., LLC

Littlejohn & Co. is a Greenwich, Connecticut-based investment firm focused on both private equity and credit opportunities in middle-market companies. The Firm seeks to build sustainable success for its investments through a disciplined approach to engineering change. For more information about Littlejohn, visit www.littlejohnllc.com .

Investor Contact:

Ann Dai

+1 (212) 651-4719

[email protected]

Media Contacts:

For Blue Owl

Prosek Partners

David Wells / Nick Theccanat

[email protected]

For Littlejohn & Co.

Jonathan Gasthalter/Nathaniel Garnick/Grace Cartwright

Gasthalter & Co.

(212) 257-4170

SOURCE Blue Owl Capital Inc.
"For 30 years, Bradford White has provided critical hands-on training to contractors so they're equipped to deliver the highest level of service and can ensure their customers get the exceptional performance and value they expect from our products," said Dustin Bowerman, senior director  field services for Bradford White Water Heaters. "With our For the Pro Training Academy eLearning, we're enhancing our trusted training options with the convenience and access contractors and their teams need in today's fast-moving world."

The latest additions to the For the Pro Training Academy provide overviews and installation, maintenance and troubleshooting information on the Bradford White AeroTherm Heat Pump Water Heater and Infiniti K and L Tankless Water Heaters. The recently added training modules include:

Bradford White AeroTherm  Introduction: This course introduces users to the Bradford White AeroTherm  Heat Pump Water Heater.

This course introduces users to the Bradford White AeroTherm Heat Pump Water Heater. Bradford White AeroTherm  Installation: This course walks users through the installation processes and considerations for the Bradford White AeroTherm Heat Pump Water Heater.

This course walks users through the installation processes and considerations for the Bradford White AeroTherm Heat Pump Water Heater. Bradford White AeroTherm  Maintenance and Troubleshooting: This course walks users through the preventive maintenance procedures and provides them with information on the most common troubleshooting points for the AeroTherm  water heater.

This course walks users through the preventive maintenance procedures and provides them with information on the most common troubleshooting points for the AeroTherm water heater. Bradford White Infiniti  K and L Introduction: This course introduces users to Bradford White Infiniti K and L Tankless Water Heaters.

This course introduces users to Bradford White Infiniti K and L Tankless Water Heaters. Bradford White Infiniti  K and L Installation: This course walks users through the installation processes and considerations for the Bradford White Infiniti K and L Tankless Water Heaters.

This course walks users through the installation processes and considerations for the Bradford White Infiniti K and L Tankless Water Heaters. Bradford White Infiniti  K and L Maintenance and Troubleshooting: This course walks users through the preventive maintenance procedures and provides them with information on the most common troubleshooting points for the Infiniti  tankless water heater.

The 24x7 accessibility of the For the Pro Training Academy elevates Bradford White's commitment to offering industry professionals essential resources for success. Since 1992, when Bradford White made its commitment to the wholesale channel and professional installation, the company has trained tens of thousands of plumbing and heating technicians through live, hands-on training in the field or at the International Technical Excellence Center (iTEC) in Middleville, Michigan.

"The world-class training that Bradford White delivers is based on our dedication to championing professional contractors," Bowerman said. "In today's dynamic economic climate, with evolving customer expectations, For the Pro Training Academy provides the hard-working men and women who keep our industry running with powerful tools that enable their success."

For more information regarding all of Bradford White Water Heaters training, including the growing For the Pro Training Academy offerings, please visit http://www.bradfordwhite.com/training.

About Bradford White Water Heaters

Bradford White Water Heaters is a full-line manufacturer of residential, commercial and industrial water heating, space heating, combination heating and storage products. The company maintains headquarters in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and has manufacturing facilities in Middleville, Michigan; Niles, Michigan; and Rochester, New Hampshire; and distribution and training centers in Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit www.bradfordwhite.com.

About For the Pro

Bradford White Water Heaters' For The Pro is an exclusive website filled with information and tools to help professional contractors. The site includes helpful videos, technical and promotional material, and access to eLearning through the For the Pro Training Academy.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Bradford White Corporation
CANBERRA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck told a Senate hearing on Wednesday that the country's aged care industry is not in crisis despite a record number of coronavirus deaths.

Health officials told a parliamentary committee that a record 691 aged care residents have died with COVID-19 so far in 2022 compared to 282 in 2021 and 685 in 2020. More than 900 of Australia's 2,900 aged care facilities are currently affected by coronavirus outbreaks.

The minister has dismissed suggestions he should resign over widespread COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths in the sector.

Amid criticism from senators representing the Labor and Greens parties, Colbeck rejected calls for him to resign, saying that coronavirus deaths were not an indicator of the sector's performance.

"I pay enormous tribute to the providers and particularly the workforce. But every time you tell them how bad it is, you're saying how bad they are," he said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The federal government earlier in February announced up to 1,700 Australian Defense Force (ADF) personnel would be deployed to assist the workforce amid unprecedented staffing pressure.

Australia on Wednesday reported more than 25,000 new coronavirus infections and more than 60 deaths, including 27 in New South Wales, 18 in Victoria and 12 in Queensland.

According to Department of Health data, there were 2,949 cases being treated in hospitals on Tuesday including 222 in intensive care units.

Health Minister Greg Hunt announced on Wednesday that over half of Australians aged 16 and over have now received a coronavirus vaccine booster dose. 
MOSCOW, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chairman of the RussiaBrazil Business Council and CEO of PhosAgro, Andrey Guryev, has proposed the creation of a working group on carbon neutrality in collaboration with Brazilian businesses.

The idea was floated on 15 February in Moscow during a Forum for the two countries' Business Councils.

"Russia and Brazil account for 32% of global forests. This means that Russia and Brazil are de facto the 'lungs' of modern industrial civilisation as well as global leaders in carbon sequestration.

"It would make sense to form a working group comprised of leading scientists from Russia and Brazil, as well as regulatory organisations, to develop and validate a methodology to track carbon sequestration in Russian and Brazilian forests. The goal would be to create a mechanism for monetising carbon sequestration on a global scale.

"This could lead to the creation of a joint carbon trading platform with the goal of providing carbon credits to other carbon-emitting countries. The New Development Bank could serve as the basis for the initiative.

"I suggest that Russia and Brazil work together on the scientific and business fronts to show that they have a negative carbon footprint despite their mature industries. Given the possibility of carbon regulation in the EU, the US and later other nations around the world, this would give us an additional competitive advantage," said Mr Guryev, Deputy Chairman for Russia to the Intergovernmental RussianBrazilian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

Mr Guryev stated that, in the context of agriculture  the driving force behind Russia and Brazil's expanding trade  it is critical to jointly develop and apply technologies for soil carbon sequestration. Furthermore, Brazil was invited to join the Green Club, a newly formed group of countries that use eco-efficient fertilizers to grow crops that are free of dangerous substances. The ability to produce food using eco-efficient and potentially carbon-neutral fertilizers from Russia will create a unique green platform for interaction with Brazilian agribusiness. The green platform will enable the responsible production of agrochemicals, agricultural products and food based on sustainability principles as well as the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

The Brazilian part of the Business Council supported the recommendations, which are to be submitted to the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, on Wednesday, 16 February, during his meeting with representatives of Russian business.

SOURCE PhosAgro
DUBLIN, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "China Automotive DMS (Driver Monitoring System) Research Report, 2021" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Automotive DMS research: the installations of DMS soared by 244% on a like-on-like basis in the first nine months of 2021.

This publisher's data show that in the first nine months of 2021, China sold 251,511 sets of DMS for new passenger cars, 244% more than in the same period of the previous year, of which 15,201 sets or 6% of the total were for joint venture brand cars, and 236,310 sets or 94% of the total were for local brand cars. Top-ranked brands were Changan, Xpeng, Haval, BMW, NIO, WEY, Leapmotor, GAC Aion, ORA and JETOUR.

The main reason for the boom of DMS in China in 2021 is that local brands installed DMS in more of their models. 96,700 units of new models launched in 2021 are equipped with DMS, making up 38% of the total installations. Wherein, the key contributors include Changan UNI-T, Haval First Love (100%), Changan UNI-K (100%), Xpeng P7 (17%), Aion Y (100%), WEY Mocha (100%), Neta U (91%) , Leapmotor T03 (49%), Haval Chitu (100%), and JETOUR X70 (40%).

In the future, DMS will sustain growth, and policies will be the key driver. For example, the Guidelines for Administration of Entry of Intelligent Connected Vehicle Manufacturers and Their Products (Trial) (Draft for Comments) released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in April 2021 requires that companies should have monitoring capabilities of human-computer interaction and driver participative behaviours, boosting DMS growth; also, OEMs should equip more of their models with DMS with declining prices.

OEMs not only install more DMSs but refine and expand DMS capabilities. As well as driver drowsiness detection and face recognition, their all-new DMSs tend to enable more related functions such as gesture interaction, action recognition, expression recognition, and eyesight screen brightening.

For example, the DMS for Haval Chitu enables fatigue/distraction monitoring, face recognition (face login to IVI account, automatic personalized adjustment of the seat, theme interface, etc.), and expression recognition (recognizing expressions, e.g., happy, angry and surprised, and pushing corresponding music, air-conditioning and other features). The supplier is ArcSoft.

The DMS for SAIC Feifan MARVEL R enables fatigue/distraction monitoring, face recognition, gesture interaction (waving a hand to open and close sunroof before and after the recognition, etc.), and video conferencing (DingTalk).

Local OEMs not only favour DMS but start deploying OMS. Models including HiPhi X, Voyah FREE, GAC Aion Y, Trumpchi GS4 PLUS, Trumpchi EMPOW, ORA Good Cat, Haval Chitu, Haval First Love, WEY Mocha/VV6/VV7, JETOUR X70 PLUS, and Changan UNI-T/UNI-K have packed both DMS and OMS.

For suppliers, it can be seen that DMS solutions are rapidly fusing with other cockpit functions, or integrating with hardware.

Fusion with HUD among others

For instance, in September 2021, Melexis and emotion3D joined forces to offer a 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) demonstrator, a solution that combines the driver monitoring system (DMS) with high-precision 3D driver localization, to dynamically align augmented reality head-up displays (AR HUD) objects.

Products that integrate cluster display and interior rearview mirror come into being as well

Examples include an integrated solution for interior sensor technology unveiled by Continental in October 2021, integrating the camera directly into the cluster display for the first time ever; and the next-gen cabin monitoring system launched by Gentex in January 2021, integrated into the interior rearview mirror and combining DMS and OMS.

Extension to or fusion with in-cabin perceptions like IMS

For example, the AutoSense solution XPERI DTS introduced in late 2020, integrates DMS and OMS; the I-CS (In-Cabin Sensing) solution launched by MINIEYE in September 2021 allows accurate detection of occupants including their facial features, line of sight, gestures and joints.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction to Automotive DMS Technology

1.1 Active DMS

1.2 Working Principle and Installation Position of Active DMS

1.3 Active DMS Based on Camera and NIR

1.4 DMS Hardware Technical Architecture and Requirements

1.5 DMS Software, Algorithm Architecture and Technical Requirements

2 Automotive DMS Industry Chain and Market

2.1 Active DMS Industry Chain

2.2 Layout of Industry Chain Manufacturers

2.3 Comparison of Products between Chinese DMS Suppliers (Part)

2.4 Comparison of Products between Foreign DMS Suppliers (Part)

2.5 DMS Sales

2.6 DMS Installation by Price

2.7 DMS Installation by Brand

2.8 TOP20 Models by DMS Installations

3 Development Trends of Automotive DMS

3.1 Market Trends of DMS

3.2 Technology Trends of DMS

3.3 Software and Algorithm Trends of DMS

3.4 Progress in Related Chip Technologies

3.4.1 ON Semiconductor's Near Infra-Red+ (NIR+) Pixel Technology

3.4.2 ON Semiconductor's Next-generation RGB-IR CMOS Image Sensor Technology

3.4.3 OmniVision's Near Infrared Technology

3.4.4 OmniVision's Dedicated DMS Processor

3.4.5 OmniVision's RGB-IR Solution

3.4.6 NXP Developed DMS Solutions Based on Open Vision Platform (S32V2) and Momenta

3.4.7 TriEye Cooperated with Continental on the Implementation of Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) Imaging Systems in Driver Monitoring Systems

4 DMS Application Cases of OEMs

4.1 Comparison of DMS Functions between Brands of OEMs

4.2 Comparison of DMS Solutions between Brands of OEMs

4.3 Subaru Forester

4.4 BMW X5

4.5 Mercedes-Benz S

4.6 Cadillac CT6

4.7 DS7

4.8 Ford EVOS

4.9 Geely Xingyue

4.10 WEY VV7

4.11 Haval Chitu

4.12 ORA Good Cat

4.13 TANK 300

4.14 GAC Trumpchi GS4 PLUS

4.15 GAC Aion LX

4.15 GAC Aion Y

4.16 Chery Big Ant

4.17 EXEED Lingyun

4.17 EXEED Lanyue

4.18 JETOUR X70 PLUS

4.19 Changan UNI-K

4.20 Changan Oshan X7

4.21 BEIJING X7

4.22 ARCFOX aT

4.23 Hongqi E-HS9

4.24 Bestune T99

4.25 Feifan MARVEL R

4.26 Dongfeng Aeolux Yixuan MAX

4.27 Voyah FREE

4.28 NIO ES8

4.29 Xpeng G3

4.30 Weltmeister W6

4.31 AIWAYS U5

4.32 Neta U

4.33 Leapmotor S01

4.34 HiPhi X

4.35 HYCAN 007

5 Chinese DMS Suppliers

5.1 Autocruis Technology

5.2 Roadefend Vision

5.3 MINIEYE

5.4 SiNOCHiPAi

5.5 Dahua Technology

5.6 Hikvision

5.7 Jingwei HiRain

5.8 ThunderSoft

5.9 Horizon Robotics

5.10 VIA Technologies

5.11 Tsingtech Microvision

5.12 Hopechart

5.13 ADASPLUS

5.14 Baidu

5.15 UNTOUCH

5.16 SenseTime

5.17 ArcSoft

5.18 Enjoy Move Technology

6 Foreign DMS System Suppliers

6.1 Valeo

6.2 DENSO

6.3 Hyundai Mobis

6.4 Visteon

6.5 Bosch

6.6 Veoneer

6.7 ams OSRAM Group

6.8 Mitsubishi Electric

6.9 Aptiv

6.10 Continental

6.11 Harman

6.12 Seeing Machines

6.13 Smart Eye

6.14 Cipia

6.15 XPERI

6.16 Emotion3D

6.17 Eyeris

6.18 Tobii

6.19 Jungo

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nhqjnv

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

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SOURCE Research and Markets
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Claroty , the security company for cyber-physical systems (CPS) across industrial, healthcare, and enterprise environments, today announced its partnership with TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX), a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem. The agreement enables Claroty's channel partners to purchase The Claroty Platform, the first industrial cybersecurity solution to be made available in TD SYNNEX's portfolio, directly through TD SYNNEX. Additionally, Medigate by Claroty, healthcare's leading clinical device data security and integration platform, is now available in TD SYNNEX's portfolio as well.

"As cyber and physical systems become increasingly connected, organizations across a wide range of verticals have a growing need for security solutions that are specially designed to protect these newly formed connections," said Reyna Thompson, Senior Vice President, Product Management at TD SYNNEX. "We are delighted to strengthen our portfolio of cybersecurity offerings and provide customers with Claroty's strong visibility, protection, and threat detection solutions to secure their most critical assets."

The Claroty Platform reveals and protects all connected assets across industrial (OT), enterprise (IoT), and healthcare (IoMT) environments  the Extended IoT (XIoT)  while detecting and enabling response to the earliest indicators of potential threats. With highly flexible and rapid deployment options, a vast integration ecosystem, and robust API, the platform seamlessly integrates with customers' existing technology stacks and is universally compatible with their existing workflows regardless of scale, architecture, or programmatic maturity. The platform is also the industry's only solution with fully integrated secure remote access and remote incident management capabilities spanning the entire incident lifecycle.

Medigate, which was recently acquired by Claroty, is the industry's first and leading dedicated healthcare IoT security platform, enabling healthcare providers to safely deliver connected care. Medigate fuses its deep understanding of medical workflows and proprietary protocols with the reality of today's cybersecurity threats, so hospitals can confidently connect and operate all clinical assets on their network while ensuring patient privacy and safety.

"Teaming up with TD SYNNEX is huge value add to the Claroty FOCUS Partner Program, giving our partners greater financing options and TD SYNNEX's world-class support, pre-sales services, and global fulfillment capabilities, while also giving our customers more freedom to choose the Claroty partner that is right for them," said Keith Carter, Vice President, Worldwide Channels & Alliances at Claroty. "TD SYNNEX's ability to help organizations make the most of their technology investments will be instrumental for accelerating sales with partners and advancing our customers' cybersecurity programs."

About TD SYNNEX

TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) is a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem. We're an innovative partner helping more than 150,000 customers in 100+ countries to maximize the value of technology investments, demonstrate business outcomes and unlock growth opportunities. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, and Fremont, California, TD SYNNEX' 22,000 co-workers are dedicated to uniting compelling IT products, services and solutions from 1,500+ best-in-class technology vendors. Our edge-to-cloud portfolio is anchored in some of the highest-growth technology segments including cloud, cybersecurity, big data/analytics, IoT, mobility and everything as a service. TD SYNNEX is committed to serving customers and communities, and we believe we can have a positive impact on our people and our planet, intentionally acting as a respected corporate citizen. We aspire to be a diverse and inclusive employer of choice for talent across the IT ecosystem. For more information, visit www.TDSYNNEX.com or follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook and Instagram .

About Claroty

Claroty empowers organizations to secure cyber-physical systems across industrial (OT), healthcare (IoMT), and enterprise (IoT) environments: the Extended Internet of Things (XIoT). The company's unified platform integrates with customers' existing infrastructure to provide a full range of controls for visibility, risk and vulnerability management, threat detection, and secure remote access. Backed by the world's largest investment firms and industrial automation vendors, Claroty is deployed by hundreds of organizations at thousands of sites globally. The company is headquartered in New York City and has a presence in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

To learn more, visit www.claroty.com .

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Claroty
Parent Market Analysis

Technavio categorizes the global Consumer Biometrics Market as a part of the global information technology spending market within the global information technology market.

Technavio uses the total revenue generated by manufacturers to estimate the global consumer biometrics market size. External factors influencing the parent market's growth potential in the coming years have been thoroughly investigated in our research analysis, to know more about the levels of growth of the consumer biometrics market throughout the forecast period, Download a free sample .

Consumer Biometrics Market Value Chain Analysis

To maximize profit margins and evaluate business plans, an end-to-end understanding of consumer biometrics is required. The report will help vendors drive costs and enhance customer services during the forecast period.

Research and development

Developers or manufacturers

Sales and distribution

End-users

To unlock information about vendor drive costs and customer service, download our free sample report.

Vendor Insights

The consumer biometrics market is fragmented, and the vendors are deploying various organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. To make the best of the opportunity, the market vendors should focus more on the fast-growing segment's growth prospect while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the consumer biometrics market, including some of the vendors such as Apple Inc., ASSA ABLOY AB, Aware Inc., IDEX Biometrics ASA, NEC Corp., Princeton Identity, Qualcomm Inc., Semiconductor Components Industries LLC, Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd., STMicroelectronics NV.

Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the consumer biometrics market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Product Insights and News

ASSA ABLOY AB - Offers consumer biometrics products such as fingerprint technology, facial recognition, vein, voice and multimodal biometric systems.

Offers consumer biometrics products such as fingerprint technology, facial recognition, vein, voice and multimodal biometric systems. Aware Inc. - Offers consumer biometrics products such as AwareABIS Automated Biometric Identification System.

Offers consumer biometrics products such as AwareABIS Automated Biometric Identification System. NEC Corp. - Offers consumer biometrics products such as Multimodal biometric authentication terminal.

Consumer Biometrics market forecast report offers in-depth insights into key vendor profiles and offerings  Download Free Sample Report

Geographical Highlights

The consumer biometrics market share growth in APAC will be significant during the forecast period. China and India are the key markets for the consumer biometrics market in APAC. Market growth in this region will be slower than the growth of the market in other regions.

The growing adoption of smartphones are the primary drivers expected to drive the consumer biometrics market in APAC during the projected period.

Consumers in APAC's rising economies, such as China, India, and Indonesia, are increasingly purchasing luxury and high-priced electronic products such as smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, as their disposable incomes rise. In these countries, for example, there is a growing demand for smartphones made by companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, Apple, and Vivo Communication Technology Co. These phones have touch ID hardware, which allows you to unlock many features by simply touching them with your finger. During the projected period, demand for mobile biometrics is expected to rise due to an increase in smartphone sales in these nations.

Moreover, countries like Indonesia, the US, China, India, Germany, and UK are the key market for the consumer biometrics market in APAC.

To unlock the top strategies practiced by the maximum growth generating region, View Sample Report

Key Market Dynamics-

Consumer Biometrics Key Market Drivers:

Emergence of biometric-enabled payment cards

The fingerprint data acquired by the biometric sensor is safely stored on the card's secure chip. Because fingerprint data is not captured by the bank's computers or the card issuer, there are fewer security risks associated with using such cards. In growing economies like India, these cards are also being made available. In June 2021, the Reserve Bank of India reported that the country had 906 million debit cards and 62 million credit cards in circulation. As a result, contactless and digital payments are rapidly expanding in India. Thus, there is high scope of combining these payment cards with biometric systems. During the forecast period, such industry trends will fuel market expansion.

Consumer Biometrics Key Market Trends:

Data security and privacy concerns

Many customers object to their personal information being used for marketing purposes when they utilize a payment service. Mobile-based payment involves real-time monetary transactions via payment gateways. As a result, financial data theft on such platforms can result in significant losses for individuals. In the meantime, various mobile biometric apps may result in unintentional data leakage because users grant them broad permissions but fail to read the privacy policies. As a result, the data security and privacy risks associated with mobile wallets and biometric apps could limit market growth throughout the projection period.

Download a free sample for highlights on market Drivers & Trends affecting the consumer biometrics market.

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Consumer Biometrics Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 14.48% Market growth 2022-2026 2.31 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 19.33 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution APAC at 33% Key consumer countries US, China, India, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Apple Inc., ASSA ABLOY AB, Aware Inc., IDEX Biometrics ASA, NEC Corp., Princeton Identity, Qualcomm Inc., Semiconductor Components Industries LLC, Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd., and STMicroelectronics NV Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2021

Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Application

Market segments

Comparison by Application

Mobile - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

PC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Payments - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Access - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by Application

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor Landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Apple Inc.

ASSA ABLOY AB

Aware Inc.

IDEX Biometrics ASA

NEC Corp.

Princeton Identity

Qualcomm Inc.

Semiconductor Components Industries LLC

Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd.

STMicroelectronics NV

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us:

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Creatio, a global vendor of one platform to automate industry workflows and CRM with no-code and a maximum degree of freedom, has been recognized by G2 as one of the top vendors that are the Easiest to Do Business With and those providing the Highest Quality of Support in the enterprise category in the Relationship Index ranking.

G2 index reports provide high-level overviews of software products and services to help business users make better buying decisions based on verified user reviews gathered from G2 user community, online sources, and social networks. Index reports highlight product success in usability, implementation, relationship, or results.

This recognition speaks directly to Creatio's commitment to enable global brands to grow in their markets and is a testament to its focus on providing best-in-class customer exeperience. Created with business users in mind, Creatio's no-code platform enables knowledge workers to easily roll out applications without resorting to traditional coding. Creatio is recognized as a Leader and Strong Performer in multiple Gartner and Forrester reports. The company's products receive raving end-user reviews on peer-to-peer portals.

Test-drive Creatio's award-winning products for free >>>

About G2

G2 empowers business buying decisions by highlighting the voice of the customer. This review platform leverages more than 800,000 independent and authenticated user reviews read by more than 3 million buyers each month. Their model brings transparency to B2B buyingchanging the way decisions are made. G2's mission is to provide the insights business professionals need to gain confidence in their buying decisions and become more successful in their jobs. For more information, please visit www.g2.com .

About Creatio

Creatio is a global vendor of one platform to automate industry workflows and CRM with no-code and a maximum degree of freedom. Millions of workflows are launched on our platform daily in 100 countries by thousands of clients. Genuine care for our clients and partners is a defining part of Creatio DNA.

For more information, please visit www.creatio.com .

Media Contact:

Vera Mayuk

+1 617 765 7997

[email protected]

SOURCE Creatio
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FalconX , the digital assets and cryptocurrency platform of choice for institutional investors, today announced long-time tech executive Jon Kaplan has joined as Head of Revenue. The addition of the prominent seasoned executive comes on the heels of 30x YoY growth, a $210M round, and a $3.75B valuation.

Kaplan spent six years at Pinterest where he was responsible for the company's global revenue operations including U.S. and international ad sales and partnerships with brands and ad agencies. Under his leadership, his team worked with businesses to harness the power of the full range of Pinterest's advertising and business solutions, and grew revenue from around $100 million to over $2.5 billion.

"We are at an incredible point in time where technology is shaping many new industries and our collective future. The next billion users are coming into crypto, so being at the forefront of such a movement is an exciting opportunity," Kaplan said. "I believe in FalconX's vision that much of the world's value will be tokenized in the next five years, which is why now is the time to get in on the ground floor of the crypto market."

At FalconX, Kaplan will join the executive team to help expand the platform and solutions offered to institutional clients. Kaplan is the latest addition to a growing list of premiere talent in one of the fastest growing industries in the world.

"Crypto passed the tipping point of mass adoption, and the industry is well funded with more capital eager to engage," CEO Raghu Yarlagadda said. "The opportunity to be involved in the early stages of the evolving crypto industry is alluring for exceptional talent like Jon."

Prior to Pinterest, Kaplan spent 12 years at Google, serving as Vice President of U.S sales. He was responsible for a multi-billion-dollar business including Google Search, Google Display Network, YouTube, and DoubleClick Programmatic solutions.

Kaplan will be responsible for scaling revenue function at FalconX, building a high-performing GTM engine across sales, marketing, client coverage, and revenue operations. He will also focus on driving top line growth and scaling a top-notch team on a global level.

For more information about FalconX, visit falconx.io .

About FalconX

FalconX, one of the fastest growing companies in the world, is a fully comprehensive digital asset platform. It allows institutions to access and manage all of their crypto strategies through a single interface and seamless workflows, making it easy to execute trading, credit and clearing all in one place. FalconX's crypto-as-a-service offering powers leading banks, FinTech institutions, and investment applications to easily add crypto to their product offerings with a goal of enabling the next billion users to enter the crypto space. The company is backed by investors including American Express Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Tiger Global Management and Avon Ventures, a venture capital fund affiliated with FMR LLC, the parent company of Fidelity Investments. FalconX has offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Chicago, Bengaluru, and Malta. For more information visit falconx.io or follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Shannon Tucker

Next PR

813-526-1195

[email protected]

SOURCE FalconX
SAN DIEGO and VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberCatch today announced it will host an educational webinar titled "Seven Cybersecurity Controls Every SMB Must Implement" on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 from 11 am to 12 pm Pacific Standard Time (2 pm  3 pm Eastern Standard Time).

The webinar is complimentary and features a distinguished panel of experts comprised of:

Tom Ridge , first Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

, first Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Nick Arico , Supervisory Special Agent in Charge and Supervisor, Cyber National Security Squad, FBI

, Supervisory Special Agent in Charge and Supervisor, Cyber National Security Squad, FBI Sai Huda, founder, chairman and CEO, CyberCatch and author of the best-seller, Next Level Cybersecurity

Andy Kim , VP and CISO, CyberCatch and former CISO, Allstate

The panel will cover:

Why are attackers targeting SMBs and why are they attaining success

What are the seven cybersecurity controls an SMB must implement

Recent blockbuster FBI cybersecurity case against APT 40

Other FBI cases that illustrate how these seven cybersecurity controls could have thwarted the attackers

How to implement the seven cybersecurity controls quickly and cost-effectively

"This webinar will provide specific, practical, how-to risk mitigation advice" said Sai Huda, founder, chairman and CEO, CyberCatch. "It is a must-attend webinar for SMBs so they can stay safe from cyber threats" continued Mr. Huda. To register for the webinar and attend live or receive a recording, please visit: https://cybercatch.com/cybercatch-hour-webinar/

About CyberCatch

CyberCatch is a unique cybersecurity Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company that protects small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) from cyberattacks by focusing on the root cause why SMBs fall victim: security holes. It provides an innovative cloud-based SaaS platform coupled with deep subject matter expertise to help SMBs implement just the right type and amount of cybersecurity controls. The platform then performs automated testing of controls from three dimensions: outside-in, inside-out and social engineering. It generates the Cyber Breach Score to continuously measure cyber risk, and finds security holes and guides the SMB to fix them promptly, so attackers can't exploit any missing or broken controls to break in and steal data or infect ransomware. CyberCatch's continuous value proposition: Test. Fix. Secure.

Learn more at: https://www.cybercatch.com

Media Contact

Cayleigh Palen for CyberCatch

KCD PR, [email protected]

SOURCE CyberCatch
TSXV: CYP |OTCQX: CYDVF

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Cypress Development Corp. (TSXV: CYP) (OTCQX: CYDVF) (Frankfurt: C1Z1) ("Cypress" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has engaged San Diego Torrey Hills Capital, Inc. ("Torrey Hills Capital"), a Rancho Santa Fe, California based investor relations firm, to provide market awareness and investor relations services to the Company, subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV").

Torrey Hills Capital is a leading investor and financial public relations firm specializing in junior and start-up companies. Torrey Hills Capital will increase awareness about Cypress through its established relationships with investment professionals, investment advisors, and money managers focused on the microcap market space. This will allow the Company to build and maintain an informed investor audience in both the U.S. and Canadian marketplaces.

Torrey Hills Capital has been engaged at a rate of US$7,000 per month for an initial term of one year. After the initial term, the agreement will terminate unless otherwise extended by both parties. Torrey Hills Capital currently has no direct or indirect interest in the securities of Cypress, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest.

The appointment of Torrey Hills Capital as an investor relations consultant of Cypress remains subject to regulatory acceptance of applicable filings with the TSXV.

About Torrey Hills Capital

Torrey Hills Capital was formed in 1998 and is headquartered in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The team of professionals offers experience and expertise in investor relations, corporate communications, non-deal roadshows, and market support activities. Torrey Hills Capital specializes in the development and marketing of emerging growth companies which trade in the United States (NYSE, AMEX, and OTC) and in Canada (TSX, TSXV, and CSE). Marketing activities articulate key investment attributes, strategic direction, and financial expectations, which combine to ensure that client market value fully reflects past achievements and future opportunities. Further information is available at www.torreyhillscapital.com.

About Cypress Development Corp

Cypress Development Corp. is a Canadian based advanced stage lithium exploration company, focused on developing its 100%-owned Clayton Valley Lithium Project in Nevada, USA. Work completed by Cypress led to the discovery of a world-class resource of lithium-bearing claystone adjacent to the Albemarle Silver Peak mine, North America's only lithium brine operation. Cypress is advancing its Clayton Valley Lithium Project in Nevada towards the production of high-purity lithium hydroxide suitable for tier one battery usage.

ON BEHALF OF CYPRESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

WILLIAM WILLOUGHBY, PhD., PE

President & Chief Executive Officer

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

SOURCE Cypress Development Corp.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When asked about what personal expenses they think should be tax deductible, but currently are not, the results are clear. US taxpayers most want to deduct items related to death and government fees according to a recent WhereIsMyUSTaxRefund.com survey.

Specifically, they cited life insurance premiums, funeral expenses and government license fees (such as driver's and marriage licenses) as the expenses they most want to write off. The top 5 responses (with the percentage of respondents that selected each) were:

Tax Deduction Survey Infographic

Life Insurance Premiums - 28.1%

Funeral Expenses  27.2%

Government Fees  27.2%

Health Supplements/Vitamins - 26.1%

Menstrual Supplies - 25.8%

The survey polled 1215 U.S. taxpayers and asked them to pick the top 3 items, from a list of 14, they most strongly believe should be tax deductible.

The survey also asked respondents to give a reason why they believe the items they selected should be tax deductible. Here, a few key themes emerged.

One is that death is unavoidable and respondents feel that expenses related to it, like life insurance and funeral expenses, should be tax deductions.

Many taxpayers also think expenses that are essential and/or required (such as government fees and menstrual supplies) should be tax deductible.

Two other common themes were that people want tax deductions for personal expenses that save the government money as well as for things that provide security for American families.

To get more details about this survey, you can find the full results (along with an infographic) at: https://whereismyustaxrefund.com/tax-deduction-survey-results/

About WhereIsMyUSTaxRefund.com

Every year, millions of US taxpayers have one burning question... where is my tax refund?

Whether it's their state tax refund or their federal tax refund, people understandably want to know when they will get their money.

Helping them find that out is what WhereIsMyUSTaxRefund.com is about. The site provides resources to help taxpayers understand how long it takes to get a refund, what issues can delay a refund as well as where to easily find out the latest on their federal and/or state income tax refund status.

SOURCE WhereIsMyUSTaxRefund.com
COSTA MESA, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EnGenius Technologies Inc., a multinational voice and data networking company for businesses, today announced the release of its first roaming capable, long-range, industrial voice cordless phone and two-way radio system, the DuraFon Roam. The Roam was designed for large footprint businesses like assisted living facilities, hotels, schools, retail stores, warehouses, and other expansive environments where voice communication is important but difficult to achieve. DuraFon Roam comes packed with features that makes it a much-needed solution for large business environments.

DuraFon Roam Group

True Long-Range Performance

The DuraFon Roam combines three core components to master the range equation: low frequency, high signal output power, and high antenna receiver sensitivity. It then adds the ability to make hand-off voice calls between multiple long-range base units throughout a facility.

SIP call connection

The DuraFon Roam utilizes standard SIP protocol allowing voice calls via an IP-PBX or preferred hosted SIP service provider, generally saving businesses money over legacy PRI lines.

Wi-Fi Bandwidth Avoidance

By using the low frequency of the 900MHz (902~928MHz) bandwidth, the DuraFon Roam avoids direct interference with Wi-Fi bandwidth. In addition, by using 900 MHz for wireless voice communications, the DuraFon Roam doesn't place additional Wi-Fi bandwidth demand on already crowded Wi-Fi networks shared by laptops, cell phones, security cameras, scanners, and other IoT devices.

Form Factor

The EnGenius DuraFon product line is known for its durability in demanding environments, and the DuraFon Roam handset continues this high-demand feature. Form factor changes are especially evident with the base units that provide long-range antennas for telephone and two-way radio calls. The DuraFon Roam bases are ceiling or wall mountable allowing them to be easily placed throughout a facility.

Flexibility

Expandable to eight long-range bases and up to ninety handsets, the DuraFon Roam system bases can be powered by AC adapters or power-over-ethernet (POE). They also have a removable antenna that can be changed out for an external indoor or outdoor antenna if needed.

Built-in, Digital Two-Way Radio Function

In addition to being able to make and receive telephone calls, the Roam handsets can function as digital two-way radios offering both broadcast and intercom. The Roam system allows for the two-way radio functions to operate via the base units or even independent of the base units. Even if the network or power to the bases is down, the Roam handsets can provide voice communication between handsets via the built-in direct digital two-way radio function.

"The DuraFon Roam is our first product that takes EnGenius' core voice expertise of long-range communication with a single base unit and allow a call to be handed off to other long-range Roam base units seamlessly," says Doug Hayter, EnGenius Sr. Product Manager, Voice Products. "Although every environment is different and may not get the same performance, we are expecting the DuraFon Roam to provide voice coverage up to 1,000,000 sq. ft. in an environment like a retail store or warehouse. For denser environments, like a hotel or office building, we are expecting the Roam system to be able to provide coverage up to 200,000 sq. ft. covering multiple floors, rooms and hallways."

The DuraFon Roam will be available March 2022. More information about the product is available on EnGenius' website https://www.engeniustech.com/

About EnGenius

EnGenius Technologies is a leading global manufacturer of pioneering wireless and voice communications. For more than 20 years, EnGenius has delivered best-in-class voice and data solutions that empower mobility, enhance productivity, and embrace simplicity. EnGenius prides itself on providing you with the best, most reliable, feature-rich, personalized network solutions to drive the success of your business.

Media Contact:

Emil Bachev

Bacheff Communications

+1 (949) 667 3645

[email protected]

SOURCE EnGenius Technologies, Inc.
LONDON, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Britain relied on China more than ever before in 2021 in terms of trade, as Chinese goods accounted for a seventh of all British imports, The Telegraph has reported.

"Dependency on China has steadily grown over the past decade and reached a record high of 14 pct of total imports in 2021," Ana Boata, an economist at credit insurance company Euler Hermes, was quoted by the British newspaper on Friday as saying.

China exported 63.5 billion pounds of goods to Britain last year, about 12 billion pounds more than from Germany and 26 billion pounds more than from the United States, said the report, citing the latest statistics. 
TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX: DML) (NYSE American: DNN) is pleased to announce multiple intersections of high-grade uranium mineralization beyond the previously defined extents of the high-grade domain in the Phase 1 area of the Zone A portion of the Phoenix uranium deposit ("Phoenix") at the Company's effective 95%-owned Wheeler River Uranium Project ("Wheeler River" or the "Project") in northern Saskatchewan. View PDF version.

Three drill holes were completed during the fall of 2021 to follow up the discovery of high-grade uranium mineralization (22.0% eU 3 O 8 over 8.6 metres) in drill hole GWR-045, which was located outside of the previously defined extent of the high-grade domain of Phoenix Zone A (see Denison's news release dated July 29, 2021). All three follow-up holes returned intervals of high-grade uranium mineralization, including massive uraninite mineralization in GWR-049.

24.9% eU 3 O 8 over 4.2 metres in GWR-049: This drill hole was expected to intersect only a narrow interval of high-grade uranium mineralization along the northwestern boundary of the Phoenix Zone A high-grade resource domain, approximately 17 metres to the northeast of GWR-045. The drill hole intersected a thick interval of high-grade unconformity-associated uranium mineralization that, coupled with the results of GWR-045, is expected to expand the volume of the high-grade domain to the northwest outside of the extents of the same in the current resource model (see Figures 1 and 3).





This drill hole was expected to intersect only a narrow interval of high-grade uranium mineralization along the northwestern boundary of the Phoenix Zone A high-grade resource domain, approximately 17 metres to the northeast of GWR-045. The drill hole intersected a thick interval of high-grade unconformity-associated uranium mineralization that, coupled with the results of GWR-045, is expected to expand the volume of the high-grade domain to the northwest outside of the extents of the same in the current resource model (see Figures 1 and 3). 3.6% eU 3 O 8 over 3.5 metres in WR-787: This drill hole was designed to test the extents of the high-grade mineralization discovered in GWR-049, by targeting the unconformity approximately 6 metres north of the mineralization in GWR-049 (see Figures 1 and 3). Mineralization in WR-787 was encountered at the unconformity, and included a mineralized interval grading 15.2% eU 3 O 8 over 0.7 metres.





This drill hole was designed to test the extents of the high-grade mineralization discovered in GWR-049, by targeting the unconformity approximately 6 metres north of the mineralization in GWR-049 (see Figures 1 and 3). Mineralization in WR-787 was encountered at the unconformity, and included a mineralized interval grading 15.2% eU O over 0.7 metres. 1.2% eU 3 O 8 over 2.1 metres in WR-784: This drill hole was designed to test the extents of high-grade mineralization discovered by drill hole GWR-045, by targeting the unconformity approximately 6 metres northwest of the mineralized intersection in GWR-045 (see Figures 1 and 2). The drill hole intersected perched uranium mineralization grading 1.2% eU 3 O 8 over 2.1 metres, lying approximately 6.5 metres above the unconformity.

Andy Yackulic, P. Geo., Denison's Director, Exploration, commented, "The grade and thickness of mineralization in holes GWR-045 and GWR-049 significantly exceeded what was predicted by the Phoenix block model. We believe these results will support an expansion of the volume of the high-grade mineralized domain in Phase 1 area of Zone A. Follow-up drilling encountered additional uranium mineralization that is also expected to be additive to future updates to the resource model for Phoenix Zone A. Of particular interest is the perched mineralization discovered in WR-784, which presents a style of mineralization that has not been previously encountered at Phoenix. As this intersection is located outside the extents of previous drilling at Phoenix, the potential exists to identify additional perched mineralization along the northwest margin of the Deposit."

This press release constitutes a "designated news release" for the purposes of the Company's prospectus supplement dated September 28, 2021, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated September 16, 2021.

Assay Results and Radiometric Equivalent Grades

The final assay results from the follow-up holes and GWR-045 were recently received, and confirmed the presence of high-grade mineralization in each drill hole. However, the Company is reporting radiometric equivalent grades ("eU 3 O 8 ") for these holes, instead of final assay results, as significant core loss was encountered in each of these mineralized intervals.

The Company may report results as preliminary eU 3 O 8 , derived from a calibrated downhole total gamma probe, and subsequently report definitive assay grades following sampling and chemical analysis of the mineralized drill core. In the case where core recovery within a mineralized intersection is less than 80%, meaning that samples may not be assayed with enough resolution to be considered representative of the nature and grade of the mineralization, radiometric grades are considered to be more representative of the mineralized intersection and may be reported in the place of assay grades. Radiometric equivalent probe results are subject to verification procedures by qualified persons employed by Denison prior to disclosure.

For further details on the total gamma downhole probe methods employed by Denison, QAQC procedures and data verification procedures please see Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 26, 2021 filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

Summary of 2021 Phoenix Expansion Drill Results

Figure 1 illustrates the location of the drill holes completed as part of the Company's 2021 expansion drilling at Phoenix Zone A, including the position of the five-spot commercial scale well pattern installed during the summer of 2021 (see Denison's news related dated July 29, 2021).

Figure 2 illustrates the previously defined extents of the Phoenix Zone A low-grade and high-grade domains, on section with the interpreted results from GWR-045 and WR-784.

Figure 3 illustrates the previously defined extents of Phoenix Zone A low-grade and high-grade domains, on section with the interpreted results from GWR-049 and WR-787.

The mineralized intervals from each of these drill holes are summarized in the table below:

Table 1  Phoenix Zone A  Select 2021 Mineralized Intersections

Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Length (m)(1) eU 3 O 8 (%)(2,3) GWR-045 406.95 415.55 8.6 22.0(4) GWR-049 408.95 413.15 4.2 24.9(4) WR-784 406.25 408.35 2.1 1.2 WR-787 411.40 415.90 4.5 3.6 including 413.00 413.70 0.7 15.2(4)



Notes: 1. As the drill holes are oriented vertically and the mineralization is interpreted to lie nearly horizontal, the drill intersection is interpreted to represent the true thickness. 2. eU 3 O 8 is a radiometric equivalent grade U 3 O 8 derived from a calibrated total gamma down-hole probe. 3. Composited above a cut-off grade of 0.1% eU 3 O 8 unless otherwise indicated. 4. Composited above a cut-off grade of 1.0% eU 3 O 8

Sampling and Assay Procedures

Drill core with anomalous total gamma radioactivity (>300 counts per second using an RS-120 or RS-125 scintillometer) was sampled over 0.5 metre intervals. Sampling is undertaken on site by splitting the core in half, with one half submitted for analysis and the other half retained in the core box for future reference. Uranium chemical assays are performed by the Saskatchewan Research Council ("SRC") Geoanalytical Laboratories located in Saskatoon. Sample preparation involves crushing and pulverizing core samples to 90% passing -106 microns. Splits of the resultant pulps are initially submitted for multi-element ICP-MS analysis following partial (HNO3:HCl) and total (HF:HNO3:HClO4) digestions. Samples with  1,000 ppm U (partial digest) are re-assayed for U 3 O 8 using an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited method for the determination of U 3 O 8 weight percentage. Pulp splits are digested using aqua-regia, and the solution is analyzed for U 3 O 8 weight percentage using ICP-OES. In addition to internal checks by SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories, the Company has rigorous quality assurance and quality control ("QAQC") procedures, including the insertion of standard reference materials, blanks and field duplicates. The assay data is subject to verification procedures by qualified persons employed by Denison prior to disclosure. For further details on the assay, QAQC and data verification procedures, please see Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 26, 2021, filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

About Wheeler River

Wheeler River is the largest undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region, in northern Saskatchewan  including combined Indicated Mineral Resources of 132.1 million pounds U 3 O 8 (1,809,000 tonnes at an average grade of 3.3% U 3 O 8 ), plus combined Inferred Mineral Resources of 3.0 million pounds U 3 O 8 (82,000 tonnes at an average grade of 1.7% U 3 O 8 ). The project is host to the high-grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, discovered by Denison in 2008 and 2014, respectively, and is a joint venture between Denison (operator) and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited ("JCU"). Denison has an effective 95% ownership interest in Wheeler River (90% directly, and 5% indirectly through a 50% ownership in JCU).

A PFS was completed for Wheeler River in 2018, considering the potential economic merit of developing the Phoenix deposit as an ISR operation and the Gryphon deposit as a conventional underground mining operation. Taken together, the Project is estimated to have mine production of 109.4 million pounds U 3 O 8 over a 14-year mine life, with a base case pre-tax NPV of $1.31 billion (8% discount rate), Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 38.7%, and initial pre-production capital expenditures of $322.5 million. The Phoenix ISR operation is estimated to have a stand-alone base case pre-tax NPV of $930.4 million (8% discount rate), IRR of 43.3%, initial pre-production capital expenditures of $322.5 million, and industry-leading average operating costs of US$3.33/lb U 3 O 8 . The PFS is prepared on a project (100% ownership) and pre-tax basis, as each of the partners to the Wheeler River Joint Venture are subject to different tax and other obligations.

Further details regarding the PFS, including additional scientific and technical information, as well as after-tax results attributable to Denison's ownership interest, are described in greater detail in the NI 43-101 Technical Report titled "Pre-feasibility Study for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada" dated October 30, 2018, with an effective date of September 24, 2018. A copy of this report is available on Denison's website and under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

Denison suspended certain activities at Wheeler River during 2020, including the EA process, which is on the critical path to achieving the project development schedule outlined in the PFS. While the EA process has resumed, the Company is not currently able to estimate the impact to the project development schedule outlined in the PFS, and users are cautioned against relying on the estimates provided therein regarding the start of pre-production activities in 2021 and first production in 2024.

About Denison

Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to its effective 95% interest in the Wheeler River project, Denison's interests in the Athabasca Basin include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture, which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill that is contracted to process the ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest Main and Midwest A deposits, and a 66.90% interest in the Tthe Heldeth Tue ("THT," formerly J Zone) and Huskie deposits on the Waterbury Lake property. The Midwest Main, Midwest A, THT and Huskie deposits are each located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.

Through its 50% ownership of JCU, Denison holds additional interests in various uranium project joint ventures in Canada, including the Millennium project (JCU 30.099%), the Kiggavik project (JCU 33.8123%) and Christie Lake (JCU 34.4508%). Denison's exploration portfolio includes further interests in properties covering ~280,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin region.

Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Closed Mines group (formerly Denison Environmental Services), which manages Denison's Elliot Lake reclamation projects and provides third-party post-closure mine care and maintenance services.

Follow Denison on Twitter @DenisonMinesCo

Qualified Persons

The technical information contained in this release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Andrew Yackulic, P. Geo., Denison's Director, Exploration, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this news release constitutes 'forward-looking information', within the meaning of the applicable United States and Canadian legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison.

Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'plans', 'expects', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'estimates', 'forecasts', 'intends', 'anticipates', or 'believes', or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will be taken', 'occur', 'be achieved' or 'has the potential to'.

In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: the interpretation of exploration results and expectations with respect thereto, including expansion of the volume of the high-grade domain in, or other ipmacts on, the Company's mineral resource estimation for Wheeler River and the interpreted potential to identify further mineralization; other evaluation activities, objectives and expectations; and expectations regarding its joint venture ownership interests and the continuity of its agreements with its partners and third parties.

Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For example, the modelling and assumptions upon which the work plans are based may not be maintained after further testing or be representative of actual conditions within the Phoenix deposit. In addition, Denison may decide or otherwise be required to discontinue its field test activities or other testing, evaluation and development work at Wheeler River if it is unable to maintain or otherwise secure the necessary resources (such as testing facilities, capital funding, regulatory approvals, etc.) or operations are otherwise affected by COVID-19 and its potentially far-reaching impacts. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and results may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 26, 2021 or subsequent quarterly financial reports under the heading 'Risk Factors'. These factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this news release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this news release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves: This press release may use terms such as "measured", "indicated" and/or "inferred" mineral resources and "proven" or "probable" mineral reserves, which are terms defined with reference to the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves ("CIM Standards"). The Company's descriptions of its projects using CIM Standards may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.

Figure 1 - Plan Map Showing Location of Phoenix Deposit (Phase 1)  ISR Test Pattern and exploration holes WR-784 and WR-787

Figure 2 - Cross-Section View of the Phoenix Deposit (Phase 1)  Through GWR-045 and WR-784

Figure 3 - Cross-Section View of the Phoenix Deposit (Phase 1)  Through GWR-049 and WR-787

SOURCE Denison Mines Corp.
TSX.V: DME

U.S. OTC: DMEHF

Frankfurt: QM01

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY CORP. (the "Company") (TSX.V: DME) (OTC: DMEHF) (Frankfurt: QM01) From the President of the Company.

Desert Mountain Energy Corp. is pleased to announce that it has completed drilling operations, set and cemented production casing on Well #5 (1-1) in the McCauley Field in Navajo County, AZ. The well was drilled to a total depth of 3,925' in the top of the Granite Formation.

"Our excellent drilling team met and hit our objectives in this well and the Company is now 5 for 5 when drilling wells. Based on the information gathered from drilling this well, we have decided to drill an additional offset (Well #7) in the McCauley field upon finishing Well #6 (10-1)," says Robert Rohlfing, CEO of DME. "The additional well will help ensure further productive horizons for the upcoming processing facility." The Company now plans to feed 5 wells into the McCauley Finishing Facility in Q3 of 2022.

The mass spectrometer and other equipment registered 18 different structures within Well #5, where some level of helium was encountered. Of those 18 positive responses, 6 were significant in quantity. Our geologic team was within 1-2 feet plus or minus on all the major helium and hydrogen showings. Once again, this well confirms our conceptual ideas, in regard to our lease holdings. Our leasing design provides the company with the proper holdings to fully incorporate the areal extent of the acreage to encompass our field discoveries where cost-effective production can be found.

The Gunnar Dome Wildcat prospect will be drilled later in the year. As per the previous press release, final completion procedures will begin after all three wells have been drilled and the production casing is placed and cemented.

ABOUT DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY

Desert Mountain Energy Corp. is a publicly traded resource company primarily focused on exploration, development and production of helium, hydrogen and noble gases. The Company is primarily looking for elements deemed critical to the renewable energy and high technology industries.

We seek safe harbor

"Robert Rohlfing"

Robert Rohlfing

Exec Chairman & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in polices of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding the Company's anticipated performance in the future the planned exploration activities, receipt of positive results from drilling, the completion of further drilling and exploration work, and the timing and results of various activities.

Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and the United States; financial risks due to helium prices, operating or technical difficulties in exploration and development activities; risks and hazards and the speculative nature of resource exploration and related development; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company's title to properties.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of the Company's exploration operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not intend to, and nor does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Desert Mountain Energy Corp.
The new division will be led by an executive team headed by Chris Diamond, president of the Psychiatric Services Division, a veteran of the behavioral healthcare industry, bringing more than 30 years of expertise to this role, including direct care, clinical care and facility leadership. Since 2007, he has had responsibility for facilities throughout the country treating primary mental health, substance use and eating disorder treatment at some of the nation's largest behavioral healthcare companies. He served as CEO and COO at facilities in Arizona, California, Texas and Kentucky. Most recently, he served as DBH Vice President of Development.

"Chris has played a vital leadership role in our company's rapid growth during the past year through new services in response to the unprecedented need for behavioral health nationwide during the nation's pandemic. In particular, he spearheaded our expansion of innovative, alternative treatment programs for treatment-resistant depression and co-occurring disorders. All that makes Chris the right person to lead DiscoveryMD," says John Peloquin, president and CEO of Discovery Behavioral Health.

DiscoveryMD has been designed to offer medical solutions to people with chronic mood and addiction disorders resistant to conventional treatment methods. This includes medication management, TMS, ketamine and medical addiction support combined with traditional individual and group therapy. The addition of this fourth brand of Discovery Behavioral Health adds a medical and long-term care component to Discovery's traditional acute residential, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, providing greater access to patients by providing every level of care to meet their needs. It also includes a telehealth component for traditional therapy, medication management, assessment and referrals.

"Patients should not have to choose between only receiving traditional face-to-face therapy or strictly to telehealth. With DiscoveryMD patients can now get the kind of care that best fits their therapeutic needs, lifestyle, preferences and even geographic location. Every patient should have access to the behavioral care they need, no matter what their individual circumstances," says Diamond.

Monika Valentine joins the DiscoveryMD team as VP of Business Operations to build out the Specialty Physician Network and support the Practice Management of the Psychiatric Service Outpatients. She is an experienced senior executive with a track record of providing solutions for healthcare operations and specialty practices and was recently named among the Top 100 Business Leaders of Tampa for 2022.

"The great advantage of DiscoveryMD is the breath of its services, combining outpatient specialty services and telehealth under one umbrella. A patient will have customized programs that provide the right treatment for their needs at any given time  from highly supported, traditional therapy to highly autonomous outpatient medical solutions. Depending on the patient, they might use one, two or all three of these options during their treatment journey, in order to deliver the right care at the right time," says Valentine.

Paul Cassidy is also joining the DiscoveryMD team as VP of Substance Use Disorder Outpatients. He has more than 25 years experience in clinical and leadership roles committed to creating and delivering recovery solutions, including five years with Symetria Recovery where he was responsible for new clinical operations and development.

"Just two years ago the leading national health crisis was the drug overdose epidemic. While it's been overshadowed by COVID-19 pandemic, the nation's other major health crisis didn't go away. In fact, research is showing that the stress and isolation of the pandemic were leading contributing factors for the unprecedented increase in overdose deaths last year. The advent of the kind of integrated treatment model being innovated by DiscoveryMD offers the best solution for stemming the ongoing substance use epidemic by incorporating mental health and modern treatment modalities," says Cassidy.

About Discovery Behavioral Health, Inc.

Everyone deserves a happy, rewarding life. That's why Discovery Behavioral Health has made evidence-based, outcome-driven healthcare accessible and affordable since its inception. With a full continuum of care  detoxification, medical residences, residential treatment centers, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient, psychiatric services, addiction medicine, neurocenters and telehealth, we can offer the right care at the right time for adults or teens struggling with mental health, substance use or eating disorders. With a portfolio of more than 130 treatment centers, including service lines in successful operation since 1985, we are a preferred and trusted provider with most insurance companies who value our clinical rigor and remarkable results. When treatment is complete, our patients become part of Discovery's growing family of alumni, connected through free aftercare programs, support groups, activities and a caring community  for life. Because when quality behavioral healthcare is within reach, so is happiness. More: https://discoverybehavioralhealth.com

Media Contact:

Greg Ptacek

Communications

Discovery Behavioral Health, Inc.

323-841-8002

[email protected]

SOURCE Discovery Behavioral Health
Download the Sample Report Now!

Key E-Commerce Logistics Sourcing and Procurement Report Highlights:

Market growth 2020-2024: USD 156 Billion Growth momentum & CAGR: Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.98% Top Pricing Models: Cost-based pricing, and Fixed Fee pricing Key consumer countries: North America , Europe , and APAC Supplier Selection Criteria: Technical specifications, Operational requirements, Acceptance criteria, and Evaluation criteria Top Suppliers: Deutsche Post AG, Aramex PJSC, and FedEx Corp

Know More About This Market: Request for a Free Sample Report Now!

Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers:

Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the E-Commerce Logistics market. The report also aids buyers with relevant E-Commerce Logistics pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as Unit-based pricing, and Bundled pricing, category management strategies and best practices to fulfil their category objectives.

For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, www.spendedge.com/report/e-commerce-logistics-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors.

Identify favorable opportunities in E-Commerce Logistics TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

To know more about various other market drivers, trends and challenges.

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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contacts

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Anirban Choudhury

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Contact Us - Procurement Market Intelligence | SpendEdge Contact SpendEdge to fulful all your requirements for procurement market intelligence services. Please fill up this form or call us. SpendEdge

SOURCE SpendEdge
Running on Microsoft Azure, the suite of solutions will help enterprises rise to the challenge of the "big pledge era" and achieve net-zero goals

NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eka Software Solutions, a global leader in providing enterprise cloud solutions for the CFO's office, today announced that it is collaborating with Microsoft to offer a robust suite of solutions, enabling businesses to reduce their impact on climate change and help them spark a positive change through their sustainability initiatives.

The joint go-to-market offerings will provide sophisticated, cloud-driven sustainability solutions for enterprises to track, measure and gain meaningful insights across their carbon usage, supplier relationships, governance, workforce management, and circular economy.

The creation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) at the recent COP26 conference is a major step to globally align ESG reporting. Conscious of the expectation to provide tangible and credible evidence of their sustainability status, organisations across the world are setting targets to reduce their carbon footprint and reach net-zero emissions.

The increased pressure is leading chief sustainability and financial officers to look for ways to standardize relevant ESG data collection and reporting with robust solutions that will help them rise to the "big pledge" and measure performance against their sustainability goals.

Running on Microsoft Azure, Eka's comprehensive suite of solutions will enable businesses to gain complete and real-time visibility to track carbon emissions. Benefitting from the hybrid and trusted cloud technologies of Azure, pre-built frameworks and analytical dashboards on Eka's ESG and sustainability reporting solution will further help them report it as per industry-mandated frameworks and reduce their environmental footprint across all emission sources.

Manav Garg, CEO and Founder of Eka, said: "ESG and Sustainability reporting is subject to a lot of attention but little clarity, and businesses continue to struggle with multiple reporting standards and frameworks. The strong, trusted relationship between Microsoft and Eka is at the heart of this exciting collaboration, and we are committed to providing enterprises the support they need with their ESG and sustainability disclosures, empowering them to address opportunities that will benefit the world today and generations to come."

Ahmed Mazhari, President, Microsoft Asia, said: "At Microsoft, we believe sustainability is critical to meet the economic, societal and environmental needs of today and the years to come. In the current landscape of multiple reporting frameworks, proactive solutions like Eka's will support our customers' sustainability journey. We are pleased that Eka is using the power of Microsoft Azure for its cloud solutions to enable leaders of global enterprises to progress their business strategies and reach their sustainability goals faster."

With this collaboration, enterprises will benefit from pre-built frameworks to report against various industry standards including GRI, SDG, SASB, CDP, TCFD, SECR, GRESB and BRSR. With Eka's highly configurable platform-driven solution, businesses can easily build more frameworks as their requirements and regulations continue to evolve and take shape. Together with Microsoft, Eka will help enterprises unlock the value and benefit of ESG and Sustainability reporting.

Eka leverages its cloud platform to deliver agile SaaS solutions for over 100 customers worldwide, digitizing mission critical workflows from procurement, trading & risk, to supply chain, sustainability, and treasury. As an official signatory of United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), Eka is committed to incorporating the principles of UNGC into its business practices to propel holistic business transformations for all pertinent stakeholders, including employees, customers, partners and vendors through its multi-faceted, powerful cloud platform.

About Eka Software Solutions

Eka Software Solutions is a global leader in providing innovative, cloud solutions that unify a whole range of workflows from procurement to payments. Its platform driven solutions for commodity and supply chain management, source-to-pay, treasury and sustainability help customers to overcome complex challenges and accelerate their digital journey in an environment of continuous change. With over 550 employees, Eka supports more than 100 customers globally and has proven industry expertise in helping customers achieve digital transformation, solving complex business challenges in an environment of continuous change. Read more at www.eka1.com.

Media contact:

Sharmita Mandal

[email protected]

Director Global Communications

Eka Software Solutions

SOURCE Eka Software Solutions
"We are proud of our culture in which we live out our values of love, accountability and passion; and honored to receive this recognition," said Stephanie Chen , chief legal and culture officer at ChenMed. "With a workplace based on providing top care, inclusive culture, and celebrating the accomplishments and efforts of our team members, ChenMed has the type of team member engagement that makes it an employer of choice."

Top Workplaces USA celebrates organizations with 150 or more employees that have built great cultures. Over 42,000 organizations were invited to participate in the Top Workplaces USA survey. Winners of the Top Workplaces USA list are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an employee engagement survey, issued by Energage.

Results are calculated by comparing the survey's research-based statements, including 15 Culture Drivers that are proven to predict high performance against industry benchmarks. A "Top 50" winner in the category for companies having 2,500 or more employees, ChenMed finished 42nd in a field of iconic competitors, including Progressive (#5), Fidelity Investments (#7), Edward Jones (#10), Dutch Brothers (#12), Dell Technologies (#14), Independence Blue Cross (#20), Texas Health Resources (#24), Discover Financial Services (#33), Morningstar (#39), Children's Health (#44), and VA Boston Healthcare System (#50).

"Companies need to authentically represent their brand to job-seekers," said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. "The employee experience needs to be on the mission-critical list. Leaders who embrace a people-first culture will benefit greatly. By giving employees a voice and showcasing your authentic culture through employer branding, organizations can attract those job seekers who complement their culture. Culture drives performance."

About ChenMed

ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. The company operates nearly 100 senior medical centers in 12 states. Named one of Fortune 2020 "Change the World" companies, ChenMed also was honored by Newsweek as a "Most Loved Workplace" in 2021; and certified as a Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute. Bringing concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations, ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center and JenCare Senior Medical Center.

About Energage

Making the world a better place to work together.

Energage is a purpose-driven technology company that helps organizations build and brand Top Workplaces. Built on 14 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

SOURCE ChenMed
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global energy storage systems market demand is expected to reach 402.0 GW by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2021 to 2028. Growing demand for efficient and competitive energy resources, increasing development for variable energy sources, and rising battery demand are factors anticipated to fuel the demand for energy storage systems.

Key Insights & Findings from the report:

In terms of technology, the pumped hydro segment accounted for a prominent share in the market in 2020 and is further expected to witness prominent growth over the forecast period.

As of 2020, Asia Pacific accounted for more than 45.0% market share. Growing reliable power demand due to rising population and industrial advancements in major economies, such as China and India , is expected to drive the regional market.

accounted for more than 45.0% market share. Growing reliable power demand due to rising population and industrial advancements in major economies, such as and , is expected to drive the regional market. Rising consumer awareness regarding energy efficiency in commercial and residential buildings is expected to further promote market growth. The growing trend of renewable source-based power generation, along with the increasing need for distributed electricity generation, is anticipated to propel market growth over the forecast period.

Energy storage technologies allow power suppliers to save excess electricity for later use, thereby enhancing the grid reliability and flexibility with respect to electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. Heat stored by short-term and seasonal thermal energy storage systems helps balance the variations in the production and distribution of renewable electricity in a cost-effective manner.

Furthermore, the demand for continuous power is anticipated to attain exponential growth in the years to come owing to rapid industrialization, infrastructure development, and continuous population growth over the coming years. This trend is expected to positively influence the energy storage industry landscape.

Read 66-page market research report, "Energy Storage Systems Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Pumped Hydro, Electrochemical Storage, Electromechanical Storage, Thermal Storage), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028", published by Grand View Research.

Energy Storage Systems Market Growth & Trends

Increasing acceptance of electric and hybrid vehicles coupled with government incentives offered for promoting EV technology is projected to boost the growth of electric cars as well as battery industries. While battery service networks are yet to improve and surpass the gasoline fueling infrastructure, volatile gasoline prices are expected to positively influence the demand for electric vehicles over the forecast period.

The electrochemical storage segment is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forthcoming years. This growth can be attributed to the beneficial characteristics of batteries including fast charging, declining prices, and long shelf life. Flow batteries are anticipated to observe an increased demand on account of their low safety risks, improved capacity, and cost-effectiveness.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are gaining popularity owing to the rising emphasis on reducing the dependency on fossil fuels and increasing the share of clean energy in the energy mix. Ascending demand for time-shifting improved power quality, better grid network usage, and emergency power supply is expected to propel the demand for BESS over the forecast period.

With increasing requirements of efficient grid management, constant load management, and continuous power supply, the market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. Major manufacturers of thermal energy storage systems include Abengoa Solar, Evapco, Caldwell Energy, and Burns & McDonnell. Major TES companies are forward integrated and offer energy solutions such as microgrids, CHP, cogeneration, district heating, and cooling.

Energy Storage Systems Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global energy storage systems market based on technology and region:

Energy Storage Systems Technology Outlook (Capacity, MW, 2017 - 2028)

Pumped Hydro

Electrochemical Storage

Electromechanical Storage

Thermal Storage

Energy Storage Systems Regional Outlook (Capacity, MW, 2017 - 2028)

North America

U.S.



Canada



Mexico

Europe

France



Germany



U.K.

Asia Pacific

China



India



Japan

Central & South America

Argentina

Middle East & Africa

& South Africa

List of Key Players of Energy Storage Systems Market

GENERAL ELECTRIC

LG Chem

Langley Holdings Plc

Altairnano

Electrovaya

Showa Denko Materials Co., Ltd.

Maxell Technologies, Inc.

Saft

THE FURUKAWA BATTERY CO., LTD.

Ecoult

Kokam

Fluence

Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.

Check out more other studies published by Grand View Research:

Fuel Cell Market - The global fuel cell market size is expected to reach USD 33.09 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 15.5% over the forecast period, according to a new report published by Grand View Research, Inc. The rise in demand for unconventional energy sources is a key factor driving the growth.

The global fuel cell market size is expected to reach by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 15.5% over the forecast period, according to a new report published by Grand View Research, Inc. The rise in demand for unconventional energy sources is a key factor driving the growth. Solid State Battery Market - The global solid state battery market size is expected to reach USD 87.5 billion by 2027, escalating at a CAGR of 13% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing demand for solid-state batteries across end-use markets along with rising R&D focused on developing advanced batteries is likely to drive the market growth over the forecast period.

- The global solid state battery market size is expected to reach by 2027, escalating at a CAGR of 13% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing demand for solid-state batteries across end-use markets along with rising R&D focused on developing advanced batteries is likely to drive the market growth over the forecast period. Battery Energy Storage Systems Market - The global battery energy storage systems market size was valued at USD 3.4 billion in 2019 and is projected to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.2% over the forecast period. Rising demand for reliable and continuous power supply from end-use sectors such as industrial, telecom, data centers, marine, and medical are expected to strengthen the market over the forecast period.

Browse through Grand View Research's Power Generation & Storage Industry Research Reports.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Grand View Compass | Grand View Pipeline

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
MIAMI, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- There is an ongoing, critical shortage of automotive technicians according to a recent Tech Foundation report. Their findings estimate that the demand for entry-level technicians is at an all-time high with some 258,000 needed by the year 2025. The report also found that demand outpaced the supply of new automotive technicians by nearly five to one.

Florida Career College is expanding its Automotive Technician training program in Lauderdale Lakes and West Palm Beach

Florida Career College (FCC) is responding to this need by expanding its Automotive Technician program in South Florida at the FCC campus locations in Lauderdale Lakes and West Palm Beach. FCC is now enrolling students to start on February 28 and will offer both day and evening classes. Automotive Technician students at FCC can earn their diploma in as few as 10 months, and the college offers comprehensive career services for all students, including career placement assistance. Financial aid is available to those who qualify.

"We first launched the Automotive Technician program at our Hialeah campus in 2020 and it has been a very popular program," said Philip Seibold, Automotive Program Chair. "Our program is designed to provide graduates with the level of knowledge, skills, and hands-on shop training they will need to begin an automotive career as soon as they graduate."

"At Florida Career College we work directly with industry employers and subject matter experts to design training programs that prepare our graduates with relevant, current skills," said Lynn Mulherin, Regional Vice President of Operations at FCC. "The Automotive Technician program is continually being updated based on the needs of the sector. For example, the increasing popularity of electric vehicles has contributed to the growing need for skilled automotive technicians who are trained to perform repairs on both traditional and electric systems."

"Students will train in our new automotive labs, where they can practice on real vehicles and develop practical skills," Seibold said. "Through a combination of diagnostics and repair training, exposure to both basic and advanced skills and techniques, and hands-on application of skills in a shop environment, students will build the foundation they need, and learn to bring value to automotive shops."

About Florida Career College

Florida Career College (FCC) is an accredited, employee-owned post-secondary career education system with campus locations in Florida and Texas. FCC offers programs in rewarding fields such as health care, business, and the skilled trades. Each program is designed to provide every student with the skills, knowledge, and training they need to be successful in their future careers. Students can train for entry-level careers earn a diploma and start building their future in as few as 10 months. For more information visit www.floridacareercollege.edu

MEDIA CONTACT: Joseph Cockrell, [email protected], 949-812-7749

SOURCE Florida Career College
Flutterwave's latest backers include some of the world's most respected investors led by B Capital Group, and with participation from Alta Park Capital, Whale Rock Capital, Lux Capital, among others. Several existing investors who also participated in previous rounds also followed this round, including, Glynn Capital, Avenir Growth, Tiger Global, Green Visor Capital, Salesforce Ventures. The new funds will drive Flutterwave's ambitious expansion plan to accelerate customer acquisition in existing markets and growth through M&A; and develop complementary products while encouraging new innovations in its products and services development. The Company will share more details during the Flutterwave 3.0 event. The virtual event is billed for 18th February 2022 and members of the public can RSVP here.

Since inception in 2016, the Flutterwave team has been on a mission to create endless possibilities for customers and businesses in Africa and the emerging markets. The Series D fundraise comes on the back of an impressive run of five years in which Flutterwave has processed over 200M transactions worth over USD $16B to date across 34 countries in Africa. It also follows a year of rapid growth for the brand which now serves over 900,000 businesses across the globe.

In 2021, Flutterwave launched a range of new products including Flutterwave Market for merchants to sell their goods via an online marketplace and, most recently, Send, a remittance service that empowers customers to seamlessly send money to recipients to and from Africa. Flutterwave has also partnered with leading global and pan-African technology and telecommunication companies such as PayPal, MTN, Airtel Africa to drive financial inclusion on the continent and create endless possibilities for customers who can build customisable payment applications through its APIs

Olugbenga 'GB' Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, said: "Our story is that of resilience and hard work. Our growth so far is due to the support of our customers, our partners, the banks, the public, the regulators, and importantly our people. The Central Bank of Nigeria, under the leadership of Dr. Godwin Emefiele, laid the vision of a transformational Payment System in Nigeria, provided the framework for innovation in this space, and has continued to create regulations that have enabled us to grow and thrive. We are grateful to them and to all the other Central Banks in all the countries where we operate. We set out to build a platform that simplifies payments for everyone and today, our solutions are used across the globe to connect Africans to the world and the world to Africans. We are delighted that investors believe in us and our story and are committing their resources to this belief. This latest funding demonstrates the conviction of some of the world's leading investors in both our business model, team and the Africa technology market. It gives Flutterwave the much-needed support to deliver on our plans to provide the best experience for our merchants and customers around the world."

Matt Levinson, Partner at B Capital, said: "At B Capital, we seek to back generational companies with broad platform potential. Flutterwave has a unique opportunity to accomplish this as the dominant payments' infrastructure provider across Africa. In addition to their emergence as the leading enterprise payments processor for the continent, Flutterwave is innovating at breakneck speed with novel fintech solutions for large corporates, SMEs and consumers. I've had the pleasure of backing this world-class team since 2017 and couldn't be more thrilled that B Capital is leading their Series D. Flutterwave may ultimately build one of the most consequential fintech business in the world, enabling hundreds of thousands of merchants to transact online and connect Africa to the global economy."

David Glynn, Managing Partner of Glynn Capital, said: "We believe the digitization of payments globally is one of the largest and most important trends in technology. Having been investors in Flutterwave since 2017, we have had a front row seat in seeing Flutterwave establish itself as a leading payments company in Africa as it drives adoption of seamless digital payments experiences for merchants and consumers alike. We look forward to supporting the company as it addresses its significant growth opportunity in the years ahead." This latest fundraising has seen Flutterwave's valuation more than triple since its last funding round in March last year when it became one of Africa's fastest growing Unicorn.

About Flutterwave

Flutterwave is a leading technology company that enables businesses across the world to expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets through a platform that enables cross-border transactions via one API. Flutterwave has processed over 200M transactions worth over USD $16B to date and serves more than 900,000 businesses including customers like Uber, Flywire, Booking.com, etc. The Company's key advantage is international payment processing in 150 currencies and multiple payment modes including local and international cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers, Barter by Flutterwave etc. Flutterwave has an infrastructure reach in over 34 African countries, including Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. For more information on Flutterwave's journey, please visit: www.flutterwave.com

About B Capital Group

B Capital Group is a multi-stage global investment firm founded in 2015. Investing in companies transforming large traditional industries across borders and geographies, B Capital leverages an international team of seasoned experts, as well as its strategic partnership with BCG. The firm helps founders navigate business challenges, raise capital, and attract talented leadership at every stage of the startup lifecycle. B Capital invests in enterprise software, healthcare, financial services, consumer enablement, and industrial and transportation companies. The B Capital portfolio includes global, industry-leading companies like Atomwise, Carro, Dailyhunt, Datarobot, Evidation Health, Icertis, Innovaccer, Ninja Van, Tuhu, and Yalo. For more information, visit bcapgroup.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747955/Flutterwave_1.jpg

SOURCE Flutterwave
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Future of Tech Commission released " The Future of Tech: A Blueprint for Action ," which recommends a coordinated federal tech policy agenda to protect the privacy and safety of consumers, children, and families, and to safeguard America's future from the outsize power of large technology companies. The release of the Commission's blueprint comes at a pivotal moment as Washington debates whether to regulate tech companies and with voters from both sides of the aisle strongly supporting government action to better protect them from the Wild West of the tech sector.

The Blueprint for Action addresses some of the most urgent tech policy challenges and opportunities facing America's economy, society, and even its democracy. The report, which was informed by input from thousands of Americans over the last year during public town halls, public opinion surveys, and interviews with leading experts, outlines recommendations around six core tech issues: data privacy and the related issue of platform safety, cybersecurity, market competition, technological innovation, and universal access to broadband.

The Commission's top recommendations:

Enact a national federal privacy law that gives consumers control of their privacy; Update the children's privacy law to strengthen protections for kids and teens; Require greater transparency and accountability around the algorithmic spread of misinformation and disinformation; Improve cyber protections by establishing regional, public-private cybersecurity centers; Increase market competition in the tech sector; and Invest in tech innovation

The Blueprint for Action includes results from two polls of Republican, Democratic, and independent voters  conducted with Benenson Strategy Group (BSG) and Public Opinion Strategies in late summer of 2021, and with BSG again in February 2022  that demonstrate strong bipartisan support for federal government action on tech policy. According to the most recent survey , when it comes to protecting privacy, 78% of voters surveyed support requiring companies to allow consumers the right to "opt-in" before sharing any of their personal data; on protecting the country's future, 75% agree that if the United States does not establish rules and guardrails around dangerous or false content online, our democracy could be under threat; and on protecting kids and teens, 75% of voters support prohibiting companies from collecting personal data on anyone 16 or under.

Passing a comprehensive federal privacy law that gives consumers control of their privacy is central to the Commission's blueprint to not only protect the data of consumers, kids, and families, but also reduce the spread of online harms and misinformation. According to the report, any federal privacy law must require companies to implement policies of data minimization with respect to personal data collection and use, such as restricting their collection and use of data to what they require to provide their services.

The bipartisan Commission's co-chairs, former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick, former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, and Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer, called the release of the blueprint a great opportunity for American leadership.

"Technology has obviously become integral to American society, industry, education, health, and national security. That makes the stakes higher than ever and increases the need for our country to put into place new protections for families, individuals, and institutions," said Margaret Spellings, president and CEO of Texas 2036 and former U.S. secretary of education under President George W. Bush. "The time is right for our country to come together in support of an actionable bipartisan plan that harnesses the power of technology to spur American innovation and allows people, not companies, to have the ability to protect themselves and their families."

"We talked to hundreds of people  from policymakers and public officials to ordinary users, tech CEOs and advocates, as well as teachers and parents  and it's clear we need a better balance between tech innovation and personal privacy," said Governor Deval Patrick. "American innovation is uniquely suited to both enhance and protect national security, personal privacy, our children's safety, and democracy itself, but our leaders must set uniform, universal, and trustworthy standards  and do so now."

"One of the things that stuck out the most when talking to people and looking at the polling data is that Americans are deeply concerned about their privacy and their family's safety online. But families are no match for the power and influence of big tech companies," said Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media. "It's time for the government to step in and establish basic guardrails to protect our privacy and our families, and the American people are clearly looking for leadership in Washington to make protecting kids and families from online harms a top priority."

Over the last year, in an effort to ensure that the nation's tech policy agenda represented every corner of America, the Commission organized virtual town hall meetings in collaboration with rural and urban communities in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Texas, sought input from approximately 150 experts, civic advocates, and leading tech CEOs through interviews and discussions, and conducted two national polls.

You can download a summary of the report here and the full report here .

Contact:

Lisa Cohen

[email protected]

(310) 395-2544

SOURCE Future of Tech Commission
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The rise of domestic extremism in the United States is becoming a menace for federal judges, according to a Reuters report on Tuesday.

The report said that U.S. Federal judges were faced with more than 4,500 threats and other inappropriate communications in 2021.

On Monday, director of the U.S. Marshals Service Ronald Davis said that the rise of domestic extremism in America is worrying, noting that the number of threats is "growing exponentially."

"Federal law enforcement officials have sounded alarm bells about a growing tide of threats posed by white supremacists and anti-government activists," said the report. 
BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nina Capital, an emerging specialist venture capital firm, today announced its second fund, started last fall, eclipsed its target size of EUR40 million in just four months. The fund will be used to continue executing the firm's strategy of investing exclusively in pre-seed to Series A healthcare technology companies based in Europe, the U.S. and Israel.

Nina Capital's new fundraise comes on the heels of a noteworthy 2021. Two years after the firm's inception in 2019, Nina Capital completed building a portfolio of 23 early-stage healthcare technology companies for its inaugural EUR18M fund, after screening more than 2600 businesses. Several of the 23 companiesincluding Ultromics , Contextflow and EarlySight raised subsequent funding from international investors, and Canadian health data company Replica Analytics was acquired by Aetion , a healthcare analytics company in New York and Barcelona.

"Our second fundraise validates that our market positioning is correct," said Yahel Halamish, Head of Investor Relations at Nina Capital.

Marc Subirats, General Partner at Nina Capital, elaborated on Nina Capital's strategic positioning. "The venture capital industry is evolving such that the most successful firms either build huge, multi-stage generalist funds or focus on early-stage specialist funds," he said. "Nina Capital is well positioned to become the best recognized health tech specialist in the latter category."

Marta-Gaia Zanchi, Founder and Managing Partner of Nina Capital, said that within one quarter, the fund approved its fourth new investment. "This initial portfolio speaks well for our conviction in health tech and ability to source, seed and support founders internationally."

Specialization is a major reason CEOs choose to partner with Nina Capital, whose diverse team bridges domains of knowledge in healthcare, life sciences, technology, entrepreneurship and alternative assets. A network of senior, international advisers and venture partners bring the necessary experience for the firm and its portfolio companies to scale. See team photo here.

"Nina Capital has been one of the best experiences we've had working with an investor," said Phil McElnay, CEO of MedAll, Nina Capital's first investment out of its second fund. "Nina Capital shares our passion about our mission and business, and we've been impressed with their loyalty, connections and deep healthcare understanding."

About Nina Capital

Nina Capital is a European, specialized venture capital firm that invests exclusively at the intersection of healthcare and technology, with a focus on pre-seed and seed investments and the capacity for follow-on at the Series A. Founded in 2019, Nina Capital manages a fully subscribed 2019 vintage with investments in 13 countries, and a fully subscribed 2021 vintage already deploying capital, with a team of professionals based in Barcelona, Spain, a growing international network of advisers and venture partners, and a strong base of private investors. Learn more at https://www.nina.capital.

MEDIA CONTACT

Grace Vinton

Amendola Communications for Nina Capital

[email protected]

SOURCE Nina Capital
What was he doing driving a truck for Amazon? Last week, attorneys for the family of Iliana Velez filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Amazon seeking answers.

Iliana was a first-year student at Texas State University pursuing a dual major in Architecture and Interior Design. To put herself through school, Iliana worked the overnight shift at Amazon's facility in Kyle, Texas.

According to the lawsuit, on January 3, 2022, while returning to Amazon's facility from her break, Iliana was struck and run off the road by an Amazon box truck driven by Jordan Michael Sannicola. The violent crash caused Iliana's vehicle to rollover and Iliana was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.

After crashing into Iliana and running her off the road, Sannicola simply continued drivingfailing to stop and render aid as required by law. To make matters worse, it is believed that Sannicola thereafter exited the freeway, turned around, and drove by the scene of the crash a second time without stopping. Sannicola was later identified, arrested, and charged with Accident Involving Death (a second-degree felony).

It is believed that Amazon hired Sannicola through one of its Amazon Relay Partners, however the lawsuit alleges that Amazon failed to conduct an adequate background check on its contract drivers, such as Sannicola, as evidenced by the fact that Sannicola had multiple outstanding felony warrants: (a) one count of Evading Arrest in a Vehicle; and (b) two counts of Abandoning/Endangering a Child. Records show that prior to the crash, Sannicola had also entered no contest pleas to criminal charges of (a) Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (second degree felony); and (b) Possession of Marijuana (misdemeanor).

"This horrific tragedy could have been avoided," stated Attorney Hilliard. "Had Amazon done its job by properly vetting its drivers, a young woman's life could have been spared. The failure of Amazon to take necessary measures, such as performing a detailed background check on all its drivers, puts us all in harm's way. There's simply no justification for Amazon's lax protocols."

The case is Dimitrula Velez, Individually and on Behalf of the Estate of Iliana Arie Velez, Deceased vs. Amazon.com, Inc., Amazon.com, LLC, Amazon.com Services, LLC, Amazon Logistics, Inc., Take Flight With B Trucking Company, LLC, and Jordan Michael Sannicola; Case Number D-1-GN-22-000664; in the 345th Judicial District of Travis County, Texas.

About HMG

Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP (HMG) has been successfully representing clients in the United States and Mexico since 1986. The firm specializes in mass torts, personal injury, product liability, commercial and business litigation, and wrongful death. Founding partner Robert C. Hilliard was named 2016 Elite Trial Attorney of the Year (Motor Vehicles) and 2015 Elite Trial Attorney of the Year (Product Liability) by the National Law Journal. HMG also obtained the largest verdict in the country in 2012 and the #1 verdict in Texas in 2013.

More about the firm can be found at www.hmglawfirm.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Dolan

[email protected]

312-519-0568

SOURCE Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP
Tonika Lewis Johnson to tell the often-ignored story of Land Sale Contracts, which arose as alternatives to traditional lending in Chicago when banks denied Black families loans and shut them out of home ownership. Even Federal Housing Administration-guaranteed mortgages were unavailable to prospective Black buyers.

Due to Land Sale Contracts, an estimated $3.2 billion to $4.0 billion was expropriated from the Black community during the period between 1950 and 1970, according to a 2018 Duke University study. The study, "The Plunder of Black Wealth in Chicago," found that 60,100 homes were purchased through LSCs by Black buyers during that period.

"Inequity For Sale" kicks off in Chicago's Englewood during Black History Month Launching February 18 to coincide with Black History Month, "Inequity for Sale" will feature sculptural concrete and metal markers, each over five-feet-high, in front of Land Sale Contract homes in Englewood, one at 6823 S. Aberdeen St. and the other at 7250 S. Green St. Additional property markers will be added in the spring, and a walking tour of Englewood's Land Sale Contract homes is planned using the interactive VAMONDE phone app. It will connect the area's history with Englewood's present-day conditions.

"Many of these once-beautiful homes are now dilapidated or abandoned, visible proof of the sordid legacy of Land Sale Contracts," Lewis Johnson said. "Having people walk through Englewood and see these properties allows them to interact with the destructive nature of Chicago's history of redlining and segregation. It's a powerful experience."

"The 'Inequity for Sale' project is exactly the kind of historical exhibit that can be a catalyst for real change in the 21st century," NPHM Executive Director Lisa Yun Lee, Ph.D. said. "By documenting the intersection of racial injustice with the right to homeownership, the exhibition tells a vivid and poignant story that has been largely neglected for decades."

Land Sale Contracts' shameful legacy stole billions of dollars from the Black community

Land Sale Contracts were offered to prospective Black homeowners who were not able or allowed to qualify for traditional mortgages. The contracts allowed them to rent the homes with the hopes of buying them, but came with inordinately high monthly payments. When Black families could not make payments, which was usually inevitable due to the loan's prohibitive rates, they were evicted by the sellers without recourse and lost the homes and payments. As a result, contract holders were unable to build equity in the properties or own them outright.



The Land Sale Contracts executed during the '50s and '60s gained momentum amid a robust postwar U.S. housing boom, when many white families bought homes in mostly white neighborhoods with the help of VA home loans provided by the G.I. Bill. Those VA loans did not exclude Black borrowers, but the loans were administered by banks that often practiced redlining, which limited access to mortgages in Black neighborhoods.

The practice came to an end with the 1968 Fair Housing Act that prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin or sex. However, the impact of Land Sale Contracts continues to be felt today in Chicago's still segregated neighborhoods and the large wealth gap between the city's Black and white residents.



Lewis Johnson, co-founder of the Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.), is widely known for her Folded Map project, which has engaged residents from both the South and North Sides of Chicago to explore the impact of segregation. The project paired residents from one side of the city with residents with corresponding addresses on the other side to compare and document their experiences of growing up and living in their respective neighborhoods. The stunning discrepancies between each group's outcomes have made the project a foundational and iconic work on redlining and segregation.

Lewis Johnson also is the co-host of a three-part podcast series based on the project, along with NPHM's Program Director of Arts, Culture and Public Policy Tiff Beatty, titled "Legally Stolen," which launched in December 2021. The first two episodes can be downloaded here.

About the National Public Housing Museum: The NPHM is the first cultural institution in the United States dedicated to interpreting the American experience in public housing. Its mission is to preserve, promote and propel the right of all people to a place where they can live and prospera place to call home. Using art, oral histories and material culture, the Museum will archive and share public housing stories of hope and personal achievement, as well as stories of struggle, resistance and resilience. These stories create opportunities for visitors to understand and engage in innovative public policy reform to reimagine the future of our communities, our society and the places we call home. Its physical structure is currently in development and will be an adaptive reuse of the last remaining building of the former Jane Addams Homes on Chicago's Near West Side. When completed, visitors will interface with compelling, historically significant exhibits and engage with the provocative ideas of internationally renowned contemporary artists.

Media Contact:

Beshanda Owusu

[email protected]

773-398-9194

SOURCE National Public Housing Museum
First of Three New Episodes Produced by Hearst Media Production Group and Lyda Hill Philanthropies' IF/THEN Initiative to Debut Saturday, February 19

NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys Foundation USA and CBS's multi award-winning television series Mission Unstoppable are teaming up to spotlight three teachers from the Foundation's Pathfinders Institute program who are dedicated to inspiring young students to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

Hosted by Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly, Despicable Me) and executive produced by Cosgrove and Academy Award-winning actress Geena Davis, Mission Unstoppable will present the first of the three new episodes on Saturday, February 19. The first episode will feature Lisa Moe, an innovative fourth grade teacher at Chino Valley Unified School District in Chino, California. An alumna of the Pathfinders Institute program, Moe inspires her students to break barriers in computer science, technology, engineering and math. Two additional Pathfinders educators, Maria Aguilar from Sacramento, California and Dr. Kellie Taylor, an elementary school teacher in the Boise, Idaho school district will be featured later this season. Mission Unstoppable spotlights diverse, female STEM professionals in an impactful way, in an effort to break long-held stereotypes and encourage adolescent girls to pursue STEM careers.

Lisa Moe was introduced to the Infosys Foundation USA through its Pathfinders Institute, an immersive professional development program for K-12 teachers in computer science and maker education. Moe believes positive affirmations motivate her students at Chino Valley Unified School District and every morning recites them with her class, including positive messages such as "Yes I Can; Be Kind and Let's Go Change the World." She uses fun, creative ways, even in a virtual learning setting, to teach kids how to build, code and bring their creative ideas and innovative projects to life. Virtual learning has been incredibly difficult for both educators and students but Moe is still able to teach her students how to build, code and bring their creative ideas and projects to life!

Infosys Foundation USA is committed to increasing access to computer science and maker education among underrepresented groups, which includes girls and women. The Foundation invests heavily in professional development for K-12 teachers in the United States. Out of a mutual interest to highlight the pivotal role that teachers play in shaping young girls' views on career opportunities in a technology-enabled world, the Foundation is thrilled to continue its partnership with Hearst Media Production Group for a second year.

"Our goal is to highlight the importance of inclusion and showcase diverse role models for young girls interested in technology through this partnership with Hearst Media Production Group and the Mission Unstoppable team," said Kate Maloney, Executive Director of the Infosys Foundation USA. "We are excited to spotlight Lisa Moe and the other two Pathfinders Institute educators who are using computer science and STEM to inspire their students."

"We believe that If She Can See It, Then She Can Be It," said Nicole Small, CEO of Lyda Hill Philanthropies and co-founder of the IF/THEN Initiative. "Representation and visibility in the sciences matter to young girls who need teachers and mentors like Lisa to inspire them to become next generation of diverse female STEM pioneers."

Moe was recently named the 2020 Edwin Carr recipient in Educational Technology through California State University, Fullerton and the 2021 IACUE Blended and Online Educator of the Year. She has presented on growth mindset, student engagement, and social emotional learning through the use of technology for several years at large educational conferences. Her personal philosophy of education is that children want to learn and grow, provided they are given a stimulating environment along with a supportive teacher.

Mission Unstoppable airs on Saturday mornings as part of "CBS Dream Team," the network's Educational/Informational programming block. It is produced by Hearst Media Group Productions in collaboration with IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies.

About Infosys Foundation USA

Infosys Foundation USA was established in 2015 with the mission of expanding computer science and maker education to K-12 students and teachers across the United States, with a specific focus on increasing access to underrepresented communities. The Foundation achieves impact through delivering professional development programs for teachers, partnering with leading nonprofits, and delivering innovative media campaigns that inspire everyone to be creators, not just consumers, of technology. For more information, visit infosys.org/USA.

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE,NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law.

SOURCE Infosys Foundation USA
PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Instrumental Inc., the leader in manufacturing optimization software, today announced it closed $50 million in Series C financing, led by BAM Elevate, with Canaan, Root Ventures and Eclipse Ventures as return investors. Instrumental Inc. will use the funds to expand research and development for new products and make critical hires in engineering and go-to-market teams.

Instrumental Inc. builds core manufacturing data infrastructure for the world's most admired electronics brands, which helps customers solve crucial issues in their manufacturing operations. Bain & Company estimates that 20 cents of every dollar spent in the manufacturing industry is wasted, which adds up to $8 trillion of economic waste. Instrumental Inc.'s cloud platform serves as the AI-enabled backbone for companies optimizing their manufacturing processes, through automated technology that detects defects, identifies root causes and delivers actionable insights to global teams. This data infrastructure enables companies to dramatically reduce waste and increase product margins as they bring products to market.

"When I was working as an engineer, I was surprised by the amount of waste and inefficiencies that electronics brands are accustomed to as the cost of doing business," said Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Instrumental Inc. CEO and founder. "We believe in a different future  where software leverages data about every individual unit built to make rapid changes to process and design, eliminating waste. We are proud to be part of our customers' core manufacturing infrastructure and to be approaching this challenge with deep empathy for the engineers who build and improve the products we all enjoy every day."

This round of funding comes on the heels of a record year for Instrumental Inc., which saw tripled bookings and net revenue retention of 150 percent in 2021. The company also earned recognition on Inc. Magazine's 2021 Top 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Companies, and in July 2020 closed a Series B round of funding, bringing the total funds raised to over $80 million.

"The way Instrumental combines visual and product data for companies optimizing their manufacturing processes completely changes the way products are designed and produced," said Jamie McGurk, the General Partner who led BAM Elevate's investment, who has joined Instrumental's Board of Directors. "Engineers that once had to email Excel files around the world and waste valuable time extracting information from siloed data centers can now use Instrumental to deliver the insights they need to find and fix issues faster than ever. We're thrilled to fuel Instrumental's continued growth."

The COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions and restricted international travel forced many companies to make drastic changes to their development and production processes, leaving them with low visibility into their assembly and at risk of quality control issues. In an effort to address these challenges for the broader electronics community and drive continuous improvements across the entire manufacturing industry, Instrumental Inc. is hosting its third Build Better Manufacturing Optimization Summit on March 3, 2022, in partnership with the Association of Manufacturing Technology (AMT). Experts from Instrumental Inc., Google Cloud, Tesla, SAP, Nvidia, and more will offer tactical advice on leveraging data to optimize manufacturing processes.

"I felt that Instrumental got what we were doing and why our mission to protect life is so important to us," said Bill Maginn, Director of NPI Engineering at Axon. "Throughout the process, they actively helped us solve immediate problems and they're committed to evolving their platform to further support our needs. We had a great two-way synergy with the Instrumental team and that's why we're getting ready to use Instrumental again on a new public safety product."

About Instrumental Inc.

Instrumental is the leading core infrastructure provider for companies optimizing their manufacturing processes. The world's most admired brands, including Axon, Bose, Cisco Meraki, Honeywell, and SolarEdge, rely on Instrumental's cloud platform and purpose-built AI to accelerate time-to-market, improve yields, eliminate rework, and save engineering time. Instrumental is mission-driven to support global engineering and operations as they eliminate waste and deliver better products, faster than ever before. Instrumental was founded in 2015 by ex-Apple product design engineers Anna-Katrina Shedletsky and Samuel Weiss. To learn more, visit www.instrumental.com.

About BAM Elevate

BAM Elevate is the private investment division of Balyasny Asset Management L.P, a global multi-strategy investment firm with $14 billion AUM. BAM Elevate invests in breakout companies in transformational industries poised to compound long term value. We provide our private portfolio companies with capital in addition to access to BAM's unique global platform to help Elevate their team, performance and capabilities.

Media Contact

Communications

Sid Mistry

[email protected]

SOURCE Instrumental
Advancements in diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases is one of the leading factors contributing to the market expansion. With the increasing disease prevalence owing to the lifestyle changes, the procedure volume has also increased over past years that will continue to accelerate the business demand. Myocardial infarction is one of the most common vascular disorders leading to the risk of mortality. The use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to detect plaque properties helps to reduce the mortality risk.

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Growing geriatric population is amongst the prominent factors further contributing to the disease burden. According to the World Bank statistics, approximately 12% of the total population in China is aged above 65 years and is set to witness substantial increase in the coming years. As a result, there is an increase in the number of deaths from circulatory and cardiovascular diseases among the elderly population base. In addition, obesity is directly associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Some major findings of the ICE and IVUS market report include:

Increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases across the globe will impact the business outlook.

Growing awareness regarding minimally invasive procedures is slated to augment the demand for IVUS and ICE devices.

Product innovations and proven efficacy of novel devices is influencing the adoption of ICE as option to conventional technology.

Increasing spending on cardiovascular disease treatment coupled with expansion of medical facilities is expected to propel the business landscape in the upcoming period.

High penetration of advanced imaging techniques in emerging economies will stimulate the market statistics.

Browse key industry insights spread across 99 pages with 109 market data tables & 13 figures & charts from the report, "Intracardiac Echocardiography and Intravascular Ultrasound Market Forecasts By Application (Electrophysiology Procedures, Left Atrial Appendage Closure, Septal Defects), End-use (Hospitals, Catheterization Laboratories), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2022  2028" in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/intracardiac-echocardiography-ICE-and-intravascular-ultrasound-IVUS-market

Left atrial appendage closure segment size exceeded USD 120 million in 2021 due to geriatric population as elderly population is more prone to atrial fibrillation. In this population, atrial fibrillation is significantly responsible for thromboembolic cerebrovascular events, especially for disabling and fatal strokes. Thereby, left atrial appendage closure devices implantation to prevent stroke and reduce mortality in aged people will fuel the product demand, thereby assisting in segment expansion.

The intracardiac echocardiography and intravascular ultrasound market from catheterization laboratories segment is forecast to proceed at over 6.6% CAGR during the analysis timeframe. The increasing number of standalone catheterization labs in developed countries owing to the favourable reimbursement scenario will positively impact the product demand. Furthermore, infrastructure development in catheterization laboratories to offer highly advanced treatments with better efficiency and high success rate will impel segment revenue growth.

Asia Pacific intracardiac echocardiography and intravascular ultrasound market accounted for around 40% revenue share in 2021. High procedural volume with large patient population, expansion of prominent industry players in the region and expanding network of healthcare facilities will drive the regional expansion. Several market players are entering the regional market to cater unmet need, thereby expanding business in untapped economies.

Major players operating in the ICE and IVUS market include Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc. (Biosense Webster Inc.), NIPRO (Infraredx, Inc.), CONAVI MEDICAL, Siemens Healthineers AG and Koninklijke Philips N.V among others. These players are implementing various strategies such as new product launches, acquisition & merger and partnerships to gain competitive advantage.

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About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology.

Contact Us:

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Corporate Sales, USA

Global Market Insights Inc.

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SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Involta, an industry-leading hybrid IT, cloud computing, and data center services company, is pleased to announce it has been highlighted in the 2022 Best in KLAS report in the Partial IT Outsourcing category . This designation, published in the 2022 Best in KLAS: Software and Services report by research and insights firm KLAS, recognizes providers who excel at enabling healthcare with the technology and support needed to improve patient care.

Ranking sixth on the Partial IT Outsourcing list with a 92.6 overall performance score signifies Involta's proven expertise and impact across this most critical sector. Notably, Involta received outstanding performance ratings across several key areas, including 100% of survey respondents asserting, "Involta exceeds expectations," and they "would buy from Involta again."

"Being ranked in this report is a direct reflection of Involta's commitment to transforming healthcare and empowering organizations with the robust IT services required to deliver better patient outcomes in today's rapidly evolving landscape," said Jim Buie, President of Involta. "Our team's dedication to innovation and solving complex healthcare challenges continues to prevail, from developing industry-leading solutions to support regulatory frameworks to delivering unmatched customer service. We are honored to have earned this esteemed recognition and thank our clients for providing their unbiased, excellent ratings and trusting Involta to support their dynamic operational needs, critical data and digital transformation."

Involta's suite of healthcare IT encompasses innovative data center services that support healthcare platforms for precision medicine, EMR hosting, PACs/imaging, data analytics, telemedicine and multiple electronic health records applications. Healthcare is 38% of Involta's business reaching 13 states and growing, supporting over 12,000 physicians and 7.4 million visits per year.

In 2021, the company introduced Involta SecureHealth to safeguard healthcare platforms and data by integrating managed detection and response services. Its PULSE Platform is a suite of customized IT services hosted in Involta's fully redundant, SOC 2-audited data centers with colocation uptime exceeding HIPAA and industry standards. In addition, Involta's Healthcare Advisory Board plays an integral role in advancing the company's healthcare mission.

"Each year, thousands of healthcare professionals across the globe take the time to share their voice with KLAS. They know that sharing their perspective helps vendors to improve and helps their peers make better decisions. These conversations are a constant reminder to me of how necessary accurate, honest, and impartial reporting is in the healthcare industry," said Adam Gale, CEO, KLAS. "The Best in KLAS report and the awards it contains set the standard of excellence for software and services firms. Vendors who win the title of Best in KLAS should celebrate and remember that providers now accept only the best from their products and services. The Best in KLAS award serves as a signal to provider and payer organizations that they should expect excellence from the winning vendors."

This elite designation marks the company's inaugural Best in KLAS appearance. In 2021, Involta was also KLAS reviewed and rated for its IT outsourcing abilities. To learn more about Involta's healthcare IT services, visit involta.com/industries/healthcare .

About Involta

Involta is an award-winning hybrid IT and cloud-forward consulting firm orchestrating digital transformation for the nation's leading enterprises. Involta's ongoing mission is rooted in partnership. Its personalized approach identifies customers' requirements while earning their trust to ultimately deliver Superior Infrastructure and Services, Operational Excellence and People Who Deliver, keeping with the Involta brand promise.

Involta pairs strategic consulting with the unique ability to leverage owned data centers and infrastructure assets, empowering businesses with necessary security and reliability requirements. Its well-defined, rigorous process to deliver hybrid cloud, edge, consulting, and data center services have earned the company several designations, including a KLAS rating and review for partial healthcare IT outsourcing excellence. The company has also been recognized on several CRN lists and has been named one of the fastest-growing companies in America by Inc.5000 for nine consecutive years.

Involta enables customers with the power to transform their technology and the freedom to focus on their core business. To learn more about Involta, visit involta.com or follow them on LinkedIn , Twitter or Facebook .

About KLAS

KLAS is a data-driven company on a mission to improve the world's healthcare by enabling provider and payer voices to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals, KLAS collects insights on soft-ware, services and medical equipment to deliver reports, trending data and statistical overviews. KLAS data is accurate, honest and impartial. The research directly reflects the voice of healthcare professionals and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. To learn more about KLAS and the insights we provide, visit KLASresearch.com.

Media Contact:

JSA for Involta

1.866.695.3629

[email protected]

SOURCE Involta
Second-annual grant program helps launch, grow, and strengthen home service businesses across the U.S. and Canada

TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Jobber, the leading provider of home service management software, today announced that Jobber Grants, the first program of its kind designed to support and shine a spotlight on the hard-working entrepreneurs within the home service sector, is now accepting applications through May 26, 2022.

New and experienced business owners alike are invited to apply for free grants ranging from $2,500 to $15,000. Applicants are asked to share what sets their businesses apart in the areas of excellent service, leadership, business acumen, and community support, and how they would further impact their local communities with funding. Twenty-five home service businesses across 50+ industries, including lawn care, plumbing, residential cleaning, and painting, will be awarded $150,000 in total. Finalists will be announced in August 2022.

"Home service entrepreneurs help keep our homes and offices running smoothly, provide meaningful employment to millions of people, strive for the highest standards in all areas of their businesses, and give back to the communities where they live and work," said Sam Pillar, CEO & co-founder of Jobber. "Jobber Grants continues our company's tradition of supporting and celebrating this well-deserving yet underserved segment of the small business community. For all you do, this $150,000 is for you."

Branden Sewell, owner of Seal Pro Painting and a 2021 grant recipient, is committed to paying his employees a higher than average salary and providing them with the right equipment to do their best work. His existing team was booked two months in advance, and he needed to hire more people to accommodate the jobs that were coming in.

"We allocated our funds toward growth," said Sewell. "Now as a team of seven full-time employees, we're also starting a new marketing department, launching a podcast and creating an internal series of training videos for all employees. On top of all that, we were able to acquire our first physical location for an office. We are incredibly thankful for our partnership with Jobber and all they have done to help us achieve our mission of making a positive impact."

Jobber Grants are organized into categories that reflect various stages of company growth, from ideas on paper to recently launched ventures and established businesses. Categories include:

Almost-entrepreneurs (pre-business): Entrepreneurs who have the drive to start and run a home service business.

Entrepreneurs who have the drive to start and run a home service business. New business owners (0-3 years): Entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of building their team, client list, and services.

Entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of building their team, client list, and services. Experienced business owners (3+ years): Entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their mature business to its next growth stage.

Recipients have the freedom to choose how to use the grant to support their ambitious business goals and innovative ideas. Whether a company is looking to purchase new equipment, increase its marketing investment, launch a new service, or train their teams, funds from the Jobber Grant program are designed to help small business owners be more successful.

Meaghan McVicker, owner of Green Clean Machine and a previous Jobber Grant recipient, organizes beach cleanups and contributes to several local business boards and councils when she's not busy running her business and working on a franchise plan.

She shared the impact of this grant on her plans to expand her service area: "It was instrumental in the progression of my business. I was able to afford new equipment, supplies, and I saved up enough to give my crew an extra treat for Christmas! Being able to show my employees that I want to give back to them and support them in the ways they needed was relieving."

The Jobber Grants program is one of many initiatives within Jobber's ecosystem dedicated to supporting the home service entrepreneur, whether it's through the company's award-winning business management software, free resources such as Jobber Academy and the Jobber Home Service Economic Reports, events such as Jobber Professional Development Day, and more.

To learn more about Jobber Grants or to apply, visit: www.JobberGrants.com .

About Jobber

Jobber is an award-winning business management platform for small home service businesses. Unlike spreadsheets or pen and paper, Jobber keeps track of everything in one place and automates day-to-day operations, so small businesses can provide 5-star service at scale. Jobber's 160,000+ home service professionals have served over 12 million households in more than 47 countries. The company continually ranks as one of Canada's fastest-growing and most innovative companies by Canadian Business and Macleans, The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, and Deloitte. For more information, visit: https://getjobber.com/ .

Media contacts

Sean Welch

PAN Communications for Jobber

[email protected]

+1 407-734-7330

Elana Ziluk

Public Relations Manager, Jobber

[email protected]

+1 416-317-2633

SOURCE Jobber
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kennel Club of Philadelphia announced today that it has donated a total of $400,000 to four notable dog-related organizations -- $100,000 each to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, AKC Reunite, Take The Lead, and the AKC Canine Health Foundation.

"We are reaching a wonderful combination of recipients once again this year, all of which are important parts of our world," said Wayne Ferguson, president of the club. "This allows us to help improve the lives and health of dogs and other animals, care for people in need in the dog show world, and help the communities where dogs have key roles in public safety and our daily lives."

AKC REUNITESM ADOPT A K-9 COP MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM

AKC Reunite, through its Adopt a K-9 Cop matching grant program, works with AKC member clubs to donate K-9 police dogs to police departments around the United States. Budget issues and other circumstances can make it difficult to add or replace dogs, and donations from AKC Reunite and AKC Clubs can address that financial need.

"AKC Reunite matches funds donated by clubs at a three-to-one ratio, up to $10,000 total per dog," said Tom Sharp, president and CEO of AKC Reunite. "The generous donation from the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, combined with AKC Reunite's match, will provide for 40 K-9 Cops around the country."

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

The gift to PennVet will be designated to the Walter Flato Goodman Center for Comparative Medical Genetics to promote and foster interdisciplinary research and training in the field. Medical genetics is the broad field of science that deals with the role of genes in disease. This involves the identification and characterization of genes that cause disease, as well as the application of genetic knowledge to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of genetic diseases.

"Essentially all genetic diseases that occur in humans can be expected to occur in dogs and other mammals due to the basic homology between the human genome and the genomes of other mammalian species," said John H. Wolfe, VMD, PhD, director of the center. "The school has a long and thriving relationship with the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, we thank them for that and we are excited to get the assistance to be able to carry on our work for the benefit of people and animals."

TAKE THE LEAD

Take The Lead provides direct services, support and care for qualified people in the sport of dogs who are suffering from life-threatening and terminal illnesses, natural disasters and in the time of the COVID pandemic, lost jobs, lost income and issues with health insurance. In its nearly 30 years of existence, TTL has awarded $7.3 million for people in need.

"We have had great support from kennel clubs all over the country through the years to keep our endowment healthy for years to come," said Founder and Vice Chairman Thomas H. Bradley, 3d. "The Kennel Club of Philadelphia has certainly helped to lead the way. We are grateful, once again, and thank them for their generosity to us and to our sport."

AKC CANINE HEALTH FOUNDATION

"Make a Difference" are the first words that appear on the AKC Canine Health Foundation's website, and that is exactly what it has been doing for more than 25 years for dogs, dog owners, breeders and researchers in advancing the health of all dogs and their owners.

"The AKC Canine Health Foundation has a long and valued relationship with The Kennel Club of Philadelphia," said CEO Darin Collins, DVM. "This generous gift, made possible by Mr. Wayne Ferguson, President of The Kennel Club of Philadelphia, and all the KCP membership, will be used to further advance our funding of research that promotes the health of all dogs, everywhere. Thank you, KCP."

Said Mr. Ferguson: "NBC and Purina, our great partners in the National Dog Show for the past 20 years, and our tireless, hardworking club members, help us bring this to reality for all concerned. This extends the reach and impact of our broadcast far beyond our millions of viewers every Thanksgiving Day. This lets us recognize the ongoing important and significant work done by our recipients for our dogs and their people."

SOURCE Kennel Club of Philadelphia
NEW YORK, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- In his upcoming first State of the Union address, U.S. President Joe Biden should show more sympathy to the Americans instead of boasting about progress that defy the Americans' lived experiences, The New York Times said in an opinion piece on Monday.

Outlining what Biden may talk about in his address, the opinion piece authored by David Axelrod, senior strategist on Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, stressed that the Americans "are still in the grips of a national trauma."

Polls have showed that the vast majority of Americans believe they are on the wrong track, and people will have little patience for claims of progress that defy their lived experiences, said the commentary, noting that though the COVID-19 pandemic is widely believed to be receding, "Americans are not celebrating."

"Millions have lost loved ones; many continue to struggle with the effects of the virus. Kids lost valuable time in the classroom, and parents have struggled to cope. Health care workers are in crisis. And we all have felt the profound cost of our relative isolation," it said.

"The state of the union is stressed. To claim otherwise -- to highlight the progress we have made, without fully acknowledging the hard road we have traveled and the distance we need to go -- would seem off-key and out of touch," it added.

The president needs to tell the story of the ordeal so many Americans have shared, honor their resilience and paint a credible, realistic picture of how they can reclaim control of their lives, the author suggested. 
GREEN VALLEY, Ariz., Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- La Posada is providing notice of a recent incident that may affect the security of some information pertaining to current and former employees. The confidentiality, privacy, and security of information in La Posada's care is one of its highest priorities and La Posada takes this incident very seriously.

What Happened? On December 10, 2021, certain La Posada IT systems became infected with a software virus that prohibited access to some files and email. Upon discovery, La Posada notified law enforcement and began an investigation, which includes working with third-party forensic investigators, to determine the full nature and scope of the incident, and to secure the La Posada network. That investigation determined that there may have been unauthorized access to certain information. La Posada then took steps to identify the individuals who may have been impacted. On January 24, 2022, that investigation concluded. La Posada is notifying those individuals whose information may have been impacted. La Posada first provided notice of this incident on February 8, 2022.

What Information Was Involved? The potentially accessed information varies by individual, but may include first and last name, date of birth, driver's license, Social Security number, direct deposit information, passport number, Drug and/or TB test results, information associated with explanation of benefits, self-funded medical plan participants, Member ID numbers, and COVID Vaccine cards.

What We Are Doing. We take this incident and the security of personal information in our care very seriously. Upon learning of this incident, we moved quickly to investigate and respond to this incident, assess the security of our systems, and notify potentially affected employees. As part of our ongoing commitment to the security of information, we are reviewing and enhancing existing policies and procedures to reduce the likelihood of a similar future event. We will also be notifying state and federal regulators, as required.

For More Information. If you have additional questions, please call the dedicated assistance line at 855-604-1839, which is available Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time, or write to La Posada at 350 E. Morningside Rd, Green Valley, AZ 85614. La Posada recommends that potentially impacted individuals follow the recommendations in the letter they received and contact the call center with any questions.

What Can You Do? La Posada sincerely regrets any inconvenience this incident may have caused. La Posada encourages you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review your account statements, and to monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity. Under U.S. law you are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report.

You have the right to place a "security freeze" on your credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in your credit report without your express authorization. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report. Should you wish to place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies listed below:

Experian P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/fraud/center.html TransUnion P.O. Box 160 Woodlyn, PA 19094 1-888-909-8872 www.transunion.com/credit-freeze Equifax P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services

In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information:

Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.); Social Security number; Date of birth; If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years; Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill; A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.); If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft.

As an alternative to a security freeze, you have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on your file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the agencies listed below:

Experian P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/fraud/center.html TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resource/place-fraud-alert Equifax P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348 1-888-766-0008 www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services

You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General.

The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov , 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

SOURCE La Posada at Park Centre, Inc.
RESTON, Va., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, today announced that Patrick Shanahan has been elected to the company's Board of Directors, effective February 16, 2022. Shanahan served as the 33rd Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2017 to 2019, including as Acting Secretary of Defense from Jan. 1, 2019, to June 23, 2019.

Before his time at the Department of Defense, Shanahan served in a variety of senior roles at Boeing, including as senior vice president, Supply Chain & Operations.

"Pat brings a wealth of expertise to the board and offers tremendous value for our shareholders and customers," said Leidos Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Roger Krone. "Having served at the highest levels of the Department of Defense and industry, his insight will be an enormous asset. We look forward to working with him as we spearhead advances in the revolutionary technologies that will make our world safer, healthier and more efficient."

Upon joining the Department of Defense, Mr. Shanahan helped lead the development of several key DoD policies and strategies. This included the 2018 National Defense Strategy, 2018 Department of Defense Cyber Strategy, 2018 Cyber Posture Review, 2018 Nuclear Posture Review and 2019 Missile Defense Review. He was a passionate champion of digital and technological advancement for the department, driving modernization in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing as well as command, control, and communication. In June 2018, he instituted the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) and published the Department of Defense's AI Strategy.

A native of Washington State, Mr. Shanahan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington and two advanced degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil and health markets. Leidos' 43,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

Contact:

Melissa Duenas

(571) 526-6850

[email protected]

Thomas Doheny

(571) 474-4735

[email protected]

Jalen Drummond

(571) 992-5046

[email protected]

SOURCE Leidos Holdings, Inc.
ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global lightweight materials market for electric vehicles was valued over US$ 3.36 Bn in 2020. The global market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 25.4% during the forecast period, from 2021 to 2031. The global lightweight materials market for electric vehicles is anticipated to cross the mark of US$ 50.78 Bn by 2031. Companies in the global lightweight materials market for electric vehicles are likely to acquire significant growth prospects in the future years, as fuel prices rise and sales of highly efficient electric vehicles climb throughout the world. Electric vehicles are becoming more popular in many developing nations, which is helping to boost the global market. Firms in the global lightweight materials market for electric vehicles are stepping up their efforts to boost its global production of lightweight materials.

Electric cars are becoming more popular in developing nations due to their fuel economy, great performance, and lightweight. End users are gaining interest in battery-powered electric vehicles. Major players in the global lightweight materials market for electric vehicles are funding and increasing their production capacities in order to deploy more of these materials.

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Lightweight materials, such as non-metallic composites, can assist in decreasing weight, increasing battery life whilst also retaining the vehicle's structural as well as esthetic integrity. Making the transition from metals to non-metallic composite materials presents opportunity for automotive makers to achieve marginal gains that is likely to lead to more sustainable and efficient electric vehicles.

Key Findings of Market Report

Growing use of metals and alloys in electric cars for battery packs, external trims, and interior trims is likely to drive the global lightweight materials market for electric vehicles. Various metals such as nickel, copper, aluminum, and others are in high demand for use in electric automobiles.





The exterior trim segment of the global market is predicted to grow significantly during the forecast period. Thus, increase in manufacturing of external trimmings, interior trims, and battery packs is expected to drive the demand for lightweight materials for electric cars.

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Rise usage of non-metallic composite materials in the manufacturing process of electric cars, such as glass-fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), helps minimize weight of the vehicle and so prolongs the life of the battery of electric vehicles.





Asia Pacific is likely to dominate the global market for lightweight materials for electric cars. The regional market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 28.1% during the projection period. The market in Asia Pacific is likely to be driven by rise in demand for lightweight materials for electric automobiles in different applications such as interior trims, exterior trims, and battery packs.

Lightweight Materials Market for Electric Vehicles: Growth Drivers

In 2020, engineering plastics constituted a significant portion of the global lightweight materials market for electric vehicles. Exterior & interior and decor of electric automobiles, electrical components, power trains, and under-the-hood parts all make use of engineering plastics.





Europe is another major player in the global lightweight materials market for electric vehicles. In Europe , Germany dominated the regional market in 2020 and is likely to prevail as a prominent regional player during the forecast period. The market in Germany is driven by rise in demand for lightweight materials in interior trims, external trimmings, and the battery pack of electric cars.

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Global Lightweight Materials Market for Electric Vehicles: Key Players

Some of the key market players are

LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V.

LANXESS Deutschland GmbH

Toray Industries Inc.

SGL Carbon SE

Evonik Industries AG

Constellium SE

Global Lightweight Materials Market for Electric Vehicles: Segmentation

Material

Metals and Alloys

Composites

Engineering Plastics

Others

Application

Interior Trim

Exterior Trim

Electric Motor and Powertrain

Battery Pack

Electronic Components

Bumper

Lighting

Connector and Cable

Dashboard

Chemicals & Materials Industry battles Tangible Impact of Economic and Cultural changes, Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Chemicals & Materials Market:

Methyl Salicylate Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/methyl-salicylate-market.html

Refined Wax Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/refined-wax-market.html

About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyse information.



Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8e-z-g23-TdDMuODiL8BKQ

Contact

Mr. Rohit Bhisey

Transparency Market Research

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United States

USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

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Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Breast cancer is a complex disease with many factors that influence whether the cancer will return or spread, yet few resources exist to help people diagnosed with breast cancer understand these risk factors. In recognizing the need for more education about breast cancer recurrence, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today launched a new education campaign in collaboration with Breastcancer.org, For the Breast of Us, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, and Susan G. Komen. This campaign aims to educate, support, connect, and empower people diagnosed with early breast cancer (EBC) that has a high risk of recurrence.

More than 290,650 women and 2,710 men are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. in 2022.1 Resources often describe early stage breast cancer as treatable and survivable. However, most people are at some risk of recurrence  and understanding individual risk factors is critical. This new initiative is focused on people diagnosed with the most common subtype of EBC: hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-).

"Too often, the risk of breast cancer coming back or progressing to metastatic disease is not part of the care team discussion as people navigate diagnosis, treatment, and care. We believe patients benefit from open conversations about breast cancer recurrence," said Jean Sachs, CEO, Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC). "LBBC is proud to work alongside Breastcancer.org, For the Breast of Us, and Susan G. Komen to collaborate with Lilly in launching this educational campaign."

This initiative provides educational materials and other resources specifically developed for people with HR+, HER2- EBC and their care partners to better understand the complexity of the disease, including the risk of recurrence. The campaign features a digital fact sheet, patient conversation guide, and infographic, all of which explain the clinical characteristics associated with an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence and provide tools in planning treatment in partnership with a care team. Learn more about the campaign's educational resources here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8982751-lilly-advocacy-organizations-drive-awareness-complexities-early-breast-cancer/.

"When people are diagnosed with early breast cancer, the initial focus is understandably on selecting and undergoing treatment that will prevent or delay cancer recurrence. However, the risk of developing recurrence may be difficult to comprehend and patients can benefit from additional resources to help understand or augment the information provided by their doctors," said Stacy Moulder, M.D., senior medical director of Lilly Oncology.

Dr. Moulder continued, "This initiative provides patients with comprehensive information on the factors that may affect the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Lilly's collaboration with advocacy organizations, each of which play a vital role in the breast cancer community, will drive the conversation about risk of breast cancer recurrence further and enable patients to have more informed, proactive discussions with their doctors."

About Early Breast Cancer

Early breast cancer (EBC) is cancer that has not spread beyond the breast or underarm lymph nodes. The most common type of breast cancer is HR+, HER2-. Most EBC is treatable and does not return. However, there are many factors that may influence whether the breast cancer returns.

About Breastcancer.org

Breastcancer.org is a leading patient-focused resource for breast health and breast cancer education and support. Their mission is to engage and empower people with research, expert information, and a dynamic peer support community to help them make the best decisions for their lives. The nonprofit organization, founded in 2000 by Chief Medical Officer Marisa C. Weiss, M.D., has reached 194 million people worldwide since inception. Visit www.Breastcancer.org for more information.

About For the Breast of Us

For the Breast of Us is the first online inclusive community for women of color affected by breast cancer. Our mission is to empower women of color affected by breast cancer to make the rest of their lives the best of their lives through education, advocacy, and community. Visit breastofus.com for more information.

About Living Beyond Breast Cancer

Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a national nonprofit organization that seeks to create a world that understands there is more than one way to have breast cancer. To fulfill its mission of providing trusted information and a community of support to those impacted by the disease, Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers on-demand emotional, practical, and evidence-based content. Thirty years since its inception, the organization remains committed to creating a culture of acceptance  where sharing the diversity of the lived experience of breast cancer fosters self-advocacy and hope. For more information, visit www.LBBC.org or call (855) 807-6386.

About Susan G. Komen

Susan G. Komen is the world's leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. Komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting this disease across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and in countries worldwide. We advocate for patients, drive research breakthroughs, improve access to high-quality care, offer direct patient support and empower people with trustworthy information. Founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy's life, Komen remains committed to supporting those affected by breast cancer today, while tirelessly searching for tomorrow's cures. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at komen.org/contact-us/follow-us/

About Lilly Oncology

For more than 50 years, Lilly has been dedicated to delivering life-changing medicines and support to people living with cancer and those who care for them. Lilly is determined to build on this heritage and continue making life better for all those affected by cancer around the world. To learn more about Lilly's commitment to people with cancer, please visit www.LillyOncology.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at lilly.com and lilly.com/newsroom. P-LLY

PP-AL-US-3051 02/2022  Lilly USA, LLC 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

1 American Cancer Society. Cancer Statistics Center. http://cancerstatisticscenter.cancer.org. Accessed February 4, 2022.

Refer to: Tracy Henrikson; [email protected] ; 609-454-7116 (Media)

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company
When Everhart joined LP in 2019, the company was in the midst of an ongoing strategic transformation from a commodity forest products company to a specialty, technology-driven, value-creating building solutions company. Her work has been instrumental in leading the company's cultural transformation.

Some highlights of Everhart's accomplishments at LP include the following:

Creating an actionable plan for LP's performance framework, "Think and Act Like Owners," through a comprehensive talent strategy, including recruitment, onboarding, engagement, development and progression

Spearheading LP's focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) by sponsoring the company's DEI Task Force alongside LP Chair and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brad Southern , which created LP's DEI Pledge for Action

, which created Leading LP's company-wide response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including creating robust safety protocols, policies and procedures, allowing LP employees to continue working and LP mills to continue operating amid the pandemic

"Robin's dedication has been paramount in bringing 'Think and Act Like Owners' to life," said LP Chair and CEO Brad Southern. "By embedding this philosophy into everyday life at LP, Robin and her team have enhanced a high-performance culture driven by accountability and empowerment."

To choose the honorees, the Nashville Business Journal accepted nominations from the public. Nominations were reviewed by an independent panel of judges comprised of former Women of Influence winners.

"I am incredibly honored to be included among such accomplished women," said Everhart. "However, no one in our industry deserves more credit than LP's 5,000 employees, whose dedication to their craft and support for one another inspire me every day. Without them, this recognition would not be possible."

In addition to her accomplishments at LP, Everhart is also a dedicated community member who is passionate about helping people become the best that they can be, whether through mentoring, leadership engagements, collaboration or board membership. Since moving to Nashville in 2019, she has found numerous ways to support the community despite the challenges of volunteer work presented by the pandemic. Everhart lectures classes and mentors students at Belmont University and Miami University. She donates her expertise through pro bono mentoring and support on human resources challenges and DEI initiatives to local nonprofits, such as Gideon's Army and the Land Trust for Tennessee. In her role as an Executive Strategic Alliance Advisory Member, Everhart helps to assess and advise startups. She also volunteers her time to support local organizations like Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville and the Urban League.

In the past, Everhart has been recognized for her achievements by other organizations, including being named a Top Executive in Corporate Diversity by Black Enterprise Magazine, Top 12 Business Women by the Ohio Diversity Council, YWCA Career Women of Achievement, Ohio's Most Powerful and Influential Women by the National Diversity Council and a recipient of the Civic Leadership Award by Venue Magazine.

The Nashville Business Journal recognized 35 businesswomen in 10 categories. An awards celebration will be held on May 10, 2022 to honor the winners.

About LP Building Solutions

As a leader in high-performance building solutions, Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LP Building Solutions,NYSE: LPX) manufactures engineered wood building products that meet the demands of builders, remodelers, and homeowners worldwide. LP's extensive offerings include innovative and dependable building products and accessories, such as Siding Solutions (LP SmartSide Trim & Siding, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish Trim & Siding, LP BuilderSeries Lap Siding, and LP Outdoor Building Solutions), LP Structural Solutions (LP TechShield Radiant Barrier, LP WeatherLogic Air & Water Barrier, LP Legacy Premium Sub-Flooring, and LP FlameBlock Fire-Rated Sheathing and more), LP TopNotch Sub-Flooring, and oriented strand board (OSB). In addition to product solutions, LP provides industry-leading customer service and warranties. Since its founding in 1972, LP has been Building a Better World by helping customers construct beautiful, durable homes while our shareholders build lasting value. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, LP operates 25 plants across the U.S., Canada, Chile, and Brazil. For more information, visit LPCorp.com.

About Nashville Business Journal

Nashville Business Journal is a multi-platform media company providing in-depth coverage of local business communities and breaking news reaching more than 320,255 readers each week. Through print, digital products such as its twice-a-day emailed news digests and face-to-face events, the Business Journal offers business leaders many avenues for making connections and gives them a competitive edge locally, regionally and nationally. For more information, visit bizjournals.com/nashville.

SOURCE LP Building Solutions
TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Magna Gold Corp. (TSXV: MGR) (OTCQB: MGLQF) ("Magna" or the "Company"), deeply regrets to report a fatal accident involving three employees at its San Francisco Mine on February 15, 2022.

The accident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time on February 15, 2022. Three mine employees were in the fine ore storage area when a cave-in occurred. The Company activated its safety protocols with the support of specialized rescue teams and local authorities. The cause of the cave-in is unclear at this time and an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the accident.

The Company is providing all necessary support and assistance to the families of the men who lost their lives in the tragedy. The Company will also provide support and counseling to assist employees and contractors at the site.

President and Chief Executive officer Arturo Bonillas stated: "Our thoughts and prayers are with families, friends and colleagues during this tragic event".

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Arturo Bonillas

President and CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Magna Gold Corp.
MENLO PARK, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, along with Omidyar Network, announced more than $40 million in grants to support the establishment of multidisciplinary academic centers dedicated to reimagining the relationships among markets, governments, and people. At a time when conventional economic prescriptions are failing and democratic governance is threatened around the world, scholars at leading academic institutions will investigate how economies should work in the 21st century and the aims they should serve.

Omidyar Network logo

The Hewlett Foundation will fund the creation and growth of policy and research centers at Harvard Kennedy School, Howard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Johns Hopkins University, and Omidyar Network is providing funds to develop an academic center at the Santa Fe Institute.

The Ford Foundation is also committed to the effort and will make additional grants to institutions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to be announced later in 2022. The Open Society Foundations are exploring how to best support heterodox economic thinking through Open Society University Network, a global partnership of educational institutions that integrates learning and the advancement of knowledge.

This announcement marks the beginning of a major philanthropic effort to fund higher-educational institutions to help rethink and replace neoliberalism and its assumptions about the relationship between the economy and society. For more than 40 years, neoliberalism has dominated economic and political debates, both in the U.S. and globally, with its free-market fundamentalism and growth-at-all-costs approach to economic and social policy. Neoliberalism offers no solutions for the biggest challenges of our time, such as the climate crisis, systemic racism, and rampant wealth inequality  and in many ways, it has made those problems even worse. The new academic centers will contribute to the growing movement to articulate a better approach to political economy and find systemic solutions that build a more equitable and resilient society based on a new set of economic values.

"Neoliberalism's anti-government, free-market fundamentalism is simply not suited for today's economy and society, but what comes next is still not fully developed," said Larry Kramer, president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which launched its Economy and Society Initiative in December 2020 to focus on identifying a successor to neoliberalism. "This joint effort reflects our shared interest in replacing outdated 20th-century thinking  individualistic versus collectivist, central control versus free markets, liberty versus equality, and the like  with new ideas that can lead to broader economic justice and prosperity for people around the world. This is a first step to support forward-thinking scholars, students, and thought leaders who can break out of a patently failing neoliberal paradigm, with its ossified left-right divides, and help shape a bold new vision for what people should expect from their governments and economies."

"In the decades since economists like Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek first developed their economic theories, our understanding of the world and the behavior that drives it has exponentially improved. Collectively, we have made great gains in understanding the cause and effects of economic inequality; created vast online social networks that operate from pocket-sized computers; sequenced the human genome; and achieved a much more comprehensive understanding of evolutionary biology and the fundamentally cooperative nature of human beings. Yet the economic models and assumptions utilized by many academics, economists, and policymakers haven't remotely kept pace with these advancements," said Omidyar Network CEO Mike Kubzansky. "Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we prioritize interdisciplinary scholarship to update our knowledge of complexity to better understand our economy  the ultimate complex, dynamic system. We are pleased to join the Hewlett Foundation and our other partners in supporting a new cadre of academic leaders, and a new epoch in the study of economics and its intersection with a diverse range of fields. Together, we can change the ideas that will change the world."

The academic centers will all pursue ideas and solutions contributing to the movement to rethink neoliberalism. In addition to developing new bodies of research and collaborating with other research institutions through a multidisciplinary approach, the centers will host convenings to engage scholars, policymakers, and other stakeholders to explore new ways of thinking about our economy. The academic centers established with the grants announced today will focus on the following:

Harvard Kennedy School's Reimagining the Economy Project will focus on reshaping economic narratives by taking a more active and empirical economic approach to analyzing data from local labor markets in order to better understand the implications of policymaking on local economies.

will focus on reshaping economic narratives by taking a more active and empirical economic approach to analyzing data from local labor markets in order to better understand the implications of policymaking on local economies. Howard University's Center for an Equitable and Sustainable Society will study the causes and effects of racial and economic inequities in order to determine solutions that can properly address those issues.

will study the causes and effects of racial and economic inequities in order to determine solutions that can properly address those issues. Johns Hopkins University's Center for Economy and Society will explore the benefits of past versions of liberalism and foster debate between current versions of liberalism to mine for solutions that may remedy neoliberalism's shortcomings.

will explore the benefits of past versions of liberalism and foster debate between current versions of liberalism to mine for solutions that may remedy neoliberalism's shortcomings. The MIT Economics Department's Shaping the Future of Work Program will analyze forces contributing to the erosion of job quality and labor market opportunity for workers without college degrees  including technology, trade, rent-sharing, and managerial practices  and consider institutional, technological, and policy innovations that can change this trajectory. The program aspires to spearhead new academic research; develop curricula; and convene students, scholars, and policymakers to develop these ideas and put them toward practical applications.

will analyze forces contributing to the erosion of job quality and labor market opportunity for workers without college degrees  including technology, trade, rent-sharing, and managerial practices  and consider institutional, technological, and policy innovations that can change this trajectory. The program aspires to spearhead new academic research; develop curricula; and convene students, scholars, and policymakers to develop these ideas and put them toward practical applications. The Santa Fe Institute will use mathematical and computational theory to study the emergence of alternative political economies, with a focus on the interplay between different forms of inequality, economic and market institutions, intelligent technologies, and cultures of invention and innovation.

The grants announced today from the Hewlett Foundation and Omidyar Network will allow the academic centers to begin staffing up and building out their research programs, partnerships, and course offerings. Later this year, the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations will announce grants to fund additional centers at institutions in the Global South and around the world.

About the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation:

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a nonpartisan, private charitable foundation that advances ideas and supports institutions to promote a better world. For more than 50 years, the foundation has supported efforts to advance education for all, preserve the environment, support vibrant performing arts, strengthen Bay Area communities, make the philanthropy sector more effective and foster gender equity and responsive governance around the world. Its newest program focuses on strengthening America's democratic institutions. Learn more at www.hewlett.org .

About Omidyar Network:

Established by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, Omidyar Network is a social change venture that has committed more than $1 billion to innovative for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations since 2004. Omidyar Network works to reimagine critical systems and the ideas that govern them, and to build more inclusive and equitable societies in which individuals have the social, economic, and democratic power to thrive. Learn more at www.omidyar.com .

Media Contact:

Heath Wickline

[email protected]

SOURCE The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
US$ unless otherwise stated TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945

BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife Investment Management today announced that it has named Marc Feliciano as global head of real estate, private markets. In this position, reporting to Christoph Schumacher, global head of real assets, Marc will oversee all aspects of the real estate business, including portfolio management, investments, asset management, and the integration of sustainability into both investments and operations. He will also be responsible for developing and implementing Manulife Investment Management's global real estate investment strategy and increasing its capabilities on behalf of clients, including Manulife's General Account.

For decades, Manulife Investment Management has secured investment opportunities for clients through its private markets offerings. It has built a holistic private markets business bringing solutions to investors in timber, agriculture, real estate equity, infrastructure equity and private equity and credit, with a total AUM of US$59.2 billion globally.1 As of December 31, 2021, the global real estate equity portfolio totals over 64 million square feet of office, industrial, multi-family residential, and retail space strategically located in markets across Canada, the United States, and Asia.

"Marc's experience in real estate portfolio strategy and his strong analytic approach will be essential to expanding the competencies of the global team as they meet the demand for sustainability and return from investors," said Christoph Schumacher, global head of real assets for private markets at Manulife Investment Management. "We are excited to have him onboard and feel his expertise will allow for aggressive growth across the real asset platform for our clients."

Marc joins Manulife Investment Management from DWS where he was the chief investment officer (CIO) of real estate, Americas, and the head of portfolio and asset management for the Real Estate Americas business. He was also head of the Americas debt investments group. He has nearly 30 years of experience spanning public and private real estate investment management. Marc received undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting with an additional concentration in finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

"I look forward to joining a team with a reputation for a stable and disciplined approach to real estate investments and for delivering good outcomes to clients," said Marc Feliciano. "We will continue to build on the foundation that has been established and also look to grow our capabilities, using our global lens and diversified approach to asset and capital allocation, to continue to meet the expectations of our investors."

1 As of December 31, 2021

About Manulife Investment Management

Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.

SOURCE Manulife Investment Management
ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global medical transcription services market was worth US$ 64.8 Bn in 2020. The global market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2028. The market is projected to surpass the mark of US$ 96.7 Bn 2028. Firms in the global medical transcription services market are benefiting from growing demand for these kind of services from various healthcare institutions, resulting in attractive revenue gains. The global market is expanding due to increasing government efforts, awareness about the advantages of electronic patient record keeping, and rise in the geriatric population. Besides, reimbursement processes and availability of various technologies that results in competitive cost reductions are expected to boost sales opportunities in the global market.

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A rapidly growing trend is the employment of innovative recording systems that combine various types of automated audio recorders with speech recognition technologies. Medical transcription is a lucrative as well as rapidly increasing niche in the realm of next-generation patient documentation and healthcare databases, and it is transforming the healthcare industry's perspective and attitude.

This procedure has not only decreased the amount of time and labor necessary by physicians throughout the world to write reports, but it has also lowered the amount of storage space required. Medical transcription services, in addition to effectively documenting patient information, have shown to be beneficial in decreasing the risk of legal challenges and insurance payment concerns. Several medical transcription companies offer both transcription services as well as software. Audio recorders are quickly being supplanted by speech recognition software that converts audio to text automatically.

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Key Findings of Market Report

Several healthcare practitioners outsource transcribing work in order to save time and money. Healthcare organizations prefer offshore medical transcription services to outsourcing since it is more cost-effective and time saving for both employees and healthcare organizations to obtain transcription services in return for dollars (currency rate benefits).

Development of the entire healthcare products and services industry is fueled by the automation of healthcare settings and associated peripheral facilities. The existence of sophisticated equipment from leading MT technology providers, as well as the automation of voice recognition technology, are important contributors toward the growth of the market. Hospital record keepers and physicians are increasingly using PC-based voice recognition systems.

The healthcare business is heavily reliant on insurance, especially in developed countries. Physicians, hospitals, and other medical professionals all need to record cases of their patients properly for insurance purposes. Previously, medical practitioners handled the transcribing for cases of their patients. However, as transcribing techniques became more standardized, documentation requirements became more demanding, putting additional strain on healthcare professionals and hospital management.

One of the most critical aspects of medical transcription is ensuring that transcribed patient and associated healthcare records can be retrieved quickly from the repositories. Another reason why healthcare institutions and other qualified professionals choose to outsource medical transcribing is the existing ability to switch providers immediately in the event of a pricing differential or a vendor's failure in the market. The standardization of transcribed report formats has proven to be a major advantage, allowing the company to expand.

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Global Medical Transcription Services Market: Growth Drivers

Due to growing medical documentation in the U.S., North America is predicted to have a leading market proportion of the global medical transcription services market. As a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's implementation, contribution of the U.S. to medical transcription services market is likely to grow even more. Moreover, the majority of healthcare professionals that use medical transcription services are based in the U.S., enabling greater in-shore outsourcing opportunities.

is predicted to have a leading market proportion of the global medical transcription services market. As a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's implementation, contribution of the U.S. to medical transcription services market is likely to grow even more. Moreover, the majority of healthcare professionals that use medical transcription services are based in the U.S., enabling greater in-shore outsourcing opportunities. In order to conform to government regulations, insurance providers also require legible and correct patient paperwork. In Europe and North America , medical practice is heavily controlled by government legislation. Malpractice lawsuits are filed against healthcare practitioners who violate such restrictions. As a result, healthcare professionals must closely adhere to the needed documentation requirements.

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Global Medical Transcription Services Market: Key Players

Some of the key market players are

Transcend Services, Inc.

iMedX Information Services Pvt. Ltd.

Nuance Communications, Inc.

TransTech Medical Solutions LLC

Precyse Solutions LLC

MModal, Inc.

Global Medical Transcription Services Market: Segmentation

Service Type

History & Physical Report [H&P]

Discharge Summary [DS]

Operative Note or Report [OP]

Consultation Report [CONSULTS]

Others

Mode of Procurement

Outsourcing

Offshoring

Both

Modernization of healthcare in terms of both infrastructure and services have pushed the healthcare industry to new heights, Stay Updated with Latest Healthcare Industry Research Reports by Transparency Market Research:

Prosthetics Market: The global prosthetics market was valued at ~US$ 8.9 Bn in 2018 and is projected to expand at a high CAGR during the forecast period. Prosthetics refers to the science of developing prosthesis, which are artificial substitutes or replacement for a lost body part, including arm, limb, eye, facial bone and tooth.

Ultrasound Gels Market: The global ultrasound gels market was valued at ~US$ 310 Mn in 2018 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of ~7% from 2019 to 2027. Medical gels are consumables used for various therapeutic and diagnostic purposes in healthcare. Ultrasound gels, ECG gels, surgical lubricant gels & catheter gels, obstetric gels, and soothing gels are various types of medical gels.

Endodontic Consumables Market: The global endodontic consumables market was valued at ~US$ 1.1 Bn in 2018. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of ~5% from 2019 to 2027. Endodontic consumables are used to treat dental impairments in patients. These products are utilized for tooth restoration and in the treatment of associated gingival tissues.

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global modular construction market size is expected to reach USD 138.9 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2021 to 2028. Increasing emphasis on improving productivity and rising focus on workplace safety at construction sites are expected to drive the market over the forecast period.

Key Insights & Findings from the report:

In Asia Pacific , the residential application segment is expected to progress at a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period due to the growing population, which, in turn, demands high investment for the development of residential housing projects.

, the residential application segment is expected to progress at a CAGR of 7.5% over the forecast period due to the growing population, which, in turn, demands high investment for the development of residential housing projects. In India , modular construction in the healthcare application segment was valued at USD 543.0 million in 2020, on account of high budgetary outlay for the development of healthcare infrastructure by public and private investors.

, modular construction in the healthcare application segment was valued at in 2020, on account of high budgetary outlay for the development of healthcare infrastructure by public and private investors. The commercial modular construction segment in North America accounted for a market revenue of USD 951.4 million in 2020, due to rising investments for the establishment of offices, hotels, and restaurants.

accounted for a market revenue of in 2020, due to rising investments for the establishment of offices, hotels, and restaurants. Key players heavily invest in research and development to expand their production capacities, thereby sustaining their market positions. Extending product offerings to customers is also one of the primary strategies employed by the companies.

Read 102-page market research report, "Modular Construction Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Type (Permanent, Relocatable), By Application (Residential, Commercial, Healthcare, Educational), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028", published by Grand View Research.

Modular Construction Market Growth & Trends

The process involves the prefabrication of modules at a different location from the actual site in a controlled environment, resulting in reduced timelines for completing building projects. This process allows planned inventory usage and limited wastage of raw materials, thereby, significantly reducing the investment required for building work. Assembly lines for modular construction help producers streamline raw material purchasing and inventory management.

Modular constructions are monitored regularly, ensuring a better quality of final products. Furthermore, they can be easily replaced or recycled during renovation activities, thus making them more user-friendly. The permanent modular construction segment dominated the industry in Sweden and accounted for 69.20% of the overall market share in 2020 owing to increased demand for residential wooden housing structures in the region.

The industry players are expected to target developing economies such as India, China, and Southeast Asian countries to tap robust opportunities resulting from the rapid growth of the building sector. Increasing efforts by companies to adopt the latest technologies such as 3D printing and building information modeling (BIM) for optimizing offsite module construction activities are expected to have a positive impact on the industry growth. However, fluctuation in transportation costs is anticipated to hamper the market growth over the forecast period.

Modular Construction Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global modular construction market on the basis of type, application, and region:

Modular Construction Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Relocatable

Permanent

Modular Construction Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Healthcare

Educational

Modular Construction Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

North America

U.S.



Canada



Mexico

Europe

Germany



U.K.



Sweden

Asia Pacific

China



India



Japan



Australia



Singapore

Central & South America

Brazil

Middle East & Africa

& Saudi Arabia



UAE

List of Key Players of Modular Construction Market

Laing O'Rourke

Katerra

Skanska AB

Red Sea Housing

DuBox

Sekisui House Ltd

KLEUSBERG GmbH & Co KG

Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research:

Civil Engineering Market - The global civil engineering market size is expected to reach USD 12.05 trillion by 2028 registering a CAGR of 5.7% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The rapidly growing residential construction sector on account of the rising population across the globe is expected to drive the growth of this market during the forecast period.

The global civil engineering market size is expected to reach by 2028 registering a CAGR of 5.7% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The rapidly growing residential construction sector on account of the rising population across the globe is expected to drive the growth of this market during the forecast period. Building & Construction Sheets Market - The global building & construction sheets market is expected to reach USD 195.15 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The increasing spending in the construction industry in developing economies is expected to drive demand.

- The global building & construction sheets market is expected to reach by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The increasing spending in the construction industry in developing economies is expected to drive demand. Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) Market - The global insulated concrete form market size is expected to reach USD 1,178.6 million by 2028, accelerating at a CAGR of 4.7% over the forecast period, as per a new report by Grand View Research Inc. Higher insulation values, strength, durability, and lightweight properties offered by insulated concrete forms are likely to boost their demand in construction applications over the forecast period.

Browse through more Grand View Research's Green Building Materials Industry Research Reports.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

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Grand View Research, Inc.

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Tuesday that the Security Council should adjust sanctions concerning Sudan's Darfur region in light of the changing dynamics.

Noting that Darfur is at a critical stage of transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding, Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said the security situation in Darfur is generally stable but still fragile, with frequent tribal conflicts and violent looting.

After the withdrawal of the UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur, the Sudanese authorities have taken the primary responsibility of maintaining stability and protecting civilians, Dai said.

He pointed out that it is an imminent task to strengthen the security capacity-building of the Sudanese authorities, which has been negatively impacted by arms embargoes.

According to the envoy, the Security Council should adjust the sanctions measures in a timely manner in light of the changing dynamics.

The just adopted Resolution 2620 calls for setting benchmarks for adjusting the sanctions by a set date and China supports this idea by voting in favor of the draft resolution, said Dai.

Last year, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2562, which requests developing benchmarks on the sanctions against Sudan by Sept. 15, 2021. But regrettably, it has yet to be implemented.

The new Resolution 2620 sets Aug. 31 of this year as the deadline for clear, well-defined and realistic benchmarks. China looks forward to working with members of the Security Council to carry out all these requirements, the envoy said. 
With an exclusive focus on cybersecurity solutions for the U.S. public sector, the Merlin team specializes in diligently selecting emerging technologies and creating rich solutions that address the needs of government's most strategic and critical programs. Merlin will now help NightDragon portfolio companies tap into the public sector go-to-market strategies it can provide and work in partnership to deliver innovative CSSP technologies to government customers.

"NightDragon recognizes the criticality of bringing cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies to U.S. public sector customers. We are proud to partner with Merlin to help our portfolio companies hyperscale their growth engines in this critical sector and deliver emerging technology innovations to support essential government missions," said Dave DeWalt, founder and managing director, NightDragon.

NightDragon portfolio companies will benefit from Merlin's solutioning and domain expertise, therefore accelerating their go-to-market capabilities in the public sector marketplace. The companies will receive elevated levels of support, including co-marketing, pre/post sales, transaction and business development support from Merlin personnel. Merlin will also provide guidance on building successful managed services offerings and related go-to-market strategies and will share insight into selling best practices into the public sector. As a result, NightDragon companies will be better prepared to sell to government customers and deliver targeted and innovative cybersecurity solutions to federal civilian, defense, and state and local agencies.

In addition to a go-to-market partnership, NightDragon and Merlin Ventures have agreed to collaborate on potential capital co-investment opportunities in their respective portfolios. With such a strong go-to-market engine, Merlin is well poised to act as a strategic investor in NightDragon strategic syndicates, and the companies agree to regularly assess investment opportunities throughout the course of the partnership.

"As cybersecurity attacks continue to increase in frequency, scale and sophistication, it is important for Merlin to play an essential role in helping our customers identify and adopt the latest emerging technology innovations. NightDragon has proven again and again its ability to invest and advise some of the most innovative companies on the market and we look forward to working with them to further enhance the value we can provide to our customers," said David Phelps, CEO of Merlin.

This partnership builds on pre-existing NightDragon business units, including NightDragon Government Services and NightDragon Go-to-Market Scaling. The U.S. public sector market represents one of the largest growth opportunities for emerging technology companies, with more than $250 billion in total projected spend in 2022. Other partnerships formed in the interest of helping NightDragon portfolio companies scale include Carahsoft, Optiv, Ingram Micro, Macnica Networks and Exclusive Networks.

"NightDragon continues to expand the resources and partnerships it offers to its portfolio companies as we look to grow our businesses in key markets. We look forward to the potential to work with partners like Merlin to continue building our go-to-market strategy and delivering unique, innovative solutions to support important government missions," said Tucker Callaway, CEO of LogDNA, a NightDragon portfolio company.

About NightDragon

NightDragon is an investment and advisory firm focused on growth and late-stage investments within the cybersecurity, safety, security and privacy industries. Its platform and vast industry network provide unparalleled threat insights, deal flow, market leverage and operating expertise to drive portfolio company growth and increase shareholder value. The NightDragon team has more than 25 years of operational and market expertise and was founded by Dave DeWalt and Ken Gonzalez, who served as senior executives leading technology companies such as Documentum, EMC, Siebel Systems (Oracle), McAfee, Mandiant, Avast and FireEye. Read more about NightDragon at www.nightdragon.com.

About Merlin

Merlin is a powerful ecosystem of cybersecurity investment, innovation, technical expertise, and go-to-market acceleration with 25 years of experience working with the U.S. Public Sector. Through Merlin, federal civilian, defense, state, local and education customers access innovative cybersecurity solutions that have been strategically curated due to their ability to effectively meet public sector requirements and mission priorities. Merlin does this by selectively partnering with best-in-class cybersecurity brands, investing in visionary emerging technologies and accelerating growth and value creation for its partners. This enables the U.S. Public Sector to successfully keep ahead of today's critical threats, accelerate modernization initiatives, and defend our nation. Learn more at merlincyber.com.

Media contact:

Sarah Kuranda

[email protected]

SOURCE NightDragon
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year, in partnership with North County African American Women's Association (NCAAWA), North Island Credit Union is offering $10,000 in college scholarships to college-bound female students of African American descent in North County San Diego.

Four $2,500 NCAAWA/North Island Credit Union scholarships are available to graduating high school seniors, current ROP, trade school, college and/or graduate students in Carlsbad, Escondido, Fallbrook, Oceanside, San Dieguito, San Marcos and Vista. Special consideration will be given to students pursuing degrees in education.

In addition to the North Island Credit Union scholarships, NCAAWA is providing multiple scholarship programs to qualified North County students. More information about all NCAAWA scholarships can be found at ncaawa.org/scholarships. Online applications will be accepted through April 30, 2022.

"We realize that supporting higher education and mentoring opportunities for young women in our communities is essential to their future growth and success. We are gratified that North Island Credit Union is continuing as our partner in this effort as we work to help make college accessible and provide important financial literacy programming to our Global Ambassador participants," said NCAAWA President Linda Simpkins-Berry. "These scholarships, along with financial education programs, will help NCAAWA continue our mission to empower, inspire, and engage young women to increase their self-sufficiency."

North Island Credit Union CEO Steve O'Connell added, "We are honored to once again support NCAAWA and its programs to inspire and support the education of young women in San Diego. From scholarships to mentoring programs, NCAAWA is providing essential services to our North County communities. We look forward to helping these students take the next step in their educational journey and providing financial literacy courses to set them up for lifelong success."

The two organizations are also partnering to provide financial literacy training for upper class high school girls in NCAAWA's Global Ambassadors Mentoring Program. The program empowers young women with leadership skills, understanding in-depth financial literacy and global issues that impact their social and career mobility. North Island Credit Union is providing participants with interactive financial programs and mentoring to teach budgeting, money management, savings, and practical financial life skills, among other topics.

The NCAAWA Vision is to provide a support network through education, health awareness, and life skills programs for women and girls in North San Diego County. "Our first support efforts," says a founder, Raye Clendening, "focused on women returning to the workforce. Soon thereafter we moved our support in the form of scholarships to high school and continuation students of African American descent pursuing higher education." To date, NCAAWA has provided over $300,000 in scholarship awards and grants to help young women further their education.

About North County African American Women's Association

Established in 1995, the North County African American Women's Association (NCAAWA) is an all-inclusive non-profit 501(c)(3) volunteer organization located in North San Diego County. Its mission is to provide a support network through education, health awareness, and life skills programs for women and girls in San Diego's North County to increase their self-sufficiency. Maintaining its charitable, educational, and recreational objectives, the organization, through its mission, has opened support to all women in San Diego's North County, celebrating ethnic and racial pride.

About North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union

California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of over $4 billion, California Credit Union has 25 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Please visit northisland.ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @northislandcu.

SOURCE North Island Credit Union
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. ("Oppenheimer")  a leading investment bank, wealth manager, and a subsidiary of Oppenheimer Holdings (NYSE: OPY)  today announced the continued build-out of its Healthcare Investment Banking practice with the appointment of Jason Fenton as Co-Head of Healthcare Equity Capital Markets, based in New York. In this newly created role, Mr. Fenton will report to Peter Bennett, Head of Equity Capital Markets.

Mr. Bennett said, "We are pleased to welcome Jason to our Healthcare Equity Capital Markets Group. Jason brings an exceptional depth of experience and extensive relationships in the biotech and life sciences sectors, at a time when this segment of our economy is positioned for accelerated growth. As a healthcare-focused investment banker with over 20 years of experience, Jason is the right person at the right time for this role and our broader healthcare sector activities. Jason's previous work in deal origination, capital markets advisory, as well as capital raising  including his deep, trusted relationships with corporate issuers and institutional investors will augment our firm's leadership in healthcare investment banking."

Mr. Fenton was most recently Head of Healthcare Capital Markets at Cowen and Company, where he focused on healthcare capital markets, and raised tens of billions of dollars for companies in the healthcare sector. He has advised emerging healthcare companies on equity financings, including IPOs, Confidentially Marketed Public Offerings, PIPEs, Follow-on Financings, and Private Placements.

Mr. Fenton said, "I am very excited to join the Healthcare Equity Capital Markets Group, led by seasoned veterans in the field who have decades of experience in executing transactions. Healthcare remains poised for continued innovation and growth, and remains one of the most attractive investment areas. Oppenheimer's corporate clients know they have a trusted advisor in the firm and rely on us to secure the capital they need to fund R&D that leads to meaningful medical breakthroughs. The firm's leadership has clearly identified healthcare as an area of growth, and I am honored to be joining a team committed to driving the success of companies and institutional investors in this space."

Launch of Annual Healthcare Conference; Record Growth in Investment Banking

The appointment of Mr. Fenton to this role comes ahead of the firm's 32nd Annual Healthcare Conference in March. The leadership addition and the Annual Healthcare Conference collectively underscore Oppenheimer's ongoing commitment to the continued expansion of its global investment banking capabilities. The firm's healthcare investment banking activities delivered a record year in 2021, with bookrun deal volume up 36% last year, while average deal size increased 46%.

Oppenheimer has successfully closed 33 healthcare M&A deals valued at a total of $6.4 billion over the past three years, as the firm's investment banking business delivered a record quarter and a record year in 2021, two years in a row. Mr. Fenton and the other members of his group will work in concert with Oppenheimer's leading middle-market M&A and equity capital markets capabilities  while also leveraging the strengths of the firm's equity research platform to drive continued growth in the healthcare segment.

Mr. Bennett concluded, "Oppenheimer continues to be one of the most active middle-market banks on Wall Street for global firms in need of U.S. market access, including the healthcare sector. As our investment banking business generates record performance, we see multiple opportunities to facilitate M&A transactions and capital raising that creates the next generation of healthcare industry leaders."

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (Oppenheimer), a principal subsidiary of Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (OPY on the New York Stock Exchange), and its affiliates provide a full range of wealth management, securities brokerage and investment banking services to high net-worth individuals, families, corporate executives, local governments, businesses and institutions.

Media Contacts:

Elizabeth Shim / Joseph Kuo

Haven Tower Group

424 317 4861 or 424 317 4851

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
ATLANTA, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pigtails & Crewcuts, known for its experiential and family-friendly atmosphere, prepares for a strong development year as system-wide sales continue to climb and salon openings pick back up.

The company has already opened three salons and has six scheduled to open by this summer, to join the $7 billion children's haircare industry. The children-oriented concept, with an assortment of hair services, is also exceeding its system-wide sales numbers compared to 2019.

"We're seeing the upward signs that our sector is bouncing back with optimism, as we awarded 13 new franchise agreements last year and seeing salons open faster as prime commercial real estate is readily available," said Michelle Holliman, Vice President of Franchise Development. "Kids are always in need of a haircut and we're happy to service them and the community. Parents get excited when they can turn a traditional service into an upbeat adventure that they can document for their family and little ones."

The business model provides busy parents with a variety of hair service choices, birthday party options and retail products. Services include kids' haircuts, bang cuts, shampoo & quick dry, flat ironing, blow outs, braids, up-dos, nail polishing, ear piercing and mom & dad cuts. Please note that the services provided vary from location to location.

Pigtails & Crewcuts not only serves children and families all over the U.S, but has designed the business model to encourage a healthy work-life balance for the franchisees. The simplistic real estate and hours of operation are manageable and enticing for qualified candidates who don't want to sacrifice their own family time and other passions.

"The majority of our franchise partners are parents themselves and know the value a Pigtails & Crewcuts brings into a community and what families are seeking," said Wade Brannon, President and CEO. "Parents appreciate having a place to go that caters to all children's needs, has a compassionate local owner who understands them and employees who genuinely love working with kids and are able to provide a playful experience."

The leadership team has over 75 years of combined franchising experience and equips the growing franchise network with vast resources including site selection and lease assistance, pre-opening and salon design, operations and retail support, public relations and marketing, financial management, customer service, website maintenance and hosting, employee training and customized business/goal planning.

"From one-on-one franchisee support to our 18 years of experience in this fun and rewarding kids-space, we see a bright future for the fragmented industry. We strive to become the leader in the children's hair cutting space with our intentional growth strategy, commitment to unit-level economics and mission-driven approach to deliver consistent quality and foster positive relationships at every level," said Brannon.

The brand gaining traction to become a top hair salon franchise projects to open 90 salons by 2023 and has identified prime growth opportunities nationwide, including throughout the southern region in the following states: Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

About Pigtails & Crewcuts

Pigtails & Crewcuts is a children's hair salon franchise created by parents for kids to offer a stress-free haircutting experience for the whole family. There are currently 66 salons, operating in 21 states with 12 additional salons in development. In addition to hair care services, Pigtails & Crewcuts offers kid-centric hair products and accessories, gifts, and a private party room for birthday celebrations. To learn more or to find a salon near you, please visit www.pigtailsandcrewcuts.com. To learn more about joining one of the top hair salon franchises, please visit www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com.

Media Contact: Angelic Venegas, Fishman Public Relations: (847) 945-1300, ext. 230 or [email protected]

SOURCE Pigtails & Crewcuts
SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Turvo, provider of the world's leading collaboration application designed for the supply chain, and Port City Logistics (Port City), today announced a strategic partnership to underpin the future success of one of the fastest-growing logistics providers in the U.S.

Port City owns and operates 3 million square feet of warehouse space serving the single largest and fastest-growing container terminal in America -- the Port of Savannah. After reporting record growth the past two years, Port City is expanding its warehouse and distribution network and projects a 67% growth rate in 2022. The company required a solution to maximize its warehouse expansion, increase efficiencies, and provide its customers a more digitized customer experience.

"From a go-to-market standpoint, Turvo allows us to be more than a commodity," says Port City CEO, Eric Howell. "Turvo gives our customers a different tangible experience. From a delivery perspective, Turvo brings together multiple disparate business processes that improve workflow efficiency, reduce cost, and pass on a better experience and transparency to our customers."

Port City, now tech-enabled with Turvo, looks to:

Provide a collaborative network to shippers and carriers for a seamless customer experience.

Scale operations without limits.

Connect with more non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) to pre-empt drayage service quote requests and manage bookings in one platform.

Gain more visibility into inventory levels at the warehouse to track and share inventory costs with shipper clients.

Ensure constant oversight and tracking of all trucks and documentation through an app-based experience.

Technology-Driven Transformation

Built on the award-winning Turvo Collaboration Cloud platform, Turvo's technology goes beyond traditional TMS by simplifying the interface between customers and logistics providers, empowering shippers, carriers, third-party logistics providers (3PLS), and brokers with a streamlined social network approach to supply chain management.

Companies that work with Turvo report 3X more revenue per employee, 5x more shipments per client, a 50% reduction in manual updates, and 10x better fleet utilization.

"We were looking for the most modern stack with the best user experience that had integration capability and customer and carrier collaboration and visibility built into the platform and overall architecture," says Chris Somerville, Port City's SVP Customer Experience. "Turvo was the only platform that met all those qualifications. Collaboration isn't dashboards and portals, it's true collaboration and workflow participation."

Collaboration is Key

At a time when understanding the supply chain has become the difference between unprecedented profits or bankruptcy, investments in the right technology are giving logistics service providers, shippers, exporters, and small businesses the edge.

Knowing when and where inventory is moving (and not moving) along the supply chain and having real-time information to manage stock shortages and delays makes it easier to track orders and notify customers and carriers when exceptions arise.

"Turvo uses collaboration to remove the inefficiencies between companies, creating automation and giving everyone a much better experience," says Scott Lang, Chairman and CEO, Turvo. "We solve more than just tracking a shipment, we provide a modern TMS with the added benefits of order and inventory management and collaboration -- helping customers like Port City to scale faster."

"Turvo is designed more like a social network than a siloed platform," says Lang. "If we believe that the supply chain is more of a network with shared workflows, then we need a technology that enables that. It's a team sport."

About Turvo

Turvo provides the world's leading collaboration application designed specifically for the supply chain. Turvo connects people and organizations allowing shippers, logistics providers, and carriers to unite their supply chains, deliver outstanding customer experiences, collaborate in real-time, and accelerate growth. The technology unifies all systems, internal and external, providing one end-to-end solution to execute all operations and analytics while eliminating redundant manual tasks and automating business processes. Turvo customers include some of the world's largest, Fortune 500 logistics service providers, shippers and freight brokers. Turvo is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in Dallas, Texas, and Hyderabad, India. ( www.turvo.com )

For media inquiries, please contact Samantha Foley, 214-263-3547, [email protected].

About Port City Logistics

Port City Logistics is one of the largest logistics companies in the Southeast, offering 3 million square feet of warehouse space and serving the Port of Savannah, the fastest-growing port in the United States. Ideally located with access to major ports and all major distribution centers, Port City utilizes an owned fleet of company drivers, owner-operators, and complete brokerage services that allow customers to make one set of transportation reservations for local, regional, and national services throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Those transportation and supply chain management services Include carrier management, shipment consolidation, vendor management, inventory management, and new market distribution. ( http://portcitylogistics.com )

SOURCE Turvo
FREMONT, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Power Knot LLC, the market leader for onsite organic waste management solutions announced today that it has received multiple food digester orders for spare parts, services, and support from Carnival United Kingdom (CUK).

Carnival Corporation & plc is a British-American cruise operator with a combined fleet of over 100 vessels across ten different cruise line brands such as Costa Cruises, Seabourn, Princess Cruises, Holland America, and Cunard. In 2019, Carnival Corporation tested the LFC biodigester to improve environmental compliance and the disposal of food waste onboard its ships. After extensive third party testing, the LFC biodigester was fully certified and found to be in compliance with all regulations by the CUK legal team. Power Knot has continued to support and supply CUK ships, many of which have been completely outfitted with LFC biodigesters.

"Power Knot is proud to offer service and support to nearly every major cruise ship line," said Iain Milnes, President at Power Knot. "Our LFC biodigesters have enabled ships to reduce their carbon footprint through a natural process that complies with MARPOL regulations. We continue to offer premier service while researching new innovative solutions such as our fully organic Powerchips Green media for biodigesters."

Despite supply chain issues that have disrupted most high technology industries, Power Knot has remained profitable over the last eight years. Power Knot continues to service all its maritime customers with machines, spare parts, and support.

About the LFC Biodigester

The LFC biodigester is a machine that digests food waste. These machines are usually installed in a commercial kitchen or galley and reduce the expense, inconvenience, mess, and carbon footprint of disposing of food waste that would otherwise be hauled to a landfill. Power Knot has eight different sizes that digest from 10 kg (20 lb) per day to 3000 kg (6600 lb) per day of food waste. With many hundreds of installations globally on land and on the ocean, the LFC biodigester has proven to be reliable, safe, and cost effective.

About Power Knot

Power Knot provides safe and economically sound solutions for commercial, industrial, and military customers globally seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. Our technologies are proven, available today, have been in reliable use for many years, and offer a payback period typically of less than two years. We design, develop, and manufacture our products in our headquarters in Silicon Valley, California.

SOURCE Power Knot LLC
For the 60.6 million people who work for small businesses, employer-sponsored health care is often not a reality; many employers simply can't afford to spend the average $7,000 on employee health plans annually, or they haven't had to offer it to attract and retain employees in past labor markets. However, the American workforce is in the driver's seat more than ever, as the Great Resignation wages on: 47.4 million Americans quit their jobs in 2021  and SMB employers are challenged to meet rising demands, including offering better benefits.

For as little as $20 per employee per month, Sesame For Employers lets SMBs affordably deliver the benefit that's most important  and typically most expensive  to their employees: health care. By offering inexpensive access to high-quality health care, Sesame For Employers enables SMBs to improve employee health, wellness and satisfaction; retain valued employees more effectively; and recruit new employees more successfully.

"There has never been a more urgent time to help SMBs survive and thrive, and affordable health care can play a significant role," said David Goldhill, Sesame's co-founder and CEO, and the author of The Real Costs of American Health Care. "The labor issues faced by SMBs are an existential threat. There are millions of unfilled SMB jobs, and the Great Resignation is compounding the problem. Sesame For Employers gives SMBs another tool in their toolkit for valuing and retaining their employees, and more effectively recruiting new ones."

AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE THAT'S SUPER SIMPLE.

Sesame For Employers is built on the Sesame Marketplace that has lowered the price of health care for hundreds of thousands of Americans in all fifty states by as much as 70 percent in the last year. The Sesame Marketplace works by giving consumers direct access to more than 16,000 healthcare providers who charge a cash price and do not accept or require insurance, keeping prices exceptionally low. Sesame Marketplace providers cover a range of medical needs  primary care, specialties, dentistry, lab work, imaging and more (in-person and virtually).

Sesame for Employers creates bespoke health care programs that can be customized to fit any small business' needs, including adding access to mental health clinicians, covering employee family members or offering other specialty care areas such as dental. The employer contributes a monthly per-employee stipend  as little as $20 per employee per month  which can cover the employee's care through Sesame. In turn, employees receive unlimited telehealth benefits, including primary care, urgent/sick visits, prescription refill appointments  and access to a myriad of in-person services.

Sesame For Employers also includes complete access to SesameRx, the Sesame mail-order pharmacy, that includes 200 FDA-approved medications, all for $5 and all shipped with two-day free shipping.

ABOUT SESAME

For the millions of Americans who pay for some or all of their own health care, Sesame is the health care superstore that delivers convenient, high-quality, full-scope medical care at affordable prices. Replicating the digital marketplace dynamics that have defined the modern standards of customer service and quality in online retail, travel, food delivery and more, Sesame gives consumers the most choice, convenience and quality at the best price. With a mission of "radically normal health care," Sesame offers a full range of health care services, delivered either in-person or via telehealth, and with no health insurance required. Services include acute and chronic care consults, specialty medicine, labs, imaging and more - all for as little as $25 nationwide. SesameRx, the company's mail-order pharmacy offering, offers hundreds of FDA-approved medications, all priced at $5 and all shipped for free.

CONTACTS:

Liz Murphy

[email protected]

SOURCE Sesame
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rakuten Medical, Inc. (Rakuten Medical) and Shimadzu Corporation (Shimadzu) today announced enrollment of the first patient in the phase 2 clinical trial of ASP-1929 photoimmunotherapy with fluorescence imaging (Study number: ASP-1929-103) at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health in the United States.

This is a phase 2, open-label, single-arm, window of opportunity study* of an antibody-dye conjugate, ASP-1929 photoimmunotherapy with fluorescence imaging in patients with operable primary or recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) or cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cuSCC) and will enroll 22 patients. This trial, conducted under Cooperative Research and Development Agreements with the National Cancer Institute, will assess the efficacy and safety of a single ASP-1929 photoimmunotherapy treatment administered prior to standard of care surgical tumor resection in patients with operable primary or recurrent HNSCC or cuSCC. Additionally, the feasibility of the Shimadzu fluorescence imaging system for real-time monitoring and recording of fluorescence of the IRDye 700DX (IR700) portion of ASP-1929 will also be studied.

"Currently, we are conducting monotherapy clinical trials with ASP-1929 photoimmunotherapy and a combination therapy trial with anti-PD1 in patients with unresectable recurrent HNSCC and cuSCC. This clinical trial further expands the studied patient groups by targeting primary operable HNSCC or cuSCC. I hope the results of this trial will lead to Rakuten Medical's photoimmunotherapy treatment reaching as many patients as possible," said Mickey Mikitani, Chief Executive Officer of Rakuten Medical, Inc.

"Shimadzu in partnership with Rakuten Medical, has developed a fluorescence imaging system for photoimmunotherapy treatment by using fluorescence visualization technology. In this clinical trial, we will observe and record the reaction of IR700 in real time during the treatment with the fluorescence imaging system developed by our technology to visualize the condition of the tumor. We hope that through the use of our fluorescence visualization technology, we can contribute to a future where this treatment can be delivered to as many patients as possible without delay including those with early-stage cancer," said Teruhisa Ueda, President & CEO of Shimadzu.

Other trials being conducted by Rakuten Medical, Inc. with ASP-1929 include a global phase 3 clinical trial for recurrent HNSCC and a U.S. phase 1b/2 clinical trial for recurrent HNSCC and cuSCC using combination therapy with anti-PD1. Moreover, in September 2020, the combined drug and a laser device system received marketing approval in Japan from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for ASP-1929 photoimmunotherapy to treat unresectable locally advanced or recurrent head and neck cancer.

*A window of opportunity study takes place in the period between a cancer diagnosis and the subsequent initiation of standard treatment, during which, the patient receives a non-standard drug or treatment of interest over a short period of time 1.2.

About Rakuten Medical, Inc.

Rakuten Medical, Inc. is a global clinical stage biotechnology company developing and commercializing precision, cell-targeting investigational therapies on its IlluminoxTM platform, which, in pre-clinical studies have been shown to induce rapid and selective cell killing and tumor necrosis. Outside of Japan, Illuminox therapies have not yet been approved as safe or effective by any regulatory authority. The company's first drug developed on the Illuminox platform, ASP-1929, has received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, and is currently the subject of a global phase 3 clinical trial for recurrent head and neck cancer. Rakuten Medical is committed to its mission to conquer cancer and aims to realize a society where cancer patients can lead fulfilling lives. The company has offices in 5 countries, including the United States, where it is headquartered, Japan, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Switzerland. For more information, visit www.rakuten-med.com.

About Shimadzu Corporation

With "Contributing to Society through Science and Technology" as the corporate philosophy and "Realizing Our Wishes for the Well-being of Mankind and the Earth" as the management principle, Shimadzu Corporation operates in various fields such as testing and measuring instruments, medical systems, aircraft equipment, and industrial machinery and equipment. For the development of photoimmunotherapy, Shimadzu has also signed a separate Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Cancer Institute and a joint development agreement with the National Cancer Center Hospital East to advance the development of measurement technologies for photoimmunotherapy.

About ASP-1929

Since 2013, Rakuten Medical, Inc. has been using an exclusively licensed antibody complex to develop new cancer therapies based on its IlluminoxTM technology platform. Rakuten Medical's first pipeline drug developed using its Illuminox platform is ASP-1929, an antibody-dye conjugate comprised of the antibody cetuximab and IRDye 700DX, a light activatable dye. ASP-1929 binds to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a cancer antigen expressed in multiple types of solid tumors, including head and neck, cutaneous, esophageal, lung, colon and pancreatic cancers. After binding to cancer cells, ASP-1929 is locally activated by non-thermal red light (690 nm) illumination emitted by a laser device system. Pre-clinical data indicates that Illuminox technology induces a biophysical process that compromises cell membrane integrity, leading to cancer cell death and tumor necrosis. ASP-1929 received marketing approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in September 2020, and is currently under investigation in a global phase 3 clinical trial for recurrent head and neck cancer. Rakuten Medical, Inc. is moving forward with product development by conducting clinical trials of monotherapy and combination therapy with other drugs. Outside of Japan, ASP-1929 and the laser device system have not yet been approved by any regulatory authority.

About Illuminox platform

The Illuminox platform is an investigational platform based on a cancer therapy called photoimmunotherapy, which was developed by Dr. Hisataka Kobayashi and team from the National Cancer Institute in the United States. Rakuten Medical is developing the Illuminox platform as a technology consisting of a drug, device, and other related components. The drug component of the platform consists of a targeting moiety conjugated with one or more dyes leading to selective cell surface binding. The device component consists of a light source that locally illuminates the targeted cells with non-thermal light to transiently activate the drug. Pre-clinical data have shown that this activation elicits rapid and selective necrosis of targeted cells through a biophysical process that compromises the membrane integrity of the targeted cells. Therapies developed on Illuminox may also result in local and systemic innate and adaptive immune activation due to immunogenic cell death of the targeted cells and/or the removal of immunosuppressive elements within the microenvironment. Outside of Japan, Illuminox therapies have not yet been approved as safe or effective by any regulatory authority.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward looking statements that correspond to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include various risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that may cause Rakuten Medical's business plans and results to differ from the anticipated results and expectations expressed in these statements. These "forward looking statements" contain information about the status and development of our products, including ASP-1929, the Illuminox platform and IRDye 700DX, as well as other regulatory and marketing authorization efforts, the potential benefits, efficacy, and safety of ASP-1929 and other therapies created using the Illuminox platform, and the status of regulatory filings. The approval and commercial success of such therapies may not be achieved, and the results and effects shown in pre-clinical studies and data may not be replicated in clinical trials. Such statements may include words such as "expect," "believe," "hope," "estimate," "looks as though," "anticipate," "intend," "may," "suggest," "plan," "strategy," "will," "hopeful," "excited," "do," "aims," "develop" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Furthermore, Rakuten Medical's partnership with Shimadzu does not infer any particular result or achievement for Rakuten Medical. Such forward-looking statements are based upon Rakuten Medical's current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of its business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of Rakuten Medical's control. Rakuten Medical's actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. In addition, this press release uses terms such as "hope," "contribute," and "expand" to express opinions about clinical trial data. Ongoing clinical trial studies include various risks and uncertainties, in particular, problems that arise during the manufacturing stage of ASP-1929 or other product candidates, the occurrence of adverse safety events, situations in failure to demonstrate therapeutic benefits, and other various risks and uncertainties, both reasonable and unreasonable. For this reason, actual results, including regulatory approvals and uncertainties in the commercialization process of ASP-1929 or other product candidates, may differ from published information. Except to the extent required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update this or any other forward-looking statement, whether because of new information, future developments or events, changes in assumptions, changes in the factors affecting forward-looking statements. If one or more forward-looking statement(s) is updated, no inference should be drawn that additional updates will be made to those or other forward-looking statements.

References:

Aroldi F, Lord SR. Window of opportunity clinical trial designs to study cancer metabolism. Br J Cancer. 2020;122(1):45-51. doi:10.1038/s41416-019-0621-4 Schmitz S, Duhoux F, Machiels JP. Window of opportunity studies: Do they fulfil our expectations? Cancer Treat Rev. 2016 Feb;43:50-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2015.12.005. Epub 2015 Dec 31. PMID: 26827692.

SOURCE Rakuten Medical, Inc.
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced today the opening of registration for its MDA Summer Camp program, for children ages 8 to 17 living with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular diseases. For over 65 years, MDA Summer Camp has offered at no cost to families, giving children and teens the opportunity to gain critical life-skills including self confidence, independence, self-advocacy, and making lifelong friendships in an inclusive and accessible environment. Families will have the option to select their desired location pending availability.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp program returns in-person and continues virtual option for kids ages 8-17 living with a neuromuscular disease.

In 2020, MDA pivoted to a virtual MDA Summer Camp throughout the pandemic, with programming that proved very popular with an expanded community including children with less mobility who weren't previously able to attend in-person sessions.

"There is a certain magic about MDA Summer Camp, and we know how important and valuable a camp experience is for our community. We are thrilled to be able to offer several options for campers this summer, both providing an opportunity for fun and connection that is so needed given the events of the past few years. We remain focused on building the program back safely, while continuing to expand the programs we offer in future years," said Alicia Dobosz, Senior Director, Recreation & Community Programs of MDA.

"I'm very excited that MDA Summer Camp is returning in-person this year as well as virtually. This hybrid model means that any child in the U.S. living with a neuromuscular diseaseincluding those with less mobilitycan still participate. Summer camp provides kids with new experiences that build life skills and confidence, and it also lets them form new friendships. These personal connections are priceless because they provide our kids with support throughout the year. That's why we say 'Summer camp isn't just a place, it's a feeling.' We're so grateful to our dedicated volunteers and generous sponsors for helping MDA build Summer Camp back stronger!" said Donald S. Wood, PhD, president and CEO of MDA.

MDA Summer Camp sessions will be held weekly from the last week of May through the last week of August in one-week sessions. For both in-person and virtual Camp, campers and families alike can expect diverse and inclusive programming, with an array of outdoor adaptive recreation with activities from sports, swimming, horseback riding, zip lining, and campfire cookouts. Virtual Camp allows kids to try new things, develop friends from all over the country, enjoy arts and crafts, STEM programming, gaming, and more. Every activity is adapted to the abilities of campers with neuromuscular disease.

Thank you to the generous donors and partners whose dedication to support the neuromuscular disease community. Their support enables MDA to transform and empower the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases through the funding of research, care, and advocacy.

Thank you to the following partners for their annual support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association:

Transformer support is provided by IAFF and CITGO Petroleum Corporation.

Visionary support is provided by Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Acosta Sales & Marketing, Dutch Bros., Albertsons Companies Foundation, and the NALC.

Leader support is provided by Burn Boot Camp, Harley-Davidson Eastern Dealers Association, Jiffy Lube and MDA Ride for Life.

STEM support is provided by General Motors.

About the Muscular Dystrophy Association

For 70 years, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has been committed to transforming the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDA's MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic, and patient-reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best-in-class care at more than 150 of the nation's top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. MDA Advocacy supports equal access for our community, and each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. For more information, visit mda.org.

SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association
WALLDORF, Germany and AMSTERDAM, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and the management and technology consultancy BearingPoint today announced they will join forces on carbon and environmental footprint solutions. The companies will collaborate to advance the design and development of a leading-edge solution for customers to help them reach zero emissions.

Measuring, managing and steering carbon footprints is a key element of reaching zero emissions and part of the climate action program promoted by SAP. Companies are under increasing pressure to determine their carbon footprint not only on a corporate level but also on a product level. However, the data acquisition, consolidation and mapping are challenges that many companies face. Together with the recent launch of the SAP Cloud for Sustainable Enterprises solution, SAP solutions for sustainability and BearingPoint's long-standing experience with emission calculations in the market, the companies are well equipped to develop innovative solutions to address customer concerns about environmental footprinting across their value chain.

"The co-development partnership between SAP and BearingPoint will bring together two strong value propositions. BearingPoint has long experience helping customers identify carbon reduction potentials and achieve sustainability targets. SAP contributes innovation capabilities, broad system landscape and reach to customers. Together as partners we will push the limits to move the economy forward on the path to zero emissions," said Gunther Rothermel, SVP, Head of SAP S/4HANA Sustainability, SAP.

Carbon Footprinting for the Entire Value Chain: Scope 1, 2 and 3

While many companies have already assessed their scope 1, and scope 2 emissions, assessing the entire value chain by introducing scope 3 emissions is key. To do so environmental networks must support data exchange with partners like suppliers, clients, auditors and governments even if they use different IT systems. Building on BearingPoint's in-depth know-how in product and corporate footprint calculations and algorithms, the SAP Product Footprint Management solution supports data gathering and calculations to help realize end-to-end carbon and environmental footprinting. The SAP solution is fully integrated with SAP S/4HANA and the intelligent enterprise architecture, but also connects with other data sources. This enables it to perform automated assessments of footprints across the value chain, even in heterogenous system landscapes.

"Together with SAP, we will co-develop utilizing our IP asset and provide a unique solution in the market to measure and optimize the climate impact of products across the entire lifecycle. SAP Product Footprint Management has sophisticated capabilities to determine the carbon footprint of a single product. Our 10-years-plus proven industry experience in calculating and optimizing product and corporate CO2 footprints will enable our joint customers to meet their decarbonization targets. We at BearingPoint believe that together with SAP's innovative solutions, depth in commercial processes and market expertise we can make a positive impact on the climate," said Donald Wachs, Head of IP Assets, BearingPoint, and Member of the BearingPoint Management Committee.

"The partnership with BearingPoint accelerates the SAP Product Footprint Management solution road map and will help make us a market leader in product footprint solutions that support our customers in maximizing the sustainability of their products and services," said Peter Maier, President, Industries and Customer Advisory, SAP.

About SAP

SAP's strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: SAP customers generate 87% of total global commerce. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers' businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want  without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people's lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com .

About BearingPoint

BearingPoint is an independent management and technology consultancy with European roots and a global reach. The company operates in three business units: The first unit covers the advisory business with a clear focus on five key areas to drive growth across all regions. The second unit provides IP-driven managed services beyond SaaS and offers business-critical services to its clients, supporting their business success. The third unit is designed to explore innovative business models with clients and partners by driving the financing and development of start-ups and leveraging ecosystems.

BearingPoint's clients include many of the world's leading companies and organizations. The firm has a global consulting network with more than 10,000 people and supports clients in over 70 countries, engaging with them to achieve measurable and sustainable success. For more information, visit www.bearingpoint.com

This document contains forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to materially differ. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risk factors section of SAP's 2020 Annual Report on Form 20-F.

 2022 SAP SE. All rights reserved.

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:

Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24

United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)

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SOURCE SAP SE
BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- A nationwide rising wave of threats to public officials has sparked concern in the United States, a Reuters report said Tuesday.

Reuters said it documented more than 220 terroristic threats and hostile messages through contacts and interviews with 33 board members across 15 U.S. states and a review of threatening and harassing messages obtained from school officials or through public records requests.

The report said that such intimidation messages are "ignited by roiling controversies over policies on curtailing the coronavirus, bathroom access for transgender students and the teaching of America's racial history."

Regarding complaints of school officials worrying about personal security, the report said they are part of a rising national wave of threats to public officials, including election officials and members of Congress. 
CHICAGO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new research report the "Satellite Data Services Market by Vertical (Energy & Power, Engineering & Infrastructure, Environmental & Weather, Agriculture, Transportation & Logistics, Insurance), Service (Image Data, Data Analytics), End-Use, Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Satellite Data Services Market is valued at USD 5.9 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 16.7 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 23.0% from 2021 to 2026. The US government invests in every part of the smallsat ecosystem and is likely to continue investing, both at the upstream and downstream, which would positively impact the satellite data services market. The more interesting development is in the increasing investments in smallsats by other governments around the world.

Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=55690321

In the last few years, satellite data services market has evolved considerably. Especially, the supply side has seen new technologies and new systems being introduced into operation. In addition to the impact of cloud, the satellite data services industry finds itself at the junction of two revolutions, the one being the Big Data/Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the other being the commercialisation of space (through its main drivers, small and micro satellites). This market is expected to have exponential growth owing to the surge in the demand for satellite imagery data throughout various industries. In recent years, the satellite market has been experiencing advances in technology and the response of the marketplace have led to smaller sensors, satellites, and launch vehicles competent of performing valuable space missions at relatively low price. This new approach has led to an increase in the number of satellites being launched. CubeSats and Small Satellites are cheaper to manufacture in comparison to normal satellites and can be launched as a secondary payload on a rocket or larger launch vehicles that can deploy many satellites at a time into different orbits for specific verticals, such as energy & power, defense & security, agriculture, and forestry.

The global coronavirus pandemic and the current surge in infection rate due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, has moderately impacted the satellite data services market on the supply side. This moderate impact is due to delays in delivery due to activity slowdowns for some satellite manufacturers. This slowdown has negatively impacted space launches and may lead to the postponement of several missions. It has also impacted business continuity plans at every level of the supply chain. The uncertainty grows, however, in the medium term due to the expected higher pressure on governmental budgets, which could affect institutional orders and have repercussions on commercial customers' financial fragility. In the long term, the manufacturing industry might hope for a return to nominal levels of orders thanks to persistent needs for connectivity, observation, and tracking services. The situation is more critical for small players. Startups and small-sized suppliers foresee liquidity challenges in the short term, and many may struggle to survive without support from their investors and prime integrators.

The satellite data services market for agriculture vertical is projected to grow with higher CAGR

Based on vertical, Agriculture segment to exhibit highest CAGR in satellite data service market, from 2021-2026 forecast period. It is because satellite imagery helps in assessing detailed estimation of crop conditions and yields, the health status of the crops, and quality of vegetation.

The satellite data services market for Data Analytics service segment is projected to grow with higher CAGR

Based on service segment, Data Analytics sub-segment would grow highest with a CAGR during the forecast period. Rising demand for data analytics services namely image data processing, feature extraction, digital models, and classification, required for developing GIS maps and analyzing data presented in a satellite image would boost the market.

The satellite data services market for Government & Military segment is projected to have highest market share based on end use

Based on end use segment, Government & Military sub-segment would grow highest market share during the forecast period. Rising usage of high-quality satellite imagery in defense sector of various nations to boost the market.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Satellite Data Services Market

224  Tables

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North America is expected to hold the highest market share in 2021.

North America is expected to dominate the market studied, during the forecast period, due to the maximum number of ongoing research studies and investments in this market, the existence of up-to dated infrastructure to undertake space programs, and the rapidest and maximum adoption of commercial satellite imaging throughout various industries in the region.

Key players of satellite data services market comprise Maxar Technologies (US), L3Harris Geospatial (US), Airbus (Netherlands), Planet Labs, Inc. (US) and Spire (US), ICEYE (Finland), Satellite Imaging Corporation (US0 and few others. These key players offer drones applicable for various sector and have well-equipped and strong distribution networks across the North American, European, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America.

Related Reports:

Weather Forecasting Systems Market by Vertical (Agriculture, Aviation, Transportation & Logistics, Oil & Gas, Marine, Renewable Energy, Meteorology, Weather Service Providers), Application, Solution, Forecast Type and Region - Forecast to 2026

Space Situational Awareness Market by Solution (Services, Payload Systems, and Software), Orbital Range (Near-Earth and Deep Space), End Use (Commercial, and Government & Military), Object, Capability, and Region - Forecast to 2026

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
ODESSA, Texas, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Saulsbury has recently been awarded multiple pipeline contracts to construct a collective 16.5 miles of steel and poly flowlines in Southeast New Mexico. This award represents a significant achievement for Saulsbury, as we work to promote growth in our Field Services operations.

"We are excited to see the continued growth of the Field Services operating group. This is an excellent start to attaining our goals for 2022 and showcasing Saulsbury's broad capabilities within the industry," said Travis Zatopek, Field Services Director of Operations.

Saulsbury's Field Services group has extensive experience providing turnkey oil and gas construction services while maintaining our exceptional safety standard. They support all projects by offering a comprehensive range of services, from site work and construction to fabrication and installation.

About Saulsbury Industries

Saulsbury Industries is a full-service engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction company that specializes in building the infrastructure necessary to fuel the future. Saulsbury serves its clients in heavy industrial markets by designing and building safe, well executed, capital-efficient projects nationwide. Headquartered in Odessa, Texas, the company's national office footprint includes Dallas, Houston, Port Arthur, Henderson, Abilene, Pecos, and Corpus Christi, TX; Carlsbad, NM; Tulsa, OK; and Bismarck, ND. For more information, please visit www.saulsbury.com and follow Saulsbury on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

SOURCE Saulsbury Industries
LYNDHURST, N.J., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Scarinci Hollenbeck has expanded its New Jersey labor & employment practice with the addition of Arianna Moure. Ms. Moure has extensive experience counseling New Jersey & New York employers, both public and private, on various labor & employment issues. Ms. Moure is also an experienced commercial litigator, having represented employers in a variety of civil and administrative proceedings.

Scarinci Hollenbeck has expanded its New Jersey labor & employment practice with the addition of Arianna Moure. Ms. Moure has extensive experience counseling New Jersey & New York employers, both public and private, on various labor & employment issues.

"Arianna is an excellent addition to our team, bringing knowledge and experience that will benefit both the firm and our clients," remarked Ramon E. Rivera, Partner and Chair of Scarinci Hollenbeck's labor & employment practice group.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Moure was affiliated with Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, P.C., where she counseled clients on various workplace issues related to the hiring, discipline and termination of employees, family and medical leave, wage and hour laws, anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation laws, and more. Outside of her legal practice, Ms. Moure has native fluency in Spanish and serves as the Press Secretary & Parliamentarian for the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey. She also serves as Commissioner for the New Jersey Commission for Puerto Rico, a position to which she was appointed by Governor Phil Murphy.

"I am thrilled to join Scarinci Hollenbeck," Ms. Moure shared. "I feel privileged to join a team with such skilled and diverse attorneys and I look forward to growing with the firm."

About Scarinci Hollenbeck's NJ Labor & Employment Practice

Scarinci Hollenbeck's labor & employment practice regularly provides advice and counsel with respect to all matters regarding employer/employee relations. Our attorneys frequently counsel clients with regard to issues concerning contract negotiations, the administration of labor agreements, disciplinary proceedings, grievance and public sector interest arbitrations, and employment discrimination matters throughout New Jersey.

More information on Scarinci Hollenbeck's labor & employment practice can be found on our practice page at: https://scarincihollenbeck.com/practices/labor-employment

About Scarinci Hollenbeck

With a growing practice of more than 60 experienced attorneys, Scarinci Hollenbeck is a regional alternative to a National 250 law firm. We serve the niche practice areas most often required by the owners and leaders of corporations. We offer a full range of services and have developed our business law practice with the expertise and specialization necessary to serve our clients as they adapt to the shifting economic landscape.

More information on our firm's expertise and range of practice can be found on our website: www.sh-law.com .

Contact: Peter Moeller

Telephone: 201-896-4100

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC
"This is another step in building operational depth and capabilities in Colorado for Schwazze. This acquisition will add a talented team of growers, high-quality indoor flower cultivation capacity, new strain genetics, and another profitable asset to our platform. The new facility will supply our growing network of dispensaries and customers with a broad assortment of high-quality indoor flower," said Justin Dye, Schwazze's CEO.

Corporate Update

Late in 2021, Schwazze announced a transformational $95 million raise with institutional investors and individuals, allowing the Company to expedite its aggressive expansion plans and become a regional MSO with operations in Colorado and New Mexico. The Company's differentiated strategy is to build a leadership position in retail and operational depth within its operating areas.

Since December 2021, Schwazze has completed five acquisitions adding a total of 15 cannabis dispensaries, including Smoking Gun (December 2021); Drift (February 2022); Emerald Fields (February 2022); and the ten Greenleaf New Mexico dispensaries (February 2022). See Figure #1, outlining Schwazze's dispensary assets.

Since July 2021, the Company has acquired a total of six cultivation facilities, two in Colorado including, SCG Holding LLC (July 2021); and Brow 2 LLC (February 2022) - and four licensed in New Mexico (February 2022). The Greenleaf New Mexico acquisition also added a manufacturing asset, Elemental Kitchen & Laboratories, LLC to the Company's Purplebee's manufacturing plant in Colorado.

The Company continues to evaluate merger and acquisition transactions that meet our strategic screening criteria.

About Schwazze

Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.

Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.

Figure #1

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "plan," "will," "may,", "predicts," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, * the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws, and * out ability to satisfy the closing conditions for the private finding described in this press release. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

SOURCE Schwazze
UPPSALA, Sweden, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Through the World Economic Forum's Council on the Connected World, the companies are joining forces with industry, hackers, and consumer groups for building consensus on security for consumer IoT devices

Cambridge, UK / Uppsala, Sweden-February 16, 2022-Secure Thingz, an IAR Systems Group company delivering advanced platforms to secure the IoT, and IAR Systems, the world leader of software tools and services for embedded development, today announced their active support for the Consumer IoT Security Statement of Support. Through the World Economic Forum's Council on the Connected World, Consumers International, Cybersecurity Tech Accord, and I Am The Cavalry, representing over 400 organizations, have come together as a result of the rising threats stemming from insecure consumer IoT devices.

With billions of connected consumer devices now on the market, and billions more soon to follow, there is need for a strong global baseline for IoT security in the next generation of consumer products. Through the World Economic Forum's platform for multistakeholder cooperation, IAR Systems and Secure Thingz are part of a community reflecting the interests of security researchers, technology providers, and consumers.

"The efforts of the World Economic Forum, in addition to the growing national and international standards, are very welcome. From Secure Thingz side, we are ideally placed to support the improvement of security across all connected devices through our unique end-to-end solutions," stated Haydn Povey, CEO of Secure Thingz. "It is only by elevating these requirements to the boardrooms of the Fortune 500 companies, and the corridors of power, that we will see the changes in purchasing habits and empowerment of systems, unleashing the radical benefits of the connected world."

For information on how Secure Thingz helps achieve the World Economic Forum's measured outcomes, please visit www.securethingz.com/weforum. More information about the Consumer IoT Security Statement of Support is available at www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/5-security-must-haves-for-internet-connected-consumer-products.

CONTACT:

IAR Systems Contacts

AnnaMaria Tahlen, Media Relations & Content Manager, IAR Systems

Tel: +46 18 16 78 00 Email: [email protected]

Tora Fridholm, CMO, IAR Systems

Tel: +46 18 16 78 00 Email: [email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/iar-systems/r/secure-thingz-and-iar-systems-endorse-global-joint-statement-for-consumer-iot-security,c3507238

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/386/3507238/1535498.pdf Secure Thingz and IAR Systems endorse global joint statement for consumer IoT security

SOURCE IAR Systems
BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SpliceBio, a biotechnology company exploiting protein splicing to develop next generation gene therapies, today announced the completion of an oversubscribed 50 million series A financing. The financing was co-led by UCB Ventures and existing shareholder Ysios Capital and joined by new investors New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Gilde Healthcare, Novartis Venture Fund, and existing shareholder Asabys Partners. The Company was seeded in 2020 by Ysios Capital and Asabys Partners.

Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are the gene therapy vector of choice for the treatment of genetic diseases. However, their small packaging capacity is a major challenge for the development of novel gene therapies. SpliceBio's Protein Splicing platform aims to address this major limitation to enable the efficient delivery of large genes using AAV vectors. The platform is based on technology developed in the Muir Lab at Princeton University after more than 20 years of pioneering intein and protein engineering research. In this novel approach, engineered inteins catalyze highly efficient protein trans-splicing to reconstitute the desired full-length therapeutic protein in vivo.

The proceeds from the financing, the largest Series A round for a Spanish biotech company, will enable SpliceBio to build a pipeline of Protein Splicing gene therapy programs, while advancing the lead program in Stargardt disease to the clinic. Stargardt disease is the most common form of juvenile macular dystrophy affecting more than 80,000 people in US and EU. The disease is caused by a loss of function mutation in the ABCA4 gene, which at 6.8 kb is too large for single AAV vectors. The Company will focus its efforts on ophthalmology as well as other disease areas of significant unmet patient need. The platform has been validated in several other organs beyond the retina.

Miquel Vila-Perello, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SpliceBio, said: "We are very pleased to attract this outstanding syndicate of institutional and corporate investors which validates our approach to developing next generation gene therapies. I am excited to lead an exceptional team as we continue to build our platform and advance our pipeline of gene therapy programs into the clinic."

Following the closing of the financing, the Board of SpliceBio chaired by Jean Philippe Combal will include: Erica Whittaker, UCB Ventures; Joel Jean-Mairet, Ysios Capital; Ed Mathers, NEA; Arthur Franken, Gilde Healthcare; Beat Steffen, Novartis Venture Fund; and Miquel Vila-Perello, CEO.

Erica Whittaker, Vice President and Head of UCB Ventures, stated: "We are delighted to support SpliceBio in the development of its innovative platform to create treatments for patients suffering from genetic diseases not currently addressable by existing gene therapy approaches."

Joel Jean-Mairet, Managing Partner at Ysios Capital, added: "We are proud to have been involved with the Company since its early days and are very impressed with the progress achieved to date. SpliceBio's platform represents an unprecedented opportunity to expand the universe of diseases that can be addressed with gene therapy. This financing is also a testament to the growing potential of the biotech hub in Barcelona."

Ed Mathers, General Partner at NEA, commented: "We are very pleased to back this team, building on the founders' early-stage research at Princeton's Muir Laboratory to develop SpliceBio into a world leading gene therapy player. We believe SpliceBio's innovative approach to maximizing the capacity of AAV vectors has the potential to make a meaningful impact in the delivery of much needed gene therapies, and we look forward to supporting the Company through its next stages of growth."

About SpliceBio

SpliceBio is a biotechnology company exploiting Protein Splicing to develop the next generation of gene therapies. The Company's proprietary platform enables efficient delivery of large genes with adeno-associated vectors (AAV), overcoming the most fundamental challenge in the quest to curing a broad range of genetic diseases. SpliceBio's platform is based on technology developed in the Muir Lab at Princeton University after more than 20 years of pioneering intein and protein engineering research. For additional information, please visit www.splice.bio.

About Split Inteins

Inteins are auto-processing domains found in organisms from all domains of life. These proteins carry out a process known as protein splicing, which is a multi-step biochemical reaction comprised of both the cleavage and formation of peptide bonds. While the endogenous substrates of protein splicing are specific essential proteins found in intein-containing host organisms, inteins are also functional in exogenous contexts and can be used to chemically manipulate virtually any polypeptide backbone. After more than 20 years of pioneering intein research characterizing the structure-activity relationship of inteins and optimizing their properties, SpliceBio's co-founders have developed a new generation of engineered split inteins designed for therapeutic use. The Company has developed additional proprietary technologies that altogether conform its Protein Splicing platform.

About Stargardt disease

Stargardt disease is a genetic eye disorder that causes retinal degeneration and vision loss. Stargardt disease is the most common form of inherited macular degeneration, affecting 1 in 8,000 people in the world, including children. There are no treatments currently available for Stargardt patients.

About UCB Ventures

UCB Ventures is a strategic corporate venture fund established in 2017 to further strengthen UCB's ability to create value from novel insights and technologies that can transform the lives of patients suffering from severe diseases. UCB Ventures invests in innovative therapeutics and technology platforms that are early stage and high risk, in areas adjacent to or even beyond UCB's therapeutic focus on neurology/neurodegenerative diseases, immunology and muscular skeletal/bone health. UCB Ventures takes an active role in its portfolio companies, contributing expertise in drug discovery, development, and operations. Visit www.UCBVentures.com to learn more.

About Ysios Capital

Ysios Capital is a leading Spanish venture capital firm that provides private equity financing to early- and mid-stage, highly innovative life science companies bringing life-changing treatments to patients, with a focus on indications with high unmet need. Our diverse international team in San Sebastian and Barcelona is driven by science, with the ambition to transform capital into medical breakthroughs. Ysios Capital was founded in 2008 and has over $450 million in assets under management through its three funds. For more information, please visit www.ysioscapital.com.

About New Enterprise Associates

New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors, and geographies. With nearly $24 billion in cumulative committed capital since the firm's founding in 1977, NEA invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company's lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm's long track record of successful investing includes more than 230 portfolio company IPOs and more than 390 mergers and acquisitions. www.nea.com.

About Gilde Healthcare

Gilde Healthcare is a specialized healthcare investor with two fund strategies: Venture&Growth and Private Equity. The firm operates out of offices in Utrecht (The Netherlands), Frankfurt (Germany) and Cambridge (United States). Gilde Healthcare Venture&Growth invests in fast growing, innovative companies active in (bio)pharmaceuticals, healthtech and medtech that are based in Europe and North America. For more information, please visit: www.gildehealthcare.com.

About Novartis Venture Fund

Novartis Venture Fund is a financially driven corporate life science venture fund whose purpose is to foster innovation, drive significant patient benefit and generate superior returns by creating and investing in innovative life science companies at various stages of their development. For more information, go to www.nvfund.com.

About Asabys Partners

Asabys Partners is a venture capital manager firm specialized in the healthcare sector. With close to 120 million euros in AUM and 12 portfolio companies (including 1 exit), Asabys invests in healthcare companies that have highly innovative and disruptive technologies. The investment in SpliceBio is partly financed by its first investment vehicle, Sabadell Asabys Health Innovation Investments SCR, SA, whose anchor investor is Banc Sabadell. The fund's investment in the company benefits from the financial backing of the European Union under the European Fund for Strategic Investments ("EFSI") set up under the Investment Plan for Europe. The purpose of EFSI is to help support financing and implementing productive investments in the European Union and to ensure increased access to financing. For more information, visit: www.asabys.com

SOURCE SpliceBio
The transportation sector is experiencing a surge in the need for robust IT solutions to streamline numerous processes. Transportation companies aim to efficiently handle and store information about passengers, travel tracking, seat availability, reservations, and cancellations. With the growing need for data storage in this industry, the installation of IT solutions is developing at a rapid rate, increasing the demand for effective cabling solutions. Efficient communication and navigation at transport hubs allow operators to track and assess flights & trains. The transportation industry is increasingly utilizing digital technologies to enhance passenger traveling experience. This enables an efficient networking and computing infrastructure that requires structured cabling solutions.

The increasing need for Fiber-to-the-Home/Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTH/FTTP) in Europe is driven by residential and commercial end-users. The rising availability of high-speed information transfer and increasing usage of broadband are expanding the fiber-optic system network. In November 2021, Eurofiber and DB broadband GmbH announced a new agreement to provide carriers, public utilities, media & content providers, ISPs, local governments, and companies access to fiber-optic infrastructure across Europe. Fiber-optics ensure a faster and uninterrupted flow of data with significantly enhanced communication speed, increasing the demand for innovative structure cabling solutions.

Prominent players operating in the market include ABB Ltd., Anixter International, CA Technologies, Cisco Systems, Inc., CommScope Holding Co., Inc., Corning, Inc., Fiber Mountain, Inc., Fujitsu Limited, Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., General Cable Technologies Corporation, IBM Corporation, Legrand S.A., Metz Connect, Nexans S.A., Panduit Corporation, Reichle & De-Massari AG, RiT Tech (Intelligence Solutions) Ltd., Rittal GmbH & Co., KG, TE Connectivity, and The Siemon Company.

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Some major findings of the structured cabling market report are:

The rising adoption of intelligent technologies to implement scalable and modular IT infrastructure in several business operations will drive the structured cabling market in the next five years. Structured cabling provides access to critical information in optimum uptime.

The growing demand for data center solutions for the management of energy production, oil & gas, and petroleum seismic processing data is being witnessed in the structured cabling market. Organizations are analyzing project needs and properly selecting drilling locations for cost-effective extraction through various systems that require effective cabling infrastructure.

The market players are offering various maintenance and support services to enhance the operational efficiency of cable infrastructure. Service providers provide preventive maintenance to minimize occasional issues in cabling systems. Corrective maintenance rectifies problems in network devices, switchboards, and optical fiber panels.

The market is showcasing a high demand for structured cabling solutions from the healthcare sector. Structured cabling help in data security, clinical equipment monitoring & control, fire protection, closed-circuit television networks, hospital security systems, and patient monitoring. It enables physicians, nurses, and administrative staff to access their databases from anywhere in the facility

Government organizations generate and store large amounts of classified & confidential data. This factor will increase the need to upgrade their IT infrastructure. The military & defense sector is experiencing high demand for structured cabling solutions to efficiently transmit, process, store, and receive confidential information on their systems.

Table of Contents (ToC) of the report:

Chapter 3 Structured Cabling Market Insights

3.1 Industry segmentation

3.2 Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

3.2.1 Global outlook

3.2.2 Regional outlook

3.2.3 Industry value chain

3.2.3.1 Raw material suppliers

3.2.3.2 Component suppliers

3.2.3.3 Manufacturers

3.2.4 Competitive landscape

3.2.4.1 Marketing

3.2.4.2 Distribution channel

3.2.4.3 Business growth

3.3 Industry ecosystem analysis

3.3.1 Raw material suppliers

3.3.2 Component suppliers

3.3.3 Manufacturers

3.3.4 Technology/software providers

3.3.5 System integrators

3.3.6 Distributors

3.3.7 Service provider

3.3.8 Vendor matrix

3.4 Technology & innovation landscape

3.5 Regulatory landscape

3.6 Industry impact forces

3.6.1 Growth drivers

3.6.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges

3.7 Growth potential analysis

3.8 Porter's analysis

3.9 PESTEL analysis

Browse Complete Table of Contents (ToC) @

https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/structured-cabling-market

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SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Super, an insurtech company that provides subscription care for the home, today announced a nationwide partnership with HomeSmart. Super will be the home warranty partner for HomeSmart agents and brokers in all the markets where Super is available, including recently launched Atlanta and Charlotte . In Phoenix, HomeSmart's largest market, Super and its wholly-owned subsidiary Platinum will be the exclusive home warranty partner for HomeSmart agents and brokers.

HomeSmart is ranked in the top 7 real estate brokerages in the U.S., with a network of nearly 25,000 agents and over 195 office locations across over 45 states. The company has developed a suite of industry-leading, tech-forward tools to better support their agents so they can, in turn, focus more time and energy on their clients.

"We're thrilled by the continued commitment and partnership from leading organizations in the real estate industry," said Nilanshu Raja, Chief Financial Officer, Super. "Capitalizing on opportunities like these help us create value and drive sales so we can continue executing on our growth strategy."

"HomeSmart and Super have a shared vision of using data and technology to disrupt an industryfrom real estate to home warrantyto ultimately deliver an exceptional customer experience," said Jorey Ramer, Founder and CEO, Super. "We're thrilled for this opportunity to reach more homeowners across the country as we continue on our mission to make caring for a home carefree."

Super brings technology to an industry that's ripe for innovation. With a data-driven approach to helping homeowners care for their home, Super has made impactful improvements in coverage, fraud prevention, and automationfrom upfront scheduling through claim approval and service delivery.

"Delivering world-class customer service is HomeSmart's top priority and our technology is key to enabling our agents to better serve their clients," said Matt Widdows, Founder and CEO of HomeSmart International. "Super's shared focus on using technology to drive an exceptional customer experience makes them a natural choice as a partner for our agents and brokers."

"We're committed to giving our agents the tools and resources they need to provide clients with a better home-buying and selling experience. Partnering with Super helps us deliver on this promise," added Ashley Bowers, President of HomeSmart International.

Strategic relationships in the real estate industry with recognized brands like LeadingRE , and two of the top 10 brokerages in the nation with HomeSmart and @properties, continue to contribute to Super's growth. Brokers and agents seek to bring value to their clients and Super offers a data-driven solution that addresses their clients' needs when it comes to maintaining their most valuable investment.

About HomeSmart

HomeSmart is a revolutionary real estate enterprise powered by our proprietary end-to-end technology platform. We provide integrated real estate solutions to agents, brokerages, franchisees and, ultimately, the consumer. Our cloud-based platform empowers our users to succeed by providing a full suite of technology offerings covering nearly every aspect of the real estate transaction. The drive towards a seamless home buying and selling experience is the catalyst for our growth. Technology and automation are at the core of our DNAgrounded in fiscal responsibility and operational excellence. We have been developing our software in-house over the last 20 years and have a 100% adoption rate across our agents. Our technology platform is focused on scalability and automation to drive transaction velocity, volume, and operating leverage for our brokers, franchisees, agents and consumers. Our business model has fueled our expansion, and we have almost 25,000 agents across more than 195 offices in over 45 states. According to RISMedia, HomeSmart was ranked in the top five residential real estate brokerages by number of transaction sides in the United States in 2020.

About Super

Super is a San Francisco-based insurtech company. Powered by a proprietary data platform and backed by leading investors, Super offers subscription-based care for your home. Partnering with the best local servicers to deliver quick and effective home repair and maintenance at a predictable cost, Super's vision is to make caring for a home carefree. Visit www.hellosuper.com for more information.

Media Contacts

Market Street Group for Super

Angela Baldwin / Bill Donlan

[email protected]

SOURCE Super
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Supplemental Health Care (SHC), a leading healthcare employment agency, announced today that Vickie Anenberg, Chief Operating Officer, has been named to the Staffing Industry Analysts' (SIA) Staffing 100 list  a flagship honor recognizing leaders in the staffing industry.

In its 11th year, the Staffing 100 list is announced as many industries continue to grapple with the ongoing employment challenges of COVID-19 and the Great Resignation. Healthcare employment has been disrupted to an even greater degree with the additional influences of nurse burnout, increased retirements, and an aging population with greater healthcare needs.

As Supplemental Health Care's Chief Operating Officer, Vickie Anenberg has led the company's efforts to support the demand for pandemic patient care while also restructuring the company in unique divisions to address the evolving future of healthcare in critical settings such as home health, schools, corrections, ambulatory care, and behavioral health.

Working to support the growing need for skilled healthcare professionals, Anenberg led SHC to unprecedented growth in 2021, providing more than 5.6 million hours of patient care. Committed to making a difference, Anenberg has been the driving force behind SHC's true impact at the bedside while investing in a culture of caring that promotes diversity and inclusion.

"I'm honored to be named to the Staffing 100 list again," said Anenberg. "The work we do to connect healthcare professionals with the facilities that need them has never been more vital, and I'm proud of the impact we're having in communities across the country."

About Supplemental Health Care

Supplemental Health Care is a leading healthcare staffing provider that connects caring healthcare professionals with opportunities to fulfill their calling: to better serve patients and students in hospitals, schools, home health, skilled nursing, and other sites of care across the U.S. Supplemental Health Care welcomes all people and celebrates the breadth and diversity of our family.

We're proud to deliver world-class service & career options to our clinicians, a range of dynamic workforce solutions to our clients, and a supportive atmosphere to our corporate teams. For everyone that we serve, SHC is the place where caring hearts thrive.

Visit http://www.shccares.com to learn more.

About Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)

Founded in 1989, SIA is the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions. Our proprietary research covers all categories of employed and non-employed work including temporary staffing, independent contracting and other types of contingent labor. SIA's independent and objective analysis provides insights into the services and suppliers operating in the workforce solutions ecosystem including staffing firms, managed service providers, recruitment process outsourcers, payrolling/compliance firms and talent acquisition technology specialists such as vendor management systems, online staffing platforms, crowdsourcing and online work services. We also provide training and accreditation with our unique Certified Contingent Workforce Professional (CCWP) program.

Media Contact:

Geoff Staub

Direct: 770-729-4302 | Ext: 31012

[email protected]

SOURCE Supplemental Health Care
TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital announced that The Florida Health Sciences Boardthe Hospital's governing boardhas approved the construction of the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, a new four-story hospital in the heart of Tampa's medical district.

The construction of the hospital represents not only the next building block in growing Tampa's ever-expanding medical district, but it will provide a critical link from academics to treatment as the hospital will provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient services led by the region's leading psychiatrists from USF Health, and offer learning opportunities for medical students and residents at USF Health Morsani College Medicine. Additionally, the hospital will be directly linked to TGH's nationally recognized Neurosciences Institute, through which best-in-class physicians provide a full spectrum of care to patients of all ages suffering from neurological disorders.

"Tampa General is committed to meeting the wide spectrum of health and wellness needs of our community, including all aspects of behavioral health which are more in demand than ever before," stated John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "Working side-by-side with USF Health, the new TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will provide critical academically driven behavioral health care, support the next generation of behavioral health physicians and fortify Tampa's growing medical district, while moving TGH one step closer to being the country's safest and most innovative academic medical center."

TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will be located in Downtown Tampa, adjacent to the new Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, and will further power Tampa's medical district that drives talent, biotech, and venture capital to the region, transforming Tampa into a complete ecosystem of health care innovation.

The new hospital is projected to be approximately 83,000 square feet. It will include 96 inpatient beds with the potential to expand to 120 beds. Tampa General Hospital will lead the management of the hospital and renowned physicians with the USF Health Department of Psychiatry will provide leading-edge, compassionate care to an expansive patient population. The hospital is expected to break ground in late 2022/early 2023 and officially open in late 2024.

Staffed by USF Health physicians, the region's experts in academic psychiatric medicine, the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will further meet the growing demand for mental health services in our community while serving as an integral part of TGH and USF's emerging medical district in Tampa.

"We are proud to provide the highest level of academic psychiatric care in the region and look forward to offering this same standard of critical care in the new behavioral health hospital as part of our continued alignment with TGH," said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "Together, we are working to make Tampa Bay a destination for the finest health care in Florida and the Southeastern United States."

With a focus on education as well as care and research, the new hospital will provide hands-on learning opportunities for USF Health Morsani College of Medicine students and on-the-job training for resident physicians in the field of psychiatry. With an increased need for care and a shortage of behavioral health practitioners in the region, the hospital will also serve as a recruitment tool to attract new medical residents and psychiatrists to Tampa Bay while increasing access to quality care.

"This new hospital will be a valuable resource and help raise the level of mental health care across the Tampa Bay area," said Glenn Currier, MD, MPH, professor, and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "A facility like this, one that is dedicated to the needs specific to patients with behavioral and mental health conditions, especially those experiencing acute crises or complex conditions, will be an incredible asset. This specialized hospital will also ease the burden on area emergency rooms, which take in the bulk of psychiatric emergencies but have few options for the inpatient care that is so critical for successful management of many behavioral and mental health conditions."

Finally, the hospital will serve as a Central Receiving Facility (CRF), operating as the first point of evaluation and care, providing initial emergent evaluations for individuals in the community going through a behavioral health crisis. Patients experiencing mental health emergencies would receive emergent evaluation via the CRF and intensive stabilization with an immediate assessment to determine the safest treatment plan beyond the initial crisis.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,041-bed non-profit academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2021-22 Best Hospitals, and one of the top 4 hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. The academic medical center's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious 2021 Forbes magazine rankings  America's Best Employers by State, third out of 100 Florida companies and first among health care and social organizations and 13th nationally in America's Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal 2020 provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health and 19 outpatient Radiology Centers. Tampa Bay residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

ABOUT USF HEALTH

USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health's multispecialty physicians' group. The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News & World Report's national university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.





TGH Media Contact: Karen Barrera USF Health Media Contact: Sarah Worth Assistant Director of Communications & Partnerships Director of Communications (813) 844-8725 (direct) (813) 928-0861 (813) 928-1603 (cell) s[email protected] [email protected]







SOURCE Tampa General Hospital
OTTAWA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- One day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a public order emergency, the government on Tuesday outlined further steps to end the trucker protests and blockades.

According to a press release issued by Public Safety Canada on Tuesday, anyone participating in the blockades is urged to return to their communities peacefully and immediately.

"These blockades must be brought to an end, and the federal government will continue working on every option to end them," the release said.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Tuesday in a press conference that they would like to see the 19-day occupation end this week, assuring Ottawa residents that the chaos in their city will soon end.

"No one wants to see another weekend like the last three. And I'm assured by my discussions with the police that they fully appreciate that, and we now depend on them to do the job," Mendicino said.

Police will soon establish "no-go" zones in the city's downtown core, the minister said, and people who defy orders to leave will face fines or jail time, or both.

Mendicino said authorities will erect more concrete barriers and press private tow truck companies into removing the big trucks that have clogged Ottawa's streets.

Ottawa's police chief, Peter Sloly, unexpectedly resigned on Tuesday. Ottawa Police Services Board Chair Diane Beans confirmed in a press conference that Sloly and Ottawa Police Service had reached a "mutually agreeable separation" and Sloly is no longer employed there.

Going forward, Ottawa Police Service's priority remains finding a peaceful end to the occupation of the city, Beans said. The board has named Deputy Chief Steve Bell temporary head of the force until a permanent replacement is found.

Canada's banks were also waiting for further instructions on how they're supposed to enforce the government's orders, local media reported.

Sue-Ling Yip, a partner with global audit and consultancy firm KPMG in Canada's Risk Consulting practice, was quoted as saying that communication between the government and the banks will be key in implementing the order correctly and the government may also need to allow the banks time to make the appropriate operational changes.

"It doesn't happen overnight," she said, "We have to be mindful that it's not something that banks can snap their fingers and make it happen. There's a lot of work involved."

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday that banks would be required to report relationships with people involved in blockades and would be given the authority to freeze accounts without a court order.

Crowdfunding platforms and payment service providers must report large and suspicious transactions to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, the national financial intelligence agency, added Freeland.

Thousands of Canadian truckers and their supporters have gathered in Ottawa since late January to oppose the Canadian government's vaccine requirement for truckers crossing the border into the United States.

The protesters have blocked Ottawa's downtown core and impeded border crossings between Canada and the United States. 
There really is no other dealer in the country that is set up to address those needs the way that we are.

"As EPIQ Machinery continues to grow, we are excited to have this opportunity to expand our equipment and service offerings," said Yannick Beaule, chief revenue officer of EPIQ Machinery.

A brand component of EPIQ Machinery, Mecfor manufactures customized mobile equipment for harsh working environments such as aluminum mills. With multiple operations in Quebec, Canada, and a location in France, EPIQ Machinery has a strong international footprint but was looking to increase its coverage in the United States, which laid the groundwork for its relationship with TNE.

"We were drawn to EPIQ Mecfor because, as an organization, we've been providing this kind of highly specialized equipment to myriad heavy industries for decades," said Kevin Koch, vice-president of Taylor Northeast. "We have been working with EPIQ Mecfor for several years, and this expanded partnership represents a tremendous opportunity for us to better serve our customers throughout the US."

Long a leader in specialized machinery, EPIQ has focused recently on creating what it has dubbed an Aluminum Hub of Excellence to increase its offerings for all aspects of the aluminum sector around the world, an aim that addresses the needs of much of TNE's customer base.

"The entire team here at TNE closely understands the challenges that aluminum producers face in finding the right piece of mobile equipment for their demanding applications," Koch said. "There really is no other dealer in the country that is set up to address those needs the way that we are."

Chet Pawelski, a veteran of the heavy equipment industry and TNE's EPIQ Mecfor US sales specialist, is overseeing all sales, rentals, and technical inquiries as well as advising on new and existing equipment. Buck Shirey, TNE's EPIQ Mecfor US support specialist, is managing all US parts orders as well as service and aftermarket requests.

Headquartered in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, TNE has provided sales, service, and parts for large-capacity lift trucks and specialized industrial equipment throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast since 1989. The company's broad geographic reach has enabled it to begin providing unique material handling solutions to customers in all regions of the US.

Beaule noted that TNE's extensive presence and experience were key components in their decision to select a US distributor. "TNE shares our commitment to quality and service, and we are thrilled to bring their passion and expertise to our US customers through this partnership."

About Taylor Northeast:

TNE, a founding member of the H&K Equipment Group, was established as Taylor Northeast in 1989 by George Koch and Pete Cicero to provide high-capacity lift trucks and specialized material handling systems to customers in eastern Pennsylvania and the greater Philadelphia area. Today, TNE organizations operate from 12 facilities in five states. In addition to custom heavy equipment, TNE and its affiliated companies provide container handlers, railcar movers, jockey trucks, burden carriers, industrial electromagnets, and heavy machine transportation. TNE also specializes in modifying and equipping lift trucks and reach stackers for distinct applications in a wide range of industries.

For more information about aluminum industry and heavy-duty equipment from TNE, please visit aluminum.taylornortheast.com and taylornortheast.com. To learn more about TNE and the H&K Equipment Group, visit taylornortheast.com and hkequipmentgroup.com.

About EPIQ Machinery

EPIQ Machinery is a world leader in heavy equipment for the aluminum, pulp and paper, and rail equipment industries. The company has a critical mass internationally with diversified activities on various niche markets providing a solid installed base and a strong capacity for its aftermarket services.

EPIQ Machinery shows strong leadership in the development of its own innovative technologies: Mobile Equipment, Autonomous Vehicle (AGV), Fixed Equipment, Process Systems, Industry 4.0 Robotics and Automation Center. To learn more about EPIQ Machinery, please visit epiqmachinery.com.

SOURCE Taylor Northeast
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Orange EV, founded in 2012, is celebrating 10 years of industry leadership and unparalleled milestones in the electric truck industry. From its first commercial deployment of a Class 8 all-electric terminal truck in 2015, Orange EV has accelerated deployments every year over the last six years to become the manufacturer with the most zero emission trucks in operation in the United States, according to a recently published research report by CALSTART, a leading clean-tech transportation nonprofit consortium.

With deployments across 24 states, Canada and the Caribbean, Orange EV is leading the charge in Class 8, heavy-duty, electric terminal trucks.

Chosen by more than 100 fleets in 24 states, Orange EV has deployed over 370 trucks into mission critical operations. "From the beginning, Orange EV committed to working closely with every customer to not only deliver a complete truck, service, and charging solution, but also to incorporate feedback to continually improve truck performance and uptime," said Kurt Neutgens, Orange EV Co-Founder, President and CTO. "As a result, uptime for our latest Orange EV yard trucks averages 98-99%, compared to legacy diesel uptime in the 75-80% range reported by our customers."

Orange EV's turnkey solution, with purpose-built chargers and trucks, is matched to align with the customer's duty cycle to maximize financial and operational benefits. This complete offering not only simplifies deployments and avoids many of the infrastructure and supply chain challenges that other EV manufacturers have faced, but it also streamlines problem-solving. If issues arise, the fleet makes just one call to Orange EV, which has designed, produced, and supports the entire system.

According to the December 23, 2021 release of "Charging Forward: BEV & FCEV Forecast and Analysis, 2nd Edition" by ACT Research: Battery-electric powered yard trucks in 2021 provide a better TCO than diesel-powered versions. By 2024, adoption rates for BEV Yard Spotters could exceed 50%. The duty-cycle of a yard truck hits the sweet spot for battery-electric propulsion, and as a result they will be one of the first vehicle types to electrify at very high percentages.

"Customer data from hundreds of deployments has proven that fleets are saving money with safer, more reliable, emission-free trucks, even without incentives," said Zack Ruderman, Orange EV VP of Sales and Marketing. "While early customers leveraged grants for initial purchases, over half of 2021 sales did not. Orange EV has already been able to deliver lower total cost of ownership, while many other EV types and manufacturers are still working to get there."

Orange EV's deployed fleet of electric trucks has now surpassed 4.4 million miles and 1.3 million hours of commercial operation. To keep up with demand, Orange EV continues to expand its production capacity. While most other EV manufacturers are in the testing and development phase, only the Orange EV yard truck has the proven track record and reliability that fleets trust and are successfully scaling in their operations now.

Learn more about Orange EV electric trucks in the EV Pavilion of TMC's Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition March 7-10, in Orlando, FL.

About Orange EV

Orange EV, headquartered in Kansas City, MO, is the leading OEM providing industrial fleets with heavy-duty electric vehicle solutions proven to save money while being safer, more reliable, and preferred by drivers and management. Orange EV trucks meet the most rigorous duty cycles and 24/7 shift schedules while eliminating diesel fuel and emissions. Building both new and re-powered terminal trucks, Orange EV was the nation's first manufacturer offering 100 percent electric Class 8 vehicles to be commercially deployed and scaled. As the company begins its 10th year of operations, Orange EV's terminal trucks have been chosen by more than 100 fleets across 24 states, Canada, and the Caribbean, surpassing one million hours and four million miles of operation. For more information, please visit www.orangeev.com.

Media Contact:

Len Fernandes

Firecracker PR

(888) 317-4687 ext. 707

[email protected]

SOURCE Orange EV
MONTREAL, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA: JAM1), a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development is proud to announce the approval of a $4.5M CDN participative loan from the ministere de l'Economie et de l'Innovation (MEI) under the BioMed Propulsion Program, managed by Investissement Quebec (IQ). This funding will support the development of ARDS-003 in the indication of acute respiratory distress syndrome whether or not it is caused by COVID-19, as well as in patients with Sepsis.

This transaction is conditional on the approval of all shareholders and will be subject to a vote at the General Meeting of Shareholders in May 2022 since it will require the transfer of our Head Office from the province of Ontario to the province of Quebec (already more than 60% of our personnel reside in Quebec) and the approval of certain financial terms.

Tetra's strong growth potential in the Life Sciences sector is recognized by the Government of Quebec.

"Our support of Tetra Bio-Pharma will lead to the development of medication to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome, such as in severe cases of COVID-19. Our government will always be there to support potentially life-changing initiatives for the population, especially when they contribute to the vitality of the Quebec life-sciences sector and Quebec's reputation in the field of biotechnology," said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy and Innovation and Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development.

"Tetra has been the subject of several diligent reviews by the MEI and IQ, which validates our scientific, financial, and commercial approach. In addition, the MEI/IQ adheres to the strategic vision of the team of scientists and managers behind the development of our products. I know that investors have been waiting for this announcement for a long time and I am delighted that it has finally arrived" says Steeve Neron, Chief Commercial Officer of Tetra Bio-Pharma.

About Tetra Bio-Pharma

Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA:JAM1) is a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development with a FDA and a Health Canada cleared clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. Their evidence-based scientific approach has enabled them to develop a pipeline of cannabinoid-based drug products for a range of medical conditions, including pain, inflammation, and oncology. With patients at the core of what they do, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing biopharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance companies.

For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com

About ARDS-003

ARDS-003 is an immunomodulator drug aimed at preventing and treating the serious, life-threatening inflammatory response associated with Sepsis and SARS-Cov-2. ARDS-003 has more than a decade of research and is the product of Canadian expertise and ingenuity. ARDS-003 is an optimized sterile nano-emulsion of a synthetic compound that meets pharmaceutical quality standards for an intravenously administered drug and has demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-fibrotic properties.

About the BioMed Propulsion Program

BioMed Propulsion's goal is to financially support Quebec companies in the life-sciences sector with a high growth potential so that they will market their research findings. This program is administered by Investissement Quebec as part of the Economic Development Fund, under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation.

Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information, including concerning the IQ loan offer and the use of the net proceeds resulting from the loan, the transfer of the Tetra's head office, and the growth potential of Tetra. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to obtain shareholders approval for the financial terms of the IQ loan or for the transfer of the Company's head office, the inability of the Company to fulfill the other closing conditions provided for in the IQ loan offer, the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research and development strategies, including the success of this product or any other product, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.
BILLUND, Denmark, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The LEGO Foundation has announced a USD 143 million global challenge to fund impactful solutions focused on early childhood in what CEO, Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen says will address a "global early childhood emergency".

The Build A World of Play Challenge will enable any organisations who can make a positive impact on the youngest children globally, to bid. The amount, equivalent to 900 million Danish Kroner, reaffirms the LEGO Foundation's commitment in the LEGO brand's 90th year to ensure children globally are given opportunities to learn through play, helping children everywhere develop holistic skills and reach their full potential.

Grants will be awarded to those exploring evidence-based innovative solutions to the biggest problems of today such as access to quality early childhood education and care, adequate nutrition, eradication of toxic stress and violence in homes and communities, protection from pollution, and supporting the social and emotional well-being of the whole family.

"All children have the right to feel safe and have access to quality education and healthcare. But to date, early childhood development has been not just under recognised, but grossly underfunded," said Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, Chair of the Board of Directors at The LEGO Foundation, and the fourth-generation representative of the LEGO owner family. "Children are the builders of tomorrow. If we do not invest in the youngest children in our society, we don't invest in our collective future."

Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of the LEGO Foundation said: "We are currently facing the biggest global early childhood emergency that the world has ever seen. The quality of experiences in the first few years of a child's life is where brain development is in its most adaptive and rapidly developing state. Through this challenge, we want to help urgently address the biggest challenges societies globally face, with creative, actionable ideas that put children at the centre of global decision making. The challenge is an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of the youngest children."

All entrants will need to complete an online application. Potential applicants must register by April 7, 2022. The deadline for submissions is May 17, 2022.

The challenge is being managed by Lever for Change, a non-profit associate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

More details on the Build a World of Play Challenge can be found here

SOURCE The LEGO Foundation
LA PAZ, Bolivia, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Plurinational State of Bolivia ("Bolivia") announced today the extension of the offers to (i) purchase for cash notes of each series listed in the table below (collectively, the "Old Notes", and each series thereof a "series" of Old Notes) validly tendered and accepted for purchase (the "Offers to Purchase") and (ii) exchange Old Notes that are validly tendered by the Bolivian Entity Offerees, and accepted for exchange for New Notes ("Offers to Exchange" and together with the Offers to Purchase, the "Offers"), in each case, as set forth in the table below and upon the terms and subject to the conditions described in the invitation dated February 10, 2022 (the "Invitation", and together with the related eligibility letter and certification letter, the "Invitation Materials"). Capitalized terms not defined in this communication have the meanings specified in the Invitation Materials.

Bolivia has decided to extend the Expiration Deadline and other key dates and times in relation to the Offers. The New Notes Terms Announcement has been extended to 9:00 a.m., February 22, 2022. The Expiration Deadline has been extended to 9:00 a.m., February 23, 2022, after which time Offers may not be withdrawn. The Announcement Date had been extended to at or about 4:00 p.m., February 23, 2022. The Settlement Date has been extended to March 2, 2022.

The Invitation is not conditioned upon any minimum participation of any series of Old Notes but is conditioned, among other things, on the pricing and closing of an international capital markets transaction in an amount acceptable to Bolivia whereby Bolivia expects to issue and sell for cash of one or more new series of notes (collectively, the "New Notes"). Any such offering will be made solely by means of an offering memorandum relating to that offering, and this announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an order to buy any New Notes.

The purchase price for the Old Notes of each series validly tendered and accepted for purchase or exchange, as applicable, pursuant to the Invitation will be the fixed price indicated in the table below per each original U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Old Notes (the "Purchase Price"). Holders whose Old Notes are validly tendered and accepted for purchase or exchange, as applicable, will also receive any accrued and unpaid interest, in cash, on such Old Notes up to (but excluding) the Settlement Date.

Old Notes Outstanding Principal Amount as of

February 10, 2022 CUSIP/

ISIN (144A) CUSIP/ ISIN (Reg S) Purchase Price per Original U.S.$1,000 Principal Amount Offers to Exchange

(Bolivian Entity Offerees only)(1)(2) Offers to Purchase

(non-Bolivian Eligible Holders only)(3) 4.875% Notes due 2022 (the "2022 Notes") U.S.$500,000,000 29731Q AA5 / US29731QAA58 P37878 AA6 / USP37878AA69 U.S.$1,025.00 U.S.$1,025.00 5.950% Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Notes") U.S.$500,000,000 29731Q AB3 / US29731QAB32 P37878AB4 / USP37878AB43 U.S.$1,053.00 U.S.$1,053.00 4.500% Notes due 2028 (the "2028 Notes") U.S.$1,000,000,000 29731Q AC1 / US29731QAC15 P37878 AC2 / USP37878AC26 U.S.$898.00 U.S.$898.00



(1) Bolivian Entity Offerees whose Old Notes are validly tendered and accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offers will receive an amount of New Notes calculated by dividing the Tender Value (as defined below) by the New Notes issue price (which is the cash price at which the New Notes will be issued in the New Notes Offering). The "Tender Value" for a series of Old Notes equals the principal amount of Old Notes tendered multiplied by the Purchase Price for such series of Old Notes.

(2) Bolivian Entity Offerees are subject to 25% income tax capital gains, which would be calculated pursuant to the year-end profit and loss statement and such Bolivian Entity Offerees' annual income tax statement. Bolivia will not gross up such Bolivian Entity Offerees for any such income tax payments. See "Risk FactorsRisks Related to the OffersA Portion of the payments pursuant to the Offers to Purchase will be subject to Bolivian withholding tax" and "TaxationBolivian Income Tax Consequences" in the Invitation.

(3) Non-Bolivian Eligible Holders are only eligible to participate in the Offers to Purchase and are subject to withholding tax of 12.5% on the difference between the price to be paid by Bolivia and the original issue price of the applicable series of Old Notes. Bolivia will (A) pay a gross price of (i) U.S.$1,028.57 per $1,000 principal amount for the 2022 Notes; (ii) U.S.$1,063.72 per $1,000 principal amount on the 2023 Notes; and U.S.$898.00 per $1,000 principal amount on the 2028 Notes and (B) withhold tax of (i) U.S.$3.57 per $1,000 principal amount on the 2022 Notes; (ii) U.S.$10.72 per $1,000 principal amount on the 2023 Notes; and U.S.$0.00 on the 2028 Notes. As a result, Non-Bolivian Eligible Holders, whose Old Notes are validly tendered and accepted for purchase by Bolivia will receive the Purchase Price for the applicable series of Old Notes, which represents the net amount to be received by such Non-Bolivian Eligible Holders. See "Risk FactorsRisks Related to the Offers--A Portion of the payments pursuant to the Offers to Purchase will be subject to Bolivian withholding tax." and "TaxationBolivian Income Tax Consequences." in the Invitation.

Eligible holders of Old Notes must tender Old Notes by requesting that the direct participant through which the holder holds its Old Notes submit, at or prior to the Expiration Time, such holder's offer to tender their Old Notes (an "Offer"), by properly instructing The Depository Trust Company, Inc. ("DTC"), Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V. ("Euroclear") or Clearstream Banking Luxembourg, societe anonyme ("Clearstream, Luxembourg"), as applicable, in accordance with the procedures and deadlines established by such clearing system. Any holder that holds Old Notes through a custodian cannot submit an Offer directly and should instead contact its custodian to instruct the direct participant to submit an Offer on its behalf. There is no letter of transmittal for the Invitation. The deadlines set by custodians or direct participants for the submission of tender instructions to DTC may be earlier than the Expiration Time. Tenders must be submitted through DTC's ATOP system in accordance with the deadlines and procedures established by DTC. The acceptance of any Offers forwarded to DTC outside these deadlines will be in the sole discretion of Bolivia.

The total purchase price (the "Total Purchase Price") for an amount of Old Notes tendered for purchase or exchange, as applicable, will equal the principal amount of such Old Notes tendered, multiplied by the applicable Purchase Price, plus accrued and unpaid interest on such Old Notes to (but excluding) the Settlement Date. If the Total Purchase Price for all validly tendered Old Notes, not including accrued and unpaid interest (the "Tendered Principal Purchase Price") would exceed the Maximum Aggregate Purchase Price, Bolivia will, in its sole discretion, select one or more series of Old Notes to be prorated on the basis of the same or different proration factors. If Bolivia accepts all or a portion of a holder's Offer of Old Notes of any series, the holder will be entitled to receive for such Old Notes the applicable Total Purchase Price, which will be paid on the Settlement Date, if the conditions of the Invitation are met.

If there is proration, Bolivia will multiply the principal amount of each valid tender of the relevant series of Old Notes by the applicable proration rate and round the resulting amount down to the nearest U.S.$1,000 principal amount in order to determine the principal amount of such tender that will be accepted pursuant to the applicable Offer. If, however, such Eligible Holder would be entitled to receive less than U.S.$200,000 principal amount of New Notes, the Eligible Holder's tender will be rejected in full, no cash will be paid for accrued and unpaid interest and the Old Notes subject to this tender will be returned to the Eligible Holder. Accordingly, tenders of Old Notes may not be accepted in whole or in part as a result of proration.

Bolivia reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to accept any or all Offers, to modify the applicable Purchase Price for any or all series of Old Notes in any of the Offers in accordance with the terms and conditions described in the Invitation Materials, or to terminate the Invitation for any reason. In the event of a termination of the Invitation, the tendered Old Notes will be returned to the holder.

Subject to the following paragraph, only Eligible Holders who have returned a duly completed eligibility letter certifying that they are Bolivian Entity Offerees are authorized to receive and review the Offer Materials and to participate in the Offers to Exchange. The eligibility letter can be accessed at the following link: https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/bolivia_exchange.

Eligible Holders who are not Bolivian Entity Offerees may still receive and review the Invitation if they have returned a duly completed Certification Letter certifying that:

it is the beneficial owner, or is acting on behalf of a beneficial owner, of the securities that are subject to the Offers to Purchase, and

it acknowledges and agrees that (i) it will only use and rely on this Invitation in connection with such person's potential participation in the Offers to Purchase (as defined below), and (ii) it is not eligible to participate, and will not participate, in the Offers to Exchange.

The certification letter can be accessed at the following link: https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/bolivia_tender.

Holders who have submitted a valid Eligibility Letter do not need to submit a Certification Letter to receive and review this Invitation.

For the avoidance of doubt, (i) Bolivian Entity Offerees are not eligible to participate in the Offers to Purchase, and (ii) only Bolivian Entity Offerees are eligible to participate in the Offers to Exchange.

Holders that submit a valid eligibility letter or certification letter are referred to herein as "Eligible Holders."

The Invitation Materials may be downloaded from the website of Global Bondholder Services Corporation (the "Information, Tender and Exchange Agent") at https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/bolivia_exchange and https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/bolivia_tender or obtained from the Information, Tender and Exchange Agent, at 65 Broadway  Suite 404, New York, New York 10006, (Tel. (212) 430-3774, Toll free: +1 (855) 654-2015) Attention: Corporate Actions, or from any of the Dealer Managers.

The Dealer Managers for the Invitation are:

BofA Securities, Inc. One Bryant Park New York, NY 10036 United States of America Attention: Liability Management Group Toll-Free: (888) 292-0070 Collect: (646) 855-8998 Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC 200 West Street New York, NY 10282 United States of America Attn: Liability Management Group Collect: (212) 357-1452 Toll-Free: (800) 828-3182 J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Ave New York, NY 10179 United States of America Attn: Latin America Debt Capital Markets Collect: (212) 834-7279 Toll-free: (866) 846-2874

Questions regarding the Invitation may be directed to the Dealer Managers at the above contact information.

Contact information:

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

Attention: Corporate Actions

65 Broadway  Suite 404

New York, NY 10006

Banks and Brokers call: +1 (212) 430-3774

Toll free: +1 (855) 654-2015

website:

https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/bolivia_exchange

https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/bolivia_tender

Important Notice

The distribution of materials relating to the Invitation and the transactions contemplated thereby may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Invitation and any of the transactions contemplated thereby are void in all jurisdictions where they are prohibited. If materials relating to the Invitation or any of the transactions contemplated thereby come into your possession, you are required by Bolivia to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the Invitation and the transactions contemplated thereby, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the Invitation be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a Dealer Manager or any affiliate of a Dealer Manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the Invitation shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Manager or such affiliate in that jurisdiction. Owners who may lawfully participate in the Invitation in accordance with the terms thereof are referred to as "holders."

This announcement is for informational purposes only. This announcement is not an invitation for offers to purchase for cash or a solicitation of invitations for offers to purchase for cash any Old Notes. Any materials relating to the Invitation do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, any form of offer or solicitation in any place where such offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the Invitation be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a Dealer Manager or its respective affiliate is such a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the Invitation shall be deemed to be made by a Dealer Manager or affiliate in such jurisdiction.

The distribution of the Invitation Materials in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession the Invitation Materials comes are required by Bolivia, the Dealer Managers, and the Information, Tender and Exchange Agent to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions as set out in the "Jurisdictional Restrictions" section of the Invitation Materials.

Bolivia

Neither the New Notes nor the Offers (each, as defined below) have been or will be registered with the Bolivian Securities Market Registry and accordingly will not be publicly offered in Bolivia within the scope of Article 6 of the Bolivian Securities Market Law (Law No. 1834 dated March 31, 1998, as amended).

European Economic Area

This announcement and the Invitation have been prepared on the basis that any offer of the New Notes in any Member State of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of the New Notes.

Each person in a Member State of the EEA who receives any communication in respect of, or who acquires any of the New Notes under, the offers contemplated in this Invitation or to whom the New Notes are otherwise made available, will be deemed to have represented, warranted, acknowledged and agreed to and with each Initial Purchaser and Bolivia that it and any person on whose behalf it acquires the New Notes is not a retail investor. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (11) of MiFID II; or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended, the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II.

In this section, the expression an "offer" in relation to any of the New Notes in any Member State of the EEA means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the New Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the New Notes, and the expression "Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded).

Any distributor subject to MiFID II subsequently offering, selling or recommending the New Notes is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the New Notes and determining the appropriate distribution channels for the purposes of the MiFID II product governance rules under Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 ("Delegated Directive"). Neither the Issuer nor any of the Initial Purchasers make any representations or warranties as to a Distributor's compliance with the Delegated Directive.

United Kingdom

This announcement and the Invitation have been prepared on the basis that any offer of New Notes in the UK will be made pursuant to an exemption under section 85 of the FSMA and the Prospectus Regulation, as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK Prospectus Regulation"), from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of New Notes.

Each person in the UK who receives any communication in respect of, or who acquires any of the New Notes under, the offers contemplated in this Invitation or to whom the New Notes are otherwise made available, will be deemed to have represented, warranted, acknowledged and agreed to and with each Initial Purchaser and Bolivia that it and any person on whose behalf it acquires the New Notes is not a retail investor. For these purposes, (a) a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the FSMA and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement the Insurance Distribution Directive, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA.

In this section, the expression an "offer" in relation to any of the New Notes in the UK means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the New Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the New Notes.

Any distributor subject to the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "UK MiFIR Product Governance Rules"), subsequently offering, selling or recommending the New Notes is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the New Notes and determining the appropriate distribution channels for the purposes of the UK MiFIR Product Governance Rules. Neither the Issuer nor any of the Initial Purchasers make any representations or warranties as to a distributor's compliance with the UK MiFIR Product Governance Rules.

The Invitation is for distribution only to persons who (1) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the "Financial Promotion Order"), (2) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.") of the Financial Promotion Order, (3) are outside the United Kingdom, or (4) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). The Invitation is directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons.

SOURCE Government of Bolivia
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the announcement by the Biden-Harris Administration on actions impacting the industrial sector, Portland Cement Association (PCA) President and CEO Michael Ireland released the following statement:

"PCA applauds the Biden-Harris administration for highlighting the importance of the industrial sector in tackling the climate crisis. PCA member companies are committed to doing their part in reducing the carbon intensity of American industry for years to come. PCA has been working toward implementing our industry's Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality to reduce carbon emissions across the entire cement-concrete-construction value chain since last October. We are pleased to see our thinking reflected in many of the actions proposed today.

"We are delighted the White House has recognized that carbon reductions cannot be achieved via a single industry in isolation  it requires collaboration across an entire value chain. We are therefore encouraged to see alignment with the White House on a variety of critical issues. These include taking a lifecycle approach to evaluating construction materials, encouraging collaboration, engaging the workforce, and incentivizing private sector innovation.

"We look forward to working together with the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy and the Council on Environmental Quality on this vital initiative. Meanwhile, PCA will continue its efforts with government agencies including the Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, General Services Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop and implement policies that will help the industry to reduce emissions and reach carbon neutrality across the entire cement-concrete-construction value chain."

For more information about PCA and the industry's sustainability efforts, visit www.cement.org and shapedbyconcrete.com.

The Portland Cement Association (PCA), founded in 1916, is the premier policy, research, education, and market intelligence organization serving America's cement manufacturers. PCA members represent the majority of U.S. cement production capacity, having facilities across the country. The association promotes safety, sustainability, and innovation in all aspects of construction, fosters continuous improvement in cement manufacturing and distribution, promoting economic growth and sound infrastructure investment.

SOURCE Portland Cement Association
DENVER, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year the Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference (RMECC) hosts early childhood professionals from across the county. This year the focus of the event will be nurturing each other, and the roots of the industry so it can bloom brighter in the future.

The Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference is Nurturing Early Childhood Professionals So We Can All Bloom Brighter Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference

It's no secret that child care is an industry in crisis. Many early childhood administrators and educators feel stretched too thin to continue much longer, but the need for them to power on is great. "Children have greater needs for consistency and social-emotional support. Parents need to get back to consistent work schedules for our businesses and economy to run smoothly. All the while, open child care slots are sparse and new ones aren't opening rapidly enough to meet demand," said Denver's Early Childhood Council Business Services Manager, Dora Esparza.

The conference's three general sessions all focus on supporting early childhood educators and other professionals. The keynote on Friday, March 11th, will be given by International Best-selling Author and Psychology Lecturer on mental strength, Amy Morin. On Saturday March 12, the day will kick off with the Early Childhood Industry Panel Discussion with moderator Lisa Roy, the Director of Program Development at the Buffet Early Childhood Institute, and panelists Nathaniel Cradle, Co-founder of Venture for Success Preparatory Learning Center; Elsa Holguin, President and CEO of the Denver Preschool Program; Carrie Kennedy, Owner and Early Childhood Educator at Miss Carrie's Child Care; and Jennifer Stedron, Executive Director of Early Milestones Colorado. The event will close with the Excellence Award Ceremony which will recognize the tireless work of early childhood professionals going above and beyond for kids. Voting is now open, and recipients will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize.

"We need to make child care providers feel like the treasured community resources that they are, while also finding ways to come together to solve the big problems plaguing the industry," Esparza said, "and that's what we hope to do at RMECC."

The event can be attended virtually or in-person at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Virtual breakout sessions are March 3-4, with the in-person event and live-streamed general sessions happening March 11-12. Registration is $50 for virtual and $195 per day for all-access. Registration closes February 28th. Register here!

Media Contact:

Alexandria Hellrung

Owner, Hellrung Communications

[email protected]

720-891-9338

SOURCE Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul has officially announced the closing of its fulfillment center at 1650 N. Topping Ave., where daily operations ceased in late 2021.

Since 2008, the U-Haul Fulfilment Center distributed shipments to Company-owned facilities and customers' homes all over the U.S. and Canada. U-Haul had been leasing the 310,000-square-foot space.

U-Haul retail products, like boxes and tape, and even truck ramps and bumpers were distributed from the warehouse over 13 years.

The new U-Haul Fulfillment Center of Kansas City at 1800 Reynolds Ave. recently opened and will meet Company and customer distribution demands going forward.

"U-Haul is growing, and we had a need to expand our operations," said Jeremy Brick, U-Haul Fulfillment Center president. "We pack and ship more than 500,000 parts each week. We needed to be able to invest in a bigger space with the most modern technology."

Local U-Haul Companies are always exploring opportunities for growth as they pursue means to better meet the needs of customers, but sometimes find it necessary to close or relocate facilities, or cease certain business operations at locations.

Reasons for closures can include: long-term strategic plans; physical plant limitations; shifts in demographics; trends in migration; expansion of the U-Haul neighborhood dealer network; and proximity to new or existing U-Haul stores or shops.

About 200 Team Members were let go as a result of the U-Haul Fulfillment Center on Topping Avenue closing.

As an essential service provider, U-Haul continues to serve communities during the COVID-19 recovery while offering contactless business programs and enhanced cleaning protocols, including added steps for sanitizing equipment between customer transactions. U-Haul products are used daily by First Responders; delivery companies bringing needed supplies to people's homes; small businesses trying to remain afloat; college students; and many other dependent groups, in addition to the do-it-yourself household mover.

About U-HAUL

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 176,000 trucks, 126,000 trailers and 46,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 825,000 rentable storage units and 71.6 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., and continues to be the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading "Best for Vets" employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America.

Contact:

Andrea Batchelor

Jeff Lockridge

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 602-263-6981

Website: uhaul.com

SOURCE U-Haul
WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UserWay (TASE: UWAY), the leading web accessibility company, today announced the appointment of Adam Ikar as Chief Strategy Officer. This role will provide strategic leadership across the organization to help UserWay realize its mission of making the internet accessible for everyone.

Adam Ikar is the Chief Strategy Officer at UserWay. His goal is to help businesses grow by making the digital world accessible to everyone  including people with disabilities.

Ikar previously served as CEO of Equalweb, a startup company focused on accessibility solutions, and directed its sales growth to more than $3 million in 2 years. He also led its international business development initiatives, securing enterprise clients across Europe, the USA, and Brazil.

Ikar brings more than a decade of marketing and sales experience to UserWay, including successful business deals with global brands like Coca-Cola, Subaru, Ness, Jaguar, Pizza Hut, Manpower, Fiverr, Estee Lauder, Groupon and Kimberly Clark.

"UserWay began as a free web accessibility plugin," said Allon Mason, founder and UserWay CEO. "Fast-forward to today, and UserWay offers a full suite of solutions that ensures accessibility and compliance for SMBs and Fortune 500 companies alike, providing a barrier-free experience for people with disabilities. This is the perfect time for Adam to bring his wealth of experience in building enterprise relationships to UserWay."

This appointment comes during a period of explosive growth at UserWay. Its accessibility widget has been installed on more than 1 million websites around the world, and revenue has increased by 400% annually over the past 12 months, with a 3x growth in staff in just the last twelve months.

"I wanted to join UserWay as soon as I learned that over 50 percent of its employees are engineers," Ikar said. "It's truly a tech company and I don't believe anyone is better-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities in this space. My priority is to ensure UserWay continues its unparalleled growth without sacrificing its personal approach to client relationships."

About UserWay

UserWay is the #1 global digital accessibility solution leader, committed to enabling the fundamental human right of digital accessibility for everyone. UserWay radically simplifies a website's ability to become fully accessible and ADA compliant by embedding a single line of code. The UserWay widget has been installed on more than 1 million websites and is relied on by more than 60 million users with disabilities. With UserWay's CaaS (Compliance as a Service) technology, website owners can effortlessly reach compliance with WCAG 2.1, ADA, ATAG 2.0, EN 301-549 and Section 508 regulations, as required by US and international governmental and regulatory bodies.

SOURCE UserWay
DUBLIN, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Water Pipeline Leak Detection System Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global water pipeline leak detection system market reached a value of US$ 2.1 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 3.1 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.8% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, they are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor



Water pipeline leak detection equipment is used for the detection and determination of leak location in a pipeline. The water pipeline leakage can be identified by using acoustic and non-acoustic devices. Various sensors and data collectors are placed within the water pipeline network that transmit the data to the network management centre, which are helpful in identifying the leakage area. Moreover, the equipment also helps in reducing the cost of water supply, as utilities can cut down the expenditure incurred on water wastage due to a leak. Owing to this, water pipeline leak detection systems find wide applications across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors



The increasing demand for water pipeline leak detection systems can be attributed to the rising environmental concerns towards water scarcity catalysed by the growing global population. Furthermore, rapid urbanization, particularly across developing regions such as India and China has led to the rising development of both residential and commercial spaces, thereby augmenting the need for water pipeline leak detection solutions.

Additionally, new residential and non-residential construction activities, along with several renovations of the depleting infrastructures have also augmented the market growth. Furthermore, growing investment towards the expansion of water pipeline coupled with the increasing number of water treatment plants in developing regions such as the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latin America is also driving the growth of the water leak detection equipment market.

Besides this, the implementation of stringent government norms for reducing water wastage, along with the rising expenditure of water treatment and transmission companies on maintenance is also positively influencing the market growth. Various technological advancements have also led to the introduction of smart water metering and rising usage of Internet-of-Things (IoT) based monitoring systems. These factors are further driving the growth of the market

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined with some of the key players being NEC Corporation, Xylem, Inc., SPX Corporation, Mueller Water Products Inc, Gutermann AG., 3M Company, ABB Ltd., Badger Meter Inc., Perma-Pipe International Holdings, Inc.

Key Question Answered in this Report:

1. What is the expected growth rate of the global water pipeline leak detection system market?

2. What are the key factors driving the global water pipeline leak detection system market?

3. What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global water pipeline leak detection system market?

4. What is the breakup of the global water pipeline leak detection system market based on the equipment?

5. What is the breakup of the global water pipeline leak detection system market based on the pipe type?

6. What is the breakup of the global water pipeline leak detection system market based on the end-use?

7. What are the key regions in the global water pipeline leak detection system market?

8. Who are the key companies/players in the global water pipeline leak detection system market?



Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Water Pipeline Leak Detection System Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Technology

6.1 Ultrasonic

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Smart Ball

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Magnetic Flux

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Fiber Optic

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Others

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Equipment

7.1 Acoustic

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Non-Acoustic

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Pipe Type

8.1 Plastic Pipes

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Ductile Iron Pipes

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Stainless Steel Pipes

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Aluminium Pipes

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast

8.5 Others

8.5.1 Market Trends

8.5.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by End-Use

9.1 Industrial

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Residential

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Commercial

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast

9.4 Municipal

9.4.1 Market Trends

9.4.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by Region



11 SWOT Analysis



12 Value Chain Analysis



13 Porters Five Forces Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Mueller Water Products Inc

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 NEC Corporation

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 Financials

14.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.3 Xylem, Inc.

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 SPX Corporation

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 Gutermann AG.

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6 Badger Meter Inc.

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6.3 Financials

14.3.7 ABB Ltd.

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7.3 Financials

14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.8 3M Company

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9 Perma-Pipe International Holdings, Inc

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9.3 Financials

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mjrh1d

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
Read the original article on Coffee or Die Magazine. Follow Coffee or Die on Instagram.

KYIV, Ukraine  During his two tours in Afghanistan as an Army Ranger, Adam never wrote a death letter to his mother. After just two days in Ukraine, hes finally ready to write that last farewell. Although hes come to help train civilians in irregular warfare, Adam, who spent four years of his early adulthood fighting insurgents in Afghanistan, says hes now ready to join a Ukrainian insurgency  should Russian forces attack the capital city of Kyiv.

Im just here because the Ukrainians are fighting for their independence and I think I can help that. I figured it would be a better use of my time on this earth to come help them, says Adam, who asked that his last name not be used due to security concerns.

This is their 1776, he adds.

A 25-year-old former US Army corporal from South Carolina, Adam served in the 1st Ranger Battalion from 2015 to 2019. On this Tuesday night, Feb. 8, hes enjoying pizza and beer at a downtown Kyiv restaurant. When he starts to explain what it was like to say goodbye to his mother a few days ago, he pauses, takes a swig of beer, and waits a moment. For a split second, the young mans eyes reflect the light a little differently. Then he blinks his eyes clear and says, My mom really didnt want me to go. It was the hardest goodbye of my life.

Earlier that afternoon, Adam led a group of Ukrainian civilians through a basic military training course. Among the trainees was a 13-year-old boy named Oleg. Hours later while at dinner, Adam stares into his beer and explains that the sight of Oleg training for war had laid bare the potential human tragedy of a Russian re-invasion of Ukraine.

He just looked so young, Adam says. That kid should be out playing with his friends, not getting ready for a Russian invasion.

Sitting across from Adam on this night is Paul, a US Army veteran of the 101st Airborne Division who served three tours in Iraq. Along with Adam, he also took part in the days civilian training exercise and is similarly prepared to take up arms and fight if Russian forces attack Kyiv. However, the looming threat of a major Russian offensive did not draw Paul to Ukraine. Hes already lived in the country for 15 months and come to see it as his adopted home. Thus, amid the growing threat of a major Russian attack, Paul (he similarly asked that his last name not be published for security reasons) sees it as his moral duty to do what he can to help his newfound neighbors and friends.

Im a male with military training and background and I have a moral responsibility to help defend these people. There are women, children, elderly. It would be ethically unacceptable if I were to just run away when the people here needed help, says Paul, who was an air assault infantry sergeant in the 101st Airborne.

In 2020, Paul was living in Denver and had a steady career in corporate security. When the pandemic lockdowns began, however, he quit his job and began a meandering journey across Eastern Europe. He had no particular destination in mind, and no return ticket. Just a desire to get away. Paul briefly settled in Belarus but was abruptly expelled by government officials during the 2020 protests. After arriving in Ukraine on somewhat of a lark, he soon settled into a new life  hes since opened a gym in Kyiv and calls the city his home.

Paul, who enlisted in the Army in 2003, has been particularly moved by young Ukrainians who took part in the 2014 pro-Western Revolution of Dignity and then spearheaded a grassroots, volunteer war effort to defend their country against Russias invasion of the Donbas. In fact, Pauls deep respect for Ukraines veterans led him to take volunteer action well before the current border confrontation caught the worlds attention. For a year hes been teaching English at a popular veterans center, and this winter he completed a grueling winter ascent of Ukraines highest mountain, Hoverla, with a group of Ukrainian combat veterans.

Im impressed by how resolute the younger generation is here. Ive met a lot of really outstanding young people who time and time again have stepped up to defend their country  not for their own self-interest, but for the nation at large, Paul says. Ukraines only been independent for 30 years, and this younger generation, they are the first independent generation, and I think that they see it as their generational duty to defend their young democracy.

Valentyna Konstantynovska, 79 years-old, touches her head while listening together with others instructions on weapons handling during a basic combat training for civilians, organized by the Special Forces Unit Azov, of Ukraine's National Guard, in Mariupol, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Russias military buildup spurred Paul to retune his combat skills  not only to help train civilians in basic military skills, but to make sure hes prepared to help defend his adopted hometown should Russia attack.

I felt like I was a really good soldier in the American military. But after the tours in Iraq, I didnt feel the motivation to want to take the field again, Paul says. But having this military threat come to my new adopted home, it gave me the motivation to want to stay in shape. Ive been exercising really hard lately. Ive been refreshing my tactical skill set, and mentally Ive been getting myself in the mindset of getting ready to devote long periods of time away from my regular civilian lifestyle.

When he was a US Army soldier, Paul would load onto a transport plane and travel halfway across the world to fight in a foreign land. Now, hes experiencing war in an entirely new and alien way  from the perspective of civilians whose lives are about to be disrupted or destroyed by it.

When I was young and in the 101st Airborne, going to Iraq was a great military adventure, Paul says. It was for glory and to prove myself as a professional soldier. This time I have nothing to prove; Im just trying to help my neighbors and friends.

As the weeks drag on and the situation in Ukraine grows increasingly more dire, it has become harder for Paul to easily enjoy ordinary life without also remembering what may happen here soon. Could all of this  all of the joy of ordinary, peaceful life  simply be a prologue to some great tragedy?

I see these kids going to school with their little backpacks and Ukrainian flags. You see constantly, the patriotism, and you have all the people that you meet asking all these nervous questions about what they should do  and theyre asking me, like I should know what they need to do, Paul says.

He adds: When I went to war in Iraq, it was, you know, it was for my military unit, for my brothers in arms, for the guys I was training with. Here, its a much different motivation than an American being far from his home on some kind of grand operation. This time its a basic need to stand up and help defend my neighbors, my friends. My home. Its surreal. Its a feeling I dont think many Americans have ever experienced.

For his part, Adam is continuing online university classes in pursuit of a bachelor of arts degree with Charleston Southern University. Before coming to Ukraine, he had a lucrative job in the information technology sector. Like many combat veterans, however, Adam found civilian life monotonous and longed to rediscover the sense of purpose and tribal belonging hed possessed while in the military. Yet, his decision to come to Ukraine stemmed from a much deeper, more foundational part of his personality than a simple incompatibility with civilian life. A devout Christian, Adam also considers it his moral duty to help Ukrainians defend themselves.

Ukrainians are fighting for their democracy, and their identity outside of Russia, Adam says. They have a rich, independent history, and its worth fighting for.

Its a clear and cold Tuesday morning when Adam and Paul arrive at the Georgian National Legions base on the outskirts of Kyiv. Amid the mounting Russian threat, this unit of foreign volunteer soldiers has launched a new military training course for civilians. The drills have lasted about a week, and each day its particularly striking to observe dozens of everyday Ukrainians, ranging in age from 13 to 60, sprinting through the snow with training weapons clutched in their hands.

Under the command of a former Georgian military officer named Mamuka Mamulashvili, the Georgian National Legion formerly operated as a front-line unit in the early years of the war in Ukraines eastern Donbas region. Now garrisoned on the outskirts of Kyiv, this all-volunteer unit has become a clearinghouse for foreigners in the application pipeline to sign a three-year, active-duty service contract with Ukraines regular armed forces.

For his part, Mamulashvili welcomes the two Americans assistance as trainers in his units upstart civilian training program. He says their presence sends a strong message of solidarity to the Ukrainians who attend the drills.

These guys who are here now, they are physically defending democracy. They are the real faces of their country. They are showing the will of their nation, Mamulashvili says. For me, these guys are heroes.

Adam and Paul fought against insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, these two American combat veterans are training Ukrainian civilians to wage an insurgency of their own against a potential Russian occupation force. Along this line of thinking, Adam says he is trying to adopt his former enemies mindset and to not train the Ukrainians to fight like Americans.

The tactics the Taliban used against us worked, Adam says. Its a war of attrition. So, stay alive. Not every fight is worth your life. Gather equipment, and use surprise and hit-and-run tactics. Kind of like the American Revolution. Just like Afghanistan. Just like any insurgency.

Ukrainian servicemen set up large caliber ammunition during an exercise in a Joint Forces Operation controlled area in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Americas counterinsurgency experiences in both Iraq and Afghanistan offer a trove of trial-and-error lessons that will be useful to a potential Ukrainian resistance movement. As soldiers who were on the receiving end of insurgency warfare, Adam and Paul understand the elements of a successful insurgency. They also understand the essential elements of a prospective Russian counterinsurgency operation.

Looking at the American occupation of Iraq and the theoretical Russian occupation of Ukraine, the two nations have very similar levels of military competency, Paul says. I understand what assets the Russian forces would be looking for, and how to deny those assets. If they actually had to come into Kyiv, they would sweep block to block. They would take key avenues of approach and key terrain features.

Fighting the Taliban you see the things they did wrong, that they could have done to win against you, Adam says. And you see how a conventional force fights, and how the unconventional force could have exploited that, and they didnt. So I want to take those skills and I want to apply them so that we can exploit the weaknesses of a conventional occupying force.

In Adams estimation, a successful insurgency relies on hit-and-run tactics that maintain pressure on an adversary without ever seeking a decisive battle. The key is to survive and live to fight another day.

The Russians will have artillery support, theyll have [quick reaction forces]. So when the Ukrainians ambush or raid, they only have maybe five minutes to hit the target, do their damage, and leave, Adam says.

Even so, Paul added that Kyiv would be a very different urban environment than Iraqs cities. And a Ukrainian insurgency would be a more formidable fighting force than what America faced in that war.

Kyiv is a much more sophisticated and modern setting than Baghdad, and the insurgents here, the Ukrainians, would have much more sophisticated equipment and technology, Paul says. I think its very unlikely that Russians would come into Kyiv; it would just be an incredibly brutal insurgency here.

About two dozen Ukrainian civilians line up in formation while a Russian-speaking Georgian National Legion soldier explains the days training objectives. Through the help of an interpreter, Adam introduces himself and then uses a whiteboard and multicolored markers to explain, in professional detail, the basics of an ambush. He specifically modifies his lesson for the purposes of the irregular fighters hes teaching.

The Ranger doctrine for an ambush would be to gather the enemies weapons and equipment and blow it up in place, Adam says. But you know, from fighting in Afghanistan, we saw how the Taliban and ISIS would take our weapons and try to secure as much gear as possible. So its not really about just following the US doctrine that was taught, but to also learn from what the enemy did to us.

Learning how to set up an ambush is a good skill to have if youre fighting a guerrilla war or defending a city, Paul says. Apart from military action, however, he adds that general noncompliance is another way in which Ukrainians could resist a Russian occupation force. Simple acts of resistance  such as not showing up for work  can effectively shut down society and put pressure on a prospective pro-Russian puppet government installed by Moscow in the wake of a major offensive.

Ukrainians could make it extremely hard for a pro-Russian government to operate here, Paul says.

Admittedly, something may be lost in translation. And the skill set Adam explains may be a bit beyond the current capabilities of this somewhat ragtag group of citizen soldiers. Even so, the trainees stand in respectful silence and try their best to absorb what they can. When the theoretical discussion is over, Adam then puts the group through multiple trial runs.

The trainees sprint from position to position with the unquestioning commitment of recruits in basic training  even though many are in their 40s or older and past their physical primes. By Adams account, they pick up his lessons quickly. Though Adam has spent just two days in Ukraine, the civilians commitment to military training makes a powerful impression on the American veteran.

In particular, there is 13-year-old Oleg.

When asked why he volunteered for military training, Oleg replies, Im afraid that Russia might invade, and I want to be able to protect my friends.

Two days later, Adam once again leads a group of Ukrainian citizens through an afternoon of military drills. On this day, theyre at a shooting range outside of Kyiv for a day of target practice with Kalashnikovs. Among the trainees, once again, is 13-year-old Oleg.

The boys body armor vest appears oversized on his slight frame. His ballistic helmet is way too big and keeps falling down over his eyes as tries to take aim while shooting from the prone position. Hes clearly nervous; his movements are jerky and unsure. Then Adam kneels beside Oleg and puts a hand on the boys shoulder and pulls up his helmet so that he can see and take aim.

Oleg fires a few shots and then stands to fire a few more. As Oleg shoots, Adam keeps a hand on the boys shoulder the entire time. When Oleg has finished, Adam nods, pats him on the back, and says, Good job.

Its inspiring but its sad at the same time, Adam later says of the Ukrainians will to fight. I wish they could just live normal lives. But it cant be that way. So Im here to help.
Brunner Investment Trust (LSE:BUT) raised its dividend for a 50th year and said although 2022 could be bumpy it will provide opportunities for the "patient, thoughtful investor."

Net asset value (NAV), the trusts primary metric of success, grew 21.5% in 2021, outpacing FTSE benchmarks for the third year in a row.

But the company said macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds threatened the prosperity of markets through 2022, as it released full-year 2021 earnings.

Geopolitical tensions with China and Russia may continue to have a significant impact on market sentiment and particularly on supply chains and energy prices, chairman Carolan Dobsan said in a statement.

This will provide opportunities for the patient, thoughtful investor but it is likely to be bumpy.

It is difficult to know whether stock markets will be higher or lower this time next year, but the board have confidence that many of the companies in our portfolio will continue to make good business progress.

Earnings per share increased 27.5% to 20.4p, with Brunner citing the return to dividends from portfolio companies as a key driver of income generation.

Most of Brunners portfolio is spread around the health care, industrials and financials sectors, with 5.1% of its holdings in Microsoft, which paid out $2.48 per share in dividends last year.

Brunner plans to pay a final dividend of 6.05p per share on 1 April, making a total dividend of 20.15p, up from 2020s 20.06p.

This marks the 50th straight year the trust has returned increased dividends to its shareholders.

Shares fell slightly in initial trading following the results announcement, before trading 0.45% higher at 1,085.46p in late morning deals.

Brunners share price rose 105% between December 2016 and December 2021, compared to the FTSE Composites growth of 69.6%.
Guess whose share prices are at, or close to, all-time highs?

Those evil mining companies, thats who.

Shares in BHP Group Limited (LSE:BHP), Glencore PLC (LSE:GLEN) and Rio Tinto PLC (LSE:RIO), Londons holy trinity, are all at multi-year highs.

So, if the good times are rolling for the despoilers, does that put the lie on all the efforts of the ESG brigade?

Actually, it just might, because the share price strength is due at least in part to the very policies the ESG lobbyists are enacting or are campaigning for.

In particular, the energy prices that underpinned this weeks record dividend payout from BHP Group have been pushed up by extra costs dumped onto the consumer to pay for the greening of the global economy.

Put it another way  if you make it hard in the name of climate science for oil and gas companies to produce their product, then, in times of scarcity, prices for those commodities are going to go sky high. The effect is particularly marked at the current moment, in the midst of a northern hemisphere winter that follows two years of covid-related supply chain disruptions.

Thats just basic supply-demand economics, and the only to get around that is to impose price controls, which, as every historian knows, ends up leading to actual shortages.

In that sense, the ESG lobby have gone as far as they can go without actually cutting off or curtailing the energy supply to the West.

One way of distracting from this inconvenient truth is to accuse President Putin of playing politics with oil, and particularly gas pipelines, and to paint him as a global aggressor in whats essentially a regional conflict.

But ask yourself too: is it a coincidence that those pressing hardest for lockdowns were also the same people who push for ESG?

And isnt it ironic that when those policies bump into each other, the unintended consequences are bigger profits than ever for the miners?

Even so, BHP knows it has to make concessions.

Indeed, it cant vest its coal interests fast enough.

They wont be mothballed, of course. Theyll just find their way into the privately-held portfolio of some Middle Eastern prince or Far Eastern oligarch, and thus even further away from scrutiny. If that sort of outcome is to count as an ESG win, then the scoring really doesnt make sense.

As to the positive future thats reflected in those robust mining company share prices, theres an ESG angle there too.

For the major miners, those despoilers of the earth, are now all about saving the planet.

This week, Rio Tinto put out a major announcement about a partnership with an Aboriginal group. It was a rare piece of on-the-money awareness from a company that has taken mis-step after mis-step, not just in ESG, but in terms of basic common decency, from which ESG, as a politicised term ought now to be distinguished.

But thats just the crest of the ESG wave that the mining industry is now attempting to surf.

How long will the miners remain public enemy number one, a position theyve taken over from Big Pharma, whose products suddenly seem so beloved of activists the world over?

The answer to that question depends on the future of the world.

Miners are now falling over themselves to describe how they will play the crucial role in delivering the materials that will be needed to create the green economy of the future - from electric vehicle batteries, to the copper wiring that will go into all the infrastructure that supports those vehicles, to the materials that get used in solar panels and wind turbines; and of course, to those precious devices which keep everybody simultaneously connected and divided, mobile phones.

The miners are not wrong when they say they will be crucial to this process. That, too, is an inconvenient truth.

Whether or not the public relations war will be won or not is another question. It doesnt hurt that President Biden occasionally holds up a copper mine, or activists in the UK protest against a coal development.

But protest the industry as a whole at your peril.

The world needs the miners, for growth, for technology, and for survival. And for now, at least, the market is only too aware of that fact.
Early adopters have blazed a trail in (and in some cases made a fortune from) cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether are now very firmly part of the financial lexicon.

However, there are still swathes of the investing public that are unsure about this new electronic asset class.

Why?

Fear tends to trump natural curiosity (and greed) where the process is so opaque as to raise legitimate trust issues.

Opaque at best

In many cases, you are sending money to an exchange whose jurisdiction is unclear at best. And then there's no customer service to speak of, says Rufus Round.

It's generally a hellhole. You get put in some kind of email waiting queue.

Round is relating not just his own experience, but that of Karl Thompson and his fellow founders of GlobalBlock Digital Asset Trading Ltd (TSX-V:BLOK, OTC:BLVDF).

They set up the business to alleviate the stress and worry from crypto trading by providing a secure platform to buy and sell over 80 different digital assets.

Scaling the platform

Round is now the chief executive of GlobalBlock and has been given the task of scaling the platform.

Its back-to-the-future concept is providing an old-style human voice at the end of the phone and a back office that is then able to go out and execute a crypto trade on behalf of a customer.

Customers can also access their account and trade via an app or online platform, where there is a live chat service.

Without any fanfare (or marketing) the TSX Venture-listed group has managed to build its customer base to over 400 people including corporates.

You might stand back, shrug and say, so what?

Well, GlobalBlock has been very successful in attracting high net worth traders and family offices.

High net worth clients

Its clients hold an average C$79,000, which is ten times more than the US-based giant, Voyager Digital (CSE:VYGR, OTCQX:VYGVF).

The average trade size, meanwhile, is C$106,000.

GlobalBlock reckons it has barely skimmed the surface of this affluent and growing high-net-worth trading base. But it wont be resting on its laurels.

Another opportunity flagged in the groups presentation is the institutional market (banks, investment funds etc).

To date only 3% of the staid and risk-averse institutional market dabbles in the crypto markets; however, 85% of those surveyed expect to increase their exposure.

Sticking with B2B markets, GlobalBlock also wants to target corporate markets such as invoice payments, company transfer and crypto investment along with partnerships, financial advisors and charities.

Yachts and luxury cars

Interestingly, it is teaming up with vendors of luxury cars and yachts to allow newly minted crypto millionaires to acquire the traditional trappings of wealth.

A tech upgrade will (in time) allow GlobalBlock to really go for the retail end of the market too.

As for regulation, as a British-based but Canada listed entity, the group is one of only 35 companies on the UK Financial Conduct Authoritys temporary register for crypto companies.

This allows businesses such as GlobalBlock to continue trading until the regulator has approved their formal registrations.

Our four founders have been through this FCA process before. Compliance and regulation have never been an afterthought, explains Round.

Voyager shows the way

The evolution of the 600-pound gorilla of the space, Voyager Digital (CSE:VYGR, OTCQX:VYGVF), reveals what can happen when you start to invest in customer acquisition.

Last November, the US crypto trading group revealed its loyalty programme had driven a sharp increase in funded accounts, which now number 1mln.

Thats a more than 20-fold increase from the end of last year when it had 43,000.

The growth of Voyager, now valued at US$2bn, is instructive, showing just how fast-paced this market is even at this picks-and-shovels end of the new gold rush.

But beware too that GlobalBlock is starting from a much, much smaller base than that of its steroid-enhanced rival.

Building blocks in place

With the building blocks in place, CEO Round is ready to put the pedal to the metal.

The key to building the customer numbers will be the launch of the companys digital marketing programme later this year.

Theres also the launch of our tech upgrade and we really need to focus on the bread and butter, which is pure broking, says Round of the other upcoming milestones.

We are looking to add new products because theres demand from our client base and people want them. But it is important to get them right and compliant before we run with them.

With so much going on, the trajectory over the next 12-18 months will be an interesting one to plot.
Sulphides in historic drill core from the Christmas Well tenure

Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZS) has moved to secure two new exploration licence applications (ELA) in the Kookynie Gold District of Western Australia and has also applied for two additional licences to the south of Azures Barton tenement package.

Azure says it now holds a very large, strategically situated portfolio of tenements within the gold-rich Kookynie district and covering potential extensions to the south, comprising:

one granted Exploration Licence (E40/393: 198 square kilometres);

six ELAs (totalling 483 square kilometres) with Azure as the sole applicant; and

four ELAs (totalling 336 square metres) where Azure is a competing applicant, and which will go into a Mining Wardens Court ballot to decide ownership.

These tenements collectively hold some 88 kilometres of potential strike length, hosting numerous under-explored mineralised trends covering greenstone belts, adjacent granite margins and favourable structural settings prospective for gold and base metals mineralisation.

New tenement details

Azure has made application for two exploration licences located within the Kookynie Gold District. The tenements are:

Christmas Well ELA 40/421, 69 square kilometres, Azure is sole applicant

Two Dees ELA 40/432, 33 square kilometres, Azure is sole applicant

Christmas Well has potential for Kookynie-style gold mineralisation and Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) mineralisation (copper-zinc-lead-gold-silver).

Two Dees is prospective for gold mineralisation similar to Genesis nearby Ulysses and Admiral-Butterfly-Clark gold deposits.

Azure has also made applications for two new exploration licences further south from Kookynie:

Cranky Jack ELA 31/1310, 173 square kilometres, Azure is sole applicant

Yarri ELA 31/1314, 208 square kilometres, multiple applications, pending ballot

Cranky Jack covers about 33 kilometres of strike length in the southern extension of the Kookynie greenstone belt which hosts a mix of mafic to felsic volcanic rocks bounded to the east and west by granites.

The property is considered prospective for Kookynie-style gold mineralisation and VMS-style base metals mineralisation.

Azures Yarri tenement application is in competition with three other applicants, and ownership will be decided by ballot at the Kalgoorlie Mining Wardens Court. Yarri is considered prospective for both gold and nickel sulphide mineralisation.

Watch: Azure Minerals picks up four new tenements in Barton area, where strong gold results are expected

About Azure Minerals

Azure is committed to progressing its portfolio of precious and base metal projects to deliver shareholder value.

In Australia the company is engaged in:

continuing to advance the Andover Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project through the Mineral Resource and Scoping Study stages;

drilling the unexplored 450-square-kilometre Turner River Gold Project seeking repetitions and extensions of the nearby Mallina and Hemi gold deposits;

drilling on the under-explored 200-square-kilometre Barton Gold Project, which is located between several large and growing gold deposits in the gold-rich Kookynie Gold District; and

identifying new opportunities that offer low-cost entry into projects with significant upside.

In Mexico, Azure has commenced a strategic review of its 100%-owned precious metals and base metals projects in Mexico, including the Alacran silver-gold-copper project and the Oposura zinc-lead-silver project.
RA International Group PLC (AIM:RAI), a provider of remote site services around the world, saw its shares tumble after it warned profits would be hit by lower sales and higher costs, with order book momentum "stalled".

The company said it expects 2021 revenue to come in at around US$54mln and underlying earnings (EBITDA) of roughly US$7mln.

"This has been a frustrating period, with client and COVID-19 related operating constraints continuing to cause inefficiencies and exceptional delays in executing projects, in tender issues, awards and in project mobilisations," said chief executive Soraya Narfeldt.

Narfeldt said the underlying business has "remained profitable through this disruption and our solid balance sheet supports our forward looking requirements", with management planning to "be more selective" in the projects in the commercial sector, which will be less of a focus of business development activities.

12pm: Indivior gets shot in the arm

Indivior PLC (LSE:INDV) shares rose 10.5% to 251.60p after saying it is mulling a potential US secondary listing.

The pharmaceutical company also announced a 20% jump in revenue to US$791mln last year, with a swing back to operating profits of US$213mln compared with a loss of US$156mln last time.

As the US accounts for 80% of sales, Indivior said it is considering a secondary listing there as it is likely to be beneficial to the group's profile and visibility". It said it will consult its shareholders on the issue (read more here).

10.45am: IQE founder chips in

IQE PLC (AIM:IQE), the maker of wafers for the semiconductor industry, was among the top risers this morning, up 13% to 41.7p, after notifying that Drew Nelson, non-executive director and president, purchased 1.5mln worth of shares in the company.

Nelson, the co-founder of what become IQE and former chief executive until last September, bought 4,126,817 shares at an average price of 36.36p apiece.

IQE shares have recently been trading not far off their pandemic lows.

Elsewhere, Shanta Gold Ltd climbed on the back of drilling results from its West Kenya project, where chief executive Eric Zurrin said it continued to deliver outstanding results, ensuring that this remains the most consistently high-grade drilling programme we've ever conducted at any asset in Shanta's history.

Visible gold was identified in five intersections across nine holes drilled at Isulu and Bushiangala, with visible gold in 35 intersections across 102 holes, along with 23 separate occurrences of visible gold in 10 holes drilled at Ramula and a fourth site added in the virgin neighbouring 'Anomaly 22' target.

With upgraded mineral resource estimates due in coming weeks, Zurrin said: This is a hugely exciting time for the company and our stakeholders as the West Kenyan resource expands toward a multi-million-ounce gold district comparable with other prolific greenstone belts in the world."
Skye said that no histological changes were observed in the eye and no adverse findings in the remaining organs resulting from SBI-100 administration

Skye Bioscience inc (OTCQB:SKYE) announced that it has completed a good laboratory practice (GLP) nonclinical toxicology study of its SBI-100 ophthalmic nanoemulsion in support of the companys planned Phase 1 first-in-human clinical trial in Australia.

The San Diego-based company said that the purpose of this study was to evaluate the ocular toxicity and toxicokinetics of SBI-100 ophthalmic nanoemulsion when administered to rabbits either two or three times daily at multiple doses by topical ocular administration for fourteen consecutive days.

The reversibility of potential test article-related effects was also assessed following a drug-free recovery period.

Skye said that no histological changes were observed in the eye and no adverse findings in the remaining organs resulting from SBI-100 administration. Based on these results, a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was observed, furthering the starting dose for the upcoming Phase 1 clinical trial.

These data will support Skyes submission of a clinical trial application to the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) in Australia to initiate a Phase 1 first-in-human clinical trial of SBI-100, the company said.

Skye expects to initiate this clinical study in the second quarter of 2022 after receiving approval from the HREC and acceptance of the Clinical Trial Notification (CTN) by Australias Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

We believe there is potential for SBI-100 to be a disruptive and potentially transformative treatment option for patients suffering from glaucoma, said Tu Diep, chief development officer of Skye Bioscience. We have worked diligently to complete the preclinical steps required for our submission to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration, and these positive GLP toxicology results represent the final nonclinical dataset needed to complete our submission.

He added: Upon receiving the required approvals from the Australian regulatory agencies, we plan to initiate our Phase 1 clinical trial of SBI-100 and dose our first patient in the second quarter of 2022.

Contact Ritika at ritika@proactiveinvestors.com
Mandalay has also extended Costerfields life of mine by two years to 2027

Mandalay Resources Corp. (TSX:MND, OTCQB:MNDJF) has increased the mineral reserves at its Costerfield project in Australia by 24%, according to an updated mineral resource estimate.

The project now contains 312,000 gold ounces in the proven and probable category, up from 255,000 ounces contained in the last estimate.

Mandalay has also extended Costerfields life of mine by two years to 2027, net of depletion for 2021 production, the company said.

The good news extended to Mandalays Bjorkdal mine in Sweden, where the firm increased the number of gold ounces in the measured and indicated category by 59,000 ounces to 1,146,000 ounces.

That brings Mandalay's total proven and probable mineral reserves to 854,000 ounces of gold and 19,600 tonnes of antimony, compared to 799,000 ounces of gold and 21,800 tonnes of antimony at 2020 year-end, the company said.

"Mandalay's exploration efforts in 2021 yielded significant success, CEO Dominic Duffy said in a statement.

We made major additions of Mineral Reserves at Costerfield through the successful discovery of the Shepherd zone below the Youle deposit, and discovered significantly higher gold grades to the east at depth at Bjorkdal.

Five continuous high-grade veins have been discovered within Shepherd, which is expected to be an area of substantial mineral resources and reserves growth over the coming years, Duffy told investors. Shepherd has already added 296,000 tonnes of ore at a grade of 12.4 grams per ton (g/t) gold and 1.0% antimony into mineral reserves, which Duffy said highlights the richness of the Costerfield mineral system.

At Bjorkdal, Mandalays exploration focus was on identifying areas that could potentially add higher-grade mine feed due to the mines current long nine-year mine life. CEO Duffy called the program extremely successful thanks to the discovery of the high-grade zones to the east at depth of the Main and Central zones.

The firm said that, as most of the significant results for this area were recovered after the data cut-off point for the 2021 update, the success of the program and the significant potential in upgrading the overall grades will be reflected in the following years.

In 2022, Mandalay is advancing several highly prospective areas at both properties, Duffy explained. At Bjorkdal, exploration continues north of the Aurora orebody as well as the commencement of surface drilling on regional Bjorkdal style and multi-element targets. At Costerfield, the potential of further Youle and Shepherd style targets will continue to be explored in parallel with renewed efforts on satellite deposits within 2 kilometres of the mining activities."

Toronto-based Mandalay is focused on advancing its Australian and Swedish mining operations.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
The study on BioVaxys' coronavirus vaccine candidate BVX-0320 and ACE2 binding inhibition, was conducted by Millipore-Sigma

BioVaxys Technology Corp. (CSE:BIOV, OTCQB:BVAXF) has revealed that studies on BVX-0320, its haptenized SARS-CoV-2 s-spike protein vaccine candidate, demonstrated that the vaccine does not bind to the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor.

The Vancouver-based biotechnology company said this suggests superior cardiac safety compared to standard coronavirus (COVID-19) mRNA and Adenovirus Vector vaccines. The findings show that the companys vaccine candidate BVX-0320 may not lead to the unusual but serious myocarditis observed with mRNA vaccines, said BioVaxys.

Previous studies in mice have also shown that BVX-0320 stimulates a robust antibody and T cell response and was safe and well tolerated.

READ: BioVaxys Technology closes first tranche of C$1M non-brokered private placement

There have been several adverse events associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, resulting in cardiac complications related to the vaccines, according to a review of case reports.

A study published in the Journal of Hematological Oncology 2 concluded that the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds to the ACE2 receptor and that this binding of SARS-CoV-2 to the ACE2 prevents the enzyme from converting angiotensin II, potentiating cardiac issues. The ACE2 receptor is present in many cell types and tissues including the lungs, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and epithelial cells.

Currently available vaccines, whether comprised of either recombinant full-length or partial spike protein can result in rare, but life-threatening side effects, such as abnormal blood clotting or myocarditis. These toxicities may be caused by unwanted binding of the vaccine spike protein to ACE2 receptors in the heart.

The Biovaxys vaccine for Covid-19, BVX-0320, comprises a portion of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that is modified by the hapten, dinitrophenyl (DNP). The company explained that the hapten modification prevents ACE2 binding while retaining immunogenicity.

The study on ACE2 binding inhibition, conducted by contract manufacturing firm Millipore-Sigma was part of a BVX-0320 bioproduction run locked-in by BioVaxys in September last year. The work with Millipore-Sigma also resulted in major improvements in the manufacturing process. Millipore is a subsidiary of pharma giant Merck KGaA.

The company said the new batch of BVX-0320 is being used for its ongoing pan-sarbecovirus vaccine collaboration with the Ohio State University.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive
BioVaxys Technology Corp. (CSE:BIOV, OTCQB:BVAXF) CEO James Passin tells Proactive that studies on BVX-0320, its haptenized SARS-CoV-2 s-spike protein vaccine candidate, demonstrated that the vaccine does not bind to the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor.

The Vancouver-based biotechnology company said this suggests superior cardiac safety compared to standard coronavirus mRNA and Adenovirus Vector vaccines. The findings show that the companys vaccine candidate BVX-0320 may not lead to the unusual but serious myocarditis observed with mRNA vaccines, said BioVaxys.
New Delhi/Phek : , Feb 16 (IANS) Amidst uncertainty among some quarters on the future of Naga peace talks, Nagaland Chief Minister Nephiu Rio on Tuesday showed an unprecedented 'clarity' on focus and laying down the priority.

".....the Central Government and the Naga nationalist groups have informed the State Government about its willingness to bring about lasting peace in the state," the Chief Minister said.

"I want a solution because that will bring a new hope for the youth, the students and for the future," he remarked in a rather unambiguous manner.

The remarks from the Nagaland Chief Minister came at a critical juncture when the Centre is moving ahead persuasively to arrive at a stage when it can ink the 'Final Peace Pact' with multiple Naga groups.

Chief Minister Rio was "specifically" instructed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to pursue NSCN (IM) to come on board as the militant group had raised the bogey of separate Flag and Constitution since 2019.

The peace talks are aimed to end the decades-old insurgency in the tough terrains of the wilderness of northeast that started in 1997 when I.K. Gujral was the Prime Minister.

Raising of separate Flag and Constitution was seen as a major hurdle from NSCN (IM) even as NNPGs(umbrella organisation of seven groups) is more than keen to ink the 'Final Peace Pact' at the earliest.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Platinum Jubilee celebration of Chakhesang Students' Union (CSU) held in Phek town - 122 km from state capital Kohima - on Tuesday, the Chief Minister made the crucial statement.

Expounding on political settlement, Rio said, "There is so much injustice in Naga society that there is a need to 'rearrange the whole state' and also change the mindset of the people to become a better society and survive as a people." The Centre is willing to grant additional seats in the Assembly and Parliament to resolve the decades-old Naga political issue, he said.

At present Nagaland has a 60 member state Assembly and two Member of Parliament - one each in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The Naga peace talks have been put on fast track lately and the Centre has also reached out to NNPG leaders.

The competencies being finalised between the Central government and Naga groups seek to ensure setting up of a Legislative Council.

On the similar vein, there are moves to increase the number of members in the Lok Sabha to two and in the Rajya Sabha to two-three.

There is also a need to take steps to 'open windows for new opportunities' in Nagaland and other parts of the northeast to garner greater corporate investment, sources said.

Some clauses in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act and certain provisions of Article 371 (A) "may be" looked into to encourage higher corporate investment and greater involvement of Nagaland and other northeastern states in implementing the Act East policy.

This has become all the more important to achieve 'expected results' vis-a-vis economic development and success of the government's Act East Policy and India's growing ties with South East Asian countries and members of ASEAN.

At present, states like Mizoram, Nagaland has only one member each in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

Other states in the region like Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh have two members in the Lok Sabha.

During the debate on Kashmir in the Lok Sabha in August 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah had said that there will be "no dilution" to the essential spirit of the Article 371 (A) for Nagaland.

Efforts are on to take the states of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on board. These states have a substantial Naga population.

Chief Minister Rio also said that Nagaland will soon enter into the election year as the state will go to polls by Feb-March 2023.

"While many candidates are working hard and developing their prospects for the elections and the general public are also looking towards the election period as festival, I am looking forward to a solution to the protracted Naga political issue because unless a solution is arrived at, there is no perfect peace in our land and no peace of mind," Rio said.

Nagaland Chief Minister Rio, who belongs to NDPP, has been requested by Naga People's Front to campaign for the Assembly elections in Manipur. The NPF is contesting 10 seats in Manipur.

Two important BJP leaders Nalin Kohli, party in charge for Nagaland, and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju visited the state recently and held crucial meetings with important stakeholders.

Both the leaders separately were briefed by state BJP leaders about the latest political situations. An important line told to the Central leaders has been the BJP's 2018 slogan - 'Election for Solution'.

"If we fail to deliver a solution, our party will face tough times during elections in 2023", was the general refrain.

The BJP's then party general secretary and in charge of Nagaland, Ram Madhav, had coined that slogan in 2018 as response to persistent demand by various Naga groups and militant organizations that no election should be held in the state if no solution is arrived at.

Contesting only 20 seats, the BJP's strike rate was the best as it could win 12 seats.

It is understood Union Law Minister and a lawmaker from Arunachal Pradesh, Kiren Rijiju's visit to the state was quite significant.

(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of books, 'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth')
Kabul, Feb 16 : A number of Afghans, including businessmen and money exchangers, held protests in Kabul and other parts of the country against the Biden administration's decision to divert a part of the frozen assets from the Afghan central bank to the families of 9/11 victims.

Terming the decision as "illegal and unfair", the protesters urged the US to release all of Afghanistan's frozen assets. They also called on the World Bank and the UN to reconsider the US' decision on the assets of the Afghan people.

"No one has the right to use this money or give it to anyone else," Mohammad Younes Momand, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) was quoted as saying by Afghanistan based Tolo news.

"It's a completely unfair act to take the compensation from the Afghan money and give it to the victims of 9/11," said Hajj Mir Afghan Safi, head of the Sarai Shahzada money changers union.

The protesters have threatened that if the US does not change its decision they will escalate the protest.

"This is the money of the Afghan people, which includes a lot of capital of Afghan traders. Our protest is over Biden's decision," said Abdul Rahman Zirak, a spokesman of the Sarai Shahzada money changers' union.

Similarly, Abdul Rahman Hudawal, head of the Nangarhar Money Exchangers' Union, said, "Biden's decision is unfair, this is the money of the Afghan people, and the United States cannot give it to others."
Kiev, Feb 16 : European Union embassies in Ukraine remain operational, said the EU Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas.

"Full support to Ukraine in this situation of the military, economic, and psychological pressure," Maasikas was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian National News Agency, adding that "all EU member states' embassies continue to operate." On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that the US would temporarily relocate its embassy in Ukraine from the capital Kiev to the western city of Lviv, citing escalating tensions on Ukraine's borders, Xinhua news agency reported.

Since November 2021, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Russia of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion." Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly denied any intention to invade, accusing Washington of "hysteria".
Karhal/Mainpuri, Feb 16 : The convoy of Union Minister and BJP leader Satya Pal Singh Baghel was attacked and pelted with stones in Karhal in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district late on Tuesday evening.

Baghel is the BJP candidate from the Karhal Assembly seat, from where Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav is also contesting the Assembly elections.

According to reports, the BJP leader escaped unhurt during the onslaught. However, the window of a vehicle in Baghel's convoy was hit by stones and shattered.

The BJP has strongly condemned the attack on Baghel.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya alleged that the Samajwadi Party "goons" were behind the incident.

"Akhilesh Yadav ji, because of the fear of defeat in the election, you attack BJP candidate, Union Minister Prof S.P. Singh Baghel and BJP leaders through your pet goons. Yesterday, BJP MP Geeta Shakya was also attacked. Strict action will be taken against the culprits of both the incidents," Maurya said in a series of tweets.

The incident took place in Rahmatullahpur village of Thana Karhal. Baghel had been out for campaigning in the area ahead of the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and was on his way to Atikullapur village with other party leaders.

There were some people already present outside the village who pelted stones at Baghel's convoy.

A vehicle was damaged in the attack, though the people were unscathed.

The police were informed but by the time they reached the spot, the stone pelters had already fled.

ASP Madhuvan Kumar Singh said the matter is being investigated and action will be taken.
Agra, Feb 16 : Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists were detained after they made an attempt to enter the Taj Mahal premises to recite the Hanuman Chalisa there.

The programme was designed as a counter protest to the Karnataka hijab row.

Vice president of VHP Braj region, Ashish Arya, who led the group, said that they had planned to enter Taj Mahal and recite the Hanuman Chalisa after wearing "saffron scarves" to counter the Hijab row.

"Every educational institute has its own dress code but some anti-social elements are trying to vitiate the atmosphere by holding a protest for hijab," he said, adding that if this would be allowed then people from other religions may also wear their religious symbols.

Arya said that some people are attempting to polarise votes for the ensuing Assembly elections by intentionally inciting religious feeling in the context of Hijab.

"No personal law will be implemented here. The country will follow the constitution which is above all," he said.

All the protestors were taken to the Hariparvat police station where they recited the Hanuman Chalisa and later all were released.

Circle officer, Sadar, Rajiv Kumar, said, "Their memorandum has been taken and it will be sent to the authorities concerned. They have been informed that this matter is related to a particular state."
Washington, Feb 16 : US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the United States is still pursuing a diplomatic solution to the current standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine, meanwhile warning Russia of severe sanctions should it choose to invade its neighbor.

In televised remarks delivered from the White House on the evolving situation on Ukraine's borders, Biden said his country is prepared "to engage in diplomacy with Russia and our allies and partners to improve stability and security in Europe as a whole", Xinhua news agency reported.

He asserted that "if Russia chooses to invade Ukraine, the West will respond decisively." Biden said he agrees with a proposal from the Russian government to continue diplomatic negotiations, adding "we should give diplomacy every chance to succeed." He said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin during their phone call on Saturday that the US is willing to "keep pursuing high-level diplomacy" to negotiate "written understandings" with Russia.

The US President claimed that his country has "put on the table concrete ideas to establish security environment in Europe," referring to a written document the United States submitted to Russia last month to address Moscow's security concerns.

The Kremlin has said the US document ignored its main demands, at the center of which is that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) cannot expand further eastward to include Ukraine as its member.

Biden said that the US in its future dialogues with Russia "will not sacrifice basic principles" aimed at advancing the common security of the United States and its allies and partners, a veiled refusal to Russian demand that Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO.

Putin told a press conference at the conclusion of his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier Tuesday that Russia is prepared to discuss with the West "some" of the issues involving banning missile deployment to Europe and restricting military drills on the continent, but these discussions must happen "in complex with the main issues that are of primary importance for us." He called Ukraine's bid to join NATO a major security threat to Russia.

Biden warned Russia that an invasion against Ukraine will be met with severe economic sanctions from the US - including export control measures that will cripple Russia's key industries.

He also acknowledged that the sanctions may backfire on the United States itself, saying his administration is taking measures to minimize the impact of possible hikes in energy prices and defend against potential Russian cyber attacks.

The US President also mentioned the drawdown of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border that was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry.

He said that the pullback "would be good," but that the United States has "not yet verified that." He called a Russian invasion of Ukraine "still a distinct possibility." Putin at the press conference with Scholz said Russia doesn't want to go to war with Ukraine, but rather resolve the issue of NATO expansion "through peaceful means." Russia, he added, would "very much hope that our partners hear our concerns and take them seriously."

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Jerusalem: Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has accepted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's invitation for a historic visit to Israel, Israeli media has reported.(Photo:Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Jerusalem: Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has accepted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's invitation for a historic visit to Israel, Israeli media has reported.(Photo:Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Jerusalem: Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has accepted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's invitation for a historic visit to Israel, Israeli media has reported.(Photo:Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Jerusalem: Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has accepted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's invitation for a historic visit to Israel, Israeli media has reported.(Photo:Twitter) Image Source: IANS News

Jerusalem, Feb 16 : Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has accepted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's invitation for a historic visit to Israel, Israeli media has reported.

The Hebrew-language Ynet news site quoted Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani as saying that the crown prince accepted the invitation and would visit Israel "soon." During his visit to the Gulf kingdom, the first by an Israeli leader, Bennett met with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince al-Khalifa, several ministers, and representatives of the Bahraini Jewish community, Xinhua news agency reported.

Bennett told reporters in Bahrain's capital of Manama that he was seeking "a new regional architecture" with moderate Arab and non-Arab countries in the region to stand against "enemies who are fomenting chaos and terror." The meetings have contributed to "strengthening relations between both states and their governments," said a joint statement issued after Bennett's visit.

The leaders were particularly concerned about regional "nuclear threats, terrorist activity, religious extremism, poverty, and social challenges," according to the statement.

They also discussed civilian, economic, business, and trade cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on pushing forward the talks on mutual investment and tax treatment.

Bennett landed in Manama on Monday, less than two weeks after Israel and Bahrain signed their first security cooperation deal that formalised mutual defense relations.

Bahrain normalised ties with Israel in September 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements between Israel and Arab states sponsored by the US.

The visit also came amid Israel's intensified diplomatic efforts to halt the ongoing talks between major world powers and Iran, Israel's arch rival, to restore the 2015 nuclear pact.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : A Taliban delegation has held talks with European Union's representatives in Doha and discussed Afghanistan's requirements as well as the humanitarian, health and education situation.

According to the statement released late Tuesday by the Taliban government, the delegates reassured the EU envoys that the new ruling government of Afghanistan is committed to upholding the legitimate rights of the society, and described the situation as satisfactory, TOLO News reported.

The EU representatives showed readiness to increase humanitarian aid as well as health and education assistance to Afghanistan. The statement further said the participants emphasised the importance of continuing such meetings.

Tomas Niklasson, special envoy of the EU for Afghanistan, said he expressed the EU's "grave concerns" about enforced disappearances and unlawful arrests, and about women being mistreated by police during peaceful demonstrations. "We also pointed to the lack of political representation and the systematic denial of the rights of women and minorities," he tweeted.

Niklasson added that access to education in Afghanistan was discussed at the meeting, and the Afghan delegation "referred to the opening of universities for men and women and its commitment to open primary and secondary schools for boys and girls throughout the country in March." "The EU remains committed to the Afghan people and is delivering 500 million euros in assistance through UN and NGOs focusing on food, health, WASH and protection, education and livelihood,"Niklasson wrote on Twitter.
Barabanki : , Feb 16 (IANS) Six persons of a family were killed when their car rammed into a stationary container in the early hours of Wednesday.

The deceased include a woman and two children. The family was returning from Surat when the accident took place.

The police have taken the bodies into their custody and sent them for autopsy.

According to reports, Ajay Kumar, his wife, two children and two others were on their way home in Ayodhya when the accident occurred. All of them died on the spot.

Further details are awaited.
Lucknow, Feb 16 : A cybercrime team of the Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested a man who was harassing a woman by sending her obscene videos on WhatsApp.

The accused was also using her photo in his WhatsApp profile which resulted in the woman receiving several indecent calls.

He has been identified as Navlesh Kumar of Newada in Bihar.

Superintendent of Police, cyber cell, Triveni Singh said that a case was lodged with the UP cybercrime police station by the woman who alleged that a man was sending her obscene messages and porn films on her mobile phone.

She added that the miscreant had used her photo in his Whatsapp profile and had given its the title of 'Escort Service Company'.

Subsequently, a team was set up and the cyber sleuths tracked down the miscreant. During interrogation he confessed to the crime.

The SP said that the accused is being interrogated to know more about his modus operandi.
Bengaluru, Feb 16 : The Karnataka High Court issued a bailable warrant against the Engineer-in-Chief for remaining absent in the court proceedings in spite of the orders.

The bench headed by the Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, which is looking into PIL regarding mismanagement of roads in Bengaluru city and potholes, gave the order on Tuesday.

The bench also directed the Police Commissioner of Bengaluru city Kamal Pant to produce the officer to the court and adjourned the matter to Thursday (February 17).

"The court does not have any problem in issuing orders. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the civic agency should not assume that the court will only give oral orders and would not initiate any strict measures. The court can issue stricter orders than the present one," the bench said.

The court could issue a non-bailable warrant against the officer, with little consideration that a bailable warrant had been issued. The court should not be compelled to issue harsher decisions, the BBMP advocate was told.

The High Court had directed on February 7 that the BBMP engineer-in-chief should be present before the court for the inquiry to be taken up on February 15. The court had also sought information on technology used for pothole filling and measures taken on building quality roads in the city.

When the court took up the matter, an advocate representing BBMP stated that the engineer-in-chief could not be present as he is ill and asked the court to give exemption in this regard.

The bench took a serious note and angrily remarked that there is no practice of giving exemption from personal appearance. This is not a way to ask the court for exemption from personal appearance. If it was not possible to be present before the court, a submission should have been made in this regard asking for exemption. No such submission has been made. Only after the case was taken up and a query was made as to who is supposed to appear, the counsel was informed about his absence, the bench noted angrily.

The High Court has been closely monitoring civic agency's measures to fill up pothole ridden roads in Bengaluru city since last year. Despite strict orders, warnings and deadlines, the civic agency is yet to ensure pothole free roads in Bengaluru, known as Silicon City. Time and again incidents of road accidents resulting in deaths because of potholes have been reported in the city. The recent death of a teacher, who was crushed under the wheels of a truck due to a pothole created public outrage.
Ottawa, Feb 16 : Canada is easing the on-arrival test requirements for fully-vaccinated travellers starting February 28 as the latest wave of Covid-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, Public Health Agency of Canada announced.

According to the press release issued on Tuesday, travellers may still be selected for random testing upon arrival but will no longer have to quarantine while awaiting their test results.

Travellers can instead opt for a rapid antigen test approved by the countries they are coming from, Xinhua news agency reported.

Currently, all travellers, regardless of vaccine status, must provide proof of a negative molecular test, such as a PCR test, within 72 hours of their scheduled flight or land entry into Canada.

The government is also easing its advisory recommending Canadians avoid non-essential travel due to the rise of the Omicron variant.

Restrictions on unvaccinated children below 12 and travelling with vaccinated adults are also being lifted. They will no longer need to wait and self isolate before attending school, daycare, or camps.

Unvaccinated travellers will still be required to be tested on arrival into Canada and must quarantine for 14 days, the press release said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Doha, Feb 16 : Andy Murray of Great Britain produced a strong first-round performance to brush past Taro Daniel of Japan 6-2, 6-2 to cruise into the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open as a wild card here.

Daniel had defeated the 34-year-old multiple Grand Slam winner in the second round of the Australian Open last month and the Scot had looked quite upset after the defeat.

Late on Tuesday, former world No. 1 Murray was happy with how he dealt with Daniel's threat this time around. "He played very well in Australia, he had a very good run there and was too good for me there. I tried to be the one dictating from the first point, and I thought I did that well. It was one of the better matches I've played in recent months," Murray was quoted as saying by atptour.com after the match.

Murray, who is a two-time champion and four-time finalist in Doha, looked happy to be back as he hit 11 winners and broke Daniel twice to win the first set.

World No. 110 Daniel broke in the first game of the second set to momentarily halt Murray's charge. But a trademark backhand winner sealed an immediate break back as Murray went on to seal victory in one hour, 20 minutes.

Murray now faces second seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in the second round. The Brit will seek to increase his 3-1 ATP head-to-head series lead over the world No. 16, but will not be taking anything for granted despite his excellent record in Doha.

"Obviously the results from 12 years ago aren't going to affect the results this week," said Murray when asked about his previous titles in Doha. "But what it tells me is that the conditions here are good for my game, so if I can play to a good level the courts are going to suit me here and I'll make it difficult for everyone I play against."
Mumbai, Feb 16 : Bollywood celebrities have been mourning the death of India's 'Disco King' Bappi Lahiri since the news broke that he had passed away at the age of 69 at a suburban hospital in Mumbai's Juhu area in the early hours of Wednesday.

Akshay Kumar tweeted: "Today we lost another gem from the music industry... Bappi Da, your voice was the reason for millions to dance, including me. Thank you for all the happiness you brought through your music. My heartfelt condolences to the family. Om Shanti." Ajay Devgn also took to Twitter to say: "Bappi Da was so endearing in person. But his music had an edge. He introduced a more contemporary style to Hindi film music with 'Chalte Chalte', 'Suraksha' and 'Disco Dancer'. Shanti Dada, you will be missed." Vidya Balan, on whom Bappi Lahiri's popular number 'Ooh la la' was picturised in the film 'Dirty Picture', posted on her Twitter handle: "I wish you joy wherever you go Bappi da because that's what you brought to the world through your music and your being. Love always, Bidda (as you'd so endearingly call me)." Noted filmmaker Hansal Mehta recalled his personal association with Bappi Lahiri and said: "Another legend gone. Had the good fortune of working closely with him when I shot an ad for P&G and then when I worked with White Feather Films for @_SanjayGupta. Man of incredible melody and talent." Music composer Vishal Dadlani, spoke for his generation, when he tweeted: "Bappi Da was more than a legend. He was a friend. He was always kind to Shekhar and me and we shared mutual respect and admiration. Can't believe he isn't with us." On a personal note, he added: "First my Dad, then Lataji, then Bappi Da. 2022 is really hitting hard. Far too hard. My deepest condolences to Bappa, Rema, Mrs Lahiri and the grandkids." Bhumi Pednekar tweeted: "Complete Loss of Words. Heartbroken by the demise of the legendary Bappi Lahiri Ji. Truly a big loss. My condolences to his family and fans. Your music will live on forever, sir #RIPBappiLahiri."
February 16 : Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan will start shoot in Delhi on February 17 for their upcoming film Tiger 3. The actors were clicked at Mumbai's Kalina Airport on Tuesday, while they were flying out of the city.

First Katrina was seen coming to the airport. She got out of her car, waved at the paparazzi, and entered the airport. The actress was wearing a white sweater paired with black leather pants and white sneakers. Next, Salman was seen in a black T-shirt layered with a red jacket, and paired with blue denims. He came out of his car, posed for the paparazzi and then entered the airport.

After their long Europe shoot schedule in September last year, Salman and Katrina will resume shoot for the film on February 17. It will also be Katrinas first shooting schedule after her wedding in December last year.

Reportedly, the Delhi schedule is the last leg of shoot for Tiger 3. The shoot will take place mostly in colleges and hotels, and will continue for almost 7 to 10 days. The makers reportedly planned to shoot at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, The Imperial hotel and The Oberoi Maidens in New Delhi, and some parts of Connaught Place. ANI had reported that after Delhi schedule, the actors will wrap up shooting for the film. Earlier, Delhi schedule was supposed to commence on January 12 but was postponed due to the cold wave and the surge of Covid-19 cases in the city.

Helmed by Maneesh Sharma, Tiger 3 is a Yash Raj Films project. The big budget spy thriller is the third installment of the blockbuster Tiger franchise. While Salman will return as special agent Avinash Singh Rathore, Katrina as Zoya Humain. The film also stars Emraan Hashmi. It was also reported that to create larger-than-life action sequences, the producers have brought on board a number of action directors from varied backgrounds. Last year, Salman and Katrina had shot across several countries including Turkey, Russia and Austria. Tiger 3 is slated to release this year.
Seoul, Feb 16 : South Korean tech giant Samsung is working on its next foldable smartphone -- Galaxy Z Fold4 and now a new report has claimed that the upcoming foldable phone will come with a built-in S Pen just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

According to GSMArena, Samsung will look to improve the durability of the Z Fold4 and we should also see an improved folding screen with a less noticeable crease this time around.

The Galaxy Z Fold3 featured a single camera island housing three cameras and a flash, but the Z Fold4 render shows a camera system that looks almost identical to the S22 Ultra.

The Galaxy Z Fold4 will come with an improved under-display camera (UDC) on both the internal and external screens, citing a tipster.

The overall primary camera setup is also getting an upgrade to bring the Galaxy Z Fold4 on par with the camera quality offered by the current flagship in the market.

The rumoured foldable smartphone is also expected to feature the upcoming Snapdragon 898, with the same screen size and battery size (4,400mAh).

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 may also have a lower starting price.

Recently, a report mentioned that the company will aim for 6.9 million units of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 and 2.9 million of the Z Fold4. For comparison, the 2021 models targeted 4 million for the Z Flip3 and 3 million for the Z Fold3.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : After gaining a stronghold in India and several international markets, Vestige Marketing Pvt. Ltd. has announced its foray into Africa by launching operations in Ghana. In the initial phase, the company will offer a range of health and wellness products from its bestseller categories -- health supplements, personal care, home care and oral care.

Founded in 2004, Vestige is India's home-grown health and wellness direct selling brand that also manufactures its products in India -- a true 'Make in India' story. The company has chalked out ambitious international expansion plans to widen its network in Asia and Africa by 2025. At present, its operations span countries in South Asia and the Middle East, including, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Vestige is also planning to launch its business in South-East Asian markets like Thailand and the Philippines in the near future.

Gautam Bali, Managing Director, Vestige Marketing Ltd., said, "Vestige is committed to the vision of providing economic independence by enabling entrepreneurship in countries across the world. We believe that direct selling is one of the key ways to enable economic empowerment of Africa's burgeoning population and can benefit a country like Ghana -- which has maintained one of the most stable governments on the continent since 1993 -- align its development strategy with the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Direct selling opens up employment opportunities for women and youth -- two of the biggest demographic segments in a young nation like Ghana -- and help them achieve financial independence. We are excited to begin our journey in Africa, beginning with Ghana." Since its inception, Vestige has grown manifold across its business, people, geographies and products, and is growing at a CAGR of 30 per cent year-on-year. The phenomenal growth continued even during the pandemic, and has been made possible due to a unique business model where the distributors align their growth with the organisation's. In 2020, Vestige recorded over 52 per cent increase in its distributor network with over 60% of them being below the age of 35.

Direct selling has proved to be a boon during the ongoing pandemic as it helped those who lost jobs due to Covid-19 take up direct selling as an alternative source of livelihood. When other industries and sectors struggled to regain control in the new normal, the direct selling industry showed resilience and was able to shield itself from the shocks of an uncertain business climate. In fact, it emerged as one of the fastest growing sectors during this challenging phase and clocked a double-digit growth of 28.26 per cent in FY 2019-20.

About Vestige Marketing Pvt. Ltd Founded in 2004, Vestige is one of the leading direct selling companies in India. Offering a portfolio of 300+ products across wellness, health, hygiene, home, and beauty segments through 3500+ distribution points across India, and a business presence in six international markets including India, i.e., Bahrain, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Vestige is ranked number 36 in the 2021 DSN Global 100 List, the prestigious global ranking for direct selling companies. The company is run by veteran leaders who have pioneered an indigenous and unique business model which is revolutionising the direct selling industry.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Indian Private Ports & Terminals Association (IPPTA), the apex body that represents the interests of the private ports and terminals in India has urged Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal for extension of provisions for existing concessionaires in the New Model Concession Agreement.

IPPTA strives to ensure that private ports and terminals play a major role in developing the country's maritime sector to global standards. There are 37 PPP Projects under execution in India with an investment of about Rs 29,000 crore.

Through a letter to the Minister, IPPTA has highlighted that the existing PPP Operators are facing a lot of difficulties as the Concession Agreements are quite inflexible and cannot be altered over the concession period of 30 years. This has led to creation of many stressed projects, and some more are on the verge of distress, unless urgent remedial steps are not taken. The problem areas in the Concession Agreements have been brought to the notice of the Government from time to time.

IPPTA in the letter further stated that the Government has taken the initiative to formulate a new Model Concession Agreement (MCA) keeping in view the problems being faced by the existing Concessionaires. However, the new MCA will be applicable only to new PPP Projects. This does not address the problems of the existing concessionaires who are governed under different MCAs. Having different sets of Concession Agreements for PPP Operators who came into existence at different times is not conducive to attracting huge private investments for realizing the Maritime India Vision-2030. There should be some flexibility to adopt the new provisions to the existing concessionaires. This can be easily done by signing Supplementary Agreements, for which provisions exist in the existing Concession Agreements.

There are some adverse changes proposed in the new MCA which may defeat the very purpose of making MCA more attractive to PPP players/Lenders and negate the very objective of enhancing PPP participation in port projects. Some of the provisions relating to definition of Debt Due, Total Project Cost, Adjusted Equity, Removal of charge on concessionaires' assets, deducting Insurance Cover from the Debt Due while calculating the Terminal compensation etc. make the projects risky and un-bankable.

The government also needs to address the larger issue of presence of different operators in the same port competing for the same cargo under different regulatory regimes leading to intense intra-port competition. This may lead to underutilization of many of the existing terminals (especially bulk terminals) which are governed under a stricter regime and they therefore face an unfair level playing field.

IPPTA requests for a policy decision for giving an option to the existing concessionaires to migrate to the provisions of the new concession agreement. This move will help the existing PPP operators to adjust to the changes in business dynamics and market conditions for the remaining period of their concessions.
Chennai, Feb 16 : The Tamil Nadu school education department has clarified that the marks scored by the students for the revision test papers of classes 10 and 12 will not affect the final results.

The clarification follows the controversy over the leakage of Physics question paper of Class 10 which is to be held on Wednesday. The school education department had also suspended the Tiruvannamalai Chief Educational officer C. Arul Selvam in connection with the leakage of question papers.

There were allegations that instead of distributing the question papers on the day of exams, they were shared a week before in violation of norms. The leaked question papers of the Class 10 and Class 12 model exams were uploaded on social media platforms.

The school education department conducted an inquiry following this and found that the question papers were leaked from Tiruvannamalai and Vandavasi. The education department is taking criminal action against the authorities concerned as well as the management of the schools in this matter.

Meanwhile, several parents were worried whether the results of the revision test papers would be included in the final mark list due to the leakage of question papers. Radha Mohan, a bank officer at Chennai while speaking to IANS said, "My daughter is taking the Class X board exam and my question is why the revision test papers were leaked if the marks are not to be included in the final mark list. Either those who leaked the papers are planning a trial for the board exam or they were misinformed. " The state education department, in a circular to schools, has clarified that the results of the revision test papers would not be included in the final results.

A senior official with the education department while speaking to IANS said: "There is no reason to fear as the revision tests are held only for the students to prepare themselves for the board exam. The marks of the revision tests will not be included in the board exam marks and the students and parents can concentrate on their board exams without any fear." He also said that the revision exams would help the students better time management for the board examination and hence was necessary to be conducted.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : After fomenting terrorism for years, Janus-faced Pakistan is resorting to allegations against alleged Indian sponsored terrorism.

In what is a classic case of playing victim with the pot calling the kettle black, Pakistan has urged the UN Security Council to hold accountable the "masterminds" who continue to support, finance, and sponsor cross-border terrorist attacks into its territory, Dawn reported.

Pakistan raised the issue of cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan after India used the UN forum on Monday to accuse Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir.

The Indian initiative turned the annual meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) in New York into a battle of words between South Asia's two nuclear powers. This was the committee's first briefing since January when India assumed its chair, the report said.

Earlier this week, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced that Pakistan had intercepted communications between those who conducted the attacks in Balochistan and their handlers in Afghanistan and India, Dawn reported.

Using a similar, indirect approach, a Pakistani representative Umer Siddique urged the UN body to ensure that Afghanistan's territory was not used for launching attacks into Pakistan, Dawn reported.

The Pakistani representative reminded committee members that more than once Pakistan shared with the UN Security Council irrefutable evidence of external (Indian) involvement in terrorist attacks inside its territory, Dawn reported.

"We all know who has been supporting and financing terror groups like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA)," Siddique said, the report added.
New Delhi, Feb 16: In the coming weeks, the Paris-based money-laundering watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), is set to review Pakistan's performance on countering terror financing. Once again, all eyes will be on whether Pakistan will be 'blacklisted' for promoting terrorism or will remain in the 'grey list' as the financing watchdog meets for its next session in April 2022. Pakistan is on the "grey list" for its failure to address the problem of terrorism financing since 2018.

Every time before the periodic review meeting, Pakistan puts up some facade of compliance by showing that it is cracking down on terrorist financial networks in the country but after the meeting is over, it resorts to the same old tricks.

Last year during the October meeting, Pakistan had lied to FATF that the UN-designated Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Chief Maulana Masood Azhar was "missing" and "untraceable". But in reality, he was seen in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Punjab organising training camps for raising funds for jihad in Kashmir against India. According to Pakistani media reports, Azhar also met Taliban leadership seeking support for JeM's operations in Kashmir.

In January 2022, India's most wanted terror Chief held a public event in Rawalakot, PoK. Over there he claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in Srinagar and also issued appeals for fund-raising for such operations in the future. According to intelligence sources, these meetings were organised by JeM's PoK Chief, Muhammad Illyas.

Pakistan has been claiming that it has taken action against the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its Chief Hafiz Saeed.

But the so-called crackdown has not deterred the LeT. According to intelligence sources, its front organisation, the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation, continues its activities in Punjab and PoK, including fund-raising and recruitment for jihad in India.

There are credible reports that the LeT and JeM leadership have been in contact with top Taliban functionaries through the Haqqani Network, which is in the United Nations Security Council's sanctions list. Its Chief, Sirajuddin Haqqani, and key operatives like Khalil Ahmed Haqqani are UN-designated terrorists and carrying $15 million bounty on their heads.

Recently, the QUAD Foreign Ministers' joint statement singled out the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008, the 2016 Pathankot airbase and 2019 Pulwama attacks for condemnation. While 26/11 attack was carried out by Hafiz Saeed-led LeT, Pathankot air base and Pulwama attacks were done by the JeM. Both LeT and JeM are UN-designated terror organisations and their Chiefs are declared dreaded terrorists.

"While the QUAD ministers refrained from naming Pakistan for Mumbai and Pathankot, and Pulwama attack on February 14, 2019, was the last major attack mounted by JeM's multinational terror factory run by Masood, Rauf and Ammar Alvi brothers in Bahawalpur in Pakistan," says a report in the Hindustan Times.

In retaliation of Pulwama attack, India destroyed terror camps of JeM at Jaba Top in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a surgical strike. Since then, India's security agencies have killed eight terrorists, including the Pulwama bomber, while seven have been arrested. Former Pulwama resident and now a Jaish operative based in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Ashiq Nengroo, and the infamous Alvi brothers are still at large.

The LeT and the JeM both are Punjab-based groups that have deep links with the Pakistani deep state with the sole objective of targeting India and radicalising the Indian hinterland through local proxies.

India has been critical of the report on terrorism issued by the UNSC for maintaining silence on UN-designated terror groups, LeT and JeM despite, drawing attention to them.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
New Delhi, Feb 16: One is not sure whether the Quad as yet is a 'powerful mechanism to push back coercion in the Indo-Pacific', as the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, claimed just before the meeting of the Foreign Ministers (FM) of the countries belonging to the group in Melbourne, Australia, on February 11, 2022.

But after two summits and four rounds of meeting of FMs, the grouping has undoubtedly gained a major salience in the discourses on strategic issues in the region, as well as slowly, but steadily, emerging as an institutional framework to deal with security, economic and humanitarian issues. Symbolic of Quad's traction is the joint statements issued by its leaders after their in-person summit in September 2021, as well as after the meeting of FM's meeting in Melbourne last week, where they reaffirmed the Quad's commitment to supporting Indo-Pacific countries' efforts to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific -- a region which is inclusive and resilient, and in which states strive to protect the interests of their people, free from coercion. Antony Blinken's statement at the FM's meeting regarding what the Quad means is worth quoting here. He noted, "What's so striking to me as we get together is that this is a group of countries brought together not by what we are against but what we are for. That quite simply is a free and open Indo-Pacific." Quad is no longer concerned with just the security issues arising from China's assertive behaviour and the threat it poses to peace and stability not only in South China sea but also in areas like Ladakh and Doklam where the Chinese are engaged in creeping occupation violating the basic norms of civilised state conduct, but has broadened its focus to include issues like health in the form of commitments towards supplying vaccines and other medical support to deal with the Covid pandemic, terrorism -- a common menace to peace and well-being of the mankind, climate change and humanitarian issues.

Their partnership and commitment to work together was most reflected in the joint statement from Quad leaders: "We, the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the US convened on Wednesday in person as 'the Quad' for the first time. On this historic occasion we recommit to our partnership and to a region that is a bedrock of our shared security and prosperity -- free and open Indo-Pacific, which is also inclusive and resilient.... Since our first meeting, we have made considerable progress in tackling some of the world's most pressing challenges: the Covid-19 pandemic, climate crisis, and critical and emerging technologies." The fourth Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting was more of an attempt to review the progress made since the vision was laid out at the Quad Leaders' Summit, to quote External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, who thought the success behind Quad working so well is because "our bilateral relations have been very strong. Surely, I expect the progress in our bilateral relations to be there in Quad as well," he added. The development of closer cooperation between the constituent members in the areas of defence and security, economic arenas, supply chain initiatives, connectivity through quality infrastructures and on many other humanitarian issues is the glue that binds the grouping despite their diverse and respective foreign and defence policy concerns.

That shows their unity on certain basic issues confronting the Indo-Pacific region. There was no consensus on issues like Ukraine, Russia and Myanmar on which New Delhi had reservations regarding the way the others wanted to deal with them, but they all maintained a healthy attitude of agreeing to disagree. This show of unity may also have some indirect effect on some countries of ASEAN who are showing some signs of willingness on their part to push back in some or the other against Beijing's South China Sea bellicosity.

Indonesia's readiness to call a meeting of the Coast Guards of five countries of ASEAN in the backdrop of intrusive activities of Chinese Coast Guards; Filipino decision to acquire BrahMos missiles; Thailand cutting down high-speed rail projects are all indications of a subtle change in their attitude towards China in recent months. And they are all developing closer interactions with the countries forming part of Quad. If Quad can maintain its momentum and build further convergences on some of the issues they have identified as areas of cooperation, one would not be surprised to see a Quad-plus, if not on security issues, but surely on issues like supply-chain initiatives, climate, terrorism and humanitarian matters.

The most important consensus the grouping achieved in the FM's meet is the question of terrorism. In a joint statement, the Quad FMs condemned the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism while encouraging other nations as well to work in unison to eliminate terrorist safe havens. "We denounce the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism and urge countries to work together to eliminate terrorist safe havens; disrupt terrorist networks and the infrastructure and financial channels which sustain them; and halt cross-border movement of terrorists," the Minister said in a joint statement without taking name of any particular nation. The statement is most significant from the point of New Delhi as it reflected the US, Australia and Japan's support to India's fight against terrorism when they denounced the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks. These statements can also be seen as highlighting Pakistan's role in fomenting instability in the Jammu and Kashmir region. All members also agreed that Afghanistan must be stopped from becoming a terrorism safe haven.

Coming back to Antony Blinken's contention that Quad is a powerful mechanism to push back coercion in the Indo-Pacific will be judged by Quad's performances in the coming days. As the saying goes "the taste of the pudding lies in its eating".

(Baladas Ghoshal is a former Professor and Chair in Southeast Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Secretary General, Society for Indian Ocean Studies) (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
New Delhi, Feb 16 : More than seven in 10 consumers are worried about Meta (formerly Facebook) owning the metaverse data, according to a new report.

According to the US-based Advokate Group, more than 77 per cent of those interested in joining a metaverse are worried about Facebook owning the data.

An overwhelming 87 per cent would prefer a metaverse on the decentralised blockchain.

"This sentiment was even more pronounced among Gen Z respondents, who were 10 per cent more likely to prefer a blockchain metaverse than their millennial counterparts," the findings showed.

Facebook is leading metaverse efforts, announcing $10 billion in building the next-generation augmented reality or virtual reality technology.

Metaverse is defined as a collective virtual shared space created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical and digital reality.

It is persistent, providing enhanced immersive experiences, as well as device independent and accessible through any type of device, from tablets to head-mounted displays.

According to the report, the top activity consumers are pursuing in the metaverse is gaming, followed closely by socialising with friends.

A more distant third was work-related activities and then attending concerts. More than half (55 per cent) expect to spend three or more hours a day in a metaverse.

Shockingly, 11 per cent would play seven more hours a day and 87 per cent would switch to full-time gaming if they could get paid.

"The future of the internet is an immersive metaverse with a variety of thrilling and fun play-to-earn games," said Gordon Kwok, CEO and Founder of Advokate Group.

"Gamers and consumers are yearning for a digital space where they can play exciting games, socialise with friends and create and customise non-fungible tokens (NFTs)." Many believe metaverses will take time to become mainstream. One in five (20 per cent) believe they will be mainstream 1-2 years while nearly half (49 per cent) believe it will take 3-6 years.

Play-to-earn was a major interest of those surveyed, as 93 per cent would play games more if they could make minimum wage playing, the report mentioned.
Jaipur, Feb 16 : After almost two years since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and the third wave also subsiding, Rajasthan on Wednesday completely lifted all restrictions and totally unlocked the state.

As per the latest guidelines announced on February 14, schools for children studying in Class 1 to 5 have been opened, however, parent's consent is required for the offline classes. Children will not be called to the school against the will of the parents and the option of online class will continue.

The schools from Class 6 to 12 had opened earlier.

The new guidelines have come into effect from Wednesday.

The state government has also lifted restrictions on the number of guests in weddings. Now, unlimited people can attend functions during weddings unlike earlier times when there was a restriction of 250 people.

Also, number restrictions have been removed from clubs, restaurants, hotels, gyms, cinemas, multiplexes, etc., and they will be able to operate with 100 per cent capacity.

However, for those travelling from foreign nations, institutionalised or home quarantine for seven days is a must and they have to undergo RT-PCR test thereafter. Once they test negative, their quarantine period will be ended.
Sydney, Feb 16 : New data released by the Australian state of Queensland on Wednesday showed a concerning rise in Covid cases among school-age children.

There were 1,905 cases reported in Queensland's children aged 5-17 on Wednesday, up from the previous day's 1,587.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer John Gerrard admitted there has been "a bump in cases in children" since schools reopened on February 7, but the bigger concern is the infection risks children may bring back home, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We have not seen increases in hospitalisations among children... To me, the bigger concern when children get infected is their risk to their parents and grandparents, so that's why it is so critical that anyone coming into contact with children get their booster," he said.

The total number of the state's new Covid cases on Wednesday is 6,596, a jump from 5,286 on Tuesday. More than 62 per cent of the state's eligible population have taken their booster shot of the Covid vaccine, while around 90 per cent have received two doses.

Meanwhile, the government of Victoria state announced that more elective surgeries can resume in the local hospitals as the current wave of infections with the Omicron variant of Covid continues to subside in the state.

Victoria reported 8,149 new Covid cases on Wednesday, compared to Tuesday's 8,162. The number of hospitalisations also went down from Tuesday's 441 to 397.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Lucknow, Feb 16 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh plans to make the state a hub of electric vehicles and drone units.

The Technical Education Department in Uttar Pradesh has decided to encourage technical and vocational institutes to introduce courses tailored to suit the requirements of these industries.

"Electric vehicle and drone industries are two most booming segments in the technology sector. Experts suggest that these segments are set to expand in the coming days. We want to enable students to benefit from this boom," said Alok Kumar, secretary, technical education.

The industrial training institutes (ITIs) in the state could introduce courses in drone pilot and drone technicians' courses soon, he said.

The technical education department has asked educational institutes and experts from the concerned industries to curate a course which can be introduced at the earliest.

"The move is part of our efforts to introduce job-oriented courses. The technical education department also takes suggestions from representatives of various segments in the industries to refine technical courses." he said.

Courses in machine learning and artificial intelligence have already been introduced, he added.

Professor P K Mishra, vice chancellor of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) said, "In addition to training of manpower in assembly and flying, AKTU will also be involved in research and development in the area. A state of art workshop will be organised at the Centre for Advanced Studies at the university too," he said.
Hyderabad, Feb 16 : Hyderabad police on Wednesday registered a case against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his offensive remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Acting on a complaint of Telangana Congress leaders lodged two days ago, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Sarma at Jubilee Hills police station under sections 504 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A team of police officers went to the residence of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief A. Revanth Reddy to inform him about the FIR booked against Sarma as the Congress leader was preparing to leave his residence to lead a protest demanding action on his complaint.

Revanth Reddy, however, expressed his dissatisfaction over the sections invoked in the FIR and lodged a fresh complaint with the police. He said the sections applied in the FIR have lessened the gravity of the crime committed.

He wanted the police to book a case against Sarma under IPC sections 153 (A), 294 and 509 as well.

The Congress leader also demanded that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao ensure stern action against Sarma by consulting advocate general and legal experts.

The TPCC chief made it clear that they will not keep quiet till action is taken against Sarma. "If no action is taken, we will approach the court of law," he said.

Earlier, Revanth Reddy and other key leaders of Congress party in the state were placed under house arrest on Wednesday ahead of their planned protests to demand arrest of Sarma.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, legislator Jeevan Reddy, former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir and other leaders were placed under house arrest since early hours of the day.

Police personnel were deployed outside the residence of Revanth Reddy to prevent him from leading the protests.

The TPCC chief had called upon party cadres to stage sit-in at the offices of police commissioners and district superintendents of police to demand action on the complaints lodged by the Congress leaders against Sarma across the state on Monday.

After the police officers met Revanth Reddy to inform him that a case had been booked against Assam CM, he withdrew his call for protests.

Earlier, youth Congress workers tried to stage protests at the offices of Director General of Police and Hyderabad Police Commissioner. They were detained and shifted to a police station.

Last week, Sarma had made offensive remarks against Rahul Gandhi while criticizing him for seeking the proof of surgical strikes carried out in Pakistan in 2016.

Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao had slammed his Assam counterpart for making the remarks and demanded his dismissal. Rao also demanded the Centre to provide proof of surgical strikes.
Patna, Feb 16 : The AIMIM MLAs have refused to sing 'Vande Mataram' during the upcoming budget session of Bihar Assembly.

State AIMIM chief and member of Legislative Assembly from Amaur, Akhtarul Imam said that he and four other party MLAs had refused to sing the national song on the last day of the winter session and will do the same in the Budget session getting underway on February 25.

Imam's statement came a day after Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha asked every legislator of the Assembly and Council to sing national anthem (Jana Gana Mana) and national song (Vande Mataram). He said that the national anthem and national song are the symbols of unity and integrity of the nation. Hence, every countryman should sing them publically.

"Vande Mataram gives an impression of worshipping a piece of land and other things which in Islam, is not mentioned. Hence, we refuse to sing it on any platform. The NDA government is in majority in Bihar. They can take a decision to withdraw the national song from Assembly proceedings. They should respect every caste and religion to present a beautiful picture of democracy," Imam said.

He further said that he has no hesitation or objection to sing the national anthem.
New York, Feb 16 : More than 1,400 municipal workers have been fired in New York City for failing to get vaccinated by last Friday, according to multiple reports citing government sources.

Included are 914 teachers and other staff from the education department, 25 firefighters, 36 police officers, 101 local housing authority workers, and 40 sanitation department workers.

Most of the municipal workers receiving termination notices have been placed on unpaid leave for a few months.

Earlier, it was reported that around 3,000 city employees could lose their jobs after the deadline of February 11, which meant many of those government workers presented proof of vaccination in the end.

Of the about 2,400 city employees affected by the February 11 deadline who had not been working or getting paid since last November, 40 per cent got vaccinated since January 31, Kate Smart, a staff member with the New York City Hall, said on Monday.

Last Friday, the US Supreme Court rejected an appeal from a group of New York City school teachers, which sought to block the Covid vaccine mandate in New York City.

Moreover, the fate of around 10,000 New York City employees is pending as their exemption requests on medical and religious grounds are in processing.

New York City has around 3,70,000 municipal workers with the vast majority of them having been vaccinated.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Nearly Rs 10 out of every Rs 100 saved by the Indian household each year goes to LIC, making it larger than even the perceived staple of household savings -- a deposit with SBI, foreign brokerage UBS said in a report.

LIC garners the lion's share of household savings flow -- at about 10 per cent each year; the number has come off over the years. LIC maintains lead over SBI's deposits -- the next largest destination for household savings in India, UBS said.

Media reports suggest the government is looking to tap into LIC's large customer base (280m policies, about one per family in India) to generate buying interest in the IPO.

UBS said the issue's sheer scale means the market's appetite will be tested. 2021 saw record total capital-raising of US$34bn (of which IPOs accounted for US$16bn) -- the government's target for LIC is 25 per cent of last year's capital-raising total. In 2021, retail investors accounted for 32 per cent of IPO subscription, and domestic institutional investors 21 per cent (a common source of both would be household savings).

Media reports suggest around half the issue will be reserved for non-institutional investors and retail. Successful completion of this IPO could have some impact on the market in general, and on the future IPO pipeline, in our view. As per SEBI listing guidelines, the government will have to mandatorily dilute its LIC stake to allow public shareholding of 10 per cent within 2 years and 25 per cent within 5 years, ensuring constant supply, UBS said.

With US$520bn total AUM, LIC is the largest institutional investor in Indian markets. Equity AUM of US$130bn gives LIC a 29 per cent share of domestic institutional equity AUM -- a shade more than half of all equity mutual funds in India. With this, LIC has about a 4 per cent stake in the Indian equities, making it the single-largest stakeholder after the government (promoter stake) -- albeit this number peaked in 2017 and has been falling gradually.

LIC has filed a draft prospectus for an IPO. Based on media reports, the government could raise Rs650bn (US$8.6bn) by selling a 5 per cent stake (all via an offer for sale), at a listing valuation of US$172bn.

At this scale, LIC would be the third-largest stock in India by market cap, and the 32nd-largest by free float, ensuring an entry into mainstream indices, e.g., Nifty-50.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
New Delhi, Feb 16 : With special focus on women-led realty space and to encourage their large participation, the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) will host its first ever realty convention on February 25 in the national capital.

The council's women wing called 'NAREDCO MAHI' was established to empower women entrepreneurs and to further encourage participation of women in the real estate sector and allied fields.

The convention is titled 'Realty Women -- The Transforming Catalyst to Real Estate'.

"We have moved into the era of inclusive workplace culture where both men and women have the environment to succeed. Even the real estate sector which has so far been male dominated, is now embracing and valuing diversity and high ethical standards, thus, providing opportunities for women to take on broader roles," said Tara Subramaniam, President, NAREDCO-MAHI.

The realty sector is now headed to attract more female talent and eventually have a larger talent base to pick from, said Subramaniam, adding that this is the core idea behind the council's initiative on introducing the women wing.

"Women by nature are multi-taskers as they are good at balancing work and family, which is a critical aspect in real estate, owing to the nature of the business." "Women in various segments of the sector are able to weave in a unique mix of combination that is compassion, assertiveness, focus and determination," said Rajan Bandelkar, NAREDCO President.

With the realty sector becoming more organised and marching towards maturity, the industry needs to see more women taking on leadership roles in all segments of real estate development as well as for consultancy, Bandelkar added.

NAREDCO is an autonomous self-regulatory body under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Shares of Vedant Fashions, which runs clothing brand Manyavar, made a healthy debut on the exchanges on Wednesday. The company's shares opened at Rs 935 per share on the NSE, an eight per cent premium over its issue price of Rs 866.

The company deals in men's ethnic and celebration wear items such as Indo-western, sherwanis, kurtas, among others. It has more than 600 stores in over 200 cities and in 3 countries with 11 international stores in the UAE and the US.

The initial public offering of the company which was open for bidding in early February was subscribed 2.6 times the shares that were on offer, according to reports.

"Vedant Fashion is debuting the secondary market on a positive note despite poor subscription figures. The company has strong brand value with good fundamentals however valuation is a major concern, therefore, investors should approach it from the long-term perspective where any dip of 15-20 per cent from current levels will be a good buying opportunity," said Santosh Meena, Head of Research, Swastika Investmart.

Those investors who applied to make count the listing gains should maintain a stop loss of Rs 890, Meena said. At 1.55 p.m., the shares traded at Rs 988.40, up 14.13 per cent on the NSE.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : President of India Ram Nath Kovind accepted credentials from High Commissioner of United Republic of Tanzania and Ambassadors of Republic of Djibouti, Republic of Serbia, and Republic of North Macedonia at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday.

Those who presented their credentials were Anisa K. Mbega, the High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania; Isse Abdillahi Assoweh, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti; Sinisa Pavic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, and Slobodan Uzunov, the Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia, a communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

Following the presentation of credentials, the President interacted with the four envoys separately. He congratulated them on their appointments and highlighted the warm and friendly relations that India shared with the countries and the multifaceted relationship that India enjoyed with each of them.

The President also wished them success in strengthening bilateral ties and for their well-being and progress and prosperity of the friendly people, the communique said.

Through the High Commissioner and the Ambassadors, the President also conveyed his personal regards to their leaderships. Envoys present at the event reiterated their commitment to work closely to strengthen their ties with India.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Ahead of Presidential election, chief ministers of various states are teaming up to counter the BJP. The latest initiative has been taken by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) who will be meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackarey on Sunday.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister is dead against BJP and KCR, who backed the BJP on various issues in Parliament, is off late a fringe sitter. However, the issue of procurement of parboiled rice soured relations between the two and the Prime Minister's speech on Telangana formation has bittered it further wherein he referred to the procedure on the granting of the statehood.

According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the Maharashtra Chief Minister extended his full support to the efforts of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief to fight "anti-people" policies of the BJP government at the Centre and for federal justice.

The Shiv Sena leader was all praise for KCR's fight and told him that to protect the country from "divisive" forces, he has raised his voice at the right time. "You continue the fight for the rights of the states and to protect the unity of the country. March ahead with the same spirit. You will have our full support. In this regard, we will extend all possible help to you to mobilise public support," the CMO quoted Thackeray as saying.

Not only the Mumbai meet is important but KCR is also meeting M.K. Stalin, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Pinaryi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala. Even Mamata Banerjee is likely to travel to Hyderabad to meet KCR. He even received a call from former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda who offered full support to him, but the Chief Ministers teaming up is not good sign for the Congress which may get isolated while the BJP has to search for a consensus candidate for the Presidential elections.

While KCR's new initiative is to save the fort as BJP is expanding its base in the Telangana and he was forced to take on the BJP due to domestic political compulsion as the party has been bailing out the BJP on key legislations in the upper house since 2014.

The southern states and Maharashtra account for more than 200 Lok Sabha seats which could be crucial in the next Lok Sabha polls and also the states account for large electoral college as Parliament and states account half of it and if regional parties team up, its unlikely that BJP will have a way in the choice of President elections. The outcome of five states which include UP will also impact the elections.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : There has been an increase in heavy rainfall events in recent decades over Kerala and the worrisome part is that these incidences are occurring not just during the southwest monsoon but also the northwest monsoon months, making it nearly 10 months in a year, India Meteorological Department (IMD) data said.

The IMD has said 2018 recorded the highest number of heavy rainfall incidences during the last five years. The devastating 2018 floods had put Kerala on the edge with similar extremely heavy rainfall incidences in 2019 and later, too, making the citizens jittery.

The total incidences of heavy rain (64.5-115.5 mm per day) in 2015 were 360 across 10 months with a maximum in June (116) followed by July (61). In 2016, the total incidences were 225 with a maximum 108 in June followed by 44 in July. The year 2017 again saw heavy rain incidences climbing to 360 with maximum 114 in June followed by 98 in September and August, too, witnessing 48 instances.

In 2018, the number of heavy rainfall events increased to 607 with July recording the maximum (198), followed by June (147) and August (144). In 2019, the total number of heavy rainfall events was 528 with 184 of them recorded in August alone, followed by 123 in July and 101 in October.

Year 2020 saw 484 incidences of heavy rainfall, in which August recorded the maximum (132), followed by September (124) while in 2021, there were a total 574 such events with maximum recorded in May (130) followed by October (112 days) and July 107 days.

In case of very heavy rainfall (115.6 to 204.4 mm per day), not just the total number of days per year has been increasing but the incidences are spread over all monsoon months too. The year 2015 registered a total 43 days, of which 19 were in June; year 2016 registered 23, of which 16 alone were in June again; year 2017 registered 38 such days with September witnessing 14 days of very heavy rainfall.

The year 2018 registered 163 such days with three months showing a double digit number of days with very heavy rainfall: August (74), June (35) and June (34). Next year, in 2019, it was 117 days spread over August (71) and July (22). In the year 2020, the total days were 110 with 40 of them in August, followed by 26 in September and 20 in July. The year 2021 recorded 115 days of very heavy rainfall, of which 51 alone were recorded in May that year.

In case of extremely heavy rainfall (more than 204.4 mm per day), while the years 2015 and 2016 witnessed only one day each; the year 2017 saw two days, one each in September and December. The year 2018 witnessed 32 such days with 25 alone in August followed by 2019, which witnessed 33 such days and 29 alone in August. The number of days when there was extremely heavy rain in 2020 were eight and in 2021, it was 11.

The information was provided by IMD in a written reply to Congress Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, who asked if the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) had conducted any study on the water holding capacity of soil in different regions of Kerala.

The Minister of State for Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh said his Ministry has not conducted any study on the water holding capacity of soils of Kerala.

"However, the Kerala government had published various information on Kerala soils," he said and provided the link to that online portal.

The Union Minister, however, said the MoES did not recommend procedures for improving the water holding capacity of soil in Kerala as the state landslides mainly fall under the type "debris flow", which occurs due to intense rainfall causing loose soil, boulders and rock pieces to slide along steep slopes.

"Therefore, the safe and quick passage of surface water through drainage channels without any blockage is preferred rather than increasing the water holding capacity of soil strata of the slopes. The enhanced water retention in slopes increases the weight of overburden, which promotes occurrence of landslides," Singh said in a written reply.

The Union Minister also carried two maps for rainfall events over various districts of Kerala for the decade 2001 to 2010 and 2011 to 2020 respectively, which made it clear that there is an increase in heavy rainfall events in recent decades over Kerala.
Los Angeles, Feb 16 : Actress Sarah Jessica Parker addressed Kim Cattrall's absence in the 'Sex And The City' reboot titled 'And Just Like That'.

Without even mentioning Cattrall's name amid their feud, Parker discussed the matter during her appearance on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen', reports aceshowbiz.com.

In a recent episode, Cohen asked the actress about it.

"I loved how the show handled Samantha's absence, and every time a text came though I felt like the heart of Samantha came through -- she had a lot of heart. How did you feel in the end about how you all handled that? You kept her alive," he said.

To that, the actress responded: "Yeah, well, I think... I can take no credit to how we handled it, except that I got to convey the messages since they're not spoken." She added, "But it is Michael Patrick King who is our showrunner and our head writer, and his extraordinary group of amazingly talented writers." The actress continued, "It was an idea because Samantha is not gone. The actress that played the role is no longer playing that role, but... people aren't absent from you life when you don't want them to be, you know?" Jessica Parker said that Michael handled Samantha's absence "with grace and dignity and respect, and love and affection for that character." She added, "I thought it mimicked many friendships that, you know, challenge each other, and struggle, and want to remain connected in a way, because it's too painful." On 'And Just Like That...', it was revealed that Samantha moved to London and cut ties with the group. She made the decision because she was upset that she had been dropped as publicist for Carrie Bradshaw's book.

Later in the final episode of season 1 of the 'Sex and the City' reboot, Carrie and Samantha appear to bury the hatchet. Through text, they agreed to meet up for a drink.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested journalist Mohsin Baig on the complaint of the government against a discussion during a television channel's show involving Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan, Ary News reported.

Mohsin Baig is blamed for initiating a debate on a television show with obscene references towards Prime Minister Imran Khan and a federal minister, the report said.

The government after the programme launched a complaint with the FIA that acted promptly and arrested Baig for his primary role in the entire debate.

According to details, a policeman has also been injured during the FIA raid to arrest Baig after the latter resisted the bid and hit one of the cops with his gun.

The raid continued for an hour owing to resistance and the accused could be seen carrying the arm at the time of his arrest. He has been shifted to a police station while the police have also sent a team to arrest his son.

On February 16, the PTI minister Murad Saeed filed a complaint against Baig. It stated that on February 10, Mohsin Baig "assassinated his character by using abusive and immoral language in a talk show namely G for Gharida", Samaa TV reported.

The alleged in presence of other participants relate a baseless story with derogatory remarks and the same was thereafter shared through social media including YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, it read.

The FIR added that the accused tried to distort Saeed's image for ulterior motives and it also led to cultivate and induce a natural person to engage in a "sexually explicit act".
New Delhi, Feb 16 : A senior Doctor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has been accused of misusing his official position to get his wife appointed as Junior Medical Officer, reveals a Delhi based advocate application to the Central Vigilance Commission.

"Dr Ranjan Gupta, Assistant Professor at AIIMS, New Delhi, was the principal investigator of the project entitled 'Multi institutional Network Program on Systematic Lupus Eurythmics' which was funded by the Dept of Biotechnology, Govt of India. He appointed his wife in this project in contravention to the CCS conduct rule for fraudulently obtaining undue financial benefit from government exchequer", reads the application from advocate Rupali Kumari, copy available with IANS.

The advertisement issued by Dr Ranjan Gupta was a sham and he ensured that nobody except his wife would attend the interview for the post of Junior medical officer, says the application which was sent to the CVC on July 16, 2021.

"The selection committee comprised of Dr Ranjan Gupta, Dr Saumya Ranjan, Dr Sirish Ippagunta and Dr Shami Mohammad. It is also clear that Dr Ranjan Gupta in his capacity as Principal Investigator of the project had constituted this selection committee. It is impossible that the other members of the committee were not aware that Dr Ambika Gupta was the wife of Dr Ranjan Gupta which is apparent from her credentials. Surprisingly only Dr Ambika Gupta attended the interview for the post of junior medical officer. There is a reason to believe that no intimation was sent to other two candidates and there is a strong possibility that other two candidates were fictitious and their names were used to camouflage the corrupt practice of Dr Ranjan Gupta to ensure appointment of his wife", the complaint reads further.

In this connection, one Dr Rajesh Gupta had also written to the AIIMS director dated Nov 21, 2019. "I am an MBBS Doctor. I had applied for Junior Research Officer in AIIMS Delhi. But, I was not called for the interview. When I tried to get the information regarding this, I came to know that Dr Ranjan Gupta appointed his wife on this position", reads the letter of Dr Rajesh Gupta the copy of which is with IANS.

However, in response to a RTI by Swapnil Tripathi in connection with complaint against Dr Ranjan Gupta for making arbitrary appointment of his wife Ambika Gupta, AIIMS said that the appointment was for the Junior Medical officer, not for 'Junior Research Officer' and it was not illegal and was made with due process. The Project Investigator - Dr Ranjan Gupta - had advertised the contractual post in his research project as per the sanction of the funding agency. However, no application was ever received from Dr Rajesh Gupta for the said post as intimated by Dr Ranjan Gupta, PI, and no documents of Dr Rajesh Gupta has been received in Research Section from PI, says the RTI response.

Dr Ranjan Gupta, Project Investigator, himself advertised the post, screened application and conducted an interview, the RTI response says. The interviewing panel selected a suitable candidate as per the requirement of the project. The research section had finally considered the application which was recommended and forwarded by the PI, it says.

The RTI communication, which IANS has the copy, says further, "There were only three applications received including Dr Ambika Gupta who presented herself and the rest of the two were absent. The interview for the post of Junior Medical Officer was carried out by the interviewing panel with only one candidate being present and Dr Ranjan Gupta was not a part of the interviewing panel and therefore, couldn't have used any influence to make the appointment".

Dr Ambika Gupta worked for about one and half month and resigned from the post thereafter, it adds further.

However, the Minutes of the Interview available with IANS says, "For the post of Junior Medical Officer, only one candidate Dr Ambika Gupta appeared and the rest two were absent. The interview was conducted by Dr Soumyaranjan, Dr Shamim Ahmed and Dr Sirish Ippagunta in the presence of the representative from Research section." However, AIIMS has not responded to the clarifications sought by IANS.

(Avinash Prabhakar can be reached at Avinash.p@ians.in)
Relatives of Palestinian Nihad al-Barghouthi mourn in a hospital morgue in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Feb. 15, 2022. Israeli soldiers on Tuesday killed a Palestinian young man during clashes with Palestinian protestors in a village northwest Image Source: IANS News

Relatives of Palestinian Nihad al-Barghouthi mourn in a hospital morgue in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Feb. 15, 2022. Israeli soldiers on Tuesday killed a Palestinian young man during clashes with Palestinian protestors in a village northwest Image Source: IANS News

Ramallah, Feb 16 : Israeli soldiers on Tuesday killed a Palestinian man during clashes with protestors in a village northwest of the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement.

According to a statement given to the media by the Ministry, Nihad al-Barghouthi, 20, was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in Nabi Saleh village, Xinhua news agency reported.

The young man was shot in the abdomen and was in critical condition, and succumbed to his injuries shortly after being taken to the hospital, as per the statement.

Fierce clashes broke out between dozens of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers on Tuesday. The demonstrators pelted stones at the soldiers, who responded by opening fire to disperse the protestors, Palestinian eyewitnesses said.

According to them, al-Barghouthi had been recently released from an Israeli prison after being held for several months.
Seoul, Feb 16 : Samsung's factory in Suzhou, China, has been temporarily shut down after Covid-19 infection was reported, sources said on Wednesday.

Local employees tested positive for the virus the previous day, leading to the partial shutdown of the factory that manufactures household appliances like refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners.

The patient is said to have been infected with the virus by a family member who also works at the high-tech Suzhou Industrial Park in Jiangsu province.

China has maintained a "zero tolerance" policy toward the Covid-19 pandemic and used stringent lockdowns and testing to root out infections, reports Yonhap news agency.

The Chinese health authorities have been conducting mass testing for about 4,000 Samsung workers, who have been banned from leaving the factory premises since Tuesday, according to the sources.

Some of the workers are in self-isolation while the others are said to be working in shifts. The impact of the shutdown was not immediately known.

Samsung's semiconductor facility, also located inside the park, is not affected by the shutdown.
Chennai, Feb 16 : The job racket wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested four people in Tamil Nadu for cheating gullible youths by promising them jobs in airports and other central government undertakings.

The arrested are K. Kiran (41) of Pozhichallur, his wife Sherly Sangeetha (35), S. Palinivelu (35) of Kovilambakam, and G. Sangeetha of Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh.

The CCB commenced investigation after a person Harinathan Anandan filed a complaint with the Arani police in Tiruvannamalai district that he had paid an amount of Rs 3.38 lakhs to for getting a job to his sister Parimala in the clerical section of Chennai international airport. The complainant said that a fake appointment letter was issued to his sister and that the gang had cheated several people to the tune of Rs 50 lakhs.

The team found that the gang had cheated 16 job aspirants of Rs 70 lakhs after promising jobs in airports and other central establishments and would conduct fake interviews and issue fake appointment orders.

Chennai City police commissioner Shanker Jiwal warned the public not to pay money to anyone for a government or a private job and said that no jobs are given by paying money. He also cautioned youths and their parents not to transfer money to unknown persons on promises of jobs in Public sector undertakings and Central government bodies through bank transfer or any other electronic transfers.

In another case, a manpower agent was arrested in Chennai for cheating an engineer of Rs 1.80 lakhs. The arrested is B. Srinivasan of Lalgudi in Tiruchi district. The complainant Rakesh Dharma (28), an engineer of Mylapore, Chennai in his complaint told the police that he was cheated of Rs 1.80 lakhs by two manpower agents, including Srinivasan promising him the job of an engineer in Malaysia.

However, on reaching Malaysia, Rakesh Dharma was given a menial job and not that of an engineer as promised. He also found that he was on a tourist visa for 30 days to Malaysia and on expiry of the tourist visa he was arrested and jailed.

The family of Rakesh Dharma went from pillar to post to make the Indian embassy intervene in the matter and after that, he was brought to India.

The Chennai City police commissioner Shankar Jiwal warned job aspirants to cross-check with the Protection of Emigrants website on the authenticity of the Visa.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : This is possibly the first book to look at China's growing role in India's neighbourhood via its engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and what it means for India.

The withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan has left a lasting impact on both Afghanistan's future and on Asian geopolitics. It has also brought China into focus. Tracing the emergence of China as a key player in Afghanistan and the evolution of China's Afghan policy especially with respect to its relations with the Taliban the book says that Beijing's dominant role in Afghanistan's future is a potentially game-changing development in Asian geopolitics, even if questions remain about the former's appetite to step in to fill the void and the limits of its ambitions.

In "The Comrades And The Mullahs" (HarperCollins), Ananth Krishnan and Stanly Johny examine what Beijing's interests are and the drivers of its foreign policy, and, more specifically, how its new Silk Road project - the Belt and Road Initiative - is shaping China-Afghan relations.

They look at how Afghanistan has emerged as a key point on the corridor heading west from Xinjiang, and discuss the Xinjiang factor, drawing on their travels to China's western frontiers, as well as the internal dynamics that are pushing Beijing's westward march.

Another factor is the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and the terror groups that are leading to an increasingly securitized approach to China's western regions and beyond, including possible Chinese plans to deploy special forces along the China-Afghan border areas in the Wakhan corridor and Badakhshan region.

China's Afghan engagement has also deepened its 'all- weather' alliance with Pakistan - with Beijing increasingly leaning on Islamabad, particularly in its outreach to the Taliban and other elements in Afghanistan that have long been supported by the Pakistani state - and is a perennial source of tension between Islamabad and Kabul. The authors show how this increasing closeness is alarming for India, and might have far-reaching consequences, especially in Kashmir.

"China, both as an immediate neighbour of Afghanistan and as a superpower-in-waiting, stands uniquely placed to shape Afghanistan's future," says co-author Ananth Krishnan, adding: "Yet curiously, the China-Afghanistan relationship remains little understood." "This book, the first to focus on this crucial relationship, helps separate the hype from fact and lifts the veil on how Beijing sees its western neighbour. The US exit brought celebration in Beijing, seen as an example of Western decline. Yet it also brought deep concern on what Taliban rule may mean for the region's security and stability. China does not want to repeat the mistakes of the West. More than ever, Beijing is willing to insert itself as a power player abroad. This book tries to capture this fascinating and evolving dichotomy," Krishnan says.

Co-author Stanly Johny notes that the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, after 20 years of war, was one of the defining moments of Asian geopolitics in the 21st century and that the pullback and the Taliban's return to power in Kabul took place at a time when the global contest between the United States and China was already heating up.

"For Beijing, the withdrawal of the United States from one of its backyard countries is welcome news. But when it's preparing to chart a new path of engagement with Afghanistan's new rulers, the biggest challenge before the comrades in Beijing is Afghanistan's history itself. This book tells the story of both Afghanistan's complex history and the challenges it offers to China at a time when Asian geopolitics is undergoing a paradigm shift," Johny adds.

Ananth Krishnan is the China correspondent for The Hindu and is currently based in Hong Kong. In 2019, he was a visiting fellow at Brookings India. He was previously the Beijing-based associate editor at the India Today Group. He has reported from China for close to a decade and his reporting has taken him to all but three of China's thirty-three provinces and regions. He is the author of "India's China Challenge" (2020).

Stanly Johny is the international affairs editor with The Hindu. A PhD in international studies from the Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, he has been writing on international affairs and Indian foreign policy in The Hindu Group publications for nearly a decade. An IVLP (International Visitor Leadership Programme) fellow of the US State Department and an India-Australia Youth Dialogue alumnus, he is the author of "The ISIS Caliphate: From Syria to the Doorsteps of India" (2018).
New Delhi, Feb 16 : A court here has granted bail to Pinky Irani, who is allegedly an aide of multimillionaire conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, in connection with Rs 200 crore money laundering case.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of Patiala House said the court does not find that there is any possibility of the accused tampering with the evidence. "The accused, a woman of advanced age, therefore, once the investigation has been completed and the evidence, which is mostly documentary in nature, has been collected, I do not find that there is any possibility of accused applicant tampering with the evidence," the bench noted.

"considering the overall facts and circumstances, I find that no fruitful purpose will be served by keeping the accused in further custody," the court said in the order dated February 15. Accordingly, she was given bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with surety of the like amount.

Advocate R.K. Handoo who appeared for the applicant argued that the whole case is based on statements that will be testified during the course of the trial.

Last month, the Delhi High Court had issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the bail application of Pinky Irani. A resident of Mumbai, Irani was arrested in December last year by the ED and also confronted with Sukesh Chandrasekhar inside the Tihar Jail. She is the ninth person held in the case.

Those who were earlier arrested are Pradeep Ramdanee, B. Mohan Raj, Deepak Ramnani, Arun Muthu, Kamlesh Kothari, Avatar Singh Kochhar, Sukesh Chandrashekhar, and his wife Leena Maria Paul.

In the last hearing, Advocate Yoginder Handoo, appearing for Pinky Irani argued that since November 25, his client is under the 24x7 watch of the Enforcement officials, in Claridges Hotel and Park Hotel and was officially arrested on December 9, 2021.

The allegations of violation of provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against the applicant are misconceived on facts and untenable in law, which the trial court has failed to appreciate and does not make out any case on facts and law against the applicant under the provisions of PMLA, he submitted.
Bengaluru, Feb 16 : Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has warned protesting students to strictly follow the recent High Court judgement failing which immediate action will be taken against them.

As students from a particular community started protesting in many parts of Karnataka demanding their right to wear a hijab in spite of the interim order by the HC, Jnanendra said, "We adopted a soft approach all these days, it won't be there anymore." "Till now, there was consideration not to hurt students as they are sensitive and it was thought that they are protesting with provocation from outsiders. Abiding by the court order and respecting constitution is the responsibility of citizens of this country. If this is violated, harsh action will be initiated immediately without any consideration," he warned.

Even as Muslim girl students came out on the streets demanding their right to wear a hijab, the Home Minister said that no major untoward incidents were reported in the state.

Barring incidents in two to three areas of the state, District Commissioners, local and college administrations have convinced the protesting students to attend their classes and overall there is a peaceful environment, the Minister added.

Muslim students of Empress college took out a protest march after being denied entry to classrooms for wearing a hijab and also raised slogans of 'Allah hu Akbar'.

The protesting students gathered before the District Commissioner's office demanding their right to wear a hijab. Chitradurga District Commissioner, Vinoth Priya, called the students and spoke to them.

Several Muslim girl students of Malnad college in Chikkamagalur entered the college with a hijab and raised slogans demanding that they should be allowed to attend classes. As they entered the college premises, boys from the same community extended support.

In Hubballi, the Government Girl's College for Arts and Commerce Principal joined hands with the local and college administrations in trying to pacify the parents and students. However, the Muslim girl students argued that they must be allowed to wear a hijab inside college.

Later, the college authorities declared a holiday.

Muslim students came out on the streets raising the slogans of 'We want hijab' and 'hijab is our right'.

Tension prevailed at Anjuman Anglo College in Gadag as Muslim students refused to return home and staged a protest and raised slogans inside the college premises.

Students in Vijayapura district also protested near the Deputy Commissioner's office demanding that hijab be allowed.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday appealed to the students to follow the court order and urged the local and college administrations to cooperate for allowing students to receive education.

"With concern I request everyone. We have to wait for the final court order with restraint. Sort out the confusions. Cordial environment must be created by resolving issues with the school, college management and parents," he said.
London, Feb 16 : If you drink two glasses of wine in a day, it can push you over recommended daily sugar limit, a team of experts have warned.

The Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA), which represents more than 60 health organisations, looked at the calorie and sugar content of 30 bottles of red, white, rose, fruit, and sparkling wine sold in the UK, reports Sky News.

It concluded that not only was there a wide variation of sugar and calories across different wines but that consumers were "being kept in the dark" about what they were drinking as crucial information was missing from most labels.

Consumer information, it said, was "woefully inadequate," the report said.

Government guidelines recommend adults should consume no more than 30g of so-called free sugars per day. The AHA study showed it was possible to reach almost this entire amount by drinking two medium glasses of wine.

But not only was sugar content high -- the study also showed that just two medium-sized glasses of the most calorific wines analysed contained more calories than a McDonald's burger.

The AHA analysis suggested many of the most sugar-packed wines were the ones which had the lowest strength of alcohol while wines with high calorie content tended to be higher strength drinks.

It said that with no legal requirement to display sugar content on alcohol labels, drinkers may opt for a lower-strength alcohol thinking that this was a healthier option -- but could unwittingly be upping their daily sugar intake, the report said.

None of the 30 products examined in the study displayed sugar content on their labels -- information which is required for all non-alcoholic drinks.

Calorie content was only displayed on 20 per cent of the labels examined.
Jerusalem, Feb 16 : Israel has sent envoys to Vienna during the nuclear talks to meet with official negotiators of several world powers.

Head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's strategic department Joshua Zarka talked with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported citing Israel's state-owned Kan news TV.

Mikhail Ulyanov, head of Russia's delegation to the nuclear negotiations, tweeted that he met with "Israeli colleagues" in Vienna on Tuesday, and "discussed IAEA-related issues." The Israeli officials also met US negotiator Rob Malley and the negotiators of the remaining parties to the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as per the reports in Israeli media.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not immediately commented on the meetings.

The nuclear talks in Vienna, which started last April to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, don't include Israeli representatives.

It was the first time Israel has sent diplomats to Vienna since the talks began.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is on a visit to Bahrain, said on Tuesday that a return to the 2015 deal would be "a strategic mistake." Iran stresses that its nuclear program is peaceful.
Beijing/Seoul, Feb 16 : The North Korean Embassy in Beijing held an event on Wednesday commemorating the 80th birth anniversary of the country's late former leader Kim Jong-il that was attended by Chinese officials, informed sources said.

Four to five Chinese officials, including senior officers, participated in the embassy-hosted event that took place for the first time since 2019 to celebrate the anniversary, called Kwangmyongsong, or Shining Star Day, according to the sources in Beijing.

The embassy did not hold such an event last year or in 2020 amid the Covid pandemic, Yonhap news agency reported.

"The number of attendees from the Chinese side was similar to that of the memorial event for Kim Jong-il's 10th death anniversary on December 16 last year," a source said.

In 2019, a number of Chinese officials attended the event, including Wang Chen, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Another source said that China might have considered how the US and like-minded countries have been strongly criticising Pyongyang for its recent series of missile tests.

Meanwhile, North Korea has touted efforts by its late leader to develop ties with China as it commemorated his diplomatic feats on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

In a post on its foreign ministry's website, the North highlighted the "devotion" of Kim, father of current leader Kim Jong-un, to support the "revolutionary cause of the Chinese people" and strengthen relations in commemoration of his birthday, which falls on Wednesday this year.

It said he visited China nine times during his lifetime and that he "led the DPRK-PRC friendship into the further development and consolidation through centuries," using the acronyms for the official names of the North and China -- the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the People's Republic of China.

It highlighted Kim's efforts to maintain solidarity with China, such as sending high-level delegations to the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of China's National Day in 1989 and to the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.

On Wednesday, the North's Foreign Languages Publishing House distributed a photo album highlighting Kim Jong-il's efforts to bolster relations between Pyongyang and Beijing, including his 1983 visit to China after he was tapped as successor to his father and then leader Kim Il-sung.
Seoul, Feb 16 : The UN special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea met with South Korean officials on Wednesday to discuss the reclusive state's humanitarian situation, officials in Seoul said.

Tomas Ojea Quintana arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for a nine-day visit, during which he plans to meet South Korean government officials, politicians, as well as civic groups and North Korean defectors to prepare an annual report to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council next month.

He paid a courtesy call to Vice Unification Minister Choi Young-jun and discussed pending humanitarian issues, including the reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, Yonhap news agency reported citing the Ministry of Unification.

"The vice unification minister said efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula should make progress based on cooperation with the international community to actually promote North Koreans' human rights," the ministry said in a press release.

Quintana also had a meeting with Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon to exchange opinions on diplomatic efforts to promote human rights in North Korea, the foreign ministry said.

On Thursday, the UN expert is scheduled to meet the brother of a South Korean fisheries official who was killed by North Korean troops near the inter-Korean sea border in 2020 and the son of the North's 1969 plane hijacking victim.

It is Quintana's seventh trip to South Korea since taking office in August 2016 and the last before his term ends in August.

The rapporteur will hold a press briefing on his findings and recommendations on the last day of his stay here.
Los Angeles, Feb 16 : Rapper Kanye West has issued an apology to his former wife Kim Kardashian and has said that he has "taken accountability" for "harassing" her.

It comes after the 44-year-old rapper shared a motley of Instagram posts over the weekend and yesterday, slamming her boyfriend Pete Davidson and posting screenshots of private messages between himself and the couple, reports mirror.co.uk.

While attending the Super Bowl with his children, Kanye found himself at the centre of scrutiny after he was booed by thousands of fans after his social media rant.

Kanye has now deleted all of his posts, including those declaring that he will bring his family back together again, and shared another contemplating on his actions over the last few days.

He wrote: "I've learned that using all caps makes people feel like I'm screaming at them. I'm working on my communication. I can benefit from a team of creative professionals, organizers, mobilizers and community leaders.

Thank everybody for supporting me. I know sharing screen shots was jarring and came off as harassing Kim. I take accountability. I'm still learning in real time.

"I don't have all the answers. To be good leader is to be a good listener." The rapper was recently forced to tell his fans not to "hurt" Davidson after sharing a private message between himself and Kim, in which she expresses her concern that the SNL comedian will be targeted.

He shared a pic of a man in a headlock and a text seemingly from Kim which read: "U are creating a dangerous and scary environment and someone will hurt Pete and this will all be your fault." Kanye followed up the post by sharing several more snaps from his alleged conversation with Kim on her "other phone".

The first saw Kim tell the father of her four kids "thank you" for his post regarding violence. The message then read: "There are dangerous people out there and this is scary and it doesn't have to be." Kanye's response read: "I will always do everything to protect you and our family forever. And I listened to you and told everyone to make sure nothing physical happens to Skete." His next upload saw the number ask why he can't keep their conversations private, to which he responded: "Cause I got a text from my favorite person in the world.

"I'm your number one fan. Why wouldn't I tell everyone!!!!" On Valentine's Day, Kanye also sent bunches of red roses in a truck with the words "My vision is Krystal Klear" emblazoned on it.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : The Income Tax department on Wednesday carried out raids at multiple premises linked to Chinese tech conglomerate Huawei across the country in connection with alleged tax evasion.

A source told IANS that the raids were being conducted in the National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru and some other parts of the country.

The officials of the IT team scanned a number of account books belonging to the company, according to the source, adding that the financial records of the last three years and company records were also checked.

The tax department officials prepared a list of associates, clients and partners of the company which includes its foreign and country based partners.

The source said that during the raid, they have recovered a few incriminating documents.

The company told IANS in a statement that it is confident that its operations in India are firmly compliant to all laws and regulations.

"We will approach related government departments for more information and fully cooperate as per the rules and regulations and follow the right procedure," the company spokesperson said.

Last month, multiple tax raids were carried out at the premises of Chinese smartphone makers in the country.

The Finance Ministry issued a statement, saying that Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi's local company in India had engaged in "tax evasion" and demanded that it pay a total of Rs 6.53 billion ($88 million) in taxes owed between April 2017 and June 2020.

Xiaomi denied the claim, saying that the company adheres to legal and compliant operations around the world and abides with the relevant laws and regulations of each jurisdiction in which it operates.

Chinese mobile phone brands are highly popular in the Indian market, and their market share far exceeds that of local Indian brands.

China also expressed concern over the business environment in India as Indian authorities conducted 'irregular' tax audits of smartphone firms, Global Times reported.

It urged India to provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises.

"China has contributed to Indian economic development, and created a large number of local jobs, and we hope India can provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese businesses," said Gao Feng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce in China.
Chennai, Feb 16 : AIADMK leader O. Pannerselvam (OPS) on Wednesday urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to oppose the 'Away from Reactor' (AFR) project coming up at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tirunelveli district of the state. In a statement, the former Chief Minister asked Stalin to take immediate steps to stop the project.

OPS said: "If this facility is set up, nuclear waste from other states might be stored here at Kudankulam and this is quite dangerous. The Tamil Nadu government has the duty and responsibility to oppose the project at its initial stages." He said that while the nuclear power plant is located in Tamil Nadu, other states like Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry are benefited from the power and it would be appropriate to set up the AFR outside Tamil Nadu.

He said that other than these South Indian states, 15 per cent of the 2000 MWe generated from the nuclear power plant at Kudankulam was being shared in the Central Grid.

The AIADMK leader said: "Environmentalists contend that the safety in AFR would not be like the safety when spent fuel is stored below the plants. They have contended that the radiation may be reflected in air and water and that it is dangerous." Panneerselvam said that floating of tenders for the AFR at the third and fourth units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited was an act that would severely affect the local people of Tamil Nadu and that the Chief Minister must open up on this.

He added that the statement of Union Minister Jitendra Singh in Parliament that there was no need for a deep geological disposal facility in the near future only strengthened the chances of setting up the AFR in Tamil Nadu.

He pointed out that the entire region of South Tamil Nadu will be affected and called upon Stalin to immediately take steps to stop the implementation of the AFR facility in the state.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain an argument seeking the appeals against the Madras High Court order, quashing the quota for Vanniyar community in Tamil Nadu, in jobs and education, be referred to a larger bench.

A bench headed by Justice L. Nageswara Rao and comprising Justice B.R. Gavai told counsel for the parties that this matter does not need consideration by a larger bench.

Asking counsel to begin their arguments, the bench said: "Not inclined to the argument of referring the matter to a larger bench." On Tuesday, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Tamil Nadu government, had contended before the bench that the case involved constitutional issues and could require examination by a larger bench.

After hearing arguments, the top court had said that it will examine whether this issue requires consideration by a larger bench.

On December 16 last year, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea by Tamil Nadu government and others challenging the high court judgment, which quashed the law on internal reservation of 10.5 percent to the Vanniyar community under the Most Backward Classes category.

It had said the high court's interim order would continue and the admissions or appointments already made under the quota will not be disturbed till February 15, 2022, the next date of hearing. The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government, political party PMK and others challenged the High Court's Madurai bench order on November 1, 2021.

The high court said the state lacked competence to permit such a sub-classification in the absence of study of their backwardness, as it ruled that Tamil Nadu special reservation of seats in educational institutions and appointments or posts in services under the state within the reservation for the Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities Act, 2021 was ultra vires the provisions of the Constitution.

The state government had cited various reports and data indicating Vanniyars were more backward among the Most Backward Classes.

The high court had, however, noted that the state government lacked the competence to pass the law as it was brought before the 105th Constitutional Amendment.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday accorded VIP security to two BJP MPs -- Hans Raj Hans and Ramesh Chand Bind -- during the ongoing Assembly polls that will conclude on March 7, sources said here on Wednesday.

According to sources, Hans Raj Hans -- an MP from North West Delhi -- has been accorded 'Z' category security, while Ramesh Chand Bind -- an MP from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh -- has been provided 'X' category security during the election period.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will provide the security to both the BJP leaders.

The government's move came after a review of the security situation of various political leaders and candidates contesting the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur.

After analysing the threat perceptions, the Ministry of Home Affairs has till now provided central security cover to 23 BJP candidates and leaders in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

The sources in the security grid said that BJP candidate and Union minister S.P.S. Baghel has been provided 'Z' category security cover in Uttar Pradesh by CISF.

Similarly, in Punjab, 21 sitting MLAs who are contesting the elections have been given 'Y' category security cover by the CRPF. The prominent among them are Avtar Singh Zira, Nimisha T. Mehta, who recently joined the saffron party, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Sardar Kanwar Veer Singh Tohra, Sardar Didar Singh Bhatti, Sardar Kanwar Veer Singh Tohra, Sardar Gurpreet Singh Bhatti, and Sardar Hariot Kamal, while Sukhwinder Singh Bindra has been given 'Y+' security cover by the CRPF.

The sources quoting an official communication said that some of the BJP candidates are already being provided security cover by the state police.

The continuation of the security cover will be decided after a review of the situation at the conclusion of the Assembly polls.

Recently, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat's security cover was upgraded from 'Y' to 'Z' category during his stay in Delhi and Punjab. Shekhawat is BJP's election in-charge for Punjab.
February 16 : Katrina Kaif, who is currently in Delhi to resume shooting for Tiger 3, has dropped a casual photo on her Instagram page, and set the Internet ablaze. Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan were on Tuesday evening seen the the Mumbai airport to fly off to the national capital.

In the new picture, Katrina can be seen in a casual black and white T-shirt with her hair side-swept. The post has been geotagged to Delhi. In the caption, she wrote, "Winter sun," with a snowflake emoji. Fans immediately started commenting on the post, appreciating her casual look.

Katrina and Salman will start shoot in Delhi on February 17 for their upcoming film Tiger 3. The actors were clicked at Mumbai's Kalina Airport on Tuesday, while they were flying out of the city. After their long Europe shoot schedule in September last year, Salman and Katrina will reportedly resume shoot for the film on Thursday.

Reportedly, the Delhi schedule is the last leg of shoot for Tiger 3. The shoot will take place mostly in colleges and hotels, and will continue for almost 7 to 10 days. The makers reportedly planned to shoot at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, The Imperial hotel and The Oberoi Maidens in New Delhi, and some parts of Connaught Place. After the Delhi schedule, the actors will reportedly wrap up shooting for the film.

Helmed by Maneesh Sharma, Tiger 3 is a Yash Raj Films' project. The big budget spy thriller is the third installment of the blockbuster Tiger franchise. While Salman will return as special agent Avinash Singh Rathore, Katrina as Zoya Humain. The film also stars Emraan Hashmi. It was also reported that to create larger-than-life action sequences, the producers have brought on board a number of action directors from varied backgrounds. Last year, Salman and Katrina had shot across several countries including Turkey, Russia and Austria. Tiger 3 is slated to release this year.
February 16 : After her impact-making promotional looks in India for her upcoming film Gangubai Kathiawadi, Alia Bhatt now took over Berlin in a delightfully diverse colour white. Back in India, for her promotional events, the actress, who plays the titular role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial, had opted for light-weight white sarees that channelled minimalism at its core and also her inner Gangubai.

For her look at the Berlin International Film Festival 2022, Alia took it up a notch with a romantic Dolce & Gabbana gown.

The much-awaited film will be screened at the 72nd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival 2022. Earlier, sharing the news, Alia had written, "So grateful to be part of a wonderful team that now celebrates its official selection to the #BerlinFilmFestival2022. See you on 18th February, 2022," Alia had tweeted after the film's selection at the Berlin International Film Festival. Gangubai Kathiawadi is the only Indian film that has been selected to be screened at the Berlin International Film Festival 2022. The film will be screened as a part of the Berlinale Special Gala, a segment that showcases exemplary cinema.

Alia shared a bunch of her pictures from Berlin, and called herself "Berlin Baby." In the images, the Gully Boy actor can be seen in a white gown from the shelves of the Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. The white gown bore unique cut-out detailing and an off-the-shoulder silhouette framed with a thick overlay that enhanced the overall look. The actor threw on her shoulders a white structured coat to keep her warm. Accentuating her look, Alia opted for side-swept locks decorated with fresh roses and matte pink lips.

Gangubai Kathiawadi is a biographical crime drama produced by Jayantilal Gada and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Besides Alia Bhatt, the film features Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari and Seema Pahwa in pivotal roles. Ajay Devgn will be seen in an extended cameo appearance. The film is based on the life of young Ganga, who becomes Gangubai, a madame in the red light area of Kamathipura. Gangubai Kathiawadi will also release in Telugu. It has been adapted from one of the chapters of author Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai.

The film will hit the theatres worldwide on February 25.
Hyderabad, Feb 16 : BJP MLA from Telangana, T. Raja Singh, has sparked a controversy with a video in which he could be heard threatening the voters in Uttar Pradesh that if they don't cast their votes for the BJP, their houses will be demolished and they will be driven out of the state.

A video of the member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly went viral on social media in which he warned the UP voters of dire consequences if they voted against the saffron party.

The controversial MLA from Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad voiced concern over 'huge voter turnout in some areas' of Uttar Pradesh during the second phase of polling on Monday. He believes that UP CM Yogi Adityanath's enemies came out in large numbers to cast their votes.

Singh also appealed to the 'Hindu brothers and sisters' to come out and vote in the remaining five phases of polling in Uttar Pradesh.

"To those who don't vote for BJP, I want to tell you that Yogi ji has called for thousands of JCBs and bulldozers. They are on the way to Uttar Pradesh. After the elections, those who did not support Yogi Ji will be identified. You know what JCBs and bulldozers are used for," the MLA said.

"I want to tell those traitors in Uttar Pradesh who don't want Yogi ji to become the Chief Minister again, 'beta', if you want to live in Uttar Pradesh, you will have to say 'Yogi Yogi', or else you will have to leave the state," Singh added.

The MLA has drawn flak for the video with many netizens calling for action against him for making open threats. They urged the Election Commission to take action against him.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working President K. T. Rama Rao has also slammed Singh and called him a 'comedian'.

"Just when you think they can't stoop any lower, yet another amazing comedian pops up," tweeted KTR.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) with the help of the Central Reserve Police Force and the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police on Wednesday conducted search operations at three locations across Kashmir valley in connection with a case related to radicalising, motivating and recruiting youths by terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

A senior NIA official said the case pertains to radicalising, motivating and recruiting the youth of J&K to carry out terror activities in the Union Territory and the rest of the country by the LeT or The Resistance Front (TRF) commanders -- Sajjad Gul, Salim Rehmani alias Abu Saad and Saifullah Sajid Jutt.

The NIA has arrested four persons in the case so far.

The NIA official said during the searches, incriminating material and digital devices were seized.
Hyderabad, Feb 16 : Professor P. Fazul Rahman, Director, UGC-Human Resource Development Centre (UGC-HRDC), Maulana Azad National Urdu University has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Dr. Abdul Haq Urdu University, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.

According to a notification released by the Department of Higher Education, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Biswabhusan Harichandan in his capacity as the Chancellor of the University has appointed Fazul Rahman as the Vice-Chancellor of DAHUU for a term of four years.

Rahman obtained his Ph.D in Nematology from Aligarh Muslim University in 1993. He is the first employee who joined MANUU in 1998, served as Assistant Director, Reader beforeAbeingAappointed as Professor-Director, UGC-Academic Staff College in 2007, Professor, School of Sciences in 2013 and Director, UGC-HRDC in 2019.

He also served in different capacities, including Controller of Examinations incharge, Director (Directorate of Distance Education, Directorate of Admission and IQAC); Dean (School of Sciences, Student's Welfare) and Member of EC & AC etc.

He has 27 years of experience in research, teaching, academic administration, institutional establishment, development and management. He also visited United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Australia, United Arab, Emirates and Qatar. He co-authored a book "Nematode Taxonomy: Concepts and recent trends" and also presented research papers inAinternationalAseminarsAand attended various International Conferences. He has been nominated by UGC for various academic committees.

Prof. Syed Ainul Hasan, Vice-Chancellor; Prof S M Rahmatullah, Pro Vice Chancellor; Prof. SK. Ishtiaque Ahmed, Registrar;Ateaching and non-teaching fraternity of MANUU congratulated and expressed best wishes for his new responsibility.
Chandigarh, Feb 16 : In the run-up to the February 20 Assembly polls in Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday made three announcements to woo industrialists and traders by ensuring their safety and ending bureaucratic hassles.

Accompanying AAP's chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann in Mohali, near here, Kejriwal promised that for the safety of the businessmen, no leader or official would intimidate anyone or get him raided.

"After the formation of AAP government in Punjab, if any of our MLAs or ministers asks for a share from a businessman, we will take immediate action against him," the Delhi Chief Minister told the media.

He alleged that leaders of the Akali Dal and the ruling Congress in the state ask the traders for share and weekly cuts.

"If people refuse to pay, they are intimidated with threats of raids. The businessmen of Punjab are most troubled by corrupt politicians and officials. To eliminate the fear among the traders, we will completely eliminate the 'inspector raj' and illegitimate taxation to create a safe environment for business," the AAP leader said.

Kejriwal appealed to all the traders and 'arhtiyas' for support and said this time they should give a chance to the Aam Aadmi Party.

"Just as we have won the hearts of traders in Delhi, we will win yours too," he said.

On the issue of security of the people, Kejriwal accused the previous Akali Dal and Congress government of registering false cases to intimidate people, and said the governments of both the parties misused the police to register false cases against thousands of people who raised their voice against corruption.

AAP's CM candidate Mann assured the businessmen and traders that the party will not ask for any share from any trader, but rather make the businessmen partners in the government.

"The AAP government will work closely with the traders and launch new schemes to promote business. We will completely delink business from police and politics. We will create a safe environment for the industry and business and will stop the exodus of traders from Punjab," Mann said.

The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to the polls on February 20, and the counting of ballots will be taken up on March 10.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : The irresistible offer of Rajya Sabha seat is the leading cause of exodus from the Congress, say sources as leaders are eying the upper house berth from other parties and the recent resignation of former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar has set up a debate in the grand old party.

Senior Congress leader and three time Rajya Sabha member and former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar left the party as sources point out that he may join a party which can send him to the upper house of the parliament. Congress MP Manish Tewari, a former Union Minister has been more candid speaking at a press conference in Ludhiana on Wednesday where he said, "anybody leaving the party is a setback and Ashwani Kumar's resignation is unfortunate but ambition for a Rajya Sabha berth makes people do many things." Tewari, a leader of G-23 group has been criticised by Kumar for speaking for party reforms, but he said that after the resignation of Kumar, "we had vigorous differences of opinion but in a civilised manner. Unfortunate that Ashwani Kumar felt compelled to take this call," Tewari had tweeted.

Kumar is not the only case. Former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Falerio, who was the senior leader of the Congress, quit the party and joined TMC. Ditto with Sushmita Dev, former head of the women's wing of the Congress, too quit the party and joined Trinamool Congress later. Both were nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Bhubaneswar Kalita too had left Congress and later landed in the upper house from the BJP.

Jyotiraditya Scindia had quit the party and joined BJP. He was was elected to the Rajya Sabha and made a minister. Similarly Jitin Prasada quit the Congress to join BJP and now he is a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government. The recent high profile exit of R.P.N. Singh to BJP is linked by some to Rajya Sabha berth.

The grand old party's reduced strength is the reason as the Congress could not send more representatives to the Council of States, from the state like UP where the party has only one MP. Punjab has 7 berths and the fight is intense as Sunil Jakhar and many others are contenders from the party. Ambika Soni, Shamsher Singh and Partap Singh Bajwa are the sitting members.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Google has rolled out a feature that will make it easier for you to search files in Google Drive.

Called Search chips, the feature is now generally available to all Workspace users, including G Suite Basic and Business users.

The feature was first launched in November 2021 as beta in Google Drive, which makes it easier for users to find relevant files faster and eliminates the need to perform multiple searches or sort through irrelevant results.

Search chips are now generally available for all users, the company said late on Tuesday.

Now after a query is entered, users can use search chips to surface more relevant results based on file type (such as a Google Doc, PDF, or image) , people, location (such as a shared drive or specific folder), when the document was last modified File titles only, shared labels and tasks.

Google rolled out search chips to Gmail in 2020.

In Drive, you will see spelling suggestions along with search chips and you can clear search chips on their own, or together with the query.

"This feature will be automatically available. Simply enter a search query and select one or multiple chips to further drill down results," Google said.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches at nine locations in connection with a case related to recovery of IED from Bhatindi area of Jammu.

The CRPF and the local police were assisting the NIA to avoid any untoward incident.

"The districts of Srinagar, Kupwara, Anantnag, Pulwama, Bandipora, Kulgam and areas of Baramulla district were searched," said the NIA official.

A senior NIA official said that this case pertains to recovery of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from Bhatindi area of Jammu. After investigation, five accused persons were arrested, out of which three were chargesheeted on December 22, 2021.

"During the searches incriminating material and digital devices have been seized from the premises of suspects in the case," said an NIA official.

Further Investigation in the matter is underway.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Wednesday said a special medal has been dedicated to the memory of Head Constable Rattan Lal, who was killed during the communal riots in the northeast district of the national capital.

The police chief made the announcement during his address at the 75th Raising Day of Delhi Police.

The riots broke out in Delhi in February, 2020, during which over 50 people were killed. Since then the Delhi Police has been investigating the riots and has detained and produced several accused people before the courts.

According to a Delhi Police charge sheet, Head Constable Rattan Lal was killed on February 24 in an unprovoked attack by a mob.

Eyewitnesses had said in their statements that a police team deployed at the Chand Bagh protest site was suddenly attacked by the mob armed with lathis and rods etc, leading to the death of Rattan Lal and injuries to DCP Amit Sharma, ACP Anuj Kumar and others.

The protesters were opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens and had rallied in the Chand Bagh area without permission and in violation of rules and regulations.

A total of 695 cases are being investigated by the North-East District police while 62 cases including murder were transferred to the Crime Branch, where three dedicated Special Investigation Teams probed the cases under the supervision of senior officers.

On January 20, a Delhi Court awarded the first jail term in the riots cases. A convicted rioter was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment for burning down the house of a 73-year-old woman.

Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his address at the Raising Day parade, congratulated the police force for their fair investigation of the cases pertaining to the Delhi riots.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Brokerage house Centrum Broking has given a 'buy' call for Ashok Leyland shares, despite the company reporting losses in the recent quarters.

"We expect margin pressure to continue as the company focuses on market share improvement with aggressive pricing and CNG model launches," it said.

The brokerage is bullish on the automobile company on the back of recovery in commercial vehicle segment, which, in turn, is expected to drive volume growth.

Also, the brokerage sees value unfolding from the auto manufacturer's subsidiary company Switch Mobility business in the long-term.

The target price is set at Rs 158 per share, against its current price of Rs 127.
Shillong/New Delhi, Feb 16 : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday held a meeting with Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in New Delhi and discussed the peace proposal by the banned militant outfit Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).

After the meeting with Bhalla, Sangma said the HNLC has recently written a letter to the Meghalaya government expressing their willingness to talk to the Centre and the state government unconditionally and updated the Ministry of Home Affairs officials in this regard.

"The HNLC's proposal to initiate talks with the governments under the parameters of the constitution is a welcome step. They are keen to talk to the government in the interest of peace and development," the Chief Minister said in a video message.

He added that more positive developments are expected to take place in the next few days.

Later, Sangma tweeted, "Following the required process to take forward the peace talks with HNLC and met the MHA Home Secretary to discuss the same." The Meghalaya government is committed to take forward the peace talks.

"The Chief Minister's meeting with the MHA officials was held days after the HNLC offered to hold peace talks with the Centre and the Meghalaya government without any pre-conditions." The outlawed militant outfit made the announcement through a press release last week.

The HNLC in its statement had said the organisation has decided to sit with both the governments after getting a lot of requests from senior citizens and various organisations during the past few weeks.

The militant outfit said the peace initiative was disrupted after last year's killing or the fake encounter' of the group's former General Secretary Cherishterfield Thangkhiew.

The HNLC has claimed responsibility for the low-intensity blasts that took place in recent months in the heart of Shillong and other areas in the state. While militancy is on the decline in Meghalaya over the last several years, but since 2020 the HNLC has been behind a few low-intensity IED blasts in the state.

The HNLC, which has been demanding a sovereign Khasi tribal homeland in Meghalaya, is a breakaway faction of the Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council, the first tribal militant outfit of the mountainous state, formed in the mid-1980s.
New Delhi/Hyderabad, Feb 16 : The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to Telangana's BJP MLA T. Raja Singh for threatening Uttar Pradesh voters of dire consequences if they don't vote for the saffron party.

Taking a note of the controversial video of the MLA circulated widely on social media platforms, it observed that prima facie he violated the Model Code of Conduct, sections 171 C and 171 F of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The Election Commission asked him to show cause within 24 hours as to why appropriate penal action under criminal law should not be initiated against him and also to why appropriate action for violation of Model Code of conduct should not be taken against him.

"Take notice that in the event of no response from your side within the stipulated time, it will be presumed that you have nothing to say in the matter and the Election Commission will take appropriate action or decision in the matter without making any further reference to you," reads the notice.

The controversial MLA, in the video released after the second phase of polling for Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, threatened voters that if they don't cast their votes for BJP their houses will be demolished and they will be driven out of the state.

Singh, who represents Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad, voiced concern over the "huge voter turnout in some areas" of Uttar Pradesh during the second phase of polling on Monday, saying he believes that UP CM Yogi Adityanath's enemies came out in large numbers to cast their votes. He appealed to "Hindu brothers and sisters" to come out and vote in third and subsequent phases.

"To those who don't vote for BJP, I want to tell you that Yogi ji has called thousands of JCBs and bulldozers. They are on the way to Uttar Pradesh. After elections those who did not support Yogi Ji will be identified. You know, what JCBs and bulldozers are used for.

"I want to tell those traitors of Uttar Pradesh who don't want Yogi ji to become the Chief Minister again, abeta', if you want to live in Uttar Pradesh, you will have to say 'Yogi Yogi' or else you will have to leave the state," Raja Singh added.
Gandhinagar, Feb 16 : A row has erupted in Gujarat after it emerged that an elocution contest was organised at a school in Valsad which had the topic 'My Ideal Nathuram Godse for the 11-13 age-group students.

Godse was executed in 1949 for assassinating Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948.

After the incident was highlighted, the Gujarat government suspended the probationary youth development officer of Valsad, Mita Gavli, on Wednesday.

As part of the district-level Bal Pratibha Shodh Spardha (Child Talent Hunt Competition) organised at Kusum Vidyalaya -- a private school in Valsad -- the district authorities ordered an elocution competition and provided the students with different topics.

According to the school authorities, one of the topics of the competition for the 11-13 age-group was 'My Ideal Nathuram Godse'.

A student who criticised Mahatma Gandhi and portrayed Nathuram Godse as a 'hero' was declared the winner of the contest.

According to the school authorities, the subject was selected at the district level, out of the knowledge of higher-ups in the department.

"The department has suspended the district youth development officer, Mitaben Gavli, who was responsible for holding the event. We are also inquiring into the role of other officials," Valsad District Collector Kshipra Agre told reporters.

The Minister of State (MoS) for Home, Harsh Sanghvi, told reporters in Gandhinagar that an inquiry has been initiated and everyone responsible would be suspended.

On January 14, the Valsad district youth development office had organised an event at Kusum Vidyalaya. According to a press statement issued by the school, over 25 schools participated in the 'district child talent hunt competition' where different competitions were organised.

The elocution competition was held for two age groups -- 7 to 10 and 11 to 13. For the younger group, the district authorities had provided a choice of subjects- 'Frontrunner Revolutionary Veer Bhagat Singh, 'My Schoolbag Weighs More Than Me' and 'Benefits of Winter Season'.

For the 11-13 age-group, the topics were - 'My love, Free and Flying Birds', 'I'll Become a Scientist, Won't go to the US', and 'My Ideal Nathuram Godse'.

When contacted, the principal of Kusum Vidyalaya, Archana Desai, said, "The entire event was organised by the local government officials while the school only lent its premises for the event." She added that her school was in no way responsible for any of the competitions.

Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, tweeted, "In New India, Murderers are heroes." There have been several incidents in Gujarat, including in Surat and Jamnagar, where people worshipped Godse.

Meanwhile, the 'Satyagrahi Parivaar' held a prayer meeting at the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram in Sabarmati, praying "to the Almighty to impart sense among Godse worshippers".
Chennai, Feb 16 : The makers of choreographer-turned-director Brinda Master's 'Hey Sinamika', featuring Dulquer Salmaan, Kajal Aggarwal and Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead, on Wednesday released the trailer of the film, which is gearing up for a theatrical release on March 3.

The trailer takes us into the lives of Mouna (Aditi), a weather scientist who falls in love with Yaazhan (Dulquer), a quirky and loving guy. What happens to their relationship after a couple of years and how things take an unexpected turn after the arrival of Malarvizhi (Kajal) forms the crux of the story.

The trailer promises a romantic roller coaster ride loaded with comedy, emotions and music. Youthful and trendy, 'Hey Sinamika', as the trailer indicates, will be a celebration of love and friendship.

Says Brinda, "This is a feel-good flick. Youngsters would love it for sure. At the same time, audiences in all age groups can also enjoy the movie. It will be an entertaining mix of emotions." Govind Vasantha of '96' fame has scored the music for 'Hey Sinamika', which has been produced by Jio Studios with Global One Studios as Associate Producer.
Mumbai, Feb 16 : Shot on a smartphone, the film 'Pondicherry' is all about its beaches, natural beauty, French houses, people and culture of the city.

Directed by Sachin Kundalkar, the film features Sai Tamhankar, Vaibhav Tatwawadi, Amruta Khanvilkar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Neena Kulkarni, Gaurav Ghatnekar and Tanmay Kulkarni. And the credit for making it unique with it's photography goes to the DOP Milind Jog.

The launch of the trailer of the most awaited film 'Pondicherry' took place in Mumbai in Pondicherry Cafe.

Actress Amruta Khanvilkar, in the context of her role in the film, says: "The story attracted me the most and undoubtedly Sachin Kundalkar is one of the finest story tellers. I have thoroughly loved the depth of my character and the uniqueness of the film which is shot through a smartphone. In fact we shot with a limited crew which was a challenge for each one of us, but as said it's all worth it in the end when the team has worked with all their heart." On the other hand actress Sai Tamhankar, expresses her happiness to be part of the movie. She talks about her character and what makes this movie different.

She adds: "I feel extremely blessed to bag such a brilliant film and this powerful character. Beauty of my character Nikita is 'woman of few words & more of action'. Also, working with co-stars who are outstanding in portraying their roles, makes me even more inspired. It feels so good to bounce back with a fresh story line with one of my favourite filmmakers, Sachin Kundalkar." "I love the way he narrates his stories and the treatment Sachin gives and weaves his characters. The process of this film is something that has changed me in and out and for the better . It's a film made on an Iphone (smartphone) with a crew of 15 people and an actor without (hair, makeup, assistant, chauffeur) any kind of assistance: truly a liberating experience!," she shares.

Actor Vaibhav Tatwawadi shares why he took up the opportunity and what he liked most about this film. He says: "Coming up with a story based on the town of Pondicherry caught my attention at first. The stunning frames, brilliant direction and portrayal of the entire film are something new to be watched for viewers." Director Sachin Kundalkar gives insight into the idea behind the movie and appreciates Milind Jog for the way he shot the entire film.

He says: "This film brings different subjects altogether. The film may sound like a love triangle from the teaser, the theme of the same is way beyond that. Since this whole movie was shot on mobile, the obvious technical difference can be noticed. But, to maintain that balance and feel we shot it pretty carefully and came up with a great creation. It also showcases the brilliance of photographer Milind Jog. Many versatile actors have come together to make the film. This unique emotional story will surely appeal to the audience." Presented by Akshay Bardapurkar and Planet Marathi, a Vistas Media Capital Company, the film 'Pondicherry' is written and directed by Sachin Kundalkar and produced by Neil Patel from Moh Maya Films.

Talking about the film, Planet Marathi Head and Founder Akshay Bardapurkar says: "We love working with innovative stories and direction to entertain the audience. 'Pondicherry' is a result of the same brilliant experiment. A different subject and storyline people will get to see in this film. The subject of the same is entertaining as well as informative." The film is all set to release on February 25 in theatres.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Expressing its discontent with the vacancies in the tribunals, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said some "knee-jerk" appointments were made by the Centre to fill up vacancies across the country, and the bureaucracy has been taking up the issue "lightly".

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana observed that after a few appointments made initially, nothing substantial happened.

The bench, also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli, said the court is getting requests for the extension of time for the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) matters etc.

"Some knee-jerk appointments took place and nothing happened after that. We do not know the fate of members and many are retiring," it said, emphasising that the bureaucracy is taking the issue lightly.

Earlier, the apex court had made some strong observations in connection with vacancies in tribunals across the country. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal contended before the court that he could show the list of vacancies and the steps taken to fill them up. After a brief hearing in the matter, the top court scheduled the matter for further hearing after two weeks.

In August last year, the top court had cited data to show that around 250 posts are lying vacant in various key tribunals and appellate tribunals across the country. The bench read out the long list of vacancies across the tribunals and added that 19 presiding officers, 110 judicial members, and 111 technical numbers are pending in all the tribunals.

"This is the scenario of the tribunal. We do not know what is the stand of the government...", said the Chief Justice.

The top court had said the delay by the Centre in filling up vacancies in various tribunals is effectively crippling their functioning and leaving people without legal remedies.

"The impression we are gathering is that it appears the bureaucracy does not want the tribunals. The Centre should clear its stand whether it really, really wants to continue the tribunals or close them down." Later in September, last year, the Central government had informed the top court that 84 appointments have been in six tribunals including the ITAT and the NCLT and no recommendations of the Search cum Selection Committees (SCSC) is pending then.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : A Ugandan national was arrested by customs officials at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport for trying to smuggle heroin capsules worth Rs 7 crore by swallowing them, an official said on Wednesday.

A senior Customs official said that the Ugandan national identified as Robert Sengonzi reached the IGI airport on February 4.

On suspicion he was intercepted by the customs officials. On thorough investigation, he admitted that he had swallowed thirty capsules containing drugs.

"He excreted 18 capsules at the airport itself and 12 capsules at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital which resulted in the recovery of a total of 382 grams of white colour substance appearing to be heroin worth Rs 7 crore," said the official.

The official said that it was clear that the accused had violated provisions of section 8 of the NDPS act, and had committed an offence punishable under section 21, section 23 and section 29 of the NDPS Act.

Sengonzi was placed under arrest under section 43(b) of the NDPS Act on February 14.

After getting his Covid report which was negative, he was produced in court with a plea to send him to judicial custody. The customs official told the court that he was not required for further interrogation. The court after hearing their contention remanded him to judicial custody. He was later lodged in Tihar Jail.
Jaipur, Feb 16 : There seems to be no let-up in the alleged rift within the BJP in Rajasthan, with the communication gap in the saffron camp in the desert state again painting a not so rosy picture.

On Wednesday, the two groups, one led by former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and the other by BJP's state unit chief Satish Poonia, shared two different versions with IANS for Raje's absence from the BJP's protest staged here on Tuesday to press for a CBI probe into the REET (Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers) paper leak scandal.

Raje's team on Wednesday confirmed with IANS that the former CM's daughter-in-law was in New Delhi for a therapy, hence she had to rush to the national capital to be with her.

When asked why the party officials concerned were unaware about her absence, a spokesperson of Team Raje said, "I am surprised that they did not know. Therefore, I'm putting this down as an official line of contact." Meanwhile, the organisational team of the state BJP confirmed with IANS that it had no clue that Raje and four other MLAs from her camp were not attending Tuesday's protest.

"It was decided from beforehand at the MLAs' meeting that a major protest will be staged on Tuesday in Jaipur to press the demand for a CBI probe into the REET paper leak scam. The party's state in-charge, Arun Singh, had assigned task to each MLA vial a virtual call. Till that time, it was not known that Raje, along with Kalicharan Saraf, Pratap Singhvi and Kailash Meghwal, shall not come to the protest site," said a member from Team Poonia.

Meanwhile, when asked about this, the Raje camp said, "By the time a notice was issued, madam was already in Delhi." Her daughter-in-law's therapy was scheduled earlier., and it is done at intervals, said the Raje camp.

"But they could have kept us updated. It was only after we called that we were informed about her visit to Delhi," said a Team Poonia member.

It needs to be mentioned here that a major protest was staged in Jaipur on Tuesday, demanding a CBI probe into the REET paper leak scandal.

The Team Raje also shared a news clipping with IANS which has an interview of Raje, where she could be heard pressing for a CBI probe into the REET scandal.
Malerkotla : , Feb 16 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that he was not against people of Pakistan but against their rulers and the army who were fomenting trouble in India and killing our soldiers on the borders.

Addressing public meetings in support of the party candidates, Farzana Alam from Malerkotla and Sardar Ali from Amargarh, he said these elections were going to decide the future of Punjab as the state was confronted by multiple challenges which could be matched by a "double engine" government only.

He said before independence about 40 per cent population of Patiala was Muslim and most of them had migrated to Pakistan.

He said when he went there during his previous term as Chief Minister, he was honoured and felicitated by them. He said he was for good relationships between the two countries, but the Pakistani Prime Minister and his army were being too hostile towards India, which was unacceptable.

On the Aam Aadmi Party's choice of Chief Ministerial candidate, Amarinder Singh said Bhagwant Mann is a good actor, who amuses people and makes them laugh on television.

But running the government is more serious business than amusing people or making them laugh, he said, while warning that Punjab needs a serious and mature leadership, which can not only take care of the state's security but also bring it out of the multiple problems it faces.

The two-time Chief Minister had a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming that he had nominated a "poor" Chief Ministerial candidate.

He said Charanjit Singh Channi was among the richest candidates fighting elections with properties worth hundreds of crores. He said otherwise also just being poor does not qualify one to be the Chief Minister.

Appealing to people to elect the Punjab Lok Congress candidates for a better future, he reminded them that he had made Malerkotla a district and also announced to set up a medical college here.

He promised to set up a university in the city once the BJP-PLC-SAD(S) government is formed in the state. Responding to the demands of local people, he also promised to make Malerkotla a municipal corporation for improving civic amenities there.

Punjab will go to the polls for 117-member Assembly on February 20.

--IANS vg/vd

A
Srinagar, Feb 16 : Four terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit TRF, involved in providing logistic and other support to active terrorists in Kashmir Valley, have been arrested from Srinagar, police said on Wednesday.

Police said on the basis of reliable intelligence input, it was found that terrorist organisation, The Resistance Front (TRF) is active in J&K and is being orchestrated by handlers based in Pakistan.

"Two active terrorists, Basit Ahmed Dar of Redwani, Kulgam, and Momin Gulzar of Eidgah, Srinagar, are using the network of overground workers in the Valley for subversive activities. These terrorist associates are providing logistic support and are harbouring these terrorist in Kashmir Valley," a police official said.

A case was registered by the police and investigation initiated, and during its course, four hardcore terrorist associates were arrested.

They have been identified as Basharat Ahmed Pampori, resident of Maidanpora, Srinagar, Adil Shafi Bhat, resident of Daresh Kadal, Srinagar, Muzamil Fayaz Sofi, resident of Bagh-e-Sundar Payeen Kaksarai Karan Nagar and Adil Mushtaq Mir, resident of Bagh-e-Sundar Payeen Maidanpora.

"It was also learnt that these arrested terrorist associates were involved in creating content of the threatening posters issued by TRF terror outfit time to time. Through these posters they aimed to threaten govt employees, police, armed Forces, elected PRls and non-local businessmen. Besides, aimed to cause disaffection against the state," police said.

"It was also found that they had recently provided logistic support to three terrorists, namely Momin Gulzar, Arif Ahmed Hazar and one foreign terrorist, by providing them shelter and also facilitated them in carrying out terrorist attacks in Srinagar city." Police said further investigation is in progress to identify other terrorist associates involved in this network.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : A court on Wednesday summoned Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain and Aam Aadmi Party leaders Atishi Marlena, Raghav Chadha, Sourabh Bharadwaj, and Durgesh Pathak in a defamation case filed by a BJP councillor.

Justice Ravindra Kumar Pandey said the court is of the view that prima facie the accused persons have committed the offence punishable under 499/500 of IPC read with Section 34 IPC, and hence, these accused be summoned through SHO, PS Civil Lines on March 14 at 2 p.m.

"It is averred that accused persons with dishonest intention to lower the moral and intellectual character of the complainant in the eyes of the general public had made defamatory imputation which was published widely in the print and electronic media. The accused persons have levelled false allegations so that image of the complainant and image of the other party leaders may be tarnished and with the sole motive to achieve wrongful gain," the order read.

Petitioner Chhail Bihari Goswami, a BJP councilor from Naraina in North Delhi Municipal Corporation, contended that the AAP leaders had held a press conference in which they had made allegations that were defamatory in nature by claiming that there was a corruption of Rs 1,400 crore in the North MCD and Pathak had alleged that the alleged property tax of sum of Rs 1,400 crore was illegally collected by BJP councillors and were illegally distributed among themselves.

It was also alleged that the BJP and its councillors have turned the corporations into a "centre for corruption" and these statements have live streamed on the Facebook Page of Aam Aadmi Party and was published in various Anewspapers on November 2, 2020, the plea said.

The plea said that Jain also tweeted "baseless allegations" on December 11, 2020 against BJP leaders and North MCD led by the BJP.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : A Malaysian woman minister has sparked outrage after she advised husbands to beat their "stubborn" wives "gently" to discipline them for "unruly" behaviour, Daily Mail reported.

Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff, the Deputy Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, was accused of "normalising" domestic violence by urging men to strike their wives to show how strict he is and "how much he wants her to change".

In a two-minute video posted on Instagram called 'Mother's Tips', the Deputy Minister firstly advised husbands to "discipline" their "stubborn" wives by speaking to them. But if they did not change their behaviour, then they should sleep apart from them for three days, the report said.

"However, if the wife still refuses to take the advice, or change her behaviour after the sleeping separation, then the husbands can try the physical touch approach, by striking her gently, to show his strictness and how much he wants her to change," Siti Zailah said in the video, Daily Mail reported.

The Deputy Minister, who is an MP for the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, also urged women to only speak to their husbands if they have permission in order to win over their partners.

"Speak to your husbands when they are calm, finished eating, have prayed and are relaxed," she said. "When we want to speak, ask for permission first." A coailition of women's rights groups, the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality, accused Siti Zailah of "normalising" domestic violence and demanded she resign from her position.

"The Deputy Minister must step down for normalising domestic violence, which is a crime in Malaysia, as well as for perpetuating ideas and behaviours that are opposed to gender equality," a joint statement read, the report said.

The organisation said between 2020 and 2021, there were 9,015 police reports on domestic violence and those figures will in reality be higher as they do not include the women who have reported abuse to charities.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : A biennial multilateral naval exercise incepted by the Indian Navy in 1995, the MILAN series of exercises, started off with the participation of only four countries -- Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Over the decades since then, the exercise has transitioned leaps and bounds in terms of the number of participants, scope and its objective.

The upcoming MILAN 22 is likely to witness its largest ever participation, with nearly 46 countries having been invited to send their warships and delegations.

MILAN 22 will be conducted in the 'City of Destiny', Visakhapatnam from February 25 to March 4, 2022. India is celebrating the 75th year of its independence, and MILAN 22 provides an opportunity to commemorate this milestone with its friends and partners from across the globe.

The exercise is themed 'Camaraderie - Cohesion - Collaboration', which is the need of the hour for a pandemic torn world, just about tottering back to normalcy.

In addition to providing a platform for a professional exchange amongst the navies in the form of multilateral exercises and professional seminars, MILAN acts as a melting pot for cultural exchanges and human connect.

A cultural fair, themed 'Milan Village' is being set up, where the navies of the visiting countries will get a platform to share their cuisines, music and culture. An international city parade, with the participation of foreign contingents is also planned during the MILAN. There are cultural visits and tours to Agra and Bodh Gaya, sport fixtures between the teams of the participating navies and many such highlights that make the event a unique mix of professional and social confluence.

The Indian Navy has also planned the President Fleet Review (PFR 22) ahead of MILAN. President Ram Nath Kovind will be reviewing the Indian Naval fleet on February 21 at Visakhapatnam. 63 ships and submarines from the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and SCI are expected to participate in PFR 22.

A Naval Fleet Review is a long-standing tradition followed by navies across the world including the Indian Navy. The PFR is usually conducted once during the tenure of a President.

Post Independence, 11 Presidential Fleet Reviews have been conducted by the Indian Navy, of which two have been International Fleet Reviews. The present edition of the PFR will commemorate the 75th year of independence with the theme 'Indian Navy - 75 years in Service of the Nation'.

The conduct of Milan and PFR 22 in the middle of a pandemic is certainly a daunting challenge. The Indian Navy, however, appears all set to make both the events a resounding success, whilst following all COVID protocols and precautions.

The events are also expected to bring more colour and life to the host city Visakhapatnam.

A beautification drive is in full swing in the city and the tourist infrastructure is being ramped up. The residents are also very excited about the event.

Locals see MILAN as a sign of the opening up of the economy, which has been hit by the pandemic and lockdowns, said a senior government official.

There is also a sense of pride and belongingness amongst the people, who have always associated the Indian Navy with their city.

The official said that the world today is undoubtedly going through some challenging times, perhaps the most challenging after World War II.

The pandemic has stolen lives and livelihood. It has wrecked economies and sown the seeds of new conflicts.

The world needs a healing touch and the opportunity to get back together through camaraderie, cohesion and collaboration.

"It is time for India to once again emerge as a 'Vishwa Guru' and light a path for the world to come together in these testing times," he said.

(Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in)
Barwani : , Feb 16 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sumer Singh Solanki on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti on Wednesday was seen polishing the shoes of a cobbler in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh. The video of the MP polishing the shoes of the cobbler has now gone viral.

Before that, Solanki paid his respects to the 15th century saint on his way to the cobbler to polish his shoes.

Solanki said 25 years ago, when he used to study here, his slippers used to break. He used to come here to get them repaired. "Today I presented Gita to the cobbler and polished his shoes. I also gave him a picture of Saint Ravidas," he said.

He added that a person is not known because of his birth but because of his actions (karma). It is the actions of a person that make him big or small.

The MP said, "Today, on the auspicious occasion of Saint Ravidas Jayanti, I sat on the footpath in Barwani to polish shoes and earn a living. I honoured the cobbler brothers by presenting them a shawl, shriphal and a picture of Saint Ravidas ji." He said he greeted the entire cobbler community by polishing the shoes.

The BJP's media department head Lokendra Parashar tweeted the pictures of the MP and wrote, "Inspiring. On the auspicious occasion of Saint Shiromani Ravidas Jayanti, today MP and BJP spokesperson Bhai Sumer Singh Solangi sat on the footpath and polished shoes of a cobbler to earn his living."
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran on Wednesday said the group is committed to make Air India a world-class airline which it deserves to become.

In his maiden address to the staff via virtual platform, he said the Tata Group has very big dreams for Air India.

According to Chandrasekaran, the airline would focus on customer service, technological advancements such as website, application, front and back-office systems, among others.

He also mentioned upgrading the aircraft fleet to expand the network both on the domestic and international fronts, and to ensure best possible hospitality to passengers.

Besides, he added if the employees can bring in the passion, and work in a coordinated fashion with a single-minded purpose, then the goal would be achieved in a shorter time frame.

Earlier this week, Tata Sons had announced the appointment of Mehmet Ilker Ayci as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India, subject to certain clearances.

In January 2022, the Centre handed over the management control of national carrier Air India to a subsidiary of Tata Sons.

With this Air India's strategic disinvestment was complete after the Centre received a consideration of Rs 2,700 crore from the 'Strategic Partner' -- Talace -- which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons.

Besides the upfront payment, Talace will retain a debt of Rs 15,300 crore.

The transaction covered three entities - Air India, Air India Express and AI SATS.
Bengaluru, Feb 16 : Bharatiya Janata Party Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj K.S. Eshwarappa's statement about the saffron flag being hoisted at the Red Fort has become a flashpoint between the government and the opposition in Karnataka. Congress leaders staged a protest in the well of the Assembly holding the national flag and charging that Eshwarappa has insulted the Tricolour and he should be sacked from the cabinet.

This led to a chaotic situation in the Assembly. Unable to continue with the proceedings, Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri adjourned the House till Thursday. The Congress has warned the BJP that if Eshwarappa is not dropped from the cabinet, a call on an overnight protest in the Assembly will be taken.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the Congress had used the national flag in the well of the House. There is a code as far as the national flag is concerned as per how and where it should be used. "We have to use the national flag with respect, the Congress has violated it. People are watching, the Congress has failed as a responsible opposition party," he said.

Congress State President D.K. Shivakumar stated that the Governor should have sacked Eshwarappa for his statement about hoisting the saffron flag at the Red Fort. Bommai should have taken his resignation. The police department should have lodged a case of sedition against him. Nothing has been done.

They have hoisted a saffron flag on the flag post where the Tricolour was supposed to be hoisted. Eshwarappa has agreed that he had brought saffron shawls from Ayodhya and distributed them to students. "We all should fight against anti-nationals. It is our responsibility. Eshwarappa's resignation should have been taken and he should be investigated on sedition charges. The Speaker of the House is behaving like a party person," Shivakumar charged.

The farmers who have hoisted their flag in place of the national flag have been charged with sedition. Why is there no case against Eshwarappa for his remarks? BJP leaders maintain that the national anthem, national flag should be changed. The RSS has not respected them for a single day. In January 26, 2002, the national flag was not hoisted at the RSS headquarters at Nagpur. The BJP wants Manusmriti in place of the Constitution, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah alleged.

If Manusmriti is implemented, Eshwarappa will never get an opportunity to become a minister again, he will be a shepherd or sweeper. He talks without knowing anything. Eshwarappa is enslaved to the RSS. He should be dropped from the cabinet before the commencement of the Assembly session on Thursday. Otherwise, protests will erupt during the session and outside as well, he added.

Eshwarappa maintained that the Congress party is dividing students on the basis of religion. Firstly, Shivakumar insulted the national flag by stating that the saffron flag was hoisted at Shivamogga College after taking off the national flag, which is a blatant lie. "I have been in the Assembly since 1989. What happened today is a black mark in the history of the legislative assembly. No political party has so far misused the national flag to pursue its agenda," he added.

Eshwarappa apologized for taking the name of Shivakumar's father in the heat of the moment during the discussion in the Assembly.
Chennai, Feb 16 : The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission officials to remove all the posters pasted on walls in Chennai by the candidates contesting the urban local body elections.

"Any violation of the order would be dealt with contempt of court proceedings," a bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy order said, adding that no one should be allowed to disfigure the city.

It also directed the Greater Chennai Corporation to recover the cost incurred for removing each poster from the walls.

The bench also said that if the posters were pasted after permission from the owners of the properties, appropriate permission was necessary from the authorities concerned too.

The court passed the order while disposing of a plea moved by P. Arumugam of the AIADMK who is contesting from ward 117 of the Chennai Corporation and had complained that his DMK opponent was causing a hindrance to his campaign.

Arumugam also told the court, through his counsel, that the DMK candidate had pasted his posters over his, thus making sure that his posters are not being seen by the voters.

The petitioner produced pictures to support his claim. He also informed the court that he wanted the court to direct the State Election Commission to provide uninterrupted and additional police force for the ward.

The bench took the pictures produced as proof and asked the authorities including the State Election Commission and the Greater Chennai Corporation officials to prosecute the violators, including petitioner Arumugam, for pasting posters on the walls.
The battle lines for a renewed Mahabharata on 'proper officer under Customs Act, 1962 are being redrawn again with both the Judiciary and the Executive becoming hyper active post the Cannon India Pvt Ltd vs Union of India matter.

While the Department has filed a review petition against the case listed for hearing on March 9, 2022, and is also battling out on new turf of other cases pending in the Supreme Court, the Executive has done its bit through proposed amendments in Finance Bill, 2022.

The Bill is likely to become Finance Act on approval by the Parliament. In the recent matter of Union of India and Others vs Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd., the matter of Cannon India Pvt Ltd was brought into contention.

The apex court, after being pointed out that Cannon India had while focusing on the definition of 'Proper Officer' under the Customs Act, ignored Section 28(11) as amended which would have come to the rescue of the Customs Department, issued notice to the other side.

The Department had engaged the Attorney General and whole contingent of advocates to argue the matter from the side of Union of India. The notice has been issued to the respondents and the matter is listed for arguments on March 8, 2022.

In the meanwhile, on the legislative side through the Budget and Finance Bill, a set of amendments have been proposed under Section 2(34) in the definition of 'Proper Officer' and in Section 3 to include DRI officers within the ambit of 'Classes of Officers of Customs'.

Further, Sections 5(1A), (1B) have been introduced to give the Board the power to assign function as officers of Customs and also sub-Section 5(4) and 5(5) have been introduced to allow Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to impose conditions, while assigning any function to officers of Customs and also to give concurrent powers to two or more officers of Customs.

The note on Clause 96 provides that the Clause has been introduced to give validation to any action taken or function performed before Finance Act, 2022 under various specified Chapters of Customs Act, 1962 and Notifications issued thereunder for appointing an officer of Customs or assessing functions, by giving retrospective effect to Sections 2, 3 and 5 of the Customs Act, 1962, amended by the Act to that effect.

While it cannot be denied that notes on clauses can be a good guide of interpretation, a good draftsman would rather like the relevant provision to be clear and unambiguous and conveying the whole meaning and purposes rather than drawing aid from any interpretation tool.

It is here that Clause 96 has done the opposite and the same is reproduced below: "Validation of certain actions taken under Customs Act - Notwithstanding anything contained in any judgment, decree or order of any court, tribunal or other authority, or in the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962) (hereinafter referred to as the Customs Act) -

(i) Anything done or any duty performed or any action taken or purported to have been taken or done under Chapters V, VAA, VI, IX, X, XI, XII, XIIA, XIII, XIV, XVI and XVII of the Customs Act, as it stood prior to its amendment by this Act, shall be deemed to have been validly done or performed or taken.

(ii) Any notification issued under the Customs Act for appointing or assigning functions to any officer shall be deemed to have been validly issued for all purposes, including for the purposes of Section 6.

(iii) For the purposes of this Section, Sections 2, 3 and 5 of the Customs Act, as amended by this Act, shall have and shall always be deemed to have effect for all purposes as if the provisions of the Customs Act, as amended by this Act, had been in force at all material times.

Explanation -- For the purposes of this Section, it is hereby clarified that any proceeding arising out of any action taken under this Section and pending on the date of commencement of this Act shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Customs Act, as amended by this Act.

A plain reading of the provision indicates that non-obstante clause operates irrespective of any judgment, decree or order of any Court, Tribunal or any other authority as well as in preference to any provision of Customs Act and includes in its ambit, "anything done or any duty performed or any action taken or purported to have been taken or done" under stipulated 12 Chapters of the Customs Act as they stood prior to the amendment by the Act.

While Clauses 2 and Clause 3 still deal with point of appointments of officers, Clause 1 has been drafted broadly enough to include anything done or any duty performed or action taken. The Clause is thus comprehensively wide to include almost actions like search, seizure and arrest, confiscation of goods, adjudication etc. and if anything done was reversed by any court then department can take resort to the provision even to legally revise the same as act done or any action taken prior to amendment by the Finance Act, 2022 on which no judgment, decision can have impact.

One cannot ignore the fact that Clause 1 has been badly drafted and does not bring out the object of the note on Clauses. One cannot be oblivious of the fact that language as used affords an interpretation that various Acts like seizures and confiscation by any officer gets validated even when reversed by courts, in any routine litigation.

Scope of better language therefore cannot be denied. The Customs Department has been a victim of poor drafting of provisions, at least twice earlier on account of DRI officers declared to be not 'proper officer' in the Sayed Ali vs Commissioner of Customs case, as reported in 2011 (E.L.T. 17 (S. C.) and in Cannon India Pvt Ltd in 2021.

Relevant provision should not therefore suffer a vice of loose cannon of drafting. The Department should, therefore, contemplate amending the provision when Finance Bill undergoes process of becoming the Act. For it is a provision that should dictate the law and not the explanatory clauses, (which are last drawn aids of interpretation) and can never replace the simple and plain words of the statute.

[Advocate Somesh Arora is the Chief Consultant (Amicus Rarus) and Former Commissioner of Customs & Central Excise. The views expressed are personal]
New Delhi, Feb 16 : India has been placed at 7th position on standardisation aspect, 9th for accreditation activities and 19th for the metrology related activities, by the Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII), a study conducted by the German government, an official statement said on Wednesday.

Apart from these rankings, India scored 95.6 out of 100 and is ranked at 10th place in the world for overall quality infrastructure environment in the country in the GQII brought out by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs.

This was announced during the 8th Annual Meeting of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure, led by the Indian Ministry for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy held here virtually on Wednesday.

A publication on 'United in Quality and Safety' was also released providing information about the quality infrastructure in Germany and the European Union, which would be of great help to policymakers and trade partners in India to understand Quality Infrastructure regime in Europe and in Germany, a release from the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs said.

The Working Group meets annually since 2013, and identifies areas of cooperation to support and strengthen quality infrastructure in country taking into account needs and requirements of relevant stakeholders from diverse technology areas so as to support bilateral trade.

Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Rohit Kumar Singh said that Germany is an important and trusted partner for India and underscored the importance of a well-established and robust quality infrastructure which consists standardisation, technical regulations and market surveillances for the success of the government's initiative to transform India into a global manufacturing hub.

He expressed hope that the 'Work Plan 2022,' signed virtually during the meeting would pave the way forward for collaboration towards well-functioning and resilient systems of quality infrastructures. Dr Deniela Bronstrup, Director General, Digital and Innovation Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the co-chair from the German delegation, noted that despite of challenging period both sides continued cooperation under the framework of the Working Group, the release added.
Guwahati, Feb 16 : The BJP-led government in Assam has decided to rename places in the state that do not reflect Assams tradition and culture.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday tweeted that the government would soon launch a portal to invite suggestions on change of names of cities, towns or villages that are "contrary to our civilisation, culture and derogatory to any caste or community".

"There's much in a name. The name of a city, town or village should represent its culture, tradition and civilisation. We shall launch a portal to invite suggestions on change of names across Assam which are contrary to our civilisation, culture and derogatory to any caste or community," Sarma said in his tweet.

Responding to the Chief Minister's tweet, social media users opposed the idea of changing some British-era names of places such as Digboi and Margherita that have been associated with the name and fame of the oil and coal industry in Assam for centuries.

Digboi, known as one of the world's oldest operational oil refineries, is said to have derived its name from "dig, boy, dig", while some historians attribute the name to Diboi Nallah, a stream passing through the oil town.

Similarly, Margherita is a town named by Italian railway engineer Chevalier Roberto Paganini in honour of his country's queen.

Opposition parties said the Assam Chief Minister followed the strategy of his Uttar Pradesh counterpart, Yogi Adityanath, trying to woo people's sentiments by changing names of places.

Congress' chief spokesperson Bobeeta Sharma said that each name that was given at a particular time and situation has a history and reason behind it.

"Naming of a place has some relevance. The names given might be related to some iconic personality or local issue or can even have some interesting incident attached to it. I strongly oppose such a move to change history," she told mediapersons.

Bobeeta Sharma suggested that the BJP or the party-led government should focus on scripting new history by achieving some success for the state of Assam and the country that would remain etched in the minds of the people, rather than meddle with what is already existing.

Assam Jatiya Parishad leader Jagadish Bhuyan said that they (BJP government) should concentrate only on the basic problems people are facing in their daily lives.

"Changing name of a place or an institution is not a fundamental issue in the prevailing situation. If we consider the Assam CM's plan, how is Deendayal Upadhyaya relevant to the tradition and civilisation of Assam," asked Bhuyan.
Chennai, Feb 16 : The Tamil Nadu government is to commence a massive drive to remove the encroachments from water bodies in the state spread across 9,800 hectares.

The decision came after the Madras High Court had expressed displeasure over a large number of water bodies being encroached upon in the state.

The state government has already constituted three committees at the divisional, district, and state level for effective reporting and monitoring developments in identifying and evicting encroachments in water bodies and government lands.

The state-level committee will be monitored by Chief Secretary, V. Irai Anbu, and will review the overall progress in eviction. This will be in compliance with several court orders in respect of encroachments in water bodies as also government lands.

While a section of the encroachments have been removed in Kancheepuram district, the process is currently halted due to the urban local body elections.

The drive in Kancheepuram was conducted jointly by the Revenue and Water Resources Department and authorities said that they have reclaimed 82 acres of government land worth Rs 487 crore.

Encroachers have converted these water bodies to mango farms, and agriculture fields. In some areas, even houses and hospitals were constructed in these places.

Talking to IANS, state Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan said: "We have put a brake on the drive due to the urban local body elections and once it gets over, the anti-encroachment drive will be pursued with full vigour." District Collectors and revenue officials of various districts told IANS that after the urban polls a massive drive against encroachments will be conducted and action will be taken against the encroachers under the TN Protection of Tanks and Eviction of Encroachment Act.
Gurugram, Feb 16 : Days after the partial collapse of a building in Gurugrams Chintels Paradiso left two persons dead, another housing society -- NBCC Green View Society located in Sector 37-D - has been declared unsafe for the residents.

"The residents have been directed to vacate their houses in the society by March 1," said Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram.

The decision came after Nishant Kumar Yadav, Chairman and Deputy Commissioner, District Disaster Management Authority, Gurugram, called a joint meeting of the residents and top officials of the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) on Wednesday.

In the meeting, it was decided that the residents would vacate their houses in the society by March 1. Currently, 140 families are living in the said society.

The NBCC has given the option to shift these families to alternate residential facilities and it is ready to bear the shifting cost. In case the family does not wish to stay in the alternate accommodation suggested by it, the residents can rent a flat of the same size as before, and the rent for which will be borne by the NBCC.

Yadav said that in case the residents want to take a refund, the district administration will order the NBCC to refund with interest within one month, in which the interest as per the law and legal provisions will be given at simple rates.

Yadav explained to the residents that the ownership of their flats would remain theirs and demolition would not be done without giving proper compensation to the owners.

He said that a decision regarding refund would be taken after the report of the second expert committee is received, and if it is found in the report that the building is safe to live in or can be recovered after some repairs etc.

The residents who are not willing to stay there and want a refund will be given a refund with lawful interests.

"In view of the present circumstances, the society has to be vacated," Yadav said.

NBCC CMD P.K. Gupta said. "Initially, we were also surprised as to why this happened. We could not understand how cracks were emerging in the exterior of the building. That is why experts from IIT Delhi were engaged in the safety audit.

"The IIT Delhi team conducted a study and recommended testing, in which it was found that there is more chloride in the water, which is causing corrosion. The team concluded that the society's buildings are unsafe, and they should be vacated within two months.

"After this, the NBCC could not decide whether the building should be repaired or dismantled, hence an expert committee consisting of four members from CPRI and IIT Roorkee was formed. On its recommendation, many tests were carried in the society, the report of which is yet to come."
Gangtok, Feb 16 : India's Eastern Army chief Lt General R.P. Kalita on Thursday visited forward areas and reviewed operational preparedness along borders in Sikkim where he was briefed by senior commanders about the prevailing situation on the ground.

A defence spokesman said that during Lt Gen Kalita's visit in the forward areas, he interacted with the troops and complimented the soldiers for their professionalism, dedication and commitment for maintaining round the clock vigil in inhospitable terrain and adverse climatic conditions.

On Tuesday, the Eastern Army commander had met Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad and Sikkim High Court Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder and issues related to the current security situation along the borders and various facets of the ongoing civil-military cooperation were discussed in these meetings.

Lt Gen Kalita arrived at Sukna in Siliguri on February 14 on a three-day visit to the Trishakti Corps. He was briefed by corps commander, Lt Gen Tarun Kumar Aich on the prevailing situation and operational preparedness of the formations, the defence spokesman added.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Over 200 proposals/requirements were received from 38 line ministries/departments for scientific applications and technological support and solutions by all the six science and technology departments, including Space and Atomic Energy, Union Science and Technology Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

"So far, 38 ministries in the Government of India have sought technology support in different sectors. The concerned Science Ministries and Departments are on the job applying different scientific solutions for sectors such as agriculture, land mapping, dairy, food, education, skill, railways, roads, Jal Shakti, power, coal and sewage cleaning to name a few," he said while presiding over a high-level joint meeting of all the science ministries and departments at Prithvi Bhawan here.

Building on previous such meetings, joint working groups are being set up between science departments and line ministries to speed up identification of the scientific applications for the latter's proposals and problems, he said.

With the help of the Capacity Building Commission, a template is also being prepared to take up theme wise deliberations between Centre and states/UTs depending on specific needs, from place to place. The Minister said that the first round of meetings involving science ministries and departments from the Centre and all states/UTs has been completed and demands from the States for scientific solutions are being compiled.

After the unlocking of the space sector for private players, innovative startups are coming in a big way to explore the untapped potential, he said, adding that more than 50 startups are working in the space sector and about 10 of them are having funding of over Rs 50 crore or more individually.

The meeting was attended by Advisor to Prime Minister, Bhaskar Khulbe; Principal Scientific Adviser to the government, Prof. K VijayRaghavan, CSIR Secretary, Dr Shekhar Mande, Secretary, Earth Sciences, Dr M Ravichandran; Secretary, Science and Technology, Dr S Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Biotechnology, Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Space and ISRO Chairman, S. Somanath, Secretary, Atomic Energy, Dr K.N. Vyas, Secretary, Capacity Building Commission Hemang Jani, and other senior officials.
Senapati : /New Delhi (IANS) "I see no reason why there cannot be a settlement," Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said in his maiden election rally in Manipur on Wednesday, wooing the Naga population and urging them to vote for the Naga People's Front (NPF) candidates.

Rio himself heads NDPP-BJP-NPF regime in Nagaland; he hails from NDPP and was invited by the NPF - the party he split in 2017 - to address election rallies in neighbouring Manipur, which goes to polls in two phases on February 28 and March 5.

The NPF has fielded 10 candidates for the 60-member Assembly and it is keen to play a major role post the results in the formation of the new government in Imphal.

"Whatever competencies agreed, make the agreement. And whatever cannot be resolved, continue the discussions," Rio stated.

He is not the first leader to say so. But it is important that Rio has echoed these sentiments. The same words and sentiments were earlier echoed by former Nagaland Governor, R.N. Ravi.

The Central BJP leaders too have been pressing for the same and so did a conglomeration of seven Naga ultra-groups, NNPG (led by N. Kitovi Zhimomi).

But Rio echoing the same issues and 'concerns' flagged earlier by the Central government agencies and former Governor Ravi on the issue of extortion carried out by Naga rebel groups makes a lot of political as well as administrative sense.

Neiphiu Rio was a Congress leader himself and a former lieutenant of veteran S.C. Jamir. Rio is known as one of the few Naga leaders who has developed proximity to Thuingaleng Muivah, the powerful NSCN (IM) general secretary, over the last two decades.

The former Congress stalwart Jamir, who later became Gujarat Governor during the tenure of Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister, had strong differences and 'bitter rivalry' with Muivah and NSCN (IM).

Jamir was even shot at by suspected NSCN (IM) gunmen in Delhi's Nagaland House in 1993.

In his speech at Senapati on Wednesday, Rio also said, "The Naga movement is a partial success already... The government of India has recognised the earnestness of the Naga history." "Naga struggle, I will say, is not a total failure," Rio said, perhaps hinting towards a somewhat antagonistic stand taken by the rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagaland - NSCN (IM).

This rebel group led by Thuingaleng Muivah, a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur's Ukhrul region, has a substantial support base in Manipur hills and had created major hurdles in the peace process by raising the bogey of separate Constitution and Naga flag (in 2019) during the peace talks.

Echoing the sentiment that actually clamours for early solution to the Naga political problem, Rio went on to say -- though his state (Nagaland) is set to go to the polls early next year -- he is "not (very) keen to have elections".

"I want solution...," he said.

Ravi, who is a retired Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau, was shunted out as the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

Rio said, "There should be no violence in our society.... There should be no extortion," and went on to add, "The burden is too much." "Nagas have so many tribes and now Naga groups have so many camps. It is not workable.... Today our society is already divided," said the Nagaland Chief Minister, blasting at the extortion culture, and maintained, "We have so many taxations... Over and above organisations, so many individuals." Speaking against extortion, the Chief Minister said, "Burden is so much on the common people. We have to seriously think, otherwise there is no future." "This cannot sustain," Rio said, virtually echoing what former Ravi had said two years back.

Such a statement from the then Governor Ravi had also created differences between Rio and Ravi.

In his speech at a students' conference in Phek in Nagaland on Tuesday, Rio had said that the Centre is willing to grant additional seats in the Assembly and Parliament to resolve the decades-old Naga political issue.

At present, Nagaland has a 60-member Assembly and one Member of Parliament each in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The Naga peace talks have been put on fast-track lately and the Centre also reached out to an umbrella group of rebel leaders, NNPG, led by N. Kitovi Zhimomi.

Both Rio and NPF leader and former Nagaland CM T.R. Zeliang lauded BJP Chief Minister N. Biren Singh of Manipur for respecting the Naga sentiment and NPF representatives in the Manipur assembly.

They both flayed Congress stalwart O. Ibobi Singh and said the then Chief Minister in 2011 had strongly opposed the formation of the NPF unit in Manipur.

Rio also said that then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram had advised him not to visit Manipur's Naga areas to launch the NPF party in the state.

Meitei Manipuris have a strong apprehension that Naga rebel group NSCN (IM) would try to impact the 'territorial integrity' of Manipur with their demand for a 'greater Nagalim'. This demand has been rejected by the Centre.

However, one NPF general secretary, Huska Yepthomi, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to deliver the Naga peace formula in 18 months as was promised earlier.

Yephthomi also slammed the BJP for attacks on churches in various parts of the country. He criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not mentioning northeast and eight states in one of his controversial tweets.

The NPF general secretary said that the Congress has been reduced to being a "Mother-son-daughter party".

(The writer is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also the author of books, 'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth')
New Delhi, Feb 16 : An Egyptian vulture, found in a critical state in Delhi, was rescued by Wildlife SOS Rapid Response unit and is currently under medical observation.

Police officials at the police station in Kalyanpuri area of east Delhi had spotted the injured vulture, hanging from a tree, with a critically injured left wing, on Tuesday and immediately contacted the Wildlife SOS team on their 24-hour rescue helpline.

Identified as a rare Egyptian vulture in its juvenile stages, the bird was carefully transferred into a transportation carrier and rushed to a recovery facility, where it continues to be under medical observation.

"It is suspected that the bird had fallen victim to the deadly Manja, a glass-coated string used to fly kites," Wildlife SOS said in a release on Wednesday.

Wasim Akram, Deputy Director-Special Projects for Wildlife SOS, said, juvenile Egyptian vultures take small flights, often stopping for rest in safe areas devoid of predators. This particular vulture was unable to take flight as it injured its wing, most probably due to being caught in manja. "Our team has placed the vulture under mandated medical observation to ensure it recuperates safely." Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO & Co-founder of Wildlife SOS, said: "Manja, the nylon string coated in glass commonly used for kite flying, can be lethal for birds as they can get entangled in them and suffer dire injuries. These strings are so sharp that they can cut through the flesh and bone of a bird. The Wildlife SOS team has rescued numerous birds caught in manja. Our Rapid Response Unit and our veterinary team are thoroughly trained to ensure that such cases are handled with the utmost caution." Earlier this month, Wildlife SOS rescued another Egyptian vulture that was found in a semi-conscious state outside a house in Sector-26, Noida.

The Egyptian vulture is an old-world vulture widely distributed in India, the Iberian Peninsula, and North Africa. These majestic birds are useful scavengers and play an integral role in the ecosystem by feeding on carrion and disposing carcasses of dead animals thereby preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

Despite their importance, the Egyptian vulture population is slowly declining due to various anthropogenic pressures such as habitat loss, and is listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : A complaint has been filed against Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal at a police station in Mohali in Punjab for his alleged collaboration with Khalistani separatists.

The complainant, Congress leader Sandeep Dixit, in his complaint quoted an interview former Aam Aadmi Party leader, Kumar Vishwas.

As put forth by Dikshit, Vishwas in the interview had spoken about his and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's conversations during the 2017 Assembly elections in Punjab.

Vishwas had warned Arvind Kejriwal in 2017 against increasing Khalistani separatists. The complaint further read that Kejriwal had ignored the warnings, and said that he will manage them.

"...Thereby accepting that he was in contact with separatists for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections," the complaint read.

It further said that Kejriwal did not express any opposition to the idea of Khalistan and instead supported it, stating that in the said case, 'he will happily become the Prime Minister of an independent state of Khalistan'.

"The statements were made with an intention to cause, or most likely to cause, fear or alarm within the public. In view of this, a case of sedition has been lodged against Kejriwal," Dikshit's complaint read.

Pertinently, no FIR was registered in connection with this till now.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Raghav Chadha refuted the allegations and lashed out at Vishwas for defaming and deriding Kejriwal.

"The malicious, unfounded, fabricated and inflammatory insinuations made by Vishwas are not only demonstrably defamatory, but are redolent of promoting hatred ill will, and hostility in the society, in particular against the AAP," Chadha said.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : In a key development in ABG Shipyards loan fraud case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday lodged a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The case was lodged on the basis of the FIR filed by the CBI on the State Bank of India's complaint against the company and its directors for cheating a consortium of banks to the tune of Rs 22,842 crore.

The ED had asked the CBI to hand them over the relevant documents connected to the case, and initiated its probe into the matter. After conducting a preliminary probe and taking legal opinion, the ED decided to lodge a PMLA case.

Now, the ED can summon the Directors to join the investigation to record their statements before their officials.

In the case, there are 28 banks involved in the consortium with huge amount of disbursement to the company in the way of CC loans, term loans, letters of credit, bank guarantee etc. that were given as advance by the banks.

The fraud is primarily on account of huge transfer by ABG Shipyard Ltd to its related parties and subsequently making adjustment entries. It is also alleged that huge investment were made in its overseas subsidiary by diverting the bank loans and funds were also diverted to purchase huge assets in the name of its related parties.

ABG Shipyards took loan of Rs 1,228 crore from the Indian Overseas Bank, Rs 1,244 crore from the Punjab National Bank, Rs 1,614 crore from the Bank of Baroda, Rs 7,089 crore from the ICICI Bank and Rs 3,634 crore from the IDBI Bank and then defaulted. Initially the banks initiated an internal inquiry in which it was found that the company was cheating the consortium by diverting funds to different entities.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : Apart from Gujarat, which was the only state to have a Science & Technology policy, 11 more states, including those from the northeast, are now working to prepare their respective Science and Technology policies.

"Different states have different capacities, but all of them are on board to work jointly with the Centre in areas such as R&D, innovation and STI ecosystem. After brainstorming sessions for the last four months, 11 more states, including Sikkim, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, are preparing their S&T policy," Union Minister for Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh, said on Wednesday.

Each of the states and Union Territories has been asked to identify the areas where technological interventions can help resolve diverse problems to enable ease of living for the common man, he said.

For instance, the UT government of Jammu & Kashmir will be assisted through the latest snow clearing technology, while Puducherry and Tamil Nadu are being assisted in restoration and renovation of sea-beach.

Singh was speaking while presiding over a high-level joint meeting of all the science ministries and science departments at Prithvi Bhawan, the Ministry of Earth Sciences headquarters here.

Meanwhile, Singh said that a common booklet on reforms undertaken by all the six S&T departments, including Space and Atomic Energy, since 2014 would be compiled and released in the coming days.
New Delhi, Feb 16 : The Border Security Force (BSF) has recovered two bottles of contraband suspected to be heroin along with a Chinese-made pistol, two magazines and 26 live rounds, the force officials said here on Wednesday.

According to the BSF, on Tuesday, the BSF troops while carrying out a search operation and area domination in Ferozepur sector recovered contraband suspected to be heroin weighing around 3.950 kg along with arms and ammunition.

There has been a spurt in smuggling of contraband, arms and ammunition in view of the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled on February 20, while attempts were also made for infiltration along the Punjab border.

On February 2, the BSF troopers shot one Pakistani intruder who crossed the International Border and entered into the Indian territory near the border outpost in Ferozepur sector.

On January 20, the BSF had foiled an attempt of smuggling of contraband in a flying object coming from Pakistan in Punjab's Amritsar sector and seized heroin weighing over 7 kg.

Similarly, on January 28, the BSF had foiled arms and narcotics smuggling from Pakistan in Gurdaspur sector in Punjab and recovered arms, ammunition and narcotics suspected to be heroin in large quantities, in which a jawan was injured during the crossfire by the miscreants.
Patna, Feb 16 : A day after Lalu Prasad Yadav was held guilty in another in fodder scam, RJD Vice President Shivanand Tiwari on Wednesday wondered why only the party chief was being targeted in corruption cases.

"The special CBI court has punished Lalu Prasad Yadav repeatedly in one case. It had held Lalu Prasad guilty in the past, we were expecting the same result this time too. They made five FIRs for one case and pronounce punishments separately.

"Moreover, the way leaders of ruling parties gave the statement against Lalu Prasad Yadav, it looked like he is the only culprit in the world and they are saints," Tiwari said.

"For any corruption case in our country, actions take place on the line of meeting the political intention and motive of a party ruling in the country. If we remember the 2015 Assembly elections of Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Gopalganj and Muzaffarpur rallies, said that Nitish Kumar was involved in 22 scams. At that time Narendra Modi was campaigning for BJP and Nitish Kumar was the chief Ministerial face of Mahagathbandhan," Tiwari said.

"What happened to those 22 scams? Were those charges wiped out after Nitish Kumar jumped into the camp of prime minister in 2017?" he asked.

"The irony is that Narendra Modi who alleged that Nitish Kumar was an accused of 22 scams, has now declared him a socialist leader of the country. More interestingly, Nitish Kumar, who said that if he would shake hands with Narendra Modi, crores of Muslims of the country would come under fear, is accepting certificates of being a socialist leader with folded hands," Tiwari said.

Earlier on Tuesday, RJD leaders Jagadanand Singh, Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav, Shyam Rajak and many other leaders expressed similar views following Lalu Prasad Yadav's conviction.

Besides RJD leaders, Hindustani Awam Morcha Jitan Ram Manjhi also came out in support of Lalu Prasad Yadav.

"Lalu ji is a preceptor of social equality and social justice in the country. The poor people of Bihar are disheartened after a CBI court held him guilty in a fodder scam. He is making a huge contribution in the society," Manjhi, the former Chief Minister of Bihar, said.

"I would not like to comment on the court decision but I must say that people of the country are taking inspiration from socialist leaders like him. It is painful and extremely unfortunate that he is going to jail regularly in one case. I pray to god for his good health," Manjhi said.
New Delhi, Feb 17 : Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, on Wednesday sought clarification from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on a statement made by former AAP member Kumar Vishwas, terming it as very sensitive.

Vishwas in an interview has spoken about his and Kejriwal's conversations during the 2017 Assembly elections in Punjab.

Vishwas had warned Kejriwal in 2017 against increasing Khalistani separatists. A complaint lodged in this connection by Congress leader Sandip Dikshit at a police station Mohali read that Kejriwal had ignored the warnings, and had said that he will manage them.

Kharge said, "Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal must clarify on the statement made by his party founder Kumar Vishwas. Punjab is a very sensitive state where maintaining peace is of paramount importance. Kejriwal must show maturity and sensitivity when talking about a border state like Punjab." "Kejriwal accepted that he was in contact with separatists for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections in 2017," Dikshit said in his complaint.

It further said that Kejriwal did not express any opposition to the idea of Khalistan and instead supported it, stating that in the said case, "he will happily become the Prime Minister of an independent state of Khalistan".

"The statements were made with an intention to cause, or most likely to cause, fear or alarm within the public. In view of this, a case of sedition has been lodged against Kejriwal," Dikshit's complaint read.

Pertinently, no FIR was registered in connection with this till now.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Raghav Chadha refuted the allegations and lashed out at Vishwas for defaming and deriding Kejriwal.

"The malicious, unfounded, fabricated and inflammatory insinuations made by Vishwas are not only demonstrably defamatory, but are redolent of promoting hatred ill will, and hostility in the society, in particular against the AAP," Chadha said.
Jakarta, Feb 17 : A Singapore Airlines flight landed on Indonesia's resort island of Bali for the first time since the country closed international borders to tourism in March 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, an official has said.

Flight SQ938 took off from Singapore's Changi Airport and landed at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, carrying 156 passengers including 109 foreigners, Xinhua news agency quoted Nia Niscaya, deputy for marketing of Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, as saying.

"This will increase the accessibility of foreign tourists to Indonesia, especially to Bali, and is expected to encourage the recovery of the national economy through the tourism sector," Niscaya added.

Singapore Airlines' general manager for Indonesia, Alvin Seah, said that the airline operates seven Singapore-Bali flights a week with Boeing 787-10 aircraft with a seating capacity of 337.

"We hope that the situation in Indonesia will continue to improve and remain under control so that the tourism industry will recover," Seah said.

It is the first foreign commercial airline to have activated flights to Bali in the last two years, although the resort island officially reopened to international tourists in October 2021.

State airline Garuda Indonesia started activating international flight routes to Bali by carrying 12 passengers from Tokyo's Narita Airport on February 3.
Desbry Tropical Avocado Larger Size Compared to Mexican Hass Avocado With hundreds of avocado varieties available worldwide, these big Desbry Tropical Avocados delight foodies and families year-round. Our fruit is premium quality, and we always look forward to introducing it to avocado-loving consumers.

Tropical Fruit Box, the leading online purveyor of tropical and exotic fruits and roots from around the world, offers ample supply of its Desbry Tropical Avocado for immediate shipping, when customers may be experiencing low inventory of the Mexican variety and foreseen higher prices. With the current U.S. government suspension of avocado imports from Mexico, consumers can continue to purchase and enjoy larger, Tropical Avocados from the Dominican Republic this winter, and from Florida as spring approaches.

Grown and distributed by parent company WP Produce Corporation, headquartered in Miami, Florida, Desbry premium-quality Tropical Avocados remain green when ripe, are about three times larger than the smaller Hass variety, have a sturdier texture, and stay fresh longer after being cut (slower to oxidize and turn brown).

The impending shortage of Mexican avocados is happening during peak season for Tropical Avocados, so consumers will not have to do without their favorite avocado recipes, as well as try new ones, while the Mexico suspension lingers.

With hundreds of avocado varieties available worldwide, these big, gorgeous and unique yet familiar Desbry Tropical Avocados delight foodies and families year-round, states Desiree Pardo Morales, founder and president of Tropical Fruit Box. "Our fruit is premium quality, and we always look forward to introducing it to avocado-loving consumers.

Desbry Tropical Avocados are great for slicing and dicing, salads, sandwiches, pico de gallo, ceviche, toast, and even smoothies. They spread very easily with their buttery and creamy smooth texture.

Recipes and usage suggestions for Desbry Tropical Avocados can be found on the Tropical Fruit Box Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tropicalfruitboxusa

Tropical Fruit Box.Desbry Tropical Avocado Image Gallery

About Tropical Fruit Box

Tropical Fruit Box is a women-powered small business that grows and procures tropical and exotic fruits and delivers them right to customers doorsteps. From tree to table, all fruits and roots are grown at local family farms in the fertile soils of Florida, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean as well as tropical regions of Asia and Africa. The companys quality-driven, farmer family partners have been growing the same produce for generations.
The advanced SmartKargo platform will enable us to build and develop a new, modern and robust air cargo business. The solution is the best technology available and will propel Air Senegal forward by allowing us to grow our cargo business to its full potential.Mr. Ibrahima Kane, CEO, Air Senegal

Air Senegal and SmartKargo today announced a partnership that will provide a digital transformation that will usher in a new era for the airlines cargo business. The west African-based airline will deploy the SmartKargo solution across all functional areas of its cargo business serving 19 destinations, including New York, Washington, and Paris from its hub at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal. Air Senegal is the flag carrier of the Republic of Senegal and the first African-based carrier to adopt the innovative SmartKargo technology.

The new platform will allow Air Senegal to digitally transform its Cargo business and successfully meet the future with robust Cargo management solution capabilities and advanced technologies such as real-time information, business intelligence, and machine learning. The solution will interface seamlessly with the airline's other systems and third-party providers via APIs -- for fast integration and deployment.

Enhanced capabilities include 100% paperless e-AWBs; ease of booking; modern and flexible technology; single screen data entries; user-configurable Business Intelligence (BI) and reporting; powerful pricing and rate making, and real-time capacity management. This means that Air Senegal will be able to deliver fast, highly-reliable, and highly-predictable air cargo shipments to support their growth.

Mr. Ibrahima Kane, CEO at Air Senegal said: The advanced SmartKargo platform will enable us to build and develop a new, modern and robust air cargo business. The fully digital solution is the best technology available and will propel Air Senegal forward by allowing us to grow our cargo business to its full potential.

Mr. Sydney Silveira, Manager Cargo Development at Air Senegal said: Our mission is to ensure that we build a successful Air Cargo Services Airline that will operate in the whole of Africa and a company that will grow to be listed amongst the top Cargo Preferred Airlines from Senegal to connect to the world. SmartKargo technology and leading-edge processes are being adopted by airlines of all sizes throughout the world. The platform provides a robust set of local and international features needed for the streamlined operation of a fully digital air cargo and logistics business.

Olivier Houri, CRO of QuantumID Technologies Inc. said: Air Senegals adoption of our advanced technology will provide a comprehensive solution to meet their objectives for the digital transformation of the commercial, operational and financial aspects of their air cargo business.

About Air Senegal

Founded in 2016, Air Senegal started operations in 2018, the company aims to become the leader of air transport in West Africa relying on its main hub at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar to connect Europe, the United States, and West Africa.

Our mission is to serve domestic, regional, and intercontinental routes in order to contribute to the growth of African civil aviation. Air Senegal is a dynamic company impregnated with the Senegalese culture and the TERANGA SPIRIT. Our main priorities are safety, reliability, and quality of service.

Air Senegal currently operates a fleet of nine aircraft: two Airbus A330-900Neo, two Airbus A321, two Airbus A319, two ATR 72-600 and one Airbus A220-300 (soon to be in service) through a network of 21 destinations which are Cap Skirring, Ziguinchor, Banjul, Praia, Freetown, Bamako, Bissau, Conakry, Nouakchott, Abidjan, Cotonou, Douala, Libreville, Casablanca, Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Barcelona, Milan, New-York and Washington

About SmartKargo

SmartKargo delivers advanced digital technology to facilitate the efficient digital transformation of an airlines cargo business. With deep expertise in air cargo, technology, and e-commerce, SmartKargo empowers airlines to open new revenue streams through the digital transformation of their air cargo business units, as recently featured in Forbes.

The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts (in what The New York Times called the most innovative square mile on the planet), with key offices in India, the Philippines, Brazil, and Canada. Learn more at smartkargo.com.

Media & Business Contact: Jen Pemberton, jen@smartkargo.com or Olivier Houri, olivier@smartKargo.com.

SOURCE: SmartKargo & Air Senegal
AiRANACULUS, a private, Massachusetts-based technology company providing early stage research, development, prototyping and consulting services, has completed a highly successful first year of operations, with major contract awards from NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

Space exploration and national security applications are, by their nature, mission-critical. These environments also present some of the most challenging technical problems for ensuring reliable, secure, high-speed communications, said Dr. Apurva N. Mody, founder and CEO of AiRANACULUS. We are gratified by the trust and confidence these key agencies have placed in us.

NASA contracts with AiRANACULUS address several communication requirements of the Artemis mission, the agencys plan for extensive human exploration of the lunar surface. The mission will involve substantial activity on the far side of the Moon, requiring flexible support for a variety of network configurations to integrate and manage networking, scientific, and navigation information in a time-critical manner. AiRANACULUS is developing a next-generation, cognitive communications platform to autonomously detect, adapt and learn from its experiences and environments to optimize mission communications. The systems will incorporate innovative sensing mechanisms to dynamically manage current and planned transmission spectrum attributes; machine learning and algorithmic decision strategies to minimize network interference and ensure system performance; and advanced digital signal processing to shrink form factors and lower costs.

The projects will provide NASA a unified traffic management architecture for both space and ground communications, dramatically simplifying control of these complex networks. The self-adjusting networks will introduce new levels of ultra-high availability and efficiency. This will provide significant future benefits for commercial and military terrestrial networks. Technologies developed through these programs can also be utilized for Smart City applications.

AiRANACULUS has also been awarded a DoD contract from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). IARPA invests in high-risk, high-payoff research programs to address the most difficult challenges within the intelligence community. This IARPA program is focused on providing a high level of data security within controlled facilities as well as in the wild by identifying unexpected radio frequency (RF) transmissions to detect attempted data breaches.

Under its contract, AiRANACULUS will develop new smart radio techniques to automatically detect and characterize suspicious signals and other anomalies in complex RF environments. The platform will incorporate innovative signal processing and machine learning techniques to rapidly identify a broad range of overt and surreptitious emissions using external characteristics (e.g., strength, frequency) of the RF signals themselves at data rates that can approach terabytes per second.

As DoD recently noted (DoD spectrum management awards), There is a strong and growing appreciation of the imperative for our warfighters to have assured, near real time access to spectrum. These awards are the latest in a series of prototype capabilities that provide warfighters many of the capabilities they need to operate in an increasingly constrained, congested, and contested electromagnetic spectrum environment.

For more information, please visit http://www.airanaculus.com.

About AiRANACULUS

AiRANACULUS (http://www.airanaculus.com) is at the forefront in Intelligent RF and Networking Solutions for applications ranging from Space to Smart Cities. The company has assembled the worlds leading experts to provide algorithms, reference architectures and products in signal processing, cross-layer analysis, cybersecurity and networking to create spectrum aware technologies capable of re-configuring radio and sensor systems for optimal performance in congested and contested environments.


2022 welcomes AmeriSaves 20-year anniversary, so its off to an exciting start.

AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation, one of the fastest-growing privately-held mortgage lenders in the nation, announced today that it funded more than $36 billion in loan volume in 2021; a 49% increase from 2020. AmeriSave funded nearly 130,000 refinances and purchase loans, representing a 38.6% increase in refinance loans and a 628.5% in purchase loans. Since launching the company in 2002, AmeriSave has helped more than 664,000 borrowers realize the dream of homeownership through the refinance and purchase process, totaling approximately $115 billion in loan volume.

While were incredibly proud of how many customers weve helped this past year, were even more excited for what we can do for them in the coming days and years, said Mike Berte, president and COO of AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation. By staying at the forefront of digital mortgages, AmeriSave continues to serve as a technology leader within the industry, paving the way for record profitability that were continually investing to expand our offerings and services.

AmeriSave was named #1 by LendingTree for customer satisfaction for the last five consecutive quarters (Q3 2020-Q3 2021), and continues to serve as an advocate for every individual on their path to homeownership and financial success. AmeriSave continues to broaden its services by continually focusing on innovation and adaptability. An intentional disruption that has allowed the AmeriSave team to provide even more savings and benefits directly to customers.

In 2021, AmeriSave launched several new business units to support its customers expanding needs:



AmeriSave Wholesale Mortgage Solutions (AWMS): Launched in June, using exclusive processing and underwriting technology called AUSSIE, AmeriSave has enabled their now more than 750 brokers to consistently close loans in 7 to 10 days. AWMS funded more than $1.3 billion in their first six months of operations making them one of the fastest-growing wholesale lenders in the industry.

AmeriSave Retail Lending: Since August, AmeriSave has been building the companys retail model in local markets across the country to better serve customers who want a retail, in-person experience. In the first four months, AmeriSave Retail established 43 branches, recruited 126 loan officers bringing in $204MM a month in production volume.

AmeriSave Solar: Launched in May, AmeriSave Solar helps customers take control of their rising energy costs by switching to renewable energy. This program has rapidly gained traction, demonstrating the strong consumer appetite for finding a better way to power one's home.

AmeriSave Realty, LLC: Launched in September, AmeriSave Realty makes it easier for customers to find a top real estate agent in their local market, using a national network of trusted and experienced partners. This provides immense value to customers who already trust the AmeriSave team and helps build long-lasting relationships with customers while growing partnerships with successful agents.

In addition, AmeriSave introduced several new customer-centric initiatives this past year:



RefiNow helps lower-income homeowners who still havent taken advantage of the near historic low rates and refinanced by offering a credit for out-of-pocket appraisal fees.

A fully, immersive Spanish-language experience to assist customers in their native language and ensure all homeowners can benefit from AmeriSaves low rates, streamlined application process and excellent customer service

Lock and Shop offers home buyers the opportunity to shop around for a home with peace of mind. This program helps buyers know not only what they can afford but also gives them the freedom of finding their dream home without worrying about a fluctuating rate.

The AmeriSave Certified Approval Letter, often referred to as the second-best thing to a cash offer, provides buyers a competitive advantage over other buyers.

2022 welcomes AmeriSaves 20-year anniversary, so its off to an exciting start. Were very proud of the path AmeriSave has paved during the last 20 years and were just as enthusiastic about what the future holds, continues Berte.

Known as a pioneer of digital origination, AmeriSave makes it easy to execute the loan process online and offers low rates for its different products, including conventional, jumbo, FHA, VA, and USDA loans. Many AmeriSave customers choose to self-serve all or most of their loan transactions with its intuitive software that drives speed and significantly lowers the cost to produce a loan. In turn, AmeriSave passes this savings along to thousands of customers each month in the form of low rates.

To learn more about AmeriSave or apply for available positions, please visit https://www.amerisave.com/.

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About AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation

Founded in 2002, AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation is a leading mortgage lender best known for pioneering the first truly digital mortgage experience to borrowers. With six major loan centers located across the U.S., AmeriSave is a direct-to-consumer lender, Equal Housing Lender, licensed in 49 states and D.C., FNMA, FHLMC, GNMA approved. For more information, visit amerisave.com. NMLS ID #1168.


Syncron is partnering with leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, Ashok Leyland, to develop new IoT capabilities for its Uptime predictive maintenance solution. We look forward to our partnership with Syncron further enabling our reliability engineers to identify failure and degradation problems earlier, maximize uptime, and deliver the exceptional products and service our customers expect. Dr. N Saravanan, chief technology officer, Ashok Leyland

Syncron, the largest privately-owned leader in intelligent SaaS solutions dedicated to Service Lifecycle Management (SLM), announced today its partnership with Ashok Leyland. As the second largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India and the fourth largest manufacturer of buses in the world, Ashok Leylands fully integrated manufacturing footprint extends across 50 countries and is fueled by a constant drive for efficiency, cost control, quality, reliability, and innovation  the same attributes that Syncrons solutions address.

Alignment between Syncrons extensive experience in the automotive, service, and parts industries and Ashok Leylands advanced machine learning models and sensor data led the companies to work on developing an industrial IoT-enabled predictive maintenance solution for the manufacturers extensive fleet of vehicles. As a part of the partnership, Syncron is integrating an anomaly detection model into Ashok Leyland Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS) for a highly effective, completely connected vehicle solution that will potentially fuse predictive analytics with more accurate and relevant prediction processing to improve product reliability.

In support of the partnership, Syncron has released new capabilities for Syncron Uptime that further enable manufacturers to leverage a proactive react before failure approach by predicting and resolving issues before downtime occurs. Additionally, Syncron Uptime now goes beyond aggregating and analyzing data to offer a personalized recommendation for issue resolution by domain experts.

In a highly competitive market where vehicle uptime and total cost of ownership are critical to both sales and customer trust, our priority is to develop innovative ways to improve the customer experience through digital transformation that includes early resolution of potential failures, says Dr. N Saravanan, Chief Technology Officer, Ashok Leyland. We look forward to our partnership with Syncron further enabling our reliability engineers to identify failure and degradation problems earlier, maximize uptime, and deliver the exceptional products and service our customers expect.

New functionality:



Virtual Sensor Framework: To capture a complete picture of equipment performance, new formula-based Virtual Sensors with advanced machine learning (ML) Model predictions and anomaly alerts have been added.

Data Validation: Increasing the accuracy of ML predictions, Syncron Uptime now includes a data validation framework through which data scientists can accept or reject values

Aggregation Algorithm: Applying the right aggregation strategies is significant to enabling efficient anomaly and failure prediction analysis. Uptime now picks the most critical data for in an aggregated view for anomaly analysis.

Rule-Based Data Filter: Data scientists can use rule-based filtering to control the noise from non-operational equipment and enable more accurate, relevant prediction processing.

Prediction Window: Users can now visualize the major contributors to high anomaly scores in sensor readings and automatically perform root cause analysis to gain meaningful insights from prediction windows.

As manufacturers shift from a reactive break-fix model towards a predictive and proactive one, they look to leverage data from connected products and gain actionable insights using advanced AI/ML technology, says Ashok Kartham, Chief Product Officer (CPO), Syncron. Through this partnership with Ashok Leyland, we hope to equip their customers with Syncron Uptimes powerful failure detection technology in order to get ahead of the equipment failure, thus improving product uptime and customer service satisfaction.

Over the next three years, Syncron and Ashok Leyland aim to scale the number of vehicles equipped with Uptime and to use advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence tools for prognostic recommendations and allow service and parts functions to leverage data for proactive maintenance.

To learn more about Syncron Uptime, visit: http://www.syncron.com/uptime. To learn more about Ashok Leylands commitment to quality, visit: http://www.ashokleyland.com/quality

About Ashok Leyland

Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, is the second largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India, the fourth largest manufacturer of buses in the world, and the seventeenth largest manufacturer of trucks. Headquartered in Chennai, 9 manufacturing plants gives an international footprint  7 in India, a bus manufacturing facility in Ras al Khaimah (UAE), and one at Leeds, United Kingdom. A US$ 2.3 billion (2019-20) company, and a footprint that extends across 50 countries, we are one of the most fully integrated manufacturing company. Ashok Leyland has a product range from 2.5T GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) to 55T GTW (Gross Trailer Weight) in trucks, 16 to 80-seater buses, vehicles for defense and special applications, and diesel engines for industrial, genset, and marine applications.

About Syncron

Syncron accelerates leading manufacturers and distributors to capitalize on the world's new service economy. We improve aftermarket business profitability, optimize working capital, increase customer loyalty, and enable our customers ability to transition successfully to future service-driven business models. With our industry-leading investments in AI and ML, Syncron offers the first, innovative, customer-endorsed, and complete end-to-end intelligent Service Lifecycle Management solution portfolio. Syncrons offer encompasses leadership solutions such as: service parts inventory, price, equipment uptime, warranty, service contract, and field service management. Delivered on Syncrons Connected Service Experience (CSX) platform, our solutions offer customers competitive differentiation through exceptional aftermarket service experiences, while simultaneously driving significant revenue and profit improvements into a manufacturer or distributors business. It is no secret that world's top brands trust Syncron, making it the largest privately-owned global leader in intelligent SLM SaaS solutions. For more information, visit http://www.syncron.com
"We strongly feel that Intact is the right partner for us to take the next step in becoming a recognized standard setter in the cannabis and cannabis-adjacent industries. Our goal is to create a better, safer and more sustainable industry," said Tyler Williams, Chief Technical Officer of CSQ.

In 2020, ASI launched the Cannabis Safety & Quality (CSQ) Standards to promote industry best practices and improve the overall safety and quality of cannabis and cannabis-infused products in the market. ASI has now commissioned Intact to develop the CSQ standard setter platform and provide audit and certification technologies to further develop CSQ and enable its infrastructure. The standard setter platform will provide the core infrastructure enabling stability, consistency, and quality of the CSQ standard and its continued growth.

Intact, the international software provider, specializes in audit, certification, and standards industry solutions. The company has demonstrated its expertise in building standard setter infrastructures through collaborations with the GRMA, IFS, and IAQG, among others. The partnership with ASI will accelerate the professionalization of the CSQ ecosystem to drive the safety and quality of the cannabis industry forward.

"We strongly feel that Intact is the right partner for us to take the next step in becoming a recognized standard setter in the cannabis and cannabis-adjacent industries. Our goal is to create a better, safer and more sustainable industry. State-of-the-art infrastructure is essential for transparent and traceable auditing to achieve that goal. Intact has proven time and again that it can provide such systems on a global scale. We are excited to have them on board for this project," said Tyler Williams, Chief Technical Officer of CSQ.

Intact is equally proud of this new partnership. Jake Lewin, CEO of Intact US, states, "We are very excited to partner with ASI on this groundbreaking project. The cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the standards space. CSQ's goal to improve the regulation of the industry will not only increase safety and quality across the entire sector but ultimately benefit the well-being of consumers across the nation. We support their mission and cannot wait to get to work building a future-proof infrastructure."

Intact and ASI will start work on the new CSQ infrastructure in early 2022. The CSQ platform will be based on Intact's audit and certification software, the Intact Platform, and will launch in 2022. ASI is slated to adopt the Intact Platform in 2023.

About Intact  http://www.intact-systems.com

Intact is the market leader in audit, certification, and standard management with its two main products, the Intact Platform and Intact Analytics. Their solutions help customers worldwide boost their efficiency and profitability while assuring the highest possible safety and quality of products, services, and qualifications. Founded in 2001 in Austria, Intact develops software solutions that guarantee quality assurance in the food industry. Today, Intact has seven global offices and sales partners in Austria, the USA, Switzerland, the UK, Germany, and Australia and is used across management, food, and other certification sectors.

About ASI  https://asifood.com/

ASI Food Safety is a provider of independent third-party certification, inspection and training services. Based in Missouri and serving clients nationally, ASI has been providing farm-to-fork safety solutions, such as third-party safety & quality certifications and inspections, consulting and training to the food industry since the 1940s. ASIs innovative, reliable and trusted food safety and quality solutions assist customers in minimizing risk, reducing recalls, eliminating foodborne illness, and protecting their brand and the health and well-being of their customers.

About CSQ  https://csqcertification.com

The Cannabis Safety & Quality (CSQ) Standards were launched in 2020 to promote industry best practices and improve the overall safety and quality of cannabis and cannabis-infused products in the market. The CSQ Certification Program and applicable standards were built around both the ISO/IEC 17067 and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Benchmarking requirements. Each standard has been developed by industry professionals and stakeholders to meet industry, customers, and regulatory requirements from seed-to-sale. Sites who achieve the CSQ certification will prove to their customers that they are fully committed to supplying only the safest and highest quality products on the market.

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"The SOC 2 Type 2 report is a testament to our relentless commitment to ensure security, privacy and availability for all our customers and services."

Globally trusted digital commerce specialist Astound Commerce has announced that it has successfully completed its System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type 2 audit for the second year in a row, fortifying the companys robust security and compliance posture.

A SOC 2 Type 2 report assesses organizational controls against the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' (AICPA) Trust Services Principles (TSPs): Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy. A badge of trust, the SOC 2 Type 2 certification reflects Astounds ongoing commitment to cybersecurity best practices, securing the data and protecting the privacy of its valued customers.

Astounds company-wide commitment to meet the stringent industry standards for security and privacy established by the AICPA delivers a powerful message to its clients, prospects, and partners as it makes every effort to build revolutionary ecommerce ecosystems while maintaining exceptional security standards. Moreover, the company is dedicated to continuously deepening its ecommerce and technical expertise, providing extensive, first-rate security awareness training to its 1,600 ecommerce specialists around the world.

Cybersecurity and data privacy is our top priority. As part of our ongoing effort to incorporate best information security practices and controls into our services and operations, we continually invest into our business operations to meet the latest regulatory requirements. The SOC 2 Type 2 report is a testament to our relentless commitment to ensure security, privacy and availability for all our customers and services, said Igor Gorin, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder, Astound Commerce.

We are proud of our SOC2 Type 2 compliance and our relentless focus on security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy. It is a mission-critical part of our mission-critical digital commerce solutions, said Michael Kahn, Global CEO, Astound Commerce.

Aside from receiving the SOC 2 Type 2 certification, Astound also complies with the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework and Swiss-US Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the US Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information transferred from the European Union and Switzerland to the United States.

With more than 20 years experience, a global team of 1,600 deeply passionate experts, more than 3,000 projects completed, and dozens of industry accolades, Astound once again solidifies its position as a leader in the digital commerce space.

About Astound Commerce:

Astound Commerce creates digital experiences that engage consumers and fuel exponential growth. With a strong global presence, more than 20 years experience, and a team of 1,600 deeply passionate experts in the areas of growth, design, demand, and technology, Astound Commerce had the opportunity to partner with visionary brands such as LOreal, Boohoo, Halfords, FLOR, TOMS, and Crocs. Astound is responsible for more than 3,000 successful digital commerce projects and 400 end-to-end website launchessites which last year generated nearly US$10 billion in revenue.

Astound Commerce partners with best-in-class technology providers including Salesforce, Shopify, and Magento to provide the best possible experience for clients. Astound has earned Salesforce B2C Commerce Expert and Retail Industry Specialist status, among other distinctions, reflecting ongoing excellence in the Salesforce ecosystem. To learn more, visit astoundcommerce.com.
James Hunt, who has written a weekly column for a local paper, has completed his new book The Haunting of Cindy Hobson: a gripping and potent thriller that begins as big-time author Al Haunt arrives at Cindys All Night Truck Stop, Diner, and Motel. Cindy Hobson, the beautiful, young owner-operator, didnt realize that after the business had been dropped in her lap, after the death of her parents, one day she would have to make the choice of her lifethe one decision she didnt feel she could make.

Author James Hunt writes, Four passengers slept through the ride as they left Marlow, Oklahoma, en route to Wallville, Oklahoma, their next scheduled stop. There were two college students heading back to East Central University in Ada, after a two-week visit with parents and friends in Holly, Colorado. A grandmotherly woman who was traveling on to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, to visit children. She lived alone now and looked forward to these visits with her son, his wife, and children. It seemed their occupations kept them so engaged they hardly got free time to come see her in Canyon, Colorado. So she decided shed come to see them. She realized life was too short and people didnt need to get so wrapped up with work, as her son had done, to enjoy friends, loved ones, and life.

Published by Page Publishing, James Hunts captivating tale follows Cindy Hobson as she is forced to make an impossible choice.

Readers who wish to experience this original work can purchase The Haunting of Cindy Hobson at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
"Were thrilled to have added almost one million new users to our platform in 2021 from some of the largest frontline employers in North America and were on track for an even more successful 2022" - Axonify President and CEO Carol Leaman

Reflecting on strong performance in 2021, including record revenue growth and marquee client additions, Axonify, a leader in frontline employee training and communications, today reaffirmed its commitment to the global frontline workforce as the company anticipates the largest Q1 growth in its history.

"Were thrilled to have added almost one million new users to our platform in 2021 from some of the largest frontline employers in North America and beyond. And with organizations everywhere prioritizing workforce agility, engagement and retention, were on track for an even more successful 2022," said Carol Leaman, president and CEO of Axonify. "Were committed to supporting the performance and well-being of frontline workers everywhere by offering mobile-first training and communications that fit seamlessly into the flow of the workday. By helping employees confidently grow their knowledge and skills, were also creating meaningful behavioral changes that drive business success."

Axonify delivers personalized, scalable training through its modern learning platform and complimentary, customizable reinforcement content for all customers through its Content Marketplace. This past year, Axonify surpassed 600 frontline-focused workplace learning topics in its Content Marketplace to help new and existing customers quickly roll out training - from communication skills and diversity in the workplace, to customer service and managing workplace stress.

In 2021, Axonify welcomed high-profile brands, including AT&T, Kroger, and Dollar General, to the list of organizations that rely on the platform for frontline training support, helping the company achieve a 35% growth rate. Axonify also saw a 44% year-over-year increase in the number of grocery stores using its solutions to help train associates to deliver excellent customer experiences in the face of new fulfillment options, safety protocols and other challenges ushered in by the pandemic.

To support its growth, Axonify increased its workforce by 15% in 2021, including adding staff in EMEA to support the company's increased European presence. Axonify plans to grow by another 20% in 2022 across all areas of the business in both North America and Europe with an emphasis in eastern Canada as well as the US and UK.

Critical to Axonifys momentum in 2021 was a strategic growth investment by Luminate Capital Partners, a private equity firm, as well as the company's first acquisition in the U.S. - Atlanta-based MLevel, a data-driven digital learning platform.

About Axonify

Axonify gets frontline employees ready for anything with a training and communications solution that actually works. Why does it work so well? Because the experience is fun, fast, personalized and designed to make critical information stick. And employees love it83% of users log in 2-3 times a week, which translates into meaningful behavior change that drives business results. More than 160 customers in 150+ countries around the world, including Walmart, Kroger, Levi's and Merck, trust Axonify to fuel their people's performance to keep pace with their business. Founded in 2011, Axonify is headquartered in Waterloo, ON Canada. For more information, please visit http://www.axonify.com


Blue Water's CEO Todd Burbage poses with Barry Outten, Fire Chief at Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department, after donating land with a value of $1.1 million to the department. Greenbackville is home to incredible people and one of the best fire departments we have ever worked with. We're excited about supporting initiatives and charities like this across the country as we continue our Blue Water Gives Back tradition. - Todd Burbage, Blue Water's CEO

Real estate developer and leading outdoor hospitality specialist Blue Water announced that they have donated land with a value of $1.1 million to the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department of Virginia as part of the companys ongoing initiative to give back to the communities that host some of Blue Waters many properties.

With tourism and travel now recovering from the pandemic, we thought it was high time to start giving back to the communities that helped us survive during the crisis, said Todd Burbage, Blue Waters CEO. The Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department has a long history of defending the Eastern Shore of Virginia, home to several of our Blue Water properties, so we are glad we can give back to them for all of the work they have done keeping our guests, friends, and neighbors safe.

As the main fire department in the Greenbackville area, the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department has been protecting the southernmost portion of the lower Eastern Shore since 1956. The department has grown significantly since then and has become a cornerstone of the community in its many years of service.

We greatly appreciate the generosity of Blue Water and their CEO, Todd Burbage, said Barry Outten, Fire Chief at Greenbackville VFD. We rely on the generosity of our friends and neighbors, and businesses like Blue Water to keep us operating. These donations go a long way to help the Greenbackville VFD continue to serve the community.

The land donation involves two parcels of land within the town of Greenbackville. The first includes the harbor, The Crusty Crab, and the marsh beyond that restaurant. The second is on the other side of town consisting of a few acres of land which will serve as a financial investment for the fire department. The GVFD has decided to give a portion of the harbor property to Accomack County so they can repair, repave, and provide additional parking near the boat ramp. The GVFD will continue to lease the land to the Crusty Crab and operations of this beloved restaurant will continue on as usual.

This donation initiative is a unique opportunity to show how much we value the communities where our properties are located, Burbage said. Greenbackville is home to incredible people and one of the best fire departments we have ever worked with. We're excited about supporting initiatives and charities like this across the country as we continue our Blue Water Gives Back tradition.

More information on the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department can be found here. Learn more about Blue Water at BWDC.com.

About Blue Water:

Founded in 2002, Blue Water specializes in investing, developing, and managing RV resorts, campgrounds, hotels, and attractions. Blue Water's integrated approach to marketing, revenue management, and operations has quickly established itself as a hospitality industry leader. With dozens of resort-area properties in East Coast states from Maine to Florida, and new additions out west in Texas, Montana, and Oregon, the Blue Water family is committed to creating elite assets, delivering exceptional guest experiences, and enhancing the communities we serve. To learn more, visit BWDC.com.

About the Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department:

The Greenbackville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., is located in Greenbackville, Accomack County, Virginia. Currently, the department operates from a modern three-bay, drive-thru station, located at 1479 Stockton Avenue in Greenbackville. Our Banquet Hall facility is located next door in the former station. During 2006, the department celebrated 50 years of dedicated service to the community. We belong to the Accomack-Northampton Firemen's Association, Virginia State Firefighters Association, and the Del-Mar-Va Volunteer Firemen's Association.

Utilizing a fleet of six pieces of apparatus, we provide primary Fire & EMS services to residents of Greenbackville, including the planned residential community of Captain's Cove; Sign Post; and the north area of Horntown. In addition, we provide mutual-aid to several neighboring departments in both Virginia and Maryland. We are designated Accomack County Station # 2 and our frequencies are 155. 220 - dispatch, 155.355 - EMS operations, and 154.340 - fireground operations.
Bob Evans Restaurants announces the return of their annual fundraising efforts to support agricultural education and innovation with the second annual Egg Crack, Give Back promotion. On Thursday February 24, guests can help their local Bob Evans Restaurant** raise funds for agricultural education by ordering a Farmers Choice Breakfast. For every Farmers Choice Breakfast sold on February 24, Bob Evans Restaurants will make a $1 donation to the National FFA Organization (FFA) up to $15,000.*

The signature Farmers Choice Breakfast includes two fresh-cracked eggs cooked-to-order, your choice of premium breakfast meat, hash browns or home fries, and three hotcakes or two slices of Brioche French toast. Other varieties of the Farmers Choice Breakfast, such as The Double Meat Farmer, Homestead Farmer and Banana Berry Farmer, also qualify for the fundraising event.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the FFA and help underwrite supervised agricultural experience (SAE) grants that give FFA students critical hands-on learning opportunities ranging from agricultural internships and research experience to entrepreneurship opportunities. The second annual Egg Crack, Give Back is an extension of the Bob Evans partnership with the FFA, paying homage to founder Bob Evans roots as a farmer and the long-term goal of inspiring agricultural leaders for generations to come.

The Egg Crack, Give Back promotion coincides with Give FFA Day, a 24-hour fundraising campaign held during National FFA Week (February 19-26, 2022). National FFA Week helps spread awareness about what FFA is, how it impacts the education of high school students across the country, and ultimately prepares them for careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture. Give FFA Day is Thursday, February 24, 2022, and its purpose is to encourage people to donate to the FFA to help support the student members and their local chapters.

At Bob Evans, nourishing our communities  whether through serving farm-fresh food or empowering the next generation of farmers  is at the core of what we do every day. It truly means a great deal to be continuing this fundraiser for a second year, said Bob Holtcamp, President and CMO for Bob Evans Restaurants. The SAE grant program is one that is admired and monitored closely every year at Bob Evans. With our continued fundraiser and partnership with the FFA, we are in a position to not only support the next generation of farmers, who will help ensure the integrity of whats on our plates but also allow our guests to make an impact themselves.

For more information and for local restaurant hours, visit BobEvans.com. For more information on Bob Evans Restaurant commitment to the FFA, including information about how to get involved in National FFA Week, please visit BobEvans.com/FFA. For more information about FFA, please visit FFA.org.

*Disclaimer: Up to a maximum $15,000 will go to the National FFA Organization to support the National FFA and future SAE grants. Purchase is not tax deductible as a charitable contribution as the customer will receive goods or services equivalent to the purchase price for each item purchased.

**Disclaimer: Available in all states where Bob Evans Restaurants is located except for North Carolina and New Jersey.

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About Bob Evans Restaurants, LLC

Bob Evans Restaurants is chain of family-style restaurants founded and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, which owns and operates nearly 450 locations in 18 states, primarily in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Guests have been enjoying signature farm-fresh meals like the Farmers Choice Breakfast, made with fresh-cracked eggs, and the slow-roasted, hand-carved turkey dinner among other classics for over 70 years. True to his humble farmer roots, founder Bob Evans believed in treating strangers like friends and friends like family, and this hospitality is still on display at every Bob Evans Restaurant location. As a private company, Bob Evans Restaurants is focused on bringing Americas Farm Fresh to its guests at every meal, each and every day. For more information and restaurant locations, visit BobEvans.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About National FFA Organization

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 735,000 student members as part of 8,817 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook and Twitter.

About National FFA Foundation

The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations, and individuals to secure financial resources that recognize FFA member achievements, develop student leaders, and support the future of agricultural education. Governed by a 19-member board of trustees composed of educators, business leaders, individual donors and FFA Alumni, the foundation is a separately registered nonprofit organization. About 82 percent of every dollar received by the foundation supports FFA members and agricultural education opportunities. For more, visit FFA.org/Give.
The 2022 Nissan Murano is available at Boucher Nissan of Waukesha!

Interested shoppers looking for an all-wheel-drive SUV in Waukesha, Wisconsin, can opt for the 2022 Nissan Murano. With a quiet cabin and a smooth ride, the 2022 Nissan Murano stands out in the mid-size two-row SUVs segment. Available at Boucher Nissan of Waukesha, interested parties can schedule a test drive to take the 2022 Nissan Murano for a spin.

Equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine and Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), the 2022 Nissan Murano has an output of 260 hp at 6,000 rpm and a torque rating of 240 lb.-ft. at 4,400 rpm. A thrilling drive and impressive efficiency go hand in hand with this stunning SUV. It delivers a fuel economy of 20 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined with the all-wheel drivetrain and front-wheel drivetrain.

Featuring the 8.0-inch color display with multi-touch control, the 2022 Nissan Murano has NissanConnect with navigation and integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Using Nissan Voice Recognition for navigation and audio, customers can call out their destination without having to take their hands off the steering wheel. Driver assistance features include Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent Lane Intervention, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, keeping you safe in all situations.

To learn more about the 2022 Nissan Murano, prospective buyers can visit the Boucher Nissan of Waukesha dealership at 1451 E Moreland Blvd, Waukesha, WI 53186, United States or log on to the dealerships website https://www.waukeshanissan.com/.
This type of scam involves a person using a fake identity to convince another person that they are in a romantic relationship. The scam artist then uses this fake relationship to persuade the victim to part with money or personal information. It can be extremely devastating to victims.

Central Florida Bonding, an Orlando, Florida bail bonds agency, launches their newest website blog entitled Romance Scams. Hadi Khouri, owner of Central Florida Bonding, states, Scam artists use dating sites, apps, and even social media to convince their victims that they are in a romantic relationship. The scammer then preys on the vulnerability of the victim and requests money, personal information, or gift cards. Its becoming more and more prevalent and people are falling for the scams. The Covid-19 pandemic has been extremely challenging on folks in the dating world since their way to meet people was at bars and clubs across Central Florida. With the shut-down and occupancy limits in most places its been incredibly hard for singles to meet others so people are vulnerable to these online scammers.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, romance scams have nearly tripled in the past years. In 2020 alone, victims lost $304 million. Central Florida Bonding wants consumers to be aware of romance scams. Khouri is explains  I am often asked what a romance scam is. This type of scam involves a person using a fake identity to convince another person that they are in a romantic relationship. The scam artist then uses this fake relationship to persuade the victim to part with money or personal information. It can be extremely devastating to victims to find out they have been scammed when they truly feel like the other person is in love with them.

Romance scam artists make many different claims to persuade their victims to part with money and sensitive information. A few examples include:



The scam artists claim to be far away so they are unable to meet in person

Scam artists make their profiles match up in interests with the victims

Scam artists use sob stories such as needing money to pay a medical bill, a gambling debt or a family emergency to convince victims to part with their money

Central Florida Bonding offers guidelines on how to stay safe from romance scammers. A sample of the tips include:



Go slowly with an online relationship

Avoid red flags such as not being able to meet in person or video chat

Never send money to an unknown person

For more information about romance scammers and their tactics, visit online at https://cfborlando.com/romance-scams/.

Central Florida Bonding offers bond for clients facing numerous charges including theft, assault, battery, domestic violence, DUI, drug trafficking, and more. To start the bail bond process call 407-841-3646. A bail bond agent is available to assist with the bail bond process 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of the year.

All of the bail bond agents at Central Florida Bonding are experienced and knowledgeable. They will lend an empathetic ear and are ready to assist with the bail bond process. Khouri adds, Being arrested and placed in jail can be a scary experience, especially for first time offenders. Clients are confused and unsure of the procedures or what will happen to them. Our bail bond agents can help. They can navigate the ins and outs of the bail bond process and provide valuable information to our clients. Our bail bond agents can assist with paperwork, and answer questions regarding the criminal justice system.

Central Florida Bonding is located at 2911 39th Street, Suite 300, in Orlando, Florida. Their office is located in the Cox Plaza, minutes from the Orange County Jail/33rd Street Jail. Central Florida Bonding serves all of Central Florida including Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Volusia, Brevard, and Lake counties. This bail bond agency is licensed to post bonds across the state of Florida and with affiliated agencies across the United States.

To learn more about Central Florida Bonding, visit online at https://cfborlando.com/ or call 407-841-3646.
We believe the next mandate for the legal department is deploying contract analytics and lifecycle management across their deep portfolios of contracts,

Cimplifi, an integrated eDiscovery services and contract analytics provider, today announced plans for a session at the 2022 Legalweek conference and the upcoming release of a report commissioned on the future of legal operations. The session will be held on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at 11:30a.m. EDT at the New York Hilton Midtown. Leading the session will be Marla Crawford, Cimplifi general counsel, who will be joined by Ari Kaplan, of Ari Kaplan Advisors.

Cimplifi commissioned Kaplan to conduct research with 31 legal operations leaders, which focused on key trends in legal operations and the next frontier for the legal department, contract analytics and lifecycle management. The Legalweek session, supported by the research, will explore the convergence of contract analytics and lifecycle management with eDiscovery, the AI and workflow philosophy behind this convergence, and the relevant factors that will prepare legal operations professionals for this initiative. The session will also delve into career advancement and growth opportunities for the lawyers, legal professionals, and legal technologists that enable the legal department to thrive during times of transformation.

The law department has become one of the most innovation-centric functions in a corporation, with the legal operations team driving a dynamic approach to change, said legal industry analyst Ari Kaplan, principal of Ari Kaplan Advisors and author of the report.

The session, Legal Operations at the Crossroads: The Convergence of eDiscovery and Contract Analytics, will offer insight into achieving digital maturity from eDiscovery to contract analytics, accelerating the legal department beyond discovery with people, process, and technology, and how to drive value in the legal department by driving change.

We believe the next mandate for the legal department is deploying contract analytics and lifecycle management across their deep portfolios of contracts, said Marc Zamsky, chief executive officer of Cimplifi. We see an opportunity for legal teams to leverage the similarities between eDiscovery and contract analytics to drive transformation in the legal department.

The report titled, Modern Legal Operations: At the Convergence of Law and Business, will be available for download from the Cimplifi website beginning Wednesday, March 9, 2022. The report can also be accessed from the Cimplifi booth at Legalweek located in Rhinelander Hall at the New York Hilton Midtown, booth 202.

Crawford brings over 30 years of expertise in the practice of law and regularly speaks on legal technology, electronic discovery, and information governance issues. Crawford spent 22 years practicing law at the prestigious international firm Jones Day before serving as associate general counsel for Goldman Sachs for 11 years where she led the firms global eDiscovery practice and focused on complex commercial and securities litigation and regulatory investigations. Crawford earned a bachelors degree in public policy from Duke University and graduated magna cum laude from Boston University, where she earned her Juris Doctor. She also founded and serves as chairperson of the Cimplifi diversity and inclusion committee.

Kaplan, an attorney and legal industry analyst, is an inaugural Fastcase 50 honoree, a fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, and a finalist for ILTAs Thought Leader of the Year award. He is the author of Reinventing Professional Services: Building Your Business in the Digital Marketplace (Wiley, 2011) and The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development (West Academic, 2nd Ed. 2016). Kaplan serves as the principal researcher for a variety of widely distributed benchmarking reports, hosts the Virtual Lunch daily on Zoom, has been the keynote speaker for events worldwide, and is the founder of the Lawcountability business development software platform and iPhone app.

About CimplifiTM

Cimplifi is a leading integrated legal services provider, leveraging technology and expertise to simplify the experience of eDiscovery and contract analytics for law firms and legal departments. Our client-centric ecosystem and experience offers a curated portfolio of technology-enabled solutions that integrates proprietary tools and automated workflows with market-leading software to deliver an easy-to-use, end-to-end system that streamlines processes, unifies reporting, and empowers users. For more than two decades, clients have relied on our expertise and ingenuity to solve complex challenges, bring innovative solutions, and deliver intelligence and insight to help them manage risk, control costs, and get more done, more effectively and with far less effort and stress. Cimplifi is ISO 27001 certified and is a division of System One. Learn more at http://www.cimplifi.com.
Donald L. Smith, a retired medical technologist and assistant medical lab director, has completed his new book The Surrogate: an engrossing tale that begins when a crime has taken place in town and people start to dig up the matter that has led to the crime. Its about different individuals intertwined with one another by passion and personal motives, connecting a long thread of mysteries and secrets that cook up intrigue.

Smith shares, A federal judge is executed in New Orleans. An unknown assassin hangs him from a giant oak tree in Audubon Park. A female reporter happens upon the scene soon after it happens and scoops this sensational story for her newspaper. She attempts to follow up story but finds the police baffled. She meets and falls in love with an older FBI agent assigned to the case.

Michael Bannister, the antihero, is embittered and frustrated at the federal judicial and penal systems because he believes his brother and brothers wife died due to callous indifferences of federal judges and prison officers. He conceives a plan of terrorism amid it forcing reforms.

His plan involves recruiting fellow inmates on an extremely selective basis, choosing only those in which unconditional allegiance could be expected.

Federal judges, penal and parole officials are selected for execution. No official is chosen who was ever connected with any of the inmates involved.

The story begins with the first assassination and continues through six executions, during which demands are made for reform.

Murder in cold blood, raw sex, tender love scenes, and bitter irony all join hands to tell this story of unusual suspense.

Published by Page Publishing, Donald L. Smiths intriguing novel is a daring read that involves passion in all kinds. Theres murder, theres heat, and theres darkness blanketing the whole town.

Will the people arrive to a conclusion? Or will sins just get piled up one after another?

Readers who wish to experience this brilliant work can purchase The Surrogate at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Equipped to Overcome: an empowering argument for leaning into ones faith. Equipped to Overcome is the creation of published author Dr. Isaac "Ike" Williams Jr., EdD, a loving father and grandfather who received his BS degree, his MS degree, and his EdD degree from Texas A&M University-Commerce, formerly East Texas State University.

Dr. Williams Jr. shares, Conversations with God as we cry out for help. Trials and tribulations are constants in this world. We have troubles, but we choose how we process and deal with them. Our viewpoints determine whether we experience joy, peace, and rest. Once we join Gods team, we are led and guided in the right path that leads us to our ultimate destination. We may not realize it, but we have constant companions in our Father, Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit if we would yield, open our eyes, and become aware of their presence.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dr. Isaac "Ike" Williams Jr., EdDs new book will challenge and encourage readers in their faith.

Dr. Williams Jr. shares in hopes of encouraging believers, whether they be new or established, to trust in Gods word.

Consumers can purchase Equipped to Overcome at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Equipped to Overcome, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.


Business development professional Fahim Imam-Sadeque is excited to announce his exclusive interview with Blogprocess.com. In the interview, he shared his insights about essential skills for a position in his field, the most challenging professional decisions he's had to make, what makes him successful, and the best way to monitor his work performance.

Fahim Imam-Sadeque has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science from the City University of London and has proven experience in the asset management industry. He's a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, and his top skills include asset management, hedge funds, investment management, sales, and consultant and client relationship management.

In giving advice to others who would like to qualify for a position in his field, Fahim Imam-Sadeque says people need excellent listening skills. He also explained:

"You need to be a people person, and you need to have an excellent technical understanding of financial products  But, I think most importantly, what can't be learned is you need empathy so you can put yourself in the other person's shoes and understand and appreciate the issues they're facing."

That's not a skill that can be taught in a classroom or through a textbook, as Fahim Imam-Sadeque explains, but rather through life experiences.

Fahim Imam-Sadeque says that the biggest key to his success has been the "many generous people along the way who have taken their time to help me, educate me and train me, and allow me to learn from them."

It's why Fahim Imam-Sadeque always suggests people find a solid mentor or two in the field from whom they can learn. People can gain valuable insight into their profession by modelling themselves after successful people.

Fahim Imam-Sadeque says the most satisfying moments of his professional life revolve around helping businesses grow. He loves the process of working hard through a journey, not knowing what the results will be, and celebrating the accomplishments when it's all said and done.

Today, employees everywhere are re-thinking their approach to their work. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced many people to take a good look at their personal and professional lives and determine whether their current status is where they want to be.

That ties perfectly into how Fahim Imam-Sadeque says he monitors the performance of his work. As he explains:

"I think the simplest thing is, am I enjoying work? If I'm enjoying it and my heart and soul are in it, then everything's good, and I'm running smoothly."

Fahim Imam-Sadeque shared many other insights during his interview, published on Blogprocess.com.


Workers compensation lawyer Todd Strong, the founder of Strong Law Offices in Peoria, Illinois, was recently quoted in an article published in NAOHP addressing access to medical care issues.

The article, IWP: A Solution for Occupational Health Providers to Offer Medications in Disputed WC Cases, discusses the challenges injured workers in Illinois face in obtaining quality medical care when their work injury claims are delayed or denied.

IWP is a fantastic equalizer and champion for the injured worker. They provide access to quality pharmaceutical products for the injured worker who has been wrongfully denied or delayed when the injured worker is most vulnerable to insurance company tactics, according to Todd Strong.

The workers compensation lawyers at Strong Law Offices have a long history of advocating for injured workers in Illinois.

According to Mr. Strong, Insurance companies fight, deny and delay access to Medical Care at every step in an injury case. Our office works with our clients to assess and understand their medical needs. We assist our clients in locating medical providers, such as online pharmacies, that are willing to extend medical care on credit, knowing that the litigation process takes time. Medical providers who are familiar with the Workers Compensation laws and procedures know in advance that the insurance companies actively practice polices of unfairness and delay. Insurance Carriers hope to shift costs to the taxpayers through Medicare/Medicaid, or even other group health insurance companies, despite knowing and accepting individual responsibility for the wrongs of their insureds. We fight hard to help our clients navigate this difficult system of Stall and Delay tactics. Knowing and understanding the needs of clients and also medical providers is important in establishing those connections to ultimately achieve a more successful outcome for injury victims.

About Todd Strong

Injury lawyer Todd Strong has decades of experience advocating for injured victims throughout Chicago and Central Illinois. He founded Strong Law Offices in 1999. With locations in Peoria, Springfield, Bloomington, Champaign, and Chicago in Illinois, Strong Law Offices helps injured victims with cases involving workers compensation, personal injury, and medical malpractice.
(Game drive in Amboseli National Park, Photo Courtesy of Tauck)

The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) is making special note of World Wildlife Day on March 3, 2022, by spotlighting programs from its tour operator members that focus on wildlife education and appreciation. From observing endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda to trekking through the rainforest of Bako National Park in Malaysia, each tour program offers up-close-and-personal experiences with abundant opportunities for natural and cultural immersion in each destination.

As USTOA turns 50 this year, our tour operator members are looking 50 years forward to provide sustainable and responsible travel experiences, said Terry Dale, president and CEO. World Wildlife Day is an ideal way to raise awareness of the fragile flora and fauna that populates our planet, and that our members take great care to preserve and protect.

Heres just a sample of programs to inspire travelers in 2022:

Tauck offers a thirteen-day Kenya & Tanzania: A Classic Safari 2022 tour to those yearning for outdoor adventure. This itinerary takes a group of no more than 30 Tauck travelers to visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, and the Willian Holden Wildlife Education Center to observe the flora and fauna of Kenya and Tanzania. Travelers will end their trip activities by floating in a hot air balloon over Masai Mara. Departures are available between May and December 2022 with prices starting at $10,890 for two people. http://www.tauck.com

Travelers will enjoy excursions to Thingvellir National Park, the mesmerizing Gullfoss Waterfall, and the Geysir geothermal area on a four-to-six-day Iceland Escape: Golden Circle and Whale Watching tour with Great Value Vacations. This itinerary includes traveling to Reykjavik, the northernmost capital of the world, to go whale watching, observe sea birds and other sea life, climb the famous Hallgrimskirkja Church, and more. Departures are available between April 2022 and December 2022 with prices starting at $1,153 per person. http://www.greatvaluevacations.com

Travelers will have the opportunity to explore one of the last truly wild places on the planet on a ten-day Wild Sarawak tour with Intrepid Travel. The itinerary includes exploring Southeast Asias labyrinthian caves in Mulu National Park, searching for monkeys through the rainforest and jungle stream of Bako National Park, trekking through the jungle of Labuan Island and more. Departures are available between April and December 2022 with prices starting at $1,620 per person. http://www.intrepidtravel.com

Abercrombie & Kent offers a five-day Tailor Made Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest itinerary jam-packed with mountain hikes through Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, trekking through the parks dense vegetation to observe the endangered mountain gorilla, and more. Departures are available between March and October 2022 with prices starting at $3,995 per person. http://www.abercrombiekent.com

Find all itineraries offered by USTOA tour operators at https://ustoa.travelstride.com/trip-list/wildlife

When booking with a USTOA tour operator member, travelers will have peace-of-mind under the protection of the USTOA $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program. All USTOA tour operators also follow the TOURCARE guidelines, which support the implementation of sanitization and operational procedures to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. For more information, visit http://www.ustoa.com

About USTOA:

Representing nearly $19 billion in revenue, the member companies of U.S. Tour Operators Association provide tours, packages and custom arrangements that allow 9.8 million travelers annually unparalleled access, insider knowledge, peace-of-mind, value, and freedom to enjoy destinations and experiences across the entire globe. Each member company has met the travel industrys highest standards, including participation in the USTOAs Travelers Assistance Program, which protects consumer payments up to $1 million if the company goes out of business. As a voice for the tour operator industry for 50 years, USTOA also provides education and assistance for consumers and travel agents.

Contact:

Ashley Mindnich/Madison Lauda

Redpoint

212-229-0119

mindnich@redpointspeaks.com/lauda@redpointspeaks.com
Betty has been a devoted driver of excellence for our clients experiencing staffing shortages in challenging and volatile situations, and has imparted decades of wisdom as she mentors leaders to get to the next level of their careers.

Ingenovis Health announces the inclusion of Chief Commercial Officer and Fastaff Travel Nursing President Betty Wageman to the Staffing Industry Analysts 2022 Staffing 100  North America list.

The SIA Staffing 100  North America list, published for the tenth time by Staffing Industry Analysts, honors the best and brightest of the industry. Sponsored by Indeed, it comprises men and women who navigated a tumultuous 2021 and are charting a course into the future of workforce solutions. The North America list will be printed in Staffing Industry Review magazines January/February 2022 issue, as well as online.

For over 20 years, Betty has impacted the healthcare staffing industry in tremendous ways. She has been a devoted driver of excellence in delivery for our clients and MSP partners experiencing staffing shortages in challenging and volatile situations, from strikes to COVID, and has imparted decades of wisdom on those around her as she mentors leaders to get to the next level of their careers, said Bart Valdez, chief executive officer of Ingenovis Health. In the formation of Ingenovis Health last year, Betty was a key driver, stewarding each brand in the new company to maintain its unique value proposition and set industry standards for world-class leadership at every level to foster growth in the next generation of leaders.

In her role as President of Fastaff and Chief Commercial Officer of Ingenovis Health, Wageman has set and driven successful achievement of ambitious goals and growth for all brands in the portfolio, and ensured an enhanced level of service for healthcare and hospital system clients. Her commitment to a culture of collaboration, transparency and determination is an example for leaders at every level of the organization, and a foundational principle in her success helping clients navigate the rapidly changing cycles within the healthcare industry.

Wagemans colleague Michelle Filipkowski, Senior Vice President of trustaff Client Services was recognized on the 2021 SIA Global Power Women in Staffing, while Ingenovis Health COO Laurie Reichert was named to the 2020 Global 150 Women in Staffing list.

To learn more about Ingenovis Health, visit http://www.ingenovishealth.com.

About Ingenovis Health

Ingenovis Health is an ingenious new force in healthcare combining the power of industry-leading staffing firms and innovative technology to advance delivery of experienced clinicians to systems nationwide. Brands in the portfolio include trustaff, Fastaff Travel Nursing, U.S. Nursing Corporation, HealthCare Support and CardioSolution.

About Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)

Founded in 1989, SIA is the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions. Our proprietary research covers all categories of employed and non-employed work including temporary staffing, independent contracting and other types of contingent labor. SIAs independent and objective analysis provides insights into the services and suppliers operating in the workforce solutions ecosystem including staffing firms, managed service providers, recruitment process outsourcers, payrolling/compliance firms and talent acquisition technology specialists such as vendor management systems, online staffing platforms, crowdsourcing and online work services. We also provide training and accreditation with our unique Certified Contingent Workforce Professional (CCWP) program.
Justrite Safety Group, a global leader in industrial safety products, recently launched a comprehensive new website. The new website combines access to the brands, products, and educational materials of four different companies within the Justrite Safety Group portfolio, including Justrite, Eagle, Checkers and NoTrax. The new website will provide workplace safety professionals throughout a myriad of industries with streamlined access to the vital safety products and educational materials in the hopes of improving workplace safety across the country.

Justrite Safety Group has been recognized as an industry leader in workplace safety for more than a century, offering expertise and safety equipment through each of the eight brands in the Justrite Safety Group portfolio. Since our founding in 1906, we have built around Justrite to create five safety categories; chemical safety, environmental safety, industrial matting and ground protection, motion safety, and safety identification, said Mark McElhinny, President and CEO of Justrite Safety Group. Many workplaces and industries require a diverse accessibility to products across these different categories and brands with the goal of fostering safer work environments throughout the United States.

"We strive to be a trusted resource for products regarding safety and regulatory compliance, and our new website will help us to better serve as that resource for numerous companies and industries," said Julie Lehto, Director of E-commerce at Justrite Safety Group. We make workplace safety easy.

With this new online experience, Justrite Safety Group is delivering safety expertise to help customers like never before. The new website improves Justrite Safety Groups ability to disseminate guidance regarding safety best practices and regulatory compliance, as well as the products that can be used to ensure workplace safety.

The website is now live and can be visited at http://www.justrite.com. Each of the represented brands can be found listed at the top of the page, offering easy access to their respective safety products.

About Justrite Safety Group:

Justrite Safety Group is a growing family of industrial safety companies, including Justrite, Eagle, Checkers, NoTrax, and more. Justrite is a global leader in manufacturing a range of industrial safety products. Today, Justrite is recognized as one of the largest integrated manufacturers of industrial safety products globally. Based in Deerfield, Illinois, Justrite manufactures its own products in ISO-certified facilities and offers global distribution capabilities with distribution centers throughout the United States and Europe.

###

Justrite Safety Group

Justritemarketing@justrite.com

847-298-9250
Kevin Spells, a man of determination, has completed his new book Poetry the American Way: a transformative tome that encourages every American citizen to protect the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The author hopes that the new generation will uphold the sacrifices and bravery of the past generations who loyally fought and died for the greater good of the country.

Spells shares, Poetry The American Way with a 580-word special glossary, is respectfully written regarding to Americas customary practical practice of pledge. To relieve any and all burden of struggle to achieve the guaranteed protections provided within our Bill of Rights Amendments to the Constitution and within the United States Constitution itself. The book is associated with and to some degree towards the mindful American custom. Carried on by tradition of going above and beyond the call of duty for peace and democracy with liberty and justice for all.

Published by Page Publishing, Kevin Spells politically driven piece promotes good will to fellow countrymen. The authors experience on the injustice of the state inspired him to create meaningful poems and a special glossary.

This read also reminds everyone that theyre entitled to an equal protection from the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Readers who wish to experience this potent work can purchase Poetry the American Way at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Of The Sun CEO and shaman guiding force LaOta Rassoull returns to the publishing scene with the release of Call for the Truth (published by Balboa Press).

This book is an appeal to everyone to reclaim their birthright to have the power of free will and free choice. It encourages readers to understand the truth of who they are and the truth of the world they live in. It highlights the importance of seeing ones condition and aligning with the truth instead of falsehood. Humanity must recognize the truth of the divine feminine who will show the way to balance in the world through honor, respect and gratitude.

I was inspired to write this book because of the absence of the hero within us, the author states. Who is it that stands for Truth and liberty? Who will stand against injustice and tyranny? Who is willing to fight for us? All of humanity, women & children are being abused & aggressed. It is us that we are waiting for! It is us that must stand up and fight for humanity. We are the inmates and the guards on a prison planet destined to serve the off world anti-life wardens while we wait our turn on death row.

In todays post-pandemic world where liberty, justice and freedom slowly being eroded, this book is a clarion call for truth that transcends lies and deception. To purchase a copy, visit https://www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/826404-call-for-the-truth.

Call for the Truth

By LaOta Rassoull

Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 84 pages | ISBN 9781982279097

Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 84 pages | ISBN 9781982279073

E-Book | 84 pages | ISBN 9781982279080

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

LaOta Rassoull is the shaman guiding force, architect and CEO of Of The Sun, a business enterprise specializing in Energetic Hygiene, highly evolutionary products, services, and classes. She is also the inspiration for and owner of In LaKesh LLC and its franchise operation. Of The Sun services provide effective tools for personal advancement and meditation practices. These services, featuring updated ancient and original material designed and developed by Rassoull, to take one step by step through effective protocols and practices that support positive thoughts and robust immune health. The classes offered include: Quantum Light Property Clearing Class I & II, Soul Translation Class, and Monthly Self-healing Class. In addition to the classes, Rassoull hosts the SunCast podcast on the YouTube channel LaOta Of The Sun. Aside from this new book, she is also the author of Food for Life - A Guide to Extraordinary Living. Rassoull will have upcoming associated events coming soon titled Divine-Nation Workshops which will teach people how to use the Call For The Truth Divination Cards. For a complete detail about the author, visit ofthesun.com.

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc.  a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 844-682-1282 today.
VIA Verona 2022 VIA Italian Wine Ambassador is the most challenging certification course available in the study of Italian wine, with a pass rate of 26%. Of 1000 candidates, 262 have become Italian Wine Ambassadors.

Despite the current challenges around the world, Vinitaly International Academy remains undaunted in its commitment to bringing the gold standard of Italian wine education to students across the globe. From 4-7 April, the flagship annual course will be held in its original home in Verona with the full Faculty of Sarah Heller MW, Henry Davar IWE, and scientific advisor Professor Attilio Scienza in person for the event. The internationally respected course is now in its 21st edition, having successfully pivoted to an agile format during the first wave of COVID lockdowns in early 2020.

VIA Italian Wine Ambassador is the most challenging certification course available in the study of Italian wine, with a pass rate of 26%. Of 1000 candidates, 262 have become Italian Wine Ambassadors. VIA is a content-rich, in-depth study of all aspects of Italian wine, including history, geology, terroir, native grapes, and geographic denominations. Books written specifically for the course include Italian Wine Unplugged, Sangiovese, Lambrusco and Other Wine Stories, The Jumbo Shrimp Guide to Italian Wine, and The Jumbo Shrimp Guide to International Grape Varieties, proving the commitment of VIA to providing the most in-depth and rigorous course of Italian wine study. The exam is demanding and encompasses a blind tasting element, short answer, and multiple-choice questions covering all 20 regions of Italy.

The course is now divided into two sections, the first of which involves access to a students-only learning platform with instructional videos created by VIA Faculty Henry Davar IWE and Sarah Heller MW. Self-study takes place at home, before in-person sessions in Verona. The second section is firmly focused on the tasting aspect of the course and masterclasses covering particular soils, climates, grapes, regions, and denominations. All elements of the course are carefully curated by the VIA Faculty team, assisted by scientific advisor Professor Attilio Scienza. The ethos behind the course is a sound scientific focus on the native grapes of Italy and on the characteristics of the 20 regions biodiversity, history, culture, and business.

Applications for VIA Verona 2022 close on 4 March. Final call for the next Italian Wine Ambassador. https://vinitalyinternational.com/via-verona-agile-edition-2022/

__________________

About: Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) aims to be the gold standard of Italian wine education. It offers a complete educational path with standardized courses that will teach professionals and educators to master the diversity of Italian wine in a rigorous, organized manner. VIAs main objective is to foster a global network of highly qualified professionals such as Italian Wine Ambassadors and Italian Wine Experts: in turn, they will support and promote Italian wine throughout the world. VIA was founded by Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International. The new VIA ecosystem avails of the guidance of Italian trade associations Federdoc, Federvini, Vignaioli Indipendenti FIVI, and Unione Italiana Vini as members of the Institutional Advisory Board. Italian vine genetics scholar, Prof. Attilio Scienza, oversees VIAs scientific and educational direction as the Chief Scientist. VIA Faculty Sarah Heller MW and Henry Davar teach the flagship Italian Wine Ambassador course. To date, there are 262 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 15 are also Italian Wine Experts.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the lawsuit against The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, 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 lawsuit against The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC alleging the company violated Labor Code  2699, et seq. seeking penalties for DEFENDANTs alleged violation of California Labor Code  201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 221, 226(a), 226.7, 227.3, 510, 512, 558(a)(1)(2), 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, and 2802. The lawsuit against The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC is currently pending in the Riverside County Superior Court, Case No. CVPS2200395. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

According to the lawsuit filed, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC allegedly failed to accurately record Plaintiff and other Aggrieved Employees' time worked. Employees submitted to mandatory drug testing, among other testing, as a condition of employment. Employees were working off the clock while submitting to mandatory testing. Additionally, Plaintiff's off-duty meal breaks were occasionally interrupted by work assignments.

PAGA is a mechanism by which the State of California itself can enforce state labor laws through the employee suing under the PAGA who do so as the proxy or agent of the state's labor law enforcement agencies. An action to recover civil penalties under PAGA is fundamentally a law enforcement action designed to protect the public and not to benefit private parties. The purpose of PAGA is not to recover damages or restitution, but to create a means of "deputizing" citizens as private attorneys general to enforce the Labor Code.

For more information about the lawsuit against The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, 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***
Local Logic, a leading PropTech software provider quantifying location at scale to drive decisions in the built environment, today announced it has been selected to Berkadias BeEngaged Network to help redefine the commercial real estate space.

As part of this synergistic relationship, Local Logic will:



Collaborate with Berkadia and its partners, leading mortgage banking institutions, to potentially pilot the use of our location scores in their underwriting.

Tap into Berkadias investment sales expertise to get valuable feedback on product-market fit and industry needs as Local Logic further develops its location insights and automated market report.

Connect with Berkadia and its corporate partners to conduct critical discovery research on Local Logics insights around transportation emissions, quantifying livability, and other ESG reporting metrics.

Local Logic embodies the type of startups we carefully select to join the BeEngaged network, said Bryce Nyberg, Director - Berkadia Digital & BeEngaged at Berkadia. Their commitment to innovation, which is reflected in their unique location scores, and strong values has the potential to have a big impact on the future of mortgage lending and commercial real estate investments. We are excited to be a part of their growth.

Local Logic has built consumer-facing solutions and AI-powered proprietary insights on over 75bn data points to make the built world universally understandable and actionable for consumers, investors, and developers.

Our acceptance to this prestigious program validates our value for commercial real estate players, from owner-operators to capital providers, said Vincent-Charles Hodder, CEO and co-founder at Local Logic. Berkadia is a leader in the industry, offering a robust suite of services to multifamily and commercial property clients, and we are excited to learn and collaborate with them on long-term initiatives that will redefine the commercial real estate space.

Local Logic will be exhibiting at CREtech San Diego from March 22-23.

About Local Logic

Local Logic is a location intelligence platform that digitizes the built world to make it universally understandable and actionable for consumers, investors, developers, and governments with the ambition of helping build cities that are more sustainable and equitable for the people that live in them. To achieve that dream, weve built proprietary insights on over 75Bn data points, that quantify the built world using data and AI. Our insights are used across the real estate vertical to inform decisions that impact the $217T real estate market throughout the US and Canada.

The platform partners with commercial real estate, travel, and media companies, helping to guide individual projects and overall strategy for major real estate developers and investors such as Great Gulf, Jamestown, SmartCentres, and others. Local Logic is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Learn more at locallogic.co.

About Berkadia

Berkadia is a leader in the commercial real estate industry, offering a robust suite of services to our multifamily and commercial property clients. Powered by deep relationships and industry-changing technology, our people sell, finance, and service commercial real estate, providing support for the entire life cycle of our clients assets. Our unique ownership structure allows us to put our clients interests first and create a marketplace that delivers a superior experience.

Berkadia was formed in 2009 as a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Leucadia National Corporation (now Jefferies Financial Group)  both of which are renowned for their capital strength and sophisticated investment strategies. Learn more at berkadia.com.
Lucido Group LLC, a specialist consultancy and software provider, announced today that it is expanding its activities in the European financial and commodity markets. After opening offices in London in 2021 with a focus on capital markets, Lucido is now taking the next step. The Amsterdam presence acts as the base for servicing customers in the EU, with an increased focus on the Energy and Commodities Trading and Risk Management markets. Lucido will now be able to offer its services to its existing accounts with a global reach and is in the process of expanding its activities and adding European-energy traders to its rapidly growing customer base.

Lucido is very happy to be able to announce that Jan de Weerdt will join the firm out of the new Amsterdam offices to help build the firms European energy team. We could not be happier to have a proven industry veteran such as Jan help us to launch expanded energy capabilities in Europe. He has worked closely with members of our team in the past and has shown exceptional capabilities delivering to key clients, said CEO, Sean Kilpatrick.

Added Russ Meyer, SVP Energy Solutions, As we looked to start our energy practice in Europe, we wanted to find someone who had experience across many commodities in many roles, while being a strong cultural fit. Jan proved to be just that and our due diligence research found Jan highly regarded by customers and colleagues alike. We are excited for what Jan brings to the team, and he has already hit the ground running.

Jan de Weerdt brings over 20 years of experience in the Energy Trading and Risk Management industry and has previously worked in the financial markets and been instrumental in developing and implementing electronic trading technology for banks, brokers, and trading organizations in the financial and energy markets in Europe and the US. Most recently, Mr. de Weerdt was a Principal Consultant at ION Group, where he worked with the Allegro ETRM platform and prior to that he ran system selections and implementation projects for other systems, including Openlink Endur. Before ION Group, Jan worked as consultant and project manager for Siemens, Schlumberger and a number of others.

I am really excited to join Lucido, comments Jan. Lucido have been able to attract many of the most talented and experienced individuals I have had the opportunity to work with, and we are now in the process of building a European dream team. It is my experience that a critical success factor in ETRM implementations is the involvement of super specialists that bring in a wealth of experience and Lucido staff fit exactly that profile. In the current market, where product vendors have taken a step back as part of their strategies to diversify and reduce costs and systems integrators rely on more generically skilled resources, we can make the difference between success or failure and add the value our customers expect given the investments in their ETRM systems.
Michael Sims, a promoter of peace who was once a notorious gang member, has completed his new book Continuance Drama: a riveting read about a notorious gang member who struggled in prison for thirty-nine years. He revealed in this piece that there are more than two million gang members within the penal system. He intends to shed light on the battles and ideologies of the gang society, as well as to disclose the rampant corruption within the American prison system.

The book is a compelling story of how Michael Sims reformed and redeemed himself from the violent life as a notorious gang member. He turned his life around and has become a passionate activist against violence. This book is his way of reaching out to the younger generation, to transform their anger and aggression into positive energy.

Published by Page Publishing, Michael Sims informative tale is a great example that hope exists for prisoners. The stigma that surrounds prisoners and former prisoners are also discussed in Sims honest and remarkable work. As a member of a gang, he discloses the principles and values upheld by the gang society.

Through this work, the author hopes to encourage younger generations to deter criminal behavior.

Readers who wish to experience this inspiring work can purchase Continuance Drama at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com
Civics reformers can draw on programs such as Hillsdale Colleges 1776 Curriculum; We the People: Citizen and Constitution; and Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which provide lesson plans aimed for academically serious, curious 12th-grade students. - Dr. David Randall, NAS

Americans strongly disagree about how our K-12 schools should teach our system of self-government. Dozens of organizations offer rival civics education resources and many of them don't work. A new study published jointly by Pioneer Institute and the National Association of Scholars offers in-depth evaluations of 15 leading civics programs, grades them on their effectiveness, and offers recommendations for how Americans should build upon these programs.

Civics reformers dont need to reinvent the wheel, said Dr. David Randall, author of Learning for Self-Government: A K12 Civics Report Card. They can draw on programs such as Hillsdale Colleges 1776 Curriculum; We the People: Citizen and Constitution; and Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which provide lesson plans aimed for academically serious, curious 12th-grade students.

Americans are sharply divided about how civics should be taught to our students. Dozens of novel instructional approaches have emerged from these conflicts.

Learning for Self-Government surveys and assesses a wide selection of traditional and progressive K-12 civics education offerings. The report discusses programs developed by organizations such as the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, We the People, and 1776 Unites. The study evaluates both their approach to civics education and their ideological content.

The study offers summary grades of each organizations effectiveness and recommends concrete ways for civics reformers to use existing civics resources effectively to reclaim American civics education.

Learning for Self-Government finds that several organizations, such as the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life and Educating for American Democracy, focus on political activism rather than K-12 civics education.

These organizations form the regulations and develop the personnel of the educational establishment, Randall said. They greatly affect K12 civics education, even though they dont provide textbooks and lesson plans.

In 2021, the American people and parents across the country awoke to the longstanding crisis in K-12 civics education, said Pioneer Director of School Reform Jamie Gass. "Learning for Self-Government will tell policymakers and parents which civics organizations replace civics education with radical activism, which actually try to educate students about their countrys government and history, and how they can build upon existing programs to restore great civics education in our nation.

About the Author

David Randall is Director of Research at the National Association of Scholars and Project Director of the Civics Alliance. His publications include Making Citizens: How American Universities Teach Civics (NAS, 2017) and (co-author) No Longer a City on a Hill: Massachusetts Degrades Its K-12 History Standards (Pioneer Institute, 2018).

About Pioneer Institute

Pioneers mission is to develop and communicate dynamic ideas that advance prosperity and a vibrant civic life in Massachusetts and beyond. Pioneers vision of success is a state and nation where our people can prosper and our society thrive because we enjoy world-class options in education, healthcare, transportation and economic opportunity, and where our government is limited, accountable and transparent. Pioneer values an America where our citizenry is well-educated and willing to test our beliefs based on facts and the free exchange of ideas, and committed to liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise.

About National Association of Scholars

The National Association of Scholars seeks to reform higher education by upholding the standards of a liberal arts education that fosters intellectual freedom, searches for the truth, and promotes virtuous citizenship. It defends the academic freedom of faculty members, students, and others through individual advocacy; investigates issues affecting academic freedom, the integrity, purpose, and neutrality of the university and publishes its findings as in-depth reports; and educates the public about policies and legislation that would preserve the liberal arts and protect academic freedom.
The world can always use a little more kindness, especially during the cold winter months. For many older adults, even the smallest interactions can make a great impactincreasing quality of life and improving an older adults overall health.

In a recent Home Instead survey, U.S. and Canadian respondents said they found kind acts that required little money or effort to be the most meaningful, with one-fifth of respondents (21%) preferring a visit from a friend or family member. Though most said they hadnt received a greeting card or letter in the past two months, 84% of those who did found the gesture to be very meaningful.

One of the easiest ways to let older adults know they are valued is by simply engaging with them, said Erin Albers, vice president of Social Purpose at Home Instead. By keeping our aging population at the center of our hearts and minds this winter, we can help build a kinder and more compassionate world.

Random Acts of Kindness Day (Feb. 17) is an opportunity to make an older adult in your life feel seen, heard and loved. Albers suggests the following acts of kindness to connect with older adults near you:



Share a coffee. For many, lets get coffee is a simple phrase that means much more than enjoying a cup of joeits a chance for meaningful conversation and connection. Consider inviting a senior in your life to spend time with youvirtually or in personand reconnect.

Lend a hand. During the pandemic, older adults may be isolated without the normal help they receive from family or friends. Give a senior neighbor a hand by offering to finish an outdoor project for them. Tackle the activities that prove to be more difficult for them first: Bring their newspaper or mail to their doorstep, shovel snow or scrape ice off their car.

Give a compliment. Nothing boosts spirits more than a flattering compliment, no matter your age. An encouraging message can help seniors feel special and appreciated. During your next interaction, take a moment to compliment their fashion sense or call out special traits that make them unique.

Write a letter (or two). A letter to an older adult is a simple gesture that bears great meaning. For isolated seniors, it may even be one of the only interactions theyve had in a long time. Take things one step further by becoming a pen pal. Skip the stamps by submitting your letter online at readytocare.com/pen-pals.

Pick up the phone. Older adults have vibrant histories and rich liveswhen asked to connect, they have plenty to share. Telling stories and connecting on a personal level over the phone can give older adults a sense of connectedness, while giving you incredible insight into their past. Start by asking questions about their childhood and important lessons from their lifetime to go beyond small talk.

With so much going on in the world, it can sometimes feel like one person is incapable of making a difference. But thats not true. Every kind actno matter how simplehas the power to bring so much joy to our lives, whether were giving or receiving it.

For more ideas and inspiration to support older adults, visit ReadyToCare.com.

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ABOUT READY TO CARE

Ready to Care is a movement by Home Instead to inspire people to connect with older adults in their communities through acts of giving, learning, and serving. Home Insteads purpose as a company is to expand the worlds capacity to care.

Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, the Home Instead franchise network provides personalized care, support and education to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, the network is the world's leading provider of in-home care services for older adults, with more than 1,100 independently owned and operated franchises that provide nearly 90 million hours of care annually throughout the United States and 12 other countries. Local Home Instead offices employ nearly 100,000 CAREGivers worldwide who provide relationship-based care services that enable older adults to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. Home Instead franchise owners partner with clients and their family members to help meet varied individual needs. Services span the care continuum  from providing personal care to specialized Alzheimers care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. Visit HomeInstead.com. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Each Home Instead franchise office is independently owned and operated. Home Instead, Inc. is a subsidiary of Honor Technology, Inc.
Contributing to the mission of Soldiers 6 is a privilege and honor

NutriSource , one of Americas most beloved and trusted pet brands, and its parent company KLN Family Brands announced today they have contributed $10,000 to Soldiers 6, a non-profit organization that provides honorably discharged veterans, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, correctional officers and 911 dispatchers in Minnesota with specially trained K-9's at no cost to them. These special dogs will become their Battle Buddy and help guide those suffering from PTSD, emotional challenges and physical pain through lifes most difficult days.

The generous donation from NutriSource and KLN Family Brands will change lives for those who answered our nations call of duty and who put themselves in harms way for the sake of others, said Soldiers 6 Founder and CEO Ed Abrahamson. I know from personal experience how much a dedicated canine companion can mean. Without the support of great companies like NutriSource and KLN Family Brands, we would not be able to provide warriors with a best friend they need when times are especially tough.

In May 2015, Abrahamson was awarded a specially trained PTSD service dog by Rebuilding Warriors, a California-based organization. Abrahamson, a police officer for 15 years following his military duty, was retiring from the police force due to PTSD, severe depression, suicidal ideation, fibromyalgia and chronic pain due to chemicals and nerve agents he was exposed to while deployed in the Army. His service dog, Rex, dramatically changed Abrahamsons life and the lives of his family members.

Realizing the profound impact Rex had on him, Abrahamson and his wife, Dana, launched Soldiers 6 as their way of giving back the miracle gift that was given to them. Military and police officers are #1 and #2 respectively on the list of professions with the highest suicide rate. The organization gives Abrahamson a chance to continue helping others even though he no longer wears a military or police uniform.

Contributing to the mission of Soldiers 6 is a privilege and honor, said KLN Family Brands CEO Charlie Nelson. Our military members and first responders sacrifice so much for us. Too often, they leave the battlefield with deep scars we cant see. The love and companionship of a dog can literally save their lives.

To learn more about KLN Family Brands and its corporate philanthropy initiatives, please visit https://www.klnfamilybrands.com/our-community.

To learn more about the NutriSource SuperStars Program and the organizations and programs they support, please visit https://nutrisourcepetfoods.com/giving-back/

About NutriSource Pet Foods

NutriSource Pet Foods is a third-generation family owned company based in Perham, MN. All NutriSource kibble is made by Tuffy's Pet Foods, Inc. who has specialized in the manufacturing of dry dog and cat food since 1964. NutriSource has a long history of investing in the health and well-being of pets throughout the world. Today, NutriSource offers over 110 different dog and cat food products across their four lines of NutriSource, NutriSource PureVita, NutriSource Element Series and NutriSource Choice. Their product offerings include kibble, cans, treats, and toppers. For more information, visit https://nutrisourcepetfoods.com/. Follow on Facebook and Instagram.

About KLN Enterprises, Inc. dba KLN Family Brands

A third-generation family-owned company, KLN Family Brands is headquartered in Perham, MN and is comprised of Tuffys Pet Foods and Tuffys Treat Company, manufacturers of NutriSource and Kennys Candy & Confections. Tuffys has been proudly producing quality pet foods since 1964. Kennys Candy & Confections, established in 2015, produces great snack brands that include Wiley Wallaby and Sweet Chaos. For more information on KLN Family Brands, please visit http://www.klnfamilybrands.com.

About Soldiers 6

We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Minnesota. We provide honorably discharged veterans, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, correctional officers, and 911 dispatchers with specially trained K-9's. These special dogs will become their Battle Buddy and help guide them through the difficult days in life. We chose the name Soldier's 6 because that is what a service dog has, its Battle Buddy's 6 (or back). For more information, please visit https://www.soldiers6.com/
Olio2go.com announced today that the olive oil curator FLOS OLEI has named them Importer of the Year in its XIII Edition of the Prestigious Guide to the World of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

For the thirteenth year, Flos Olei 2022 has produced a curated review and rating for the worlds best olive oils. Edited and published by the international olive oil expert Marco Oreggia and journalist Laura Marinelli, the annual review is a widely respected source for the highest quality olive oils.

General Manager of Olio2go, Ms. Luanne Savino OLoughlin noted, We are so grateful to Marco and Laura for this award. It is an honor to be recognized in this way, and it gives us such a wonderful acknowledgement of more than twenty years of work that has gone into building our business. Ms. OLoughlin added, We go to great lengths to know each producer and their business. We care deeply about the products we offer and believe that our efforts pay off when we can be confident of the quality and freshness in each bottle we sell.

This years guide covered selections and descriptions of the best 500 olive farms from 55 different countries. More than 700 extra virgin olive oils, out of 967 that entered in the competition, are reviewed in the guide. A veritable atlas of the olive tree, the edition includes 88 world maps, with the two principal producing nations, Italy and Spain, divided by regions. An accurate description of the native varieties, oil-food gastronomic combinations, and a large amount of historical and cultural information make the guide essential for all oil lovers.

In addition to selecting and reviewing olive oil, FLOS OLEI reviews industry partners, and selected Olio2go for consistently finding the very best olive oils from Italy. The attention to quality and the care in knowing the producers first-hand, assures the US consumer of the highest quality and the freshest offerings.

Among Olio2gos selections from Italy are highly awarded farms, including those in the FLOS OLEI Hall of Fame category and those awarded 100/100: Frantoio Bonamini (Veneto), Frantoio Franci (Tuscany), Azienda Agraria Viola (Umbria), and Americo Quattrociocchi (Lazio).

Of the 20 prizes included as The Best, fourteen were given to Italian farms. In particular, the title of Farm of the Year was given to Apulian Olio Intini while the Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the Year was awarded to the oil produced by Madonna dell'Olivo (Campania). The Emerging Farm winner was Tuscan Societa Agricola Il Borro.

Other top-rated oils included by FLOS OLEI and available in Olio2gos catalog of products are: Frantoio di Riva (Trentino), Olio Mimi (Puglia), Tenute Pasquale Librandi (Calabria), Frantoi Cutrera (Sicily), and Azienda Agricola Sebastiana Fisicaro - Frantoio Galioto (Sicily).

In addition to Olio2go as Importer of the Year, FLOS OLEI named the Danish restaurant The Samuel as Restaurant of the Year, and Sabrina Giannini with the program Indovina chi viene a cena, broadcast on Italian channel RAI 3, as Journalist of the Year.

ABOUT OLIO2GO.COM

Offering Italys finest olive oils and more, Olio2go.com is the leading retailer in the United States for Italian extra virgin olive oil. Founded in 2000 and based in Fairfax, Virginia, Olio2go imports, distributes, and sells directly to consumers, restaurants, and other stores. Our mission is to find the very best olive oils produced in Italy and offer these for sale to the public. Our web site provides information about olive oil so that the consumer can appreciate the differences in the regions from which these oils come and in the ways that the olive oils enhance food. Through our travels in Italy and our insistence in knowing the producers who make these artisanal products, we offer a wide variety of unique and interesting olive oils for the consumer.

For more information, contact us at the address above or visit online at http://www.olio2go.com or send us an email to join our mailing list at mailinglist@olio2go.com.

PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE OF MS. OLOUGHLIN AND MARCO OREGGIO UPON REQUEST
We see our membership as a vehicle to contribute our knowledge, experiences and artifacts to the larger open infrastructure community and a way to benefit from the combined knowledge of the Foundation for our own projects.

The Open Infrastructure (OpenInfra) Foundation today announced six new members of its Associate Member category: ARDC (Nectar Cloud), Oregon State University, Monash University, Open Source Initiative, Telecom Paris and University of Massachusetts Amherst.

This Associate category of Foundation members was added by the OpenInfra Foundation board in 2021 to recognize and collaborate more closely with academic and public research institutions and non-profit organizations that use, build or sustain open infrastructure. Check out the full list of participating organizations and learn how your organization can join to support the global OpenInfra community.

The Australian Research Data Commons

The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) enables the Australian research community and industry access to nationally significant, data-intensive digital research infrastructure, platforms, skills and collections of high quality data. The ARDC Nectar Research Cloud provides researchers with self-service access to large-scale computing infrastructure, supporting a wide range of research workloads from thousands of projects in all major research areas.

The ARDC Nectar Research Cloud pioneered OpenStack for Australian research computing and was the first to federate and scale nationally. After 10 years, the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud is still a vital and impactful resource for researchers, said Carmel Walsh, ARDCs director of eResearch Infrastructure and Services. Engagement with the Open Infrastructure community has been crucial to the success of the ARDC Nectar Research Cloud, and we are excited to become an Associate Member of the OpenInfra Foundation.

Monash University

Monash is a modern, global, research-intensive university, delivering education and research excellence in Australia and across the Indo-Pacific. Universities are living laboratories for research-driven infrastructure. They require perpetual and bespoke computing at scale, which when combined, are the killer app for open source infrastructure, the associated communities and their practices.

Monash University has participated in the Open Infrastructure community since 2013, with a distinct user perspectivewe are a living laboratory of research-driven use cases from all research domains, said Steve Quenette, deputy director of the Monash eResearch Centre. Open source and in particular the OpenInfra ecosystem is the language by which we craft HPC, highly sensitive, cloud and research data instruments at scale in a way that is closer to research needs, and with access mechanisms that are closer to research practice. We look forward to continued sharing of learnings with the community and pioneering of digital research infrastructure.

Open Source Initiative

For over 20 years the Open Source Initiative (OSI) has worked to raise awareness and adoption of open source software and build bridges between open source communities of practice. As a global non-profit, the OSI champions software freedom in society through education, collaboration, and infrastructure, stewarding the Open Source Definition (OSD), and preventing abuse of the ideals and ethos inherent to the open source movement.

The Open Infrastructure Foundation through its adherence to The Four Opens is an exemplar for practicing collaborative software innovation upon a framework of open source licensing, said Stefano Maffulli, executive director of the Open Source Initiative. As a champion of software freedom and steward of the Open Source Definition, the Open Source Initiative is particularly proud of and grateful to the OpenInfra Foundation for all that it is doing to help the open source software community make real progress. Becoming an Associate Member is our privilege, and the OSI looks forward to working in concert with OIF to help build the software that powers humanity.

Oregon State University

The Oregon State University Open Source Lab (OSUOSL) provides infrastructure hosting and services for over 200 free and open source projects. The OSUOSL uses OpenStack to provide developer access to the POWER and AArch64 ecosystems, which includes providing AArch64 compute resources for OpenInfra Zuul node pool. The organization also uses OpenStack to power its x86-based cloud that most of its projects use. In addition, the OSUOSL is a heavy user of and contributor to OpenStack Chef, one of the many top-level projects within OpenStack.

Without OpenStack and the OpenInfra Foundation, the OSUOSL wouldn't have been able to scale up its service offerings to free and open source projects, said Lance Albertson, director of the OSUOSL. The innovation within the OpenInfra Foundation has been a key factor in many of our successes in recent years. We're happy to be a part of the OpenInfra Foundation as an Associate Member!

Telecom Paris

Telecom Paris is the leading French public higher education institution in computer science. Founded in 1878, it now hosts a faculty of 160 professors and associate professors and is a founding member of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris.

Open Infrastructure is one of the building blocks of our future in a digital world, said Nicolas Glady, dean and president at Telecom Paris. "At Telecom Paris, we rely on this infrastructure everyday and build on it our research and teaching. By becoming an associate member, we will strengthen our bond with the community. More generally, we share the values of open source development and have made a specific objective of enabling open source as a critical public infrastructure component ensuring both technological strategic autonomy and open science.

University of Massachusetts Amherst

The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) collaborates with the OpenInfra Foundation through the OpenInfra Labs initiative, supporting the creation of open source tools, repeatability of processes and analyses, and the evaluation of cutting-edge hardware for cloud computing. In addition, UMass Amherst administratively supports Operate First activities at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Compute Cluster and is a member of the Mass Open Cloud (MOC).

The University of Massachusetts Amhersts membership in the OpenInfra Foundation is a natural consequence of its involvement in several compute research infrastructure activities that are centered around the Massachusetts Green High Performance Compute Center, said Michael Zink, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMass Amherst. Our compute research infrastructure is open to the research community and in parts to foundations and industry. We see our membership as a vehicle to contribute our knowledge, experiences and artifacts to the larger open infrastructure community and a way to benefit from the combined knowledge of the Foundation for our own projects.

OpenInfra Summit Berlin 2022

The OpenInfra community plans its return to in-person events with the 2022 Summit, to be held in Berlin, June 7-9, at the bcc Berlin Congress Center. Learn more about attendance and sponsorships: https://openinfra.dev/summit/

About the Open Infrastructure Foundation

The OpenInfra Foundation builds communities that write open source infrastructure software that runs in production. With the support of over 110,000 individuals in 187 countries, the OpenInfra Foundation hosts open source projects and communities of practice, including infrastructure for AI, container native apps, edge computing and datacenter clouds. Join the OpenInfra movement: http://www.openinfra.dev
Built to last for maximum reliability and operational efficiency, Quintus HPP systems are designed with an economical smaller footprint for fast installation, ease of use, and streamlined maintenance. We are very excited about the opportunities to help the food industry address global sustainability challenges such as food waste, product recalls, and related foodborne illnesses through the HPP technology we pioneered. --Jan Soderstrom, CEO and President of Quintus Technologies.

Following its recent re-entry into the high pressure processing (HPP) market, Quintus Technologies is opening a state-of-the-art Application Center in Columbus, OH. Under the leadership of Ngoc Phan, globally recognized as one of the worlds most experienced HPP application experts, the Center will assist food and beverage processors with the development of the preservative-free, good-for-you products demanded by todays consumers.

Despite thousands of commercial HPP products currently available around the globe, one source of continued frustration to more food companies is the time involved in the realization of their new HPP products market rollouts, observes Ed Williams, General Manager  Americas, Quintus Technologies. A key objective of our new Application Center is to reduce those delays by putting our internal and external HPP expertise to work.

The Centers menu of services spans the entire HPP development process, from optimized product formulations and packaging to in-house pathogen validation, shelf-life studies, and assistance with HACCP implementation and regulatory compliance. In both scope and pace, evaluation and support offerings are geared to accelerate the speed at which processors bring new HPP products to market.

The new Application Center, part of a 5,200-sf demonstration suite, features a commercial size Quintus QIF 150L HPP modular system. Reflecting the companys leadership role in high pressure for nearly three-quarters of a century, the press incorporates new mechanical and digital solutions such as an integrated pumping system, frequency-controlled motor drives, new smart-press functionality, and AI algorithm-based condition monitoring, all advances that improve efficiency and productivity.

The facility is also equipped with a test kitchen, microbiology laboratory, analytical laboratory, vacuum packaging machine, walk-in cooler, and freezer.

Application Center services are available to any food or beverage company wanting to advance the commercial growth of HPP foods. Processors interested in investing directly in a Quintus Technologies food system receive additional benefits through Quintus Care, a comprehensive program of application know-how and best-in-class aftermarket technical support, designed for industry 4.0 and factory-of-the-future connectivity.

We are very excited about the opportunities to help the food industry address global sustainability challenges such as food waste, product recalls, and related foodborne illnesses through the HPP technology we pioneered, says Jan Soderstrom, CEO and President of Quintus Technologies. We look forward to welcoming processors to our Application Center open house planned for late April 2022.

About Quintus Technologies

Quintus Technologies is the global leader in high pressure technology. The company designs, manufactures, installs, and supports high pressure systems in three main areas: densification of advanced materials; sheet metal forming; and high pressure processing for food and beverage innovation, safety, and shelf life. Quintus has delivered over 1,900 systems to customers across the globe within industries such as energy, medical implants, space, aerospace, automotive, and food processing. The company is headquartered in Vasteras, Sweden, with a presence in 45 countries worldwide. For more information, visit https://quintustechnologies.com/
After Chair Gary Gensler took office, the SEC accounting and auditing enforcement activity in 2021 progressed at a greater pace compared to the activity in the early months of the prior administration under then-Chair Jay Clayton.

In a year characterized by leadership transitions at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, overall accounting and auditing enforcement activity decreased, according to a report released today by Cornerstone Research.

The report, Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Activity2021 Review and Analysis, notes that the SEC and PCAOB publicly disclosed a total of 52 accounting and auditing enforcement actions and imposed more than $159 million of total monetary settlements in 2021. The SEC initiated nearly two-thirds of those actions and imposed almost all the monetary settlements, which were nearly 90% lower than the $1.4 billion in total settlements imposed in 2020.

While the overall decline in the level of enforcement activity in 2021 was not surprising, we did not expect to see such a sharp decline in settlements, said Elaine Harwood, a report coauthor, senior vice president, and head of the firms accounting practice. The median settlement by firms in SEC enforcement matters was only $200,000, which means that half of the accounting and auditing cases that settled last year were for that amount or less.

SEC Enforcement

The SEC initiated 34 enforcement actions involving accounting or auditing allegations against 26 individuals and 20 firms in 2021. All of these were initiated as administrative proceedings. The number of actions marked a 32% drop from 50 in 2020 and reflected a decrease in enforcement activity for the third straight year.

Total SEC settlements totaled $158 million, of which $151 million were against firms. The total monetary settlements against individuals nearly doubled since 2020 to $7 million. The highest settlement was $62 million, well below the maximum settlement in either 2019 or 2020. In 11 of the 49 settlements, the SEC reported that it considered the respondents self-reporting, cooperation, and/or remedial efforts as it set penalties and other remedies.

After Chair Gary Gensler took office, the SEC accounting and auditing enforcement activity in 2021 progressed at a greater pace compared to the activity in the early months of the prior administration under then-Chair Jay Clayton, said Simona Mola, a report coauthor and senior manager at Cornerstone Research. Despite the overall decline in the 2021 level of enforcement activity relative to last year, Gurbir Grewal, Director of the SECs Enforcement Division, has publicly pledged that the division will focus future efforts on restoring trust in the financial markets, and that we can expect aggressive use of remedies that deter misconduct, including larger monetary penalties, to protect investors and the marketplace.

Of the 34 SEC enforcement actions in 2021, 19 referred to announced restatements and five referred to announcements of material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting. The two most common allegations, each involving one-third of the total actions, related to a companys revenue recognition and internal accounting control violations.

The percentage of SEC actions in 2021 referring to announced restatements and/or material weaknesses in internal control was notably higher than the pre-pandemic average. However, only 37% of the actions referring to restatements alleged improper revenue recognition, down from 83% the prior year.

PCAOB Enforcement

The PCAOB publicly disclosed 18 audit-related enforcement actions in 2021, up 38% from 13 in the previous year but well below pre-pandemic levels. Of the 15 individual and 11 firm respondents that settled with the PCAOB in 2021, monetary settlements were imposed on 18 (69%). Monetary settlements totaled approximately $1.1 million.

Despite pandemic-related restrictions on travel, the percentage of PCAOB actions involving non-U.S. respondents in 2021 (33%) returned to pre-pandemic levels and was comparable to the 20162019 average (31%).

While PCAOB enforcement activity remained low overall in 2021, the 13 actions finalized in the third quarter equaled the total number of PCAOB actions in 2020 and could mark the start of an upswing in enforcement, said Alison Forman, a report coauthor and principal at Cornerstone Research. During a speech in December, Patrick Bryan, Director of the PCAOBs Division of Enforcement and Investigations, stated that his division will hit the ground running in 2022.

About Cornerstone Research

Cornerstone Research provides economic and financial consulting and expert testimony in all phases of complex litigation and regulatory proceedings. The firm works with an extensive network of prominent faculty and industry practitioners to identify the best-qualified expert for each assignment.

Cornerstone Research has earned a reputation for consistent high quality and effectiveness by delivering rigorous, state-of-the-art analysis for more than 30 years. The firm has over 700 staff and offices in Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington.

See Cornerstone Researchs website for more information about the firms capabilities in economic and financial consulting and expert testimony.

https://www.cornerstone.com

Twitter: @Cornerstone_Res
sela Partners with Centric Software for Optimized and Sustainable Product Development We also plan to track and manage organic and recycled materials directly within Centric PLM for our sustainable garment collection #selacares

sela, one of Russias oldest and noticeable lifestyle brands, has selected Centric Softwares Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) to support business growth and further eco-friendly product development. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source and sell products such as apparel, footwear, sporting goods, furniture, home decor, cosmetics, food & beverage and luxury to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

Headquartered in Saint Petersburg, the lifestyle brand has a rich heritage dating back almost 30 years. sela dominates the mid-priced fashion and accessories sector in Russia and other CIS countries, with 124 own stores and 60 partner stores located across Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. In 2019, sela joined one of the largest retailers, Melon Fashion Group, alongside three other renowned brands: ZARINA, befree, and LOVE REPUBLIC.

To keep pace with rapid business expansion, sela knew they had to digitalize product development and optimize quality control.

We wanted more reliable product information with fewer errors, less rework and a way to eliminate our manual and decentralized ways of working, says Anna Vasileva, Head of IT at sela.

All product development prior to PLM was managed partially in Excel spreadsheets and partially in an ERP system. Consequently, data was disconnected and teams were overwhelmed with admin. They lacked full visibility and traceability of products. This frustration spurred sela on to begin the search for a comprehensive and easy-to-use digital transformation solution that aligned with their business needs.

Managing products over email and Excel was no longer an efficient system. Having a single source of truth will eliminate non-value-added click-work for our design and product development teams and allow them to focus on innovating and creating more products, continues Vasileva.

During the selection process, Centric PLM was a clear first choice for sela - they were excited by the prospect of connecting their Shanghai and Saint Petersburg offices (as well as suppliers in China) via one unified, cloud-based system. Important to say, that other brands of Melon Fashion Group also appreciate the benefits of Centric PLM.

With Centric Softwares Mobile PLM Apps, our teams will capture information and images on the go rather than writing notes and manually entering the information back at their desks, which is a real time saver, especially for fit review sessions. It will ultimately help speed decision-making, improve the quality of the final product and reduce time to market, adds Vasileva.

We also plan to track and manage organic and recycled materials directly within Centric PLM for our sustainable garment collection #selacares, concludes Vasileva.

We are delighted to welcome our sixth Russian customer to the Centric Software family, comments Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. We look forward to furthering selas ambitious and eco-conscious growth strategy.

What is Centric PLM?

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sela moms&monsters (http://www.sela.ru)

sela is a lifestyle clothing brand from Russia for mothers and their children. The brand represents uncompromising charm, style for every day, and an overall look  from underwear to coats to accessories.

sela offers clothes and accessories of excellent quality at affordable prices. At sela, customers can mix and match cool looks for themselves and their kids. They can also buy necessary items for a capsule wardrobe and complement purchases with bright and trendy pieces from the womens and childrens assortment range.

In the renewed sela, childrenswear for small monsters from 2 to 14 is all-encompassing: from practical streetwear for pink-cheek strolls to comfortable items for the kindergarten: T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, trousers, shorts, skirts, dresses and more.

Schoolwear from sela features convenient shirts and jackets for boys, as well as blouses, trousers, skirts and dresses for girls  everything that schoolchildren need to look tidy and stylish.

It does not matter what type of mother you are. The most important thing is that you want the best for your kid. sela creates clothes for the best mothers and their much-loved children.
Just two years after opening South County Psychiatry in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, the comprehensive behavioral health practice has opened its second location, to best serve the needs of patients in southeastern Connecticut.

South County Psychiatry is dedicated to providing the regions best evidence-based care in the communities it serves. South County Psychiatry provides psychiatric evaluations, psychotherapy, medication management, and FDA-approved transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

The new Connecticut practice will be helmed by Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) Rhonda Bessette. Bessette earned her Masters in Science of Nursing from Eastern Kentucky University. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Southern New Hampshire University.

Bessette focuses her practice on the treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She has spent the bulk of her professional career working in adult psychiatric inpatient facilities. Bessette has prescriptive authority in Connecticut.

Bessette will be supported by the entire South County Psychiatry team of psychiatrists, physician's assistants, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and licensed chemical dependency professionals.

Treatment for mental health conditions and neurocognitive disorders provided by South County Psychiatry typically involves psychotherapy, used in conjunction with medication, where indicated. South County Psychiatry's physicians, nurse practitioners, and physicians assistants oversee mental health medications, to ensure they are taken as prescribed to achieve the best therapeutic outcome.

The Connecticut office of South County Psychiatry is now accepting new patients.

About South County Psychiatry

South County Psychiatry was founded in 2019 by Anthony Gallo, MD. South County Psychiatry provides psychotherapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), behavioral activation therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. For appointments in Rhode Island or Southeastern Connecticut, visit https://www.southcountypsychiatryri.com/ or call 959-666-3778.
Tecnam P2010 H3PS is the first General Aviation aircraft with a parallel hybrid configuration to take flight The successful first flight of the P2010 H3PS demonstrator is a pioneering achievement by the team to advance hybrid-electric flight." - Rob Watson, President of Rolls-Royce Electrical

Tecnam Aircraft, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce and Rotax specialized teams, successfully flew the new P2010 H3PS hybrid aircraft for the first time on December 21st, 2021, at precisely 3:54pm CET. The Permit to Fly was issued by ENAC, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority.

The flight was performed by Tecnams Chief Experimental Test Pilot Lorenzo De Stefano, with Tecnam, Rolls-Royce and Rotax Teams on the ground assisting in this historic moment.

Tecnam P2010 H3PS is powered by a 104kW Rotax 915 IS engine coupled with a 30kW Rolls-Royce electric motor, totaling 134kW (180hp) powertrain in a fully integrated parallel hybrid configuration. As such, this four-seat aircraft is first of its kind.

According to Tecnam Aircrafts R&D Director Fabio Russo, the H3PS successful flight test demonstration marks a major milestone on the aviation industrys journey towards de-carbonization and R&D on alternative powertrains.

Though H3PS is not intended for market purposes, our successful flight tests demonstrate that hybrid powertrain, with combustion engine coupled with an electric motor, can bear the same useful load of the traditional 180hp combustion engine, said Russo.

H3PS, which stands for High Power High Scalability Aircraft Hybrid Powertrain, is a project funded under the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Launched in 2018, the project has reached its objectives. With H3PS success, Tecnam Aircraft and project partners have validated the aircrafts scalability potential, lower emissions, state of the art power management technology, building a viable launchpad for future green aircraft models.

Commenting on the future developments, Tecnams Managing Director Giovanni Pascale Langer stated that the company will continue to focus on driving the green transition in aviation.

Tecnams approach to innovation is truly sustainable, said Pascale Langer. Our development focuses on three key pillars: environmentally friendly, technologically viable and marketable solutions. We do this by leveraging our multi-generational expertise, research and development, next-generation technology, and strategic partnerships.

I look forward to seeing H3PS inspire more innovation and drive our industry forward with cleaner, more efficient technologies, Pascale Langer concluded.

Rob Watson, President of Rolls-Royce Electrical added: The successful first flight of the P2010 H3PS demonstrator is a pioneering achievement by the team to advance hybrid-electric flight. Working with Tecnam and Rotax has been hugely beneficial, and this project has continued to build our capabilities in delivering all-electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion systems for the advanced air mobility market. Rolls-Royce is committed to investing in the technology solutions to enable and deliver sustainable aviation.

"We are very pleased that we could intensify our collaboration with Tecnam and Rolls-Royce within the H3PS project. The tests showed that there are still challenges to take up, however due to the efforts of all three parties the test flight could be concluded with deeper understanding and of course with a safe landing. The project showed that the joint venture with the qualified knowledge of these three global player companies in aviation lead to very interesting and future-orientated results for innovative propulsion systems", said Michael Dopona, Head of design Organization BRP-Rotax.

"In December 2021 ENAC issued the permit to fly, for research and development purposes - commented the Director General of ENAC, Alessio Quaranta  to the first Made in Italy General Aviation aircraft powered by hybrid propulsion system (electric - unleaded fuel): the Tecnam P2010 H3PS. It deals with an important technological innovation in favor of savings in consumption and emissions. ENAC actively participated this challenge in developing the new propulsion system and its integration within the Tecnam P2010 airframe, in line with Authority commitment towards a Sustainable Aviation future."

___________

ABOUT H3PS :

H3PS (an acronym for High Power High Scalability Aircraft Hybrid Powertrain) is a project funded under the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, Grant Agreement No. 769392.

ABOUT TECNAM:

Tecnam is an Italian aircraft manufacturer with a global network of dealers and service centers. The company produces light general aviation next-generation piston aircraft with two to 11 seats for commercial operators, special mission, flight schools and private owners.

TECNAMs roots go all the way back to the Italian brothers Luigi and Giovanni Pascale who began to develop and produce innovative aircraft soon after the end of WWII. Since those early beginnings, the family has continued to create original models, first gaining worldwide recognition under the name Partenavia, which translates as  Naples Aviation. Costruzioni Aeronautiche TECNAM was established in March 1986 and now operates in two production facilities.

The Casoria facility is located adjacent to Naples Capodichino International Airport, while the main factory is next to the Oreste Salomone Airport in Capua. New facilities were established in Sebring, Florida, USA and in Australia to serve and support the needs of Tecnams local owners and operators.

http://www.tecnam.com

ABOUT ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC

1. Rolls-Royce pioneers the power that matters to connect, power and protect society. Rolls-Royce has pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in it's operations by 2030. Rolls-Royce joined the UN Race to Zero campaign in 2020, and has committed to ensuring new products will be compatible with net zero operation by 2030, and all products will be compatible with net zero by 2050.

2. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.

3. Annual underlying revenue was 11.76 billion in 2020 and we invested 1.25 billion on research and development. Rolls-Royce Holdings also supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.

4. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a publicly traded company (LSE:RR., ADR: RYCEY, LEI: 213800EC7997ZBLZJH69).

http://www.rolls-royce.com

ABOUT BRP:

BRP is a global leader in the world of powersports vehicles, propulsion systems and boats, built on over 75 years of ingenuity and intensive consumer focus. BRP's portfolio of industry-leading and distinctive products includes Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft, Can-Am on- and off-road vehicles, Alumacraft, Manitou, Quintrex boats and Rotax marine propulsion systems as well as Rotax engines for karts and recreational aircraft. BRP completes lines of products with a dedicated parts, accessories and apparel business to fully enhance the riding experience. With annual sales of CA$6 billion from over 130 countries, our global workforce is made up of more than 14,500 driven, resourceful people.

http://www.brp.com

@BRPNews

Ski-Doo, Lynx, Sea-Doo, Can-Am, Rotax, Evinrude, Manitou, Alumacraft, Telwater and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

ABOUT BRP-ROTAX:

BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, the Austrian subsidiary of BRP Inc., is a leader in the development and production of propulsion systems for the leisure and powersports sector. Founded back in 1920, BRP-Rotax has been committed to future-proof mobility and technological progress for more than 100 years. The innovative Rotax four- and two-stroke high-performance engines are used for BRP products such as Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo Personal Watercraft, Can-Am on- and off-road vehicles as well as for karts and recreational aircraft. With sustainable products such as the first zero-emission Lynx HySnow snowmobile or the high-performance E20 e-kart series, BRP-Rotax is also a pioneer in the field of alternative powertrain models. The Upper Austrian company, headquartered in Gunskirchen, currently employs more than 1,500 people and produces engines for the global market.

http://www.flyrotax.com
In the spirit of upholding the patient navigation competency that directs navigators to facilitate patient-centered care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of cancer and the promotion of health, the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) Policy and Advocacy committee signed a letter this week addressed to President Joe Biden. The letter, created by the Cancer Leadership Council, focused on the special needs of cancer patients and other immune-compromised individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and urged action to increase the supply and improve the distribution of monoclonal antibodies and antiviral treatments for pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19 in immune-compromised individuals.

Some cancer patients are less likely than other people to enjoy the protections provided by the Covid vaccines. For example, blood cancer patients antibody levels may not be as strong as those in fully vaccinated, healthy adults, and this makes them more susceptible to a COVID-19 breakthrough infection. Their risk is that blood cancers attack the immune system since their cancer arises in cells that create antibody-producing cells. Then, the drugs that attack the leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma cancer remove not just malignant cells but also benign immune cells. Think of the bone marrow transplants that wipe out an individuals entire immune system and the rebuilding which takes months. Bone marrow transplant patients have to start over with all vaccinationsnot just against Covidto teach those new immune cells to fight the invading coronavirus, flu, or other pathogens.

AONN+ is proud of the stance the leaders in Policy & Advocacy are taking in support of oncology patients!

February 1, 2022

The President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

The undersigned organizations represent cancer patients, healthcare professionals, caregivers, and researchers. We are writing you about the special needs of cancer patients and other immune compromised individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. We urge specific steps to address these needs, including increasing the supply and improving the distribution of monoclonal antibodies and antiviral treatments for pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19 in immune compromised individuals.

The development of COVID-19 vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and antivirals, and the approval of existing therapies for COVID-19 use have been impressive achievements during the pandemic. These accomplishments are a testament to the work of talented biomedical researchers and the commitment of innovative biopharmaceutical companies, as well as a statement about the benefits of public and private sector collaboration.

Despite the promise of vaccines and therapeutics, the COVID-19 virus has proven to be a daunting adversary. Patients with hematologic cancers, many cancer patients in treatment, and certain other cancer patients can offer their experience to underscore the challenges associated with COVID-19. Cancer patients, because of their disease or the treatments for their disease, may be immune compromised. This has put them at special risk of contracting COVID-19 and at risk of poor outcomes if they do contract COVID-19.

Cancer patients have sought out vaccination to protect themselves against COVID-19. Many cancer patients and other immune compromised individuals have completed a two-dose series of mRNA vaccine and have taken the third recommended dose for immune compromised individuals. They are also prepared to take a fourth vaccine booster dose.

However, many cancer patientsas a result of their immune compromised statushave a modest response to vaccines. Despite their own efforts to protect themselves against COVID-19, these patients find themselves much as they did at the beginning of the pandemic. They are vaccinated but not protected. They are closely adhering to mitigation strategies including masking, distancing, and working from home where possible. But this means that they are often unable to see family, work in some circumstances, or live as other fully vaccinated individuals can. Of great concern is the impact of their immune compromised status on their ability to undertake and successfully complete cancer treatment.

Fortunately, a monoclonal antibody combination and antivirals might offer additional tools to immune compromised cancer patients. However, the supplies of both the monoclonal antibody combination and antiviral medications are very limited, and available supplies are not consistently distributed to those who could benefit most, according to available evidence. [1]

During the pandemic, federal health officials have communicated constructively with healthcare professionals and researchers, including cancer experts, on topics related to the immune compromised and COVID-19. The approach of federal officials led to prompt action to recommend a third dose of mRNA vaccine as part of the primary series for those who are immune compromised and to the recommendation of a fourth dose as a booster dose. [2]

We urge you to continue this approach to collaboration and communication to meet the needs of the most vulnerable during the pandemic.

Although we are presenting the urgent needs of cancer patients and other immune compromised individuals who would benefit from monoclonal antibodies and antivirals but cannot obtain them, we understand that there is currently lower use of monoclonal antibody treatment among black, Asian, Hispanic, and other races with positive SARS-CoV-2 tests results relative to white and non-Hispanic patients.[3] This disparity in access must also be addressed. These disparities in access are likely experienced by cancer patients who would benefit from monoclonal antibodies. We realize that we, as healthcare professionals and patient advocates, must be engaged in efforts to address the disparities in COVID-19 treatment access. If the issues related to supply and allocation for cancer patients and other immune compromised individuals are addressed, as we urge below, we understand that important actions will still be necessary to ensure that disparities in access to monoclonal antibodies by black, Asian, and Hispanic patientsincluding those with cancerare addressed.

We recommend that the federal government increase as much as possible its procurement of the monoclonal antibody combination and antiviral treatments. We also recommend that you consider an allocation and distribution system that would rely on the best available evidence regarding those who would benefit from these products. We can offer the expertise and experience of scientists, researchers, and patient advocates from our organizations to assist in this process. We can also recommend that distribution of these products to cancer centers and hospitals would help ensure better access for cancer patients who are immune compromised and who would benefit from these products.

We stand ready to offer our expertise and experience to address these difficult issues. We know that we share an interest in employing all responsible public health strategies to help vulnerable cancer patients and other immune compromised individuals survive this pandemic.

Sincerely,

Cancer Leadership Council

References:

[1] On January 24, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limited the use of certain monoclonal antibodies due to their limited efficacy against the omicron variant. FDA press release accessed on January 25, 2022: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-limits-use-certain-monoclonal-antibodies-treat-covid-19-due-omicron. As a result, our recommendations relate to the monoclonal antibody combination marketed as Evusheld.

[2] On January 4, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its recommendation for a fourth dose, as a booster, for moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals. Recommendation on website accessed on January 25, 2022: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-limits-use-certain-monoclonal-antibodies-treat-covid-19-due-omicron. Despite the recommendation, immune compromised individuals are being turned away from pharmacies when they seek the fourth dose booster. Liz Szabo of Kaiser Health News reported on January 25, 2022. Article accessed on January 25, 2022: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-limits-use-certain-monoclonal-antibodies-treat-covid-19-due-omicron.

[3] Wiltz JL, Feehan AK, Molinari NM, et al. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Receipt of Medications for Treatment of COVID-19  United States, March 202-August 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022; 71:96-102. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Receipt of Medications for Treatment of COVID-19  United States, March 2020August 2021 | MMWR (cdc.gov).

About the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Inc. (AONN+)

The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Inc. (AONN+), is the largest national specialty organization dedicated to improving patient care and quality of life by defining, enhancing, and promoting the role of oncology nurse and patient navigators. The organization, which has more than 8900 members, was founded in 2009 to provide a network for all professionals involved and interested in patient navigation and survivorship care services in order to better manage the complexities of the cancer treatment process. http://www.aonnonline.org.

About Amplity Medical Communications

Amplity Medical Communications, formerly The Lynx Group, is a premier medical communications and education company acutely focused on oncology and rare disease states. Amplity Medical Communications specializes in market access to and with advanced practice providers, patients, and their caregivers. With more than 100 years of combined senior leadership experience, Amplity Medical Communications continually creates award-winning medical education and cultivates strong relationships within proprietary brands serving patients and their caregivers, physicians, payers, nurses, pharmacists, navigators, and practice managers. Currently, Amplity Medical Communications partners with more than 50 of the top pharma and biotech companies globally.
Clinical trials have historically tended to take place in larger cities, with some 50% of FDA trials being conducted within one to two percent of all US zip codes. Championing equity in healthcare leads to a focus on cultural competency, where providers offer services that meet the unique socio-economic, cultural, and linguistic needs of their patients.

According to recent census figures, the US is diversifying faster than predicted, with nearly 40% of the population now identifying with a race or ethnic group other than white.(1) The base of patients who participate in clinical trials of new drugs, however, still skews heavily whitein some cases, 80 to 90%.(2) This, notes Paul Ford, founder and president of DS9 Capital, is a serious problem. Given the physiological differences between one ethnic group and another, says Ford, how is a person of color to know whether a new medicine will be effective for them?

Clinical trials have historically tended to take place in larger cities and in close proximity to major medical research organizations. Some 50% of FDA trials are in fact conducted within one to two percent of all US zip codes.(3) This, says Ford, plus the need for subjects with the time, and resources, and providers who have knowledge of clinical trials to participate in a clinical trial, have helped contribute to the over-representation of non-ethnic minority participants in such trials and even preceding that stage in discovery.

Cultural competency

Championing equity in healthcare, says Ford, leads to a focus on cultural competency, where providers offer services that meet the unique socio-economic, cultural, and linguistic needs of their patients. The ability of healthcare providers to offer services that complements the characteristics of their patients, he notes, leads to better care for diverse populations, improved health outcomes, improved health literacy, and inclusivity.

An example of socio-economic competency in the realm of pharmaceutical dispensation, says Ford, is Orchestra Rx, a prescription drug management company focused on helping un/underinsured, underrepresented populations gain access to affordable and appropriate pharmaceuticals through its programs made available to individual patients, employers and health plans. One of the missions of Orchestra Rx, he says, is to strengthen representation of people of color in the research and development activities of pharma and biosciences companies, leading to greater efficacy, more treatment options, and better access to healthcare, with the aim of improving health outcomes and quality of life for the under-represented.

Pioneers

The US healthcare system is inequitable, as Ford explains, and more effort is needed to ensure that people of color receive adequate information on medications and healthcarewhich is part of Orchestra Rxs mission. Perhaps a way to address this gap is by looking at the past and how pioneering people of color dealt with and rose above this situation.

February, notes Ford, is Black History Month. The theme for 2022 is Black Health and Wellness and focuses on the strides healthcare and healthcare practitioners have made and are making in the black community.(4) It seems particularly appropriate, he says, to acknowledge the accomplishments of three pioneers: James McCune Smith, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, and Jocelyn Elders.

 James McCune Smith (1813-1865), denied admission to American colleges because of his race, attended the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where he earned three degrees, including an M.D., by the age of 24. When he returned to his native New York City, he established his own pharmacy and office at 93 Broadway, making him the first African American doctor with his own practice in the United States.(5)

 Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831-1895) graduated from the New England Female Medical College in 1864, making her the first black female physician in the United States; that same year, she opened a practice in Boston. Her Book of Medical Discourses was one of the first medical publications by an African American.(5)

 Jocelyn Elders (b. 1933), a vice admiral in the Public Health Services Commissioned Corps, was the second woman and first African American to serve as United States Surgeon General. She is currently a professor emerita of pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science.(6)

When we look back at pioneers like Drs. Smith, Crumpler, and Elders, says Ford, and then look around us at the state of inclusiveness in US healthcare in 2022, it is clear that there is still much to be done. The good news, he says, is that with determination it is all possible. We simply need more diversity in clinical trials, more research and information on drug interactions for people of color, and more participation from todays leaders.

About DS9 Capital:

DS9 Capital is a founder-friendly portfolio management holding company focused on building enduring and stable cash-flowing businesses in the insurance and healthcare technology space. DS9 is generally focused on frontier technology and service offerings in the insurance and healthcare space largely leveraging cloud-based infrastructure, and more specifically on applying our domain expertise to nano-cap sized businesses to expand the value chain for all stakeholders. This value creation typically includes investment, leveraging our vast resources and networks to create a strategic pipeline for organic growth, and realigning the businesses to optimize commercial and IP assets. Our tactical goal with each of our companies is to leverage our expertise into higher margin and missed revenue opportunities.

1. Frey, William H. The Nation Is Diversifying Even Faster than Predicted, According to New Census Data. Brookings, 16 July 2020, brookings.edu/research/new-census-data-shows-the-nation-is-diversifying-even-faster-than-predicted/.

2. Clinical Trials Have Far Too Little Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Scientific American, 1 Sept. 2018, scientificamerican.com/article/clinical-trials-have-far-too-little-racial-and-ethnic-diversity/.

3. Why We Need to Improve Diversity in Clinical Trial Participants. Mdgroup, 18 Dec. 2021, mdgroup.com/blog/why-we-need-to-improve-diversity-amongst-clinical-trial-participants/.

4. Black History Month 2022. National Museum of African American History and Culture, 3 Feb. 2022, nmaahc.si.edu/explore/initiatives/black-history-month.

5. Rauf, Don, et al. 12 Black American Pioneers Who Changed Healthcare. EverydayHealth.com, everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/african-american-pioneers-who-changed-healthcare/.

6. Joycelyn Elders. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Jan. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joycelyn_Elders.

7. Cultural Competence in Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, npin.cdc.gov/pages/cultural-competence.
Both legacy and challenger banks trust Trulioo and its range of solutions to scale innovative global compliance programs while delivering positive customer experiences, said Steve Munford, CEO, Trulioo

Trulioo, the global identity verification leader, today announced four new banking customers : Bambu Systems, Guardian Gold, Nerve and Simba. With Trulioo GlobalGateway, the worlds largest network of identity data and services, financial institutions can deploy identity checks that help them satisfy Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance requirements.

Expectations are at an all-time high when it comes to digital experiences and Trulioo is proud to help organizations meet their customers needs, said Steve Munford, CEO, Trulioo. At the onset of the pandemic, we examined consumer perceptions around digital account opening. We found that when a financial services firm incorporated real-time identity verification as part of their onboarding, 83% of people were less likely to abandon the account creation process.

In addition to adverse effects on customer acquisition, poor onboarding experiences detrimentally impact brand perception, with Trulioo research revealing that 80% of consumers held greater trust in brands that use identity verification as opposed to those who didnt.

Both legacy and challenger banks trust Trulioo and its range of solutions to scale innovative global compliance programs while delivering positive customer experiences. Were pleased to partner with these organizations to continue to support their compliance and risk mitigation initiatives and to help them onboard customers around the world, added Munford.

The following financial services providers are amongst Trulioos growing roster of customers around the globe:



Bambu Systems, a digital bank advancing financial inclusion by offering services and products for the unbanked.

Guardian Gold, a subset of Guardian Vaults, provides a seamless solution for buying and storing physical gold and silver bullion.

Nerve, the embedded banking platform for the creator economy.

Simba, a digital bank with a focus on financial products for immigrants in the U.S., offers a mobile platform, no fee banking and free international transfers.

GlobalGateway provides access to over 400 data sources to reliably and securely verify the identities of over 5 billion individuals around the world through one API.

Learn how Trulioo helps digital banks meet AML/KYC compliance requirements and deliver seamless onboarding experiences here.

About Trulioo

Trulioo is the leading global identity verification company, building trust online so that businesses and consumers can transact safely and securely. Trulioo provides real-time verification of 5 billion consumers and 330 million business entities worldwide  all through a single API integration. Organizations rely on its identity verification platform, GlobalGateway, to help meet their business and compliance requirements and automate due diligence and fraud prevention workflows. The Trulioo mission is to help provide every person on the planet with a digital identity to enable access to basic financial services and support. For more information, visit trulioo.com.


Weve been focused on protecting small and medium sized businesses since day one. Every company should be able to get protected from cybercrime.

VAZATA a leading provider of managed IT services across North America, today announced a strategic relationship with Barracuda Networks, Inc., a trusted partner and leading provider of cloud-enabled security solutions, to better secure clients and grow their cyber-as-a-service practice, powered by Barracudas SKOUT Managed XDR.

VAZATA has been delivering managed network services for over 20 years and helps thousands of businesses streamline, support, or augment their IT resources to be successful. This new relationship allows for an expansion of cloud-native threat detection tools that utilize AI and machine learning. The enhanced solution is primarily focused on two areas of cybersecurity: ransomware and compliance.

Many companies are turning to us to provide holistic security and managed services across their businesses  regardless of size, said Paul Chouffet, CISO of VAZATA. Working with Barracuda, and taking advantage of their Managed XDR offering, will allow us to expand our traditional managed services and physical security solution sets with a cybersecurity offering that is proven and trusted.

Weve been focused on protecting small and medium sized businesses since day one. Every company should be able to get protected from cybercrime, said Aidan Kehoe, SVP, MSP Managed XDR at Barracuda, We are looking forward to partnering with VAZATA to protect more businesses and workers from cybercrime.

VAZATA states the expanded services are a key component of their offerings moving forward and allows for more focus on customer experience with a consolidated managed IT and cybersecurity practice. For more information on the cybersecurity offering from VAZATA visit https://www.vazata.com/.

About VAZATA

Founded in 2000 as a managed hosting company focused on security and compliance, VAZATA added managed colocation services and then enterprise cloud services in the mid-2000s. VAZATAs goal is to continue to better serve Global 1000 businesses, enterprise-level customers ranging from start-up to Fortune 500 organizations, and U.S. Federal Government Agencies.

VAZATA supports vertical markets such as Healthcare, Retail, Finance, Technology, Manufacturing, Legal, Non-profit, and Public Sector. The company is headquartered in McKinney, Texas, with a global managed security footprint. VAZATA has a recognized reputation for outstanding customer service and thought leadership within the data protection space. Learn more at: https://www.vazata.com/.

Barracuda Networks, Barracuda, and the Barracuda Networks logo are registered trademarks of Barracuda Networks, Inc. in the US, and other countries.
Severe weather events and natural disasters can happen without a warning. To protect their vehicles in any situation, drivers are advised to purchase proper coverage., said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that shows what car insurance policies can help drivers who got their cars affected by severe weather events.

For more info and free car insurance quotes online, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/does-insurance-help-drivers-who-got-their-cars-affected-by-severe-weather/

When hearing about an impending storm, such as a hurricane, winter storm, tornado, or hailstorm, most people tend to get prepared. While there is no such thing as hurricane insurance, snowstorm insurance, or even tornado insurance, there is coverage for the elements associated with these severe weather events.

Drivers who got their vehicles affected by severe weather events should consider the following:



What car insurance policies cover severe weather events? Comprehensive insurance is the coverage that will reimburse policyholders if their cars got damaged or even totaled in severe weather events such as hurricanes, tornados, wildfires as well as flooding, and hail. However, in cases of flooding or hurricanes, there are some binding restrictions. Insurance providers can elect to restrict new business or changes to an existing policy in the days or weeks prior to a severe weather event.

How drivers can file a car insurance claim for severe weather? The first step to do is to immediately contact the insurance provider if there is weather damage done to the vehicle. Then, the policyholder will need to document the damage. To do that, drivers can take photos or videos of the damage done to the car and they can take notes of the weather event that damaged their vehicles. If a major weather event affected the area, other people may be affected, so drivers should keep in mind that is important to be patient in the claims process of their cars. Driving the damaged vehicle is not recommended also.

How to prevent weather damage to a vehicle? Drivers should stay alert for severe weather warnings. They should always inform themselves about any potential storms or perils that will their living areas. Also, drivers should always get enough coverage, like comprehensive coverage for their vehicles and they should review their deductible. Furthermore, drivers should protect their vehicles by any means necessary. They should park their cars in a covered or protected structure, away from trees and other objects, and in a low-lying area in the event of flooding. Drivers who are caught driving during severe weather events should avoid puddles and standing water, drive slowly, and take cover on the side of the road or underneath a structure as soon as possible. To protect the windows of their vehicles, policyholders can use clothing or blankets.

For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/

Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.
I tell my staff to put their best foot forward at all times and to be consistent and reliable, so clients have a reason to always trust us.

Woolpert has hired Construction Management and Inspection Team Leader Ian Lesko. Lesko will lead Woolperts Midwest construction management staff and services, with a focus on aviation and roads and bridges throughout the region. He will work out of the firms Indianapolis office.

Lesko started his career at the Indiana Department of Transportation and has continued to support INDOT construction projects through management roles at engineering and construction consulting firms for 12 years. He has experience in roadway construction and rehabilitation, bridge construction and repair, new road construction, asset management, streetscape projects, stormwater management, equipment management and survey.

At Woolpert, Lesko will expand construction management services specific to transportation in line with the firms global expansion. He said that this growth potential and Woolperts ability to support aviation and roads and bridges projects with integrated architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) services drew him to this role.

In construction services, you want to be able to keep people busy and billable year-round and to effectively advance projects toward completion, Lesko said. In addition to Woolperts exceptional transportation design services, being able to use rovers, drones and other geospatial equipment to monitor construction sites and consistently update the client, no matter the location or conditions, is a huge benefit. These tools provide a perspective that you cant replicate from the ground, providing extra intel for greater oversight and security.

Woolpert Civil and Water Resources Discipline Leader Tom Less said Lesko is known for his outstanding construction management skills throughout the region and for his long-standing relationships with clients.

Ian is well respected throughout INDOT and with the many municipalities hes supported over the years, consistently earning repeat business, Less said. His projects are on time and often under budget. He has even earned awards from clients for going above and beyond the scope of a project to make sure all needs are met. Having him here will be key to growing our construction management capabilities and to doing it in the right way.

Lesko said he is looking forward to hiring a few more staff immediately and potentially doubling the department in the next couple of years. He said this will support Woolperts intentions to become the premier transportation firm in Indiana and to extend the firms construction management presence across the Midwest.

All we have at the end of the day is our reputation and our work ethic, Lesko said. This goes for our staff, our subcontractors and anyone who represents the firm. I tell my staff to put their best foot forward at all times and to be consistent and reliable, so clients have a reason to always trust us. I am looking forward to building something special here for Woolpert and for the region.

About Woolpert

Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, recently earned its sixth-straight Great Place to Work certification and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been Americas fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has more than 1,600 employees and 60 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.
After winnning a National Book Award and a Pulitzer Prize for his 2018 biography of Alain Locke, Jeffrey C. Stewart continues his study of the groundbreaking Howard University scholar as the editor of Alain Locke, The New Negro Aesthetic: Selected Writings, a new collection of Lockes classic essays and reviews, out now from Penguin Classics.

A scholar, educator, and influential patron of the arts, Alain Locke (1885-1954) is a giant of 20th century Black American intellectual acheivement and a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a flowering of Black arts activities of all kinds during the 1920s. Locke graduated from Harvard University in 1907 with degrees in English and philosophy; later receiving a PhD in philosophy from Harvard in 1918. He was named chair of the philosophy department at Howard University the same year.

Stewart, professor of Black Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, is the author of Alain Locke: The New Negro, which was awarded the 2018 National Book Award for Nonfiction, and, the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, among other literary prizes. This new collection, edited by Stewart under the general series supervision of scholar Henry Louis Gates, features forty of Lockes essays and reviews on African American literature, race, culture, theater, music and the visual arts. PW talked with Stewart about the genesis and breadth of Lockes aesthetic ideas, and how they influenced Black people and the world.

Publishers Weekly: What inspired you to put this compendium together?

Jeffrey Stewart: I have to give some credit here to [general editor] Henry Louis Gates, because he was the one who actually came to me and said, hey, have you thought about doing a volume on Lockes aesthetic writings? How would you put that together? So I started thinking about that.

Locke wrote, the Sociologist, the Philanthropist, the Race-leader are not unaware of the New Negro, but they are at a loss to account for him. The concept of the New Negro is central to Locke. Where did it come from?

The term was around, all the way back into the 1880s and 1890s. Black people were using that term as a post-reconstruction, post-slavery identity. Locke was invested with this particular aesthetic notion that the new Negro is a person aware of her or his brilliant gift: The Gift of Black Folk, as W. E. B. Du Bois put it. And The Gift of Black Folk is our art. And so, the New Negro became the focal point for my organizing the book.

How does Locke advance his aesthetic conception of The New Negro?

Locke launched The New Negro as an aesthetic formation. He almost curated the term, like he was the Godfather of that concept, and he shepherded that concept through the late 1920s, into the thirties, forties, and even in the 1950s. Theres a wonderful essay in Lockes retrospective reviews, which I put in the book called The Negro: "New" or Newer". He was still riffing on this idea of newness. And I thought, well, why is that? Because I think Locke has this concept of reinvention.

That is at the heart of The New Negro. Locke sees that Black people have this phenomenal capacity to reinvent themselves. That's why I [used the term] iterative African Americans in the back of the book. We're constantly updating ourselves. We invent the spirituals. And then, 40 or 50 years later, we invent the blues. And then 34 years later, we invent jazz. We invent swing, we invent bebop, black rock and roll, rhythm and blues, hip hop  Locke saw that ability in Black people to reinvent themselves as an identity.

In an excerpt from Lockes The Negro and his Music, he praises jazz musicians as, pathfinders into new realms, but also critiques the cheap low brow jazz that is manufactured for passing musical comsumption.

I think he was conflicted about it. Many of those 19th century Black Victorians had been weaned on classical music. And so his taste was not really sympathetic to those forms of jazz that come out of ragtime in the 1920s. But once jazz moved into the early swing movement [of the 1930s] with Duke Ellington, who studied classical music, and basically essentially created what Locke called a form of classical jazz, that obviously drew him in.

I think by the time of the 1930s, he was really listening much more carefully. And he was beginning to make connections between what was happening in jazz, and what was happening in the spirituals, which is really the form of music he loved the most. He was beginning to see that there was jazz built on many of the choral elements in Black music which had been so innovated by people in the Black churches, in a way that was different from people who trace the history of jazz, from the bordellos in New Orleans. I also feel that if Locke had lived longer into the early 1960s, he would have been a tremendous fan of the way Miles Davis approached jazz, particularly in his cool phase. I think he would have perhaps even had more to say about jazz.

Duke Ellington described jazz as a music with an African foundation, which came out of an American environment." Locke was interested in the African foundation of the New Negro in a hemispheric context in his lecture/essay, The Negro in the Three Americas. Would you classify him as a pan-Africanist, understanding the global cultural connections between people of African descent?

Yes, very much so! When Locke was invited to give those lectures in Haiti, during the 1940s, he looked at how African cultureBlack aesthetic intelligencetook the English traditions in North America, the French traditions obviously in Haiti, and the Spanish and Portuguese traditions throughout Latin America, and made something new. And Locke was really trying to get a conversation [started] between the Caribbean, Latin America and North America around those [cultural] similarities and differences, which has never actually taken place. And I think it would be a wonderful thing if this essay sparked that conversation.

Which one of Lockes essays stand out to you?

I think Harlem is one of Lockes most profound essays, in terms of the sociology of aesthetic formation. He shows the migration of working class Black people into Harlem, and the connection that was fused between the artists and the students. The heterogeneity of Harlem is what led to the Harlem Renaissance. In America, we really fight against diversity. Locke is saying it's the diversity within the Black community that produces the spectacular brilliance of Harlem.

In other words: In our modern era, part of the unfinished revolution of the New Negro movement is to continue to create spaces where it can thrive.

Locke was saying, we need a space for art: an enabling place, where working class people, the criminal, the artists, the activists and the students come together. And through their interaction, there is a great race welding. I think that concept is really the concept for the whole book.
In another sign of the friction between the Internet Archive and major publishers, Penguin Random House denies claims that it demanded the removal of Art Spiegelmans acclaimed Holocaust graphic memoir Maus from IA digital circulation due to soaring sales in the wake of recent efforts to censor the book.

In a February 10 blog post Chris Freeland, director of Internet Archives Open Libraries Initiative, claims that PRH demanded that IA remove the book from its lending library because in their words, consumer interest in Maus has soared as a result of a Tennessee school boards decision to ban teaching the book. Freeland goes on to state that By its own admission, to maximize profits, a Goliath of the publishing industry is forbidding our non-profit library from lending a banned book to our patrons: a real live digital book-burning.

Contacted by PW, Freeland described the demand to remove to book from circulation as a direct quote from PRH, although he declined to be more specific about who or what division at PRH made the demand. Freeland said that its IAs policy to honor takedown requests and the book has been removed from circulation.

However, Lisa Lucas, senior v-p and publisher of Pantheon Schocken, the PRH division which publishes Maus, denies the allegation. In response, Lucas emphatically denied the claim. That is not true, she said, framing the issue around copyright concerns rather than consumer demand. Art Spiegelman has never consented to an e-book of Maus," Lucas said. "Therefore, PRH asked the Internet Archive to remove the PDF and stop pirating Maus because it violates Art Spiegelmans copyright.

Although best known for its collection of public domain titles, the Internet Archive also offers a lending library of more than 2 million modern titles not in the public domain, Freeland said. IA offers digital lending of these titles under a controversial policy called Controlled Digital Lending, or CDL, in which IA scans the book and lends out a PDF of the title, one copy per lender at a time, much like a physical book.

In June 2020, four publishers, including PRH, filed a lawsuit against the IA charging it with copyright infringement. The case is still working its way through the courts.
With solid sales throughout much of the year, revenue at Simon & Schuster rose 10% over 2020 to just under $1 billion ($993 million), while operating income jumped 52%, to $213 million. It was an extraordinary year for all of our groups, CEO Jonathan Karp told PW.

The two fastest-growing divisions were the companys distribution group, where sales jumped 50%, and its international unit, which had a 25% increase. Both divisions benefited from strong sales of manga; S&S is the worldwide distributor for Viz Media, and the graphic novel publisher had 49 titles reach PWs trade paperback bestseller list last year.

S&Ss adult group saw a 4% sales increase led by its Atria publishing group, which is home to TikTok sensations Colleen Hoover and Taylor Jenkins Reid. Karp said that sales for both authors have continued strong into 2022, and he sees no sign that enthusiasm by TikTok users for the authors is diminishing. The adult group also had two books that sold more than a million copies last year, American Marxism by Mark R. Levin and The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave.

Sales in the childrens group increased 7%, helped by sales of These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong, who Karp called a rising star, and Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz.

Total digital sales were flat in the year as a 9% decline in e-book sales was offset by a 11% increase in audiobook sales.

Karp said S&S has done a good job in keeping costs under control, and noted that significantly lower returns contributed to the big earnings gain.

With an August trial date looming in the governments effort to stop the sale of S&S to Penguin Random House, Karp praised the ability of employees to keep focused on publishing good books. Noting that Forbes recently ranked S&S as #342 out of 500 companies on its Americas Best Midsize Employers 2022 list, Karp said he sees that as a sign that morale is good. The S&S management team hopes to keep morale up by engaging in predictable flexibility, a concept taken from the S&S book Pay Up by Reshma Soujani, Karp said. As part of that strategy, S&S is allowing employees to continue to work remotely until the litigation with the Department of Justice is resolved.

Karp thinks S&S is well positioned to have another good year in 2022. He has extremely high hopes for Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, a debut by U.K. author M.F. Steadman. Karp said the book, the first in a series, reminds him of the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series. Rights sold in 36 territories and the book, which was acquired jointly by S&S and S&S UK, will be released in May. Also in the childrens group, Once Upon a Tim is the first book in a new series by Stuart Gibbs, and is publishing in March.

On the adult side, Michael Schurs How to Be Perfect is a #1 bestseller, and Karp thinks the new Tony Robbins book, Lifeforce, will soon be at #1. Another book in the new imprint Simon Element, The Modern Proper by Holly Erickson and Natalie Mortimer, will be published in April.

During the conference call held by S&Ss current parent company, ViacomCBS, to discuss 2021 results, it was announced that the company is rebranding itself as Paramount, though Karp noted, we are still Simon & Schuster. In the early 1990s, following an earlier rebranding of Viacom to Paramount, S&S was renamed Paramount Publishing.
Purdues Honors College and Center for the Environment have announced that biologist Alison Power will be coming to campus Feb. 28 for the fifth annual Aronson Family Science and Society Honors Lecture. Power is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University and a central figure in the field of disease ecology in plant communities.

Powers keynote presentation, Global Crop Diversity in Farming Communities, will address her recent work in Ethiopia, where smallholder farmers adapt to climate variability. Power will explore how Ethiopian farmers have developed diverse crop varieties and systems that enable adaptation to changing conditions. Her research on diverse cropping systems is in collaboration with both U.S. and Ethiopian universities.

The lecture will be held at 6 p.m. at Honors College and Residences North building, Honors Hall. A panel discussion, Feeding the Planet 2050, will precede the lecture at 3 p.m. in the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, Room 121. The event will bring together Purdue faculty and Center for the Environment affiliates who, along with Power, will discuss the topic of food security, crop diversity and global food needs. A reception featuring grab-and-go locally sourced refreshments for attendees will be held at 5:30-6 p.m. at the Honors College and Residences North building, Innovation Forum.

All students, faculty and community members are welcome to attend. Registration for the panel discussion, reception and lecture is available online.

The Aronson Family Science and Society Honors Lecture, hosted by the Honors College in collaboration this year with the Center for the Environment, is possible thanks to the support of the Aronson family. Previous speakers for the series have included Capt. Scott Kelly, NASA astronaut and commander of the International Space Station; Moira Gunn, a former NASA scientist, Purdue alumna, and host of the NPR program Tech Nation"; and Katie Bouman, who as a member of the Event Horizon Telescope team helped to capture the first image of a black hole.

Source: Leslie Valiant, lvaliant@purdue.edu
The Purdue chapter of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) is inviting faculty and staff who may have joined PKP as a student to become involved in the local chapter.

Any faculty or staff member that was inducted into PKP as an undergraduate and is interested in getting involved in the leadership of the chapter should contact Elise Taylor at taylo818@purdue.edu.

Phi Kappa Phi is the nations oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honorary society, it initiates more than 30,000 members a year on 300 campuses in the U.S. and the Philippines. More than 1.5 million members have joined its ranks since Phi Kappa Phis founding in 1897. Purdue University is currently revitalizing its chapter.

Writer: Bella Vina, ivina@purdue.edu
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and the centers deputy director for science have expressed gratitude to the nations Cooperative Extension System, including Purdue University Cooperative Extension, for addressing vaccine hesitancy by educating and raising awareness about the importance of getting vaccinated for COVID-19 in rural America.

Rural America continues to be especially hard hit by the pandemic, and the lives of families and communities continue to feel the impacts, said Dr. Carrie Castille, director of the U.S. Department of Agricultures National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Because our communities are faced with making important decisions about vaccinations, having a trusted, independent community agent to aid in decision making is essential. Cooperative Extension agents and educators are well placed to have that discussion and provide objective educational information. Talk with your Extension agent, and then decide.

Through an interagency agreement with the CDC and NIFA, Cooperative Extension units at land-grant universities across the nation received funding and launched the Cooperative Extension Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE) in June 2021 to address health disparities among rural and other underserved communities.

Samuel F. Posner, acting director of the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a letter to the U.S. Cooperative Extension System, Agents and educators are trusted messengers working in every county across the nation and are uniquely situated at local levels to engage with their communities and build partnerships to improve community health.

As my team listens to our partners in the field, we hear story upon story of the need for one-on-one, honest discussions with trusted messengers to address concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.

Purdue Extension is currently addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in five Indiana counties with high Latinx populations: Cass, Clinton, Daviess, Elkhart and Wayne counties. The efforts aim to dispel misinformation and increase confidence by sharing science-based information in Spanish. Purdue Extension launched a Pandora advertising campaign on Spanish-language stations in the targeted counties. The ad links to a web page available in Spanish with information and resources about the COVID-19 vaccine and links to additional information provided by the Indiana state government and the CDC.

The Cooperative Extension System is operated through the nations land-grant university system in partnership with the federal, state and local governments. As the federal partner, NIFA develops methods to address national priorities, funds and awards grants, and provides program leadership. The agency supports both the universities and local Extension offices to bring science directly to the regional and county level.

NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and Extension across the nation to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. NIFA supports initiatives that ensure the long-term viability of agriculture and applies an integrated approach to ensure that groundbreaking discoveries in agriculture-related sciences and technologies reach the people who can put them into practice. In FY2020, NIFAs total investment was $1.95 billion.

Media Contact: Abby Leeds, 765-494-7817, mayer36@purdue.edu

Source: Christina Swathwood, cbautista@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  An invention from Purdue University and the Indiana Department of Transportation that uses wireless communication devices could save lives at high-speed traffic signals.

Principal research analyst Howell Li and transportation research engineer Jijo Mathew of the Joint Transportation Research Program in Purdue University's Lyles School of Civil Engineering have collaborated with Tom Platte at the Indiana Department of Transportation to create technology that improves safety as vehicles approach a signalized intersection.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, 2 million crashes occur annually at intersections with traffic signals, leading to hundreds of thousands of injuries and more than 3,000 fatalities.

Mathew said a driver's decision to stop at a traffic signal or continue through it is made at the onset of the traffic signal turning yellow. He said a section of roadway upstream of an intersection, known as the dilemma zone, is an area where a vehicle can neither stop safely nor clear an intersection at its present speed.

"To reduce crashes, the key idea is to provide dilemma-zone protection," Mathew said. "One would think yellow time can be extended; however, drivers tend to adapt to this, resulting in lower probabilities of stopping. The state-of-the-practice for actuated intersections  intersections where timing is influenced by sensors  is to use green extensions, where the green time is extended for a certain period when a vehicle is present. Although this reduces the exposure of vehicles to the onset of yellow, this can go only for so long."

The Purdue-INDOT technology extends green time or indicates yellow early as necessary to ensure safety and efficiency to the next intersection on a 0.1-second basis. The system would consider the trajectory of each vehicle relative to a predetermined time of when the green would end. If there is enough time to spare, the green is extended until the vehicle clears the intersection. However, when there are other vehicles competing for green time on other movements, the system would indicate yellow early before the vehicle enters the dilemma zone for a safe stop.

Li said the innovation improves upon traditional technology that extends green-light signals in several ways.

"Infrastructure sensors have a fixed range, are expensive, may require intrusive installation on existing infrastructure, and need routine maintenance to ensure proper operation," Li said. "And most sensors do not detect vehicles continuously one mile away to adjust timing changes, such as when the onset of yellow occurs."

A YouTube video featuring Li explaining how technology works is available.

The technology uses wireless communication devices placed at traffic signals and in vehicles, and specialized control logic at the signal controller to bring it all together. Li believes barriers for his technology can be overcome.

"Vehicles are already rolling off the assembly lines with built-in communication devices in the form of cellular. High-bandwidth, low-latency technologies such as 5G and beyond are being more widely adopted around the country and the world," Li said. "Compelling use cases such as reducing yellow- and red-light incursions for heavy vehicles and the safety data to support the findings will accelerate adoption by transportation agencies, I believe."

The technology was tested during brief sessions over a period of a week at County Road 500 S. at U.S. Highway 231 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. The remainder of the benefit estimation was simulated.

Platte said the tests proved the technology has the potential to reduce heavy vehicle red-light incursions by a significant amount.

"During my time working at the Indiana Department of Transportation, I have only been aware of conceptual-use cases involving onboard vehicle communication technology integrating with live traffic signal control, he said. Our new technology moves this integration beyond the merely conceptual. This work provides an implemented real-world use case that addresses an important safety concern, among other applications.

"As a signal systems field engineer, I work with live traffic daily. Crash statistics are more than just numbers for me. I have encountered situations where this technology could have potentially saved the lives of people in my community. I look forward to robust implementation of our technology and similar technologies in the automotive and traffic-signal infrastructure industries."

The technology was disclosed to the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization, which has applied for a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect the intellectual property. For information on licensing opportunities, contact Matt Halladay of OTC at mrhalladay@prf.org about 2020-LI-68904.

"We are interested in working with more vehicle and truck manufacturers and government partners at safety-critical, high-impact corridors that will bring tremendous safety benefit to the motoring public," Li said.

About Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. The office is housed in the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in Discovery Park District at Purdue, adjacent to the Purdue campus. In fiscal year 2020, the office reported 148 deals finalized with 225 technologies signed, 408 disclosures received and 180 issued U.S. patents. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. In 2020, IPWatchdog Institute ranked Purdue third nationally in startup creation and in the top 20 for patents. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Contact otcip@prf.org for more information.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last four years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://purdue.edu/.

Writer: Steve Martin, sgmartin@prf.org

Sources: Howell Li, howell-li@purdue.edu

Jijo Mathew, kjijo@purdue.edu

Tom Platte, toplatte@indot.in.gov
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Purdue University has been selected as an institute partner for the 2022 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

Beginning in mid-June, Purdues International Programs in Agriculture (IPIA) will host 25 of Africas emerging business leaders for a six-week leadership institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and local community engagement. Created in 2010, YALI supports participants as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.

"Engaging with the Fellows and jointly exploring and overcoming the challenges, particularly for African women, in local innovation and entrepreneurship, has the potential to open great new opportunities to self-build a more sustainable, more equitable and more resilient future for the participants' home countries, says Christian Butzke, professor of food science. It is with great pride and anticipation that Purdue can both contribute to and learn from these exchanges."

Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 5,100 Mandela Washington Fellows from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals. The cohort of Fellows located at Purdue will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 27 educational institutions across the United States. After their Leadership Institutes, Fellows will participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where they will take part in networking and panel discussions with each other and with U.S. leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Following the Summit, up to 100 competitively selected fellows will participate in four weeks of professional development with U.S. nongovernmental organizations, private companies and government agencies. Funded by the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by IREX, Leadership Institutes will offer programs that will challenge, motivate and empower young leaders from Africa to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.

The Washington Mandela Fellows are high energy and eager to learn how to make their businesses more profitable, said Gary Burniske, Purdues MWF academic director and assistant director for program development in IPIA. These young women and men are excited about exploring collaborations with the Purdue community and its stakeholders where Africans and Americans can establish cultural and economic ties for their mutual benefit.

Some highlights of the Purdue program are:

Fellows will connect with local businesses and volunteers through collaborative projects and site visits.

Fellows will have the opportunity to give back to the local community through service opportunities being planned at NICHES Land Trust, Food Finders, Habitat for Humanity and TLCH Homeless Services.

You can meet the fellows at different events throughout the summer such as Taste of Tippecanoe, Indiana Fiddlers Gathering and Mosey Down Main Street.

As with previous cohorts of Fellows, we anticipate that many of the participants will be agricultural entrepreneurs. Our engagement, therefore, presents a chance to invest in and shape the future of global agriculture, said Gerald Shively, associate dean and director of IPIA. And while the most direct beneficiaries of this outstanding program are the Fellows themselves, the connections they make while they are on campus  especially to academic and business leaders  provide a range of opportunities for future public and private partnerships and collaborations.

For additional information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute at Purdue and how you can get involved, please contact Gary Burniske, grburniske@purdue.edu or visit the Purdue MWF website at https://www.purdue.edu/mandela-fellowship/

Ready to volunteer with the program? Register today!

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit mandelawashingtonfellowship.org and join the conversation at #YALI2022.

Writer: Nyssa Lilovich, 765-494-7077 nclilovi@purdue.edu

Source: Gary Burniske, grburniske@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
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The initial slate is part of the streamers plans to greenlight 50 new international scripted originals in 2022 and will see the direct-to-consumer service expand its pipeline of premium internationally originated content to serve all types of audiences and increase the services content offering. Nearly all of these international titles will be developed and produce for Paramount+ by VIS, ViacomCBS international studio , which has a production footprint spanning more than 20 countries and 15 languages.The slate includes new titles and recommissions, including the following, which will premiere on Paramount+ in Latin America, Canada and Australia where the service is currently available, as well as in all markets where the service will launch in 2022.Drama series A Gentleman in Moscow is based on the best-selling novel by Amor Towles, this tells the story of Count Rostov who, in 1922, finds himself stuck in Moscow and on the wrong side of history. The Communist Party agrees to let him live but he is never allowed to set foot outside the Metropole Hotel until the day he dies. It is co-produced by VIS and eOne.Prequel series Sexy Beast (UK), based on the hit cult classic film of the same name, begins with Gal Dove and Don Logan just as they descend into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s. At its core, this is a love story between two men -- a la Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In association with VIS, produced by Chapter One, with showrunner Michael Caleo (The Sopranos).Germanys Simon Becketts The Chemistry of Death is thrilling, psychological crime series based on the bestselling novels following forensic anthropologist Dr. David Hunter. Written by BAFTA-winning screenwriter Sukey Venables Fisher and directed by Richard R. Clark, the series will be shot in the UK. Producing partners are Nadcon Film and Cuba Pictures, in association with VIS.The second season of Mexican series Los Enviados (The Envoys) co this series finds priests Pedro Salinas (Luis Gerardo Mendez) and Simon Antequera (Miguel Angel Silvestre) traveling to Spain to investigate an inexplicable miracle. While there, the priests unearth shocking secrets of the towns history. In association with VIS, produced by Academy Award winner Juan Jose Campanella and his production company, 100 Bares.Also based in Mexico, Cecilia  Season 2 (pictured) begins after a fire destroys the family bakery, Pan Dulce, and Cecilia (Mariana Trevino) and her relatives begin the process of rebuilding it. Without a business to keep the family financially afloat, they will have to find another way to make ends meet, and family relationships are more tense than ever. In association with VIS, produced by Oficina Burman, a Mediapro company.
With Russian troops supposedly poised to invade Ukraine, will rising geopolitical tensions doom the bull market? I doubt iteven if regional war erupts. Despite regional conflicts terrible, tragic human costs, history shows they lack the power to sway coldhearted marketsnot for long, at least. Regional conflicts have sometimes caused stock market corrections, but not bear markets. Recognizing that harsh but true dichotomy is crucial to successful investing.



I often say bull markets end one of two ways: atop the Wall of Worry when reality falls short of exuberant expectations, or after a wallopa multi-trillion-dollar economic shock, like COVID lockdowns. Many presume regional wars pack wallop potential. They dont. Consider Ukraine. It accounts for merely 0.2% of global GDP. Its investable market comprises only two stocks totaling about $1 billion in market capitalization. Energy? Ukraines role in transferring Russian gas to Europewhich sparked price spikes during 2006 and 2009 disputeshas diminished sharply. Newer pipelines like the Yamal-Europe, Nord Stream 1 and TurkStream all bypass Ukraine. The result: Last year, gas exports to Europe via Ukraine were a third that of two decades ago. Not to discount the human tragedy of waranyone with a heart knows that devastating reality. But markets are emotionless, heartless.



Will sanctions cause disruptions? Well, they never really work as intended since it costs little more than the equal of a brokerage commission to run transactions underground through a plethora of firms from other and often smaller countries who will eagerly take advantage of the opportunity. But sanctions also, for the same reason, dont really negatively impact markets in any real ways.



Or, will Russia via restricting energy exports cause supply shocks, compounding Europes energy crisis? Maybe! But any fallout likely cant last long. Yes, import-reliant Europe gets over 25% of its oil imports and 40% of its gas from Russia. Western sanctions or Russia snubbing the continenttwo big ifswould pressure prices briefly. But remember: Marketscommodity markets includedpre-price all widely known information, data and opinions. Always. Everywhere. Few events are now more widely watched than Russia-Ukraine tensions. Markets have been factoring potential conflict into prices since November reports of Russian troops massing near Ukraine, if not longer. Most pin oils red-hot 2022 start to the potential invasion.



To truly shock energy prices, reality must fall short of present frightened expectationswhich were bludgeoned by Januarys plunge in Russian gas exports to Europe. The chance of downside surprise now looks low.



Also, supply chains adjustnot overnight, but faster than most envision. Already America has sent flotillas of liquefied natural gas across the Atlantic to help address European shortages. Other countries will redirect supply there, too, responding to price signals. Could short-term volatility strike as this plays out? Yes. But markets figure this stuff out faster than most realize.



This isnt to say stocks ignore regional troubles. They dont! Rather, they pre-price them, like all widely watched events. History shows pre-conflict wobbles are common as uncertainty over the potential fightings scope and effect grows. Headlines grip investors. Far-flung potential negatives spark fear. Stocks squirm. The Korean War, 1967s Six-Day War, 1991s Desert Storm, the Bosnian War, the 2003 Iraq invasion and the Israel-Hezbollah conflict all fit this pattern somewhat.



Once the outcome becomes clear, markets typically lift offsignaling the age-old mantra: Sell on the fear; buy on the bullets. Sometimes the tensions defuse, bringing relief. Yet stocks typically rise when fighting breaks outnot because markets and investors like war, but because uncertainty falls as the scope of the issue becomes more fully delineated. The will-they-or-wont-they dominating headlines ends. Markets can examine the conflicts scope and likely falloutand price through and beyond it. As it becomes clear life and commerce continue as normal across the vast majority of the globe, stocks move on.



Consider the S&P 500, with its longest accurate daily price history. In five of the six examples above, it was higher at the end of the fighting than on the day before battle beganthe lone exception a tiny -0.3% decline during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Russia and Ukraine themselves offer another exampleUS stocks rose during Russias February and March 2014 annexation of Crimea. World stocks fell just -0.1%. Both climbed through the rest of 2014, amid tense fallout that included the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine.



Since good data began in 1925, only one armed conflict actually sparked a bear market: World War II. That was a rare case of regional strife spreading globally. The Russia-Ukraine turmoil looks exceedingly unable to snowball given Ukraine isnt in NATO. Hence, no precedent exists for it to trigger a bear market. None.



Always remember: Markets arent like peoplethey dont see events as good or bad. Instead, they callously and mechanically pre-price well-known information  and move on. They are almost always thinking something like 3  30 months into the future. When it comes to investing decisions, follow their lead.









Ken Fisher, the founder, Executive Chairman and co-CIO of Fisher Investments, authored 11 books and is a widely published global investment columnist. For more, see Kens full bio, here
Sarah Jessica Parker thinks Samantha's absence in "And Just Like That..." was handled with "grace and dignity and respect."

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The 56-year-old actress addressed the character's absence in the "Sex and the City" reboot during Monday's episode of "Watch What Happens Live."

Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis played Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes and Kristin Davis on "Sex and the City," and reprised the roles for "And Just Like That..."

Their co-star Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones, did not return for the reboot following issues with the cast.

In "And Just Like That...," Samantha is now living in London but sent flowers after Carrie's husband, Big (Chris Noth), died of a heart attack.

Carrie later reaches out to Samantha while she is in Paris and the pair meet up off-screen.

On "WWHL," Parker praised the handling of Samantha by showrunner and head writer Michael Patrick King and the "extraordinary" writing team.

"It was an idea because Samantha is not gone -- the actress that played the role is no longer playing that role, but people aren't absent from your life when you don't want them to be," Parker said.

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"I thought that in typical Michael Patrick fashion, he threaded it through with grace and dignity and respect and love and affection for that character."

"I thought that it mimicked many friendships that challenge each other and struggle and want to remain connected in a way, because it's too painful," she added.

Parker also addressed why Carrie did not call 911 sooner during Big's heart attack, saying she believed the scene was "suspended animation."

"And Just Like That..." concluded this month on HBO Max.
World of Wonder has announced a new documentary series that will follow RuPaul's Drag Race UK stars Baga Chipz, Divina De Campo and Blu Hydrangea of The Frock Destroyers.

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The four-part series, titled Frockumentary, will go behind-the-scenes as The Frock Destroyers record, release and perform their debut album Frock4Life in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fans will witness The Frock Destroyers making the album with RuPaul's Drag Race collaborators Leland, Freddy Scott and Gabe Lopez, and then later embarking on their first tour.

Frockumentary is coming to streaming service WOW Presents Plus on March 15.

"Are you prepared to be Frock Destroyed...again? We all had so much fun on this project, it seems only fitting that we share the story of how it was made with our fans. A passion project that began when we were all catapulted onto the world's main stage, we're beyond excited that we get to share more of our story - Frock4Life!" Baga Chipz, Divina De Campo and Blu Hydrangea said in a statement.

The group was formed as part of the girl band challenge in 2019's RuPaul 's Drag Race UK. The Frock Destroyers then released their version of "Break Up (Bye Bye)," which went on to become the first-ever Top 10 hit in the U.K. charts performed by a drag group.
Jennifer Aydin says she regrets confirming husband Bill Aydin's affair on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

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The television personality appeared on Tuesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live, where she played a game of Do! You! Regret It!?.

Aydin confirmed during a confrontation with Margaret Josephs in the RHONJ Season 12 premiere that Bill Aydin had an affair 10 years ago during her fourth pregnancy.

On WWHL, Aydin said she regrets going public about the affair and might have denied it in retrospect.

"It's not true to who I am -- I'm always very forthright, sometimes to my detriment -- but there's other people involved. My in-laws are very upset with him, and my children are very upset," the star said. "But I do believe there's power in my story, and we ultimately have a happy ending. I'm not going to let anybody ruin my happiness."

Aydin also said she regrets asking her friends in Tenafly, N.J., about whether Jackie Goldschneider's husband, Evan Goldschneider, had an affair.

"100 percent. I should never have done that," she said.

Aydin and Josephs have clashed throughout the years on RHONJ. Josephs said on WWHL earlier this month that she believes she and Aydin "can move forward" from their feud and praised Aydin's marriage.

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"They're both great parents. They've gone the distance. They've put, you know, this negative infidelity behind them. They've worked out their issues," Josephs said. "I have a lot of good things to say about them."
Disney's Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation is coming back to New York City this summer for an off-Broadway run.

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The musical, which uses life-sized puppets and is created and directed by Jonathan Rockefeller, will present performances from June 18 through July 31 at the Hundred Acre Theatre at Theatre Row.

The show, intended for all ages, is inspired by the beloved book series by A.A. Milne and classic Winnie the Pooh features from Disney. The play was first launched in New York City in October.

Casting for the summer engagement will be announced at a later time. Winnie the Pooh features music by the Sherman Brothers with additional songs by Milne.

"The music, the spectacular life-size puppets and the charming performances are the perfect way to introduce (or re-introduce) audiences to live theatre, and this is a must-see show for Winnie the Pooh fans of all ages," Rockefeller said in a statement.

"We persevered through a difficult winter season and have continued to prioritize the safety of all our patrons. We are excited to bring the Hundred Acre Wood back to the city so that more families (young and old) can safely join us during the summer months," he continued.
Zoe Saldaia has joined the cast of the new Paramount+ series Lioness.

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The streaming service said in a press release Tuesday that Saldaia, 43, will star in and executive produce the drama.

Lioness hails from Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan and will feature Tom Brady as showrunner and executive producer. Nicole Kidman also serves as an executive producer.

Lioness is inspired by a real-life CIA program where female soldiers would infiltrate local communities to gather intelligence. The series follows a Marine recruited to befriend the daughter of a terrorist to bring the organization down from within.

Saldaia will play Joe, the strong-willed, hard-nosed, station chief of the CIA's Lioness program, tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives working to assassinate the world's most dangerous terrorists.

"I am a huge fan of Taylor Sheridan 's work and am honored to help him tell his next amazing story with Lioness," Brady said. "Taylor has created an epic, gripping, global spy thriller centered on a group of complex, strong women, and I can't imagine anyone better to help bring these characters to life than fellow executive producers Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaia."

Sheridan also created the Yellowstone prequel 1883 and the new sequel 1932, which Paramount+ also announced Tuesday.

Saldaia is known for starring in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avatar movies. Kidman's recent TV projects include Big Little Lies, The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers.
Traverse City, MI (49684)

Today

Showers this morning, becoming a steady rain during the afternoon hours. High 47F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 37F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
Like many UGA students with family in Russia and Ukraine, watching the current conflict has been stressful and upsetting. While the conflict itself may be thousands of miles away, for these students it constantly lives in their hearts and minds.
Level Up Games seeks to establish itself as a community gaming center in Athens and join the ranks of Tyches Games just off UGAs campus and Dragonstar Hobbieson on the East Side. While the shop officially opened its Athens location on Oct. 28, 2021, it didnt finish installing its community gaming space until 2022.
COVID-19 cases have continued to decrease at the University of Georgia compared to last week, according to the universitys reporting system. UGA reported 87 new cases during the week of Feb. 7-13  79 fewer cases than last week.
People gathered in Harmony Parking lot in Brattleboro on Friday, April 22nd for a street festival and parade in celebration of Earth Day. According to Nancy Braus of 350 Brattleboro, the goal was to celebrate the ways in which the community is working towards climate justice and to empower 
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Community members hope to save Neighborhood Schoolhouse after it announced it would be closing.
The Windham County Sheriff's Office will move from Newfane to this new building on Old Ferry Road in Brattleboro, formerly the home of the Entergy Vermont Yankee joint information center.
Beckley, WV (25801)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
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FALLS VILLAGE  The David M. Hunt Library will present Owls of Connecticut, focusing on the eight species of owls found in the state, at 2 p.m. Feb. 26. The program will be presented by Ginny Apple, a Master Wildlife Conservationist with CT DEEP, who will discuss their life cycle and habitat, share photos and artifacts, and answer questions.

Her presentation focuses on the eight species of Owls that can be seen in Connecticut, including the Barn Owl, the Great Horned Owl, and the Snowy Owl.
WINSTED  Its been a few months since the Board of Education and the Gilbert School Corp met to discuss a proposed 10-year contract, and it will probably be months before its discussed again.

In December, the boards heard the contracts terms in a presentation by Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley and Gilberts Head of School Greg Shugrue at the Winsted Senior Center. At that meeting, members were asked to review the document, with Shugrue and Brady-Shanley hoping to meet with the boards again in February.

Doug Pfenninger, chairman of the Winsted Board of Education, said he and other members are looking into areas of the proposal and asking questions, but that theyre also working on the 2022-23 education budget.

Weve been inquiring with the state, regarding what the (Gilbert) contract says about funding for capital improvements, he said. Im encouraging the school board to have a discussion about the contract on the agenda in March, about what our expectations are for the Gilbert School.

There are mixed feelings on my board about proceeding with a contract, Pfenninger said. Its an ongoing discussion, but it doesnt look like well have one for the next few months, at least.

How the school district and Gilbert work through the 2022-23 budget process will help members decide on how to proceed with a contract discussion, the chairman said.

Coming up with a budget with Gilbert will be an indicator on whether we can come up with a contract, he said. If theres some distrust between the two boards, then it will be difficult. But if we can work together through the budget process, that will really help.

He said Shugrue recently made a budget presentation that was very different from past proposals.

It was more thorough than anything weve seen, for a long time, Pfenninger said. That was very encouraging.

The road to finding an acceptable, long-term contract between Winsted and Gilbert has been filled with challenges  the schools in the past have operated without one, or have also approved contracts for one or three years. In 2020, both boards were unable to come to an agreement, and began the 2021-22 school year without one.

Continuing disagreements over whether Gilbert should be the designated high school for the town; how it sets its tuition costs; an expectation of Winsted to pay for capital improvements to the Gilbert School; and unexpected additions to the semi-private schools budget based on enrollments have created rifts between the two boards, and were the reasons why the 2020 contract negotiations stalled.

Shugrue and Brady-Shanley said their proposal would end those problems, as long as both sides agreed to work together, particularly on financial decisions.

At the time, Brady-Shanley said, This is a draft contract, and its not set in stone. We are open to suggestions and feedback, to create a collaborative path, going forward. What we want is a new day for Gilbert and Winchester.

The head of school and superintendent first began meeting in October and reviewed the contract held by the Woodstock Academy, another semi-private school in Connecticut that has students from five districts, for comparison. Many of the items within the proposed contract are used by Woodstock, Shugrue said.

The contract would be in place from July 2022 to June 2032, with a full review of the agreement in 2027. Along with the agreements for Gilbert to provide educational facilities, programs and activities for grades 7-12, the contract addresses tuition costs by setting up a calendar to report enrollment, which has been a sticking point for both boards in the past.

Brady-Shanley and Shugrue propose using enrollment numbers for budget purposes, since both administrations begin their budget preparations at the start of the school year and begin committee meetings in January. By May, the Gilbert School budget is presented to the Board of Selectmen, and goes to a referendum along with the Winchester Public School budget.

The contract says that regular education enrollment for each prospective year will use the Oct. 1 enrollment for grades 7-12. The enrollment will factor into the budget of The Gilbert School for each prospective fiscal year, the contract reads. The Gilbert School will invoice the (town) for the tuition costs of all students on a quarterly basis, in July, October, January and April.

An enrollment count and invoice requirement in the contract would help with tuition, the school leaders said. A second enrollment count would be required in December, and again on Feb. 1, with any readjustments  new students, or students who have left Gilbert. If the enrollment count is 15 percent higher or lower than the original count, Gilbert would make a $40,000 adjustment to the last bill of the year in April.

Both are also proposing using zero-based budgeting for Gilbert and WPS, and any financial differences in the budget will be shared by both sides.

Mutual development of a budget timeline will be secured by Nov. 1 each year, according to the contract. Administrators will meet a minimum of three times with their respective business managers to review, discuss and prepare the budgets. After receiving feedback from the school boards and the Board of Selectmen, Gilbert and the Board of Education will review any needed adjustments together, and develop a shared, fiscal response.

That means well build our budgets from zero, invoice by invoice, student by student, Brady-Shanley said at the December meeting.

Regarding capital improvements to Gilbert, both leaders agreed that the best solution is to apply for state funding first, before tallying a bill and handing it to the Winchester school board.
NEW MILFORD  Wearing masks in New Milford schools will become optional for students and staff on March 1, the Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday night.

The board voted to repeal its policy that required wearing masks and face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning March 1, masks will not be required on school grounds or at school-sponsored activities unless required by law, except on school buses and transportation which is required by federal law, the board said.

The school mask decision stems from Gov. Ned Lamonts announcement that the state will lift requirements that students, teachers and staff wear masks in schools, and instead shifted the power to local leaders to decide for their districts.

The mask debate has led to hostile environments in many communities, with disrupted town meetings, angry emails and threatening Facebook posts.

In New Milford, parents appeared pleased about the decision. Kimberly Rybicki-Ruskouski, whose 9-year-old daughter Emma Ruskouski attends New Milford schools, said she feels like the decision is a big win.

Hopefully its a sign that the tides are changing, Rybicki-Ruskouski said. More and more people are banding together to stand up for their rights and their childrens rights.

New Milford parent Ashley Wheatley said she plans to register her 4-year-old daughter Avery Repko for kindergarten.

I had been holding off on registering my daughter this fall because I wasnt sure what the mask situation was going to be, Wheatley said.

Avery attends preschool, where she does wear a mask, but she attends half-day and gets multiple mask breaks, her mother said.

More policy changes

In a letter sent Wednesday morning to the New Milford Public School community, Superintendent Alisha DiCorpo wrote that, aside from the mask policy change, vaccinations and required weekly testing are no longer mandatory for school staff and volunteers, effective Wednesday.

In her letter, DiCorpro wrote the district plans to remove all partitions over the April vacation, so when students return to school, the desks and cafeteria will look similar to the pre-pandemic building.

Removing the partitions over the April vacation ensures we have sufficient time and resources to accomplish the removal, she added.

She wrote, however, with small group instruction, the schools will leave partitions in place until updated guidance is released from the state.

Shesaid students and staff who experience any symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and may access a school-provided test if needed.

We ask that the entire NMPS community be mindful and respectful of individual choice, she wrote. We will work together to ensure that everyone in our schools feels comfortable and safe.

In light of all the policy changes, Wendy Faulenbach, Board of Education chairman, said the board is committed to continue to work through these challenges on behalf of our students, staff and community.

Similar efforts to make masks optional are happening nearby, including in Region 12, New Fairfield, Bethel and Brookfield. Sherman planned to discuss the issue at a school board meeting Wednesday night.

sandra.fox@hearstmediact.com 203-948-9802
NORWALK  A parent of a city elementary school student is facing a pair of misdemeanor charges after police say he threatened students on a school bus who he claimed bullied his child, records show.

The 55-year-old man, whose name Hearst Connecticut Media Group is withholding to protect his childs identity, was charged in November with second-degree threatening and disorderly conduct in connection with an incident that occurred at the intersection of Scribner Avenue and Freedom Drive, according to police records.

The bus driver, who police said allowed the man to board the bus and did not file a report about the incident, has been fired, the company said.

The man boarded a bus carrying Norwalk elementary school students after his child informed him that they were being bullied by other passengers, according to a police incident report obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media.

Once upon the bus, (the man) begins to verbally admonish all students on the bus for having taken his childs poppet, Officer Cornell Abruzzini wrote in the report. During the course of (the mans) time on the bus, he speaks in an elevated tone, causing the entire bus populace to remain silent.

According to the report, the man stated, if anybody touches (his child) again, Ill come in the building.

The man has not yet entered a plea in the case, according to online court records. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 11. M. Elizabeth Reid, a public defender representing him, declined to discuss the charges.

Abruzzini noted the man spoke to no one in particular and used an expletive while addressing the students. The encounter, which lasted a little more than three minutes, was recorded by two surveillance cameras located inside the bus, the police report stated.

At least one of the students reported the incident to his father, telling him that he was scared by the man, the report stated. The father later notified school officials who then contacted police about the incident, Abruzzini wrote.

The man, the report states, agreed to meet with officers at the police department for an interview the day after the incident. During the interview, he voluntarily admitted that he was in the wrong for entering the bus, the report stated.

In the police report, Arbuzzini wrote that the bus driver allowed the man to enter the bus without questioning his motive and did not intervene during the encounter. The driver, who police did not identify, also did not report the incident while it was occurring or after it concluded, the report stated.

At the time of the incident, the bus driver was employed by Durham School Services, an Illinois-based bus company contracted by Norwalk schools to transport students. The driver has since been fired, according to the company.

We can confirm that our drivers complete a rigorous training program, and it does include how to handle unauthorized individuals from boarding our vehicles, Edward P. Flavin, a spokesperson for Durhams parent company, said in an email.

Durham has provided bus services for Norwalk Public Schools since the fall of 2020.

A spokesperson for the school district did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Key U.S. allies already have F-35s, including South Korea, Australia and Japan, with Singapore set to follow suit.

A United States Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II takes part in an aerial display during the Singapore Airshow 2022 at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.

UPDATED at 10:15 P.M. EST on 2022-02-17

A pair of U.S. F-35 fighter jets are on display at an airshow in Singapore this week, vying for potential customers in a volatile region. But Washington wont sell its most-advanced warplanes to just anyone.

Several key U.S. allies already have F-35s, including South Korea, Australia and Japan, and Singapore is set to follow suit. Next in line could be Thailand, Americas long-standing treaty ally in Asia. But analysts say theres no guarantee that Washington will approve the sale, because of Thailands close defense ties with U.S. strategic rival China.

Two of the planes three variants, the F-35A and the F-35B, have been sent to the biennial Singapore Airshow, together with a number of other U.S. military aircraft. Thats widely seen as an effort to impress the regional market amid concerns about, in Washingtons words, Chinas coercion and aggression that is most acute in the Indo-Pacific.

The stealth fighter jet, manufactured by U.S. defense aviation giant Lockheed Martin, has been in the news for the wrong reasons after an F-35C crashed on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in the South China Sea in late January. The U.S. military is in the process of retrieving the plane, which fell to the bottom of the ocean.

Despite that mishap, the F-35s are still the most technologically advanced fighters on the market today, said Richard Bitzinger, senior fellow of the Military Transformations Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

Tim Cahill, Lockheed Martin's senior vice president for global business, confirmed on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow that Thailand had expressed interest in the F-35 fighter but its up to the U.S. government to clear it, Reuters reported.

Cahill was quoted as saying: "This will be a U.S. government policy decision."

The Thai government and air force could not be reached for comment.

In mid-January, the nations cabinet agreed in principle to back the Royal Thai Air Force's plan to procure four new fighters for 13.8 billion baht (US$415 million) in the 2023 fiscal year to replace the air forces aging fleet of F-16A/B Fighting Falcons.

The air force chief, ACM Napadej Dhupatemiya, had previously expressed a strong interest in F-35 stealth fighter jets and seemed confident about the purchase since the aircraft had become more affordable at US$80 million per shot. He said the F-35 had top notch performance and the purchase would enable Thailand to stay in the same league of countries with advanced fighters.

Andreas Rupprecht, an expert on Chinas military aviation, said the interest in the U.S. fighter jet was surprising as Thailand has been shifting more towards China in recent years.

I would have thought [the Thai air force] would opt for something like the Chinese-made J-10C, especially after the Chinese fighters took part in recent Sino-Thai Air Force joint training exercises, Rupprecht said.

J-10C is China Air Forces multirole fighter, 25 of which are being sold to Pakistan.

The supposed purchase of U.S. fighter jets has also met with criticism in Thailand, with some analysts saying it is more about ulterior motives rather than strategic objectives.

Thai air force interest in F-35s is opportunistic because a military-backed government is in office and the military has been entrenched in power after two coups in 2006 and 2014, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a leading political scientist and professor at the famed Chulalongkorn University.

Unlike Japan, South Korea or Taiwan, Thailand's threat perceptions do not call for the acquisition of advanced F-35s, Thitinan said.

Thailand has close relations with China, and no border issues with its next-door neighbors.

A F-35B Stealth Fighter Jet performs at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, Feb. 15, 2022. Credit: Reuters Lack of trust?

Thailands growing military ties with China are one of the main reasons why the U.S. would be reluctant to sell their state of the art aircraft to Bangkok, said Ian Storey, senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

Thailand is a U.S. treaty ally, so it has a strong case, argued Storey.

But the Americans would still be concerned that the jet fighters sensitive technologies might be compromised due to the Thai military's close links with its Chinese counterpart, he said.

"The U.S. kicked Turkey out of the F-35 program because it got too cozy with Russia, said Bitzinger, who linked the termination of the sale of 100 F-35As to Ankara in 2019 to Turkeys decision to purchase S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

A statement by the White House at the time said: The F-35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities.

Bitzinger drew a comparison with Thailands hopes to acquire the F-35.

Thailand already buys a lot of Chinese weaponry: frigates, submarines, and tanks are just a few of the latest items that it's bought from China, he said.

Given even greater concerns over protecting F-35 technologies, I doubt if Washington would be more willing to trust Thailand," he added.

Besides the F-16s and F-5s, the Thai Royal Air Force currently operates 11 Swedish JAS-39 Gripen fighters and aviation experts say Thailand could buy more of those, or the French Rafale, like Indonesia.

Last week, Jakarta signed an acquisition contract for 42 Dassault Rafale multirole combat aircraft, the first batch of six to be delivered by 2026.

Just a few days ago, the Biden administration also approved a nearly US$14 billion arms sale of up to 36 F-15 fighter jets to Indonesia, and that could be an option for Thailand, according to Storey.

F-35s growing market

The F-35 Lightning II is single-seat, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft with stealth capabilities to evade radar. Of the three variants of the F-35, the F-35A is the least expensive; the F-35B can perform short take-off and landings; and the F-35C  the type involved in the Jan. 24 crash  is designed to operate from aircraft carriers.

Some of Washingtons most trusted allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific have already purchased, or are in the process of purchasing the F-35.

Australia acquired 72 F-35As and received the first 44 by late 2021. The Australian Royal Air Force expects to have all its F-35 aircraft operational by the end of 2023, and is considering to buy more.

Japan, facing threats from China, in December 2018 announced plan to acquire 105 F-35 aircraft including 63 F-35As and 42 F-35Bs, on top of 42 F-35As it acquired earlier.

South Korea bought 40 F-35As in 2014 and approved a follow-on batch of 20 more. Seoul is also considering to purchase the F-35B variant.

Singapore became the latest country in the Indo-Pacific to procure the stealth fighters from the U.S. with the first batch believed to be 12 F-35Bs. The U.S. State Department approved Singapores request in January 2020 and the aircraft are due for delivery in 2026, according to the aviation industry monthly Aviation International News.

Updates to restore dropped words in quote from Ian Storey.
Women who applied to authorities in Feng county, in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, for a divorce have been turned away in recent years despite claiming that they were trafficked and forced to marry, a state-backed media organization reported on .



Citing two divorce petitions denied by the Feng County People's Court dating back to 2014, the China Economic Times said a woman surnamed who petitioned for divorce after being abducted from Mianyang, Sichuan province and sold to a man in Feng county on the grounds that there was a "shaky foundation" to the marriage, was denied a divorce despite having lived separately from her "husband" following the birth of four children.



The court found that the couple should try harder to reconcile, and "jointly maintain the integrity of the family," blaming "miscommunication on both sides" for the breakdown in the "relationship."



Both parties should "do more self-criticism, show mutual understanding, care, accommodation and consideration, and take each others' interest more into account," the judgment said. "There is still a possibility of reconciliation between the two sides."



The court made a similar decision last year in the case of a woman surnamed Wang, who said she had been abducted and sold to a man in Feng county from the southwestern city of Chongqing in 1987, and had been subjected to verbal and physical abuse by her "husband," eventually running away from the family home in 2010.



"The plaintiff and the defendant have been married for more than 20 years and have children. Their marital foundation is solid and their relationship after marriage has bee good," the judgment said. "Occasional disputes are inevitable due to trivial family matters."



The court found that "it is appropriate for them to stay together."



Online comments on the article welcomed the report, expressing concern it could soon be deleted.



"So, being raped and having a kid makes it a de factor marriage?" @Riyue_Xinghe_Sky commented, while @634230_yuan said there wasn't much reporting of the story in the official media. "Serious media posts about this are hard to come by," the user commented.



"The officials in Feng county are just great!" @Listen_to_Lao_Tzu added.



A woman identified as Yang Qingxia is shown sitting with a chain around her neck in a dilapidated hut at a rural property near Xuzhou city in the eastern province of Jiangsu , in a screenshot of a video that went viral on social media. Credit: Video on Douyin Simmering public anger

The article comes amid simmering public anger over the case of a woman from Feng county -- Yang Qingxia -- found chained by the neck in an outbuilding, and believed to have been trafficked, forced to marry and have eight children, and kept in chains because of "violent outbursts." An official investigation later said she had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.



"So the Feng county court thinks it's okay to abduct and sell women?" @Camille_tournesol commented, while @Yao_Yao_Yao_Yao wrote: "A happy family? I don't even know what those words mean."



"No sense of right or wrong, whether high-ranking or low-ranking, so sad for these women, who must be so desperate," @Little beauty JoJoJoJo added.



Beijing rights lawyer Mo Shaoping said the Feng county court appeared to be breach of the fundamental principle of marriage as laid down in Chinese law.



"Any marriage formed by a woman who has been abducted and trafficked is an illegal marriage," Mo said. "The court should have passed the case on to the police for them to investigate him for abduction and trafficking."



"The fact that the court ruled against divorce violates the basic principle of marriage, which is that it must be entered into on an equal footing, and out of free will," he said.



"You can't tell a woman who has been abducted that she is in a de factor [common law] marriage formed voluntarily, freely, on an equal footing either," Mo said.



He said the court had failed to understand the spirit of the law, and that the judgment was wrong.



According to the China Economic Times, the court was no stranger to trafficking, having also handed down a five-year jail term to a Feng county resident surnamed Dong for abduction and trafficking in women and a three-year suspended sentence to a resident surnamed Wang on the same offense.



Suspected suicides

Recent media reports have shown a string of recent suspected suicides after a number of women's bodies were pulled from a river in Feng county.



One woman was found drowned alongside her child in Liangzhai, Feng county on Jan. 16, 2022, while an unidentified woman's body was pulled out of the Dongyingzi river in Shizai on Mar. 31, 2020.



Female bodies were also found on , 2020 in Qishan township and in Zhaozhuang township on Sept. 21, 2017.



Current affairs commentator Wei Ming said the bodies were likely the result of suicides of trafficked women.



"When these women are completely desperate and can't run away, [this is all they can do]," he said, but said he wouldn't rule out foul play.



"There is another possibility which shouldn't be ruled out, which is that local people are dealing brutally with women who tried to run away," he said.



Journalist Chen Hongtao said trafficking is rife in Feng county, as well as in neighboring counties in Henan, Anhui and Shandong.



"The customs, the dialect, the economy, are all very similar in those places where Shandong, Anhui, Henan [and Jiangsu] meet," Chen told RFA. "Extended clans have huge power there, and local officials, public prosecutors and law enforcement all go to great lengths to cover up this kind of thing."



"Trafficked women brought in from outside this place have no future there at all ... those who are strong-minded and can't bear the torture of it can only seek death," he said.



Open secret

A resident of Zhoukou township in Henan province said the buying and selling of women is an open secret in his hometown.



"In a village where I come from, there was a man who bought a wife for 3,000 yuan from Sichuan, who had already been bought and sold by a few different men," the resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said. "Later, she got sold on to someone else, who feared she would escape, so he would beat her and tie her up."



"There are quite a few women with mental illness or learning disabilities," he said. "If they were disobedient, they would be beaten until she did as expected."



"Things are very similar all across east Henan, northern Anhui, northern Jiangsu and southwestern Shandong," he said, adding that the daughters of trafficked women are sometimes themselves sold on by male relatives.



Repeated calls to the Feng county police department, health bureau, CCP committee propaganda department rang unanswered during office hours on , while an official who answered the phone at the Jiangsu provincial police department declined to comment when contacted by RFA.



The Feng county Red Cross declined to comment when asked about statistics for unusual deaths among women in the area.



"We don't have the statistics here, so we can't help," an employee said by phone on .



On , around 100 alumni of Peking University sent an open letter to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), calling for a central government investigation into Yang Qingxia's case.



The letter, which was addressed to CCP Central Committee and the State Council, was deleted soon after posting on Chinese social media.



"We are 100 ordinary students who once studied at Peking University," the letter said. "As the builders of the Chinese dream in the new era, we feel sleepless and grief-stricken about what happened to Yang [Qing]]xia."



Repeated attempts to contact letter author Chen Hancong were unsuccessful on .



Current affairs commentator Guo Baosheng said Peking University alumni carry a certain weight in Chinese society.



"This time, their voice also represents the voice of the people," Guo said. "They are using their identity [as alumni] to lend weight to the demand that the government find out the facts."



The letter takes aim at four statements issued by the CCP and government investigation team in Xuzhou, which administers Feng county, and calls for a probe directed from Beijing.



It called for greater protection for women from trafficking and other illegal actions.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should back a U.N. Security Council-mandated arms embargo prohibiting the sale of weapons to Myanmars junta, an international human rights group said Tuesday, citing reports of military abuses in Kayah state it warned could amount to war crimes.

A day ahead of a planned annual retreat for ASEAN foreign ministers, watchdog group Fortify Rights published a report entitled Ongoing War Crimes in Karenni (Kayah) State, Myanmar which it said documents the murders of at least 61 civilians by military personnel in Kayah between May 2021 and January 2022.

The report includes details on what has become known as the Christmas Eve Massacre in Kayahs Hpruso township, when troops killed at least 40 civilians, including a child and two aid workers with the London-based group Save the Children, on Dec. 24, 2021.

Ismail Wolff, regional director at Fortify Rights, said in a statement accompanying the release of the report that Myanmars junta is murdering people with weapons procured on the global market, and called on ASEAN to help put an end to the situation.

Clear and definitive action is needed to compel the Myanmar junta to rethink its attacks on civilians, he said. The U.N. Security Council must urgently impose a global arms embargo on the Myanmar military, and it would be strategic and sensible for ASEAN to support it.

Fortifys report was based on testimony from 31 people who witnessed abuses by the military in the eight months until January, as well as photographic and video evidence and documentation from humanitarian agencies and armed ethnic groups in Kayah.

It found that as the junta stepped up an offensive in Kayah in December and January, military troops murdered civilians, and used bombs, heavy artillery, and arson in residential areas. The military has tried to justify its actions by saying the areas were a haven for members of armed ethnic groups and anti-junta Peoples Defense Force (PDF) militias formed to protect civilians following the Feb. 1, 2021 coup.

But sources interviewed by Fortify Rights, as well as RFAs Myanmar Service in earlier reports, described troops using civilians as human shields and forced porters in Kayah state, as well as committing other rights violations including arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual abuse, and even murder.

Fortify cited a doctor in Myanmar who said he was called in to examine the bodies retrieved from the site of the Christmas Eve Massacre but was unable to conduct autopsies on several of them because they were too badly burned.

He described how he had identified at least 31 bodies, including five women and one girl, and said several appeared to have been gagged, hit over the head, and even burned alive.

Displaced residents of Sagaing's Kalemyo township take refuge in the jungle, Dec. 8, 2021. Citizen journalists Tens of thousands displaced

Meanwhile, clashes between the military and anti-junta forces since the coup have forced the displacement of an estimated 170,000 civilians in Kayah state  or more than half of the states population of 300,000  the report said, citing figures from the Karenni Civil Society Network. The number accounts for a substantial portion of what the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said at the end of last month was a new high of 441,500 people displaced in Myanmar since the military seized power.

The Myanmar militarys forced displacement of civilians threatens to become protracted given the continued attacks on towns and villages and destruction and damage to civilian homes and properties, Fortify Rights said Tuesday in a statement accompanying the release of its report.

The group noted in an earlier report that the military had been blocking humanitarian aid in Kayah state by arresting personnel, confiscating supplies, and destroying food.

The Geneva Conventions primarily define the laws of war, providing fundamental rules to regulate the conduct of armed conflict, Fortify said.

The Myanmar militarys murder, forced displacement, and other attacks on civilians in [Kayah] State constitute severe violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and may amount to war crimes.

On the anniversary of the coup, the EU and foreign ministers of nine U.N. member states called on the international community to end the sale of arms to the junta as part of a bid to hold it accountable for the situation in the country. However, Myanmar has routinely flouted Security Council directives and failed to implement measures jointly agreed upon with fellow ASEAN member nations to end violence in the country.

Fortify said its report recommends that the U.N. Security Council pass a resolution mandating a global arms embargo prohibiting the sale of weapons to the junta and to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court to deny the military access to funds.

It also called for ASEAN member states to play a more significant role in these efforts by engaging with Myanmars shadow National Unity Government (NUG), providing it with support, and supporting the establishment of a global arms embargo.

The Myanmar military has posed a threat to international peace and security for decades, including by committing genocide with impunity against Rohingya Muslims as well as crimes against humanity and war crimes against other ethnic nationalities, said Ismail Wolff. An arms embargo is crucial to help end these atrocities, and it would be strategic for ASEAN on several levels. Urgent action is needed now.

Arson attack

Fortifys findings came on the same day that sources in embattled Sagaing region reported active clashes in the area after members of a local branch of the Chin PDF (CDF) attacked military troops stationed in Kale townships Yangyi Aung village on Monday.

A spokesperson of the Kale-Kabaw-Gangaw Region CDF who spoke on condition of anonymity said his group carried out the attack after troops pressured residents to form a pro-military militia.

They intimidated local people and fired artillery at a camp for people displaced by fighting, so we carried out a joint attack with fighters from the Hakha CDF and ambushed them around 6 p.m., he said.

Junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun confirmed the incident and said the attack had prompted junta soldiers to respond with force.

The PDF are disrupting stability in the region, he said.

Some got inside the area and burned structures down. Some took guns and ammunitions.

Zaw Min Tun claimed that the PDF is trying to punish people who dont join them, without providing further details.

A resident of Kale township told RFA that the military had burned down eight homes in Yangyi Aung village amid the fighting on Monday, while others estimated that more than 1,500 people from four villages in the township had fled the area when troops entered the area.

A resident of Tinthar village said he and others left when the military began firing heavy weaponry.

The artillery blasts damaged homes and injured people and cattle, so people fled into the mountains and jungles, he said. There is an average of five people per household, so at least 1,500 people are now on the run.

Sources said that at least six armed engagements had taken place between the CDF and junta troops since Monday, while volunteers told RFA that the 1,500 who fled the area on Monday joined an estimated 20,000 who have been displaced by fighting in Kale township since the coup.

Reported by Soe San Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Police inside keep an eye on monks day and night, says a source.

Buddhist monks and other worshippers gather on the premises of the Palyul Thartang Gonchen Monastery in the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, western China's Qinghai province, in an undated photo.

A Chinese police surveillance unit is operating, apparently for the first time, inside a Buddhist monastery as part of a renewed crackdown on Tibetan Buddhist religious institutions, a Tibetan with knowledge of the situation said.

Officers were installed this year at the Palyul Thartang Gonchen Monastery in Qinghai provinces Golog (in Chinese, Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, said the source, who lives in exile but knows what is happening there.

Though there was already a surveillance police unit put up by authorities outside the premises of the Palyul Tharthang Gonchen Monastery in Golog, this year they have added another one inside the premises of the monastery near its community hall, the Tibetan told RFA.

A surveillance team member has also been posted by the Chinese government in this unit to scrutinize monks and their daily activities, he said.

Police installed surveillance cameras around the monastery, and officers inside monitor the monks around-the-clock, the source said. Some pressure young monks to attend schools run by the Chinese government, the Tibetan in exile said.

Chinese authorities have also installed a specific app on their mobile phones to identify and track their conversations, so its not safe for the monks to communicate with Tibetans in exile, he said.

After the deadly 2008 uprising in Tibet, Chinese authorities began setting up police stations and military barracks outside the Gaden, Drepung and Sera monasteries  highly regarded centers for learning and practicing Tibetan Buddhism  near Tibets capital Lhasa.

The deadly protests over the Chinese governments persecution of Tibetans in mid-March 2008 started in Lhasa before spreading to other areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Tibetan protesters clashed with members of Chinas Han ethnic majority and the Hui ethnic minority, leading to a brutal Chinese crackdown.

Afterwards, Zhang Qingli, the TARs former Communist Party chief, began setting up mobile police units across the region, which are still operating today, monitoring the activities of the monks in the monasteries. But the case in Golog is apparently the first time police officers have been stationed inside the monastery itself.

Golok Jigme, a Tibetan and former political prisoner who now lives in Switzerland, said authorities now require Tibetans to install tracking app on their phones.

It is absolutely true that Tibetans are under surveillance by the Chinese government, but the recently surveillance of Tibetans has intensified, and new surveillance tactics are being introduced which require Tibetans to install an app on their phone devices, he told RFA.

The app allows authorities unprecedented access to Tibetans phone data and conversations, he said.

Many Tibetans are interrogated, threatened, imprisoned, punished and their cell phones are confiscated at times, he said.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFAs Tibetan Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Sherep Heyit was detained by Chinese authorities in Korla about four years ago, but his sentence was not known.

A Uyghur educator and principal of a high school in Korla (in Chinese, Kuerle) in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region is serving 18 years in jail for inviting two Uyghur scholars to give presentations, people with knowledge of the situation and a local police officer said.

Shortly after Sherep Heyit, who is in his 50s, began his career as a teacher, he became principal of Korlas No. 6 High School, according to Husenjan, a former student of Shereps who now lives in exile.

Korla is the second-largest city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is the capital of Bayingholin Mongol (Bayinguoleng Menggu) Autonomous Prefecture, the largest prefecture in China.

I learned his sentence term of 18 years through a Chinese friend in inner China, Husenjan said. I was very saddened by this tragic news, but I was not surprised at all because it has been three or four years since he disappeared.

He was an elite intellectual, added Husenjan.

During his tenure as school principal, Sherep organized and held a number of cultural events to which he invited well-known Uyghur intellectuals Yalqun Rozi and Abduqadir Jalalidin to give lectures, he said.

The two intellectuals have been in prison since 2017, the year that Chinese authorities began detaining Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims in a vast network of re-education camps in Xinjiang, purportedly to prevent religious extremism and terrorism. About 1.8 million people are believed to have been held in the camps.

Authorities have targeted teachers and intellectuals in Xinjiang because they are the brains of Uyghur society and the most significant means of passing on Uyghur culture and identity, Abdureshid Niyaz, an independent Uyghur researcher based in Turkey, told RFA in a 2021 report.

Husenjan, who already knew that Sherep was being detained, said the form principal was sentenced because of his association with the two Uyghur scholars who gave lectures.

A Chinese police officer in Korla contacted by RFA said he was aware of Shereps arrest and detention and knew the officer who had been involved in the case. He also confirmed that Sherep was serving an 18-year sentence, though he didnt know where or what had happened to the former principals family members.

Our police station commander was the leading officer in his arrest and case, the officer said. He was sentenced to 18 years.

Other Chinese police officers in Korla who were contacted by RFA said they didnt know of Sherep.

Sherep graduated from a Chinese university outside Xinjiang and was skilled in both Chinese and English besides his own language, Husenjan said.

When the Chinese government stepped up its repression of the Uyghurs in 2017, Sherep was one of the first Uyghur elites to be abducted by authorities, he said.

Sherep quickly rose to prominence in Uyghur society in Korla and in the rest of Xinjiang because of his responsible work ethic and educational background, according to another former student who now lives in Japan.

He was very influential in our school years from 1996 until we went to university after three years, said the former student who did not want to be identified by name. He was a very well-rounded educator. I was very sad when I heard the news that he had been sentenced to 18 years.

Translated by RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Western countries and Kyiv have challenged Russia's claims that it has started pulling back troops from the border with Ukraine, saying Moscow continues its massive military buildup that triggered fears of an imminent invasion.

Washington also strongly condemned a Russian Duma proposal to recognize two Moscow-backed separatist territories in Ukraine's east as independent, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying such a move would "constitute a gross violation of international law."

Russia's Defense Ministry on February 16 published video that it said showed tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and self-propelled artillery units leaving the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.

But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance has "not seen any de-escalation on the ground" despite announcements from Russia about the pullback of troops stationed near the Ukrainian border.

"On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues the military buildup," Stoltenberg told reporters during a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

NATO can prove Russia's failure to withdraw with satellite images, Stoltenberg said.

"The intelligence we are sharing is actually confirmed also with open sources, with satellite imagery from commercial satellites," he told reporters.

The threat from Russia has become the "new normal in Europe," Stoltenberg added, saying that NATO is looking to establish new battle groups in Central and Southeastern Europe to further strengthen the alliance's deterrence and defense.

Russia first said some troops were pulling back on February 15, but President Joe Biden said later that day that the United States had yet to see proof of a Russian withdrawal and that Russian troops -- which he estimated at more than 150,000 -- remain very much in a threatening position.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also said there was no visible sign of any Russian troop withdrawal from positions near to the Ukrainian border.

"To be honest, we react to the reality we have, and we don't see any withdrawal yet," Zelenskiy said during a visit to western Ukraine where he watched troops training with some of their new Western-supplied anti-tank weapons on a range near Rivne.

The drills were part of a "Day of Unity" declared by Zelenskiy on February 16 to stir an outpouring of patriotism after U.S. reports had suggested the date as the potential start of a Russian invasion.

Live Briefing: Ukraine In The Crosshairs RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

In Washington on February 16, Blinken called the move in the Duma a "gross violation of international law."

Blinken also warned that the recognition of the independence of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, parts of which are under the control of Russia-backed separatists, could spell the end of the Minsk peace process in eastern Ukraine, where a conflict between government forces and Moscow-backed separatists has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014.

"Kremlin approval of this appeal would amount to the Russian governments wholesale rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements," Blinken said in a statement.

Officials from several countries, including the United States, have warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine may be imminent after Moscow began deploying tens of thousands of troops last November in areas on the northern, eastern, and southern border with Ukraine.

The German Foreign Ministry confirmed on on February 16 that foreign ministers from nations comprising the Group of Seven (G7) will hold an emergency meeting in Munich on February 19.

The talks will be hosted by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and take place alongside the Munich Security Conference, which runs from February 18 to February 20.

European Union leaders will also meet to discuss the crisis on February 17, Reuters reported, quoting EU officials.

"The leaders are meeting in Brussels for the Africa summit and they wanted to meet and discuss the crisis on the Ukrainian border, get updated, exchange information and views," Reuters quoted one of the EU officials as saying.

The Kremlin has rejected it has any plan to invade its neighbor, calling the Western warnings hysterical war propaganda.

Biden reiterated that the United States and its NATO allies would be ready to hit Russia hard with sanctions if it invades Ukraine, but held out hope that diplomacy would still work.

"It remains to be seen whether there is a Russian withdrawal.... What we see is that they have increased the number of troops, and more troops are on the way," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at the start of a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

"If they really start to withdraw forces, that's something we will welcome.... They have always moved forces back and forth, so just that we see movement of forces, of battle tanks, doesn't confirm a real withdrawal," he added.

Russia is using the troop buildup as coercion to get the United States and NATO to agree to sweeping security demands, including a ban on Ukraines membership in the Western alliance and a rollback of NATOs advances in Central and Eastern Europe since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Biden said the United States rejects those demands but has put several concrete ideas on the table, including arms control and transparency measures, to advance the common security needs of the West and Russia.

We will continue our diplomatic efforts in close consultation with our allies and our partners. As long as there is hope of diplomatic resolution that prevents the use of force and avoids incredible human suffering that would follow, we will pursue it, he said.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, TASS, AP, and Politico
Russian troops have begun to storm the Azovstal steelworks in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol even though hundreds of civilians are said to be holed up inside along with Ukrainian soldiers, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced 300 million pounds ($376 million) worth of extra military aid for Ukraine in a video address to the parliament in Kyiv.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications under the National Security and Defense Council said in a statement on May 3 that the "Russians are trying to break into the territory of Azovstal."



The AP news agency quoted Ukrainian troops defending the steel plant as saying the operation by Russian forces to storm the the last pocket of resistance in the city was under way.



When asked to confirm the situation, Svyatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the Azov Battalion, which is holed up in the plant, told Ukrayinska Pravda that "it is true."



The storming of the plant comes days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had called off plans for such an operation. Putin instead said he wanted Russian forces to blockade the sprawling plant "so a fly can't get through."



Earlier on May 3, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko said more than 200 civilians were still inside the plant.

Britain has already sent military equipment, including missiles and missile launchers, to Ukraine. The new aid will consist of electronic warfare equipment, a battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment, and thousands of night vision devices.



In his speech, Johnson referred to a 1940 address by World War II leader Winston Churchill as Britain faced Nazi Germany's aggression.

"The British people showed such unity and resolve that we remember our time of greatest peril as our finest hour," Johnson told the Verkhovna Rada. "This is Ukraine's finest hour, an epic chapter in your national story that will be remembered and recounted for generations to come."

"We will carry on supplying Ukraine...with weapons, funding, and humanitarian aid, until we have achieved our long-term goal, which must be so to fortify Ukraine that no one will ever dare to attack you again," Johnson said.

In Brussels, the European Commission is expected to finalize a proposed sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia, including a possible embargo on buying Russian oil, on May 3. In a major shift, Germany said it was prepared to back an immediate oil embargo.

But another EU member, Slovakia, said it was seeking an exemption from any EU ban on Russian gas and oil imports, with Economy Minister Richard Sulik saying that such an exception was "extremely important."

Sulik, who is also the deputy prime minister, said his country cannot make do without Russian oil.

The sanctions will also target the country's largest bank, Sberbank, which will be excluded from the global banking communications system SWIFT, unnamed diplomats said.

Mariupol Mayor Boychenko said a total of about 100,000 civilians were still in the southern Ukrainian city, which used to have a population of some 400,000 before the Russian invasion.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on May 3 that several buses and ambulances carrying more than 100 civilians, some of whom were wounded, from the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol had safely reached the city of Zaporizhzhya.



"It is an immense relief that some civilians who have suffered for weeks are now out," ICRC President Peter Maurer said in a statement on May 3.



"The ICRC hasn't forgotten the people who are still there, nor those in other areas affected by the hostilities or those in dire need of humanitarian relief, wherever they are. We will not spare any effort to reach them," he added.



The statement did not say when the convoy left Mariupol.



An official from the United Nations, which participated in the operation, said that "101 women, men, children, and older persons could finally leave the bunkers below the Azovstal steelworks and see the daylight after two months."



Fighting also raged in the strategic port city of Odesa and across Ukraine's east. A 15-year-old boy was killed in a fresh Russian strike on Odesa, the city council said.

Ukraine's second-biggest city, Kharkiv, was under shelling, the military said on May 3, while the General Staff said Ukrainian forces were defending the approach to Kharkiv from Izyum, some 120 kilometers to the southeast.



Since Russia launched its unprovoked war on February 24, its troops have failed to completely take over any major Ukrainian city.

On the diplomatic front, Germany's conservative opposition leader traveled to Kyiv on May 3 for meetings with Ukrainian officials, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz made clear that he wouldn't be visiting Ukraine any time soon.

Friedrich Merz, who heads former Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Union bloc, visited the town of Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, which has been heavily bombarded by Russian forces.

Scholz refused to go to Ukraine because of Kyiv's refusal to invite Germany's head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom Ukrainians accuse of cozying up to Russia during his time as foreign minister.

"It can't work that a country that provides so much military aid, so much financial aid...you then say that the president can't come," Scholz told public broadcaster ZDF late Monday.

The United States warned that Moscow was planning to formally take over regions in Ukraine's east.



Michael Carpenter, the U.S. ambassador to the OSCE, said Russia is planning to imminently annex the territories of Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, using referendums after failing to overthrow the government in Kyiv.



Russia encountered surprisingly staunch resistance in the north around the regions of Kyiv and Chernihiv, which forced it to redeploy its troops in the south and east, where fighting has intensified in recent days.



Ukraine's east and south are seen as key strategic goals for Russia, allowing it a land link to Crimea.

WATCH: Ukrainian soldiers defending the village of New York, near Donetsk, say they repelled several attacks as Russian forces tried to outflank their positions. RFE/RL correspondent Maryan Kushnir spent time with them on April 29 as the sound of explosions and small-arms fire echoed across the landscape.



Moscow raised fears that those goals may stretch further, to Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester, which is backed by Russia and borders Ukraine to the southwest along the Dniester river. Moldova also borders NATO member Romania.



On May 2, authorities said a Russian rocket strike hit a main bridge across the Dniester estuary just west of the port city of Odesa.



A British intelligence estimate said on May 2 that Russia's elite forces have suffered such large casualties that it will take years to replenish them. It said more than 25 percent of Russia's invading force has been disabled since the start of the conflict.

Separately, Russia's state news agency TASS quoted the Defense Ministry on May 3 as saying that more than 1 million people, including nearly 200,000 children, had been taken from Ukraine to Russia in the past two months.



Defense Ministry official Mikhail Mizintsev said those civilians "were evacuated to the territory of the Russian Federation from the dangerous regions" of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, and from other parts that came under Russian control.

No details were provided on the location or circumstances of the moves.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, BBC, and dpa
After Hungary returned an ancient suit of armor to Poland, Warsaw is seeking to repay the favor by gifting a medieval manuscript to Budapest, but many locals are opposing the move.

Plans by Polands government to gift a treasured manuscript to Hungary are looking increasingly uncertain after officials and clergymen voiced their opposition to the move. At stake is the Catalog Of Corvinus, a 15th-century book that describes in poetic verses the contents of a library that belonged to Hungarys King Matthias Corvinus. The royal library contained thousands of books and was one of the largest in the world, but it was looted by invading Turkish forces in the early 1500s and its contents mostly lost. Elaborate illustrations on the opening pages of the book were made by Italian artist Attavante degli Attavanti and it was written by Naldus Naldius. The manuscript is currently held in the Copernican Library in Torun, central Poland, after it was donated to the city by a wealthy local in 1594. A lawmaker with Polands ruling party has put forward legislation that would permit the state to pay around $6.2 million to the library to take ownership of the book, before presenting it to Hungary.

The planned gift comes a year after Hungary returned to Poland a 16th-century suit of armor that belonged to the Polish King Sigismund II Augustus. After World War I, the gilded armor had mistakenly been identified as belonging to a Hungarian king and was stored in a Budapest museum. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the return of the armor was made in the name of friendship.

The Polish and Hungarian governments are closely allied over flashpoint issues such as migrant resettlement quotas in the European Union and the promotion of homosexuality to children -- stances that put them increasingly at odds with Brussels. On February 16, the European Court of Justice ruled that the EU can withhold funding from member countries that fail to uphold the rule of law, making it likely that Poland and Hungary could lose tens of billions of euros in funding.

Away from the wider geopolitics, many Poles are fiercely opposed to the gifting of the Catalog Of Corvinus which is considered a historical jewel of Torun. Critics of the planned handover say the book cannot be compared to the suit of armor since it came into Polish possession centuries ago through an apparently legitimate purchase and donation. On February 14, several senior figures in Torun appealed to MPs in a joint statement, calling for them to withdraw from the initiative to deprive the Copernican Library in Torun of the priceless manuscript in its collection, which is invaluable for Torun and the region, and an inseparable part of the spiritual and material heritage of Poland." A petition has been launched in an attempt to stop the gift from going ahead.
In a dramatic spectacle on February 15, the Russian State Duma adopted a nonbinding resolution urging President Vladimir Putin to recognize the separatist-claimed parts of eastern Ukraine as independent states. Coming amid international alarm bells about the major concentration of Russian military forces along the border with Ukraine and in the occupied Ukrainian region of Crimea, the move threw another log onto the fire of tensions in the area.

Duma deputies called for the recognition of the Russia-backed separatist groups that control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces in Ukraines Donbas region and call themselves the DNR and LNR, asserting that this would help protect the hundreds of thousands of Russian passport holders living there.

The speeches reminded many observers of Russia's recognition of the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia following a five-day war between Russia and Georgia in 2008.

However, at a joint press conference in Moscow with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz the same day, Putin hinted that he would not heed their call right away, at least.

Scholz stressed Moscow's demand that Western powers "exert appropriate influence over the current Kyiv authorities" to implement the 2014-15 Minsk accords aimed at resolving the conflict, which has left more than 13,200 people dead since it began in April 2014.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, reaffirmed the same day Moscow's commitment to the Minsk process and called for "the implementation of the entire Minsk action plan as soon as possible."

Tool Of Influence

"In short, Putin still has hope that he can force Kyiv to fulfill the Minsk accords," said Serhiy Harmash, a Ukrainian negotiator with the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine. "So, I think it is unlikely he would throw them away by signing a decree on recognitionsince doing so would mean the end of the Minsk accords and the Minsk process.

They simply would not exist anymore, and Moscow would lose not only a tool with which to influence Ukraine, but a tool with which it hopes to run Ukraine after managing -- as the Kremlin hopes -- to insert the Donbas into our political organism with its so-called 'special status,'" Harmash said.

In Moscow's interpretation, the Minsk accords require Kyiv to enter into direct negotiations with the Kremlin-backed separatists, a step Kyiv has refused to take, and the two countries also disagree on the sequencing of moves set out in the accords. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told RFE/RL last month that Russia had reneged on its commitments "to a much greater extent than Ukraine has."

The Duma resolution was part of an array of pressure tactics including the military buildup, ultimatums presented to NATO and Washington, attempts to destabilize Ukraine, cyberattacks, and more, Harmash said.

"All this is aimed at forcing Kyiv to implement the Minsk accords in the way that the Russian Federation sees them," he said.

Clearly Choreographed

Konstantin Skorkin, an analyst with the Moscow Carnegie Center, said Russian recognition of the separatist-claimed regions seems unlikely in the short term, but that the Duma resolution -- clearly choreographed by the Kremlin, which has powerful control over the lower parliament house, where the loyal United Russia has a two-thirds majority -- remains "a pressure tactic that can be activated at any moment."

"The most likely scenario now will be further pushing of the Minsk accords, since they are written in a way that is to Moscow's advantage," he added. "[The Kremlin] doesn't intend to renounce such a diplomatic tool that has been internationally recognized, and its main policy will be aimed at forcing Kyiv to implement them."

Moscow-based political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin agreed that recognition of the separatist-claimed regions would "put an end" to the Minsk process, which would be a loss for the Kremlin. On the other hand, he said, talking about recognition -- and even about possible annexation of the regions by Russia -- could serve Putin's purposes by increasing the pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and potentially splintering his electorate.

Live Briefing: Ukraine In The Crosshairs RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

"That is," he concluded, "you can trade on this topic for a pretty long time."

Harmash told Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, that, as long as Putin has hope that he can maneuver the Minsk process in a direction of his choosing, recognition will remain an abstract discussion.

"But if Putin concludes there really are no levers of pressure -- neither military, nor through Western partners, nor through [Ukrainian] domestic politics -- that nothing is working, then he could decide it is impossible to force Kyiv to implement the Minsk accords as he interprets them and so he might renounce them," Harmash said.

"I think it would be a last act of desperation if he really signed a decree on recognizing the LNR and the DNR," he added. "I don't think he'll do it."

Harmash described the Duma's resolution as a "political tactic" designed to "show the West and Ukraine what the consequences might be of not carrying out Minsk."

"For now, it will simply lie on Putin's desk as a pressure tactic," he concluded.

Written by Robert Coalson based on reporting by Iryna Romaliyskaya of Current Time. Ksenia Sokolyanskaya of Current Time and RFE/RL's Russian Service contributed to this report.
Written By

Joe Schulz served as the reporter of the Green Laker in 2019 and 2020, before being hired as a reporter for the Commonwealth in October 2020. He is from Oshkosh and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December 2020 with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

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Rapaport is official media partner of the fifth Dubai Diamond Conference

16 february 2022 News

DMCC has announced that Rapaport, which provides the global diamond industry with data, news and analysis, has been confirmed as the official Media Partner for the fifth edition of the Dubai Diamond Conference (DDC). DDC 2022 will be held on 21 February 2022 at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, with the theme The Future of Diamonds.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, and Chairman, Dubai Diamond Exchange, said: We are delighted to welcome Rapaport as an official partner of the Dubai Diamond Conference. With the diamond industry going through an unprecedented period of change, driven by new technologies, data and analysis from international organisations such as Rapaport are more important than ever. DMCC is committed to working with key stakeholders across the diamond industry to support the development of a fair and competitive global market, and I am very much looking forward to connecting with partners and industry experts from around the globe at the Dubai Diamond Conference.

Martin Rapaport, Chairman of the Rapaport Group said: Rapaport Information Services is pleased to support high-level communications among diamond industry leaders. We believe that the Dubai Diamond Conference will provide an opportunity for the trade to address important social responsibility issues that can help make the world a better place. The role of Dubai as an international meeting place is of growing importance as we face increasing global economic and political uncertainty. It is good that our industry is coming together in Dubai.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished






Roanoke Rapids, NC (27870)

Today

Sunshine and a few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, with mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 64F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
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US market demand

According to the General Department of Customs, in 2021 Vietnam's exports to the US will reach USD 96.29 bn, up 24.9% compared to 2020. The world's largest economy continues to be Vietnam's largest export market when accounting for 28.6% of the country's turnover. In 2021, there will be 13 groups of goods exported to the US for a turnover of USD 1 bn or more, of which three groups will reach more than USD 10 bn. In 2021, wood and wood products brought in nearly USD 14.8 bn, with the US market alone accounting for nearly USD 9 bn, an increase of 24.6% compared to 2020, and accounting for 59.4% of Vietnam's total export of wood and wood products. Vietnam is currently the largest supplier to the US, accounting for about 40% of the total import value of furniture in the US.

Along with this, many key export groups of Vietnam have a large market share in the US market. The leather and footwear industry in the US is still Vietnam's largest import market. According to the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association, an American consumes about six pairs of footwear per year on an average, of which 1.3 pairs of footwear originate from Vietnam. In recent years, Vietnam's footwear exports to the US account for more than one-third of the total export turnover of the whole industry. For seafood, the US is also the largest market. In 2021, the seafood industry reached a turnover of USD 8.89 bn, of which the US market accounted for 23.1% of the total seafood export turnover of the country, reaching over USD 2.05 bn, up 26.2% compared to 2020.

In the first month of 2022, the US still holds the position of the largest export market for Vietnam, with an estimated turnover of USD 9 bn. However, the question that is being considered now is whether in 2022 Vietnamese goods will still be entering the US market in large quantities or not.

In a report titled "Looking Ahead at 2021", VinaCapital discusses US consumer demand for home use items such as televisions, laptops, and furniture, which are products that helped support manufacturing industries in Vietnam in 2021. According to this report, it is unlikely that the US will again impose strict Covid-19 blockades, and consumers in the US may not have to buy a large number of goods to use in a lockdown as happened in 2021. Therefore, the demand to buy expensive items such as televisions and computers in the US has dropped to a record low, which is not surprising.

Speaking with Saigon Investment, economist Nguyen Hoang Dung, said that the demand of the US market is still very large, and Vietnam's export products only account for a very modest market share there. Currently, many key export industries of Vietnam have orders until the end of the first and second quarters, and some businesses have even received orders until the third quarter, with most orders coming from the US market. Many industries have set export growth targets for the US market. For instance, this year wood and wood products could touch USD 10 bn to the US market. Mr. Dung feels that if there was no demand in the market, buyers would not have ordered goods from Vietnamese manufacturers.

Challenges in China

According to data of the General Department of Customs, two-way trade between Vietnam and China in 2021 reached USD 165.8 bn, up 24.6% compared to 2020. Of which, the export of goods to China reached nearly USD 56 bn, up 14.5%, and imports reached approximately USD 110 bn, up 30.5% compared to 2020. With this result, China continues to be the largest trading partner and the second largest export market for Vietnam after the US. China is currently a large export market for many products such as phones and components, especially agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. However, in 2021, many of Vietnam's export products have been severely affected by Chinas zero Covid policy.

In 2021, seafood was one of the industries that was clearly affected by the Chinese market. The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) assessed that China's implementation of the zero Covid policy, and tightening of inspections to trace the SARS-CoV-2 virus on imported seafood products, caused trade and customs clearance problems. According to statistics, in 2021, seafood export turnover to China was only USD 1.1 bn, down 17% compared to 2020. This was the lowest level in the last five years.

Assessing the main products exported to China in 2022, Mr. Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of VASEP, acknowledged that China may still retain its position as the largest pangasius import market for Vietnam. Currently, many Chinese importers say that pangasius stockpiles until the summer of 2022 have been exhausted, so they expect the government to relax goods inspection measures to increase purchases. Vietnam is still one of the top three suppliers of fish products to China and Hong Kong, especially for the exclusive supply of frozen pangasius to China. This is also one of the great advantages of Vietnamese pangasius.

Fresh vegetables have also been affected when exporting to China in the last year. If in previous years, the market shares of fruit and vegetable exports to China account for 70%, now it is just over 50%. However, it still is the largest market for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables. In 2021, fruit and vegetable exports reached USD 3.55 bn, up by 8.6% compared to 2020, of which exports to China reached USD 1.9 bn, accounting for 53.7% of the total export turnover. So far it looks like the No. 1 position will definitely be held by China for the export of Vietnamese goods in 2022.

Duc Manh
Danvers, MA (01923)

Today

Rain showers this morning with some sunshine during the afternoon hours. High 56F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 43F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
The push for alternative energy sources has led the San Diego County Water Authority to consider a new possibility  floating solar panels on the surface of the agencys only reservoir.

The 20-acre installation proposed for the Olivenhain Reservoir near Escondido would be the first in Southern California, although several floating panel projects are underway in Northern California and in Japan.

Being on the forefront of that strategy will be exciting, said Kelly Rodgers, energy program manager for the County Water Authority.

Some experts say water surfaces are the untapped frontier for solar arrays. The panels have become fairly common on rooftops, and some of Californias largest solar farms are in the desert. But industry experts say there are many advantages to placing them on water.

The panels reduce the evaporation that constantly steals water from large open reservoirs. Also, they shade the water and keep it cooler, reducing the chances of an algae bloom and other contamination. Another advantage is that the water keeps the panels cooler, and because the panels are essentially large semiconductors that makes them more efficient.

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For the right types of bodies of water, there are opportunities, said Troy Helming, founder and CEO of Pristine Sun. The private San Francisco-based company is working with the County Water Authority to develop the floating solar project.

Scenic lakes with recreational activities such as camping, fishing and boating are not likely candidates. Out-of-sight, out-of-mind reservoirs like Olivenhain may be just the thing.

Still another advantage may be that reservoirs like Olivenhain are close to large urban centers, like San Diego. That means less energy is lost to long-distance transportation over high-tension wires from sites such as the desert. Waste treatment ponds are another possibility.

Pristine Sun completed a six-month pilot program in March with floating solar panels on water treatment ponds in Sonoma County, Helming said. Based on the success of the 10-kilowatt trial, he said, the company has been approved to install a permanent 1.3-megawatt system by the end of this year.

The Kyocera Corp. announced last year it is building a 13.7-megawatt floating solar power plant on the Yamakura Dam reservoir in Japan. When finished in early 2018, it will be the largest floating solar array in the world.

Its just getting started here in the United States, Helming said.

The 6 megawatts that could be produced at Olivenhain would be about equal to the amount used by 1,500 homes.

Agency officials said they plan to use the power on-site or at other Water Authority facilities. Any excess power could be sold over the grid on the states wholesale market. The energy-cost savings and any revenue produced would be shared with Pristine Sun, although the financial arrangement is still being evaluated.

There would be no up-front costs to the Water Authoritys customers, Rodgers said, and the savings would be passed along in the form of lower water rates.

The Water Authority, like many other agencies and growing numbers of homeowners, is sold on solar. In addition to the financial savings, Rodgers said, solar power brings the environmental benefit of reduced greenhouse gases.

We already have solar at three of our facilities, she said. The agency has more than 7,500 panels on solid-ground structures at the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant, its headquarters in Kearny Mesa and its operations center in Escondido.

The Olivenhain reservoir, completed in 2002, is the Water Authoritys only large water-storage facility. It provides an emergency backup source in case of a disaster such as an earthquake or extreme drought, so the water level fluctuates little from day to day.

About 10 percent of the surface of the lake would be used for the panels, Rodgers said. The site is at the opposite end from the dam, where it would be difficult for passers-by to see.

We chose an area with low visual impact, but lots of sun, she said.

Environmental studies for the project could take as long as a year. If the Water Authoritys board signs off on the final plans, installation could be complete by the end of next year.

Another part of the study will be to work with San Diego Gas & Electric Co. to determine whether the power lines serving the reservoir can handle the project.

We need to get a sense of the interconnection costs, Helming said. Those costs  can make or break the project.

Water districts and other agencies across the United States will be watching the Olivenhain project to see if it succeeds, he said.

The County Water Authority also announced this week that it has received a $1 million incentive from the state Public Utilities Commission to install industrial sized batteries at its existing solar facilities.

The batteries are expected to save the agency nearly $100,000 annually by allowing it to store excess solar energy produced during peak hours  mid-day through early afternoon  or retail energy purchased during off-peak hours  generally at night  for later use during high demand times.

There are no plans at present to install the batteries with the floating solar system, Helming said. However, it could easily be adapted to use them.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
Twice in the last two months, Kendra Riley appeared before legislative committees to implore for the passage of a bill that she feels could ease the burden for parents who endure the heartbreaking ordeal that befell her family in March 2020.
4nadia/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Lawmakers in the state House of Representatives signed off on a bill that would prohibit guns and other weapons at school board meetings and ballot counting sites across Washington.



The measure, which passed the Democrat-controlled chamber on a party line 57-41 vote, also bans openly carried firearms at local government meetings and election-related facilities, such as county election offices. Those with a concealed pistol license may still bring their firearm to those places as long as it remains concealed.



The measure now heads to the state Senate for consideration.

Bill sponsor Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island, said banning weapons from such places would make people feel safer.



Local officials and election workers deserve to feel safe when serving their communities, she said in a news release. And all Washingtonians deserve safe participation in civic engagement without intimidation and fear.



The need for such a law can be viewed as a symptom of the nations current political climate. School board meetings have become the latest ideological battleground in the COVID-19 pandemic, with often irate community members showing up en masse to protest pandemic restrictions in schools. A woman in Virginia was arrested last month after she told a panel of school board members that she would bring every gun loaded and ready if her children had to wear a mask in the classroom.



Elections offices have also come under more scrutiny since the most recent presidential election. Largely fueled by former President Donald Trumps false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, conservative activists  sometimes armed  swarmed to elections offices during some of last years high-profile races to act as unofficial poll watchers.



Under Washington's House Bill 1630 it would be illegal to knowingly bring firearms  whether openly carried or carried with a concealed pistol license  and other weapons to school board meetings and ballot-counting centers. Openly carried firearms and other weapons would be prohibited at other election-related sites, such as elections offices, voting centers and student engagement hubs, and at local government meetings, like city and county council meetings.



Law enforcement is exempt from the restrictions, as are any security personnel hired at a location.



Violation of the law would result in a gross misdemeanor. In Washington, such crimes can result in 364 days in jail or a $5,000 fine, or both. Violators with a concealed pistol license would also have that license revoked for three years.



During floor debate on Monday, Republican Rep. Kelly Chambers said the measure unfairly targets those who have concealed pistol licenses and hampers their ability to defend themselves.
Un accident impliquant, un conducteur Belge

Vingt-six refugies et migrants ont ete blesses dans un accident impliquant une camionnette dans le sud de la Hongrie. Le vehicule etait conduit par un Belge - blesse lui aussi - qui sera poursuivi.





Pour des raisons encore inconnues, le vehicule est entre en collision avec le mur d'une maison dans le village de Forraskut, pres de la ville frontaliere de Szeged, a indique la police hongroise. Selon les services d'urgence, 17 personnes ont ete grievement blessees et 10 autres l'ont ete legerement. Seuls deux occupants sont indemnes.




San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said Tuesday that he will seek to overhaul the agreement his office signed to make the District Attorneys Office the lead investigator into potential officer brutality, citing concerns that prosecutors are violating the deal by not sharing information with the police force.

Scotts move means the city could operate without the agreement  known as a memorandum of understanding or MOU  for months or even years.

And while Scott said he would be open to another agency taking the lead in police brutality investigations in the interim, Boudin is not. He has denied wrongdoing by his office and says he plans to continue investigating use-of-force incidents, police shootings and in-custody deaths.

The whole thing needs to be renegotiated, Scott said during a meeting Tuesday with Chronicle reporters and editors. Its now been said to me directly to my face that this is a one-way street of information. I never would have agreed to that.

The Police Department and District Attorneys Office signed the current version of the agreement last year, and its set to expire on Feb. 23. The MOU, which followed a string of controversial police shootings, is designed to ensure that police do not investigate their fellow officers.

Boudins spokesperson, Rachel Marshall, said Tuesday that the District Attorneys Office agrees the memorandum has room for improvement and needs a method to enforce violations. Both agencies have accused each other of breaching the terms of the document, though each side has denied responsibility.

Marshall also made clear that Boudin intends to stay at the helm overseeing these probes.

We are hopeful that we will be able to reach an agreement that preserves our ability to conduct independent investigations of police use of force, Marshall said. Either way, the D.A. is committed to taking the lead on investigating and prosecuting unlawful use-of-force incidents in San Francisco.

The controversy emerged from the ongoing trial of Officer Terrance Stangel, who is accused of unnecessarily beating a man with a baton near Fishermans Wharf in 2019. Its the first in a series of prosecutions Boudin is waging against city officers.

Under the MOU, police were to investigate domestic violence allegations against the man struck with the baton, while the District Attorneys Office was to probe whether Stangel used excessive force.

A district attorney investigator, Magen Hayashi, testified that she was pressured by prosecutors in her office to remove some evidence from Stangels arrest affidavit, and was told that the District Attorneys Office relationship with the police force was not a two-way street, despite the MOU.

Scott said Tuesday that the testimony went through our Police Department like a firestorm. There was a crisis of trust, and there still is a crisis of trust as far as whether officers are getting a fair shake in these investigations.

The chief laid out four potential scenarios for managing investigations while the agencies negotiate a new agreement. Two, he said, have already been ruled out: Attorney General Rob Bonta declined to take over the district attorneys role in use-of-force investigations, and Boudin objected to a reciprocal agreement with a prosecutor in another jurisdiction.

Scott said two other options remain in play. Either San Francisco would turn over cases to an outside law enforcement agency  the chief said his department has already reached out to some  or the District Attorneys Office and Police Department would conduct separate investigations. Essentially, each would take the lead.

Even that requires some cooperation, Scott said.

Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton expressed tentative optimism about the impasse on Tuesday, saying it seemed like a positive step that San Franciscos two most powerful law enforcement officials planned to reopen negotiations.

Working together is how we realize the reforms we have been fighting for, Walton said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Yet the board president was adamant that police should not be investigating shootings involving their own officers, noting that the state Department of Justice advised against it.

UC Berkeley law Professor Jonathan Simon was skeptical, saying he doesnt see a record of failure or betrayal by the District Attorneys Office that is extreme enough to justify tearing up the whole document, rather than asking for specific changes. Simon said the alternatives Scott proposed appeared problematic in that they could undermine the original rationale for the agreement: to ensure integrity in the investigations and local accountability.

It took more than two years for Scott and former District Attorney George Gascon to orchestrate the original MOU, a process that began shortly after Scott was tapped to lead the force through a period of reforms. Scott walked away from the agreement on Feb. 2.

He said Tuesday that over the past two years, his department has made phone calls and sent letters and emails asking for information that police say they are entitled to have to complete their own criminal and administrative investigations.

Those have been met with sometimes no response, Scott said, sometimes a significantly delayed response. And at the end of the day, its, Were not giving you any information, he said. I still dont understand why, because that was not the agreement that we signed.

Scott said he intends to stay in his job even if the city does not grant a new MOU.

Im not going to quit over this, he said. Im going to continue to push for what I think is a fair process, and wherever that leads, it leads.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
Five people, including three Oakland firefighters, were taken to local hospitals after a fire broke out in an Oakland Housing Authority Building residential tower on Tuesday afternoon, fire officials said.

Firefighters responding to the 4:13 p.m. call of a fire at a residential tower at Seventh and Market streets arrived to find heavy smoke and residents screaming for help from balconies, Oakland fire officials said. The fire started in the sixth floor of the 12-story, 80-unit building.

Jeff Belton, a resident on the sixth floor, was watching TV with his girlfriend Artijanae Doss when they started smelling smoke and heard the fire alarms go off in the hallway. He opened the apartment door to investigate and saw a wall of smoke in the hallway, pitch black, burnt, she said.

The smoke quickly flooded Beltons apartment, making it impossible for them to see each other. They called out to each other and decided they were going to have to exit through the window.

We were going to jump because we werent going to make it, Doss said.

The couple made it to their balcony, hung onto the railing and swung down to the fifth-floor balcony where they were able to get on a fire engine ladder to safety.

Residents were screaming for help on the balconies when firefighters arrived at the scene, said Oakland Fire Chief Reginald Freeman .in a video posted to Twitter by fire officials.

We also at the same time had other rescues and grabs that we had to make with civilians that were trapped inside the smoke-filled building, Freeman said, standing outside of the residential tower. It was nothing but the dedication and the heart of these personnel to where we had the outcomes that we had today.

Roughly 60 firefighters attacked the fire with the first units arriving 3 minutes after the first call. Shortly afterward at 4:24 p.m., firefighters called a mayday for two firefighters who were down. The blaze was under control at 5:04 p.m., fire officials said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The injured firefighters and residents are doing fine, Freeman said. They're alert and oriented.

The fire damaged the sixth and seventh floors and displaced about 10 residents, Freeman said.

San Francisco fire officials said on Twitter that their thoughts and prayers are with the (Oakland Fire Department) and City of Oakland.

Lauren Hernandez and Andres Picon are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez @andpicon
UPDATE: A federal judge abruptly ended the nations mask mandate on public transportation., but should you still wear a mask on planes and buses? Bay Area experts assess the risks of public transit.

San Francisco and seven of the eight other Bay Area counties lifted their indoor masking mandates for the fully vaccinated on Wednesday, but merchants and customers in shops, restaurants and offices didnt bare their mouths and noses in unison. The response was decidedly uneven, with many local businesses saying they will approach masking differently for themselves, their employees and their clientele.

Patricia Barlow owns the plant shop Tipu on Jackson Street just off Polk in San Francisco. She said she plans on continuing to don her mask, particularly in the storefront space where she chats up customers about plant care amid the encroaching greenery.

Because of that proximity I think I will continue to wear my mask, Barlow said, adding that she keeps a box of masks in her store in case a customer doesnt have one.

It will be great if people will wear them when they come in, she said. The lush setting of her shop tends to put people in a good mood, Barlow said. Most people, if I asked them to put on a mask, they would.

California has a separate set of rules around masking and exclusion pay in workplaces, but an earlier executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom doesnt allow those rules to be stricter than California Department of Public Health guidelines.

Indoor spaces like shops and pharmacies may continue to see mask-wearing even without the requirements in place.

CVS Health spokeswoman Monica Prinzing said in an email earlier this week that employees will be required to continue to wear masks at all of its worksites regardless of vaccination status, until further notice.

We also encourage all customers, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a face mask or covering while in any of our stores, Prinzing said, noting the company is complying with local and state rules as well as tracking case rates.

Jen Bennett is one of those people who will continue to wear a mask in public spaces like a pharmacy, even though she is fully vaccinated. She is also one of the owners of the restaurant Zazie in Cole Valley and said she is pleased her employees, all of whom she said are vaccinated, will be able to take their masks off at work.

I dont think anyone realizes how unpleasant it is working in a mask, she said, adding that some of her employees will continue to mask because of medical reasons.

Bennett said that she feels it is still somewhat premature to do away with mask mandates, but that there would probably be less tension than when workers were wearing them and patrons were not.

Ive always had a moral problem with the fact that the masking has been extremely classist, Bennett said. Although Im worried were going to have a huge (case) surge and go back to wearing them, she said.

While vaccinated restaurant staff in San Francisco may have the choice of whether to mask up, those in Santa Clara County do not, something Eric Nielsen, who owns San Jose cocktail bar 55 South and co-owns the SP2 bar and restaurant, said doesnt make a whole lot of sense.

Nielsen said he had no problem with masking mandates overall as a health measure, but, It makes literally no sense to have laws that change when you cross a county line.

He said it has been unfair that it has fallen to him and his staff to enforce masking and other rules throughout the pandemic, something he feels should be up to the authorities to handle.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Still, he said, if the rules were lifted in the county, he would have his staff keep masks on until most say they are ready to take them off. We dont want half of them with it on and others not, Nielsen said, adding that he would want the majority of employees to feel comfortable before making that call.

In San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, customers at businesses like restaurants, bars and gyms will continue to be required to show proof of vaccination.

Some places, like public transit, wont see any change even with the state and county mandates lifted, because of federal rules.

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency spokeswoman Erica Kato said in an email that there would be no change, and said federal guidelines required people to wear masks while riding Muni or in its facilities like the subway.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Health care settings such as hospitals, along with jails and prisons, will see masking continue as well as K-12 schools. San Francisco is still requiring masks inside City Hall and other municipal buildings.

Offices are another location that have seen mask mandates come and go, but where changes are likely to be less dramatic.

A spokesperson for Salesforce, San Franciscos largest private employer, said the company is following local government guidelines and will allow optional masking in our offices.

While Salesforce expects to have much of its workforce stay fully or partially remote even after the pandemic, other tech giants are starting the process of more regular in-person work.

Microsoft said earlier this week that its Bay Area sites, including its new Silicon Valley campus, will fully open on Feb. 28.

For San Francisco workplace software company Envoy, not much is likely to change, said Chief People Officer Annette Reavis.

Reavis said the company has had fully vaccinated people in the office without masks since Feb. 1. California announced a statewide indoor mask mandate in December, but granted counties, including San Francisco, a reprieve in certain settings including inside offices and gyms for vaccinated people.

Tracking who is vaccinated is easy for Envoy since it builds software that allows employees to upload vaccination and testing documents along with selecting desks and meals when they come into the office, along with other features.

Reavis said lifting masking rules may make it more attractive for people to come in more often than the currently required two days each week, but added, People that want to wear masks are still going to wear them.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice
Supervisor Matt Haney and former Supervisor David Campos will face off in an April runoff to become San Franciscos next state Assembly member representing the eastern half of the city in what is likely to be a tight race between two established progressives.

The pair topped a four-candidate race Tuesday night, with Haney receiving 37.4% of the votes after three batches of election results dropped. Campos drew 35.5%. Had either secured more than 50% of votes, he would have avoided a runoff.

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Bilal Mahmood was in third place with 21.2%. City College trustee Thea Selby came in fourth with 6%.

More than 39,000 ballots were yet to be certified as of Wednesday, with the next results expected Thursday, leaving open the possibility that Haney and Campos could shuffle their ranking in the top two. The special election had a low turnout, with an estimated 34% of ballots returned.

Haney celebrated with supporters at an election party at District Six in SoMa on Tuesday night, repeating his message that San Francisco needs to build more housing, and that he is unapologetic about that.

In a tweet Wednesday, Haney said that his relentless volunteers and staff made the difference by talking to tens of thousands of voters. He said they identified supporters and worked until the last moment to turn them out. His more than 300 election day volunteers, he said, would take the same approach in a runoff. He said he felt very good about where we stand and will go out to work for every vote with a strategy to run a positive campaign focused on his track record and goals on big issues.

Campos told The Chronicle on Wednesday that he was tremendously excited and his campaign has a great deal of momentum.

I believe that when the votes are cast on April 19, the voters of the 17th assembly district will say we want someone who is beholden to the voters and not the corporations, he told supporters at the Eagle Bar in SoMa on Tuesday night.

The winner of the April 19 runoff will have to run again in the June 7 statewide primary election, followed by the Nov. 8 general election.

In the run-up to election day, Mahmood put some heat on the more well-known candidates. The political newcomer raised nearly $950,000, the most of any candidate, although that included pouring $550,000 of his own money into the race. Pushing research-backed policies and a message of challenging the status quo, he secured some key endorsements, including from pro-housing group SF YIMBY, although he faced criticism for his sparse voting record as a private citizen.

Mahmood conceded Wednesday. He told The Chronicle he was very, very, very proud of a campaign that showed voters were hungry for change. He said he will be involved in San Francisco politics for a very long time, but didnt say whether he would run for Assembly again in June or for District 6 Supervisor if Haney succeeds.

Selby, the only woman and parent in the race, trailed behind her competitors in fundraising, but argued she ran a genuinely grassroots campaign. She said Tuesday it was an honor to run.

Political observers predicted that Haney was likely to pick up some votes from Mahmoods more moderate and pro-housing supporters.

Campos and Haney, both progressives, share many similar views but have distinguished themselves with their stances on housing and corporate campaign donations.

Haney painted himself as a pro-housing advocate pushing both affordable and market-rate developments. His views on housing have evolved while in office; Campos campaign called him a political chameleon.

Haney said he would also push for state investment to tackle homelessness, drug use and mental illness and hed address inequality through taxing billionaires and creating union jobs. He promoted his track record as a supervisor who helped pass legislation such as behavioral health care reform, although his opponents blamed him for deteriorating conditions in his district, particularly the Tenderloin, during the pandemic.

When he was a supervisor, Campos pushed for eviction protections and tenants right to counsel. He faced flak for his proposal on a temporary moratorium on construction that was not 100% affordable in the Mission when he represented the district. He supported a recent decision by the Board of Supervisors to stall a nearly 500-unit housing development with some affordable units over environmental concerns and worries about gentrification. Haney backed the project.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Campos recently told The Chronicle that he supports both market-rate and affordable housing to prevent gentrification.

Campos promoted his background as a formerly undocumented immigrant and identity as Latino and gay. He also emphasized his experience as a supervisor who advocated for policies supporting immigrants and clean energy, and as a Santa Clara County deputy executive. He is currently on leave from his position as chief of staff for District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who faces a divisive recall over his progressive policies that critics view as too lenient.

Any difference between the two mens platforms is reflected in who is spending for or against them.

Haney outraised Campos with $803,700 as of Feb. 16 compared with Campos nearly $554,500. Political action committees largely run by unions spent more than $510,000 in support of Haney, while the California Association of Realtors alone forked out nearly $260,000 against Campos.

Campos attributed his lower numbers to the fact that he was the only candidate not to accept donations from corporations and said he wouldnt be beholden to corporate interests. However, he has picked up some notable donations from people who work in the corporate world, such as $4,900 from a regional president for AT&T.

Haney said he took money only from local businesses. Most of his support came from unions, including those that represent the building trades and medical lobby influential in Sacramento.

Haneys campaign manager, Elizabeth Power, characterized Campos attack as desperate and hypocrisy. In Campos 2014 run for Assembly, nearly 40% of his donations as of five months before the primary came from people with real estate and development interests. Chiu, his opponent at the time, took 40% from people connected to finance and real estate.

Haney previously told The Chronicle he will fight for workers and was proud to have earned their support, but I will always do whats best for the people I represent.

Chronicle staff writers J.D. Morris and Trisha Thadani contributed to this report.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen is pressing for answers from Police Chief Bill Scott after a series of Chronicle reports questioned whether local police officers were doing enough to stop crimes.

Ronen on Tuesday told her fellow supervisors that she was sending Scott a letter of inquiry in response to stories about his officers failing to stop alleged crimes in progress or properly investigate them after they had occurred.

The supervisor cited three recent Chronicle stories, including a Saturday column that said San Francisco police had interrupted the vandalism of a Financial District parklet while it was happening, spoke with the suspect and then left. The suspect allegedly continued damaging the parklet after the officers departed, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

Ronen also referenced Chronicle stories about a Tenderloin woman who said police did not investigate an assault she reported and officers who appeared to watch as suspects burglarized a cannabis dispensary in a neighborhood north of the Panhandle.

These accounts are deeply concerning and send a message to San Francisco residents that our officers are not doing all they can to investigate crime and prevent future harm, Ronen said in her letter to Scott. The stories indicate a systemic breakdown in your department.

Ronens inquiry comes during a time of intense debate over the state of crime and law enforcement in San Francisco.

District Attorney Chesa Boudin, a progressive prosecutor who was elected in part on a promise to hold police accountable for wrongdoing, faces a June 7 recall vote fueled by critics concerns that his policies have made the city less safe. But Boudins supporters strongly dispute the premise of the recall and some accuse the police of not doing their jobs correctly.

In Ronens letter, she said she was concerned that a political divide between the San Francisco Police Department and Boudins office could be causing a deliberate work stoppage from police officers.

The SFPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Ronens letter. But in a meeting with The Chronicles editorial board earlier Tuesday, Scott denied that police were declining to stop crimes.

I can confidently say thats not happening, Scott said. We just had a kidnapping over the weekend where officers worked around the clock to solve that case. If there were ... a work stoppage, you wouldnt see that type of effort.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Ronen told Scott that she and her staff had witnessed police tell local residents that there is no point in investigating or arresting perpetrators of crime because the District Attorney will not prosecute, a statement that she called patently false. Ronen also said Boudins office had prosecuted about 67% of cases presented to him by the SFPD.

It is absolutely unacceptable for police officers to just stop doing their jobs because they dont like the way another department is doing its job, Ronen said in her letter.

Ronen further critiqued the police over data showing a low rate of arrests after crimes were reported last year and a low rate of crimes being solved. She said supervisors had increased the police budget while reducing some of the departments work responsibilities, yet the department was still asking for even more money.

I will be hard pressed to vote for additional funding until I see proof that increased policing solves the problems and needs of the residents and businesses of San Francisco, Ronen said. It is time to stop using the District Attorney as a scapegoat for broken morale in your department and start taking responsibility to solve the difficult problems in our City under your jurisdiction.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
For a third straight year, Yosemite National Park will institute a reservation policy for admission during the busy summer season, in keeping with a nationwide trend of increasing crowd control at federal parks across the country.

The reservation system, which was announced Wednesday, was prompted by a wave of construction at Yosemite that has closed roads and parking lots and made it tougher for people to get around. Reservations over the past two years, by contrast, were driven by the pandemic and a lack of staffing and services, a problem that continues but not to the same extent.

By limiting visitation to about 70% of average, park officials say both visitors and the natural environment will fare better. Historically one of the most popular sites in the National Park Service, Yosemite is renowned for its waterfalls, granite cliffs and snow-capped mountains, but it also has gained notoriety for gridlock.

Nobody wants to have that experience at Yosemite or any national park actually: doing all the planning, then sitting in traffic jams for two or three hours, Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon told The Chronicle. We see this (new policy) as a way to allow a lot more access while flattening out the visitation and easing the traffic problem.

Under the reservation system, which will run from May 20 through Sept. 30, visitors entering Yosemite between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. will have to have an advance day-use pass purchased on the park-booking website Recreation.gov. The day-use passes will go on sale March 23.

Reservations will not be required for those entering the park before 6 a.m. or after 4 p.m., a deviation from past reservation policies and an effort to be more accommodating of those who dont plan ahead. The admission fee of $35 for a three-day pass, though, still applies.

Anybody will be able to get into Yosemite every single day, Muldoon said.

The construction work at the park, which is expected to hamper traffic flow and parking, is the result of a windfall of about $100 million this year from the Great American Outdoors Act and federal infrastructure programs.

Billed as the biggest upgrade to the park in nearly a century, roads, trails, campgrounds, visitor facilities and utility systems are being repaired or rebuilt. The projects include resurfacing and widening Glacier Point Road, overhauling the Tuolumne Meadows Campground and improving the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center and its surroundings.

Park officials are excited about what they say are long-needed renovations that will ultimately enhance the experience of visitors, but they say the work leaves little choice but to admit fewer people in the interim.

Visitor numbers have long been a point of contention at Yosemite. Some worry about crowds damaging the landscape and others are concerned about shutting people out of the park. The new policy is no different. Already theres mixed reaction.

Businesses in the gateway communities that cater to tourists fear that fewer travelers will come because of the extra hassle of having to get a reservation at Yosemite.

In light of two years of COVID-19 and the hardship that has created, we were hoping that the park could have avoided reservations even with the construction projects, said Jonathan Farrington, executive director of the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau.

The Yosemite Conservancy, a group that funds and advocates for the parks preservation, on the other hand, supports the reservation policy.

I know these are difficult choices, said the organizations president and CEO, Frank Dean. But its the right thing to do.

Visitation at many of National Park Services premier sites has grown, both as people flocked to the outdoors during the pandemic and before COVID. While total attendance across the systems 423 parks last year was down from last decades historic highs, largely the result of periodic restrictions during the pandemic, administrators expect the numbers to rebound with pent-up demand for travel soaring.

All of this has left more and more parks experimenting with ways to reduce congestion.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Four years ago, Marin Countys Muir Woods National Monument began requiring reservations. So have others, like Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Arches in Utah. Some parks, meanwhile, have reservation policies at select attractions, including Zion National Parks Angels Landing in Utah and Shenandoah National Parks Old Rag Mountain in Virginia.

Weve dealt with COVID the last two years, and this year its about construction, but this is a problem that goes way back, said Muldoon, the Yosemite superintendent. We have to figure out a different approach.

Before commencing with reservations two years ago, annual attendance at Yosemite exceeded 4 million and even topped 5 million one year. Last year it was 3.3 million.

Muldoon said there was no plan to continue Yosemites reservation policy after this year but she wasnt ruling it out.

Were going to see how this year works and learn everything we can from it, she said.

Under the new reservation policy, about 70% of Yosemites day-use passes for the summer season will be made available starting at 8 a.m. March 23, the first day that reservations can be booked. The other 30% of passes will be held until a week before their valid entry date.

Admission covers one vehicle and its occupants and is valid for three consecutive days. Those with hotel or camping reservations, or wilderness or Half Dome permits, do not need an advance day-use reservation. Same for people coming to the park via public transit or tour bus.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Do you know who Michael Mina is?

Those were among the first words I heard upon sitting down at Wit and Wisdom, the chefs 2-year-old restaurant in Sonoma. Its something I have never been asked about any chef at their restaurant, not even at Tyler Florences or Emeril Lagasses places. Though at that point Id eaten at a Mina Group restaurant nearly every day for two weeks, I decided to play along out of curiosity. The server described Mina as a celebrity chef, citing his various projects in the Bay Area, Las Vegas and Dubai. I had to wonder what a noncelebrity person was to make of that, once the food hit the table. Would it make the cocktails more intoxicating, the vibe more upscale? What does celebrity taste like?

If its your business to know restaurants in San Francisco, its your business to know who Mina is. The chef was born in Cairo and came to this country as a teenager; it was his work as a chef at San Franciscos seafood-centric Aqua that earned him the first of many accolades, including the James Beard Foundations Rising Star Chef Award in 1997. Despite the celebrity designation, hes not the most famous contemporary chef in the Bay Area, but by the numbers, hes likely the most prolific. With more than 40 restaurants and concepts tied to his eponymous restaurant group, he may even be one of the biggest chef-empire builders in the country.

Big-name chefs or restaurant groups tend to have an identity, a set of principles that a diner can expect when going to a new location. Lagasse is bound to have some New Orleanian dishes on his menus, for instance, while Hoyul Steven Chois many restaurants, like Kitchen Story and Sweet Maple, are reliable spots for Instagrammable brunches and sugary bacon. Yet pinning down what it actually means to eat at a Mina restaurant can be a challenge. The concepts produce fare as diverse as Japanese-style hot chicken sandwiches, keto grain bowls and smoked ribs. Some are upscale restaurants attached to hotels; others, extremely casual counter-service spots. One of the few things they have in common is Mina himself: Receipts suggest you follow him on social media, while menus put his name front-and-center: i.e., Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina, written out like the restaurant is a book or a designer perfume.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Dishes from the Mina Groups restaurants include smoked Korean bone-in short rib (with furikake rice and cucumber kimchi), clockwise from top left, at International Smoke, a collaboration between Curry and Michael Mina in S.F.; sushi platter at Pabu Izakaya, his restaurant with Japanese chef Ken Tominaga; king crab, shrimp and oysters at International Smoke in S.F.; and Michael Mina Reserve Kaluga Caviar parfait at his Tiburon restaurant, Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina. Photos by Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Dishes from the Mina Groups restaurants include smoked Korean bone-in short rib (with furikake rice and cucumber kimchi), clockwise from top left, at International Smoke, a collaboration between Curry and Michael Mina in S.F.; sushi platter at Pabu Izakaya, his restaurant with Japanese chef Ken Tominaga; king crab, shrimp and oysters at International Smoke in S.F.; and Michael Mina Reserve Kaluga Caviar parfait at his Tiburon restaurant, Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina. Photos by Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

I decided to investigate the meaning behind the name  and whether the food behind it was worth eating. Readers sent me their thoughts on his style, and I gathered the numerous varying impressions from my inbox like so many stray darts from a dark barroom floor. Conventional-with-a-very-slight-twist food, one wrote. Others cited trademarks such as elaborate table-side service and dishes featuring ingredients prepared three different ways.

To suss out the commonalities for myself, I pulled up the list of all the Mina Groups restaurants and tried to go to as many of the 12 Bay Area locations as I could. I managed eight, if only because some of the concepts later proved inaccessible: Bourbon Pub is behind a security checkpoint at SFO, for instance.

My first Mina restaurant experience was at Estiatorio Ornos, the Greek restaurant that took the place of the eponymous Michael Mina in downtown San Francisco. The latter, which closed in 2020, presented Arab flavors in a tasting menu format and was positioned as the most personal of the chefs concepts, so I wondered if any of that personality remained. The room, decked with pink drapes and soft carpet, was hushed but for the subtle weight of the fish cart rolling from table to table. A Mina original, the great white cart was custom-made for the purpose of showcasing whole fish, their best preparations explained by a trained fish sommelier. It gave me the impression of a restaurant invested in the conventional trappings of fine dining but handled with just a touch of absurdity. Like pro wrestling, its magic resided in the viewers willingness to play along.

I experienced more of that at Wit and Wisdom in Sonoma, which opened in 2019. Wit and Wisdom, itself a reboot of a Mina Group restaurant that closed in Baltimore, seemed like a normal-enough restaurant on the surface. Attached to the Lodge at Sonoma, it bills itself as a specialist of regional California cuisine, with an emphasis on comfort food. But even a simple pizza was subject to an over-the-top presentation: A server spooned lightly scrambled egg from an impossibly tiny saucepan onto my carbonara-style pizza. The eggy sauce glistened under the flames of the table-side heat lamp. At Bungalow Kitchen in Tiburon, a server mixed together the components of ahi tuna tartare at my table while singing Baby Shark; the entree, a lobster pot pie, was presented in a crust-topped pot and carefully, surgically disassembled onto a platter. Its on trend: Table-side magic tricks like this are a perfect encapsulation of a growing sentiment of restaurants being no longer just the prelude to the big event of the night but the event itself.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Bungalow Kitchen likely has the strongest argument for being called a Michael Mina restaurant, though the concept ironically came about as a partnership between the Mina Group and Southern California restaurant veteran Brent Bolthouse. The ambience, from the hip-hop jams on the PA system to its laid-back, beachy aesthetic, is all Bolthouse. But the menu is full of Minas greatest hits, made famous during his time at Aqua and via his California steak-house concept, Bourbon Steak.

Those dishes are rendered with the deftness of muscle memory: that Maine lobster pot pie; silky ahi tuna tartare with diced Asian pear, quail egg and sesame oil; and a coterie of wood-grilled steaks. Notably, Minas name appears on the dinner menu six times in various blurbs and dish names.

Theres no doubt that the Mina Group has a great handle on how to open restaurants. Each speaks to the places and moments they inhabit, which are largely focused on the desires of the affluent. Bungalow Kitchen works as a cosmopolitan watering hole for sleepy Tiburon, with its playlist of 2000s-era hits and bohemian decor. International Smoke and Pabu Izakaya are sleek and buzzy, with crowd-pleasing menus of smoked ribs and rolled sushi ideal for parties and happy hours. This Mina Group expertise is rewarded with busy dining rooms and corporate buyouts.

But the Mina brand is trying to have its cake and eat it too when it comes to an auteurist idea of what a chef does. Consider another notable artist, like filmmaker Tim Burton. He is undeniably an auteur: a director with such a strong sense of vision that the average moviegoer can reliably expect a certain aesthetic. By establishing Mina as a celebrity chef, the restaurant group is similarly positioning Minas style as something interesting in and of itself. Yet the wide range of his culinary interests and collaborations complicate that idea.

In fact, the quality of the food throughout the Mina Group can be inconsistent. At Wit and Wisdom, the fungi piled atop a toast appetizer were spongy and limp, the perfect picture of what mushroom haters specifically despise. It was a strange contrast to Bungalow Kitchens foraged mushroom side dish ($12), featuring black trumpets and other seasonal delicacies glazed with gochujang and mixed with caramelized onions; it balanced its textures and polyphony of savory-sweet and tart notes well. I couldnt perceive any distinct Mina-isms hiding in my overdressed beet salad from Indie Superette, the health food-focused cafe in the Marina. And I wasnt sure if it was Minas or Ayesha Currys idea to put fried rice on the menu at International Smoke; regardless, it was a bland rendition with a homogenous texture, so I think I was mostly looking for someone to blame.

Its easy enough to imagine that consistency would be a challenge for a vast collection of mostly unique restaurants: I imagine its like an engineer trying to plug leaky holes in not just one boat but a fleet of yachts, kayaks and battleships. But the larger issue for the Mina Group, as evidenced by my visits and reader responses to my query about it, is that its brand identity as a celebrity-chef outfit runs counter to the actual reality of its operations  and the ambitions of the man himself.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Michael Mina is not one person, Michael Mina told me during a phone interview. Its something people dont quite get about him  that Michael Mina the idea, as opposed to the man, is essentially an army of people hiding in a single trench coat. Its a move that makes sense from a commercial standpoint, since celebrity, for all its trouble, grants its wielder more opportunity to do what they want. He also doesnt personally own all 40 restaurants: Many of them are essentially management deals and partnerships.

In talking to Mina, its clear that the collaborations, like his partnership with Japanese chef Ken Tominaga for Pabu Izakaya, are what excite him the most as a restaurateur. Its why the Mina Groups oeuvre includes so many different ideas. Hes already thinking of doing a Colombian restaurant with Daniela Vergara, the current executive chef of Estiatorio Ornos, and he hopes to do something Italian with his corporate executive chef, Adam Sobel. Paradoxically, the Mina Group makes the most sense when you realize its not really about Michael Mina at all. If it were up to him, hed create another restaurant group without his name on it.

Minas name is a reliable shorthand for a dining experience that emphasizes hospitality, seasonal produce and, usually, a higher-end menu. Those aspects form a lens through which the restaurant group interprets the myriad of cuisines in its roster; but in exchange, his collaborators dont come off like the headliners of these acts. And the fact that the food isnt consistently good dampens the idea of his name being a reliable stamp of quality.

But Mina may not be planting his name on all his projects in the future. The trajectory of his company is, in many ways, a product of time. Mina really came into his own in the 2000s, when celebrity chefs ruled. It was the time of Emeril Live, the show that catapulted Lagasse into a spice-flinging culinary powerhouse; and the heyday of the United Kingdoms Marco Pierre White, whose scorching personality and Michelin star-level cooking was the blueprint for the celebrity chef. Gourmet magazine enshrined chefs as literal rock stars in its iconic October 2003 issue, its cover famous for its Eric Ripert crotch shot. That era gave us the celebrity chef, a concept that seems to be waning now in a new wave of casual service and collectivism in the restaurant world. Mina revealed to me that plans to start a new company are already under way  one that will enable different chefs to showcase their concepts without being branded Mina restaurants. It seems that the chef, that constant culinary chameleon, has already chosen his next shade.
Masks will come off in many public settings across the Bay Area Wednesday  though theyll be sticking around in Santa Clara County. Organizers of two major California music festivals are scrapping COVID-19 precautions altogether. The rate of new daily coronavirus cases in the Bay Area appears to be leveling off just as California and local health officials prepare to pull back several COVID-19 safety measures, including indoor mask mandates, but theyve still fallen to levels not seen since before the omicron surge.

Latest updates:

Bay Area shoppers react to the lifting of the mask mandate: To breathe again! And to not worry about getting sick  or worse, landing in the hospital. Such freedom is what many vaccinated people hoped for on Wednesday, when California and all Bay Area counties except Santa Clara lifted most indoor mask mandates as coronavirus cases continue to decline. Curious how people responded to their first day of mask freedom since mid-December, The Chronicle sent reporters to three groceries around the bay to find out. The verdict: most people were still wearing masks. Read the full story here.

Moderna aims to have an omicron booster ready by August: Moderna will likely have an omicron-specific booster ready by August, but the biotech firms CEO said it is not clear yet if it will provide better protection than another dose of the existing vaccine. Researchers at the company are still gathering data to make the determination. We believe a booster will be needed, chief executive Stephane Bancel told Reuters on Wednesday. I dont know yet if it is going to be the existing vaccine, omicron-only, or bivalent: Omicron and existing vaccine, two mRNA in one dose.

COVID survivors at higher risk of severe mental health issues: People who are infected with the coronavirus are more likely to suffer from a range of mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, according to a large-scale study published Wednesday in the medical journal the BMJ. Comparing data from 153,848 people who tested positive to clinical data from nearly 12 million people with no history of infection, researchers from St. Louis found that the COVID-19 survivors were 40% more likely to be depressed or struggle with sleep issues, and 20% more likely to use illicit drugs within a year of infection. The authors said the results indicate that COVID is more than a respiratory virus. It is a systemic virus that may provoke damage and clinical consequences in nearly every organ system  including mental health disorders and neurocognitive decline, wrote Ziyad Al-Aly, director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center in St. Louis.

S.F. residents allowed to smoke mask-free at dispensary sites again: As part of its updated health order, San Francisco not only let residents who are vaccinated against COVID-19 ditch their masks in most indoor public settings on Wednesday, but also to smoke or vape at the citys cannabis consumption sites, cigar rooms, and facilities allowing smoking steaming stones or non-plant-based products for hookah. The only requirement is that patrons show proof that they have completed their initial series of vaccination or provide a lab-verified negative test result before entry. But it should be noted, smoking is associated with substantially higher risk of COVID-19 progression, according to Dr. Stanton A. Glantz, director of the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.

Californias essential workers faced brunt of pandemic deaths, study: In the first year of the pandemic, from March 2020 through Nov. 2021, essential workers in California suffered higher COVID-19 mortality rates compared to the rest of the states workforce, according to a new preprint study by researchers at UCSF, Stanford and UC Santa Cruz. Those who suffered the highest per-capita virus fatalities worked in agriculture (131.8 per 100,000), transportation/logistics (107.1), manufacturing (103.3), and facilities (101.1). The disparity continued even after the vaccine became widely available  and between July and Nov. 2021, emergency workers experienced higher per-capita COVID-19 mortality (113.7 per 100,000) than workers from any other sector. The gap was more pronounced for essential workers in counties with low vaccination rates, especially during the delta summer surge.

Airline mask mandate challenged by Texas AG: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Wednesday, challenging a federal mandate that requires masks be worn at U.S. airports and on airplanes and other public transportation to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The mask rules, which have been in place since February 2021, are set to expire on March 18 though they have been extended several times. Just filed my 22nd suit against Biden, this time regarding anti-science, virtue-signaling masks on airlines & airports, Paxton tweeted. Masks on planes are not only silly, but illegal too. He added that his goal is restraining Dems lawless govt. Multiple scientific studies have found that face masks play a critical role in preventing COVID-19 infection during air travel.

Breed pleads for understanding around mask wearing: San Francisco Mayor London Breed said she knew that laxer rules around masking would not stop some people from wearing them  nor some businesses from requiring them. Please dont get into arguments about whether or not youre required to wear your mask, Breed told reporters at a City Hall press conference. Its been a hard time for all of us. If a business asks you to wear a mask, wear your mask or choose another business. But lets understand that this is challenging. Breed acknowledged that some of our regulations have been confusing but urged people to remember were in this together and we have a lot to be proud of. This is the home stretch, she said. The mayor expressed hope that, if more people get vaccinated and boosted and hospitalizations stay low, mask mandates could be lifted in more settings such as schools and hospitals and jails. Continue to be patient with us ... and we will get through this, she said.

White House anticipates a time when COVID isnt a crisis: President Bidens coronavirus response team on Wednesday touted declining cases, increasing vaccination rates, and the development of therapeutics to lessen severe outcomes with COVID-19. Officials are already looking ahead to the next phase of the pandemic, coordinator Jeff Zients said during a Wednesday briefing. As a result of all this progress and the tools we all have, were moving toward a time when COVID isnt a crisis but is something we can protect against and treat, he said. The president and our COVID team are actively planning for this future.

S.F. Pride sets in-person return after two pandemic years online: After two years of migrating online because of the pandemic, San Francisco Pride plans to return in full force for 2022, with a slate of in-person events scheduled for June 25-26, including its signature parade. The years theme, Love Will Keep Us Together, is meant to celebrate a sense of return for a festival that bills itself as the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ individuals and supporters in the country. But in a January newsletter, organizers also addressed their followers health concerns about meeting in person. Read the full story here.

Bay Area front-of-house staff cast as mask referees for warring audiences: Front-of-house staffers at theaters and concert halls used to be able to fall back on union rules or government orders in testy interactions with patrons about masks  the most contentious part of their pandemic-era duties. But as most of the Bay Area is poised to lift mask mandates on Wednesday, venue staff are increasingly on their own  leaving ushers, house managers, security staff and box office managers in the crosshairs of different audience members diametrically opposed preferences as they deal with the fallout of unclear and inconsistent COVID guidance from government officials. Read the full story here.

COVID protocols for film and TV crews extended through April: As states move to loosen COVID restrictions, the motion picture industry isnt taking any chances. Coronavirus safety measures for film and television crews in California that were set to expire on Sunday  including masking, distancing and testing requirements  have been extended through Apr. 30, according to a memo SAG-AFTRA sent its union members on Wednesday. Part of the new agreement includes the modification of existing protocols. As of Mar. 15, the definition of fully vaccinated will include booster shots. High-quality masks, such as N95s or KN95s, must be provided on sets by employers. And antigen tests will be more widely accepted. Additionally, actors and those who work with them must be vaccinated. Since the protocols were implemented on Sept. 21, 2020, they have proven extremely effective in protecting cast and crew from undue COVID risk in the workplace, said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the director of the organization.

CDC to update mask guidance as early as next week: As many states move to ease indoor mask mandates for vaccinated people, officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday they planned to update the agencys federal recommendations as well. We are looking at all of our guidance based not only on where we are right now in the pandemic but also on the tools we now have at our disposal  such as vaccines, boosters, tests and treatments  and our latest understanding of the disease, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said at a White House briefing. We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing when these metrics are better and then have the ability to reach for them again should things worsen.

Sacramento County rescinds local health orders on masking, meetings: Aligning its policies with those of the California Department of Public Health, Sacramento County today lifted a July 26 Health Order requiring all individuals to wear face coverings indoors and its January 6 Health Order directing all public meetings be held virtually. Unvaccinated people will continue to be required to wear face coverings in all indoor pubic settings. Masks will also still be required in some indoor settings regardless of vaccination status, including schools and day care centers, public transit, homeless and emergency and shelters, and correctional facilities. Public meetings will no longer be required to occur virtually.

Lifting the mask mandate slights chronically ill and disabled (opinion): As the omicron surge wanes, and the experts read the sewage like tea leaves, states from New York to California and everywhere in between have rushed to remove mask mandates, declaring that we have reached the magic inflection point between pandemic and endemic. And, once again, it will be the medically vulnerable who will suffer the casualties in this premature push for normalcy while COVID deaths in the U.S. still average near 2,500 per day. Read the full op-ed by Dipti S. Barot here.

Mask mandates are going away, but in many Bay Area businesses masks will remain: With every Bay Area county, save one, lifting indoor masking mandates for the fully vaccinated on Wednesday, its easy to imagine people in shops, restaurants and offices dropping them in unison. But the reality is likely to be a bit more uneven, as many local businesses say they will approach masking differently for themselves, their employees and their customers. Read the full story here.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Stay up on the mask-off, and on, rules: Wednesday brings a huge change to lives in the Bay Area and across California when masks will no longer be required in most public settings. Businesses, local government and other establishments can impose their own versions of the mandate however, and some plan to do just that. Read about what you need to know.

U.S. virus death toll could top 1 million next month: The number of COVID-19 fatalities in the United States will reach about 968,000 by March 12 and could top 1 million by the end of the month, according to forecast models used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ensemble model, which was updated on Wednesday, shows deaths likely increasing in at least 10 states over the next two weeks compared to the previous two weeks. Californias cumulative pandemic death toll may hit 90,000 over the same period.

Vaccines could lower the risk of getting long COVID, U.K. study suggests: A British public health agency published a study suggesting that people who had one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were less likely to develop symptoms of long COVID, where symptoms last for weeks or months beyond the initial illness following a coronavirus infection. People who received two vaccine doses  or one Johnson & Johnson dose  were about half as likely to develop long-COVID symptoms, according to the study, published by U.K. Health Security Agency.

Study suggests vaccination of pregnant moms helps protect their infants from COVID hospitalization: Pregnant women who get vaccinated against the coronavirus may be helping to protect their infants from hospitalization due to COVID-19, a study released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed for the first time. Read the full story here.

California bills target big tech, rogue doctors to combat COVID vaccine misinformation: California legislators introduced a pair of bills on Tuesday designed to crack down on social media platforms and rogue doctors who spread false information about COVID-19 vaccines. The measures are part of a broader package of bills that aim to fight vaccine hesitancy  unfounded fears about immunizations that public health officials say have prolonged the pandemic and increased hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus. Read the full story here.

S.F. city buildings to maintain indoor mask requirement: People entering city facilities in San Francisco still must wear masks regardless of vaccination status after Tuesday, even though the state indoor mask mandate goes away on Wednesday. That includes City Hall, libraries, recreation centers, offices and other service sites operated by the city. Despite imminent removal of the states mandate for vaccinated people in most indoor public spaces, businesses, venue operators and hosts may continue to require masks. City officials will monitor data on COVID-19 cases and transmission and will make adjustments to health and safety protocols as needed to ensure the safety of city staff and members of the public, the health department said in a press release.

Los Angeles County to drop outdoor mask mandate: With most Super Bowl LVI attendees at SoFi Stadium ignoring Los Angeles Countys outdoor mask rule over the weekend, health officials will make it official starting Wednesday so that people no longer have to wear masks at outdoor mega-events. The easing of the critical coronavirus safety measure also applies to outdoor areas at K-12 schools and child care facilities. The decision coincides with Californias plan to lift its universal indoor mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals on Wednesday. But Los Angeles County will join Santa Clara County as a holdout on that front, maintaining its indoor mask mandate for all, regardless of vaccination status, until new COVID cases and hospitalizations stabilize. Given where we are, and the continued risk in under-resourced communities, we need to use sensible safety protections that help us drive down transmission of this dangerous virus, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.

Dropping masks now paves way to potentially reinstate later, Alameda health officer says: New coronavirus cases have fallen about 80% since the omicron waves peak, Alameda County Health Officer Dr. Nicholas Moss said Tuesday. He said the state and county removal of the indoor mask mandate starting Wednesday, is a big transition. He added, There are some county residents whove wanted to see this change for long time but there are others who feel this is premature. We are hearing those voices and acknowledge this does land as a big change for some people. Relaxing the mandate now is important for getting public buy-in if officials have to re-impose it down the road, he said, citing potential future variants that may cause more severe disease. Were not going to reach a finish line with COVID, but rather were going to have risk that rises and falls, he said. And we may very well need masks again for a future surge that causes severe disease.

Californias positive test rate drops to a pre-surge level: The average positive rate in coronavirus testing in California has dropped to 5.7%, the lowest it has been since mid-December. That was shortly before the fast-spreading omicron variant ignited the winter COVID surge. The shift marks a 3.2% decrease from the prior seven-day positivity rate, which indicates the percentage of total tests that come back positive each day statewide. Most Bay Area counties appear to be following a similar trajectory though the rate of COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths, lagging pandemic indicators, appear to have leveled off in the region. Californias average positive test rate hit a pandemic high of 22.6% on Jan. 9. It bottomed out at 0.07% in the first week of June, before the delta variant surge.

Child hospitalizations jumped fourfold during omicron surge: Hospitalization rates among children with COVID-19 spiked in late December, especially among children under 5 who are not yet eligible for vaccination, according to a report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The pediatric hospitalization rate was four times higher during the omicron surge than it was during the surge of the delta variant last year. It was five times higher for children in the younger age group at the peak of the surge. Among adolescents, the rate fell substantially for the vaccinated compared to those who were not.
As the omicron surge wanes, and the experts read the sewage like tea leaves, states from New York to California and everywhere in between have rushed to remove mask mandates, declaring that we have reached the magic inflection point between pandemic and endemic. And, once again, it will be the medically vulnerable who will suffer the casualties in this premature push for normalcy while COVID deaths in the U.S. still average near 2,500 per day.

One cant help but recall the disastrous Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decision to recommend removing mask mandates in May 2021 and the subsequent walk back a mere two months later due to the delta variant. Even as we learn about long COVID and its disastrous effects, why do these policies reflect a greater concern for the robustness of the economy than the robustness of its citizens?

For me, an immunocompromised physician, the true kickoff to the pandemic was two Februaries ago when a colleague persisted in flouting our clinics coronavirus distancing guidelines by approaching too close and making physical contact.

I very sternly told him to knock it off. He sauntered away with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders and said, I figure were all going to get it anyway.

I stared at him icily and said, Yeah, well some of us do this work immunocompromised.

I hated to reveal this fact at work, but I needed him to understand the seriousness of his childish antics. That was the last in-person shift I took at any clinic. I have not been back in two years.

Last month, I was transported back to this moment when the CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, spoke of new data on COVID deaths in the vaccinated population, saying, The overwhelming number of deaths, over 75%, occurred in people who had at least four comorbidities. So really these are people who were unwell to begin with and, yes, really encouraging news in the context of omicron.

The ease of her delivery, her enthusiasm, her toothy smile, the visible relief that it was mainly the unwell to begin with who were dying and not others  whiffed of eugenics and was a slap in the face to the millions of Americans who are chronically ill, immunocompromised and disabled. Hashtags like #mydisabledlifematters began to trend because, like so many other times in history, vulnerable people felt the need to affirm the value of their existence in a society whose decisions routinely diminish and undercut their lives.

In the midst of the omicron wave, the CDC saw it fit to cut its guideline for isolation time in half to just five days and set loose in the population people who could still be contagious. This change in guidance came without protecting the most vulnerable with freely available rapid tests and N95 masks for all. For the period after five days of isolation, they tacked on this throw away warning: Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease ... until after at least 10 days. As if everyone with asthma, diabetes, liver disease and cancer have their diagnoses stamped on their forehead.

In the past few weeks, the U.S. had close to 4,000 deaths recorded in a single day, and we have now rounded the corner of 900,000 deaths and stare down the barrel of a million gone. Just because people are over it, doesnt make it over.

How many deaths were preventable had the CDC been guided not by the needs of the economy but by its own declared mission to protect America from health, safety, and security threats? When you prioritize the lives of the most vulnerable, everyone is protected. We should be the measuring stick, not the collateral damage.

After Dr. Walenskys damage control meeting with leaders from the disabled community, she apologized for the hurtful, yet unintentional, statement pertaining to COVID-19 deaths and comorbidities.

The words may have been unintentional, but the policies certainly are not. In reality, the metric for success and a return to normalcy  the very metric that determines the end point of this pandemic  is when it is only the unwell to begin with who are the ones dying. Dr. Walenskys only mistake was saying the quiet part out loud.

We shouldnt have to affirm our right to exist in this society. But decision after decision reveals our status as expendable. There are interventions that can help protect high-risk patients that should be delivered before throwing caution to the wind. Evusheld, the injectable monoclonal antibody treatment that is used for pre-exposure prophylaxis for the immunocompromised, has a near 80% reduction in risk of developing symptomatic COVID in the most vulnerable. But good luck trying to find it; of course, its distribution is plagued by the characteristic dysfunction of our health care system, with limited doses sitting on shelves across the nation instead of being delivered to patients.

The logic of were all going to get it anyway fits lock and key with how encouraging it is that the majority of vaccinated deaths are among the unwell to begin with. It is a logic underpinning the decisions that continue to be a threat to our lives, the very thinking that leads our government to turn its back on the unvaccinated populations of the world, as if our destinies are not intertwined, as if the fate of future variants are not inextricably linked to those we consider to be disposable. These policies guarantee that this will continue to remain a pandemic not only of the unvaccinated, but of the most vulnerable.

And as the pundits and politicians continue to push for a normalcy that has never served the medically vulnerable in the first place, disabled, chronically ill and immunocompromised Americans like me will continue to speak out and insist that our lives matter. That we even have to reveals just how unwell to begin with normal truly is.

Dipti S. Barot (@diptisbarot) is a primary care physician in the East Bay.
Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

San Franciscos special election on Tuesday garnered attention from journalists and political commentators from across the country, leading to an inevitable tsunami of hot takes from around the Twittersphere  including many from outside of the city.

And that wave of outsider tweets has met with some serious local backlash. As media outlet Mission Local put it: The results are in for the San Francisco School Board recall election ... and so are the first of the terrible East Coast takes.
The landslide recall of three San Francisco school board members on Tuesday shifted the spotlight to Mayor London Breed, who has the sole responsibility of appointing replacements.

Breed likely has a few weeks to select her picks, given that ousted board members Gabriela Lopez, Alison Collins and Faauuga Moliga will continue to serve until 10 days after the Board of Supervisors accepts the results  with appointees taking office March 11 at the earliest.

Breed addressed next steps at a Wednesday morning news conference at City Hall, saying shes already met with parents about what they want to see from the school board. She said she has not discussed potential replacements or interviewed any potential candidates.

Breed said she would be looking for well-rounded school board members who are focused on the schools, who are focused on our children and their success.

Choosing replacements for the recalled board members would be one of the hardest appointment decisions shes had to make, Breed said, because of the significance of what this means and what the people of San Francisco expect.

The recall gives the mayor significant power to potentially shift the school board to align more with her moderate views, but it also puts pressure on her to address the lost faith in the districts leadership and bridge the divide over the recall. In addition to the three new appointments, Breed has an ally in school board Vice President Jenny Lam, meaning four commissioners on the seven-member board could be aligned with the mayor. Breed appointed Lam, who then won an election.

Lam, who will take over as president when Lopez leaves, said in a statement that, with the recall over, students must be our priority and that the first task would be to give new school board members the tools and onboarding theyll need to hit the ground running.

David Ho, a political consultant who formerly worked on behalf of a union supporting Breed in her mayoral campaign, said the need for the mayor to pick very competent appointees puts tremendous pressure on her.

Normally, since the school board is elected, the mayor isnt responsible for its decisions, Ho said, but that balance could shift. Voters will look to appointees to improve the district. That dynamic may play out in Breeds political future as she looks to re-election in 2023.

Breed must make her picks as the district faces a budget deficit, students grapple with academic loss from remote learning and the board gets ready to choose a new superintendent. The mayor has criticized the board throughout the pandemic: She backed the city attorneys unsuccessful lawsuit to force the district to reopen classrooms, called for Collins to resign after her controversial tweets about Asian Americans and endorsed the recall of all three board members. Breed also introduced a charter amendment to rein in the school board, but a Board of Supervisors committee tabled it.

Voters will hold her accountable for the success and failure of the school board results, Ho said. Its definitely a very high-stakes political gamesmanship here.

But its not just whom she appoints, but why, said former school board member Rachel Norton.

What I think she should do as best she can, is try to set the politics aside from what she wants for the schools, Norton said, adding the priority is getting the district back on track financially.

The mayor already signaled that she would not be swayed to limit her choices. She said at this point, she wouldnt rule out anyone, including new board members who supported charter schools or vouchers.

I am going to meet with and talk to as many people as I can that I think will serve the San Francisco Unified School District well and ... focus on our children, she said.

Breeds school board appointees would face their first test in the November election. Her past picks have won success. Breed appointed Moliga a few weeks before he won election in 2018.

Its also possible the three recalled board members would run again in November or a future election despite more than 70% of voters backing their ouster. Lopez and Moliga did not rule out the possibility Wednesday, while Collins did not respond to the question in her first statement since the election results were posted.

We now know what it costs to buy an election in San Francisco, she said, in a statement, referring to the nearly $2 million raised in the pro-recall effort. This is a backlash against progress, similar to what we are seeing nationally. No matter what, we will continue to fight for the children and families most in need, for our vision of a multiracial democracy, and for our public education system  were still here and we are not giving up.

Norman Yee, former school board member and Board of Supervisors president, said Breed didnt come into office with the ambition to really control the school district but said shes reacting to the current school board from the results of COVID. Now she faces the pressure to appoint competent school board members.

If whoever she appoints ends up to be pretty bad ... it will impact her negatively, he said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Supervisor Matt Haney, who formerly served on the school board, said on the other hand that the mayor has been more vocal about schools than past administrations, and it seems that she wants to have a much more direct role in shaping the decisions and outcomes at the district.

The mayor doesnt run the schools, and I dont think the mayor should run the schools, but there has to be a close relationship, he said.

She will have more responsibility for what happens there, and if it means that our schools improve and students get better opportunities, then that can be a good thing, he said.

But Haney cautioned that appointed members are always going to have a question about who theyre accountable to and stressed that appointees work for the people, not the mayor.

Haney supported the recall of Collins but not Lopez or Moliga. Those three were the only school board members eligible to be recalled. The others hadnt been in office long enough.

Former school board member and Supervisor Jane Kim said she told Breed recently that the most important decision facing the school board was picking a new superintendent and encouraged the mayor to find someone who has been through that process before. Kim was surprised that people criticized the board instead of the superintendent during the pandemic.

The citys powerful teachers union, which opposed the recall, noted the mayoral picks would be stepping in at a critical moment.

The three replacements will join the board when the district is balancing an ongoing budget deficit, unnecessarily preparing to lay off long-time dedicated educators, and choosing a new superintendent, said Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, in a statement. These are big shoes to fill, and they will be responsible for determining how much our schools will gain or lose, what programs will be saved or lost, and how these decisions will affect our students and their education.

Staff writer J.D. Morris contributed to this story.

Mallory Moench and Jill Tucker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com, jtucker@sfchronicle.com
UPDATE: A day after losing in a landslide recall election, one San Francisco school board member submitted has abruptly stepped down.

San Francisco voters overwhelmingly supported the ouster of three school board members Tuesday in the citys first recall election in nearly 40 years.

The landslide decision means board President Gabriela Lopez and members Alison Collins and Faauuga Moliga will officially be removed from office and replaced by mayoral appointments 10 days after the election is officially accepted by the Board of Supervisors.

The new board members are likely to take office in mid-March. The three were the only school board members who had served long enough to be eligible for a recall.

The recall divided the city for the past year, with a grassroots effort of frustrated parents and community members pushing for the trustees removal over the slow reopening of schools during the pandemic and the boards focus on controversial issues like renaming 44 school sites and ending the merit-based admission system at Lowell High School.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen said she wasnt surprised by the results.

We faced the hardest time of our entire lives as parents and as students in public schools and this Board of Education focused on issues that werent about dealing with the immediate crisis of the day, and they didnt show the leadership that that was necessary and that parents needed to hear, and that kids needed to hear, said Ronen.

At least a hundred recall backers had gathered in the back room of Mannys Cafe in the Mission District on Tuesday night.

This is what happens when you try to rename the schools in the middle of a pandemic! exclaimed David Thompson a.k.a Gaybraham Lincoln, an SFUSD parent dressed in head-to-toe rainbow drag and towering platform shoes, who described his persona as a form of protest. We wanted to show the diversity of the community behind this recall. I knew they were going to say, Oh isnt it just a bunch of Republicans? and Im like, do I look like a Republican?

Within the next few weeks, Mayor London Breed is expected to appoint replacements to finish out the commissioners terms, which end in early January 2023. To remain in office, the replacements would have to run in the upcoming November election, but would have an edge as incumbents.

The voters of this city have delivered a clear message that the school board must focus on the essentials of delivering a well-run school system above all else, Breed said in a statement. There are many critical decisions in the coming months  addressing a significant budget deficit, hiring a new Superintendent, and navigating our emergence from this pandemic ... The school district has a lot of work to do.

Breed did not indicate who might be in the running to replace any of the board members or when she would make the appointments.

Collins, Lopez and Moliga are the first elected officials in the city to be recalled in recent memory. The last time a recall effort made it to the ballot was in 1983, in a failed attempt to remove then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein from office.

They would all be eligible to run again in November or future elections. Lopez and Moliga did not rule out the possibility Wednesday, while Collins did not respond to the question in her first statement since the election results were posted.

We now know what it costs to buy an election in San Francisco, she said, in a statement, referring to the nearly $2 million raised in the pro-recall effort. This is a backlash against progress, similar to what we are seeing nationally. No matter what, we will continue to fight for the children and families most in need, for our vision of a multiracial democracy, and for our public education systemwere still here and we are not giving up.

Moliga said Tuesday that his team fought hard and ran a great campaign.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

He also thanked the Pacific Islander community for standing up and taking on this challenge. There are many more fights ahead of us.

The recall drew support from a wide range of city officials, including Breed, state Sen. Scott Wiener, state Treasurer Fiona Ma, as well as current and former supervisors and school board members.

That is incredible, shouted Siva Raj, one of the parents who had been leading the recall campaign, to a cheering and hollering crowd of attendees at Mannys. Thank you, and thank you San Francisco for making this happen. For fighting for our children.

State Sen. Scott Wiener said the vote was a clear statement.

We need the Board of Education focused like a laser on stabilizing our schools, keeping them open, and supporting students and families in the most effective way possible, he said in a statement. With the recall now behind us, I look forward to the mayor making three strong appointments to the Board of Education.

Parents have spoken, parents have been heard, Meredith Dodson, co-founder of the S.F. Parent Coalition, said on Twitter.

Asheesh Birla, a recall volunteer who has an eight-year-old and an 11-year-old, said he was hoping to see a replacement board member who would balance equity with stronger educational outcomes. We lost sight of the fact that this is about education, and putting the kids education first, he said. We got lost in renaming the schools...all sorts of other agenda items, and didnt take into account that schools are about education.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Kit Lam, a recall volunteer and SFUSD parent who also works for the district, said the replacements should ideally bring the fractured educational community together.

Im looking for a commissioner who will listen to parents, who is willing to do the work to rebuild the trust, said Lam, who added that he wanted commissioners to focus on learning loss and emotional harm.

Volunteers took to the streets and farmers markets a year ago to collect signatures as hundreds contributed money to the campaign. Later deep-pocket funders from San Franciscos business and tech communities signed on, many of whom have fought against progressive reform efforts in the past.

As of Monday, the pro-recall organizers had pulled in nearly $2 million, a jaw-dropping amount for a school board election. The opposition had raised $86,000, including $47,000 specifically donated to keep Moliga in office.

Opponents of the recall, including the teachers union, described the effort as an attempt by billionaires to take over the school board, an attack on three people of color as well as a waste of money, given the upcoming election.

The teachers union said in a statement Tuesday that it was calling on Breed to appoint pro-public education replacements.

Even though billionaires and wealthy venture capitalists poured almost $2 million into the recall campaign, San Francisco voters have consistently supported public schools and expressed great admiration for our public educators, said United Educators of San Francisco President Cassondra Curiel.

Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton slammed the recall as being driven by closet Republicans and most certainly folks with conservative values in San Francisco, even if they werent registered Republicans.

Trumps election and bold prejudice brought a lot of that out, even in our Democratic and liberal city, he told The Chronicle in the days before the election. There are a lot of people who do not want people of color making decisions in leadership, even though the voters said that is what they want.

The commissioners who faced the recall are among six people of color on the seven-member school board.

Supporters said the recall had widespread support in the city.

While a few large contributions came from investors, nearly 2,000 individuals have donated to this campaign, and approximately 84% of them live in San Francisco, said Marie-Jose Durquet, a former district teacher whose own children attended city schools. People from all walks of life desire a school board that behaves responsibly and delivers a quality education for children.

Editors note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Asheesh Birlas children attended SFUSD.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com annie.vainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker @annievain
San Francisco is facing numerous huge crises  homelessness, fentanyl deaths, struggling schools, lack of housing, high property crime rates and leaders seemingly incapable of dealing with any of the above. Just to name a few.

A charming coffee truck owned by a mom who serves up java and doughnuts two days a week to long lines of happy customers shouldnt be on that list. But youd never know it from the brew-haha over California Kahve, a food truck briefly allowed to park on the Great Highway on weekends, when its closed to cars.

From a couple of phone interviews and a visit to the truck on her penultimate day near the beach last Saturday, Molly Welton, 43, seems like one of the nicest, most energetic small business owners in the city  exactly the kind of person city government should want to encourage.

But somehow she wound up in the center of yet another only-in-San Francisco blow-up over a small matter. Now shes no longer welcome on the beachfront roadway.

Why would something so successful end? Welton asked. Its just kind of mind-boggling to me.

Just kind of mind-boggling describes much of how San Francisco operates. Somehow, the little issues  taking cars off a few miles of roadway, slowing some residential streets, the opening of new small businesses, a Ferris wheel  suck up an inordinate amount of time and anger while the big issues fester.

The little coffee truck that couldnt is just the latest example.

Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle

The Recreation and Park Department started a pilot program in late November, allowing one truck  California Kahve  to park on the Great Highway near Taraval Street. Supporters of the car-free configuration on weekends  affectionately dubbed the Great Walkway  hoped it would lead to more food trucks. And maybe some parklets and public art exhibits, too.

Welton, whod previously parked at Lincoln Way and La Playa Street, got so much business she hired two employees and consistently sold out of her pastries. But nearby businesses who said they lost customers and neighbors opposed to anything connected to the Great Walkway flooded Rec and Park with complaints.

Several of those detractors didnt return requests for comment about their objections.

But they won out, and Welton recently received a brief e-mail from the department telling her that she had to move and that Sunday would be her last day.

Phil Ginsburg, director of the parks department, explained that his staff is responsible for maintaining 4,000 acres of parkland, 225 parks and more than 50 major capital improvement projects while also trying to improve and add parks in low-income neighborhoods, including the Tenderloin and Bayview, that havent historically had enough of them.

I cant have our staff spending half their time dealing with outrage over a single coffee cart, Ginsburg said. Its a distraction from our mission, which is to provide joy to people through great public spaces and recreation programs.

He said he understands that neighboring business owners are stressed and strapped as the pandemic drags on, and he has sympathy for them.

But a cart selling drinks on the weekends to families probably shouldnt be the focus of this much ire, Ginsburg said.

Supervisor Gordon Mar is glad California Kahve wont appear on the Great Highway anymore and blamed Ginsburgs department for not doing outreach and community engagement before the pilot program began.

Its just very disappointing they would not be more sensitive to how contentious this program could be in the neighborhood, Mar said, noting that competition for struggling businesses was just one concern.

They were even more concerned about the commercialization of the unique and precious Ocean Beach natural area, he said, noting he never patronized California Kahve but thought its long lines and tables and chairs were kind of nice.

Mar said anything related to the Great Highway is No. 1 on the list of issues he hears about from his constituents  by a wide margin.

Welton noted that if a 2-mile stretch of pavement with one food truck is your biggest worry these days, youre a very fortunate person.

She said the vast majority of people she encountered on the highway were friendly and supportive, but she also received some angry complaints suggesting that people should boycott her food truck and that she wasnt welcome in the Sunset since shes not from there. Shes from that land far, far away: the Marina.

Its really strange that all of a sudden there are these borders, Welton said. Those arguments about not in my backyard, I dont think those work.

Constanza Hevia H./Special to The Chronicle

The notion that small businesses should only be allowed if their owners are from the right neighborhood  or city, state or country for that matter  flies in the face of San Francisco values. But as an aside, Welton is a fourth-generation San Franciscan whose grandmother swam at Sutro Baths, grandfather helped build the Golden Gate Bridge and great-grandfather worked as a street car conductor. Sounds pretty San Franciscan to me.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Welton is raising two sons with her husband, an electrician. She worked in hotels and restaurants for years before finally following her dream, scrimping and saving and buying a vintage trailer on E-bay and then a full-fledged food truck. She loves her job  especially when she got to do it on the Great Highway.

If you can be inside the truck with me and you look out the door and you see people laughing, kids with their bikes next to them having doughnuts, their parents recharging with coffee, youll see, she said.

So I visited Saturday, stood in the truck and saw just that. Out the window, people lined up for coffee and doughnuts. People sat at tables, drinking coffee, chatting and reading books. Families bicycled, walked, ran and roller-skated.

I love that its uniquely here  its something we havent seen before on the Great Highway, said Jasmine Genove-Ly, 33, a regular. And I do love the coffee. And the cookies.

Her friends teased that she cant stop talking about it.

Another customer, Debbie Wells, 57, said shes frustrated the city ended the pilot program so quickly and abruptly.

They say they want to help small businesses, but it sounds like a lot of blah blah blah, she said. This is an amazing thing to have, and now its just going to be gone.

Customers on Weltons last day spent more money than ever. They gave her goodbye gifts, including plants and cookies, and told her how sad they were to see her go. But she said shell be OK  shes moving back to her former spot near a gas station at Lincoln and La Playa and hopes her new customers visit her there.

It was a really great day, she said. We did something amazing, and it was successful and we went out with a bang.

Its just too bad it ended at all.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf
Black ribbons dot the streets of Oakley and Brentwood. Flyers are posted as far out as San Francisco State University.

Despite the indefatigable efforts of multiple agencies and loved ones, the search for Alexis Gabe has reached what appears to be a dead end, three weeks in.

Gabe was last seen on the evening of Jan. 26 at her ex-boyfriends house in Antioch, and was reported missing the day after.

The keys to her car were left in the ignition, police said at the time, and her car door was left open. Her phone is also off or disconnected.

"The more time that goes by obviously the more unsettled we are," Morgan Strenfel, Gabe's brother's girlfriend, told NBC Bay Area at the time. "The way we found her car is extremely unusual." (Strenfel did not provide comment to SFGATE by the time of publication.)

Nearly a week later, a search warrant was issued for a home in Antioch  which was believed to be the ex-boyfriends home. A vacuum cleaner and several large bags were removed from the home.

The ex-boyfriend has not been made a suspect in the case and has cooperated with the investigation. He has also been questioned multiple times, police told KRON on Feb. 1.

Oakley police told SFGATE at the time that the Antioch Police Department and the Contra Costa County District Attorneys Office are involved in the case.

A spokesperson for Oakley police did not provide any further updates to SFGATE, but police Chief Paul Beard said in a statement that the investigation "has remained at the forefront of the Oakley Police Department's daily operations." The department also remains in contact with the Gabe family.

Family and friends continue on with their quest to bring Gabe home. Nearly a hundred people marched at the intersection of Trenton Street and Oakley Road on Feb. 6, KTVU reported, where her car was last seen.

A GoFundMe for Gabes search efforts has nearly reached its $15,000 goal. Poems and dedications have been left on a Facebook page.

Perhaps the most gutting comes from her father, who posted a picture of a stuffed unicorn, chocolate and a Valentines Day-themed balloon  a Valentines gift for Gabe.

I left them on your bed just in case, he wrote.
A fierce cold front hammered Southern California on Tuesday, delivering a wild mix of weather, with everything from hail to lightning strikes hitting the ground. Perhaps the weirdest weather, though, were the dust storms that swept interior Southern California.

The National Weather Service reported a wall of dust moving through Death Valley National Park at about 1:40 p.m. and issued a dust storm warning for the park and eastern Inyo County. The dust storm, often called a haboob, was so massive that it was visible from space. The weather service posted imagery taken by a NASA satellite:

"These dust storms produce dangerous driving conditions because they drop visibility very quickly below a quarter mile, and we recommend that people stop and do not drive into a wall of dust," said John Adair, a meteorologist with the weather service.

Adair said it is "a little unusual" to have a dust storm in Death Valley in winter. "We had a cold front pushing down through Death Valley, producing very gusty winds, and we also had some showers, which likely enhanced those winds and helped kick up the dust," he explained. "We first noticed it on satellite imagery, and we started getting photos via Twitter as it was going on."

To the south of the national park, another dust storm was reported in the Imperial Valley. Meteorologist Jeff Beamish reported on Twitter that the dust was "plaguing air quality." At one point, the Air Quality Index hit a hazardous level of 2,473. "Doesn't get much higher than this," Beamish wrote.

The storm arrived in Southern California after the region saw a winter heat wave last week. Wind advisories continued through the day for parts of the Sierra, the Central Valley and southeastern California. Winter weather advisories were issued for mountain ranges north and east of Los Angeles just days after much of the region sweltered in temperatures that soared into the 80s and 90s.

Hail was reported across parts of LA and photos showed the Rose Bowl in Pasadena blanketed in white ice after a band of thunderstorms swept through Wednesday evening. Brief heavy rain totaling about 0.35 inches was possible, the weather service said.

Snow fell on Interstate 5 in the Tejon Pass in the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles, and forecasters advised against travel on the route. The National Weather Service reported 190 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes across Southern California and another 165 in-cloud strikes on Tuesday.

A truck driver was killed about 12:15 a.m. when his big-rig overturned in high winds on a Mono County highway in the Sierra Nevada.

Some light rain and drizzle was reported in the San Francisco Bay Area on Monday as the cold, low-pressure system moved into California, which has been dry since a December deluge. Other regions got more precipitation from the storm.

The National Weather Service said the system generally brought 2 to 4 inches of snow to the Sierras, and chain controls were implemented on Interstate 80 for a time. The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab said the 1.6 inches of snow that fell overnight ended the longest streak of days without measurable precipitation at its site during meteorological winter. The new record is 37 consecutive days.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
As Northern Californias unseasonably warm weather broke records this weekend, grim news circulated on drought in the Western United States: Thanks to human-caused climate change, we are living through the regions driest period in 1,200 years.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Nevada snowpack has depleted from 96% of average in early February to 75% of average today. Come April, if the region doesnt get more snow, that number will drop to 57% of average.

This all raises questions about the future of Californias crown jewel, Yosemite National Park. How is climate change affecting some of the parks premier attractions  for instance, the firefall event? And how will climate change impact the environments within the park, the creatures who live there and the visitor experience? Will it eventually strip Yosemite of its awe-inspiring beauty?

To help answer these questions, we spoke to climate change experts. The answers werent always straightforward, and they werent always easy to hear. In the end though, both scientists did offer some rays of hope.

The news about firefall was mostly good. For the uninitiated, this event occurs when the setting sun hits El Capitans Horsetail Fall at just the right angle to create the illusion that fire is spilling down the precipice. In 2020, it didnt happen because there wasnt enough water in the waterfall.

In light of the incredibly dry start to 2022, it was possible that firefall might be a firefail again this year. Thankfully, that isnt the case, and people have already experienced the event in recent days, posting photos on social media to prove it. Some described the waterfall as only a trickle, which, according to Yosemites website, could either be due to little snow or colder weather.

There has to be some snow on the ground to provide the water for the waterfall, the website states. It needs to be warm enough during the day that the sun melts that snow and sends it running over the edge of the fall.

If it is exceptionally cold, the cliff will still light up and the trickle of water will reflect the setting sun, the website continues, but the stream of molten fire wont appear unless theres more water.

Although January and February havent seen much snow, the Sierra Nevada received above average snowfall in both October and December, and according to Yosemites website, Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, Bridalveil Fall and Yosemite Falls are all flowing well.

Courtesy of Edgar Le

That suggests that a lot of snow remains, says Patrick Gonzalez, a forest ecologist and climate change scientist at UC Berkeley. It looks like this year might be better than 2020.

The future of snowfall in Yosemite, however, is in doubt. The snowpack in the Sierra has decreased by a tenth since 1950 because of the warming climate, Gonzalez points out. And according to a report published by Gonzalez and colleagues in Environmental Research Letters, human-caused climate change has increased the annual temperature in the park by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895. Thats higher than the global rate.

What might this mean for the future of firefall?

Its an interesting question, says Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Because you can get the visual effects from firefall in two ways  with rainfall or snow  theres actually a strong likelihood that it will continue, he says.

Fundamentally, what you need is water falling over the edge at the right time of year, Swain says. The only reason why there arent Firefalls more often, like in the fall, for example, is that usually it's too dry and there's not really any meaningful runoff.

In 2021, Yosemite did experience a rare October firefall following an atmospheric river. The frequency of these heavy rains could increase due to climate change, Swain says, allowing for the firefall to continue periodically.

Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

In looking more broadly at how climate change may affect the entirety of Yosemite National Park, the outlook becomes significantly grimmer and also more confusing. Regrettably, not all models agree on what the outcomes of climate change will be in the Sierra, Gonzalez says.

Two-thirds [of the models] project increased precipitation and one third project decreases, he says. Still, even if precipitation increases, higher temperatures would tend to increase aridity, the dryness in the environment. And all the scenarios have decreased snowfall.

Both experts pointed to Yosemites controlled burning program as highly successful in preventing unnatural accumulations of fuel and reducing the risk of catastrophic megafires. But climate change has already caused problems in the park  larger and more frequent wildfires, exacerbated drought and favorable conditions for bark beetles that kill trees.

When you go to Yosemite nowadays, you see a lot more patches, these rust-red colored patches of dead trees in the canopy, Gonzalez says. Its quite shocking  it used to be relatively rare.

Climate change has also affected where you find certain species in the park, he says. Trees have started growing in formerly treeless meadows and landscapes have shifted upslope. Its a problem for creatures like the pika, a small adorable mammal that lives on mountain peaks, with no option to move higher.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Were in a historic drought now, Gonzalez says, and in the worst-case scenario  if we do nothing to curb climate change  the arid conditions could become the norm. By the end of the century, the frequency of storms in the Sierra could double, he says, the area burned by wildfire could triple and tree death could increase by 50%. Five zero, he says.

Or, we could meet the Paris Agreement and limit the temperature change to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

That would allow us to keep wildfires at approximately the same frequency as we are experiencing today, Gonzalez says. Drought probabilities would remain similar as well, and tree death would likely only increase by 15%. One five, he says.

The main solution involves cutting carbon pollution. The state of California is doing its part, Gonzalez says, and has already cut greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels. Yosemite National Park is also doing its part, he says, having cut emissions per visitor by 10% by installing solar, increasing energy conservation and providing shuttles within the park.

Analyses have shown that people driving their cars around is the No. 1 emitter of carbon pollution in national parks, he says. It's people just driving around, and people driving from where they are to the park.

When Gonzalez goes to Yosemite, he takes public transit, using a combination of BART, Amtrak and a bus that goes straight to the valley.

With the concerted action of everybody, we can avoid the most drastic impacts of climate change and in Yosemite, he says.

Like many of the open spaces people cherish, Yosemite will look different in the future. How different is up to us, and regardless of what happens, the geography itself will not change, Swain says.

In Yosemite Valley, there will still be these vast, spectacular cliffs on either side, he says. If anything, I think Yosemite Valley is a relative success story in this era.
LATEST Feb. 17, 1:05 p.m. Read the latest development on the Safeway shooting on SFGATE.

Feb. 16, 1 p.m. The San Francisco Police Department provided more details on Wednesday regarding a shooting that occurred in the parking lot of the Safeway on Market Street in the late afternoon Tuesday.

The department said that when officers arrived on the scene at 4:49 p.m., they found a 20-year-old man and an 85-year-old woman with gunshot wounds. Both victims were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

The officers interviewed witnesses and learned the shooting occurred after a physical fight broke out among a group of people, police said.

"During the fight, one of the participants of the fight produced a gun and fired into the crowd that was fighting," the department said in its report provided to SFGATE.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the 85-year-old woman wasn't involved in the fight, police said.

Anyone with information can call the SFPD tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.

Feb. 16, 6:53 a.m. One person was injured Tuesday in a broad daylight shooting in the parking lot of the Safeway grocery store on San Francisco's Market Street.

Available details on the incident were few. The San Francisco Police Department said it responded to the incident at 4:50 p.m. in the parking lot at 2020 Market Street, across from the Whole Foods in the Castro-Duboce Triangle neighborhood.

Police told KRON 4 that a "large group of juveniles were fighting," and this "led to a victim being shot in the leg." The victim was transported to a local hospital; their condition is unknown, police said.

District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, whose district includes the Safeway, said his office is following up on the incident to learn more.

SFPD Investigations Commander Raj Vaswani posted a message on Twitter about the incident at 5:36 p.m. and urged anyone who witnessed the shooting to contact police by texting 847411 and start with the keyword SFPD, or to call the anonymous tip line at 415-575-4444.

This is a developing story and more details will be added as they become available.
LOS ANGELES  Views of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's job performance have tumbled to the lowest point in her three-decade Senate career, with just 30% of California voters giving her positive marks in a new University of California, Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times.

Respondents gave similarly unenthusiastic marks to Vice President Kamala Harris, whose popularity is underwater, with 38% approval and 46% disapproval, while they are evenly divided in their rating of President Joe Biden. The assessments of both Biden and Harris dropped sharply from last summer, in line with their slumping poll numbers nationwide.

Amid the broadly pessimistic mood of Californian voters, two-thirds of whom believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, the lagging approval for Democrats Feinstein and Harris stands out, said Mark DiCamillo, director of the IGS poll.

"I was amazed at the disaffection for both of the women," DiCamillo said.

The 49% of registered voters giving Feinstein a negative assessment include respondents from core Democratic blocs: those who identify as "strongly liberal," voters under 40 and Latinos and Asian Americans. In all regions of the state  including the major population centers of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, where she is from  a plurality of voters disapprove of her performance.

"I've never seen those constituencies moving to the negative side in unison as we're seeing now," said DiCamillo, who has conducted polls at UC Berkeley and, before that, the statewide Field Poll, on Feinstein's popularity since she joined the Senate.

Most striking is Feinstein's loss of popularity among women voters. Feinstein had typically performed strongly with women ever since her 1992 election, when she and former Sen. Barbara Boxer became the first female senators from California. Now, one-third of women surveyed approve of her performance, while 42% disapprove.

"For her to be underwater among female voters is a very significant and ominous sign for her," DiCamillo said.

Throughout her tenure, Feinstein generally received positive marks from voters and was elected to the Senate six times. But her most recent campaign, in 2018, when she was 85 years old, rankled some in the state; now, at age 88, she is the oldest sitting senator and has had to swat down speculation about her retirement numerous times.

Her standing frayed in recent years with her party's progressive flank, which complained that Feinstein, as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, was not tough enough on former President Donald Trump's nominees to the Supreme Court. She has made some overtures to strongly liberal voters; namely, softening her support for the Senate's filibuster rule in order to advance voting rights legislation. But her popularity has been low since January 2021.

Her colleague, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla, gets slightly higher grades from voters in the IGS poll: 34% approve; 26% disapprove. A plurality of respondents  40%  have no opinion of his job performance, signaling that Padilla, 48, remains an unknown to many in the state since being appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year to serve the remainder of Harris' Senate term.

For Biden and Harris, the tepid reception from voters in reliably blue California underscores their larger woes in terms of public opinion.

Respondents are evenly split in their regard for Biden, with 47% approving and 48% disapproving. That marks a two-digit negative shift since the last IGS poll, in July, when his standing was at 59% approval and 37% disapproval.

While Biden, 79, still has the approval of 72% of California Democrats, that support dropped by 14 points in the last six months. Among voters with no party preference, his approval ratings plunged 15 points in that time, with 50% now disapproving of his performance.

Harris' polling has followed the same downward trajectory as Biden's; it is not uncommon for a vice president's numbers to lag behind those of the president. But there's little sign Harris, 57, is getting a boost in support that would be expected from voters in her home state.

Even in the regions of the state where she has a personal connection  the Bay Area, where she spent most of her life, and Los Angeles, where she has a house with husband Douglas Emhoff  her approval is only slightly higher than her statewide average.

"I get the sense from our polling the state hasn't really warmed up to her as the sitting vice president," DiCamillo said.

California voters continue to hold the U.S. Congress in low esteem, with 72% of respondents disapproving of its performance and 20% approving. The findings fit in with a long-term trend of dissatisfaction with Congress; for the last 12 years, at least seven in 10 Californians have given it a negative grade.

Voters in the state also remain glum about the country's future. Less than a quarter of registered voters believe the U.S. is on the right path, while 67% say it is headed in the wrong direction. The negative assessment holds across all party affiliations, geographical regions and racial groups.

Notably, the state's youngest voters have a particularly bleak outlook. Just 18% of registered voters between ages 18 and 29 think the country is on the right track. DiCamillo posited that this group has been especially affected by COVID-19.

"There's frustration with the government and its inability to get a lot of things done," he said. "I don't think they warm to this hyperpartisan world that they're living in, either. There's really a disaffection with politics that perhaps wasn't there in the past."

The Berkeley IGS poll surveyed 8,937 California registered voters Feb. 3-10. The poll was administered online in English and Spanish. The estimated sampling error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.
By Rachel Becker

CalMatters

One scientist working for the state of California drives for Lyft and Uber on nights, weekends and holidays to support his family in Sonoma County. Another manages the Berkeley building where he lives for extra cash. A third has been pushing for years to be reclassified as an engineer rather than a scientist -- a change that could mean higher pay for the exact same work.

Scientists working for California are key to food safety, cleaning up hazardous waste and protecting wildlife, wetlands and water. Their work informs the state's efforts to combat climate change, drought and wildfires.

Two years ago, two members of Gov. Gavin Newsom's cabinet said scientists in their agencies were dramatically underpaid -- earning less than their local and federal counterparts and state colleagues in similar roles who are classified as engineers.

Now the union representing staff scientists is back at the negotiating table after trying for nearly two years to update a contract that expired in July 2020. They're seeking to narrow or close the gap with other state workers, like their colleagues in engineering.

Full-time rank-and-file state scientists on average earned 27 percent less than state engineers in 2020 wages -- $83,586 compared to $114,012, according to a January state assessment. The engineers have a much larger union, with a bigger proportion of men.

About 78 percent of state engineers identify as men, according to a state assessment that included only binary genders. Among state scientists, the gender ratio is roughly even.

Pay rates for state employees who are not managers or supervisors are negotiated by their unions and the state Department of Human Resources, which works within limits established by the Department of Finance and the governor's office. Lawmakers then vote to approve the contracts, which are signed by the governor.

As California's lawmakers wrestle with how to spend the budget surplus, workers and environmental organizations warn: Fix the pay gap or risk undermining the state's scientific ambitions and policy goals.

"I get to put on my little superhero cape every day and actually fight for a better California. And it's a real privilege," said Christina Toms, a state scientist working to protect and restore San Francisco Bay and other coastal wetlands that can combat sea level rise.

"I'm freaking terrified that all of these awesome people that I work with that are underpaid as (environmental scientists) are going to leave."

Toms and other scientists interviewed emphasized they were speaking as union members, the California Association of Professional Scientists, rather than as employees of their agencies.

California's disparity between scientists and engineers follows a national trend. Nationwide, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated that environmental scientists and specialists across the occupation earned $73,230 in median wages in 2020 -- 20 percent less than environmental engineers, who earned $92,120.

In California's agencies, scientists and engineers often work side-by-side on state projects. Both fields generally require high levels of specialized education and technical expertise, and non-partisan analysts and the state's personnel administrators have noted overlaps between the classifications.

Hope Smythe, who supervised scientists, engineers and geologists and recently retired as executive director of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, said there is no clear distinction between their work that would warrant different pay.

"The people that were in my unit, we were all working on the same thing," Smythe said. "There was really no specific definition of well, this is geologist's work, versus this is engineer's work, versus this is scientist's work."

State engineer salaries began outpacing scientist salaries in the early 2000s after engineers negotiated a new contract. This caused "severe retention problems in the scientist classes where the duties, responsibilities, and knowledge overlap the engineer classes," state personnel officials wrote in 2006.

In 2014, after a series of court battles, scientist supervisors received pay increases of up to nearly 43 percent that brought them more in line with their engineer colleagues. But among the rank and file scientists, subject to collective bargaining, a pay gap persisted.

Toms, who trained as an engineer and had worked as a consultant in environmental engineering, didn't realize there was such a significant difference in pay when she applied for a permanent position with the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Control Board.

She has been trying to be reclassified as an engineer ever since, she said. For Toms, becoming a scientist for the state of California gave her an added sense of purpose -- and "an absolutely gut-punching salary cut."

The Professional Engineers in California Government union -- which represents engineers and some geologists involved in shaping California's infrastructure and technology, and protecting air and water quality -- would not comment on the pay disparity.

At least part of the disparity could be linked to a gender pay gap. In a letter to the administration, members of the union wrote "for female, Black, Native, Latinx, AAPI, LGBTQ+, and other scientists of diversity, a severe and long-standing pay inequity between state employee disciplines represents simply another form of institutional discrimination."

The pay disparity "feels like more of the same, always," said Tricia Lee, a senior environmental scientist with the state's Delta Stewardship Council who works to reduce threats to California's water supplies.

"I think there continues to be a narrative that state scientists are doing less important or ... less technical work, and therefore are less deserving," she said.

Some research suggests that fields with a greater proportion of women pay lower salaries, possibly because employers "ascribe a lower value for the work done in occupations with a high share of females and consequently set lower wage levels."

'Dramatic parity challenges'

"Science was on the ballot," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said after his victory in the September recall election. "We said yes to science."

But members of his administration warned two years ago that underpaying scientists is compromising the state's scientific endeavors.

"Rank and file scientists do similar work to rank and file engineers while being paid dramatically less," California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot warned in a 2020 memo to Eraina Ortega, director of the California Department of Human Resources. "Pay equity is urgently needed to enable high-quality science."

The "dramatic... parity challenges faced by state scientists" threatens "the ability and capacity of CalEPA to fully implement its mission to safeguard California's resources, products, food, and climate," Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Jared Blumenfeld echoed in his own letter.

Some state scientists, such as chemists and epidemiologists, make more than the market average, according to a state assessment that included supervisors. But most are environmental scientists and specialists, who earn about 2 percent less in total compensation than the market average for public sector scientists in California and 8 percent less than federal ones. Their vacancy rate, however, falls slightly below the state's.

Human resources department staff said the report compares median salary, which "would be centered on rank-and-file classifications." But the scientists' union disputes the analysis, saying it's skewed by the inclusion of supervisors, who aren't included in collective bargaining.

Environmental scientists in the pricey Bay Area -- where nearly a fifth of state scientists work -- face especially steep disparities, earning 23 percent less than their counterparts in local government, and about 41 percent less than federal scientists, according to the state assessment.

In 2019, 22 percent of 59 scientists in the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the State Water Resources Control Board and the regional water boards who responded to an informal survey said they held second jobs. Most said the pay affected their willingness to recruit others.

Chuck Striplen, who works in state and tribal intergovernmental affairs for an agency he asked not to be named because it doesn't control his salary, holds a PhD, a master's degree, two bachelor's degrees and an archeology certification. His job involves protecting the state's natural resources.

Striplen, who is based in Sonoma County, said he began driving for Uber and Lyft to supplement his pay and racked up thousands of miles of trips before the pandemic.

"You do what you gotta do to take care of your kids," said the father of four, who is a California tribal citizen. "Having overcome the traditional barriers in education, in housing, to come into state service and be so woefully undercompensated because of a different form of discrimination -- it's just a bit of a morale killer."

Kim Tenggardjaja, who works for the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said finding out she was making less than her engineer colleagues was disheartening.

"California is seen as such a forward-thinking state, and we are. But at the same time, there's this huge lack of pay parity there," she said. And not remedying it, she added, makes a statement. "It's saying, 'Well, maybe scientists don't matter as much as we would like to have others believe.'"

Environmental and other science and health-focused organizations wrote to Newsom, asking him to address the pay differences, calling it a "moral issue" but also an "unsustainable situation" that could threaten important services.

Ortega, the director of the Department of Human Resources, and Newsom's office declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations.

Toms said no one goes into state service expecting to get rich. But as science continues to be critical to combatting major challenges ahead for California, like climate change, she said:

"Californians deserve to have the best of the best working for them. And the way you do that is, you pay them."

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After missing for over two weeks, Hector Flores Jr. and his daughter Luna have been successfully located alive and well in the Mexican state of Coahuila adjacent to Big Bend National Park, according to a news release from the National Park Service.

Hector, 49, and his 9-year-old daughter Luna were last seen on January 28 after traveling from Fort Stockton to Big Bend National Park in his blue 2005 Dodge 1500 truck. Flores' truck was found abandoned along the northern end of the remote Old Ore Road with many of their personal belongings inside.
StackCommerce

Parents always keep a watchful eye over all of their childrens needs. And according to experts, theres nothing a child needs more than their sleep. Well, the same holds true for adults. According to the American Psychological Association, more than 40 percent of adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month.

Its time to consider the role sleep is playing in shaping your wellbeing and take steps to fix it, especially if your current sleep patterns are full of restlessness, interrupted sleep, insomnia, or other issues. And if youve ever encountered the aftereffects of sleep medications, including the grogginess, headaches, and lack of focus, then you know pharmaceuticals arent always the answer.
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Fatmagul Altindag, an internal audit manager in Istanbul, has been back to working in her office full time since July 2021. COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in Turkey, so Altindag's company and many others were at one time requiring vaccination or proof of a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within the last 48 hours before employees could go to work in person.

"In our company, you can't work from home. And if you don't get vaccinated, you can only come to the office with PCR tests, which you need to have twice a week, and you have to pay for it on your own," Altindag said.



Changes in PCR Testing Recommendations

Recently, however, Altindag's company and many others in Turkey have been phasing out mandatory PCR testing due to a change in the recommendations from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.

"Before, all employees of private workplaces fell under the scope of the mandatory PCR testing requirements set out under the general letter issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. The previous letter stated that employers could request PCR testing from employees under certain circumstances, but currently this is not enforced," said Kardelen Ozden, an attorney with Gun + Partners in Istanbul.

On Jan. 15, a new letter removed the recommendation for general PCR testing for unvaccinated employees in the workplace.

Limitations from Data Protection Law

If employers choose to continue PCR testing, data collection for public health purposes needs to be handled delicately and deliberately.

"Employers can request HES codes [Turkey's health tracking QR codes] or PCR test results, in compliance with the data protection aspect, only for the purposes of processing," Ozden said.

"HES codes and PCR test results qualify as health data, which is subject to conditions that are more restrictive than normal personal data," she added. "Employers would need to inform employees and obtain explicit consent for processing these data. However, it is advised that a workplace doctor collects and processes these data, where applicable."

Termination Can Only Be a Last Resort

Termination should be the last resort if a worker refuses PCR testing and vaccination, Ozden said. Because of the new letter, employees have more leeway to refuse to get PCR tests.

So, before proceeding with termination, employers should attempt other available measures.

"For instance, we often lead our clients to introduce remote working where possiblefor example, for white-collar employees," she said.

If an employee is terminated and challenges that decision, it is important for the company to be able to prove that alternative work methods were unavailable.

Katie Nadworny is a freelance writer in Istanbul.


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On Feb. 9, California's governor signed SB 114, which creates new Labor Code Section 248.6. The law takes effect immediately and is retroactive to Jan. 1, but an employer's obligation to provide 2022 COVID-19 supplemental California paid sick leave (CPSL) does not begin until 10 days after the governor signed the law: Feb. 19.

To employers that had to comply with California's 2021 CPSL law, the statute will look familiar, e.g., there is no direct tax or financial relief to employers for providing 2022 CPSL. Various provisions, however, are different. As a result, employers will not be able to simply restart policies and practices in 2022 they previously had in place to comply with the 2021 CPSL, though it is important to note it may be possible to offset this new CPSL obligation with paid leave already provided in 2022. Because 2022 CPSL does not pre-empt local ordinances, employers may have compliance obligations under the state law and possibly up to four similarbut not identicallocal ordinances in Long Beach, Los Angeles (City and County), and Oakland.

Below, we focus on provisions of the 2022 law (Labor Code Section 248.6) that apply to employers generally and do not discuss provisions applicable to either firefighters (also covered by Labor Code Section 248.6) or providers of in-home supportive and/or waiver personal care services (Labor Code Section 248.7).

Covered Employers, Employees and Family Members

New Labor Code Section 248.6 will apply to employers with 26 or more employees and to a number of public entities. The 2022 law does not apply to employers with 25 or fewer employees.

Section 248.6 covers all employees. Additionally, it allows employees to use leave to care for family members. Family member is defined to include a child, grandchild, grandparent, parent, sibling, or spouse.

Reasons Employees Can Use Leave

Employees who are unable to work or telework can use the new CPSL for the following reasons, which are more numerous than reasons employees could use California CPSL in 2021 (language in bold reflects the new 2022 CPSL use reasons):

Employee is subject to a quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 as defined by federal, state or local orders or guidance.

Employee is advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine or isolate due to concerns related to COVID-19.

Employee or family member is attending an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or booster.

Employee or family member is experiencing symptoms related to a COVID-19 vaccine or booster that prevent the employee from being able to work or telework.

Employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis.

Employee is caring for a family member who is subject to a quarantine or isolation order or guidance or who has been advised to self-quarantine or isolate by a health care provider due to concerns related to COVID-19.

Employee is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed or otherwise unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19 on the premises.

Employee tests positive or is caring for a family member who tests positive for COVID-19.

The requirement to provide CPSL remains in effect through Sept. 30. If an employee is using CPSL on Sept. 30, however, and the absence would continue without interruption past Sept. 30, the employee gets to continue using available CPSL for that absence.

Importantly, the 2022 law addresses how it interacts with Cal/OSHA requirements differently than does the 2021 law. Specifically, if Cal-OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) or Cal-OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases Standard (ATDS) requires an employer to maintain an employee's earnings when an employee is excluded from the workplace due to COVID-19 exposure, employers cannot require an employee to first exhaust CPSL.

Amount of Leave Employees Can Use

The process for determining the amount of leave employees receive and can use under the 2022 law is slightly different from the 2021 law.

The maximum potential amount of CPSL an employee can receive is 80 hours for full-time employees (a proportionate amount for other employees). Unlike prior iterations of CPSL, however, there will be two separate "up to 40-hour" leave banks.

Leave hours from one "up to 40-hour" bank will be available only if the employee tests positive for or is caring for a family member who tests positive for COVID-19.

Leave hours from the second "up to 40-hour" bank will be available only for other covered reasons (quarantine or isolation, vaccine appointments or recovery, experiencing COVID symptoms and seeking medical diagnosis, closure of school or place of care for reasons related to COVID-19 on the premises).

Regarding the second bank, time off for a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot can be limited by the employer to three days or 24 hours. This time includes time spent attending an appointment and/or for COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot-related symptoms (for each vaccine/booster). If a health care provider verifies the individual continues to experience symptoms related to the vaccine/booster, more than three days or 24 hours of time off may be available. Because of this "continuing symptoms" exception and the ability of an employee to use leave per vaccine and to care for or assist a family member, it is possible that an employee could use the entire second bank of leave for obtaining and/or recovering from a COVID-19 vaccine/booster purposes, contrary to many reports published before the text became available that suggested employers could limit vaccine-related absences to three days or 24 hours total.

Undoubtedly, employers will have questions about how, and in what amount, they should categorize absences that wholly or partially qualify as both "first" and "second" bank absences. For example, how should leave be allocated when an individual must quarantine or isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 or an employee tests positive for COVID-19 after experiencing symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis? The law does not address this issue, so employers will need to look to the California Labor Commissioner for guidance.

Concerning how to calculate the amount of leave employees receive:

Full-time employees. Employees receive 40 hours (for each bank of leave) if either their employer considers them to work full time or, on average, they worked or were scheduled to work at least 40 hours per week in the two weeks preceding the date they took leave.

Employees receive 40 hours (for each bank of leave) if either their employer considers them to work full time or, on average, they worked or were scheduled to work at least 40 hours per week in the two weeks preceding the date they took leave. Non-full-time employees: Employees with a normal weekly schedule receive the total number of hours they are normally scheduled to work over one week (for each bank of leave). Employees who work a variable number of hours and whose tenure is six months or more receive seven times the average number of hours they worked each day in the six months preceding their leave date (for each leave bank). If they have worked only between eight days and six months, employers are to use this same calculation but over the employee's entire period of employment. Employees who have worked seven days or fewer receive leave hours equal to their total number of hours worked (again, for each leave bank).

The Offset

As noted above, the amount of paid leave employees already received in 2022 before the law takes effect might qualify as an offset that wholly or partially satisfies an employer's 2022 CPSL obligations. Under the law, if an employer pays an employee another benefit for leave taken on or after Jan. 1 that is payable for the law's covered reasons and compensates employees in an amount equal to or greater than the amount of pay the law requires (we discuss pay further below), an employer may count those hours toward the number of hours of CPSL it must provide an employee under the new law.

Note, however, this must be a supplemental benefit, so employers cannot count paid sick leave employees have used under California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (HWHFA), the pre-COVID-19 paid-sick-and-safe-time law, or 2021 CPSL toward their 2022 CPSL obligation. But employers can use as an offset paid leave they provided per a federal or local law in effect or that became effective on or after Jan. 1 if that leave was provided to an employee for any of the California law's covered reasons.

What about qualifying supplemental benefits paid in 2022, but before the law took effect that were compensated at a pay rate lower than what the California law requires? An employer must true-up (i.e., increase retroactively) the pay to what California's law would have required (had it been in effect when the employee took leave in 2022), such that the leave qualifies for the offset. If a payment is made due to an employee's oral or written true-up request, payment must be made on or before the payday for the next full pay period after the request.

Additionally, a new provision addresses situations when the employer paid an amount equal to or greater than what 2022 CPSL requires. In this situation, if an employee requests that 2022 CPSL be applied to the prior absence, the employer must apply (or "credit") 2022 CPSL to that absence, rather than using the other benefit that was applied to the absence. Employers might expect to see such a request if, for example, in the period before the CPSL obligation begins, the employee had to use HWHFA paid sick leave to cover an absence.

Employee Obligations

Employees alone determine how many CPSL hours they need to use. Employees get to choose whether they will use CPSL or some other paid or unpaid leave benefit their employer provides, or the law requires, to cover an absence.

Employees can use 2022 CPSL immediately on or after Feb. 19 if they make an oral or written request to use leave. Like its 2021 predecessor, the 2022 CPSL law does not generally contain language allowing employers to ask employees to provide verification or documentation to substantiate their need for leave. However, as we note above, employees can use more than three days or 24 hours of 2022 CPSL to recover from the vaccine or booster if a health care provider verifies the person has continuing symptoms from a vaccine or booster. Additionally, employers can require employees to provide documentation of the test result when leave is used for situations where the employee or family member tests positive for COVID-19. If an employee refuses to provide documentation, the employer can deny leave.

Another new provision provides that, when an employee or family member tests positive for COVID-19, employers can require employees to take another diagnostic test on or after the fifth day after the first test and provide documentation of the results. Importantly, in such a circumstance, an employer must make the test available at no cost to the employee. Accordingly, employers that want to explore this option should talk with knowledgeable counsel about legal, administrative, and practical issues that can arise.

Rate of Pay

The 2022 CPSL pay rate calculation will not use a "highest of" pay rate standard (like in 2021) for "non-exempt" employees. Instead, the two-pay calculation options will largely mirror  but not be identical to  pay rate calculations required by the HWHFA. Although the "regular" rate option aligns with the HWHFA, the 2022 CPSL "90-day lookback" calculation differs. Generally, employers include total wages, excluding overtime premium pay  as they would under the HWHFA  but for 2022 CPSL they divide by total non-overtime hours worked in the full pay periods occurring within the prior 90 days of employment. Under 2022 CPSL, the only reason employers would divide by all hours worked  as they would do under the HWHFA  is when the employer pays the employee "by piece rate, commission or other method that uses all hours to determine the regular rate of pay."

For 2022 CPSL, there will be no difference from the 2021 CPSL concerning how to calculate CPSL pay for exempt employees: employers calculate CPSL in the same manner they calculate wages for other forms of paid leave. Although the 2022 law does not define "exempt," an "exempt" definition is included in the state's pre-COVID paid sick and safe time law. Moreover, under that law, the state labor department, in an opinion letter, said employees are only "exempt" if they are executive, administrative, or professional employees.

Whether "exempt" or otherwise, like the 2021 law, employers need not pay more than $511 for each day an employee uses CPSL, or more than $5,110 overall. Employees who max out because of the pay caps can use other available paid leave they have ("top up") so they are fully compensated during the absence.

Notice, Posting and Paystub Requirements



Within seven days of the date of enactment, the state labor department must make a model poster publicly available, which employers must conspicuously display in their workplaces. If employees do not frequent a workplace, employers can distribute the poster electronically, e.g., by email.

Like it did in 2021, California requires information concerning CPSL be available on paystubs or other written notices employees receive on payday. Also, like 2021 standards, there are provisions that say the paystub requirement is not enforceable until the next full pay period following February 19, 2022, that CPSL and pre-COVID statutory paid sick leave be displayed separately, and that retroactive payments must be on the paystub for the pay period during which payment is made.

However, unlike the 2021 law where employers only had to display CPSL "available," employers only must report 2022 CPSL hours an employee "used" (reporting "zero hours" until an employee uses CPSL). Given the two-bank setup, employers will wonder whether they must include two separate lines (one for each bank) or a single line (representing aggregate leave used from both banks); however, the law does not address this issue, so employers need to obtain guidance from the California Labor Commissioner.

Notably, the 2022 law (unlike the 2021 law) does not incorporate into the statute guidance the state labor department issued concerning the 2020 paystub requirement. Specifically, for part-time, variable hour employees (part-time employees who don't have a regularly set schedule), the 2021 law said employers may meet their paystub obligations by performing an initial calculation of CPSL and indicating "(variable)" next to that calculation, which employers had to update when employees requested to use CPSL. This difference, however, might be of no consequence and simply be a result of how the paystub reporting requirement will change from leave "available" to leave "used." When it eventually issues guidance, the California Labor Commission could readopt its position that employers must re-calculate CPSL hours for these employees each time they request to use leave. At this point, it is unclear what the Labor Commission will say.

Next Steps

Employers should monitor the California Labor Commissioner's webpage, COVID-19 Guidance and Resources, to learn when it publishes the mandatory poster and/or FAQ. Employers should also monitor legislative and agency webpages in Long Beach, Los Angeles (City), Los Angeles (County), and Oaklandwhere local CPSL ordinances remain in effect in 2022to see what effect, if any, California 2022 CPSL has on the locality repealing, continuing and/or revising its CPSL ordinance (and, in L.A. County, paid vaccine leave ordinance). And, of course, employers with questions about 2022 CPSL in California should consult knowledgeable counsel.

Michelle Barrett Falconer and Sebastian Chilco are attorneys with Littler Mendelson in San Francisco. Adam Joshua Fiss is an attorney with Littler Mendelson in San Jose, Calif.  2022 Littler Mendelson. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
Infosys BPM, the business process management segment of Infosys , plans to hire 400 skilled customer services workers in Costa Rica. The new employees will join the existing workforce of 300 employees in the region.

The announcement is part of Infosys BPMs strategy to enhance its portfolio of international clients and overall business growth. This is in line with its expansion plans in Costa Rica and the overall focus on enhancing communities in which the company operates.

In line with Infosys global mission to develop skilled workforce through continuous learning and upskilling, Infosys BPM said it will offer critical training and growth opportunities to the new hires to help ensure success in their respective roles. This will also contribute to the long-term digital aspirations of the Costa Rican government and its citizens," Infosys BPM stated.

Presently, Infosys BPM in Costa Rica has people across a diverse portfolio of services, including sales and fulfillment, sourcing and procurement, customer services, legal process management, human resource outsourcing, and robotic process automation (RPA). The 400 new employees will be hired at multiple job levels and will be distributed across these service lines, with a primary focus on customer service.

The firm will team up with CINDE, the Costa Rica Investment Promotion Agency which is a private, non-political, and non-profit organization, to leverage its business ecosystem in the region and recruit top talent for the new roles.

Infosys BPM is committed to growing its operations in Costa Rica and helping generate new employment opportunities in the country. Costa Rica, with its proximity to the US, friendly business policies, conducive infrastructure, and quality of talent, presents a stellar opportunity for us to grow our presence in Latin America. Hiring the best of talent builds on our long-standing commitment to developing a highly-skilled workforce in Costa Rica, and further underlines our focus on relentless innovation to deliver consistent business value and an exceptional client experience," stated Anantha Radhakrishnan, CEO and managing director, Infosys BPM.
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Australian minnow Liontown Resources has nabbed Elon Musks Tesla as a foundation customer for its WA lithium mine in a five-year deal that sent its share price soaring more than 15 per cent.

The deal comes just two months after Liontown raised $450 million to develop the Kathleen Valley lithium mine in WAs Goldfields region.

Tesla will take lithium spodumene concentrate, an in-demand ingredient for making electric vehicle batteries, for five years from as soon as 2024.

Liontown chair Tim Goyder and chief executive Tony Ottaviano are riding a wave caused by car manufacturers dumping internal combustion engines. Credit:Liontown

The miners share price was up 15.5 per cent to $1.605 a share in early trading on Wednesday.
The head of Bunnings and Kmart owner Wesfarmers is confident the company will be able to offset COVID-driven inflationary pressures and maintain low consumer prices after rising costs saw its earnings fall in the December half.

Inflation was being felt across the board with costs increasing through all facets of the business, managing director Rob Scott told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald after Wesfarmers posted its first-half results on Thursday morning.

Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott is looking at ways to offset the rising cost across the company. Credit:Philip Gostelow

Were seeing raw material costs increase in timber, steel, aluminium, cotton. Were also seeing significant increases in international shipping rates, and were seeing some labour cost pressures as well, he said.

But we actually see this as an opportunity because our businesses, by virtue of our scale and our unique merchandising model, makes us really well-positioned to minimise the impact of these cost pressures and to keep our prices really low.
A continued booster from CSL was enough to keep the market in positive territory on Thursday despite Wesfarmers and Telstra results as well as investor concerns about geopolitical tensions weighing on the Australian market.

The ASX200 shot up at the open of the session and rose by nearly 1 per cent during mid-morning, before losing some steam as the afternoon wore on.

The benchmark index ultimately finished up 0.16 per cent or 11.3 points to 7296.2 points, lifted by the healthcare, energy and utilities sectors.

However, the consumer discretionary, communication services and tech sectors were major drags on the local bourse, with all three down by roughly 3 per cent or more.

But it was geopolitical tensions that saw the ASX200 lose its gains from earlier in the day, said Wilson Asset Management senior investment analyst Shaun Weick.

The move in the afternoon is pretty much explained by the Russia-Ukraine situation, he told the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

On Thursday afternoon, news emerged that the US was accusing Russia of deploying a further 7,000 troops to the border even as Moscow claimed a partial pullback of forces.

You saw the market later in the day jump back into gold and defensives and rotate out of more high-beta [companies], tech and whatnot, Mr Weick said.

The day had started strong off the back of Wall Streets lead overnight, he added.

But this afternoons sell-off reflected more macro-driven factors and potential re-escalation around those geopolitical environments.

Intellectual property services group IPH was the top performer all day and saw its share price rise by nearly 10 per cent to $9.03.

Target and Kmart were not the only sources of bad news for Wesfarmers with Bunnings earnings declining for the first time in at least a decade. Credit:Eddie Jim

Investment manager Challenger was runner-up, ticking up 6.65 per cent.

Biotech giant CSL, with a market cap of $134 billion, was one of several players that helped lift the index, finishing the day up 5.05 per cent.

Meanwhile, Wesfarmers was the poorest performer of the day, ending Thursday down 7.48 per cent after revealing a 14.2 per cent loss in the December half due to huge profit dips across its Kmart, Target and Officework brands.

Domain Groups share price slid by 6.22 per cent despite announcing a 14.2 per cent rise in earnings before interest, tax depreciation and amortisation and a 2.4 per cent increase in net profits. Gains were hamstrung by a one-off $6.6 million charge that largely related to restructuring costs.

Afterpay owner Block was also a major loser of the day, sliding 6.4 per cent. Novonix and Pro Medicus were both down by more than 6 per cent.
Do you remember Donald Trumps trade war? You can be forgiven for having forgotten all about it, given everything that has happened since; it sounds trivial compared with his effort to stay in power by overturning a fair election. Even in terms of policy while in office, it was far less important than his pandemic denial, and probably less important than his tax cuts or his sabotage of health care.

But the trade war was uniquely Trumpian. His other policy actions were standard-issue Republicanism, but the rest of his party didnt share his obsession with trade deficits; indeed, he probably wouldnt have been able to do much on that front except for the fact that US law gives presidents enormous discretion when setting tariffs. Only Trump really considered trade deficits an important issue; and he, er, trumpeted what he called a historic trade deal under which China agreed to buy an additional $US200 billion in US goods and services by the end of 2021.

America first: Trumps trade war with China has turned out to be a complete flop. Credit:AP

Now, Chad Bown of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, who has been the go-to source on the trade war from the beginning, has a final assessment of that deal. And it turns out to have been a complete flop: China bought none of the additional $US200 billion of exports Trumps deal had promised.

So Trump was a chump; the Chinese took him to the cleaners. But Trumps haplessness in dealing with foreign leaders is actually a minor part of the story. Far more important is the fact that the shocks weve been experiencing since the pandemic began make the Trumpian view of trade look even more economically foolish than it did when he took office.
Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen uses a smart solution: he bases it around a series of real interviews. Sound then takes on the mantle of real. These interviews are animated, so we see a bearded Danish film guy setting up mics and lights to talk with Amin Nawabi, the subject of the film.

Animated documentaries are rare and risky. The footage in any documentary has to have its own credibility. For want of a better word, it has to be real, but animation immediately makes it into something else. Lets call it hyper-real. That can be distracting.

Flee is an animated documentary from Denmark. Those words together mark it as unusual, but so do these: its nominated for Oscars in three distinct categories: best international feature, best documentary feature and best animated feature. Not sure thats ever happened before.

Its not quite a new idea, but Rasmussen uses it effectively to show the roots of the story. He is then free to use animation as dramatic re-creation, a necessity, because no one could have filmed some of the things that have happened to Amin and his family since they fled Afghanistan in 1989.

The story goes back to 1984, when Amin is a happy little boy who runs around Kabul in his sisters dresses. Old men in beards look askance, but as Amin tells the interviewer, there was no word in the Afghan language for homosexual. He has two older sisters and two older brothers, although at this point we only know about Saif, who still lives with the family. The family details are sketchy  for a reason we come to understand.

They leave Kabul in a hurry after the new government abducts Amins father. The only place that will take them is Russia, so they huddle together in a flat in Moscow, watching Mexican soap operas. The older brother now comes, promising he will get them all to Sweden.

The animation style is mixed, from line drawings that look like cave-wall paintings, to expressionist effects to hyper-realist animations that appear to be traced on real footage. There are also grainy bits of real news footage.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant will take her first extended break in two years of heading the pandemic response when the state scraps the last remaining COVID-19 restrictions.

Government officials confirmed Deputy Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale will step into the role from February 28 when Dr Chant departs for three weeks annual leave. It will be her longest break since the pandemic began, after taking just two days last year.

Like her colleagues in NSW Health, Dr Chant has worked extremely hard during the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and is looking forward to spending some time with her family during this planned leave, a NSW Health spokesperson said.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant will take leave for three weeks from the end of February, with Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Marianne Gale stepping into the role for that time. Credit:Edwina Pickles

The bulk of the states pandemic restrictions will end on February 27, including masks in shops and offices, density limits and QR codes. Public transport services will also return to a regular timetable at the end of the month.
Swimmers will be locked out of one of Sydney Harbours iconic beaches for most of the year when it closes next month for extensive refurbishment.

Shark Beach, within Vaucluses heritage-listed Nielsen Park, will be closed from at least March to December to complete a significant refurbishment to the stone seawall that has been in the works since it was damaged in a storm in 2016.

From March 1, Nielsen Parks promenade, kiosk and beach will close and all event bookings suspended until the construction period concludes. Next week, the shark net that surrounds the harbour haven will be removed to prepare for the closure.

Overseen by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the plans for the wall include creating a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the beach, better stair access, a new lawn and promenade area as well a new irrigation system, and an increased number of native trees.
The NSW government was warned that construction of the multibillion-dollar Western Harbour Tunnel would not be financially viable unless tolls on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and existing motorway tunnel rose significantly.

Confidential documents also reveal that Transurban, which has a stranglehold on Sydneys toll roads, had proposed in late 2019 to build the new harbour crossing in return for a bigger slice of the governments remaining stake in the WestConnex motorway.

The Western Harbour Tunnel will extend from North Sydney to Rozelle. Credit:Dean Sewell

The revelations come as the government is under increased scrutiny over Sydneys patchwork tolling regime, which NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has committed to reform ahead of next years state election as he tries to combat cost-of-living pressures.

The government is also grappling with how to toll the existing harbour crossings once a 30-year arrangement for the Harbour Tunnel expires on August 31. A senior Treasury official this week suggested a new, two-way toll for the bridge and tunnel was among the options.
The Victorian government is finalising a significant easing of public health restrictions that will wind back most rules and spur economic activity before an expected resurgence of COVID-19 cases in winter.

Victorian officials will this week announce what Premier Daniel Andrews said were really important changes towards normalising the spread of the virus.

An easing of rules and a voucher program are being planned to revitalise the CBD. Credit:Chris Hopkins

The Premier made the comments on the same day he shifted his stance backing third vaccine dose mandates, arguing the requirement could be too difficult to enforce because of the Morrison governments decision to allow travellers with two doses to enter Australia quarantine-free.

The state government is in talks with business groups about allowing office workers to remove their masks at desks and scrapping the recommendation to work from home in the hope of regenerating the CBD and sectors that rely on its vibrancy. Density limits for hospitality businesses and the prohibition on dance floors are also being reviewed.
Plans for a $3.3 million discovery centre on Penguin Island, off the Rockingham coast, will doom the little penguin colony, scientists and conservationists fear.

The population has already plummeted 80 per cent over the past 15 years, and births last season were the second-lowest ever recorded. Now roughly just 300 remain.

The population of little penguins in Rockingham, where this photo was taken, is already threatened.

The island is the only place in the state a tourist can be assured of seeing a little penguin and the existing visitor centre attracts 130,000 visitors a year.

Environment Minister Reece Whitby unveiled the new design last week and announced it would be built on the island next summer, with the existing outdated facility to be demolished. It includes a raised decking area, freeing up space for the penguins to nest below. A sprinkler system may also be included to help cool them down during heatwaves.
Seven West Media has been forced to pay out the man it wrongfully identified in news reports as Cleo Smiths abductor.

Terrance Flowers, who goes by his mothers last name of Kelly on Facebook, became the subject of a case of mistaken identity when the Kerry Stokes-owned media conglomerate incorrectly identified him as Cleos abductor Terence Kelly.

Innocent man Terrance Flowers. Credit:Ngaarda Media

The 27-year-old Nyamal man lives in Karratha, whereas Kelly, who is in prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping Cleo, is 36 and lived in Carnarvon.

Mr Flowers said the ordeal had left him fearful to leave his home alone, having been approached by people in the street who thought he was the accused, asking him what his intentions were for Cleo and whether he was planning to kill her.
If the Quad is serious, as we hope it is, about having a positive and ambitious agenda for the Indo-Pacific to address the regions most important challenges, and not just being a counterweight to a potentially overreaching China, its members need to respond much more strongly to the regions most ugly current violation of democracy and human rights.

It has now been more than a year since the military coup in Myanmar, and there is no end in sight for the suffering of its people. More than 1500 people have died and nearly 450,000 have been displaced internally and across international borders since the coup. The economy has collapsed and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the country. Myanmar is on the verge of being a failed state.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Quad meeting in Melbourne last week.

Sadly, the international community seems to have shifted its gaze away from this crisis. When the Quad foreign ministers  from the US, India, Japan and Australia  met in Melbourne last week they did express grave concern about the situation in Myanmar and called for an end to violence, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, including foreigners, and unhindered humanitarian access. They also reaffirmed support for ASEAN efforts to seek a solution in Myanmar and called on the military regime to implement ASEANs Five-Point Consensus urgently and return Myanmar swiftly to the path of democracy.

But actions in international affairs always count for more than words, and it is hard to believe that these sentiments alone will deliver anything concrete for the beleaguered citizens of that country. While the United States, with its European allies, has imposed a series of sanctions against the military leaders and their business interests, India, Japan and Australia all have been reluctant to apply any serious measures. And India has been one of the most active voices on the UN Security Council, resisting playing a more visible and assertive role.
With government MPs attacking Ms Steggall and Climate 200 over their disclosures, Mr Holmes a Court used a speech at the National Press Club to challenge the major parties to commit to disclosing all donations as soon as they were made, saying his group was already releasing the names of donors. Loading Liberals have accused Ms Steggall of hypocrisy for accepting $100,000 from the family of coal millionaire John Kinghorn in a payment that was treated as eight separate contributions below the $13,200 disclosure limit even though it was paid with a single cheque. The Kinghorn family payment was made in 2019 when Mr Hodgkinson was the financial director for Ms Steggalls campaign entity, Warringah Independent, but the source of the money was disclosed only in February 2021 after an audit by the AEC. The payment from Mr Turnbull was also made in 2019 when Mr Hodgkinson was the financial controller for Peninsula Independent, the company supporting Ms Banks in her bid to defeat Mr Hunt, but the source of the funds was disclosed only in February 2021 after a separate AEC audit.

While Mr Turnbulls support for Ms Banks was known at the time of the last election, the payment was not. Total electoral expenditure disclosed by the political campaigner was under-stated in the political campaigners 2018-19 annual disclosure return, the commission ruled in an audit of Peninsula Independent published on February 11 last year. In view of the discrepancies identified, the return did not comply with the provisions of Section 314AC and Section 314AB(2) of the Electoral Act. Mr Hodgkinson lodged a financial return for the Banks campaign with the AEC in October 2019 but claimed total electoral expenditure of only $107,942. After checking, the commission found the campaign spent $147,013 and the money from Mr Turnbull  which was an other receipt rather than a donation  was not disclosed.

Peninsula Independent claimed total receipts of $205,218 including $40,000 from Climate 200 and the $25,000 from Mr Turnbull. The Kooyong 200 Club, the Liberal Party entity singled out for criticism from Ms Steggall and Climate 200 in recent days, has reported the total amount it has collected from supporters but has not named individual donors in its annual returns. The Kooyong 200 Clubs financial controller, Justin Bergman, did not respond to questions from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age about the source of the contributions. Greens Senator Larissa Waters asked the Australian Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers, about the Kooyong 200 Club in Senate estimates on Tuesday night, to which he said the only way to uncover the names of donors would be through a compliance investigation. Its laughable to hear the Treasurer attacking someone for disclosure irregularities when ... [an] organisation funded by dark money pumped more than one million dollars into his re-election campaign, Senator Waters told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Kooyong 200 is just one of many fundraising vehicles that elude current disclosure laws. The Treasurer should be beyond reproach when it comes to declaring donations, but prefers to keep the public in the dark about who is funding him. Loading We need greater transparency of donations and income received by all associated entities, something the Greens have been calling for for over a decade. The AEC has about 30 compliance investigations underway at the moment. Mr Holmes a Court defended Mr Hodgkinson on Wednesday during a speech to the National Press Club in which he argued that it made sense for independent candidates to use the same accountants, printers and other services to support their campaigns.

I have no problems at all with Damien staying in the role  hes an excellent controller, Mr Holmes a Court said. Mr Holmes a Court said Ms Steggall had resolved the issue with the Kinghorn donation to the complete satisfaction of the AEC one year ago. We are scrupulous in our compliance with all of the regulations, he said of Climate 200. The vast majority of our donors are on our website. Weve been proactively reaching out to the AEC, theyre aware of how we operate, and what we do. They havent flagged any issues, yet, but if they do we will implement any changes promptly.
Childcare centres are facing a staffing crisis and the federal government is being asked to put almost $1 billion a year into the sector to fund pay rises to help attract more educators.

More than one in eight childcare centres now have waivers from the sectors quality regulator to allow them to operate for at least 12 months without meeting legal staffing requirements.

Nicola Forrest, co-chair of the Minderoo Foundation, is calling for childcare educators to receive a 10 per cent pay rise. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The problem is worst in South Australia, where almost 22 per cent of services have a staffing waiver in place, data from the Australian Childrens Education and Care Quality Authority shows.

In NSW, nearly 16 per cent of services have a waiver, while Victorian centres are doing the best in the country with just 3 per cent needing staffing waivers.
Some of Australias most experienced former diplomats and national security practitioners have criticised the federal government for claiming Labor would appease China in government, warning against the creation of artificial differences on the key national security challenge.

The head of Australias counter-espionage agency ASIO also raised concern about the politicisation of national security on Wednesday night, saying it was not helpful.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has claimed that Labor leader Anthony Albanese would appease China in government. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The Coalition has ramped up its attacks on Labor over the past week, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison claiming that Labor leader Anthony Albanese would appease China and accusing the opposition of being weak on national security.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton also said the Chinese Communist Party had made a decision about who theyre going to back in the next federal election, suggesting Beijing wanted Mr Albanese to win.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Australias cyber spy agency now has a warning for criminal hackers and other nation states: if you attack us, we have the capabilities to attack you. This is the message Australian Signals Directorate boss Rachel Noble sent when she talked about her agencys offensive capabilities at the National Press Club in Canberra. Offensive cyber has been fully integrated into ASDs signals intelligence and cyber security functions and is a mature component of the OneASD mission  to protect our national security, she said. Nobles speech in November marked the completion of an important shift under way for a number of years at ASD, which had previously only ever talked about its defensive capabilities. Loading Cyber attacks are already a key feature of the grey zone warfare being waged by authoritarian countries like China, Russia and Iran. The grey zone refers to a growing area of political warfare that falls somewhere between war and peace and also includes disinformation campaigns, intellectual property theft, coercion and propaganda. While western democracies engaged in the grey zone extensively during the Cold War, they may have dropped the ball after the fall of the Soviet Union and let authoritarian countries gain ascendancy in this arena. Because they are not restricted by the same rules and norms, authoritarian regimes love to compete in the grey zone as they can seek an advantage by asymmetric means.

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But cyber could also feature in the next actual war, with Russia already providing the example when its hackers launched a blitz of cyber attacks on Georgia in 2008 during a conflict with that country. Ahead of an invasion of Taiwan, China could very likely launch a series of major hacks to immobilise the islands forces and keep its population in the dark. Within days, Russia could use cyber attacks against Ukraine alongside a potential invasion. The year 2021 marked a major turning point for cyber, when malicious hacks by nation states and ransomware groups became a problem for the everyday person including in Australia. The big shift was that both criminal groups and nation states no longer just focused on hacking into one organisation; they instead targeted software vulnerabilities to gain access to tens of thousands of businesses and government agencies. This was on display in Chinas Microsoft Exchange server hack and SolarWinds attack by hackers connected to Russia. The Microsoft Exchange attack was unprecedented in the way in which Chinas Ministry of State Security was alleged to have used criminal contract hackers to expose vulnerabilities in the software to hack into computers and networks all over the world. It led Australia to join Britain, Canada, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand and NATO in publicly attributing the attack to Chinas MSS. What made Microsoft Exchange perhaps even more pernicious than SolarWinds was the way in which the Chinese Ministry of State Security used and potentially collaborated with cyber criminals, says Katherine Mansted, senior fellow at the ANUs National Security College.

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Chinas actions also left the door open to a range of criminal actors who jumped in on the back of the hack, triggering a global cyber crime feeding frenzy. It caused a massive amount of destruction and were still seeing the consequences now - there are still organisations in Australia that are vulnerable and that probably dont even know that they have been hit or they will be hit. What are Australias cyber defences? In the face of escalating attacks by nation states including China and Russia, it has become futile for the government not to talk about the ability of Australia to strike back. But ASD is still extremely tight-lipped on the nature of these offensive capabilities. For this reason, it is more difficult to assess whether the nation has the right level of cyber capabilities to defend itself when compared with conventional defence capabilities. But we do know that ASD and the Australian Cyber Security Centre are receiving record funding, with an additional $1.35 billion committed in 2020 over the next decade. Mansted says Australia is a regional cyber power, with strong offensive capability.

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The Australian government is absolutely increasing signalling  and willingness to use  cyber capability for disruptive purposes, she says. Partly, this is about deterrence. But also, like we see with submarines and tanks, its also about building domestic support for investing in these capabilities. Defence Minister Peter Dutton says he wouldnt underestimate the capabilities of ASD, as well as USs National Security Agency and Britains Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). The capabilities that theyve got arent spoken about publicly, but they do an enormous amount of work which defeats adversaries online, he says. Dutton says he believes the public is ahead of where the government and media is in terms of awareness about the risks in cyberspace. Peter Dutton says cyber attacks are now unprecedented. Credit:Matthew Absalom-Wong People in business are experiencing the denial of service, theyre experiencing the cyber attacks, they know of people in their own family who have been subject to extortion online, he says. Theres well documented and publicly acknowledged cases where information, records, health records, political party information have been hoovered up predominantly by China, Russia, and Iran. So I just think its a statement of the obvious that the cyber attacks now are unprecedented.

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The final frontier The other frontier that Australia began boosting its defences in over the past year is space. A lot of the critical infrastructure that countries rely on is heavily dependent on space infrastructure such as satellites, and hackers have already begun focusing on this final frontier. Space would also likely be a key component of any future war between major powers: think of the ability of satellites to detect when a hypersonic missile is fired, or a cyber attack on a satellite in order to feed the enemy false information or disable it. We saw a glimpse of this in November when Russia carried out an anti-satellite missile test, obliterating one of its own satellites in orbit and creating a vast cloud of debris that came dangerously close to the International Space Station. Dutton says space is already a contested field and a key element of modern warfare. And that just increases as the technology improves  low orbit satellites and all of that. Space is a modern reality for defence forces to deal with, he says. We need to invest more into cyber defences and our offensive capability ... in addition to the necessary investment into space and satellite technologies and early warning systems, state-of-the-art radar systems.

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The NSW division of the Liberal Party will need to call on federal officials to extend the term of the states peak executive body under legal advice that could spark a new clash over an urgent search for candidates to fight the coming federal election.

With factions at odds over who should contest key seats, NSW Liberal Party president Philip Ruddock called an urgent meeting of the state executive on Wednesday to address legal advice regarding the risk of breaching the partys constitution.

NSW Liberal Party president Philip Ruddock. Credit:Mick Tsikas

The state executive will have to decide whether to ask the Liberal Partys federal executive, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to authorise the state body to continue until an urgent annual general meeting next month.

The surprise meeting has deepened the anxieties within the state division over the inability to select candidates for key federal seats including Warringah, Bennelong, Hughes, Dobell, Parramatta and Eden-Monaro.
Independent MPs and candidates backed by the Climate 200 funding group say they accepted no-strings funding and do not take policy direction from the organisation, as convenor Simon Holmes a Court insists he is not leading a political party.

The climate activist said he did not tell independent candidates who received his financing what to do or direct who they should support in government if there was a hung Parliament, as he defended the organisation he leads during an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday.

Climate 200 convenor Simon Holmes a Court says he does not direct the politics of the independent candidates he funds. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

He was pressed over the level of control and influence he exerted over independent candidates who are challenging Liberal MPs on a climate change platform at the upcoming federal election.

These candidates are not working in cahoots, they speak for themselves, they are truly independent and, we have no influence on what they will do immediately following election. Nor do we seek to, Mr Holmes a Court said.
There are three ways Scott Morrison can be removed as Prime Minister before the election. The first would be if Peter Dutton challenged him. The second would be if Josh Frydenberg challenged him. The third, and the least bloody, would be if his two closest confidantes, Stuart Robert and Ben Morton, told him he should step aside for the good of the Liberal Party because if he stayed, the government would be annihilated.

All three options have been canvassed internally but the chances of any one of them happening is close to zero. Dutton, who does not want to blow up the joint again, has ruled out a challenge. Frydenberg has also ruled out a challenge. Neither has denied their ambition, both would contest ferociously if there was a vacancy. Both have been not so subtly auditioning for the job, Dutton dropping bombs on Anthony Albanese over China and national security, and Frydenberg over economic management.

Both Josh Frydenberg (left) and Peter Dutton (right) have ruled out challenging Scott Morrison before the election. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

While it is as well to be prepared, there is unlikely to be an opening until and if Morrison loses the election.

Even if annihilation point was reached  and it hasnt been  Robert and Morton would not approach Morrison, and he would not listen to them if they did.
Wellington: New Zealands Parliament has near-unanimously passed a legislation that bans practices intended to forcibly change a persons sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, known as conversion therapy.

The bill, which was introduced by the government last year, passed with 112 votes in favour and eight votes against on Tuesday night.

This is a great day for New Zealands rainbow communities, Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi said.

A Pride flag. Credit:AP

Conversion practices have no place in modern New Zealand.
~ Controls will continue as compliance is needed on St. Maarten --- Minister of Justice.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Anna Richardson did not mix with words on Wednesday when she addressed the concerns of the chairlady of the Justice Committee of parliament

Grisha Heyliger Marten regarding the immigration controls conducted by the multi-disciplinary team.

The Minister of Justice said because of political interference the businesses on St. Maarten are not complying with the countrys laws. These businesses when controlled and found to be in default would pick up the telephone and call a politician who would then instruct the controllers such as immigration officers not to perform their sworn duties. It is because of this practice there is modern-day slavery on St. Maarten. Richardson said.

Richardson said she is genuinely happy that the chairlady of the justice committee of parliament expressed herself in her press release as she has given an insight on to what contributed to the non-compliance by the business community. Those living on St. Maarten or even abroad can now see what contributed to the high unemployment rate on St. Maarten, poor tax compliance, and the list of reasons why St. Maarten is struggling to strive.

The Minister of Justice said just this week she had a discussion with a former controller who informed her that political interference made it difficult for him to execute his duties. She said when establishments are controlled, they make promises to comply but shortly after the controllers would receive phone calls from politicians who would instruct them not to visit certain businesses. These businesses feel so comfortable with being able to pick up a telephone and call a politician and then nothing happens when it comes to compliance.

The Minister said that the controllers are now filming the control in order to protect themselves while law enforcement has joined the controllers.

As for the concerns Marten Heyliger expressed regarding the concerns of the tourists. Richardson said that the tourists are more concerned about their health and safety because if employers are not filing for their employees to ensure they are legally employed then what guarantee they have that these businesses have passed their health inspections.

The Minister said that the Dutch Government made 16.3 million euros for the Border Control Project which was already on its way. This money was made available for border controls and management. She asked if anyone thinks that the Dutch would give that amount of money for uniforms and the employment of more staff and equipment. Does anyone think the Dutch would make this amount of money available to St. Maarten and not expect us to do our duties?

Richardson called on the business community to visit the relevant government departments to regulate their affairs while they should also ensure their staff is legally employed.
Somerset, KY (42501)

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The full moon of February, called the Snow Moon, will arrive Wednesday (Feb. 16) at 11:57 a.m. EST (0457 GMT). That same day, Mercury reaches its greatest distance west of the sun, making it a bright but challenging to observe "morning star" in mid-northern latitudes.

In New York City the full moon will rise at 5:32 p.m. local time, according to Time and Date  exactly the time of sunset, so from an area with a flat horizon (open fields or water are good candidates) one can watch the sunset and moonrise at the same time.

The moon will be in the constellation Leo, the lion, and by midnight it will reach a maximum elevation of 67.9 degrees in New York; the moon's altitude will be similar in mid-northern latitudes. The farther south you are, the higher the moon's elevation will be. In Miami, for example, the moon's altitude at midnight will be about 83 degrees.

Related: Full moon names for 2022

The full moon happens when the moon is exactly on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun. The timing of lunar phases depends on the position of the moon, rather than the position of the observer, which means that the time when the moon is full depends on one's time zone. While in New York City the moon is full at 11:57 a.m., if you live in Madrid (six hours ahead) the full moon occurs at 5:57 p.m., which happens to be just before moonrise at 6:38 p.m. local time, according to Time and Date. In Melbourne, Australia, the full moon occurs at 3:57 a.m. on Feb. 17.

Full moons are an easy target for binoculars or small telescopes, but they can be a bit disappointing because the moon is so bright that the surface loses contrast. That is because there are no shadows to outline the moon's features. That said, moon filters are available that can make some features stand out in telescopes. If you observe the moon a few days before or after the full moon, shadows bring out more detail.

Visible planets

The full moon happens the same day Mercury reaches its greatest distance, or elongation, west of the sun. On Feb. 16 the planet rises at 5:35 a.m. local time, according to Heavens-Above.com calculations. Since sunrise is at 6:48 a.m. that gives about an hour to see it  but in mid-northern latitudes that will be a challenge. At 6:30 a.m. in New York the planet will only be 9 degrees above the horizon.

Observers farther south will have a slightly easier time  in Galveston, Texas, for example, Mercury will be almost 11 degrees high by about 6:30 a.m., and the sun rises at 6:57 a.m. local time. Closer to the equator, in Honolulu, Hawaii (where the full moon occurs at 6:57 a.m. local time on Feb. 16), the sun rises at 7:01 a.m., while Mercury rises at 5:31 a.m. local time. By 6:30 a.m. the planet is a full 12 degrees high.

In the Southern Hemisphere, Mercury is still higher in the sky  on Feb. 17 (when the full moon occurs there) the planet rises at 4:44 a.m. local time in Melbourne, Australia. Sunrise is at 6:51 a.m., and Mercury is about 18 degrees high by 6:20 a.m.

This sky map shows where Mercury, Venus and Mars will be visible in the morning sky on the day of the full moon. (Image credit: SkySafari app)

Venus will also be a "morning star," and it will be much easier to see for people in the Northern Hemisphere than Mercury  in New York City our sister planet rises at 4:20 a.m. on Feb. 16, and by sunrise it has risen to 22 degrees, according to Heavens-Above. As a challenge you can try to see how close to sunrise you can spot Venus in the sky  the planet is bright, and in the evenings is one of the first "stars" most people see as the sky darkens.

Mars is also visible in the predawn sky, rising at 4:48 a.m. in New York and reaching an altitude of 17 degrees by sunrise. Both Venus and Mars are in the constellation Sagittarius, and the latter is recognizable by its reddish hue. Mars will be below Venus and will form a rough triangle with Mercury to the left.

Jupiter is visible in the evenings, but not for very long, as the planet sets shortly after sunset. In New York it will only be about 10 degrees above the horizon at sunset, in the constellation Aquarius, so picking it out against the sun's glare will be challenging. Over the next month Jupiter will also move to the predawn sky, becoming prominent in late March.

Constellations

The full moon shares the sky with a number of bright winter constellations. During February the constellation Orion, the hunter is visible almost all night, starting the evening high in the east-southeast. Near Orion are Taurus, the bull and Gemini, the twins. Just to the southeast of Orion is Canis Major, the Big Dog, which is home to Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. All three constellations are bright enough that they don't get overwhelmed by the full moon, even in urban areas.

The February full moon will be in the constellation Leo, the lion. (Image credit: SkySafari app)

How the "Snow Moon" got its name

According to the Ontario Native Literacy Project, the Ojibwe (or Anishinaabe) peoples called the full moon of February Mikwa Giizis, the Bear Moon. The Cree called it the Kisipisim, or the Great Moon, because during this time of year "animals do not move around much, and trappers have little chance of catching them."

The Tlingit of the Pacific Northwest call the February full moon S'eek Dis, or Black Bear Moon, while the Haida called it Hlgit'un Kungaay, or "Goose moon," according to the Tlingit Moon and Tide Teaching Resource published by the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

In the Southern Hemisphere, where February is during the summer, the Maori of New Zealand described the lunar month in February to March (as measured between the successive new moons, with the full moon halfway between) as Poutu-te-rangi or "the crops are now harvested," according to the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

In China, the traditional lunar calendar calls the February lunation the first month, Zhengyue, and it is when the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated. In 2022 the night of the full moon (as seen in Beijing) falls on Feb. 17 at 12:57 a.m, two days after the Lantern Festival, which marks the high point of the traditional Chinese New Year festivities  many Chinese diaspora communities celebrate it as well.

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SHOWTIME has announced that Oscar and Emmy(R) nominee and Golden Globe(R) winner Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit) will star as Betty Ford and Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Susanne Bier (The Undoing) will direct and executive produce the anthology series THE FIRST LADY (w/t), starring and executive produced by Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom), who will play former first lady Michelle Obama. THE FIRST LADY is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House. Produced by SHOWTIME and Lionsgate Television, the series is executive produced by Oscar winner Cathy Schulman (Crash), Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Andrew Wang, Jeff Gaspin (Rhythm + Flow) and Brad Kaplan (Mr. Church) and created by author Aaron Cooley (Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court), who will write several of the episodes and executive produce.The announcement was made by Amy Israel, Executive Vice President, Scripted Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. In the East Wing of the White House, many of history's most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America's charismatic, complex and dynamic First Ladies. This series will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of three unique, enigmatic women, tracing their journeys to Washington through an enlightening intimacy, with season one focusing on Michelle Obama, Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Berlin, 16, Feb 2022 (SPS) The Coordinator for German-Arab Relations in the German Parliament, Abd Al Masih al Shami, reiterated Germany's position on Western Sahara as "untouched and unalterable" and cannot be subject to blackmail by any country, since it is based on international legality and respect for human rights.

In response to the attempts of some media related to the Moroccan Majzen, who allege that Germany will "change" its position on the conflict in Western Sahara in favor of Morocco, after the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the adviser of the German Parliament said: "I do not think there will be a substantial change in the German position regarding the conflict, even with the recent rapprochement between the two countries and the resumption of their diplomatic relations."

Mr. Al-Shami stressed the need to resolve the Saharawi issue diplomatically, in a fair manner that takes into account the legitimate rights of the Saharawi people and pointed out that Moroccan intransigence will only lead to greater tension and even a dangerous escalation of the crisis in the region". SPS

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Commuter advocate, and former NBC news anchor Jim Cameron will speak to the members of the New Canaan Mens Club on Friday, Feb. 18, updating the members about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected commuting, the status of highway renovation, and financing plans, and how the Connecticut economy has been affected by the significant shift in the workplace brought about by remote working.

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. with the speaker usually presenting around 10:40 a.m., after the business portion of the session concludes.

This week, the meeting will return to Morrill Hall at St. Marks Episcopal Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge, with members wearing masks when entering, and in the hallways.

Since attendees must be fully vaccinated, masks are optional in the meeting auditorium. The meeting will continue to be available on Zoom for those who prefer to remain at home or who are away.

Cameron, a long-time commuter advocate, has worked on and written about commuter and transportation issues for more than 25 years. He is well known for his weekly newspaper columns, his blog, and his expertise about all things relating to the transportation issues important to Fairfield County, and Connecticut generally.

His talk is expected to delve into a series of questions, such as: When, if ever, rail commuting will return to the levels experienced before the pandemic? Who will pay to keep the trains running? Where will funds be found to maintain the states highways? And how will recent residential and household trends affect the overall state economy?

As a former news anchor and broadcast journalist in Boston, Hartford, and New York, he is the recipient of a prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for his work at NBC.

In 1993, he joined the CT Metro-North Rail Commuter Council, where he served for 11 years as vice chairman and four as chairman. He is the recent author of a book, Off the Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant. As 25-year resident of Darien, he serves as program director of the towns TV station, Darien TV79. He also serves on the Merritt Parkway Conservancy and Dariens Representative Town Meeting.

The mens club has openings for new members. Residents 55-years old, and above may email ncmens@ncmens.club for further information.
Milton, PA (17847)

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Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

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Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 53F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
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The Romanian Embassy in Kiev is "fully operational", with 15 staff members, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Wednesday, noting that some non-essential staff had been withdrawn, respectively two people.

According to the minister, there is no need for further staff reductions, and all EU member states' embassies in Kiev have the same operating logic.

The head of Romanian diplomacy was heard on Wednesday in the foreign affairs committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on security developments in the Black Sea basin.

"We have completed the procedure of returning to Romania the family members of the diplomatic staff at the Romanian Embassy in Kiev and the Consulate General in Odessa. The other two consular missions that are in Solotvino and Chernivtsi, respectively, have not been in view of this measure because there is no need, there are regions that have a higher degree of security," Aurescu said.

He added that all EU member states' embassies in Kiev have the same operating logic, and it is "important" that a unitary message be given.

"As for the Romanian Embassy in Kiev, at the moment, we have 15 people in the embassy staff, the embassy is fully operational. We have withdrawn some of the non-essential staff, more precisely two members, (...) who are already in Romania. "There is no need for further staff reductions at this time, and it is important to send this unitary message at the level of EU member states. All EU member states' embassies in Kiev have the same operating logic at this time," Bogdan Aurescu explained.

On February 12, the Foreign Ministry (MAE) announced that it had decided to withdraw non-essential diplomatic and consular staff from Ukraine. At the same time, the ministry informed that all measures had been taken regarding the "voluntary" repatriation of the family members of the diplomatic and consular staff. The MAE strongly recommends that Romanian citizens avoid any travel to Ukraine and pay special attention, Agerpres informs.
The 14-day COVID-19 notification rate in Bucharest City on Wednesday is 37.2 cases per 1,000 population, according to the Public Health Directorate (DSP).

It is slightly lower than Tuesday's 37.74 per 1,000 population, decreasing for the third day in a row.

The notification rate has risen sharply since the beginning of 2022, from 0.72 cases per 1,000 population on January 1, with a peak reached on February 13, namely 38.10, informs Agerpres.
Because he was forced to express himself using signs to confess the Holy Trinity at the Second Ecumenical Council, when one of the heretics covered his mouth, the Holy Hierarch Meletius of Antioch, celebrated on February 12, is considered the patron saint of the hearing impaired and deaf people.

The deaf community of the Archdiocese of Bucharest prayed to Saint Meletius last Saturday, during the Divine Liturgy, at the Church of the Nativity of the Lord in Bucharests Ghencea neighbourhood. Father Eugen Bucur, the coordinator of the charity clergy in the diocese, celebrated the liturgy, having three other priests as concelebrants.

The entire service and sermon were translated into sign language by Father Mirel Ilie, the parish priest of the deaf community in the Archdiocese of Bucharest. Another person translated the hymns for the hearing impaired.

Even if it is difficult for them to say I love you, mother, I love you, father or a simple I love you, Lord, in their hearts, the people of this community are very open, said at the end of the service Fr. Eugen Bucur.

They are welcoming and receptive people, and, moreover, responsible in the community by participating in services, but also in other activities that we carry out.

For several years now, this spectrum has begun to expand through more intense activities, said the priest, recalling that the construction of the St. Meletius Social Centre for the deaf and hearing impaired is underway. We have gone through all the bureaucracy and obtained the building permit for the new centre. Hopefully, with Gods help, we will also find a source of funding.

The faithful who attended the Divine Liturgy received a cross, food packages and hot snacks at the end.

The deaf community in the Archdiocese of Bucharest consists of about 4000-5000 people. St Meletius Social Centre will be built on Doina Street in Bucharests Sector 5. Almost two thousand square meters will become a small island of the deaf, in such a large world of listeners, said Fr. Mirel Ilie in an interview with Basilica.ro.
Mos Ion Roata, the peasant under corvee elected as deputy in the Ad-hoc Divan that voted for the Union of 1859 between Wallachia and Moldova, was named an honorary citizen of the Cimpuri Commune, his place of birth, at his 140th yearday, informs, on Wednesday, the Vrancea Museum.

"At 140 years since the passing of the peasant under corvee Ion Roata [e.n. - Mos, added before his name, means 'elder'], the Local Council of Cimpuri Commune voted on the posthumous granting of the title of citizen of honor to the best known son of the locality," shows a release of the Vrancea Museum.

The ceremony granting the title of citizen of honor will take place on Friday, February 18, and will include a moment to evoke the personality of Mos Ion Roata, in the memorial house that bears his name in the Cimpuri locality, continuing with a commemorative moment in the cemetery where he is laid to rest.

A peasant, under corvee to the estate of Boyar Nicolae Dascalescu, Ion Roata is elected on October 26, 1857, by electors in Focsani, to the Ad-hoc Divan in Iasi, as a deputy representing peasants under corvee, thus tying his name forever to the Union of the Romanian Principalities. For his actions, after the War of Independence (1877-1878), he is awarded the Star of Romania, but, despite the important position he held, towards the end of his life he was forgotten and died a pauper, Agerpres.ro informs.

The celebrity of the peasant from Cimpuri was later compounded by Ion Creanga, who wrote the story that now bears his name.

This year, the Mos Ion Roata Memorial House was taken over by the County Council and transferred to the Vrancea Museum, while local authorities proposed to unearth the story of the commune's most famous son.

The activities regarding the memory of Mos Ion Roata are organized by the Vrancea County Council and the Vrancea Museum, in partnership with the Cimpuri Commune Hall, as well as the secondary schools and churches in the locality.
National Liberal Party (PNL) Chairman Florin Citu said on Wednesday that as long as the liberals are in power, there will be no agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"I saw that there were discussions. The idea is that what I can tell the Romanians that as long as the PNL is in power, there will be no agreement with the IMF. We have shown that we can finance ourselves under the most complicated conditions. We will not accept an agreement with the IMF even if it is made, and there we have to talk to the National Bank, the Ministry of Finance. The PNL does not support an agreement with the IMF," the PNL leader said in Parliament, informs Agerpres.
The Minister of National Defence, Vasile Dincu, had a bilateral meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the NATO reunion that is taking place in Brussels these days, the discussions between the two officials being aimed at the tense security situation in the Black Sea region, in the context of the significant deployment of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border.

According to a press release sent by MApN (Ministry of National Defence) to AGERPRES, the Romanian official highlighted the importance of maintaining unity and cohesion at an allied level and continuing actions for strengthening the deterring and defence posture on the Eastern flank.

Minister Vasile Dincu congratulated the excellent relations between Romania and Turkey, a strategic partner of our country, with a special role in architecture of regional security, MApN shows.

"I sent my Turkish counterpart Romania's commitment of consolidating bilateral cooperation in the area of defence, especially in the context of the anniversary in 2021 of 10 years since signing the joint Declaration of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the Republic of Turkey. Our collaboration within the shared interest projects within NATO is also extremely important for maintaining a security and stability climate in the Black Sea region. I thanked our Turkish partner for the substantial contribution, through the staff presence to the South-East Multinational Command Corps in Romania," Vasile Dincu declared, Agerpres.ro informs.

In context, the Minister of Defence congratulated Romania and Turkey's joint participation to the multinational exercises, including in an allied format, at the same time appreciating the excellent cooperation between the two country's armed forces.
The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) admitted, on Wednesday, the notifications regarding the draft law for the approval of OUG 6/2016 on some measures for the execution of the technical surveillance warrants ordered in the criminal process, specified sources from CCR.

The normative act was challenged at the Constitutional Court by the Ombudsman, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, unaffiliated deputies and a deputy belonging to national minorities.

According to the draft law, the Public Prosecution Service is authorized to possess and use adequate means for obtaining, verifying, processing, storing and discovering information regarding the crimes within the Prosecutor's Offices' powers, in accordance with the law. The Judicial Police bodies carry out their criminal investigation activity, directly, under the leadership and supervision of the prosecutor, being obliged to carry out the latter's provisions. The services and bodies specialized in collecting, processing and archiving information have the obligation to immediately make available to the competent Prosecutor's Office, at its headquarters, all data and all unprocessed information held in connection with the commission of crimes.

The Romanian Intelligence Service can conduct criminal investigation in special conditions, in cases of treason, espionage, terrorism, it is further stipulated by Ordinance 6/2016, which belongs to former Minister of Justice Raluca Pruna, being signed by former Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos: "The Bodies of the Romanian Intelligence Service may not carry out criminal investigation, may not take the measure of detention or provisional detention, nor may it have its own detention facilities. As an exception, the bodies of the Romanian Intelligence Service may be designated special criminal investigation bodies according to art. 55 para. (5) and (6) of the Criminal Procedure Code for the execution of technical surveillance warrants according to the provisions of art. 57 paragraph (2) the final sentence of the Criminal Procedure Code", Agerpres informs.
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is an advisory body representing Europe's local and regional authorities, composed of locally and regionally elected representatives coming from all 27 member states. Through the CoR they are able to share their opinion on EU legislation that directly impacts regions and cities.

The role and composition of the European Committee of the Regions

The CoR is a body set up in 1997 to be consulted for regulations to ensure that European legislation takes into account the views of each EU region.

The European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament must consult the CoR when drawing up legislation on matters concerning local and regional government such as health, education, employment, social policy, economic and social cohesion, transport, energy and climate change. If not consulted, the CoR can bring a case before the Court of Justice.

Once the CoR receives a legislative proposal, it prepares and adopts an opinion and circulates it to the relevant EU institutions. The CoR also issues opinions on its own initiative.

The CoR members are elected representatives serving in local or regional authorities. Each country nominates members of its choice who are appointed for renewable five-year terms by the Council of the EU. The number of members per country depends on the size of that country's population. Members from one country form the national delegation which reflects the political, geographical, regional and local balance of their country.

Each member can also choose to be part of a political group in the CoR. Currently there are six political groups reflecting a range of political affiliations: the European People's Party (EPP), the Party of European Socialists (PES), Renew Europe, the European Alliance Group (EA), the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) and The Greens. Members can also choose not to be part of a political party if they so wish (non-aligned).

The CoR appoints a president from among its members for a two-and-a-half-year term. Since February 2020, the President of the CoR has been Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Greece, EPP). The first vice-president of the institution is Vasco Alves Cordeiro (Portugal, PES).

The CoR's priorities for the years 2020-2025 are: bringing the EU even closer to people: democracy and the future of the EU; management of social transformations: building resilient local and regional communities; cohesion: place-based EU policies.

How the European Committee of the Regions works

The CoR appoints a rapporteur (one of its members) who consults stakeholders and prepares the opinion. The text is discussed and adopted by the CoR commission in charge of the policy area concerned. The opinion is then presented to all members in plenary session who vote to amend and adopt it. Finally, the opinion is shared and communicated to all relevant EU institutions.

There are up to 6 plenary sessions per year, adopting opinions that cover 50 to 80 EU legislative projects. The last plenary session took place on January 26-27, 2022, during which agriculture, rural development, territorial cohesion, the Green Pact, the future of Europe were discussed.

Romania's representation in the European Committee of the Regions

The Romanian delegation to the European Committee of the Regions is made up of chairs of county councils and mayors of cities, towns and small towns, elected within their communities.

The 15 representatives of Romania in the CoR are officials of the National Union of Romanian County Councils - UNCJR (6 representatives), the Association of Romanian Municipalities - AMR (3 representatives), the Association of Romanian Cities - AOR (3 representatives), the Association of Romanian Municipalities - ACoR (3 representatives). The Romanian delegation also includes 15 other alternate members.

The government of Romania has adopted a memorandum signed by the prime minister establishing the procedure for appointing the members of the Romanian delegation to the CoR, a procedure approved by the four associations of local public authorities.

Each of the four associations (UNCJR, AMR, AOR and ACoR) submits the nomination proposals to the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration (MDRAP), which deals with the notification of Romania's representatives to the CoR. The main criteria to be met in the appointment process relates to geographical balance and the territorial distribution (counties / municipalities / cities / small towns), political and gender balance (women / men), as well as knowledge of a foreign language. The national government issues a decision to the EU Council, which formally appoints the Romanian delegation to the CoR.

Current chairman of the Romanian delegation to the CoR is Adrian Ovidiu Teban, mayor of Cugir, Alba County (EPP representative). Coordinators of the national delegation are Raul Cazan, AOR representative in Brussels and Liliana Mangeac, coordinator of the UNCJR Brussels Office.

The 15 current representatives of Romania in the CoR are:

* Ionel Arsene - President of the Neamt County Council, representative of the Party of European Socialists (PES), member of the COTER (Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget) and SEDEC (Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture);

* Daniel Baluta - Mayor of Buharest City District 4, PES representative, member of the CIVEX (Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External affairs) and NAT (Commission for Natural Resources);

* Emil Boc - Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, representative of the European People's Party (EPP), sitting on SEDEC-VII and COTER-VII;

* Csaba Borboly - President of the Harghita County Council, representative of the EPP sitting on ENVE (Commission for Environment, Climate change and Energy) and SEDEC (Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture);

* Daniela Cimpean - President of the Sibiu County Council, representing the EPP, sitting on ECON (Commission for Economic Policy) and NAT (Commission for Natural Resources);

* Gheorghe Damian - Mayor of Ciugud, Alba County, representative of the European Alliance (EA) and member of the SEDEC-VII and COTER-VII ;

* Emil Draghici - Mayor of Vulcana-Bai, Dambovita County, representative of the European Alliance (EA) and member of the CIVEX-VII and NAT-VII;

* Mariana Gaju - Mayor of Cumpana, Constanta County, representative of PES and member of ECON-VII and ENVE-VII ;

* Petre Emanoil Neagu - President of Buzau County Council, PES representative and member of ECON-VII and NAT-VII;

* Robert Negoita - Mayor of Bucharest District 3, PES representative and member of ECON-VII and ENVE-VII;

* Alin-Adrian Nica - President of the Timis County Council, representative of the EPP and member of CIVEX-VII and COTER-VII;

* Corneliu Stefan - President of the Dambovita County Council, representative of the PES and member of CIVEX-VII and ENVE-VII;

* Adrian Ovidiu Teban - Mayor of Cugir, Alba County, EPP representative and member of ECON-VII and COTER-VII;

* Gabriela Florica Tulbure - Mayor of Seini, Maramures County, representative of the EPP and member of CIVEX-VII and SEDEC-VII;

* Marius Ioan Ursaciuc - Mayor of Gura Humorului, Suceava County, representative of Renew Europe and member of NAT-VII and ENVE-VI, Agerpres informs.
We want to conclude as soon as possible the negotiations on the operational programs through which we will attract funding allocated for the 2021-2027 period, said Minister of Investments and European Projects Dan Vilceanu who met on Tuesday with the Director General of the European Commission's DG-Regio Marc Lemaitre.

"We want to reap all the benefits by allocating 2021-2027 European funds for the achievement of some very important goals for our country. For this reason, we want to conclude as soon as possible the negotiations on the operational programs through which we will attract the allocated funds," Dan Vilceanu said, as cited in a release.

Talks with the European Commission official focused on the documents that will set out Romania's priorities that will get financed under the 2021 - 2027 Cohesion policy programs. Specifically, the sides looked at details regarding the Partnership Agreement and Operational Programs submitted to the European Commission between December 2021 and January 2022, Agerpres.ro informs.

The Romanian Minister specified that efforts will continue to finalize the programming documents for the period 2021 - 2027, as well as for the fulfillment of the criteria related to the enabling conditions. Dan Vilceanu emphasized the need for an agreement to be reached on the transfer of funds for Romania's specific national and regional development needs.

According to the release of the Minister of Investments and European Projects, during the meeting, the European official presented the preliminary stance of the European Commission's directorates on the fundamental elements that require the two parties to come to terms, so that the Partnership Agreement be officially sent to the European Commission in April. The EC representatives said that the operational programs will be approved gradually, depending on the progress of negotiations.
Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Wednesday that a "complete" withdrawal of troops and equipment deployed by the Russian Federation at Ukraine's borders and in the Black Sea region was needed if one were to "really" mean de-escalation of tensions.

The head of Romanian diplomacy testified before the foreign affairs committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on security developments in the Black Sea basin.

"We have discussed the need for further steps to de-escalate in order to achieve de-escalation of the security situation. We need to continue to promote dialogue in order to achieve these goals, and we need to be prepared for an instance of conflict," said Aurescu.

He added that it was necessary to see if, indeed, it was a question of a withdrawal of Russian troops deployed on the borders of Ukraine and in the Black Sea region, given that the equipment remained in place for the time being.

"As the NATO secretary general said yesterday, at this time we need a confirmation of these troop movements and to see if it is really a withdrawal. Because, as the NATO secretary general said yesterday, what we see for the time being is that equipment remains in place, as it did last year in April, when there was a major military exercise conducted by Russia in the same region, (...) and then there was a withdrawal of some forces, but pieces of equipment were left behind and are used today. In order to really talk about de-escalation, we need a complete withdrawal of these troops and equipment deployed by the Russian Federation at the borders of Ukraine and in the Black Sea region," said Aurescu.

He added that "there is no danger at this time of a military involvement of Romania or NATO."

"Romania, as a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, currently benefits from all the security guarantees it can have. As an allied state, we are fully protected by collective defence, by the NATO security umbrella. No Romanian citizen should worry about Romania getting dragged in a military conflict, because that will not happen. It is true that if the Russian Federation starts a military conflict, a military aggression against Ukraine, the security situation Europe-wide will deteriorate even more, and then it is clear that such a situation will affect NATO as a whole, including Romania, but there is no danger at this time of a military involvement of Romania or the North Atlantic Alliance," said Aurescu, Agerpres informs.
Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu told Parliament on Wednesday that "there are still no signs" that the de-escalation in the Black Sea security situation is happening "in a real way".

The head of Romanian diplomacy testified before the foreign affairs committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on security developments in the Black Sea basin.

"This security crisis is not just about Ukraine, it's not just about the Black Sea, it's not just about European security, it's about Euro-Atlantic security as a whole, and the Black Sea is an integral part of the Euro-Atlantic area, as the security of the Black Sea is tightly connected to and an integral part of Euro-Atlantic security," Aurescu said.

He added that this "is an important moment, the zenith of diplomatic efforts that are being made on multiple levels, at various levels at this important moment, trying to achieve security de-escalation."

"There are still no signs that this de-escalation is really happening. It is very important that diplomatic efforts continue, as it is equally extremely important that this de-escalation actually takes place on the ground," Aurescu said at the beginning of hearings, Agerpres informs.
The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, on Wednesday stated, at the beginning of the government meeting, that Law No. 55/2020 provides for the continued use of the mask in all indoor spaces.

"We are all waiting for the publication of the decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania and the motivation of this decision. However, we did analyze the existing laws, when this decision was made public, and we must say very clearly that the Law No. 55 provides for the continued use of the mask in all indoor spaces, in means of public transport or in enclosed or covered markets," said the Minister.

On the other hand, he underscored that the use of the mask is not "a restriction in itself," but a measure that prevents or slows down the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community.

"The use of the mask is not a restriction in itself, but a measure that prevents or slows down the transmission of this infection in the community, and individual protection is necessary both for ourselves and for those with whom we interact. Obviously, if the legislative context imposes this, I am convinced that the Romanian Government will adopt the necessary legislative acts for the protection of public health," said Rafila, Agerpres informs.
"We have detached from the number of cases and the incidence rate, as have most EU countries. You've noticed countries that, despite the fact that they have numerous cases, have relaxed measures. On Monday, when I had that press conference at the Health Ministry, I came with some punctual examples, like Denmark, and you could see there that the number of cases in ICUs was small. We will do the same thing when we have a constantly decreasing trend in intensive care units and, eventually, we reach a certain limit, let's say 50% of the allotted capacity, then we can think of lifting certain restrictive measures. Categorically, it will not be a decision of the Health Ministry exclusively, we come with the basis from a technical point of view, it needs to be a decision of the Romanian Government," said Alexandru Rafila, Agerpres informs.
The latest COVID-19 test positivity rate in Romania is 23.74%, the Ministry of Health informed on Wednesday.

"Within a period of 24 hours, 17,447 positive people with the SARS-CoV-2 virus were reported in Romania, out of a total of 73,495 RT-PCR and antigen tests performed. The positivity rate is 23.74%," according to the ministry.

The ministry is asking people who have symptoms that may indicate the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (fever, cough, fatigue, headache, loss of taste and smell, etc.) to call their family physicians, DSP call centers, or the 112 emergency line to request testing.

People who show symptoms and are in Bucharest or Ilfov County can travel by their own means, not by public transport, to the centres specially created for the collection of samples for COVID-19 testing.

People who test positive can go to the COVID-19 assessment centres for consultation and treatment.

People with severe forms of the disease, with aggressive symptoms, are urged to call 112.

Public health experts say vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent severe forms of COVID-19 and death.

"Today, out of the 1,156 people admitted to the ICU, 987 are unvaccinated. Also, out of 183 reported deaths, 152 occurred in unvaccinated patients," according to the Ministry of Health, Agerpres informs.
Those who toy in Romania with "see the Special Section, now there is no Special Section" risk endangering the financing from European funds for the development of the country, appreciates MEP Dacian Ciolos.

The clarifications are made after the EU Court of Justice rejected on Wednesday the appeals made by Poland and Hungary regarding the regulation whereby the European funds are conditioned by the observance of the rule of law.

"The decision comes a year after the Renew Europe group, but I, too, have repeatedly called on the European Parliament and the Commission and President Ursula von der Leyen to enforce this regulation and penalize the governments of Hungary and Poland. It has been a year since we launched this call, but as of today the President of the European Commission can no longer postpone a decision in defense of European values. Moreover, those who are toying today in Romania with 'see the Special Section, now there is no Special Section', they should understand that not only do they put themselves at risk, but also the financing from European funds for the development of the country," Ciolos wrote on Facebook.

He added that, based on the decision of the EU Court of Justice, those who "steal" European money or violate EU treaties and values will no longer benefit from European funding, Agerpres.ro informs.

"We cannot finance regimes that undermine democracy and endanger the future of their countries' citizens," he said.
Minister Vasile Dincu participates, on Wednesday and Thursday, in the meeting of the Ministers of Defence from the NATO member states that will take place at the Alliance's Headquarters in Brussels, informs the Ministry of National Defence, Agerpres reports.

According to a press release of the Ministry of National Defence, the meeting represents an important milestone in the preparation of the decisions that will be adopted by the leaders of the allied states at the Madrid Summit on June 29 and 30."The agenda of the event is particularly consistent in the context of the recent security developments in relation to the spectrum of Russia's military offensive against Ukraine. The debates will mainly focus on the security situation generated by Russia's aggressive behaviour in the vicinity of NATO's Eastern flank and its implications for Euro-Atlantic security, as well as on aspects related to the continuation of the process of adjusting the position of deterrence and defence of the Alliance to the new conditions in terms of security," reads the same press release.The meeting will take the form of five working sessions.On Wednesday, there will be held the meeting of the Nuclear Planning Group/NPG, which will be followed by two meetings of the North Atlantic Council that will discuss the security situation in Ukraine and the recent developments in terms of deterrence and defence, and also the fair distribution of responsibilities, NATO financing, the future Strategic Concept (NSC).A meeting with partners from Georgia and Ukraine is scheduled on Thursday, in which context political support for the two aspiring states will be expressed amid a worsening security situation on Ukraine's borders. At the same time, their defence efforts will be evaluated in order to strengthen practical cooperation according to guidelines provided by the NATO 2030 Agenda.The last session will be dedicated to in-depth consultations with the established partners, Finland and Sweden, in which context the cooperation and development perspective of the NATO-EU strategic partnership will be also approached.The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, is invited to present the EU Strategic Compass project as part of the Union's efforts to ensure complementarity with the Alliance's strategic approaches to the development of the NATO Strategic Concept.On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Dincu will participate in the signing ceremony of the letter on Romania's accession to the NATO Air Battle Decisive Munitions (ABDM) project, developed by NATO's Defence Investment Division (DI).
Save Romania Union (USR) deputy Claudiu Nasui pleads for the exemption from taxation of the first 800 lei, pointing out that this measure would have the same effect on the state budget, but it would mean more money for low-income Romanians.

"Let's look at the numbers. The 5% social contribution reduction means, for the budget, the equivalent of Zero Taxes for the first 800 lei. That for every Romanian who works in this country. What is the difference if we do one or the other? For the Romanian budget, it is the same. The cost is the same. The difference is for Romanians. For a Romanian who works on the minimum salary, a reduction in the social contribution by 5% means only 127 lei more per month per salary. In the case of a high salary, such as the salary of Klaus Iohannis, the same reduction would mean 1,530 lei more per month, 12 times more. But if we exempt 800 lei from taxation, all Romanians, regardless of salary, would receive about 330 lei more," the former minister of economy wrote on Facebook.

According to him, USR will vote for the reduction in social contribution by 5%, in case there is no necessary support in Parliament for the measure of zero taxes on the first 800 lei.

At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that Romania is a "champion" in taxing labor, especially on low salaries, and this generates poverty, Agerpres informs.
On Saturday, February 12, His Eminence Archbishop Calinic of Arges and Muscel blessed the Ecclesiastical Settlement of Christian-Orthodox Mission in the village of Manicesti, Arges County, that will provide care for people with hearing and speech impairments.

After the blessing service, the archbishop celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Settlements church of Saint Meletius.

In his speech, Archbishop Calinic referred to the Archdioceses pastoral work among faithful with hearing and speech impairments, a mission that began 25 years ago.

Archbishop Calinic of Arges is the one who submitted in 1999 a program on religious assistance to people with hearing impairments at the national level, a program that the Holy Synod approved and based on which dozens of places of worship or social centres for the deaf were founded in recent years.

The works at the centre in Manicesti started in 2017. Fr. Constantin Onu coordinated the project under the supervision of the Church Buildings Department of the Archdiocese of Arges and Muscel, according to basilica.ro.

Saint Meletius is the patron of this place, and in this way, His Eminence has offered the blessing for a settlement for the formation and deepening of the sign language for people with hearing and speech impairments, Archimandrite Caliopie Ichim, diocesan counsellor, told Trinitas TV.

After the Revolution, we found openness from the Romanian Orthodox Church. Since 1996 we have had the first priest who knows sign language. We are people just like you, we live among you, we only differ in the language we use, said Mihai Grecu, president of the National Association of the Deaf in Romania.

At the end, the founders, donors and sponsors of the Settlement received diplomas.

The ensemble consists of the church of Saint Meletius, a chapel, an outdoor altar, the cell of St. John Jacob and socio-educational spaces for the care of residents.
At the annual meeting of the National Church Council Tuesday, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said that the Romanian Orthodox Church is Romanias most outstanding philanthropist in terms of social programs carried out last year.

It is essential to see the large number of works, and the sacrifice and generosity of our communities are also significant. Sixty-two social programs have external financial support, and more than 800 social programs are from our own funds. We see how great is the effort of the parishes, of the dioceses regarding the social-philanthropic work.

The greatest philanthropist remains the Romanian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude said on February 15.

Patriarch Daniel thanked God for His gifts bestowed to the Church, according to basilica.ro.

We give thanks to God for taking care of His Church, and we congratulate all those who have an ecclesiastical conscience, both clergy and lay believers, because, without this ecclesial conscience, there is no missionary conscience, the Romanian Patriarch said.

During their meeting at the Synodal Hall of the Patriarchal Residence under Patriarch Daniels chairmanship, the National Church Council members evaluated last years activity of the Romanian Orthodox Church was evaluated and formulated proposals for the current year.

In the opening of the works, the patriarchal auxiliary bishop Varlaam of Ploiesti read the summary report of the activities of the Romanian Patriarchate entitled Communion and cooperation with Romanians from outside Romania.

On Wednesday, the members of the National Church Assembly (clergy-laity) will meet at the Palace of the Patriarchate. On Thursday, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church will hold its working session at the Patriarchal Palace.
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca welcomed Italian Ambassador in Bucharest Alfredo Maria Durante Mangoni on Wednesday, at the Victoria Palace of Government, among the topics discussed being the issue of energy and prices from the perspective of the need to balance market share, supplier needs and costs and the protection granted to citizens and large and small companies.

"In fact, the excellent Romanian-Italian relations can be found in the economic and commercial exchanges, in the integration of Romanians in Italy and of Italians in Romania, in mutual support in difficult moments, as was the case during the pandemic, by detaching a voluntary unit of physicians, in Italy, in 2020, and the Italian support received by Romania, in 2021," informs a Government press release.

According to the cited source, Prime Minister Ciuca evoked the positive experiences of good economic, industrial and military cooperation that the two sides have had over time, Agerpres.ro informs.

Among the topics discussed there were also the one related to "the issue of energy and prices in terms of the need for a balance between market share, supplier needs and costs, and the protection granted to citizens and large and small companies."

In the same context, the Italian side insisted on its own achievements, as well as on economic expertise.

"The value of trade between the two states amounts to over 12 billion euros in 2021, evenly balanced. Italian direct investment in Romania amount to 9 billion euros, in the first place in terms of number and second place ar regards the volume, after Germany. The most important areas of investment remain in energy, precision mechanics or the agri-food sector, the dynamics of Italian investments including a major investment in special steels and another in the field of high technologies," highlights the release.

Last but not least were mentioned the mutual interests of both parties and their support for European and international developments.
Minister of National Defense Vasile Dincu met on Wednesday with his Norwegian counterpart Odd Roger Enoksen on the sidelines of the NATO Defense Ministers meeting taking place until Thursday in Brussels, the National Defense Ministry informs.

According to the cited source, the two Defense officials discussed the identification of new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, including in areas such as training, military education and scientific research.

Minister Dincu highlighted the participation of the forces of the two states in the computer-assisted command post exercise STEADFAST JUPITER 21 carried out in Norway and Poland, "where collaboration was excellent and particularly useful".

At bilateral level, the two officials also tackled the subject of technical and military cooperation in the context of the approval by the Romanian Parliament, in December last year, of the initiation of the procedure for the purchase of 32 F-16 aircraft plus logistical support from the Government of Norway, Agerpres.ro informs.

Regarding the Black Sea region, the Romanian Defense Minister underlined the paramount importance an enhanced, credible, coherent and balanced collective defense posture on NATO's eastern flank has in discouraging Russia.

"Our country strongly supports the adaptation of the Alliance's posture through the deployment of Allied combat groups to Central and Eastern Europe, Romania included. These combat groups are a preventive measure, they have a defensive character and are aimed at discouraging and preventing escalation," Vasile Dincu emphasized.

The National Defense Ministry announced on December 22 having received the prior approval to initiate the procedure for the purchase of 32 F-16 aircraft in M6.5.2 configuration plus the related logistical support from the Government of Norway, as well as of the overhaul equipment and services from the US Government, which are all required for achieving the Transitional Air Operational Capability.

The planes will be handed over in full operational condition and are expected to cover a transition period of at least 10 years to 5th generation aircraft.

The estimated purchase figure is about 454 million euros, VAT excluded, covering both the package proposed by the Government of Norway and the aircraft overhaul equipment and services that will be acquired from the U.S. Government.
Senate President Florin Citu said on Wednesday after a meeting with the representatives of the Agrostar Farm Producers Federation that a price cap would not help the Romanian producers.

"I wanted to understand firsthand from the Romanian producers what the impact of the price cap proposal would be. They said that the prices are already very low, they haven't changed in years. If on top of that we cap them, we make them completely broke, costs have already gone up. This is what I also assumed, that such a measure would only make matters worse for the Romanian producer. They need more extensive support," Citu said after meeting at the Palace of Parliament with the representatives of the Agriculture, Food, Tobacco, and Related services National Federation.

He added that he also discussed with the representatives of Romania's Large Commercial Networks Association how local producers can be helped.

"I initiated the discussion to prevent various subjects from being politically hijacked. (...) There is a lot of distorted information out there, this is why it's good to sit down with the parties involved and I'm telling you the differences between them are not that big: we all want to have quality products for the Romanian citizens, presented in the best conditions. I started talks with them," Florin Citu explained.

According to him, rising production costs affect retailers too, Agerpres.ro informs.

"The measures set in place by the government for small and medium-sized enterprises and for household consumers are being extended for this sector as well. In terms of input costs, a considerable part thereof will be covered from the budget. The rising energy prices have a negative impact on the entire economy. The solution package until April is already hammered out. We are looking at the government to propose solutions to help the economy. We must be very careful not to cause more harm, because some of the solutions that are being tossed about in the public space will distort the market in the future, they will not lead to investments. We have to find those solutions capable of attracting investors to Romania, not drive them away," the Senate President said.
When you're retired, it's likely that your investment strategy will be rather different from when you were younger. But that doesn't mean turbulent markets aren't nerve-racking for retirees. In this Fool Live video clip, recorded on Jan. 27, Fool.com contributors Matt Frankel, Jason Hall, and Will Healy discuss how they would approach the current market downturn if they were retired.

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Jason Hall: I'm retired. Please talk about how you would look to invest in new opportunities in a portfolio already 100% invested. Maybe we can each just toss out one idea. The one idea that comes to mind quickly for me is it could be something as simple as. Again, David, we're not telling you what to do. This is a broad for anybody that's listening. One idea is if you own dividend stocks and you have them set to reinvest your dividends, turn that off. There you go, you don't have to sell anything you love, let it free up cash, and then that cash is something you can use as a way to still invest in new ideas.

Matt Frankel: Yes, Jason kind of stole mine there. But I could say personally, I turned off dividend reinvesting as soon as I use TD Ameritrade for my brokerage. As soon as TD Ameritrade killed trading commissions, I turned off the dividend reinvestment because that was the biggest reason to use dividend reinvestment to be able to buy more shares without paying a commission.

Now that gives you a pool of cash every quarter from your favorite stocks that you can deploy in any opportunity you feel is the best at the time. This is what Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B) does with all of its businesses. It pulls all the money they generate and invested in one opportunity that it feels is a great buy. That's one thing I would say. Number two, just don't pay too much attention to these short-term swings, especially in your dividend stocks. Don't be too discouraged if your dividend stocks are off by 20%, 30%, as long as the business is still sound and they're still making their payments. It's a long-term investment.

Hall: Lou, Will any little ideas to add to that?

Will Healy: Well I would reevaluate whether you really believe in the stock unit, especially the ones that they've been losing a lot. We're in a downturn in general, so a lot of stocks are being hammered just for that reason if the lifted business truly isn't sound anymore, you might consider moving that cash into the business, you believe in. But again, you need to look at the business when you do that, not the stock price per se.

Jason Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Matthew Frankel, CFP owns Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). Will Healy owns Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool owns and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2023 $200 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), short January 2023 $200 puts on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares), and short January 2023 $265 calls on Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
In Joachim Triers occasionally trying but also rewarding romantic drama The Worst Person in the World, we meet a young woman who has no idea what she wants and a not-so-young man who knows exactly what he wants.

Julie (Cannes best actress Renate Reinsve) starts out wanting to be a doctor, switches to psychology and then photography. She switches out men almost as proficiently.

But she seems to settle down with 40-something cartoonist Aksel (a powerful turn by Anders Danielsen Lie). Their connection is strong. They have chemistry. They talk to each other about everything. The sex is very good.

But when Julie exits an art opening of Aksels work, leaving him there alone, she crashes a posh party in Oslo and meets a young man named Eivind (Herbert Nordrum), and the air is electric with mutual attraction.

Eivind has a live-in indigenous girlfriend named Sunniva (Maria Grazia di Meo) with whom he is in love, or so he says. Jezebel Julie says the same thing about Aksel. But Julie and Eivinds magnetism is irresistible, and Julie breaks Aksels heart. But will she be happy living with a man who works in a coffee shop while she shuffles books, customers and credit card receipts at a bookstore?

The Worst Person in the World, which was co-written by Trier (Oslo, August 31st, also with Lie) and Eskil Vogt (Triers Thelma), has a keen, at times incinerating gimlet eye for the fickle nature of life and love. Reinsve gives Julie more than enough personal charm to make you forgive her wandering ways.

She has a terrible relationship with her chronically neglectful father (Vidar Sandem), who remarried and started a second family and about whom she has a filthy fantasy when she drops mushrooms with Eivind and his friends, and the film takes a hellbent Suspiria turn.

Aksels siblings are all married with children (one of whom throws a tantrum). He wants children too. But Julie, who told people at the party she crashed that she was a doctor, doesnt like kids and is reluctant. We want Aksel and Julie to stay together and be happy and even have kids. But we know Julie is going to blow the relationship up.

The Worst Person in the World  nominated for international feature film and original screenplay Oscars  is all about blowing things up. Is Julies whimsical adventure with Eivind because she resents Aksels success and fame? Maybe. Julie writes an essay about oral sex that gets published and starts a Facebook debate. But she doesnt follow up on it.

In a montage with narration, we learn how many children Julies female predecessors had. They had a lot. In a lyrical sequence, all things freeze except Julie and Eivind, whose world-stopping romance seems like magic. Dont they all, at first?

Like Triers Oslo, August 31st, The Worst Person in the World takes a dire turn at the end that gives Lie the opportunity to dazzle us with his intensity and charisma. What might be soap opera in the hands of another artist is absolutely and admirably operatic in Triers without the dreaded soapiness.

By the way, the person mentioned in the films title is not the one you think it is.

In theaters Feb. 18.

What The Worst Person in the World  3 stars out of four  Run time 2:08  Rating R for sexually suggestive scenes, nudity, drug use and profanity  Language In Norwegian with subtitles
TUESDAY, Feb. 15, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Fully vaccinated U.S. workers at Amazon and Walmart will no longer have to wear masks unless local or state laws require them.

In an announcement last Friday to its 1.6 million U.S. workers, Walmart said masks will still be required for unvaccinated staff and those in its health clinics and pharmacies, CBS News reported. "Though vaccinated associates are no longer required to wear a mask in our facilities, we support and respect an individual's choice to continue wearing one," the company's memo to employees stated. In July 2020, Walmart first mandated face coverings, then dropped the rule for fully vaccinated workers in May 2021 before returning to a mask mandate as infections climbed due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant.

Walmart also said its COVID-19 emergency leave policy, which provides more paid sick leave for COVID-19-linked absences, will end on March 31, CBS News reported.

Last week, Amazon also told fully vaccinated employees they can work without a mask depending on local regulations and "based on guidance from public health authorities as well as our own medical experts." The company also said that as of Friday, only workers who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine will be entitled to paid leave due to COVID-19, and only those who are fully vaccinated will have access to the benefit as of March 18, CBS News reported.

The two retail giants' mask policy changes come as a number of states scrap mask mandates as omicron cases and hospitalizations decline. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advises masking in public indoor settings in high-transmission areas, which still includes most of the United States, CBS News reported.

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
ST. LOUIS  As cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations recede in the St. Louis area, public officials continue to stress the need for testing, wearing masks and getting vaccinated or boosted.

This week, the St. Louis Department of Health announced its plan to distribute 25,000 rapid antigen test kits and more than 53,000 high-quality N95 masks to vulnerable residents and city employees in the next two to three weeks.

The effort comes on the heels of the departments expansion last week of its $100 vaccination gift card program. Gift cards will not only go to those getting their first COVID-19 vaccine at any health department event or Federally Qualified Health Center in the city, but also to those getting their second dose shots or boosters.

St. Louis is seeing our case positivity rate decreasing, and while that is reassuring, we are still taking steps to protect those who face the most risk of severe illness from COVID-19, said city health director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis. We know certain populations face more risk of exposure and illness than others, so we are taking an equity-driven approach to getting these resources to those who lack the means to do so.

The citys positivity rate  the percentage of COVID-19 tests that come back positive  has averaged just over 8% for the past week, according to state data. A month ago, it was nearly 40%. The citys goal is to get below 5%, which means fewer cases are likely going undetected.

The city health department will work with social service agencies and schools to get the antigen tests and masks to vulnerable residents such as teachers, homeless, the elderly, those living far away from a pharmacy, and others who may not have a telephone or internet services to access help, according to department spokesman Harold Bailey.

The St. Louis County Department of Public Health is continuing its effort to get saliva tests for COVID-19, which are highly accurate and take up to a couple days to be processed at a lab, into the hands of residents.

The county health department is partnering with the Eureka Fire Protection District to distribute 1,000 saliva test kits between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Eureka Community Center, 333 Bald Hill. No appointment is needed.

However, weekday distribution of the saliva tests will be paused Wednesday at the North County Recreation Complex, 2577 Redman Avenue, due to a conflict with another event. Drive-thru distribution will resume from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday.

The saliva tests are also now available at seven St. Louis County Library branch locations. Residents can make appointments to pick up a test curbside by calling 314-994-3300.

The self-administered saliva tests must be dropped off at any of the three county health department clinics to be processed for results. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Appointments to get tested at any of the three county health clinics can also be made on ReviveSTL.com.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, in his weekly news conference Monday about pandemic efforts, pointed to positive signs such as increasing vaccination rates. The county reached a milestone with more than 70% of residents initiating vaccination. About 66% of city residents have initiated vaccination.

St. Louis-area hospitals continue to report a steep drop in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, prompting the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force to skip their weekly news conference Tuesday.

Task force data from Tuesday shows 42 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to its hospitals. The seven-day average of daily admissions dropped to 72, after topping 200 throughout the middle of January.

A total of 473 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized Tuesday, dropping the seven-day average to 544. Less than a month ago, the number was nearly 1,400.

City and county health officials have said they want to see daily admission of COVID-19 patients drop below 40, and the number of hospitalized patients drop below 350.

Some Democratic-led states are dropping their mask mandates and other restrictions in response to improving data. Illinois on Feb. 28 will end its requirement that face coverings be worn in most indoor spaces, except for K-12 schools.

A mask mandate remains in effect in the city of St. Louis until March 6.

Page said he would like to see the countys seven-day average of new cases drop below 50 and a positivity rate less than 8% before considering such measures.

The latest county data shows 82 new cases were reported on Monday, and the positivity rate was just under 11%. Numbers have dropped dramatically from even just a week ago, when the county was seeing nearly 300 new cases a day.

We dont want to take any premature steps that would jeopardize our hospitals or prevent our children from staying in the classroom , Page said.

Stay with us, we are almost there, we just need to keep an eye on this virus for a few more weeks to make sure that these promising numbers hold and if they do, we can talk about moving from a mask requirement.

Originally posted at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15.

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SPRINGFIELD  A legislative panel on Tuesday voted to suspend the latest version of COVID-19 mitigations for public schools, saying in part that those rules are still being litigated in a state appellate court.

The Joint Committee on Administrative rules voted 9-0, with two members voting present, to object to the rules and suspend them from going into effect.

The Illinois Department of Public Health filed the emergency rules late Monday, renewing the emergency mandate it had filed in September. The September rules officially expired on Sunday, because emergency rules cannot stay in place more than 150 days.

However, a Sangamon County judge last week issued a temporary restraining order halting enforcement of those September rules in the 170 school districts that were parties in the lawsuit.

Those rules included requirements that all students, employees and visitors wear face coverings while indoors on school property, that employees either be vaccinated or submit to regular testing, and that schools exclude any student or employee from school property or events if they have tested positive or were in close contact with someone else who had either a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 for a certain period.

Among other things, Judge Raylene Grischow said in her opinion that there was no need for emergency rulemaking because COVID-19 had at that time been around for more than a year and a half, and that the agency should have gone through the regular rulemaking process, which allows for public comment.

She also said the rule on excluding students and employees from schools amounted to a kind of quarantine and that school districts were prohibited under state law from issuing such a quarantine without an order by a court or local health department.

That case is now on appeal in the 4th District Court of Appeals.

In the wake of the judge's ruling, many Metro East schools have lifted their mask mandates. Collinsville's Board of Education voted Monday to make masks "highly recommended" but not required. Other area districts also have gone to mask-optional policies in the past few weeks.

JCAR is a 12-member committee divided evenly between the House and Senate, and between Democrats and Republicans. It is authorized to review agency rulemakings to determine whether they are consistent with state law and legislative intent. At least eight votes are required to block an agency rule from taking effect.

Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, offered the motion to block the latest rules, which stated in part that IDPH has not taken steps to make this rule known to the parties directly affected by it, and that it was unclear whether the rules would apply statewide or only to those districts that are not parties in the lawsuit.

Were currently in a situation where the TRO says this rule is not enforceable, Rep. Michael Halpin, D-Rock Island, said in voting for the motion to suspend the rule. Its possible, if not probable, that this might change on appeal, but as we now sit here, for that reason, Ill vote yes.

During discussion on the rules, Rep. Keith Wheeler, R-Oswego, a co-chair of the committee, asked IDPH whether it would have been better, given the pending court case, for the agency to have issued guidance rather than formal rules.

Ive appeared before this body numerous times and heard a lot of lectures about departments issuing guidance that looks like rulemaking, IDPH chief of staff Justin DeWitt said. Thats really the effort here, is to not be creating rules by issuing guidance or something else.

The vote by JCAR means that, for the time being, there is no state mandate on mitigation measures for public or private K-12 schools.

Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration, however, continues to encourage masking in schools.

The administration understands that members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules are awaiting a ruling from the appellate court on this issue, Pritzkers press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email statement.

As doctors have said time and again, masks are the best way to preserve in-person learning and keep children and staff safe, she added. We look forward to continuing to work with members of the General Assembly, school districts, parents, communities and all stakeholders to use the tools we have to keep in-person learning. In the meantime, the administration urges all schools and parents to encourage mask-wearing to keep everyone in their schools and communities safe.

Republicans, however, said the agencys action showed a lack of respect for the judicial branch, and they criticized Pritzker for not working with lawmakers on mitigation strategies.
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Could a therapy used to treat chest pain ease the debilitating symptoms of long COVID?

Yes, claims a small but promising study that found it helped ease fatigue, shortness of breath and other symptoms in people who can't shake side effects that haunt them long after their original coronavirus infection.

As many as 50% of people who recover from COVID-19 may experience a constellation of such symptoms, and there's not much that doctors can do for these patients because long COVID is such a new entity.

Exactly why some people develop long COVID and others don't isn't fully understood yet, but researchers suspect that endothelial dysfunction  which occurs when large blood vessels on the heart's surface constrict instead of dilate  may play a role, explained study author Sachin Shah.

Enter enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP), said Shah, chief scientific officer at Flow Therapy, a nationwide EECP provider based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Folks who undergo EECP are fitted with three sets of cuffs on their calves, thighs and lower hips. These cuffs are inflated sequentially, from the calves up to the hips, when the heart is at rest. This action pushes oxygen-rich blood throughout the heart and to the rest of the body, and stimulates the formation of small branches of blood vessels to bypass narrowed arteries, he explained.

"The increased flow to the heart helps develop small vessels called collaterals that are a natural defense to heart disease, and the increase of blood flow throughout the body increases the overall health of the entire cardiovascular system by increasing the dilation and reducing inflammation of the blood vessels," Shah said.

Treatment with EECP lasts one hour, and people may need up to 35 sessions over seven weeks for maximum results, he said. The cost  roughly $9,500 for 35 treatments at Flow Therapy  may not be covered by insurance for treating long COVID, but Shah said he is working with insurers to get them to foot the bill.

The new study included 33 people with long COVID (average age 54), including 18 patients with no history of heart disease, who underwent EECP.

Everyone showed improvements in fatigue, breathing difficulties and chest discomfort after undergoing 15 to 35 hours of EECP therapy, even in those without a history of heart disease, the study showed. EECP benefits can last several years for people with angina, but more research is needed to see how long these improvements might last for people with long COVID, Shah said.

"Long COVID patients with and without coronary artery disease [CAD] who are suffering from marked limitations with ordinary activity in the form of fatigue, shortness of breath, chest discomfort and/or brain fog are the ideal candidates," Shah said. "Of course, in patients without long COVID having symptomatic CAD, EECP can do wonders for them."

The study was presented at a virtual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, held from Feb. 16 to 19. Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

"This is an interesting concept that needs to be studied more," said Dr. Erica Spatz. She is an associate professor of cardiology at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., and a member of the ACC Science & Quality Committee.

"We do think there is a component of endothelial dysfunction with long COVID that may cause chest pain and exercise intolerance that is not detected on standard imaging tests," said Spatz. Making a diagnosis of endothelial dysfunction requires invasive testing, she added.

While it does seem to show promise for treating long-COVID, EECP is not widely available at this time, she noted.

More information

Find out what the U.S. National Institutes of Health is doing to better understand long COVID.

SOURCES: Sachin Shah, PharmD, chief scientific officer, Flow Therapy, Fort Worth, Texas; Erica Spatz, MD, associate professor, cardiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., member, ACC Science & Quality Committee; American College of Cardiology's Cardiovascular Summit, virtual meeting, Feb. 16 to 19, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
RTHK: UK police launch probe into Prince Charles charity

British police said on Wednesday that they had launched an investigation into Prince Charles's charitable foundation over claims of a cash-for-honours scandal involving a Saudi businessman.

"The decision follows an assessment of a September 2021 letter. This related to media reporting alleging offers of help were made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national," Scotland Yard said in a statement, delivering another blow to the royal family.

There have been no arrests or interviews under caution, police added.

The head of The Prince's Foundation resigned last year after an internal investigation into the allegations.

Michael Fawcett, chief executive of the foundation, had initially agreed to suspend his duties following newspaper revelations about his links to a Saudi national.

The man, tycoon Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, had donated large sums to restoration projects of particular interest to Charles.

Fawcett, a former valet to the Prince of Wales who has been close to Queen Elizabeth's heir for decades, is alleged to have coordinated efforts to grant a royal honour and even UK citizenship to Mahfouz.

Mahfouz reportedly denies any wrongdoing.

The royal family is already reeling following Prince Andrew's decision on Tuesday to settle a sexual abuse claim out of court, a scandal that has so far overshadowed Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Charles' foundation, which helps jobless people get back into work and start small businesses, said it took the claims "very seriously".

The Charities Commission, which registers and oversees charities in England and Wales, said in November it had opened a formal probe into donations received by Mahfouz's charitable trust which were intended for the prince's foundation.

The inquiry will examine whether "certain donations received by the Mahfouz Foundation were intended for the charity, have been used in accordance with the donors' intentions and if they should be returned to the donor or otherwise applied for charitable purposes".

According to the commission, the Mahfouz Foundation was set up "to promote and advance the education of the public in the United Kingdom in the culture, history, language, literature and institutions of the Middle East".

The Prince's Foundation, set up in 1986, is not regulated by the Charities Commission but is registered with the Scottish Charity Regulator.

The Scottish body in September launched its own probe into reports that the foundation accepted cash from a Russian banker previously convicted of money laundering.

Charles reportedly wrote a letter thanking Dmitry Leus for the money and suggested they could meet after the coronavirus pandemic.

The foundation's ethics committee declined the donation after discovering Leus's conviction in Russia in 2004.

The conviction was overturned and he has claimed he was the victim of a politically motivated prosecution. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-02-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
ST. LOUIS  For months, a murder of crows has been plaguing the federal courthouse in downtown St. Louis and a small public park across the street, leaving sidewalks, grass and benches covered in droppings.

They have so far thwarted the efforts of federal officials to get them to leave, but they have also been dropping dead, prompting speculation about the cause.

On Monday, a Post-Dispatch reporter and photographer separately counted three dozen dead crows, mainly in the park across the street from the courthouse.

Others were scattered on the courthouse grounds or in a small park nearby. There were no obvious signs that would indicate a cause of death.

The Missouri Department of Conservation, after being notified by the Post-Dispatch about the deaths, collected four dead crows Monday afternoon for analysis, a spokesman said.

A spokeswoman for the General Services Administration, the courthouse landlord, said she did not have any information about the cause of death of the crows in recent weeks. Staff have collected and disposed of the deceased birds, she said.

An employee who was picking up dead birds Monday afternoon said staff have been doing so every day for more than a week.

Some days its five or 10, other days more than 20, said the employee, who declined to give his name. He said employees have been Googling it to try to find out why the birds are dying.

Tuesday morning, a reporter counted five crow corpses in the area, although several might have been missed in Mondays cleanup.

Protected species

Crows are a protected species, like all native birds, said Jeffrey S. Meshach, deputy director of the World Bird Sanctuary.

Although smaller birds will mob predators, they typically do not kill them, bird experts told the Post-Dispatch.

Many migratory birds are killed by flying into buildings, Meshach said, leaving building managers and cleaning crews to pick up the mess. But crows are highly intelligent and too smart to do that, he said.

Experts said the most likely explanation for the deaths is a toxin or a disease.

If theres three dozen dead crows ... thats pointing more to what could be a poison, Meshach said. It doesnt sound to me like this is a natural phenomenon.

A federal permit to kill crows isnt required under certain circumstances, including when they are causing serious injuries to crops or livestock feed or are causing a health hazard or structural property damage, federal regulations say.

But MDC spokesman Dan Zarlenga said poisoning crows would be illegal unless done so under a special permit.

The crow hunting season in Missouri runs from Nov. 1 to March 3, but firearms are the only approved method and a permit is required.

Crows are omnivores, meaning they could be eating other animals or birds that were targets of poison or could have eaten something toxic miles away.

They are also susceptible to some diseases. Crow populations have rebounded after being devastated by the West Nile Virus two decades ago.

Zarlenga said it could take two to three weeks to get results of necropsies of the birds collected Monday.

The Birds

The crows usually show up around sunset and roost in trees and on the courthouse itself.

Monday evening, hundreds of crows gathered on the top floor of Stadium West parking garage, east of the courthouse and on the roof of a Ballpark Village building after circling and swooping in the sky.

Just after 6 p.m., like a scene out of the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds, they moved to the trees on the east side of the courthouse. They also lined light and camera poles, the lower portion of the courthouse roof and ledges at least 10 floors up.

The roof of the Cupples 1 building at 1000 Clark Avenue was not spared their attention.

Their caws filled the night, and their droppings mark the sidewalks, grass and buildings. Health officials warn that the droppings can contain bacterial and fungal diseases affecting humans, although the threat is often exaggerated.

Similar efforts to dissuade roosting crows have been tried in other cities, including noisemakers, falcons and lasers, but its often an uphill task.

Officials unsuccessfully used a repellent gel in December to discourage the birds from roosting at the courthouse, said Jay Everitt, technical director for Rottler Pest Solutions, which is working with the GSA on the problem.

Everitt said the gel is food grade and contains capsaicin, the compound found in hot peppers.

Workers have been power-washing the sidewalks in a futile effort to keep them free of droppings.

On Monday, Rottler began installing about 12 speakers that will play the sounds of a predatory bird capturing another bird, Everitt said.

Everitt said the birds around the courthouse are in gathering mode, which happens once or twice a year. The birds get together, roost, socialize and prepare for breeding in the spring, when they will leave.

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BOND COUNTY  A 28-year-old man has been charged in connection with the shooting death Thursday of a woman in Greenville, authorities said.

Demarcus C. Gurlly, of Greenville, was charged Monday by the Bond County state's attorney with first-degree murder and obstructing justice in the death of Laquita M. Sullivan, also of Greenville.

Sullivan was found dead in the 600 block of East South Street just before 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Gurlly was detained for questioning on Friday, according to Illinois State Police. He remained in custody, with bail set at $1 million.

The homicide was just one of a series of events that erupted that night in Greenville and later carried over to Madison County.

Shortly after that shooting, police said, a subject barricaded himself into a residence in the 500 block of East Main Street, not far from where the fatal shooting took place. After an hourslong standoff, that person was taken into custody around 1 a.m. Friday, police said.

However, an Illinois State Police spokesman said later Friday that the man was released after questioning, and is not believed to have been involved  but was merely in the vicinity of the homicide and went to an acquaintances residence for safety.

Just before the homicide, another shooting was reported in Greenville one block south of where the woman's body was found, police said, adding that no one was injured in this shooting. A red Dodge Challenge that was believed to be involved in the incident fled the area.

About 9 p.m. that night, a Dodge Challenger that matched the description of the one in Greenville was spotted in Wood River, but would not stop for Wood River officers. A pursuit involving multiple agencies ensued, the Illinois State Police said. The vehicle then overturned off Illinois Route 203 in Eagle Park, and the two men in the car were taken to a hospital.

Kiondre L. Fitzgerald, 25, of Greenville later died from his injuries, police said. No details were released on the condition of Quincy L. Mcelmurry, 23, of Anna, Illinois, who also was in the car.

State police and the Greenville Police Department are asking anyone with additional information about the incidents to call Crimestoppers at 314-725-8477 (TIPS), as the investigation is ongoing.
ST. LOUIS  A lawsuit filed in circuit court here accuses a De Soto priest of abusing someone at a boys home two decades ago.

Christian Hornbecks lawsuit says Father Alexander Anderson fondled him in the late 1990s or early 2000s at St. Josephs Home for Boys in south St. Louis.

The suit says the St. Louis Archdiocese and other Catholic institutions allowed Anderson access to numerous vulnerable individuals and knowingly covered up and concealed the sexual abuse of their minor parishioners by Anderson.

Anderson, who is now at St. Rose of Lima parish in De Soto, referred a reporters questions to the Archdiocese.

In a statement, the Archdiocese said previous allegations involving Anderson were either retracted or shown to be false. One such claimant has maintained his allegations from prison where he is incarcerated for financial fraud.

This most recent claim is demonstrably false, as Fr. Anderson was not assigned to St. Joseph Home during the time the claimant was a resident, the statement says.

Hornbeck was placed at St. Josephs after being removed from his mothers care. He was an outsider, the suit says, and became a target for bullying and sexual abuse by older boys. His complaints were ignored by staff, the suit says.

Anderson, under the guise of providing spiritual guidance and counseling, groomed Hornbeck and then fondled him, the suit says.

Hornbeck, who now is married and works and lives in Georgia, repressed the memories until 2018, when he saw a Facebook post about the school, the suit says. The Post-Dispatch does not normally identify alleged victims of sexual abuse, but Hornbecks suit uses his name and his lawyer said he did not object to its use.

A John Doe sued Anderson and the church in federal court last year, also alleging sexual abuse. That suit is pending, and Anderson and the church have denied the accusations in legal filings.

In the statement, the Archdiocese pointed out that Doe is currently in prison for financial fraud.

Hornbecks lawsuit says Anderson worked at St. Pius V from 1975-79, St. Blaise from 1979-80, Immaculate Heart of Mary from 1980-81, St. Simons in Concord Village from 1981-83, St. Josephs Home for Boys from 1983-88, St. Andrews in Lemay from 1988-1992, Assumption Parish in Mattese from 1992-93, Sacred Heart Parish from 1992 to 2008, when he went to St. Rose of Lima.

Anderson was a counselor and spiritual guide at St. Josephs until at least 2002, the suit says.

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ST. LOUIS  A man who filmed his sexual abuse of a 6-year-old in St. Francois County in 2019 was sentenced in federal court here Tuesday to 27 1/2 years in prison.

Andrew Hotchkiss, who is a former Leadwood, Missouri, police officer, pleaded guilty in November to a felony charge of child pornography. Hotchkiss admitted sexually abusing the girl between March 1, 2019, and May 13, 2019, and using his cellphone to record his crime.

He then shared the video online, his plea says, but it wasn't until an Oregon man was caught trying to meet an 11-year-old girl that authorities came across it, sparking the investigation into Hotchkiss. By then Hotchkiss was living in Ironton, in Iron County, prosecutors said.

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LINCOLN COUNTY  A plea deal has secured a 20-year prison sentence for Cole Michael McCall, who crashed into a creek in Elsberry and left his girlfriend behind as floodwaters swallowed up her and his pickup truck.

McCall, 23, pleaded guilty Jan. 14 of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jennelle Wulfmeier. Punishments in that case and two other felony cases were combined last month after McCalls pleas, said Lincoln County Prosecutor Michael Wood.

Wulfmeier, 20, was a passenger in McCalls 2005 Chevrolet Silverado that crashed on Jan. 10, 2020. On a rainy night, McCall was being chased by another motorist who said McCall had given him phony dollar bills in a transaction.

McCalls pickup crashed at the end of South Seventh Street in Elsberry and hit a levee. The vehicle went airborne and landed in a swollen creek called Lost Creek.

McCall escaped the pickup and yelled to the man pursuing him to call 911 because his girlfriend was still inside, Wood said. (Wulfmeier's family disputes that Wulfmeier and McCall were dating).

Wulfmeier wasnt able to get out as the pickup sank, police said. It drifted with the current and was found the next day. A deputy coroner pronounced Wulfmeier dead at the scene.

After running from the sinking truck, McCall stole a car with the keys inside a few blocks away on Third Street. He drove to St. Charles, where he crashed into a ditch and was arrested, police said.

McCall had been living in St. Charles County when Wulfmeier died, but recent court files listed his address as an apartment in Winfield, Missouri.

In addition to involuntary manslaughter, McCall pleaded guilty of tampering, forgery, leaving the scene of an accident and stealing a motor vehicle.

Judge Milan Berry handed down the prison sentences for McCall. Some overlap, some run back to back, culminating in the 20 years total, Wood said.

I am saddened by the loss of life for this child and my heart goes out to her family, Wood said in a statement released Wednesday. Given the circumstances involved and after discussions with the family of the victim, we believed that 20 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections was an appropriate sentence, and that justice would be adequately served.

Wood praised Elsberry police, the Lincoln County sheriff's office and Missouri Highway Patrol for their work, along with assistant prosecutor John Krehmeyer, who was the lead prosecutor on the case.

McCalls lawyer, Grant Wobig, could not be reached for comment.

In an online obituary, Wulfmeier was remembered as a kind, fun-loving person. She graduated from the Francis Howell School District in 2018 and was looking forward to all that life would bring, her obituary said.

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Police in O'Fallon, Mo., are asking anyone who knows about a juvenile who had contact with a man charged last week with statutory rape and statutory sodomy to contact investigators.

Police said 41-year-old Erik Zerr used social media commonly used by teenagers to meet up with one victim. Zerr is known to drive a white pickup truck, police said.

A judge on Monday ordered Zerr held on $100,000 cash-only bond.

The OFallon Police Department said anyone with any knowledge of Zerr having contact with a juvenile contact Detective Matt Myers at 636-379-5670.

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CLAYTON  A St. Louis man convicted in November in what prosecutors described as a brutal, hourslong rape and attack of his ex-girlfriend in 2020 was sentenced Tuesday to three consecutive life prison terms plus 15 more years in prison.

Circuit Judge Jason Dodson sentenced Christopher Russell, 32, for 11 felony crimes including rape, sodomy, burglary, domestic assault and armed criminal action.

The woman who survived the attack told Russell in court Tuesday that he doesnt deserve to be called a man.

You are a creature  wicked and cruel, she told him. You tried to strip my power and ability as a woman and mother. However, you are nothing but a pitiful, poor creature that has no hope left. I have risen above the grief and will continue to be a shining light for every woman who goes through the same dark.

The judge told her that her light is already shining.

I hope you feel somewhat empowered, he said. You have survived some of the most wicked, cruelest, terrible things many of us have ever heard of.

He continued, I think you put it best. What he did was inhumane.

The woman testified at trial that Russells attack was pure evil, that he claimed he was Satans son while pistol-whipping her and raping her at gunpoint for more than three hours.

The woman, then 24, recalled waking to Russell kicking down the door of her south St. Louis County apartment in the early hours of Aug. 19, 2020, and firing a shot into the floor.

She said Russell forced her to crawl naked to the bathroom, smothered her with pillows until she blacked out and urinated on her bed and then stuffed her into a storage container. She said he also bit her, forced her to cut off her own hair and use a screwdriver on herself.

Jurors heard recordings of phone calls Russell made to the woman from the Dallas County jail in which he said he lost it, begging her to drop the charges.

Russell denied sexually assaulting the woman and testified that his recorded statements were taken out of context. A St. Louis County jail guard testified Tuesday that while incarcerated, Russell routinely masturbated in front of female corrections officers.

On Tuesday, Russell continued to deny all of the charges. His lawyer, Robert Taaffe, asked for a 20-year sentence.

In Missouri, a life term is calculated at 30 years. Russell will have to serve 85% of each consecutive sentence, plus 15 more years, before he could be considered for parole.

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JEFFERSON CITY  Some of Washington Universitys largest donors, including several top St. Louis-area business leaders, have contributed to a political action committee formed in the wake of dysfunction in the Missouri Senate.

The recently created RightPath PAC received 15 donations totaling more than $2 million on Monday, Missouri Ethics Commission records show.

Nearly all of the donors have a connection to Washington University or have served on its board of trustees.

Jorgen Schlemeier, consultant for the PAC and a registered lobbyist, said some of the goofy stuff introduced or said on the Senate floor is driving the donors up a wall.

Members of the hard-line GOP faction have repeatedly stalled traffic in the Senate due to disagreements with regular Republicans.

Certainly that kind of behavior is whats gotten everybodys attention, Schlemeier said.

If you get more people wanting to talk policy and less people wanting to talk politics on the floor, then youre going to have a more productive session, he said.

With candidate filing for this years elections yet to begin, members of the PAC havent decided which candidates it will eventually support, Schlemeier said.

Checks to the RightPath PAC came from figures such as Andy Taylor, executive chairman of Enterprise Holdings, and David Kemper, executive chairman of Commerce Bancshares, both of whom were involved in efforts to form Greater St. Louis Inc., a new regional business and civic advocacy group.

Schlemeier said an effort last year to tax Washington Universitys endowment over abortion concerns, as well as the Senates near-failure to extend a critical medical provider tax, caught donors attention.

Indeed, not all of the donors live in St. Louis or even Missouri. Rather, nearly every one of the donors to the PAC appear to be some of Washington Universitys most generous financial supporters over the years. Many sit on the universitys board of trustees or have in the past.

George Bauer, of Connecticut, gave $200,000 to the PAC. He is an emeritus trustee of Washington University and has funded a leadership initiative at the university that bears his name.

Another Connecticut resident, Andrew Bursky, runs financial firm Atlas Holdings and is Washington Universitys current vice chair. George Couch III lives in Pebble Beach, California, where his alcohol distribution company was located. But he is a longtime donor to Washington University and an emeritus board member. He gave $200,000 to the Missouri PAC.

Other notable donors include $200,000 from Blackford (Beau) Brauer of Bridgeton-based Hunter Engineering, as well as another $200,000 from the company itself. Brauers father, Stephen Brauer, was the former CEO of the company and is an emeritus trustee of Washington University. Stephen Brauer was also appointed as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium by former President George W. Bush.

Schlemeier said the effort wasnt as simple as regular Republicans lining up to oppose hard-line Republicans.

He said a couple Conservative Caucus members have a very good way of navigating good legislation and bringing sides together.

I think theyre looking for somebody that just has a good nature about them that wants to literally work with others, Schlemeier said.

Updated at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15.

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JEFFERSON CITY  Howls from supporters of Senate Republican hard-liners echoed through the Missouri Capitol on Tuesday as the faction pressed forward with its fight against Senate GOP leadership.

The small group of senators rallied a crowd of about 100 people  gathered in the Capitol building to support an aggressive gerrymander of Missouris congressional map  even after Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said over the weekend the chamber would table the redistricting debate.

As promised, when the Senate convened on Tuesday, the chamber moved to a topic not related to redistricting: extending the Fast Track scholarship program, backed by Gov. Mike Parson.

Hard-line Republicans immediately erected speed bumps, proposing controversial amendments dealing with transgender athletes, another barring Fast Track students from attending schools that also enroll individuals not legally in the United States and another dealing with critical race theory.

So-called regular Republicans and Democrats downed the amendments, angering the hard-liners.

This is ridiculous, said Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis. When were using privileged motions to cut off debate on some scholarship bill, thats garbage.

I just wish we could come to an agreement that we could just chill out, said Sen. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo.

The Senate adjourned shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday without taking any action on the scholarship program extension.

Legislative leaders wanted to dispense with the once-every-decade redrawing of congressional lines early in the legislative session, but the hard-liners for weeks have stymied approval of a less-aggressive 6-2 congressional map in the Senate.

Republicans want a 7-1 carve-up of Missouris congressional districts, getting rid of one of the Democratic districts.

Every time, every single time our leadership has said we cant get a 7-1 map our response has been the same  the filibuster goes on, hard-line Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, yelled to the rally crowd on Tuesday.

The so-called Conservative Caucus senators framed their efforts in militaristic terms to the crowd, likening filibusters and debates to battles.

Eigel referenced a quote by English philosopher John Stuart Mill, who said that though war is ugly, the decay and degradation of moral and patriotic values is uglier.

Senate leadership and a spokeswoman for Parson have blasted the chambers paralysis at the hands of the hard-liners.

On Tuesday, members of the House piled on; lawmakers applauded Rep. Don Rone, R-Portageville, who said the small group was only interested in themselves.

Inaction in the upper chamber means legislation that clears the faster-moving House languishes in the Senate.

Rone said some members are acting like they are on steroids.

Today, we cannot get our business passed through that body because certain senators down there are not there for the people. They are willing to flat stop the Senate in order to be self-serving, Rone said.

The people of the great state of Missouri deserve better than what they are getting out of that end of the building, Rone said.

I consider it a great honor to walk on this floor every day, Rone said.

Parsons team is keeping an eye on the situation. He originally wanted legislators to send him a supplemental budget by Feb. 1; his proposal was to mandate pay of at least $15 an hour for state workers.

While the House approved a pared-back pay increase last week, there had been no Senate action as of Tuesday.

Parson administration cabinet briefing materials obtained by the Post-Dispatch show the governors team expects the Senate to debate the supplemental budget in committee this week.

Debate and approval on the Senate floor could occur Thursday or next week, the briefing documents said. A House-Senate conference committee will then meet to work out differences between the two chambers, the materials said.

Grace Zokovitch and Kurt Erickson of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

Updated at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15

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JEFFERSON CITY  Budget writers in the Missouri Senate are siding with Gov. Mike Parson when it comes to giving state employees bigger paychecks.

With the clock ticking to approve a massive midyear budget adjustment, the Senate Appropriations Committee endorsed a plan Wednesday that would boost salaries by 5.5% and hourly wages to at least $15.

The estimated $4.5 billion plan was sent to the full Senate on an 11-2 vote.

For the most part were going to take the governors recommendations, said Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, who chairs the budget panel.

Although the committee action signaled progress, it remains to be seen whether the full Senate will be able to act on the spending package without another major fight breaking out between a group of hard-line Republicans and GOP senators who side with leadership.

The upper chamber has been tied in knots over the drawing of new congressional maps. Hard-liners want to gerrymander the states current 6-2 split between safe Republican and Democratic seats into a 7-1 map.

On Wednesday, Senate President Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, stripped one of the hard-liners of most of his committee assignments after he participated in multiple filibusters.

Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, also was at the center of a conservative effort to oust Parsons pick for the state health director, Donald Kauerauf. Among the committee assignments Moon lost was one that acts on gubernatorial appointees.

In response, Moon took over the Senate floor early Wednesday afternoon to filibuster legislation that would extend a college training program prized by Parson. He said his removal from the committee assignments would not quiet him.

With the threat of a snowstorm bearing down on Missouri, some tensions thawed in the evening, allowing the chamber to give preliminary approval to the college training program.

The intense and disruptive Republican infighting has resulted in no bills being fully passed out of the Senate during the current legislative session, which began Jan. 5.

Parson had wanted lawmakers to send him the money for pay raises by Feb. 1 to address an alarming exodus of workers from the state payroll. The state pays its workforce among the lowest in the U.S. and is seeing turnover rates of 26% in the past year.

That has led to service cuts at various agencies, long waits on state hotlines and a backlog of people waiting to receive mental health treatment.

The House version would shave $7 million from the $98 million price tag for the raises by targeting people in hard-to-fill direct care positions, while keeping custodians, cooks and clerks at $12 per hour.

The administration said the House version would affect an estimated 2,869 workers. Among agencies, the Department of Revenue accounted for 371 of those who would not see their pay rise to $15 an hour. The Department of Conservation and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education also have more than 300 workers who wouldnt qualify for the boost.

Parson was briefed last week on a plan by his state agencies for a job fair in Jefferson City designed to beef up workers in the capital city. The March 16 hiring event will include onsite interviews and conditional job offers.

In addition to the pay plan, the measure includes $1.6 billion to cover the cost of adding people to the states Medicaid roles. Since Medicaid was expanded to include more adults on Oct. 1, more than 60,600 people have enrolled.

The legislation also includes more than $2 billion in emergency pandemic relief for schools that must be inserted into the budget by March 24 or the state will lose it.

With 15 days of session scheduled before that deadline, Missouri is the lone state that has not authorized the distribution of the money for more than 550 school districts.

Originally posted at 1:55 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16. Updated at 7 p.m.

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ST. LOUIS  Much of the citys next allocation of federal pandemic aid would go to nuts-and-bolts items such as paving streets, replacing bridges and buying new firetrucks under a new plan before the Board of Aldermen.

The $85 million capital improvements bill, introduced last week by Alderman Tom Oldenburg, calls for using about $67.5 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act money and $16.5 million in regular city funds.

Oldenburg said he is pushing the measure because talks between Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and Aldermanic President Lewis Reeds offices on how to spend the remaining $108 million in the citys first year-allotment of ARPA funds had yet to produce an agreement.

I wanted to get things moving, so I just went with it, Oldenburg, of the 16th Ward, said in an interview.

Oldenburg said while Jones and Reed have some differences on the overall measure, they agree on most if not all the capital spending items.

The items are on a list crafted by an ongoing city capital committee that includes aides to Jones, Reed and Comptroller Darlene Green and others; Oldenburg is among two aldermen on the panel. The panel also got input from a citizens advisory panel.

Among outlays in Oldenburgs bill are $8.5 million to pave Grand and Union boulevards, Jefferson Avenue and Kingshighway, $4.2 million for LED streetlight conversions, $10.4 million for bridge repair and replacements and $16.1 million for Fire Department vehicles and building upgrades.

The plan also calls for $12.5 million in ongoing renovations at the main city jail downtown, adding to $7 million already allocated in the current city budget. It also provides millions for new vehicles for police and the parks, streets, forestry and refuse divisions and other items.

The money would be used in tandem with as much as $50 million in capital improvement bonds up for voter authorization in the April 5 election.

Nick Dunne, a Jones spokesman, and Mary Goodman, Reeds legislative director, said the two offices have held discussions on a joint overall proposal to spend the remaining first-year ARPA money but didnt provide details.

We want to come to an agreement (on the $108 million) before it comes to E&A, Dunne said, referring to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, the citys chief fiscal body. The aldermanic board also has to approve the spending.

Goodman said we have been in early discussions with the mayors office on a proposal that is jointly agreed on and benefits everyone.

Jones and Reed clashed last year over some aspects of the first round of ARPA spending. Jones eventually vetoed $33 million of a $168 million pandemic aid bill passed by aldermen.

Remaining in the allocation was more than $122 million in ARPA money and $12.4 million from a separate federal program for rental and utility bill assistance.

Goodman said Reed plans to support Oldenburgs capital spending bill, which will be discussed Thursday by the aldermanic Ways and Means Committee.

Dunne, the mayoral spokesman, said we definitely know the projects in the bill are something that we need and will be watching how this plays through the legislative process. He stopped short of saying Jones supports the measure.

The city is getting $498 million in ARPA money over two years. Of the $249 million received for the initial year, $17 million was put in the regular city budget to cover pandemic-related shortfalls.

Originally posted at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15.

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JEFFERSON CITY  U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a former presidential candidate, is backing Attorney General Eric Schmitt in the crowded Missouri GOP primary for U.S. Senate.

Im proud to endorse Eric Schmitt for U.S. Senate in Missouri. Eric is a fighter who will hold China accountable, defend religious freedom, take on Big Tech, and he will protect American jobs, the Texas Republican said in a news release on Wednesday.

Schmitts campaign, according to the latest filings with election regulators, is paying Axiom Strategies, the political consulting firm of Jeff Roe.

Roe managed Cruzs losing presidential bid in 2016 against former President Donald Trump.

The Cruz endorsement follows U.S. Sen. Josh Hawleys foray into the race on Saturday.

Hawley, R-Mo., endorsed U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, in the primary. Both Hawley and Hartzler have paid the firm OnMessage Inc. in their respective Senate bids.

Hawleys Hartzler endorsement didnt sit well with U.S. Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, who told Politico that Hawley misled him ahead of the Hartzler endorsement.

Long told the Missouri Independent that Hawley lied to him, but an unnamed source familiar with a meetup between Long and Hawley last week told the publication that Long didnt specifically ask about whether the Hartzler endorsement was in the works.

On Wednesday, Long complained that Hawley could have told him about the endorsement Saturday morning, when they were both at the GOPs Lincoln Days gathering in St. Charles. Long said on Twitter: Josh has my cell number, if he was honorable and wanted to give me a heads up he sure could have done it in person at the breakfast which ended shortly before the endorsement. We stood and visited there.

Other candidates vying for the nomination include Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, former Gov. Eric Greitens and St. Louis attorney Mark McCloskey.

Greitens resigned in 2018 amid an investigation of an extramarital affair in which he was accused of restraining a woman, insisting she give him oral sex, taking a photo and threatening to release it if she told anybody. Greitens said he and the woman had a consensual affair and denied there was a photo or a blackmail attempt. He has been endorsed by Rudy Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and Trump lawyer.

McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, became household names in 2020 after waving guns at racial injustice protesters outside their Portland Place mansion.

Filing opens Feb. 22; the primary is Aug. 2.

Updated at 4:21 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16.

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ST. LOUIS  With wintry weather returning, two new short-term shelters for homeless people will open Thursday, including one funded by the city at the Gamble Recreation Center in the Jeff-Vander-Lou area.

That facility, at 2907 Gamble Street, will be operated for at least two days and nights by City Hope St. Louis, a nonprofit organization.

The other new pop-up shelter, at Bridge of Hope Ministries at 4001 Cottage Avenue in the Greater Ville neighborhood, is being organized by a group of nonprofit organizations and volunteers.

It will operate at least on Thursday, said Tim Huffman, who is part of a citywide network of private groups that aid the homeless.

Each will be able to house as many as 30 people.

Bishop Michael Robinson, who heads City Hope St. Louis, said the two new sites will handle people who typically wont go into regular shelters with various restrictions but often will agree to facilities with few rules on extremely cold days.

Weather forecasts for St. Louis call for snow and ice on Thursday, with overnight temperatures dipping into the single digits.

When it just gets to that unbearable stage, theyll come in, or well try to do our best to convince them to come in, Robinson said.

Robinson said the city is donating the use of the rec center and will pay for supplies and staffing. The city already contracts with City Hope St. Louis to operate other homeless shelters.

Nick Dunne, a spokesman for Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, said the new temporary shelter will be covered by an existing contract with City Hope St. Louis that uses federal American Rescue Plan Act money.

In addition, Huffman said, St. Francis Xavier College Church at St. Louis University will add 10 more spaces to the 14 it normally has for homeless people on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Huffman, a SLU associate professor, and some other homeless advocates had criticized city officials for not providing enough so-called overflow spaces during times of extreme cold this winter.

Two such facilities, including one that operated on and off since November at a SLU event space on Olive Street, closed last week.

Alderman Christine Ingrassia, 6th Ward, has said with more than $16 million in federal money assigned last summer by the Board of Aldermen to homeless services, there shouldnt be a need for volunteer-led pop-up shelters in extremely cold weather.

Huffman on Wednesday said hes enthusiastic that all of the community partners have continued to work together and commended the city for stepping up to help as well.

I hope that it signals an era of further collaboration, he said.

Dunne, Jones spokesman, said this is part of the citys ongoing effort to ensure we can house our unhoused neighbors while efforts to set up longer-term facilities continue.

Originally posted at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16.

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Regarding Sliver of hope: Kremlin sees a diplomatic path on Ukraine (Feb. 14): The Biden administration has made it very clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States will not send U.S. troops to defend Ukraine, other than a few advisers. Such an amazingly weak and foolish public policy statement by the U.S. is like sending an all-clear message for Russia to invade Ukraine without fearing a military reaction from the U.S. and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This echoes the failed attempts to placate Nazi Germany in World War II.

Putin does not care about economic sanctions; he is focused on restoring areas of influence that the former Soviet Union maintained in Eastern Europe. After a Russian takeover of Ukraine, the Baltic States will be Putins next targets. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are mostly bordered by Russia and contain many ethnic Russians.

All three Baltic States have been part of NATO and the European Union since 2004. If NATO capitulates, it would prove that its promises of mutual military defense are worthless. It would make Poland the next Russian target. Later, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

I believe the U.S. and NATO must immediately reorient foreign policy statements toward Russia or continue to invite World War III.

Charles K. Munroe  Chesterfield
Regarding the editorial Parsons Christian values litmus test is blatantly unconstitutional (Feb. 3): Would that the people of Missouri be so fortunate as to have a pro-life governor who led with Christian values. Such a person would be more concerned about loving his neighbors (read: citizens of our state) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, especially the vulnerable or the least of these, as Jesus said, and encourage masking rather than disputing their efficacy. Such a leader would also be publicly rebuking Attorney General Eric Schmitt for suing school districts over mask mandates, forcing the districts to divert educational funds for legal defense.
When I was in grade school and high school, U.S. history and citizenship were required classes to learn how and why we became the United States of America. We learned that our government was a democracy with three branches, in order to allow a system of checks and balances. We were taught how the election process worked. We had to memorize the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Every morning we stood, right hand over heart, and said the Pledge of Allegiance facing the flag.

I realize that our education system has deteriorated in many areas over the decades, but have we quit teaching history and citizenship? I shudder when some elected officials are unable to correctly name the three branches of government like Tommy Tuberville, then the senator-elect from Alabama, did in 2020.

Maybe we need to pass a law that anyone running for office should first have recently passed a citizenship test. Our country still has a high level of illiteracy and reading comprehension (as our officials brashly exhibit). Given these issues, I believe banning books in this day and age is detrimental to our countrys overall intelligence. Anything that will get Americans interested in reading and understanding is a plus in my book.

Karen Meldrum  St. Louis County
Someone flew in for the group trip a day late, so should they still pay for yesterdays hotel night? Someone else doesnt drink alcohol, so do you split bottle service costs if they still sat at the clubs reserved table? Meanwhile, someone else really doesnt want to pay for their own matching T-shirt that everyone else agreed to, which is sure going to look goofy in the family photo.

Family reunions, bachelor or bachelorette parties and other group trips can be rewarding. But if people arent on the same page financially, that can lead to arguments or resentment.

Group trips are on the rise. Hotel company IHG said it expects strong growth in 2022 among social, military, education, religious and fraternal groups traveling to its hotels. And wedding website the Knot predicts that 2022 will see a more than 20% increase in weddings versus 2021.

That means plenty of opportunities to travel with friends and family (not to mention plenty of opportunities for encountering awkward money situations).

Theres no one-size-fits-all approach to answering each awkward money situation. But there is one method that  if done correctly  can prevent awkward money situations from ruining your group trip: communicating in advance.

Treat your vacation relationship like a marriage

Most people dont like discussing how much money they make, have or spend with people besides their partners or spouses  and even that can be difficult. But you should treat fellow financial decision-makers for your trip like you would treat a potential spouse: Be open about each others budgets, and know what youre getting into.

Communicate budget preferences before you commit

Be upfront about how much youre willing to spend, who is paying for what, and what you do or dont want to pay for. You dont necessarily have to agree, but have a plan for when you disagree.

If your priorities differ so drastically that you cant agree to disagree, then its also OK to back out of the trip.

Decide which finances to merge vs. separate

Joint versus separate finances: Either can work in successful partnerships, and the concept applies to trips, too. Just make sure you decide whether receipts will be pooled evenly or not before you book the trip.

The joint finance method can keep things simple (e.g., everyone stays at the same hotel). But it can lead to bitterness if priorities differ, like if someone wanted to splurge on a fancier hotel than you settled on. Both can work, as long as you understand the trade-offs.

You can even do a mix of both. Everyone might book their own flights so one person can fly first class even if someone else can settle with basic economy. Meanwhile, you might agree to split the vacation rental and groceries that stock it.

Have a plan for common travel scenarios

Everyones relationship with their finances is as unique as their relationships with their friends and family.

So, while theres no right way to solve every money situation, here are some common ones.

Problem: You cant keep up with everyone elses spending habits

Solution: Split up for a bit.

Be upfront if someone elses vacation priorities or budget dont align with yours. Maybe someone prefers caviar and champagne while youd prefer the budget-friendlier hole in the wall.

Its OK to dine separately, then exchange stories about your experiences later.

Splitting up can also help avoid spending money on something you wont enjoy. Even if you technically can afford it, dont let your buddies guilt you into a Michelin-starred meal youre just not that into. Explain that youd prefer to prioritize certain purchases over others (and accept that they might not join in on your spa day or in the first-class seating, either).

Problem: Someone isnt getting the full benefit of a split cost

Solution: Defray costs elsewhere.

When splitting costs, not everyone will derive equal value down to the last cent. Accept that one person will always eat at least slightly more at the family-style meal, while only one person can likely take home the leftovers.

But in other scenarios, it can be clear where someone didnt get the full benefit of a split cost (e.g., a shared meal when someone doesnt drink or a vacation rental where someone got the master suite while someone else got the couch). Whats less clear is how to split the cost.

You could summon the Mathlete team to help calculate how to split the bill (there are also apps that do this, like Splitwise). That can make sense for relationships where the preference is to split things evenly, down to the last penny.

Otherwise, use your best judgment to compensate people who didnt get as much value as others. If the nondrinker at dinner is also the designated driver, consider covering their meal completely. If someone arrived at the vacation rental a couple of days later than everyone else, consider splitting the cost of the home, but letting them off the hook for the grocery bill (after all, theyre likely partaking in less food, too).

Problem: A companion wants to pay for group expenses with points

Solution: Come up with a reasonable price tag.

Travel and credit card points are certainly valuable, but theyre not exactly a real currency. Youre likely not going to pay someone back in points. While NerdWallet has put in extensive work to assign value to your points, it wouldnt feel quite right to assume that  just because the 100,000-point trip you booked is worth, say, $2,000  your travel buddy should reimburse you $1,000. So even if you do have perks with a nicer hotel, you might want to evaluate if the overall hotel price is still worth it for the group

Still, you might not necessarily want to skip booking on points in lieu of cash, as points bookings often entail additional benefits, like flexible cancellation policies or waived resort fees.

Instead, communicate and agree on what the points are worth ahead of booking.

You could calculate the trips cost in cash and have your buddy pay half that amount. But that can feel slimy if youre staying at, say, a $1,000-per-night Hilton resort booked through a free night certificate that you earned on a credit card with an annual fee much less than that.

You might factor in the opportunity cost of earning those points. Perhaps you got the points through a sign-up bonus on a credit card, but the card has a $500 annual fee. Consider your buddy covers part of the credit card fee.

If you got the points at no cost  perhaps they were granted through work trips booked on your corporate card  you might just donate them to the group trip.

As a receiver of such bookings, consider finding a way to say thank you, such as paying for the meals of the person who provided the points.

Accept that awkward money scenarios are inevitable

Successful partnerships require compromise  as do group trips. Your budget-conscious friends might want the red-eye flight, and now youre delirious from coffee overload and insufficient sleep. Conversely, you might find yourself funding things you didnt want, like a private cabana.

Youre probably not going to get away with sitting on the regular pool deck while everyone else indulges in their shaded champagne showers. Accept that some unwanted costs are inevitable. Rather than cringe at how much youre spending, remember that youre spending time on new experiences with people you love, perhaps clad in matching outfits to boot.

And as you do that, toast to the reason why you went on a group trip. Cheers!

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.

The article How to Handle Awkward Money Situations on a Group Trip originally appeared on NerdWallet.
Room service can feel convenient after a long day of business trip meetings. It can manifest luxury for vacationers craving breakfast in bed or late-night pizza on a whim.

But few would deny that room service is outrageously expensive. Around $10 is the norm for a bowl of cereal, milk and perhaps a strawberry for garnish (if youre lucky).

Offering room service is not often cheap for hotel operators, either. It can require additional kitchen space, equipment and permits. Plus, it can be expensive for already short-staffed hotels to hire employees for a portion of the business that has variable demand.

Room service, it seems, is an obligatory offering that might satisfy a sudden Capn Crunch craving. According to a 2019 survey by market research company Phocuswright, 67% of travelers used traditional room service in that year.

Even so, the costs involved hardly satisfy anyone  so the ongoing evolution of this service might be a welcome change for all.

Room service alternatives come knocking

Third-party food delivery apps have discovered a niche: They can serve better food  and cheaper  to hotel guests.

Some of this shift happened organically, as increasing numbers of hotel visitors realized they could order dinner to the lobby from a local restaurant for less than the cost of subpar sandwiches from room service.

In light of this shift, food delivery services are increasingly partnering directly with hotels. These partnerships can give hotels the chance to focus on the other aspects of hospitality.

The ease with which this happens can vary. A spokesperson for DoorDash said in an email that its up to the hotel as to where the delivery driver should leave the customers order. Sometimes hotels allow deliveries directly to rooms, while others prefer it be left at the front desk for the customer to come down and pick up. Others ask that the customer greet their driver in the lobby and collect their food in person.

DoorDash lets customers add notes as to where theyd like the handoff to be made, and in-app messaging allows both parties to communicate throughout the delivery.

Restaurant meals can still be expensive though, so some hotel guests have turned to grocery delivery services, like Instacart. A company spokesperson said in an email that while Instacart couriers will deliver to hotels, customers should provide clear delivery instructions and be available to chat in real time if need be.

Other ways room service is evolving

Hotel-specific partnerships, like Hyatts with Gopuff

Among the latest in room service alternatives is a partnership between Hyatt Place and prepackaged snack delivery service Gopuff, which delivers to homes in more than 1,000 cities worldwide for a $1.95 delivery fee.

With the Hyatt Place partnership, guests get free delivery to their hotel. And while Gopuff is primarily prepackaged items, a few Hyatt Place locations offer fresh meals, too. Items like pizza, breakfast sandwiches, cafe style coffee and matcha drinks can be found on the menu.

Prices tend to run slightly more than a standard grocery store, but they look like a deal next to room service.

Consider this: Gopuff sells a 12-ounce box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch plus a half gallon of soy milk for about $9  roughly the same price as room service, but a size that serves roughly eight people instead of one. Champagne starts at $7.99 for 750 milliliters, yet youd be hard-pressed to find room service wine bottles for less than $30.

Hyatt says its seen success. What started as a pilot in 2021 in about a dozen Hyatt Place hotels has expanded to about three dozen now. Emily Wright, vice president and global brand leader at Hyatt, said in an email that plans are to grow the partnership further.

More elaborate vending machines

Room service alternatives arent limited to just third-party delivery services, and the mechanisms of food on demand are evolving. Look to the vending machine industry, which is now capable of serving hot, fresh meals rather than just prepackaged snacks.

Carlo's Bakery  the bakery featured on Cake Boss on TV channel TLC  has cake vending machines around North America, with numerous locations inside Las Vegas Strip hotels such as the Paris and Flamingo. That provides an opportunity to grab a midnight snack while most businesses are closed, or at the very least allows you to receive (and eat) your cake nearly instantly.

Similarly, some San Francisco Bay Area locations of Marriotts Aloft Hotels host ramen vending machines from a company called Yo-Kai Express, which promises gourmet-quality soup in less than a minute.

Credit card benefits can help you save even more

Many food delivery companies have partnered with credit card companies to net you additional discounts. Some offer bonus spending rewards, while others offer perks like free delivery.

Now through the end of March, certain Chase credit cards offer qualifying cardholders a complimentary DashPass subscription. The DoorDash membership program gets you free delivery on most restaurant orders over $12.

Meanwhile, some American Express credit cards allow you to pay for Grubhub purchases with points. Terms apply.

The bottom line

Whether its food delivery apps or smart vending machines, there may hardly be a reason to opt for room service anymore. And in a time where the pandemic might make you think that room service is better than a crowded hotel bar, there might be something better than room service as well.

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.

The article Is Room Service Dead? Replacements Could Be Better, Cheaper originally appeared on NerdWallet.
LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Stocks lower as half-point US rate hike looms

Tuesday, May 3, 2022 - 12:22

Shares were trading slightly lower in London at midday Tuesday, as investors prepare for interest rate hikes in both the US and UK later this week.

All eyes are on the conclusion on Wednesday of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting, where it is expected to lift borrowing costs by half a percentage point. It would be the first time since 2000 that the US central bank has raised rates by 50 basis points at one meeting.

Earlier Tuesday, Australia joined the tightened cycle started by central banks elsewhere. The Sydney-based central bank raised the main lending rate by 25 basis points to 0.35%, the first increase since November 2010.

The FTSE 100 index was down 32.64 points, or 0.4%, at 7,511.91. The mid-cap FTSE 250 index was down 12.02 points, or 0.1%, at 20,696.69. The AIM All-Share index was down 2.31 points, or 0.1%, at 1,019.95.

The Cboe UK 100 index was down 0.7% at 745.25. The Cboe 250 was down 0.5% at 18,172.69. The Cboe Small Companies climbed 0.1% to 15,174.74.

In mainland Europe, the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.2% and the DAX 40 in Frankfurt was up 0.4%.

Markets are particularly worried about lockdown in China and how fast US interest rates might go up. We'll get clarity on the latter tomorrow when the Federal Reserve gives its latest policy decision, with markets expecting half a percentage point increase in the Fed Funds rate. Central banks typically raise rates by a quarter percentage point, but the Fed is under pressure to be more aggressive to combat rising inflation, said AJ Bell's Russ Mould.

The Bank of England will announce its own rate decision on Thursday.

Can the BoE surprise with a 50bps hike at some point this year? The short answer: it's a long shot, commented Sanjay Raja, senior economist at Deutsche Bank. While a bigger move may be on the table in the coming meetings, we see...reasons why a 50bps move remains unlikely in the UK, despite other central banks upping the ante for bigger moves.

Raja noted that the UK central bank moved early, so it doesn't need to catch-up with global peers. As well, more so than other advanced economies, the UK is at risk of falling into recession.

In the FTSE 100, M&G was up 3.0% at midday on Tuesday, after HSBC raised the investment manager to 'buy' from 'hold'.

In addition, St James's Place was up 1.9% after HSBC also upgraded the wealth manager to 'buy' from 'hold'.

BP was up 2.0%. The oil major swung to a first-quarter loss due to its decision to exit from its shareholding in Rosneft in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine; however on an underlying basis, the oil major reported a big jump in profit.

For the three months that ended March 31, BP swung to an attributable loss of $20.38 billion from a $4.67 billion profit in the first quarter last year. BP said the reported result included pretax adjusted items of $30.8 billion.

By its preferred metric, BP swung to a replacement cost loss of $23.04 billion from a replacement cost profit of $3.33 billion the year before.

The London-based firm attributed the loss to its decision to exit its near-20% shareholding in state-owned Russian oil firm Rosneft. BP said that, in the first quarter, the total post-tax charge for this was $25.5 billion.

On an underlying replacement cost basis, BP reported a profit of $6.25 billion, up 54% from $4.07 billion in the fourth quarter of last year and more than doubled from $2.63 billion a year ago.

BP raised its first-quarter dividend by 4.0% to 5.46 cents from 5.25 cents the year before. Further, during the first quarter BP generated surplus cash flow of $4.1 billion and said it intends to execute a $2.5 billion share buyback prior to announcing its second quarter results.

Rival oil producer Shell, which posts its own first-quarter numbers on Thursday, was down 1.0%.

BP's results come as calls from the opposition Labour Party for a windfall tax on UK oil majors grow louder, as the country grapples with a cost-of-living crisis.

Last week, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak appeared to distance himself from such a tax but did not entirely rule it out.

The chancellor called on companies making generating large profit to invest the cash back into the UK instead.

It sounds appealing. 'Great, we're taxing bad energy companies more, that will solve all our problems', he said in an interview with Mumsnet. The reason we haven't gone down that road is, really simply we need to invest more. That's why we haven't gone for some extra tax. Because what I don't want to do is discourage investment in our own energy supplies.

The view was echoed by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who said on Tuesday that a windfall tax on big energy firms would deter investment and make it harder to meet the country's net-zero environmental goals.

At the other end of the large-caps, Segro was the worst performer, down 7.4%. Kepler Cheuvreux downgraded the warehouse property investor to 'hold' from 'reduce'.

In the FTSE 250, Auction Technology Group was the best performer, up 7.0%, after JPMorgan raised the online auction operator to 'overweight' from 'neutral'.

Energean was up 4.5%. Subsidiary Energean Israel signed a gas sales agreement with the East Hagit Power Plant Ltd Partnership.

Under the agreement, Energean will supply gas to East Hagit for a term of 15 years, with a total contract quantity of up to 12 billion cubic feet. Energean said the agreement has the potential to generate revenue of up to $2 billion over the offtake period.

On AIM, Hutchmed (China) was down 15%, after the drugmaker said the US Food & Drug Administration has rejected its surufatinib for treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours.

In a complete response letter, the FDA said the current data package, based on two positive phase three trials in China and one bridging study in the US, does not support an approval in the US at this time.

The FDA said a multi-regional clinical trial of surufatinib required for US approval. Surufatinib was approved in China for the treatment of pNETs and extra-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours in June 2021 and December 2020, respectively.

The dollar was higher across the board as the US Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting gets underway. The pound was quoted at $1.2512 at midday on Tuesday, down from $1.2568 at the London equities close Friday.

The euro was priced at $1.0517, down from $1.0547. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar was trading at JP130.11, up from JP129.68.

On the economic front, UK manufacturing sector activity edged higher last month on increased intakes of new business against a backdrop of rising price inflationary pressures, S&P Global said.

The UK S&P Global-CIPS manufacturing purchasing managers' index was 55.8 points in April, up slightly from the preliminary estimate of 55.3 and the score of 55.2 registered in March.

S&P said the start of the second quarter saw a mild growth acceleration in the UK manufacturing sector. The rate of expansion in output improved from March's five-month low, leading to a further solid increase in staffing levels.

Brent oil was quoted at $106.51 a barrel on Tuesday at midday, down sharply from $110.30 at the London equities close on Friday. Gold stood at $1,858.33 an ounce, down from $1,906.75.

New York was pointed to a slightly lower open ahead of earnings reports from semiconductor maker Advanced Micro Devices, drugmaker Pfizer, and coffee-house chain Starbucks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was called down 0.2%, the S&P 500 down 0.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite down 0.3%, based on futures trading. The stock indices had closed up 0.3%, 0.6% and 1.6% respectively on Monday.

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Fears that covid19 would disrupt military operations or even reduce the number of recruits proved wrong. In most countries it was all about the age and health of the average soldier. The troops tend to be younger and healthier than the population as a whole. Despite the difficulties conducting basic and advanced military training, fewer new recruits were needed because fewer first-term soldiers were leaving the military after their initial enlistment. That was due to the rising unemployment rates because of the lockdowns. Not only were more troops staying in, but there was no shortage of qualified recruits trying to enlist. Periods of high-unemployment do that.

Covid19 had minimal impact on most armed forces worldwide. This was particularly the case in the United States where the rate of infection was lower than the population as a whole and was kept that way because most troops lived on military bases, which include housing for families of service members. Restricting all personnel to base during the epidemic further reduced exposure. Rates of infection varied between services, in part because the army and marines had troops training in large groups while the air force did not. The navy worked hard to keep covid19 away from ships going to sea.

The advantage the troops have is that recruits and veterans are generally young and must remain in excellent health to continue serving. This is especially true of troops in units deployed overseas and the crews of ships. Some 87 percent are between 18 and 39 years old while over 90 percent of ship crews are 18-39. The main covid19 danger in the military is to family members and civilian employees. These are more likely to include civilians who may be older or less healthy. These groups are more likely to die if infected. For the American military, the ability to limit the spread of covid19 was essential for troops stationed overseas, especially in the Far East where countries like South Korea and Taiwan were able to contain the spread of covid19 and suffered a much lower number of deaths per capita than Western nations.

Containing infections was important because, if people are never exposed to the disease, there are no covid19 deaths at all. Even then most people less than 60 years old quickly figure out that the danger is much less than publicized. For example, the death rate of covid19 victims is 0.13 percent for younger (under 40) victims but that death rate gets much higher (2-3 percent) for males between 60 and 80 in poor health and that goes to 20 percent for those over 80. This was something a lot of public health officials did not realize early on.

In the military, the most serious problem was troops getting infected and passing it on to more vulnerable civilians. Some 10-15 percent of the troops will suffer the effects of covid19 but few will die. Nevertheless, the impact of covid19 on troops is a problem for morale and overall readiness. In combat zones around the world, the presence of covid19 was soon a reality. Most of these wars are disorganized affairs involving lots of irregulars, part-timers and militias. The fighting tends to take place in areas that never had much in the way of modern health care or high standards of living. Since covid19 is less lethal than many of the existing diseases, like malaria in many parts of Africa, the new flu-type disease would come and go without much notice were it not for all the publicity. It was different in urban areas where the politicians and wealthier individuals prefer to live. These have better health care but they are also older and more prone to die from covid19. For them, covid19 was a crisis and many foreign reporters preferred to do their interviews in urban areas, not realizing the younger soldiers and irregulars out in the countryside were more vulnerable to the usual diseases or lack of medical care for wounds or other injuries. Islamic terror groups warned their members to avoid places where covid19 was infecting and killing people. In some areas there was less Islamic terrorist activity for a while but since these groups are largely composed of younger men, all they had to do is follow the alternative advice; trust in God. Many Islamic terror groups depend on raiding and extortion to obtain supplies and cash. In these cases, some of them were seen wearing face masks as they made their rounds.

Armed forces have always been particularly vulnerable to epidemic disease. For this reason, nations that can afford it ensure that new recruits have all available vaccines before joining. The worst that can happen is that a new epidemic disease comes along. With covid19 it was not a problem, but a century ago a severe strain of influenza, that was especially lethal to the young and healthy, came along. The 1918 (Spanish Flu) had an overall death rate (2.1 percent) three times that of covid19. For people of military age, the Spanish Flu was more than ten times deadlier than covid19. Unlike covid19, there were no drugs available to treat Spanish Flu victims. The Spanish Flu deaths were accepted by the population as another natural disaster.

The Spanish Flu was so devastating for military organizations that it was believed that if the Spanish Flu had arrived a year or two earlier, it might have caused World War I to end differently, with a ceasefire or armistice rather than the outright defeat of Germany. Since then, finding a cure or treatment for flu-like diseases has been one of the key goals of medical research.

The next Spanish Flu has yet to appear and covid19 certainly wasnt it. Even the particularly severe Asian Flu of 1957/58 had a higher fatality rate among the young than covid19. What made covid19 more frightening was that those who did get it felt more pain and suffering than the worst influenza. That made it seem like more of a threat than it actually was. Because of that many politicians and some public health officials declared covid19 to be a much greater threat than severe strains of flu, which it wasnt. In time covid19 will become known more as the covid19 panic rather than a major killer like the Spanish Flu.

While an epidemic disease is active the risk is more about what you think it is than what it actually is. The difference in 2019 was that a century of efforts to find a cure, or at least treatments, for the flu and related diseases like covid19, were successful. There were no vaccines for the flu but the tech had arrived that allowed a treatment to be developed each year for the annual flu and this antiviral treatment was erroneously called a vaccine even though it obviously did not prevent the vaccinated from getting the flu but did increase resistance to the flu, reducing the severity of the disease and reducing deaths. By 2020 similar antivirals could be quickly developed for related diseases like covid19 and the 2012 MERS and 2003 SARS. These earlier covid type diseases were less lethal and quick to spread, but it was obvious that eventually one would come along that spread more quickly and might be more lethal as well. Politicians and the media largely ignored the facts and portrayed covid19 as one of the worst flu-like diseases ever while also assuring the public that vaccines would soon be available. The scientific reality was overwhelmed by misrepresentation and sensationalism.
FILE PHOTO: Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. Picture taken March 24, 2016. REUTERS/Nick Oxford

By Stephanie Kelly

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil tumbled over 3% on Tuesday, retreating from a seven-year high after Russia said some of its military units were returning to their bases following exercises near Ukraine, a move that appeared to de-escalate tension between Moscow and the West.

It was not clear how many units were being withdrawn, and by what distance, after a build-up of an estimated 130,000 Russian troops. An earlier Interfax report on the troop movements had prompted oil to extend losses.

"The situation is very fluid, but today is definitely a calmer day," said Robert Yawger, executive director of energy futures at Mizuho. "It's going to be a minute-to-minute, day-to-day type of thing."

Brent crude fell $3.20, or 3.3%, to settle at $93.28 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $3.39, or 3.6%, to end at $92.07 a barrel.

Both oil benchmarks hit their highest since September 2014 on Monday, with Brent touching $96.78 and WTI reaching $95.82. The price of Brent jumped 50% in 2021, while WTI soared around 60%, as a global recovery in demand from the COVID-19 pandemic strained supply.

The latest Russia-Ukraine development drew a cautious response from Ukraine and Britain, after days of U.S. and British warnings that Moscow might invade its neighbor at any time.

On Tuesday, Ukraine said its defense ministry and two banks had been subject to a cyber attack, appearing to point the finger at Russia.

Investors are also watching talks between the United States and Iran on reviving Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, which could potentially allow for increased Iranian oil exports.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Monday, and they noted a "tangible move forward" in reviving the Iran nuclear deal, Russia's foreign ministry said.

Underlining the tight supply and demand balance, U.S. crude stockpiles fell by 1.1 million barrels for the week ended Feb. 11, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Gasoline inventories fell by 923,000 barrels while distillate stocks fell by 546,000 barrels. [API/S]

U.S. government data on inventories is due on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York; additional reporting by Alex Lawler in London and Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Evans)
NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal court judge has ruled that JLM Couture will retain access to the key social media accounts used to promote its bridal brands. The accounts, including the 1.1 million-follower Instagram account (IG), are and have always been critical pieces of JLM's marketing and advertising program for its Hayley Paige brands, the judge ruled.

Both the District Court and the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that the employment contract is clear and unambiguous and that there is a likelihood of success on JLM's claims against Ms. Gutman because she "breached her duty to assist with the advertising programsand repudiated her obligation to post [JLM's] content on the Instagram account, and 'used the Instagram account to promote third party goods and build a commercial platform she intended to use for herself as an influencer."

In January, Ms. Gutman posted on her social media account that the appeals court ordered JLM to hand over control of the IG account to her. With Judge Swain's latest ruling, Ms. Gutman's posting have been shown to be false.

Judge Swain has reinstated and revised the Preliminary Injunction (PI) to allow Ms. Gutman to post only content that solely promotes the Hayley Paige brands on the @MissHayleyPaige IG and Pinterest accounts. The court's latest order continues to bar Ms. Gutman from locking JLM out, promoting herself as an influencer, and/or using the account(s) for any commercial purposes other than promoting the Hayley Paige brands, changing the name of the IG or Pinterest accounts, deleting, or altering any content, communicating with followers or other third parties in connection with any non-JLM commercial venture, or gaining exclusive control over the accounts.

Judge Swain, in her Order, continues to recognize that "content included on the social media platformsmust meet certain criteria, including that it must be 'consistent with JLM's high standards of quality and decorum' and 'promote the HP brands.'"

A spokesperson for the company said, "The Court's ruling is affirmation that up until Ms. Gutman's breach of her contract, the social media accounts have solely been used to advertise the Hayley Paige brands. JLM has always and continues to welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Ms. Gutman in promoting the Hayley Paige brands in a way that is in line with the brand image."

JLM expects there will be further modifications to the PI at the appropriate time.

ABOUT JLM COUTURE, INC.JLM Couture, Inc. (OTC: JLMC) is a multi-label bridal house engaged in the design, manufacture, and distribution of bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses. The company's bridal gown collections are Hayley Paige, Blush by Hayley Paige, Lazaro, Tara Keely, Ti Adora, and Allison Webb. The bridesmaid collection is Hayley Paige Occasions. JLM Boutique, the company's flagship bridal store, is located in West Hollywood, California.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/judge-rules-jlm-couture-retains-access-to-misshayleypaige-instagram-account-301483134.html

SOURCE JLM Couture
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A federal judge in Georgia on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Air Force from punishing an officer who filed a lawsuit in January after she was denied a religion-based exemption from the mandatory coronavirus vaccine.

U.S. District Court Judge Tillman E. Self III granted a preliminary injunction for the unnamed Air Force Reserve officer in an order published Tuesday that labeled the services process for granting religion-based coronavirus vaccine exemptions illusory and insincere.

The judge, who is based in Macon, Ga., ruled the Air Force had likely violated the officers First Amendment rights when the service denied her initial request for a religion-based waiver and her subsequent appeal of that decision in December, while service officials as of Feb. 8 approved exemptions for 3,313 airmen for medical or nonreligious administrative reasons.

It seems illogical to think, let alone argue, that plaintiffs religious-based refusal to take a [coronavirus] vaccine would seriously impede military function when the Air Force has at least 3,300 other service members still on duty who are just as unvaccinated as her, Self wrote in his ruling. The only difference is that plaintiff is unvaccinated because she followed her religion and the others were granted either a medical or administrative exemption from receiving a [coronavirus] vaccine.

When the unnamed officer, who is based at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., filed her lawsuit on Jan. 6, the Air Force had not granted any religion-based accommodations, but the service has since granted nine. The service has denied 3,665 requests for a religion-based waiver and was still considering 3,288, as of Feb. 8, according to service data. The Air Force had removed 142 active-duty airmen from the service for refusing the vaccine, the service said last week.

The Department of the Air Force is aware of the preliminary injunction and will abide by the courts order until the matter is legally resolved. The Air Force has no other comments about this ongoing litigation, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in a statement.

The Air Force officers lawsuit describes her as a 25-year veteran who has never faced disciplinary issues during her career. It states she serves in an administrative position in the Air Force Reserve that would not be tasked to deploy or likely to engage in physically demanding military operations. She is also a civilian employee of the Air Force and works at Robins Air Force Base in her nonuniformed role. She has filed a separate request for a religion-based exemption to the vaccine in her civilian capacity, but the service had not ruled on it before a federal judge in Texas last month temporarily stopped the government from enforcing President Joe Bidens vaccine mandate for federal civilian workers.

The officer plans to retire from the Air Force under protest, if she is not ultimately exempted from the vaccine, which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mandated for U.S. troops in August.

The Air Force officer argued in her lawsuit that she cannot take the vaccine because as a Christian she is opposed to abortion as a grave evil.

All three coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the United States were tested and developed using fetal cell lines, which are laboratory-grown cells derived from abortions performed several decades ago, according to the National Institutes of Health. Several religious authorities, including the Vatican, have said the vaccines were morally acceptable for its congregations.

Plaintiff sincerely believes that receiving a vaccine that was derived from or tested on aborted fetal tissue in its development would violate her conscience and is contrary to her faith, the officers lawsuit reads.  Fidelity to her religious beliefs is more important to plaintiff than her career and compensation, but the Constitution prohibits defendants from forcing her to choose between her beliefs and her employment.

The lawsuit also states the officer contracted the coronavirus in 2020 and a coronavirus antibody test in December 2021 showed she continued to have antibodies in her system. She is also willing to take regular [coronavirus] tests when working in-person on the base, wear a mask, socially distance and work remotely as appropriate, according to the lawsuit.

She is at least the 38th U.S. service member granted a preliminary injunction barring the Pentagon from punishing her for refusing the vaccine. A federal judge in Texas granted 26 Navy SEALs and nine other Navy special operators a preliminary injunction against punishment in January. A federal judge in Florida this month issued a preliminary injunction protecting a Navy officer and Marine Corps officer from punishment in a separate case.

All the judges have stopped short of granting a nationwide injunction to protect all service members from punishment for refusing the vaccine. In her lawsuit, the Air Force officer had sought such an injunction, Self wrote in his order.

However, he added, her allegations in the case simply dont warrant a nationwide injunction.

Self, who served four years in the Army as an artillery officer before becoming a lawyer, wrote the Air Force should reconsider its process for religion-based exemptions.

With such a marked record disfavoring religious accommodation requests, the court easily finds that the Air Forces process to protect religious rights is both illusory and insincere, he wrote. In short, its just theater.
HOHENFELS, Germany  If tiny Latvias single active army brigade ever came under attack by Russian forces, its task would be keeping them on their heels while staying alive long enough for allies to send reinforcements, the brigade commander said.

Its not like 1945, when we were on our own, said Col. Sandris Gaugers, referring to a time when his country was under Soviet occupation and lacked the protection that comes with its NATO member status.

Now, a new U.S. Army mission in Europe is helping the militaries of Latvia and other countries anxious about Russian aggression prepare for their own worst-case scenarios.

The 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade, which was set up to support a broader Army shift in how the service partners with other militaries around the world, dispatched its first advisers to Europe in October.

The relevance of this organization in the current security climate in Europe is self-evident, said Col. Robert Born, commander of the Fort Carson, Colo.-based 4th SFAB.

A buildup of an estimated 130,000 Russian soldiers and advanced weaponry near Ukraines northern, eastern and southern borders is stoking fears of another war on the Continent.

In Latvia, Georgia, North Macedonia, Poland and Romania, the specially trained U.S. soldiers are the first of what is to be a continuous series of six-month rotations.

The aim is to have the U.S advisers develop a deeper connection with foreign militaries than they would form through conventional training methods, which tend to be more episodic. The SFAB contingent is working with the Latvians in their own country.

Its all about having (American soldiers) literally embedded. It speeds up the process, Gaugers said in an interview earlier this month in Hohenfels, where his troops played a main role in the U.S. Armys recent Allied Spirit exercise.

Gaugers said the 22 SFAB troops embedded with his unit are helping in two key areas: improving artillery firing tactics and collaborating on a strategy for ensuring that forces can stay supplied in the event of a large-scale attack.

How do you protect (the supply lines)? Thats where we need to learn more, Gaugers said.

The first rotation of U.S. soldiers from the 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade in Europe comes as tensions continue to escalate between Russia and the West over Moscows military buildup around Ukraine.

The Armys first SFAB unit was formed in 2018 to assist in Afghanistan, and more have been set up in the years since that are aligned with other parts of the world. However, SFAB soldiers in Europe are partnered with more advanced militaries, given a shared NATO connection.

That means more attention to the kind of high-end combat skills needed against an adversary like Russia, which has the ability to attack by land, sea and air and also in the cyber realm.

Latvia, a small Baltic country, is outgunned by a wide margin when compared with neighboring Russia. Many security analysts have long viewed the region as NATOs most vulnerable, given Russias geographic and military advantage.

For Latvian forces, countering a potential Russian attack would hinge on their ability to disperse their forces, fire on the move and ensure that ammunition and other supplies can reach troops without detection.

Any larger defense of Latvia also would hinge on support from the rest of NATO, which is obligated under the alliances Article 5 to come to the defense of a member under attack.

Gaugers said he has confidence in NATO defense plans for his country and believes that Latvia wouldnt be left on its own. One of his U.S. counterparts affirmed his belief.

We always fight as a coalition, said Maj. Edward Gibbons, a 4th SFAB team leader embedded with the Latvians.

Sometimes the advising can go both ways, soldiers said. For example, Latvian forces have built a communication architecture that they think would withstand Russian attack, enabling troops to maintain contact during battle.

Theyre way out in front in how to operate in an electronic warfare environment, said Gibbons. Our Army has not gotten to that level of detail.

One difference between the Latvian brigade and a typical American one, Gibbons said, is a visceral sense of whats potentially at stake in Europe by virtue of the countrys bad history with Russia.

They understand the threat to the east. Its very real to them, Gibbons said. It comes with more weight than what a U.S. brigade carries.

First Sgt. Matthew Horton, a 4th SFAB adviser, said the collaboration with the Latvians is about rehearsing the most effective ways to resist any incursion onto NATO turf.

(The Russians) arent going to get (Latvia) for free. There will be stiff resistance, he said.

In each of the countries where SFAB troops are operating, areas of training focus are crafted to the individual needs of the local units, soldiers said.

Of the five countries aligned with 4th SFAB troops, only Georgia is not a NATO member. Still, U.S. forces have long been partnered with Georgias military, which was a major troop contributor in Afghanistan.

Maj. Nick Salimbene, a 4th SFAB adviser, said living side by side with the Georgians at their base in Tbilisi has resulted in a level of trust that makes communication with local troops easier.

Salimbene said a key focus is getting Georgian officers to rely more on the enlisted ranks. A common difference between allied militaries and those with a Soviet legacy is a tendency to centralize decision-making rather than push authority down the chain.

Col. Giorgi Dumbadze, head of military education for the Georgian defense forces, said that for the first time, U.S. forces are now training at the brigade level, with a focus on integrating larger fighting formations.

We never had the training involved above battalion and never had the training with combined arms, he said. This is a very important point for us.

Dumbadze said his countrys military is in better shape today than it was when it was overwhelmed by Russian forces during a brief war in 2008. He said the hope is that SFAB troops will take Georgian ground forces to the next level.

We are not looking for a conflict, but in case of conflict, we are more ready, he said.
SAN DIEGO (Tribune News Service)  The former captain of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt  fired from command after sounding the alarm on an out-of-control coronavirus outbreak on board in 2020  will retire from the Navy next month, the Navy Times newspaper reported Monday.

Captain Brett Crozier, a 30-year-Navy veteran, was removed from command of the Roosevelt  based in San Diego at the time  following the leak of a letter he wrote to Pacific Fleet commanders in which he implored the Navy to do more to protect the crew as dozens of sailors began testing positive for COVID-19. The ship was just a couple of months into a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific when the outbreak began. It was sidelined in Guam but sailors were still living in close quarters on board as the virus spread unabated.

Immediately after Crozier's letter was made public, the Navy announced thousands of sailors would move off the ship. The next day, Crozier was fired from command.

Video of Crozier's departure from the ship showed hundreds of sailors cheering their captain and chanting his name. Shortly after those videos went viral, the acting secretary of the Navy at the time, Thomas Modly, visited the ship and blasted Crozier over its public address system.

Audio of Modly's profane 15-minute speech also leaked. The acting secretary first apologized, then resigned.

Crozier was initially reassigned to a staff position at Naval Air Forces in San Diego. Crozier later told investigators he understood the risk to his career he took in writing the letter but did so to avoid a "larger catastrophe."

The Roosevelt remained in Guam for two months before finishing its deployment and returning to San Diego. One Roosevelt sailor, Chief Petty Officer Thomas Thacker, died of the virus. He was the first of 92 service members  17 of them sailors  to die from the virus throughout the pandemic.

Crozier is currently assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 154 in Lemoore, Calif. He flew his last flight in an F/A-18F Super Hornet on Feb. 2, Navy Times reported.

The Roosevelt left San Diego in July to begin an 18-month retrofit in Bremerton, Wash.

------

2022 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  Many coronavirus restrictions will be lifted in Germany by March 20, federal and state government officials said following a video conference Wednesday.

A three-stage plan with dates varying among Germanys states will ease rules governing shopping, events and other aspects of daily life, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters.

We have accomplished what we wanted with our restrictions, which is the reason we have an optimistic perspective, Scholz said from Berlin. But we cannot become careless. The pandemic is not over. Infections are still high. So we still all have to convince those who have not been vaccinated.

Private gatherings between vaccinated and recovered persons soon will be possible again throughout Germany without a limit on participants, according to the conference report. Unvaccinated people will remain limited to meeting with a maximum of two people outside their own household until March 19.

Everyone will be allowed to shop at retail stores regardless of their vaccination status, though medical masks still must be worn indoors while in public, the report said. The new policy on retail shopping begins Friday in Rheinland-Pfalz, state governor Malu Dreyer told reporters in Mainz on Wednesday. The state is home to tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel and their family members.

The new agreement also relaxes national restrictions for restaurants and hotels by March 3. They will once again be allowed to admit unvaccinated people who are able to show a negative test result within the past 24 hours. Vaccinated customers will no longer need to show proof of a booster or recent negative test result.

Nightclubs will be able to reopen under 2G-Plus rules beginning March 4, meaning revelers will be able to gather in close contact again if theyre vaccinated or recovered, and if they can either show proof of either a negative test result or a booster shot.

Major cultural or sporting events are possible under varying conditions depending on the locality and event size. Indoor event venues will be limited to 60% of capacity, with a maximum number of 6,000 spectators.

For outdoor events, a maximum occupancy of 75% will be allowed, with up to 25,000 people. Masks need to be worn by all attendees, officials said.

When it comes to anticipated summer and fall events in Rheinland-Pfalz, such as the Wurstmarkt wine festival, Dreyer cautioned event coordinators to wait until the beginning of March to gauge the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

By March 20, employers will no longer be required to test unvaccinated workers or enable telework for their employees, according to the conference report, a step expected to bring many German workers back to their workplaces.

The country will maintain basic protective measures, including masks mandates while using public transportation and indoors at public facilities.

Scholz said his government believes recent infection rates in the country represent the apex of the omicron wave.

If a new variant doesn't mess everything up, then we will indeed experience a spring and a summer without restrictions, he told reporters Wednesday.

Because the German states are largely responsible for public health, there may be some deviations from the agreements during the meeting Wednesday.

The ministers are slated to again meet March 17 to discuss further updates.
The Russian Defense Ministrys announcement on Tuesday that troops were beginning to relocate to their permanent bases after drills on the Ukrainian border is not yet the denouement of the crisis that Russian President Vladimir Putin created and then U.S. President Joe Biden amplified with alarmist rhetoric in recent months. Still, the worlds attention has been focused on the possibility of a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine long enough for an early tally of strategic and tactical gains and losses from the escalation.

So far, both Putin and Biden appear to have benefited from the crisis. European nations and especially Ukraine have, on balance, lost out.

Putins biggest win is that he has proven his ability - which he mentioned back in November - to dial Ukraine-related tension up and down at will. It didnt take him long to position a large military force in close proximity to Ukraine. Even if part of it leaves now, as Putin and his underlings said on Tuesday, Russias military posture seems to be shifting more or less permanently toward the Ukrainian border; the troops that leave can always come back at short notice. Theres always the pretext of drills. In 2021, the Russian military spent only about 86% of its 1 trillion ruble ($13.2 billion) budget allocation. Its funded lavishly enough to keep exercising in southwestern Russia and Belarus all year if needed.

Putin appears to have realized that concealing troop movements is pointless, and not doing so gives him the ability to escalate without sending a single soldier across the border and thereby giving the West a viable pretext for sanctions. Rob Lee at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, one of the most visible and competent military analysts during the crisis, has generally leaned toward predicting a new invasion - but, he recently wrote on Twitter, if an attack was in the plans, the Russian troops were perhaps too relaxed about being photographed.

Especially in recent weeks, this low-cost escalation has won Putin more attention from Western leaders than hes seen since invading Crimea in 2014. Biden calls him on the phone at short notice; French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and a succession of British ministers rush to Moscow to talk him out of attacking. These encounters allow him to air his broader grievances and security demands. Even if his complaints dont find much sympathy, they plant the idea in fellow leaders heads that Russia needs to be given something - it does have the right to be concerned about its security, after all.

As Margarita Simonyan, head of the RT propaganda network, wrote on her Telegram channel, Nobody used to want to talk security with us, now theres a line of visitors who wish to enjoy the sights of Moscow in February.

Foreign leaders cant afford to dismiss Putins monologues on history and Russias victimhood at the hands of NATO and the U.S. even if he abuses their time and distracts them from urgent domestic concerns. They cant be seen ignoring the threat of a big war in Europe, so theyre on the hook. They also have to be careful about trying to punish Putin for escalations before they lead to bloodshed: If economic punishment is meted out in the absence of a war, why not start it, after all?

Yet another Putin gain has to do with the optics of Western nations behavior toward Ukraine during the crisis. The evacuation of diplomats, above all American ones, from Kyiv before a single shot was fired may have been a logical move after the deadly chaos of Kabul Airport, but it hardly provided Ukrainians - who have nowhere to evacuate - the moral support they deserved in the fraught situation. Canada and the U.K. even pulled out their military instructors - again, for perfectly valid reasons, but the message to Ukrainian troops was unmistakable: Youll fight alone. Ukrainians wont turn away from the West and toward Putin because of this, but the perception of hypocrisy will be hard to erase. By contrast, Poland, for example, has not evacuated diplomats despite panicky U.S. messaging, and thats likely to be remembered, too.

Its also to Putins advantage that, despite the failure of his efforts to get the U.S. and its European partners to pressure Ukraine into accepting the Minsk agreements of 2015 and thus a special status for the breakaway pro-Russian regions in the east, Minsk is back on the table as a solution to the crisis. Russias tame parliament on Tuesday appealed to Putin to recognize the separatist statelets. That was the Kremlin using the legislature to outline the alternative to Minsk: What amounts to a Russian takeover of the Ukrainian regions, no further invasion needed. That option is still a potentially strong move Putin can make. It would be domestically popular while not inviting too much punishment, since eastern Ukraine is already under Russian control.

The Ukraine contest between the Kremlin and the White House has not been zero-sum, however. Russian propagandists will ridicule the Western media coverage citing unnamed officials and spies and mock the press conferences citing vague intelligence reports, but Biden has actually come out on top in the information war. There was never much of a reason to believe what spies - American, Russian or from any other country - tell the media, so it doesnt matter if their trustworthiness suffers a further blow. The Biden administration, for its part, has masterfully used nebulous or even incorrect information from intelligence sources to create a sense of staying one move ahead of Putin. Because such a tactic makes sense, Bidens inevitable claims of having defused the crisis by means of publicity rather than meaningful concessions will play well at home and in most Western countries.

Bidens showmanship has been subtler, if less spectacular, than his Russian opponents. And he has been rewarded in an important way: Putin hasnt been able to force or trick him into giving any ground. Biden, in a way, hasnt even started negotiating, while Putin and his people have tasted rejection time and again from that line of visitors Simonyan wrote about. If this were a prizefight, Biden would be the light-footed boxer dancing around a more eager opponent who throws a lot of wild punches. Thats an image befitting Bidens long experience in politics, which goes back much further than Putins.

European leaders, by contrast, have proved incapable of such nimble messaging. Putin subjected them to what has come to be known as long table diplomacy after the 18-foot table across which he stared at them. They failed to make any headway with him, listening docilely at joint press conferences as Putin made a necrophilia joke about Ukraine (Put up with it, my beauty, he quoted an obscene folk ditty when talking about the Minsk agreements) and accused Ukraine of conducting genocide against the Russian speakers of the separatist statelets. The Normandy format talks in Berlin, in which French and German officials attempted to mediate between Russian and Ukrainian envoys, failed after nine grueling hours. As for the U.K.s attempts at diplomacy, they looked as glaringly irrelevant, sometimes even comical, as the country itself has been in European matters since quitting the European Union.

Ukraine itself has been the worst off, however. Panicky U.S. messaging has hurt it with investors; diplomats hurrying out and war reporters flying in is hardly what an economically shaky nation would welcome. The hryvnia is down about 8% since mid-November, when the crisis began, and the drop would be more precipitous if not for National Bank interventions. President Volodymyr Zelenskys loud objections to the imminent invasion argument have gone unheeded, and he has little to show for a string of high-level visits to Kyiv. It cost Ukraine some effort to keep most foreign airlines - with the notable exception of KLM - flying to Kyiv.

All Ukraine has received in return is the promise of a $1 billion U.S. government loan guarantee and some weapons shipments from the U.S. and its European allies, which, as everyone - including Ukrainians themselves - understands, will not win a war with Russia. The boost Ukraine gets from the arms supplies is offset by the certainty - now confirmed by the evacuations - that NATO members will do all they can to avoid a direct clash with Russia.

Putins interests are served by turning Ukraine into a pawn in a great-power game. Western leaders may insist that this will not happen, and that Ukrainians choices will be respected, but the dynamics of the current crisis contradict them. Zelensky - and Ukrainians in general - have shown an incredible stoicism in the face of events they havent been able to influence. Their bravery notwithstanding, the big-nation brinkmanship means the worst can still happen, perhaps even accidentally.

All Zelensky can do is clench his teeth and try to minimize the risk of war-starting accidents. A compromise with Putin is politically unfeasible for him, so he needs to hold out and watch Biden spar with his Russian adversary. Its an unenviable position to be in. The West owes Ukraine a better effort - in both diplomatic and financial terms - to make it tenable.

- - -

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Leonid Bershidsky is a member of the Bloomberg News Automation team based in Berlin. He was previously Bloomberg Opinions Europe columnist. He recently authored a Russian translation of George Orwells 1984.
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  The Pentagon is continuing to delay development of a Hawaii-based missile defense radar as it considers changes to the threat landscape in the Pacific, despite a mandate from Congress that it be built and operating by 2028.

The 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, passed late last year, included $75 million for the radar, which would be capable of identifying and classifying specific missile threats.

The NDAA calls for the director of the Missile Defense Agency to certify that its program includes adequate amounts of estimated funding to develop, construct, test, and integrate into the missile defense system the discrimination radar for homeland defense planned to be located in Hawaii.

The Defense Department in 2020 dropped plans to build a $1 billion missile tracking system in Hawaii and a second location in the Pacific that had not been determined.

The Missile Defense Agency had spent the prior two years studying three possible sites on Oahu and another at the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands on Kauai Islands west coast. Oahu residents had pushed back on the proposed sites over concerns about culturally sensitive areas and overdevelopment.

The defense of Hawaii remains a top priority for the Department of Defense, Pentagon spokesman Christopher Sherwood wrote in a statement to Stars and Stripes on Feb. 9.

The threat landscape, however, has changed significantly since the early planning stages of the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii, or HDR-H, Sherwood said.

In light of these changes, the Department is taking a broader look at the defense of Hawaii and assessing options to address the evolved threat, he said. This analysis will inform the departments investments for the defense of Hawaii in future budget cycles.

The Defense Departments top priority in missile defense in the Pacific is now Guam, said Riki Ellison, founder and CEO of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a non-partisan organization that supports defense systems.

The threat is not on Hawaii like its on Guam right now, he said during a phone interview Tuesday.

North Korea conducted a spate of missile tests last month after a lengthy hiatus of such provocations, and China is far along in the development of hypersonic ballistic missiles.

The North Korea tests have been short range  medium range at best, Ellison said. The ranges tested in January could shoot as far as Guam, not as far as Hawaii.

Meanwhile, in the emerging competition between China and the United States, Guam would play an outsized role in any military conflict between the two superpowers.

The small U.S. territory is roughly 2,000 miles west of Hawaii and much closer to the hot zone of the South China Sea. It hosts bases for the U.S. Air Force and Navy, with a major Marine Corps base now under construction.

The White Houses proposed budget for the next fiscal year, anticipated to be released within the next month, is expected to lay out a five-year funding plan for the missile-defense architecture for Guam, Ellison said.

Its going to have multiple radars, multiple shooters, he said.

For two months last fall, the Army tested Israels Iron Dome missile defense system on Guam to see how well it could integrate with existing defenses.

Whatever kind of missile defense system Guam ends up with, it would play an important role in also defending Hawaii from attack, Ellison said.

Still, Hawaiis congressional delegation has not given up the quest for the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii for protecting key military sites in the state, such as the headquarters for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet and U.S. Army Pacific.

HDR-H is needed now to protect these defense assets plus some 1.4 million Americans living in Hawaii to include some 100,000 military and [affiliated personnel] and their families, Rep. Ed Case of Hawaii said in an emailed statement Tuesday.

Case sits on the House Appropriations Committee and was instrumental in including the $75 million in funding after the White Houses budget had excluded it earlier.

He said he would continue to provide the funding necessary for the Defense Department to fully comply with the mandate to complete the Hawaii radar by 2028.
TOKYO  The number of new COVID-19 infections Wednesday in Japans capital city was less than those a week prior for the eighth day in a row, according to Japanese media and government reports.

Tokyo confirmed 17,331 new cases, according to public broadcaster NHK, more than Tuesday but 956 fewer than Feb. 9.

Japan reported 84,158 new cases Tuesday, but the seven-day average had fallen to 83,669 infections, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. That number was 94,491 on Feb. 8.

U.S. Forces Japan reported 81 new cases, including two pending confirmation, across 13 military installations on Wednesday. None are hospitalized or in serious condition. The command reported 115 on Tuesday.

Yokosuka Naval Base, the homeport of 7th Fleet south of Tokyo, topped the list with 27 cases. Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo followed with 12 and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni south of Hiroshima reported nine, according to USFJ.

Naval Air Facility Atsugi said in a Facebook post Wednesday that 17 people have tested positive since its last update on Friday. The base, about 25 miles southwest of Tokyo, has 24 active cases.

The New Sanno Hotel, a recreational property in the heart of Tokyo run by Naval Joint Services Activity, has reported five COVID-19 cases so far this month. Hotel employees lined up for a round of booster shots on Wednesday.

The New Sanno, a popular destination for off-duty U.S. service members, closed its usual operations between August 2020 and April 2021 to instead provide a quarantine space for members of the U.S. military community as they arrived in Japan, hotel general manager Paul Savarese told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday.

Incoming personnel were required to quarantine, also called restriction of movement, or ROM, up to 14 days during the depths of the pandemic.

Its been a learning experience for us, Savarese said.

In that mission, the New Sanno staff developed a pandemic protocol for operating safely once the hotel opened again for leisure activity, he said.

About 260 of the hotels 272 employees are Japanese, Savarese said. Most are vaccinated and were eager to get the jab, either through the shot clinics at the hotel by Naval Hospital Yokosuka or by the Japanese government, Savarese said. The Japanese employees, unlike their American colleagues, are not required to get vaccinated.

The hotel staff soldiered on during the pandemic, Savarese said. They found ways to be creative, including alternative work schedules, and by scheduling periods for training and education.

Between the U.S. and the Japanese government being very supportive and being supportive of the staff, nobody was laid off or let go, he said.
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CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  The U.S. command in South Korea remains at fight tonight readiness, a spokesman said Wednesday, despite a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases among the general population.

South Korean health officials reported the nations highest daily case count on Tuesday, 90,443 new infections, nearly double the amount from a week prior. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported the previous one-day record, 57,164 new infections, on Monday.

However, U.S. Forces Korea is able to fulfill our obligation to protect and defend [South Korea] against any threat or adversary, command spokesman Army Col. Lee Peters told Stars and Stripes by email Wednesday.

Our position has been consistent since the start of the pandemic, he said. The command will balance readiness with the health and well-being of our affiliated community.

USFK counted 162 new infections over seven days ending Monday. Prior to that, the command posted four consecutive weeks worth of falling case numbers. Tuesdays tally was nine cases more than the previous week, Feb. 1-7.

Peters said the command will continue to monitor and assess the current COVID-19 situation within USFK and South Korea on a daily basis, before making any further changes to social-distancing regulations.

Over 90% of the USFK population is fully vaccinated and 40% received a booster shot, according to Dr. Douglas Lougee, an Army colonel and USFKs command surgeon.

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum in a press release Wednesday said the government was considering adjusting social-distancing mandates in consideration of economic damages on the livelihood of the public.

A final decision on those restrictions will be announced Friday, Kim added. Current regulations limit private gatherings to six people and require restaurants to close by 9 p.m.

The prime minister said South Korea may have yet to reach its peak of new, daily infections and the pandemics zenith is not yet known.

Let us say that we are sorry for everything  to the people who have been cooperating in the meantime, Kim said.

Despite the overnight uptick of new cases, the number of patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms remains stable. The KDCA reported 313 such cases on Tuesday, one fewer than Monday.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday urged the government to ensure that health measures are heeded in light of the upcoming presidential election on March 9.

The government should make sure that all voters suffrage is guaranteed, and the presidential election is  as secure as possible in a situation with dramatic increases in confirmed COVID-19 cases, Moon said in public remarks.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday advised against traveling to South Korea. All incoming travelers are required to quarantine for seven days, regardless of their vaccination status.

Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.
NATO military commanders will draw up plans for the creation of allied battlegroups in central and southeastern Europe, in response to the new normal of a persistent Russian threat to the Continent, the alliances top official said Wednesday.

Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said there is no evidence that Moscow has begun pulling forces away from Ukraines border, despite Russian claims to the contrary earlier in the week.

So far, there is no de-escalation, he said from alliance headquarters in Brussels.

Instead, there are signs that Russia has increased forces around Ukraine and that more troops are on their way, Stoltenberg said.

On Wednesday, NATO defense ministers, including U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, took part in an opening round of talks in Brussels. Russia and its military buildup around Ukraine dominated the agenda.

In a joint statement, they said Russias actions pose a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security.

We are prepared to further strengthen our defensive and deterrent posture to respond to all contingencies, the ministers said.

NATO members plan to set up multinational battlegroups in Romania and other countries, Stoltenberg said.

We dont know what will happen to Ukraine, but the situation has already demonstrated we face a crisis in European security  I regret to say this is the new normal in Europe, Stoltenberg said.

While Stoltenberg did not detail which countries are being considered for the new battlegroups, he did say France has volunteered to lead a force in Romania. He added that commanders will start working on the details and report back within weeks.

Stoltenberg said the new battlegroups could resemble ones in the Baltic states and Poland that were created after Russias initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014.

One of Russias complaints, which it has used to justify its placement of 130,000 troops near the borders of Ukraine, is the alliances expansion east after the Cold War.

In particular, Russia is upset about Ukraines aspirations for NATO membership, which comes with a guarantee that an attack on one member requires all the others to collectively assist in defending the attacked country.

But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during stops earlier in the week in Ukraine and Russia, said Ukraines NATO membership ambitions are not on the alliances agenda now or for the foreseeable future.

Still, Stoltenberg said that NATOs open-door policy remains intact and that when it comes to admitting new countries, its a matter for the 30 members to decide.

Russia is not deciding whos going to be a member of NATO or not, he said. And this is a matter of principle that all allies have stated clearly again and again.
Storm winds and heavy rainfall were forecasted to strike the Kaiserslautern area and much of Rheinland-Pfalz for several days beginning Wednesday afternoon, a German Weather Service advisory said.

Two storms are expected to move through the area between Wednesday and Friday, with the potential for flooding in low-lying areas, downed trees and branches.

Flights were still running as scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon at Ramstein Air Base, said Sandra Archer, a base spokeswoman. But that could change at any time, she said, if the winds pick up.

Gusts from the southwest of 37 mph up to 52 mph are forecast from Wednesday afternoon into the evening for Kaiserslautern and surrounding villages.

Thunderstorms and strong winds are expected to continue into Thursday in areas throughout the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, with sleet and gusts of around 68 mph possible, particularly in the Eifel region, which is home to Spangdahlem Air Base, the weather service said.

Hurricane-like gusts of up to 80 mph are forecast for some of the highest points in the Pfalz region, including Kalmit, Donnersberg and Weinbiet.

Military officials in the Kaiserslautern area advised residents Wednesday afternoon to secure outdoor items, such as grills, patio furniture or lawn decorations, or move them indoors.

The German train system, Deutsche Bahn, is also preparing for possible train cancellations and delays nationwide, Die Rheinpfalz newspaper reported.

Deutsche Bahn said on its website that passengers who want to postpone trips on Thursday or Friday can rebook tickets for up to seven days. Seat reservations also can be cancelled free of charge.
Warships are transiting the Mediterranean Sea and nearby waters in numbers rarely seen in recent decades, adding another dimension to the ongoing tensions between NATO and Russia over Moscows military buildup along Ukraines borders.

While the focus remains on the 130,000 Russian troops massed along Ukraines land borders and whether the Kremlin will make good on its statement that some will withdraw, both the U.S. and Russia recently announced deployments of multiple ships carrying guided missiles to the region.

The ships are in addition to the U.S., French and Italian carrier strike groups that trained together in the region last week, as well as Ukrainian and Russian vessels operating in the eastern Mediterranean.

It remains unclear whether Russia will use its ships to launch a new invasion of Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting in the east since 2014. For the U.S. and its allies, the ship deployments are calculated to send a message of support to friendly nations on Russias borders, analysts say.

The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group arrived in mid-December as part of a long-planned deployment. Another four destroyers began operating in the European theater in mid-January and early February, the Navy said.

The destroyers  USS The Sullivans, USS Donald Cook, USS Mitscher and USS Gonzalez  were called from their U.S.-based homeports. The U.S. already has four destroyers based in Rota, Spain.

These additional destroyers are being sent to provide additional flexibility to the European theater, said Lt. Tyler Barker, a spokesman for U.S. 6th Fleet. One of the unique values of naval forces is their mobility and ability to deploy for a range of contingencies and operations.

Shortly before the destroyer deployments, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Truman to remain in the Mediterranean. The carrier strike group had planned to go to the Middle East, USNI News reported Dec. 28. Although the U.S. rarely announces submarine deployments, it also is common for carrier groups to have undersea support.

While the scale of U.S. ships deployed to 6th Fleet is impressive  including about 12 destroyers and at least one cruiser  its not without historical precedent, particularly considering the Cold War, said James R. Holmes, a professor at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.

But the deployment of the four additional destroyers is unusual over the past 30 years, he said.

Thats what will cause the political signal to stand out from all the noise, Holmes said.

The din may get louder.

The Russian Defense Ministry recently announced it soon would send warships  some with Kalibr and hypersonic Oniks cruise missile capabilities  from its Caspian Sea flotilla to the Mediterranean and Black seas to bolster the contingent of the Russian navy in these regions, the Russian news agency Tass reported Monday.

Thats in addition to at least six Russian amphibious assault ships from the Baltic and Northern fleets that recently sailed through the Mediterranean before entering the Black Sea last week for military exercises.

A Russian Kilo-class submarine armed with Kalibr cruise missiles and a patrol ship also entered the Black Sea this week, according to the Istanbul-based ship watching site Turkishnavy.net.

Meanwhile, more than 15 warships, including at least two missile cruisers, and more than 30 aircraft were participating in drills in the eastern Mediterranean, Tass reported Tuesday.

The drills are part of worldwide exercises planned in January and February, the Russian Defense Ministry said last month.

U.S. and NATO allies said earlier this month that their Russian counterparts have conducted themselves professionally at sea. But on Wednesday, CNN reported that a Navy P-8 maritime patrol plane had a very close encounter with multiple Russian jets, which U.S. officials described as unsafe.

The level of overall naval activity in the region may increase the chances of miscalculation, Holmes said.

These are cramped and dangerous theaters for naval forces, which thrive on open-ocean maneuvering, Holmes said. Thats even more true as long-range precision anti-ship weaponry proliferates. Seldom are ships out of reach of shore-based missiles and aircraft.

Over the weekend, the Truman, along with the Norwegian frigate Fridtjof Nansen, visited Split, Croatia, the Navy said Saturday. The Gonzalez was among the destroyers listed as part of the carrier strike group, according to the Navy.

That visit came after the Truman sailed with the French Charles de Gaulle and the Italian Cavour carrier strike groups. The destroyer USS Ross, based in Rota, was sailing with the French carrier earlier this month.

The three carrier strike groups sailing together in the Mediterranean not only was very unusual but also a significant show of NATO power, said Sebastian Bruns, the inaugural McCain Fulbright scholar in residence at the U.S. Naval Academy and a maritime expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Mediterranean is shaping up to be a hot spot, Bruns said. We have not seen the last of Russias attempts to gain a foothold in that region.
The United States and Russia offered alternative versions of reality on Wednesday with Moscow announcing a partial withdrawal of forces from Ukraines border and Washington responding that the Kremlin added troops and weapons critical for a full-scale invasion.

The contradictory remarks dampened hopes that the two adversaries may be closer to resolving the standoff and added to the uncertainty around the trajectory of the crisis.

Unfortunately theres a difference between what Russia says and what it does, and what were seeing is no meaningful pullback, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News. On the contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine, continuing to be at the border, to mass at the border.

Blinkens remarks were echoed by other Western officials, including NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who told reporters that the military alliance does not see any de-escalation on the ground or withdrawal of troops.

This may change, he said, but as of now, Russia maintains a massive invasion force ready to attack, he said outside of a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels.

Russias Defense Ministry, meanwhile, released a video purporting to show a train moving scores of tanks and armored vehicles into Russia from Crimea along a bridge constructed between the two territories after Moscows annexation of the peninsula in 2014. The Russian troops and military equipment were returning to their bases after the conclusions of military exercises, the ministry said.

In response to Stoltenbergs questioning of a drawdown, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov faulted the ability of NATO systems to analyze what was happening. This, to be sure, does not give NATO representatives an opportunity to soberly assess the situation, he said Wednesday in his daily conference call with journalists.

The conflicting accounts came as the Pentagon described an incident in which U.S. and Russian aircraft flew perilously close to each other over the weekend above the Mediterranean Sea.

Three U.S. Navy P-8A surveillance aircraft experienced unprofessional intercepts by Russian aircraft, said Navy Capt. Mike Kafka, a Pentagon spokesman. We have made our concerns known to Russian officials through diplomatic channels, he said.

Rochan Consulting, an independent analytical group based in Gdansk, Poland, that tracks military movements using satellite images, reported Wednesday that more military trains have arrived near the border with Ukraine since Russias announcement that some forces were withdrawing. It said elements of Russias 2nd Combined Arms Army and equipment from other units continued to move toward the border.

There is no indication that troops are being withdrawn. In fact, it is the opposite, the report said.

Germanys Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday that the Group of Seven foreign ministers will hold crisis talks on Ukraine on the sidelines of an annual security conference in Munich this weekend.

Many analysts are focused on whether Russia withdraws its massive forces and weaponry from Belarus, north of Ukraine, after joint Russian-Belarusian exercises end Sunday - and whether the Russian troops take all their military equipment with them.

Not a single Russian serviceman, not a single piece of equipment will remain in Belarus after the completion of exercises with Russia, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said Wednesday in a news conference in Minsk.

Peskov said Putin showed his readiness to negotiate in his meetings with Western leaders over the Ukraine crisis. Russia is demanding that NATO not expand further to the east, precluding Ukraine from ever joining, and should significantly scale back its presence and activities in Eastern Europe.

The president is continuing to give explanations to the entire world. He has done so repeatedly over the past week, Peskov said Wednesday.

The U.S. and NATO have said the alliances open-door policy is nonnegotiable but progress could me made on other issues, including reciprocal arms control measures and limitations on military exercises.

Russian statements on partial troop withdrawals coincided with a string of disruptive cyberattacks Tuesday on Ukrainian government and banking websites. Ukrainian authorities have not said who was responsible for the attacks, which hit the Defense Ministry and two major banks. But analysts have warned that Russian cyberattacks could precede a conventional military attack.

Ukraines Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that the cyberattacks were continuing, but Peskov denied any Russian role.

We dont know anything, he said. And, as expected, Ukraine continues to accuse [Russia] of everything. Russia has nothing to do with any DDoS attacks, he added, referring to distributed denial-of-service attacks.

llya Vityuk, head of the Cybersecurity Department of the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, told journalists at a briefing Wednesday that the only country interested in carrying out such attacks on Ukraine was Russia, although he said it was too early to identify specific perpetrators, Reuters reported.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called it the largest such attack on government sites in the countrys history.

This attack is unprecedented, he told the briefing. It was prepared in advance, and the key goal of this attack is destabilization. It is to sow panic, to do everything so that a certain chaos appears in our country.

Meanwhile, small groups of Ukrainians waved flags on the day of unity called by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said his country just wants to live in peace, happily, in a family, children with parents.

Zelensky told Ukrainians: No one can love our home as we can. And only we, together, can protect our home.

Anastacia Kuleba, 27, was one of several dozen Kyiv residents who heeded Zelenskys call to gather in flash mobs at 10 a.m. to sing the Ukrainian national anthem. She came to Maidan Square, the location of mass protests in Ukraines 2014 uprising that succeeded in ousting a pro-Kremlin government.

Ukrainians are united, said Kuleba, who was forced to flee the eastern city of Donetsk after Russian-backed separatists ignited a war in 2014.

Anastasia Kuznetsova, 24, expressed the fatigue and skepticism that many Ukrainians feel about reports that Russia could invade at any time. Some people are celebrating, she said, referring to the day of unity, but really for people here, its just an ordinary day. Everyone is talking about war and what will happen and blah blah blah. But for people who are working, its all the same. Just an ordinary day.

Kuznetsova said she doubts that Russia would invade Ukraine. We know that nothing will happen actually, she said. Some magazines and whatnot are saying war will happen, but what we see now is just people trying to scare another country. But everything is calm here.

Russia has been supporting separatists in Ukraines eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions since 2014, the same year it annexed Crimea from its neighbor. On Tuesday, the State Duma, Russias lower house of parliament, appealed to Putin to recognize the contested territories as independent states.

Blinken pushed back strongly Wednesday against any recognition, saying in a statement that it would amount to Russias wholesale rejection of Russias previous commitments and constitute a gross violation of international law. He said such a move would also contradict Russian pledges to pursue a diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine crisis and would bring a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our Allies and partners.

The European Union on Wednesday called for concrete steps from Moscow to de-escalate.

Our call on Russia is crystal clear: Do not choose war, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in her remarks at the European parliament plenary session on European-Russian relations. On the one hand, authorities announce Russian troop pullbacks. On the other hand, the Duma votes for the formal recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics, she said.

- - -

Pannett reported from Sydney, Rauhala from Brussels and Hudson from Washington. The Washington Posts Isabelle Khurshudyan and Steve Hendrix in Kyiv, Dan Lamothe and Shane Harris in Washington, and Mary Ilyushina in Minsk contributed to this report.
(Tribune News Service)  The Taliban have sought talks with the U.S. to reverse its decision to use the Afghan central banks reserves to compensate victims of the Sept. 11 attacks and support aid efforts in the country, a spokesman for the group said.

The militant group will use every diplomatic approach to push President Joe Biden to reverse his decision and release the Afghan funds, Zabihullah Mujahed said in a phone interview Tuesday. The comments are in contrast with groups earlier strongly worded statement, which condemned the American move and warned it would reconsider its policy toward the U.S.

Biden on Friday issued an executive order to transfer $7 billion in central bank assets frozen in the U.S. into a consolidated account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, with the U.S. seeking to use $3.5 billion for assistance to the Afghan people. The other $3.5 billion would remain in the U.S., pending ongoing litigation brought by the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The funds were frozen after the Taliban took over the country in August last year.

The decision has drawn harsh criticism from many Afghan leaders, including former President Hamid Karzai, who called it an atrocity against the people of the country. The United Nations, which has recently made a funding plea for a record $5 billion in aid, estimates more than half of the countrys nearly 40 million people face acute hunger, with a million children at risk of dying amid a harsh winter.

Thousands of residents in Kabul and Kandahar also took to the streets to protest the decision Tuesday.

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Diplomacy to restore Irans nuclear deal with world powers is grinding to a standstill in Vienna, with neither side yet willing to take the tough political decisions required for a breakthrough.

Parties to the accord abandoned by the U.S. nearly four years ago had signaled a growing optimism that an agreement could be reached -- a mood reflected by oil markets. Yet its clear major differences remain on whats required to roll back Iranian nuclear advances -- which have allowed it to enrich uranium closer to weapons grade -- in return for sanctions relief.

The focus is now shifting to a key transatlantic security meeting convening in Munich which will be attended by a high-powered U.S. delegation, according to a European official involved in the talks. Organizers of the conference say the prospects for an agreement with Iran are on the agenda.

The deal traded economic incentives for nuclear caps before the Trump administration torpedoed it and imposed sanctions, including on Tehrans critical oil exports.

Iran has suggested a degree of flexibility over the issue of U.S. guarantees that it wont again renege on the 2015 accord, but its unlikely it will be enough for Washington.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has called for a political statement from Congress to ensure the U.S. wont again backtrack.

We need a serious level of guarantee, he told the Financial Times. In lieu of legal guarantees, Iran may be willing to accept a Congressional declaration that ensures U.S. political commitments to return to and implement the agreement. Iran has won strong backing at the talks from Russia and China.

Iran has asked for a range of options, but none of them are realistic, said Ali Vaez, who directs Iran analysis at the International Crisis Group. A political statement would be impossible to get from Congress, he said.

The leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will lead the congressional delegation meeting in Munich this weekend. While the California Democrat has previously called the Iran nuclear agreement a great diplomatic achievement, her partys leadership over the chamber is threatened by midterm elections in November.

Opponents of the Iran agreement will also be in Munich, led by South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who told the Jerusalem Post this week that a majority of representatives from both parties would oppose backing a revived deal.

The agreement, if there is one, will have no legal effect beyond the current administration, he said in an interview. In Munich, Graham said hell pitch an alternative U.S. proposal to end all Iranian uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief and fuel supplies -- a proposal likely to fall flat in Tehran, which has always insisted its right to enrichment be guaranteed under any arrangement.

Oil traders appear more sanguine, boosted by signs Iran appears to be preparing for its return to international oil markets, including officials meeting with refiners from South Korea, a major buyer of Iranian crude in the past.

A return to markets for Iran, with the worlds No. 2 natural gas and No. 4 oil reserves, could help tame surging energy costs worldwide. A stalemate could add to tensions and further support crude prices that have been creeping toward $100 a barrel.

In Tehran, there are emerging signs that hardliners -- the dominant political faction in power -- are growing weary with the pace and lack of progress in the negotiations.

Last month, the reformist Shargh newspaper said Irans former chief nuclear negotiator, ultra-conservative Saeed Jalili, had written a lengthy letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticizing Iranian negotiators in Vienna and apparently calling for Iran to withdraw from the 2015 accord entirely.

Jalili has been a vocal opponent of the deal and led a failed effort to reach a compromise with the West over Irans nuclear activities 10 years ago under hardline ex-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He hasnt publicly commented on the letter but the reports chime with the views of other important hardline figures whove in recent days been increasingly critical of the talks.

Ali Shamkhani, a former naval commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and secretary of the Supreme National Security Council which advises Khamenei, tweeted on Wednesday that the nuclear deal is nothing more than an empty shell and reiterated his belief that the U.S. and Europe cant be trusted to abide by an agreement.

In another tweet, Shamkhani said Irans demands for a sanctions-removal verification and a binding guarantee against future U.S. withdrawal from the agreement were integral, suggesting that the countrys security establishment will not back down on a demand that Washington has repeatedly said would be impossible to provide.

- - -

Bloombergs Patrick Sykes and Ben Bartenstein contributed to this report.
(Tribune News Service)  Three NASA astronauts including two of the last people to ever fly on a space shuttle are headed to the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame.

The choices announced this week by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation include astronauts David Leestma, Sandy Magnus and Navy veteran Chris Ferguson, set to be inducted June 11 to the Hall of Fame as its 2022 class of honorees. The three will join a small group of 101 other individuals who also received the distinguished honor. Leestma, Magnus and Ferguson were selected by the foundation for their demonstration of outstanding accomplishments in furthering NASAs mission of exploration and discovery, according to a press release from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which houses the hall of fame.

The ceremony will take place in the massive exhibit that displays Space Shuttle Atlantis, which flew on STS-135, NASAs final space shuttle mission back in 2011. The Atlantis backdrop is a fitting homecoming for Magnus and Ferguson, who were both part of the 2011 Atlantis crew for its final mission. The shuttle was later decommissioned and became an exhibit in 2013 at the Visitor Complex.

NASA is inviting space enthusiasts and community leaders to the annual ceremony. The 30-year tradition was skipped in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 veteran astronauts  Pamela Melroy, Scott Kelly and Michael Lopez-Alegria  were officially inducted at a rescheduled ceremony last November.

As we embark on a new era of space travel and interplanetary exploration, we are pleased to resume this annual program  as scheduled  and welcome these accomplished individuals into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, said Curt Brown, chairman of the ASF, which oversees the hall of fame selection process.

To qualify for the hall of fame, an astronaut must have made their first flight at least 17 years prior to the induction year and they must be a NASA-trained commander, pilot or mission specialist who has orbited Earth at least once. U.S. citizenship is also necessary.

All three have demonstrated the characteristics that define a Hall of Famer: heroism, commitment and bravery, Brown said.

Ferguson is a retired U.S. Navy captain and former NASA astronaut logging more than 40 days in space and 5,700 hours in high-performance aircraft. Ferguson worked as space shuttle pilot and commander of the 2011 Atlantis mission. He previously served as deputy chief of the astronaut office and currently works as a flight crew representative for Boeings Commercial Crew Program.

Leestma became an astronaut in 1980 and flew three space shuttle missions. Later, he became the director of flight crew operations where he oversaw 41 space shuttle flights and seven shuttle-Mir flights. Leestma wore many executive hats with NASA and twice received the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive.

Joining the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1996, Magnus flew in space on four shuttle missions riding in Atlantis twice, first in 2002, as well shuttles Endeavour and Discovery. She was one of the four astronauts who flew on NASAs final shuttle flight in 2011. She also flew to the International Space Station in 2008 spending nearly five months onboard as the ISS flight engineer and science officer. Magnus career also includes international work at the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on facility-type payloads for the ISS.

Jpedersen@orlandosentinel.com

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WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  Mitch McConnell on Tuesday linked the Biden administrations highly controversial pullout from Afghanistan six months ago to Russias current menacing troop build-up around Ukraine.

Theres not a doubt in my mind that the Russians wouldnt be on the border of Ukraine with 100,000 more troops had we not indicated to the rest of the world we were pulling the plug on Afghanistan and going home, the Senate Republican leader said on Tuesday during a Capitol Hill news conference with reporters.

McConnells unstated implication is that the presidents decision to withdraw U.S. troops from one longtime hotspot emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin to test American power and resolve in another place.

Though McConnell was a harsh critic of Bidens decision to leave Afghanistan, dubbing it a catastrophe, he hasnt been as directly scornful on Ukraine.

The West has spent recent days trying to decipher a flood of divergent reports on the likelihood of a Russian invasion, which McConnell said would be unfortunate for the whole world.

I hope the administration is not going to wait until after an incursion to turn the screws and put some real sanctions on the Russians, he said. At that point, arguably, its a little too late.

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a top McConnell lieutenant, asked for a more detailed plan from the State Department on how to evacuate Americans if war breaks out.

Im very concerned that were going to see Afghanistan 2.0, Ernst said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer indicated hes working with McConnell and other senators to put out a joint statement on the escalating crisis between Russia and Ukraine. Lawmakers have struggled to reach an agreement on a sanctions package or overarching resolution designed to condemn the Russian threat.

There were some indications that Putin was attempting to de-escalate tensions by partially pulling back a portion of the 100,000 troops that have amassed in military districts bordering Ukraine.

But NATO and the U.S. said they had yet to see real evidence of a substantial pullback.

As long as there is hope in diplomatic resolution that prevents the use of force and avoids incredible human suffering that will follow, we will pursue it, Biden said in remarks to the nation on Tuesday afternoon. An invasion remains distinctly possible.

Sen. Rand Paul said last week the U.S. should deploy both carrots and sticks to deter Russian aggression against Ukraine. He told Glenn Beck that the Biden administration should urge Germany to tell Russia it wouldnt buy its natural gas if it went ahead with an invasion.

On the other side of this, I actually dont think its that unreasonable to say were not going to put Ukraine in a military alliance against Russia, Paul told Beck. How do you think we would respond if Mexico were joining a military alliance with Russia? What do you think we might do? We might mass troops on the border with Mexico.

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The commander of the Navy recruiting group in New Orleans has been relieved of his duties following his arrest in January for allegedly driving under the influence, the Navy announced Tuesday.

Cmdr. Chris Brown, who had led Navy Talent Acquisition Group New Orleans since April 15, was relieved Feb. 10 due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command, according to a news release from Navy Recruiting Command. Capt. Butch Smith, the Region Central commodore, issued the order.

Talent acquisition is another term for Navy recruiting.

Navy Recruiting Command takes alcohol-related misconduct very seriously, the release said. NRC is dedicated to mission accomplishment and protecting the integrity of the recruiting process and trust of the American people.

Brown was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and other traffic-related charges on Jan. 23 in St. Tammany Parish, La., 28 miles from New Orleans.

A copy of the police report from the parish office was not immediately available Wednesday.

Brown will be reassigned to Navy Reserve Center New Orleans, while Cmdr. Dave Pavlik, deputy commodore, will assume his duties until a permanent replacement is found.

Several other high-ranking Navy officials have also been relieved from duty in recent weeks.

The commander of littoral combat ship USS Sioux Citys gold crew was relieved of duty on Friday also due to a loss of confidence, according to a Navy statement.

On Feb. 4, the Navy relieved the top leaders of Amphibious Construction Battalion 2, based out of Little Creek, Va.

Battalion commander Capt. Jeffrey Lengkeek, executive officer Cmdr. Michael Jarosz and Command Master Chief Matthew Turner were similarly relieved for a loss of confidence in their leadership.
(Tribune News Service)  A Beavercreek, Ohio, research and development firm acquired a Virginia radar systems company.

Resonant Sciences announced Tuesday it acquired Quarterbranch Technologies, based in Lovettsville, Va. Quarterbranch provides high-performance radar systems.

This adds to Resonant Sciences' existing capabilities in antennas and radomes (domes protecting radar antenna), integrated electronics, platform survivability, and advanced measurement systems for materials, components, and platform characterization, the company said.

"Quarterbranch and Resonant have been very close partners for many years. The technology and cultural fit between the two companies is incredible," Resonant Sciences CEO Micah North said in the announcement.

Resonant Sciences began in 2015.

In July 2020, Resonant said it added 30 jobs and spent more than $2 million on a 15,000-square-foot expansion.

In October 2021, Resonant Sciences announced it was adding 35 new jobs to provide advanced machining work for the Air Force. JobsOhio awarded the company a $320,000 grant to support the expansion and the purchase of a large 8 by 20 foot autoclave for the processing of electrically engineered composite structures for large military aircraft.

The company employs over 100.

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WASHINGTON - The Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly confirmed one of President Joe Bidens Pentagon nominees whose expertise on Russia could be critical amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis, overcoming the opposition of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

The vote was 83 to 13 for Celeste Wallander, CEO of the U.S.-Russia Foundation, to serve as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. Hawley opposed the nomination, joined by a dozen other Republicans.

Hawley objected last week to a rapid confirmation process. He has blocked Pentagon nominees to protest the Biden administrations handling of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan last summer.

Hawley delayed not only Wallanders confirmation, but also that of another Pentagon nominee - David Honey, who has been chosen by Biden to be the deputy undersecretary for research and engineering.

Hawleys delaying tactics forced Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to file a cloture motion Monday night to accelerate debate and bring the nominations to the full Senate floor. After two procedural votes at midday, the Senate confirmed Wallander and then confirmed Honey on a 94-to-1 vote. Hawley was the lone dissenter.

Hawleys move angered several Democrats, including Schumer.

Intentionally delaying the confirmation of a qualified expert on Russian affairs at a time like this is supremely reckless, Schumer said Wednesday, adding that Hawleys actions are making the American people less safe.

Spokesmen for Hawley did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Hawleys colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee also have criticized his move.

Senators have the right to object, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said earlier this week. They also have a responsibility to Americas national security interests, particularly when Russia is massing troops in Eastern Europe. Its time for politics to take a back seat here.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., condemned Hawleys efforts to slow Wallanders confirmation amid rising tensions in Ukraine and accused him of putting national security at risk. Hes interested in grandstanding, not in getting answers, Shaheen said earlier this week.

On Monday, Hawley defended his decision to delay Wallanders confirmation process by accusing Biden of pushing Europe closer to war.

As Joe Bidens incompetence leads Europe closer to war, Dr. Wallander seems to think we should keep doing more of the same in Europe, including bringing Ukraine into NATO, which will mean more and more American troops, said Hawley, who opposes any effort to admit Ukraine to NATO and insists the focus should be on China.

Russia has demanded that Ukraine be barred from joining NATO; the United States and NATO have said the alliances open-door policy is nonnegotiable.
The Defense Department has announced plans to prevent private development around military installations in Florida, Texas and Indiana, in a move officials say will both protect the environment and prevent interference with military operations.

Three swaths of land surrounding bases in those states were the latest to be named Sentinel Landscapes, a federal designation that allows DOD, along with other government and nonprofit groups, to pay landowners to keep farms, forests and wildlife habitats in their current states.

The areas announced Tuesday will add to the over 515,000 protected acres and an additional 2.7 million acres with sustainable management practices around military testing and training areas since the program began in 2013. Federal agencies have spent about $485 million on preservation since the inception, with another $230 million coming form state funds, $16 million from local coffers and $104 million from private donations.

The new Sentinel Landscape in northwest Florida spans roughly 7.7 million acres and is home to nine DOD facilities, including Eglin Air Force Base, which is used for training, weapons testing and special operations.

The area, rich with longleaf pine forests, is also home to threatened and endangered species, a main reason why the conservation organization Defenders of Wildlife agreed to support the program.

Designating this area as a Sentinel Landscape is critical to promoting sustainable management practices on the land that will help protect wildlife habitat, Jamie Rappaport Clark, the groups president and CEO, said in a statement Tuesday. This is a major victory for biodiversity and our armed forces.

Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, DOD must protect at-risk species on its land or face legal consequences.

Its a challenge thats been growing in recent decades, with training and testing on some 2 million acres of Army land alone being restricted to protect at-risk plants and animals, according to the latest Army data.

The restrictions have meant that DOD, the worlds largest institutional producer of greenhouse gases, has also become a sizable player in preservation.

New housing projects, highways and communication towers around installations also can cause various problems for the military, including light pollution, competition for communication frequencies and restrictions on activities like live-fire training.

Some of those problems would be expected if conservation efforts werent taken at the new Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape in the Texas Hill Country, which the Agriculture Department calls one of the fastest growing regions in the country.

Joint Base San Antonios Camp Bullis supports medical training, military intelligence, special operations and other activities.

The third Sentinel Landscape announced Tuesday in southern Indiana is anchored by four bases that collectively support each Pentagon service and the National Guard.
(Tribune News Service)  A lawyer for the Kansas man who allegedly drove to the nations capital after threatening to kill President Joe Biden  whom he believed was the Antichrist  says his client is a war hero who inadvertently killed an Afghan child in a firefight and is suffering from severe PTSD.

Maryland court records obtained by the Daily Beast indicate Scott Ryan Merryman is said to be a decorated paratrooper who served his country for five years, beginning in 2005. Last month, he was arrested outside a Maryland Cracker Barrel after telling an FBI agent he planned to lop off the head of the serpent in the heart of the nation.

Merryman was in possession of ammunition for a .45 caliber gun, but no firearm, when he was detained. He claimed to have been following Gods instructions. He confirmed the president was his target.

Im coming for his b---- ass Sleepy Joe, Merryman said. Im talking about President Biden and you can quote me.

The Army veteran reportedly spent 15 months in Afghanistan after enlisting in the military when he was 20 years old. His experiences there are said to have included the death of a partner and the shooting of a young person who was standing near a Taliban fighter.

The emotional and physical toll of Scotts time in Afghanistan was extensive, Merrymans court-appointed attorney reportedly told the court in a letter.

Merrymans accolades are said to include an Army commendation medal that he was awarded after using great skillfulness and sound judgment to save the life of a soldier whod been shot.

The defense attorney said while still enlisted, Merryman was hospitalized in 2008 due to suicidal thoughts. In 2009, he was again treated for psychological issues. He is said to have been taken to an emergency room in 2021 because of depression, alcohol use and suicidal ideation. That letter also said Merrymans efforts to adjust to civilian life have included prescribed medication and therapy. His wife Hannah, whom he married in August, reportedly said that her husband said one day in December, He was going to hang himself today.

Postings on his Facebook page around that time reportedly worried those close to the 37-year-old veteran.

You think Hannah is a mess right now? Wait til she lives out this prophecy being fulfilled through the King of Kings in me, he reportedly wrote. Dead at 40 going out like a rock start (sic) doing Gods work for His kingdom and glory. Get on the train. Choo choooo. Its leaving soon. Someone get me a shot of Thorazine.

A Facebook page believed to have been operated by Merryman at the time of his arrest included several biblical postings, mention of pro-veteran events and statements that allegedly concerned law enforcement officials.

There will be a miracle happening at the White House, he reportedly wrote.

Merryman is also accused of communicating to a switchboard operator at the White House that he intended to harm the president.

2022 New York Daily News.

Visit nydailynews.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(Tribune News Service)  A Texas hotel will have to pay up and change its policies after a veteran using a wheelchair was forced to leave and his reservation was not honored, federal officials said.

The Executive Inn & Suites in Killeen is accused of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and refusing service to the veteran and his service dog, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Texas announced in a Feb. 15 news release.

Attorney information for the Executive Inn & Suites was not immediately available, and McClatchy News reached out to the hotel for comment and was awaiting a response.

The veteran, who uses a wheelchair and service dog due to a left leg amputation, says the hotel desk clerk denied him his reservation because the hotel not allow dogs on the premises.

The hotel staff in Killeen, which is near the Fort Hood military base, called the police to escort the veteran off the property and did not provide a refund for his room rental, officials said in the release.

Under the ADA, public accommodations must alter policies to allow a person with a disability and a service dog to use their services.

Individuals with disabilities, including veterans who have sacrificed for our country, have a right under federal law to the equal enjoyment of public accommodations, U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff said in the release. Our office is committed to ensuring that our veterans enjoy equal access to public accommodations, such as restaurants, hotels, and shops.

The settlement will require the hotel to amend its policies to allow service dogs. The hotel will also pay an undisclosed amount to the veteran for damages, the release said.

Killeen is about 150 miles south of Fort Worth.

2022 The Charlotte Observer.

Visit charlotteobserver.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(Tribune News Service)  More than 75 years after he served during the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France, Frederick County, Md., resident Carl Felton received an official commendation from the country he helped liberate.

Felton, who is just a few days past his 96th birthday, recently received a medal declaring him a knight in the French Legion of Honor, the highest honor awarded by France. During the Allied invasion of Normandy, Felton was serving on board the HMS Ceres, a British ship manned by a crew from both the United Kingdom and the U.S.

Speaking from his son Jack's New Market home on Tuesday, Felton said it was a humbling experience to see the award.

"I feel not only honored, but ... feelings of humility," he said. "I would say primarily feelings of humility, because there were so many thousands and thousands and thousands of military people who participated in one way or another, and nobody really had control over where they would be assigned to."

The younger Felton said the process to get his father the medal began after the pair went to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. During that trip in June 2019  in addition to getting the chance to meet then-President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron  they learned veterans who could prove with documentation they were present during the Allied invasion were eligible for the medal.

Jack Felton said the documentation process typically takes about a year, but it was delayed in his father's case due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The medal finally arrived in the mail sometime last week.

During the war

Originally from a small Massachusetts town outside Boston, Felton said he joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 17 after graduating high school in 1943. Felton said he received training in Sampson, a small town in upstate New York, before eventually being shipped out of New York City on the RMS Queen Mary, a cruise-liner that was used to ship troops across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Queen Mary took a southward trajectory, heading into nearly tropical waters before taking an abrupt turn north to Scotland. Felton said he later learned this path was taken in an attempt to avoid German U-boats.

After arriving in Scotland, Felton said he was sent to England, where he was trained extensively in Morse code, something that shaped the course of the rest of his time in the war.

Felton said learning Morse code was challenging, drumming out the spelling of his own first name on his son's dining room table as an illustration of how complicated it would be to send a message of only four letters.

"You can see it takes a while to really get that ingrained in your mind," he said.

During the war, Felton served as a signalman, which meant it was his job to receive messages flashed in Morse code from other Allied ships and return messages conveyed by his superiors.

Eventually, Felton was assigned to board the HMS Ceres, with its combined crew of American and British troops, including, as he said, high-ranking officers from both militaries.

The Ceres and HMS Capetown were assigned to serve essentially as command ships along the portion of the beaches of Normandy codenamed Omaha Beach.

"Their purpose was to have control so that the ships going in and out proceeded orderly, so there would be no chaos," he said. "And that was the purpose of all of these officers up top who had knowledge about the overall picture."

And this is how Felton, working as a signalman, flashing signals back and forth between the command ships, ended up with a front row seat to a major turning point in World War II, which took place on June 6, 1944.

The memories still live with him.

"There were shells coming out from the land being fired by the Germans at the ships, and there were splashes of water all over the place," he said. "The number of bodies  you could just simply look over the side  they were so numerous that it was unbelievable.

"All you could think about was their families and home, not knowing where their children were. 'Were they safe or not safe, were they alive or not alive?' And the worry that all of them had," he went on. "And it wasn't only a one-way street; I know for sure that those troops also worried for their mother and father, brothers, sisters and family. I know that for a fact. Because that's how I felt."

Felton said his fear of worrying his family was so strong that, upon arriving in Scotland, he sent a letter home saying he had been stationed on a Pacific island, because he felt knowing he'd been sent to the European theater would be too much for his family to bear. Felton's son Jack was surprised when he told this element of his story, saying it hadn't come up in any of his father's stories before.

During the invasion, Felton described seeing splashes and sprays flying out of the water.

"At the very beginning, I didn't even know what they were," he said. "I just say splash, splash, splash! And so somebody next to me said, 'That's them shooting at us from the shore, aiming at the ships.' It was a scary situation."

After the culmination of the D-Day invasion, Felton said he was assigned to the French town of Cherbourg, a port town in the Normandy region, where he manned a signal tower from which he sent and received messages to ships on the coast, passing crucial information about the war effort.

After the war

Felton worked in a few other capacities before eventually being discharged in 1946, after the war's end in 1945, having attained the rank of signalman, first class.

He described adjusting to postwar life as being difficult.

"I felt like a different person than what I was two and a half years ago," he said. "I felt unreal, that going back home was something different, and I felt different about it all. And I was afraid to go home."

After arriving in Boston, Felton took first a subway and then a bus to his small Massachusetts hometown. He said he stood on the front porch but couldn't bring himself to ring the doorbell.

"When I got to my house, I was literally afraid, frigid, to ring the bell," he said, tears in his eyes.

"So I didn't," he said. "I felt like I didn't belong. I didn't know what to say. So I didn't ring the bell, and I left."

But, knowing he had to go back, he eventually worked up the courage to ring the doorbell and see his family.

"They weren't expecting me, because I didn't call them," he said. "Everybody heard me, and very quickly I felt at ease again. But that's what happens, when you don't see nobody for a long time, and you're in an environment that was unrealistic."

"Unrealism" was a common theme for Felton as he spoke in his son's home Tuesday. He said it was often hard to process why the things he saw happened in front of him  or at all.

"You can't believe things like that happen," he said. "The German people themselves, I'm sure, the soldiers didn't know the French people, they didn't know the American people. They had no grudge against them. We had no grudge against them. We didn't even know them. Yet we're killing each other.

"Why? Because of dictatorships," he said. "There wouldn't be wars if there weren't for the evil people that run them, wanting more land, wanting more of this or the other; then they have a lot of people go to war for them. It's always been that way."

Eventually, Felton made his way to Maryland, when his father, who was employed by the Veterans Administration, was transferred to a location here. Thanks to the GI Bill, he studied at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, where he received his law degree before later working for the U.S. Department of Labor.

As Felton told his story, the medal, sent all the way from Paris, sat on the table in front of him. During the interview, Felton said the French Legion of Honor was first created by Napoleon Bonaparte, with obvious pride about having received an honor with such a long history.

But if it feels a bit unceremonial to have the highest honor a nation can give simply FedExed to Felton, don't worry  Felton and his family have been invited to the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., where he will be formally honored with the medal. A formal date hasn't been set yet, but Jack Felton said he's been in touch with the embassy, and the event should happen any day now.

Until then, though, with the pride shining in Felton's eyes, it seems as though the medal is enough.

(c)2022 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.)

Visit The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.) at www.fredericknewspost.com

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Graveside service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at Lawson Cemetery, Yale, OK. Visitation will be on Friday, April 29 from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Palmer Marler Funeral Home in Cushing.
Sideline Sid

Sports correspondent & historian

www.sunlive.co.nz

Sideline Sid has become a keen observer of Singapore horse racing, with a miniscule share in a horse that has lined up on the Kanji track on a number of occasions in the last 12 months.

Horse racing in Singapore dates back to 1843, when Scottish merchant William Henry McLeod Read and a group of horse racing enthusiasts formed what is now known as the Singapore Turf Club.

The STC website tells us that the first race day was held on February 23, 1843, to mark the 24th anniversary of Singapore's founding by Sir Stamford Raffles.

Unlike New Zealand, where too many racing clubs are all chasing the same share of the punters dollars, Singapore Turf Club is the only horse racing club and authorised operator for horse racing activities on the island state.

The monopoly that the Singapore Turf Club enjoy on betting, on and off the course, plays a major hand in the STC providing stakes that Kiwi owners can only dream about.

It is the stake money that sets Singapore and New Zealand apart, with one win horses racing for $50,000, and further wins producing bigger pots of gold.

A bit over 12e months ago, Sideline Sid joined a Mount Maunganui RSA racing group that took a five per cent stake in a (then) three-year-old in the Te Akau Singapore race team.

Te Akau Racing stables have become the dominant force in New Zealand thoroughbred racing over recent decades, winning the trainers premiership and taking a stranglehold on the lucrative Karaka Millions race night.

In 2010, Te Akau Racing set up stables in Singapore, with Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker becoming a dominate force with four premierships.

"Our" horse, who has a stable name of Skier, provides a vivid contrast in the health of racing in the two countries, with the stake money on offer,

Te Akau Racing brought Skier out of Australia as a ready to go to the races proposition, with the Mount Maunganui RSA punters embarking on their first horse trained in Singapore.

There were plenty of early expectations after "Our" horse won back to back trials in the geldings early preparation.

However, horse racing quickly brings you back to earth, with the first two race day starts seeing the horse finish eighth and ninth.

Fifth in the third start gave the Mount RSA group a glimmer of hope, that started a run of form that has resulted one win, 3 seconds, 3 thirds and one fourth - with hopefully more to come.

With just a couple of hairs of the horses tail, there is little monetary reward for this owner, but not matter how small the share there is one hundred per cent of the thrills each time Our horse steps out on to the track in Singapore.
A Whakatane woman says the atmosphere at the anti-vaccine mandate protest in Wellington reminds her of New Zealand as it should be.

The protest outside Parliament is entering its 10th day and has attracted protesters from around the country, including a contingent from the Eastern Bay.

Rowena Hayes arrived in the capital with her horse truck on Friday after seeing disturbing images and footage, including one of a local teenager being pressed into the ground by police.

It was a young man who got arrested, and the police were doing press-ups on his head, she says.

Hes a 17-year-old guy from Whakatane. Hes still here, a sweet humble guy.

Seeing such hectic action prompted Rowena to travel to Wellington sooner than she had planned because they definitely need support down here.

It hasnt been like that since, the police have been very quiet, very well behaved, she told the Beacon yesterday.

They stand in a line. Theres a barricade between us and them and today they walked among us and chatted to people.

Rowena says there is absolutely no anger towards the police. We understand they are doing their jobs".

There are people within the protesting crowd who were former police people, who got mandated out. They tell us how to manage things.

There are a lot of talks from doctors and midwives, some of them are absolutely heartbreaking, who have been in the profession more than 40 years and mandated out of it.

So, the whole thing is to stop the mandates due to the damage they have caused to so many people in New Zealand; its totally wrong.

Rowena says what is taking place in Wellington is not an anti-vaccine protest.

What were all about is pro-choice.

If you want to put this stuff in your body, that is completely up to you, but a lot of people dont want to, and we should be respected as well.

A lot of people down here have been vaccinated, but they have seen people who have been vaccine injured and they realised it wasnt such a good thing.

We have the vaccinated and the unvaccinated being down here together being normal New Zealanders. Not segregated and not separating.

Staying in her horse truck, she is completely independent and has everything she needs to stay dry and comfortable.

I found a nice flat park and Im able to sleep in my truck.

I have my niece with me, which is nice, and we are parked two minutes away from Parliament.

Rowena says she feels sorry for the people who were camping when the southerly wind came through.

I think it was on the Sunday when there were tents flying everywhere.

The people of Wellington had come to the aid of the protesters during the atrocious weather.

Honestly, I was just about in tears when I saw the people of Wellington. They were just coming by in the pouring rain dropping stuff off  it was amazing.

This was the New Zealand we used to have once.

The people of Wellington were walking down, giving us tarpaulins, tent pegs, ropes, tents, sleeping bags.

Someone turned up with a whole load of air mattresses, pumps and things like that.

I spent my whole day on Sunday, from 9.30am to 5pm,handing out donated goods from the people of Wellington to rehouse everyone whose tents had blown away.

When additional people arrived, the protesters gave out tents, sleeping mattresses and sleeping bags.

There is an army, somewhere, of people who are cooking for us..

Part of one of the streets is devoted to food. There are five or six marquees; you work your way through coffee, breakfast, lunch, food and nibbles.

There is also a never-ending sausage sizzle and locals wandering about the grounds handing out warm brownies.

The support is phenomenal.

Im blown away by the atmosphere. This would be the safest, happiest, most loving place.

The protesting crowd represent a cross-section of New Zealanders, including professionals, tradespeople, ordinary workers and retirees.

To see New Zealand as it was once, to see New Zealand as it should be  this is the place to be.

- Whakatane Beacon/Sven Carlsson.
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The drop in Covid case numbers seen on Tuesday has been short lived, with the Ministry of Health reporting a record 1160 new cases in New Zealand today.

In its daily 1pm statement, the Ministry of Health says there are 33 new cases in the Bay of Plenty and only five in the Lakes DHB district.

The Ministry is also reporting that there are 56 people in hospital with Covid-19, three of who are in Tauranga Hospital.

The number of active community cases in New Zealand is 6721 - these are cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recoved.

The number of confirmed total cases is 23,127.

See below for a full breakdown of today's numbers.

Testing reminder

"It is encouraging to see a high level of testing this week. However, it is important the right people get tested for the right reasons," says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

"Staff at testing centres will prioritise testing for people who are close contacts or are symptomatic.

"There is good testing capacity throughout the country, but unnecessary testing could delay results for those who urgently need them.

"People should only get tested if they have cold or flu symptoms, are a close contact, or if they have been asked to get tested by a health official.

"We also want to reiterate our thanks to Covid-19 testing staff for their part in New Zealands defence against the virus.

"We are anticipating continued high demand at our Covid-19 testing sites, so our request is to, please, be patient. Our frontline staff across the health sector are doing the best they can to help in a timely way."

For a full list of testing sites nationwide, visit the Healthpoint website.

Keep scanning

The Ministry of Health is encouraging people to keep scanning in with the NZ Covid Tracer App.

It says the app remains a valuable tool under Phase 2 of the Omicron response.

"Keeping a record of where you have been will enable you to quickly identify whether youve been at a location of interest. It will also enable you to quickly contact your contacts if you become a case. Keeping Bluetooth enabled also helps you anonymously protect people youve been near.

"Self-isolating and reducing the spread of the virus means protecting your friends, whanau, community, and keeping the businesses and health services around you open, for a more comfortable and normal life at Red.

"Neither the Ministry of Health, or any other government agencies, have access to the data on your phone. This is held by you unless you agree to share it with contact tracers or upload it through the contact tracing form."

COVID-19 vaccine update

Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people aged 12 and over): 4,054,998 first doses (96%); 3,986,480 second doses (95%); 2,006,361 booster doses (62%).

Vaccines administered yesterday: 660 first doses; 1,406 second doses; 1,710 paediatric doses; 46,156 booster doses.

Maori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 516,764 first doses (90%); 493,679 second doses (86%).

Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 279,416 first doses (97%); 272,583 second doses (95%).

Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 217,979 first doses (46%)

Maori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 30,735 first doses (27%)

Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 18,082 first doses (37%)

Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)

Northland DHB: First doses (90%); second doses (87%)

Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (96%)

Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)

Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)

Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (91%)

MidCentral DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)

Tairawhiti DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (90%)

Whanganui DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (90%)

Hawkes Bay: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)

Taranaki DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)

Wairarapa DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)

Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (98%)

Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)

Nelson Marlborough DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)

West Coast DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (91%)

Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (98%)

South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (94%)

Southern DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (96%)

Hospitalisations

Cases in hospital: Total Number 56: North Shore: 6; Middlemore: 17; Auckland: 24; Rotorua: 1; Tauranga: 3; Waikato: 3; Wellington: 1, Christchurch: 1.

Average age of current hospitalisations: 65

Cases in ICU or HDU: 0

Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (2 cases / 5%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (N/A cases / 0%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (23 cases / 57.5%); unknown (15 cases / 37.5%).

Cases

Seven day rolling average of community cases: 683

Seven day rolling average of border cases: 20

Number of new community cases: 1160

Location of new community cases*: Northland (24), Auckland (861), Waikato (73), Bay of Plenty (33), Lakes (5), Hawkes Bay (15), MidCentral (3), Whanganui (4), Taranaki (9), Tairawhiti (9), Wairarapa (5), Capital and Coast (32), Hutt Valley (20), Nelson Marlborough (15), Canterbury (8), South Canterbury (3), Southern (39), Unknown (2)

Number of new cases identified at the border: 43

Location of origin of border cases: India (9), Japan (1), Malaysia (1), Pakistan (2), UAE (5), UK (2), USA (2), Full travel history not obtained (21).

Number of active community cases (total): 6,721 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)

Confirmed cases (total): 23,127

* Please note, the Ministry of Healths daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO.

Tests
Bay of Plenty councils are worried the yet to be determined fine print behind iwi marine titles and customary rights could halt or destroy an Opotiki Harbour project.

On the second day of boundary hearings in the Wellington High Court, Opotiki District Council voiced concerns that without protection the harbour project could be sunk.

Whakatohea iwi and neighbours Ngati Awa and Ngai Tai received a landmark decision in May 2021, granting marine title and protected customary rights to the coastline stretching from Whakatane and Opotiki.

This week iwi, hapu and other interested parties returned to Wellington High Court to determine where their authority will lie under the Takutai Moana Marine and Costal Area Act 2011.

The outcome of the hearings is expected to set a precedent for the other 200 active applicants across Aotearoa New Zealand.

In their opening submissions, lawyers representing iwi and hapu expressed their concerns about shared or single authority in proposed overlapping boundaries, a lack of communication between applicants to agree on boundary limits, restrictions that were hoped to be placed on wahi tapu (sacred places), and introduced kaumatua (elders) who would provide evidence of hapu and iwi connection to wahi tapu.

However, submissions from Opotiki District Council and Whakatane District Council were focused on the concerns their clients had that these newly recognised rights would interfere with their assets.

Marine customary title for the six Whakatohea hapu stretches from Maraetotara in the west to Tarakeha in the east and out to sea by 12 nautical miles. Those hapu jointly hold title with Ngati Awa in the western part of Ohiwa Harbour, as well as joint title with Ngai Tai between Tarakeha and Te Rangi which extends out to sea by 12 nautical miles.

Hapu and iwi will have authority to veto resource consent applications that apply to their boundaries.

Tania Reweti, representing Opotiki District Council, told the court that high-value national assets such as the Opotiki Harbour Development Project and other community assets should be excluded from hapu and iwi authority.

Reweti said the councils had tried to come to an agreement with the applicants to allow all resource consents for the continued building of the development that had been issued in 2009, and the maintenance of the harbour once completed in 2023, as well as other consents issues for the continued use of public facilities on the coastal area.

However, the applicants declined that request during negotiations, leading the councils to apply for those areas to be excluded from the applicants boundaries, Reweti said.

While the support of some of the applicant groups was eminent in 2009, that support from the customary marine title groups is clearly not ongoing in terms of the maintenance of the project.

These consents provide for the nationally significant harbour and support the economic wellbeing of the community, Reweti told the court.

These important and significant structures should be protected for future generations to enjoy.

The hearing will continue on Wednesday with evidence from applicants regarding wahi tapu.

CORRECTION: Lawyer Tania Reweti did not represent the Bay of Plenty Regional Council as was originally reported. She was acting on behalf of the Opotiki District Council only.

-Stuff/Maxine Jacobs.
UPDATE 2.26PM: Salvage operations are underway today after a trimaran got into trouble in the Tauranga Harbour.

Officials have confirmed that incident occurred at 7.25pm on Wednesday.

There were no reported injuries, and everyone has been rescued safely according to coastguard reports.

One witness told SunLive that the vessel had flipped, while another says it nosedived.

The cause has not been confirmed, though Coastguard Tauranga operations manager Dane Robertson says the conditions were not alarming at the time of the incident.

It was fortunate timing, as a crew member had just finished their training and overheard the call on the radio, and they were there in about two minutes.

A spokesperson for the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club has stated that the boat has had its mast removed.

Its out here in front of the club, its been de-masted and is still being retrieved at the moment.

The spokesperson also noted that the boat had nosedived while sailing in a club race. Operations Manager Dane Robertson was not able to confirm the nosedive.

EARLIER:

A number of people have been rescued from the Tauranga Harbour after a trimaran flipped overnight.

A photo sent in by Al Mcchesney shows the overturned multihull boat in the shipping lane of the harbour.

He estimates four people were on board when the vessel flipped, requiring help from coastguard and port vessels.

Nobody was injured as far as Im aware.

Al says it will be a large operation to salvage the vessel.

SunLive has contacted coastguard for more information and will provide an update when we can.
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Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Oklahoma... Illinois River near Tahlequah affecting Cherokee County. ...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT TO LATE TOMORROW EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Illinois River near Tahlequah. * WHEN...From late tonight to late tomorrow evening. * IMPACTS...At 11.0 feet, minor flooding occurs from near Hanging Rock downstream towards Tahlequah. Floating the river is too hazardous due to strong turbulence. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 8:30 AM CDT Tuesday the stage was 7.4 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage just after midnight tonight to a crest of 11.5 feet tomorrow morning. It will then fall below flood stage tomorrow afternoon. - Flood stage is 11.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
OECD Reports Solid Progress On BEPS Action 5 And 14

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

16 February 2022

The OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS has published the outcome of more reviews into territories' preferential tax regimes and on tax dispute resolution through the Mutual Agreement Procedure.

The OECD said the findings demonstrate that countries are continuing to make progress on combating harmful tax practices and providing greater tax certainty to large taxpayers.

The findings of reviews into nine preferential tax regimes have been published, as part of the work on the implementation of BEPS Action 5. The number of regimes reviewed now stands at 317.

The Forum on Harmful Tax Practices, meeting last in November 2021, has concluded that two newly introduced regimes, introduced in Hong Kong (China) and Lithuania, are "not harmful." In addition, two regimes that were subject to scrutiny have been abolished in Mauritius, and Qatar amended its three preferential regimes to be in line with the standard and, therefore, these regimes are now considered "not harmful".

Costa Rica has made a commitment to amend recent legislative changes that were made to its free trade zone regime. Therefore, the status assigned to this regime is now "in the process of being amended".

One new regime is now under review in Armenia concerning free economic zones.

On tax dispute resolution, under BEPS Action 14, new Stage 2 peer review monitoring reports have been released for Brunei Darussalam, Curacao, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Monaco, San Marino and Serbia. These look at progress the territories have made in implementing recommendations resulting from their Stage 1 peer review. According to the OECD, the findings are resoundingly positive. Highlights include:
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In brief: Nintendo has announced that it is shutting down online stores for both the Wii U and 3DS systems in late March 2023, potentially marking the end of one of its least successful and one of its most successful products.

Nintendo writes that it will no longer be possible to make purchases in the eShop for either console of late March next year. Users also won't be able to download free content, including game demos, or redeem download codes. However, they will still be able to redownload previously bought games and DLC, receive software updates, and play online after this point.

We thank you for supporting Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.



Additionally, you may also look back on your time with them via various play statistics: https://t.co/YCkkVFaQ7i --- Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 16, 2022

The changes will start taking place on May 23, 2022. At this point, it will no longer be possible to use a credit card to add funds to a Nintendo eShop account on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS devices. On August 29, 2022, Nintendo will stop allowing eShop gift cards as a way of adding funds to those accounts.

Additionally, any users who've linked their Nintendo Network ID wallet with their Nintendo Account wallet won't be able to use the shared balance to purchase Wii U or 3DS content after late March 2023. After this date, the balance can only be used to buy content for the Nintendo Switch.

The Verge notes that the change will mean users won't be able to buy classic Virtual Console games from the eShop. Part of Nintendo's FAQ called "Doesn't Nintendo have an obligation to preserve its classic games by continually making them available for purchase?" pointed retro fans toward the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service instead. It stated, "We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways." That entire FAQ section has since been removed.

Nintendo says the move "is part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time." The 3DS family, which sold almost 76 million units over its lifetime, was discontinued on September 16, 2020.

The follow-up to the 100 million+ selling Wii, the Wii U, was one of Nintendo's least successful consoles. It sold just 13.56 million units between its release in 2012 and its discontinuation in 2017. For comparison, the two-year-old PS5 has already outsold it, and the Xbox Series X/S will likely do the same very soon.

In other Nintendo news this week, the company publicly thanked authorities after hacker Gary Bowser, a prominent member of the Team Xecuter hacking group, was handed a 40-month prison sentence for two piracy-related federal felonies.

Image credit: Chiara Sakuwa
Something to look forward to: Another company looks set to join the Android smartphone market. Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus, has teased the first smartphone from his firm, Nothing. Qualcomm also joined in the Twitter thread, confirming that the device will be Snapdragon-powered, though that was expected given it signed a deal with Nothing last year.

Pei tweeted the words "Back on Android" yesterday, followed by another tweet singing the praises of Android 12 and tagging Android Senior Vice President at Google Hiroshi Lockheimer.

Android 12 is nice! @lockheimer --- Carl Pei (@getpeid) February 15, 2022

The official Android account joined in a few hours later with "We've got a lot to catch up on Carl [Sic]," before the Snapdragon account added its own take: an image of Predator's mid-air arm wrestle between Dutch and Dillion, but with a third arm added to show the partnership between the trio of companies.

Having left OnePlus in 2020 and founded his new venture in 2021, Nothing purchased Andy Rubin's former company, Essential, in February last year. It also signed a $50 million deal with Qualcomm in October, so a Snapdragon-powered smartphone looked like an inevitability.

The only product to come from Nothing so far has been its Nothing Ear (1) earbuds, which received mostly good, if not great, reviews from critics; they also sold over 100,000 units within two months of launch. Expect the Nothing phone to use some of the same design language as the buds, especially when it comes to transparency.

In November, Nothing Vice President and General Manager, Manu Sharma, said the company had five new products in development, adding that Qualcomm would power "many of the devices launching next year."

Exactly when Nothing's Android phone will launch is unclear, but we can expect to learn more sometime in the next few months.
(Photo : Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash)

Over the last few decades, scientific innovation has amplified our human desire for inventions and gadgets that can take us to new heights. From the workplace to our homes, tech and advanced software have made our lives easier in nearly every aspect - and now a few companies are bringing exoskeletons to the mainstream tech market.

While the SEC 2022 was filled with a plethora of ingenious tech devices that will surely change our lives within the next few years, companies in the exoskeleton industry, from the Japanese-based Innophys to robotics software company Sarcos, exoskeletons are no longer a thing of science fiction.

The futuristic idea of having a bodysuit that will enhance human strength and working capabilities has pushed robotic engineers and software developers to the brink of a breakthrough. The year ahead is looking somewhat promising considering the mainstream attention exoskeleton bodysuits are receiving from government and military institutions to the tech-savvy super-rich.

But exoskeletons are not anything new to the robotics and tech market, while it has managed to garner some notable achievements in the field of health and medicine to help with posture recovery, and the physically impaired.

Today various companies around the world are now trailing new designs and improved uses for exoskeleton suits and now is the time to get excited about the future of the industry.

MUSCLE SUIT Every

Designed and manufactured by Innophys, the MUSCLE SUIT Every was one of a few exoskeleton muscle suits that were introduced at the CES 2022. Now as the company is looking to breach into the American consumer market, Innophys has already attracted the likes of specialists from the military, restaurant, hospitality, healthcare, and security companies.

The company shared in July 2021, that sales for the MUSCLE SUIT Every has already topped more than 20,000 units, making it at the time the fastest and best-selling exoskeleton suit.

The suit, which makes use of compressed air flowing through a channel of straps and artificial muscle pads, amplifies pneumatic strength according to the company. The pads can be applied to various parts of the body, most importantly around the shoulders and back, and can deliver around 56 lbs of force.

The company claims that the suit was designed to assist laborers, from cooks to security guards, or military servicemen and women who endure prolonged hours of hard physical labor. The suit was designed to intentionally assist with lifting and moving heavy objects, mitigating the strain placed on the back and shoulders.

The MUSCLE SUIT Every is an invention that can look to address the issues many laborers are facing while working taxing jobs. The suit offers mobility and strength and can be the perfect addition to any team that needs an extra set of muscles.

The Year Ahead

The race to the top has only just started, and we can expect the coming year to bring new and innovative designs and capabilities to the field of robotics. Exoskeleton and muscle suits are only the tip of the iceberg, as companies such as some robotic laboratories are being backed by high-end and influential names.

Companies are coming up with some incredible inventions while aiming their marketing efforts at a new spectrum of global consumers.

While advancements and constant research make these exoskeleton suits more accessible on the mainstream market, the focus to assist those who need it the most, from the physically impaired, to the disabled should not be forgotten.

Researchers, alongside manufacturers, should look for new solutions that will see the improvement of physical mobility when it comes to disabled children and adults. Already we're seeing a handful of companies, and government entities who are willing to take the risk to improve the accessibility of exoskeleton suits for disabled children, teaching them to walk again.

There's still a lot we need to learn from what exoskeletons can do for us, but so far we're set on the right track. Improving our mobility and dexterity, while teaching us how we can use Artificial Intelligence to enhance our human anatomy.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
ISS or International Space Station astronauts have spotted an ancient heart-shaped oasis from Egypt.

Now, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA's Earth Observatory shared snaps of the heart-shaped sighting from space just in time for the Valentine's day celebration, as per a news story from Space.com.

ISS Astronauts Spot Heart-Shaped Oasis in Egypt

The folks aboard the aging ISS, which NASA plans to crash into the ocean in 2031 as it retires, looked down on our home planet way back in May 2021, wherein they spotted an interesting sighting from the surface of the Earth.

While astronauts in the orbiting space station were looking at the sandy deserts of Egypt, they stumbled upon an oasis that appears to have formed a heart shape.

It turns out that the massive heart shape seen from space is an ancient oasis that goes by the name Faiyum Oasis, which reportedly extends to more than 450 square miles or 1,2000 square kilometers.

Space.com noted that its size could be compared to at least one and a half of the overall area of the five boroughs of New York City.

NASA stated that the heart-shaped Faiyum Oasis was created on top of the lakebed of Lake Moeris in ancient Egypt.

The United States space agency said that the heart-shaped oasis was once home to human settlement way back 8,000 years ago.

It also provided these folks with various resources during ancient times, including fishes and birds. Not to mention that it also housed the now-endangered slender horned gazelle back then.

On top of that, the heart-shaped Oasis was also the place where marvelous engineering innovations thousands of years ago or in ancient history were showcased.

Read Also: NASA is Decommissioning the ISS by 2031-Extends Support from 2024 to 2030 But Will They Destroy It?

Heart-Shaped Oasis in Egypt

As per the geography department of the University College London, shortly known as UCL, the oasis is "one of the earliest massive national hydrological projects in the world."

The UCL went on to add that the "engineering kings" were behind the massive oasis project in ancient times, which is basically the 12th Dynasty kings.

That said, due to the "engineering kings" thousands of people have benefited from the life that the oasis sustains, which includes towns, villages, as well as orchards, and farms.

Now, astronauts orbiting 250 miles from Earth have spotted this oasis of life as a heart-shaped gray patch in the middle of the sandy Egypt desert.

Related Article: New ISS Archaeological Project To Assist NASA in Creating Better Space Habitats for Mars Missions and MORE!

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
OMRON's CEO, Ranndy Kellogg, also the company's current president, shared their healthcare innovations. Aside from this, he also confirmed that they are now exploring the use of artificial intelligence in their technologies.

OMRON Corporation is a Japanese electronics company currently based in Kyoto, Japan. This tech manufacturer's expertise is in the healthcare tech sector, developing medical devices that sync with smartphones or tablets.

"We are a leader, especially in blood pressure monitoring and hypertension management with expansion into the whole cardiovascular field via EKG and some other technologies," said Kellogg.

OMRON's CEO Shares Healthcare Innovations

During the exclusive interview with Tech Times, OMRON's CEO said that their main focus for the past 40 years has been taking care of people's hearts.

He added that their blood pressure and hypertension management technologies could help them eliminate heart attacks and strokes.

Also Read: Airfocus CEO Malte Scholz Shares How Platform Ease the Pressure of Product-Led Office Tools

On the other hand, Kellogg also mentioned their patient monitoring platform called Vitalsight.

"Vitalsight is our patient monitoring platform, our patient monitoring solution for the U.S. It's designed specifically for the U.S. because of the way healthcare is delivered here," said OMRON's president.

Now, Kellogg also explained how Vitalsight works. He said that they use Vitalsight to provide a kit that has a blood pressure monitor and a cellular hub.

Patients can receive this kit through their physicians. Ranndy also said that a cellular hub is essential since it allows consumers to efficiently use their kits because many U.S. residents don't have WiFi.

OMRON Exploration AI's Potential

Aside from Vitalsight, Kellogg also mentioned that OMRON is trying to explore the use of AI in its healthcare technologies.

He confirmed that they recently entered a partnership with Kyoto University, which is quite easy since this school is just in their "backyard."

OMRON's CEO further stated that they are now looking at all the data around various health factors affecting people's hearts. These include weight, physical activity, smoking habits, eating habits, and more.

He added that they could use these medical details together with an AI platform. If you want to see more about the latest exclusive interview of Tech Times with CEO Ranndy Kellogg, you can watch the video below.

For more news updates about OMRON and other healthcare tech firms, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: CEO Explains Why Meta Watch NFTs are Revolutionary! | Tech Times Exclusives #29

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google now brings a special treat for all Chrome OS fans. It is the availability of the popular operating system on different PCs, Macs, and computers that are not Chromebooks. The Mountain View company calls this the "Chrome OS Flex," and it will be available on two versions, namely for Business and School use of the public.

Google Chrome OS Flex: Available for PCs and Macs

Google announced the first-ever "Chrome OS Flex," which is a version of the Chrome OS that is available for upgrades on different computers, including Windows-based and Macs. The release means that anyone can have the Chrome OS to use, especially now that Google has it available for free to download and use for different PCs.

The focus of the Chrome OS Flex is both for Business and School purposes, meaning that it may be intended for different purposes at the user's discretion. The availability of the Chrome OS Flex signifies Google opening up to the world, after making it limited for Chromebooks and Pixel devices and licensing it to limited companies only.

Read Also: Google 'Fixes' Known Zero-Day Security Exploit With Chrome and Chrome OS Update

Google Chrome OS: No Need for Chromebook

Users can install this for free on their PCs and Macs, without the need for an extensive programming change. It is available for free on Google's website and would only require users to sign-up for the program that is now on its early access beta mode.

Expect different bugs or difficulties in the operating system as it is still on early access, but Google said it is under development for a better experience.

Google's Chrome OS

Google does not provide a license for computer companies to use their operating system on the different releases bringing desktops or laptops for consumers. The Chrome OS would only be available to external companies via a collaboration, which Google had with Samsung, Acer, ASUS, Dell, and more.

The Chrome OS already beat the macOS from Apple several months ago as the second most popular operating system in the world next to Windows. It only signifies the iconic design from Google and its worldwide fame that is already known to many, something which the macOS previously enjoyed and the one regarded as the popular one.

Chrome OS Flex's availability for business and school purposes only means that Google may soon sell it to computers from different manufacturing companies. The OS may also be made available like Windows, which is available on most computers in the market, making it a general operating system for use in many countries.

Related Article: Nordic Choice Hotels Switches to Chrome OS After Ransomware Attack

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Microsoft seems to b serious about taking its oath towards 'greener' operations forward with new ways to help companies and organizations track their carbon emissions.

Microsoft Emissions Dashboard

Recently, Microsoft has made significant efforts to help companies track their emissions, a goal that is particularly important given its prevalence in almost all large organizations.

This new announcement from Microsoft was not the first to discuss its goal to reduce carbon emissions.

In a blog from 2020---the company stated that in 2030, it would be on track to become carbon negative. Then by 2050, Microsoft will have removed all the carbon either directly or indirectly from the environment since its founding in 1975.

Now earlier this year, Microsoft released its Emission Impact Dashboard.

Microsoft Cloud-based Emissions Impact Dashboards for Azure and Microsoft 365, powered by Power BI template apps and third-party-validated carbon accounting, help you measure and manage Microsoft Cloud-based emissions and carbon savings.

The said dashboard was once initially exclusive for Azure but now became extended into Microsoft 365 as well. However, this won't be the only update users can expect soon because it will be available for more apps in the future.

According to the company, "Organisations can use the Emissions Impact Dashboard for Microsoft 365 to quantify the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their organization's usage of Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams."

But how will Microsoft's Emission Impact Dashboard function?

As a first step, you can track your direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with your cloud usage.

Additionally, you can also calculate your emissions avoided over time through data center efficiency. Finally, you can share your findings, in CO2-equivalent metric tons, through cloud data export.

Microsoft hopes to provide a transparent view of your cloud usage's carbon footprint with its Emission Impact Dashboard.

"We're committed to becoming a carbon-negative, water-positive, and zero-waste company by 2030, and we intend to be transparent with our customers about our progress toward these goals," the company explained.

Also Read: Microsoft Xbox Metaverse: CEO Satya Nadella Teases Virtual Worlds for Gaming, But When?

How can Technology Help Reduce Emissions?

As the use of the cloud increases, especially during pandemics, the environmental and ecological costs rise. But above all, data centers are among the most resource-intense facilities.

Microsoft promised that it would use technology to reduce its customers' carbon footprints to counter the environmental problem. Plus, allotting more funding aimed at accelerating the development of technologies to reduce carbon emission.

So far, Microsoft has it planned out in the next four years with its Climate Innovation Fund that will invest $1 billion in new technologies and expand access to capital for those seeking to solve this problem around the world.

However, Microsoft is not the only tech giant to reduce carbon emissions. Similarly, Amazon, Meta, Apple, and others have also committed to having 'greener' operations typically by 2030.

Related Article: Microsoft Found A Way To Store Data In DNA, Could Replace Hard Drives Soon

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Thea Felicity

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The European Commission announced its humanitarian funding for North Africa for 2022. 18 million have been allocated in Algeria, Egypt and Lybia.

The funding is intended to support some of the most vulnerable people in these regions.

Janez Lenarcic, Commissioner for Crisis Management, stated that the European Union would offer support to those in need in such regions where conflicts, instability and displacement have left many people in disgrace.

The aim is to guarantee their access to healthcare, education and other basic needs, especially in the challenging context of a global pandemic.

9 million will be allocated in Algeria, 5 million in Egypt, and 4 million in Libya.

Humanitarian aid: EU allocates 18 million in Algeria, Egypt and Libya



For more click here https://t.co/W2dq2gvklB pic.twitter.com/DjOhfL9DNN  EU Humanitarian Aid | Middle East & North Africa (@ECHO_MiddleEast) February 15, 2022

Algeria's crisis of Sahrawi refugees is one of the severe issues that such funding pretends to ease. The funds will help them access food nutrition and improve access to safe water, primary healthcare, and education.

In Egypt, for its part, the funds will help the most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers abandoned in the poorest neighborhoods of urban centers. Safe and sustainable access to quality education, protection services and basic needs is the desired state to reach with the allocation of the funds.

On the other hand, in Libya, the funds will help cover humanitarian needs in the health and education spheres and guarantee protection for those most in need in urban centers and not easily accessible locations.
Madisonville, KY (42431)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 77F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph..

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The Origin Materials facility under construction in Ontario, Canada. California-based Origin announced Wednesday it will spend at least $750 million to build a plant in Geismar that will turn wood residue into a key chemical used in plastic. About 200 people will work at the facility.
A Black Democratic lawmaker is facing outrage from colleagues and state party leaders after voting for a Republican plan that redraws Louisianas congressional map without creating a second majority-Black district.

State Rep. C. Travis Johnson, D-Vidalia, has been in the hot seat since Thursday, when he broke ranks with Democrats and the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus to support House Bill 1 from House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales.

That vote  and his support last year for a ban on transgender athletes  has prompted some party activists to call for Johnsons removal as the first vice chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party.

Its time we acknowledge he does not belong in party leadership and take action because he is working against our partys interests, Katherine Hurst, a member of the Democratic State Central Committee, wrote in an email to party officials Monday.

Tensions over Johnsons voting record spilled over at the State Capitol on Monday during a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus, according to interviews with three state lawmakers in attendance, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Democrats strategy going into a crucial vote on the House floor on proposed state House maps. The question came up: 'If you cant vote with us, we need to know,'  one lawmaker said.

At that point, Johnson announced his plans to vote for House Bill 14, a Republican-backed measure that would maintain the status quo of 29 majority-Black House districts.

Johnson then launched into an explanation of the politics of his district.

He pointed out that although the area he represents is overwhelmingly Black, many of the parishwide officials he works with are White. Located on the border of Louisiana and Mississippi, his district snakes along the Mississippi River and includes portions of Concordia, Tensas, Madison and East Carroll parishes.

Louisiana House approves congressional redistricting plan with single majority-Black district A plan to redraw Louisianas six congressional districts cleared a major hurdle Thursday when the state House of Representatives voted to adva

Johnson told his colleagues he wouldnt tolerate their disrespecting him for his voting record.

Johnson then said he could outraise anyone else in the room in campaign cash as a candidate if a second majority-Black congressional district were created.

It was like he was carrying this chip on his shoulder, one lawmaker said.

Johnson wouldnt comment over the phone and didnt respond to a list of questions sent via email.

The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Throughout the three-week redistricting session, Black lawmakers have pushed for a congressional map that includes a second majority-Black district. Citing census data showing that one-third of Louisiana's population is Black, Democrats have introduced more than a dozen maps that would give Black voters the opportunity to select two of Louisianas six Congress members.

But at every turn, Republican majorities have killed the proposals and advanced maps that maintain the status quo of a single majority-Black district stretching from New Orleans East to north Baton Rouge.

+2 Louisiana House and Senate approve new legislative maps with strong majorities The Republican-controlled state House and Senate took a major step Monday toward approving new legislative maps that would solidify the huge G

Johnson was the lone Black lawmaker to support the Republican-backed congressional maps on final passage Thursday. Only one other Democrat, state Rep. Francis Thompson, D-Delhi, voted for the measure.

Thompson, who is White, represents a district that overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump in 2020. He said a second Black-majority seat would imperil U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start, who lives in his parish.

If Gov. John Bel Edwards decides to veto the GOP-backed congressional maps, Johnson will find himself at the center of even more attention.

Republicans hold 68 seats in the House, compared to 34 for Democrats and three without party affiliation, putting Republicans two votes short on a party-line vote of the two-thirds majority needed to override a governors veto.

During last years historic veto override session, Johnson was considered a swing vote, after he co-sponsored legislation banning transgender girls and women from participating in girls and womens sports. He ultimately voted to sustain the governors veto.

On Monday, Democratic State Central Committee members received an email urging them to contact Edwards and tell him to veto the Republican-backed congressional maps. After seeing how Johnson voted, the call to action bothered Hurst, of the Democratic State Central Committee.

Here we are again, having to ask the governor to veto bills that our first vice chair voted on, Hurst said in an interview.

Alicia Breaux, another Democratic State Central Committee member, said Johnson needs to straighten up and fly right, adding that a lot of Democrats are dissatisfied with his performance as first vice chair.

He should be developing the party around the state, and thats not happening either, Breaux said.

Katie Bernhardt, chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party, declined to comment.

The party is updating its bylaws, and existing rules dont provide a mechanism for stripping a leader of their role, according to Hurst.

Still, Hurst said, If theres a way to remove him from leadership, were sure going to try.
That America is a nation in disarray will be evident to anyone familiar with world events over the past century. Recent feature articles in major American newspapers and magazines have even seriously pondered the question of whether or not another civil war is imminent. So whats gone so horribly wrong with the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Big-screen Marvel movies insist that therell be superheroes around to save all of its decent, God-fearing citizens regardless of their political persuasions or their vaccination status. But, for some reason, threats of disasters persist. Like the comet headed for a wilfully oblivious populace in Andrew McKays apocalyptically acerbic comedy Dont Look Up (Netflix). Of course, thats a fiction, I hear you say. Which is true. But what Dont Look Up is really about is how turning a blind eye to scientific facts like climate change constitutes a clear and present danger.

Ignoring the science: Jonah Hill, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence in Dont Look Up. Credit:Netflix

McKays film is an allegory: it ostensibly leaves us free to draw our own conclusions. And the same mechanics are at work in many of the drama series currently available through our streaming services, some delivering their points of view more directly than others. The most obvious examples are the what-if scenarios that seize moments in history, tweak a few details and ponder the implications.

Returning us to the early 1940s, David Simon and Ed Burns The Plot Against America (Binge, Foxtel Now) bestows the US presidency on a populist demagogue rather than the actual incumbent of the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The consequences depicted in the six-part series evoke an irresistible parallel with what happened in the US under the presidency of Donald Trump.
Rising cases of COVID among Queensland schoolchildren have been played down, as the state recorded 12 more deaths related to the virus on Wednesday.

Due to a delay in the data there was not a breakdown of ages and vaccination status of the people who died on Wednesday, but Chief Health Officer John Gerrard indicated they appeared to be of a similar age range as on previous days.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette DAth. Credit:Matt Dennien

In school students there were 1905 new cases recorded, up from 1587 on Tuesday, which indicated that the virus was continuing to spread in schools.

Health Minister Yvette DAth said schools had handled the cases well so far.
The National Trust has slammed a Queensland councils plan to demolish a 1930s-era beachside pavilion, as the race to save the Redcliffe landmark intensifies ahead of a meeting between the mayor, council officials and those fighting to save the building.

Moreton Bay Regional Council has announced its intention to demolish Redcliffes Suttons Beach Pavilion.

Moreton Bay Regional Council was blindsided in January when the buildings tenant, Suttons Beach Pavilion restaurant owner Oli Thomson, announced the demolition plans on social media before a council announcement.

That prompted a wave of support for Mr Thomson and his 40-odd staff, and spawned a community movement to prevent the art deco seaside pavilion being lost.

In a letter to Moreton Bay mayor Peter Flannery, National Trust of Australia (Queensland) deputy president Stuart Lummis says the organisation strongly objects to the demolition.
For the likely new owners of Crown Resorts, private equity giant Blackstone, business as usual is not an option. Crowns credibility has been shattered, first by reports in The Age and 60 Minutes, followed by inquiries by the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority and two royal commissions which have found evidence of criminal infiltration, money laundering, deliberate underpayment of tax and an irresponsible approach to minimising gambling harm.

As Victorian royal commissioner Ray Finkelstein bluntly declared in his final report, the companys behaviour was illegal, dishonest, unethical and exploitative. Crown only kept its gaming licence by virtue of its size  it employs about 11,500 people in Melbourne  and the damaging impact shutting it down would have had on the states tax take. In another vote of no confidence, it was forced to operate for two years under the watchful eye of a government-appointed special manager.

Crown will be Blackstones latest casino acquisition after building up a portfolio in Las Vegas and Latin America. Credit:Chris Hopkins

With these findings ringing in its ears, and its major shareholder, James Packer, forced (and keen) to sell down his ownership from 37 per cent to 5 per cent or less by September 2024, Crowns sale was inevitable. While there were a few buyers circling, Blackstone made the offer that proved too good to refuse. The only possible hurdle will be the gaming authorities in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia, who need to give it the green light.

Blackstone has yet to make public what a future Crown may look like, but it has form for buying, overhauling and selling casinos across Las Vegas, Europe and Latin America while pocketing substantial profits. According to a respected casino industry analyst, Blackstone would most likely focus on cutting costs, repairing the reputational damage to the business, then put it back on the market.
Popular Melbourne live music venues say they are on the brink of collapse and are urging the state government to remove restrictions or provide cash relief, after the owners of the historic Curtin Hotel announced it would close.

The Carlton pub, which is enmeshed in Labor and union movement history, announced its closure on Monday. Its landlord decided to sell the property when the lease expired, and the venues managers recently complained about the difficulty of doing business due to density restrictions.

The Curtin, at the city end of Lygon Street.

The announcement prompted other live music venues and politicians to urge the state government to remove restrictions or provide cash relief for businesses that have not been propped up by governments during the Omicron wave, which caused mass cancellation of shows.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the Lygon Street venue, a favoured pub for former prime minister Bob Hawke, had historical value and should continue trading. The Victorian Trades Hall Council, which represents Victorian unions, is discussing a bid to buy the property with unions, individuals and community groups.
Inside, it was light, almost bright. Television lights had robbed the cathedral of its cool, quiet shadows. The churchmen took their places beside the sanctuary. And 12 sailors marched into precise ranks on the steps leading to the High Altar. The official guests  the Governor, the Lord Mayor, representatives of Federal and State Governments and the Opposition - were already seated. There was a sound like steady rain on an iron roof the sound of clapping outside the cathedral. The silver trumpets were raised. A special fanfare rang through the cathedral, its sound softened by the stone pillars, announcing the arrival of the Papal Legate, Cardinal Shehan.

At the steps leading to the sanctuary, the procession halted. From the eastern side of the sanctuary, another procession moved  the incense bearer preceded the Dean of the Cathedral, carrying a small crucifix tenderly laid on a cushion. The Papal Legate kissed the crucifix, sprinkled the bystanders with holy water. And as the procession moved to the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, the sound of boy sopranos singing Palestrinas Tu Es Petrus soared to the vaulted ceiling. A nun slipped from her pew and took a quick photograph of the Papal Legate as he passed. Cardinal Shehan moved to his seat and the Notary of the Melbourne Archdiocese (the Rt. Rev. Mons. Clarke) began the reading of the Papal Legates letter of appointment.

The Papal Legate, Cardinal Shehan, with the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam Credit:Antony Matheus Linsen We ardently desire, then, that  even as those who have prepared this Eucharistic Congress are closely bound to each other  the Congress itself may kindle a burning desire in the souls of men to help one another to be open-hearted in providing for strangers among them to bring aid and comfort to the poor and abandoned. Somewhere a microphone whined. The letter went on: Finally, we humbly beseech God that this approaching Congress may be productive of the fruits of the spirit anticipated for it and that these fruits, in turn, may work for the good of the land of Australia, whose sweet memory is fresh with us, and for the good of the whole world. With the Apostolic blessing, the ceremony continued. A welcome from Archbishop Knox, a reply from the Papal Legate: May the light that shines so brightly here in the city of Melbourne shine even more brightly during the months that lie ahead.

The service of dedication, the general intercessions  with Mr. Phillip Lynch, Dame Mary Daly, and Mr. Herbert Boland reading the intercessory prayers  and the final hymn. An Indian woman, with bare feet, leant on a railing and sang joyously Now thank we all our God. In 50 minutes it was all over. It took another 10 minutes for the churchmen to file down the aisle and out into the sunlight. They were all smiling. The laity were smiling, too. It was fantastic, so impressive, a woman said to a friend. White-bearded Erhard Radwan, 81, who flew alone from Germany, was content. Earlier there had been a moment of bitterness.
Unions are calling for the government to extend the provision of free rapid antigen tests to Victorias 1 million school students, as new data shows young people again have the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the state weeks into term one.

The Independent Education Union said while daily COVID cases remain high, the twice-weekly tests were crucial to schools being as safe as they can be.

Eltham College principal Simon Le Plastrier and students Darcy Wenn and Emily Barker. Mr Plastrier says parents are pragmatic about COVID this year. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Meredith Peace said the rapid tests had been important in giving staff, students and families a greater level of confidence around COVID safety, as well reducing the risk of transmission.

The AEU supports the extension of the rapid testing regime as part of a range of COVID-safe measures in our schools and early childhood settings, she said.
But assuming Dan does follow Doms lead, will the office workers come back? Loading Everyone knows someone who says theyre not going back to the CBD because COVID has shown they can do their job from home. But if we let the habits of the past two years become permanent Victoria will be a very different place. Before COVID, the City of Melbournes was the booming engine room of the states economy, producing a record $104 billion in gross local product, and was home to almost 500,000 jobs. The pandemic restrictions caused a rapid decentralisation. If that continues and the CBDs economy becomes permanently smaller, it is unclear how Victoria is going to replace it.

To put it bluntly our states economic trajectory in the absence of a thriving centre is uncertain. A report released by the Committee for Melbourne this week considered Melbournes performance compared to its global counterparts. It found we are still highly dependent on our world-class city centre with Greater Melbourne lagging behind. If we allow that centre to wither, were putting our states economic future at risk. If working from home becomes a widespread and permanent habit will also hurt us on an individual level. Of course, some city workers may be content tapping away from their home offices, but it would leave a generation of young professionals behind. Many employers have found junior staff are the keenest to return, which is unsurprising if your home office is also your share-house bedroom.

Even more so if youre trying to master a new profession by Zoom. Loading We acknowledge that two years of remote learning created difficulties for school and university students. We also need to acknowledge it is unfair to expect young people starting their careers to learn through a screen. As Virginia Briggs  the leader of Australias largest law firm, MinterEllison  said recently: People have done a terrific job remotely during COVID, but theres no substitute for that face-to-face learning, that incidental learning from overhearing conversations, being grabbed into a client meeting, so you can see how more senior practitioners perform. The good news is there is reason to believe workers will return when restrictions ease. Research by PwC released late last year found a clear majority of the 2000 people surveyed wanted to return to the office.

But to get our city bustling again will require leadership. And the need for it is urgent. A City of Melbourne survey of businesses last month found almost three-quarters were under intense distress or just surviving. Over half didnt feel confident they could stay open for more than three months. The council has sought to return its own staff, hundreds of whom attended all-staff town hall meetings in person last week. But Victoria needs leadership from the citys largest employer.

The Victorian government employed approximately 13 per cent of the pre-pandemic workforce in the city. Last March it said public servants would be encouraged, but not required, to attend their offices three days a week. Loading No public data on the level of return was released. But data captured by City of Melbourne pedestrian sensors near public sector workplaces consistently recorded lower activity than the rest of the city after and between lockdowns, suggesting fewer public servants were attending the office compared to other city workers. The NSW government held three summits to address the urgent issue of CBD recovery. The Victorian government has held none. At the third summit held last week, Premier Perrottet said everythings on the table, including discounted public transport for people returning to the CBD. He said it was his governments civic duty to bring workers back into the city and to back business, back people and bring our roaring city back to life.
Anyone who attended five popular Perth bars at the weekend is being asked to isolate for seven days and get tested after the Department of Health identified the venues as high-risk exposure sites.

WAtoday understands multiple COVID-19 cases have been linked to events at The Avenue in Claremont, Cottesloe Beach Hotel in Cottesloe and Fremantle venues Gage Roads Brew Co, The Federal Hotel and The Old Synagogue.

The Cottesloe Beach Hotel is among the three exposure sites. Credit:Matthew Tompsett

Health directives issued on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon require anyone who was at the venues for more than two hours during the same time as a positive case to isolate under the states close contact definitions.

Premier Mark McGowan visited Gage Roads on Friday night, however, was not at the recently opened brewery for long enough to require quarantine, a spokeswoman said.
Not since Robert Menzies used his reds under the bed anti-communist campaign in the 1950s has an Australian Prime Minister been so determined to paint an Opposition Leader as a quisling for a perceived enemy.

It is now clear that is precisely what Scott Morrison and his colleagues, floundering in the polls, are up to as the federal election draws near.

Scott Morrison in question time on Wednesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Time and again during question time on Wednesday, Morrison and his senior ministers sought to portray Labor Leader Anthony Albanese and his fellow Labor MPs as not just soft on China, but as something approaching collaborators.

From the very start, Morrison turned a question from his side  about how his government was standing up to countries involved in bullying and coercion  into just such an attack.
The independent candidate in Willoughby Larissa Penn says a backlash against the NSW government in Gladys Berejiklians former seat was a direct result of the electorate being taken for granted for too long.

Willoughby, which is on a knife-edge after a 19 per cent swing against the Liberals, will be decided by postal votes after community campaigner Ms Penn secured 32 per cent of first preferences in Saturdays byelection.

Supporters of independent candidate Larissa Penn outside Gladys Berejiklians electoral office during the campaign.

Ms Penn said the explanation for a significant shift in support away from the government in the once blue ribbon seat was because Willoughby had been neglected and treated as a safe seat that would never be lost.

She said the electoral results so far do not represent a standard byelection swing but reflect local sentiment.
A senior Western intelligence official said Russian military exercises were at their peak and the risk of Russian aggression against Ukraine would remain high. Loading Stoltenberg said a pullout would be welcome, but that moving troops and tanks back and forth did not amount to proof it was really happening. He said all indications were that Russia was maintaining a massive invasion force ready to attack. We have not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces. And of course, that contradicts the message of diplomatic efforts, Stoltenberg said in Brussels at a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way. So, so far, no de-escalation. He said NATOs analysis was based on commercial satellite imagery. Loading As a result of recent Russian activity in the region, Stoltenberg said NATO defence ministers had tasked commanders to consider forming new battle groups in central and south-eastern Europe. The additional formations in Romania and the Black Sea region would be led by France and designed to prepare for a new normal  namely, Russia using military coercion to contest sovereignty in the region.

Even so, Stoltenberg maintained that NATO was not a threat to Russia. We are ready for dialogue, he said. We have no plans to deploy offensive systems in Ukraine. He said NATO nevertheless stood ready to support any members or allies that came under attack. For its part, the Kremlin said NATOs assessment of Russian troop movements was wrong. Moscows ambassador to Ireland said forces in western Russia would be back to their normal positions within three to four weeks.

Russia says it never planned to attack Ukraine but wants to lay down red lines to prevent its neighbour from joining NATO, which it sees as a threat to its own security. The Kremlin said Putin was keen to negotiate with the United States, which has offered discussions on arms control and confidence-building measures while ruling out a veto on future NATO membership for Ukraine. Creating tension Russia has accused the United States and Britain of hysterical war propaganda after their repeated warnings of a possible attack, including reports that any offensive would take place on Wednesday.

China, which has cultivated closer ties with Russia as both countries have come under increasing criticism from the West, accused the United States of playing up the threat of warfare and creating tension. Military analysts say a key indicator of a significant pullback will be whether field hospitals and fuel stores are dismantled and units from Russias far east, which are taking part in huge exercises in Belarus, return to their bases thousands of miles away. Western officials continued to maintain that there was nothing normal about field hospitals being deployed for routine military exercises. Day of unity Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said he did not see any sign of a Russian troop withdrawal.

When the troops do withdraw, everyone will see that, but for now its just a statement, the BBC quoted him as saying during a visit to western Ukraine. Zelensky designated Wednesday a patriotic holiday in response to Western media reports that Russia could invade on that day. No one can love our home as we can. And only we, together, can protect our home, he said. The Ukraine defence ministry said hackers were still bombarding its website and had succeeded in finding vulnerabilities in the programming code. Traffic was being rerouted to servers in the United States while the issue was being fixed, it said. Ukrainian soldiers during Day of Unity celebrations in Odessa on Wednesday. Credit:AP

A senior Ukrainian security official said the only country interested in such cyber attacks was Russia. The Kremlin denied involvement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had taken note of a request from Russias parliament on Tuesday to recognise the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian government forces since 2014. Peskov said any recognition would not be in line with the 2014-15 Minsk agreements aimed at ending the conflict, in which Ukraine says some 15,000 people have been killed. The comment appeared to indicate that Putin would not rush into recognising the separatist areas but might keep such an option in reserve.
"The earth belongs to the living, and not to the dead," Thomas Jefferson wrote to James Madison in September 1789 (the same month Congress approved Madison's Bill of Rights). He was decrying the practice of previous generations binding present generations to laws they did not pass, and debts they did not accrue. Essentially, he was arguing against the US Constitution existing in perpetuity, an argument he clearly lost. Jefferson's ideas might have seemed radical in the 18th century, but was merely echoing Portia, the female protagonist (antagonist?) of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, now receiving a vital and invigorating revival from Theatre for a New Audience.

Portia (played here by Isabel Arraiza) is the heir to a fabulous fortune, but she is bound to a bizarre stipulation of her late father's will, which requires her suitors to choose correctly among three boxes to win Portia's hand, like contestants in Let's Make a Deal. "So is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father," Portia laments.

Varin Ayala plays the Prince of Arragon in The Merchant of Venice.

( Henry Grossman)

While she is pursued by the Prince of Morocco (Maurice Jones) and the Prince of Arragon (Varin Ayala, hilariously lisping in Spanglish), she is most interested in Bassanio (Sanjit De Silva)  but he is neither a prince nor particularly wealthy. He asks his friend, Antonio (Alfredo Narciso), for money to help put him on a competitive footing with the other suitors, but Antonio's capital is all tied up in merchant ships. Antonio allows his friend (here portrayed as something more) to use his credit to secure a loan, but the only person willing to take the deal is Shylock (John Douglas Thompson), a Jewish lender who hates Antonio and demands a pound of his flesh as collateral. Unwisely, the lovestruck Christians agree to the bargain.

In the four centuries since this play's debut, portrayals of Shylock have become increasingly sympathetic, highlighting the discrimination the Jewish businessman faces in a militantly Catholic society, as well as the callous way his daughter, Jessica (Danaya Esperanza), absconds with his money to elope with a Christian, Lorenzo (David Lee Huynh, wallowing in bro-ish menace). It's enough to make anyone bitter. This production is no exception in its sensitivity to anti-Semitism; although director Arin Arbus never seeks to paper-over Shylock's real malice and its potentially bloody consequences.

John Douglas Thompson plays Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.

( Henry Grossman)

As Shylock, Thompson once again proves why he is the greatest classical actor in this city. In one extraordinarily layered performance, he conveys Shylock's public smarminess, his private resentment, his fatherly tenderness, subsequent grief, and eventual wrath  it's all so recognizably human. Undergirding his sturdy character arc is a steadfast belief in the laws of Venice and the idea that they will be applied equally to Jew and Christian alike. We shouldn't be surprised that it takes one of the richest ladies in Italy to disabuse him of this notion.

I have long felt that Portia is the true villain of this play, but modern productions in thrall to the cult of the girl boss rarely recognize it. Masquerading as a Paduan jurist named Balthasar in a scheme to rescue Antonio from his obligations, she pontificates to Shylock about mercy yet refuses to extend any when the tables are turned. She is her father's daughter, a wealthy sadist who knows that words on the page can be manipulated to her will because power is power.

Isabel Arraiza plays Portia, and Jeff Biehl plays her personal assistant in The Merchant of Venice.

( Gerry Goodstein)

Arbus's production seems prepared to go there and allow Portia to be her true, ruthless self. This is especially apparent in the dark fifth act, which Marcus Doshi starkly lights, casting shadows on Riccardo Hernandez's cold and imposing set (the gaping hole in the marble edifice of the state is, perhaps, too on-the-nose a design metaphor). In these scenes, Portia has all the warmth of a war hero turned dictator, and it is obvious that everyone onstage is terrified of her.

Unfortunately, Arraiza resists this direction, perhaps in her own attempt to humanize Portia. Even as she turns the screws on Shylock, she seems to apologize for her actions, gulping back her words as if possessed by some malevolent spirit. If she really felt such guilt, why not just let Shylock walk away with the cash option? And why, after she has won her case, does she choose to further torture Bassanio with her ring test, if she does not delight in such twisted games?

That contradiction aside, this production of Merchant of Venice couldn't be timelier. Emily Rebholz's contemporary costumes suggest that this is very much a story for our own merchant republic, in which the contract is king and yet there always seems to be a loophole for members of the charmed circle  the very people who ridiculously feel like they have the moral high ground to lecture everyone else about the rule of law. It's almost as outrageous as a slaveholder complaining that the laws of his forebears represent an intolerable bondage. Jefferson must have known deep down that, when it comes to rich guys like him, where there's a will there's a way.
BAE Systems to Provide Electric Drive Systems for Philadelphias New Fleet of Zero-Emission Capable Hybrid Buses

PHILADELPHIA & ENDICOTT, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BAE Systems, a leader in electric propulsion, has been selected by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to supply up to 340 electric drive systems for its new fleet of low emission transit buses. BAE Systems will provide 220 electric drive systems to New Flyer of America Inc., with an option for 120 additional systems, over the next three years. Incorporating the companys latest technology for future zero-emission platforms, the Series-ER (Electric Range) systems will deliver significant emission reductions and fuel savings across the fleet.

A major feature of Series-ER is the Modular Accessory Power System (MAPS), a next-generation component that uses advanced materials for increased electrical efficiency. This order of electric-hybrid applications will benefit from BAE Systems newest technology, which is also designed to be integrated on battery-electric and fuel cell powered buses.

We are supporting SEPTAs environmental goals with green technology that improves air quality for the greater Philadelphia community, said Steve Trichka, vice president and general manager of Power & Propulsion Solutions at BAE Systems. Our electric drive system provides transit operators with a highly reliable, flexible option to bring them one step closer to a zero-emission future.

The Series-ER system includes an electric motor, onboard energy storage, and smart controls to create a clean, integrated electric propulsion and accessory power system for the buses. The system also provides zero-emission operation via BAE Systems industry-leading experience with engine stop and start, and geofenced green zone technology. The onboard charger and advanced energy recovery enables Series-ER to deliver zero emissions without the need for grid-connected charging.

BAE Systems has 25 years of experience developing and fielding electric propulsion systems and accessories for transit buses. The companys Series-ER technology is part of that foundation, helping transit agencies bridge the gap to zero emissions, without infrastructure requirements for vehicle charging. BAE Systems has more than 14,000 propulsion systems in service on transit buses around the globe, including in cities such as New York, San Francisco, Montreal, and London.

The production and service support for the Series-ER systems will be conducted at the companys facility in Endicott, N.Y.
The United Way building located in Brazos Valley holds funds that are allocated to several non profit organizations across the country.
Van Buren, AR (72956)

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Staff Reporter

Nyamekye Daniel has been a journalist for five years. She was the managing editor for the South Florida Media Network and a staff writer for The Miami Times. Daniel's work has also appeared in the Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald and The New York Times.
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Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
Drivers in Wisconsin see the Welcome to Wisconsin sign along several interstates and highways across the state.
It's "a wonderful opportunity for people to explore, learn to become creative and have a creative outlet, but also to build skills," said Suzanne Bonamici, and the Oregon U.S. Congresswoman got to see it for herself. Read more
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NEB superintendent praises cyber charter reforms in Wolf's budget

ORWELL TOWNSHIP  Northeast Bradford Superintendent William Clark, voiced his approval of Gov. Tom Wolfs proposed 2022 budget and particularly its emphasis on dealing with regulations for cyber charter schools during Monday nights school board meeting.

The misnomer is cyber charter schools are free, Clark said. They are not free and the districts pay well for that.

Clark said that school districts currently disproportionally pay for cyber charter schools but the proposed budget will potentially have school districts pay the same rate.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the reform could make an additional estimated $373 million available for school districts.

Based on an excel sheet released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, if the statewide cyber charter tuition rates were applied to Northeast Bradfords spending on cyber schools in 2019-20, the school district would of saved $90,469.

I am encouraged that it (Wolfs proposed budget) does have significant implications for education, Clark said. I am encouraged that he is addressing some new standards and regulations for cyber charter schools.
BAINBRIDGE - Zilphia "Zippy" Tobey Furman, 86, passed into heaven following a brief illness with her family by her side. She was born on Jan. 4, 1936. Zippy graduated from Bainbridge High School and lived in Bainbridge for most of her life. She retired from Amphenol Corporation. Zippy enjoye
Melanie joined The Daily Times in the early 90s and has served as the Life section editor since 1993. A William Blount and UT alum, Melanie is generally the early arriver who turns on the lights in the newsroom.

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Meet Trooper! Trooper is 5-years-old. His favorite activities include sleeping, going on walks and sticking his head out of the car sunroof. T
Shaneel joined The Edge Breakfast to talk about the milestone saying that New Zealand is one of the very first countries in the world to put a national ban on conversion therapy.

However sadly not everyone has been accepting of the news, targeting them with death threats.

"This has been consistent throughout the movement." Shaneel explained.

"in 2019 when I spoke at youth parliament asking for a ban on conversion therapy, I received a debilitating number of threats. Parliament at the time said it exposed the 'homophobic underbelly on NZ'".

Shaneel then spoke about having to leave Auckland today following the ban for their safety.

"I did receive a note again threating to kill me so I've been forced to leave Auckland for my safety."

Disgusted, The Edge Breakfast said how they were so sorry this has happened with Eli saying "it's unbelievable that after all this hard work that's still going on, that you can't just wake up with a sense of relief."

"Hopefully karma comes back and bites them, and they realise they're one the wrong path" then said Nickson.

Watch the full video above.
3 Maritime Premiers Say Emergencies Act Unnecessary, Joining Prairies and Quebec in Opposition to Measure

The premier of Nova Scotia has joined the leaders of two other maritime provinces, along with those of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec to oppose the Emergencies Act invoked by the federal government.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston banned blockades of provincial highways and roads on Jan. 28 and says the province doesnt need the additional powers of the Emergencies Act. Nova Scotia also increased fines for blockades on Feb. 4 to between $3,000 to $10,000 for individuals and between $20,000 to $100,000 for corporations.

Given the nature of the protests to date in Nova Scotiawhich have generally been peaceful and within the law, along with our two provincial government directiveswhich established significant fines to reinforce the message that Nova Scotia will not tolerate blockades, we did not need the federal government to enact the Emergencies Act in Nova Scotia at this time, the premier told CBC News in a statement.

On Feb. 14, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to address the ongoing protests against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions in Ottawa and other regions of the country.

Prior to Trudeaus announcement, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs told reporters that the Prime Minister had discussed the move with the premiers and sought their counsel on what additional measures are needed.

I dont think its necessary for New Brunswick, Higgs said on Feb. 14.

We have put in the measures that allowed the police to do what they needed to do for the demonstrations that weve had here. And I think it worked very effectively.

Higgss comment is echoed by P.E.I. Premier Dennis King, who said the province doesnt need the powers of the Emergencies Act although he respects the federal governments decision.

I expressed to the Prime Minister and my colleagues that while the Emergencies Act wasnt required at this time for Prince Edward Island, I respect the decision to provide further assistance to those provinces requiring it, King said in a statement issued on Feb. 14.

The premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec have also stated that they dont support the prime ministers use of the act.

Newfoundland and Labrador is the only jurisdiction in Atlantic Canada that voiced support for Ottawas decision to invoke the act.

As I said to PM Justin Trudeau today, I support our federal government in invoking the Emergencies Act as laid outwith a time limit and to bolster responseto deal with unacceptable behaviour within blockades in our country, infringing on the rights of law-abiding Canadians, N.L. Premier Andrew Furey said in a Twitter post on Feb. 14. British Columbias premier, John Horgan has also voiced support for the federal Emergencies Act declaration.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford initially approved the federal decision to invoke the Act, but on Feb. 15 he called on the federal government to make targeted use of the special powers it allowed for.

I made it clear to the Prime Minister that any special powers need to be extremely targeted, only used for as long as necessary to resolve the situation and not one minute longer, Ford said during a press conference in Hamilton.

The protests in Ottawa and across Canada started with truck drivers opposed to the federal governments COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed on drivers crossing the Canada-U.S. border. Starting on Jan. 29, large convoys of trucks drove to the capital to protest the measure, while supporters opposing pandemic-related mandates and restrictions joined in.

Many protesters say they will remain in the nations capital until the mandates are lifted.

In recent weeks, several provinces have announced plans to lift their vaccine passport mandates and other measures.

Alberta ended its vaccine mandate at midnight on Feb. 8, while most other health restrictions in the province, including masking, will be lifted on March 1.

Saskatchewans government said last week it is lifting its mandatory vaccination program on Feb. 14, and will end its requirement for masks in indoor settings by March 1.

Manitoba plans to end all its COVID-19 orders, including proof of vaccination requirements and mask mandate, by March 15.

Ontario will be lifting all capacity limits and proof of COVID-19 vaccination requirements on March 1.

Quebec will phase out its vaccine passport system by March 14.
An American photographer, who waited years for the chance to capture an epic natural phenomenon on film from his new home in Iceland, was rewarded by a double whammy: an erupting volcano against the spectacular backdrop of the aurora borealis.

Preparations for the photo that would become a viral sensation began even before lava flowed.

Christopher Mathews, 60, told The Epoch Times, In early 2020, magma began flowing deep underground in the area between the airport and the capital city of Reykjavik. This indicated there might be an eruption on its way, but it took over a year before the ground finally fractured enough for lava to break through.

Day of the Volcano. (Courtesy of Christopher Mathews)

The Geldingadalir volcano eruption began in March 2021, a stones throw from the world-famous Blue Lagoon resort, and lasted around six months. Mathews visited 10 times to chronicle its changing shape and size.

It was really quite awesome, he said, and a little bit terrifying, too!

He took the shots of the northern lights over the volcano right after midnight on what, by chance, was his birthday. Iceland definitely knows how to throw a party, he said. The ruddy glow of lava rising from the depths and the green iridescence of the aurora pouring down from the skies just remind me that we really do live in an amazing universe.

Fire and Light #1. (Courtesy of Christopher Mathews)

The aurora borealis requires a combination of solar activity, clear skies, and darkness, he explained. Ahead of his first field trip to Geldingadalir, he kept track of solar activity by checking NASA websites and astronomer Dr. Tony Phillipss blog, spaceweather.com. In the first days of the eruption, weak sun and cloud cover thwarted his chances for a decent photo.

Mathews packed up his geara Canon 6D Mk.1 camera with a Sigma Art 24 mm f/1.4 prime lensand rented a small tourist cottage in the fishing village of Grindavik, a few minutes drive from the eruption.

Five days in, the forecast looked promising, and Mathews set out.

Fire and Light #2. (Courtesy of Christopher Mathews)

Some snow squalls blew in unexpectedly, though, and you couldnt see a thing most of the evening, he told the newspaper. I almost gave up and actually drove back to my cottage, but when I got out of my car I could see the clouds were beginning to break.

Mathews drove to a spot near a small farm west of the volcano. He arrived just as the northern lights appeared and recalled feeling the radiant heat of the lava whenever a plume rose up out of the cratereven from almost a kilometer away.

Besides shots taken from the ground, Mathews took a number of aerial shots through the window of a charter flight with Eagle Air, a family-run, small domestic airline operating out of the Reykjavik municipal airport.

Christopher on a puffin-spotting outing in northwest Iceland. (Courtesy of Christopher Mathews)

Mathews shares the now-viral photos, and other work, on his website.

As a child, he was fascinated by the landscape photography of National Geographic. His grandfather was a park ranger at Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico; his mother and uncle were featured in a number of photo essays on the caves; and when Mathews was 11, his grandfather gifted him an old Brownie Starflash camera on one of his first visits to the site.

It was pretty basic, but it worked, he recalled. And the idea that I could take pictures too was really cool. Ive been dabbling in taking pictures since.

The Sunset and the Flame. (Courtesy of Christopher Mathews)

Living in Japan as an adult added myriad photo subjects to Mathewss work, and he said the advent of digital photography was a big boost, allowing him to see images in real time and experiment with settings and composition.

He said he arrived in Iceland just after the Holuhraun volcano eruption in 2015 ended, adding that there are lots of natural wonders in Iceland but you have to be willing to leave your comfort zone to see them.

Hiking across frozen landscapes or sharing a valley with an erupting volcano can be pretty intimidating, but can produce some epic views! he said. There are always risks when youre dealing with the forces of nature.

Fire from the Air #4. (Courtesy of Christopher Mathews)

Mathews cautioned that budding volcano photographers should always avoid venturing into depressions in the ground, where toxic gases can gather; nor should they walk on fresh lava flows (even if they appear to be cool and solid), and should avoid positioning themselves downhill from flowing lava.

It may be moving slowly when you first notice it, but it can pick up terrifying speed very quickly, he warned.

A former legal professional, who now teaches American law in Europe, Mathews said he prefers to call himself as a dedicated hobbyist over a professional photographer. But not only has he sold his work, a number of his Geldingadalir volcano photos took pride of place in some very public locations.

Fire at Twilight #2. (Courtesy of Christopher Mathews)

Day of the Volcano welcomes visitors to the Reykjavik City Museum, Mathews said. Fire and Light #1 was named Photo of the Week in late March 2021 by the UN World Meteorological Organization  but the photo that makes me smile every time I see it is Fire and Light #2, which greets passengers arriving at Icelands international airport.

He added, Id love to welcome every single person who comes to this photographers paradise, and in a way, now I do.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Bright newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
American Law Enforcement Agencies Are Facing Supply Chain Problems

Local law enforcement agencies across the United States are facing supply chain issues that are affecting basic police operations and training.

In Bucyrus, Ohio, the local police department was forced to put three cruisers they purchased in October into storage where the vehicles sat waiting for parts until this week.

Bucyrus police chief Neil Assenheimer was also forced to wait about 10 months for new ammunition for an order placed early in 2021.

When it comes to ordering tablets or body cameras or any of that stuff, its not like it was even two years ago, where you order something today and you have it next week, the chief told the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum in an interview. Its a real thing when you start talking about shortages and what not.

Assenheimer said that departments are now being told to expect a 12- to 16-month wait for ammunition.

Although most officers do not necessarily have to use their weapons much while on duty, ammunition for training is important to have.

In addition, his department is still waiting for new body cameras.

The body cameras we have now, the camera head is attached by a wire to the recording unit, and the ones were getting from Getac are all one piece, so Im really hoping that improves the overall durability of our cameras and we dont have to replace them nearly as much, he said.

Law enforcement equipment stores like Parr Public Safety Equipment of Ohio, which is a major supplier for police departments in cities like Cincinnati and Dayton, are also reporting police cruiser shortages.

The company converts newly manufactured vehicles into full-blown police cruisers, installing everything from the light bars and consoles to the decals and dividers, and offers gear such as uniforms and body armor.

Everything is delayed, said Travis Watson, vice president of sales for Parr in an interview with the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum.

Our biggest issue honestly right now is vehicles, continued Watson. Were honestly kind of freaking out.

The way it was two years ago was if you ordered a cruiser from Ford, typically from the time that you ordered it to the time you got it was about 10 to 12 weeks, but what were seeing now is theres no timeline at all.

The Cincinnati Police Department put in an order for 20 patrol cars in October, which have yet to be delivered by Ford.

The vehicles were normally delivered in about six weeks after Ford provided a manufacture date, Watson said.

Personal equipment for law enforcement officers is facing a shortage as well.

Shortages of body armor and uniforms throughout the country are delaying the deployment of new police officers, who are still waiting to go on patrol.

Police departments usually make bids for purchases, get multiple quotes, or purchase cars and personal equipment under a state contract to ensure theyre getting the best price.

City councils must then approve purchases and pass legislation before a purchase can be made.

For most police departments, the acquisition process before the pandemic usually took at least a month.

Many ammo manufacturers had predicted the current shortages, as acquisition lead times had substantially increased over the past decade leading them to make plans to stay ahead of the worsening curve.

Law enforcement agencies are extending the service life of existing police vehicles in the motor pool and searching for alternative suppliers of uniforms.

We try our best to stock and stay ahead of it, but again, theres only so much we do, said Watson.
A pro-life campaigner displays a plastic doll representing a 12-week-old fetus as she stands outside the Marie Stopes Clinic in Belfast, Northern Ireland on April 7, 2016. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Arizona Senate Approves 15-Week Abortion Ban

The Arizona Senate on Feb. 15 approved legislation that would ban abortions after 15 weeks.

The vote was 1613 along party lines in the GOP-controlled upper chamber; all Democrats voted against the bill.

Senate Bill 1164 (pdf) now moves to the state House, which is also controlled by Republicans. If passed, the bill will go to Gov. Doug Duceys desk. Ducey, a Republican, opposes abortion.

Under the measure, if enacted, doctors who carry out an abortion after 15 weeks could potentially face a year in prison and have their medical licenses revoked.

Text of the proposed legislation reads: Except in a medical emergency, a physician may not intentionally or knowingly perform, induce or attempt to perform or induce an abortion if the probable gestational age of the unborn human being has been determined to be greater than fifteen weeks.

The measure doesnt have any exceptions in cases of rape or incest.

The baby inside of a woman is a separate life and needs to be protected, state Sen. Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix), a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement, according to Tucson.com. All life is sacred.

The state has an obligation to protect life, and that is what this bill is about, Barto said during the debate, The Associated Press reported. A 15-week-old baby in the womb has a fully formed nose, lips, eyelids, they suck their thumbs. They feel pain. Thats what this bill is about.

The proposed bill could potentially prevent hundreds of abortions in Arizona every year. According to state health statistics (pdf), 669 unborn babies were aborted at 16 weeks or later in 2019.

Democrats argued the measure is unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade. The 1973 ruling prohibited states from banning abortions prior to when the fetus is considered viablethat is, potentially able to live outside its mothers wombdeemed at the time usually around the second trimester of pregnancy at 24 weeks.

Arizonas proposed ban is modeled after a Mississippi lawwhich also bans abortion after 15 weeks of gestationcurrently being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court, which agreed to take up the case (Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization 19-1392) in May 2021, is due to rule by the end of June on the laws constitutionality.

Barto said she hopes the court will overturn Roe v. Wade.

A ruling in that case is expected in June. This measure makes Arizona ready to enforce that law if and when that decision is made, Barto said, Tucson.com reported.

State Sen. Martin Quezada (D-Glendale) said that by counting on that ruling, senators are simply acting to attract a lawsuit against the state, the outlet reported.

In 2013, a federal appeals court in San Francisco struck down Arizonas ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Planned Parenthood issued a statement criticizing the proposal, with Planned Parenthood Arizona CEO and President Brittany Fonteno saying it would be denying Arizonians the right to make their own health care decisions.

Arizona politicians are banking on the Supreme Court upholding Mississippis 15-week abortion ban so they can quickly strip Arizonians of their rights and begin enforcement, she said.
The Biden administration releases its Asia plan. A new focus at a time of Russia-US tension. From keeping the Pacific free and open to boosting alliances with Japan and India. What are the key takeaways from this plan? And are there any wishful thoughts involved? Today we invite Zack Cooper to discuss Bidens Indo-Pacific strategy.

Then, a detailed conversation with Mr. Bryan Clark from the Hudson Institute. This comes as a Chinese professor says China can invade and take Taiwan in just one week.and by 2027. What should the US response be? And what exactly are the differences between Taiwan and Ukraine? We explore all that.
An election official hands a voter back his ID at the Madison Community Center polling place before he can cast his ballot in the Democratic presidential primary on Super Tuesday on March 3, 2020, in Arlington, VA. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

At Least 10 States Pondering 40-Plus Bills Tightening Voter ID Requirements

In 10 state legislatures across the nation, more than 40 bills proposing new or more stringent voter identification requirements for registration or in-person voting had been introduced as of Feb. 11, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

Missouri and Virginia account for 24 of the 40 proposals.

Missouri lawmakers are pondering 13 voter ID measures as part of a package spearheaded by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who has called for legislation requiring a state or federal photo ID to vote in person.

The 11 bills in Virginia are in response to the 2021 adoption of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia before Republicans won the governorship and retook control of the House of Delegates last November.

The Voting Rights Act of Virginia effectively eliminated ID requirements when Democrats had control. The ID requirement is still on the books, but the photo ID part is not enforced, Honest Elections Project Executive Director Jason Snead said.

The effort being made in Virginia is to just enforce the states photo ID law, said Snead, whose group works with the American Legislative Exchange Council in crafting elections integrity bills carried by state lawmakers nationwide.

The measures in Virginia, Missouri, and beyond are part of a broader national trend of overhauling election practices. Of the 45 state legislatures currently in session across the nation, at least 40 are debating elections-related bills, according to NCSL.

The left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice at New York University said on Feb. 7 that, as of Jan. 14, at least 18 bills in five states impose new ID requirements for absentee ballot applications. The requirements include either a Social Security number, a drivers license number, or a voter record number.

Bills in Mississippi and South Carolina shorten time periods for submitting absentee ballot applications. Eight measures in Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey would establish in-person voter ID requirements for the first time.

The Indiana House has approved a measure pushed by Secretary of State Holli Sullivan, requiring voters to submit their drivers license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when requesting an absentee ballot digitally.

Two New Hampshire bills would eliminate the option for voters to cast regular ballots by signing an affidavit. State Rep. Mark Alliegro, a Republican, said the proposal sponsored by state Sen. Bob Guida, also a Republican, addresses longstanding concerns with the states same-day registration and voting system.

Under state law, those not registered can show at polls, present evidence of their identity, age, and U.S. citizenship with a state-issued drivers license or ID card, birth certificate, passport, or naturalization papers. If a voter doesnt have documents, they sign a qualified voter affidavit, swear they are who they are, and promise to provide verification within 90 days.

You could come here from another state, another countryyou could land here from Marsand vote in New Hampshire elections that same day, said Alliegro, who is sponsoring legislation that requires all ballots be hand-counted.

You sign an affidavit and are supposed to provide that proof within 90 days. Then the [vote] tally is made, the elections are certified, and 90 days later, you havent provided verification, he said.

This happens thousands of times in this state every election, Alliegro said.

Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, a Republican, said that with the states Supreme Courts January ruling nixing a 2019 election law, hell file a proposal boosting voter ID requirements that the law precluded.

Look, most people believe in requiring voter ID. It doesnt necessarily have to be a state-issued drivers license or ID; in Colorado, people can use their electricity bills, said Corman, who is among Republican candidates seeking the GOP nod to challenge Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in Novembers gubernatorial election.

There will be some sort of ID requirement, he said. We could land [during the session] on what that is supposed to look like.

A bill filed in Arizona by state Sen. Wendy Rogers, a Republican, requires the secretary of state to seek an exemption from the federal lawupheld in court rulingsthat bars proof of citizenship to vote. Its one of several Arizona bills related to voter ID.

Arizona Sen. Kelly Townsend, a Republican, who has filed proposals related to election audits, election equipment, and contractors, said stricter voter ID requirements are needed to stop making fraud easy.

Something we are hearing is people saying theyre never going to vote again if these problems arent fixed, she said. We want to restore confidence in our elections. Right now, the confidence isnt there.

Arizona voters may also weigh in on the proposed constitutional amendment tightening voter ID requirements in November if lawmakers adopt a resolution to place a ballot measure before voters.

Michigan voters also may be presented with a voter ID ballot measure after Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed a 2021 bill imposing new requirements. Secure MI Vote proponents need 340,047 voter signatures on a petition by March to get it on Novembers ballot.
Australian Senator Alex Antic holds up an image of a long range acoustic device that was circulating on social media at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 14, 2022. (Screenshot by The Epoch Times)

Australian Police Confirm Use of LRAD Sonic Weapon at Protest Against COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Policing have confirmed the use of a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)often regarded as a sonic weaponat the massive protest against vaccine mandates in Canberra on Feb. 12, despite the Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner describing the crowd as well behaved.

ACT Policing has deployed several types of loudspeakers and amplification devices to quickly and effectively convey voice messages to large, and often loud, crowds of people during the recent protest activity in Canberra, an ACT Policing spokesperson said in a statement to The Epoch Times on Feb. 16.

The [LRADs] were only used to convey spoken-word messages. The alert function was not used.

LRADs, also known as acoustic weapons or sound cannons, are used to project very loud sounds over long distances. While the voice function can be helpful to communicate in loud settings, the devices most dangerous setting, the alert function, can cause brain damage, permanent hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), dizziness, and disorientation.

A fact sheet by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says the technology is used for crowd control by emitting loud and painful levels of noise that may lead to significant harm to the ears.

The LRADs work by using hundreds of transducers to create a highly concentrated and amplified sound that can be narrowed to focus on specific targeted areas. Similar devices were used by the U.S. military in Iraq in 2004.

Photos and videos circulating on social media show the LRADs positioned at the front of Parliament House facing towards the location of tens of thousands of protesters, made up of individuals and families with children, on the lawns opposite.

Protest attendees have since taken to social media to complain about symptoms they say are a result of the LRADs. However, The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify these claims.

Protesters against vaccine mandates gather on the lawn of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 12, 2022. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Earlier in the week, during a Senate estimates hearing on Feb. 14, senators Alex Antic and Malcolm Roberts sought confirmation from AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw about whether the sonic weapons were present and deployed at the protests.

Responding to Roberts, Kershaw said: That would be something that is with our police methodology which we would have to look at some type of public interest immunity claim, Senator.

Roberts responded: Surely its in the public interest to know whether or not they were there without delving too much into it?

Id have to  If I could take that on notice, Id have to get advice, Kershaw said.

Australian Senator Alex Antic holds up an image of a long range acoustic device that was circulating on social media at a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 14, 2022. (Screenshot by The Epoch Times)

Later, Antic, who appeared virtually, held up a photo of the LRADs taken outside parliament in a bid to secure confirmation.

Committee chair Sen. Sarah Henderson politely interjected to inform Antic that Kershaw had already taken the question on notice from Roberts.

With the benefit of having that photograph which tends to confirm it, we still cant confirm that that device was there on the day? Antic said.

Yeah, I think to be proper  Id like to take that on notice, Kershaw said.

Protesters against vaccine mandates gather on the lawn of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 12, 2022. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Antic noted that police only arrested three people out of the tens of thousands (the actual crowd size is disputed) compared to far smaller protests by other groups held at the same location where arrest numbers were higher.

Police Commissioner Kershaw agreed with Antics characterisation of the Feb. 12 protests as mostly peaceful.

Overall the crowd were well-behaved and you probably saw there was  children and families who were involved, Kershaw said.

Pretty well behaved. A lot of poor attitudes though, but theres no offence for that. So police did cop a fair bit of abuse, but again, it didnt cross into the criminal threshold.

The anti-vaccine mandates protest was attended by Australians from all walks of life and made up of people who were both vaccinated and unvaccinated but are against the state government mandates.

One federal MP said it was the biggest protest hed seen in Canberra in his 11 years as a parliamentarian. Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Kershaw told the Senate estimates hearing that it was the largest protest the police had seen since the 1980s.
BC Gym Continues to Operate Despite COVID Closure Order

Owners say they've contacted a lawyer to fight $10,000 in fines

The owners of a West Kelowna, B.C. gym say they will continue to defy a closure order for breaking provincial COVID-19 mandates despite receiving thousands of dollars in fines in the last two months.

In an online video posted Feb. 12, Iron Energy Gym co-owner Brett Godin said hes refusing to pay over $10,000 in fines that have been issued by Interior Health since December for non-compliance with current public health orders, like masking and requiring proof of vaccination.

Godin added that hes sent the ticket slips to the companys lawyer, and he expects to win any forthcoming legal battle over refusing to comply with B.C.s COVID-19 policies.

We stand firm on thiswe are not paying these tickets, Godin said. Iron Energy does not discriminate. We are pro-choice. It is not our obligation or duty to sit here and ask for your medical clearance.

The gym has stated numerous times that it will not require gym patrons to wear a mask or provide their vaccination status in order to use the gym. The gym is spearheading an initiative it calls Operation Greenlight, which encourages businesses in B.C. and Canada to open without any restrictions to pressure the government to remove COVID-19 regulations.

In a Feb. 4 post on the gyms Instagram account, co-owner Brian Mark was recorded taking down a four-page closure order taped to the gyms doors for non-compliance with public health orders. Mark said Interior Health came in the middle of the night to issue the order when no staff were present.

In an email to The Epoch Times, Mark said hes resisting health orders because he has yet to see data that supports the ongoing measures.

Were standing up for what we believe is right because we know that the masks are proven ineffective and its completely wrong to ask people for their medical data. Our stance is: Staying wide open, nothing you can do to shut us down, show us evidence, were not going anywhere, he said.

Weve been resisting, standing up, and nothing has happened, he added. Just idle threats, and tickets that were disputing or willing to pay, depending on how the dispute goes.

He says he and other B.C. gym owners have repeatedly called on provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry to provide the data to justify fitness centre closures during the pandemic, and argues that his industry has been unfairly targeted.

Interior Health Responds

A spokesperson for Interior Health, one of the five publicly-funded regional health authorities in B.C., confirmed in an email that staff members did issue the closure order to Iron Energy on Feb. 3 for non-compliance with current public health orders.

At that time, Interior Health says it was seeing the highest COVID-19 activity and hospitalizations since the pandemic began.

It is important for everyone to continue taking steps to protect themselves and their community by following current public health guidance, the spokesperson said. We also want to recognize the vast majority of gyms and fitness facilities that continue to follow these precautions.

When COVID-19 cases were spiking in December during the Omicron variant outbreak, the B.C. government ordered fitness centres and gyms to shut down. In January, they were allowed to reopen at half capacity with increased safety protocols, including proof of vaccination and masking at all times.

On Feb. 15, the B.C. government announced that some COVID-19 restrictions would be eased as of Feb. 16 at 11:59 p.m., including for fitness centres that will be allowed to return operating at full capacity, but with continued proof of vaccination and masking.

While Iron Energy still faces the closure order from Interior Health, the company still has the business licence it regained from the City of West Kelowna on Jan. 20.

The status of the fitness centres 2022 business licence renewal remains unchanged, the City of West Kelowna staff said in an email.

In the Iron Energy closure order, Interior Health says it provided the City of West Kelowna with a letter on Jan. 20, indicating that the gym was able to open under provincial public health effective immediately. West Kelowna said it had issued the 2022 business licence renewal upon receipt of the letter.

The renewal of its City of West Kelowna 2022 business licence remained under review previously until the fitness centre was in compliance with the provincial public health order or until the order was removed by the province.

We continue to work with Interior Health and seek direction from them in respect of provincial Public Health Orders; and, as these matters remain within their jurisdiction, questions should be directed to them, the city spokesperson said.

In January, Mark told Castanet News that both owners are vaccinated and had previously asked gym patrons to follow provincial health orders, including masking and social distancing, but decided to speak out once new restrictions came into force on Dec. 22.

Iron Energys stance comes as thousands of Canadians protest COVID-19 policies in Ottawa, and across the country in solidarity with the Freedom Convoy. The trucker convoy arrived in Ottawa on Jan. 29 where it has remained ever since. Organizers have said they will remain in the nations capital until all federal COVID-19 mandates and restrictions are lifted.

Mark says he will continue to keep the gyms doors open to protect the rights of its 1,350 members and their mental health.

He said the B.C. vaccine card violates the Canadian constitution and Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which states: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.
An engineering student takes part in a hacking challenge near Paris, on March 16, 2013. (AFP via Getty Images/Thomas Samson)

Biden DHS: Russian State-Sponsored Hackers Targeted Defense Contractors

Russian hackers have allegedly obtained sensitive defense information technology by targeting American contractors, said several federal agencies in a bulletin posted Wednesday.

From at least January 2020 through February 2022, the agencies have observed regular targeting of U.S. cleared defense contractors by Russian state-sponsored cyber actors, said the Department of Homeland Security-run Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and National Security Agency (NSA).

The actors have targeted both large and small [defense contractors] and subcontractors with varying levels of cybersecurity protocols and resources, the bulletin continued. Contractors who worked in a number of areas including missile and weapons development, vehicle and aircraft design, surveillance and reconnaissance, and communications systems were targeted.

In the bulletin, the agencies did not provide specific details on how they obtained evidence of Russian state-sponsored hackers allegedly targeting U.S. defense contractors. Also unclear is what Russian agency or agencies facilitated the hacks.

The bulletins publication also comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Russia over troops stationed near Ukraine, with White House officials repeatedly saying in recent weeks that Moscow is planning to attack.

CISA also said that the Russian-backed actors use common but effective tactics to gain access to target networks, including spearphishing, credential harvesting, brute force/password spray techniques, and known vulnerability exploitation against accounts and networks with weak security, according to the notice. These actors take advantage of simple passwords, unpatched systems, and unsuspecting employees to gain initial access before moving laterally through the network to establish persistence and exfiltrate data.

The agencies called on defense contractors to take extra security precautions, including using strong passwords and enabling multifactor authentication for users.

By acquiring proprietary internal documents and email communications, adversaries may be able to adjust their own military plans and priorities, hasten technological development efforts, inform foreign policymakers of U.S. intentions, and target potential sources for recruitment, the advisory also warned, adding that cyber actors will continue to target [contractors] for U.S. defense information in the near future.

Last year, President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia would face consequences if it carries cyberattacks against U.S. infrastructure. But Putin and other Russian officials have long dismissed claims from the United States that Russian-sponsored actors were behind cyberattacks.

We have been accused of all kinds of things, Putin told NBC News last year. Election interference, cyberattacks, and so on and so forth. And not once, not once, not one time, did they bother to produce any kind of evidence or proof. Just unfounded accusations.

The Russian embassy in Washington didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on the advisory.
Bomb Charges Dropped Against Florida Man Linked to Antifa

A Florida man accused of carrying explosives to a rally in January recently saw the most serious charges against him dropped after an investigation found the items he possessed didnt have the capability of exploding.

Court records show three charges of making, possessing, or discharging a destructive devicefelonies that could have brought up to 15 years in jailwere dropped because a forensic examination by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined they were legal novelty devices that emit smoke but do not explode if ignited, prosecutors said in a filing in the case, which was brought against Garrett Smith.

The arrest of Smith at a rally held in support of a man whos in jail on charges linked to the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol breach was announced by Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who described an item in Smiths backpack as the explosive device.

A police report filed in court said Smith, who was arrested after fleeing the protest on Jan. 6, said he appeared to have a destructive device/pipe bomb.

The item was examined by FBI bomb experts, who determined it was a homemade m-type destructive device, according to the booking officer.

A spokeswoman for the office declined to comment on the dropping of the felony charges.

The stuff he had on him, hes an adult, and he was legally allowed to carry, Nicholas Dorsten, who is representing Smith, told The Epoch Times.

Theyre smoke bombs that dont explode; they just emit a puff of smoke, he added.

Smith still faces a second-degree misdemeanor charge of loitering and prowling.

When he was arrested, the defendant was carrying materials linked to Antifa, a far-left, anarcho-communist network, authorities said. Additionally, Smith had recently traveled from Portland, Oregon, which hosts one of the largest contingents of Antifa members and supporters in the country.

Smith and his counsel are waiting to receive police reports and other evidence before deciding on how to proceed.

Were going to look at all options. But he spent a good amount of time in jail, hopefully its a good wake-up call for him. Hopefully, he learned be careful what you do, and I told him, Florida is not Oregon. Theres certain things he maybe could get away with in other states that yeah, you dont want to try that stuff here, Dorsten said.
Call for Investigation Into Increase in Deaths in Young Males in UK

A group of UK doctors, scientists, economists, psychologists, and other academic experts have called for an immediate investigation into the increasing death rate amongst 15- to 19-year-old males.

The organisation HART, set up to share concerns about policy and guidance recommendations relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, has written to the British government over a rise in deaths in young males.

To HART, the concern is that this time period coincides with the rollout of vaccinations to this age group, who are known to be at an increased risk of myocarditis (heart inflammation), especially after the second dose.

Rising Death Rate

As part of a judicial review at the High Court in January, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), confirmed that there had been a rise in the death rate for adolescent males over the last eight months, compared to the same time period of 20152019.

But the ONS also said that data could not either be used to draw any reliable conclusions as to a potential correlation between vaccination status and death in children and young adults.

There have been at least 65 extra deaths in England and Wales, though the figure may be higher due to reporting delays for coroners cases. During the same time frame, there were only two deaths involving COVID-19.

In September, the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) declined to recommend that the COVID-19 vaccines be administered to healthy 12- to 15-year-olds as the balance of benefit to risk was only marginal at best in the face of the very low risk to children of serious illness or death from COVID-19 disease. The JCVIs recommendation for 5- to 11-year-olds has not yet been made public yet, but it is being offered to those who are in a clinical risk group.

The COVID-19 Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine is currently the preferred vaccine for the under 18s age group in the UK vaccination programme.

Myocarditis

HART spokesperson and diagnostic pathologist Dr. Clare Craig told The Epoch Times: Wed obviously had a real issue in 2020 with excess deaths in the old, then it switched to being in the young.

The thing about any excess deaths is that, if you are looking for a new cause in 85-year-olds dying, then it would be hard to find in the overall figure of deaths as there are a lot of deaths. If you are looking at younger age groups, its much easier as young people dont die very much, she said.

She said that it is not suggested that the observed increase in mortality proves that the COVID-19 vaccines are causing death, whether via myocarditis or some other mechanism, but a connection cannot be excluded. This is why they are calling on authorities to investigate.

Craig said that myocarditis, inflammation of the heart, is often dismissed as being a mild problem, but its very difficult to diagnose. To do so, medical staff need to do an ECG which traces heartbeats, blood tests, or heart MRI scans (if there is a specialist scanner). The ultimate test, which is done so in exceptional circumstances is a biopsy when a tissue sample is taken.

Its not mild, its not trivial. you dont just dismiss that sort of injury, she said.

But could the increase in deaths be down to something else, such as suicide or drug-taking?

For a start in young people at that age, men die more than women. That because they take more risks, have a higher suicide risk. That is something that could have caused a difference, she said.

The rise that we have seen recently is in registered deaths which could be ones where they have been given a death certificate by a doctor as natural or it could be ones that have been through the coroners process and have filtered through, but with a lag. If there were a rise in suicides, that would come through later on, said Craig.

Deaths that are of unnatural causes which include a death where a doctor thought vaccination may have been involved would have to be reported to the coroner as with all deaths involving a drug, she said.

Craig added that despite good public health monitoring in Britain, there is a glaring hole where no one is looking at these deaths. But passive surveillance relies on someone suspecting or making a connection.

Backlog

But criticising HART, science writer Tom Chivers in the publication Unherd argued that young peoples deaths are much more likely to be referred to the coroner, and in 2020, coroners offices were under enormous strain from the pandemic. He said that the ONS told him that the increase could be a simple backlog from the previous year.

In response, Craig said that if that is the case, then why is there no backlog in other age groups?

A government spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the COVID-19 vaccines have been found to be safe and effective by the experts at the MHRA and that it has received a copy of the HART letter and will respond in full in due course.

He added that there has been a small number of reports for myocarditis and pericarditis in individuals under 18 years both in the UK and internationally. This is a recognised potential risk with the COVID-19 Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine and COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna and the MHRA is closely monitoring these events.

There is no indication in the current data that there is an increased reporting rate of suspected myocarditis and pericarditis in under 18s compared to young adults, the government said.
Cambodia Delays Repressive Internet Gateway Amid Criticism From Rights Groups

The Cambodian government on Tuesday delayed plans to introduce its national internet gateway, which UN experts have branded as repressive and could cause a serious negative impact on the countrys internet freedom, citing potential disruptions to online traffic.

Telecommunications Ministrys spokesperson told local media VOD that the internet gateway, which was scheduled to be unveiled on Wednesday, was put on hold due to the potential disruptions to online traffic caused by the global pandemic.

Prior to the delay, the Cambodian Foreign Affairs Department issued a statement allaying concerns about the internet gateway, saying that it had been misinterpreted by some foreign media despite the governments repeated explanation.

The allegations against the implementation of the national internet gateway were unfounded, the department said, adding that it has no provisions allegedly authorizing the collection of consumers data and restricting freedom of expression.

The government respects the individuals right to privacy and freedom of expression and protects personal data, all of which enshrined in law, it stated.

The department claimed that the gateway aims to facilitate and manage internet connections, strengthen national security and tax collection, maintain social order, and protect national culture.

The national internet gateway serves as an effective tool to enhance national revenue collection and helps to thwart cybercrimes, such as illegal use of a cross-border network, illicit online gambling, and internet scams, it said.

The government will prepare a separate bill on personal data protection as soon as the draft law on cybersecurity is concluded, it added.

Earlier this month, UN human rights experts expressed concerns that the gateway could pose a serious negative impact on internet freedom and would further shrink the already-restrictive civic pace in Cambodia.

To legally justify such a sweeping infringement on personal freedoms requires compliance with strict tests of legality, necessity, and proportionality, including for matters of national security or public morality, the experts said.

It is exceedingly hard to imagine how any such legal justification may apply in this case, they said, while urging the government to halt implementation of the data surveillance legislation.

According to civil society groups, harassment of dissidents, censorship, and media blackouts have become customary in Cambodia, which prompted people to use online platforms to voice political dissent.

The governments response has been to enact a slew of vaguely-worded laws and propose draft legislation to silence these online users and curb the advent of cyberspace as an important site to mobilize and launch political opposition to its continued rule, it said in a report (pdf).

Last year, a 16-year-old autistic Cambodian teenager was arrested for a message he wrote on the Telegram messaging app defending his imprisoned father, a senior member of the now-outlawed Cambodia National Rescue Party.
Protesters against vaccine mandates gather on the lawn of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 12, 2022. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Charity Thanks Protesters for Donations After It Cancels Fundraiser to Avoid Vaccine Mandate Protest

Australian suicide prevention charity Lifeline has welcomed donations from the attendees of the Canberra Freedom Convoy after cancelling a fundraising book fair scheduled for the same day as the massive protests held in front of Parliament House on Feb. 12.

State and territory government COVID-19 restrictions and the more recent vaccine mandates have impacted not just the livelihoods of many Australians around the country but also on the charitys ability to raise funds over the last two years of lockdowns.

In a statement released on the charitys Facebook page, Lifeline said on Feb. 14 that it had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support they had experienced after canceling their famous book fair fundraising event which they expected to bring in an estimated $1 million in donations for the group.

In an interview on ABC Radio, Lifeline Canberra CEO Carrie-Ann Leeson said that the first week of the book fair had been filled with wonderful interactions with the protestors at the Canberra Epic showgrounds.

However, she noted that with the influx of 10,000 protestors on Friday a rogue element that had not previously been observed by Lifelines volunteers saw customers and staff at the book fair abused. Most concerning for the charity was the removal of a fence designed to separate the two events by individuals in the protestors encampment.

Unfortunately our members of the public and the community had some unfortunate interactions with some of the protestorsa minoritythe day before that weighed on the decision to not have 20,000 people coming to support the Lifeline Canberra book fair, while another 20,000 were going out to protest.

Canberra Police claimed the protests attracted between 10 to 15 thousand demonstrators. However, this figure is disputed on social media with attendees claiming there were between 300 thousand to 1 million.

Meanwhile, ACT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw told a Senate Estimates hearing on Feb. 17 that it was the largest protest the police had seen since the 1980s. It was also noted that the protest was attended by a mix of people who were and werent vaccinated, but that they were all against the vaccine mandates.

Leeson noted that Lifelines volunteers were devastated because the charity was counting on the fundraising effort after two years of COVID-19 lockdowns had forced the organisation to only run smaller events.

One thing we didnt foresee happening when we made the decision early on Saturday morning to cancel was that the community would very much make other plans and replace book purchases with donations, she said. So what we are seeing is an influx of generosity and kindness from so many thousands of Australians.

This included some of the protesters who, on Feb. 14, made a donation to the charity which the Lifeline CEO called an incredible gesture.

In another Facebook post on Feb. 14, Lifeline thanked protestors.

Throughout the weekend we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from our community. We have also been trying to quell the anger felt towards those individuals who forced us to cancel the book fair. We respect the right to protest peacefully. It was a minority and the unfortunate consequences of their actions has caused more division than unity, Lifeline Canberra said.

Meanwhile, Leeson thanked the protestors for starting to mend our community, noting the donation was an incredible gesture and we are grateful.

However, while Lifeline and many Canberrans have been supportive of the thousands of Australians who have come out to voice their concerns there are also some in Canberra who are tired of individuals who have claimed association with the convoy and are acting aggressively to local residents.

Many residents have taken to social media platforms like the Canberran Facebook Notice Board to complain.

Additionally, on Feb. 11, Seven News reported that Canberran police were called to the scene of a car incident, where a local female resident had allegedly driven her car into the car of a female protester, lodging her vehicle on top of the other.

Video footage of the incident which was circulating on social media showed the women swearing and arguing with each other with the Canberra resident telling the demonstrator to get out of the capital city.

Get the [expletive] out of Canberra. Go get a job and find something better to do with your [expletive] time, the Canberra resident said.

ACT Police, in a media release on Feb. 13, confirmed the 26-year-old woman from Canberra will be issued an infringement for negligent driving following the collision on Feb. 12.

Police spoke to both drivers and confirmed there were no injuries as a result of the collision, the police said.

Lifeline 13 11 14
Australian Labor Party Leader Anthony Albanese speaks at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Rohan Thomson/Getty Images)

Chinese State-Run Media Picks Australian Opposition Leader for Prime Minister

The Chinese regimes vocal mouthpiece, The Global Times, has weighed in on Australias impending federal election, publishing an op-ed advocating for Australian Labor Party (ALP) leader Anthony Albanese to lead the country.

In a rather backhanded manner, retired Australian diplomat Bruce Haighwho authored the piecesaid Albanese was not an intellectual and was afraid of upsetting voters, but compared to current Prime Minister Scott Morrison, he positively shines.

Haigh also claimed Australia was caught in a dangerous rip leading it away from stable diplomatic relationsled by Morrisonwhich was contributing to worsening relations with the Peoples Republic of China.

Under Prime Minister Morrison, Australia has continued to adopt a tougher stance on Chinese foreign interference, which began notably under his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull, who cancelled Huaweis participation in the countrys 5G network.

Last year, Morrisons Foreign Minister Marise Payne terminated two Belt and Road Initiative agreements signed by Victorian state leader Daniel Andrews.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologises to abuse victims in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Feb. 8, 2022. (Screenshot by The Epoch Times)

Meanwhile, Haigh, who served Australia from the 1970s to the 90s, said that should Albanese and the ALP win the election, he would need to help Australia get to shore.

Surprisingly just hours later, The Global Times wrote in a post on Twitter that the piece should not be taken as evidence of an endorsement of Albanese while mocking Australias partisanship on defence.

The opposition leader responded on Feb. 16, saying he had no say in what was published in the Chinese Communist Partys heavily controlled propaganda outlet.

Im indifferent to it  Ultimately what were focused on is the position that we have in relation to national security, he said in comments obtained by the AAP.

The Global Times has made Australia a target of its editorial, particularly after Beijing launched an ongoing trade war against the country in response to the Morrison governments calls for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Australia-China relations has taken centre stage as both major parties begin campaigning for the upcoming federal election, which is due before May 2022.

Members of the Morrison government have gone on the attack, claiming the ALP is the preferred candidate for Beijing.

Last week on Feb. 10, Morrison told the House of Representatives that his government would not look to appease those seeking to coerce Australia.

The leader of the Labor Party said hes happy to trade away and ask Chinato accept some and stand by some of their coercion, he said.

While on Feb. 14, Liberal Party Senator James Paterson questioned why the ALP deputy leader, Richard Marles, removed a 2019 speech, delivered in Beijing and advocating for closer defence ties, from his website.

What is he trying to hide? What is in this secret speech hes now so embarrassed about? Senator Paterson wrote on Twitter. Perhaps, with Labor now trying to feign bipartisanship on China, the speech he delivered in Beijing as shadow defence minister and deputy Labor leader is no longer helpful.

Marles has responded to the recent attacks saying the government was politicising national security.

The prime minister is clearly trying to create a political issue in the context of the upcoming election around national security, he told ABC Radio on Feb. 16.

It shows a level of desperation in terms of trying to find an issue for the election, he said, adding that the ALP and Liberal-National government-held bipartisan positions on national security.

Meanwhile, academics warn the Albanese-led campaign team will need to extinguish the ALPs association with Chinese political interference, with Professor Ian Hall of the Griffith Asia Institute saying the party needed to distance itself from recent comments by former ALP Prime Minister Paul Keating.

I think a clean break from the Keating-istas is going to have to be made soon by the ALP, he wrote on Twitter. A nice clear China has changed speech from someone senior is needed, or votes will be lost.
Communist China Seeks to Create Pure Citizens, Will Use Any Tool Whatsoever to Stamp Out Dissent: Historian

The West needs to pressure the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and support those who are challenging it, in order to stop the regimes totalitarian rule, according to Lee Edwards, co-founder of the Victims of Communism Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy group.

[The CCP] is willing to use any tool whatsoever to stamp out diversity, or the ability to speak your mind freely, Edwards, a fellow in conservative thought at the Washington-based think tank Heritage Foundation, told Epoch TVs China Insider program.

We can make it clear to China that they cannot continue on this totalitarian course. If they do, they will pay an increasingly heavy price for it, he added.

Edwards, who is also a historian, explained that the CCP persecutes political dissidents and religious minorities because it sees diversity as a threat to its power.

Thus, the Chinese regime wants to create a homogenous society, producing pure citizens, aligned with communist doctrine, he said. This stems from the intrinsic communist idea that everyone should be the same, added Edwards.

To this end, the regime is willing to commit genocide, use the military and put people in forced labor camps, according to the historian. They follow CCP leader Mao Zedongs axiom, that political power grows out of the barrel of the gun, he said.

But thats not going to happen. Because there is this desire for freedom within all of us. And thats going to work against the Chinese Communist attempt to create a new Chinese man, a new Chinese woman, said Edwards.

The historian believes it is crucial to support dissidents in China, as well as Hong Kong, in their bid to stand up against the CCP.

He emphasized that the world has been focusing on the genocide against Uyghursan ethnic minority from the western Xinjiang region that is suffering insidious persecution in the hands of the CCP, as determined by an independent peoples tribunal and several governments and parliaments.

However, he said, the CCP is trying to do the same with other religious groups, and that is a story that needs to be told.

We must say it is not right that the Falun Gong, that Catholics and Protestants, are not allowed to practice their faith and their beliefs, added he.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline involving meditative exercises and moral teachings based on three core principles: truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. The practice gained popularity in China during the 1990s, with estimates putting the number of adherents at 70 million to 100 million. The communist regime, fearing the number of practitioners posed a threat to its authoritarian control, initiated a sweeping campaign to suppress the practice and its adherences in July 1999.

Meanwhile, Christians in China who refuse to attend churches registered and supervised by the CCP and instead participate in underground congregations also suffer from suppression and harassment.

Regarding ways to pressure the CCP, Edwards said there should be a push to expel China from the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization and the Human Rights Council of the United Nations (U.N.)

We should demand for their immediate eviction their immediate removal from [the U.N. Human Rights Council] because it makes a travesty out of the idea of human rights, he said.

According to Edwards, the CCP is terrified that its own people will gain access to information, which is why they dedicate so much effort to censorship and surveillance tools.

Theyre afraid of that village being penetrated by messages of freedom, liberty, competition and entrepreneurship, he said.

This indicates they are a lot weaker than they look, he added. I think that  if we keep putting the pressure on, they will become even weaker.

Quoting Pope John Paul II, Edwards recommended dissidents not to fear the CCP.

Be not afraid. Be not afraid to speak up for religious freedom, for human rights, for civil liberties, he said.
Safety at the Woodside-operated North West Shelf Gas Venture near Karratha in the north of Western Australia on Jun. 17, 2008. (Greg Wood/AFP via Getty Images)

Concerns of Gas Shortfalls in Australia Continue

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has once again warned that Australias gas outlook from 2022 onwards will remain increasingly tight unless steps are taken to bolster domestic supply.

A report by the ACCC outlined that South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania will all see demand for gas exceed available supply, prompting the need to redirect gas from other parts of the country.

There is a gas shortage forecast for Australias southern states from as soon as this year, which is likely to continue next year and beyond, ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. Southern states will be reliant on gas from Queensland until additional supply from new sources comes on.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chairman Rod Sims speaks during an interview with Reuters in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 31, 2016. (Reuters/Jason Reed)

The ACCC explained the gas shortfall has been spurred on by several key factors.

For one, low gas prices have made some reserves uneconomical to utilise when factoring in the cost of the gas extraction process.

Another factor includes the ongoing battle to keep gas within Australia, with corporations opting to export gas in order to generate a larger profit from higher gas prices overseas.

Recently, Australias relatively low gas prices situation has been a vastly different story to countries like the United Kingdom (UK) and those within Europe.

The UK has recently experienced a four-fold increase in gas prices after demand spiked for the fuel due in part to the regions primary source of powerwinddying down.

Additional supply from a southern LNG import terminal from 2023, or more domestic supply from the north, may not be enough to address the projected shortfalls, and it may still be necessary to divert excess gas into the domestic market that would otherwise be exported if new supply cant be developed rapidly enough, Sims said.

To alleviate the strain, the federal government has opened up new oil and gas exploration in Australias coastal waters.

Gas No Longer Necessary, Climate Groups Say

However, the climate change communications organisation, the Climate Council, believes gas should be scrapped altogether.

Solar, wind, and hydro produced five times as much power than gas in 2021, the Climate Council stated, with gas generation falling to its lowest point in more than 15 yearsall the while electricity prices have gone down.

The increase in solar, wind and batteries in our electricity system is making power bills cheaper for Australian households and businesses, said Climate Council Researcher Tim Baxter.

Electricity is now the cheapest it has been in almost a decade and we have solar and wind to thank for that.

The Royalla Solar Farm in Canberra, Australia on Jun. 28, 2016. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Baxter, along with Climate Council member and former BP Australasia President Greg Bourne, criticised the federal governments decision to spend $600 million on a gas-fired power station in New South Wales.

The government had commissioned the gas plant to make up for a shortfall in capacity after the announced closure of the ageing Liddell coal-fired power station in 2023.

Every taxpayer dollar spent on new gas-fired power infrastructure is at risk of being wasted on unnecessary stranded assets, Bourne said. Gas simply cannot compete with renewable energy, which is bringing down power prices for consumers and creating a cleaner, healthier energy system.

Unaddressed Concerns of the Renewable Rollout

However, the rapid transition away from coal and gas has brought about concerns of slave labour in the supply chains of carbon dioxide-free alternatives.

A report released by the Australian Human Rights Commission highlighted worrying reports of solar, wind, and battery technology involving slave labour across the world, such as China and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Chinathe worlds largest producer of solar panelshas also enslaved millions of ethnic Uyghur, Kyrgyz, and Kazakh citizens who have been found to be involved in the solar supply chain.

This is one out of an extensive list of human rights abuses the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been accused of, which also includes the mass forced organ harvesting of Falun Dafa followers and the persecution of Tibetans.

Supporters of the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement rally in front of the British Embassy on April 16, 2021 in Washington. The group is calling for Uyghurs and other Turkic people fleeing Xinjiang to be granted refugee status and calling for an international boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

But China continues to be the dominant supplier in Australias solar market, supplying 90 percent of Australias solar panelsincluding most of the panels in the nations largest operating solar farmsa point raised by the leader of the United Australia Party, Craig Kelly.

Kelly raised further concerns that the purchase of solar and wind components entailed a transfer of wealth worth billions of dollars directly from Australia to the CCP.

If you go through what the policies are, they are more subsidies for wind turbines and solar panelswhich we buy from China, Kelly said on The Epoch Times show Australia Calling.

Kelly suggested that the cost of solarwhich is estimated to be the cheapest form of energy in Australiais able to do so in part due to the exploitation of cheap labour.

The Chinese are very clever: move the production out to use the cheap labour of the Uyghurs to keep the solar panels at a price that will dominate the market and will wipe out all the competition, Kelly said.
Protesters leave in a truck convoy at the U.S. border crossing after demonstrating against COVID-19 mandates for over two weeks, in Coutts, Alberta, on Feb. 15, 2022. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Coutts Border Blockade in Alberta Ends After More Than 2 Weeks

Protest organizer says they want to maintain the narrative that their protest is peaceful

A blockade set up at Albertas Coutts border crossing for over two weeks ended Tuesday as protesters said they wanted to maintain the narrative that they are peaceful, and have nothing to do with the individuals arrested by RCMP for having access to a cache of firearms and ammunition.

We want to wrap this up in a peaceful way, said convoy organizer Marco Van Huigenbos in a video message, posted by Rebel News reporter Syd Fizzard on Twitter the evening of Feb. 14.

After the  news released that the RCMP made arrests and [came] forward with an arrest, resulted in long-arm firearms, handguns, and protective equipment,  we, as the Coutts convoy, have decided that as a peaceful protest, and to maintain that narrative, we will be rolling out tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

On Feb. 14, RCMP arrested a total of 13 people and uncovered 13 long guns, handguns, multiple sets of body armour, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition, and high-capacity magazines.

RCMP also said a semi truck and farm tractor attempted to ram a police cruiser on Feb. 13.

Meanwhile, organizers of the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa said they have notified police after being told that nefarious elements are planning to plant weapons at the Ottawa COVID-19 mandate demonstrations as a pretext to forcibly remove peaceful protestors.

In a video posted on social media on Feb. 14, Daniel Bulford, a former RCMP officer who is helping the protest organizers with security, said they have received information from sources they consider to be reliable that the weapons may be planted.

Today on Feb. 14, we received information from multiple believed, reliable sources that firearms may be planted in Ottawa, specifically around the Freedom Convey, to discredit the protest and to use as a pretext to forcibly remove peaceful protestors, Bulford said.

Due to the nature of this information, we felt it prudent to notify the public in the interest of their safety. This private intelligence correlates with the approximately 2,000 firearms stolen in Peterborough, Ontario, on Sunday morning, Feb. 13.

The protest at the Coutts border crossing started on Jan. 29. It is one of several demonstrations inspired by the Freedom Convoy encamped in Ottawa, which started in opposition to the federal governments vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers.

The first convoys converged in Ottawa on Jan. 29, and many protesters have indicated they will stay until all COVID-19 mandates are lifted. Since then, the movement has mushroomed to include supporters from across the country who oppose all pandemic mandates and restrictions imposed by governments.

Van Huigenbos said he hoped their protests have started something that will have wide-reaching effects on the governments at all levelsthat governments will continue to go back to the grassroots, listen to the constituents, and that these mandates, these restrictive mandates will soon be eliminated, he said.

We thank everybody for all their support, [and] for the prayers.

Canada Border Services Agency confirmed on Feb. 15 that operations have resumed at the Alberta-U.S. crossing.

A video posted to social media showed RCMP members shaking hands and hugging protesters. In the background, people holding hats or hands to their chests, or with arms draped across each others shoulders were singing O Canada.

Katabella Roberts and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Crypto Firm BlockFi to Pay Record Penalty to Settle US SEC, State Charges

WASHINGTONA subsidiary of crypto company BlockFi Inc. has agreed to pay $100 million to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and 32 states to settle charges in connection with a retail crypto lending product the New Jersey company offered to nearly 600,000 investors, regulators said on Monday.

The charges come as U.S. regulators, worried about investor protections and systemic risks, are cracking down on the booming crypto industry. The settlement is also an example of SEC chair Gary Genslers strategy to force crypto companies to fall in line with existing U.S. securities laws. The agency said it hopes more companies will follow suit.

The penalty includes $50 million for state regulators and $50 million to the SEC, the largest fine the federal watchdog has levied on an issuer of crypto-asset securities, it said.

BlockFi Lending LLC. broke the rules by offering an interest-bearing lending product without registering it with regulators. The company and its affiliates held about $10.4 billion in assets from investorsnearly 400,000 in the United Statesas of Dec. 8, the SEC said.

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), which coordinated the multi-state probe, alleged BlockFi failed to comply with similar state registration rules. It added that more jurisdictions are expected to join the settlement.

BlockFi, which neither admitted nor denied the SECs findings, said in a statement the resolution is an example of the firms pioneering efforts in securing regulatory clarity for the broader industry and our clients.

As part of the settlement, BlockFi plans to offer an alternative product expected to be the first crypto interest-bearing security registered with the SEC, the company said. The charges are lower than they might have been due to BlockFis willingness to cooperate, the SEC said.

Adhering to U.S. laws governing companys registration and disclosure is critical to providing investors with the information and transparency they need to make well-informed investment decisions in the crypto asset space, said Gurbir Grewal, director of the SECs enforcement division.

The SEC has heightened its scrutiny of crypto exchanges and lenders under Gensler, who has said wants to bring the digital asset sector within the existing regulatory framework.

Crypto lending products in particular have become an SEC target. In September, Coinbase Global Inc. said the agency was threatening to sue if it went ahead with plans to offer a similar product.

Many crypto asset companies say the existing securities regulations are inappropriate and the sector needs fresh rules.

From March 2019 to present, BlockFi offered and sold BlockFi Interest Accounts, or BIAs, that allowed investors to lend crypto assets to BlockFi in exchange for a promise to provide a variable monthly interest payment, the SEC said.

The company failed to register the product with the SEC, in violation of the law. BlockFi also broke rules by failing to register as an investment firm, the SEC said.

BlockFi also understated the risks associated with its lending activities, saying they were typically over-collaterized when most were not, the SEC said.

BlockFi has been under review by state regulators in the past year, with New Jersey and several other states ordering the firm to stop selling the interest-earning crypto accounts.

BlockFi will no longer offer the product to new U.S. investors. It will continue to service existing accounts but will not allow customers to add to those investments. It will comply with laws governing investment companies and will register a new product called a BlockFi Yield.

By Chris Prentice
People attend a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 15, 2022. (Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo)

Cyberattacks Hit Ukrainian Government Sites, Major Banks

KYIV, UkraineA series of cyberattacks on Tuesday knocked the websites of the Ukrainian army, the defense ministry and major banks offline, Ukrainian authorities said.

Still, there was no indication the relatively low-level, distributed-denial-of-service attacks might be a smokescreen for more serious and damaging cyber mischief.

At least 10 Ukrainian websites were unreachable due to the attacks, including the defense, foreign, and culture ministries and Ukraines two largest state banks. In such attacks, websites are barraged with a flood of junk data packets, rendering them unreachable.

We dont have any information of other disruptive actions that (could) be hidden by this DDoS attack, said Victor Zhora, a top Ukrainian cyberdefense official. He said emergency response teams were working to cut off the attackers and recover services.

Customers at Ukraines largest state-owned bank, Privatbank, and the state-owned Sberbank reported problems with online payments and the banks apps.

Among the attackers targets was the hosting provider for Ukraines army and Privatbank, said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at the network management firm Kentik Inc.

There is no threat to depositors funds, Zhoras agency, the Ukrainian Information Ministrys Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, said in a statement. Nor did the attack affect the communications of Ukraines military forces, said Zhora.

It was too early to say who was behind the attack, he added.

The ministry statement suggested Russian involvement: It is possible that the aggressor resorted to tactics of petty mischief, because his aggressive plans arent working overall, the Ukrainian statement said.

Quick attribution in cyberattacks is typically difficult, as aggressors often try to hide their tracks.

We need to analyze logs from IT providers, Zhora said.

On Jan. 14, a cyberattack that damaged servers at Ukraines State Emergency Service and at the Motor Transport Insurance Bureau with a malicious wiper cloaked as ransomware. The damage proved minimal. A message posted simultaneously on dozens of defaced Ukrainian government websites said: Be afraid and expect the worst.

Serhii Demediuk, the No. 2 official at Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, called the Jan. 14 attack part of a full-scale Russian operation directed at destabilizing the situation in Ukraine, aimed at exploding our Euro-Atlantic integration and seizing power.

In the winters of 2015 and 2016, attacks on Ukraines power grid attributed to Russias GRU military intelligence agency temporarily knocked out power.

Russias GRU has also been blamed for perhaps the most devastating cyberattack ever. Targeting companies doing business in Ukraine in 2017, the NotPetya virus caused over $10 billion in damage worldwide. The virus, also disguised as ransomware, was a wiper virus that scrubbed entire networks.
A woman uses an Android smartphone in Brussels, on April 20, 2016. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP Photo)

Dutch Foundation Seeks Consumer Damages Over Apple, Google App Payments

AMSTERDAMApple and Google face a potential class-action lawsuit in the Netherlands over app store charges, after a foundation headed by Dutch entrepreneur Alexander Klopping began gathering claimants.

The action, which still faces legal hurdles before any court hearing, reflects growing criticism over how much the two firms charge developers for payments on their app stores, while the Netherlands has become increasingly popular as a jurisdiction to pursue complaints against multinational firms.

Klopping is a co-founder of Blendle, a digital platform that enables users to buy individual news articles, which he sold in 2020. He told Reuters his determination to pursue the tech giants grew out of his experience at Blendle.

The reason its getting so much attention right now is that everyone feels in their gut that theres this imbalance of power when it comes to big tech companies.

He said while developers have complained most about app store practices, costs are ultimately passed on to consumers.

Kloppings App Store Claims Foundation is being represented by law firm Hausfeld, with funding from Fortress Investment Group.

Apple did not reply to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Alphabet, which owns Google, had no immediate comment but said the company had reduced fees on Google Play.

At this stage in the Dutch class action proceedingswhich were codified in a 2020 lawformal notice has been sent to Apple and Google.

Hausfeld lawyer Rob Okhuijsen said the next step will be submitting evidence to the Amsterdam District Court in April. If a judge agrees, the court would then begin weighing the merits of the complaint.

CMS lawyer Bart-Adriaan de Ruijter, who is not involved in the case but specializes in corporate litigation, said the Netherlands is becoming a magnet for suits against multinationals. Recent instances include a $339 million action launched last month against Airbus and a ruling last year ordering Shell to cut its carbon emissions.

Apple has already been taken to task by Dutch authorities for its app store practices. In December the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) ordered Apple to make it possible for dating app developers to offer non-Apple payment choices in the Netherlands.

Apple, which is appealing, has been fined $5.7 million four separate times for failing to comply, most recently on Monday.
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, speaks during the Satellite 2020 at the Washington Convention Center in Wash., on March 9, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk Says Starlink Now Has Over 250,000 User Terminals; Africa Launch Anticipated

Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk said on Monday SpaceX has secured over 250,000 user terminals for its high-speed, satellite-based internet service Starlink.

What Happened

The worlds richest person tweeted the milestone to his large fan base on Monday.

The billionaire entrepreneurs privately-held space-internet venture has been sending more satellites to low-orbit space, which then beam back low-cost, high-speed internet service to remote locations across the earth.

Starlink is known to have launched over 2,000 satellites last month.

SpaceX hopes to have 4,425 Starlink satellites in orbit by 2024; the Federal Communications Commission has approved 11,943 satellites to be launched by Starlink.

The service is offered at $99 a month with an additional $499 one-time cost for the kit that includes a user terminal and Wi-Fi router to connect to the satellites.

Coverage Expansion

Musk revealed in a separate tweet on Monday that Starlink has plans to launch in Africa, details of which would be announced soon.

The Starlink CEO in August last year said SpaceX had shipped 100,000 terminals of Starlink, adding he hoped the service would be available across the Earth soon.

Musk had last year revealed that Starlink service would be expanded to 14 countries. The company is awaiting licenses in several other countries and it has said it is a few years away from delivering a reasonably predictable revenue.

By Rachit Vats

 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Flanked by four cabinet ministers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces he has invoked the Emergencies Act to deal with the Freedom Convoy protests, in Ottawa on Feb. 14, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Emergencies Act: Ottawa Aims to Seize Pittance From Protesters, Yet Ignores Flood of Dark Money for Years

Commentary

One strange thing about Justin Trudeau panicking and invoking the Emergencies Act is that it doesnt appear to give the state many powers it didnt already have, let alone need to deal with the supposed emergency. Another is that one draconian power it does give, to seize or freeze financial assets without a court order, could address a very real issue governments have ignored for years: the flood of dirty money into Canada. But they have no apparent intention of addressing it.

Canadians dont seem to think it possible that our clean, modest, polite, orderly land could be an infamous money laundering haven. And our governments dont seem to think it matters.

To be clear, I dont think you should be able to seize Hitlers bank account without a court order. And the occupation and siege of Ottawa is not a war even by Twitter standards, nor a threat to Canadian democracy by any standard.

The flood of dark money is a different matter. And one more example of the essential paralysis of Canadian governments. Despite an impressive array of powers and ambitions, and a largely docile populace, they cant even make serious efforts to keep promises like ending boil-water advisories on aboriginal reserves.

I wont mention balancing the budget because its going to do it itself while we nap. But cant we stir ourselves slightly on massive money laundering?

Its not exactly a secret that, say, Vancouver real estate is driven by highly suspicious piles of cash, often literally. Following breaking news that Canadas deputy PM @cafreeland has just said the government is using the Emergencies Act to expand the scope of Canadas anti-money laundering legislation to crowdfunding platforms to stop the funding of what they called an illegal blockade, the mayor of Port Coquitlam, B.C., tweeted, A reminder that organized crime in this country (and others) have laundered BILLIONS through Canadian real estate, casinos & more. A reminder. From a mayor.

Some journalists have been on it for years, including Terry Glavin. Back in 2017, applauding calls to investigate money laundering in the wake of Australian scandals, he pointed out that Prime Minister Trudeau survived almost wholly unscathed after offering himself up at $1,500-a-plate dinners last year. The glamorous attendees included Benson Wong of the Chinese Business Chamber of Commerce, insurance tycoon and banker Shenglin Xian, and billionaire Zhang Bin, who donated $1 million to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and the University of Montreal on top of his $1,500 fee.

Such generosity might explain why politicians havent even attempted to deal with money laundering in any way youd want. Like directing significant resources to the relevant division of the RCMP. Unlike fixing policing more generally, it isnt a case of trying and failing, but of not trying. Yet a Google search of Canada money laundering yields 44.7 million hits. Including Glavin again, from December 2021, on Vancouvers richly earned  reputation as a money laundering hub for international swindlers, drug dealers and well-connected high rollers, citing a federal Criminal Intelligence Service report, so someone is paying attention, that reckoned the amount of dirty money making its way into Canadian real estate and other ventures at perhaps $133 billion annually.

Got that? Because someone did. Glavin also cites an ATI-fuelled discovery that between 2012 and January of this year, [Vancouver] officials had accepted nearly 2,000 payments totalling $13.1 million for everything from property tax payments to municipal cemetery plots  all in stacks of cash. Its like something out of Monty Python.

As is the usual suspects being in high dudgeon, and Canada in a state of emergency, over $9 million in funding to some rough-around-the-edges protesters. The selective outrage is obvious, given cheerful acceptance of foreign funding of environmental groups, including one on whose behalf our current environment minister broke the law.

I dont mind foreigners funding Canadians, or vice versa, for legal activities. But money laundering isnt legal. And it brings other crimes in with it and causes yet others, from bribery to gunfire. Consider this Feb. 15 National Post news alert: a suspected ketamine manufacturer was shot to death in Phuket, a popular tourist spot in southern Thailand  police in British Columbia are bracing for a possible backlash, and fear it has already begun.

Such a thing could happen even to the most peaceful kingdom. But were not that kingdom, except in our minds. Canada has notoriously porous borders for illegal tobacco, migrants, drugs, the guns criminal ventures need, and the money they attract and spawn.

I know we dont take national security seriously, from our Armed Forces to banning Huawei from vital communications infrastructure. But its especially rich, so to speak, that were now prepared to seize a pittance from some irritated protesters by suspending the rule of law while gazing passively at a flood of dark money undermining it.

Talk about an emergency.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
She said, Make sure you give Jeffrey what he wants, because Jeffrey always gets what he wants.

At 22, Teresa Helm was an eager massage therapy student in California when she was invited to apply for a job as a traveling massage therapistfor Ghislaine Maxwell. After she flew to New York, she was assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein. For 17 years, she didnt tell anyone.

Tonight, she shares her story, and she offers advice so others can recognize the warning signs of the grooming process. There was more than one woman along the way, she explains, and each of those women had very successfully, very masterfully manipulated me and groomed me into thinking that it was a safe and healthy environment for me to go to, she says.

Now, Helm is an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and sex trafficking.

Jan Jekielek: Teresa Helm, such a pleasure to have you on American Thought Leaders.

Teresa Helm: Thank you so much. Its a pleasure to be here.

Mr. Jekielek: So Teresa, lets just start with your story, how youve gotten to this point in time.

Ms. Helm: Yes. So my story started long ago when I was a young adult, 22 years old. Im originally from Ohio and I was living in Ohio in massage therapy school at the time. And I had a visit to California and I thought that thats where I wanted to be. So I switched schools and made the change from Ohio to California.

And there was a student, a fellow student that was a bit further along in the program as me. However, I knew her through interacting more or less through client files as she was in the clinical portion of her training. So this girl approached me one day about an opportunity to be a traveling private massage therapist. And I was interested right off the bat. It sounded like a wonderful opportunity, although I needed to learn more about it.

So, she gave me contact information to another girl. For me being 22 years old, Im going to meet this other young girl similar in age, and Im thinking, Im meeting her at her apartment on the beach. And that was really incredible for me, but its very inspirational because of course you want to be, at least in my case, I wanted to be as close to the beach as possible. And that was part of the dreams. And she gave me the name, Ms. Maxwell.

And she told me that Ms. Maxwell was highly educated, someone that traveled the world in a private plane, had private chefs, knew all the great, amazing people of the world, had all the best clothing, and was this really dynamite, amazing woman. And thats who I would be traveling with and working for, if I were to get the position as a massage therapist.

And the longer Sarah and I spoke, I started feeling I related to her. We looked similar, we had similar hair color, similar body type, similar age. And she told me how I would be given the best opportunity for education all around the world, because I expressed to her that education was very important to me. And there was a point in that conversation where Sarah had asked me to imagine the best of the best, the most wonderful anything I can imagine being traveling the world as a massage therapist.

So she gave me the time and space to really imagine this in my mind. And once I told Sarah, Okay, Ive got that vision in my mind, then she comes back and says to me, Now, everything that youve just imagined, Teresa, its way more than that. And she told me that if I wanted to continue with the interview process, that I would be flying to New York City to meet Ms. Maxwell. Because again, that was who was to hire me for the job.

And at the end of our discussion, Sarah and I at the beach, she told me she wanted to take a photo of me. And there was a moment where I thought, well, why does she want to take this photo of me? And then I thought, well, yes, of course Ms. Maxwell wants to see whos coming to meet her. And I also thought to myself, am I good enough? So I started sizing myself up. So I turned it back on myself.

And within a couple of weeks, I was off flying from Los Angeles to New York City. And once I arrived in New York City, at the airport, I was told that I would have a driver there with my name on a sign at the airport waiting for me, and there certainly was. And that was an indication to me that I felt important, I felt cared for, attended to.

So, the driver takes me to where Im staying, and it ends up being an apartment type building.. In the kitchen, I notice theres a basket of fruit and cookies and theres yogurt in the fridge. And that was another instance of me feeling like I was cared for, that I was being tended to. Ms. Maxwell wants to make sure I have something to eat if I want something to eat. And that was, again, significant to me. It impacted me feeling that I was wanted and cared for. So then I go walk to her townhouse in Manhattan, and I arrive and Im let in, and Im immediately asked to go up the stairs. And when I first arrived there, this was certainly a very beautiful home.

And at the top of the stairs, theres a butler standing there, and this butlers holding a silver tray. He has a full tuxedo with coattail and vest. And I laughed to myself inside, like this man standing, this butler standing there with a silver tray, because again, thats not anything you see in normal life. That is just a movie scene type thing. So it was kind of humorous to me.

And he had asked me to wait for her in the room just around the corner. So I did, and the room Im waiting in, its big, its beautiful. And she, Ms. Maxwell, comes into the room a couple moments later, and introduces herself to me. And shes a very pleasant, polite, well-spoken woman, is how I viewed her when she came out.

And right away, Ms. Maxwell, which she introduced herself as Ghislaine Maxwell. So right away, her and I began talking and she was asking me all sorts of questions about myself and my background. And I was sharing with her that Im from Ohio, and I kind of joked that, I said, Well, you probably dont know a whole lot about Ohio. And she said, Well, no. In fact, I had just recently been there with my business partners. We had a meeting there. We go there a lot.

She told me where it was at, and it wasnt all that far from where Im from in Dayton, Ohio. And so there was a connection right away. I thought, oh, how cool? She knows all about Ohio. And we shared things. I spoke about my dad, and she spoke about her dad, and she told me how she flies helicopters. And we joked about how, of course, any woman can fly helicopters.

We discussed my birthday being December 26th, she told me her birthday is December 25th. And we kind of joked about how we always proclaimed growing up that we were going to celebrate in the middle of the summer to get it away from Christmas time and what that was like growing up having a birthday around Christmas time.

So everything that Ghislaine and I spoke about, everything that I shared, she would always meet me with something to match what I was sharing. And that made me feel number one, very comfortable with her. I didnt feel like she was necessarily above me or at any type of level that I couldnt be with. So I felt like I belonged there. I know I really started to relate to her. There did come a point where I gave her a massage because that was, of course, part of the interview.

There was a massage table there, and so I give her a massage. I go through all my steps. Im still a student, so I was very much making sure I was doing a really great job going through all my steps, everything Ive learned. Ghislaine had fallen asleep at one point during this massage that I was giving her, so I really took that as a good sign because shes clearly relaxed.

And at the end, I gently woke her up and she excused herself from the room for a few minutes and I excused myself to the restroom. And I noticed on the way to the restroom that theres a framed photo on the wall of her and ex-president, Bill Clinton. And I thought, wow, here she is. Shes friends with the president and look at her home here. And shes so nice, and shes so polite, and we get along so well, and shes funny, and were talking really well.

At that point, I felt like this really couldnt have gone much betterthis interview process. And she had let me know that I was going to meet with her partner, Jeffrey. And that was the very first time I had heard the name, Jeffrey, or that there was even a second person or a second portion to the interview.

When she told me I was going to meet with her partner, Jeffrey, there was a quick instant in my mind where prior to going out there to New York, I had been discussing this opportunity with my dad. I mean, everybody in my family, my friends knew I was flying out. They were very excited for this opportunity. And I recalled my dad saying to me, Make sure you ask some questions about who she is.

So, when she told me I was going to meet with her partner, Jeffrey, that popped up in my mind what my dad had said. And I asked her, I said, So what do you and your partner, Jeffrey, do? And she said that, Were entrepreneurs. That was her answer. And at the time, I felt comfortable with her answer.

She started mentioning how tall I was. And she started talking about how Jeffrey was going to love me. And I thought, okay, so she enjoyed the massage and it was relaxing for her and I did a good job, so that must be what shes meaning here, that he is going to love me because Im going to do a good job. And she said to me, at one point towards the very end, she said, Make sure you give Jeffrey what he wants because Jeffrey always gets what he wants.

And I, again, tried to normalize that entirely and just put it in this frame of, well, hes probably had a lot of massage, so he knows the technique, he knows what technique he likes. In those moments, again, I was turning it on myself hoping that I was good enough. So I had a time and an address then to go meet at Jeffreys home. And I walked myself there, and I went there, and knocked on the door, and was let in, and asked to wait in an office just inside the door.

Im looking around the office, Im noticing the details of the ceiling and the desk in the middle of the room. And I recall there being an airplane, like a model airplane that was up in the takeoff position, because throughout this process of trying to figure out who Ms. Maxwell is, why is she so successful, even on the airline that I rode out on, I thought, Hmm, does Ms. Maxwell perhaps own part of this airline? Does she own part of the cookie brand that was in the kitchen? Does she own part of the yogurt that was in the fridge? The branding.

So, when I saw the airplane model was the same airline that I flew out on, had the logo, and I thought, okay, they own part of this airline, thats why theyre so successful. And I certainly thought at that time, that success meant good, that if you were a really successful person, that you were a really good person, and that you got out there by working very hard.

And after a few moments of waiting in the office, then I met Jeffrey, and we went into the kitchen, and he introduced me to the chef. So it was the three of us. It was Jeffrey finishing his dinner, in fact, and the chef standing there, and we were the three of us talking, and they were both polite and charming, and the conversation was easy, and I felt comfortable right away.

And then once Jeffrey finished his dinner, then he said, Come on with me to my office. And I originally thought we were going back to the office that I had come from when I was waiting. And he said, No, were going to go to a different office of mine. And showed me the elevator, and I kind of joked about him having an elevator in his house.

And then we walked up the stairs into an office where he immediately showed me all these framed photos of him and powerful people. And all I could say to myself in my mind is, dont act starstruck. I just wanted to try to kind of play it cool. And after that, we went and sat on the couch. It didnt take long before things got really inappropriate where Jeffrey ended up assaulting me. Then there was a point where I got up to leave the room and the assault continued just outside the hallway, outside the door.

There was a moment in time where I realized I needed to find the front door and get out. So, yeah, after kind of figuring out where I was and where the front door was in relation to where I was, then I made my way to the front door. And Jeffrey, he threatened me as I walked out the door. And I left there that evening and went straight back to where I was staying.

And I recall staring at the sidewalk, the whole way, so I could see each line in the concrete that separates the next pallet, I guess, of concrete. I went back to that apartment and just sat there the entire night and was scared and felt like I was being watched and listened to. And I dont know exactly if I was, but thats certainly how I felt. And I was terrified. I was so confused. It was just massive confusion of everything, and Im trying to process and understand. The confusion was quite paralyzing at that time, and so was the shame of the entire situation.

And then the next day, I knew I had a flight back to Los Angeles from New York, and the driver let me in the car, and he was standing there, and he said, Were waiting on someone. And I didnt realize that there was someone else at the time there. And there was another girl that got in, and her and I exchanged names.

And she said to me Well, she asked me what I was here for, and I told her that I was there to be hired as a massage therapist, and I had met with Ghislaine and Jeffrey. And I believe she told me she had just met with Jeffrey that morning. And she asked me, Do you think anything was weird? And I didnt respond. Well, she said she wanted to go home, and I didnt respond to her question. And we rode to the airport just in total silence after that.

I flew back to Los Angeles, and I didnt share with anyone what my experience was. And I had received an email from one of Jeffreys assistants. And the email read that they were thanking me for coming out, and telling me that I was being considered for the position, and that I would find out in a few days.

And again, thats another moment Ill never forget, sitting there at my computer after Ive returned and gone through what I had gone through, and theyre just treating it like its so normal, like just getting this follow up email, like youre still being considered for the job, thanks for coming out. And the whole entire thing was just massive confusion, like I said.

Mr. Jekielek: Its like youve replayed this whole situation in your mind, right? You remember it so distinctly.

Ms. Helm: Yes. Ive replayed this. Its been nearly two decades of replaying this in my mind, countless times.

Mr. Jekielek: When you describe it in all this detail, Ive spoken with a number of people about these types of things on the show, and this strikes me like a textbook case of what they call grooming, right?

Ms. Helm: Yes, absolutely. That is exactly the process that I went through with the first three women. Im excited, Im thrilled at the opportunity, I really feel that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and certainly has been presented to me as a once in a lifetime opportunity. I get there, I am met with a driver with my name.

Now, what I know now about grooming is all of that is part of the process. Having the driver there with my name on a sign is part of the grooming process. It is intentional. Every move a groomer makes is intentional. They wanted me to feel comfortable, tended to, cared for, safe. The driver takes me to the apartment where Im staying. Its clean, its comfortable, its safe, theres food there in case Im hungry. Thats another part of the grooming process, because yet again, it solidifies and sends the message to me that they genuinely care.

And when youre 22 or younger, or even older, you feel as though these steps are being taken to ensure your comfort and wellbeing. Again, thats an intentional part of the manipulation, the emotional manipulation. And then my time spent with Ghislaine, and every point that I spoke about, she had something to match me, whether it was about our birthday, whether it was about our dads, whether it was about Ohio.

Every single time that I said something and she would meet me with it, it was intended to make an emotional connection with me. And thats all to build trust, right? So every step of the way is intentional, its to gain my confidence in them, and for me to feel comfortable, confident, and safe, and trusting in them.

And though Id only spent an afternoon with Ghislaine, then Im feeling, even though she just presented to me that Im going to go meet with her partner, Jeffrey, and its the first time Ive heard that Im going to go meet with anyone, I feel safe and comfortable and confident, and even quite excited because I feel like this part of the interview must have gone so well that I now get the opportunity to go finish the interview and get the job.

And so when I leave Ghislaine Maxwells home, and I have a time and an address to go meet at Jeffreys home, then Im walking myself there, again, what I speak about often is that point precisely. I walked myself to the home of the man that was going to abuse me. I walked myself to a predators home. And I was not forced to go there. I was not tied up and taken there. I walked myself there.

And why was I so comfortable and confident and excited to walk myself there? And that was because each of those women had very successfully, very masterfully manipulated me and groomed me into thinking that it was a safe and healthy environment for me to go to.

Mr. Jekielek: And then it makes it incredibly difficult because many women thats similar that have experienced this werent able to leave or didnt leave, or didnt find it in themselves to leave at that moment.

Ms. Helm: Yes. And Im not sure exactly what it was in me that Everybody is different, every scenario is different. Yes, in my instance, I was able to go and not go back. And oftentimes, especially with survivors, theres a history of abuse. In my case, that is the case. I have a history of abuse, sexual abuse as a child. And though oftentimes some survivors stay or continue to go back because the situation that theyre coming from is actually worse than what they experience in a trafficking and grooming type situation, which is very sad.

Mr. Jekielek: Everything you described, it doesnt seem like there was almost any reason why you should have been suspicious, right? Or were there signs? I mean, you mentioned there were a few moments where you asked yourself a question, but this is something obviously that these days you go out, you talk about it, or youre educating young women and men about all of this, how this all functions. But how would you notice that this is really whats happening in a situation like this?

Ms. Helm: It is difficult at times. And youre right, there were instances Ghislaine telling me, Make sure he gets what he wants. Jeffrey always gets what he wants. I think, okay, hes had a lot of professional massage because of who he is, hes successful, they travel the world, hes had a lot of massage. Anytime I question anything, I normalized it instantly to what I thought I was there for. So there was never a time that I thought that I was there for anything else.

There was never a time that I thought that I was in any danger and I did find it to be safe. And what I can say to those now, as far as if they may be experiencing something is, and I understand it can be difficult, but when you do have those questions that rise within you, the best thing that you can do is to share those thoughts or those feelings with someone that you trust and get their idea or their take or feel on the situation.

And so, I really encourage children and teens and anyone really to be able to identify at least one trusted adult in their life that they can share those things with, and to really trust themselves and not doubt themselves and their intuition. That also goes into teaching body awareness in autonomy, even to young ones, because it all ties together.

Because you have sometimes a four-year-old where we want to teach that four-year-old, if they do not wish to give someone a hug that their parents or whoever theyre with, their caretaker, should not make them. Oh, youll hurt their feelings if you dont give them a hug. Go ahead and give them a hug. So then theyre reluctantly giving a hug, but theyre going against everything theyre feeling that they should be doing for themselves.

So, were trying to teach at a young age, age-appropriate ways to understand and to really kind of stand up for yourself, so to at least increase the odds of being able to identify if its predatory behavior, because we do have family and friends that are around us that care about us and want to share things with us and want to give us gifts and special times and trips and these great things.

And thats all, of course, very healthy and normal. And its very healthy and normal for us to receive these things and feel good and then want to give back. And that is part of the grooming process is groomers want to blur those lines to confuse you. I mean, one of the main goals is confusion, of blurring the lines because then you trust them like you would trust a family member.

So again, it often does come back to listening to yourself and taking a moment to really figure out how youre feeling about a situation or a person. Its better safe than sorry, all the time, especially if its someone new or someone sudden, not a lifelong friend or a lifelong family member, of course, if its someone that has newly approached you or newly came into your life through a situation.

Again, groomers, one of their main goals and intentions, in addition to getting you to a place of trustworthiness, to where youre then abused, because as Ive said about grooming, its like the gatekeeper, its like the gateway to abuse. You have to have a successful grooming process for the abuse to happen. If you dont have a successful grooming process, then the predator does not have the opportunity to abuse.

And another main component to a successful grooming process is shifting the shame from the predator who should feel a lot of shame and guilt and for what theyre doing. However, they shift that to the victim, to where the victim takes on all of the shame, because they think, gosh, I thought they cared about me, I thought they were my friend, or I thought that I was there for a job interview, and I trusted them.

And then the shame gets internalized, and oftentimes the victims, and very much so in my case, then I blamed myself entirely. And the shame was so deep. I just felt completely, again, paralyzed by the shame of what happened, because I felt like I should have known. I felt like I should have never gone. Then oftentimes the victims are suffering in silence, and the silence inside is very loud. I dont know how many times Ive thought about this scenario in my life. Countless times Ive gone over it. And each time I blamed myselfevery single time.

Mr. Jekielek: So, with time, you figured out how to identify some of these components of this grooming process, but immediately after once you got back home or back to school, what happened next?

Ms. Helm: What happened after that-

Mr. Jekielek: Did you tell anybody?

Ms. Helm: I did not share with anyone what happened, the abuse of it. I tried to speak about it as little as possible. If someone asked me, Oh, how did it go? I just said, It went fine, but Ive decided I dont want to take the position. I want to stay here. I just tried to avoid it, and I tried to avoid it through conversation.

However, it wasnt as easily avoided internally. And I ended up finishing one portion of the schooling. So I got one level of certification, but I wasnt able to get to the level that I had initially set out to achieve. And within about three months or so after that experience with Epstein and Maxwell, I broke my lease in California and moved back to Ohio.

And for a good four years or so after that, again, the whole experience was really traumatizing, and I felt so bad about myself, and I felt so I mean, I did, I felt like an object, and I felt treated like a piece of trash. So thats kind of how I viewed myself for a while, not worth anything. So it was very challenging, those few years after this took place.

Yes, it was really in 2007 when I became pregnant with my son that I very quickly realized that I did have a lot of worth and that I was going to view myself as somebody worth bringing another life into this world. So that changed everything for me, becoming a mom. Just the pregnancy in itself with my son really saved my life, and really turned things around for me a lot.

Mr. Jekielek: You basically said, okay, I have to get myself together. This is serious.

Ms. Helm: Yeah. Yeah, I felt so incredibly blessed to become a mom, that I wanted nothing but the best for myself. I wanted to be able to treat myself as best that I possibly could so that my baby was treated as best as my baby could be treated. I wanted to be nurturing and nourishing, and that all that I wanted for my baby is goodness. And feeling like I get to be a mom, it made me really start to value myself a lot. That really turned things around a lot for me.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, its really remarkable you had really no idea who these people were for a long time.

Ms. Helm: Right. Right. I did not know who Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were, and the network of sex trafficking that they had created over many, many years. I did not know that about them at all for a very long time until 2019. Until 2019 when Im a mom, Im living my life, Ive done a whole, whole lot of great things in the process, and Ive done a lot of healing, and getting myself to a good place.

I was listening to two guys on a YouTube show, and they were talking about the case and Epstein. And at the time, Epstein did not mean anything to me because I wasnt familiar with the name Epstein. And when I heard the name Maxwell, it caught my attention. However, they were speaking of Robert Maxwell, and I didnt necessarily know Robert Maxwell, but I knew the name Maxwell and I knew New York city.

And then when they were at the content of the conversation, that was the Sunday evening, and throughout the week, every day, Im thinking, I should look into that. I just felt this feeling within me that I should look into it and I kept fighting it and pushing it away. And there was a Thursday morning, this was in July of 2019, and I had plugged my phone in and headlines popped up when I did that.

And I saw a headline that read, Jeffrey Epstein found in jail cell in fetal position, or something like that. And I felt all this compassion for this grown man in the fetal position in the jail cell. Then I put my phone down and I start to walk away and something just told me to go back and look at my phone again. So I picked up my phone and I clicked on the headline. Jeffreys face popped up in that photo of him with that Harvard sweatshirt on.

And in that moment right there when his face just popped right up on the screen, that was one of the most traumatizing, most difficult moments. And then I realized, this is Jeffrey. Like, this is the person Ive been hearing about and these sex trafficking rings. And then I sit down [at] my computer and Im instantly typing in Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein.

And there in front of my eyes, on my computer, in my dining room is everything that Im reading. And thats when I realized who they were, and the world yet again, I mean, it was like a retraumatization of the entire everything, the grooming, the process, the women that got me there, the women that made it so I felt so trusting and comfortable to walk myself to Jeffreys home for him to then abuse me. And then for me to leave.

Everything just was flooding back. And then again, seeing the magnitude and the level and the depth and the wide scope of what they were doing and how many people theyve hurt and harmed and how many lives theyve wrecked along the way. So everything was just flooding in these moments, in these hours that I sat in front of the computer. It was again, the lenses that I wore viewing the world shifted yet again in that day and it will never go back. Thats how I discovered it all.

Mr. Jekielek: Okay. What about when you learned he was dead, what was your reaction?

Ms. Helm: That day was another interesting day. And at that point, I had already spoken with the FBI. And at that point, I had been speaking with a really amazing lawyer, Sigrid. Sigrid called me to tell me, and the feeling again was I mean, I didnt feel good that this person had lost their life. It was just huge influx of emotion again, but Im still trying to process everything that Ive learned just days before, a week to 10 days before or so.

And it was just a flood of sadness. I felt sad for myself. I felt sad for everyone involved. I felt sad that a person lost their life or compassion that someone lost their life. It was all very confusing again, the feelings involved. I think that I wished he were still alive. I think many of us feel this way so that we could seek justice from him in some format. And thats not the case though. Hes not here, so we cannot seek justice that way.

Mr. Jekielek: So, a number of the victims, including yourself, did have a chance to take the stand. Was that helpful? Was it at all? Was there any kind of consolation there?

Ms. Helm: I spoke in the federal court to Judge Berman, as I was invited along with other survivors. We were all invited to speak if we wanted to. The most recent trial, I did not speak at. I was there, but I did not go on trial. However, speaking in the federal court to Judge Berman, thats the first time I had come forward publicly about it.

And going into the room, I didnt know if I was going to speak, I decided I was going to speak. I didnt know if I was going to use my name, I decided to use my name. It was part of the process to get me to where Im at now, because going back to learning who they were on that Thursday, that next day, Friday, before I spoke to the FBI, Im thinking, what do I do? I cant just sit with this information anymore. I cant just continue to suffer in the silence anymore.

And getting a glimpse of my daughters car seat in the car from my rear-view mirror is where I was like, this is it. I am not going to continue this silence anymore because Ive worked very hard to get to where Im at. I have values that Im teaching my own children, and Ive got to live those values and set this example. Each step of the way is me taking my power back from what was taken, because one thing that I know about these predators, they leach power from people, and they did. They leached power from me. They robbed me of my power, of a lot of my self-worth and value. And each part of the process is me taking my power back.

And thats something that Im hoping to be able to encourage other survivors to do, those that have already come forward, perhaps those that have not yet come forward, or other survivors outside of Epstein and Maxwell and others. Because again, its very important and very much so for my case, to continue taking that power back, because I will continue to take my situation and my experience and the trauma that Ive gone through, and I will continue to flip it. Then I can help others and leverage that pain into purpose.

Mr. Jekielek: What do your kids know about all this?

Ms. Helm: My seven-year-old knows nothing. She knows not of this specific scenario with me. However, she does know age-appropriate things, like if I dont want to give somebody a hug, she knows she doesnt have to. She knows if she doesnt feel comfortable with something, she can say no, and she will be honored. Her answer and her position of what she wants for herself will be honored. My son, who is 14 years old, knows a little bit about the

Well, he does know about the work that I do working with various organizations and teaching parents. And he doesnt always agree with me, especially when Im talking about teaching parents about their children online, because he loves to be online.

Thats a whole another part of the grooming process that happens online. So he knows some of my story though not full details, of course, because I dont think its age-appropriate for him just yet. And Im sure at some point they both will know the full story. So everything that were teaching kids, including my very own children, its all within age-appropriate terms. Thats really important.

Mr. Jekielek: So, I know that you dont want to talk about the Ghislaine Maxwell trial because we thought that it had ended, but then it turned out that it hadnt. So Im not going to ask you about that too much, but I hope to invite you back when we do get more resolution on what actually is going to happen.

Ms. Helm: Yes.

Mr. Jekielek: What I do want to talk about is your work, because youve said earlier, I think that you really tried to flip all this around, right?

Ms. Helm: Yes.

Mr. Jekielek: And youve made it a centerpiece of your life to try to educate and empower people to not find themselves in these situations, and also to help people who have found themselves in this horrific situations.

Ms. Helm: Yes.

Mr. Jekielek: Why dont we start here, online has become this major, lets see, realm of grooming, so to speak. It used to be very much in person, very much like you described things happen, but this online realm, it could happen without anybody really knowing as long as the child has a screen, basically. Right?

Ms. Helm: Thats absolutely correct. So it is happening more so online than anywhere currently. And it has hugely increased since COVID times, the last couple of years of living through the pandemic. Children are spending at a minimum, 50 percent more time online, which then gives predators even that much more time to be a predator and to target children. And the social isolation, the mental health challenges that our children are facing because of the pandemic, everything is compounding these layers that is increasing the vulnerability for our children online.

There are many platforms that allow chat options that oftentimes young kids think is a really cool option. So they can talk to anyone, of course. And again, predators know that. So then, they target children. They start to ask questions. And its pretty quick to where if a child engages relatively quickly or easily, a predator knows that thats a child they can work on.

And they start asking questions about who they are, where theyre from, what they like, what they dont like. And there are the similarities in the grooming process where the predator will ask, How old are you? Oh, really? Im that old too. Where are you from? Oh, I know where thats at. What do you like? Oh, I like that stuff too. Whats your favorite food? Oh, thats my favorite food as well. Whats your name? Oh, I have a really good friend with that same name.

So they always want to match and meet and make those emotional connections. And again, its all about emotional manipulation. And pretty soon this kid is spending more and more time chatting with this person, and they think that theyre chatting with someone similar, someone just like them.

And because you throw in the mental health challenges that we have, kid oftentimes these days feel like they dont have anybody else. So all they want to do is speak with that person. Or their school is locked down and they cant go to school, or their neighborhood. Theres so many things that are keeping kids in front of the computer. And then theyre creating this relationship with this person that they think is one person.

All along, theyre being befriended, theyre being isolated because instances like the kids talking to the predator, doesnt know it. Other friends want to talk to the kid and the kids like, Oh, Id like to spend some time with my other friends online. But the predator whos been grooming them will make them feel guilty, Oh no, you should be talking to me, spend more time with me. And so theres this process of befriending and trusting, gaining their trust, and then they start to isolate them.

And once they start to isolate these children online, then thats where the luring begins. It can go a variety of ways. There could be a teenager or a child thats lured from their home thinking that theyre going to go meet this friend, or they could be lured into sending photos.

And it might start with, Oh, why dont you send me a picture of your face? Oh, thats really great. Id like to see more. And then it continues. And then theyll say something like, Oh, Id like to see whats under your clothes, but dont send me a picture of your face. Itll be okay. Theres no face involved. Nobody will know its you. Then they start to send more photos. And the progress continues to the point where theyre sending nude photos.

And then this predator is then taking these photos and uploading them to various sites and exploiting and making money off of these photos, and the child doesnt know it. But then the predator wants more photos, then thats where the blackmail starts saying, If you dont give me more, I know where you live. because you shared all the information.

They know where you live, they know what school you go to, they know your favorite places to eat, they know your family, because youve shared all this information. Then they start to threaten. Then theres this cycle of exploitation. And this is happening more online. Online is currently the number one place that a child is recruited, and currently the number one place that theyre being exploited.

Mr. Jekielek: And these are not small numbers of kids-

Ms. Helm: No.

Mr. Jekielek:  from what I understand. I think we were saying in Texas, its something like 70,000 children in Was it in the last year or period? Or how does that work?

Ms. Helm: Yeah, I believe the number was about 79,000 the State of Texas identified as victims of sex trafficking. And of those nearly 80,000 children, about 55 percent of them were trafficked actually from their school. So thats another component to trafficking. Whats happening is its happening online, its happening within school districts. So these traffickers are preying on these victims. These victims of trafficking will then leave a portion of the school day, a couple of hours or a lunch period, and then are trafficked during the day, and then return oftentimes back to school to finish out the school day.

Mr. Jekielek: Were talking like child prostitution, right? Or something like this.

Ms. Helm: Right. And the term child prostitution is something that we, as a movement or lots of organizations, are really coming down to shift the narrative and the dialogue away from child prostitute or child prostitution to a victim of child sex trafficking or child sexual abuse material, versus child pornography.

Because again, these are children and there is no child that chooses prostitution or chooses this for themselves. And so it is child exploitation or child sexual abuse material versus pornography. And its important for that shift so that as a society, we can grasp the impact of what is actually happening to our children, versus like I said, it being a choice for them. This is not a choice for them. Theyre not choosing this. They have been manipulated, coerced, forced into doing this.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, and especially to your point, as you explained earlier, they probably feel incredibly guilty and feel like its all their fault at the same time.

Ms. Helm: Thats a very accurate component to it. Yes.

Mr. Jekielek: I think it can be incredibly difficult for, frankly, myself right now, and many of our viewers to just fathom the idea that theres children in schools that are being taken out of schools and sold to people and sent back to school somehow. And theyve been coerced into participating in some sort of horrific scheme that also happens to be incredibly lucrative for the people that are doing this.

Ms. Helm: Yes, incredibly lucrative. On average, one person can generate on average $265,000 a year for a trafficker. That is one single solitary person. That is one of the reasons why human trafficking is a $150 billion industry a yearnow that is worldwide. So its extremely lucrative. Varying indifference to the gun trade or drugs, thats a one-time sale, a human body can be sold repeatedly, on average five to seven times a day for a victim thats in the life daily. Its five to seven times a day on average that theyre trafficked.

Mr. Jekielek: I want to ask you something, it might be a bit of a difficult question. At some point, Im sure you realized if you hadnt run away that day, 20 years ago, that you wouldve been in this sort of life.

Ms. Helm: Thats right. It could have gone that way. And that just possibility has been hard for me to sit with myself and think about. The honest to goodness truth is there was still this part of me after everything that I had gone through that wished I could have just looked past it and still got to do everything that I wanted to do. I still got to be the traveling massage therapist. I still had a part of me for a long time that still wanted what I went there for. I still wanted it.

And that was another part of that just added to the shame of the situation. And it was a part within me that I had to really sort through all those feelings that came along with it, because I felt like whats wrong with me for feeling this way? Whats wrong with me for feeling like I still kind of want that job? And I think that certainly goes to show the level of manipulation that I experienced. And again, thats their end game. Thats their goal. Thats their goal.

Mr. Jekielek: This one organization that youre working with right now has made a kind of breakthrough, and this is why we were talking about Texas, by getting this legislation enacted about no trafficking zones, and schools to stop this. Again, when I first heard about the legislation, I just have to underscore this, I didnt get what it was for entirely. Its hard to fathom that this could be happening in schools to the point where legislation is required to disincentivize these people from doing this.

Ms. Helm: Right. In the State of Texas, theres been a recent bipartisan supported bill passed, the No Trafficking Zone Act. It states that if anyone, if a trafficker tries to target a child or a teen on school grounds or within 600 feet of the premises of school functions for the purposes of trafficking, that its a first-degree felony charge. Thats an incredible win. Thats an incredible bill in legislation victory, for sure. And thats the standard, thats what it should be. These should be fundamental standards. Texas, later 2021, enacted a felony charge for first time sex buyers. So if you are caught purchasing sex, its a felony.

So, part of the trying to tackle this monstrous issue of human trafficking is trying to target the buying, because if you target the demand, then thats a huge component to it. So for the State of Texas to say, We are going to charge you with a felony if youre caught buying sex, that is another standard. I applaud Texas for taking that stance in that position. And that really, again, should be what every state should be right behind saying, Were doing this too.

Mr. Jekielek: Just out of curiosity, what is the standard? So buying sex isnt

Ms. Helm: I know that in the State of North Carolina, there is a harsher penalty for littering than there is for sex buying. There is a fine for sex buying in the State of North Carolina. Theres more criminal repercussions for littering. That highlights one of the issues contributing to the perpetuation of people thinking that they can do these things because there is no accountability oftentimes.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, because the mantra that I hear is, well, if its adults, people are making consensual decisions. With children, its very different. With adults, its very different.

Ms. Helm: There is a group or, I suppose, a school of thought that have the position of sex work is work. However, I do not believe that thats the case. Sex work is not work. These are victims of trafficking. They are addicted, they are into drugs oftentimes, thats why theyre in those positions. They have whats called debt bondages. A trafficker will say, youre going to be in the life because you owe me this for whatever it was; for the shoes that I bought you, for the clothes that I bought you, for the food, for a place to stay.

So they get into these debts, but theyre never able to pay it off. That is not freedom, thats not a choice, that is not work. Everywhere that sex work is legal or looking the other way from it, it directly contributes to child sexual exploitation. It directly contributes to child sexual abuse material, even as adults. Everything contributes to the abuse of children, its directly linked. And again, we know that even if you are an adult, its typically not a choice. Its typically not a choice. So I do not support whatsoever sex work is work.

Mr. Jekielek: So youve just opened up a whole new line of inquiry that Im incredibly interested in knowing about. Im sure the audience will be as well. Little bit short on time, perhaps we can do this when you come back after we get some resolution on the Ghislaine Maxwell trial.

Ms. Helm: Yes. I do believe it. Its very important for folks to understand the connection of adult trafficking and the impacts on children.

Mr. Jekielek: As we finish up, I imagine theres a lot of people out there who are kind of in your situation, something terrible happened and maybe it was abuse, maybe it was trafficking, and theyre not wanting to put it out of their minds, kind of move on with their life, but it comes back, and it haunts them. And so what should people do in these sorts of situations, in your mind? Or is there like a blanket answer for that?

Ms. Helm: I dont believe theres one specific blanket answer. However, if someone has been a victim of sexual abuse, childhood sexual abuse, or as an adult trafficking, and they dont share it with anyone, it will, as you said, continue to come back and haunt them, and it can continue the degradation of the destruction. It just goes deeper and deeper and deeper.

I do hope and recommend that the survivors do either come forward. It doesnt have to be in a public manner, of course, but seeking out an advocate, sharing with a friend, really allowing themselves to acknowledge that its not their fault and that it wasnt their fault. They can always call the National Sex Trafficking hotline and get some assistance then if theyre experiencing it in the moment or even previously.

I really do recommend that those try to Its really a matter of standing up for themselves and really trying to grow that self-worth and self-love and really accepting that it wasnt their fault, because again, thats typically the number one thing that happens is the self-blame and self-shame. And that in itself can bury you.

So I really encourage people to try to come forward, and whatever that looks like the best way for them, whether its sharing with a group, sharing with one individual, or spending a lot of time within themselves, but just not pushing it away, just addressing it. Exercising, meditation, those type things, eating well, nurturing themselves can go very far.

Mr. Jekielek: What about, as you described it, flipping it around and

Ms. Helm: Yes, then going out and trying to take exactly what youve gone through and flipping it around and going out and stopping as many abusers as you can, and helping as many other people as you can. It goes beyond seeing the silver lining in a situation.

As I spoke about earlier, it really takes the position of taking all the power back, because again, it was never theirs, it was never the predators, the abusers power in the first place. It was something that was taken from me. It was taken from the other survivors. Its certainly been the path for me to fight back and take a stand for myself, and let the abusers of the world know that this is no longer going to continue happening. And we are here, were going to fight back, and were certainly coming for them.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, Teresa Helm, its such a pleasure to have you on the show.

Ms. Helm: Thank you so much. Its a pleasure to be here.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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Escapee Captured, Some Mississippi Prison Staff Suspended

JACKSON, Miss.A Mississippi inmate who escaped from prison over the weekend was captured Tuesday in a county where he had been convicted of murder, and about a dozen prison employees were suspended because the staff waited more than a day to tell the state Department of Corrections he was missing, department officials said.

Michael Floyd Wilson, 51, was captured in coastal Harrison County, at least 130 miles from Central Mississippi Correctional Facility outside Jackson.

Sheriff Troy Peterson said in a news release that officers caught Wilson in a car that had been reported stolen from a neighboring county. Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain said the car ran out of gas while Wilson was driving.

Cain said Wilson is being moved to a different prison and hell have a hard time getting away from us there.

Michael Floyd Wilson, an inmate who escaped from the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, is shown in custody in this photo provided to media outlets by the Harrison County Sheriffs Office, taken after he was captured on Feb. 15, 2022. (Harrison County Sheriffs Office via AP)

Officials bemoaned that they had not received timely notification of Wilsons escape. Because his escape was kept a secret until Sunday, he was able to go undetected when he was treated at a hospital twice under a fake name for injuries he received while going over the prisons razor-wire fence.

We want to assure the public that we wont make those mistakes again because we have taken corrective action, Cain said Tuesday. Were shocked, upset, and appalled that he got away.

The employee suspensions add stress to a prison system that came under Justice Department scrutiny in 2020 after an outbreak of violence by inmates in multiple facilities.

State and federal law enforcement officers took part in a multistate search for Wilson.

Department of Corrections spokesman Leo Honeycutt said Wilson escaped Saturday and prison staff told the department about the escape Sunday. Wilson had obtained gloves, and one of those was stuck in the wire, Honeycutt said.

It Wilsons third escape from custody, Honeycutt said. Wilson got out of a county jail in 2001, where he was being held on a burglary charge. Wilson was sentenced to two life sentences in September 2015 after being convicted of murder for beating two people to death on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2014.

In July 2018, Wilson escaped from South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville and was captured two days later in Ocean Springs, which is about 70 miles away.

Investigators have learned that after Wilsons latest escape he went to a nearby subdivision in the Jackson suburb of Pearl and told someone he was bleeding because he was an FBI agent who had been in a motorcycle accident, Honeycutt said. That person called 911, and an ambulance picked up Wilson and took him to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

We dropped the ball because we didnt know he had escaped, Honeycutt said of the department.

Cain said Wilson gave a fake name at the hospital. After Wilson was released from the hospital Saturday, he ended up at an auto parts store in Richland, several miles from the prison. Cain said someone called police because Wilson was still bleeding.

When officers arrived, Wilson gave a fake name. Officers called an ambulance and Wilson was taken back to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

He must be really, really convincing, Honeycutt said. I mean, he should be an actor.

Wilson was discharged from the hospital for the second time early Sunday, before the Department of Corrections had been notified of the escape, Honeycutt said.

During his escape in 2018, Wilson ditched his prison garb, obtained civilian clothing and got a ride to a hospital after saying he had been injured in a motorcycle wreck and he needed to be at the hospital because his wife was in labor. The person who gave him the ride was a newspaper publisher who did not know Wilson was an inmate because the prison had not yet notified the public about Wilsons escape.

By Emily Wagster Pettus
John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut since February 2018. (United States Department of Justice)

Ex-Director of National Intelligence Expects More Indictments in Durham Probe

Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has said that he believes more people will be indicted as special counsel John Durhams investigation progresses.

When he was in office, Ratcliffe said he had seen intelligence that suggested that the Democratic National Committee was working on a narrative that tied former President Donald Trump to Russia in 2016. He said then-Obama administration officials had been briefed on the matter at the time.

[Then-Attorney General] Bill Barr, John Durham, and I, all looking at this intelligence, agreed there was not a proper predicate to open a criminal investigation into the Trump campaign, yet that happened, Ratcliffe told Fox News on Feb. 14.

Ratcliffe, a former U.S. House member from Texas who was appointed by Trump, said White House officials talked about former CIA chief John Brennans notes and Hillary Clintons campaign advisers.

Obviously the pleadings talk about Hillary Clintons campaign lawyers, now youre talking about consultants, he said.

In 2021, Ratcliffe said he released roughly 1,000 documents to Durham.

His comments come as Durham filed a motion in court late last week (pdf) suggesting that a tech executive who was aligned with the Democrat Party spied on Trumps residences and the White House when Trump was president.

So, those are the issues that John Durham is looking at, and I think therell be many moreI would expect there to be quite a few more indictments because of that, Ratcliffe said. There was not a proper predicate to begin that investigation. John Durham has said that publicly already.

Billing records that Durham obtained suggest that attorney Michael Sussmann, who allegedly had worked on behalf of the Clinton campaign, repeatedly billed the Clinton Campaign for his work on the Russian Bank-1 allegations and that a technology executive met and communicated with Mark Elias, an attorney who has filed numerous election-related lawsuits on behalf of Democrats.

Tech Executive-1 also enlisted the assistance of researchers at a U.S.-based university who were receiving and analyzing large amounts of Internet data in connection with a pending federal government cybersecurity research contract, Durhams filing reads.

Several media outlets identified the tech executive as Rodney Joffe, who this week issued a statement via a spokesperson that disputed Durhams motion.

Contrary to the allegations in this recent filing, Mr. Joffe is an apolitical Internet security expert with decades of service to the U.S. Government who has never worked for a political party, and who legally provided access to DNS data obtained from a private client that separately was providing DNS services to the Executive Office of the President (EOP), the spokesperson said.

Sussmanns attorneys, in a court filing of their own, also challenged Durham on Feb. 14, saying that his filing contains prejudicialand falseallegations that are irrelevant to his motion and to the charged offense, and are plainly intended to politicize this case, inflame media coverage, and taint the jury pool. Days after he was charged with lying to the FBI, Sussmann pleaded not guilty to the charge.
A display for facial recognition and artificial intelligence is seen on monitors at Huawei's Bantian campus in Shenzhen, China, on April 26, 2019. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Facial Recognition Tech: Centralising Surveillance Operations in China?

Commentary

The Peoples Republic of China has a formidable reputation in the field of facial recognition technology. This technology, which is increasingly used in surveillance operations to control Chinas population, is widespread and intrusive.

Relying on this technology, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is developing its social credit system, which has become one of the pillars of the Chinese legal system, used to ensure regime stability and to evaluate the trustworthiness of individuals and organizations and their allegiance to the communist regime.

The social credit system is an emanation of the CCPs data-driven governance, using facial recognition technology developed by the Communist Party with the help of major tech companies.

These companies and other organizations have been assiduously implementing their own version of the facial recognition technology, ostensibly in accordance with the Partys instructions and guidance, but also to benefit their operations by collecting data about individual customers.

This practice of data collection was, however, curtailed recently when Guo Bing, a law professor in Hangzhou, wanted to purchase an annual pass to the local zoo.

The zoo required him to submit to a high-resolution facial scan.

Bing, outraged at this breach of his privacy rights, initiated legal action in the Chinese courts, arguing it was unnecessary to collect his biometric dataand he won.

The case went all the way to the Supreme Peoples Court, which has since issued guidelines regarding the digital collection of data of individuals.

Visitors watch as tigers wrestle inside their enclosure at Jiufeng Forest Zoo during the first day of the Spring Festival in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 1, 2022. (Getty Images)

It is premature to interpret Guo Bings win as a victory for those who despise the practice of surveillance using facial recognition technology.

Instead, the Supreme Peoples Courts decision, which had been cleared with the political powers in China, indicates that the regime became concerned about the fragmented use of the technology by companies.

Instead, it wanted only the state to impose a uniform surveillance system and design a unified data collection strategy.

In effect, the courts decision enables the state to centralize the use of facial recognition technology rather than having it applied by companies in an ad hoc and inconsistent manner.

The validity of this interpretation of the decision in Guo Bings case may be gleaned from a report posted on the website of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies of Peking University in January.

This report, which deals with the U.S.-China Strategic Competition in Technology, purports to analyze the current state of technological competition between the two nations and details Chinas technological prospects.

But in early February, the original Chinese-language copy of the report was removed and is no longer available on the Peking University website. The removal is unfortunate because interested researchers are unable to ascertain what the original report had to say about the development of the facial recognition technology if anything at all.

The reportan English translation has been located on the internetindicates that, since the end of 2017, trade frictions and technological competition have gradually become the focus of the relationship between the two countries.

The authors of the report note that while the CCP aims at becoming an innovative power, its technological efforts are frustrated by the United States complaints about forced technology transfer of its companies and alleged theft of intellectual property rights.

The report admits that China still lags far behind the United States in terms of the number and originality of highly cited papers.

It bemoans the fact that financial investment in basic research is lower than that of the U.S.

A CCTV camera in Pancras Square near Kings Cross Station in London, England, on Aug. 16, 2019. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

It is also noted that the U.S. retains talented researchers and that its higher education institutions are still the preferred study destination for international students.

The patent structure in China is described in the report as relatively simple and low in quality and it identifies a significant gap in the conversion rate of patents to industrial use.

But the report also indicates that China is already a world leader in patent applicationsit represents roughly 40 percent of the total number of annual patent applications.

The report concludes that, although China has made revolutionary breakthroughs in some key indicators, and the overall gap between China and the United States has been narrowing,  the United States still maintain overall and key advantages.

Surprisingly, even though China is the undisputed world leader in facial recognition technology, the report does not mention its superiority in this field.

As a countrys technological power depends on its ability to innovate, this omission is interesting and troubling. This is because the CCP aims to become an innovation leader in all fields, capable of winning the innovation race.

To this purpose, Beijing supports research in data collection, fifth-generation telecommunications, quantum computing, and nanotechnology, among others. Specifically, it is making big inroads with regards to the utilization of apps and technologies to solve societal problems by surveillance.

In this context, Chinas detractors refer to its Digital Leninism policies which involve increased levels of societal surveillance, which, in turn, are likely to further cement authoritarian rule by the Communist Party.

It would be disastrous if Australia were to use Chinas advanced facial recognition technology to control society. Such use would result in the demise of political openness, already severely tested by the COVID-19 pandemic emergency measures, restrictions, and vaccine mandates.

Workers prepare laptops that will be used at venues during an organized media tour and demonstration at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Main Distribution Center (MDC) for equipment and logistics in Beijing, China, on Dec. 9, 2021. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

It would frustrate efforts to entrench the rule of law because the application of the technology often results in social stratification and discrimination, involving the classification of people on the ground of their allegiance to the states legal system.

In Australia, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner recently chastised Clearview AI, an American corporation, for selling facial recognition technology to Australian police forces. These forces are now under investigation for using sensitive biometric operations involving breaches of Australias privacy legislation.

The privacy commissioners ruling that such data collection is in breach of consumer privacy is undoubtedly a welcome development. But foreign embassies in Australia, when considering applications for the issuing of passports to their nationals, still routinely collect biometric information, which is kept for a long time.

Facial recognition technology is dangerous because it could be used, as in China, for the purpose of distributing burdens and benefits to citizens. It is a means to divide a nation and to keep the population in eternal servitude.

In this context, Augusto Zimmermann writes that Australia has become a nation of slave-like people with elected politicians acting more as masters than as servants of the people.

If he is right, facial recognition technology has a bright future in Australia but, alas, at the expense of privacy and personal freedom.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just invoked on Monday the Emergencies Act against the truckers convoy.

This now gives his government unprecedented power to fight back against the protesterswith many people likening it to a form of martial law. And simultaneously, Canadas finance minister is now treating any funding thats being sent to the truckers as a form of terrorist financing.

Meanwhile, Americas immigration agency has just announced a change to its mission statementwhich no longer includes any language regarding upholding our immigration laws, protecting Americans, or defending the homeland.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies at a Senate Health, Education, and Labor and Pensions Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 23, 2020. (Graeme Jennings/Pool/Getty Images)

Fauci: Recent Easing of COVID-19 Mandates Has Nothing to Do With Politics

White House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci suggested that politics had little to do with decisions in recent weeks from Democrat officials to rescind COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates.

I wouldnt say its the politics. I think its the different evaluation of whats right for a particular community, Fauci said in response to a question during an MSNBC interview on Tuesday.

States including New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Connecticut in recent days started lifting vaccine and mask mandates, prompting speculation that polling numbers may have contributed to their decisions. Several cities, including Philadelphia and Washington, also announced ends to their respective vaccine passport mandates for restaurants.

When you use the word politics, Im not sure its that. I just think at the local level, theres a strong feeling of needing to get back to normality, Fauci added during the Tuesday interview. Now, if you look at the science of it, I mean the direction is going in the right direction. Are we there yet in every single place throughout the country? I dont believe so. But there are some places that are looking at what the trajectory is, and are saying lets go with it.

Data provided by Johns Hopkins University shows that nationwide, COVID-19 cases are down about 44 percent over the past week to about 151,000 per day.

What I believe the states are doing is anticipating that we are going in the right direction and they feel they might as well just get back to trying to get back to some form of normality by pulling back on restrictions, added Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984.

Critics have suggested, however, that Democrat leaders are turning away from COVID-19 rules amid fears of losing the House and Senate in the 2022 elections. Democrats currently have slim majorities in both congressional houses, and the party of the president generally loses seats during midterms.

Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) told NTDs Capitol Report on Feb. 10 that the lifting of mandates is political science.

I find it very disingenuous that all of a sudden, as we get closer to the elections and the midterms that they decide to follow the science. Theyre following political science.

A Jan. 31 Monmouth University Poll showed that 70 percent of Americans agree with the statement: Its time we accept that COVID is here to stay and we just need to get on with our lives.

Other than government mandates being rescinded, several private companies have recently started doing the same.

Disney World plans to make masks optional for fully vaccinated guests from Thursday, an update on its website showed, reversing a policy introduced in mid-2021.

And Tyson Foods, one of the largest food processors in the country, lifted a mask mandate for fully vaccinated employees at some facilities on Tuesday, but those at meatpacking plants must continue wearing masks for now.

Employees at corporate offices, distribution centers, feed mills, and some production facilities inspected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can go maskless if state and local laws allow it, Tyson spokesman Derek Burleson said, according to Reuters.

Reuters contributed to this report.
People visit Clearwater Beach after Gov. Ron DeSantis opened the beaches at 7am on May 4, 2020 in Clearwater, Fla. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Florida Sets Tourism Record for 2021

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Florida is open for business, welcoming nearly 118 million domestic visitors in 2021, and surpassing pre-pandemic visitation levels for two quarters in a row.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, was all smiles on Feb. 15 as he announced that the number of visitors to the Sunshine State between October and December 2021 was almost 31 million, marking the second consecutive quarter that overall visitation has surpassed 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

In 2021, Florida received nearly 118 million domestic visitors from all over the U.S. In the last two quarters of 2021, tourism exceeded 2019 pre-pandemic numbers by seven percent, the governor said at a press briefing.

So, Florida is one of the few places in the world where more people are visiting now than before the pandemic. Compared to 2019 quarter four, domestic tourism in 2021 quarter four was 7 percent higher.

Being called the freest state in the United States by DeSantis may well account for why Florida was chosen as a destination by so many. Some travelers were families on a fun vacation, while others were more recognizable as lockdown politicians.

You have governors that have locked down their states, imposed mandates, imposed restrictions; you have big-city mayors that have imposed lockdown policies, DeSantis said. You have people on TV news networks that advocate for restrictions and lockdowns, and almost all of them have been criticizing Florida for a year and a halfyet many of them are part of our visitation figures.

Among those seen in Florida over the past two years was Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who visited in April 2021, maskless, while urging her constituents to stay home and mask up. She denied that her trip was a vacation, saying she was checking on her ailing, elderly father who owns property in Florida.

CNNs Don Lemon was also spotted poolside, also maskless, after criticizing the governor for his policies on COVID-19.

Other noteworthy visitors were Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who got a welcome tweet from the governor, and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), seen maskless in the lobby of a Miami hotel. Both members of Congress have urged the use of masks and vaccine mandates throughout the pandemic and have openly criticized their GOP counterparts for refusing to enforce such measures.

DeSantis said the tourist development tax revenues increased 74 percent over 2020 figures, which may not be that surprising, he said, as people didnt want to travel as much because of initial concern over COVID-19 when not as much was known about the virus.

People at the beach in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., on April 17, 2020. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The U.S. travel industry predicted in 2021 that domestic trips across the nation would finally climb out of the slump caused by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus in 2023, and finish with growth 3 percent above pre-pandemic levels. International tourism was not expected to recover to 2019 levels until 2025.

While tourism in other states was practically paused, Florida aggressively marketed outside its borders for seven months and saw steady growth in visitor volume each quarter. Quarter four of 2021 was no exception, with almost 31 million visitors, according to the Visit Florida website.

After third-quarter 2021 tourism numbers were announced, Danny Gaekwad, owner of MGM Hotels and chairman of the Visit Florida Board of Directors, said the influx of visitors was a huge win for the state, calling Florida an undisputed leader in the U.S. travel sector.

Nanette Holt contributed to this story.
Ukrainian Military Forces servicemen attend a military drill with Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) Swedish-British anti-aircraft missile launchers at the firing ground of the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Jan. 28, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)

Former Intelligence Director Blasts Washingtons Alarmist Posturing on Russia

Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell has criticized the Biden administration and Washington insiders for needlessly saber-rattling with Russia.

Grenell made his remarks at a Feb. 16 congressional hearing on Ukraine, following a recent declaration from the White House that the threat of a Russian invasion is immediate. Russia has repeatedly denied any invasion plans and has claimed to have started moving some of its forces away from Ukraines bordersalthough NATO officials said Feb. 16 they have no evidence of a withdrawal.

At the hearing, numerous witnesses and lawmakers called for the Biden administration to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin with force if he invades Ukraine. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) went so far as to compare Putin with Hitler, suggesting that he will continue to expand into Europe if not cut off now.

I remember Hitlers aggression and what was known as war creep, and I can tell you what were seeing here is war creep, said Mfume, prompting Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a director at the Center for a New American Security, to agree and call for a return to a Cold War mentality with Russia.

But Grenell, who was U.S. ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020 before serving briefly as acting director of national intelligence at the end of the Trump administration, criticized these sentiments as needlessly disregardful of diplomacy.

I think the United States is being aggressively alarmist right now, he said. Weve shoved aside diplomacy; theres all sorts of talk of war. Weve rejected the tools the United States has in terms of sanctions.

Grenell touted the U.S. governments 2019 imposition of sanctions against any firm that helped Russia finish an undersea gas pipeline to Germany. Biden lifted those sanctions soon after taking office.

To have all of official Washington racing towards military options, ignoring the diplomatic tool that will cripple Putin [sanctions on Nord Stream 2]its typical of Washington, D.C.all of the pundits in Washington racing to talk about war instead of utilizing diplomacy, Grenell said.

He further raised doubts about the White Houses claims of an impending Russian invasion of Ukraine. He said that if such claims were true, he couldnt imagine why the White House was sitting by as Nord Stream 2 proceeds.

The aggressive talk coming out of Washington is not verified intel, he said. If verifiable intel really showed a bloody war coming around the corner, I cant think of anything more callous than waiting for bloodshed to be shown on television before we would make a move on diplomacy and do Nord Stream 2 sanctions.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced a Nord Stream 2 sanctions bill last month, but it was defeated. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the lone Republican to oppose the legislation, criticizing the policy as damaging to German allies and a handout for U.S. oil companies.

Opponents of the pipeline, not surprisingly, are largely from states that compete in the sale of natural gas. Reports are that the pipeline will cause a significant reduction in U.S. exports of liquid natural gas, Paul said in a Jan. 13 floor speech.

Ive asked [Cruz and the other bill supporters] what he wants Russia to do, what behavior he wants Russia to change. They responded that no behavior changes will suffice. They just want Russia to be unable to ship natural gas to Germany.

In his speech, Paul also made a similar point as Grenell, saying that the Nord Stream 2 sanctions could be used as a tool to deter Russian aggression toward Ukraine.

If Nord Stream 2 sanctions were really about changing Russian policy or deterring aggression, then NATO, including Germany, could threaten sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine, he said. Now, that threat of sanctions, with Germany as an ally, might actually have deterring value.
Canadian health measure protesters and supporters of the "Freedom Convoy" gather at Parliament Hill, Ottawa, on Feb. 12, 2022. (Richard Moore/The Epoch Times)

GiveSendGo Donors From United States Account For Roughly 50 Percent of Canadian Freedom Convoy Campaign

Around 50 percent of donations to the Freedom Convoy anti-mandate protests in Canada have come from small donations made from the United States, according to the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo.

There was a pretty even split between donations coming from Canada and donations coming from the U.S., said Jacob Wells, CFO and co-founder of GiveSendGo, to Fox Business. Wells added, The average donation was quite smallless than $100.

The Freedom Convoys GiveSendGo campaign page shows that it has raised over $9.44 million so far, meeting 58 percent of its target goal of $16 million. Over 107,000 people had contributed money to the cause, with almost 42,000 sending their prayers as of Feb. 16.

In its campaign statement, Freedom Convoy blames the Canadian government for destroying businesses and livelihoods by imposing mandates. In November, the Trudeau administration insisted that cross-border travel will require a vaccine passport, something which Freedom Envoy says is controversial and unnecessary given the shortage of truckers.

The decision drove up the cost of transporting essential items like food imported into Canada from the United States, the group said.

The confirmation comes following a hacker breach of the site and the posting information of over 92,000 individuals who donated to the Freedom Convoy campaign.

According to the hacked list, which was posted to a now-defunct website, more than 92,000 donations totaling $8 million were made through GiveSendGo. Data shows that roughly $4.3 million came from Canada while the United States contributed $3.6 million, according to the NY Times.

In terms of individual donations, the United States topped the list. One of the biggest donations of $90,000 was made by billionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneur Thomas Siebel, founder of Siebel Systems and C3.ai, an artificial intelligence platform.

Freedom Convoy had initially set up a fundraising campaign at GoFundMe and successfully raised over 10 million Canadian dollars. However, administrators at GoFundMe shut down the campaign. In a Feb. 5 update, GoFundMe said that it had evidence from law enforcement that the demonstration has become an occupation, with protestors engaging in violence and other unlawful activity. A Canadian judge froze Freedom Convoy representatives from accessing the donations.

The police chief of Ottawa later took credit for getting the fundraising shut down. He resigned on Feb. 15.

GoFundMe announced that it would refund all donations made by donors after initially stating it would distribute the funds to other charities chosen by the platform. The decision was changed after a widespread backlash. The truckers then moved on to set up the fundraiser on GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding site.

I think this was a huge PR mistake by GoFundMe, Wells told Fox News. Our platform is booming. We havent seen this much business. I mean, last year we grew incredibly. This year, the same pace is on 100% month over month. Its absolutely astounding.

People are vowing to never use GoFundMe again because of the ideological stances that theyre taking. We take a neutral position. We allow people to fundraise. GoFundMe is being investigated by Florida, Texas, West Virginia, and Missouri for blocking and withholding donations.
A participant waves the rainbow flag during the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Pride Parade in Budapest on July 24, 2021. (Ferenc Isza/AFP via Getty Images)

Hijacked by Ideology: Girl Guides Fire Western Australia CEO for Questioning Transgender Membership Policy

A former CEO of Girl Guides who was terminated for expressing her disapproval of the transgender policy says the traditional organisation has been hijacked by the transgender ideology and urges the institution to wake up and realise whats going on.

Karyn Lisignoli was dismissed by Girl Guides Western Australia (WA) in December, just over a week into her job, after she sought legal advice on changing the membership rule back to only include biological women.

The current Girl Guides WA constitution defines a girl as any person under the age of 18 years who lives their life as female, and a woman as any person aged 18 years or older who lives their life as female.

On Dec. 16, Lisignoli contacted womens rights lawyer and head of Save Womens Sport Australia, Katherine Deves, via Twitter, commenting under Deves tweet about the UK Supreme Court ruling against gender-neutral passports.

Ive noticed our constitution panders to this ideology, the former CEO wrote. Can I DM you to find the legal standing on this? If we change it back to biological female, are we breaking the law?

The conversation was noticed by LGBT+ publication OUTinPerth, which then sent a series of questions to Lisignoli and Girl Guides, prompting Girl Guides WA chairwoman Yvonne Power to sack Lisignoli on the basis that she had caused a serious and imminent risk to the reputation of the organisation.

Girl Guides Western Australia terminated former chief executive Karyn Lisignolis employment for her comment on its transgender policy on Feb. 16, 2022. (provided)

But the former CEO argued that the bigger public relations issue is when the average mums and dads in Australia realise such an iconic and traditional organisation such as Girl Guides, the worlds biggest girls development organisation had capitulated to this [transgender] ideology.

Most parents when they send their daughters to girl guides are assuming theyre doing so because they want their daughters to get the benefit from female role models and female peers in a female-only environment, Lisignoli told The Epoch Times.

If anyone can self-identify, that person doesnt have to transition, and this creates an absolute huge loophole, where predatory men can then have access to girls, she said. Just a full biological male can just suddenly say, Im a female, and you need to call me she.

Lisignoli further noted that while some people naively believe that allowing trans women in womens spaces is the compassionate thing to do, people often dont realise the dangerous implications of this until they really get right to the edge.

Not all men are predators, of course, only a small percentage, but that small percentage will lie and manipulate and deceive and do whatever they need to do in order to access victims.

When it comes to safety, our biological sex has to take precedence over gender identity because there are very real biological differences between males and females. Men are bigger, stronger, more powerful, and men have the ability to rape women.

The Girl Guides Guidance to Support Diversity and Inclusion states that an individual is to be considered the final authority on their own gender identity and that it is not appropriate to judge who is and who is not a girl.

It also noted that any child, including those who are transgender girls, may use the bathroom/change room that corresponds to their gender identity provided that they feel comfortable to do so.

As a Youth Member of your unit, the girl will participate in the same activities as all other Youth Members of your unit. This includes sleeping in the same area as the other Youth Members of your unit.

Girl Guides Australia chief commissioner Rosemary Derwin told The Australian on Feb. 11 the guidelines had been composed in accordance with state and territory anti-discrimination laws in 2018.

All people are treated equally and with mutual respect regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. If a transgender girl goes to school as a girl, and her friends go to Guides, its important they can come too. Otherwise, its discriminatory, Derwin said.

However, Lisignoli said the new guidelines were shaped by recent social justice trends that have been sweeping through corporate Australia for decades.

The real concerning thing is that people cant even ask a question now, as opposed to what we all need to be doing is asking really hard questions, she said.

I asked a question. And Girl Guides WA folded in fear of the potential onslaught, and there wasnt even any buzz [from the article]. And that is how aggressive this ideology is.

A better way to support kids with gender dysphoria, the former CEO said, is not by affirming their identity but by offering them therapy and giving them love and assistance in a compassionate and non-affirming manner.

If someone goes into to see a therapist, and they said, Im depressed, and I want to kill myself, the therapist doesnt go, okay, well, heres some methods for you to do, she noted.

This affirmation and social contagion model means that a lot of kids who were just suffering from a lot of other psychological issues or coming to terms with the fact that theyre gay, now suddenly being pushed into an identity that doesnt fit them with often really tragic results.
Union activists and supporters rally against the Supreme Court's ruling in the Janus v. AFSCME case, in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan in New York City on June 27, 2018. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Hill Democrats Push to Allow Congressional Staff to Unionize

House Democrats led by Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan are pushing a proposal to enable congressional aides to form collective bargaining unions like those that represent nearly half of the federal governments 2.1 million career civil servants.

In a matter of days, 130 of my colleagues have joined me to say we could not serve our districts or states without the hard work and dedication of congressional staff, and that we honor the staff-led efforts to organize Congress, Levin said in a Feb. 8 statement.

Thus far, congressional staff have driven the unionization processand they must continue to do so. Questions surrounding exactly how the unionization process will work are appropriate for another day. Today is about a simple propositionthat congressional staff must enjoy the same fundamental rights of freedom of association at work, to organize and bargain collectively for better conditions, that all workers deserve, Levin said.

Congressional aides working for individual senators and representatives are often underpaid in junior-level positions, routinely put in long hours, and can be fired at will by their bosses.

But aides also are critical factors in the law-making process because they are frequently decisive influences on how a senator or representative votes. Seasoned lobbyists know this, and typically devote significant efforts to developing relationships with key staffers.

Levins proposal currently has 144 co-sponsors, all Democrats, including Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, one of the two committees with jurisdiction.

The other is the Committee on House Administration (CHA), chaired by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a close ally of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have both expressed support for the staff union effort.

Levin and his colleagues are taking advantage of some unfinished business from the Contract with America Congress led by then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) in 1995.

Among the first acts passed by the Gingrich Congress was the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 that required the legislative branch to be covered by a host of laws from which it had previously exempted itself, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.

An obscure provision of the law enabled legislative branch employees to organize unions, but congressional staffers could only do so after regulations for doing so were recommended by the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR)then known as the Office of Compliance.

The staffer regulations were issued in 1996, but neither the House nor the Senate approved them. Employees of legislative agencies, including the Library of Congress and the Congressional Research Service (CRS), did organize unions. Now, Levins resolution requires OCWR to revisit the staffer regulations from 1996, update them as required, and recommend the revised version to Congress.

Although Lofgren isnt currently listed among the co-sponsors of Levins proposal, shes pushing it forward through the legislative branch management bureaucracy.

In a Feb. 8 letter to OCWR Board Chairman Barbara Childs Wallace, Lofgren said, much has changed since 1996. For example, CHA recently took a lead role in drafting and enacting a reform law with significant bipartisan input, and support to update the protections of the CAA to provide greater protections for legislative branch employees, including making it easier for them to assert their rights and protections under the law.

Accordingly, I request that the [OCWR] Board of Directors  review the regulations it proposed in 1996 related to collective bargaining. It is my hope that an expeditious review will inform the Houses consideration of how to better improve the workplace for our congressional staff.

A Lofgren spokesman didnt respond to The Epoch Times request for comment. A briefing by her top committee aide, Jamie Fleet, of House Democrats chiefs of staff reportedly didnt answer their many questions on how such a union would function.

Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the ranking Republican on CHA, however, told The Epoch Times that he fears a unionized congressional staff will give too much influence on the legislative process to federal unions that already exercise great power over the executive branch:

Allowing congressional offices and committees to unionize could potentially create numerous conflicts of interest by enabling unions to have undue influence over members and the legislative process.

Unions can play an important role in workplaces. They just dont work with Congress unique political structure and constitutional responsibilities on behalf of the American people. Furthermore, the majoritys plan to adopt regulations that were drafted 26 years ago, as outlined in the resolution supported by 144 of my Democratic colleagues, will create more dysfunction in Washington, he said.

Levins resolution only applies to the House side, but Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is considering introducing a similar measure covering the upper chamber that is expected to attract support from all of his Democratic colleagues.

Certain to be among a long list of thorny issues if Levins resolution is approved, however, is who would be covered. Daniel Schuman, editor of First Branch Forecast, believes the House resolution would extend to more than personal, committee, and leadership offices. It also could cover components of the Clerks office, Legislative Counsel, the General Counsel, the Parliamentarian, the caucus and party organizations, House Employment Counsel, and more.

A 1962 executive order by President John F. Kennedy cleared the way for federal employee unions in the executive branch. Nearly half of the 2.1 million federal career civil servants are members of unions, with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) alone representing more than 670,000.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a press conference in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 25, 2020. (David Gannon/AFP/Getty Images)

Hillary Clinton Responds to John Durham Court Filing

Former presidential candidate Hilary Clinton on Wednesday denied claims that her 2016 campaign spied on former President Donald Trump following a court filing submitted last week by special prosecutor John Durham.

In a Twitter post, the longtime Democrat wrote that Trump & Fox are desperately spinning up a fake scandal to distract from his real ones. So its a day that ends in Y. She added, The more his misdeeds are exposed, the more they lie.

On Feb. 12, Durham wrote that a technology executive who was allegedly aligned with the Democrat Party and the Clinton campaign spied on Trumps residences and the White House when he was president.

That filing was made in connection to Durhams case against Michael Sussmann, a lawyer who worked on behalf of the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee in 2016. Durhams team alleged that Sussmann lied to the FBI when he told the bureau that he wasnt working for any client when he provided false documents that claimed to have linked the Trump Organization to a Russian bank.

Sussmann, the filing said, assembled and conveyed the allegations to the FBI on behalf of at least two specific clients, including a technology executive (Tech Executive 1) at a U.S.-based internet company (Internet Company 1) and the Clinton campaign, according to the filing. Sussmann has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers on Monday said the filing included prejudicialand falseallegations against their client.

The tech executive, identified in reports as Rodney Joffe, also tasked these researchers to mine Internet data to establish an inference and narrative tying then-candidate Trump to Russia, the filing said, adding that the Joffes employer had come to access and maintain dedicated servers for Trumps executive office.

Through a spokesperson, Joffe told news outlets this week that he is an apolitical Internet security expert and legally provided access to DNS data obtained from a private client that separately was providing DNS services to the Executive Office of the President (EOP).

Over the past weekend, in response to Durhams court filing, Trump issued a statement saying the development vindicates his longtime claims that the Democrats and corporate news outlets unfairly and falsely linked his campaign to Russia.

It shows how totally corrupt and shameless the media is, Trump said in the statement. Can you imagine if the roles were reversed and the Republicans, in particular President Donald Trump, got caught illegally spying into the Office of the President?

He added: All hell would break loose and the electric chair would immediately come out of retirement. The good news is, everybody is talking about not only this atrocity against our Nation, but that the press refuses to even mention the major crime that took place.

On Monday, a White House spokesperson declined to comment on Durhams findings.

Thats something I cant speak to from this podium, so I refer you to the Department of Justice, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Homeless Deaths Soar in Orange County: Health Director

SANTA ANA, Calif.Orange County witnessed an increase in homeless deaths over the past five years, according to Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) Director Clayton Chau.

The cause of deaths among the homeless population remains unknown, Chau said, as he debunked the myth that the homeless were dying from COVID-19. He cited the 390 homeless individuals that passed away in 2021 with only a dozen dying from COVID-19.

I want to make sure that I dispel that myth, but weve been working with the coroners office to look at the data and see what are the cause of deathranging from homicide to suicide to accidental death to chronic health condition.

To respond to the crisis, OCHCA is partnering with insurance provider CalOptima to increase health care access to the homeless populationa project that will be announced at a later date.

The goal of the project is really to get people the right care at the right place at the right time, and not having people wait until they [are] very sick, Chau said.

A homeless individual sleeps on the streets of Santa Ana, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

To further combat the effort to assist the homeless, Chairman of the Orange County Supervisors Doug Chaffee highlighted the efforts to turn motels into housing for the homeless.

The City of Stanton is currently undergoing a project and Anaheim has three potential sites.

To reach a goal of providing about 2700 affordable housing units, Orange County is requesting $30 million from the state to help with financing the units, according to Chaffee.

Orange County officials called for more volunteers to assist with this years homeless count.

The bi-annual Point-in-Time homeless count helps determine the countys allocation of funds and resources to address the homeless crisis, Orange County Health Care Agency Director of Care Coordination Doug Becht.

This is a truly unique opportunity to volunteer and serve your community, Becht said at a press conference. It allows you to help engage and help your neighbors experiencing homelessness in a unique and impactful way.

Over 525 volunteers have been recruited and another 100 volunteers are sought, Becht said.

Volunteers are required to show proof of full vaccination statusincluding proof of a booster shot. Unvaccinated volunteers must provide a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of a volunteer shift.

The Point in Time homeless count will take place between Feb. 21 to Feb. 24.

A homeless encampment off Ross Street in Santa Ana, Calif., on May 10, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Meanwhile, hospitalizations in the county are on the decline, Chau said. He reported that positivity rates have also decreased to a seven-day average of just over 1000 caseswith 700 cases reported on Feb. 15.

The 7.3 percent decrease of COVID-19 cases in the area has also resulted in a drop of hospitalizations to about 431 patients with 70 being in the ICU, according to Chau.

Chau further reported that 22 minors are currently hospitalized with three being in the ICU.

As of Tuesday, 74 percent of the eligible population of five years and older are fully vaccinated with over 80 percent receiving one dose, Chau said.

All these numbers [are] a positive sign that our most recent surge is slowing down, not only here in Orange County, but throughout the state and nation, Chau said.

The decrease in cases comes as the state prepares to lift the indoor mask mandate for those who are fully vaccinated at most facilities on Feb. 16.

The indoor mask requirement will continue to apply for high-risk areas such as shelters, jails, and K12 schools. However, on Feb. 28, the state is going to reconsider its mandate K-12 schools.

While some parents are fed up with the mask mandate for K12 schools, Chau reminded residents that a local health officer, like himself, cant issue guidance that is less restrictive than the state.

Ive gotten a lot of questions [about] how come you dont do this and you dont do that, Chau said.

As the future of masks in schools remain unknown, Chau said the health agency received complaints of one private school not following states mask guidance.

To ensure compliance, the health care agency reported the school to the state, who then warned the school to abide by state policy, according to Chau.
Homeless Man Charged With Attempted Murder After Territorial-Related Stabbing

WESTMINSTER, Calif.A Westminster homeless man was charged with multiple felonies after allegedly stabbing another homeless man on Feb. 12 over what appeared to be a territorial dispute, just weeks after being arrested on suspicion of stabbing another homeless man.

Sang Van Phan, 47, was charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm after allegedly stabbing the man in his back, head, and neck the morning of Feb. 12 in front of a grocery store in Westminster.

After the incident, the Orange County Fire Authority responded to the scene and transported the unidentified victim to the hospital for treatment, and he is expected to survive.

Police officers later located Phan in a nearby laundromat following tips provided by witnesses. He was arrested and booked at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange, where he is currently being held on a $600,000 bail.

Phan was also arrested on Jan. 29 for stabbing another elderly homeless man yet was released four days later on Feb. 2.

Disturbingly, this suspect was arrested just weeks earlier for stabbing another elderly homeless man during a dispute, Westminster Police Department (WPD) Deputy Chief Cameron Knauerhaze said in a statement. WPD Detectives were called to the scene and they will [be] following up with the Orange County District Attorneys Office for prosecution of Phan.

While WPD Officers make incredible efforts to [aid] homeless people in need, this is a firm reminder of the violent and repeat offenders that comingle in our homeless community and choose a life of crime.

Asked why he was released after allegedly stabbing the first man, the Orange County District Attorneys (OCDA) Office said there was insufficient evidence at the time.

It was rejected for lack of sufficient evidence that a crime could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, but anytime theres new evidence in a case or regarding a defendant, were going to look at that, Kimberly Edds, public information officer for the OCDA told The Epoch Times.

Given the Feb. 12 stabbing, the DAs Office will be re-reviewing the Jan. 29 case to see if there is sufficient evidence against Phan.

The Theo Lacy Facility in Orange, Calif., on July 7, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
Hong Kong Rights Group Says Website Not Accessible Through Some Networks

HONG KONGThe website of UK-based human rights group Hong Kong Watch could not be accessed through some networks in the city, stoking concerns of internet censorship in the global financial hub, the organization said.

Hong Kong Watch Chief Executive Benedict Rogers, said he was worried the issue could be part of a clampdown under the citys national security law, which empowers the police to request that service providers delete information or provide assistance on national security cases.

The sweeping security law that the Chinese communist regime imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 punishes what authorities broadly define as subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces, and terrorism, with up to life in jail.

If this is not just a technical malfunction, and Hongkongers will no longer be able to access our website because of the national security law, then this is a serious blow to internet freedom, Rogers said in a statement late on Monday.

Benedict Rogers, East Asia team leader for Christian Solidarity Worldwide and co-founder and deputy chair of the UK Conservative Partys Human Rights Commission, speaks at the National Press Club on Latest Developments in Chinas On-demand Killing of Prisoners of Conscience for Organs in Washington on July 15, 2019. (Lynn Lin/The Epoch Times)

Hong Kong police said in a statement it wouldnt comment on a specific case, but that it had the right to require service providers to take a disabling action on electronic messages under implementation rules for article 43 of the national security law.

The police didnt provide details to Reuters on what content would be deemed a potential threat to national security.

Several attempts by Reuters journalists in Hong Kong to access the http://www.hongkongwatch.org website were unsuccessful, without the use of a virtual private network.

The latest example shows that at any time, the Hong Kong authorities can decide to block a website. It also shows  how intransparent the process of blocking and censorship is, Lokman Tsui, a digital rights expert and former journalism professor, told Reuters.

Internet service providers PCCW, HKBN, and China Mobile (HK) did not respond to requests for comment. Hong Kong Watch said in a statement its website could not be accessed on those three networks, among others.

Last year, a website https://8964museum.com commemorating protesters killed in and around Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1989 became inaccessible in Hong Kong. An attempt by Reuters in Hong Kong to access that site on Tuesday was unsuccessful.

While the internet in mainland China is heavily censored and access to foreign social media platforms and news sites is blocked, Hong Kong residents were promised greater freedoms under the one country, two systems framework agreed when the former British colony was reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.
Illegal immigrants react onboard UK Border Force vessel HMC Speedwell after being picked up at sea, as they are brought into the Marina in Dover, southeast England, on Dec. 21, 2021. (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)

Illegal Channel Migrants Should Be Sent to South Atlantic Island: UK Think Tank

Illegal immigrants who attempt to enter the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats should be deported to an offshore processing centre within 48 hours, a British Conservative think tank has proposed.

In its latest report (pdf) published on Feb. 16, the London-based Policy Exchange think tank said the most obviously suitable location for such processing centres is Ascension Island, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean that is 4,000 miles away from the UK.

Other proposed locations include Alderney in the Channel Islands and Britains Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus.

Last year, 28,381 illegal immigrants arrived in the UK by crossing the Channel in small boats, more than tripling the number of arrivals of the previous year.

The think tank said the most appropriate way to reduce illegal Channel crossings is what it calls Plan A, under which authorised British vessels intercept the boats at sea and escort them back to a port in France, Belgium, or other states where the illegal immigrants embarked.

But if France continues to reject Plan A, the report said, a new Plan B must be implemented to process the illegal immigrants overseas.

Under the proposed plan, the illegal immigrants would be deported from UK territorial waters within 48 hours to an overseas British territory, where their claims to refugee status could be assessed.

Economic migrants would be returned to their home country, or to some other state willing to receive them. And genuine refugees would be resettled in a safe state other than the UK.

Under the plan, no person entering, or attempting to enter, the UK on a small boat from a safe country would be allowed to settle in the UK, even if a genuine refugee.

Currently, people arriving in the UK illegally in small boats know that getting to the UK and claiming asylum secures them access to UK accommodation and services, regardless of the merits of their claim.

But the report said, both Plan A and Plan B would send a strong message to potential illegal immigrants: No one, even a genuine refugee, who chooses to arrive or attempt to arrive unlawfully in the UK by small boat from a safe country like France will ever be granted a right to settle in the UK.

The report said Ascension Island is the best location because the 34 square mile island has no indigenous or permanent population, and its climate is extremely stable and favourable.
City workers and first responders of Los Angeles gather in front of Los Angeles City Hall in protest of the city's required vaccine mandates on Nov. 8, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Judge Dismisses LA Firefighters Vaccine Mandate Lawsuit

LOS ANGELESA judge who previously denied a preliminary injunction sought by a group of Los Angeles firefighterswho sued the city regarding possible termination for refusing the COVID-19 vaccinedismissed the lawsuit in its entirety.

Saying the balance of harms weighed against granting their request, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael P. Linfield issued his preliminary injunction ruling on Dec. 21, a day after hearing arguments in the lawsuit filed on Sept. 17 by the nonprofit Firefighters4Freedom Foundation, which represents more than 500 members of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The City Attorneys Office on Jan. 18 filed a motion to dismiss the suit, with lawyers arguing in their court papers that it has been well settled under the U.S. Constitution for more than a century that compulsory vaccination is lawful.

In fact, courts have consistently rejected challenges to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, such as the one at issue here, the City Attorneys Office wrote in its court papers.

In a tentative ruling issued Friday and finalized Tuesday, Linfield concurred with the citys arguments.

This is another in a long line of cases that challenges vaccination mandates, Linfield wrote. No court has upheld such a challenge. This case is equally without merit.

City Attorney Mike Feuer noted that the ruling was the fourth victory obtained by his office against challengers of vaccine mandates since December.

The overwhelming majority of our citys first responders have protected themselves, their colleagues, their loved ones and our community by complying with the vaccine mandate, Feuer said. Its time for everyone in the city family to step up. Cases are finally coming down. Getting vaccinated and boosted can help us continue this encouraging, and long overdue, trend.

Firefighters4Freedom alleged that the citys vaccination directive, among other things, violates their members constitutionally protected right to privacy.

In his court papers opposing the dismissal motion, Firefighters4Freedom attorney Scott J. Street stated that his clients were not challenging the vaccine ordinance on its face. He said the suit instead focused on the citys decision, made several months later, to stop paying more than 100 city firefighters without a prior hearingand action Street maintained was unconstitutional.

But the judge wrote that the law does not entitle municipal firefighters to a hearing before an adverse employment action during an emergency. Rather, the law affords the firefighters a framework to determine whether a post-deprivation adverse employment action complied with the employees due process rights, the judge wrote.

The firefighters suit does not challenge the citys determination that it navigated an emergency; rather [Firefighters4Freedom] essentially pleads that even during an emergency, due process equates to notice and a hearing before any adverse employment actions take effect, the judge wrote. This is not the law.
Then mayoral candidate Michelle Wu as seen in a September 2021 file photo. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Judge Blocks Bostons Vaccine Mandate for Certain First Responders

A judge on Tuesday blocked Boston Mayor Michelle Wus COVID-19 vaccine mandate for certain first responders.

Massachusetts Appeals Court Judge Sabita Singh ruled that the vaccine requirement for members of three municipal labor unions, Boston Firefighters Local 718, Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, and the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society, cannot be enforced until their ongoing legal challenge is resolved.

Given the limited harm to the city and the public health interest it seeks to promote, and the substantial harm likely to be sustained by the unions in the absence of an injunction, the balance of harms favors the issuance of an injunction to preserve the status quo, in view of the unions likelihood of success on the merits, wrote Singh, the Boston Herald reported.

While the mandate will not be enforced, unvaccinated workers must comply with an existing agreement to get tested for COVID-19 weekly.

The judge added that an injunction would avoid the risk of loss of essential public employees, a harm suffered by the unions and the public alike.

The decision stems from a lawsuit against the mayors vaccine mandate, announced by the mayor in December amid a surge in cases driven by the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Wu set a Jan. 15 deadline for all municipal workers to be fully vaccinated as a condition of employment.

The unions argued that Wu lacked the authority to overrule the existing vax-or-test policy that they had agreed with the city earlier.

The appeals court late last month issued a temporary stay on the mandate for the three unions after they appealed a state Superior Court ruling denying their request to halt the vaccine requirement.

In a statement, Wus office said that city officials are disappointed by todays decision and are reviewing it carefully.

To protect communities and workplaces against COVID-19, courts across the country have repeatedly recognized the rights of state and local governments to require public employees to be vaccinated, a spokesman for the mayor said.

The spokesman added, More than 95 percent of the Citys workforce is vaccinated because of the policy we enacted. Our workers and residents who rely on city services deserve to be protected.

In a Twitter post on Tuesday, Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, one of the unions involved in the lawsuit, said that their case is not an anti-vaccination fight but a a chance to hold our elected leaders accountable while protecting our members labor rights.

The unions have argued that Wu undermined their collective bargaining rights, ignored written agreements and refused to meet with unions in good faith when she imposed the mandate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Parents gather in front of the Orange County Department of Education against student mask mandates in Costa Mesa, Calif., on May 17, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Judge to Decide Who Has Authority Over OC Education Board Voting Map

SANTA ANA, Calif.A judge is settling an ongoing dispute between Orange Countys education officials regarding who has the authority to determine local school districts election boundaries for the primary election in June.

The Orange County Board of Education, the Orange County Committee on School Districts, and the Orange County Registrars office appeared in front of Judge Gregory Lewis on Feb. 15 to settle which agencythe board or the committeehas the power to decide which voting map to use for the June 2022 election, where the boards next group of trustees will be elected.

The hearing came after the county Board of Supervisors granted the Board of Education trustees autonomy over the map on Feb. 1, instead of the 11 appointed members of the committeethe group in charge of approving and submitting the final district maps.

According to the Orange County Department of Education website, the committee was created in each county by the state legislator to make recommendations on the organization of school districts, changes in the school district boundaries, the number of Board of Education trustees, and the manner they are elected.

However, how much authority the committee specifically has over the education boards redistricting through recommendations has been at the center of the dispute.

Despite the decision made by the supervisors, the registrar of voters Neal Kelley told the board trustees on Feb. 1 that only the committee can submit a map and that the map could not be accepted without a court order.

Robin Johansen, the attorney representing the committee, argued that the Board of Supervisors does not have the authority to grant autonomy to the Board of Education per an education code that clearly grants the authority to the county committee.

The provision very specifically says that the county committee on school district organization shall adjust the trustee boundaries, Johansen said. It does not say that the Board of Supervisors has any role to play or that the County Board of Education has any role to play.

However, Johnathan Brenner, the attorney representing the Board of Education, argued that under a different education code, the Board of Education has the authority to decide who receives the power to determine redistricting.

The decision concluded by the judge will determine if the codes are effective or not.

The Feb. 15 hearing occurs weeks after the Board of Education filed a lawsuit on Jan. 21 accusing the committee of redoing the entire voting map the board submitted on Dec. 8as opposed to making adjustments by the Dec. 15 deadline.

While the committee is responsible for submitting the final map to the registrars office, this year the committee completely changed the district boundaries, in a way that would kick the board trustees out of their current districts and make them compete with one another during re-election periods, according to Board of Education Trustee Mari Barke.

The Board of Education is a conservative board, Barke told The Epoch Times in a previous interview. The trustees have been outspoken against K12 COVID-19 mandates, Critical Race Theory, and have filed multiple lawsuits against Gov. Gavin Newsom challenging his emergency powers.

This year, for the first time, the county committee hijacked the process and took it over, said Brenner, the boards attorney. It put the boards process which was over a seven-month period away and it did so in a highly partisan manner.

According to Brenner, the committee hired a partisan demographer to offset the voting map by creating three democratic seats and two republican seats. On the contrary, the board hired a non-partisan demographer to ensure balance.

Brenner said the matter is both a straightforward  and an urgent one.

Straightforward because its a matter of a dispute between two agencies, an elected body, the board of education, and the unelected, unaccountable to the voters, county committee on school district organization, Brenner said.

In response to Brenners argument that the committee was partisan and is not elected, Jeffrey Riel, an advisor on the committee, said the committee is backed by the state and comprised of appointed individuals by the local school boards.

As the urgency to officially decide on a voting map lingers, Judge Gregory Lewis adjourned the hearing until further notice to allow time for carefully analyzing the case.

This is not a quick shot, Lewis said. Its going to take a lot of thought.

A date to determine the ruling has not been set.
LA County to End Mask Mandate for Outdoor Mega Events, Schools Outdoors

Los Angeles County will lift its mask mandate for outdoor mega-events and for outdoor K12 schools and childcare centers on Feb. 16just days after many Super Bowl LVI attendees, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, went unmasked.

On Feb. 16, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county will fall below 2,500 for the seventh consecutive dayreaching the benchmark previously set by LA County Public Health Department Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer for the end of the outdoor mask mandate.

There were 1,995 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county on Tuesday, according to state data.

The end of the countys outdoor mask mandate will coincide with Californias indoor mask mandate, which ends on Feb. 16.

During a Feb. 15 LA Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn called for the county to align with the state and end indoor mask mandates.

The outdoor masks requirement will be lifted for our kids on school playgrounds and people attending mega-events, [and] that will be a welcomed change, Hahn said. But I still feel it necessary to say that I think were making a mistake by not aligning with the state and lifting the indoor mask mandate tomorrow.

Hahn also said she was bothered by the fact that Ferrer was seen at the Super Bowl among hundreds of thousands of unmasked peoplethough Ferrer herself remained masked.

Frankly, Dr. Ferrer  it bothered me a little bit to see you there among people who were going directly against your health order  and it [did] seem like you were okay with it, Hahn said. And I think thats what the public is angry aboutbusinesses, schools, churches were fined or shut down for far less and yet it seems like when we have something high-profile, like the Super Bowl or the Emmys, the rules just dont seem to matter anymore.

Confettis are falling on the field after the Rams victory at Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Feb. 13, 2022. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)

Hahn said she thinks the county is losing public trust by continuing the indoor mask mandate, adding that were hearing a lot from parents who are very frustrated.

Keeping mandates in place that arent followed just erodes the credibility the public has in us as policymakers to make good sound decisions, Hahn said. I think the longer we drag our feet on lifting the indoor mask mandate, the more out of step we get from the state and the more trust that we lose from our public.

Ferrer responded by saying the county relied on attendees showing proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 tests before entry.

Weve layered in additional protections, knowing full well that our masking requirements allows people when theyre eating and drinking to not keep the mask on, Ferrer said.

Ferrer said the countys indoor mask mandate will continue until the countys case numbers remain at moderate levels below 730 a day for two consecutive weeks.

If the countys case rates continue to decline as they are now, Ferrer said, moderate levels will be reached by March 16, meaning the indoor mask requirement could be lifted by March 30.

The issue is one of timing, Ferrer said, adding that she understands the desire to unmask, but that masks are a critical level of protection during times of high transmission rates.

Supervisors Holly Mitchell, Hilda Solis, and Sheila Kuehl are still in support of Ferrers decision to leave the indoor mandate in place.

A sign reminds people masks are for everyone in Los Angeles, Calif. on July 19, 2021. (Frederic J.Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Californias Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said on Feb. 14 that the states mask mandate for students may be lifted pending a Feb. 28 reassessment of COVID-19 case rates.

Ghaly noted, however, that individual counties or school districts could still require masks in schools after the state lifts its mandate.

Bipartisan parent group Outraged LA Parents expressed frustration with both the state and countys delay to end mask mandates by continuing to impose harmful rules on our least vulnerable population [children] so that they can continue to do whatever they want.

The group said if Ferrer was concerned about COVID-19 spread outdoors, she would have skipped the Super Bowl.

Instead she sat there adjusting her mask repeatedly, surrounded by maskless fans, and did absolutely nothing about it, the group said. And the next day, parents across Los Angeles sent their children back to school fully masked, subject to discipline for violation, and again exacerbating learning loss, mental anguish, anxiety, and loneliness.

San Diego County announced on Feb. 15 it would also lift its outdoor mask mandate for schools.

A spokesperson for the LA County Department of Public Health did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
A file photos shows stickers reading "I Voted" available to those who cast ballots at the Fairfax County Government Center on November 02, 2021 in Fairfax, Virginia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Lawsuits Could Bar 3 Key State Election Laws From Being Enforced for 2022 Midterms

Florida, Georgia, and Texas lawmakers passed significant 2021 election integrity laws but they may not remain intact as adoptedor in effect at allfor midterm primaries and Novembers general election.

The three states approved election reforms amid heated Democratic opposition in partisan votes by Republican-controlled legislatures last year. All three are enacted, but face legal challenges in federal court.

Floridas new election law is the first being tested in a trial that began Jan. 31 in U.S. District Judge Mark Walkers Tallahassee U.S. courtroom in the third week of proceedings.

The Florida law adds identification requirements for requesting absentee ballots; requires voters request an absentee ballot for each election, every two years; limits who can collect and drop off ballots to prevent ballot harvesting; allows more partisan observers during vote-counting; and prohibits outside groups from providing items with the intent to influence voters at a polling location. Unlike the Georgia election bill, the Florida measure allows poll workers to provide water and other assistance.

The Florida section reforms were adopted by the states Senate on April 26 in a 23-17 partisan vote and the states House 77-40 on April 29 in an equally partisan tally. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed it on May 6 during a Palm Beach rally sponsored by Club 45 USA, a Donald Trump fan club, and covered live on Fox News while local media were denied access.

Less than 10 minutes after DeSantis signed the bill, the League of Women Voters, Black Voters Matter, and Alliance for Retired Americans filed a federal lawsuit arguing the new law violates the First and 14th Amendments. Numerous other suits followed.

The challenges were consolidated into a 38-page League of Women Voters v. Lee lawsuit. In October, Walker allowed the suit to move forward. The trial began Jan. 31.

Honest Elections Project Executive Director Jason Snead said the new Florida election law affirms improvements made since Floridas Come to Jesus moment after the 2000 hanging chad debacle and includes even greater security mechanisms to sustain confidence in elections.

The new Georgia election law was approved by the states Senate on March 8 on a 32-20 note, and by the states House on a 100-75 vote on March 25. Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed the bill the same day.

The law imposes stricter voter ID requirements, drop box limitations, shorter absentee ballot request deadlines and a ban on handing out food and water to voters waiting in line. It allows any voter to challenge voter registrations.

Nine lawsuits were filed against the Georgia election law. In December, U.S. Northern District of Georgia Judge J.P. Boulee denied the states petition to dismiss and ordered a trial to proceed. No date has been set.

The suits argue the new Georgia election law violates the First and 14th amendments. The plaintiffs include the NAACP, League of Women Voters, Common Cause, Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe, New Georgia Project and the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Among their lawyers is Marc Elias, one of the nations foremost Democrat elections law attorneys.

Georgia Senate President Butch Miller (R) told The Epoch Times Tuesday he was confident the states new election law would withstand scrutiny but is only a good start. Hes sponsoring a bill to outlaw drop boxes altogether.

With the new law in place, vote-by-mail plunged in Georgias fall elections with half as many absentee voters voting-by-mail in metro Atlanta compared to 2020, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

While the last of the three adopted, the Texas election reform law will be the first implemented in an election. The law went into effect Dec. 2 and remains in place with early voting beginning Feb. 14 for the states March 1 primaries despite federal lawsuits to be heard in the coming months.

The new Texas election law bans drive-thru voting, prohibits 24-hour early voting, distribution of ballot applications, imposes tighter ID requirements on ballot applications, allows poll watchers free movement within polling stations after mandatory training, and creates new rules for voter assistants. The law also establishes felony criminal penalties for lying on voter registration applications.

After two special sessions and a walk-out by Democrats, the state House approved the Texas election bill in an 80-41 partisan vote as did the state Senate on an 18-13 vote in late August.

The bill drew federal lawsuits lodged by the NAACP, Houston Area Urban League, Houston Justice, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and The Arc of Texas even before Gov. Greg Abbott signed it on Oct. 19. On Nov. 4, the U.S. Justice Department also sued Texas over restrictive voting procedures imposed by the law.

The Texas law is already having an effect, elections officials say. In Harris County, which includes Houston and is Texas most populous county, through last week about 16 percent of mail-in ballot applications had been rejected under the new rules, a seven-fold increase over 2018. In Travis County, about half of applications have been rejected, officials said.
Louisville Mayor Candidate: Gunman Aimed Directly at Me

LOUISVILLE, Ky.A Democratic mayoral candidate in Kentuckys largest city said he is shaken but safe after a man stormed his campaign headquarters Monday morning and fired a weapon point-blank at him.

Craig Greenberg, who is running for mayor of Louisville, said he was at his campaign office with four colleagues when a man appeared in the doorway with a weapon.

When we greeted him, he pulled out a gun, aimed directly at me and began shooting, Greenberg said at a news conference several hours after the attack.

The person closest to the door managed to get the door shut, he said. The staffers barricaded the door using tables and desks, and the suspect fled, he said.

Despite one bullet coming so close that it grazed my sweater and my shirt, no one was physically harmed, Greenberg said.

We are shaken but safe, he added.

Greenberg said he had not yet seen his family, though he had spoken with his wife on the phone after the attack and was anxious to get home. And while he declined to talk about the assailants possible motive, he made a point to connect his experience to gun violence.

Today is not a day for politics, but its not lost on me that the violence my staff and I experienced today is far too common in our city. Too many Louisville families have experienced the trauma of gun violence, he said.

Police say the motive remains under investigation. The suspect appears to have acted alone, they said. Greenberg would not say whether he recognized the suspect.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear decried the attempt on Greenbergs life and called for swift action to punish the perpetrator.

The person whos done it needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, the governor said. And if this has anything to do with a political race, my God, if you disagree with someone you vote against them.

Police responded to the scene about 10:15 a.m. after reports came in of an active aggressor. The suspect was apprehended outside the building shortly after the shooting, Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields said earlier. She concurred that Greenberg appeared to have been the target of the attack.

Greenberg launched his mayoral campaign last year and has built a big fundraising lead in a crowded race to succeed outgoing Mayor Greg Fischer.

A prominent businessman, Greenberg worked as CEO of 21c Museum Hotels and also served on the University of Louisville board of trustees for a couple of years.

Charles Booker, a Louisville Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, called the shooting a critical reminder of the work we must do to realize true community safety.

By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Bruce Schreiner
An employee makes chips at a factory in Nantong, in eastern China's Jiangsu Province on March 17, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Semiconductor Plants Halted as Major Chinese Industrial City Steps Up COVID Control

A major high-tech industry center in China is ramping up testing after the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was detected. Tightened restrictions halted production in plants run by international companies like Bosch and Taiwans chipmaker UMC, putting further strain on supply chains.

Suzhou, a trading and industrial hub in the eastern province of Jiangsu, has reported 35 infections with confirmed symptoms in the new wave of COVID infections, a top city official said at the press conference on Feb. 16.

Given the Chinese regime is known to grossly underreport its virus numbers, the official number is likely not to reflect the true total.

The new infections are mostly linked to Suzhou Industrial Park, a key high-tech development zone that hosts about 100,000 companies and accommodates manufacturing facilities of foreign firms such as Samsung, Bosch, and Eli Lilly.

Local officials have labeled the park a risk area, and started mass screening on the early morning of Monday.

Experts have suggested the COVID containment measures in the Suzhou industrial park may send ripples across the global supply of semiconductors, which has already been at a crunch point after the pandemic-related disruptions in production.

United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), a world-leading chipmaker, said production was temporarily suspended at its eight-inch wafer fabrication subsidiary in the park, according to a Monday statement.

One employee is suspected of COVID-19 infection, UMC said. Its unit operating the Suzhou plant, Hejian Technology, is required to take a company-wide PCR test, it noted.

Once the tests are completed and local authorities approved, operations will resume as soon as possible, according to the statement.

People queue to undergo nucleic acid tests for the Covid-19 in Suzhou city, Jiangsu province, China, on February 16, 2022. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

The suspension of the Suzhou plant will not impact the UMCs first-quarter performance, read the statement. UMC said Hejian Technology contributed approximately 5 percent to its revenue.

However, some of Hejians clients, like China-based chipmaker Silergy Corp., said they were being hit by the temporary closure.

If Hejian is unable to resume due to the pandemic, it will cause significant impact on the companys production and operation, Silergy Corp. said in a Monday filing.

Tu Zhaojun, chief executive of a Taiwan-based chip company, said COVID containment measures in the park would impact wafer manufacturing, integrated circuits packaging and testing, or even the whole semiconductor supply chain.

Given the chip supply falls short of the demand, the temporary closure of the plant, and the production suspension of the industrial park, due to the pandemic, will indeed have some effects on supply chains, said Tu, whose firm does not have operations in the Suzhou park.

But the effects are yet unclear, Tu told The Epoch Times, saying the length of the suspension and the scale of lockdown remains to be seen.

As of Wednesday, two rounds of testing have been completed, and about 6,000 people were sent to centralized quarantine, said Yao Wenlei, deputy director of the park.

Automotive supplier Robert Bosch told Reuters that they expected a short-term impact on manufacturing and logistics operations in Suzhou. Local office staffers of Bosch were working from home, according to Reuters.

Samsung Electronics Co.s factory in Suzhou has halted production after an employee tested positive, local media Yonhap News Agency reported, citing an unnamed source.

Security guards stand inside a fenced area next to the Main Media Center at Olympic Park in Beijing on January 19, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Tightened Control

Elsewhere in the city Suzhou officials have locked down affected buildings, urged people to stay at home, organized mass screening, and limited highway access under the regimes zero-COVID strategy.

On Wednesday, it closed 18 more highway entrances, after closing 15 a day earlier. Anyone leaving the city would have to present proof of negative test results within 48 hours.

To prevent the flare-up from spilling into other cities, Suzhou suspended subways and bus services to its neighboring city of Shanghai.

Wu Zhenglong, the Chinese Communist Party chief of Jiangsu Province, demanded all departments to improve their political awareness and made every effort in combating the virus.

At the conference on Monday, Wu required officials to take more resolute and decisive measures. He noted that the Winter Olympics is underway in Beijing, and the two important political meetings will be held next month.

Reuters and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
Zheng Buqiu attacks a Falun Gong information booth in Flushing, New York, on Feb. 10, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

New York Man Charged With Hate Crime for Attacking Falun Gong Booths

NEW YORKA man has been arrested after witnesses reported seeing him on numerous occasions vandalizing information stands in the Flushing neighborhood of New York that sought to shed light on the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) long-running persecution of the faith group Falun Gong.

The suspect, 32-year-old Zheng Buqiu of Flushing, was arrested at about noon on Feb. 15 near the intersection of Main Street and Kissena Boulevard, not far from the four booths he repeatedly damaged over four days since Feb. 10.

Police have charged Zheng with a hate crime and criminal mischief in the fourth degree, an officer told The Epoch Times. Both crimes are punishable by up to one year in jail.

Zheng Buqiu in Flushing, New York, on Feb. 10, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Brazenness

The man, subsequently identified as Zheng, wearing a black cap and black shirt that revealed tattoos covering both arms and parts of his chest, began his vandalism on Main Street in Flushing. At one information stand in front of the Golden Shopping Mall on Feb. 11, he punched and kicked a display board imprinted with the words Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerancethe three tenets of the spiritual discipline Falun Gongvideo footage of the incident shows.

He then toppled a table, scattering informational booklets as well as metal frames that had propped up display boards, before hauling the destroyed boards away; he also broke a portable speaker by stomping on it.

Earlier in the day, Zheng had hurled information materials to the ground and attempted to smash a table, which volunteers tried to shield with their bodies, at another booth in front of the Queens Public Library. the volunteers said. The man left before returning with his shirt off, ripping a display board before volunteers blocked him from causing further damage.

Zheng Buqiu attacks a Falun Gong information booth in Flushing, New York, on Feb. 10, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

The incident at the mall left Xu Weiguo, a volunteer who filmed part of the vandalism, sleepless that night.

As a woman here, this is really unsettling, she told The Epoch Times on Feb. 11. Ive never seen anything like this since I came to America over 10 years ago.

She and other volunteers see the attack as part of an intimidation campaign orchestrated by the CCP to deter them from speaking out against the regimes human rights abuses.

It left a lingering fear in me, she said. That mans brazenness even on American soil, she said, was simply beyond comprehension.

Adherents of Falun Gong in China have been systematically persecuted by the CCP for more than two decades. Those overseas seeking to raise awareness about the issue have experienced consistent efforts by the CCP and its proxies to thwart their activities.

Zheng Buqiu attacks a Falun Gong information booth in Flushing, New York, on Feb. 10, 2022. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Millions of believers have been imprisoned or sent to other government facilities, where they are subject to forced labor, beatings, forced feeding, and sexual abuse intended to coerce them to give up their faith. Imprisoned adherents have also been victims of forced organ harvesting.

As the Olympic Games commenced in Beijing, the New York-based Falun Dafa Information Center identified more than a dozen prison camps around the Olympic venues in Beijing and nearby cities, where detentions and torture are still taking place.

Zheng made several attacks on four separate days, before being arrested about an hour after he knocked over a Falun Gong information table at the library and pulled down lotus flowers adorning the display, which caused the adherents to alert the police.

At least six officers were present to apprehend the suspect, who was wearing a black hooded jacket and black cap, video footage of the arrest shows.

Police arrest Zheng Buqiu for attacking information booths operated by Falun Gong practitioners, in Flushing, N.Y., on Feb. 15, 2022. (Provided by Falun Gong practitioners)

Zheng was released on bail on Feb. 16. The court issued an order of protection barring him from coming close to two Falun Gong practitioners. His next court appearance is set for March 30.

A Call for Awareness

Yi Rong, a spokesperson for the Falun Gong Spiritual Center, expressed appreciation and relief for Zhengs arrest. She thanked the police for taking prompt action to restore peace to the Flushing community.

The harassment targeting Falun Gong has caused a sense of insecurity within the Chinese community, said Yi, who urged the U.S. government to enhance measures to protect the community so that hate crimes like this wouldnt happen again.

Related Coverage INFOGRAPHIC: How Falun Gong Is Persecuted in China

Many of these volunteers standing at the booth experienced the Chinese regimes persecution first hand before they sought refuge in America, and they look to the U.S. government to protect their freedom of belief, Yi told The Epoch Times.

The same sentiment was also shared by state Assembly district leader Martha Flores-Vazquez. At a gathering she organized on Feb. 13, she pointed to a table that had been toppled by the assailant, calling it a major disrespect.

We do not welcome the hate crimes, we do not welcome criminal activities coming here to dismantle a table, to dismantle a culture, she said. This is not China, this is America.

The information booths are one of the principal ways that Falun Gong adherents inform local residents and tourists about the plight of their fellow adherents in China. Thats also made them a prominent target for attack.

For months in 2008, mobs of ethnic Chinese people waved red communist flags and spat on, cursed, and physically attacked Falun Gong practitioners in Flushing who were handing out printed materials related to Falun Gong. Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere, including in Australia, Japan, and more recently in Hong Kong.

Last April, masked perpetrators vandalized six information booths in several Hong Kong districts about a dozen times, using knives and spray paint to damage signage at the stands. The damage was estimated to be around HK$30,000 (about US$3,845).

Yi vowed that Falun Gong adherents wont be silenced.

We have not given up our belief in mainland China, even less would we give up here, she said.

Linda Lin contributed to this report.

Update: This article has been updated to include details of Zhengs bail.
A pedestrian walks in front of the new 'Meta' logo in front of Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on Oct. 28, 2021. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Meta to Pay $90 Million to Settle Facebook Privacy Lawsuit Over Tracking

Meta, Facebooks parent company, has agreed to a $90 million settlement over a decade-old lawsuit which accused the social media platform of tracking users internet activity through browser plug-ins, even after they logged out of their accounts.

A judge must now approve the settlement between Meta and the plaintiffs which was filed on Monday night with the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, the social media company must also delete all data collected without users knowledge. Meta must also pay $90 million to users who filed a claim.

The lawsuit, filed in 2012, stems from a 2010 update by Facebook called Open Graph, and alleges that it used plug-ins to store cookies that tracked when users were on other websites which featured Facebooks Like button.

The plug-in allowed Facebook to use cookies to collect information about what sites users visited, and what they purchased or viewed, on sites which had the Like button plug-in, according to court documents.

That information was allegedly then compiled into profiles and sold on to advertisers.

Facebook in September 2011 initially defended its practice of collecting data from the plug-ins when users were no longer logged into the platform, saying it helped to prevent improper logins, before later clarifying its policies and changing how its cookies gathered data .

In 2017, a judge granted Facebooks motion to dismiss the case, and in 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit partially reversed the decision after plaintiffs appealed that ruling. The federal appeals court said plaintiffs could try to prove that Facebook violated users privacy through its practices.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Facebooks request to hear the case last year.

Its truly a wake-up call for internet and advertising companies who collect user data and use advanced browser tracking, Stephen Grygiel, a leading attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement shortly after Meta agreed to pay $90 million to settle the class action lawsuit.

According to the settlement, all plaintiffs who, between April 22, 2010 and Sept. 26, 2011, were Facebook users in the United States that visited non-Facebook websites that displayed the Like button, may request up to $5,000 each.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs intend to seek legal fees of up to $26.1 million, or 29 percent, from the proposed settlement fund.

We are grateful to the Ninth Circuit for its watershed ruling, and to Facebook for negotiating this resolution in good faith, David Straite, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said in a statement. This settlement not only repairs harm done to Facebook users but sets a precedent for the future disposition of such matters.

A spokesperson for Meta told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement, Reaching a settlement in this case, which is more than a decade old, is in the best interest of our community and our shareholders and were glad to move past this issue.
The CEO of Moderna Stephane Bancel is seen in this video frame grab as he speaks during an interview with AFP on Nov. 17, 2020. (Ivan Couronne/AFP via Getty Images)

Moderna CEO Says Last Stages of COVID-19 Pandemic Are in Sight

Moderna chief executive officer Stephane Bancel has said he feels its a reasonable scenario to assume that the last stages of the COVID-19 pandemic are in sight.

In an interview with CNBCs Squawk Box Asia on Wednesday, the CEO of the American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company reiterated comments made by other health professionals, including World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director of Europe, Hans Kluge, who has suggested Europe could be heading for a quiet COVID-19 period.

I think that is a reasonable scenario, Bancel said. Theres an 80 percent chance that as Omicron evolves or SarsCov-2 virus evolves, we are going to see less and less virulent viruses.

We still need, especially for the older ones, I think people above 50 to be vaccinated, people at high risk  will need to be boosted once a year.

He also said theres another 20 percent scenario where we see a next mutation, which is more virulent than Omicron.

I think we got lucky as a world that Omicron was not very virulent, but still arewe see thousands of people dying every day around the planet because of Omicron, he said.

However, he added, this virus is not going away, as weve been saying since almost the beginningthis virus is going to stay with humans forever, like flu and wed have to live with it.

In January Kluge, told Agence France-Presse that the highly infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19 could infect 60 percent of Europeans by March before tapering off for some time.

He credited the tapering to global immunity and increased vaccinations, among other things.

So we anticipate that there will be a quiet period before COVID-19 may come back towards the end of the year, but not necessarily the pandemic coming back, he said.

However, Kluge said European nations need to continue with their vaccination and boosting campaigns to preserve immunity and to maintain surveillance of strains to detect new variants of COVID-19.

In the United States, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said in January that hes confident that much of the country will reach a peak in Omicron coronavirus variant infections within the middle of February.

If a pattern of peak cases followed by a downwards trend in cases continues, he said, the United States will start to see a similar turnaround throughout the entire country.

Fauci on Feb. 9 also hinted that much of the virus-related restrictions put in place could be lifted, and will soon be a thing of the past.

A handful of Democrats in the United States have said that Americans will have to learn how to live in a world with COVID-19, and have begun easing certain restrictions, including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy who has eased mask mandates for schools in the state.

A recent spike in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant has declined across much of the United States in recent days. Hospitalizations from the virus have also fallen significantly over the past two weeks or so, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Joe Biden on Feb. 11 said that the decision by a number of states to lift masking mandates is probably premature but noted that its a tough call.

Elsewhere on Feb. 15, Moderna announced plans to expand its presence in Asia.

The company said it will open new subsidiaries in Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong as it continues to scale up the manufacturing and distribution of its COVID-19 vaccine and future mRNA vaccines and therapeutics.
A pro-life couple from Missouri has thrown resilience, faith, and gratitude straight into the face of fear after learning their eighth child was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

For parents Cathy and Andrew Daub, getting pregnant with their eighth baby came as a complete surprise as they already had their hands full with six boys and one girl. Additionally, Cathy had a number of health issues, including post-partum psoriatic arthritis, which flares up whenever she delivers a baby. Moreover, after eight miscarriages, the couple knew that carrying a baby to term was a long shot.

Andrew and Cathy with their children. (Courtesy of Catherine Daub)

After giving birth last to a daughter, the couple had decided upon early-term blood-and-genetic testing. The whole family was in their van driving through a Christmas light display in 2019 when Cathys phone rang with the results. The stay-at-home mom recalls suspecting something was amiss when the doctor said he wanted to talk to them alone.

I knew whatever he had to say would be hard to hear, Cathy said. Our amazing pro-life doctor, who has walked most of our childbearing journey with us, asked again if he could call back when we were home, but I said no. And he knows me well enough to know that persistence is one of my fatal flaws, and the unknown, one of my greatest fears, so he told me.

The doctor informed Cathy that the couple was going to have a boy and there was a 99 percent chance he would be born with Trisomy 21.

At that moment, Cathy, who was in shock, took a deep breath and fought back tears. She had before her a van full of expectant faces, waiting to hear whether they would be welcoming a boy or a girl.

I looked back at the car; several young faces looked out at me, Cathy said. But I couldnt tell them because I knew Id burst into tears, and I wasnt about to let my fear of the unknown dictate a reaction to the blessing we were about to have.

When they got home, Cathy let her tears fall as she dealt with many unknowns.

However, she said: I was ok with this news. I really was. We already had a niece and a good friend with Down syndrome, and my husband had had a little brother with Down syndrome, so I knew the secret.

Cathy knew there was great joy to come, and she started out on that journey by celebrating with a gender reveal for the familyblue balloons floating out of an early Christmas present and the family was elated with the news.

William when he was 2 months old. (Courtesy of Catherine Daub)

By then, she had also done her research online and found a deluge of negative information on Down syndrome, the kind that only breeds fear. According to the internet, the child might not make it out of her womb alive and Cathys likelihood of miscarriage would remain at 30 percent to term. General descriptors of people with Down syndrome were mostly negative, betraying a childs actual beauty and distinction. Cathy was worried about the conditions her son might have and fretted about how she would keep up with treatment.

To add more to the existing situation, Cathys pregnancy was riddled with difficulty. In March 2020, she was required to undergo emergency surgery for an intestinal entanglement. She went into the operating room just terrified for their baby because the surgery was going to happen right where he was peacefully sleeping. The couple also went ahead and named their baby at that time, deciding on William Declan, as Cathy wanted him to be baptized should he need to be born early.

I woke up to the amazing sound of a tiny heartbeat still going strong, Cathy said. It was then that we knew we had a fighter on our hands.

Later, in June 2020, Cathy started to hemorrhage; they returned to St. Louis hospital and remained there for a delivery that was nothing short of challenging. The umbilical cord, wrapped around the babys neck, caused his heart rate to plummet with every contraction. Whispers in the delivery room set Cathys heart to fright. However, on June 12, little Will was welcomed into the world.

They cut the cord before he was fully born and they laid him on my chest, Cathy said. Nine months of anxiety and fear all just disappeared and I cried like a baby. He was perfect. Simply perfect. So tiny. So fragile.

Thats the moment William received his nickname, Iron Will, from his father, as at every turn, the little boy proved to be a fighter.

Challenges and Family Resilience

Ever since his birth, little Iron Will has heartily lived up to his nickname. His battles have been many and have not yet ended, but he fights on with joyful determination.

The greatest challenges for Will and his parents have been medical. His diagnosis with Down syndrome was officially confirmed with a blood test when he was 6 months old, although his parents had detected it right away. During the same period of time, Will also started having infantile spasms that went undiagnosed for 2 months. The Daubs fought for someone to listen to them and finally found a genetics doctor to perform an EEG.

William with Cathy. (Courtesy of Catherine Daub)

That was about the scariest part of this journey so far, Cathy said. He ended up in the hospital for a week on a feeding tube because the steroids that cured the spasms rocked his world.

For two weeks, Will cried and threw up 3040 times each day. The spasms set him back a bit but hes fighting hard to catch up and we know he will in his time, Cathy said.

In August 2021, Will had heart surgery for a hole in his heart. The little boy has also suffered from breathing issues, though they have improved over time. Will still navigates life with some hearing loss and undergoes varied therapies, including occupational, physical, feeding, and hearing therapy.

However, these challenges have been met with joyful determination, and neither Will nor the family is giving up.

Therapy isnt hard, but its time-consuming. But just like with my other kids, Id do anything to set Will up for success, so we make it work, Cathy said. Hes had this never-give-up attitude ever since he was a newborn, and it challenges me to try harder and do better.

Where others might coddle, Wills family recognizes both his differences and his incredible capabilities. They all share in teaching him new things.

My husband is a former Army officer and we raise all of our kids to persevere and be resilient, Cathy said. I think thats why he noticed right away that Will is a fighter. He believes very strongly that our kids can do absolutely anything they set their minds to and Will is no different. He sets the standard for how our other kids interact with Will as well.

Built by resilience and love, the bond between Will and his family is also strong. He anticipates his fathers voice and is eager to rough house and wrestle. For his mother, his laugh is thoroughly cheering and his smile is catching. His eyes light up when he sees his 6-year-old sister and shows his affection for her in manners that are true to form for a younger brother: snuggling, knocking down blocks, dancing, and pulling her hair; and his brothers scramble at the opportunity to hold him.

William with his sister. (Courtesy of Catherine Daub)

Gratitude and Faith

Along with resilience, the strength of the Daub family is based upon gratitude and faith. When Cathy was lonely and afraid in the hospital, her close friends lifted her by challenging her to name three things she was thankful for each day and she has done it every day since March 2020.

Its changed my life, Cathy said. Its made me realize that joy and happiness are not the same. You can find joy in hard stuff, even in sadness. My gratitude and the knowledge that I have my faith and my family get me through so much.

William with Cathy. (Courtesy of Catherine Daub)

Cathy also credits faith as her source of strength to overcome the challenges she faces in raising Will.

Faith reminds me that I was chosen to be Wills mom, she said. I often question why God has allowed this tiny boy to go through so much in his short life so far, but I know that theres a plan, so my faith allows me to find joy even in the hard stuff.

Pro-Life Advocacy

Ever since Wills birth, Cathy recognized the rare blessing he is to her family. Doctors told her they just didnt see many babies with Down Syndrome anymore, and it was at that moment that she vowed to advocate on Wills behalf.

Id spend my entire life shouting his worth and sharing the miracle of his life with the world, she said.

Both of Wills parents have always done some pro-life outreach in their life, but Cathy said that advocating for Will has been her biggest achievement in activism.

With over 66 percent of children who are found to have Down syndrome in utero here in the U.S.and a higher percentage in other countriesbeing aborted, its clear that the truth about Down Syndrome is not getting out there, she said.

Cathy wants people to know that Down Syndrome is not something to be afraid of. While the diagnosis can be overwhelming for parents, she attributes it to the conditioning of society.

Sharing Wills story, she believes, will have an impact on society.

The family also stresses that they are not worried about what he achieves in society, but they want him to know that he is worthy, capable, and wonderfully unique just the way he is.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Bright newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington on March 9, 2020. (Susan Walsh, File/AP Photo)

Musk Gave Out $5.7 Billion Worth of Tesla Shares to Unknown Charity

Entrepreneur Elon Musk, the worlds richest man worth over $238 billion, donated millions of Tesla shares last year to a charity according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.

Musk sold 5,044,000 Tesla shares between Nov. 19 and Nov. 29 last year according to the filing. These shares are estimated to have been worth around $5.74 billion at the time. The filing did not disclose the name of the charity which benefited from the donation.

Some speculate that the donation might have gone to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). In October, the director of WFP David Beasley had suggested that around 2 percent of Musks wealth could solve world hunger.

If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6 [billion] will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it, Musk had replied to Beasleys tweet on Oct. 31.

The WFP published an article on Nov. 3 detailing how it planned to support 42 million people on the brink of famine. $6.6 billion could avert catastrophe, the organization claimed.

Researcher Dr. Eli David questioned WFPs claim in a tweet by pointing out that the organization had failed to solve world hunger despite raising $8.4 billion in 2020.

Business Insider questioned WFP spokesperson Steve Taravella about whether the organization had received the $5.7 billion donation. However, Taravella refused to reveal any information, stating that WFP leaves the disclosure of donations to the donors themselves.

The donation of over five million Tesla shares came as Musk sold shares worth $16.4 billion in early November after polling his Twitter followers on selling 10 percent of his stake in Tesla. The $5.7 billion donation will give Musk tax benefits as shares donated to charities are exempt from capital gains tax.

His tax benefit would be huge, Bob Lord, an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, said to Reuters. Hed save between 40 percent and 50 percent of the $5.7 billion in tax, depending on whether he could take the deduction against his California income and hed avoid the gains tax he would have to pay if he sold the stock.

Though Musk has contributed to charities before, he is trailing behind billionaires like Warren Buffet who has already donated 20 percent of his wealth as of September 2021. Musk is also a signatory to the Giving Pledge.

It is a commitment made by billionaires to give off at least half their wealth to charities during their lifetime or after death. Musk runs the Musk Foundation that offers grants in five areasrenewable energy, human space exploration, pediatrics, AI development, and science and engineering education.
NATO: Russia Still Adding Troops Near Ukraine

Russia says it's returning more troops to their bases

A day after Russia said it pulled some of its forces away from the Ukrainian border, NATO officials said Moscow is still adding troops to its buildup around the Eastern European nation.

We have not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces. And of course, that contradicts the message of diplomatic efforts, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters. What we see is that they have increased the number of troops, and more troops are on their way. So, so far, no deescalation.

While a feared Feb. 16 Russian invasion of Ukraine hasnt materialized, the United States and its allies maintain that the threat remains strong, with Europes security and economic stability in the balance.

Russias defense ministry said on Feb. 16 that some of its forces would be heading back to their bases.

Combat equipment and military personnel will be delivered by military trains to the units permanent deployment points, Russias defense ministry said, according to Reuters. Upon arrival, the equipment will be serviced and prepared for carrying out the next phase of combat training.

Russian Defense Ministry video showed a trainload of armored vehicles moving across a bridge away from Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It also announced that more tank units of the Western Military District were being loaded on trains to return to their permanent bases after training exercises.

But UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News on Feb. 16 that his office has seen no evidence of a withdrawal.

In fact, weve seen a continued buildup of things like field hospitals and strategic weapons systems, he said.

President Joe Biden warned in a Feb. 15 speech that more than 150,000 Russian soldiers were still massed along Ukraines borders. While he said the United States is open to diplomacy with Moscow, Biden issued a warning.

Ukrainian Military Forces servicemen attend a military drill with next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) Swedish-British anti-aircraft missile launchers at the firing ground of the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security, near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Jan. 28, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)

If Russia does invade in the days and weeks ahead, the human costs for Ukraine will be immense, and the strategic cost for Russia will also be immense, Biden said. If Russia attacks Ukraine, to be met with overwhelming international condemnation.

It came as Russian President Vladimir Putin met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Feb. 15, when Putin claimed that Ukrainian forces are committing genocide in the eastern Donbas region located near the Russian border.

I can only add that what is happening in Donbas is genocide, Putin said, according to remarks carried by Russian state-funded media. We have to do everything to resolve the problem of Donbas, but do it first and foremost based on the possibility of implementing the Minsk agreements.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Feb. 16 that claims made by Western media were attempts at triggering a war in Eastern Europe.

To the regret of many Western mass media, once again, the war failed to begin. They had gone to great lengths trying to make it a reality. Possibly, their pages were scenes of ferocious battles, but all this has nothing to do with the reality, Zakharova said, according to Russias TASS news agency. In the previous days, no war happened, but they dont get upset and keep waiting for it with a tenacity worthy of a better occasion.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Natural Immunity Protects Against Omicron Variant: Study

One dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can boost protection, researchers say

The protection a person develops after recovering from COVID-19 shields people against infection as the Omicron virus variant has become dominant in the United States, according to a new study.

The defense, known as natural immunity, was similar to the protection seen among the naturally immune who got at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and people who got three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and didnt have natural immunity, researchers with the Cleveland Clinic found. Further, those who had received a primary series of a vaccine and didnt get a booster, or additional shot, were the most likely to become infected.

During the time when the Omicron variant was the predominant strain causing infection, prior COVID-19 provided effective protection against infection for at least 6 months even in the absence of vaccination, Dr. Nabin Shrestha, the lead author and an infectious disease physician, told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

Omicron is a variant of SARS-CoV-2, or the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. Omicron became dominant in the United States in December 2021, displacing Delta, and research has indicated it can better evade protection from both vaccination and natural immunity.

Shrestha and colleagues analyzed records of Cleveland Clinic employees, many of whom have received at least two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines but some of whom remain unvaccinated. For their analysis, in an effort to ensure accurate data on prior infection and vaccination, they only included employees who were employed since at least Dec. 16, 2020.

An electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round gold objects), which causes COVID-19, emerging from cultured cells. (NIAID)

Natural immunity did appear to begin waning around six months following infection when researchers stratified the cases by time since prior infection. Naturally immune employees became more likely to test positive after six months, but the risk dropped if they received at least one dose of a vaccine after recovery. The vaccinated also saw an improvement in protection if they received a booster dose, or a third shot.

Boosting with a COVID-19 vaccine designed for an earlier variant was associated with significantly reduced risk of infection with the Omicron variant in multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, among people previously vaccinated or previously infected for whom it was more than 6 months past their prior infection or vaccination, the researchers wrote in the study, which was published on the preprint server medRxiv.

Curiously, though, the analysis found that people who recovered from COVID-19 were actually most at-risk of contracting the illness again if they had gotten two shotseven more than the unvaccinated. Among the naturally immune, three shots protected better than not getting any vaccine, but a single shot protected the best, the findings indicate. Researchers are unsure of why this would be the case, and are encouraging other scientists to check on this in future studies.

For those who had had prior infection with COVID-19, vaccinating with more than one dose of vaccine provided no advantage over a single dose of vaccine in protecting against the Omicron variant, Shrestha said.

Effectively, prior infection should be considered at least as protective in protecting against future infection as two doses of an mRNA vaccine. This is not to say that it is better to get infected than to get vaccinated. However, if someone did get infected and survived, the protection they have acquired from natural infection should be acknowledged.

The Pfizer and Moderna shots are built on messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology.

Limitations of the study included a sole focus on all COVID-19 infections, due to an inability to acquire complete data regarding hospitalizations and symptomatic infections.

The research was published shortly after scientists in Qatar found that natural immunity protects well against severe COVID-19, even when the cases are caused by the Omicron variant.
Nevadas First Execution in Nearly 16 Years on Hold Again

LAS VEGASNevadas first execution in nearly 16 years is on hold again after the states lawyers told a federal judge on Monday they couldnt possibly satisfy the legal requirements necessary to put Zane Michael Floyd to death before April.

It would be impossible, Randall Gilmer, chief deputy Nevada attorney general, told U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware II.

Gilmer said during the brief hearing Monday that Clark County prosecutors have not obtained a formal death warrant necessary to execute him by lethal injection before one of the drugs the state plans to use expires on Feb. 28.

Boulware scheduled a status hearing for April 5.

Floyd, 46, was convicted in 2000 of killing four people and wounding a fifth in a shotgun attack at a Las Vegas grocery store.

The states lawyers requested Monday that Boulware go ahead and rule on evidence both sides presented late last year about whether the existing drug protocol and corrections training requirements are legal.

But the judge said he will address the next steps on those matters at the April status hearing.

Were not going to resolve that today, Boulware said during the 30-minute hearing Monday. We dont need to figure this out today because well be coming back in April.

Prosecutors had faced a warrant deadline Sunday because state law calls for two weeks notice to schedule an execution.

Gilmer said that meant the Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson would need to seek and obtain a death warrant from a state judge before now.

Daryl Mack was the last person put to death in Nevada, in 2006, for a 1988 rape and murder in Reno. Mack asked for his lethal injection to be carried out.

Boulware has held hearings since November to collect testimony from expert witnesses for both sides about whether Nevadas combination of drugs would cause Floyd so much pain that his lethal injection would be unconstitutionally cruel and inhumane.

Nevada prison officials want to use large doses of three or four drugs including the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl, the sedative ketamine, possibly a muscle paralytic called cisatracurium, and either potassium chloride or potassium acetate to stop Floyds heart. The drug alfentanil might substitute for fentanyl.

The ketamine now held by Nevada prison officials expires Feb. 28, and Gilmer has said prison officials dont think they can quickly obtain more.

Pharmaceutical companies and drug suppliers have said they dont want their products used in an execution in Nevada.

Floyd had exhausted appeals, and his execution was scheduled last July. But it was then delayed by Boulware and a state court judge pending the result of additional court proceedingsincluding several petitions still pending before the Nevada Supreme Court.

Boulware said Monday the state Supreme Court must rule on those matters before any execution can occur.

One of those cases challenges whether the state judge assigned to handle Floyds case can continue in that role.

Prison officials also face having to recruit doctors and emergency medical technicians willing to take part in an execution, after the physicians and drug administrators they had enlisted dropped off the list amid fears they might one day be publicly identified.

By Scott Sonner and Ken Ritter
A conversation with Trail Life USAs Mark Hancock

At a time when boys are receiving some disturbing messages from society and technology addiction is through the roof, there has never been a greater need to encourage boys to get outside and have an adventure.

Trail Life USA is a Christian, boy-centered scout organization that encourages good old-fashioned outdoor fun. I asked CEO Mark Hancock about his organization and for his advice for parents who want to support their sons. Heres what he said.

The Epoch Times: What inspired the formation of Trail Life USA?

Mark Hancock: In 2013, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) began a departure from their traditional values that ultimately led them to abandon their focus on boys. Hundreds of volunteers around the country began connecting through forums and other online platforms, discussing the need for an alternative for churches and other organizations that would no longer be able to align with the distorted values of BSA.

Out of this grass-roots movement, Trail Life USA arose.

There is also a great need to provide a male-centric environment for boys where they could be guided by good men, grounded in biblical truths, appreciated for their strengths, and inspired to Christlikeness.

The Epoch Times: Troops have spread across the nation since its launch in 2014. What do you feel drives parents to involve their boys in your organization?

Mr. Hancock: In spite of the challenges during this period of worldwide pandemic, Trail Life USA has continued to experience unprecedented growth. September 2021 saw our largest increase of members in our history, when 5,000 new Trailmen joined. In 2021, we saw an 85 percent increase in new members over 2020, and 38 percent over 2019.

Truly, we can thank God for this exciting growth while pointing to a number of other factors that might answer the question: Where is this growth coming from?

Here are my thoughts:

Theres no doubt that people are engaging outside their homes more, and that must have an effect. Still, one would assume that effect is experienced broadly across all youth-serving organizations. Surprisingly, it is not. While youth organizations as a whole are experiencing decline, Trail Life USA continues to grow.

Culture shock. The breakneck speed at which our culture is embracing concerning changes is worrisome. We believe its likely conservative families are looking for opportunities where they can find like-minded communities to soften the blow.

The Epoch Times: What, in your experience, are the greatest challenges boys today face?

Mr. Hancock: Boys are unguided, lacking male role models. The rise in the number of fatherless homes and the fact that 78 percent of teachers are female leave boys with few men guiding them, meaning they suffer from not being able to grasp a clear vision of what it means to be a man. While single moms are performing a herculean task in these fatherless households, it still leaves a boy without a model for male leadership.

Boys are ungrounded, lacking absolutes. In the cultural slide away from firm morals and principles, boys are adrift in a sea of relativism. Its impossible to develop character without defining good and bad, because these concepts require absolute truth.

Boys are unappreciated. Gender-blurring concepts that fail to recognize the differences between boys and girls leave boys unappreciated. This is a complicated and generational march that has led to discounting many of the traits that make boys unique.

Boys are uninspired. Whereas the innate drive for risk and competition has been recognized in past generations as a strength necessary to move a society forward, it now seems this trait is discouraged in boys. Boys tend to disengage when there isnt something at stake. Our shift to everyone wins and participation trophies leaves boys with the question, Why even try?

The Epoch Times: In what ways would you advise parents to support their boys?

Mr. Hancock: Find a faith community with a boy-focused outlet for his energy and drive. Appreciate the wonder of boys and their need for adventure, risk, and competition.

The Epoch Times: What have you found to be most inspiring about your work for Trail Life USA?

Mr. Hancock: Trail Life USA has a documented history of growing and restoring relationships between boys and their dads, as well as a dedicated volunteer base of men willing to mentor the fatherless.

There are so many boys without dads that we believe any legitimate call to manhood must include the call to be a dad or a dad-like to a boy without a dad. Single moms appreciate the male-centric model that helps grow their boys into godly men.

Trail Life USA also provides great opportunities for developing a band of brothers for men, even if they dont have sons. In a culture that neglects the importance of deep relationships, men are making connections and sharing their lives with other men, growing in faith, finding purpose, and impacting a generation.
An empty street is seen outside the Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., on Jan. 17, 2021. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images)

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Race: Shapiro Positioned to Outspend Most Republican Candidates

In the Pennsylvania race for governor, Democrat candidate Josh Shapiro has raised more money than all other candidates combined. Shapiro has raised more than $16 million and spent nearly $3 million. He has $13 million left to spend, and because he is unchallenged in the primary, most of that money will be available to outspend the Republican candidate who prevails in the primary.

Shapiros 3,044-page campaign finance report shows he has not had to loan any of his own money to his campaign and that many donors, both in and outside Pennsylvania, gave him $10,000; $20,000; $50,000; $100,000 or more. Here is an incomplete look at just a few of Shapiros larger donors:

$1 million from Karla Jurvetson of Los Altos Hills, California physician and major progressive political donor.

$500,000 from billionaire Thomas B. Hagen of Erie, chairman and former CEO of Erie Insurance Group.

$200,000 from William Harris Jr. of Miami Beach, Florida, founder of California-based Personal Capital, an online wealth management company purchased by Empower Retirement in 2020 for more than $825 million.

$200,000 from Deborah Simon of Carmel, Indiana, philanthropist and former head of Indianas Planned Parenthood.

$100,000 from the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, which aims to end mass criminalization and incarceration, repairing the harm caused by a criminal legal system built on structural racism, and to prevent voter suppression and assure every person can access safe abortions, its website says.

$100,000 from New York City Venture Capital Investor David M. Magerman $100,000 from billionaire political activist Pat Stryker of Fort Collins, Colorado.

$100,000 from software developer Sage Weil of Madison, Wisconsin.

$100,000 From Christian Larsen of San Francisco, California, executive chairman of Ripple, a global financial firm advancing decentralized financial technology to build a more inclusive financial system, Ripples website says.

$50,000 from Yaron Minsky of New York, New York, a programmer at Jane Street Capital.

$50,000 from Reid Hoffman of Menlo Park, California, a partner at Greylock, a venture capital firm.

$50,000 from Pennsylvania personal injury attorney Shanin Specter of Gladwyne.

$50,000 Joseph L. Neubauer of Philadelphia, chairman at Aramark.

$25,000 from Scott M. Rifkin of Cockeysville, Maryland, managing partner of Mid-Atlantic Health Care, which owns nursing homes in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Rifkin is the creator of Real Time Medical Systems, software for mining medical data, according to his website.

$25,000 from Geoff Gross of Philadelphia, founder and CEO of Medical Guardian, a wearable system that can summon an ambulance and inform family if someone falls or is injured in their home.

$25,000 from Vinton Cerf of McLean Virginia, vice president of Google and one of the founders of the internet.

$15,000 Jeffrey S. Shell of Beverly Hills, California, chairman of NBC Universal Film.

$10,000 from Kevin Acklin, COO of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

$10,000 from elected politician Doug Hoke, a York County Commissioner

Republicans

Candidates recently filed their state campaign finance reports for the year, covering money raised and spent between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31. 2021.

Of the Republican gubernatorial candidates, David White, reports the most money raised. His campaign has raised $3,176,000 and has spent nearly $700,000 and has $2.4 million left to spend. White has loaned $3 million of his own money to the campaign.

Combining the committees Jake Corman for Governor and Friends of Jake Corman shows Corman raised $2.8 million raised and has $2.1 million left to spend. His mother, Rebecca Corman, has donated $90,000 to his campaign.

Jason Richey raised $1.5 million, spent $90,000, and has $1.4 million left. He has donated $1.4 million of his own money to the campaign.

Bill McSwain has the most money to work with of the Republicans. His report shows $1.5 million raised when combining his campaign finance report with the Freedom PA PAC report, which was a pre-campaign fundraising tool that is now being folded into his current finances.

Because of an endorsement from the Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, McSwain has millions more to spend. Many Republican candidates for the governors seat interviewed with the chamber to get their endorsement, and the financial support that comes with it. The chambers Commonwealth Leaders Fund has pledged $20 million to the McSwain campaign. Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass, founder of the Susquehanna International Group hedge fund, is a major financial backer of the Commonwealth Leaders Fund.

McSwain has planned at least $7 million in advertising leading into the primary Rachel Tripp, a campaign spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

If you have the best message, youll have the most money, and we are grateful to have received an outpouring of support from donors across the Commonwealth and via the endorsement of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, Tripp said.

Lou Barletta raised $906,000 but has spent $662,000 and has $243,000 left to spend.

Ranking sixth in money raised, Pennsylvania Sen. Doug Mastriano had $565,000, spent $14,400, and has $550,000 left to spend. His money comes mostly from small, individual donations from citizens. He has not lent money to his campaign yet.

Charlie Gerow raised $422,000 and has $254,000 left to spend. He has loaned $85,000 to his campaign.

State Sen. Scott Martin had raised $309,000 but has dropped out of the race due to a leg injury that has become more complicated to heal than he expected. Martin had loaned $25,000 to his campaign.

Guy Ciarrocchi raised $304,000 and still has $241,000 for spending.

Dan Laughlin raised $233,000 and has $98,000 left.

Dr. Nche Zama raised $204,000, of that $140,000 is his own money. He has $146,000 left to spend.

Joe Gale raised $40,000 with just $3,100 left.

Jason Monn, Melissa Hart, and John Ventre each raised less than $10,000.
Physician Conscience Bill Needed and Timely, Say Ethicists

Two academic ethicists say the pandemic has heightened the importance of the latest parliamentary attempt to give conscience rights to Canadian doctors.

Conservative MP Kelly Block introduced Bill C-230, the Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act, as a private members bill in the House of Commons on Feb. 4.

The bill would add a clause to Section 241.2 of the Criminal Code to say: Every person who, for the purpose of compelling a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or other health care professional to take part, directly or indirectly, in the provision of medical assistance in dying, uses coercion or any other form of intimidation is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

An additional clause gives similar legal sanctions to anyone who refuses to employ, or dismisses from their employment medical professionals who decline to provide or participate in the provision of medical assistance in dying.

Douglas Farrow, a professor of theology and ethics at McGill University, welcomes the proposed legislation. He says freedom of conscience is among the first rights guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for good reason.

Without it, you begin to lose all those other dimensions of your humanity that are protected by the other enumerated rights and freedoms in our Constitution. You let yourself open to all sorts of negative consequences. For example, in this case, were talking about the politicization of medicine, and that leads straight to tyranny, Farrow said in an interview.

Conscience is that part of reason that asks us to consider whether what we are doing is compatible with the good, whether it is compatible with basic moral law. If we dont cultivate the freedom to ask and answer those kinds of questions and to act accordingly, what we effectively do is cultivate corruption.

Farrow says corruption can be personal or institutional, as shown by the participation of doctors in eugenics programs in Nazi Germany. The war crime trials following the Allied victory resulted in the Nuremberg Code.

The witness of people in that country, and its allies, made clear that refusing to treat human life as having a certain sanctity on which the state should not intrude was not merely a slippery slope, but it was the commencement of a slide into moral disaster and into murder, he said.

The first stage is to compromise the consciences of so-called conscientious objectors. You compromise them by forcing them to be involved somehow. So you go to the palliative care places, and you say, Well permit you to have a different view of this, but youve got to have medical aid in dying alongside your palliative care.

Another way to recognize wrongdoing, Farrow says, is when fear is used as a prime manipulator. He says the fear of suffering is used to advance euthanasia and the authorities response to COVID.

Medicine, like religion, has to be protected from political interference. What weve seen under COVID is the most frightful abuse of medical researchers and medical practitioners who wont agree with some narrative that has been presented and who indeed put up resistance to it, he said.

You take [away dissenting doctors] right to practise medicine, and then you intimidate the rest. So you see these fascist or communist tactics being used in medicine. And thats why I said that the politicization of medicine comes from tyranny, but it [also] leads to tyranny.

Opponents of conscience rights for doctors say it hinders patient choice regarding issues such as medical assistance in dying, cross-sex hormones for transgendered people, and abortion. Farrow said that respect for patients and doctors interests and consciences cant be achieved without consent on both sides. A doctor imposing a treatment to violate a patient is as wrong as a patient forcing a doctor to offer one.

Thats the kind of freedom that were losing right now. Because a doctor who says, I dont intend to take your life, no matter how much you would like me to, is a bastion of freedom, which some of these people in political or medical power and some of these lobby groups for euthanasia cannot abide, Farrow said.

Medical Autonomy

Questions of medical ethics are both personal and abstract for Julie Ponesse. The ethics professor was put on paid leave at Ontarios Huron University College for her refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccine. She shares Farrows perspective on the high relevance of Blocks bill and the need for a relationship of both conscience and consent between patient and doctor.

Conscience rights protections are not just about, and for the benefit of, the medical professional, though they are certainly important protections of professional integrity. In addition, they are essential for protecting the fiduciary relationshipor relationship of trustbetween the doctor and patient, and are therefore a crucial aspect to good patient care, Ponesse told the Epoch Times.

In the late 1960s, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said the state had no business in the bedrooms of the nation. Today, Ponesse believes the pandemic has facilitated the intrusion of the state into doctor-patient relationships like never before. She says this jeopardizes the intimate acquaintance doctors build with their patient because trust is lost.

When we are vulnerable, we need to feel that the person offering us care has our best interests at heart and is deciding and acting without the undue influence of interests that run counter to our care, she said.

A similar bill introduced by Block a year ago made it to second reading but was not voted on before MPs rose for the summer and then faced an election. A similar attempt by former MP David Anderson suffered the same fate prior to the 2019 election.

Ponesse hopes the bill passes this time.

The success of the Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act would be a good first step in recovering much of what has been eroded in health care over the last two years, she said.

This is an important bill at a crucial moment in Canadian history.
Anti-mandate protesters gather to demonstrate in front of the parliament building in Wellington, New Zealand, on Feb. 16, 2022. (Photo obtained by Reuters)

Police to Begin Towing Freedom Convoy Vehicles at New Zealand Parliament

Tow truck companies have declined to get involved so far

A protest in New Zealand against COVID mandates that was inspired by the Canadian Freedom Convoy swelled in numbers on Feb. 16 on Parliament grounds in Wellington, authorities said.

There has been an influx of protesters at Parliament today, including children. However, the crowd had been orderly, Richard Chambers, an assistant police commissioner, said during a news conference.

This is a very complex situation, and we are mindful of the tactics we need to take so that the situation is not escalated, he said. Chambers estimated that about 450 vehicles were blocking the site.

Assistant Police Commissioner Richard Chambers speaks to members of the media during a press conference at the police headquarters on the ninth day of demonstrations against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions in Wellington, New Zealand, on Feb. 16, 2022. (Marty Melville/AFP via Getty Images)

Authorities have said they will begin towing cars to unblock roads around Wellingtons Beehive parliament if demonstrators dont leave the area voluntarily. Its now the ninth day that protesters have occupied Parliament grounds, with demonstrators starting to chant: Whose streets? Our streets.

Police had asked towing services earlier to help, but tow truck companies have said they dont want to get involved because they sympathize with the anti-mandate protesters.

There are different reasons being put forward, but the reason that the majority of my colleagues dont want to put their tow trucks out there is because theyre sympathetic to whats going on in Parliament, Greg Cox, who owns Wellingtons Cox Heavy Truck Salvage, told local news agency NZ Herald.

New Zealand Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said officials have appealed for more assistance in removing the vehicles, including towing capabilities from the military.

We have made a request to the New Zealand Defence Force for assistance with towing, and we are awaiting the outcome of that request, Coster said, adding that authorities are not seeking an escalation and respect lawful protests, but the roads have to be cleared so citizens can go about their daily lives safely.

We are engaging with protesters about the manner of the protest. But there has to be a line herethis cant go on indefinitely, he said.

Anti-mandate protesters gather to demonstrate in front of the parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Feb. 10, 2022. (Praveen Menon/Reuters)

Inspired by truckers demonstrations in Canada, protesters have blocked several roads around Wellingtons Beehive parliament for nine days with trucks, vans, and motorcycles, and camped out on the lawns in front of the distinctive building.

Police gave protesters an ultimatum on Feb. 15 to move out or officials would start towing and seizing vehicles. Chambers said on Feb. 16 that authorities have managed to make contact with leaders of the demonstration, and about a dozen vehicles have already moved voluntarily.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has rejected calls to remove CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus restrictions and mandates, referring to the Canadian-inspired anti-mandate demonstration as an imported phenomenon.

It feels like an imported protest to me, Ardern told state broadcaster TVNZ. Ive seen Trump flags on the forecourt, Ive seen Canadian flags on the forecourt.

While the protest started as a stand against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, those demonstrators have been joined by groups calling for an end to pandemic restrictions as well some drawing attention to other social issues like censorship and rights of the ethnic Maori community.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Workers stand near a container ship at the port in Qingdao, a city in eastern China's Shandong Province, on June 8, 2017. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

GOP Lawmakers Call on Biden to Take Action on Chinas Failure to Meet Trade Commitments

Sixty House Republican lawmakers are seeking answers from President Joe Biden after Beijing failed to meet its buying targets under the phase one trade agreement with the United States.

The lawmakers are particularly concerned about how China failed to buy enough U.S. agricultural products. According to their letter (pdf) to Biden, China was nearly $16 billion short of its commitment to import $73.9 billion of U.S. agricultural products in 2020 and 2021.

We urge you to take immediate steps to rectify the unbalanced agricultural trade relationship with China; work towards new enforceable commitments from China, the lawmakers wrote.

We are concerned that the lack of enforcement action will set a detrimental precedent for future trade negotiations, they added.

The letter was made public by a press release from Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), one of the signatories of the letter. Other signatories include House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Reps. August Pfluger (R-Texas), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Ken Buck (R-Colo.).

Many signatories are members of the House Agriculture Committee, including Reps. Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.).

In 2018, a Section 301 investigation found that China was engaging in illegal trade practices, including excessive government subsidies and intellectual property theft, which subsequently prompted the Sino-U.S. trade war.

The two nations signed the trade deal in January 2020, requiring China to buy an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods and services during 2020 and 2021, compared to the 2017 level. The targets were at least $227.9 billion worth of U.S. goods in 2020 and at least $274.5 billion in 2021, for a combined total of $502.4 billion over the two-year period.

Last week, the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) published a report, concluding that China ended up buying only 57 percent of the U.S. exports it had promised to buy, totaling $288.8 billion worth of imports.

In January, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke about the $16 billion shortfalls in Chinas agricultural purchases during a speech at the American Farm Bureau Convention.

Vilsack said U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai continues to converse with China about the necessity of living up totally and completely to the phase one trade agreement, making up that $16 billion deficit over the course of the next several years.

Were going to continue to press China on the need for complete enforcement and complete implementation of the trade agreement before we begin the process of discussing the possibility of extensions, he added.

In February, U.S. Deputy Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi said it was really clear that the Chinese regime had not fulfilled its commitment to the trade deal. He added that certainly were looking at all the tools we have in our toolbox to make sure theyre held accountable.

In their letter, the House lawmakers asked Biden four different questions and said they wanted Bidens detailed responses.

How will your administration report to Congress on areas in which China has fallen short of its obligations under the Phase One trade deal? one of the questions says.

Another question asks, Is your administration considering negotiations of a new fully enforceable deal that further levels the playing field with China to ensure China continues to purchase and import American agricultural goods?

Any solution must address the full suite of issuesincluding market access, administrative licensing, procurement, and localizationin a comprehensive and holistic manner. You must act now for Americas farmers, ranchers, and producers, the letter says.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Pablo Rodriguez, now the heritage minister, arrive at City Hall in Montreal on Nov. 26, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson)

Revamped Bill to Regulate Internet the Same Pig With Different Lipstick

Commentary

There has been a lot of talk about liberty lately. Some, like those in the truckers convoys and blockades, want a lot more of it. Others, startled at the prospect of mingling with the unvaccinated and unmasked, want less of it, as does the Trudeau government, which on Feb. 14 invoked the Emergencies Act.

If those positions translate into a similar fracturing of perspectives over the governments coming crackdown on Canadians ability to communicate online, divisions in our society are unlikely to heal in the months ahead.

The Trudeau government is throwing its cloak over the online world by granting the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) authority over the global internet and, likely, adding a second regulator to squelch Canadian speech it deems problematic.

Sure, the government says its new legislation isnt as bad as its widely-condemned initial effort last year, but the differences between then and now are, according to experts such as Mark Mancini and Dr. Michael Geist, entirely cosmetic.

The Trudeau government re-introduced the same pig with different lipstick, wrote Mancini, a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbias Allard School of Law.

In other words, all the concerns about regulatory overreach and the ability of the CRTC to meddle with social media posts that were raised in last springs furor over Bill C-10 are still alive (if hidden with a little blush) in new Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguezs Bill C-11.

Not only does the government permit by stealth what it says it has amended in the Bill to prevent, but it does it here by delegating to the CRTC, Mancini wrote in an analysis posted by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. I do not see this legal device, and this Bill as any better than Bill C-10.

Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce law at the University of Ottawa, put it this way:

There was an opportunity to use the re-introduction of the bill to fully exclude user generated content (no other country in the world regulates content this way), limit the scope of the bill to a manageable size, and create more certainty and guidance for the CRTC. Instead, the government has left the prospect of treating Internet content as programs subject to regulation in place, envisioned the entire globe as subject to Canadian broadcast jurisdiction, increased the power of the regulator, and done little to answer many of the previously unanswered questions.

So far, with everyone distracted by the truckers protests, there isnt a lot of light being shone on this remarkably intimidating legislation, so expect Rodriguez to plow ahead and open the door to regulation of social media posts and podcasts (to the detriment of Canadas online creators by the way, but thats an aspect to be explored on another day).

But wait, there are even more bad ideas on the way.

Rodriguezs predecessor, Steven Guilbeault, proposed thuggish online harms legislation that would create yet another regulator to patrol the internet for suspect activity, order takedowns, and digitally report suspicious speech straight to the police. The feedback from legal and civil liberties experts was so overwhelmingly negative, Rodriguez was forced to rethink the approach. But an approach there will be. And, given how little difference there is between bills C-10 and C-11, there is every reason to worry.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) called the first online harms proposal a radical policy change  excessive in scope, effect and purpose.

The proposal merges communications policy/regulation with public safety, national security and law enforcement concerns in a way that is quite troubling, wrote the CCLAs Cara Zwibel in her submission to Heritage Canada.

OpenMedias Matt Hatfield called the first effort a cynical plan to make Canadas Internet one of the most censored and surveilled in the democratic world.

Either our government does not understand the consequences of their own proposal, or theyre lying to us, he wrote. Far from simply duplicating our norms around offline speech, this proposal will create an unprecedented system of online surveillance of ordinary people in Canada and normalize the removal of much entirely lawful online speech.

One can always hope that reason and liberty prevail, but the instincts of the nations current leadership when it comes to upholding that which is at the very core of democracyfreedom of expressiondo not offer a foundation for optimism. All the inclinations expressed by the Trudeau government so far indicate it firmly believes that the exchange of ideas between citizens is something that should only be done under its watch and with its approval.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The full moon, known as Strawberry Moon, seen from Jakarta before a penumbral lunar eclipse, on June 6, 2020. (Bay Ismoyo/AFP via Getty Images)

Object About to Crash Into Moon Most Likely From Chinese Spacecraft, Astronomer Says

The rocket stage detached from a Chinese spacecraft is most likely the object set to strike the moon on March 4, an astronomer tracking near-Earth objects says after weighing launch time and lunar trajectory, as well as correcting previous mistakes.

Bill Gray, who runs Project Pluto, said the object on a collision course with the moon most likely comes from the Chinese Change 5-T1 mission launched in October 2014 on a Long March 3C rocket, according to Ars Technica.

As part of Chinas lunar exploration program, Change 5-T1 was an experimental robotic spacecraft, which was launched to the moon on Oct. 23, 2014, by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) for atmospheric re-entry tests. It was named after the Chinese moon goddess Change.

According to Gray, the Chinese lunar mission sent a small spacecraft to the moon as a precursor test for an eventual lunar-sample return mission. He held that its launch time and lunar trajectory are almost an exact match for the orbit of the object that will hit the moon in March.

Previously, Ars Technica mistook the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket for the mystery object, because the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission in 2015. Consequently, some media outlets accused SpaceX of mishandling its second stage.

Falcon 9 is a two-stage-to-orbit medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured by Elon Musks SpaceX.

However, it wasnt until engineer Jon Giorgini at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory investigated the claims that this mistake was pointed out. He dismissed the conclusion in a letter to Gray on Feb. 12, saying that the DSCOVR spacecrafts trajectory did not go particularly close to the Moon and that all data showed that the Falcon 9 stage was extremely unlikely to crash into the Moon.

Based on Giorginis findings, Gray reexamined his data and finally identified Chinas Change 5-T1 as the most probable object about to hit the moon on 2022 Mar 4 at 12:25 UTC.

In his blogs, Gray wrote that tracking deep-space junk has become a concern, with a growing number of spacecraft now going into high orbits. He recommended simple steps that would help to address this issue. For instance, anybody who launches objects into high orbits must make the last known position and direction publicly available to some agreed-upon institution that has funding to do the job.

Although proper disposition may have different interpretations, simply ignoring the junk issue should never be an option, the astronomer emphasized.

The Verge, a New York-based multimedia outlet, describes China as notorious for releasing very little information about its space missions.

By the time of publication, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) did not return a request for comment.
Sukhoi Su-35 multi-role fighters of the Sokoly Rossii (Falcons of Russia) aerobatic team fly in formation during a demonstration flight at the MAKS 2017 air show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Russia, July 21, 2017. (REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo)

Russian Jets Intercept US Navy Aircraft Over Mediterranean: Officials

Three U.S. P-8A Poseidon surveillance planes flying over the Mediterranean Sea were subject to unprofessional intercepts from Russian military planes over the past weekend, said the Navy on Wednesday.

We can confirm that over the course of last weekend, three U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft experienced unprofessional intercepts by Russian aircraft, said Navy Capt. Mike Kafka, director of Defense Press Operations, in a statement on Wednesday. The U.S. flight crews were flying in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea at the time of these intercepts. We have made our concerns known to Russian officials through diplomatic channels.

Kafka said that while no one was hurt, interactions such as these could result in miscalculations and mistakes that lead to more dangerous outcomes.

The US will continue to operate safely, professionally and consistent with international law in international waters and airspace. We expect Russia to do the same Kafka said.

The Navy did not disclose how close the Russian aircraft allegedly flew. Officials also did not elaborate on what kind of aircraft flew next to the P-8A Poseidon planes, which is a maritime patrol aircraft that is primarily used to carry out surveillance.

However, a spokesperson with the Department of Defense told the Wall Street Journal that the incident involved Su-35 fighter jets.

A U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft takes part in the Malta International Airshow at SmartCity Malta outside Kalkara, Malta, Sep. 23, 2017. (Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi/File Photo)

The results could be catastrophic. The Russians encourage their pilots to do this because they know our default setting is to be professional and to be disciplined, retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. They are trying to re-establish where the fence lines are.

In April of 2020, U.S. officials reported incidents in which Russian fighter planes intercepted P-8As over the Mediterranean Sea. Later that year, Navy officials said a Su-35 intercepted another P-8A over the sea, in an incident that lasted more than an hour.

The Navys 6th Fleet said the incident was unsafe and unprofessional due to the Russian pilots taking close station on each wing of the P-8A simultaneously.

Previously, Russian authorities have denied making unsafe intercepts of U.S. military aircraft.

All flights by Russian aircraft were conducted in accordance with international rules for the use of airspace, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in 2019 after a similar incident was reported by U.S. officials.

In recent weeks, the United States and NATO have accused Moscow of placing more than 100,000 troops as well as tanks, fighter jets, and heavy artillery along its borders with Ukraine. Several top White House officials have repeatedly claimed Russia would invade in the near future, although such allegations have been categorically denied by the Kremlin.

A spokesperson for Russias Foreign Ministry on Wednesday mocked Western media and elected officials for suggesting Moscow would invade Ukraine on Wednesday morning.

Please announce the schedule of our invasions for the coming year. I would like to plan a vacation, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on social media, according to state-funded media outlets.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Russian Embassy in Washington for comment.
San Francisco Voters Oust Three School Board Members Over Strict Pandemic Rules

San Francisco voters on Feb. 15 overwhelmingly voted to recall three school board members, expressing their frustration with the boards strict rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alison Collins, Gabriela Lopez, and Faauuga Moliga were all recalled, with preliminary results showing at least 72 percent of voters opted to oust each one.

Lopez, the boards president, Moliga, the boards vice president, and Collins supported harsh measures during the pandemic. They stoked anger when they didnt move to reopen schools and spent time on matters deemed frivolous, such as renaming school buildings.

The impetus to it was really seeing that the school board seemed to deprioritize reopening, deprioritize a lot of things that mattered to students and parents, and instead was focused on doing a lot of things that were symbolic, that was more about politics and really not about anything to do with educating our kids, Siva Raj, who helped lead the recall campaign, told The Epoch Times.

Moliga had told The Epoch Times that the effort was motivated by politics while Lopez asserted money funding the recall was being wasted because a general election is scheduled for later in 2022. On the eve of the vote, Collins shared social media posts exploring the backers of the campaign, which included billionaire Arthur Rock, who has typically donated to Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in recent decades.

After the early results came in, Moliga said that we fought hard and ran a great campaign, thanking supporters and promising that there are many more fights ahead of us. Lopez said shed run for a board seat in November.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, left, waves next to Faauuga Moliga, who she appointed to the school board, in San Francisco, Calif., in a file image. (Jill Tucker/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Gabriela Lopez speaks during a news conference in San Francisco, Calif., on March 12, 2020. (Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, a Democrat who clashed with the board over school reopening, said in a statement that voters have delivered a clear message that the school board must focus on the essentials of delivering a well-run school system above all else.

Thank you for standing up for our kids when our elected leaders completely failed them, the Recall SF School Board campaign said on Twitter.

Breed pushed for schools to reopen in early 2021, but the board resisted that push. Schools finally reopened in-person in August 2021.

Studies show virtual learning has led to inferior learning outcomes, including lower test scores, and critics of remote schooling have also linked it to a rise in mental health problems.

Other prominent Democrats, including former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, backed the recall effort.

Breed will pick the replacements for the three ousted members.

Siyamak Khorrami contributed to this report.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon addresses the Scottish Parliament on changes to COVID-19 restrictions, in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Fraser Bremner - Pool/Getty Images)

Scotlands COVID-19 Death Rates Higher Than Englands Despite Tougher Restrictions: Report

Scotlands stricter COVID-19 restrictions did not prevent its COVID-19 death rates from climbing above those in England during the Delta and Omicron waves, new analysis of official data shows.

In the summer of 2021, after the UK government abolished mask mandates in England, the Scottish National Party (SNP) administration continued to require the use of face coverings in public places.

In September 2021, the SNP government pushed through a motion to implement COVID-19 vaccine passports in Scotlands nightclubs and other crowded venues.

Though the UK government re-imposed mask mandates in early December in response to the Omicron variant, CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus restrictions in England continued to be much more relaxed than in Scotland and other devolved administrations.

However, according to an analysis of official data by the Financial Times, per capita deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate were actually higher in Scotland than England in January.

The opposition Scottish Conservatives, who have previously criticised Scotlands strict COVID-19 measures for needlessly damaging the economy, said the new analysis casts fresh doubts on the SNP governments approach.

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, the partys shadow cabinet secretary for health, said: The COVID pandemic has been a crisis like no other and everyone accepts tough decisions have had to be made in the last two years.

However, the public will be asking serious questions as to why some of these needed to happen, when death rates have continued to be higher at some points in Scotland.

He said the tough restrictions have had other detrimental effects, particularly on peoples mental health.

The public got it right when it came to driving down the Omicron wave, not the SNP government, he said.

Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has begun relaxing some of the restrictions. On Feb. 10, she announced that pupils and teachers in secondary schools in Scotland will no longer need to wear face coverings in classrooms from Feb. 28.

The announcement came 24 hours after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the last domestic restrictions in Englandincluding the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positiveare likely to be lifted later this month.

Sturgeon is due to publish the Scottish governments strategy for living with COVID-19 on Feb. 22.

Gulhane of the Scottish Conservatives said his party wants to see the first minister set out a different approach for tackling COVID and putting personal responsibility at the heart of it.

We see once again that the public can be trusted to make their own choices, rather than ministers bringing in restrictions on a whim, he said.

PA Media contributed to this report.
White farmers demonstrate against the government for its inability to protect them against attackers. (Photo courtesy AFRIFORUM)

South Africa: Shoot the Farmer Song Inflames Race and Land Tensions

The following story contains descriptions of violence that may be disturbing to some readers.

Above the slightly built woman, on the wall of the farmhouse near a small town in South Africas North West province, is a framed photograph. It shows her wearing a stylish sunshine-yellow dress, black hair cascading onto her shoulders. The man alongside her is wearing a smart navy suit and tie, giving a thumbs-up to the camera.

I dont know why Johans smiling, she says softly, with a smile of her own. He hated wearing a suit. He always called himself a man of the dirt. This dirt, she adds, pointing toward an open doorway, to dry fields dotted with beef cattle.

On a summer night in 2019, Karlien and Johan van Wyk, along with their 6-year-old daughter, fell asleep on a couch in their living room while watching television.

Their two other daughters, 2 and 4, were asleep in a downstairs bedroom.

Karlien, 7-months pregnant at the time with their first son, was awakened by a loud click, the sound of a firearm being cocked next to her ear.

There were three of them. They screamed at us, Where is the money? Johan said, We dont keep money in the house, but you can take anything else you want. They just shot him four times. He fell off the couch.

Two grabbed me, and one said, We are taking you downstairs. I fought back because I knew what they were going to do to me downstairs. Then my daughter said to them, Please dont hurt my mommy. Ive got money. You can have it. Its in my piggybank.

Thats when Johan somehow got to his feet, says Karlien, and stumbled toward the attackers.

All he said was, Please  One of them said, Finish him. A bullet hit him in the eye, and he fell in front of us, flat on his face. I hear that sound every day, of his body hitting the floor. He gurgled. I knew it was the sound of him dying.

Karlien says the assailants then strolled out of the house very casually.

All they had stolen was the couples cellphones.

EFF members sing their Shoot the farmer song at a recent protest in Johannesburg. (EFF)

Destroy White Monopoly Capital!

In August 2021, 30 men and women in bright red workers overalls and matching berets meandered through the Johannesburg commercial district singing and chanting.

Shoot the boer [white farmer]! Kill the man! they sang.

They fired dummy rifles, bellowing, Pah! Pah! Pah! in imitation of gunshots.

Leading them was Julius Malema, a 40-year-old self-described revolutionary who says hell be president sometime soon, because his party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is gradually winning the support of an ever-expanding legion of unemployed and poor.

The EFF garnered just over 6 percent of the vote in the first election it contested in 2014. Last October, the local government election saw it climb to 10 percent of the national vote.

Statistics South Africa (STATS SA) says out of a population of around 60 million, almost 11 million people who should have jobs, dont. Millions more are employed in the countrys informal sector, living hand to mouth.

President Cyril Ramaphosas African National Congress (ANC) government puts the official unemployment rate at 35 percentthe highest in the world, ahead of Djibouti and Equatorial Guinea, according to the 2021 World Population Review.

When discouraged jobseekers are included, say the state statisticians, the figure jumps to almost 47 percent.

At least 28 million citizens survive only because the government gives them monthly social grants of between 460 and 1890 rand ($30 and $126), according to STATS SA.

Malema has promised the masses that when hes president, hell destroy white monopoly capital, partly by nationalizing the South African economy and ending so-called private sector hegemony, and by confiscating land owned by whites, including the farm that Karlien van Wyk now manages, alone.

The EFF commander-in-chief calls white South Africans land thieves, who stole the land and its wealth from indigenous black Africans when Dutch explorer Jan van Riebeeck shipped into the Cape in 1652.

Since then, the descendants of both Afrikaner and English settlers have become globally recognized as some of the best farmers in the world, often overcoming harsh conditions to grow produce to feed the country, and for export.

Malema says black farmers could do this just as well, if not better.

EFF leader Julius Malema denies that the song is inciting violence against South Africas white farming community. (EFF)

Song Incites Torture of White Farmers: Civil Rights Group

These days though, when hes not stamping his feet in protest on city streets, or visiting restaurants to check how many illegal foreigners are stealing jobs from black South Africans, Malemas in court.

In 2011, when he led the ANC Youth League, he was convicted of hate speech for singing an anti-apartheid song first heard in the 1980s, called Kill the boer, kill the farmer.

The ANC, which largely agrees that the song belongs in the past, simultaneously insists its symbolic, and was originally intended to inspire rebellion against white supremacy, not to encourage the murders of white farmers and their families.

Since his conviction and nominal fine 11 years ago, Malema has changed the lyrics from Kill the farmer to Kiss the farmer. But he and his supporters still follow those words with the refrain, Shoot the farmer and shoot to kill.

Malema declined to be interviewed at length by The Epoch Times, commenting briefly: Just go and do your research, and you will come across all I have said about this song in the past; my feelings have not changed.

I have said in my affidavit that the order is against the EFF singing, Kill the farmer. There is no order against any song called Shoot the farmer.

But AfriForum, the civil rights group that laid fresh charges of hate speech against Malema and the EFF late last year, says the song advocates hatred on the grounds of race and ethnicity and is an incitement to cause harm.

Ernst Roets, the groups policy head, told the Equality Court that racial hatred, partly inspired by EFF incitement, is evident in the torture involved in a lot of attacks on white-owned farms.

The most common forms of physical torture that occur include beatings, stabbings, burning victims with boiling water and molten plastic, and hot clothes irons. Some farmers are even slaughtered like animals or dragged behind their own vehicles. Theyre tied to the vehicle with a rope and then dragged for vast distances, Roets said.

Civil rights leader Ernst Roets has asked for a court order to stop the EFF from singing what he describes as a hateful song advocating for the violent murder of white farmers. (Courtesy of AFRIFORUM)

Crime Crisis or Racism?

According to former police colonel Johan Burger, now a crime expert at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, 1,242 white farmers were murdered between 1990 and 2020.

AfriForum disagrees with this statistic, saying its research shows approximately 4,000 have been killed since South Africa became a democracy in 1994, with many more thousands, including their wives and children, brutalized.

The government maintains that farm attacks are part of a broader crime crisis and are not racially motivated.

Roets has testified in court that this is contradicted by many perpetrators whove been found guilty of killings on farms.

When Paulus Mandlazi, for example, was charged for committing five farm murders, he responded in court that he murdered these people because he wanted their money. He added, and I quote, My hate for white people made me do it. And he said that he regarded murdering white people as merely going to work.
A security guard walks past a company logo at the headquarters of the world's largest semiconductor maker TSMC in Hsinchu on Jan. 29, 2021. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Taiwan: A Tasty TargetChips or No Chips

Commentary

Countries go to war for many reasonsbut to grab semiconductor factories would be a first.

Taiwan is a global hub of semiconductor manufacturing. Some analysts argue that a principal reason China would invade Taiwan would be to seize the island nations semiconductor industry. A couple of academics even say Taiwan can forestall a Chinese attack by threatening to destroy its semiconductor plants at the first sign of an attack by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).

However, China would be no less keen to seize Taiwan if the island didnt have a single semiconductor factory.

From Beijings perspective, theres plenty of upside to taking Taiwan by force or by throttling it and bringing it under mainland control.

Lets think it through.

Strategic Terrain: Breaking the First Island Chain

Taiwan has what real estate agents say matters most: location, location, location. Geography matters.

Taiwan sits in the middle of the so-called first island chain that runs from Japan southward through Taiwan and the Philippines, and onward to Indonesia and Malaysia. U.S. defense concepts call for defending along the first island chain.

Viewed from the Chinese mainland, the first island chain is a barrier that blocks easy access to the Pacific Ocean for Chinese naval and air forces. Chinese forces need to pass through a handful of narrow (and easily defended) straits or pass over potentially hostile territory.

So if it occupies Taiwan, the PLA has a lodgment smack in the middle of the U.S. (and allies) forward defense line that bottles up the Chinese military. Control over Taiwan and its airfields and ports would allow the PLA both freedom of movement and extended range into the Western Pacific and beyond.

Screenshot from Google Maps showing the first island chain, taken on Sept. 23, 2021. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Additionally, it would give Beijing increased leverage over other countries in the region. Taiwan is a splendid location for interdicting sea lanes through the South China Sea, a region that China claims as its own and through which much of Japans trade flows, including vital energy imports. It would also make South Korea even more vulnerable.

By holding Taiwan, China would be in a position to prevent ships from other nations from using the South China Sea. It could even charge administrative fees for the privilege of passing through its waters. It could also massively expand its air defense identification zone, giving it leverage over air as well as sea.

Even now, the Chinese regime applies pressure on nations with competing claims in the South China Sea, but with Taiwan under Beijings control, it would be able to operate in the waterway only with Chinas sufferance.

Sticking It to the Japanese

Taiwans fall would allow China to teach Japan a lessonand its keen to do so. One can see that in action in the East China Sea around Japans Senkaku Islandsislands also claimed by China (and Taiwan). Since 2012, Chinese naval and coast guard ships have gradually increased their presence in the area. Japanese forces have responded to Chinese incursions but havent initiated a shooting incident.

However, Japanese naval and air forces are increasingly overmatched as Chinese ships and aircraft appear more often, in greater numbers, and for longer periods of time. The Japanese are holding on and are also deploying Ground Self-Defense Force anti-ship missile units and air defense systems to the Nansei Shoto (Ryukyu Islands) to bolster their southern defense line.

A Chinese coast guard vessel sails near disputed East China Sea islands on Aug. 6, 2016. Japans Foreign Ministry filed the protest after Japans coast guard spotted on Aug. 6 the vessel, along with a fleet of 230 Chinese fishing boats swarming around the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands. (11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters via AP)

The Japanese are finally showing signs of cooperating with U.S. forces to defend Japans southern territory, but its late in the day.

With Taiwan in hand, China will have effectively outflanked Japanese defenses in the Nansei Shoto and would be positioned to dominate the East China Sea and seize Japanese maritime and island territory.

And once PLA submarines, ships, and aircraft start operating regularly east of Japans main islands, Japan would also need to defend its eastern approaches for the first time since 1945.

All this would crimp the ability of U.S. forces to operate in the region.

Eyeing the Second Island Chain and Beyond

China isnt just looking east; its looking south and southeast as well.

From Taiwan, with some effort, the PLA can drive into the heart of U.S. second layer defenses in the Central Pacificand even push into the Southwest and South Pacific. China doesnt have any military bases or access locations in the region and has only made modest military forays into the area.

However, Beijing has laid the groundwork with 30 years of political warfare, economic and commercial inroads, and physical presence, including scoping the seas and ports via its commercial and fishing fleets. And at the same time greasing the way via elite capture.

Before too long, the PLA will have bases in the region. Chinese military access will provide the regime with options for pressuring U.S. allies, including Australia.

A type 094 Jin-class nuclear submarine Long March 15 of the Chinese Navy participates in a naval parade in the sea near Qingdao, in eastern Chinas Shandong Province on April 23, 2019. (Mark Schiefelnein/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese Pacific bases or access locations can threaten U.S. forces and facilities in the region; although Chinese interest doesnt stop in the middle of the Pacific. The PLA is also gearing up to operate farther east of Hawaii, off the West Coast of the continental United States, as China assiduously develops ties and shipping routes to the west coast of Central and South America.

Demolishing the US Protective Blanket

Despite the breathtaking Chinese military expansion over the past 30 years, it was possible for some in the region (and for many in America) to believe the United States was still the foremost military power and could defend itself and its friends. There was also an implicit belief that the United States would save Taiwan.

But if Taiwan falls to communist China, the entire dynamic will be altered. Beijing will have demonstrated that it alone has the powerand the willto dominate in Asia.

Consider what a regional nation will see in its neighborhood after the fall of Taiwan. Chinas military will be seemingly everywhereincluding backing up Chinas huge fishing and maritime militia fleets. It will be intimidating.

The fall of Taiwan will leave a searing impression on all regional nations (even North Korea):

The vaunted U.S. military couldnt, or wouldnt, stop Beijing.

Fear of economic and financial retaliation didnt stop Beijing.

Fear of Americas nuclear weapons didnt stop Beijing.

The United States and its allies couldnt stop Beijing from takingby force or bullyingdemocratic, independent, U.S.-friendly Taiwan, and subjugating its 24 million citizens.

And if the Americans couldnt stop the Chinese communists, who will or can?

But maybe the shock of Taiwan falling will concentrate minds and drive nations closer to each other and/or to the United States for self-preservation? Perhaps.

Though its more likely the concrete and nearby evidence of Chinese power will drive regional countries to cut the best deal they can with China in hopes of being mostly left alone or not being treated too harshly by Beijing.

Most of Asia will turn red, and quickly.

Japan and Australia might hold out, but they will be quaking, and the degree of compliance to China will be a constant issueegged on by well-funded Chinese political warfare. And India might decide it needs new friends.

Beyond the Indo-Pacific, every other country will take note as well.

So if taking Taiwan allows China to push the United States out of Asia and knock it off its perch as the worlds leading nation, Xi Jinping might be sorely tempted to pay whatever price is necessary. Remember this is a leadership that has proven willing to do things that could seem to American minds like irrational self-inflicted economic woundsthink of what happened to Hong Kong or Jack Maif it assessed it would benefit its own relative position.

Given the stakes, semiconductors dont matter much in the equation.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Emergency personnel work at the site of a gas tanker accident in Rockville Centre, N.Y., on Feb. 16, 2022. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

Tanker Crashes Into Long Island Building, Causing Huge Blaze

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y.A tanker carrying gasoline lost control, crashed into a vacant building, and burst into flames on Long Island early Wednesday, injuring the truck driver and three firefighters who responded, authorities said.

In a video posted to Twitter, thick black smoke was seen billowing from the Rockville Centre building, which was fully engulfed in flames, while firefighters worked to put out the blaze.

WNBC-TV reported that Chief Fire Marshal James Avondet said authorities received a call about 1:10 a.m.

The roughly 13,000-gallon (59,100-litre) tanker crashed into a vacant La-Z-Boy showroom at North Center Avenue and Sunrise Highway, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of New York City, and spread to another building and the street.

When I came here, there was fire everywhere, the streets, the tanker, the two buildings, and when I looked down Sunrise Highway, there was fire coming out of seven or eight manhole covers, Avondet said.

The building later collapsed. Other businesses in the area were without power as firefighters continued to put out hot spots.

The truck driver was reportedly taken to a hospital for treatment. Three firefighters were hurt, including two who went to a hospital, Avondet said. Details about the extent of their injuries werent immediately released.

Nassau Traffic Management said on Twitter that traffic was closed in both directions and to expect delays in the area that could stretch into the morning rush hour. The cause of the crash was under investigation.
The Canadian Truckers Are the True Inheritors of the American Founding

Commentary

The COVID era we have been living through has been yet another reminder that, basically, there are two kinds of individuals in the worldthose who are more comfortable obeying authority no matter its dictates and those who prefer to think for themselves.

Obviously, its not quite that simplethere are degrees and its a sliding scale, as with so many things.

Many people veer only slightly one way or the other. Still, others make decisions only to enhance their power and can flip-flop with ease. (These are the public officials we see suddenly changing their views on COVID because the public is no longer being so obedient.)

But, at base, most people fit somewhere in these two large categories.

We could call them the communists and the freedom lovers.

Some of the former group squawk at that appellation, not considering themselves Marxists and regarding that as a smear, but that subset would be more upset at a name that is yet more accurate to describe themconformists.

Nobody likes to be called that. A significant number of these people thought of themselves as non-conformist rebels in their youth, yet have become the most abject conformists as they age (cf. Neil Young). They are ready and eager to sign on to such things as government-approved shots without questioning or examining the science.

These very people tend to believe the science, even, actually especially, when their knowledge of science is scant. They also conform to various forms of the conventional left-wing politics we see that are often masks for greed or personal advancement.

Others, a larger subset, are simply conformists by personality, either afraid to go against authority or simply emotionally predisposed to obey. They are, thereforealthough most dont realize italso predisposed to be loyal future members of authoritarian societies, prepared to ignore the many behavioral strictures, near-complete lack of privacy, and even the atrocities that may be committed.

The Canadian truckers are the opposite. They are freedom lovers by dint of personality and character, by their very souls, if you will, and therefore the natural inheritors of the American founding, although few may have read either the U.S. Constitution or the Federalist Papers.

Their nemesis, Justin Trudeau, is practically the paradigm of that quasi-Marxist conformist so common now in the upper reaches of Western politics in North America and Europe. They are, as some have written, what happens when those who used to attack The Man become The Man. They are people whose authenticity disappeared long ago, if it was ever there.

They naturally would hate the truckers, do anything possible to stop them, because the truckers are authentic people and in no way fake. In a sense, they unmask the Trudeaus of the world as phonies by comparison. Nothing like that should be allowed to happen. Arrest them!  And they do.

The proximate cause of the truckers protest is lifting the vaccine mandates. Worthwhile as that is, what they are really fighting for, what many of us see in them, is something more transcendent, even more crucialthe fight for the freedom of the individual against tyrannical government.

They embody the goals of the Founding Fathers to a remarkable degree, speaking out for their rights in peaceful protest.

There is no greater cause than that in these times when tyrannical governments and uber-government globalists, enabled by the terrifying capabilities of modern technology, conspire to eliminate freedom from our lives and dominate us to a degree never before possible in human history.

Standing beside these leaders, as always with autocrats, are all the conformists of the world of various stripes, of whom there are, alas, many.

The brave Canadian truckers arent necessarily the last stand, but they are the greatest stand so far, capturing the public imagination. We can hope they are the beginning of something even bigger.

This struggle between these two sidesthe conformists and the freedom lovershas been going on in different forms from time immemorial, yet you have the sense the battle is heading to a crunch point, if not a conclusion. Some would call this moment religious in nature and they may be right.

Authoritarian governments, led by communist China, are taking progressively more global control at the same time as democratic governments, including the USA, are becoming more authoritarian.

Although there has always been internal conflict, in our lifetimes, America, for the most part, represented freedom lovers. That role isnt as clear now. The Democratic Party has become almost entirely a party of conformists led by authoritarians. The Republicans have a number of such people within their ranks as well.

What do we do about it? We fight for our freedomswhat else? And maybe we borrow a phrase from the left: By any means necessary.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Falklands, China, and Hypersonic Weapons

News Analysis

China used an Olympics summit with Argentina to remind the world that in this 40th anniversary year of the 1982 ArgentineBritish war over the Falkland Islands, Beijing covets the islands and is continuing its decade-plus effort to engineer a new war over them that Argentina can win.

But unlike in 1982, when U.S. President Ronald Reagan would assist British Prime Minister Margaret Thatchers military victory to defeat Argentine aggression and affirm an essential BritishAmerican alliance, China today seeks a new conflict over the Falklands as a fulcrum to displace U.S. power in its own hemisphere, increase its control over Antarctica, and protect south polar routes for its new hypersonic weapons to attack the United States.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez met with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Feb. 6, with Chinese state media reporting that day, Argentina reaffirms its adherence to the one-China principle, whereas China reaffirms its support for Argentinas demand for the full exercise of sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss retorted the same day, China must respect the Falklands sovereignty.

But it doesnt. The Chinese regime supports Argentinas desire, eventually, to invade and conquer the Falklands and in return, Argentina supports the regimes desire to invade and conquer democratic Taiwan.

Before one concludes that this is an extreme assessment, consider that China may be in its second attempt in the past decade to begin rearming Argentina so that it can conduct a new Falklands war.

Argentinas flag bearers Francesca Baruzzi and Franco Dal Farra lead the delegation during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the National Stadium, known as the Birds Nest, in Beijing, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images)

On Jan. 21, the authoritative Spanish defense-issue website Infodefensa.com reported that Argentine Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja had met with Chinas Norinco Corp. to discuss the acquisition of eight-by-eight-wheel armored personnel carriers.

It was also reported that Narvaja met with the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corp. (CATIC) to discuss the purchase of third-generation, or Block 3, versions of the Chengdu Aircraft Corp.Pakistan JF-17 multirole fighter.

On Feb. 10, Argentinas Mercopress reported that Fernandez signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Beijing that may advance a JF-17 sale when a Chinese delegation visits Argentina in March.

This is the second ChineseArgentine prelude to a military buildup. In 2015, the government of former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was discussing the purchase of about 100 Norinco VN-1 amphibious armored fighting vehicles, about 24 of an earlier version of the JF-17 fighter, and up to five new corvette-size anti-ship-missile-armed warships.

The JF-17 Block 3 is equipped with an advanced electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and should it be armed with the 124-mile range PL-15 air-to-air missile, it would be competitive with the Lockheed Martin F-35B fighter jets that Britain is putting on its new aircraft carriers.

If these initial sales are successful, you can expect China to make it easy for Argentina to obtain new 150-mile range HQ-9B surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), new Chinese mini-submarines, and even 1,056-mile range DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles.

Fernandez de Kirchner is now Argentinas vice president, but during her term in 2012, Argentina became a military-space partner of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) when it agreed to a 50-year lease for a Chinese space tracking and control base in Argentinas Neuquen Province.

For China, such space tracking and control bases are controlled by the PLA. Not only does the PLA now have a strategic foothold in the Southern Cone of Latin America from its base in Argentina, it can now better control new fractional orbital bombardment systems (FOBS), armed with new maneuverable hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) warheads.

The PLAs new FOBS-HGV can be first-strike nuclear weapons that are launched into orbit, flying over the South Pole to then fly north to attack the United States from its much less defended southern approaches.

How best, then, to secure Chinas new space base in Argentina and increase its control over Antarctica than by engineering a war that could help it to displace American power in Latin America?

For the next Falklands war, the strategic lineup could be far different, in that the new leftist China-enamored government of Gabriel Boric in Chile, plus a possible new left-leaning government in Brazil, may offer direct military support for Argentinaagainst Britain and the United States if it joined Londons defense.

Further, China itself could provide direct military assistance to Argentina, from basing 2,400-mile range DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles in Venezuela to sink the Royal Navys two new aircraft carriers in the mid-Atlantic, to deploying PLA Navy aircraft carrier battle groups to assist Argentina.

An actual war may not even be necessary. A Chinese rearming of Argentina combined with PLA force deployment demonstrations and joint exercises with Chile, Brazil, and Argentina may be sufficient to scare Britain into negotiations to cede the Falklands.

But be assured, such a victory wouldnt be regarded in Latin America as an Argentine victory over Britain, but more essentially as a Chinese victory over the United States in its own hemisphere.

Chinas hard work over the past 30 years to become the dominant commercial partner for most Latin statesaccelerated by more Latin countries joining its Belt and Road Initiative (so far, 20 in Latin America and the Caribbean)would then lead to China being welcomed as the new strategic-military partner, displacing former military relationships with the United States.

Chinese-chartered merchant ship Cosco Shipping Panama crosses the new Agua Clara Locks during the inauguration of the expansion of the Panama Canal in this undated file photo. China is continuing its push to displace U.S. influence in the region, and already has put parts of the Panama Canal under its control. (Rodrigo Arangua/AFP/Getty Images)

One of Chinas first gains could be winning control of investments to build new ports and airfields in the Falklands that would lead to a regular PLA presence, enabling the closure of Cape Horn transits for U.S. Navy ships.

But today, as Washington cant afford to let the Falklands slide into Chinese control, the United States should also be considering how those islands can contribute to Americas and Europes defense against PLA FOBS-HGV nuclear weapons.

Deterring a Chinese-engineered war over the Falklands requires not just heightened political and military vigilance over Chinese advances in Latin America, but also the active undermining of Beijing-supported dictatorships in Venezuela and Cuba, and making sure the global balance of power doesnt shift to a ChinaRussia axis.

This would require that the U.S. Navy has the ships to spare for power projection missions to Latin America, and that the Royal Navy becomes part of joint naval diplomacy in that region, as it also highlights the need for greater activism to prevent Chinese strategic gains in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, all to prevent China from gaining leverage to dominate Antarctica. This, in turn, will require strategic engagement with India, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin states.

A Chinese-engineered war over the Falkland Islands isnt just about Argentina or Britain, it is about communist Chinas quest for a global hegemony that will threaten the prosperity and security of all democracies.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Wuhan is more than the pandemics epicenter; its also the focus of another sinister problemthe fentanyl epidemic.

This synthetic opioid kills one American every eight and a half minutes. Officials say its just a few clicks away, and may be delivered to your doorstep without you even knowing it.

And a seemingly pro-Beijing man in Flushing has been handcuffed by New York police. The arrest comes after he wreaked havoc on street booths four times in the last week. The attacks involve a spiritual practice that faces persecution in China.

At-home virus test kits are sweeping the U.S. market, with clients ranging from the White House to state governments. One catch: millions of them are made in China.

Chinese firms are trying to raise money from U.S. investors, again. And a senior economics analyst says more Chinese companies may come looking for revenue in the future, if they find what theyre after.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China.

For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter.
The New Anti-Economics

Commentary

Economics is about human action and choice within the context of scarcity. The problem facing economists is understanding and explaining human betterment, which is another way of saying production. The critical question, posed correctly by economist Per Bylund, starts with scarcity as the default point for understanding purposive human behavior.

What causes #poverty? Nothing. It's the original state, the default and starting point. The real question is, What causes #prosperity?  Per Bylund (@PerBylund) November 15, 2015

Anti-economics, by contrast, starts with abundance and works backward. It emphasizes redistribution, not production, as its central focus. At the heart of anti-economics is a positivist worldview, the assumption that individuals and economies can be commanded by legislative fiat. Markets, which happen without centralized organization, give way to planning in the same way common law gives way to statutory law. This view is especially prevalent among leftist intellectuals, who view economics not as a science at all but rather as a pseudo-intellectual exercise to justify capital and wealthy business interests.

Anti-economics isnt new; even alchemy might be considered a medieval version of the endless quest to achieve something for nothing. It holds enduring appeal in modern politics and academia, where communism, chartalism, Keynesianism, and monetarism all represent 20th-century variations on the central theme of commanding economic activity.

But todays most visible version of anti-economics takes the form of Modern Monetary Theory. MMT is featured heavily in a recent flattering profile of professor Stephanie Kelton in The New York Times, Is This What Winning Looks Like? Winning in this context refers to MMTs growing popular appeal, with Kelton as the public face following her 2020 book The Deficit Myth.

Keltons MMT is a political and fiscal program, not a macroeconomic theory. It states that deficits dont matter because money issued by a sovereign government is never constrained (unlike resources, as Kelton admits). Thus governments dont pay for things the way individuals or businesses do, and public debt is actually a private benefit to someone. The problem isnt paying for government programs, but rather identifying themrobust public works, job guarantees, universal basic income, food and housing, Green New Deal programs, Medicare for All, and so forthand more importantly, creating the public will to support them politically.

In Keltons words, MMT teaches us to ask not How will you pay for it? but How will you resource it? It shows us that if we have the technological know-how and the available resourcesto put a man on the moon or embark on a Green New Deal to tackle climate changethen funding to carry out those missions can always be made available. Coming up with the money is the easy part.

The Deficit Myth, in sum, is what one commenter called a plea to use permanent wartime mobilization for civilian ends. Endless stimulation, not better and cheaper production, is the goal of fiscal (or monetary) policy.

This is anti-economics in its fullest expression. Resources exist (from whence?); are commanded by or at least available to the state, if not outright owned by the state (taxes? seizure? forfeiture?); and then are put in service of an undefined political mandate (what we want). Funding is an afterthought, as the fiscal authority creates money as needed.

But in fairness to Kelton, the U.S. federal government in 2020 spent roughly twice ($6.5 trillion) what it raised in taxes ($3.4 trillion). In a very narrow sense, MMT works in the short term for the benefit of politically favored groups. This is the seen. But proper economics, as Hazlitt and Bastiat said, requires looking at the long-term effects of a policy on everyone. This is the unseen. For MMTers, the vast opportunity costs of government spending, even when the economy is nowhere near full employment, go unseen.

Perversely, media critics countered criticisms of Keltons Times feature on the grounds of sexism. She is lauded, not surprisingly, as a rare standout in the male-dominated field of academic economics. The attacks on her work, were told, come from older jealous white men (such as former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers) who dont appreciate the new economics she proposesand who envy the attention she has brought not only to herself and MMT, but to the broader push for egalitarian economic justice. After all, Kelton served as an economic adviser to Democratic Socialist presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and supported Elizabeth Warren. By contrast, old neoliberals such as Summers still support the outdated idea of fiscal constraints.

But beyond the absurd allegations of sexismsurely Kelton knows how merciless Twitter and other platforms are to everyoneis the more alarming suggestion that the practice of economics is too male and needs a female version. Economics is too adversarial, too concerned with being right, and in need of a more collaborative (read: female) approach. The implications of this for all social sciences, not just economics, are staggering: We would upend the search for knowledge to reflect a different logic between men and womenwhat Mises called polylogism. Wouldnt this require an entirely new epistemology across all scientific disciplines?

None of these diversions will allow us to escape reality. Economics starts and ends with scarcity, an inescapable feature of human reality. Any conception of freedom from material and human constraints requires a post-economics world, either an earthly utopia or a heavenly abundance. In our world, however rich relative to the past, scarcity is the starting point of economic analysis. In our world, individual human actors make rational choices only within the context of constraints: time, capital, intelligence, ability, health, and location. And every choice has an opportunity cost.

Professional economics is in big trouble, and only an aggressive new generation of Austrian-trained praxeologists can undo the damage done by the prescriptive and political anti-economists.

From Mises.org.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Australian Navy's HMAS Adelaide docked at Vuna Wharf in Tonga's capital Nukualofa, on Jan. 26, 2022, to deliver aid following the Jan. 15 eruption of the nearby Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai underwater volcano. (Mary Lyn Fonua/Matangi Tonga/AFP via Getty Images)

Tongas COVID-19 Cases Reach at Least 139, One Case Involves 5-Month-Old Infant

Tongas total COVID-19 cases reached at least 139 on Monday, with the youngest case involving a 5-month-old infant, local media reported, following the emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant in the tsunami-hit nation.

Of those cases, 133 were from Tongatapu and six from Vavau villages.

Tongan health minister Saia Piukala said only one patient required oxygen due to asthma, whilst the others showed mild symptoms, local outlet Matangi Tonga Online reported.

The oldest case is a 63-year-old patient, Piukala said, adding that all infected children aged 12 and above have been immunized. He said that 1,344 residents in Tonga are still unvaccinated.

The Pacific Island nation sees a spike in its CCP (Chinese Communist Party) viruscommonly known as the novel coronaviruscases after tests submitted to Australia last week confirmed that the Omicron variant had arrived in Tonga.

While scientific evidence suggests that Omicron has less severity than the likes of Delta, Piukala emphasized that the variant could spread rapidly in Tonga, which previously reported only one case of infection since the pandemic began.

A person sick with the Delta variant can spread it to another one to three people, while a person sick with the Omicron variant can spread it to up to seven or eight people, he told reporters.

The nation has been placed under lockdown after two workers at the Nukualofa port tested positive for the CCP virus. All inter-island shipments and flights had been suspended, while residents were urged to wear masks in public.

Tonga has been receiving humanitarian supplies from various countries since the Hunga Tonga-Hunga-Haapai volcano eruption and subsequent tsunami on Jan. 15, which wiped out an entire village on one of its small outer islands and killed at least three people.

A satellite image of the underwater volcanic eruption in Tonga reaching into the stratosphere on Jan. 15, 2022. (AAP Image/Tonga Meteorological Services, Government of Tonga)

The World Bank on Monday estimated the eruption, tsunami, and ash fall had caused $90.4 million in damages, which is equivalent to 18.5 percent of Tongas gross domestic product.

NASA said the undersea volcano eruption was hundreds of times stronger than the Hiroshima nuclear explosion.

For comparison, scientists estimate Mount St. Helens exploded in 1980 with 24 megatons and Krakatoa burst in 1883 with 200 megatons of energy, NASA said in a statement.

Jim Garvin, a chief scientist at NASA, and his colleagues have been monitoring changes in Tonga since a new land rose above the water surface in 2015 and joined two existing lands. They used a combination of satellite observations and surface-based geophysical surveys to track the changes in the Pacific Island nation.

This is a preliminary estimate, but we think the amount of energy released by the eruption was equivalent to somewhere between 4 to 18 megatons of TNT, Garvin said.

That number is based on how much was removed, how resistant the rock was, and how high the eruption cloud was blown into the atmosphere at a range of velocities.
Trudeau Criticized by Tories, Bloc for Resorting to Emergencies Act

Opposition MPs are criticizing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for resorting to the Emergencies Act to deal with ongoing protests in Ottawa without first making any attempt to engage in dialogue with protesters.

MPs made the comments during question period on Feb. 15, saying the unprecedented move to use the Act in response to the trucker convoy was premature.

Does the Prime Minister really believe that invoking this law should be the first real step the government takes to respond to the siege in Ottawa? said Bloc Quebecois MP Kristina Michaud in the House of Commons.

He did not send his share of the 1,800 law enforcement officers requested by the City of Ottawa. He did not set up a crisis task force comprising all levels of government and all police forces. He did not consult his Quebec and provincial partners before informing them of his decision to invoke the Emergencies Act.

While invoking the Act on Feb. 14, Trudeau had said that it is not something to take lightly. Its not the first thing you turn to, nor the second nor the third.

Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri seized on that statement during Question Period, asking Trudeau, Can the prime minister please tell Canadians what first, second, and third actions he took before invoking the Emergencies Act?

Trucks and protesters block downtown streets near the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa on Feb. 15, 2022. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

For 17 days, the Prime Minister did not lift a finger to help with what was happening here in Ottawa, said Conservative MP Gerard Deltell.

At one point, he insulted those who were not listening to him and who did not share his point of view. As a result, [on Feb. 14], the Prime Minister invoked a law that has not been used in 50 years.

Trudeau responded that From the start, we have been working responsibly with local authorities and the various levels of government to deal with these illegal blockades.

Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino also highlighted the RCMPs contribution.

There are three installments of police reinforcements helping the police here in Ottawa. In addition, members of the RCMP have done a lot of good work, not just here in Ottawa but also in Windsor, where the Ambassador Bridge has now reopened, he said.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who supports the use of the Act, said the standoff in Ottawa is due to a failure to take the crisis seriously at all levels of government, implying more serious measures should have been taken from the start of the protest. He said the authorities were reluctant to act against the protesters because of their race.

Now we are seeing indigenous and racialized people look at the double standard of how the convoy is being treated compared to those protesters, Singh said.

Epoch Times reporters in Ottawa have observed protest participants of all ethnic backgrounds and faiths expressing support for the truckers, as have hundreds of videos of supporters posted online.

Blacklocks Reporter wrote on Feb. 15 that briefing notes it obtained concerning the 2020 blockades at ports and railways by activists opposed to pipelines crossing First Nations territory had been tolerated by cabinet, as protesters were exercising important democratic rights.

Conservative MPs had opposed these blockades, and this point has been used by the government to criticize the Tories who have expressed support for the Freedom Convoy which seeks to lift all COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.

It was the former leader of the Conservative Party [Andrew Sheer]  who once said that it was completely unacceptable for protests to block essential infrastructure. What is the Conservative Party doing today? It is out there taking photos, tweeting, and encouraging protesters, which is irresponsible, considering the protests are costing billions of dollars. It is completely irresponsible, said government House Leader Mark Holland.

Holland was replying to a Conservative MPs assertion that Trudeau is using the Emergencies Act to specifically target the people he had already painted with derogatory terms.

Blockades should come down. They are already coming down across this country, but now the Prime Minister has invoked the Emergencies Act to punish Canadians who, in his words, hold unacceptable views. Why is the Prime Minister punishing Canadians for their political views? said Conservative MP Dane Lloyd.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a media availability about the ongoing protests in Ottawa and blockades at various Canada-U.S. borders, in West Block on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa on Feb. 11, 2022. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Trudeau Mum on When Emergency Measures Will Be Debated

During the first question period after invoking the Emergencies Act for the first time on Feb. 14, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked by the Tories when this extreme measure would be debated in the House of Commons.

Twenty-four hours in and there are more questions than answersquestions about whether this is justified, questions around if the criteria is met, questions around what this means to Canadians rights and freedoms. Parliamentary approval is required in order for the prime minister to use this unprecedented sledgehammer, said interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen.

Opponents of the Emergencies Acts use, such as civil liberties and constitutional rights groups, say the current situation does not meet the threshold for its implementation, and so debates in the House of Commons could help to flesh out the governments narrative for invoking it.

So can the prime minister tell us when will Parliament be debating this? Will it be coming to us on Friday? And does he expect that we will look at it Friday but then rise, take a week off, and not actually deal with this until March? Bergen said.

Trudeau did not answer directly, saying that before invoking the Act he consulted with his cabinet, his caucus, the premiers, and the opposition leaders.

The scope of these measures are time-limited and geographically-targeted. They are reasonable and proportionate to the threats theyre meant to address. And they are fully to be compliant with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to reassure all Canadians that this is the right thing to move forward, Trudeau said.

Bergen questioned if invoking the Act would instead make things worse, now that the blockades of Coutts in Alberta and the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., are cleared.

She also referred to her recent motion calling for a plan to end federal mandates that was defeated by the Liberals and NDP on Feb. 14, asking Trudeau when he would end the divisive, outdated, and unscientific mandates and restrictions.

In response, Trudeau accused Tories of playing crass political games and divide.

The cross-country movement of protests was started by truck drivers asking for the lifting of COVID-19 vaccination requirement for drivers crossing the U.S.-Canada border. As more supporters joined the movement, many are now asking for an end to all COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. Many protesters are saying they will remain in Ottawa until the government lifts the mandates.

Trudeau has refused to meet with protesters and hear their concerns, while linking them with racism and hatred, a charge the protest organizers deny, saying they are peaceful.

Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14 for the first time since it replaced the War Measures Act in 1988.

The government is required to table its declaration in the Parliament within seven days, and a parliamentary committee will oversee the issue while the emergency is in effect, officials speaking on background said at a press conference on Feb. 15.

With emergency powers, the federal government will be able to compel towing companies to help remove the trucks blocking the streets of Ottawa, and also crack down on financing by allowing banks to freeze the accounts of the protesters and supporters. Fines and prison sentences will also be easier to hand out to participants under the Act.

The premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec are opposed to the federal governments move to invoke the Act.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec have either ended their vaccine passport programs, or intend to end them in the near future.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) logo is pictured on a wall after a news conference to discuss alleged fraud by Russian Diplomats in New York, on Dec. 5, 2013. (Carlo Allegri/file/Reuters)

Two Former Hawaii Lawmakers Who Defrauded Citizens When They Accepted Bribes Plead Guilty: DOJ

Two former Hawaii lawmakers who allegedly defrauded citizens of the state when they took part in a bribery scheme to benefit a company pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony charges, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) announced.

Jamie Kalani English, 54, and Ty Cullen, 41, were charged with one count each of honest services wire fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on July 5 and face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if found guilty.

However, the sentences they receive will depend on various factors, including reductions for taking responsibility by pleading guilty early.

English, a Democratic state senator and Senate Majority Leader, represented Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe from 2000 until 2021 while Cullen was a Democratic state representative for communities including Village Park, Waipahu, Royal Kunia, West Loch, and Makakilo since 2013.

According to the DOJ, the defendants defrauded the citizens of the State of Hawaii of their right to honest and faithful services as elected legislators through bribery and concealment of material information.

Prosecutors claim that both English and Cullen accepted multiple bribes in return for performing, and agreeing to perform, official legislative acts over several years on behalf of a Hawaii businessperson, identified as Person A in court documents.

The bribes, or gifts, included cash and hotel rooms, among other things, prosecutors said.

However, English and Cullen failed to report any of the bribes and gifts paid and given to them by Person A in their annual mandatory gift disclosure reports, prosecutors said.

As a part of their official gift disclosure submissions, English and Cullen emailed this false and misleading disclosure form, thereby using interstate commerce, the DOJ said.

Specifically, in 2019, English received two hotel rooms in Las Vegas, where he was attending a concert, by the businessperson.

In return, English later allegedly emailed the businessperson a draft legislative report concerning cesspools which could directly benefit Person As company.

In that same year, English asked the businessperson to host him and his family at a local Honolulu restaurant for dinner. While the businessperson could not attend, he allegedly provided $500 to English for the dinner, which English accepted.

A year later, English introduced into law a Senate bill involving cesspools that could directly benefit Person As company. In return for introducing the bill, prosecutors said, the businessperson paid English $1,000.

However, a few months later in March, the businessperson offered English $10,000 in cash to kill that very same bill, which English allegedly accepted, stating its easy to kill bills.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bill did not advance.

In another instance, English allegedly accepted another $5,000 from the businessperson in return for anticipated legislative assistance. That money, prosecutors said, was hidden by English under a mat in his vehicle during a subsequent law enforcement traffic stop.

Cullen, meanwhile, also benefited from a series of bribes over several years by the businessperson, the DOJ said.

These included casino chips in New Orleans in return for supporting legislation that would benefit the businesspersons company and $5,000 for anticipated legislative assistance that would also benefit their company.

Cullen also accepted payments in the amounts of $3,000 in December 2019, $5,000 in January 2020, and then $10,000 on March 10, 2020, $2,000 in June 2021 and $5,000 in October 2021.

The payments were made to Cullen from the businessperson for the purpose of influencing Cullen to support or manipulate legislation that would benefit their company, prosecutors said.

As part of a plea deal, English agreed to forfeit $15,305 and Cullen will forfeit $23,000, according to Hawaii News Now. Both were released on a $50,000 bond on several conditions, including surrendering their passports and other travel documents, according to the report.

Cullen resigned from the state House of Representatives last week shortly before federal prosecutors announced charges against him and English.

English retired in May, citing the long-term effects of COVID-19, which he said he is still receiving twice-weekly treatments for.

The Epoch Times could not reach lawyers for English and Cullen for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tyson Foods employees are seen wearing protective masks and standing between plastic dividers at the companys poultry processing plant in Camilla, Ga., in a file photo. (Tyson Foods via AP)

Tyson Foods Eases Mask Mandate At Some US Facilities, But Not At Meatpacking Plants

Tyson Foods said on Feb. 15, that it would lift its mask mandate for fully vaccinated employees at certain U.S. facilities, except those working at meatpacking plants for now.

The meatpacking company said that its new policy applies to employees at facilities not under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Employees at its corporate offices, distribution centers, feed mills, and some production facilities inspected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can go without masks if state and local laws allow it, said Tyson spokesman Derek Burleson.

Were definitely working with USDA on what this might look like at each of our FSIS-inspected facilities, said Burleson, and that were working to try to expand this to more facilities.

The meat processor will work with the federal food regulator to potentially extend the policy to workers in meatpacking plants who are not in contact with government inspectors, said Burleson, but he added that the policy does not yet impact most Tyson employees.

Tyson was one of the first large businesses in the United States to mandate vaccines for its employees, and it will follow other employers like Amazon and Walmart in relaxing mask requirements, as the number of active cases across the country declines.

The produce company, which employs more than 120,000 workers in around a dozen states, required workers to be vaccinated last year.

Slaughterhouses became hot spots for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus early in the pandemic, which caused a crisis in the meatpacking industry when thousands of worker infections temporarily caused a shutdown.

Long hours in close proximity with hundreds of fellow workers in the production facilities increased the vulnerability of infection towards the virus.

President Donald J. Trump, declared in April 2020, that meat production plants were critical infrastructure after weeks of lobbying led by Tyson, and he allowed the plants to remain open despite a growing number of cases among the workers.

USDA requirement mandates that plant workers wear masks when federal inspectors are present at facilities in geographic areas that are at high risk or have large concentrations of infections.

Rising cases of the Omicron variant in January, again forced production plants to slow production.

Tyson has spent more than $810 million on CCP virus safety measures and has appointed its first chief medical officer.

It now conducts plant-wide virus testing on a regular basis and offers new on-site medical services.

Due to our many efforts and, most importantly, our enterprise wide vaccinated status, weve seen lower rates of COVID-19 infection, as well as extremely low rates of serious illness at Tyson, said Tom Brower, Tysons senior vice president of health and safety, and that in recent weeks the number of active cases at Tyson has declined significantly, in a memo to employees.

Tyson defines full vaccination status as two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna shots, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot, said Brower.

The company is hosting more than 100 clinics that offer booster shots and it strongly encourages booster shots for all employees.

Masks will be provided for employees who chose to wear them and will be kept on hand in case of new variants.

The company said it will soon let employees know which plants and offices will be affected by the change.

Reuters contributed to this report.
UK Partners With Japan To Build Fighter Jet Sensor

The United Kingdom and Japan on Tuesday signed a letter of arrangement to pursue cooperative research on a world-leading fighter jet sensor beginning in April, the British Ministry of Defense said.

The project, known as Jaguar, will be designed to allow the armed forces to better detect future threats from air, land, and sea quickly and denying surveillance technology operated by their adversaries.

The ministry said that the process of developing the system would take around five years, involving input from aerospace company Leonardo UK and its counterpart in the Japanese industry.

Two technology demonstrators will be built as part of the project, with one going to each country, it added.

This crucial relationship will see us acquire truly advanced technology to protect our nations for decades to come whilst creating significant investment and highly-skilled jobs in the UK and Japan, Jeremy Quin, defense procurement minister, said in a statement.

Norman Bone, a chief executive of Leonardo UK, praised Japan for its strong and growing combat air industry and deemed it a natural fit for Leonardo.

As the UKs combat air electronics champion and a founding member of Tempest, were keen to work with our international allies where their industry has similarly advanced capabilities, bringing together the best of both partners, Bone said.

The project is expected to create 75 jobs across the UK, including 40 highly-skilled engineering jobs at Leonardos Edinburgh site in Scotland. The ministry said that the agreement with Japan occurs alongside Britains growing partnership with European nations.

During the next four years, the UK is investing more than 2 billion ($2.7 billion) into its major national and international endeavor to design a world-leading future combat air system, the ministry said.

The cooperative research follows the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the UK and Japan last December on joint technologies.

In September last year, Japan and the UK agreed to commence formal negotiations on a reciprocal access agreement, which aims to deepen the defense ties between the armed forces of both nations.

Japans Foreign Ministry described the agreement as a legal framework that enhances the security and defense cooperation between the two nations to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Japan is Britains close security partner in Asia, with shared values and common strategic interests. This sends a clear signal about our determination to deepen bilateral defense cooperation, and the UKs commitment to the Indo Pacific region, Britain defense secretary Ben Wallace said.
A man receives a vaccine at the Museum of science and technology in Milan, Italy, on Nov. 4, 2020. (Luca Bruno/The Associated Press)

Italy Bars Unvaccinated Adults Aged 50 and Older From Workplaces

Starting on Feb. 22, all Italian employees in the public or private sector aged 50 and older will need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination via the countrys super green pass in order to enter their workplace.

The super green passa type of vaccine passportis also required to enter most venues in Italy.

The vaccination requirement, which is part of a rule that was published on Jan. 7, will be enforced on anyone living in Italy aged 50 and older or anyone slated to turn 50 by June 15, according to The Local. The rule applies to foreign nationals, freelance workers, and unemployed individuals.

An Italian woman who isnt vaccinated said new social norms have emerged over the past few months, essentially targeting unvaccinated people.

People wont say hello to me anymore on the street, Patrizia Bianco, 55, told The Wall Street Journal in January. If I take a step toward them, they take a step back. Its sad.

Those who arent vaccinated and enter their workplace can face fines of 600 euros ($680) and 1,500 euros ($1,700), according to the decree. Repeat violations mean that those fines are doubled, and employers who dont enforce state rules are also subject to fines between 400 euros ($455) and 1,000 euros ($1,135).

A protester holding the Italian flag sits before anti-riot policemen during a demonstration against the new restrictions imposed by the so-called super green pass, near Piazza San Giovanni in Rome on Jan. 15, 2022. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images)

Studies have shown that the Omicron coronavirus variant and sub-variant affect fully vaccinated and boosted individuals as well as unvaccinated people. A paper published by the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark, and Statens Serum Institut in late January found that the BA.2 subvariant infects people regardless of vaccination status.

Italys COVID-19 infection numbers have plummeted in recent weeks. About 51,000 new cases were reported on Feb. 13, as compared with more than 62,000 reported a week prior, according to ANSA.

Despite the falling case numbers, Health Minister Roberto Speranza told Italian media outlets over the weekend that we must still insist on vaccination for people aged 50 and older.

The more we dry out the unvaccinated areas, the safer the country is, Speranza said. The requirement for over-50s is a correct decision that puts us in a position to look to the coming months with greater confidence.

Speranza didnt make note of natural immunity or the apparent ease in which the Omicron variant and subvariant infects fully vaccinated individuals.

In nearby Austria, President Alexander Van der Bellen signed a bill into law earlier this month that requires compulsory vaccinations for all adults, aged 18 and older with few exceptions. Those who are found to not have proof of vaccination or an exemption face an initial fine of 600 euros ($680) and additional fines of up to 3,600 euros ($4,100).

Individuals can be fined up to four times per year, and the law will last until January 2024.
U.S. President Joe Biden (center) hosts a Quad Leaders Summit along with Indian PM Narendra Modi, Australian PM Scott Morrison, and Japanese PM Suga Yoshihide in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Sept. 24, 2021. The four leaders are expected to discuss a range of topics including a free and open Indo-Pacific ocean region. (Pool/Getty Images)

US-led Indo-Pacific Strategy Is a Solid Step to Countering Chinas Aggression

News Analysis

The Biden administration now pledges to intensify U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific to counter communist Chinas growing aggression in the region.

The future of each of our nationsand indeed the world depends on a free and open Pacific, President Joe Biden said in a speech at the first Quad leaders summit on Sept. 24, 2021. The Quad consists of the United States, India, Australia, and Japan.

On Feb. 11, the White House released its Indo-Pacific Strategy white paper, which states that regional governments should have the freedom to make their own sovereign choices, free of coercion. This includes maintaining a rules-based approach to the management and shared usage of the maritime domain, including in the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

According to the paper, the Trump administration recognized the Indo-Pacific as the worlds center of gravity.

In reference to the paper, a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters: Our China strategy is global in scope. It recognizes the Indo-Pacific is a particularly intense region of competition.

The White House is justified in seeing the China threat as not being limited to the Asia-Pacific, but rather as a global issue, shared by all nations.

Beijings Aggression

The Chinese regime is mobilizing its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to extend its reach and dominance across the globe. And in the process, it has bullied other countries.

US and Allies Counter Chinas Threats

The Indo-Pacific strategy depends on defense agreements with Americas regional allies, many of whom have had recent or ongoing disputes with China. These include Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand. Through existing pactssuch as AUKUS, the Five Eyes, and the Quadthe defense strategy includes Australia, the United Kingdom, India, and New Zealand. The white paper also calls for alignment with the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which have a shared interest in opposing Chinese hegemony.

Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group conducts a passing honors ceremony with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force on Sept. 19, 2021. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Haydn N. Smith)

The U.S. defense plans for the maintenance of a free Indo-Pacific is predicated on preserving the independence of Taiwan. The Taiwanese submarine fleet would play an integral role, along with the U.S. and Australian fleets, in containing the Chinese Navy within the atolls south of Japan, east of Taiwan and north of Malaysia. This would then allow the U.S. Seventh Fleet to control Chinas access to oil, shipped through the Malacca Straits.

The white paper states that the United States will will defend our interests, deter military aggression against our own country and our allies and partnersincluding across the Taiwan Strait.

The mere mention of the Taiwan Strait suggests an intensifying U.S. commitment to the preservation of Taiwan. Through the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States is already committed to providing Taiwan with weapons to defend itself. In January 2022, the Arm Taiwan Act was introduced in the U.S. Congress, which would intensify the United States commitment to Taiwans defense.

The white paper also mentions the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which the Biden administration plans to launch in the coming months. This multilateral partnership will serve as the basis for increased U.S. trade, investment, and diplomatic relations with the region. The economic strategy sets out to ensure freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of information, devoid of manipulation. These goals dovetail with establishing a reliable and secure internet, trustworthy global telecommunications and 5G, as well as Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) technology.

Improving the quality of democracy in the region is another goal, which includes supporting democratic institutions, the rule of law, transparency, and government accountability. This, along with increased trade and investment from the United States, should put countries in a better position to stand up to Beijings economic coercion.

In order to improve the standard of living in the region, the United States plans to target its economic engagement toward developing innovation and strengthening economic competitiveness, which will lead to the creation of good-paying jobs.

Building and securing regional supply chain networks is another priority. To this end, the paper stresses the importance of coordinating with ASEAN partners as well strengthening trade and investment ties with those nations.

Ultimately, the Indo-Pacific Strategy white paper calls for a coordinated effort between the United States and its allies. In short, the White House is calling on more than one-third of the worlds population to present a united front against the Chinese regime.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
USPeru Human Trafficking Operation Sees 3 Arrests, 4 Victims Rescued

Three individuals were arrested and four sex-trafficking victims rescued in a human trafficking operation conducted by the United States and Peru in the Peruvian town of La Pampa, Madre de Dios.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Peruvian National Police (PNP) on Feb. 5 were alerted to a case after a mother filed a police report about an alleged trafficking event in the region involving her daughter.

The victim escaped the following day to the city of Puerto Maldonado and alerted ICEs Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division, PNP, and a Peruvian prosecutor, during an interview about other potential victims.

A human trafficking sting coordinated by the groups on Feb. 7 led to the rescue of two additional victims, as well as the arrest of Monica Baca Munoz, Guicela Baca Munoz, and a third individual.

Two of the individuals were arrested for trafficking in persons/sexual exploitation under Peruvian law, ICE said in a news release.

Human trafficking is a heinous crime that victimizes millions of innocent people around the world, HSI Lima Assistant Attache Paul Salamon said in a statement. This successful operation shows the importance of international collaboration when it comes to disrupting criminal organizations.

Our hope is that more victims come forward so that we can help remove them from harms way and put the perpetrators behind bars.

According to nonprofit organization Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Peru is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.

CRS, which works to prevent human trafficking and to protect the victims, notes that Peruvian women and girls are exploited in sex trafficking within the country, particularly in areas with logging, agriculture, brick-making, and illegal gold miningoften recruited through false employment offers.

Women and girls exploited near mining communities are often unable to leave because of the high cost of transportation and the remoteness of the camps.

Rights groups say its often parents and relatives who sell their children into the sex trade, driven by poverty.

In some cases, women and girls from across Peru travel along the Amazon river to reach Madre de Rios on their own accord, in search of jobs and a better life.

Poor, uneducated, and unemployed women and girls are vulnerable to recruiters false promises of work as cooks, cleaners, and waitresses, after which theyre often forced into commercial sex work.

The Peruvian anti-human trafficking group CHS Alternativo says there are at least 400 bars in Madre de Dios alone where child sexual exploitation takes place, with girls working 13 hours a day.

Teenage girls and women are also trapped in debt bondage. Once at the mining camps, traffickers tell them they have to pay for transport, food, and accommodation.

Reuters contributed to this report.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai addresses the Geneva Graduate Institute on the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the global economy and U.S. policy priorities ahead of the 12th Ministerial Conference in Geneva, Switzerland on Oct. 14, 2021. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

USTR Report Details Beijings Flouting of WTO Norms

Beijing has deliberately fallen far short of both the letter and spirit of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, requirements, and standards, according to a report issued by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).

Covering calendar year 2021, the document is the 20th such annual report prepared in accordance with the U.S.China Relations Act of 2000, and assesses both Chinas record of WTO compliance and Chinas adherence to bilateral commitments made to the United States.

China has not moved to embrace the market-oriented principles on which the WTO and its rules are based, despite the representations that it made when it joined 20 years ago, USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai said in a Feb. 16 statement.

The report presents a range of data in support of its contention that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Beijing arent just guilty of an incidental violation of WTO rules and standards, but a general, chronic flouting of even the most minimal standards of compliance and fair play, and that the violations have gotten worse, not better, over time.

The Original Commitment

All nations that have joined the WTO have ostensibly done so with a full understanding of the expectations set forth in the Marrakesh Declaration of April 1994, which marked the end of the Uruguay Round negotiations, the report states. On that occasion, WTO members explicitly affirmed that the nature and purpose of the WTO is to promote a new age of economic cooperation characterized by a fair and transparent multilateral trading system.

Adherence to Uruguay Round decisions and agreements meant pursuing open, market-oriented policies, and the members of the WTO understood that an authoritarian, state-dominated approach making use of heavy-handed embargoes and economic coercion was anathema to the commitments they had made.

It was also not contemplated that any WTO member would pursue mercantilist outcomes instead of policies promoting a fairer and more open multilateral trading system. Rather, it was expected that each WTO member would pursue open, market-oriented policies designed to achieve more efficient outcomes, the report states (pdf).

China entered the WTO in December 2001 on the explicit condition that Chinese leaders agreed to pursue this classical liberal, free-market approach. For their part, other WTO members welcomed China on the understanding that the nations leaders would scrap state-dominated mercantilist practices and policies as part of the transition to a free-market system. Because of the amount of progress China needed to make to realize these goals, the nations WTO membership came with certain special safeguards providing for regular reviews of that progress and assessments of how far China still had to go.

Expectations Versus Reality

Those who had high hopes for China in the years since its WTO admission may find the report a sobering read.

China has a poor record when it comes to complying with WTO rules and observing the fundamental principles on which the WTO agreements are basednon-discrimination, openness, reciprocity, fairness and transparency, the report states. Too often, China flouts the rules to achieve industrial policy objectives. In addition, and of more serious concern to the United States and other WTO members, China has not made sufficient progress in transitioning to a market economy.

The flouting of WTO rules inflicts serious damage to industries and markets in the United States and other WTO member nations, the report states. Even while failing to play by the rules, Beijing has made use of the benefits of WTO membership, particularly of the access to other nations markets that membership entails, in order to become the largest trader in the WTO.

Far from pursuing a free-market approach, Beijing and the CCP have persistently intervened in the workings of businesses in China while limiting the access of foreign service suppliers and manufacturers to Chinese markets. The players that benefit most from this approach are state-owned enterprises and a few select corporations known as national champions, the report states.

While conceding that China has met a few of the goals set under the phase one trade agreement signed with the U.S. in January 2020, the report notes that China has failed to implement some of the more important provisions of the deal, notably when it comes to conducting risk assessments on the use of ractopamine in swine and cattle. Ractopamine is a feed additive widely used in the United States but banned in China. Moreover, China didnt come close to meeting its commitment to import at least $200 billion more in U.S. goods and services in 202021 than it imported in 2017.

Nor has Beijing even attempted to meet its obligations with regard to transparency. The report details how, in its WTO accession agreement, Beijing agreed to begin publishing in 2006 an official Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) journal in which officials would note all trade-related laws and regulations. Today, the MOFCOM journal stands as an incomplete record serving notice of statutes and policies of some, but not all, state agencies involved with trade.

Golden Shares

While state intervention takes many forms, a common intervention in recent years is for the regime is to take golden shares in private Chinese firms. The government, making use of a guidance fund or other state-controlled tool, buys a stake in a firm and receives in return a seat on the board of directors or veto rights. This inevitably strengthens the hand of the regime and gives it more direct oversight of the firms decisions and operations.

Although these practices may be seen as the fading vestiges of Beijings habitual management and guidance of the economy, the report emphasizes that these trends have gotten steadily worse, not better, in the years since Chinas WTO accession.

Since new leaders assumed power in China in 2013, the states role in the economyeffectuated by the Chinese government and, increasingly, the Chinese Communist Partyhas grown, the report states. Meanwhile  the depth and breadth of concerns facing U.S. and other foreign companies doing business in Chinaor competing with favored Chinese companies in markets outside of Chinahave similarly increased.

In the reports analysis, the reasons for these trends arent hard to find. Part of the issue is that, despite Beijings explicit agreement to turn sharply in a free-market direction upon entering the WTO, the statutory, or constitutional, basis for state intervention is wholly unchanged. Chinas constitution, along with individual directives and measures issued from Beijing, fosters the imperative to promote a socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics, the report states.

The report faults the WTO for a dispute settlement mechanism that has proven largely ineffective when the United States and other members have tried to challenge Beijings more egregious practices.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin gives the inaugural address after being sworn in as the 74th Governor of Virginia in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 15, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Virginia Governor Signs Law to Ensure Parents Right to Opt Out of School Mask Mandates

Under a law signed on Feb. 16 by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, public school districts in the commonwealth will have to allow parents to decide whether their child wears a mask at school.

Children have not only suffered learning loss, they have suffered relationship loss, Youngkin said at a ceremony outside Virginias Capitol building. Now is our chance to give all parents the rights to make decisions we know they have, to put it into law. Today, we are establishing and restoring power back to parents. But we are also reestablishing our expectations that we will get back to normal, and this is the path.

Previously known as Senate Bill 739, the new education law states that parents have the right to opt their children out of mask requirements on school grounds.

A parent making such an election shall not be required to provide a reason or any certification of the childs health or education status. No student shall suffer any adverse disciplinary or academic consequences as a result of this parental election, the bills language reads.

The change, which must be implemented by March 1, applies to all public elementary and secondary schools, as well as all school-based child care and education programs.

The state Senate approved the measure on Feb. 9 on a 2117 vote, with three Democrats joining the Republicans in support of the measure. The House voted 5248 on Feb. 14, without any support from the Democrats.

The Democrats, who not long ago supported the Ralph Northam administrations K12 school mask mandate, argued that it should be left to individual school districts to decide their own mask policy. Meanwhile, Republicans countered that the change wont prevent parents who wish to keep their children masked at school from doing so.

You still have an option to send your child to school with a mask. No one is stopping that, said Republican Del. Emily Brewer. But I will tell you who will remember this: In a decade, these children will wonder who stood up for their freedom. They will wonder who stood up for parents and who stood up for an option.

Just hours after his inauguration on Jan. 15, Youngkin issued an executive order to give parents the ability to choose if their child wears a mask at school. His effort was blocked by Arlington County Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo, who ruled that the order goes against a Northam-era law saying school districts should follow federal health guidelines as much as possible.

When confronted with a specific statute addressing the manner in which in-person learning can resume and directs local school boards to follow the guidance of the CDC, to the maximum extent practicable, it does not follow that the Governor  can direct the School Boards to ignore the General Assemblys deference to CDC guidance and to abandon their considered determination about what is practicable regarding those mitigation strategies, DiMatteo wrote in her Feb. 4 opinion.
Vaccinator Rosie Buchanan prepares a vial of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the COVID-19 vaccination centre at Dundonald Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Dec 14, 2021. (Liam McBurney/PA Media)

Wales, Scotland to Offer CCP Virus Vaccination to 5- to 11-Year-Olds

All 5- to 11-year-olds in Wales and Scotland will be offered vaccination against the CCP virusthe virus that causes COVID-19, ministers said on Tuesday.

The announcements came ahead of the publication of recommendations from the UKs vaccination advisory group thats reportedly delayed by the UK government.

In an unusual move, Waless Minister for Health and Social Services Eluned Morgan said she had read the yet to be published report by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and would start offering the vaccines to the young age group, although not as a matter of urgency.

Vaccination and pandemic policies in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are set by local legislatures and administrations, while in England, policies are decided by the overarching UK government in Westminster.

But the governments have mostly coordinated their moves with each other and their advisory bodies throughout the pandemic, including announcing their offers of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus vaccines shortly after the JCVI publishes its recommendations.

Responding to questions during a Plenary session at the Welsh Parliament on Tuesday, Morgan told lawmakers she thought it was a shame and perplexing that the JCVI report had not been published.

In relation to vaccination of children, the JCVI has yet to publish its report, although there are lots of clues in The Guardian and other places where there seems to have been lots of leaks come out, Morgan said, referring to media reports that said the UK government had received the recommendation from the JCVI to make non-urgent CCP virus vaccination offer to all young children aged five and over more than a week ago but wont announce its decision until Feb. 21.

Its a shame and its perplexing to understand why that has not been published yet, she said.

But I have seen a copy of that advice and we will be commencing the rollout of vaccinations for five to 11-year-olds.

Morgan said the expansion of the vaccination programme to young children wont be done as a matter of urgency  partly because the risk isnt as great to that cohort, but added that they have to balance that against the prospect of missing school.

Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks during First Ministers Questions (FMQs) at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on Feb. 10, 2022. (J Mitchell /Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Shortly after Morgans statement, Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that her ministers have considered the draft JCVI advice and are content to accept its recommendations.

She said the Scottish governments intention has been to follow the clinical and scientific evidence available to us throughout the pandemic and that the discussions of how to deliver the vaccines have already begun.

In September 2021, the JCVI refused to recommend giving the vaccines to healthy 12- to 15-year-olds on health grounds alone as it considered the benefits from vaccination are marginally greater than the potential known harms but  there is considerable uncertainty regarding the magnitude of the potential harms.

But the governments later offered the vaccines to the young teen group, after the chief medical officers recommended the move based on wider considerations, including the impact on education.

The UKs medicines regulation in December approved two low doses of a pediatric formulation of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, saying it hadnt identified any new safety concerns.

The JCVI told The Epoch Times in an email that it will make the announcement very shortly with a full statement while the UK government said its still reviewing the advice.

We are reviewing the JCVIs advice as part of wider decision-making ahead of the publication of our long-term strategy for living with COVID-19. More detail will be set out shortly, a government spokesperson said.

Before the UK Parliament adjourned for half-term, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told lawmakers he will present the governments strategy for living with COVID-19 on Feb. 21, the first day after the recess.

Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, on Feb. 9 said he believed the UK had passed the point where vaccines would make much difference as the benefits are marginal, and its probably too late because most kids have already had Omicron.

According to a study published in Nature Medicine journal in November 2021, between March 2020 to February 2021, 25 children in England died due to COVID-19, meaning the mortality rate in this age group was two per million. The children who died of the disease were more likely to be teenagers than younger children, the study said. Among the 25, six appeared to have no underlying health conditions, including two who died of pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome, which has been temporally associated with the CCP virus as well as CCP virus vaccination.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eight cases of myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation, had been reported in children aged 5 to 11 years who received Pfizer and BioNTechs COVID-19 vaccine by Dec. 16.

The CDC said in November that adolescents ages 12 to 17 years were at a higher risk of myocarditis than children ages 5 to 11 years but noted that the risk of developing the disease, or pericarditisan inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heartafter receiving the COVID-19 vaccines is lower than the risk of myocarditis associated with COVID-19 infection in adolescents and adults.

The agency also said no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis had been reported in a clinical trial for children ages 5 to 11 years but noted that the study was not designed to assess the risk of myocarditis.

Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.
White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre conducts a daily press briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, on Feb. 14, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

White House, Hillary Clinton Decline to Comment on Durham Allegations

A White House spokesperson on Monday declined to comment on Special counsel John Durhams allegations that Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) spied on former President Donald Trumps residences and the White House when he was in office in order to bring a narrative to federal government agencies linking him to Russia.

Deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked three times at a press briefing by Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich to answer questions regarding the allegations.

But each time, the White House spokesperson referred her to the Department of Justice.

Does the President have any concerns about a candidate for president using computer experts to infiltrate computer systems of competing candidates, or even the president-elect tofor the goal of creating a narrative? Heinrich asked.

Thats something I cant speak to from this podium, so I refer you to the Department of Justice, Jean-Pierre initially answered.

Is whats being described in that reportmonitoring internet trafficis that spying? Heinrich then asked, to which Jean-Pierre responded, Again, I cant speak to that report. I refer you to the Department of Justice.

Trying again to get an answer, Heinrich continued, Generally speaking though, would monitoring Internet traffic be but was cut-off mid-sentence by Jean-Pierre who replied, Jacqui, my answer is not going to change. I refer you to the Department of Justice.

The Department of Justice declined to comment in a request from The Epoch Times.

Meanwhile, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton refused to answer questions regarding the alleged spying when asked by a Daily Mail reporter on Feb. 15.

Did you pay to spy on the Trump campaign, Hillary was asked by the reporter in New York City. When are you going to comment on the spying allegations, Hillary?

Clinton declined to answer both questions and continued walking while waving at the reporter.

Read More John Durham: Trump White House and Residences Spied On

Connecticuts U.S. Attorney John Durham in 2018. (U.S. Department of Justice via AP)

Special counsel John Durhams team alleged in a court filing (pdf) on Feb. 12 that a tech executive aligned with the Democratic Party spied on Trumps residences and the White House when he was president.

Durhams team alleged that Michael Sussmann, a lawyer who had worked on behalf of the DNC and Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign, had assembled and conveyed the allegations to the FBI on behalf of at least two specific clients, including a technology executive (Tech Executive 1) at a U.S.-based internet company (Internet Company 1) and the Clinton campaign, according to a section in the court filing, titled Factual Background.

Billing records he obtained reflect that Sussmann repeatedly billed the Clinton Campaign for his work on the Russian Bank-1 allegations.

Sussmann is currently charged with making a false statement to the FBI when he gave the agency false documents that allegedly linked the Trump Organization to a Russian bank.

He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial in May.

In connection with these efforts, Tech Executive-1 exploited his access to non-public and/or proprietary Internet data, the filing stated. Tech Executive-1 also enlisted the assistance of researchers at a U.S.-based university who were receiving and analyzing large amounts of Internet data in connection with a pending federal government cybersecurity research contract.

The executive also tasked these researchers to mine Internet data to establish an inference and narrative tying then-candidate Trump to Russia, the filing states, adding that the executives employer had come to access and maintain dedicated servers for Trumps executive office.

The technology executive was not named in the filing.

Lawyers for Sussmann, in response to the Durham filing, said on Feb. 14 that the motion included prejudicialand falseallegations that are irrelevant to his motion and to the charged offense, and are plainly intended to politicize this case, inflame media coverage, and taint the jury pool.

They also argued that the information that Sussmann provided to federal government agencies related to the Executive Office of the President concerned the time period when Democrat Barack Obama was still president, not Trump.

Former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., on Jan. 31, 2022. (The Epoch Times)

Trump also issued a statement regarding the unsealed filing, stating on Feb. 12 that it provides indisputable evidence that my campaign and presidency were spied on by operatives paid by the Hillary Clinton Campaign in an effort to develop a completely fabricated connection.

Trump has continuously denied that he had any business interests in Russia or colluded with Russian officials during the 2016 election and asserts he is the target of a witch hunt.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping attends the commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 9, 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

Will Xi Jinpings End of Days Plunge China and the World Into War?

Originally published by Gatestone Institute

Commentary

When truckers took over Canadas capital, Ottawa, and shut down border entry points to the United States, some called it a nationwide insurrection. Mass demonstrations have occurred across the democratic world. People have had enough of two years of mandates and other disease-control measures.

Not so in the worlds most populous state, which maintains the worlds strictest COVID-19 controls. There are no known popular protests in the Peoples Republic of China against anti-coronavirus efforts.

Yet China is not stable, and Xi Jinping is facing his End of Days, as a recent essay by opposition figures puts it (see below). The revolt isnt in society at large but at the top of the Communist Party. As Gregory Copley, president of the International Strategic Studies Association, told Gatestone, Xi, Chinas mighty-looking leader, has an enormous array of domestic enemies.

Xi created that opposition. After becoming Chinas ruler at the end of 2012, he grabbed power from everyone else and then jailed tens of thousands of opponents in purges, which he styled as anti-corruption campaigns.

He also used the disease to great advantage. As Copley, also the editor-in-chief of Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy, points out, Xis zero COVID policy is, indeed, less about stopping the spread of COVID and more about suppressing his internal enemies, both in the public and in the Party.

The enormous array is starting to strike back. Xi is most vulnerable on his handling of the countrys stagnating economy. For one thing, the draconian campaign against COVIDmassive testing, meticulous contact-tracing, strict lockdownshas, of course, undermined consumption, which the Beijing regime has touted as the core of the economy.

Beijing is panicking, adding nearly a trillion dollars in total new credit last month, a record increase. Chinese technocrats have also become sneaky, embarking on what the widely followed Andrew Collier of Global Source Partners terms shadow stimulusstimulus provided by local governments and their entities in order to allow the central government to avoid reporting spending.

China needs a vibrant economy to service enormous debts, largely run up as Beijing overstimulated the economy, especially beginning in 2008. When the so-called hidden debt is included, total debt in the country amounts to somewhere in the vicinity of 350 percent of gross domestic product.

Not surprisingly, Chinese companies are now defaulting. The debt crisis is so serious it can bring down Chinas economyand the countrys financial and political systems with it.

For three decades, a Chinese leader was essentially immune to criticism because all decisions of consequence were shared by top figures in the Communist Party. Xi, however, as he took power also ended up with accountabilityin other words, with no one else to blame. With things not going Chinas way in recent years, Xi, often called the Chairman of Everything, is taking the heat.

There are signs of intensifying discord among senior leaders. In the most recent hint of distress, Fang Zhou and ChinaFang Zhou is a pseudonym meaning arkwrote a 42,000-character essay titled An Objective Evaluation of Xi Jinping. The anti-Xi screed, posted on Jan. 19 on the China-sponsored 6park site, appears to be the work of several members of the Communist Partys Shanghai Gang faction, headed by former leader Jiang Zemin. Jiangs faction has been continually sniping at Xi and now is leading the charge against him.

Fangs piece incorporates previously voiced criticisms but does so in a comprehensive fashion. Fang blames Xi for, among other things, ruining the economy.

Xi will be the architect of his own defeat, writes Fang at the end of the rant, in a section titled Xi Jinpings Denouement or End of Days. His style of governance is simply unsustainable; it will generate even newer and greater policy missteps.

Fang notes that Xi was able to take advantage of a feeble opposition but hasnt been able to accomplish much.

Xis policies have been retrogressive and derivative, his successes minor and his blunders numerous, writes the Asia Societys Geremie Barme, who translated the essay, summarizing Fangs thoughts. Fang believes Xi deserves a score of less than zero.

Xi isnt one to let a decade of zero scores get in the way of his continued rule. Communist Party norms require him to step down at the 20th National Congress, to be held sometime this fall if tradition holds. He obviously wants a precedent-breaking third term as general secretary so that he can become, as outsiders say, Dictator for Life. Most observers expect he will get that new term.

Maybe. Fang Zhous essay shows that Communist Party leaders are risking stability by airing disagreements in public. Xi, therefore, now realizes he is in the fight of his life.

Xis problems, unfortunately, can become our problems. He has, for various internal political reasons, a low threshold of risk and many reasons to pick on some other country to deflect elite criticism and popular discontent.

In 1966, Mao Zedong, communist Chinas first ruler, started the decade-long Cultural Revolution to vanquish political enemies in Beijing. Xi is doing much the same thing now, especially with his common prosperity program, which could return China to the 1950s.

Unlike Mao, however, Xi has the power to plunge the world into war, and he has reason to lash out soon.

Xi is targeting the United States. On Aug. 29 of last year, Peoples Daily, Chinas most authoritative publication, accused America of launching barbaric attacks on the Chinese nation. On the 21st of that month, Global Times, a tabloid controlled by Peoples Daily, insinuated the United States was working with Chinas enemies.

The Communist Party of China has always believed its struggle with the United States is existentialin May 2019, the official Peoples Daily declared a peoples war on Americabut the hostility has become far more evident in the past year.

Virulent anti-Americanism suggests Xi Jinping is establishing a justification to strike the United States. The Chinese regime often uses its media to first warn and then signal its actions.

America has now been warned.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Gordon G. Chang Follow Gordon G. Chang is a distinguished senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute, a member of its Advisory Board, and the author of The Coming Collapse of China. Website
Wisconsin Advances Bail-Reform Constitutional Amendment

An amendment to the Wisconsin constitution that aims to prevent men like Waukesha Christmas Parade massacre suspect from getting out of jail on low bail was approved Tuesday by the states Assembly on a 70-21 vote.

The lower house of the Wisconsin legislature approved Assembly Joint Resolution 107 and sent it to the state Senate. If approved in the Senate, the amendment would be sent to the next session of the Wisconsin Legislature for approval before being put before voters.

In Milwaukee, one in five individuals charged with killing or trying to kill someone is already out on bail for another crime, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) said in a statement. More than half of those other crimes are also violent. The catch and release of violent offenders in our communities must end.

What we saw in Waukesha was a tragedy. I am proud to support this constitutional amendment that would make horrific violence like that avoidable in the future.

Jackson Sparks, bottom, and Tucker Sparks are seen in an undated file image. Jackson was killed in the Waukesha Christmas Parade massacre. (Waukesha Parade Attack- Sparks Family/GoFundMe)

Darrell E. Brooks Jr., the Waukesha parade massacre suspect, was freed on $1,000 bail just two days before he allegedly drove his SUV over scores of Christmas parade participants. He is charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the massacre, as well as 71 other charges for the vehicular assault on the crowd. He pleaded not guilty. He is being held in lieu of $5 million bail.

Brooks was released on bail days before the parade in a case where he is charged with running over the mother of his child with the same SUV. At the time of that incident, Brooks was free on $500 bail in a 2020 case where he is accused of firing a handgun at a vehicle in which two people sat.

Judges and court commissioners repeatedly tell me that they are not allowed to consider other common-sense factors when setting bail, Rep. Cindi Duchow (R), author of the amendment, said in a statement. As a result, violent criminals are given unspoken approval by the system itself to repeatedly victimize our communities. Thats not what the criminal justice system should do.

Flexibility for Judges

The amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution would allow judges and court commissioners to consider the totality of the circumstances in cases involving violent crime. Considerations include a suspects record of violent crime conviction, need to protect the community from serious harm, need to prevent intimidation of witnesses and the probability the accused will fail to appear in court.

Democrat Wisconsin Attorney Gen. Josh Kaul said the amendment is a small step in the right direction.

Rich people who commit serious crimes, drug kingpins, and gang leaders shouldnt be able to pay their way out of jail before trial simply because they have access to money, Kaul said in a statement. When people charged with serious crimes present a danger to the public, they should be detained pretrial.

The amendment will give judges and court commissioners more flexibility when setting cash bail, Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R).

Following the tragedy at the Waukesha Christmas Parade in November, we have all heard the calls for reform to our bail conditions in Wisconsin, Rodriguez said in a statement. Every Wisconsinite is entitled to due process, but every Wisconsinite is also entitled to be able to live without reasonable fear that a violent criminal will do them harm while out on bail.

Police tape cordons off a street in Waukesha, Wis., after an SUV plowed into a Christmas parade hitting multiple people on Nov. 21, 2021. (Jeffrey Phelps/AP Photo)

Much of the debate on bail reform has centered in Milwaukee County, where the bail policies of Democrat District Attorney John Chisholm have come under fire. After the parade massacre, Chisholm agreed the $1,000 bail was too low, based on a recommendation by one of his assistant prosecutors.

Republican critics of what they call Chisholms catch-and-release approach to bail demanded Chisholm be removed from office by Democrat Gov. Tony Evers.

A group of Milwaukee County residents filed a complaint against Chisholm with Evers, but the governor did not act on it. Evers said an analysis of the complaint showed it did not meet the threshold that would trigger removal of the district attorney.
Woman Pleads Guilty in Deaths of Pair Buried on Texas Beach

CORPUS CHRISTI, TexasOne of two Utah residents charged with capital murder for killing a New Hampshire couple found buried on a South Texas beach in 2019 pleaded guilty Tuesday to a lesser murder charge.

Amanda Noverr, 34, of Logan, Utah, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felonies, including murder, under a plea agreement with prosecutors, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported. Noverr, who remained in the Kleberg County Jail in Kingsville, entered her plea during a sentencing videoconference with state District Judge Jack Pulcher.

The plea came three months after co-defendant Adam C. Williams, 35, of Logan, Utah, was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole after pleading guilty to capital murder in a deal with prosecutors. The plea was in return for prosecutors sparing him the death penalty.

Prosecutors had previously said they would seek the death penalty for both for the killings of James Butler, 48, and Michelle Butler, 46.

The Butlers were traveling through Texas on their way to Florida, where they planned to sell Christmas trees. Family members reported them missing on Oct. 16, and their bodies were found in a shallow grave on Oct. 27 on Padre Island, near Corpus Christi.

Williams and Noverr were arrested in the Mexican state of Jalisco after a surveillance photo showed the pair crossing the border into Mexico in a car belonging to the Butlers.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping waves during a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing on July 1, 2021. (Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)

Chinas Xi Deflects From the CCPs Failures, Warns Against Defective Western Thinking

News Analysis

An important philosophical article by Chinese leader Xi Jinping was published on Feb. 16 in the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) official ideological journal, Quishi.

The timing of the pieces appearance is not random, but rather comes at a critical time for Xi. It will expand upon the development of Xi Jinping Thought on the advancement of socialism in Chinese society. This occurs in the lead-up to a key Party congress in which Xi may seize an unprecedented third presidential term, subsequently laying the groundwork for his potential indefinite hold on power in China.

Xis governance concept was first articulated at the 19th National Congress of the CCP in 2017 under its full name, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Building on his predecessor Deng Xiaoping and the incorporation of free market principles to build the Chinese economy, Xi announced the countrys return to a more directed socialist economy under the stewardship of the CCP.

Dengs introduction of policies that facilitated a partially free flow of private capital in Chinese markets was heralded by many as a triumph of capitalism and economic globalization. By opening up the country to the world, Deng encouraged both foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country, as well as outgoing financial capital flows toward foreign markets. Combined with the operation of state-owned enterprises, China was able to accelerate its growth and simultaneously build a large middle class while becoming the worlds second-largest economy.

(L-R) Former Communist Party leaders Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin. (John Giannini, Feng Li/AFP/Getty Images)

Xi has subsequently clamped down on this system. Beginning with a cooling real estate market as well as a desire to address significant inequality in the health and education sectors, Xi has sought to assert tighter control over capital allocations in the Chinese economy in order to limit the power of private capital. He has additionally sought to direct resources toward sectors deemed to be matters of national security, such as chip and semiconductor production.

The general consensus is that this is primarily because Xi needs to account for the lower levels of economic growth in the Chinese economy, and reduce the inequality that could lead to civil unrest and potentially threaten the CCPs hold on power. This only partially frames what is actually happening in CCP policy.

Depressed levels of economic growth are indeed the cause for systemic change in the latter; however, in addition to considerations of preemptively quelling any civil unrest, lower growth rates are additionally a likely signal to Marxist economic planners that the current stage of economic development is birthing a new one.

In Marxist philosophy, each stage of societal developmentdictated by the prevailing mode of economic productionholds the seed from which the next stage will grow (for example, socialism will grow out of capitalism). The type of state capitalism, begun under Deng, was intended as a temporary stage in the economic development of China.

According to the dialectic forces that progress society in the Marxian historicism undergirding CCP thought, Xi must now reign in the free market forces that allowed the country to grow as precipitously as it has and direct the countrys resources toward facilitating the transition to socialism.

Xis article is reported to state that the country is now at a critical stage on the path to socialist development and must divert its attention away from unrestrained economic growth and toward the rule of law in consolidating the [countrys] foundation.

How will the CCP accomplish this?

Staying particularly sober-minded and steadfast on major issues such as upholding the Partys overall leadership and guaranteeing the running of the country by the people, and guarding against being misled by defective Western thinking.

It is no coincidence that Xi is penning this piece in the wake of the widespread anti-Xi article that recently went viral in mainland China. The article pointed to the CCPs human rights abuses and suppression of the private sector, among other condemnations of Xis leadership. The CCP subsequently has a growing incentive to discredit any criticism of Xi Jinping Thought and the clamping down of state control as defective Western thinking.

The need to discredit any criticism of CCP policy as fundamentally flawed will increase as the Party attempts to accelerate the socialist transition. Rules and regulations to constrain the free flow of capital will further diminish Chinese economic growth levels.

If Xi is able to overcome any internal Party opposition to consolidate his position at the helm of government for the foreseeable future, Beijings capital controls will counterintuitively stifle innovation and further depress growth levels. This will coincide with increased state control in all other areas of Chinese social life, as well as an economic shift from exports to domestic consumption.

People wear protective masks as they walk by an ad for French luxury fashion brand DIOR outside a new location set to open at a shopping area in Beijing, China, on Nov. 24, 2021. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

By following the Marxist playbook, the capitalist mode of production has created the necessary technological development and fixed capital acquisitions that are supposed to precede the emergence of socialism in China. Traditional orthodox Marxism predicted that this state would emerge as a natural result of the capitalist mode of production and its necessity for ever-greater capital accumulation and subsequent worker exploitation.

Like the Bolshevik movement in Russia, Beijing attempted to jump the development of its agrarian-peasant society through the necessary historical stages to socialism under the direction of a vanguard Communist Party. However, where the USSR failed to understand that the capitalist stage could not be bypassed, the CCP learned and adjusted.

Instead of unfettered private capital in traditional Marxism or ignoring capitalist accumulation in lieu of an entirely state-planned economy in Russian Bolshevism, the CCP chose a third way: the Party allows for a space in which free market forces create the necessary accumulation of capital, subsequently facilitating a sort of state-directed worker exploitation.

This process has allowed China to build the necessary productive forces that the USSR lacked. As Xi states his intention to hem closer to the socialist vision moving forward, the country will likely be entering a phase of significant income redistribution. This directly correlated with Xis stated goal of reducing inequality in the country.

The illusion of free capital in China untouched by the CCP was always that: an illusion. The Party crafted a system in which it has the final say in capital allocations, and subsequently the power to dissolve the capitalist class. This is the stage of development that it is attempting to enter. As the mass (lumpen) proletariat has failed to accomplish its historical role in the Marxist dialectic, the CCP co-opted the system in order to occupy the proletariats place in the latter process.

However, as the history of the CCP proves, forcing society through transitions comes at the cost of destroyed lives and rivers of blood. The Party has forced reality to correspond to philosophy, not the other way around. The coming evolution from capitalism to socialism will mean increased centralized control over not only economic, but all other societal processes as well.

Marxisms failure to produce a socialist government that leads to a viable communist end-state has taught its adherents that Marx was wrong to believe that altering economic relations are enough to change the entire sociopoliticalfor example, parliamentary democracy, religion, and culturesuperstructure built upon it. Mao knew this when he entered China into the original Cultural Revolution; Xi and the current CCP know it as well, as evidenced by the increasing push for social and cultural control.

As Xi stated in his recent article, The [coming] reform in the rule of law shall not blindly take the Western system or practices as a benchmark.

Is Xi attempting to preemptively insulate himself from Western condemnation over the inevitably painful birthing process of socialism from Chinas current state capitalist system?

Only time will tell.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping declares the games open during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, China on Feb. 4, 2022. (Anthony Wallace - Pool/Getty Images)

Xi Jinping Orders Beijing to Carry Out International Struggle by Bolstering Laws Targeting Foreign Sanctions

Chinese leader Xi Jinping told members of the Communist Party to reform laws related to foreign matters, particularly focusing on urgent areas including sanctions and foreign interference.

We must use legal means to conduct international struggle, Xi said in a speech that he delivered to Party cadres during the Politburos recent study session on building a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, according to a Feb. 15 report by Qiushi, the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) official bi-monthly theoretical journal.

Xi urged the Party to reform domestic laws and foreign-related laws, and to promote the application of Chinese laws in jurisdictions outside of the mainland. He also called for the regime to increase the global influence of its own legal system.

As an authoritarian state, communist China does not observe the rule of law, with the entire legal system operating under the CCPs supervision and control.

The Chinese leaders remarks came as a growing number of Western countries impose sanctions on CCP officials involved in human rights abuses, and slap trade restrictions on Chinese companies that pose national security risks.

Xi Jinping applauds during the opening session of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 4, 2021. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

International Struggle

Chinese media has widely promoted one sentence from Mao Zedong, the first chairman of communist China. He told the people to fight with the heaven, fight with the earth, and fight with the people.

Now, Xi is echoing Maos narrative by ordering the regime to launch an international struggle.

The world has entered a turbulent and reforming period. The international competition is increasingly manifested in the disputes over state systems, rules, and laws, Xi said in his speech. We must strengthen the legislation of foreign-related laws and regulations, to improve the efficiency of overseas law enforcement.

He then told the Party cadres that the situation is urgent and to focus on countering long-arm jurisdiction and sanctions and interference from other countries.

In recent years CCP officials and state-owned enterprises were sanctioned by Western governments over human rights and trade violations. In June 2021, Beijing launched a series of anti-foreign sanctions rules as countermeasures against foreign nations enacting sanctions on China.

The CCP persecutes its own people, including dissenters and members of ethnic minority and religious groups. It continues to threaten Taiwan into unifying it with the mainland, and exercise sovereignty in the Indo-Pacific region by building artificial islands and threatening countries that have competing claims in the South China Sea.

Beijing has criticized other countries for calling out the regimes abuses by claiming that they have no right to interfere in Chinas internal affairs.

The CCP has retaliated against Americas long-arm jurisdiction in which the U.S. judiciary can punish a suspect in a third country by using bilateral and multilateral agreements. For example, in December 2018, Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition request related to fraud charges over her role in Huaweis violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran through a shell company. Days later, Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained on baseless charges in China.

In Sept. 24, 2021, the U.S. Justice Department reached a deferred prosecution agreement with Meng, in which she agreed to most of the charges against her while maintaining formal deniability regarding key charges relating to bank and wire fraud. On the same day, a Canadian court removed her bail conditions, allowing her to fly back to China.

Shortly after Mengs release, Beijing released the two Michaels. Its believed that Mengs release was a sign of victory for the Chinese regimes hostage diplomacy tactic.

In his speech, Xi ordered the regime to set up judicial cooperation with other countries and train Chinese citizens to become experts in international law.

However, Xi admitted that Chinas rule of law system has problems and domestic laws need to be reformed. He warned the regime not to be misled by the Western styles and thoughts, and China should walk its own path.
NORWALK  Jefferson Elementary students marked the end of the Chinese New Year on Tuesday with a traditional Lantern Festival.

The students made paper lanterns and held them as they watched a dragon parade swoop through the hallways. In Chinese culture, at the end of the festival, a small candle is placed inside the paper lantern and the holder says a prayer, a blessing, or makes a wish before releasing the lantern into the air.
NORWALK  The city received more than $3 million in a federal grant to mitigate congestion by replacing two North Avenue traffic signals.

The city announced last week it has received about $3.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportations Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.

The federal program provides funds to states for transportation projects designed to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality, particularly in areas of the country that do not attain national air quality standards, according to the programs website.

The city will use the $3.4 million to completely remodel two intersections on North Avenue in Norwalk Center, according to Transportation, Mobility and Parking Director Jim Travers.

The two corners set for redesign are the intersection of North Avenue at Main Avenue and Cross Street and the intersection of North Avenue and Camp Street, Travers said.

We chose these two signs because they are on Route 1 and there is a considerable amount of traffic along that corridor that will benefit from these improvements, Travers said.

While the city applied for the grant in February 2021, the awarding was announced last week, Travers said. A specific date has yet to be set for distribution of the funds, which Travers said will be handled by the regional local council of governments.

We need to create the design plans, have final approval sign-off from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Travers said. This is simply a sign-off on the design. The project is very much moving forward as planned.

Design work is in progress, but will take about a year to complete. A contract for the project will likely be awarded in 2023, and construction may start between late 2023 and early 2024, Travers said. The exact breakdown of how the funds will be used wont be determined until design plans are finalized and the city has a more precise construction estimate.

In addition to the two intersections, part of the project will include expanding other adaptive traffic signals in the area to mitigate traffic and increase accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.

We will also be extending our adaptive traffic control system (ATCS) to 19 more intersections, Travers said. ATCS automatically adapts the timing of traffic lights on real-time traffic conditions to optimize traffic flow.

In September, the Common Council approved the addition of adaptive signals to Belden and West avenues.

We will also be adding Transit Signal Priority (TSP) to 55 intersections. This will be coordinated with the Norwalk Transit District and will shorten red lights and extend green lights to give buses an advantage and keep them on a reliable schedule, Travers said. And lastly, we will be adding concurrent pedestrian phasing with Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) to 34 intersections. This allows better opportunities for pedestrian crossings.

Alongside the North Avenue intersection remodeling, the department is in the process of construction for another Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement grant, installing new signals at the intersection of North Avenue at France and Park streets and Cross Street at Wilton Avenue, Travers said.

This will now complete the connection in the corridor and bring about added traffic improvements in the area, Travers said.

The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program offered $24 million for similar projects throughout Connecticut, according to a Gov. Ned Lamont statement. Norwalk is among 10 municipalities that received a portion of the $24 million in Connecticut.

Of the grant recipients, Norwalk received the fourth-highest amount behind Bridgeport, Greenwich and Hamden. Bridgeport and Greenwich each received $4 million while Hamden received $3.8 million, according to Lamonts statement.

These strategic investments will not only help eliminate traffic bottlenecks in certain communities and build out electric vehicle chargers in others, but they will also help move Connecticut toward cleaner air and a cleaner transportation system, Lamont said. Technology in transportation can help unlock climate solutions for our state. By reducing air pollution in communities most impacted by its harmful effects, we can better deliver transportation equity and ultimately, better health outcomes for the people of Connecticut.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
NORWALK  A former city resident who served nearly 10 years in prison for sexually abusing a girl in Florida is also accused of abusing a girl in Norwalk for nearly a decade, beginning when the girl was 4 years old, according to court filings.

Norwalk police said 59-year-old Jeffrey Jubin was taken into their custody on Feb. 10 for a 2009 warrant charging him with third-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

The department said that on May 19, 2009, police were contacted by the sheriffs office in Collier County, Fla., regarding a warrant for Jubins arrest on child sex abuse charges. Norwalk police took him into custody as a fugitive from justice that same day and he was extradicted to Florida to face charges. But soon after, Norwalk investigators received a complaint alleging Jubin had also abused a girl in Norwalk, according to police and court filings.

Florida public records show Jubin pleaded no contest to charges of attempt at sexual battery where the victim was less than 12-years-old, lewd lascivious molestation, and lewd or lascivious exhibition. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 5 years of probation. He is also a registered sex offender in the state of Florida.

The abuse in Florida came to light after the victim told her mother in 2008 that she had been touched innapropriately by Jubin, according the arrest warrant affidavit. The victim later told investigators that on one occasion while she was left in Jubins care when she was around 8 years old, he showed her a pornographic video and sexually assaulted her.

Jubin allegedly admitted to the abuse during a phone call with the victim that was secretly recorded by police, according to the court filing.

Months after the sentence was handed down, Jubin filed a motion seeking to have his sentence reduced to 10 years in prison and 2 and a half years probation, Florida records show, citing his lack of prior criminal history and desire to take care of an elderly family member.

The most important is your honor is this was an isolated incident and will never happen again, he wrote in a handwritten letter in the filing.

Before Jubins conviction, Norwalk police had already obtained the warrant charging him with child sex abuse in Connecticut state court. The court denied the motion, citing a plea agreement negotiated with Jubin.

Those allegations came to light after the victim heard about Jubin being arrested for sexually abusing a child in Florida, and disclosed to her mother that he had done the same thing to her, the Connecticut arrest warrant states.

The girl told investigators the abuse began when she was 4 years old and continued around nine years later after she moved back to Connecticut, according to the warrant.

Jubin remains in custody on $100,000 bond and is due to appear Stamford Superior Court on May 18, state court records show. No plea has been entered in the Connecticut case.
WILTON  First-term Selectwoman Kim Healy has announced shes campaigning to be the Republican candidate for the 42nd Districts state representative race.

The newly-configured state House district encapsulates all of Wilton, as well as parts of neighboring New Canaan and Ridgefield. The district had previously been in southwestern Connecticut and included Preston, Ledyard and Montville.

I am ready to rise to the challenge and the responsibility of representing this district, Healy said during a virtual press conference Tuesday. During the 2020 state Senate election and the 2021 town elections in Wilton, I met and spoke with thousands of voters in Wilton, New Canaan and Ridgefield. Their concerns range from education and public safety to the cost of living and local control.

Healy, a resident of Wilton for 14 years, was voted in as a Board of Selectmen member in November after serving the community through various appointed positions, including the Wilton Librarys former treasurer, as well as serving the same position for the Wilton Youth Council.

In 2020, Healy ran against State Sen. Will Haskell for the states 26th Senate District seat on the Republican and Independent ticket. She accrued 41.7 percent of the votes.

(Residents) want a voice that really speaks for them in Hartford, where their interests are often subordinated to special interests, Healy said. I am determined to provide that voice and be their advocate.

State Rep. Tom ODea, who represents the 125th District, said Wednesday that he was a proponent of the redistricting to ensure that Wilton had the majority of a district. He said that the town was the largest municipality not to have a majority in a district.

I will miss representing Wilton horribly, ODea said, noting his district is now changing from parts of Wilton to include Stamford. For the betterment of Wilton, it will be good to have someone from Wilton repping them.

Hopefully, ODea said, that is Kim Healy.

House Minority leader Rep. Vincent Candelora said in a release that it was hard to imagine a candidate more qualified than Healy. She is smart, dedicated, and ready to roll up her sleeves to work for her constituents, who are well informed, vocal, and active in their communities. They expect to have a thoughtful and responsive representative, and she will deliver.

Former State Rep. Gail Lavielle praised Healy for doing it for the right reasons.

She is not motivated by politics and simply wants to improve life for the people of Connecticut, Lavielle said in a release. She understands our district and its towns, and she lives the concerns of our neighbors every day. Her commitment to public service is and always has been strong, and once she puts her mind to something, she never gives up. She will not take any nonsense from anyone in Hartford.
SPRINGFIELD  State officials have voted not to extend the Illinois Department of Public Health's emergency rule on school masks.

On Tuesday, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), a bipartisan group of General Assembly members, voted against extending the current IDPH school mask mandate.

On Feb. 13, Gov. J.B. Pritzker's emergency rule on COVID mitigations for Illinois schools expired, prompting his administration to immediately refile the rule on Monday and put it back into effect unless JCAR voted to block it with support of at least eight of the 12 members. Nine members voted to suspend the emergency rule, with none voting to keep it in place and two voting Present."

As it stands today, the statewide school mask mandate is no longer in place following support from both Republican and Democrat lawmakers serving on JCAR," said state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Fosterburg. "Governor Pritzkers go it alone approach has caused chaos across our state. When a legislative body had the opportunity to decide, they voted to suspend the governors school mask mandate.

On Feb. 4, Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow issued a temporary restraining order on Pritzker's public school mitigations. The order had been challenged by parents and staff in more than 140 school districts including Highland, Edwardsville, Collinsville, Triad, Carlinville, Staunton, North Mac, Southwestern, Carrollton and Jersey Community.

Last week Pritzker said the state planned to lift the general indoor mask mandate on Feb. 28, but it would remain in place for schools.

The JCAR vote means that, for the time being, there is no state mandate on mitigation measures for public or private K-12 schools. Pritzker's administration continues to encourage masking in schools.

The administration understands that members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules are awaiting a ruling from the appellate court on this issue, Pritzkers press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email statement.

We look forward to continuing to work with members of the General Assembly, school districts, parents, communities and all stakeholders to use the tools we have to keep in-person learning," Abudayveh said. "In the meantime, the administration urges all schools and parents to encourage mask-wearing to keep everyone in their schools and communities safe.

At their board meetings Monday night, both Bethalto and Collinsville schools voted to highly recommend, but not require, masks to be worn by students, staff and guests in its buildings. The Granite City school board will hold special meetings at 4:30 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday to discuss mask protocols; the meetings will be at the James J. Greenwald Administration Building, 3200 Maryville Road, in Granite City.

Following Monday's school board meeting, Bethalto Superintendent Jill Griffin thanked the community for its input on the policy decision, noting the topic "has caused a wide array of chaos and disruption to our learning environment.

"But our goal is always to come back together as a community," she said. "We appreciate the patience of so many of you as we continue to work through this challenging issue.

"I encourage everyone to work to be tolerant of each other and empathetic to others choices," Griffin said.

Collinsville Superintendent Dr. Mark "Brad" Skertich also notified district parents following Monday's meeting about the school board's decision to highly recommend, but not require, masks to be worn by students, staff and guests in its buildings.

"The current health of our students and staff is the best we have seen since early fall," said Skertich. "Positive COVID-19 cases have declined among our students and staff to numbers we have not seen since early October.

"We recognize there will be different views regarding whether or not to wear masks at school, however, bullying or inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated," he said. "Regardless of an individuals choice whether or not to wear a mask, they should be treated with respect."

On Tuesday one additional COVID-19 death, a woman in her 60s, was reported by the Madison County Health Department. The county has recorded 32 COVID-19 related deaths for February and 752 to date.

The MCHD on Tuesday reported 55 new confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases; 13 of Tuesday's cases involved patients younger than 20. The three-day positivity rate Tuesday in the county was 8.92 percent. The seven-day rate was 5.14 percent and the 10-day rate was 7.07 percent.

On Tuesday there were 35 COVID-19 patients in Madison County hospitals, three of them on ventilators. The total number of cases to date in the county is 69,044. The total of number tests to date is 747,333.

Madison County has extended COVID-19 vaccinations to kids 5-11 years old at its office, 101 E. Edwardsville Road in Wood River. Vaccinations for all ages are by appointment only; people can visit www.madisonchd.org and click the green Appointments for Vaccines are Open button, or call 618-692-8954, Ext. 2.

The CDC has a vaccine finder that lets people select which vaccine they are looking for and provides the locations that currently have it. For details visit www.vaccines.gov, call 800-232-0233 or text your ZIP code to 438829.

Per the Bethalto Board of Education, masks are now optional for staff and students in district buildings. Due to federal law, masks remain required on all school buses and could be required in certain classrooms or situations to comply with ADA, health concerns of a staff member, or small office settings, Griffin said.

Only students and staff exhibiting symptoms of an illness will be sent home according to pre-COVID guidelines. If parents wish, the district also can test their children for COVID.

Only positive district students and employees will be excluded from school, per the new quarantine guidelines. Families of close contacts will be notified and will not be excluded.

Mandatory weekly testing for unvaccinated staff has ended, Griffin said. Because the district used an emergency day on Friday to prepare for Monday's board meeting, school will be in session on Monday, Feb. 18. The school year is still scheduled to end Friday, May 20.

Griffin added that all students and staff are entitled to a safe, supportive, and encouraging learning environment.
GRANITE CITY  Officials at Granite City schools have ended its mask mandate while encouraging students and staff to continue to wear them if they wish.

The district also has canceled special board meetings previously planned for Thursday and Friday this week.

Superintendent Stephanie M. Cann on Tuesday afternoon notified district parents that the Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules' (JCAR) 9-0 vote to reject continuing Gov. J.B. Pritzker's emergency rules for COVID-19 protocols in schools, which include masking, testing, and exclusion.

She noted JCAR is independent of the Illinois judicial Appellate Court, from which school districts are awaiting a ruling on the previous court cases involving Pritzker's mask mandates.

"Our legal counsel has advised the school board and myself that there is no longer a legal basis to enforce these emergency rules because they were not renewed at the state level," she said. "Without a court order, or an order from the local health department, Illinois schools cannot require employee vaccinations/testing, student and employee masking, or exclusion of students and employees

(positive or close contacts) from school.

"As a result of this state ruling, beginning Wednesday, February 16, 2022, GCSD9 will no longer be enforcing a mask mandate in its schools," she said. "We continue to strongly encourage students and staff to mask if they wish, follow CDC guidance, and to stay home if they are sick or symptomatic.

"Our goal is always to keep students and staff in a safe educational environment. More details concerning COVID-19 positive cases will be shared soon," Cann said.

She noted federal law still requires masks be worn on buses, and all district students who ride buses will continue to be required to wear masks. She also noted continued mitigation strategies in the district, including:

 Providing opportunities for vaccinations

 Social distancing to the greatest extent possible

 Good ventilation into the schools

 Cleaning and sanitizing on a regular basis

 Recommending any symptomatic students and staff to remain at home.

"I realize that this is a change for our district, and I am proud of how we have kept our students and staff safe throughout this challenging time," she said. "It is also to be expected that not everyone will feel the same about this change in COVID-19 safety protocol, and all opinions are to be respected.

"I would encourage all of you to be empathetic of others feelings, health conditions, and opinions," she said. "It is my hope that we can continue to provide our students with an excellent in-person education and move forward together as a community."

The next Granite City school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, at the James J. Greenwald Administration Building. It will be streamed live on the GCSD9 Facebook page at facebook.com/GCSD9.net.
Salida, CO (81201)

Today

Sunny early then partly cloudy and windy this afternoon. High around 70F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low 38F. WSW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
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A Board of Trustees member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Barr. Chief Ahamdi Emmanuel Nweke, has expressed excitement that the Abia State Chapter of the party has returned to its potential winning ways of 2015.

Barr. Nweke made this assertion in a key note address he delivered during the APGA Valentine Unity 2022, on Monday 14 February 2022 at the party state secretariat, Aguiyi Ironsi Layout, Umuahia.

Nweke said  I am very excited that our great party APGA, has returned to its potential winning ways of 2015, when we had a sunami landslide victory over ruling party, with me trouncing a seating Governor for the Abia Central Senatorial seat, when we won 18 House of Assembly seats declared for, although, half of those were stolen through the election tribunals, we won 14 out of 17 LGA results for the Governorship election and won the seat at the Court of Appeal

According to him, it was unfortunate that the party in the state imploded before the 2019, as a result of undemocratic practices that subsequently produced unexpected result in 2019 elections. Nweke said  The party has worked very hard in the state to reinvent itself and has vowed to sustain internal democracy. Never again will undemocratic forces successfully hijack our party in the state without free and fair primary elections

He revealed that today in Abia state, APGA presents the only hope for the masses to salvage Abia state from the downward spiral in its socio-economic fortunes. The indices which led to the protest vote of 2015 have not abated; on the contrary the lots of Abians have gone progressively worse, with huge arrears of, pensions and gratuities. Teachers salaries, health workers salaries, multiple taxation of citizens, decayed and dilapidated infrastructures, promotion of mediocrity in the political class, a situation where political and elective positions are awarded not on the basis of competence but on the recipients propensity for brigandage and thuggery during the electioneering process, where the same incompetence and clueless individuals have been recycled in public office since 1999 till date, denying our youths an opportunity to showcase their skills and Abians amelioration of their suffering

According to Nweke, APGA is the only viable and trusted platform to harvest the fallouts of people from the other imploded parties. He emphasized that although APGA wants progressive minded Abians to join in turning around Abia, through good governance, the party is mindful of recasting the people who are responsible for the woes in Abia state. We must be mindful that our opponents know that APGA is the only hope of the masses for good governance in 2023 and these political con-artists will employ every machination to plant stooges in our party who will either withdraw when the time for substitution of candidates has elapsed or declare back to their party with our tickets he added.

However, Nweke recognized the intention of thousands of progressives who want to join with the aim of building a truly viable state where the wishes and aspiration of the masses will be the primary focus and concern of government. It is our duty to welcome such persons with open arms and warm embrace and give them all the encouragement when they have the competences and capacity to run for elections and where the state party members consider them worthy to represent and serve them he said.

According to him, he had already solicited from the National Chairman of the party, Ozonkpu Ike Victor Oye to recommend a waiver for all deserving aspirants and free and fair primary elections to give all members a level playing field for Aspirants to emerge as candidates of the party, to ensure that all members of the party who win or lose in the primaries will work together to ensure victory at the general election.

He commended the declaratory statement of Major General Ijioma N.Ijioma, who joined the gubernatorial race recently; that he will remain in APGA whether or not he wins the primary and encouraged other Aspirants to imbibe that spirit of sportsmanship.

Nweke concluded by quoting the National Chairman of APGA, Ozonkpu Ike Victor, While PDP is hemorrhaging, APC is asphyxiating. APGA is the only political party with a clean bill of health. Very soon APC and PDP will go into irreversible coma and APGA will become the ultimate undertaker It is under Oyes watch that the party won seats in the Northern and Western regions of Nigeria and APGA became the only political party in Nigeria to own its national secretariat while PDP and APC are still in rented apartments.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Abia State Chairman of APGA, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, expressed joy for the harmonious relationship existing among members of the State Working Committee. According to him because members of APGA have entered into a covenant with God, we will not betray the party, He will lead us successfully and victoriously in the forthcoming elections and as a memorial of that covenant, APGA will be holding a monthly solemn assembly when we eventually take over the governance of Abia State. We will use the opportunity to touch the lives of the less privileged. Those who will betray the party will be visited with wrath He commended those who have made sacrifices and who attend meeting regularly from very remote places. He reminded members of the party of the journey of the Israelites He appreciated members of the state working committee who have always been steadfast and loyal to the party and expressed love and unity. He commended Barr.Chief Ahamdi Nweke for not allowing the party leadership in the state to be scuttled, despite unfounded accusations. Nothing will stop us from reaching the promised land; provided we remain committed he concluded. The Chairman later inaugurated Contact & Mobilization Committee and Media Committee.
Russia does not want to invade Ukraine

Both Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, and its Foreign Secretary, Sergey Laverov, have repeatedly stated that Russia does not intend to invade Ukraine. Logic also tells us that if they had wished to do so, they would have done it long ago. The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is a western invention.

Russia fears the eastward expansion of NATO

To understand how Russians feel about having western weapons and troops poured into a position on their nation's borders, we should imagine how the United States would react if large numbers of Russian weapons and troops were stationed in Mexico or Canada.

The Monroe Doctrine

There is no document more fundamental to the foreign policy of the United States than the Monroe Doctrine. It states that interference in the Western Hemisphere by European powers would be interpreted as an attack on the United States, and would be opposed by the United States. The Monroe Doctrine has been used to justify U.S. interventions in Central America and in the Caribbean. Understandably, the United States wishes to have its backyard secure. Why should Russia not have the same wish? Here is a link to an article that explores this question:

https://janataweekly.org/the-united-states-of-hypocrisy-revisiting-the-monroe-doctrine/

A broken promise

In 1990, US Secretary of State James Baker assured Mikhail Gorbachev that not an inch of NATO's present military jurisdiction will spread in an eastward direction. In return, Gorbachev agreed not to oppose the reunification. Russia kept its side of the bargain, but the United States broke its promise.

What military-industrial complexes want

Military-industrial complexes do not actually want war. What they want is a level of tensions sufficiently high to justify obscenely bloated military budgets. In 2021 the world spent roughly two trillion dollars on armaments. This enormous river of money, almost too great to be imagined, flows like current in a devil's dynamo from immensely rich arms corporations to buy the votes of corrupt politicians and the propaganda of mass media, numbed by which, citizens vote to perpetuate the system.

In the United States the industrial-military complex is particularly strong, and it has bipartisan support. This may explain US President Biden's aggressive actions in the Ukraine crisis. However, although nobody wants war, and especially not a suicidal and potentially omnicidal nuclear war, a situation with very high tensions can become out of control through a technical or human error, through escalation of a small inciident, or through a false flag operation.

The threat of a nuclear war.

Looking at modern history we can remember a number of times when the world came extremely close to nuclear war, The Cuban Missile Crisis is one example, but there are a number of others. We cannot continue to be lucky forever. Just as the politicians and generals who started World War I had no imaginative idea of what it would be like, our present day leaders seem not to realize the catastrophic nature of nuclear war. Because of the nuclear winter effect and because of the long-lasting effects of radioactivity, our civilization and much of the biosphere would not survive such a war. In the present crisis over Ukraine, both the United States and Russia possess more than enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world completely.

As citizens we must prevent our politicians from pursuing this insane brinksmanship.

My books and articles about global problems can be found on these links

https://www.johnavery.info/

http://eacpe.org/about-john-scales-avery/

https://wsimag.com/authors/716-john-scales-avery

I hope that you will circulate the links in this article to friends and contacts who might be interested.
NOVA Merchant Bank, a leading merchant bank in Nigeria, has announced that its N20 billion Series 1 & 2 Commercial Paper issuance under the Nova Merchant Bank Limited N50 billion CP Programme is now open.

The company said the offer which opened on the FMDQ platform on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 has a tenor of 182 days for Series 1 while the Series 2 shall be for 270 days.

The bank notes that the proceeds from this Commercial paper will be used to fund short-term working capital requirements and for general corporate purposes.

The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of NOVA Merchant Bank, Mr. Nath Ude, said, The successful listing of our N50billion CP Programme on the FMDQ platform further gives credence to NOVA Merchant Banks confidence in the Nigerian debt capital market and puts the Bank in a position to broaden potential funding sources and create superior value in the financial market it serves. We remain driven by our aspiration to transform the African financial services landscape with fresh thinking and innovative solutions.

The new offer follows the recent successful run of NOVAs first bond issuance listing of N10 billion 7-Year Subordinated Unsecured Bond on the FMDQ platform last year which saw an oversubscription by 300%, as it remains one of the major corporate bond issuances by a Merchant Bank in Nigerias capital markets, thus reflecting the banks strong credit quality as well as the resilience of the debt market despite current global challenges

NOVA Merchant Bank continues to demonstrate dominance in the Nigerian merchant banking space with its integrated suite of financial solutions covering Wholesale Banking, Investment Banking, Asset Management, Wealth Management, Trade Services, Transaction Banking, Cash Management and Digital Banking.
Ikeja Electric Plc (IE), Nigerias leading Electricity Distribution company, has donated medical items to Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital, Lagos, to mark this year's Valentine Day. This charitable gesture is in line with objectives of its Personal Corporate Social Responsibility (P-CSR).

Staff of Ikeja Electric led by the Chief Executive Officer, Folake Soetan, also shared gift items in the Childrens Ward as an expression of love to the kids, which is synonymous with the celebration.

While making the donation, Ikeja Electrics CEO, Soetan, said: At Ikeja Electric, it is in our DNA to always give back. That is why we continuously explore opportunities to give back to the communities we operate, through our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives hinged on the pillars of Health, Education and Empowerment.

L-R, Mrs Taiwo Ibilola, Head, Administration and Human Resources, General Hospital, Ifako-Ijaye; Mrs Folake Soetan, Chief Executive Officer, Ikeja Electric (IE);Dr Bamidele Mustapha, Medical Director, General Hospital, Ifako-Ijaye; Mrs Nneka Nwosu, Business Manager, Ikeja Business Unit (IE); Mrs Olufunmilayo Ojo, Apex Nurse, General Hospital, Ifako-Ijaye during the presentation of medical items to Ifako-Ijaye General Hospital in Lagos.

While we acknowledge the efforts of government at all levels in providing health care to the citizenry, there is no doubt that they also need some level of support from the private sector as the demand is enormous. This is why private organizations like Ikeja Electric throw their weight behind initiatives that support Government and drive development, she noted.

She also mentioned the company believes that touching peoples lives in the society where it operates will further help to strengthen trust and engender mutual relationship between the company and the people they serve. According to her, As simple as some of these acts of love might seem, they have a far-reaching impact on others.

Excited to receive the gift from Ikeja Electric, Management of the Hospital expressed appreciation for the gesture and quality time spent in the Children's Ward.

The Medical Director, Dr. Bamidele Mustapha, commended Ikeja Electric and called for support for the Hospital from other well-meaning Nigerians as the government cannot do it alone.

Ikeja Electric further stressed that showing love goes beyond giving to people on special days only, that is why it consistently looks for opportunities to touch the lives of people and communities through its PCSR activities.

Our P-CSR platform allows both the company and the employees to carry out voluntary charitable activities aimed at making an impact on different spheres of the society," the company said.

Under the P-CSR programme, IE has the Employee Volunteer Scheme (EVS) which enables our staff to voluntarily contribute their time and resources to support the Society. These generous acts reflect the large-heartedness of employees of Ikeja Electric to support the undeserved in our society.
Djokovic not anti-vax but would rather skip events than be forced into jab

TENNIS: World number one Novak Djokovic has claimed he is not anti-vaccination but would rather skip Grand Slams than be forced to get a COVID jab.

Tennis

By AFP

Wednesday 16 February 2022, 08:45AM

Novak Djokovic was deported from Melbourne before he could defend his Australian Open title. Photo: AFP

The Serbian was deported in extraordinary circumstances on the eve of last months Australian Open where Rafael Nadal won a record 21st Grand Slam trophy to move ahead of Djokovic and Roger Federer on the all-time mens list.

Djokovic was asked in an interview with the BBC, published yesterday (Feb 15), if he would sacrifice taking part in events such as Wimbledon and the French Open over his stance on the vaccine.

Yes, that is the price that Im willing to pay, Djokovic said, referring to giving up his chance to become the leading mens Grand Slam winner.

Djokovic said he did not want to be associated with the anti-vax movement, but supported an individuals right to choose.

I was never against vaccination, he said, adding he had received vaccines as a child. But Ive always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body.

The principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else, he said.

Im trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can.

Djokovic arrived in Melbourne in January for the first Grand Slam of the year claiming he had obtained a medical exemption to enter the country without being vaccinated as he had recently recovered from COVID-19.

But Australian border officials said he did not meet requirements to be exempted from strict vaccination rules, his visa was cancelled and a protracted legal appeal failed.

In his first interview since leaving Melbourne, Djokovic said he hoped vaccination requirements would change and that he could play for many more years.

Djokovic said he was keeping an open mind about being vaccinated in the future because we are all trying to find collectively, a best possible solution to end COVID.

I was never against vaccination. I understand that globally, everyone is trying to put a big effort into handling this virus and seeing, hopefully, an end soon to this virus.

Djokovic said he was sad with how events played out in Australia, where he spent days in detention at a notorious immigration hotel.

I was really sad and disappointed with the way it all ended for me in Australia, he said. It wasnt easy.

The reason why I was deported from Australia was because the minister for immigration used his discretion to cancel my visa based on his perception that I might create some anti-vax sentiment in the country or in the city, which I completely disagree with.
Police tout good deed in Phuket after Russian tourists necklace found

PHUKET: Tourist Police yesterday went on a PR offensive to widely promote Phuket hotel staffers and local residents working together to find a family heirloom necklace belonging to a Russian tourist. The necklace was lost, and then found, on Nai Thon Beach last week.

tourismpolice

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 16 February 2022, 10:06AM

The four hotel staffers and local residents  Mr Luechai Thongnuan, Ms Chuti Kankaew-on, Mr Nopparat Chanthong and Mr Phitsanu Kaewpradit  were awarded certificates of merit issued by the Tourist Police.

The certificates were awarded at a small event held at the Tourist Police Region 3 headquarters in Phuket Town at 2pm yesterday (Feb 15).

Presenting the certificates were Pol Col Pichetphong Jangkhaikom, Deputy Chief of Tourist Police Region 3, and Pol Lt Col Ekachai Siri, Chief Investigator at Tourist Police Region 3.

A report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) explained that Lt Gen Sukhum Prommayon, the nationwide Commander of the Tourist Police, had ordered local Tourist Police in Phuket to contact the four awardees to make sure their efforts were publicly recognised.

Lt Gen Sukhum had ordered Maj Gen Krit Warit, Commander of Tourist Police Region 3, and Tourist Police Region 3 Pol Col Pichtphong Jangkhaikom to contact the four, the report said.

The aim of awarding the certificates was to mark appreciation and appreciation for the cooperation in helping tourists this time. This is considered to create a positive image for tourism in Thailand and Phuket as well, the report added.

Pol Col Pichtphong Jangkhaikom, another Deputy Commander of Tourist Police Region 3 explained at the presentation event yesterday that the necklace was lost on Nai Thon Beach on Thursday last week (Feb 10).

Hotel staffers were first informed of the lost necklace by a Russian tourist, which the PR Phuket report said is also a famous local politician in Russia.

Hotel staffers began searching for the necklace, which featured a large emerald, and were soon joined by local residents who brought a metal detector to the beach to scour the sands to help search for the lost family heirloom.

The emerald necklace has been passed down for many generations and is a family heirloom of the tourists. The necklace has sentimental value that is difficult to place a value on, Col Pichtphong said.

The tourists are fond of the emerald necklace very much, he added.

This has resulted in a very good image for Thailand and Phuket. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to give certificates to honor the honor and virtue of the four individuals to be the morale of this good deed, Col Pichtphong said.
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AH-64E version 6 Apache helicopters hover over the Boeing helicopter production facilities at Mesa, Ariz. The latest version of the Apache is being fielded to the British Army Air Corps in the United Kingdom. The U.K. has accepted 14 V6 aircraft to date with two more set for delivery in February.
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WWE has reportedly contacted 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin about returning to the ring at 'WrestleMania 38'.

The former world champion and WWE Hall of Famer has wrestled in 19 years since he retired after his legendary match with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in 2003, but now fans are hoping a comeback could be on the cards.

As reported by Fightful Select and PWInsider, the company is said to have approached Austin about the possibility of having one last match at this year's WrestleMania in Dallas, Texas.

Its thought Stone Cold will have a "physical role" on the show in some capacity, but it appears some people are hoping to expand that.

As it stands, there's no word on a potential opponent for the Texas Rattlesnake, nor whether discussions have progressed any further.

There is still plenty of speculation though, as WWE superstar Kevin Owens - who uses Austin's signature Stunner as his own finishing move - insulted Texas on Monday night's episode (14.02.22) of 'Raw'.

Austin has addressed the idea of a comeback before, as he previously appeared on Chris Jericho's 'Talk Is Jericho' podcast and explained why he was hesitant to return to the ring.

He said: "I think Vince [McMahon] tried talking me into coming back a couple of times. But you know Chris, I love the business so much  I cant say I love it more than anybody else, I can only speak for myself.

"But I just love the damn business, and it hurt me so much to leave it. And to me, going back for one match, being like man, why? What am I proving? What are they going to remember?

"It aint about the money. It took me a long time, damn near three years to get over the fact that I left the business."

Bang Showbiz
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Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to occasional showers during the afternoon. High 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

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Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 44F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

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In the Press Corps of the Indiana Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis, in an office lovingly called "the Shack," the journalism majors of Franklin College's Pulliam School of Journalism work alongside the best reporters in the state, digging into the behind-the-scenes stories of Indiana politics. We're a student newsroom, but our work doesn't sit on a professor's desk. We create content five days a week for this website and 35 professional media partners around the state.
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Thousands march in Montreal anti-mandate rally

Thousands marched in the United in Love and Liberty rally in Villeray Saturday before leaving to join the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa.

Demonstrators met at Jarry Park at 10 a.m. and marched through the streets for about an hour, then made their way back to the meeting area to hear guest speakers at the event.

The rally was met by a small, anti-fascist group, including so-called Socialist Fightback, yelling slurs at the crowd opposite them, accusing organizers of being racist. Both groups were separated by SPVM officers.

This is our country, it belongs to us, and we want it back, one business owner told The Suburban. As the crowd marched through the borough, residents could be seen waving in support.

Im very pleased to see all these people here fighting for their rights, Peoples Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier told The Suburban. The tide is turning right now. Its time to stop these draconian measures in Canada.

Bernier told the crowd that he is proud of them for defending the rights and liberties of all Canadians and said thank you to the truck drivers. He accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of discrediting those who are in Ottawa and said that the reality is that these are all ordinary citizens.

It doesnt matter our race or nationality, said one of the rallys organizers who thanked everyone in attendance.

A teacher took the stand to tell the crowd that there would be another protest in Quebec City next Saturday to fight for childrens rights in school. A demonstration will take place in front of the National Assembly.

Around noon, several demonstrators could be seen leaving the crowd and getting into their vehicles to head to Ottawa.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 18C. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

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An Afghan girl holds a placard, during a protest condemning U.S. President Joe Bidens decision, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, after Biden signed an executive order to create a pathway to split $7 billion in Afghan assets frozen in the U.S. to fund humanitarian relief in Afghanistan and to create a trust fund to compensate Sept. 11 victims.
File

GRANITE CITY  The Granite City Community Unit School District will host special board meetings at 4:30 p.m. on both Thursday, Feb. 17, and Friday, Feb. 18, to discuss and vote on school COVID-19 protocols.

Both meetings will be in the James J. Greenwald Administration Building at 3200 Maryville Road in Granite City.
HARTFORD  A small community in Madison County is about to have a big celebration.

Hartford officials are preparing for the village's centennial celebration on Saturday, May 21. Kristie Luebbert, Hartford Parks and Recreation Director and a village trustee, said the celebration was originally planned in May 2020, marking 100 years since the village's first official board meeting, but the event was put off because of COVID-19.

Luebbert said it is "quite pleasing" that the village's centennial can finally be celebrated this year.

"I think the town doesn't get near the love that it should," she said. "I've lived there all my life and the majority of people that live there, if they move out, they end up coming back. It's the hometown that gets overlooked."

The celebration will begin with a parade at 10 a.m. starting at the Hartford Community Center on 715 North Delmar and stopping at Hartford Park on 7th Street. According to Luebbert, there will be a variety of events that start at 11 a.m., including various food trucks and bands, axe throwing and a petting zoo. Fireworks will close the celebration at 9 p.m.

A Facebook event page for the celebration will be available within the next week, according to Luebbert.

In 1910, about six houses existed at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri river in what now is Hartford. In January 1920, the people living in the territory known as decided that, for the general good of all concerned, a village should be incorporated. An election was held March 6, 1920 with 55 people voting to form a village and two opposed.

On April 20, 1920, an election was held under an order of the county court and Kirby Turpin was elected village president. Trustees elected were Anton Brown, Tom Davis, R.S. Emery, John Huffard, E. March and Al Toennis. Clarence West was elected village clerk with Frank Fulkerson as Police Magistrate.

On May 4, 1920 the first village board meeting was held at the Woodrow Wilson School. Before becoming Hartford, the village also was known as Edwardsville Crossing and, later, South Wood River.

The village started as a rail, river, road and commercial oriented community. Three rail lines cross the community along with heavily traveled Illinois 3.
GREENVILLE  A Greenville man faces murder and obstructing justice charges following the death last week of a woman.

The Bond County States Attorneys Office has charged Demarcus C. Gurlly, 28, of Greenville, with first degree murder, a Class X felony, and obstructing justice, a Class 4 felony.

At about 7:24 p.m. Feb. 10, Illinois State Police (ISP) District 11 and ISP Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 8 agents responded to a Greenville residence where a 37-year-old woman from Greenville was found deceased after a reported shooting. Information was received that, moments before the shooting, a red Dodge Challenger believed to be involved in a separate shooting one block south of the incident had fled the scene.

At about 9:06 p.m., a vehicle matching the description of the Challenger was seen in Wood River. It failed to stop for Wood River Police and a pursuit involving multiple agencies ensued. The vehicle subsequently left the roadway and overturned in Eagle Park just off of Illinois 203.

Kiondre L. Fitzgerald, 25, of Greenville, and Quincy L. Mcelmurry, 23, of Anna, were transported to an area hospital where the Fitzgerald succumbed to his injuries. ISP DCI Zone 6 agents responded to investigate.

Simultaneously, a 33-year-old man believed to be in the area when the fatal shooting occurred allegedly entered a residence in Greenville, according to state police. At about 1 a.m. on Feb. 11, state police detained the man without incident and he was released after questioning.

At about 4:50 p.m. Feb. 11, Greenville Police detained Gurlly for questioning in reference to the Feb. 10 shooting.

On Monday Gurlly was charged with the two felonies and had his bond set at $1 million.

Anyone with information regarding the incidents is asked to call Crimestoppers at 314-725-8477 (TIPS). The investigation is open and ongoing.

State police thanked all of the agencies that assisted in the investigation.
EDWARDSVILLE  A Missouri man was charged Monday with multiple counts of sexual assault on a 12-year-old boy.

William E. McKay, 36, of Fredericktown, Missouri, was charged with five counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, all enhanced Class X felonies.

The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department.

According to court documents, between Nov. 1-Dec. 26, McKay allegedly performed a number of sex acts on the victim.

Bail was set at $250,000.

Other felony charges filed Feb. 14 include:

 Richard D. Anderson III, 42, and Megan Q. Anderson, 40, both of Troy, were charged in an altercation in a Troy bar. Richard Anderson was charged with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony. Megan Anderson was charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, and domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor. The cases were presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. According to court documents, on Feb. 13 Richard Anderson allegedly struck Megan Anderson in the face, fracturing her nose. Megan Anderson struck Richard Anderson in the head with a can of White Claw, an alcoholic beverage, and also struck a minor household or family member in the face and head with her hands and a set of keys. Bail was set at $25,000 each.

 Larry D. Greer, 27, of Alton, was charged with domestic battery (three prior convictions), a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the East Alton Police Department. On Feb. 13 Greer allegedly struck a household member in the face with his fist. He has two prior convictions for domestic battery out of Madison County in 2020 and a conviction for aggravated battery out of Madison County in 2017. Bail was set at $40,000.
When political battles turn into legal disputes, circumstances can get pretty complicated pretty fast.

Thats exactly the case with a lawsuit brought by Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine, who is challenging the constitutionality of recently passed legislation that gerrymanders circuit courts in a number of Illinois 102 counties.

Last week, Haine, a Republican, persuaded a Sangamon County judge to issue a temporary restraining order blocking the new law from taking effect in Madison County. This week, a state appeals court in Springfield overturned the order, finding that the judges decision was premature because Haines clients will not suffer irreparable harm in its absence.

In other words, the appeals courts ruling was not about the fine points of the disputed legislation, but instead about the fine points of issuing an temporary restraining order .

But set aside that issue for a moment, and lets get down to basics.

The legislation both creates judicial subcircuits in some of the states 23 judicial circuits and eliminates at-large elections of circuit judges in others.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and supermajority Democrats passed the bill to ensure the election of more Democrats in areas that are perceived as currently more supportive to Republicans.

For example, Champaign County has evolved from GOP to Democratic territory. So Democrats figure that three local circuit judges who were elected across the six-county Sixth Judicial Circuit will become Democratic once those posts are elected solely by Champaign County voters.

Democrats took a different approach in Madison County, dividing it into subcircuits and ordering that their decision take effect immediately.

That means two appointed Republican judges, under the new law, will be required to run in a Democrat-friendly subcircuit rather than across all of Madison County.

Haine, acting at the behest of his county board, is challenging the legality of that move, arguing, among other things, that the laws lack of clarity and the election costs it would impose cause severe hardships that ought to be halted while his legal challenge undergoes scrutiny by Judge Ryan Cadigan.

But, as the appeals court noted, these types of restraining orders are extraordinary remedies reserved for emergency situations.

The appeals court concluded that the trial court erred because it focused on the wrong issue of harm.

The inquiry should have been whether (Haines clients) would suffer irreparable harm if a temporary restraining order did not issue before the merits of the claims could be adjudicated. Applying the proper standard, we conclude (Haines clients) did not make the requisite showing, wrote appeals court Justice James Knecht, who was joined in the decision by justices Robert Steigmann and Craig DeArmond.

So its back to the trial court for Haine, who bears the burden of demonstrating the laws constitutional defects.

While the appellate court expressed no opinion either way about the laws viability, it said the trial judge would benefit from a more thorough analysis from all parties on the issue of whether the General Assembly can eliminate all at-large circuit judgeships within a particular judicial circuit.

While the political positions espoused by Democrats and Republicans can be crystal clear, this pending dispute again demonstrates how complex legal disputes spawned by those political differences can be.
Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images

It seems like every new device or piece of technology that comes along makes whatever you bought, downloaded or learned last week obsolete.

Companies are constantly releasing new gadgets to make life more convenient and keep up with the times, but what if those new technologies aren't exactly what they're cracked up to be? What if they're a flop? What if they're too difficult to figure out?
London, KY (40741)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 57F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
In the Westerly Schools: Spring is time for CTE students to shine
Smart meters were sold to the nation as a way of saving money on energy bills.

The gadgets automatically send readings and link to a display screen that shows exactly how much power is being used in real time  and how much it is costing.

Billions of pounds have been blown since the rollout began in 2009, with the deadline for completion pushed from 2020 to 2025.

Problem: Poor internet signal stops the smart meter working for John and Beverley Marchment

The cost of installing digital meters in every home has spiralled by 2.5 billion to 13.5 billion  and is being funded through hikes to household energy bills.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy says households will save an average of 175 by 2034.

So after a costly start, can smart meters really save us money as we face record high energy bills?

Regular rates and readings

Energy watchdog Ofgem last week paved the way for smart meters to send readings to suppliers every half hour.

The move will also let suppliers change rates throughout the day, and will take place before the end of 2025, and the regulator says it could save bill payers as much as 4.6 billion by 2045.

It is a major step towards enabling millions of homes to sign up to 'time of use' tariffs that give discounts for power use at off-peak times, but charge more for use when demand on the grid is higher.

Currently, smart meters send out readings every month, but households can opt in to send updates every day or half-hour.

Using data from half-hourly readings, energy suppliers will also be able to better manage supply and demand and make efficiency savings that, in theory, can be passed on to customers. But MPs have raised concerns that supplier savings might not be shared with households.

The 'time of use' tariffs will help households save when charging electric cars overnight or powering up heat pumps.

Industry insiders have told Money Mail this is the real benefit of smart meters  and the public should have been told that from the get-go.

After all, academic studies suggest display panels help homeowners to cut down on as little as 3 per cent of their energy.

Roll out: The cost of installing smart meters in every home has spiralled from 2.5bn to 13.5bn  and is being funded through hikes to household energy bills

Save while you sleep

Ofgem documents reveal that half-hour readings will save households as little as 2 a year, and no more than 9.

Research by the University of Reading also found time-of-use tariffs will cost high and middle income households extra if they do not change their habits.

Their figures show running a washing machine at off-peak times is more than three times cheaper than at peak time, and half the cost of standard tariffs.

Leaving an Xbox games console on standby for four hours during peak time also costs more than one hour of gaming at off-peak time. However, charging an electric car in off-peak hours is half the price compared to a standard tariff.

Anthony and Julie Hibbs from Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire have cut their bills by 240 a year with their smart meter. The retired water company employee says: 'When you see the little meter ticking away, it motivates you to save more money.'

Octopus Energy says customers on its half-hourly 'smart' Agile tariff have saved 676 over three years compared to a standard variable tariff or 251 compared to a fixed deal.

The supplier has capped peak prices at 35p/kWh, which is 23 per cent above the price cap. Yet if and when, wholesale prices plummet, electricity could be free for those on these tariffs.

Octopus says it has even paid households up to 10p per kWh to use electricity in 'price plunging events' when there is excess power on the grid. In May 2020, one driver was paid 4.51 for charging his Tesla when demand for power slumped.

Off peak: 'Time of use' tariffs will help households save when charging electric cars overnight or powering up heat pumps

Uncapped charges

Soaring energy prices are fuelling the worst cost of living crisis in Britain for 30 years.

The failure of more than 26 suppliers last year alone will add 68 to the nation's bills. Suppliers are not allowed to charge customers on standard variable tariffs higher rates than the price cap allows.

The current cap of 1,277 is to rise to 1,971 in April for the average household.

Rory Taylor, of trade body Energy UK, says homeowners on time of use tariffs could pay more than the price cap rate at peak times.

Experts are warning that the regulator needs to build in safeguards to stop struggling households from having to ration their power at peak times.

Greg Jackson, chief executive and founder of Octopus Energy, says: 'As tariffs like this grow, we need to ensure proper protection for consumers.

That's why Octopus calls on the regulator to ensure customers always have the choice of standard or smart tariffs, and that there's a sensible cap on peak prices for smart tariffs.'

Gillian Cooper, head of energy policy at charity Citizens Advice, says: 'Strong protections must be in place for those of us who can't be flexible with our use of electricity.'

Rising bills: The current energy cap of 1,277 is to rise to 1,971 in April for the average household

Still a long way to go

The latest figures show more than 26 million smart meters have been installed  which means fewer than half of all domestic meters have been upgraded. Yet around 4.8 million of the devices have stopped working when customers switch supplier  or turn them off.

Hundreds of thousands of households are unable to get a smart meter because they live in high-rise flats, old properties with thick walls, or remote regions with poor signal.

John and Beverley Marchment want to save money but their smart meter shows only their daily standing charge for gas and not their usage costs.

This is because of an internet connection issue, according to supplier EDF.

Smart Energy GB says a survey found 42 per cent of people said a smart meter had made a difference to their energy use.

A spokesman says: 'Using your smart meter's in-home display is a simple way to track and adjust your energy usage as the in-home display gives near-real time information in pounds and pence on gas and electricity use.

A Government spokesman adds: 'The replacement of traditional gas and electricity meters with smart meters is a national infrastructure upgrade that will make our energy system cheaper, cleaner and more efficient.'

A spokesman for the energy regulator says: 'Ofgem will work closely with industry to make sure it delivers this major upgrade while ensuring those in vulnerable circumstances remain protected.'

b.wilkinson@dailymail.co.uk
Virgin Media is scrapping its unfair exit fees for home movers in a major victory for Money Mail.

Thousands of customers have been caught out by cancellation fees of up to 240 when moving to properties that cannot be connected to the Virgin network.

But from today, they will no longer have to pay to ditch their contract early.

Thousands of customers have been caught out by cancellation fees of up to 240 when moving to properties that cannot be connected to the Virgin network

To avoid the penalty, they will need to provide proof of their new address  by sending a copy of a mortgage agreement, rental contract or utility bill.

Home movers who have already told the firm they wish to cancel but have not yet paid the penalty can call and ask for it to be waived.

However, customers will not be refunded for fees already paid. Charges to cancel a contract still apply if you move to an area where a Virgin service is available.

Money Mail has repeatedly called on the firm to bin the charges following scores of complaints from furious readers.

Jeff Dodds, chief operating officer of Virgin Media O2, says: 'We know moving home can be a stressful, so we're giving our customers one less thing to worry about.'

v.bischoff@dailymail.co.uk
The shadow of corruption investigations has hung over the miner and commodity trader Glencore since 2018.

The decision by new-ish chief executive Gary Nagle to put aside 1.1billion to settle long-standing disputes with the US Department of Justice, and similar authorities here in the UK, Brazil, Switzerland and the Netherlands, represents a determination to come to terms with a buccaneering past.

The success of Glencore has long been based on its sense of adventure and its willingness to invest in difficult territories.

Corruption probes: The success of Glencore has long been based on its sense of adventure and its willingness to invest in difficult territories

It is not the first miner to find itself in treacherous territory in its dealings in emerging markets and frontier economies.

Rio Tinto has been caught up in bribery allegations in Guinea. It has suffered even more serious reputational damage over the destruction of the sacred Juukan Gorge and charges of misogyny in Australia.

Glencore is seeking to present a brave new and more environmentally responsible face to the world.

In the UK it has become an investor in Britishvolt. Access to valuable lithium, copper and other metals at the core of the electric vehicle revolution means it is in a good place.

Free cash flow of 9.6billion, after a payout of nearly 3billion in dividends, suggests there may never be a better time to come to terms with the past as legal fees rack up.

Glencores origins as an oil and commodities trading outfit suggest that whatever the outcome of events in Ukraine it is likely to be a winner. It makes no secret of the fact that market disruptions create great opportunities for arbitrage trades.

Under the stewardship of previous chief executive and key investor Ivan Glasenberg, it decided to stick with coal production, arguing it was better for it to be in the hands of a responsible owner that would deplete existing resources in plain sight.

This looks to have been extraordinarily smart because coal prices have soared in Asia to a record $250-a-ton as investment in new resources has come to a halt.

The decision to stick with coal for the next three decades, when its mines become unproductive, has been a point of dispute with activist investor Bluebell.

It recently has suggested hiving off thermal coal into a separate entity in which Glencore retains voting rights and much of the economic interest.

That, the hedge fund argues, would clarify Glencore as a miner and trader with a green agenda. For the moment, the coal production is an earnings gusher helping to pay for dividends, buybacks and bonuses.

There will almost certainly be a better moment to consider restructuring coal interests after more pressing legal and regulatory issues have been resolved.

Petrol heads

When private equity barons Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) snapped up Morrisons for 7.1billion last year, there were grand plans to develop the grocer before selling it on.

Among the most intriguing ideas was some kind of combination or long-term deal with another CD&R property, the 900-outlet Motor Fuel Group (MFG).

The idea was gradually to rip out the traditional fuel outlets, turn them into fast-charging stations for electric vehicles and replace the assorted retail outlets on the forecourts with Morrisons stores.

This would be value-enhancing for MFG because the forecourts would have a consistent quality offering  and terrific for Morrisons, which, unlike the other big supermarkets, had never assembled a promising convenience store because all the best sites were taken.

What CD&R seems to have reckoned without is a much more aggressive Competition & Markets Authority, which decided in October to look at what the impact might be of common ownership of MFG forecourts and those already operated by Morrisons.

It is against this background, and the possibility of a multi-billion profit, that there looks to have been a change of heart at CDR, which is planning to offload MFG.

The best-laid plans of mice and men

Thin gruel

Is BA finally turning over a new leaf after the unpopular stewardship of Alex Cruz?

Boss Sean Doyle is offering a one-off bonus to 20,000 pilots and crew as the carrier seeks to bounce back from Covid.

Passengers will be delighted if that means an end to stony-faced service.

But does it also mean an end to a bottle of water and packet of crisps in economy?

Asking for a friend.
When it comes to investing, measuring your performance can be notoriously tricky. Of course, its easy enough to see whether your money has grown or not. But that isnt the whole story.

Most investors want to know how their portfolio - or fund manager - has performed compared with the wider market. Which isnt always so simple to work out.

This week, an influential report revealed a sharp surge in the number of underperforming funds  with more than 45 billion invested in funds that fall short of their peers.

Dog funds: This week, an influential report revealed a sharp surge in the number of underperforming funds - with more than 45bn invested in funds that fall short of their peers.

The report, compiled by financial planners Tilney, names and shames those investments it says consistently underperform in the market  or what it has dubbed dog funds.

This years list contains funds from the likes of wealth managers St Jamess Place, and investment companies Jupiter and abrdn. The number of duff funds has risen from 77 to 86.

Tilney Investment Management Services Jason Hollands warns that the past two years may have helped to mask underperformance.

With stock markets racing to new highs, many managers have made impressive gains without having to do much.

But now markets are in a trickier phase  with the giant U.S. market in correction territory  the importance of performance will become clearer.

Tilney sets strict criteria to identify dog funds, i.e. serial underperformers.

To take account of wider market performance, all funds are compared to their designated benchmark  an industry measure that looks at the average performance of a market.

A fund focused on U.S. or Asian equities, say, will be compared to the overall state of those markets, which may vary dramatically.

Measuring a managers performance against a benchmark should give a strong indication of the quality of their stock-picking.

Tilney defines a dog fund as one which has underperformed its respective benchmark for three consecutive years  with a total lag of at least 5 per cent. This may help you find the funds that are acting as a drag on your portfolio  but there are caveats.

Identifying reasons for underperformance is not always straightforward, says Paul Kearney from investment consultancy ARC. Investors may underperform because they have taken a contrarian investment position  and one which may take longer to come off.

When comparing a funds performance to its benchmark, he says its important to take into account its strategy, risk appetite and its fees.

Take JP Morgans U.S. Equity Income fund, with 3.92 billion under management. Though it has delivered a healthy return (10,000 into 15,600 over three years), it has still fallen 32 per cent short of the U.S. benchmark.

But as a dividend-focused fund it has chosen to stay away from the speculative tech sector that has driven the wider U.S. market.

There are fewer excuses for the Halifax UK Growth Fund. Having invested 3.79 billion of savers money into FTSE 100 companies, its fallen 10 per cent short of its benchmark.

It also charges an annual fee of 1.5 per cent  more than 15 times as much as a passive FTSE 100 tracker that backs many of the same companies.

The platform also highlighted some of its favourite funds, including green fund Impax Environmental Markets Trust

Usefully, Tilney also names some of its favourite funds. For investors looking for a globally-focused fund, Mr Hollands highlights Fundsmith Equity.

Over five years, it has turned 10,000 into 18,700  beating its benchmark by more than 50 per cent  thanks to winning picks including Estee Lauder and Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk.

Other picks include green-favourite Impax Environmental Markets Trust and the Dodge & Cox Worldwide U.S. Stock fund. Over five years, theyve turned 10,000 into 20,800 and 16,600 respectively.

But while investors should be alert to high-performing funds, its worth noting many experts caution against changing your positions too hastily.

Consistently outperforming the market, long term, is very difficult, says Vanguards James Norton.

By spreading money across a balanced and diversified portfolio, investors can reap the benefits of rising markets, and avoid the sharp edges.
Tesla boss Elon Musk has given around 4.2billion worth of the electric car makers stock to charity in one of the biggest donations ever.

Musk, the worlds richest man, donated just over 5m Tesla shares between November 19 and 29, according to a filing with US regulators. The charitys identity was not disclosed.

It came as Musk, 50, sold 12.1billion of Tesla stock after a Twitter poll backed him offloading 10 per cent of his stake. That came amid a row with US lawmakers over the tax arrangements of the wealthy.

Donation: Elon Musk (pictured) has given over 5m Tesla shares - worth some 4.2bn - to an undisclosed charity

The billionaire said he would pay over 8billion in tax as a result of exercising his stock options. However, shares donated are not subject to capital gains tax.

Some analysts predict Musk may have contributed the sum to a donor-advised fund rather than directly to charities.

The donation will make Musk the second-biggest donor for 2021 behind Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda French Gates.

Musk previously offered to sell stock if the UN World Food Programme could describehow $6billion [4.4billion] will solve world hunger.

But he is behind several super-rich counterparts. According to Forbes, he and Amazons Jeff Bezos have given away under 1 per cent of their wealth.
John Menzies called a 469million takeover bid 'opportunistic' as it doubled down on snubbing the deal.

Shares in the Edinburgh firm, which provides airport fuelling, ground handling and lounge and maintenance services, surged more than a third last week after it received a 510p a share bid proposal from rival National Aviation Services (NAS).

The bidder serves emerging markets, with headquarters in Kuwait, and is part of the wider Agility Public Warehousing Co.

Take off: Shares in John Menzies surged more than a third last week after it received a 510p a share bid proposal from rival National Aviation Services

But John Menzies threw it out, months after a 460p a share move by NAS was also rebuffed.

NAS chief executive Hassan El-Houry said Menzies did not engage properly and he would speak to shareholders directly.

Menzies yesterday said: 'The board has unanimously rejected the NAS proposal, having concluded that it is opportunistic, conditional and that the terms fundamentally undervalue Menzies and its future prospects.'

It said it believes its strategy will 'create significant value for shareholders in the near and medium term'. Shares in Menzies rose 2.6 per cent, or 12p, to 477p.
British Airways has offered 20,000 pilots and crew a one-off bonus as it attempts to rebuild relations with staff.

The carrier, owned by FTSE 100 firm IAG, has proposed to trade unions a 10 per cent bonus for employees including ground staff, cabin crew, engineers, call centre workers and administration staff.

Pilots have been offered a 5 per cent bonus in discussions with their own union, Balpa.

BA has proposed to trade unions a 10% bonus for employees including ground staff, cabin crew, engineers, call centre workers and administration staff

Unions will have until the end of the month to respond to the companys offer.

This proposal is a gesture of thanks for colleagues hard work during the pandemic, a BA spokesman said.

It previously paid bonuses when it hit targets or certain profit levels, but the pandemic means there have been none for several years.

BA boss Sean Doyle, who took over in 2020, is trying to repair its relationship with staff and increase morale in an industry battered by Covid.

The carrier laid off around 10,000 workers when the pandemic struck and plunged to a 3.9billion loss in 2020 as travel restrictions and lockdown measures meant demand almost completely dried up.
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Barre, VT (05641)

Today

Generally cloudy. High 63F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 48F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Thomasville, GA (31792)

Today

Sunshine this morning. Increasing clouds with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.
Thomasville, GA (31792)

Today

Mostly sunny skies this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. High 87F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.
Princeton, KY (42445)

Today

Mostly cloudy early. Isolated thunderstorms may develop this afternoon. High 77F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 49F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Kingsport, TN (37660)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
A defiant Ukrainian leader urged citizens to celebrate a Day of Unity on Wednesday, as Washington warned once again that Russia remains poised to launch a devastating assault.

President Volodymyr Zelensky chose the date for what he hoped would be a patriotic outpouring after US reports suggested Russian forces could attack as early as February 16.

An intense diplomatic campaign is underway to head off the crisis triggered when Russia deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraines borders, backed with fleet reinforcements and powerful artillery and missile systems.

On Tuesday, there were hopes for a breakthrough as President Vladimir Putin met Germanys Chancellor Olaf Scholz to explore a route to a negotiated solution and Moscow said it had begun to pull back some forces.

But US President Joe Biden  who has ordered Washingtons embassy in Kyiv closed and urged Americans to leave Ukraine  demanded that Russia prove its good intentions with a verifiable withdrawal.

Analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position, Biden said, in an address on the crisis. The United States is prepared no matter what happens. We are ready with diplomacy, he said.

And we are ready to respond decisively to Russian attack on Ukraine, which is still very much a possibility, he said, warning of powerful sanctions.

 Cautious optimism 

Earlier, in the first announced withdrawal from among the troops Russia massed on the Ukrainian border, the defence ministry in Moscow said some soldiers were returning to bases at the end of planned exercises.

Western leaders have accused Moscow of positioning the troops in advance of a possible invasion of pro-Western Ukraine, warning that any attack would be met with severe economic sanctions.

After meeting Scholz in Moscow, Putin said Russia of course did not want war, and was willing to look for solutions with the West.

We are ready to work further together. We are ready to go down the negotiations track, Putin told a joint press conference with Scholz.

In response, Scholz said: That we are now hearing that some troops are being withdrawn is in any case a good sign.

For Europeans, it is clear that lasting security cannot be achieved against Russia but only with Russia.

Moscow released few details about the troop withdrawal.

In Brussels, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said while there was not yet any sign of de-escalation on the ground there were grounds for cautious optimism.

The crisis  the worst between Russia and the West since the Cold War ended  reached a peak this week, with US officials warning of a full-scale invasion  perhaps on Wednesday.

Zelensky reacted with sarcasm to the warning, and declared Wednesday a Day of Unity.

Serious external and internal challenges have arisen, which require responsibility, confidence and concrete actions from me and each of us, he said.

But our state today is stronger than ever, he vowed.

 Dirty tricks? 

On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the countrys defence ministry and armed forces as well as two banks had been hit by a cyberattack that could have Russian origins.

It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks, Ukraines communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia.

In a separate move likely to anger Kyiv, Russian lawmakers on Tuesday voted to urge Putin to recognise two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as sovereign and independent states.

This would allow Russia to abandon the Minsk agreements peace plan for eastern Ukraine and potentially move in Russian troops  giving Putin a strong hand to play in any future negotiations with Kyiv.

The European Union strongly condemned such a move, saying it would violate the Minsk agreements that Moscow had signed up to.

Russia has repeatedly blamed the Ukraine crisis on the West, saying the United States and western Europe are ignoring Russias legitimate security concerns.

The Kremlin insists NATO must give assurances that Ukraine will never be admitted as a member and the alliance roll back its presence in several eastern European and ex-Soviet countries.

Russia already controls the Crimean Peninsula that it seized from Ukraine in 2014 and supports separatist forces who have taken control of parts of eastern Ukraine, in a conflict that has claimed more than 14,000 lives.

SOURCE: AFP
PUTNAM COUNTY  Legal maneuvering over whether to appoint a special prosecutor has delayed the retrial of a man whose original conviction in the 1994 rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl was thrown out.

Lawyers for defendant Andrew Krivak filed a motion in January asking Westchester County Supreme Court Justice Barry Warhit to appoint a special prosecutor to replace Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendys team, who the defense argues withheld evidence that would have exonerated their client.

On Monday, the district attorneys office filed a 40-page response, saying the motion contains outrageous and inflammatory accusations and is absolutely meritless. It notes that the court has rejected every one of defendants allegations of misconduct.

The defense has two weeks to respond, with Warhit expected to issue a ruling as to whether to replace Larry Glasser, the first assistant district attorney and current assigned prosecutor, and the rest of the prosecution team.

Convicted in 1997, Krivak was released on bail in October 2020 after Westchester Supreme Court Justice David Zuckerman ordered a retrial upon hearing testimony about a Connecticut inmate who implicated himself in the rape and murder of Josette Wright. The girl disappeared from the Town of Carmel in October 1994. Thirteen months later a hunter found her remains in the woods off Fields Lane in Patterson.

A special prosecutor would bring a set of neutral objective eyes to all the evidence weve gathered  that clearly show this trial shouldnt go on, said Oscar Michelen, one of Krivaks attorneys. The right thing to do here is just acknowledge what the evidence shows and let Andy go on with his life.

Prison confession, extortion charges

At the time of Wrights disappearance, Krivak was 17 and Anthony DiPippo was 18. Only one witness, DiPippos former girlfriend Denise Rose, has continually identified them as the perpetrators, while two young men who Rose claimed were in the van at the time of the rape recanted their statements, saying they were pressured by investigators to lie.

Both teens were charged, but tried separately, in the crime. DiPippo was acquitted at his third trial in 2016, then released after serving 20 years in prison. He later sued Putnam County for wrongful conviction and in 2020 reached a $12 million settlement.

Unlike DiPippo, Krivak confessed to killing Wright  a confession that he maintains was false and coerced by Putnam County sheriffs investigators, including Dan Stephens.

Defense attorneys have pointed to Stephens checkered past involving confessions. He was sued by Jeffrey Deskovic, who had been convicted in a 1989 rape and murder in Peekskill, for allegedly coercing a false confession during a lengthy polygraph exam and fabricating evidence. Deskovic was exonerated in 2006 and later awarded $40 million by a federal jury  $10 million of which was paid by Putnam County.

In their motion to remove the district attorney's office from Krivaks retrial, his lawyers maintain that Tendy  who took over the office in 2016  failed to disclose or investigate new evidence surrounding Howard Gombert, a serial pedophile and sexually violent predator and convicted rapist who knew the victim. According to the motion, Gombert was in the Carmel area at the time of Wrights disappearance, made threats against her to other child rape victims and later implicated himself in Wrights murder to Joseph Santoro when the two men were inmates in Connecticut.

Gombert is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for the sexual assault of an 8-year-old girl.

Santoro was a defense witness at DiPippos trial, and two of Gomberts child victims testified at DiPippos 2016 trial.

A new wrinkle in an already complex case emerged when Santoro threatened to change his testimony if he wasnt compensated, an extortion scheme that the defense claims the district attorneys office became aware of while monitoring Santoros communications but failed to disclose. Krivaks attorney Oscar Michelen told investigators that Santoro demanded that Michelen pay him between $1.5 and $2 million in exchange for not recanting his prior testimony given during DiPippos trial.

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Michelen reported that Santoro also demanded an initial cash payment of $100,000, a luxury handbag and new vehicle.

Santoro was charged with extortion after being arrested at the end of April 2021, and in September pleaded guilty to the charge while standing by his prior testimony about Gomberts confession. He also intimated that the district attorneys office did not want him to reaffirm that testimony.

The County of Putnam rained hellfire on me for telling the truth on these men, on my family and my friends, Santoro said in U.S. District Court on Feb. 3, when he was sentenced to 60 months for extortion.

Prosecutors continue to challenge Santoros credibility, stating in their response to the defenses motion that Santoro is a career criminal who extorted the defense regarding his testimony in this case and that his extortion attempt and jailhouse calls were not favorable evidence.

Santoro was also telling his own attorney to tell the People that his prior testimony was bull__ and that he would testify to that effect if he received a lenient plea bargain on his open cases, the district attorneys response states.

U.S. District Judge Nelson Roman said during Santoros sentencing, It seems to me that theres a couple cases that have come before me that are out of Putnam County. If theres a problem there, then somebody should look into it, right? But thats not my job.

Westchester County Court Judge Robert Prisco is now assigned to Krivaks case, replacing Judge David Zuckerman.
Hes almost like an action figure, says Sue Gardner, deputy historian for the Town of Warwick and author of the independently published Pure Necessity: Revolution at Warwick, of George Washington.

But our first commander-in-chief is more than a larger-than-life character in American history. He stopped every 12 miles to have grog  watered-down rum with a squeeze of lemon or lime  or stretch his legs, says Gardner. Doesnt he seem more human already?

As we remember our nations first president at his birthday, we get to know him through five spots in the Hudson Valley where he spent a significant amount of time during the Revolutionary War. Thats because New York City was a British stronghold, says historian Alexis Coe, and White Plains was of utmost strategic importance. A solid presence in the Hudson Valley was also key to blocking British ships on the Hudson, and Washingtons command of the region, Coe says, is one of the reasons he won the war.

Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn  Dutchess County

Beekman Arms

Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck was called Bogardus Tavern in the late 18th century where Washington, along with Philip Schuyler, Benedict Arnold and Alexander Hamilton, slept, ate, drank, argued, and laughed  throughout the Revolutionary War, according to the Beekman Arms website.

The Fourth Regiment of the Continental Army performed drills on the front lawn, and local people sheltered here when the British burned Kingston, a hotbed of sedition across the river, in October 1777.

The room where Washington slept has been divided into rooms 21 and 22, says Stephanie Stack, head of events, sales and operations at the Beekman. A portrait of Washington hangs over the mantle in the inns Portrait Room, now used for dining. Theres no grog on the menu, but you can order madeira, another of Washingtons favorite beverages. Beekman Arms, 6387 Mill St., Rhinebeck; 845-876-7077

John Kane House  Dutchess County

Pawling Historical Society

Following the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Washington withdrew to Pawling, where he stayed from September to November 1778. He first slept in the home of Reed Ferris, a Quaker, then moved in with John and Sybil Kane. John Kane, an Irish immigrant who made his fortune selling lace, was involved in the Anti-Rent Rebellion of 1765, a revolt over outstanding debts Hudson Valley residents owed to their onetime landowner, Stephen Van Rensselaer III.

Washington was basically in a holding pattern, says Robert Reilly, historian for the Town of Pawling. Do I go north to Canada, east to Boston or south to New York? Pawling gave Washington time to think  its location between two high ridges protected it from a surprise attack by enemy forces to the south.

John Kane House now serves as home of the Pawling Historical Society, and its museum contains artifacts dating back to pre-colonial times. The building was purchased with help from local writer, actor, broadcaster and traveler Lowell Thomas, best known for publicizing the activities of T. E. Lawrence, a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia.

One of the objects in the museum is the key to the door of Washingtons bedroom. Its got to weigh two pounds, Reilly says. John Kane House, 126 E. Main St., Pawling; 845-855-9316

Wynkoop House  Ulster County

Wynkoop House

Gary Tinterow, former chair of the Department of Nineteenth-Century, Modern and Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, lost his Catskill house in a fire in 1992. Later that year he found a museum-worthy replacement in Wynkoop House, a Georgian-style gray limestone structure with a gambrel roof built in 1767 by Cornelius Evert Wynkoop. Wynkoop was a Major of the Minutemen of Ulster County and a commissioner of the Committee to Detect and Defeat Conspiracies, along with Aaron Burr and Dewitt Clinton.

Washington was a guest of Wynkoops on the night of Nov. 15, 1782, and he is said to have slept in a bedroom on the second floor where Tinterow now sleeps. The next day, Washington addressed members of the Dutch Reformed Church in Kingston and attended a reception at the house of Corneliuss brother Dirck. A hand-written letter Washington sent to the church following his visit hangs there to this day.

Tinterow says when he bought Wynkoop House, it had one electrical outlet, one heated room and one indoor toilet. The last major changes had been made in the 1830s.

During renovations, Tinterow installed electricity and plumbing without making any holes in the house. Im very proud of my restraint, he says. Wynkoop House isnt open to visitors but can be rented for events and photo shoots. Wynkoop House, 3721 Main St. (Route 209), Stone Ridge

Washingtons Headquarters State Historic Site  Orange County

Tyler Wetherall

Washington spent more than 16 months at this Dutch vernacular farmhouse overlooking the Hudson, from April 1782 to August 1783, with Martha joining him for 12 months. It was here that he rejected the idea of an American monarchy, proposed by Colonel Lewis Nicola in what is now known as the Newburgh Letter.

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Washington said, Thats not what we were fighting eight years for, says Elyse Goldberg, historic site manager.

Also in Newburgh, Washington ended the Newburgh Conspiracy, fomented by officers who had not been paid; created the Badge of Military Merit, a precursor to the Purple Heart; and wrote a letter to the state governors outlining key principles for the new republic, many of which made their way into the Constitution.

Karen Monci, an historic interpreter at the site, says people have gotten emotional standing in Washingtons office. They say, I cant believe all this happened here, she says.

In addition to the house, a museum contains 1,300 objects, including copies of Gilbert Stuart portraits of the first couple made by Asher B. Durand and a framed lock of hair purportedly from Washingtons head. People ask me if we can clone him, Monci says.

Before you set out, make sure to call or check websites first for hours and tour reservations. Washingtons Headquarters, 84 Liberty St., Newburgh; 845-562-1195

Bairds Tavern  Orange County

Baird's Tavern

Bairds Tavern was built by Francis Baird in 1766 from stones quarried on site. While Baird signed numerous petitions in support of patriots fighting the British and secretly allowed local militia to practice their military formations and drills in the attic, he kept his loyalty to himself for safetys sake, hiring lookouts and flying either the Colonial flag or Union Jack depending on which army was marching into town.

Washington stopped for grog here in late July 1782, according to a diary entry by one of his aides, and in 1786 Martha Washington spent the night in a second-floor bedroom on her way to see her husband in Newburgh.

The building is owned by the Warwick Historical Society, which rents out the lower floor to the tavern. Grog was on the menu when the tavern opened in 2017 but was not a success. Nevertheless, the town celebrates Washingtons consumption of the brew every year on the last Saturday of July, known as Washington Day.

Gardner says that Warwick was important during the war because of its location on the Kings Highway, a route that ran from Newburgh to Philadelphia and allowed the Colonial Army to avoid Loyalist Northern New Jersey and New York City. Bairds Tavern, 103 Main St., Warwick; 845-324-8750

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that the John Kane House is located in Putnam County. It is located in Dutchess County. We regret the error.
I hid a copy of Judy Blumes Forever in my sock drawer in the early 1980s.

The book featured sex, birth control and the pill. I was curious.

Im not sure where I found Forever, which came out in 1975. But I somehow knew it was controversial.

What I got out of it wasnt obscene or detrimental to my moral code. Sex ed in school back then was cringey. Instead, I read on my own terms in the privacy of my room and the book made me more comfortable with my own sexuality, just like a few years earlier Blumes Are You There, God? Its Me, Margaret helped me understand my period.

Blume is one of the most banned authors of all time and I thought of her as this new spate of book banning cropped up.

I havent ever stopped reading books people try to ban. With a lot of help, Im working my way through Ulysses by James Joyce, a book that was banned from being brought into the country by the U.S. Customs Service. ''If it could be argued that books abounding in obscenity, filth and rottenness are books of undoubted merit and literary value, then this book is a masterpiece,'' the agency proclaimed.

But in his 1933 ruling allowing the book into the country, U.S. District Judge John Woolsey called it an amazing tour de force. The judge, who pored over the book for several months, also had a sense of humor: In respect of the recurrent emergence of the theme of sex in the minds of his characters, it must always be remembered that his locale was Celtic and his season spring.

The judge also wrote: Ulysses is not an easy book to read. It is brilliant and dull, intelligible and obscure, by turns. In many places it seems to me to be disgusting, but although it contains, as I have mentioned above, many words usually considered dirty, I have not found anything that I consider to be dirt for dirt's sake. Each word of the book contributes like a bit of mosaic to the detail of the picture which Joyce is seeking to construct for his readers.

No doubt the controversy fueled sales.

Now, according to Forbes, the sale of Maus, a collection of graphic novels about the Holocaust, went up 753 percent in January. Its now one of the top sellers on Amazon. That massive spike is thanks to the McMinn School Board in Tennessee.

And the conservative nonprofit Moms for Liberty also recently was successful in having Sharon Creechs Walk Two Moons banned in Williamson County, also in Tennessee.

Every time you ban a book, its sales and readership go up and authors and book sellers rally, sending books to the kids who want them. And dont even get me started about librarians.

Check out the American Library Associations resources for fighting back against censorship. I got chills reading their statement: We are committed to defending the constitutional rights of all individuals, of all ages, to use the resources and services of libraries. We champion and defend the freedom to speak, the freedom to publish, and the freedom to read, as promised by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. We stand opposed to censorship and any effort to coerce belief, suppress opinion, or punish those whose expression does not conform to what is deemed to be orthodox in history, politics, or belief. The unfettered exchange of ideas is essential to the preservation of a free and democratic society.

Another conservative faction recently attacked some books at my local library. They defaced the covers of former President Barack Obama's book "A Promised Land" and Robin DiAngelo's "White Fragility" with anti-Biden stickers. The Bethlehem Library staff quickly removed the stickers. Just in case you were wondering, both books have about 50 copies available through the Upper Hudson Library System.

There are also have plenty of copies of Walk Two Moons and Maus, although you might have to wait for Maus because there are so many holds right now. Dont worry. Theyre not going anywhere.


COLONIE  An out-of-control car crashed through several telephone poles on Central Avenue early Wednesday, leaving the driver gravely injured and utility service cut to dozens of nearby homes and businesses, police said.

Police said several people called 911 to report the crash at 12:08 a.m.

The 34-year-old driver was trapped inside the car and semi-conscious, police said. Firefighters pried wreckage away to pull him from the vehicle. The man, who police said suffered internal injuries, was in the intensive care unit at Albany Medical Center Hospital.

Police said they believed speeding might have been a factor in the crash.

The 2021 Dodge Charger was headed eastbound when it crossed into the westbound lanes and crashed into and snapped a utility pole on that side of the road, police said. The vehicle continued rolling, taking out several traffic signs and hitting three more poles before coming to a stop in a parking lot near Lansing Road North.

Police said the vehicle was entangled in wires when rescuers found it. A second car hit debris in the road and had to be towed away.

The crash brought down three poles and dropped power lines. The damage knocked out power to several blocks and initially more than 150 National Grid customers were without service. As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, several dozen customers remained without power.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Live updates: Track power outages in New York

Police closed Central Avenue between Berwyn Street and Lishakill Road for three hours after the crash and the right lane of the westbound lane remained closed while crews worked on the utility poles.

The cause of the crash is being investigated, and police said they expected to charge the driver, a Brooklyn man.
GREENVILLE  The Greenville Central School District is grappling with a third day of unrest from parents and students over what they see as excessive mask enforcement and unequal treatment of students based on vaccination status.

Tensions boiled over at a school board meeting in Greenville Monday night following a student walkout over the mask mandate, which the students said drew scorn from their peers and teachers. About 30 students joined in the walkout, participants said.

And on Tuesday evening, school officials announced that grades 6-12 would shift to remote learning for the rest of the week, citing students' defiance of mask rules and disruptions to the school day.

A short business meeting Monday became a three-hour conversation about masking and alleged mistreatment of students by administrators amid an increasingly polarized climate at the tiny Greene County district of about 1,125 students.

School officials initially refused to start the meeting because several people were unmasked, but eventually engaged with community members about the scope of their power and expressed that the mask requirements are state-mandated.

At least one parent, Pete Laquari, stood over the board members and berated them.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Laquari said. "To sit here and say 'I'm not going to start a meeting because you don't have a mask'  it doesn't work! It's paper and cloth!"

Later, he told the board, "This community will not stand behind you if you don't support them and stand behind them!"

Others attendees became emotional and cried about incidents they said constituted abuse of unmasked and unvaccinated children.

High school sophomore Peyton Calvo said she felt singled out by the high school's mask enforcement and resented comments from teachers and administrators about her vaccination status.

"People haven't seen my face since middle school. There are no school dances ... nothing to look forward to honestly... every day I feel bullied in this school," she said.

Teachers allegedly suggested that she staple or duct tape the face-covering to her nose. Another teacher suggested she was endangering the teacher's baby, Calvo said.

She was among the group of students who walked out of class Monday in protest of the COVID-19 measures. Parents who attended the walkout said their children endured insults and rude behavior by their peers. At one point, someone threw a milk carton in their direction, parents said.

Some students were picked up early and went home; others returned to class or stayed outside the entire day. Some students also participated in a statewide "sit-out" on Friday, staying home from school in protest. On Tuesday, a large group of students staged an indoor protest, leading to confrontations between pro- and anti-mask students in the hallway, school officials said.

Lynn Davis Flannery told the Times Union her daughters in the sixth and ninth grades participated in Monday's protest because they felt shamed by teachers for wearing ill-fitting masks. Her daughters were taunted for their stances, she said.

"My daughters' friends  well maybe not anymore  were calling them murderers and telling them they don't care about anybody's life, because they don't want to wear a mask," she said. "It was hard for them to go to school today. Today, the same girls were mocking them and calling them names."

Eleventh grader Hunter Smigel told the board he understood that COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the severity of disease, but the state's inconsistent quarantining requirements after exposure based on vaccination status seemed "illogical" given that the omicron variant can infect vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

"I have been quarantined four times this year ... that's about a month. It's provable that school-from-home does not provide the same quality of education as in-person learning," the 17-year-old said. "For me, being unvaccinated, I have now received a lesser quality of education. I don't necessarily appreciate that. I'm not blaming you, but I'm blaming the powers higher up  I guess the state."

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Parents asked the board to support their effort to appeal to Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose administration dropped the mask mandate for businesses, but not schools last week. They also asked school leaders and teachers to show more kindness and lighten up on mask enforcement.

"All you do is hound them, the mask, the mask ... how about you say hello to them instead?" Laquari said. "How about you joke around with them?"

Parents questioned the enforceability of the state's mask mandate, which has recently been challenged in court.

Greenville Superintendent Tammy Sutherland said she sympathizes with parents whose kids have been masked for nearly two years, but her hands are tied.

"I do think there is COVID fatigue and we are required as you know, to enforce the mask mandate. Parents do not believe that; they think I have the ability to stop the mask mandate, which I don't," Sutherland said.

New York school leaders have recently pressed the governor's office to provide clear metrics for when COVID-19 restrictions will ease up in New York schools.

New Jersey and Connecticut have announced plans to end the mask mandates at their schools in early March.

State health officials said there are no numerical goals yet, but the decision will be based on the COVID-19 numbers after winter break.

Hochul has noted that only a third of children 5 to 11 years old have been vaccinated compared to 85 percent of adults.

The absence of a timeline has put school districts in a tough position as the pandemic drags into its third year. Last week, Ballston Spa students walked out of class in protest of the mandate.

"I wish the governor would have given a date so parents could hold onto it. I think school districts are in a very hard place right now, it's dividing communities ... we are a very small community and we need to find a way back to treating each other with respect," Sutherland said.
SCHENECTADY - Trey Tillman found his voice - literally and figuratively speaking  after joining the My Brothers Keeper (MBK) program in his freshman year at Schenectady High School.

Now, the once quiet Tillman, a senior, is eyeing a career that involves public speaking when he starts at Schenectady County College in the future.

MBK made me realize my true voice, and I love to speak now, and I love to sit in front of all these important people he told the crowd Tuesday morning at Mont Pleasant Middle School where city and school leaders and administrators gathered to announce their new partnership and plans for Schenectady to become a My Brothers Keeper community by late July to early August. "Your voice really does matter, you just need to put forth the effort to believe in yourself and believe in other people to believe in you."

Launched by President Obama in 2014, MBK is an initiative aimed at addressing persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential, according to information online.

Schenectady has had the program, primarily involving high schoolers, in place since 2018.

The district is also working to implement a "cradle-to-college and career" MBK program to include 3- and 4-year-old children.

Schenectady School Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr. said Tuesday the announcement was a clarion call to action for the community to get behind the effort with their ideas and input to enhance the existing program.

To that end, three local action summits are scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 3, 8, and 15 that will lead to the creation of a plan for action over the summer.

If successful, Schenectady would join Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, and Syracuse as part of the MBK Community Network that includes a total of 31 places across the state.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Mayor Gary McCarthy said the partnership with the school district and the community marked an exciting day.

We need your input, your thoughts, your ideas ... and it will open the doors for you that you will be able to look out and do things that you never thought were possible, said McCarthy.

MBK also unveiled a hip new logo.
ALBANY  The state declared 106 acres in Sheridan Hollow a Brownfield Opportunity Area, which is meant to help the city's revitalization efforts in the neighborhood.

The Affordable Housing Partnership of the Capital Region pushed the nomination that led to the state's declaration, announced on Tuesday. The area's boundaries are Clinton Avenue, Pearl Street, Elk Street and Lexington Avenue.

Susan Cotner, the partnership's executive director, said the designation was the result of years of working that involved community meetings and researching the area's history. The partnership is located in Sheridan Hollow.

"We're really excited to have reached this point," she said. "We feel like it's a plan developed by the neighborhood."

The BOA designation means developers will be eligible for tax credits and other incentives to encourage the cleanup of potentially contaminated sites. Those developments are supposed to conform with the communitys vision for its neighborhood.

Nonprofits can also apply for pre-development grants for projects in those areas. Projects in those areas are also entitled to receive priority and preference for some state grants.

Aaron Mair, a pioneering national environmental justice policy advocate, said those incentives to redevelop potentially polluted sites can weigh heavily in favor of developers, which makes it crucial for any redevelopment plans to take community preferences into consideration.

The area has long suffered from the effects of pollution. In the 1800s, a part of the neighborhood served as home to the city's manure heap. According to a study submitted to the state as part of the BOA nomination process, there are dozens of possible brownfields within the boundaries, including former dry cleaners, auto stations, tanneries and more.

The most well-known polluter was the former ANSWERS plant, which burned trash to power state buildings. The plant was shut down in 1994 following a number of incidents in which it spewed black soot that settled on cars and property across the city, including at the Governor's Mansion. The state still runs the Sheridan Avenue steam plant, which powers the Empire State Plaza.

Judith Enck, the EPA regional administrator under President Barack Obama, said the neighborhood was hit hard by the ANSWERS incinerator.

"There is likely legacy soil contamination that will need to be addressed. It is important that strict cleanup standards are followed and that no shortcuts are taken to allow for industrial development," she said in a statement.

The area historically was a working-class neighborhood and today is home to a diverse population that is predominantly Black. But in addition to the pollution, it was subject to disinvestment dating to the 1930s due to the practice of redlining, where financial institutions, governments and real estate developers deemed certain places too hazardous for investment. That policy contributed to nearly a century of keeping the city racially and economically divided.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

In Sheridan Hollow, it created one of the most economically depressed neighborhoods in the city, according to the nomination study.

Nearly half the neighborhoods residents live below the poverty line and nearly 90 percent of its residents are tenants.

The paperwork the Affordable Housing Partnership of the Capital Region submitted to the state proposed a number of projects in the neighborhood as well as other policies that could attract future investment and reverse that trend.

Cotner said those projects include working to better connect the neighborhood, which historically has been isolated from other parts of the city due to it being situated in a deep ravine, to existing pedestrian networks; green infrastructure such as geothermal heating; and redevelopment efforts on key sites.

Cotner said there was already discussion of applying for part of the $25 million in city funding for community projects under the American Rescue Plan.

"This is not a plan that is going to be put on a shelf," she said.
TROY  City and Rensselaer County film coordinators escorted a Showtime location scout through the Rensselaer County Courthouse Tuesday looking at courtrooms for potential use in the upcoming series Three Women.

The Showtime series was already in Schenectady's Upper Union Street neighborhood in November to film.

The Capital Regions proximity to movie studios and production companies in New York City has driven an uptick in local filming with HBOs The Gilded Age and Amazons Modern Love both setting up for business in the region. The Gilded Age also shot at estates in the Hudson Valley.

"Possible Productions, Inc. in collaboration with Showtime, is currently in production for the limited series 'Three Women.' The show is based on writer Lisa Taddeos New York Times best-selling nonfiction book of the same name, and stars Shailene Woodley ('Divergent,' HBOs 'Big Little Lies'), DeWanda Wise (Netflixs 'Shes Gotta Have It') and Betty Gilpin (Netflixs 'Glow')," according to a flyer distributed about the hunt for locations.

The filming of Three Women is expected to run through May. The flyer says the production company is also looking for a house to film at.

Both Troy and Schenectady have stepped up their promotional efforts to attract more productions to their municipalities. Discover Schenectady and the Schenectady Film Commission last year unveiled a new promotional video about the city for movie and television production companies.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Troy launched an updated Film in Troy website to promote itself. The website www.troyny.gov/filmintroy spotlights state tax breaks, the movies and television shows that have shot their productions in the city, and the assistance the city can provide to filmmakers with permits, locations and logistics.

Besides The Gilded Age, other productions that have filmed in Troy include The Age of Innocence, The Emperors Club, Scent of a Woman, The Time Machine, Ironweed, Shoplifters of the World Unite, Motherless Brooklyn and Modern Love.
contributed

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany is mourning the death of Christopher J. Keough, 66, parish life director at Transfiguration Parish, which includes Schaghticoke and Spiegeltown. Keough was killed in a one-car accident Friday afternoon in Troy.

The sudden passing ... is heartbreaking for his family, his parishioners, brother deacons, colleagues, and the entire Diocese of Albany, said Bishop Edward B.Scharfenberger in a statement. Deacon Chris was a man of strong faith. He was a dedicated servant to the faithful of Transfiguration Parish. I know they will miss his presence. We will pray for the repose of his soul. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him.
The temperature will rise into the 50s over the next few days, and the potential for rain and rapid melting of the snowpack could cause minor flooding along creeks and rivers, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency's Albany-based meteorologists said a rise in river water could break up ice sheets that, once smashed into smaller pieces, could clog sections of rivers, including the Mohawk River near Schenectady's Stockade neighborhood. Low-lying homes in the historic district are prone to flooding when ice clogs the river at Freemans Bridge.

Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy said officials are monitoring the river and the forecast.

"We should be OK but rapid thaw with rain can produce unpredictable ice jams," he said.

A flood watch has been issued for the Capital Region, the Schoharie Valley, the Adirondacks and southern Vermont. The watch will go into effect on Thursday and is likely to continue into Friday, meteorologists said.

Schenectady County is urging residents who live in low-lying areas or areas that frequently flood to stay vigilant over the next 48 hours, citing the National Weather Service flood watch for Duanesburg, Rotterdam and parts of the city.

The county's Emergency Management Office has contacted local police and fire departments to alert them of the situation and the countys auxiliary police have been put on standby, officials said.

Stockade Association President Suzy Unger said the 60-or-so homes located north of Front Street are most at risk.

Residents still remember when Tropical Storm Irene ravaged the neighborhood in 2011 and are typically vigilant during flood watches, she said.

Unger said the Mohawk River water levels are low and noted that the state-facilitated icebreakers deployed along the river in recent days have reduced the risk.

"I think clearly the state has been trying to manage the water level to mitigate things as much as possible," Unger said. "But obviously we have to keep an eye on things. Were going to be optimistic but prepared."

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

After days of freezing temperatures, the mercury is expected to rise into the 40s Wednesday and then spike into the 50s on Thursday and Friday. The temperature could approach 60 degrees on Friday.

The warm spell is expected to come with the possibility of heavy rain and strong winds.

"Moderate rain, combined with snow melt, may lead to minor flooding along some rivers and small streams," the National Weather Service said. "Roads and structures near these rivers may be flooded. Urban and low lying flooding is possible, mainly where snow or ice clogs storm drains."

The temperature is expected to drop late Friday and should be in the teens by early Saturday morning. The deep freeze won't last long: The long-term forecast predicts temperatures could be back in the 50s next week.
ALBANY  The push to bring back takeout alcohol got its most prominent platform yet on Wednesday, as advocates testified at a legislative hearing about the economic value of permanently reinstating a measure that provided essential income for bars and restaurants in the first year-plus of the pandemic but has since lapsed.

"During the 15 months the hospitality industry was authorized to sell drinks to-go, as many as 40 percent of our restaurant members to-go orders included takeout or delivery (of) alcoholic drinks," Melissa Fleischhut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, said in submitted remarks prior to a joint session of the Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee. She reiterated some of those points when speaking at the hearing Wednesday afternoon.

The joint session, with 25 scheduled speakers, focused on economic-impact issues in Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed executive budget. The governor has said she considers legalizing alcohol-to-go a priority for New York this year. Speakers at the hearing also used it as an occasion to call for a larger overhaul of the state's alcohol regulations.

Fleischut added in her remarks, "(Takeout alcohol) was a critical lifeline helping (restaurants) to keep staff employed and weather the crushing impact of the pandemic on our industry." Statistics Fleischut submitted to the hearing showed that about 79 percent of New Yorkers overall are in favor of takeout alcohol, and 96 percent of those who purchased it would like to see it made permanent. Those who ordered alcoholic beverages with takeout or delivery food did so an average of nearly 13 times during the period from March 2020 to June 2021, when it was allowed under an emergency provision that expired, Fleischut said.

Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, offered additional support for takeout alcohol when he testified in the afternoon. His prepared testimony said, "When it was abruptly ended last year, it was a significant financial blow to struggling restaurants and bars that relied on that revenue stream."

Describing the hospitality industry as having been "devastated by the pandemic," Rigie asserted that in New York City alone, restaurants and bars employ 75,000 fewer people than in 2019, and thousands of restaurants have closed permanently across the state. Fleischut put the figure at 4,500. In a statement delivered to legislators but not part of the daylong hearing, Scott Wexler, executive director of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association, said that hospitality employment statewide remains 20 percent below pre-pandemic levels, representing 135,000 fewer jobs.

The advocacy at the hearing was echoed around New York at five media events held earlier Wednesday at restaurants in Albany, Buffalo, Long Island, New York City and Westchester. Restaurateurs from each community were present to stress the importance of takeout alcohol. Fleischut, prior to her hearing appearance, offered similar sentiments at the Albany event, held at dp: An American Brasserie; its owner, Dominick Purnomo, has been a vocal proponent of takeout alcohol since it was first allowed.

Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, whose district covers parts of Saratoga and Washington counties, spoke at dp alongside Fleischut, Purnomo and representatives from the industry, including lobbyists and Tess Collins, owner of McGeary's Pub in Albany.

"When somebody orders enchiladas, they want to get a margarita, whether they're eating it at a restaurant or taking it home," Woerner said. Observing that Saratoga Springs has more restaurants per capita than anywhere in the state except New York City, she said, "Clearly, the restaurant economy is something that matters greatly."

Alcohol-to-go has long been opposed by many owners of liquor stores, who say that allowing it would harm their industry because they believe it essentially lets restaurants become liquor stores. A frequently cited example, although it occurred rarely, was large supermarkets with in-house restaurants licensed to serve wine and spirits that set up shelves of wine and liquor for sale during the 15 months takeout alcohol was allowed.

Wexler, of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association, addressed some of those concerns in his submitted testimony. For example, he said, in 2019, liquor stores sold three-quarters of wine and spirits consumed in New York; during the pandemic, even though restaurants could sell wine by the glass and bottle and liquor as cocktails and by the bottle, liquor stores' share rose even higher, to 85 percent of wine and spirits sales.

"The liquor stores fears of devastation are not supported by the data," Wexler said, adding, "Restaurant drinks-to-go sales do not cannibalize liquor store sales  they preserve restaurant alcohol sales."

The campaign for takeout alcohol is part of a push for larger reforms of the State Liquor Authority, which oversees alcohol at the manufacturing, wholesale and retail levels across New York under a body of regulations collectively known as the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.

Paul Zuber, executive vice president of The Business Council of New York State, approvingly cited takeout alcohol and Hochul's efforts to streamline the SLA's application process for liquor licenses in his prepared testimony to the Senate and Assembly committees. He said, "What we see with these initiatives ... is an opportunity to reform the archaic ABC Laws."

Noting that some of the SLA's regulations have been in effect since the repeal of Prohibition nearly 90 years ago, Zuber said, "Society changes, as does consumer taste and how our consumers buy products. It is time we modernize our ABC Law to help create jobs both within the retail sector of economy as well as with our New York state wine and distilled spirits producers."

The latter sectors have felt excluded in current discussions about takeout alcohol, which Hochul's proposal appears to allow for purchase only from bars and restaurants. In contrast, under the emergency provision introduced by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo that ended last summer, tasting rooms affiliated with wineries, cideries, distilleries and other manufacturers were also allowed to sell their products for takeout and delivery.

A point of pride for New York's alcohol industry is its "farm" category of producers, which offers benefits to makers that use only New York ingredients in their wine, beer, spirits, cider and mead. But under current law, only farm wineries can ship their products directly to consumers. That means, for example, that Altamont Vineyard & Winery in Altamont, which grows its own grapes, can sell its products online for home delivery, but consumers wanting delivery of products from Albany-based Nine Pin Ciderworks, with apples sourced in Columbia County, must buy it from a retail store that offers delivery.

"Being able to ship to directly to consumers would be great," Rick Sicari, co-owner of Albany Distilling Co., said in an interview last month. Albany Distilling makes its spirits from corn, rye and barley grown exclusively in New York. Further bits of unfairness in Sicari's eyes are that wineries, cideries and meaderies are allowed to have up to five tasting rooms, called branch offices, but distilleries are limited to one, and excise taxes are much higher for New York's farm distillers than for other producers.

"These archaic laws not only hinder economic development, they hurt the consumer whether by price or convenience," Zuber, of The Business Council, said in his remarks submitted to the hearing, adding, "The lack of reform hurts small businesses, and it hurts the ability to grow our New York wines and distilled spirits. The Business Council would ask that the legislature and the governor consider significant reform of the ABC Law."
ALBANY  Five months after New York's ethics commission sought a criminal investigation into the leak confidential information, there's been no indication that state Attorney General Letitia James' office ever took up the matter.

The leak allegation is one of several probes sought by members of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics related to former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. But the inquiries have languished at a time when the commission's own future is unsettled.

In her state budget address, Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed disbanding JCOPE and replacing it with a body more independent of state lawmakers. Before that happens, some commissioners are pressing for a timely resolution of the issues that emerged during the Cuomo era.

At a monthly meeting on Tuesday, Commissioner Gary Lavine asked whether any of the commission's staff had been interviewed by James' office concerning the leak matter. Executive Director Sandford Berland, who oversees the commission's staff, said that none had been interviewed.

And last week, former Commissioner Julie Garica, who reported the leak when it was revealed to her three years ago, told the Times Union that she also was never been interviewed by James' office.

In 2019, upon learning that her confidential vote during a commission meeting had apparently been leaked to Cuomo, Garcia had filed a complaint that would trigger an investigation by the state inspector general's office. She later resigned when the inspector general's office issued a report contending the allegation could not be substantiated.

James' office declined to say whether the office had ever pursued an investigation of the leak allegation or the inspector general's inquiry of that matter. That investigation also would likely involve interviewing Cuomo, who alleged to have been made aware of the commission's confidential vote, as well as Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, who had engaged with Cuomo in a conversation about the matter.

In September, James sent a letter objecting to the manner in which JCOPE had referred the leak matter to her office; that objection appeared to have been remedied in a re-vote on the referral that same month, giving her office the legal authority to pursue an investigation.

Lavine on Tuesday called the office's failure to investigate the matter a "dereliction of duty."

Last year, before the matter was formally referred to James' office, Lavine said he spoke on the phone with the attorney general's public integrity bureau chief, Gerard Murphy. According to Lavine, Murphy at that time said that he was "not interested" in taking up an investigation into the alleged leak to Cuomo.

Another investigation that commissioners sought may be finally getting off the ground. In early October, they approved an internal inquiry examining the circumstances of how the commission's staff authorized Cuomo to write his 2020 book, "American Crisis." The staff approval occurred quickly that year, without the consent of the body's commissioners, and the book has since emerged as a major source of controversy.

Four-and-a-half months after that investigation was approved, the outside law firm retained to conduct the inquiry has still not begun its work. According to Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office, that office received a copy of the state's contract with an outside law firm, Hogan Lovells, on Jan. 28, but it had not been finalized as of last week.

But JCOPE's general counsel Monica Stamm on Tuesday informed the commissioners the contract had been approved by DiNapoli's office, and the law firm's work is set to begin this week.

The contract approved on Monday is for up to $300,000, according to DiNapoli's state contracting database.

Another Cuomo-related matter being pushed by the commission but in flux is a request to force Cuomo to repay $5.1 million in royalties from the book. In December, James' office cited legal problems with JCOPE's order that seeks to force Cuomo to repay the funds; a number of commissioners believe James' office misread the law, and have pressed her office to reexamine the matter.

Cuomo has pledged to take legal action if JCOPE moves forward with the efforts to force repayment of the millions.
ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed Tuesday that on March 4 she expects to reevaluate mask requirements in schools, and could potentially lift the mandate later that week.

The governor again emphasized that despite her position that the state should follow a data-centric approach in making its determination, there remains no "magic number" she is using to determine when to revise her administration's policy.

"There is a thought that this is a strategy that's going to be involved in looking at a specific number and saying, 'Aha, we hit it. It's time to go back. It's time to take the mask off,' " Hochul said during a news conference at the Capitol. "But I have to point out why that would be filled with shortcomings."

Hochul noted that in November there were pushes to rescind the mask policy as statistics indicated the rate of infections for coronavirus appeared to be relatively stable. Then the less-lethal omicron variant arrived and cases exploded in New York, with hospitalizations increasing, including for children.

The spike has since subsided, Hochul has said, leading her to rescind a mask policy for indoor public places. That decision came prior to the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day, major commercial holidays; Hochul has said it is her duty to protect the state's public health and its economy.

The decision to change the mask policy excluded schools because children still need adults to look out for their health, Hochul said last week.

"I know that parents and school districts want some certainty, they want to know the lay of the land," Hochul said Tuesday.

She insisted parents would prefer to have a mask policy that does not go back-and-forth on when they are needed, which could end up "diminishing their confidence in all of us and in our systems."

Some parents have been suing the state over its mask policy, saying it both lacks legal authority and that it has, at the very least, overstayed its welcome based on available science.

A state Supreme Court justice agreed with the parents last month in a decision celebrated by state Republican officials. But the ruling was stayed by an appeals court and the case is pending.

The parents against the mask mandate are going after the state's regulation that is the backbone of the requirement and was approved through "emergency" procedures.

A final version of the proposed regulation had been the subject of a public comment period that ended Monday. The Public Health and Health Planning Council could now vote on the permanent version of the regulation.

If the council agrees on the permanent version, it would indefinitely provide the commissioner of the health department  who is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate  the power to determine masks are to be required in certain settings, including schools or businesses, according to the proposal.

The commissioner would have to make that determination based on "COVID-19 incidence and prevalence, as well as any other public health and/or clinical risk factors related to COVID-19 disease spread," according to the proposed regulation.

Travis ODonnell, a health department official, last week said that "targets have not been developed yet" when it comes to the metrics the state is using to determine when to end the mask requirement in schools.

Although Hochul has emphasized she relies on data and experts to make her decision, she has also said she consulted with elected officials, educators and union leaders so that her decision can beinformed based on what's happening in communities.

"I know everybody wants an answers, want it nice and clean, want to say we're going to hit that; but it's a combination of factors and I can't ignore that," Hochul said Tuesday, referring to metrics such as pediatric hospitalizations and child vaccination rates.

On Monday, Senate Republicans proposed an amendment that was intended to end the governor's mask requirement in schools. No Democrats supported it.

"Senate Democrats are content to let political science continue to drive the decisions coming out of Albany," Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said in a statement.

The Supreme Court justice in Nassau County had ruled that it is the role of the Legislature, not the executive branch, to determine if there should be a mask mandate, based on the scaled back rules lawmakers crafted last year after having given former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo unbridled authority to change laws and regulations during the pandemic.

Senate Democratic leaders, who had remained largely silent on Hochul's use of regulatory authority to impose the type of law changes Cuomo had made, have said they intend on letting the lawsuits play out in the courts and in the interim support the decisions by Hochul.

The governor has suggested that the mask mandate for schools could be lifted if infection trends in schools, across the state and around the world remain relatively steady.

Just under one-third of 5 to 11 year olds are fully vaccinated, according to state data. More than two-thirds of 12 to 17 year olds are fully vaccinated and 85 percent of adults are fully vaccinated.
ALBANY  Thousands of health care workers in New York have not reported receiving a coronavirus booster shot as Monday's deadline set by the state Health Department nears for them to receive a supplemental vaccination or face being terminated.

As of Feb. 8, there were 239,927 health care workers at private facilities  out of 514,144 statewide that were reported as not having a a booster shot. That estimate includes individuals who may have been vaccinated in the past six months but are not yet required to receive the booster, as well as others who may have received their booster shot but have not reported it.

The estimate also does not include employees at three State University of New York hospitals, where thousands more nurses and other employees have not reported receiving a booster shot, according to labor union officials.

"While we are still gathering data from our hospitals the latest numbers show approximately 80 percent of our hospital staff are in compliance with the booster mandate," said Holly Liapis, a spokeswoman for SUNY. "Our numbers are changing as more health care professionals are becoming eligible and getting their booster, and we expect to see further changes in the coming days."

The Health Department, which issued a regulation last year requiring hospital workers and other employees in congregate health care settings to be fully vaccinated, amended that directive on Jan. 21 and gave those workers until Feb. 21 to also receive a booster shot "absent receipt of a medical exemption."

Frederick E. Kowal, president of United University Professions, a union representing nearly 13,000 employees at SUNY hospitals and the system's related medical facilities, said that when the initial vaccine mandate was imposed last year many workers had been vaccinated but simply had not reported their status until the deadline.

"Were expecting that the booster situation may be similar, but we just dont know," Kowal said. "Its a little bit disconcerting because we honestly dont know what the impact is going to be."

Other labor representatives said that many unions are overwhelmed with disciplinary cases tied to the vaccination mandates for health care workers, and that the workforce is fatigued from decrees, low staffing levels and long hours dating back nearly two years.

Wayne Spence, president of the Public Employees Federation, said his union is concerned about the potential for nurses to leave New York to seek jobs in neighboring states that have vaccine mandates but are not forcing workers to receive a booster shot. Spence said that if large numbers of their nurses decline to receive a booster shot and face discipline, it could be overwhelming for the union to provide representation for potentially hundreds of employees.

The facilities where employees are required to have a vaccination booster include hospitals, nursing homes, home care entities and hospice service providers.

The vaccine mandates for health care workers face a pending challenge in a federal lawsuit filed in Utica on behalf of 17 medical workers who contend the state's failure to consider religious exemptions has violated their constitutional rights. Motions in that case were filed recently by the plaintiffs and the state. The case been dormant in recent weeks following a midlevel federal appeals court ruling that reversed a U.S. District Court judge's decision to issue an injunction temporarily preventing the state from enforcing the rule.

The legal arguments are focused on why employees with qualifying medical exemptions are afforded the ability to take a rapid test before each shift and wear an N95 mask, but those same accommodations are not being offered to workers who provide a "sincere" religious objection.

U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd concluded in an earlier ruling that there was a good possibility the plaintiffs will prevail at trial on their argument that the state's mandate does not meet the requirements for religious accommodations under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, and that it violates the First Amendment's free exercise clause because it allows for medical exemptions but not those based on religion.

In the case before Hurd  and others that have been filed against the state alleging similar constitutional violations  the plaintiffs assert that it goes against their religious beliefs to be vaccinated because the COVID-19 vaccines available used fetal stem cell tissues procured from abortions as part of their research and development.

The group of plaintiffs are a mix of mostly physicians and nurses "who allege that their sincere religious beliefs compel them to refuse the COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available," according to court records.

"This regulation will protect both the state's frontline health care workers and the vulnerable patient populations in the health care sector where COVID-19 transmission poses heightened risks," said Emily Lutterloh, a director of epidemiology at the state Department of Health, in a declaration filed last week as part of the state's defense in the case filed in Utica. "One of the key concerns is that New York state does not return to levels that would overwhelm the hospital system, which can lead to further unnecessary deaths."

Before he resigned in August, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration had issued the directive that all health care workers in New York, including staff at hospitals and long-term care facilities, be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The directives were continued, and extended, by Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration.
Normally the Theatre Institute at Sage produces shows aimed primarily at middle and high school students and schedules most of its performances on weekday mornings to facilitate that. Traffic in the Troy neighborhood around the Sage campus sometimes gets jammed up by all the yellow school buses shuttling in the young theater goers and their teachers.

That was before. Heres yet another example of how COVID is changing the content and terrain of the arts scene.

Chekhovs The Seagull, one of the touchstones of dramatic literature, gets a comedic and irreverent reworking in Stupid F***ing Bird by American playwright Aaron Posner. A new production at the Institute plays for four performances Friday through Sunday in Troy. David Baecker directs the student cast.

As the profane title makes clear, the show is not family oriented material. Its recommended for audiences 14 years and up.

Because school groups havent been coming in nearly the same numbers, Baecker decided to use the current season as an opportunity to explore some different fare. He could have gone in lots of adventuresome directions, but says that the theater students kept asking for this play and were ready to mount their own production. We had an opening so why not do it on a large scale? he says.

Though Posners SFB is probably as much a spoof as it is an homage, no one can accuse Baecker, who leads the Institute, of not caring enough about the original. Its my favorite play in the whole wide world, he says. It says things I know about myself but dont articulate. It puts young and old people onstage together and is full of self-involved actors, writers and artists.

Desire, art and love are the potent forces that motivate and entangle the seven characters in SFB. As in the Chekhov source, there are love triangles aplenty, so many that it might be better to call them love pentagons or hexagons. The younger people are driven and frustrated and the older people are no help. Everyone performs human and silly and it makes me laugh even when its not a funny situation, says Baecker.

Besides being full of profanities, SFB uses contemporary devices to reinforce the themes of ego and self-obsession.

This is complete meta, explains Baecker. Theres the play within the play. The actors stop and talk to the audience and things operate in several different realities. The characters know theyre characters and the author is dealing with Chekhovs search for new forms. Hes also pulling on Shakespeare, Pirandello, and a lot of Chekhov.

As Baecker sees it, Posner adds some improvements and economies to The Seagull, including combining a few characters. Yet there are also generous passages in the three acts where the Chekhov is still intact.

One obvious addition are the trio of songs by James Sugg. Theyre sung by the moody character Mash who accompanies herself on ukulele. The songs are cute in an emo style, dark and ironic, says Baecker. Mash also has the emo look with clothing and makeup all in black.

SFB was workshopped at the Lake George Theater Lab (now inactive) and premiered at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington in 2013. It quickly became popular with regional theaters. Posner has gone on to adapt a number of other classics, including Chekhovs Uncle Vanya and Three Sisters.

As to why SFB appealed so strongly to the students at Sage, theres the fact that the play has characters who are young, have a vision for the future, and feel frustrated and impatient. Baecker says that much of the colleges student body is conservative, not in a political sense but in that theyre somewhat conventional and focused on getting ahead. But lately hes perceived a mindset that wasnt present or so acute just five years ago. They want change in the world and feel powerless to affect that, he says.

Coming up in April the Theatre Institute is producing The Laramie Project, the Moises Kaufman play from 2000 about prejudice, tolerance and community in the aftermath of the Matthew Shepard murder. Once again, its a show for audiences 14 and up, and it will run for one weekend instead of the previous norm of 10 or so performances over a longer stretch of time.

The Sage students are thrilled by the choice, says Baecker, who adds, if I had my way every high school or junior high would see it.

Joseph Dalton is a freelance writer based in Troy.
Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Mostly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 82F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Mostly cloudy early followed by heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 82F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Pictured is Titusville Area School District Director of Technology Kevin Roberts, who presented information about a potential assessment agreement to the board of school directors. The agreement would help the district get ahead of the curve on protecting itself from cyber attacks, something that is on the rise.
In one of the most horrific stories so far this year, the death of a youngster adds to the rising homicide total in Kansas City.

The KCMO homicide count is now 18 following the murder of an innocent soul. Remember at this time last year there were only 15 homicides - And that proved to be 2nd deadliest year in local history.



Here's the first report . . .



Homicide 7300 block of Indiana

The victim is a 6 year old male . . .The investigators will be submitting a case to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office today.



(Yesterday evening) just before midnight officers were dispatched to the 7300 block of Indiana on a reported disturbance. Upon arrival, based on exigent circumstances, officers forced entry Into the residence. Once inside, a juvenile under the age of 10 was found deceased. An adult female was taken into custody at the scene.



Detectives and crime scene personnel have responded to the scene and are actively canvassing for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. If you have any information please call the Homicide unit at 234-5043. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call the TIPS hotline at 474-TIPS, with up to a $25,000 reward for an arrest in this case.

##############



It gets worse . . .

TKC TRIGGER WARNING: THESE DETAILS ARE SOUL CRUSHING & HORRIFIC . . .

Seriously, don't read this stuff if you are a sensitive person in the least . . .



A lesser blog put this on blast and we're stealing liberating a passage via fair use and sharing for the purposes of news & education . . .



Here's the nightmare passage . . .



"Officers saw what appeared to be blood leading up from the sidewalk to the front door when they arrived. They could hear a woman singing from inside the residence. As they knocked on the door, she sang even louder.



"Police were aware that three children were associated with the residence, the court record says. From outside, they were able to see a severed head.



"Officers forced their way into the home based on the belief that the children and woman inside were in danger. Inside, they found a woman in the kitchen. She had blood on her hands and feet, court records state.



"Outside the kitchen officers saw the severed head of a small child, near the rest of his body. A decapitated dog was discovered in the basement. "



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

KCMO police: 6-year-old killed in overnight homicide KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri, police said a 6-year-old boy was killed in an overnight homicide. Just before midnight Tuesday, officers were called to the 7300 block of Indiana Avenue on a reported disturbance. When they got there, officers forced their way into the home based on exigent circumstances.

Child found dead inside residence, woman in custody, KCPD says KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Police Department is investigating a homicide that left a child dead late Tuesday night. Police were called to the 7300 block of Indiana Avenue just before midnight on reports of a disturbance. Once on scene, officers forced entry into the residence on the basis of exigent circumstances.

KCPD: 6-year-old boy shot and killed Wednesday morning, woman in custody Kansas City, Missouri police are investigating the death of a young child Tuesday night.Police were called to a house in the 7300 block of Indiana just before midnight to investigate a reported disturbance.Concerned officers forced their way into the home and found a child under 10 years old dead inside.Police took a woman into custody.Homicide detectives are investigating.

Developing . . .
OR . . .

Kansas City artsy denizens are getting an earful over the repeated delays of this project.



Here's just a bit of late night culture on the topic . . .



The producer of "Immersive Van Gogh Kansas City" posted a letter on the exhibit's website addressing another delay.



"We truly understand your frustration and disappointment. We are eager to share our incredible immersive experience with you, but want to guarantee the best possible experience for you that we can," Corey Ross, Immersive Van Gough Kansas City producer, wrote.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

Immersive Van Gogh Kansas City exhibit delayed again KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Immersive Van Gogh will be opening in April at a space in Zona Rosa. The announcement came Tuesday, just two weeks before its first rescheduled opening date. The traveling exhibit was already facing criticism from some ticket holders who bought tickets for a December exhibit at a "secret" venue only to find out in November they were delaying the show's opening to Feb.

'Immersive Van Gogh' production delayed 2nd time KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Ticketholders waiting to immerse themselves in Van Gogh's art are being told they'll have to wait even longer. Producers announced in November that the show was delayed until February 2022. Now ticketholders are being told the production won't open until at least April.

Developing . . .
Conservatives are lashing out against the leader of the Great White North.

Moreover, there's a very real fear the crackdowns on demonstrations will take hold on this side of the world's largest border.



Here's a local talker sharing his hot take . . .

"Justin Trudeau has pretty much said the to the world that he's now a dictator as he's imposed Emergency Powers against truckers... emergency powers designed to catch terrorists."

Listen to more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

A Broken Tooth, MLB Fight is Silly, Of Course Hillary Spied, Canadian Dictator Does a broken tooth make a difference on how a podcast sounds? You're about to find out. It's almost time for Spring Training but it looks like it's not starting on time. But most of what the lockout is about seems pretty silly to me and it doesn't ...

Further reading . . .

Trudeau vows to freeze anti-mandate protesters' bank accounts Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergencies Act to crack down on anti-vaccine mandate protests. Mr Trudeau said the scope of the measures would be "time-limited", "reasonable and proportionate" and would not see the military deployed.

Canada: Opposition heckles Trudeau in Parliament after invoking emergency powers Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced heckling in the House of Commons after he invoked the rarely used emergency powers against the ongoing truckers protests. It is only the second time Canadian history that such powers have been invoked in peace time.

Trudeau's power grab is unconstitutional | Opinion On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he would be invoking the Emergencies Act, giving him broad emergency powers to quash a nonviolent protest of truckers opposing vaccine mandates. It is only the second time the Canadian government has ever given itself such powers in peacetime.

Why Trudeau's 'temporary' state of emergency is a dangerous sign There are few things as freeing as an emergency. There are also few things as dangerous as an emergency. For two years now, to varying degrees the people of the United States and Canada have been living under emergency rules.

Freedom Convoy truckers remain defiant in face of Trudeau's measures As of Tuesday, Ottawa remained occupied by the Freedom Convoy truckers who refuse to back down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the country's Emergencies Act on Monday afternoon Under the act, the government introduced measures intended to cut off protesters' funding, increase police powers and force towing companies to drag away the 400 rigs clogging streets near the Parliament Buildings Harold Jonker, who led the first convoy of truckers into the Canadian capital, defiantly declared to DailyMail.com: 'I am not worried about it' 'Whatever he throws at us we can handle.

Developing . . .
Public radio shares ominous reporting of what should be considered good news.



To be fair, Missouri Republicans ending COVID pretty much destroys Democratic Party campaign strategy over the past couple of election cycles . . . Again, this is a good thing because the super-minority hasn't been very successful in their misguided efforts to become THE PARTY OF PLAGUE.

Always remember this . . . Missouri Democrats are SO VERY HAPLESS that even with Prez Trump serving as the boogie man and race riots across the state and the nation . . . They suffered a STATEWIDE SWEEP IN 2020 . . . A year when the Democratic Party took both the Congress & the Senate in D.C. -- And so smart readers would from all sides of the political spectrum would be well-served by taking Missouri "progressive" ranting a little less seriously.



Here's the word . . .



"Documents show that by mid-March, Missouris public health agencies would transition to treat the virus as endemic, like it does the seasonal flu, without daily reporting of COVID-19 cases and deaths."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Brevard, NC (28712)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Johnstown, PA (15901)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun this morning followed by increasing clouds with showers developing this afternoon. High around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Thundershowers overnight following a period of rain early. Low near 60F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
BLANFORD [mdash] Eric Todd Vandevender, 60, of Blanford and formerly of Cayuga, passed away at 7:55 a.m. EDT Saturday, April 16, 2022 at Clinton Gardens in Clinton, Indiana. Eric was born on May 6, 1961 in Danville, Illinois, the son of the late Floyd A. and Irma Jean (Weir) Vandevender. Sur
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Tucson, AZ (85741)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 91F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low 58F. WSW winds shifting to SE at 10 to 15 mph.
NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, may go down as the latest tech-based acronym that fails to catch on in the music industry long term, or conversely, non-fungibles may end up breaking the mold for artists in a big way.
On February 15, the websites of Ukraines Defense Ministry and the Armed Forces were hit in DDoS attacks. Interruptions were also recorded in the operations of the Oschadbank and Privatbanks web services.

Stable work of the said banking resources was resumed as of 19:30 local time.

A working group of experts representing the main actors in the national cybersecurity system is taking steps to localize the latest cyber attack, officials said.

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said that at about 20:00 on the same day, a powerful DDoS attack was recorded on Diia, the portal of government e-services. This attack was successfully repulsed, said Vice PM.

The National Police launched criminal proceedings into the attack under Articles 361 (unauthorized interference in the operation of automated systems) and 363-1 (intentional mass spread of telecom messages, which led to disruption of automated systems) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The United States has offered Ukraine assistance in investigating the attack, according to Reuters referring to the White House.

"The White House on Tuesday said it is aware of reports of cyber attacks in Ukraine and has offering support to Kiev in the investigation of and response to the denial-of-service incidents," the statement said.

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The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine is interested in cooperation with Lithuania in cybersecurity, in particular, at the level of cybercenters operating on the basis of NEC Ukrenergo and NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine.

Deputy Minister of Energy for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitization Farid Safarov said at a meeting with representatives of the Lithuanian National Cyber Security Centre, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Ministry of Energy.

"We are interested in cooperation in the energy sector, in particular at the level of our cybercenters operating on the basis of Ukrenergo and Naftogaz. This will help strengthen not only the cybersecurity of our countries, but also the security of the region as a whole," Safarov said.

It is noted that the first stage of cooperation between the cybercenters of the two countries will include the organization of a systematic exchange of information.

Read also: Group of Lithuanian deputies to visit Ukraine

As reported, in March 2021, the Ministry of Energy joined the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence. That was also when Ukraine and Lithuania signed agreements on further cooperation by signing a Joint Declaration on the establishment of a working group on enhanced strategic cooperation in the energy sector.

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A delegation of Lithuanian deputies, led by Vice Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Paulius Saudargas, will be on an official visit to Kyiv on February 16-17 to express support for Ukraine.

Ukrinform reports this with reference to the Lithuanian parliaments website.

It is noted that the delegation of the Seimas will be present at the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday morning. A meeting with the leadership of Ukraines Parliament and Cabinet of Ministers will then take place.

Possible meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are also being coordinated, as well as an extended remote sitting of the Lithuanian Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense.

It is expexted that Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of National Security and Defense Committee, Raimundas Lopata, chairman of Committee for the Future, Zygimantas Pavilionis and Emanuelis Zingeris, members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs will arrive in Kyiv.

As Ukrinform reported, the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are planning to visit Ukraine in the near future due to concerns over a possible Russian invasion.

iy
Russia's decision not to participate in the meeting of OSCE member states to discuss its military activity shows Moscow's total disregard for fundamental OSCE principles.

This was stated by Ukraines Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, according to an Ukrinform correspondent

Ukraine sees the decision of the Russian side as evidence of its unconstructive approach. It is a demonstration of Russias total disregard for the norms and principles on which the Organization is based, Tsymbaliuk said at an urgent meeting of OSCE participating states to discuss the situation of the Russian military buildup along the border with Ukraine.

The representative noted that Russia, despite calls from the international community, has consistently refused to provide Ukraine and other member states with reliable information about its military activities. At the same time, Moscow has been assuring others that there are no grounds for concern, as all maneuvers and military exercises are routine and purely of defensive nature.

Such a large buildup of armed forces in the areas adjacent to Ukraine cannot be considered normal military activity, Tsymbaliuk stressed. He noted that, from the bitter experience of 2014, when Russia attempted to annex Crimea and Sevastopol and started a conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine knows that the threat of Russia's military aggression must not be underestimated.

The ambassador recalled that in its request, filed in line with the 2011 Vienna Document, Ukraine called on Russia to explain the objectives of its military activity near the Ukrainian border. However, the Russian side decided to snub the discussion of problematic issues.

Therefore, as Ukraines questions remain unanswered, the envoy called on Russia to take these concerns seriously and fulfill its commitments in accordance with the jointly agreed confidence- and security-building measures.

The diplomat stressed that today, against the background of an unprecedented likelihood of a large-scale military incursion, it is extremely important to de-escalate tensions and strengthen military transparency in the region.

However, he added, the Russian side has once again shown disrespect for the 2011 Vienna Document. Ukraine strongly condemns Russia's actions that lead to eroding transparency and predictability in military activity, according to the Ukrainian envoy.

Tsymbalyuk also recalled that in April 2021, Ukraine initiated the launch of a risk reduction mechanism in accordance with Section III of the Vienna Document. During a joint meeting of the two OSCE decision-making bodies on April 14, the EU member states prepared joint recommendations for Russia, which Moscow never followed.

The Ukrainian diplomat underlined that the development of the current military and security situation around Ukraine shows that none of these recommendations has even been taken into account in Russia. He added that, unfortunately, this is a clear indication of Russia's true attitude to OSCE institutions in general and to respected participating States.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on February 11, Ukraine officially activated the 2011 OSCE Vienna Document on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures and requested that Russia provide detailed clarifications on its military activities in the areas adjacent to Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

According to the provisions of the Vienna Document, the Russian Federation had to report the exact areas of military activity, the date of its completion, as well as the name, subordination, and number of military formations, types of weapons and military equipment involved.

However, Russia ignored the request. In this regard, Ukraine has applied the next element of the Vienna Documents mechanism  a separate OSCE meeting to discuss the strengthening and movement of Russian troops.

The Russian side refused to take part in the said meeting.

im
The United States, NATO, and Ukraine pose no threat to Russia, as Russian propagandists and politicians have sought to claim, and neither does the West target the Russian people.

This was stated by the President of the United States, Joe Biden, in an address to the nation from the White House on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The United States and NATO are not a threat to Russia," stressed Biden.

He added Ukraine is not threatening Russia either.

"Neither the U.S. nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not  do not have plans to put them there as well. Were not targeting the people of Russia. We do not seek to destabilize Russia," the U.S. leader said.

Joe Biden addressed the Russians directly, emphasizing that they are not seen as enemies in America: "I do not believe you want a bloody, destructive war against Ukraine."

In this regard, Biden recalled that in World War 2, the United States and Russia joined forces in the fight against the Nazis. He called those events a "war of necessity."

"But if Russia attacks Ukraine, it would be a war of choice, or a war without cause or reason, Biden underlined.

I say these things not to provoke but to speak the truth  because the truth matters; accountability matters, the U.S. president summed up.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Joe Biden addressed the American people regarding the situation around Ukraine.

In particular, he stressed the need for de-escalation on the part of Russia and expressed hope for Moscow's readiness for constructive diplomacy.

Photo: twitter.com/POTUS

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The Council of Europe has called for the immediate de-escalation of rhetoric and actions around Ukraine.

Thats according to a joint statement of the leadership of the Council of Europe on Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

The Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, Luigi Di Maio, the President of the Council of Europes Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Kox, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, have all expressed extreme concern over the latest developments

"We are dismayed by the prospect of a major conflict on our continent between our member States. We reaffirm our unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders," the statement said.

The leadership of the Council of Europe called on concerned Member States to redouble their efforts to avoid further aggravation of the situation and possible armed conflict."

They also called for "the immediate de-escalation of rhetoric and actions and the pursuit of dialogue".

"This dialogue must be based on and respect the principles enshrined in the Statute of the Council of Europe, and in the European Convention on Human Rights which all Council of Europe member States are obliged to respect, uphold and implement, the statement concluded.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, 119,000 Russian servicemen have been deployed near the borders of Ukraine in the Russian Federation and Belarus, as well as in the temporarily occupied areas. Together with the aerial and maritime components, their number amounts to 140,000.

Ukraine and Russia are both member states of the Council of Europe.

im
Ukraine and Italy agreed to resume regular political consultations between their foreign ministries.

"We also talked about the development of bilateral relations, agreed to resume the practice of regular political consultations between our ministries. The last time such consultations were held was in the early 2000s, and this is absolutely unacceptable for relations between our countries," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said at a joint briefing with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Luigi Di Maio in Kyiv on February 15, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

In turn, Italys top diplomat noted that he was ready to hold a new round of consultations with Kyiv in Rome and invited the foreign minister of Ukraine to attend.

The ministers also discussed increasing trade between Ukraine and Italy and business projects.

"Today we discussed specific things so that more Italian companies work in Ukraine, so that there are more opportunities to attract Italian funding for projects in Ukraine, and, third, so that the trade between our countries grow," the minister said.

As reported, Luigi Di Maio plans to make an official visit to Moscow on Wednesday, February 16, immediately after his visit to Kyiv on Tuesday.

Photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

ol
The Swiss Embassy in Ukraine continues to operate as usual, State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Livia Leu said during a video conference with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mykola Tochytskyi.

According to the Ukrainian MFAs website, the two officials discussed the current security situation around Ukraine and in the temporarily occupied territories.

In particular, Tochytskyi stressed that Ukraine is committed to an exclusively peaceful and diplomatic settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict.

The State Secretary of the Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed that Switzerland would continue to make every effort to promote the de-escalation of military tensions near the Ukrainian border.

The Swiss Embassy in Ukraine continues to work as usual, she said.

Tochytskyi thanked for the significant Swiss humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as for the continuous work of the Swiss observers from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in the country.

In addition, the parties paid attention to the preparations for the Conference on Reforms in Ukraine to be held in July in Lugano, Switzerland, as an event aimed at promoting systemic transformations in Ukraine.

iy
The foreign ministers of the G7 countries will hold an urgent meeting in Germany this week to discuss the crisis over Ukraine amid mounting fears of a Russian invasion.

That's according to Kyodo News, Ukrinform reports.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the foreign ministers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, which will take place on February 18-20.

Earlier this week, the G7 finance ministers announced their readiness to impose strong economic sanctions against Russia in the event of its further invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has been building up troops in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and around its borders. The Kremlin is trying to use these military preparations to directly blackmail the United States and NATO by issuing an ultimatum as part of so-called "security guarantees," demanding that NATO stop expanding further east and that members of the military alliance give up their security policy.

Russia has demanded that the United States and NATO respond in writing to its proposals for "security guarantees." The answer was received on January 26. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called these answers generally unsatisfactory, but said the dialogue would continue. If the West refused to accept Russia's "proposals," the Kremlin publicly threatened to take "military and military-technical measures."

On February 15, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that units of Russia's Western and Southern military districts started returning to their bases by rail and road.

op
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he hopes to arrange a trilateral meeting between the presidents of Ukraine, Turkey and Russia in Istanbul or Ankara.

Erdogan told this to journalists following his visit to the UAE, Hurriyet reports.

According to him, this intention will be discussed in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"During our meeting, President Zelensky noted that he was positive about the trilateral meeting in the format of Putin, Zelensky and Erdogan. If Putin has a positive attitude to this issue, I hope we will be able to organize such a meeting in Istanbul or Ankara. In addition, I want to know Putin's opinion during a phone call," Erdogan said.

According to him, the war in the region "will not bring anything good."

Erdogan has repeatedly stated that Turkey is ready to make efforts to reduce tensions in the region. During his visit to Kyiv on February 3, Erdogan said Turkey was ready to host a summit at the level of leaders or talks at the technical level.

Photo: Ukrainian President's Office

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The so-called Simferopol District Court in the temporarily occupied Crimea illegally sentenced a Ukrainian citizen, journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko to six years in a maximum security prison and a fine of RUB 110,000.

As Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova posted on Telegram, Yesypenko is accused of allegedly "illegal storage and transportation of explosive devices."

Denisova condemned the sentence passed by the so-called "Simferopol District Court" as all charges brought against the citizen of Ukraine were trumped-up and politically motivated, and the criminal case was fabricated.

The sentence passed in Yesypenko's case is an example of intimidation of independent journalists, suppression of freedom of thought in the temporarily occupied Crimea, and yet another evidence of the policy of persecution and reprisals against Ukrainian citizens committed by the occupying power, Denisova stressed.

"I draw the attention of the international community to the systematic violation of the rights of Ukrainian citizens on politically motivated charges by the aggressor country," the ombudsperson underscored.

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Poland cannot imagine the security of the European Union without the security of Ukraine and supports our country's future membership in the EU and NATO.

Deputy Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland Ryszard Terlecki made a corresponding statement at a joint briefing with Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Terlecki noted that the Sejm delegation had chosen this day for a visit to Kyiv as the intelligence services of the allies had informed that a Russian offensive was likely to start today or at night.

"Fortunately, this has not happened, and may not happen in the future, but I want to assure you that we are ready to be with you in your parliament because we cannot imagine the security of the European Union without the security of Ukraine, we cannot imagine the future of the EU without Ukraine in it, we cannot imagine NATO without Ukraine," Terlecki said.

He reiterated that Poland supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and assured of the continuity of such support in the future.

For his part, Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk thanked the parliamentarians of the Republic of Poland for their decision to support Ukraine amid the escalation of Russian military aggression.

Recalling Unity Day, Stefanchuk stressed the importance of Ukraine's unity on this day not only within the country but also at the international level. In this context, the Verkhovna Rada Speaker noted that delegations of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania had been present at the plenary session of the Parliament on Wednesday.

Stefanchuk informed that an official meeting between the delegations of Ukraine and Poland had been held after the meeting.

"Ukraine expressed its gratitude for all the help we receive from the Polish side, for all the friendship, cordiality, sincerity, and real assistance. I thanked Mr. Terlecki for always being an active friend of Ukraine, for always taking part in all events related to the protection of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. I want to thank you [Terlecki] for this extremely important document that you handed over to me. This is the decision of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland to support Ukraine in this difficult time and to take note of our European and Euro-Atlantic prospects," said the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine.

As reported, on January 27, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, the lower house of the Parliament, adopted a resolution in support of Ukraine.

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Most of the fake bomb reports recorded in Ukraine came from certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (CADLR), Russia and Belarus, Interior Minister of Ukraine Denys Monastyrsky said during a special telethon dedicated to the Unity Day.

The minister clarified that such false bomb reports are one of the tools of the hybrid war. Monastyrsky also reminded that over the first month of this year alone, Ukraine received more false bomb threats than over the whole of last year.

"This suggests that this is an element of a weapon in the hands of the aggressor. This is based on the facts that the vast majority of these reports come from CADLR, Russia and the Republic of Belarus. The absolute majority, 100 percent, of those reports turned out to be fake, Monastyrsky said

The minister noted that Ukrainians should understand this and be prepared that the usual regime of work may be disrupted by such reports.

"And we must learn to live with such challenges in the future," he added.

As reported, on February 14, President Zelensky signed a decree on marking the Unity Day in Ukraine on February 16

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Internally displaced people receive assistance at the Myaing Gyi Ngu camp in Myanmar's Kayin State, in June 2021.  UNHCR/Sa Nyein Chan

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is stepping up its emergency response to assist hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Myanmar as their number crossed the 800,000 mark  doubling since February 2021.

Security is deteriorating rapidly across the country as fighting and armed conflict intensifies with no sign of abating.

UNHCR forecasts an accelerating trend of displacements in the coming weeks and months.

Some 440,000 people have been newly displaced since February 2021, according to UNHCR data, adding to an existing 370,000 who had fled their homes previously.

UNHCR and partners are scaling up operations and deploying additional resources to support as many of the displaced as possible, complementing local community responses.

In the South-East of the country, Kayin, Kayah, Mon and Shan (South) states as well as Bago (East) and Tanintharyi regions collectively account for more than half of the 440,000 newly displaced civilians. Kayin and Kayah states remain the most affected as hostilities between various armed groups have triggered large-scale displacements.

Another conflict-affected area with pressing humanitarian needs is Myanmars North-West, where about 190,000 people remain displaced in Chin State, Magway Region and Sagaing Region.

Humanitarian access in many parts of Myanmar remains restricted due to insecurity, roadblocks and challenges in obtaining access approvals. As a result, host communities and local responders continue to play a leading role in assisting displaced populations  demonstrating solidarity with each other by donating what they can.

UNHCR has been working with UN agencies, local partners and communities to assist those affected wherever possible, including displaced and stateless populations and host communities. In 2021, UNHCRs emergency relief assistance reached some 170,000 individuals in nine states and regions in Myanmar.

In all locations, UNHCR and partners distributed relief items including tarpaulins, ropes, blankets, kitchen sets, mosquito nets, buckets, sleeping mats, sanitary kits, COVID-19 personal protective equipment, solar lamps, and winterization kits for adults and children.

In Shan State, where a growing number of IDPs have arrived from conflict-affected Kayah State since the start of 2022, UNHCR recently established a temporary base in Taunggyi to coordinate distribution of emergency aid with partners.

Provision of relief items to Kayah IDPs in and around Taunggyi started in mid-January and quickly expanded to incorporate neighbouring townships. Within a month, UNHCR and partners were able to reach some 10,000 IDPs in Shan as well as 2,000 in Kayah.

The humanitarian situation in Myanmar remains precarious with increased vulnerabilities linked to rising commodity prices, job and income losses, disruptions to basic services and prolonged insecurity. The majority of IDPs are consequently dependent on humanitarian support for survival.

Some 600,000 stateless Rohingya in Rakhine State, including some 148,000 displaced in camps, villages and displacement sites, also remain highly vulnerable and require humanitarian support.

Despite operational challenges, UNHCR continues to stay and deliver in Myanmar. The agency remains committed to providing critical humanitarian assistance to those in need and calls for full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Myanmar, so that no disruption to lifesaving work occurs for local, national, and international aid agencies.

In 2022, UNHCR will respond to the ongoing crisis by expanding its protection and operational presence where new displacements have occurred. A total of US$56.7 million is needed to ensure adequate humanitarian assistance and support vulnerable communities.

Our priority will be on maintaining basic safeguards, advocacy for improved access to fundamental rights, mitigating the risk of negative coping strategies, preventing forced returns and building resilience for over 1.2 million IDPs and stateless people in Myanmar.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
A young woman who survived kidnapping and rape in a brutal attack is starting to rebuild her life with help from UNHCR.  UNHCR/Vittoria Moretti

The following statement is attributable to UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.

One in five refugee or internally displaced women have faced sexual violence. Today, given the prolonged human rights and socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know this situation has only worsened.

From Afghanistan, Colombia, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and beyond, the deleterious impact of conflict, COVID-19 and displacement has been felt acutely by women and girls.

Since March last year, we have reported a global surge in domestic violence, child marriages, trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse as a result of the pandemic. Some hard-won gains in advancing gender equality have also been eroded.

Addressing gender-based violence requires a concerted response involving national authorities, humanitarian partners, civil society, donors and forcibly displaced women, girls, men and boys themselves.

As we mark the 30th anniversary of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence this year, we call on national and local authorities to do more to protect the rights of refugee, internally displaced and stateless women and girls and prevent these egregious violations.

Forcibly displaced and stateless people must also be included in all national responses to gender-based violence. Survivors must be supported to heal and recover, and perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Funding for humanitarian programmes that combat gender-based violence  including women and girls' empowerment projects as well as response services for survivors  has to be scaled up.

Support must especially be channelled to those who work on the front lines  including displaced women-led organizations and groups.

Ending gender-based violence requires action to match rhetoric.
Omar, a Colombian refugee with a disability, talks with a woman with a disability at the municipal market in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, April 2021  UNHCR/Jaime Gimenez

At least 12 million people with disabilities are forcibly displaced worldwide, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, estimates, and their already precarious situation is becoming harder as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on.

Forced displacement disproportionately affects people with disabilities. They are often at higher risk of violence, discrimination, neglect, gender-based violence, exploitation and abuse, face barriers to access basic services, and are often excluded from education and livelihood opportunities, said Gillian Triggs, UNHCRs Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.

While many refugees faced these unacceptable, pre-existing risks of exclusion and discrimination, we fear that the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is only deepening inequalities and hardship, she added.

While estimates say over 12 million people with disabilities have been forcibly displaced by persecution, violence and human rights violations worldwide, surveys and assessments suggest the real number may be much higher.

Challenges and risks begin at the moment of flight. In sudden onset disasters, abrupt violence, and active hostilities, people with disabilities are often left behind by family members due to the sudden nature of armed attacks; in extreme cases reported, people were abandoned while chained.

On reaching safety, services and facilities, including assistance programmes and protection, may be inaccessible. People with disabilities may face physical barriers and obstacles to reach, enter or use basic services, or key information may be delivered in formats not accessible to them.

Refugees and internally displaced and stateless people with disabilities were already less likely to access health care, education and employment opportunities, and the global crisis has further compounded this situation.

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities today, UNHCR is urging national authorities to do more to secure the rights of forcibly displaced and stateless people with disabilities and to counter all forms of discrimination.

Governments and humanitarian actors must promote the meaningful participation of refugees, internally displaced and stateless persons with disabilities and ensure that their needs are taken into account in national disability inclusion plans as well as in COVID-19 prevention, response and recovery plans.

Donors must commit to increase funding to ensure people with disabilities have access to protection, assistance and solutions around the world.

To further its own commitments and enhance inclusivity and participation, UNHCR has developed a five-year Action Plan for Disability Inclusion across its operations worldwide and has partnered with the International Disability Alliance to involve organizations of persons with disabilities in searching for solutions in challenges that affect their lives.

More information on UNHCRs approach to people with disabilities in displacement is available here.
A Yemeni girl plays with a kitten at a site hosting internally displaced people in Sana'a, Yemen, November 2021.  UNHCR/Reem Al Wajih

Donor governments pledged a record US$1.054 billion today to support UNHCRs work in 2022, enabling it to continue lifesaving programs worldwide for millions of people who have been forced to flee. A further USD 808 million has been pledged for UNHCR's programmes in 2023 and beyond.

I am grateful to all our donors for this vote of confidence. This funding is vital to support refugees, internally displaced and stateless people. The strong commitment also signals solidarity with the communities and countries hosting them, said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

While this funding is crucial, I am afraid it will not be enough given the growing challenges we foresee in 2022 and displaced peoples needs, largely driven by conflict, climate change and COVID-19  three scourges that the world has failed to stop, he added. We will need greater action in these areas if we are to turn the page on a disastrous period of proliferating violence, disease and hardship.

UNHCRs 2022 Global Appeal covers operations in 136 countries and territories, and is based on an approved budget of US$8.994 billion. Almost half of this reflects the cost of responding to emergencies assisting a record number of forcibly displaced people, especially in the Middle East and Africa, as well as the millions who have fled their homes in places such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Venezuela, and beyond.

In response to these and other crises, UNHCRs key activities in 2022 focus on refugee and child protection, emergency preparedness and relief items for urgent deployment, cash assistance for the most vulnerable, health and food security, preventing and responding to gender-based violence, providing water and sanitation, nutrition support, shelter, education, livelihoods, clean energy and environmental protection as well as support for stateless people.

Despite the continued rising trend in forced displacement  there were 84 million forcibly displaced people at the beginning of 2021, and UNHCRs planning and budgeting for 2022 is against a projected increase in this number in 2022  there are some glimmers of hope.

Progress has also been made in the inclusion of refugees, displaced and stateless people in national health, education and social protection systems, in spite of the debilitating impact of the pandemic. Governments have made pledges to this end through the Global Compact on Refugees and these must continue to be resourced. In addition to humanitarian aid, it is important that the international community builds on the progress made over the past years and provides even more bilateral development support to countries and communities hosting large numbers of refugees, said Grandi.

UNHCR has also seen an increase in the numbers of refugee resettlement places made available by states and a reopening of pathways for work, study and family reunification. Encouraged by some steps towards ending statelessness, UNHCR is increasing its efforts in ending this unnecessary legal limbo endured by millions.

Voluntary contributions make up almost the entirety of UNHCRs funding. In addition to the pledges received today from donor governments, representatives of UNHCRs private sector National Partners committed to contribute an additional US$315 million for 2022. UNHCR is also particularly grateful to those donors who contributed US$398 million in flexible funding  that is, funding which is unearmarked or softly earmarked  or multi-year support.

Notes to the editor:

UNHCRs Global Appeal 2022 sets out the challenges that UNHCR foresees in 2022 and the plans it has made to tackle them. It includes viewpoints from the High Commissioner, Special Envoy Angelina Jolie, Assistant High Commissioners Gillian Triggs and Raouf Mazou, and Deputy High Commissioner Kelly T. Clements, who gives an overview of UNHCRs internal reforms. It ends with a powerful and personal letter from Mursal Mohammadi, an Afghan refugee journalist.

UNHCRs 2021 budget was initially approved at US$8.616 billion, but supplementary financial requirements for COVID-19, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Venezuela subsequently increased the total budget to US$9.248 billion. As of 20 October 2021, UNHCR had a funding gap of 48 per cent.

More information on the UNHCR 2022 Pledging Conference can be found here: https://reporting.unhcr.org/pledging-conference

For more information on this topic, please contact:
Anna Ruth* with her children outside the monastery in Shan State where she sought shelter after being displaced multiple times in Kayah State.  UNHCR/Yin Yin Myint

Anna Ruth* vividly remembers the day her husband was killed as the family tried to escape gunfire for the second time in less than a year.

When fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces and other armed groups reached the village they had sought refuge in near Loikaw, the capital of Myanmars south-eastern Kayah State, she and her family fled with other villagers to the nearby forest to hide. But her husband and some of their neighbours wanted to go back to gather food and other essentials.

I told him not to go because it was too dangerous, but he didnt listen, she recalls. In the evening, the group returned but my husband did not. I later found out that he was shot while collecting some belongings from my mother-in-laws house where we had been sheltering.

In Kayah State, a humanitarian crisis has been building since renewed armed conflict broke out in May 2021. With six of the states seven townships now affected by intense fighting, tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. Some have sought safety at places of worship and community centres, while others are hiding in the jungle.

Across Myanmar, similar patterns have been playing out of clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces, ethnic and other local armed groups, followed by waves of fresh displacement. Since the military takeover on 1 February 2021, some 440,000 people have been forced to flee airstrikes, shelling, and burning of villages, more than half of them in the south-east of the country, with Kayah and Kayin States the worst affected.

See also: UNHCR steps up aid for displaced in Myanmar as conflict intensifies

Anna Ruth and her family, like many others in Kayah State, have been displaced several times. We have been running since June 2021, she explains. First from our village in Demoso Township to my mother-in-laws in Loikaw Township, and from there to the forest where we stayed for months.

Left widowed with four young children, she eventually sought safety in another village in Loikaw Township, only to be displaced again a few weeks later when fighting intensified across Kayah State last month. Desperate for safety and unsure where to go next, Anna Ruth followed other displaced families and crossed into neighbouring Shan State.

"I've lost everything except my children."

I never imagined that this would happen to me. Before, my family was living happily in our village. Now, Ive lost everything except my children, she said.

They are now sheltering at a monastery where, in scenes repeated across Myanmar, the local community and local charities are showing solidarity and leading the humanitarian response. Despite their best efforts, resources are increasingly stretched as more displaced people arrive.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has been working with local partners and communities to relieve some of this pressure and supplement grassroots aid efforts to assist some 30,000 people who have arrived to Shan State from Kayah State since the beginning of the year. The agency has set up a temporary base in the Shan State capital, Taunggyi, to coordinate distribution of emergency aid in the area and address shortages of basic household materials and clothing.

Over the past few weeks, some 10,000 internally displaced people from Kayah, spread across several townships in Shan State, have received blankets, kitchen sets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, buckets, sleeping mats, tarpaulins, and winterization kits. Local well-wishers have also contributed items such as toothbrushes, soap, and shampoo.

Having arrived with few possessions, Anna Ruth is grateful for the help. At first, we were unsure about taking shelter at the Buddhist monastery as we are Christians, she explained. But the monks warmly welcomed all of us. Now, we live together with other displaced people in harmony. The blankets, buckets, mats and clothing provided are very helpful for us as I was only able to bring some of my childrens clothing with me.

With the ongoing conflict in Kayah State showing no sign of abating, further displacement towards Shan State is expected in the weeks, and even months to come.

While relieved to have found a place of refuge, Anna Ruth yearns to return to her native Kayah State. My children keep asking when they can go back home. We hope we can return soon.

*Names changed for protection reasons.


When Edwin Ngaba fled violence in Cameroon and reached safety in Nigeria with nothing but his clothes, he urgently needed food for his little children. Today, he is back in his business as carpenter.  UNHCR/Roland Schonbauer

We did not have anything to take with us when we fled. Edwin Ngaba, 29-year old Cameroonian father of three little children, sounds exhausted, as if he had reached safety in Nigeria only yesterday. When we walked across the border, Edwin recalls, some Nigerian women looked at our condition, felt sorry for us and gave us food. Later, he says, he called a Cameroonian friend in the UK for help and received a small amount. So we could eat again and travel to Takum.

Back home, Edwin maintained his family with income from his carpentry workshop where he employed four apprentices. All ran away, he recalls the fear that the conflict between secessionists and the Cameroonian Army instilled in people. In 2020, everybody ran away, there was no work left.

In December 2020, our house was burned down. We slept under a tree with others for three days, he says. As it was cold, we lit a fire. This is how they saw us. People ran into the bushes, women were raped. Those that couldnt run were shot. Six people died in front of my eyes.

Edwin is one of over 73,000 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria, and one of many who has lost everything. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, supports them with dedicated cash programmes for food, shelter and to mitigate particular hardships. Just like the little help from a friend in the UK, they are meant to cover their basic needs. As the cash assistance is unrestricted it can be used for multiple purposes, explains UNHCRs Cash/Programme Officer Ramcho Kundevski, some refugees use it as a booster to bounce back.

Edwin bounced back. After arriving with his wife and the 2-, 3- and 5-year old children in Takum, Taraba State, he could not work in his profession as he lacked everything a carpenter needs. He started selling petrol by the roadside, making 10 Naira (some 0.25 US$) profit per litre. UNHCRs financial support  69,000 Naira (some 170 US$ for the family for three months) changed his precarious economic situation. The cash support helped us a lot, he says. I bought a hand saw, a hammer and a plane. Now I can work as a carpenter again. And there are Nigerians looking for his furniture. When I sell three small tables, I can make a profit of 4,500 Naira (over 10 US$).

In this first-ever cash distribution in Taraba and Akwa Ibom States, over 4,500 refugees and nearly 800 vulnerable Nigerians received support in several parts of these States.

In addition, the Agency recently also paid one-off cash for food to some 2,000 families with extremely vulnerable members such as elderly individuals or those with specific needs, e.g. a disability. This ad-hoc assistance amounted to nearly 75 M Naira (some US$ 180,000).

UNHCR distributed 3 million US$ as cash support in 2021

In total in 2021, UNHCR distributed cash support worth 3 million US$. This was made possible not least thanks to a donation from Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), a UAE-based donor who supported the Agency with 1.9 M US$ in late 2021 to provide food for six months in 2021 and 2022. From a survey among nearly 900 Cameroonian refugees which UNHCR undertook after a cash distribution a few weeks earlier, it is known that 99.9 per cent of the beneficiaries used the cash to buy food.

Refugees received the money on their bank accounts or cash in hand through partners such as the NGOs Rhema Care and Foundation for Justice Development and Peace as well as the Jesuit Refugee Service.

The money reached refugees living in Nigerian communities such as Edwin, but also Cameroonian refugees in the settlements in Ikyogen (Benue) and around Ogoja (Cross River State). Akum Solange is one of them. She left Manyu Division in the South-West when fighting reached her village and came to Adagom 3 Refugee Settlement in 2018. She has to look after eight children, including three of her late uncle.

Akum, too, experienced a stroke of fate when trying to look after her family. As she could not work in her previous profession  coco farming  , she started having rabbits and wanted to start pig farming to get back on her feet. I dont like to sit and wait. So she borrowed money to buy a pregnant, hence expensive pig. But when I noticed the pig was not pregnant, I got really annoyed.

So she and her family survived on the meagre funds they had. We only rarely had eggs because they are expensive, Akum shrugs. And we did not eat chicken for several months. When UNHCR transferred 65,000 Naira (nearly US$ 160) for her family for three months to her bank account in January 2022, this MBRGI-funded cash support came as a blessing: I bought a chicken and rice.

Akum is determined to bounce back again as a pig farmer. After having paid back some of her debt, she is trying to cross her pig with the help of Unifarm, an agricultural cooperative of Cameroonian refugees and Nigerians.

We dont like to wait for UNHCR, she says hinting at the decreasing amounts that UNHCR could distribute in the settlements over the years due to shrinking donor support.

Determined, not to leave anybody vulnerable behind, UNHCR decided to transform its approach from blanket support to needs-based cash assistance. To inform the targeting of its support, the Agency conducted multi-sector vulnerability and capacity assessments of households in settlements in Benue and Cross River States. The assessment aims to help better identify the needs of Cameroonian refugees and host communities and support improved targeting and sector specific support. The assessment was made possible thanks to support from the Directorate-General for the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

Meanwhile, Edwin and Akum have a shared hope  to go back home once our crisis stops.

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How to Create Advertising that Sells An Advertisement by Ogilvy & Mather I thought this advertisement, written by David Ogilvy many years ago as a promotional advertisement for Ogilvy & Mather was a brilliant case of "tell more sell more." Very believable. Very credible. I have ignored some of the original format (it was originally 4 columns wide). If you'd like to see the original format, just click here. How to Create Advertising that Sells by David Ogilvy Ogilvy & Mather has created over $1,480,000,000 worth of advertising, and spent $4,900,000 tracking the results. Here, with all the dogmatism of brevity, are 38 of the things we have learned. 1. The most important decision. We have learned that the effect of your advertising on your sales depends more on this decision than on any other: How should you position your product? Should you position SCHWEPPES as a soft drinkor as a mixer? Should you position DOVE as a product for dry skin or as a product which gets hands really clean? The results of your campaign depend less on how we write your advertising than on how your product is positioned. It follows that positioning should be decided before the advertising is created. Research can help. Look before you leap. 2. Large promise. The second most important decision is this: what should you promise the customer? A promise is not a claim, or a theme, or a slogan. It is a benefit for the consumer. It pays to promise a benefit which is unique and competitive. And the product must deliver the benefit you promise. Most advertising promises nothing. It is doomed to fail in the marketplace. "Promise, large promise, is the soul of an advertisement"said Samuel Johnson. 3. Brand image. Every advertisement should contribute to the complex symbol which is the brand image. Ninety-five percent of all advertising is created ad hoc. Most products lack any consistent image from one year to another. The manufacturer who dedicates his advertising to building the most sharply defined personality for his brand gets the largest share of the market. 4. Big ideas. Unless your advertising is built on a BIG IDEA it will pass like a ship in the night. It takes a BIG IDEA to jolt the consumer out of his indifferenceto make him notice your advertising, remember it and take action. Big ideas are usually simple ideas. Said Charles Kettering, the great General Motors inventor: "This problem, when solved, will be simple." BIG SIMPLE IDEAS are not easy to come by. They require geniusand midnight oil. A truly big one can be continued for twenty yearslike our Eye patch for Hathaway shirts. 5. A first-class ticket. It pays to give most products an image of qualitya first-class ticket. Ogilvy & Mather has been conspicuously successful in doing thisfor Pepperidge, Hathaway, Mercedes-Benz, Schweppes, Dove and others. If your advertising looks ugly, consumers will conclude that your product is shoddy, and they will be less likely to buy it. 6. Don't be a bore. Nobody was ever bored into buying a product. Yet most advertising is impersonal, detached, coldand dull. It pays to involve the customer. Talk to her like a human being. Charm her. Make her hungry. Get her to participate. 7. Innovate. Start trendsinstead of following them. Advertising which follows a fashionable fad, or is imitative, is seldom successful It pays to innovate, to blaze new trails. But innovation is risky unless you pre-test your innovation with consumers. Look before you leap. 8. Be suspicious of awards. The pursuit of creative awards seduces creative people from the pursuit of sales. We have been unable to establish any correlation whatever between awards and sales. At Ogilvy & Mather we now give an annual award for the campaign which contributes the most to sales. Successful advertising sells the product without drawing attention to itself. It rivets the consumer's attention on the product Make the product the hero of your advertising. 9. Psychological segmentation. Any good agency knows how to position products for demographic segments of the marketfor men, for young children, for farmers in the South, etc. But Ogilvy & Mather has learned that it often pays to position products for psychological segments of the market. Our Mercedes-Benz advertising is positioned to fit nonconformists who scoff at "status symbols" and reject flimflam appeals to snobbery. 10. Don't bury news. It is easier to interest the consumer in a product when it is new than at any other point in its life. Many copywriters have a fatal instinct for burying news. This is why most advertising for new products fails to exploit the opportunity that genuine news provides. It pays to launch your new product with a loud BOOM-BOOM. 11. Go the whole hog. Most advertising campaigns are too complicated. They reflect a long list of marketing objectives. They embrace the divergent views of too many executives. By attempting too many things, they achieve nothing. It pays to boil down your strategy to one simple promiseand go the whole hog in delivering that promise. What works best in television 12.Testimonials: Avoid irrelevant celebrities. Testimonial commercials arc almost always successfulif you make them credible. Either celebrities or real people can be effective. But avoid irrelevant celebrities whose fame has no natural connection with your product or your customers. Irrelevant celebrities steal attention from your product. 13.Problem-solution (don't cheat!) You set up a problem that the consumer recognizes. Then you show how your product can solve that problem. And you prove the solution. This technique has always been above average in sales results, and it still is. But don't use it unless you can do so without cheating; the consumer isn't a moron, she is your wife. 14. Visual demonstrations. If they are honest, visual demonstrations are generally effective in the marketplace. It pays to visualize your promise. It saves time. It drives the promise home. It is memorable. 15. Slice of life. These playlets are corny, and most copywriters detest them. But they have sold a lot of merchandise, and are still selling. 16. Avoid logorrhea. Make your pictures tell the story. What you show is more important than what you say. Many commercials drown the viewer in a torrent of words. We call that logorrhea (rhymes with diarrhoea). We have created some great commercials without words. 17. On-camera voice. Commercials using on-camera voice do significantly better than commercials using voice-over. 18. Musical backgrounds. Most commercials use musical backgrounds. However, on the average, musical backgrounds reduce recall of your commercial. Very few creative people accept this. But we never heard of an agency using musical background under a new business presentation. 19. Stand-ups. The stand-up pitch can be effective, if it is delivered with straightforward honesty. 20. Burr of singularity. The average consumer now sees 20,000 commercials a year; poor dear. Most of them slide off her memory like water off a duck's back. Give your commercials a flourish of singularity, a burr that will stick in the consumer's mind. One such burr is the MNEMONIC DEVICE, or relevant symbollike the crowns in our commercials for Imperial Margarine. 21. Animation & cartoons. Less than five percent of television commercials use cartoons or animation. They are less persuasive than live commercials. The consumer cannot identify herself with the character in the cartoon. And cartoons do not invite belief. However, Carson/Roberts, our partners in Los Angeles, tell us that animation can be helpful when you are talking to children. They should knowthey have addressed more than six hundred commercials to children. 22. Salvage commercials. Many commercials which test poorly can be salvaged. The faults revealed by the test can be corrected. We have doubled the effectiveness of a commercial simply by re-editing it 23. Factual vs. emotional. Factual commercials tend to be more effective than emotional commercials. However, Ogilvy & Mather has made some emotional commercials which have been successful in the marketplace. Among these are our campaigns for Maxwell House Coffee and Hershey's Milk Chocolate. 24. Grabbers. We have found that commercials with an exciting opening hold their audience at a higher level than commercials which begin quietly. What works best in print 25. Headlines. On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body It follows that, if you don't sell the product in your headline, you have wasted 80 percent of your money. That is why most Ogilvy & Mather headlines include the brand name and the promise. 26. Benefit in headlines. Headlines that promise a benefit sell more than those that don't. 27. News in headlines. Time after time, we have found that it pays to inject genuine news into headlines. The consumer is always on the lookout for new products, or new improvements in an old product, or new ways to use an old product. Economistseven Russian economistsapprove of this. They call it "informative" advertising. So do consumers. 28. Simple headlines. Your headline should telegraph what you want to sayin simple language. Readers do not stop to decipher the meaning of obscure headlines. 29. How many words in a headline? In headline tests conducted with the cooperation of a big department store, it was found that headlines of ten words or longer sold more goods than short headlines. In terms of recall headlines between eight and ten words are most effective. In mail-order advertising, headlines between six and twelve words get the most coupon returns. On the average, long headlines sell more merchandise than short onesheadlines like our "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." 30. Localize headlines. In Local advertising it pays to include the name of the city in your headline. 31. Select your prospects. When you advertise a product which is consumed only by a special group, it pays to "flag" that group in your headline -MOTHERS, BED-WETTERS, GOING TO EUROPE? 32. Yes, people read long copy. Readership falls off rapidly up to fifty words, but drops very little between fifty and five hundred words. (This page contains 1909 words, and you are reading it.) Ogilvy & Mather has used long copywith notable successfor Mercedes-Benz, Cessna Citation, Merrill Lynch and Shell gasoline. "The more you tell, the more you sell." 33. Story appeal in picture. Ogilvy & Mather has gotten notable results with photographs which suggest a story. The reader glances at the photograph and asks himself, "What goes on here?" Then he reads the copy to find out. Harold Rudolph called this magic element "story appeal." The more of it you inject into your photograph, the more people look at your advertisement. It is easier said than done. 34. Before & after. Before and After advertisements are somewhat above average in attention value. Any form of "visualized contrast" seems to work well. 35. Photographs vs. artwork. Ogilvy & Mather has found that photographs work belter than drawingsalmost invariably. They attract more readers, generate more appetite appeal, are more believable, are better remembered, pull more coupons, and sell more merchandise. 36. Use captions to sell. On the average, twice as many people read the captions under photographs as read the body copy. It follows that you should never use a photograph without putting a caption under it; and each caption should be a miniature advertisement for the productcomplete with brand name and promise. 37. Editorial layouts. Ogilvy & Mather has had more success with editorial layouts than with. "addy" layouts. Editorial layouts get higher readership than conventional advertisements. 38. Repeat your winners. Scores of great advertisements have been discarded before they have begun to pay off. Readership can actually increase with repetitionup to five repetitions. Is this all we know? These findings apply to most categories of products. But not to all. Ogilvy & Mather has developed a separate and specialized body of knowledge on what makes for success in advertising food products, tourist destinations, proprietary medicines, children's products and other classifications. But this special information is revealed only to the clients of Ogilvy & Mather. 2 East 48th Street, New York, N.Y. 10017

patrick lannigan

public profiles
Jennifer Ann Hancock was born Nov. 20, 1956, in Atlanta, to William Roy and Martha Jones Hancock. She went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Gray. She was preceded in death by her father, William Roy Hancock, and her brother, Timothy Roy Hancock, as well as grandparents
Like all great things, the 2021-22 editorial boards term has come to an end. Read more
February 16 2022

A former drill hall at Binnie Lane, Gourock, dating from the First World War is to be converted to a home under new plans filed with Inverclyde Council.

Led by Marco Rebecchi of Rebecchi Architectural the work supercedes an earlier application, which included an extension wing housing a cinema and pool, in favour of a remodel of the dilapidated structure solely within its existing footprint.

Rebecchi commented: This is an exciting proposition with the existing building in good condition and capable of being adapted for a new purpose.Our clients fear is if the building is not adapted, at some point, it will be demolished with a new building built in its place seeing the loss of the heritage of this site."

Billed as an opportunity to save the building from demolition the work will see profiled metal sheeting replaced with a render board finished in acrylic white render with the roof replaced by concrete tiles.

This would house a three-bedroom home including a sauna and gym as well as a home office and games room on the upper level.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin held a virtual meeting with Saudi Investment Minister Engineerr Khalid Al-Falih on Wednesday

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin held a virtual meeting with Saudi Investment Minister Engineerr Khalid Al-Falih on Wednesday.

According to press statement issued by the finance ministry, both sides highlighted deep-rooted bilateral ties and cordial relationship between the two countries.

The two sides discussed about the potential for increased collaboration and investment in the various sectors including agriculture, food security, Information Technology, infrastructure development, Refinery and vowed to extend business and economic ties.

The Saudi Minister was also apprised that the present government was providing incentives to attract and facilitate foreign investors.

The Saudi Investment Minister expressed the need for greater mutual investments in different fields, it added.

Among others, Chairman board of Investment Muhammad Azfar Ahsan and other senior officers also participated in the meeting.

Meanwhile, the federal minister held another virtual meeting with Minister for Energy and Chief Executive of Qatar Energy, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi.

Both sides discussed ways and means on promoting bilateral and economic ties between two countries. The issues for setting up of the LNG terminal in Pakistan came under discussion in the meeting.

Finance Minister assured the Qatar Energy Minister, of all possible supportto resolve the issues for facilitating the State of Qatar's investment in Pakistan.

Secretaries of Finance, Maritime Affairs and Energy, Chairman OGRA and senior officers were also present in the meeting.
Brussels, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :The EU's highest court will rule Wednesday on whether European Union funds can be slashed for member states flouting democratic standards, a case with major implications for Poland and Hungary.

Both EU countries, which Brussels says are backsliding on rule of law, launched the legal challenge being heard by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). They want the so-called "conditionality mechanism" to be invalidated.

But in December the court's adviser, the advocate general, concluded that the Polish-Hungarian challenge should be rejected, arguing that the conditionality mechanism was compatible with the EU's treaties.

Should the judges decide the same, it would open the door to the European Commission cutting their funding.

The European Parliament, which approves the EU's multi-year budgets, has for months called for the commission to do just that, stressing that the conditionality instrument has been available since the beginning of last year.

It has even launched its own legal action, accusing the commission of inaction.

But the EU executive, wary of being wrong-footed by court rulings and aware it needs a qualified majority of member states to approve the mechanism's use, has been determined to build a cast-iron case, step-by-step.

In November, it sent formal letters to Warsaw and Budapest setting out what it sees as the democratic shortfalls.

For Poland, it criticises judicial reforms it believes undermine judges' independence and a refusal to accept the primacy of EU law over Polish law.

For Hungary, it is about public procurement, conflict of interests and corruption.

In a sign of how anticipated Wednesday's judgment is, the court will for the first time broadcast its ruling live.

That decision will then be debated in the European Parliament, where EU budget commissioner Johannes Hahn will stand in for commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who pulled out to focus on the military crisis over Ukraine.

If the ECJ confirms the right to cut money on these grounds, "we expect the European Commission to start putting the mechanism into action right away", said the head of the conservative EPP bloc in the parliament, Manfred Weber.

Poland's Constitutional Court is due to issue its own conclusions on the EU conditionality mechanism on Thursday. The court is considered to be close to the ruling Law and Justice party that continues to defy Brussels.

If the ECJ ruling goes against Poland and Hungary, it is expected that both countries will throw up more legal challenges to try to overturn it.

The conditionality mechanism was created in 2020, after a summit at the height of the coronavirus pandemic that agreed common borrowing to build an 800-billion-euro ($900 billion) pile of grants and loans for EU countries to recover.

Budget hawks, including Austria and the Netherlands, demanded the conditionality mechanism to put guard rails around the spending of taxpayers' money.
Strasbourg, France, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :EU commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said that Europe could survive Russia's squeeze on gas supplies to the EU thanks to an unprecedented diversification of sources in recent weeks.

"Our models show, with all the measures we have taken, that we are now on the safe side for this winter," Von der Leyen told a session of European Parliament in the eastern French city of Strasbourg.
Saint Paul, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :A former Minneapolis police officer charged with violating the civil rights of George Floyd took the witness stand on Tuesday to defend his actions during the fatal May 2020 arrest of the 46-year-old Black man.

Tou Thao, 35, is one of three former policemen on trial for their roles in Floyd's murder and the first to testify publicly about what happened that day.

Derek Chauvin, the white former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on the neck of a handcuffed Floyd for nearly 10 minutes until he passed out and died, is serving 22 years in prison after being convicted of murder.

Floyd's death was filmed by a bystander and sparked months of protests in the United States against racial injustice and police brutality.

Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane were the three other officers on the scene as Floyd was being taking into custody for allegedly using a fake $20 bill to buy a pack of cigarettes.

While Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck, Kueng was on his back and Lane held his legs.

Thao kept bystanders, who were telling Chauvin to get off the visibly distressed Floyd, from getting any closer to the scene.

"I was full-time crowd control," Thao said, calling himself a "human traffic cone." Thao said he told the crowd that the officers "were not trying to hurt" Floyd but were "just trying to restrain him." He said he believed Floyd was under the influence of drugs but he "had no idea" of the seriousness of his condition until firefighters turned up at the scene.

"I was assuming they were taking care of him," he said, in a reference to the other officers there.

Thao, who is of Hmong origin, was also shown pictures by his lawyer of restraint techniques taught in police training.

Thao said the use of a knee as a restraint was "not uncommon." "We were trained on it," he said.

The indictment charges Thao, Kueng and Lane with showing "deliberate indifference" to Floyd's medical needs.

Thao and Kueng are also accused of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin's use of "unreasonable force" against Floyd.

Lane does not face the second charge. Video of the arrest shows that on two occasions, Lane suggested Floyd be rolled over on his side.

Chauvin was an 18-year veteran of the Minneapolis police force; Thao had served for eight years while Kueng and Lane were new recruits, having joined the department in December 2019 and worked only a half-dozen shifts between them.

Twelve jurors and six alternates are hearing the case against the three officers.

Thao, Kueng and Lane are to face Minnesota state charges in connection with Floyd's death in a trial that is scheduled to begin on June 13.

But in a sign of the importance of the case, Federal prosecutors also charged the officers with violating Floyd's constitutional rights.

The federal trial is being held in a heavily guarded courtroom in Saint Paul, the sister city to Minneapolis.

All three men have pleaded not guilty.

Unlike Chauvin's state trial, the federal trial is not being televised.
Tegucigalpa, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :Honduran ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez, whose extradition is sought by the United States for alleged ties with drug traffickers, surrendered to police Tuesday after a judge ordered his arrest.

An AFP photographer witnessed the former leader being given a bulletproof vest and handcuffed by police as he exited his home in the capital Tegucigalpa to be brought before a judge.

Earlier Tuesday, the country's supreme court assigned a judge, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, to weigh the US request.

The judge issued a warrant for Hernandez's arrest, court spokesman Melvin Duarte told reporters.

Hernandez had vowed to cooperate with domestic justice authorities, saying in an audio message on Twitter he was "ready to collaborate and to come voluntarily." Hernandez said he would "confront this situation and defend myself." On Monday, a Honduran official, who declined to be named, confirmed to AFP that Washington had asked for Hernandez to be extradited, as hundreds of special forces agents surrounded the ex-president's home.

Hernandez, a 53-year-old lawyer who left office last month after eight years and two terms in office, has been linked to drug trafficking operations by New York prosecutors.

His lawyer, Hermes Ramirez, said the police deployment to Hernandez's home constituted an "attack" on his rights as it had denied him access to his advisers.

Dozens of people with banners celebrated outside Hernandez's home, while in other cities, people took to the streets with loudspeakers singing "Juancho goes to New York," using his nickname.

Though he portrayed himself as an ally of the US war on drugs, traffickers caught in the United States claimed to have paid bribes to the president's inner circle.

Alleged associate Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez was sentenced in the United States last week to life in prison and a fine of $151.7 million for smuggling tons of cocaine into the country -- with Hernandez's aid, according to prosecutors.

And in March 2021, Hernandez's brother, former Honduran congressman Tony Hernandez, was given life in prison in the United States for drug trafficking.

In that trial, a prosecutor said the then-president had received millions of Dollars from drug traffickers for protection -- including from Mexican narco kingpin Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that "according to multiple, credible media reports," Hernandez "has engaged in significant corruption by committing or facilitating acts of corruption and narco-trafficking and using the proceeds of illicit activity to facilitate political campaigns." Hernandez denies the claims, which he said were part of a revenge plot by traffickers that his government had captured or extradited to the United States.

Lawyer Ramirez insisted Monday that his client enjoyed immunity from prosecution as a member of the Guatemala-based Central American Parliament, Parlacen.

Hernandez joined Parlacen hours after leaving office on January 27, when leftist Xiomara Castro was sworn in with vows to transform the "bankrupt" state he left behind.

Several analysts said the Parlacen charter gives members, in their country of origin, the same immunity they would have enjoyed as members of their own parliament, which in Honduras, does not exist.

They also said that any immunity conferred by Parlacen membership could be waived at the request of a national government.

The US Department of Justice declined to comment on the extradition request.

During his term, Hernandez was accused of unjustly expanding presidential powers, including over the justice system and the country's election tribunal.

His re-election in 2017 was met with widespread protests against an alleged fraudulent campaign in the poverty- and violence-ridden country.

Attending Castro's swearing-in last month, US Vice President Kamala Harris was the first foreign official to have a bilateral meeting with her, and welcomed her commitment to combating corruption and impunity.

Castro has promised to undo laws passed under Hernandez that reduced penalties for drug trafficking and corruption.
New York, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :A US jury on Tuesday rejected former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's claim that the New York Times had intentionally defamed her in a 2017 editorial.

The New York jurors ruled in the newspaper's favor a day after the judge presiding over the case said he would dismiss the libel lawsuit irrespective of their verdict.

The civil trial was viewed by legal experts as a test case for the US Constitution's First Amendment that protects free speech and journalistic freedom of expression.

The bar to prove defamation in the United States is high, due to a famous 1964 Supreme Court ruling known as the New York Times v. Sullivan.

A plaintiff needs to show that the defendant intended to cause harm. It is not sufficient to demonstrate that an error was made.

The ruling shields journalists from liability if they make unintentional errors.

District Judge Jed Rakoff said Monday he would toss out the case because Palin's lawyers had failed to prove that the Times had acted with actual malice.

He added that he would allow the jury to reach a verdict anyway because it would "greatly benefit" a court when it hears Palin's likely appeal.

The editorial linked a 2011 shooting in Arizona that wounded lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others with an ad run by Palin's political action committee.

The ad, which ran shortly before the attack, showed Gifford's congressional district in the crosshairs of a firearm.

The Times corrected the editorial the next day, saying there was nothing that could demonstrate that the perpetrator had been driven to act by that controversial ad.

Palin, a former governor of Alaska, was Republican candidate John McCain's running mate during his 2008 election defeat to Barack Obama.
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Montreal, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :At least seven fishermen died and another 14 were missing after a Spanish trawler sank in rough seas off eastern Canada on Tuesday, Spanish and Canadian officials said.

"We have now recovered seven deceased individuals and three survivors," Brian Owens of Canada's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) told AFP.

There were 24 crew members on board the vessel when it went down some 250 nautical miles east of Newfoundland, with rescuers still searching for the remaining 14 crew despite difficult weather conditions, he said.

Spain's transport ministry identified the crew members as 16 Spanish nationals, five Peruvians and three Ghanaians.

"Seven people have been found dead... three sailors were found alive in a life raft, we believe they are recovering, and the rest -- up to 24 -- have not been found," Alberto Nunez Feijoo, head of Spain's northwestern Galicia region, told RTVE public television.

The Villa de Pitanxo, a 50-metre (165-foot) fishing vessel which is based at a port in Galicia, sent out two distress calls which were received at 5:24 am (0424 GMT) in Madrid, the ministry said.

Five hours later, another Spanish fishing vessel that was in the area spotted two life rafts, one of which was carrying three survivors and several bodies, it said.

Rescuers later found another four bodies.

"In one, there were just three survivors who were in a state of hypothermic shock because the temperature of the water is horrible, very low," Maica Larriba, a representative of Spain's central government in the Galicia region, told public radio.

She said the survivors had been airlifted to safety by a Canadian coastguard helicopter and that rescuers had found two other life rafts that were "totally empty" while searching for a third.

Canadian rescuers said they were hopeful more survivors could be found.

"The fact that we have already found three survivors in a life raft gives us that hope that others were able to either get into their survival suits, get into life rafts and get off the vessel," Owens of the JRCC told AFP.

Canadian rescuers had deployed a helicopter, a military plane, a coastguard ship and several boats to search for the missing crew members, he said.

"The weather right now is challenging for the search. It's approximately four-metre (13 foot) waves and visibility is down to approximately one quarter nautical mile," he said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the boat to founder.

"We certainly could be talking about one of the saddest days for Galician fishing in its entire history," Javier Touza, head of the Shipowner's Cooperative in the northwestern Spanish city of Vigo told public radio.

The Villa de Pitanxo is a freezer trawler registered in 2004 that is based in Marin, a small port near Pontevedra, and belongs to shipowner Manuel Nores.

Founded in 1950, the firm has eight freezer trawlers and some 300 employees with vessels operating off the Canadian coast, in the South Atlantic and off the western coast of Africa, according to its website.

"We are following with concern the search and rescue operation for the crew of the Galician ship that sunk in the waters of Newfoundland," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted.

"All my love to their families. The government remains in constant contact with rescue services," he added.

Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz, who is from Galicia, said she was "shocked" by the news of the accident.

"Bad news is reaching us from the other side of the Atlantic," she tweeted.

"All my love and support to the families of the crew in their pain at this time of uncertainty."
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Kyiv, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :A defiant Ukrainian leader urged citizens to celebrate a "Day of Unity" on Wednesday, as Washington warned once again that Russia remains poised to launch a devastating assault.

President Volodymyr Zelensky chose the date for what he hoped would be a patriotic outpouring after US reports suggested Russian forces could attack as early as February 16.

An intense diplomatic campaign is underway to head off the crisis triggered when Russia deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders, backed with fleet reinforcements and powerful artillery and missile systems.

On Tuesday, there were hopes for a breakthrough as President Vladimir Putin met Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz to explore a route to a negotiated solution and Moscow said it had begun to pull back some forces.

But US President Joe Biden -- who has ordered Washington's embassy in Kyiv closed and urged Americans to leave Ukraine -- demanded that Russia prove its good intentions with a verifiable withdrawal.

"Analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position," Biden said, in an address on the crisis. "The United States is prepared no matter what happens. We are ready with diplomacy," he said.

"And we are ready to respond decisively to Russian attack on Ukraine, which is still very much a possibility," he said, warning of "powerful sanctions".

Earlier, in the first announced withdrawal from among the troops Russia massed on the Ukrainian border, the defence ministry in Moscow said some soldiers were returning to bases at the end of planned exercises.

Western leaders have accused Moscow of positioning the troops in advance of a possible invasion of pro-Western Ukraine, warning that any attack would be met with severe economic sanctions.

After meeting Scholz in Moscow, Putin said Russia "of course" did not want war, and was willing to look for solutions with the West.

"We are ready to work further together. We are ready to go down the negotiations track," Putin told a joint press conference with Scholz.

In response, Scholz said: "That we are now hearing that some troops are being withdrawn is in any case a good sign." "For Europeans, it is clear that lasting security cannot be achieved against Russia but only with Russia." Moscow released few details about the troop withdrawal.

In Brussels, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said while there was not yet "any sign of de-escalation on the ground" there were "grounds for cautious optimism".

The crisis -- the worst between Russia and the West since the Cold War ended -- reached a peak this week, with US officials warning of a full-scale invasion -- perhaps on Wednesday.

Zelensky reacted with sarcasm to the warning, and declared Wednesday a "Day of Unity".

"Serious external and internal challenges have arisen, which require responsibility, confidence and concrete actions from me and each of us," he said.

"But our state today is stronger than ever," he vowed.

On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country's defence ministry and armed forces as well as two banks had been hit by a cyberattack that could have Russian origins.

"It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," Ukraine's communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia.

In a separate move likely to anger Kyiv, Russian lawmakers on Tuesday voted to urge Putin to recognise two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as "sovereign and independent states".
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MIRPUR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) : Feb 16 (APP):All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader and Chief of Jammu Kashmir Nationoal Front (JKNF) Nayeem Ahmed Khan on Wednesday condemned Modi government's belligerent policy towards Kashmir and urged the influential world governments to take effective cognizance of the fast deteriorating political and human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In his message from New Delhi's Tihar jail, he said that India's racist regime whose hands were soaked with the blood of innocent Kashmiris was hell-bent on killing every voice of dissent in the region.

Khan, who has been languishing in the notorious prison for the past four years, said the ruthless suppression of dissent, killing spree of innocent civilians, and a witch-hunt against civil society, rights activists, and journalists speak volumes about the apartheid regime's repression, brutality, and barbarism in Kashmir.

He lamented that extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, harassment and humiliation of common masses, arbitrary arrests, and attacks on rights defenders by the Indian occupation forces have become a new norm in the valley. India, he said, has been using these colonial-era tactics to suppress Kashmiris' legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination. He, however, maintained that the policy of oppression and suppression could not deter Kashmiri masses from pursuing their legitimate struggle for which they have rendered matchless sacrifices.

Lauding Kashmiri youth for their resilience, he said, the youth of Kashmir who have taken up the mantle of freedom movement have been scripting a new history of resistance against India's illegal occupation by laying down their precious lives.

Urging New Delhi to shun its policy of intransigence, he said, Indian leadership must bear in mind the fact that genuine freedom movements cannot be suppressed by the dint of force.

Referring to the Indian government's nefarious designs to change the status of the occupied Kashmir through political and administrative machinations, the APHC leader said, "Stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy and unlawful attempts to alter the region's demography and changing the electoral map has been a dream project of the RSS influenced regime".

Terming these attempts as an atrocious assault on Kashmiris' political and cultural identity, he said, these policies aimed at marginalizing the majority community and reducing them to minority were in violation of international law and the UNSC resolutions that strictly prohibit the occupying state from changing status of a disputed region.

About the plight of Kashmiri prisoners, Khan said, "Caging Kashmiri political leaders on flimsy grounds and holding them in preventive custody and denying them the right to a fair trial and subjecting them to inhuman treatment in prisons and terrorizing their families is yet another dark aspect of Indian colonialism."
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A video clip of the journalist holding a pistol in hand is making rounds on social media.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Jan 16th, 2022) Journalist Mohsin Baig has been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency, the latest reports say.

A heavy police contingents and FIA officials have conducted raid at the house of journalist Mohsin Baig. During the operation, the reports say, the son of the journalist has fallen injured. They want search of his house and want to collective some secrets or evidences.

On other hand, his pictures and videos are making rounds on the social media in which he is seen holding a pistol and misbehaving with a police constable.

The police have now arrested him and shifted him to the lockdown.

The reports say that the police have booked him under Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and other sections of Pakistan Penal Code as he allegedly misbehaved with a police constable, kicked him while holding a pistol.

Taking to Twitter, journalists have condemned arrest of journalist Mohsin Baig and raid at his house.

Shehbaz Baig, the PMs aide, has also shared the video clip of journalist Baig in which he could be seen holding a pistol in hand and misbehaving with a police officer. A lot of people were present there on the occasion.
Underlining UN's peacekeeping's key role in promoting peace and security in world's hotspots, Pakistan has called for advancing political solutions to long-running conflicts and disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir

UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :Underlining UN's peacekeeping's key role in promoting peace and security in world's hotspots, Pakistan has called for advancing political solutions to long-running conflicts and disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir.

"Member states, particularly the UN Security Council, can support political solutions through sustained attention, especially in the case of conflicts and disputes that have persisted for a long time," Ambassador Munir Akram said in his remarks to the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations at its first meeting of the 2022 session on Tuesday.

"The Jammu and Kashmir dispute is one such example, where the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has been defined for a just and lasting solution," the Pakistani envoy told the committee, which was established by the UN General Assembly in 1965 to review of all issues relating to peacekeeping, the world body's flagship activity.

Such a solution, he said, would lead to a durable peace in the region and beyond.

Peacekeeping is most effective when it is backed by a well-defined political strategy , the Pakistani envoy added.

Ambassador Akram welcomed the focus of A4P Plus (Action for Peacekeeping) on the primacy of politics, noting that threats to international security have political causes and ultimately political solutions He said that as a long serving troop-contributing country, it has an interest in the continued success of peacekeeping operations. Pakistani peacekeepers have protected civilians and guarded United Nations equipment in the face of high-risk situations with limited resources in the drawdown and closure of peacekeeping missions.

Underscoring that training for peacekeepers has become vital due to the increase in high-risk deployments, Ambassador Akram went on to note that there should be an equitable distribution of women in peacekeeping, including at senior positions, both in the field and at the Secretariat.

In recent years, he said, Pakistan has made a concerted effort to achieve 50 percent female representation across its community engagement platoons.

"We reiterate our call for equitable geographical representation of women, including at senior level positions, in the field and the UN Secretariat."
As the title of his new album suggests, Metronomy's Joe Mount found an unexpected sense of connection to the rest of the planet in the midst of the pandemic

Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :As the title of his new album suggests, Metronomy's Joe Mount found an unexpected sense of connection to the rest of the planet in the midst of the pandemic.

The multi-instrumentalist returns on Friday with his seventh album of retro pop gems, "Small World".

It reflects a surprisingly enriching couple of years, holed up with his family and young children in the English countryside.

"Growing up, you hear people talking about the population of the world being too big and getting ever bigger. Suddenly the numbers felt more manageable.

I felt there was a community suddenly," Mount told AFP.

"Everyone was in the same place, everyone experiencing the same thing," he said.

It was also a chance to take a breather after 20 years of writing and touring.

"The good thing about being at home for the pandemic was realising you don't need to consume stuff. I was quite happy just being at home.

"I've experienced time in a very different way these past two years. How hours make days and days make weeks -- i feel like I've lived every minute."
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2022) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama a range of mutual interests, including concerns over the Ukraine situation, State Department spokesperson Ned price said.

Earlier in the day, President Joe Biden at a presser said it would be "good" if reports are true that Russia pulled some troops from the Ukraine border. He said the US is ready to engage in diplomacy with Russia but also claimed that an invasion is still possible.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Washington, DC," Price said in a press release on Tuesday. " The Secretary noted our strong cooperation at NATO and on the UN Security Council, and thanked Prime Minister Rama for Albania's clear support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russian aggression.

"

Blinken also reaffirmed the United States' support for Albania's EU accession and regional economic integration, but he underscored a need for reform efforts to combat corruption in the country, Price said.

Over the past few months, the United States and its European partners have grown worried of Russia's military activity near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion."

Moscow has denied the accusation, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said it has the right to move troops within its national territory.
Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro will hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his first official trip to Moscow on Wednesday, defying US concerns over the visit amid the Ukraine crisis

Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro will hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on his first official trip to Moscow on Wednesday, defying US concerns over the visit amid the Ukraine crisis.

Bolsonaro is in Moscow as Western leaders remain fearful of a Russian attack on its neighbour Ukraine.

He had brushed off pressure from Washington, Brazil's traditional ally, and his own cabinet to cancel the trip.

He justified the visit by saying it will be focused largely around trade.

The Kremlin said the pair will discuss "strengthening the Russian-Brazilian strategic partnership", as well as trade, scientific and cultural ties.

They will also "exchange views on the key problems of the international agenda".

Brazil's foreign and defence ministers are also to hold talks with their Russian counterparts.

Before the South American set off for Moscow, Brazil publicly reaffirmed its diplomatic ties with Kyiv.

"The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Franca, spoke by phone today with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba," the foreign ministry said on Twitter ahead of the trip.

Russia had made the invitation in late November, when tension over Ukraine was already building.

Bolsonaro accepted, deciding to combine it with a Thursday visit to fellow far-right leader Viktor Orban in Hungary, who also recently met Putin.

He has expressed admiration for "strong man" Putin.

The Brazilian leader, known for controversial views on the pandemic, is not vaccinated against Covid-19.

Putin, who has been extremely cautious not to catch the coronavirus, has received world leaders at a now famous stretching table in the Kremlin.
China will help its coal-fired power plants run at full capacity, the government has announced, raising further alarm about the fate of Beijing's climate pledges

Beijing, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :China will help its coal-fired power plants run at full capacity, the government has announced, raising further alarm about the fate of Beijing's climate pledges.

Swathes of the world's second-biggest economy were paralysed last year because of power shortages, partly caused by a drop in coal supply as global prices of the fossil fuel soared.

China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change, and has pledged to peak emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060.

But coal production has been ramped up since last year's energy shortages, sparking uncertainty and concern about those targets.

The focus on energy security and economic growth was reiterated at a high-level meeting of China's State Council, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, state news agency Xinhua reported Tuesday.

It was decided in the Monday meeting that "coal supply will be increased and coal-fired power plants will be supported in running at full capacity and generating more electricity" to meet industrial and residential demand, according to Xinhua.

The move comes weeks after President Xi Jinping told top policymakers to ensure that emissions reductions do not hurt economic growth and energy security -- widely seen as a signal to limit restrictions on the coal sector.

Following the energy crunch last year, China reopened dozens of coal mines and scrapped production quotas, unravelling earlier steps to curb emissions.

The country's coal output hit a record of over four billion metric tons last year -- the highest in a decade -- after imports were disrupted by the pandemic.

Two-thirds of China's economy is fuelled by coal, and it generates an estimated 29 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, double the US share and three times that of the European Union.

The Chinese government's measures to curb emissions are considered crucial to keeping global temperature rises to under 1.5 degrees Celsius as agreed in the landmark Paris climate accord.

"We are pivoting back to the model of supporting the economy at all costs," said Li Shuo, a campaigner for Greenpeace China.

"China is losing time for crucial climate action."
European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday proposed to hold a donors conference to support the Ukrainian economy and reforms in the country

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2022) European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday proposed to hold a donors conference to support the Ukrainian economy and reforms in the country.

"I would like to launch an initiative with close cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, a conference of donors to be able to support and robust economic situation in Ukraine," Michel told the European Parliament.
NEW YORK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2022) Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has lost her defamation suit against the New York Times after the judge and the jury in the case ruled that the publication did not commit libel with an editorial linking her with the shooting of a former congresswoman .

"I think this (was) an example of very unfortunate editorializing on the part of the (New York) Times," Judge Jed Rakoff said of his ruling, which was made before he deliberated on the case. "The law here sets a very high standard (for malice). The court finds that that standard has not been met."

The jury later returned the verdict that The New York Times had not libeled Republican party member Palin with its editorial linking her with the 2011 shooting of Gabby Giffords, a former Democrat congresswoman from the state of Arizona.

Giffords and 18 others were shot during a political meeting held in a supermarket parking lot in Arizona on January 8, 2011. Six people were killed and Giffords, who was critically wounded, survived.

The New York Times editorial "America's Lethal politics" said there was a connection between a 2010 advertisement by Palin's Political Action Committee and the mass shooting a year later in Arizona. But there was no evidence that the man who shot Giffords was motivated by Palin.

The New York Times altered the language of the editorial and published a correction within less than a day after readers noted there was no link between Palin and the Giffords shooting. But the newspaper did not apologize to Palin, who filed her lawsuit soon thereafter.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his UK counterpart, Boris Johnson, have reaffirmed during a phone call on Wednesday their intention to continue diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions around Ukraine, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2022) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his UK counterpart, Boris Johnson, have reaffirmed during a phone call on Wednesday their intention to continue diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions around Ukraine, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

"The two leaders affirmed their consistent support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity while monitoring the situation around Ukraine with grave concern, and they confirmed that they would not accept any unilateral change in the status quo by force, and continue diplomatic efforts for de-escalation and continually work closely together," the ministry said in a statement about the 25-minute phone conversation.

The prime ministers also affirmed their commitment to cooperating on security and defense and promoting a "free and open Indo-Pacific.

"

In late January, Johnson reportedly canceled his planned trip to Japan over escalating tensions around Ukraine. During the trip, he was expected to meet with Kishida and discuss the Ukraine crisis, as well as measures to deal with the pandemic and form a carbon-free society.

In the past few months, the United States and its allies have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an invasion. Moscow has rejected the accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing concerns over NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has also said that it has the right to move troops within its own territory.
Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday carried out her first in-person official engagements since fears emerged that she could have contracted coronavirus last week

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday carried out her first in-person official engagements since fears emerged that she could have contracted coronavirus last week.

Anxiety grew after Prince Charles, her eldest son and heir to the throne, tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time, two days after meeting the 95-year-old monarch.

His wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, also then tested positive, and the couple have been self-isolating since, according to aides.

Buckingham Palace has not revealed whether the queen -- who this month marked 70 years on the throne -- has taken any Covid tests herself.

On Wednesday, a week on from the scare, she received two senior Royal Navy officers at her Windsor Castle residence west of London.

A photograph posted on the royal family's Twitter account showed the monarch holding a walking stick and wearing a patterned dress, as she met one of the officers in the Oak Room sitting room at the castle.

This followed her holding two virtual audiences from Windsor the previous day, meeting via video-link with newly appointed ambassadors from Estonia and Spain.

Meanwhile earlier this month, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, she held a reception for locals at Sandringham, her estate in eastern England.

It was reportedly her largest in-person public engagement since an unexplained health issue last autumn that saw her spend a night in hospital.

This week's return to regular royal duties, after limiting them as the Omicron variant swept Britain in recent months, comes with the royal family mired in scandals.

The queen's second son, Prince Andrew, settled a sexual assault civil lawsuit in the United States on Tuesday, reportedly for 12 million ($16.3 million, 14.3 million Euros) -- which newspapers claim she will partly fund.

Meanwhile police in London said Wednesday they were investigating claims that a Saudi tycoon was offered UK honours in return for donations to Prince Charles' charitable foundation.
(@FahadShabbir)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2022) Russia does not plan to move its embassy in Ukraine from Kiev, a source told Sputnik.

Answering the question whether the Russian side plans to temporarily move the embassy to Kharkov or Odessa amid the transfer of Western embassies from the capital of Ukraine, the source said: "No, our foreign missions continue to work."

"There are no such plans," he said.
South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma on Wednesday lost a new bid to delay his corruption trial over a 1990s arms deal involving French defence giant Thales

Johannesburg, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma on Wednesday lost a new bid to delay his corruption trial over a 1990s arms deal involving French defence giant Thales.

The ruling means Zuma's trial remains on track to resume on April 11.

Zuma had sought to have lead prosecutor Billy Downer dropped from the case, accusing him of bias.

High Court judge Piet Koen last year rejected that request, and on Wednesday denied Zuma's leave to appeal that ruling.

His appeal "should not be entertained at this stage of the trial", Koen said, adding that an appeal now would "invariably result in delays and hence drawn-out trials to the detriment not only to the accused but to any co-accused, and also to the public".

Koen also insisted the prosecutor had no conflicts of interest, calling Zuma's claims "frivolous, absurd... and devoid of any prospects of success".

Zuma faces 16 counts of fraud, graft and racketeering related to the purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and equipment from five European arms firms.

He is accused of taking bribes from French defence giant Thales, which has also been charged with corruption and money laundering.

Both have denied any wrongdoing.

The trial started in May 2021 after repeated postponements as Zuma's legal team battled to have the charges dropped.

Zuma was president from 2009 to 2018, but was forced to step down by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) as graft scandals surrounding his government brewed into a political storm.

Last year he was given a 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court after refusing to testify before a panel probing financial sleaze and cronyism that proliferated under his presidency.

His jailing sparked riots that descended into looting and left more than 350 dead in the worst violence since the advent of South Africa's democracy.

He was released on health grounds two months into the term.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2022) US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan this week consulted with Polish Head of the International Policy Bureau Jakub Kumoch and European Council President Frederic Bernard about the latest developments in the Ukraine situation, National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said.

"National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met today with Dr. Jakub Kumoch, Head of the International Policy Bureau at Poland's Presidential Chancellery. They discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts related to Russia's destabilizing military buildup along Ukraine's border, including Poland's leadership in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe," Horne said in a press release on Tuesday.

Sullivan and Kumoch also discussed transatlantic coordination on deterrence and defense efforts, Horne said.

In a separate release on Tuesday, Horne said Sullivan discussed with the European Council President shared concerns about the Ukraine situation.

They reviewed the latest diplomatic engagements in the region to ease tensions, including the package of sanctions the United States and the European Union prepared to impose on Russia should it allegedly invade Ukraine soon, Horne said.

Earlier in the day, President Joe Biden in a press conference said it would be "good" if Moscow is pulling back troops from the Ukraine border as the Russian Foreign Ministry said, although the US has yet to verify this.

Over the past few months, the United States and its European partners have grown worried of Russia's military activity near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion."

Moscow has denied the accusation, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Moscow has also said it has the right to move troops within its national territory.
(@FahadShabbir)

Ukraine staged military drills and defiant displays of flag-waving patriotism on Wednesday as NATO warned Russia is continuing to mass forces for a possible invasion

Kyiv, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2022 ) :Ukraine staged military drills and defiant displays of flag-waving patriotism on Wednesday as NATO warned Russia is continuing to mass forces for a possible invasion.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky watched troops training with some of their new Western-supplied anti-tank weapons on a range near Rivne, west of the capital.

The demonstration of Ukrainian firepower contrasted with images on Russian state media that were said to show Moscow's forces bringing an end to a major exercise in occupied Crimea.

In Rivne, a row of vehicles was destroyed by simultaneous missile test strikes and armoured vehicles manoeuvred and fired on the yellowing moorland, while in Kyiv hundreds of civilians marched in a stadium with an enormous national banner.

The "Day of Unity" displays came as the Kremlin called for "serious negotiations" with Washington, and European leaders pushed hard for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, hosting the alliance's defence ministers in Brussels, dismissed suggestions that the threat on the border had diminished.

"It remains to be seen whether there is a Russian withdrawal," he said.

"We are of course monitoring very closely what Russia does in and around Ukraine. What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way."
The Apostolic Administration of Estonia holds a webinar to shine the spotlight on the ongoing beatification process of its martyred former archbishop, Eduard Profittlich.

By Devin Watkins

Hopes are high among Estonian Catholics as the local Church continues its push for the beatification of Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, SJ.

The German Jesuit served as the Apostolic Administrator of Estonia from 1931 until his deportation to Siberia and martyrdom in the Soviet prison in Kirov on 22 February 1942.

His cause for beatification is currently winding its way through the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, after completion of the diocesan phase in late 2019.

Currently known as a Servant of God, the late Archbishop Profittlich offers a moving witness of faith for the people of Estonia today, as well as for Catholics further afield.

Great martyr of the Church

As the 80th anniversary of his death approaches, the Apostolic Administration of Estonia hosted an online conference on Tuesday evening to offer an update on his beatification process.

The event saw the participation of a host of Church leaders, Jesuits, and lay Catholics interested in Profittlichs life and witness. It was moderated by Fr. Stephan Lipke, SJ, with the Jesuit-run St. Thomas Institute in Moscow, which co-hosted the conference.

Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, the Metropolitan of Moscow, kicked off the webinar by calling it an opportunity to celebrate the life of a great martyr of the Church.

He said Profittlich ranks among the great Bishops to have served and died in the territories of the former Soviet Union, adding that he offers the faithful around the world an excellent example of what it means to be Catholic.

Sharing fate of his flock

Speaking from Tallinn, just meters from where his predecessor ministered, Bishop Philippe Jourdan, the current Apostolic Administrator of Estonia, expressed his hopes that the beatification process would offer new life to the local Churchs evangelization efforts.

Profittlich, he said, was a very well-known figure in Estonia during his lifetime, even among the countrys Lutheran majority, which counted around 78 percent of the population in the 1930s.

As a German citizen, Profittlich was offered the chance to leave Estonia after its fall to the Soviet Union in 1940.

The example of Archbishop Profittlich is very important for Estonian society, especially the fact that he chose to stay to stay in Estonia to share the destiny of so many Estonians.

Over 20,000 Estonians were deported to Soviet prison camps during the 1940s.

The Bishop added that Estonias President Alar Karis even recently asked him about Profittlichs cause, saying he was following it with great joy.

Memorial to victims of communism in Tallinn, Estonia

Missionary vocation

Maria Chiara Dommarco, a historian on Catholicism in Russia during the reigns of Lenin and Stalin, offered a review of the Vaticans goal of evangelizing Soviet Russia, especially during the pontificates of Benedict XV and Pius XI.

She said the young Jesuit Profittlich manifested an ardent desire to take on that missionary mantle. He was eventually sent to Estonia, where he served the Church wholeheartedly and established fruitful dialogue with Orthodox and Protestant Christians.

The Jesuits free and conscious adhesion to his vocation, even to the point of witnessing martyrdom, was born and developed within the dialogue (mediated and then directly) with the authority of the Holy See.

Faithful servant

Ms. Marge-Marie Paas, the diocesan postulator for Profittlichs cause for beatification, then took the floor to review the path to holiness of the first Catholic Bishop in Estonia since the Protestant Reformation.

"Archbishop Eduard Profittlich," she said, "carried out all his responsibilities with great love, and through consistent effort he was able to accomplish all that God expected of him, especially being faithful to Christ, His Church, and His Kingdom."

Profittlichs faithful dedication to his mission, added Ms. Paas, was crowned by God with martyrdom. He accepted to stay in Estonia fully knowing the fate he would likely suffer, a choice she said he made willingly, in deep prayer, and with the consent of the Pope.

Crown of martyrdom

As a martyra witness to Christmany Estonians believe Profittlich now intercedes for the faithful before God, and Estonian Catholics are hoping to receive the Churchs recognition of this through his beatification.

A few short months before his arrest by the Soviets and deportation to Siberia, Archbishop Profittlich wrote to Pope Pius XII to request guidance as to whether to flee Estonia.

I am also ready, in all peace of mind, to endure sacrifice for the Kingdom of God in this land, and for all the work and all the sufferings that, in these changed circumstances, will be necessary for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

Ms. Paas summed up Profittlichs holy example for the Church, saying he sacrificed his life for the Kingdom of God and he became a witness to new life and Truth.
On the Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the head of the Catholic Polish Church addresses a letter to Christian Russian and Ukrainian leaders calling on them to join in prayer for peace in Ukraine. Recipients of the letter include Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the two Orthodox Primates of Ukraine as well as the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Russia.

By Lisa Zengarini

As the winds of war threaten Eastern Europe, the President of the Polish Bishops Conference, Archbishop Stanisaw Gadecki, is calling both Catholic and Orthodox believers in Poland, Russia and Ukraine to join in fervent prayer that armed conflict might be averted.

A tragedy for humanity

In a letter translated into Russian and Ukrainian, the Archbishop of Poznan once again reiterates that any war is a tragedy for humanity".

Thousands of people die. Many of them on both sides remain handicapped and millions carry inner wounds that are difficult to heal.

Archbishop Gadecki says the fact that Ukrainians and Russians are both Christian and Slavic peoples adds to the tragedy: From both the human and divine point of view - he says - these two peoples should have much in common and tend not to hatred, but to mutual respect and friendship. However, an indispensable condition is respect for the rights of peoples, including the right to self-determination and territorial integrity.

Read also 13/02/2022 Pope renews prayers for tense Ukraine situation Pope Francis urges world leaders to seek a peaceful solution to the situation in and around Ukraine, as Western nations warn Russia could invade its neighbor at any time.

Wars are useless

Citing Pope Saint John Paul IIs words in his Message for the World Day of Peace of 2000, the Polish prelate further recalls that the twentieth century "bequeathed to us the warning that wars are often the cause of further wars because they fuel deep hatred, create situations of injustice and trample upon people's dignity and rights".

Wars generally do not resolve the problems for which they are fought and therefore, in addition to causing horrendous damage, they prove ultimately futile

Common history and faith

Noting that Poland Russia and Ukraine have "a common history and Christian faith, Archbishop Gadecki, therefore, calls on the Polish faithful to raise their heartfelt prayer to God for peace in Ukraine.

May our prayer effort be a cry to prevent the suffering and death of thousands of innocent human beings, especially the weakest and most vulnerable, who will not have the strength and opportunity to escape the outbreak of war.

Converting the hearts



He then turns to the Orthodox and Catholic religious leaders of both Ukraine and Russia, calling upon them to address similar appeals to their respective faithful so that the Lord may convert the hearts of rulers from the desire of war and destruction, to mercy and peace.

May the Saints Cyril and Methodius, apostles of the Slavs, obtain from God the gift of peace for Europe, the letter concludes.

Read also 14/02/2022 Patriarch Bartholomew urges peace in Ukraine amid invasion threat Amid of flurry of high-level phone calls and meetings between world leaders, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I renews his insistence for peace to reign in Ukraine, as Russian ...

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Nuncio to Ukraine: we are brothers

The importance of praying together with other Churches in both countries to avert war has also been emphasized by the Vatican Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas. Speaking with Vatican News, the prelate remarked that the more Churches are united and understand each other, the stronger they are able to effectively bear witness to the Gospel.

The mission of the Church is to consider everyone as brothers, so when we speak of dialogue and when we pray for dialogue, as a Church we know that it is our mission to illuminate dialogue, he said. When I pray for peace, I know only too well that at any moment our Lord Jesus is capable of enlightening one or the other politician, one or the other military, and change their decisions radically.

A glimmer of hope

Though the situation remains tense, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered a glimmer of hope on Monday by telling President Vladimir Putin they should have more time to discuss US proposals for the future of European security. In a televised meeting, Mr Putin was told that diplomatic talks had not yet been exhausted.

Also, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking in Kyiv on Monday ahead of a visit to Moscow, played down the prospect of Ukraine joining Nato in the near future  one of Russia's main concerns  by saying this was "not on the order paper".
Join veteran journalist Hayde Adams on Straight Talk Africa every Wednesday as he and his guests discuss topics of special interest to Africans, including politics, economic development, press freedom, health, social issues and conflict resolution.
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary-General, says he and other defense ministers have not seen evidence of Russian efforts to de-escalate the situation along Ukraines border on the ground as they meet in Brussels. Plus, life in daily Lviv and concerns of Ukraine's LGBTQ+ communities.
A bomb attached to a bus carrying Syrian troops in Damascus exploded Tuesday morning, killing one soldier and wounding 11, state TV reported.

The blast happened during rush hour at a customs roundabout near the capital's landmark Omayyad Square, according to the report. It gave no further details. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Such attacks have occurred in Damascus in recent months amid an otherwise calm period in the capital. Government forces captured rebel-held eastern neighborhoods of the city in 2018.

Government forces now control much of Syria with the help of President Bashar Assad's allies Russia and Iran, while rebels are mostly cornered in the country's northwestern province of Idlib. U.S. and Turkish troops, meanwhile, are deployed in parts of the country's north and east.

In October, two bombs attached to a bus carrying Syrian troops exploded in Damascus, killing 14. It was one of the deadliest bombings in the capital in years. A little-known group calling itself the Qasioun Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack at the time.

In recent years, attacks in Damascus have been rare. One of the last major explosions to take place was in 2017  when suicide bombers hit a judicial office building and a restaurant, killing nearly 60 people. The attacks were claimed by Islamic State group militants.

The extremist organization has not held territory in Syria since 2019, but it continues to represent a threat with sleeper cells, mostly hiding in Syria's expansive desert.

IS fighters have attacked Syrian troops in central and eastern Syria. The extremist group has also carried out attacks on U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters in the northeast, including a raid on a prison in late January that led to 10 days of fighting in the city of Hassakeh. The clash left nearly 500 people dead.

Elsewhere, the opposition's Syrian Civil Defense group, also known as the White Helmets, said that three civilians were killed and seven others wounded, including a child, in a rocket shelling in the northern town of Azaz held by Turkey-backed opposition fighters.

It said it was unclear if the attack came from areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces or Syrian government forces.

Syria's conflict began in March 2011 and has killed nearly half a million people, displaced half the country's prewar population of 23 million and left large parts of the country destroyed.
Zimbabwes government has ordered civil servants who are vaccinated against COVID-19 to immediately report for duty after more than a year of working from home, citing a declining in new cases of the virus in the country. Authorities also announced any government workers without proof of vaccination will be barred from workplaces and face punishments, including a freeze on their salaries.



In a statement this week, President Emmerson Mnangagwas government said it wants its employees to resume meeting in person.



Late Tuesday, Monica Mutsvangwa, the countrys information minister, said the number of people being hospitalized for COVID-19 is on a steady decline.



This indicates that the national response measures instituted by government continue to pay off. In view of the continued decline in new cases and deaths, coupled with a declining testing positivity rate that is indicating that the community transmission has gone down, all ports of entry [are to] be reopened, but ensuring that all the recommended COVID-19 prevention measures are adhered to, she said.

However, the compulsory vaccination rule is not being welcomed by all civil servants. Obert Masaraure, the president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, says the workers will take the matter to court if the government insists.



A contract that was signed by civil servants has no provision for mandatory vaccination. So if the Public Service Commission wants to bar civil servants who are not vaccinated, they are in breach of contract and its unacceptable. Secondly, civil servants have a right to dignity, they have right to make choices. No one can be forced foreign substances to be inserted into their bodies, he noted.



Dr. Norman Matara, the head of Zimbabwe Association for Doctors for Human Rights, says his organization has noted that several other countries are moving towards compulsory vaccination.



It is something that we are strongly against. We think mandating vaccines is something that fuels vaccine hesitance. There is a lot of conspiracy theory that goes around when people are saying we are being forced to be vaccinated. We really have to get the buy in of people: spread the gospel of vaccines, how they work and then encourage people to get vaccinated and not force them to get vaccinated, he pointed out.

But Sifiso Ndlovu from the Zimbabwe Teachers Association supports the governments position.



Definitely, all workers should take up the vaccination. Not because they want to protect themselves, but they want to protect their colleagues at work. Scientific evidence has it that if you are fully vaccinated it comes with a mild attack. Why not take up that? There is nothing wrong or sinister about it, he said.



About 3.3 million people in Zimbabwe have received two shots of the COVID-19 vaccines, while about 86,000 have received a third jab.



A number of Zimbabweans have refused to get vaccinated, saying they do not trust the mainly donated Chinese-made Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines.
The accounting firm that former President Donald Trump has relied on for decades to provide financial statements about his firm, the Trump Organization, has cut ties with the company, warning that a decade's worth of documentation is not reliable.



The revelation that Mazars USA, a subsidiary of the Paris-based professional services firm Mazars, had severed its relationship with Trump came in a legal filing by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. The filing is part of an effort to have the court compel Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, to provide testimony in James' investigation of the company's finances.



In its letter announcing that it had ended its relationship with the Trump Organization, the company indicated that the revelations from the attorney general's investigation, as well as an internal inquiry by the company itself, had caused it to lose confidence in the statements of financial condition it issued between 2011 and 2020.



The revelation is the latest in a series of events that have pushed the former president and his family back into the headlines in recent days.



New revelations

Last week, it was revealed that Trump had illegally taken boxes of documents, some classified as top secret, to his home in Florida after leaving the White House in 2021. The National Archives and Records Administration retrieved at least 15 boxes of material from Trump's representatives and is in negotiations to recover more.



Trump's disregard for the rules governing the treatment of official documents has long been public knowledge. The former president was known for tearing up documents that White House staff would then retrieve from trash cans and tape back together in order to comply with the Presidential Records Act.



Also last week, a preview of an upcoming book by New York Times writer Maggie Haberman revealed that the former president is suspected of using other means to destroy official records. Haberman reported that during Trump's four-year term, White House staff found documents clogging toilets in the building and believed that the president had been attempting to flush them away.



New court filing

The former president and his allies were in the news again last week, after a legal filing by Justice Department Special Counsel John Durham. Durham was appointed during the Trump administration to investigate federal law enforcement agencies' handling of the probe into alleged ties between Trump's 2016 election campaign and Russian intelligence services.



The filing, which dealt with Durham's contention that a witness lied to federal investigators, included little new information. However, coverage of it by right-leaning media outlets created the false impression that it accused Trump's opponent in the 2016 election, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, of hiring a technology firm to spy on Trump, even after he had taken office as president.



Trump issued a statement blasting the mainstream media for failing to report on what he characterized as a "major crime." It soon became clear, however, that the filing made no such disclosure or accusation.



Accounting firm's investigation

While Mazars USA's announcement that it would no longer stand behind the Trump Organization's statements of financial condition is certainly bad news for the company, it is not, by itself, evidence of specific wrongdoing by the firm.



Observers note it is important to understand exactly what Mazars was providing when it signed off on statements about the Trump Organization's financial health. While Trump often characterized the Mazars reports as proof that he was extraordinarily wealthy, the documents did not actually provide proof of his net worth.



Mazars built the statements of financial condition from data provided by the Trump Organization itself, not on information from outside financial auditors or other independent analysis. Mazars was always careful to point that out in the documents, but the fact was usually omitted when Trump discussed the reports.



Discrepancies in valuations

The problems with this approach became evident last month, when New York Attorney General James submitted a court filing demonstrating that the Trump Organization had grossly overstated the value of many of its holdings in financial disclosures to creditors, in one case boosting a New York apartment's value by approximately $200 million.



That meant Mazars' statements of financial condition could have accurately reflected the data the Trump Organization provided while simultaneously presenting a wildly inflated picture of the company's actual worth.



In its letter to the Trump Organization informing it of the decision to cut ties, Mazars said that it had "performed its work in accordance with professional standards" when preparing the statements of financial condition.



Citing that language, the Trump Organization suggested in a statement to the media that Mazars' claim "effectively renders the investigations by the (district attorney) and (attorney general) moot."



That claim is unlikely to carry any weight with the courts because, again, Mazars was not conducting an independent audit of the Trump Organization's books.



Higher valuation of assets can make it easier for an enterprise to secure loans and attract investors. Whether Trump erroneously inflated asset valuations to the Trump Organization's financial benefit is among the topics under investigation.
At least five people were killed when al-Shabab militants attacked several police stations and security checkpoints early Wednesday in and around Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, officials and the militants said.

Somali police spokesman Col. Abdifatah Aden Hassan said the attacks, which began just before 1 a.m. (2200 GMT) local time, targeted police stations and checkpoints in two quiet neighborhoods, Kahda in Mogadishu, and the Darussalam suburb on the citys outskirts.

We were shocked by the magnitude of the explosions and the sound of the heavy gunfire that followed, said one Darussalam resident who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation.

Somali National TV reported that five people, two of them children, were killed.

Several injured people also were admitted to the hospitals, according to health officials.

The two neighborhoods experienced massive real estate development in recent years as a large number of Somali families moved there after being internally displaced.

Darussalam city features modern housing, leisure, and security Infrastructure that encouraged more of the Somali diaspora to invest in the country.

The attacks began with two explosive-laden vehicles. Such attacks were intended to disrupt the peace, the development, and the calmness in these residential areas and to discourage Somali diaspora from investment, Aden said.

After the attacks, Somalias minister of internal security, Abdullahi Mohamed Nor, said on Twitter, "The terrorists attacked the suburbs of Mogadishu and targeted our police stations and checkpoints. Our security defeated the enemy."

A statement aired on Radio Andalus, a broadcaster that supports the militants, said heavily armed assailants struck government targets in four districts in the capital and another area on the outskirts.

The statement claimed the militants overran several bases and seized military vehicles and weapons.

A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told VOA Somali the militants commandeered at least one police station in the Kahda area.

They overran the police officers manning the station, killing one officer and a prisoner, the official said. They  took two police vehicles and left.

The Islamist militant al-Shabab group conducts frequent attacks in Somalia with the aim of overthrowing the government.

Analysts say these latest attacks were intended to be a show of force by al-Shabab militants as the nation tries to complete the election of members of parliaments lower house and prepares for a much-delayed presidential election.

As the country's top leaders have been in a constant political dispute, which diverted the attention from the country's security, says former Somali National Security Adviser Hussein Moallim, who now directs the Hiraal Institute, a Mogadishu-based research firm. It has been predictable that the militants remobilize and carry out such brazen attacks on police stations in Mogadishu and of course it is their show of force."

Speaking Tuesday to the United Nations Security Council, James Swan, the secretary-generals special representative for Somalia, said the al-Shabab militant group continues to pose a major security threat to Somalia, with the Banadir region and Southwest states serving as its center of operations.

Recent months have also seen an increase in the use of improvised explosive devices and rising numbers of attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, with civilian casualties, Swan added.

The international community and the United States have expressed concern about the finalization of the elections, which are now more than a year behind schedule.

Somalias civil society and women groups have expressed major concerns that representation by women remains significantly off track.

In his statement, Swan said, Somalias leaders must put aside their differences and urgently conclude a credible election process.

Elections for lawmakers began on November 1 and initially were supposed to conclude on December 24, but they currently are due to be completed on February 25, with the United States pressing Somali leaders to hold quick and credible elections before this date.

Last week, the U.S. barred unnamed current and former Somali officials and others accused of undermining the democratic process in Somalia from traveling to the U.S.

VOA's Hassan Kafi Qoyste contributed to this story.
Rights groups Amnesty International says Tigrayan fighters have committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity as they were withdrawing from Ethiopias Amhara region.

Amnesty Internationals report released Wednesday says fighters affiliated with the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) killed scores of Ethiopian civilians in northern Amhara region, looted property, and gang-raped women and girls as young as 14.

Amnesty says the Tigrayan forces committed the atrocities around Chenna and Kobo last August and September after taking control of the areas.

The rights group says interviews with survivors indicate the Tigrayan forces were acting in revenge against Amhara militias that were fighting alongside Ethiopian federal forces to push them back.

Sarah Jackson, Amnestys deputy regional director for East Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes, said in a press release that evidence was mounting of a pattern of Tigrayan forces committing war crimes and possible crimes against humanity in areas that were under their control.

Jackson called on the TPLF leadership to put an immediate end to the atrocities and remove from its forces anyone suspected of war crimes.

Fisseha Tekle, a Nairobi-based researcher for Amnesty International, told VOAs Amharic Service that Amnesty had interviewed roughly 30 people who allegedly were raped in September in Chenna, a village north of the regional Amhara capital of Bahirdar.

The victims included a 14-year-old and her mother, who reported that their rapists claimed to be retaliating for attacks against Tigrayans, Fisseha said. The daughter claimed their attackers said, Our families were raped, and now it is our turn to rape you.

The rapes and killings could constitute both crimes against humanity and war crimes, Fisseha said.

Pledge of accountability

VOA could not reach the TPLF for comment about Amnestys accusations.

But we take the allegations seriously and will hold anyone involved responsible, TPLF spokesman Getachew Redda wrote in a Twitter exchange Wednesday with a person identified as Goodluck, a human rights activist who does not appear to be affiliated with Amnesty.

The Amnesty report appears to support a December Human Rights Watch report that said Tigrayan forces executed scores of civilians in Amhara in late August and early September.

Amnesty and Human Rights Watch released a joint December report that accused Amhara security forces of killing ethnic Tigrayan civilians in western Tigray region.

Throughout Ethiopias 14-month war rights groups have accused both sides of gross rights abuses and war crimes, including raping and killing civilians.

Amnesty called on the international community to investigate crimes committed by both sides and try to bring those responsible to justice.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced Wednesday a move by Russian legislators to recognize two Russian-supported breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.

Russia's lower house voted Tuesday to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk People's republics, which declared independence from Ukraine in 2014 after President Viktor Yanukovych was removed from office in the Ukrainian Revolution.

The European Union urged Moscow not to follow through on the vote by the State Duma. Approval of the vote could further intensify tensions between Russia and Western countries over Russias military buildup along Ukraines borders that has fueled fears of a Russian invasion.

"Enactment of this resolution would further undermine Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitute a gross violation of international law, call into further question Russias stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis," Blinken said in a statement.

Blinken warned that such a move would necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our allies and partners."

Russia has denied any plans to invade Ukraine and has accused the West of inflaming tensions.

Recognition of the republics could kill the Minsk accords that were reached in 2014 and 2015 after Russian-supported separatists seized territory in Ukraines Donbas region. Ukraine has been at war with the breakaway regions since 2014, a conflict that has killed some 15,000 people.

Kremlin approval of this appeal would amount to "the Russian governments wholesale rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements," Blinken declared.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had "taken note" of the request from parliaments lower house but that it would not be consistent with the Minsk agreements aimed at ending the conflict.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press.
Burkina Faso strongman Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was inaugurated as president on Wednesday, just over three weeks after he led a coup to topple elected head of state Roch Marc Christian Kabore.



In a televised ceremony, Damiba swore an oath before the country's top constitutional body to "preserve, respect, uphold and defend the Constitution", the nation's laws and a "fundamental act" of key decisions approved by the junta.



Damiba was dressed in camouflage uniform and a red beret, and wore a sash in the colors of Burkina's national flag.



The press, but no foreign representatives, attended the ceremony in a small room at the offices of the Constitutional Council.



On January 24, Damiba, 41, led disgruntled officers to force out Kabore following public anger over his handling of a bloody jihadist insurgency.

Last week, the Constitutional Council formally determined that Damiba was president, head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces.



The move confirmed an announcement by the junta on January 31 that Damiba would be appointed to those roles for a transitional period, and be assisted by two vice presidents.



Burkina Faso is one of the world's poorest countries and one of the most volatile in Africa.



The landlocked Sahel state has experienced repeated coups since gaining independence from France in 1960.



Since the first jihadist attacks in 2015, more than 2,000 people have died, according to an AFP tally, while the country's emergencies agency says more than 1.5 million people have fled their homes.



'Tough commander'



Damiba has had first-hand experience of the insurgency.



Before seizing power, he was commander of the 3rd Military Region, which covers eastern Burkina Faso -- one of the worst-hit areas.



A military source after he seized power said he was "a tough commander who has been on the front line with his men".



Before the coup, Damiba criticized prevailing strategies to fight the jihadists, publishing a book last June called "West African Armies and Terrorism: Uncertain Answers?"



The junta suspended the constitution immediately on taking power on January 24, but later reversed this in the face of pressure from neighbors in West Africa demanding a return to civilian rule.



The military authorities have promised to re-establish "constitutional order" within a "reasonable time" but the issue of a date for elections remains unsettled.



On February 5, the junta announced that a 15-member commission would be tasked with "drawing up a draft charter and agenda, together with a proposal for the duration of the transition period."



Burkina has been suspended from West African bloc ECOWAS, although it has so far escaped further sanctions, unlike Guinea and Mali.



The UN Security Council on February 9 expressed "serious concern" over the country's "unconstitutional change of government," but chose not to describe it as a military coup or even condemn it outright.
Rival anglophone separatist groups in Cameroon have clashed this month, causing an undetermined number of casualties. The fighting was triggered by power struggles within the separatist movement.

Separatist leaders say rivalries among various armed groups are greatly affecting the movements fight to carve out an independent English-speaking state from largely French-speaking Cameroon.

Capo Daniel is deputy defense chief of the Ambazonia Defense Forces, ADF, one of the two biggest separatist groups. The other separatist group is known as the Ambazonia Restoration Forces.

Ambazonia is the name of the state that separatists are attempting to create.

Daniel says the groups clashed after separatist political leaders voted to impeach Samuel Sako Ikome, the president of what the separatists call their interim government, or IG.

"We have seen forces distancing themselves from command and control as a result of the impeachment of Sako Ikome and the further splintering of the IG group and we have seen field marshal who is supposed to be the overall commander of the Ambazonia Restoration Forces desperately trying to command loyalty from forces who have denied aligning themselves with him," he said.

Lekeaka Oliver, known as the field marshal, leads the Ambazonia Restoration Forces.



On Monday, separatists on social media platforms said Olivers group was clashing with the ADF in six towns across western Cameroon. The message noted casualties but gave no details.

Cameroons military says the fighting has been bloody in Kumbo, an English-speaking northwestern town. The military says at least 15 fighters have either been killed or wounded.

In Kumbo, a self-proclaimed separatist who goes by the name Mad Dog says he is leading attacks against separatists who support Lekeaka Oliver. He accuses Oliver of corrupt practices.

Mad Dog says he has not received guns, ammunition or congratulatory messages from Lekeaka since becoming the leader of separatist fighters in Kumbo nearly five years ago. He says henceforth, Lekeaka's orders will not be respected in Kumbo. Mad Dog says he strongly believes that the self-proclaimed field marshal is a Cameroonian government agent pretending to be fighting to liberate English speakers in the majority French-speaking country.

On February 2nd, the legislative arm of the self-declared Ambazonia interim government, known as the Restoration Council, passed a vote to impeach Sako Ikome. The Restoration Council accuses Ikome of corruption, embezzlement of funds and illegal deals with the government of Cameroon.

Ikome has denied the charges.

Former separatist spokesperson Eric Tataw says the infighting may discourage separatist fighters.

"My brothers of Ambazonia must come together. This is the time because if we continue, the division is going to dampen the spirits of our people [fighters]. I urge my brothers and sisters to come together. Let's put our hands on deck and fight one enemy, which is the Cameroonian government," he said.

Cameroons separatist conflict erupted in 2017 after teachers and lawyers in the North- and Southwest regions, where English is the predominant language, protested alleged discrimination by the countrys French-speaking majority.

The U.N. says the war has killed several thousand people and forced more than 500,000 to flee their homes.
In the Central African Republics countryside, Russian mercenaries from the controversial Wagner Group are backing government forces in the fight against rebels. In the capital Bangui, theyre fronting a Russian film campaign produced in the CAR backing Wagners role in combating insurgents in Mozambique. VOA has more in this report from Bangui.
On December 30, China's state-owned Xinhua News Agency named the Xuzhou "China's Happiest City" for 2021.

The city in eastern China's Jiangsu province boasted dramatic economic growth and enlightened city planning, according to Jiangsu.net, resulting in the kind of blossoming that gains nationwide notice in China.

But within days, Xuzhou's civic pride morphed into mortification when a blogger found a mother of eight chained by the neck to the wall of a hut and exposed to freezing weather. As the Olympic Games progressed in Beijing, the mother's story went viral, and subsequent missteps by Xuzhou authorities drew local accusations of cover-ups and worldwide outrage.

The mother, Xiao Huamei, appeared in a video on Douyin (Chinese TikTok) shot by a blogger who documents unusual families, in this case, one with eight children, seven of them boys. In the video, behind the alleged father and all the youngsters, Chinese netizens spotted a chained woman.

On January 28, the video went viral. Amid the run-up to Lunar New Year festivities and the Beijing Winter Olympics, shocked netizens demanded answers: Who was this woman? Why was she chained up? How can she have eight kids with her husband given China's reproductive controls?

Between January 28 and February 10, local authorities issued four reports on the situation. The muddled accounts stirred further public outcry, and many netizens expressed their suspicions that kidnapping and domestic abuse were central to the woman's case.

Public pressure brought the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to reckoning for a long-hushed-up web of problems, such as the human trafficking resulting from the imbalanced male to female ratio, the result of a cultural preference for boys in a country that restricted families to one child from 1980 to 2013, when the policy began to loosen.

As of Tuesday, China's social media platform Weibo was censoring the tag "Xiao Huamei," and while discussion was allowed, the subject has been blocked from the hot topic list.

An official in the CCP Xuzhou Propaganda Unit told VOA Mandarin that authorities were investigating the case.

Understanding of laws banning domestic abuse "is relatively weak in rural parts of China, and there's a lack of social governance, resulting in human trafficking," the CCP official, who identified himself only as Mr. Xu, said.

"But we are working on it now. Please give us some space to get a clear picture," he added.

Four conflicting reports

Xuzhou authorities have issued four contradictory reports since the woman was first seen on video.

County-level authorities issued the first two, which emphasized the woman had been diagnosed as mentally ill and dismissed concerns that she was being trafficked.

In the first report, published January 28, the same day the video went viral in China, authorities said the woman, a local resident, was married to a man named Dong Zhimin. The couple had eight children, said the report, which also stressed she had a serious mental illness.

A January 30 report said the woman was a beggar taken in by Dong's father in June 1998. Although the local birth planning unit had performed "birth control measures" after the woman bore her first and second child, "both failed due to her physical condition

On February 7, city-level authorities reversed the second report and gave the woman's name as Xiao Huamei, or "Little Plum Blossom," which in Chinese sounds more like a nickname than a proper name.

This report, the third, said the woman came from a village in southern China's Yunnan province, and in 1996, her mother had asked a woman identified only as Ms. Sang to take her daughter to Jiangsu province for treatment of her mental illness. The daughter disappeared, and Ms. Sang failed to inform Xiao's parents or the local police.

Chinese netizens were not buying what the reports were selling.

"So all the previous investigation reports are lies!" one netizen said.

"How do you explain the chain on her neck?" asked another. "And how did they manage to get married if she's mentally ill?"

"She went missing and no one cared to tell her family? And this is not human trafficking?" yet another netizen opined.

Facing unrelenting public outcry, the Xuzhou authorities on Thursday released the fourth, and latest, report. In it, they state that Xiao Huamei is a victim of human trafficking, and that three people have been arrested in connection with the case, including her husband, Dong, who has been charged with illegal detention. Ms. Sang and her husband have been charged with human trafficking

Continued pressure

Many netizens praised the latest report as a step closer to the truth. Others were angry that the authorities acted only after public outcry. Some still have questions.

"We need follow-ups. What's her age? Where's their marriage license?" one netizen asked.

"We need to see proof other than a report. If this is not the final investigation and the results are wrong again, someone needs to be held accountable," another commenter wrote.

Xu, with the CCP Xuzhou Propaganda Unit, told VOA Mandarin on Friday that social services have the mother and her eight children in care.

Xu said that because of limited time and resources, the first two reports didn't provide clear picture of the facts, which led to the conclusion that she wasn't being trafficked.

"But now we are actively pursuing this case. I hope netizens and media can give us some room to conduct the investigation and not pressure us too hard," he said.

Yao Cheng, a former lieutenant colonel of the CCP's Navy Command and a women's right activist, told VOA Mandarin that a third party needs to conduct the investigation to guarantee transparency.

"If the CCP is really confident in itself, it needs to allow other international organizations to conduct the investigation so people will actually believe the result," he told VOA. Yao volunteered for the New York-based Women's Rights in China, a nongovernmental organization, from 2007 to 2016.

Yao also pointed out that China's longtime one-child policy has resulted in an imbalanced male to female ratio, especially in rural areas, where people value sons over daughters.

The "natural sex ratio" at birth is 105 boys for every 100 girls, according to the World Health Organization, because a few extra males are needed to offset their tendency to die at a younger age than females. But in China, the ratio has sometimes exceeded 120 boys for every 100 girls. The result is that in 2020, there were 34.9 million more males than females in China, making it a challenge for men to find a wife, especially in China's rural areas, where gender imbalance is even greater, according to the BBC.

"The gender imbalance has resulted in more human trafficking of women in China's rural areas," Yao said. "Authorities and police usually turn a blind eye to these activities, and some even profit from it."
Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, is experiencing an acute fuel shortage, causing long lines of motorists at gasoline stations. Commuters are frustrated as some wait hours to fill up their tanks.



Lost amid hundreds of vehicles waiting to gain access to a petrol station in Abuja is Yvonne Francis's silver-colored Toyota Camry.



She was in line overnight to fill up her car, she says, but has yet to get fuel.



"I have not experienced anything of this sort in terms of the fuel scarcity going on in Abuja. It keeps getting worse by the day and the past few days have been horrifying."



Black market dealers line the road nearby hawking the precious commodity. But Francis says the petrol is overpriced and a ripoff.



Francis is among millions of commuters having a tough time getting around since fuel became scarce in Nigeria in late January.



Nigeria's oil regulator, the National Petroleum Regulatory Commission, or NNPC, last week announced it had recalled some 170.2 million litres of tainted petrol that was imported from Europe by four Nigerian oil companies. The NNPC has acknowledged the recall is the cause of the fuel shortage.

Authorities said the petrol contained higher than normal levels of ethanol and had damaged many vehicles before it was recalled. The move has disrupted transportation in Abuja and other cities like Lagos and Port-Harcourt.



Abuja resident Oreva Okoro has been waiting in line for nearly 12 hours.



"It's just unbearable, he says, I've not gone to work for two days, today is the third day. It doesn't make sense."



Nigerias government has promised to fix the problem by importing clean fuel to replace the tainted petrol.



On Tuesday, the NNPC said in a statement that it has over one billion barrels of petrol stored and ready for distribution. It said it has ordered its outlets across the country to commence 24-hour operations to ease the chaos.



But energy expert Odion Omanfoman says it may take time before the fuel situation returns to normal.



"Give or take, this might last a couple of days or at worst a couple of weeks.



Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and ranks sixth globally. But the country depends heavily on imported refined petroleum to meet its huge demand for gasoline.



Nigerias refineries have been shut down for more than a year despite pledges by authorities to restore functionality. Critics say systemic corruption may keep the refineries shut longer.
The inspector general for the U.S. Interior Department released a report Wednesday saying the former department secretary, Ryan Zinke, violated ethics obligations and misused his position while in office through his involvement in a land development deal.



The report, released on the departments website, details how the Inspector Generals office investigated allegations that Zinke had remained involved in a development project in his home state of Montana after he had taken office. Zinke had been a congressman from Montana before accepting former President Donald Trumps appointment as interior secretary.



The allegations indicate Zinke and his wife were in negotiations with private developers regarding a commercial development project known as 95 Karrow. One of the developers and primary investors in the 95 Karrow project was a senior executive of the Halliburton Company, who allegedly stood to benefit from official actions Zinke could make as secretary of the Interior.



The report says the Zinkes and the developers all declined to be interviewed for the investigation, but the inspector generals office subpoenaed the developer for all emails and text messages related to the project. Those communications confirmed the allegations that he had remained involved, even after committing in required documentation to federal officials that he would no longer do so.



In addition, the investigation found Zinke misused his official position in violation of federal regulations by directing his subordinates to assist him with matters related to the project.



The office of the Inspector General said the findings of the report were released last year to the U.S. Justice Department, which declined to prosecute. The office said the report was provided to the current secretary of the Interior for any action deemed appropriate.



Zinke is currently a candidate for an open Congressional seat in Montana.



Some information for this report came from the Associated Press.
Nigerian police have arrested a high-ranking police officer and four other officers for alleged involvement in an international cocaine smuggling cartel. Deputy police commissioner Abba Kyari had already been suspended since August over an indictment linking him to money laundering and fraud in the United States.

A police statement Monday said the officers were arrested for tampering with narcotic evidence, corruption and unethical practices.

Hours earlier, Nigeria's National Drug and Law Enforcement Agency, or NDLEA, alleged that Kyari had plotted to loot up to 15 kilograms of cocaine from a batch of 25 kilograms seized in January.

The drug agency also released footage showing Kyari bargaining with an undercover drug agency official and handing over $61,400 cash to him.

Police authorities have turned over the arrested officers to the national drug agency for investigation, stating that their conduct was not in line with tenets of the Nigerian police force.

This is not the first time Kyari will be indicted in a criminal case. He was already accused of helping an international fraudster popularly known as Hushpuppi Menthim launder money in the U.S., following an investigation by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"We have a trove of intelligence, hard facts from chats to photos and videos and a detailed transcript of the communication between him and the NDLEA officer," said Femi Babafemi, a director at Nigeria's National Drug Agency. "The 15 kilograms already taken out was shared between the informants that provided the information for the seizure and himself, as well as his men of the IRT (Intelligence Response Team) of the Nigerian police."

Babafemi said the arrested officers are members of a drug ring operating in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Brazil.

Police authorities said the cartel was working with anti-drug officers at the international airport in southeastern state of Enugu  the transit route for their operations.

They say Kyari's involvement with the cartel occurred while he was suspended from the police force.

The arrest of the police officers dismays Nigerians like Abuja resident Daniel Yerimah.

"It's quite disheartening and disappointing, the situation is really appalling and this further reinforces distrust Nigerian citizens have for law enforcement agencies," Yerimah said. "If someone who's that highly placed could be involved in this level of crime, then that shows you the rot that is in the system."

Nigeria is ranked among countries with the highest trafficking and drug use in West Africa.

For years, Nigerian authorities have been battling both drug trafficking and corruption. Last December, authorities launched a drug control master plan in Nigeria  a project sponsored by the European Union under the supervision of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

But drug agency director Babafemi said efforts to identify criminals can be very risky for those involved.

"We're not unaware of threats to the lives of NDLEA officers involved in this investigation even as we continue to do our best to protect our officers, our men in the line of duty," Babafemi said.

In 2016, Kyari received a presidential recognition after he was part of a rescue team that freed three kidnapped schoolgirls in Lagos.

He was called for questioning by the NDLEA last Thursday but failed to show up.


Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday ruled out a citywide lockdown to fight COVID-19, but a surge of infections meant she could not "preclude" the possibility of postponing next month's chief executive election.

Lam, who has not confirmed whether she will seek another five-year term as head of the Chinese-ruled city, said her government's response to the outbreak had not been satisfactory, with hospitals and medical staff overwhelmed.

Daily infections have surged by about 20 times over the past two weeks. Health authorities reported 1,619 infections on Tuesday, a new daily record with around 5,400 preliminary positive cases.

"There are no plans for a widespread city lockdown," Lam told a news conference.

"We cannot surrender to the virus. This is not an option," she said, doubling down on her 'dynamic zero' coronavirus strategy, similar to mainland China which seeks to curb outbreaks as soon as they occur.

Asked whether Hong Kong's chief executive election, set for March 27, would go ahead, Lam said that the plans were unchanged, but given "the severity and speed of this latest wave" the situation would be continuously reviewed.

"So, I cannot preclude any possibilities at this moment," she said.

A committee of 1,500 members, all vetted by authorities for their "patriotism" and loyalty to Beijing, participate in electing the next leader. The chief executive election has never been postponed since the city's handover from Britain to China in 1997.

Two years ago, authorities cited the coronavirus to postpone legislative elections, in which some seats are assigned via public vote. Those elections were held in December 2021 under new "patriots only" rules imposed by Beijing.

Restrictions on social and public gatherings, imposed after the pandemic first struck, helped Hong Kong's authorities stifle a pro-democracy movement whose mass protests had rocked the city in 2019, and a national security law imposed by Beijing in June 2020 effectively ended the unrest.

Max capacity

Health authorities said several hospitals were operating at over 100% capacity. At Caritas Medical Center, located on the city's teeming Kowloon peninsula, dozens of patients lay in numbered beds outside the hospital. Makeshift tents had been set up alongside to treat the patients.

As infections multiplied, Lam said authorities were unable to keep pace with their testing and isolation mandate.

China has said it would help the city boost its testing, treatment and quarantine capacity, and secure resources from rapid antigen kits and protective gear to fresh vegetables.

Lam said the central government would deliver over 100 million testing kits to the territory.

Despite the latest surge, deaths remain far less than in similar-sized cities since the pandemic erupted two years ago.

Hong Kong's total caseload since the pandemic first erupted is around 26,000 infections, including a little over 200 deaths.

But, with the health care system already cracking, medical experts warn the city could see 28,000 daily infections by the end of March, and there were worries about the large numbers of elderly people who have hesitated to get vaccinated.

Anticipating the need for more isolation facilities, Lam said around 3,000 public housing units and around 10,000 hotel rooms would be converted.

Pandemic fatigue

For Hong Kong residents, the surge in cases comes amid rising pandemic fatigue. Strict restrictions have effectively sealed the city's borders for around two years and turned the once global hub into one of the world's most isolated major cities.

Venues from churches, pubs, schools and gyms remain shut, with public gatherings of more than two people banned. Dining in restaurants is not allowed after 6 p.m., while most people are working from home.

Hong Kong will introduce a vaccine pass starting February 24 where residents will have to show proof of vaccination before entering restaurants, supermarkets and shopping malls.


Despite lingering concerns among some officials in Washington that Afghanistan is on its way to once again becoming a terrorist haven, recent U.S. defense and intelligence assessments seem to indicate that at least for now, groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida are not ready to use the country as a launch pad for attacks against the West.

The appraisal from U.S. Central Command, the Defense Intelligence Agency and others is part of a just-released report by the Defense Department Inspector General examining the potential threats emanating from Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal from the country six months ago.

It runs contrary to concerns voiced since October by top Pentagon officials, who warned IS-Khorasan could be ready to strike at the West and at the U.S. in as little as six months, with al-Qaida regenerating the same capacity in as little as a year.

"Both al-Qaida and ISIS-K have the intent to conduct external operations," Colin Kahl, Defense Department undersecretary for policy, told the Senate Armed Services Committee at the time, using an acronym for Islamic States Afghan affiliate.

The new assessments agree the intent is still there, just that leaders from both terror groups have other priorities.

IS-Khorasan Province, as the IS affiliate is also known, in particular seems more focused on solidifying its support within Afghanistan instead of preparing to strike at enemies further afield.

The DIA assessed that ISIS-K is prioritizing attacks within Afghanistan over external operations, the report said, noting a series of attacks against Taliban security checkpoints, as well as a deadly attack in November at a military hospital in Kabul that killed at least 25 people and wounded more than 50.

ISIS-Ks targeted attacks on critical infrastructure highlighted the Taliban regimes inability to provide basic security and worked to delegitimize the Taliban with the local population, the report said.

It added that the DIA assessed IS-Khorasan has probably exploited anti-Taliban sentiment and governance shortfalls to boost its recruitment, especially among marginalized populations.

The report also warned that the group maintains connections to fighters from countries across Central and South Asia, probably making the group a threat to U.S. interests in those countries.

Intelligence shared by United Nations member states for a report issued earlier this month warned that IS-Khorasan has almost doubled in size since the U.S. withdrawal to nearly 4,000 fighters, and that the group again controls limited territory in the eastern part of the country.

Taliban officials have launched several efforts to crack down on IS-Khorasan, though a number of analysts have noted the various operations have met with limited success.

The same U.N. member states warned that al-Qaida, which has a longer history in Afghanistan, has enjoyed a significant boost since the U.S. withdrawal, noting some of its closest sympathizers within the Taliban now occupy senior positions in the new de facto Afghan administration.

The inspector general report, however, says U.S. agencies believe the Taliban are still keeping al-Qaida officials somewhat isolated.

The Taliban has not permitted al-Qaida members to play a significant role in its so-called interim government and will likely aim to prevent al-Qaida attacks on the United States as it attempts to gain international legitimacy," the report states, citing CENTCOM and the DIA.

But U.S. officials also assess that Taliban leaders are in no rush to sever ties with the terror group, despite their assurances to Washington as part of the Doha Agreement.

The Taliban very likely will allow al-Qaida elements in Afghanistan to maintain a low profile within the country to preserve legacy relationships and avoid upsetting the most militant Islamic elements within the Taliban," according to the inspector general report.

U.N. officials estimate the al-Qaida core has several dozen officials living in Afghanistan, including the groups leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, a key affiliate, is thought to have up to 400 fighters in Afghanistan, some embedded with Taliban units.




"If the corresponding adjustments need to be made, it will be done, as has occurred in other countries. Nothing is written in stone," Landa stated.





"In a few years, indexes and progressive advances will indicate the necessary changes in policy, as well as in the teams, for a better conduct (of the process)," he added.





The government official emphasized that accession to the OECD is a medium-term process, and that other countries in the region have taken more than 5 years to join the organisation.





"It is a medium-term process. There are countries like Colombia, Chile, or Costa Rica that have taken 5, 6 or 7 years (to complete it), because each process is made ad hoc for each country, based on certain standards established by the OECD," he explained.





Likewise, the minister remarked that clear goals are needed for these processes. Consequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced plans to open an office inside the Peruvian Embassy, connected to the OECD headquarters in Paris, so as to monitor the accession process.





"An office that is in charge of permanently monitoring through a multi-sectoral team the conduct of the process for approaching the OECD in order to fulfill step by step the goals set in different areas: governance, sustainable development, fight against corruption, and increased collection," he expressed.





(END) GSR/JCR/RMB/MVB
Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny went on trial Tuesday in a penal colony outside of Moscow, accused of embezzlement and contempt of court. If convicted, he could face up to 15 more years in prison.

The hearing is taking place inside the maximum-security prison in Moscows Lefortovsky district court, where he is being held, 96 kilometers from Moscow.

The Kremlin critic was arrested in January 2021 and convicted of violating his parole by spending several months in Germany recovering from a poison attack. He was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

At his new trial, Russian investigators say Navalny embezzled money donated to his FBK anti-corruption political organization. The contempt of court charge stems from Navalny allegedly insulting a judge during a previous trial.

It is just that these people, who ordered this trial, are really scared, Navalny, 45, said during the hearing. (Scared) of what I say during this trial, of people seeing that the case is obviously fabricated.

Navalny adamantly denies the accusations and calls them politically motivated.

I am not afraid of this court, of the penal colony, the F.S.B., of the prosecutors, chemical weapons, Putin and all others, Navalny said in court, according to a video of his statement. I am not afraid because I believe it is humiliating and useless to be afraid of it all.

Navalnys allies have denounced the case, and his lawyer says it is an attempt by the Kremlin to silence him.

"We believe the persecution of Navalny is illegal, is distinctly political in nature, and aimed at discrediting and removing him from political activity," lawyer Olga Mikhailova said, according to Agence France-Presse.

A longtime rival of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Navalny has accused the president of enrichening himself as well as other government officials through corrupt measures. His attempt at running in the 2018 presidential elections only aggravated his relations with the Kremlin.

As of a few months ago Navalny and his associates have been added to a state registry of extremists and terrorists by Russian officials.
Rescue workers and city officials in the Brazil mountain city of Petropolis say the death toll has risen to at least 104, including at least 13 children, from landslides driven by torrential rain.

Petropolis Mayor Rubens Bomtempo told reporters the number of dead could rise as rescue workers and volunteers search through the wreckage. Officials say 21 people have been found alive.

The city, located 68 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro, was hit by torrential rainfall Tuesday that turned streets into rivers. Local meteorological agency MetSul reported that some parts of Petropolis received nearly 26 centimeters in less than six hours  more than was expected for the entire month of February.

The torrent destroyed houses in hillside neighborhoods and swept away cars. Officials say as many as 80 houses have been destroyed.

The search for survivors continued Thursday with some 500 rescue workers joining locals to try to find some of the missing. At least 35 people have yet to be accounted for.



"Working overnight, with poor lighting and soggy ground, is always a challenge. But I'm determined to work tirelessly in our search for survivors," Rio de Janeiro's civil defense head Leandro Monteiro said.

Rosilene Virgilio, a Petropolis resident, cried as she relayed her experience.

"There was a woman screaming, 'Help! Get me out of here!' But we couldn't do anything. The water was gushing out, the mud was gushing out," she told The Associated Press. "Our city, unfortunately, is finished."

About 420 displaced people were being housed in shelters, mostly in schools, officials said. Charities called for donations of mattresses, blankets, food, water, clothing and face masks for victims.

Earlier Wednesday, the Rio de Janeiro Fire Department said more than 180 firefighters, soldiers and other rescue workers were at the scene, combing the mud for survivors. Video shared on social media showed extensive damage and vehicles floating in the streets.

From his Twitter account, President Jair Bolsonaro, who had traveled to Moscow, said he had spoken with Regional Development Minister Rogerio Marinho and Economy Minister Paulo Guedes to deliver assistance to the city.

Since December, heavy rains have triggered deadly floods and landslides in northeast Brazil and Sao Paulo state, threatening to delay harvests in the midwestern region and briefly forcing the suspension of mining in the state of Minas Gerais.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
The last of the three trucker protest border blockades between the U.S. and Canada was set to reopen Wednesday.

The blockade at Emerson, Manitoba, which borders North Dakota, was to be fully cleared by Wednesday afternoon.

Throughout the past six days, our officers continued to use open communication and a measured and tempered response, said Sergeant Paul Manaigre, Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police media relations officer. This continuous dialogue between our officers and demonstrators enabled us to reach a resolution yesterday.

The trucker protests, which started in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, have stretched into their third week. Truckers are demanding an end to vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions.

Last week, similar blockades at the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Ontario and Michigan, was opened, as was another blockade in Alberta, which borders Montana.

The blockades had snarled trade between the U.S. and Canada.

The protest in Ottawa continues with police handing out notices threatening the truckers with arrest if they dont leave.

Ottawa police have started ticketing some trucks.

Many of the participants remain defiant.

"If it means that I need to go to prison, if I need to be fined in order to allow freedom to be restored in this country  millions of people have given far more for their freedom," David Paisley, who traveled to Ottawa with a friend who is a truck driver, told The Associated Press.

On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to end the protests.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press.
The whereabouts of Lebanon's Central Bank head Riad Salameh is not known, and observers say he appears to be on the run after police raided his office and two homes. A Lebanese judge had issued a subpoena earlier this month for Salameh to appear for questioning after he failed to attend three hearings. Salameh has come under intense scrutiny since the collapse of Lebanon's banking sector in 2019.

Lebanese Investigative Judge Ghada Aoun told the Associated Press that Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh failed to show up for questioning for a fourth time on Tuesday. She alleges Salameh is defying judicial orders because he has protection from the ruling elite.

A senior judicial source told Dubais The National newspaper that the State Security tried to bring Salameh in for questioning, but that he was not under arrest.

A Lebanese anti-corruption group known as The People Want to Reform the System, have filed a lawsuit against Salameh, accusing him of embezzlement, wasting public funds, illegal enrichment and money laundering, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, Germany, Luxembourg, France, Liechtenstein and Switzerland are also investigating him on suspicion of money laundering.

Many Lebanese believe the banker is in part responsible for Lebanons dire financial crisis, which has seen the national currency lose more than 90% of its value, debt grow, and foreign reserves dry up. Denying any wrongdoing, Salameh has accused Judge Aoun of bias. News reports quote Salameh as saying he has asked for an audit of transactions and investments during his tenure that he says found no misuse of public money.

The 71-year-old central bank governor has held his position for nearly three decades, receiving support from many politicians, including Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Professor Habib Malik of the Lebanese American University tells VOA that Salameh is seen as part of the wider problem involving the corrupt political elite.



All of this focus on Salameh, he is basically the facilitator, the accountant. He is the one who helped some of these crooks over many years and certainly in 2019 to hide their money and take it out of the country. But theyve been doing this from years before. They are the real source of the problem. I think he has a lot of information that can be damaging to a lot of these people. At the same time, I think he is also fearful for his life, said Malik.

The United States has initiated a number of actions to help Lebanon combat corruption. They have included placing sanctions in recent years on politicians such as former Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, whom U.S. officials in 2020 said had played a major role in corruption in Lebanon.

Malik urges the U.S. government to do more and work together with Europe to bring justice to the Lebanese people.



The U.S. Treasury has an enormous amount of information about the money trail," he said. "All they have [to] do is work closely with some of these European countries and much of the picture can be pieced together. That is what the U.S. does before they slap sanctions on anyone. When the file is fully documented and no chance of refuting the charges, then they release it. These people cant get away indefinitely, but it requires a will. The West has the tools, do they have the will?

Lebanese media outlets have reported that Salameh, his brother and an aide were allegedly involved in illegal businesses, including money transfers abroad, despite informal capital controls in Lebanon.
As Libya's parliament, which meets in the eastern city of Tobruk, prepares to approve a new national unity government next week, the country's High Council of State says that the parliament should have consulted it before removing outgoing Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh. Dbeibeh is refusing to step down and it is not clear how the situation will evolve.

To say that Libyas political situation is confused would be an understatement.

Both outgoing Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and former interior minister Fathi Bashaga, the man named by parliament to replace him, enjoy significant support among militia forces, which control large chunks of western Libya. Both men are also from the western port city of Misrata, where divided loyalties make it even more unclear which man will prevail.



Khaled al Meshry, who heads the country's Tripoli-based High Council of State, is contesting the legitimacy of the new government. However, parliament  based in the eastern city of Tobruk  insists that outgoing Prime Minister Dbeibeh's mandate ran out on Dec. 24 and that the popularly elected body, whose mandate also ran out, has the authority to name a successor.

Fathi Milamy, an advisor to Libyan Parliament Speaker Aguilah Saleh, insists that the new government under Bashaga will govern no matter what anyone says, because parliament has the authority to appoint him.

He says the new government becomes official as soon as parliament gives it a vote of confidence. Even if Dbeibeh doesn't vacate his current offices, he says, there are other offices for Bashaga to use, elsewhere. Parliament has made its decision, he adds, and the new government will take over once approved.

Mohammed Hamouda, spokesman for outgoing Prime Minister Dbeibeh and his government, however, insists that the move to appoint a new government was not made by parliament in consultation with the High Council of State and is therefore not legal.

He says that it is the responsibility of the High Council of State to appoint a new prime minister and parliament must approve his new government. Moves made by parliament, he argues, were made unilaterally, without consulting the council of state.

Libya security analyst Aya Burweila tells VOA that opposition to the new government appears to be limited, with the exception of two Islamist militias led by Sadiq Gharyani and Salah Badi.

She adds that Bashaga "must offer a plan to integrate all militias into the existing national army," and "begin trust-building measures" given the difficulties of the task.

At the moment, the situation in most of Libya remains calm and none of the militia forces on the ground appears to have reacted very strongly to the appointment of a new prime minister. That, however, could change, once parliament gives a vote of confidence to Fathi Bashaga's new government and he is given the actual task of governing.
President Emmanuel Macron hosts African leaders on Wednesday ahead of an expected announcement that France is withdrawing its troops from Mali after an almost decade-long deployment to battle a jihadist insurgency.

Multiple sources have told AFP that Macron will announce that French forces will leave Mali and redeploy elsewhere in the Sahel region, following a breakdown in relations with the ruling junta.

It remains unclear when, and how, Macron will make the announcement, which could come as part of Wednesday's meeting or when he travels to Brussels on Thursday for a two-day EU-Africa summit.

The deployment in Mali of a European force known as Takuba  a project driven by Macron to spread the security burden in the troubled region  will also come to an end, the sources said.

The Mali deployment has been fraught with problems for France, with 48 of the 53 soldiers killed during its Barkhane mission in West Africa losing their lives in the country.

France initially deployed troops against jihadists in Mali in 2013 but the insurgency was never fully quelled, and new fears have now emerged of a jihadist push to the Gulf of Guinea.

The announcement of the withdrawal comes at a critical time for Macron, just days ahead of a long-awaited declaration from the president that he will stand for a new term in April elections.

It also coincides with Macron seeking to take a lead role in international diplomacy as he presses Russia to de-escalate in the standoff over Ukraine.

Multiple missions

The working dinner hosted by Macron on Wednesday starting at 1930 GMT will bring together the leaders of France's key allies in the Sahel region  Chad, Mauritania and Niger.

Officials from Mali as well as Burkina Faso, which also recently experienced a coup, have pointedly not been invited.

Other African leaders will also be present along with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, as well as Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

There are a total of 25,000 foreign troops currently deployed in the Sahel.

They include around 4,300 French troops, which under a reduction announced last year are due to fall to around 2,500 in 2023 from a peak of 5,400.

Other forces deployed in Mali are the U.N. peacekeeping mission MINUSMA established in 2013 and the EUTM Mali, an EU military training mission that aims to improve the Malian military's capacity in fighting terrorists.

Some 2,400 French soldiers are deployed in Mali as part of the Barkhane operation as well as the EU Takuba force set up in 2020, which was intended to increase in numbers as French deployment was scaled back.

According to a French source, who asked not to be identified by name, even after departure France will for a period provide MINUSMA and EUTM with support in the air and medical back-up.

'Reinvent partnership'

Relations between France and Mali have plunged to new lows after the junta led by strongman Assimi Goita refused to stick to a calendar to a return to civilian rule.

The West also accuses Mali of using the services of the hugely controversial Russian mercenary group Wagner to shore up its position, a move that gives Moscow a new foothold in the region.

Especially with the French elections looming, Macron's priority is to ensure that any withdrawal does not invite comparisons with the chaotic American departure from Afghanistan last year.

Paris, however, intends to continue the anti-jihadist fight in the wider region, where movements affiliated with al-Qaida or the Islamic State group have retained an ability to attack despite the elimination of key leaders.

"We need to reinvent our military partnership with these countries," said a French presidential source, asking for anonymity.

"It is not a question of moving what is being done in Mali elsewhere, but of reinforcing what is being done in Niger and of supporting the south more."
Everything is normal  or appears so.



Outside the grand nineteenth-century city hall in Lviv, the capital of western Ukraine where Western embassies hurriedly relocated consular staff from Kyiv earlier this week, the streets are bustling.



Children squeal with delight as they try to master their roller-skates in an outdoor skating rink nearby. Their breath steams in the chill evening air. Young lovers kiss, some argue, outside restaurants and bars. Older couples saunter through the narrow streets of Lvivs historic center, seemingly in their twilight years without a care in the world.



Lviv is much more a tourist town than the Ukrainian capital but there are few foreign visitors here now thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, travel restrictions and the talk of war. Outside a bar a couple of inebriated middle-aged Dutchmen, among the few tourists, linger outside the White Rabbit strip club, debating whether to enter. Their discussion concludes much more rapidly than the diplomatic wrangling over Ukraine, and they stagger inside.

Workers hurry home as the evening turns colder.



But everything is not normal on the eve of the day Western intelligence agencies had warned Russia might invade Ukraine.



We talk about war and whether Russia will invade all the time, says Anastasia, a 25-year-old waitress. She moved from a small town in Central Ukraine to Lviv for work, and because she loves the city.



Her face clouds when she talks about Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin. I have family in Russia, too, she says. I hope he doesnt invade; he wont invade; he cant; maybe he will, she says, confused by a riddle thats also bewildering the statesmen of Europe.



Anastasia shrugs  it is a very Ukrainian gesture, indicating not indifference, just stoicism in the face of the unknown.



For eight years, since Russia annexed Crimea and fomented war in the Donbas region in the east of the country, Ukraine has been collectively shrugging its shoulders  its way of enduring threats and alarms and not allowing fear to disrupt ordinary life.

Carrying on



And that is what it did as Tuesday turned into Wednesday, the day the Russians were supposed to invade. The country shrugged its shoulders and carried on undaunted. In much the same way it has coped with the coronavirus pandemic, aware of the risks but decidedly reluctant to offer the virus any concessions, like actually wearing masks or frequently disinfecting hands.



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared earlier this week February 16 a Day of Unity, signing decree number 53/2022. He called on Ukrainians to fly flags and sing the national anthem in unison. Ukrainian government officials stressed that Zelenskiy was not predicting an attack Wednesday but responding skeptically to foreign reports about when an attack was likely to come.



They tell us Feb. 16 will be the day of the attack. We will make it a day of unity," Zelenskiy said in a video address to the nation earlier this week. They are trying to frighten us by yet again naming a date for the start of military action, Zelenskiy said. We will hang our national flags, wear yellow and blue banners, and show the whole world our unity, he added.



In Lviv, a city all too accustomed through its seven centuries of turbulent and often violent history to invasion and assault, Unity Day was a subdued affair. For most people it was a day much like any other. They just carried on, generally maskless, neither optimistic nor pessimistic: just fatalistic.



Every president declares this day or that day a holiday, but it is not a religious one, said Dmitry, a newspaper vendor at a kiosk near St. George's Cathedral. With a hint of exasperation in his voice, he added: We are not unpatriotic, but carrying on as normal.

Nearby at a cafe, Denys, a venture capitalist and equities dealer, says theres normal and then there is Ukrainian normal. He asked for his company not to be identified in this article.



We have lived with a crazy neighbor for a long time  some would say for centuries, he says. Until last week, we werent really worried. I think most Ukrainians thought this was just more of the same, not dissimilar to what we have seen since 2014, he added.



That changed last week because of an accumulation of factors  intensifying news coverage, embassies leaving Kyiv and airlines canceling flights, says the father of a one-half-year-old, Mia.



Denys and his wife decided last week to relocate for a couple of weeks to Lviv. It seemed prudent, he explained as his blue-eyed daughter paraded around the cafe, dragging a blanket and chuckling. He and his partner and their families are originally from Donetsk, and they all left the city in a hurry in 2014, when armed Russian proxies seized the city.



My company owns property in Lviv and we had a contingency plan for relocation, so we decided just to put it into operation. He has never thought Putin would gamble by launching a full-scale invasion. This has been more of an information war and maybe it will allow all sides to win: Joe Biden and other Western leaders being able to say they are peacemakers, and Putin able to present himself as the lone defender of the Russian people, he says.



Denys plans to return to Kyiv Sunday, but hes still scrutinizing the news to see if his hunch is correct.
Police arrested a prominent Pakistani journalist and government critic at his home on unspecified charges on Wednesday, his colleagues and local media said.

Mohsin Baig, editor for the news outlet Online, had just days earlier suggested on a TV talk show that Prime Minister Imran Khan had showed favoritism by granting an award to a government minister with whom he has a close friendship.

Khan had ranked Minister for Communication Murad Saeed as the top performer among his Cabinet. Saeed lodged a complaint against Baig to federal authorities following the comments, according to the information ministry.

Baig's family told reporters that police and officials from a federal investigation agency raided his house in the capital, Islamabad, Wednesday morning and took him away without giving any reason for the arrest.

Baig's arrest drew condemnation from Pakistani journalists on social media. Witnesses say police were still present at Baig's home, although no other details were immediately available.

The government gave no immediate comment.

Pakistan has long been an unsafe country for journalists. In 2020, it ranked ninth on the Committee to Protect Journalists' annual Global Impunity Index, which assesses countries where journalists are regularly killed and the assailants go free.
Catholic groups Tuesday accused Italy's Church of an "institutional failure" to confront clergy sexual abuse and demanded an independent national inquiry mirroring ones conducted in France and Germany.

A collective of nine groups  seven headed by women  issued the demand during the launch of a campaign called "Beyond the Great Silence" and a hashtag, #ItalyChurchToo, inspired by the international #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.

In an online news conference, Paola Lazzarini, head of Women for the Church, called for the opening of the archives of "all dioceses, convents and monasteries," damages for victims and the uncovering of the truth, "however painful."

Globally, revelations of sexual abuse by clergy have so far cost the Church hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation.

The Italian campaign aims to increase public pressure on the Church and the government for a national inquiry going back decades and rejects assertions from some Italian Catholic leaders that the Church has the resources to do the work itself.

"Only independent investigations (elsewhere) have overcome the Church's resistance to recognize its own institutional failure," said anti-abuse advocate Ludovica Eugenio.

Any Italian investigation "absolutely has to be impartial," added Francesco Zanardi, head of Rete L'Abuso (The Abuse Network).

Pope Francis has expressed shame at the Church's inability to deal with sexual abuse cases and said it must make itself a "safe home for everyone."

The Vatican had no comment Tuesday.

Italian bishops are due to decide in May on what type of abuse inquiry, if any, the country will hold.

Antonio Messina, 28, one of the victims who participated in the news conference, says he was repeatedly abused when he was a minor by an adult seminarian who went on to become a priest.

Without providing details, he said local church authorities in his hometown had tried to buy his silence. "The Church is not able to handle this (investigation)," he said.

The German study, released in 2018, showed 1,670 clergymen abused 3,677 minors from 1946 to 2014. The French investigation, released last year and covering seven decades, said more than 200,000 children were abused in Catholic institutions.

Zanardi said the figures would be higher in predominantly Catholic Italy because the country has traditionally had many more priests.


Russia's effort to encircle Ukraine with more than 150,000 troops has been accompanied by a shift in its information operations, including a noted increase in ongoing campaigns targeting audiences in the United States, according to a senior U.S. Homeland Security official.

The onslaught of Kremlin-linked influence operations by itself is not new. U.S. intelligence officials and the Department of Homeland Security have warned for months of sustained Russian efforts to sow discord with disinformation on a range of subjects, from the 2020 U.S. presidential elections to the coronavirus.

But over the past few weeks, as intelligence streamed in that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be closer to launching an invasion into Ukraine, the tone and tenor of the influence campaigns targeting U.S. audiences began to evolve.

There has been "an increase in the promotion of narratives trying to lay the blame for the Ukraine crisis and the potential escalation in that conflict at the feet of the U.S.," said John Cohen, the senior official performing the duties of the undersecretary of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS. "Trying to shift blame away from Russia's efforts."

Officials also fear that Russian rhetoric about Ukraine, when mixed with information designed to anger and even incite segments of American society, could make the threat landscape in the U.S. that much more dangerous.

"The escalated tensions between Russia and Ukraine have the potential to exacerbate the threat environment here at home, particularly as it relates to the use by Russia of disinformation campaigns and active measure techniques," Cohen said Tuesday during a virtual forum.

Homeland Security officials earlier this month issued an updated National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin warning that an increasingly volatile, unpredictable and complex threat environment necessitated keeping the U.S. in a heightened state of alert against terror attacks.

The updated bulletin also warned that much of the information environment, including social media, was being targeted by "malign foreign powers" seeking to amplify any and all divisions in American society.

Of the growing number of foreign powers seeking to manipulate the online environment, Russia has been especially active. Former intelligence officials and analysts told VOA that even before the 2020 election, Moscow was finding ways to ingratiate a stable of influence peddlers to U.S. audiences on the far right and the far left.

More recently, an assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence obtained by Yahoo News concluded the Kremlin is providing "indirect and passive support" to U.S. groups on the far right, described by U.S. officials as racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists, or RMVEs.

"We lack indications of Russian Government direct support  such as financing, material support, training or guidance," the ODNI assessment said. "However, Russian online influence operations amplify politically divisive issues that probably contribute to RMVE radicalization and recruitment."

The ODNI report further warned that some Russian paramilitary groups have tried to recruit Western extremists.

"We have not seen a significant amount of plane travel at this point, but it's obviously something we look at," DHS' Cohen said Tuesday, though he warned U.S. officials are trying to fight back.

"We have shared intelligence information with state and locals. We are making sure that we're doing everything we can to protect key information infrastructures, particularly those having to do with critical infrastructure," he said. "And we are continuing to think through strategies to counteract disinformation campaigns promoted by Russia."

Pushing back against Russian disinformation and influence operations can be difficult because "success is measured by volume and relentlessness," said John Sipher, a 28-year veteran of the CIA who once ran the spy agency's Russia operations.

"They are no longer trying to push a cohesive narrative," Sipher told VOA. "(Russia is) just trying to use a firehose to spread lies, disinformation and confusion in an effort to make it impossible to pick out truth from the huge pile of nonsense."
A Russia-imposed court in Ukraine's Crimea has sentenced RFE/RL freelance correspondent Vladyslav Yesypenko to six years in prison for the alleged possession and transport of explosives, a charge he has steadfastly rejected.

The Simferopol City Court handed down the verdict and sentence on February 16 after a closed-door trial.

Prosecutors had asked the court to sentence the journalist to 11 years in prison.

Yesypenko, a dual Russian-Ukrainian citizen who contributes to RFE/RL's Crimea.Realities, was detained in Crimea in March 2021 on suspicion of collecting information for Ukrainian intelligence.

Before the arrest, he had worked in Crimea for five years reporting on the social and environmental situation on the peninsula.

Yesypenko testified during a court hearing on February 15 that the authorities "want to discredit the work of freelance journalists who really want to show the things that really happen in Crimea."

Ukrainian Ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova condemned the court's ruling, calling the case against Yesypenko fabricated.

"[All] the accusations against the Ukrainian citizen [Yesypenko] are trumped up and politically motivated," Denisova wrote on Telegram, demanding Yesypenkos immediate release.

Denisova also called on the international community to pay attention to the systemic violation of the rights of Ukrainian citizens on politically motivated charges by the aggressor country.

RFE/RL President Jamie Fly, who has called the trial a "mockery of justice," said on February 15 that Yesypenko was "detained for no reason, brutally tortured into a made-for-TV confession, and subjected to eight months of a sham trial."

"Vladyslav should be released immediately and allowed to rejoin his wife and daughter, who have been waiting for him to come home since last March, he added.

Press freedom advocates, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, along with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and the U.S. State Department, are among those who have called for Yesypenkos immediate release in the absence of any evidence of wrongdoing.

Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in early 2014 and weeks later threw its support behind pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's east, where some 13,200 people have been killed in the conflict, which continues to this day.
The families of nine victims of a massacre at an elementary school nearly ten years ago in the northeastern U.S. state of Connecticut reached a $73 million settlement Tuesday in a lawsuit against Remington Arms, the maker of the rifle used in the mass killing.

The settlement is a rare instance of a U.S. gunmaker paying damages for bloodshed arising from the criminal use of a firearm.

While this settlement does not erase the pain of that tragic day, it does begin the necessary work of holding gun manufacturers accountable for manufacturing weapons of war and irresponsibly marketing these firearms, President Joe Biden said in a statement Tuesday.

Biden encouraged state and local lawmakers, as well as victims of gun violence, to pursue similar actions.

Together, we can deliver a clear message to gun manufacturers and dealers: they must either change their business models to be part of the solution for the gun violence epidemic, or they will bear the financial cost of their complicity, the president said.

Twenty first grade students and six educators were killed on December 12, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut by Adam Lanza, who repeatedly fired a Remington semi-automatic rifle as he made his way through the school.

The families and a survivor of the massacre sued Remington in 2015, maintaining the company should have never sold such a dangerous military-style weapon to the public. They also said they are focused on preventing other mass shootings.

Today is not about honoring our son Benjamin. Today is about how and why Ben died, said Francine Wheeler, whose 6-year-old son was killed in the massacre. Our legal system has given us some justice today, but David and I will never have true justice. True justice would be our fifteen-year-old healthy and here with us.

The civil lawsuit in Waterbury Superior Court focused on how the Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifle was marketed, maintaining Remington singled out younger, at-risk males in marketing and in product placements in violent video games.

Remington did not immediately comment on the settlement but the gunmaker had argued there was no evidence that its marketing of the rifle was linked to the killings.

The gun manufacturer also had said the lawsuit should have been dismissed because of a federal law that grants broad immunity to the gun sector. The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled, however, that Remington could be sued under state law over how it marketed the rifle.

Remington appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case.

The gunmaker offered to pay the plaintiffs nearly $33 million in July. In 2018, Remington filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and emerged from it later that year under the control of its creditors. The company filed for bankruptcy again in July 2020 after more retailers restricted gun sales after other school shootings in the U.S.

The plaintiffs said four insurers for Remington agreed to pay the full amount of coverage available, totaling $73 million.

This victory should serve as a wake-up call not only to the gun industry, but also the insurance and banking companies that prop it up, said Josh Koskoff, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. For the gun industry, its time to stop recklessly marketing all guns to all people for all uses and instead ask how marketing can lower risk rather than court it.

The rifle used by Lanza, who was 20 years old at the time of the shootings, was legally owned by his mother. He used to the rifle to kill his mother at their Newtown home before committing the mass shooting at the school. Lanza killed himself with a handgun as police arrived.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
The volcanic eruption near Tonga shredded an 80-kilometer (50 mile) stretch of undersea cable, complicating efforts to reconnect the Pacific kingdom after a month of digital darkness, the company overseeing repairs says.

Tonga Cable Limited chief executive James Panuve said a repair ship had located the severed ends of the 840-kilometer-long cable linking Tonga to Fiji that was cut in the January 15 blast.

But rather than a clean break, Panuve said the ship found the eruption tore an 80-kilometer section of cable into numerous pieces as it pummeled the seabed with the explosive force of a nuclear bomb.

"It is obvious that the eruption, shockwaves, (and) tsunami caused major havoc underwater," he said Tuesday.

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano generated large tsunami waves and blanketed Tonga in toxic ash, claiming three lives.

Disaster relief efforts in the island nation of about 100,000 have been complicated by poor communications, with backup satellite links providing patchy broadband as the operation to repair the cable proceeds.

Panuve said that after contending with poor weather last week, the cable repair ship "Reliance" was now trying to retrieve sections of cable in waters up to 2.5 kilometers deep.

He said one section had been moved 5 kilometers by the undersea blast and another was buried under 30 centimeters of silt.

Despite the difficulties, Panuve was optimistic Tonga Cable could still meet its goal of repairing the digital link by February 20, saying plans were under way to create a "mini-system" to bridge the 80-kilometer gap.

Panuve said a piece of cable more than 55 kilometers long was still lost on the seabed and the ship was searching for it in the hope it was still usable.

In addition to the damage caused by the eruption and subsequent tsunamis, Tonga is also dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak after remaining virus free for much of the pandemic.

The main island Tongatapu and outlying Vava'u remain under lockdown with health authorities Tuesday reporting a total of 139 cases nationwide.

International humanitarian aid continues to arrive, with two Chinese naval vessels this week delivering 1,300 tons of supplies, including 500 prefabricated houses.


Russia reiterated claims Wednesday that it has begun withdrawing some troops from close to the Ukrainian border. Many Western nations, however, say there is little evidence of a pullback and fear an invasion of Ukraine is still imminent.

Russia's Ministry of Defense released several videos purporting to show tanks and troops withdrawing from the border region. One video showed tanks being transported by rail across the Kerch Strait Bridge to Russia from Crimea, which Moscow forcibly seized from Ukraine in 2014.

Russia has mocked Western claims that it would invade Ukraine this week and maintains it has no plans to conduct any such operation. After meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied he was seeking conflict.

"Do we want it or not? Of course, not. That is why we have offered our proposals to start the negotiation process, which should lead to an agreement of providing equal security for everybody, including our country," Putin told reporters.

Scholz welcomed the change of tone. "I absolutely agree. Diplomatic efforts are by no means exhausted. It's now about solving this crisis peacefully in a courageous and decisive way. It is a good sign that we are hearing some of the troops are being withdrawn. We hope more such signs will follow," the German leader said.

Field hospitals

Details of the Russian withdrawal are scarce. Footage posted to social media Tuesday, verified by the Reuters news agency, appeared to show field hospitals being transported toward the Ukrainian border. Western intelligence officials say they see little sign of a Russian withdrawal.

"We haven't yet seen that. It may happen in the next 24 hours or 12 hours," British Defense Minister Ben Wallace told BBC News on Wednesday. "What we had seen as of yesterday (is) the opposite  we saw large field hospitals being built in a number of districts around Ukraine and indeed we saw continued deployment from holding areas into more forward areas. That may all change, I mean, we'll see  we shall judge them not on their rhetoric but on their actions," Wallace said.

False flag

U.S. intelligence officials have warned that Russia could stage a false flag attack in Ukraine's Donbas region, which has been under the control of Kremlin-backed rebels since 2014.

"What Russia could do is stage some kind of Ukrainian attack and then say that the Russian citizens in Donbas need to be protected, and use the Russian military for that," said Maria Avdeeva, policy director of the Kyiv-based European Expert Association, in an interview with VOA.

Donbas

Meanwhile, Russia's parliament voted in favor of a resolution Tuesday calling for Putin to formally recognize the rebel-held districts of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent from Ukraine.

"This recognition of the republics could be made by Russia, if Russia doesn't get what it wants," Avdeeda told VOA.

Speaking Tuesday, Putin appeared to reject that option for now. "We will do everything to solve the problem in Donbas, but we will do this first of all based on the unrealized possibilities of the Minsk agreements," he said.

The agreements set out a roadmap for elections in the rebel-held regions, which would be given some level of autonomy and reintegrated into Ukraine. Kyiv fears that would create a powerful pro-Russian block in Ukrainian politics controlled by the Kremlin, with an effective veto over Ukraine's ambitions to join NATO.

Day of unity

Under the looming threat of invasion, Ukrainians took to the streets Wednesday in a day of unity declared by the government. Giant Ukrainian flags were unfurled across the capital and in other cities.

Among those taking part was 50-year-old Kyiv resident Olena Khotenko. "Our power is that we understand the situation we are in and our power lies in the fact we became stronger than we were in 2014," she told the Associated Press news agency.

Victoriya Kuzminova, a teacher at a Kyiv elementary school, said the students were afraid. "All the children at school ask us whether there will be war or not. That's why we're here as well, to show to the children that as long as we are united, we have nothing to fear."

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Wednesday posted a message on social media praising the Ukrainian people. "Nobody will love our home as much as we do, and nobody can defend our home as we can," he said.
Crowds gathered in Barcelona's historic downtown to watch in awe and snap cellphone photos as teams of people in colorful garb formed human towers rising into the air like the spires on the nearby medieval cathedral.

A giant figure in bright blue dress and a floral crown paraded through the streets in representation of St. Eulalia, the city's patron, a 13-year-old girl who was crucified by Romans in the early fourth century for refusing to renounce Christianity.

After two years of canceled or muted celebrations due to the pandemic, this Mediterranean city went all-out this past weekend to mark the February 12 feast, or "festa" in the Catalan language, of its longest-celebrated patron.

With the most recent nationwide outdoor mask mandate lifted by the government just days earlier, Barcelonans were especially eager to revel in the three-day "festes de Santa Eulalia," with celebrations that make social distancing impossible and require painstaking choreography and training.

Celebrated with a specific protocol since the 1600s, the festival has been gaining renewed popularity since the early 1980s. It includes solemn Masses, intricate dances and parades of "gegants," larger-than-life historical and fantasy figures usually made of papier mache and borne by revelers.

While rooted in Catholic liturgy, today the festival is primarily a secular expression of pride and shared cultural identity in the Catalonia region in northeastern Spain, passionately celebrated even if most who take part don't identify as believers.

"The resurgence started with ordinary people who wanted to do something that would be their own, belonging to Barcelona," said Nil Rider, a historian who helped organize an exhibit about St. Eulalia at the cathedral's Diocesan Museum. "This is living heritage that gives people an identity."

Foremost among the festival's traditions are the "castells," or "castles," as the human towers are called, which have been performed for two centuries by neighborhood groups not only in Barcelona but in local festivals across Catalonia.

Dozens of "castellers," or group members, stand packed tightly together, compressing every inch of their bodies into each other to form a base. Progressively lighter-weight members then climb up to establish six or more human tiers until they form a support for the top performer, a young child wearing a mandatory helmet  and, this year, a KN95 face mask.

"What we like is to achieve a challenge that we only are able to do together. It's very identity-forming," said Dan Esteban, a casteller and former head of the group representing the neighborhood of Poble Sec, just outside the medieval core.

Two years of pandemic restrictions and lockdowns in hard-hit Spain have left people out of practice, and Esteban said the group wasn't able to train at all until September. Even now fewer people than usual show up for twice-weekly sessions, which are crucial for getting everyone to work in concert since budging just an inch can bring the entire structure crashing down.

Cristina Velasco also worried about recovering lost ground as she planned for this year's "correfoc," another traditional element of the festival in which adults and children parade in horned devil costumes alongside spinning fireworks displays. Sunday night's would be the first full parade since the pandemic, with fewer children taking part as some turned to other activities and haven't returned.

"We have the feeling we have to do it because otherwise we will lose it," said Velasco, who has been dressing up as a devil for 30 years and is president of the city's federation of three-dozen neighborhood correfoc groups.

Teaching youngsters the allegorical and historic origins of the correfoc tradition is vital, she said, even if "99% of people don't even know where the devil came from."

Clutching a statuette of St. Eulalia, 10-year-old Laia Castro, 10, waited patiently in line under a chilly drizzle to enter the majestic Gothic cathedral Saturday, the day commemorating the saint's martyrdom. Descending into the crypt where the saint's remains have been venerated since the 1330s, she signed a registry kept in the sacristy for girls named with the common diminutive for Eulalia.

"Really we're not religious, but we like this celebration," said her father, Albert Castro.

He hopes for Laia to know the saint's history and then make her own decision about faith: "And if she believes, she will know she did something extra today."

The Rev. Robert Baro Cabrera, director of the Cathedral's cultural heritage patrimony, said the festival's spotlight on identity and devotion to the saint offers "a powerful environment for evangelization" even as secularism continues to grow.

"Our churches are both cultural and identity references," he said. "If people want to find the roots of their identity, they can't help but go into the church."

In one of the festival's most evocative celebrations, a performer bearing a giant eagle figure with flowering branches in its beak paraded Friday night from city hall through the old quarter, accompanied by drums, bagpipes and flutes.

Arriving at the soaring Gothic basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, built where St. Eulalia was first buried after her martyrdom, the eagle entered the packed but hushed sanctuary and proceeded to pirouette in front of the altar in a six-century-old ritual.

On hand were Loli Garcia and her 4-year-old granddaughter, Ona, whom she brought to teach her about their roots and culture.

"It's one thing not to be religious, but they have to know the history," Garcia said as Ona stood on a pew and watched, spellbound. "I take her to all traditional Catalan celebrations, as I used to do with my daughter."


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Aiming to ensure legal protests is one goal of a couple bills that others view as stifling free speech and attacking the rights of minorities.

Protesters disrupted light-rail service at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in December 2015. Eight months later protesters blocked Interstate 94 in St. Paul to protest the shooting of Philando Castile, a black man killed by a police officer in Falcon Heights.

In each instance, the protest took place where it is illegal to do so.

Some people believe incorrectly that they have a right to camp out on a freeway to impede traffic and to bring everything to a halt, said Rep. Nick Zerwas (R-Elk River). If you believe its a First Amendment right to block a freeway, youre mistaken. That is against the law already.

Approved Wednesday by the House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee, were a pair of bills that would increase the criminal penalty for obstructing a freeway and airport access. Each was sent to the House Floor.

Amid hollers of racism from some people in the packed hearing room, each was approved on a 10-6 party-line vote.

Remove your white hoods, shouted John Thompson, a member of Black Lives Matter in St. Paul. Sponsored by Zerwas, HF390 would increase the penalty from a misdemeanor to a gross misdemeanor for someone who intentionally obstructs traffic that is entering, exiting, or on a trunk highway or that is entering or exiting an airport. It would also add restricting passenger access to the statute regarding unlawful interference with a transit operator.

Rep. Kathy Lohmer (R-Stillwater) sponsors HF1066, which would add on a controlled-access highway or on a public highway within airport property to the statute that makes it a gross misdemeanor to interfere with, obstruct or render dangerous for passage, any public highway or water used by the public.

The respective companion bills, SF676, sponsored by Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria), and SF918, sponsored by Sen. Karin Housley (R-St. Marys Point), were heard later in the day by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. The bills were essentially combined and SF676 was sent to the Senate Floor on a 7-2 vote.

Critical access to highways are not public spaces, Lohmer said. You need a license to be on them, both a drivers license and the vehicle needs to be licensed.  A freeway would not be considered a public space.

She spoke of the life-and-death situation that someone with a medical condition could face if they are unable to get immediate help.

I cant imagine sitting for hours on a freeway stopped and not being able to get to the hospital in a timely way with a child in a significant amount of pain and no way to move forward, she said.

Zerwas emphasized nothing in either bill stops a legal, lawful protest nor does either have anything to do with civil penalties. He said Gov. Mark Dayton indicated support earlier this year.

Weve had dozens and dozens of protests over the last few months in which nobody was arrested, in which nobody marched onto a freeway, in which nobody blocked a rain, in which nobody blocked access to the airport, Zerwas said.

At a morning press conference, House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) said the bills are not aimed at any race, gender or ethnic group, rather they are simply trying to stop unsafe behavior and keep all members of the public safe.

That was not the same sentiment shared by many in the packed hearing room.

A handful of testifiers said that by disrupting the lives of others they are better able to share their message.

Blocking highways may not be popular, but the reality is popular tactics dont bring about change, said Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality.

Rep. Raymond Dehn (DFL-Mpls) asked for any anecdotal evidence that increased penalties deter such illegal activity.

Its basic criminology, basic criminal justice studies that show there are two reasons for criminal penalty: they are to deter the activity and punish the offender, countered Zerwas. Its clear that this current misdemeanor does not deter, and I do not believe the penalty is enough of a punishment for closing a freeway.  If you block a freeway, you should go to jail.

Lohmer said she knows people who were working on Interstate 94 last July and said some protesters were taken away by authorities, but returned within an hour. Dehn said he knows of people that spent a night in jail.

In speaking against the bills, one of the lawyers who serves on the committee related the potential penalty to another crime.

The way this would work is somebody who blocks the door to a transit vehicle  that person would get a higher punishment than someone who assaults their girlfriend or their spouse in a first incident, said Rep. Dave Pinto (DFL-St. Paul).

Another attorney, Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn (DFL-Roseville) said the bills fail to address unfair societal issues.

Until we address the underlying injustice, were going to continue to have dissent, she said. Instead of trying to further stifle dissent by increasing penalties, this bill is basically going to do the opposite as far as addressing those injustices.

Rep. Matt Grossell (R-Clearbrook) served in the armed forces and is a retired after a career in law enforcement.

To bring this to anyplace other than a matter of increasing a penalty for breaking the law, I guess I cant see that. Everybody has their freedoms, and I agree with that 110 percent. These bills dont interfere with peoples free speech to gather peaceably or protest.  I served to protect those rights.
17:01 | Lima, Feb. 16.

"It (the Cabinet) is made up of ministers from different political parties, and we all agree to work together to lead the country towards its development," he stated.

"As the Congress Chairwoman also said, we have to put Peru first, without any discrimination," the Cabinet chief expressed.

With regard to the social conflicts, the head of the Ministerial Cabinet indicated that the Executive Branch has been working hard on preventive measures to avoid harming the population in different regions.

In this regard, he underscored that representatives of the Executive Branch, communities in the district of Ccapacmarca, and Las Bambas mining company agreed to lift the blockage in the Southern Mining Corridor, after a work meeting held in Cusco.
Former President Donald Trump has accused his ill-fated rival Hillary Clintons team of fabricating Russia collusion charges that led to an impeachment proceeding against him.

Special Prosecutor John Durham considers Michael Sussmann, a lawyer working for the Democratic Party, as the prime instigator behind this affair. An investigation was opened on 12 February 2022. It aims to prove the illegal wiretapping and computer hacking carried out against the Trump team on behalf of the Clinton team.

The new development in this case comes as the Democrats, having falsely accused Russia of meddling in the US presidential campaign, now accuse Russia of planning a war in Ukraine.
Good afternoon. Today, Id like to provide an update on the crisis involving Russia and Ukraine.

From the beginning of this crisis, I have been absolutely clear and consistent: The United States is prepared no matter what happens.

We are ready with diplomacy  to be engaged in diplomacy with Russia and our Allies and partners to improve stability and security in Europe as a whole.

And we are ready to respond decisively to a Russian attack on Ukraine, which is still very much a possibility.

Through all of the events of the last few weeks and months, this has been our approach. And it remains our approach now.

So, today I want to speak to the American people about the situation on the ground, the steps weve taken, the actions were prepared to take, and whats at stake for us and the world, and how this may impact on us here at home.

For weeks now, together with our Allies and partners, my administration has engaged in non-stop diplomacy.

This weekend I spoke again with President Putin to make clear that we are ready to keep pursuing high-level diplomacy to reach written understandings among Russia, the United States, and the nations of Europe to address legitimate security concerns if thats what  his wish. Their security concerns and ours.

President Putin and I agreed that our teams should continue to engage toward this end along with our European Allies and partners.

Yesterday, the Russian government publicly proposed to continue the diplomacy. I agree. We should give the diplomacy every chance to succeed. I believe there are real ways to address our respective security concerns.

The United States has put on the table concrete ideas to establish a security environment in Europe.

Were proposing new arms control measures, new transparency measures, new strategic stability measures. These measures would apply to all parties  NATO and Russia alike.

And were willing to make practical, results-oriented steps that can advance our common security. We will not sacrifice basic principles, though.

Nations have a right to sovereignty and territorial integrity. They have the freedom to set their own course and choose with whom they will associate.

But that still leaves plenty of room for diplomacy and for de-escalation. Thats the best way forward for all parties, in our view. And well continue our diplomatic efforts in close consultation with our Allies and our partners.

As long as there is hope of a diplomatic resolution that prevents the use of force and avoids the incredible human suffering that would follow, we will pursue it.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported today that some military units are leaving their positions near Ukraine.

That would be good, but we have not yet verified that. We have not yet verified that Russian military units are returning to their home bases. Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position. And the fact remains: Right now, Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine in Belarus and along Ukraines border.

An invasion remains distinctly possible. Thats why Ive asked several times that all Americans in Ukraine leave now before its too late to leave safely. It is why we have temporarily relocated our embassy from Kyiv to Lviv in western Ukraine, approaching the Polish border.

And weve been transparent with the American people and with the world about Russias plans and the seriousness of the situation so that everyone can see for themselves what is happening. We have shared what we know and what we are doing about it.

Let me be equally clear about what we are not doing:

The United States and NATO are not a threat to Russia. Ukraine is not threatening Russia.

Neither the U.S. nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not  do not have plans to put them there as well.

Were not targeting the people of Russia. We do not seek to destabilize Russia.

To the citizens of Russia: You are not our enemy. And I do not believe you want a bloody, destructive war against Ukraine  a country and a people with whom you share such deep ties of family, history, and culture.

Seventy-seven years ago, our people fought and sacrificed side by side to end the worst war in history.

World War Two was a war of necessity. But if Russia attacks Ukraine, it would be a war of choice, or a war without cause or reason.

I say these things not to provoke but to speak the truth  because the truth matters; accountability matters.

If Russia does invade in the days or weeks ahead, the human cost for Ukraine will be immense, and the strategic cost for Russia will also be immense.

If Russia attacks Ukraine, itll be met with overwhelming international condemnation. The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction.

Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound.

The United States and our Allies and partners will respond decisively. The West is united and galvanized.

Today, our NATO Allies and the Alliance is as unified and determined as it has ever been. And the source of our unbreakable strength continues to be the power, resilience, and universal appeal of our shared democratic values.

Because this is about more than just Russia and Ukraine. Its about standing for what we believe in, for the future we want for our world, for liberty  for liberty, the right of countless countries to choose their own destiny, and the right of people to determine their own futures, for the principle that a country cant change its neighbors borders by force. Thats our vision. And toward that end, Im confident that vision, that freedom will prevail.

If Russia proceeds, we will rally the world to oppose its aggression.

The United States and our Allies and partners around the world are ready to impose powerful sanctions on [and] export controls, including actions that did not  we did not pursue when Russia invaded Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014. We will put intense pressure on their largest and most significant financial institutions and key industries.

These measures are ready to go as soon and if Russia moves. Well impose long-term consequences that will undermine Russias ability to compete economically and strategically.

And when it comes to Nord Stream 2, the pipeline that would bring natural gas from Russia to Germany, if Russia further invades Ukraine, it will not happen.

While I will not send American servicemen to fight Russia in Ukraine, we have supplied the Ukrainian military with equipment to help them defend themselves. We have provided training and advice and intelligence for the same purpose.

And make no mistake: The United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power. An attack against one NATO country is an attack against all of us. And the United States commitment to Article 5 is sacrosanct.

Already, in response to Russias build-up of troops, I have sent additional U.S. forces to bolster NATOs eastern flank.

Several of our Allies have also announced theyll add forces and capabilities to ensure deterrence and defense along NATOs eastern flank.

We will also continue to conduct military exercises with our Allies and partners to enhance defensive readiness.

And if Russia invades, we will take further steps to reinforce our presence in NATO, reassure for our Allies, and deter further aggression.

This is a cause that unites Republicans and Democrats. And I want to thank the leaders and members of Congress of both parties who have forcefully spoken out in defense of our most basic, most bipartisan, most American principles.

I will not pretend this will be painless. There could be impact on our energy prices, so we are taking active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets and offset rising prices.

Were coordinating with major enersy [sic]  energy consumers and producers. Were prepared to deploy all the tools and authority at our disposal to provide relief at the gas pump.

And I will work with Congress on additional measures to help protect consumers and address the impact of prices at the pump.

We are not seeking direct confrontation with Russia, though I have been clear that if Russia targets Americans in Ukraine, we will respond forcefully.

And if Russia attacks the United States or our Allies through asymmetric means, like disruptive cyberattacks against our companies or critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond.

Were moving in lockstep with our NATO Allies and partners to deepen our collective defense against threats in cyberspace.

Two paths are still open. For the sake of the historic responsibility Russia and the United States share for global stability, for the sake of our common future  to choose diplomacy.

But let there be no doubt: If Russia commits this breach by invading Ukraine, responsible nations around the world will not hesitate to respond.

If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, well surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.

Thank you. Ill keep you informed.
Photo: Pixar/YouTube

Little town, its a quiet village. Every day like the one before. Little town, full of little people, waking up 

to 

say:

The Walt Disney Company today announced plans to introduce Storyliving by Disney, vibrant new neighborhoods that are infused with the Companys special brand of magic. These master-planned communities are intended to inspire residents to foster new friendships, pursue their interests and write the next exciting chapter in their lives.

Yes, Disney is going back to its roots and returning to the business of building whole-ass neighborhoods. Remember: EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and Walt Disney was in the feverish throes of planning it out as an entire city when he died. Decades later, the company built the town of Celebration, Florida. Today, Disney announced that it is building a Storyliving by Disney community in Rancho Mirage, California, and that additional locations in the U.S. are under exploration for future development.

Announcing the latest chapter in the wonderful world of magical Disney products: new Storyliving by Disney home communities: https://t.co/aq7PiyGp9q pic.twitter.com/ucjE7oYRGT  Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) February 16, 2022

Disney Imagineers will help design these sub-developments, and this first effort will welcome homeowners of all ages and will include at least one section expressly for 55+ residents and a voluntary club membership with exclusive Disney programming. So basically its a homeowners association for Disney adults, along with a Disney-themed and -operated retirement community where people who line up for Figment popcorn buckets can live out the rest of their days. This first community will be called Cotino, a fancy-sounding Spanish-ish word that signifies nothing. Disney is building Cotino in collaboration with DMB Development, a company whose name implies the existence of a Dave Matthews Bandthemed neighborhood somewhere.

The press release includes concept art of public spaces including a clubhouse, beachfront, and shopping district. If you look at the shopping-district picture you can make out a restaurant in the background called Pietros, perhaps a hint that there will be Disney/Marvel/Star Wars IP scattered throughout. Might we also suggest a brunch spot called I Need! Six Eggs!?

There isnt any concept art of the homes themselves, but we assume Jeremy Renner will build them all by hand as part of his Disney+ show Rennervations, and that every kitchen will come with a personal rat chef. And hey, if Storyliving has a relaxed vaccination policy, maybe Shailene Woodley and Aaron Rodgers will someday call it home.
"We believe in dialogue and consensus, in building the country as a whole; therefore, we want to announce that we will receive them (Cabinet members) on March 8 ," Alva expressed during a press conference joined by other parliamentarians at Congress headquarters.





The Parliament head affirmed that there is time to reflect, reach consensus, convene, reconcile, propose, talk, and see what can be done together for the benefit of the country.





The high-ranking official said that during 200 years of independence Congress always sought consensus and dialogue, assuring that this time will not be the exception.





Likewise, the Cabinet chief defended the meeting she had with other parliamentarians at a hotel in Lima's Miraflores district where, according to Hildebrandt en sus Trece journalistic magazine, a presidential vacancy was discussed.





"Congress meets in search of a single objective: a better Peru. We, Congress members, meet and will continue to meet constantly," she indicated.





In her opinion, these meetings will be held with the aim of finding "consensus proposals to move forward, respecting the law and the Constitution."









(END) VVS/CVC/MVB
Decatur, IL (62521)

Today

Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 66F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

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February 16, 2022 Pursue holistic approach to address problems hounding PH healthcare system and factor in the effects of the Mandanas ruling on LGUs capacity - De Lima Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima underscored the need to pursue a holistic approach to strengthen the country's health care system, which was systematically weakened by yearly budget cuts driven by simultaneous de-prioritization and diversion to confidential funds by the Duterte Administration since 2016, and thereafter strained to the point of near collapse by the COVID-19 pandemic. De Lima's message was conveyed on her behalf by her Chief Legal Counsel and Campaign Manager, Atty. Teddy Rigoroso, during the "Doctors For Leni" virtual Town Hall Meeting held last Feb. 11. Also present in the event as guest speaker was retired COMELEC Commissioner Rowena Guanzon. "Noong sinuri namin ang nangyaring pandemya at kung paano halos nag-collapse ang healthcare system, paano na-ostracize yung health workers, we learned that we have to address this in a holistic way," he said. The Philippines, with its relatively ill-equipped health system, has been overwhelmed with previous surges of COVID-19 cases, with healthcare workers being neglected. It may be recalled that, instead of being strengthened and prioritized, the public health care budget suffered a series of budget cuts under the Duterte Administration, as far back as August 2016, when the budget documents submitted by the President to Congress showed that he reduced the Department of Health's (DOH) budget by P31B. Further, in 2019, just before the pandemic hit, funds for health services in the P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 that the House of Representatives approved were slashed by about P10 billion, even as the country was facing a polio epidemic as well as dengue and measles outbreaks that have claimed the lives of more than a thousand people, mostly children. These budget slashes were opposed by opposition lawmakers, including Senator De Lima who, as far back 2016, pointed out that a sincere and holistic approach to a "War on Drugs" requires strengthening the public health care system and treating the problem as, at least, partly a public health care issue, including in the form of addiction and other mental health issues. In improving the country's healthcare system, Rigoroso said the government must ensure that people have proper access to health care while also ensuring that healthcare workers are protected and taken care of. "People's access at proteksyon ng healthcare workers, because yung mga ginagawa ng ating health institutions at workers ay considered as public. Ika nga, wala kang maitatapon sa ginagawa nila. At dahil dun, may tatlong major aspects na tinitingnan dyan ang office ni Senator Leila," he said. First off, Rigoroso said, the government should rationalize the operations of the healthcare system considering the Mandanas ruling which determined that the "just share" of LGUs shall be sourced from "all national taxes and not only national internal revenue taxes." "Paano i-rationalize ang operations ng ating healthcare system, lalo na in the light of Mandanas ruling, kung saan dinedevolve na itong mga ganitong trabaho at saka yung mga nalikom na buwis ay pupunta na sa LGUs , paano natin ira-rationalize in such a way na ang expenditure mo ay malinaw?" he said. "Halimbawa, in building public hospitals, dapat may malinaw na pagkukuhanan ng pondo. Kung walang malinaw na five-year program dun, dapat hindi muna magtayo ng ospital, at tingnan paano ma-optimize ang existing hospitals mo," he added. Secondly, Rigoroso said it is important to standardize the salary of healthcare workers both in public and private sectors. "Naiintindihan natin na meron ding capitalist forces, but somehow you have to set a baseline," he said. Lastly, Rigoroso pointed out the need to ensure transparency in all public transactions. "Kailangan may some level of system wherein nakikita ng shareholders ang system ng procurement dahil kapag hindi nagiging open source yan, lahat ng kalokohan pwedeng gawin sa dilim," he stated. This 18th Congress, De Lima, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, filed Senate Bill No. 185 instituting the Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers to provide just compensation and incentives to health workers. "With all the undeniably heroic roles and myriad responsibilities of our health workers, especially during a public health crisis, it is only right and important that we also take care of them by providing them just compensation and incentives they deserve," De Lima said.
"Bad news for democracy" says Italy right-to-die activist Marco Cappato.

Italys constitutional court on Tuesday rejected a petition calling for a referendum on the decriminalisation of euthanasia, with the 15 judges ruling that it was "inadmissible".

Right-to-die activists had secured more than 1.2 million signatures in a petition seeking a referendum, well in excess of the half million threshold required to trigger a public vote.

The euthanasia petition called for a referendum to abolish a clause in a 1930 law that punishes the homicide of a consenting person with up to 15 years in jail.

The referendum would have proposed the removal of penalties for those who assist in the suicide of patients who have incurable illnesses or suffer intolerable pain and have already had palliative care.

However, in a statement issued last night, the court said that repealing punishments would not safeguard the minimum constitutional standards governing the protection of human life, "particularly for the weak and the vulnerable."

Marco Cappato, treasurer of the Luca Coscioni right-to-die association and a driving force behind the referendum bid, said the court's decision was "bad news for those who suffer and will have to suffer even longer", adding that it was "bad news for democracy."

Cappato's involvement in the assisted suicide of Fabiano Antoniani led the constitutional court to rule in 2019 that it is not always a crime to help someone in intolerable suffering to kill themselves, under certain conditions, including if the patient is being kept alive by life-sustaining treatment, suffering from an irreversible illness, and enduring suffering that the patient deems intolerable.

The court ruled that those patients must remain capable of making "free and informed decisions."

The constitutional court had been asked to rule on the case of Antoniani, known as DJ Fabo, a music producer and motocross driver left tetraplegic and blind by a 2014 traffic accident. Cappato helped Antoniani to end his life by accompanying him to Switzerland in 2017.

The court also advised in 2019 that euthanasia should be regulated by legislation passed in parliament, which continues to debate a law that would allow terminally ill patients to seek assisted suicide through Italy's health system and protect medics from any legal action.

The failure of lawmakers to agree on regulations in relation to euthanasia - a deeply divisive issue among Italian political parties - prompted the idea to seek a referendum.

Following Tuesday's ruling the Luca Coscioni association pledged to continue its battle to legalise euthanasia, saying the court's blocking of the referendum "makes the road longer and more torturous."

Enrico Letta, leader of the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD) wrote on Twitter that the court's decision "must now push parliament to approve the law on assisted suicide."

His views were echoed by Giuseppe Conte, leader of the populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S), who tweeted that "it is imperative that parliament responds immediately to the need to defend the dignity of so many people and families that suffer.

Despite being opposed to euthanasia, Matteo Salvini - leader of the right-wing Lega which is part of the government coalition with the PD and M5S - said: "I'm sorry, the rejection of a referendum is never good news."

Giorgia Meloni, whose far-right Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) party in opposition is vehemently against euthanasia, hailed the court's "sacrosanct" decision to declare inadmissible "the referendum proposed by the radicals on the murder of the consenting person, even if healthy."

The court's decision to block the referendum was also welcomed by conservatives and the Catholic Church which in the past has condemned euthanasia as "an intrinsically evil act."

Days before the constitutional court convened to rule on the matter, Pope Francis warned against euthanasia and expressed his gratitude for palliative care.

Speaking at his general audience on 9 February, the pontiff said: We must accompany people towards death, but not provoke death or facilitate assisted suicide.
"Salaria" controversy makes national news in Italy.

Students at a Rome high school on Wednesday dressed in mini skirts and short tops in protest over the allegedly sexist comment of a female teacher who reprimanded a 16-year-old girl for baring her midriff.

The teacher at Liceo Righi is accused of saying to the girl "Are you on the Salaria?", a reference to a road in Rome known for prostitution, in a controversy that has gained widespread media coverage in Italy.

On Wednesday morning dozens of students, male and female, went to school exposing their navels under a banner that read "Welcome to the Middle Ages", reports Italian newspaper La Stampa.

"After the insults of a teacher received by a student of our high school we decided to give a strong and clear signal to reiterate that sexism cannot have space in schools" - said the students - "Now we will all go to school together dressed in a way to violate the dress code in solidarity with the offended student."

The student at the centre of the story told news agency Adnkronos: "The teacher did not expressly call me a prostitute, but she accused me of commercialising my body, because of the way I was dressed."

She said that during a free lesson she and a classmate were making a video to post on TikTok when the teacher in question walked in and made the remark.

Amid claims of double standards, the girl says that if she were a boy she would not have been insulted.

During a subsequent meeting, in front of the principal, the girl said she asked the teacher: "If you were to meet a boy at school with short shorts what would you say to him?" The teacher allegedly replied: "Are you at the beach?".

The principal said the teacher apologised for the "unfortunate remark" and that she had not intended to offend the girl - reports La Stampa - adding that there is "bitterness among the teachers" because the offending term and the controversy around it is "overshadowing everything positive" done by the school.

Photo Il Messaggero
Keats-Shelley House hosts outdoor screening of Shelley in Rome on Saturday evening.

Rome's Keats-Shelley House will host a free public screening of the short film Shelley in Rome on the facade of the museum building at Piazza di Spagna on Saturday 19 February, from 18.30 to 20.00.

The film provides a "psychogeographical take" on Percy Bysshe Shelley's time in Rome, exploring the poet's relationship with the city and Roman locations that fuelled his creativity, illustrating "key moments from the twilight of his life."

Directed by Giulio Boato, the immersive video story was produced for the Keats-Shelley House by 313 Film Production.

The video offers "evocative visuals and three-dimensional audio" and the narration of the story revolves around Shelley's three masterpieces inspired by his time in Rome: Prometheus Unbound, The Cenci, and Adonais, his elegy on the death of his friend John Keats.

Registration is not required for the event, which is open to everyone, with headphones provided to experience the 3D audio.

The film is part of the #KeatsShelley200 programme marking the bicentenaries of the deaths of Keats and Shelley in 2021 and 2022, and to celebrate their extraordinary legacies.

For full details see the Keats-Shelley website.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. The General Prosecution of Armenia acted swiftly to prevent the potential deportation of an Armenian citizen to Azerbaijan from Russia, which could have happened as a result of an error in court documents.

The General Prosecution said that the Armenian citizen, who was born in Azerbaijan, committed an administrative offense in Russia and a Russian court issued an administrative deportation ruling. However, court documents erroneously mentioned the persons citizenship as Azerbaijani and the person faced a potential deportation to Azerbaijan.

The General Prosecution said it usually doesnt deal with this kind of matters and its authority doesnt cover deportation processes, however it took immediate measures to thwart the process and resolve the matter. The Russian General Prosecution and Armenian governmental bodies were involved.

The Russian court subsequently corrected the error and the person returned to Armenia.
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Didi Global Inc. is preparing to delist from the New York Stock Exchange, after its initial public offering there last year drew the wrath of Beijing. The Chinese ride-hailing giant said it plans to list in Hong Kong instead, allowing existing shareholders to convert their holdings in the company. There are challenges ahead -- for Didi, its shareholders and other Chinese companies looking to go public. Meanwhile, the governments ongoing investigation and new regulatory measures have hit Didis bottom line hard.

1. Why is Didi going to delist?

Chinese regulators opposed the U.S. listing, saying it could expose Didis vast troves of data to foreign powers. The firm pressed ahead with the June IPO anyway, in a move that Beijing saw as a challenge to its authority. Days after the listing, the government announced a cybersecurity probe into the firm and forced its services off domestic app stores. Later the Cyberspace Administration of China, the agency responsible for data security, was said to have asked Didis top executives to devise a plan to delist because of concerns about leakage of sensitive data.

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2. How will it work?

Didi said it aims to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and ensure that its American depositary shares can be swapped for freely tradable shares of the Company on another internationally recognized stock exchange, according to a statement. The firm is planning to file for the Hong Kong listing around March, people with knowledge of the matter have told Bloomberg News. The entire process could take months from that point.

3. What are the challenges?

Prior to its U.S. IPO, Didi had weighed a potential Hong Kong listing but abandoned the effort after the citys exchange questioned its compliance with Chinese regulations, such as having licenses in all the cities where it operated. (The Hong Kong exchange makes far more stringent demands on companies seeking a listing than its New York peers.) In preparation for its new listing, the company is said to be planning to reduce its headcount by as much as 20%, not including drivers. Didi in December disclosed a $4.7 billion loss in the September quarter after revenue slid 13% from the previous three months. Even if Didi pulls off a listing in Hong Kong, some investors may choose this opportunity to sell rather than swap their shares, which have fallen drastically. Technically speaking, swapping the U.S. shares for stock in Hong Kong should be relatively straightforward for most institutional shareholders. But the new securities may trade with a valuation discount: Hong Kong has long been home to some of the worlds lowest price-to-earnings ratios.

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4. Why is this such a big deal?

Didis blockbuster IPO was the second-biggest in the U.S. by a company based in China (Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s was bigger) and gave Didi a market value of about $68 billion. The listing, which was shepherded by a whos who of Wall Street banks, appeared to be a model for how international investors could tap into Chinas red-hot tech sector. Didis largest shareholder was Japans SoftBank Group Corp., with more than 20%.

5. Will China force other companies to change listings?

Didis exit is unlikely to be the last. The Chinese internet regulator began probing two more U.S.-listed companies, Full Truck Alliance Co. and Kanzhun Ltd., soon after launching the review into Didi. In December the government unveiled tighter regulations for Chinese companies seeking to go public abroad using the so-called variable interest entity (VIE) structure, as Didi did. Meanwhile, the U.S. is moving to implement a new law that mandates foreign companies open their books to U.S. regulators or face delisting starting in 2024. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says that only two jurisdictions historically have not allowed the required inspections, China and Hong Kong.

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6. Will this end Didis troubles?

Unlikely. The cybersecurity probe into Didi is ongoing, and regulators may still impose an array of punishments such as a fine, suspension of certain operations or the introduction of a state-owned investor. The municipal government of Beijing, where Didi is based, was said to have proposed that the Shouqi Group -- part of the influential Beijing Tourism Group -- and others acquire a stake in Didi, which would give control to state-run firms. Media including the South China Morning Post have reported that regulators may force Didi to reshuffle its top management. Didi has put forth several proposals to appease the cybersecurity regulator, including ceding management of its data to a private third party. President Xi Jinpings campaign to achieve common prosperity has heaped pressure on platform companies like Didi to offer better wages and benefits to its army of drivers. More fundamentally, the Chinese government is expected to maintain strict curbs on and scrutiny over big tech enterprises like Didi that amass sensitive data.

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For beaten-down energy bulls, the recent surge in oil and gas stocks  just as the technology darlings sell off  can feel like an overdue reversion toward not merely the mean but cosmic justice. Or maybe its just that oil is back above $90 a barrel. Helpful as that is, however, it also presents a problem.

Some history: Thirty-odd years ago, the S&P 500 was an oilier pool than it is today.

The technology sector surged past energy in 1995 and eventually comprised more than one-third of the entire index. Years after that particular bubble burst, in July 2008, oil hit its all-time peak and the energy sector came within a whisker of catching up. But that moment passed quickly. Whereas Exxon Mobil Corp. used to regularly lead the rankings of the worlds market caps, the biggest Western oil major now doesnt even make the top 20.

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To a degree, these shifts merely reflect a changed reality across much of the world: Our lives have become relatively more chip-intensive and less oil-intensive. Vehicles arent merely less thirsty (or outright electric), they are also way smarter than their 1990 ancestors. Nevertheless, global oil and gas consumption has risen by two-thirds, and thus the energy sector might feel its been judged too harshly.

Two things count against that feeling. First, the industry lacks a sustainable growth story. Theres a post-pandemic bounce in oil demand. But normally it grows at sub-GDP levels and now also faces headwinds from decarbonization. Theres not much the sector can do about this.

It can do something about the second problem, which is reliability  or, put another way, volatility. Looking back over the past 30 years, its striking how energy swapped places with the technology sector in this regard (well before Covid-19 showed up).

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As you might expect, this reflects whats happened with earnings. The wild ride of the tech bubble was more than 20 years ago. We now live in a time when Apple Inc., despite being a middle-aged, multi-trillion-dollar behemoth, has grown its earnings more than 2.5 times over the past five years and does bigger share buybacks than Exxon.

Silicon Valley, of course, doesnt have to deal with the mercurial oil market. About 65% of Exxons well-received jump in annual earnings last year reflected nothing more than a commodities rally. Such (leveraged) exposure is why some investors own energy stocks but also, I would venture, why more gave up on them. Thats not to say its necessarily wrong to bet on a return to triple-digit oil in the near term, especially given the tense situation in Ukraine. But the list of potential scenarios around that is longer than President Vladimir Putins maxi-table.

Moreover, its debatable how far even higher oil prices would benefit energy stocks. A war-inspired oil spike is apt to be like that last shot before the bar closes; momentarily thrilling but followed by a hangover of economic upheaval and central bank hawkishness. At just over 12 times earnings, energy stocks are in the middle of the 10-15 range that held for much of the decade leading up to the 2014 crash (after which multiples went haywire). Yet, at about 40%, they trade at close to their deepest discount to the S&P 500 in the past three decades.

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Energy stocks could use more insurance against their own product. One way to provide that is to hedge price exposure in the futures market, although investors display a certain ambivalence to this. When oil rallies, aggressively hedged companies get dinged for missing out on the gains. And when oil crashes? On the downside, Ive never seen hedges protect a stock, says Dan Pickering, founder of Pickering Energy Partners, an advisory and investment firm based in Houston.

Ideally, hedging is part of a broader effort at de-risking. At the heart of this is a mantra of discipline on spending, which Pickering, among others, has long called for. It should be embedded in executive compensation plans and enforced by cash payouts to shareholders. Stronger balance sheets are another cushion against volatility. Any oil and gas producer that prioritizes returns to shareholders over playing the commodity cycle may also score (relatively) better on environmental, social and governance grounds, addressing another growing risk.

The objective isnt to do away with oil price swings or the need to decarbonize energy systems  those are facts of life. Rather, it is to recognize that, absent a compelling growth story, the sectors best pitch revolves around offering a smoother ride rather than a fast one. In other words, seizing the gains of periodic oil rallies rather than chasing them. If doing so would close that valuation gap with the market by just half, it may not feel like vindication for the die-hard bulls, but it sure would pay.

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More from other writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Weve Been Using a Lot More Oil Than We Thought: Julian Lee

 Americas Frackers Are Back, and Looking Leaner: David Fickling

 Oil Producers Can Expect More Turbulent Years Ahead: Julian Lee

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy, mining and commodities. He previously was editor of the Wall Street Journals Heard on the Street column and wrote for the Financial Times Lex column. He was also an investment banker.

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After another wave of school closures due to Covid-19, reaching the end of the academic year without further disruptions must be an overriding priority. Yet even if that modest goal is met, Americas youth face learning deficits that could take years to overcome. Preventing further damage will require schools to provide much more instruction for struggling students, even if it means cutting summer short.

The cost of doing so shouldnt be understated. In 2021, about 13% of public-school students attended district-provided summer school. Considering how many U.S. students are performing below grade level, a minimum goal should be to double that number. Nationwide, that would cost at least $20 billion, with large districts accounting for much of the spending. To ensure that investment is productive, districts need to start planning now  by identifying students in greatest need, developing curricula to reinforce what theyve already learned, and recruiting teachers willing to work through the summer for bonus pay.

The shift to remote learning early in the pandemic wreaked havoc on students. Going into the 2021 school year, they were, on average, five months behind in math and nearly as deficient in reading. Black students and those in low-income school districts suffered even more  and theres every indication that achievement gaps are growing. A McKinsey & Co. report estimates that the diminished earning potential of these students could cost the U.S. economy as much as $188 billion annually once they enter the workforce.

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Reversing those trends is a matter of national urgency. Some districts have used federal Covid-relief funds to expand tutoring services for disadvantaged students, but such programs arent adequate to the scale of the crisis. All students need more concentrated instructional time and fewer extended breaks from learning. Adding days to the current academic year and moving up the start of the next one would help, while also limiting the effects of summer learning loss, which can cause students to forget as much as 25% of what they learned the previous year.

For children in greatest need, districts should require full-time summer school that blends academics with recreational activities aimed at bolstering social and emotional health. Schools should provide bonuses to teachers and staff to work through the summer, as districts in South Carolina, Virginia, Texas and other places did last year. They should also hire more part-time instructors, including retired teachers and college and graduate students. Explaining the value of extended school, especially to skeptical parents, will be critical.

None of this will come cheap. Keeping schools open will require more funding to maintain facilities, provide meals and pay support staff. The good news is that states have spent only a small portion of the $122 billion in federal funding provided by last years Covid-relief bill. Partnering with community groups to provide enrichment programs for part of the day could keep staffing expenses down, while consolidating facilities where summer classes are held could reduce other fixed costs. Moreover, investing in added instruction now will yield savings over time, by making it easier for districts to offer summer programs in the future, reducing students need for remedial classes, and lowering their risks of dropping out.

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Beyond this summer, the Biden administration should launch a more visible campaign to combat pandemic learning loss. State and local education officials should be encouraged to take bolder steps to increase instruction time, track student achievement, and expand the most effective strategies  including Saturday academies like those created by the school district in Hartford, Connecticut. The pandemic might also offer an opportunity to rethink the wisdom of summer vacations more broadly, as Washington state is doing.

For now, its essential to simply get kids back on track. The pandemic has caused deep and potentially lasting damage not just to student achievement but to the public-school system itself. Extending the school year and ensuring that all students get the instruction they need are the first steps toward repairing it.

Editorials are written by the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.

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The U.K. left the European Union to escape its jurisdiction. Germanys Constitutional Court took it head-on. Now Poland and Hungary are challenging its supremacy. Were talking about EU law, the legal order that covers all 27 member states. Although each countrys government has agreed to follow the code, their own national courts dont always like what they see. EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders has warned that attempts to subvert the primacy of EU rules could tear the trading bloc apart.

1. What is EU law?

The law of what is now the European Union goes back to the Treaty of Rome, signed in 1957, that was intended to help European countries trade with each other and boost their economies in the aftermath of World War II. Setting out principles like the free movement of goods, capital and workers, the treaty and others that followed provide the legal underpinning for the resulting volumes of laws, regulations and directives. Once they are adopted at the EU level, each member state must implement the policy in its national legislation.

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2. How is it made and what does it cover?

The Brussels-based European Commission, the EUs executive arm, proposes new laws. Its members, one from each member state, are appointed and are supposed to represent the EU as a whole. Generally the European Parliament, which is directly elected, has to approve the proposals along with the Council of the European Union, made up of ministers or representatives from the 27 national governments. There are some legislative fields that countries have agreed to reserve for the EU level. These are the customs union, monetary policy for countries that share the euro, trade with countries outside the bloc, competition rules for the EU single market, and a common fisheries policy. But EU law also covers other areas, and has expanded over the years to include issues that affect daily life such as food safety or air pollution or data privacy. That sometimes forces changes in existing national laws.

3. Who enforces it?

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If a member state violates the rules, the commission can take that country to an EU court. If a country fails to comply with an EU court ruling -- which by treaty is binding across the bloc -- it can ultimately be fined. The blocs judges dont always agree with the commission. For example, the commission has ruled that some preferential tax deals handed out by individual members violate EU state-aid rules, and ordered several companies to pay additional tax. The EUs General Court in 2020 ordered the annulment of a record 13 billion-euro ($14.8 billion) tax order against Apple Inc. In May 2021, the same court canceled a 250 million-euro order against Amazon.com Inc.

4. What are these courts?

The EU has two, both based in Luxembourg. The Court of Justice, or ECJ, is the top court and the General Court is the lower court. The General Court deals with the facts in cases before it, while the Court of Justice focuses only on points of law. The ECJ handles direct actions, normally filed by the commission, against an EU member and issues rulings for national courts seeking clarification on EU law.

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5. What was Germanys challenge about?

Germanys Constitutional Court directly targeted the ECJ in a stinging ruling in 2020, accusing the EU judges of overstepping their powers when they backed the European Central Banks controversial quantitative easing policy. The German judges said the supremacy of the ECJ didnt apply in cases where it failed in its duties. The challenge was soon defused by the German government, but a year later the commission kicked off legal action against Germany, saying the ruling had threatened the primacy of EU law.

6. And Polands?

After years of conflicts over whether Poland was drifting away from democratic values such as an independent judiciary, media freedom and LGBTQ rights, the countrys top court ruled in October 2021 that the constitution overrides some EU laws, intensifying a conflict that could challenge the countrys membership in the bloc. The tribunal ruled that Polands constitution cant allow the EU to influence spheres where the country hasnt deferred powers to the bloc, such as judicial matters. The standoff has raised fears about Polands ability to abide by EU rules and remain part of the blocs legal system, a key factor for investors.

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7. What about Hungarys?

In December Hungarys top court ruled the country can enforce its constitution over European Union regulations in limited cases, giving Prime Minister Viktor Orban ammunition to defy an EU ruling that struck down his crackdown on refugees. The government, which has been deporting asylum seekers often without hearings, had filed a legal challenge, arguing that complying with the EU judgment would violate Hungarys right to decide who to let into the country.

8. What was the ECJs response?

The European Union won the right in February to deploy tough new powers that could deny Poland and Hungary EU funding from its 1.8 trillion-euro budget and stimulus package for allegedly violating the blocs democratic standards. The ECJ dismissed challenges by the two countries against the so-called conditionality mechanism, saying the legislation is fully in line with the blocs laws. The EU put in place the contested tool in 2021 after growing weary of challenges to independence of judges, an erosion of minority rights and challenges to the primacy of EU law.

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9. How serious could the financial consequences be?

The commissions concerns convinced it to withhold approval of Polands and Hungarys recovery plans, which is needed to unlock stimulus funds from the pandemic package. Poland ultimately stands to miss out on more than 130 billion euros from the blocs seven-year budget. Hungary could lose more than 40 billion euros.

10. What if a country refuses to comply?

The commission may refer the country back to the court and can ask it to impose fines. The disputes are in some ways an existential question for the EU. Reynders has said defending EU law and rights is essential to keeping the union on track as a bloc that allows free trade and shares common values. The ultimate choice for an unhappy member would be to leave, as the U.K. did in 2020.

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The Russian Defense Ministrys announcement on Tuesday that troops were beginning to relocate to their permanent bases after drills on the Ukrainian border is not yet the denouement of the crisis that Russian President Vladimir Putin created and then U.S. President Joe Biden amplified with alarmist rhetoric in recent months. Still, the worlds attention has been focused on the possibility of a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine long enough for an early tally of strategic and tactical gains and losses from the escalation.

So far, both Putin and Biden appear to have benefited from the crisis. European nations and especially Ukraine have, on balance, lost out.

Putins biggest win is that he has proven his ability  which he mentioned back in November  to dial Ukraine-related tension up and down at will. It didnt take him long to position a large military force in close proximity to Ukraine. Even if part of it leaves now, as Putin and his underlings said on Tuesday, Russias military posture seems to be shifting more or less permanently toward the Ukrainian border; the troops that leave can always come back at short notice. Theres always the pretext of drills. In 2021, the Russian military spent only about 86% of its 1 trillion ruble ($13.2 billion) budget allocation. Its funded lavishly enough to keep exercising in southwestern Russia and Belarus all year if needed.

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Putin appears to have realized that concealing troop movements is pointless, and not doing so gives him the ability to escalate without sending a single soldier across the border and thereby giving the West a viable pretext for sanctions. Rob Lee at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, one of the most visible and competent military analysts during the crisis, has generally leaned toward predicting a new invasion  but, he recently wrote on Twitter, if an attack was in the plans, the Russian troops were perhaps too relaxed about being photographed:

Especially in recent weeks, this low-cost escalation has won Putin more attention from Western leaders than hes seen since invading Crimea in 2014. Biden calls him on the phone at short notice, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and a succession of British ministers rush to Moscow to talk him out of attacking. These encounters allow him to air his broader grievances and security demands. Even if his complaints dont find much sympathy, they plant the idea in fellow leaders heads that Russia needs to be given something  it does have the right to be concerned about its security, after all.

As Margarita Simonyan, head of the RT propaganda network, wrote on her Telegram channel, Nobody used to want to talk security with us, now theres a line of visitors who wish to enjoy the sights of Moscow in February.

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Foreign leaders cant afford to dismiss Putins monologues on history and Russias victimhood at the hands of NATO and the U.S. even if he abuses their time and distracts them from urgent domestic concerns. They cant be seen ignoring the threat of a big war in Europe, so theyre on the hook. They also have to be careful about trying to punish Putin for escalations before they lead to bloodshed: If economic punishment is meted out in the absence of a war, why not start it, after all?

Yet another Putin gain has to do with the optics of Western nations behavior toward Ukraine during the crisis. The evacuation of diplomats, above all American ones, from Kyiv before a single shot was fired may have been a logical move after the deadly chaos of Kabul Airport, but it hardly provided Ukrainians  who have nowhere to evacuate  the moral support they deserved in the fraught situation. Canada and the U.K. even pulled out their military instructors  again, for perfectly valid reasons, but the message to Ukrainian troops was unmistakable: Youll fight alone. Ukrainians wont turn away from the West and toward Putin because of this, but the perception of hypocrisy will be hard to erase. By contrast, Poland, for example, has not evacuated diplomats despite panicky U.S. messaging, and thats likely to be remembered, too.

Its also to Putins advantage that, despite the failure of his efforts to get the U.S. and its European partners to pressure Ukraine into accepting the Minsk agreements of 2015 and thus a special status for the breakaway pro-Russian regions in the east, Minsk is back on the table as a solution to the crisis. Russias tame parliament on Tuesday appealed to Putin to recognize the separatist statelets. That was the Kremlin using the legislature to outline the alternative to Minsk: What amounts to a Russian takeover of the Ukrainian regions, no further invasion needed. That option is still a potentially strong move Putin can make. It would be domestically popular while not inviting too much punishment, since eastern Ukraine is already under Russian control.

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The Ukraine contest between the Kremlin and the White House has not been zero-sum, however. Russian propagandists will ridicule the Western media coverage citing unnamed officials and spies and mock the press conferences citing vague intelligence reports, but Biden has actually come out on top in the information war. There was never much of a reason to believe what spies  American, Russian or from any other country  tell the media, so it doesnt matter if their trustworthiness suffers a further blow. The Biden administration, for its part, has masterfully used nebulous or even incorrect information from intelligence sources to create a sense of staying one move ahead of Putin. Because such a tactic makes sense, Bidens inevitable claims of having defused the crisis by means of publicity rather than meaningful concessions will play well at home and in most Western countries.

Bidens showmanship has been subtler, if less spectacular, than his Russian opponents. And he has been rewarded in an important way: Putin hasnt been able to force or trick him into giving any ground. Biden, in a way, hasnt even started negotiating, while Putin and his people have tasted rejection time and again from that line of visitors Simonyan wrote about. If this were a prizefight, Biden would be the light-footed boxer dancing around a more eager opponent who throws a lot of wild punches. Thats an image befitting Bidens long experience in politics, which goes back much further than Putins.

European leaders, by contrast, have proved incapable of such nimble messaging. Putin subjected them to what has come to be known as long table diplomacy after the 18-foot table across which he stared at them They failed to make any headway with him, listening docilely at joint press conferences as Putin made a necrophilia joke about Ukraine (Put up with it, my beauty, he quoted an obscene folk ditty when talking about the Minsk agreements) and accused Ukraine of conducting genocide against the Russian speakers of the separatist statelets. The Normandy format talks in Berlin, in which French and German officials attempted to mediate between Russian and Ukrainian envoys, failed after nine grueling hours. As for the U.K.s attempts at diplomacy, they looked as glaringly irrelevant, sometimes even comical, as the country itself has been in European matters since quitting the European Union.

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Ukraine itself has been the worst off, however. Panicky U.S. messaging has hurt it with investors; diplomats hurrying out and war reporters flying in is hardly what an economically shaky nation would welcome. The hryvnia is down about 8% since mid-November, when the crisis began, and the drop would be more precipitous if not for National Bank interventions. President Volodymyr Zelenskiys loud objections to the imminent invasion argument have gone unheeded, and he has little to show for a string of high-level visits to Kiev. It cost Ukraine some effort to keep most foreign airlines  with the notable exception of KLM  flying to Kyiv.

All Ukraine has received in return is the promise of a $1 billion U.S. government loan guarantee and some weapons shipments from the U.S. and its European allies, which, as everyone  including Ukrainians themselves  understands, will not win a war with Russia. The boost Ukraine gets from the arms supplies is offset by the certainty  now confirmed by the evacuations  that NATO members will do all they can to avoid a direct clash with Russia.

Putins interests are served by turning Ukraine into a pawn in a great-power game. Western leaders may insist that this will not happen, and that Ukrainians choices will be respected, but the dynamics of the current crisis contradict them. Zelenskiy  and Ukrainians in general  have shown an incredible stoicism in the face of events they havent been able to influence. Their bravery notwithstanding, the big-nation brinkmanship means the worst can still happen, perhaps even accidentally. All Zelenskiy can do is clench his teeth and try to minimize the risk of war-starting accidents. A compromise with Putin is politically unfeasible for him, so he needs to hold out and watch Biden spar with his Russian adversary. Its an unenviable position to be in. The West owes Ukraine a better effort  in both diplomatic and financial terms  to make it tenable.

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Related at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Russias Fortress Economy Has Some Cracks: Clara Ferreira Marques

 If Russia Takes Ukraine, Insurgency Could Be Putins Nightmare: James Stavridis

 Bombast, Distance and Distrust: Your Guide to Ukraine Talks: Andreas Kluth

 Ukraine Can Learn From Finlands Soviet Experience: Clive Crook

 If Russia Invades Ukraine, the U.S. Is Certain to Be a Loser: Hal Brands

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Leonid Bershidsky is a member of the Bloomberg News Automation team based in Berlin. He was previously Bloomberg Opinions Europe columnist. He recently authored a Russian translation of George Orwells 1984.

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State-owned Life Insurance Corp. of India, with its distinctive blue and yellow logo, is ubiquitous across the country of 1.4 billion people. LIC controls nearly two-thirds of the Indian market, with about 282 million policies and more than 1.3 million agents, 100,000 employees, 2,000 branches and 1,500 satellite offices. Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration is racing to sell 5% of LIC in whats set to be Indias biggest-ever initial public offering and the fourth-biggest IPO of any insurer globally. Its sheer scale presents a unique challenge for the nations underdeveloped capital markets, and a big test of Modis plan to make the economy more efficient.

1. Why is the government selling a stake?

The LIC sale is the biggest chunk of a $10.4 billion asset-sale program thats aimed at plugging Indias budget deficit for the year through March 31, 2022. The government plans to push borrowing to a record in the next fiscal year as it tries to spend its way out of the pandemic-induced downturn.

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2. When is the IPO?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has set a March deadline for the listing. The IPO was initially slated for the previous fiscal year, but was delayed as Indias harsh stay-at-home rules during the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the preparations.

3. Why is valuing the company so difficult?

LICs size and special status make for a unique challenge. It holds almost $530 billion of assets, more than the total size of the countrys mutual fund industry. Milliman and Ernst & Young, the firms appointed to work on the valuation, have been sifting through millions of policies to account for parameters including mortalities, morbidities, lapses in premium payments and policy cancellations. They also had to weigh the value of LICs fixed property across its 2,000 branches. LIC releases its balance sheet only once a year, and peer-to-peer comparisons are tricky.

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4. What is LICs value?

Its still to be determined. A draft prospectus filed Feb. 13 put LICs embedded value at 5.4 trillion rupees ($71.6 billion). For an insurance firm, the total enterprise value is typically a multiple of the embedded value, taking into account demand from investors for similar listed firms. Since the government needs to raise about $8 billion to meet its asset-sale target, and it plans to sell 5% of the company, the enterprise value will need to be about $160 billion. If it hits the numbers, the IPO would surpass the biggest Indian IPO to date -- digital payments provider Paytms $2.5 billion listing last November.

5. Why does this IPO matter?

Sales of stakes in companies so deeply entrenched in the history of their nations arent an everyday occurrence. LIC has exerted a towering presence over Indias financial landscape since Jawaharlal Nehrus government combined the countrys 245 insurance companies and provident fund societies in 1956 with a mandate to offer life insurance to all sections of society. For many Indians, insurance is still synonymous with the company, even after the industry opened up to private firms two decades ago.

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6. Are there parallels in other nations?

Some bankers are describing the sale as Indias Aramco moment. Oil giant Saudi Aramco, which staged the worlds biggest IPO in 2019, was likewise a symbol of Saudi Arabias economic might, generating almost 90% of the Saudi governments income. Japan Post, whose privatization started in 2015, was the countrys biggest holder of bank deposits and its largest insurer while it ran the national postal service. Like LIC, it was highly visible, with the biggest chain of storefronts in Japan and a fleet of 86,000 motorbikes for mail delivery.

7. Will investors go for it?

Some local investors are skeptical that the 65-year-old firm can compete against its privately owned rivals. LIC is governed by a distinct 1956 parliamentary act rather than the law governing Indias other insurers. It enjoys a sovereign guarantee of its policies, allowing it to operate with a thinner capital base than competitors. Over the years, LIC has been deployed as the investor of last resort by governments of the day to support markets and bail out other state-run companies, as in 2019 with IDBI Bank Ltd. Some bankers say global investors worry LIC could be forced to rescue other floundering state assets even after it becomes a publicly listed company.

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Over the last decade, more than half of U.S. companies adopted a dispute-resolution process known as forced arbitration to settle worker grievances of all kinds behind closed doors as an alternative to litigating in court. Now, under pressure from the #MeToo movement, Congress has banned mandatory arbitration for workplace sexual harassment and assault claims. While this change is expected to give workers more leverage, activists are seeking a broader ban covering gender discrimination and other grievances.

1. How does mandatory arbitration work?

Where its used, workers are usually required to agree in advance to arbitrate workplace disputes outside of court. Evidence is presented, and witnesses give their accounts just like in courthouse suits, but cases are decided by privately appointed arbitrators, who act as both judge and jury. Proceedings are conducted out of the public eye, and parties generally are required to keep the outcome secret.

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2. What are its pros and cons?

Some studies have concluded that arbitration is speedier and less costly than a trial. It also allows victims to maintain their privacy. Womens rights attorney Gloria Allred, who has represented hundreds of harassment victims in private settlements, has said many of her clients appreciate confidentiality. Critics say that arbitration is stacked against workers and refer to it as a shadow legal system. A 2015 study found employees prevail only about a third as often in mandatory arbitration as in federal courts, and when they do win damages, the typical payout is a fifth of what it is in those courts. Some womens rights advocates contend that arbitration of harassment claims helps companies cover up employee misconduct. They point to a 41% drop in official sexual-harassment complaints to state and federal regulators from 1997 to 2017 as evidence that the resolution process has become more private. More recent data shows the number of workplace disputes resolved via arbitration skyrocketing, increasing by about 66% between 2018 and 2020. Just 4% of workers won a monetary award through the process in 2020, according to research from the American Association for Justice.

3. What sparked the backlash against arbitration?

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Allegations of sexual harassment by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein cast a spotlight on his use of nondisclosure agreements to buy the silence of some of his accusers. But the original proposal in Congress to bar mandatory arbitration in sexual-harassment complaints was inspired by a case filed against Signet Jewelers alleging systemic abuse of hundreds of women who worked for the companys retail chains. The complaint against the company was made in 2008, but the disclosure in 2017 of hundreds of related documents ignited a scandal that forced the CEO to step down.

4. What happens now?

Employees can still choose arbitration for sexual misconduct cases, but they cant be forced into the process -- and they cant be barred from pursuing class-action lawsuits on behalf of other workers, even if they previously signed an agreement to arbitrate the claim individually. The legislation covers conduct thats alleged to constitute harassment under state, federal and tribal law, but doesnt apply to grievances already filed before the laws enactment. A separate, broader proposal to completely ban enforcement of arbitration agreements that bar workers and consumers from pursuing claims in court in any context hasnt gained enough momentum to clear Congress. But the administration of President Joe Biden has encouraged lawmakers to expand the ban on forced arbitration for employment disputes to include claims on the basis of race, wage theft and unfair labor practices. Activists including Ellen Pao, whose lawsuit a decade ago against the venture capital firm shed worked for helped expose gender equality issues in Silicon Valley, are pushing to end forced arbitration for all manner of discrimination disputes.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked emergency powers to quell protests over coronavirus restrictions that have brought gridlock to Canadas capital and blocked key trade corridors, citing the need to restore public order. Its the first time a federal government has resorted to such powers in five decades. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight 1. What powers does the act give Trudeau?

The Emergencies Act invoked by the prime minister provides the federal government with broad powers to prohibit public assembly, mobilize police, order private companies to provide essential services and mandate financial institutions to freeze accounts. In this instance, Trudeau is using all of these powers against the trucker-led protests. Hes banned public assemblies that can reasonably be expected to lead to a breach of the peace around parliamentary buildings and other government buildings, critical infrastructure, war memorials and any other place as designated by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Hes also mandating banks and other financial institutions to freeze accounts of individuals participating in the protest, while choking off funding to the organizers.

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2. What does it mean to be able to commandeer services?

One problem authorities have had to deal with is a reluctance by towing companies to assist with the removal of vehicles and semi-trailers that have been used in the blockades. The tow truck companies are worried about damage to their equipment or retribution from protesters. These orders will compel them under threat of fines or jail time to assist the police. The federal government is similarly commandeering banks and insurers by forcing them to stop providing services to protesters.

3. What is the government doing about funds raised for the protests?

There have been two large crowdfunders for the protests, one through GoFundMe Inc. and one through GiveSendGo LLC. GoFundMe chose to cancel its C$10-million ($7.9 million) fundraiser after officials provided evidence it was being used to commit crimes. The protesters started a new one on GiveSendGo and raised a similar amount, but Ontarios provincial government obtained a court order to prohibit any banks or payment processors from allowing the funds to be distributed.

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4. How extensive are the financial measures?

The measures apply to the full breadth of the nations financial sector, whether federally regulated or not: foreign banks, credit unions, insurers, trusts, loan companies, security firms, portfolio managers, payment facilities and crowdfunding platforms. These companies must cease dealing in any way with individuals involved in illegal protests, including providing any access to digital currencies. Effectively, anyone deemed participating in these public assemblies will become de-banked. In addition, companies involved in crowdfunding or other electronic payment platforms will need to register with Canadas financial intelligence agency.

5. What powers is Trudeau providing to police?

Police are getting additional tools to get what is now deemed unlawful assembly under control. Officers have the ability to prevent supplies of everything from food to fuel (which is needed to keep vehicles and tents warm in freezing temperatures). Police can block anyone attempting to travel to or enter the area, and arrest those who refuse to comply. The government is also prohibiting anyone from bringing children to the protest, a reflection of the fact children are known to be sleeping in some of the trailers on site. What the government wont be doing is sending the military to help, as officials have said it would unnecessarily escalate the situation and that police have the proper training to make arrests.

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6. Is there any check on emergency powers?

The emergency orders are made under legislation passed in 1988 that brought in many more safeguards than had previously existed for the use of such extraordinary powers. Before invoking the act, the prime minister must consult with the provincial governments whose territory will be impacted, and the orders must be put to parliament within seven days for a vote. The orders need to be renewed every 30 days and a parliamentary committee conducts oversight while theyre in effect. When the emergency ends, the government is required to launch a public inquiry into the events.

7. Why is Trudeau doing this?

There are two main reasons. One is that the Ottawa police have been incapable of getting the streets under control in the capital city, declaring they dont have enough resources. However the police chief -- who resigned his post on Tuesday -- has also been blamed for being too passive in his response to the protest. The other reason is that parallel blockades have popped up at border crossings, cutting off critical trade routes. The government wants to prevent and quickly clear any future blockades.

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8. What has the reaction been?

Although there is significant support in Canada for rolling back Covid-19 restrictions, public support for the trucker protests has dwindled as the blockades drag on. An Angus Reid Institute poll released Monday found 72% of Canadians want the protesters to go home as theyve made their point, and 22% want them to stay. The federal government has been criticized for its inaction on the protests, but some now say Trudeau has overreached in using emergency powers. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association said the situation has not reached the high and clear standard needed to justify such sweeping measures.

9. Has anything like this happened before?

The closest recent example of this is the 1970 October Crisis, in which the prime ministers father, Pierre Trudeau, invoked the War Measures Act in response to a kidnapping and bombing campaign by Quebec separatists. The military was called in to support the police. In effect this was martial law, where anyone could be arrested and detained without a warrant. The current emergency powers act was designed to be less draconian and subject to parliamentary oversight.

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Investors frustrated with minuscule yields from bank savings accounts have found a would-be savior: so-called crypto lending accounts that can pay interest rates of 9% or higher. Upstart crypto firms like Celsius Network and BlockFi Inc. think this kind of account could be the killer app that brings a whole new cohort of investors into cryptocurrencies. But the accounts have also drawn criticism from traditional financial firms, who say theyre riskier than they appear, and from some regulators. BlockFis decision to register its offerings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as part of a $100 million settlement could create pressure for the rest of the field to follow suit.

1. What is crypto lending?

At first blush, crypto lending accounts look a lot like savings accounts offered by banks, but with cryptocurrencies instead of traditional money. An investor opens an account, deposits cryptocurrency and earns interest. Many deposits come in the form of Bitcoin, while other investors use stablecoins, tokens whose price is often pegged at $1; others use lesser-known cryptocurrencies that have wide price fluctuations. The firms typically pay interest in the same currencies that are deposited. Some accounts have rates that change daily, while others get a fixed rate while the money is locked up for a fixed time, as with a certificate of deposit.

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2. How can this offer such big returns?

The firms that offer the accounts say that theyre able to lend customers deposits to institutional investors at even higher rates. The institutions sometimes need to borrow crypto to execute their own trades, such as betting that the price of crypto will fall or to take advantage of price differences in other financial instruments. But regulators have said they believe some crypto lending firms are using the money for other business activities. The bottom line is that there arent uniform rules for firms to disclose what exactly the deposits can and cant be used for.

3. How does it compare with regular bank products?

Crypto lending accounts typically carry yields that dwarf those of traditional bank accounts. While the average bank savings rate was 0.06% in early February 2022, for example, Celsius Network says it can pay 10.73% on deposits of some U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins.

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4. How big is crypto lending?

The business of offering the accounts is big and has been growing fast. Celsius, one of the largest such companies, says it has more than $20 billion worth of deposits. BlockFi Inc. says it has more than $10 billion. Gemini Trust Co. began offering accounts in February 2021 and said that in August it had more than $3 billion in deposits.

5. How does it fit into the crypto world?

While Bitcoin trading is seen as volatile and risky, companies offering interest accounts say theyre a steadier source of returns for investors. Celsius and BlockFi, as well as competitors like Gemini, deal directly with their customers and pay them interest, which puts them in the category of centralized finance. Some investors have earned similar yields by lending their deposits through decentralized finance, or DeFi, protocols, where computer code, rather than an intermediary, manages the interest payments. Lending out crypto to earn interest via DeFi is sometimes called yield farming.

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6. What kind of conflict has there been with regulators?

Few of the firms offering the accounts first sought approvals from federal regulators, and that led to a heavy backlash. In July 2021, securities regulators for Alabama, Texas, New Jersey, Kentucky and Vermont brought actions against BlockFi alleging that the company was offering unregistered securities. Several of the same states brought actions against Celsius Network. Coinbase Global Inc. planned to offer similar accounts but dropped that proposal after the SEC told the company it might sue.

7. What did BlockFi agree to?

It announced that it would seek SEC approval for accounts that pay clients high yields for lending out their crypto as part of a record $100 million settlement with federal and state securities watchdogs. The plan would give the Jersey City, New Jersey-based firm the first SEC sanctioned product of its kind. As part of the agreement announced by the SEC, current BlockFi customers can continue to earn interest on their existing investments, but the company must not sell the products to new American clients. The company has 60 days to seek to comply with SEC regulations. Its also seeking to register a new crypto-lending product that will satisfy the agencys rules.

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8. How is crypto lending different from staking?

Staking is a process in which holders of a cryptocurrency let their tokens be used to help order transactions on the blockchain, or digital ledger, that is used by that coin. Staking has been booming in part because of the incentive-based aspect of crypto, where various new coins and blockchains are competing for so-called validators, sometimes by promising potentially stratospheric annual returns in the form of new coins. But staking differs from lending in that stakers are temporarily handing over their tokens as part of a communal effort to maintain a currencys functioning, rather than to just to earn a return.

9. What are the dangers in lending for consumers?

Regulators and investor advocates are most worried that consumers dont understand that theyre taking on much more risk than they would in a bank savings account. Because the crypto accounts arent insured, customers can lose their deposits if a firm goes bust, is hacked, or otherwise loses its customers funds.

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10. What does this conflict mean for the broader crypto world?

Regulators appear to believe the crypto lending accounts are some of the lowest hanging fruit in their bid to bring some law and order to the crypto world -- after all, with firms like Celsius and BlockFi theres a clear entity to sue, rather than just some computer code as in some DeFi transactions. The moves against the firms could be just the start of a broader crackdown. In years past, the SEC more or less put an end to a boom in what were known as initial coin offerings, or ICOs, by entrepreneurs hoping to launch the next Bitcoin, when it ruled that most of the tokens counted as securities -- shares of endeavors where investors pool funds and get returns that depend on the actions of others.

11. What happens if crypto accounts are deemed securities?

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That designation opens the firms up to an entirely new regime of registrations and disclosure requirements. That could bring more investor protection to the space, but it would also probably mean higher costs for the crypto firms, and possibly the end of such outsize returns for investors. Leaders of crypto lending firms dispute that their products are securities and say that federal agencies need to give them guidelines on how to stay within the bounds of the law rather than bring lawsuits, as the SEC threatened to do against Coinbase. BlockFis settlement and pledge to register with the SEC, though, could create a pattern other firms could follow.

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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. A demonstration was held outside the UN Armenia Office in Yerevan demanding the international community and the UN to take measures and prevent the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh by Azerbaijan.

Gayane Abrahamyan, a former lawmaker and the representative of the For Equal Rights Educational Center, told reporters that the demonstration is organized by several NGOs and public figures.

The Azerbaijani side is falsely claiming that the heritage which is in Artsakh for centuries isnt Armenian. This is a lie, however the actions that they are carrying out for decades cause concern that one day we wont be able to counter these lies. Thats why we are stressing that we have months. If we dont fight against these lies now and dont apply to all possible international organizations, namely UNESCO, we will simply lose the Armenianness of Artsakh, because the Azerbaijani authorities are trying to erase our trace. By doing so, they are trying to rule out the right to self-determination from the Armenian side and generally any aspiration in Artsakh, Abrahamyan warned.

She reminded that the International Court of Justice ruled that Azerbaijan must take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage, including but not limited to churches and other places of worship, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries and artefacts.

Abrahamyan said they will meet the UN Armenia Office administration after the demonstration. She said theyve addressed a letter to UNESCO last week.

Anther member of the initiative, Seda Grigoryan, highlighted the need to ensure access of international monitoring groups to the territories which Azerbaijan captured during the war. According to the information I have the Armenian authorities are doing everything they can so that such groups are dispatched there, but Azerbaijan is denying access. International observers must go and see the monuments on the ground and document them, she said.
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The British monarchy is an exercise in defying historical gravity. In 1900, most of the world was governed by royal dynasties. Today, they are a vanishing breed. The Romanovs, Hohenzollerns and Habsburgs have gone up in flames. The Scandinavian royals are mere bicycling monarchs. Britains royal family is unusual, along with Japans, in preserving the magnificence if not the substance of power.

The Prince Andrew affair  his entanglement with the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and, through them, his accuser, Virginia Giuffre  is the worst thing that has happened to the Windsors since Edward VIIIs abdication in 1936.

A month ago, the prince was bravely promising to clear his name in court of charges that he sexually abused and raped Giuffre on three separate occasions when she was 17. On Tuesday, he reached an out-of-court settlement with her in which he agreed to pay a substantial donation  estimates suggest that it was in excess of 10 million pounds ($13.5 million)  to her charity supporting the rights of victims of sexual abuse. The terms of the deal prevent either side from discussing the case or the settlement itself in public. The prince didnt issue an apology or admit to any wrongdoing. But he has cleared himself of legal jeopardy by leaving his reputation, such as it was, in tatters. His final disgrace was the tabloid headline splashed on The Sun.

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The settlement has put paid to any chance of the prince returning to public life. The queen had already prepared for this eventuality last month by stripping him of his military titles and royal patronages. Now, the sidelining will be complete. Whether his premature retirement will be a blow to the monarchy is open to doubt: He and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson were always clodhopping at best and embarrassing at worst. Before the current scandal, his nicknames included Randy Andy and Airmiles Andy. On both the occasions that Ive encountered him, his performance was subpar: once at the British Embassy in Washington when he gave a grumpy endorsement  or rather anti-endorsement  to Scottish whisky, and, once at Davos, when he stood alone at a bar studiously talking to nobody.

The real question is whether culling a single mangy stag will be enough to save the rest of the herd.

The royal family prides itself on its professionalism, calling itself The Firm and enjoying the assistance of high-flying diplomats and civil servants. But the Prince Andrew affair could hardly have been handled worse. The princes November 2019 interview with Newsnights Emily Maitlis was a masterclass in how not to handle a crisis  express no sympathy for a trafficked teenager, make weird claims about not being able to sweat, and boast about growing up in a castle. Powerful courtiers who knew the princes limitations should have stepped in to prevent it. His legal defense was equally bone-headed: the team, which he put together himself, essentially followed the same failed legal strategy as Maxwell by trying to paint Giuffre as a fortune hunter. Its American rivals, led by David Boies, ran rings around them. Again, the Palace should have stepped in to prevent the debacle.

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The payment of such a huge sum also raises troubling questions about the royal finances. Who will sign the check? Prince Andrews accounts are likely a hopeless mess  and contain the makings of more embarrassing headlines if the press decides to probe them. He certainly cant lay his hands on more than 10 million pounds with any ease. The most likely source of the money is the queen, as some reports are already saying. But that raises even more sensitive questions. Why does she enjoy taxpayer subsidies if she has several million pounds under the bed? And should the head of the British state be buying her sons way out of a sex scandal? Not a good look at a time when living standards are falling and #MeToo sentiments rife.

For now, the royal family is protected by the queens enormous and enduring popularity, which was founded on her consummate professionalism but is burnished, as she ages, by her fortitude in dealing with lifes tragedies, not least the death of her husband last year. Still, she cannot go on forever. Prince Charles is a loose cannon. The finances of his charity, the Princes Foundation, are under scrutiny: Today, the Metropolitan Police announced it is going to investigate claims it helped to procure honors for a Saudi Arabian citizen. (A spokesman said the heir to the throne had no knowledge of the alleged offer of honors.) Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in the habit, if not the business, of stirring up royal controversies. Opinion polls suggest that younger people are turning against the institution. The furious reaction on Twitter to Prince Andrews out-of-court settlement suggests that the sleeping beast of republicanism may be beginning to awaken.

To secure its long-term survival, the Firm needs to do more than lock Prince Andrew in a castle and hope that the public will forget about him. It needs to learn some lessons from this whole sordid affair. It needs to prune the royal tree severely  stop funding minor royals (who are always a potential source of scandals) and focus exclusively on the direct heirs to the throne. It still galls that Prince Andrews younger daughter Eugenie was treated to an all-singing-and-dancing royal wedding at St. Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle: Shes only 12th in line to the throne. Better professionals must be hired to improve the operation of the royal machine  as well as appointing courtiers who have a passing acquaintance with the 21st century.

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Defying gravity requires constant self-reinvention as well as ceaseless effort. Falter for a moment and you plummet, painfully, to Earth.

More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:



Prince Andrew and the Monarchys Royal Mess: Martin Ivens



Portraits of Power-in-Waiting: Whos Next After Boris Johnson: Adrian Wooldridge



The Queens Gambit Puts Tony Blair Center Stage Again: Therese Raphael

(Updates in the 8th paragraph with investigation in Prince Charles charity. Corrects spelling of subpar in 4th paragraph.)

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Adrian Wooldridge is the global business columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He was previously a writer at the Economist. His latest book is The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World.

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Motivating people is hard, especially when youre trying to convince them to join you on a perilous quest that may not succeed. So perhaps you can understand, once you stop laughing, why Mark Zuckerberg has encouraged his employees to call themselves Metamates instead of colleagues or co-workers or Steve. Its nautical! Were going on a swashbuckling adventure! Ahoy, Metamaties!

But nautical adventures dont always end well. Indigenous Hawaiians killed Captain James Cook. Even successful explorers spread disease, enslavement and general human misery through the world.

Similarly, the metaverse on which Zuckerberg is gambling the fate of Facebook Meta has been a source of misery of a different sort. Sexual harassment and virtual assault, sometimes of minors, are so rampant that even Metamates testing the experience have suffered from it.

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Meta has taken steps to address the problem. But exec Andrew Bosworth, who yesterday tweeted enthusiastically about the Metamates rebranding, has suggested policing the metaverse at any meaningful scale is practically impossible.

Even if youre not being assaulted in a criminal sense, your senses may still be assaulted by general creepiness, as my Bloomberg Opinion colleague Parmy Olson experienced on a recent foray into the metaverse, where a crowd of male avatars circled and took photos of her. And that was before she met the tween screeching obscenities or the giant blonde man called BabyFace making strange, animal noises.

The metaverse of Zuckerbergs vision is still likely years from coming to fruition. Jamie Dimons decision to hang a portrait of himself in JPMorgan Chase & Co.s little corner of the metaverse may seem like an endorsement of it. Except JPMorgan is playing with house money and can afford to take a flyer by slapping up an outpost on a patch of land in an undeveloped country.

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The driving ideal of Web3, of which the metaverse is a key part, is supposed to be decentralization. The fact that big companies like Facebook Meta and JPMorgan are already conquering the New World suggests a different goal: to financialize every aspect of the internet and life. That JPM Coin isnt going to hype itself.

Another, even less flattering nautical reference that comes to mind here is Moby-Dick. The metaverse could be Zuckerbergs White Whale, and Meta his Pequod, the ship that (spoiler alert) goes down in the end, taking with it all hands but one.

Ahab was able to motivate his crew by nailing a gold doubloon to the mast. Meta shareholders may need a bit more inducement. This months selloff, the worst in its history, was due partly to investors balking at how much money Zuckerberg is throwing at his own obsession.

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Of course, the main motivation for the selloff was the fact that Facebook Metas primary revenue source, digital advertising, isnt growing the way it once was. Voyages of discovery take a long time, and Wall Street memories are short. Silicon Valley history is rife with new ideas, such as the iPad, that are mocked and then accepted.

Zuckerbergs Metamates might have plenty of reason to stay on board for a while. But maybe they should start paying closer attention to those lifeboat drills.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Mark Gongloff is an editor with Bloomberg Opinion. He previously was a managing editor of Fortune.com, ran the Huffington Posts business and technology coverage, and was a columnist, reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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StarSolid StarSolid StarOutline StarOutline ( 2 stars ) The Cursed, a retelling of the werewolf legend, arrives 80 years after The Wolf Man  and a parade of over 200 other films of its ilk, at least according to IMDb, whose litany of cinematic lycanthropy also includes something called simply Cursed. Does the world need another man-bites-man movie?

Maybe not.

There is no familiar transformation scene in this one, no CGI in which the afflicted party sprouts thick fur, claws, a pair of impressive canines and a snout, and then howls at the moon. And the wolfman in question is neither man nor wolf, exactly, but rather a boy named Edward (Max Mackintosh). After being bitten by another kid (Tommy Rodger) who tries on a pair of vampiric-looking false teeth made of silver, Edward turns into  or, rather, is enveloped by  something resembling Gollum.

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Written and directed by Sean Ellis, a British filmmaker whose 2004 short film Cashback was nominated for an Oscar, The Cursed is a good-looking movie, whose moody atmospherics elevate some otherwise cliche elements. (Cue the cawing crows and torch-lit search parties.) And yet, make no mistake: This is a monster movie cut from a classic cloth.

Set in 1882 (after a brief prologue taking place in 1917), and filmed in France  although the precise setting is never specified  The Cursed centers on the Laurent family. Patriarch Seamus Laurent (Alistair Petrie) gets things going by perpetrating a massacre upon a caravan of Gypsies he finds camping on his land. (Its actually their land, but White privilege, as we know, can be toxic.)

As in the 1941 film, there is a Gypsy woman (Pascale Becouze) and there is a curse. But here it involves the aforementioned set of silver chompers, said to be fashioned from coins the biblical Judas received for betraying Jesus.

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The action proceeds according to tradition: Whoever survives a bite from Edward also turns into a lupine beast of murderous appetites. And so on and so forth, down the line. Enter werewolf hunter John McBride (Boyd Holbrook), an out-of-town pathologist who has been on the hunt for werewolves ever since his wife and child were killed by a wolflike creature. He sets up traps, peers into a microscope at blood samples and walks around with a rifle loaded with silver bullets.

In the films press material, Ellis has stated that he wanted to avoid werewolf cliches, and in some ways he does. Seamus is punished, via his son, for what he has done to the Gypsies. But Ellis also has said that he wanted his story to focus, metaphorically, on the idea of addiction, whether it be to drugs, our phones, or anything else  and how that addiction can destroy families and communities.

Thats a stretch. If addiction is contagious, it doesnt spread in quite the way that werewolf-ism seems to in The Cursed, while, say, youre minding your own business hanging laundry in the backyard, as happens to the poor Laurent family maid (Roxane Duran). Whatever social critique Ellis is aiming for is mostly a miss.

And yet The Cursed is stylish and scary enough for what it is. Thats an old-fashioned creature feature, effective enough to give you a mild case of the heebie-jeebies but nothing chronic.

R. At area theaters. Contains strong violence, grisly images and brief nudity. 113 minutes.

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Maryland public defender Paul DeWolfe will retire this summer after more than 12 years at the helm of the state agency charged with providing legal representation to those accused of crimes who cant afford private attorneys. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight DeWolfes tenure as public defender has seen his administration overhaul the office, persistently battle to maintain staffing to keep up with an ever-increasing caseload and push for criminal justice reform.

He said he was proud that his administration has built a strong leadership structure, bolstered the offices ranks of social workers and created litigation support divisions to assist trial attorneys.

But at 74, and after his second six-year term expires June 30, its time for him to retire rather than apply to keep his post, DeWolfe said. He looks forward to traveling and spending time with grandchildren.

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As a person thats spent his career in courts and the justice system, theres so many things that need to be reformed, DeWolfe said in a phone interview, naming sentencing, pretrial and racial justice reform as priorities.

Id love to see some of these reforms come about. I hope that as I leave the agency, Ive left a really strong team in place for whoever takes over next.

The Office of the Public Defender is overseen by a Board of Trustees, which appoints the states top public defender. Thirteen practicing lawyers, who serve for three years each, make up the board.

The governor appoints 11 members of the board with state Senate advice and consent. Marylands House of Delegates speaker and the Senate president each appoint a member of the board.

The board has advertised that its seeking DeWolfes successor; applications are due March 1.

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T. Wray McCurdy, chairman of the board, couldnt say whether anyone has applied yet. But he expected a deluge of applications, as he says DeWolfe made being public defender a more desirable position.

Hes turned the public defenders office from a group of distinct entities, county by county, and transformed them into a large law firm, McCurdy said. He added that the public defenders office plays a more central role in the criminal justice system than when DeWolfe started.

Paul DeWolfe has put the public defender at the table with various states attorneys offices, with the judges, as equal partners, McCurdy said.

Marci Johnson is president of the Maryland Defenders Union, the organization created when the public defenders decided to unionize; it is part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. She criticized the Board of Trustees for what she described as a lack of transparency and inclusion in the process for finding a successor to DeWolfe, who has opposed their organization efforts.

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Hired as Marylands chief public defender in 2009 by a then-three-member board, DeWolfe replaced a predecessor fired after refusing to enact cutbacks and other changes during the Great Recession. He inherited an office with a growing caseload and shrinking budget, and facing a lawsuit seeking to ensure defendants were represented at initial bail hearings in front of court commissioners.

DeWolfe agreed defendants needed to be represented at their first appearance and advocated for his office to get more attorneys to fill that role. However, the legislature chose to give funding to the judiciary, which set up a program to pay private attorneys to represent defendants at first appearances.

It was a win, in that the right to counsel was affirmed, DeWolfe said. But there are still too many people held without bail, and reform needs to move forward.

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Doug Colbert, a University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law professor, helped bring the lawsuit that led to an appeals court ruling that found defendants are entitled to legal representation at initial bail hearings. He credited DeWolfe for recognizing and supporting the merits of the case but said the public defender wasnt a strong enough advocate.

Many times, I felt like Paul wanted to do more, but he often would measure his words when he testified in Annapolis, Colbert said. Its understandable; its a very challenging job. Paul was limited by the different constituencies who are responsible for funding, who are responsible for hiring more lawyers.

Johnson, who wrote about DeWolfes retirement in an opinion piece last month on the Maryland Matters website, said in an interview that she wished him well but that the public defenders union will look for more support from his successor.

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We are hoping for a new public defender who will not only be supportive of our union but will advocate strongly not only for the needs of our clients but for the people who work in the public defenders office, Johnson said. Were looking for someone to have a commitment to whats supposed to be our mission for justice, fairness and dignity for all, including the workers in the public defenders office.

DeWolfe said the office under his leadership pushed to change a cash bail system, prevented defendants from being sentenced to death years before capital punishment was abolished in Maryland, and argued for the release of people who were sent to prison before they turned 18 after they served 20 years.

Building on that model, wed love to see sentencing reform so that people who have served a certain amount of time in prison or are of a certain age could get a second look to possibly be released, DeWolfe said.

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Before taking on the statewide role, DeWolfe was the top public defender in Montgomery County. In that role, he represented sniper John Allen Muhammad, who carried out killings over three weeks in 2002 in Maryland, Virginia and D.C., before Muhammad chose to defend himself in court.

Douglas Gansler, a former Democratic state attorney general whos running for governor, was the Montgomery County states attorney whose office prosecuted Muhammad. He said DeWolfe maintained credibility with judges and prosecutors by not losing sight of the facts of the cases while advocating strongly for his clients. That approach translated well to his role at the statewide level, Gansler said.

He has a very soft voice, but he speaks very loudly on behalf of the people who need it most in the Maryland criminal justice system, Gansler said.

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Terri Evans, 47, is the CEO and founder of Dockside Delivery. (Taylor Glascock for The Post)

Black businesses closed at twice the rate of other businesses at the start of the pandemic. Then Black entrepreneurship surged.
G7 foreign ministers are planning an emergency meeting in Germany this week, TASS reports citing the Kyodo news agency.

February 16, 2022, 12:51 G7 foreign ministers to hold emergency meeting on Ukraine in Germany

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 16, ARTSAKHPRESS: Presumably, the meeting of G7 top diplomats will be held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). According to the news agencys sources in the government, the situation around Ukraine will be the main subject of this meeting. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will represent Japan.

Approximately 35 heads of state and government will participate in the MSC which will take place on February 18-20.
Washington, IN (47501)

Today

Mostly cloudy early followed by partly cloudy skies and gusty winds this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 75F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph..

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Mostly cloudy skies. Low 49F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on.
Treasury Wine Estates is looking to meet Chinese appetite for its Penfolds wine by growing the grapes for the famous brand in France as heavy import duties hinder Australian Penfolds from reaching Chinas shores.

Tariffs on Australian wine imposed by Beijing of up to 200 per cent have seen the winemaker pivot away from China overall and double down on efforts to push sales in other markets, particularly the United States and Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea.

But Treasury Wine chief Tim Ford said consumer demand for Penfolds in China remained strong, prompting the company to also look at new ways to provide the luxury wine.

Treasury Wines CEO Tim Ford plans to launch a French collection of Penfolds, with Aussie winemakers effectively locked out of China. Credit:Justin McManus

At the moment, certainly demand exceeds supply for Penfolds in that market, theres no question about that, with just a small amount of Australian Penfolds going through to China, he told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
The proof is written on every line of the remarkable face of her star, Jasna Duricic. Duricics Aida is an interpreter for the UN in the last stages of the Bosnian war, knowing more than her neighbours when the Serbian troops march into Srebrenica, her hometown, led by the infamous general Ratko Mladic.

Jasna Djuricic in a scene from the Oscar-nominated film Quo Vadis, Aida? Credit:Neon via AP

Her gimlet-eyed gaze, the set of her mouth and the speed of her responses all speak of her determination to save her family from the horrors to come. Its a performance as taut as a bow string.

Aidas story begins as the town is evacuated. We watch her husband and two grown-up sons hastily pack and head for the UN base where shes waiting for them. But they wind up among the thousands massed outside its barriers because the base is filled to capacity.

According to Zbanic, the film has been years in the making, its production hampered by Bosnias lack of a film industry and the opposition of right-wing politicians.
More than $4 billion worth of foreign film and television productions will have come to Australia as a result of the federal governments Location Incentive fund by the end of its eight-year life in 2027, research produced for federal Arts Minister Paul Fletchers office predicts.

The Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research (BCARR), whose research and analysis aims to support evidence-based policy development, says the Location Incentive scheme, which allows foreign productions to receive a grant worth 13.5 per cent of their Australian expenditure, claims Australias government incentives, high-quality screen facilities and comparatively low production costs have attracted many international film and television projects over the last five years.

Tony Leung as Shang-Chis father Xu Wenwu in the Marvel film, one of 28 productions supported so far by the Location Incentive fund. Credit:

The scheme was first announced in May 2018, with a pool of $140 million. It replaced an ad-hoc system wherein individual productions would apply to the government for support on top of Australias 16.5 per cent foreign production offset, which is administered through the tax system (bringing it to an internationally competitive 30 per cent).

That process was slow and uncertain, and as a result it was widely believed that Australia had missed out on several big-budget projects (David Finchers 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, starring Brad Pitt, perhaps the most infamous example).
Publisher Pan Macmillan says it is deeply sorry for offending First Nations people after temporarily pulling supply of the Macquarie Junior Atlas of Indigenous Australia due to concerns over its content, including references to petrol sniffing and alcohol use that were criticised for lacking context.

In a brief statement issued on Monday, Pan Macmillan said the book would undergo a further round of sensitivity reading.

An image of a page in the book explaining petrol sniffing, taken from an advertising campaign. Credit:Twitter.

Several items in this title have caused concern with members of the public, and, as the publisher, we take their comments seriously, the statement said.

We are temporarily withholding further supply of the Junior Atlas of Indigenous Australia from today (15 February 2022) in order to ensure it undergoes a further sensitivity read.
Jetstar has cancelled all flights from Perth to other Australian capitals through March as uncertainty hangs over when Premier Mark McGowan will bring down WAs hard border, with flight prices through other companies increasing.

In a statement, Qantas Group said it had reviewed its domestic capacity settings due to the governments decision to indefinite delay the border opening.

Multiple Jetstar flights have been cancelled throughout March as WA waits on a date that state will reopen. Credit:James Davies

Though at a fraction of its pre-COVID levels, Qantas will maintain core connections between Perth and the rest of Australia, with up to 15 flights per week from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Darwin, supporting essential personnel and freight, the statement said.

The Group retains the flexibility to adjust flying levels depending on demand and clarity on border re-opening in the weeks and months ahead.
Salisbury, MD (21801)

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Sun and clouds mixed. High 68F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

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Cloudy with showers. Low 54F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Kye Parsons is the editor of WBOC.com. He came to WBOC with several years experience as an award-winning journalist on Delmarva. Prior to entering the world of multimedia, he worked as a newspaper editor and reporter. E-mail him at kparsons@wboc.com .

Follow Kye Parsons 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
The ban on school mask mandates in Virginia has parents deciding what to do with their children
OMAHA, Neb.  Lee Enterprises' effort to repel a hostile takeover got a boost this week when a judge ruled the newspaper publisher could ignore two board nominations from the hedge fund Alden Global Capital.

But Alden said it will press the fight by urging shareholders to vote against Lee Chairman Mary Junck and one other longstanding board member at the company's March 10 annual meeting.

Lee Enterprises, based in Davenport, Iowa, said Tuesday that a Delaware judge supported its decision to reject Alden's nominees because the hedge fund didn't meet Lee's technical requirements to nominate board members. Late last year, Lee rejected Alden's $141 million offer, saying that it grossly undervalues the publisher of The Citizen, along with dozens of other papers across the country, including St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Tulsa World, Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Buffalo News.

Lee urged shareholders to dismiss Alden's arguments that Junck and board member Herbert Moloney are putting their own interests ahead of what's best for shareholders.

Now that the Delaware Court of Chancery has confirmed what we knew all along  that the Lee Board made a proper decision in rejecting Aldens attempted nominations  Alden has invented entirely new, hollow governance complaints in its continuing and transparent attempt to destabilize the board and the companys leadership," a Lee spokesman said.

Alden's critics have also raised concerns about the likelihood that the New York hedge fund would impose extreme cost cuts and extensive layoffs at Lee's newspapers if it were able to buy the company. That is the model Alden has used to boost profits at the more than 200 newspapers it has already acquired, including the Boston Herald, Chicago Tribune, Orange County Register and Denver Post.

But Alden, which owns 6.3% of Lee's stock, said it is looking out for other shareholders because it believes Lee has underperformed since it bought all of Berkshire Hathaway's newspapers in 2020 and has been struggling with the transition to publishing news online.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to provide Lee with competent leadership that will improve returns for shareholders and the quality of journalism for readers, Alden said in a statement.

Alden said it questions why Lee has made payments over the last two decades to companies associated with Moloney and why the company has done business with the personal law firm owned by its corporate secretary. Lee has defended its corporate practices and said it is making solid progress in growing digital subscriptions and online ad revenue.

Alden became one of the nations largest newspaper owners in recent years by buying up all of Tribunes and MediaNews Groups publications.

Two other hedge funds that hold significant stakes in Lee have said they believe the company is worth much more than Alden offered.

Since November when Alden announced its bid, Lee's stock jumped as high as $44.43 before falling back to its current levels in the mid $30s. The stock was trading up 3% around midday Tuesday at $36.59.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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To believe in the value of a program such as the New Visions Medical Professions program offered by Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES and made available to our students at Weedsport High School, you certainly can find a prime example when looking toward their instructor, Nicole Backes. She is proof that this program can lead to remarkable things.

The program services not only students within our district, but students in the Auburn, Cato-Meridian, Jordan-Elbridge, Moravia, Port Byron, Skaneateles, Southern Cayuga and Union Springs school districts are also eligible to participate.

Much of the information within this article regarding the inner workings and logistics of the New Visions program has been provided to me by Backes, and for that I am beyond appreciative.

Currently, she is the instructor of three of our students within our high school. Those students by name are Landon Kepple, Adam OBryan and Quinn Rudick.

Backes is a graduate of the New Visions Medical Professions program as well. After graduating from high school, she received her B.S. from Syracuse University in communication sciences and disorders. She continued there and received her M.S. in speech language pathology. Thereafter, she worked in a subacute rehabilitation and long-term care facility while evaluating, diagnosing and treating individuals with speech, language, swallowing and cognitive communication disorders after they have had a history of stroke, neurological disease/disorders, dysphasia or other conditions. As current as this past fall, she taught at Syracuse as a part-time faculty member and delivered an intro course to communication sciences and disorders at the undergraduate level. If that's not enough for our heads to wrap around, she also owns a private practice, providing speech and language services in addition to all other hats that she wears.

When students enroll in the New Visions program, they receive high school credit for anatomy and physiology, health sciences and government/economics. Additionally, they have the opportunity to receive a total of 12 college credits to include freshman English I, freshman English II, effective speech/public address and medical terminology.

As stated on the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES website, New Visions is a stimulating and challenging option for college-bound high school seniors who are interested in medicine and related life sciences and who would like to learn the fundamentals about health care professions. (Cayuga-Onondaga) BOCES in cooperation with Auburn Community Hospital will provide an inside look at medical professions found in hospitals and ancillary health care facilities. Through daily involvement with various medical staff, students will learn what is required of health care professionals in the application of education to real-life situations on the job. Students will gain a better understanding of the responsibilities and professional demands of a busy technical environment and well see how working together as a team can provide quality patient care.

Backes stated that in addition to classroom instruction, for two days a week, students participate in clinical rotations at the hospital and health care facilities, while shadowing professionals at those sites.

Also, while in attendance during the clinical rotations, Backes stated that the students are able to apply what they have learned in the classroom to the situation that they observe in relation to patient care.

Backes also told me that throughout the program, the students are immersed within the professional work environment and have abundant opportunities to practice communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and networking skills.

Additionally, she told me that they have added phlebotomy training. Also impressive is the fact that the students have spent two weeks learning about infection control, proper blood draw technique, test tubes and corresponding diagnostic tests, and they have gained hands-on experience performing blood draws using both mannequins and phlebotomy equipment.

I asked Backes what happens when students graduate from the program, and she told me that they typically attend college or pursue post-secondary education.

Graduates of the program in the past have gone on to be physical therapists, nurses, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, medical doctors and dental hygienists, just to name a few.

When I asked her to provide a quote for me about the program and her students, she stated: This program serves as a wonderful bridge between high school and college. Students who participate in the program have the unique opportunity to learn in a professional environment, and this provides them with valuable information about themselves and their likes, dislikes, interests and passions before applying to college. My goal is to help students identify the passion, develop effective study and time management skills, and build strong communication skills so that they are prepared for the next step in their education.

When I asked Melinda Ervay, the assistant superintendent of curriculum in the Weedsport Central School District, about the New Visions program, she told me, The New Visions program connects our students to their community. Career exploration is an area that the Weedsport Central School District continues to grow, starting with our middle school students. As we further involve our high school programming and course offerings, we are committed to providing our students with hands-on experiences in the areas of interest as well as advanced course offerings to help them navigate college and career readiness.

Quinn Rudick, one of our New Visions students, said, My favorite part of being in the New Visions program is the new experiences. ... The opportunities to see doctors and nurses work and perform their medical knowledge firsthand. Its like being able to go behind the scenes and watch how they make decisions. Making a classroom of new friends is also something that is worthwhile. We all entered the program very shy, not knowing anyone, but within a few months, you could hear us all laughing together down the hallway!

Please note this important fact, that on Wednesday, Feb. 16, all interested juniors in any of the aforementioned districts can visit for a day to get more information about the program. Those interested juniors can contact their guidance counselor within their own school district.

A hands-on training program, readying our students for a group of professions under the health care umbrella, can only be a win-win situation for all involved, where it is beyond obvious that each and every one of us can derive the benefit from the sound tutelage of a well-versed, tremendously prepared and skilled workforce, ready to serve its mission at a moments notice.

Lynn Cheche Baker is currently a third-grade teacher within the Weedsport Central School District and is the owner and instructor of the Successful Steps Tutoring Service in Auburn. She can be reached at (315) 253-0750.

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Unity House is observing its 45th anniversary in 2022! The agency got its start in 1972 when it began offering housing services to emotionally disabled veterans. The agency leased space in the historic Case Mansion on South Street in Auburn from First Presbyterian Church. Twenty-one beds were made available to this population, and a community need was met.

Five years later, it became clear that this need was growing, and Unity House decided to expand to meet it. The agency hired its first executive director and on March 28, 1977, Unity Houses articles of incorporation were filed, making it official. In April, the agency obtained not-for-profit status, and the following year, the program was certified as a community residence by the state Department of Mental Hygiene.

While Unity House concentrated on mental health services early on, the agency now also serves people with developmental disabilities and those with substance use disorders. We began offering employment services in 1988, and housing, day habilitation and case management for the PWDD population in the early 1990s. Unity House received state funding in 1995 to open Cayuga Countys only halfway house for individuals in recovery from addiction. To date, Grace House has supported more than 2,000 people.

In 1997, Unity House was named by the state as the successor agency for HOMES, Inc. in Ithaca. This introduced the agency to Tompkins County. Today, we operate a dozen group homes (individual residential alternatives), a day habilitation center, Without Walls day services, seven respite beds and a large number of independent apartments scattered across the Ithaca area. Even though our headquarters are located in Auburn, the number of staff and people we support has surpassed those in Cayuga County.

Now in our 45th year, Unity House serves more than 1,000 individuals a day in seven central New York counties. We employ about 450 staff and administer a $25 million budget. Funding is primarily from New York state.

At the root of this success are of course the people  the wonderful people Unity House serves, partners with and employs. Over the course of four and a half decades, the agency has empowered and enriched the lives of so many, and we look forward to doing so for another 45 years.

Unity House is so grateful for the acceptance and care it receives from the many communities and people it serves. We invite our friends to help us celebrate our 45th throughout 2022. Please visit unityhouse.com to see what activities were planning! Thank you for supporting our mission.

Kelly Buck is director of marketing and development for Unity House of Cayuga County.

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...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph expected. * WHERE...Southwest Indiana, southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. * WHEN...From 9 AM this morning to 5 PM CDT this afternoon. * IMPACTS...Strong winds and rough waves on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Boaters on area lakes should use extra caution since strong winds and rough waves can overturn small craft. &&
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Seasonably mild with some sunshine to start, then becoming mostly cloudy.

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Cloudy with showers likely.

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In America, we often overdo things when preparing food. This can sometimes block out those intrinsic qualities, says Hawaiian chef Brandon Baptiste. Thats the thing I like most about working with chocolate: You really get a sense of all the complex, inherent flavors.

Based in Kapaa, a little town nestled along the base of Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mountain) in Kauai, Hawaii, Baptiste co-owns local eatery Wailua Drive In  formerly Saimin Dojo, which was featured on Guy Fieris Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. He also co-runs Wailua Shave Ice, a wildly popular business that started as a food truck in 2015 and now has a brick-and-mortar shop in Kapaa Town as well as outposts in Portland, Oregon, and San Diego, California.

Born in nearby Wailua, Baptiste grew up working in restaurants, but didnt fall in love with cooking until he stepped in to help when a kitchen worker called in sick. I was hooked! he shares. His passion for food led him to study at the Culinary Institute of America.

After honing his skills at a variety of mainland restaurants, including Per Se in New York City, Baptiste returned to his native Hawaii. Ive always loved learning about food  its details and culture. Recently it's become even more important to me to use all these things to help grow my community and its economy, he says of his return to the islands. As for local products, he says, These are some of the best foods and ingredients Ive ever worked with.

A special love for chocolate

Among Baptistes favorite pantry items are minimally processed products  like bean-to-bar Hawaiian chocolate. Im a fan of dark, single-origin chocolate, he says, likening a 70% cacao dark chocolate to a good wine.

You can get the same chocolate, with myriad flavor profiles, he points out. Baptiste is speaking of terroir, a particular regions environment, including climate and terrain, which can directly influence the taste of whats grown there.

I particularly like the ones from this area, where the cacao beans are grown, he adds, referring to the islands locally-made chocolates.

Chocolates versatility is one of my favorite things about cooking with it, Baptiste says. Here he shares three easy make-at-home recipes that you can enjoy anytime youre craving a chocolate indulgence.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Smoothie Cacao nibs give this smoothie an extra boost of chocolatey goodness (without the added sugar).
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Buffalo police have solved a train theft that was pulled off nearly three months ago when a bright orange children's amusement ride was stolen from the Western New York Railway Historical Society's Heritage Discovery Center off South Park Avenue.

At the very least, the restored antique ride  along with the 25-foot trailer it was stored in  has been returned to its rightful owners, said Steve Kocsis, the society's director of collections.

"We got the call on Saturday that they had a lead on it, and on Saturday at around 5:30 p.m., one detective or patrolman called me to let me know that he had escorted it all the way into the impound lot and we picked it up on Monday afternoon," Kocsis said.

Kocsis said police presented no details as to where the train was found, and did not say whether they had any leads on who had stolen the train and trailer during the early morning hours of Nov. 21 after breaking into the grounds of the Discovery Center on Lee Street.

"We don't have any details yet as to how, what, when or why, or if they just found the train, or if they have any clue as to who took it," Kocsis said Tuesday in a brief telephone interview with The Buffalo News.

Regardless, the return of the stolen items was good news for the operators of the Discovery Center.

"We're ecstatic about having it back. We were literally three months into this, but it was laying in the bottom of a gully someplace, covered up and never to be seen again. We had no other leads or anything. Nothing was panning out. We were pretty depressed about it," Kocsis said.

He said the current condition of the train will require some evaluation.

"It looks like it suffered some damage, because when it was in the trailer, it had not been tied down for transport and, of course, when they took it out and stole it, they didn't tie it down. So it rattled around," Kocsis said.

"So there might be some cosmetic damage to it that we have to iron out. There's a hole in the trailer where they might have backed into something. They spray-painted all the markings on the trailer to try and hide the brand name of what it was, and make it a little less obvious for anybody looking for it. So they did some damage," he added.

Kocsis said the society has scheduled a train and toy show for Feb. 26 and 27 at the Hamburg Fairgrounds, and has initiated a fundraiser to help pay for repairs to the damaged ride.

"We're starting to try and raise money to build like a little engine house for it. So it would be stored on the property inside a little storage building. It's not going to have wheels on it. We don't know the final design yet, but we think it's going to cost $12,000 to $15,000 to try and do this, and make it part of the operating train setup here so that we can start it up, pull it out and run it for the kids and put it away at night," Kocsis said.

The 50-foot-long train, which was built in 1957 by Railmaster  a Buffalo company  was restored in 2009. It had previously been set up at the organization's depots in Orchard Park and Williamsville.

The railway society is planning on making it a permanent exhibit at the Discovery Center, Kocsis said.

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The price of a litre of petrol has increased significantly from Pakistani Rupees 82 in 2014, to nearly 160 in 2022.

Petrol and diesel prices in Pakistan have been shooting skywards, with the petrol price becoming costlier by Pakistani Rupees 12 a litre and diesel by Pakistani Rupees 9.53 per litre. The Pakistan government has significantly hiked fuel prices across the country.

(Also Read: UK automakers seek independent regulator to oversee electric-vehicle infra push)

This also resulted in doubling the petrol price since 2014. According to a report by news agency ANI, a litre of petrol in the neighbouring country now costs Pakistani Rupees 159.86 a litre, up from 147.82 per litre. Similarly, a litre of high-speed diesel costs Pakistani Rupees 154.15, up from 144.62 per litre.

The price of a litre of petrol has increased significantly from Pakistani Rupees 82 in 2014, to nearly 160 in 2022. The petrol price has nearly doubled in less than a decade, even as crude oil prices have stayed on similar lines. The value of one Pakistan Rupee currently equals 0.43 Indian Rupees.

This comes at a time, when the fuel price across the country is expected to increase substantially owing to the cruise oil price soaring in the international market because of the geopolitical tension in Europe, between Ukraine and Russia.

In India however, prices of petrol and diesel remain unchanged for more than 100 days since November 4 last year. The Indian government last year around Diwali announced an excise duty cut for both petrol and diesel, significantly bringing down the cost of both motor fuels across the country. Subsequently, several state governments too announced a reduction in their respective value-added tax (VAT) on both petrol and diesel.

However, with the state assembly elections over and crude oil prices rising in the international market an upward rally in India could be a possibility.

First Published Date:
Press Release

February 16, 2022 Pangilinan: Good, quality food to entice more Boracay tourists, help sustain farmers, fishers BORACAY ISLAND, AKLAN, FEB. 16 -- Vice presidential candidate Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Wednesday said affordable and quality food will entice more tourists to visit Boracay Island and help sustain businesses and livelihood of the people. Pangilinan said this is possible if government will bolster support to farmers and fishers to improve their catch and production. "Mahalaga ang isda, pagkain lalo na sa tourism area. Masarap ang pagkain ng Pilipino pero bakit hindi kayang bilhin?" he said in a visit to the island, dubbed as one of the world's best beaches. "Hindi binibigyan ng importansya ang magsasaka, kaya kulang ang suplay, mahal ang presyo ng pagkain. Kaya ang ating panawagan, 'Hello pagkain, goodbye gutom'," Pangilinan added. Majority of the farmers and fishers in Aklan province are marketing their produce to Boracay, which has since welcomed tourists anew after months in lockdown due to Covid-19. Pangilinan said farmers need significant intervention to help them cope with natural disasters and rising prices of commodities they need in production and transportation such as oil. At the Senate, he has consistently pushed to provide farmers subsidy to ease the impact of oil price spikes. He also proposed a crop insurance program to shield them from the ravages of calamities. Pangilinan also wants the establishment of agricultural pension for farmers and fisherfolk to provide them substantial and reliable source of income security and retirement benefits. The people in the fringes of society (laylayan) will get priority if the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem makes it in the May elections, the senator said. Pangilinan compared the Philippine society to a basket or bayong that is already too burdened and heavy that lifting it up from the top may no longer work. "Parang bayong na ginagamit natin sa pamamalengke, mabigat at puno na, kaya hindi natin pwedeng bitbitin sa itaas dahil masisira lang. Ano'ng dapat gawin, saluhin natin mula sa ilalim, doon natin buhatin," he said. Social media lies Pangilinan also called on social media users to be more discerning especially as the campaign period heats up. He warned of lies and fakes spreading in various social media platforms that could sway voters' beliefs. He said netizens should verify what they see and should look at the track record of the candidates. "Kung alam natin ang totoo, guguho ang kasinungalingan sa social media," he said. On the light side, Pangilinan said Boracay was memorable for him as it was during his visit in the island in March 1994 for a conference when actress Sharon Cuneta first sent a message that she misses him. "After 10 days, kami na. Ang hangin sa Boracay, may magic," he said.
AirAsia Aviation group plans to launch a 100-strong fleet of electric flying taxis, as it aims to start an air ride-sharing service in Southeast Asia. The aviation group on Wednesday has said that it will lease at least 100 flying taxis from Avolon.

(Also Read: Electric air taxis aims for takeoff in Singapore by 2024)

The company will use Avolon Vertical Aerospace VX4 aircraft as flying taxis for its air ride-hailing service. The company has also said that its first VX4 test flight is expected to take place in April this year. The two companies have already signed a non-binding deal for this flying taxi lease program.

A Reuters report claims that Avolon ordered 500 units of VX4 aircraft from Vertical Aerospace last year and has since placed 90 per cent of them with AirAsia, Japan Airlines and Brazil's Gol and Grupo Comporte.

The VX4 electric aircraft can vertically take off and land anywhere, making them capable of flying in urban space as air taxis. They come with a helicopter-like crew and passenger pod and six sets of twin-blade rotors.

Vertical Aerospace claims that its VX4 aircraft can carry a payload of 250 kg. The company also claims that these aircraft come with a powerful battery pack that sends energy to all the rotors. The VX4 aircraft can fly at a top speed of 80 kmph, claims the manufacturer. Just like a conventional helicopter, it can hover at a place as well.

These aircraft can carry up to four passengers and one pilot. It is claimed to have a flying range of more than 160 km on a single charge.

Speaking about its service, Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia parent Capital A, said that commercial operations of these flying taxis could start by 2025, with regulators in Malaysia and Singapore likely to approve operations far more quickly than in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

He also said that the air ride-sharing services would be bookable through AirAsia's mobile app and offered at an accessible price point, just as the budget carrier had done for its regular flights. He further added that the company aims to make this service accessible for all.

First Published Date:
If a musical were to be judged solely on its actual music, then Broken Wings would be something of a triumph. Dana Al Fardan and Nadim Naaman's lush, haunting melodies swoop and soar, evoking the fragrant warmth of the Middle East, irresistibly channeling drama, romance and loss through the strings, reeds and percussion of Joe Davison's delicate but stirring orchestrations. Musically at least, this is a ravishingly lovely score.

Elsewhere though, this adaptation of Khalil Gibran's ambitious 1912 poetic novel, a doomed love story ahead of its time with its questioning of religious authority and progressive attitude to women's rights, feels like a watchable, if not always coherent, hybrid of operetta and those humourless sub-Les Mis epics that periodically popped up in the West End back in the 80s and 90s. It's ironic that a show based on such ground-breaking source material comes over as so determinedly old-fashioned.

The journey of Broken Wings to full production has been by way of a number of semi-staged concert versions and one wonders if that still might be the most satisfying way to experience it. In a concert, it's possible to get swept away by the majesty of the music and the bravura vocal performances while turning a blind eye to the anything-for-a-rhyme lyrics and lack of character depth and development. In a fully realised iteration, there's no escaping the heavy-handed similes and metaphors, weighing down almost every utterance like over-ripe fruit (see, even I'm at it now) and the baldly uninspired storytelling.

Gregor Donnelly's attractive saffron and earth coloured scenic design and Bronagh Lagan's traverse staging conjure up cosmopolitan, turn of the 20th century Beirut, establishing it as a civilised metropolis every bit the equal of its more familIar (to us) European counterparts of the time. Both set and blocking suffer from an over-literalness though that stops the story from taking enchanted wing. Despite the extensive use of a revolve, there's a lot of rushing from one side of the stage to the other during impassioned ballads, presumably just so that both sides of the audience get sufficient face time with whichever character is singing/emoting.

If the acting is solid throughout, Naaman's rather flat book, which tends to quote Gibran rather than try to find a way to give him a distinctive theatrical voice, doesn't really require much more than that. The singing, however, is outstanding. The music may be wonderfully easy listening for us in the audience but it's demanding, rangy and full throttle for the performers. They all acquit themselves magnificently. Naaman himself and Lucca Chadwick-Patel as older and younger versions of Gibran sing with power, sweetness and sensitivity, matched by Noah Sinigaglia's rather beautiful turn as their beloved. Ayesha Patel is another thrilling voice as Gibran's spirited childhood friend, who also provides what precious little comedy relief there is.

Arguably the best song, a rousing, spine-tingling anthem entitled "Spirit Of The Earth", goes to a minor character (an underused Soophia Foroughi) but is the one moment when the earnestness of the source material and the unbridled joy of musical theatre at its most exhilarating, entirely coalesce. If it sounds like something that might have won Eurovision in a particularly strong year, it's a real ear worm and Foroughi gives it full mellifluous diva power, backed up by a chorus of glorious voices.

Musically more immediately accessible than David Yazbek's Tony-winning score The Band's Visit perhaps, and certainly more authentic than Stephen Schwartz's epic tunes for The Prince Of Egypt, Broken Wings joins a lamentably small selection of musicals that tell Middle Eastern stories on Western stages. Despite being dramatically undernourished as a piece of theatre, the unique combination of bombast and delicacy in the music lingers long in the heart and mind afterwards. I suspect it'll divide people, but that its most staunch supporters will be vociferous.
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty will return this winter, it has been revealed.

Opening a festive tour at Theatre Royal Plymouth on 12 November 2022, the production will visit The Lowry, Salford before a seven-week season at Sadler's Wells (where it was first seen a decade ago), a staple part of the much-celebrated theatre's annual programme. Further tour dates for 2023 and casting are to be announced shortly.

Bourne said today: "Ten years ago, I fulfilled a long-held ambition to complete the trilogy of Tchaikovsky ballets following my Nutcracker! in 1992 and Swan Lake in 1995. It's no secret that this particular ballet was a daunting task and one that I approached with trepidation.

"It did, however, turn out to be a richly rewarding experience with the entire creative team on glorious form and, in my opinion, it remains one of New Adventures greatest achievements. I look forward to new generations of dancers rising to the varied challenges of this much-loved production and bringing its magic back to audiences throughout the UK."

The production will mark the return of a number of New Adventures collaborators including Lez Brotherston (set and costumes), Paule Constable (lighting) and Paul Groothuis (sound design).
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AT HOME CREATIONS: Lauren Demby at work in her home studio, which can be seen by appointment.

Lauren Demby has lived in Montana for less than three years, but upon entering her art studio and store, Montana's influence is everywhere.

From her nature photography of landscapes and wildlife to her gemstone enhanced jewelry, and shelves lined with rock formations, with probably 10 other art forms in between, here in Montana Lauren has found her physical and spiritual home.

Lauren's nature photography began while she lived in Florida, where she'd visit different places and be inspired by what she saw, increasing as she ventured further west, where the scenery, sunsets, and wildlife sparked her artistic interest.

"I arrived in Montana at the end of June 2019, now I'm trying to capture more of the wildlife around here, the bears, wolves, pronghorn, and sandhill cranes," she said. "I'm trying to get much more of a feel for that."

In her art studio, her images are displayed as matted photographs in all sizes, note cards, magnets, and large mugs adorned with 360-degree scenes of nature and wildlife.

A home with the view of mountains was a must in Lauren's property search and the site of her home now gives her mountains, rocks, and stones in every direction, materials she came to appreciate more and more and led to her use of gemstones in her jewelry. When the pandemic hit, Lauren set aside photography temporarily and her concentration drifted to what else she could do that she'd also love.

Jewelry fills that need and her inventory includes around eight different kinds of bracelets, from simple tie-on cord bracelets, dangles, and cuff bracelets to elasticized strings of stones. Add different types of earrings, necklaces, sterling silver adjustable rings with different gemstones, headbands, hatbands, hair sticks, bookmarks, and the very popular sun catchers, and it becomes clear that Lauren Demby's art studio has something for everyone.

"I like to use charms as decoration and embellishment in my jewelry; both gemstones and metals shapes," Demby said. "I use many that are tied to the area, including bears, wolves and cranes, and different themes like western, rancher, farmer, guns, deer, cattle and bull heads."

Along with using local gemstones, Demby also imports from around the world, wanting the opportunity to show people gemstones they might not otherwise see, such as stones from Madagascar and Russia. She becomes completely immersed, learning their names, nicknames, and the energies they contain and give off to help in certain situations and times. She enjoys researching specific gemstones and matching them to an individual.

"Sometimes people come and hold a gemstone in their hands and what they leave with is totally different from what they initially were looking for," she said. "A lot of people use the phrase it spoke to me."

Amethyst is one of her most-requested stones and Lauren carries it in many different forms and colors, from almost white, pink, red and very dark purple to black, the colors dependent on the many different regions of the world each originate from, and each one carries a slightly different significance.

Also popular are clear and rose quartz and green malachite from Madagascar. Auralite 23 is formed from 23 different gems mixed together and only found in one place in the world, while moldavite was formed where a meteor hit. With Lauren, each gemstone contains a learning experience.

In her studio, she also displays rock spheres, sold on different types of stands, raw rock as found in nature, towers, and formations carved into shapes.

Running a home-based business suits Lauren and keeps her productive, allowing her to work safely and comfortably from her home, anytime day or night, always surrounded by her mountains. She can carry her "art" tray anywhere in the house, even while watching television with her husband Craig.

Lauren invites people to follow and work with her via Facebook or text and is happy to fill special orders and ship anywhere. She's also a regular vendor at the Whitehall Farmers Market.

Though a recent Montana resident, she credits this area with providing what she needs to continue to create, being happiest when new ideas come to her.

Photos courtesy MARTA VARELA - WHITEHALL LEDGER AT HOME CREATIONS: Lauren Demby at work in her home studio, which can be seen by appointment.

"There was something about Montana that took me heart and soul and it's my place now," she said. "It's the first place I've lived that just isn't a house, it's my home and where I belong."

Photography and jewelry intermingle as her creative outlets. Though her major source of business is her jewelry, photography remains important to her, it gets her going, inspires her and she describes it as her window to the world. Equally important are her ties with her community and encouraging repeat client connections.

"People often comment on my pricing, which is reasonable. I'm not going to make money and wipe out a person's budget on one or two items," Demby said. "I want people to come back to me again and again and I want a following so I give them the best deal possible."

For more information: 561-602-7278, dembyfam@aol.com, Facebook.com/LaurenDembyPhotography, http://www.facebook.com/dembyfam, Fb.me/LaurenDembyJewelry.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas EV startup, Li Autos suspected Chongqing manufacturing base project was coming to light when the automaker purchased a land site in Chongqing.

Photo credit: Li Auto



According to Chongqings municipal website of public resource trading, Chongqing Chezhiyu Automobile Industry Co., Ltd., secured the No. A16-8 land site in Liangjiang New District, Chongqing, for roughly RMB431 million ($68.03 million) on January 27th, 2022.

The lands buyer is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Li Auto. Insiders of the auto industry deducted that the land purchase signifies Li Autos step towards building the rumored Chongqing manufacturing base. A local media outlet sought confirmation from Li Auto, and the automaker said no comment.

Early on, on December 15th, 2021, Li Auto has inked a strategic partnership framework agreement with the municipal government of Chongqing. At the time, the founder and CEO of Li Auto, Li Xiang, expressed that the company would play to its advantages, and further expand its investment in the city, to cement the relationship.

Currently, Li Auto has two manufacturing bases in China, one in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, and another in Beijing undergoing reconstruction.

The Changzhou base takes up 750 acres of land, with a designed yearly production capacity of 100,000 vehicles. In 2021, Li Auto sold 90,491 vehicles in total, merely getting by with its only operational factory. Nonetheless, it is reported that the Changzhou factory will be welcoming a new workshop soon, with another 100,000-vehicle designed capacity.

Meanwhile, the carmakers Beijing factory is originally known as the Beijing Hyundai first factory. The reconstruction of the factory consists of 270,000 square meters of area, with a post-reconstruction production capacity of 100,000 vehicles per year. The factory is said to be used for battery-electric vehicles, with an estimated opera
Willmar, MN (56201)

Today

Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon. High near 55F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 36F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas commercial vehicle autonomous driving developer, Trunk.Tech has completed its Series B financing round led by BAIC Capital, the venture capital of BAIC Group, the tech company announced on February 16th.

Photo credit: Trunk.Tech

The funding will help Trunk.Tech push its business development in the digital, intelligent, and autonomous commercial vehicle field, producing mass-producible intelligent logistic solutions for the companys clients.

As a devoted autonomous driving technology developer, Trunk.Tech provides advanced L4 autonomous truck technology and transportation service. The company has been synergizing with the industry in order to form an inclusive new-generation AI logistic network in China. Up to now, Trunk.Techs efforts were rewarded by multiple capital ventures from leading AI, logistics, and automotive enterprises, namely, iFlytek, Hidden Hill Capital, NIO, Bosch, and many others.

Business-wise, building on the in-house developed Trunk Master L4 autonomous driving software/hardware system, Trunk.Tech was able to launch multiple production-ready autonomous driving trucks, leading commercialization.

Trunk.Techs technology has been implemented in various domestic intelligent logistics hub projects, with more than one hundred driverless heavy-duty trucks. As of now, the company has achieved normalized operations without a safety operator onboard in many significant ports in China.

Meanwhile, Trunk.Tech has formed a trunkline autonomous driving truck fleet with dozens of vehicles, providing transportation services on designated lines with major logistics companies, including JD Logistics, Deppon Express, STO Express, and others. Currently, the company and its partners have accumulated over 1.5 million kilometers of transportation mileage.
The mask debate will eventually cease, but the discourse over offering remote learning on a permanent basis could have a far greater impact on Connecticut education.

Many educators recognize that this emergency learning technique presents possibilities no one was considering before the pandemic arrived two years ago.

The Connecticut education department is expected to give districts the option of offering remote learning for high schoolers as early as this fall. It also left a door open to future expansion to lower grades.

Some districts are not likely to embrace any form of remote learning. It raises memories of the early days of COVID-19, possible blowback from unions and an invisible wall between students.

It comes at a time when local districts are preparing budgets for the next school year. Some will lean on the reasoning that its already too late to factor in virtual learning. Others will recognize the possibilities of saving costs, along with increasing educational options for students.

The task force that explored the issue recognizes the potential of remote learning to address several big picture issues.

Just do the math. A shortage of teachers fluent in a given topic eliminates student options in some districts.

Or just do the geography. Districts can help one another. Thats a foreign concept in Connecticut, which stubbornly clings to local control (Dariens resistance to hosting a few students from Norwalk is merely an extreme recent example).

Lets say Old Saybrook and Waterford want to work together on world language, and ones offering Arabic, ones offering Mandarin, Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendent Fran Rabinowitz said. The children in Old Saybrook can remote into Waterford and vice versa, correct?

The correct answer should be Yes. Making our classrooms (virtually) larger can make the world smaller. The official answer is that such decisions will be left to school boards, many of which have a hard enough time agreeing on local issues, let alone considering the perspectives of neighbors.

State officials are pondering aspirational visions that could benefit students and districts alike. One of the most glaring drawbacks to virtual learning is the challenge of dividing the attention of educators. But task force members are in the early stages of considering the feasibility of a statewide online K-12 school.

Rabinowitz suggested superintendents are expressing curiosity about such collaborations. Special education, for example, is a challenge in every district given the expense of services. Theres no reason not to consider sharing resources for students with disabilities.

And, of course, theres also the benefit of getting more cars off Connecticut roads.

There are drawbacks to virtual learning, as so many students and parents experienced during the pandemic. Engagement, technical challenges and social isolation are just a sample of such challenges.

But the pandemic may also have revealed a path to transforming education. Fight all you want over masks, but dont let them block the view of a bigger picture.
Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 70F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving overnight. Low 56F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Prime Planet Energy & Solutions (PPES), a battery joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Panasonic Corporation, is working on ramping up its production capacity of automotive batteries in China to meet global automakers' demands for power batteries amid their rapid increase in electric vehicle outputs, according to a report Nikkei's Chinese website released today.

Photo credit: PPES



The report revealed PPES has started building the third plant of its battery manufacturing base in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian since February 2022.

In 2021, PPES ramped up the battery manufacturing capacity at its Dalian base to supply another 400,000 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) annually. Besides, the company is looking to produce batteries for around 500,000 HEVs per year in Japan's Tokushima and for 80,000 all-electric vehicles per year in Hyogo.

Toyota aims to sell 3.5 million battery electric vehicles globally in 2030 and market 30 different electric models.

We wish to be able to supply most of the batteries Toyota demands to achieve the EV sales target, said PPES' President and CEO Hiroaki Koda.

PPES is also on a mission to reduce the costs of prismatic lithium-ion batteries by 65% to 70% by 2025 as it believes that lower prices are necessary to electrification.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  A judge in Florida on Wednesday agreed with a request from the family of comedian Bob Saget and temporarily prohibited the release of any photos, video or other records related to the investigation into his death, saying that doing so would cause them irreparable harm.

FILE - Bob Saget arrives at a screening of "MacGruber" on Dec. 8, 2021, in Los Angeles. Saget's family has released a statement on the cause of his death last month in Florida, citing authorities saying the actor-comedian died from an accidental blow to the head. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  A judge in Florida on Wednesday agreed with a request from the family of comedian Bob Saget and temporarily prohibited the release of any photos, video or other records related to the investigation into his death, saying that doing so would cause them irreparable harm.

Saget's wife, Kelly Rizzo, and his three daughters filed a lawsuit the previous day in Orlando, Florida, asking the state judge for a ruling that would prohibit the release of any records from the local medical examiner's office and the Orange County Sheriff's Office involving the probe into Saget's death.

Circuit Judge Vincent Chiu issued the temporary injunction, saying that Saget's family would suffer "severe mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress" if the request wasn't granted. He said the injunction was in the public's interest as he decides whether the family's privacy concerns outweigh any claims for the records to be released.

Saget, 65, was found dead Jan. 9 in a room at the Ritz Carlton in Orlando. He had performed in the area the night before as part of a stand-up tour.

The medical examiner said last week that Saget had died from an accidental blow to the head, likely from a backwards fall. An autopsy report showed that Saget had an abrasion on his scalp, a fracture at the base of his skull, fractures around his eye sockets, bleeding between the brain and tissue covering the brain as well as bruises to the brain. A toxicology analysis didnt show any illicit drugs or toxins in Sagets body.

During the course of the autopsy and death investigation, the medical examiner's office and sheriff's office created graphic videos and photos of Saget's body, as well as audio recordings. Such records are prohibited by state law from being released publicly, but some media outlets have already filed requests for them, according to the family's lawsuit.

"Plaintiffs will suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress if Defendants release the Records in response to public records requests or otherwise disseminate the records for any other reason or purpose," their complaint said.

Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Under a Florida law passed following the death of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt two decades ago, records related to autopsies are required to be kept confidential, with only surviving family members or a government agency as part of its official duties allowed to view them.

However, "upon a showing of good cause," a court can allow the records to be viewed or copied under the supervision of the records' custodian. In allowing the records to be viewed, a judge must consider whether it's necessary to evaluate governmental performance and the seriousness of the intrusion into the family's privacy, among other criteria, according to the law.

"No legitimate public interest would be served by the release or dissemination of the records to the public," said the lawsuit by Saget's family.

Saget was best known for his role as beloved single dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom "Full House" and as the wisecracking host of "Americas Funniest Home Videos." He was buried in Los Angeles.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
HALIFAX - The search for 12 crew members lost after a Spanish fishing boat sank off the coast of Newfoundland Tuesday has been called off as hopes of finding any more survivors dwindle.

A view from a search aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland is shown in a handout photo. Search and rescue efforts continue today for the remaining 11 missing members of a Spanish fishing boat that sank off the eastern coast of St. Johns early Tuesday morning. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre **MANDATORY CREDIT**

HALIFAX - The search for 12 crew members lost after a Spanish fishing boat sank off the coast of Newfoundland Tuesday has been called off as hopes of finding any more survivors dwindle.

Lt.-Cmdr. Brian Owens, spokesperson of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax, said Wednesday all search and rescue assets were returning to base, and civilian vessels have been released from their obligation to assist in the effort.

"Its a hard call to make for a search reduction," Owens said in an interview. "Everybody still wants to go, but the realities have to lead us in a different direction." A total of 21 crew members are either confirmed dead or missing at sea.

The Villa de Pitanxo, which operated out of northwest Spain's Galicia region, sank in the dark early Tuesday, tossing its 24 crew members into icy seas. Three men were rescued and the bodies of nine others have been found in the debris site about 460 kilometres east of St. John's, N.L.

Owens said the teams searched about 900 square nautical miles around the site, but high winds and 10-metre seas hampered the search. The sinking is now under the jurisdiction of the RCMP as a missing persons at sea case, Owens added.

The rescue centre had originally reported late Tuesday that 10 bodies had been recovered, but it said Wednesday there had been an error in the count, and there are nine confirmed deaths.

The crew on the 50-metre vessel included 16 Spaniards, five Peruvians and three Ghanaians, according to Spain's maritime rescue service. Spanish news agency EFE reported that the survivors are the ship's captain, Juan Padin, his nephew Eduardo Rial and an unidentified sailor from Ghana.

Owens said the three survivors remain on a second Spanish vessel, which was nearby when the Villa de Pitanxo sank and rescued them from a life-raft on Tuesday. He did not have information on their medical condition.

"I am relieved because I know that both are alive, but I am also very sad for their comrades," Gloria Padin, the mother of Eduardo and the sister of Juan, told Spanish state broadcaster TVE.

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Spain's parliament held a minute of silence at the opening of Wednesday's session for the fishermen, while northwest Galicia, which has a strong fishing industry, declared three days of mourning.

"We are talking about people who knew how to sail, they are professionals, good captains and excellent sailors. So they must have been in very difficult seas," said Galician regional president Alberto Nunez Feijoo.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2022.

 With files from The Associated Press.

---

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
WASHINGTON - Viable alternatives to Line 5 already exist if the controversial cross-border pipeline gets shut down, says a new report from an Canadian environmental group looking to bridge the ideological gulf in the public debate over North America's continuing dependence on fossil fuels.

This June 2020 photo, shot from a television screen provided by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy shows damage to anchor support EP-17-1 on the east leg of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline within the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy via AP

WASHINGTON - Viable alternatives to Line 5 already exist if the controversial cross-border pipeline gets shut down, says a new report from an Canadian environmental group looking to bridge the ideological gulf in the public debate over North America's continuing dependence on fossil fuels.

The report, commissioned and released Wednesday by the Toronto-based group Environmental Defence, recommends upgrading Enbridge Inc.'s new Line 78 pipeline to handle the bulk of the energy Line 5 currently delivers to Ontario and Quebec, as well as several Midwestern states.

"I recognize the threat that Line 5 really does pose and I'm aware of all the factors at play that really do set us up for an ecological disaster in the making," said Michelle Woodhouse, the group's water program manager and one of the co-authors of the report.

But Woodhouse said it's equally clear that North America currently lacks the extensive infrastructure it would take in order to immediately end Canada's dependence on oil and gas and replace it with renewable energy sources.

"We don't have all of that set up to completely shut down every pipeline right now," but the report provides options that would allow Line 5 to be closed with minimal impact, she said.

"I just wanted the public to know what the actual data says about our true dependence on this pipeline, and see if there was a viable way to shut it down that didn't have to compromise between protecting the Great Lakes and meeting our present-day crude oil needs."

Critics of Line 5, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, want the pipeline shut down immediately for fear of a looming ecological disaster where it crosses beneath the Straits of Mackinac, an environmentally sensitive shipping lane that links Lake Huron with Lake Michigan.

Proponents call Line 5 a vital and indispensable source of energy, especially propane, for several Midwestern states, including Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It is also a key source of feedstock for critical refineries on the northern side of the border, including those that supply jet fuel to some of Canada's busiest airports.

Line 78 extends across the southern part of the state to link Sarnia, Ont., with junctions in northwestern Indiana at the southernmost tip of Lake Michigan, where it connects with existing lines from Superior, Wisc., where Line 5 originates. It was completed in 2015 as a replacement upgrade for Line 6B, best known as the pipeline that spilled 3.1 million litres of oil into Michigan's Kalamazoo River in 2010.

The report makes a case for upgrading Line 78 even further to carry the bulk of Line 5's crude-oil load, while the remainder  a best-case estimate of 119,000 barrels per day  could be handled by additional rail or marine tanker capacity, with only a minimal impact on the environment.

"The closure of Line 5 is inevitable  either through court order or due to a rupture," the report says, noting that either outcome would lead to energy shortages throughout the myriad regions and facilities that depend on it for energy.

"A better solution is a planned shutdown where Enbridge, the refineries and governments sort out how best to meet demand without Line 5. What this report clearly demonstrates is that options exist."

Enbridge, however, insists that's not the case.

Line 78 is already operating at full capacity serving other customers, the company said in a statement, adding that only two of the pipelines in its Mainline network  Line 5 is one  can handle the natural gas liquids that are used to make the propane that comprises nearly half the demand in Michigan alone.

"Enbridge's Mainline system is at capacity and is regularly apportioned  or oversubscribed," the statement said.

"The one thing proved by this misguided plan is that a shutdown of Line 5 would have a significant and immediate impact on the region's energy supply, businesses and hard-working families in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Canada's two largest provinces. It makes no sense."

The report says the two sections that comprise Line 78 are currently able to carry 570,000 and 500,000 barrels of oil per day, but could be upgraded to capacities of 800,000 and 525,000 respectively  what the report describes as the "ultimate design" scenario.

Line 5, by comparison, has a maximum daily capacity of 540,000 barrels, although neither pipeline is currently operating at full strength, the report notes. "This means spare capacity already exists within Line 78 to largely make up for the closure of Line 5."

The report says in the "constrained" Line 78 scenario, a Line 5 closure would leave a shortfall of 255,000 barrels per day to be made up elsewhere, while the shortfall shrinks to 119,000 barrels under the expanded-capacity model.

It estimates that two to three additional trains on routes already transporting oil could handle that additional 119,000 barrels, as could a single additional marine tanker. And it projects a nominal increase in the price of gasoline: 1.8 cents per litre.

Enbridge, however, insists that it would take too long to develop and obtain approval for the necessary increases  a conclusion already reached by Michigan's own energy task force. And it makes a point of emphasizing the environmental impact of adding trains, trucks and tankers to the network.

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The plan, they argue, "would put the environment at risk as it would burn more fuel to transport energy, clog critical roads and rail lines and create unnecessary energy dislocations while raising prices."

Martin Meyers, an independent energy analyst and 40-year veteran of the industry on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border who helped in compiling the report, said the capacity numbers are based on the company's own data, submitted to regulators in 2013 as part of the process of replacing Line 6B.

The historic data for deliveries of crude oil and natural gas liquids to Sarnia are for the combined volumes shipped on both Line 5 and Line 78, he added.

As for the problem of natural gas liquids, there is already plenty of natural gas production and refining capacity in the region south of the border to more than meet that demand, Meyers said: "There's a significant resource that is being produced, and with growing volume."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2022.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version said the report did not take into account Line 78's actual shipping volumes.
NEW YORK (AP)  A former top banker at Goldman Sachs testified Wednesday that he and other corrupt executives at the firm built a house of cards that was doomed to fall to try to conceal an audacious scheme to ransack a Malaysian state investment fund.

FILE - Roger Ng arrives to court for jury selection in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. A federal jury in Brooklyn will hear opening statements Monday, Feb. 14 in the corruption trial of the former Goldman Sachs executive charged in the multibillion-dollar ransacking of a Malaysian state investment fund. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  A former top banker at Goldman Sachs testified Wednesday that he and other corrupt executives at the firm built a house of cards that was doomed to fall to try to conceal an audacious scheme to ransack a Malaysian state investment fund.

In his first day on the witness stand at a New York City trial, Tim Leissner told the jury he paid bribes, took kickbacks and lied to banks to keep the scheme going. Leissner identified Roger Ng, whos on trial in the federal case, as a key conspirator.

Leissner testified that he, Ng and Low Taek Jho  the Malaysian financier and fugitive socialite known as Jho Low  used off-shore accounts and shell companies to disguise the flow of funds. The money laundering efforts also involved drawing up fake contracts with banks, he said.

If we told any bank the truth, it wouldnt work.  The house of cards would have fallen down, he said.

Leissner said Low had decision-making authority for the 1MDB state investment fund in a bond transaction considered the biggest in Goldman Sachs history  another aspect of the business dealings he had to hide because of Lows questionable reputation.

Whenever asked about Low, Leissner said, I lied outright and said no, he was not involved.

He also described a dinner in London around 2012 where Low informed he and Eg they would be receiving kickbacks. Leissner said he knew that would be illegal, but didnt care because if the deal went through he would be a hero at Goldman Sachs.

Ng, he added, was particularly glad he was going to be paid some money because he felt the firm had undercompensated him over the years.

The trial will be on a break until Tuesday, when Leissner is expected to resume his testimony.

Leissner, 52, pleaded guilty in 2018 to paying millions of dollars in bribes to government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi. He was ordered to forfeit $43.7 million as part of his guilty plea and agreed to testify against Ng.

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Ngs defense attorneys have described the looting of $4.5 billion from the 1MDB state investment fund as perhaps the single largest heist in the history of the world. But they contend U.S. prosecutors scapegoated Ng for corporate-wide failures at Goldman that enabled the colossal fraud orchestrated by superiors like Leissner.

Federal prosecutors allege Ng pocketed $35 million in secret kickbacks and conspired to launder pilfered funds through the U.S. financial system. They say he also deleted personal email accounts to cover his tracks.

A former head of investment banking in Malaysia, Ng is the only Goldman banker to stand trial in the 1MDB scandal. The 49-year-old has pleaded not guilty to three counts, including conspiring to launder money and violating an anti-bribery law.

The embezzlement bankrolled lavish spending on jewels, art, a superyacht and luxury real estate. The spoils even helped finance Hollywood movies, including the 2013 Leonardo DiCaprio film The Wolf of Wall Street.

Low, who maintains his innocence, became well known in the New York City and Los Angeles club scenes. In 2012, he threw a lavish 31st birthday bash attended by DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and other celebrities  a fete described by The Wall Street Journal as the wildest party (Las) Vegas ever saw.

A Goldman Sachs subsidiary admitted knowingly and willfully conspiring to violate U.S. anti-bribery laws, agreeing to pay more than $2.9 billion. The penalties included roughly $600 million in profits Goldman made off the 1MDB scandal. That came on top of $3.9 billion Goldman paid Malaysia.
BERLIN (AP)  Germany's leaders on Wednesday announced plans to end most of the country's coronavirus restrictions by March 20, a decision that coincided with moves by neighboring Austria and Switzerland to drop many of their curbs sooner.

A doctor vaccinates an employee of MKT Krankentransport OHG in a mobile vaccination station at Wettersteinplatz in Munich, Germany, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Mobile vaccination station change the location in the city every day and offer vaccination against the coronavirus to citizen. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

BERLIN (AP)  Germany's leaders on Wednesday announced plans to end most of the country's coronavirus restrictions by March 20, a decision that coincided with moves by neighboring Austria and Switzerland to drop many of their curbs sooner.

A three-step plan was endorsed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the country's 16 state governors as official figures show Germany's COVID-19 infection rate beginning to drift downward.

"The peak has now probably been reached," Scholz said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lifts a thumb prior to the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (Kay Nietfeld/DPA via AP, Pool)

The easing is to start with scrapping rules that prevented people without proof of vaccination or recovery from visiting nonessential stores and the lifting of limits on private gatherings of vaccinated people.

Beginning on March 4, requirements to enter restaurants and bars will be relaxed, with a negative test sufficing rather than, as in many areas at present, proof of vaccination or recovery plus a test or a booster shot.

And remaining "far-reaching" restrictions are to be dropped on March 20, Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said. But Scholz said that mask-wearing and distancing requirements will remain in place.

Germany saw infections caused by the highly contagious omicron variant surge later than in several other European countries. Officials have attributed this to the restrictions that have been in place since December.

But other countries, including neighboring Denmark, also have moved faster to lift restrictions, and there have been growing calls for Germany to follow suit. Earlier Wednesday, Austria announced that it will drop most of its restrictions on March 5 and Switzerland said most of its curbs will go this week.

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Germany's national disease control center has reported several days of slight drops in the country's infection rate, though it remains far above pre-omicron levels.

As Germany moves toward easing its latest restrictions, prospects of a vaccine mandate for all adults appear to be receding. Scholz came out in favor of such a mandate just before he became chancellor in December, but his three-party coalition is divided on the issue and he left it to parliament to come up with proposals.

At present, it's unclear when lawmakers will vote on legislation and what if any kind of mandate would muster a majority.

Even already-approved legislation requiring health sector workers to present proof of vaccination or recovery by mid-March has run into difficulties, although Germanys highest court last week refused to temporarily block its implementation.

___

Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  Former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke misused his position to advance a development project in his Montana hometown and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement, according to a report from federal investigators released Wednesday.

FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2018 file photo, then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke speaks at EPA headquarters in Washington. Government investigators say Zinke misused his position to advance a development project in his Montana hometown and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement. The Interior Department's inspector general said in a report made public Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, that Zinke continued working with a foundation on the commercial project in the community of Whitefish, Montana even after he committed upon taking office to breaking ties with the foundation. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  Former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke misused his position to advance a development project in his Montana hometown and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement, according to a report from federal investigators released Wednesday.

The investigation by the Interior Department's inspector general found that Zinke continued working with a foundation on the commercial project in the community of Whitefish, Montana even after he committed upon taking office to breaking ties with the foundation.

The report also said that Zinke gave incorrect and incomplete information to an Interior Department ethics official who confronted him over his involvement and that Zinke directed his staff to assist him with the project in a misuse of his position.

The Great Northern Veterans Peace Park Foundation was established by Zinke and others in 2007. Zinke and his wife were in negotiations with private developers for the use of foundation land for a commercial development project that included a microbrewery.

Zinke is a candidate in the June Republican primary for an open Montana Congressional seat, a position he held prior to joining Trumps cabinet.

Zinkes campaign called the report a political hit job and said his family's involvement in the foundation had led to the restoration of land that was made into a park where children can sled.

Investigators referred the matter to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution but it declined to pursue a criminal case, according to the report.

The investigation into the land deal was one of numerous probes of Zinke that began when he was in Trump's cabinet.

In another case, investigators found that he violated a policy that prohibits non-government employees from riding in government cars after his wife traveled with him, but he said ethics officials approved it. Zinke was cleared of wrongdoing following a complaint that he redrew the boundaries of a national monument in Utah to benefit a state lawmaker and political ally.

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During almost two years overseeing the agency responsible for managing 781,000 square miles (2 million square kilometers) of public lands, Zinkes broad rollbacks of restrictions on oil and gas drilling were cheered by industry.

But they brought a scathing backlash from environmental groups and Democratic lawmakers who accused him of putting corporate profits ahead of preservation.

When he resigned, Zinke said it was because of politically motivated attacks that had created a distraction from his duties.

Zinke and his wife, Lola, declined interview requests from federal investigators who were looking into the land deal.

But emails and text messages from others who were involved show Zinke continued to communicate with developers even after resigning from the foundation in March 2017, when he was confirmed as secretary, according to investigators.

The communications showed that Secretary Zinke repeatedly communicated with the developers of the 95 Karrow project and negotiated with them on behalf of the foundation by discussing the use of foundation property for the project, specific design aspects of the project, and the development of a microbrewery," investigators wrote.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Kevin Costner, the Academy Award-winning actor-director known for films such as Dances With Wolves" and the current TV hit Yellowstone, is lobbying Utah lawmakers to offer more tax rebates to films that choose to shoot in rural parts of the state.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Kevin Costner, the Academy Award-winning actor-director known for films such as Dances With Wolves" and the current TV hit Yellowstone, is lobbying Utah lawmakers to offer more tax rebates to films that choose to shoot in rural parts of the state.

Costner told the Deseret News that he has several movies he would like to film in Utah, but doing so will depend on the outcome of Senate Bill 49, which is currently under consideration in the Utah Legislature.

My biggest hope is that the state backs SB49 and that dream becomes a reality," he said. "I dont really want to go anywhere else with these five movies."

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Utah and other states have increasingly ratcheted up the size of incentives they offer to film and TV productions as part of efforts to compete for their business.

Utah currently offers up to $8.3 million in tax rebates annually to productions that chose to film in the state. Under the Utah Film Commission's Motion Picture Incentive Program, productions can be refunded 20-25% of the taxes they pay on direct production expenditures, including goods, services, wages and income, up to the maximum allowed amount.

Senate Bill 49 would lift the $8.3 million cap for productions filmed in rural areas of the state. Republican State Sen. Ron Winterton, the proposals sponsor, argues that increasing the size of incentives will draw more films to areas of the state with small, often tourism-reliant economies.

Proponents argue that production spending and the publicity from films shot in the state justify pouring tax revenue into incentive programs, which draw from the states general fund.

Costner's push comes years after Yellowstone" moved most of its production from Utah to Montana after lawmakers there increased the size of that state's incentive program.

Costners attorney told The Deseret News that Costner would likely chose not to shoot films including his upcoming Western Horizon in Utah unless the state offered more incentives.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  With clever Super Bowl ads, an irresistible fruit and apparently insatiable appetite from U.S. consumers, Mexicos avocado producers have so far been able to separate avocados from the conflictive landscape that produces them  at least until a threat to a U.S. agricultural inspector essentially shut down their exports last week.

FILE - Recently harvested avocados at an orchard near Ziracuaretiro, Michoacan state, Mexico, Oct. 1, 2019. Mexico has acknowledged late Saturday, Feb. 13, 20222, that the U.S. government has suspended all imports of Mexican avocados after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threat. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)

MEXICO CITY (AP)  With clever Super Bowl ads, an irresistible fruit and apparently insatiable appetite from U.S. consumers, Mexicos avocado producers have so far been able to separate avocados from the conflictive landscape that produces them  at least until a threat to a U.S. agricultural inspector essentially shut down their exports last week.

But as producers continue to suffer extortion from organized crime, and loggers continue to chop down pine forests to clear land for avocado orchards, another threat looms: Campaigns for greener competition and perhaps even a boycott.

Most advocates for more sustainable avocados stop short of calling for an outright boycott.

They (avocados) are a very large portion of either their country or regional economy and, you know, banning them entirely would not be advantageous for already struggling local farmers, said Gareth Elliott, a New Jersey restaurant manager who runs the Facebook page Blood Avocados. But if there were more environmental studies and they were grown in a responsible manner, we could solve this together.

So far, the association of Mexican avocado producers and packers has taken little action to solve the problems, nor has its U.S. promotional arm, Avocados from Mexico, even as growers in Mexico report having to pay thousands of dollars in protection payments to drug gangs for each acre of orchard.

Those who don't pay are threatened with having their families kidnapped, murdered and returned in pieces.

The producers' associations have bought multimillion-dollar Super Bowl commercials, but they have never bothered to come up with a serious certification program to assure consumers the avocado they buy has not involved protection money to drug cartels  the same cartels flooding the United States with deadly fentanyl pills counterfeited to look like Xanax, Adderall or Oxycodone.

Nor have they come up with a plan to certify that the avocado sold at a U.S. supermarket wasnt planted on illegally logged mountainsides that used to hold pine forests, threatening local water supplies.

Neither group responded to requests for comment on the issue. Mexicos president has suggested the suspension of avocado imports was part of a conspiracy against his country.

A worker selects avocados at a packing plant in Uruapan, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Mexico has acknowledged that the U.S. government has suspended all imports of Mexican avocados after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threat. (AP Photo/Armando Solis)

That kind of certification and information program is what many activists want.

I think it could also help bring up awareness, said Elliott, who said many people now may not be conscious of the issue. "Bringing it out to the consumer that how they purchase things speaks a lot louder to American policy or even global policy, than sometimes protests will.

But Elliott's reluctance to boycott might vanish if illegal logging and planting of avocados reaches into the core of the monarch butterfly reserves in the western state of Michoacan.

So far planters have only ni bbled around the buffer zones of the mountaintop pine forests where the butterflies spend the winter before heading back to the United States and Canada. At present, the mountaintops are too cold and too high for avocados, but with climate change that, as everything else, may change.

The Monarch butterflies  they dont have another option to hibernate elsewhere, Gareth said. I dont think the Americans are going to want to say goodbye to monarch butterflies.

"I think that would be the likely be the line theyll draw, or at least theyll say, Ill have more expensive avocados.

Chef J.P. McMahon, who runs the Aniar, Cava and Tartare restaurants in Ireland, has already started advocating avoiding avocados.

Avocados are perceived as something healthy, and the contrast to what it is actually doing to the environment and society, you couldn't get further, it's poles apart, it's absolutely not, McMahon said.

McMahon has tried to promote more sustainable, locally produced guacamole recipes based on kale or mashed-up sunchokes. It has been an uphill struggle: He has received angry messages from growers in Mexico saying they need the income and diners and chefs who want avocados at brunch. Still, I hold to my guns, he said.

The environmental disaster, the deforestation caused, to feed the avo-on-toast craze made me feel so disgusted that I decided to stop eating them altogether, McMahon wrote in November. Almost five years later I do miss avocados, but I wont be part of the exploitation of land and people to satisfy a crave.

And there are other countries without Mexicos land disputes, water shortages, drug cartel extortion, sensitive species and illegal logging problems that might try to supplant Mexicos now-dominant 80% share of U.S. imports by offering more sustainable avocados. Peru, Colombia and Chile all have their own problems, but drug cartel extortion of growers isnt one of them.

Colombian exporters see the United States as a market with great potential, said Juliana Villegas, vice president of exports for the trade promotion agency ProColombia. There are some enormous opportunities and advantages for avocado production in Colombia.

We are in the privileged position, given our agricultural land Villegas said. It is very large. Right now we have millions of acres available without deforestation. I think that is an advantage we have to seize on.

Any sustained ban on avocado exports might actually benefit the Mexican families who can no longer afford the fruit because of international demand.

But the loss of income would be devastating for Mexican farmers, who  like those in most countries in Latin America  have spent almost five centuries looking for a miracle crop that would pull them out of poverty.

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Sugar, rubber, bananas, natural dyes, coffee, cacao  the stuff of which chocolate is made  all came and went, but never really fulfilled that promise. Either they were only practical on large plantations with slave labor, or they could be grown more cheaply elsewhere or plant diseases and synthetic substitutes spelled disaster for the crops.

For Mexico, the avocado has been that miracle crop for almost 25 years. A farmer with only a few acres of avocado trees can send his children to college, or buy a new pickup truck to get his product to market and avoid middlemen, something no other crop has been able to offer.

But its not consumers in the United States who are on the front lines: Many lonely, threatened activists in Mexican villages are fighting illegal logging and the expansion of avocado orchards on former forest land.

Activist Guillermo Saucedo tried to institute farmers patrols to detect illegal logging and unauthorized avocado orchards in Villa Madero, Michoacan, last year. He got as many as 60 or 70 people to participate in the patrols, starting in May. But on Dec. 6, Saucedo was kidnapped, beaten and threatened by drug cartel gunmen who either protect or invest in avocado orchards.

This week, Saucedo said he detected a huge water retention pond of the kind dug by avocado growers in a hamlet near Villa Madero, but he doesnt believe the government will stop them.

The National Guard dont do anything, Saucedo said. The only thing that can stop them is the people themselves, by protesting.
MONTREALAlpha Studio Group banner Disruptive Films delves into the realm of artifical intelligence with forthcoming featurette "The Robots," a new installment of the gay brand's "Deep Inside" sci-fi series releasing March 25 at DisruptiveFilms.com.

Directed by Bree Mills, "The Robots" stars Elena Koshka and Tommy Pistol as a married couple who are desperate to grow a family and decide to "build the perfect son using artificial intelligence technology," according to a company synopsis. When their first model, Tim (Dalton Riley), turns out to be a lemon, they try again with Tom (Brandon Anderson), who emodies the polite, well behaved son they'd been hoping for. Tom is also highly curious, howeverespecially about Tim.

One of my favorite aspects of Disruptive is our call-to-action to disrupt the status quo when it comes to adult casting overall, said Mills. Historically, the gay and straight sides of our industry have been extremely segregated and that was something I really wanted to challenge. We have been so blessed to have many award-winning and acclaimed performers come and shoot acting roles in our episodes. Just because they arent the ones having sex in the scene doesnt mean we cant extend interesting and valuable roles for adult actors across the board. Elena and Tommy were amazing and it was such a joy to work with them on this project alongside our Robots, Dalton and Brandon, who were wonderful in the lead roles. Any of my fans of Future Darkly who enjoy male-on-male stories as well will enjoy this one!

For more on "The Robots" and other Disruptive Films titles, visit DisruptiveFilms.com, and follow the brand on YouTube and on Twitter @filmsdisruptive.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  It should have been a time of celebration: Brittan Heller would soon graduate from college and head to one of the nation's top law programs.

Tina Meier, founder of the Megan Meier Foundation, poses for a photo in the foundation's office Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, in St. Charles, Mo. Meier's daughter, Megan, committed suicide in 2007 at the age of 13 after being harassed by a "friend" on MySpace who later turned out to be the mother of a classmate who was using the fake account to bully the unsuspecting teen. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  It should have been a time of celebration: Brittan Heller would soon graduate from college and head to one of the nation's top law programs.

But when a classmate with unrequited feelings for Heller wasn't admitted to that same school, he turned his rage on her. He wrote a manifesto titled A Stupid B---h to Attend Yale Law School and posted it on a site popular with anonymous trolls. The man urged them to do their worst.

Soon strangers were making derogatory, sexualized comments and posting her pictures online. They made threats. Posted her personal information. At one point, FBI agents escorted Heller to class for her protection.

People say, Oh, just log off. Dont read it. Turn off the computer, said Heller, who turned her personal experience from 15 years ago into a legal specialty as a leading expert on online harassment. This the 21st century, and people have a right to use the internet for work, for pleasure or to express themselves. Telling people not to read the comments is no longer enough. We dont talk enough about this problem, and we need to.

Online harassment has become such a familiar part of the internet that it can be hard to imagine the web without it. From teen cyberbullying to authoritarian governments silencing dissent, online toxicity is a fact of life for everyone, with women, teens and religious and racial minorities the most likely to be targeted.

And there is evidence the problem is getting worse.

In 2014, 15% of Americans said they had faced severe or significant online abuse, defined as stalking, physical threats, sustained harassment or sexual harassment. In 2021 the number was 25%, according to studies by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Health care workers, journalists, teachers, police and government workers have all reported increases in online harassment in recent years, as the pandemic and political polarization led many people to release their anger and fear online.

Nearly three in four female journalists reported receiving threats or other forms of online harassment, according to a survey by UNESCO and the International Center for Journalists that polled more than 700 journalists in more than 100 countries. One in five of those said the harassment escalated to offline abuse or even assault.

Tina Meier, founder of the Megan Meier Foundation, poses for a photo in the foundation's office Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, in St. Charles, Mo. Meier's daughter, Megan, committed suicide in 2007 at the age of 13 after being harassed by a "friend" on MySpace who later turned out to be the mother of a classmate who was using the fake account to bully the unsuspecting teen. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

The growth of the internet has also expanded the ways that people can be targeted beyond merely email to social media posts, direct messages, texts and streaming video. And with the rise of smartphones and cheap, ubiquitous internet, harassment can now be a 24-7 problem for victims.

Weve made so many strides  theres more awareness now  but its easy to get frustrated and to feel like weve gotten nowhere," said Tina Meier, who started a foundation to teach kids and parents about online harassment after her daughter's suicide in 2006.

Thirteen-year-old Megan Meier had been bullied by someone she met online who she thought was a teenage boy named Josh. The two had flirted until the person suddenly turned against Megan. Everybody hates you, Josh wrote. The world would be a better place without you.

Police later determined that Josh was actually an adult woman, the mother of one of Megan's classmates.

While polls show all types of people are susceptible to online harassment, extensive research has shown that women and people of color are far more likely to be targeted. Thats also true for people with disabilities, people who belong to religious minorities and members of the LGBTQ community.

Women are more likely than men to say online harassment is a serious problem, Pew found. Theyre also more likely to report being the victims of online sexual harassment and more serious abuse such as threats of physical harm.

The difference is so great that many men may not understand the severity of the demeaning language, sexualized insults and unwanted attention that women frequently face online. A coordinated harassment campaign against female video game designers that began in 2014, known as Gamergate, became so pervasive  including threats of rape, torture and murder  that some women hired security or went into hiding.

Online harassment has also been used globally to attack journalists, dissidents and others in the public arena.

Political consultant Maria Cardona began receiving nasty emails and direct messages once she began presenting her opinions on national news shows. Shes noticed that many of her critics seem focused on the idea that an outspoken Latina woman could be considered an authority on politics.

One typical message read: I hope you get raped and have your throat slit.

They want to shut us up, they want to scare us, they want to intimidate us, said Cardona, who now keeps her office locked after someone showed up to accost her in person.

Anonymity can make it easier to be cruel without fear of offline repercussions. It's a phenomenon called the online disinhibition effect, and it's one reason why trolls feel comfortable saying things they would never say to someone in person.

As part of a 2009 settlement of Heller's lawsuit against her harassers, she asked to meet them face to face. One was a 17-year-old boy who had posted that hed like to gouge Hellers eyes out and have sex with her corpse.

They all essentially said the same thing: that they didnt realize their actions were impacting a person in that way, that they didnt realize there was a person on the other side of the screen, Heller recalled. And they all said, I am so sorry.

California enacted the nations first law against cyberbullying in 1999, and most states have since followed suit. Enforcement can be difficult, however, as the lines between harassment and free speech can be blurry. Police and prosecutors often lack sufficient training or resources.

Tech companies say they are getting better at identifying and stopping harassment. For example, Instagram, which is owned by Facebook parent company Meta, made several changes designed to reduce harassment, including putting warning labels on potentially abusive language and making it easier to block or report harassers.

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Yet those moves haven't been enough. Internal Facebook documents leaked by former employee Frances Haugen show that executives are aware of the potential for their products to be used to harass people. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram exacerbates suicidal thoughts and 17% saying it worsens eating disorders.

Online harassment is a problem for everybody, but I think it's especially problematic for kids," said Natalie Bazarova, a professor at Cornell University who studies social media.

She said a multifaceted approach is required to address the problem: legislation to require minimum safeguards from tech companies, technical innovations and extensive educational efforts such as simulations that teach teens to spot cyberbullying and use social media safely.

Technical solutions include automated systems that flag posts for signs of harassing language  all-capital letters, repetitive phrases, certain key words  or instituting a short delay before users can respond to posts, giving them a chance to cool off.

Now in its awkward adolescence," the internet is not the first invention to change how humans communicate, Heller said.

People said similar things about the telegraph, the telephone and the television  that they were somehow going to ruin society," she said. They were all regulated about 25 years into their life cycle. Those regulations didn't kill the telephone, the television or the radio.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korea will distribute free coronavirus rapid test kits at schools and senior care facilities starting next week as it weathers an unprecedented wave of infections driven by the fast-moving omicron variant.

People wait for their coronavirus test at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korea will distribute free coronavirus rapid test kits at schools and senior care facilities starting next week as it weathers an unprecedented wave of infections driven by the fast-moving omicron variant.

Health officials on Wednesday reported its highest daily jump in coronavirus infections with 90,443 new cases, shattering the previous one-day record set on Tuesday by more than 33,000 cases. The figure represents more than a 20-fold increase from the levels seen in mid-January, when omicron emerged as the country's dominant strain, and some experts say the country could see daily cases of around 200,000 in March.

While experts say omicron appears less likely to cause serious illness or death compared to the delta variant, which rattled the country in December and early January, hospitalizations have been creeping up amid the greater scale of outbreak.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, Seouls No. 2 official behind President Moon Jae-in, said officials will start distributing free rapid test kits next week at kindergartens, elementary schools and senior care facilities, including nursing homes and neighborhood welfare centers, to strengthen protection for unvaccinated children and high-risk groups.

Medical workers stand by to guide people as they wait for their coronavirus test at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Education Minister Yoo Eun-hye said schools will be getting enough kits for students to use twice a week, but added that such tests wont be mandatory.

We ask for students to be tested at home with the rapid antigen test kits on the evenings of Sunday and Wednesday before coming to school, Yoo said during a briefing. When testing positive from those tests, please visit the local health office to get PCR (lab) tests.

Health workers have diagnosed a daily average of 60,230 new coronavirus cases in the past seven days, which translates to 116.64 infections per 100,000 people, as the national caseload grew over 1.55 million.

The fast-developing omicron surge has left officials debating whether the country should maintain strict social distancing rules, including a six-person limit on private social gatherings and a 9 p.m. curfew for restaurants.

Struggling business owners have called for the measures to be removed, questioning whether they are meaningful when cases are growing rapidly.

But health experts warn that easing social distancing may allow transmissions to veer further out of control, which would further stretch worn-out health and government workers and threaten high-risk groups and children younger than 12 who have yet to be vaccinated.

The country has already eased quarantine restrictions significantly starting this month to prevent major disruptions at workplaces and essential services, which may occur if huge numbers of people are constantly forced into isolation.

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There are also concerns that transmissions could worsen as campaigning and political rallies began on Tuesday ahead of the March 9 presidential elections.

Prime Minister Kim said officials will consider both the pandemics growing economic strain and threats posed by the omicron surge before announcing new social distancing measures on Friday.

While omicron more easily infects those who have been vaccinated or had COVID-19 previously, experts say vaccination and booster shots still provide strong protection from serious illness and death.

More than 86% of South Koreans have been fully vaccinated and 58% have received booster shots. Health officials plan to offer fourth vaccination shots at nursing homes and other long-term care settings starting later this month.

The country also started offering Novavaxs coronavirus vaccine at hospitals and public health offices this week, adding another tool in a mass immunization campaign that has mainly depended on Pfizer and Modernas mRNA vaccines.

Officials hope that the Maryland companys protein vaccine, which is similar to shots used for years against the common flu or hepatitis B, would appeal to people who have been hesitant to use other vaccines based on newer technologies.
The trucker blockade of the Emerson border crossing not only added additional time and costs to shipments but will also damage the reputation of the province, manufacturers and stakeholders say.

The trucker blockade of the Emerson border crossing not only added additional time and costs to shipments but will also damage the reputation of the province, manufacturers and stakeholders say.

Although the RCMP announced on Tuesday afternoon that demonstrators are leaving and should be gone by Wednesday, Ron Koslowsky, the vice-president and head of Manitoba operations for the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters  95 per cent of whose Manitoba members rely on regular cross-border shipments at Emerson  said, of the Emerson blockade, "The impact has been massive."

Ron Koslowsky, vice president Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Manitoba. (Wayne Glowacki / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Winpak Limited, the large packaging material manufacturer that is headquartered in Winnipeg and has manufacturing plants throughout the U.S., had to shut down one of its production lines because it couldnt get the raw material it needed.

The company exports 82 per cent of its production to the U.S. and had been diverting its trucks to Saskatchewan border crossings.

Olivier Muggli, Winpaks CEO, said, "Overall the whole blockade damages the Canadian reputation at large and specifically Winpak. The Emerson thing hurt us significantly."

The situation is creating issues to the point where some companies are literally talking about moving to the U.S. This is the straw that broke the camels back.  Ron Koslowsky

While the RCMP said they are "confident that a resolution has been reached," it does not mean everything immediately goes back to normal for shippers.

"The blockade lasted six or seven days, but it takes a while to re-establish things," Muggli said. "This will probably have a detrimental effect on us for a month."

The refrain heard from many affected parties in the province is that in addition to the costs  extra time and mileage because of detours and costs and penalties because of late shipments  it will have a negative effect on Manitobas reputation as a reliable centre for manufacturing and distribution.

Winpak CEO Olivier Muggli. (Jason Halstead / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Koslowsky said, "The situation is creating issues to the point where some companies are literally talking about moving to the U.S. This is the straw that broke the camels back. They cant service their customers. The image we are creating among our customers in the U.S. is a very poor one right now."

Barry Prentice, with the Transportation Institute at the U of M. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Barry Prentice, a long-standing logistics expert at the University of Manitoba, agreed that while the blockade at the Emerson crossing  it is the busiest one on the Prairies with $73 million per day of goods crossing the border, compared to $48 million per days at Coutts, Alta., for instance  has meant delays and added costs, goods did continue to get through at several other border crossings.

"Sadly, it was all so unnecessary," he said.

There was vehement opposition to the federal governments mandate that truckers would need to be vaccinated by the beginning of the year by just about every element of the Canadian economy.

Not only had truckers been operating virtually incident-free since the beginning of the pandemic before there were vaccines, several provinces including Manitoba are already starting to lift restrictions.

Complete circus blockade at Emerson border crossing to end JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES About 40 to 60 semis, tractors and other vehicles choked off Manitobas main cross-border trade corridor starting Thursday morning. They prevented an estimated $73 million worth of goods from being shipped through the port of entry each day Posted: 6:50 PM Feb. 15, 2022 Protesters in semis and tractors have promised to release their chokehold on Manitobas busiest border crossing after almost a week over their insistence mask and vaccine mandates be removed immediately. RCMP announced Tuesday afternoon they had brokered a deal with protesters that will see them dismantle the blockade on Highway 75 just north of the U.S. border crossing near Emerson, south of Winnipeg. Read Full Story

Prentice used the analogy about the dangers of disturbing a hornets' nest.

"I guess the federal government does not know much about hornets," he said.

Koslowsky said he had members saying to him that this problem began with the vaccine mandate, weeks before the blockade.

"I had companies calling me saying they had lost their trucking firm because they did not have enough drivers and they had been rationalized out of their service," he said. "So they had no way of getting their product to market."

But theres no question the blockade had a significant economic impact. One large agricultural equipment manufacturer said it was costing that company $450,000 per day in lost revenue and additional expense.

Meanwhile, even though the blockade is now coming down, the stresses the trucking industry has been dealing with will not disappear.

Aaron Dolyniuk, the general manager of the Manitoba Trucking Association, said the detours were costing some trucking companies $25,000 per day. A day after the blockade began last week, blizzard conditions closed the Perimeter Highway, slowing things down even more. Many companies are under contract to move goods for a customer and detours and storms do not change the contract.

Protestors block access to the Canada-U.S. border crossing at Emerson on Highway 75 last week. (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)

"The additional costs come out of the pockets of individual members," he said.

As well, a week-long border crossing blockage does not make it any easier to recruit drivers, a challenge that the trucking industry had already been dealing with for years.

"The pressure (on recruiting drivers) has increased," Dolyniuk said. "Theres still a huge demand and a shortage of labour for our industry. It makes things more complicated really."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

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TORONTO - Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard's sexual assault case has been adjourned to late March.

Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard is shown in this courtroom sketch in Toronto on Thursday Jan. 6, 2022. Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard's sexual assault case has been adjourned to late March.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alexandra Newbould

TORONTO - Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard's sexual assault case has been adjourned to late March.

Nygard, 80, is charged with six counts of sexual assault and three counts of forcible confinement, which Toronto police have said relate to alleged incidents in the late 1980s and mid-2000s.

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He has denied all the allegations.

Nygard, the former head of a multimillion-dollar clothing company, was flown to Toronto from Winnipeg in October to face the charges.

He was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act after being charged with nine sex-related counts in New York.

Defence lawyer Brian Greenspan says they are awaiting word from the Minister of Justice on Nygard's surrender to be extradited to New York.

The Toronto case is set to return to court on March 30.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2022.
OTTAWA - Liberal cabinet ministers defended the sweeping temporary powers now afforded to police under the Emergencies Act on Wednesday, even as major border blockades they decried for disrupting the economy have already been cleared.

A person walks among trucks as Wellington Street is lined with trucks during a protest against COVID-19 measures that has grown into a broader anti-government protest, in Ottawa, on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA - Liberal cabinet ministers defended the sweeping temporary powers now afforded to police under the Emergencies Act on Wednesday, even as major border blockades they decried for disrupting the economy have already been cleared.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, which replaced the War Measures Act in 1988, on Monday for the first time in history as protesters blocked access to several Canada-U.S. border crossings and gridlocked downtown Ottawa with large trucks.

The border crossings in Windsor, Ont., Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia have since been cleared using traditional police enforcement measures, while Ottawa remains clogged with protesters who drove in trucks nearly three weeks ago and have refused to leave.

Police in Canada's capital city, who had been criticized for allowing the protest against COVID-19 restrictions to disrupt residents and businesses for so long, have warned protesters of their new abilities under the emergency legislation.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said there is no guarantee things will continue to improve and that is why the federal government is moving ahead with the Emergencies Act.

"In spite of the progress that we've made, we have to hold that progress," Mendicino said Wednesday at a news conference in Ottawa.

"We have to keep our borders open. We have to keep our economy going. We have to keep Canadians at work. We have to allow the people of Ottawa to get their lives back."

Police officers walked along the area just outside of Parliament Hill on Wednesday handing out notices to protesters encamped there, telling them they must leave the area. The notices warned the Emergencies Act gives police the power to seize vehicles that are part of the demonstration and ban people from travelling within a certain area. Police posted a similar notice online.

The interim chief, who took on the role after the abrupt resignation of former chief Peter Sloly on Tuesday, promised police will clear the streets of illegal demonstrators in the next few days.

"We're going to take back the entirety of the downtown core and every occupied space. We're going to remove this unlawful protest. We will return our city to a state of normalcy," interim Chief Steve Bell told Ottawa City Council at a virtual meeting.

He says police are ready to use some methods that people are not "used to seeing in Ottawa."

Members of the blockade that has kept the capital at a standstill since Jan. 28 have called the invocation of the Emergencies Act a scare tactic.

Trucks, RVs and other vehicles with Canadian flags or banners with the word "freedom'' in giant letters along their front grilles remain on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, with drivers saying they will stay put until all COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions are lifted.

They could be doing something now, eventually," said Spencer Bautz from Saskatchewan, who has been on Parliament Hill for two weeks and found the letter from police stuffed in his vehicle door. He said demonstrators should not react with fear.

"It'd be pretty ridiculous if they actually want to take measures to enforce peaceful protests, man, that would be a big step.

The legislation prohibits public assembly that could be reasonably be expected to disrupt the movement of people or goods, interfere with trade or critical infrastructure, or supports the threat or use of violence against people or property.

Mendicino tabled a motion Wednesday evening asking MPs to confirm the government's decision to invoke the act, along with reports on the reasons for invoking it and the consultations undertaken with premiers, as are required by the act.

The government has until the end of day Thursday to table the regulations that identify the specific powers.

Those powers are already in effect and will remain so for 30 days unless the government revokes them sooner. The motion will be debated Thursday and takes precedence over all other business.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh signalled his party will support the motion, calling the situation a crisis. The Liberals are 11 seats shy of a majority in the House of Commons and the motion could pass with the support of the NDP.

The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois say they will not support the motion.

Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen said Conservatives have many questions about Trudeaus use of the legislation, which she called a giant sledgehammer.

Bergen was among the many Conservative MPs who welcomed the protesters to Ottawa when they first arrived. Now, she said keeping their trucks parked on Ottawa's streets for days on end is illegal and they need to move.

Conservatives demanded an apology from Trudeau Wednesday after he accused them of standing "with people who wave swastikas," given their support for the protest convoy in question period.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said existing police powers should be enough to allow the Ottawa police and RCMP to clear the protesters from the area.

The Liberal government characterized the blockades at the borders and in Ottawa as being connected by a highly co-ordinated, targeted and largely foreign-funded criminal attack on Canadian interests.

"It demanded that we all do what was required in order to restore the integrity and security of our borders and to protect Canadian interests," Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said at the news conference Wednesday.

While the protest continued unabated outside Parliament Hill on Wednesday, Trudeau was asked inside of the West Block whether force would be needed to rid downtown of the demonstrators.

Trudeau said that is not his decision to make, but the Emergencies Act and added police resources would "make sure that laws are enforced in a proportional way, in an approach that will be decided by the police of jurisdiction."

The Emergencies Act forbids blockades on Parliament Hill and surrounding streets, official residences, war monuments, airports, harbours, border crossings, piers, lighthouses, canals, interprovincial and international bridges, hospitals and COVID-19 vaccine clinics, trade corridors, and infrastructure needed for the supply of utilities including power generation and transmission.

It also prohibits bringing children to the antigovernment blockades, participating in the protests directly or bringing aid such as food or fuel to those involved. Anyone found guilty of violating the rules could face a fine of up to $5,000 or five years in prison.

The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa urged parents demonstrating downtown to make arrangements for the care of their children should they become unable to care for them after potential police action.

Ottawa police have repeatedly mentioned the 100 or so children living in the trucks parked outside of Parliament Hill. They called in the Children's Aid Society to check on them, but also explained that the kids are a complicating factor when it comes to planning a potential operation.

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The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa says that if parents and children are separated following police efforts to end the demonstration, it will work to reunite families as quickly as possible.

Late Wednesday evening, Ottawa city council ousted the chair of itspolice service board, Coun. Diane Deans, over concerns about a lack of effective oversight of the police service, whichhasfaced heavy criticism for its inaction for the first three weeks of the demonstration.

They also took issue with the board's decision to hire a new interim chief to bolster the top ranks of the service without consulting council and the public.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2022.

 With files from Marie Woolf

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version reported that Mendicino tabled two motions Wednesday evening in the House of Commons.
Just crossing the street in Winnipeg these days takes a little extra caution, as mountainous snow banks regularly block traffic from view. More than double the amount of snow has fallen this winter compared to the same time last year, and its swallowing the city at a furious pace.

Just crossing the street in Winnipeg these days takes a little extra caution, as mountainous snow banks regularly block traffic from view. More than double the amount of snow has fallen this winter compared to the same time last year, and its swallowing the city at a furious pace.

"A lot of that snow weve had has all occurred since around Christmas," said Rob Paola, a retired Environment Canada meteorologist who volunteers to measure snowfall in Winnipeg from his Charleswood home.

Before Tuesdays added precipitation, Paolas ruler had tallied up 132 centimetres of snow. Thats a stark contrast from 2021, when only 64 cm had fallen.

"It is quite significant," he said.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Growing accumulations of snow in Winnipeg can be seen on top of city homes Tuesday.

While far from setting records, snowfall has exceeded the 30-year average in each of the last four months  including February, despite being only halfway done. And with historical snowfall in March exceeding that of February by four cm, the barrage is unlikely to end anytime soon.

The inundation also puts Manitoba at risk for spring flooding.

The province has yet to provide a spring flood outlook; a spokesperson said in an email the first report will be available later this week. However, the U.S. National Weather Service has reported a high risk for the Red River at the point it enters into Manitoba.

The U.S. outlook estimates a 65 per cent chance of "major" flooding this spring, meaning in this case river levels would hit 49 feet or deeper. The record depth at Pembina, N.D., was 54.94 feet in 1997  the year marked in Manitobans mind as the "flood of the century."

Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist Natalie Hasell said while official monitoring falls to the province, shes expecting some soggy days in southern and central Manitoba this spring.

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JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A business on Inkster Blvd in Winnipeg can barely see out their windows due to recent snow piling up.

"Based on the amount of snow that weve gotten and the amount of snow that the Americans have gotten in the Red River Valley basin, I would expect that there is a risk of flooding for this coming spring," she said.

"With respect to the other rivers, I know southern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta have been quite dry, so the Assiniboine might not be too bad. But central Saskatchewan would also be a concern, and that flows into central Manitoba."

This winter has already pushed the City of Winnipeg to grant its public works department an additional $6.9 million to balance its 2021 budget.

Referring to costs for 2022 to this point, a spokesperson for the city said: "Its premature to provide costs associated with recent snow clearing operations at this time as they are still being calculated."

Annual snow clearing budgets typically hover around the $34-million mark, the spokesperson said.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca
THE public school systems COVID-19 scars and the unlikely successes that have come out of emergency pivots are top of mind inside Manitobas largest school board, as leaders ponder what a post-pandemic classroom should look like.

THE public school systems COVID-19 scars and the unlikely successes that have come out of emergency pivots are top of mind inside Manitobas largest school board, as leaders ponder what a post-pandemic classroom should look like.

"Public health agencies and leaders around the world are signalling a shift from pandemic response to an endemic plan and response to COVID-19," wrote Chris Broughton, a trustee in the Winnipeg School Division, about his rationale behind one of several notices of motion he introduced at a board meeting last week.

"The (WSD), and school divisions across the country, need to shift focus from the crisis of the pandemic to planning and implementing a recovery from (its) impacts."

The document states educators and administrators have undertaken "valiant efforts" to adapt to alternative delivery models, but disruptions have resulted in student disengagement, chronic attendance issues, decreased credit attainment, a decline in academic achievement, and a youth mental health crisis.

It also notes impacts have disproportionately affected families who were at-risk to the above before the pandemic.

Broughton wants his board colleagues to support the development of specific recovery plans for both K-12 education at-large and student mental health, as well as a review of the divisions information technology systems and infrastructure.

An education recovery plan should consider: expanding existing outdoor and land-based teaching opportunities; improving planning for play-based learning; increasing digital literacy resources for educators; ensure equitable access to extracurricular programs; and, introducing alternative learning schedules or extended school year options in some schools, among other items, according to the Ward 2 trustee.

"We have a cookie-cutter school day and we have a cookie-cutter school year. There are some communities where that isnt the ideal way of delivering education. It doesnt meet their needs. We need to start seriously thinking about what it is that were offering to ensure that every child has the best opportunity to learn and grow," Broughton said in an interview Monday.

The trustee, who is also a parent in the division, said he has consulted the Royal Society of Canadas recent report of peer-reviewed research on how COVID-19 has affected children and schools to brainstorm ways to build on WSDs programs.

He added: "We have to recognize that we went through a profound change just two years ago, and if we can make that significant of a change with intention, these types of things can be done. We just need to put the intention behind them."

Trustees are slated to debate whether it is time to draw up blueprints for division-wide recovery work and if so, what those documents should entail, at their next regular board meeting March 7.

"The lack of interaction is a big deal," said Ethan Brinkman, a Grade 12 student at Sisler High School, when asked about the greatest challenge he has faced over the last 23 months.

Brinkman, 18, recently re-enrolled in Sisler after more than a year taking courses via WSDs virtual school program, owing to a doctors note that outlined his challenges with anxiety.

The high school student said one positive thing about the pandemic is it has allowed for more flexible learning options. However, he wonders how economical it would be to continue operating virtual classrooms with live instruction when there is no longer a global health crisis.

One thing Brinkman said he wants schools to leave in the past is cohorting and alternate-day attendance models  measures introduced in 2020-21 to limit contacts and ensure physical distancing of two metres in classrooms.

"Throw it all out If you were going on a different day than your friends, then you never saw them," he added.

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Andrew Cumming said his children, who are in grades 3, 6, and 8, have missed their friends and school life, and have all had "far too much screen time" in recent months.

"We will have to focus on emotional health, social wellness, and directly supporting recovery learning (in the wake of the pandemic)," said the Winnipeg father. Cumming, however, said he is skeptical about how that can happen, given all of the budget constraints in WSD.

Last week, the board released its draft budget for the 2022-23 academic year.

Despite a decrease in annual operating funding, the financial plan currently ensures existing programs are maintained, as a result of the board voting to axe its full-day kindergarten pilot  which has cost the division around $500,000 annually in recent years  in autumn. As is, there is no room for any additions to the budget.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
More than 230 junior high students in St. Vital will be temporarily shuffled to new schools next year to accommodate classroom closures at College Jeanne-Sauve amid the long-awaited expansion of the French immersion facility.

More than 230 junior high students in St. Vital will be temporarily shuffled to new schools next year to accommodate classroom closures at College Jeanne-Sauve amid the long-awaited expansion of the French immersion facility.

Senior administrators in the Louis Riel School Division have made public their plans to accommodate learning in the southwest corner of the division in 2022-23, when nine classrooms in the Grade 9-12 building are shuttered due to ongoing construction.

College Jeanne-Sauves enrolment is growing and has been growing for some years. In fact, the school is already operating at capacity and above, Jeff Anderson, assistant superintendent of instructional services, said during a board meeting Tuesday evening.

The high schools student population  which has been around 630 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic  is anticipated to reach upwards of 850 in 10 years, per division projections. As is, the building can accommodate around 650 learners.

The latest addition to 1128 Dakota St. facility involves a two-storey, 16-room expansion with an elevator, science lab upgrades, and both a new fitness facility and music room.

The division plans to relocate all incoming CJS Grade 9 students to Minnetonka School, a nearby K-8 English school with available learning space, for one year while construction is ongoing.

We were looking for a place where we would be able to keep students together, perhaps in a wing of a school, somewhere where they would be able to be a school within a school to maintain the quality of their French immersion learning environment, Anderson said, adding learners will be able to access extracurricular activities both at Minnetonka and CJS, which are a 24-minute walk apart.

Since there is not quite enough room for all of the approximately 180 new Grade 9 students at the elementary school, the reconfiguration will require students who had planned to attend grades 7 and 8 at 200 Minnetonka St. next year  a cohort of roughly 50 pupils  move to a neighbouring elementary school.

Darwin School, a K-8 English building at 175 Darwin St., has ample room for all of these students and is only one kilometre north of Minnetonka, Anderson said, as he explained the reasoning behind the divisions blueprint this week.

The final community affected by the year-long reorganization is Dr. D.W. Penner School, a feeder school for both Minnetonka and Darwin at present; Grade 6 graduates will all go to Darwin this fall.

Charlene Sacher said she was concerned when she first received an email about the looming changes that will affect her daughter, who will soon be starting Grade 9 at CJS.

Last year, Sachers eldest child and her peers had to temporarily move from their home school of Ecole Varennes to Windsor School so there could be adequate physical distancing in all LRSD classes. If all goes as planned and she is able to attend CJS for Grade 10 in 2023-24, she will have studied at four schools in four years.

Theres still a little bit of nerves, just in terms of making (multiple transitions), said Sacher, president of the parent committee at Ecole Varennes. My daughter even said its always tricky going to a new building, but shes happy to know shes going to be with all of her Grade 9 friends, and that its just going to be the Grade 9s, so shell get to know the other school kids.

The division has indicated it cannot allow CJS feeder school students to stick around at their current buildings for one extra year because they are all packed. Ecole Varennes capacity is estimated to reach 96 per cent next year, while Ecole Marie-Anne-Gaboury and Ecole George-McDowell are expected to reach 93 per cent and 119 per cent, respectively.

Theres going to be a little bit of noise and dust in the process, but theres recognition that this (CJS expansion) is very much needed, said Sandy Nemeth, a trustee who oversees Ward 3, the southwest section of LRSD.

Nemeth said community members have questions about logistics ranging from transportation to course offerings.

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(The division is providing families with information on temporary transit options, while student schedules will be adjusted on a case-by-case basis.)

At the same time, the trustee said families understand the construction is necessary to address the growth of French immersion throughout the division and the fact there are only two local milieu high schools: CJS and College Beliveau.

Sacher, a mother of three students in LRSD, said she is grateful school leaders have been providing lots of communication about the transition and is excited her daughters class will be among the first to benefit from upgrades to CJS when they are finally complete.

In 2019, the high school underwent $4.1 million in renovations to create a new commons area, indoor and outdoor theatre, and front entrance.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
Protesters in semis and tractors have promised to release their chokehold on Manitobas busiest border crossing after almost a week over their insistence mask and vaccine mandates be removed immediately.

Protesters in semis and tractors have promised to release their chokehold on Manitobas busiest border crossing after almost a week over their insistence mask and vaccine mandates be removed immediately.

RCMP announced Tuesday afternoon they had brokered a deal with protesters that will see them dismantle the blockade on Highway 75 just north of the U.S. border crossing near Emerson, south of Winnipeg.

"We are now confident that a resolution has been reached and that demonstrators will soon be leaving the area and that full access to the Emerson Port of Entry will be restored," RCMP Chief Supt. Rob Hill said Tuesday.

About 40 to 60 semis, tractors and other vehicles choked off Manitobas main cross-border trade corridor starting Thursday morning. They prevented an estimated $73-million worth of goods from being shipped through the port of entry each day. Truckers had to take detours to cross the border elsewhere. RCMP said officers are co-ordinating the departure of those blocking access to the border who were expected to be gone by Wednesday.

Emerson Duty Free Shop co-owner Simon Resch said he was relieved to see the "complete circus" prepare to pack up and leave. He estimated it cost him 100 per cent of his business for nearly a week.

That meant losing "thousands and thousands of dollars every day." It was a huge blow after two years of bringing in about 20 per cent of pre-pandemic business thanks to the pandemic.

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Emerson Duty Free Shop co-owner Simon Resch said he was relieved to see the complete circus prepare to pack up and leave. He estimated it cost him 100 per cent of his business for nearly a week.

He likened witnessing the blockade to being in a different country, though he noted the RCMPs consistent response to a potentially volatile situation lowered the temperature of the demonstration.

"I never thought that would happen in my backyard and particularly by a group of motivated, minority-opinion holders honking their horns and running around waving pro-Donald Trump flags and lets go Brandon placards (a coded anti-U.S. President Joe Biden phrase)," said Resch, whose family has run the shop for four decades.

He said his industry has been devastated by the pandemic, and he initially saw good messages of unity between Canada and the United States from the slow-roll protests that began a few weeks ago.

"Then all of a sudden last week, this sort of radical element just decided OK, enoughs enough, lets shut it all down now. You do that when youre three (years old), not when youre an adult and not at a border crossing that affects the country," he said.

The withdrawal of the illegal blockade was announced after the federal government invoked the federal Emergencies Act Monday. The move signalled a clampdown on the siege at the border, including in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario. Owners of the vehicles that were illegally blocking the roadway were warned their bank accounts could be frozen and their insurance revoked.

Resch said he was glad to see the federal government take firm action. He was confused when Premier Heather Stefanson said she didnt want to see the power of the federal Emergencies Act used to put an end to the border blockade at Emerson.

On Monday, the premier cautioned against its use in Manitoba, where she said enforcement of the federal law with broad and sweeping powers could escalate the tense situation. Stefanson called on the federal government to develop a plan for the border and blamed Ottawa for imposing a vaccine mandate for truckers that ignited demonstrations across the country. Manitobans, she said, should trust that law enforcement could resolve the blockade at the Emerson border "through peaceful negotiations."

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES The withdrawal of the illegal blockade was announced after the federal government invoked the federal Emergencies Act Monday. The move signalled a clampdown on the siege at the border, including in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario.

Resch hopes the blockade will be dispersed by the time he drives to his shop Wednesday morning.

Legal authorities say the province didnt have to wait for the federal government to act.

"The police can arrest anyone committing a crime and take other steps to enforce traffic regulations  which blocking the road presumably would run afoul of," said University of Manitoba assistant law professor Gerard Kennedy.

"No orders-in-council or invocations of emergency legislation are necessary to do that," he said.

Associate Professor in the Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies (ADES) department at Brandon University, Jack Lindsay, said Manitobans are used to having some freedoms curtailed during emergencies such as blizzards that prompt the RCMP to shut down highways. Manitoba has its own far-reaching Emergency Measures Act that was used during the pandemic, as well as during wildfires and floods to order evacuations, and could be used again to move protesters that occupy roadways.

"Unlike Ontario, Manitoba and most other provinces can require a person to perform a service theyre able to provide," Lindsau said. "We could be ordering tow-truck drivers or others to help take down a blockade," whereas Ontarios legislation specifically says it cannot require a person to do something, he said.

Manitobans are not used to seeing laws enforced to deal with a civil disturbance like a blockade at the border, said Lindsay.

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had to consult with premiers, and did so, but does not require their consent to act within a province, because its been deemed a national emergency

"Province by province, its going to be a political calculation as to whether or not different premiers of different political stripes want to be seen as tough on protesters or soft on protesters," Lindsay said. He said to look out for inconsistencies.

"These powers are meant to be applied without any reference to age, gender, ethnicity or language," Lindsay said.

Nomi Claire Lazar, a University of Ottawa professor who specializes in how governments use states of emergency, said the federal government could make unilateral decisions in how to use the Emergencies Act in Manitoba.

Lazar said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had to consult with premiers, and did so, but does not require their consent to act within a province, because its been deemed a national emergency.

Yet Lazar said the most impact from the federal Emergencies Act could be the thinning out of convoy activists as their funding dries up. Trudeau has moved to freeze the assets of truck owners and bank accounts handling donations.

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"Provincial powers do not allow for that kind of financial consequence," she said. "Its in cyberspace, rather than any actual physical space."

Lazar noted this is the first time the Emergencies Act has been invoked since it became law in 1988 when it replaced the War Measures Act. She says the public needs to be vigilant in ensuring governments dont overstep.

"While sometimes emergency powers are absolutely necessary  theyre always dangerous. So its really important that we keep our eyes open, and that were holding the government to account, and that theyre only using those powers that are strictly necessary."

 With files from Dylan Robertson

carl.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera

Reporter Erik Pindera reports for the city desk, with a particular focus on crime and justice. Read full biography
Close to 100,000 Manitobans have stepped up to get their third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine over the past month. Thats equivalent to the combined populations of Brandon, Morden, Thompson, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie and Sandy Bay First Nation. Its pretty impressive.

Close to 100,000 Manitobans have stepped up to get their third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine over the past month. Thats equivalent to the combined populations of Brandon, Morden, Thompson, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie and Sandy Bay First Nation. Its pretty impressive.

While the loud and the belligerent stage protests across the country and block borders to demand the return of what they call "freedom" (or whatever other twisted, far-right objectives they may be pursuing), the strong and the steady continue to roll up our sleeves to secure a safe future for themselves and their communities.

The number of Manitobans with a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine increased to 565,482 from 469,917, from Jan. 14 to Feb. 14.

The number of Manitobans with a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine increased to 565,482 from 469,917, from Jan. 14 to Feb. 14.

As of Tuesday, 81 per cent of Manitobans over the age of five had received at least two doses.

Data from around the world continue to show a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine significantly reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death compared with just two shots. It also helps reduce transmission, recent studies have shown.

Third doses are the single most effective weapon against a virus that will continue to mutate and pummel the world with new and punishing variants. They are the best insurance against severe illness and a renewed threat to hospital capacity.

The majority of Manitoba adults understand that: 52 per cent of Manitobans 18 and over (56 per cent in Winnipeg) have received their third dose. While demand for booster shots has dropped off since last month, the number continues to grow by more than 1,000 people per day.

It hasnt been easy to stick to the battle plan in recent weeks, with the distraction of protests and blockades attracting a disproportionate amount of attention. Fortunately, the adults in the room  the majority of Canadians  have not wavered (even though some of their elected officials have).

COVID19 cant be wished away. The rules of engagement in the war against this deadly virus havent changed.

COVID-19 cant be wished away. The rules of engagement in the war against this deadly virus havent changed. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is highly transmissible and has become more infectious.

The newest variant, Omicron, may be less lethal than previous strains, but the sheer volume of infections is killing people (mostly the unvaccinated and those without a third dose) at rates approaching previous pandemic peaks. Hospitalizations from COVID-19, although subsiding, reached record levels during the Omicron wave. It wouldnt take much to drive those numbers up again.

There are long-term solutions to avoid that, including improved indoor air quality in public spaces and continued vigilance around hand washing, staying home when sick, mask wearing when needed and better protection of the most vulnerable. Equitable distribution of vaccines around the world will be critical.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES People rallying against vaccine mandates and in support of truckers outside of the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg earlier this month.

Vaccination is the single most effective tool in the fight against this virus, as it has been for many deadly and debilitating infectious diseases. COVID-19 vaccines will improve and evolve over time. They are, and will continue to be, the gateway to normalcy.

The majority understand that, even in the face of those trying to throw them off their game.

Public health restrictions are being wound down across the country for the fourth time during the pandemic. The surest way to prevent them from returning is not by staging protests, organizing illegal occupations, or waving white flags; its by getting immunized, including a third dose.

COVID-19 doesnt care if society is tired of it  it will attack the moment people let their guard down. It doesnt care about blockades, protests, or demands for greater freedom. It will strike at the first sign of weakness. It has in the past and it will again.

While protesters outside legislatures, public schools and at border crossings demand their freedom, it is the Manitobans who roll up their sleeves who will ultimately deliver that freedom.

Every additional vaccine dose (as well as adherence to public health measures such as mask wearing, even after governments prematurely make them voluntary) adds a layer of defence against that onslaught.

While protesters outside legislatures, public schools and at border crossings demand their "freedom," it is the Manitobans who roll up their sleeves for their third dose (and the hundreds more per day who get their first and second shots) who will ultimately deliver that freedom.

They are the soldiers on the front line who keep their eye on the enemy. They will win the war, not the defectors.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca

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POMPANO BEACH, Fla.  M.D. Science Lab, makers of iconic Swiss Navy products, has announced a rebranding of their social media pages to reflect the evolution of their brand.

We wanted to start 2022 out by focusing more on one of our favorite communities, said Briana Watkins, M.D. Sciences vice president of sales and marketing. Swiss Navy has always been a favorite of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and we thought what better way to acknowledge every unique individual than to rebrand our social pages as Swiss Navy Pride.

Ellen Friedman, regional director of sales & marketing for M.D. Science Lab, agrees. In order to capture the spirit of Swiss Navy and our approachability within the LGBTQIA2S+ community, we knew we were due for an update. We want to work together with our loyal partners to empower one another and rebranding as Swiss Navy Pride is the first step in doing that.

While LGBT+ History Month is October in the U.S., the month of February is celebrated as an annual month-long observation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history in the U.K. and 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pride March in Britain. Rodney Wilson, a high-school teacher from Missouri, started LGBT+ History Month in 1994 and the celebration is now celebrated in countries all around the worldAustralia, Canada, Brazil, Greenland, Germany, and Hungary to name a few.

Our social community is tightknit, said Penny Clifford, M.D. Science Labs social media manager. It seemed fitting to create this rebranding strategy that reflects the evolution of Pride and our vision of Swiss Navys future.

The Swiss Navy Pride social pages will be used to promote awareness of and celebrate the LGBTQIA2S+ community is its many forms. Swiss Navy invites you to stop by, like, and follow the new Pride pages to stay informed of happenings in the community and to see the latest products.

To view the award-winning Desire and 4-in-1 Playful Flavors collections, as well as the complete Swiss Navy product range, please visit swissnavy.com.

To visit Swiss Navys Business-to-Business (B2B) Resource Center, please visit B2BSwissNavy.com.
After years of digging up patient files and burial information, a team of Manitoba researchers is set to launch a website on Indigenous histories of tuberculosis  with the hope the information will help families locate long-missing relatives.

After years of digging up patient files and burial information, a team of Manitoba researchers is set to launch a website on Indigenous histories of tuberculosis  with the hope the information will help families locate long-missing relatives.

"I think most people can relate to the fact that if a family member just vanishes, thats devastating," University of Winnipeg archivist Anne Lindsay said Tuesday.

Lindsays focus was on the data for people who ended up in what were then-called "Indian hospitals" and tuberculosis sanatoriums. She hopes www.indigenoustbhistory.ca  set to launch fully in March  will help bring some closure.

"Right from the beginning, people have been asking for some sort of guide or help to be able to find where loved ones were buried. A lot of people know that somebody went away, they didnt come back, and thats it."

Currently, the barriers to tracking lost loved ones are significant, Lindsay said. Her archival work has included sifting through records from all levels of government, cemeteries, residential schools, hospitals and beyond.

"Theres just a huge range of places that people may have to look," she said. "It is overwhelming. Were trying to break it into sections."

That sort of sleuthing can be prohibitive for many, and even for an archivist such as Lindsay, its not always possible to puzzle together all the pieces of certain histories. There are many gaps in the records, she said.

Records may lead all the way to a patients death but there may be no available record of which cemetery they were buried in.

Many children were transferred to hospitals and tuberculosis sanitariums from residential schools, Lindsay said.

"Ive done research in residential school cemeteries and death in the past, and so I knew there was a connection. But I didnt appreciate the degree and the number of kids who were being sent to the cemetery," she said.

Erin Millions, research director for the Manitoba Indigenous Tuberculosis Project (a larger framework within which Lindsays research falls), said it shines a light on the work that must be done to identify where children from residential schools are buried.

"I think that research on the burials really highlights that we have to be examining the tuberculosis hospitals in co-ordination with the residential schools, because theres so many of those children who were sent to the hospitals and died there," Millions said.

While researchers comprise the team, the project goes beyond academia, she said.

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"The research project is Indigenous-led and community engaged," Millions said. "Community engaged here really means to us that we are here to do the work that former patients families and communities want us to do around the histories of Indigenous tuberculosis.

"All of our initiatives have been in response to requests from family and communities, including burials and including an oral history project."

Lindsay said the group is moving with urgency.

"It can be stressful, and theres also a sense of time running out," she said. "Because if you look at the age of people who have been patients in the sanitoria, theyre getting older."

That means to get firsthand accounts, they need to move quick; even those who are seeking answers are getting older now, too, Lindsay said.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca
HUNDREDS of children in remote Indigenous communities will crack open books they can call their own thanks to a charity created by a former provincial cabinet minister.

SUPPLIED As the pandemic continues to disrupt schooling for children across Manitoba, Share the Magic Book Program in partnership with the Rotary Club of Winnipeg is gearing up to distribute 9,000 books to children in four northern Indigenous communities.

HUNDREDS of children in remote Indigenous communities will crack open books they can call their own thanks to a charity created by a former provincial cabinet minister.

The Share the Magic Book Program has partnered with the Rotary Club of Winnipeg to get 9,000 books into the hands of children in four communities that are accessible only by air or ice road during the dead of winter.

"Ive waited for a long time to somehow get books into the north," said Christine Melnick, the programs founder and executive director, on Tuesday.

"I hope this means these children will be happy and that theyll become very interested in reading and maybe become lifelong readers. We also hope it helps raise literacy levels throughout the province."

Lac Brochet will get 1,560 of the books, Red Sucker Lake 1,608, Manto Sipi 1,483 and Wasagamack 3,271.

Melnick, a former cabinet minister and NDP MLA in both the Doer and Selinger governments, said the new school at Wasagamack will receive 1,000 books for its library. Each community will get 100 books for adults.

She said there are enough books so that each child from age five and up will get five books apiece.

"This pandemic has been especially hard on children who are struggling through periods of isolation and lack of access to educational materials," said Melnick.

"Not only are children affected emotionally by the pandemic, many are also falling behind in critical reading skills. These books will help them continue to discover the joy of reading."

John Helliar, Share the Magics president, said in a statement "we sincerely hope that many more thousands can be sent in the years to come and that they contribute to ever growing literacy levels."

Melnick said four pallets of books have been delivered to the communities, thanks to the support of The North West Co., with two more pallets on their way.

Melnick said thanks to a donation by Red River Co-op food stores, there are also 32,000 pieces of Hey Clay modelling clay heading to the communities.

"We are very pleased to support Share the Magic and the Rotary Club of Winnipeg in their efforts to provide books to children and families in remote northern communities," said Andrew Thunder, the North West Co.s director of corporate responsibility.

Melnick began Share the Magic, a registered charity, in 2003 after going to garage sales and seeing books that looked almost new or appeared to have never been opened for sale at bargain prices.

The program has donated more than 640,000 books worth more than $4.2 million.

"My aim is to get to a million books and then well get to two million," said Melnick, adding if anyone wants to donate books or provide financial support they can contact her at cmelnick@mymts.net.

"Even in this time of TVs and computers, people still want books. The need is so great."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
In the aftermath of a fatal house fire on a northern Manitoba First Nation, the community hopes the provincial government will work with them to improve a systemic lack of resources that led to overcrowded housing and no running water.

In the aftermath of a fatal house fire on a northern Manitoba First Nation, the community hopes the provincial government will work with them to improve a systemic lack of resources that led to overcrowded housing and no running water.

As he prepares to welcome the premier to Pimicikamak (Cross Lake) Cree Nation, Chief David Monias said he hopes their meeting will be a step toward solving chronic problems the community faces, which he said contributed to the tragedy.

Premier Heather Stefanson made arrangements to visit the community about 800 kilometres north of Winnipeg after a house fire claimed three lives Saturday. A toddler and two teenagers died, while four other residents managed to escape. The identities of the deceased havent been publicly released. Monias said autopsies are being conducted.

There is no running water in the area where the fire happened, and the community of 10,000 has no fire hall. There is a housing shortage and many homes are overcrowded, Monias said.

Hes expecting to welcome Stefanson Wednesday afternoon for a meeting about the tragedy, hoping it will lead to positive change for the community.

All were trying to do is were trying to get parity, were trying to get equality, Monias told the Free Press Tuesday.

We are impacted by tragedies like this when we dont have those same type of resources and same type of opportunities for our people in our community.

Its the first time in a very long time, that a premier has visited Pimicikamak, Monias said, saying its a welcome visit.

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Chief David Monias said he hopes their meeting will be a step toward solving chronic problems the community faces, which he said contributed to the tragedy.

Being here and being on site is the best (compared to) just reading a report about it. Its always good to have face-to-face time, and also it gives us a (chance) to bring reality to the things that weve been talking about.

Monias said hes also expecting Alan Lagimodiere, Manitobas minister of Indigenous reconciliation and northern relations, to make the trip, along with Grand Chiefs Arlen Dumas and Garrison Settee of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, respectively.

In a statement Tuesday, MKOs Settee said he was extremely saddened to hear about the house fire and three young lives lost.

When a tragedy such as a house fire takes place, our grief is immense. Most community members have a personal connection to those who are impacted, and it is natural we grieve with them. Grief is an ongoing process and I encourage all those who are hurting to reach out to others for support during this difficult time.

A mobile crisis team from MKO is providing counselling in the community.

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Monias said he is in shock about the fire, and the community is still coming to terms with what happened.

Everybody, when they hear about this, the first thing they want to do is hug their children, hug your family and make sure that everybodys safe, he said.

And then you want to reach out to the families that are affected and to support them.

It feels as though the community has been dealing with death over and over again, he added.

Its hard to try and recover (from) one loss after another, he said.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca
Premier Heather Stefanson pleaded in a private letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene at the Emerson border blockade just days before she publicly opposed his decision to enact the federal Emergencies Act against protesters.

Premier Heather Stefanson pleaded in a private letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene at the Emerson border blockade just days before she publicly opposed his decision to enact the federal Emergencies Act against protesters.

In a Feb. 11 letter obtained by the Free Press, Stefanson asked Trudeau to take "immediate and effective" action as she pleaded for "national leadership that only you and the federal government can provide."

SUPPLIED Premier Stefansons letter warned of urgency and dangers, a tone that was absent in her public comments about relying on police to resolve the situation peacefully.

Yet, at a news conference on Monday, Stefanson said local leaders had the situation under control, and she feared if the federal government wielded power under the Emergencies Act, it would "escalate situations."

Her Feb. 11 letter said the situation was urgent and blockades that disrupt "this critical corridor  even temporarily  create potential dangers, impose severe hardships on all Manitobans and cause severe economic loss and damage to Manitoba and Canadian businesses."

Her letter warned of "urgency" and "dangers," a tone that was absent in her public comments about relying on police to resolve the situation peacefully.

On Tuesday, RCMP announced the blockade, which began Feb. 10, was expected to end Wednesday.

The premier and Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen issued a statement Tuesday commending "the expert and professional management of the provincial RCMP in respectfully de-escalating this situation without the use of force."

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said the premiers failure to act on the blockade at the Emerson border crossing  where $73 million in goods are shipped every day  and the protests that have disrupted downtown Winnipeg since Feb. 4 is "irresponsible."

He said Stefansons letter to the PM versus what she said publicly shows shes not telling Manitobans what she really believes.

"The premier can say one thing publicly and write another thing behind the scenes," Kinew said.

"Actions speak louder than words. The premiers inaction really tells you where her heart lies. The fact that she did nothing shows an irresponsibility," Kinew said.

The premier had been telling Manitobans they have to trust police to peacefully negotiate an end to the blockade. Shes also called on the federal government to lift the vaccine mandates for truckers and urged Canada to work with the U.S. to do likewise.

The premiers letter to the prime minister didnt ask him to lift vaccine mandates for truckers, but a spokeswoman for the premier said Tuesday that was the intended message.

No one had expected Trudeau to invoke the far-reaching power of the Emergencies Act, she said.

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"The unprecedented use of this sweeping legislation had never been raised before Monday, and is not necessary in Manitoba. The premier, along with several other premiers, took issue with the blanket use of the Emergencies Act across the country," the spokeswoman told the Free Press.

"Last Friday the premier wrote to the prime minister requesting a clear and clearly communicated plan to de-escalate tensions at the border. The premier felt a clear federal road map and timetable on relaxing border restrictions would be timely and constructive. Not just for truckers, but for all Canadians looking for a return to some kind of normalcy after nearly two long years," the premiers spokeswoman said.

"As everyone knows, the protests at the border started when the prime minister announced mandates for the trucking industry at the border - the same people who had been delivering goods and services throughout the entire pandemic. As this was mandated federally only, the PM could change this policy, and only he could engage with the U.S. administration, she said.

Stefanson also had a call with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Friday, to exchange information, discuss concerns, and talk about advocacy on the U.S. side of the border, she said.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca

Dylan Robertson

Parliamentary bureau chief In Ottawa, Dylan enjoys snooping through freedom-of-information requests and asking politicians: "What about Manitoba?" Read full biography
HIGHWAY 75 NEAR EMERSON  Truckers hauling loads destined for the United States and everyday travellers slowly approached the Emerson border crossing Wednesday morning, around the time RCMP said the anti-mandate blockade of dozens of big rigs and tractors had promised to disperse.

HIGHWAY 75 NEAR EMERSON  Truckers hauling loads destined for the United States and everyday travellers slowly approached the Emerson border crossing Wednesday morning, around the time RCMP said the anti-mandate blockade of dozens of big rigs and tractors had promised to disperse.

They waited patiently to cross the border, stretching a kilometre back from Highway 75 and Provincial Road 243 in whiteout conditions. RCMP monitored the scene as the convoy departed and snow plows cleared the highway where the blockade had been camped out since Feb. 10 as it choked off $70 million in daily trade between the two countries.

Starting at noon, Mounties escorted the anti-COVID-19 mandate protesters from the site after negotiating a truce with organizers one day earlier.

RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre called it a perfect solution because no one had been arrested or injured. No tickets were issued and no vehicles were towed. That was part of the agreement reached with organizers after the federal Liberal government enacted the Emergencies Act this week to shut down such protests, including at border crossings in Coutts, Alta., and at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont.

The way the situation was developing here, we needed to take a prudent and safe measure (in the approach), and here we are, Manaigre told reporters who gathered near the port of entry.

They wanted to get their message across, which I believe they have, and we wanted to make sure they understood where we were coming from. At some point, our enforcement might have been needed, but machines are running, theyre warming up and in a short time theyll be on their way.

People block Highway 75 with heavy trucks and farm equipment and access to the Canada/U.S. border crossing at Emerson on Feb. 10. (John Woods / The Canadian Press files) Sgt. Paul Manaigre, Manitoba RCMP, talks to the media as trucks continue blocking the border crossing at Emerson. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)

The area, about two kilometres north of the border, was in whiteout conditions with winds of up to 60 kilometres per hour, whipping snow across the barren fields, drifting onto the highway.

At least 75 pieces of farm equipment, semi-trailer trucks and personal vehicles slowly drive north toward Highway 14, under the RCMPs lead.

Farm equipment carried placards and Canadian flags on their buckets. Many signs read: mandate freedom. A sign on a gravel truck read: Trudeau for prison. A sign on a pickup truck said: Mainstream media all fake news.

Some hauled camper trailers or agricultural equipment.

At the turnoff to Altona, a mother and child waved at the trucks as they held a large banner with a caricature of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Farmers and truckers expose dictatorship, the banner said.

In an alert, the Canada Border Services Agency announced the port of entry had reopened to travellers and commercial traffic.

Trucks blocking the border crossing at Emerson. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)

We thank you for your patience and for helping us to minimize the impact of this border service disruption, the alert read.

Officers will remain in the area to ensure the highway and the border remain open, RCMP said.

Some agricultural and other critical trade had been allowed through, along with emergency vehicles, but otherwise all four lanes of Highway 75 were blocked. Officers negotiated with blockade organizers since the beginning.

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Manaigre said RCMP are focused on today in response to a question about whether the police force is confident the blockade wont set up again, but noted they have learned from the situation.

Manaigre noted there had been no indication organizers had planned to get violent, and the group didnt have weapons, unlike the protest in Alberta.

You have to take that into consideration, (but) theres been no information to suggest that was a possibility, he said. But its part of our planning, our contingency.

At the blockade at the Coutts border crossing, RCMP discovered a heavily armed group. Officers arrested 13 people and seized firearms and ammunition there Monday. The blockade disbanded Tuesday.

Four charges of conspiracy to commit murder were laid, in addition to 14 charges of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, one charge of uttering threats and 14 charges of mischief over $5,000.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
Welcome to the winter of our COVID-19 discontent. It refuses to slip quietly into the night. Fatigue and frustration have spawned dissension and division, as we can see in our streets and at our borders.

Opinion

Welcome to the winter of our COVID-19 discontent. It refuses to slip quietly into the night. Fatigue and frustration have spawned dissension and division, as we can see in our streets and at our borders.

The most precious political commodity for any government and leader is trust. Two years of pandemic life have frayed this vital link between governors and the governed. Last August, Premier Heather Stefanson launched her leadership campaign with a call for "healing." Last Friday, she unliterally declared the pandemic over, saying it was time to "end the divisiveness" and "bring Manitobans back together again."

Fine sentiments. But you know who wants this pandemic over more than Manitobans and Canadians? Governments. They are tired and threatened by the daily public pressures of fighting COVID-19 and the nascent political terrors lurking under their beds. If turning the page is arguably not good for your physical health, it is demonstrably helpful for their political health.

Trouble is, COVID-19 isnt co-operating. Its not going to simply disappear. It is myopic to presume it will have no lingering effects on society and its institutions. That political "long COVID," as I have written before, is guaranteed. Last Fridays hurried announcement, with only belated evidence offered and without any assurances of the broader plan on living with COVID-19, is symptomatic of the urgent desire by governments to write the closing chapter on the pandemic.

But any government that postpones a formal dissection of the COVID-19 experience risks finding itself undergoing a political autopsy at election time.

So, whats to be done? There can be no more effective means to heal and bring Manitobans back together than through an independent public inquiry into the impact of COVID-19 on the province and people. Without such an inquiry, people will be left to draw their own conclusions as to what happened, why, and what it means.

Those conclusions will inevitably be both right and wrong, factual and fatuous, important and trivial, balanced and ludicrous. In other words, no common, evidence-based understanding or acceptance will occur. No common solutions to learn from the experience will be found. Left to next years election, it will be all heat and no light from politicians on all sides who have every incentive to dissemble, dissuade, downplay and demonize your personal experiences for their own purposes.

Only a structured, focused and independent public inquiry can do the heavy lifting of fostering a true "lessons learned" result from which Manitoba can emerge more healed and less divided.

The full "lessons learned" process I began as clerk of the executive council for inside government after the pandemics first wave was overtaken by subsequent COVID-19 waves. But it was animated by a recognition that this once-in-a-lifetime event had significant meanings and impacts requiring deeper comprehension.

Already, new insights are emerging. Here are two serious public-health policy findings that cry out for a deeper Manitoba analysis through a provincial public inquiry:

Manitoba suffered a disproportionate number of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations compared to other provinces. Why? On Monday, a Canadian Medical Association Journal study of the geographic concentration of COVID-19 cases in Winnipeg and other major cities across Canada was released. It discovered: "Cases were disproportionately concentrated in areas with lower income and educational attainment, and in areas with a higher proportion of visible minorities, recent immigrants, high-density housing and essential workers."

It concluded: "Geographically prioritized allocation of resources and services that are tailored to the local drivers of inequalities in acquisition and transmission risk offer a path forward in the public health response to SARS-CoV-2."

Last week, a study by the authoritative international medical journal The Lancet determined that trust, not pandemic health-system preparedness, was more associated with lower COVID-19 infection rates and vaccination across countries, including Canada.

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It stated: "Measures of trust in the government and interpersonal trust, as well as less government corruption, had larger, statistically significant associations with lower standardised infection rates. High levels of government and interpersonal trust, as well as less government corruption, were also associated with higher COVID-19 vaccine coverage among middle-income and high- income countries ."

Much has been said about trust in public-health advice throughout the pandemic. Could a "pandemic of the unvaccinated" been prevented? This is a real divide that demands discussion if Manitoba is to truly heal, especially in light of current events.

The fastest way to diminish trust and deepen divisions would be a government inquiry, or an opposition-inspired inquiry should they gain government. Only an independent, authoritative inquiry led by a former judge, as is occurring in the United Kingdom, or an expert, non-partisan "wise persons" commission is suited for this task, as others have written.

But this inquiry must not focus exclusively on the past. It needs to be a "lessons learned, look ahead" inquiry. It must be tasked with proposing positive, realistic recommendations for improvements to health and other government services, so the province can profit from this whole trying experience.

Will it happen?

David McLaughlin was Clerk of the Executive Council in the government of Manitoba in 2020-21. He was campaign manager for the PC Party of Manitoba in the 2016 and 2019 elections.
In poker-playing parlance, this would certainly be described as going all in.

In poker-playing parlance, this would certainly be described as going "all in."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus announcement Monday that the federal government is invoking the Emergencies Act, in response to the ongoing urban occupations and border blockades that have disrupted downtowns and stymied international commerce, can only be described as an extreme measure.

But given the tepid tactical responses and occasional faint acquiescences that have occurred at the local and provincial levels, it can also rightly be argued that Mr. Trudeaus decision is a necessary one.

These occupations are causing damage to Canadas economy on a scale that is massive and, in some sectors at least, will likely prove to be irreparable.

PATRICK DOYLE / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus invocation of the Emergencies Act in a time-limited and geographically targeted manner creates an opportunity to bring an overdue end to this disruption.

Mr. Trudeaus invocation of the Emergencies Act in a "time-limited and geographically targeted" manner that is also "reasonable and appropriate to threats (it is) meant to address" creates an opportunity to bring an overdue end to this disruption.

Participants in these intransigent gatherings rightly concluded the sheer physical mass of their vehicles would make their so-called "convoys" difficult to displace once they reached their destinations. But their apparent belief that having big trucks with loud horns makes their general rejection of medical science and democratic principles the foundation of a righteous cause could not be more sadly mistaken.

These occupations are causing damage to Canadas economy on a scale that is massive and, in some sectors at least, will likely prove to be irreparable.

Provincial governments have so far shown themselves to be unable or unwilling to directly confront the ongoing disturbances. Premier Heather Stefanson, after many days of "we need to have balanced respect" waffling, eventually brought herself to declare that "blockades that disrupt borders and critical infrastructure and impair trade, jobs and the economy, or that unduly infringe the rights of neighbours and communities, cannot be tolerated."

But when Mr. Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, Ms. Stefanson joined Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in declaring such a measure isnt required in their jurisdictions (Ontario Premier Doug Ford, having earlier declared his own state of emergency, endorsed the prime ministers announcement).

When Mr. Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, Ms. Stefanson joined Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in declaring such a measure isnt required in their jurisdictions.

Theres no small irony in the fact these two stood solidly in support of provincial legislation protecting critical infrastructure from protest disruption  Mr. Kenneys legislation was passed into law, while a similar bill introduced while Ms. Stefanson served in former premier Brian Pallisters cabinet died after he resigned from office  but now are critical of federal measures imposed in response to their provinces inability to end the "protest" siege.

Ms. Stefanson is among several Conservative officials urging a negotiated solution to the occupation impasse. But realistically, what is to be negotiated, and by whose authority is this fringe minority of malcontents authorized to strike bargains that affect the lives and health of all Manitobans?

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Premier Heather Stefanson is among several Conservative officials urging a negotiated solution to the occupation impasse.

In addition to demanding the removal of all public-health restrictions while the pandemic persists, some among the occupiers also count among their "demands" the removal of democratically elected governments. Organizers of the Ottawa encampment had the temerity to suggest the formation of a "coalition," comprised of opposition MPs and members of the uprising, which would supplant the Trudeau government.

Such misinformed arrogance, rooted in nothing more than the fact big, heavy trucks are difficult to move, has been afforded more than enough time in the national conversation. Mr. Trudeau has rightly concluded the Emergencies Act affords access to economic levers  freezing corporate and personal bank accounts, imposing regulatory and insurance-related sanctions and clamping down on crowd-funding companies  will be more effective than government-conscripted towtrucks for removing the 18-wheeled barricades.

He has moved his chips all in; for better or worse, the resolution of this crisis will now be on Mr. Trudeau. But Canadians will also remember that when the betting got around to Mr. Kenney and Ms. Stefanson, their play was to fold.
THE public school systems COVID-19 scars and the unlikely successes that have come out of emergency pivots are top of mind inside Manitobas largest school board, as leaders ponder what a post-pandemic classroom should look like.

THE public school systems COVID-19 scars and the unlikely successes that have come out of emergency pivots are top of mind inside Manitobas largest school board, as leaders ponder what a post-pandemic classroom should look like.

"Public health agencies and leaders around the world are signalling a shift from pandemic response to an endemic plan and response to COVID-19," wrote Chris Broughton, a trustee in the Winnipeg School Division, about his rationale behind one of several notices of motion he introduced at a board meeting last week.

"The (WSD), and school divisions across the country, need to shift focus from the crisis of the pandemic to planning and implementing a recovery from (its) impacts."

The document states educators and administrators have undertaken "valiant efforts" to adapt to alternative delivery models, but disruptions have resulted in student disengagement, chronic attendance issues, decreased credit attainment, a decline in academic achievement, and a youth mental health crisis.

It also notes impacts have disproportionately affected families who were at-risk to the above before the pandemic.

Broughton wants his board colleagues to support the development of specific recovery plans for both K-12 education at-large and student mental health, as well as a review of the divisions information technology systems and infrastructure.

An education recovery plan should consider: expanding existing outdoor and land-based teaching opportunities; improving planning for play-based learning; increasing digital literacy resources for educators; ensure equitable access to extracurricular programs; and, introducing alternative learning schedules or extended school year options in some schools, among other items, according to the Ward 2 trustee.

"We have a cookie-cutter school day and we have a cookie-cutter school year. There are some communities where that isnt the ideal way of delivering education. It doesnt meet their needs. We need to start seriously thinking about what it is that were offering to ensure that every child has the best opportunity to learn and grow," Broughton said in an interview Monday.

The trustee, who is also a parent in the division, said he has consulted the Royal Society of Canadas recent report of peer-reviewed research on how COVID-19 has affected children and schools to brainstorm ways to build on WSDs programs.

He added: "We have to recognize that we went through a profound change just two years ago, and if we can make that significant of a change with intention, these types of things can be done. We just need to put the intention behind them."

Trustees are slated to debate whether it is time to draw up blueprints for division-wide recovery work and if so, what those documents should entail, at their next regular board meeting March 7.

"The lack of interaction is a big deal," said Ethan Brinkman, a Grade 12 student at Sisler High School, when asked about the greatest challenge he has faced over the last 23 months.

Brinkman, 18, recently re-enrolled in Sisler after more than a year taking courses via WSDs virtual school program, owing to a doctors note that outlined his challenges with anxiety.

The high school student said one positive thing about the pandemic is it has allowed for more flexible learning options. However, he wonders how economical it would be to continue operating virtual classrooms with live instruction when there is no longer a global health crisis.

One thing Brinkman said he wants schools to leave in the past is cohorting and alternate-day attendance models  measures introduced in 2020-21 to limit contacts and ensure physical distancing of two metres in classrooms.

"Throw it all out If you were going on a different day than your friends, then you never saw them," he added.

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Andrew Cumming said his children, who are in grades 3, 6, and 8, have missed their friends and school life, and have all had "far too much screen time" in recent months.

"We will have to focus on emotional health, social wellness, and directly supporting recovery learning (in the wake of the pandemic)," said the Winnipeg father. Cumming, however, said he is skeptical about how that can happen, given all of the budget constraints in WSD.

Last week, the board released its draft budget for the 2022-23 academic year.

Despite a decrease in annual operating funding, the financial plan currently ensures existing programs are maintained, as a result of the board voting to axe its full-day kindergarten pilot  which has cost the division around $500,000 annually in recent years  in autumn. As is, there is no room for any additions to the budget.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
Protesters in semis and tractors have promised to release their chokehold on Manitobas busiest border crossing after almost a week over their insistence mask and vaccine mandates be removed immediately.

Protesters in semis and tractors have promised to release their chokehold on Manitobas busiest border crossing after almost a week over their insistence mask and vaccine mandates be removed immediately.

RCMP announced Tuesday afternoon they had brokered a deal with protesters that will see them dismantle the blockade on Highway 75 just north of the U.S. border crossing near Emerson, south of Winnipeg.

"We are now confident that a resolution has been reached and that demonstrators will soon be leaving the area and that full access to the Emerson Port of Entry will be restored," RCMP Chief Supt. Rob Hill said Tuesday.

About 40 to 60 semis, tractors and other vehicles choked off Manitobas main cross-border trade corridor starting Thursday morning. They prevented an estimated $73-million worth of goods from being shipped through the port of entry each day. Truckers had to take detours to cross the border elsewhere. RCMP said officers are co-ordinating the departure of those blocking access to the border who were expected to be gone by Wednesday.

Emerson Duty Free Shop co-owner Simon Resch said he was relieved to see the "complete circus" prepare to pack up and leave. He estimated it cost him 100 per cent of his business for nearly a week.

That meant losing "thousands and thousands of dollars every day." It was a huge blow after two years of bringing in about 20 per cent of pre-pandemic business thanks to the pandemic.

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Emerson Duty Free Shop co-owner Simon Resch said he was relieved to see the complete circus prepare to pack up and leave. He estimated it cost him 100 per cent of his business for nearly a week.

He likened witnessing the blockade to being in a different country, though he noted the RCMPs consistent response to a potentially volatile situation lowered the temperature of the demonstration.

"I never thought that would happen in my backyard and particularly by a group of motivated, minority-opinion holders honking their horns and running around waving pro-Donald Trump flags and lets go Brandon placards (a coded anti-U.S. President Joe Biden phrase)," said Resch, whose family has run the shop for four decades.

He said his industry has been devastated by the pandemic, and he initially saw good messages of unity between Canada and the United States from the slow-roll protests that began a few weeks ago.

"Then all of a sudden last week, this sort of radical element just decided OK, enoughs enough, lets shut it all down now. You do that when youre three (years old), not when youre an adult and not at a border crossing that affects the country," he said.

The withdrawal of the illegal blockade was announced after the federal government invoked the federal Emergencies Act Monday. The move signalled a clampdown on the siege at the border, including in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario. Owners of the vehicles that were illegally blocking the roadway were warned their bank accounts could be frozen and their insurance revoked.

Resch said he was glad to see the federal government take firm action. He was confused when Premier Heather Stefanson said she didnt want to see the power of the federal Emergencies Act used to put an end to the border blockade at Emerson.

On Monday, the premier cautioned against its use in Manitoba, where she said enforcement of the federal law with broad and sweeping powers could escalate the tense situation. Stefanson called on the federal government to develop a plan for the border and blamed Ottawa for imposing a vaccine mandate for truckers that ignited demonstrations across the country. Manitobans, she said, should trust that law enforcement could resolve the blockade at the Emerson border "through peaceful negotiations."

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES The withdrawal of the illegal blockade was announced after the federal government invoked the federal Emergencies Act Monday. The move signalled a clampdown on the siege at the border, including in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario.

Resch hopes the blockade will be dispersed by the time he drives to his shop Wednesday morning.

Legal authorities say the province didnt have to wait for the federal government to act.

"The police can arrest anyone committing a crime and take other steps to enforce traffic regulations  which blocking the road presumably would run afoul of," said University of Manitoba assistant law professor Gerard Kennedy.

"No orders-in-council or invocations of emergency legislation are necessary to do that," he said.

Associate Professor in the Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies (ADES) department at Brandon University, Jack Lindsay, said Manitobans are used to having some freedoms curtailed during emergencies such as blizzards that prompt the RCMP to shut down highways. Manitoba has its own far-reaching Emergency Measures Act that was used during the pandemic, as well as during wildfires and floods to order evacuations, and could be used again to move protesters that occupy roadways.

"Unlike Ontario, Manitoba and most other provinces can require a person to perform a service theyre able to provide," Lindsau said. "We could be ordering tow-truck drivers or others to help take down a blockade," whereas Ontarios legislation specifically says it cannot require a person to do something, he said.

Manitobans are not used to seeing laws enforced to deal with a civil disturbance like a blockade at the border, said Lindsay.

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had to consult with premiers, and did so, but does not require their consent to act within a province, because its been deemed a national emergency

"Province by province, its going to be a political calculation as to whether or not different premiers of different political stripes want to be seen as tough on protesters or soft on protesters," Lindsay said. He said to look out for inconsistencies.

"These powers are meant to be applied without any reference to age, gender, ethnicity or language," Lindsay said.

Nomi Claire Lazar, a University of Ottawa professor who specializes in how governments use states of emergency, said the federal government could make unilateral decisions in how to use the Emergencies Act in Manitoba.

Lazar said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had to consult with premiers, and did so, but does not require their consent to act within a province, because its been deemed a national emergency.

Yet Lazar said the most impact from the federal Emergencies Act could be the thinning out of convoy activists as their funding dries up. Trudeau has moved to freeze the assets of truck owners and bank accounts handling donations.

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"Provincial powers do not allow for that kind of financial consequence," she said. "Its in cyberspace, rather than any actual physical space."

Lazar noted this is the first time the Emergencies Act has been invoked since it became law in 1988 when it replaced the War Measures Act. She says the public needs to be vigilant in ensuring governments dont overstep.

"While sometimes emergency powers are absolutely necessary  theyre always dangerous. So its really important that we keep our eyes open, and that were holding the government to account, and that theyre only using those powers that are strictly necessary."

 With files from Dylan Robertson

carl.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera

Reporter Erik Pindera reports for the city desk, with a particular focus on crime and justice. Read full biography
One of the first Manitobans to receive the antiviral COVID-19 pill that became available in the province last month has fully recovered, with no side effects.

One of the first Manitobans to receive the antiviral COVID-19 pill that became available in the province last month has fully recovered, with no side effects.

Mary McIntosh, 72, lives in Victoria Beach and is among the 83 Manitobans recently issued Pfizer Inc. drug Paxlovid to treat COVID-19.

She reached out to Health Links when she was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Jan. 30. McIntosh has autoimmune hepatitis (a chronic liver disease), thus qualifying her to receive the new treatment.

SUPPLIED Mary McIntosh, 72, is among the 83 Manitobans recently issued Pfizer Inc. drug Paxlovid to treat COVID-19.

"I did have to advocate for myself with respect to treatment options," said McIntosh, who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including a booster.

"But having made the initial contact with Shared Health, I found things moved very quickly."

They had to: the window where COVID-19 treatments are most effective is just five to seven days after symptoms appear.

McIntosh was prescribed combination drug Paxlovid by a doctor assigned to her by Shared Health, after a series of phone calls with various health-care professionals. After getting the go-ahead from her own doctor to insure it wouldnt affect her current medication, she immediately began the five-day prescription.

"Once they got the prescription at (Health Sciences Centre), then I was contacted by the pharmacist there, and I was told that there would be no cost to me, and that the prescription would be delivered to where I was isolated," McIntosh said.

Once they got the prescription at (Health Sciences Centre), then I was contacted by the pharmacist there, and I was told that there would be no cost to me, and that the prescription would be delivered to where I was isolated."  Mary McIntosh

She decided to wait out her self-isolation at a friends place in Winnipeg. She received bubble packs starting Feb. 2, with 30 pills in total: three each morning and three each afternoon, about 12 hours apart. By the end of her self-isolation period, she had fully recovered, she said.

The treatment is part of what the province calls a "test and treat" strategy, meaning quickly getting treatment in the hands of people more susceptible to having a severe response to COVID-19.

According to the province, out of the 83 who first received the treatment, 46 live in the Winnipeg health region, 20 in Prairie Mountain, nine in Southern Health, five in Interlake-Eastern and three in Northern Health. (The numbers are expected to be updated Wednesday.)

There were 978 treatments left available in Manitoba, as of Tuesday.

(If you fit into any of the five eligible categories and test positive for COVID-19, the province recommends contacting Health Links to see if you qualify for treatment.)

SUPPLIED Pfizer Inc. drug Paxlovid to treat COVID-19.

"Monoclonal antibodies and antiviral treatment are available by referral at a number of locations throughout the province," a provincial spokesperson said in a statement.

"This process is similar to other illnesses, where patients need to contact their health providers or call Health Links-Info Sante when theyre feeling ill. A health professional will recommend the best course of treatment once they connect."

McIntosh said she received no check-ins nor a follow-up from Shared Health, but added the doctor she worked with said they had treated "maybe a dozen" people up to that point and it was obvious it was a new process for everyone involved.

"Prescribing health professionals have been encouraged to follow up with their patients, but similar to treatments for other illnesses, patients should contact their doctors if their conditions worsen after treatment," the provincial spokesperson said.

Ive trusted the science, Ive trusted the decisions on the vaccine. I trust Health Canada, who made the approval.  Mary McIntosh

According to a fact sheet McIntosh received, potential side effects of the drug include an altered sense of taste, high blood pressure, diarrhea and muscle aches. She said experienced none of them.

McIntosh was "a bit excited" to be one of the first to try a new method to treat COVID-19.

"Ive trusted the science, Ive trusted the decisions on the vaccine. I trust Health Canada, who made the approval," she said.

The same fact sheet says Paxlovid should not be taken by people with severe COVID-19, may interact with other medications and herbal supplements, and recommends people use physical contraceptives or stay abstinent while taking it, as it may decrease the effectiveness of birth control.

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McIntosh said she was inspired to speak about her experience because theres been "a lot of negativity." She hoped her safe recovery and relatively painless experience would help other people possibly seek out treatment they need.

"Much has been said about the current state of our medical system," she said. "My experience with contracting COVID was a good one  if you can say getting a potentially deadly virus is a good thing."

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca
Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) passed a resolution at its board meeting last week asking the Arizona Legislature to override the state's aggregate expenditure limit (AEL) for the year. If the current AEL continues, the district would lose $12.2 million in funding.

This resolution urges the legislature to act quickly to override the limit to avoid immediate harm to school districts, according to its introduction.

The AEL, passed by Arizona voters in 1980, is the total amount K-12 public schools in the state are able to spend each year. School spending will exceed that limit for the current year if an override does not happen by March 1.

FUSD Superintendent Michael Penca listed contributing factors to the excess including pandemic-related decreases in enrollment, previous investments made by the Legislature and Proposition 301 sales tax funds no longer being exempt from the AEL.

Arizonas public school funding, including those in excess of the AEL, was appropriated in June 2021 as part of the states fiscal year 2022 budget. This is already budgeted and committed for this school year, according to Pencas presentation.

These are not new monies, and reduced spending will not reduce taxes, he said.

The budget cut would total $1.1 billion across Arizona public schools. FUSDs budget would be cut by $12,221,169, should it pass. Other northern Arizona schools that would lose funding include the Williams ($948,979), Ash Fork ($674,783) and Grand Canyon ($634,319) districts.

A cut of this magnitude will significantly harm student learning, teacher and staff retention, and community trust by causing large furloughs and other cuts prior to the end of the school year, according to the resolution.

FUSD has not specified what adjustments it would make to its budget, though it has plans to stream its next budget work session, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 24.

The Arizona Legislature is able to override the AEL for a year at time with a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber -- which happened in 2007 and 2008.

The resolution was passed unanimously by FUSDs board. More information can be found on the district's website.

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HIGHWAY 75 NEAR EMERSON  Truckers hauling loads destined for the United States and everyday travellers slowly approached the Emerson border crossing Wednesday morning, around the time RCMP said the anti-mandate blockade of dozens of big rigs and tractors had promised to disperse.

HIGHWAY 75 NEAR EMERSON  Truckers hauling loads destined for the United States and everyday travellers slowly approached the Emerson border crossing Wednesday morning, around the time RCMP said the anti-mandate blockade of dozens of big rigs and tractors had promised to disperse.

They waited patiently to cross the border, stretching a kilometre back from Highway 75 and Provincial Road 243 in whiteout conditions. RCMP monitored the scene as the convoy departed and snow plows cleared the highway where the blockade had been camped out since Feb. 10 as it choked off $70 million in daily trade between the two countries.

Starting at noon, Mounties escorted the anti-COVID-19 mandate protesters from the site after negotiating a truce with organizers one day earlier.

RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre called it a perfect solution because no one had been arrested or injured. No tickets were issued and no vehicles were towed. That was part of the agreement reached with organizers after the federal Liberal government enacted the Emergencies Act this week to shut down such protests, including at border crossings in Coutts, Alta., and at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont.

The way the situation was developing here, we needed to take a prudent and safe measure (in the approach), and here we are, Manaigre told reporters who gathered near the port of entry.

They wanted to get their message across, which I believe they have, and we wanted to make sure they understood where we were coming from. At some point, our enforcement might have been needed, but machines are running, theyre warming up and in a short time theyll be on their way.

People block Highway 75 with heavy trucks and farm equipment and access to the Canada/U.S. border crossing at Emerson on Feb. 10. (John Woods / The Canadian Press files) Sgt. Paul Manaigre, Manitoba RCMP, talks to the media as trucks continue blocking the border crossing at Emerson. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)

The area, about two kilometres north of the border, was in whiteout conditions with winds of up to 60 kilometres per hour, whipping snow across the barren fields, drifting onto the highway.

At least 75 pieces of farm equipment, semi-trailer trucks and personal vehicles slowly drive north toward Highway 14, under the RCMPs lead.

Farm equipment carried placards and Canadian flags on their buckets. Many signs read: mandate freedom. A sign on a gravel truck read: Trudeau for prison. A sign on a pickup truck said: Mainstream media all fake news.

Some hauled camper trailers or agricultural equipment.

At the turnoff to Altona, a mother and child waved at the trucks as they held a large banner with a caricature of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Farmers and truckers expose dictatorship, the banner said.

In an alert, the Canada Border Services Agency announced the port of entry had reopened to travellers and commercial traffic.

Trucks blocking the border crossing at Emerson. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)

We thank you for your patience and for helping us to minimize the impact of this border service disruption, the alert read.

Officers will remain in the area to ensure the highway and the border remain open, RCMP said.

Some agricultural and other critical trade had been allowed through, along with emergency vehicles, but otherwise all four lanes of Highway 75 were blocked. Officers negotiated with blockade organizers since the beginning.

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Manaigre said RCMP are focused on today in response to a question about whether the police force is confident the blockade wont set up again, but noted they have learned from the situation.

Manaigre noted there had been no indication organizers had planned to get violent, and the group didnt have weapons, unlike the protest in Alberta.

You have to take that into consideration, (but) theres been no information to suggest that was a possibility, he said. But its part of our planning, our contingency.

At the blockade at the Coutts border crossing, RCMP discovered a heavily armed group. Officers arrested 13 people and seized firearms and ammunition there Monday. The blockade disbanded Tuesday.

Four charges of conspiracy to commit murder were laid, in addition to 14 charges of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, one charge of uttering threats and 14 charges of mischief over $5,000.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
Business owners and operators still undecided about dropping COVID-19 vaccination requirements want to see the Manitoba government maintain its immunization card program after provincial mandates and public health orders are lifted.

Business owners and operators still undecided about dropping COVID-19 vaccination requirements want to see the Manitoba government maintain its immunization card program after provincial mandates and public health orders are lifted.

West End Cultural Centre executive director Jason Hooper said board members for the non-profit Winnipeg venue will decide Feb. 22 if COVID-19 vaccination and masks will be required for patrons attending events starting next month.

Its really about keeping people safe and reducing the risk of transmitting the virus at an event, Hooper said in an interview Tuesday. Its still out there, its still a pandemic  so were looking at ways that we can keep staff, volunteers, patrons and artists safe while still being open and operating.

On Tuesday, public health orders that capped capacity and placed a number of restrictions on businesses were lifted as the province moves towards the elimination of restrictions by mid-March.

By March 1, orders requiring people to show proof of vaccination to dine-in at restaurants, attend concerts, gyms and a number of other public venues will be lifted. Provincial mask mandates will follow March 15.

Premier Heather Stefanson was asked Monday if the provincial application  which checks unique codes against a database of vaccination records  would go dark when vaccination requirements are lifted.

She made no guarantees the technology would still be available to businesses that choose to limit access.

Well have those discussions, I guess, at cabinet and internally to see what the next steps are in terms of removing the QR codes, what that will look like in terms of the process and probably have more discussions about that and more to reveal at a later date, the premier said.

As a venue operator, Hooper said hed like the option to use the Manitoba Immunization Verifier application. However, if it is not available, the venue may rely on the pan-Canadian vaccination certificate instead.

KEVIN KING / POOL Previously, the province said it had budgeted $4.3 million to implement the Manitoba Immunization Card and the accompanying application to verify QR codes.

Hooper expects the venue could face backlash if it chooses to keep vaccination and masking requirements, and thats why the decision is being made at the board level. Meantime, roughly $70,000 worth of ventilation improvements are underway to improve COVID-19 safety, he added.

We have different expectations of ourselves and what the community expects of us, and we are beholden to the community in ways that a privately owned organization isnt, Hooper said. It is important for a decision of this weight to be made by the whole of the organization.

A recent survey of about 200 restaurants indicated 35 per cent of operators plan to keep vaccination requirements beyond March 1, Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association executive director Shaun Jeffrey said.

Thats unfortunately not available to them if the app is not available, Jeffrey said. They should be given that right to do so as operators of a private business, but without the technology, its hard to do that.

Reached by phone Tuesday, Brian Koshul was busy preparing to welcome crowds back to his Winnipeg nightclub this week.

Koshul, who owns the Village Nightclub, said no decisions have been made when it comes to proof of vaccination beyond March 1. He plans to reach out to customers to see how they feel about dropping the requirement when public health orders permit.

I think its something we have to discuss as a business, because you risk losing customers, but were of the mindset that our customers were double-vaccinated anyway, Koshul said.

During the time the club was permitted to operate, Koshul said his staff found plenty of fraudulent immunization cards using the verification app. He hopes the government keeps the app active, should customers and staff favour vaccination requirements.

I dont have an opinion one way or another. When youre in hospitality, the opinion is of your customers.

A number of restaurant and venue operators have already decided they will follow the governments lead and let COVID-19 vaccination requirements fall by the wayside once orders allow.

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Brian Koshul, who owns the Village Nightclub, said no decisions have been made when it comes to proof of vaccination beyond March 1.

Its been a very tough two years. For us, its been brutal, weve lost a lot financially, so we need to open up and were going to follow the recommendations that are coming in, Kings Head Pub owner Chris Graves said in Winnipeg.

Graves acknowledged some customers may be uncomfortable heading into a place where COVID-19 vaccination is not required, but said the government has forced his hand.

No matter if I wanted to wear a mask, if I wanted to check vaccine passports or not, theyve forced us to go down the road anyway, he said. At the end of the day, I cannot just cater to 75 or 80 per cent of the population because I still pay 100 per cent business taxes and 100 per cent property taxes.

Feast Cafe Bistro owner Christa Bruneau Guenther said if provincial public health officials endorse dropping vaccination requirements for people to dine-in, she has faith in their expertise.

They have a lot more scientists and researchers and people who are far smarter than me. If theyre OK with the government making that decision then, obviously, were at the tail end of this pandemic and enough people have been vaccinated that its not as big of a threat, Guenther said. I will trust in their decision as well.

Meanwhile, Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club owner John Scoles said his venue will follow public health orders in place March 1, but expects to feel the heat from customers who want requirements maintained.

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Patrons have been overwhelmingly supportive of vaccine requirements to date, he said.

But that works a lot because people respect the science, they respect the health orders, Scoles said. If you take that health order away and you just say Im arbitrarily telling people what they can and cant do, then youre asking for trouble.

The province should maintain its immunization verification application for those who want to use it, Scoles said.

You want to watch out (not) to go out of your way to eliminate all of the ground youve gained, Scoles said. I dont think we should be extraordinarily hasty here.

Previously, the province said it had budgeted $4.3 million to implement the Manitoba Immunization Card and the accompanying application to verify QR codes.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity Wednesday, while the U.S. warned that Russia had added as many as 7,000 troops near Ukraines borders despite Kremlin declarations that forces were being pulled back from the region.

President Joe Biden speaks about Ukraine in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity Wednesday, while the U.S. warned that Russia had added as many as 7,000 troops near Ukraines borders despite Kremlin declarations that forces were being pulled back from the region.

While a Russian invasion of Ukraine did not materialize as feared, the United States and its allies maintained that the threat is still strong, with Europes security and economic stability in the balance.

Russia has massed more than 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine, according to Western estimates. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that he wants a peaceful path out of the crisis, and U.S. President Joe Biden promised that the U.S. would continue to give diplomacy "every chance," but he struck a skeptical tone about Moscows intentions. Biden also insisted that Washington and its allies would not "sacrifice basic principles" respecting Ukraine sovereignty.

Russian Defense Ministry video showed a trainload of armored vehicles moving across a bridge away from Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It also announced that more tank units were being loaded on trains to move back to their permanent bases after training exercises.

But at the same time, Russia continued war games near Ukraines borders and across its vast territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz following their talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. Putin said Moscow is ready for security talks with the U.S. and NATO, as the Russian military announced a partial troop withdrawal from drills near Ukraine  new signs that may suggest a Russian invasion of its neighbor isn't imminent despite snowballing Western fears. (Sergey Guneev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

A senior U.S. administration official said the West detected that Russia had increased its force near Ukraine by 7,000 troops, with some arriving as recently as Wednesday, and that there had been a marked increase in false claims by Russians that the Kremlin might use as pretext for an invasion.

The official said those claims included reports of unmarked graves of civilians allegedly killed by Ukrainian forces, statements that the U.S. and Ukraine are developing biological or chemical weapons, and claims that the West is funneling in guerrillas to kill Ukrainians.

The official was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive operations and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The official did not provide underlying evidence for the assertions.

In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, a self-propelled artillery mount fires at the Osipovichi training ground during the Union Courage-2022 Russia-Belarus military drills in Belarus. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

The U.S. and Europe are maintaining threats of harsh sanctions. Trust between East and West remains elusive.

"We havent seen a pullback," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News. "He (Putin) can pull the trigger. He can pull it today. He can pull it tomorrow. He can pull it next week. The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine."

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. had seen "more Russian forces, not fewer."

A child walks under a large Ukrainian flag carried by people marking a "day of unity" in Sievierodonetsk, the Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he welcomed a security dialogue with the West, and his military reported pulling back some of its troops near Ukraine, while U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. had not verified Russia's claim and that an invasion was still a distinct possibility. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Asked why Russians would claim to be withdrawing when government intelligence, commercial satellite photos and social media videos showed no evidence of that, Price said: "This is the Russian playbook, to paint a picture publicly  while they do the opposite."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance also had not seen "any withdrawal of Russian forces," as did multiple European governments. Before chairing a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels, he said: "If they really start to withdraw forces, thats something we will welcome, but that remains to be seen."

In the meantime, the alliance is examining this week how and when to rapidly dispatch troops and equipment to countries closest to Russia and the Black Sea region should Moscow order an invasion.

A 200 meter long Ukrainian flag is unfolded at the Olympiyskiy stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. As Western officials warned a Russian invasion could happen as early as today, the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called for a Day of Unity, with Ukrainians encouraged to raise Ukrainian flags across the country. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy similarly dismissed the Russian withdrawal claims.

"What is this? Rotations, withdrawal, returning back again," he said on a visit to the southeastern city of Mariupol. "Its too early to rejoice."

The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly sought to project calm as well as strength during the crisis, declaring Wednesday a "Day of National Unity."

Ukrainian Army soldiers pose for a photo as they gather to celebrate a Day of Unity in Odessa, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. As Western officials warned a Russian invasion could happen as early as today, the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called for a Day of Unity, with Ukrainians encouraged to raise Ukrainian flags across the country. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

"We are united by a desire to happily live in peace," Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation earlier in the day. "We can defend our home only if we stay united."

Across the country, Ukrainians of all ages waved flags in the streets and from apartment windows.

Hundreds unfolded a 200-meter (650-foot) flag at Kyivs Olympic Stadium, while another was draped in the center of a shopping mall in the capital.

The Independence Monument stands out over Kyiv's Maidan Square, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. As Western officials warned a Russian invasion could happen as early as today, the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called for a Day of Unity, with Ukrainians encouraged to raise Ukrainian flags across the country. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

In the government-controlled part of Ukraine's eastern region of Luhansk, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian troops since 2014, residents stretched another huge flag across a street.

"This event, this number of people united around Ukrainian flag will show that we stand for united Ukraine," said resident Olena Tkachova.

A 2015 deal brokered by France and Germany helped end the worst of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, but implementation has stalled. The deal, known as the Minsk agreement, would offer broad self-rule to the separatist territories and thus is resented by many in Ukraine.

People sing the national anthem as they gather in front of the port to celebrate a Day of Unity in Odessa, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. As Western officials warned a Russian invasion could happen as early as today, the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called for a Day of Unity, with Ukrainians encouraged to raise Ukrainian flags across the country. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A Ukrainian government official said in a television interview that Zelenskyy would consider holding a referendum on the Minsk agreement "if there are no other options or instruments." But Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said she was unaware that such an idea was under serious discussion.

Russia has repeatedly complained that the U.S. and NATO have not responded satisfactorily in writing to its security concerns. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Russia is in the final phase of preparing its formal response to the West. "After that, a schedule of further steps will be developed," she said on state television.

The Kremlin wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe. The U.S. and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but they offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, arrives to attend a military drill outside the city of Rivne, northern Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

For now, Russia is flexing its muscle. Russian fighter jets flew training missions Wednesday over neighboring Belarus and paratroopers held shooting drills at firing ranges there as part of massive war games that the West feared could be used as cover for an invasion of Ukraine. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei reaffirmed that all Russian troops and weapons will leave the country when the maneuvers end Sunday.

Maxar Technologies, a commercial satellite imagery company that has been monitoring the Russian buildup, reported Wednesday that new photos show heightened Russian military activity near Ukraine, including the construction of a pontoon bridge in Belarus less than 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Russia has mocked Western warnings about an imminent invasion as "paranoia" and "madness." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed sarcastically at warnings of an invasion that could start Wednesday, saying that Russian officials had a good sleep.

The Russian Navy's Bykov class corvette Dmitry Rogachev travels through Bosphorus en route to the Black Sea in Istanbul, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Asked by German daily Welt if Russia was going to attack Wednesday, Russias ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, quipped: "Wars in Europe rarely start on a Wednesday."

"There wont be an escalation next week either, on in the week after, or in the coming month," he said.

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But British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News that instead of a Russian withdrawal, "weve seen continued buildup of things like field hospitals and strategic weapons systems."

A Ukrainian servicewoman checks her looks in a mirror at a frontline position outside Popasna, the Luhansk region, in eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity Wednesday, while the West warned that it saw no sign of a promised pullback of Russian troops from Ukraine's borders despite Kremlin declarations of a withdrawal. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

The White House will lean on Vice President Kamala Harris to help with diplomatic efforts when she travels to Germany to take part in this weekends Munich Security Conference, officials said. Harris is scheduled to meet Friday with Stoltenberg and hold a multilateral meeting with the leaders of the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Shes also scheduled to deliver a major address Saturday on the administrations efforts to stop Russian aggression. After the speech, Harris is slated to meet with Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

___

Isachenkov reported Moscow and Cook from Brussels. Dasha Litvinova in Moscow, Angela Charlton in Paris, Jill Lawless in London, Ellen Knickmeyer, Colleen Long and Zeke Miller in Washington and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.

-

More AP coverage of the Ukraine crisis: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
File photo

Citizens speak at a public hearing on proposed school closures in 2017. Possible closures are on the table as Winona Area Public Schools facilities task force considers the future of district buildings.
Submitted photo

Taff Roberts is the president of the new Sandbar Storytelling Festival.
A Baraboo woman who stabbed another woman with a screwdriver in a drunken argument was sentenced to prison time Tuesday in Sauk County Circuit Court.

Circuit Court Judge Patricia Barrett sentenced Adrienne H. Littlebear, 36, to two years in prison and four years of extended supervision for a felony count of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, which was downgraded from an initial first-degree charge.

Conditions of the extended supervision include no contact with the woman she attacked, no consumption or possession of alcohol, no entering any place where the primary purpose of business is the sale of alcohol and to not possess any controlled substances without a valid prescription. Littlebear must also submit a DNA sample, complete a financial counseling program, undergo an alcohol and other drug assessment and treatment and a mental health assessment with follow-up. She was ordered to pay $1,752 in restitution.

Sauk County Assistant District Attorney Emily Eklund recommended Littlebear be sentenced to two years of prison and three years of extended supervision during the hearing. Littlebears attorney, Allison Markoski, recommended 18 months of each.

According to the criminal complaint, a woman went to the SSM Health St. Clare Hospital of Baraboo emergency room around 9 p.m. June 22 with stab wounds on both arms and hands. She told police that she had been driving Littlebear around while she drank earlier in the night and that Littlebear doesnt handle alcohol well and tends to get mean.

The driver said she accidentally kicked over a cup of Fireball whiskey being consumed by Littlebear after she parked the car. The pair began arguing after Littlebear became angry and the woman told Littlebear to stop drinking before throwing the empty cup out of the car.

The woman said thats when Littlebear grabbed a flathead screwdriver from the console and made jerking, stabbing motions, but when the woman didnt flinch, Littlebear began stabbing her.

The woman said she held her arms up to avoid being stabbed in the face and neck. Littlebear threatened to kill her before the woman said she was able to open the car door and get away, being chased by Littlebear, who gave up and returned to the car to grab a bottle of alcohol. The woman said she threw the screwdriver, which Littlebear left on a seat, into the grass before driving herself to the hospital.

Follow Bridget on Twitter @cookebridget or contact her at 608-745-3513.

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One person died in a fatal two-vehicle crash Feb. 14 in the town of Wellington, between Elroy and Wilton.

According to a release from the Monroe County Sheriffs Office, at about 4 p.m. Feb. 14 two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision on Highway 131 near Michigan Road in the town of Wellington.

Gideon Hamann, 26, of Viola was traveling north when his vehicle crossed into the southbound lane and collided with a logging truck owned by Endres Trucking, with the truck hitting a guardrail at the intersection of Highway 131 and Michigan Road before coming to a stop and Hamanns vehicle stopping in the ditch.

Hamann was pronounced dead at the scene by responders.

The crash closed both directions of Highway 131 for about 90 minutes as crews worked to remove the vehicles.

The Sheriffs Office says the incident remains under investigation by the Monroe County Sheriffs Office and the Wisconsin State Patrol. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office was assisted at the scene by the Monroe County 911 Communications Center, the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Wilton Fire Department, Wilton Ambulance, the Monroe County Highway Department and the Monroe County Medical Examiner.

Reach Christopher Jardine on Twitter @ChrisJJardine or contact him at 608-432-6591.

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The New Lisbon School District took a new approach to IT support for the 2021-2022 school year by signing a contract with Dependable Solutions, an IT team based out of Prairie du Chien, for services.

Dependable Solutions owner Joe Ruskey provided an update to the New Lisbon Board of Education on the teams work during a meeting of the school board Feb. 14.

According to Ruskey, the team has saved the district about $17,600 so far as a result of projects implemented during the current school year. The savings includes a $5,600 rebate from old, unused equipment that was shipped to a vendor and $2,000 from the IT professionals at Dependable Solutions taking over management of the districts firewall. The district received a grant for $10,000 to conduct an internal/external cyber security scan that the team performed with 100% of the costs reimbursed.

It hadnt been done and (the district) were going to lose the money come March 15, Ruskey said.

District Administrator Adam Englebretson said the district is pleased with the work done so far.

Weve been really happy with them, Englebretson said. The response time is really good, tickets are going really well.

Dependable Solutions is now looking at on site educating for teachers and staff in the district, including having staff on site during a professional development day in the next month. Ruskey said the company is also developing a five-year budget to be used as a guideline for the district to ensure technology does not become outdated.

Scheduling changes

Elementary Principal Scott Hickey said New Lisbon Elementary is undergoing some scheduling changes as the school attempts to reduce lunch time and give educators more prep time during the day.

There was a discrepancy of prep time based on grades some get 60 (minutes), some are as low as 34, Hickey said. At the elementary the new average is 61 minutes.

Hickey said the changes allow more time within the school day for teachers to collaborate with grade level peers, and that all educators will have a minimum of 90 minutes during the week where they are given time without students present for prep.

Included in the changes is a reduction in the amount of time spent during lunch, which Hickey said was needed to allow additional cleaning time after and between meals.

Other actions

In other action before the board, the board:

Approved invoices in the amount of $317,660.34.

Announced Tom Andres as the New Lisbon Distinguished Alumni for 2022. Andres graduated from New Lisbon in 1966 and went on to serve as superintendant at several Wisconsin school districts. Andres is the second recipient of the award, with last years award going to Broadway actress Linda Balgord-Fenton.

Approved a partnership with finance attorneys Quarles and Brady in preparation for the districts upcoming referendum.

Reach Christopher Jardine on Twitter @ChrisJJardine or contact him at 608-432-6591.

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The Village of Lake Delton Board of Trustees voted to give Interim Police Chief William Laughlin a 4.5 percent raise on Feb. 14, as his salary was increased from $110,000 to $115,000.

Laughlin was appointed to his position after Lake Delton Police Chief Daniel Hardman was put on paid administrative leave on Feb. 8 while an investigation into alleged mistreatment of Emergency Medical Services employees is conducted.

Laughlin joined the village police department in 2014 after serving four years as police chief in Lodi. He also spent two years as an officer in Columbus and 14 years with the Columbia County Sheriff Office.

He has an associates degree from Fox Valley Technical College and a bachelors degree from the University of Nebraska  Bellevue.
UW Health is increasing its minimum hourly wage from $15 to $17 in May, a move that affects more than 20% of employees, the organization said Wednesday.

The development comes after Madison-based American Family Insurance said last week it is raising its minimum wage to $23 in July after boosting it from $15 to $20 in early 2020.

UW Health set a minimum wage of $15 five years ago and said the increase to $17 will help attract good employees.

We are raising the bar again to support the dedicated and talented staff here at UW Health and ensure we can bring in the new, highly skilled and driven staff we need to support our health system and care for our community, Betsy Clough, UW Healths chief human resources officer, said in a statement.

UW Health is competing for talent with new industries and geographic regions, Clough said. The wage increase applies to more than 200 job titles, including environmental services, medical assistants and nursing assistants.

The minimum hourly wage at SSM Health and UnityPoint Health-Meriter remains $15, spokespersons said.

Exact Sciences has in the last two years raised its $15 an hour minimum wage to $17. Stoughton Trailers in September boosted pay for some workers, including welders, whose minimum hourly rate jumped from $18 to $20.

Meanwhile, UW Health nurses  who typically make much more than minimum wage  continue to try to revive a union lost after former Republican Gov. Scott Walkers Act 10 in 2011 stripped collective bargaining rights for most public employees.

Nurses, who announced plans to restart the union in December 2020, say UW Hospital can voluntarily recognize the union for collective bargaining under the law. Administrators say they cant. Both sides have interpreted nonpartisan state memos as supporting their opposing stances.

In January, SSM Health  which owns St. Marys Hospital in Madison  announced $5,000 stay bonuses for nurses who continue at their jobs for another year.
Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 during pregnancy could offer some protection to babies after they're born, too.
The Senate voted February 15 to confirm Dr. Robert Califf as the next commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, despite opposition from some Democrats regarding his ties to the pharmaceutical industry.




(Xinhua) -- Washington's latest decision to divert billions of dollars in frozen Afghan assets to the families of 9/11 victims is rubbing salt into the wounds of millions of suffering Afghan people.

Couching the theft as "aid" in a self-righteous statement, the White House claimed the haul is "to be used to benefit the Afghan people," and that the United States is "committed to supporting the Afghan people" and continues to "consider all options available to us to achieve that goal."

And even though the people of Afghanistan had nothing to do with the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Washington decided to withhold half of the roughly 7-billion-U.S. dollars in assets from Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) for alleged compensation for U.S. victims.

Following its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, the United States has frozen more than 9 billion dollars of DAB assets. The move is widely seen as the primary factor leading to the current economic crisis and humanitarian disaster in the war-torn Asian country of some 39 million people.

Mohammad Naeem, a spokesperson of the Taliban political office in Qatar, tweeted that "stealing the blocked funds of Afghan nation by the United States and its seizure is indicative of the lowest level of human and moral decay of a country and a nation."

The world's wealthiest superpower is stealing from the pockets of a poor country, repeating a history of theft that has trampled on legal, moral and humanistic principles.

In the military campaign that lasted 20 years, more than 30,000 civilians in Afghanistan were killed by U.S. forces or have died due to U.S.-led warfare, and some 11 million people have been displaced.

The day before the evacuation from Afghanistan, a U.S. drone strike on a Kabul home in August 2021 killed 10 civilians, including seven children.

The people of Afghanistan, who have been devastated and separated from their loved ones and their families, cannot hold the U.S. military accountable, let alone receive compensation.

As Afghan political analyst Nazari Pariani noted, in the so-called "war on terror" led by the United States, not only were a colossal number of Afghan civilians killed, the number of Afghanistan's terrorist organizations increased from a single-digit number to more than 20 during the U.S. military presence. Instead of uprooting terrorism, the United States had been fanning it.

A report released in August 2021 by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said that the United States had invested 145 billion dollars in Afghanistan's reconstruction. But after 20 years, Afghanistan is left with a depleted economy, crumbling infrastructure, backward industry and a worsening crisis.

Before the troop withdrawal in 2021, statistics showed that 72 percent of the Afghan population lived below the poverty line, unemployment was 38 percent and 3.5 million children were out of school.

The reason why the United States had so little success in rebuilding Afghanistan is simple: the funds deployed were not used to improve the livelihoods of the Afghan people. According to a New York Times report, about 12 percent of U.S. reconstruction aid to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2021 had gone to the Afghan government, with most of the rest going into the pockets of U.S. companies.

Afghanistan is facing "an avalanche of hunger and poverty." The latest statistics from the United Nations World Food Program show that 22.8 million Afghans face acute food insecurity, and many families can not survive.

From casualties and inflicting trauma to fanning terrorism and looting the country's assets, Washington seems utterly oblivious to the suffering of the Afghan people, taking on a "moral high ground" and once again plundering the starving Afghan people of live-saving cash without a tinge of guilt.

It is the latest episode in yet another season of the U.S. wrecking havoc on Afghanistan, a tragedy that is truly a silent massacre.
Biden says US ready to give 'diplomacy every chance to succeed' in defusing Russia-Ukraine crisis
Attorney John Durham says in the filing that Michael Sussmann, the Democratic lawyer, spoke about internet data related to Trump in a meeting with a federal agency, which sources say was the CIA,
Annual sea-level report cards add nuance to latest IPCC assessment

Sea-Level Report Card: VIMS' sea-level report cards, like this one from New York City, provide an annual snapshot of observed changes in monthly sea level since 1969 and a linear and quadratic projection of sea level to 2050. Courtesy VIMS Photo - of - Hide Caption

William & Marys Virginia Institute of Marine Science has issued its annual sea-level report cards, which provide U.S. coastal communities from Maine to Alaska with a localized projection of sea-level change to 2050.

The projects founder, VIMS emeritus professor Dr. John Boon, says This years report cards are especially informative when compared to the global projections issued by the U.N.s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last August as part of its latest assessment report.

The latest IPCC reportthe sixth in a series dating back to 1990forecasts 7 to 9 additional inches (18-23 cm) of global sea-level rise by 2050, in addition to the 8-inch (20-cm) rise observed during the last century. The IPCC will meet again during the next two weeks to approve its Summary for Policymakersa distillation of the full August report that governments worldwide rely on to inform efforts for reducing vulnerability to sea-level rise and other global warming impacts.

Our report cards are in no way a substitute for the IPCCs global projections, says Boon, but they do provide added value to communities, businesses, military installations, and other coastal stakeholders concerned with changes in sea level, as acceleration in sea-level rise varies from place to place.

The teams web-based report cards project sea level to the year 2050 based on an ongoing analysis of tide-gauge records for 32 localities along the U.S. coast. The analysis now includes 53 years of water-level observations, from January 1969 through December 2021. The interactive charts are available online at www.vims.edu/sealevelreportcards.

As in past years, says VIMS marine scientist Molly Mitchell, rates of sea-level change in 2021 varied markedly among localities, from a peak rise of 8 millimeters in Grand Isle, Louisiana to a drop of almost 14 millimeters in Juneau, Alaska. She notes, however, that the tide gauge records from 2021 were remarkably consistent with data from the previous year, with acceleration in rates of sea-level rise at 27 of our 32 stations. Mitchell has partnered with Boon to generate the report cards each year since 2017.

Boon and Mitchell say that comparing the IPCCs global mean projection of sea-level rise to 2050 with VIMS localized forecasts offers valuable guidance at the regional and local scale, as rise and acceleration vary with location. Our projections exceed the global projections in regions like the East and Gulf coasts where acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise is high, says Boon, but fall below in regions like the West Coast where acceleration is low. The global projections are much higher than our projections in areas like Alaska where acceleration is negative. Coastal uplift in Alaska and several localities in the Pacific Northwest causes sea level there to fall relative to the land.

Mitchell stresses that recognition of these regional differences is critical for effective planning at the local level. Individual localities will experience changes in sea level that differ greatly from the mean global rate, she says. Examples include Norfolk, Virginia, where the VIMS 2050 forecast is 8 inches (0.21 m) higher than the IPCCs projected global mean sea-level rise; and Galveston, Texas, with a projected surplus of 12 inches (0.3 m). Indeed, the VIMS 2050 forecasts exceed the IPCCs global 2050 projection for all 20 localities on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, from Eastport, Maine (+5 inches) to Port Isabel, Texas (+10 inches). Localities on the U.S. West Coast, on the other hand, are likely to experience sea-level changes that fall below the IPCCs 2050 projections. Examples include a 7-inch deficit in San Francisco and a 4-inch shortfall in Seattle.

The scientists say their forecasts of a sea-level surplus for East and Gulf coast communities are of particular concern because they exceed the IPCCs worst-case projections. The IPCC issues a range of sea-level forecasts based on possible changes in a suite of socioeconomic factors, says Boon. These Shared Socioeconomic Pathways consider five different scenarios by which the world may evolve during the next century based on changes in population, economic growth, education, urbanization, and the rate of technological development.

For certain regions, our report cards forecast significantly higher sea levels in 2050 than the global rates from even the most pessimistic IPCC pathway, says Boon. Known as SPS 5-8.5, this pathway envisions a future in which humanity continues to rely on fossil fuels, economies expand rapidly worldwide, and greenhouse-gas emissions remain high. This pathway resembles an earlier IPCC scenario known as RCP 8.5, wherein continued high emissions of greenhouse gases result in the trapping of an additional 8.5 watts of heat energy across each square meter of the Earths surface.

We have increasing evidence from the tide-gauge records that these higher sea-level curves need to be seriously considered in resilience-planning efforts, says Mitchell. Acceleration can be a game changer in terms of impacts and planning, so we really need to pay heed to these patterns, adds Boon.

In addition to their localized value vis a vis the IPCC's global report, Boon says the report cards add value by providing sea-level projections that are updated more frequently than those issued by NOAA or other agencies. Boon and colleagues also use a statistical approach that includes evidence for the recent acceleration in the rate of sea-level change at many U.S. tide-gauge stations, and stress their use of relative sea-level measurementschanges in water level relative to the land surface on which people live and work. The relative sea-level rise in Virginia and other East and Gulf coast areas is due to both rising water and sinking land.

East Coast Trends

Sea-level rise has now been accelerating at U.S. East Coast stations since 2014. Prior to that year, stations south of Cape Hatteras had recorded little or no acceleration. Today, says Boon, sea level is accelerating faster at many of these southern stations than at some stations further north considered to be sea level rise hot spots not long ago.

Rates of sea-level rise in Norfolk, Virginia are still the highest along the Atlantic Coast at 5.4 millimeters per year, says Mitchell. However, acceleration at stations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia indicate that we should be watching sea-level patterns in those states very closely. Some studies indicate that the hot spot of sea-level rise in the mid-Atlantic is moving southward due to melting of the Greenland ice sheet, and that stations south of Cape Hatteras will see greater sea-level rise by 2050 than their histories suggest.

Gulf Coast Trends

Most Gulf Coast stations witnessed an upturn in acceleration rates beginning around 2014, and all nine of them have experienced increased acceleration during the last four years. At Grand Isle, Louisiana and Galveston, Texas, these trends marked a transition from deceleration to acceleration. At others, including Pensacola, Florida and Rockport, Texas, sea level has been accelerating since 2004 but trending faster in recent years.

Texas and Louisiana stations continue to show the highest rates of rise in the country. Rockport has the second highest annual rise rate (7.2 mm/year in 2021), and the highest projected sea-level rise for 2050 at 0.8 meters (2.62 ft) above mean sea level in 1992, the midpoint of the most recent National Tidal Datum Epoch. Grand Isle flips the tables, with the highest annual rise rate (8.1 mm/year in 2021), and the second highest projected sea-level rise for 2050 at 0.58 meters (1.9 ft) above 1992 levels. Galveston places third in both measures, with an annual rise rate of 6.6 mm/year in 2020, and a projected rise in 2050 sea level of 0.57 meters (1.87 ft).

Mitchell and Boon attribute the extreme rise rates and sharp contrast in acceleration among the Gulf Coast stations in part to their location within a sedimentary basin with complex history of water and mineral extraction. Pumping of groundwater and oil can cause land subsidence, which contributes to relative sea-level rise.

West Coast Trends

With the exception of Alaska and Crescent City, Californiawhere plate movements and post-glacial rebound generate pronounced coastal upliftU.S. West Coast stations had been essentially neutral since at least 2004, with relative sea level neither rising nor falling at significant rates. That is no longer the case, as most stations have experienced acceleration since 2017. Upward trends in acceleration presage positive and increasing sea-level rise rates at most stations along the continental west coast, says Boon. Rise rates had been near zero for some time, but nascent acceleration is beginning to cause them to pop. Scientists suggest that the speed-up is due to a shift in wind patterns associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, an El Nino-like pattern of climate variability.

Overall Trends

Previous work by Boon, Mitchell, and VIMS colleague Derek Loftis suggests the current acceleration in rates of sea-level rise began around 2013 or 2014, likely associated with ocean dynamics and ice-sheet loss. In 2020, rates of sea-level rise accelerated at all 21 of the report-card stations along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, and at 7 of the 8 monitored stations along the U.S. West Coast excluding Alaska. All four stations monitored in Alaska show relative sea level falling at increasingly rapid rates. This is due to various processes causing rapid uplift of the coast, tide gauges rising along with the land they rest on.

Visit the report card webpage for full-size, interactive versions of all 32 report cards.
Internet hospitals have been embracing rapid development in China over the recent years. Back in 2018, there were only about 100 such facilities across the country, while the figure now exceeds 1,600.

A medical worker from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology instructs a senior citizen to use online hospital in Dongshan neighborhood, Tianjia'an District , Huainan, east China's Anhui Province , Dec. 2, 2020. [People's Daily Online/Chen Bin]

These online hospitals offer click-and-mortar medical services. Integrating subsequent visits, follow-up visits and medical consultation services, they allow patients to enjoy medical services without stepping out of their homes.

A man surnamed Li from Chaoyang District of Beijing always visits Xuanwu Hospital affiliated to the Capital Medical University via the hospital's mobile application, to have prescriptions refilled for his octogenarian father who suffers from cerebrovascular disease and has to take medicines regularly to prevent cerebral infarction.

According to Chen Fei, doctor-in-charge with Xuanwu Hospital's neurology department, he has given a dozen prescriptions to Li's father.

"I used to ask for a half-day leave before going to get the medicines prescribed for my father, which was both tiring and time-consuming," said Li, adding that the internet hospital is convenient as he can have the medicines prescribed through his mobile phone and delivered to him on the next day.

Doctors communicate with patients online via the Online Health Service of Henan Provincial People's Hospital, May 21, 2020. [People's Daily Online/Zhang Tao]

As a specialist in carotid artery stenting, Chen is always on full schedule, which makes it hard for patients to see him in his office. Thanks to the online hospital, all patients now have the opportunity to make an appointment to meet him online.

"Most of my patients need subsequent visits and prescriptions on a regular basis, and they can keep in touch with me through the online hospital anytime and anywhere," he said.

Chen Qiulin, deputy director of the Health Industry Development Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told People's Daily that internet hospitals can improve the accessibility of medical services and lower the cost for patients.

To further exploit the advantages of online medical services and benefit more patients, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital (CUTGH) in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has connected village clinics to its internet hospital.

"Sometimes we would consult with the doctors from CUTGH on the cases we are unsure of," said Li Xiaojian, a doctor in the clinic of Guanba Village, Chongqing's Wanzhou District, adding that such services have greatly facilitated the villagers.

CUTGH president Zhang Xianxiang told People's Daily that the hospital will keep extending the reach of its online medical services, so as to bring home health care services to more patients.

Doctor-in-charge Mao Liping (L) with the Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong, east China's Jiangsu Province sees a patient on a telemedicine platform and checks the CT scan of the latter, May 8, 2020. The hospital is the first one in the city of Nantong to open an internet clinic. [People's Daily Online/Xu Congjun]

Besides, the hospital will also collaborate more with pharmacies and village clinics and deploy more internet hospital terminals in neighboring districts and counties, Zhang added.

Internet hospitals are making medical services more accessible for patients in critical and complicated conditions.

For instance, Mr Wang in Jinzhai County, east China's Anhui Province suffers from rheumatoid disease, and his condition got worse recently. The progression wasn't controlled even after he was hospitalized. In less than two days, Wang became unconscious and he refused to go through checkups.

To deal with the situation, Wang's doctor contacted Chen Xiaoping, deputy director of the endocrinology department of the Beijing-based China-Japan Friendship Hospital (CJFH), via a telemedicine platform. After Chen held a joint consultation with experts from his hospital, Wang was diagnosed with brain damage led by severe hyponatremia and mild infection in the lungs. Thanks to the joint consultation, Wang soon recovered after going through systematic treatment. He can even do farm work now.

Cui Yong, vice president of the CJFH introduced that combining telemedicine and internet-based medical consultation is a highlight of the CJFH's internet hospital, which can both improve medical capability at primary level and better facilitate the people.

Telemedicine is mainly for patients in critical and complicated conditions at primary-level medical institutions, while internet-based medical consultation is offered to patients on subsequent visits who could miss the prime time for treatment once their situations worsen if they can't make it to big hospitals in time.

The combination of telemedicine and internet-based medical consultation is able to timely detect and deal with new symptoms developed by patients and thus better guarantee their health.

So far, the CJFH has been connected to nearly 6,000 medical institutions across the country via its internet hospital system, including 580 offering integrated elderly care and medical services. A total of more than 13,000 remote consultations have been carried out.

(Source: People's Daily Online)
Tell everyone on this train I love them: the meaning of a heros final words Maeve Higgins

After he was stabbed and lay dying on a train, Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche had a message I will never forget

When I first heard them, his words stopped me in my tracks, and they have stayed with me since. Photograph: Natalie Behring/Getty Images

It was 26 May 2017 on the Portland MAX light rail service when a white supremacist named Jeremy Christian began threatening two teenage girls; one of the girls was black, the other in hijab. Three other men, all strangers on the same train, stood up to Christian, defending and ultimately saving the girls. Christian attacked the three men with a knife, killing 53-year-old Ricky John Best and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche and injuring Micah David-Cole Fletcher.

As Taliesin was bleeding, another passenger, a woman named Rachel Macy, knelt with him, comforting him and staunching his wounds. Taliesin knew he was dying. Tell everyone on this train I love them, he said to Macy in his final moments.

These beautiful words stopped me in my tracks when I first heard them. They gave me a directive, a way of being. At my best moments, this strangers last words guided where I looked, how I acted, and what I chose to do with my time.

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meches mother describes her sons last words as the most important thing in the whole process. Taliesins father says that when he heard what his son said, It was literally a saving grace for me. They were a saving grace for me, too: they changed my life.

Loving everyone on the train meant I could love people I didnt yet know. What Taliesin said felt instinctually correct to me yet was simultaneously baffling. It often seems there are impossibly huge chasms between me and others, so how could I love them?

The heroism of the men on the train spurred many to react in all sorts of ways. A crowdfunding account called Muslims Unite for Portland Heroes raised more than $600,000. Many people, myself included, took Taliesins final message into their hearts. Strangers wrote songs and made videos and artworks about his actions and words.

The public reaction to the men who saved the girls on the train, and Taliesins words, helped his family through the trauma of his death. I talked with his parents last month. I think if there werent such a major up-swell of compassion and energy that came out of that, I would have had a lot harder time with the whole thing, his father, Christopher DuPraw, said.

It was quite miraculous just how it expanded. That energy of tell everyone on this train I love them completely shot around the world and on some level made it OK. He laughed a little as he said that last part, still seeming to marvel at the fact.

There is much to marvel at in the story of Taliesins life and his death. He was young, just 23, and according to his friends and family members he was a funny, energetic, compassionate person with a drive for adventure and a deep understanding of the need for social justice. Women adored him and vice versa; he loved to gamble; his friends stayed his friends for ever.

Taliesins mother, Asha Deliverance, said, He really fully believed that his life could help make change happen. And he had enough fire behind him to really believe that. He was not a lost soul at all; he was a soul with purpose.

The last time she saw Taliesin was on Mothers Day, and she asked him why he didnt drive to work, offering to pay for a parking garage so that he didnt have to take the train. He told her he just preferred public transport. Asha wonders now if that was her mothers intuition warning her to get him off the train. At the same time, she is confident that Taliesin was on a path, and was not to be diverted. He was intentional about the importance of love, and when he defended the girls against Islamophobia and racism on the train, he meant it. She knew he was living his beliefs when he was killed.

He chose to do that. That became very apparent within a few days, that this was a massive statement he was making. I never questioned or doubted his choices.

Christopher sees his sons last words as having meaning that will carry into the future. I feel like this is an ongoing saga. His message was a unifying message, but so much of what we are dealing with today is so divisive, from Trump to Covid, and it makes it so hard, just so difficult for people to get back to the unified consciousness.

He sounds sad, just for a moment, but I hear him brightening, and he adds, But there is always that reminder somewhere if people look for it. And hopefully, theyll keep looking for it.

I find that reminder in Taliesins words whenever I think of them. For Asha, the words that have come to mean so much to so many people still remind her mostly of one person: her son. Of course, I miss him sometimes, but also I dont miss him because he often just shows up the minute I think of him  and I feel the love.
Wrexham communities urged to help protect the environment and join Spring Clean Cymru 2022

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Feb 16th, 2022

Communities across Wrexham are being urged to help protect the environment and take part in the Spring Clean Cymru 2022 challenge.

Keep Wales Tidy is teaming up with every local authority for this years event, which takes place between March 25 and April 10.

Together they are calling on individuals, households, schools and community groups to join forces to collect and safely dispose of litter from our streets, green spaces and beaches

Not only does litter cost Wales roughly 70 million to remove each year, but it also has devastating effects on our marine and local wildlife. RSPCA Cymru reports receiving 200 calls a year on average, about animals affected by litter.

Spring Clean Cymru is part of the Great British Spring Clean, and last year it saw more than 300 clean-ups held across Wales with volunteers smashing our million-mile target.

Spring Clean Cymru is part of Caru Cymru (a Welsh phrase meaning Love Wales)  Keep Wales Tidys biggest ever initiative.

Keep Wales Tidy Chief Executive Lesley Jones said: Since the start of the pandemic our outdoor spaces have mattered to us more than ever before. They have been a sanctuary during challenging times.

Yet, litter still blights our green spaces, streets and beaches across Wales, not only costing us millions to remove but sadly harming our local wildlife as well.

We encourage everyone across Wales to get involved with our Spring Clean Cymru campaign this year and pledge to pick up a bag or more of litter.

We know that taking part outdoors is good for our health and our environment. Together we can make a big difference.

Caru Cymru has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities  Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

Volunteers are being asked to pledge how many bags they will collect and how many minutes they will spend cleaning up their local area.

To pledge and get involved in Spring Clean Cymru, visit the Keep Wales Tidy website www.keepwalestidy.cymru
Tens of thousands of New South Wales (NSW) public hospital nurses struck yesterday, in defiance of a ban issued by the state Industrial Relations Commission on Monday.

More than 30 rallies were held across the state, with the largest, outside NSW parliament in Sydney, attended by several thousand workers.

Striking nurses in Sydney, February 15, 2022 (WSWS media)

The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) was compelled to call the action, the first statewide nurses strike since 2013, for fear of the explosive anger build up among health workers over longstanding staff shortages, declining pay and impossible conditions exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NSWNMA divided nurses up with the strike observed at different times at different hospitals. At the rallies, the union officials sought to suppress any discussion of the broader COVID crisis. The union speakers presented the disaster in the hospitals as solely being the result of NSW Premier Dominic Perrottets right-wing proclivities. They alternatively denounced Perrottet and begged him to come to the table. There was no mention of further action.

In opposition to this, Socialist Equality Party campaigners raised the need to broaden the struggle to include the entire health and aged care sector, as well as teachers and other workers. The fight for decent wages and conditions for workers on the frontlines of the pandemic cannot be separated from the struggle against the criminal let it rip policies of the ruling elite and for the elimination of COVID-19.

Such a perspective cannot be advanced within the unions or the Labor Party which have played a key role in keeping workers on the job in unsafe conditions throughout the pandemic. It requires a fight to build independent rank-and-file committees in every hospital and workplace.

****

Nurses told the SEP campaigners about the conditions they confront and why they went on strike.

Sofia said: I am here protesting for our rights in the hospitals, for safe patient ratios, a pay rise and acknowledgement for all our hard work over the last two years. I have been a nurse for four years and this is my first strike. I work in general medicine, but we were a COVID ward for many months. It has been intense and overwhelming.

I caught COVID and I didnt get any pay from the government, it had to come out of my sick pay. They asked me to come back to work when I was asymptomatic. There is a risk in that.

Sofia

I think we are happy to help people who are sick, but we want to be safe. We want it on our terms. That is what our job is; to care for the sick, to care for people that need our help. We cannot do it safely in these conditions.

There is compassion fatigue, fatigue in general. Long COVID exists, a lot of my co-workers are unhappy. I have never not wanted to stop nursing as much as I do now. What a waste of all the effort I have put in. I love caring for people but it is not fun anymore.

Bronwyn, a registered nurse in Newcastle, said: I got a massive shock when I started my new grad year about four years ago and I realised that everything wed been taught in uni, all of our training, was nothing like the reality that was in hospitals. Its just disheartening. You go out to do the best that you can do, but theres just not enough nurses for the amount of patients and what were expected to do.

Bronwyn said she was routinely overseeing the care of up to 16 patients. She stated: Its very overwhelming, you cant keep up. Youve got someone over there whos about to fall over, someone whos trying to punch someone in the face, this person is very unwell, they need antibiotics now, this person needs pain relief now. If youre looking after a palliative care patient, they need extra care and you just dont have enough hands.

Sometimes you start your shift at 1:30 p.m., work until 10 and then theyre short on staff overnight so you continue working until 7 in the morning. Its very, very common.

When I left to go on maternity leave, I left absolutely in tears, I could not wait to get away from the hospital. A lot of people want to leave the profession because we just cant keep up with the standards that are expected of us. Its impossible.

A nurse with 10 years experience who works on a COVID ward in a western Sydney hospital said: All the restrictions are eased but we have the same number of patients coming to the hospital requiring ventilators. We still have a lot of COVID-19 patients and they have taken all the hospital beds, but we dont have enough staff to work on the floor.

Every shift is short staffed. There are a lot of patients but less nurses. The government says we can cope, but how can we cope? Its about the health and safety of the patients. If we had a ratio of one nurse to four patients then we could do something about it, but when we have ratios of one to seven or eight then how can we cope?

We have very sick COVID patients, their oxygen saturation drops so we have to monitor them 24/7. One nurse can only look after three patients, but we were given five, up to six patients. How are we supposed to look after all of them? If one patient deteriorates then the care is neglected for the other five.

George, a community care nurse in Sydneys Eastern Suburbs, said: In a pandemic you need the right equipment and training, you need nurses. You have to provide proper care, you have to fund it, and politicians have to realise they have got to do that. Everyone deserves fair funding for this system.

We are mainly here to look after our people, our community, give them proper respect and dignity, and give them the proper care they all deserve. We dont want older people being left in their faeces and urine because there are not enough staff to look after them.

A Sydney nurse with 22 years experience working in the health industry said: Since COVID, its more difficult. We get deployed to various places depending on staff shortages and very often it's somewhere I have no experience at all, so Im there as a number but Im not very useful. For example, I work in theatre, but I got deployed to a discharge lounge, which is a completely different sort of work, focussed on one-on-one patient contact.

Michael, a nurse who works in an Emergency Department in Western Sydney, said: I am here, like a lot of my co-workers, because we are sick and tired of doing more for less. Looking after more patients or the same number of patients, but having less and less nursing staff.

Michael

A lot of my colleagues are dropping like flies around me. They get a swab at work, test positive and have to go home. It is happening quite a lot. Unfortunately, those colleagues have to take sick leave. The government is not paying them any compensation for the risk of working around COVID.

I believe that the government is putting more effort into rebuilding the economy rather than saving lives.

A registered nurse at a Sydney hospital told our reporters: In my ward we had good staffing that we fought really hard for previously, but during COVID weve had to go to skeleton staffing and most nurses didnt get to have a break until they got COVID. My friend did seven 12-hour shifts in a row. Thats not safe at all.

She said the gruelling conditions were taking a huge mental toll on every nurse that Ive encountered. There is no compensation for it. We get a clap, and were called heroes. Its pathetic.

The nurse identified the murderous role played by Australian governments in removing public health measures as the Omicron variant began to take hold in December.

She explained: When they said no more masks, no more having to check in, once they did three days of that, it went to shit straight away. The let it rip mentality has caused so many deaths, has caused severe burnout, its impacted literally everybody, but especially nursing staff and healthcare staff. Its not safe, anything thats going on.

We are the voices of many, many, many people who are in the process of trying to understand why governments are doing this. This is the start of a big thingthe first strike in over a decade. The working class has never mattered to politicians. Its really good to see people strike because this is how we get our voices heard. Its like the workers movement in the seventieswe need that energy again now, and I think this is a good start.
In the two-and-a-half weeks since the national return to face-to-face teaching began, schools across the country have served as vectors for the further spread of the virus, continuing the two-month surge of the highly-infectious Omicron variant.

Tens of thousands of educators and children have been infected. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported this morning that in the past week alone, more than 10,000 students and teachers and school stuff tested positive in Victoria, the countrys second-largest state. On Friday, the WSWS reported that there had been over 13,000 confirmed school infections in Victoria during the previous fortnight.

Most states and territories are not releasing the full figures. Those that are provided are likely a gross underestimation. In Victoria and New South Wales, the respective Labor and Liberal-National governments instituted a testing regime based on rapid antigen tests (RATs). Students are provided two of these less reliable tests a week, which are voluntary and are to be self-administered by children and their parents.

Limited reports out of the other states and territories indicate widespread transmission in schools there as well.

The Committee for Public Education (CFPE) has posted a survey on social media to gather data and comments from parents and educators on infections in schools nationally.

The reporting of school infections is left up to each individual school, and therefore there are many inconsistencies. Some schools are following department guidelines and reporting on a daily basis. Others are ignoring guidelines and providing no information to school staff and the community, leaving news of infections to spread by unreliable word of mouth.

In opposition to the reckless statements from government officials claiming the RAT testing regime is making schools safe, educators have been raising the alarm and exposing the terrible reality.

A recent comment from an educator sent to the CFPE stated that his school had made an executive decision not to inform parents of cases despite clusters of infections among students within single classes and numbers of teachers contracting the virus. He believes the lack of transparency by the school has led to complacency among staff, students and parents, with even limited safety precautions going by the wayside.

The Australian Education Union and the other teacher unions supported the forced reopening. They have said virtually nothing about the mass infections and have sought to suppress discussion among their members about the school COVID crisis.

Last week Evie, an educator from Melbourne contacted the CFPE to speak about her concerns about the school reopenings and the role of the teacher unions.

CFPE: What do you think about the reopening of the schools while there are mass Omicron infections?

Evie: The reopening during an unprecedented wave of very high Omicron community transmission is totally reckless. It puts teachers and students in an untenable position. It has already been shown in the US that teachers are one of the professions most affected by COVID and Long COVID after health care workers. We are emulating this terrible example.

CFPE: How has this affected you and your family?

Evie: For the first time the holiday break was a really anxious time. Omicron cases surged against a backdrop of massive testing queues. Family gatherings were avoided. [Victorian Labor] Premier Daniel Andrews announced that schools would reopen as normal. He wanted every student back in the classroom day one, term one, but admitted there will be a bit of strain because teachers are not immune from this virus.

To cover furloughing teachers, they plan to call in retirees and final year graduates. The twice-weekly inaccurate RATs for students and staff only alert post-infection and are voluntary. Its just window dressing.

The chorus of lies from experts pontificating about how the reopening is motivated by concern for adolescent mental health ignores the fact that many young people are very anxious about the return to COVID-soup classrooms. We all know that the centrepiece of the reopening, RATs, are weak against an invisible virus. Children rightly fear the risk of infecting their parents, grandparents and carers.

CFPE: What do you think about the role of the union claiming the schools are safe?

Evie: I was gobsmacked at the role the union played in supporting the government in the rush to reopen schools. It was very sad for the profession and I felt a real loss of solidarity. January was uneasy, we knew what was coming. I was baffled at the unions eerie silence. It was becoming clear we were going to be thrown under a bus.

I searched in vain the unions Twitter page for opposition to the relentless push for face-to-face COVID classrooms. Instead there were puff pieces on the AEU Facebook from a teacher in San Francisco describing the sublime moments in post-COVID school life of seeing so much face after months of masks and isolation.

The unions irrelevance is writ large. Its a no-brainer that people are walking away. Do you think schools are safe? Should we return to remote learning as we did previously? Its a lie that schools are safe.

We have to rid the world of the virus permanently, but the media never raises this because the measures required would impact on profits. Tweaking the existing system with CO2 monitors and HEPA filters helps. But heres an opportunity to restructure society for high quality remote learning. The pandemic has taught us that learning doesnt have to be face-to-face. Doggedly clinging to a nineteenth century education model that is no longer of benefit to society is unhealthy.

CFPE: Under Department of Education guidelines educators may be exempted from working face-to-face if they have specific health conditions that make them immunocompromised. Are you aware of this?

Evie: The definition of the immunocompromised is very narrow and is defined to ensure therell be minimal disruption or expense to the education department and business. The consequence of denying teachers the right to work from home is that they are risking their own health and the health of their family as the virus spreads. But instead of resisting business siren call to open up at all costs, were supposed to go along with the one-size-fits-all model.

To drive it home, were repeatedly told schools are safe, in spite of ample evidence to the contrary from overseas. This, along with the mantra that the only real learning is done face-to-face and that student mental health is at risk without face-to-face is never challenged.

Cherry-picked studies ignore evidence of the physical and mental health risks of COVID and are a thinly-veiled attempt to blindside us to allow the scrapping of the last COVID protections; ones that proved to work only a short time ago. Teachers must be sacrificed to the let it rip corporate crowds babysitting demands.

CFPE: Did the AEU inform you that in the 2017 union agreement, under clauses related to infectious diseases, teachers could access leave on full pay without using medical leave or other leave entitlements?

Evie: I asked the union for advice on leave due to health concerns surrounding the return to face-to-face and was not told about the possibility of accessing leave on full pay. They advised that I was to use personal, medical leave if the principal didnt agree to remote work. So, if youre not prepared to risk your health at work, tough. Dont have enough leave to support yourself? Tough. But there is a provision for this. Why did the union lie?

CFPE: How do you see your future when you have family members that are vulnerable?

Evie: I will most likely walk away from teaching permanently.

CFPE: Were you aware that teachers and students in the US, France, Austria, Greece and elsewhere have been taking strike action, engaging in walk-outs, protests and occupations over COVID in the schools?

Evie: Not at all. The controlled media seem far more obsessed with promoting alt-right anti-vaxxers and libertarians, really anyone who will undermine the sensible majority who want to eliminate this horrible virus.

CFPE: What do you think of the latest union agreement on wages and conditions signed off by the union with the Andrews Labor government this month?

Evie: The agreement is pathetic. There is no mention of the urgent need to challenge the forced, unsafe return to face-to-face. How can the union have no empathy? The vaunted pay rise is peanuts. The one-and-a-half-hour reduction of face-to-face teaching is token; itll quickly be taken up by other duties. We lose the Professional Practice days of one a term. These agreements contain rubbery language thats easily diluted. The union is about self-glorification and they work to suppress dissent.

CFPE: What do you think about the call by the CFPE for teachers to form rank-and-file safety committees, made of teachers, parents and students, independent of the unions and employers, putting lives before profit?

Evie: Teachers must take matters into our own hands. We are tired, but no one else is going to help us. It will take courage, but it is worth fighting for.

Contact the CFPE today:

Email : cfpe.aus@gmail.com

Facebook : facebook.com/commforpubliceducation

Twitter : @CFPE_Australia
Data from the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo was leaked online Sunday. It provides insight into the right wing donors who have helped bankroll the far-right Freedom Convoy movement, which has occupied the neighborhood around Canadas parliament in Ottawa for more than two weeks and set up blockades at border crossings with the US.

Endorsed by former President Donald Trump, various January 6 coup plotters, Fox News and the worlds richest man, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the Convoy organizers have been flooded with donations from across Canada, the US and the rest of the world. A GoFundMe initiative raised US $7.9 million before it was shut down for violating the crowdfunding sites terms of service which prohibit the use of funds to promote violence and harassment.

Following the suspension of the GoFundMe initiative, Convoy organizers moved to GiveSendGo, a self-proclaimed Christian crowdfunding site. GiveSendGo has been used by the far-right in the United States to raise funds for the defense of fascist shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, members of the Proud Boys, a designated terrorist group in Canada, as well as the insurrectionists who took part in the invasion of the US Capitol in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021.

Rally in support of the far-right Convoy in Vaughan, on the outskirts of Toronto, Jan. 27. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision/AP)

On Sunday night the GiveSendGo website was taken offline in an apparent hack and redirected to GiveSendGone.wtf. A message posted on the site read in part, You helped fund the January 6 insurrection in the US. You helped fund an insurrection in Ottawa. In fact, you are committed to funding anything that keeps the raging fire of misinformation going until that it [sic] burns the worlds collective democracies down. A file was released which exposed the data of all the donors, including their names, businesses and addresses.

According to the leaked data, $8.4 million had been raised from 92,844 donors. An analysis by Queens University Professor Amarnath Amarasingam, an expert on terrorism and political violence, found that 56 percent of donors are based in the United States. The second largest group of donors, 39 percent, are from Canada.

Among other countries, donations were also given by individuals in Great Britain, Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, France and Norway. Nine individuals donated $7,600 from addresses in the Cayman Island, a popular tax haven utilized by the ultra-rich. Despite the significant international support for the convoy the majority of funds, $4.31 million, came from donors based in Canada while $3.62 million came from the US.

Monmouth University graduate researcher Sara Aniano found that among statements left by donors were: I look forward to the day you tyrants are swinging from a noose.; We have 2A [Second Amendment] here in America send your mounties and see what happens.; CABAL PIGLETS ARE CORRUPT CRIMINALS WHO NEED SEVERE PUNISHMENT UNDER LAW; Death to all liberal traitors. Donors also left messages of support using language associated with the fascist QAnon movement.

The largest single donation was for $215,000 but the donor remains unidentified. This was followed by $90,000 from US tech billionaire Thomas Siebel, a prominent Republican Party funder. The next largest donation came from Brad Howland, the owner of a power washing business in Sussex Corner, New Brunswick.

Howland, who has posted statements in support of Trump on Facebook, confirmed to CBC News that he had made the donation. We are thankful to be blessed enough to support their efforts to do what they have to do in a peaceful way until the government removes the mandates to restore all our freedom as pre-COVID, he explained.

Ben Pogue, the CEO of a construction company based in Dallas, Texas, gave $20,000 to support the Ottawa occupation. Pogue and his wife gave over $200,000 to Trumps reelection campaign in 2019 and posted photos with the Trump family on social media. Pogues father subsequently received a pardon from Trump in 2020 for evading $400,000 in taxes.

A vice-president of an AutoCanada car dealership in London, Ontario gave $25,000 and another $20,000 was given by the chair of a community and family support organization in Cannington, Ontario. Other donors used email addresses associated with the Correctional Services of Canada, US Bureau of Prisons, US Department of Justice, Transportation Safety Administration and NASA.

Significant business donors to the scuttled GoFundMe identified by news outlet PressProgress include: the Range Langley, Canadas largest shooting range, located in Langley, British Columbia which gave $18,000; Marine Tech Industries, a ship repair company in Surrey, British Columbia, which provided $5,000; and Murray Wedge, a portfolio manager at National Bank Financial based in Toronto provided $5,000.

Another significant stream of funding for the convoy has come in the form of Bitcoin. The popular cryptocurrency allows for anonymous payments, which has allowed Convoy organizers to utilize donations despite their bank accounts being frozen. Bitcoin Magazine reported Monday that nearly $1 million had been raised so far from 5,511 donors in a campaign operated by the libertarian group HonkHonkHodl.

With the backing of the Conservative Party official opposition and sections of the mainstream corporate media, a rabble of small business owners, anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists, religious fundamentalists, fascist thugs and owner-operator drivers have been mobilized under the Freedom Convoy to demand the scrapping of a vaccine mandate for truck drivers crossing the US-Canada border and as a wedge for ending all COVID-19 mitigations. Organizers have openly discussed plans for overthrowing the government of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and replacing it with an unelected junta.

Despite the outsized attention given to the protests and their demands, the majority of Canadians are vaccinated, including almost 90 percent of truck drivers, and COVID-19 mitigation measures remain popular.

At its peak, 5,000 to 8,000 have gathered in downtown Ottawa, while several hundred trucks block city streets where hooligans have run amuck. Occupiers have been allowed to set up hot tubs, barbecues and full music stages with video screens. The protests and blockades have been treated with kid gloves by the police from the local to federal level, with active duty and retired officers expressing their open sympathy. Organizer Tamar Lich responded to Trudeaus invocation of the Emergencies Act on Monday by declaring that the occupiers will hold the line.

The exposure of the Convoys financial backers is another confirmation that, regardless of the involvement of a smattering of confused or backward workers, the protest is not a working class movement. It has drawn support from sections of the Canadian and American ruling elite who backed Trump and his coup attempt and mobilized enraged sections of the middle class and small business owners.

The GiveSendGo data also exposes the effort to turn the crisis of the Canadian government outward and manipulate popular anger into support for the anti-Russia war drive being pursued by Canadian and American imperialism in Ukraine. The Canadian Press published an article Tuesday with a headline which asked, without providing any evidence, Are Canadian protest over COVID-19 restrictions a factor in Putins Ukraine timeline?

The homicidal calls for an end of anti-COVID-19 measures and a return to normal are the opposite of what the working class requires and has been demanding. Teachers and students across Canada have been protesting the unsafe reopening of schools and demanding more, not less, protection from a virus which has infected over 3 million and killed more than 35,500, thanks to the herd immunity strategy which has been pursued by every party in government, including the New Democratic Party.

In response to the Convoy, provincial, territorial and federal governments are moving to rip up all remaining mitigation measures including vaccine passports, indoor crowd limits and masking requirements. Workers in Canada and around the world must oppose the rightward shift in Canadian politics now underway and take up the demand for a science-based elimination strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives by bringing the pandemic to an end.
The federal hate crimes trial of the three killers of 25-year-old African-American jogger Ahmaud Arbery began with opening statements on Monday and testimony on Tuesday in US district court in Savannah, Georgia before Judge Lisa Godbey Wood.

The three white menGregory McMichael, 66, Travis McMichael, 36, and William Roddie Bryan, 52were convicted of murdering Arbery by a majority-white jury in a state criminal trial on November 24 and were sentenced to life in prison by Georgia Judge Timothy Walmsley six weeks later.

The federal indictment against the men was filed by the US Justice Department on April 28, 2021, and included charges of interference with rights, attempted kidnapping and using a firearm during a crime of violence.

Ahmaud Arbery (Family photo)

The indictment states that on February 20, 2020, as Arbery was running on a public street in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia, Travis McMichael and his father Gregory McMichael, armed themselves with firearms, got into a truck, and chased Arbery through the public streets of the neighborhood while yelling at Arbery, using their truck to cut off his route, and threatening him with firearms.

At the same time, Bryan, a neighbor of the McMichaels, also got into a truck and chased Arbery through the public streets of the neighborhood and used his truck to cut off Arberys route. These actions led to the fatal shooting of the unarmed Arbery by Travis McMichael with a Remington shotgun at close range.

The charge of interference with rights requires prosecutors to prove to the jury that Arberys killers were motivated by racism. It states that the men while aiding and abetting one another, did willfully, by force and threat of force, injure, intimidate, and interfere with Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man, because of Arberys race and color 

In her opening statement, Justice Department civil rights attorney Bobbi Bernstein said that conviction of the men, does not require proof of hate, but instead requires proof that the defendants acted because of race  meaning in this case, the defendants made assumptions about Ahmaud based on the color of his skin.

She went on, At the end of the day, the evidence in this case will prove that if Ahmaud Arbery had been white, he would have gone for a jog, checked out a house under construction and been home in time for Sunday supper. Instead, he went out for a jog, and he ended up running for his life. Instead, he ended up bleeding to death, alone and scared, in the middle of the street.

Prosecutor Bernstein then reviewed the five-minute chase through the neighborhood before Arbery was murdered. She exposed the justifications given to law enforcement by Gregory McMichael, a former police officer, for chasing down and shooting Arbery as false. He had claimed that Arbery broke into multiple houses in the neighborhood over and over and had probably stolen a gun from his sons truck.

Bernstein then presented evidence, taken from social media posts and other electronic communications, that the men held racist views. She showed that Travis McMichael referred to black people as animals, criminals, monkeys, subhuman savages and niggers. She said that a former colleague of Gregory McMichael will testify that he said, following the death in 2015 of civil rights leader Julian Bond, Those blacks are all nothing but trouble.

Finally, the federal prosecutor said that days before the murder of Arbery, Bryan had used a racial slur when referring to a black man that was dating his daughter and called him a monkey.

The lawyers representing the defendants each in their own way attempted to dismiss the evidence of racist views expressed by their clients and, at the same time, argue that the actions of Arberys killers were reasonable and justified.

A.J. Balbo, representing Gregory McMichael, acknowledged that his client had used racial epithets, but they occurred 15 to 20 years ago and played no role in the shooting of Arbery. Balbo said the elder McMichael did not racially profile Arbery or make assumptions based on his race but was motivated by legitimate concerns about a series of break-ins in the neighborhood. Using the language of law enforcement, the attorney said his client had probable cause for his actions that day.

The lawyer for Travis McMichael, Amy Lee Copeland, said that despite the ugly statements of her client, he was not guilty of a federal hate crime. She said the jury should consider the context of the racist statements of the younger McMichael and ask if they were connected to any specific acts. Like his father, the lawyer said that Travis was concerned about crime in the neighborhood and was trying to be a good neighbor.

J. Pete Theodocion, representing Bryan, said his client had assumed that Arbery might have done something tremendously serious when he saw the black man being pursued by the McMichaels and would have chased him whether he was white, Hispanic or Asian. Theodocion made the claim that Bryan, who had recorded portions of the chase and the shooting on his smart phone, had driven his truck into Arbery to cut him off and force him into a ditch because he was trying to get video evidence in case it turned out that the jogger had committed a serious crime.

Government witness testimony began on Tuesday morning with Dan Allcott, a physical therapist that lived in the Satilla Shores neighborhood and was at home with his wife and daughter on the day of Arberys murder. Questioned by US Attorney Tara Lyons, Allcott said he had heard about break-ins in the subdivision, but I didnt feel particularly threatened by it.

Allcott described what he saw in front of his home that afternoon, saying, Its an unfortunate and pretty memorable day for me. Ive never seen anything like that before. He went on to say that he watched and listened as the three men were questioned by police after the shooting. The Allcotts yard became a crime scene with shell casings and blood on the grass near the road.

The witness said that Travis McMichael sat on a raised flower bed in his yard while Gregory McMichael called someone on his phone while Arbery lay dead in the road. Allcott said, I was surprised he was allowed to make a phone call from the scene. He also said that none of the men seemed terribly concerned about Arberys death.

The jury also heard testimony from the neighbor who called the police after seeing Arbery enter a home construction site in the neighborhood that day. Matt Albenze said he did not call 911 because it wasnt an emergency-type situation. It was just a fellow in the house. When prosecutor Bernstein asked Albenze why he did not pull the pistol he had in his pocket as he called the non-emergency line and did not chase Arbery as he proceeded on his jog through the neighborhood, the witness replied, Not my job.

Tuesday afternoon jurors were presented with Bryans smartphone video and an animated recreation of Arberys final minutes as he was chased down by the defendants in their pickup trucks and shot along with testimony from Georgia Bureau of Investigation lead investigator Richard Dial. Significantly, jurors saw video of the police interviews of the McMichaels at the scene and, later on, with Glynn County detectives. Neither of these concluded with the arrest of the two men.

The 12-person jury consists of eight white, three black and one Hispanic jurors. Testimony will continue Wednesday.
The student movement against the profits-before-lives policy under the slogan #WirWerdenLaut (Were Getting Loud) has been welcomed with overwhelming solidarity from parents, teachers and other workers. A team of reporters from the World Socialist Web Site reported from Frankfurt about the latest student strikes over the unsafe conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The WSWS subsequently received countless statements of support.

Finally! wrote Susanne L. on Facebook. Thats right, you all have to do it, every student, every teacher! Uwe S. from Landshut added, Tremendous from the young ones! It provides hope for a viable future! A user commented on TikTok: Its really great and I think your views are very reasonable! I am fully on your side and I understand you!

On Facebook, the WSWS reports on the student protests were liked by hundreds of users in various groups and commented on by dozens.

Ulrike W. wrote: The students have been neglected throughout the coronavirus period. Schools were open for the benefit of the children, was what they always said. It sounds like a joke. Statements like Schools are not a pandemic driver were made with full convictiona joke. Lip service was paid to equipping schools for digital distance learning. With the current failure due to quarantine and illness of teachers and students, it is hardly possible to reach learning goals. How many students have been left behind by this stressful situation because they received no support and could not get the assistance they required? How many students will leave school without a qualification? What do you intend to do for them?

Monika M., a member of the Network of Rank-and-File Committees for Safe Education, wrote of the student protests: What this government is doing is anti-children and anti-family. In the hope that Karl Lauterbach [Germanys federal health minister] would protect my grandchildren and children, I actually voted for the SPD [Social Democrats] in the last electionfor the first time in many years. What can I say: It really hurts when you realize that our government only defines the health and education of our children by having them attend dilapidated schools instead of introducing innovative educational concepts.

Jennifer, a child care educator from Hesse, stated: If at least children from the vulnerable group were offered the possibility of home schooling, you could perhaps question whether they are pursuing deliberate mass infection for the benefit of the economy. However, since coercion is also used here, and parents are threatened with reprisals up to and including their children being taken into the care of the state, although everything is available for distance learning, those responsible have lost all credibility.

The anger at Schleswig-Holsteins Education Minister Karin Prien (Christian Democrats, CDU), who as president of the Conference of Education Ministers (KMK) is also responsible for the profit-driven infection policy at schools and day care centers nationwide, is particularly strong on social media. Kirsten E. explained on Facebook under the WSWS report:

At the end of the day, its all about the parents going to work. As far as Mrs. Prien is concerned, she didnt give a damn about the childrens health from the start. By the time the children who are ill today have received their diagnoses of the permanent damage caused by Long COVID, her post will have been taken over by someone new, and she and all her other ministers will be happy with their salaries, while these children will soon be out of school and thus forced for the rest of their lives to eke out an existence at the subsistence level.

Yessi H. reported on how children and their relatives are literally forced to become infected despite their best efforts, writing: Because Ms. Prien wants the schools to be open by hook or by crook, my children have now also been infected. My daughter just before her vaccination and my son just before his booster. For two years, we tried everything to prevent it from happening. Now the parents and children were not even given a choice. Vaccination for children under 12 was only approved shortly before Christmas. So we got an appointment in January, and we then asked to leave our children in home schooling until after the vaccination. That was not approvedit was only allowed in cases of hardship. And exactly four days before the appointment, my daughter got sick. What choice did I have as a parent?

A petition supported by several parent groups which calls for Priens resignation as education minister and president of KMK (Conference of Ministers of Education) had already received hundreds of signatures within a few hours. Prien had called for tests and masks in schools to be ended everywhere and spread the long-debunked lie that children die only extremely rarely because of COVID-19. According to the politician, the fact that children die is tragic, but one has to differentiate based on the pre-existing conditions of these children.

The minister avoided the overwhelming criticism of her positions by deactivating her Twitter account. She received support from right-wing media and commentators, who slandered parents and teachers who criticised her as crazy terrorists and completely unrestrained Twitter mobs, and called for them to be locked up and receive treatment.

The reason for Priens outrageous statements was the contribution of a Twitter user who had found out that according to the official data from the RKI (Germanys federal infectious disease agency), the number of children dying from COVID-19 is increasing ever more rapidly. More children have died since October alone than in the entire previous period of the pandemic. Of the 65 officially registered COVID-19 deaths among people under the age of 20, 17 have died in the past four weeks. The authors of the petition point out that deaths among [those] under 20 years old are even individually checked and validated by the RKI, so that the RKIs statistics only include those children whose deaths can be traced back to COVID-19.

However, the official number of COVID-19 deaths among children is only the tragic tip of the proverbial iceberg. The UKs Office for National Statistics estimates that 12.9 percent of infected children aged 2 to 11 and 14.5 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 16 still complain of symptoms five weeks after infection. Scientists and medical professionals have long emphasized that COVID-19 is one of the most dangerous diseases for children.

We do not know of any childhood illness that is as stressful as the COVID-19 disease, said Karl Zwiauer, paediatrician and member of the Austrian vaccination committee, to the Austrian broadcaster ORF last September. None of the conventional childhood diseases that can currently be combated by vaccination has such a high disease burden as the SARS-CoV2 infection, commented the longstanding head of the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University Hospital St. Polten.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, aggressive denial of scientific evidence has characterized the actions of all government politicians, regardless of their party affiliation. Education ministers have repeatedly resorted to pseudoscientific studies to fulfill their mandate to do everything possible to keep schools open, while targeting students, parents and teachers who criticise them with official attempts at intimidation. Prien herself recently tried to play off the concerns of the students and the interests of particularly at-risk patients against each other.

Against this background, it is significant that Priens federal state of Schleswig-Holstein is already planning far-reaching reopening steps that will lead to a devastating surge in cases, in line with developments in Denmark. In the country that borders Schleswig-Holstein to the north, the exponentially increasing number of deaths is already higher than at almost any time during the pandemic. If the number of deaths lags behind the number of infections by about two weeks, as can be seen in Denmark, then in a few weeks around 1,000 deaths a day could be expected in Germany.

The countrys adjusted hospitalization incidence rate is 11.75 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is at the threshold of the RKIs highest warning level. The hospitalization incidence rate is currently increasing most rapidly in the over-80 age group (23.9, an increase of 4.35 compared to the previous week), but it is also increasing rapidly in the second highest age group and among 0- to 4-year-olds as well.

The even more contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2, which was first detected in Denmark, was responsible for 8.1 percent of all new infections at the end of January in Germany, according to the current RKI weekly report, and threatens to further prolong the mass deaths. Israel, which usually precedes European developments by a few weeks, recently recorded more daily deaths than at any other time during the pandemic.

The inhuman positions expressed by KMK President Prien are in fact those of the entire ruling class. At the end of January, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) spoke in a quickly deleted Twitter post of an acceptable level of deaths, which the current plan of his ministry envisages. Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann explained last week on the talk show Sandra Maischberger that the aim of government action was never to minimize the number of deaths but to allow everything that would not lead to an overburdening of the health system.

On Monday, the Arzteblatt reported on the submission of a gradual plan, which is to be approved on Wednesday by the federal and state governments. The new plan calls for all public health measures to be gradually removed by March 20, starting with the lifting of restrictions on unvaccinated people entering retail outlets.
On Thursday, representatives of the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) were questioned on Capitol Hill by the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Reform. The hearing, titled Revitalizing WMATA: Getting to a Culture of Excellence, came as the nations third largest transit system has been plagued by mechanical and financial crises.

WMATA, known popularly as Metro, has been unable to resolve a defect in the wheelbase of its most popular railcars, the 7000-series. A series of potentially catastrophic derailments last year caused a federally-appointed inspector to pull the defective cars out of service.

Last month local news outlet DCist reported that Metro would not return any of the 7000-series cars until mid-April. Metro general manager Paul J. Wiedefeld was quoted saying that [w]ere at the start of that 90-day pause, and well work to find the root cause as quickly as we can and return to regular service as quickly as we can.

A woman waits to board a train as it arrives at Metro Center station, April 23, 2021, in Washington D.C. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The removal of nearly 60 percent of the transit systems railcars has forced Metro to cut train frequencies, in some cases relying on 40-year-old cars pulled from storage, wrote the Washington Post last week. This has caused delays of sometimes up to a half-hour, while leaving commuters forced to travel to work in packed train cars amid a dangerous pandemic.

At the hearing, officials took turns expressing dismay at the months-long delays while also encouraging management staff to get it together.

In 2019, prior to the pandemic, WMATAs total ridership reached nearly 300 million trips per year with an average weekday Metrorail ridership of 626,000, stated the subcommittees website. This makes WMATA an essential component of transit for the functioning of the federal government.

A number of officials expressed shock at the transit systems array of safety problems. DCist noted little new information was revealed as ongoing National Transportation Safety Board, Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, U.S. Department of Transportation, and other investigations limited what Metro officials would say on the record.

Several noted Metros previous knowledge of the wheelbase issue since at least 2017. Metro inspector general Geoff Cherrington explained that while he didnt think metro officials intentionally withheld safety information, they should have run it up the chain of command.

Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin compared the defect to a gas leak, accusing Metro of just trying to report it to the oven manufacturer and I dont tell anybody in the house even though the oven is a danger to life and limb.

Significantly, general manager Weidefeld, who has announced he would retire this summer, called attention to a $500 million funding shortfall which is expected to come due by 2024. Simply put, the pre-pandemic financial model for Metro is no longer sustainable, he said at the hearing.

On January 22, in a detailed report, the Post warned about the stagnating effects on ridership levels by these setbacks and its financial impact, noting that transit officials say the biggest challenge facing Metros next general manager could be significant service cuts, closing down stations or laying off workers.

Furthermore, the report stated, future metro projections of ridership levels are bleak for the transit agencys hope to financially cover gaps in the 2023 fiscal year. At best, metro is hoping to see its ridership increase to about 53 percent of its 2019 levels, with a possible 75 percent recovered as of 2024.

This drop is largely due to the federal workforce, a major contributor to ridership levels, shifting over to remote work due to the pandemic. However, government officials hinted that these depressed numbers could be permanent, with Tom Bulger, a Metro Board alternate, telling the Post: I think its a new normal.

To add to this, Metro reported a week ago that nearly 34 percent of Metrobus revenues were lost to fare evasion last year. This cost the transits buses over $10 million. It is unclear how much of these lost fares stem from Metrobus decision to waive collection during the pandemic.

Wiedefelds departure, which comes as metro faces a financial cliff, indicates an expectation of serious struggles ahead as the transit system seeks to impose its budget crisis into the backs of workers and the public.

Before the pandemic, Wiedefeld faced a three-month strike among bus drivers after WMATA sold its Northern Virginia Cinder Bed Road depot to a private contractor. It is likely that future efforts to privatize services will encounter even stiffer opposition among transit workers.

Under these conditions, the last thing transit workers should do is place their fate in the hands of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689. During the strike, ATU 689 forced its public-side transit members to continued to keep workers on the job, even as their fellow members at Cinder Bed Road were on strike.

During the pandemic, Local 689 did little to defend its members as they were infected. It restricted itself to playing cheerleader for the federal governments bailout packages, first from the right-wing Trump administration and then from the Democratic Biden administration, begging it to pass additional bailouts to keep the transit system afloat.

Writing at the time, the World Socialist Web Site stated: [The] ATU is pushing its members behind the Biden presidential campaign, which will do nothing to address the needs of the working class, including funding to protect transit jobs, and ensuring the systems can operate safely as the pandemic continues. A year into Bidens presidency, this is the reality that metro workers face.
MSRTC workers calling for support for their strike (Photo Credit: MSRTC striker)

More than 75,000 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus drivers, ticket collectors, mechanics and other ancillary workers have now been on strike for more than one hundred days. The strikers are defying harsh management reprisals, draconian threats by the government of Indias second most populous state, repeated court orders banning their strike, and the complete abandonment of their struggle by the trade unions.

The striking workers have raised several demands. These including that the state government-owned MSRTC abide by its contractual obligation to pay them on time, and that proper financial compensation be paid the families of as many as 700 workers who, having been forced to work during the pandemic, died of COVID-19. But the strikers central demand is that the intercity bus service be fully merged into the state government, so they can benefit from the better pay, benefits and above all job security provided state government workers.

MSRTC, working in close concert with Maharashtras Shiv Sena-led state government, has attempted to break the strike through mass terminations, suspensions and transfers to faraway MSRTC depots. The state labour court declared any job action by the MSRTC workers illegal on the eve of their launching an all-out strike starting Nov. 5.

More than two dozen unions claim to represent the MSRTC workers. But all but one bowed to the labour court, ordered workers not to walk out at midnight Nov. 4, and they have sabotaged and opposed the strike ever since.

A particular foul role is being played by the two main Stalinist parliamentary partiesthe Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, and the Communist Party of India (CPI)and their respective labour affiliates, the Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). The Stalinists claim to oppose the privatization drive of Indias Narendra Modi-led far-right central government and the Indian bourgeoisie as a whole. Yet they have systematically blacked out information about the MSRTC workers struggle, let alone taken any action to rally workers in Maharashtra and across India in their defence.

The strikers demand for MSRTC merger with the state government is based on their awareness that Maharashtras government and MSRTC management are plotting to privatize the bus service, which provides an essential service for working people, especially in rural areas. For years, successive governments have starved the MSRTC of proper funding.

On January 17, a labour court in Bandra, a Mumbai suburb, reaffirmed the pre-Nov. 5 ruling that the strike is illegal. At MSRTC managements request, the unions were made a party to the case, although the lawyer acting on their behalf insisted that they have not and do not sanction the strike.

As would be expected, management and the Maharashtra government seized on the latest court ruling against the workers to intensify their efforts to break the strike.

An MSRTC official declared that the courts ruling the strike illegal constitutes ipso facto legal sanction for all the reprisals it has taken against the striking workers. Due to this order, asserted the official, the action taken by the corporation against workers like suspension and termination will be deemed legal and the corporation can even take the action of deducting salaries of the staffers on strike and penalise them.

In the days immediately following the court order, management officials visited workers at their homes in an attempt to intimidate them and browbeat them back to work. These efforts were largely unsuccessful. Despite the reprisals and threats and the absence of any union financial support, some 75,000 of the 98,000 workers who walked off the job last November remain on strike.

To date, MSRTC management has terminated at least 8,067 workers and suspended 11,000 others. Hinting that even more savage reprisals are being prepared, a senior MSRTC official said, The strike cannot go on like this. Despite offering all solutions, employees are not yielding.

The state government has repeatedly threatened to invoke the draconian Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act, which would empower police to arrest striking workers en masse. If it has not done so to date, it is because it fears such action would impel other sections of the working class to come to their defence.

What the government and ruling class are counting is that the unions and Stalinist parties will continue to systematically isolate the MSRTC workers struggle, thus enabling them to ultimately starve the strikers into submission.

Arrogantly rejecting the workers demands, Sharad Pawar, president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), recently told the Maharashtra state legislature, No matter who is in power, this (merger) demand is not acceptable. The NCP and the Congress Party, until recently the Indian ruling class preferred party of national government, are the junior partners of the fascistic Shiv Sena in a coalition government.

In an attempt to intimidate the MSRTC strikers, Pawar went on threaten them with a fate akin to that of the Mumbai textile workers. Their 18-month long 1982-83 strike was smashed as a result of a joint conspiracy between the then-Congress-led national and state governments and the textile bosses, resulting in the loss of 150,000 millworker jobs. The MSRTC employees, declared Pawar, shouldn't take any extreme step like the mill workers strike which destroyed textile mills in Mumbai.

For his part, Pawars nephew, Ajit Pawar, Maharashtras deputy chief minister and finance minister, let slip the ruling elites real concern in relation to the merger issue. If one corporation is merged today, such a demand will come from many corporations tomorrow, he said. In other words, the government and big business fear that any accommodation to the MSRTC workers merger demand will encourage workers at other arms-length state-owned corporations to raise the same demand, as a means of opposing privatization.

The MSRTC workers have shown great courage and determination in sustaining their strike for more than 100 days in the face of management reprisals, state attacks and the treachery and sabotage of the pro-capitalist unions. However, insofar as the strike remains isolated and is not animated by a socialist political strategy, the MSRTC workers struggle is in great danger.

The MSRTC workers must make their strike the spearhead of a counter-offensive of workers in Maharashtra and throughout India against privatization, precarious contract-labour employment, and the capitalist ruling elites criminal prioritizing of investor profit over safeguarding lives throughout the pandemic.

There is no question that an appeal from the MSRTC strikers for a joint struggle against privatization and in defence of public services would win massive support from coal miners, bank, port and electricity workers and millions of other workers targeted by the privatization agenda of the Modi government and the state governments, including those like Maharashtra, led by the opposition parties.

The MSRTC workers have spurned the demands of the management and the government that they allow the corrupt, discredited unions to negotiate on their behalf. This correct decision poses point-blank the need for workers to create genuine organizations of working class struggle. That is, a network of rank-and-file committees tasked with formulating and leading the fight for their just demands, above all by seeking to mobilize support from, and developing a united struggle with, workers across India and internationally.

MSRTC strikers seeking to build rank-and-file committees can depend on the World Socialist Web Site and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees to provide them with tactical advice, political guidance and our whole-hearted support.
At a national webinar last Friday, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) prevented discussion about university workers and students being forced back onto unsafe campuses as the deadly Omicron wave of COVID-19 continues in Australia and internationally.

The NTEUs stand was encapsulated in the webinar title, which was Returning to campus safely. The premature reopening of campuses, as part of the let it rip policy of every government, was presented as a fait accompli that university workers could not fight.

There is widespread concern among staff and students about the infections that will be spread, with potentially life-threatening, or Long-COVID consequences, by cramming students into classrooms and other campus venues, such as libraries.

Part of Macquarie University [Credit: mq.edu.au]

Opening the webinar, NTEU national president Alison Barnes said nearly 2,000 union members had registered for the event. It was an overwhelming response. Many questions were submitted in advance, evidently raising outright objections to the reopening or to the lack of essential safety measures, such as vaccination checks, infection tests, N95 masks and adequate building ventilation.

Fearing expressions of opposition, the NTEU barred debate and questions from the audience. Despite the pretence of having a hand raised button to speak, no one was permitted to do so. No chat function was provided to allow comments or information to challenge the unions line.

After initially saying questions could be asked, if we get through all those submitted, Barnes shut down the hour-long webinar several minutes early, in order to ensure that none could be raised.

The questions submitted beforehand were not directly answered either. None were read out. Instead, they were bundled into categories and briefly dispensed with by NTEU national assistant secretary Gabe Gooding.

Among the questions that went unanswered was one by Michael Head, a Western Sydney University educator and Socialist Equality Party (SEP) member. His question was: Why is the NTEU allowing the dangerous reopening of campuses?

Heads question explained: Reopening campuses is not motivated by concerns for students education quality or wellbeing. It is driven by education industry profit-making and university revenues, especially from international students.

It is also part of a broader agenda. The federal, state and territory governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike, are imposing a live with the virus program of ongoing infection, disease and death for the sake of corporate profit.

In a presentation, Gooding urged university workers to accept the framework of Work Health Safety (WHS) laws, which only require employers to eliminate or reduce health risks as far as reasonably practicable.

According to Gooding, these reasonable steps can consist of providing pandemic leave for infected staff, encouraging vaccination, providing for rapid antigen testing, requiring masking, setting occupancy limits and improving ventilation and cleaning. These measures are no guarantee against mass infection, and many managements are refusing to organise them anyway.

Under WHS laws, employers are supposed to conduct risk assessments and consult with employees before taking decisions that affect safety. In reality, most university managements have announced reopening plans without consultation, except with NTEU officials in some instances.

Gooding insisted that university workers must take no independent action, outside the unions control, to refuse to return to campus or work in unsafe conditions. One of her PowerPoint slides featured the word never in red letters: Never refuse to comply with a management directive without checking with us first.

Gooding said the WHS laws permitted workplace health and safety representatives (HSRs) to halt work in a location or issue provisional improvement notices (PINs) to require improvements if conditions breached WHS laws. But these representatives had to first undergo an approved five-day training course.

Dom Rowe, the NTEU national director of campaigns and organising, told the webinar the union had won concessions at some universities. For example, at Sydneys Macquarie University, casuals would have paid leave if infected, and ventilation would be reviewed in consultation with the NTEU.

Such minimal measures will not prevent infections in the first place. These wins are a means of justifying the unions overall imposition of the return to campuses.

At an NTEU branch meeting at Macquarie University a day earlier, the union cited these improvements to push through a branch committee resolution to accept the reopening, provided only that the union could take unstated action if HSRs decided that conditions breached WHS regulations.

During that meeting, however, many concerns were voiced. In response to the promised payment for casuals if they contracted COVID, one said in the chat: As a casual  Id rather not get Covid than be compensated after the fact. Another member stated: WE SHOULD BE ONLINE FOR NOW. One asked: Is there any advice on what we can do if students refuse to wear masks? Do we just end the class?

An educator commented: I am convening a unit that does not have any online classes. Students have asked for that, and the response has been that we need to manage blended synchronous offerings, even though we do not have the necessary training or technical support for this.

Chris Gordon, a member of the SEP and the Committee for Public Education (CFPE), opposed the NTEU motion. He pointed out: COVID is an airborne virus which means there is no safe way to re-open schools and universities. Masks, vaccines, ventilation are all important measures but cannot be implemented effectively on a mass scale to ensure people are safe. Instead, what is required is to shut down non-essential industries, like education, with full compensation to all workers and small business owners.

The NTEU motion was passed, but 10 percent of the attendees voted against or abstained. The branch president then refused to put to the meeting Gordons alternative resolution to oppose any return to campus amid the Omicron disaster and urge all university workers and students to fight for joint strikes and walkouts to force an immediate return to remote learning, in order to prevent mass COVID outbreaks.

At Western Sydney University, the NTEU went even further to prevent debate, despite management reporting that nearly 800 staff and students had contracted COVID during the pandemic so far. The branch committee refused to hold a meeting to discuss the campus reopening, instead telling members by email last week: We believe the overall approach taken by Senior Management is generally reasonable.

That reasonable approach includes a full return to face-to-face classes, with online learning only provided if possible, no organised testing and no guarantee of safe ventilation, especially in older and high-rise buildings and those with recurring air-conditioning problems and no opening windows. Working from home will be permitted two days a week, but only if supervisors agree and business continuity is ensured.

During an NTEU branch meeting last Friday to report on enterprise bargaining talks with management (with virtually no progress made), members raised anxieties about these issues, and the lack of protection for immunocompromised, asthmatic or otherwise vulnerable staff and students.

However, the branch president declared it was not in our power to tell management not to reopen. The committee refused to circulate an opposed SEP-CFPE resolution and delayed it being moved until three minutes before the meeting ended, making a mockery of democratic discussion.

SEP and CFPE members are urging staff and students to form independent rank-and-file committees to oppose the NTEUs support for the perilous reopening of campuses and link up with the educators strikes, student walkouts and protests internationally. For discussion contact the CFPE.

Email: cfpe.aus@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/commforpubliceducation

Twitter: @CFPE_Australia
On Tuesday, the day before the United States had previously claimed Russia would launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden gave a speech in which he doubled down on his threats of a bloody, destructive war even though no Russian invasion was forthcoming.

Earlier in the day, the Russian government, which has insisted that it has no plans to attack Ukraine, announced that it is pulling back its troops from the Ukrainian border following the completion of a series of joint war games with Belarus.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the decision of the United States to relocate its embassy personnel. A source close to his party told Strana.ru that countries are making up a story about war, adding we are being played with. David Arakhamia, the head of Zelenskys Servant of the People faction in Kievs parliament, added, Our intelligence does not see signs that the Russians are directly preparing.

President Joe Biden speaks about Ukraine in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, February 15, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The claim of an imminent invasion of Ukraine has been repeated endlessly by the US government and parroted in the media. In his speech on Tuesday, Biden was compelled on the one hand to acknowledge the reality that no Russian attack had occurred, while doubling down on the United States threats.

Every part of Bidens speech was filled with hypocrisy, lies and warmongering. Let us cite only a few passages.

Biden began his remarks by declaring:

From the beginning of the crisis, I have been absolutely clear and consistent: The United States is prepared no matter what happens.

Does no matter what happens include nuclear war? How, exactly, is the US prepared for that potential catastrophe? The use of the phrase, No matter what happens can only mean that Biden and his advisers have not thought through the possibly disastrous consequences of their provocative actions and threats.

After noting Russias withdrawal of military units from positions near the Ukrainian border, Biden responded not by seeking to further reduce tensions but by intensifying the warmongering of the United States. Biden said:

We will not sacrifice basic principles. Nations have a right to sovereignty and territorial integrity. They have the freedom to set their own course and choose with whom they will associate.

Since when has the sovereignty of other nations been the basic principle of the United States? Any effort to list the United States violation of other countries sovereignty and territorial integrity would be dozens of pages long. One need cite only the most egregious examples of the last quarter century:

In 1992, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the United States and Germany recognized Croatia as an independent country, thus initiating the breakup of Yugoslavia and precipitating a bloody civil war that cost thousands of lives.

In 1999 the United States led a 78-day bombing campaign to force Serbia to accept the secession of Kosovo. What had been a part of Serbia was turned into a mini-country with a government led by criminal drug lords.

In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq based on false claims that the country was developing weapons of mass destruction. Over one million Iraqis were killed, and Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was hanged by US-backed militia forces. The United States and allied forces tortured and murdered thousands of prisoners, including in the infamous Abu Ghraib prison where US service members posed for photos while sexually humiliating detainees.

In 2011, the United States armed Islamist terrorist forces who overthrew the Libyan government and tortured, sodomized, and murdered its president.

Beginning in 2014 through the present, the United States armed and funded ISIS-linked terrorists in Syria fighting to overthrow the Syrian government, including the deployment of American troops on Syrian soil in violation of Syrian sovereignty. The United States arming of the terrorist forces was justified by the Democrats based on false claims that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its population, while Trump declared that the US mission should be to take the oil.

In 2019, the United States murdered Iranian general Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad International airport while he was undertaking an official diplomatic mission to the Iraqi government on behalf of the government of Iran.

And this is not to mention the Vietnam War, the Korean War and the US sponsorship of countless Latin American dictatorships that collectively killed hundreds of thousands of left-wing workers and young people.

Biden then proclaimed:

The fact remains: Right now, Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine in Belarus and along Ukraines border.

Four days ago, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan declared that Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine. Where did those extra 50,000 troops come from in just four days? Who are they? Where are they? How did Russia manage to expand its troop presence around Ukraine by 50 percent while telling the world it was reducing its forces?

Not one voice in the American media asks these most basic questions, which would in an instant show the American claims to be pure nonsense.

Biden continued:

The United States and NATO are not a threat to Russia. Ukraine is not a threat to Russia. Neither the US nor NATO have missiles in Ukraine. We do not, do not have plans to put them there as well. We are not targeting the people of Russia. We do not seek to destabilize Russia. To the citizens of Russia, you are not our enemy.

How the United States views Russia is not a matter of opinion, however, but of public statements and documents.

In 2018, the United States adopted a national defense strategy declaring that Inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in US national security, in which Russia was explicitly named, along with China, as a rival of the United States.

In an interview with 60 Minutes in October 2020, Biden declared, Well, I think the biggest threat to America right now is Russia. Asked in a CNN town hall in 2020, Do you believe Russia is an enemy? Biden replied, I believe Russia is an opponent. I really do.

It is to this end that the United States has sought to militarily encircle Russia, massively expanding NATO to Russias doorstep.

As for the claim that the United States does not have missiles in Ukraine, this is at once a non-sequitur and a red herring. The United States has armed Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank missiles and, via Lithuania, with Stinger antiaircraft missiles.

Presumably, Biden is referring to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, which were banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, with which the United States has declared it will not comply. Bidens denial serves to distract attention from the United States ongoing effort to ring Russia with offensive missiles, to which end it has constructed Aegis Ashore missile batteries in both Romania and Poland, which are capable of launching nuclear-armed Tomahawk cruise missiles previously banned by the INF treaty.

After claiming that the US is not a threat to Russia, Biden proceeded to list a series of aggressive actions taken by the US and its NATO allies in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. This concluded with the statement:

Make no mistake, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with a full force of American power. The attack against one NATO country is attack against all of us. The United States commitment to Article Five is sacrosanct.

In other words, Biden claimed that he will use the full military arsenal of the United States if a conflict breaks out between Russia and one of the unstable statelets that emerged from the dissolution of the USSR.

The most recent cabinet of Estonia included the fascist Conservative Peoples Party of Estonia, whose minister of the interior repeatedly photographed himself flashing a white power hand gesture. The current cabinet of Latvia draws its minister for economics, minister for culture, and minister for agriculture from the fascist and fanatically anti-Russian National Alliance.

Taken literally, Bidens statement means that if war were to break out between Russia and one of these politically unstable microstates, the United States will pledge to use nuclear weapons (the full force of American power) against Russia, which itself possesses a massive nuclear arsenal. This would mean the beginning of World War III, threatening the very future of human civilization.

Turning to the situation in the United States, Biden said that a conflict with Russia will not be painless for the American people. However, he insisted:

This is a cause that unites Republicans and Democrats. And I want to thank the leaders and members of Congress of both parties who have forcefully spoken out in defense of our most basic, most bipartisan, most American principles.

This combined both a truth and an outright lie. There is a cause that unites Republicans and Democrats, but it has nothing to do with principles such as liberty and the right of people to determine their own futures, as Biden claimed, but rather the ruthless geopolitical interests of the American ruling class, combined with a deep fear of the growth of social opposition within the United States.

For all Bidens talk of liberty in Ukraine, just one year ago US President Donald Trump attempted to overthrow the government of the United States and install himself as a Hitler-style dictator. Biden admitted this reality on July 13, 2021, when he declared, Theres an unfolding assault taking place in America today, an attempt to suppress and subvert the right to vote and fair and free elections. An assault on democracy, an assault on liberty.

Yet now Biden proposes unity with those who launched an assault on liberty in the name of defending liberty and American principles!

Bidens concluding sentence bordered on the surreal:

Ill keep you informed.

Informed of what? The outbreak of war between the US and Russia? The launching of nuclear weapons? The beginning of World War III? The breakdown of US democracy is so advanced that the president believes that he only has to keep the American people informed of decisions that will impact the population of the entire planet.

Biden is free to make a speech filled with lies and blood-curdling threats because he knows that no one in the media will seriously question his claims, premises or assertions. The entire political establishment is fully committed to the doctrine of great power competition.

If this is Bidens peace speech, then what is the war speech? The most fundamental conclusion that is to be drawn from Bidens speech is that the United States is desperately searching for a military conflict to project its internal social, economic, and political crisis outwards. American capitalism is on the warpath.
Six Louisville, Kentucky prison inmates have died since Thanksgiving. The most recent victim had not been convicted of a crime, but was in jail only because he could not afford to pay bail.

On Sunday, February 6, Lesley Starnes, 36, died after trying to hang himself. Corrections officers said that they found Starnes with a sheet tied around his neck during midnight rounds, but, in an unbelievable account, said that they were unable to cut it off for several minutes because their knife was too dull.

Starnes was pronounced dead an hour later at the local hospital. He had been held at the Louisville Metro Corrections facility since January 26.

Starnes was the third inmate to die so far this year, and the sixth since November. He was in jail for alleged nonpayment of child support in Bullitt County, and he could not afford bond.

Left to right: Rickitta Smith, Leslie Starnes, Kenneth Hall and Keith Smith, four of the six people to die in jail in Louisville, Kentucky since Thanksgiving 2021. (Photos: Louisville Metro Department of Corrections)

Amber Duke, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Interim Executive Director for the state of Kentucky, told local news station WDRB that Starnes only died because he did not have the money to buy his freedom.

Mr. Starnes should never have been held in custody. He was not a danger to his community. He just lacked the wealth necessary to purchase his freedom and his life.

No one should ever die in our jail, Kungu Njuguna, ACLU Kentucky Policy Strategist, told the news station WDRB. This death is a testament to the complete and utter failure of our criminal legal system.

Starnes was being kept in a cell without lights, which is against policy. Denying a person light, especially someone suffering from depression, can deepen their depression.

Currently there are about 1,450 inmates at Louisville Metro Corrections, down more than 200 over the past five months, but still almost twice the number who should be in the facility.

Two other inmates died in January. Keith Smith, 66, died on Sunday, January 9. Officials say Smith, who was being housed in the medical unit, was found unresponsive and when they could not revive him, he was taken to the University of Louisville Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Smith was booked on January 5 but officials did not say for what reason. Another inmate is said to have committed suicide on January 2.

Three other inmates died in the facility during the last week of November and the first week of December.

In what is a generic term, Louisville Metro Corrections Director Dwayne Clark said 59-year-old Kenneth Hall was found in his cell unresponsive by an officer. Why a 59-year-old man should die was not explained.

Also during that week in November-December, 34-year-old Rickitta Smith died after being taken to a hospital after having a seizure. A third 48-year-old woman committed suicide after having been in two fights with other inmates.

Officials did not say what the fights were over or why officials were not able to keep the women safe. Officials also did not say what caused Smiths seizure, although seizures are often associated with beatings.

The FBI has been brought in to investigate the deaths.

The death of these six people in the past three months is another example of the brutality of the criminal justice system.

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, Kentucky has about 41,000 people behind bars. Of these, 27,500 are in state and federal prisons, 500 are youth and another 13,000 people are held in local jails like the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections facility. About half of those held in local jails are imprisoned because they are poor, awaiting trial but unable to post bail.

In Kentucky, 930 people per 100,000 are behind bars, giving it the 7th highest incarceration rate in the United States. In contrast, Britain has 130 people per 100,000 behind bars, France 110 and Germany 69.

Overall the United States has the highest number of people in prisons and jails in the world. More than 2.3 million people are behind bars, which represents an incarceration rate of 664 per 100,000 people.

In addition, 3.6 million people are on probation and another 840,000 are on parole. In total, over 7 million people are under some form of control by the prison system.

An astonishing 555,000 people are locked up who have not been convicted of anything. Most are being held in local jails because they cannot afford bail while they are awaiting trial. The average bail for a felony is $10,000, which represents 8 months wages for the typical person who is locked up and cannot afford bail.

In addition to those currently in jail or prisons, as of 2010 there were 4.9 million people who were formerly incarcerated. Nineteen million people have a felony conviction and 77 million people have a criminal record.

Most of these people also face collateral consequences even after serving their sentences. In most states, anyone convicted of a felony loses the right to vote, while everyone with a criminal record confronts housing, education, employment and other restrictions.

Under the Death in Custody Reporting Act, signed into law more than six years ago by then-President Barack Obama, state and local agencies are supposed to report to the US Department of Justice the death of any person who dies while in any form of custody or during any interactions with police.

However, the federal government is not releasing any of the data which it has collected or reports on the data. Researchers who study the problem have found that the mortality rate for the US jail population is 128 per 100,000 and for prisons it is 264 per 100,000.

The fact that almost one quarter of the countrys population is currently or in the past connected to the criminal justice system is another reflection of the enormous inequality that exists in the United States and the brutal and barbaric treatment that is necessary to maintain it.

The World Socialist Web Site invites family and friends of those who have died at the Louisville Metro Corrections facility, or current inmates, to contact us to share their stories.
Freedom convoys, modelled on those organised by far-right groups in Canada, Europe and elsewhere, descended on Canberra, Australias national capital, over the weekend. The ensuing protests were the largest in a series held this year, bringing together fascistic organisations, right-wing politicians on the fringes of the political establishment and a broader milieu of highly-disoriented sections of the middle-class.

The protests and the convoy have been given extensive coverage in the corporate press. This included articles previewing the weekends demonstrations which amounted to semi-official advertisements.

The media attention far outstripped reportage on the first nurses strike in New South Wales since 2013, held yesterday; the widespread concern among teachers and parents over the dangerous reopening of schools during the continuing COVID surge, and the broad hostility to stagnant wages and deteriorating working conditions amid a rising cost of living.

Despite this, the right-wing rallies were sparsely attended, with no more than 10,000 attending in Canberra, even though it was a national mobilisation.

As is the case internationally, the focus was on opposition to limited vaccination mandates as the spearhead of a campaign against the handful of COVID safety measures that remain. Despite shambolic official rollouts, adult vaccination uptake in Australia is among the highest in the world, with double-dose rates well in excess of 90 percent in most states.

The hostility of most working people to the right-wing demonstrations was expressed on social media, with videos of Canberra residents confronting the rabble and condemning their attacks on public health. The protesters roamed around the generally quiet city denouncing people wearing masks, causing a scene at cafes and other businesses that request their customers to be vaccinated, and forcing the cancellation of a popular charity book fair.

Nevertheless, the protests have been presented as legitimate and important events by politicians and media commentators, even if they have expressed concern over the more disruptive activities.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has a lengthy history of denouncing popular protests over issues such as police violence, said the right-wing demonstrators were speaking up for the things they feel strongly about, adding, Australia is a free country and they have a right to protest.

Morrison made common cause with the protesters over vaccine mandates. The federal government, he said, had only imposed them in a handful of sectors, including aged care. All other mandates that relate to vaccines have been imposed unilaterally by state governments ... so I understand their concerns about these issues, he said.

Yesterday, Nine Medias political editor Chris Uhlmann published an opinion piece headlined Deplorables? No. These convoy protesters should not be ignored. He restated the false narrative that Donald Trump had won widespread support from disaffected working people.

Uhlmann asserted: The people in the Convoy to Canberra looked like middle Australia. While there were fascist groups present, such as the Canberrra chapter of the American Proud Boys street gang, the demonstrators were mostly peacefula description that recalls the phrase half pregnant.

Despite the demonstrators travelling great distances, likely at significant cost, and a core of them camping out for weeks in Canberra without apparent issues for their employment, Uhlmann insisted: Once we would have called them working class.

Uhlmann got to the nub of the issue, declaring that the protesters were sick of being subjected to constant and mercurial government interference in their lives, i.e., public health measures during a global pandemic. In reality, the limited lockdowns that Australian governments previously implemented were instituted as a result of demands from key sections of the working class, including teachers, doctors and nurses, and enjoyed overwhelming popular support.

By contrast, the bipartisan let it rip policies of the past two months, which have resulted in an unprecedented COVID surge, are widely opposed. That is a central reason why Morrisons Liberal-National Coalition government is broadly loathed and in an unprecedented crisis, together with the entire political establishment, including the Labor Party opposition.

The protests rail against lockdowns and public health measures to prevent the spread of the virus, even though every government has now dispensed with them in a reckless campaign aimed at ensuring that nothing impedes corporate profit and production

Uhlmanns and Morrisons promotion of the rallies sought to present this herd immunity program as being in line with the sentiments of ordinary people, when it is clearly not.

The protesters are being brought to prominence as a battering ram against working-class opposition, expressed in the nurses strike and other developments. They coincide with the turn by all Australias governments, state and federal, to the final phase of the reopening, in which COVID will be treated like influenza and any semblance of a society-wide public health response will be dispensed with in the interests of corporate profit.

Uhlmann concluded the protests might not stay peaceful. Politicians and the media should try to understand what is going on. That begins by listening to people and talking to them, not at them.

Uhlmann has extensive connections throughout the political establishment and the state-intelligence apparatus. His employer, Nine Media, is closely aligned with the Liberal Party, while he is married to Gai Brodtmann, who retired as a federal Labor parliamentarian in 2019.

Small numbers of working people, tradesman and lower middle-class elements have been caught up in the protests. They represent a minuscule proportion of the population, however. Their disorientation, moreover, is bound up with the role of Labor and the trade unions in creating a social crisis and a foul political atmosphere through their decades-long attacks on the jobs, wages and conditions of the working class.

Labor and the unions continue to play the key part in suppressing any independent struggle by the working class, enabling the far-right forces to play a political role that is completely disproportionate to their size and has nothing to do with genuine popular sentiments.

The social forces dominating and leading the protests are implacable foes of the working class. Prominent at the protests is the right-wing populist United Australia Party, led by mining billionaire Clive Palmer and Craig Kelly, who was a government MP until he resigned last year.

Avi Yemeni, a right-wing agitator, also has been present. A hardline Zionist, noted for his hostility to Muslims, he is an employee of Rebel News, a global alt-right platform owned by Canadian media tycoon Ezra Levant.

Former Australian Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel Riccardo Bosi has repeatedly appeared at the protests in full military uniform, hinting at some sort of extra-parliamentary action if vaccine mandates are not withdrawn. Bosi worked at the Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters, the top command of the US-led wars of plunder in Afghanistan and Iraq. He now leads the Australia One Party.

Ricardo Bosi at a Canberra protest earlier this month [Twitter, CTenaciousd]

Australian representatives of Golden Dawn, the Greek neo-Nazi party, were present on the weekend, as were other out-and-out fascist groups.

The White Rose group, which monitors far-right social media, commented on the aims of the leading protest groups, including libertarian/conspiracy theorist sovereign citizen outfits: Despite claims to want a bloodless revolution we see behind the scenes their intentions are far less hygienic, including discussions of political violence.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing on COVID-19, in Downing Street, London, Wednesday Dec. 15, 2021. (Tolga Akmen/Pool via AP)

The Johnson government has provoked a wave of criticism from scientists and healthcare professionals by lifting all remaining COVID restrictions, with the legal requirement to self-isolate ending February 24.

The UKs Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Officer Sir Patrick Vallance, who have served as yes men for Johnsons herd immunity agenda, have said nothing in response. Ignoring calls to present the evidence backing ditching restrictions, neither have been seen in public since Johnson announced February 9 that the UK would be the first country in the world to end all measures against the spread of COVID.

The Conservative governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has not issued a formal statement endorsing the ending of restrictions. But 30 SAGE representatives met on February 10, including Whitty and Vallance, publishing a paper the same day titled COVID-19 Medium-Term Scenarios  February 2022.

Written by academics on COVID-19 Medium-Term Scenarios, the two-page note is a devastating argument against the withdrawal of public health measures. It opens, This note sets out a range of scenarios to illustrate possible courses of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic for the UK. All assume that SARS-CoV-2 will continue to circulate for the foreseeable future and that variants will emerge.

The academics outline four scenarios from Reasonable Best-Case to Reasonable Worst-Case. They warn, An outcome that lies outside the range covered by the four scenariosbetter than the reasonable best-case scenario or worse than the reasonable worst-case scenariocannot be ruled out.

The best case predicts, In the next 12-18 months: Relatively small resurgence in Autumn/Winter 2022/23 with low levels of severe disease. Scenario two, Central Optimistic, predicts over the same time span, Seasonal wave of infections in Autumn/Winter with comparable size and realised severity to the current Omicron wave.

A screenshot of a section of the February 10 report written by academics at the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). Scenario two, Central Optimistic, predicts over the next 12-18 months, Seasonal wave of infections in Autumn/Winter with comparable size and realised severity to the current Omicron wave.

The third worst scenario, Central Pessimistic, predicts over the next 12-18 months: Emergence of a new variant of concern results in a large wave of infections, potentially at short notice and out of Autumn/Winter. However, severe disease and mortality remain concentrated in certain groups (and lower than pre-vaccination), e.g., unvaccinated, vulnerable and elderly.

Scenario four, the Reasonable Worst-Case, warns that in the next 12-18 months, This leads to a very large wave of infections with increased levels of severe disease seen across a broad range of the population, although the most severe health outcomes continue to be felt primarily among those with no prior immunity.

The authors write, In each scenario, it is assumed that a relatively stable, repeating pattern is reached over time (two to 10 years), but it is likely that the transition to this will be highly dynamic and unpredictable. It may not be possible to know with confidence from what happens in the next 12 to 18 months which long-term pattern will emerge.

Even the optimistic scenario accepts, Seasonal wave of infections in Autumn/Winter with comparable size and realised severity to the current Omicron wave.

No one in the political establishment or media is making public what this means. Not a single article has appeared in the UK media on the SAGE paper.

Since the detection of Omicron in Britain on November 27, just 11 weeks ago, a staggering 8.2 million people have been recorded infected with COVID and 14,880 more people have died from the disease. This mass suffering and death is the real severity of the Omicron wave and has taken place among a heavily vaccinated population. With immunity waning and no plan in place for a further booster programme, and the end of all mitigations, self-isolation and even reporting of cases and deaths, the ground is being laid for a social catastrophe.

The scale of infection is likely much higher than reported. This week the i news website reported, An average of 101,000 cases of coronavirus per day were recorded from January 16 to 22, according to the Governments COVID-19 dashboard. But it is likely the true number was nearer 280,500 a day. It noted, the sharp difference reflects the increasing limitations of the Government figures, which count only those people who have reported themselves as having tested positive for the virus.

SAGE posted two pages of minutes from its meeting which note, in line with the scenarios produced, New SARS-CoV-2 variants will continue to emerge including variants that are less susceptible to current vaccines, resistant to antivirals, or are associated with altered disease severity (high confidence).

There is no reason why future dominant variants should be similarly or less severe than Omicron, which may be an exception in having lower severity. The next dominant variant in the UK (and internationally) could have similar pathogenicity to previous variants, such as Delta. The range of evolutionary possibilities also includes substantial change to immune recognition.

While SAGE made no official statements opposing the tearing up of restrictions, other scientists have spoken out, warning of the dire implications.

Stephen Reicher, a professor of social psychology at St Andrews University, said, Taking away the obligation to self-isolate is the final and most powerful way of saying its all over and that infections dont matter.

The Guardian cited Professor Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist of Edinburgh University, explaining, The Omicron variant did not come from the Delta variant. It came from a completely different part of the viruss family tree. And since we dont know where in the viruss family tree a new variant is going to come from, we cannot know how pathogenic it might be. It could be less pathogenic but it could, just as easily, be more pathogenic.

In a section titled, Countermeasures, the SAGE document warns of the implications of the governments criminal ripping up of all measures in place to prevent viral spread, including testing. Surveillance, vaccines, therapeutics and testing will also have large impacts on outcomes. Waves will be worse if detected late, vaccine effectiveness is low, or if stocks of effective vaccines are low or cannot be deployed quickly. Waves may be exacerbated in communities with lower vaccinations rates, which also tend to be the most disadvantaged. Lower vaccine effectiveness will also increase reliance on antiviral drugs, extensive use of which will increase the risk of resistance developing. Access to testing has also been key for reducing transmission and is likely to impact the shape and duration of any future waves.

In the face of these immense dangers to public health, the ruling class is accelerating its herd immunity agenda. The end of mass testing is next to be ditched. Last Friday the Guardian reported several government sources stating that to save billions, Chancellor Rishi Sunak wants to end most PCR testing for people with COVID symptoms, possibly by the end of March. The Guardian and Times said the government planned to save 10 billion in public spending by axing testing.

A date of March 24 has been mooted for ending testing; the second anniversary of the Johnson government being forced by growing anger in the working class to impose its first national lockdown.

The Guardian reported that those in hospitals, high-risk settings and the 1.3 million extremely vulnerable people eligible for antivirals if they contract COVID would be exempted, but everyone else with symptoms would be either given some free lateral flow tests or no testing at all. A third option would be restricting the offer of lateral flows to symptomatic people over 50 and the clinically vulnerable. The advice for people without symptoms to take routine lateral flow tests is expected to be scrapped entirely.
The word democracy appeared a total of 23 times in the 22-minute speech in which Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanked parliamentarians for his re-election as federal president on Sunday. While Steinmeier made much play of the term democracy, the reality is obviously very different. The presidential election revealed a ruling class closing ranks in the face of growing social and political opposition and pulling together against the majority of the population.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Image: www.president.gov.ua/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Steinmeiers election by the Federal Assembly, half of which consists of members of the Bundestag (federal parliament) and half of representatives of the Lander (federal states), was a foregone conclusion. It had been fixed beforehand by the establishment parties. The social democrat Steinmeier was supported not only by the governing partiesSocial Democratic Party (SPD), Greens and Liberal Democrats (FDP)but also by the opposition parties, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU). Only the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the Left Party and the Free Voters put up their own token candidates who had not the slightest chance of success.

Steinmeiers speech made clear what a deep gulf separates official politics from the vast majority of the population. His focus was on fierce threats of war against Russia, for which there is no support, let alone democratic consensus. No one was asked or could vote on whether they want to risk a war in the middle of Europe that can only end in disaster.

Steinmeier attacked Russia and President Vladimir Putin with a sharpness that is extremely unusual for the highest representative of state, who is usually obliged to exercise diplomatic restraint. We are in the midst of the danger of a military conflict, a war in Eastern Europe. And Russia bears responsibility for that! he asserted. Russias troop build-up cannot be misunderstood; that is a threat to Ukraine and is meant as such.

The people there have a right to live without fear and threat and to self-determination and sovereignty, Steinmeier continued. No country in the world has the right to destroy thatand whoever tries to do so, we will answer decisively! He then appealed to Putin personally: Relax the noose around Ukraines neck!

Steinmeier also assured the Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Poles, Slovaks and Romanians: You can rely on us. Germany, he said, was part of NATO and the European Union. Without any ambiguity, we are committed to the obligations in this alliance.

Steinmeier knows better than any other German politician that this is mendacious war propaganda. As German foreign minister, he was in Kiev in February 2014 when paramilitary fascist militias drove out the elected president Viktor Yanukovych, who had refused to sign an association agreement with the EU. And Steinmeier had prepared and enabled this right-wing coup.

Steinmeier worked closely with two right-wing nationalist parties, Yulia Timoshenkos Fatherland and Vitali Klitschkos UDAR, as well as with Oleh Tyahnyboks fascist Svoboda. The latter uses neo-fascist symbols, agitates against foreigners, Jews, Hungarians and Poles, and maintains close relations with far-right parties in Europe.

After the Maidan demonstrations supported by the US and Germany failed to force Yanukovych to step down, paramilitary fascist militias were mobilised to escalate the conflict and drive the country to the brink of civil war. The leading role was played by the neo-fascist Right Sector, whose masked fighters, equipped with helmets, batons, firebombs and guns, soon dominated the centre of Kiev and brutally attacked the security forces.

Under these circumstances, Steinmeier, seconded by the Polish and French foreign ministers, persuaded Yanukovych to sign a transitional agreement with Tymoshenko, Klitschko and Tyahnybok. Immediately afterwards, the Right Sector drove Yanukovych to flee. The result of this supposed revolution was not a thriving democracy, but an authoritarian and corrupt regime based on rival oligarchic cliques and maintaining fascist militias such as the Azov Battalion.

With the regime change in Kiev, Steinmeier put into practice a great power policy that he had presented shortly before at the Munich Security Conference together with Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen and then Federal President Joachim Gauck. Germany must be prepared to become involved earlier, more decisively and more substantially in foreign and security policy, he had announced there. Germany is too big to comment on world politics only from the side-lines.

Since then, NATO has systematically armed Ukraine, making it a bulwark against Russia. A recent study by the government-affiliated Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), says: The Ukrainian armed forces are far more combat-ready today than in 2014.

At that time, it was not material equipment gaps that inhibited the defensive readiness of Europes nominally third-strongest army, but its lack of fighting morale, the study says. About two-thirds of the Ukrainian land and naval forces in Crimea had defected to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Against the pro-Russian rebels in the Donbas, the new Kiev leadership had only been able to muster 6,000 soldiers.

In the meantime, Kievs armed forces have grown to a good 250,000 active soldiers and over 900,000 reservists, the SWP notes. NATO is helping to improve command and control capabilities; the US provided reconnaissance assets, artillery radars andas did the UKanti-tank missile systems. From Turkey, Kiev received Bayraktar TB2 combat drones. ... Canada, Britain, Poland, Lithuania and the US have stationed 470 trainers in the western Ukrainian region of Lviv.

Under these conditions, the US and its NATO allies have now begun to instigate a war with Russia, using the claim of an imminent invasion of Ukraine as a pretext. Steinmeiers speech on Sunday served to reassure Washington and NATO of Germanys unqualified support in this, about which doubts had been expressed time and again.

The cross-party support Steinmeier enjoysthe Left Party, AfD and Free Voters also warmly congratulated him after his electionis because he has defended the international interests of German imperialism and supported all attacks on social achievements over the last 25 years like no other politician.

Joining the SPD in 1975 at the age of 19, he headed the office of Gerhard Schroder, Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, from 1993. When Schroder was elected chancellor, Steinmeier moved with him to Berlin and headed the Chancellery from 1999 to 2005.

In this capacity, Steinmeier was the real architect of Agenda 2010, the most comprehensive social counterrevolution since the founding of the post-war Federal Republic, which created a huge low-wage sector. He also led the reform of the pension and health care systems, which has dramatically reduced old-age pensions and health care provisions.

As head of the Chancellery, Steinmeier was also responsible for the secret services. Under him, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) signed an agreement on the intensive exchange of data with the US intelligence agency NSA, which was revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013. Steinmeier was also responsible for the BND supplying the US with important information for the war in Iraq, even though Germany officially opposed the war.

It was also Steinmeier, in cooperation with Hans-Georg Maassen, then head of division in the Ministry of the Interior and later president of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (as Germanys domestic secret service is called), who ensured that Murat Kurnaz, who grew up in Bremen, was not allowed to return to Germany and sat, innocent, in the Guantanamo prison camp for five years.

After the premature end of the Schroder government, Steinmeier became foreign minister in Angela Merkels first administration. In 2009, he ran as the SPDs candidate for chancellor in the Bundestag elections and had to go into opposition for four years after losing. From 2013 to 2017 he was again Foreign Minister under Merkel.

In 2017, Steinmeier was elected federal president, as Joachim Gaucks successor. Even then, he was supported not only by the governing parties of the grand coalition of the SPD and CDU/CSU, but also by the FDP and the Greens. The office, which mainly fulfils representational tasks, took on ever greater political significance in view of the decline of the political parties.

In 2017, it was Steinmeier who persuaded the SPD and the CDU/CSU to continue the hated grand coalition after an election defeat and months of fruitless negotiations. The result was that the AfD, as leader of the official opposition, received enormous media exposure and was systematically strengthened.

In his speech on Sunday, Steinmeier behaved as a presidential figure standing above the parties and holding the nation together. The office of the Federal President is a non-partisan one, and I promise you: that is how I will continue to lead it, he declared. He spoke about the deep wounds that the pandemic had inflicted on society, which now needed to be healed, but did not spare a word about the governments coronavirus policy and its victimsthe 120,000 people who have died from COVID-19 so far in Germany alone, and their relatives.

Steinmeiers speech was somewhat reminiscent of Kaiser Wilhelm, who at the beginning of World War I said he no longer recognised any parties, only Germans. Four years later, Germany was shaken by the November Revolution, the greatest revolution in its history.
In a news broadcast Monday evening, NBCs chief foreign policy correspondent Richard Engel told viewers how some communities in Ukraine are preparing for a war with Russia by taking matters into their own hands.

The report showed Ukrainian soldiers delivering basic training for the whole family, first aid and weapons training to a small group of Mariupol residents, including children and the elderly. One of them, 79-year-old Valentyna Konstantynovska, wielding an AK-47, was made the face of Ukrainian resistance by the worlds newspapers.

Engel left out of his account the fact that the military formation providing Konstantynovskas training was the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, clearly identifiable by its Wolfsangel insignia used by Hitlers SS in the Second World War.

The concealed promotion of fascist militias says more about the US-led war drive against Russia over Ukraine than a hundred lying press conferences. Any conflict would not be a war for democracy or self-determination but a bloodbath of the Russian and Ukrainian working class, designed to dismantle Russia. Far-right forces built up over years with US support would be centrally involved.

The Azov Battalion was founded by the anti-Semite Andriy Biletsky in 2014. It incorporated many members of Biletskys former ultranationalist, white supremacist organisations, Patriot of Ukraine and the Social-National Assembly (SNA). These tendencies trace their political roots back to the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), headed by Stepan Bandera, and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

During World War II, the OUN and the UPA allied with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union and carried out massacres of tens of thousands of Jews, Poles and Ukrainians sympathetic to the Soviet Union. After the war, both US and British intelligence services lent support to Bandera and the UPA.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, scores of far-right organisations sprang up in Ukraine, as in all the former Soviet states, drawing on this filthy anti-communist heritage and supported by the imperialist powers. The Viktor Yushchenko government, installed by the US-backed Orange Revolution in 2004, declared Bandera a national hero, honoured OUN and UPA fighters and heavily promoted the OUN successor organisation, the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, and the neo-Nazi Svoboda party.

During the Euromaidan events of 2013-14, then-US Undersecretary of State for Europe and Asia Victoria Nuland admitted that Washington had spent $5 billion on Ukraine since the 1990s, promoting democratic skills civic participation and good governancethat is, bankrolling any and every political force conducive to US interests.

The Ukrainian far and fascistic right was then mobilised in 2013-14 to overthrow the more pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. The SNA and the Patriot of Ukraine, together with Svoboda and other far-right organisations gathered in the Right Sector umbrella group, played the key role in transforming amorphous anti-government protests into violent confrontations and ultimately a coup.

Substantial evidence suggests that snipers who shot protestors dead were organised by the far-right opposition to inflame the situation.

Yanukovych fled the country on February 21, and the new government swiftly integrated its fascist midwives into the security structures of the state. Svoboda received several key posts, including secretary of the National Security and Defence Council for party co-founder Andriy Parubiy; vice prime minister for Oleksandr Sych; prosecutor-general for Oleh Makhnitskyi and minister of education for Serhiy Kvit.

Right Sector leader Dmytro Yarosh was offered the position of Parubiys deputy but rejected it. He later became an advisor to the commander of Ukraines armed forces, Viktor Muzhenko.

In April 2014, this far-right government authorized the creation of volunteer paramilitary formations to crush resistance in the rest of the country. The Azov Battalion was formed and quickly involved in multiple bloody clashes with pro-Russian separatists in Mariupol, Marinka, Ilovaisk and Novoazovsk. It was incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine in November 2014.

Emblem of the Azov Battalion

In 2015-2016, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights connected Azov with war crimes, including mass looting, unlawful detention and torture.

Since Yanukovychs ouster, the US and its allies have ensured that the Ukrainian regime, particularly its far-right paramilitaries, remain a significant and threatening force. Billions of dollars have been spent supporting the government and supplying and training its armed forces.

In April 2015, nearly 300 members of the US 173rd Airborne Brigade were sent to Ukraine to train Ukrainian soldiers, including members of the Azov Battalion. They were joined by British, Canadian and Polish soldiers in Operation Fearless Guardian.

That December, President Barack Obama signed into law the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act, deliberately omitting an amendment reading, None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to provide arms, training, or other assistance to the Azov Battalion. The version with the amendment had been passed unanimously by the House of Representatives but not sent to the Senate after pressure from the Pentagon.

With the war drive against Russia again in full swing, the Azov fascists are now dutifully presented on Americas TV screens as the providers of basic training for the whole family.

Two essential facts of the Ukraine crisis are underscored by Engels report.

First, that Ukraine is being used as a breeding ground for fascist anti-Russian forces, potential provocateurs of a military confrontation in the Donbass, Crimea or across the Russian border. Azovs founder and then-commander Biletsky denounced the September 2014 ceasefire with Donbass separatists, saying, If it was a tactical move there is nothing wrong with it... if its an attempt to reach an agreement concerning Ukrainian soil with separatists then obviously its a betrayal.

Second, not a single word or image presented by the corporate media in the imperialist countries can be believed. Its journalists are so embedded in the military-security apparatus and foreign policy establishment, especially in the United States, that they serve as a conduit for a state psy-ops operation levelled against the population.

The critical task for the international working class is to consciously reject the propaganda of its governments and take an independent political stand. It can do so by adopting the internationalist, socialist programme opposed to the imperialist powers war plans and the right-wing nationalist governments of Ukraine and Russia outlined every day by the World Socialist Web Site.
Weather Alert

...The National Weather Service in Indianapolis IN has issued a Flood Warning for the following rivers in Indiana... White River at Elliston and Edwardsport. Wabash River at Montezuma. .Multiple rounds of rain over the last few days including today will lead to minor flooding along lower portions of the White River and upper portions on the Wabash River. Additional rainfall later this week should keep portions of the White and Wabash above flood stage through Saturday. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/ind. This statement will be updated within the next 12 to 24 hours. && ...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT TO SUNDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Montezuma. * WHEN...From late tonight to Sunday evening. * IMPACTS...At 18.0 feet, Montezuma agricultural levee is overtopped. Fourteen hundred acres of low bottomlands flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 10:45 AM EDT Tuesday the stage was 9.1 feet. - Forecast...The river will oscillate around flood stage with a maximum value of 16.4 feet early Saturday morning. - Flood stage is 14.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha argued Tuesday that the Legislature needs to create a new Department of Housing and Urban Development in state government to focus on housing needs that are regarded as one of Nebraska's greatest challenges and an ongoing impediment to the state's growth and economic development.

"If this is a No. 1 issue, we have nobody at the state level directing and coordinating this effort now," Wayne told the Legislature's Urban Affairs Committee.

Without a single state agency directing a program to meet housing needs, Wayne said, "the state lacks a coordinated response to the challenge."

Wayne has introduced a bill (LB1073) that would create the new department in state government, with a director to be appointed by the governor and a mission of meeting both housing and homeless needs.

One-time startup costs are estimated at $38,600, Wayne said, with ongoing new costs estimated at $350,000.

Wayne Mortensen, CEO of NeighborWorks Lincoln, said the new department could focus attention on "the scarcity and exclusion of low-income housing" while addressing the economic consequences of a housing deficit that spreads across the state.

Carol Bodeen, director of policy and outreach for the Nebraska Housing Developers Association, suggested that the committee could consider the possibility of creating a separate new division in the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to address the housing challenge rather than creating a new department.

Shannon Harner, executive director of the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, said coordinating housing policy is "a laudable effort," but it might be accomplished without adding a new agency.

"It's not working now," Wayne told the committee in closing remarks, not in terms of accountability or coordination.

"It's not making a dent now," he said.

Creation of a new state department would require the votes of at least 30 senators in the 49-member Legislature.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

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Billings leaders are hopeful a new advisory board set up to assist the Billings Police Department will lead to a more diverse police force and better use of law enforcement data.

The seven-member Citizen Police Advisory Board is now fully staffed. Selected for the board were members of the community with connections to mental health and addiction recovery, the Native American population and law enforcement.

"We had an abundance of riches," said Mayor Bill Cole of the applicants to the board.

In all, the city had 22 people apply. A committee of city council members, city staff and representatives from the police department including Chief Rich St. John, vetted the candidates and selected the seven who were appointed by Cole and the council Monday night.

The new members are Dennis Bear Don't Walk, a chief judge in the Crow Tribal Court; Chris Simpson, a Billings Police officer; Joe Stout, director of operations for the Downtown Billings Alliance; Kristen Lungren, executive director of Substance Abuse Connect; Erin Lambert, the chief operating officer for the YWCA; April Veach with Finding Hope Montana; and resident Denise Boggio.

Council member Pam Purinton, who had initially expressed opposition to the advisory board, voiced her appreciation for the work performed by the selection committee. She said she'd watch to see how it worked.

One of the principal goals for the board will be recruitment and working to diversify the city's police force.

Recruitment diversity has long been a concern for St. John, who has said he wants his force to better reflect the community it polices, including more women and Native Americans. Billings has a population of 110,000 with 4.6% of that consisting of Native Americans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Last year, the Center for Public Safety Management performed a study of operations and management of the Billings Police Department, using data collected in 2019. One of its findings was the need for the department to update and improve its data collection. The advisory board will assist in helping make recommendations to the department on how it can do it.

City Council created the board in September. The push for the advisory group came last May when then-council member Penny Ronning proposed the city reestablish its long dormant Citizen Police Advisory Board. Crime rates in Billings have noticeably increased over the last few years as city growth has outpaced funding for public safety services.

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The Bakkens boom days appear to be over.

Oil companies have adopted a new term to describe the western North Dakota oil patch: mature.

Thats the word State Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms heard many times on a recent trip to a conference in Texas where he met with leaders from 10 companies with wells in the Bakken.

The Bakken has been rebranded, whether we wanted it to be or not, he told reporters Monday. We are looking at very low rates of growth, some companies just holding their production flat.

U.S. oil producers are more focused on growing their operations in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico, he said.

Even soaring oil prices have not been enough to interest companies in significantly boosting their activity in North Dakota. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. oil-pricing benchmark, was trading for $95 per barrel on Monday, up from the mid-$60s in December. Oil prices have climbed significantly in recent weeks in large part due to tension between Ukraine and Russia, a major energy supplier to Europe.

One would have expected activity to really pick up with those kinds of oil prices, Helms said. In the rebranding of us as mature, thats not the plan.

Another sign of change for the Bakken's outlook came in late 2021 when a new federal estimate projected that western North Dakota contains another 4.3 billion barrels of untapped recoverable oil, a 40% drop from the last estimate in 2013. The decline in part is due to the 11,000 wells drilled over the past eight years. State officials say much of the core area of the oil patch surrounding Watford City  where companies can get the most bang for their buck  has already been drilled.

While North Dakota could still see small annual production increases, drilling is expected to taper off in about a decade, Helms said.

To retain the states oil output, new technologies need to be developed to squeeze more oil out of the rock where wells have already been drilled, a process known as enhanced oil recovery, he said. So far, thats feasible only in older vertical wells where carbon dioxide is injected to boost oil production.

Helms said companies have attempted seven pilot projects in the state on newer horizontal wells without any success yet. He added that there seems to be a significant amount of interest, but concerns about feasibility linger.

Meanwhile, many oil companies under pressure to operate more environmentally responsibly indicated to him plans to increase the amount of natural gas that they capture from wells to combat flaring. Flaring involves burning off excess gas. The process releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Data released Monday shows that 93% of gas was captured statewide in December, and the oil industry as a whole is meeting North Dakotas 91% target.

Were still going to have our work cut out for us from a state and from an industry-standpoint to hit those aggressive targets operators are putting forward, North Dakota Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad said.

More gas gathering, processing and transmission infrastructure will be needed, particularly if companies are eyeing gas capture rates at 97% or higher, he said.

Although the state has met its flaring target for a number of months, some problematic areas remain. Only 46% of gas produced on Fort Berthold Indian Reservation fee lands was captured in December. Fee land refers to private land within a reservation.

Helms said a gas processing plant near the reservation experienced downtime amid problems due to cold weather, right as a number of new wells began operating. He expects the situation will improve, as Outrigger Energy is expanding a pipeline that will pick up gas from the area and carry it to its Bill Sanderson Gas Processing Plant in Williams County.

North Dakotas daily gas production fell 3% to 2.99 billion cubic feet in December. The states daily oil output dropped 2% to 1.14 million barrels. The data lags two months as the state collects data from the oil and gas industry. Helms attributed the drops to bitterly cold weather that hit the state in late December. The oil patch tends to slow down amid winter weather.

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The window is closing for the Montana Legislature to reconvene in Helena to redraw districts for the Public Service Commission, but the top two Republican leaders say they support a special session, while questioning an effort to add "election integrity" issues to the agenda.

Montanas five PSC districts havent been updated in nearly two decades, creating unconstitutional disparities between the number of voters that now reside in them. A federal court may soon step in to re-draw the district map, in response to a lawsuit filed by voters in January. The Legislature is saddled with the responsibility to redraw the districts after each census, but hasnt done so since 2003.

Lawmakers can call themselves back into session if enough of them support it through a legislative poll. But that could prove time-consuming, with lawmakers given 30 days to respond. Approaching deadlines may now leave the possibility of a special session in the hands of the governor, who can unilaterally call the Legislature back to Helena.

I would say that we remain very concerned about the courts overstepping their authority and inserting themselves into this map situation  thats not their purview, House Majority Leader Sue Vinton, R-Billings, said. Leadership from both the House and the Senate, weve been in discussions almost every single day in the last few weeks, so as far as that goes were still working on it and hoping that we can come up with a consensus amongst our caucus.

Federal judges overseeing the PSC map case have set a trial for March 4, and the candidate registration deadline is March 14. Adding to the time crunch, the Legislative Services Division ideally needs 14 days' notice to prepare for lawmakers to reconvene.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte has said he is willing to call a special session "for the sole purpose of PSC redistricting" if lawmakers can agree on a new map ahead of time.

To that end, Republicans have been circulating and debating a number of potential maps to equalize the PSC districts before it falls to a panel of federal judges.

Expanding the call

Rep. Derek Skees, a Kalispell Republican who has been an outspoken supporter of a special session, this week circulated a proposed map and a draft letter to the governor asking him to reconvene lawmakers to pass a new PSC map. He also asked that the session allow the Legislature to appoint and fund a special interim committee "created with investigatory powers and charged with confirming the election integrity of Montana."

The latter issue has been a goal of some GOP lawmakers who signed onto a letter asking for the committee last September. But many Republicans  including some who signed the September letter  have said they won't support a special session if it bleeds into other issues.

In his email, Skees asked fellow legislators to sign on in support of the letter, which he wrote will be sent to Gianforte on Friday. The letter asks the governor to convene lawmakers no later than Feb. 28 to beat the federal court's March 4 deadline.

Tuesday afternoon, Senate President Mark Blasdel and House Speaker Wylie Galt sent a letter to legislators supporting a special session to address the PSC districts, while questioning attempts to add election issues onto the agenda. Writing that cost estimates for the committee have ranged "from $50,000 to $500,000 according to different legislators," the two Republicans asked for clarity on the actual cost, how the money would be spent and what investigative powers aren't already provided to existing committees.

"What specifically will it be investigating and what does it seek to achieve?" they wrote. "Are there specific policy proposals that will be brought forward to the committee?"

They also cited a half-dozen bills passed by Republicans last year that they said "improve the integrity of Montana's elections."

"As you know, special sessions are very brief and require a lot of coordination to be successful," they continued. "... Legislators should have a clear and full understanding of the special select committee proposal prior to being expected to sign onto a letter calling for a special session addressing that topic."

Their comments appeared to echo concerns expressed by Democrats and some Republicans that calling lawmakers back to Helena is expensive. Legislative Services estimates a special session would cost $108,000 for the first day, plus $56,000 for each subsequent day.

And in a letter sent to House and Senate leaders Tuesday afternoon, Gianforte doubled down on his stance that hell only call a special session to address the PSC issue.

I take seriously our role as elected officials to be responsible stewards of taxpayer resources and also recognize, with a citizen legislature, the individual responsibilities of your members outside of regular legislative sessions, he wrote. For those reasons, I do not take calling a special session lightly.

The push for an expanded special session has a number of Republicans wary of agreeing to reconvene at all. Once a special session is underway, it's possible lawmakers could vote to expand the scope into other issues, like probing the state's election security. Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, has remained staunchly opposed to calling a special session, and said such votes could provide fodder for primary opponents from the right wing to run attack ads and mailers against incumbents in the upcoming primary elections.

"The average person doesn't really understand what was discussed, what was said or why somebody thought it was a bad idea," he said. "... It's a postcard vote, they take them all the time, and you bet that is a big fear. There's some pretty hot races in June."

Included in Skees' email, which was sent to both Republicans and Democrats, was a link to a PSC map Skees is asking lawmakers to support. It would create one distinct district in northwestern Montana, anchored by Flathead County and including Missoula. The current PSC map has two districts running north-to-south in that fast-growing region.

While the current districts vary in population by as much as 53,000 residents, the proposed map would create a difference of 3,144 residents between the most populated and least populated districts.

That map would also draw Skees outside the district he's campaigning in this year, and place him inside the one held by Commissioner Jennifer Fielder, a Republican not up for reelection until 2024.

That political consideration surfaced publicly last month, when fellow Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, R-Great Falls, told the audience at a public meeting that party leadership had hammered out a deal in which Skees would support such a map if "election integrity" issues were also addressed in a special session. Skees has said it was only a suggestion, and his support isn't contingent upon the election committee.

Skees declined to comment for this story. In a Jan. 26 interview, he told the Montana State News Bureau he would be willing to throw his support behind a map that precluded him from running in 2022, if it creates a stronger district and allows for better representation for the constituents that I represent in the Flathead. As treasurer of the Montana GOP, Skees is one of the top officers in the state party leadership.

For their part, minority Democrats in the House and Senate have called the special session proposals a waste of time and money, and argued the 2023 legislative session would be the proper time to address new PSC districts.

Other maps in circulation

Four other maps, obtained through public records requests by the Montana State News Bureau, offer a glimpse into a process that has largely played out behind the scenes. Lawmakers contacted about those maps noted that debates over district lines have produced many iterations in recent weeks, and the proposals have likely shifted since January.

One, drafted on Jan. 18 by legislative staff at Ankney's request, draws similar lines to the map supported by Skees, but excludes Missoula from the northwestern district.

That proposed map also creates a single northwestern district with the Flathead as the main population center. Three districts would be anchored by the large population centers around Missoula, Bozeman and Billings, with vast, sparsely populated stretches of eastern and north-central Montana lumped in with Great Falls. Ankney said he requested it in the hopes that the courts might consider using it.

A map more closely resembling the one circulated by Skees was emailed Jan. 28 to legislators by Rep. Wendy McKamey, R-Ulm. It draws both Missoula and the Flathead into a single northwestern district, with a large southwestern district extending from just outside Missoula to the Gallatin County line. It has distinct eastern, south-central and north-central districts, with Billings in the east.

In an interview last week, McKamey said she didnt know the origin of her preferred map. And she added that shes seen scant evidence that lawmakers were anywhere near a consensus on any of the proposals in circulation.

On Jan. 18, Skees emailed a different PSC map proposal to Republican leaders in the House. It closely resembles the current PSC map, with an expanded footprint for District 1, which includes Great Falls and many of the states more rural counties in northeast and north-central Montana. In his email, Skees said it was created by Jeff Essman, a Republican member of the state Districting and Apportionment Commission.

That map would also preserve his ability to run in District 5 this year, as does a similar map submitted to Vinton on Jan. 20 by Terry Nelson, chair of the Montana GOPs redistricting committee. Neither Essman nor Nelson responded to requests for comment.

Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, said chatter about a special session had seemed to die down recently. That doesnt necessarily mean others arent closing in on a map that can unite enough Republicans to form majorities in both chambers, he added. But he said theres a reason PSC maps havent been updated in so long that the courts are now preparing to step in.

No one wants to agree on a map, he said. Thats why were in this quandary now.

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Hey there Shreveport. Business in the 318 has been a little slow compared to weeks past, but do not worry we have all the news you need to know. From the most expensive house on the market in Bossier City to research released by LSU Health Shreveport on COVID guidelines.

See inside the most expensive Bossier City home

Frontal view of 207 North Beach Drive.

Are you looking for a chateau on the Red? Well, look no further. Bossier City has a home on the market that takes advantage of the views of the Red River as well as square footage.

It is also the most expensive home listed in Bossier City on Zillow at $1,500,000.

This 6,240 square foot home is nestled away on half an acre of land in the River Bluff subdivision. Each room offers a view of the river.

Diaper bank that serves Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana sees increased need

Local diaper bank in need of donations

The ArkLaTex's only free diaper bank. Basic Necessities is asking for donations to fill an unusually large volume of orders.

Basic Necessities helps families in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana with diapering, period and incontinence supplies at no cost.

Monetary donations must be in the form of checks and mailed to Basic Necessities at 2620 Centenary Blvd. STE 14, Shreveport, LA 71104.

Shreveport woman makes custom wigs for style and convenience

Brittany French, owner of The Wig Cellar, makes a wig for a customer on Feb. 8, 2022.

Brittany French, owner of the Wig Cellar, began learning to make wigs in 2018 while pregnant as a way to keep busy and make some extra money on maternity leave.

Wig making is no small feat as it requires patience and deft hands to make it look natural.

She begins by sewing closures onto the dome cap and then sewing the bundles of hair onto the cap and from there it's all about styling. From short-cropped bobs to 40-inch waves, there is nothing French can't make.

Southfield former teacher, preschool director named head of school

Southfield School announces new Head of School: Sunny Huckaby

Southfield School announced that the board of trustees has unanimously selected a new head of school.

Sunny Huckaby will begin her role July 1.

Huckaby is returning to Southfield after spending the past two years as the Lower School Director at Spartanburg Day School in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

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LSU Health Shreveport faculty publish COVID guidelines for orthopedic patient care

LSU Health Shreveport.

Research Notebook is a series highlighting research activities at LSU Health Shreveport.

This notebook focuses on articles written by Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty members early in the pandemic that were published in national academic journals resulting in providing best practices for the specialty throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Be on the lookout for Thursday and Sunday for Life in the 318 and The 318 to catch up on all the best stories you might have missed.

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Business in the 318: new Head of School at Southfield
A new variant of COVID-19 related to omicron has been detected in New Jersey in very small numbers, and its projected impact is not yet known, state scientists reported Wednesday.

Dubbed the "stealth variant," the BA.2 variant was detected in only 0.5% of just over 2,000 positive test cases that were genomically sequenced in the four weeks leading up to Jan. 29, according to a weekly report issued this week.

Scientists are still determining how different it is from the highly contagious omicron variant, which caused a massive surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths over the course of a month before waning in recent weeks.

"The significance of the stealth variant is unknown at this time in terms of whether it causes a different presentation of disease," Dr. Christina Tan, the state epidemiologist, said at Gov. Phil Murphy's weekly COVID briefing on Wednesday.

COVID: Nearly 2 of 3 NJ kids have not received COVID vaccine as Murphy plans to drop masks in schools

The variant has already been found in at least three dozen states and in countries around the globe. Researchers have determined that BA.2 isnt an offshoot of the original omicron variant, known as BA.1. They both split off from an earlier mutation, probably about a year ago, researchers have said.

BA.2 has been dubbed "stealth because it doesnt stand out in PCR tests like omicron, but can be determined via genomic sequencing, which is done on a sample of hundreds of test results each week in New Jersey labs.

"The important news is we still can pick up this variant," Tan said. "We are detecting this. Only time will tell what the characteristics of BA.2 illness is."

BA.2 has spread quickly in the United Kingdom, India, the Philippines and Denmark, where earlier this month it had overtaken all other variants, making up 78% of sequenced cases.

It has not spread as fast across the U.S. It is not known whether it is more contagious or deadlier than omicron, which is petering out in New Jersey as it has done elsewhere across the globe.

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Newly reported COVID cases were down 96% at the start of this week from a high of 33,459 on Jan. 7, when omicron was surging. Hospitalizations have declined 77% from a high of 3,069 on Jan. 11.

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It is difficult to determine at the outset how much of an impact a variant will have.

As viruses replicate, they can mutate into slightly different forms. Most die out quickly. A few thrive and spread rapidly.

The delta variant pushed the original COVID strain and a few minor variants to the side over the summer when it became dominant in New Jersey.

Omicron did the same to delta beginning in December. It now makes up 97.5% of all strains, with delta at 1.7%, according to the states latest variant report.

Other strains, like the mu variant, barely made an impact in New Jersey.

News of the new variant comes as Murphy's administration pushes more New Jerseyans to get COVID booster shots.

Only 51% of the 5.7 million residents eligible for a booster shot have received one so far, placing New Jersey's rate behind about 20 other states. Boosters have been extremely effective during the omicron surge in December and January, as immunity from the primary doses started to wane.

The state will hold "Boost NJ2 Week" beginning next Wednesday in cooperation with 177 vaccine providers, including Walmart, which helped develop the idea.

"It's just a way to generate some excitement and motivate people to get vaccinated," Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said.

This article contains information from USA TODAY.

Scott Fallon has covered the COVID-19 pandemic since its onset in March 2020. To get unlimited access to the latest news about the pandemic's impact on New Jersey, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: fallon@northjersey.com

Twitter: @newsfallon

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New COVID variant: Cases in NJ, Murphy pushes for boosters
The South Dakota House of Representatives passed two bills Tuesday that lawmakers said they hope will limit teaching and training on critical race theory.

CRT is a theory created by legal scholars and educators in the 1970s that argues racism is a common experience faced by non-white people in the U.S., that racism is institutional and that it benefits white people. Top education officials in the state have said CRT largely isn't taught in K-12 or higher education in South Dakota.

House Bill 1012, "to protect students and employees at institutions of higher education from divisive concepts," originally stated it would protect against critical race theory training and orientation. However, the title was amended, and the title and bill no longer refer to critical race theory anywhere in the text as amended.

House Bill 1337, "to protect elementary and secondary students from political indoctrination," also doesn't refer to critical race theory anywhere in the text or title as engrossed by the House Education committee.

More: 'Nobody teaches a class on critical race theory': CRT's perceived influence in South Dakota education

While neither bill refers explicitly to CRT, Kristi Noem's campaign Twitter account touted the governor's two bills passing in the House to ban CRT from K-12 classrooms and higher education.

Representatives Will Mortenson and Sue Peterson speak on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre.

"South Dakota children deserve an education, not indoctrination," Noem said.

However, in lawmakers' discussion of the bill, critical race theory was mentioned several times in addition to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in K-12 schools and universities.

'It should cause you distress'

Rep. Sue Peterson, R-Sioux Falls, said college professors and students can talk about and debate CRT in an open, honest way that allows for differing ideas, but the bill prohibits them from being compelled to accept ideas they don't believe in.

Rep. Fred Deutsch, R-Florence, pointed to the Board of Regents' support of the bill, and Rep. Lana Greenfield, R-Doland, said the bill will send a message to professors and educators to stick to their subjects in class and not shame white people.

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However, lawmakers opposed to the bill questioned its aim.

Representative Fred Deutsch listens to Governor Kristi Noem's State of the State address during the first day of the legislative session on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre.

Rep. Jamie Smith, D-Sioux Falls, called the bill "hyper-partisan," and said it was brought by fear and is attempting to spend time not understanding others. Rep. Shawn Bordeaux, D-Mission, questioned what the founding fathers of South Dakota in his family lineage would think about this bill, and said it was an attempt to void and censor history.

More: House Education committee votes to limit critical race theory instruction in South Dakota colleges

Rep. Peri Pourier, D-Pine Ridge, asked how the Wounded Knee Massacre would be taught; as a battle or massacre. She also questioned how the bill could legislate one's feelings, as the bill prevents divisive concepts that say individuals "should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual's race, color, religion, ethnicity or national origin," according to the bill.

"Once you learn what happened in this country and on this land, it should cause you distress," Pourier said.

HB 1012 passed on a 54-14 vote in the House with Reps. Smith, Bordeaux, Pourier and Roger Chase, Ryan Cwach, Linda Duba, Erin Healy, Jennifer Keintz, Oren Lesmeister, Jess Olson, Tamara St. John, Mike Stevens, Mark Willadsen and Dean Wink dissenting.

Legislature as 'thought police'

Peterson said while there's no textbook on CRT and instructors typically don't announce to the class that "we're going to talk about CRT now," HB 1337 would protect the state's most vulnerable students from CRT, a concept she said is often embedded in English classes and is part of "buzzwords" like "diversity, equity and inclusion."

She pointed to a "privilege test" that a parent said his child was compelled to take at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls; he provided a copy to the House Education committee on Monday.

Lawmakers opposed to the bill again questioned the need for it, similar to the bill addressing higher education.

More: Education committee votes to limit critical race theory instruction in South Dakota's public schools

Representative Jamie Smith speaks at a breakfast with area legislators hosted by the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, January 6, 2022, at the Holiday Inn South.

Smith said it's not the Legislature's job to be the "thought police," and Duba, D-Sioux Falls, and that she was sad for those who truly believed indoctrination was taking place in K-12 classrooms.

Duba added the teacher code of ethics deals with teaching on this topic. Healy also argued CRT isn't taught in K-12 schools, and teachers aren't indoctrinating students.

HB 1337 passed on a 50-18 vote in the House on Tuesday, with the same people dissenting as on the HB 1012 vote, but also including Reps. David Anderson, Doug Barthel, Mike Derby and Larry Tidemann.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Gov. Kristi Noem's anti-critical race theory bills passed by House
Americans just cant get enough of Louis Vuitton.

On the heels of LVMH posting a record $71.5 billion in revenue in 2021, the legendary French house can partially thank the pandemic boom for making it the most coveted luxury brand in the United States, according to a new study.

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The findings come from a study by online art gallery SINGULART, which examined search data from 2018 to 2021 to see where interest spiked for 42 designer brands. The French maison topped the chart of designer labels both in the US and in Europe, with a whopping 28 countries naming it their favorite luxury brand, in addition to it being named the most popular designer label across all states in the US.

While Louis Vuitton took the gold crown, other posh brands werent far behind. Dior is also extremely popular across the US, with it being a close second in 62% of states, particularly in Florida, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. The designer house saw its biggest increase in searches in California, with an increase of more than 1.1 million over the four-year period.

Others like Hermes, Gucci, Valentino and British luxury house Burberry, which recently pledged to become climate positive by 2040, were also deemed popular by American states. Alexander McQueen, meanwhile, was among the favorite designers in 22% of states, according to the study.

Over in Europe, Iceland apparently really likes Hugo Boss, and Hermes was all the rage in Germanythose two brands topped each country, respectivelywhile Moncler is most sought after in Finland and Chanel is a big hit with the people of Georgia. But Louis Vuitton continued to reign across the pond, with the house coming in first in fashion hubs like France and Italy. Balenciaga, which recently topped the Lyst Index as the worlds hottest clothing company, didnt make as much noise in generalbut it is extremely popular in Ireland, where it finished as the countrys second favorite designer brand. Well have to see whether its recent success can vault it forward in the studys next iteration.

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Interestingly, while European labels like Louis Vuitton and Dior were the clear hits with Americans, the love wasnt necessarily reciprocated: Only three American brands  Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Tom Ford  made the final lists, according to the findings.

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Ehli Auctions Case Study Ehli Auctions faced a surge in online and phone activity when COVID-19 restrictions meant customers could no longer gather onsite. Building on a history of digital innovation, Ehli turned to Avaya Cloud Office. Download this customer success story to learn what Ehli was able to accomplish with Avaya.

The Best Communication Solutions are the Simplest Ones Ever wonder what it would be like to not have to worry about your communications and just concentrate on your business? Download Avayas latest eBook to discover how an all-in-one business communications platform always delivers what you need when and where you need it.

Avaya Asia Pacific Customer Experience Index 2013 This exclusive resource discusses the critical role that contact centers play in driving customer satisfaction and how your organization can ensure that your contact centers provide customers with the experience that they desire.

Whats New in IP Office 9.0 This exclusive paper examines a simple, powerful collaboration solution for midsized companies that offers increased scale, flexible deployment options, and simplified management to help your organization achieve productivity levels akin to large-scale organizations.

Full-size Collaboration for Midsize Companies - Avaya Solution Guide This exclusive resource examines how your midsized organization can achieve the same level of collaboration and communication as large business and how you can use this to increase productivity and efficiency while decreasing costs.

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In the world of haute horologerie, timepieces are prized for highly complicated movements and designs. But with H. Moser & Cies new perpetual calendar for dummies on your wrist, youll spend much less time on Google searching its configurations.

Dubbed the Endeavor Perpetual Calendar Tutorial, the 42 mm watch features notes that resemble a cheat sheet and drawings that highlight its movementand for connoisseurs of the brand, this sense of quirky humor is one of its defining characteristics (more on that in a moment). The piece has an 18-karat white gold case and contrasting funky blue fume dial with a sunburst pattern. Limited to just 20 examples it was created to commemorate the launch of an updated version of the brands former Funky Blue edition from 2015. Sporting H. Moser and Cies logo in a stealthy new transparent lacquer, that reimagined timepiece is also now available.

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As youd expect, most of the specs for the Tutorial model arent that far off the original. It features the same leaf-shaped hands, date display and small arrow-shaped center hand that indicates the month. Both editions come with a curved transparent sapphire-crystal case back. The piece differs, for starters, with its quirky written explainers that provide insight on the watchs calendar settings, power reserve, month pointer, cleaning the dial and more. A bold yellow stripe that alludes to a very rare date also accents the piece, alongside a small-seconds display without markers.

The front and back of the limited-edition Endeavor Perpetual Calendar Tutorial watch. - Credit: H. Moser & Cie

H. Moser & Cie

Both models come equipped with the watchmakers manual-winding HMC 800 movement. The double-barrel function includes an Original Straumann hairspring and an interchangeable Moser escapement. Its pallet fork and escapement wheel are both made of gold. The piece also has a hacking seconds feature that will stop the seconds when you pull its M adorned crown. With a frequency of 18,000 vph, the figure provides a lengthy power reserve of 168 hours, or seven days. A leap-year cycle indicator can also be found on its caseback, where all the components have been finished and decorated by hand.

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H. Moser & Cies perpetual calendars have been around since 2005 and are best known for being able to adjust forwards and backwards at any time of the day (a rarity in this rarified world). The release of the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Funky Blue model contributed to the brands revival while establishing its new aesthetic codesa bold blend of the traditional and modern, the brand shares in a statement. In addition to updating the timepiece, a cheat sheet alternative was created to aid those who may still wonder how their perpetual calendar works.

The special-edition and updated Endeavor Perpetual Calendar Funky Blue models. - Credit: H. Moser & Cie

H. Moser & Cie

To fans of the watchwaker, the Tutorial timepiece will simply represent its latest form of creative expression following a string of unique releases over the past year. One of those designs includes the Endeavour Centre Seconds Concept X seconde/seconde/, which is similar in design to the new perpetual calendar models featuring a brightly colored fume dial with a cartoonish rubber eraser at its center. Also, lets not forget the Swiss Alp Watch Final Upgrade which was released as a middle finger to smartwatches. It resembles an Apple watch with a digital update disk on its dial, but unlike the worlds best-selling watch, its 100 percent mechanical.

The Endeavor Perpetual Calendar Tutorial and reimagined Funky Blue edition are available now for $65,000 and $60,000, respectively. Each comes with a hand-stitched kudu leather strap. Visit the H. Moser & Cie website for more details.

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Since the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency medicine physician in Boston, has been interpreting COVID research and news in his popular "Inside Medicine" newsletter. Faust recently talked with Yahoo! Finance about the current state of COVID in the U.S., including whether herd immunity is here and if reducing mask mandates is premature. He urged continued caution, saying, "I don't think we are in safe place right now." Read on to find out moreand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

1 "Not in a Safe Place Right Now"

Elderly woman wearing oxygen mask sleeping in hospital bed.

As mask mandates are relaxed nationwide, Faust was asked if the state of the pandemic had fundamentally shiftedif COVID has transitioned from an epidemic to an endemic disease.

His answer: Not so fast. Endemic "means that the disease is not causing an outsized effect on the population," said Faust. "That's not happening. We are not endemic yet. We are still having far more deaths not just from COVID, but all-cause mortality is higher than ever right now as opposed to pre-pandemic. So I don't think we are in a safe place right now."

According to data from the New York Times, although COVID cases are declining throughout the country, daily deaths are still averaging around 2,500, more than any point during the pandemic except last winter.

RELATED: The #1 Cause of Diabetes

2 Is Ending Mask Mandates Premature?

a road sign still reads Face Covering Required for coronavirus

In the past week, states including New York, California, and Oregon announced they were relaxing their mask mandates. Walmart, the company's largest employer, told workers who are fully vaccinated that they no longer need to wear a mask at work. Faust was asked if these changes are premature.

"I think that our fatigue is setting in, and sometimes we think with that part of our brains and not necessarily the brains of public health. That's understandable," said Faust. "I'm really focused in my work at looking at whether what we do threatens hospital capacity, because I think that is something that even the most tired of us are willing to think about. I personally, and many of us, are willing to still make changes in our daily behavior if that keeps our local hospitals safe. And I think that's really important."

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Do you live in an area where you should continue to mask up? Read on to find out.

RELATED: Here's How to Stop Aging, Say Experts

3 Don't Take Off Your Masks In These Areas

Woman taking off her respiratory mask and holding a bottle of water

"There are still 100 counties or so in this country out of about 2,400 that we can track that have hospital capacity either threatened or already over capacity in terms of what is considered safe," said Faust. "In places like that, I would not recommend anyone take off their masks. Because not only are you at risk, but you are spreading the virus, more likely, that can put local hospitals at risk for all care. And hospitals are critical infrastructure. And that's part of security in a sense. So in those places, I think it's very premature."

To see what hospital capacity is in your county, you can check this map by the University of Minnesota COVID-19 Hospitalization Tracking Project.

RELATED: Over 60? Here's How to Live Decades Longer

4 "Herd Protection" Not Here Yet

Woman Checking Her Temperature in Bed

It's clear that America has not yet reached "herd immunity"and that might be the wrong metric anyway, said Faust. "I think herd immunity is another concept that's been batted around without a lot of specificity of definition," he said. "In my view, what I'm looking for is herd protection. I want to know that if you get exposed and infected to a variant of coronavirus, that you will not have any bad outcomes, you won't have any long-term consequences, that it really has been reduced to a flu or a cold, which it certainly isn't unless you have been vaccinated."

RELATED: Secret Weight Loss Tricks to Melt Visceral Fat, Science Says

5 How to Stay Safe Out There

Woman with face mask getting vaccinated, coronavirus, covid-19 and vaccination concept.

Follow the fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you liveget vaccinated ASAP; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don't travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you're not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, and to ensure your health don't miss these 101 Health Habits You Didn't Know Were Deadly.
WASHINGTON  Despite universal condemnation on Capitol Hill over Russia's threat to march into Ukraine, lawmakers remain at an impasse on how hard and quickly to punish Moscow if it invades the Western ally.

Lawmakers on both sides back tough sanctions. But like most everything on Capitol Hill, the divide is largely partisan: Democrats are backing the Biden administration's wait-and-see approach about the steps it will take if an invasion occurs, while Republicans are demanding Biden take action now to deter an attack.

"I certainly would like to see the sanctions imposed yesterday," said Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee. "I'd like to see us demonstrate our resolve rather than just use sharp words. I'd like to give Vladimir Putin a taste of what's to come. And I think one strong way to do that is to begin to unpack sanctions right now."

But Sen. Elizabeth Warren said it was more important to present a united front behind President Joe Biden.

What would sanctions look like? Biden threatens devastating sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine. Here's what that might look like.

"The world has changed even over the last couple of weeks, so the timeliness of Russian sanctions may have moved in a different direction," she said. "But right now, it's important that we back up the president as he makes clear to Vladimir Putin that we will use all of our economic tools to make it very painful for Russia if they invade Ukraine."

More: NATO says Russian troop buildup near Ukraine continues despite Moscow's claims

"I'd like to see us demonstrate our resolve rather than just use sharp words" in the confrontation with Russia, says Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.

Even a broadly worded bipartisan statement from Senate leaders late Tuesday that they are "prepared to fully support the immediate imposition of strong, robust, and effective sanctions on Russia" seemed only to underscore the notion that both parties have yet to come together on a specific measure.

On Tuesday, Russia appeared to blink. Reports indicated some troops may be pulling back from the Ukraine border, and Putin indicated he'd be open to more negotiations.

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Hang-ups over timing, Nord Stream 2

Senate Democrats, led by Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Robert Menendez of New Jersey, have sponsored legislation designed to impose stiff penalties on Russias political and military leadership, its financial institutions and its energy industries, including the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The hope is that the prospect of sanctions would deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading.

All U.S. property transactions and interests in property held by Putin and more than a dozen other top officials in Russias government and military would be blocked under the bill, which has White House support.

More: Biden threatens devastating sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine. Here's what that might look like.

More: 'Wakeup call for Americans': Russia, Ukraine in behind-the-scenes lobbying war over Nord Stream 2

The bill, known as The Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act of 2022, also targets major Russian financial institutions, directs the Biden administration to develop a strategy to bolster Ukraines defense capabilities, and authorizes $500 million in supplemental emergency security assistance to Ukraine if Russia attacks.

Particularly irksome to Putin himself, the bill would require the U.S. State Department to issue a detailed report on Putin's personal net worth and his assets, along with those of his inner circle. Putin's chief nemesis inside Russia, jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has risen to global prominence in part by working to expose corruption at the highest levels of Putin's government.

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell has criticized the Biden administration for not having already sanctioned Russia.

But the bill has failed to draw GOP support for two primary reasons: the timing of the actual sanctions and how to handle the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would send gas from Russia to Europe.

The pipeline, potentially a major source of revenue for Russia, is fully constructed but not yet operational. Republicans are pushing to enact more sweeping penalties on the pipeline, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who wants to impose sanctions on businesses associated with the pipeline from Russia to Germany. But in May, Biden waived sanctions on the company building the pipeline, arguing that it was almost finished and that imposing sanctions would be counterproductive to U.S.-European relations.

Before signing on to the bipartisan statement, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell chided Biden for not imposing sanctions now.

"I hope the administration is not going to wait until after an incursion to turn the screws and put some real sanction on the Russians. At that point arguably it's a little too late. ... Everything that could possibly be done to deter the Russians before an invasion is critically important."

Biden can act without Congress

Biden would like to have the blessing to sanction Russia from Congress, but he really doesn't need it, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service in a paper last month.

"The President, for a variety of reasons related to constitutional construction and legal challenges throughout U.S. history, holds considerable authority when economic sanctions are used in U.S. foreign policy," CRS wrote in a recent paper. "If Congress enacts sanctions in legislation, the President is to adhere to the provisions of the legislation but is responsible for determining the individuals and entities to be subject to sanctions. The President also often has the authority to be the sole decisionmaker in initiating and imposing sanctions."

More: Missiles, military drills and NATO: How diplomacy could defuse a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine

More: Russia-Ukraine explained: Inside the crisis as US, allies await next move

President Barack Obama did just that in 2014 when he declared that Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 constituted a threat to the United States. Doing so meant he could impose sanctions on Russia, some of which remain in effect today.

Sen. Marco Rubio, the Florida Republican who sits on the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, agreed.

"The fact is, the president and the White House have all the legal authorities they need to impose the sanctions that need to be imposed, and so at this point, even if we had a deal, it's not going to pass for quite a while," he said. "By the time it passes, this thing will have gone one way or the other."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., arrives for a briefing from national security adviser Jake Sullivan at the Visitors Center of the U.S. Capitol.

There are other complications to quick passage of a bill.

The House isn't scheduled to hold floor votes until March. And some senators already have signaled they would try to amend a sanctions bill, which would lead to further delays.

Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she would want to add language countering Russia's ban on U.S. seafood imports that Moscow imposed more than seven years ago in response to Obama's sanctions for Crimea.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, walks to the Senate chambers for a vote at the Capitol Oct. 21.

"So that's been in place all these many years. And it is absolutely unfair that Russia has unlimited access to sell its seafood in the United States," she said on the Senate floor. "America's fishermen and our seafood processors, particularly those in my state of Alaska, have no access to markets in Russia. So this embargo either needs to end or we need to incorporate reciprocal measures."

Do sanctions work?

There is no shortage of tough talk from either side.

"President Biden has made it extremely clear that if Russia rejects this diplomatic path and conducts further aggression against Ukraine, that there will be a heavy price to pay," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said on the Senate floor Tuesday. "Russia will face the immediate imposition of strong, robust and effective sanctions  including sectoral sanctions against its banking and financial system  as well as stringent export controls that will damage its economy."

And though Indiana GOP Sen. Mike Braun would like to see more a forceful response from Biden, he says the threat of sanctions combined with a unified response from the U.S and its NATO allies are having an effect.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent tens of thousands of troops to the border with Ukraine.

"I think we're coming from behind now, and we've pretty well laid all the options in Putin's lap, (but) I think that he's strongly reconsidering because it looks like, thankfully, all of NATO is kind of arm in arm on this issue," he told USA TODAY. "But when you let it get to the precipice like it has now, you never know what might happen in terms of an irrational decision, or something changing the dynamic."

But sanctions may not be the effective tool its supporters project, especially in Russia.

In 2018, U.S.-imposed sanctions on Rusal, a global aluminum firm, had broad effects that rattled Russian and global financial markets. It marked the first time Washington had designated a top Russian firm for sanctions that would affect nearly all economic activity. The sanctions were lifted after Kremlin-connected billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who is subject to sanctions, agreed to relinquish control of the company and two other firms, according to the Congressional Research Service.

On the other hand, Russia "has deepened its hold over Ukraines occupied Crimea region and separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. Russia has extended military operations to nearby waters, interfering with maritime traffic to and from ports in eastern Ukraine, and since 2021 has engaged in a buildup of military forces near the Ukrainian border," the CRS report said.

Rubio said he doesn't expect congressional inaction is keeping the Kremlin up at night.

"I don't think anyone should be under an illusion that Vladimir Putin is sitting around waiting to see what the Congress does and make his decision."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sanction Russia? Congress has no deal to punish Putin over Ukraine
KINGSTON  When the Bonner family traveled to the village of Wondo Genet in Ethiopia in 2020, Charlene Bonner gasped to her son Ben, "Oh my god, it's your dad."

Ben, who is 14, reunited with his biological parents on the trip. His father was waiting the moment they arrived to escort them into the village, where he saw his mother, wearing an outfit that resembled a wedding dress. Born Eyasu Bendeshe, Ben was adopted by the Bonners when he was 11 months old.

"They just couldn't stop hugging him," Charlene Bonner said of Ben's birth family.

Ben with his birth parents during his 2020 visit to Ethiopia.

At 3 years old and then again nine years later, Ben returned to his native country. He spent time with his biological brothers and saw a disparity in education and the lack of access to clean water.

Since that visit, Ben, who lives in Kingston, and his mom have founded the nonprofit Bendeshe's Village, which raises money to send children to school.

Ben and his close friends are even on a junior executive board, working to aid Wondo Genet.

"All the kids were completely on board because they had seen Facebook pictures of our trip so they were kind of intimately involved already," Charlene Bonner said. "Everybody just started sort of cheering like, 'Yeah, we can do this.'"

Ben Bonner and his mother, Charlene Bonner, of Kingston, who started the nonprofit Bendeshe's Village.

Since 2020, Bendeshe's Village has raised about $10,000 through donations and selling merchandise, including sweatshirts, bracelets and cups. The organization, which is mostly run by Ben and his friends, has raised enough money to send 60 kids to school since its launch.

It costs $25 a year to send each student to school, which covers the cost of supplies and an informal uniform, Charlene Bonner said. The organization has been so successful, it created a bit of a problem.

On time and on budget: Take a look inside Weymouth's Chapman Middle School

'Schools are safe environments': Mass. mask mandate for students, staff to end March 1

There's not enough room to send all the newly enrolled children to school in the village, Charlene Bonner said, and their partners in Ethiopia asked if the nonprofit would be interested in building a school.

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The school will be named Bendeshe's Village School, and Ben's biological brothers might even attend.

To bring awareness to the organization and the ongoing coin drive sponsored by Kingston Intermediate School, Bendeshe's Village's junior executive board is presenting at an event at the school Feb. 17.

Antonia Ierardi, a 17-year-old from Kingston and Ben's former neighbor, is among those on the junior executive board. She has compiled videos from fellow members to make a presentation for the event, and has urged others to support the cause.

"If someone emailed and they said that they wanted to help out, they'd be more than welcome to," Ierardi said.

Bendeshe's Village's junior executive board meets to plan events and brainstorm.

This spring, Ben said he hopes to host flag football and basketball tournaments to raise awareness and money. Along with building a school, the nonprofit hopes to build a well in Wondo Genet.

Ben continues to talk to his family in Ethiopia via Facebook and What's App, and said he has a special place in his heart for his birth family and the students he's been able to help send to school.

He said Bendeshe's Village is just getting started.

"It definitely seems like something that I would love to continue for the rest of my life and even after," Ben said. "I feel like I can pass it on to my children."

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

Reach Alyssa Fell at afell@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Kingston-based Bendeshe's Village sends 60 Ethiopian kids to school
From Cuba to New Zealand, teams of scientists around the world are looking for rare species of animals, plants and fungi. How rare? They haven't been seen by humans for at least 10 years - and in some cases, almost 200 years.

This global effort is part of the Search for Lost Species, a program run by an organization called Re:wild. In 2017, Re:wild came up with a list of its 25 Most Wanted Lost Species. It was reduced from a much larger list of more than 2,200 species in 60 countries that was made with the help of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). IUCN tracks species around the world that are threatened with extinction.

Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.

Since the Re:wild program began, eight species have been rediscovered, surprising even the program's leaders, who weren't sure they would find any of the lost species. Among the rediscovered animals are two species in Africa: a tiny mouse-size elephant shrew called the Somali sengi in Djibouti, and the Voeltzkow's chameleon in Madagascar. Also rediscovered is a bunny-size deer, known as the silver-backed chevrotain, in southern Vietnam.

Regarding the chevrotain, "we got the first photographic evidence that the species still exists," said Andy Tilker, Re:wild's Asian species officer. An Nguyen, who led the search in the field, says that three populations of the chevrotain were found. He and Tilker will work to better protect the mammal, which may get caught in hunters' snares. Better protections are the goal of all Re:wild's efforts.

This month, eight new species were added to the lost species list to replace the ones that have been found. They include a South American fungus, a Portuguese spider and a Brazilian tree that hasn't been seen for 184 years.

Andy Gluesenkamp is director of conservation at the San Antonio Zoo in Texas. He is heading a team that's seeking the Blanco blind salamander. He says it's the rarest amphibian in North America and one that is probably a top predator - like a "tiny great white shark" - in its ecosystem.

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Gluesenkamp says that the salamander hasn't really "disappeared" since the only time it was seen, 70 years ago. It lives in deep aquifers (underground places where groundwater is held). So it isn't easy for scientists to find or study them. To search for clues to the animal's whereabouts, he and his team use satellite images and DNA samples from its environment.

Inger Perkins is leading efforts to find a New Zealand bird called the South Island kokako. She says the kokako and other native birds have struggled to survive in the country since rats, stoats and possums arrived with European and other settlers beginning hundreds of years ago.

Since 2017, there have been 317 reports from people who think they've heard the bird's unique sound. According to Perkins, the kokako has a call with a "haunting melody" that she and other scientists are trying to capture with acoustic recorders. A photo or video of the kokako is also necessary, though, "to confirm that the bird still exists," Perkins said. So her team has set up trail cameras, too.

Although Perkins's team has been searching for the kokako for more than 40 years, she is optimistic that it can be rediscovered and protected.

"New Zealand has a good record of bringing birds back from the brink," she says. "We are doing all we can to find it, so it does not join the ranks of extinct species."

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U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson speaks at the Town Clerk's Office in the Town of Brookfield on Jan. 27. Johnson traveled to Waukesha and Dane counties to visit with Wisconsin business leaders, parents, and students.

In prior election cycles, I was a fan of Sen. Ron Johnson. He came to office in 2010 as a plain-speaking, pro-market, budget-conscious business leader. Unfortunately, today a lot of people no longer recognize him.

At a time when so many Wisconsinites are hungry for a sane counter to Washingtons left turn, Johnson is firmly isolating himself, spouting fringe ideas and neglecting to advance a positive vision.

Two of Johnsons favorite attention-seeking ploys seem to be touting medically unfounded COVID treatments and disproven suspicions about the 2020 election. His December remarks on using Listerine to protect against COVID actually prompted the company to issue a statement disavowing this suggestion.

More: 'Fundamentally dangerous': Ron Johnson has long history of promoting views at odds with scientific research

Regarding the 2020 election, even though courts, recounts, nonpartisan reviews, legislative audits, and a report by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty have confirmed that Joe Biden won the state, he will not let it go. While certain reforms to the election process merit consideration, Johnson simply calls for the elimination of the bi-partisan Wisconsin Elections Commission. He then singles out Milwaukee, saying, This is one of these big Democrat strongholds that just cant seem to get their votes counted until they know exactly how many votes they need.

More: Dismantling the Wisconsin Elections Commission was on agenda for Ron Johnson meeting at state Capitol, text messages show

Why does he say such things? He seems eager and willing to alienate a lot of Wisconsinites merely to ingratiate himself with the former president, at a time when even former Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) are making statements to separate themselves and the party from the cult of personality.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has promoted mouthwash as a way to protect from COVID-19 but the manufacturer of Listerine and medical experts say studies of the idea haven't yet concluded it's a proven antidote.

With suburban voters, business interests, and moderates everywhere, Johnsons strategy is likely to cost Republicans votes up and down the ballot for years to come. This is a shame, because Wisconsin has a lot of pent-up demand for a rational conservative vision.

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Last week, Johnson made headlines for saying he would not do anything to try to persuade Oshkosh Corp. to manufacture U.S. Postal Service trucks in Wisconsin. Most Wisconsinites are disappointed that our state will lose out on these good paying jobs  and all of Johnsons major Democratic opponents jumped on him for his comments. If Johnson wanted to advance free market principles (a worthy cause), why not at least remind voters that two of those opponents work for the very state government whose job is partly to make Wisconsin more attractive for manufacturing?

Similarly, Johnson drew ire with comments regarding the childcare provisions in the Democrats Build Back Better bill. He said, Frankly, Ive never thought it was society's responsibility to take care of other people's children." Surely, he knows that for more than 80 years Republicans and Democrats have collaborated on numerous programs to support early childhood development. A fair, conservative critique of the Biden proposals would be that they direct tax dollars to childcare programs that are under strict federal control, rather than providing funding to parents to allow them to make their own choices, as some Republicans have proposed. The ideal of caring for children has never been at issue.

One problem with Johnson is that he speaks with a detached callousness about things that matter to all voters, such as jobs and childcare, while showing zealous passion for fringe ideas that appeal to a loud and fevered few. I believe Wisconsin deserves better than his outrage-of-the-week stunts. Johnsons outlandish statements generate eyebrow raising and/or fist pumping, but what do they accomplish to improve the economy, homeland security, or the fabric of our state and country? Nothing.

Wisconsinites deserve better than his conspiracy and conspiracy-adjacent pronouncements. For example, I can say with absolute clarity that Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Ramthun and his followers are wrong when they say they have discovered proof that the 2020 election was stolen, and that Wisconsins electoral votes can be taken back. Will Ron Johnson be so clear?

His record says he will not. Thats the clearest indication that 2010 Ron Johnson is but a faint memory. Wisconsin deserves rational conservatives who can work effectively for a better future, not fringe rhetorical flamethrowers mired in arguments over the validity of the last election. By his words and his deeds, the 2022 version of Ron Johnson is failing the conservative cause and our state.

David Irwin is a Republican businessman from Elm Grove.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ron Johnson has created a mess of his own making in 2022
bald eagle flying above water

KenCanning / Getty Images

The bald eagle is one of the more rare birds to spot across North America, as the animal has been on endangered species lists country-wide. Vermont first listed the raptor on its endangered species list back in 1987. There's good news today, though: According to Smithsonian Magazine, the state took the bald eagle off of its threatened animal records after decades of recovery work.

"The bald eagle's de-listing is a milestone for Vermont," Mark Scott, the wildlife division director at Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, said in a statement. "This reflects more than a decade of dedicated work by Vermont Fish & Wildlife and partners. It shows that Vermonters have the capacity to restore and protect the species and habitats that we cherish."

Related: Science Says Being Surrounded by Birds Can Make You Happier

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service noted that an estimated 100,000 eagles originally flew across the United States when the bird became the country's national bird in 1782. However, DDT pesticides that contaminated the bald eagles' food sources, hunting, and destruction of natural habitats played a role in erasing most of the population. "When DDT was rampant in use in the mid-1900s, populations of birds at the top of the food chain declined dramatically," Margaret Fowle, a conservation biologist at Vermont Audubon, told VTDigger. "It's really important that these birds were able to tell us that story."

By 1963, there were about 487 nesting pairs of bald eagles left in the country. Even though the bird's numbers increased after the pesticide ban in the 1970s and with the Endangered Species Act as a way to protect them, Vermont had trouble regaining its population of bald eagles in the 1980s. The state conducted a reintroduction program from 2004 to 2006 for the animal, officially releasing 29 eagles in Addison, Vermont during the time period. It was the only state across the U.S. that didn't breed eagles until adult eagles raised an eaglet in September 2008. Based on the state's 2021 survey, Vermont biologists found 44 bald eagles (25 adults and 19 young birds) over the course of two weeks along observation routes.
Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero/The Daily Beast/Getty

The failure of Democrats to pass a voting rights bill leaves state authorities as the last line of defense to protect fair electionsnowhere more so than in Georgia, where a special grand jury investigation may provide guidance on ways to blunt efforts to sabotage the Black vote.

For President Joe Biden to fulfill his promise to protect voting rights, the administration must commit resources to support initiatives at the state level. The most prominent initiative in the Peach State is the investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into the 2020 presidential election.

The criminal probe centers on the phone call that then-President Donald Trump placed to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, in which the president urged the states top election official to find the 11,780 votes needed to overcome Bidens victory.

Willis, in a January 2022 request to the Fulton County Superior Court to impanel a special grand jury, claimed to have received information indicating a reasonable probability that the State of Georgias administration of elections in 2020, including the States election of the President of the United States, was subject to possible criminal disruptions.

She wrote that other Georgia agencies with the power to investigate were contacted by the participants, including the secretary of state, the attorney general, and the United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia. As a result, she noted, her office is the sole agency with jurisdiction that is not a potential witness to conduct related to the matter.

The grand jury will convene in May to consider wrongdoings pertinent to state laws covering solicitation to commit election fraud, intentional interference with the performance of election duties, and conspiracy and racketeering. Willis plans to issue subpoenas in May, to gather a large amount of information in June and July, and to wrap up in spring 2023, if not sooner.

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Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast

The Biden administration would be wise to support the work of this under-resourced county prosecutor, where possible. This includes helping to ensure that the inquiry proceeds without fear of intimidation or disruption. Willis recently asked for an FBI risk assessment after Trump used threatening rhetoric at a Texas rally that sparked concerns over security.

She has reportedly faced racial insults and threats as well. I get called an N very regularly, she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Its really silly to me that they believe that by hurling those kind of insults that it is going to impact the way we do our investigation.

The probe has the potential to discover facts beyond the scope of the presidential election as well. It could gather information on GOP schemes to use the state legislature to sabotage fair elections for Black Georgians going forward. Were there connections between Trump loyalists and the creation of the draconian election law known as S.B. 202?

Even if the grand jury fails to uncover evidence sufficient for prosecution under existing state laws, it may find materials of value for state reforms and for the Election Threat Taskforce of the U.S. Department of Justice, among others. Created last July, the task force leads the Justice Departments mandate to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers are permitted to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation.

What is at stake is the integrity of the American political system: At what point do partisan party shenanigans rise to the level of election fraud or political corruption subject to prosecution?

According to the Brennan Center, the GOP-controlled Georgia legislature enacted S.B. 202 in the wake of Trumps false claims about the election. It is a restrictive law that creates obstacles to fair elections by inserting partisan actors in the process. For example, it replaced the secretary of state on the State Election Board with a chairperson handpicked by the GOP-led legislature. It permits the board to dismiss local election officials and take control of the elections for flimsy reasons.

Furthermore, it enables mass challenges to voter eligibility and punishes county election boards with sanctions for failing to respond to voter roll challenges. It requires voters to provide either an ID number or a photocopy of an ID document with a mail ballot application, shortens the time to apply for a mail ballot, restricts the use of mail ballot drop boxes, and criminalizes efforts to comfort people waiting in long lines such as passing out water.

Texas New Voting Law Is an Absolute Nightmare

Georgia is one of 19 states that passed laws restricting access to voting last yearthe most in a decade. Of course, this is not the first time the country has faced problems with partisan designs of election procedures for political or personal gain. During the Progressive Era, reformers tried to find ways to thwart the practices of political syndicates at the turn of the 20th century.

Journalist Lincoln Steffens, writing in The Shame of the Cities (published in 1904), sounded the alarm over practices that may seem familiar todayacts of election fraud, such as intimidation at the polls or improper vote counting, and political corruption, such as graft and misuse of legislative positions to repress opponents. Reformers used investigations of powerful syndicates to tailor correctives, like the referendum petition and the recall of officials.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on the level of entrenched Trump loyalists in the state machinery.

Among these are David Shafer, Georgia Republican Party chairman, who allegedly helped to organize a scheme to send fake presidential electors to Washington to challenge the real 16 state electors. This event is under investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attempted insurrection.

The committee has subpoenaed Shafer to learn more about the incident. It also has subpoenaed Shaw Still, the former finance chair of the Georgia GOP, to find out what he knows about the fake electors scheme. Still is now running for a seat on the Georgia Senate.

There is also Georgia Republican congressman Jody Hice, who shared false allegations of voting fraud and sided with a lawsuit to invalidate Georgias presidential election results. He is challenging the incumbent, Raffensperger, to lead the office that oversees elections. And then theres former Sen. David Perdue, who also supported the lawsuit and called on Raffensperger to resign (Perdue is currently running for governor against the incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp).

Finally, it was revealed in court documents that the secretary of state ignored credible information on the susceptibility of Georgia voting machines to hacking. A University of Michigan computer expert discovered a software flaw that could make the machines subject to hackers in the upcoming election.

With this much corruption at the local level, Biden must prioritize supporting efforts to protect the Black vote at the local level. Democrats need to understand that the inability to pass federal legislation has raised urgent questions within the Black community about their status in the Democratic coalition. What does it imply when defending the Senate filibuster is more important than defending voting rights?

The failure to pass legislation showed the Democratic Party to be an unreliable allyand fostered interest in political alternatives. One is the project to establish Georgia as a Black safe haven state under the system of federalism, like the Mormon history in Utah.

In 1846, about 150 Mormon pioneers left Illinois to escape persecution. They traveled in 72 wagons under the direction of church president Brigham Young and followed the Oregon Trail in search of a land where they could establish a state of Zion. They found a site in the Salt Lake Valley in July, 1847it was the unsettled common land of the Ute Indians and other tribal nations. By 1850, there were 11,380 Mormon settlers living in the newly created Utah Territory.

Georgias Witch Hunt: Who Helped the Feds Fight Our Voting Laws?

While many peopleand even some Black peoplefind the project of a Black majority state controversial, it holds appeal for some modern-day pioneers in light of the increasingly violent culture of Trumpism. The belief of national Democrats that appointing a few Black professionals to prominent offices will compensate for the lack of equal rights is wrong-headed. Such was the motivation for 19 families to forge the community called Freedom near Macon.

Georgia is arguably the state with the best prospect to become the new capital of Black Americaand a reliable blue state in the deep South. Thats due to critical factors like grassroots organizations, business ownership, mayors, county commissioners, district attorneys, state legislators, congressional representatives, and the first Black Georgian elected to the U.S. Senate, the Rev. Raphael Warnock.

Warnock is up for reelection in November, and Stacey Abrams is expected to run for governor. They would be the first Black candidates to run for governor and senator for a major party in American history. (It is highly likely that a Black candidate will be the Democratic nominee for secretary of state as well.)

In addition, the steady flow of retirees, professionals, skilled workers, and university students contributes to the states nearly 35 percent Black population; many are drawn to the depiction of middle-class life in the popular FX comedy-drama, Atlanta.

Such demographic trends are behind the desperate shenanigans of the state GOP. Nonetheless, there is more to achieving statewide power than a voting majority and fair elections. In recent years, for instance, GOP legislators have enacted laws meant to cripple emergent Democratic state leaders in North Carolina and Wisconsinattempts largely reversed in the courts, but still of concern.

All of which returns to the importance of identifying local instruments to counter a reactionary state legislature.

In closing, the Biden administration must pay heed to the Georgia investigation. It has the potential to test the limits of local political offices to blunt efforts to sabotage elections. This is in the interest of the Democratic Party, the Black vote, and American democracy.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers says Wilfred Ndidi is worth much more than 50million.

The 25-year-old Foxes midfielder, who is contracted until 2024, has been linked with Aston Villa  with reports they are ready to bid for him this summer with 50m to spend.

When that figure was put to Rodgers at a press conference on Wednesday, he said: Hes worth much more than that.

Rodgers accepted that good players always attract interest, but believes the midfielder is happy at the club and sees no reason why he would not choose to stay.

Its both of those things  its how it works, Rodgers said.

A player of that quality and mentality, of course you want to always keep, but when you have that player, he will always attract interest.

But he seems very settled here. I know hes moved into a new house and he seems very, very happy. Hes a pleasure to work with and hopefully he can be around the club for many years.

Ndidi had spoken himself earlier at the press conference. He said: At the moment I am enjoying myself in Leicester.

My family is here. My business degree was on hold because at the time it was during lockdown, and then my daughter (was born). But Im looking forward to it maybe next year.

Rodgers and Ndidi were speaking ahead of Thursdays home clash with Danish side Randers, the first leg of a Europa Conference League play-off from which the winners will advance into the last 16.

Ndidi was asked about Rodgers comments after the 4-1 FA Cup loss at Nottingham Forest earlier this month, where he stressed that there are a lot of players, between now and the end of the season, who need to prove they are still worthy of being here.

The Nigeria international said: It is the honest truth. The club is bigger than every player. We as players know what we want, for the club, as players, so I think its just that concentration of where you are now, to look forward to those achievements that you want.

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I think its just a wake-up call for us, for the manager to actually say those things and for us to concentrate more on our games. At this moment, we needed it. He (Rodgers) is always there for us. I think we needed it.

Leicester, in the Europa Conference League having come third in their Europa League group, are on a five-match winless run in all competitions.

Since the Forest defeat ended their FA Cup defence, they have lost 2-0 at Liverpool and drawn 2-2 at home with West Ham in the Premier League.

Rodgers side sit 11th in the top flight after fifth-placed finishes for the last two seasons.

Ive never really been one where my mood shifts based on what other people write or say. Im experienced enough to regulate whatever pressure there is, Rodgers added.

If Im reading my local paper and its putting out polls to say whether I should be staying or not, then of course that might affect me, but I stay calm, stay in control.

I love working with the players and people here and thats all I will continue to do, with a smile, until someone tells me differently.

If they do, Ill have done my very best with the resources I have and then Ill move on. But until then I have a big energy for the team, for the club and for my contract here.

He added: It wasnt that long ago youre deemed an elite manager having won the FA Cup, and then very quickly youre not  but I get that, thats the game.

Whats important to me is to do your very best. I feel Im doing that here with what we have, and together weve made some great steps. Its been a challenging season, but I will just continue to be positive.

Defender James Justin, out for probably a couple of weeks after coming off against West Ham, has joined a list of players unavailable due to injury featuring Jamie Vardy, Wesley Fofana,

Jonny Evans, Timothy Castagne and Ryan Bertrand.
Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince Andrew may have been prompted to settle Virginia Giuffres civil lawsuit against himfor a whopping figure of $14 million, according to some well-sourced reports in the British media Wednesdayafter seeing an email sent by Ghislaine Maxwell in which the convicted sex trafficker said she thought the photo of Andrew with his arm around Virginia Giuffres waist looks real.

Maxwell appears in the background of the photo and it was claimed by Giuffre that disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein took it himself in Maxwells London apartment.

Andrew had long claimed the photo was not authentic and had been manipulated, telling the BBC that he had no recollection of ever meeting Giuffre.

And on Monday, less than 24 hours before Andrew and Giuffre dramatically announced they had settled, The Daily Beast revealed that the original version of the photo was lost.

Queen Will Help Pay Prince Andrews $14M Legal Settlementbut the Royal Damage Is Done

Giuffres legal team seemed unconcerned by Giuffres inability to find the photo. She said in a deposition that she believed it had been thrust into packing boxes with childrens toys and nerf guns when she moved from Colorado to Australia at some point before 2016.

A source on Giuffres side, for example, told The Daily Beast that there was a reason [her lawyer] David Boies is not worried about not having the original.

Now, emails leaked to the Daily Mail reveal that on Jan. 10, 2015, the lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who was also facing allegations of abuse from Giuffre (that have since been dropped), sent an email to Maxwell saying: Dear G. Do you know whether the photo of Andrew and Virginia is real? You are in the background.

Just 11 minutes later, Maxwell replied: It looks real. I think it is.

Days earlier, Andrew had contacted Maxwell, asking: Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts.

Maxwell replied: Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.

Story continues

Epstein Victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre Lost Her Famous Photo of Prince Andrew

The photograph was said by Giuffre to have been taken in Maxwells London townhouse in 2001. However, The Daily Beast revealed Monday that Giuffre had lost the original of the famous photograph, with a source saying: The picture is not in Virginias possession.

Another source said they didnt even know if the original of the picture still existed.

The picture has earned Giuffre in excess of $140,000 in media fees, and has been examined as potential evidence against Jeffrey Epstein by the FBI.

It was reported yesterday that Prince Andrew was likely to be assisted by his mothers financial largess in producing an alleged $14 million settlement payment. Buckingham Palace has not commented on the claims.

The revelation about the emails was swiftly followed by the first statement by a cabinet minister on Andrews position following the settlement.

Ben Wallace, the British defense secretary, said that it was up to Buckingham Palace on whether he should now be stripped of his last remaining military title of vice-admiral.

Speaking to Sky News, Wallace said: The decision on titles rests obviously with the palace in the future, but its been pretty clear that this settlement is a recognition that he wants to bring this to a close and also recognize, as his statement says, the suffering and the challenges that the victims have been through as a result of their allegations, and their stand against the exploitation by Epstein.

Rachael Maskell, a Labor MP for York, urged Andrew to drop his Duke of York title, saying his behavior had been a source of deep hurt and embarrassment to many people across the city, adding that to demonstrate his respect for those affected by abuse and the people of our city, I would ask that his first act of contrition is to confirm his support for the withdrawal of his ducal title.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Alec Baldwin and the producers of the movie "Rust" are being sued by the family of Halya Hutchins, the cinematographer inadvertantly killed by the actor. They claim he recklessly shot at her, refused appropriate training in the on-set use of firearms, and that the production itself was cheap and unsafe.

In a statement on Tuesday, the family said Hutchins was "was recklessly shot and killed by Alec Baldwin" on the film set of "Rust." The lawsuit claims that Baldwin fired the revolver after he released its hammer, fatally injuring Hutchins in the side of her chest. Aaron Dyer, an attorney for Baldwin and other producers on the film, said in a statement Tuesday they are cooperating with authorities regarding the incident.

Baldwin is a good example of someone who seems an innocent (albeit still breathing) victim of someone else's mistake, who benefited from exonerative media coverage from the outset, but whose towering ego ensured he just would not stop talking about it until people start to wonder.

The Hutchins family's lawyer released a video purporting to show what happened on-set.
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Brio Coffeehouse in downtown Waynesboro opens roasting room

Coffee flights are a popular item that Brio offers for those looking to try different flavors and styles of coffee.

Brio Coffeehouse in Waynesboro has expanded so it can better roast and store its beans.

The coffeehouse, owned by Rodney and Janel Cool, first opened its doors at 2 E. Main St. in July 2017 and has since been expanding and creating coffee and tea drinks popular in the area.

We do drip brew, espresso, cold brew, iced coffee, frappes, teas and matcha, said Rodney Cool. Coffee is a lot like wine, its a lot about the location its grown at and the elevation, they all have subtle nuances."

Coffee break: Here's how some of your favorite drinks are made at Brio

Washington County Commissioners plan no increase to utility bill

The current water and sewer rates, along with changes to the lab fees, will be part of the public hearing for the county budget on May 17.

Washington County water and sewer customers likely won't see changes to their bill for the coming fiscal year that starts July 1, should the proposed rates be approved in May.

But if you use the Washington County Department of Water Quality to test your water samples, your fees might be going up.

On tap: County water, sewer customers likely won't see bill hike

 Referee, umpire shortage is becoming a concern, locally and nationally

Washington County baseball umpire Mike Starliper watches the action from behind home plate during a Boonsboro-Williamsport game at Boonsboro on April 13.

According to the National Federation of High Schools, a recent survey of state high school associations indicated that approximately 50,000 individuals have discontinued their service as high school officials since the 2018-19 season.

Everyone is going through the same thing, said Bob Powell, a longtime member and former president of the Washington County Volleyball Officials Association. The organizations are graying and there doesn't seem to be much new blood coming in.

Story continues

'It's dire': Officiating shortage quickly becoming a concern, locally and nationally

Washington County Public Schools grapples with turnover

Washington County Public Schools Center for Education Services.

The Great Resignation has seen millions of people quit their jobs over the past two years, creating the biggest labor shortage in recent history, according to Career Staffing Services, which partners with companies to connect them with employee candidates.

Washington County Public Schools has not been immune to this nationwide shortage of workers, including high-level administrators.

"The COVID-19 pandemic set off nearly unprecedented churn in the job market," Terri L. Baker, WCPS executive director of human resources stated in an email. "All businesses, especially school systems, are going through the (Great Resignation), the great reshuffle, and/or the big quit."

Labor shortage: How is WCPS recruiting, retaining administrators?

 Where can you find the world's best pan pizza? In Williamsport

This Rad Pies Detroit-style pan pizza won the World Pizza Championship for the pan division at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

Looking for a Rad pizza?

That's just about as good as it gets  especially if it's a world-champion pan pizza from Rad Pies in Williamsport.

And that's on no less an authority than the International Pizza Expo.

World's best: Williamsport pizza chef creates award-winning pan pizza

Faced with closing, this Washington County church chose perpetual service to its community

The Church of the Holy Trinity, United Church of Christ, will host its final worship service on April 24.

The Church of the Holy Trinity, United Church of Christ, will close soon.

But its service to the community will continue for generations.

"We'll turn off the lights and hopefully still bring light to the community," said Tom Banks, a member of the consistory, the group of people elected by members to govern the church.

More than just a meeting place: Church has been service oriented from the beginning

 Crime is dropping in Washington County. Here's why.

Hagerstown Police Department

While some regions of the U.S. struggle with increased violent crime, a different picture is coming into focus in Washington County, where criminal offenses in a number of categories have dropped over a decade.

Local police attribute the trend to matters such as evolving technology, new ways of dealing with drug addiction as the region grapples with the opioid crisis, crime-free housing laws, benefits of social media and advanced investigation and crime control approaches.

Crime report: Offenses in seven categories drop 42% in a decade in county, 29% in city

 Questions for job-seekers to ask during an interview post-pandemic

Missouri is among 47 states to have reached a 70% recovery rate of jobs lost to the pandemic, credit rating agency Fitch Ratings noted.

If you're looking for a new job, you might ask about the hours, pay and benefits.

You also might want to ask about the CEO's vision and how the company works to improve the community.

That's the advice of Emma McTeague, who has been asking and answering job interview questions for years.

Looking for a new job? Here are some questions you should ask

County Commissioners agree to loan $1.2 million for new railcar facility

Hitachi Rail plans to build a new factory off Greencastle Pike to make rail cars. The $70 million facility will employ as many as 460 people.

The Washington County Commissioners agreed Tuesday morning to loan more than $1 million towards Hitachi Rail USA's new facility, which is expected to be operational by the winter of 2023-24 in the county.

The commissioners voted unanimously to match a state department of commerce loan, which will be used for eligible project costs related to the building of the new manufacturing operation in Washington County, including the purchase of land, machinery and equipment.

The facility is expected to be completed sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.

New U.S. hub: Learn more about the Hitachi Rail facility coming to Washington County

New congressional map approved in Maryland; 1st map dropped

This map shows the revised congressional districts approved by the General Assembly this week. A Maryland judge has deferred a ruling on the map to allow more time for review and other legal challenges.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan approved a new congressional map Monday with more compact districts, after a judge struck down a previous map 10 days ago for being a product of extreme partisan gerrymandering."

The newly approved map makes major changes to the 6th Congressional District, which includes Washington County, that makes the district more competitive for Republicans.

'Tremendous victory for democracy': Gov. Larry Hogan approves new Maryland Congressional map

An old trunk. A legendary ransom. What really happened?

Retired banker Steve Hummel examines papers found in an antique trunk Fulton Bank recently donated to the Washington County Historical Society.

Ever looked at a really old object and wonder what its story is? What it was used for? Who owned it? What was happening at the time?

Take one of the Washington County Historical Society's most recent acquisitions, for example.

Thanks to a donation from Fulton Bank, a trove of items relating to the county's early banking history is now in the historical society's possession  including a trunk that might (or might not) have been involved in collecting the cash for the infamous Ransom of Hagerstown in 1864.

Cash or fire: Locals had a stark choice in 1864. Was this trunk used to collect the money?

The Ramada Plaza in Hagerstown

If you've been missing the Fireside Restaurant at the Ramada Plaza, hold on tight for a little bit longer.

And if you like Zach Greenlee's Trackside Steak & Seafood, the buzz you might have heard is true; you'll soon have two locations to choose from.

Greenlee plans to open Zach Greenlee's Fireside in the Ramada space by May 3, with soft openings in the next few weeks, he told Herald-Mail Media on Wednesday.

Second helping: Trackside owner Zach Greenlee to reopen former Fireside Restaurant at the Ramada Plaza

 Smithsburg teacher finds hope, help for her family in Ukraine

From front left to right is Yulia, her seven-year-old son Max, and her 11-year-old daughter Karina. In the back is Marina, holding her five-year-old daughter, Sofia. The group traveled for a week from Cherkasy, Ukraine to Poland.

The moms and kids and packed what little they could and made the long, difficult journey from Cherkasy in central Ukraine to the Polish border. They slept in train stations, stood in line all night and even survived bombings.

They made it to Poland, and found safety with a family willing to take them in. But now they must find work, a place to live and schooling for their children.

Liliia D'Amore, the sister of one of the women and a teacher in the Smithsburg School District, is more than 5,000 miles away, but doing what she can to help.

An uncertain future: Teacher looks to raise money for family struggling back home

'Largest tax cut package in state history': Who will benefit from plan?

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and leaders in the legislature have reached a $1.86 billion agreement for tax relief over five years for retirees, small businesses and low-income families, officials announced Monday.

When combined with a recently enacted gas tax suspension, the governor's office said this legislative session will deliver nearly $2 billion in tax relief. The Republican governor called the bipartisan deal "the largest tax cut package in state history with major and long-overdue relief for Marylands retirees.

Maryland tax relief: Will you benefit from $1.86 billion agreement?

 Dozens come out for, against proposed 'agritourism resort' plan

The owner of Stoney Creek Farm says the new plan to turn the property into a "boutique agritourism resort" addresses neighbors' complaints about existing uses of the property.

But many of those neighbors disagree.

In the coming weeks, the Washington County Planning Commission will decide whether to recommend a zoning change that would allow the resort proposal to take place.

Stoney Creek Farm: What's next for the Washington County site?

These girls are expected to shine during the spring season

Hancock's Aidan Faith soars to a third-place finish in the girls triple jump at the 1A state championships.

With spring sports returning, we came up with a list of 25 girls to watch on the diamond, field, track and tennis courts this season.

See the list: 25 girls athletes to watch in Washington County

Boonsboro High School sophomore raising money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Alyssa Davis, a sophomore at Boonsboro High School, and her four teammates, are raising money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society through March 26.

More money will go toward blood cancer research thanks to the efforts of one Boonsboro High School sophomore and her four teammates.

Alyssa Davis is working hard to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Students of the Year campaign. She hopes her efforts will help end this blood disorder.

Help Alyssa: Get details about Friday's fundraiser or how to donate online

Ted Cruz leads People's Convoy from Hagerstown Speedway to DC Beltway on Thursday

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, waves March 10 from the cab of the lead truck departing Hagerstown Speedway in the People's Convoy as it travels again for the Capital Beltway around Washington, D.C.

A convoy of trucks and other vehicles departed Hagerstown Speedway on Thursday morning led by a big rig carrying U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

The Republican from Texas was introduced on stage by one of the organizers of the People's Convoy, Brian Brase, to cheers from the crowd assembled at the speedway west of Hagerstown.

The convoy was scheduled to make the trip to Washington, D.C., Thursday before returning to Hagerstown.

Senator takes a ride: Ted Cruz leads truck convoy to DC Beltway

Baby missing from West Franklin Street apartment found

Police say this baby, a two-month-old male named Zori, disappeared from a West Franklin Street apartment Tuesday.

Hagerstown police say a 2-month-old baby missing from a West Franklin Street apartment Tuesday has been found safe.

Police issued the brief statement Wednesday morning, and said further details would be released later.

UPDATE: Missing 2-month-old baby has been found safe

One counselor is proposed for every elementary school

Washington County Public Schools administrative center

Each of Washington County Public Schools' 26 elementary schools could soon have a full-time counselor to support its students.

The Washington County Board of Education voted unanimously recently to add $127,917 to its draft $316.7 million operating budget for fiscal 2023, which begins July 1.

"I've made my feelings known with regard to the need for counselors," school board President Melissa Williams said during a board meeting last week. "Students can't learn when they're hungry, and they certainly can't learn when they're hurting emotionally."

Addressing student needs: School board amends draft budget to fund counselors

Hagerstown releases state of the city video, highlights development

Hagerstown Mayor Emily Keller praised the work of police officers, firefighters and other city employees during her opening remarks at the 2022 State of the City video presentation Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

Hagerstown's "State of the City 2022" video highlights growth in new homes, new businesses and commercial investment.

But two declines in crime rates got the biggest applause when the video was unveiled Tuesday in The Maryland Theatre on South Potomac Street.

The video quotes FBI statistics showing that the city crime rate has dropped 27.68% since 2014 and 9.14% from 2020 to 2021.

Less crime, more development: State of the City covers Hagerstown highlights

Warehouse Cinemas launches annual T-shirt with local artist

Washington County artist Luke Hill provided the design used on 2022 T-shirts for Warehouse Cinemas.

Warehouse Cinemas Leitersburg will celebrate "The Batman" premiere and salute a local artist on Thursday.

The new Warner Bros. movie features Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Batman and his alter ego, billionaire Bruce Wayne.

In addition to showing the movie, Warehouse Cinemas Leitersburg also will celebrate a partnership with local artist and comic book vendor, Luke Hill, also known as Luke Dude, whose work is featured on Warehouse's 2022 T-shirt design.

Let's all go to the movies: Warehouse celebrated "The Batman" release

National Weather Service forecasts wintry mix for Tri-State area

The National Weather Service forecast for ice accumulation through Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, in the local Maryland and West Virginia area.

The Tri-State area is expected to see a wintry mix starting Thursday with uncertainty about how it will affect commuters heading home Thursday and leaving for work Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

The bigger concern in the wintry mix is freezing rain, which depending on the timing of dropping temperatures, might arrive during the Thursday commute home, said meteorologist Kyle Pallozzi with the Baltimore/Washington forecast office. Temperatures will determine how much "plain rain" falls versus freezing rain.

Winter weather: Here's how Thursday's winter storm will affect the Tri-State area

Heart & Sole: Players get swagger, identity from their footwear

Bray Alexander, North Hagerstown. Shoe: Nike Kyrie 5 or 6. Color: Light blue. Why: I like colorful shoes because they stand out and catch your attention. I like to wear chains and be like Deion Sanders  I get called 'Prime Time.' I really like lime green, but I ordered my shoes online and all they offered was gray and light blue. There werent a lot of options. I got to look good because my appearance matters.

They say clothes make the man.

If you ask any of Washington County's basketball players, the shoes make the athlete.

With a little bit of fashion sense and a lot of emphasis on confidence, a number of players have gone to a colorful brand of sneakers to make statements as well as baskets.

Basketball shoes: Harden, Curry or Kyrie  players aim to stand out

Where do these dual meets weigh in?

North Hagerstown's Jack Hurd grimaces in pain during a 119-pound bout against Boonsboro's Charles Anoman in the teams' dual meet on Jan. 31, 2011, at Boonsboro. Anoman won by major decision in the Warriors' 42-31 victory.

The Williamsport and Northern Garrett wrestling teams put on a show last week in the championship match of the Maryland Class 1A West region duals.

It came down to the final bout, which went to double overtime  an instant-classic thriller.

Lets see where it ranks on our list.

Here are the top 10 dual meets involving Washington County wrestling teams over the last 15 years.

Wrestling: These are the top 10 Washington County dual meets of the last 15 years

The Boys & Girls Club needs help

Boys and Girls Club of Washington County located on Pennsylvania Avenue in Hagerstown.

The Boys and Girls Club of Washington County is moving forward in replacing its main clubhouse with a 32,000-square-foot state-of-the-art clubhouse.

Addie Nardi, executive director of the local Boys and Girls Club, met with the county commissioners on Tuesday to talk about the club's $8 million rebuilding plan for the building at 805 Pennsylvania Ave. in Hagerstown.

The county club has already raised $4.3 million toward the project.

$8 million plan: The Boys & Girls Club of Washington County seeks funding

Wheaton Park was named for a local Black resident. Do you know why?

Fred Chavis, director of the Robert Johnson Center in Hagerstown, will discuss the life of Jacob Wheaton on Saturday at the Fletcher Branch of the Washington County Free Library.

He was a cooper, a nurse, a bailiff, an entrepreneur and a political activist, and the namesake of a Hagerstown city park. He might have saved his community from the smallpox epidemic in 1863.

He also was one of the first Hagerstown residents to be commemorated in the "Circle of Achievement" in Memorial Park on South Potomac Street.

And he's believed to be the first Black Marylander to cast a vote after the Civil War.

Black History Month: Do you know Jacob Wheaton's role in Hagerstown's history?

 How Windber's school resource officer solved a 20-year-old cold case

Windber Borough police Officer Jeff Brock is shown during a recent interview at Windber Area School District. Brock also serves as the resource officer for the school.

When Jeff Brock left criminal investigations with state police in 2005, there was a case from 1999 he just couldn't leave behind.

"So I just took it with me. And throughout the years, I had to focus on my ... primary duties in drug law enforcement. But on my own time  or time that would allow  I would still continue to go over things or follow up leads or come up with new ideas or whatever."

His dedication and diligence paid off. In 2019, Timothy David Nelson Jr., of Cumberland, Maryland, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for the Sept. 19, 1999, sexual assault of a 10-year-old Cairnbrook girl.

Protecting children: Windber resource officer caught a kidnapper

 'A lot of despair': Pandemic saw more deaths from opioids than ever before

FILE - This Aug. 29, 2018, file photo shows an arrangement of Oxycodone pills in New York. At the time, the three biggest U.S. drug distribution companies and the drugmaker Johnson & Johnson were on the verge of a $26 billion settlement covering thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids across the U.S., two people with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File

In the span of a few weeks last year, everything changed.

Businesses closed. Face masks suddenly appeared everywhere. Politicians held weekly  or daily  updates on the fast-moving pandemic that was threatening life as Americans knew it.

Eighteen months and several vaccines later, the pandemic still haunts everyday life.

Now, as Marylanders begin to assess the damage of the past year and a half, it is becoming clear another health threat quietly gained more ground than ever before as the world turned its eyes toward COVID-19.

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ReportLinker

Major players in the human rights organizations market are Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Civil Rights Defenders, Human Rights Without Frontiers International, Physicians for Human Rights, Anti-Slavery International, Global Rights, UN Watch, European Centre for Minority Issues and International Federation for Human Rights.

New York, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Human Rights Organizations Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06229722/?utm_source=GNW





The global human rights organizations market is expected to grow from $16.60 billion in 2021 to $17.47 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3%. The growth is mainly due to the companies rearranging their operations and recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $20.53 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 4.1%.



The human rights organizations market consists of revenue generated through human rights services by entities that are engaged in promoting causes associated with human rights either for a broad or a specific constituency. Establishments in this industry address issues such as protecting and promoting broad constitutional rights and civil liberties of individuals and those suffering from neglect, abuse, or exploitation, promoting the interests of specific groups such as children, women, senior citizens, or persons with disabilities, improving relations between racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, and promoting voter education and registration.



The main types of human rights organizations are nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, governmental organizations and international organizations.Governmental human rights organizations are run by government bodies and are involved in the protection of human rights and the reduction of human rights violations.



The different modes of donation include online, offline. The organization locations can be domestic, international and have various applications in areas such as all humans, children, women, disabled, LGBTQ, others.



Asia Pacific was the largest region in the human rights organizations market in 2021.North America was the second largest region in the human rights organizations market.



The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.



The rise in hate crimes is expected to drive the human rights organizations market.Hate crime is a form of criminal violence upon a person or property, caused in whole or in part by an offenders bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.



As per the annual report of FBI published in 2019, physical attacks against individuals have risen, accounting for 61% of the 7,120 cases reported by law enforcement authorities nationally as hate crimes in the USA. Government and non-governmental organizations aim to curb the abuses that challenge peoples human rights, which further aids in the growth of the human rights organizations market.



Increasing attacks against human rights defenders are anticipated to hinder the human rights organization market.Attacks against human rights organizations that strive to safeguard human rights are rising at an alarming rate.



For instance, in 2019, the Business and Human Rights Resource Center has tracked around 572 attack cases that were related to business-related activities. These attacks cause a sense of fear and timidness among individuals who work for human rights protection and challenges human rights protection activities, which thereby impedes the growth of the market.



Organizations and human rights defenders are working towards protecting the digital human rights of individuals.According to the Pew Research poll of US adults in November 2019, the majority of Americans consider their online and offline activities are being tracked and monitored by companies and the government.



Data collection has become mainstream that it breaches the privacy of individuals as everything is being tracked over the internet. To safeguard the interests of individuals using digital technology, human rights organizations are spreading awareness and are fighting to bring laws into place.



In September 2020, Alwaleed Philanthropy, a charitable and philanthropic organization founded with a mission to help mitigate poverty and transcend international boundaries, has joined the Saudi Human Rights Commission to sign a memorandum of cooperation aimed at improving the protection of human rights of women and young people in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Human Rights Commission is a Saudi government organization working for the protection and promotion of human rights in line with international standards.



The countries covered in the human rights organizations market are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK and USA.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06229722/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




We ended up with 10 to 12 inches of snow in this area last week. Now the temperature is above freezing this morning.

This forenoon, my plans are to go with daughters Verena and Susan and grandchildren Jennifer and Ryan to have a coffee break with Martha. Martha is a widow with five children in this community. Her oldest child was 9 yesterday. Susan and Martha have become friends since both losing their husbands. Martha and her children are moving back to her home community closer to her parents. Susan wanted to go visit her before she moves. Daughter Lovina might also go along.

Tomorrow morning, some of our church ladies are going to go for a coffee break at neighbor Susies in honor of her 40th birthday. Her birthday was last week, but due to the weather the gathering was postponed. That might be the reason Im not getting much accomplished this week with two coffee breaks. Sometimes you have to just let the work go and take one day at a time. This week, I am glad to rest my right shoulder and arm. Somehow when I turned around, something started hurting my shoulder, and the pain ran down my right arm. I have numbness in my arm and fingers, so I am thinking its a pinched nerve. I am rotating cold packs and heat to loosen it up. I sure am looking forward to the pain leaving.

Sunday was baptismal services in our church with four young souls accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior. Among the four were nephew Benjamin and his special friend Crystal. Jacob (sister Emmas husband) would have been so happy to see everyone that came to support the baptism. It is now five months since he passed away. Emma has many lonely days without her dear husband.

Brother Albert and Sarah Irene and some of their family and sister Liz and Levi and some of their family attended the baptismal services. It was so good to visit with them. Sister Verena went home with sister Liz and Levi and returned to Michigan last night. After being here a week, she went to stay with sister Emma again. Our family and some of Crystals family and Emmas married children had a delicious supper at sister Emmas house Sunday night. Crystals mother brought supper in for us all. There was tater tot casserole, meatballs, lettuce salad and desserts.

Story continues

Saturday, Feb. 5, daughter Susan and granddaughter Jennifer attended baptismal services for Moses two youngest siblings. Little grandson Ryan stayed here with us. He looked so cute following Grandpa Joe around outside. He told me he is helping Grandpa do the chores. Daughter Verena also spent some time here Saturday. Its always so good to have her home again. Moses birthday would have been Saturday, and Ryan heard Susan and Verena talking about Moses birthday, so he started singing Happy Birthday to Mose Daddy in the bathtub. Precious!

Sunday, Feb. 6, was son Josephs special friend Graces birthday. Joseph bought a cake and made supper on the grill Saturday night in her honor.

It is already 6 a.m., and I want to prepare something to take along to the coffee break. I will probably slice summer sausage and cheese and take crackers to eat with that. Susan and Verena are taking some goodies, too.

Ill sign off wishing you all Gods blessings as we travel into the unknown future.

A reader shared this recipe for honey-peanut butter cookies with me.

Honey-Peanut Butter Cookies

 cup shortening

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup honey

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine shortening, peanut butter, honey, eggs, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with fork dipped in flour. Bake for 810 minutes.

Lovinas Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her newest cookbook, Amish Family Recipes, is available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lovina's Amish Kitchen: Family coffee breaks and a cookie recipe
Welcome to this weeks Just for Variety.

Matthew McConaughey hasnt exactly shut the door on appearing in the third installment of Channing Tatums stripper franchise Magic Mike. But the actor, who appeared in the 2012 original (but said no to 2015s Magic Mike XXL), is still waiting for his phone to ring about Magic Mikes Last Dance. Channing Tatum, call me, bro! I havent heard from ya! the Oscar winner said when I recently asked him if hell be back in the role of strip club owner Dallas.

More from Variety

I dont know, McConaughey said. Id have to read [the script] first. It was a helluva lot of fun doing the first one. Tatum announced in November that Last Dance, directed by Steven Soderbergh, will be released on HBO Max. Shooting is set to begin next month in London and Italy.



. - Credit: Frieder: Courtesy of Lara Alameddine; Sivan: Courtesy of Gadir Rajab

Frieder: Courtesy of Lara Alameddine; Sivan: Courtesy of Gadir Rajab

Not only does Troye Sivan star in the dramedy Three Months  he plays a queer Florida high school senior who finds out he may have been exposed to HIV after a one-night stand  but he wrote and performed two numbers, Wait and Trouble, for the soundtrack. They are my favorite songs that have ever been written, Jared Frieder, the films writer and director, tells me, laughing. Im still in shock. Its been surreal. Frieder originally wrote the script, which was inspired by his own experiences, as a TV series. When I was doing the show, he recalls, the first person I had in mind was Troye. Troye is the kid I wish I could have been in high school because hes just so effortlessly cool.

Sivan signed on to the film after meeting with Frieder at Soho House in West Hollywood. Im so excited for people to see him in this movie because he carries his movie on his back, Frieder says. Its from his POV. Hes in every scene and he has to access the entire emotional spectrum and being effortless and natural, and hes just such a great actor.

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Frieder did his best to cast queer actors in the queer roles: Its important to allow our queer actors, this great crop of them especially that are coming up, the opportunity to get more roles.

The cast also includes Brianne Tju, Ellen Burstyn, Lou Gossett Jr., Judy Greer, Javier Munoz and Amy Landecker. Three Months premieres on Paramount Plus on Feb. 23. Ill have more next week from Sivan himself when hes my guest on the Just for Variety podcast.



Mark Wahlberg stars as Victor Sully Sullivan and Tom Holland is Nathan Drake in Columbia Pictures UNCHARTED. Photo by: Clay Enos - Credit: Courtesy of Clay Enos/Columbia P

Courtesy of Clay Enos/Columbia P

With the Spider-Man franchise and now Uncharted, Tom Holland is well on his way to action-movie stardom. But all those stunts and fight scenes cant happen without some pain. I walked away from every stunt, but I definitely limped from a few, Holland told me while promoting the Sony Pictures Uncharted, based on the PlayStation video game series of the same name. But it looks great in the film so I was happy to take the pounding. Co-star Mark Wahlberg said the only thing he injured was his ego after getting beat up while sparring with Tati Gabrielle, who plays the villainous Jo Braddock. She really is a martial arts expert, Wahlberg said. Check out my video interviews with the Uncharted cast here.



. - Credit: NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx

NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx

Get to know Sofia Black-DElia! The New Jersey native stars in Freeforms Single Drunk Female as Samantha Fink, a 20-something forced to move back in with her mom (The Breakfast Club legend Ally Sheedy) after being fired for assaulting her boss with a phone while intoxicated. Someone in my family who has a sort of similar experience felt very seen by this show, Black-DElia says. It made her emotional. She was just so happy to get to see a character like this and to be able to talk about it with her friends and family. That to me is the best-case scenario and best outcome imaginable from the show.

Even though the show is based on creator Simone Finchs real-life experience, producers did seek guidance from sober consultants, Black-DElia says. The series addresses serious issues, but also finds the funny in trying to stay sober. I think one of my favorite episodes is about Samantha desperately trying to get laid and shes doing that for the first time sober, she says. It was the easiest week of shooting for me because I found that episode really embodied the balance of being serious, but there is also so much funny in that.



. - Credit: Stewart Cook for Variety

Stewart Cook for Variety

I caught up with The Good Place star Manny Jacinto at the premiere of his Amazon rom-com I Want You Back, where we talked about his Nine Perfect Strangers co-star Nicole Kidman earning her fifth Oscar nom for her work in Being the Ricardos. Congrats, Nicole! he said before cracking, I dont think you need any more. I think you could share the love! But congrats again. You deserve it.

Got a tip or a story to pitch? Email me at mmalkin@variety.com.

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WASHINGTON  U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Russias claims that it is withdrawing troops along its border with Ukraine are false and that Moscow has actually increased its military presence along the border by as many as 7,000 troops in the past several days.

A senior administration official speaking on the condition of anonymity said Wednesday that Russia appears to be mobilizing for war, while claiming publicly that it is open to diplomacy to de-escalate tensions with the West.

The official said there are also ongoing indications that Russia is creating a false flag operation as a pretext to justify an invasion of Ukraine. The false claims could include reports of unmarked graves for people allegedly killed by Ukrainian armed forces, as well as assertions that the U.S. and Ukraine are developing biological or chemical weapons and that the West is sending in guerillas to kill local residents.

Each of these allegations is categorically false, the official said.

The new disclosures come after public remarks earlier on Wednesday by U.S. and NATO officials, who also said Russia appears to be continuing with its military buildup on Ukraine's borders despite claiming it is moving troops away from the area.

Unfortunately, there's a difference between what Russia says and what it does and what we're seeing is no meaningful pullback, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a Wednesday ABC News interview. On the contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression, he said.

In Brussels, where defense ministers are meeting, NATO Secretary General JensStoltenberg said there were no visible signs Wednesday of "de-escalation on the ground," a day after Moscow asserted it was moving some troops and weapons back to bases after the completion of military drills. Stoltenberg added that Russia has "always moved forces back and forth" and that its release of video footage over the last 24 hours purporting to show its forces retreating "does not confirm a real withdrawal."

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Missiles, military drills and NATO: How diplomacy could defuse a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine

Stoltenberg said NATO allies "remain ready to engage with Russia," which wants Ukraine to drop its ambition to one day join the military alliance that promotes democratic values and was formed in the wake of World War II.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III arrives to the meeting of NATO defence ministers on the Russia-West tensions at the NATO Headquarter in Brussels on Feb. 16, 2022.

Defense ministers from the 30 NATO member countries are meeting for the next two days amid fears that Russia could be planning to invade its neighbor Ukraine, a scenario that Moscow has dismissed as "western hysteria" and not matched by evidence even though it has sent approximately 150,000 troops to encircle Ukraine's territory.

The Kremlin on Wednesday said it was in the process of sending back even more troops to permanent bases. It didn't specify how many. Russia's defense ministry released a video that it said showed armored vehicles moving across a bridge away from Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Harris to meet with NATO allies in Munich

Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a series of meetings with U.S. allies over the next few days when she travels to Germany for a gathering of national security officials from all over the world.

Harris will lead the U.S. delegation at the Munich Security Conference, which opens Friday and runs through Sunday. The vice president is scheduled to address the group and will emphasize U.S. solidarity with NATO and its commitment to Ukraine amid the threat of a Russian invasion.

Harris is expected to meet with several world leaders, including Stoltenberg, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Blinken also plans to attend the conference. Blinken is expected to reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraines sovereignty and plans to update allies on diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis, as well as punitive measures the U.S. is prepared to take should Russia invade its neighbor.

Poll: Americans expect Russia-Ukraine tensions to lead to war

An estimated14,000 people on both sides have died in fighting between Ukraine and Russia-backed rebels since 2014, when Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea region on the Black Sea and threw its weight behind separatists in two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. People on the ground stand to lose the most if the conflict escalates. Washington and its allies have ruled out sending NATO troops to Ukraine.

But Americans are also bracing for the worst as the world waits to see whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will invade Ukraine.

Some 55% of Americans believe tensions between Russia and Ukraine will lead to war, according to a national poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University. Thirty percent said they do not.

If war does break out, 57% said the U.S. should not send troops into Ukraine, while 32% supported such a move. However, 54% of Americans support Bidens decision to deploy thousands of troops to eastern Europe to support U.S. allies in NAT0, while 36% oppose that move.

Those polled said by a nearly 2-to-1 margin (62% to 34%) that Russia poses a military threat to the United States.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine's actor president, plays his greatest role yet

Biden, Scholz huddle

In Washington, President Joe Biden held a secure call Wednesday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the White House said.

The two leaders discussed their respective conversations with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and underscored the importance of diplomacy and deterrence measures if Russia invades Ukraine, the White House said in a summary of the call.

On Tuesday, Scholz met in Moscow with Putin. When Scholz visited the White House earlier this month, he and Biden pledged a united response.

Psaki: 'We remain in the window' for invasion

White House press secretary Jen Psaki emphasized Wednesday that an invasion of Ukraine is still likely, even though Russia hasnt attacked on the day U.S. officials had appeared to indicate it could happen.

What we had conveyed last weekis that we are in the window, Psaki said during the White Houses daily briefing. We remain in the window.

She had been asked about the fact that it appeared Feb. 16 would close without an attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday theyd been told Feb. 16 will be the day of attack. Psaki said she couldnt get into intelligence gathered or the conversations the U.S. has had with its allies. Instead, she said the threat of aggression remains.

What has changed on the ground?

In remarks at the White House on Tuesday, Biden noted that U.S. officials and military experts had not verified Russia's troop withdrawal claims.

"Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position," he said. Ukrainian officials said they were awaiting concrete evidence of Russian withdrawals.

"(Nothing) has changed on the ground in any meaningful way. Putin could have invaded yesterday, he can still do so tomorrow," Russian analyst Mark Galeotti noted on Twitter.

Skepticism, calls for unity in Ukraine

In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared Wednesday a "day of national unity" and encouraged Ukrainians to sing the national anthem and wave flags.

Across the country, Ukrainians of all ages displayed flags in the streets and from apartment windows.

Hundreds unfolded a 650-foot flag at Kyivs Olimpiyskiy Stadium, while another was draped in the center of a shopping mall in the capital.

People take pictures as they carry a giant Ukraine's national flag at a stadium to mark a "Day of Unity" in Kyiv on Feb. 16, 2022. Ukrainian leaders urged a "Day of Unity" to rally patriotic support and defy fears of a Russian invasion, as Moscow announced an end to military drills in occupied Crimea.

In the government-controlled part of Ukraine's eastern region of Luhansk, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian troops for the last eight years, residents stretched another huge flag across a street.

This event, this number of people united around Ukrainian flag will show that we stand for united Ukraine, said resident Olena Tkachova.

According to his public remarks over the last several weeks, Zelenskyy's assessment of the invasion threat Ukraine faces has diverged from U.S. intelligence. Several U.S. officials appeared to indicate they believed Russia's attack would happen Feb. 16.

"These emotional swings and psychological pressure are very tiring. Today everyone breathed a sigh of relief that we werent attacked," Ukrainian journalist Kristina Berdynskykh wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "Tomorrow therell be information theyre moving stuff closer to the border again and it will all start again. But people will get used to this too and will just stop reading the news."

'Brothers': Russians, Ukrainians wage fragile peace at Olympics amid threat of war

Late Tuesday, Ukraine appeared to blame Russia for a cyberattack that temporarily shuttered the websites of its army and some of its largest banks. The Kremlin denied it was behind the assault, and Russian lawmaker Valentina Matviyenko accused the U.S. of getting in the way of Russia's attempts to normalize it ties with Ukraine.

"The main problem in our relations with Ukraine, as I see it, is that Kyiv is not independent in its foreign and domestic policies. The Kyiv authorities are directed by Washington. And the adversarial relationship with Russia is the price that Ukraine has to pay for U.S. patronage," Matviyenko opined in an interview with Russian state media.

Contributing: Matthew Brown; Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine: US official says Russia increased troop buildup at border
To meet robustly growing demand, we will continuously implement facility investments

TOKYO, February 16, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo; President: Yasuhiko Saitoh) will implement over 80 billion in facility investments for its silicones business, one of its main businesses, with the aim of further expanding and strengthening this business.

As a result of the announcement in September 2018 concerning its facility investment plan of 110 billion for its silicones business, Shin-Etsu Chemical increased its production capacity of silicone monomer, the intermediate material of silicones, at its two bases in Japan and Thailand by about 1.5 times, compared to the previous level. We have implemented appropriate investments so far in this downstream area of our silicones business. However, because there is very strong demand from customers mainly for advanced functional products, we are going to further increase our production capacity in this business field as a result of this new facility investment. Shin-Etsu has already stated that it will strengthen the development of new silicone products and put the emphasis in our products structure on so-called specialty products. This new facility investment plan is aimed at strengthening this business strategy, and the investment amount is expected to exceed 80 billion. By these means, we will meet the vigorously increasing demand for these products, and at the same time, we will be able to strengthen our stable supply system.

Our new facility investments will increase our production capacity of highly diversified types of silicone fluids, resins and rubber end products. In addition, we will go forward with our endeavors toward contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact and to the development of advanced technologies such as by introducing equipment for molding silicone rubber that does not require post cure and by introducing trial production equipment for Micro LED-related materials, which will improve productivity and save energy. This new series of facility investments will be implemented centering around our plants in Japan, starting with our main plant, the Gunma Complex in Gunma Prefecture, as well as the Takefu Plant in Fukui Prefecture and the Naoetsu Plant in Niigata Prefecture. We aim to sequentially complete these capacity-expansion projects and begin operations by 2025.

Shin-Etsu Chemical will contribute to the realization of the sustainability of society by striving to enhance our ability to contribute to the solutions of various societal and customer issues by developing and supplying silicone products that have high-added value through making use of the knowhow and technological strengths that we have accumulated up to now.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220215006235/en/

Contacts

For inquiries about this matter, please contact:

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

Public Relations Dept., Tetsuya Koishikawa

TEL: 03-6812-2340, or from outside Japan: 81-3-6812-2340

FAX: 03-6812-2341, or from outside Japan: 81-3-6812-2341

e-mail: sec-pr@shinetsu.jp
A memorial cross for Timmy Dewitt stands near the corner of East Maple and South Fair avenues in Yakima Feb. 15, 2022. Dewitt, 58, was killed Oct. 2 when he was hit by a motorcycle driven by David Lenard Ervin of Toppenish. Ervin has been charged with vehicular homicide in connection with Dewitt's death.
There were at least 12 homicides on the Yakama Nation in 2020 alone, a rate of about 40 per 100,000 people  more than 10 times the states murder rate. Only counting the tribal community, the rate is alarmingly higher: 109 per 100,000 people. Thats 28 times the states murder rate.

It is more brutal, and we dont know why, Yakima County Sheriff Bob Udell said.
[February 15, 2022] Expert.ai Enhances Research and Support Capabilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory BOSTON, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Expert.ai today announced its technology will be deployed as a key component of Titan Technologies' Compendia solution by the U.S. National Security Research Center (NSRC) to make digitized documents easier for researchers to search and explore. The move follows a successful six-month proof-of-concept (PoC) aimed at providing scientists and engineers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory Weapons Program automated research support via AI-based natural language understanding and machine learning (hybrid AI approach.) The NSRC is one of the largest libraries of its kind, holding tens of millions of various materials, including film, audio, notebooks, photos, documents, drawings, microfiche, aperture cards and more. By leveraging expert.ai technology together with other components, Titan Technologies' Compendia solution categorizes unstructured content into a secure digital repository. Through a single integrated interface, Compendia offers focused search, including relationships and key entities to improve the speed and accuracy of information discovery within archival research material. With AI-based natural language understanding (NLU) and machine learning (ML) provided by expert.ai, the Compendia solution embeds knowledge and learning in the new NSRC system, called Titan on the Red, which is expected to make the already-digitized content categorized and explorable in months, a process that otherwise could have taken decades with manual categorizing and tagging. "One of the greatest assets at Los Alamos National Laboratory is the information that we have generated in over 75 years of nuclear weapons work," said Rizwan Ali, Director, National Security Research Center. "This is what distinguishes us from any other weapons laboratory in existence. The Titan on the Red system will make this valuable information discoverable." Expert.ai technology performs natural language understanding and user interface functions withn Compendia. In doing so, it applies proprietary semantics-based processes to generate granular metadata, put textual content into context, and enable discovery of even hidden or inferred information. Combined with the other components of Compendia, expert.ai technology transforms the research environment, making data smart, consumable, and meaningful. Compendia met all Los Alamos National Laboratory criteria and the decision to move ahead with Compendia and a full Titan on the Red deployment was made. Nanette Mayfield, Leader of the NSRC digital collections team, added: "Investing in AI/ML saves countless manpower hours and money, while directly contributing to the Lab's mission success." About Los Alamos National Laboratory and Triad National Security

Los Alamos National Laboratory is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns. For more information, go to www.lanl.gov . About Titan Technologies

Titan Technologies, which includes its wholly owned subsidiaries TelaForce, LLC and Titan Facilities, Inc., designs, integrates, and manages innovative solutions and software applications. Titan Technologies provides advanced information technology solutions and services in the areas of digital business transformation, customer care, security and communications infrastructure, and infrastructure modernization and management. Titan Technologies is headquartered in Destin, Florida with offices in Reston, Virginia; Derwood, Maryland; Honolulu, Hawaii; Galveston and Houston, Texas. For more information, go to https://titantechnologies.com/ . About Expert System USA  expert.ai

Expert System USA, a subsidiary of expert.ai (EXAI: IM), is an Artificial Intelligence company focused on developing and deploying innovative and customized Natural Language Understanding (NLU) solutions for the Public Sector with emphasis on the Intelligence, Military, Law Enforcement and Homeland Security communities. Expert.ai's unique hybrid approach to natural language combines symbolic human-like comprehension and machine learning to extract useful knowledge and insight from unstructured data to improve decision making. With a full range of on-premises, private and public cloud offerings, expert.ai enhances business operations, accelerates and scales natural language data science capabilities while simplifying AI adoption across a vast range of industries, including insurance, banking & finance, publishing & media, defense & intelligence, life science & pharma, and oil, gas & energy. Expert.ai serves global businesses such as AXA XL, Zurich Insurance Group, Generali, The Associated Press, Bloomberg INDG, BNP Paribas, Rabobank, Gannett and EBSCO. For more information about Expert System USA, visit https://www.expertsystem.us/ and for more information about expert.ai, visit https://www.expert.ai . Join the expert.ai Community ! Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/expertai-enhances-research-and-support-capabilities-at-los-alamos-national-laboratory-301481562.html SOURCE expert.ai

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As if to perfectly counter the viral story of the Tinder Swindler (who used the dating app to pose as a billionaire and steal 10 million dollars from unsuspecting women), an Australian man has become the hero that Tinder both needs and deserves. In what has to be the greatest unused plot in the history of romantic comedies, Max Silvy, 25, helped his Tinder date deliver her child. When the couple first matched on Tinder, Alyssa Hodges, 20, was six months pregnant and open about her status as a mother-to-be. Taking the revelation in stride, Silvy pressed forward in his romantic pursuit of Hodges. After a few successful dates, Max and Alyssa found themselves in the plot of what could easily be a Hallmark movie.

Alyssa had been due to pick the 25-year-old civil servant up from the airport when her water broke at eight months and she had to meet him in the hospital instead, where she gave birth with Max by her side.

The couple is planning to move in together after being "bonded" by the experience. "And that, kids, is how you and I met your mother."
Book an appointment at the Northwest Reading Room

Appointments to work in the Northwest Reading Room are required. Drop-ins are OK if space is available, but the safest bet for ensuring time in the reading room is by visiting www.yvl.org/special and booking an appointment.

The site also includes more information about special collections and archive services, and other research options.
Successful Business Leaders Bring Skills to the Entrepreneurship Academy to Help Students

MEDIA CONTACT: David Thompson, dlthompson@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-4311

(BOWIE, Md.)  Its rare when college students have the opportunity to learn how to develop and operate a business from seasoned professionals. Thats exactly what is occurring at Bowie State Universitys Entrepreneurship Academy where four individuals with diverse backgrounds have been named as the first cohort in the new Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) program.

The EIR program will assist in identifying innovative and promising student startups and support the student businesses when they launch and as they grow. The Entrepreneurs in Residence will counsel and advise students on writing business plans, marketing proposals, creating strategy briefs, business development cases, and preparation for venture capital presentations.

The Entrepreneurs in Residence are established and very successful business leaders with years of experience and sound business acumen, said Johnetta Hardy, executive director of the Entrepreneurship Academy. They will work directly with the academy and the Maryland Innovation Extension team to provide advice to Bowie States students and faculty pursuing innovative ideas.

Each program participant brings different skill sets that will enable them to address the needs of students individually and tailor their solutions rather than offering a one size fits all approach.

Jainaba Ceesay is the founder of Ebrosso Consulting, LLC, a firm that provides business consultation services in the U.S. and internationally. She is also an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Bowie State. My goal is to allow students to take what they learn from the classroom to pursue actionable steps in the real world and create viable innovative business models, she said.

James W. Peterson, Jr., is vice president and business banking relationship manager at M&T Bank. He is an expert in business forecasting, working with banks, developing appropriate strategies on collaborating with state and federal government agencies, and experiential learning. I have over 30 years of economic and business development experience that I will draw from to provide students with advice on operating a business, said Peterson.

Tyrome Smith, is the director of partnerships at Common Mission Project (CMP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs who are striving to solve critical national security, civic, and social challenges. In his current position at CMP, Smith develops new strategic relationships with universities and corporate sponsors by providing leadership for the CMP Impact Fund, which provides financial support for student teams looking to scale their mission-focused solutions into sustainable businesses. This is an opportunity for me to counsel these budding entrepreneurs on effectively managing a business and helping them to understand the steps they must follow to secure financing to expand their new ventures, said Smith.

Eboni Thamavong is a senior technical program manager at Amazon and the founder of Pivot and Sprint, a financial technology company. Thamavong plans to host workshops, one-on-one sessions with students, and publish articles on understanding and actualizing entrepreneurship as an EIR.

All of the Entrepreneurs in Residence are well established and accomplished business leaders highly skilled in business development, said Hardy. They are well-versed in the concepts of business model generation, customer discovery, leadership development, and at times will attend panels, talks, and meetings with students and faculty members.

###

About Bowie State University

Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.






Greensboro, NC (27407)

Today

Thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High around 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
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Gergely Gulyas, the prime ministers chief of staff, told an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Hungarian-German friendship agreement that EU member states that had ambitions for making changes to rules that went beyond the European basic treaties would have to reach a consensus with all member states first.

Sticking to the European Unions basic treaties is of the utmost importance, Gulyas said, adding that any deviation from the current state of affairs was possible only by amending the EU treaties themselves.



If we can agree on this, we wont get into great trouble because well either reach an agreement or the current framework will remain, Gulyas said at the event in Budapest on Monday.



Enhanced cooperation created by the Lisbon Treaty would grow, he said, noting the euro zone and Schengen among them. Gulyas said, however, that EU member states had differing societies  a fact we cannot, and would not, change.



The social policies of Germanys recently elected government would be unpalatable for Hungarian voters, he insisted.



On cultural ties, Gulyas noted Hungary is the only non-German speaking country where German-language education is available from kindergarten to university.



Gulyas also touched on what he called the German news agency dpas falsifying the words of Prime Minister Viktor Orbans keynote speech last weekend. Germany, a large and multi-faceted country, has a press with worryingly little diversity, he said.



Hungary is the EU country most committed to the rule of law, democracy and freedom, he said, noting that the incumbent prime minister, president and house speaker all fought for those values during the communist rein. That is why we are reluctant to accept lecturing on the issue, he added.



Matthias Rossler, the speaker of the Saxon regional parliament, said Germany will never forget that Hungarians were the first to blow a hole in the Iron Curtain.



Central Europe is gaining importance in Europe, he said. Central Europeans, including Saxony and Hungary, are the living core of Europe, he said.



That confidence is essential to weathering the challenges of the 21st century, he said. Rossler praised Hungarys policies for ethnic minorities, which protects and strengthens the identity of ethnic Germans in Hungary.



In a message, Johannes Haindl, Germanys ambassador to Hungary, praised cultural cooperation between the two countries. At the same time, he insisted that political differences in certain areas have grown into ideological culture wars.



The Lisbon Treaty ensures that national values are maintained rather than threatened, he said.



Germany continues to put an emphasis on partnership, dialogue and the cooperation of equals, he said.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is in Budapest today for talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orban and President Janos Ader.

After arriving in Budapest in the morning, Bolsonaro will lay wreaths of commemoration at Heroes Square before meeting Ader for talks in the presidential palace.



Bolsonaro and Orban will meet in the prime ministers offices and make a press statement after the talks.



Bolsonaro is a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage and homosexuality, abortion, affirmative action,drug liberalization, and secularism. More:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jair_Bolsonaro
Central European think-tank, Visegrad Insight, asked the question: what would happen if Russia were to attack Ukraine?. In a collection of reports, they look at the possible reactions of nine Central and Eastern European countries, including Hungary. According to the study, Hungary would not provide armed assistance to Ukraine, but Budapest would not veto any sanctions against Russia either.

In the event of a Russian attack, the Hungarian minority living in Ukraines Transcarpathian region would have to face the direct consequences of war, according to a recent study by Central European think-tank, Visegrad Insight.



Many ethnic Hungarians serve in Ukraines armed forces as professional or contract soldiers, particularly in the elite 128th Mountain Assault Brigade located in Munkacs (Mukachevo).



Should a major escalation occur, this unit would surely see combat, inevitably suffering casualties, potentially including ethnic Hungarians, Andras Racz, research fellow of Hungarys University of Public Service, writes.



Besides, if Ukraine were forced to launch another wave of mobilization and/or conscription, it would most certainly affect the ethnic Hungarian citizens of Ukraine.



Hungarys relations with Russia

The study outlines the concept of the so-called Eastern Opening, which can be seen as the cornerstone of contemporary Hungarian foreign policy.



The initiative started in the early 2010s by the Orban government, implying that Hungary needs to intensify its relations with Eastern countries in order to counterbalance economic dependence on the West.



As a result, Hungary has developed close economic ties with Russia to the point some say, that, Andras Racz writes, when there is a forced choice between Russia and Ukraine, Hungary often favors the interests of Moscow, as long as the issue is not an EU or NATO one, because in these cases, Hungary is almost always compliant with allied interests.



There are several reasons why Budapest often tends to favor Moscows interests. One of the most important is that Russia is Hungarys key supplier of natural gas; a new, 15-year-long gas contract was signed in late 2021.



Furthermore, back in 2014, the Hungarian government contracted Rosatom to build two new nuclear reactors in Paks. This is by far the largest and most important project in Hungary-Russia relations.



Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense has just confirmed to liberal news site hvg.hu that it has an evacuation plan for ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine if the Russia-Ukraine conflict were to escalate further.



There is also a chance for small-scale military draft evasion of those who want to avoid conscription, though a more likely destination of draft-dodgers is Poland.



If a major war starts, the Hungarian government should expect thousands, possibly tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees to arrive in Hungary.



Not all of these asylum-seekers would be from Transcarpathia where the Hungarian minority lives, but also from other parts of the country, mostly from where the guest workers are.



Once the war breaks out, these people are unlikely to return home, and will try to bring over their families, too.



Hungarys relations with Ukraine

According to the study, one of the most important issues of the Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations is the situation of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.



The current restrictive minority policies of Ukraine, particularly the language and education laws, have been heavily criticized by Hungary for years now.



As initial negotiations did not bring any results, Budapest changed its approach in 2018 and started to employ a coercive strategy vis-a-vis Kyiv.



Hungary keeps blocking high-level contacts of Ukraine with NATO and the EU, and thereby intends to put pressure on the Ukrainian government.



At the same time, the study points out that this policy clearly has serious limitations, as Budapest cannot escalate with Kyiv indefinitely without getting into conflict with its EU and NATO allies, a price the Hungarian government does not want to pay.



Hungary would also be seriously affected by a fallout over the gas pipelines from Ukraine.



Although the country has not been buying natural gas directly from Ukraine since 2021, a significant amount of Ukrainian gas via Slovakia connects the Baumgarten gas hub in Austria from where Hungary is importing gas from the West. If this pipeline would get blocked or damaged, it would be a significant loss for Hungary.



Despite these arguably serious consequences, it is certain that Hungary is not going to provide any lethal military aid to Ukraine. The maximum likely military-related contribution of Hungary would be to host wounded Ukrainian soldiers for medical treatment, which Budapest has already been doing since 2015.



Meanwhile, if the EU is going to adopt new sanctions against Russia, Hungary will surely criticize but not veto them. According to the study, a Hungarian veto would be particularly counter-productive, because it would take place in times of the EU rule of law debate over Hungarys domestic policies.



As Russia is both unwilling and unable to replace the EU funds Hungary plans to receive from the EU, it is unlikely that Budapest would risk using EU money for the sake of Moscow.



Should the situation in Ukraine deteriorate significantly, this is likely to change the Hungarian position taken at the end of January that the Hungarian armed forces alone are sufficient enough to deal with the situation, and that the government is likely to reconsider its earlier decision on not hosting additional NATO forces.
Airfares from major Indian cities to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have almost halved after a continuous five-month high. Now, one-way fares from the New Delhi-Dubai route can be bought for less than Rs 14,000, down from Rs 40,000 a month ago.

In December 2021, the India-UAE airfare crossed Rs 37,000 (1,814 Dirham), which now costs about Rs 13,660 (Dirham 665) one-way. In October, I had paid approximately Rs 45,000 for me and my infant for a commercial flight, so I am happy as price fares have dropped for my returning flight, said Fatima, a woman who travelled to UAE in December.

As per official sources, the prices of the airlines increased drastically as the country opened doors for vaccinated residents. Further, UAE attracted tourists due to Expo 2020 Dubai. In October 2021, as per travel agents, one-way fare from Indian cities such as Hyderabad, Kozhikode, Kochi, Delhi were as high as Dirham 2,000 (Rs 40,373) near the departure date.

Read also: PIA urges to Imran Khan to not allow foreign airlines use domestic routes

The Indian government exempted seven-day quarantine for international travellers from February 14. However, the pre-travel RT-PCR test valid for 72-hours before departure will continue to remain mandatory for all international passengers. The suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services in India has been extended till February 28. Flights under the air bubble arrangement would be unaffected, according to the countrys aviation authorities.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, airlines commenced flying to new places to meet the increasing travel demand. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi launched direct flights to Kochi, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram. Go First, an Indian low-cost airline now operates four weekly flights between Srinagar and Sharjah.

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Rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia on the ground have started showing their effects in the air as well. As per recent reports, the air traffic in the skies covering the eastern region of Ukraine has been comparatively decreased because of the tumultuous situation between the two nations.

This situation can be understood as the impasse on Ukraine's border escalating into a military clash. Airlines and leasing businesses with billions of dollars in passenger planes are preparing contingency plans for a business freeze with Russia.

In addition, due to Russian naval exercises in the Black Sea, Ukraine advised airlines to avoid flying over the open waters from Monday through Saturday. Adding to it, several European airlines are sceptical about flying through Ukrainian airspace.

Also read: Vistara fell short on THIS commitment, did not live up to expectations: Vistara CEO

However, these latest events are not the only reasons. Airlines have avoided flying over Ukrainian airspace since 2014. The reason was the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines flight on 17 July 2014.

The Malaysia Airlines plane Boeing 777, flight MH17, was destined to fly to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam but was shot down over separatist-held territory. The incident claimed the lives of 298 passengers on board, out of which 198 were Dutch citizens.

In an investigation later conducted by a Dutch Safety Board, it was revealed that a Russian-made surface-to-air missile hit the plane.

Prosecutors in Ukraine and the Netherlands accused Russia-backed armed groups operating in the area of firing the missile. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied any involvement.

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Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran recently issued a message to the Air India staff. In the message, the chairman said Tata Group is committed to making Air India world class. He also mentioned that the group will work to make Air India best in customer service. "We want AI to be best in class in customer service. We want AI to be the most technologically advanced airline in the world", said N Chandrasekaran.

Air India was handed over to Tata Group on January 27, completing a full circle as the airline returned to the Tatas after 69 years. Through a competitive bidding process, the government sold Air India to Talace Pvt Ltd, part of Tata Group, for Rs 18,000 crore.

Also read: Retired army officer slams Indigo for bumping off his seat under VIP pressure

Earlier, Ratan Tata, Chairman Emiretus, Tata Group said, "The Tata Group welcomes Air India's new customers and is excited to work together to make Air India the airline of choice in terms of passenger comfort and service."

Recently Tata Group named former Turkish Airlines Chairman Ilker Ayci Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India. "The board after due deliberations approved the appointment of Ilker Ayci as the CEO & MD of Air India. This appointment is subject to requisite regulatory approvals," Tata Sons stated in a release.

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran commented on Ayci's hiring, saying, "Ilker is a Turkish Airlines executive who oversaw the company's present success during his time there. We are happy to welcome Ilker to the Tata Group, where he will lead Air India into the next phase of its development."

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New Delhi: The ED has registered a criminal case of money laundering against ABG Shipyard Ltd, its former promoters along with others for allegedly cheating a consortium of banks of over Rs 22,842 crore, official sources said on Wednesday.

The action comes days after the CBI registered an FIR in the country's biggest alleged bank loan fraud case.

The ED case has been filed under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the investigators studied the CBI complaint and the forensic audit report, sources said.

They added that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will specifically look into the alleged "diversion" of bank loan funds, the creation of shell firms to launder the public money and the role of the executives of the company and others.

The CBI had booked ABG Shipyard Ltd and its then chairman and managing director Rishi Kamlesh Agarwal along with others for allegedly cheating a consortium of banks of over Rs 22,842 crore.

It had also named the then executive director Santhanam Muthaswamy, directors Ashwini Kumar, Sushil Kumar Agarwal and Ravi Vimal Nevetia and another company ABG International Pvt Ltd for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust and abuse of official position under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Also Read: Vivo to invest Rs 3,500 crore in India by 2023, plans to start exporting mobiles in 2022

The accused in the ED case are the same, they said. Also Read: OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G India launch tomorrow, Feb 17: Expected Price, colour options

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New Delhi: The Income Tax department has begun searches looking into the alleged tax evasion by Chinese telecom company Huawei. The raids are being conducted at multiple premises linked to Huawei across the country.

According to a report by IANS, the raids are being conducted in the National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru and some other parts of the country. The tax officials are going through a number of account books belonging to the company.

The taxmen have also checked Huaweis financial records for the last three years, along with the companys records. The officials are said to have prepared a list of associates, clients and partners of the company which includes its foreign and country-based partners, the report mentioned.

Income Tax Department conducting searches at Chinese telecom company Huawei as part of a tax evasion investigation. Raids are going at the company's premises in Delhi, Gurugram, and Bengaluru in Karnataka since yesterday.  ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2022

On its part, Huawei said that the company is firmly compliant with all laws and regulations. It has added that it didnt indulge in any tax evasion and will cooperate with the Indian authorities. Also Read: Online process to link PAN Card with LIC, check deadline and other details ahead of LIC IPO

We have been informed of the visit of the Income Tax team to our office and also of their meeting with some personnel. Huawei is confident our operations in India is firmly compliant with all laws and regulations, the company said. Also Read: 7th Pay Commission: Here's the big update on fitment factor, minimum wages set to be hiked?

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New Delhi: Second-largest IT exporter Infosys may hire more than 55,000 fresh graduates from campuses in FY23 as it sees a very good runway for growth going forward, a top executive said on Wednesday.

The Bengaluru-headquartered company's chief executive Salil Parekh said there are tremendous opportunities awaiting engineering and science graduates in the tech sector, but urged them to internalise that it will be a career where they will have to learn new skills at shorter durations.

"We will recruit 55k college grads in FY22. We think we will recruit that or a higher number in next year (FY23)," Parekh said while addressing IT industry lobby Nasscom's annual NTLF event.

He said Infosys is targeting a 20 per cent jump in annual revenues in FY22 and this presents a great opportunity for a fresher to join the company and grow.

Parekh says the company focuses a lot on skilling, wherein it trains a fresher for six to 12 weeks before one gets deployed on the floor.

Additionally, it has a programme on reskilling all its existing employees, unlike peers, to make sure that existing staffers keep reskilling and stay relevant.

For the young college students, Parekh said there are huge opportunities that await but urged them to be ready to imbibe new skills at shorter intervals.

The entrenched employees could do with reskilling themselves every decade as well, but the technology cycles will be much shorter going ahead and the young graduates will have to skill themselves every three to five years, he said.

Parekh added that Infosys sees a very good runway for growth in the future, which will be primarily led by the services built around the cloud. He reiterated that skilling employees for the work of the future will be among the focus areas.

With work coming from undertaking large scale digital transformation for clients, Parekh said his company is ready to work with the vendors of the client and other stakeholders.

It can also integrate public cloud, private cloud and platform as a service work to serve the client needs.

Amid the heightened response to software-as-a-service (Saas) offerings from India, Parekh said Infosys has transformed its banking offering Finacle and expects it to contribute larger sums for the company. Also Read: Nothing to release smartphone soon? Founder Carl Pei teases launch in cryptic messages

Equinox, which is a similar platform for the booming e-commerce sector, is also gaining traction and so is an offering on insurance as well, he said. Also Read: Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor gets bail in alleged fraud case of Rs 300 crores

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New Delhi: The University Grant Commission (UGC) informed on Wednesday (February 16) that the results for National Eligibility Test (NET) December 2020 and June 2021 exams will be declared in a day or two.

The December-2020 UGC-NET exam was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the delay, the UGC-NET of December 2020 and June 2021 Cycles were conducted together by the National Testing Agency (NTA) between November 20, 2021, and January 5, 2022.

The official statement by UGC read, The processing of results is underway. The Chairman, UGC, Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar said that UGC is working closely with NTA and all efforts are being made to declare the UGC-NET results in a day or two.

UGC says the results for UGC-NET December 2020 and June 2021 exams will be declared in a day or two pic.twitter.com/DKYh0SI0VB  ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2022

UGC-NET was held in 81 subjects at 837 centres across 239 cities in India. Over 12 lakh candidates had registered for UGC-NET exam, which was conducted in three phases.

The first phase of UGC-NET was conducted from November 20, 2021 to December 5, 2021, the next from December 23 to December 27, 2021 and the last phase was from January 4 to 5, 2022.

Notably, once the results are declared, candidates can visit the official UGC website at ugcnet.nta.nic.in.

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Chandigarh: The Haryana government on Wednesday lifted all Covid-related restrictions in the state in view of declining cases of new coronavirus infections. However, the residents of the state have been advised to strictly follow Covid-appropriate behavioural norms, including social distancing, an order issued by Sanjeev Kaushal, Chief Secretary-cum-Chairperson of the State Executive Committee of Haryana State Disaster Management Authority (HSDMA) said.

According to the order, all restrictions imposed as part of the 'Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana' have been lifted in the state.

"In continuation of HSDMA order dated Feb 5, 2022, vide which guidelines of 'Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana' (restrictions) were issued to be implemented in the state. Now, in the exercise of the powers conferred under relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 ...In my capacity as chairperson, State Executive Committee direct to remove all the restrictions in the state," said the order.

Government of Haryana removes all existing #COVID19 restrictions in the state. pic.twitter.com/7HgNPxxQds  ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2022

Various restrictions were earlier imposed by the HSDMA in view of a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state. However, relaxations were announced during the last three weeks at different time intervals as the number of new Covid cases gradually started to see a decline over a week ago.

On February 5, the state government had eased some Covid-related restrictions in the state and the new guidelines were to remain in force till February 15. Last month, the Haryana government had allowed the reopening of cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes with 50 per cent seating capacity.

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New Delhi: Attacking the opposition parties ahead of the state Assembly election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (February 16) said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the photocopy of the Congress.

Addressing a rally at Punjabs Pathankot, Modi underscored the similarities between the two parties, alleging that both the AAP and Congress opposed the Ram temple in Ayodhya and speak the "language of Pakistan" when Indian soldiers display their bravery, PTI reported.

PM Modi claimed that Arvind Kejriwals AAP and the grand old party are pretending to fight in Punjab. "Both these parties, despite being 'ek thali ke chatte batte' (two sides of the same coin), are now together doing 'noora kushti' (pretending to fight) in Punjab. Have you seen WWF? This is what they are doing. They are pretending to be rivals, Modi said at his second rally in Punjab.

Talking about AAP, he said, "It is a Xerox copy of the Congress. Everything is the same.

"See the similarities between these two parties, when the Ram temple was coming up in Ayodhya, both of them opposed it. When India's bravehearts show their valour, the leaders of these parties speak the language of Pakistan," the PM alleged.

Modi added, "The truth is that if the Congress is the original, then the second party (AAP) is its photocopy."

Continuing his attack, the PM said that while one party (Congress) pushed the youth into the drug trap in Punjab, the second party is busy getting the youth of Delhi addicted to liquor. "One looted Punjab and the second is committing scams one after another in Delhi", the BJP MP added. Modi said the Congress has now got a "partner in crime".

Appealing to the voters, he asked them to bring the BJP-led alliance to power in Punjab for the all-round development of the state.

Punjab will vote in a single-phase election on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

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New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has provided central security cover to 23 BJP candidates and leaders in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab till the assembly elections get over.

The Centres move came after a warning from the intelligence agencies that Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has activated all of its terror wings to disrupt the election process in Punjab.

Intelligence agencies have warned that the ISI-sponsored Sikh terror outfits may attempt to target election rallies in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand, and also try to target some important leaders or VIPs.

Sources said that BJP candidate and Union Minister SPS Baghel has been provided Z category security cover in Uttar Pradesh by Central Industrial Security Force while other BJP MP Dr Ramesh Chand has been given `X` category security cover. Similarly in Punjab, 21 sitting MLAs who are contesting elections have been given `Y` category security cover from Central Reserve Police Force.

The prominent among them are Avtar Singh Zira, Nimisha T. Mehta who recently joined the saffron party, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Sardar Kanwar Veer Singh Tohra, Sardar Didar Singh Bhatti, Sardar Kanwar Veer Singh Tohra, Sardar Gurpreet Singh Bhatti, Sardar Hariot Kamal while Sukhwinder Singh Bindra have been given `Y+` security.

Sources quoting officials said that some of the BJP candidates already have security cover from the state police but still they have been provided with central security cover. This security cover will be given to these candidates till the assembly elections and the continuation of the security will be decided after a review of the situation.

The Centre`s move to provide security cover to the BJP leaders and candidates is akin to the decision taken by the MHA during the Bengal polls last year wherein central government provided security covers to many BJP leaders and candidates during the election period and subsequently withdrawn after the election process was over.

Earlier, the Union Home Ministry has already accorded VIP security cover to some of the leaders of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and other religious outfits in Punjab.

Recently, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawats security cover was also upgraded from the Y category to the Z category during his stay in Delhi and Punjab. Shekhawat is the BJP election in-charge of the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab.

The other turncoats who joined BJP like former Akali Dal`s youth wing leader Parminder Singh Brar, Manjinder Singh Sirsa got `Z` category security while Gurmit Singh Sodhi`s security cover was upgraded from the `Y` category to the `Z` category. Sodhi had also joined BJP with Sirsa in December.

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Pathankot (Punjab): Launching a scathing attack at Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (September 16) slammed the Congress Government for failing to merge Kartarpur Sahib, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, within India's territory during partition in 1947, or after wins in subsequent wars.

"Even during the 1965 war, Congress did not bother to take back the land. During the 1971 war, the government sitting in Delhi would have returned 90,000 Pakistani soldiers on the condition that it returned the Tapobhumi of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara." "When the country was partitioned, the people of Congress were there, did they not understand enough that Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Tapobhoomi should be kept in India at a distance of 6 km from the border. Congress members have committed a crime, crushed our sentiments," he added.

He further said that the BJP gave recognisation to this heritage of India all over the world."We are a dedicated people, we are also proud of our heritage, the responsibility of development is also in front of us. We celebrate Prakash Parv of Gurus with full faith not only in the country but all over the world. Recognize this heritage of India all over the world," he added.

The Prime Minister accused Congress of belittling and insulting the sacrifices of the soldiers who died during the 2016 Pathankot attack."When Pakistani terrorists attacked this land of Pathankot, the entire country was united but where were Congress party leaders at that time? They questioned the capabilities of our armed forces, they raised doubts, they raised questions on the sacrifices of our martyrs. Even during the anniversary of Pulwama attack, they are again questioning the proofs of our soldiers' capabilities. Now it's you who has to decide if can we trust the security of a border state like Punjab in such people`s hands," Modi said in Pathankot.

He praised Captain Amarinder Singh, saying that he was in Congress earlier and stopped such intentions of the party. "But now, he has also left," Modi said. He also attacked dynasty politics. "Wherever we win, we oust remote-control government and appeasement and dynasty politics," he said. "We will make a new Punjab. BJP will leave no stone unturned. People do not leave our side, once they back us," he added.

PM Modi promised development and procurement at MSP under 'Nava Punjab'. "We have made highways in Punjab. The Delhi-Katra expressway crosses through Punjab and it will provide new avenues for development and employment opportunities for the people of Punjab," he said. "We are creating the Ludhiana-Bengal corridor. We are also working on getting more airports in Punjab. The PGI satellite centres are also being set up. We have also created food parks in Punjab. Record crop procurement on MSP is happening for farmers of Punjab," the Prime Minister said."We shall create a border development authority for developing areas like Pathankot," he added.

Referring to the Aam Aadmi Party, PM Modi said, "Now Congress has also found a "partner in crime". For Ram Mandir, both these parties protested and both question the sacrifices of our soldiers... One party has pushed Punjab's youth into drugs, the other has pushed Delhi into liquor. Now both these parties are doing WWF in Punjab. In Delhi, AAP only could form the government with the Congress's support. If Congress is original, this other party is its photocopy," Modi said.

He said that infrastructure will be created in border villages and work will be done for skill development and tourism."We have taken a very important decision in this budget. A huge benefit of this is going to be given to the border villages of my Punjab. We have made a provision in the budget that Vibrant Village Scheme will be implemented in the border villages," he added. PM Modi said hundreds of Sainik schools will be opened in Punjab and that girls will also be given admission to these schools. He said that the Centre works on the principles of Sant Ravidas.

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New Delhi: 'Dont Forget 2004', said one of the key leaders of the political party that won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, in response to a query on the popularity and invincibility of the current regime, its main rival, which was also the ruling party in 2004.

A book by the same title Dont Forget 2004 authored by Jayshree M Sundar, narrates the thrilling story of the political contest between these two rivals, and how a victory was ensured for the weaker party with the involvement of the advertising agency headed by her.

It's a story that needs to be told time and again. So, it has been penned down and compiled into a book to inspire the generations to come. One may look at it as a segment of a history book documenting one of the most unexpected victories of modern Indian politics, a treatise on marketing and branding, or simply a thriller.

For those, who have lived through this era, its a journey back in time to the year that witnessed one of the most unanticipated political triumphs and also the shocking defeat of a political party portrayed as a potential winner in opinion polls.

The book holds relevance for various audiences at all times. More so, now that elections are around the bend and the din of electioneering grows louder with each passing day. A phoenix rose from the ashes when a David battled several Goliaths to come forward to aid its resurrection.

As per the narrative, a legendary political party (the phoenix) is seeking a comeback in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, which seems very unlikely given the popularity of the ruling party (a Goliath) against whom it is pitted.

Yet the unexpected happens and it registers a remarkable win in the election due to its marketing campaign masterfully curated by the Delhi-based team of a multinational advertising agency. Its Aam Aadmi campaign renders a powerful blow to the India Shining campaign of the ruling party, bringing it down to its knees.

The advertising agency (the David), which itself is struggling to establish itself in the advertising world of the countrys national capital and its client (the phoenix) have a lot in common.

Both are looking for a turnaround, face tough competition, but win their respective battles through their optimism, foresight, hard work, professionalism, visionary approach, and teamwork. Quite like its client, the advertising agency is pitted against highly established players (the Goliaths) in its field.

It has never handled a political campaign before, but still gets selected after clearing the rounds of pitches for which other fiercely competitive agencies too have been invited.

It is interesting to read about how the agency bagged the contract for running the election campaign. Every aspect of the entire campaign till the very end of the election scenario of 2004 is vividly presented, while the book offers valuable insights into the intricacies of Indian leadership.

The volume grips the reader with an interesting narration on the secrets of marketing and branding, consumer research, formulating effective marketing strategies and successful execution of a campaign.

Dont Forget 2004 is a saga that would interest almost everyone looking for inspiration to press on despite the challenges they face. More than being just a case study meant for students eyeing a lucrative career in the media or corporate world, the book bears evidence of the power of the human mind that has the ability to turn tables on even the most formidable adversary.

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Bengaluru: The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party allegedly shared the personal details of the girls from Udupi including their residential addresses who had approached the Karnataka High Court against the ban on wearing of hijabs in classrooms. Apparently, after coming under criticism, the party deleted its tweets in English as well as Kannada.

The party had tweeted, "Five of the students involved in #HijabRow are minors. Don't Congress leaders Sonia, Rahul & Priyanka have any guilt for using minor girls to stay relevant in politics? How low will they stoop to win elections? Is this what "Ladki hoo lad sakti hoon" means, @priyankagandhi?" Along with the tweet, the party put out the personal details of the girls from Udupi, who had filed petitions in the High Court.

Taking a strong view against BJP's Karnataka unit, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted, "Shameless @BJP4Karnataka tweets the addresses of the minor girls in order to attack the opposition. Do you'll realise how insensitive, sick and pathetic this is? I request @DgpKarnataka and @TwitterIndia to take action and take down the tweet. Also seek @GoI_MeitY intervention."

The Rajya Sabha member also demanded that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights take this up immediately. "This is a criminal act to share names and addresses of minors. This is unacceptable," Chaturvedi further tweeted.

I demand @ncpcr also to take this up immediately. This is a criminal act to share names and addresses of minors. This is unacceptable https://t.co/Vj0NRcWvFb  Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) February 15, 2022

Karnataka is witnessing a row over Hijab versus Saffron scarves, which started since December end in Udupi in coastal Karnataka. On January 1, six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference held by Campus Front of India (CFI) in the coastal town protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into the classroom by wearing Hijab.

This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear Hijabs in classes which was not allowed. Till then, students used to wear Hijab to the campus and entered the classroom after removing the scarves, the college principal Rudre Gowda had said. "The institution did not have any rule on Hijab-wearing as such and since no one used to wear it to the classroom in the last 35 years. The students who came with the demand had the backing of outside forces," Rudre Gowda had said.

The full bench of the Karnataka High Court where the girls had petitioned is hearing the matter on day-to-day basis. The Court, in its interim order pending consideration of all petitions related to the hijab row, last week restrained all the students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, Hijab and any religious flag within the classroom.

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Bengaluru: Amid hearing in the Karnataka High Court on a batch of petitions challenging the hijab ban in schools and colleges, states Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has warned that strict action will be taken if protesting students fail to follow the interim High Court order.

As students from a particular community started protesting in many parts of Karnataka demanding their right to wear a hijab in spite of the interim order by the HC, Jnanendra said, "We adopted a soft approach all these days, it won`t be there anymore."

"Till now, there was consideration not to hurt students as they are sensitive and it was thought that they are protesting with provocation from outsiders. Abiding by the court order and respecting the constitution is the responsibility of citizens of this country. If this is violated, harsh action will be initiated immediately without any consideration," he warned.

Even as Muslim girl students came out on the streets demanding their right to wear a hijab, the Karnataka Home Minister said that no major untoward incidents were reported in the state.

Barring incidents in two to three areas of the state, District Commissioners, local and college administrations have convinced the protesting students to attend their classes and overall there is a peaceful environment, the Minister added.

Muslim students belonging to the Empress College took out a protest march after being denied entry to classrooms for wearing a hijab and also raised slogans of Allah hu Akbar.

The protesting students gathered before the District Commissioner`s office demanding their right to wear a hijab. Chitradurga District Commissioner, Vinoth Priya, called the students and spoke to them.

Several Muslim girl students of Malnad college in Chikkamagalur entered the college with a hijab and raised slogans demanding that they should be allowed to attend classes. As they entered the college premises, boys from the same community extended support.

In Hubballi, the Government Girls College for Arts and Commerce Principal joined hands with the local and college administrations in trying to pacify the parents and students.

However, the Muslim girl students argued that they must be allowed to wear a hijab inside the college. Later, the college authorities declared a holiday. Muslim students came out on the streets raising the slogans of We want hijab and `hijab is our right`.

Tension prevailed at Anjuman Anglo College in Gadag as Muslim students refused to return home and staged a protest and raised slogans inside the college premises.

Students in the Vijayapura district also protested near the Deputy Commissioner`s office demanding that the hijab be allowed.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had on Wednesday appealed to the students to follow the court order and urged the local and college administrations to cooperate so that the students receive their education.

"With concern, I request everyone. We have to wait for the final court order with restraint. Sort out the confusion. Cordial environment must be created by resolving issues with the school, college management and parents," he said.

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Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday resumed hearings on the petitions filed in connection with the ongoing row over wearing hijab in schools and colleges across the southern state.

The full bench of the Karnataka High Court, comprising chief justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, justice Krishna S Dixit and justice JM Khazi is hearing arguments challenging the ban on wearing hijab in Karnataka schools.

As the hearing began in the high court, some Muslim students refused to remove the Hijab and said that they will not attend the schools without a hijab.

We came to attend classes but they (school admin) asked us to remove Burqa & Hijab on entry. We were ready to remove Burqa but will not remove Hijab, says a student pic.twitter.com/oSKdvQXWru  ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2022

Lingaraj Angadi, SJMV College for Women in Hubli today declared a holiday after some students said that they'll not come without Hijab.

Karnataka| Today we've followed the High Court's (interim) order in which it is clear that they (students) have to follow the dress code. But some students said they'll not come without Hijab...so we've declared a holiday: Lingaraj Angadi, SJMV College for Women in Hubli pic.twitter.com/6H7KsOQiCy  ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2022

Continuing his arguments on behalf of two students from Kundapura college in the high court on Tuesday, senior advocate Devadatta Kamat stated that India's Constitution follows positive secularism, not like Turkish secularism, which is negative secularism. He added, ''our secularism ensures that everyone's religious rights are preserved.''

During the hearing on Monday, Kamat, appearing for the petitioner, had submitted before Karnataka HC that the Government Order (ban on hijab) is a non-application of mind. He said this ''GO (government order) is in the teeth of Article 25 and it is not legally sustainable.''

Kamat also said that Muslim women are allowed to wear headscarves in Kendriya Vidyalaya. He added that ''this is a case where students have been wearing a headscarf for years together.''

Driving his point home, Kamat said as far as core religious practices are concerned, they come from Article 25(1) & that it is not absolute. Advocate Kamat added "if core religious practices harm or offend public order then it can be regulated.'' Kamat maintained, "The question is where is that law on the basis of which the headscarf is prohibited."

To which, the Karnataka High Court asked Kamat whether what all has been stated in Quran is essential religious practice? Replying to it, Kamat said, "I am not saying that." The petitioners argue that according to Quran, it is a 'farz' (duty) to wear hijab. Students are seeking to wear hijabs of the same colour as their uniforms.

The petitioners have urged the court to allow girls to attend classes in hijab and continue their education while the government argued that it would be necessary to find whether the hijab is essential in Islam. Last week, the high court had restrained students from wearing hijab or any other religious attire until further orders.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had on Tuesday said that everyone should abide by the Karnataka High Court order on hijab row. He said this after attending the business advisory committee meeting of the state Assembly.

Chief Minister Bommai also expressed confidence that peace and normalcy will prevail. He had also said that a decision regarding the reopening of Pre-University and Degree colleges will be taken after assessing the situation.

High schools in Karnataka reopened on Monday after being shut from last Wednesday following untoward incidents in parts of the State over the hijab row. Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been imposed in sensitive areas in the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, and Bengaluru.

In the Udupi district, high schools reopened on Monday with Education Department sources saying that attendance was normal in all the institutions. Muslim girl students who reached the school campuses wearing hijabs removed them before entering classes.

Police personnel have been posted in Udupi town and near the schools to maintain law and order and to avoid any untoward incident. The Udupi district administration imposed Section 144 of CrPC around the 200-metre radius of all high schools in the district from Monday till February 19 to maintain peace.

Udupi Tahsildar Pradeep Kurudekar, who visited a few schools, said Muslim students are abiding by the High Court's interim order by removing hijabs before entering classes.

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The Foreign Ministry is trying its best to increase flights between New Delhi and Kiev, news agency ANI reported quoting sources. "Discussions are underway with civil aviation authorities and various airlines on how to increase the number of flights between India and Ukraine," sources told news agency ANI.

Control rooms are being set at the embassy as well as the foreign ministry to respond to queries of Indian nationals in Ukraine and their families in India, they said further.

"Embassy continues to monitor developments. We're aware that many Indian students are presently in Ukraine and their families are anxious about their wards, particularly about getting flights to India," sources told ANI.

On Tuesday, India advised its citizens in Ukraine to temporarily leave that country amid escalating tension between Russia and NATO countries over the eastern European nation. In an advisory, the Indian embassy in Kyiv asked Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine.

"In view of the uncertainties of the current situation in Ukraine, Indian nationals in Ukraine, particularly students whose stay is not essential, may consider leaving temporarily," it said.

"Indian nationals are also advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine," the embassy said.

The embassy also asked Indian nationals to keep it informed about their status in that country to enable the mission to reach out to them when required.

"Indian nationals are requested to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the Embassy to reach them where required," the embassy said.

It said the mission continues to function normally to provide all services to Indian nationals in Ukraine.

The US and its Western allies have been severely critical of Russia over its continuing build-up of forces near the Ukraine border.

The US has already sent extra troops to Europe to support its allies in the backdrop of fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday (February 16) arrested four terror associates of the terror outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF), involved in providing logistic and support to active terrorists in Kashmir Valley.

The police said in a statement, "On the basis of reliable intelligence input, it was found that the militant's organization "The Resistance Front (TRF) is active in J&K and is being orchestrated by handlers based in Pakistan.

Two active militants namely: Basit Ahmed Dar of Redwani Kulgam and Momin Gulzar of Eidgah, Srinagar are using the network of overground workers in the valley for subversive activities, the police added.

These OGWs are providing logistic support and are harbouring these terrorists in Kashmir valley, the J&K police further said.

Accordingly, a case was registered by the police and investigation initiated, during which four hardcore terrorist associates were arrested.

Four hardcore OGWs have been arrested in the case so far whom police identified as Basharat Ahmed Pampori, Adil Shafi Bhat, Muzamil Fayaz Sofi, and Adil Mushtaq Mir.

ALSO READ: NIA conducts multiple raids in Kashmir in connection with LeT's role in radicalising J&K youth, 4 arrested

These OGWs were also found to be involved in creating content of the threatening posters issued by TRF from time to time. Through these posters they aimed to threaten government employees, Police, Armed Forces, elected PRls and non-local businessmen and to cause disaffection against the state. It was also found that they had recently provided logistic support to three militants namely Momin Gulbar, Arif Ahmed Hazar and one foreign terrorist by providing them shelter and also facilitated them in carrying out terrorist attacks in Srinagar city.

The police said further probe is on to identify other OGWs involved in this network and they expect more arrests soon.

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New Delhi: An unidentified man was on Wednesday (February 16, 2022) arrested after he tried to enter the residence of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in the national capital.

As per reports, the detained man hails from Bengaluru and further investigations are underway.

"According to the primary investigation, he seems to be mentally disturbed. He was driving a rented car," ANI quoted Delhi Police as saying.

More details are awaited.

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A Buffalo man who admitted last year he killed his mother and his ex-girlfriend wants to withdraw his guilty plea.

Charles L. Jones has had a "change of heart" since he pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in Erie County Court last June, one of his attorneys told a judge Wednesday.

When Jones admitted to the 2019 killings of Alethia Atwood Williams and Jacquetta L. Lee, he did so against his lawyers' advice and during a time of the Covid-19 pandemic, when there was limited dialogue between client and counsel, attorney Robert J. Cutting said.

Jones, 26, has come to the conclusion that his attorneys were correct and that he made a "grave mistake," Cutting told Judge Sheila A. DiTullio.

Jones' attorneys said they plan to file a motion to withdraw the plea. Oral arguments in the matter were scheduled for May 10.

Jones pleaded guilty June 30 to two murder counts, the only charges he faced. He had not yet been sentenced in the case.

"At the time, Mr. Jones was very remorseful," DiTullio said Wednesday about last June's plea.

Jones, who appeared in court shackled and wearing orange prison garb, would face a possible sentence of 50 years to life in prison, based on his guilty plea.

Twenty-five-year-old Jacquetta Lee's body was found in the bathroom of her apartment on Main Street near Heath Street on July 18, 2019. Authorities believed she was fatally stabbed about three days earlier. Her family had reported her missing.

On Aug. 16, 2019, Buffalo police went to Jones' mother's apartment on Jefferson Avenue, near East Ferry Street, with a warrant for her son's arrest. After a three-hour standoff, Jones surrendered.

Inside the apartment, they found his mother's body in a closet. The 52-year-old, who hadn't been seen in weeks, had been dead more than three weeks, according to investigators. Authorities determined she, too, was fatally stabbed.

At the time of Jones' plea, his attorneys indicated they would seek a mitigated sentence based on circumstances of domestic violence, Assistant Erie County District Attorney Eugene Partridge told the judge Wednesday.

The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, a law that went into effect in 2019, allows defendants to argue for a lesser sentence if the defendant at the time of the offense was a victim of domestic violence who was subjected to substantial physical, sexual or psychological abuse and such abuse was a significant contributing factor to their behavior.

The basis for the defense's request to withdraw the plea includes that circumstances caused by the pandemic led to limited "free, open and meaningful communication" between attorneys and Jones, Cutting said.

"Our ability to effectively meet with and communicate with Mr. Jones was gravely impaired," said Cutting, who represents Jones along with attorney Emily Trott.

Lee was a Daemen College graduate who was working at KeyBank at the time of her death.

After Jones' arrest, police and prosecutors said they were continuing to investigate the death of a child of Jones and Lee.

In May 2017, when Royalty Ava Lee-Jones was about a month old, she was rushed to the hospital. She had no visible injuries, but had suffered brain damage. She spent most of the rest of her life in the hospital and died in February 2018 at 10 months old.

The cause of the child's death wasn't clear. Police said at the time they believed Jones was alone with the infant just prior to her being rushed to the hospital.

The investigation into the child's death remains open, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office said in an email.

Jones remains held without bail.

Reach Aaron at abesecker[at]buffnews.com or 716-849-4602.

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New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday (February 16) conducted searches at multiple locations in Kashmir Valley in the case of radicalising, motivating and recruiting youth of Jammu and Kashmir by terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

NIA in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out searches at three locations across Kashmir Valley.

This case pertains to radicalising, motivating and recruiting of youth of J&K to effect violent activities in J&K and the rest of India by Sajjad Gul, Salim Rehmani alias Abu Saad and Saifullah Sajid Jutt, the commanders of LeT and The Resistance Front (TRF). Four persons have been arrested in the instant case so far.

The agency said it seized incriminating material and digital devices. Further investigation into the case is underway.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today (February 16) deliver the inaugural address at The Energy and Resources Institute's (TERI) World Sustainable Development Summit.

The video message is scheduled to begin around 6 PM.

The three-day summit will be attended by Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations, heads of various intergovernmental organisations, Ministers/ Envoys from more than a dozen countries and delegates from over 120 countries.

It is noteworthy that the World Sustainable Development Summit is TERIs annual flagship event and the theme for this years Summit is Towards a Resilient Planet: Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future.

The Summit will discuss a wide range of issues including climate change, sustainable production, energy transitions, global commons and resource security.

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New Delhi: Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz sees India's role positively amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. Without taking Moscow's name, Przydacz said, "You have relatively good relations with those countries, as I said, there is a possibility of involvement of India in diplomacy".

The West is worried over a Russian invasion of Ukraine something that Moscow has been dismissing. Speaking to WIONs diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Warsaw, Minister Przydacz said, "India is one of the most important actors in the international scene, the biggest democracy".

On Poland hosting Ukrainian refugees, the minister pointed, "Poland, as the neighboring country, needs to be ready to host possible refugees. As always, we are ready to help those who are in need but hopefully it won't happen." Poland shares a border with Ukraine and also the Russian territory of Kaliningrad. On Taiwan he said, while his country "sticks to one-China policy" at "economical level, we are ready to cooperate with Taipei".

Russia/Ukraine crisis

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see the current situation in eastern Europe? The last few days have been dramatic. Your FM was in Moscow. How do you assess the situation?

Marcin Przydacz: It is very important for us, for the Poles, to share our assessment and perspective with the Indian public. Your country is a very important actor in the international scene, so it is of crucial importance for us to share our perspective and opinions with you. With regards to the current situation in central and eastern, as you have probably seen. Russia is continuing its aggressive posturing and policy towards Ukraine and other countries in this region.

More than 100,000 troops deployed just next to the Ukrainian border, there is a kind of pressure on the Ukrainian state. The expectation from the Russian side is to somehow stop the possible integration of Ukraine with the European Union, with NATO. With pro-western orientation, Ukraine is one of the biggest countries of the post-soviet era. Russia is not happy with the fact that Ukraine is doing better and better with regard to cooperation with the West. The living standard of the country has not dropped but increased and it could be a very bad example for the Russian government. One day Russian public opinion may ask how it happened that the Ukrainian nation is doing better than the Russian one. So, the Russian govt is trying to build some kind of sphere of influence and to build as the said Soviet empire. He once said the collapse of the Soviet Union is the biggest tragedy of 21st century so his strategy is to rebuild but unfortunately it is at the cost of sovereign independent countries Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine. We cannot allow that to happen. To rebuild the soviet empire based on not very democratic rules. Poland is very much in favour of peaceful cooperation, stability, and it should be up to the Ukrainian nation, society to decide what is the future of their own country.

Sidhant Sibal: Do you think the war clouds have dissipated?

Marcin Przydacz: What we are very interested in is the final decision of withdrawing those troops rather than only announcing it. Once the troops will be sent back home then we will welcome such a decision. So far, we have not noticed the de-escalation, rather escalation. Even yesterday, Ukrainian state organization, Ukraine's banking system was attacked in the sphere of cyber. This aggressive behavior of Russia continues rather than the said de-escalation. We are very much in favour of de-escalation, waiting for a concrete decision rather than only talking. Diplomats are very much interested in discussing how to find a solution, not at any cost. We cannot compromise on international regulation; we cannot compromise of a democratic free world, being diplomats, of course, we are ready to continue the dialogue. That is why minister Rau, the Polish foreign affairs minister yesterday paid a visit to Moscow to discuss a possible solution. We are the chairman of the OSCE or Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe this year, so we do have some kind of responsibility for the security in Europe, ready to discuss and talks to Russians but the first decision we are expecting from our Russian neighbour is to withdraw troops from the border of Ukraine, from the territory of Belarus. More than 30,000 Belarus troops are actively exercising on the territory of Belarus, just next to the Ukraine and Polish border. This is pressure by the Russian state on the Ukraine government, so that is why we had to ask our American allies to deploy NATO troops to Poland. That is why we are discussing possible sanctioning of Russia in case of further escalation. We need to be ready as the free world, democratic society, community of the free world.

Sidhant Sibal: On Poland fears influx which could go up to 2-3 million, how is Poland geared up to tackle?

Marcin Przydacz: We still do hope that the situation will deescalate, there will be no incursion, no Russian attack on sovereign country Ukraine. We are doing our best in order to find a solution. We need to be prepared for a possible migration, a possible wave of refugees from Ukraine to Poland. We are trying to be ready, discussing it at the national level but also international level on how to deal with that. But so far, we should avoid the panic inside the Ukrainian state and that is also the decision of the Ukrainian govt to stabilize the situation, not to panic. As far as I understand and as far as I know Ukrainian people, they are ready to resist and defend their independence and sovereignty of their country, not thinking about fleeing the country but of course, this happens, Poland as the neighboring country need to be ready to host possible refugees. As always, we are ready to help those who are in need but hopefully it won't happen.

Sidhant Sibal: On Russia's demand for demilitarization of states like Poland and other eastern European countries.

Marcin Przydacz: Let me remind you of the history of the last 20 years, it was not Poland or NATO countries attacking other countries. NATO is the defense ally, it was Russia dominating other countries. For example, in Belarus, Russia recently deployed its troops, in Kazakhstan, in Armenia, Azerbaijan. In 2008, Russia attacked the independent state of Georgia capturing or taking some part of the territories of this country. In 2014, Russia took Crimea and part of Donbas. We are very much concerned with this aggressive policy conducted by the Russian government. That is why we are deploying as NATO troops on the territory of NATO countries. We are not interested in sending them anywhere else. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, that was the decision of our govts to invite more allies in order to continue the policy of deterrence. What we want to show, is to deter Russia and to show them we are ready to defend our country and we are ready to deter this aggressive policy of Russia.

India

Sidhant Sibal: What role do you see for India in the crisis, in terms of pacifying the crisis?

Marcin Przydacz: As I said, India is one of the most important actors in the international scene, the biggest democracy. It has also the potential to have a positive impact, positive influence on security architecture. Both of our countries are very much profiting from the fact that this security architecture has been stabilizing, global situation. Some countries, starting from Russia, are trying to challenge this architecture to change. These are authoritarian regimes. What we need to do, democratic states do, to continue our cooperation, continue dialogue. You have relatively good relations with those countries, as I said, there is a possibility of the involvement of India in diplomacy. We are very much interested in continuing our dialogue. Already talks, visits of your officials. Three years ago Minister Jaishankar was in Poland and also the situation in Eastern and Central Europe. Minister Rau was at the Raisina dialogue conference. I hope there will be a continuation of good talks, discussing how to deal with those threats and challenges based on international law, to find a way to coexist.

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see India-Poland relationship? How do you characterize it?

Marcin Przydacz: I welcome the current state of relations, they are developing well. Despite the pandemic, the political contact remains good. It proves that our ties are close and still have potential for further development. I hope more consultations will happen at a higher level. There are good foundations to ties. We still very much remember the fact that a great significant number of Polish migrants, refugees from Siberia during World War 2 were hosted by the Indian population, high officials. Several thousand Indian students in Poland, significant Polish business community in your country. We need to bring back direct flights between Warsaw and New Delhi, Warsaw and Mumbai. As you know a couple of years ago we launched a new direct flight by LOT Polish airline, directly from Warsaw to Delhi and I had the pleasure to open this flight but unfortunately due to the pandemic, we have to stop this direct connection but I do really hope we bring it back in order to offer our citizens to have a better people to people contact because this is the most important thing in the relations of the country. More Indian students, business people are very much welcomed in Poland and also the Polish business community will be welcomed in significant numbers in your country. Finally, in Poland, we have big fans of your movies, cinema industry. There have been several films shot in Poland and we do hope this will be continued.

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see the cultural connection, recently a Polish national was honored with the top Indian award, the Padma award?

Marcin Przydacz: As I said, Bollywood is very much popular in Poland and we do hope that we will find even more opportunities to explore this part of our relations. You mentioned, the former envoy of Poland was granted a very important prize in India. Those academicians, politicians or diplomats their work, job is very much acknowledged by the Indian govt, Indian society. We need to find more opportunities in order to explore this part of our relations. Poles are very much interested in Indian culture.

Belarus

Sidhant Sibal: How much is the worry over Belarus migrant issue for you? Has it subsided or is it still underway?

Marcin Przydacz: Well, you should not call it a crisis, it was an artificial crisis, very well planned by the authoritarian regime of Mr Lukashenko. After elections, he was sanctioned by the European Union and his answer, he said it publicly that he will create the refugee or migration crisis that is why he encouraged many possible migrants from the Middle East countries, from the Asian countries in order to come to Belarus and they were forcibly pushed to the border with Poland, Lithuania illegally in order to cross this border. Unfortunately, those people found themselves in a very difficult and dire situation. In winter they got stuck in a forest, legally on the territory of Belarus but basically being bullets in the hands of the authoritarian regime of Mr Lukashenko. This crisis is not over yet, hundreds of migrants are in the hands of Lukashenko, waiting for the right moment to be pushed through the border. Let me also tell you or the Indian society, beware of the fact that being invited to Belarus means you can be used as a bullet in the hands of an authoritarian regime and pushed through the border. I know Belarus diplomats are very actively searching for new possibilities to bring innocent people to Belarus and then use them as political instruments against the EU, Poland. We would not like to have this with the friendly nation of India.

Indo-Pacific

Sidhant Sibal: How do you see the Polish role or policy on the Indo Pacific, when countries like Germany and France have been taking a lead?

Marcin Przydacz: Well, first of all, after regaining full sovereignty and independence, after the collapse of the soviet union, we have joined NATO, EU and the natural environment for us was to be very concentrated on EU Affairs, transatlantic affairs. Now our economy is doing very well, we are in a much better position than 30 years ago. So, a lot of business people are interested in finding a place to invest in the Indo Pacific area. Our diplomats have been quite active in your region. We are reopening our embassies. In New Delhi, it was opened years ago but recently in several countries of your region we opened embassies. There is also room for better relations with countries of the Indo-Pacific. I know China is trying to challenge several things, in the Indo-Pacific area, we have been trying to be active as well to keep the stability through the instruments we have bilaterally. At the level of the EU, we have the Indo-Pacific strategy, we as Poland are very active in this discussion. Asia is the continent of 21st century. With huge potential, Poland is trying to be active at every possible level--diplomatic, political, economic cooperation and cultural collaboration.

China

Sidhant Sibal: China has been aggressive in Indo Pacific; how do you see Chinese actions in the region?

Marcin Przydacz: We stick to the One China policy, as Poland and there are a lot of challenges with regards to China but what is crucial is to keep the dialogue discussing all those issues which are problematic, just like with others. We know that India is in very good contact with Moscow although we do not prescribe Moscow's behavior very constructive in our region, let me put that diplomatically. W are also trying to be active in keeping the dialogue with Beijing. Our President visited China during the Olympics, to encourage our sportsmen mostly but on the margin, he had a good and frank discussion with President Xi Jinping. So our relations with China are vivid and potential in economic cooperation but there are some issues which need to be discussed and solved and we as Poland are ready to be an active actor in regard to that.

Taiwan

Sidhant Sibal: Many in Europe, including your neighbour Lithuania have upgraded ties with Taiwan. Do you plan a deeper engagement and upgradation with the country?

Marcin Przydacz: Well as I said we stick to the one-China policy, but we can respect the decision of every sovereign country to have their own interest and own ideas to conduct foreign policy. It was the Lithuanian decision to follow those principles of their interest. But what I can say with regards to Taiwan, we are trying to find new possibilities on how to encourage our business people to cooperate with Taiwan. Taiwan is a big economy, there is potential at the economic level. Of course, at an economical level, we are ready to cooperate with Taipei.

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Sonipat (Haryana): In a shocking incident, Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu died during treatment following a road accident on Tuesday (February 15). A woman, who was in the car accompanying him, is undergoing treatment and is out of danger, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Sonipat, Rahul Sharma. On Deep Sidhu's brother Surjeet's complaint, Sonipat Police has registered an FIR against a truck driver, who, the complaint alleges, applied breaks suddenly, resulting in the accident at Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) last night. FIR has been filed under sections 279 (rash driving) & 304A (causing death by negligence) of IPC.

Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, SP Rahul Sharma said, "We got information that two people have been brought to the hospital after a road accident. The man identified as Deep Sidhu died during treatment and the woman is undergoing treatment and is now out of danger."

"As per investigation done till now, he (Deep Sidhu) was driving and the woman was on the passenger seat," Sharma said. He further said at the moment, the identity of the woman cannot be revealed as permissions are required. "In due course, we will disclose it," he said. Sharma said that as per the investigation conducted so far, they were travelling towards Bathinda.

On Deep Sidhu's brother Surjeet's complaint, Sonipat Police registers FIR against a truck driver, who, complaint alleges, applied brakes suddenly, resulting in the accident at KMP last night FIR filed under sections 279 (rash driving) & 304A (causing death by negligence) of IPC  ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2022

Deep Sidhu was out on bail in the Republic Day violence case in January last year. He was bailed out in April. In February last year, Sidhu was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with Republic Day violence case in 2021. A tractor rally by farmers on Republic Day had turned violent after protesters came to the Red Fort. The farmers were protesting against three (now repealed) farm laws. Delhi Police had said in its FIR that Deep Sidhu "instigated the mob not to follow the permitted route of the Kisan parade and breach barricades with tractors" on January 26, 2021.

Check out the pictures of his car:

Visuals of Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu's car who died in a road accident. His car crashed into a stationary truck near Pipli toll at Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway. Police team at the spot. https://t.co/NzCan24Jtz pic.twitter.com/zixLtaxrHJ  ANI (@ANI) February 15, 2022

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi extended condolences over the death. "Deeply saddened to learn about the unfortunate demise of renowned actor and social activist, Deep Sidhu. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family and fans," the Chief Minister tweeted.

(With ANI inputs)

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New Delhi: Days ahead of the third phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav ramped-up attack on the ruling BJP on Wednesday (February 16), targetting the state government over grant of bail to union minister Ajay Mishra Tenis son, Ashish Mishra, in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.

Addressing an election meeting in poll-bound states Auraiya, Yadav promised that when his party is elected they will ensure that the culprit and his protectors go to prison.

"The minister's son who trampled farmers has got bail from court. The government did not pursue the case as it should have been, PTI quoted the SP supremo as saying.

SP assures you all that our government is coming and when it does, the case will be pursued in such a manner that not only the one who took the life of farmers will go to jail but also those patronizing them," he added.

Our Govt is going to be formed, SP assures you that we will do such 'pairvi' that those who killed farmers will go to jail and arrangements will also be made to send their protectors to jail: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, in Auraiya, UP pic.twitter.com/JFBlxkKLTx  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 16, 2022

Ashish Mishra is an accused in the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri incident which had left eight people, including four farmers and one journalist, dead last year. The Allahabad High Court recently granted Mishra bail after his arrest in October last year.

Hitting back at UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the BJP's attack on him for law and order during his rule, Yadav said, "'Babaji' is levelling allegations the most but see the work of their government too. Is the IPS not absconding? A trader was not beaten in the name of extortion by the police leaving him dead?

There would not have been a Lakhimpur-like incident in a world where a peaceful dharna' by farmers was going on and a Jeep comes and tramples them," the former UP CM added.

The third phase of voting will take place in UP on February 20, with the last phase on March 7. The results will be declared on March 10.

ALSO READ: 'Support BJP or face bulldozers': Telangana BJP MLA warns Uttar Pradesh voters, gets EC notice

(With agency inputs)

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Malda: Senior Trinamool Congress leader Firhad Hakim Wednesday warned TMC rebels who have filed their nomination for the coming municipal poll in the state violating party orders to withdraw from the fray immediately, or face expulsion.

Over 100 party members are contesting independently in different municipalities of the state after they were not given TMC tickets violating the directive of its leadership, including that of its supremo Mamata Banerjee, to withdraw from the civic poll fight.

The party has repeatedly asked these contestants to withdraw but they have refused claiming that they are being asked to do so by the people and that they cannot ignore their sentiments.

Hakim, also a state cabinet minister, who was here to campaign for the party in English Bazar for the municipality polls, told reporters that TMC has zero tolerance to any act of indiscipline.

"Our clear and unambiguous message to all those who are fighting against official TMC candidates in different municipalties is give a written undertaking in public that you will withdraw from the contest. Distribute leaflets among voters. Or we will expel such people," he said.

Rebel TMC candidates are contesting in Englishbazar, Old Malda, Balurghat, Coochbehar, Burdwan, Barasat, Sonarpur-Rajpur, Bongaon, Khardah and some other municipalties.

Hakim met TMC leaders to discuss the party's strategy in Old Malda and Englishbazar municipalities which were going to the poll on February 27.

"There can be differences but that has to be resolved in the greater interest of the people," he said.

Hakim had earlier said that those contesting the polls against the directive and decision of the party should remember that they owe their popularity and political identity to TMC.

"Without TMC you are nobody. Your hard work and toil had been in the party's interest. Then why are you acting against the interest of party?" he had told disgruntled party leaders in Kolkata.

A former chairman of Balurghat municipality in Dakshin Dinajpur district who did not get a TMC ticket and is an independent candidate this time said, "The party can take any action. But we haven't done anything wrong. The party did not acknowledge our hard work and the sentiment of the people of our wards."

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San Francisco: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has donated more than $5 billion worth of Tesla shares to an unspecified charity in November 2021, Forbes reported.

Musk transferred the 5,044,000 Tesla shares -- which were worth more than $5.4 billion at the time -- over the course of 10 days in November, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

The filing called the transfer a "bona fide gift" to charity, but it did not say what charity received the shares, the report said on Monday.

It is unclear who Musk donated his shares to, but one month beforehand, Musk responded to an article about the United Nations` World Food Programme (WEF) by tweeting he will donate $6 billion via sold Tesla stock to the organisation if it can explain how his money would solve world hunger.

WFP Executive Director David Beasley outlined a plan on Twitter and tagged Musk days before he donated the shares to an unspecified charity.

Musk and Tesla did not immediately respond to Forbes` requests for comment.

In November, Musk tweeted a poll asking his followers whether he should sell 10 per cent of his stock in Tesla in an attempt to counter accusations of tax avoidance, to which nearly 58 per cent of the 3.5 million voters said "yes".

Forbes estimated Musk would need to sell some 17 million shares -- worth almost $15 billion as of Monday`s close -- to reach this goal, and he sold more than 9 million shares in November.

Elon Musk donates over $5bn worth of Tesla shares to unnamed charity https://zeenews.india.com/international-business/elon-musk-donates-over-...
SRINAGAR: Taking a dig at the BJP, People Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti has said that it is like the East India Company and the saffron party will one day leave the country.

Speaking on the side-lines of a PDP event at Shopian in South Kashmir, Mufti said that the BJP is afraid of PAGD because it speaks about the real situation of Jammu and Kashmir.

"PAGD is fighting together to restore the lost respect of Jammu and Kashmir, be it 370, or 35A. We want to take our people out of this trouble, the former J&K chief minister said.

Mufti further alleged that "thousands of our people have been arrested and imprisoned in outside jails. The journalists who want to show the real truth have been arrested, and PAGD is a voice against it, that's why the central government is against it. They do not want anyone to talk about the reality here, they want that only one message to go out that everything is fine here.

She added, "the BJP said by abrogating 370, the issue of Kashmir has been resolved but the truth is that 370 has become even more complicated and resolving this has become even more difficult.,

Taking a dig at the BJP over the ongoing Hijab row, Mufti said, " Different kind of people live in India, wear different clothes, eat different food, but BJP wants to make it Godse's India."

They want that people should wear one dress, say no to hijab, this is not Gandhi's India, she said. This hijab thing is also a conspiracy to keep away our girls from getting their education. But our girls are very intelligent, they will not let their education suffer, Mufti hoped.

"Their effort is to keep people confused; people are being raided daily, even today the NIA raids happened. Different names of militants have been coined - Hybrid Militant, White Colour Militant so that people cannot speak, cannot raise voice, cannot protest, she said.

"It will not last long. The BJP too will go like East India Company, left India. People of Jammu and Kashmir will come out of this trouble, and they will not only get back their lost honour, but the Kashmir issue will also get resolved, she said.

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CTET December 2021 Result: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is likely to release the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) December 2021 results soon.

According to the CTET December 2021 schedule available at https://ctet.nic.in, the tentative date for the declaration of the result was February 15. However, the results are yet to be uploaded on the official website.

The 15th edition of CTET was conducted in a CBT (Computer Based Test) mode from December 16 last year to January 21, 2022. The test was held in 20 languages across various cities in India. There were two papers - Paper I was for a person who intended to be a teacher for classes I to V, while Paper II was for people intending to be a teacher for classes VI to VIII.

Once declared, candidates can follow the steps given below to check their CTET December 2021 results:

CTET December 2021: How to check results?

Once CTET December 2021 results are announced, you need to visit the official website of CTET (https://ctet.nic.in).

On the homepage, you need to click on the " CTET December 2021 Result " link option.

" link option. You will be redirected to a new page where you need to enter your "Roll Number".

Your CTET December 2021 Result will be displayed on your screen.

Candidates are advised to keep checking the official website of CTET (https://ctet.nic.in) for the latest updates on results.

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New Delhi: After a week-long hijab row forced holiday, schools for Classes 11, 12 and degree colleges will reopen in Karnataka on Wednesday (February 16, 2022).

The offline classes will resume amid prohibitory orders in several cities including Bengaluru, a move which is part of a precautionary measure in view of the hijab controversy.

Several districts have promulgated prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC against any gathering, agitation, or protests of any type within the area of a 200-metre radius from the gates of the schools, pre-university colleges, degree colleges or other similar educational institutions.

High schools in Karnataka have already reopened on Monday after being shut from last Wednesday following untoward incidents in parts of the State over the hijab row.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court will resume hearing on the petitions filed in connection with the hijab row in schools and colleges.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Muslim girls who have moved the court had argued that the Indian brand of secularism was a 'positive' one, unlike that of Turkey, and submitted that wearing the headscarf was an innocent practice of faith and not a display of religious jingoism.

They contended before a three-judge bench that secularism in India was not like 'Turkey secularism' but a positive one where all religions are recognised as true.

The girls requested the court to make a leeway to attend classes with headscarves as the court's interim order had suspended their 'fundamental rights'.

Referring to 'hecklers veto', senior counsel Devadatt Kamat, appearing for the Muslim girl students from Udupi pre-university college, said such practices of denying someone their right on the ground that they do not like the person was not good.

He also pleaded before the bench not to continue its interim order restricting the students from wearing Hijab or saffron scarves as it 'suspends the fundamental rights' of the Muslim girls.

It is noteworthy that in December last year, some girl students started coming to a government school in Udupi district wearing Hijab, against the prescribed uniform norm. In protest against the violation of the dress code, a section of Hindu students also started coming to classes wearing saffron shawls.

Even before the matter could be resolved, the hijab-saffron shawl controversy spread to more pre-university colleges in the state.

(With agency inputs)

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A teenager has been charged with a misdemeanor in connection with the investigation of a sexual assault allegation that prompted student protests at Nichols School in December, the Erie County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.

The reason he is not facing more serious charges is because witnesses who might have provided information in the case were drinking alcohol, which created "gaps in memory," District Attorney John Flynn said.

Amherst police detectives are charging the suspect with sexual misconduct, a class A misdemeanor, said Capt. Christopher Meyer.

The charge alleges the suspect engaged in sexual intercourse with another person without that person's consent.

The male, who was 17 at the time of the alleged crime and is still 17, will face the charge in Erie County Family Court, Flynn said in a written statement. Authorities did not release his name.

"After reviewing all the evidence and interviewing numerous individuals, it has been determined that there is not sufficient evidence to prove the elements of a felony charge beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," Flynn said in a statement.

"At the end of the day, after a thorough investigation, I came to the conclusion along with Amherst police that we could not file any felony charges," Flynn told The Buffalo News. "We didn't have enough evidence and the main reason is alcohol. Whenever you have alcohol at a high school party, kids don't remember what happened. That creates gaps in memory."

The incident that led to the investigation took place Nov. 23, Flynn said. A party was held at a house in North Buffalo where many Nichols students had gathered. "There was alcohol there and a lot of drinking," Flynn said. At some point, a small group went to a home in Amherst.

"It was at the home in Amherst where the alleged conduct occurred," Flynn said.

About two weeks later, the victim discussed the incident with a school counselor.

"The school counselor immediately called mom. When mom came and got the child, then they called the Amherst police and then the Amherst police called me," Flynn said.

Prosecutors have met with the victim and parent to discuss the results of the investigation, Flynn said.

About 200 Nichols students walked out of school Dec. 13, marching around the Amherst Street campus, chanting and carrying signs with messages against sexual violence.

A school official on Wednesday declined to comment on the allegations.

In a statement issued after the December walkout, a Nichols spokeswoman said the school would cooperate with the investigation.

Reach Aaron at abesecker[at]buffnews.com or 716-849-4602.

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NEW DELHI: Actor Alia Bhatt, who is currently in Berlin to attend the world premiere of her film 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', has shared her look of the day at the Berlinale Special Galas.

Taking to her Instagram handle on Wednesday, Alia shared pictures in which she looks drop-dead gorgeous, dressed in a white power suit, teamed with a flowy matching lower.

This is Alia's third time at the Berlin Film Festival as she previously represented her films Highway and Gully Boy during the fest.

She tied her hair back and kept her make-up natural. The highlight of her classy look is the gorgeous pair of ivory-and-gold earrings.

Actors Neetu Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh dropped fire emoticons in the comment section.

For the unversed, 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', which is helmed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, revolves around a maiden sold by a suitor into prostitution and how she becomes a prominent, celebrated figure in the underworld and Kamathipua red-light district.

The film, which also stars Ajay Devgn, is scheduled to release in theatres on February 25.
New Delhi: Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi film seems to have irked her family. The film is adapted from Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai about Ganga Harjivandas, a simple girl of Kathiawad.

Looks like Gangubai Kathiawadi's adopted son Babu Raoji Shah and her granddaughter Bharti are not happy about the film.

Babu Raoji Shah expressed his displeasure with the Alia Bhatt starter. "My mother has been turned into a prostitute. People are now saying inexplicable things about my mother," he told AajTak in Hindi.

Gangubais family lawyer said, The way Gangubai was portrayed is completely wrong and baseless. It is vulgar. You are representing a social activist as a prostitute. Which family would like it? You have made her [Gangubai] a vamp and lady don. He then also added that the case filed by Babu Raoji Shah is still pending and how the legal system asks to produce proof that the son is indeed Gangubais son. Although we have proved it in court, there is no hearing in this matter now, he claims.

They have been asking the family if Gangubai was really a prostitute and not a social worker as they had said. The familys mental state is not good. No one is able to live in peace, said Gangubai Kathiawadis family lawyer Narendra.

In 2021, a Mumbai court had summoned Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Alia Bhatt after Babu Raoji Shah filed a petition against the film. The summons was issued to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bhansali Productions, the authors and Bhatt. A defamation case was filed by Babuji Shah through lawyer Narendra Dubey.

Shah, the adopted son of Gangubai Kathiawadi, said chapters in the novel on his mother were defamatory, tarnished her reputation and infringed upon the right to privacy and self-respect.
NEW DELHI: The most-awaited reality show 'Lock Upp' which will witness Kangana Ranaut donning the cap of a host for the first time has finally released its trailer in the national capital on Wednesday.

So, in order to make this day more special, content Czarina Ekta Kapoor and Queen Kangana Ranaut visited Gurudwara Bangla Sahib to take the blessings along with the team.

Their upcoming fearless reality show 'Lock Upp' has already grabbed a lot of attention and has been the talk-of-the-town for quite sometime now.

The entrepreneur lady Ekta Kapoor has always introduced something new and unique content to the Indian television Industry. And now, she is ready with a bang on reality show of this age, 'Lock Upp'.

The show will be hosted by the Queen of Bollywood Kangana Ranaut. The team is leaving no chance to put forward their best with the show. To ensure a successful release of the show, the team visited the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi to take the blessings. Post that the team will be launching the trailer of the show.

Check out the official trailer over here:

The show is all set to premiere on February 27, 2022. ALTBalaji and MX Player will live stream this show 24x7 on their respective platforms and will have the audiences interact directly with the contestants. Stay tuned to ALTBalaji & MX Player for more updates on the show.
New Delhi: 7th Pay Commission latest update: The central government employees who have loong been pressing for the demand to hike fitment factor may hear some good news related to the same soon. Once the fitment factor is hiked, the salary of central government employees too will increase substantially.

Several media reports have said that the government might soon give its nod on raising the fitment factor. The central government employees unions have long been demanding for hiking minimum pay of Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000 and fitment factor be raised from 2.57 times to 3.68 times.

If the government makes announcement regarding the hike in fitment factor of central employees, then their salary will consequently increase. In fact, with the increase in fitment factor, the minimum wage will also increase. Employees are currently getting salary under fitment factor on the basis of 2.57 percent, which if increased to 3.68 percent, there will be an increase of Rs 8,000 in the minimum salary of the employees. This means the minimum pay of the central government employees will be hiked from Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000.

Check out this assumptive salary calculation post the hike in fitment factor under 7th Pay Commission

If the fitment factor is raised to 3.68, the basic salary of the employees will become Rs 26,000. Right now, if your minimum salary is Rs 18,000, then excluding allowances, you will be getting Rs 46,260 (18,000 X 2.57 = 46,260) according to the 2.57 fitment factor.

Now, if the fitment factor is 3.68, then your salary will be Rs 95,680 (26000X3.68 = 95,680).

The Union Cabinet had in June 2017 approved recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission with 34 modifications. The new scales of pay provided for entry-level basic pay going up from Rs 7,000 per month to Rs 18,000, while at the highest level i.e. Secretary, went up from Rs 90,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh. For Class 1 officers, the starting salary was at Rs 56,100.

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New Delhi: The upcoming IPO of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has become one of the most talked about subject in the investment market. However, LIC policy holders must know that they can't subscribe to the LIC IPO if their PAN Card is not linked with LIC.

LIC had previously issued a public notice to all the policyholders of LIC of India regarding subscription of the companys upcoming IPO stating that its upcoming IPO can be subscribed by the policyholders only if their PAN Card is updated in the company's records. (Also read: Can lapsed policy holders apply for the IPO? Know here)

LIC in the draft red herring prospectus has set a deadline for policyholders to link their PAN CARD with LIC. Policyholders can do so before February 28, 2022.

A policyholder of our Corporation shall ensure that his / her PAN details are updated in the policy records of our Corporation at the earliest. A policyholder who has not updated his / her PAN details with our Corporation before expiry of two weeks from the date of the filing of this Draft Red Herring Prospectus with SEBI (i.e., by

Here is the process for updating your PAN details with the LIC online

1. Visit the Corporation website www.licindia.in OR https://licindia.in/Home/Online-PAN-Registration

2. Keep ready your policy number, PAN, date of birth and e-mail ID, which needs to be filled in while updating your PAN.

3. You may update the records for all of your LIC policies using the above link.

4. You can also check whether your PAN Is registered in your policy or not by visiting the Corporation's website www.licindia.in OR https://linkpan.licindia.in/UIDSeedingWebApp/getPolicyPANStatus?

Alternatively, you may also contact your LIC Agent for assistance.

LIC had last week filed draft papers with capital market regulator Sebi for the sale of 5 per cent stake by the government for an estimated Rs 63,000 crore.

Touted to be the country's biggest ever public offering, the IPO of over 31.6 crore shares or 5 per cent government stake is likely to hit the D-street in March and employees and policy holders of the insurance behemoth would get a discount over the floor price. The LIC IPO would be the biggest IPO in the history of Indian stock market and once listed LIC's market valuation would be comparable to top companies like RIL and TCS.

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New Delhi: World-renowned author and public intellectual Yuval Noah Harari has warned of the perils of too-much dependence on data-driven technologies because that can result in data colonialism, which will lead to creation of tyrant governments and monopolistic corporations.

The Israeli writer, who shot to instant global fame with his three bestsellers -- Sapiens: A brief history of humankind; Homo Deus: A brief history of tomorrow; and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century -- is a public intellectual and historian and also a student of the Vipasana school of yoga, founded by the late S N Goenka.

The history professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem also admits that meditation is his biggest inspiration.

Addressing the Nasscom leadership summit online, he said history is not the study of the past but of the present, and how it is changing now.

Warning of data colonialism as among the biggest threats to humanity going forward, he said big data in the form of artificial intelligence and machine learning pose two big challenges to governments and public alike.

The two biggest problems with big data are at national and global levels. The danger on the national level is that a few groups -- be they governments or large corporate monopolies -- may use it to create unequal societies or totalitarian regimes, he said.

For the first time in human history, it is possible to follow everybody all the time and to know a person better than the person himself, he said, and pointed out that none of the past dictators and tyrants could do this because they did not have the required technologies.

The only way out is that we prevent such regimes and situations, Harari said.

The other danger is on the global level, wherein we may see new a kind of colonialism and imperialism taking shape in the form of data colonialism, he said.

In the past, one country could colonise others by just sailing in their ships and soldiers; and then economically exploit those colonies, like what Britain did to India.

However in the 21st century, one country need not send in its soldiers to conquer another nation; all it needs to do is take out the data of its leaders and its people, he said.

Imagine a situation wherein China or the US has the entire personal records of a country's politicians, journalists, judges, military leaders and begins to judge them by the jokes they crack and the diseases they struggle with. Then it will no longer be an independent country but a data colony, Harari emphasised.

On the economical front, the danger is of harvesting all the data from everywhere across the world and if it is done by a private corporation, it can easily monopolise the sector it operates in.

For any deep-tech industry -- be it machine learning or artificial intelligence -- it is easy to colonise and the big challenge for all the countries is to prevent themselves from walking into these dangers, he said.

So the way forward is that every country should ensure that they do not allow any sort of data concentration as that is the highway to data colonisation.

Since there is an unprecedented level of data availability on each one of us, Harari said it has become much easier to manipulate people emotionally and intellectually.

This means that with the omnipresent data, lot of very important decisions impacting our everyday lives are being taken by algorithms even as we do not understand their creators, the renowned author said.

For instance, one is applying for a job or seeking a bank loan. The decisions on both are not taken by human beings but algorithms.

Harari stressed that since algorithms take in thousands of data-sets to take decisions on a person, we are very close to the point where we not only lose control on ourselves but also lose our ability to understand the decisions that shape our lives.

A key principle to control data concentration and thus its misuse is that a government should never increase surveillance from top-down, but should use the same degree of surveillance on corporations and its officials as well, he said.

So the way out is to have equal level of surveillance in a two-way manner. In short, technology should not be allowed to be used to collect data for control but for bettering each one's lives. Also Read: ABG Shipyard Bank Fraud: ED files money laundering case against shipbuilding firm

One of the biggest dangers of the future is that the earth will be dominated by super intelligent machines which have no consciousness, and this huge revolution is nothing but frightening, he said, adding that artificial intelligence has him most worried when it comes to tech innovation. Also Read: SBI fixed deposit customers, alert! Bank has increased FD rates, check latest rates

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New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Karhal candidate Satya Pal Singh Baghel has been provided Z category security by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sources said on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State in Ministry of Law and Justice, Baghel, was accorded the Z category security on February 11, said the MHA source a day after the senior BJP leader`s convoy was attacked with stones and sticks near Attikullapur village in Manipuri district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening.

The BJP has alleged that Samajwadi Party "goons" were behind the incident. According to ANI, the MHA official said that Baghel was earlier being provided "Y+" armed central security cover.

Baghel is the BJP candidate from the Karhal Assembly seat from where Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav is also contesting the Uttar Pradesh assembly election.

As per reports, the BJP leader escaped unhurt during the attack. However, the window of a vehicle in Baghel`s convoy was hit by stones and shattered. The BJP has strongly condemned the attack on Baghel. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister KP Maurya alleged that Samajwadi Party "goons" were behind the incident.

The incident took place in Rahmatullahpur village of Thana Karhal when Baghel was out during campaigning in the area ahead of the second phase of UP Assembly polls and was on his way to Atikullapur village with other party leaders.

There were some people already present outside the village who began pelting stone at Baghel`s cavalcade. A vehicle was damaged in the attack, though the people were not hurt.

The police were informed but by the time they reached the spot, the stone pelters had fled. A case has been registered by the Uttar Pradesh police and the matter is under investigation.

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Hyderabad: BJP MLA from Telangana, T Raja Singh, has sparked a controversy after a video in which he could be seen threatening the voters in Uttar Pradesh that if they do not vote for the BJP, their houses will be demolished, went viral on social media.

Singh, the controversial MLA from the Goshamahal constituency in Hyderabad, also voiced concern over the huge voter turnout in some areas of Uttar Pradesh during the second phase of polling on Monday.

He believes that UP CM Yogi Adityanath`s enemies came out in large numbers to cast their votes. Singh also appealed to the `Hindu brothers and sisters` to come out and vote in the remaining five phases of polling in Uttar Pradesh.

"To those who don`t vote for BJP, I want to tell you that Yogi ji has called for thousands of JCBs and bulldozers. They are on the way to Uttar Pradesh. After the elections, those who did not support Yogi Ji will be identified. You know what the JCBs and bulldozers are used for," the MLA reportedly said in the viral video.

"I want to tell those traitors in Uttar Pradesh who don`t want Yogi ji to become the Chief Minister again, `beta`, if you want to live in Uttar Pradesh, you will have to say `Yogi Yogi`, or else you will have to leave the state," Singh added.

The MLA has drawn flak for the video with many netizens calling for action against him for making open threats. They also urged the Election Commission to take action against him. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working President KT Rama Rao has also slammed Singh and called him a `comedian`.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to T Raja Singh for allegedly threatening people to vote for his party in Uttar Pradesh. The Commission has given him 24 hours to respond to the notice.

The notice said the BJP MLA from Telangana has prima facie violated provisions of the poll code, the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act. The poll panel cited a video clip of Raja Singh's purported remarks while issuing him the notice.

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A leukaemia patient in the US has become the first woman and the third person to be cured of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, after receiving a stem cell transplant, according to researchers.

In a presentation at Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in the US on Tuesday, the researchers reported that the woman has had no detectable levels of HIV for 14 months despite cessation of antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Stem cells have the unique ability to develop into specialised cell types in the body.

This is the third known case of HIV remission in an individual who received a stem cell transplant, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said in statement.

HIV remission resulting from a stem cell transplant had been previously observed in two cases.

The first, a Caucasian male known as the "Berlin patient", experienced HIV remission for 12 years and was deemed cured of HIV. He died of leukemia in September 2020.

A Latino male called the "London patient" has been in HIV remission for more than 30 months.

This third case suggests that cord stem cell transplantation should be considered to achieve HIV remission and cure for people living with HIV who require such a transplant for other diseases, the study team said in the statement.

The research was conducted by the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trial Network (IMPAACT) P1107 observational study led by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles, and Johns Hopkins University.

The IMPAACT P1107 study began in 2015 and was designed to describe the outcomes of up to 25 participants living with HIV.

The case described at the meeting involves a woman of mixed race ancestry who had been on ART for HIV infection for four years at the time of her acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis.

She achieved acute myeloid leukemia remission after chemotherapy. Prior to receiving the stem cell transplant, the participant's HIV was well-controlled but detectable.

In 2017, she received a transplant of cord blood stem cells supplemented with adult donor cells from a relative.

After receiving the stem cell transplant, she engrafted with 100 per cent cord blood cells at day 100 and had no detectable HIV, the researchers said.

At 37 months post-transplant, the patient ceased ART, they said. According to the study team, no HIV was detected in the participant for 14 months except for a transient detection of trace levels of HIV DNA in the woman's blood cells at 14 weeks after stopping ART.
New Delhi: US President Joe Biden on Tuesday (local time) warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that invading Ukraine will prove to be a 'self-inflicted wound' and asked him to step back from war.

In a nationally televised speech, Biden spoke starkly of the 'needless death and destruction' Moscow could cause and international outrage Putin would face and said that the United States is 'prepared no matter what happens'.

"If Russia does invade in the days or weeks ahead, the human cost for Ukraine will be immense, and the strategic cost for Russia will also be immense. If Russia attacks Ukraine, itll be met with overwhelming international condemnation. The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction. Invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound," he said.

War of choice

Joe Biden warned Vladimir Putin that if Russia proceeds, the US will rally the world to oppose its aggression.

"World War Two was a war of necessity. But if Russia attacks Ukraine, it would be a war of choice, or a war without cause or reason," Biden said.

From the beginning of this crisis, I have been clear and consistent: The United States is prepared no matter what happens. We are ready for diplomacy to improve stability and security in Europe as a whole. And we are ready to respond decisively if Russia attacks Ukraine.  President Biden (@POTUS) February 15, 2022

He stated that the United States and its Allies and partners around the world are ready to impose powerful sanctions on export controls, including actions that America did not pursue when Russia invaded Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014.

ALSO READ | Russia will face 'protracted crisis' if there's any incursion into Ukraine: Biden, Boris tell Putin

"We will put intense pressure on their largest and most significant financial institutions and key industries.

"These measures are ready to go as soon and if Russia moves. Well impose long-term consequences that will undermine Russias ability to compete economically and strategically," he said.

Invasion remains distinctly possible

The US President said that if we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we'll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.

"An invasion remains distinctly possible. Thats why Ive asked several times that all Americans in Ukraine leave now before its too late to leave safely. It is why we have temporarily relocated our embassy from Kyiv to Lviv in western Ukraine, approaching the Polish border," he added.

Watch live as I give an update on Russia and Ukraine and affirm that the United States remains open to high-level diplomacy in close coordination with our Allies. https://t.co/5qfOtzG5ol  President Biden (@POTUS) February 15, 2022

The American president also appealed directly to Russian citizens.

"To the citizens of Russia: you are not our enemy, and I dont believe you want a bloody, destructive war against Ukraine," he said.

Russia has over 1,50,000 troops encircling Ukraine

He also spoke on the Russian Defense Ministry reporting that some military units are leaving their positions near Ukraine and said, "That would be good, but we have not yet verified that. We have not yet verified that Russian military units are returning to their home bases. Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position,"

"Right now, Russia has more than 150,000 troops encircling Ukraine in Belarus and along Ukraines border," Biden added.

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Customers walking into one particular shop in an Amherst strip plaza can expect to pay up to $300 for an ordinary-looking sticker.

But no one's complaining about getting ripped off.

That's because the sticker comes with a generous "gift" of marijuana on the side.

Stores like Green Vision Wellness, which operates four locations in Erie and Niagara counties, say the transactions are legal because they have found a loophole in New York's marijuana regulations.

However, the state Office of Cannabis Management insists marijuana "gifting" is, in fact, an illegal sale and the agency recently sent out cease-and-desist letters to businesses engaged in the practice.

Law enforcement agencies raided several such stores in the Southern Tier late last week, though prosecutors here say the transactions appear to be legal under criminal law.

And stores selling or offering marijuana as a gift on federally recognized tribal territory, including a few that do so on Seneca Nation of Indian land in Western New York, are operating lawfully, the state agency said.

The owner of Green Vision Wellness did not respond to messages seeking comment over the weekend.

The chain's Facebook page is heavy on pot-themed imagery but light on details. Still, a video of an array of colorful stickers laid out on a table drew a response that gets at the core of the store's wink-nudge business model.

"Yes I definitely need to get some more stickers today as soon as possible because I love your stickers," the fan wrote.

The Green Vision Wellness store in Amherst is squeezed between a barbershop and a shop that sells concealed-carry gun holsters in a plaza just north of the Classics V event center along Niagara Falls Boulevard.

The windows and door are almost fully covered in green screening with the store's name and a note that additional parking is available behind the store. Signs warn that customers must be at least 21 years old, have photo ID with them and pay with cash only.

A recent visitor to the store was, perhaps not surprisingly, overwhelmed by the distinct aroma of marijuana. One wall of the store is lined with water pipes and various products used to smoke or otherwise consume marijuana.

There's a security window that appears to take in the money, an ATM where customers can get cash and a display case where a bin filled with stickers and bags of marijuana were laid out.

A steady stream of customers was coming into and leaving the store, brown paper bags in hand, under the watchful eye of a security guard.

Asked how things work, an employee said customers buy a sticker, for a price between $10 and $300, and get a commensurate quantity of marijuana for free.

The Amherst store is one of four locations for Green Vision Wellness. The others are in Lockport, Depew and South Buffalo, and they all appear to have opened since the fall.

The business was incorporated on Nov. 11, according to state records, which identify David Zale of Lancaster as the owner.

Zale could not be reached by phone. Facebook messages sent to the store and to a "Dave Xv" who responds to public questions on the Green Vision Wellness page were not returned.

Green Vision Wellness isn't the first store to offer marijuana "gifts" with the purchase of another product.

It's a business strategy pursued for several years now in states where recreational marijuana is legalized, or decriminalized, but where retail sales aren't yet established. In New York, the state still is drafting the regulations that will allow for retail sales of marijuana but it is unlikely those stores can open for business before 2023, said Patrick Hines, who heads the cannabis and hemp practice area for the Hodgson Russ law firm in Buffalo.

The state Office of Cannabis Management took notice of the stores selling stickers, T-shirts, other trinkets or club memberships and giving the marijuana in return. A letter sent last week to more than two dozen of those establishments said the gifts violate New York's marijuana law and directed the businesses to stop this "illegal activity immediately."

Those who persist, the agency warned, "risk the opportunity to get a license in the legal market as well as substantial fines and possible criminal penalties."

The state won't say which companies received the warnings, so it isn't known whether Zale and Green Vision Wellness got one.

Just days after the letters went out, agencies including the State Police and the Tioga County Sheriff's Office on Friday raided several locations in that county of the BMillzz sticker shop chain, according to WENY-TV.

"I wasn't even in my store for five minutes before it got raided," co-owner Bartholomew Miller Jr. told the station. "They put all my employees in handcuffs, they put me in handcuffs and treated us like straight criminals."

The stores in New York were relying on a legal interpretation that, while retail marijuana sales aren't allowed yet, the law allows adults over 21 to "give" less than 3 ounces of marijuana or 24 grams of concentrated cannabis to another adult.

Hines said it's impossible to know how the legal case would play out if the state or a local prosecutor pursues civil or criminal violations against one of these stores.

"But it seems to me that a court, like OCM, would look at the substance of what's really going on, given all the surrounding circumstances," he said. "Not just the technical 'let's call it a sale of a sticker'  but we both know that's not what it is."

The Erie County District Attorney's Office said it cooperates with the state office to investigate complaints about marijuana sales but it doesn't believe gifts among adults is a criminal matter.

"The current penal law does not prohibit the conduct of transferring a lawful amount of cannabis in conjunction with the sale of a non-cannabis product," spokeswoman Kait Munro said in a statement. A criminal charge could be brought, she added, if the person providing the marijuana "gift" is found in possession of more marijuana than allowed under the law.

Freeman Klopott, an OCM spokesman, said transfers of marijuana where no money changes hands are allowed, but the agency considers any transaction where money is exchanged for marijuana "whether directly or indirectly" to be an illegal sale.

"Businesses cannot reasonably or realistically claim these are gifts unrelated to a transaction," he wrote in an email.

However, the state agency said it does not regulate marijuana sales, whether as a gift or as a direct transaction, on Native American territory.

In Western New York, there are several dispensaries in operation on Seneca Nation territory, including three found last fall by WGRZ-TV in and around Kill Buck, in Cattaraugus County.

Good Leaf, for example, touts itself as a 100% Native-owned retail dispensary with two locations in Gowanda and Salamanca.

Seneca Nation officials did not respond to a request for comment but a spokesman did confirm there are no marijuana sales on Seneca territory on the edge of downtown Buffalo.

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Moscow/Kyiv: The United States and NATO said Russia was still building up troops around Ukraine on Wednesday despite Moscow`s insistence it was pulling back, questioning President Vladimir Putin`s stated desire to negotiate a solution to the crisis.

In Ukraine, where people raised flags and played the national anthem to show unity against fears of an invasion, the government said a cyber attack that hit the defence ministry was the worst of its kind that the country had seen. It pointed the finger towards Russia, which denied involvement.

The Russian defence ministry said its forces were pulling back after exercises in southern and western military districts near Ukraine - part of a huge build-up that was accompanied by demands for sweeping security guarantees from Washington and NATO.

It published video that it said showed tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery units leaving the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.

But U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said key Russian units were moving towards the border, not away.

"There`s what Russia says. And then there`s what Russia does. And we haven`t seen any pullback of its forces," Blinken said in an interview on MSNBC. "We continue to see critical units moving toward the border, not away from the border."

A senior Western intelligence official said the risk of Russian aggression against Ukraine would remain high for the rest of February and Russia could still attack Ukraine "with essentially no, or little-to-no, warning".

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said moving troops and tanks back and forth did not amount to proof of a pullout.

"We have not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces. And of course, that contradicts the message of diplomatic efforts," Stoltenberg said before a meeting of the alliance in Brussels. "What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way. So, so far, no de-escalation."

The Kremlin said NATO`s assessment was wrong. Moscow`s ambassador to Ireland said forces in western Russia would be back to their normal positions within three to four weeks.

INVESTORS WARY

World stocks crept higher on Wednesday for a second day and safe-haven assets such as government bonds lost ground, though moves were checked by the Western scepticism over a pullback.

Russia says it never planned to attack Ukraine but wants to lay down "red lines" to prevent its neighbour from joining NATO, which it sees as a threat to its own security.

The Kremlin said Putin was keen to negotiate with the United States, which has offered discussions on arms control and confidence-building measures while ruling out a veto on future NATO membership for Ukraine.

But Russia also said it would be ready to re-route energy exports to other markets if it was hit by sanctions, which Washington and its allies have threatened if it invades Ukraine.

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said sanctions against Russian banks would be "unpleasant" but the state would ensure all deposits with banks and transactions were secured.

"They say we have a financial shield in the form of gold and forex reserves, budget surplus ... low debt," he told reporters.

Russia has accused the United States of hysterical war propaganda after repeated warnings of a possible attack and reports in some Western media that it would happen on Wednesday.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that more than 150,000 Russian troops were still massed near Ukraine`s borders and an invasion remained "distinctly possible".

Military analysts say a significant pullback would involve field hospitals and fuel stores being dismantled and units from Russia`s far east, which are taking part in huge exercises in Belarus this week, returning to bases thousands of miles away.

Russia security specialist Mark Galeotti said the absence of an attack did not mean that "Putin blinked".

"Putin could have invaded yesterday, he can still do so tomorrow," he wrote on Twitter.

DAY OF UNITY

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he did not see any sign of a Russian troop withdrawal. "For now, its just a statement," the BBC quoted him as saying during a visit to western Ukraine.

Zelenskiy designated Wednesday a patriotic holiday in response to the reports Russia could invade on that day. "No one can love our home as we can. And only we, together, can protect our home," he said.

The defence ministry said hackers were still bombarding its website and had found vulnerabilities but that traffic was being rerouted to servers in the United States while the issue was being fixed.

A senior Ukrainian security official said the only country interested in such cyber attacks was Russia. The Kremlin denied Russia was involved but said it was not surprised Ukraine would blame Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had "taken note" of a request from Russia`s parliament on Tuesday for him to recognise the "independence" of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian government forces since 2014.

But he said that would not be line with agreements aimed at ending the conflict, in which Ukraine says some 15,000 people have been killed, indicating Putin would not rush to recognise the separatist areas but might keep the option in reserve.

Blinken said such a step would undermine Ukraines sovereignty, violate international law and "necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our Allies and partners".

Live TV
Moscow: President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia does not want a war in Europe, but described the situation in east Ukraine`s breakaway regions as "genocide" and called for the conflict there to be resolved through the Minsk peace progress.

At a joint news conference after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin said Russia had decided to partially withdraw troops from near Ukraine and saw some room for further discussion with the West on Moscow`s security demands.

Putin, however, said that there had not been a constructive response to Russia`s demands.

Meanwhile, Russia on Tuesday said that some of its troops were returning to base after exercises near Ukraine and mocked Western warnings about a looming invasion, but NATO said it had yet to see any evidence of a de-escalation that could avert a military conflict.

Russia did not say how many units were being withdrawn, and how far, after a build-up of some 130,000 Russian troops to the north, east and south of Ukraine that has triggered one of the worst crises in relations with the West since the Cold War.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after meeting President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin that the withdrawal of some Russian troops was a good sign.

Others were more cautious. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "the intelligence that we`re seeing today is still not encouraging", and Ukraine said the reported pullback needed to be seen to be believed.

"If we see a withdrawal, we will believe in a de-escalation," Interfax Ukraine quoted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as saying.

NATO`s chief welcomed signals from Russia in the past two days that it may be looking for a diplomatic solution but urged Moscow to demonstrate its will to act. "There are signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue. This gives grounds for cautious optimism. But so far we have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground from the Russian side," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.

He said Russia often left military equipment behind after exercises, creating the potential for forces to regroup. At a joint news conference with Scholz, Putin referred only briefly to the troop moves and did not go into details.

Russia has always denied planning to invade Ukraine, saying it can exercise troops on its own territory as it sees fit. It has been pressing for a set of security guarantees from the West, including a guarantee that Ukraine will never join NATO.

Putin told reporters Russia would not be satisfied with the talk that the former Soviet republic was not ready to join any time soon and was demanding that the issue be resolved now. "As for war in Europe...about whether we want it or not? Of course not. That is why we put forward proposals for a negotiation process, the result of which should be an agreement on ensuring equal security for everyone, including our country," he said.

Scholz said the diplomatic possibilities were far from exhausted. "For us Germans but also Europeans, sustainable security can only be reached .. with Russia. Therefore it should be possible to find a solution. No matter how difficult and serious the situation seems to be, I refuse to say it is hopeless," he said.

Russian Parliament asks Putin to recognise breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent

In a separate development, Russia`s lower house of parliament voted to ask Putin to recognise two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.

Recognition of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People`s Republics could kill off the Minsk peace process in east Ukraine, where a conflict between government forces and Moscow-backed separatists has killed 15,000 people.

Asked about the move, Putin said the regions` problems should be solved on the basis of the Minsk agreements, which were signed in 2014 and 2015 but have never been implemented. Scholz said all sides should stick to those accords.

'COULD BE IMMINENT'

Russia`s show of force near Ukraine`s borders has prompted months of frantic Western diplomacy and drawn threats of severe sanctions if it invades, culminating in a crescendo of U.S. and British warnings in recent days that this could happen at any time.

"In terms of the timing of an attack, it could be imminent," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Tuesday. She said Russian troops could reach Ukraine`s capital Kyiv "very, very quickly".

France said it had yet to confirm the return of some troops to bases, though this would be a positive sign.

Russian shares, government bonds and the rouble, which have been hit by fears of impending conflict, rose sharply, and Ukrainian government bonds also rallied. Oil dropped more than 3% from a seven-year high reached on Monday.

The Kremlin sought to portray the moves as proof that Western talk of war had been both false and hysterical. "February 15, 2022 will go down in history as the day Western war propaganda failed. Humiliated and destroyed without a single shot fired," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Russia`s defence ministry published footage showing tanks and other armoured vehicles being loaded onto railway flatcars. But Western military analysts said they needed more information to judge the significance of the latest troop movements.

"One should maintain an air of cautious scepticism," said Henry Boyd of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. "There have been past discrepancies between Russia`s official announcements and its actions on the ground."

Konrad Muzyka, director of the Poland-based Rochan consultancy, told Reuters it would take several days to verify the latest moves via satellite imagery.

"It should also be noted that new trains with equipment from Central Russia keep on arriving near the border and that Russian forces continue to move towards staging areas. The announcement stands in direct opposition to what Russia has been doing for the past few days," he said.

Commercial satellite images taken on Sunday and Monday showed a flurry of Russian military activity at several locations near Ukraine, includig large deployments of troops and attack helicopters, and warplanes moving to forward locations.

Live TV
Agriculture in New York State is a big $3.6 billion industry. More than 35,000 farms make us a leading food source producer and rank us number one nationally for cottage cheese, second for apples and cabbage and third for milk, grapes, wine, maple syrup and cauliflower.

Factoring in the many local farm businesses and supporting services, agriculture is Niagara Countys No. 1 industry, according to Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Agriculture has also played a long-time significant role in the life of the Royalton-Hartland School District, where the towns of Royalton and Hartland  with a total of 30,000 acres  represent almost a third of all agricultural parcels in Niagara County.

Thats why it is especially important for our school district, and those in similar rural communities here, to preserve our inherent agricultural strengths and work with our communities to ensure the future success of local farming.

Our challenges include the critical cultivation of a new generation of farmers to address an American Farmland Trust report citing almost one in every three farmers in New York being over the age of 65. They also collectively own or operate 2 million acres of farmland  more than a quarter of the states total.

Many of our students work on their family farm or a neighbors farm before or after school. We need to be strategic about protecting and enhancing local agriculture as both a food and livestock source and as a regional economic engine. We believe we have developed a unique model at Roy-Hart.

With the support of local businesses like the FMC Corp., State Farm and ExxonMobil; the creation of the non-profit Royalton-Hartland Agriculture Foundation; and additional funding provided by the Grigg Lewis Foundation, Roy-Hart has created a true Agriculture Center of Excellence. It serves all our students from grades K through 12 so they can learn the detailed aspects of farming, as well as obtaining the science, technology, engineering and math skills required.

Together with a well-developed agriculture and environmental curriculum, Roy-Hart has added an Outdoor Learning Lab at the elementary school, farm-to-school education studies in the middle school, and high school labs focusing on food science, small animal care and agricultural-science.

Our hope is that Roy-Harts Agriculture Center for Excellence initiative will be a long-term valuable asset for young people in our community.

Then our students can help meet the demand for graduates in agribusiness, agricultural science, agricultural tourism and food science and help sustain the farms we depend on in Niagara County and Western New York.

Dr. Hank Stopinski is superintendent of the Royalton-Hartland School District.
Quebec Labour and Immigration Minister Jean Boulet announced a recruitment and training plan to attract 1,000 nurses from overseas. Selected candidates will get financial incentives, including paying for training at regional CEGEPs, and their spouses will be given open work permits. (The Canadian Press - image credit)

The Quebec government is investing $65 million to recruit and train about 1,000 nurses from francophone countries to work in seven regions of the province where the nursing shortage is most acute.

At a Wednesday news conference, Labour and Immigration Minister Jean Boulet announced the two-year campaign will aim to integrate French-speaking international candidates and accelerate the recognition of their skills and competencies.

The regions targeted in the first phase of the project are Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Cote-Nord, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspesie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Baie James and the Outaouais.

Boulet says the nurses will be encouraged but not forced to stay in the regions.

Selected candidates will attend a CEGEP in the targeted regions to receive nine to 12 months of training, paid for by the government, leading to the recognition of their skills and clinical experience by the Quebec's Order of Nurses (OIIQ). They will receive a stipend of $500 a week for the duration of their training.

They will be allowed to work up to 20 hours per week as nurses' aides (known by the French acronym as PABs) during their training and full time during school breaks.

"This is a winning formula for Quebec and for qualified immigrants who wish to enrich our network to the extent of their skills," said Boulet.

He said those recruited by the program will be helped throughout the immigration process and at every step, from finding housing to obtaining a driver's licence and registering their children for school.

Spouses of nurses will also be offered an open work permit.

Health Minister Christian Dube, who joined Boulet at the news conference, says this program complements recruitment and retention efforts put into place in the fall of last year. He says the regions, which have been hit hard by the labour shortage, stand to benefit greatly.

"Especially in the regions, a few number of personnel can make a big, big difference," he said.

Story continues

The first group of nurses will arrive in the fall of 2022 and early in 2023, to complete their refresher training. Boulet said 344 people have already been selected for recruitment.

He said once candidates are selected by Quebec, it's up to the federal government to decide whether they will be granted permanent residency in Canada.

The francophone countries targeted by the recruitment of nurses are Algeria, Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritius.
Virtual Reality

U San Diego Nursing Students to Learn Clinical Skills in VR

The University of San Diego is rolling out virtual reality technology in its nursing curriculum to help prepare students for real-world clinical scenarios. The VR tools will enable students to learn and practice clinical skills in a low-risk setting, as well as reduce their anxiety when interacting with live patients, according to a news announcement.

University professors worked with immersive training platform Virti to develop a library of custom VR simulations in a wide range of practice areas, including pediatrics, psychiatry, managing eating disorders and dispensing medication. Some simulations involve communicating with patients to arrive at a diagnosis, while others focus on practical clinical skills. Each simulation lasts about 30 minutes and can be accessed on-demand on the Virti platform using a VR headset, laptop or mobile device. When students interact with the simulation, the platform also generates data to assess their skills and pinpoint areas for improvement.

"A key way we're using Virti is to prepare students for 'live' training scenarios with real patients," commented David Haigh, senior manager for Simulation and Innovative Learning at the University of San Diego, in a statement. "When they come to do these in-person sessions there's often anxiety on the part of the student. We can now create a simulation with Virti that mirrors what they're about to do live, so they can prepare and orientate themselves. Once they've been through the live session, if they do poorly we can send them back through the Virti simulation so they can practice again. It's a brilliant preparatory and remedial tool. We're also creating other simulations to demonstrate key skills they need to master for their assessments."

Currently, the simulations cover about two-thirds of USD's nursing practitioner syllabus; the university plans to expand its use of the technology across the rest of the curriculum this year.

"We're enjoying working with Virti because we can create our own VR content and tailor it to be exactly what we need for our program (rather than trying to adapt a library of existing content). We also save money as we don't need to rely on expensive in-person actors or manikins," said Haigh. "Our staff are busy creating new simulations and soon we hope to have the entire nursing practitioner syllabus covered. We're also gathering lots of data, so will soon have a really clear indicator to show how the new approach is impacting student performance. We're really excited."
Hong Kong: CE meets hotel sector

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today conducted a webinar with the hotel sector to seek their support for the Governments Community Isolation Facility (CIF) Hotel Scheme.

The scheme provides much-needed accommodation to isolate people who test positive for COVID-19 but have no or mild symptoms.

Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners Executive Director Michael Li and a group of hotel owners participated in the highly constructive meeting.

Mrs Lam said she was touched by the enthusiasm and support indicated by the hotel representatives at the webinar and their forthcoming willingness to join the CIF hotel scheme.

While she expressed a wish to identify some 7,000 to 10,000 hotel rooms for isolation purposes, she was optimistic that, through the joint efforts of the Government and hotel sector, at least 10,000 hotel rooms could be made available for the scheme.

Prior to the webinar, the Government already secured about 4,400 rooms, of which some 1,700 will be made available for use before the end of this week and the remainider before the end of next week.

The scheme's operational details were discussed at the webinar, including the responsibilities of the participating hotel and the government team which would take over the management of the hotel.

Mrs Lam said the Government will provide essential infection control training to the staff of the participating hotels while expecting suitable arrangements to be put in place to provide the necessary medical support.

We are extremely grateful to the frontline hotel staff in supporting the operation of the hotel as an isolation facility, but where the participating hotel prefers the government team to take over the day-to-day activities like checking-in and out, allocation of rooms, cleansing and security, this is also acceptable in order to facilitate participation by more hotels.

I look forward to your positive response within the next day or so.

Mrs Lam also told the representatives that she had assigned Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung to the task of overseeing the CIF hotels operation with the support of relevant government departments and some 1,000 retirees of various disciplinary forces recruited to help.

The Chief Executive said the Government will maintain close liaison and co-operation with the participating hotels to ensure the transfer of people thereto, their isolation in the designated hotel rooms and subsequent discharge in an orderly manner.

With the utmost concern and staunch support of President Xi Jinping as conveyed to me by Vice Premier of the State Council Han Zheng, all in society must now join hands in riding out the fifth wave of the epidemic, displaying the Hong Kong spirit in full.

May I once again appeal to the people of Hong Kong to remain confident and support the Government's anti-epidemic measures.

This story has been published on: 2022-02-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Kelly Dunning, an Auburn University assistant professor in the College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, hopes to improve citizens understanding of science and natural resource policy decisions in communities most impacted by climate change.

Dunning has been chosen as one of 12 faculty members from U.S. universities to participate in research through the National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR, and its main sponsor, the National Science Foundation. Through this NCAR award, Dunning received $100,000 to study how marginalized communities are adapting to climate change in coral reefs.

The NCAR Early Career Faculty Innovator program was founded in 2019 to enhance NCARs capacity to effectively partner with external collaborators across a broad spectrum of human dimensions and social science research.

Dunnings seed project is a community-focused project that engages locals in coastal communities in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands using NCAR climate data.

I am working with three amazing women, Joanie Kleypas, coral reef scientist, Melissa Moulton, oceanographer, and Kristen Krumhardt, ocean biogeochemist, said Dunning. I am developing several narrative accounts of how climate change will impact American reefs through their work modelling ocean temperature and bleaching.

Through fieldwork, Dunning relays the accounts to stakeholders on the ground working in coral reef management.

I ask them what types of policy responses are needed, given the changes we will predict, said Dunning. These simple narrative accounts, or climate scenarios, will make complex science accessible to all, creating a more informed public when it comes to coastal decision-making.

Dunning describes the grant as career-making, uniting the fields of environmental policy, conservation governance and natural sciences.

It allows me to work with accomplished scientists and early career team members, said Dunning. We have been able to add a masters student to the team, increasing graduate training in my lab, the Conservation Governance Lab.

Dan Morris, a College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences graduate student working in Dunnings lab, studies how policies are made regarding port expansion projects and their impacts on adjacent coral reefs. His role in the project will be to identify stakeholders and beneficiaries to suggest additional policies to better increase the protection of coral reefs.

After graduating from Auburn in 2007 with a bachelors degree in political science, Morris was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a logistics readiness officer. Morris specialized in air transportation and contingency planning.

Through the help of her funding, Dunning also hopes to determine whether stakeholders working to conserve mainland American coral reefs in Florida have different levels of access to resources and capacity compared to U.S. territories.

Working toward equitable adaptation for all American coastal communities is our main goal, said Dunning.

The cohorts research theme is actionable Earth systems science, and the funded projects address a range of important topics, said Janaki Alavalapati, the colleges dean. It is an honor that one of our faculty will play a vital role in this impactful program.

(Written by Gracen Carter)
Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) Test For Management Admissions - ATMA Online https://career.webindia123.com/career/dates_and_events/entrance/manage/association-of-indian-management-schools-aims-test-for-management-admissions.htm Details of Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) Test For Management Admissions - ATMA Online 2022-1-2 2022-2-20 https://career.webindia123.com/career/images/exams.png India India Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) Test For Management Admissions - ATMA Online Management

ATMA Online - 27th February 2022

For PGDM/ MBA /MCA*ADMISSIONS 2022-24

Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) Test For Management Admissions - ATMA Online Category : Management Admissions 2022 Published : On January 2, 2022 By Webindia123 Editor

Important Dates

Date of Commencement of Registration 8th December 2021 Close of Payment gateway 19th February 2022 Date of closure of Registration 20th February 2022 Last date for reprint of filled-in application form 22nd February 2022 Downloading of Admit Cards 24 th February 2022 Online Test 27th February 2022 Results 4th March 2022

AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA) is one of the six (ATMA, CAT, CMAT, GMAT, MAT and XAT) National Level Tests recognized by the AICTE/ MHRD, GoI for admissions to MBA/PGDM courses. The national level status of ATMA has been confirmed by the Supreme Court also.

The AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA) is meant for admissions to the Post-graduate programmes in Management (e.g. PGDM, PGDBA, MBA, MCM, MCA also subject to regulations of local university) etc., offered by various Institutions / Universities. The procedure for registering for the Test and the Test Administration are also described below.

The Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS), established in 1988, is one of the largest networks of management institutions in the world, with over 740 members including IIMs, ISB, Xavier Institutes, Welingkar, MDI, S P Jain, ICFAI, NMIMS and other top Indian business schools. ATMA was launched in 2000 to meet the expressed desire of AIMS members for a high quality test, the scores of which would be used in the admission process as a reliable predictor of academic performance in post graduate management programmes. ATMA is a credible, comprehensive and single-window test for admissions to different post-graduate management programmes. The first Test was conducted on Sunday, 20th February, 2000, at several centres in India. Since then 43 tests have been conducted.

AIMA conducts ATMA (AIMS Test for Management Admissions) 3 times a year.

Eligibility:

Bachelor's degree in any discipline. Students appearing for their final year examinations are also eligible to apply

ATMA : How to Prepare

ATMA seeks to measure the aptitude of the student for higher management education. Such an aptitude in a person is typically shaped and developed over a long period of time and cannot be altered in a short time frame. Hence, preparation for ATMA cannot be similar to that of university examinations. However, familiarity with aptitude tests and speed can be improved with diligent and regular preparation. AIMS does not recommend any particular preparatory course or training for ATMA, though these may be effective in varying degrees. Working out the'Sample Tests' is likely to help the candidate.



Sample tests are available in the Website.

Test Administration

ATMA will be administered in the premises of colleges/institutes/schools or their computer labs, etc. The address of the Test Venue is given on the Admit Card, which is in two pages.

You are requested to submit the following documents to the invigilator at the time of the examination.

Admit card with two of your recent recognizable photographs affixed in the space provided.

Copy of your Registration Form

Photo Identification (In original) (Xerox or scanned copies not allowed)

Report to the Test Venue with your above documents, not later than half-an-hour before commencement of the Test. The second page of the admit card is meant for the candidate. The candidate is required to obtain invigilators signature on it, and retain the same for future use.

Take your assigned seat in the Test Lab. Change of computer is not permitted without the explicit permission of the Test Supervisor.

Instructions for Online Exam should be followed as directed in the E-Admit Card. Familiarity with use of computers and internet will be required.

Instructions regarding Test

Candidates are advised to read the instructions carefully before attempting the test.

There are 180 questions spread over 6 sections.

Total time allotted for the test is 180 minutes.

For each correct answer 1 mark will be given and for each incorrect answer 0.25 mark deducted from the score.

You will be redirected to next question automatically after attempting a question.

Click the 'Next' Button to skip a question and move on to next question.

You may revise an answer by selecting the question no. from the list.

Click the 'End Test' button to close the test at any point of time.

For any reason, if test gets disrupted, you may restart the test by logging in again. In such a case, you will not be able to change the answers attempted in the previous session for security reasons. However, you will be allowed full three hours without counting any time lost in any interruption.

Nature of the Test

The Test contains 180 Questions spread over six sections. Each section in the Online Test need not be attempted in the serial order. Total time of the Test is 3 hours. The questions cover Analytical Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal skills.

STRUCTURE OF ATMA

Section Question-Context related to No. Of Questions Allotted Time I Analytical Reasoning Skills 30 30 Min II Verbal Skills 30 30 Min III Quantitative Skills 30 30 Min IV Verbal Skills 30 30 Min V Analytical Reasoning Skills 30 30 Min VI Quantitative Skills 30 30 Min

(In the Actual Test the Same Sequence as Shown in the Table above may not be followed)

Each multiple-choice question is followed by four answers numbered 1,2,3 and 4. You have to choose the correct or best answer from these four choices and click the right answer in the On-line Test.

The questions in this Test are numbered serially starting at 1 and ending at 180. Start answering from the first question of each section and proceed sequentially.

Clear familiarity with the directions and questions is necessary. It is important to read the directions for each set of questions carefully.

In case you find a mistake in the framing of the question or the answered-choices given or both, you need not waste your time on them. You will be given credit for any such question.

Time should be allotted wisely within the limits given. On an average, there will be one minute available for each question and thirty minutes per each section.

ATMA has been designed as a standard, benchmark Test with high quality and academic rigour. ATMA scores are useful in determining a candidates relative position in the whole test population. A candidate is not expected to answer all questions within the specified time frame. You are advised to proceed through the Test at an even pace, skipping the more difficult questions, wherever necessary. You may return to the unanswered questions any time and click the right answer.

All the necessary instructions and guidelines will be given with the question paper for On-line Test.

Cancellation of the Test Results

A candidate's score will be cancelled by the office of ATMA, if any misconduct or unfair practice by the candidate is detected, by any of the several available means.

A candidate whose result is cancelled, will not receive her/his score and will be informed accordingly.

For list of institutes accepting ATMA please visit the institute website.

Contact Details Address : Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS)

Head Office: D No: 6-3-668/10/76, First Floor

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NEW YORK (AP)  P.J. O'Rourke, the prolific author and satirist who re-fashioned the irreverence and "Gonzo" journalism of the 1960s counterculture into a distinctive brand of conservative and libertarian commentary, has died at age 74.

O'Rourke died Tuesday morning, according to Grove Atlantic Inc. Books publisher and president Morgan Entrekin. He did not cite a specific cause, but said O'Rourke had been ill in recent months.

O'Rourke was a Toledo, Ohio, native who evolved from long-haired student activist to wavy-haired scourge of his old liberal ideals, with some of his more widely read take downs appearing in a founding counterculture publication, Rolling Stone. His career otherwise extended from the early years of National Lampoon to a brief stint on "60 Minutes" in which he represented the conservative take on "Point/Counterpoint" to frequent appearances on NPR's game show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!"

His writing style suggested a cross between the hedonism of Hunter S. Thompson and the patrician mockery of Tom Wolfe: Self-importance was a reliable target. But his greatest disdain was often for the government  not just a specific administration, but government itself and what he called "the silken threads of entitlement spending."

In a 2018 column for a venerable conservative publication, The Weekly Standard, he looked on with scorn at Washington, D.C.'s gentrification.

"People are flocking to the seat of government power. One would say 'dogs returning to their vomit' except that's too hard on dogs. Too hard on people, also. They come to Washington because they have no choice  diligent working breeds compelled to eat their regurgitated tax dollars," he wrote.

O'Rourke's books included the best sellers "Parliament of Whores" and "Give War a Chance," "None of My Business" and "A Cry from the Middle."

Entrekin told The Associated Press that he had been working on a one-volume look at the United States, as seen from his hometown: "A History of Toledo, Ohio: From the Beginning of Time Til the End of the Universe."

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Consumers would gain greater control over their personal information and be able to demand that data controllers and processors not sell their data under a Republican proposal presented at a news conference Wednesday.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers did not respond to a request for comment on the bill, though he has signed a bill ensuring greater data security into law.

Bill author Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, R-River Falls, said Wednesday that the bill, AB 957, would combat Big Tech and other large companies ability to use consumers personal information for their gain.

It is reasonable for Wisconsin residents to have the expectation that that data is private, that you cannot and should not just be randomly shared or sold to the highest bidder, said Zimmerman, who has spent decades working in the technology sector.

The proposal comes as 79% of Americans report concern regarding how companies use their data and about 60% of American adults say they dont think its possible to go through daily life without having data collected about them, according to the Pew Research Center.

Zimmerman said hes hopeful the bill will receive a floor vote before the session ends. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under the bill, consumers would be able to confirm whether data collectors and processers are harvesting their data. Consumers would also be able to correct errors, require processors to delete their personal data, obtain a copy of processed personal data, opt out of the processing of their data for targeted advertising and prohibit processers from selling their data.

The bill would apply to businesses that control or process at least 100,000 consumers personal data or that control or process at least 25,000 consumers personal data and derive over half of their gross revenue from selling that data.

Several retail organizations, including Kwik Trip, the Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association, the Wisconsin Grocers Association and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce oppose the bill, with the latter advocating federal regulation rather than state-by-state legislation. Zimmerman said Wednesday that some companies also said it would be overly burdensome to comply with the regulations.

Microsoft as well as libertarian political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity are lobbying in support of the bill.

The bill would put the attorney general in charge of prosecuting data collectors and processors that violate consumer demands, with up to a $7,500 fine per violation if the violators do not resolve the issue within 30 days of receiving written notice from the attorney general.

Enforcing violations would require seven full-time-equivalent staff and other costs at a nearly $950,000 estimated annualized cost to the state, the state Justice Department said in a fiscal estimate.

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More than a year after Wisconsin launched a mobile app to alert people of exposure to COVID-19, many residents have signed up but its not clear how many close contacts of those testing positive have been notified.

Since WI Exposure Notification started in December 2020, the app has been downloaded or enabled nearly 2.2 million times, according to the state Department of Health Services. The state has nearly 5.9 million residents.

Through Bluetooth technology, phones with the app exchange anonymous signals with other phones with the app that are nearby for at least 15 minutes. Users who test positive for COVID-19 receive codes. If they enter the codes, their phones notify others who were near them when they may have been contagious.

More than 430,600 codes have been distributed, health department spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt said. But because of privacy concerns, the state doesnt track when people get exposure notifications, so its not clear how often the app has alerted close contacts.

However, we know informing close contacts so they can not only can get the help they need, but also avoid exposing others to the virus, is key to helping reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, Goodsitt said. Staying home when sick is one piece of a layered strategy that also includes getting vaccinated and getting a booster when eligible, wearing a mask, and getting tested will help keep our communities healthy.

Justin Singleton, an attorney who lives in Milwaukee and works in Waukesha, said he is puzzled by never having received an exposure notification. He said he has been near people who have tested positive for COVID-19, but hes not sure how many had the app.

Ive talked to a lot of people, and I dont know anybody who has gotten an actual exposure notification from it, Singleton said.

Goodsitt said the program has not cost the state any money, as it is a no-cost solution offered to states by Apple/Google.

Meanwhile, the state on Wednesday reported a daily average of 1,629 new cases of COVID-19, down from a daily average peak of 18,811 on Jan. 19, with the omicron variant surge having ebbed. All counties have very high case activity except for Douglas County in northwest Wisconsin, which has critically high activity.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association on Wednesday said 814 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, including 161 in intensive care, the lowest levels since August.

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State election officials on Wednesday pushed back against the unverified, fantastical claims of widespread election fraud in Wisconsins 2020 election at an informational hearing with the GOP-led committee that has provided a forum for many of the allegations.

Claims of sweeping election fraud have persisted since the 2020 election, due in part to former President Donald Trumps baseless assertions that the election was stolen.

The ongoing debate over Wisconsins election has fomented a rift among legislative Republicans. Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, who has called for a full forensic audit of the states 2020 election, called out Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, for referring several election-related bills to the Assemblys state affairs committee  legislation that would traditionally be taken up by her committee.

Claims of fraud

Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe and technology director Robert Kehoe provided more than two hours of testimony before the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections, which is chaired by Brandtjen.

The commission officials tried to answer ongoing questions regarding Wisconsins statewide voter registration database WisVote, while also addressing unfounded claims of fraud, including those made last week before the committee by Peter Bernegger, who was convicted in Mississippi federal court in 2009 for making fraudulent claims to investors in his business.

A lot of concerns about the November 2020 presidential election are based on assumptions that lack a full understanding of election policies, laws and technologies, Kehoe said. Other concerns expressed to this committee have alleged startling claims of fraud without providing adequate evidence.

Recounts and court decisions affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the battleground state by almost 21,000 votes.

Among the evidence Bernegger cited last week was his inability to find a registered voter named Ambrose Aadventure, suggesting the name may have been a fake. But Aadventure, formerly known as Cory Wierl, is a real person who changed his name in June 2020.

In the end, it took me a few minutes on a public website to solve the case of Mr. Aadventure, Kehoe said. Thats what due diligence looks like. No supercomputer required.

Bernegger was one of several individuals invited by the committee to provide testimony over the last several months. Others include Erick Kaardal, a Republican attorney for the conservative Thomas More Society who has challenged the use of private grant funding provided to cities to help administer the 2020 election; former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, a Republican who has been hired by the Legislature to conduct a GOP-ordered review of the election; and Doug Frank, an Ohio scientist who made baseless claims that Wisconsins election likely was stolen.

The committee last invited commission staff to testify almost a year ago, in March 2021.

Wolfe said the commission has seen questions and complaints related to elections skyrocket since the 2020 vote, creating challenges for the agencys limited staff.

Call for clarity

Rep. Ron Tusler, R-Harrison, took issue with calling claims of fraud sensational and fantastical and called on the commission to make more of an effort to proactively respond to such questions  something commission officials said they already do.

Each one of these allegations for the most part would be pretty terrible if they were true, Tusler said. Folks that have these concerns, they dont strike me as poorly intended. But I think a lot of times they need information that they dont have and we rely on WEC to provide that.

Kehoe also pointed to Berneggers claim that more than 300 people registered to vote at an address that no longer exists, noting that the address in question belongs to a UW-Parkside apartment complex on a street that has since been renamed. In another instance, Bernegger cited hundreds of registered voters at 437 N. Frances St., one of the largest apartment complexes in Madison.

Some people are using these voters to support their claim that tens of thousands of fake voters were created to cast ballots in the 2020 general election, Kehoe said. Again, thats a shocking and frightening claim, still without one single example.

GOP debate

State Republicans have continued to question the results of the 2020 election, despite multiple recounts, lawsuits and reviews affirming there was no widespread fraud.

Following pressure from Trump, Vos hired former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, at a cost of $676,000 to taxpayers, to review the 2020 election. Vos has said the GOP-ordered review should be completed in a matter of weeks.

Despite that, others in the Legislature, including Brandtjen and Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, have pressed for a full forensic audit of the election.

Both Ramthun, who is running for governor based largely on his claims of widespread fraud, and Brandtjen spoke at a rally in the Capitol Tuesday seeking to take back the states 10 electoral college votes already certified for Biden. Nonpartisan legislative attorneys have said such a maneuver is impossible. Rallygoers held signs that read Toss Vos during the demonstration, signifying the protesters criticism of the longtime Republican leader.

The following day, Brandtjen said Vos had referred several election-related bills meant for her committee to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs.

In a statement, Brandtjen took aim at Vos and Republican Sen. Kathy Bernier, who chairs the Senate elections committee, for severely downplaying the significance of the voter fraud that the elections committee, the special counsel, and numerous independent groups have uncovered.

To take away the Assembly Committee on Campaign and Elections ability to provide the level of scrutiny that these bills require, and the citizens of Wisconsin deserve, is unconscionable and irresponsible, Brandtjen said. My question is simple: What are Robin Vos and Kathy Bernier afraid of?

Brandtjens spokesperson Bill Savage said the office did not receive any communication from Vos before the bills were referred. The proposed legislation pertains to the states voter registration database, absentee ballot applications, indefinitely confined voter status and election fraud, among other measures.

Vos responds

In an email responding to Brandtjens criticism, Vos described the state affairs committee as the Legislatures most versatile, flexible committee, handling a myriad of issues in a very timely matter. Vos also pushed back against Brandtjens claim that the referral was done to kneecap her committee.

There is no kneecapping happening to Rep. Brandtjens committee, he said, adding that the plan is to bring the bills before the full Assembly for a vote next week.

Bernier, a former elections clerk who is not seeking reelection this fall, has been one of the few legislative Republicans defending the 2020 election results.

Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, previously described any ongoing effort to decertify the 2020 election, which has been accepted and counted by Congress, as the dumbest thing I have ever heard of in my life.

Vos disciplined Ramthun earlier this year by removing his lone staff member, but not for Ramthuns comments about who won the states 2020 election. Rather, the removal of Ramthuns staffer stemmed from his false accusations that Vos had signed a deal with attorneys for former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to authorize absentee ballot drop boxes, Vos office said.

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Opponents of a proposed Dane County solar farm say utilities should not be allowed to buy the project because it depends on leases that may violate the Wisconsin Constitution.

Invenergy, a Chicago-based developer, is seeking a permit to build a solar-plus-storage facility on about 2,400 acres west of Cambridge, which three utilities, including We Energies and Madison Gas and Electric, want to purchase for $649 million.

The town of Christiana and two residents who are against the project filed a motion Tuesday asking the Public Service Commission to dismiss the utilities application on the grounds that the leases are void under a little-known clause in the state Constitution that limits leases on agricultural land to 15 years.

According to the application, Invenergy secured land for the project with 25-year leases that can be extended for another 25 years.

The opponents argue projects that depend on legally void leases cannot be in the interest of the ratepayers, or anyone else and should be stopped.

Now that the issue has been exposed, it makes no sense for the PSC to approve solar facilities, said Frank Jablonski, an attorney representing town residents Roxann Engelstad and Edward Lovell.

The language in question comes from Article 1, Section 14, which states in part, Leases and grants of agricultural land for a longer term than fifteen years in which rent or service of any kind shall be reserved, and all fines and like restraints upon alienation reserved in any grant of land, hereafter made, are declared to be void.

In support of their argument, the opponents submitted a one-page primer on agricultural lease law prepared by a UW-Extension professor who died in 2018 that says a lease of agricultural land for more than 15 years is void.

Jablonski said the provision was brought to his attention by people not happy with their communities being overrun by energy sprawl.

After researching it and confirming his reading with two other attorneys, Jablonski said hes confident the UW-Extension summary is accurate and that the leases for the project, known as the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center, are void, which he contends invalidates the application.

But there could be other legal interpretations of the 174-year-old document, and there are no court rulings to offer guidance.

UW-Madison law professor Heinz Klug said opponents may be misreading the clause, which was designed to prevent feudal tenure, a system of servitude, rather than restricting a landowners ability to lease out land.

Its unclear how a constitutional ban might affect other recently approved solar projects, such as the 300-megawatt Badger Hollow farm in Iowa County, that have employed similar 25-year leases with extension options.

Spokespeople for MGE and We Energies, which jointly own Badger Hollow, said they were still reviewing the motion Wednesday. An Invenergy spokesperson had not responded to a request for comment.

Even if the developers and the utilities argue otherwise, there is just too much risk for ratepayers, Jablonski said. At this point, with the issue exposed, there may be too much risk for developers too.

Tuesdays motion marks the opponents second effort to derail the Koshkonong project, which has sparked fierce opposition from neighbors and the nearby village of Cambridge, which wants to develop some of the farmland for future housing.

In November, the commission rejected a motion to dismiss the permit application on the grounds that Invenergy and the utilities were exploiting a legal loophole to avoid regulatory scrutiny.

Thats because unregulated companies like Invenergy dont have to justify the need or cost of a project or show that it is the most cost-effective solution. Utilities like MGE, which pass on the costs to their ratepayers, are held to a higher standard.

Invenergy and the utilities insist the so-called site and acquire method, which has been used in eight of the 11 large-scale solar projects approved by the PSC, follows the letter of the law.

[Correction: In an earlier version of this story, who attorney Frank Jablonski represents was wrong.]

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Dear Wisconsin families and educators,

I am writing this letter to you as a fellow parent and a former teacher.

Like you, I know what it means to be involved with my childrens education, and I love it. But I look at the way politicians talk about parental involvement, and I dont recognize it.

Family engagement isnt about yelling at school staff or suing your school board if they dont do exactly as you demand. Its also not asking caregivers to homeschool or pay for private tuition if they feel unheard or unseen. Family engagement is about having a real conversation about  and with  our children. Like you, I build relationships with my childrens teachers, I reach out when I need to, and they know they can call if they need to.

As a parent, I love my childrens school, and I see the ways our district works to involve all families and the entire community, and how the entire community supports our school. Its an exchange, because what matters most to all of us is what we all have in common: our children.

Of course, this isnt what politicians mean when they talk about protecting parental rights when it comes to childrens education. Rather, theyre talking about micromanaging curriculum and preying on our parental emotions during a traumatic time, all with the ulterior motive of placing suspicion on educators by weaponizing lessons about difficult topics, or by placing blame on schools for a pandemic they did not cause but are nonetheless supporting our children through.

As to my fellow educators, you and I all know that this isnt the first time that politicians in this state have gone after teachers. And as a former civics teacher, I know that teaching the history of this nation cannot  and should not  be done without tackling difficult topics. Families know this and support these opportunities for our schools to engage our children to become critical thinkers and critical consumers of information.

We want our students to grow up and be active participants in democracy, and that means they need to know how to examine their past, think critically about their present, and make informed decisions about their future. This critical lens is what makes our democracy stronger, and the only way for our children to engage is through our public schools where this freedom to think critically is encouraged and the skill of thinking critically is actively taught.

Teaching is our expertise, and we are happy to learn from parents about your children, just as we hope families are excited to learn the answer to, What did you do in school today, honey? when your learner walks through the door.

Im tired. Like you, Im tired of the pandemic. Im getting tired of this winter. And Im really, really tired of politicians pitting parents against teachers when our children are the ones who get hurt in the end. Because theyre the ones who matter most in this conversation and who matter most for the future of our state. And that conversation  how to best meet the needs of our children and students  is one Im excited to continue having as a parent and an educator, and to lead as your Wisconsin State Superintendent.

Sincerely,

Jill Underly

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(CNN) -- An AirAsia flight in Malaysia was re-routed after a snake was found on the plane, the airline has confirmed.

The domestic flight was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau on February 10 when several passengers reportedly realized there was a snake on board the aircraft. A social media user shared an image of a snake slithering through the plane's light fixtures.

"This is a very rare incident which can occur on any aircraft from time to time," said Captain Liong Tien Ling, AirAsia's chief safety officer, in a statement emailed to CNN Travel.

Once the pilot got word of the unexpected extra passenger, the plane was re-routed to the city of Kuching.

There, the plane was fumigated and, presumably, the snake stowaway was removed.

"The Captain took the appropriate action and the flight safely departed for Tawau as soon as possible," said Ling in the statement.

"The safety and well-being of our guests and crew is always our top priority. At no time was the safety of guests or crew at any risk."

Incidents of snakes on board airplanes are indeed rare but do happen.

In 2012, a passenger -- who happened to be the owner of a reptile shop -- smuggled a cobra in his carry-on luggage on an Egyptair flight and was found out when the snake got loose and bit his hand.

Snakes also wind up on planes unintentionally.

That is what happened to a Scottish woman who was returning from a vacation in Australia in 2016 when she discovered mid-air that a stowaway python had taken up residence in her shoe.

Upon the plane's arrival in Glasgow, the local chapter of the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPCA) retrieved the snake and put it into quarantine.

Luckily, the reptile was identified as a spotted python, which is not venomous.

Incidents like these often trend online thanks to the residual popularity of the cult hit 2006 movie "Snakes on a Plane," which starred Samuel L. Jackson as an FBI agent battling a bunch of snakes that were -- well, you know.

This story was first published on CNN.com "AirAsia flight in Malaysia rerouted after snake found on board plane".
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno on Wednesday maintained the countrys banks are equipped amid the COVID-19 pandemic, refuting a World Bank report warning about rising loan defaults in nations like the Philippines.

I think we have prepared our banks and MSMEs. We have helped them during this crisis, so I dont see them under threat at the moment, said Diokno when asked about the World Banks World Development Report 2022 during a virtual briefing.

The Washington-based lender noted how financial institutions across the globe are likely to come under significant stress with debt moratoriums and other eased policies that support borrowers.

The country earlier imposed grace periods on debt payments under the Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws, with the last moratorium effective only until end-December 2020.https://cnnphilippines.com/business/2020/9/18/BSP-loan-grace-period-Bayanihan-2.html

In some economies, these risks are already becoming apparent. Loan defaults have been on the rise in India, Kenya, the Philippines, and a growing number of other middle-income countries, said the World Bank, adding Manilas non-performing loan (NPL) ratio could jump to 8.2% this year.

While the countrys NPL ratio eased to an 11-month low at 3.99% as of end-December, it still breached the 3.63% logged at the end of 2020.

Diokno likewise assured the government has managed the percentage of its total outstanding loans to the overall economy.

Our debt-to-GDP ratio remains manageable. Its long term and most of it is based on fixed terms so we dont see any problem with the Philippines, said the BSP official.

The country ended 2021 with an outstanding debt stock of 11.728 trillion, yielding a debt-to-GDP ratio of 60.5%. While this is the highest since 2005, the Treasury assured its still within the internationally accepted 60% threshold amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  Budget carrier Cebu Pacific is boosting its international operations with the resumption of flights to Bangkok, Fukuoka, and Jakarta as the Philippines reopened its borders to foreign tourists.

In a statement, the airline said it has resumed its thrice weekly flights to Bangkok, and weekly flights to Fukuoka and Jakarta.

Starting today, fully vaccinated foreigners can enter the Philippines, acting presidential spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced earlier.

They only need to present proof of full vaccination.

Accepted as vaccination status proof are World Health Organization international certificates of vaccination or prophylaxis; VaxCertPH-issued COVID-19 vaccine certificates; or national/state digital certificates of the foreigners government which also accepts VaxCertPH as proof of inoculation under a reciprocal arrangement.

"This development will benefit the tourism industry across the Philippines as we welcome vaccinated travelers from around the world to explore our beautiful shores. We laud the Department of Tourism for actively pushing for our country to start accepting foreign tourists again, and we will support this initiative however we can," Xander Lao, chief commercial officer at Cebu Pacific, said in a statement.

The company also plans to resume its flights to other international routes from Manila next month, specifically Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and Taipei.

"We continue to bank on the rebound of domestic tourism this year while remaining agile in addressing demand for international travel as well. We are encouraged that with these positive indicators, more OFWs can also fly back home easily and safely to their families," Lao added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  Four presidential candidates have agreed that peace talks between the government and insurgents should continue, but they have different views on the designation of some communist groups as terrorists.

During a debate organized by the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) on Tuesday, former senator Bongbong Marcos, former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, labor leader Leody de Guzman, and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales said they believe the negotiations would help end the five decades of armed conflict.

Marcos and Abella said localized peace talks would be more effective in combating insurgency. They also said the programs of the Duterte administrations National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict are worth continuing.

For De Guzman, the government should have an honest-to-goodness intention to resolve the conflict. He pointed out that past attempts failed due to the governments lack of sincerity in providing the needs of those who have taken up arms. He said these include genuine reforms to address poverty, lack of livelihood, and issues on land ownership, among others.

Hindi naman sincere sa pakikipag peace talks. Ang gusto lang ay pasukuin yung mga NPA (New Peoples Army) nang hindi nare-resolve talaga yung problema, he added.

[Translation: The government is not sincere in its peace talks. What it wants is for the NPA to surrender, even without resolving the problem.]

Other candidates have agreed that there is a need to tackle inequalities and other root causes of the armed conflict

Marcos said there should be distribution of wealth for peace to last, while most of the candidates said armed struggle has no place in a democratic society.

Hindi natin dapat ituloy na gumagamit ng dahas ang sinuman kung gusto natin magkaroon ng pagbabago sa ating lipunan, Gonzales said.

[Translation: Violence shouldnt be used by anyone if we want change in the society.]

Gonzales added that members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) are considered enemies of the state, a statement echoed by Marcos and Abella.

For De Guzman, the CPP should not be designated as a terrorist organization as it should be recognized as a legitimate revolutionary movement "that resulted from injustices in the country."

SMNI is the broadcasting arm of the religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ led by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

Presidential bets Senator Manny Pacquiao, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Vice President Leni Robredo declined to participate in the debate organized by SMNI.

Pacquiao on Monday said he cannot in good conscience join the debate because Quiboloy is wanted for sex trafficking charges in the US. Lacson said he decided to skip the debate since Quiboloy openly endorsed Marcos, while Moreno and Robredo said they cannot join the debate due to conflict of schedule.

Robredo, Moreno, Lacson and Pacquiao are attending the CNN Philippines Presidential Debate on Feb. 27. Marcos is the lone presidential hopeful who will not attend the debate due to conflict of schedule.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  Senator Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday that he would go all out against corrupt government officials if elected to the top post, warning that his administration will be "bloody" in its fight against corruption.

Gusto ko ipaalam sa inyong lahat na kapag ako naging presidente, madugo ang aking administrasyon. Hindi patayan kundi ipapakulong lahat ng mga kawatan diyan sa gobyerno, yung mga nagsasamantala, he said during a vritual forum by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

[Translation: I just want to inform you that if I ever become a president, my administration will be bloody. There will be no killings but I will put in jail all the erring government officials.]

Wala akong pakilaam kung mayaman ka o mahirap. Ako mismo ang maghihila sayo papuntang kulungan, he added.

[Translation: I dont care if you are rich or poor. I will be the one to put you in jail.]

Pacquiao vowed to end corruption, from the national government down to local government units, during his administration.

Moreover, the athlete-turned-politician also proposed to strengthen government offices that look into corrupt practices. He added that corruption cases should be decided immediately by the court.

Palakasin natin yung mga agencies na anti-corruption. Nandiyan ang Commission on Audit, nandiyan ang Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, nandiyan ang Ombudsman at Sandiganbayan, he said. Kailangan ang kaso ng korupsyon, pinakamatagal na yung anim na buwan, madesisyunan na.

[Translation: We will strengthen the anti-corruption agencies such as the Commission on Audit, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, Ombudsman, and Sandiganbayan. Corruption cases should be decided within only six months.]

President Rodrigo Duterte last year formed a multi-agency task force led by the Department of Justice to probe all government agencies hounded by allegations of rampant corruption.

Pacquiao has become a subject of Dutertes ire after claiming that the current administration is more corrupt than its predecessor. But the senator said he only wants to help the government's anti-corruption efforts.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  Senator Manny Pacquiao said that if elected president, he would form a peace panel with China to discuss the ongoing territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

I talked to the Ambassador of China and we discussed about things we need to discuss," he said during a virtual forum by Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on Wednesday. "Thats why we are thinking about creating a peace panel for West Philippine Sea to talk about the problem.

The boxer-turned-politician earlier told a radio interview that he met with a Chinese ambassador to discuss the issue on the highly contested waters. However, he did not name the Chinese envoy.

Pacquiao also wrote last year to Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian to withdraw Chinese militia vessels from the West Philippine Sea.

When asked if he would want to seek help from allies like the United States in solving the dispute, Pacquiao said he is open to the idea only if the lives of Filipinos are already at risk.

Ang hinahangad natin at hinahanap natin dito ay maging kaibigan tayo ng lahat ng bansa, he said.

[Translation: What we are aiming and look for is to be friends with all nations.]

As much as possible hindi tayo mag-a-ask ng help sa ibang bansa na kakampi natin," he also said. "Pero kung necessary talagang ang nakataya ay buhay na ng bawat Pilipino, siyempre kailangan din namin ng tulong doon sa mga allied country na gusto tumulong sa atin.

[Translation: As much as possible, we would not seek help from our allies. But if its necessary and if the lives of every Filipino people are at risk, of course we would welcome help from our allies.]

The 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Philippines binds both countries to come to each others aid during an attack.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague affirmed the Philippines sovereign rights in the disputed waters in 2016.

However, the Chinese government has consistently refused to recognize the ruling.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  The second division of the Commission on Elections has dismissed the petition to cancel the certificate of candidacy of senatorial bet Raffy Tulfo, acting Comelec chairman Socorro Inting said on Wednesday.

The Comelec second division said there was no misrepresentation in Tulfo's COC when he named Jocelyn Tulfo as his wife.

Julieta Pearson, who filed the petition, claimed to be the legal wife of the broadcaster.

Inting said the second division junked the case because whoever the spouse of a candidate is not material to whether they can run for office.

Tulfo topped a pre-election survey for senatorial aspirants conducted by Pulse Asia in January, with 66.1 percent of respondents saying they will vote for him.

CNN Philippines correspondent Melissa Lopez contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the initial public offering (IPO) of the Bank of Commerce, it confirmed Wednesday.

In a statement, the regulator said the Commission En Banc rendered effective on Feb. 15 the registration statement of the San Miguel Corporation affiliate that it hopes to raise around 3.4 billion in its maiden offering. The offering consists of up to 280.6 million common shares and an overallotment option of up to 42.09 million common shares with a maximum price of 12.50 apiece.

The IPOs proceeds will be used to fund the bank's lending activities and capital expenditure requirements, the SEC said. The remaining proceeds will be used for the acquisition of investment securities to meet regulatory liquidity requirements, it added.

RELATED: BankCom's assets under management balloon to 63B, surpassing 2021 target

BankComs offer will take place from March 7 to 15, with its Philippine Stock Exchange listing slated on March 23 according to its latest timetable submitted to the Commission.

The bank engaged BDO Capital & Investment, China Bank Capital, Philippine Commercial Capital, and PNB Capital Investment as joint issue managers, joint lead underwriters, and joint bookrunners for the offer.

SEC also greenlit the fixed-rate bond offering of BankComs parent firm SMC, which covers 1.403 billion common shares and up to 60 billion in fixed-rate bonds under shelf registration.

The regulatory body said the bonds may be issued in one or more tranches within three years, with the first tranche to be offered at face value and listed on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp this March 1.

For the first tranche, the listed conglomerate will offer to the public up to P25 billion of five-year Series J bonds due 2027, with an overallotment option of up to P5 billion of seven-year Series K bonds due 2029, said the SEC.

The diversified conglomerate could raise up to 29.63 billion from the offer assuming the overallotment option is exercised. The proceeds will refinance short-term loan facilities of SMC and will be used for other general corporate purposes.

BDO Capital and China Bank Capital had been tapped as joint issue managers for SMCs offering. They will also serve as joint leader underwriters and bookrunners with BPI Capital, PCCI, PNB Capital, RCBC Capital and SB Capital Investment.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  Vice presidential candidate Lito Atienza has begged off from the upcoming debate hosted by CNN Philippines despite his previous confirmation.

In a letter dated Tuesday, the deputy speaker said he figured in an accident days before their proclamation rally last Feb. 8. He said he was advised by his doctor to undergo knee replacement surgery as soon as possible.

"In this regard, we regret to inform you that we have to cancel our participation in your upcoming debate and other commitments related to the campaign until after the procedure is completed," Atienza said.

Seven of the nine VP bets have confirmed that they will join the debate. Former congressman Walden Bello, Manny SD Lopez, Rizalito David, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, Carlos Serapio, Senate President Tito Sotto, and Willie Ong have committed to be present, while Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte earlier said she can't attend without providing an explanation.

RELATED: Presidential candidates, VP bets confirm attendance to CNN Philippines debates

CNN Philippines will host the presidential debate on Feb. 27, while the vice presidential debate will be held on Feb. 26. Moderated by CNN Philippines anchors, both debates will be held at the University of Santo Tomas from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with the candidates attending live in front of a virtual audience.

The debates will air live on CNN Philippines Free TV Channel 9, cnnphilippines.com website, and CNN Philippines' official Facebook account.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16) The countrys top diplomat on Wednesday assured that Filipinos in Ukraine will remain safe amid the threat of a Russian invasion of the former Soviet state.

Rest assured Filipinos in Ukraine will come to no harm; I will be on top of it personally, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. said in a tweet.

Locsin said he was also reaching out to countries near Ukraine to ensure the safe passage of Filipinos if needed.

From west  Poland, Hungary, Slovakia; south  Romania and Moldova border Making calls now, he added. It will be a land journey to the closest border.

On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said officials were working out arrangements for Ukraine-based Filipinos who may wish to return home or move to safer grounds amid the brewing tensions.

No further details about the repatriation were provided as of publishing.

RELATED: Filipinos in Ukraine fear repatriation, losing jobs amid possible Russian invasion

The United States had warned that an attack on Ukraine could begin soon, as it expressed concern over the amassing of Russian troops along their common border.

The Russian Defense Ministry said some of its troops began returning to their bases following recent drills, but US President Joe Biden said they have not yet verified the report.

READ: Biden says US ready to give 'diplomacy every chance to succeed' in defusing Russia-Ukraine crisis
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  Filipino citizens and resident aliens may now use their national IDs to prove their age and identity in all government and private transactions with President Rodrigo Dutertes recent executive order.

Executive Order 162, signed by Duterte on Feb. 14 but only released publicly this Wednesday, institutionalizes the acceptance of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) ID and PhilSys Number (PSN) in such transactions as official proof of identity and age.

Unless otherwise provided by law, the presentation of the PhilID, PSN or PSN Derivative, as authenticated, shall be sufficient proof of identification and of all other personal details stated therein, without need for presentation of other identification documents, read the issuance.

They may be presented instead of a birth certificate in applications for the likes of marriage license, students driver permit or conductors license, the Professional Regulation Commission, and those relative to voters registration.

The PhilID, PSN or PSN Derivative as authenticated may also be used when enrolling at public and private schools or registering for the Philippine Educational Placement Test, the EO stated.

The order also directs covered agencies to amend their Citizens Charters, especially regarding identification requirements, to integrate the components of PhilSys and accommodate its features.

Agencies must inform the public of these amendments, while private entities are enjoined to do likewise regarding similar changes in their identification requirements.

Over 50 million Filipinos have completed the Step 2 registration of PhilSys as of the first half of December, hitting the Philippine Statistics Authoritys target for 2021. This step involves the validation of supporting documents and collection of biometric information.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16)  It has been a week since the official campaign period for candidates seeking national posts started. While all national candidates are given three months to woo voters, some presidential bets have bigger machinery and financial backing than others.

During the debate organized by Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) on Tuesday, four presidential candidates were asked how much they spent so far for their campaign?

First to answer was Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. He said his camp did not account for the contributions they received before the campaign period officially started on Feb. 8. He also explained that while he held several campaign caravans nationwide, his political party did not have to shell out a lot of money as their friends and supporters helped shoulder the costs, even lending their aircraft for long-distance travels.

Gratis et amore naman ang aming usapan diyan, the standard-bearer of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas said.

[Translation: Our agreement is giving back by giving thanks.]

Meanwhile, labor leader Leody De Guzman of the Partido Lakas ng Masa said his expenditures so far would not have reached even the minimum.

Hindi ko kaya ang 350,000 na billboard sa EDSA na isang buwan. Hindi ko kaya ang 800,000 na isang labas sa TV ads na 15 seconds, he added.

[Translation: I cannot pay 350,000 for a billboard that would be put up along EDSA for a month. I cannot pay 800,000 for a 15-second television ad.]

De Guzman pointed out that those who are able to afford such advertisements are politicians who are either wealthy or backed by businessmen.

He also reiterated his proposal that election expenses should be shouldered by the government, instead of individual candidates or political parties, in order to level the playing field.

This is an idea backed by presidential hopeful Norberto Gonzales, who likened his campaign spending to De Guzmans. Gonzales said he relies on invitations for fora and debates to reach a wider audience and to present his platforms.

Malaking katipiran sa bayan kung ang gobyerno ang gagastos sa ating eleksyon. Tandaan natin, ang mga ibinibigay at ginagastos sa eleksyon, babawiin. Lugi ang mamamayan, said Gonzales, who served as Secretary of National Defense during the Arroyo administration.

[Translation: The country will save a lot of money if the government will pay for the elections. Lets remember, contributors will take back the money they used during the polls. The Filipino people will suffer a loss.]

Meanwhile, former presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said he has launched his presidential campaign with the help of volunteers.

If theres anything at all, its really just, you know, they give you T-shirts, he said.

At the end of the campaign period, there will be an accounting, definitely. Pero wala kaming malalaking backer, wala kaming malaking makinarya (But we dont have big backers, we dont have a huge machinery), in fact, so basically its all volunteers, he added.

The Commission on Elections requires candidates to submit a Statement of Contribution and Expenditures after the campaign period. The SOCE should detail where their funds came from and went to.

SMNI is the broadcasting arm of the religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ led by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
(CNN) -- A swimmer has died after being bitten by a shark at a beach in Sydney, Australia, authorities have said.

New South Wales (NSW) Police said in a statement Wednesday that emergency services were called to Buchan Point, Malabar -- where the Little Bay Beach is located -- at around 4:35 p.m. local time "after receiving a report that a shark attacked a swimmer in the water."

According to the statement, officers who attended the scene, alongside Marine Area Command and Surf Life Saving NSW, found "human remains" in the water.

Four ambulance crews and a rescue helicopter with a critical care doctor and paramedic were dispatched to the area, NSW Ambulance told CNN in a statement.

"Unfortunately, this person had suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the attack and there was nothing paramedics could do when we arrived on scene," NSW Ambulance inspector Lucky Phrachanh said.

Little Bay Beach and the surrounding beaches have been closed for 24 hours, Randwick City Council said. The council added that it is the first fatal shark attack in Randwick City in recent memory.

Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said in a statement: "The coast is our community's backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families.

"To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock. Our entire community's hearts go out to the family of the victim."

NSW Police said they will be liaising with the Department of Primary Industry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the swimmer.

Police said a report will be prepared for the coroner.

Australia ranked behind only the United States in the number of unprovoked shark encounters with humans in 2021, according to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File.

The museum describes "unprovoked bites" as incidents in which a bite on a human takes place in the shark's natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark. "Provoked bites" are classified as when a human initiates interaction with a shark in some way.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Swimmer dies after being bitten by shark at Sydney beach".
On a Tuesday that saw the weather get into the low 60s, it may be hard to imagine that that wasnt the case one year ago.

Around this time last year, record low temperatures created rolling blackouts that were designed to moderate strains on the power system. On Feb. 16, 2021, Platte County experienced some outages which included southwestern and downtown Columbus, Platte Center, Lindsay, Duncan and Humphrey.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Omaha/Valley office reported the day before  Feb. 15 - the temperature was as low as -19 Fahrenheit. That kind of cold weather in Northeast Nebraska hasn't been experienced in over 30 years.

NWS meteorologist Becky Kern said the two dates, a year apart and almost 80 degrees apart on the Fahrenheit scale, is one of the biggest differences in recent low and high temperature marks. A large Arctic air mass coming south from Canada contributed to the frigidness experienced last year, she added.

Platte County Emergency Manager Tim Hofbauer said he can recall that date.

We had some places that were 26 below zero in or around Columbus and Platte County, he said. We had rolling blackouts that lasted multiple hours throughout the county.

The cold temperatures affected all three school districts  Columbus, Lakeview and Scotus  as they canceled at least one day of class due to the frigid temperature.

Columbus has been on the extreme temperature ends in 2021 and this year but Kern said Monday was a more typical Nebraska winter. The high was around the mid-30s and the low was in the high-teens. She added Columbus has not had as much snow compared to last year.

Sixty degrees (on Tuesday) means were 20 degrees above normal, Kern said. Weve definitely had warmer temperatures over the past month or actually the whole winter.  Its been exceptionally dry too. We need some moisture.

Hofbauer said even though there hasnt been much snow this winter, Columbus and Platte County saw their fair share last year.

Snow-wise I know we had a pretty significant amount of snow on the ground a year ago, he said. Now, we are in drought conditions with no snow (but) the outlook is still to be considered above normal as far as temperature.

He added he believes with the upcoming forecast, the area could have more snow soon.

Kern said the weather trend going forward will see the temperatures dip into the cooler territory but still above average on Wednesday.

She added the next week will be a roller coaster as Thursdays temperature will be below freezing before shooting up in the 50s  with the possibility of hitting into the 60-degree weather - over the weekend. After that, the end of February and the first of March could experience a colder than usual climate, Kern said.

Andrew Kiser is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at andrew.kiser@lee.net.

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A Cumberland County man has been accused of defrauding Medicare and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Rodney L. Yentzer, 52, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of theft of public money, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Yentzer is accused of committing the fraud between 2016 and 2020.

U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus said Yentzer agreed with other individuals to submit bills to Medicare for medically unnecessary urine drug tests for chronic opioid patients, using medical clinics that were under Yentzers control. This included a group of clinics called Pain Medicine of York, otherwise known as All Better Wellness.

Pain Medicine of York allegedly billed Medicare for over $10 million in drug urine tests from the middle of 2017 to the end of 2019. Pennsylvanias Medicaid program also received bills for urine drug tests during this time, Gurganus said.

The urine drug tests that Pain Medicine of York ordered were sent to an in-house laboratory at Pain Medicine of York when possible, so that Pain Medicine of York received the proceeds, Gurganus said.

Yentzer allegedly received more than $191,000 in stimulus money from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was originally intended for health care providers who had health care-related expenses and experienced revenue losses due to COVID-19. Yentzer is alleged to have received those funds in April 2020 after he had resigned from Pain Medicine of York in March. Pain Medicine of York closed near the end of 2019. Gurganus said Yentzer used the money for expenses, including personal ones, that were unrelated to COVID-19.

The news release said search warrants were executed for Pain Medicine of Yorks various locations, and operations at those locations ceased thereafter.

Under federal law, the maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and theft of public money are 10 years in prison, 20 years in prison, and 10 years in prison, respectively.

Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com covering Carlisle and Newville. You can contact her at mseiler@cumberlink.com and follow her on Twitter at: @SeilerMadalyn

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The large brick home on the property was formerly a toll stop and tavern located on Route 11, a main route for travelers, according to the website.
People were skeptical when Julia Chain first walked into the sanctuary of the Mount Tabor Church in Mount Holly Springs.

Time and neglect had taken a toll on what was once the spiritual hub of a thriving African-American community. On the surface, the ramshackle church seemed to be teetering on the brink beyond hope of salvation.

There was conversation over whether it was even possible, said Chain, a volunteer with the Mount Tabor Preservation Project. There was a lot of doubt, even among people who love this building, as to whether this could happen.

Today, the grassroots effort has cause for celebration. The borough council agreed Monday to seek bids to rehabilitate the Cedar Street building into its past role as flexible space.

Im just glad the members of the Mount Tabor board have reached their goal at this point, said Tom Day, borough manager. It has been a lot of work.

The plan is for the council to open bids at its April 11 meeting before turning over the proposals for review by the project architect and board of directors, council president James Collins II said. A contract could be awarded at the April 28 council meeting, he said.

The contractor could then start work on the first of a two-phase project to develop the church and its nearby cemetery into an historic site to educate the public and draw in tourism.

This latest milestone is far removed from the early days when the very survival of the Mount Tabor Church was in doubt. The appearance and condition of the structure had supporters worried.

We didnt think we would be able to keep the building, said Carmen James, a former congregant and current project board president. We thought the building would come down and that all we could keep is the foundation.

In 2020, the borough assumed ownership of the church, clearing away the major obstacle to preservation efforts. Last July, the council hired SBA Architects of Sunbury, Northumberland County, to do architectural design and engineering work on the rehabilitation project.

Architect Ted Strosser worked with a structural engineer to evaluate the churchs condition and to prepare a recommendation on how to restore it to a usable condition.

The evaluation came back with the promising news that the foundation is in better shape than what was previously believed, said Charles Stodter, a project volunteer.

There was more tilt on the walls than on the foundation or the floor itself, he said. It is easier to tilt a wall back than it is to right a foundation. It will require repair, but its not beyond repair.

It was a really hopeful outcome, Chain said. The architect and engineer believe the church is very fixable. Phase one is the rehabilitation of the structure following National Park standards for maintaining the historical integrity of the building. Were also going to modernize it in some ways by adding capacity for electricity, an HVAC system and an ADA [handicapped] accessible ramp and doorway.

One thing we love about this building is it isnt fancy, Chain said of its rustic exterior. Were going to try to keep it looking the way that it did. Were planning to use as much of the [original] wood as we can.

If the council awards a contract in April, rehabilitation work could begin in May, Stodter said. Construction could take six to nine months depending on the availability of manpower and materials.

Already, the project board of directors has compiled a list of volunteer tradesmen and laborers along with potential sources of donated materials, James said. As we go along and have a need, we have been blessed with people who say, I have this skill, I would like to help. The list includes specialists who restore period windows and oil lamps.

We are looking forward to bringing the community into this project, Chain said. Were hoping that the contractor that we select would be interested in volunteer days. This has been a community building its entire life. We want to make sure that the rehabilitation phase includes everyone.

The Mount Tabor Church traces its history to Elias Parker, a former slave who moved from Hagerstown, Maryland, to Mount Holly Springs after serving with the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War.

A Baptist minister, Parker was also a mason and carpenter who built the church on Cedar Avenue. The congregation was active until about 1970 when many of the worshipers moved away to follow work.

The foundation speaks for itself, James said, referring to the workmanship of Parker. This project opens the door for people to come in and hear the history. We want people to come into Holly. Its a great place full of history.

In the past, the Mount Tabor Church was most successful as a multipurpose building and community center, James said. Growing up as a congregant, she remembers lectures, church services and Bible studies.

In the future, James said she would like to see the church function as a meeting place for civic organizations and borough government. There has also been talk of using the building as a venue for weddings and baby showers. For years, the Cumberland County Historical Society has hosted field trips by elementary school students to both the church and its cemetery.

The designs provided by SBA Architects include a parking lot, a restroom facility and a U-shaped driveway as phase two site improvements. While much of the parking lot will take the form of pavers or gravel, the driveway and a handicapped parking space will be asphalt, Stodter said.

Email Joseph Cress at jcress@cumberlink.com.

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The 2022 Missouri Pork Producers State FFA Public Speaking contest was held at Margaritaville Resort on Feb. 8. The contest is designed to develop individual public speaking skills and to promote interest in and awareness of different aspects of the pork industry.

Leah Thompson earned the right to compete at the state contest by winning her respective district competitions.

Leah, SE District 1st place winner and 1st place State Winner represented the Fredericktown FFA well at the event. She has ties with the pork industry as her family has a business raising swine. The theme of the speech was: California Bacon Shortage  the Impacts of Proposition 12.

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Two Potosi residents were injured in a crash on Highway 185 in Washington County Tuesday.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 5:17 p.m., George Hettenhausen, 47, of Potosi, was driving a 1989 Chevrolet Beretta north on Highway 185 south of Pleasant Hill Road while a 2011 Ford Fiesta driven by Victoria Phares, 19, of Potosi, was stopped on the west shoulder of Highway 185, facing north.

Hettenhausen failed to see the Fiesta approaching and attempted to make a right turn into a private driveway. The front of the vehicle struck the right side of the Fiesta.

Phares was taken to Washington County Memorial Hospital by ambulance for moderate injuries. Hettenhausen was transported by private conveyance to Washington County Memorial Hospital for moderate injuries.

Both vehicles were totaled.

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More than 700 students received bachelor of science, bachelor of arts, master of science and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees from Missouri University of Science and Technology during commencement ceremonies held at Missouri S&T on Dec. 17-18.

Missouri S&T has traditionally recognized graduates earning a bachelor's degree with honors by placing the designation "summa cum laude," "magna cum laude" or "cum laude" on their diplomas. The highest honor, summa cum laude, is awarded to students who have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.8 or above on a 4.0 scale for all courses counting toward the degree. Magna cum laude is the designation for a GPA of 3.5 to 3.79, and cum laude indicates a GPA of 3.2-3.49.

Local students who graduated from Missouri S&T include:

Bonne Terre

Chloe Bess, bachelor of science, chemical engineering

Bryce Pruett, bachelor of arts, economics and bachelor of science, engineering management

Ironton

Ethan Jones, bachelor of science, aerospace engineering

Ethan Jones, bachelor of science, mechanical engineering

Leadwood

Wilkinson Olson, bachelor of science, biological sciences

Mineral Point

Kyle Johnson, bachelor of science, information science and technology

Park Hills

Dale Huffman, bachelor of science, mechanical engineering

Ste. Genevieve

Calvin Abt, bachelor of science, mechanical engineering

Matthew Bauman, bachelor of science, mechanical engineering

Coleman Keeley, bachelor of science, electrical engineering

Michelle Kelly, master of science, industrial-organizational psychology

Tristan Rollhaus, bachelor of science, mechanical engineering

Daniel Vaeth, bachelor of science, mechanical engineering

Missouri S&T also announced the names of students who made the honor list for the Fall 2021 semester. To be included on the honor list, students must have carried a minimum of 12 hours and had grade point averages of 3.2 or above out of a possible 4.0.

Local students who made the honor list include:

Bonne Terre

Chloe Bess, chemical engineering, senior

Parker Bowman, information science and technology, junior

Paul Chandler, environmental engineering, senior

Nathan Hambrick, computer science, junior

Nathan Hollock, chemical engineering, senior

Jaden Johnson, chemical engineering, junior

Peyton Nipper, biological sciences, junior

Justin Penn, chemical engineering, junior

Bryce Pruett, engineering management, senior

Jason Slusser, computer engineering, senior

Jordan Stevens, physics, senior

Braden Swift, applied mathematics, sophomore

Zehao Zhang, civil engineering, senior

Desloge

Les Copeland, aerospace engineering, junior

Mackenzie Shields, history, senior

Farmington

Cameron Braswell, chemistry, freshman

Logan Buchanan, engineering, junior

Zachary Compton, chemical engineering, senior

Christopher England, nuclear engineering, senior

Hayley Hall, engineering, sophomore

Katie Harris, engineering, sophomore

Jacob Henderson, business and management systems, junior

Emma Hinson, engineering, sophomore

Logan Lewis, chemical engineering, senior

Madelyn Mabry, chemistry, sophomore

Christian Moody, computer science, senior

Morgan Pullen, biological sciences, junior

Carter Schaper, engineering, junior

Kamryn Sloan, architectural engineering, junior

Thomas Smugala Jr., engineering, senior

Savannah Stack, business and management systems, senior

Audrey Williams, geology and geophysics, sophomore

Ironton

Ethan Jones, aerospace engineering, senior

Park Hills

Mason Labrot, physics, junior

Mackenzie Mills, chemical engineering, senior

St. Mary

Quentin Ponder, engineering, freshman

Ste. Genevieve

Matthew Bauman, mechanical engineering, senior

Gage Heil, engineering, sophomore

Joshua Hoog, engineering, sophomore

Jared Kenik, engineering, sophomore

Christian Loida, chemical engineering, senior

Daniel Vaeth, mechanical engineering, senior

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At first glance, a four-minute video loop at The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia resembles any number of news conferences a viewer might see on television on a given day. But once the speaker portrayed by artist and activist Alicia Grullon begins her remarks, its clear that the plans she outlines of using official means to restore rights and control to indigenous people is a vision of a bold new future.

Curated by Hannah Cattarin, assistant curator at The Fralin, the new Alternate Futures exhibition will bring in four different video projects to prompt deeper consideration of people who often get excluded from power and autonomy, and to encourage envisioning circumstances in which everything could change.

In her 2018 video work Breaking News, Grullon plays the role of a speaker who steps in to conduct a fictional United Nations press conference and announces a sweeping set of changes to restore power to marginalized people around the world and fight genocide, war, rape and environmental damage.

She ties the real and the fictional, Cattarin said, adding that Grullon reveals a blueprint for what shed like to see in the future. The video is on a continuous loop in the darkened gallery, giving visitors a chance to sit and linger for a while, noticing different lines and features each time.

Presenting one work at a time in the museums largest space is a nice change, Cattarin said. I kind of like the idea of asking people to come back to see the other works.

Grullons Breaking News can be seen through March 20. It will be succeeded by Sojourner, a 2018 digital video work by Cauleen Smith, from March 22 through May 1.

Solution, a 2018 four-channel video installation by Cassils with Fanna, Keijuan Thomas and Rafael Esparza, can be seen from May 4 to June 19. All the World Must Suffer a Big Jolt, a 2016 HD video by Macon Reed, will be shown from June 21 to July 25.

Alternate Futures is bringing together artists who focus on how we can center marginalized people, Cattarin said. A nearby space is set aside for reflection, discussion and reading about topics discussed in the video projects.

Alternate Futures is one of several new exhibitions on view at The Fralin.

Focus On: Laura Aguilar, also curated by Cattarin, can be seen through June 19. The first-floor exhibition includes works from the Stillness and Motion series by the Los Angeles-based photographer, who died in 2018. The four works recently were acquired for The Fralins permanent collection, which Cattarin said will get those conversations moving about queerness, different body sizes and the ways in which different communities are depicted in art.

Laura Minton, The Fralins curator of exhibitions, curated Open Window: Emilio Sanchez on Paper, which takes a closer look at Sanchezs enduring fascination with architecture and with the contrasts of shadow and light.

Sanchez, who died in 1999, was born in Cuba and considered New York his home after enrolling in the Art Students League of New York in 1944. Before that, hed attended UVa for two years  although, Minton said, he didnt study art there, taking classes in architecture, economics and French instead. But although he wasnt enrolled in art classes, it was here he decided to be an artist, Minton said.

Sanchez examined different facets of his life as a gay Cuban man in New York through his art. His studies of buildings in New York focus on numerous architectural details, and sun-drenched Caribbean colors are prominent. He also savored the interplay of light and shadow, making time to paint when the midday sun created its starkest shadows and finding a sense of wonder and delight in how the shadows played, Minton said.

Beyond Pictorialism: Early 20th-Century Photography and the Fine Arts, on view through July 24, is curated by 2020-2021 Barringer-Lindner Fellow Chloe Downe Wells. The exhibition explores some pivotal paths photography took to recognition as a fine art during the early 1900s. At the time, photography was seen as a useful tool for documentation and scientific work but not widely thought of as a means of artistic expression.

Among the items on display is a bust of Thomas Fortune Ryan by French sculptor Auguste Rodin, which is accompanied by information about the ways in which Rodin used photography to bring realism and verve to his work. Ryan, a Nelson County native, was a tobacco, insurance and transportation magnate and benefactor. Photography by Judy Dater, mentor and friend of Focus On photographer Aguilar, also can be seen in this exhibition; Aguilars nude self-portraits in outdoor landscapes in the Focus On selections were inspired by Dater.

Nearby is Nostalgia U.S.A., an exhibition of photographs curated by Caleb Briggs, Sylvia Dahlhauser, Margaret Dunbar, Yasmine Figueroa-Hudson, Blake Hesson, Megan Maxson, Addie Patrick, Josie Sydnor and Vibha Vijay, members of the 2019-2020 University Museums internship class. They worked under the direction of M. Jordan Love, the Carol R. Angle academic curator, and their exhibition is up through March 20.

Gandharan Sculpture from the Alan D. and Ann K. Wolfe Collection, on view through July 24, dives into a distinctive style of sculpture that blended multiple cultural influences in a region of northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan that became a holy land of Buddhism. It is curated by Daniel Ehnbom, associate professor emeritus of the UVa Department of Art.

Find out more about all the exhibitions online at http://uvafralinartmuseum.virginia.edu.

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This is a story about brilliance, about nerve, about audacity. It is a story about family and home. It is a story about Kanye West.

In jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, a new documentary from Netflix, fans and detractors get a raw glimpse into Kanye West on the brink. This is Kanye not quite on the cusp, but on the periphery of it, tasting his success in fits and bursts but never getting a chance to savor it. This is the Kanye who knows who he is  deeply, profoundly  even as he struggles to be heard above a hundred other voices in the room. Always brilliant, bright and driven, here, audiences get a deeper look at the time before the rest of the world saw that greatness, too. Created in a three-act structure by directors Clarence Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah, jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy is, minus a somewhat middling third act, mostly captivating, contemplative and joyful.

Unlike more traditional documentaries, jeen-yuhs begins with Kanye already at work. There are little lingering insights into Wests childhood or education or earliest inspirations before he began making music, which may be frustrating to some. However, minutes into the film, it is clear Simmons is making a stronger argument for West as a fully-formed mind. Do those moments matter? In the grand scheme of things, probably not. The Kanye we know today  complicated, frustrating, ablaze  was always that Kanye.

West (who is now legally known as Ye) had begun to make a name for himself creating beats for other artists. But while most people thought he was just a producer, West told Simmons that the only reason he makes beats is to rap over them.

It would be a long time between their initial encounter in 1998 on Simmons public access show, Channel Zero, and the release of Wests debut album, The College Dropout, in 2004. But even then, West was sure of his talent, his possibility. Simmons was too. Later, inspired by his drive  as well as the mega success of the West-produced track Izzo (H.O.V.A.) by Jay-Z  Simmons moved to New York to create a documentary about West and see how far he could go.

And go he would, but his momentum was never through a straightforward or easy path. Sometimes Wests greatest detractors were the people around him, the folks who only wanted to see him for what he was and not what he could be. I might be living your American Dream, but Im nowhere near where my dream is, West says at one point.

Throughout the documentary, Simmons lingers on long recorded scenes of West at work, at play, in frustration. Rather than employ the insights of talking heads like traditional documentaries, Simmons lets the scenes tell the story. Minus a fluid, thoughtful monologue woven throughout the film and co-written by Simmons and poet/artist J. Ivy, most dialogue comes from the captured glimpses into the past. Each moment is almost cinematic, as if Simmons (and West) understood it would be these scenes and conversations  while chilling and playing pool, while driving through the streets of New York City, while picking up an order from Leons BBQ on Chicago's South Side  that would reveal the real story of West.

In an early scene in the documentary, West, Simmons and a few others ambush the Roc A Fella offices. West is determined to be signed by the label, especially after producing some of Jay-Zs most successful tracks on The Blueprint. Going from staffer to staffer, West plays a rough cut of All Falls Down, a track that would later become the third single from his debut album. Most in the office are distracted, underwhelmed, unwilling to see West as anything other than what he has always been.

It is a sentiment that will permeate throughout Wests long and arduous journey from Chicago beatmaker to rapper. Success, of course, is not linear. Wests trajectory is one step forward and two steps back, especially during those early days. Still he keeps going. Most may settle for what theyve already created, but West is pure energy in motion. Imma use everything everybody says that I cant do and imma flip it to a positive, West says.

Underlining all of this is Wests relationship with his mother, Donda West, the only person who believed in West as much as West believed in himself. If West is the abrasive visionary, Donda is the funny, warm, loving heart. She encourages his dreams, his demeanor. And throughout the documentary, audiences get a deeper understanding of her place in his life. Everything West does is not just to fulfill his purpose as an artist, it is also to fulfill his promise to her.

In jeen-yuhs, Donda often appears around the latter half of each act, serving as the grounding force as Wests world changes around him. During Act I, it is West before and immediately after signing. In Act II, it is after the life-altering car accident that inspired Wests debut single, Through the Wire. West loses his budget and label support, taking over his own promotion. Donda keeps him going. After the tragic death of Wests mother, West loses and gains and loses his footing in a cycle weve come to understand well.

That is why Act III feels somewhat dissatisfying. Part of it was out of the directors hands. Simmons had followed West throughout his rise from Chicago upstart to the release of his debut. But as fame finally arrived (and to massive proportions), Simmons access and interest in the subject matter dissipated. By the release of Late Registration and Graduation (as well as the death of his mother), the Kanye West that Simmons knew was somewhat gone. Wests later years become something of a blur. Fans looking for deep insight into personal life, his marriage and family, will be disappointed. Little is also given on his later works like now-classic albums such as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or 808s and Heartbreaks. As a critic, I especially wanted more on those two seminal works released soon after Dondas death. Perhaps theyll be explored in another documentary at a later time.

Ultimately, Simmons and Ozah make clear those details are not the story. Simmons returns after the Kanye weve grown to know (and sometimes abhor) has firmly settled. This is post marriage, post children, post public mental breakdown. Still, their six-year absence doesnt detract from the question, the story, thats always been at the heart of Wests journey: who can an artist be when free to be all things? While the rest of us are living in the past and the present, West is future-driven. What can he do? Who can he be? Where can he go? These questions dont plague West, but invigorate him, motivate him. In jeen-yuhs, the central struggle is making others embrace the power and beauty of his foresight.



'JEEN-YUHS: A KANYE TRILOGY'

Rating: TV-MA

Where to watch: Part 1 premiered Wednesday on Netflix, with the following parts to be released on subsequent Wednesdays.


If politicians abuse their office for private gain, but its allowed by law, are they guilty of corruption?This month, Democratic lawmakers in the House scored a small victory for cleaner government. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally dropped her months-long opposition to legislation that would outlaw stock trading by members of Congress. Efforts to ban the practice have been growing since revelations that several prominent lawmakers (Democratic and Republican alike) had sold off large amounts of stock after receiving briefings about the likely impact of covid-19. Sure enough, markets tanked and the politicians profited.

Sleazy, right? But not at all illegal, it turned out. Subsequent investigations resulted in zero criminal charges for the legislatorsbecause they hadnt broken any laws.

The episode revealed an ugly truth. We love to condemn faraway countries where politicians all too obviously leverage their public positions for private gain.

But far too often we ignore the same phenomenon at homebecause the corruption in question is legal.

A few weeks ago, watchdog group Transparency International published its flagship report on global corruption. In the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures global perceptions of corrupt practices, Denmark topped the list as the cleanest country, while South Sudan narrowly edged out Syria for the title of most corrupt nation in the world.

Theres a depressing irony to those rankings, which whitewash more respectable forms of corruption. After all, Denmarks largest bank by asset value is Danske Bankthe same financial institution that was recently found to have facilitated what some have called the largest money-laundering scandal in world history.

Transparency International does accurately capture what its measuring: global perceptions of corruption. We hear the word corruption and immediately think of kleptocrats being handed suitcases of cash or bribe-taking public officials in developing countries who are living well beyond their meager official salaries.

But we dont think of the London bankers or the Wall Street accountants or the Miami lawyers who ensure that the oligarchs and kingpins can move their money freely around the world, unencumbered by taxes or regulation or the prying eyes of journalists.

They might not steal the money themselves, but they are certainly accomplices. And its all done in plain sight.

This grotesque misperception effectively divides the world of corruption into two camps: the corrupt foreigners who steal the money and the ostensibly clean Westerners who actually enable them.

The former cant prosper without the latter, but as long as that divide continues, we can wash our hands of the stain of corruption and not worry about the role we play.

Oliver Bullough, who has written extensively about how Westerners facilitate corruption in his book Moneyland (and in his forthcoming Butler to the World), says that this is no accident.

At the moment, its like were looking at the mafia in foreign countries, and ignoring the mob bankers in our own financial centers, which is partial and hypocritical at best, and racist at worst, he told me. He says that traditional measures of corruption deliberately avoid scrutinizing the Westerners who help stash cash offshore or facilitate the purchase of high-value items such as superyachts from illicit funds without asking too many questions.

But as the stock-trading scandals make clear, were not just guilty of enabling corruption abroad. Even though few corruption rankings capture it, our domestic systems have been designed to obscure corruption, to use linguistic and legalistic smokescreens to disguise behavior that would be plainly labeled as corruption if it happened in a post-Soviet country or sub-Saharan Africa.

In the United Kingdom, ministers have awarded major contracts to their friends, a practice that has given birth to a new euphemism: chumocracy. If you dont like that new term, you can always return to a more familiar one: sleaze.

The corrosive influence of money in politics and obscene conflicts of interest are clearly rotting our democracy from within, but the United States still places a lofty 27 on the Corruption Perceptions Index.

Now some members of Congress face the realistic prospect of being forced togasp!place their assets into blind trusts so they cant so easily mix policymaking with profits. Some of their objections have been inadvertently revealing. A few Republicans have reportedly grumbled that it would make running for Congress less attractive.

Given the ways that weve legalized corruption in the West, perhaps it would be a nice change to weed out the people who are more worried about their stock portfolios than actually serving the public.

The proposed stock sale legislation might provide a good start. The next and harder step will be acknowledging that perhaps our societies arent quite as clean as we like to pretend.

Brian Klaas is an associate professor of global politics at University College London and the host of the award-winning Power Corrupts podcast. He is the author of Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us. His past books include How to Rig an Election, The Despots Apprentice and The Despots Accomplice.
Police have arrested a man suspected of breaking into a Corvallis couple's home at mid-day and strangling a woman while she was in the shower.

The suspect had previously been arrested twice the same day of the alleged assault, according to a news release from the Corvallis Police Department.

Officers arrested Garrett Wayne Caspino III, 29, on Saturday, Feb. 12 on suspicion of first-degree burglary, menacing, strangulation, coercion, harassment and first-degree sexual abuse. Corvallis PD identified him as both a Corvallis and Albany resident.

According to the news release, at around 12:33 p.m. Feb. 12, CPD responded to the 200 block of Southwest Seventh Street after receiving a report of a burglary. The unidentified caller told police a man had entered his and his girlfriends home and attacked his partner while she was in the shower and he was asleep.

The victim told officers the suspect, whom police later identified as Caspino, had pulled his pants down while opening the shower door. The victim reportedly tried to flee from the bathroom, but Caspino allegedly grabbed her shoulders, shoved her against the bathroom wall and strangled her.

The victim reportedly continued to fight off Caspino while he grabbed at her, according to the news release.

The caller was awoken by the victims screams and reported seeing the suspect standing over the victim, who was laying on the ground in the bathroom. The caller confronted the man, who then fled the residence and headed toward Southwest Jefferson Avenue.

The caller and victim provided a description of the culprit to police.

After canvassing the neighborhood, Corvallis police officers located a man matching the description nearby. Through investigation, officers determined Caspino was the suspect, according to the news release.

Before the attack, CPD had arrested Caspino twice that same day, according to the news release. Officers contacted Caspino at around 10:53 a.m. in the 200 block of Southwest Second Street. At this time, a caller reported Caspino allegedly had entered an unlocked vehicle, was sitting in the driver seat and acting totally out there, per the news release.

Officers arrested Caspino on suspicion of criminal trespass. He was transferred to the Law Enforcement Center but was cited and released because the severity of the alleged crime did not meet the criteria for booking and jailing, according to the news release.

A little while after, an officer was working on a vehicle in the restricted parking area of the Law Enforcement Center when he saw a man concealing himself behind a pillar.

Officers cited Caspino on suspicion of criminal trespassing again and transported him to the area of Northwest Monroe Avenue and Northwest Sixth Street for access to unidentified service providers. He was last seen in the area at around 11:50 a.m.

After the third arrest following the strangulation, Caspino met the criteria to be booked into Benton County Jail. Officers transported him to jail at around 2:48 p.m., according to the news release.

According to Oregons online court database, Caspino was arraigned in Benton County Circuit Court on Monday, Feb. 14 on charges of first-degree burglary, strangulation and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse. During his arraignment, the court appointed Clark Willes as Caspinos defense attorney and set his bail at $750,000.

His next court hearing is scheduled for Feb. 28.

Maddie Pfeifer covers public safety for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6091 or Madison.Pfeifer@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @maddiepfeifer_

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THURSDAY

Managing Stress for Caregivers, 10:30 a.m., online. Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care is sponsoring this free presentation for nonprofessional caregivers. Topics will include tools to help reduce stress, improving your self-confidence, navigating tough decisions, effective communication, and valuable resources. The program is an abbreviated introduction to Powerful Tools for Caregivers, a six-week self-care education program for family caregivers. Registration: outreach@luminahospice.org.

Academy for Lifelong Learning, 1:30 p.m., online. Vince Adams, development specialist for the Oregon School Board Association, will present School Boards: An Oregon Perspective. Adams will discuss the nuts and bolts of school boards, reviewing research, history and current best practices. Registration: 541-737-9405 or admin@academyforlifelonglearning.org.

FRIDAY

Music a la Carte, noon, https://youtu.be/t-ZTukwTY-4. Students of the Oregon State University Trombone Ensemble, directed by Carson Keeble, and the OSU Tuba-Euponium Ensemble, directed by JaTtik Clark, will perform. Hosted by the College of Liberal Arts at OSU. Information: erin.sneller@oregonstate.edu.

C3 GameCon, 1 to 8 p.m., Corvallis Community Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave. Live tabletop gaming; board games, miniature gaming events; cosplay costume contest with categories of Gaming, Disney, Comics/Marvel Cinematic Universe/DC Extended Universe, and Original Character; vendor hall with local artists, businesses and community partners tabling. Cost: $10 for one day; 541-766-6959 or c3.recreation@corvallisoregon.gov.

SATURDAY

C3 GameCon, 10 to 6 p.m., Corvallis Community Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave. Live tabletop gaming; board games, miniature gaming events; cosplay costume contest with categories of Gaming, Disney, Comics/Marvel Cinematic Universe/DC Extended Universe, and Original Character; vendor hall with local artists, businesses and community partners tabling. Cost: $10 for one day; 541-766-6959 or c3.recreation@corvallisoregon.gov.

Items for this calendar are pulled from the user-generated calendar that runs on our websites. For further information, write to jane.stoltz@lee.net.

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The Adam County undersheriff and two of his fellow administrators are under investigation, Adam Sherman, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said Tuesday.

Undersheriff Tommie McLallen and Training Division Chief Mickey Bethel were placed on administrative leave Jan. 29.

An outside company is handling the investigation. Little information has been released so far about the probe.

"We want to allow them to do a (thorough) investigation and be able to protect the integrity of the investigation," Sherman said in a statement. "We will release all pertinent information once the investigation is concluded."

Bethel and McLallen have been with the department since 2019 when Sheriff Richard Reigenborn was sworn into office.

Adams County Jail Division Chief Chris Laws is under investigation for a separate incident. He was issued a summons by the Thornton Police Department in connection with a trespassing incident Jan. 30, according to Denver Gazette news partner 9News.

Laws went into the home of a 20-year-old woman, according to a police report the TV station obtained. He told officers he was friends with the woman and that her father would not allow her to leave the home.

According to the report, Laws admitted to knocking on the door to confront the woman's father and later put his foot in the door to keep it from closing.

Laws has not been placed on administrative leave despite ongoing criminal and internal investigations into the incident.
Important and Urgent

27.01.2022

To,

The Secretary General,

Honble Supreme Court of India, Bhagwan Das Road, New Delhi 110001.

Important and Urgent

RE: Resignation as chairman and member of the High Powered Committee (HPC) for the Char Dham Pariyojana

Dear Sir:

I am writing to inform the Honble Supreme Court of my decision to resign as chairman and member of the High Powered Committee for the Char Dham Pariyojana. I shall be obliged if you will kindly place this letter before the Honble Judges.

Let me say at the outset that it was an honour to be asked by the Honble Court to head the HPC by its order dated 8.8.2019. I had already submitted a report to the Honble Court on the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy and therefore, considered it as an opportunity to extend the difficult task of protecting the fragile Himalayan ecology during the widening of the Char Dham Pariyojana (the Project) national highways.

The Honble Courts order dated 08.09.2020 accepting my final report was a reassurance that the balanced approach therein would be helpful in protecting the Himalayas to a great extent, while allowing the disaster-resilient road width, fulfilling the needs of both pilgrims and defence.

By the judgment dated 14.12.2021, while recognizing the hard work put in by the HPC, the Honble Court has accepted the wider DL-PS configuration, instead of what the order dated 08.09.2020 envisaged. The judgment has also confined the role of the HPC to overseeing the implementation of its recommendations for the Project on the two Non-Defence roads only . As elaborated in the HPC Final Report of 13.07.2020, the directions and recommendations made by the HPC in the past have either been ignored or tardily responded to by MoRTH. This experience does not inspire confidence that the response of MoRTH will be much different even in relation to the two Non-Defence roads. The Honble Court has also permitted the respondents to seek legal relief for widening of the Non-Defence highways. In the circumstances, I do not see any purpose in continuing to head the HPC or indeed, even to be a part of it.

The Himalayas are a marvel of Nature. I am reminded of the wonder expressed by the historian A.J. Toynbee in 1929 on a flight over the snow-clad Himalayan peaks. Toynbee wrote, The splendour that shines through Nature is imparted to her from a source which is beyond Nature and which is the ultimate reality. If there were not this invisible spiritual presence in and beyond the visible universe, there would be no Himalayas and no mankind either; for mankind is part of Nature, and, like non-human Nature, we owe our existence to the reality that is the mysterious common source of non-human Nature and ourselves. (Emphasis added)

I have long been aware that development in the Himalayas must be respectful of the sacred status that these mountains have in our country. Sustainable development demands approaches that are both geologically and ecologically sound. Such development also enhances disaster-resilience and hence national security, especially when climate challenges to slope stability are becoming far more unpredictable.

As a member of the HPC, however, I saw at close quarters the desecration of the once impregnable Himalayas. In the present context, paraphrasing Toynbee, I have seen engineers armed with modern technological weapons assaulting the Himalayas. They have slashed through pristine forests, wounding vulnerable Himalayan slopes to widen highways. Ever-increasing numbers of tourists speed along them, their vehicles spewing noxious gases that cover the towering peaks ahead in an unsightly haze. The engineers exult and circulate photographs proving their conquest of Nature, little realizing that they too are a part of Nature and cannot survive if their own natural environment is destroyed.

Nature, however, neither forgets nor forgives such willful wrongs inflicted on her treasures. Already we have witnessed stretches of roads disappear that have later taken months to repair. Nature sounded warning bells in June 2013 and February 2021 with disastrous consequences. They ought to remind us of John Donnes words:

Each mans death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.

In September 2019, when asked to accept the assignment to chair the HPC, I deliberated whether my age would permit me to fulfill the strenuous responsibilities the assignment entailed. I was compelled to accept by an inner voice born out of a 40-year commitment to help restore the degraded Himalayan environment and the livelihoods of its people.

That same inner voice now compels me to move out. The belief that the HPC could protect this fragile ecology has been shattered. I can do no more. I therefore choose to resign.

With due regards,

Sincerely,

(Ravi Chopra)

Ravi Chopra

107/3 Vasant Vihar Enclave Dehra Doon 248006
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Saudi operator Zain KSA approved a Public Investment Fund (PIF)-led consortium offer to acquire an 80% majority stake in its 8,069-tower infrastructure for SAR3 billion ($807 million).

Under the deal, the kingdoms sovereign wealth fund acquired a 60% stake in Saudi Arabias second-largest telecoms company, with Sultan Holding Company and Prince Saud bin Fahad each also snapping up 10% shares in the telecoms firm.

According to a media release, Zain KSA will sell its passive, physical towers infrastructure and retain all other wireless communication antennas, software, technology, and intellectual property concerning managing its telecom network.

This transaction follows an in-depth evaluation to complete due diligence and ensure compliance with the Kingdoms regulatory requirements and obtain the necessary approvals, and is in line with the strategy to develop the local Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector and localize the related technologies in the Kingdom, said the release.

This step will enhance the efforts of both Zain KSA and PIF to upgrade the Kingdoms ICT ecosystem, by maximizing the efficiency of the tower infrastructure through the combined expertise of Zain KSA and the PIF to enhance the sector's efficiency and financial feasibility, the release added.

Bader Al Kharafi, Zain Group vice-chairman and CEO, and Zain KSA vice-chairman said: This transaction creates enormous shareholder value and gives Zain KSA greater financial muscle to invest in cutting-edge technologies and innovation that enhance the customer mobile and data experience. We congratulate the Kingdoms leadership, the PIF, and regulatory authorities for their wisdom in creating an environment that raises the telecom sector to new heights in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

He added: The unlocking of capital to focus on higher-yielding digital investments and optimization of infrastructure that creates internal efficiencies is a core element of Zains transformational 4Sight strategy, empowering Zain to enhance the meaningful connectivity we provide the communities, businesses, and governments we serve. I also wish to recognize the concerted and joint efforts of the Zain KSA board of directors and the Zain Group and Zain KSA teams in finalising this first of its kind transaction in KSA with the visionary PIF-led consortium.
Theres been a shift in ownership of the dominant telecoms player in the West African island country of Sao Tome and Principe.

Visabeira Global  part of the Portuguese Visabeira group  has acquired 51% of the shares of operator Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicacoes (CST). These shares were previously held by Africatel Holdings, a Dutch holding company controlled by the Brazilian communications company Oi. The state of Sao Tome still holds the remaining 49%.

The Expresso news service explains that CST has a 100% market share in the fixed service and 83% market share in mobile communications in Sao Tome and Principe, and that, through its 2G and 3G networks, it covers some 93% of the population. It has a network of 12 stores and 800 points of sale distributed across the islands.

CST also holds a 74.5% stake in STP Cabo, a company that is part of the ACE submarine cable consortium that links the coast of West Africa to Europe.

Visabeira, a Portugal-based international conglomerate with interests in telecommunications, construction, industry, tourism, real estate and service industries, has announced a number of plans for CST.

These include streamlining its fixed and mobile internet services, modernizing its 2G and 3G networks, investing in 4G and expanding the fibre optic network. It also includes investing in pay-TV services, which may be no surprise considering that Visabeiras other interests in Africa  in Mozambique and Angola  both involve television.

According to TeleGeography's CommsUpdate, this deal represents a final step in the divestment of the international assets owned by Brazil's Oi via Africatel Holdings.
Cambodias government has reportedly pushed back the implementation of its planned National Internet Gateway (NIG), which was due to launch today.

Speaking to Nikkei Asia, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC) spokesman So Visothy said that the gateways launch had been delayed due to the disruption caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NIG is a controversial move by the Cambodian authorities that will see all domestic and international internet traffic routed through a single state-controlled point. The government argues that the NIG will facilitate national revenue collection as well as strengthen national security, but critics argue that it will in practice allow the government to silence dissent and political opposition by affording it greater powers of surveillance and censorship.

CommsUpdate cited the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) as claiming that the NIG represented a threat to freedom of expression and user privacy in Cambodia, arguing that it could also be used to block citizens rights to internet access.
Russias largest integrated digital company Rostelecom has launched the second phase of its mega data centre Udomlya.

The Russian telco's data centre subsidiary, Rostelecom-DPC, said it has opened a new 8MW facility comprising with capacity of 800 racks. The company said it had constructed a new fibre optic line to ensure resiliency.

The new phase of the Udomlya DC has received a multi-layered Tier III certification for Design, Facility, and Operational Sustainability and is in line with the highest Tier III standards for infrastructure functionality and capacity, introduced by the Uptime Institute, said a press release.

With all reserved infrastructure systems in place, including continuous power supply and cooling systems, allowing for uninterrupted maintenance and functioning, the new data centre provides seamless functioning of IT services, set up within even during refurbishment projects, the release added.

"The clients of the Udomlya DC will have access to a single unified menu of services available in all facilities of the Rostelecom Data centre geographically distributed network, including colocation, IaaS cloud infrastructure and services, telecom services, data backup and DR, information security services, etc," said the company.

Yuri Samoilov, first deputy director-general of Rostelecom Data centre, Director General of DataLine said: The ever-growing demand for our capacities in Udomlya is a great testament to the fact that clients are appreciating the potential of this DC despite certain scepticism at the beginning due to its remoteness from Moscow. The first phase was filled up quickly, and 50% of the second phase is already reserved.

The Udomlya mega data centre was launched in 2019 and involves an expansion to five phases with an overall capacity of 4,000 racks. The third phase of 800 racks will start upon the deployment of all current capacities.
Gilat Satellite Networks hailed a strong Q4 as revenues were up 58% year-on-year to $67.3m, crediting this to major contract wins for the company.

Gilat chief executive Adi Sfadia said the results were impressive despite a challenging year brought on by the pandemic.

The global satellite-based broadband provider recorded a 58% boost to Q4 2021 revenue to $67.3 million up year-on-year from $42.6 million. While adjusted EBITDA was up to $10.6 million from $1.1 million in the same period last year.

For the full year the company posted revenue of $218.9 million, up by 32% compared with $165.9 million in 2020. Adjusted EBITDA was $15.7 million compared with an adjusted EBITDA loss of $3.3 million last year.

He pointed to four major accomplishments for the company in posting its positive results. First, it was awarded an undisclosed multi-year contract in the non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) and Very High Throughput Satellite (VHTS) segments worth potentially hundreds of millions of dollars, Sfadia claimed.

Upon signing the undisclosed deal the company received its first multi-million dollar purchase for units in its leading NGSO constellation technology. It also received a deal worth more than $40 million to support a satellite operators Low Earth Orbit Constellation.

Second, was striking an agreement to provide its SkyEdge IV platform with access to top cruise lines and maritime service providers that use partner SES satellites.

The third is the companys accomplishment growing its Peru business by reaching its goal of $50 million run rare in annual recurring revenue, paving the way for the unit to be significantly profitable.

Lastly, the company expanded its strategic relationship with Intelsat and commercial airlines in North America and Asia, showing market recovery of in-flight connectivity.

These results, among others, reflect the opportunities and trends we are witnessing and have mentioned several times over the past year, said Sfadia.

He also detailed the company was able to close major deals with fellow satellite players Intelsat and SES with a significant portion of the deals for software licenses.

Looking ahead the company tipped its next-generation satellite communications system SkyEdge IV will improve efficiencies and yield further growth.

We expect that with SkyEdge IV we will further increase our market share and strengthen our leadership position in our major focus areas of mobility, 4G/5G Cellular Backhaul, Enterprise and Defence, added Sfadia.
[February 16, 2022] Startek Appoints Global CFO and Global CIO Startek (NYSE: SRT), a global customer experience (CX) solutions provider, today announced the appointment of Nishit Shah as Global Chief Financial Officer and Jayanta Lahiri as Global Chief Information Officer. Shah and Lahiri report directly to Global CEO Bharat Rao. "I am delighted to have joined the Startek team," said Shah. "The global Startek footprint and investment in digital-first CX capabilities create a strong foundation. I look forward to working with the Startek team to execute on the company's priorities, accelerate growth and enhance value for all stakeholders." A chartered accountant with 23 years' experience, Shah holds a bachelor's in Commerce, Accounts and Computers from the University of Mumbai. Prior to joining Startek, Shah was Senior Vice President at Birlasoft, where he was responsible for end-to-end financial reporting, business finance, pricing, contract management and global taxation. A champion for innovation, at Birlasoft Shah significantly reduced financial reporting timelines through the implementation of automation in the financial reporting process. In his earlier roles, Shah held senior positions at Infosys, Capgemini, Datamatics, Nicholas Piramal and Haribhakti & Co. Lahiri has joined Startek as Global Chief Information Officer. Lahiri will continue the organization's IT transformation, embracing new technologies to drive greater agility and ensure a secure and resilient IT environment for Startek and its clients. "The Startek business is poised for growth, and I am excited to join the team at this important time," said Lahir. "IT infrastructure is an increasingly important element in CX delivery. Ensuring Startek continues to have the systems and tools in place to deliver secure, agile solutions is part of what makes us a market-leading CX provider."

With over 30 years' experience in digital transformation, application development, infrastructure technology services, cloud and contact center management, information security, enterprise architecture and engineering across industry verticals and geographies, Lahiri brings significant technical expertise to the Startek organization. Prior to joining Startek, Lahiri was Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Firstsource, where he drove technology strategy, architecture, cloud and contact center transformation, customer experience, automation and cybersecurity. In his earlier roles, Lahiri held senior leadership positions at Accenture, AXA Technologies, Infosys and Wipro Technologies. Throughout his career, Lahiri has been instrumental in migrating technologies to cloud-based digital platforms across multiple geographies. Lahiri holds a bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from Jadavpur University, India. "Startek is on a transformational journey; working in partnership with our clients we are building innovative solutions that push forwards the boundaries of omnichannel CX," said Rao. "Nishit's deep experience leading the financial operations of prominent outsourcing organizations will guide Startek as we deliver rapid growth. Jayanta will ensure the security and information functions of our organization are world-class. I am excited to bring Nishit and Jayanta onboard and complete my executive team." About Startek Startek is a global provider of tech-enabled business process management solutions. The company provides omnichannel customer experience, digital transformation and technology services to some of the finest brands globally. Startek is committed to impacting clients' business outcomes by focusing on enhancing customer experience and digital and AI enablement across all touchpoints and channels. Startek has more than 40,000 CX experts spread across 46 delivery campuses in 13 countries. The company services over 200 clients across a range of industries such as banking and financial services, insurance, technology, telecom, healthcare, travel & hospitality, e-commerce, consumer goods, retail, and energy & utilities. To learn more about global solutions from Startek, visit www.startek.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005275/en/

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With the federal government and other entities providing free at-home tests for COVID-19, the procedures for how new cases of the illness are reported and quantified have been adjusted, according to health officials.
A rabbi, a pastor and an imam on NPR were discussing how their respective faiths were observing Passover, Easter, and Ramadan. This year those sacred periods overlapped. These representatives of world religions spoke of similarities and differences among their traditions.
The novel on which the Disney movie was based dealt with loss, loneliness and racism.

If you thought it was rough to see Bambi's mother die in the 1942 Disney film, you should read the original story.

Before it became an animated classic movie for children, "Bambi" was a 1922 novel by Austrian writer and journalist Felix Salten. According to a new translation by Jack Zipes, it's a dark story of brutality, loss and, ultimately, loneliness.

As anthropomorphic tales of animals go, it's less "Charlotte's Web" and more "Animal Farm."

Zipes, a University of Minnesota emeritus professor of German and a leading authority on fairy tales and folk literature, said the story isn't an animal rights fable or an early ecological parable. "Bambi," he said, is an allegory of how badly humans can treat fellow humans.

Salten was a Jew who saw his books banned and burned by the Nazis and fled Austria to live in Switzerland.

In Bambi, he created "a brilliant and profound story of how minority groups throughout the world have been brutally treated, even when they try to live peacefully in their own environment," Zipes wrote in an introduction to his translation. "Read in the original language and in its sociohistorical context, 'Bambi' is, if anything, dystopic and sobering, for it reveals the cutthroat manner in which powerless people are hunted and persecuted for sport."

Zipes explained in an interview, edited for space and clarity, how the original Bambi more closely reflects Salten's melancholic life than a happily-ever-after Disney film. Like Bambi, Salten survived the violence of the wilderness, but ended up exiled and alone.

Q: What led you to take on a translation of Bambi?

A: The beginnings were somewhat of a serendipity. I was at the Modern Language Association meeting about two or three years ago. And two different editors came up to me and said, "2022 will be the 100th birthday of 'Bambi.' Would you like to do a translation?"

I had some memories from my childhood, I guess, of Bambi and had seen over the years Bambi books by the Disney corporation and so on. So I said "I don't think so. Why should I be interested in Bambi?" When I came back to Minneapolis, I began thinking maybe I should look into this. Bambi is pretty famous. And maybe there's a story there of some kind.

I realized, after doing some research, that I was quite stupid, because "Bambi" is really an amazing book. Nobody knows the author of "Bambi." And nobody really knows the true story. I read in German the original "Bambi." And I said, "Oh, my God, this is entirely different from what Disney showed."

Q: Disney made other films out of fairy tales, which you also have translated. What made Bambi different?

A: Well, Bambi is not really a fairy tale. It's a fable, an animal story. And what really interested me to a great extent was how morphologically Salten really wants to portray the difficulty I think that he had as an Austrian Jew. He dealt with a great deal of anti-Semitism, both open and sometimes very subtle. And so I think I came to realize, as I was doing my research, that what Salten was trying to do was try to work out his contradictory allegiance to his Jewishness.

Q: So there's a big difference between Salten's story and the Disney movie?

A: The differences are drastic between the film and his novel. I mean, we're talking about a very somber, almost existentialist view of the world. And it does parallel Salten's own life. He spent the last three years of his life  he died in 1945  lonely, like just like the stag [the adult Bambi at the end of the book], very lonely, disregarded, nobody knew about him anymore. He was not living in his own country, and he was desolate.

Q: Did Salten see the movie?

A: When "Bambi" came out as a film in 1942, he was in Switzerland. He escaped the Nazis in 1938. He was living in Zurich and his wife had just died. He went to the movie theater by himself, and made only one short remark about the film. I think he was too old at that time to get into any type of controversy.

Q: In your translation, you include a warning: " 'Bambi' is a sad but truthful novel. It was never intended for children." Who did Salten write it for?

A: His intention was for a general adult audience. He was portraying, to a certain extent, his own life, his own difficulties of existing as a Jew, in an anti-Semitic climate.

Q: And he used a story about intelligent animals to talk about humanity?

A: In the '20s and '30s, for both for adult literature and children's literature, there's a slew of animal stories that were published. And there's no doubt in my mind that these various authors are using the animals to step back and tell a story about human beings. And it's fascinating to read those words.

Q: What do you hope people will get out of reading your translation of the original "Bambi"?

A: I think that it's going to be a more truthful display of how difficult it is to be a minority. When I talk about Jews, you can talk about other minority groups. ... So I think the message is to be aware of how we treat minority groups, no matter what the minority is, so that we can become a more compassionate people.
(CNN)  Valentine's Day is a day of love, a special day on which we're supposed to make sure that those around us know how much we care for them. But on this day when Cupid is supposed to strike us with his arrow, there are several reasons to think "love" (by its many definitions) isn't what it once was in the United States, for better or for worse.

Indeed, here are four potentially troubling statistics and one potentially positive sign about love in the U.S.

A 30-year low for sex

Twenty-six percent of Americans ages 18 and up didn't have sex once over the past 12 months, according to the 2021 General Social Survey. You might think this is just a pandemic effect, but it's part of a long-term trend. The two years with next-highest percentage of adults saying they didn't have sex once in the past year were 2016 (23%) and 2018 (23%)  the last two times the survey was conducted. Before 2004, the highest percentage of Americans who said they hadn't had sex in the past year was 19%.

Last year's survey was also the first time that the percentage of Americans who had sex once a month or less topped 50%. In 1989, 35% of American adults had sex once a month or less.

Some of this has to do with fewer people getting married and an aging population, but that doesn't explain all of it. Among married couples under the age of 60, 26% had sex once a month or less in 2021. In 1989, it was 12%. The 1980s really were better for sex.

A 30-year low for living together

It's not just about sex. Some 62% of Americans ages 25 to 54 lived with a partner or were married, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center study of 2019 U.S. Census Bureau data. This included 53% who were married and 9% who were cohabitating. That's well below the 71% of couples who lived together in 1990, with 67% married and 4% cohabitating.

You might think the growing share of unmarried people living without a spouse is due to rising educational levels among women who don't need the financial support of a man. The statistics tell a different story, though. Better educated people and higher wage earners are the most likely to live with a partner or be married. A lot of people won't get married if they don't think it's financially feasible, according to Pew polling.

There's also been a higher increase in unmarried men living alone (10 points) than women (7 points) compared to the 1990 baseline.

Partnership at a low, not just marriage

Could it just be the case that people are still in relationships, but don't want to be tied down by either living together or being married? Yes, but the statistics suggest something else is cooking.

The General Social Survey has, on and off since 1986, asked participants whether they had a steady partner. This past year, 30% of adults ages 25 to 54 (the same age bracket as the Pew study) indicated that they did not have a steady partner. In 1986, it was 20%. In fact, the percentage of 25- to 54-year-olds who said they didn't have a steady partner never topped 23% prior to the 2010s. It's been 25% or above in every survey since.

Interestingly, as the population ages and more baby boomers have gotten above the age of 55, the percentage of older folks in a relationship has stayed fairly steady  in the mid-to-high 60s on average.

That means this trend toward singledom is more about young people than older people. It's the same with sex: The percentage of those age 55 and older not having any sex in the last year (40%) is about the same as it was 30 years ago.

No card for Valentine's Day

Love is supposed to be in the air on Valentine's Day.

A 2022 Monmouth University poll found, however, that a mere 55% of Americans in relationships usually receive a Valentine's Day card from their partner. Combine the other 45% with the over 30% of all American adults without a partner, and most people aren't getting a card from a partner this year.

Once again, it's among the younger generation where love seems to be less in the air. The clear majority (64%) of Americans ages 55 and older who are in a relationship say they usually get a card from their partner. This drops to 57% among those ages 35 to 54 and a mere 41% for ages 18-34.

Divorce rate is dropping

If there is one thing good about declining marriage and partner rates, it's that it seems people are less likely to run headlong into a marriage that has a high probability of failing.

The rate of divorces and annulments was at its lowest level this century in 2019, according to the CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics System. There were 2.7 divorces and annulments per 1,000 people in the population. That's down from 4 per 1,000 in the year 2000.

It shouldn't be surprising, therefore, that the divorce rate among young adults has seen the sharpest drop. This is the group that is least likely to marry and seems to be doing a better job of going into a marriage that has a good chance of succeeding.
In the lush upcountry of Kauai, above the foothills of Kapaa, Lydgate Farms is proudly carrying on the legacy of Hawaiian small-scale sustainable farming. Rich in botanicals, fruits, honey and cacao, the property is a bountiful oasis  and the source of some of the best chocolate in the world.

Owned by siblings Will and Emily Lydgate, fifth-generation Hawaiian farmers, the namesake farm offers unique opportunities to experience cacao, chocolates primary ingredient, firsthand. Visitors can learn about the cacao-growing process and sample raw cacao, scooped from freshly cracked pods, as part of the reservation-only branch-to-bar farm tour and multi-course chocolate-tasting. For those who are happy to get their hands dirty, Lydgate offers volunteers an opportunity help harvest cacao pods.

Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that supports a commercial cacao agriculture industry, and farms like Lydgate are paving the way for a new generation of environmentally focused and socioeconomically conscientious chocolate makers. Eschewing the questionable labor and farming operations on which the cacao industry was built, Lydgate Farms champions equitable and ethical cacao production.

Land and family: an intertwined history

Will and Emilys great-great-grandfather, William Ludgate (the spelling was later changed to Lydgate), arrived in the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1865 and settled on the Big Island. An innovative farmer, Ludgate used cover crops to enrich the soil and flumes (narrow channels of water) to transport the cane on his farm. His son, J.M. Lydgate, who was a child when the family emigrated, learned to speak fluent Hawaiian and became a trained botanist and an ardent protector of the islands. In the 1890s, J.M. settled on Kauai. One of the most popular spots in Kauai, Lydgate Beach Park, memorializes his conservation work.

Will Lydgate recalls his introduction to cacao in the late 1990s when he and his father decided to try planting cacao trees. Neither of us knew how to grow and process the chocolate, he chuckles. But the family bought some rough land in 1998 and developed it into Steelgrass Farm. Soon after, they planted their first cacao trees and celebrated an inaugural harvest in 2008. Lydgate changed the farms name to match his familys in 2017.

From learning-by-doing to twice receiving best-in-world recognition at the Cocoa of Excellence Awards in Paris, France, the farm exemplifies successful American cacao production. While Lydgate admits to feeling like a bit of an underdog among the award winners, he hardly sees that as a disadvantage.

Were like the Jamaican bobsled team of chocolate, he remarks. Everyone else takes it so seriously, and were very fun. We like to host volunteer harvest parties. People come and scoop out the cacao pods and stay for chocolate and cacao nectar popsicles after. Sometimes we light up the barbecue, too, and bust out the guitars and upright bass and sing songs.

Today Lydgate Farms spans about 47 acres and is a draw for pollinators, especially honey bees. The propertys extensive assortment of flora includes vanilla vines, more than 2,600 cacao trees and over 100 different kinds of fruit and flowering trees, palm and bamboo. The farms plants are part of an historic and complex Hawaiian ecosystem, one the Lydgate family is committed to protecting.

Practicing Malama Aina through regenerative agriculture

Lydgates mission is to change the way people think about chocolate. We want to be that chocolate grower. The one thats your absolute favorite  who also shows you that chocolate does grow on trees. And that chocolate doesnt have to come with some of the downsides of the post-colonial, industrial agricultural supply chain, he says.

Harkening back to his ancestors commitment to the local environment, preservation of the islands land and resources remains a driving force on the farm. The Hawaiian phrase Malama Aina captures this ideology. Translating roughly to caring for the land, so it can sustain future generations, Lydgate is doing just that by embracing regenerative agriculture.

Sugarcane and pineapple were Hawaiis primary commodity crops throughout most of the 20th century. However, rising labor costs and the growth of mechanization elsewhere in the world ended their reign, but not before taking a toll on the soil.

Now we use organic fertilizers and regenerative practices to grow sustainable cacao trees. We mulch, compost and utilize cover crops, Lydgate explains. Employing an agroforestry system that incorporates interplanting (which makes the most of the land by planting fast-growing crops between slower-growing ones) and helps Lydgate naturally put more organic matter into the farms soil.

The evolving chocolate industry: Leading change from within

By emphasizing sustainable cacao production, socioeconomic cognizance and product education, Lydgate Farms is carving out a place in an evolving global chocolate industry. We may be one of the smallest producers of chocolate in the world, but because we're here in the United States, we also have the ear of the American public  and a whole visitor industry that we can help teach, Lydgate points out.

As co-owner of the biggest cacao farm on Kauai, Lydgate aims to spread his mission of building a renewed, eco-friendly and viable agricultural industry for Hawaii. By teaching American and global consumers how chocolate is made, we can help cacao farmers in poorer parts of the world, he notes. We're all people and we need to try and care for one another. I really believe that if we help build that ripple effect and put our good word where it does the most, it will spread across the globe.
The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) announced that the City of Dothan will serve as the first stop on a statewide tour of town halls for the Alabamas Challenge for Preventing Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF) initiative.

The town hall is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Dothan Opera House and is open to the public, including active-duty service members, National Guard, reserve, veterans, and their families.

The town hall will feature a host of guests, including Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba, U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, and Alabama representative Neil Rafferty. Alabamas Challenge Co-Chairs Paulette Risher and Kent Davis will provide an overview of the statewide initiative and a panel of community, state, and federal representatives will discuss their services and answer questions from the community. The panel will include:

Melissa Kirkland, SpectraCare Health Services

Dr. Paula Downie, Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare Clinic (Fort Rucker)

Commissioner Kent Davis, Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs

Beverly Johnson and Anthony Reynolds, Alabama Department of Mental Health

Anna Taylor, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services

John Kilpatrick, Veterans Recovery Resources

Maj. Fe Nall and Maj. Adam Keller, Lyster Army Health Clinic (Fort Rucker)

David Duke, 211 Connects Alabama

Daniel Blackman, Disabled Veterans of America

Cheryl Dodson, Alabama Suicide Prevention and Resources Coalition

Alabamas Challenge is a statewide effort to combat a continuing stigma veterans face with mental health. While approximately 17 veterans in the U.S. die by suicide per day, the veteran suicide rate in Alabama is higher than the national veteran average and significantly higher than the national civilian average.

Recently released data shows nearly 18% of those who died by suicide in Alabama in 2020 were veterans, though only 9.1% of Alabamians have served. Male veterans die by suicide at a rate 1.3 times higher than civilian counterparts and for women veterans, it is 2.1 times higher.

Alabamas Challenge is an initiative aimed to create an impactful, long-term outcome across the state as we continue fighting a stigma with mental illness. Raising awareness of suicide prevention can help us understand the cause and circumstances that lead to mental health issues, the ADVA said in a release. The ADVA is a lead agency within Alabamas Challenge and assists with connecting with SMVF to provide information and knowledge about suicide, provide support, and provide resources and options to deal with PTSD and crisis situations.
A nearly five-month battle of wills between Houston County Commissioner Ricky Herring and the Houston County Health Care Authority may finally be resolved by a resignation.

Herring confirmed Tuesday that he received a letter of resignation from one of his District 3 appointments, Taylor Knight.

I was part of a meeting over the weekend where a board member voluntarily chose to resign, Herring said in a written statement. This board member said he was doing what he thought was best not only for the hospital board, but for the county. I have been good friends with this board member for many, many years, and this is not what I wanted, but it is what he chose to do.

Herring has been waiting to appoint former Enterprise city clerk Steve Hicks to the authority board, refusing to reappoint District 3 incumbent member Lance Shepard. Herring took issue with the appointment process and has said he has nothing against Shepard personally.

The Houston County Health Care Authority, which oversees Dothans Southeast Health, has 13 members. The hospitals medical staff president serves on the board and the remaining 12 volunteer members are appointed by the four district members of the Houston County Commission. There are three authority appointments representing each county commission district.

The county commission appointments come up every two years unless there is a vacancy.

The authority appointment process includes a nominating committee that is supposed to work with commissioners to develop a list of names to fill vacancies on the board. The health care authority submits three names to the county commission, which is then to vote on an appointment chosen from the three names submitted.

Problems first became public in October when Herring questioned why Hicks was not among the nominees submitted to him for consideration.

The appointment process was even the subject of local legislation which passed the Alabama House of Representatives but remains pending in the Senate. The legislation, which requires an amendment to the states constitution, would allow Houston County commissioners to make appointments to the health care authority regardless of nominations submitted by the authority for consideration.

There have been meetings between county commissioners and health care authority members as well as meetings between Herring and authority chairman Chester Sowell and other members of the authority board to resolve differences over the appointment process.

Monday, the Houston County Commission was to consider a request by Herring to have the health care authority withdraw the previous District 3 nominations and resubmit new names to include Hicks. That item, however, was tabled at Herrings request due to a possible resolution in place, Herring said.

Herring said Monday that he hopes to make an appointment during the county commissions Feb. 28 meeting.

Knight, previously appointed by Herring, had actually met with the commissioner in late October to discuss Herrings concerns and resolve the issue.

I have the upmost respect for him for the reasons behind his decision, Herring said in his statement. I hope to name his replacement at our next commission meeting later this month. I will not comment on any specifics.

Peggy Ussery is a Dothan Eagle staff writer and can be reached at aussery@dothaneagle.com or 334-712-7963. Support her work and that of other Eagle journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at dothaneagle.com.

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[February 16, 2022] Broadvoice to Officially Roll Out GoContact BPO Offering at Call & Contact Center Expo US, March 16-17, 2022 LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadvoice, an award-winning provider of hosted voice, unified communications (UC) and SIP Trunking services for businesses, will showcase its new contact center solution for the business process outsourcing (BPO) vertical at the Call & Contact Center Expo US. The new product is offered through Broadvoice's merger with GoContact. The CCCExpo will be held March 16-17, 2022, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Broadvoice, a 2022 Finalist for Best Communications Provider at the Call & Contact Expo, is booking meetings in advance of the show. The Broadvoice team, including senior leadership for Broadvoice and GoContact, will be at Stand 2009. Broadvoice President Sam Ghahremanpour and CPO George Mitsopoulos are scheduled to attend, as is GoContact CEO Rui Marques. In addition, Mitsopoulos will host several sessions of a Masterclass "BPOs as of today and tomorrow: The big challenges post-Covid" based on a four-month-long study in partnership with CGI on trends in the BPO space. Advanced registration is required. "We're excited to introduce GoContact's innovative and powerful cloud-native BPO platform, as well as members of its extraordinary team, to the wider call and contact center community," Mitsopoulos said. "The wealth of complementay resources, expertise, and geographic reach in our combined company have had immediate results, and we look forward to continued growth."

Background

Broadvoice acquired GoContact, an Aveiro, Portugal-based international provider of Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions, in July 2021. GoContact has sales and service operations in Spain, Morocco, Angola, Colombia, and Portugal. Its cloud-native CCaaS platform includes integrated omnichannel and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. The combined company maintains its established brands in their respective regions, operating as Broadvoice throughout North America and GoContact in the EMEA and LATAM regions. All of GoContact's 100 employees joined the Broadvoice team, including more than 200 employees in the U.S. and Canada. The combination of Broadvoice's and GoContact's technologies, operations and talent give the merged organization distinct competitive advantages, including: Broadvoice's leadership in the Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) in the U.S.

Go Contact's leadership in the Contact Center-as-a-Service (CCaaS) market in Europe , Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Latin America (LATAM)

, and (EMEA) and (LATAM) UCaaS and CCaaS cross-sales to existing and new customers in each company's respective geographic markets

Strong in-market sales and service footprints across four continents  North America , Europe , Africa and South America

, , and Similar technologies and platforms to enable natural integration of each other's products into customer offerings in the future

Cutting-edge solutions that empower customers to deliver a superior customer experience through embedded CRM, collaboration and helpdesk software-as-a-service platforms

Scalable solutions targeting the large high-growth cloud contact center market.

Award-winning customer experience and operational excellence About GoContact

GoContact specializes in integrated Contact Center solutions, combining cloud platform as a service (CPaaS) contact center as a service (CCaaS) and artificial intelligence (AI). The company developed its cloud-native voice platform and contact center from the ground up to reduce the technological complexity of managing contact centers, eliminating barriers between people and technology. GoContact has an international presence, operating in Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Angola and Colombia, among others. For more information, visit www.gocontact.com. About Broadvoice

Broadvoice simplifies communications for small and medium businesses (SMBs) by combining powerful cloud PBX, UC and collaboration features with virtual call center in one award-winning Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform that delivers enterprise-class features at affordable rates. The platform is connected to Broadvoice's secure, redundant network and hosting infrastructure, enabling SMBs to connect with customers securely anytime, anywhere and with any device. Broadvoice is ranked in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America. For more information, visit www.broadvoice.com. Media Contact:

Marisa Freeden

Vice President of Brand & Experience

+ 1.626.627.6506

330000@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/broadvoice-to-officially-roll-out-gocontact-bpo-offering-at-call--contact-center-expo-us-march-16-17-2022-301483742.html SOURCE Broadvoice

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MONTGOMERY  Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday advanced legislation that would do away with the requirement for a person to get a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public.

A divided House Public Safety Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would do away with the current permit requirement for a person who carries a handgun under their clothes or in a purse or bag when they go in public. It would also do away with the current requirement for people without concealed carry permits to keep handguns unloaded and secured when driving.

The proposal now moves to the full Alabama House. Similar legislation is pending in the Senate.

State sheriffs and other law enforcement officials have opposed the legislation, arguing that the permits provide a crucial tool to combat crime and enhance public safety. The bill has been championed by gun-rights groups who argue that people shouldnt have to get a permit, which requires paying a fee, to carry a handgun they legally own.

This bill gives law-abiding citizens, that are able to own a firearm, the ability to carry that firearm concealed, or in their car, for their protection. Its not very complicated. It doesnt change who can or cannot carry and it does not change where you can or cannot carry. It only addresses the permit itself, Republican Rep. Shane Stringer of Citronelle said of his legislation.

There are 21 states that allow concealed weapons in public without a permit, according to Stateline, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Several sheriffs and other law enforcement officials attended the committee meeting at the Alabama Statehouse to oppose the bill.

We are opposed to the bill because we know how unsafe it makes the community, Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway told reporters after the vote. Its going to allow more guns to be on the street. We do not need more guns on the street, Pettway said.

Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, the incoming president of the Alabama Sheriffs Association, said the permits are a tool that officers use daily to remove weapons from the hands of individuals who should not have them in the first place.

Were able in using the permit requirement  using that as a tool  to remove that weapon from that individuals hands and take that individual into custody. And a lot of times that well uncover evidence of other crimes as well, burglaries, thefts and even homicides and assaults, Jones said.

Republican Rep. Allen Farley, a retired assistant sheriff from McCalla, said the fees from the permits help sheriffs buy bulletproof vests, put resource officers in schools and carry out other law enforcement functions.

Lets be serious. What we are doing here is defunding the police, Farley said.

Similar bills have been introduced unsuccessfully Montgomery for at least the last five years. However, the House Republican Caucus this year has backed the legislation as an agenda item.

Proponents said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is developing a database, authorized by a state law creating a lifetime concealed carry permit option, that officers can use to flag people not legally entitled to carry a handgun. Jones said the intent is good but said he didnt think that would be effective because of the inherent gaps in collecting data.

Stringer, a former captain with the Mobile County sheriffs office, has disputed the value of the permits in stopping crime.

A $20 piece of plastic is not going to stop an evil-hearted person, Stringer said.

Jones said after the meeting that he agrees that criminals wont obey the law but said the current permit requirement helps us bring those criminals to justice.
The automotive industry powered Alabamas exports in 2021 back above the level the state enjoyed before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The states exports surged more than 21% in value in 2021, totaling nearly $20.9 billion, according to new figures from the U.S government.

The 2019 total for Alabama was $20.8 billion, before the global pandemic bit into exports of goods in 2020, which totaled $17.13 billion.

Alabama ranked 24th among the states in export volume last year, moving up a spot from 25 in 2020.

We are very pleased to see that our optimism at this time a year ago was well-founded, Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement. This is a promising sign that demand for Alabama-made goods and services remains strong, and that Alabama has an integral role to play in the worldwide recovery.

Alabama businesses exported to 189 countries last year. Leading the pack was Germany, taking in $3.7 billion in goods, an increase of 65.7% over the previous year. Canada was second with $3.4 billion, China third with $3.2 billion. Mexico took in $2.5 billion, followed by South Korea, with a little less than $1 billion.

The states auto industry was the catalyst behind much of the growth, with transportation equipment jumping more than 25% to reach $10.35 billion. Overseas shipments of motor vehicles were up 38.4%, while exports of ships and boats jumped 40% last year. That was good news after a 17% decline in 2020.

Other top categories for 2021 exports were chemicals ($2.3 billion), forest products ($1.5 billion), primary metals manufacturing ($1.3 billion) and non-electrical machinery ($1.1 billion), according to the Commerce Departments Office of International Trade.

It is critical that we build on the successes of 2021 in order to keep the momentum going, Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said.

Other increases came in exports of minerals and ores (388%), chemicals (54%), paper (103%) and fabricated metal products (187%).
Last week the Alabama Senate passed three bills sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield. The legislation allows the expansion of broadband access across our state. This is much needed news for many in Alabama, especially in our rural areas and for our small businesses and school-aged children. For too many years there has been a digital divide in our state, and now relief is on the way.

Approximately one-fifth of Alabama households dont have access to the internet, and many others dont have high-speed internet.

Sen. Scofield has long been an advocate and championed the need for expanding broadband infrastructure and providing high-speed internet services throughout our state.

Scofield chairs The Alabama Digital Expansion Authority. He and his colleagues on the authority recently announced the Alabama Broadband Map. The map displays a detailed account of internet coverage as it exists in Alabama. Obviously, there is much room for coverage improvement.

State Rep. Randall Shedd of Fairview will be carrying the legislation in the House of Representatives. Between he and Sen. Scofield, who both live in rural areas of the state, it will get done. Both legislators have dedicated much time, energy, and effort to this cause and are to be commended for their work.

There are federal funds we can utilize to expand broadband, and there could be a constitutional amendment on our November ballot if it passes both chambers of the Legislature. If approved by voters, the legislation would allow grants from cities and counties to assist with broadband expansion.

Alabama received approximately $1.7 billion from ARPA funds (a pandemic relief bill passed by congress). The Legislature approved the money to be used for the expansion of broadband across the state and for water and sewer projects.

Recently the Legislature approved another $277 million of the money allotted to the state from ARPA for broadband expansion. There are also incentives for companies to provide broadband to unserved areas of our state as well.

The state will receive another $1 billion in ARPA funding later this year. Sen. Scofield wants 50 percent of that to go toward expanding broadband. Hopefully, all these measures will help our state enter the 21st century  and not a moment too soon.

Beth Chapman is Alabamas former State Auditor and 51st Secretary of State. She now owns and operates Beth Chapman & Associates, LLC. This is her weekly column, Around the Capitol published in newspapers and blogs across the state. She can be reached at Beth@bethchapman.com.
Former President Donald Trump was a very popular president with Alabama Republican voters. Trump was a proven conservative president. He walked the walk. He did not just talk the talk. He has a legacy as president, especially in changing the philosophical tilt of the U.S. Supreme Court. He remains popular with GOP primary voters in the Heart of Dixie.

Trump continues to stay in the spotlight. He almost feels compelled to endorse candidates for Senate and governor in very conservative, Southern and Midwest Republican states like Alabama where he still remains popular.

Trump has indeed endorsed Congressman Mo Brooks in his quest to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby. Brooks is basing his entire campaign on Trumps endorsement.

Gubernatorial candidate Lindy Blanchard, who has been a stalwart Trump supporter, is hoping for Trumps blessing in her quest to unseat Gov. Kay Ivey. Trumps endorsement in this race would indeed be important in Ms. Blanchards mission.

In the Senate race, polling by two reputable and independent polling firms indicates that Mo Brooks and Katie Britt are in a dead heat contest each with about 25% with Mike Durant at 18%. Their numbers are not rock solid. Britt has more favorable numbers than Brooks on likeability. The poll indicates that if President Trump continues to be for Brooks, it will help him immensely. If Trump becomes disenchanted with Brooks, he can kiss this race goodbye. Brooks campaign would simply vanish and sail away.

Therefore, the prevailing question is what is the significance of Trumps endorsement in the Senate race and also if Trump endorses the governors race?

My observation of Alabama politics over the last 60 years is that Alabamians more than any other state have a pronounced proclivity of not voting for a candidate that someone endorses; they will actually vote against them for that reason. Alabamians are independent and like to make their own choices for individual candidates. It has happened over and over again in my lifetime as though they are saying to a governor, in this case a former president, we elected you to your office and you ought to be thankful for that and not be presumptuous or try to stick your nose where it doesnt belong. Stick to your own knitting.

George Wallace in his heyday when he was very popular, more popular than Trump in Alabama, would endorse candidates and they would universally, invariably lose even if they were favored. It was as though his endorsement was the kiss of death. He gave up and quit endorsing.

Trump has already had a dose of this Alabama anti-endorsing elixir. He made two endorsements in the 2017 special senate elections. Trump endorsed Luther Strange, and he lost. Trump then endorsed Roy Moore and he lost.

Other Southern states have illustrated this anti-endorsing history. During the Franklin Delano Roosevelt presidency, which lasted four terms throughout the Great Depression and New Deal, FDR was beloved and revered throughout the South. He was especially loved in Georgia, where he would spend a good amount of time at his home in Warm Springs.

FDR had become like a king. He was immensely popular. However, he was having problems with the conservative establishment-oriented aging U.S. Supreme Court. Roosevelt responded with a bold, audacious move to pack the court with six new members whom he could select and move the Supreme Court from 9 to 15 justices. FDR wanted to control the Supreme Court. A good many U.S. Senators who had been loyal to Roosevelts New Deal agenda could not go along with this brazen power play. Georgias venerable Walter George was one of those who opposed the FDR court-packing plan.

Sen. George was running for reelection and there was a tremendous ceremonial event of a water dam that Sen. George had secured for Georgia. The ceremony was less than a month before the election. FDR came to the event and lambasted Walter George and openly asked Georgians to vote against him for reelection. When it came time for Sen. Walter George to speak, he calmly and gentlemanly went to the podium and said in a dignified voice, Mr. President, we Georgians appreciate you, we love you and admire you, but Mr. President, Georgians will elect their U.S. Senator. Walter George was reelected overwhelmingly a few weeks later.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabamas leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Vietnamese drivers and exporters are shouldering additional procedural burdens stress and financial burden as container trucks with agricultural produce continue to get stuck at the China border.

At present, more than 1,800 trucks have been waiting for more than a week to offload their cargo across the border as the latter continues to impose strict Covid-19 restrictions.

For the last 11 days, Quan's 16-ton dragon fruit truck has not been able to enter China through the Huu Nghi Border Gate in Lang Son Province; and it is uncertain how many more days he will have to wait.

For driving 1,800 kilometers from the southern province of Long An, Quan will be paid VND10 million ($440). But the extra expenses hes incurring while he waits are eating into his salary.

"There will not be not much left after I finish the delivery," he said.

Thinh, driving from the southern province of Binh Dinh, has been waiting with a co-driver for nearly one week.

They receive a daily stipend of VND200,000 for food, water, bath and other expenses. They eat instant noodles and sleep in the truck to save money.

"It has been raining, so we drivers are even more tired."

As of February 13, 1,815 container trucks were waiting to enter China at the three main border gates of Lang Son. Ninety percent of them were carrying fresh fruits from southern provinces.

The delay in clearing container trucks at the border has been happening since the end of last year. During the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday from Jan. 19-Feb. 6, the issue was partly resolved thanks to intervention from senior officials, but it has resurfaced since.

Chinese customs authorities have continued to impose the "zero Covid" strategy which requires stringent safety measures. It takes hours to screen a truck now instead of the normal 10-15 minutes.

With 100-200 trucks arriving every day, it would take 10-15 days to clear the blockage, Lang Son authorities estimate.

The delay, which has become routine annual event for some drivers, is hurting transport companies.

Container trucks are seen at Tan Thanh Border Gate in Lang Son Province, February 14, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Quan Ha

The Thai Viet Trung International Transport Company is losing VND60-80 million a day as it has over 30 trucks stuck at the border.

Tran Van Hao, CEO of the company, said that the time it takes to complete a trip from the south to the border has tripled to 25-30 days because of the blockage.

The shortage of drivers, which often happens after the Tet holiday, only creates more headaches because Hao has to pay higher salaries.

"They used to ask for VND2 million a day, now they want VND3 million or even VND5 million."

Several transport companies have refused to take on border deliveries for fear of having their trucks stuck at the border for weeks.

Since the end of the Lunar New Year holiday on February 6, Nguyen Manh Hung, CEO of transport firm XNK, has received many calls to deliver goods to China every day. He has rejected all of them.

"We have advised our customers to find other border gates, such as Mong Cai in Quang Ninh Province. But it does not help much."

Hung has been taking more orders from China to Vietnam, but there has been less of them due to Covid-19 safety measures at the border.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of Vietnam Vegetables and Fruit Association, said that the prolonged blockage could reduce the prices of fruit like jackfruit, mango, watermelon and dragon fruit.

This could end up reducing Vietnams agriculture exports to China by 30-40 percent this year, he added.

Several exporters said they were looking to other markets to distribute their goods.

China was Vietnam's second-largest export market for agricultural, forestry and fishery products behind the U.S., posting an export turnover of $8.4 billion in the first 11 months of last year, accounting for 19.2 percent of Vietnams total agricultural exports.
A medical worker holds a vial of the Pfizer vaccine in HCMC, October 27, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

PM Pham Minh Chinh has called on Pfizer to quickly supply 22 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to enable Vietnam to immunize its children aged 5 to 11.

In a telephone chat Tuesday with Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of the U.S. drug company, he said Vietnam has administered the Pfizer vaccine to children aged 12-17, with almost 90 percent of them getting two shots.

He urged Bourla to speed up delivery of the 22 million doses for which the Ministry of Health has signed a deal with the company, ideally completing it in April but no later than May.

He sought regular updates from Pfizer on its new vaccines and technology transfer to Vietnamese firms for making drugs to treat new strains of Covid.

He also thanked the company for selling 51 million doses of its vaccine so far.

Bourla assured the PM that his company would make an effort to speed up deliveries.

He also said Pfizer could transfer Covid drug technologies for production in Vietnam.

The U.S.'s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had said last December that children aged 5 to 11 rarely have serious side effects after vaccination.

Myocarditis, a side effect the Pfizer vaccine causes in some adolescents and adults, "appears rare" among young children, it said.

More than 74.7 million out of Vietnam's 96-million people have been vaccinated with two doses, and more than 32.4 million have also got a third dose.
Travelers wait at the check-in counters ahead of their flights at the Boryspil airport some 30 kilometers outside Kyiv on February 13, 2022. Photo by AFP/Sergei Supinsky

The Vietnam Embassy in Ukraine has been functioning as normal and there's no need to evacuate or repatriate its citizens yet, says the Vietnamese ambassador.

Tensions in Ukraine have been alleviated by diplomatic efforts that have helped reduce the risk of armed conflict, Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thach told VnExpress.

He mentioned Monday's message from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which highlighted that the country was facing a complex information war.

"We are being intimidated by the great war and the date of the military invasion is being set again. This is not the first time," said the president. "The war against us is being systematically waged on all fronts [...] On the information one, they seek to spread panic among citizens and investors through the media."

This message, said ambassador Thanh, "shows that Ukraine leaders do not look at the military conflict as their biggest threat for now."

With such an assessment, the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine has continued to function as normal, he said. The embassy is running an exhibition displaying paintings on Vietnam drawn by Ukraine artists from Feb. 10 to 27.

"Without confidence in the assessment of the situation and the possibility of peace, we would not have been able to hold such an event," he said.

The embassy has still prepared for different scenarios to evacuate Vietnamese citizens out of conflict zones should war break out; or repatriate them when otherwise needed. However, the scenario of a sudden increase in the demand for repatriation among Vietnamese people in Ukraine is very unlikely, he said.

"The situation in Ukraine is entering a new phase, diplomats have met and held discussions to find solutions."

"We can clearly see compromises taking shape and the risk of war becoming less and less," he said.

Thach said "tension has eased significantly" compared to two weeks ago, when Western countries over the weekend had withdrawn their diplomats or advised their citizens to leave Ukraine.

Some troops in Russia's military districts adjacent to Ukraine have returned to their bases after completing drills on Tuesday, Russia's defense ministry said.

Although Moscow has denied ever planning to attack Ukraine, it has demanded legally binding guarantees from the U.S. and NATO that Kyiv will not be allowed to join the military bloc. Washington and Brussels have so far refused to make such pledges, Reuters reported.

Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders, prompting fears of an invasion, especially as Moscow's Feb. 10-20 joint drills with Belarus mean that Ukraine is almost encircled by the Russian military.

Russian markets, under pressure due to fears of fresh Western sanctions in the event of a war, gained 1.5 percent shortly after the defense ministry announcement, the Reuters report said.
Vietnam Airlines will resume its HCMC-Kuala Lumpur route from Thursday while Vietjet Air is scheduled to double the frequency on its HCMC-Bangkok route from next month.

The national flag carrier announced Wednesday the first regular flight between Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia after two years would take off Thursday.

There will be one weekly flight on the route each Wednesday starting March 1 when Malaysia would fully reopen its borders to foreign tourists without the need for mandatory quarantine.

Vietjet Air will double its current frequency on the route between HCMC and Bangkok to six daily departures after the government lifted all restrictions on the frequency of international flights.

Bamboo Airways has begun selling tickets for the HCMC-Bangkok route with its first flight scheduled to take off on March 17.

On Feb. 1, Thailand began a quarantine-free travel program it calls Test & Go allowing fully vaccinated travelers from Vietnam to enter without quarantine.
Bloomberg: The head of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said at a public hearing on Wednesday that public broadcasters across Pacific Island countries are facing pressure from Beijing to carry Chinese government-produced content. Does the foreign ministry have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: The remarks by the Australian individual can by no means represent the public opinion in Pacific Island countries. This is deliberately-disseminated disinformation. Similar disinformation claiming that Pacific Island countries dont want Chinese assistance also appeared when rioting broke out in Solomon Islands and when the volcanic eruption in Tonga caused a severe disaster. The fact, however, is that Chinese assistance and support has been warmly received in regional countries, which stands as the most vivid illustration of China and Pacific Island countries sharing weal and woe with mutual assistance.

Remarks that attempt to drive a wedge between China and Pacific Island countries will find no audience in these countries.

RIA Novosti: Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that the country was moving some forces away from the border with Ukraine and from Crimea following military drills. The move comes after days of Western media competing to predict the date of an alleged Russian invasion of Ukraine. Does China see signs of military aggression from the Russian side, or does Beijing trust Moscows claims that troops were sent to regions near the border with Ukraine only for military drills? How does China see the current development of the situation around Ukraine?

Wang Wenbin: For days, the US has been playing up the threat of war and creating an air of tension. This has gravely impacted the economy, social stability and peoples lives in Ukraine, and added obstacles to advancing dialogue and negotiation between parties concerned.

I noted that the Russian side recently said that the West has resorted to information terrorism on the Ukraine issue, and that February 15, 2022 will go down in history as the day of the failure of Western propaganda. We must point out that it is exactly the persistent hyping and dissemination of disinformation by some in the US and the West that has added more turbulence and uncertainty to the world already fraught with challenges and intensified distrust and division. We hope relevant parties can stop such disinformation campaign and do more things that benefit peace, mutual trust and cooperation.

CCTV: It is reported that on February 15, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison criticized Chinas position on Ukraine and called on China to condemn Russia. Separately, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that China and Russia becoming closer and closer is a reality that impacts NATO security. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: Under the leadership of the two heads of state, China and Russia have always worked to develop long-term good-neighborliness and mutually-beneficial cooperative relationship on the basis of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third countries. We are always committed to fostering a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity, justice and win-win cooperation. As is witnessed by all, the two countries have made undoubted contribution to promoting international and regional peace and development.

The international community can see very clearly who is the real trouble-maker and threat to security in the world. Self-serving acts that shift the blame on others will not only hurt ones own country and people but also all people of the world. Such behavior will not be allowed by the force for justice and will eventually be forsaken by the trend of the times.



China advocates treating the security concerns and proposals of relevant countries in a balanced and just manner and resolving differences through dialogue and consultation to promote global strategic balance and stability. We urge the parties concerned to stop making comments that exacerbate tensions. It is immoral and very dangerous to seek selfish political gains by whipping up confrontation and spreading disinformation.

Global Times: On February 15, the US and Canada issued statements respectively one year after the release of the Declaration Against the Use of Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations published by Canada. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said one year ago, the US joined like-minded nations in sending an unambiguous message that the arbitrarily detention of foreign nationals is unacceptable and governments who engage in this practice must cease immediately. He added that the Declaration now has 68 endorsements from nations around the world, and the US urges others to support this initiative grounded in the rule of law and respect for human rights. What is Chinas comment?

Wang Wenbin: How ironic it is that the US and Canada issued statements one year after the Declaration Against the Use of Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations was published on the grounds of human rights protection, when the US is keeping Afghan peoples assets as its own. This gives us a vivid example revealing the hypocrisy and double standard of the US and Canada, and helps the international community see the following facts even clearer.

First, the so-called Declaration Against the Use of Arbitrary Detention is a product of diplomatic fraud. With US echo and support, Canada put some countries on the list of endorsement against the latters will of not approving and not participating in co-signing the declaration. This fraudulent act that violates the norms governing international relations and falsifies wide endorsement has also met opposition from the countries concerned.

Second, the US and Canada stand out when it comes to arbitrary detention. Ms. Meng Wanzhou was detained by Canada for more than 1,000 days without violating any Canadian law. This is out-and-out arbitrary detention. The US is an old hand at arbitrary detention. Here are some examples. Domestically, the US arbitrarily detains innocent immigrants, separates migrant children from their families by force, and tears innumerable families apart. Internationally, the Guantanamo Bay prison only epitomizes the US network of secret prisons across the world. According to a human rights group, since 2001, the US has turned up to 17 military vessels into floating prisons and floating Guantanamos, where human rights tragedies keep repeating. Following the US invasion of Afghanistan, the US has set up a large number of secret prisons in Afghanistan and US allies. After it waged the war against Iraq, the US committed atrocities, torture and murder against Iraqi civilians. The scandals around torturing inmates in the Abu Ghraib prison have shocked the whole world. The label of arbitrary detention suits the US better than anyone else.

I want to stress that both the US and Canada have a disgraceful track record causing storms of protest, be it arbitrary detention or human rights violation of people in developing countries. We urge the countries to stop such hypocritical and preposterous performance, and focus on correcting their own mistakes of violating international rules and infringing on human rights, including arbitrary detention.
One issue emerging from Russia's aggression against Ukraine is the question of energy supply. Russia supplies Ukraine as well as Central, Southern, and Western Europe with natural gas through many pipelines, several of which traverse Ukraine. As Russias massive military buildup around Ukraines borders (and in Russia-occupied Crimea and Russia-controlled parts of the Donbas) continues, Russia is also throttling gas delivery  a provocative move that it began last summer.



The U.S.-European Union Energy Council stated during its meeting on February 7 that it is unacceptable to use energy supply as a weapon or geopolitical lever. Thus, the United States and the European Union agreed once again to work together to address any potential threat to energy supply in the European Union or in its vicinity.



Indeed, Russia has used a stoppage of gas delivery as a cudgel in the past. When Russia halted gas supplies to Europe over a dispute with Ukraine in 2009, people died from the cold, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

When energy supplies fail, economies falter. Were determined to prevent that from happening and to mitigate the impact on energy supplies and prices should Russia choose to cut natural gas supplies to Europe.



Were taking steps to ensure that the global energy supply isnt disrupted  that too is an important focus  should Russia choose to weaponize its natural gas by cutting supply to Europe even more than its already done, said Secretary Blinken.



Were in discussions with governments and major producers around the world about surging their capacity. Were engaged in detailed conversations with our allies and partners about coordinating our response, including how best to deploy their existing energy stockpiles. All this effort is aimed at mitigating price shocks and ensuring that people in the United States, Europe, and around the world have the energy they need no matter what Russia decides to do.



The United States and the European Union support a strong and resilient Ukraine, and both know that energy security is vital to a sovereign Ukraine.



Energy security is tied directly to national security, regional security, global security. Europe needs reliable and affordable energy, especially in the winter months, said Secretary Blinken. Were working together  to protect Europes energy supply against supply shocks including those that could result from further Russian aggression against Ukraine.
ELKO  An employee at Nevada Gold Mines Cortez Hills Underground Operation was killed late Monday night in a powered haulage accident.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and coworkers of the employee, stated NGM. Barrick President and CEO and NGM Chairman, Mark Bristow, extends his deepest sympathies at the loss of our fellow miner.

NGM said the area where the incident occurred has been secured and operations in the immediate vicinity have been suspended until further notice.

Our primary focus is supporting the employees family, friends, and coworkers and working with MSHA to fully understand the circumstances that led to this event, stated the company.

Counseling and other support resources are being made available to those impacted.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration has been notified and is on site.

Current Cortez operations owned by Nevada Gold Mines are in both Eureka and Lander counties and include the Pipeline, Crossroads and Cortez Hills open pit mines, as well as the Cortez Hills underground mine.

NGM also is seeking U.S. Bureau of Land Management approval to begin gold production at its Goldrush underground mine at Cortez, where test mining is under way.

Cortez has been in operation for years, with smaller mines in the 1980s and Pipeline construction completed in 1996 when Cortez was a joint venture of Placer Dome and Kennecott. Barrick acquired Placer Dome, and Kennecott is no longer involved.

Nevada Gold Mines is a joint venture of Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Corp., and Barrick is the operator. Barrick owns 61.5% of NGM, Newmont, 38.5%.

Bristow said in an earnings webinar Wednesday that safety is a priority for Barrick. He said the companys first fatality of this year was Jan. 26 at North Mara in Tanzania.

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ELKO  Drug users continue to drive much of Elkos criminal activity but narcotics officers are fighting back, with double the amount of meth and heroin seized last year in the city.

Drugs are still a problem in our community and theyre not going away anytime soon, Police Chief Ty Trouten told the Elko City Council in his annual report on 2021 crime. Theyre also a large driver for all of our other crimes.

The Elko Combined Narcotics Unit initiated 39 cases last year, 16 of which were drug-related. Those resulted in 26 arrests and the seizure of drugs with a street value of $324,835.

The seizures included a total of 10,440 grams of methamphetamine, up 6,642 grams from 2020; and 931 grams of heroin, up 484 grams from 2020.

Seizures of cocaine and other drugs, however, were only a tiny fraction of those from 2020.

Though the meth and heroin numbers from last year were much higher than 2020, Trouten said he believes drug use in the region has remained fairly steady. The amount of drugs seized in an arrest can vary significantly depending on the timing of the bust.

The Elko police and sheriffs departments participate in the states narcotics task force, which investigates drug trafficking cases. Trouten said he believes most of the meth and heroin in Elko comes across the Mexico border. Fifteen years ago meth labs were common across the U.S., but they declined after crackdowns made it harder to purchase ingredients. The last time the Elko County Sheriffs Office issued a public warning about local meth labs was in 2011.

Crime statistics

In 2021 the Elko Police Department made 930 arrests, 852 of which were adults and 78 juveniles. The department investigated 423 traffic collisions and issued 549 traffic citations. Total calls for service were 24,841, down slightly from 2020. The number of reports generated by the calls was up, however.

Severe crimes reported in the City of Elko totaled 2,089, which is down 87 incidents from 2020. Severe crimes include dozens of offenses ranging from murder and manslaughter to theft and weapons violations.

Less severe crimes totaled 1,037, which is up 86 incidents from 2020 totals. Crimes listed as less severe include bad checks, vagrancy, disorderly conduct, drunken driving, liquor law violations and trespassing.

The property crimes tend to be going up, while some of the more serious crimes like murder, kidnapping rape  are holding steady or trending down, Trouten said.

Still, the number of serious crimes and the amount of time it takes to investigate them are a load on detectives.

Technology has helped with the workload on less severe crimes. An online reporting system was started a few years ago and 464 cases came in over the system this past year. That frees up a large number of hours, Trouten said, at a savings of about $20,000 a year.

Changing categories

Recent changes in how crimes are categorized and counted make it difficult to compare criminal activity over the past five years.

Shoplifting is one of the new categories being listed separately on the annual report, and there was a major increase in Elkos shoplifting cases with 78 last year compared with 26 in 2020.

Weve all seen whats gone on in other parts of the nation, particularly California, when they mitigate the laws to where its an exorbitant amount to create a felony on shoplifting  where now we cant even arrest somebody outright on shoplifting, we have to issue them a citation, Trouten told the city council. This is the effect. It emboldens criminals and they do more.

The same thing is happening with thefts of parts and accessories from motor vehicles, which is up from seven cases in 2020 to 30 last year.

The more serious cases of motor vehicle theft were down slightly from 2020 but there were still 85 reports of stolen vehicles in Elko last year.

Thats a lot, Trouten observed. Most of them we recover. Not many are in the same condition when they are recovered.

Hiring staff

The EPD hired five new officers to fill vacancies in 2021. Recruitment was focused on hiring experienced officers to eliminate the need to put new officers through the Nevada POST Academy. The department hired officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; Nye County Sheriffs Office; Kaysville, Utah Police Department; and San Bernardino, California Police Department.

The new staff includes one detective and a part-time evidence technician.

The Detective Unit received 357 new cases in 2021, and closed 134 cases. They investigated 61 sexual assault or child abuse cases.

While continuing to investigate multiple homicides from 2020, detectives investigated two new homicides, one in January and one in August. The detective division spent considerable time investigating two suspicious death cases which were treated as homicide investigations until evidence showed otherwise.

Use of force incidents

The department started reporting on use of force incidents in 2021, expanding the scope of cases that are reviewed.

So if an officer draws a Taser and points it at somebody thats a use of force, even if they dont deploy the Taser on them, Trouten said. If a K9 gets out to go after somebody, and is barking and they give up, thats a use of force. Thats still reviewed to ensure its done correctly.

Of the 24,841 calls for service there were 69 incidents where force was used. Thats less than three-tenths of one percent. A single incident may have multiple officers using force, resulting in 165 individual uses of force. High risk situations accounted for 60% of those and physical take-downs, 34%. There were nine incidents of battery on an officer, three resulting in injury.

Overall our (use of force) stats are consistent with 2020, Trouten said.

Licensing & permits

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to affect licensing and permit applications in 2021.

The EPD processed a total of 67 licensing and permit applications. These included zero brothel licenses, 37 special event liquor licenses, nine liquor license applications, four parade permits, nine solicitor/peddler applications, two temporary sexually oriented business licenses, five special event/vendor applications, and one temporary merchant application.

Drone program

In 2021, a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) program was launched to assist in a multitude of areas from searching for suspects to collecting aerial video of incidents. Two officers became licensed and certified to pilot the drone, which was purchased with a generous donation from a local citizen. The UAV has been deployed approximately a dozen times since the program was launched in July.

Service Awards

The department issued one 25-year service award, four 15-year service awards, and four 5-year service awards along with seven citizen service awards.

Exemplary Performance Awards went to Lt. Jason Pepper, Detective Sgt. Bryan Drake, Cpl. Shane Daz, Cpl. Dennis Williams, Officer Andrew Cunningham and Officer Kyle Craig.

Officer Nathan Gowan was named Rookie of the Year and Officer Josh Chandler was named Officer of the Year.

Mayor Reece Keener thanked the police chief for the departments service over the past year.

The entire council is very supportive, and just really proud of what you do, he said.

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SPRING CREEK  Spring Creek water customers could see a $15 decrease in their water bills by the end of the year after Great Basin Water Co. petitioned the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada to consolidate its holdings.

According to the filing by GBWC on Feb. 10, the company asks the PUCN to approve an application to decrease monthly bills by $15.15 for residential customers consuming 5,000 gallons on a 5/8-inch meter.

The application also seeks a 59-cent decrease for Pahrump, a $7.26 increase for Cold Springs and a $3.30 increase for Spanish Springs, divisions all serviced by Great Basin Water Co. The company is asking for permission to implement new usage tiers to apply to all divisions.

Currently, water users base fee is $27.16 plus $3.18 per 1,000 gallons up to 5,000 gallons consumed.

GBWC president Sean Twomey told the PUCN in the companys original filing that increased operating costs and expenses for capital projects across all four locations were factors [that] would necessitate an increase to the revenue requirements in each of the individual divisions.

GBWC is committed to providing safe and reliable water and sewer service to every customer, regardless of which community they call home, Twomey stated in testimony to the PUCN. GBWCs goal is to provide these same services to all our customers across the state for the same price.

Twomey explained that consolidating all the divisions would eliminate rate disparities amongst our Nevada customers and keep water rates the same. Customers would also be classified under four categories: residential, non-residential, irrigation only and multi-family, according to the application.

With the implementation of uniform rates, customers in a particular class, for example, residential customers, will pay the same water and sewer rates as corresponding customer classes in all divisions.

Overall, Twomey said that the rates would eventually balance itself out among all four divisions, with Spring Creek customers seeing a decrease sooner rather than later.

He estimated average households at or under 5,000 gallon consumption could see their bills decrease by about $15 and about $18 during the summer months.

It would be the first time the water company consolidated its divisions in the state, which is standard among other utilities.

For several years, Spring Creek Association and Great Basin Water Co. have clashed regarding rates and integrative resource plans to fix or upgrade aging water facilities installed in the 1970s and 1980s.

Among the conflicts were customer complaints due to inconsistent billing. In 2017, the PUCN required GBWC to refund customers for faulty water meters for the previous year after the company petitioned the agency, stating that their billing and meter reading had been consistent with its tariff.

The company also proposed an IRP in 2018 that called for rate hikes to fund $11 million in capital improvement projects for a new tank, well replacement and backup generators. The PUCN approved $8 million the following year.

Twomey, who came on board as president in 2020, promised to improve customer service for residents who saw dramatic increases in their water bills. Some said they were charged for running an average of a thousand gallons a day and asked for a check of their water meter for accuracy.

Twomey said the move to consolidate was in the Companys best interest. Uniform rates across all four divisions will promote predictable, stable rates and benefit customers through reduced regulatory expenses and increased efficiencies.

He also called out a disparity that has guided the operations of the Great Basin Water Co. in the state, which influences rural areas.

Historically, the rates for each division have been set based upon the investment and expenses for each division, and the water and sewer service rates vary between the divisions, he said, The disparity is, in part, the result of the absence of economies of scale in the smaller, or more rural divisions, the disproportionate effect imposed on the smaller division even by routine investments, which leads to rate shock, and the episodic investment of capital in individual divisions.

Jessie Bahr, Spring Creek Association general manager and president, praised Twomey for reducing the water rates.

The SCA has been working over the years to help fix the water issues in the Spring Creek Association on behalf of the property owners, Bahr said. With the new leadership at GBWC, we are heading in the right direction in lowering the rates for our area.

The PUCN will host a consumer session for docket No. 21-12025 via videoconference at 6 p.m. March 15 from Carson City and Las Vegas.

The first hearing on the docket is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 1-3 and June 6-7 via videoconference.

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As household incomes plummeted around the country in March 2020, many feared they would be evicted. To support families, the federal government implemented an eviction moratorium and passed billions of dollars in funding to provide assistance to renters and landlords.

One of these programs is Emergency Rental Assistance Program which is administered by the US Treasury Department. More than $46 billion dollars have been approved by Congress for states, tribes and territories that allow grantees "to provide assistance to eligible households through existing or newly created rental assistance programs."

In early January, the Treasury Department reported that states have supported around 665,000 households through the distribution of around $2.9 billion. However, housing security remains a threat to housing security around the country. Last week, the Eviction Lab, found that almost 9,000 households had an the legal paperwork for an eviction submitted, in just the six states they track.

What programs exist to support renters?

In December 2020, Congress passed a spending bill that allocated around $25 billion to establish the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program 1. This program is required to spend at least ninety percent of funds on "direct financial assistance, including rent, rental arrears, utilities and home energy costs, utilities and home energy costs arrears, and other expenses related to housing." The remaining ten percent of funds can be allocated for programs aimed at services that related to housing stability over the longer term.

These funds are set to expire by 30 September 2022.

The second round of funding passed in March 2021 through the American Rescue Plan set aside $2.5 billion for grantees based "on the number of very low-income renter households paying more than 50 percent of income on rent or living in substandard or overcrowded conditions, rental market costs, and change in employment since February 2020." The remainder, which amounted for more around $18 billion, will be spent the same way the majority of ERA1 funds were allocated.

Who is eligible to receive funds?

For ERA1, those eligible must meet some requirements.

Households where at least one member "qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 outbreak" are eligible.

The second requirement covers those who who live in a a household where "one or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability." Lastly, a household may qualify if the total income is "at or below 80 percent of area median income."

The requirements are similar for ERA2, the only difference is that rather than having income based on the median in the area, a household must fall under the category of "a low-income family" as defined by section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937.

To find funding in your area, you can visit this portal hosted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that has the list of all state, territorial, and tribal entities tasked with distributing funds. The information is broken down by counties to help those access the relevant agency in their locality more quickly. It is important to check with what documents and information will need to be provided to verify the claim. Some states like Georgia, require a copy of the lease by shown by a tenant when making a claim, whereas Colorado allows for any document that shows you live at that residence to be provided.

Some areas have reported that they are out of funds

In New York, the office administering the payments said that any application submitted after 21 September 2021, "will be reviewed and paid in those areas of the State where the jurisdictions allocation is not fully exhausted." For those in the state that are in serious need of funds to cover basic needs, they should contact their local social services office who may be able to find other sources of money.

Oregon, New Jersey, and Texas have also run out of funds and some have stopped accepting applications as they too have run out of money.
Conflicting narratives from Washington DC and Moscow leave the question over a Russian invasion of Ukraine open. As global attention has been called to the region over the past few weeks and many have questions on the geography of the area.

Ukraine formed part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), declaring its independence in 1991 after the fall of the USSR. Russian President Vladimir Putin has long argued that seeing Ukraine become a NATO member would be a red line they wish to see respected.

However, in recent years as Ukraine has shown a greater interest in joining NATO, especially after the 2014 invasion of Crimea by Russia. The Crimean Peninsula, seen shaded in red below, taken over by Russia.

Full screen Map of Ukraine Sven Teschke, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

What countries does Ukraine border?

Ukraine borders Belarus (North), Hungary (West), Moldova (South West), Poland (North West), Russia (East) Romania, South and Slovakia (West). Of these countries Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia are all members of NATO.

New reports shared by various countries have shown an increase in the number of Russian troops moved into the area topped 150,000. Russia has sent troops into Belarus which lies north of Ukraine, and from which some military experts believe Russia could begin the invasion.

Where are the Diomede islands?

The Diomede Islands are not found in the region, rather, they sit in the middle of the Bering Strait. There are only two islands, one of which is owned by Russia and the other the United States. Only a short channel separates the two countries, which typically are a world apart.

What did President Biden say in his speech about the conflict?

In a short statement, President Biden addressed the nation on Tuesday 15 February repeating the message the the US stands ready with its allies in the case of a Russian attack. On Tuesday, President Putin denied such intentions but the message from the White House seemed to assume that the possibility was still very much on the table.

President Biden also warned the country that there could be impacts on US consumers if Russia decides to invade Ukraine and the supply of Russian oil is impacted.

"I will not pretend this will be painless," said Biden. During the speech he took a moment to warn consumers that US energy prices could be impacted but that his administration was "taking active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets and offset rising prices."

"Were prepared to deploy all the tools and authority at our disposal to provide relief at the gas pump," said the President, raising rumors over what these measure may consist of. Members of the press asked Jen Psaki on 15 February if the administration was considering a tax holiday for gas, to which she responded that she had "nothing to predict" but that "all options remain on the table."
Last week, the US announced that all US citizens should leave Ukraine as soon as possible, in case that it became impossible for them to be evacuated in case of war in the country.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was an 'imminent' threat of a Russian attack, which has not materialized. The Ukrainian government said nations should not be hasty in telling citizens to leave, as it would putting their economy under big pressure and causing panic.

But the US government conceded it does not know how many Americans are actually in Ukraine in order to help them.

Is it known how many Americans are in Ukraine?

The US has no requirements for Americans living abroad to declare where they live, instead relying upon census data.

'Right now, we do not have what we consider to be an accurate count of Americans, private Americans, who are residing in Ukraine,' said Ned Price, State Department Spokesperson.

Estimates are difficult to make, considering the last Ukrainian census was carried out in 2001. There was supposed to be a modern census conducted in 2020, but it was postponed until 2023.

What are the latest developments in Ukraine?

On Tuesday, Russia announced troops were moving away from Ukraine after the end of what was described as an 'end of training exercises.' Units of the Russian military had been on joint trials in Belarus, which had set alarm bells ringing in NATO headquarters.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, 'February 15 will go down in history as the day Western war propaganda failed,' elaborating by saying, the West had been 'shamed and destroyed without firing a single shot.'

The US is not satisfied with the evidence provided. President Biden said that the US has 'not yet verified' claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Secretary of State Blinken told ABC's Good Morning America that he has seen 'no meaningful pullback' and described the situation as 'deeply, deeply concerning.'

But claims in western media that war would begin on February 16 seem to be unfounded.
Cross-border e-commerce is gaining momentum in China against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic that severely impacted international trade, and the recent approval of more cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones has, undoubtedly, accelerated this trend.

Last week, China's State Council issued a statement, approving the establishment of more cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in 27 cities and regions, including Erdos in Inner Mongolia and Yangzhou City in Jiangsu Province.

This now brings the overall tally of pilot zones to 132, covering almost all provincial-level regions in China from coastal industrial powerhouses such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong to inland areas.

"As a new form of foreign trade with great potential, cross-border e-commerce is still on its fast growth track," the Ministry of Commerce said.

Cross-border e-commerce, featuring online marketing, online transactions and contactless payment, has boomed in China over the past few years, particularly during the last two years when the pandemic impeded business travel and face-to-face contact.

According to official data, cross-border e-commerce volume soared tenfold over the past five years.

In 2021 alone, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports climbed 15 percent year on year to 1.98 trillion yuan (about 311 billion U.S. dollars), with related pilot zones playing a significant role in spurring the growth.

China began setting up cross-border e-commerce pilot zones as early as 2015 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in a bid to trial the new business form and digitalize its trade channels.

In these pilot zones, local governments provide a variety of trade services ranging from logistics, payment, law, taxation and customs clearance to facilitate enterprises' cross-border e-commerce businesses.

"Our company has seen tangible benefits after the establishment of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones," said Wu Fan, head of the Asia-Pacific region of U-Play Corporation, an Anhui-based hygiene products manufacturer.

Currently, 90 percent of the company's products are sold overseas via cross-border e-commerce retail. The company's cross-border imports and exports soared 62.5 percent from 80 million yuan in 2020 to 130 million yuan in 2021, Wu said, attributing this growth to preferential tax policies.

The favorable policy environment for cross-border e-commerce has led to a continuous increase in the number of cross-border e-commerce companies.

So far, China has seen the establishment of more than 30,000 enterprises related to cross-border e-commerce, with the volume climbing every year.

Apart from benefitting market entities, cross-border e-commerce pilot zones also improve the shopping experience of consumers, said Xu Qing, director of public affairs department at Tmall Global, a leading online shopping platform where Chinese consumers hunt for overseas products.

"Thanks to the cross-border e-commerce boom, domestic consumers can choose from more overseas products with lower prices and faster delivery without leaving their homes," Xu said.

As one of the world's largest goods traders, China is expected to further enhance its competitive strengths in foreign trade through the expansion of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones.

Zhu Caihua, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, said cities later designated as cross-border e-commerce pilot zones should leverage local development advantages and enhance institutional innovation to propel high-quality development of the new business form.
After nearly 10 years of implementing the National Target Programme on New-style Rural Area Building, Tuy Phuoc has applied many dynamic and creative ways of doing that are suitable to the actual conditions of the locality, thus gaining positive achievements.



President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (second from right) presents a certificate recognising Tuy Phuoc a new-style rural area. (Photo: VNA)



The average annual economic growth rate reaches 9.2 percent; per capita income is 45.8 million VND (2,013 USD) per year, an increase of 2.4 times compared to that in 2011; and the rate of poor households is 1.92 percent, down 7.92 percent from 2011. All main roads in communes and connecting communes have been asphalted or concreted. The rate of trained workers is 48.6 percent. All households are using hygienic water, in which, those with access to clean water in accordance with national standards is 74.1 percent.



Speaking at the event, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc congratulated the administration and people of Binh Dinh for having 84 out of 113 communes meeting new-style rural building criteria, higher than the national average.



He noted that building new rural areas is necessary with the highest goal of improving the material and spiritual lives and income of farmers.



The State leader asked Tuy Phuoc to boost modernisation in terms of science and technology, have more clean products, and pay more attention to developing a socialist-oriented market economy, promoting the role of household and multi-sector economy, especially the private economy.



Tuy Phuoc must become a model and advanced new-style rural district of Vietnam, he said, asking Binh Dinh province and Tuy Phuoc district to take suitable steps to maintain the living environment for local residents./.
Imagine lasers pointing from Earth into the skies, seeking out satellites and bits of space trash and measuring their positions and trajectories to prevent catastrophic collisions. You dont have to try too hard  this is very nearly the day-to-day reality at ESAs new Izana 1 (IZN-1) laser ranging station in Tenerife, Spain.

IZN-1, developed and now operated by ESA, is a testbed for future technologies and was installed in mid-2021 at the Teide Observatory.

The station, telescope and laser have undergone months of testing and commissioning and since July last year have aimed the green beam of concentrated light to the sky to actively detect, track and observe active satellites.

At present, the laser operates at 150mW but it will soon be upgraded so it can also track debris objects with a much more powerful infrared laser with an average power of 50 Watts.

"Currently, only satellites fitted with retroreflectors can be tracked from ESA's Izana station, making up just a proportion of the total population," explains Clemens Heese, Head of Optical Technologies.

"The station will be upgraded in the next couple of years, enabling it to perform the same vital ranging services with uncooperative targets - vitally, debris objects and older satellites without retroreflecting patches."

The first of many in Europe

While dozens of laser tracking stations are dotted around Europe, the Izana station's dual functionality makes it a first. Built by German company DiGOS, the remotely controlled Izana station can also be used for optical communications and is intended to become a state-of-the-art, fully autonomous robotic system. It is hoped to be the first of many across the globe.

The technology, relatively new in the history of ground-based observations of space debris, will mean the station can track previously invisible defunct objects lurking above the blue daytime skies.

As ESA's newest addition to the Space Safety family, Izana-1 provides support for vital collision avoidance and provides a testbed for new sustainable technologies like laser momentum transfer or coordination of space traffic.

Such satellite and debris tracking capability in Europe could contribute to building and accessing a European catalogue of space objects.

Lasers in space. Is that ... safe?

But hold on, there are birds, planes, astronauts above us! Doesn't aiming lasers into the sky come with an unacceptable risk? Fortunately, lasers used for satellite and debris tracking would be a disappointment to any self-respecting Bond villain.

Ultimately, the IZN-1 station will use a power of under 100 Watts, giving the Izana laser about 1/20th of the energy of an electric kettle.

These pinpoint light sources shine short pulses of light at their target, determining the distance, velocity and orbit of each one with millimetre precision, calculated from the time it takes to complete the return journey.

Although such lasers don't come anywhere close to cutting through, or even nudging (yet) the objects they target, they can damage sensitive optical instruments on satellites and the paths of aircraft must be considered.

"If lasers strike planes they can be very dangerous, as pilots can become distracted and in worst-case scenarios, lose control," explains Andrea di Mira, ESA Optoelectronics Engineer.

"We are very, very careful that this does not happen, with a set of sensors scanning the sky for aircraft to ensure our lasers do not get remotely close to them".

These lasers also have the potential to disrupt telescopes studying the night's sky. To prevent this, the Laser Traffic Control System (LTCS) was introduced by the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) - much like IZN-1 helps to prevent collisions between objects in orbit, the LTCS software prevents 'collisions' between laser light and areas of observation. Additionally, switching to an infrared laser frequency can minimize conflicts with astronomers.

A vital step towards space traffic control

As the era of New Space is now fully underway, large constellations are being launched to the skies consisting of thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of satellites.

Current, costly methods of collision avoidance will be futile as numbers increase and as such the international space community will need to establish a method of space traffic control.

For this, precise and rapid determination of the location, velocity and orbit of space objects will be vital, and ESA's IZN-1 station will provide a much-needed testbed for this technology, far more accurate than current radar methods, to be developed.

In the near future, ESA's IZN-1 station will be a fully autonomous, highly productive satellite and debris tracking station. It will also be used to test the concept of 'networked space debris laser ranging' to build a satellite catalogue.

When it comes to optical communication, it will also be upgraded to receive signals with a very high data rate of 10 gigabits and beyond (adhering to international standards) from satellites in low-Earth orbit 400 km away.

Izana will then become part of a planned European Optical Nucleus Network, the first operational optical communication ground station service of its kind that will be made available to the wider commercial space community.

On top of all this, the station provides an opportunity to test and develop technologies underpinning 'laser momentum transfer', in which lasers would not merely shine a light on debris objects but very gently nudge them into new orbits, out of the way of potential collisions and out of the busiest orbital highways.

As IZN-1 is welcomed into to ESA's Space Safety family, so is a bright future of sustainable technologies, vital for a responsible future in orbit and beyond.

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He made the statement while receiving Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie on February 15.

At the reception (Photo: HNMO)

According to Secretary Dung, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out globally, Australia gave Vietnam valuable and timely support. To date, Australia has pledged to donate up to 7.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and many medical supplies to help Vietnam overcome difficulties caused by the pandemic, a clear demonstration of the positive and efficient relationship between the two countries.

He expressed his hope that Vietnam and Australia will continue to promote the results achieved in pandemic prevention and control, and soon restore exchange and cooperation activities in all fields, including the resumption of two-way commercial flights.

Sharing about the development of Hanoi, he said that in 2021, despite the severe impact of the pandemic, the capital's economy still achieved positive results, with a gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth rate of 2.92%, higher than the national average. It attracted USD1.61 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI).

Regarding the cooperation relationship between Hanoi and Australia, Secretary Dung emphasized that Hanoi considers Australia an important and potential partner in the region, and values cooperation with Australia. However, he pointed out economic cooperation is still modest, with exports to Australia only accounting for about 2% of Hanoi's exports, while Australian direct investment in the city has only reached about USD500 million.

Assessing that Australia has strengths in capital, management experience, and scientific and technological capacity, while Hanoi has the potential for quality labor source and is a large market with a stable growth rate, he said that the two sides can further promote cooperation, especially in cultural exchanges, tourism, education, smart cities and high-tech agriculture.

Agreeing that the two sides still have great potential for economic cooperation, Ambassador Robyn Mudie said that this is also a priority of the Australian Government. According to the Ambassador, a number of areas that Australia is currently interested in investing in suit Hanoi's needs, including agriculture, education, energy, services and digital economy.

The Ambassador affirmed that Australia is ready to meet Hanoi's investment capital needs and will always encourage Australian businesses to provide the city with quality and effective capital. Appreciating Vietnam's commitments to combat climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Summit 2021 (COP26), Ambassador Robyn Mudie said that Australia, which is developing many related solutions, can also exchange and cooperate with Vietnam in this field./.




Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA)

Talking to Bourla over the phone on February 15 evening, Chinh said that this move will help protect childrens health and effectively carry out the safe reopening of schools.

This is the second talks between the Vietnamese Government head and Pfizers leader since the fourth wave of COVID-19 broke out in Vietnam in late April.

Chinh said that Vietnam recently imported Pfizers vaccine to inject on children aged between 12 and 17, making them safer and more secure when going back to school. To date, nearly 96 percent of the children in this age group have received the first jab, and nearly 90 percent the second.

He also thanked and appreciated Pfizer and Chairman Bourla personally for coordinating with the Vietnamese side to complete the supply of 51 million doses , as requested during their previous phone call in August.

With the close cooperation of Pfizer and the timely supply of vaccines from countries, including the US, Vietnam has successfully implemented a rapid vaccination strategy, and transitioned to a strategy of flexibly and safely adapting to and effectively controlling COVID-19 so as to restore production activities and promote economic recovery.

For his part, Bourla affirmed that he will make every effort to speed up the implementation of the contract on supplying the vaccine for children from 5 to under 12 years old for Vietnam in the coming weeks as soon as possible. He also stated that Pfizer can cooperate with Vietnam in transferring technology to produce drugs to treat COVID-19.

On this occasion, PM Pham Minh Chinh invited the Pfizer leader to Vietnam as a guest of the Prime Minister to discuss and promote a long-term bilateral cooperation plan./.
Delegates at the event (Photo: VNA)

During the program, participants enjoyed various performances, traditional food of Vietnam during Tet.

According to a Vietnamese woman living in Chile, the program made her feel at home with warm atmosphere of Tet, the most important festival of Vietnamese people in a year.

On this occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador to Chile Pham Truong Giang presented the second prize of the National External Information Service Awards to the Chile-Vietnam Cultural Friendship Institute and the Chile University TV and Radio Broadcasting Station./.
Illustrative photo (Source: kinhtedothi.vn)

USAID Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock and National Lung Hospital Director Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung marked the occasion in a ceremony held at the hospital.



The donation includes 38 rapid diagnostic machines with 90,000 compatible test kits and 10 digital X-ray devices to be distributed to district health facilities across the country, including in the remote provinces of Nghe An, Lai Chau, An Giang, and Dong Thap, which have high burden of TB and multidrug-resistant TB.

Both the rapid diagnostic machines and the X-ray devices are designed to operate in hard-to-reach areas. The rapid diagnostic machines, called Truenat, can perform on-the-spot detection of TB and drug-resistant TB in less than two hours and are battery powered. The digital X-ray devices are ultra-portable, with computer-aided TB detection software to assist in areas where radiologists may not be present.

The donation also includes drugs to treat 15,000 patients with latent TB infection for three months, to be distributed nationwide. In addition, USAID is funding a tailored package of training curricula and technical support to the National Tuberculosis Program, health facility staff and local partners. This will help ensure greater sustainability of efforts to enhance Vietnams active case detection, ensure accurate and timely diagnosis, and support linkages for the treatment of active and latent TB.

In Vietnam, approximately 40% of new TB cases go undetected and untreated every year. The new diagnostic equipment and treatment medications delivered today directly support Vietnams National Tuberculosis Programs Double X strategy to improve TB case detection and increase uptake of TB preventive therapy in our joint effort to end TB in Vietnam. Double X is a detection method named for its use of both chest X-rays and state-of-the-art, rapid diagnostic technology called GeneXpert. The high-yield procedure successfully detects more TB cases - and detects them earlier in their onset. Earlier detection both prevents further spread of the disease and can be life-saving.

TB is preventable and curable. Yet every year in Vietnam, 172,000 people develop TB and more than 10,000 people die from TB, placing Vietnam among the top 30 countries with the highest TB burden in the world. The impacts of COVID-19 have severely reduced TB care and services, with TB detection in Vietnam decreasing by 23.5% in the first 10 months of 2021. To address this, USAID is also supporting the integration of TB screening within the Government of Vietnams COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.

Since 2018, USAID has provided Vietnam with over USD16 million in TB health assistance. In continued partnership with the Government of Vietnam, the donation demonstrates USAIDs steadfast support to achieve the End TB goals by 2030. USAID will continue to support the introduction of the latest high impact TB technologies and treatment medications as part of the ongoing partnership and solidarity between the United States and Vietnam./.
Illustrative photo (Source: MoH)

According to the statistics, 53 of 63 localities have given two doses of vaccine to over 90% of people aged 18 or more.

So far, nearly 16,500 doses have been given to children aged 12-17. Forty-two of 63 localities have given the second dose of vaccine to over 90% of this group. Only 8 localities have coverage rates of 57-80% for the second dose.

Nguyen Hong Tam, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (CDC), said that the city expects to vaccinate 970,000 children aged 5-11.

Accordingly, the CDC has carried out training for local healthcare forces on safe vaccination, so that the city can immediately vaccinate the children after the specific instruction from the Ministry of Health. In addition, the vaccination for children aged 5-11 must have parental consent. Children who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 are still guaranteed to attend school normally./.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (L) is welcomed by Crown Prince of Brunei Al-Muhtadee Billah when arriving in the host country. (Photo: straitstimes.com)



Addressing a press conference at the end of his two-day official visit to Brunei, the Malaysian PM said during his discussion with the Bruneian leader, he stressed the importance of full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) as a whole, and a preliminary conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).



The matters related to the East Sea should continue to be managed peacefully and rationally through dialogue and negotiations, using appropriate forums and diplomatic channels as well based on the principles of international law, Ismail Sabri Yaakob noted.



He added the two sides agreed to continue negotiations and consultations to study and finalise a highway linking their countries. The proposed Trans-Borneo Highway is a major road network system that connects Kalimantan (Indonesia), Sarawak and Sabah (Malaysia) and Brunei.



This was the first official trip to Brunei by Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the PM of Malaysia./.
A man visits a lantern fair to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Jiaozhou City, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Wang Zhaomai/Xinhua)

People make lanterns to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Wang Zheng/Xinhua)

Performers throw molten iron to create fireworks to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Han Chaoyang)

Performers throw molten iron to create fireworks to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 15, 2022 shows artists performing local opera to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Changde, central China's Hunan Province. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Kindergarten children play dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Qingzhou City, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Wang Jilin/Xinhua)

A child poses for photos with dragon dance performers, in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

People perform dragon dance for tourists to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Hao Yuan)

Performers dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Yanchi County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 14, 2022 shows a performance celebrating the Lantern Festival, in Yanchi County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

People perform lion dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

A villager throws molten iron to create fireworks to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Zoucheng, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Han Jun/Xinhua)

Overseas students make glutinous rice balls with community volunteers to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

A child eats glutinous rice balls in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

Children visit a lantern fair to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Fang Dehua/Xinhua)

People visit a lantern fair to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Danzhai County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Huang Xiaohai/Xinhua)

People make glutinous rice balls and dumplings to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

People visit a lantern fair to celebrate the Lantern Festival in east China's Shanghai, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

Children make lanterns to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Yangzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Meng Delong/Xinhua)

People make lanterns in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

People perform lion dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

Overseas students taste glutinous rice balls to celebrate the Lantern Festival, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

People perform dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Tunxi old town of Huangshan, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

People perform lion dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Weiyuan County of Dingxi, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)

Pedestrians take part in a riddle guessing activity to celebrate the Lantern Festival at the Central Street in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 15, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)

Artists perform traditional opera to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Saihan District of Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Wang Zheng/Xinhua)

A local villager holding a fish-shaped lantern parades to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Wangmantian Village, Shexian County of Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 14, 2022. The Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 15 this year. (Photo by Shui Congze/Xinhua)

Editor: WXY
Volunteers perform at Zhouzi ancient town in Peng'an County of Nanchong City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Li Xiangyu/Xinhua)

People make Tangyuan, a kind of round and sweet dumpling made of glutinous rice flour, in Shishang Village of Renshou Township, Jing'an County in Yichun City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Xu Zhongting/Xinhua)

Tourists dance with people of Miao ethnic group at Wanda Town of Danzhai County in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Huang Xiaohai/Xinhua)

People select lanterns at Fuzi (Confucius) Temple scenic area in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Su Yang/Xinhua)

Children make lanterns at a community in Yangzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Meng Delong/Xinhua)

People perform dragon dance in Lizhuang Township, Yibin City of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Zhuang Geer/Xinhua)

Children make lanterns in Quanjiao County, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Shen Guo/Xinhua)

Foreigners make lanterns in Xinqi Village of Deqing County, Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Xie Shangguo/Xinhua)

People visit Xinanli historical culture blocks in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Li Wenbao/Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 13, 2022 shows folk artists performing at Zhouping Village in Zhuxi Township of Cengong County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Hu Panxue/Xinhua)

Folk artists perform dragon dance in Lianyungang City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Wang Jianmin/Xinhua)

People select lanterns at a market of Fengcheng River scenic spot in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Tang Dehong/Xinhua)

Aerial photo shows people performing dragon dance in Lizhuang Township, Yibin City of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Zhuang Geer/Xinhua)

People of Miao ethnic group dance at Wanda Town of Danzhai County in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Huang Xiaohai/Xinhua)

People select lanterns at Fuzi (Confucius) Temple scenic area in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Su Yang/Xinhua)

People perform lion dance in Silian Village of Jinde Township, Liuzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Li Hanchi/Xinhua)

People make Tangyuan, a kind of round and sweet dumpling made of glutinous rice flour, in shape of Bing Dwen Dwen, a panda mascot for the 2022 Games, at a community in Wuhu City, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Yang Hua/Xinhua)

A child holds a lantern at Xi'nanli historical culture blocks in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Li Wenbao/Xinhua)

Students solve Lantern Riddles at Pingjiang experimental school in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Wang Jiankang/Xinhua)

Children play at a square in Xishui County of Zunyi City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 13, 2022. Various events are held across China to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival. (Photo by Yang Yang/Xinhua)

Editor: JYZ
SHENZHEN, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Hualong One, a domestically designed third-generation nuclear reactor, has been confirmed adequate for use in Britain, said the designer, China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), on Monday.

The reactor has met the standard of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA), according to a joint statement issued on Monday by the British Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agency (EA).

Before being put into use, the new technology must pass the assessment led by the ONR and the EA to determine its safety and environmental impact.

ONR has issued a Design Acceptance Confirmation (DAC) and EA has issued a Statement of Design Acceptability (SoDA) to Hualong One.

The CGN and French state-owned power giant EDF signed deals with the British government in September 2016 on building three projects in Britain. The project based in Bradwell, Essex, is expected to use the Hualong One technology. 

Editor: JYZ
Japan is urgently prepared to provide support to Ukraine with a loan of at least $100 million as a sign of support for it in the conditions of the buildup of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan said following a telephone conversation between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Prime Minister Kishida informed that Japan is urgently prepared to provide support with a loan of at least $100 million based on the request of the Ukrainian side, and President Zelensky expressed deep gratitude for this," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a report on the website after the February 15 conversation.

Japan has been paying close attention to the move to strengthen Russian troops around the Ukrainian border. Japan has consistently supported Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan said.

"The two leaders agreed to work together to ease tensions through diplomatic efforts," the ministry said in the statement.
A Russian resupply ship is targeting the International Space Station for a cargo delivery early Thursday.

While two cosmonauts get ready to support the cargo craft's arrival, the rest of the Expedition 66 crew juggled lab maintenance, space research, and robotics training ahead of a U.S. cargo mission due to launch on Saturday.

Nearly three-and-a-half tons of food, fuel, and supplies are racing toward the orbiting lab today aboard the ISS Progress 80 resupply ship from Roscosmos. Station Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov will be monitoring the cargo craft's automated approach on Thursday when it docks to the Poisk module at 2:06 a.m. EST. The duo continued training today on the tele-robotically operated rendezvous unit, or TORU, preparing for the unlikely event the Progress 80 would need to be manually docked.

Another cargo craft rolled out to its launch pad on Tuesday at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The U.S. Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman is loaded with over 8,300 pounds of station hardware and new science experiments. It will launch atop an Antares rocket on Saturday at 12:40 p.m. and reach the station for a capture with the Canadarm2 robotic arm on Monday at 4:35 a.m.

NASA Flight Engineers Raja Chari and Kayla Barron trained today for the capture activities on the robotics workstation and will be on duty Monday monitoring Cygnus' approach and rendezvous. Controllers on the ground will take over robotics duties after Cygnus is captured and remotely install the U.S. cargo craft to the Unity module's Earth-facing port where it will stay for just over three months.

The station's other three astronauts focused on ongoing equipment servicing and microgravity science in the midst of this week's cargo activities. NASA Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei and Thomas Marshburn wrapped up the cooling component work on the COLBERT treadmill in the Tranquility module. Marshburn also set up an Astrobee robotic free-flyer with a smart phone video guidance sensor being tested remotely by controllers on Earth. ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer swapped hardware inside the waste and hygiene compartment, the station's restroom, before computer operations on human research gear.

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NATO still sees no signs of de-escalation near Ukraine  Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed "cautious optimism" in connection with signals from Russia about readiness for negotiations on the situation around Ukraine.

"There are signs from Moscow that diplomacy should continue. This gives grounds for cautious optimism," the NATO Secretary General said at a press conference.

However, according to him, so far there is no data indicating de-escalation on the part of the Russian Federation directly on the ground.

"But so far we have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground," he noted.

"We will of course, follow very closely what's happening on the ground," Stoltenberg said.

According to Stoltenberg, in a number of cases, NATO observed that Russian forces left positions near Ukraine, but left military equipment there, so that, if necessary, troops could quickly return to the border. "The movement of forces, the movement of Russian capabilities doesn't represent real de-escalation," he added.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has opened the #UARazom (Together) telethon, which is taking place on all Ukrainian TV channels on February 16.

He appealed to Ukrainians, who, according to him, "are united by a single desire  to live, to live in peace, to live happily, as one family, with children and with parents."

"We have every right to do all this, because we are at home, we are in Ukraine. And no one will love our home as much as we do. And only together we can protect our home. Happy Unity Day, yellow and blue!" said Zelensky.

The telethon runs from 08:00 to 10:00, as well as from 19:00 to 22:00 on all Ukrainian TV channels. February 16 was called the day of Russia's potential invasion in Ukraine. A number of media reported that this was supposed to happen early in the morning, but as of 08:00 there were no signs of an invasion.

President Zelensky established Unity Day on February 16, 2022.
NATO still sees no signs of de-escalation on Russia's border with Ukraine  Stoltenberg

The North Atlantic Alliance does not yet see signs of de-escalation on the border of Russia and Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.

"So far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground from the Russian side," Stoltenberg told journalists.

At the same time, commenting on Moscow's statements about readiness for diplomacy, he repeated that he sees "some ground for cautious optimism."
President of the European Council Charles Michel initiates a donors' conference in support of Ukraine.

He made the corresponding statement in Strasbourg on Wednesday, speaking at a plenary session as part of the discussion of European security and Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.

Noting the initiative of the European Commission to provide Kyiv with EUR 1.2 billion of macro-financial assistance, Michel expressed confidence that more needs to be done.

He said he would like to initiate a donor conference in close cooperation with Ukraine and the EU so that it is possible to maintain a solid economic situation in Ukraine, which is under threat from this situation.

Michel assured Ukrainians that the EU would not leave them without support. He also addressed Russia and its leadership, saying that today they have a choice between war and the tragic victims that will be because of this war and diplomacy.

Moreover, the President of the European Council assured that Brussels supports diplomacy and negotiations.
Recognition of 'L/DPR' to be almost amount to Russia's wholesale rejection of its commitments under Minsk agreements  Blinken

The United States believes that the implementation of the idea of Russia's recognition of "independence" of the so-called "L/DPR" would be almost amount to Moscow's rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

"The Russian Duma has stated that it plans to send to President Putin an appeal to recognize the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics as 'independent.' To be clear: Kremlin approval of this appeal would amount to the Russian government's wholesale rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements," he said in the statement on the State Department website.

According to Blinken, enactment of this resolution would further undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as constitute a gross violation of international law, call into further question Russia's stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis.

"Enactment of this resolution... and necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our Allies and partners," Blinken said.
The leaders of the European Parliament adopted a statement on the situation in Ukraine, condemning the unprecedented military aggression by Russia and demanding that Russia withdraw its troops from the Ukrainian border in full.

The text of the statement adopted by the Conference of Presidents, which includes the President of the European Parliament and leaders of political groups, was released on Wednesday.

"Ukraine faces the threat of an unprecedented military aggression by the Russian Federation. This is not only a threat to the security of Ukraine and the safety of its people. It is also a threat to Ukraine's prosperous democratic and economic development, to the rules-based international order, and to the security of Europe as a whole," the leaders of the European Parliament said in the statement.

In this regard, they condemned the Russian military buildup in and around Ukraine and the threat of a military aggression against Ukraine.

"This military build-up, at the border with Ukraine, in Belarus, in illegally annexed Crimea, in the Black Sea, as well as in the unrecognized separatist entities of Donetsk and Luhansk, is a direct threat to Ukraine's security," the leaders said, recalling that the threat of force goes against to the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of international law.

"We are united in our demand that the Russian Federation cease its military threat and its attempts at destabilization and immediately and fully withdraw its forces and military equipment from the borders of Ukraine to the places of the original dislocation," they said.

The leaders of the European Parliament reiterated their unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.

"We strongly believe that any country's choice of alliances must not be subject to a third countrys approval. We stand behind diplomatic efforts by European leaders to defuse tensions and we urge Russia to contribute to immediate de-escalation," the leaders said in the statement.

In addition, the leaders of the European Parliament confirmed their firm intention to support "a robust response should Russia continue not to abide by its international commitments and obligations and launch an attack against Ukraine."

"We reiterate our call on the Council of the European Union to remain prepared to swiftly adopt severe economic and financial sanctions against the Russian Federation in close coordination with transatlantic and other like-minded partners. Such sanctions should include the exclusion of Russia from the SWIFT system, individual sanctions against individuals close to the Russian President and their families, entailing the freezing of financial and physical assets in the EU and travel bans. We reiterate our call for an immediate halt to the Nord Stream 2 project should Russia launch an attack against Ukraine," the officials said.

The leaders of the European Parliament expressed "undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine."

"More than 14,000 people have already lost their lives in a tragic conflict in eastern Ukraine that was ignited by Russia and is being kept alive by Russian-backed so-called separatists. We resolutely reject the continuous Russian attempts to destabilize Ukraine, including the possible recognition of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk entities, and preventing the country from moving forward on its path towards democracy and prosperity," the leaders said in the statement.

The leaders of the European Parliament also assured that stand united behind Ukraine's efforts towards democratic reform, economic prosperity and social progress.

"We believe that these efforts deserve the strongest possible support. We therefore call on the EU and its Member States to continue providing political support, economic help, and macro financial and technical assistance wherever needed, including in defence and security-related areas, and to develop a long-term strategy to support Ukraines efforts in strengthening the resilience of its democratic institutions and economy," they said.

In addition, the statement calls on Ukraine to "remain united and steadfast in its comprehensive reforms in line with commitments made as part of the EU Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area."

"We call for the EU institutions to maintain a credible long-term perspective for Ukraine's EU accession in line with Article 49 TEU, as for any European state, and to work towards a merit-based acceleration of gradual integration into the EU Single Market, as foreseen in the Association Agreement. Only Ukrainians can decide about the path their country should take to the future. We will support their democratic rights, fundamental freedoms and human rights as well as the country's choice for a European future in freedom, democracy, peace and security," the leaders of the European Parliament said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia continues to maintain massive invasion force on the border with Ukraine, ready to attack.

"But so far, we do not see any sign of de-escalation on the ground. No withdrawals of troops or equipment. This may of course change. However, what we see today is that Russia maintains a massive invasion force ready to attack. With high-end capabilities. From Crimea to Belarus. This is the biggest concentration of forces in Europe since the Cold War," he said at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday after the first day of the North Atlantic Council meeting at the level of defense ministers.

Stoltenberg said NATO allies made it clear that further Russian aggression against Ukraine would have a high cost.

"And we have called out Russia's actions, plans and disinformation. At the same time, NATO remains prepared for dialogue. It is not too late for Russia to step back from the brink of conflict. And choose the path of peace," the Alliance Secretary General said.

However, he said NATO will not compromise on core principles, in particular the right of each nation to choose its own path, as well as the ability to protect and defend all allies.

"We have already enhanced our deterrence and defence. With more troops, planes and ships. And higher readiness of the NATO Response Force. These steps are defensive. NATO is not a threat to Russia," Stoltenberg said.

At the same time, the Secretary General said the Alliance "does not know what will happen in Ukraine."

"But the situation has already demonstrated we face a crisis in European security. Moscow has made it clear that it is prepared to contest the fundamental principles that have underpinned our security for decades. And to do so by using force. I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe," Stoltenberg said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba had a phone conversation with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland Zbigniew Rau, during which the interlocutors agreed to make every effort for the full functioning of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) press service said on Wednesday.

"The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office informed the minister in detail about the results of his visit to Moscow. Dmytro Kuleba briefed Zbigniew Rau about the security situation near the state border and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine," the MFA said.

It notes that the minister also said Ukraine is closely following the real actions of the Russian side after the statements on the withdrawal of troops and "will believe in the beginning of de-escalation only in the event of a real decrease in the number of military personnel stationed in these areas."

"The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry drew the interlocutor's attention to the approval in the Russian parliament of a resolution on an appeal to the President of the Russian Federation on the recognition of the so-called 'L/DPR.' The minister once again stressed that if the leadership of Russia makes an appropriate decision, this will mean a conscious withdrawal of Russia from the Minsk agreements and will have devastating consequences for the international legal order and the global security architecture."

The MFA said Kuleba and Rau agreed to make every effort to ensure the full functioning of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

The head of Ukrainian diplomacy also said that Russia must demonstrate the transparency of its military activities in accordance with the Vienna Document and provide explanations at the request of Ukraine.

"In conclusion, the minister expressed his gratitude to the Polish Chairmanship and stressed Ukraine's readiness to further fruitfully cooperate within the OSCE on the implementation of its priorities," the Foreign Ministry said.
We cannot talk about withdrawal of Russian troops yet  Zelensky

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he could not yet talk about the withdrawal of Russian troops from the borders with Ukraine.

He said this on the air of the #UARazom (Together) telethon on Wednesday evening.

"The situation is under control, we do not see changes, we see the military buildup, small rotations. I would not call this a withdrawal of troops. I would not draw conclusions," he said, adding that "we will state the withdrawal when it happens."

Assessing the current situation, Zelensky said "the joint pressure of diplomats has worked."

He also said that "I would like to believe that diplomacy would not negotiate with Russia separately without us."

"The signals are different, but now is not the time to believe in the signals," he said.

The president said Ukraine "is not afraid of agreements behind our backs," since "most leaders know that there is truth behind our position."
On Monday, February 21, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host roundtable talk entitled "Ukraine - stress and pathos in February." Participants include Director of the Institute for Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov; political expert Kostiantyn Matviyenko; Director of the Ukrainian Barometer sociological service Viktor Nebozhenko; co-founder of the national platform Dialogue on Peace and Safe Reintegration Oleh Sahakyan (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Due to quarantine restrictions, the number of seats in the press center is limited. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
Vietnam expects to get early Pfizer vaccines for children

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on February 15 evening had a phone call with Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla, during which he proposed that the pharmaceutical firm soon deliver its vaccine to Vietnam to timely immunize children aged five to 11.









PM Pham Minh Chinh and other officials during the phone talk with Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla.



He thanked the firm for early delivering a total of 51 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine under the signed contracts to Vietnam to carry out its vaccination campaign.



Vietnam has successfully implemented its COVID-19 vaccination strategy, and switched to a policy of living safely with COVID-19 to support economic recovery efforts, he said.



According to the PM, Vietnam has imported the Pfizer vaccine for children aged from 12 to 17, with more than 90% of the children receiving their second jab.



This has helped the children better protect themselves from virus infection risk and feel safer when they return to school after months of online learning, due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, he said.



The PM informed Bourla about the Governments decision to purchase 21.9 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five to 11 and suggested that the firm deliver shipments no later than May 2022.



He also requested that Pfizer regularly provide information on the development of new vaccines, and transfer technology to produce drugs against new strains of the virus.



The Vietnamese government is ready to create the most favourable conditions for Pfizer to deploy transfer and cooperation in the pharmaceutical field in Vietnam, he assured the Pfizer CEO.



For his part, Bourla affirmed that Pfizer will try its best to execute the contract in the coming weeks. He also said that the firm can cooperate with Vietnam in transferring technology to produce COVID-19 drugs.



On this occasion, PM Chinh invited Bourla to visit Vietnam for discussion to promote long-term cooperation between Pfizer and Vietnam.


By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Pakistani ambassador Bilal Hayee have discussed the opportunities for strengthening energy cooperation between the two countries, the Energy Ministry has reported.

During the meeting, the parties emphasized the special importance of developing bilateral cooperation and expanding partnership.

They talked about mutual investment opportunities in the energy sector as well as supplying liquefied natural gas and petrochemical products to Pakistan.

Renewable energy sources in liberated territories, as well as wind energy potential in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, were also discussed.

Moreover, Pakistani companies were invited to participate in renewable energy projects.

They also noted the importance of the joint working group for the development of energy cooperation within the framework of the Azerbaijan-Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation.

Azerbaijan and Pakistan cooperate in various fields of economy. The relations between the two countries date back to 1991. Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence.

The trade turnover between the two countries totaled $11.7 million in 2021.
Al-Azhar condemned Friday terrorist attack on a mosque in Afghanistans capital Kabul that left dozens of worshippers dead and injured.
In a speech delivered last week during the inauguration of Silo Foods, a new food industrial complex in Menoufiya, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi pointed to the anomaly of 20 loaves of subsidised bread costing the same as one cigarette.

He said the price of subsidised bread would increase, and though he did not specify an amount he said the increase would not be large. The actual cost price per loaf, which retails at five piastres, is 60 to 65 piastres, said the president.



Economist Hani Tawfik argues that the decision to raise the price of bread is long overdue, and had been shirked by previous presidents.



It is a courageous decision because [Al-Sisi] knows it will lower his popularity, said Tawfik.



Raising the price of bread is a sensitive subject. The decision to reduce the subsidy in 1977 triggered protests nationwide. In August 2017, the government deregulated the price of flour and diesel fuel for bakeries as part of its new subsidy programme.

Under the new system, the Ministry of Supply sells wheat to mills for LE 4,000 ($256) a ton and the mills sell the flour they produce to bakeries at LE 4,700 ($300) a ton. The prices are subject to review every three months.



Per capita wheat consumption in Egypt is about 180kg, compared to the international average of 85kg per person, and since the introduction of electronic subsidy cards in April 2014 people entitled to the smart cards have been able to buy bread at five piastres ($0.0032) per loaf.



Former Minister of Supply Gouda Abdel Khalek told Al-Ahram Weekly that the budgetary allocation for bread subsidies, which amounts to EGP 48 billion ($3 billion), is a drop in the ocean when it comes to the overall national budget of EGP 1.8 trillion ($115 billion). To eliminate bread subsidies entirely would have a terrible impact on poor families, he said, and even raising the price of subsidised bread is a source of political anxiety.



More than 65 million Egyptians benefit from the governments social protection programmes, one of which allocates five loaves of bread per day to eligible citizens. Subsidy card holders who do not use their daily entitlement of five loaves per person since 2014 receive 10 piastres for every loaf they do not purchase. They can use this amount, called bread points, to purchase other subsidised goods in excess of the set quotas.



The Ministry of Supply had earlier proposed reducing the daily subsidised bread entitlement to four loaves and increasing bread points to 20 piastres in an attempt to save on the hard currency used for importing wheat.



According to the Ministry of Supply, subsidised bread consumption ranges from 2.5 to 3.8 loaves per person per day. A report released by the ministry proposed directing the additional points to purchases of other food products, such as rice and macaroni, in the hope that promoting alternatives to bread would change consumer patterns and reduce bread consumption.



Currently, more than 120 billion subsidised loaves are distributed annually. According to the Ministry of Finance, 3.7 per cent of the beneficiaries from the subsidy programme use their entitlements, while 26.3 per cent opt to replace bread with other goods they can obtain with their smart cards.



Heba Al-Leithi, a consultant with the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), told the Weekly that the government should first screen subsidy lists to identify the neediest families. Then, when it raises prices, it should exempt these families. Because bread is so important to the poor, she said, the government should consider subsidy cards exclusively for bread and then introduce a full or partial entitlement system based on the needs of eligible families.



Al-Leithi notes that the bread subsidy level has been reduced in recent years via successive reductions in the weight of a loaf. In August last year the government reduced the weight of an individual loaf from 110 to 90 grams in response to the rising cost of wheat.



It would have been better, she argues, to sharpen the focus on the neediest by introducing a system of full or partial support, or by offering them cash subsidies.



The CAPMAS consultant is concerned that a price hike will alter food consumption habits in potentially harmful ways and fears the poor will be forced to reduce consumption of high protein foods, fruits and vegetables.



The cost of bread should remain stable for the poorest families, she said.



Former supply minister Gouda Abdel-Khalek argues the government should save resources by lifting hidden subsidies for the rich, such as those offered to local automobile manufacturers who are entitled to lower custom duties on imported automobile parts. Given custom duties on fully manufactured imported vehicles can reach 100 per cent, domestic car assemblers are in a position to make huge profits. Abdel-Khalek also points out that even a small levy on capital gains from stock market transactions would cover the cost of subsidising bread many times over.



Tawfik counsels prudence and a clearer focus on the neediest. This decision should not be implemented until after the completion of the database of the poor who are entitled to subsidies. Once the database is in place, he says, in-kind subsidies can be replaced by cash subsidies. Around 30 per cent of the population lives below the poverty threshold and exposing them to more pressures is extremely dangerous and holds political risks for the regime.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 12 August, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia does not want war after Western capitals accused Moscow of amassing troops near Ukraine with plans to invade.

"Do we want this or not? Of course, not. That is exactly why we put forward proposals for a process of negotiations," Putin told a press conference following talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow.

Putin said that Moscow is ready for talks with the U.S. and NATO on limits for missile deployments and military transparency, in a new sign of easing East-West tensions. The statement came after Russia announced it is pulling back some troops from exercises that have raised fears of a potential invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian leader said the U.S. and NATO rejected Moscow's demand to keep Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe.

But the U.S. and NATO have agreed to discuss a range of security measures that Russia had previously proposed.

Putin said Russia is ready to engage in talks on limiting the deployment of intermediate range missiles in Europe, transparency of drills and other confidence-building measures but emphasized the need for the West to heed Russia's main demands.

The statement followed the Russian Defense Ministry's announcement of a partial pullback of troops after military drills, adding to hopes the Kremlin might not invade Ukraine imminently. The Russian military gave no details on where the troops were pulling back from, or how many.

Scholz said he agrees that diplomatic options are 'far from exhausted.'' The announcement of troops being pulled back is a 'good signal,'' he said, adding that he hopes that 'more will follow.''

The announcement buoyed world financial markets and the long-suffering ruble after weeks of escalation in Europe's worst East-West standoff in decades. It came a day after Russia's foreign minister indicated the country was ready to keep talking about the security grievances that led to the Ukraine crisis _ a gesture that changed the tenor after weeks of tensions.

Hours before the Russian Defense Ministry statement on the troops, a U.S. defense official said Russian units were moving closer to the Ukrainian border - not away from it. And Western officials continued to warn that the Russian military could attack at any time, with some floating Wednesday as a possible invasion day. NATO's chief said the alliance had no proof yet of a Russian retreat.

The White House declined to offer immediate comment on Russian troop movements.

The fears of an invasion grew from the fact that Russia has massed more than 130,000 troops near Ukraine. Russia denies it has any such plans, despite placing troops on Ukraine's borders to the north, south and east and launching massive military drills nearby. U.S. and other NATO allies, meanwhile, have moved troops and military supplies toward Ukraine's western flank, although not to confront Russian forces, and promised more financial aid to the ex-Soviet nation.

Moscow brandished Tuesday's pullback announcement as proof that fears of war were fabricated by a hostile, U.S.-led West: 'February 15, 2022, will go down in history as the day Western war propaganda failed. Humiliated and destroyed without a single shot fired,'' Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova tweeted.

Yet Ukraine remains effectively surrounded on three sides by military forces from its much more powerful neighbor, and even if the immediate threat recedes, longer-term risk remains. Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and some 14,000 people have been killed in fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia separatists in the country's east.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not indicate where the withdrawing troops had been deployed or how many were leaving.

It released images of tanks and armored vehicles rolling onto a train, and a tank commander saluting his forces while a military band played. The ministry did not disclose where or when the images were taken, or where the military vehicles were headed, other than 'to places of permanent deployment.''

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the troops were returning 'according to plan.'' He said such drills always adhered to a schedule _ regardless of 'who thinks what and who gets hysterical about it, who is deploying real informational terrorism.''

Ukraine's leaders expressed skepticism.

'We won't believe when we hear, we'll believe when we see. When we see troops pulling out, we'll believe in de-escalation,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Speaking in Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: 'So far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground, not seen any signs of reduced Russian military presence on the borders of Ukraine.''

However, he added that there are 'some grounds for cautious optimism'' for diplomatic efforts, given the signals coming from Moscow in recent days.

Stoltenberg said Russia has in the past moved into areas with troops and equipment, then pulled back leaving military materiel in place for rapid use later. He said that NATO wants to see a 'significant and enduring withdrawal of forces, troops, and not least the heavy equipment.''

European leaders have been scrambling to try to head off a new war on their continent, after several tense weeks that have left Europeans feeling caught between Russia and the U.S., and further pushed up household energy prices because of Europe's dependence on Russian gas.

Scholz's meeting with Putin came a day after sitting down with Ukraine's leader in Kyiv. In his opening remarks in the Kremlin, Scholz addressed the Ukraine tensions but also noted Germany's economic ties with Russia _ which complicate Western efforts to agree on how to punish Russia in case of an invasion.

Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau of Poland, one of Russia's most strident European critics, met in Moscow with Lavrov, and they discussed ways to use the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe for more talks aimed at easing tensions around Ukraine.

Moscow wants guarantees that NATO will not allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members. It also wants the alliance to halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe.

The U.S. reacted coolly.

'The path for diplomacy remains available if Russia chooses to engage constructively,'' White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. 'However, we are clear-eyed about the prospects of that, given the steps Russia is taking on the ground in plain sight.''

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss reiterated that the danger of an invasion still exists, telling Sky News that it 'could be imminent.'' Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt issued a similar warning, and Estonia's foreign intelligence agency said the Russian armed forces could launch an operation 'from the second half of February.''

A U.S. defense official said small numbers of Russian ground units have been moving out of larger assembly areas for several days, taking up positions closer to the Ukrainian border at what would be departure points if Putin launched an invasion.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information not publicly released.

Maxar Technologies, a commercial satellite imagery company that has been monitoring the Russian buildup, reported increased Russian military activity in Belarus, Crimea and western Russia, including the arrival of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft and fighter-bomber jets at forward locations. The photos taken over a 48-hour period also show ground forces leaving their garrisons and combat units moving into convoy formation.

Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers urged Putin to recognize rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine as independent states. The State Duma, Russia's lower house, voted to submit an appeal to Putin to that effect.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the issue of recognizing the self-proclaimed republics is 'very, very relevant to the public.'' But it was unclear how Putin would respond or how this could influence Russia's actions in Ukraine.

While the U.S. warns that Russia could invade Ukraine any day and Kyiv alerted residents to find their nearest bomb shelters, the drumbeat of war was hardly heard in Russia itself.

The Kremlin has cast the U.S. warnings of an imminent attack as 'hysteria'' and 'absurdity,'' and many Russians believe Washington is deliberately stoking panic and fomenting tensions to trigger a conflict for domestic reasons.

Few Russians expect a war.

In Russia's Belgorod region about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Ukraine's border, residents carry on with life as usual, even as more military personnel have been passing through village streets.

'Planes, helicopters just started flying, I guess, to patrol the border,'' said Vladimir Konovalenko.

Villager Lyudmila Nechvolod says she's not worried.

'We are friends with Ukraine. And we are not sure that Ukraine wants war with us. ... We are really on the border, we really have relatives here and there, everyone has somebody there (on the Ukrainian side),' she said. 'No one wants war.''

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Each coronavirus wave has its distinctive symptoms that say it is not flu and the current waves major symptom is body aches, head of the parliaments health committee and former health minister Ashraf Hatem said on Monday.

In light of the Omicrons flu-like symptoms the only two factors upon which one can know he is coronavirus infected are body aches, and if he came into contact with coronavirus patient, Hatem said in a video released by the health ministrys official Facebook page.

According to the ministry, the symptoms of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are flu-like symptoms, which include a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat.

The ministry updated in mid-January its health advice by urging those who suffer from common cold symptoms to consider that they may have contracted COVID-19 and should therefore self-isolate and avoid sharing personal items with family members so that they can avoid developing symptoms and passing the infection to others.

Egypt is now in the fifth wave of coronavirus, according to Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, the official spokesman for the health ministry.

Abdel-Ghaffar appealed to citizens who have chronic diseases, or immune deficiencies to send an SMS to 1440, which provides home support for home-isolated cases.

If someone ever experiences symptoms such as rise in temperature, shortness of breath, oxygen ratio less than 92, he must go to hospital, Abdel-Ghaffar stressed.

We have exceeded 43 percent of the targeted groups for vaccination, which compromises those who are above 12 years old, Abdel-Ghaffar said, adding that Egypt targets to inoculate 70 percent of the targeted group during the second half of 2022.

The country has so far 29.1 million fully vaccinated citizens, the health ministry said in its daily report issued on Tuesday, and 38.6 million citizens have received their initial shot.

As many as 779,947 booster shots have been administered until Tuesday, the ministry added.

Egypt is currently battling a spike in COVID-19 infections detecting above 2,000 cases daily since late January and breaking its single-day record of cases more than once during the first week of February.

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Egypts Ministry of Health and Population reported on Tuesday 2,117 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of cases since the outbreak began in February 2020 to 459,198.

The ministry also recorded 56 COVID-19-related fatalities, bringing the total tally of deaths to 23,465, according to the ministrys daily report.

The report added that the total number of recoveries increased to 390,489 after 1,546 patients were discharged from hospitals nationwide in the past 24 hours.

The number of infections and deaths has stabilised in the previous week after increasing considerably during the month of January.

Two weeks ago, the government said that the number of cases is expected to decline significantly in the coming period.

The country currently has 39 million fully vaccinated citizens.

Furthermore, as many as 811,171 booster shots have been administered so far as part of the countrys ongoing vaccination campaign that started in January 2021, according to the ministry.

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Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Ati reiterated on Tuesday that Egypt supports development in Africa and is not against the construction of dams, including Ethiopias Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Egypt contributes to multiple development projects in Africa to help the continent achieve sustainable development and make the best use of their resources, the minister said during a meeting of the Houses Local Administration Committee.

For example, an Egyptian consortium of two Egyptian companies  the Arab Contractors Company and El Sewedy Electric  is taking part in the construction of a $2.9 billion Julius Nyerere Hydroelectric Power Project (JNHPP) in Tanzania.

The JNHPP, which is located in the Morogoro area on the Rufiji River in Tanzania is planned to secure a clean power supply for more than 60 million Tanzanians as well as control water flow during flooding.

On the disputed GERD, the Egyptian minister said Egypt only seeks to reach a legally binding agreement on the Ethiopian dam.

Egypt is keen that the operation of the GERD is in accordance with international agreements, he stressed.

Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating with Ethiopia for 10 years now to reach the binding agreement that regulates the rules of filling and operating the dam; a proposal that has been repeatedly turned down by Ethiopia.

Both downstream countries have always blamed the failure of the talks on Ethiopias intransigence, which led to a deadlock in the last round of AU-sponsored talks that were held in April 2021 in the Democratic Republic of Congos Kinshasa.

Abdel-Atis remarks came only three days after Ethiopias State Minister for Foreign Affairs Redwan Hussein called on Egypt and Sudan not to stick to their stance on the GERD file, saying Ethiopians will not wait indefinitely to put their resources into use.

Earlier this month, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reiterated Egypts political will to reach a legally binding agreement on the rules for filling and operating the multi-million-dollar dam.

Egypt, which depends on the Nile River for 97 percent of its water needs, is concerned that the GERD may reduce the countrys share of the Niles water in the absence of a legally binding agreement that regulates the filling and operation of the dam.

The country, whose 102 million-plus population is expected to increase by 75 million by 2050, is considered one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, as it receives around 60 billion cubic metres (bcm) annually  mainly from the River Nile  though its needs are estimated at 114 bcm.

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A possible Russian invasion of Ukraine will have important impacts on the Middle East and North Africa region.

Though the rising tension between Russia and Ukraine may seem to be a long way away from the Middle East, the impact of a war between them would be strongly felt in the region. While the Ukraine crisis may look like a conflict between Russia and the West led by the US, its ramifications affect the world as a whole.

Even before any military escalation begins, international and regional positions are shifting. China used the Winter Olympics in Beijing to host Russian President Vladimir Putin, for example, along with the leaders of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar.

With the Ukraine crisis in the background and amid the rising rift between the West and some of its traditional partners, Chinese President Xi Jinping tried to garner the cooperation of some of those most at odds with the US or concerned at seeing it disengaging from their region.

During the Sino-Russian summit meeting in Beijing, a number of energy deals were signed to increase Russian oil and gas supplies to China, helping Russian companies like Roseneft and Gazprom to shift their exports away from Europe and the West in general. The deals should also help China to ensure it has the energy it needs to power its economy and lessen its reliance on imports from troubled sources like Iran.

The presence of three Arab leaders in Beijing earlier this month was also significant. Some commentators drew the conclusion that key states in the Middle East are trying to widen their options, rather than taking sides in the struggle over Ukraine.

A joint commentary by researchers at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) last week also concluded that the Ukraine crisis is having more of an impact on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region than anticipated.

They said that Russia might use the conflict to affect the current negotiations in Vienna to restore the Iran nuclear agreement between world powers and Tehran.

Russia has played a constructive role in the talks and has been working closely with Western actors to draw Iran back into compliance. But the crisis in Ukraine could push Moscow towards the more disruptive approach of easing pressure on Tehran, the researchers said.

Iran may also feel that rising US-Russia tensions and higher oil prices give it breathing room and increase its leverage in the negotiations.

Middle Eastern states are likely to be hedging their bets in the Ukraine crisis, the ECFR paper suggested, adding that the UAE will be wary of alienating Russia by aligning with the West. This consideration may also limit Riyadhs willingness to use the crisis to try to seize some of Russias current share of the oil market.

However, the MENA regions relations with the US and the West are unlikely to suffer major strain as a result of the crisis over Ukraine. One former British diplomat who has worked in the region told Al-Ahram Weekly that there was likely to be a pragmatic stand by the Arab countries.

It is more a case of keeping all the doors open and diversifying foreign relations to serve national and regional interests rather than taking strong positions siding with this party or the other, he said.

The Arab countries might also be in a better position to follow this course than other Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, Iran, or Israel.

Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finds himself in a difficult position, since as a member of NATO, Turkey would be a de facto party to the conflict on the side of the West. However, Ankara cannot afford to fall out with Russia due to its economic reliance on cooperation with Moscow.

In 2015, a spat between Ankara and Moscow led to Russian tourists staying away from Turkish resorts, incurring heavy losses for Turkeys economy.

One major side-effect of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine will be to exacerbate the energy crisis in Europe. The European countries rely heavily on natural gas imports from Russia that account for almost 40 per cent of their consumption.

The US has attempted to supplement European gas supplies with new energy sources, mainly US liquefied natural gas (LNG). However, this will not make up for the Russian gas supplies to European countries, and they are turning to other gas producers like Algeria and Qatar, hoping that they will be ready to increase supplies to Europe if the Russian taps are turned off.

Problems here include the fact that Qatar already has around 90 per cent of its production assigned to other customers via long-term supply contracts. Although it has spare capacity to produce gas for spot sale, this will not be sufficient to meet European demand.

Algeria would be keen to increase production and export more gas to Europe, but underinvestment in the sector will make it difficult to pump and transport much more. Algerian gas supplies to Spain were recently negatively affected by the closure of the Maghreb-Europe pipeline due to political tensions between Morocco and Algeria.

A war in Ukraine would also impact humanitarian crises in the MENA region, indirectly affecting areas of ongoing conflict.

A list of areas likely to be affected listed by the ECFR includes damaging ongoing regional stabilisation efforts in countries like Libya and Syria and prompting an increase in global energy and wheat prices that would hurt fragile states in the Levant and North Africa.

A possible Russian invasion of Ukraine and military conflict involving the US and Europe would lead to turmoil in the global markets. Oil and gas prices would shoot up, as would the prices of wheat, other grains, and other commodities.

According to Washington-based Middle East Institute fellow Cristian-Dan Tataru, an estimated 12 per cent of the total global grain trade passes through the Bosphorus every year, with many of these shipments heading to MENA countries.

Ukraine exports 95 per cent of its grain through the Black Sea, and more than 50 per cent of its wheat exports went to the MENA region in 2020.

Half of Lebanons and 43 per cent of Libyas wheat imports came from Ukraine. Egypt also relies heavily on imports from the Black Sea region, Tataru wrote.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 17 February, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Acting Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar announced in a statement on Tuesday that a second Egyptian convoy arrived in South Sudan to provide medical services to the people of Bor town  the capital of Jonglei State  to help the country deal with the recent floods.

The convoy was dispatched in implementation of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis directives to provide medical support to African countries, assisting them in times of crisis.

The minister added that the convoy was also sent as per South Sudans request for support in confronting the aftermath of recent rainfalls and floods that swept the country.

In December, Egypt sent a large shipment of humanitarian and medical aid to South Sudan.

The convoy comprises doctors and consultants in paediatrics, chest diseases, and fevers with the aim of providing medical support to brotherly South Sudan in the areas most affected by torrential rains and floods, Mohamed Gad, the deputy minister of health and population for external health relations affairs, explained.

The statement noted that Jonglei States minister of health and director of administrative affairs of the South Sudanese parliament had visited the first medical relief convoy, praising the high level of services.

Cairo has also been a strong supporter of the efforts of the government of South Sudan in economic and technical development as well as its efforts to maintain peace and security within its territory.

Egypt has sent several medical aid shipments to Arab and African countries, including Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen, and Lebanon out of its firm belief in the historical bonds and shared destiny with neighbouring countries and its keenness to maintain their stability and safety.

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By Trend

Flights from Russian Yekaterinburg to Baku will be operated by Ural Airlines twice a week since March 6, 2022, Trend reports referring to Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

Departure from Yekaterinburg will take place on Thursdays at 15:55 (GMT+5), and arrival in Baku - at 18:00 (GMT+4). In the opposite direction, departure is scheduled for 01:05, and arrival in Yekaterinburg - at 05:20, the airport said.

On Sundays, the carrier will operate flights according to the following schedule: departure from Yekaterinburg - at 22:00, and landing in Baku - at 00:05. In the opposite direction, the aircraft will depart at 01:05, arriving in Yekaterinburg at 05:15," added the airport.

For each of the destinations, the local time of arrival and departure is indicated.
Egypt will locally manufacture components for kits used to convert vehicles to operate on natural gas, either compressed or liquefied, through a joint venture the agreement for which was signed on Wednesday.

A consortium comprising Egypts National Organisation for Military Production, El-Maasara for Engineering Industries, and Italian company Landi Renzo, which produces liquefied natural gas (LNG) and natural gas systems for cars, signed the agreement in Cairo, according to a statement by the military production ministry.

The joint venture aims to establish and operate an industrial complex for the manufacturing and assembly of compressed natural gas (CNG) groups for the automobile market, according to the statement. This includes two-fuel passenger vehicles, bi-fuel engines, medium and heavy-duty trucks of all types and sizes, in addition to the conversion of vehicles that run on fuel and diesel to be able to run on CNG or LNG instead.

The agreement is in accordance with the states plan to shift energy dependence to cleaner resources, including natural gas and diesel, the statement added.

Egyptian Minister of Military Production Mohamed Morsy witnessed the signing ceremony in the presence of Michele Quaroni, the Italian ambassador to Egypt, and the chairmen of the boards of directors of the Egyptian International Gas Technology (GASTEC), the Natural Gas Vehicles Company (Car Gas), and TAQA Holding, as well as representatives of the Italian Trade Agency.

The agreement was signed by Mohamed Salah El-Din Mustafa, vice chairman and managing director of the National Organisation for Military Production, Abdel-Moneim Hendawy, chairman of the board of directors of El-Maasara Company for Engineering Industries, and Cristiano Musi, Landi Renzos CEO.

Morsy stressed that the agreement is in accordance with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis directives to encourage local manufacturing.

For his part, the Italian ambassador Quaroni said that Egypt is one of the most promising markets in the world for investments.

Military production spokesman Mohamed Eid Bakr explained that this agreement is part the ministrys policy to cooperate with international companies to transfer and localize the latest manufacturing technologies.

Egypt is working on a host of projects to preserve the environment by making use of the countrys plentiful natural gas production. The boom in the North African countrys gas production has been supported by huge gas discoveries and production in the Mediterranean.

Egypt has been exerting constant efforts to create and develop an environment-friendly industry by localising modern industrial technologies and creating professional technical cadres to fight pollution and reduce harmful emissions, including the Go Green initiative, which offers fuel-powered car owners a replacement for their old cars with new hybrid ones.

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Last week, USAID started collaboration with Egypts Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to brand Historic Cairo as part of the USAID-funded Integrated Management of Cultural Tourism (IMCT) Activity.

The USAID-IMCT activity will assist with the development of marketing concepts and strategies for cultural tourism to the heritage sites of Historic Cairo and Luxor.

Historic Cairo has been considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1979. Historic Cairo refers to Islamic, Coptic and Old Cairo, stretching all the way from the Mamalek Cemeteries down to El-Moez Street, and includes all the buildings and monuments within this area.

"Branding in Egypt has already started, as you see the government has already started [branding] Luxor as a destination, and they did a good job. Since we are working in Historic Cairo, the government has assigned us to take the lead in supporting them to develop the brand of Historic Cairo," Oliver Messmer, head of Integrated Management of Cultural Tourism USAID, told Ahram Online, adding that when developing a brand, the most important thing is the process.

"And this is the objective of today's activity, which is to come up with a process to be as participative as possible. What I have realized out of experience is that the variety of persons that you can bring in the branding exercise is the key to the successful band. There are three types of stake holders: the government, the private sector in terms of travel trade and investors in the area, and finally and most importantly the people of the area, and we are very lucky to have them in the room. We believe that the process will be successful," he added.

When asked if the historic cemeteries of Cairo will be part of the branding process, Messmer explained that "it will be part of the bigger picture since it falls into the premises of Historic Cairo, which stretches to include El-Moez Street, all the way down to the area in which we are working, which is El-Darb El-Ahmar," he concluded.

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Belgium's King Philippe lauded Egypts pivotal role in consolidating stability in the Middle East and Africa in a meeting with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi at the Royal Palace of Brussels on Wednesday.

King Philippe praised Egypts efforts to combat irregular migration and terrorism, achieve coexistence between religions, and support peaceful solutions to the ongoing crises in the region, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said.

Egypts efforts to combat terrorist groups over the past years have contributed to achieving security and stability in the region as well as Europe, the king said.

Philippe added that Egypt has been able to stop irregular migration from its lands to Europe, with officials affirming that no ship carrying irregular migrants has been allowed to leave Egypts coasts since 2016.

King Philippe stressed Belgiums keenness to develop the historic relations with Egypt in all fields in light of Egypts current developmental progress, Rady said.

El-Sisi praised Egyptian-Belgian relations and affirmed that Egypt looks forward to developing these relations on the economic and commercial levels by maximising Belgian investments in Egypt.

El-Sisi arrived on Tuesday in the Belgian capital, where he is scheduled to attend the Sixth European Union-African Union Summit on Thursday and also hold talks with a number of heads of state and government on boosting bilateral ties and consultation on various regional and international issues.

El-Sisi also met with President of the European Council Charles Michel on Wednesday, where they agreed on the necessity of enhancing consultation on Libya and cooperation between Egypt and the EU.

Egypt looks forward to enhancing cooperation with the EU in countering terrorism and extremism with a comprehensive approach that addresses the main roots of these phenomena, El-Sisi told Michel.

During his participation in the sixth EU-AU summit, El-Sisi will focus on various topics of concern to African nations, especially international efforts to facilitate these countries integration into the global economy, the spokesman said.

El-Sisi will also highlight the necessity to provide effective support to African countries in achieving the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs), transfer technology to developing countries, empower them to rely on renewable energy sources, and boost investments in them.

Furthermore, the president will discuss Egypts scheduled hosting of the 27th UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP27) in November and the countrys efforts to achieve balanced and implementable outcomes during the event.

El-Sisi is also expected to focus on the need to formulate a common vision to support and finance Africa during the coronavirus pandemic while facilitating access to and distributing equitably various technologies related to the pandemic, especially with regard to vaccine production, said Rady.

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Egypts public prosecution has dismissed claims made by detainees inside El-Salam Police Station that they were tortured by police, saying that the claims were part of a plot to destabilise the country.

The claims were made in a video that went viral online showing a number of detainees inside what appears to be a jail cell displaying injuries that they claimed were the result of torture by police.

The unverified footage also showed a number of people hanging by their arms allegedly inside the police station, with the person filming the video claiming that they had been hanging for hours.

Four detainees, incited by others from inside and outside the country injured themselves using a coin [with the aim of] destabilising [the country], inciting strife, and spreading rumours, the prosecution said in a statement on Tuesday evening, citing police investigations.

The detainees also alleged that they had been denied food and that one of the inmates had been tortured to death, the prosecution said in a statement, adding that they filmed the video using a smuggled phone.

The prosecution said that it questioned a detainee, in the presence of his lawyer, and that he confessed to smuggling the phone into the cell with the help of his family in order to stay in touch with them.

Other detainees, however, stole the phone and conspired to subject themselves to self-harm in order frame the authorities, the detainee told the prosecution.

The prosecution ordered the detention of the man who smuggled the cell phone pending further investigation into the case.

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The European Commission has announced its humanitarian funding for North Africa for 2022, amounting to 18 million, to support some of the most vulnerable refugees in Egypt, Libya, and Algeria, the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) said on Tuesday.

The European Commission has announced that the European Union will allocate 5 million to help the most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers stranded in Egypts poorest neighbourhoods in urban centres. The funding will enable safe and sustainable access to quality education, protection services and basic needs, the statement added.

Egypt currently hosts 6 million migrants and refugees and is keen to ensure they live decent lives, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In October, during the Egypt-Visegrad Group Summit, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said Egypt would never allow refugees to make onward journeys to Europe for their own safety and so as not to cause problems for European countries.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Egypt hosts more than 270,000 registered asylum-seekers and refugees from 65 countries. The majority are from Syria, followed by Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Somalia.

The ECHO statement added that 4 million will be allocated for Libya to address humanitarian needs in health and education and to provide protection for people in need in urban centres and hard-to-reach locations.

Some 9 million will be allocated to Algeria to help the most urgent needs of vulnerable Sahrawi refugees, including to provide access to food, safe water, basic healthcare, and education.

The European Union is committed to supporting people in need no matter where they are. The new funding for humanitarian organisations in Algeria, Egypt and Libya will help vulnerable people affected by conflicts, instability or displacement. As their situation became increasingly difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will help meet their basic needs and ensure they can access healthcare, education and other services, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said.

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met on Wednesday with several Belgian CEOs and company officials to discuss deepening cooperation with Egypt, especially in energy, infrastructure, and defence, according to the spokesperson of the Egyptian presidency Bassam Rady.

The meeting came during El-Sisis visit on Tuesday to Brussels, Belgium, where he is participating in the sixth European Union (EU) - African Union (AU) Summit that is scheduled for 17 and 18 February.

The summit, in which leaders of the EU and AU meet, aims to ensure renewed and deeper partnership between both blocs based on trust and clear understanding of shared interests.

Attracting Belgian investments in power generation

El-Sisi met with a consortium of Belgian CEOs of companies in green hydrogen production for power generation, namely DEME Group, Antwerp Port Authority, John Cockerill, and Fluxys.

The Belgian side expressed appreciation for Egypts keenness to attract foreign direct investment in renewable energy, especially with the Egyptian government providing investment incentives to increase green hydrogen production.

They affirmed their keenness to cooperate with Egypt to further commitments to climate goals, as well as to help Egypt exploit and leverage its diverse energy sources, the statement added.

CEO Jean-Luc Maurange of John Cockerill expressed his honour to meet the president, stressing the keenness of the company to cooperate with Egypt, especially in light of the important role it plays in the stability and security of the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean and the African continent.

President El-Sisi also expressed his aspirations for Belgian companies, especially those working in energy, to enter the Egyptian market as a longstanding and reliable international partner to maximise the benefits for Egypt by diversifying its energy resources, transferring knowledge, training cadres, and encouraging local industry, according to the statement.

Egypts Vision 2030

During the meeting, El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's national strategy to enhance the use of alternative fuels and move towards a cleaner energy future, with a focus on green hydrogen production in cooperation with foreign partners in accordance with Egypt's Vision 2030 for sustainable development.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed in Belgium ways to boost cooperation with the European Union, especially in green transition in Egypt, with the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi.

Egypt is a key strategic partner for the EU for shared prosperity and stability, Varhelyi said on Twitter.

Egypt will focus on meeting the obligations of the Paris Agreement on climate change and exploring how the private sector and NGOs can play a role in financing green investments ahead of COP27, which Egypt is set to host this year.

Infrastructure

El-Sisi also met with Managing Director Jan Pieter De Nul of the Belgian dredging company Jan De Nul on the same day.

The official spokesperson said that the meeting witnessed "discussing prospects for cooperation between the Egyptian side and the Belgian company, with regard to projects to develop and protect Egyptian beaches, especially on the Mediterranean."

The president praised existing the level of cooperation with Belgian companies in terms of development projects and infrastructure development, stressing Egypt's aspiration to continue and develop this cooperation with Jan de Nul.

This comes in light of its good reputation and unique experience in the field of dredging, taking into account Egypt's great interest in preserving the integrity of the lands, facilities and investments on its coasts.

De Nul praised the promising opportunities for investment in Egypt and the improved economic climate, as well as the infrastructure development efforts undertaken by the Egyptian government in recent years.

De Nul also hailed the size of the giant national projects being implemented in Egypt, which present a great opportunity for major foreign companies to invest in various fields.

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and European Council President Charles Michel have agreed on the necessity of enhancing channels of consultation on Libya during a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.

El-Sisi and Michel discussed Egypt-EU coordination on a number of regional issues addressed at international events, and they agreed on continuing to support the path of political settlement in Libya, Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

On Thursday, Libya's House of Representatives, based in Libya's east, approved Fathi Bashagha to head the Libyan government in a challenge to the administration of interim premier Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, who was selected by the UN-led Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in February last year.

Libya has been in political limbo after it failed to hold the long-awaited presidential and parliamentary elections on time last December, which were part of the UN-brokered peace process last year to end a decade of turmoil in the Arab country.

Separately on Wednesday, King Philippe of Belgium received El-Sisi in the Belgian Royal Palace.

El-Sisi arrived on Tuesday in the Belgian capital, where he is scheduled to attend the Sixth European Union-African Union Summit and hold talks with EU leaders and a number of heads of state and government on boosting bilateral cooperation and consultation on various regional and international issues.

Egypt looks forward to enhancing cooperation with the EU in countering terrorism and extremism with a comprehensive approach that addresses the main roots of these phenomena, El-Sisi told Michel.

Michel voiced appreciation for Egypts efforts to combat irregular migration, praising Egypt as a successful model in the region in this regard under the decisive and wise leadership of El-Sisi.

Michel also affirmed Europes keenness to strengthen relations with Egypt on various levels, especially in light of Egypts position as a link between the Arab and European worlds and the countrys political significance regionally and internationally.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the institutional cooperation between Egypt and the EU at the political, economic and developmental levels.

El-Sisi also met today with the executive directors of a number of Belgian companies to discuss advancing cooperation in the economic, commercial, and investment spheres.

The president discussed cooperation in green hydrogen production for power generation in a meeting with the CEOs of DEME Group, Port of Antwerp company, and Fluxys.

CEO Jean-Luc Maurange of John Cockerill Defence also met with El-Sisi, where he highlighted the companys keenness to cooperate with Egypt, especially in light of the countrys vital role in ensuring stability and security in the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa.

Topics of focus at Brussels summit

The Sixth EU-AU Summit in Brussels is scheduled for Thursday and Friday with the attendance of leaders from the EU and AU to discuss many key topics, including climate, energy, and vaccine production.

The summit aims to ensure renewed and deeper partnership between both blocs based on trust and clear understanding of shared interests, said the European Council.

During his participation, El-Sisi will focus on various topics of concern to African nations, especially international efforts to facilitate these countries integration into the global economy, the spokesman said.

El-Sisi will also highlight the necessity to provide effective support to African countries in achieving the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs), transfer technology to developing countries, empower them to rely on renewable energy sources, and boost investments in them.

Furthermore, the president will discuss Egypts scheduled hosting of the 27th UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP27) in November and the countrys efforts to achieve balanced and implementable outcomes during the event.

El-Sisi is also expected to focus on the need to formulate a common vision to support and finance Africa during the coronavirus pandemic while facilitating access to and distributing equitably various technologies related to the pandemic, especially with regard to vaccine production, said Rady.

Late in January, El-Sisi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held discussions over the phone, where they agreed on the necessity of continued consultations and exchanging viewpoints to reach political settlements to various crises in the region.

Von Der Leyen expressed the EUs wish to advance cooperation with Egypt on various levels due to it being a centre of gravity in the region, praising Egypts efforts in combating terrorism and its success in combating irregular migration.

The phone call also addressed developments in the region, the statement said, adding that Von der Leyen affirmed the EUs interest in coordinating with El-Sisi over critical regional and international issues, including Egypts hosting of the COP27.

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Egypt will sell Mercks COVID-19 drug Molnupiravir  which received emergency use authorisation by the country's drug regulator in January  at government-affiliated pharmacies, the acting Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar announced on Wednesday.

The country will also make COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits available for the public at pharmacies for first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, the acting minister told a cabinet meeting.

In January, the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) issued an emergency use authorisation for Mercks COVID-19 drug Molnupiravir, which can cut hospitalisations and deaths by 30 percent among people at high risk of COVID-19.

The EDA has allowed five national companies to manufacture the oral antiviral as a first stage.

Abdel-Ghaffar said the new decisions are part of the ministry's new regulations to combat the coronavirus based on the pandemics situation globally and domestically.

This also includes allowing booster shots for people above the age of 65 after three months  instead of six months  of receiving the second shot of the vaccine.

Egypt has already provided public hospitals with Pfizers Paxlovid pills and AstraZenecas Evusheld coronavirus antibody, the minister said, adding that the drugs have been distributed to oncology units as a first stage and are set to be distributed to dialysis units soon.

The anti-COVID regulations also include the launch of the visit Egypt application, which allows incoming travellers to upload PCR test and vaccination certificates online and assigns them a QR code to be shown at the country's airports in order to pass without waiting in long lines.

Giving a briefing on the pandemics situation locally, Abdel-Ghaffar said during the cabinet meeting that data from December and January shows that children and youth had the highest infection rate for the Omicron variant.

The elderly have been the most affected by the Delta variant, he further said.

Both Delta and Omicron variants were detected in Egypt in July and December 2021 respectively, according to the country's heath officials.

Egypt's daily infections and deaths have slightly stabilised over the past week following two months marked with a dramatic increase, during which the country recorded the highest single-day rise in infections with 2,301 cases on 6 February.

Egypt is currently witnessing a drop in positive cases and death in comparison to the past six weeks, Abdel-Ghaffar, citing the results of COVID-19 tests performed  including those for travel purpose  at public and private laboratories.

Egypt has recorded a total of 459,198 coronavirus cases, 23,465 fatalities and 390,489 recoveries since the epidemic started in Egypt in February 2020.

As many as 29.2 Egyptians are fully vaccinated now, the minister added, noting that the country's vaccination centres have around 73.9 million doses of the coronavirus vaccines, which are enough for more than 52 million people.

Egypt plans to vaccinate 70 percent of its eligible population, those who are older than 12 years old, by the second half of 2022.

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The Egyptian government will raise the price of subsidised bread loaves  sold at 5 piastres for over 30 years  but will make sure that the neediest and most marginalised citizens are not affected, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has said.

Madboulys remarks come a few months after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said it was time for the price of subsidised bread to increase, saying: I cannot provide 20 loaves of bread at the cost of one cigarette.

Although El-Sisi affirmed that the state will not raise the price of subsidised bread loaves all the way to their real cost, a number of parliament members have expressed fears that the Ministry of Supply will take El-Sisi's directives as a green light to completely lift bread subsidies.

MPs from the leftist Tagammu Party called for a national dialogue, with the participation of parliament and civil society organisations, to discuss bread subsidies, saying 30 percent of Egyptians live under the poverty line.

The government provides tens of millions of Egyptians with subsidised bread through a system of food cards.

The government is currently setting up a system for raising the prices of subsidised bread, Madbouly said at a press conference on Wednesday, adding that the state will continue subsidising bread despite the price increase.

The premier said the government is studying applying a slight yet regular increase in the price of subsidised bread.

Madbouly said a loaf of subsidised bread had cost the state 17 piasters when its price was raised to 5 piastres in 1988. Currently, the cost of a loaf of bread is 65 piasters, he said.

I confirm that [the rise] will be applied but in a way through which we ensure that the neediest people are not harmed, Madbouly said.

In August, El-Sisi issued directives to increase the price of the subsidised bread in order to help cover part of the cost of providing much needed meals to millions of school students, among other urgent social needs that benefit the whole population.

The president made the remarks while inaugurating Silo Foods, a mega food industries complex built to provide school meals for millions of students nationwide.

El-Sisi said the government needs to procure EGP 7.7 billion to provide school meals to children, affirming that increasing the price of subsidised bread will help the state save money to serve meals to children in schools.

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An attack by the al-Shabab extremist group on Wednesday killed five people and wounded 16 on the outskirts of Somalia's capital, police said.

Somalia's government said the early morning attack targeted police and checkpoints outside of Mogadishu.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab often targets Mogadishu, and the United Nations and other international observers have warned that the group would take advantage of Somalia's current election crisis to launch more attacks.

National elections have been delayed for more than a year.

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By Trend

A preparatory videoconference meeting of the State Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Japan was held in the presence of co-chairman of the Azerbaijan-Japan Economic Commission, Vice-President of the Itochu Corporation Yoshihisa Suzuki, Azerbaijani ambassador to Japan Gursel Ismayilzade, Japanese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Junichi Wada and Azerbaijani Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources told Trend.

The views on issues of mutual interest were exchanged at the meeting. The prospects for further cooperation were also discussed.

A decision was made to hold the 11th meeting of the State Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Japan in autumn 2022.
French President Emmanuel Macron invited African leaders for dinner in Paris, while expecting French troops is withdrawing from Mali after nearly 10 years fighting a jihadist insurgency.

Multiple sources have told AFP that Macron will announce that French forces will leave Mali and redeploy elsewhere in the Sahel region, following a breakdown in relations with the ruling junta.

Macron is to travel to Brussels Thursday for a two-day EU-Africa summit. But the French presidency announced he would hold an 0800 GMT press conference at the Elysee on the "engagement of France in the Sahel", where he is likely to make the formal announcement.

The Mali deployment has been fraught with problems for France. Of the 53 soldiers killed serving in its Barkhane mission in West Africa, 48 of them died in Mali.

France initially deployed troops against jihadists in Mali in 2013 but the insurgency was never fully quelled, and now new fears have emerged of a jihadist push to the Gulf of Guinea.

The deployment in Mali of a European force known as Takuba -- a project driven by Macron to spread the security burden in the troubled region -- will also end, the sources said.

The expected announcement of the withdrawal comes at a critical time for Macron, just days ahead of a long-awaited declaration from the president that he will stand for a new term in April elections.

It also coincides with Macron seeking to take a lead role in international diplomacy as he presses Russia to de-escalate in the standoff over Ukraine.

African Presidential Comment

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara warned Wednesday that the expected withdrawal of French and other European forces from Mali would "create a vacuum", pushing West African armies into the front line in the fight against jihadism.

The expected departure of France's Barkhane Sahel mission and a French-led European force called Takuba "creates a vacuum. We will be obliged to buy weapons, to have a greater professionalization but it is our duty too," Ouattara said in an interview with French media RFI and France 24.

"The national armies must solve the problems on our national territories and that is our philosophy."

Multiple Missions

The working dinner hosted by Macron on Wednesday, starting at 1930 GMT, will bring together the leaders of France's key allies in the Sahel region -- Chad, Mauritania and Niger.

Officials from Mali and Burkina Faso, which also recently experienced a coup, have not been invited.

Other African leaders will also be present along with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

There are a total of 25,000 foreign troops currently deployed in the Sahel region.

They include around 4,300 French soldiers, which under a reduction announced last year are due to fall to around 2,500 in 2023 from a peak of 5,400.

Other forces deployed in Mali are the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA established in 2013 and the EUTM Mali, an EU military training mission that aims to improve the Malian military's capacity in fighting terrorists.

Some 2,400 French soldiers are deployed in Mali as part of the Barkhane operation as well as the EU Takuba force set up in 2020, which was intended to increase in numbers as French deployment was scaled back.

According to a French source, who asked not to be identified by name, even after departure France will for a period provide MINUSMA and EUTM with air support and medical back-up.

But Paris' withdrawal could set the stage for other European powers like Britain or Germany to abandon their roles in the multinational missions.

"The departure of Barkhane and Takuba creates a void," Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said Wednesday.

In the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea, "national armies will have to deal with problems on our national territories, and that's our philosophy", he told broadcasters RFI and France 24.

'Reinvent Partnership'

Relations between France and Mali have plunged to new lows after the junta led by strongman Assimi Goita refused to stick to a calendar to a return to civilian rule.

The West also accuses Mali of using the services of the hugely controversial Russian mercenary group Wagner to shore up its position, a move that gives Moscow a new foothold in the region.

Especially with the French elections looming, Macron's priority is to ensure that any withdrawal does not invite comparisons with the chaotic American departure from Afghanistan last year.

Paris, however, intends to continue the anti-jihadist fight in the wider region, where movements affiliated with Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group have retained an ability to attack despite the elimination of key leaders.

"We need to reinvent our military partnership with these countries," said a French presidential source.

"It is not a question of moving what is being done in Mali elsewhere, but of reinforcing what is being done in Niger and of supporting the south more."

**This story has been edited by Ahram Online

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The Kremlin on Wednesday denied responsibility for a cyberattack on Ukraine a day earlier that hit websites at the country's defence ministry and armed forces as well as two state banks.

Kyiv had suggested the attack came from Russia as fears persist that Moscow is planning to invade its Western-backed neighbour Ukraine.

"We do not know anything. As expected, Ukraine continues blaming Russia for everything," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Russia has nothing to do with any DDOS attacks," Peskov added.

The affected sites included the Oschadbank state savings bank and Privat -- two of the country's largest financial institutions.

Both resumed service later on Tuesday but the military sites remained inaccessible hours after the initial reports of the attack emerged.

Ukraine's communications watchdog pointed the finger at Moscow.

"It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," the watchdog said in reference to Russia.

Tuesday's cyberattack came one month after another strike briefly took down key government websites.

NATO responded within hours of the January attack by announcing a cyber warfare cooperation deal with Kyiv. The European Union also said it was mobilizing "all its resources" to help Ukraine at the time.

Kyiv said the damage in January had been limited and held back on apportioning blame.

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Ottawa police trying to break the nearly three-week siege of the capital by truckers protesting Canada's COVID-19 restrictions began handing out leaflets Wednesday warning drivers to leave immediately or risk arrest.

Authorities in yellow "police liaison'' vests went from rig to rig, knocking on the doors of the trucks parked outside Parliament, to inform truckers they could also lose their licenses and see their vehicles seized under Canada's Emergencies Act.

Police also began ticketing vehicles.

Some truckers ripped up the order, and one protester shouted, "I will never go home!'' At least one trucker pulled away from Parliament Hill.

Marie Eye, 43, of Victoriaville, Quebec, who has been making soup for the protesters, said she doubted police would be able to remove the trucks or the protesters.

"Well, so far they are just a piece of paper," she said of the printed warnings. "We will see what happens. I don't think they have the manpower to do it.''

The warnings came just days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the emergency law, which gave authorities power to ban the blockades and tow away the trucks.

Since late January, protesters in trucks and other vehicles have jammed the streets of the capital and obstructed border crossings, decrying vaccine mandates for truckers and other COVID-19 precautions and condemning Trudeau's Liberal government.

In Ottawa, the bumper-to-bumper demonstrations by the so-called Freedom Convoy have infuriated many residents, who have complained of being harassed and intimidated on the clogged streets.

Police in Ottawa were optimistic they could gain control in the coming days after Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on Monday.

Over the past weeks, authorities have hesitated to move against the protesters, citing in some cases a lack of manpower and fears of violence.

Trudeau's decision came amid growing frustration with government inaction. Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly lost his job this week after he failed to move decisively against the demonstrators.

Interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell said Tuesday he believes authorities have reached a turning point: "I believe we now have the resources and partners to put a safe end to this occupation.''

But protesters in the capital appeared to be entrenched. On Tuesday, Ottawa officials said 360 vehicles remained involved in the blockade in the city's core, down from a high of roughly 4,000.

"They don't want to give this up because this is their last stand, their last main hub,'' said Michael Kempa, a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa.

Even after the warnings, a few protesters roasted a pig on the street in front of Parliament, and a child played with blocks in a small playground area on a road lined with trucks.

Police in the capital appeared to be following the playbook that authorities used over the weekend to break the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit. Police there handed out leaflets informing protesters they risked arrest. After many demonstrators left and the protest had dwindled, police moved in and made dozens of arrests.

Meanwhile, just one blockade remained at the U.S. border after several convoys moved out earlier this week.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they were confident protesters obstructing the border crossing at Emerson, Manitoba, opposite North Dakota, soon would be leaving and gone by Wednesday.

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Ukraine's leader vowed Wednesday that his country would stand tall against any invasion, as both he and NATO warned they could see no sign that Russia is withdrawing its forces.

President Volodymyr Zelensky watched troops training with some of their new Western-supplied anti-tank weapons on a range near Rivne, west of the capital.

Then he travelled to the frontline port city of Mariupol, and gave a speech to mark what he had declared Ukraine's "Day of Unity", wearing a military-style olive green coat and vowing resistance.

"We are not afraid of forecasts, we are not afraid of anyone, of any enemies," Zelensky said. "We will defend ourselves."

The demonstration of Ukrainian firepower and rhetoric contrasted with images on Russian state media that were said to show Moscow's forces bringing an end to a major exercise in occupied Crimea.

But Zelensky denied that this was a sign of a Russian pullback.

"We are seeing small rotations. I would not call these rotations the withdrawal of forces by Russia. We cannot say that," he said in televised comments, adding: "We see no change."

In Rivne, missiles pounded targets and armoured vehicles manoeuvred and fired on the yellowing moorland, while in Kyiv hundreds of civilians marched in a stadium with an enormous national banner.

The "Day of Unity" displays came as the Kremlin called for "serious negotiations" with Washington, and European leaders pushed hard for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

But NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who hosted a meeting of the alliance's defence ministers in Brussels, dismissed suggestions that the threat on the border had diminished.

He said the alliance would shore up its eastern defences with forward deployments in member states bordering Ukraine.

"Moscow has made it clear that it is prepared to contest the fundamental principles that have underpinned our security for decades and to do so by using force," he said.

"I regret to say that this is the new normal in Europe."

And on reported Russian troop movements, he said: "So far we do not see any sign of de-escalation on the ground; no withdrawals of troops or equipment.

"Russia maintains a massive invasion force ready to attack with high-end capabilities from Crimea to Belarus."

'Signals Give Us Hope'

Russia's huge build-up of troops, missiles and warships around Ukraine is being billed as Europe's worst security crisis since the Cold War.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine be forbidden from pursuing its ambition to join NATO and wants to redraw the security map of eastern Europe, rolling back Western influence.

But, backed by a threat of crippling US and EU economic sanctions, Western leaders are pushing for a negotiated settlement, and Moscow has signalled it will start to pull forces back.

In the latest such move, on Wednesday the Russian defence ministry said military drills in Crimea -- a Ukrainian region Moscow annexed in 2014 -- had ended and that troops were returning to their garrisons.

Washington has demanded more verifiable evidence of de-escalation, but US President Joe Biden has nevertheless vowed to push for a diplomatic solution.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed this, telling reporters: "It is positive that the US president is also noting his readiness to start serious negotiations."

German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, arriving at the NATO talks, said reports of a partial Russian pullback "are signals that at least give us hope. But it is important to observe closely whether these words are followed by deeds."

EU leaders, already gathered in Brussels for a summit with their African counterparts, are now to hold impromptu crisis talks on Russia and Ukraine on Thursday.

Zelensky has downplayed threats of an immediate Russian invasion, but is attempting to rally his people with the "Day of Unity" celebrations under Ukraine's blue and gold banner.

On Wednesday, after the Rivne drills, he visited Mariupol, a frontline port city near a breakaway region held by Russian-backed separatists.

Ambassadors from the European Union, Germany, Estonia, Poland and Spain headed to Mariupol with the president.

Rich Return

Meanwhile, some wealthy business leaders who had been urged bby the government to show sold country announced their return.

Ukraine's richest man, 55-year-old billionaire industrialist Rinat Akmetov, who was born in Donetsk in an area now held by separatists, was in Mariupol.

"We continue to build, we continue to invest," he said, promising his firm would boost salaries and support a local university.

On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country's defence ministry and armed forces, as well as private banks, had been hit by a cyberattack of the kind that US intelligence fears would precede a Russian attack.

"It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," Ukraine's communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia.

Peskov denied that Moscow had any role in the cyber assault. "We do not know anything. As expected, Ukraine continues blaming Russia for everything," he said.

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Egypt secured $20 billion in development finances from international financial institutions and development banks in 2020 and 2021, Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat said on Wednesday.

The sum has contributed to implementing Egypts sustainable development strategy under Egypts Vision 2030, she added during her participation in a seminar organised by the French Chamber of Commerce (CCI) in Egypt.

During the event, marking 30 years of CCI work in Egypt, Al-Mashat reviewed Egypts efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly in the green transformation field.

In this regard, Egypts portfolio, through the international cooperation ministry, comprises 372 projects in the public and private sectors with a total value of $26.5 billion, she noted.

The infrastructure sector (SDG 3) has received the lion's share of these finance with about $5.9 billion, or 22.3 percent of the total portfolio. The clean water and sanitation sector (SDG 6) came next with total finances worth $5.3 billion, or 20.3 percent of the total portfolio.

The affordable and clean energy sector came in third with finances valued at $4.6 billion, constituting 17.5 percent of the total portfolio, according to Al-Mashat.

Last week, Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi paid a two-day visit to France to attend the One Ocean Summit and meet French President Emmanuel Macron.

El-Sisi told Macron that Egypt attaches particular importance to cooperation with France, especially in transferring French technology and expertise to Egypt. Egypt is keen to consult with France on issues of security and stability in the East Mediterranean and Africa, El-Sisi added.

France is Egypts eighth largest source of foreign direct investments (FDIs) and aspires to upgrade Egypt to the third rank in terms of receiving FDIs and increasing trade and economic and strategic partnership with Egypt, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire stated during his visit to Egypt in June 2021.

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Egypt is witnessing a spike in Covid-19 cases amid its fifth coronavirus wave though infections rates are expected to recede by the end of this month.

Egypt is now witnessing the fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic and it is difficult to determine whether we are at the peak, Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, official spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, told Al-Ahram Weekly.

Abdel-Ghaffar does, however, expect the rate of daily infections to recede by the end of the month.

Egypt is currently battling a spike in Omicron variant infections, with more than 2,000 cases daily since late January. The highest-ever daily toll was recorded on 6 February, with 2,301 cases.

Though we have a high rate of daily infections, hospital admissions and the need for ventilators have not increased as dramatically, said Abdel-Ghaffar.

One of the reasons for the low rate of hospitalisation, he says, is increased vaccination uptake, which has now reached 43 per cent of eligible citizens, and in the second half of 2022 is planned to reach 70 per cent.

Egypt, Abdel-Ghaffar adds, currently has enough vaccine doses available to vaccinate 52 million people.

On Tuesday the Health Ministry reported that 29.1 million Egyptians were fully vaccinated, 38.6 million had received an initial shot, and 779,947 had received booster shots.

Abdel-Ghaffar also noted that the less severe symptoms associated with the Omicron variant have contributed to the low rates of hospitalisation.

A majority of cases now home-isolate rather than being hospitalised, he said. The Health Ministry has allocated a SMS number (1440) and hotline (105) for medical guidance and consultation for people being treated at home.

According to the Health Ministry, the most common Omicron symptoms include a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat.

The Health Ministry updated its advice in mid-January, urging those who suffer from common cold symptoms to assume they have Covid-19 and self-isolate and avoid sharing personal items with family members.

Ashraf Hatem, a former minister of health and head of the parliaments Health Committee, said two factors can differentiate coronavirus infection from flu. The first thing to consider is whether someone with flu-like symptoms has come into contact with a confirmed coronavirus case, he said. The second consideration is whether or not their symptoms include body aches.

Egypts number of coronavirus-linked daily deaths has been recently hovering around 60. On 10 February, 62 deaths were recorded, the highest in a single day since 63 deaths were announced on 1 December last year.

Vaccination, and adhering to strict precautionary measures, remains important during the coming period, stressed Abdel-Ghaffar.

As viruses mutate in an attempt to spread to greater numbers of hosts they often become less severe, points out Islam Anan, a pharmacoepidemiology and pharma-economics lecturer at Ain Shams University. The less severe symptoms of Omicron might well signal the beginning of the end of coronavirus, which Anan says could, by the end of 2022, be treated like other seasonal viruses, with an annual vaccine.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 17 February, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Mitigating the impacts of climate change was high on the agenda of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisis and President Emmanuel Macrons summit last week.

President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi paid a two-day visit to France last week to attend the One Ocean Summit in the port city of Brest, and hold a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

Al-Sisi told Macron that Egypt attaches particular importance to cooperation with France, especially in transferring French technology and expertise to Egypt, and that Egypt is keen to consult with France on issues of security and stability in the East Mediterranean and Africa, according to presidential spokesperson Bassam Radi.

France in general, and President Macron, in particular, see Egypt under President Al-Sisi as having a huge influence in the Arab world, Africa, the Middle East and East Mediterranean, and that reinforcing relations helps serve French national interests, Alaa Youssef, Egypts ambassador to France, told the Middle East News Agency (MENA). He added that Al-Sisis regular visits to France, and his close personal relationship with President Macron, had led to a qualitative leap in relations between Cairo and Paris.

After receiving Al-Sisi on 11 February, Macron said France was seeking greater momentum in its bilateral relations with Egypt.

We are committed to helping Egypt fight terrorism and extremist agendas, and achieve comprehensive development, said Macron.

The meeting tackled a host of regional issues. President Macron expressed appreciation for Egypts efforts to preserve Libyas national institutions and pave the way to a peaceful settlement among rival Libyan factions, said Radi. It was agreed that joint efforts between the two sides would be exerted to help Libya restore security and stability, especially through the exit of mercenary and foreign forces from Libyan land.

Radi indicated that the summit also covered cooperation and coordination between Egypt and France ahead of Egypts hosting of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November in Sharm El-Sheikh.

President Al-Sisi said his decision to accept President Macrons invitation to participate in the One Ocean Summit reflected Egypts keenness to cooperate with France and the importance Egypt gives to protecting the marine environment, preserving biological diversity and fighting marine pollution.

Addressing the One Ocean Summit on 11 February, Al-Sisi said that climate change is the most difficult challenge facing the world and that international efforts to protect the oceans from its impact needed to be stepped up.

Egypt, said Al-Sisi, has made significant steps towards becoming a hub for renewable energy and reducing marine transport sector emissions.

As chair of the conference of the UN Parties Agreement on Biological Diversity, Egypt has called for new environmental targets, including protection of the marine environment.

The worlds seas and oceans have absorbed 90 per cent of the heat generated by global warming since the 1970s, increasing acidity and reducing oxygen levels which has had a devastating impact on marine life.

Al-Sisi said Egypt, as chair of COP27, will engage in constructive dialogue on protecting the seas and oceans, and that Cairo was committed to the goals of both the Global Ocean Alliance and the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People.

President Al-Sisi held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden on the sidelines of the One Ocean Summit.

Political analysts in Egypt say the regularity of meetings between Al-Sisi and Macron reflect the depth of the alliance between Cairo and Paris.

There is now significant foreign policy and economic coordination between the two, says Tarek Abdel-Hadi, a member of the Senates Foreign Relations Committee. The most significant development in relations between Egypt and France has been in the areas of security, intelligence, and military cooperation.

A study released by the US Carnegie for International Peace Institute last month said the alliance between Egypt and France is based on a complex set of financial interests, parallel foreign policy objectives, and ideological affinities.

Shared financial interests, according to the study, include massive arms deals between Cairo and Paris. Between 2016 and 2020 French arms sales to Egypt increased by 44 per cent, compared to 2011-2015. Egypt is the second largest customer of French arms after India, with military purchases focused on Rafale jets and advanced electronic surveillance systems.

The report also revealed that France is investing 4.6 billion euros in Egyptian infrastructure projects, including 800 million euros in government loans, one billion euros from the French Development Agency, and two billion euros in bank loans guaranteed by the French state.

Trade between Egypt and France reached $3 billion in 2020, a 20 per cent increase since 2019. There are 160 French companies operating in Egypt, employing 40,000 workers and investing around 5 billion euros.

The Carnegie report also argued that the political crisis in Libya helped cement the alliance between Cairo and Paris, with both countries calling for the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Libya.

The report also referred to Al-Sisis and Macrons shared opposition to political Islam.

When Turkey called for boycotting French products, Egypt took the side of France, rebutting Turkeys call as having nothing to do with Islam, said the report. As a result, Macron decided in October 2020 to decorate Al-Sisi with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour during a state visit to Paris in appreciation of his role in supporting French-Egyptian relations.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 17 February, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Development and security are key issues for this weeks AU-EU summit, and the conflict over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is central to both.

The two-day African Union (AU)-European Union (EU) summit opens in Brussels on 17 February with an agenda that includes green transition, sustainable growth, improving health, education and job creation, managing undocumented migration, and combating militant groups.

The summit will aim to produce a clear plan for the disbursement of over 130 billion euros earmarked by the EU for projects in African states. There is, too, the possibility of additional allocations being agreed on a bilateral level.

Agreement on the general outline of initiatives will be much easier than agreeing details of specific country projects given the latter will require mechanisms to oversee the monitoring of disbursement and spending, a process that has an inevitable political component.

While EU sources insist there will be no political conditionality involved, they add that there will be certain requirements, including financial transparency, good governance, and compatibility with joint EU-AU interests.

For example, we understand the expansion of Chinese interests across the continent and do not expect our African partners to compromise their relations with Beijing. But we will expect them to strike a balance between Chinas political agenda and the EUs political and economic cooperation scheme, said one Cairo-based European diplomat.

A second Cairo-based European diplomat expressed concern over the Russian presence, especially via private security companies, in parts of Africa, particularly in the Sahel and Sahara.

EU member states might have conflicting agendas in Africa, but at the end of the day they have concerns, which are shared by the US, over the growing economic, political, and security presence of Russia and China in many parts of the world, not least Africa, says Ayman Abdel-Wahab, a senior political analyst at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.

Following a meeting between the presidents of Russia and China on 4 February, the two leaders issued a statement reflecting their joint strategic vision on expanding Moscows and Beijings influence. Both China and Russia, they said, will continue to work to strengthen their economic and security presence around the globe.

They are already doing this in Africa, and it is a source of worry for EU member states, especially those, like France, with a longstanding presence on the continent, says Abdel-Wahab.

France, as this years president of the EU, has worked closely with Senegal, the current chair of the AU, and other leading African nations, to prepare for the summit. Sources involved in the preparations say the summits priority will be to promote stability and development across Africa, a goal that EU states see as incompatible with Russian and Chinese attempts to impose their hegemony on Africa.

The same sources add that the programmes and pledges that will be announced during the summit have already been the subject of intensive consultations, and will exclude any mention of managing foreign interventions in the affairs of African states, or the political conflicts through which some African states are passing.

The summit convenes against a backdrop of increased political tensions in the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and the Sahara, and between Algeria and Morocco, and Sudan and Ethiopia, and at a time when Libya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Mozambique are experiencing internal political and military conflicts.

European and African diplomatic sources say these issues will be addressed in sideline talks, not in summit meetings. According to African diplomatic sources, the situations in Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Somalia are all likely to be addressed on the fringes of the summit.

These, and other matters of relevance to the security and stability of Africa, were raised earlier this month during the regular summit of the AU in the Addis Ababa headquarters of the pan-African organisation, though no plan of action was agreed.

Meanwhile, Egyptian government sources say Egypt will use the summit as an opportunity to highlight the interconnectivity of stability and development. For example, when we talk about the need to find a fair and final resolution for the conflict that Egypt and Sudan have with Ethiopia over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam what we are really talking about is stability and development, said one.

The three Nile states have failed for more than a decade to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and management of the mega dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, source of the vast majority of Egypts already inadequate supply of water.

The intransigence of Ethiopia and the failure of the international community to bring it back to the negotiating table with the intention of reaching an agreement sooner rather than later threatens to undermine development, and also stability in Egypt and Sudan, the same source said.

According to Abdel-Wahab, the connection of water, development, and stability has to be addressed, not just in relation to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) but also with a view to managing water resources across Africa.

When it comes to GERD in particular, the AU and other organisations that are supposed to mediate international relations have been ineffective, says Abdel-Wahab. Ethiopia, he adds, has been able to promote the narrative that without GERD it will be deprived of development, while Egypt and Sudan still need to convince the world that without a fair deal between the three riparian countries all three will see their development, stability, and security compromised.

Egyptian government officials also argue that optimising the use of water resources is central to tacking the impacts of climate change and global warming.

Later this year, Egypt will chair the International Conference on Climate Change, COP27. According to Alain Holleville, Frances special envoy for the preparation of the AU-EU summit who was in Cairo this week for talks with Egyptian officials, climate change will be a key focus of the Brussels summit, and as chair of COP27 Egypt will play a major role in directing this focus. Holleville added that given its weight in the continent, Egypts contribution to the AU-EU summit will be consequential on many files.

Egypt needs to be very proactive across all African security and development issues, says Abdel-Wahab. He argues that, at a time when Africa is the subject of growing attention on the part of international powers, without a significant and active Egyptian role Cairos views on the future of the continent are in danger of being overlooked.



Meanwhile, during the past two weeks President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has held talks with Senegalese President Macky Sall, who was in Cairo on an official visit, and with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the One Ocean Summit.

Putting Egypts views on Africas future on the table during international discussions was one of the main reasons behind Cairos enthusiasm for the launch of the AU-EU cooperation mechanism when it hosted the first ever summit of the two organisations in Cairo in the summer of 2000, say Egyptian diplomats.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 17 February, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The intentions of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the crisis over Ukraine are inflaming the international guessing game on whether an invasion will happen.

Western governments are asking themselves whether Russia will or will not invade Ukraine and about Russias intentions as a result of its military build-up on the border with Ukraine.

The question has been asked since November 2021, yet the answer today is no clearer.

But western sources are warning that Russia could be only 24 hours away from invading eastern Ukraine.

We are in the window when an invasion could begin at any time, White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

The Russian media have ridiculed such claims, as well as US allegations that the Kremlin has plans to install an occupation government in Ukraine.

Moscow kept the world guessing by announcing on Tuesday that some units participating in its military exercises would begin returning to their bases. But it was not clear where the troops that the Russian defence ministry said were pulling back were deployed or how many were leaving, making it hard to understand the significance of the announcement.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO allies were ready to engage with Russia on Europes security. He added that NATO had set out concrete proposals for a substantive agenda at a meeting on 26 January of the NATO-Russia Council. The organisation was ready to listen to Russias concerns, share its own, and look for common ground, he said.

His tone is significant as it came a day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated that his country was ready to keep talking about the security grievances that had led to the Ukraine crisis.

The talks cant go on indefinitely, but I would suggest to continue and expand them at this stage, Lavrov said, noting that Washington has offered to discuss limits for missile deployments in Europe, restrictions on military drills, and other confidence-building measures.

Although Western officials continued to warn that an invasion could come at any moment, Lavrov said that possibilities for talks are far from being exhausted.

If the West accedes to some or more of Moscows demands, including guarantees that NATO will not allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members, halting weapons deployments to Ukraine, rolling back its forces from Eastern Europe, and redesigning Europes security architecture, then Moscow will have no justification for invading Ukraine.

Putins retreat from the brink could be considered a political and strategic victory.

If the West does not meet any of Moscows demands, Russia could invade eastern Ukraine despite expected international sanctions and diplomatic isolation. The potential gains may outweigh the potential losses, many Russian officials believe.

In the Russian governments assessment, Ukraine joining NATO would be a blow to the countrys national security that is greater than a new Cold War with the West or economic sanctions.

So far, Russia has amassed an estimated 145,000 troops along its border with Ukraine. British officials estimate that another 14 Russian battalions are on their way to the country.

Because of the size of the Russian military mobilisation, and the escalation of the rhetoric with the West, the crisis is being seen as entering the path of no return.

Moscow must now obtain all or some of its demands, since otherwise it will come out of the crisis empty-handed, which is not an option for Putin, especially since the Russian president senses division and weakness in the Western position.

The US and Britain have ruled out any direct military support for Ukraine. NATO was humiliated last year in Afghanistan, while US President Joe Biden, who campaigned to end US wars abroad and not to engage in new ones, has refocused US foreign policy and military resources on China and not Europe.

Meanwhile, Russias position has hardened. Over the past few days, several European leaders met with the Russian president in Moscow, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. European sources said that Putins approach had become more hard line.

During talks between Putin and the French president, French officials were struck by how much Putin has changed in recent years, saying he has become preoccupied with the loss of Russian influence since the former Soviet Union collapsed and the need to be tougher with the US and NATO.

Putin has got much harder even in private since 2014, one French official told the UK Financial Times. Hes obsessed by re-examining what happened in the past 30 years. This is a Putin who no longer believes in the West He wants to be feared by the West, the official said.

Russia is also letting the West play a guessing game about its intentions. Putin suggested on Monday that it was not too late for dialogue over Ukraine, but on the same day in an interview with the UK newspaper the Guardian, Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov warned that Moscow would be within its rights to launch a counterattack if it felt it needed to protect Russian citizens living in eastern Ukraine.

Chizhov said the West had a selective memory about previous commitments on NATO enlargement. He added that the Russian foreign minister had written to the EU and NATO countries on 1 February citing the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Istanbul in November 1999 where it was agreed that all were obliged not to strengthen their security at the expense of the security of other states.

Washington acknowledged that a telephone call between Biden and Putin on Saturday brought no fundamental change in the dynamic around the crisis. Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a 40-minute call on Monday night, ending with the statement that there was still an important window for diplomacy and for Russia to back off its threats to Ukraine.

Scholz held talks on Monday in Ukraine, and on Tuesday he travelled to Moscow in search of a diplomatic solution that would avoid war in Europe. The talks with Putin are the latest in a series of German diplomatic moves, including a visit to Washington last week and a meeting with Biden at the White House.

The Kremlin has said it expects prolonged talks between Germanys chancellor and Putin, as they have a lot of issues to discuss, news agencies in Moscow reported. A Kremlin spokesperson also described warnings that Russia would launch an attack on Ukraine on Wednesday as baseless hysteria designed to ramp up tensions.

Asked about the Russian presidents reaction to Western reports of a planned invasion, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had joked that isnt the exact time that the war will start already published?

The results of Scholzs talks with the Russian president will be closely monitored. If there is one European power that can persuade Russia not to invade Ukraine, it is Germany because of the overlapping interests between the two countries and the strength of their economic relations.

The two countries have a lot to lose if Russia is subjected to a package of international sanctions, not the least being the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, which Germany hopes will be operational soon. The results of Scholz and Putins talks could be an indication of a possible breakthrough.

Despite increasingly frantic warnings from Washington and London of an imminent attack, a war in Ukraine is not inevitable, and the European powers are working diligently to avoid it.

As a result, there have been growing criticisms of Johnson and his government in Britain. Instead of backing Berlin and Paris in doing everything possible to prevent a war in the heart of Europe, Johnson has aligned himself with the US position and even rebuked Germany for its addiction to Russian gas.

British sources also accused Macron of betraying NATO, rewarding aggression, and waving a white flag to Moscow.

In the face of criticisms of Berlin and Paris from British government sources, the European press, especially the German and French, responded to London by talking about an isolated Britain with limited influence and motivated by personal grudges after Brexit.

As the Ukraine crisis enters a crossroads between a possible settlement or an upcoming war, the coming days will show where the wind is blowing: will France and Germany be able to prevent escalation, or will they fail, giving the initiative to the US and Britain?

It is a question that goes beyond the Ukraine crisis. The US, whose international influence is declining, as the world discovered during its sudden withdrawal from Afghanistan, does not want to see a strong Europe successfully managing its security.

In the Ukraine crisis, if Europe can find initiatives to prevent war, Washington and London may view this as the beginning of the end of Europes dependence on the US security umbrella.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 17 February, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Yehia Abdel-Tawab, one of the pioneers of ballet in Egypt and the recipient of the Medal of Merit from late President Gamal Abdel-Nasser, has been honored by the Egyptian Association of Graduates of Russian and Soviet Universities (EAGRSU) and the Russian House in Cairo for his contribution in strengthening Egyptian-Russian relations through his artistic career.

The EAGRSU and the Russian House held a seminar titled The Ballet in Egypt and Russian Experiences earlier this week in honour of Abdel-Tawab, who is a professor of ballet at the Academy of Arts.

The seminar, held at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dokki, was moderated by President of the Association Sherif Gad and attended by director of the Russian Cultural Centres in Egypt Marat Gatin, dean of the Ballet Institute in Cairo Atef Awad, former dean of the Ballet Institute Sherif Bahader, member of the board of directors of the association Samia Tawfik, and Ballet Institute professor Tahani Hassan.

Gad pointed out that the seminar is part of a project presented by the association to honour its pioneering members who have contributed to reinforcing Egyptian-Russian relations.

For his part, Abdel-Tawab said he was overwhelmed to be attending this meeting at the Russian House, a place that he loves and where he studied, and added that his relationship with the Russians started at this place through his study of the Russian language, then obtaining a scholarship and traveling to Moscow, where he also found in the Ballet Institute there great encouragement from his Russian teachers.

The return of political relations with Russia is an indicator that not only reflects the political rapprochement, but also the culture that brings together peoples with civilization, which have made efforts and were able to innovate continuously for centuries compared to their surroundings, he added.

Abdel-Tawab also stressed that ballet in Egypt has a strong foundation, and with the efforts made by the state to build new opera houses, there will be many specialized ballet companies, and called for more cooperation with Russian experts in order to exchange experiences.

Former dean of the Ballet Institute Bahader said that Abdel-Tawab is considered one of Egypts first pioneers in the art of ballet, and one of the greatest ballet dancers in the entire world.

He is also one of the first dancers in double dance in Egypt and the Arab world.

Professor of ballet Tahani Hassan expressed her pride in her teacher at the Ballet Institute Abdel-Tawab, pointing out that all his students learned from him commitment, as he was accurate in timing and executing movements.

During the event, a documentary film on the history of the art of ballet in Egypt was shown, and Gad presented a certificate of honour on behalf of the association to Abdel-Tawab in appreciation of his great artistic career.

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By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

World-famous dancer and choreographer Eldar Aliyev has won the Soul of Dance prize.

Eldar Aliyev was named best in the category "Knight of the Dance".

The Soul of Dance Award was established in 1994 by the Russian magazine "Ballet" together with the Russian Culture Ministry. The prize is awarded annually for achievements in the development of Russian choreographic art.

The solemn ceremony of awarding the prize and the Gala concert of the laureates will take place in May.

The chief choreographer of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, Eldar Aliyev, was born in Baku where he graduated from the Baku College of Choreography. From 19791992 he was a leading soloist of the Kirov (Mariinsky) Theatre. His repertoire includes leading roles in "Don Quixote", "The Legend of Love", "Le Corsaire", "Swan Lake", "La Bayadere", "Spartacus", and etc.

Moreover, the choreographer has recently presented a new version of Fikrat Amirov's ballet "One Thousand and One Nights".

More than 300 costumes with hand embroidery were made for the ballet show. Some of them were made at the workshop, while most part by experienced craftsmen in St. Petersburg.

The magnificent performance of the ballet dancers left no one indifferent. The ballet was accompanied by the soloist of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, tar musician Ramin Azimov. The orchestra was conducted by the chief conductor and musical director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre Ayyub Guliyev.

Azerbaijan's traditional music instruments - tar and naghara were presented to the theatre on behalf of the national musicians.

The long-necked music instrument featured in the score of Fikrat Amirov. The eminent composer started his musical journey as a tar performer.



The idea to add tar performance came from Eldar Aliyev. Ramin Azimov, the soloist of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theatre, performed on tar during the premiere.

The chief choreographer of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theater has successfully toured over 40 countries and performed at some of the most prestigious stages like the Kennedy Centre, the Metropolitan Opera, the Opera de Paris, La Scala, the Berlin State Opera, the Sydney Opera House and others.

As a dancer, he worked with such leading choreographers as Y. Grigorovich, R. Petit, M. Bejart, A. Alonso, O. Vinogradov, V. Vasiliev, M. Vainrot.

His partners on the stage included outstanding ballerinas: Galina Mezentseva, Gabriela Komleva, Tatiana Terekhova, Sylvie Guillem, Amanda Mckerrow, Leslie Browne, Altynai Asylmuratova.

He also worked in the USA as a leading soloist of the ballet company of Ballet Internationale (Indianapolis Ballet Theater), and soon became artistic director of the company.

Since 2015, he has been the Ballet Master in Chief of the Primorsky Opera and Ballet Theatre.

In June 2016, Eldar Aliyev was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of the Shenyang State Conservatory. His prizes also include the honorary diploma of the Legislative Assembly of the Primorsky Territory and the Diploma of Russia's Culture Ministry.

In 2021, Eldar Aliyev was awarded with the honorary title "Honored Art Worker of the Russian Federation".
Britain's Prince Andrew has settled a lawsuit from Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.

News of the settlement came in a letter filed with a Manhattan court Tuesday by Giuffre's lawyer David Boies. Details of the settlement have not been disclosed, but the letter said Andrew "intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights."

"Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks," the letter reads. "It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others."
But there are other possible interpretations to the announcement of a partial troop withdrawal, say Western leaders and officials. While welcoming talk of de-escalation, they fear this is just a continuation of the Kremlin's strategy of hybrid warfare, part of an effort to keep opponents wrong-footed and guessing at Russian intentions while at the same time wearing them down.

So, has war been averted? Or is this a feint? Russia has denied it has been planning another attack on Ukraine and has accused Western leaders of whipping up "hysteria." Kremlin-directed media have been telling their domestic Russian audiences that NATO has been fomenting alarmism. "February 15, 2022, will go down in history as the day when Western war propaganda failed," Maria Zakharova, the combative spokesperson of the Russian foreign ministry said on social media. "They were humiliated and defeated without a single shot," she added.

Although Kuleba cautioned: "On Russian statements regarding withdrawal of some forces from the Ukrainian border. We in Ukraine have a rule: we don't believe what we hear, we believe what we see. If a real withdrawal follows these statements, we will believe in the beginning of a real de-escalation."

And the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his senior aides say diplomacy is winning. "We and our allies have managed to prevent Russia from any further escalation. Diplomacy is continuing to work," tweeted Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, as news broke of the claimed partial withdrawal of Russian forces.

Russia says it is withdrawing some of its forces from areas close to the Ukrainian border after completing military drills, mocking Western intelligence agencies for naming Feb. 16 as the date a Russian invasion of its neighbor would start.

 Cautious Optimism

Despite Russia's defense ministry posting video of tanks, infantry combat vehicles and self-propelled artillery systems being loaded onto trains, NATO's secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that evidence of a withdrawal could not yet be seen on the ground, though he expressed qualified optimism.

Britains Boris Johnson was also cautious Tuesday about taking the Russian withdrawal statement at face value. There are signs of a "diplomatic opening" to resolve the Ukraine crisis, but there are also "mixed signals," he said. Johnson added that the "intelligence that we are seeing today is still not encouraging," citing the building of Russian field hospitals near to the border with Ukraine in Belarus, a Russian ally.

That could only be "construed as preparation for an invasion," Britain's leader told broadcasters following a meeting with his top defense and intelligence officials. "I think what everybody needs to see is a program of de-escalation." He added: "We think there is an avenue for diplomacy, we've seen some positive signs from conversations between Mr. Ushakov (Putin's foreign policy adviser) and his American counterpart, between Sergey Lavrov (Russias foreign minister) and others. If that's correct, then let's build on that."

Independent military observers are also holding off judging the importance of the claimed Russian military withdrawal. The Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), a group of independent Russian researchers, says it has only observed military movements toward and not away from Ukraine. Additionally, Ukrainian authorities reported a denial-of-service attack Tuesday on both PrivatBank, Ukraine's largest, and state-owned bank Oschad. Defense Ministry websites were affected, as well.

 Diplomacy

Tuesday's drama played out against the backdrop of further diplomatic talks in Moscow, where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with President Putin after spending Monday in talks in Kyiv with Zelenskyy.

In Kyiv, Scholz said the issue of NATO membership for Ukraine "is practically not on the agenda." A key Russian demand is that NATO never admit Ukraine as a member, something NATO has been reluctant to do as it would breach the Western alliance's traditional open-door policy. Zelenskyy also suggested that while Ukraine still would like to join, NATO membership may be nothing more than a "dream."

Were those remarks enough to prompt the partial withdrawal announcement? As the talks between the German chancellor and Ukraine's leader unfolded in Kyiv, the Kremlin filmed Putin holding discussions with his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, who urged him to continue with diplomacy, suggesting to him theres a chance of success and that some Russian demands might be met.

Ukrainian officials have long suspected that Putin's strategy is more about trying to wear the West down rather than gamble by launching an invasion of Ukraine that would likely mire Russia in a long counter-insurgency war. Zelenskyy and his aides have been much more cautious about predicting an invasion, and Monday the Ukrainian leader appeared to mock Western warnings about a firm date for an assault.

Marek Menkiszak of the Center for Eastern Studies, a state think tank based in Warsaw, agrees with Kyivs view. "There will be no invasion on 2/16 or later," he tweeted Tuesday. He reckons Putin will continue to try to scare the West and seek to obtain security concessions but offer nothing in exchange. "Invasion means huge costs and dubious profits," he added.
"Everything changed with the pandemic," said Ban Ho-young, the co-founder of Neofect, which develops remote rehabilitation services for stroke patients. "Telemedicine services have become common -- not only from progressive providers, but from many providers."

But amid the recent explosion of cases due to the Omicron variant, COVID patients with mild symptoms are now getting home treatment by phone consultations with medical workers.

Most telemedical services were banned until February 2020, when the government provisionally permitted them as the pandemic started. The change followed two decades of controversy with heavy opposition from some medical experts.

Demand for online and remote medical services has skyrocketed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and industry watchers believe it is here to stay.

The benefits of telemedicine are especially relevant for Korea. Even before the pandemic, non-contact services were becoming increasingly common.

Korea is also a global leader in the development of information technology. Because that is critical to remote patient care, Korea has a unique advantage in the evolution of telemedicine.

In addition, it has one of the fastest-aging populations in the world, and the proportion of the population with chronic and age-related diseases will continue to grow. "In response to this heavy societal burden, more care needs to be handled at the community level," said Paik Nam-jong, the president of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. "Telemedicine will be the key."

In the U.S., more than 76 percent of hospitals connect with patients through video appointments.

Ban said this partly because the U.S.' health insurance system. There are many different insurance providers, which allows some insurance companies to provide telemedical care even if others do not. "In Korea, we only have state insurance, so we're very dependent on government policy and telemedicine regulations," Ban said.

Japan is more similar to Korea. Nangaku Masaomi, the vice dean of the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Tokyo, said healthcare providers in Japan are hesitant to provide telemedical care because it was illegal in the past.

Like Korea, Japan also has a rapidly aging population. Masaomi noted that the elderly may struggle more with using the required technology. "I think Korea and Japan are facing common problems, both around legal restrictions and reimbursements," Masaomi said. "In Japan, we are currently analyzing the barriers to expanding telemedicine."

Koreans' response to the spread of remote care has been generally positive. According to a survey by the Federation of Korean Industries last year, around 62.1 percent of respondents said they were in favor of telemedicine.

Despite the benefits, there remain barriers. Healthcare professionals are paid less by insurance companies for telemedical care than face-to-face care, according to Paik. The reimbursement process for remote care is also more time-consuming.

Experts also say that further technological developments are necessary. "In case of an ENT hospital, equipment like nasal or ear endoscopes have been distributed, but they have not reached a stage where they can show the inside of the ear or nose perfectly," said Lee Sang-deok, the president of Hana ENT hospital. "It's also necessary to develop a platform where data from such devices can be sent effectively to hospitals."

Proponents in Korea have been encouraging the government to approve remote healthcare services permanently, but an amendment to the current law failed to cross the threshold of the National Assembly.

"It's time for the medical professionals, academics, and the government to start discussing telemedicine more seriously," Lee said. "Telemedicine is not only a key medical service for the present moment but also for the future."
Fans of Red Velvet, TWICE, Super Junior and Stray Kids mobilized to support some 9,000 tuk-tuk drivers in Thailand, whose earnings were hit hard by the pandemic. Red Velvet fans advertised their beloved girl group on tuk-tuks, and TWICE fans offered money to support around 300 drivers, while Super Junior fans helped feed 13 auto rickshaw drivers a month on average.

Fans of K-pop and particularly super boy band Bangtan Boys, also known as BTS, worldwide have grown increasingly vocal about social issues. Legions of fans are joining hands to promote the fashionable issues of today, from racism and "Me Too" movement to climate change and coronavirus victims.

The drivers have suffered heavily due to a more than 85-percent decline in the number of tourists since the pandemic started. The fan groups called for support for the grassroots economy.

In Peru, K-pop fans have donated oxygen tanks for critically ill coronavirus patients. BTS fans last year started the "Oxygen of Hope Campaign" to celebrate member J-hope's birthday on Feb. 18. The fans took action when oxygen tank prices surged almost 10-fold as the Latin American country's medical system faced collapse.

Peru had some of the highest coronavirus fatality rate in the world last June with 500 deaths per 100,000 people. Peruvian fans of Enhyphen also did volunteer work and made donations to mark the boy bands debut in late 2020.

The fans are also reaching out to help victims of racism, human rights abuses, gender bias and child abuse as well as promoting environmental awareness. In Ecuador, K-pop fans have been planting trees and in Nicaragua they have been aiding hurricane victims.

"If you thought K-pop was all hair gel and dance moves, you've got another thing coming. K-pop fans are not to be underestimated, and they are inventing community everywhere they go," wrote a guest commentator in the Guardian's online edition. "At the very least, the K-pop activists seek to embrace the world rather than to dominate it."

K-pop fans have also been supporting the Black Lives Matter movement since 2020. BTS publicly expressed their solidarity with the movement against racial discrimination and donated US$1 million for the cause along with their management agency Hybe. That motivated BTS fans to raise another million-plus dollars 27 hours later.
KYODO NEWS - Feb 16, 2022 - 23:12 | All, World

Leaders from the Group of Seven industrialized nations are considering holding a virtual meeting at an early date, possibly around Feb. 24, over the crisis in Ukraine, amid mounting fears of a Russian invasion, sources close to the plan said Wednesday.

The envisioned summit, where they will affirm the group's unity over the crisis, would come after an emergency meeting of the G-7 foreign ministers. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry of G-7 host Germany reportedly said the foreign ministers will meet in Munich on Saturday.

Specific sanctions that would be imposed on Russia in the event of an incursion are also expected to be on the agenda of the foreign ministerial meeting, likely to take place in person on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The conference is a three-day multinational forum on international security policy slated to start Friday.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi plans to represent Japan at the meeting, also involving Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, plus the European Union.

The United States and other Western allies, including Britain, have already warned of sanctions being imposed on Russia if Moscow invades neighboring Ukraine.

In a parliament session on Wednesday, Hayashi said Japan will "coordinate with the G-7" in dealing with the Ukraine crisis, including "imposing sanctions should there be a Russian invasion," while it continues to seek a solution through diplomatic dialogue.

On top of attending the foreign ministerial meeting, Hayashi is also seeking to hold separate talks with his counterparts to discuss how to defuse the current tensions, the sources said.

During phone talks on Wednesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed they would not accept any unilateral change in the status quo by force in reference to Moscow's possible military action against Ukraine.

Kishida told reporters after their talks that he and Johnson affirmed their consistent support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The leaders also agreed to continue diplomatic efforts for de-escalation.

Kishida held separate phone talks Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU.

Earlier this week, the G-7 finance ministers warned Russia of economic sanctions that would have "massive and immediate" consequences should it commit any aggression against Ukraine.

Tensions were heightened as Russia had amassed some 150,000 troops near Ukraine, a massive military buildup that follows its annexation of Crimea in 2014. But Moscow has denied it intends to invade Ukraine.

In a move that could lead to de-escalation, Russia's military said Tuesday some troops were returning to their bases following exercises near Ukraine.

But U.S. President Joe Biden has said a partial Russian troop withdrawal has not yet been verified and that "an invasion remains distinctly possible."

Russia has been asserting that its security is under threat with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastward expansion and the possibility of the former Soviet republic becoming a member of the security bloc.

Related coverage:

Russia says some troops to pull back amid fears over Ukraine invasion

Japan ramps up diplomacy to help ease Ukraine-Russia tensions

U.S. to shut embassy in Kyiv amid fears of Russia invasion of Ukraine
KYODO NEWS - Feb 16, 2022 - 03:04 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan is planning to ease its cap on the number of daily new entrants from overseas, introduced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, from the current 3,500 to 5,000 next month, while considering scrapping the strict quarantine requirement upon arrival, a government source said Tuesday.

The government is looking at eliminating the current seven-day quarantine period for nonresident entrants if they present certificates showing a negative COVID-19 test result and a third vaccine dose, the source said.

With the government stepping up efforts against the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the border controls introduced in late November bar new entries by foreign nationals, with few exceptions, until the end of this month.

The restrictions, the strictest among the Group of Seven industrialized nations, have been criticized as too tough by business and academic circles at home and abroad.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to hold a press conference Thursday to explain the details of the plan.

The top government spokesman said Tuesday that some 150,000 foreign students who hold Japan visas were unable to enter the country by the end of last year due to its COVID-19 border controls.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno also disclosed at a regular press conference that the number of people newly entering Japan from Nov. 29 to Feb. 10 totaled about 6,000.

Matsuno said the government is aware that there are "various requests" regarding the measures, and it is considering presenting a plan to ease them "as soon as possible."

His remarks came after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party asked the government to allow foreign students to enter Japan.

Until November, up to 5,000 were allowed in each day.

Related coverage:

Japan considering easing nonresident foreigner entry ban in March

FOCUS: COVID-19 entry ban could deter interest in Japan: U.K. scholars

FEATURE: Foreign students wait for Japan to lift entry ban, some give up
KYODO NEWS - Feb 16, 2022 - 23:00 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan is considering shortening the quarantine period for those entering the country from the current seven days to three, as part of its eased COVID-19 border controls, government sources said Wednesday.

Starting in March, the government is also planning to raise the limit on the number of new entrants to 5,000 a day from the current 3,500, according to the sources. It is expected to accept foreign nationals wishing to enter Japan for non-tourism purposes within that daily limit.

The head of a COVID-19 advisory panel for the health ministry, Takaji Wakita, said Wednesday the recent surge in coronavirus infections in Japan likely "peaked" in early February even though caution is still warranted.

Japan's border controls have come under international criticism from companies to students for being too stringent as they include an entry ban on nonresident foreign nationals imposed since late November until the end of February.

Since then, only a very limited number of foreign nationals have been allowed entry as exceptions.

But Japanese government officials have lately been discussing how much the restrictions, initially designed to keep the inflow of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus to a minimum, can be relaxed.

If the envisaged change is made, self-quarantine at home or other accommodation facilities will end after people test negative for COVID-19 on the third day, the sources said.

The government may scrap the quarantine period altogether on condition that new entrants can satisfy the requirements, including having been vaccinated three times, according to the sources.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce details on Thursday.

"We are considering how to ease the border control measures by taking into account scientific evidence that has become available regarding the Omicron strain and the changing infection situations at home and abroad," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press briefing.

Some 150,000 foreign students who hold Japan visas were unable to enter the country by the end of last year due to its COVID-19 border controls, according to the government.

The health ministry advisory panel led by infectious disease expert Wakita assessed the infection trend on Wednesday, with data showing a week-on-week fall in the number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in most age brackets.

But Wakita warned of a rebound unless infection numbers fall further.

"The health care system in many parts of the country is expected to remain under strain and the occupancy rate of hospital beds for patients with severe symptoms will likely go up," he said.

Currently, over two-thirds of Japan's 47 prefectures are under a quasi-state of emergency that allows their governors to request that restaurants and bars cut business hours and stop serving alcohol.

Among the 21 prefectures where the anti-virus curbs are set to end Sunday, 15 including Osaka and Fukuoka are seeking an extension, while Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Yamagata want the steps to expire as scheduled.

Related coverage:

Japan foreign arrivals down 61% in Jan. due to COVID border controls

FOCUS: COVID-19 entry ban could deter interest in Japan: U.K. scholars

FEATURE: Foreign students wait for Japan to lift entry ban, some give up
BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Cross-border e-commerce is gaining momentum in China against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic that severely impacted international trade, and the recent approval of more cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones has, undoubtedly, accelerated this trend.

Last week, China's State Council issued a statement, approving the establishment of more cross-border e-commerce pilot zones in 27 cities and regions, including Erdos in Inner Mongolia and Yangzhou City in Jiangsu Province.

This now brings the overall tally of pilot zones to 132, covering almost all provincial-level regions in China from coastal industrial powerhouses such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong to inland areas.

"As a new form of foreign trade with great potential, cross-border e-commerce is still on its fast growth track," the Ministry of Commerce said.

Cross-border e-commerce, featuring online marketing, online transactions and contactless payment, has boomed in China over the past few years, particularly during the last two years when the pandemic impeded business travel and face-to-face contact.

According to official data, cross-border e-commerce volume soared tenfold over the past five years.

In 2021 alone, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports climbed 15 percent year on year to 1.98 trillion yuan (about 311 billion U.S. dollars), with related pilot zones playing a significant role in spurring the growth.

China began setting up cross-border e-commerce pilot zones as early as 2015 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in a bid to trial the new business form and digitalize its trade channels.

In these pilot zones, local governments provide a variety of trade services ranging from logistics, payment, law, taxation and customs clearance to facilitate enterprises' cross-border e-commerce businesses.

"Our company has seen tangible benefits after the establishment of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones," said Wu Fan, head of the Asia-Pacific region of U-Play Corporation, an Anhui-based hygiene products manufacturer.

Currently, 90 percent of the company's products are sold overseas via cross-border e-commerce retail. The company's cross-border imports and exports soared 62.5 percent from 80 million yuan in 2020 to 130 million yuan in 2021, Wu said, attributing this growth to preferential tax policies.

The favorable policy environment for cross-border e-commerce has led to a continuous increase in the number of cross-border e-commerce companies.

So far, China has seen the establishment of more than 30,000 enterprises related to cross-border e-commerce, with the volume climbing every year.

Apart from benefitting market entities, cross-border e-commerce pilot zones also improve the shopping experience of consumers, said Xu Qing, director of public affairs department at Tmall Global, a leading online shopping platform where Chinese consumers hunt for overseas products.

"Thanks to the cross-border e-commerce boom, domestic consumers can choose from more overseas products with lower prices and faster delivery without leaving their homes," Xu said.

As one of the world's largest goods traders, China is expected to further enhance its competitive strengths in foreign trade through the expansion of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones.

Zhu Caihua, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, said cities later designated as cross-border e-commerce pilot zones should leverage local development advantages and enhance institutional innovation to propel high-quality development of the new business form. 
A nurse hands over a banquet of flowers to a childhood cancer survivor during an activity to mark International Childhood Cancer Day at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, on Feb. 15, 2022. As the world commemorates International Childhood Cancer Day on Tuesday, free treatment of children with cancer in Uganda is reigniting their hope. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

KAMPALA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) --- As the world commemorates International Childhood Cancer Day on Tuesday, free treatment of children with cancer in Uganda is reigniting their hope.

The day which falls on Feb. 15 every year, aims at raising awareness about childhood cancer and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, the survivors and their families.

Solomon Nsubuga, 10 years old, is set to resume school after two-year successful cancer treatments. Nsubuga is among the hundreds of children who are benefiting from free cancer treatment under the Global Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence program (Global HOPE) at the country's Mulago National Referral Hospital.

Ann Akullo, a child cancer specialist at Mulago told Xinhua that since the Global HOPE program started in 2019, over 730 children have been diagnosed with cancer and treated.

Akullo said for the past three years, 19 cancer pediatric specialists have been trained to handle child cancer patients and four others are undergoing training at Mulago hospital. She said the country has developed a cost-effective pediatric cancer treatment program that will save lives.

"We came up with the cost-effective treatment of our cancer child patients after realizing that we lose many of them due to burkitts lymphoma and leukemia cancer," Akullo said.

A cancer awareness campaign, according to Akullo, has led to early diagnosis and improved treatment.

"Now we have families that have been counseled and we have done a follow-up to ensure that the child cancer patients get their treatment timely," she said.

Joyce Balagadde Kambugu, a pediatric Oncologist at Uganda Cancer Institute, a state-run medical institution, said childhood cancer is curable when children have access to diagnostic, therapeutic and supportive care.

"This should be true for all children in all settings, yet for those with cancer in low and middle-income countries, survival is still reduced," Kambugu said, arguing that these inequalities in childhood cancer care are unacceptable and a threat to communities, economic development and social stability.

She said they are pushing for new legislation to include childhood cancer care as an essential service. She noted that new members of the workforce are being trained and more funds are sought both within and outside for childhood cancer.

Both experts argued that over 85 percent of pediatric cancers are cured in high-income countries because of the state-of-the-art treatment interventions.

They however noted that in low and middle-income countries, the situation is different because of several factors which include lack of awareness of childhood cancer, scarcity of anti-cancer medicines, misconceptions and biases about childhood cancer and a lack of financial and social support to maintain people on care.

Kambugu said there are six common cancers that they are focusing on because they are highly curable with proven therapies. They include acute lymphoblastic leukemia (blood cancer), Burkitt lymphoma (a fast-growing lymph gland cancer), Hodgkin lymphoma (a lymph gland cancer), Retinoblastoma (a childhood eye cancer), Wilms tumor (a childhood kidney cancer), and low-grade glioma (a brain cancer). These represent 50-60 percent of all childhood cancers. 

A childhood cancer survivor (C) shows a certificate of bravery to fight against cancer during an activity to mark International Childhood Cancer Day at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, on Feb. 15, 2022. As the world commemorates International Childhood Cancer Day on Tuesday, free treatment of children with cancer in Uganda is reigniting their hope. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

A childhood cancer survivor (C) shows a certificate of bravery to fight against cancer during an activity to mark International Childhood Cancer Day at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, on Feb. 15, 2022. As the world commemorates International Childhood Cancer Day on Tuesday, free treatment of children with cancer in Uganda is reigniting their hope. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

Childhood cancer survivors and their parents pose for a group photo during an activity to mark International Childhood Cancer Day at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, on Feb. 15, 2022. As the world commemorates International Childhood Cancer Day on Tuesday, free treatment of children with cancer in Uganda is reigniting their hope. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

Childhood cancer survivors show some of their drawings during an activity to mark International Childhood Cancer Day at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, on Feb. 15, 2022. As the world commemorates International Childhood Cancer Day on Tuesday, free treatment of children with cancer in Uganda is reigniting their hope. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)




KAMPALA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- For Betty Kyabajje, 28 years old, fetching water is an everyday struggle. Like in many African families, women are in charge of finding water, a resource their families need to survive -- for drinking, cooking, sanitation, and hygiene.

Kyabajje, who lives in Bukasa, a slum area neighboring the Ugandan capital Kampala, used to spend hours queuing for water at a hand dug well in her neighborhood.

She told Xinhua in a recent interview that the waiting was a burden as she had other house chores like washing clothes and preparing meals for her family of five.

The well, which is sometimes flooded with runoff rainwater, is a "death trap" as the water is contaminated that might transmit water-borne diseases, according Kyabajje.

"The water situation was bad, very bad. You walk a long distance to get water, sometimes as women we are carrying a child on the back. Then you also find a long queue at the well," said Kyabajje.

Bukasa slum, according to local leaders, has over 60,000 residents who all depend on such shallow wells, most of whom neighboring a swamp on the shores of Lake Victoria.

The Ugandan Ministry of Health figures show that the country loses 400 people daily from water-borne infections like diarrhea, dysentery, cholera and typhoid.

Kyabajje and her village mates are now better off because a new protected spring well has been constructed in their neighborhood.

Chinese families, who experienced such struggles when China faced extreme poverty, constructed the well, an addition to the over 20 others constructed elsewhere in Uganda.

"We are lucky because of our good government in China ... I think it is good that our Chinese families especially (those) living in Uganda will also give a hand to our Ugandan friends," said Zhong Shuangquan, a Chinese national who has been living in Uganda for over 23 years.

Zhong, who had come along with his family at the handover of the well to the community, invited other Chinese to join him in doing more things for the Ugandan families.

"Clean water is something that should be a fundamental basic of everyone's life, so I think by giving them a well, it should help everyone here to be able to drink clean water," said Zhong Manke, a Chinese student who studies in Uganda.

"You can make a difference in the world, you don't have to make something huge, but a small step, like coming here with my parents can also make a huge difference in the world," she added.

The Overseas China Uganda Charity Foundation, a Chinese charity, raised donations from Chinese families has constructed 25 such wells in rural Uganda and hopes to build up to 50 protected spring wells a year.

Emmanuel Masaba, a resident of Bukasa, said he will not suffer from waterborne diseases that have been eating up a chunk of his income now that he has access to clean water.

"Very many people have been going through the same situation like me. So I know we are not going to waste our money on buying medicine, instead we are going to educate our children," Masaba said.

"I want to thank the people who built the well," said Kyabajje, who was all smiles as she now has more time to do other things.

According to the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment, about 30 percent of the country's population does not have access to clean water. They get water from shallow wells, swamps, rivers and lakes.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service








By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited the Azerbaijani pavilion at the Expo-2020 international exhibition held in Dubai, as part of his official visit to the United Arab Emirates.

During the visit to the pavilion, the president listened to Azerbaijani songs performed by People's Artist Alim Gasimov and his daughter Fargana Gasimova.

Afterward, Erdogan got acquainted with the preparatory work done in the pavilion.

Azerbaijan is represented at the Dubai Expo 2020 with a national pavilion under the "Seeds for the Future" theme.

The Azerbaijani national pavilion, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Center, features videos highlighting the country's history, cultural legacy and geography. The concept of the pavilion reflects human capital, which is the subject and object, the initiator and the main driving force of change.

Agrarian opportunities of Azerbaijan's liberated territories were presented at the Dubai Expo Center. The participants were informed about the investment opportunities in agriculture in Azerbaijan and the leading directions and potential projects for investment in agriculture in the liberated territories. The information was presented about the "smart village" project implemented in Karabakh and the work done in this field, as well as directions of development of agriculture in Azerbaijan and the system of electronic agriculture applied in the country.

As part of the exhibition, concerts and various cultural programs are regularly held on the stage of the pavilion, and visitors get the opportunity to see the history and modern life of Azerbaijan.
People visit an agricultural market and innovation fair at the Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Feb. 15, 2022. Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said on Wednesday that agricultural innovations hold key to sustainable production intensification and increasing farmers' income.(FAO/Handout via Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said on Wednesday that agricultural innovations hold key to sustainable production intensification and increasing farmers' income.

In a joint press release, Ho Puthea, deputy director of the MAFF's General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA), said farmers, fishers and forest workers are "critically important" for the food security of Cambodians.

About 1.9 million households in Cambodia are engaging in agriculture production to feed roughly 15.8 million people, he said, adding that in 2012, one agri-food sector worker had to feed 2.8 people, but by 2030, one agri-food system worker will have to feed up to 4.5 people.

To meet this challenge, innovation is required in agri-food systems, the press release said, adding that to enhance the identification and development of new agricultural innovations, the GDA and the Royal University of Agriculture, with support from FAO, jointly organized an agricultural market fair and innovation fair on Tuesday.

The fair engaged around 60 participants including farmer groups, agricultural cooperatives, agricultural entrepreneurs, private sector, experts, and policymakers, it said.

MAFF's undersecretary of state Chan Saruth said the participants shared their experiences and discussed innovative ways and tools that enable farmers to raise yield, manage inputs more effectively, improve the quality of their products, conserve natural resources and adapt to climate change.

"This important event aims to provide opportunities for various actors within the Agriculture Innovation System in Cambodia to share their experience and explore opportunities for collaborating in supporting agriculture innovation processes through different services, projects and products," he said.

"To help the majority of rural population, whose livelihood is strongly relying on farming and natural resources, we need to work closely together to improve agricultural innovation and build capacities of actors at all levels, including development partners, local authorities, and policymakers, in order to efficiently facilitate innovation process and build a strong agricultural innovation system in Cambodia," said FAO Cambodia head of operations Antonio Schiavone. 

People visit an agricultural market and innovation fair at the Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Feb. 15, 2022. Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said on Wednesday that agricultural innovations hold key to sustainable production intensification and increasing farmers' income.(FAO/Handout via Xinhua)
Photo taken on Jan. 12, 2019 shows the White House and a stop sign in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The Senate bill is "a dangerous declaration of Cold War on China," "epitomizes the worst errors of the new Washington 'consensus' on what a rising China supposedly means," and contains "almost exclusively zero-sum (and in some instances dangerous) policy recommendations," wrote Michael D. Swaine, a scholar of Chinese security studies and director of the East Asia Program at Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Act, a bill focusing on U.S. semiconductor production and supply chains.

Unsurprisingly, the "industrial" act includes actions to hold China "accountable" for the so-called genocide and slave labor, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and specifically allocates 500 million U.S. dollars for media outlets to smear China.

This bill echoes the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, another hawkish bill against China passed by the U.S. Senate in June 2021, which authorized 300 million dollars to be appropriated for each fiscal year through 2026 to counter China's influence globally.

A cotton picker works in the fields of Erken Reyimu in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

The Senate bill is "a dangerous declaration of Cold War on China," wrote Michael D. Swaine, a scholar of Chinese security studies and director of the East Asia Program at Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a research institution and think tank.

The bill, Swaine said, "epitomizes the worst errors of the new Washington 'consensus' on what a rising China supposedly means," and contains "almost exclusively zero-sum (and in some instances dangerous) policy recommendations."

Actually, Washington has been implementing intricate plans to boost the so-called "China threat" narratives and "combat Chinese disinformation" via the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and the Agency for Global Media, its state-run foreign media service.

In September 2021, the largest Zimbabwean daily newspaper The Harald revealed that the United States is funding and training local reporters to produce anti-China stories and discredit Chinese investments.

According to the report with exclusive details, some private media journalists were told to portray Chinese companies investing in Zimbabwe as "causing harm to communities, environment and workers," receiving payment of 1,000 dollars per story from the U.S. embassy through its proxy.

Local residents read The Herald in Harare, Zimbabwe, Oct. 14, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)

"U.S. embassy officials bragged during the workshop that they had ... previously sponsored media institutions on the so-called accountability issues," the article said.

Spreading misinformation and manipulating the truth about China are nothing new for Western media and might undermine the credibility of journalists involved in reporting as well as the industry at large.

"If the government is setting out ahead of time in legislation what the conclusion and the point of coverage is going to be, that doesn't really qualify as genuine journalism," Tobita Chow, director of Justice Is Global, a group that advocates a more equitable world economy, was quoted by The American Prospect magazine as saying.

In September 2021, Javier Garcia, former head of the office of the EFE News Agency of Spain in Beijing, announced leaving journalism because "the embarrassing information war against China has taken a good dose of my enthusiasm for this profession."

"The information manipulation is flagrant, with dozens of examples every day," said the veteran who served in the industry for over 30 years. "Anyone who dares to confront it or try to maintain objectivity and impartial positions will be accused of being on the payroll of the Chinese government or worse." 
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at a press conference about the COVID-19 pandemic in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 11, 2022. (Noam Revkin Fenton/JINI via Xinhua)

Israel has sent envoys to Vienna during the nuclear talks to meet with official negotiators of several world powers, according to Israel's state-owned Kan news TV.



JERUSALEM, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Israel has sent envoys to Vienna during the nuclear talks to meet with official negotiators of several world powers, Israel's state-owned Kan news TV reported on Tuesday.

Head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's strategic department Joshua Zarka talked with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi on Monday, according to the report.

Mikhail Ulyanov, head of Russia's delegation to the nuclear negotiations, wrote on Twitter that he met with "Israeli colleagues" in Vienna on Tuesday, and "discussed IAEA-related issues."

The Israeli officials also met with U.S. negotiator Rob Malley and negotiators of remaining parties to the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), according to reports in Israeli media.

Photo taken on Dec. 17, 2021 shows a meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria. (EU Delegation in Vienna/Handout via Xinhua)

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not immediately commented on the meetings.

The nuclear talks in Vienna, which started last April to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, don't include Israeli representatives.

It was the first time Israel has sent diplomats to Vienna since the talks began.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is on a visit to Bahrain, said on Tuesday that a return to the 2015 deal would be "a strategic mistake."

Iran stresses that its nuclear program is peaceful. 
Biden administration's decision to compensate the victims of 9/11 terrorist attacks with Afghanistan's assets is "quite cruel" and "without any international justification," said Pakistani economist Syed Javed Hassan in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Following the pullout of its troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, the United States has frozen nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of assets of Afghanistan's central bank, which worsened the economic crisis and poverty in the war-torn Asian country.

In a decree issued on Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly ordered the allocation of 3.5 billion dollars from the assets as damage to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and diverted 3.5 billion more dollars to the Afghans as humanitarian aid, without the consent of the Taliban-run administration.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Photo taken on Oct. 28, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Stirring up trouble after trouble, Washington is anything but a responsible constructor or protector in the Asia-Pacific, and its intention to contain China in the region may be a sort of testament to Gresham's law -- since its bad morals are trying to drive out good.

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The White House's newly-released Indo-Pacific Strategy is another attempt to escalate bloc confrontation in the region under the pretext of advancing a "free and open Indo-Pacific," though its efforts against the trend of peace and cooperation are destined for failure.

The document owned that the United States and much of the world have viewed Asia too narrowly as an arena of geopolitical competition, and the country will strengthen its own role and "focus on every corner of the region." In fact, its primary target is just to besiege and counter China, and is entirely unrelated to promoting regional peace and development.

Calling for strengthening Indo-Pacific security and prosperity, Washington promised to foster security ties between its allies and partners and work in flexible groupings.

But its emphasis on such exclusive blocs as AUKUS consisting of the United States, Britain and Australia, and Quad involving the United States, Japan, India and Australia, its deployment of deterrence tools as well as unilateral sanctions to settle regional security issues, and its intrigue to spoil the existing cooperation mechanisms with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the center have shown the superpower's hypocrisy.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi (from L to R) pose for a photo prior to the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee meeting in Tokyo, Japan, March 16, 2021. (Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via Xinhua)

Beneath the strategy lies Washington's outdated mentality of Cold War and bloc politics, which will harm the long-term and common interests of the countries in the region.

As the world needs dialogue and cooperation now more than ever to promote common development, the narratives of "China threat" and an anti-China united front are counterproductive. No wonder Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper cast doubt over the effect of the strategy in an article published Sunday.

From former U.S. President Barack Obama's "Rebalance to Asia and the Pacific" and Donald Trump's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" policy, to the 2019 Department of Defense Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, the United States has never forgotten to increase its investment and presence in the region, but a country addicted to causing rifts and provoking a "great power competition" can hardly win true partners.

Stirring up trouble after trouble, Washington is anything but a responsible constructor or protector in the Asia-Pacific, and its intention to contain China in the region may be a sort of testament to Gresham's law -- since its bad morals are trying to drive out good.

People walk out of the venue of the 18th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

As a main trading partner of most countries in the region, China has always acted in a responsible and constructive manner when tackling regional issues and cooperating with others. It is not only the first major country to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN, but also the leading force in ratifying the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and advancing common development.

Keenly aware that its interests hinge on regional peace and stability, China has actively mediated hotspot issues and has made great contributions to the improvement of the situation in Afghanistan and Myanmar.

The shared interests of the Asia-Pacific, home to more than half of the world's population, should never be used as a bargaining chip for individual countries and cliques to seek geopolitical gains. Addressing the challenges of the times, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a choppy economic recovery, fragile supply chains and social unrest in some parts of the region, requires solidarity and cooperation.

Meanwhile, the West, particularly Washington, is urged to stop fanning the flames of conflict, respect the will of other countries and their people, and make a positive contribution to regional stability and development. Up until now, regretfully, it has done none of these things. 
HANOI, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese government agreed on Wednesday to reopen borders for international tourism starting from March 15.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has given the nod to a proposal by ministries on the time of reopening tourism in the context of safe and flexible adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam News Agency cited a notice by the local government as reporting on Wednesday.

Dam requested competent authorities to urgently announce a detailed reopening plan for localities nationwide, as well as to propose visa issuance policy for international arrivals.

At a meeting held Tuesday, the tourism, health, foreign affairs and transport ministries proposed that the government resume the unilateral visa exemption policy for 13 countries and bilateral visa exemption regime for 88 countries and regions as prior to the pandemic.

Earlier, Vietnam decided to halt the visa exemption regime due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic since 2020.

According to the proposal, foreign tourists arriving in Vietnam will no longer need to book tour packages with designated travel agencies as per the ongoing vaccine passport trial program launched in November last year. Nearly 9,000 foreign arrivals had been welcomed under the program as of Feb. 10 this year.

International guests aged 12 and over must prove that they have been fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19, and show a negative test result as per requirements by local health authorities.

Under the proposal, international tourists are also required to pay 30 U.S. dollars per person on average to enjoy the insurance benefits worth 10,000 dollars for COVID-19 treatment in Vietnam.

The Southeast Asian country has removed all restrictions on the frequency of international flights starting Tuesday. In 2021, it welcomed just about 157,300 international arrivals, plunging 95.9 percent year-on-year, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the country's General Statistics Office. 
UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths speaks at a Security Council meeting on Yemen at the UN Headquarters in New York on Feb. 15, 2022. Martin Griffiths said Tuesday that the depletion of funds for humanitarian operations in Yemen will be a death sentence for those who rely on assistance for survival. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said Tuesday that the depletion of funds for humanitarian operations in Yemen will be a death sentence for those who rely on assistance for survival.

Apart from access and security impediments, the biggest challenge, by far, for aid agencies in Yemen is funding. The humanitarian operation, a lifeline for millions of people across Yemen and for these many years, is about to start doing a lot less, he told the Security Council in a briefing.

Aid agencies are quickly running out of money, forcing them to slash life-saving programs. By the end of January, nearly two-thirds of major UN aid programs had already scaled back or closed altogether. In December, the World Food Programme reduced food rations for 8 million people. Starting next month, those 8 million people may get no food at all, or just a reduced ration, said Griffiths.

In March, the United Nations may also have to cancel most humanitarian flights in Yemen due to a lack of funds. Such a move would cause enormous problems for the aid operation, and for the movement of UN staff, he warned.

Looming disruptions to water and sanitation services -- again for want of funds -- could soon deprive 3.6 million people of safe drinking water, putting them -- and especially children under 5 -- at greater risk of deadly diseases. Programs to combat gender-based violence and promote reproductive health are also on the chopping block, as are a range of critical activities in the health, shelter and other sectors, he said.

"This council has heard aid agencies warn about funding shortages in the past. I have listened to my predecessor in this council along these lines. But the scale of the current gaps is unprecedented in Yemen. We have never before contemplated giving millions of hungry people no food at all, or to suspend the flights that we need to get aid workers and supplies into, around and out of the country," said Griffiths.

"If these gaps aren't addressed, it will simply be a death sentence for people whose coping mechanisms in some cases are completely exhausted and who rely on assistance for their survival," he warned.

Griffiths said the governments of Sweden and Switzerland will co-host with the United Nations a high-level pledging event for Yemen on March 16. He implored all donors to use that opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the people of Yemen.

People's survival cannot rely only on the ebbs and flows of humanitarian funding cycles. A more sustainable approach is both necessary and achievable. The international community must come together to address the underlying drivers of need in Yemen, especially the collapsing economy, he said.

The UN economic framework for Yemen offers a path forward on this. It brings together initiatives that could make an immediate difference in boosting incomes, reducing prices and enhancing macro-economic stability, he said.

This includes foreign-exchange injections, which the government of Yemen is working hard with its partners to secure, as well as policy changes, like resuming civilian flights through Sanaa airport, lifting restrictions on commercial imports and using import revenues to pay public sector salaries.

"It pains me to refer again to these measures, which we have been wanting for so long, and for which we still wait. Paying those salaries will also help preserve basic services. Finding your way out of a crisis is nearly impossible if you're too sick, too hungry or undereducated to make your way in the world. Like economic support, preserving basic services is key to reducing humanitarian needs," he said.

Griffiths stressed that the best thing anyone could do for the people of Yemen would be to find a just, lasting end to the war.

More than 650 civilian casualties were reported in January. That means, on average, 21 civilians killed or injured every day by airstrikes, shelling, small-arms fire and other violence. It is, by far, the highest toll in at least three years, he said.

The recent escalation is the latest turn in a conflict that has now dragged on for seven years. Yemen has become a protracted crisis. A generation of children is growing up with no thought of other than war, he said. 
People look at a scene of bomb attacks in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Feb. 16, 2022. (Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua)

At least two people were killed and 16 others wounded after several explosions rocked Somali capital Mogadishu early Wednesday.



MOGADISHU, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and 16 others wounded after several explosions rocked Somali capital Mogadishu early Wednesday, the police and witnesses said.

Police Spokesperson Abdifitah Hassan Aden told reporters that a vehicle laden with explosive devices exploded at Darussalam neighborhood in Mogadishu, killing two women and injuring 16 others.

Aden said the terrorists later launched on Kahda police station and other locations across the capital, Mogadishu at around 1 a.m. before they were repulsed.

"Two women were killed and 16 others were injured in terrorist car bomb attack at Darusalam village west of Mogadishu. Our forces are still pursuing the terrorists," Aden told journalists in Mogadishu.

A man repairs damaged transmission lines at a scene of bomb attacks in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Feb. 16, 2022. (Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua)

He said al-Shabab militants attempted to attack Kahda district police station but the police forces resisted and pushed them back to the direction of Lower Shabelle.

The al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the latest attacks in Mogadishu.

The attacks came during the electioneering period in Somalia with the elections of lawmakers of the Lower House taking place in Mogadishu and across federal member states.

The terrorist group which has been fighting to overthrow the internationally-recognized government has vowed to disrupt the elections. The extremist group continues to stage attacks despite the allied forces having intensified security operations against it amid the national elections across the country. 
People are seen in front of Austria center, a vaccination center in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Guo Chen)

Early closing times for restaurants and bars will be lifted, and nightclubs will be allowed to reopen. However, mask-wearing will remain mandatory in high-risk areas such as hospitals and nursing homes.

VIENNA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Austria has announced plans to drop most of its COVID-19 restrictions from March 5, despite high infection numbers in recent days.

The Austrian government had already eased coronavirus restrictions earlier this month, saying the situation in the country's hospitals had stabilized due to the Omicron variant being relatively milder.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer told a news conference on Wednesday that as of March 5, entry requirements such as vaccination, recovery from the virus or a negative test result, as well as most other restrictions will be scrapped.

Early closing times for restaurants and bars will be lifted, and nightclubs will be allowed to reopen. However, mask-wearing will remain mandatory in high-risk areas such as hospitals and nursing homes.

People hold candles to mourn the victims of COVID-19 during an event in Vienna, Austria, Dec. 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Chen)

"We have not yet overcome the pandemic," Nehammer told Austrian broadcaster ORF, but he said that the situation is improving.

Daily infections in Austria have been hovering around 30,000 in recent weeks.

However, despite the relaxing of restrictions, Austria's health authorities said on Wednesday that they will stick to the vaccine mandate introduced in early February. This makes vaccination against COVID-19 compulsory for all adults in Austria.

"Vaccination is our way out of the pandemic," said health minister Wolfgang Mueckstein. "We must use the summer to vaccinate so that we are not surprised by a new variant in the fall."

Nevertheless, ORF reported that a commission of experts has been convened to review the suitability of the sweeping vaccine mandate, the first of its kind in any European Union country.

A child receives the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination station in Austria Center in Vienna, Austria, on Nov. 15, 2021. (Photo by Georges Schneider/Xinhua)
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani army has thwarted engineering work in Karabakh carried out by illegal Armenian armed units, Trend reported on February 15 quoting the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry.

Members of illegal Armenian armed units were observed conducting engineering activities disguised as agricultural work on Azerbaijani territory, where Russian peacekeepers were temporarily stationed, the report added.

"As a result of urgent measures taken by our units, these activities were immediately stopped," the ministry said.

In a separate report, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry denied allegations spread by Armenian media about the serious wounding of a member of an illegal Armenian armed unit as a result of alleged Azerbaijani army shelling.

The Armenian side has resorted to yet another provocation in order to cover up the atrocities committed by members of its illegal military groups, the ministry said.

About 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed for five years in Karabakh under the trilateral cease-fire deal signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan on November 10, 2020. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw all its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied since the early 1990s.

The trilateral ceasefire deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the three-decade conflict over Azerbaijans Karabakh region which along with the seven adjacent regions came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

The deal also stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the peace deal, Azerbaijan liberated 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city that had been under Armenian occupation for about 30 years.

On January 11, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed the second statement since the end of the 44-day war. The newly-signed statement was set to implement clause 9 of the November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region.

On November 26, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed a statement and agreed on a number of issues, including the demarcation and delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border by late 2021, some points related to humanitarian issues and the issue of unblocking of transport corridors which applies to the railway and to automobile communications.

On December 14, 2021, during the Brussels meeting, organized between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to the conditions agreed in the Sochi meeting.

Both sides agreed to establish a temporary working group on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The issue of demining the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was also brought up on the agenda, and the European Union's readiness to provide technical assistance to Azerbaijan in this regard was underlined at the meeting.
The China-Europe cagro train arrives at Paris, France, June 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Xu Yongchun)

In the new year, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, China and France should keep up with the positive, healthy and upward trajectory, adhere to the principle of mutual respect and equality, strengthen dialogue and exchanges at all levels, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and push for new achievements in bilateral cooperation.

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Wednesday agreed to deepen cooperation between China and France, as well as to advance China-EU relations.

In a telephone conversation in the afternoon, Macron conveyed new spring greetings to Xi and the Chinese people for the Year of the Tiger, and extended congratulations on the splendid and successful opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Noting that it is a quite demanding task for China to host the event as scheduled under the current circumstances, he said the French side has always supported and will continue to fully support the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The Chinese president extended new spring greetings to Macron and the French people, and offered congratulations on the achievements of French athletes.

Xi pointed out that the fact that the Beijing Winter Olympics has unfolded smoothly as scheduled demonstrates that the international community yearns for peace, unity and progress.

The Olympic delegation of France parade into the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)

He recalled that in 2021 he and Macron held two phone conversations, attended two China-France-Germany video summits, and actively promoted the development of bilateral ties.

Those efforts have yielded fruitful results, he said, noting that bilateral trade exceeded 80 billion U.S. dollars last year, and China's total imports of agricultural products from France increased by 40 percent year on year.

The first China-France seminars on artificial intelligence and agri-tech cooperation were held in succession, and the first guidelines for collecting joint laboratory projects were released as scheduled, he added, pointing out that all those efforts were of pioneering significance.

In the new year, Xi said, China and France should keep up with the positive, healthy and upward trajectory, adhere to the principle of mutual respect and equality, strengthen dialogue and exchanges at all levels, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and push for new achievements in bilateral cooperation.

He noted that since taking over the rotating EU presidency this year, France has made quite some efforts to enhance solidarity within the bloc and strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy.

Xi said he has repeatedly stressed that China and the EU should uphold a correct understanding of each other, and stick to mutual respect, dialogue and cooperation, and mutual benefit.

The two sides should work together to build the greatest common ground and steer China-EU relations towards new development, he added.

People visit the France Exhibition Area in the Fashion Life Exhibition Hall of the first China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, May 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

China, he said, stands ready to work with France to make a success of the China-EU leaders' meeting and the new round of high-level dialogues on strategic, economic and trade, green, digital and people-to-people affairs, and advance the ratification and implementation of the China-EU investment agreement, so as to bring tangible benefits to the people on both sides.

Macron said that as the current international situation is fraught with tension and turbulence, such a backdrop has strengthened France's hope to deepen its comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

France, he added, is satisfied with the major achievements the two countries have made over recent years in bilateral cooperation in such fields as technology, agriculture, aviation and nuclear energy.

He said his country is ready to work with China to explore ways to overcome the impact of COVID-19, strengthen personnel exchanges, enhance friendship and mutual trust, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

During its EU presidency in the first half of this year, France will make every effort to advance the positive agenda between the EU and China, and work with China to ensure the success of the EU-China leaders' meeting and push forward the development of EU-China relations, he added.

The French president also expressed his hope for progress in the ratification and implementation of the EU-China investment agreement.

The two heads of state reached multiple important agreements on bilateral cooperation for the next stage.

First, push for early implementation of cooperation on agricultural technology and between agricultural industries with local advantages. The Chinese side encourages more French agrifood enterprises that meet China's requirements to register in China.

Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua and French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire attend the closing ceremony of the fourth meeting of the Chinese-French council of entrepreneurs after co-chairing the eighth China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue via video link on Dec. 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Second, deepen the China-France green manufacturing partnership initiative and each provide a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory business environment for enterprises from the other country.

Third, support more French banks and financial infrastructure in joining the RMB Cross-Border Interbank Payment System. The Chinese side will review in a positive manner French banks' applications for financial qualifications in accordance with relevant procedures and standards.

Fourth, support aviation enterprises of the two countries in deepening cooperation in various forms, and promote mutual airworthiness certification for aircraft.

Fifth, accelerate the implementation of the list of the fourth batch of demonstration projects in third-party market cooperation.

Sixth, hold the space and cyber sub-group meetings of the China-France Strategic Dialogue at an early date, carry out polar and maritime dialogues, and strengthen military dialogue and exchanges at all levels.

Macron presented his view on the current situation in Ukraine.

Xi stressed that related parties should stick to the general direction of political settlement, make full use of multilateral platforms including the Normandy format, and seek a comprehensive settlement of the Ukraine issue through dialogue and consultation.

The two sides also exchanged views on other issues of mutual concern. 
BAGHDAD, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi security forces on Wednesday killed three militants of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group in the provinces of Salahudin and Diyala, security sources said.

In Salahudin province north of Baghdad, the security forces, backed by the Iraqi air force, carried out an operation in Himreen mountain range, killing two IS militants and destroying three of their hideouts, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

In the eastern province of Diyala, the Iraqi jet fighters bombed an IS hideout in the Wadi-Thlab area northeast of the provincial capital Baquba, destroying the hideout and killing an IS militant inside, Maj. Alaa al-Saadi from the provincial police told Xinhua.

Over the past few months, Iraqi security forces have carried out deadly attacks against IS militants to crackdown their intensified activities.

The security situation in Iraq has improved after Iraqi forces defeated the IS in 2017. Yet IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. 
JERUSALEM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Sheba Medical Center, the largest hospital in Israel, on Wednesday announced it will conduct a study on a new COVID-19 vaccine against the Omicron variant and other future variants.

It is a Pfizer-sponsored study developed in collaboration with Sheba, and approved by the regulatory health authorities, including the Israeli Ministry of Health.

The study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a higher dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (60 micrograms), the companies' investigational Omicron-based vaccine (60 micrograms), and a combination of both vaccines (30 micrograms each, and 15 micrograms each) given as a fourth dose for adults 60-years-of-age and older.

Sheba will thus serve as the first clinical trial site outside of the United States for the Omicron-tailored vaccine.

About 200 people will enroll in the trial, all of whom have already received three doses of the existing vaccine, the most recent of which was over four months prior to the enrollment.

"This trial is extremely important as the world continues to deal with and battle these variants and perhaps others in the future", said Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the infection prevention and control unit at Sheba.

"Vaccinations are the only way to roll back the global coronavirus pandemic," she added. 
China's Ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingqiao (2nd R) attends a ceremony on the issuance of a series of stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries at the Postal Palace in the historic center of the capital Mexico City, Mexico, Feb. 14, 2022.(Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

Mexico and China jointly issued a series of stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Various events have been held in Mexico to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mexico.

The Mexican Senate Monday celebrated bilateral ties with an event attended by various Mexican authorities, legislators and academics, as well as Chinese diplomats.

Mexico and China continue to endorse "a mutual commitment of loyalty and trust" after half a century of diplomatic relations, said Olga Sanchez Cordero, president of the Mexican Senate, when addressing the event.

"The 50 years of diplomatic relations are only the beginning of building the future together as fraternal countries," she said. "Today, the strength of our relationship is evident, which allows us to continue deepening it."

For his part, China's Ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingqiao said that regardless of changes in the international landscape over the 50 years, both countries "have always moved forward hand in hand in the correct direction," leading to political mutual trust that "has continuously deepened."

"The two countries have established comprehensive, multi-level and wide-ranging exchange and cooperation, achieving more than 80 major cooperation agreements," he said, adding that economic and trade cooperation between China and Mexico has expanded.

As part of the celebration, both in-person and virtual, a photography exhibition was inaugurated in the Senate's main courtyard, highlighting key meetings over the past half century which strengthened the friendly relations.

Moreover, a book titled "50 years of Diplomatic Relations between Mexico and China: Past, Present and Future" was presented after the event during the ordinary legislative session. The book was published by the Center for China-Mexico Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Belisario Dominguez Institute of the Mexican Senate.

On the same day, Mexico and China jointly issued a series of stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and a ceremony on the issuance was held at the Postal Palace in the historic center of the capital Mexico City.

The stamps showcase two historical and cultural landmarks: the Dengfeng Observatory in China's Henan Province, and the Pyramid of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza, Mexico.

"Both were astronomical observatories, which show the high level of development of ancient astronomy in the two countries, while representing a vivid portrait of the long history and splendid cultures of both countries and reflecting the cultures' similarities regarding respecting nature," Zhu said at the ceremony.

Director General of the Mexican Postal Service Rocio Barcena told Xinhua that the two historical landmarks selected spotlight the millennial cultures of China and Mexico, and the invaluable ancestral heritage, and that the issuance of joint stamp series "is a very significant act of friendship and consolidation of our relations."

China-Mexico diplomatic relations were established on Feb. 14, 1972 before being upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2013. 
MANILA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,671 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 3,644,597.

The DOH said 77 more people died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the country's death toll to 55,223, with six testing laboratories failing to submit data.

The number of patients ill with the highly contagious disease dipped to 68,829 from Tuesday's 72,305. The country's positivity rate also dropped to 9.6 percent from 10.4 percent the previous day.

The Philippines has no plans to scrap the wearing of face masks outdoors even if the COVID-19 infections decline, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said Wednesday.

The country is crafting new guidelines should the government decide next month to lower the COVID-19 alert level to 1, the lowest on a scale of 5.

Presidential adviser on COVID-19 response Vivencio Dizon has earlier said the "new normal roadmap" will aid the country exit the pandemic.

"This will signal our move towards some semblance of normalcy after this very difficult two-year where we have dealt with the pandemic," Dizon told President Rodrigo Duterte during a meeting late on Monday night.

He added the "new normal roadmap" signals the return to the robust and healthy growth of the economy that will create jobs, bring back investments, and normalize the operation of many industries and the tourism sector.

The Philippines has seen four COVID-19 waves since the pandemic began in January 2020. The country reported the highest single-day tally on Jan. 15, 2022, at 39,004 new cases.

The Philippines, which has around 110 million population, has tested over 26 million people since the virus emerged. 
by Dames Alexander Sinaga

JAKARTA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government has allowed vaccinated children aged six to 12 to enter all shopping centers and recreational places in the region of capital Jakarta starting from Tuesday.

However, the children are required to show proofs that they have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and they must be accompanied by parents.

With COVID-19 restrictions still in place in Jakarta, malls, playgrounds for kids and recreational areas are now allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity to try to keep the economy moving amid the current surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant of the virus.

With a four-tier COVID-19 restriction policy in place in the Southeast Asian country, the government is currently imposing the level-3 curbs in Greater Jakarta.

The peak of the third wave of COVID-19 is starting to pass in Jakarta, with the numbers of daily cases, active cases and hospitalizations beginning to fall, according to Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

"If (a person) has been vaccinated twice, has been given a booster, has no comorbidities, just go out for a walk. There's nothing to worry about too much," the minister told an online media briefing on Monday, calling on the public to continue implementing health protocols.

To date, the country has recorded over 4.9 million COVID-19 cases with more than 145,000 deaths.

On Monday, Indonesia's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the number of hospitalized patients in the current wave was 30 to 40 percent of the second wave which hit the country in July and August last year. More than half of those hospitalized were also either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.

The minister also said deaths from COVID-19 have decreased in the country.

Like many other countries in Asia, Indonesia is accelerating its vaccinations for the public. In the country, more than 188 million people have received their first dose, and over 136 million have taken their second dose.

Indonesia started mass COVID-19 vaccinations in January last year after the authorities approved the emergency use of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine.

Aiming to fully vaccinate 208.2 million people in the country, the government has so far administered over 332 million doses, including the third booster jabs. 
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia recorded 22,133 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight Tuesday, bringing the total tally to 3,083,683, according to the health ministry.

Among the newly reported cases are 80 imported cases and 22,053 local transmissions, showed data released on the ministry's website.

A further 31 deaths were reported from the pandemic, bringing the death toll to 32,180.

The ministry reported 7,584 new recoveries, bringing the total number of people recovered from COVID-19 and discharged to 2,868,538 in the country.

There are 182,965 active cases currently in the Southeast Asian country, with 194 of them in intensive care and 120 of them in need of assisted breathing.

The country reported 154,776 vaccine doses were administered on Tuesday and that 80.7 percent of the population have received at least one dose, 78.8 percent are fully vaccinated and 41.3 percent have received their third dose. 
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Boeing announced on Tuesday that the company and Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency signed project agreements that create a data exchange infrastructure to enable collaborative data analysis for Singapore Air Force's F-15SG aircraft.

The data exchange pipeline will store and facilitate the analysis of supply chain data for the F-15SG aircraft fleet, to develop predictive maintenance actions that will enhance the operational readiness, the announcement said.

"Data analytics are just one part of our growing digital ecosystem of innovative services," said Ted Colbert, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Global Services. 
Before the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Singh had threatened to field HYV candidates against BJP nominees. (Photo Credit: Facebook/Sunil Singh)

New Delhi:

Former chief of Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) Sunil Singh on Saturday joined the Samajwadi Party in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Sunil Singh, who was once widely known as Yogi Adityanaths right hand at least till he became Uttar Pradesh chief minister, was expelled from the HYV, formed by Adityanath in 2002, on charges of indiscipline in 2017. He later created Hindu Yuva Vahini (Bharat) along with several other HYV rebels and declared himself as its president.

On the induction of Sunil Singh, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, The days of the Adityanath government are numbered and the countdown has already begun.

The former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav said that the workers of HYV were with SP now and that they would unmask the real intentions of the BJP. He also accused the BJP government of slapping cases against opposition leaders for protesting against its policies.

Earlier, HYV was founded to promote Hindutva and nationalism and it went on to play a crucial role in Adityanaths increasing cult in Uttar Pradesh.

The strains between BJP and HYV became apparent when HYV members sought to contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017, a demand which was earlier rejected by the BJP.

Also Read: Uttar Pradesh bypoll results: BJP wins back Kairana, Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats

Just before the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Singh had threatened to field HYV candidates against BJP nominees to protest the denial of tickets and thus, was removed from the Hindu outfit.

Singh's proximity to the Samajwadi party started growing after he was also slapped with the National Security Act and was jailed for his alleged involvement in violence at Gorakhpur in 2018.

Also Read: BJPS Ravi Kishan wins Gorakhpur seat, defeats SP's Rambhual Nishad by 3,01,664 votes

He wanted to file his nomination for the 2019 Lok Sabha election from the Gorakhpur constituency as a candidate of the Hindustan Nirman Dal launched by Pravin Togadia, the former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader. However, the district magistrate and returning officer of Gorakhpur K Vijayendra Pandian ordered the cancellation of his nomination on technical grounds, prompting Singh to allege that it was done at the behest of Adityanath.

(With PTI inputs)
aThe news of @AzmiShabana Jias injury in an accident is distressing. I pray for her quick recovery,a Modi tweeted. (Photo Credit: File)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed his concern and prayed for Shabana Azmis quick recovery after the veteran actor and another person were injured in an accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in Maharashtra's Raigad district earlier in the day.

Azmi was rushed to MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai and was said to be out of danger, said a police official. Her husband and lyricist Javed Akhtar, who was traveling with her, escaped unhurt.

The news of @AzmiShabana Jis injury in an accident is distressing. I pray for her quick recovery, Modi tweeted.

The news of @AzmiShabana Jis injury in an accident is distressing. I pray for her quick recovery.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 18, 2020

The incident took place near Khalapur, over 60 km from Mumbai, when the Tata Safari car in which they were traveling to Pune rammed into a truck, said Raigad Superintendent of Police Anil Paraskar.

A local police official said the car driver was apparently trying to overtake another vehicle and rammed into the truck.

One more person who was travelling in the car sustained minor injuries, he said. His identity was not known yet.

Azmi's spokesperson said the actor was undergoing a check-up. "She is fine, nothing to worry about," the spokesperson added.

Javed Akhtar celebrated his 75th birthday on Friday.

"Shabana Azmi injured in road accident on Mumbai-Pune Expressway OMG! Praying so hard," actor Swara Bhaskar tweeted.

Azmi is known for her path-breaking roles in films such as "Arth", "Ankur", "Paar", "Masoom" and "Godmother".

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By Trend

Rabbi Mendel Weinfeld of the Chabad House-Almaden Valley synagogue in the US (San Jose, California) thanked Azerbaijan for supporting the reconstruction of the synagogue, Trend reports referring to Jewish News of Northern California.

On January 27, the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev informed about the donation of funds to the reconstruction of the mentioned synagogue which was destroyed by the fire on December 22.

The consul general expressed hope for the speedy reopening of the building.

According to Aghayev, he learned about the fire after seeing the photos on social media and was connected with Rabbi Mendel Weinfeld.

In a phone talk with the consul general, Weinfeld expressed his gratitude for the donation.

Its a very powerful message that regardless of faith or affiliation, we are, after all, human beings created in the image of God, and this gift from Azerbaijan is an incredible expression of this core belief, Weinfeld said.
Kashmiri Pandits stage a demonstration to demand their participation in decisions regarding their return to the valley. (Photo Credit: IANS)

Jammu:

The 21-year-old Ritik Jotshi was among a group of Kashmiri Pandits who have joined a peaceful sit in outside Raj Bhavan in Jammu to mark the completion of their 30 years in exile. The protest was part of the holocaust day which is being observed by the displaced community who were forced to flee from Kashmir to Jammu and other states in the early 90s soon after the outbreak of militancy.

Chanting high pitch slogans in support of the demand for their return and rehabilitation in the valley, Jotshi whose family migrated from their ancestral Brahman Mohalla village in Anantnag district of south Kashmir is hopeful of making it back to his village with dignity.

This is for the first time that I am joining the protest here. We want the government to come out with a roadmap for our return and rehabilitation in the valley without further delay, he told PTI.

Jotshi said he had visited his ancestral village for a few days after his birth in Jammu but the desire in my heart to live in my land remains alive.

The government needs to look into the plight of Kashmiri Pandits on humanitarian grounds and ensure our return and rehabilitation, he said.

Joining him in highlighting the demand, Akash Pandit of Shopian and Amit Koul of Ashmuqam, who were also in their 20s, said the community wants justice as successive governments have only made promises and done nothing concrete to ensure their return to the land of their ancestors.

Sunandan Handoo, another youth, however, demanded a probe commission to look into the atrocities on the community leading to their exodus and strict punishment to those responsible.

The protest was organised by All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC), whose delegation led by its president Ravinder Raina later submitted a memorandum to the Lt Governor G C Murmu, highlighting various demands with special thrust for return and rehabilitation in their homeland.

Several pandit organisations organised separate functions to commemorate the 'holocaust day'

Apart from the ASKPC, several other pandit organisations including the All Party Migrant Coordination Committee (APMCC), Panun Kashmir, All India Pandit Conference (AIPC) and All Displaced KP United Forum organised separate functions to commemorate the holocaust day.

The day also marked a campaign #HumWapasAayenge on social media by the community, pledging to return home after 30 years of exile.

We request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Lt Governor to address all our issues related to social, economic and political rights. There is also a need to set a time frame for our return and rehabilitation in the valley, APMCC chairman Vinod Pandita said.

Raina said the community has entered into 31st year of exile and living as refugees in their own country. KPs have been cheated by hollow promises of return and rehabilitation by all successive governments.

Government after taking into confidence the community leaders, should come out with a blueprint for resettlement of community at one place in Kashmir with political empowerment and economic rehabilitation, till then community be declared as internally displaced, he said.

Convenor, Panun Kashmir, Agnishekhar said this year the holocaust day was observed in the backdrop of historical and epochal decisions taken by the Union government with regards to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and amendment in Citizenship Act which have reestablished the faith of entire exiled Hindus of Kashmir.

The pain and agony of forced displacement has left indelible marks on the psyche of Hindus of Kashmir and last 30 years have added to our festering wounds, he said.

He expressed hope that after abrogation of special status of J&K on August 5 last and amendments in Citizenship Act, the Centre would address the pain and agony suffered by Hindus of Kashmir for last 30 years.

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The Kerala Governor said that the Constitution has to be upheld. (Photo Credit: Twitter/@KeralaGovernor)

New Delhi:

Upset after state government moved to the Supreme Court against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Sunday said that he would not remain a "mute spectator" and would ensure the law of the land is upheld.

"The Constitution has to be upheld and this is not a personal fight," khan, who arrived from Bengaluru, told reporters here on Sunday evening. "I will not sit like a mute spectator... will ensure that the rules and law are upheld", he added.

The Governor took strong exception to the state government's decision to challenge the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) "without consulting" him and sought a report from the Chief Secretary.

On Tuesday, Kerala became first Indian state to challenge the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act in the Supreme Court. In it's plea, the Kerala government said that the Citizenship Act is in violation of Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the Constitution of India as well as against the basic principle of secularism. The petition was filed under Article 131.

Also Read | Citizenship Act Will Have To Be Implemented In States: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan

Following the move, the turf war between the Kerala Governor and state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came out in open. Khan publicly expressed his displeasure over the state government's plea against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

"I have no issue with them going to Supreme Court but they should have informed me first. I being constitutional head come to know about it through newspapers. Clearly, I am not just a rubber stamp," Khan was quoted as saying.

Fuming over the state government's decision, Khan added, "This is breach of protocol and breach of courtesy. I will look into it whether the state government can go to the Supreme Court without the approval of the Governor. If not the approval, they could have just informed me."

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Kia Motorsa manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh has an installed production capacity to roll out 3 lakh units per annum on a three shift basis. (Photo Credit: File)

Hyderabad:

South Korean automaker Kia Motors plans to keep rolling out new models at regular intervals in India as it aims to fully utilise its current installed production capacity of 3 lakh units by March 2022, a senior company official said. The company, which has got to a flying start in the country with its first product Seltos, aims to bring in two more models this year.

It will drive in luxury multi purpose vehicle Carnival at Auto Expo, followed by a compact SUV later during the year.

Similarly, the company would also look at bringing in two more products next year as well.

We have already stated that we will keep introducing a new model every six months. Our first goal right now is to fully exhaust the installed production capacity, Kia Motors India Head Marketing and Sales Manohar Bhat told PTI.

It should take around 4-5 models from the companys stables to achieve the target in 2022, he added.

Kia Motors manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh has an installed production capacity to roll out 3 lakh units per annum on a three shift basis.

The company is currently running two shifts at the plant.

Kia to create a new segment with Carnvial

Commenting on Carnival, which was showcased here, Bhat said the company would be creating a new segment with the model.

Carnival is going to be our flagship model in India. There is no product like it in the country right now. It would meet the evolving needs of elite customers in the country, Bhatt said.

Carnival will be powered by a 2.2 litre diesel engine with a claimed fuel efficiency of 13.9 km per litre.

We will redefine the market place with this product as well as we did with Seltos. It will have BS-VI compliant engine right from the start, Bhat said.

When asked to comment on sales expectations from the model, he added that the company is not looking at it from volume point of view, but wants to showcase its prowess in terms of quality and luxury.

The compact SUV model, which would be showcased at the Auto Expo and launched later during the year, would be more of a volume cruncher for the company, he added.

On sales network expansion, Bhat said the company is already present at 265 touchpoints across 160 cities.

Kia is now trying to consolidate in regions where it currently lags in terms of presence, he added.
The Queen met her grandson, Prince Harry, for face-to-face talks and discussed the future roles for him. (Photo Credit: Reuters)

New Delhi:

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have agreed to give up their royal titles and stop receiving public funds as part of a settlement with the Queen. "Following many months of conversations and more recent discussions, I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family," Queen Elizabeth II said in a statement.

"I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life."

Her comments referred to battles with the media that prompted Harry and Meghan -- known until now as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex -- to sue several newspapers over intrusions into their private lives.

Queen Elizabeth II holds talks with her grandson

On Monday, Britains Queen Elizabeth II agreed to offer Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle a period of transition during which the couple can divide their time between the UK and Canada.

After her first face-to-face talks with her grandson and senior members of the royal family at the 93-year-old monarchs Sandringham estate in Norfolk, Buckingham Palace issued a statement, saying as the transition period kicks in right away, the complex matter of the couples future roles will be fleshed out in the coming days.

The queens announcement is her second on the royal crisisdubbed Megxit in honour of Britains painful battle over Brexitahead of Harry and Meghans effective resignation on March 8.

We have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution, the couple said at the time.

We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America.

Meghan then jetted back to Canada and is now their with their son Archie.

Their announcement caught the royal family by surprise and created a media sensation in both Britain and the wider world.

Their treatment by Londons hard-hitting tabloid press and their personal futureas well as questions about longstanding royal traditionshave turned into daily front-page news.

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Shiekh Hasina, who is in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, also said that there has been no recorded reverse migration from India. (Photo Credit: Twitter)

New Delhi:

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday termed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as internal matters of India, but at the same time said the act was not necessary. "We don't understand why (the Indian government) did it. It was not necessary," Hasina told the Gulf News in an interview.

According to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and face religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

President Ram Nath Kovind had given assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, turning it into an Act.

Shiekh Hasina, who is in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, also said that there has been no recorded reverse migration from India.

No, there is no reverse migration from India. But within India, people are facing many problems, she said.

"(Still), it is an internal affair, Hasina said.

"Bangladesh has always maintained that the CAA and NRC are internal matters of India, Hasina said. The Government of India, on their part, has also repeatedly maintained that the NRC is an internal exercise of India and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has in person assured me of the same during my visit to New Delhi in October 2019.

India says our internal matter

India has reached out to countries across the world, including Bangladesh, on the issues of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

"We have explained our position to the Bangladesh government on the NRC. We said this is an internal matter, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

"We did reach out to countries across the globe on Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC," Kumar said at a media briefing.

"We emphasised that the Act (CAA) just expedites acquiring of citizenship to persecuted minorities. It does not change basic structure of Constitution," he said.

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New York:

Volcanic activity in India's Deccan Traps, previously thought to have contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs, did not play a role in their die-off, according to a study which suggests meteorite impact alone led to the death of the ancient reptiles. While scientists had earlier focused on the role of volcanoes in causing the K-Pg mass extinction event which killed the dinosaurs, the current study, published in the journal Science, noted that volcanic gas release happened well before the space rock impact.

"Volcanoes can drive mass extinctions because they release lots of gases, like sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), that can alter the climate and acidify the world. But recent work has focused on the timing of lava eruption rather than gas release," said Pincelli Hull, lead author of the new study from Yale University. According to the study, the environmental impacts from massive volcanic eruptions in India's Deccan Traps happened well before the K-Pg event, 66 million years ago, and did not contribute to the dinosaur extinction.

To make this discovery, the scientists pinpointed the timing of volcanic gas emission by assessing global temperature change, and the levels of carbon atom variants in marine fossils from this time period. They compared these findings with models simulating the effect of CO2 release on the climate of this time. Based on their analysis, they said most of the gas release happened well before the asteroid impact -- and that the asteroid was the sole driver of extinction.

"Volcanic activity in the late Cretaceous caused a gradual global warming event of about two degrees, but not mass extinction. A number of species moved toward the North and South poles but moved back well before the asteroid impact," Michael Henehan, another co-author of the study. "A lot of people have speculated that volcanoes mattered to K-Pg, and we're saying, 'No, they didn't,'" Hull Added.

Also Read: NASAs Hubble Telescope Views Galaxy NGC 1803 From Famous Catalog

However, the researchers said the Deccan Traps volcanic eruptions may have played a role in reshaping the planet's ecosystems post the dinosaur extinction. "When combined with other lines of evidence, these models support an impact-driven extinction. However, volcanic gases may have played a role in shaping the rise of different species after the extinction event," they wrote in the study.

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New Delhi:

The BJP is set to get its new national president in place of Amit Shah on Monday, with its working president J P Nadda expected to be elected to the post unopposed. Top party leaders, including Union ministers and those from states, are likely to arrive at the BJP headquarters to file nominations in support of Nadda, who has long been seen as the choice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah for the job.

Naddas decades-long experience in the organisation, starting from student politics, proximity to the RSS and clean image are seen as his strengths. Shah held a meeting with senior party leaders, including several Union ministers and chief ministers of the party-ruled states, on Sunday evening.

Also Read: 'Nobody Will Be Spared': Bengal BJP Chief Again Says People Damaging Public Property Will Be Shot

Though there was no official communication about what transpired, sources said the party leaders deliberated over the details of the election exercise. Senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh, who is in charge of the partys organisational poll process, said that nominations for the national presidents election will be filed on January 20, and a contest will take place the next day if required.?

The BJP has the convention of electing its president with consensus and without any contest, and there is little possibility that it will be any other way this time.

The election of a new president will bring to end incumbent Shahs tenure of over five-and-a-half years during which the BJP expanded its footprints across the country like never before and enjoyed its best phase in electoral contests despite suffering a few setbacks in state polls.

With Shah joining the Modi 2.0 government as home minister, the BJP began the exercise for electing his successor as the party has the convention of one person, one post. Nadda was appointed as the partys working president in July last year in an indication that the Himachal Pradesh leader was the likely choice for the top organisational job.

Also Read: Delhi Assembly Elections: BJP Names 57 Candidates As Vijender Gupta, Kapil Mishra Get Tickets- Full List

In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he was in-charge of the BJPs election campaign in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, where the party faced a tough challenge from the grand alliance of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The party won 62 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Having risen through the saffron ranks, Nadda has long been a member of the BJP parliamentary board, its highest decision making body. He had served as a minister in the first Modi government.

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SDPI members were detained immediately after they started protesting near the venue of Amit Shahas rally. (Photo Credit: Screengrab)

New Delhi:

Tight security arrangements have been made for Union Home Minister and BJP chief Amit Shahs pro-CAA rally in Hubli, Karnataka on Saturday. Despite this, black balloons were spotted at the venue. This forced security officials into action who are trying to ascertain from where these balloons came and who all were behind the act. Also, the city police has detained at least 20 Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Hubli. The members of the political outfit were detained immediately after they started protesting near the venue of Shahs rally.

Amit Shah is scheduled to address a huge rally at Hubli as part of the party's nationwide outreach programme over the Citizenship Amendment Act. More than one lakh people are expected to attend Shah's rally in Hubli, BJP state general secretary Mahesh Tenginkai told reporters.

Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Anurag Singh Thakur will also address rallies

Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Anurag Singh Thakur will also address a couple of rallies in the state in favour of CAA, the party said.

While Thakur, who is the Union Minister of State for Finance, will address rallies on January 11 at Belagavi and Chikkodi, Joshi, who is Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, will address rallies at Kalaburagi and Yadgir on January 11 and in Raichur district on January 12.

Tenginkai claimed thousands of party workers have already knocked on the doors of as many as 4.65 lakh houses spread across 253 mandals and 21,000 booths as part of the outreach programme.

"There has been a tremendous response. Remaining 37,000 booths will be covered in the next coming days," he added.

Ravi Kumar, another general secretary, said elected members of the party starting from gram panchayats, to MLAs, MLCs and MPs have been directed to stay put in their respective constituencies and visit 100 houses on January 11 and 12 in a special effort to reach out to all sections and strata of society.

"In order to further intensify our campaign, we have planned bike rallies by Yuva Morcha workers in taluk headquarters, Bharat Mata Poojan by Mahila Morcha workers and intellectuals meet in district headquarters," a BJP statement said, quoting him.

With PTI Inputs

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New Delhi:

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that he opposes the idea of an unlimited term in office for the countrys leader like the system that existed in the Soviet Union. Putins comment at a meeting with World War II veterans in St. Petersburg came days after he called for constitutional changes that could help him remain in power once his presidential term ends in 2024.

When a veteran at Saturdays meeting proposed not having term limits for Russias president, Putin responded that it would be very disturbing to return to the situation of the mid-1980s, with the leaders of the state, one by one, staying in power until the end of their days.

There has been uncertainty about Russias future political course since Putin suggested in his Wednesday state-of-the-nation address amending the constitution to allow lawmakers to name prime ministers and Cabinet members. The president currently holds the authority to make those appointments.

Observers speculated that after increasing the powers of parliament and the Cabinet and curtailing presidential authority, Putin might repeat a strategy he used before to stay in charge - shifting into the prime ministers seat. Putin first became president in 2000, and moved to the prime ministers office in 2008 when constitutional limits prevented him from seeking a third term.

His chosen successor as president, Dmitry Medvedev, was widely seen as less influential than Putin. Medvedev, who became prime minister after Putin returned to the presidency, submitted his resignation Wednesday after Putin outlined his constitutional proposals. Putin named the head of the national tax service, a technocrat unlikely to chart an independent course, as the new premier.

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Rahul Gandhi, who in 2019 general elections lost from his family bastion of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, had won from the Wayanad seat in Kerala. (Photo Credit: File Photo)

New Delhi:

Days after calling Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a fifth-generation dynast, historian Ramchandra Guha, in a series of tweets on Sunday tried to rest the ongoing controversy. In an eight-tweet thread, Guha said, it was patronising of him to chastise the Malayalis for electing Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad. Ramachandra Guha had called Rahul Gandhi a fifth-generation dynast and went on to say that Gandhi has no chance in Indian politics against a "hard-working and self-made" Narendra Modi, and Kerala did a disastrous thing by electing the Congress leader to Parliament.

Rahul Gandhi, who in 2019 general elections lost from his family bastion of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, had won from the Wayanad seat in Kerala.

His series of tweets came after parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor wrote, "Thanks for the clarification, @Ram_Guha. I'm sure you aren't elevating PM's capacity for hard work above its actual divisive consequences for the nation! Whatever you think about @RahulGandhi, he embodies an alternative vision of India that many millions support in resisting BJP.

In response Ramachandra Guha wrote, "In view of the kerfuffle (to use a Tharoorian term) caused by the slanted and selective PTI report on my #KLF speech, a thread stating/restating my views on Rahul, Modi, Hindutva and India (sic)."

Rahul Gandhi's "lack of focus and administrative experience and, most importantly, his being a fifth generation dynast are a great disadvantage," he added.

"That said, I have been for many years a sharp critic of Modi's policies, as in my columns in @httweets and @ttindia (sic)," he tweeted.

What Ramchandra Guha said against Rahul Gandhi

Addressing the crowd, full of Keralites, he said, Kerala, you have done many wonderful things for India, but one of the disastrous thing you did was to elect Rahul Gandhi to the parliament.

Narendra Modi's great advantage is that he is not Rahul Gandhi. He is self-made. He has run a state for 15 years, he has an administrative experience, he is incredibly hard working and he never takes holidays in Europe. Believe me I am saying all this in all seriousness, he said.

But, even if Rahul Gandhi was "much more intelligent, more hard-working, never took a holiday in Europe, as a fifth generation dynast he still will be at a disadvantage against a self-made person", the 61-year-old author said.

He took on Congress president Sonia Gandhi too who, he said, reminded him of the late Mughal dynasty and how aloof they were of the state of their kingdom.

India is becoming more democratic and less feudal, and the Gandhis just don't realise this. You (Sonia) are in Delhi, your kingdom is shrinking more and more but still your chamchas (sycophants) are telling you that you are still the badshah, he said.

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By Trend

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian reviewed the latest round of nuclear talks in Vienna and the outcomes of the visit of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Monday, Trend reports citing IRNA.

According to Russia's Foreign Ministry, during the phone conversation, the two foreign ministers reviewed the agreements made between the two countries during the recent visit of President Ebrahim Raisi to Russia and his meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

They also exchanged views on the latest developments regarding the ongoing talks in the Austrian capital, Vienna, between Iran and the 4+1 group of countries, namely Russia, China, France, Germany and the UK as well as the EU representative, around Iran's nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which focuses on removal of the US anti-Iran sanctions.

Amirabdollahian and Lavrov elaborated on the remarkable progress made in this regard.
Residents of Athar village participated in human chain formation on boats in Gandak river in Muzaffarpur. (Photo Credit: PTI File)

New Delhi:

Taking a potshot at the human chain formation in Muzaffarpur under Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumars flagship programme, Jal, Jeevan, Hariyali', RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday said school children were forced to stand in long queues without slippers and many had fallen ill. The former deputy CM claimed that a school teacher in Darbhanga's Keoti had also died.

Tejashwi Yadav, RJD: School children were forced to stand in long queues without slippers due to which many have fallen ill. A school teacher in Darbhanga's Keoti has also died. This is only because of the arrogance of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. https://t.co/HZg4V349xW pic.twitter.com/N6xuyvvlzU  ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2020

Earlier, residents of Athar village participated in human chain formation on boats in Gandak river in Muzaffarpur in support of CM Nitish Kumars flagship programme, Jal, Jeevan, Hariyali. The programme is aimed at fighting climate change and social evils.

Tejashwi Yadav added, When there were floods, no helicopter was in sight but for video recording of human chain formations, 15-16 helicopters were used. So much money has been wasted over it.

Also Read: Nitish Kumar Says No To NRC In Bihar As He Calls For CAA Debate In State Assembly

Jal-Jeevan Hariyali Abhiyaan was launched by CM Nitish Kumar on the occasion of Bihar Prithvi divas on August 9.

As a part of the statewide initiative by the government, the human chain was organised to showcase its environment conservation drive besides social reform measures like prohibition and campaigns against dowry and child marriage.

In Patna, chief minister Nitish Kumar, flanked by his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and other dignitaries, stood holding hands at the Gandhi Maidan, where the participants formed a pattern resembling the map of Bihar.

Also Read: NPR Updation To Start From May 15 In Bihar, Says Sushil Modi, Warns Officials Of 'Action' In Case Of Refusal

Speaking after the function, CM Nitish thanked the people of the state for making the event a success and said, I hope the number of people who have participated exceeds what we had intended to achieve.

This is the third human chain organised at the instance of Kumar, the first being in 2017 followed by another a year later.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi:

Karnataka Postal Circle Recruitment Notification 2020 is released for various posts such as Junior Accountant, Postal Assistant, Sorting Assistant and Postman. All eligible and interested candidates need to apply through the prescribed format latest by February 26, 2020. Candidates must ensure to go through the official notification and eligibility criteria carefully before applying for the respective post. Candidates need to visit the official website of Karnataka Postal Circle, i.e. karnatakapost.gov.in to check the official notification.

Karnataka Postal Circle Recruitment Notification

Candidates can also click on the below mentioned direct link to check and download the Karnataka Post Circle Recruitment Notification. The application process has already started and the last date to send the application is February 26, 2020. Out of the total vacancies, 27 are for Postman, 11 are for Postal Assistant, 4 for Sorting Assistant and 2 vacancies are for Junior Accountant.

In order to apply for the Junior Accountant post, candidates need to have Graduation Degree from a recognized university. For the post of Sorting Assistant, candidates need to have passed class 12 examination from recognized board. For the Postman post, candidates must have passed class 12 exam from a recognized board.

Candidates in the age group of 18 to 27 years are eligible to apply for the respective posts. Age relaxation as given as per government norms. The application fee is Rs 200 for general and OBC candidates. Candidates belonging to SC, ST and Ex-Serviceman Category are exempted from application fee payment.

All eligible and interested candidates need to fill the application form for the respective posts in the prescribed format and send the application form along-with the required documents to the Assistant Director, Chief Postmaster General Karnataka Circle Bengaluru-560001 latest by February 26, 2020.

Candidates can click on the below mentioned direct link to check the download the Karnataka Postal Circle Recruitment Notification.

Karnataka Postal Circle Recruitment Official Notification Direct Link
New Delhi:

Putting to rest all the reports of difference between the Congress-DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu, DMK, Congress, KS Alagiri said that there was no problem in the alliance and it will continue for state assembly elections slated for next year. Alagiri, Congress president of Tamil Nadu unit, said this after meeting DMK president MK Stalin. There is no problem with our alliance. There were differences which were sorted out. We put forward our views, the alliance will continue for state elections (2021) and even after that, he said.

Alagiri has to issue a clarification because he had charged the DMK leadership of violating the "coalition dharma" in the distribution of seats for the just concluded rural local bodies election. Congress legislative party leader KR Ramasamy too had made similar accusations.

The DMK took objection to this and boycotted an all-party meeting convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Monday. DMK leader Durai Murugan even said that his party was least bothered if the Congress left the alliance.

Durai Murugan had slammed the Congress

If they want to quit, let them do so. How are we concerned, what is the loss for us? Party veteran Durai Murugan said when asked to comment on Congresss charge that DMK violated coalition dharma.

Asked whether the votes in favour of DMK would be hit without Congress, Durai Murugan said his party will not be affected at all. "No, not at all. Only if they (Congress) have a vote share ours (votes) will get reduced, Durai Murugan, flanked by his son Kathir Anand, said.

In his sarcastic style, he said the Congress does not have a vote bank to make a dent on his partys prospects. Do they have votes to make an impact? he quipped.

On his party colleague and former Union Minister TR Baalu saying that only time will tell on ties, he said:

Baalu said only time will tell. But I have answered the question. Reacting to it, Congress Lok Sabha MP Karti Chidambaram, son of senior leader P Chidambaram, asked in his twitter handle: Why didnt this wisdom dawn before the Vellore parliamentary bye-election? @DuraimuruganDmk @dmkathiranand. The Vellore Lok Sabha election was held in August last and Duraimurugans son Kathir emerged victorious by a margin of 8,141 votes.

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New Delhi:

Adarsh Shastri, MLA from Dwarka and the grandson of Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was dropped by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from the candidate list for the Delhi Assembly elections, joined the Congress in the presence of party leaders PC Chacko and Subhash Chopra on Saturday.

Shastri had won the Dwarka seat with 59.08 per cent votes in 2015.

He was removed from the AAP list and Vinay Kumar Mishra, a former Congress leader and son of former Congress MP Mahabal Mishra, has been given the chance to contest from the seat.

Vinay Mishra had joined the AAP on Monday and was given the ticket on Tuesday for the February 8 Assembly polls.

Earlier, sources close to Shastri told news agency IANS that the list came as a surprise to him as he was told by party chief Arvind Kejriwal that he should continue the party campaign.

He was told that he will recontest. The list came as a shock. The MLA was not in the loop about the process, a source said.

Also, he was unhappy for being replaced by an outsider. It would have been better to replace him with another party member and not an outsider if the party considered him incompetent, said the source news agency.

The MLA claimed he transformed the area and worked hard in the last five years for the constituency. While the AAP has named all 70 candidates, the Congress is likely to release its list on Saturday evening.
New Delhi:

A senior Air India pilot, who was suspended in May last year after being accused of sexual harassment by a woman colleague, was found guilty by an internal committee of the airline but has been reinstated recently, senior officials said.

The committee imposed a major penalty on Captain Sachin Gupta, who has now appealed to the next authority against the punishment, they said.

In response to specific queries on the matter, PS Negi, Regional Director (Northern Region), Air India, told PTI: The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of Air India conducted the enquiry proceedings and found Captain Sachin Gupta guilty of the charges of misconduct.

The immediate competent disciplinary authority has imposed a "major penalty" as per the company's service regulation that is applicable to Captain Sachin Gupta, he said.

In keeping with these service regulations, Captain Sachin Gupta has now appealed to the next higher authority/CMD (Chairman and Managing Director) against the punishment awarded. The said appeal on merit will be examined and considered by the competent appellate authority in due course of time, he added.

Another senior Air India official told PTI on condition of anonymity that Gupta has been reinstated as instructor.

Air India had suspended Gupta last year over the sexual harassment allegations, telling him that pending (an) enquiry... during the period of suspension, you (Gupta) will not enter the premises of Air India Limited without written permission.

According to a complaint filed by the woman pilot, the alleged incident took place on May 5 last year in Hyderabad, where she was being trained by Gupta.

In the complaint, she had alleged that Gupta suggested that the two should have dinner at a restaurant after the training session was over on that day.

We went to (a) restaurant at around 8 pm and this is where my ordeal started.... He started with telling me how depressed and unhappy he was in his married life, the woman said in her complaint.

He also asked me how I coped with my husband living away and whether I didn't need to have sex everyday. He asked me if I masturbated..., she alleged. At some point I told him I did not want to talk about all this and called a cab, she added.

The pilot alleged that the instructor's behaviour got worse during the half-hour wait for the cab.

I was left shocked at this behaviour and felt extremely uncomfortable, scared and humiliated, she said.

The woman said she felt "morally obliged" to report this matter to the airline so that such behaviour is not repeated with anyone else in the future.

On May 16 last year, Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani had told employees that sexual harassment cases are "often" being witnessed at Air India and the airline needs to come down "very, very heavily" on such offenders.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Planeas engine was designed by CFM International, a joint company between French group Safran and US group GE Aviation. (Photo Credit: Reuters File)

New Delhi:

An Iranian official on Saturday said that Tehran will send the black box flight recorders of the Ukrainian airliner, Boeing 737-800, which was accidentally shot down by it, for further analysis to Ukraine, reports Iranian news agency. Hassan Rezaeifer, the head of accident investigations for the civil aviation, said that further analysis was not possible in Iran and experts from France, America and Canada will help analyse the black box in Kiev.

In case the analysis is not successful in Kiev, the boxes will then be handed over to France, news agency Tasnim quotes Rezaeifer as saying.

Canada Asks Iran To Send Black Box To France

Earlier on Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Iran to hand over the damaged black boxes to France. Trudeau said France has one of the few laboratories capable of properly examining them.

"Iran does not have the level of technical expertise and mostly the equipment necessary to be able to analyse these damaged black boxes quickly," Trudeau said.

Also Read: Iran Plane Crash: Trudeau Urges Tehran To Send Downed Jetliner's Black Boxes To France

The plane, en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries, including 82 Iranians, at least 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians.

The other five nations have demanded Iran accept full responsibility and aksed it to pay compensation to the victims families.

Iran Accepts The Error

Three days after the incident, Iran had admitted responsibility after Western leaders said there was strong evidence the plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile.

Regretting the crash, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had offered condolences to the families of the victims.

Also Read: Watch: Exact Moment When 2 Iranian Missiles Hit Ukraine Jet That Killed 176

The planes engine was designed by CFM International, a joint company between French group Safran and US group GE Aviation. Experts from both the countries have been invited to probe the accident.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Fuel Price: The rates came down by up to 20 paise across major cities of the country. (Photo Credit: File Photo)

New Delhi:

Petrol and diesel prices saw a downward trend on Sunday, January 19. The rates came down by up to 20 paise across major cities of the country. According to the Indian Oil website, the petrol rates are Rs 75.09 per litre in Delhi, Rs 80.68 per litre in Mumbai, Rs 77.69 per litre in Kolkata, and Rs 78.01 per litre in Chennai, respectively. On the other hand, the diesel prices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai remained at Rs 68.45, Rs 71.77, Rs 70.81, and Rs 72.33 per litre, respectively.

In Noida, petrol is retailing at Rs 76.32 a litre, while diesel price is Rs 68.72 a litre. The price of petrol in Gurugram is Rs 74.52 a litre while diesel was selling at Rs 67.37 a litre.

India is 84 per cent dependant on imports to meet its oil needs and any spike in global prices has a direct bearing on its economy. Not just imports but even domestic crude oilwhich forms the raw material for making petrol, diesel and other petroleum productsis priced according to international benchmarks. Middle East accounts for more than two-thirds of the countrys oil imports, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia being the top suppliers.

Why Petrol, Diesel Prices Change Every Day?

The fuel prices are in India are revised daily. Petrol and diesel prices are revised every day at 06:00 am to sync it with the variation in global oil prices. Oil marketing companies (OMC) review the global fuel prices and decide petrol and diesel daily. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum release the new rates at 6 am every morning. Generally, when international crude oil prices gain, prices in India move higher. Other factors also impact the price of fuel like rupee to US dollar exchange rate, cost of crude oil, global cues, demand for fuel, and so on.

Why Fuel Prices Differ In Every City?

The price of fuel includes excise duty, value-added tax (VAT), and dealer commission. As VAT varies from state to state, the price of fuel is different in every city.

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The Act comes amid growing protest in the national capital against the new citizenship law. (Photo Credit: File Photo: PTI)

New Delhi:

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Friday granted power of detaining authority to the Delhi Police Commissioner under the National Security Act, according to a notification. The Act allows preventive detention of an individual for months if the authorities feel that the individual is a threat to the national security, and law and order.

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 3, read with clause (c) of Section 2 of the National Security Act, 1980, the Lt Governor pleased to direct that during the period January 19 to April 18, the Delhi Police Commissioner may also exercise the powers of detaining authority under sub-section (2) of the section 3 of the aforesaid Act, the notification stated.

The notification has been issued on January 10 following the approval of the LG.

The Act comes amid growing protest in the national capital against the new citizenship law. However, the Delhi Police said it is a routine order that has been issued in every quarter and has nothing to do with the current situation.

Violence in Delhi

The national capital witnessed some of the most violent protests against the CAA in December last year. From Seemapuri to Delhi Gate to Jamia, violent clashes were reported in various areas of the national capital.

The agitation erupted after the Narendra Modi government passed the contentious Citizenship Act (CAA) in Parliament on December 11. Two days later, President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent and making it a law on December 13. The Citizenship Act grants Indian nationality to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis and Sikhs who fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan in half the time of other groups if they can argue they suffered religious discrimination in their country of origin.

Asaduddin Owaisi reacts to new act in Delhi

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi while condemning law said the Central government has empowered the Delhi Police to detain under the National Security Act (NSA).

In a tweet, Owaisi said, "Delhi police has shown willingness to act in a way that pleases the Centre. Now it's been empowered to detain under draconian NSA."

"It allows detention up to one year without vakil [lawyer], daleel [argument], appeal and is popular with cops who want to go after anyone irrespective of their guilt/innocence," Asaduddin Owaisi said.
New Delhi:

A special court on Saturday adjourned the hearing in the Behmai massacre to January 24 in the absence of the case diary, allegedly by bandit Phoolan Devi nearly four decades ago. Special judge Sudhir Kumar, who was likely to pronounce the verdict, pulled up the court official for the absence of the case diary at the time of delivering the verdict and asked him to place it before the court on January 24.

The special court for hearing dacoity-related cases was expected to deliver the verdict in the 1981 Behmai massacre case on January 6, but it allowed the defence counsel to submit its written arguments by January 16, district government counsel Raju Porwal said.

Also Read: Abhishek Chaubeys Sonchiriya showcases the most dangerous dacoits, Phoolan Devi and Man Singh

Bandit Queen Phoolan Devi, who later turned to politics, along with her gang members were accused of killing the 20 people belonging to the Thakur community at Behmai village in Kanpur Dehat on February 14, 1981. The non-descript Behmai village, that shot into prominence after the killings, is 170 km from state capital Lucknow and over 400 km from national capital New Delhi.

Also Read: Phoolan Devi aka Bandit Queen story set to return as 20 episode web series; check who will play lead

Phoolan Devi had stormed into Behmai in what was described as an attack to avenge her alleged rape there by two other bandits - Lala Ram and Sri Ram - both Thakurs, a dominant caste in the village.

Two years after the incident, she had surrendered to the Madhya Pradesh police in 1983 and went on to become a Lok Sabha MP from Mirzapur. She was shot dead outside her MP bungalow in New Delhi on July 25, 2001.

(With PTI inputs)
JERUSALEM: Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa has accepted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's offer for a historic visit to Israel, Israeli media reported

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani was quoted by the Hebrew-language Ynet news site as saying that the crown prince accepted the invitation and would visit Israel "soon." Bennett met with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince al-Khalifa, various ministers, and representatives of the Bahraini Jewish community during his first visit to the Gulf state, as per reports

Bennett told reporters in Bahrain's capital, Manama, that he was looking for a "new regional architecture" involving moderate Arab and non-Arab governments in the area to combat "enemy fomenting disorder and terror." According to a joint statement released after Bennett's visit, the sessions led to "strengthening relations between both states and their governments."

According to the statement, the leaders were particularly concerned about regional "nuclear challenges, terrorist activity, religious extremism, poverty, and socioeconomic issues."They also talked about social, economic, business, and trade cooperation between the two countries, with an emphasis on moving forward with the talks on reciprocal investment and tax treatment.

Pakistan denies reports that ISI chief met with Afghan Jihadi leaders in Turkey

Yemen: Intense combat between Govt and Houthis, 10 killed

Afghans demonstrate over Biden's decision to keep assets frozen
By Trend

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will travel to Bahrain on Monday in the highest-level visit, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya.

Bennett will meet with Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, his office said.

The leaders will discuss additional ways to strengthen bilateral ties... especially the advancement of diplomatic and economic issues, with an emphasis on technology and innovation, it said in a statement.

The two-day trip to Bahrain, home to the US Navys Gulf headquarters, comes amid heightened tensions after missile attacks on neighboring United Arab Emirates by Yemens Iran-backed Houthis. Israel also normalized ties with the UAE in 2020.

Israel has stepped up cooperation with the Gulf states.

Manama hosted Israels defense minister on February 2 and has said an Israeli military officer will be posted in Bahrain as part of an international coalition.

On the commercial front, Israel has reported rising trade with Bahrain that reached $6.5 billion last year. There are direct flights between the countries.
JERUSALEM: During the nuclear discussions in Vienna, Israel sent envoys to meet with official negotiators from many international nations. Joshua Zarka, the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's strategic department, met with IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi on Monday, according to reports, citing Israel's state-owned Kan news TV.

The head of Russia's delegation to the nuclear talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, tweeted on Tuesday that he met with "Israeli colleagues" in Vienna and "discussed IAEA-related issues." According to Israeli media sources, Israeli officials also met with US negotiator Rob Malley and the negotiators of the remaining parties to the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not immediately commented on the meetings. Israeli representatives are not present at the Vienna nuclear talks, which began in April to resurrect the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Israel sent diplomats to Vienna for the first time since the negotiations began.

On a visit to Bahrain, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned on Tuesday that reverting to the 2015 agreement would be a "strategic mistake." Iran claims that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Finance Minister of South Korea to virtually join G-20 summit this week

Canadian government outlines steps to put an end to trucker protests

UNICEF is seeking USD7 million to combat severe malnutrition in Somalia
MOGADISHU: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has requested USD7 million by the end of March to help 1.4 million Somali children who are at risk of acute malnutrition.

According to sources, UNICEF announced on Tuesday that the funds will be used to purchase 104,000 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) to treat children with severe acute malnutrition and prevent deaths.

"The numbers we're witnessing this year are pretty significant, and hundreds of children are at risk of dying unless urgent actions are taken," UNICEF Representative Angela Kearney said in a statement made in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. According to Kearney, a probable breach in the supply pipeline might result in a severe shortage of RUTF starting in June, putting the lives of over 1,00,000 infants in jeopardy.

According to UNICEF, more than 1.4 million children in Somalia, or over half of the country's under-five population, are at risk of acute malnutrition as a result of the prolonged drought, which has left 4.1 million people on the verge of starvation. According to the most recent Somalia Food Security and Nutrition Assessment, almost a quarter of the 1.4 million children, or 3,29,500 children, will be severely malnourished this year.

German Chancellor, Vladimir Putin agree on need to avert war amid Ukraine tensions

World record set by 'Sachin' after playing cricket for 22 years, broken by 'Mithali Raj'

Western Australia State reopens its doors to international students
ADEN: At least ten soldiers were killed in fierce battle between pro-government Yemeni troops and Houthi rebels in the southern province of Dhalea on Tuesday, a military officer said.

According to reports, the clashes erupted as "hundreds of Houthi rebels launched an armed attack and sought to move into strategic districts in the region." The Houthi onslaught was halted by government forces after hours of violent battle near the Qatabah district in northern Dhalea.

The official said, at least ten persons from both sides were killed in the violence, with approximately 14 more injured. Meanwhile, sporadic fighting between Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels backed by Iran continues in several parts of the war-torn Arab country.

During the previous 48 hours, the country's northern provinces, particularly the oil-rich province of Marib, have seen the bloodiest battles amid increasing bombings. The Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes have damaged a number of Houthi-held targets in Yemen's capital Sanaa and surrounding areas.

Afghans demonstrate over Biden's decision to keep assets frozen

Developing countries face high risks from financial fragility created by Covid: World Bank

S. Korea urges NYC officials to take action against anti-Asian crimes
Kathmandu, February 15

The government has collected Rs 754. 5 million in outstanding taxes from casinos operating in Nepal in the past seven months.

According to records of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation unveiled on Monday, the government collected the amount in application fees, renewal fees and royalties since the beginning of the current fiscal year 2021/22 (mid-July 2021).

Of late, the ministry has expedited action against casinos failing to pay taxes. Just a few days back, the government has ordered the five-star Hotel Yak & Yeti to shut its operation as it did not pay outstanding taxes.

Meanwhile, the amount of bank guarantees of casinos has also increased this year significantly.

In these seven months, the total amount of bank guarantees has reached Rs 142 million.
This year, Nepal finished another of its decennial census, a population count that occurs every 10 years. In the Nepal census this time, the government was all set to recognise the LGBTQIA+ community for the first time in the countrys history. But, when the government released their preliminary data, it faced a backlash that the numbers said nothing about the community.

Even with the backlash, the activists fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights are still pinning their hopes on the census that can give them a future where they can protect and ensure their visibility as well as advocate for equal rights and access for all. Activists hope the final full report of the Nepal census will categorically mention the population of the LGBTQIA+ community.

LGBTQIA+ community and Nepal census

LGBTQIA+ community in Hetaunda for Gai Jatra. Photo Courtesy: Anuj Petter Rai

The constitution of Nepal promulgated in 2015 ensures and protects the fundamental rights of every Nepali citizen regardless of their sex, gender, religion, caste, creed and economic or social status. The constitution, for the first time, also accepted sexual minorities and guarded their fundamental rights the same as others.

However, the lack of framework, rules and regulations, guidelines and their poor implementation coupled with the heterosexual norms make it hard for people to come out of the closet and be proud of their identity. And with the new Nepal census, the community closely worked with the authorities to ensure that their numbers are recorded. The community hoped the scenario would change for the better.

Anuj Petter Rai, a human rights activist working at Blue Diamond Society (BDS), says people within and outside the community still feel menial jobs or sex work or fashion are the only options for them. He claims the recognition of the community in the census might change that.

He claims there has not been any survey that gives authorities the official data about the population of the community in Nepal. The Nepal census data, hence, should possess the power to bring in a paradigm shift.

But, the preliminary data skipped the details about them, and it sparked online outrage. But, the community says it has not lost its calm.

Rai explains, It is as intended, so the community has no problem. We are expecting a full report within the six to nine months of the census [earliest by June].

BDS President Pinky Gurung also agrees. We should not forget that there were two sets of questions in the census. In the first one, there were basic demographic questions. It was already understood that this part of the census would not include the communitys number. After multiple discussions, the authorities let us know that it would be difficult for them to include the number in this census.

Pending concerns

A member of the LGBTQIA+ community during the celebration of Gai Jatra. Photo: Aryan Dhimal

Both Gurung and Rai agree that this was the first time such a nationwide attempt has been made to collect data in close collaboration with the government officials and the community. The reason why the number of LGBTQIA+ community has not been counted before this is also that the community has not been forthcoming.

Gurung points out that some of the hesitations still could be witnessed in this years census. There were some lapses in the way the enumerators questioned and the way the members answered. There was a lack of awareness and sensitivity among the enumerators whereas the community also still felt guarded and a lot of hesitation to admit their sexual orientation.

Hence, the Nepal census report will also not paint the real picture. But, the number will help the community nevertheless, she says.

Activists think there was a lack of public service announcements and related information about the census and it also resulted in some hesitation. There could have been more and better awareness programmes that would have sensitised the community and the enumerators for more sensitivity in their questions and answers.

But Gurung is hopeful, The authorities have collected the details in their second set of questions, the household survey. There, the survey has the details of the members from the community as the household owners and those staying in rent. So we are still awaiting the full report.

The officials from the Central Bureau of Statistics were however not available for comments for this story.
Some decades ago, companies around the world were using natural resources as if they would last till eternity. However, the reality is quite evident now. Being conscious of the harmful impacts the businesses have made on the environment, many companies and groups are now prioritising eco-friendly approaches to running so as to encourage sustainability.

And, in Nepal as well, there are many companies and social enterprises which are promoting environmental sustainability in their business. From prioritising reducing textile waste to promoting 3Rs, companies are practising sustainable ethos.

Following them and using their products and services, hopefully, will help you promote sustainability in your life too. To begin with, here is a list of eight standout green startups that take business and environmental sustainability hand in hand:

1. Baas Sustainables

Flower vases from Baas Sustainables. Photo: Baas Sustainables

Baas Sustainables is one of those startups that has been operating under the ethos of sustainability. Run by the cousin duo, Phobe Barahi and Shourya KC, Baas Sustainables makes decor products from discarded bamboo. They hand make upcycled bamboo decor products and sell them online. They have been doing this since two years ago sourcing discarded bamboo from construction sites with an aim to promote sustainability in the decor business.

Baas Sustainables makes scented candles on bamboo plants, flower vases, pencil and makeup holders, bamboo scrolls and hand-embroidery. Besides, it uses bags made of upcycled newspaper, jute thread and Nepali paper for packaging. It also opts for recycled boxes to deliver its product at a long distance.

2. Eco Sathi Nepal

Eco-friendly products of Eco Sathi Nepal. Photo: Eco Sathi Nepal

Eco Sathi Nepal, as its name says, is another eco-friendly business in Nepal that sells eco-friendly products. Started by dentist Muna Karki in 2019, Eco Sathi Nepal promotes a zero-waste lifestyle. To do so, they post descriptions of the importance of the products along with their photo.

In the country where many used daily essentials products made of plastics, this business offers an alternative to that including toothbrushes, hairbrushes, combs made from bamboo, water bottles, bags, menstrual cups, and recyclable cutlery. Many other products are also made from decomposable materials. Eco-Sathi Nepal also does not promote over-consumption as its focus lies on sustainability.

3. Kashyapi Nepal

Model wearing Shacket, best selling product of Kashyapi Nepal. Photo: Kashyapi Nepal

Kashyapi Nepal is a slow fashion brand started by Kishan Shrestha in 2019 adopting the eco-friendly and sustainable ethos. It manufactures outfits in less quantity but ethically.

Its clothes are fashionable as well as evergreen, which rarely runs out of fashion.

The startup also partly uses recycled fabrics to make outfits. It also makes clothes from cotton and bamboo fabrics. Keeping environmental sustainability in mind, it also uses vegetable tanning for adding colours to the products. This sustainable fashion brand follows an eco-friendly approach from manufacturing to the selling process.

4. HattiHatti Nepal

Products of HattiHatti. Photo: HattiHatti Nepal

HattiHatti Nepal is another clothing brand focused on sustainability as it is a social enterprise that upcycles unused or old saris into products like scrunchies, cushions, kimonos, and ties. That is not it; it also provides basic non-formal education and training (tailoring and business management) to the women from marginalised communities to make them economically and socially empowered.

5. Moms Store Nepal

A collection of preloved items. Photo: Moms Store Nepal

As the children grow faster, there occurs the frequent need of clothes for them, but if you want to promote sustainability, buying new clothes every month is not a good practice to follow. In order to manage this need, Sita Magar along with six of her friends started Moms Store Nepal in 2020. It is also a social enterprise as it collects donated clothes or other items of children, washes, packs and sells them at a very minimal price. It brands such items as pre-loved items via its social media pages.

6. Naturo Earth

Products of Naturo Earth. Photo: Aryan Dhimal

Ankit Agrawal started Naturo Earth in December 2018. It is a wellness brand that utilises medicinal and herbal plants that are present abundantly in Nepal for making wide arrays of health, beauty and lifestyle products.

All of its products are manufactured using natural and organic materials in a sustainable and environment-friendly way. It offers about 50 products that include varieties of natural and organic handmade soap bars, moisturisers, honey, tea, hemp-based products, oils, and lamps. It does plastic-free packaging.

7. Sustainable Future

A building constructed by Sustainable Future. Photo: Narayan Acharya

Sustainable Future is a startup started by Narayan Acharya in 2016. This company uses rammed earth technology to construct buildings. In the times when seeing traditional Nepali houses has become a rare site especially in the urban areas, Sustainable Future builds houses or structures by improvising the techniques used by our ancestors that suit modern needs.

8. Ecoorb Ventures

Elephant dung paper products. Photo: Ecoorb Ventures

Ecoorb Ventures is a startup that has been manufacturing usable paper products from elephant dung. This startup started by Sunny Rajopadhyaya has been a great example of entrepreneurship and managing waste in a sustainable way.

It offers products like papers, paper boxes, paper bags, visiting cards, photo frames, and notebooks, among others.
Henry Quesada grew up on a farm in the mountains of Costa Rica, about five miles away from the nearest house.

I remember when I was little, we had cattle and we made cheese. Every week we loaded the horses and went to the nearest grocery store where we traded cheese for food, reflected Quesada. We had a really sustainable life. We used everything, nothing was wasted.

Quesada brings those early lessons in sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation to the position of Purdue Extension assistant director and program leader for agriculture and natural resource, which he assumed earlier this month.

Quesada earned his bachelors degree from Costa Rica Institute of Technology. He continued his education at Purdue University, receiving his masters and doctorate in wood products technology.

For my masters thesis, I designed a manufacturing system for the construction of school furniture using simple technologies. To prove my concept of the production system, we went to Costa Rica and produced over 50 furniture sets using basic tools. All the furniture was then donated to a school, he said.

Following his education at Purdue, Quesada returned to Costa Rica to serve for four years as a faculty member at the Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica. In 2008, he returned to the U.S. to join the sustainable biomaterials department at Virginia Tech, where he has taught, led study abroad trips and researched supply chain issues that affect hardwood lumber use in value-added products.

Through outreach and educational programs, Quesada supported the competitiveness of wood and forestry products in Virginia. He worked closely with members of the hardwood industry in the Appalachian region to research new lumber products with the intent to create jobs and economic development in the area. By being in close contact with manufacturers, Quesada identified research priorities based on the markets and industrial, residential and commercial applications.

At Virginia Tech, I was able to connect with the forestry industry and communities and helped support initiatives locally, regionally and nationally. In my new position at Purdue, I am excited to continue to explore innovations and partnerships in Indiana, a state with a diverse agriculture and lumber industry from row crops to local foods to livestock to hardwoods. I am an entrepreneur at heart and believe we have many opportunities to work with Indiana farmers to identify and reach new markets with existing and new products.

We are extremely fortunate to have someone with the breadth and depth of Dr. Quesadas experience join the Extension leadership team, said Jason Henderson, senior associate dean and director of Purdue Extension. I am excited to see him introduce new ideas and work closely with our Extension faculty and educators and the communities we serve.
PlayCrocos latest pokie provides a proper big win

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And if all that wasnt enough, theres a whole other world of PlayCroco promotions to get stuck into, including Daily Free Spins, the Lucky Loco Draw, a weekly CrocoBoost, and Pokie of the Month  where one specially selected pokie is partnered up with an incredible offer. But thats not even the half of it.

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ENDS

Editors notes:

About PlayCroco:

PlayCroco is an online casino for Australian pokie lovers. With hundreds of pokies, generous offers and promos and a wide range of payment methods, PlayCroco is all about having fun and winning big. A level-up loyalty schemes also see players unlock incredible perks with each level they clear.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005651/en/

Contacts

Media Information:

Sarah Blackburn

Go Marketing

T: 0034628499459
Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller (SSPC) market is expected to reach $783.9 million in 2027, growing at a CAGR of 9.3% during 2022- 2027, reports Stratview Research

RAIPUR, India, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research, a leading market research firm has launched a report on the Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market which provides an in-depth analysis of the market dynamics, current and emerging trends, industry forecast, and competitive landscape.

Stratview_Research_Logo

Click Here to get the free sample pdf: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/2459/aircraft-electrical-solid-state-power-controller-SSPC-market.html#form

How is the Report Helpful?

The report has a very high utility for the key decision-makers and strategists in terms of accurate market insights, future growth opportunities, and key success factors.

Most importantly, the report analyses the possible impact of COVID-19 on the market dynamics which offers cushioning against the uncertain business environment and helps in streamlining the resources and investment decisions in a fruitful manner.

What are the Top Market Drivers?

According to the report, the Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller market is driven by a host of factors, some of which are noted below:

Faster operation and high service life expectancy as compared to contactors and circuit breakers.

Stable long-term demand for Commercial Aircraft.

The report also includes growth rate estimates based upon the intensity of drivers and constraints and provides the users with several graphical illustrations of the key insights.

Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market Segmentation:

Stratview Research has segmented the market in the following 4 ways which fulfill the market data needs of multiple stakeholders across the industry value chain.

Phase Type (Single Phase and Three Phase)

Aircraft Type (Commercial Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, General Aviation, Helicopter, Military Aircraft, and UAV)

Fit Type (Original Equipment and Aftermarket)

Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World).

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Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market Insights

Market Trends by Phase Type:

Based on the phase-type, the aircraft electrical SSPC market is classified as single-phase and three-phase systems.

Between system types, three-phase system is expected to remain the dominant segment of the market during the forecast period as these systems require less assembly time and can transmit more power at a lower cost.

Market Trends by Aircraft Type:

Similarly, based on the aircraft type, the market is segmented as commercial aircraft, regional aircraft, general aviation, helicopter, military aircraft, and UAV.

Among these aircraft types, commercial aircraft is expected to remain the dominant as well as the fastest-growing segment of the market during the forecast period.

Commercial aircraft has been under immense pressure due to several setbacks including the grounding of B737Max in 2019 followed by the onset of the pandemic

Despite short-term market challenges, it is estimated that the long-term demand remains sustainable. Boeing, in its outlook 2021-2040, estimates that 43,610 commercial and regional aircraft are likely to be delivered in the next 20 years, assuring a healthy demand in the years to come.

General Aviation and military aircraft are other market segments that are likely to generate sizeable demand for SSPCs in the years to come.

Which region offers the best opportunity and growth?

In terms of regions, North America is expected to remain the largest market for aircraft electrical SSPCs during the forecast period. This is primarily due to the large usage of aircraft for regional, commercial, as well as military applications in the region. Moreover, the regional investments in military aircraft (fighter aircraft and helicopters) are the largest across the globe.

Concurrently, Asia-Pacific is also likely to create significant market opportunities in the upcoming years, driven by the expected rebound in air passenger traffic paired with the opening of assembly plants in the region, mainly in China, Japan, and India.

COVID-19 Impact on the Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market

COVID-19 has put an instant halt to many industries across the globe. Lockdown norms in several countries have swiftly affected the global economy by affecting the supply chain, production, and demand in the market. Both direct, as well as indirect impacts of the pandemic, have been incorporated in this report.

To know more about the covid-19 impact, get a free sample report, here:

https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/2459/aircraft-electrical-solid-state-power-controller-SSPC-market.html#form

Who are the Top Market Players?

After a thorough analysis of the market, the experts have listed few key players and discussed company profiles of below-given players -

GE Aviation

Safran Group

Collins Aerospace (Raytheon Technologies Corporation)

TransDigm Group, Inc.

What deliverables will you get in this report?

- In-depth analysis of the Aircraft Electrical Solid-State Power Controller Market.

- Detailed market segmentation.

- Competitive-landscape analysis.

- Historical, present, and future market size analysis.

- Industry trends, technologies, and advancements.

- Growth and operation strategies adopted by key players.

- Potential segments/regions offering promising growth.

- Geographical presence of the key players.

Related reports which might be useful:

1. Avionics and Radio Test Market

2. Aircraft Circuit Breakers Market

About us 

Stratview Research is a global market research firm that offers reliable market reports, market entry strategies, strategic growth consulting, and more. The market experts compile high-quality market information to help users obtain granular level clarity on current business trends and expected future developments. Stratview Research also offers customisation of the reports. Reach out to the analysts to customize the given report according to your priority/requirement.

Stratview Research has also launched 'Composights', an online portal that offers free thought leadership reports, whitepapers, market report synopsis, and much more for Composites and allied industries, worth US$ 20,000 every year.

Click here to sign up (No costs involved): https://www.stratviewresearch.com/composights/sign-in

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Direct: +1-313-307-4176

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SOURCE Stratview Research
NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The automotive dashboard market size will grow by 17.69 mn units between 2021 and 2026 as per the latest market report by Technavio. However, the report identifies the market to register a decelerating growth momentum at a CAGR of 3.70%, according to Technavio's forecast estimates. With a focus on identifying dominant industry influencers, Technavio's reports present a detailed study by the way of synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. This report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

Attractive Opportunities in Automotive Dashboard Market by Vehicle Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

Unlock More Interesting Facts about YOY growth rate, Read Free Sample Report

The rising adoption of advanced driver assistance systems, increasing demand from passenger vehicle segment, and growing government regulations pertaining to in-vehicle navigation systems will offer immense growth opportunities. The increase in demand for luxury and premium vehicles will further drive the demand for digital dashboards during the forecast period leading to significant growth in the global automotive dashboard market. However, the sharp decline in automobile production and sales will be a major challenge for the automotive dashboard market during the forecast period.

View Report Outlook for more factors influencing the market growth.

Automotive Dashboard Market 2022-2026: Segmentation Analysis

Vehicle Type

Geography

Learn more about the other contributing segments and country-wise market share, Download FREE sample Report

Automotive Dashboard Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis and Scope

The automotive dashboard market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as expanding their business with innovative dashboard systems to compete in the market. To leverage the current opportunities, market vendors must strengthen their foothold in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive dashboard market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile & M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Story continues

Some of the Dominant Players covered in this report are:

Lear Corp.:- In September 2021, the company announced it had signed a definitive agreement for a joint venture with Hu Lane Associate Inc., a listed company on the Taipei stock market and a manufacturer of world-class automotive connector products. n January 2021, the company announced that its Xevo software business has partnered with Grubhub, a leading food ordering, and delivery marketplace, to deliver safer, contactless food ordering capabilities.

Marelli Holdings Co. Ltd.:- In October 2021, the company extended its cooperation with Motherson for a new tool room in India.

Minda Corp. Ltd.:- In September 2021, the company entered into a strategic partnership with EVQPOINT Solutions to grow its EV footprint.

Visteon Corp.:- In January 2022, the company collaborated with Steradian Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd., an India-based high-tech imaging radar specialist, on efforts that will produce enhanced Advance Driver-Assistance Systems for the global automotive market.

SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd.:- In October 2021, the company launched the M4 fuel cell stack platform as well as M4 stack platform-based PROME M4H fuel cell stack and PROME P4L and P4H fuel cell systems.

Other Dominant Players covered in this report:

Continental AG

Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group Co. Ltd.

Faurecia SE

Sterling Technologies Inc.

Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd.

The report also covers the following areas:

Automotive Dashboard Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive dashboard market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the automotive dashboard market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the automotive dashboard market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive dashboard market vendors

Related Reports:

Automotive Digital Key Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Automotive Dashboard Camera Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Automotive Dashboard Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Decelerate at a CAGR of 3.70% Market growth 2022-2026 17.69 mn units Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 3.99 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution APAC at 36% Key consumer countries China, US, Japan, Germany, and India Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Continental AG, Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group Co. Ltd., Faurecia SE, Lear Corp., Marelli Holdings Co. Ltd., Minda Corp. Ltd., SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd., Sterling Technologies Inc., Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd., and Visteon Corp. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Key Topic Covered

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2021

Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Vehicle type

Market segments

Comparison by Vehicle type

Passenger vehicles - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Commercial vehicles - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by Vehicle type

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

MEA - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Continental AG

Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group Co. Ltd.

Faurecia SE

Lear Corp.

Marelli Holdings Co. Ltd.

Minda Corp. Ltd.

SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd.

Sterling Technologies Inc.

Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd.

Visteon Corp.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/

Technavio (PRNewsfoto/Technavio)

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SOURCE Technavio
Poor woman receives support to treat serious burns

A poor woman in the central province of Ha Tinh has received financial support to cover treatment for serious burns on her body.















Tran Thi Hoai before the operations



Tran Thi Hoai, 44, has just undergone two operations at the Vietnam National Institute of Burns in Hanoi after 33 years of living with the disfigurements that totally distorted her mouth and neck. Doctor Vu Quang Vinh said that the two operations were all successful and all the damaged skin areas in her face, neck, and armpits have been properly repaired.







Hoai after two operations



"Hoai will receive the last treatment stage to fix her jaw and teeth in the coming time," the doctor said.



According to Hoai, she suffered burns during a house fire when she was just 10. Her poor parents could not afford proper treatment for her.



Although Hoai was saved, the burns have left large scars on her body especially on the neck, chest, and hands. She also suffers great pains when moving her neck and hands.



And the woman has grown up shy and afraid. She rarely goes out. As her parents grew old, she decided to have a child at the age of 28 so that she would not be lonely. But due to the family's financial difficulties, her son had to drop out of school after finishing secondary school.



After more than 30 years of living with the pain, Hoai recently heard that the Vietnam National Institute of Burns has just successfully restored a face for a woman who had also suffered serious burns for 50 years.



"I was full of hope that I can also get rid of these awful scars on my neck when hearing the news," she said. "With encouragement from my son, I decided to sell all the possessions of any value in my home and came to the hospital. But after being informed of the cost of between VND200-300 million (USD8,696-13,043), I had to give up."



After the story of the poor woman was published on Dantri/Dtinews, many readers have sent money to support her. Hoai has received over VND 300 million (USD 13,044) from the public.



Speaking with a Dantri/Dtinews reporter at the hospital on February 15, Hoai said that she was very moved by the great love shown by many kind donors and doctors.



"I want to send my sincere thanks to Dantri/Dtinews, many kind donors and all doctors at the hospital for helping me treat these awful injuries I had to live with for many years," she said in tears. "I'm going to have a better, pain-free life."
By Trend

Georgian potato exports from January through November 2021 amounted to $16.2 million (48,014 tons), which is a 15-times increase, compared to $1.04 million worth of potatoes (4,026 tons) in the same period of 2020, Trend reports via the National Statistics Office (Geostat).

TOP-5 importers of potatoes from Georgia (Jan. through Nov. 2021):

Russia  $14 million (32,454 tons);

Azerbaijan  $1.1 million (9,146 tons);

Moldova  $330,650 (1,848 tons);

Ukraine  $208,170 (1,939 tons);

Belarus  $177,150 (669 tons).

Georgian exports from January through November 2021 amounted to $3.8 billion  an increase of 26.7 percent, compared to $3.01 billion in the same period of 2020.
Baltic Horizon Fund / Northern Horizon Capital

Baltic Horizon Fund invites unitholders, investors, analysts and other stakeholders to join its investor conference webinar, scheduled on 21 February 2022 at 13:00 PM (CET) or 14:00 PM (EET).

The webinar will be hosted by Tarmo Karotam, the Fund Manager of Baltic Horizon Fund. Q&A session will follow after the presentation. Due to limited webinar time, we encourage participants to send their questions no later than one day before the webinar to tarmo.karotam@nh-cap.com .



To join the webinar, please register via the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/211234196981948940



You will be provided with the webinar link and instructions how to join successfully. When joining the webinar for the first time, you will be asked to download the plug-in which will take only few seconds. In case plug-in can't be downloaded, a web browser which enables attending the webinar, opens automatically. The registration is open until 21 February at 12:00 PM (CET)/ 13:00 PM (EET).

Registered participants will receive a reminder e-mail one hour prior to the webinar. The webinar will be recorded and available online for everyone at the companys website on www.baltichorizon.com and on Nasdaq Baltic youtube.com account.



For more information, please contact:

Tarmo Karotam

e-mail: tarmo.karotam@nh-cap.com



Distribution: GlobeNewswire, Nasdaq Tallinn, Nasdaq Stockholm, www.baltichorizon.com




Rating Action: Moody's affirms Banco Internacional de Costa Rica's B1 rating, changes outlook to positiveGlobal Credit Research - 15 Feb 2022New York, February 15, 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has today affirmed all of Banco Internacional de Costa Rica, S.A.'s (BICSA) ratings and assessments, including its b1 baseline credit assessment (BCA) and B1 and Not Prime long- and short-term deposit ratings. The bank's counterparty risk ratings of Ba3 and Not Prime as well as the counterparty risk assessments of Ba3(cr) and Not Prime(cr) for long and short-term, respectively, were also affirmed. The outlook was changed to positive, from stable.The following ratings and assessments assigned to Banco Internacional de Costa Rica, S.A. were affirmed:- Long-term foreign currency deposit rating of B1, outlook changed to positive, from stable- Short-term foreign currency deposit rating of Not Prime- Long-term foreign currency counterparty risk rating of Ba3- Short-term foreign currency counterparty risk rating of Not Prime- Long-term counterparty risk assessment of Ba3(cr)- Short-term counterparty risk assessment of Not Prime(cr)- Baseline Credit Assessment of b1- Adjusted Baseline Credit Assessment of b1Outlook Action:Banco Internacional de Costa Rica, S.A.:- Outlook, changed to positive, from stableRATINGS RATIONALEThe positive outlook reflects Moody's expectation for a gradual improvement in asset quality and profitability in the next 12-18 months benefitting from the ongoing economic recovery in Central America that will support business growth and contained credit impairment in the next quarters. In addition, the rating action incorporates Moody's expectation that the bank will be able to maintain capitalization at solid levels even as its resumes loan growth, supported by earnings retention. The affirmation of BICSA's ratings also acknowledges the proven support and commitment from BICSA's shareholders, Banco de Costa Rica (BCR, B2 stable, b2) and Banco Nacional de Costa Rica (BNCR, B2 stable, b2), to the bank's long-term business strategy, which mitigates potential governance issues.Similar to its peers, BICSA's asset quality worsened due to economic contraction in 2020 in Central America, with stage-3 loans reaching 4% gross loans as of September 2021, compared with 3.1% as of December 2019. Moody's expects that the bank's focus on corporate lending, and the relatively low level of loans under relief programs compared to other banks in Panama, as well as a continued economic recovery in the countries where the bank operates will support the improvements in asset quality in 2022. BICSA's collateral coverage of its loan book mitigates the relatively low reserve coverage of its portfolio. The b1 BCA continues to reflect the bank's highly concentrated loan book, a characteristic of its business model focused on corporate lending activities.In 2020 and 2021, profitability was impacted by the loan book contraction, lower margins and higher provisioning expenses, with net income averaging 0.2% tangible assets in the period, down from a historical average of 0.6% between 2017 and 2019. Over the next 12-18 months, we expect the bank's earnings to recover, benefiting from more favorable operating conditions and growing business volumes. Improved earnings generation will support the bank's capitalization, which represents BICSA's main credit strength. As of September 2021, Moody's preferred ratio of tangible common equity to adjusted risk weighted assets reached a solid 16.5%, from 14.2% by year-end 2019, supported by full earnings retention and accumulation of regulatory reserves. As the bank resumes loan growth, capital will benefit from the expected recovery of earnings.On the other hand, BICSA's high reliance on confidence-sensitive and mainly short-term market funding continues to be a credit challenge. However, the bank's loan book is mainly focused on short-term trade financing in Central America, which helps to contain refinancing and liquidity risks. Moreover, the bank maintains access to a diversified base of credit lines from large US and European banks. Costa Rica and Panama are BICSA's core markets, with about 35% and 30% of total loans granted in these countries respectively, as of September 2021.FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGSIn line with the positive outlook, BICSA's long-term deposit rating could be upgraded if its profitability and asset quality improve, while the bank's capitalization remains solid. Funding profile improvements such as maturity extension coupled with increased deposit diversification also would be positive for the bank's ratings.Given the positive outlook, the rating downgrade is unlikely. However, the outlook could be stabilized if asset quality remains under pressure, limiting earnings recovery and internal capital generation. Moreover, shareholders disagreement with respect of BICSA's management or any other development that would cause uncertainty regarding the bank's business strategy, earnings generation and funding access, would trigger downward ratings pressure.The principal methodology used in these ratings was Banks Methodology published in July 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1269625. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.REGULATORY DISCLOSURESFor further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1288235.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed by Moody's Investors Service Limited, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit rating agencies in the UK. Further information on the UK endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. Anna Chabanenko Analyst Financial Institutions Group Moody's de Mexico S.A. de C.V Ave. Paseo de las Palmas No. 405 - 502 Col. Lomas de Chapultepec Mexico, DF 11000 Mexico JOURNALISTS: 1 888 779 5833 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Ceres Lisboa Associate Managing Director Financial Institutions Group JOURNALISTS: 0 800 891 2518 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653  2022 Moodys Corporation, Moodys Investors Service, Inc., Moodys Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, MOODYS). All rights reserved.CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS AFFILIATES ARE THEIR CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY MOODYS (COLLECTIVELY, PUBLICATIONS) MAY INCLUDE SUCH CURRENT OPINIONS. MOODYS DEFINES CREDIT RISK AS THE RISK THAT AN ENTITY MAY NOT MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AS THEY COME DUE AND ANY ESTIMATED FINANCIAL LOSS IN THE EVENT OF DEFAULT OR IMPAIRMENT. SEE APPLICABLE MOODYS RATING SYMBOLS AND DEFINITIONS PUBLICATION FOR INFORMATION ON THE TYPES OF CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ADDRESSED BY MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS. CREDIT RATINGS DO NOT ADDRESS ANY OTHER RISK, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: LIQUIDITY RISK, MARKET VALUE RISK, OR PRICE VOLATILITY. CREDIT RATINGS, NON-CREDIT ASSESSMENTS (ASSESSMENTS), AND OTHER OPINIONS INCLUDED IN MOODYS PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT STATEMENTS OF CURRENT OR HISTORICAL FACT. MOODYS PUBLICATIONS MAY ALSO INCLUDE QUANTITATIVE MODEL-BASED ESTIMATES OF CREDIT RISK AND RELATED OPINIONS OR COMMENTARY PUBLISHED BY MOODYS ANALYTICS, INC. AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES. MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS, OTHER OPINIONS AND PUBLICATIONS DO NOT CONSTITUTE OR PROVIDE INVESTMENT OR FINANCIAL ADVICE, AND MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS, OTHER OPINIONS AND PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AND DO NOT PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PURCHASE, SELL, OR HOLD PARTICULAR SECURITIES. MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS, OTHER OPINIONS AND PUBLICATIONS DO NOT COMMENT ON THE SUITABILITY OF AN INVESTMENT FOR ANY PARTICULAR INVESTOR. MOODYS ISSUES ITS CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS AND OTHER OPINIONS AND PUBLISHES ITS PUBLICATIONS WITH THE EXPECTATION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT EACH INVESTOR WILL, WITH DUE CARE, MAKE ITS OWN STUDY AND EVALUATION OF EACH SECURITY THAT IS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR PURCHASE, HOLDING, OR SALE.MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS, OTHER OPINIONS, AND PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT INTENDED FOR USE BY RETAIL INVESTORS AND IT WOULD BE RECKLESS AND INAPPROPRIATE FOR RETAIL INVESTORS TO USE MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS, OTHER OPINIONS OR PUBLICATIONS WHEN MAKING AN INVESTMENT DECISION. IF IN DOUBT YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR FINANCIAL OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVISER.ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS PROTECTED BY LAW, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, COPYRIGHT LAW, AND NONE OF SUCH INFORMATION MAY BE COPIED OR OTHERWISE REPRODUCED, REPACKAGED, FURTHER TRANSMITTED, TRANSFERRED, DISSEMINATED, REDISTRIBUTED OR RESOLD, OR STORED FOR SUBSEQUENT USE FOR ANY SUCH PURPOSE, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN ANY FORM OR MANNER OR BY ANY MEANS WHATSOEVER, BY ANY PERSON WITHOUT MOODYS PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT.MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS, ASSESSMENTS, OTHER OPINIONS AND PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT INTENDED FOR USE BY ANY PERSON AS A BENCHMARK AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED FOR REGULATORY PURPOSES AND MUST NOT BE USED IN ANY WAY THAT COULD RESULT IN THEM BEING CONSIDERED A BENCHMARK.All information contained herein is obtained by MOODYS from sources believed by it to be accurate and reliable. Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error as well as other factors, however, all information contained herein is provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. MOODY'S adopts all necessary measures so that the information it uses in assigning a credit rating is of sufficient quality and from sources MOODY'S considers to be reliable including, when appropriate, independent third-party sources. However, MOODYS is not an auditor and cannot in every instance independently verify or validate information received in the rating process or in preparing its Publications.To the extent permitted by law, MOODYS and its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, licensors and suppliers disclaim liability to any person or entity for any indirect, special, consequential, or incidental losses or damages whatsoever arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use of or inability to use any such information, even if MOODYS or any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, licensors or suppliers is advised in advance of the possibility of such losses or damages, including but not limited to: (a) any loss of present or prospective profits or (b) any loss or damage arising where the relevant financial instrument is not the subject of a particular credit rating assigned by MOODYS.To the extent permitted by law, MOODYS and its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, licensors and suppliers disclaim liability for any direct or compensatory losses or damages caused to any person or entity, including but not limited to by any negligence (but excluding fraud, willful misconduct or any other type of liability that, for the avoidance of doubt, by law cannot be excluded) on the part of, or any contingency within or beyond the control of, MOODYS or any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, licensors or suppliers, arising from or in connection with the information contained herein or the use of or inability to use any such information.NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF ANY CREDIT RATING, ASSESSMENT, OTHER OPINION OR INFORMATION IS GIVEN OR MADE BY MOODYS IN ANY FORM OR MANNER WHATSOEVER.Moodys Investors Service, Inc., a wholly-owned credit rating agency subsidiary of Moodys Corporation (MCO), hereby discloses that most issuers of debt securities (including corporate and municipal bonds, debentures, notes and commercial paper) and preferred stock rated by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. have, prior to assignment of any credit rating, agreed to pay to Moodys Investors Service, Inc. for credit ratings opinions and services rendered by it fees ranging from $1,000 to approximately $5,000,000. MCO and Moodys Investors Service also maintain policies and procedures to address the independence of Moodys Investors Service credit ratings and credit rating processes. Information regarding certain affiliations that may exist between directors of MCO and rated entities, and between entities who hold credit ratings from Moodys Investors Service and have also publicly reported to the SEC an ownership interest in MCO of more than 5%, is posted annually at www.moodys.com under the heading Investor Relations  Corporate Governance  Director and Shareholder Affiliation Policy.Additional terms for Australia only: Any publication into Australia of this document is pursuant to the Australian Financial Services License of MOODYS affiliate, Moodys Investors Service Pty Limited ABN 61 003 399 657AFSL 336969 and/or Moodys Analytics Australia Pty Ltd ABN 94 105 136 972 AFSL 383569 (as applicable). This document is intended to be provided only to wholesale clients within the meaning of section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001. By continuing to access this document from within Australia, you represent to MOODYS that you are, or are accessing the document as a representative of, a wholesale client and that neither you nor the entity you represent will directly or indirectly disseminate this document or its contents to retail clients within the meaning of section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001. MOODYS credit rating is an opinion as to the creditworthiness of a debt obligation of the issuer, not on the equity securities of the issuer or any form of security that is available to retail investors.Additional terms for Japan only: Moody's Japan K.K. (MJKK) is a wholly-owned credit rating agency subsidiary of Moody's Group Japan G.K., which is wholly-owned by Moodys Overseas Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCO. Moodys SF Japan K.K. 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BEIJING, Feb 16 (Reuters) - China accused the United States of "playing up the threat of warfare and creating tension", as U.S. President Joe Biden warned that more than 150,000 Russian troops were still massed near Ukraine's borders following Moscow's announcement of a partial pullback.

Western nations have suggested arms control and confidence-building steps to defuse the stand-off, which has prompted them to urge their citizens to leave Ukraine because an attack could come at any time. Russia denies it has any plans to invade.

"Such persistent hyping up and disinformation by some Western countries will create turbulence and uncertainty to the world full of challenges, and intensify distress and division," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

"We hope relevant parties will stop such disinformation campaigns and do more to benefit peace, mutual trust and cooperation."

China has been criticised for its stance on Ukraine by some Western leaders, including Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

"The leadership of the two heads of state, China and Russia, always work to develop long term good neighbourliness and mutually beneficial cooperative relationship on the basis of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third countries," spokesman Wang added. (Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Emily Chow; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Clarksville's Imari Berry celebrated with friends and family minutes after the University of Tennessee Lady Vols offered the Lady Wildcats' sophomore a scholarship Tuesday night.

"It feels great," Berry said. "Coach (Kellie) Harper asked me how my day was and that she liked my game and wanted to offer me a scholarship."

Tennessee has been high on Berry's list of schools she was hoping would offer. Lady Vols assistant Samantha Williams traveled from Knoxville last Friday to watch the Lady Wildcats play Northeast. Berry scored 29 points in Clarksville's 63-39 victory.

UT is the 11th school to offer the 5-foot-10 guard. Clemson, Vanderbilt, Austin Peay, Memphis, Oklahoma State and Middle Tennessee State have also offered. Last summer, UConn and South Carolina showed up at Berry's AAU games, and Louisville made multiple trips to see Berry play.

POSTSEASON: Clarksville area's high school district tournament schedules

LADY VOLS: Imari Berry drops 29 points with UT in attendance

"Just to get that call from a program like UT, that was exciting," Berry added.

Berry has already made an unofficial visit to Knoxville but plans to return to watch the Lady Vols play LSU on Feb. 27.

Murray State was the first school to offer Berry when she was a seventh grader at Richview Middle.

Berry led Clarksville in scoring as a freshman and is among the city leaders this season at 23.5 points per game. The Lady Wildcats (17-5) will open the District 13-4A tournament Thursday against Northeast.

Berry was named a finalist for the TSSAA Miss Basketball award. She's the first Clarksville candidate since Bashaara Graves in 2012. No female basketball player from Montgomery County has won Miss Basketball. Northwest senior Ta'Mia Scott is also a finalist.

Clarksville's Imari Berry (2) brings the ball up the court against West Creek in the first half of their District 13-4A basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 at West Creek High School.

If Berry eventually lands in Knoxville she would be the third player from Clarksville to play for Tennessee. Northeast product Kamiko Williams played at UT from 2009-13 and Graves played from 2012-16.

Reach sports writer George Robinson at grobinson@gannett.com or (931) 245-0747 and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Imari Berry receives offer from Tennessee Lady Vols: Clarksville guard
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from Colorado will have an opportunity this week to hear from a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 10:35 a.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 18, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.

NASA Logo. (PRNewsFoto/NASA) (PRNewsFoto/) (PRNewsfoto/NASA)

NASA astronaut Raja Chari will answer prerecorded video questions from students in grades nine through 12 at Wheat Ridge High School in Jefferson County Public School district in Wheatridge, Colorado. The downlink will support continuing efforts to encourage students to pursue aerospace and STEM careers.

Media interested in covering the event should contact Maggie Wells with the Jefferson County Public School district at: media@jeffco.k12.co.us.

Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance, and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Astronauts living in space aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Near Space Network Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS).

For more than 21 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Through Artemis, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers  the Artemis Generation  ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.

See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

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SOURCE NASA
SIRIUS MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

In 2021, data centers that were opened or under construction added about 1.63 GW of power. With many planned facilities, power consumption is expected to grow to 2.51 GW during the forecast period.

Chicago, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Europe data center market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5.53% during the period 20212027.



KEY HIGHLIGHTS OFFERED IN THE REPORT:

The European data center market by investment in 2021 was led by Western Europe with over 70% of the overall regional investment, followed by Central & Eastern Europe, and Nordics. The Nordic region will witness the highest growth by 2027, growing at a CAGR of ~12%. Some major growth contributors in the region include the UK, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, and Poland, among others. The growth is contributed by factors such as availability of renewable energy, spread of 5G, government support, increasing enterprise use of cloud, and adoption of advanced technology such as AI, IoT and big data. Europe has witnessed investment from major colocation operators such as Digital Realty (Interxion), Equinix, Colt Data Centre Services, Vantage Data Centers, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, and NTT Global Data Centers, expanding their services across various countries. Europe, especially the Nordics, has also witnessed self-built data centers by hyperscale operators such as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. The region is also a hotspot for High Performance Computing (HPC) applications. Growth in Western Europe is led by the FLAP-D markets, followed by secondary markets such as Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy. In 2021, Ireland contributed to over 20% of the power capacity added in the region, followed by Germany. Within Central & Eastern Europe, Russia leads investment, followed by Poland, which is expected to become a data center hub in the future, owing to its strategic location, among other benefits that the country offers. Austria and Czech Republic are also growing markets.

EUROPE DATA CENTER MARKET REPORT SCOPE

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REPORT ATTRIBUTE DETAILS MARKET SIZE (INVESTMENT) USD 65.66 BILLION (2027) MARKET SIZE (AREA) 12.26 MILLION SQUARE FT. (2027) MARKET SIZE (POWER CAPACITY) 2515 MW (2027) CAGR (INVESTMENT) 5.53% (2022-2027) BASE YEAR 2021 FORECAST YEAR 2022-2027 GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS Western Europe, Nordic, Central and Eastern Europe COUNTRIES COVERED (WESTERN EUROPE) UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Other Western European Countries, COUNTRIES COVERED (NORDIC) Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland COUNTRIES COVERED (CEE) Russia, Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, and Other Central and Eastern European Countries INFRASTRUCTURE IT Infrastructure, Electrical Infrastructure, Mechanical Infrastructure, and General Construction IT INFRASTRUCTURE Server Infrastructure, Storage Infrastructure, and Network Infrastructure ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE UPS Systems, Generators, Transfer Switches & Switchgear, Power Distribution Units, and Other Electrical Infrastructure MECHANICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Cooling Systems, Racks, and Other Mechanical Infrastructure COOLING SYSTEMS CRAC & CRAH Units, Chiller Units, Cooling Towers, Condensers and Dry Coolers, Economizer and Evaporative Coolers, and Other Cooling Units COOLING TECHNIQUE Air-Based Cooling Technique and Liquid-Based Cooling Technique GENERAL CONSTRUCTION Core and Shell Development, Installation and Commissioning Services, Engineering and Building Design, Physical Security, Fire Detection and Suppression, and DCIM/BMS Solutions TIER STANDARDS Tier I & II, Tier III, and Tier IV FACILITY TYPE Hyperscale Data Centers, Colocation Data Centers, and Enterprise Data Centers

KEY OFFERINGS:

Market Size & Forecast by Investment | 2021-2027

Market Size & Forecast by Power Capacity (MW) | 2021-2027

Market Size & Forecast by Area (Sq. Ft.) | 2021-2027

Market Dynamics  Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by infrastructure, IT infrastructure, electrical infrastructure, mechanical infrastructure, cooling systems, cooling technique, general construction, tier standard, facility type, and geography

Competitive Landscape  21 IT infrastructure providers, 39 support infrastucture providers, 74 construction constractors, 45 data center investors, and 5 new entrants

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EUROPE DATA CENTER MARKET  KEY INVESTMENTS

In December 2020, Google announced the opening of its second data center in the Netherlands that will be powered by renewable energy.

Edge data center deployments will continue to drive innovations in the data center power space, with increased modular infrastructure offerings. 5G rollout across Germany will increase edge deployment with a power capacity of less than 500 kW.

In May 2020, Rolls-Royce and Daimler partnered to develop generator systems with hydrogen fuel cells for data centers to run carbon-neutral facilities.

In November 2021, OVHcloud announced a partnership with Atos to offer 100% European public cloud services to customers in France.

The revenue from the public cloud market in the country is expected to reach around $4.8 billion by the end of 2021, with the largest market volume to be witnessed from SaaS and revenue expected to be over $3.2 billion. The market revenue is expected to reach around $10.7 billion by 2026.

In August 2021, AWS announced partnership with Greece Government to support space industry in the country with the help of AWS cloud services.

EUROPE DATA CENTER MARKET  SEGMENTATION

Europe Data Center Market by Infrastructure

IT Infrastructure

Electrical Infrastructure

Mechanical Infrastructure

General Construction

Europe Data Center Market by IT infrastructure

Server

Storage

Network



Europe Data Center Market by Electrical Infrastructure

UPS Systems

Generators

Transfer Switches & Switchgear

Power Distribution Units

Other Electrical Infrastructure



Europe Data Center Market by Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

Racks

Other Mechanical Infrastructure



Europe Data Center Market by Cooling Systems

CRAC & CRAH Units

Chiller Units

Cooling Towers, Condensers, and Dry Coolers

Economizers & Evaporative Coolers

Other Cooling Units



Europe Data Center Market by Cooling Technique

Air-Based Cooling Technique

Liquid-Based Cooling Technique

Europe Data Center Market by General Construction

Core & Shell Development

Installation & Commissioning Services

Engineering & Building Design

Physical Security

Fire Detection & Suppression

DCIM/BMS

Europe Data Center Market by Facility Type

Hyperscale Data Centers

Colocation Data Centers

Enterprise Data Centers



Europe Data Center Market by Tier Standard

Tier I & II

Tier III

Tier IV



Europe Data Center Market by Geography

Western Europe UK Germany France Netherlands Ireland Switzerland Italy Spain Belgium Luxembourg Portugal Other Western European Countries

Nordic Sweden Finland Denmark Norway Iceland

Central and Eastern Europe Russia Poland Austria Czech Republic Other Central and Eastern European Countries







EUROPE DATA CENTER MARKET  COMPETITOR LANDSCAPE

The market witnessed significant growth in revenue contribution from ODM server manufacturers such as Quanta Cloud Technology (QCT), Wistron (Wiwynn), and Inventec. These ODM server providers manufacture bare-metal servers without software solutions and ship to hyperscale data center operators such as Facebook. These ODM providers also supply systems that are based on the Open Compute Project (OCP) design, which is contributed by hyperscale providers in the market. ODM server manufacturers are continuing to be a major threat to other vendors such as HPE, Dell, IBM, Inspur, Lenovo, and Cisco Systems. However, these vendors are also involved in the manufacture of customized ODM solutions for enterprises. It is mainly due to the lack of expertise among enterprises to develop a solution that perfectly fits their operational requirements. These servers are available at a cheaper price, with an increased interest shown by enterprises in OCP-designed solutions.

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Key IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Atos

Broadcom

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Extreme Networks

Fujitsu

Hitachi Vantara

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Inspur

Juniper Networks

Lenovo

MiTAC Holdings

NEC Corporation

NetApp

Pure Storage

Quanta Computer (Quanta Cloud Technology)

Super Micro Computer

Wistron (Wiwynn)



Key Support Infrastructure Providers

3M

ABB

Aermec

Airedale International Air Conditioning

Aksa Power Generation

Alfa Laval

Carrier

Caterpillar

Condair

Cummins

Daikin Applied

Delta Electronics

Eaton

ebm-papst

EMICON INNOVATION AND COMFORT

Enrogen

FlaktGroup

GESAB

HiRef

HITEC Power Protection

Johnson Controls

KOHLER-SDMO

KyotoCooling

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric

Munters

NetNordic

Nlyte Software (Carrier Global Corporation)

Perkins Engines

Piller Power Systems

Riello Elettronica (Riello UPS)

Rittal

Rolls-Royce

Schneider Electric

Siemens

Socomec

STULZ

Trane (Ingersoll Rand)

Vertiv



Key Construction Contractors

AECOM

AEON Engineering

ARC:MC

AODC

Ariatta

ARSMAGNA

Artelia

Arup

Atkins

Aurora Group

Basler & Hofmann

BENTHEM CROUWEL ARCHITECTS

Bouygues Construction

Callaghan Engineering

Cap Ingelec

Caverion

Collen

Coromatic

COWI

DataDome

Deerns

Designer Group

Dipl.-Ing. H. C. Hollige

Dornan

DPR Construction

Etop

EYP MCF

Ferrovial

Fluor Corporation

Free Technologies Engineering

Future-tech

Gottlieb Paludan Architects

Granlund Group

GreenMDC

Haka Moscow

ICT Facilities

IDOM

IMOS

ISG

JCA Engineering

JERLAURE

Kirby Group Engineering

KKCG Group

Linesight

Mace

M+W Group (EXYTE)

Mercury

Metnor Construction

MT Hojgaard

Nicholas Webb Architects (NWA)

NORMA Engineering

Oakmont Construction

PM Group

PORR Group

PQC (Power Quality Control)

Quark

Qumak

Ramboll Group

RED

Royal HaskoningDHV

STARCHING

STO Building Group

STRABAG

STS Group

Sweco

TECHKO

Tetra Tech

TPF

TTSP

Turner & Townsend

Warbud

Winthrop Engineering and Contracting

YIT

ZAUNERGROUP

Key Data Center Investors

3data

3S Group

Amazon Web Services

Artnet

Aruba

Apple

atNorth

Bahnhof

Beyond.pl

China Mobile

ClusterPower

Colt Data Centre Services (COLT DCS)

CyrusOne

DATA4

DigiPlex

Digital Realty

Echelon Data Centres

EcoDataCenter

EdgeConneX (EQT Infrastructure)

Equinix

Euclyde Data Centers

Facebook

Global Switch

Google

Green Mountain (AZRIELI GROUP)

Iron Mountain (IO)

IXcellerate

KDDI

Liberty Global

Magenta Telekom

Microsoft

Mobile Tele Systems (MTS)

Neterra

Netia

NDC-GARBE Data Centers Europe

NTT Global Data Centers

Orange Business Services

Proximity Data Centres

Rostelecom Data Centers (RTK-DC)

T5 Data Centers

Telecom Italia Sparkle

Vantage Data Centers

Virus Data Centers (ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC))

VK Cloud Solutions (MAIL.RU)

Yandex



New Entrants

AtlasEdge

AQ Compute

Global Technical Realty

Nautilus Data Technologies

Stratus DC Management





Explore our data center knowledge base profile to know more about the industry.

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<span class="legendSpanClass">Fund to Target Investments in High-Potential European Startups, Provide Co-Investing Opportunities Alongside Firm's North American Funds</span>

LONDON, Feb. 16, 2022 /CNW/ -- Fifth Wall, the largest venture capital firm focused on technologies for the global real estate industry, announced that it has closed an oversubscribed 140 million for its European Real Estate Technology Fund (European Fund). Like prior Fifth Wall funds, the European Fund attracted the largest owners and developers of real estate, including Aldar Properties, Azora Capital, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Conren Tramway, DAMAC Group, Gestilar, Inmobiliaria Colonial, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Knight Frank, MERLIN Properties, MOMENI Group, NEINVER, affiliates of Northwood Investors, Pecunia, PGIM Real Estate, Pontos Group, Redevco, SEGRO, and Tramway Capital. The European Fund aims to accelerate European proptech innovation adoption, replicating the success of Fifth Wall's previous core North American Real Estate Tech funds. This brings Fifth Wall's capital under management to approximately $3.0 billion.

"We are thrilled to expand our firm into Europe as we aim to replicate Fifth Wall's position as the leading proptech investor in North America with this expansion into Europe and Israel," said Brendan Wallace, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Fifth Wall. "The success of Fifth Wall's model is premised on identifying the leading proptech companies and accelerating their growth through Fifth Wall's global network of more than 90 strategic investors. Having so many of the leading European real estate firms supporting our European Fund will enable us to help accelerate the expansion of the proptech ecosystem in Europe and Israel."

The European Fund will target investments in high-potential European startups and will also potentially provide co-investing opportunities alongside the firm's core North American Real Estate Tech funds. Investments out of this fund will range from Series A to Series C rounds. The fund has already completed investments into fast-growing startups, including Clikalia, the leading Spanish Ibuyer platform and Gorillas, an on-demand grocery delivery company.

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"We look forward to continuing our relationship with Fifth Wall through our new investment into its European Fund, following our original investment in its Fund II in 2018," said Soumen Das, Chief Financial Officer at SEGRO. "Fifth Wall's leading platform and deep market knowledge has delivered valuable insights into the PropTech market and emerging technologies."

According to PitchBook data, the European proptech market currently represents approximately 20% of all global proptech activity in 2021, including 3.8 billion of venture capital investment in over 200 deals. That is an increase of 3.5x vis-a-vis the investment levels of 2020, and more than 4x the 2019 levels. The median European proptech deal size has increased from 1.6 million in 2019 to 3.2 million in 2021.

"The value of being invested in Fifth Wall's European Real Estate Technology Fund is the early exposure to transformative proptech solutions and the guidance of the Fifth Wall team in exploring new ways to solidify Redevco's business model," said Patrick Brenninkmeijer, Business Development Director at Redevco. "The great appetite for the fund underlines the importance of technological innovation for the real estate industry and we look forward to continuing the fruitful partnership with Fifth Wall."

The European Fund, which is co-led by industry veterans Roelof Opperman and Miguel Nigorra, both based in London, offers a powerful gateway between the US and European startup communities, and a valuable network for advancing the European proptech ecosystem in Europe and beyond. The oversubscribed European Fund close comes on the heels of Fifth Wall announcing that the firm raised $1.1 Billion across its funds in 2021.

About Fifth Wall

Founded in 2016, Fifth Wall, a Certified B Corporation, is the largest venture capital firm focused on technology for the global real estate industry. With approximately $3.0 billion in commitments and capital under management, Fifth Wall connects many of the world's largest owners and operators of real estate with the entrepreneurs who are redefining the future of the Built World. Fifth Wall is backed by a global mix of more than 90 strategic limited partners (LPs) from more than 15 countries, including BNP Paribas Real Estate, British Land, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Host Hotels & Resorts, Kimco Realty Corporation, Lennar, Lowe's Home Improvement, Marriott International, MetLife Investment Management, Related Companies, Starwood Capital, Toll Brothers, and others. Fifth Wall believes this consortium represents one of the largest groups of potential partners in the global Built World ecosystem, which can result in transformational investments and collaborations with promising portfolio companies. For more information about Fifth Wall, its LPs, and portfolio, visit www.fifthwall.com.

Important Information

This is a marketing communication with regard to Fifth Wall's European Real Estate Technology Fund (European Fund). The European Fund had its final closing; a subscription for interests in the fund is therefore no longer possible. Investors interested in Fifth Wall and its funds should, when taking into consideration this information about the European Fund, consider that an investment in the European Fund involves a high degree of risk and is only suitable for investors who are capable of evaluating and bearing the risks it represents. There can be no assurance that the European Fund will be able to achieve its investment objectives or that investors will receive a return of their capital. Investors interested in an investment in a Fifth Wall fund should refer to the private placement memorandum of the respective fund before making any final investment decisions.

SEGRO and Redevco are currently investors in the European Fund and may have, now or in the future, other business relationships with Fifth Wall and its affiliates. Fifth Wall did not compensate SEGRO or Redevco directly or indirectly for their participation in this press release. SEGRO and Redevco may have, now or in the future, certain preferential rights in Fifth Wall funds and other strategic or business relationships with Fifth Wall or its affiliates, including preferential access to certain investment opportunities and access to other services provided by affiliates of Fifth Wall unrelated their investment in the European Fund. As a result, SEGRO's and Redevco's views with respect to Fifth Wall and the European Fund are not necessarily indicative of the views of other investors in the European Fund, including those who do not have access to such preferential rights.

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SOURCE Fifth Wall

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An Italian F35 aircraft is seen on the runway during "Blue Flag", an aerial exercise hosted by Israel with the participation of foreign air force crews, at Ovda military air base, southern Israel

By Anne Kauranen, Essi Lehto and Mike Stone

HELSINKI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Finland has sealed a deal to buy dozens of F-35 stealth warplanes from the United States, in a sign of its military's close ties with NATO at a time of high tension between the West and Russia in Europe.

The northern European nation - which borders Russia and was historically neutral during the Cold War - signed the $9.4 billion agreement on Friday to buy 64 radar-evading Lockheed Martin jets.

While the planes will not enter service for several years - non-NATO Finland has previously said 2027 - the agreement reflects the country's deepening cooperation with the Western military alliance and how its defence forces materiel policy is based on all new equipment being NATO-compatible.

Finland's government said the decision to buy the U.S. jets, announced in December https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/lockheed-f-35-jet-wins-finnish-fighter-competition-source-2021-12-10, was part of long-term plans to boost the country's defences, not a response to the current confrontation between the West and Russia over Ukraine.

"It is part of our long-term planning and has nothing to do with the current situation as such," said Mikko Hautala, Finland's ambassador to the United States.

Russia has massed more than 100,000 troops near its frontiers with Ukraine, and Western countries fear it is planning an attack. Moscow denies plans for an invasion but says it could take unspecified "military-technical" action unless demands are met, including a promise to admit no new countries to NATO and to withdraw Western forces from Eastern Europe.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finlands-pm-says-nato-membership-is-very-unlikely-her-watch-2022-01-19 in January the country had no plans at present to apply to join NATO, but added that his nation retained the right to join.

MISSILES TOO

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The contract with the U.S. government and planemaker Lockheed Martin includes maintenance equipment, spare parts and training services, Finland's Defence Forces said.

"The aim is to ensure that Finland's F-35 system has the best possible performance going into the 2030s," it added.

On top of the F-35s, Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen decided on Friday that Finland would buy surface-to-surface missiles from Lockheed for 75 million euros to improve the performance and extend the range of it's heavy rocket launcher system, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The munition deliveries are estimated to begin in 2025, it added. The surface-to-surface missiles have a range of over 135 kilometres and could be used offensively or as a deterrent to land invasion.

(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington and Anne Kauranen and Essi Lehto in HelsinkiEditing by Peter Graff, Frances Kerry, Louise Heavens and Pravin Char)
By Stefano Rebaudo

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields rose on Wednesday as fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine began to subside, boosting risk appetite and allowing investors to shift focus back to monetary policy tightening.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the United States needs to see "verifiable, credible, meaningful de-escalation." Russia's defence ministry released footage that, it said, showed it was returning some troops to base after exercises.

Assuming the recent flare-up (of geopolitical tensions over Ukraine) was the last such iteration, then yields will be free to resume their rise, ING analysts said.

Our base case remains that inflation pressure and central banks' urgency in tightening policy will continue to push rates higher, they added.

Two European Central Bank officials made the case for ending the ECB's bond-buying scheme, while positioning ahead of next policy meeting on March 10.

Germanys 10-year government bond yield, the benchmark of the bloc, rose 1.5 basis points hitting a new high since December 2018 at 0.331%.

Germany's 30-year bond yield rose 2 bps to its highest level since May 2019 at 0.576%.

While the short to intermediate part of the curve looks well prepared for future possible rate hikes the longer part of the curve looks more exposed as long-term forwards still don't believe the ECB will ever get rates back to 1%, Commerzbank analysts said in a note to customers.

Italys 10-year government bond yield rose 0.5 bps to 1.982%.

According to Commerzbank analysts latest weekly figures of ECB bond purchases underscore the central bank's laissez-faire attitude towards orderly bearish spread widening.

While 10y BTP spreads rose above 150 bps last week, net purchases were close to the average seen so far this year and gross purchases fell to the lowest level since the first week of January, they argued.

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The spread between Italian and German 10-year bond yields widened slightly to 165 bps on Wednesday.

British consumer prices rose at the fastest annual pace in nearly 30 years last month, further shifting investors' focus back to central banks.

Money markets are currently pricing an 80% chance that the Bank of England will hike its policy rate by 50 bps rate at its next policy meeting in March. (Reporting by Stefano Rebaudo, editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
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Dublin, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Medical Device Packaging Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Material (Plastic, Metal), by Product (Pouches & Bags, Boxes), by Application (Equipment & Tools, IVD), by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2020-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global medical device packaging market size is expected to reach USD 48.97 billion by 2028 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2020 to 2028

The market growth is attributed to the growing demand for medical devices, such as surgical implants and instruments, medical supplies, electro-medical equipment, and in-vitro diagnostic equipment. The increasing aging population that requires advanced medical treatments, coupled with the unhealthy lifestyles of people, has been resulting in the high prevalence of chronic diseases.



These medical device packaging products are manufactured through various technologies, such as heat seal and sterilization, in order to ensure product safety and convenience in use. Furthermore, several other technologies such as seal peal and counterfeit have been utilized by the manufacturers in order to hinder counterfeit and duplicate products in the market. These counterfeit technologies are also used to track the products and offer complete protection against counterfeiting through unique numbering/ serialization.



The medical device packaging industry is concentrated in the developed countries, including the U.S., Germany, the U.K., and China. due to the large production volumes of medical devices in the aforementioned countries. However, the investments in the medical device industry in developing countries, such as India and Brazil, have been growing in recent years, which is expected to benefit the market growth in the coming years.



In vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices witnessed a massives pike in demand in 2020 amid the COVID-19 outbreak. This was due to the amplified demand for infectious disease tests undertaken by countries, such as the U.S., India, China, and the U.K. The countries significantly invested in COVID-19 testing to curb the spread of the coronavirus.



The key companies operating in the market are involved in the acquisition of medium and small size companies aiming to expand their product portfolio and increase manufacturing capacity. For instance, in October 2020, CCL Industries signed an agreement to acquire Denmark-based Graphic West International ApS. The acquisition was aimed to expand the capability to serve healthcare customers in Europe and North America.



Medical Device Packaging Market Report Highlights

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In terms of material, metal is expected to register the highest growth rate of 7.2% over the forecast period. The aluminum-based boxes, trays, and flexible pouches are prominently used products in the industry and offer an effective barrier against moisture, oxygen, and light

By product, pouches and bags dominated the market with a share of over 35.0% in 2020. This is attributed due to the flexible feature that can accommodate medical devices of various shapes and sizes. Their small size and high product-to-package ratio enable easy storage and handling of medical devices

In terms of application, IVDs are expected to expand at the fastest CAGR from 2020 to 2028 due to the increasing demand for infectious disease diagnostic instruments and reagents. This is due to the high demand for the aforementioned medical devices during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Europe emerged as the dominant regional market in 2020. This is due to the presence of several medical device producers that manufacture IVD test kits, ventilators, and other diagnostic devices in the countries, such as the U.K. and Germany

Key players in the market are involved in mergers and acquisitions and geographical expansions

Market Dynamics

Market Driver Analysis

Growing Medical Devices Market Globally

Rapid Demand For IVDs Post Covid-19 Outbreak

Market Restraint Analysis

Growing Stringent Regulations

Market Challenges

Growing Distresses Over Plastic Disposal and Stringent Regulations On Use Of Plastic Packaging

Companies Mentioned

Amcor plc

Sonoco Products Company

Mondi

CCL Industries

Constantia Flexibles

WestRock Company

Berry Global Inc.

Glenroy, Inc.

SteriPack Group

Riverside Medical Packaging Company Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/r8i50x

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




By Trend

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg reviewed bilateral and international issues, Trend reports citing IRNA.

The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Austria, Abbas Bagherpour announced that the two sides discussed as well as the Vienna Talks.

Calling the meeting "fruitful, he says that the two sides emphasized on common interests of both sides to deepen existing bilateral relations.

Latest developments concerning ongoing Vienna Talks were reviewed, the ambassador said in a statement published on his Twitter account.

He appreciated Austria's important role in hosting the Vienna Talks.

The eighth round of the talks, which was paused for more than a week to allow delegations to head back to their countries for political consultations, will resume in the Austrian capital.

In January 2016, JCPOA was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year.

To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 that a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.

On May 8, 2019, Iran announced that it had ceased fulfilling its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal.

Iran announced that it will enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and will not mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA on Sept.5.

On Nov. 5, 2019, Iran announced that it took the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA.

As reported, in late 2020, the Iranian parliament has decided to implement a strategic plan to tackle the sanctions, citing the non-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran. According to the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran suspended the implementation of additional steps and an additional protocol provided for in the nuclear deal.

The US imposed new sanctions on Iran in November 2018. Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals.
PHILADELPHIA, February 23, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fifth paragraph of release dated February 16, 2022 should be removed.

The updated release reads:

GROVARA OPENS MEXICO HEADQUARTERS FOR EXPANDING TEAM AS GLOBAL WHOLESALE PLATFORM ACCELERATES GROWTH ACROSS LATAM

Grovara, the easy global wholesale experience, is expanding its footprint in Mexico with a new office and new hires to meet growing demand from retailers there and across LATAM on its online marketplace for American better-for-you products.

Grovara increased sales on its online global wholesale marketplace by 75% in 2021, with Mexico and LATAM driving 40% of that growth. Grovara has opened up markets like Chile, Colombia, Panama, and Peru for American brands like True Citrus and Pnuff.

"The growth in demand for natural and organic products in Mexico has created a flurry of interest from leading retailers on our platform that stretches across LATAM," says Grovaras Eugenia Schlitter, who was elevated to Sales Director after building momentum as Director of the Latin American market for the last year. "Weve been able to deliver the best products as well as the best margins to retailers in a single solution that saves them time and headaches."

Schlitter has grown the LATAM market with strong distribution partnerships with major retailers and identifying products and categories that are most in-demand in a region with rapidly shifting consumer habits. Grovaras international sales and support teams in the region work directly with retailers to introduce brands, negotiate pricing, and ensure logistics and fulfillment.

The five new hires in LATAM included sales and logistics roles, enabling Grovara to ramp up customer acquisition through rapid retailer expansion across key countries in the region. The company will accelerate digital transformation for retailers with tech- and data-driven brand discovery and purchasing.

Also in Q1, Grovara plans on hiring additional Sales Managers and Account Managers in UAE and Hong Kong to continue expanding Grovaras business in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, respectively.

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About Grovara

Grovara enables an easy global wholesale experience as the only online marketplace supporting hundreds of American better-for-you brands and thousands of buyers in more than 50 countries. With just 1 in 10 brands selling overseas, Grovara facilitates global exporting and importing with a lightweight tech-driven platform that provides automation and intelligence-based tools. Grovara leverages visibility, discovery, and an intuitive user experience to deliver easy transacting and management, creating a streamlined pathway to dynamic global growth potential. For more information or to join the curated ecosystem, please visit Grovara.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005068/en/

Contacts

Media

Alyssia Portee

Director of Marketing

press@grovara.com
HERSHEY, Pa., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) announced today that it has completed a purchase of one million shares of its common stock from Hershey Trust Company, as Trustee for the Milton Hershey School Trust, for approximately $203 million, or $203.35 per share.

The Hershey Company Logo (PRNewsfoto/The Hershey Company)

"Share buybacks are an important part of our capital allocation strategy as well as our stock replenishment program," said Steve Voskuil, Chief Financial Officer, The Hershey Company. "This transaction is consistent with those practices. The company's strong balance sheet enables continued flexibility to invest in our business to help drive future growth."

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company is headquartered in Hershey, Pa., and is an industry-leading snacks company known for bringing goodness to the world through its iconic brands, remarkable people, and enduring commitment to help children succeed. Hershey has approximately 17,000 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company has more than 90 brands around the world that drive more than $8.1 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop, and Pirate's Booty. For more than 125 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically, and sustainably. Hershey founder, Milton Hershey, created the Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on helping children succeed.

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SOURCE The Hershey Company
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. publishes the release of a market assessment report on "Global Next-Generation Tobacco Product Market  By Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Company Profiles, Revenue and Forecast Till 2030."

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Request for Sample Pages: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1201

According to the latest research report, the global next-generation tobacco product market size is valued at US$ 24.83 Billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach US$ 67.38 Billion in 2030, recording a promising CAGR of 11.8% during the forecast period of 2022-2030.

Nicotine is the key active ingredient in tobacco products that hold-ups individuals to tobacco addiction. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 8 million people die from tobacco use every year. As a solution to this, manufacturers of tobacco products have been launching novel products to reduce the risk of tobacco-related diseases. For instance, in May 2019, Philip Morris announced the launch of IQOS. The product has been marketed as an alternative to cigarettes. This electronic device heats paper-wrapped tobacco-filled sticks and, as a result, generates nicotine-containing aerosol..

The increasing investments by major players to develop promising next-generation tobacco products are anticipated to fuel market growth over the forecast period. Furthermore, spreading awareness regarding health hazards associated with tobacco smoking will help to drive tobacco or cigarette addicts toward using next-generation tobacco products.

Preview for Detailed TOC: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/report/global-next-generation-tobacco-product-market/1201

Major driving factors of the next-generation tobacco product market are the increasing need for next-generation tobacco products, the high prevalence of tobacco-related diseases, the rising consumption of tobacco products amongst females and students, and growing investments for the development of generation tobacco products. Furthermore, growth in the population, a growing number of health-conscious people, and policies that prohibit smoking in indoor public places and workspaces will enhance the next-generation tobacco product market's growth during the forecast period. However, certain side effects of next-generation tobacco products restrain the market growth. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted market growth due to strict lockdown implementations. At the regional level, the Asia-Pacific region is the major revenue holder of this market owing to raising awareness about the Next-Generation tobacco products, increasing government investments in the R&D of tobacco products, increasing rate for quitting tobacco and high demand for e-cigarettes and vapes. On the other hand, North America, followed by the European market is expected to grow faster in the upcoming years considering the increasing prevalence of diseases associated with smoking, increasing demand for next-generation tobacco products, and rising investments in next-generation products.

Story continues

Request for ToC/Proposal: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1201

Strategies like novel product innovations, partnerships, collaborations, merger, expansions, arranging smoking cessation campaigns, and increasing awareness about the Next-Generation tobacco products are aiding market players in growing their businesses.

The prominent players in the Next-Generation tobacco product industry include:

Adris grupa, Altadis, Altria Group Inc., American electronic cigarette company, Arnold Andre GmbH & Co. KG, British American Tobacco (BAT), China National Tobacco Corporation, Davidoff, Dharampal Satyapal, DS Group, Eastern Tobacco Company, Fiedler & Lundgren AB, FIN Branding Group LLC., Gajane AB, Global Horizon Ventures Limited (GHVL), G.N. Tobacco Sweden AB, Gotlands Snus AB, Gudang Garam, Hay Island Holding Corporation, Healthier Choices Management Corp (Ruthless Vapor Corp), House of Oliver Twist A/S, Imperial Brands, Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) Limited., International Vapor Group, ITC Limited, J Well France, Japan Tobacco Inc., J.T. International AG, Juul Labs Inc, Korea Tobacco (KT&G), Lorillard Tobacco Company, MAHAK Group, Manikchand Group, MCIG Inc., Mighty, Nerudia, Nicotek Llc., NJOY Inc, P.T. Karyadibya Mahardhika, Pax Labs, Philip Morris International (PMI), Ploom TECH, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken GmbH, Reynolds American Inc., Rothmans, Ruyan, Sarajevo Tobacco Factory, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, Swedish Match AB, Swisher, Taboca AS, Turning Point Brands, Universal Corporation, V2 Tobacco, Vapor Hub International, Inc., VMR Products LLC, and other prominent products.

Key Industry Developments from Leading Players:

In Oct 2021, the Food and Drug Administration granted electronic cigarette and related items to remain on the market in the United States. R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company received approval for their Vuse Solo electronic nicotine delivery system device and tobacco-flavoured e-liquid pods.

In July 2021, Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) has agreed to acquire Fertin Pharma A/S (Fertin Pharma). Fertin's wide portfolio of technologies, expanding business mix, and world-class experience will enhance innovation pipeline and capabilities, enabling PMI to achieve its aim of increasing net revenues from smoke-free products by offering speed and scale in oral administration

In July 2021, To meet the increased demand for oral and vaping products in the U.S. and E.U. markets, ITC is diversifying its tobacco business by manufacturing and exporting nicotine and nicotine-derivative products. IndiVision, the company's wholly-owned subsidiary, has received the essential regulatory licences to build a facility near Mysuru, Karnataka.

In July 2020, Altria Group, Inc. announced that the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) authorized the marketing of the IQOS tobacco heating system product as a modified risk tobacco product with a reduced exposure claim. IQOS is the next-generation inhalable tobacco product to be authorized as a modified risk tobacco product.

Custamised Requirement @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/1201

Market Segments

Market Size (Value US$ Bn)-Trend Analyses and Forecasts, 2020 to 2030 based on Device Type

e-Cigarettes

Vaps

Mods

e-Hookahs

Pens

Other Device Type

Market Size (Value US$ Bn)-Trend Analyses and Forecasts, 2020 to 2030 based on System

Open Vaping System

Closed Vaping System

Semi-Closed System

Other System

Market Size (Value US$ Bn)-Trend Analyses and Forecasts, 2020 to 2030 based on Product Type

Tobacco Heating Products

Vapour Products

Snus Products

Other Product Type

Market Size (Value US$ Bn)-Trend Analyses and Forecasts, 2020 to 2030 based on Component

Atomizer

Vape Mod

Cartomizer

E-liquid

Battery

Other Component

Market Size (Value US$ Bn)-Trend Analyses and Forecasts, 2020 to 2030 based on Distribution Channel

Online Buying

Retail Stores

Convenience Store

Drug Store

Newsstand

Tobacconist Store

Specialty E-cigarette Store

Other Distribution Channel

Market Size (Value US$ Bn)-Trend Analyses and Forecasts , 2020 to 2030 based on Age Group

18-30 Age Group

31-44 Age Group

45-60 Age Group

61 & Above Age Group

Market Size (Value US$ Bn)-Trend Analyses and Forecasts, 2020 to 2030 based on Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

North America Next-Generation tobacco product market revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2020 to 2030

The U.S.

Canada

Europe Next-Generation tobacco product market revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2020 to 2030

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific Next-Generation tobacco product market revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2020 to 2030

India

China

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Latin America Next-Generation tobacco product market revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2020 to 2030

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

The Middle East & Africa Next-Generation tobacco product market revenue (US$ Billion) by Country, 2020 to 2030

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Why should buy the full report:

To receive comprehensive market insights into the prospects for the global Next-Generation tobacco product market

To receive industry overview and future trends of global Next-Generation tobacco product market

To analyze the Next-Generation tobacco product market drivers and challenges

To get information on Next-Generation tobacco product market size value (US$ Bn) forecast till 2030

Major Investments, Mergers & Acquisition in global Next-Generation tobacco product market industry

For More Information @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/buy-report/1201

About Us:

InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain a competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets, and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Contact Us:

Priyanka Tilekar

InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd.

Visit: www.insightaceanalytic.com

Tel : +1 551 226 6109

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SOURCE InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd.
The Guardian, by Patricia Schappler, first place winner of the 35th annual Omer T. Lassonde Juried Exhibition in 2021.

PORTSMOUTH  The theme of the New Hampshire Art Associations 36th annual Omer T. Lassonde juried exhibition is Ritual.

NHAA members and non-members are invited to interpret this theme in one to three pieces in all mediums by online submissions until Sunday, March 6, by 5 p.m.

Ritual, procedure, liturgy, our daily lives are full of sequences. From the way we take our coffee, to daily walks, and our art practices. Mark making, color mixing, film processing. String together these sequences and a ritual is created. Share your rituals and submit to one of the NHAA's most prestigious exhibitions of the year.

Works chosen will be on exhibit and for sale at the NHAAs Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery and online at nhartassociation.org from Wednesday, March 30, through Sunday May 1.

The juror for this exhibit is Patrick McCay, Chair of the Visual Arts at the New England College, which recently merged with the New Hampshire Institute of Art.

Now residing in New Hampshire, McCay completed undergraduate and graduate work in fine art at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, U.K. He also holds a second Master of Fine Arts degree from Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana.

McCays paintings combine literal and abstract elements, reflecting the influence of the Scottish and German expressionists.

McCay has participated numerous solo and group exhibitions. He is the recipient of multiple grants and awards including the Andrew Carnegie Trust Award, a Scottish Arts Council traveling scholarship and the David Carghil Award.

Each year the NHAA hosts a juried exhibition in honor of Omer T. Lassonde, who as Administrator of the WPA Federal Arts Project in his native New Hampshire, helped found the New Hampshire Art Association in 1940 to exhibit and further the work of contemporary artists throughout the state.

Lassonde was a modernist painting known for his spirited landscapes and expressive use of bold color. Originally expecting to become a portraitist, one of his subjects, N.H. Governor John G. Winant, suggested he go to the South Pacific like Paul Gauguin to paint.

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Indeed, Lassonde is most famous for the year he spent painting the landscape and native life of West Samoa in 1930.

In 1947, the then editor of The Washington Post claimed that Lassonde had done more than any man living to put New Hampshire on the map artistically.

Omer T. Lassonde Memorial Prizes of $1,000, $750 and $500 are awarded to the top three submissions. Honorable mentions will also be selected. The exhibit is generously sponsored by the Lassonde family through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

For the complete prospectus and more information, visit www.nhartassociation.org and click under the 36th annual Omer T. Lassonde Juried Exhibition under Upcoming Artist Opportunities.

An opening reception and award ceremony is planned for Friday, April 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth, NH.

Artwork:

The Guardian, by Patricia Schappler, first place winner of the 35th annual Omer T. Lassonde Juried Exhibition in 2021.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 'Ritual' to be theme of this year's Lassonde exhibit at NHAA
Aeroports de Paris

FINANCIAL RELEASE

February 16th, 2022

Aeroports de Paris SA

The Board of Directors of Aeroports de Paris authorizes the company to use its veto right and

the buyback of its own shares in order to be able to exercise its preemption right

as part of the unwinding process of the cross-shareholdings with Royal Schiphol Group

On February 16th, 2022, the Board of Directors has authorized to use the rights Aeroports de Paris is granted pursuant to the exit agreement between Aeroports de Paris and Royal Schiphol Group dated December 1st, 2008. Such rights are1:

the use of a veto right the company holds in the event of a project of cession to identified parties of the ADP shares held by Royal Schiphol Group;

the buyback, including through the use of its preemption right with the ability to substitute one or more third party investor, of a number of ADP shares corresponding to up to 8% of Aeroports de Paris' share capital, to enable the buyback, if necessary, of all the ADP shares to be sold by Royal Schiphol Group.

This authorization is set within the share buyback program authorized by the Shareholder's General Meeting of May 11th, 2021, including within the objectives and financial limits it provides for. It may be pursued under the same framework pursuant to any subsequent buyback program.

The authorization granted by the Board of Directors allows Aeroports de Paris to purchase, in compliance with applicable regulation, its own shares either in the case of a sale by Royal Schiphol Group to identified third-party investors (over-the-counter) or by placing a purchase order as part of an accelerated book building implemented by Royal Schiphol Group.

Description of the orderly sale process of the 8% cross-shareholdings between Aeroports de Paris and Royal Schiphol Group respectively

The industrial cooperation HubLink between Aeroports de Paris and Royal Schiphol Group has ended on November 30th, 2021. The functions as members of the Board of Directors of Aeroports de Paris of Dick Benschop and Robert Carsouw, respectively Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Royal Schiphol Group, and those as member of the Supervisory Board of Royal Schiphol Group of Edward Arkwright, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, thus ended on the same date.

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The termination of this cooperation commences the orderly sale process of the 8% participation each party holds in the share capital of the other party under the terms of an exit agreement between Aeroports de Paris and Royal Schiphol Group dated December 1st, 2008 and in accordance with a shareholders' agreement also dated December 1st, 2008 between Royal Schiphol Group and the French State. This process is scheduled to unfold over a period limited to a maximum of 18 months, i.e. , until May 30th, 2023 at the latest, during which Royal Schiphol Group will first dispose, in one or more instalments (each time for a number of shares at least equal to 1% of Aeroports de Paris' share capital), the participation it holds in the share capital of Aeroports de Paris.

As part of this sale process, Aeroports de Paris has a right of first offer, allowing it to submit an offer to Royal Schiphol Group for the shares it holds in Aeroports de Paris or to appoint a third party to submit an offer for the ADP shares. If such right of first offer is not exercised or if Royal Schiphol Group does not accept any first offer made pursuant to this right, Royal Schiphol Group will have the right to sell, in one or more instalments (each time for a number of shares at least equal to 1% of Aeroports de Paris's share capital), its ADP shares either on the public market or to one or more identified parties (over-the-counter). Aeroports de Paris will then have a preemption right enabling it (i) to buy back the ADP shares offered by Royal Schiphol Group at a price equivalent to that obtained by Royal Schiphol Group or (ii) to substitute one or more third parties in the exercise of the preemption right. Aeroports de Paris, or such substituted third parties, will have 7 days from receipt of Royal Schiphol Group's notification of transfer addressed to it by Royal Schiphol Group (which shall comprise one or more unconditional and irrevocable offers to acquire a number of ADP shares representing at least 1% of Aeroports de Paris' share capital, to notify the exercise of the preemption right to Royal Schiphol Group. The French State has a similar preemption right, with no substitution right however, which must be exercised within the same period and prevails over Aeroports de Paris' preemption right.

Furthermore, in the event of a project of cession to identified parties of the ADP shares held by Royal Schiphol Group, the French State and Aeroports de Paris have a veto right to oppose this cession, which can be exercised once per project and within the same time limit as their preemption right, the French State's veto right shall prevail over that of Aeroports de Paris.

Royal Schiphol Group will hold, unless Aeroports de Paris and Royal Schiphol Group decide otherwise, the proceeds of the sale in an escrow account until Aeroports de Paris sells its Royal Schiphol Group shares back to Royal Schiphol Group. The sale price of the Royal Schiphol Group shares held by Aeroports de Paris will be set on the basis of a fair market value determined as part of an expert appraisal procedure which will take into account the effective sale price of the ADP shares by applying a bonus or a malus determined by comparing the average of the effective sale prices of the ADP shares with the fair market value of Aeroports de Paris as appraised by experts. Lastly, in the event Royal Schiphol Group does not sale its ADP shares by the end of the referred to 18-month period, Aeroports de Paris will be able to exercise, with a substitution right, a call option on the ADP shares still held by Royal Schiphol Group under contractual conditions agreed between the parties (with a price formula based on an average stock market price).

As Aeroports de Paris no longer exerts significant influence over Royal Schiphol Group since December 1st, 2021, the Royal Schiphol Group's shares, previously consolidated using the accounting equity method, are now recognized in other non-current financial assets.

Investor Relations: Audrey Arnoux, Head of Investor Relations +33 6 61 27 07 39 - invest@adp.fr

Press contact: Lola Bourget, Head of Medias and Reputation Department +33 1 74 25 23 23

Groupe ADP develops and manages airports, including Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Paris-Le Bourget. In 2021, the group handled through its brand Paris Aeroport more than 41.9 million passengers and 2.1 million metric tons of freight and mail at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly, and more than 118.1 million passengers in airports abroad. Boasting an exceptional geographic location and a major catchment area, the Group is pursuing its strategy of adapting and modernizing its terminal facilities and upgrading quality of services; the group also intends to develop its retail and real estate businesses. In 2021, group revenue stood at 2,777 million and net income at -248 million.

Registered office: 1, rue de France, 93 290 Tremblay-en-France. Aeroports de Paris is a public limited company (Societe Anonyme) with share capital of 296,881,806. Registered in the Bobigny Trade and Company Register under no. 552 016 628.

groupeadp.fr

1 See below and the 2021 full-year results press release dated February 16th, 2022 for a summarized presentation of such rights and, more broadly, of the orderly sale process of the 8% cross-shareholdings between Aeroports de Paris and Royal Schiphol Group respectively.

Attachment




Aeroports de Paris

PRESS RELEASE

February 16th, 2022

Aeroports de Paris SA

January 2022 traffic figures

Groupe ADP traffic1 in January 2022 was up by +4.5 million passengers compared to January 2021, with 13.4 million passengers welcomed on the entire network of operated airports. It stood at 52.5% of the January 2019 group traffic1.

For Paris Aeroport alone, traffic in January 2022 was up by +2.0 million passengers compared to January 2021, with 4.0 million passengers welcomed. It stood at 52.2% of the January 2019 Paris Aeroport traffic. In January 2022, Paris-Charles de Gaulle welcomed 2.7 million passengers (+1.5 million passengers2) , at 50.7% of the January 2019 traffic, and Paris-Orly 1.3 million passengers (+0.4 million passengers2), at 55.6% of the January 2019 traffic.

At Paris-Charles de Gaulle, terminals 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F are currently open and handle the entirety of passenger traffic. At Paris-Orly, all sectors are open expect for boarding gates B at Orly 1.

Regarding Groupe ADP's international platforms, the Hajj terminal at Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, is closed. All other platforms are open to commercial flights, although some local restrictions may apply, especially to international flights.

For Paris Aeroport in January 20222 :

International traffic (excluding Europe, including French Overseas Territories) was up (+697,144 passengers) due to an increase for all destinations: North America (+304,035 passengers), Latin America (+112,708 passengers), Asia-Pacific (+48,668 passengers), Middle East (+106,751 passengers), Africa (+105,519 passengers);

European traffic (excluding France) was up (+1,011,773 passengers);

Mainland France traffic was up (+258,055 passengers);

French Overseas Territories traffic (included within international traffic) was up (+19,463 passengers);

The number of connecting passengers was up by +96.7%. The connecting rate stood at 28.8%, down by -0.6 point compared to January 2021.





Passenger traffic at TAV Airports, 46.4%-owned by Groupe ADP3, was up by +1.4 million passengers in January 20222, at 3.0 million passengers, at 60.0% of the January 2019 traffic.

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Passenger traffic at Santiago de Chile airport, 45%-owned by Groupe ADP, was up by +0.9 million passengers in January 20222, at 1.7 million passengers, at 66.0 % of the January 2019 traffic.

Passenger traffic at Amman airport, 51%-owned by Groupe ADP, was up by +244,406 passenger in January 20222, at 395 897 passengers, at 60.5% of the January 2019 traffic.

Passenger traffic at GMR Airports, 49%-owned by Groupe ADP4 since 2020, was down by -58,586 passengers in January 20222, at 4.2 million passengers, standing at 47.5% of the January 2019 traffic.

Passengers Jan. 2022 Change Jan. 22/21

(in passengers) Last 12 months % change

2022/2021 Paris-CDG 2,722,701 +1,525,381 27,721,956 +54.6% Paris-Orly 1,320,824 +441,591 16,166,171 +72.7% Total Paris Aeroport 4,043,525 +1,966,972 43,888,127 +60.8% Santiago de Chile 1,652,086 +946,579 10,959,497 +61.9% Amman 395,897 +244,406 4,803,742 +215.5% New Delhi 3,036,612 -33,031 37,106,926 +45.7% Hyderabad 1,030,054 -114,049 11,875,290 +36.4% Cebu 155,622 +88,494 1,405,433 -12.0% Total GMR Airports 4,222,288 -58,586 50,387,649 +40.9% Antalya 662,337 +369,050 22,376,158 +146.6% Almaty 311,471 -71,228 6,027,984 +72.8% Ankara 592,960 +281,884 7,308,059 +65.1% Izmir 557,863 +239,517 7,909,069 +61.6% Bodrum 68,781 +26,211 2,961,447 +106.0% Gazipasa Alanya 27,067 +8,983 629,370 +143.1% Medina 275,724 +145,133 1,903,112 +21.4% Tunisia 31,879 +13,673 537,949 +78.0% Georgia 189,543 +172,953 2,364,299 +457.9% North Macedonia 122,205 +64,412 1,455,790 +121.7% Zagreb(5) 140,176 +102,113 1,506,591 +98.3% Total TAV Airports 2,980,006 +1,352,701 53,690,920 +102.2%





Aircraft Movements Jan. 2021 Change Jan. 22/21

(in movements) Last 12 months % change

2021/2020 Paris-CDG 24,833 +11,063 261,174 +38.4% Paris-Orly 10,952 +4,117 122,674 +67.1% Total Paris Aeroport 35,785 +15,180 383,848 +46.4% Santiago de Chile 11,348 +5,191 82,952 +55.4% Amman 4,630 +2,592 49,195 +145.3% New Delhi 25,490 +498 289,757 +42.4% Hyderabad 9,866 -939 109,177 +25.7% Cebu 1,811 +896 15,148 -12.3% Total GMR Airports 37,167 +455 414,082 +34.6% Antalya 4,922 +2,568 132,652 +139.2% Almaty 3,482 -253 56,587 +34.9% Ankara 4,629 +2,015 57,433 +61.9% Izmir 3,876 +1,502 53,300 +46.1% Bodrum 535 +199 20,555 +101.4% Gazipasa Alanya 208 +36 4,820 +120.6% Medina 2,659 +1,234 21,047 +44.6% Tunisia 337 +124 4,939 +53.1% Georgia 2,284 +1,708 28,528 +181.0% North Macedonia 1,074 +370 15,358 +86.8% Zagreb(5) 2,776 +1,373 30,978 +56.6% Total TAV Airports 26,782 +10,876 414,001 +81.3%

Geographic split at Paris Aeroport

(Paris-CDG and Paris-Orly) Jan. 2022

% change 2022/2021 Share of total traffic Mainland France +258,055 17.7% Europe +1,011,773 37.7% Other International

Of which +697,144 44.6% Africa +105,519 11.9% North America +304,035 10.4% Latin America +112,708 4.9% Middle-East +106,751 5.4% Asia-Pacific +48,668 2.3% French Overseas Territories +19,463 9.7% Total Paris Aeroport +1,966,972 100.0%





Paris Aeroport

(Paris-CDG and Paris-Orly) Jan. 2022 Change

2022/2021 Last 12 months Change 2022/2021 Connecting passengers(1) 569,571 +96.7% 4,858,830 +60.3% Connecting rate 28.8% -0.6pt 22.3% -0.2pt Seat load factor 63.8% -0.1pt 69.4% +3.8pt

(1) Departing passengers





Investor Relations: Audrey Arnoux, Head of Investor Relations +33 6 61 27 07 39 - invest@adp.fr

Press contact: Lola Bourget, Head of Medias and Reputation Department +33 1 74 25 23 23

Groupe ADP develops and manages airports, including Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Paris-Le Bourget. In 2021, the group handled through its brand Paris Aeroport more than 41.9 million passengers and 2.1 million metric tons of freight and mail at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly, and more than 118.1 million passengers in airports abroad. Boasting an exceptional geographic location and a major catchment area, the Group is pursuing its strategy of adapting and modernizing its terminal facilities and upgrading quality of services; the group also intends to develop its retail and real estate businesses. In 2021, group revenue stood at 2,777 million and net income at -248 million

Registered office: 1, rue de France, 93 290 Tremblay-en-France. Aeroports de Paris is a public limited company (Societe Anonyme) with share capital of 296,881,806. Registered in the Bobigny Trade and Company Register under no. 552 016 628. groupeadp.fr

1 Group traffic includes the traffic of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), Mactan-Cebu International Airport and Almaty International Airport traffic as of January 1st, 2019. Following the non-renewal on December 31st, 2021, of the technical assistance contract (TSA) relating to Mauritius airport, group traffic no longer includes traffic of Mauritius airport.

2 Compared to January 2021.

3 Following the implementation of TAV Airports' share buyback program, Groupe ADP holds, as of 30 September 2020, 46.38% of TAV Airports (compared to 46.12% previously).

4 See press releases of 20 and 26 February, and 7 July 2020 on the stake acquisition in GMR Airports.

5 Groupe ADP and TAV Airports have. a shareholding of 21% and 15%. respectively. in Zagreb Airport. To be compliant with TAV Airports presentations. Zagreb Airport traffic figures are integrated into the TAV Airports group traffic figure.

Attachment




San Francisco's wariness of Amazon might soon extend to the company's seemingly ubiquitous shipping network. Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton has introduced legislation that would impose an 18-month moratorium on new parcel delivery facilities in the city, whether from Amazon or others. Officials at the Board or the Planning Commission would use the pause to study the potential impact these locations have on the community, including health issues (like air pollution and traffic) and the overall public interest.

In a statement, the Teamsters and other unions backing the measure were concerned companies like Amazon would drag down pay, benefits and working conditions for the city. The proposed moratorium would help communities "set the standards" and decide if they want these facilities in the first place, Walton added.

The effort comes after San Francisco's Office of Economic and Workforce Development signed a January memorandum of understanding with Amazon to start negotiations for a Mission Creek delivery hub without informing or involving the community. These sorts of agreements are common, but Walton saw this as Amazon trying to enter the city without input from the very people its facility would affect.

There's no certainty the legislation will pass. It's also unclear how Walton and the Board would use any determination that Amazon and other delivery services' facilities would harm San Francisco residents.

We've asked Amazon for comment. The company has faced similar opposition in other parts of California, and backed out of plans for a second headquarters in New York City following criticism. Activists and politicians raised concerns about possible gentrification in New York, the city's $3 billion in proposed subsidies and Amazon's overall practices. Amazon has also been a staunch opponent of unionization, setting up a confrontation with increasingly pro-union workers and the politicians who support them.

Update 2/17 2:35PM ET: Amazon said it started engaging San Francisco in the delivery hub process with a town hall in November, and that more meetings are planned this year. It also promised to use the 18 to 24 months before construction to listen to the community, and maintained it was operating within the city's planning system. The company also touted its contributions to food security, anti-hate and arts groups. While the claims theoretically address transparency, they don't touch on some of the core concerns  that pay, health and working conditions would drop.
Tax preparers share true stories about victims who came to them for help after dealing with fraud

SACRAMENTO, Calif., February 16, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It is a problem that continues to haunt taxpayers each year. Self proclaimed "professional" tax preparers who lure taxpayers in with low fees, often touting "big and fast" tax refunds, then disappear right after the tax filing deadline hits the stroke of midnight.

"Eventually the taxpayer is left with a financial mess and the tax preparer is nowhere to be found. We call them ghost tax preparers," said Brandon Chanley, chair of the California Tax Education Council (CTEC), a state-mandated nonprofit organization that manages the registration of 40,000 tax preparers.

Heres how ghost tax preparers work. They print out tax returns for clients, tell them to sign and mail it out. What many taxpayers fail to notice is the tax return will not show the tax preparers signature. For electronically filed tax returns, their name is also left out. These tax returns are filed as "self prepared."

"A lot of them move from one city to another every year and reestablish their client base through word of mouth," said Fernando Angell, CTEC board member. "They never sign client returns, which is illegal."

Other typical scams include...

Sticking a business label on the tax return instead of signing it. Clients get the label copy so it looks as though they signed it; however, a blank copy without a business label is filed.

Claim they "forgot" to sign the tax return and promise to sign "later" after payment is received.

Require payment in cash and not provide a receipt.

Invent income to qualify their clients for tax credits.

Claim fake deductions to falsely boost the size of the refund.

Direct refunds into their bank account instead of the taxpayers account.

"One client I helped had a ghost tax preparer block their calls after getting notices from the IRS," Angell said. "I think this is targeted, senseless misconduct happening in our cities."

Story continues

California taxpayers should always verify the tax preparer is legally qualified. State law requires anyone who prepares tax returns for a fee to be either an attorney, certified public accountant (CPA), CTEC-registered tax preparer (CRTP) or enrolled agent (EA). Taxpayers can submit anonymous reports about questionable tax preparers to CTEC.org. Taxpayers can get more tips on the podcast taxpayerbeware.org, also available in Spanish at contribuyentecudese.org.

CTEC is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1997 by the California State Legislature to protect taxpayers against fraudulent and incompetent tax preparers.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220216005003/en/

Contacts

Gigi Jones I gjones@ctec.org I 916.296.6913
LONDON, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite another challenging year for travel, families in the UK are feeling confident that they will be able to take a long-awaited trip once again in 2022 to some of their favourite sunny, beach destinations.

Vrbo Family Holiday Insider Report

The latest research from Vrbo, a global expert in family holiday rentals, has revealed as part of the third edition of its annual Family Holiday Insider report, that many Brits are showing interest in getting back to travelling this year, with 8 in 10 UK families expressing their confidence in their ability to get away, with over a third (36%) already planning a European summer break and over a quarter (28%) an international one.

With almost half (45%) of families surveyed saying they want to head to the beach on their main family holiday this year, it's hardly a surprise to see the top 10 destinations that have seen the highest interest in searches are made up of popular European beach destinations. The data revealed Brits pent up desire for sun, sea and sand for their holidays this summer, with many looking at resorts along the 'Mediterranean corridor' as an option for a beach trip away with the family, with interest in city breaks at just 14% and countryside/rural trips down at 11%.

The Balearic Islands** came in at the top spot for the destination with the highest interest for Brits this summer. Those looking to head to the sandy beaches of the Algarve in the Faro district, the second destination on the list receiving the highest interest to spend a trip this summer, will be pleased to hear availability of vacation rentals on Vrbo is currently around 55%***, as it is for Dordogne in France, whilst holidaymakers exploring the idea of a family trip to Las Palmas will still be able to search for a perfect holiday escape, from the 65% availability of rentals on Vrbo.

Data from Vrbo also identified some of the most popular hotspots for international holidays for the summer months in 2022, after seeing searches for some destinations increase by almost four times on average, year on year. Topping the list of newest international hotspot destinations**** is Barcelona in Spain. Keeping to the Mediterranean theme and Brits desire for beach destinations, Malta came in second place, with Dubrovnik, Croatia, known for its stunning Adriatic coastline, coming in third. Also in the top 10 were two US destinations, with the popular family resorts of Orlando and Kissimmee attracting a number of Brits, now that borders have re-opened.

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For those looking to take a trip this summer, holidaymakers will be pleased to hear there is still plenty of availability in some of the most searched destinations by Brits. In Barcelona around 65% of the vacation rentals available on Vrbo are still free in the summer months to book, which is the same story for port city of Santa Cruz, Tenerife. With countless beautiful bays, in Istria, Croatia availability is around 55%, so families will be sure to find what they're looking for when booking a trip away to the Adriatic coast.

TOP 10 INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS WITH THE HIGHEST INTEREST FOR BRITS FOR SUMMER 2022**

1. Balearic Islands, Spain

2. Faro district, Portugal

3. Malaga province, Spain

4. Alicante province, Spain

5. Ionian Islands, Greece

6. Cyprus

7. Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain

8. South Aegean, Greece

9. Dordogne, France

10. Kissimmee, US

Marwan Badran, VP of Expedia Group Retail Markets EMEA commented, "With such a high level of confidence to travel again according to the latest searches made by British holidaymakers on Vrbo, there is clear desire to travel again, particularly to international summer destinations, where British families are familiar with and used to go to, prior to the pandemic".

Booking with confidence

To help give holidaymakers that extra boost of confidence when packing their bags and dusting off their passports, 4 in 10 families feel that holiday companies and property owners should offer more flexible cancellation policies.

With almost a third (31%) saying that high vaccination rates in both the UK and abroad would give them added assurance and extra confidence to plan a family holiday in 2022, the demand for travel further afield is reflecting a more confident travel landscape.

Over a quarter (26%) of those surveyed stated that getting a third booster vaccination would make them feel more at ease to travel, whilst 23% of respondents also expressed a desire to have their younger children vaccinated. 23% of Brits claimed they feel used to the 'new normal' of travelling during the pandemic and confident to do so in 2022, meaning the 'new-normal' is becoming just 'normal'.

Is this the end of the staycation?

With more Brits feeling confident about travelling further afield, what does this mean for holidays in the UK? Vrbo's research suggests that the staycation is still very much here to stay, with nearly half (47%) of UK families intending to take a summer break in the UK in 2022 and nearly three quarters (72%) of families choosing destinations within driving distance of their home as their first choice.

When looking at the most in demand weeks of the year for summer holiday travel between the end of July and beginning of August, early bird Brits have already been busy booking! Some of the most popular destinations are already booked up, with low availability in popular tourist hotspots such as Cornwall, Norfolk and Gwynedd, Caernarfonshire, where only 40% of Vrbo rentals remain available to book during this period.

Marwan Badran, VP of Expedia Group Retail Markets EMEA says "Holidays have become even more precious during these difficult times. They are not just about the excitement of travelling to new places - they are also valued as an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends, have a break from everyday life and to strengthen bonds. And when travelling in Vrbo holiday rentals, who you're with matters just as much as where you go".

Family Insider Holiday report: https://www.vrbo.com/en-gb/holiday-homes/holiday-news-and-trends/family-holiday-insider

Research methodology:

*Unless stated differently, the data is based on an online survey, conducted by Atomik Research among 2,006 parents in the UK with children 15 years old and under who had travelled as a family in the past 5 years. The research fieldwork took place on 15th -20th December 2021. Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency that employs MRS-certified researchers and abides to MRS code.

**Based on Vrbo data for international destinations with the highest interest from the Brits for summer 2022 (based on 1 Dec 2021  31 Jan 2022, as of 1.02.22)

***Based on Vrbo's latest availability data (7th February 2022) for international destinations (stays in July-August 2022) and domestic destinations (stays between 24 Jul- 6 Aug).

**** Based on Vrbo YoY change data for international destinations with the highest interest from Brits (based on 1 Dec 2021 - 31 Jan 2022, as of 1.02.22, based on more than 500 searches).

*****Based on Vrbo data for domestic destinations with highest interest from Brits for summer 2022 (based on 1 Dec 2021 - 31 Jan 2022, as of 1.02.22).

About Vrbo:

In 1995, Vrbo introduced a new way for people to travel together, pairing homeowners with families and friends looking for places to stay. We were grounded in one purpose: To give people the space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and simply be together. Since then, we've grown into a global community of homeowners and travellers, with unique properties around the world. Vrbo makes it easy and fun to book cabins, condos, beach houses and every kind of space in between.

 2022 Vrbo, an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Vrbo and the Vrbo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of HomeAway.com, Inc.

TOP 10 NEWEST INTERNATIONAL HOTSPOT DESTINATIONS****

1. Barcelona, Spain

2. Malta

3. Dubrovnik, Croatia

4. Naples, Italy

5. Lisbon, Portugal

6. Orlando, US

7. Finistere, France

8. Tarragona, Spain

9. Kissimmee, US

10. Sassari, Italy

TOP 10 DOMESTIC DESTINATIONS WITH THE HIGHEST INTEREST FOR BRITS FOR SUMMER 2022*****

1. Cornwall

2. Devon

3. Norfolk

4. North Yorkshire

5. Dorset

6. Cumbria

7. Highland, Caithness

8. Pembrokeshire

9. Northumberland

10. Gwynedd, Caernarfonshire

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1747398/Vrbo_Family_Holiday_Insider_Report.jpg
Staffed by USF Health Psychiatry physicians, the new facility will meet the region's growing demands for mental health services while serving as an integral part of TGH and USF's burgeoning medical district.

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital announced that The Florida Health Sciences Boardthe Hospital's governing boardhas approved the construction of the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, a new four-story hospital in the heart of Tampa's medical district.

Tampa General Hospital logo. (PRNewsFoto/Tampa General Hospital)

The construction of the hospital represents not only the next building block in growing Tampa's ever-expanding medical district, but it will provide a critical link from academics to treatment as the hospital will provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient services led by the region's leading psychiatrists from USF Health, and offer learning opportunities for medical students and residents at USF Health Morsani College Medicine. Additionally, the hospital will be directly linked to TGH's nationally recognized Neurosciences Institute, through which best-in-class physicians provide a full spectrum of care to patients of all ages suffering from neurological disorders.

"Tampa General is committed to meeting the wide spectrum of health and wellness needs of our community, including all aspects of behavioral health which are more in demand than ever before," stated John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "Working side-by-side with USF Health, the new TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will provide critical academically driven behavioral health care, support the next generation of behavioral health physicians and fortify Tampa's growing medical district, while moving TGH one step closer to being the country's safest and most innovative academic medical center."

TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will be located in Downtown Tampa, adjacent to the new Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, and will further power Tampa's medical district that drives talent, biotech, and venture capital to the region, transforming Tampa into a complete ecosystem of health care innovation.

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The new hospital is projected to be approximately 83,000 square feet. It will include 96 inpatient beds with the potential to expand to 120 beds. Tampa General Hospital will lead the management of the hospital and renowned physicians with the USF Health Department of Psychiatry will provide leading-edge, compassionate care to an expansive patient population. The hospital is expected to break ground in late 2022/early 2023 and officially open in late 2024.

Staffed by USF Health physicians, the region's experts in academic psychiatric medicine, the TGH Behavioral Health Hospital will further meet the growing demand for mental health services in our community while serving as an integral part of TGH and USF's emerging medical district in Tampa.

"We are proud to provide the highest level of academic psychiatric care in the region and look forward to offering this same standard of critical care in the new behavioral health hospital as part of our continued alignment with TGH," said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "Together, we are working to make Tampa Bay a destination for the finest health care in Florida and the Southeastern United States."

With a focus on education as well as care and research, the new hospital will provide hands-on learning opportunities for USF Health Morsani College of Medicine students and on-the-job training for resident physicians in the field of psychiatry. With an increased need for care and a shortage of behavioral health practitioners in the region, the hospital will also serve as a recruitment tool to attract new medical residents and psychiatrists to Tampa Bay while increasing access to quality care.

"This new hospital will be a valuable resource and help raise the level of mental health care across the Tampa Bay area," said Glenn Currier, MD, MPH, professor, and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "A facility like this, one that is dedicated to the needs specific to patients with behavioral and mental health conditions, especially those experiencing acute crises or complex conditions, will be an incredible asset. This specialized hospital will also ease the burden on area emergency rooms, which take in the bulk of psychiatric emergencies but have few options for the inpatient care that is so critical for successful management of many behavioral and mental health conditions."

Finally, the hospital will serve as a Central Receiving Facility (CRF), operating as the first point of evaluation and care, providing initial emergent evaluations for individuals in the community going through a behavioral health crisis. Patients experiencing mental health emergencies would receive emergent evaluation via the CRF and intensive stabilization with an immediate assessment to determine the safest treatment plan beyond the initial crisis.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,041-bed non-profit academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2021-22 Best Hospitals, and one of the top 4 hospitals in Florida, with five specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. The academic medical center's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious 2021 Forbes magazine rankings  America's Best Employers by State, third out of 100 Florida companies and first among health care and social organizations and 13th nationally in America's Best Employers for Women. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal 2020 provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health and 19 outpatient Radiology Centers. Tampa Bay residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

ABOUT USF HEALTH

USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health's multispecialty physicians' group. The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News & World Report's national university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.





TGH Media Contact: Karen Barrera USF Health Media Contact: Sarah Worth Assistant Director of Communications & Partnerships Director of Communications (813) 844-8725 (direct) (813) 928-0861 (813) 928-1603 (cell) sworth@usf.edu kbarrera@tgh.org







(PRNewsfoto/Tampa General Hospital)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tampa-general-hospital-to-build-new-behavioral-health-hospital-301484019.html

SOURCE Tampa General Hospital
By Trend

It is hoped that the next meeting in Tehran within the "3 + 3" format (Russia, Iran and Turkey, plus 3 South Caucasus countries - Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia) will result in further ensuring the interests of the region countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Trend reports citing Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Russian Foreign Minister welcomed Iran's readiness to host the second meeting within 3+3 format.

During a telephone conversation, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian called the second meeting of the 3 + 3 format on the South Caucasus a great opportunity.

According to Amir Abdollahian, this meeting is important for strengthening regional cooperation and solidarity in the interests of the countries and peoples of the region.
By Sarah El Safty

CAIRO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Egypt, often the world's top wheat importer, is not concerned with the global decline in wheat stocks as it benefits from a diverse pool of suppliers, the supply ministry told Reuters in a statement.

"Our tender book includes 16 wheat import origins, which provides us with flexibility when it comes to managing the country's needs for imported wheat," the statement said.

Wheat stocks held by major exporters such as the European Union and United States are on track to fall to a nine-year low this season, according to the International Grains Council, with the drop in global output sparking a hunt for supplies. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine could also lead to disruptions in the grains market.

The ministry said that the expected start of the local harvest in April would provide it with protection against any market disruptions.

"If, God forbid, there's an escalation in tensions between Russia and Ukraine, we would be approaching the start of the local harvest and it extends all the way until October," Supply Minister Ali Moselhy said on Tuesday, adding that he was "not concerned."

The prime minister said on Wednesday that strategic reserves of wheat currently stand at 4.5 months. The government also expects local production of wheat to reach 10 million tonnes in this year's harvest, the agriculture minister said.

According to U.N. data, Egypt's wheat imports dropped 32% in 2021 amid soaring global prices last year. Egypt is studying an overhaul of a decades-old food subsidy programme that provides bread to nearly two-thirds of the population.

The Supply Ministry said that a 2020 measure that shrank the weight of a subsidized loaf by 20 grams led to a 13% annual decline in imports. Moreover, the increase in the country's storage capacity from 1.2 million tonnes to 3.4 million tonnes annually decreased waste by 10%, it said.

(Reporting by Sarah El Safty; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
Two new lawsuits have been filed against suspended South Carolina Lowcountry attorney Richard Alexander "Alex" Murdaugh and others in connection with a fatal 2019 boat crash that made regional headlines and left one teenager dead and others injured.

The February 2019 crash of Murdaugh's boat allegedly piloted by his son in Beaufort County waters, an accident which left Mallory Beach, 19, of Hampton County dead and Murdaugh's son, Paul, charged with three felony counts of boating under the influence, sparked three previous lawsuits and what has become an international story surrounding the Murdaugh family. This pair of civil actions is the latest development in that ongoing tragic crash.

The almost identical personal injury lawsuit summons were filed early Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the Hampton County Court of Common Pleas on behalf of two boat crash survivors, Miley E. Altman and Morgan L. Doughty. Both are being represented by the same Allendale, S.C., attorney, Mark Tinsley, of Gooding and Gooding, PA, who is also representing the family and estate of Beach in a wrongful death suit related to the same boating accident.

Boat crash survivor Miley Altman speaks to S.C. Department of Natural Resources investigators following the boat crash.

Like the previous suits, these two name as defendants Murdaugh, his oldest son Richard Murdaugh Jr., who allegedly provided Paul with his drivers license to purchase alcohol under the legal age, and Gregory M. Parker, Inc. d/b/a Parker's Corporation, the convenience store chain that allegedly sold the alcohol to minors.

However, these suits also name two of Murdaugh's brothers, John Marvin Murdaugh as the personal representative of Margaret "Maggie" Kennedy Branstetter Murdaugh's estate, and Randolph Murdaugh IV as personal representative of Paul Terry Murdaugh's estate.

Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot and killed at their Colleton County home on June 7, 2021, in an unsolved case that is still under investigation by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED). What had become a high-profile South Carolina case after the boat crash exploded into an international story of homicide after the June killings.

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More new allegations are made in these suits. The complaints allege:

- That prior to Feb. 23, 2019, Maggie Murdaugh "had actual knowledge that Paul Murdaugh was consuming alcohol while operating the family vehicles and otherwise as evidenced by the fact she liked social media posts depicting Paul Murdaugh consuming alcohol as a minor" and that Alex and Maggie "knowingly and willfully allowed their minor son to illegally purchase and consume alcohol."

- That, in the early morning hours prior to the boat crash, Maggie Murdaugh "actually spoke to an intoxicated Paul Murdaugh by telephone. However, she failed to stop Paul despite knowing he was intoxicated after having paid for the alcohol he consumed earlier."

- That Richard Murdaugh Jr., known as "Buster" in honor of his great-grandfather, misrepresented facts to the Department of Motor Vehicles "in order to obtain a duplicate identification to allow Paul Murdaugh to purchase and consume alcohol."

- That Paul Murdaugh refused "to stop the boat at the passengers request so they could safely get off the boat..."

Both Altman and Doughty reportedly suffered injuries in the crash.

Both plaintiffs are demanding actual and punitive damages, costs and attorneys fees.

In addition to the previous Beach wrongful death suit, boat crash survivors Anthony Cook and Connor Cook filed personal injury lawsuits in 2021. All five boat crash suits are still pending in the courts.

Paul Murdaugh had pleaded guilty to the BUI charges and was waiting trial at the time of his death. The criminal BUI case against him was dismissed after his homicide, but the investigation remains open by the S.C. Attorney General's Office. The AG's Office declined to comment on whether or not it was looking into obstruction of justice charges against Alex Murdaugh or members of law enforcement.

Depositions from witnesses in previous boat crash lawsuits allege that Alex Murdaugh went from hospital room to hospital room following the crash, attempting to advise the survivors not to talk to investigators.

Alex Murdaugh is currently facing nine civil suits. In addition to the boat crash incident, he is also facing civil and criminal cases related to allegations that he stole more than $8 million from legal clients, attorneys and other people who trusted him. He remains in a Richland County, S.C. jail on a $7 million bond while facing 74 criminal charges.

Because of the multiple lawsuits, all of Murdaugh's assets have been placed by court order under control and management of co-receivers, who are tasked with creating a settlement fund for any alleged victims in the event they are awarded a judgement or settlement.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Murdaugh update: Two more lawsuits filed related to 2019 boat crash
<span class="legendSpanClass">ViewSonic is committed to delivering best-in-class high tech products sculpting the future of education</span>

MUMBAI, India, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ViewSonic India, a leading global provider of visual solutions, recently won a tender to provide 1300 Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs) for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) digital classroom project. In a recent event held in Mumbai, the inauguration was facilitated by Shiv Sena Leader and Tourism Minister, Government of Maharashtra Mr. Aditya Thackeray at Mumbai Public School, Wadala. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has launched a programme worth INR 38-crore to replace blackboards in Mumbai's civic schools with interactive flat panels.

ViewSonic India Partners with BMC to Bring Digitization to Mumbai Civic Schools

With the education sector witnessing a significant shift in the teaching-learning model and classrooms becoming increasingly digitized, various brands, corporates, education institutes and government authorities are taking steps to implement new, technologically driven models of teaching. In line with this, BMC in Mumbai has moved to enhance the education ecosystem in civic schools by working with ViewSonic, a provider of holistic EdTech solutions whose hardware and software services are currently being used by various institutions around the world.

At present, the BMC operates approximately 1,133 schools, serving over 2.85 lakh kids, most of whom come from low-income families. Many of these students have experienced additional struggles with access to education due to the pandemic. As a result, BMC wants to build digital classrooms in various municipal schools for interactive teaching and a more tailored teaching-learning experience. The tender put out by BMC states that the digital classroom should be embedded with both hardware and software solutions; with their best-in-class tech-enabled products and intuitive EdTech software, ViewSonic was able to meet the full range of needs laid out by BMC.

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ViewSonic enjoys a 50 percent market share as the No. 1 IFP brand in the Indian education sector in the year 2021, with the company's IFP50-3 series (65" and 75" models) dominating the market. Additionally, the company's myViewBoard visual learning software suite has become a leader in its field, with the highly open, customizable platform now boasting a user base of over 5 million. A dedicated research and development team is constantly developing the myViewBoard visual learning platform and providing customers with new software updates every month.

With the association with BMC, ViewSonic will install 1300 IFPs with the myViewBoard software, allowing for a seamless move to digital education and opening up new possibilities for educators and students.

Mr. Muneer Ahmad, Vice President, Sales and Marketing  AV and EdTech at ViewSonic India said: "The ViewSonic team is incredibly proud to have been chosen to help implement BMC's Digital Learning Projecta project which we believe will help to make a significant difference in the lives of many children.

We have received a fantastic response from many educators, students, and institutions regarding our education solutions, and we look forward to being able to implement our best-in-class technologies in partnership with the BMC. Strengthening our footstep as a leading Edtech solution provider, we aim to implement our best-in-class technologies' around the country shaping the education ecosystem of India by providing the correct mix of tools to the teachers. Looking ahead, we hope to continue to expand our presence in India through other affiliations and collaborations in the coming months."

ViewSonic is committed to delivering the most immersive and innovative education products and solutions by enhancing the hybrid educational model, shaping the educational landscape.

ViewSonic has collaborated with various educational institutions from all over India, including St. Francis, GD Goenka School, IIT Roorkee, NIT Karnataka, and ASN School. Establishing itself as the leading EdTech Provider Solution with integrated software, the company has helped classrooms transform with its interactive displays and software.

About ViewSonic:

Founded in California, ViewSonic is a leading global provider of visual solutions with a presence in over 100 cities around the world. As an innovator and visionary, ViewSonic is committed to providing comprehensive hardware and software solutions that includes monitors, projectors, digital signage, ViewBoard interactive displays, and myViewBoard software ecosystem. With over 30 years of expertise in visual displays, ViewSonic has established a strong position for delivering innovative and reliable solutions for education, enterprise, consumer, and professional markets and helping customers "See the Difference".

To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit www.viewsonic.com. Follow #ViewSonicIndia #ViewSonic

SOURCE ViewSonic
Aegon N.V.

The Hague, February 16, 2022 - Aegon has taken note of the announcement issued today by Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe (VIG) about the agreement reached between VIG and the Hungarian state holding Corvinus Nemzetkozi Befektetesi Zrt. (Corvinus) on the details of their cooperation which had been broadly defined in the Memorandum of Understanding dated December 23, 2021. The announcement reads as follows:



[] Under the cooperation, Corvinus is to acquire a 45% participation in the Hungarian VIG companies.

The Hungarian VIG companies will be held through the Hungarian VIG holding company (VIG Magyarorszag Befektetesi Zrt.) and two Dutch holding companies (Aegon Hungary Holding B.V. and Aegon Hungary Holding II B.V.). Corvinus will acquire a non-controlling minority interest of 45% in each of these three holding companies. The agreed purchase price for the three 45% participations in these holding companies amounts to about EUR 350 million.

98.64% of the shares of UNION Vienna Insurance Group Biztosito Zrt. will be contributed to the Hungarian VIG holding company. The two Dutch Aegon holding companies hold 100% of the shares in the Hungarian Aegon companies (insurance, asset management, pension fund and service companies). VIG will retain a controlling majority interest of 55% in these three holding companies. In a next step, it is planned to merge the three holding companies whereby the Hungarian VIG holding company is designated as the remaining central steering unit.

The closing of the transaction is subject to the necessary regulatory and competition approvals as well as the closing of the transaction with Aegon.

On November 29, 2020, Aegon agreed to sell its insurance, pension, and asset management businesses in Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Turkey to VIG for EUR 830 million. Aegon will continue to work with VIG to close this transaction, which is subject to local regulatory approvals.

About Aegon

Aegon is an integrated, diversified, international financial services group. The company offers investment, protection, and retirement solutions, with a strategic focus on three core markets (the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands), three growth markets (Spain & Portugal, Brazil, and China), and one global asset manager. Aegon's purpose of Helping people live their best lives runs through all its activities. As a leading global investor and employer, the company seeks to have a positive impact by addressing critical environmental and societal issues, with a focus on climate change and inclusion & diversity. Aegon is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange. More information can be found at aegon.com.

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Contacts Media relations Investor relations Dick Schiethart Jan Willem Weidema



+31(0) 70 344 8821 +31(0) 70 344 8028 dick.schiethart@aegon.com janwillem.weidema@aegon.com

Forward-looking statements

The statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following are words that identify such forward-looking statements: aim, believe, estimate, target, intend, may, expect, anticipate, predict, project, counting on, plan, continue, want, forecast, goal, should, would, could, is confident, will, and similar expressions as they relate to Aegon. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Aegon undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which merely reflect company expectations at the time of writing. Actual results may differ materially from expectations conveyed in forward-looking statements due to changes caused by various risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following:

Changes in general economic and/or governmental conditions, particularly in the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom;

Changes in the performance of financial markets, including emerging markets, such as with regard to: The frequency and severity of defaults by issuers in Aegons fixed income investment portfolios; The effects of corporate bankruptcies and/or accounting restatements on the financial markets and the resulting decline in the value of equity and debt securities Aegon holds; and The effects of declining creditworthiness of certain public sector securities and the resulting decline in the value of government exposure that Aegon holds;

Changes in the performance of Aegons investment portfolio and decline in ratings of Aegons counterparties;

Lowering of one or more of Aegons debt ratings issued by recognized rating organizations and the adverse impact such action may have on Aegons ability to raise capital and on its liquidity and financial condition;

Lowering of one or more of insurer financial strength ratings of Aegons insurance subsidiaries and the adverse impact such action may have on the written premium, policy retention, profitability and liquidity of its insurance subsidiaries;

The effect of the European Unions Solvency II requirements and other regulations in other jurisdictions affecting the capital Aegon is required to maintain;

Changes affecting interest rate levels and continuing low or rapidly changing interest rate levels;

Changes affecting currency exchange rates, in particular the EUR/USD and EUR/GBP exchange rates;

Changes in the availability of, and costs associated with, liquidity sources such as bank and capital markets funding, as well as conditions in the credit markets in general such as changes in borrower and counterparty creditworthiness;

Increasing levels of competition in the United States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and emerging markets;

Catastrophic events, either manmade or by nature, including by way of example acts of God, acts of terrorism, acts of war and pandemics, could result in material losses and significantly interrupt Aegons business;

The frequency and severity of insured loss events;

Changes affecting longevity, mortality, morbidity, persistence and other factors that may impact the profitability of Aegons insurance products;

Aegons projected results are highly sensitive to complex mathematical models of financial markets, mortality, longevity, and other dynamic systems subject to shocks and unpredictable volatility. Should assumptions to these models later prove incorrect, or should errors in those models escape the controls in place to detect them, future performance will vary from projected results;

Reinsurers to whom Aegon has ceded significant underwriting risks may fail to meet their obligations;

Changes in customer behavior and public opinion in general related to, among other things, the type of products Aegon sells, including legal, regulatory or commercial necessity to meet changing customer expectations;

Customer responsiveness to both new products and distribution channels;

As Aegons operations support complex transactions and are highly dependent on the proper functioning of information technology, operational risks such as system disruptions or failures, security or data privacy breaches, cyberattacks, human error, failure to safeguard personally identifiable information, changes in operational practices or inadequate controls including with respect to third parties with which we do business may disrupt Aegons business, damage its reputation and adversely affect its results of operations, financial condition and cash flows;

The impact of acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings, product withdrawals and other unusual items, including Aegons ability to integrate acquisitions and to obtain the anticipated results and synergies from acquisitions;

Aegons failure to achieve anticipated levels of earnings or operational efficiencies, as well as other management initiatives related to cost savings, cash capital at Holding, gross financial leverage and free cash flow;

Changes in the policies of central banks and/or governments;

Litigation or regulatory action that could require Aegon to pay significant damages or change the way Aegon does business;

Competitive, legal, regulatory, or tax changes that affect profitability, the distribution cost of or demand for Aegons products;

Consequences of an actual or potential break-up of the European monetary union in whole or in part, or the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union and potential consequences if other European Union countries leave the European Union;

Changes in laws and regulations, particularly those affecting Aegons operations ability to hire and retain key personnel, taxation of Aegon companies, the products Aegon sells, and the attractiveness of certain products to its consumers;

Regulatory changes relating to the pensions, investment, and insurance industries in the jurisdictions in which Aegon operates;

Standard setting initiatives of supranational standard setting bodies such as the Financial Stability Board and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors or changes to such standards that may have an impact on regional (such as EU), national or US federal or state level financial regulation or the application thereof to Aegon, including the designation of Aegon by the Financial Stability Board as a Global Systemically Important Insurer (G-SII); and

Changes in accounting regulations and policies or a change by Aegon in applying such regulations and policies, voluntarily or otherwise, which may affect Aegons reported results, shareholders equity or regulatory capital adequacy levels.





Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting Aegon are described in its filings with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, Aegon expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Aegons expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.





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Montreal, Feb. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montreal, Quebec -

Frank And Oak has launched the new Aero ultra light reversible vest for customers wanting fresh style between seasons. The animal-free Kapok blend filling adds warmth and comfort while retaining a sleek finish.

For more information, please visit: https://ca.frankandoak.com/pages/smart-layer-outerwear-ww

Women

The latest release by Frank And Oak is part of the companys smart wear range for women and is made with modular layers for every season. Since 2019, the Smart-Layer collection has been highly popular and the latest reversible vest now expands the best-selling range.

The purpose of Frank And Oaks modular outerwear is to help customers layer more effectively while reducing their impact on the planet. The new vest is made from recycled materials, with nylon created from textile waste.

It also features recycled polyester sourced from discarded materials, while the lining is made with recycled fibres. Attention to detail even extends to the label, which itself is made from recycled polyester.

The water-resistant vest has NATULON zip tape and a slimline finish that allows it to fit under larger coats. This makes it well suited to wear in all weather conditions, and its also easier to pack for customers who are travelling.

Frank And Oak explains that the Ripstop fabric makes the vest more durable through an innovative interlocking design technique. Its resistant to both wind and rain, and is easy to care for.

The vest comes in sizes ranging from XS through to XL. Colours include rose taupe and black, allowing it to pair well with a range of styles.

Frank And Oak is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2022 and continues to lead the sustainable industry with quality eco-friendly clothing.

The company has established itself as a leading figure in the Candian sustainable fashion field. It uses innovative fabrics and thoughtful design processes and strives to help customers feel good in the clothes they wear.

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A spokesperson states: Frank And Oak was founded in Montreal in 2012, with a mission to create an apparel brand that would speak to a new generation of creatives and entrepreneurs. We believe in considering the impact of the choices we make every day and view those choices as an opportunity to better ourselves.

https://vimeo.com/641913051

To find out more about Frank And Oak's 2022 smart layer collection visit: https://ca.frankandoak.com/pages/women

###

For more information about Frank And Oak, contact the company here:



Frank And Oak

Anne Gael Plante

+1-514-889-8701

anne-gael.plante@frankandoak.com

702 St-Viateur E, Suite 702,

Montreal, QC H2T 1A8,

Canada

CONTACT: Anne Gael Plante




A man was killed early Wednesday when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver on State Route 207 near Welcome Way in Caroline County, police said.

Virginia State Police Sgt. Jessica Shehan said the victim was discovered at 5:28 a.m. lying in the roadway just west of the Carmel Church exit off Interstate 95. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Shehan said the initial investigation shows that the victim was walking north across Route 207 from the Flying J when he was struck in the right eastbound lane. Police have identified the victim, but are waiting to release his name until they can identify and contact his next of kin.

Shehen said police are seeking the publics help in identifying a suspect and the vehicle involved in the incident. Anyone with any information is asked to call state police at 804/609-5656 or email questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

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Fredericksburg City Councilman Jason Graham said he is full speed ahead on building a new $65 million middle school.

Councilwoman Kerry Devine said she has issues with the School Board swapping a plan to construct a cheaper elementary school for a more expensive middle school, but stressed that shes willing to make it work.

The comments from Graham and Devine came during a recent work session.

During the work session, City Council agreed to meet following the release of a study by Moseley Architects on the feasibility of converting the former Mary Washington Hospital at 2300 Fall Hill Ave. into more school capacity.

The meeting will occur prior to a joint public hearing between the City Council and the School Board on March 24 to vote on the draft interim agreement to allow First Choice, LLC, to begin work on the design of a new middle school.

The decision to meet prior to the public hearing came after Councilman Matt Kelly expressed frustrations that council has yet to engage in robust conversations about the pros and cons of building a new middle school, which would also come along with renovating WalkerGrant Middle into a third elementary school.

I think the most important part of this is that the third elementary school has always been the point, Graham said. Its always been the final objective  thats where the congestion and the overcrowding is.

The initial public hearing was postponed from last month to allow city officials to examine the possibility of swapping land for the new school in the Idlewild subdivision for the old hospital.

Kelly said the conversation around the new school hasnt been properly brought to the public. He said that with teacher shortages throughout the nation, he wonders how the school system will land quality educators and other personnel to staff a fifth school.

Federal funds will cover WalkerGrants renovation, but Kelly said hes concerned about operational costs.

He also said the School Board needs to be held accountable for the academic performance of the students if taxpayer funds are spent on a new school.

This is a huge investment for the city and I dont think its inappropriate for the residents of Fredericksburg to ask If we do this what are we going to see in the schools? What is going to change if something needs to change and how is it going to change? Kelly said. I think thats a legitimate question to ask which we havent asked yet.

One of Kellys primary concerns is that neither of the two recordings of minutes from the Expansion, Capacity and Enrollment Taskforce in 2021 showed any conversation about a new middle school before the plan was put forth by the School Board.

According to the minutes from the Feb. 25, 2021, meeting, the five options were to: eliminate single-stream and reallocate grades at schools, hybrid or year-round schedule changes, construct a new elementary school, renovate or expand an existing building not owned by city schools or to renovate an existing building thats currently owned by the school system.

Cost was third on the list of considerations behind education and social, cultural and community needs.

Graham and Devine both served on the taskforce. During the work session, Devine instructed Kelly to look forward and not back at previous ECE meetings, saying how we got to [the middle school] doesnt seem to satisfy you, but thats where we are.

Devine said its bothersome that Kelly has continued to press other council members about the lack of discussion of a new middle school in the ECEs minutes. She said Kelly wants to take the issue five steps back.

It is a struggle to get to where we want to be but were all headed in that direction, Devine said. I would encourage you to not keep going back to minutes that apparently arent thorough enough for you and to look to the future and to look at what direction were going to get to.

Devine said the vision of City Council and the vision of the School Board arent yet aligned but theyre working toward it.

Councilman Jon Gerlach noted that a study on future growth in Fredericksburg indicated that the population will increase from 28,000 to 38,000 by 2040.

He and Councilman Tim Duffy said that if the new middle school is built, expandability has to be one of the primary focuses. Gerlach said he doesnt believe the new school will be the final one in Fredericksburg.

Were going to be adding a thousand, 1,200, maybe 1,500 more students in the next 18 years, Gerlach said. How do we do that without bankrupting the city?

Taft Coghill Jr: 540/374-5526 tcoghill@freelancestar.com

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The Spotsylvania School Board has approved a budget request for next fiscal year that would require $8.2 million in new revenue from the county, but cuts out all of the needs board members identified in work sessions over the past several weeks.

Vice chair April Gillespies motion to approve the $140.48 million budget initially presented by acting superintendent Carol Flenard on Jan. 25which includes $8.2 million worth of needs that increased state and federal revenue will not fundwas approved by a 43 vote at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, after several substitute motions and friendly amendments failed.

The board was already more than five hours into its Monday meeting, and had heard more than two hours of public comment, much of it critical of how the board under new chair Kirk Twigg has conducted itself so far this year.

Some of the comments included suggestions of wrongdoing based on Twiggs refusal to answer some constituent emails or questions from the press. Twigg has not responded to any questions from The Free LanceStar since 2019.

Please know that we are in this for the long haul. Our attendance at these meetings and these lengthy public comments section are going to be the norm rather than the exception, said parent Jeff Kent, a resident of the Livingston District represented by Twigg. Because many of you refuse to engage with us so we can have even a base understanding of the decisions the board is putting forward or punting down the line, we can only assume the worst, assume there is something nefarious going on ... some shenanigans that would fall apart if the public knew where things were truly heading.

The budget request as approvedwhich now must be considered by the Board of Supervisorsincludes a 5 percent raise for all staff and 54 new positions required for compliance with state standards of quality, all paid for by state revenue.

It also includes $5.6 million to implement a modernization of the teacher salary scale and 19 additional positions in elementary staffing support, health and wellness and school safety. Those investments would require $8.2 million in new revenue from the Board of Supervisors.

The School Board at several work sessions identified up to $33.14 million worth of additional needs, such as modernizing the salary scales for bus drivers and non-administrative staff; adding new counselors, school psychologists and social workers; adding new special education staff; and adding assistant principal interns at every school.

None of those needs made it into the final approved budget request, despite attempts by members Dawn Shelley, Nicole Cole, Lorita Daniels and Rabih Abuismail to add them back in.

Abuismail first asked Gillespie to add the bus driver scale modernization and assistant principal interns to her motion by friendly amendment. He then asked her to amend her motion to remove the proposed $2.2 million investment in the health insurance reserve fund and add in five school psychologist positions.

Gillespie would not accept any of the amendments. At one point, her refusal came after Twigg said, For the sake of simplicity, just go with the $8.2 million [gap].

Cole asked Gillespie why she would not amend her motion to include any of the other needs board members had expressed majority support for at recent meetings.

I dont understand why we are asking [the Board of Supervisors] for less than what we need on purpose, Cole said. If we put forward a small number, then the public cant even go and advocate for a larger number. We have to ask for what we need. Its our duty as elected school board officials.

Gillespie said she would not agree to adding anything to her budget motion because of her personal knowledge of whats going on in our world and our economy through our taxes and because of her constituents.

Abuismail said he joined with Gillespie, Twigg and Lisa Phelps in approving the budget request with the $8.2 million gap for the sake of it being 2:30 in the morning.

Shelley called previous budget work sessions, in which board members identified up to $33.14 million in needs, smoke and mirrors.

Also at the meeting, the board approved committee assignments and the creation of three new committeesa book selection committee, a home school committee and a policy review committee.

Shelley and Cole asked to delay approval of the new committees and committee assignments because they said they had not seen the assignments ahead of time.

Shelley questioned the reasoning for creating a policy review committee, when adopting policy is the duty of the School Board as a whole, according to its own policies.

She also questioned the need for a book selection committee when the school division already has policies in place for selecting and reviewing instructional material.

Policy IAA-R states that the responsibility for the selection of educational materials is delegated to professional instructional personnel employed by the Board and that selection of instructional materials is a continuous process which involves principals, supervisors, faculty, parents, and students.

The responsibility for coordinating the selection process rests with the professional personnel, in accordance with the [established] criteria and procedures, the policy continues.

Abuismail has been assigned to the book selection committee; Phelps to the policy review committee; and Gillespie and Abuismail to the home school committee.

Shelley said Gillespies position on the home school committee should be considered a conflict of interests, because she home-schools her children.

Gillespie did not deny Shellys statement, but responded by accusing Shelley of targeting her children and violating [the boards] ethics policies.

At 2:45 a.m., the board moved on to a discussion of the superintendent search. Twigg asked human resources director Michelle Colbert, who he asked last month to research the possibility of hiring a new superintendent without the assistance of a third-party firm, to please summarize any pending actions and let us know when we can expect to see the superintendent job posted for applicants to apply.

Colbert responded by saying that she was not prepared to speak to the board about a process that I didnt understand the board as having directed my department to follow.

In regards to where we are in the process, it rests with you all, she said.

Shelley made a motion to hire the Virginia School Board association to conduct the search, stating that it would be the least expensive, most productive way and would include community input.

Twigg said the least costly method would be to put a job add out on the street.

Daniels asked School Board attorney Brad King to describe the boards role in hiring a superintendent and to clarify whether division human resources can be involved.

King said there is no prescribed process in state law, but that the vast majority of public school boards he has represented in his 30 years of experience have used an outside firm, whether the VSBA or another head-hunting firm.

The ones that have done it themselves, I believe, have restricted the people on staff who have access to the information, King said, because staff would be hiring their own supervisor.

He then suggested that the board might have difficulty attracting qualified candidates.

Any good candidate who reads the newspaper clippings, he or she will know what they are inviting themselves into, he said.

The board finally approved holding a special meeting to discuss the superintendent search on March 1.

The meeting adjourned at 3:10 a.m.

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Milder and breezier conditions will dominate Fredericksburgs weather to end the work week.

High pressure centered out over the Atlantic will pump warm moist air into Fredericksburg today (Wednesday). Thus, after a chilly morning start in the low to mid-20s temperatures around the area will climb into the mid-50s this afternoon. The milder air will come via southerly breezes gusting over 20 mph at times. Skies will be mostly sunny to add to the spring-like ambiance.

Tonight, clouds will move in overhead, with local thermometers only dropping into the mid-40s by dawn Thursday. Although skies tomorrow will be mostly cloudy, Fredericksburg area temperatures will soar into the upper 60s. The southerly breezes will keep pumping warm air northward, gusting to near 30 mph at times as a powerful storm system and associated cold front crosses the Ohio valley.

No rain is expected during daylight hours tomorrow, but Thursday evening showers will move in as that cold front crosses the Appalachian mountains. Expected severe weather from this system will remain well south and west of Fredericksburg, but winds could become a bit raucous during the wee hours of Friday morning. Gusts to nearly 40 mph may occur, rattling windows and stirring tree branches.

Rainfall associated with the cold front will add up to between a quarter and a half-inch per the graphic. The boundary will pass through Fredericksburg near dawn Friday, and behind it the blustery winds will swap around from the northwest, ushering in cold air. As a result the temperature profile Friday will be upside down, with local thermometer readings in the low 60s during the pre-dawn hours and then falling into the 40s by early afternoon.

And that weekend weather? Its looking sunny with slightly above average temperatures.
In 1992, after years of abuse at the hands of her husband, Ruth Glenn left her abuser. Tragically, in a pattern too often repeated across this country, Ruths husband tracked her down and shot her twice, once in the head, leaving her for dead.

On Feb. 9, Glenn, who defines the phrase survivor, spoke at a press conference convened by a bipartisan group of senators who were announcing the introduction of a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The sentiment at that event was universal and was summed up by actress Angelina Jolie, who spoke to the gathered pressits about time.

Glenns story began before VAWA was enacted into law in 1994. In her comments, she noted that she was a survivor before prevention programs and a coordinated community response to domestic violence were available. She was speaking of the sea change that occurred in 1994, as the enactment of VAWA marked a turning point in the way the criminal justice system responded to these terrible crimes against women and within families.

Before 1994, the prevention programs that Glenn referred to existed in only some areas of the country, but the education, training and, most importantly, the resources necessary to prompt wholesale change were simply not available, particularly in rural America.

The type of change necessary to educate an entire nation on the complicated dynamics of domestic violence does not come easy, but it did occur.

After 1994, VAWA provided the funding, the resources, the training and the best practices to enact change on a nationwide scale.

It was a remarkable achievement and is a noteworthy example of how government, after identifying a problem, can actually respond to the problem through legislation in a meaningful way.

Perhaps this explains why the reauthorization of VAWA passed congress with bipartisan support in 2000, 2005 and again in 2013, without the type of difficulty that the latest version has experienced.

That difficulty began in 2019, when the last version of the bill expired, and for three long years congress tried to pass a bill reauthorizing the act. In 2022, it appears that the compromise necessary to get both parties to support this vital piece of legislation has finally occurred.

Here are some concrete examples of what that means. In the Fredericksburg area, law enforcement agencies have dedicated personnel who specialize in domestic violence and crimes against children. Prosecutors offices have attorneys who are specifically trained and partially funded by grants through VAWA. Advocacy groups receive funding and support that would never have existed without VAWA. All of which allows the type of intervention, support and services needed to respond to this epidemic of violence.

It is noteworthy that while we have benefited from VAWA, the Fredericksburg area did not need the kickstart that VAWA provided in 1994 to begin to focus on the problem of domestic violence. In 1976, at a meeting at The Free LanceStar, a group of remarkable women led by Sue Hanna began discussing the problem of domestic violence in the area. That discussion led to Stafford and Fredericksburg supporting a grant application for what became the Rappahannock Council on Domestic Violence in 1978 with founding members Susanna Botts, Becky Guy, Becky Reed, Florence Ridderhof, Alice Rabson, Jane Snead, Ray and Natalie Davis and Stephanie Ridder. Now called Empowerhouse, it was one of the first domestic violence support organizations in Virginia.

And the work goes on. Since 2008, over 800 children have been murdered in the U.S. by a separating spouse in what can only be described as the ultimate act of abuse. VAWA will continue to provide the tools to combat this violence.

The Lethality Assessment, a data-driven tool that allows law enforcement and advocates to assess the potential for deadly violence to a victim when responding to a call of domestic violence, traces its roots to VAWA. With this tool, an advocate or officer through a series of questions can assess the potential future danger and advise the victim of the results during their contact. The assessment allows many victims, who want to believe that things will get better, to know the risk of things getting worse. Sometimes this is the first step in the transition from victim to survivor.

As domestic prosecutors, we strive for that difficult balance between the safety and security of the victim and accountability for the perpetrator. We have tools today that did not exist before 1994 thanks in large part to the way that Congress has responded to this problem. Early intervention, education and prevention is the path that we have been on for almost 30 years, and we should all be hopeful that the support necessary to stay on that path continues.

Eric Olsen is Stafford Commonwealths Attorney.
By Trend

Iran's exports to Tajikistan increased by 143 percent in terms of value and 157 percent in terms of volume, during the first six months of the current Iranian year (March 21 through September 22, 2021), compared to the same period last Iranian year, the Spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Rouhollah Latifi said, Trend reports citing the administration.

The official stressed that Iran exported 22,000 tons of goods worth $17 million to Tajikistan within the mentioned period.

"Furthermore, Iran imported $4.7 million worth of goods from Tajikistan in 6 months. The imports increased by 16 percent, compared to the same period last Iranian year," he added.

Latifi noted that Tajikistan ranks 9th in Iran's exports to the member states of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and 8th in Irans imports from these states.

The following ten countries are at present the member states of ECO: Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkey, Turkmenistan, Republic of Uzbekistan.

As reported, Iran exported 60 million tons of goods worth $21.8 billion during the first six months of the current Iranian year (March 21 through September 22, 2021).

Iran's exports increased by 61 percent in terms of value and 30 percent in terms of volume, compared to the same period last Iranian year.

In addition, Iran imported 19.1 million tons of goods worth $23.1 billion within the mentioned period. Iran's imports increased by 37 percent in terms of value and 15 percent in terms of value, compared to the same period last Iranian year.
MANLEY  A Weeping Water woman was injured in a one-vehicle rollover accident near Manley on Feb. 15.

Authorities were called to the scene on 144th Street north of Nebraska Highway 1 around 1:45 p.m., said Cass County Sheriff William Brueggemann.

He said a 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback, driven by 34-year-old Jessica R. Johnson, was traveling south on 144th when she lost control of her vehicle on the gravel road. Johnson over corrected causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and roll into the west ditch, Brueggemann said. The vehicle sustained heavy damage.

Johnson was transported to Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha by Weeping Water rescue staff.

Deputies from his department, along with rescue crews from Manley and Avoca, and Cass County Medics also responded, the sheriff said.

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A Fremont man faces an identity theft charge after local authorities assisted the Henderson Nevada Police Department on Feb. 15.

Arnoldo Obeniel Espinoza-Deras, 29, was arrested for Class IV identity theft and Class IV criminal impersonation.

Fremont Police said Nevada law enforcement officials were investigating an identity theft case.

A suspect living in Fremont had been identified and Nevada authorities requested the individual be contacted.

Fremont Police interviewed Obeniel Espinoza-Deras and he was arrested.

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The Downtown Business Improvement District Board discussed providing buildings with funding to make cosmetic improvements to their exteriors at its meeting Tuesday.

Planning for the future, Boardmember Vince OConnor said BID has two priorities for projects: making plans for the next five years and for the next one-and-a-half until its renewal.

With the cosmetic project, OConnor said a better impression can be given to the public of downtown.

While a lot of people have done a lot of nice things to their building, theres an awful lot that still has to be done, ... be it simple paint jobs or be it some of the plywood thats been up for years, he said.

MainStreet of Fremont Executive Director Shannon Mullen said the organization and City of Fremont are working with the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District on developing a new community development block grant (CDBG) for the project.

The project will also be assisted by the downtown subarea plan of the citys comprehensive plan, currently being developed by Houseal Lavigne Associates.

Once thats complete, thatll help us complete this process to get it done, Mullen said. It will be for 2023, so that will be something that will be available then.

The CDBG funding for the overall project will have a maximum of $450,000, Mullen said.

It would be for either facade improvement, or if there was a greenspace project, it would also fit within the parameters of that, she said.

Additionally, Mullen said MainStreet has up to $750 per individual project for its members to make facade improvements.

Boardmember Jerry Johnson said the city would have trouble telling building owners to make improvements if it solely concerns the buildings appearance.

It might look terrible and you could say, You ought to paint that, and the guy can go, No, he said. So I mean, the only way right now we would have in addressing something like that is if its a safety issue.

To avoid the issue, Chairman Tom Coday recommended taking a nicer approach by writing a letter to the owners.

If we try not to muscle people into making the changes, well have a much better reception to it, he said. And if we can provide some seed money for them to do that, I think thatll help in case theres a financial hardship.

Boardmember Roxie Kracl said the BID could send out letters stating that the funding is available for the owners to make repairs if they so wish.

I think we could do a friendly approach with a nice nudge, she said.

OConnor said he would come back to the board at its next meeting with more specifics on the project.

The BID also discussed the creation of a new committee focused on outreach to the Hispanic business community.

We need to do a better job at communicating with the Hispanic community so that they know who we are, what were doing and why were doing what were doing, and to get input from whats important to them, Coday said.

Because theyre paying the tax, and they should be part of the plan.

Coday said he had asked Boardmember Berta Quintero to chair the three-person committee.

After confirming the committee did not have to consist of members of the BID board, Boardmember Howard Krasne recommended outside Hispanic business owners being appointed to the committee.

The BID also unanimously approved paying Mullen up to $547.50 per week to work with the board as executive director of MainStreet.

Coday said Amy Vermeline had left the joint position and that Mullen agreed to work as interim director and be paid by the hour for her time with the BID.

Although the approved cost is based on 25 hours worked a week at $20 per hour, Coday said the cost would likely be only around $200 or $250 a week due to Mullens schedule.

Were going to try to replace Shannon as soon as we can, he said. But in the meantime, shell keep track of just the hours she works on the BID, and well pay her accordingly at $20 an hour.

As the BID takes applications for the position, Coday said the plan is to change the position from part time to full time.

As we grow in our promotion category for MainStreet and for BID, theyre going to need more hours than what we originally had planned on, he said. And so were going to source the money from outside the BID to turn it into a full-time position.

During his update to the board, Projects Committee Chair and Boardmember Sam Heineman he had met with the city and consultants with Houseal on the downtown subarea plan.

I thought it was great we were able to get on the front end of the discussion, so we look forward to continuing to work with the city and appreciate you guys taking the time out of your schedule to meet with us, he said.

The BIDs next meeting will be at noon on March 15 at Nebraska Quilt Company at 330 N. Main St.

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Julie Ashton is taking history to the streets.

As director of the Washington County Museum, Ashton knows the importance of preserving history for future generations.

That can mean adapting to current times.

So the museum in Fort Calhoun is working on a project to take history outside the walls of a building and out to the public.

The Fremont Area Community Foundation recently awarded the museum with a grant to assist a two-year project that will place historic signs in towns throughout Washington County.

Its a big project, Ashton said. Im so thrilled the Fremont Area Community Foundation has caught our vision for this and allowed us to embark on it.

Ashton said the grant will cover the cost of developing signage throughout the entire county, featuring historic buildings and stories of events that happened in towns throughout county.

Towns include Arlington, Blair, Herman, Kennard, Fontanelle, Washington and Fort Calhoun.

Our goal with this is to bring the history of Washington County out into the towns, into the main streets, Ashton said.

The project involves creating interpretive signage on streets, in parks, on sides of buildings and anywhere people are gathering and walking and shopping. It also will involve the creation of life-size figures of historic people.

By doing this the museum seeks to help:

Beautify the community.

Provide points of interest to visitors.

Keep the history of the community alive.

Educate the public about pioneer ancestors.

Increase tourism through the effective branding of each town as a historic destination.

Seed money for the project came from the Washington County Community Foundation, with additional funding from FACF.

We now will go out to the city councils in each one of the towns, she said. We will talk to them about the project and ask them to partner with us financially.

Ashton said its important to work with the councils to determine where they want the signs and which requirements must be met.

Our plan is to create a committee in each one of the towns that would work with us to determine where the signs are going to be placed and what the story on each one of the signs is, Ashton said.

While grant funding has covered the bulk of the sign manufacturing cost, the more funds raised, the more signs that can be erected.

Ashton knows the value of preserving the countys history  something the museum has done since 1938 in Fort Calhoun.

We preserve the history of all the towns in the county and the stories of the people and the events, she said.

But Ashton noted that visits to the museum are changing.

Part of the changes are due to the pandemic and part is because people and demographics are changing.

Younger people dont necessarily come into museums as much as older people do, she said. They want to engage either electronically or where they are in their workplace, in their school.

So the museum offers a virtual tour accessed via www.wcnemuseum.org.

If people dont want to come out because of COVID or because of time constraints, they can go online to our website and see a virtual tour, she said.

People who have their own virtual reality headsets can put on one of those and feel like theyre right inside the museum.

Were trying to incorporate new technology, she said. Thats the purpose of this sign project is to bring the history out to the street and to the marketplace.

Those whod like to learn more about the project or get involved in their own may call Ashton at the museum at 402-468-5740. The museums address is: 102 N. 14th St., P.O. Box 25, Fort Calhoun, NE 68023.

The grant to the Washington County Historical Association (museum) is among those FACF recently awarded to nonprofits and projects.

Were pleased to be able to provide financial support to these worthy projects and organizations, said Melissa Diers, executive director. This round of grant making will be impactful in a variety of areas, all of which benefit and enhance quality of life in the Fremont area.

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A 76-year-old Afghan man went on trial in the Netherlands on February 16 for allegedly committing war crimes against political prisoners while overseeing a notorious prison in Kabul.

The suspect, identified as Abdul R., is accused of being the commander of Pul-e-Charkhi prison, where prisoners were allegedly held without trial, tortured, and executed.

He has been formally charged with being an accessory to inhuman treatment and the deprivation of liberty. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years to life if convicted.

The suspect told the judges hearing the case at a court in The Hague that his prosecution was a case of mistaken identity.

"I am not the person you are looking for," he told the court before refusing to answer questions, saying that he felt ill and wanted to return to his prison cell. "I don't remember anything, not even my own name."

Prosecutors say they are convinced they have the right person. They allege that he was a commander and head of political affairs at the prison from 1983 to 1990, when thousands of opponents of the communist regime were held without fair trials.

Witness testimony read in court said that people were regularly subjected to torture, including electrocution, beatings, or the removal of their fingernails, and they were held in cramped and unsanitary conditions.

"Inmates were being executed without trial. At night prisoners were being shot," said a witness statement.

The case is being heard in the Netherlands because the suspect has Dutch nationality. He moved to the country in 2001, allegedly under a false name.

The father of five children was arrested at his home in the city of Kerkrade in 2019 and has been jailed ever since.

We think its very important that these war crimes -- the most serious crimes existing -- are eventually prosecuted no matter how long ago they were committed," prosecutor Mirjam Blom told the Associated Press. And we dont want the Netherlands to be a safe haven for war criminals, even if the crimes happened long ago and far away from the Netherlands.

The trial is the latest in a series of efforts in European countries to bring people to account for crimes in conflict-torn countries, including Syria and Afghanistan.

With reporting by AP and AFP
Afghanistans Taliban-led Defense Ministry has established several new military units in three border provinces in the countrys north, northeast, and west, deploying an estimated 4,400 additional troops in the region.

The ministry said on February 14 that the Omar Salis division was officially launched by the Taliban army chief of staff, Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, in Badakhshan Province bordering Tajikistan, China, and Pakistan. Though the ministry didnt provide the number of troops deployed, similar divisions are thought to comprise about 3,000 soldiers.

Meanwhile, the ministry said four battalions were established as part of the Al-Farooq Corps in Badghis Province, bordering Turkmenistan. Another battalion was launched in Farah, which borders Iran. Similar battalions usually consist of about 350 soldiers each.

RFE/RLs Radio Azadi local correspondents confirmed on February 15 that the troops are already stationed in the area.

Similar troop deployments in the past have raised suspicion in neighboring countries, especially Tajikistan, which frequently voices concern about security issues in Afghanistan and their potential impact on Central Asia.

The Taliban insisted the placement of the new special forces is aimed at strengthening domestic security.

Zabihullah Mujahid, chief Taliban spokesman and deputy information minister, told RFE/RL that the latest troop deployment in the border provinces will also contribute to regional stability.

The deployment of the strong forces is a response to certain [security] needs....Its not a threat to any other country; in fact, it will be to the benefit of security in the region, Mujahid told RFE/RL.

Wed like to reassure all our neighbors that upholding security in Afghanistan contributes to security in their countries, too, he added, reiterating his previous statements that the Taliban will never allow anyone to use Afghanistan to harm its neighbors.

Despite many warnings and concerns, there has been no major cross-border infiltration from Afghanistan to neighboring countries since August, when the Taliban swept to power in Kabul.

But in the past two months, Taliban soldiers have skirmished with Turkmen and Iranian border guards in two separate incidents. Iran described it as a misunderstanding on behalf of the Taliban soldiers. Turkmenistan made no public comment.

Meanwhile, Tajikistan -- a staunch critic of Afghanistans new rulers -- continues to warn about what it describes as serious security threats posed by groups based in northern and northeastern Afghanistan.

In January, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon urged the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to create a security belt around Afghanistan to address alleged internal fighting among various Taliban factions in the border areas.

Rahmon added that there were more than 40 terrorist camps with about 6,000 militants in northeastern Afghanistan, a claim swiftly rejected by the Taliban.

Just weeks after taking power in Kabul, the Taliban deployed exclusive battalions of suicide bombers known as Lashkar-e Mansoori in the Badakhshan and Takhar provinces, adding to anxieties in Tajikistan.

The two provinces are home to hundreds of militants from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and other countries who have fought alongside the Taliban for many years.

Various sources inside Afghanistan and among Tajik border guards claimed in October that the Taliban has rearmed Tajik militants in Badakhshan with new military vehicles, weaponry, and other equipment left behind by U.S. forces.

There have been fears in Central Asian capitals that the militants might want to infiltrate their home countries.

Taliban Fears Internal Resistance

But many experts believe the Taliban has no intention of initiating or provoking a military conflict with its neighbors.

Afghan military expert Omar Sapi told RFE/RL that the Taliban, which recently emerged from many years of war, has no interest in entering another one.

The reason behind the latest troop developments is that the Taliban is worried about internal resistance to its rule, he said.

There is a lot of speculation that certain forces -- both political figures and former warlords who have left Afghanistan -- might try to stir tensions or organize military attacks, especially in northern Afghanistan, in the spring, Sapi said.

He added that by sending reinforcements to border provinces the Taliban wants to be prepared for potential attacks and also send a message to neighboring countries that if youre harboring our enemies, were here on standby near your borders.

The Talibans die-hard opponents, led by Ahmad Masud, the son of legendary commander Ahmad Shah Masud, created the National Resistance Front in the predominantly ethnic Tajik province of Panjshir on August 16.

But the Taliban eventually took over Panjshir and the resistance leaders left the country. Some of them are believed to be based in or maintain contacts with Tajikistan, which was a big supporter of the resistance.

Former warlords and politicians Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Muhammad Noor -- natives of the northern Jawzjan and Balkh provinces -- left for Uzbekistan after the Taliban takeover in Kabul. They were among several prominent Afghan figures who backed the resistance and spoke out against Taliban rule.

The remaining resistance fighters reportedly continue guerrilla attacks against the Taliban in northern provinces. But their leaders have never publicly said if they would use friendly neighboring countries like Tajikistan to regroup and stage attacks against the Taliban.

RFE/RL Radio Azadi correspondent Nahib Moqim contributed to this report.
Chef Ludo Lefebvres Denver Omelet

Chef Ludo Lefebvres Denver Omelet

Yield: 1 serving

For the omelet:

1 tablespoon butter

5 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

Kosher salt, to taste

For the filling:

 red bell pepper, diced fine

 green bell pepper, diced fine

 yellow bell pepper, diced fine

1/4 of small yellow onion finely diced

1/2 cup diced ham

1 teaspoon olive oil

Kosher salt, to taste

 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

For the cheese sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

 cup shredded Gruyere

2 tablespoons shredded parmesan

kosher salt, to taste

Procedure:

For filling, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add all of the vegetables, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes and saute until soft but not mushy. Fold in ham. Turn off the heat and set aside.

For cheese sauce in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat add the cream and reduce by half. Take the pot off the heat and whisk in the cheeses until smooth. Season with a pinch of salt. Set aside.

For omelet, in a small bowl mix eggs with a fork until thoroughly blended.

In a 9 1/2-inch non-stick saute pan, melt the butter on high heat. When the butter is melted, reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the eggs and a pinch of kosher salt. With a small spatula, stir eggs in concentric circles from the center outward. When the eggs are 60% cooked, pull the pan off the heat and let stand for 30 seconds so the heat of the egg carries over slightly to firm and create a smooth bottom. Add the filling across the middle of the omelet. With a spatula, loosen the edges of the omelet and gently roll the top a quarter downwards. Roll the omelet off the pan directly onto a plate, keeping the roll as tight as possible. Cover with the cheese sauce, chives, and serve.

Source: Ludo Lefebvre
A trial date was set for a man suspected of shooting a Colorado Springs mother of three in a parking lot in May 2020.

Billy Torrez, 26, was arrested on suspicion of shooting and killing a 36-year-old Samantha Morgan in a parking lot near 4600 Hinsdale Way, near Austin Bluffs Parkway and Barnes Road. Morgan later died at a Colorado Springs hospital.

At Tuesday's arraignment hearing Fourth Judicial District Judge Eric Bentley scheduled Torrez's trial to begin June 6.

Torrez pleaded not guilty on all charges including first-degree murder, assault and possession of a weapon by a previous offender, among other charges.

More than a year elapsed between the time of Morgan's death and Torrez's arrest which came in Aug. 2021.

Police say they were called initially to a report of a shooting victim who was taken to a hospital.

Police at the time said officers questioned occupants of a car who accompanied Morgan to the hospital.

Court records show Torrez pleaded guilty to felony menacing in 2018, assault in a 2015 and motor vehicle theft in 2014.

Torrez is being held in the El Paso County jail without bond.
After a mistrial delaying Randy Bishops murder trial over three months was declared last week, Fourth Judicial District Judge Marcus Henson moved the trial back up roughly one month Tuesday afternoon after Bishops attorneys schedule freed up.

At a review hearing for Bishops murder case, in which he's accused in the 2019 death of Thomas Anthony Faircloth, defense attorney Josh Tolini said that due to recent developments in the murder trial against Letecia Stauch, whom hes also defending, he would be able to try Bishops case in April.

Henson allowed the trial to be moved back up and set it to begin April 11, a date prosecutor Brent Nelson and Tolini agreed worked for them.

The murder case saw a mistrial declared last week over a suspension of jury trials out of concern over local COVID-19 case rates, and in part due to scheduling conflicts. That jury trial suspension lifted Monday, per an order from the judicial districts Chief Judge William Bain.

Stauchs trial, expected to span around six weeks, is currently in question after she changed her plea at a recent hearing to not guilty by reason of insanity, requiring a sanity evaluation to be completed at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo before her trial is set to begin March 28.

That pending evaluation, Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen said at a hearing last Friday, would make that trial date difficult to keep. Stauch also indicated at that hearing she was considering waiving her jury trial, further jeopardizing next months start date.

Tolini said Bishops hearing on Tuesday was set to see what is happening with the Letecia Stauch matter, adding on Tuesday his schedule in April had opened since the court met last week.

Henson also allowed Bishop to withdraw his not-guilty plea in a case stemming from a January 2020 traffic stop-turned-shootout with Colorado Springs police. He added there was sufficient evidence for that case to keep trailing the murder case, the most serious against Bishop.

That move, he said, may impact Bishops right to a speedy trial in that case, and Nelson said the prosecution had concerns that this is going to keep dragging out, and that victims in that case wanted to see a resolution.

Henson said there were a few other things we need to  address.

I dont think were slowing things down so much as were speeding things up, he added.

Faircloth, 27, was found Nov. 2, 2019, in a vacant lot at Galley Road and Powers Boulevard with suspicious injuries. Authorities haven't released further details on the case, including how police tied Bishop to the crime, with the probable cause affidavit sealed.

Police rammed Bishops car during a November 2019 chase, and he was taken to UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central. They say he escaped from a CT scan room and stole a detectives gun in a hallway struggle, during which two shots were fired inside the hospital. No injuries were reported.

Police said Bishop stole a car at the hospital and fled. They caught up with him again Jan. 11, 2020, but he dodged arrest again after firing at officers, wounding one. He was captured Jan. 26, and charged in jail with first-degree murder in April 2020.
By Trend

Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Zhaparov during a press conference commented on the issue of delimitation and demarcation of the state border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Trend reports with reference to Kabar.

He said that the borders are recognized when two neighbors agree.

President Sadyr Zhaparov, during his trip to Beijing, said that he and the president of Tajikistan had instructed the Ministries of Foreign Affairs to start negotiations on the border. Negotiations have now begun and are already intensively under way. Earlier, these negotiations were interrupted due to the conflict at the border, but negotiations have been resumed now. Both presidents agreed that they would be able to regulate this issue without a third party, Zhaparov said.
A new aeration system in Prospect Lake in Colorado Springs designed to protect the popular destination during a toxic algae bloom has prompted Colorado Springs officials to no longer allow motor boats on the lake through at least the summer.

The rule change starts May 1 and is meant to prevent motor boats from damaging the new system, said Vanessa Zink, a city spokeswoman. Boats, jet skis and other motorized watercrafts have been allowed on the 52-acre Prospect Lake since at least 1936, she added.

The new infrastructure also means the lake situated east of downtown within Memorial Park will transition to a "swim at your own risk" policy, also starting May 1. Zink said the city's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department received complaints over the years about the "high" cost to swim there and scheduling conflicts to use the lake between swimmers and motor boat operators.

Zink said the new swimming policy allows swimmers more access to the lake. And those who want to swim near lifeguards should look into other city facilities with that option, she added.

The two rule changes to the lake could last only through the summer once the city has assessed the aeration system, Zink said.

The aeration system set to be installed this summer will assist with water turnover, which is one of the conditions that contributed to blue-green algae presence that shut down the lake from public use during the summers of 2019 and 2020, the city said Tuesday.

Prospect Lake is a cherished community asset with stunning views of Pikes Peak, and we are committed to its health and vitality, Kim King, the citys recreation and administration manager, said in a news release. We believe and are hopeful that the new aeration system will help ensure safer water for recreating, a healthier habitat for wildlife, and improved aesthetics over the long-term.

In a statement to The Gazette, King said the city has been applying an enzyme-based non-pesticide treatment to the lake since 2020 but "felt a long-term solution needed to be considered due to the continuing issues with algae blooms, fish die-off and increased water temperatures."

"An aeration system provides a proactive approach to these issues," King wrote.

Construction of the project is scheduled between May and July. A final cost is unknown but King added that the city was awarded funds through the America Rescue Plan Act.

The blue-green algae, a type of bacteria, produces a toxin called microcytsin, which can be harmful to people and animals. The algae levels can explode during sustained hot weather, stagnant water, and polluted stormwater runoff.

The bacteria has popped up at Prospect Lake in the past. Dead fish washed up on the bank during the summer of 2019, prompting officials to shut down the lake as tests were conducted. In July 2020, dozens of fish at Prospect Lake were likely killed by blue-green algae.

Other bodies of water in the state have also dealt with this toxic algae. Some of the most recent cases occurred last summer and included Dome Lakes State Wildlife Area in Gunnison, DeWeese Reservoir near Westcliffe and Willow Creek Reservoir in Grand County. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials warned visitors and those with pets that contact with or consuming the water could lead to death.

Prospect Lake reopened for recreational activities during Labor Day weekend in 2020. It was closed for nearly 12 weeks while the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department worked with Colorado Springs Utilities to eliminate an abundance of blue-green algae in the water.

Previously, the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region ran the swimming operations on limited days and times, the city said. The change will allow for free public swimming at the popular spot, located in front of the Eni R. Jasperson Beach House.

The Prospect Lake's beach house reopened last summer after it shut down nearly two years ago for renovations. The $1.4 million renovations included indoor and outdoor learning spaces, seating, community rooms, beach volleyball and a patio among other additions.

Visitors can rent standup paddleboards to use on the lake, as the parks department is in the process of seeking additional proposals for activities to enhance lake usage, the city said.
By Trend

Baku Metro CJSC ordered twenty new railcars from Russia, Bakhtiyar Mammadov, spokesperson for the CJSC, told Trend.

According to Mammadov, the railcars are produced at the Russian Metrovagonmash enterprise.

"The new railcars will be delivered to Baku this summer. Thus, the number of new trains of the CJSC will reach 23. Currently, up to 46 trains transport passengers in the Baku metro every day. This means that from the summer, half of the trains on the metro lines of the capital will be new," he added.
Prospect Lake reopened for recreational use Wednesday for the first time in nearly three months, after levels of a toxin associated with blue-green algae dropped to safe levels.

Boaters, paddleboarders and other outdoor enthusiasts can once again return to the popular lake east of downtown Colorado Springs, said Erik Rodriguez, an environmental health and safety specialist for the city.

Amounts of microcystin  a toxic produced by cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae  recently fell below levels considered dangerous by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Tests results needed to stay below those levels for at least two weeks for recreation users to use the lake.

The algae levels can explode during sustained hot weather, stagnant water, and polluted stormwater runoff.

But a recent run of colder weather  particularly at night  helped bring algae levels under control, Rodriguez said.

Still, that doesnt mean the algae may not return when temperatures rise next summer, Rodriguez said. He added that the federal Environmental Protection Agency is working on solutions to help cities across the nation affected by such algae blooms.

Were looking at sustainable options so that hopefully this isnt a problem in the future, Rodriguez said. Were going to be monitoring next year, to see if were going to get into the same situation.
By Trend

Chingiz Almammadov and Tarana Hasanova, natives of Dallakli village of Azerbaijans Zangilan district [liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 Second Karabakh War], who are brother and sister, visited their house in the village, Trends Karabakh Bureau reports.

The former IDPs were horrified by what they saw, including the consequences of Armenian vandalism, in their native village.

Their house was looted during the Armenian occupation.

Hasanova and Almammadov said that they were born and lived in the house for over 10 years.

As a result of the Armenian occupation, they were expelled from their native lands. Their parents died in longing for their native land.

Hasanova and Almammadov stressed that they are grateful to President Ilham Aliyev for the liberation of the lands and the opportunity to visit their native village.

"For 30 years we have lived longing for our lands. Today we are very happy, as the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has been restored. We are returning to our homes, the village natives said.

We are grateful for this to our state, the President, the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, and our army. President Ilham Aliyev gave us immense joy and pride of the Victory, they added.

Trend presents the video report from the village.




Opinions about bloody marys can be stronger than the drink itself.

When bringing up the popular cocktail, debate pours in. What makes a good one? Which garnishes and how many? Spicy or sour? Celery stick or pickle?

A classic bloody mary contains a few basic ingredients: vodka, tomato juice and various spices and seasonings.

Thats where the simplicity ends. Fans of the go-to brunch sipper have preferences on each aspect of what goes into what theyre drinking. And those standards are not easily quenched, at least for a bloody mary stickler like Jake Weien.

On visits to brunch spots in Colorado Springs and in other cities, Weien was often less than thrilled by the bloody mary offerings. Hes especially critical of build-your-own bars that lack ample options for spices, seasonings and garnishes. In some places, its minimal, he said. Its like, I have more ingredients at my house.

So when Weien and his business partners prepared to open a local distillery, there was also talk about a bloody mary bar built to impress.

Weien wasnt going to settle for something small.

The result is a weekly event billed as Colorados Biggest Bloody Mary Bar, held at 1350 Distilling near downtown Colorado Springs.

The set-up features more than 75 ingredients, including several mixes, seasonings, hot sauces and condiments ranging from Goldfish crackers to miniature hot dogs.

Each bloody mary comes with a base of vodka or, to mix things up, gin made by 1350 Distilling. It costs $11.

After opening in November 2019, months before the pandemic shut down its tasting room, 1350 is still working on getting its name out there. Hosting events and food trucks has helped.

As does giving one event such an eye-catching title.

Any true fan of bloody marys would be drawn to trying out a place with the most options in the state.

How can Weien confirm such a claim to fame, though?

Personal research, he said.

Weve looked all over the place and as far as know, no one comes close, he added. Were taking what most bars have and doubling or tripling the amount of options.

Colorado Springs is home to popular brunch spots such as Mother Muffs, Urban Egg and Denver Biscuit Company, each of which promote their bloody marys among other menu items.

If its a Sunday at 1350, its all about the bloody mary. The distillery usually has a food truck on site, but one joy of the bloody mary is that food isnt always necessary.

Its known as breakfast in a glass, Weien said. If you put all the right stuff in there, its very filling.

Its easy to do with a spread of so many ingredients, a sight that Weien calls like a mini theme park for bloody mary lovers.

Im proud of it, he said. Its something I tell everybody that we have.

Weien said hell keep adding ingredients. And hes prepared to defend 1350s title of being the biggest bloody mary bar in town.

Wed love for someone to challenge us, he said.
North Iowa Area Community College will offer a Womens Day Empowerment Seminar in honor of 2022 International Womens Day. The event will be from 1 to 4:30 p.m. March 8, with sign-in and networking from 12:30 to 1 p.m.

Speakers will be:

Jodi Kirkke of Jak Sprat will present "Killer Confidence," sharing how she gained the confidence she needed to follow her dreams.

Lisa Schaefer of Shine with Shaefer will present "Becoming a Person of Influence," teaching participants how to interact more positively with others.

Deadra Stanton will present "Enjoy Your Own Journey," explaining how to stay focused and practice self care in our fast-paced daily lives.

Tuition for the seminar is $89. For more information or to register for courses, visit niacc.augusoft.net (search Empower) or contact the NIACC Continuing Education office at (641) 422-4358.

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Debate surrounding public oversight of nonprofit organizations that receive taxpayer money dominated Tuesday nights Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors meeting.

After standard opening formalities, Pittsylvania County Community Action Executive Director Everlena Ross gave a presentation of the ways in which the organization spends funding they receive from the county.

Tonight I want to briefly walk through some slides to show you the highlights of what we are doing and how we are spending, how we are good stewards of the investment that you all have given to us, stated Ross.

Pittsylvania County Community Action is a public charity committed to alleviating poverty and promoting equity. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the organization  also known as PCCA  has enjoyed Black leadership since its beginning in 1964.

Ross revealed that several PCCA programs have remained active in modified forms due to the COVID-19 pandemic and necessary safety precautions that have resulted. These include Head Start, Virginia Weatherization Assistance Program, Section 8, Virginia Tax Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

However, not every nonprofit in Pittsylvania County that receives taxpayer funding is keen on public oversight of how said funds are used. Ringgold Volunteer Fire and Rescue Chief Michael Neal spoke during the hearing of the citizens portion of the meeting to express his distaste for the idea.

Neal proclaimed he would rather supervisors retain the public funding usually provided to the fire departments than to submit to public oversight.

But Ill make it clear now  our sheriff in this county is on our board of directors, our former clerk of court is on the board of directors  40 years, Neal said. If I cant go give that department money, I say keep it. Put it in your pocket and keep it.

Neal noted the 21 fire departments throughout the county perform jobs well and are financially solvent, in contrast to the county government.

One county resident attended to offer public comment condemning recent actions which eroded public oversight of the funding disbursed to these organizations.

Jim Scearce, who represents the local chapter of the Tea Party, revealed that he had obtained 990 forms from the IRS website for several of these departments. Scearce emphasized that, although most of these departments describe themselves as volunteer agencies, the 990s reveal many of them report their volunteer staff as 0.

Scearce also said the 990 forms show possible nepotism at one of the department, which he chose not to name during his comments.

One of the employees is the wife of the chief and in 2018 was paid $8,560 for 52 hours of work, which equals over $164 per hour, he stated.

Supervisor Robert Warren, who represents the Chatham-Blairs district, cited another reason why public oversight of these departments would be beneficial, namely, the lack of diversity and inclusion.

Weve also had concerns  and its been talked about for a number of years  that we have very low participation from our minority community. I always ask myself the question, why is that? queried Warren.

Warren noted the oversight commission was working to diversify the departments before being forcibly neutralized in a controversial maneuver earlier this year.

Shortly following an impassioned defense of the integrity of the volunteer fire agencies throughout the county, Dan River district supervisor Tim Chesher emerged from his seat in a distressed condition, disrupting the comments of supervisor Tim Dudley. Chesher nearly collapsed as he walked away from the proceeding to take refuge behind the curtained backdrop of the board meeting room.

Chesher had been audibly coughing directly prior to the meeting.

Chairman Vic Ingram of the Tunstall district declared a five-minute recess so that Chesher could gather himself to continue. When the recess concluded, Chesher sat directly in front of the curtain, with an aide to assist him with submitting his official votes electronically.

Split voting

Two factions emerged as the meeting proceeded toward voting procedures concerning the hot-button issues of the evening.

The first vote addressed county public safety ordinance revisions and represented the culmination of the public oversight debate as the changes were perceived by opponents to effectively remove the oversight requirement for the fire departments by allowing them voting privileges via four seats within the commission itself.

The board voted to increase the total voting membership from 8 to 11 members, the county reported. Instead of quadrant-focused membership, a fire and rescue representative will be appointed from each of the countys seven election districts.

The revisions passed in a 4-3 vote. Ingram, vice chair Jessie Barksdale, Darrell Dalton and Chesher voted in favor of the revisions. Supervisors Dudley, Ron Scearce and Warren voted against it.

The next vote concerned an amendment to the board of supervisors bylaws that would include a code of ethics to address contentious behaviors that have emerged within recent meetings.

Former board member Brenda Bowman spoke during the hearings of the citizens in favor of the code of ethics.

While I was on the board, I and other board members were at the receiving end of bullying and verbal attacks from fellow board members, Bowman said.

She also expressed the opinion that board drama and a lack of ethical conduct reflect poorly on the county and could potentially render Pittsylvania a less attractive option for outside businesses looking to expand their operations to the local region.

Scearce, of the Westover district, however, questioned whether there was any point to the code of ethical conduct inclusion if the provisions lack teeth.

Im just trying to get my head around why are we doing this when theres no enforcement except for a censure  and we all know how well the censure does to embarrass people on this Board, Scearce expressed.

The motion passed in a 4-3 vote, with Ingram, Barksdale, Dalton and Chesher supporting.

Chesher then left the proceeding to attend to his health, having cast determinative votes in both of the major matters of controversy of the evening.

Other items

The board then voted unanimously to appropriate $300,000 to support the Gretna Library. Cheshers vote was recorded as away.

Following that, the board voted to institute a Summer Internship Program for the County government. The measure passed unanimous, with Cheshers vote again designated as Away.

Ingram then opened the floor for board member reports. Every board member expressed concern and requested prayers for Chesher as he navigates a mystery illness.
After spending six weeks with my daughter Anna and her children, I was anxious to get back to North Carolina and my regular schedule.

I had only planned to be there for a month, but Anna and Jasmine, my 15-year-old granddaughter, came down with COVID-19. Both were vaccinated and had received booster shots. They started getting sick Christmas weekend with several symptoms, including being very tired.

The first of the year, both went for tests. Anna had a negative rapid test and Jasmines test came back positive on Jan. 12. Three days later, Annas second test was positive. They spent quite a bit of time sleeping.

Originally, I was to return home Jan. 13 but Jude, his mother and sister persuaded me to stay longer, and I bumped my return to Jan. 29.

After Austin arrived on Jan. 28, he and Jude took me out to eat Mexican food once more before I was to leave the next morning.

My American Airlines flight was to leave from Santa Fe Airport at 10:24 a.m. and arrive in Dallas/Ft. Worth at 1:16 p.m. Then, I would board a flight to Charlotte, change planes there and arrive in Greensboro at 8:23 p.m.

The airport is a small regional facility less than three miles from Annas house. When I entered, no one was at the check-in desk. In fact, no one was in sight at all. I called out a couple of times but no one responded. A woman stepped into the hallway, processed the two bags I was checking and said the flight had been delayed. They were waiting for a crew and would not leave until 11:30. Since I had my boarding pass, I asked if we could go back to Annas house to wait and was told to be back at 11.

On our return, Austin accompanied me inside to make sure I boarded the plane. It has been years since I had to go through extra security but I did that day.

Not only did I have to go through the screening kiosk, including being wanded, but they had me open my carry-on containing my C-Pap machine and camera. I also had to remove my coat. All the while, Austin watched from the other side of security. Finally, I was told where to wait, and I waved goodbye.

By then it was after 11:30. Once I settled, I looked for the airplane. None was in sight. A security guard informed me the plane had not arrived. So, the passengers sat for another 30 or so minutes.

I checked my boarding passes and realized I would cut it close for my next flight. If I hurried, I probably would get on the plane just minutes before boarding closed. What I didnt think about was that Dallas was on Central time rather than Mountain time like Santa Fe. I had requested a wheelchair and the young man assigned to me did his best to get me to the flight on time. However, we missed it by about 10 minutes.

He was exceptionally patient, staying with me and helping me get another flight although they already had it scheduled. I learned later the airline had scheduled a special flight to Greensboro to accommodate all the passengers from other incoming planes who also had missed their flight. After printing out my new boarding pass, the agent requested my drivers license. I had hurriedly stuck it back in my purse after going through that inspection in Santa Fe and couldnt find it. Explaining she was new, the agent said just to show her anything with my name on it.

After looking at my health insurance card, she gave me my new boarding pass, telling me I was lucky because the new flight would arrive in Greensboro 11 minutes before the original flight had been scheduled to arrive. It was straight through, and I would not go through Charlotte. I thought that was nice but was so stressed over missing the original flight, I didnt think much about it. Since the change was so small I did not call Sherry and Thomas who thought they were picking me up about 8:30.

As it was, I had about three hours to wait. Meantime, the wheelchair assistant offered to take me to get something to eat. We passed several eateries and I told him I would come back later since I needed to rest first. We returned to my boarding area and the assistant told me he had to pick up another passenger and would come back later to check on me.

By the time I decided to eat, he had not returned so I walked to the short distance to McDonalds, one of few restaurants open at that time. I kept thinking about the flight arriving quicker than the first one and checked my boarding pass which indicated my new boarding time was 8:11  the time the agent had said I would be arriving in Greensboro.

To confirm this, I went to the agent who said the other agent was wrong (She had been looking at the new boarding time.) and that was impossible as my new flight was scheduled to arrive at 11:35 p.m. Since my seat was near the back of the plane. I asked the agent if he could possibly move me closer up front. He told me to come back at 6:30 and he would take care of it.

Meantime, I called Thomas about the later arrival time. They already were at the airport but Thomas said not to worry. He and Sherry went to the restaurant where his cousin Alexis works and spent time there. As I waited, I read and watched the crowds. The agent apparently went to dinner. As soon as he returned, I got my boarding pass and kept a sharp eye on the young man as he printed out materials. Finally, he picked up his microphone and called names of people to come forward. Not waiting, I was the first to him and he handed me my new boarding pass. My new seat was only eight rows back. As it turned out, it was one of the bulkhead seats and I had plenty of room.

When we boarded, my seat partner was from Jamestown. As we looked around, we realized the gate agent had given all six of the wheelchair passengers seats closer to the front. Dana, our flight attendant, was very conscientious and we really appreciated her care and concern.

Finally, the plane lifted off and we were headed to Greensboro. It was such a relief to know I was nearly home.

As soon as the plane landed and the seatbelt light went out, I stood up, anxious to get off the plane. But, we waited several minutes with no one moving. More time passed. Finally, the pilot came on and announced we had a slight problem because the ramp that connects the plane to the airport was frozen and they couldnt get it to move into place.

I called Thomas to update him and he said they were parked right in front of the baggage area.

More waiting. Since the door to the cockpit was open, we heard the pilot talking to people on the ground. The flight attendant informed us they were moving stairs over to the plane. Another long wait and we were told they had no one to move the stairs and were trying to get another airline to let our pilot back up and move into one of their spaces. But that didnt work, since, apparently, all the others were expecting planes to arrive and needed those spaces.

Some of us sat back down. Finally, I called out to Dana, Doesnt this plane have one of those slides? Ive always wanted to slide down one of those! My comment was greeted with laughter and agreeable comments but, of course, they didnt let us do that.

Finally, after an hour or longer, they announced they had gotten the ramp working and we finally deplaned. My wheelchair assistant was waiting and my seatmate and I were taken to the same elevator to go to the baggage area. The elevators were at the opposite end from the baggage carousel. So it was a long trip to get onto the elevator and then we had to go back to the opposite end to get our luggage.

As we were pushed back toward the baggage carousel, I watched for Thomas and/or his car out front. I was commenting that my grandson was picking me up when my friends wheelchair assistant said, This wouldnt be him, would it? Looking around, there was Thomas and he already had one of my three pieces of luggage. He said later he knew it because I have always attached Christmas bows to my luggage to make it easy to identify.

After such a long day of delays, disappointments and unexpected problems, I almost cried when I saw Thomas. By the time we got to the baggage carousel, my other two pieces were coming around and Thomas grabbed them.

We headed out the door where Sherry was waiting in the car and arrived home about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. I was never so glad to get home. Even though I had turned my heat off before I left and it was cold in the house, I didnt care. I was back on the ground in my own home although it had taken nearly 16 hours from the time we left Annas that morning until I walked in my front door the next morning.
The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 late model race at Martinsville Speedway will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, the Speedway announced this week.

The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 is a tradition at Martinsville Speedway that brings the racing community together for the nations biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race, Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said in a release from the track. We are grateful to our long-time partners at ValleyStar Credit Union for their continued support to bring the best Late Model racers together to compete on the most storied short track in motorsports.

The ValleyStar Credit Union team is honored to be a part of such a celebrated and distinguished race. The excitement that comes from this NASCAR event is felt throughout our communities, across Virginia and well outside the Commonwealth, said Mike Warrell, ValleyStar Credit Union CEO. This partnership between ValleyStar Credit Union and Martinsville Speedway gives us the chance to drive economic growth and highlight the amazing place that we, our families, friends and fellow businesses call home.

Landon Pembelton, the 16-year-old 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Southeast Region Rookie of the Year from Amelia, Virginia, won last years ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in his debut at Martinsville Speedway.

The ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will be a 200-lap feature race and will include three stages: 75 laps, 75 laps and 50 laps. Additional details on the format of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 are available now through Martinsville Speedway.

Speedway announces title sponsors

Martinsville Speedway and 811, the national call before you dig phone number, have partnered on the entitlement for the spring NASCAR Xfinity Series race on April 8. The official race name will be the Call 811 Before You Dig 250 Powered by Call811.com.

As we host the future stars of the sport in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to compete with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., we welcome another nationally recognized name in 811 as the entitlement sponsor for the race, Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway President said in a release from the track. The Call 811 Before You Dig 250 Powered by Call811.com will entertain race fans and remind them to call or click Call811.com before all digging projects, large or small, to keep everyone safe in 2022.

On behalf of 811 centers across the country, we are excited to partner with NASCAR to sponsor this NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway on April 8, said B. Scott Crawford, President & CEO of Virginia 811. Were thrilled to promote the Call 811 Before You Dig message on this national stage. Pairing our message with the NASCAR brand raises awareness of the importance of digging with care to a powerful and devoted fan base.

The 811 process protects all our local communities as the national simple, 3-digit, call-before-you-dig phone number. Anyone who plans to dig should call 811 or go to their state 811 centers website, which can easily be found on Call811.com, two or three business days before digging to request the approximate location of buried utilities be marked with paint or flags so that underground utility lines are not disturbed. Hitting a buried line while digging can disrupt the vital utility services we all rely on every day, cost money to repair or, worse, cause serious injury or death to workers or others in the community.

811 Call Before You Dig was created to provide a nationwide, easily accessible resource when digging. It is even more easily accessible now for people who want to create their own excavation notice online. To learn more, call 811 to reach the 811 center in your state or visit Call811.com.

The Speedway had previously announced a renewal with Dead On Tools on the entitlement for the penultimate NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff race on Oct. 29. The official name of the Xfinity Series Playoff race will remain the Dead On Tools 250.

Dead On Tools will continue as the Official Hand Tool and Tool Belt of Martinsville Speedway for its 75th Anniversary season.

Martinsville Speedway is known as one of the most challenging tracks in NASCAR, so we are proud to continue our partnership with a tough, innovative brand in Dead On Tools, Campbell said.

As part of Martinsville Speedways 75th Anniversary season, the track will host the penultimate race of the Xfinity Series Playoffs for the third consecutive season on Saturday, Oct. 29. The Dead On Tools 250 will set the field for the Xfinity Series Championship the following week at Phoenix Raceway.

We are extremely excited to welcome fans back to Martinsville Speedway for the second running of the Dead On Tools 250, said Brian Ranallo, Marketing Manager, Dead On Tools. Last year was a huge success  action-filled and we loved connecting with the fans. Martinsville is a great fit for us, and we look forward to getting back on property to keep the party rolling at the end of the season!

Dead On Tools has expanded its partnership with NASCAR to become an entitlement partner at Darlington Raceway for the Dead On Tools 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on May 6.

Dead On Tools is has brand of hardware and storage gear, with a focus on hand tools, and mastering professional tool belts and other styles of gear.
RALEIGH

North Carolina has been politically competitive for a long time. It will remain so for the foreseeable future, although the structure and focal points of that political competition have always been subject to change.

For example, from 1980 to 2008, Republicans could properly count on North Carolina being a likely get for president even as Democrats usually dominated state and local offices. The 1992 cycle was a bit of an outlier, because of Ross Perots presence in a three-man field, but generally Republican presidential campaigns werent very worried about the state and Democratic campaigns werent very hopeful about it.

Barack Obama changed the equation. While he lost the state again in 2012, and Trump won our electoral votes in 2016 and 2020, all these contests were competitive and the margins modest.

Speaking of state and local offices, the widespread assumption when I first started covering North Carolina politics in the 1980s was that the legislature would be Democratic but Republicans could reasonably hope to win gubernatorial and, by the end of the decade, judicial races.

Then came 1994. While Republicans only held the North Carolina House for four years, and still hadnt yet won the North Carolina Senate, both parties adjusted to the new reality of a General Assembly truly in play for the first time. Democratic leaders adjusted to it in 2001 by enacting the most-egregious gerrymander of legislative districts in modern history, failing to convince a GOP-dominated Supreme Court to let them get away with it, and then using various unsavory and illegal means, including out-and-out bribery, to retain control for the rest of the decade.

Their luck ran out in 2010 when the Republicans  vastly outspent and forced to run in Democratic-drawn districts  won majorities in both chambers. They proceeded to draw districts highly favorable to the GOP, losing a string of court cases but continuing to reelect legislative majorities, anyway, in part because of ongoing shifts in the partisan preferences of rural and suburban voters.

While all this was going on, however, Republicans struggled to convert their gains at the legislative and local levels into success in key statewide offices. Since 1992, only one Republican has been elected governor, Pat McCrory, and he served a single term.

Individual candidates and matchups matter. So does the behavior of split-ticket voters, who may be fewer in number than a generation or two ago but remain decisive in a closely divided state. In the past, quite a few North Carolinians voted reliably Republican for president, Congress, and U.S. Senate but preferred Democrats for state and local office. Now we see something like the reverse  a small but critical bloc of voters who pick Republicans for state legislature or county commission but are willing to pick Democrats for governor or president if they dont sound too extreme.

As a true partisan battleground, North Carolina and a small number of similarly situated states enjoy disproportionate attention from national media and disproportionate influence over national affairs. There are many different ways to measure this, but I find the Cook Political Reports Partisan Voting Index (PVI) to be especially handy.

It doesnt rely on party registration, a lagging and often misleading statistic, or even on self-identification by voters. Instead, it aggregates election results from several recent cycles. For North Carolina as a whole, Cooks PVI is +3 Republican. Florida, Georgia, and Arizona all have that same PVI rating. Seems about right.

Only 14 states have PVI values within a range of +3 Democratic to +3 Republican. In addition to the ones mentioned above, they are blue-tilting Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia, Minnesota, and Maine; red-tilting Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin; and dead-even Nevada and New Hampshire.

These 14 battleground states arent the only places where split-ticket voting can produce striking outcomes. Massachusetts, Maryland, and Vermont have popular Republican governors. Kansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana have Democratic ones. In presidential and senatorial contests, however, the list of consistently competitive places remains short  and contains North Carolina.

John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member and author.
British Arab Commercial Bank (BACB), an international wholesale bank dedicated to specialist markets, has appointed Salim Abukhzaam as Director and Head of Treasury Sales.

Abukhzaam, an experienced banking professional, rejoins BACB after a 9-month hiatus.

Having previously spent nine years at BACB, occupying positions such as Head of the Libya desk and Director for North Africa Markets, Abukhzaam brings familiarity with the banks core markets as well as wide-ranging experience in treasury services and trade finance. As Head of Treasury Sales, Abukhzaam will work closely with Richard Burrows, BACBs Treasurer, to drive business development in pursuit of the Banks sustainable growth strategy, said a bank statement.

Abukhzaam says: Im delighted to be returning to the team at BACB, a bank that has played an important role in my career. I look forward to contributing to the Banks treasury offering and supporting business development across BACBs core markets.

Our clients know Salim well from years of working together both in London and Tripoli, said Burrows. His extensive network and long-standing relationships across the sector will be great assets for BACBs Treasury team as we continue to develop our service offering.

Salim brings in-depth understanding of the North African region, an area which continues to be a key focus for BACB, adds BACB CEO Eddie Norton. I am confident that his banking experience, in conjunction with his first-hand knowledge of BACBs operations, will prove invaluable as we move forward with the next phase of our sustainable growth strategy.  TradeArabia News Service
A sludge of ignorance and cowardice oozes so constantly through todays campuses that institutions acquire immunity through recidivism: Academias vindictive intolerance has become humdrum.

The University of Illinois at Chicago, however, is so repulsive that attention must be paid to Jason Kilborns ordeal. He is enduring, as the price of continuing as a tenured law professor, progressivisms version of an ancient torment: the pillory. He has been sentenced to multiple debasements devised by UIC, which is wielding progressivisms array of tools for mind-scrubbing and conformity-enforcing.

Kilborns troubles began in December 2020, when he used, in an exam concerning civil procedure, a hypothetical case about a Black female manager suing a former employer, charging that she had been fired because of her race and gender. She alleged that other managers had called her  this is how the slurs appeared in Kilborns hypothetical  a n_____ and a b_____.

In his lawsuit seeking damages for violations of his constitutional rights, Kilborn says he had used this identical hypothetical for 10 years without occasioning comment, let alone campus convulsions. But it takes just a few pebbles to start an avalanche, and just a few flamboyantly brittle students to start an infection of indignation. So, Kilborn was summoned to an electronic meeting with the law schools dean, who had been told he had used a racial slur on the exam. He sent a note to his class expressing regret if his hypothetical had distressed anyone.

Nevertheless, three weeks later Kilborn was summarily placed on indefinite administrative leave, his classes were canceled for the entire semester, and he was banned from campus. All this, because the head of UICs Office for Access and Equity had a conversation with a student, according to the lawsuit.

On Jan. 6, the Black Law Students Association invited people to report if they had ever been affected by Kilborn. The next day, about an hour into a four-hour remote electronic conversation with a member of the association, Kilborn was asked why the law dean had not shown him a student petition complaining about the expurgated racial and gendered slurs in the exam question. Kilborn said perhaps the dean thought the abusive things said about Kilborn in the petition might make him become homicidal. Within four days, the student was reporting that Kilborn had exclaimed that he was feeling homicidal.

So, the dean triggered UICs Violence Prevention Plan, which triggered a Behavioral Threat Assessment Team that, without communicating with Kilborn, authorized the dean  who teaches law, mind you  to impose severe punishments without a shred of due process. Soon the Office for Access and Equity notified Kilborn that it was investigating allegations that he had created a racially hostile environment, particularly in his civil procedure course.

To the surprise of no one conversant with the operations of academias equity bureaucracies, the Office for Access and Equity notified Kilborn that he was guilty of harassing conduct because his exam question, and his response to criticisms of it, interfered with Black students participation in UIC. This was just another example of kangaroo court proceedings not uncommon at institutions of higher education that are administered by progressive apparatchiks too uneducated to understand the adjective Kafkaesque.

What makes UIC worth noticing, however, are the punishments it imposed. At first, it said that Kilborns sensitivity training would be mandated only if four semesters of his recorded classes indicated a harassing classroom environment. Despite exemplary performance reviews, he was declared ineligible for an announced, across-the-board 2% pay raise. Then UIC said he would have to undergo an eight-week diversity instruction regimen that would involve 20 hours of course work, five self-reflection papers, weekly 90-minute sessions with a diversity trainer and supplemental molding by the trainer.

Could those who concocted this sentence ever recognize their kinship with the moral purifiers of Cambodias Khmer Rouge? Or of Maos Cultural Revolution? Or the Stalinist interrogator Gletkin in Arthur Koestlers 1940 novel Darkness at Noon? If so, would UICs unconscious emulators be discomfited by the resemblance? Unlikely.

Today, bureaucrats parasitic off academias scholarly mission outnumber actual scholars. These threat-discerners, diversity-planners, bias-detectors, sensitivity-promoters, sustainability-guarantors and other beneficiaries of todays multibillion-dollar social justice industry are doing well during the nations supposed apocalypse.

So meticulous is UIC about Kilborns reeducation, it assigned him supplemental readings that explain the problems white people might face when they realize that white racism is everywhere. One assigned reading included this: White people who support their colleagues of color may be called n______ lover. UICs prissy bullies, like fanatics generally, have no sense of irony.

George Wills email address is georgewill@washpost.com.
KANNAPOLIS  Troy Savage says Martin Luther King Jr.s decades-old criticism of the racial divide in the U.S. church still rings true today.

Its been said that the most segregated hour in America is Sunday morning at 11  its true, said Savage, adding that people of different races, ethnicities and cultures regularly work and socialize together. And then on Sunday morning, we do this  we go our separate ways.

But Savage does not think it has to stay that way. He and his family of four, who are African American, attend The Refuge Church just outside of Charlotte.

Its one of the churches trying to diversify Sunday mornings in America.

When we think about racial reconciliation, really our goals should be to do what Jesus wanted us to do, which was to be one  to be unified, said April Savage, his wife. Thats really what The Refuge is trying to do. They want to bring together people  where were not just existing in the same church, but were celebrated in the same church.

In November 2016, The Refuge Church, a mostly white multisite congregation, merged with a predominantly Black church and hired its pastor, the Rev. Derrick Hawkins, to its ministry staff.

A part of our purpose is be a demonstration of unity, a demonstration of racial reconciliation in a nation that has been so divided for way too long. And we get the privilege of walking out this purpose, said the Rev. Jay Stewart, who is the lead pastor.

Over the last two decades, the ethnic diversity of U.S. congregations has grown. Predominantly Black congregations continue to account for about 20%, but the proportion of predominately white congregations in America has shrunk although the minority presence within those has grown, according to one major study.

About 15% to 20% of those who worship at The Refuge Churchs Kannapolis campus are African American. Stewart said he considers that increase in the congregations diversity a big success.

Its a challenge in the South to see what you saw today, Stewart said on a recent Sunday. Six years ago, you would not have seen that here, but today you saw diversity thats trending in the right direction.

Decades have passed since civil rights activists desegregated lunch counters across the Jim Crow South and a landmark federal voting rights act went into law. Today, race relations in North Carolina continue to be impacted by national policy debates and state political fights ranging from how police treat Black people to what students are taught about Black history.

On a recent Sunday at The Refuge Churchs Kannapolis campus, a band played contemporary Christian songs, and worshippers  Black and white  grasped their hands in prayer and a steady stream of churchgoers were summoned to the stage for spiritual healings.

Jonathan and Summer Daniel, who are white and joined the congregation before the merger, welcomed the change.

Psalm 133 says that unity is where the Lord commands blessing, said Jonathan, who only heard positive feedback from his friends about the merger.

That wasnt the case for April Savage.

Not everybody understands it, she said. Some people they may not say it out of their mouth, but they feel like, oh, like you abandoned your people. Because youre going to this, predominantly white ministry, or whatever, however you want to classify it. But we choose to not look at it that way. We choose to look at it as this is the kingdom of God, and its the kingdom that brings us together.

We all believe the same.

Of Black adults who attend religious services in the U.S., 25% say they go to houses of worship with multiracial congregations and clergy, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center report. Far more  60%  say they attend religious services where most or all of the congregation and clergy are Black.

Compared to those who attend multiracial or white churches, Black adults who go to Black Protestant churches are more likely to say they hear about issues like race relations and criminal justice reform from the pulpit, the Pew report states.

Historically, Black churches have long been a core part of the spiritual lives of Black Americans as well as a center of social and cultural support.

The Rev. Abdue Knox, pastor of Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Charlotte, cautioned pastors of interracial congregations not to disregard the experiences of their Black members.

We really have to do whats best for our family, and if its best for our family to worship in a interracial setup, thats great, Knox said. But as a pastor to another interracial pastor, dont forget and dont leave out and dont neglect the struggle, the Black struggle. We have to include that as a part of our faith formation.
Arkansas Times columnist Gene Lyons is a National Magazine Award winner and co-author of "The Hunting of the President" (St. Martin's Press, 2000). You can email Lyons at eugenelyons2@yahoo.com.
Hospitals, nursing homes and all other Medicaid-accepting facilities across Montana have been busy processing data on staff vaccination, exemptions and, in some cases, unemployment.

Feb. 14 marked the first deadline for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) COVID-19 vaccine mandate. All employees working at a facility receiving reimbursement from the federal agency are required to provide proof of at least one dose of vaccine or a medical or religious exemption.

At Benefis Health System in Great Falls, 37 employees opted to end their employment rather than get vaccinated or try for an exemption. The resignations were not concentrated in a specific department or employee type, according to Whitney Bania, senior communications specialist at Benefis.

About 4% of staff secured a medical or religious exemption and of those, 29% were medical deferral and 71% were religious deferrals.

Those who fall into the vaccinated camp make up 94.6% of the employees.

Other health facilities have opted to be steadfastly tight-lipped about their compliance.

Bozeman Health will only report 83% of their staff are fully vaccinated. Hospital officials say the facility is compliant with the CMS requirements, but exemption requests are still being processed, according to Kallie Kujawa, transformation officer at Bozeman Health.

Kujawa would not say how many exemptions were submitted or how many workers were placed on leave due to non-compliance, claiming that reporting the numbers would jeopardize employee identity. There are 2,400 people employed at Bozeman Health.

The decision to not reveal the compliance breakdown was made out of a desire to keep staff employed and protect their identity, said Kujawa.

In Lewistown, where 340 people are employed at Central Montana Medical Center, a mix of exemption and vaccination brought the hospital into 100% compliance. The hospital has opted not to publish how workers complied with the rule due to confidentiality reasons, said Stephanie Prater, community relations manager at the facility.

Rich Rasmussen with the Montana Hospital Association said that keeping vaccination numbers private has been a traditional practice for the flu shot. He added that exemptions have also been a hallmark for flu vaccination for years.

The difference here is that there are some who feel very strongly about (the COVID-19) vaccination, said Rasmussen.

But COVID-19 differs greatly from seasonal flu starting with the mortality rate. Researchers estimate that COVID-19 is 10 times more deadly than most strains of flu, according to John Hopkins Medicine. And many people infected with the virus experience mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, thus transmitting the virus unknowingly. Long COVID can also be severe while little is known about the lasting impacts.

Rasmussen looked to pre-vaccination mitigation measures such as masking, social distancing and regular testing to keep COVID from infecting patients.

Accommodations will be made for those who work unvaccinated under an exemption.

House Bill 702, which bans vaccination requirements for any preventable disease including the traditional flu shot, may result in a pivot within hospitals.

Masking might become a standard of care, Rasmussen said.

Less than 2% of SCL Health Montana and Wyoming associates were non-compliant with the mandate and about 12% received a medical or religious exemption, meaning 98% of employees were compliant.

Those who did not adhere to the deadline will be suspended for three days and considered voluntarily resigned if they refuse to comply, according to an SCL Health press release.

At Billings Clinic, 15 of the 4,700 employees were non-compliant with the vaccination mandate, according to Community Relations Coordinator Zach Benoit. The number of religious or medical exemptions were not reported nor was the number of employees who ended employment over the requirement.

RiverStone Health also reported 100% compliance with 11% of staff members using an exemption. No employees were put on leave.

There is some concern that vaccine requirements could impact the ability to attract and hire health care workers.

Darcel Vaughn with Gallatin County Rest Home hasnt lost any employees to the CMS mandate so far, but is hesitant to challenge any religious exemptions that come across her desk.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which provides guidance for vetting religious exemption forms, tells administrators to look at the petitioners morals and ethics when approving requests while medical exemptions require proof in the form of a doctors note.

How do I come out and decide that for people? Vaughn asked when referring to religious exemptions adding that she could see lawsuits in the future if anyone denied a religious exemption.

Gallatin County Rest Home is a skilled nursing facility with some rehabilitation services with 56 employees on the payroll. Of those, 81% are vaccinated and 19% are exempt.

Vaughn is also responsible for the compliance status of any workers that come into her facility to provide services to residents, such as hospice care.

Gov. Greg Gianforte addressed vaccination compliance in an open letter to health care workers released last Friday where he stated that he will continue to challenge the mandate, calling it unconstitutional or otherwise unlawful.

Gianforte then encouraged the unvaccinated to consider using the religious and medical exemption forms, attaching the religious exemption form to the bottom of the letter. He added that some should consider talking to health care providers about vaccination.

As Montanans who have faced a longstanding shortage of health care professionals, we simply cant afford to lose you, your colleagues, your experience, and your compassionate, dedicated care due to President Bidens vaccine mandate, Gianforte wrote.

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The Coutts port of entry resumed operations Tuesday after a protest against vaccine mandates there had largely halted traffic for two weeks.

The Canadian Border Services Agency announced the port's reopening in a press release Tuesday.

The demonstration dissolved the day after the Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police made 11 arrests at the port and seized a cache of firearms and ammunition from "a small organized group within the larger Coutts protest."

All of those arrested were Canadian citizens, according to news reports.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked emergency powers to bring an end to the demonstration in Coutts and other sites around Canada that had hamstrung U.S. automakers and paralyzed trade routes. Trudeau ruled out use of military force but under the emergency powers threatened to haul away the trucks in the demonstration and freeze the bank accounts of those involved.

In Montana shipping companies have found ways around the Coutts border across from the Sweet Grass port of entry after being stranded in nearby border towns like Shelby.

About 50 Montanans had taken to the Sweet Grass border bridge early in the protest to show support for the truckers, who started the demonstration to protest a January mandate that truckers be vaccinated against COVID-19. Previously, truckers had been exempted from any such requirement as "essential services."

Another group of Montanans protested in support of the Canadian truckers at the Roosville port of entry north of Eureka over the weekend. First-term Congressman Matt Rosendale, R-Montana, said in a tweet he was "happy to see" Montanans showing support for the protest.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance, meanwhile, has condemned the protests blocking public roadways and estimated more than 80% of Canadian truckers are fully vaccinated.

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The state has suspended the insurance license of Butte bail bondsman Jay Steven Hubber, who has been charged in a mans shooting death that occurred during a botched bounty hunt in December.

But state Auditor and Insurance Commissioner Troy Downing said regulatory authority over bondsmen is limited to insurance matters, and a bigger fix is needed for wide open fugitive recovery tactics in Montana ripe for abuse.

As it stands, he told The Montana Standard, there are virtually no regulations on what bondsmen and bounty hunters can and cant do in Montana when trying to nab fugitives and others who have skipped bail, and that is leading to abuses.

Law enforcement currently have more restrictions on their ability to investigate and arrest than recovery agents, Downing said. This unregulated authority to pursue and arrest fugitives creates dangerous situations.

Downing said the Montana Legislature should put requirements in law, and even though they might fit better under the purview of the Montana Department of Labor or other agency, he is willing to push the issue in the next legislative session.

A lot of people have been somewhat jaded watching the glorification of this line of business on TV without (it) really having any sideboards on the books in Montana, he said. I think there should be at least some requirements.

Its debatable where you draw that line  but this needs to be fixed. It has been abused and I think it does put public safety at risk.

On Tuesday, his office suspended the surety insurance license Hubber had through Alibi Bail Bonds in Butte for allegedly violating insurance provisions and creating a significant risk to the public based on the violent nature of what occurred in Butte on Dec. 19.

Palmer Hoovestal, Hubbers attorney, said Wednesday that the insurance allegations are just wrong and his client would present evidence at a hearing disputing them. He also said Hubber is innocent of the criminal charges against him.

According to prosecutors, Hubber and Nicholas Jaeger barged into William Harris house on Dec. 19 in an attempt to nab alleged bail-jumper David Sandoval. Harris, Sandoval and several others were in the house on South Main Street at the time.

Sandoval was tased and as he was wrestling with Hubber, Jaeger allegedly grabbed a gun from Hubber and shot Harris. Jaeger said Harris possibly had a pair of scissors in one hand and had threatened to kick him, but no other witnesses said he was armed.

Prosecutors charged Hubber and Jaeger with deliberate homicide and aggravated burglary and they pleaded not guilty to the charges last week. Hubber posted bond after his arrest but as of Wednesday, Jaeger remained in jail.

Jaeger was a convicted felon when he and his brother agreed to help Hubber apprehend Sandoval, and that in itself is not against the law, officials say.

But Hubber had posted a previous $2,000 bond for Jaeger, and according to statements from Jaeger and his brother, Hubber agreed to knock off some of that debt if Jaeger assisted with the apprehension that night.

According to Downings office, there are regulations under state law that prohibit that kind of arrangement.

The insurance license was suspended because of that, according to a notice issued by Downings office, and it cited a significant risk that Hubber will commit similar violations in making and enforcing bail bonds.

The notice also cited a significant risk to the public safety and welfare based on the violent nature of the instant arrest attempt on Dec. 19, and said Hubber also failed to notify the office of a previous assault conviction of his own.

The notice said Hubber could contest the suspension at a hearing if requested within 10 days, could do so in person or via video, and had a right to have an attorney at the hearing.

Hoovestal said the insurance allegations were wrong and there would be a hearing. In particular, he said, Hubber did not agree to reduce Jaegers bond debt in exchange for his assistance.

As to the criminal charges, Hoovestal said his client had everything under control, or close to control during the attempted apprehension and had no idea or reason to foresee that Jaeger would grab a gun Hubber had in his holster and shoot someone.

Downings calls for a bigger legislative fix to fugitive recoveries echo those a Missoula District Court judge made a few years ago while presiding over a bounty-hunting case.

It stemmed from an incident in 2017 in which a team of six bounty hunters went into the home of a Lolo family because a man owed a bond company $115 after missing a court hearing. They entered a bedroom and drew guns on the man, his wife and daughter.

The man who led the bounty hunt on behalf of a bail company was later given a three-year deferred sentence for criminal endangerment. A federal lawsuit that the ACLU of Montana and two law firms filed against that man, the bail company and its insurance companies was ultimately settled.

But there are no regulations in Montana on bounty hunting, meaning no licensing and training requirements, and no laws imposing any limits. In May 2018, the judge in the Missoula case called on the Legislature to fix that.

State Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, has backed efforts to do that but they fizzled out during the 2019 and 2021 legislative sessions. She told the Standard recently that she is termed out but hopes other lawmakers take up the issue in the 2023 session.

That is what Downing is calling for.

The problem with the whole system in Montana is the (fugitive) recovery part is pretty loosey-goosey, he said. I think one of the reasons we have so many issues on the recovery side is there really are no requirements.

He said there was a bill in the 2013 legislative session that would have imposed licensing and regulations like many states have but it was tabled. He said he wasnt sure why but there were some good concepts in there and they should be pursued in the 2023 session.

There are some good operators in Montana, he said, but there are also those using whatever tactics they think are appropriate that a lot of people would consider extreme.

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The Saudi British Banks (SABB) net profit after Zakat and income tax rose 177% to SR3.20 billion ($850 million) for the full year (FY) ended December 31, 2021.

This is an increase of SR7.37 billion compared to the loss of SR4.17 billion for the same period in 2020.

Operating income was SR7.94 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, a decrease of SR940 million, or 10.6%, compared to SR8.88 billion for the same period in 2020.

Loans and advances totalled SR167.6 billion at December 31, 2021, an increase of SR14.3 billion, or 9.3%, from SR153.2 billion at December 31, 2020.

Customers deposits were SR186.8 billion at December 31, 2021, a decrease of SR2.3 billion, or 1.2% compared with SR189.1 billion at December 31, 2020.

Investments were SR64.9 billion at December 31, 2021, an increase of SR4.1 billion, or 6.7%, from SR60.8 billion at December 31, 2020.

Total assets were SR272.4 billion at December 31, 2021, a decrease of SR4.1 billion, or 1.5% from SR276.5 billion at December 31, 2020.

Earnings per share is SR1.56 compared to SR(2.02) for the corresponding period of the previous year.

Commenting on the 2021 results, Lubna Suliman Olayan, Board Chair of SABB said: During 2021, we have had to deal with the additional challenges and uncertainties posed by the global Covid-19 pandemic and the related starts and stops of the global economy. However, the Saudi economy, and in particular the banking sector, has demonstrated resilience in dealing with these hurdles, and SABB took on those challenges from a position of financial and strategic strength, and has now pivoted back to growth mode.

Early in 2021, we concluded the final elements of the integration of SABB and Alawwal banks. The importance of the transaction  the first banking merger transaction in the kingdom  was the culmination of over three years of hard work and effort from dedicated individuals across the organisation and beyond, and has resulted in SABB being a stronger entity with a single shared culture and a stronger balance sheet, better enabling us to meet the growing needs of our customers and demands of the kingdoms Vision 2030 transformation programme.

During the year, we also committed to our long-term strategic goals and the steps we will take to achieve them. 2021 marked the start of the investment phase and it was pleasing to see solid progress in developing some of the key enablers for our longer-term goals, from setting up an in-house digital office to making more operational and tactical enhancements, such as expanding our mortgage offering. While doing that, we also seized the opportunity to participate in some key landmark transactions, including acting as one of the lead arrangers on the SR14 billion financing to fund the Red Sea Development project.

SABBs financial performance during 2021 includes a return to profitability, continued loan growth, stabilising revenue trends and improvements in asset quality. It generated SR3.9 billion of net income before Zakat and income tax for the year, SR7.9 billion of revenue, and grew its customer lending portfolio by 9% to SR174 billion. Its financial results are robust proof of its resilience and progress made in 2021.

With ESG woven into both its strategy and the long-term transformation goals of Vision 2030, during the year SABB focused on formulating its ESG strategy. This initiative marks a critical transition for SABB and its customers, because the bank believes that a firm commitment to ESG is absolutely necessary to achieve sustainable growth.

I am especially grateful for the diligence and professionalism of my board colleagues and our senior management committee, and I would also like to extend a sincere note of gratitude to our staff at all levels, who are the driving force behind the accomplishments of the bank during 2021. And, finally, I extend our gratitude for the guidance and support of the Saudi government, especially our regulators at the Saudi Central Bank and the CMA, she added.-- TradeArabia News Service
Editor's note: This letter from former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot to GOP National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel is published with the author's permission.

Dear Chairwoman McDaniel,

It is a sad day, indeed.

Having held the same position that you presently occupy two decades ago, I would never have imagined that the day would come when the chair of the Republican National Committee and its members would rebuke and desert two GOP members of the United States House of Representatives, who, consistent with the Constitution, their oath of office and their conscience, have been performing their assigned congressional duties with honor and integrity pursuant to the lawful passage of a House Resolution.

The resolution in question, of course, concerns the Select Committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021. I have carefully reviewed that document, House Resolution 509 (hereafter HR 509), as well as the Republican National Committees Resolution To Formally Censure Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger (hereafter RNC Resolution). In order to get the facts straight, let me summarize the two resolutions as I understand them.

HR 509, after establishing the Select Committee, enunciates the purposes of the Committee, namely to investigate and report the facts, circumstances and causes, of the attack on the Capitol. In addition, HR 509 calls for a review of intelligence and law enforcement preparations and responses in order to identify corrective measures to prevent future acts of violence, improve the security posture of the Capitol and strengthen the security and resilience of democratic institutions against violence.

The RNC Resolution provides that Winning back the majority in Congressin 2022 must be the primary goal. That achieving that goal must not be sabotaged by Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger who have demonstratedthat they support Democrat efforts to destroy President Trump and, therefore they must be denounced for deliberately jeopardizing victory in November 2022 even though, it is alleged in the resolution, the Democrat Partys prospects are bleak. And finally, before articulating the severe and formal censure, the RNC Resolution asserts that Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in apersecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.

I must confess, it is difficult to even know where to begin.

First of all, I would like you to know that confronting you and the committee with the thoughts and observations contained herein is not something, for me, easily done. Knowing my own imperfections and mistakes, I initially contemplated refraining from preparing and dispatching this missive and critique. At the same time, my heart tells me that, as a citizen, a former elected state official and former chair of the Republican National Committee, I must try to do what I can to take care of and protect our democracy and way of life.

Based on my decades of engagement in Republican politics, my intuition tells me that you and the other members of the RNC will come to regret, if you dont already, the passage of the RNC Resolution. It appears possible, and maybe even probable, that the RNC Resolution, with its incendiary language and histrionics, has advanced the very threat that you accuse Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger of creating, namely the diminution of the chances for Republican electoral success in 2022.

I believe you, and the members of the committee, have substantially underestimated the Great Middle of America and whats happening with all of those good and decent people from sea to shining sea. Made up of Democrats, Republicans and independents, the Great Middle is in the process of organizing itself with a higher goal, quietly but surely, not by express agreement or party affiliation, but by standards of decency, integrity, honor and faithfulness to the best interests of the republic.

Many intensely loyal Republicans, more polite and less dangerous than those who breached the Capitol, are, in larger and larger numbers, quietly but persistently looking for alternatives in the form of political movements and candidates of conscience, character, conviction and courage. Theyre not suggesting, hopelessly, a return to simpler times. Theyre calling, hopefully, for a return to simple, timeless and enduring values: presuming the best of each other, listening in good faith before acting or responding, exuding generosity and grace, self-correcting our own mistakes and being ambitious to accomplish something, not to be somebody.

In the Republican National Committees search for power for its own sake and its obsession with winning at any cost, you have sacrificed, by your proclamation and its revelation of the presently existing soul of the party, the allegiance of a great many, and a growing number, of your most ardent and longtime supporters. Regrettably, it appears, you have hitched your wagon to the wrong star.

But more important than ephemeral political calculations, in the political life of the United States there is no greater or higher loyalty as a citizen or an officeholder than a shared loyalty to the nation and the Constitution. Every citizen agrees to that premise as a condition of the social contract between the people and their government.

Hence, loyalty to a political party or candidate never trumps allegiance to the republic.

The oath of office taken by every member of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the president, requires those officeholders to solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic [and] that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. The oath concludes with a solemn promise that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

Bearing true faith means maintaining fidelity to the preservation of the union, fidelity to our fellow citizens, fidelity to a shared set of values and fidelity to the law and the Constitution. That transcendent fidelity or faithfulness to the Constitution is demonstrated by our continuing and unequivocal loyalty, first and above all else, to the United States of America, without interruption, without condition, without exception, without avoidance, without arrogance, without deceit, without connivance and without obfuscation.

The faithfulness referred to in the oath of office presumes not just faithfulness to the actual words of the Constitution, but faithfulness to its spirit as well. A spirit recognized and requited by humility, respect for others and the rights of others, honor, decency, integrity and self-discipline. Fidelity is the exact opposite of seeking power for its own sake or craving victory at any cost, each of which history has revealed time and time again to be a fools errand.

All of the above is to say that I have discovered no facts nor evidence, anywhere, of the sabotage or persecution or efforts to destroy the former president that serve as the basis for the accusations cited in the RNC Resolution and lodged against Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger. Quite the opposite, the evidence reveals two Republican members of the House of Representatives honorably performing their investigative duties and searching for the truth as members of a duly constituted investigative committee. In other words, theyre doing their job with fidelity and loyalty to the Constitution.

Parenthetically, it appears that the House Republican leadership not only made the wrong decision by refusing to participate in the legitimate business of the Select Committee, they made a serious tactical error as well. Now, having forfeited their opportunity to provide input into the Select Committees work and deliberations, they are left with only one available option, namely, to close their eyes to the truth and curse the darkness.

How is it that an official inquiry undertaken to pursue and determine the truth can be so threatening? How is it that faithfulness to ones country and fellow citizens can be so precipitously and eagerly sacrificed in exchange for political victory, or the pursuit of power, or both? How is it that the responsibility to assess accountability, if the facts establish it, can be so easily dismissed? There has been no honest and reasonable answer to any of those questions.

Of course, the elephant in the room is the 2020 presidential election and the efforts of the unsuccessful candidate to overturn the results.

Although it is ever so neat and tidy to blame the defeat of the former president on the existence of decisive and widespread fraud, there is not even a scintilla of evidence, anywhere, to support such piffle. The former president didnt experience defeat in 2020 because of fraud. The truth is quite the opposite. The defeat of the former president is explained by the fact that legions of responsible citizens, part of that Great Middle of America, voted the way they did because they embraced the very fidelity to their country and its Constitution that the RNC claims to embrace in its party platform.

So what can be done now? My suggestion and request is that you lead the committee through the process of withdrawing and dismissing the RNC Resolution rebuking and deserting Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. I urge the pursuit of this remedy with the understanding that were human, that politics is a competitive enterprise and that sometimes we make mistakes. But I also believe in such a situation the final measure of our character is whether we have the insight and courage to humbly and honestly correct them.

Respectfully submitted,

Marc Racicot

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DECATUR  Shane Conaway, 33, has a job, but wanted to know what other options are available to him.

So he attended the Village of Forsyth Job Fair.

I just came out here on my lunch break, take a gander around, he said. Im always willing to keep my options open. You never know what can happen or what opportunities are out there.

Conaway was one of hundreds of job seekers to attend the job fair on Tuesday at the Hickory Point Mall.

According to Jill Applebee, Forsyth village administrator, 32 businesses attended the event with the hopes of filling job vacancies. Four businesses provided information but were unable to attend.

Businesses at the job fair included the Decatur Park District, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Caterpillar, Grain Systems Inc., Decatur Public Schools, Menards and Webster Cantrell Youth Advocacy.

We just called out to our Forsyth businesses first, Applebee said. And it just kept growing and growing.

Scheduling was not a struggle for the administrative team in Forsyth. Because everybody needs help right now, Applebee said.

The jobs ranged from entry level to advanced positions. Most of the businesses were hiring to fill various positions. And several of the businesses have said they think they are going to have some call backs, Applebee said. So weve already made some matches.

Maria Zuck runs three H&R Block offices in Central Illinois. During the job fair she answered questions about the tax season as well as a few questions about hiring. We let them know about the different openings that we have, she said about the conversations.

The tax preparation company has various positions for which they are ready to hire, including receptionists, tax consultants and an office manager.

As the community and economic development coordinator with the village of Forsyth, Jake Smith communicates with business owners often.

Everyone started seeing that people need jobs, he said. We were able to start those conversations and get people to come together to create a good community environment for people to explore a lot of different jobs and options.

This years event was the first job fair hosted by the village. After today, were pretty certain well end up doing another one, Smith said. Our goal is to do things that make a difference in the community and do things that are good for the community.

Conaway has experience in the security field; therefore, he spent several minutes speaking with representatives of the Macon County Sheriffs Department. However, other companies also caught his attention.

The (Horve Hospitality) hotels, I would have never really thought much of that before coming here, Conaway said. Its something you may have overlooked.

Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR

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Todays Highlight in History:

On Feb. 16, 1959, Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba a month and a-half after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista.

On Feb. 16:

In 1862, the Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson in Tennessee ended as some 12,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered; Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grants victory earned him the moniker Unconditional Surrender Grant.

In 1918, Lithuania proclaimed its independence from the Russian Empire. (Lithuania, which was occupied by the Soviet Union, then Nazi Germany, then the Soviet Union again during World War II, renewed its independence in 1990).

In 1923, the burial chamber of King Tutankhamens recently unearthed tomb was unsealed in Egypt by English archaeologist Howard Carter.

In 1945, American troops landed on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines during World War II.

In 1960, the nuclear-powered radar picket submarine USS Triton departed New London, Connecticut, on the first submerged circumnavigation by a vessel.

In 1961, the United States launched the Explorer 9 satellite.

In 1996, eleven people were killed in a fiery collision between an Amtrak passenger train and a Maryland commuter train in Silver Spring, Maryland.

In 1998, a China Airlines Airbus A300 trying to land in fog near Taipei, Taiwan, crashed, killing all 196 people on board, plus seven on the ground.

In 2001, the United States and Britain staged air strikes against radar stations and air defense command centers in Iraq.

In 2009, in Stamford, Connecticut, a 200-pound chimpanzee named Travis went berserk, severely mauling its owners friend, Charla Nash; Travis was shot dead by police.

In 2011, bookstore chain Borders filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it would close nearly a third of its stores. (Borders closed all of its remaining stores in September 2011.)

In 2012, a federal judge in Detroit ordered life in prison for underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab a Nigerian who had tried to blow up a packed Northwest jetliner. New York Times correspondent Anthony Shadid, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, died of an apparent asthma attack in Syria while reporting on the uprising against its president; he was 43. Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter died in West Palm Beach, Florida, at age 57.

In 2017, in the first full-length news conference of his presidency, Donald Trump denounced what he called the criminal leaks that took down his top national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Trump named Alexander Acosta as his new choice for labor secretary, a day after Andrew Puzder abruptly withdrew. Immigrants around the U.S. stayed home from work and school to demonstrate how important they were to Americas economy, and many businesses closed in solidarity.

In 2019, the Vatican announced that former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who served as archbishop of Washington, D.C., had been found guilty by the Vatican of sex abuse and had been defrocked; McCarrick was the highest-ranking churchman and the first cardinal to face that punishment as the church dealt with clerical sex abuse.

In 2020, a winter storm that left millions without power in record-breaking cold weather claimed more lives, including four family members who perished in a Houston-area house fire while using a fireplace to stay warm. FEMA opened its first COVID-19 mass vaccination sites, setting up in Los Angeles and Oakland as part of a stepped-up effort by the Biden administration to reach minority communities. Amy Cooper, the white woman who was arrested for calling 911 on a Black birdwatcher in New Yorks Central Park, had her criminal case thrown out after completing a diversionary counseling program.

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DECATUR  Emails exchanged by Decatur Public Schools officials and the firm hired to assist with the search for a new superintendent show there were questions about the qualifications of Michael Gaal prior to a forum introducing him to the public as a finalist for the position.

The district released the emails in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from the Herald & Review.

In an email dated Oct. 29, Glenn Max McGee, president of Hazard, Attea, Young and Associates, informed the school board that the firm had identified 17 candidates for the position of superintendent. All names, other than Gaal's and fellow finalist Malika Savoy-Brooks, were redacted.

We are excited to share the diverse slate of accomplished candidates we are recommending for first round interviews: two African American women, two African American men, and two White men. All are well qualified, McGee wrote.

He also wrote, These individuals fit the desired personal characteristics and have the professional qualifications in the Leadership Profile Report and have tackled challenges similar to those DPS 61 faces.

By Jan. 5, the date of the online community forum with the two finalists, board members already had started to question the search firm about Gaal's qualifications.

READ THE EMAILS

Ive been thinking and researching this whole superintendent process and one thing that concerns me about Mr. Gaal is his lack of educational experience and certification, wrote board member Kevin Collins-Brown on Jan. 5. Im not sure he can even get a superintendent endorsement in IL without a Type 75, MS in Ed admin. It appears you have to have at least 2 years teaching experience, as well, and he doesnt. Im not sure what all the Type 75 stuff is, but Im afraid we will look bad if we pursue with him. Can this be sent to someone for clarification?

McGee responded on the same day that he had not anticipated any problems with Gaal obtaining a certification considering he had worked in administrative positions in other school districts.

What we do not know and have been working to find out this afternoon is for how long (or if) ISBE grants a temporary certificate and/or if it still requires someone with a Superintendent's Endorsement to sign official documents as was the case with Tony Sanders, the former CEO (and now Superintendent) of U-46 (the second largest district in Illinois) a few years ago, McGee wrote. It took (Sanders) about three years to get his permanent license, and in the meantime they hired an interim to come in to sign papers and join him at Board meetings and cabinet meetings but Tony was responsible for and accountable for the leadership and management of the district. U-46 could have had a staff member who had a superintendent's license sign documents, but both Tony and the Board opted for the other route of retaining an interim (Dr. Ken Arndt).

According to the district's timeline of the search process, the firm informed the district that Gaal could not obtain certification from the state. District officials said Gaal withdrew his name from consideration.

Board Vice President Andrew Taylor expressed his reservations with the process in a Jan. 12 email.

Given fundamental flaws in the candidate selection process and mounting indiscretions concerning that process I now view it as fundamentally corrupted, Taylor wrote. I will not be supporting any candidate brought forward by HYA.

To serve as a school superintendent in Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Education requires a master's degree or higher; completion of superintendent training coursework; an internship or equivalent experience; completion of coursework in teaching exceptional children, reading methods, content area reading and teaching English language learners; licensure exams; two years of experience working as a principal, director of special education, or chief school business official or other administrative position while holding a valid administrator's license; passing the Illinois superintendent test.

Gaal holds two master's degrees, one in engineering from the United States Air Force Academy, the other in national security policy studies from National War College. He has no classroom or teaching experience. His last two jobs, as listed in an email from Hazard, Attea, Young were president of sales, Beable Education Lakewood, New Jersey and formerly deputy chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools in Washington, DC.

Repeated attempts by the Herald & Review to contact Gaal after news of his withdrawal were unsuccessful. The Herald & Review also previously reached out to Hazard, Attea, Young and Associates for comments about the search process and were told the firm had no comment.

School board president Dan Oakes said last week that the firm had waived the final required payment on its $24,950 contract.

"(The search firm) waived the (last) 25 percent because they made some mistakes," Oakes said during an interview Friday after the board released the timeline of the search process.

That final payment, according to the contract, was tied to the appointment of the new superintendent.

In the end, the board voted 6-1 on Feb. 8 to hire district employee Rochelle Clark, who was not among the initial applicants, to be the next superintendent.

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

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DECATUR  A coroners jury Wednesday waded through the facts surrounding two unnatural Decatur deaths: Martin M. Mize, who died from illegal narcotics intoxication, and Efrem O. Jones, shot to death outside his apartment home.

The jury first dealt with the death of 45-year-old Mize, and ruled it accidental. But Decatur police Detective L. Lewellyn, in response to a question from Macon County Coroner Michael E. Day, confirmed the case had been the subject of a criminal investigation against the drug dealer who supplied Mize.

Will this have the potential of yielding criminal charges against the dealer? And they might include drug-induced homicide? asked Day.

Yes, replied the detective.

Lewellyn told the jury that the body of Mize had been found in his Decatur apartment on Nov. 18. The day before, Mizes mother had brought him home from a care facility in Danville where he had been treated for two months for a degenerative disease affecting his legs.

(His mother) relayed to me that Mr. Mize had made statements to the effect of he was looking forward to getting home and using drugs again, said Lewellyn. Hes been a drug user for quite some time and it appeared he was almost anxious to get home so he could use drugs again.

Police recovered a series of text messages Mize had sent to his dealer on the ride back from Danville.

The messages said things like Hey, I am getting out of the care facility, would you be able to meet with me? I am going to need something later, words to that effect, added Lewellyn.

The detective said Mize gave his mother the impression he was planning to buy marijuana but believes that was just a ruse to cover up his intention to purchase harder drugs. She would be more forgiving if she knew he was buying marijuana than if she knew he was buying crack cocaine, Lewellyn said.

He didnt name the dealer, but told jurors he was familiar to police from previous arrests. The dealer (Mize) reached out to doesnt sell marijuana; the dealer he reached out to sells cocaine, the detective said.

The day after he came home, Mizes mother found him dead in his apartment. An autopsy showed he had used cocaine laced with fentanyl and would have died within minutes.

Turning to the death of 30-year-old Efrem O. Jones, the jurors returned a verdict of homicide after hearing he was gunned down on the afternoon of Christmas Eve in the 500 block of South Church Street.

Giving evidence, Detective Jeremy Appenzeller said there had been an altercation in the parking lot of Joness apartment building that he was not apparently involved with. But Jones was standing outside when masked suspects who had been involved in that earlier trouble returned.

Appenzeller said an argument then ensued and witnesses said gunshots followed and Joness dead body, hit by multiple bullets, was found lying on the sidewalk.

The coroner asked if there was any indication Jones was armed or had tried to defend himself. There is nothing that indicates that he was armed, Appenzeller replied.

Within a week of the killing, police had arrested Decatur man Jatrevius O. Jarrett who has since been charged with first degree murder. He is due in Macon County Circuit Court on Friday for the appearance of his defense counsel.

Jarrett, 18, is being held in the Macon County Jail with bail set at more than $1.5 million.

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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Requiring storm shelters is the best way to protect warehouse workers from deadly tornadoes, experts told lawmakers in a hearing Monday roughly two months after six workers died in an Amazon facility in Edwardsville.

But concerns about losing business to overregulation were also on the table.

State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, held the virtual hearing with metro-east lawmakers, storm shelter experts, union officials and warehouse company representatives. Gov. J.B. Pritzker promised in late January lawmakers would hold hearings, and Stuart said her office has been gathering information on possible changes.

The EF-3 tornado ripped through the 1.1-million-square-foot warehouse on Gateway Commerce Drive around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 10. Winds up to 150 mph toppled concrete walls and caused the roof to collapse.

"The tenth of December was a really scary and devastating day for all of us but especially for the families of the victims," Stuart said. "Today I'm hoping we can continue that process of gathering information so we can make sure we can take action to make changes to prevent these kinds of tragedies in the future the best we can."

The best way to keep workers safe is for state and local governments to adopt and enforce the latest building codes for storm shelters, said Marc Levitan, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The federal agency studies disasters to advise on improving code.

"Most tornado fatalities occur inside buildings," Levitan said. "Tornado fatalities are a building problem."

The Edwardsville Fire Department had to call in help "from great distances" to respond to the disaster, said Fire Chief James Whiteford in a letter read aloud in the hearing. Funding and staffing for public safety continues to be an issue, he said, but officials should study and update building codes to prevent tragedies that require a massive emergency response.

"This tornado highlights the need to review and likely change building requirements for large warehouses," Whiteford said.

Storm shelter requirements are already defined by the International Building Code that would withstand a strong tornado, said Jim Bell, director of operations for the National Storm Shelter Association. But to force businesses to build storm shelters, the state or local government has to require it. Illinois already requires storm shelters for schools, for instance.

No shelters built to the international code have failed, Bell said.

The spaces made available to workers in the Amazon warehouse were not "hardened" spaces built to withstand a tornado, Bell said.

"It was just an area within the building that was away from outside walls and it was deemed the safest place to be in the building."

It can be difficult and expensive to adapt an existing building to include a storm shelter, but relatively cheap modular shelters can be built within them, Bell said. Basements are not necessary, he added. They would be difficult to build and keep dry in an area of the metro-east prone to flooding.

Union workers who built the warehouse were not to blame for its collapse, said Randy Harris, Midwest director of LECET, a group that advocates for union labor to developers. The design of those buildings is simply not meant to stand up to a tornado.

"It's not on the construction contractor and certainly not on the construction workforce that the disaster happened the way it did," Harris said. "Hopefully we can figure some things out and protect workers in these sites as we move forward."

Business loss concerns

Gavin Stoddard, CEO of Decatur-based Parke Warehouses, warned against overreaching standards.

"We welcome any workplace standards that will protect our most valuable asset, which is our employees, but we caution against any proposed standards that will be applied too broadly or overreach their intended goals," Stoddard said.

Not all warehouses are used for the same purposes or operated like an Amazon facility, he said. Some buildings may have fewer employees and mostly store goods. Other companies may have put higher safety standards in place voluntarily.

Metro-east lawmakers were also concerned about possibly losing businesses to Missouri if Illinois were to require "enhanced standards" in warehouses, said state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea.

"It's vitally important to provide for the safety of the employees, and it also is important to be able to make sure you can be competitive when dealing with others areas of the United States and, quite frankly, Illinois dealing with Missouri," Hoffman said.

Levitan gave the example of Moore, Oklahoma, a city repeatedly devastated by tornadoes. It changed its construction requirements to include significant protections, and some worried the cost would drive people away. It didn't, Levitan said.

"The small increased cost associated with that did not drive people to leave that community," Levitan said. "It's not completely analogous to commercial construction, but it is a data point."

Including a storm shelter in the Amazon warehouse would have added roughly 2% to the overall cost, St. Louis Public Radio reported, citing Bell.

Despite the relatively low cost, states and municipalities often get locked into "a race to the bottom" trying to attract business, Stuart said.

"You're sometimes offering lots of tax incentives to pull a business into your community versus the next community," Stuart said. "I would like to think that every community would want to adopt the highest standards they could for worker safety, but you worry that they're going to get some pushback at times. That's something we have to be cognizant of."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, opened an investigation that will review whether Amazon had a "proper emergency action plan," U.S. Department of Labor spokesman Scott Allen said in an interview in December.

No legislation has yet been filed requiring higher safety standards for warehouses. Stuart filed a bill (HB 5302) that would create a task force to find ways for the Illinois Department of Labor to ensure employees can report safety concerns and make suggestions.

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New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High near 90F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 71F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.
The South Fork Utility District (SFUD) in Bristol, Tennessee has yet to reschedule its board of commissioners meeting a week after postponing it, but it turns out its next meeting may be its last, as SFUD could be ordered to merge with a neighboring utility district.
Federal money is on the way to residents of Hurley, Virginia, to help the Buchanan County town recover from the devastating flooding of August 2021.

On Tuesday, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, D-Va., along with Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-9th, announced $174,458 in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will be sent to the United Way of Southwest Virginia Inc. for the Hurley Disaster Recovery Project.

Losses due to the flooding affected 1,000 community members, as more than 30 residential structures were damaged and more than 40 were destroyed.

The ARC funds will be used to support a public-private partnership, which is coordinating the long-term recovery efforts from the flooding by assisting 70 households with disaster relief and constructing or rehabilitating 50 homes.

Sens. Warner and Kaine and Rep. Griffith have been pushing for federal assistance since the devastating floods occurred. Earlier this month, the lawmakers announced the availability of disaster assistance applications for Southwest Virginia residents and businesses affected by the flooding.
Marion officials have decided to spend $525,000 of its federal pandemic relief money to transform the towns pool into a waterpark.

Marion received the first half of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation last summer. The second half of that $5.7 million is expected to be awarded in June 2022. Localities have until the end of 2024 to commit the money and through 2025 to spend it.

The towns leaders have maintained that they want to use the rare, once-in-a-lifetime infusion of cash for legacy projects. Last June, Town Manager Bill Rush asked the town council to consider a question when deciding how to use the money: When someone looks back in 15 years, will they be happy with how it was spent?

Rush urged his department heads and the council members to propose lasting generational projects.

In January, the council approved two proposals that will use about $1,025,000 of the ARPA funds.

Read more about the second proposal here.

In May, the Marion council OKd spending $300,000 to renovate and upgrade the pool, adding amenities such as a beach-entry, also known as a zero-entry pool, on the shallow end. Beach-entry pools are designed so that at least one side gradually slopes toward the water, allowing users to walk into the pool. These entries make pools much more accessible for young children, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities.

In the beach-entry pool area, the water would stay shallow and would be surrounded by an elevated splash pad and sitting wall.

The proposal also called for the addition of a water slide in the deeper end and a splash pad. As the work got underway last fall, Rush said that crews discovered more needed renovations, including the roof and restrooms. As well, he said, ideas came forward to add an elevated playground and a pergola with tables and chairs to provide shaded seating and renovate the pool house to create a party/event room.

In a later interview, Rush said the waterpark would include slides, diving boards, background music and shaded seating. While it might not be on par with Splash Country, an outdoor waterpark at Dollywood, the town manager said it would be akin to those at certain Marriott resorts.

While the waterpark may have a resort feel, Rush also acknowledged that officials are aware that many youngsters from limited income families often spend entire days at the pool but cant afford to even eat out of the vending machines or from the nearby food truck vendors. Hes hoping Marion can partner with the school system to provide meals for low-income youngsters during the summer.

Rather than borrowing the $300,000 originally approved for the pool, the council followed Rushs recommendation to add that amount to the estimated costs for the new additions to the project and OKd funds not to exceed $525,000 from the ARPA allocation. Congress adopted the rescue plan last spring to help individuals and communities recover from the financial losses associated with the pandemic.

Last year, Rush cautioned the council that even with the new features the pool likely wont make money but would be expected to increase the number of users. As a municipal pool, the town works to keep access fees affordable and unpredictable factors like weather often impact revenue.

This is a project that would reap benefits over time, he said.

Rush anticipates that the pool work will be complete before its traditional Memorial Day weekend opening.
PID Owners Association Management (Pidoam), a subsidiary of Dubai Investments, has awarded Farnek  a UAE based smart and green facilities management (FM) company, a two-year total facilities management (TFM) contract.

Under the agreement, Farnek will deploy more than 100 employees, responsible for maintaining the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), cleaning and security services for the Green Community, DIP common areas.

"Pidoam is focused on channeling resources towards ensuring well managed communities and various initiatives are being planned to be implemented in the pursuit of achieving this," stated Saood Al Mutaiwee, the General Manager of Pidoam.

"Farneks innovative solutions coupled with its technological capabilities will enhance and improve the overall ambience for the residents while maintaining the green quotient, reiterating the community as a sustainable development, promoting a healthy lifestyle," he added.

Farnek CEO Markus Oberlin said: "The Green Community is the first residential development to benefit from Farneks innovative inhouse FM technology Hitek, using CAFM for smart FM services. The state-of-the-art connected, automated and intelligent solution complements a leaner and more sustainable operational process that increases productivity and reduces energy consumption."

"The residents of Green Community, DIP will also be able to access Hitches & Glitches Home Services App - a one stop solution for any cleaning or maintenance work that may need to be carried out at their own properties, including access to a 24/7 Customer Care Centre," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
BRISTOL, Va.  The author of the Bristol Virginia school systems voluntary masking policy is concerned a pending state law takes too much authority from local school boards.

Superintendent Keith Perrigan has advocated transitioning out of mandatory face masks in schools since last fall but worries legislation giving all that power to parents could have unintended consequences in the future.

On Monday the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation that would ban local school boards from imposing mask requirements on public school students, as a way to combat the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Glenn Youngkin previously signed an executive order giving parents that authority but the order remains tied up in the court system because it conflicts with a state law which directs local school boards to follow guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What concerns me is how this could affect us with other issues that could arise in the future were not even thinking about. Taking authority out of the local school boards control, I think, is a slippery slope, Perrigan said.

For parents to truly be able to have input into decisions like this, accountability needs to remain at the local level. Parents have direct access to local decision-makers and the specific impact of those decisions can be more easily addressed locally. Richmond is far removed from local interests and is focused on the macro interests of millions of parents. Local decision-makers have a finger on the local pulse and see parents at ball games, church and the grocery store, the superintendent said.

Perrigan cited the battles during the summer of 2020 when a majority of school systems opted to only offer classes online while local systems made in-person classes a priority.

What concerns me is this is an overreach of state authority. I think decisions like this should be made at the local level, Perrigan said. I thought restrictions were too strict at the beginning of the pandemic and that should have been left to localities. School boards and superintendents know whats going on in their community; they know whats going on in their schools and they can make rational decisions based on that local data.

Schools in Southwest Virginia have been very successful in navigating in-person instruction during a pandemic. Weve proven time and time again, over the past two years, if Richmond will give us the flexibility to make decisions that make sense for our community, were ready, willing and able to do that.

After three straight semesters requiring masks in school, the city system switched Jan. 24 -- in response to the governors executive order -- and asked that students wear masks at schools while still requiring face coverings for faculty and staff.

That first day about 18% of students division-wide were masked but that number has grown to about 30% as cities and counties across the region reported record COVID case counts throughout January and into February due to the highly transmissible omicron variant.

At first we had extremely high case counts compared to our previous experience but that is gradually declining. Our declining cases now are higher than we experienced during the delta variant, Perrigan said. We would have liked to have had the opportunity to have kept those masks on a little bit longer then transition out in a way that makes sense for our community.

The division has dealt with more than 430 student cases and 180 staff cases this school year compared to 84 and 40, respectively, in 2020-21.

The city of Bristol Virginia has reported nearly 1,500 cases of COVID-19 since Jan. 1, according to the Virginia Department of Health. When the voluntary masking rules went into place the citys seven-day testing positivity average was a record 46.4%.

At the same time, about 50% of city residents are fully vaccinated but those rates are much lower among children. Currently 34.6% of children 12-17 are fully vaccinated, 11.9% of children ages 5-11 while only 3.4% of those 12-17 have received the third shot or booster dose, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

As we were making the decision and released the decision we got mixed feedback. It appears there are three different camps  a camp that thinks we need to continue in masks for a while longer, a camp that believes we should remove masks altogether and another that would like to see us transition smoothly out of masks, Perrigan said. Weve not had a whole lot of negative or positive feedback.

Bristol has been trying to transition out of masks since late October.

We believe that students will learn better and teachers will teach better once we get to our new normal, Perrigan said. Part of that is getting masks off so students can see facial expressions, students can see teachers enunciate words - especially younger students learning how to read. Students can hear teachers better because voices arent muffled. Were strong advocates for getting back to normal.

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ABINGDON, Va.  While community colleges across Virginia struggle with enrollment and retention through the pandemic, Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC) has continued to find ways to maintain its growth momentum.

The COVID pandemic led VHCC to completely rethink its approach to the recruitment of students in the Tri-Cities area. Those changes involved simplifying its application process and figuring out what the school could do to alleviate some of the obstacles, financial or otherwise, that have kept individuals from attending college in the past.

One of the changes was free tuition for the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters.

We were able to save some money during the pandemic because of some operational adjustments and some federal sources of funds and things like that, and we just decided as a college the best thing we could do with that money is make it easy for people to go to college, Adam C. Hutchinson, who became president of VHCC mid-pandemic in 2020, said of VHCCs decision to begin offering free tuition to students.

In its most recent Enrollment Insight report in October 2021, the State Council for Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), which has been actively tracking enrollment at community colleges during the pandemic, found community college enrollment in Virginia has declined 4.2% since 2019, with a total fall 2021 enrollment estimate of 153,673. In a previous report in March 2021, the council said 2020 had been Virginia Community Colleges lowest enrollment rate since 2002 with 153,075 enrolled students.

SCHEVs enrollment records for VHCC show its enrollment numbers grew from 2,286 in 2019 to 2,451 in 2021. That growth has not been steady, as the number of enrolled students declined in 2020 to 2,086. Hutchinson credited the promise of free tuition and the restructuring of processes behind the scenes as the catalysts for the recent sharp increase in enrollment.

What we saw was, when the resources were made available for people to go to college, they came, and thats been exciting for us, Hutchinson said. We reorganized ourselves internally so that we could be more effective in helping students reduce the burden for them, and we essentially said, Tell us what you want to study and tell us a little bit about your family circumstances, and well figure everything else out for you.

Currently, VHCC has about 2,500 enrolled students, and most are between 18 and 23 years old. Because of this, the college has been working on hosting more activities on campus, especially since there are students who are not able to attend in-person classes due to COVID, which creates a potential disconnect between students, their peers and faculty. For Hutchinson, the overall goal is not enrollment, but graduation, which is why they are now focusing more on retention.

If we can connect students to each other and to their faculty and to the college in general, theyre more likely to succeed, he said.

Hutchinson highlighted some of the ways VHCC is working to accommodate students who otherwise would find it difficult to attend college, from assisting them with tax filings to legal help and housing, as well as providing them with a food pantry.

We just make sure that students stay connected to the resources that our community provides so that, as students go along through the educational process, those things that might otherwise derail them, we [are] able to kind of step in and say, Dont worry, weve got you covered, he said.

Elise Carrigan, VHCCs new recruitment and activities specialist, visits local high schools and talks with parents and students about what VHCC has to offer, as well as her role in organizing activities on and off campus for students.

This position that they hired me for is actually a new position they created because they never had anyone before dedicated to being an activities person, Carrigan said. Im working on planning, like a night at Wolf Hills Coffee [which becomes Tumbling Creek Cidery at night].

I know there is a new food truck, The Blended Pedaler, up here on campus, things like that, so ... there are things to do here on campus, and it does feel like theres a sense of community and activities going on for the students.

VHCCs free tuition offer is coming to an end this semester. However, Hutchinson and his team have set up an accessible application and financial aid process that will help them continue to build on their momentum and offer low-cost quality education to anyone interested in getting a college education in the Tri-Cities region.

I would love, love, love to get to the point where we can tell everybody in our service area, Just come, Hutchinson said. Were not able to offer it the same way we did last year, but theres still a lot of financial aid available, and it costs nothing to find out how much youre eligible to receive. Its a little bit of paperwork. Well help you do that, but come explore college, and well figure it out together.

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Catawba County Schools and Newton-Conover City Schools will no longer do contact tracing for COVID-19 cases, and some students exposed to COVID-19 will not have to quarantine.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services made changes to the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit, which recommends school policies surrounding the pandemic. The new recommendations say contact tracing is no longer required for individual cases, and students exposed to COVID-19 who dont have symptoms no longer have to stay home from school.

The new recommendations go into effect on Feb. 21, according to a press release from Catawba County Public Health and region four of the North Carolina Association of Regional Health Directors, which includes Catawba County.

Catawba County Schools and Newton-Conover City Schools plan to follow the state recommendations. Hickory Public Schools will likely consider the recommendations at the next board of education meeting on Feb. 28, Hickory Superintendent Bryan Taylor said. He added that the school system has been following the toolkit recommendations throughout the pandemic, and he expects the district will continue to do so once the board discusses it.

Catawba County Schools plans to continue to notify parents of possible COVID-19 exposures in class and team settings so parents and students can monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, a letter sent to parents said. Students and staff who are symptomatic or test positive for the coronavirus still must stay in isolation for five days, and wear masks for another five days, the letter said.

Newton-Conover City Schools did not detail what exposure notification the school system will use.

The state recommendations were changed because contact tracing has become less effective, the regional health directors said in the release. The new variants of COVID-19 have shorter incubation times, spread faster and people are more contagious before getting symptoms, making contact tracing less helpful, the release said. The increased use of at-home tests and asymptomatic cases also make it hard to identify cases to trace, the release said.

School nursing staff will still spend a good amount of time working with families of children who are out of school with symptoms of COVID-19 or who have tested positive, Catawba County Public Health Community Engagement Specialist Emily Killian said.

Outside of schools, Catawba County Public Health is still doing contact tracing for community cases. The department is focusing on long-term care facilities and other more vulnerable settings, Killian said.

Our communities are almost 24 months into this pandemic and our residents understand what resources they have access to in order to keep their families safe. These continue to be vaccines, masking, testing when symptomatic or exposed and staying home when sick, Jennifer McCracken, Catawba County Public Health director, said in the release.

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Enrollment at Hickory Public Schools is in the midst of a five-year decline and the superintendent is calling in state officials to assess each school.

The districts average daily membership (number of students in class per day) was 4,117 in 2018-19. The average for 2021-22 is 3,821 and the projected average for 2022-23 is 3,761.

The school system is seeking an increase in funds per student in the proposed budget for the 2022-23 school year, Superintendent Bryan Taylor said during Monday nights school board meeting. The request for additional money from the county is to make up for the decline in students and keep the districts allotment similar to the previous year, since state funding is based on the number of students enrolled in the district.

Taylor also told the board that the district would need to start thinking of new ways to market itself instead of continuing to do things the way they have always been done in an attempt to bring in more students.

Taylor also shared his plans with the board to have the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of the district to identify problem areas and help create a strategic plan for improving the schools.

So what this process provides is the opportunity for someone else to come in and say, Hey, let me look at it from this higher level, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Diagnostic Services Lead Susan Silver said. Its focused on two questions: Are students learning, and are they learning enough?

Each of the nine schools in the district will have a two-day assessment where a team will visit classrooms, meet with administrators, teachers, families, students and any other staff members deemed essential to understanding the school, Silver said. Using the data collected from these visits, the team will determine what issues are district-wide and what issues are isolated to a particular school. After visiting all of the schools, there will be a two-day assessment of the district where the team will meet with administrators, board members and a focus group of principals.

The assessments are the same for every school regardless of size and grade level to ensure consistency. A team of four people will conduct an assessment on each school. The lead reviewer will focus on the outcomes of what the schools and district are doing. The other three team members are trained in the assessment process and will all have background experience that matches the areas they will be reviewing, such as administration or teaching. In order to try to give an unbiased third-party opinion, the team will be made up of people with no current or previous ties to the district, Silver said.

So we arent going out with a checkbox and saying, Are these things happening? What were focused on is whatever the district and schools are doing, Silver said. Theres a clear focus on whats the impact of it, in terms of those two questions. She said the purpose of the assessment is not to rate the schools but for support. The data collected is for the district and schools to use in decisions for improvements and the future.

Taylor said the assessments could begin in March.

The feedback will include six things the district or schools need to improve, after determining what is done well and what is not. Well put those in order to indicate to a strategic planning team, that if were going to start somewhere, lets start with this first area, because that will have the most impact, and will have the most lasting effect on change, Silver said. The priorities mentioned in the feedback will not necessarily be quickly fixed, but could take around three to five years to have a significant impact in the schools and would need a solid plan for continued improvement, she said.

This board made it very clear to me when I accepted this position that we had things that we needed to improve. In order to make those improvements, we need information, Taylor said This is going to be a very in-depth process. It is coming to us, as a district, at no charge, which is wonderful. Our strategic plan is scheduled to sunset at the conclusion of this academic year. So in my opinion, there cannot be a better time to generate this type of information.

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HICKORY  The Catawba Valley Leadership Foundation recently hosted their annual gathering for leaders within the greater Catawba Valley.

The Legacy Leaders Banquet drew more than 120 leaders from over 15 organizations including area businesses, nonprofit organizations, school systems, religious institutions, and municipalities. The event was held on Jan. 27 at Moretz Mills in Hickory.

The Legacy Leaders Banquet serves as an annual networking and fundraising event for the foundation and community. Foundation Director Victoria Schronce headed the event, refreshing the community on the organizations mission within the greater Catawba Valley.

Our mission is to make every life and community better through stronger leaders, Schronce said. We do this by cultivating and equipping individuals in varying sectors through a variety of programs. The event included key speakers such as Foundation President Chad Hall, Foundation Partner Bruce Schronce, and active volunteer Chris Murray.

Catawba Valley Leadership Foundation hosts a number of events in Hickory and the surrounding area throughout the year, including bimonthly leaders roundtables where individuals gather to educate themselves and build their skills regarding leadership in their respective organizations. The foundation has grown to host two roundtable events every other month, one in Granite Falls and another in central Hickory.

The foundation also specializes in the Strong Student Leaders program. Strong Student Leaders, started by the foundation in 2019, is designed to equip area high school juniors and seniors with the proper tools to navigate their lives and careers post-graduation. There are currently more than 150 students being served across four area high schools, including their newest installment at Hickory Career and Arts Magnet High School. The program is expanding to include four more installments within the year.

The Strong Student Leaders program is innovative and encouraging not only for the students, but for us, said Foundation Executive Assistant and volunteer Madi Phillips. We are fortunate enough to connect with so many brilliant students who consistently bring energy and insight to every meeting. Its an incredible opportunity. Schronce and Phillips work alongside 12 community volunteers who distribute the curriculum, and are onboarding 20 more in 2022 for new program installments.

Catawba Valley Leadership Foundation also hosts an annual leadership conference, scheduled for Sept. 9, 2022. This event is a half-day conference targeted for leaders looking to expand their network, learn from valued leaders in the community, and hear more about the foundations continued impact. The foundation also provides executive coaching to area leaders. Learn more about Catawba Valley Leadership Foundation and find upcoming events at www.catawbaleadership.org.
Rockers from hair metal era to perform in Newton

Musicians Jack Russell from the band Great White, Ted Poley from the band Danger Danger and John Corabi from the bands Motley Crue, Ratt and The Dead Daisies will perform on Saturday during the Rock the Acoustic concert at the Newton Performing Arts Center.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the show will start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $40 to $120 for VIP tickets. The first three rows will be for VIP seating. VIP tickets will include an autographed poster and a photo with all three performers after the show. The performers will not be signing autographs.

Celtic concert set for Friday

The Celtic Angels will bring their heritage to the stage through Irish dance, music and song at the Newton Performing Arts Center. The Celtic Knight Dancers and The Trinity Band Ensemble of Dublin will also perform. The concert will be Friday at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets range from $30 to $45.

The Green Bean Players present Jack and the Spaceship Beanstalk

The Green Room Community Theatre will have a one-time showing of Jack and the Spaceship Beanstalk on Saturday at 3 p.m. The play will be performed by The Green Bean Players. The performance will be in the McCreary Theatre at the Old Post Office Playhouse in Newton. Jack and the Spaceship Beanstalk is a space-themed rendition of the classic fairy tale.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.thegreenroomtheatre.org or by calling 828-464-6128 on Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $6 for children age 12 and under. All ticket prices include N.C. sales tax.

Build your own sock bunny at library

The Patrick Beaver Memorial Library will have a special story time event on Saturday at 10 a.m. After sharing Mo Willems Knuffle Bunny story, kids ages 5 and up can create their own bunny out of a colorful sock. No sewing is required. This program is in celebration of the opening of the Mo Willems We Are Art! exhibit at Hickory Museum of Art. Space is limited, so registration is required through the librarys online events calendar.

For more information, call 828-304-0500. Patrick Beaver Memorial Library is at 375 Third St. NE on the SALT Block. All library programs are free and open to the public.

The Green Room hosting auditions for Mamma Mia

The next musical coming to The Green Room Community Theatre is Mamma Mia! This comedic story takes place on a Greek island paradise and is told through Swedish pop group ABBAs hit songs, including Super Trouper, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Take a Chance on Me, Thank You for the Music, Money, Money, Money, The Winner Takes It All and SOS.

Auditions are scheduled for Sunday and Monday at 7 p.m. at the Old Post Office Playhouse at 10 South Main Ave. in Newton. Enter at the lower-level door at the back of the building.

Actors only need to attend one night of auditions. The director is looking for a cast of men and women ages 16 and older. All ethnicities are welcomed.

Actors are asked to sing approximately 32 bars of a piece of their choice. The song can be from the show, but it is not required. The music director will accompany the auditions. Sheet music in the correct key for the song of choice is required. Auditions will also consist of cold readings from the script. A prepared monologue is not needed. Wear comfortable clothing. Everyone will be asked to learn a dance routine that will be taught at auditions.

Actors must be available for tech week and all performances, which are scheduled for May 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22. For additional information or questions, call The Green Room Community Theatre at 828-464-6583 or visit www.thegreenroomtheatre.org.
" " The German-made Graf Zeppelin was named after the father of these massive balloons, Ferdinand Zeppelin (watch the video below for more info on him). Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis

World War I wasn't just ground combat. Submarines surreptitiously navigated underwater, and the skies buzzed with planes from which soldiers fired guns and dropped bombs. Another airborne war machine was developed at this time, too, but has since vanished from contemporary combat: the zeppelin.

Zeppelins were intimidating to behold. These massive, cylindrical balloons were built with metal skeletons and filled with hydrogen to stay aloft. Their skeletons and rudders allowed them to be steered into and out of enemy territory, and they crept along in night skies, their heavy hum announcing the presence of oncoming bomb raids.

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Germany was confident that zeppelin-led raids would give them an advantage in the war. This wasn't exactly the case, though. There wasn't much precision in airstrike efforts this early on in military history, and zeppelins were more effective in their fright factor. They were hugely menacing. Where they really helped was in supply and soldier transport. Additionally, their elevated vantage point aided submarine detection and allowed them to act as an overhead bodyguard for troops moving along the ground.

Throughout World War I, Germany's 140 zeppelins were responsible for just 1,500 deaths. You could argue they wreaked more havoc in the kitchen than in the skies. Early zeppelins were constructed internally from rubber, but engineers soon discovered that the most effective material for encasing hydrogen was goldbeater skin. Or guts.

Here's a little more insight into this unique material. Cow's intestines, sourced from butchers in Germany and German-occupied territories like Austria, Poland and northern France, were washed and skinned of their external membranes. Then, they were bathed in an alkaline mixture and stretched to dry. The resulting product was goldbeater's skin, originally used by jewelers to wrap around pieces of gold that were hammered into super-thin gold leaf.

But zeppelin engineers found another use for it. If the skin was moistened again and pieces were patch-worked together into large sheets, they'd dry with airtight seals. No other material  including rubber  could be this tightly sealed. That tight seal was imperative; hydrogen is the most lightweight element and can easily escape containment. The goldbeater skin was worked into a bag shape and filled with hydrogen. Those bags allowed zeppelins to float weightlessly in the sky.

If you're thinking you'd need a ton of guts to make a big enough skin bag to fill a zeppelin, you'd be absolutely right. On average, it took 250,000 cows' intestines to create a single zeppelin. That's why kitchens suffered. Germans are known for their love of sausages, and they were forced to sacrifice this culinary delight for the war effort. The Kaiser's agents monitored butchers to ensure they were handing over all their cow intestines for zeppelin construction, leaving nothing behind to use as sausage casing.

While Germans and those living in German-occupied territories rued their sausage, the opposing forces wracked their brains over how to bring down the airships. In a documentary titled Attack of the Zeppelins, University of Cambridge engineer Dr. Hugh Hunt explains that there's not much surviving information on how zeppelins were constructed  or how they were deconstructed, i.e., shot down. It wasn't exactly like popping a balloon. A bullet could produce a hole in the zeppelin, but that didn't sink the ship. Toward the end of the war, the British devised a method of spraying the zeppelins with bullets, then firing phosphorus-containing incendiary bullets that, in contact with the hydrogen within, created an explosion.

The hearth suffers as much as the home front in wartime, but why deprive countrymen of their sausage? Why single out cow intestines for zeppelin construction?

Taylor Hudnall, an Alexandria, Virginia-based butcher and chef, explains that cow's guts are bigger than other animals' intestines. A standard sausage sold in a northern Virginia butcher shops measures 1.5 inches (3.81 centimeters) in diameter and is encased by pig intestines, which are truer to that dimension. Hudnall explains that butchers prepare intestines for use by cleaning them of debris and packing them in salt water or in dry salt. Before they're wrapped around seasoned, ground sausage, they must be flushed with cold, clear water.

Could you make sausages without casings? Sure, Hudnall says. It would just be ground meat, like you see in the grocery store in tubes  breakfast sausage that you form into patties yourself.

The benefit of the casing is packaging and, arguably, taste.

I like the snap of casing. Before I even knew what I was biting into, I liked the texture, Hudnall says. He asserts that there's virtually no flavor in the casings made from intestines, but some casings made from animal bladders (primarily porcine) have a faint taste of uric acid. Of course, many of his customers skin the casing off sausage before adding it to sauces and other dishes.

As butchery practice, casing is a good way to use up a wasted part, Hudnall says. Anytime you're using organs, you're doing the animal a good service. There's less waste. Are there other uses for intestines? Well, Hudnall says, they're hermetically sealed containers and make good water balloons.

That was precisely the logic that influenced zeppelin construction.

Do you love history as much as we do? Then be sure to check back in to HowStuffWorks Now every week. We'll be publishing a new (old) ridiculous history article every Monday.

Now That's Cool Germany, known as the land of beer and bratwurst, banned sausage-making during World War I to preserve all the cow intestines that wouldve been used for sausage casings. Those guts were washed, stretched and patched together to create an airtight balloon that was filled with hydrogen and kept zeppelins aloft.
HCM City-Kuala Lumpur air route to re-open on February 17

Vietnam Airlines said it will resume Ho Chi Minh City - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) air route from February 17.













Vietnam Airlines will resume Ho Chi Minh City - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) air route from February 17. (Photo: VNA)

This is the first regular international route to be re-opened by the national flag carrier after the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) announced that Vietnam lifted restrictions on the number of international flights from/to Vietnam starting February 15.



Accordingly, the HCM City - Kuala Lumpur flights and vice versa will depart on February 17, 22 and 27, and every Wednesday from March 1.



Since January 1, Vietnam Airlines has resumed 24 air routes to 15 countries and territories worldwide, namely the US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Hong Kong (China), Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos and Cambodia.



The airline is scheduled to increase the total number of international flights to at least 95 flights per week from April, and at least 164 flights a week from July this year.



With this plan, all the international air routes of the airline will be re-opened as before the COVID-19 pandemic./.
Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Safran and Singapore Airlines have signed the Global SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) Declaration at the Singapore Airshow. The companies have thus committed to promoting the acceleration of the development, production, and consumption of SAF.

The aviation industry plays a part in achieving the Paris Agreement targets, with SAF being one of the key decarbonisation levers in the aviation sector.

The Global SAF Declaration calls on industry partners from the aerospace, aviation, and fuel value chains to jointly work towards the uptake of SAF as an important part of decarbonisation with the ambition to ensure a steady ramp up over the next ten years.

The Declaration is open to all airlines, as well as aviation and aerospace organisations, as a complement to their sustainability commitments. Singapore Airlines is the first airline to sign the Declaration.

Sabine Klauke, Chief Technical Officer, Airbus, said: Airbus is committed to reaching the industrys joint goals of carbon neutral aviation by 2050. Several levers are identified to achieve these objectives and the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels is one of the major pillars on the path to decarbonisation, allowing for up to 80% gain in terms of CO2 reduction across the SAF lifecycle. All Airbus aircraft are currently certified to fly with 50 % SAF and this will be increased to 100% by 2030. The challenge is to further increase and encourage the uptake of SAF globally as well as incentives and long-term policies that encourage SAF use. The Declaration will support exactly that and Airbus is inviting further players in the industry to join the initiative."

Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology and Strategy Officer, Rolls-Royce, said: Signing the Declaration is an important milestone for the aerospace industry. We welcome the opportunity to push for more SAF use by coming together across the value chain. It is important that we combine our efforts and focus into building the momentum required to drive this forwards. We are all big advocates for the development of alternative propulsion solutions including hydrogen, hybrid-electric and electric and we also recognise that SAFs are a key building block to set us on our path towards achieving our long-term decarbonisation goals.

Eric Dalbies, Chief Technology Officer, Safran, said: Safran supports the Global SAF declaration which underlines the industrial engagement to reach net zero emission in 2050. The Group is fully committed to deliver disruptive innovation for decarbonisation, with ultra-efficient engines and 100 % sustainable aviation fuels capability, in order to enable the ambitious energy transition required in the aviation sector.

Lee Wen Fen, Senior Vice President Corporate Planning, Singapore Airlines, said: The Global SAF Declaration reaffirms SIAs commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. SIA remains firmly committed to our sustainability goals. and has been actively advancing the use of SAF in Singapore together with our partners. Beyond SAF, we also use multiple levers to achieve our goals, including achieving higher operational efficiency and investing in new-generation aircraft. We will continue to collaborate with like-minded partners globally to work towards decarbonisation and environmental sustainability in our operations.

Creation of the Global SAF Declaration was supported by Roland Berger, a leading global consultancy in aerospace sustainability. Singapore Airshow runs from February 15 to 18. -- TradeArabia News Service
" " John Singleton Copley's painting "The Death of Major Peirson" shows a black soldier avenging the death of Peirson during the Battle of Jersey in England, a run-up to the American Revolutionary War. Wikimedia Commons

The story of the Black Loyalists of the American Revolution is the story of a people stolen into slavery who are given the chance to fight for their freedom, exact revenge on cruel masters, and establish one of the first free black settlements on the continent. It's also a story of broken promises, racial discord and the lengths to which people will go to find a better life. And it's a nearly forgotten chapter in North American history.

When the American Colonies declared independence in 1776, African slaves made up 20 percent of the colonial population. The population of South Carolina was 60 percent slaves, and Virginia was 40 percent, mostly toiling on large plantations. (Slavery was not just a Southern institution then  in some Northern cities like Boston, slaves made up 20 percent of the population.) Even before the War for Independence officially began, the British tried to recruit American slaves to rise up and fight against their "rebel" plantation owners. "Loyalist" was the term given to people in the American Colonies who supported Britain.

In 1775 the British royal governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, issued a stunning "emancipation proclamation" promising freedom and land to all slaves who would take up arms against their rebel masters. Dunmore was looking for manpower to put down an armed rebellion in Virginia, and he found it. Between 800 and 2,000 slaves and indentured servants fled their plantations and joined with the British, including a hard-fighting militia that would become known as Dunmore's Ethiopian Regiment. The Ethiopian Regiment marched to battle in uniforms inscribed with the insignia "Liberty to Slaves."

Dunmore's proclamation was the "first mass emancipation in American history," says Isaac Saney, a history professor at Saint Mary's University in Nova Scotia. It happened nearly 90 years before Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery in areas not under the control of the United States government.

When the tides turned against the British in 1779, they issued a second emancipation called the Philipsburg Proclamation, which extended the promise of freedom and land to any slave who would cross the British lines without the requirement to fight. The move, says Saney, was a form of economic warfare against the colonies.

"Escaping Africans would weaken the rebel economy," says Saney. "You'd have this mass emancipation taking place, and the colonists would now have to expend resources to guard the plantations, instead of using them in battle."

An estimated 12,000 slaves of African descent fought for the British, but the war was lost. When the British surrendered in 1783, one of the central points of contention, Saney says, was "the return of what George Washington deems 'U.S. property,' which are the enslaved Africans."

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After the Revolutionary War

The British commander-in-chief Guy Carleton kept his word and negotiated "certificates of freedom" for all so-called Black Loyalists who had joined the British ranks before the surrender, under one condition: They had to leave the country. Carleton's men carefully recorded the names of 3,000 newly freed men and women in what's known as the Book of Negroes, and then put them on ships heading to Nova Scotia, then a British-ruled Canadian province.

Nova Scotia in the late 18th century was known as "Nova Scarcity." When 40,000 white and black loyalists fled to Nova Scotia in 1783  including 1,232 slaves of white loyalists  they tripled the native population and completely overwhelmed the province's meager resources. The newly freed Black Loyalists, far from receiving their just rewards in a new home, found themselves last in line for land, and exploited as cheap labor.

Widespread poverty and underemployment across Nova Scotia brewed distrust among whites, who blamed the cheap African labor for stealing their jobs. Racial tensions erupted into violence, says Saney, when a black preacher named David George baptized a white woman, sparking what many believe is one of the first race riots in North America. The 1784 violence raged for months, claiming many black homes and lives until troops were finally sent in from the capital Halifax.

The Black Loyalists repeatedly petitioned the Crown to keep its promises from the war, eventually sending the emissary Thomas Peters all the way to London to make the case in person. Peters got nowhere with royal officials, but did meet with a group of British abolitionists who were launching a social experiment in Sierra Leone, West Africa, a sanctuary for victims of the slave trade. They convinced Peters that the best place for the freed slaves was back in Africa.

In 1792, 15 ships sailed from Halifax harbor in Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone carrying 1,196 Black Loyalists who had "voted with their feet against broken promises of land and freedom," says Saney, who calls it the maiden voyage of the "Back to Africa" movement. Those who stayed behind in Nova Scotia largely settled in the village of Birchtown, named for Samuel Birch, one of the British generals who signed the original certificates of freedom.

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Black Loyalists Today

Jason Farmer is a ninth-generation descendent of the Black Loyalists who first settled Birchtown. Farmer can trace his roots back to Jupiter Farmer  one of five Jupiters in the Book of Negroes, and an escaped slave from Brunswick, New Jersey. Jupiter married a woman named (yes) Venus and established a continuous line of the Farmer family that has remained in the Birchtown area for more than 230 years.

Farmer is an interpreter at the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre & Historical Site in Nova Scotia, where he's proud to share the remarkable story of his ancestors, who dared to escape the plantations and join with an occupying army to win their freedom, only to continue to fight for true freedom and equality in a new land.

"It's an unknown history right here in Nova Scotia," says Farmer, who particularly enjoys telling the story of Black Loyalists to fellow Nova Scotians of African descent. "They're amazed. It's powerful. Some of them can't even sit there and listen to it all. They have to take breaks. Some of them cry." Some 20,000 black people live in Nova Scotia today, most of whom are descended from the Black Loyalists.

Saney the historian says that the legacy of the Black Loyalists is of a persecuted people exercising black agency.

"These are people who took their fate and their destiny into their own hands," Saney says. "Just to get to the British side took a lot of courage, skill and ingenuity. The fact that so many of them chose to fight  and saw themselves as not only defending their freedom, but participating in the liberation of others  speaks the breadth and depth of their conception of agency, but also as part of a collective struggle for freedom."

Now That's Cool In 2015, the CBC produced an acclaimed TV mini-series called The Book of Negroes, based on a best-selling work of historical fiction about the Black Loyalists by the author Lawrence Hill.
The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

The United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) honored Cheri Chapin of Remus, Michigan with the 2020-2021 Excellence in Dairy Promotion award at the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference. This award recognizes one outstanding Michigan dairy farm family member for their dedication to promoting dairy foods and their local dairy community.

Cheris dedication to promoting dairy goes above and beyond, says Corby Werth, UDIM President. Shes an incredible role model of living and championing dairys goodness to everyone she meets. As Cheri says, There is no such thing as a small promotion; it is all worthwhile.



A few of her notable volunteer service activities include:

Her favorite dairy promotion is conducting farm tours for school children. She also makes sure the adults on her farm tours learn as much as the children.





In 2013, Chapin was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and served for six years. In this role, she helped direct national promotion, research and nutrition education programs.





In addition to state and national involvement, Cheri volunteers at local county and school events to educate others about dairy. For instance, at the Agriculture and Natural Resources Stewardship Day in Mecosta County, Chapin shared dairys story with more than 300 elementary students and teachers.



Cheri has been deeply involved in dairy promotion for many years. She truly believes in the value of dairy and sharing that passion with others  from providing milk after local school track meets to Mecosta County Fair dairy promotions to traveling internationally in support of dairys mission and everything in between. Cheri embodies excellence in dairy promotion, according to her nomination.

If you are interested in nominating someone for the Excellence in Dairy Promotion award, nominations will be accepted for the 2021-2022 award winner from Nov. 1  Dec. 31, 2022. Contact Jolene Griffin at Jolene@MilkMeansMore.org with questions about the application process.



About the United Dairy Industry of Michigan

The United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM) is dedicated to serving Michigan's hard-working dairy farm families and promoting Michigan's locally produced dairy products. UDIM is the umbrella organization for the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council of Michigan. These non-profit organizations provide dairy product promotion and nutrition education services on behalf of their funding members.
Ukraines Ministry of Defense, Armed Forces, and two major banks were all impacted by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack this week as the country remains in a tense standoff with Russia.

The Ukrainian military tweeted about its website outage saying an excessive number of requests per second was recorded and that it would communicate via social media.

In a separate statement, the governments Centre for Strategic Communications said Privatbank and Oschadbank were also suffering from outages it attributed to the massive DDoS attack targeting Ukrainian services.

Privat[bank] assures that there is no threat to depositors' funds, the government said.

The cyberattack concerns only the Privat24 application. The rest of the financial transactions are performed normally.

Ukraine is at the centre of global attention following threats of a Russian invasion through military buildup on its borders.

Russia is trying to push back against what it sees as Natos encroachment into its sphere of influence.

Coinciding with the DDoS attacks was a text message spam campaign telling people that local bank ATMs were malfunctioning.

Ukraines Cyber Police issued a statement about the text messages and said they didnt involve phishing techniques popular among scammers but were instead part of an information attack and do not correspond to reality.

Ukrainian authorities did not attribute the DDoS attacks and spam text messaging campaign to Russia but did link to a document published by the Centre for Strategic Communications which directly references Russian hacking as an attempt to destablise the internal situation in the country and sow chaos and despair in society.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday morning, as Ukraine was getting its Ministry of Defense website back online, that he was pulling back some troops from the border as he sought a diplomatic end to tensions.

We intend to and will strive to reach agreement with our partners on the questions that we posed in order to solve them by taking a diplomatic path, Putin said.

He is seeking promises that Nato would not allow Ukraine to join the alliance and is demanding Western European influence step away from former Soviet states.

Putin issued an ultimatum with Nato in the form of troop movements on the border with Ukraine, threatening a full-scale ground invasion the likes of which Europe hasnt seen since the Second World War.

The Russian President met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this week as part of efforts to find a diplomatic path through the crisis.

US President Joe Biden is not convinced the threat of war is yet over, saying on Wednesday he had not yet verified the withdrawal of Russian soldiers.

Our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position, Biden said.
Three Concord couples who are close friends recently completed a medical mission to Honduras, a Central American country about the size of Tennessee with a population of 9 million.

Dr. Robert Quinn, a local ENT specialist and his wife, Smita, who helps manufacture generic medications, Dr. Joe Stegman, a local pediatrician specializing in behavioral problems in children and his nurse wife, Debbie, and Dr. Vincent Keipper, a retired internal medicine and geriatric physician and his wife, Eileen, a retired psychologist, went there as volunteers for a faith-based group called Friends of Barnabas (FOB).

There they joined six other dedicated volunteers from Virginia and Maryland to form the Trinity team. All of them lived in a compound owned by FOB and went out each day to small remote mountain communities to give much needed medical care. FOB has a good permanent staff in Honduras that supports the effort of volunteers and maintains each communitys medicine box between visits by caregivers.

The mission statement of FOB is: Improving the lives of impoverished children in Honduras by providing high-quality sustainable health care and enabling communities to become self-sufficient through heath-related training and education.

Unlike some charitable groups, FOB does not just sweep into a village and give one-time care. Instead, they sponsor 30 communities at a time. Before agreeing to doing so, they insist on having a signed contract with the towns leaders requiring their commitment to have an available water supply for the population, a local health representative to help manage the services made available, and a school or other building in which to set up a clinic. FOB teams for three years make twice yearly visits to improve local medical care which can be sustained after they leave.

At each of our visits, the team and support staff arrived in the morning by bus after a long ride over bad roads. The bus was unpacked by the staff and volunteers, and a small medical care clinic was set up and ready to go in less than an hour. The center included registration area, a sign-in and weight and height station, a dental care area with a dentist, an eye care station with an eye-testing machine and glasses made available by the Lions Club, a vitamin and worming station and, of course, a medical area staffed by the volunteer physicians, nurses, and a Honduran public health doctor. A small pharmacy brought with us was set up as well to support the providers. Working with the help of Spanish speaking translators, the physicians in our group would treat an entire family at the same time and sometimes consulted each other.

The Honduran doctor collaborating with the team was able to refer children requiring more than we could provide into a continuing care program. Adults with chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension were also referred by her to the Honduran medical system. Documentation done by providers was on a new portable electronic medical record system called Backpack EMR, which will allow subsequent teams to see what has been done on previous visits and allow follow-up more easily. Over the course of three years, each place served by FOB has shown a remarkable improvement in their health and ability to self-care.

Over the week, this team saw about 670 individuals. They were treated for problems as minor as colds or small wounds to serious illness such as suspected Chagas disease, unexplained paralysis, and severe developmental problems. The team was able to witness the overwhelming needs due to poverty, isolation, and the lack of education. Most Honduran children in this area do not get past grade school, so the team emphasized to the kids and parents that education would help themselves, their families, and their country.

By the end of the week, all 12 providers had become a closer and more efficient unit. The days began and ended with a devotion by a team member, and after supper the day was analyzed by looking for interesting cases, trends and ways to improve. Each place visited seemed to have a unique set of problems and personality.

Much has been written about the poverty and violence in Honduras. The average wage is less than $8 a day and the biggest city, San Pedro Sula, has a deserved reputation for violence and murder due to gangs and the poor conditions of exploited factory workers. Despite this, at no time did we feel in danger. The Friends of Barnabas campus was far from city life, and guards and a fence made us feel very protected. For those who worry about immigration on our southern border, improving the life of the average Honduran and other Central American countries may be a way to stem the tide of refugees from there.

On return, the Concord team all felt strongly that Friends of Barnabas was a quality institution and that the time there was worthwhile. The satisfaction of helping others was a more than an adequate reward for the effort and cost.

The group would like to thank the friends and family who helped in the pie making, the sales of which helped fund some of the medicine purchased for the trip, and to the All Saints Episcopal Church for donating the use of its kitchen.

If you have questions about Friends of Barnabas, want to contribute to its mission, or want to volunteer to serve, visit the website at fobf.org.
Ann Street United Methodist Church

335 Ann St., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Randy L. Wall. In person and Facebook Live worship at 11 a.m. at Ann Street Church. Sermon: Whats Right With the Church: A Bunch of Hypocrites? Scripture: Luke 16:1-13.

Bethpage United Methodist Church

109 Fellowship Ave. at West C Street, Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Gary MacDonald. Christian education at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. People are encouraged to wear masks and follow social distance protocols during indoor worship. Sermon: Three Simple Questions: Who Are We Together? Scripture: Ephsians 4:1-6.

Bogers Chapel United Methodist Church

1775 Flowes Store Road E., Concord. Pastor: Eric Shaver. Worship in-person and Facebook at 10 a.m. Face masks are optional. Sermon: Being the Bigger Person. Opening Reading: Psalms 37: 1-11. Scripture: Genesis 45:3-15. Childrens Poem: Good Enough by Belinda Van Rensburgs.

Crossroads Church

220 George W. Liles Parkway, Concord. Pastor: Lowell McNaney. Live worship streamed on Facebook, Crossroads Concord Church app or mycrossroads.co website at 9:30 a.m. and 11:11 a.m.

Eastside Missionary Baptist Church

199 Elgin Drive, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Stephen Burrow. In person services: Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. Worship services at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Recorded worship services and other information at EastsideMissionaryBaptist.org. You will be welcomed. Practice social distancing.

Epworth United Methodist Church

1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Bill Roberts. Church has reopened its 10 a.m. worship service for attendance. Epworth UMC continues to follow the appropriate COVID-19 social distancing guidelines as outlined by the governor and the CDC. We welcome you to join us in worship! Sermon: Even Sinners Do the Same. Scripture: Luke 6:27-38.

Forest Hill United Methodist Church

265 Union St. N., Concord. Senior pastor: Rev. Mandy Jones. Associate pastor: Rev. Wes Judy. We are open for in-person worship. Contemporary worship at 9 a.m. Sunday School/small groups at 10 a.m. Traditional worship at 11 a.m. Both the contemporary and the traditional worship services will also be livestreamed at foresthillumc.org or facebook.com/foresthillumc.

Harmony United Methodist Church

101 White St. NW, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Thad Brown. Service is held in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. Masks are not required at this time. Social distancing is requested. Sermon: Gods Promises. Scripture: I John 1:9; Philippians 4:6-7; I Kings 9:4-5; II Peter 1:3-4. We welcome you to join us in worship. Service is live on Facebook.com/HarmonyUnitedMethodistChurch. For more information, call the pastor at 704-791-2883 or the church at 704-782-8237.

Jackson Park United Methodist Church

715 Mable Ave., Kannapolis. Pastor: Laurie Knoespel. Adult Sunday school: 9:30 a.m. In-person worship service: 10:30 a.m. Nursery will be provided during worship service. Replay on Facebook on Mondays at 5 p.m. Sermon: Jesus is Calling. Scripture: Psalm 1; Luke 6: 17-26. Communion.

McGill Baptist Church

5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord, in-person services. Pastor: Rev. Steve Ayers. If you have not taken the COVID-19 vaccine, wear a mask. McGill will stream a worship service Sunday at 10 a.m. on www.facebook.com/mcgillbaptistchurch/ and on YouTube. The services will be live and also available on recording afterward. Sermon: The Power of Forgiveness. Scripture: Genesis 45:3-11, 15; I Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38.

Midway United Methodist Church

108 Bethpage Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Craig Allen. Come join us on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for Sunday school and 10:30 a.m. for worship. At this time masks are required and congregants are asked to social distance in the pews as COVID-19 precautions are in place. Our service is also livestreamed on the web at midwayunitedmethodistchurch.org or facebook.com/midwayUMC. Sermon: Life of Discipleship. Scripture: Psalm 37:7-11; Luke 6:27-38. Suggested Hymns: UMH 102, Now Thank We All Our God; UMH 572, Pass It On.

Mount Mitchell United Methodist Church

6001 Old Salisbury-Concord Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Joel Locklear. Sunday school at 10 a.m. (adult and children classes.) Worship at 11 a.m. in person or Facebook. Masks are optional and social distancing requested. If you have not taken the COVID vaccine, wear a mask. Sermon: I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body, and the Life Everlasting. Scripture: I Corinthians 15:17-19, 42-58.

Multiply Church Concord

150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Douglas Witherup. 8:30 a.m. service held at 280 Concord Parkway S., Suite 15, Concord. Services at 150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N., are worship and sermon at 9:30 a.m. and worship and sermon at 11:15 a.m.

New Gilead Reformed Church

2400 Old Salisbury-Concord Road. 9:40 a.m.: Bible study. 10 a.m.: Childrens Bible school. 11 a.m.: Inside worship, Facebook worship, drive-in worship at 1600 AM radio.

Oak Grove Baptist Church

200 Sims Parkway, Harrisburg. Pastor: Rev. Franklin D. Watkins. 10 a.m.: In-person worship service and Facebook Live.

Second Presbyterian Church

1578 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis. Assistant minister: Rev. Aaron Price. Worship at 11 a.m. in sanctuary and on Facebook Live. Sermon: A Study on the Book of Philippians. Scripture: Philippians 3.

St. Johns Reformed Church

901 N. Main St., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Chris King. Sunday school has been temporarily discontinued due to increased COVID numbers in the community. Sunday morning worship is in person and online at 10:30 a.m. Adult Bible study at 4 p.m. Sunday. Sermon: The Names of God (Part 6)  ElElyon. Scripture: Genesis 14.

Information for Sermon Topics must be submitted by 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Email your topic to jstamey@independenttribune.com.
In 2005 The Independent Tribune published an article entitled, Assessing the Odds Whether God Exists. At the time I knew immediately I had to comment on such a bizarre notion that man could compute the odds of whether God exists. God is Creator of even the minuscule minds of those who would dare to participate in such a study. To question God's existence in a mathematical exercise would classify the participants in the same category as King David when he wrote, The fool says in his heart, there is no God.

The scientist's result was that there is a 67 percent chance or (2 to 1) probability of Gods existence. Arent you relieved that this scientist did not altogether eliminate God? It would be a shame for mere man to completely discount the existence of God whom Christians know as The Almighty. The God Who not only created all things but also sustains us throughout this life and one day will take us home to live with Him forever and ever.

Those of us who have experienced Gods grace have no doubts about his existence. To the contrary there have been those throughout history who have doubted. For instance, Ted Turner has been quoted as saying, Christianity is a religion for losers. He has gone out of his way to ridicule Christians. The former Governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura, was quoted as saying, religion is just for the weak-minded. My question is who are the real losers and the weak-minded? I have a pretty good idea.

At the same time if mathematical formulas had proven Gods existence by 100%, we would be left in the predicament of acknowledging God by formula not by faith. The Bible says, So then faith comes by hearing, and the hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17, NKJV). This being true no matter how man may predict Gods existence, a real relationship comes from knowing Christ by faith as revealed through Gods Word.

I don't think God is pleased when man puts Him into a formula rather than reaching out to Him in faith. But without faith it is impossible to please God for he who comes to God must believe He is (exists) and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6, NKJV).

From Franklin Grahams book, The Name, we find these quotes about the existence of God.

Author H.G. Wells  Christ is the most unique person in history. No man can write the history of the human race without giving first and foremost place to the penniless teacher of Nazareth.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the greatest composers and pianists in all of history made the following statement.  It is a great consolation for me to remember that the Lord, to Whom I had drawn near in humble childlike faith, has suffered and died for me, and that He will look on me in love and compassion.

President Theodore Roosevelt  After a week on perplexing problems it does so rest my soul to come into the house of the Lord and to sing and mean it, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. My great joy and glory that, in occupying an exalted position in the nation, I am enabled, to preach the practical moralities of the Bible to my fellow-countrymen and to hold up Christ as the hope and Savior of the World.

These great men did not trust in some scientist for proof of God, they lived it day by day and we need to do the same thing. By faith and faith alone we come to know Christ Jesus as the Lord our God.
MATTOON  The third annual dinner of the Coles County Hampshire Breeders Association was held in the Mattoon Association of Commerce rooms. The dinner, which featured roast Hampshire with baked apples, followed an afternoon sale of purebred Hampshires by Tony Rathe and Henry Macke. The sale included 50 purebred sows and gilts and was accompanied by much spirited boasting, although no record prices were obtained. The highest price bid at the sale was $157.50 for Kates Fancy II. The total amount received from the sale of 50 hogs being $2,938 MATTOON  Rev. Father Ahern, pastor of the Catholic churches at Hume and Brocton, formerly assistant pastor to Rev. Father Higgins of the Immaculate Conception Church in Mattoon, left Hume this week for a trip abroad. From New York he will sail on the Adriatic, going first to the Holy Land, then to Algiers, Rome and France to visit Lourdes, and then to his old home in Ireland. While in Rome he will have an audience with Pope Pius XI. He expects to be gone for several months.
CHARLESTON  The Coles County Health Department reported seven new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.

This brings the total number of positive cases to 14,964 and total deaths to 163 since the pandemic began.

For the week of Feb. 6-12, there were 200 cases, a decrease of 43.50% compared to the previous week. There were also four cases reported on Sunday, Feb. 13.

For the month, there have been 498 cases, which is a dramatic decrease from January when the county reported 4,650 cases.

The health department also reported that 43.65% of Coles County residents are vaccinated, with 47.26% receiving at least on dose as of Feb. 14.

Currently, there are 26 COVID-19 patients hospitalized at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center and out of those hospitalized, three are in the Critical Care Unit. Eight others are being monitored in the COVID @ Home program.

Health officials continue to promote vaccinations as a primary means of preventing the spread of the virus.

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Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) is bringing 20 social and environmental impact-driven businesses into its community through an Impact Scale-Up Programme, a first in the UAE.

For this it has partnered with C3 (Companies Creating Change), a UAE-based social enterprise empowering impact-driven entrepreneurs across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey.

The programme will support 20 businesses contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enabling them to establish a presence in the UAE and leverage the local ecosystem as a launchpad to successfully expand across the MEA region.

The comprehensive training and networking programme will provide a proven blueprint to successfully enter the UAE market, as well as connections with local and regional investors and blue-chip companies. Applications are now open and will close on April 30, 2022.

Feryal Ahmadi, Chief Operating Officer, DMCC, said: Creating a positive social and environmental impact is essential for businesses to provide true value to shareholders in todays world. This is a philosophy that DMCC lives by, and one that we encourage across our community of over 20,000 member companies. In doing so, we broaden and extend our ESG reach and support the UAEs sustainability agenda. Partnering with C3 is the latest step in this journey, as we look to enable businesses that are having a substantial positive impact across the world.

Medea Nocentini, Founder of C3, added: Our programmes provide innovative and ambitious founders with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of business growth and impact measurement, while connecting them with relevant experts, potential clients, and strategic investors. In the local markets, there is a significant opportunity for companies that have impact at the core of their strategy, so we are looking forward to kick-starting their expansion journeys and enabling them to create a positive impact across the region.

DMCC will be offering a total of 20 Impact business licences to the successful companies, providing them with substantial savings on business setup costs through a 70% discount on licence fees and flexi-desk space for two years.

DMCC will also be providing further discounts on licence renewal from the third to the fifth year. Additionally, the successful start-ups will receive access to DMCCs unparalleled facilities as well as its community of over 20,000 member companies to connect and network.

Once onboarded, the companies will go through a tailored training programme covering business expansion pillars: go-to-market strategies, sales and marketing, investor readiness, ESG agenda and impact measurement. The programme will leverage the C3 network of thousands of local experts, hundreds of regional investors and blue-chip partners.

This partnership forms part of DMCCs broader ESG strategy, in which it looks to create value for the communities in which it operates. DMCC currently dedicates 0.5% of its annual profits to social impact initiatives.

In August 2017, DMCC became the first free zone in the GCC to commit to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), encouraging responsible business practice throughout the entire value chain. As part of its commitment to the UNGC, DMCC publishes an annual sustainability report that highlights its progress on sustainability targets.-- TradeArabia News Service
WASHINGTON PARK  City leaders in Washington Park held a press conference Tuesday morning demanding support to help the village recover from a fire that displaced its police, fire and public works departments.

"This meeting is about resources" Assistant Fire Chief Ronnie Harris said. "When can the surrounding communities and surrounding agencies help us? That's all that we're asking for."

Last fall, a fire destroyed the building on Forest Boulevard that housed the city's police, fire and public works departments. Various records and equipment were damaged in the fire. Authorities said that the cause of the fire is undetermined.

The city doesn't have the funds to replace what was lost in the fire, including new building, according to city officials. Washington Park Mayor Leonard Moore said the building was uninsured and wasn't sure how long it did not have insurance.

Mayor Moore said the city's police department is currently operating at Washington Park Senior Citizen's Hall on Park Avenue and public works meets in the parking lot of city hall. The city's fire trucks are housed with a local trucking contractor.

"It's hard in the village of Washington Park because, again, we don't have the finances we need to do our job," Harris said. "If we can find a way to get the finances we need in Washington Park, we can be like Cahokia Heights, we can be like Belleville, we can be like Fairmont City, we can be like Caseyville. We can be like 'up the hill'.

"If 'up the hill' helps 'down the hill', it'll be a better community in St. Clair County for a whole."

Mayor Moore said he hasn't heard from state leaders. He said he's had calls with state representatives LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis) and Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) and Senator Christ Belt (D-Swansea), but hasn't received a definitive response about getting help.

None of them could be reached for comment Tuesday.

Moore said getting a new building would cost a least $500,000  money that Washington Park doesn't have.

"How do they expect us to just function?" Moore said. "That was our police department, fire department and public works, so everything just went. I had to make the contact. I wasn't getting calls from anybody. I had to do the reaching out."

Moore said he last met with the elected state officials last month and was told that they're still trying to find ways to help.

"At some point, just still looking is not good enough," Moore said. "We need help now because if they prolong it, sooner or later, they're just going to push us under the rug and completely forget about us. Three years from now, we'll still be standing in front of this building saying that we're looking for help."

Mayor Moore, who was elected last month, wants residents in Washington Park to know that the city will do the best that they can to provide for them, with or without the state's help.

"A change is coming, and I still stand on that," Moore said."I am going to make a change in the village."

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Two Mount Airy men are facing charges after a home break-in earlier this month in Pilot Mountain and a related shooting in Mount Airy in which another man was injured, authorities said Tuesday.

Surry County sheriffs deputies responded at 12:33 a.m. Feb. 4 to a report of shots being fired and a breaking and entering at a home in the 100 block of Boris Lane in Pilot Mountain, the Surry County Sheriffs Office said. No injuries were reported.

While deputies were at that scene, another shooting was reported on North Franklin Road in Mount Airy, the sheriffs office said. When deputies arrived at that scene in the 500 block of North Franklin Road, they found Jordon Mickey Hall with an apparent gunshot wound to his lower abdomen.

Hall was taken by emergency medical technicians to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for treatment, the sheriffs office said.

Investigators determined that the incidents were related, the sheriffs office said.

Makel Javon Jamal Little, 24, of Gravely Street is charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and one count of robbery with a deadly weapon, the sheriffs office said.

Christopher Wayne Mabe, 22, of West Pine Street is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon and one count of conspiracy to commit breaking and entering into a building, the sheriffs office said.

Little and Mabe were taken to the Surry County Jail with Littles bond set at $900,000 and Mabes bond set at $55,000, the sheriffs office said. Little and Mabe are scheduled to appear March 2 in Surry District Court.

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Winston-Salem State University received a bomb threat Wednesday, but university officials determined that threat wasnt credible enough to evacuate their campus buildings, a WSSU official said.

Law enforcement did, however, search all campus buildings.

Fayetteville State University, which is 117 miles southeast of Winston-Salem, also received a bomb threat Wednesday that it described as unverified, Fayetteville State said in a statement.

Winston-Salem State and Fayetteville State universities are the latest historically black colleges and universities nationwide to receive bomb threats since early January.

WSSU received the threat via a phone call about 11:30 a.m., said Haley Gingles, a WSSU spokeswoman.

We evaluated the threat, and determined there was not enough credible evidence to evacuate any building, Gingles said.

WSSU police initially investigated the threatening phone call, Gingles said. University officials then called the Winston-Salem Police Department and Forsyth County Sheriffs Office to the WSSU campus, she said.

Police officers and sheriffs deputies searched every campus building, looking for any explosive devices, Gingles said. Shortly before 4:10 p.m., law enforcement officers had found no bomb or any other explosive device in any WSSU building, she said.

WSSU officials notified their campus community that local law enforcement officers would be on campus, searching each building, Gingles said. The alert was sent through emails, text messages and phone calls through the campus system known as Raze Guardian, she said.

Because the threat wasnt credible, WSSU didnt implement its bomb threat protocol and procedure, Gingles said. University officials also dont have any evidence that the bomb threat made to WSSU is connected to previous bomb threats reported to other HBCUs throughout the country, she said.

Responding to its unverified bomb threat, Fayetteville State officials suspended campus operations Wednesday, a measure that included canceling classes until further notice, Fayetteville State said.

Fayetteville police, Cumberland County sheriffs deputies, the FBI, the State Bureau of Investigation and the N.C. Highway Patrol worked with Fayetteville State University police to search its campus building and ensure that all buildings are cleared and safe for the return of students, faculty and staff, Fayetteville State said.

I am deeply disturbed by the recent reports of senseless bomb threats directed at HBCUs across our nation and particularly at Fayetteville State University today, FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison said.

Considering this threat, we acted quickly to ensure the health and safety of our university community, Allison said. The university remains committed to our mission and vision of educating bright leaders all while making safety our first priority.

Since Jan. 4, bomb threats have been made at historically black colleges and universities in North Carolina, Florida, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and other states.

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating those threats as hate crimes, the agency said on Feb. 1.

According to news reports, bomb threats were reported Jan. 4 at N.C. Central University in Durham; Howard University in Washington, D.C.; Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va.; the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in Pine Bluff, Ark.; Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, Fla.; Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas.

After Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla. received a bomb threat on Feb. 1, Belin Perry, the chairman of its board of trustees, told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that the threat was an act of terrorism.

It is designed to inflict terror, Perry said. It is designed to make people feel uncomfortable. Its designed to make people be afraid.

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GREENSBORO  Five years have passed since the Julian Price House gained national fame when the television show Hoarders aired an episode filmed at the historic mansion.

More than 1.2 million households watched the drama unfold as crews emptied the house of clutter accumulated by its former owner, Sandra Cowart, before she lost the house to foreclosure.

The couple who bought the mansion have since rejuvenated the property and turned nearly half of it into a bed and breakfast.

Now owners Michael and Eric Fuko-Rizzo have partnered with owners of another historic Fisher Park property, the McAlister-Leftwich House, to offer wedding packages.

Its a marriage made in Fisher Park.

The McAlister-Leftwich House  which is two historic homes that are now connected  will continue as a boutique event venue, accommodating weddings and receptions for up to 150 people, Kaitlin Holland said. She owns the venue with her husband, Clay Holland, and mother, Cheryl Briley.

A little more than half a mile away, the Julian Price House will offer overnight accommodations and space for smaller rehearsal dinners and farewell brunches. That keeps it within the rules for its special-use permit for the bed and breakfast, the Fuko-Rizzos said.

A trolley can transport guests between the two.

We feel all three of the houses work so well together, and you get that historic experience, Holland said.

It also will help owners of both properties cope with the financial losses each sustained in 2020 and early 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled large gatherings and events worldwide.

Business has picked up since then, they said.

They also want to promote Fisher Park and downtown.

By providing this immersive experience, its going to bring more attention to our city, Eric Fuko-Rizzo said.

Owners of each property will hold an open house on Saturday for interested prospective brides and grooms. Reservations are required.

Customers still can book an event separately at the McAlister-Leftwich House, or a suite separately at the Julian Price House. Prices for the latter start at $175 per weeknight for a room.

Both historic properties have long histories. The Julian Price House and Leftwich House are both on the National Register of Historic Places; the McAlister House is on the state list.

The McAlister-Leftwich House is actually two connected houses totaling 12,000 square feet on the edge of Fisher Park and downtown.

The Gant-McAlister house was built in 1915 for the Gant family, then sold to the McAlisters, according to its website.

It was given to First Presbyterian Church. When it no longer suited church needs, it was moved to 507 N. Church St. by Anne Carlson, who owned Carlson Antiques.

The Dixon-Leftwich-Murphy House was built in 1875, one of three notable Gothic Revival-inspired designs in the city.

In recent years, the house has served as apartments, Carlsons antique shop and an office space.

The Hollands and Briley bought the McAlister-Leftwich property in 2017, rezoned as an event center. They renovated it and added a black-and-white tile hallway to connect the two houses. They hosted their first wedding in fall 2018, Holland said.

The first floor accommodates events. Upper areas hold venue offices and dressing areas for wedding parties.

The Fuko-Rizzos bought the 31-room Julian Price House in 2016. It remains one of North Carolinas grandest Tudor Revival-style homes. They and their 7-year-old twin daughters live in slightly more than half of the 11,000-square-foot house.

They have turned the rest into a rejuvenated and refurnished bed and breakfast, which consists of much of the first floor and five second-floor guest suites.

Country music superstar Carrie Underwood stayed there during her 2019 tour stop at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Known as Hillside, the brick and half-timbered mansion was built in 1929 for Price, the president of Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Co. It sits on 1.6 acres.

It later served as the manse for nearby First Presbyterian Church.

A spiral staircase leads to the second floor. On the hallway walls, Eric Fuko-Rizzo has hung a gallery of photos of the Price family and pastor families who lived there long before them.

After the Fuko-Rizzos began rejuvenation, it became the site of a designer Show House.

People from all over continued to drive by the Price house.

But when they sought a special-use permit for a bed and breakfast, the city Zoning Commission denied the request. Some neighbors had voiced concerns about parking and noise.

In late 2019, a Superior Court judge reversed that zoning commission decision.

The Fuko-Rizzos agreed to three added conditions, including locating required parking on site and prohibiting bands, DJs, amplified speaker or instruments outdoors at any time or indoors after 10 p.m.

A few months later, the pandemic hit. The Fuko-Rizzos shut down the bed and breakfast for several months.

When business returned, Julian Price House accommodations received rave reviews, they said.

We have always been asked to have a wedding here, Michael Fuko-Rizzo said. But we cant have receptions here.

But the McAlister-Leftwich House  with large empty spaces and high ceilings  can.

So, starting in October, at the Fuko-Rizzos invitation, the parties began to hammer out details. The partnership marries their visions.

How much does an all-inclusive package cost?

The $12,300 package will buy Price House accommodations for three nights and the McAlister-Leftwich event venue for the day.

The $16,800 package adds in space for a rehearsal dinner and the farewell brunch the next day.

Cheryl Pratt, a member of the Fisher Park Neighborhood Association board, said she likes the plan.

That sounds like the best arrangement for the neighborhood, that they (Julian Price House owners) provide the lodging and small things and the McAlister-Leftwich House hosts the event, Pratt said.

It could all lead to fairy-tale endings and dreams coming true.

We survived COVID and are coming back better than ever, Kaitlin Holland said. We all have a strong vision for what the future looks like and it definitely is positive for all of us.

Contact Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane at dawn.kane@greensboro.com or 336-373-5204 and follow @dawndkaneNR on Twitter.

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Many high-school kids  probably most, in fact  spend more time and energy worrying about their hair than state tax rates.

Sarina Horner, however, isnt like most high-school seniors. Organized and persistent, this 17-year-old tends to take the long view when tackling big-picture problems rather than, say, sweating a lunch menu or a sweater choice.

Thats why, in between waiting for college acceptance letters, she spent a good chunk of time collecting more than 17,000 signatures on a petition to change the way the state taxes feminine hygiene products  North Carolina views them as non-essential or luxury goods and lobbying legislators to get on with it.

I think (lawmakers) are definitely taking it seriously, Horner said. This movement is sweeping across the whole country. Its such an easy thing to do.

Delving into the details

Taxing goods required by half the population as a luxury probably only makes sense to the half of the population who doesnt need them or pretends they dont exist.

(The state sales tax, in case you dont read receipts, is 4.75 percent and can go up to 7.5 percent in cities with supplemental taxes.)

But as these things go in Raleigh, as in every other state capital, fiscal decisions are largely made by men. Older guys at that.

People who menstruate know that menstrual hygiene products are not unnecessary, Horner wrote in an introduction for her online petition. Menstrual cycles are natural bodily functions, and products that help menstruators participate safely and comfortably in everyday life should not be treated like luxuries.

North Carolina is far from alone in taxing these hygiene products the same as shampoo, soap or deodorant. Twenty-eight other knuckle-draggers do, too.

Academic studies have shown that as many as one in five women cant afford menstrual hygiene products and that as many as 25 percent of teen-aged girls skipped school because they didnt have access to such items.

Such statistics are making the rounds  and inroads  in some states. Since 2015, nine states have passed sales-tax exemptions for feminine hygiene products.

Learning that nugget made Horner realize that putting in the effort here might not be a complete waste of time during her senior year.

I talked to a girl from Missouri who teamed up with an older man, a Republican I think, who helped her reclassify their tax, she said. It can be done.

Indeed, legislators in both the state House and Senate introduced bills last fall that would create an exemption in the state sales tax for feminine hygiene products.

The honorables in both chambers shuffled the bills off to committee where they were largely ignored.

Still, there is another reason for optimism.

A third bill titled the End Menstrual Poverty Act that aimed to appropriate $250,000 for public-school systems to provide feminine products for free to students who struggle financially, managed to become law when it was incorporated into the 628-page state budget bill.

Learning about the issue  and the potential solutions  quickly caught (and held) Horners attention.

But instead of Tweeting or posting a duck-face Instagram, she got busy trying to move the needle in North Carolina.

Drawing on experience

Horner put together a slideshow, began contacting lawmakers and following up with legislative aides who do the actual dirty work crafting bills in Raleigh. One of those aides suggested she start a petition at change.org, a task Horner already knew how to do.

Two years ago when she found out that the Winston-Salem Transit Authority only allowed riders to carry two bags onboard  ludicrous for seniors and others who depend on city buses to go to the grocery store  she lobbied locals to change that, too.

The original goal for the petition to end what some refer to as the tampon tax was modest: 2,500 to 5,000 is kind of the first benchmark of a petition, Horner said. I didnt expect anywhere near 17,000.

(To be precise, thats 17,460 and counting as of Tuesday afternoon.)

Being an organized and persistent sort, Horner reached out to womens equity groups on college campuses and law schools. Obviously that was the smart move.

Not that it comes as a shock, but Horner has figured out how to lobby lawmakers. Republicans who control the Legislature are all about cutting taxes, and no one favors punitive or discriminatory taxes.

And even many of the men in leadership posts have mothers, wives and daughters.

Its an election year, too, Horner said, noting the ballot box power wielded by women.

Creating an exemption for feminine hygiene products wouldnt be overly expensive, either. Estimates for the lost revenue range between $5.5 million and $8.1 million annually  less than .01 percent of the states revenue. Thats not even a rounding error in the 2021-22 $25.9 billion state budget.

Its only when shes asked Whats next? does Horner show herself to be something of a typical high-school senior.

Shes been awarded a full-ride academic scholarship to the University of North Carolina but shes waiting to hear from Wake Forest before deciding. (Note to the admissions office: You might want to put a competitive package together for this kid.)

Beyond that, its not terribly surprising to learn shes considering law school, public policy and, God forbid, becoming an activist lobbyist.

Its definitely a path Im checking out, she said. Public policy interests me, especially after that two-bag escapade with the city.

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State legislators were given a prep course Tuesday on the responsibilities of long-term care facilities  particularly during inclement weather  during a joint healthcare oversight committee meeting.

The meeting, which was already scheduled, comes a month after two residents were found dead at Pine Ridge Health & Rehabilitation Center in Thomasville. Rep. Larry Potts, R-Davidson, and co-chairman of the committee, requested the DHHS presentation in response to the investigations.

State and local regulatory and law-enforcement officials have released little information about their investigations into Pine Ridge. In addition to the two residents found dead on Jan. 16, two more were sent to a local hospital in critical condition.

DHHS officials did not say Tuesday when its investigation report would be made public and submitted to the legislature.

Pine Ridge was not mentioned by name during the presentation before the committee.

However, co-chairmen Reps. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth, and Potts said before and during the meeting that the committee needed a preliminary understanding of long-term care facilities responsibilities for staffing, inclement weather and COVID-19 protocols.

Potts said last week that everyone knows there was a calamity of errors that we can address in generalities.

According to a Jan. 18 Thomasville police report, responding officers determined there were three staff members to care for the 98 patients at the long-term care facility at 706 Pineywood Road.

One licensed practical nurse and two certified nursing assistants were at the facility when investigators arrived Jan. 16  a move prompted by the welfare check by Thomasville police and other local first responders and medical personnel made at the request of residents.

The N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation is reviewing whether Pine Ridge complied with staffing requirements.

DHHS has said that neither federal nor state law prescribes a minimum staffing ratio for nursing homes.

Requirements

According to the DHHS presentation, an adult care home is required to have one personal care aide for every 20 residents during first and second shift, and one for every 30 during third shift. A supervisor is required to be present every shift in facilities with at least 30 residents.

Non-compliance with staffing requirements can trigger administrative actions, such as suspending admissions of new residents, revoking a license and monetary penalties, said Tara Myers, DHHS deputy secretary for employment, inclusion and economic stability.

Myers said 54 citations were issued statewide for non-compliance with staffing regulations in the state for the period of July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

Adult care homes are expected to comply with the staffing regulations at all times, even during emergencies, such as inclement weather, Myers said.

Nursing home emergency plans should include plans for the foreseeable staffing issues expected with inclement weather.

That includes the use of volunteers in an emergency or other emergency staffing strategies, as well as requesting state and federally designated health care professional to address surge needs during an emergency.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service can issue a civil money penalty for violations, Myers said.

Immunity law clarification

The committee was provided with an overview of the healthcare immunity legislation that became state law during the 2019 legislative session in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The law provides healthcare facilities, including long-term care facilities, with a significant level of immunity from civil liability.

However, it does not apply if the harm or damages were caused by an act or omission considering gross negligence, reckless misconduct or intentional inflection of harm by the health care facility or health care provider providing health care services.

We want the investigation process to work as its supposed to, Potts said. But, we can become more acutely aware of what goes inside those nursing homes, how they are run and what level of staffing is necessary to serve all of their residents.

We want to know how it happened, so we can help prevent it from happening again.

Workforce shortages

Potts said Pine Ridges short-staffed status during the incident wasnt surprising given it seems to be hard these days to gain adequate staffing for a nursing home.

Its a difficult job that requires more pay to be able to find adequately skilled employees and staff levels, Potts said.

The owner of Pine Ridge, Principle LTC based in Kinston, issued a statement Jan. 24  more than a week after the residents were found  saying the disruptions to our staffing (on Jan. 16) were created by the combination of hazardous road conditions and the rampant spread of COVID across North Carolina.

Pinnacle said that we are cooperating fully with state officials investigating this situation and taking meaningful steps to ensure that it does not happen again.

Myers said potential staffing issues at long-term care facilities are not new, with providers often competing for the same workforce who tends to more likely to live in poverty and rely on public assistance, lower levels of education, lower personal earnings (including working multiple jobs) and being older women of color being the majority of the workforce.

Myers said staffing shortages are impacted by low wages, hard work, physically and mentally ... with the pandemic exacerbated the issue.

DHHS recommendations to the committee was to continue a recent push toward more competitive wages and benefits, establish career paths with educational attainments, and revisit and review regulatory requirements for long-term care facilities.

The legislature provided during the 2019 session a 5% rate increase for 38 health-care provider sectors, as well as up to a 10% rate increase for skilled nursing facilities, personal care services and home health care.

No magic bullet

Sen. Jim Perry, R-Kinston, said those state actions are not a magic bullet to resolve the staffing shortage issues.

I dont think anyone has lost as many members of its workforce as those skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living after that, Perry said.

Its hard work, scary for some (potentially being exposed to COVID-19.

Perry said that what do we expect these (long-term care facilities) to do; they cant find workers, they cant find staff.

Do we just want them to close? Do we want them to shut down and take (residents) to your ERs and drop them off?

If we want different results, we have to do something differently with funding levels and finding ways to speed up the hiring process within federal regulations.

DHHS officials said it is allow more on-the-job training to take the place of in-class instruction for some nursing positions, such as certified nursing assistants.

Kinsley responded by saying the main action that can be taken is for the legislature to finally approve Medicaid expansion to between 450,000 and 650,000 North Carolinians.

DHHS told legislators Tuesday that the number of North Carolinians receiving Medicaid benefits has grown by about 522,000 during the pandemic, or from 2.18 million in March 2020 to 2.7 million in January 2022.

Although all five Medicaid recipient categories have seen an increase, the largest by far is in the parents and other adults category that nearly doubled from 205,000 to 402,000.

Meanwhile, the largest benefit category of Medicaid and Health Choice children is up 17% over the same period, or from 1.15 million to 1.34 million.

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ATLANTA  The Georgia General Assembly is now full of Southern white men bemoaning the threat to their children from class discussions of divisive concepts such as systematic racism.

While agreeing the existence of racism ought to be taught in a historical context, they maintain theres no need for it being mentioned elsewhere, often citing Martin Luther King Jr.s vision of a colorblind society.

The Republican majority wants to banish any examination of present-day racism, introducing multiple bills that derive from a 2020 Donald Trump executive order, since repealed by the Biden administration.

At a hearing last week on House Bill 1084, sponsor Rep. Will Wade, R-Dawsonville, said, There are those that have a partisan agenda and they are dividing students along political lines. They are promoting the idea that they may oppress other students based on their race, that students character should be judged not by their actions or their words, but merely by their race.

In misappropriating Kings words, GOP legislators conveniently forget, as Bernice King has stressed, her father was not a drum major for a colorblind society, but for justice.

No white lawmakers ever repeat Kings statement that, Whites, it must frankly be said, are not putting in a similar mass effort to reeducate themselves out of their racial ignorance. It is an aspect of their sense of superiority that the white people of America believe they have so little to learn.

Nor do these Republican lawmakers who lament that their kids are hearing about systematic racism acknowledge that Black parents live in fear of their children becoming victims of it.

We dont have to travel back in history to see the deadly consequences of the white privilege and the racism embedded in our Georgia legal system. The three white men convicted in November of chasing and gunning down Ahmaud Arbery went on freely with their lives for more than two months after the 25-year-olds death until a video exposed the lie that Arbery was the aggressor and was killed in self-defense. The arrests came only after worldwide outrage at the graphic and shocking video.

Yet, white lawmakers insist the most urgent danger is that their children may come to believe they live in a racist state or nation. For decades, these same lawmakers have ignored Black parents protesting disparate school discipline rates. A new Southern Education Foundation study found that Black students faced school suspensions, referrals to law enforcement and school-related arrests at disproportionately higher rates. Of those referred to law enforcement in Georgia schools, 56% were Black, despite Black students representing only 37% of the total student population.

Lawmakers also long shrugged off Black parents who said their children should see themselves in literature and history books, as do white kids. A math lesson in a Gwinnett school a decade ago referenced once enslaved abolitionist Frederick Douglass by asking, in a perverse way to teach multiplication, If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week? There was no groundswell in the General Assembly for laws to protect Black children from such insensitivity as there has been in response to even the possibility white kids might learn about the evils of white supremacy and take it personally.

Under the current GOP bills, any teacher who discusses slaverys pervasiveness and its impact could easily end up in front of the state board of education because of a parent complaint.

College students speaking at the hearings told legislators that banning so-called divisive concepts assures a continued whitewashing of state history, which already favors nostalgia over facts. Several students recalled little to no discussion in their K-12 classes of the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre, where lawless white mobs killed 25 Black people or Forsyth Countys 1912 racial cleansing where whites terrorized and drove out 1,100 Black residents.

Georgia Tech student Alex Ames said these bills disregard the real problems in Georgia schools, including students of color seldom seeing teachers who look like them, immigrant children being told their families dont belong and schools with only one counselor for 700 kids.

These are the actual emergencies facing all kids in Georgia, especially Black, immigrant and impoverished students, she said. Not myths manufactured to excuse politicians meddling in the classroom.

Maureen Downey is an opinion writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (ajc.com).
Award-winning, global creator commerce company Whalar has announced the official opening of its Mena office in Dubai Media City. The news follows a year of incredible expansion that saw Whalar achieve triple-digit year-on-year growth and brought on roughly 155 new hires globally.

The UAE office is Whalars sixth global office following London, New York, Los Angeles, Malaga, and Berlin. The Mena launch is to serve its growing base of regional clients and further support stakeholders within the regions vibrant and growing creator economy.

Leading the regional office will be regional Head of Brand Partnerships. Dominique Audibert, who is supported by a locally based client services team. Newly appointed EMEA President Marco Bertozzi will oversee the overall business.

Whalar recognises the importance of strengthening our presence in the Mena region. With our strong client relationships, we will be able to deliver meaningful connections by leveraging the regions fast-growing creator economy, said Bertozzi.

Audibert, who has worked at Whalar since its inception, has extensive experience in developing and delivering strategic campaigns within the region. She said that Whalars local office is poised for significant growth, not only supporting brands but also creators: In line with our global focus, we will be offering innovative and locally relevant content to brands within the Mena region. As we continue to grow our client base in the region, so too will our support for local creators.

There is exceptional creative talent in the region and along with cutting-edge solutions for brands, we will also launch resources and services that are specifically designed to power the creator economy, added Audibert.

Established in 2015, Whalar has been a driving force in powering the global creator economy by partnering with world-class creators, talent managers, brands, and agencies in delivering award-winning work.

Whalars work within the Mena region extends back to 2015 and since that time, the company has worked with a growing list of regionally based international and local brands, delivering dynamic and impactful creative work.

A key factor in Whalars meteoric rise has been its unique focus on brand partnerships, technology, and innovation. In 2021, Whalar became the only influencer company featuring global marketing partnerships for Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Whalar is also one of three companies with access to TikToks API.

Whalar leverages these partnerships for the benefit of both clients and creators through its proprietary technology platform, Echo. The platform not only allows Whalar to identify creators globally and scale campaigns across multiple markets, but it also offers real-time accurate reporting of campaigns.

The companys ongoing investment into technology and partnerships is paying dividends globally. Additionally, industry peers have also taken note. Whalar is the only creator commerce company to have won two Cannes Lions (Gold & Silver) for its work on the United Nations The Peoples Seat campaign.

Whalars permanent presence in the Mena region will deepen regional relationships as the company further supports and enables innovative work between creators and brands, added Bertozzi.-- TradeArabia News Service
The Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant fire is a major event that will be remembered in local lore and history.

The fire, which started Jan. 31 and took several days to extinguish, was made more threatening by the possibility that 500 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in the facility could explode  which would have triggered, as Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo put it, one of the worst explosions in U.S. history. Thats a frightening prospect for all of us.

Its likely to lead to some regulatory changes that will include restricting where large-volume combustibles can be stored. It seems clear to everyone that such hazards should not be near any populated area.

There are other lessons that seem obvious at this point, and more that will become evident in the future. At this point, lets review just a few.

First of all, having competent and effective response teams for emergencies is essential. Our fire department and its leader, Chief Mayo, have been praised for handing this situation calmly and professionally, and rightfully so. When emergencies occur  be they fire or pandemics  we need knowledgeable, experienced professionals to lead the way.

We share an environment. The smoke from the fire didnt remain on Winston Weaver Co. property, of course. Carried by a breeze and trapped close to the ground by a temperature inversion, the smoke traveled southwest from the plant on Cherry Street toward Wake Forest University, 1.5 miles away, and other nearby localities.

An EPA monitoring device on the WFU campus measured unhealthy particles carried by the smoke, producing readings that averaged 50 times higher than the EPAs standard for acceptable air quality. The levels were also seven times higher than what the EPA deems hazardous, the point at which it recommends closing schools and workplaces and evacuating neighborhoods, the Journal reported. That average reading was equal to what researchers have found firefighters face when battling the worst California wildfires.

In addition, materials moved to an offsite storage facility by the Winston Weaver Co. were found to have contaminated Monarcas Creek, which eventually flows into the Yadkin River. Dead fish were found in the creek, Field Operations Director Keith Huff told the Journal, and water samples found elevated levels of nitrites, nitrates, ammonia nitrogen and other potentially harmful chemicals, the city said in its announcement.

Winston Weaver Co. was ordered to immediately cease and desist the illegal discharge of fertilizer-laden runoff at the second site, the city said.

None of us live to ourselves; the air and water flow around all of us, and an event in one location can have a profound effect on the health of those in other places.

Some in our society are more vulnerable and need our assistance. An estimated 6,500 people in the 1-mile zone surrounding the fertilizer plant were affected by the fire  many of them of modest means. An unknown number evacuated, with many opting to get hotel rooms to wait out the emergency.

I personally talked to a lady who was told to evacuate, and used her rent money to get a hotel room, Assistant City Manager Patrice Toney told the Journal. She did not have friends and family she could stay with. This lady said that she now has a late fee from her apartment complex because she used her rent to fund the room.

Winston Weaver Co. has already set aside $100,000 to help those affected by the fire, most of which will be distributed by local nonprofits Love Out Loud and Second Harvest Food Bank.

The Winston-Salem City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on a $1 million plan to help these residents as well as those who lost work from nearby businesses that had to close. The money would not be paid out directly to residents, but distributed by nonprofits.

Council member Robert Clark, who chairs the Finance Committee, was correct to assert in Mondays Finance Committee meeting that guidelines on who can receive the aid must be well established and fair. Council member D.D. Adams was right that costs should include checking houses for hazardous substances and mental health counseling, if needed.

In a city of compassionate people, all of these efforts are proper.

Were likely to learn more of the circumstances of the fire in the future  and we also need to learn if similar hazards are waiting in other places in the city for an inopportune spark.
The owner of the former YWCA building near Nebraska's Centennial Mall is taking another shot at redeveloping the property.

WRK LLC is proposing a project that would demolish about two-thirds of the existing three-story building at 1432 N St. and build a modern, four-story addition onto the east side of it.

The entire project would produce roughly 30 condo units, including four walk-up units that would face Centennial Mall, about 1,000 feet of street-level commercial space and 50 underground parking spaces.

WRK bought the building at auction in 2009 and it has sat vacant since 2014. In 2016, the company floated a redevelopment plan that would have preserved most of the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, but the plan fell apart after the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office put conditions on the project that WRK said would have made it economically unfeasible.

Will Scott, who owns WRK along with his brother, Robert, said the company has since determined it could not make a project work that kept the entire building in place.

The building, which is 90 years old, would need significant renovation work, including removing asbestos and lead paint, upgrading heating and cooling systems, and adding fire sprinklers, Will Scott said. Also, the irregular shape and the way it's oriented on the lot complicate redesign efforts.

"To date, we have developed and evaluated many potential plans for the YWCA, including over 10 residential concepts ranging from micro-unit apartments to very large condos, but continue to be unsuccessful in trying to find a workable concept that utilizes all of the existing building shell," Scott said in an email.

He said the company started looking at which parts of the building were most important to try to preserve and settled on the south facade.

"From there, we began evaluating various concepts which could prioritize and frame this south portion of the historic building while also meeting the goals of the Downtown Master Plan and Capital Environs," Scott said. "We believe what we have designed achieves these things and creates a project that will greatly enhance Centennial Mall."

The proposed condos would mostly be two-bedroom, two-bathroom units. Scott is not yet ready to estimate a price range for the units, but he did say that given the building's prominence and location on Centennial Mall, amenities such as underground parking and secured entry, and the recent escalation in construction prices, the condo units "will likely require a higher price point."

There is currently a lot of condo development occurring in downtown, although most of it is several blocks west and north of the YWCA building. There is other residential development planned nearby, including about 100 affordable housing units as part of the Pershing Center redevelopment.

Scott said he believes the YWCA project fits in well and will be complementary to the Pershing project and other projects in the area.

"This is an area that desperately needs investment and life, and we want to be part of the solution," he said. "We're trying to put our best foot forward and do something that adds value to downtown."

Todd Ogden, president and CEO of the Downtown Lincoln Association, agreed that it's a good fit for the area.

"This development will serve as a dynamic catalyst to a growing area that aligns with Centennial Mall and our future Pershing development," Ogden said.

He also called the project "another key indicator of downtown's transition into a 24/7 urban neighborhood."

WRK is seeking tax-increment financing for the redevelopment, a tool that allows developers to use future property taxes a project generates to pay for certain upfront costs.

Because of that, and because the building has a historic designation and is located near the state Capitol, the project will have to go through several layers of city review.

The first one comes Thursday, when it goes in front of the city's Historic Preservation Commission.

The city approval process likely will take several months, and once that is complete, Scott said WRK would start marketing the project and pre-selling units and then move on to construction. He said he expects the final design and construction process to take about 18 months.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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OMAHA  Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse has lifted the temporary indoor mask mandate for Omaha.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been falling and have reached a level where Huse was able to take the action, effective at noon Wednesday.

Huse acted in her capacity as the city's public health director when she put the requirement in place Jan. 11 amid a surge of COVID cases caused by the omicron variant.

The seven-day total number of cases per 100,000 residents dropped below 200 cases per day Wednesday, meeting one of the benchmarks that Huse set out in her order. Hospital capacity was at or near 85%.

Huse told the Douglas County Board of Health on Wednesday that hospitals are seeing more people coming in to get care that was delayed while hospitals were busy treating COVID-19 patients.

A total of 277 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the Omaha area on Wednesday, down from a peak of 452 on Jan. 24.

Huse reviewed the mask order a week ago, four weeks after it was instituted. At that time, the city had not met the benchmarks Huse had established.

Huse cautioned Wednesday that the virus remains active in the community. But she acknowledged the precipitous decline in cases.

"We've dropped very significantly," she said. "This is fantastic news."

On Jan. 12, the day after Huse ordered the mask mandate for Omaha, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson filed a lawsuit against her and other county officials challenging it. The suit said Huse's authority to issue a mask mandate under Omaha's municipal code "conflicts with applicable law."

Peterson sought a temporary and permanent injunction declaring that the mandate was "void and unlawful" and that Huse did not have "jurisdiction or authority" to issue it.

On Jan. 25, Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman declined to issue a temporary restraining order in the case.

In her 30-page decision, Stratman emphasized that both sides will present evidence at a hearing on the permanent injunction, which she has scheduled for June 16.

The state had argued that such mandates require approval from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department is expected to end Lancaster County's indoor mask mandate when current directed health measures expire on Feb. 25.
For the first time in quite some time, the local news on COVID-19 is mostly good.

Case numbers in Lancaster County have fallen more than 80% over the past four weeks, dropping to 809 last week, the lowest weekly total in more than two months.

And COVID-19 hospitalizations, which have remained stubbornly high for several months, are finally starting to come down. On Tuesday, there were 78 COVID-19 patients in Lincoln hospitals, the lowest number since early November and a 47% decline since Feb. 1.

"Our numbers continue to move in the right direction and we're encouraged by our progress," said Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director Pat Lopez.

Because of the decline in cases and hospitalizations, as well as other positive data, such as a drop in cases at schools and a decline in virus particles in wastewater, the county's COVID-19 risk dial moved out of the red, or severe, category, and into the orange, or high, category for the first time since Jan. 4

Lopez said that while it's clear the effects of the omicron variant have "quickly dissipated" and case numbers and hospitalizations are getting closer to the sustained improvement she wants to see, "we're just not quite there yet."

She pointed to a couple of areas where conditions have not improved as significantly, including the COVID-19 test positivity rate, which is still at about 16%. That's higher than the state rate, which is below 11%, and higher than her goal for the county of less than 10%.

Also, the number of recent COVID-19 deaths remains high. Lopez announced another one Tuesday, a woman in her 60s who was vaccinated. She is the 17th Lancaster County resident to die of the virus this month and the 54th since the start of the year.

Lopez said the Health Department is still recommending that people wear masks and avoid large gatherings, although it is no longer recommending people only venture out for necessities such as food, school or work.

She said that if the trend of falling case numbers and hospitalizations continues, she expects that the mask mandate will be allowed to expire Feb. 25.

Local trends are generally in line with numbers across the state. Total COVID-19 hospitalizations in Nebraska fell to 459 as of Monday night, their lowest point since a brief lull around Christmas. Case numbers statewide have fallen nearly 80% in the past two weeks.

However, not all test results are being recorded, as many people now have the option to test at home.

Report your home test Lancaster County residents can report results of their at-home COVID-19 tests and receive quarantine and isolation information. The form is available at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov and is located in the testing section of the website, just below the risk dial. After entering information about the person tested, the type of test used, the date of the test, and the test results, the user will submit the form and be directed to quarantine and isolation resources. All information reported will be kept confidential. If you need help completing the form, call 402-441-8006 and a Health Department nurse will assist you.

Lopez on Tuesday announced that the Health Department now has a portal on its COVID-19 website where people can report their home testing results.

The results will not be included in the case numbers reported by the Health Department, but Lopez said they will be useful in directing people to quarantine and isolation resources and also to provide additional information about what's happening in the community.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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A 25-year-old Lincoln man is in jail after he is alleged he twice drove his Jeep Wrangler into other vehicles in his apartment complex parking lot before bystanders intervened, according to police.

Zane Knopp left the apartment complex near 18th and Knox streets just before 4 p.m. Tuesday but returned shortly after, crashing into another Jeep on his way into the parking lot, Police Sgt. Chris Vigil said.

Then, Vigil said, Knopp left and returned to the complex again, wrecking into a red car as he tried to back his Jeep into a parking space, prompting bystanders to detain him until police arrived.

Vigil said responding officers initiated a DUI investigation and found 288 ounces of marijuana and 491 grams of concentrated THC wax in Knopp's Jeep. They also found more than $1,800 in cash, Vigil said.

The 25-year-old was arrested on suspicion of leaving the scene of a crash, DUI-second offense, driving during revocation, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of money while violating a drug law.

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A Lincoln man threatened an off-duty police officer with a hatchet after she confronted him for littering outside of Walgreens near 48th Street and Huntington Avenue on Sunday, according to court records.

The officer was walking through the pharmacy parking lot on her way to work at the nearby Northeast Team Station when she saw 33-year-old Michael Knight litter, according to the affidavit for Knight's arrest.

After she told Knight to pick up the discarded trash, she reported that Knight asked, "What are you going to do about it?" before he flashed a silver hatchet.

The officer told investigators that she disengaged with Knight, who then began to ride away from the area on a bicycle.

Officer Bonnie Roberts spotted Knight with the hatchet near 50th and Starr streets shortly afterward and held him at gunpoint until backup arrived, Roberts wrote.

Knight, a convicted felon, was arrested and later charged with terroristic threats and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person.

He was taken to the Lancaster County Jail.

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The alliance launched a drive to collect just over 4,000 signatures needed to put the ordinance passed by the City Council to a vote of the people. The ordinance defies both common sense and the will of the people, the group said.
OMAHA  Maureen Nickels said Tuesday she wont seek reelection to the Nebraska State Board of Education.

Nickels, a Chapman resident who was first elected in 2014 in District 6, said she always planned to leave the board after two terms.

She said the controversy over the proposed health education standards for Nebraska schools didnt influence her decision.

She said its time for fresh blood on the board.

If you had talked to anybody four years ago, after I went my second round, I always said, Two terms and Im done. I always wanted two terms, and Ive stuck with it.

Nickels, as board president last year, presided over the meetings that drew large and passionate crowds for hours of testimony about draft standards proposed by the Nebraska Department of Education.

Facing overwhelming public opposition to the drafts, the board voted last September to postpone their development indefinitely.

Board members indicated they could revive the standards at some point, taking into account the state of the pandemic, the needs of children, schools and communities, and the readiness of local school stakeholders.

Nickels said that the controversy over the standards, instead of driving her off the board, made her consider staying to ensure what I believe to be the right things are being done for our kids.

She said she would like to see the health standards revived.

When she leaves the board at the end of this term, she will have a total of 48 years in education roles, including 26 years as a teacher in the Grand Island Public Schools and 17 years working for the Nebraska State Education Association.

The redrawn District 6 includes Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney, as well as areas of central and northeast Nebraska.

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The University of Nebraska-Lincoln said Tuesday it will delay plans to sell or redevelop the family housing units, which are home to hundreds of married students and those with families.

The announcement marks an abrupt change of course days after those students were notified their leases would end on June 30, forcing them to find new housing arrangements.

Several hundred people, most of them international students, reside in the three properties UNL had proposed selling or re-purposing: Colonial Terrace near 33rd and Starr streets; a complex at 2224 U St.; and a pair of apartment buildings near 23rd and Vine streets.

In an email Tuesday afternoon, Katherine Ankerson, UNL's executive vice chancellor, apologized for the way the news was delivered late last week and said the university has put the projects on hold.

"We will pause further action until we can develop a plan to minimize impact to current residents in each of the university's family housing properties," Ankerson wrote.

Residents of those housing units, as well as faculty, administrators and student representatives will be included in discussions moving forward, she added.

"We truly apologize for any distress our messaging may have caused you and your family," Ankerson said. "We strive to do better in the future."

The NU Board of Regents approved a plan to put Colonial Terrace, which is near East Campus, up for sale last week shortly before UNL notified the students in the family housing units their leases would end.

Charlie Francis, director of University Housing and Dining Services, said UNL determined it was more cost effective to sell the properties than to "make significant investments in infrastructure over the next few years."

The news left many residents of the family housing units feeling nervous and betrayed.

On Sunday, residents of the three complexes met outside the Vine Street Apartments to discuss how to coordinate their efforts moving forward.

Several ideas were shared at the ad hoc meeting, including enlisting the help of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska and the Graduate Student Assembly.

Others suggested asking for compensation and help in finding new accommodations, or requesting an extension to the move-out date to allow current residents to finish their academic programs.

Those ideas and more were shared in a Zoom call with UNL housing administrators on Monday, which at times got heated as students expressed their frustration with the decision process.

Alireza Khodaei, a Ph.D. candidate in computer science and engineering, told administrators that UNL had worked for years to build a strong international community.

Closing the family housing units, which allow graduate students and their families to live in a community close to campus, would ruin the reputation the university had built, Khodaei said.

"It's a huge impact on the whole community," he said. "There are people from the Middle East, Chinese, Africans. All of these people UNL has tried to gather here as a plan for grabbing a more diverse range of students.

"You would destroy it," Khodaei told UNL administrators.

UNL told the participants on the Zoom it would continue a dialogue about the potential sale in the days to come, but a day later said it was holding off taking further action.

Brad LaMotte, a first-year graduate student in technical direction at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film who lives in the Vine Street Apartments with his wife and daughter, said Tuesday he was relieved UNL decided to reconsider its decision.

Those living in the family housing units plan to continue meeting and discussing plans for the community's best interests, LaMotte said.

"I'm very proud to be a part of this community," he said. "I am amazed by the grace and humility they have shown in response to difficult news. I have full confidence in my neighbors that we will take care of each other."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS

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A Grand Island woman returned to her home Friday to find another woman  whom she does not know  wearing her clothes and sitting on her couch.

The woman got a call from the Central Nebraska Humane Society telling her that her dog had gotten out. After she returned to her house with the dog, she found Leah Miller lounging on her couch, Grand Island Police Department Capt. Jim Duering said.

Miller, a 35-year-old homeless woman, had gone through the womans drawers and consumed alcohol and food. GIPD believes the dog got out when Miller entered the West Capital Avenue home Friday morning.

Miller was arrested on suspicion of burglary.

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Chalhoub Group, a leading partner, curator and creator of luxury products and services in the Middle East, has been officially certified as a Great Place To Work in Bahrain.

Having previously been recognised by Great Place to Work in the UAE since 2019 and in Saudi Arabia and Qatar since 2020, the group has now additionally been acknowledged in Kuwait and Bahrain by the prestigious ranking, bringing the total to five certifications, a statement said.

Great Place To Work determines certification and ranking of the best workplaces by gathering data using the Great Place to Work Trust Model. The model serves as the lens to assess the employee experience of workplaces around the globe and is the foundation of the Trust Index Employee Survey. Its Trust Model consists of five dimensions: credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. Great Place To Work also conducts a Culture Audit to assess an organisations people practices.

By putting its people at the heart of its organization and implementing forward-thinking HR initiatives, Chalhoub Group has built an employee culture that connects people and inspires a sense of belonging by holding wellbeing and safety at the highest standards. Being more than a badge, the certification symbolises consistent and daily practices put in place to ensure an exceptional and responsible workplace. The Chalhoub Group strongly believes in servant leadership qualities and leading with empathy at heart, both of which are deeply embedded in the Groups values, it said.

An underpinning factor to the Groups success includes the Groups transition to a hybrid workplace. As part of its culture, the group empowers its people to take ownership of their careers, ideas, and their work through flexible work arrangements. Elevating its hybrid model further, Chalhoub Group has introduced working from abroad policies for a month annually, leveraging on the idea that being flexible in where, when and how people work provides tools to be productive and builds on foundations of trust, respect and organizational performance. Helming more than 105 different nationalities within its workforce, the policy allowed close to 270 people to work from their home country, or any other country of choice, in 2021.

To better adapt to the needs of people in this hybrid working environment, the Group has also accelerated its digital HR transformation. A Smart People Data strategy was implemented to expedite the adoption of automation for integration and enhancement of a hybrid employee experience. Adding to that, the Group leveraged technology to improve HR functions including hiring, training, onboarding, performance and much more, to ensure the further development of its employees, it said.

Wassim Eid, President People and Culture at Chalhoub Group, commented: This badge is a mere reflection of our commitment to building a better employee experience every day. It validates our great culture and supports us to retain as well as attract new talent. A truly human-first culture defines and drives us forward, and that is what makes Chalhoub Group a Great Place To Work. - TradeArabia News Service
Legislation to reduce Nebraska's top personal income tax rate smacked into a filibuster Wednesday waged by opponents who said it would overwhelmingly advantage wealthy taxpayers while leading to deep cuts in state revenue.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, chairwoman of the Legislature's Revenue Committee and sponsor of the bill (LB939), argued that the proposal would bring tax relief to most Nebraskans, help address the challenge of building the state's workforce and attract more businesses to the state.

"It's a tax cut for middle-class families," Linehan said. "It's not about the rich."

But it disproportionately benefits wealthy Nebraskans like Gov. Pete Ricketts, Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha argued, while providing a tax cut as low as $7 for some Nebraskans.

"We should target tax cuts," Hunt said, while creating more income tax brackets rather than continue to crowd most Nebraskans into the highest bracket which applies to all taxpayers earning more than $33,100 a year.

"This is a tax cut for millionaires and billionaires," she said.

The bill would incrementally reduce the 6.84% rate currently in effect to 5.84% by 2025, phasing the cut in with a reduced corporate income tax rate.

Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson sounded an alarm bell about the potential impact on future state revenue.

"It goes too far," he said. "It would lead to a significant decline in revenue. We need to look at long-term fiscal stability."

The proposed tax cut would reduce anticipated annual state revenue by $61.7 million in fiscal 2022-23, growing to $363.4 million by fiscal 2026-27, according to a legislative estimate of the fiscal impact.

"We're simply not competitive with our neighboring states" in terms of tax policy, Linehan said.

And, besides, she said, "It's their money, not ours."

Current tax rates are "not conducive to growing our state," Sen. Tom Briese of Albion said in supporting the bill.

Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers of Lincoln said current tax policy "chokes off opportunity for people in the middle class."

Referring to proposals to create more tax brackets, Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha said he "hope(s) we can find a way that we can afford this bill."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

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BURLINGTON  After the April 5 election, the District 21 seat on the Racine County Board of Supervisors will have a new occupant for the first time in 18 years.

Mike Dawson of the Town of Burlington has been a county supervisor since 2004, but has chosen to retire after his term ends.

Candidate Taylor Wishau is a Burlington Area District School Board member, but has never had a spot on the County Board. Candidate Judi Adams has never held a public office position but ran for County Board in 2020.

The district is comprised of the Town of Burlington and the southern portion of the City of Burlington.

The District 21 candidates were asked to submit written responses to three questions, given below.

More than half of Racine Countys tax levy is spent on law enforcement. Do you think local government should cut back on law enforcement spending or continue making it by far the countys highest tax levy priority?

ADAMS: There are several types of spending that exist under the category of law enforcement in the county budget. Ensuring these funds are effectively spent in ways that ensure public safety is very important. Rather than thinking about overall changes to budgeting, the board should collaborate with the agencies responsible for public safety to develop programs, training and even new professional roles that assist and enhance the interactions between law enforcement and the community. Everyone living in Racine County benefits from a public safety organization that is well trained, trusted and engaged in the community it serves.

WISHAU: No, I do not think local government should cut back on law enforcement spending. I am proud of Racine Countys commitment to law enforcement and will advocate for increased funding and support of the men and women that serve our communities. As an example, in 2021, Waterford was deemed Wisconsins safest city. I believe safe communities only strengthen local economies by ensuring a community is attractive for increased residential and commercial development. It is crucial our first responders have the tools they need to not only keep themselves safe but our entire community.

What other issues do you see in the race?

ADAMS: Community engagement: Ensure constituents are informed of issues the board will be considering and the dates when the votes will take place, and encourage engagement on those issues.

Economic development that makes sense: I will partner with Burlington community leaders to champion projects that enhance the economic outlook for our community and encourage diversity, while preserving the small-town quality of life we enjoy.

Effective use of county resources: Focus on programs assisting children and families, such as Here to Help, and support for environmental programs like the Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network. Assist local agencies with the RFP process to apply for American Rescue Plan Act funds awarded to the county.

WISHAU: I would like to see increased access to the countys Health and Human Services Department. I believe a strong Health and Human Services Department guarantees a strong and vibrant Racine County for all citizens. It is imperative our community understands what services are offered and how to access them should they ever need it.

I believe we must focus on attracting family-supporting jobs to western Racine County so we can strengthen our local economy. A strong local economy ensures an attractive environment for new development and quality schools.

Why should voters choose you for County Board?

ADAMS: As a member of the County Board, I will bring the values of fairness, openness and integrity to Racine County government. In the course of my career, I have built a set of skills that I will apply to my role as County Board supervisor. I work every day with folks from a wide range of professional disciplines, collaborating to ensure that project timings, budgets and priorities are met. I want to work to remove obstacles that impede success for individuals and families, and to build a community where all feel welcome, valued and respected.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve the Burlington community as your representative on the Racine County Board and will be proud to earn your vote!

WISHAU: I would welcome the opportunity to represent all citizens of Racine County District 21 as your county supervisor. I am endorsed by the following individuals: Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave, Racine County District Attorney Tricia Hansen, retiring County Supervisor Mike Dawson, state Sen. Van Wanggaard, state Sen. Julian Bradley, and U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil. I strongly believe in western Racine County, and if elected, I am committed to championing strategic investments and modernizing county services so we can grow safely, prosperously and fiscally responsible well into the future. Your vote would be greatly appreciated.

Judi Adams AGE: 59 PAST ELECTED OFFICE: None OCCUPATION: Product developer for a large consumer products company HIGHEST EDUCATION RECEIVED: Bachelor of science degree from Ball State University, qualified and licensed real estate agent, certificate in applied consumer sensory research from the University of California, Davis. CURRENT COMMUNITY SERVICE: I happily volunteered in many capacities during my daughters school years, and as a devoted hockey mom! During the last several years, I have enjoyed volunteering for Tall Tales music festival. I am a supporter and volunteer for Transitional Living Center, our local women and childrens emergency shelter, and I serve my community as an election inspector.

Taylor Wishau AGE: 32 PAST ELECTED OFFICE: Burlington School Board member: 2007 - 2010, 2018  current Chairman of Building, Grounds, & Transportation Committee

Chairman of Community Education Committee

Chairman of Long Range Planning Committee

Chairman of Legislative Liaison Committee

Member of Personnel, Policy and Curriculum Committee OCCUPATION: Business manager / finance HIGHEST EDUCATION RECEIVED: BA in leadership and organizational studies from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh CURRENT COMMUNITY SERVICE: Every May I donate U.S. flags flown over the State Capitol to graduating seniors at Burlington High School that enter military service after graduation. I have done this 3+ years and counting as a personal thank you to those students and to remind them of how grateful I and our community are for their service to our community and country. I have partnered with local business Bubbas Brickyard to collect clothing, food and toiletries for area veterans. I would love to have a permanent Veterans Outreach program in western Racine County that does just as much amazing work for our veterans as the folks in Racine do. I partnered with WolfPack M.C. Kenosha motorcycle club this past summer to facilitate a donation of 40+ backpacks filled with school supplies for Burlington Area School District students.

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RAYMOND  In 2020, nobody filed to run for Raymond School Board when there was one open seat, with the winner being decided by write-in. The next year, nobody filed to run for two open seats.

This year, enough candidates ran that a primary was forced.

Two candidates have been eliminated from the race according to the preliminary results of Tuesday's six-way primary, with four advancing. The final election, April 5, will reduce the list of finalists to the two who will be elected to the board.

Advancing to appear on the final ballot will be:

Gwen McGuire Keller, 302 votes.

Art Binhack, 243 votes.

Janell Wise, 195 votes.

Jillian Berman, 143 votes.

Eliminated are Alison Ebert, who received 123 votes, and Tonya Martin, who received 28 votes.

Award-winning author reacts after her book, 2 others removed from local school library A Tennessee school district made international headlines after its board banned a book about the Holocaust from being taught. This area school was able to fly under the radar when it quietly recently removed three books from its library.

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MADISON  Republican Attorney General candidate Adam Jarchows fundraising is outpacing his primary opponent despite only being in the race since October, with Jarchow packing on $100,000 to his war chest in the last month, his campaign said Tuesday.

Jarchows early-year haul is more than twice what his primary opponent, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney, raised in the second half of 2021. Toney, who has been in the race since April, raised about $43,000 between July and December and a total of $84,000 all of last year, according to campaign finance disclosures.

Jarchow and Toney will face off in the Republican primary on Aug. 9, with the winner running against Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul in the Nov. 8 general election.

Voters are excited about our campaign to fire Josh Kaul, and Im humbled by the incredible support that weve earned from patriots across Wisconsin, Jarchow said in a statement announcing the fundraising numbers.

A former state lawmaker from Balsam Lake, Jarchow has listed among his top priorities investigating election lawbreaking, supporting law enforcement to stop violent crime and stopping Madison bureaucrats, according to his website.

Jarchows campaign had only raised about $10,000 of his own money last year, but since a formal campaign announcement last month, he has assembled an advisory committee of heavyweights in the state party, including former chair Andrew Hitt, former state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, former UW Regent President John Behling and three county sheriffs.

In response to Jarchows fundraising numbers, Toney said that Mary Stitt, a longtime Republican fundraiser for former Govs. Scott Walker and Tommy Thompson, is now leading his campaigns fundraising team. Other donors to the campaign include well-known Republican fundraiser David Uihlein and former Northwestern Mutual CEO Ed Zore, Toney noted.

Our fundraising support and team has grown tremendously, and well have the resources to deliver our message and defeat Josh Kaul, Toney said in a statement. Jarchow will need far more cash than that to defend his plan to legalize marijuana, and explain why he called President Trump insane and dumb. 

Toneys campaign did not respond to a question of how much money they have raised since the beginning of this year.

Jarchow and Toneys fundraising is for now dwarfed by Kaul, who raised over $1 million last year and about $682,000 between July and December.

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TOWN OF WATERFORD  It took an unusual vote by the town clerk, but town officials have broken a deadlock and approved an appointment to fill a vacancy on the board.

Douglas Schwartz, a member of the Waterford High School Board, was appointed Monday night by a 3-2 margin to join the board overseeing town government.

The appointment process had exposed sharp divisions among the other four board supervisors.

Supervisors Dale Gauerke and Teri Nicolai supported Schwartzs appointment, but Town Chairman Tom Hincz and Supervisor Tim Szeklinski opposed it.

That left Town Clerk Tina Mayer  normally not a voting member of the board  to cast a tie-breaking vote that cleared the way for Schwartzs appointment and ended weeks of debate on the subject.

Schwartz was sworn into office and immediately took his seat, alongside Hincz and among his new town government colleagues.

The vacancy on the five-member board occurred in mid-December when Supervisor Nick Draskovich resigned shortly after being questioned about a possible conflict of interest. Draskovich, who was serving his fourth term, said his resignation was unrelated to the possible conflict of interest.

On the same night as the resignation, Dec. 13, Hincz nominated his choice to fill the vacancy, Katie Kawczynski. Other board members, however, opted to solicit applications from other people interested in the appointment.

The successful appointee would serve out a two-year term that continues until 2023, at a salary of $7,750 a year.

Nine people came forward to seek the appointment, including professionals, business people, a former police chief, and a chamber of commerce executive.

Hincz then announced that he wanted to schedule a special election, keeping the board seat vacant until an election could be held. When other board members moved ahead with the appointment process, Hincz refused to ask questions of candidates appearing before the Town Board.

Gauerke and Nicolai called a special meeting Monday night to complete the process and appoint Schwartz.

Hincz objected briefly that the board had not yet voted on his preference of holding a special election. But the appointment process continued and Schwartz was seated after about 15 minutes of debate.

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Before Joe Rogan was a highly successful podcaster, he was an actor, comedian, game show host and mixed martial arts commentator.

Does that experience make him an expert on anything other than acting, stand-up comedy, game shows or MMA?

No.

But neither does that experience disqualify him from exercising his First Amendment rights.

Hes free to say what he wants on his podcast, and as long as Spotify finds it acceptable, Rogan will continue to be paid handsomely  his licensing deal is reportedly worth $100 million  by the Swedish audio streaming and media services provider.

But heres another thing about the First Amendment right to free speech: Every other American has it as well.

If people want to go on social media and criticize what Rogan or his podcast guests say, theyre free to do so.

Theyre even free to suggest that people should boycott Rogans podcast, or that people should delete Spotify from their electronic devices.

That, however, is not censorship, despite what some on social media say. If the government were preventing Rogan from speaking, that would be censorship.

If Spotify were to choose to end its relationship with Rogan, that would be a business decision  something businesses are free to do  just as it is free to continue to do business with Rogan or whomever else it chooses.

We would suggest, to those who dont like what Rogan has to say: Dont listen to him. No ones making you.

But we should all remember that freedom of speech includes the speech we dont want to hear, and the speech of those who disagree with us.

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While the latest winter storm to hit the Midwest looks to have bigger impacts to our south, southern Wisconsin will still be scraped, causing travel issues for some.

Only isolated rain showers are expected during the early morning Wednesday, but more widespread activity is expected for the afternoon. While no icy conditions are expected, the homebound commute Wednesday will likely be a little slower than normal because of this rain.

The early evening hours Wednesday will see a transition to freezing rain, sleet, and eventually snow. This transition will begin earlier and be shorter around the Madison area. Little if any ice is expected to accumulate. The Racine/Kenosha area could see up to two hundredths of an inch of freezing rain and two tenths of an inch of sleet. This is just enough to possibly cause icy spots on bridges, overpasses, and secondary roads. A light glaze of ice on vehicles, plants, and other outdoor surfaces is also possible. A period of snow is expected late Wednesday night before the first round of activity exits the area.

The early morning hours Thursday look pretty quiet across all of southern Wisconsin. Only a few flurries may be around. A wave of low pressure looks to bring another round of snow in the afternoon though, particularly around Racine and Kenosha. Here, snow could be heavy and visibility will be reduced. The snow won't last long though. All activity looks to exit the region after the early evening hours Thursday.

Below are the forecast snow totals for various locations in southern Wisconsin:

Kenosha: 2.5 to 4.5 inches

Racine: 2 to 4 inches

Lake Geneva: 1.5 to 3.5 inches

Madison: 0.5 to 1 inches

Beaver Dam: 0.5 to 1 inches

Portage: 0 to 0.5 inches

Baraboo: 0 to 0.5 inches

While only nuisance traffic problems are expected in and around Madison, more significant slow downs are expected in the Racine/Kenosha area. Use caution driving here Wednesday night through Thursday and give yourself extra time to reach your destination, especially Thursday afternoon.

While temperatures will reach the mid to upper 40s Wednesday, Wednesday evening's cold front will cause temperatures to tumble once again. Lows will be in the low 20s Wednesday night. Very little warming is expected on Thursday with highs just in the mid 20s and winds gusting 30 to 40 mph. Thursday night will see lows around 5, about 10 degrees below normal for this time of year.

Matt Holiner covers weather and climate across the Midwest. Matt has eight years of professional meteorology experience and has forecast every type of weather for cities across the country. He holds the National Weather Association's Seal of Approval.

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1. Yes. Raising the bar for future developments will boost the citys housing market.

2. Yes. It will help in newer areas, but more needs to be done to change Killeens image.

3. No. The new standards will just slow down homebuilding and drive away developers.

4.No. The ordinance will do little more than drive up the price of new homes in the city.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say what the effect will be until they have been in place for a while.

Vote

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Cuba celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai on February 14 marked by its musical heritage with Latin Grammy Award winners Septeto Santiaguero getting the fiesta started after the welcome speeches.



Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, and Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, Executive Director, Office of the Commissioner General, Expo 2020 Dubai, welcomed Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz, Cubas Minister of Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and International Cooperation.



Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali said: Cubas participation at Expo 2020 presents its creativity and innovation, along with its vision and remarkable global achievements, while at the same time highlighting Cubas rich cultural heritage through dance, music, literature and arts.



We are pleased that the relationship between our two nations continues to thrive, and we are confident that our collaboration will expand across an array of fields of vital importance to our two countries, such as renewable energy, health, and tourism.



Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz said: The inauguration of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in the United Arab Emirates took place exactly three years ago, on February 14 2019, thus granting new impulse to the economic, commercial and friendly relations between our two countries.



The fact that this event, as well as todays ceremony, have occurred on the day of international celebration of friendship and love is a commitment to turn the economic and commercial interests and all links between our countries into deeper and more lasting bonds. The presence at Expo 2020 Dubai of 200 pavilions, of which 192 are national representations, is a symbol of the universal will to work together for a better world.



Rooted in the rhythms of Cuba, Septeto Santiaguero performed in Al Wasl following the speeches. The seven-piece band have been nominated for six Latin Grammy awards, winning twice in the Traditional Popular Music category, and are regular performers at the worlds most prestigious venues including New Yorks Carnegie Hall.



During a briefing held at the Cuba Pavilion, Malmierca said: We have very good relations with the authorities of the UAE and we have a very strong collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Fund, as well as some of the institutions that have cooperated with Cuba in a very important way for the development of different projects in prioritised fields, like renewable energy and the promotion of science and technology. We thank the UAE for their continued support throughout.



We at Cuba set objectives for development until the year 2030. These plans have several sectors that we are giving priority to. The general view is we need science, technology, and innovation to develop our country. We are happy to have good development in the health services, and we will continue to conduct our own development model.



Visitors to the Cuba Pavilion can discover more about the economic, social and ecological transformations that are taking place throughout the country with a tour of the islands vibrant streets. Located in the Sustainability District, the pavilion features an iconic Cuban bar where visitors can enjoy a virgin mojito made with sugar from Cuban sugarcanes and learn the cha-cha-cha.  TradeArabia News Service
NEW YORK (AP)  P.J. O'Rourke, the prolific author and satirist who re-fashioned the irreverence and "Gonzo" journalism of the 1960s counterculture into a distinctive brand of conservative and libertarian commentary, has died at age 74.

O'Rourke died Tuesday morning, according to Grove Atlantic Inc. Books publisher and president Morgan Entrekin. He did not cite a specific cause, but said O'Rourke had been ill in recent months.

O'Rourke was a Toledo, Ohio, native who evolved from long-haired student activist to wavy-haired scourge of his old liberal ideals, with some of his more widely read take downs appearing in a founding counterculture publication, Rolling Stone. His career otherwise extended from the early years of National Lampoon to a brief stint on "60 Minutes" in which he represented the conservative take on "Point/Counterpoint" to frequent appearances on NPR's game show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!"

His writing style suggested a cross between the hedonism of Hunter S. Thompson and the patrician mockery of Tom Wolfe: Self-importance was a reliable target. But his greatest disdain was often for the government  not just a specific administration, but government itself and what he called "the silken threads of entitlement spending."

In a 2018 column for a venerable conservative publication, The Weekly Standard, he looked on with scorn at Washington, D.C.'s gentrification.

"People are flocking to the seat of government power. One would say 'dogs returning to their vomit' except that's too hard on dogs. Too hard on people, also. They come to Washington because they have no choice  diligent working breeds compelled to eat their regurgitated tax dollars," he wrote.

O'Rourke's books included the best sellers "Parliament of Whores" and "Give War a Chance," "None of My Business" and "A Cry from the Middle."

Entrekin told The Associated Press that he had been working on a one-volume look at the United States, as seen from his hometown: "A History of Toledo, Ohio: From the Beginning of Time Til the End of the Universe."
Four Points by Sheraton, part of Marriott Bonvoys portfolio of 30 extraordinary hotel brands, has announced the opening of Four Points by Sheraton Jeddah Corniche owned by Al Murjan Group Holding.

The hotel caters to the needs of everyday business and leisure travellers with its approachable, relaxed design and stylish comfort, said the hotel.

Just 12 minutes away from King Abdulaziz International Airport and close to King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, the hotel is designed with the global traveller in mind. Featuring a classic and timeless aesthetic, the light and neutral colors throughout the hotel evoke a feeling of relaxation and balance.

Four Points by Sheraton Jeddah Corniche is a great addition to our rapidly growing portfolio in the Kingdom. We are confident that with its blend of stylish comfort and genuine service at an honest value, the hotel will meet the rising demand for high-caliber lodging in the market. This opening further compliments Marriott Internationals commitment to supporting the growth of the countrys tourism sector, said Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer - Middle East at Marriott International.

The hotel features 301 well-appointed rooms, including 113 suites. Each spacious guestroom has breathtaking sea views through floor-to-ceiling windows, 24-hour room service, and complimentary Wi-Fi.

The Creek Restaurant, the hotels all-day dining restaurant, offers International and Asian cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant serves a blend of delicious Arabian, International dishes, desserts, including a selection of soft drinks and juices. The hotels Lobby Cafe serves specialty coffees, light bites, and refreshments in a relaxed atmosphere.

The property also has over 570 sq m of flexible meeting space with eight fully-equipped meeting rooms. Other facilities include a health club and swimming pool. -TradeArabia News Service
KEARNEY  Unforeseen circumstances have forced the cancellation of the public reception originally scheduled for 5:30-7 p.m. today for the finalists in the city of Kearneys search for a city manager.

The reception was planned as an opportunity for the public to meet William Smith, city manager of Colton, California, and Greg McDanel, city manager of Maryville, Missouri.

Both men were named finalists to replace Michael Morgan, who is retiring as city manager.

Althis this evenings reception is canceled, the city of Kearney announced that the City Council plans to follow through with plans to interview the finalists Wednesday morning.

The council will conduct a special meeting beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday in private to conduct the interviews. That meeting will be at the law offices of Tye & Rowling, P.C. L.L.O.
A former assistant warden at a state correctional facility in Lincoln, who was arrested in January, is accused of sexually abusing a man convicted of first-degree murder, according to new court filings.

Sarah Nelson Torsiello, 45, most recently worked at Nebraska's Reception and Treatment Center, formerly the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center and the Lincoln Correctional Center, where she's accused of kissing and groping the 37-year-old who is serving a life sentence, according to the affidavit for her arrest.

Torsiello was arrested and later charged with first- and second-degree sexual abuse of an inmate and unlawful acts by any person. The affidavit for her arrest became public when she was charged Friday.

At the time of her arrest, Torsiello had worked for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services for more than 18 years, starting in August 2003. She resigned after her arrest.

Torsiello purchased a burner phone for the inmate, according to the affidavit. Her alleged relationship with the incarcerated man went on for six days in early December  about a month before the Nebraska State Patrol arrested her.

The former assistant warden was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond when she was arrested. As part of her bond conditions, Torsiello is barred from contacting the inmate she's alleged to have abused, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Bruce Prenda said.

It is extremely disappointing that someone in this position now faces felony charges," Scott Frakes, the director of the Department of Correctional Services, said in a news release announcing Torsiello's arrest.

"These are serious offenses. Inappropriate behavior involving a member of the inmate population will not be tolerated in NDCS.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley
KEARNEY  Babies soon will have their own designer clothing store in Kearney.

The Denim Bar Owner, Laura Ryan, is expecting to open a designer clothing store for babies. The birth date for her collection of boutiques, including Olive and Sage: Mama & Baby, will be sometime in 2022.

The idea for a childrens boutique was born due to a baby boom during the pandemic.

We knew we wanted to expand our current boutique into more markets, but the pandemic helped to steer the direction our corporation would immediately take, Ryan said. Being in the designer clothes industry, we are sometimes the first to know, especially when a new mother is waiting to make the big announcement until after 14 weeks.

For now, Olive and Sage is a baby department within The Denim Bar. Some of Ryans most popular brands include Jamie Kay, Quincy Mae, Rylee + Cru, Roolee, Finn & Emma and Me & Henry.

Many of Ryans customers include new mothers and grandmothers.

For dress-up occasions or little sweat suits, I found some great things for the grandkids, said Kim Johansen, one of Ryans customers. When my daughter-in-law is back from Houston, we typically always make a stop there. (Ryan) brings in stuff thats really unique, but also some of the smaller baby things have this super-soft fabric.

The Denim Bars baby collection features an 1800s look with unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. This includes wooden toys, vintage stuffed animals and leatherbound childrens books, which will be featured in her home goods store.

Ryan said the vintage items and clothing options are meant to make shopping easy for families coordinating for events like family photos.

I want customers to feel like they are walking back in time, Ryan said. Thats the whole marketplace feel, and the reason for the collection of stores. Its fun to bring back that nostalgic theme.

Olive and Sages storefront and headquarters will be at 2216 Central Ave. after renovation is complete.

The childrens boutique will be joined by three other businesses owned by Ryan, including The Denim Bar.

Post & Nickel also at 2216 Central Avenue will be a mens and womens fashion store on the main floor with The Denim Bar moved to the second floor. Urban and Suede at 2220 Central Ave. will serve as a home decor store with trendy materials designed by artisans.

Ryan said like a new mother, she is preparing for these businesses with more than $1 million in renovations.

Inside Olive and Sage, customers will experience an aesthetic that includes Greek statues, Italian vases with floral arrangements, crystal chandeliers, cozy lounge areas for dressing rooms, floor to ceiling mirrors and live piano and harp music.

The childrens boutique will be a part of Ryans vision for Marketplace No. 22.

Jodie Hinrichs has witnessed Ryans dream grow as one of Ryans first customers and friend of 10 years.

(Ryan) has a knack for seeing the property and breathing life into it, making it somewhere that is beautiful, so that people want to be there, Hinrichs said. Shes got a magnetic personality, and the vision that she has to make it a childrens boutique is amazing.

Some of Ryans plans for Marketplace No. 22 include an online store, inviting more locals to model for Kearney Fashion Week and continuing to support local teachers with funds.

Her ultimate goal is to revitalize Downtown Kearney.

Olive and Sage is not just a place to shop, it is an experience, Ryan said. The historic building the new boutique will be located in creates an in-store concept to enhance the beauty of boutique shopping for our princes and princesses to provide even our youngest shoppers with the quintessential Olive and Sage experience.
KEARNEY  The technology that carried the first 911 calls to dispatchers barely could help victims to help themselves.

However, with advances in technology, tomorrows 911 calls will have all of the characteristics of how people communicate today and will share data through mobile and digital devices.

That means dialing 911 will allow people at both ends of the call the ability to share richer, more detailed data  such as videos, images and texts with 911 call centers.

Today at the Kearney/Buffalo County Law Enforcement Center, some of the Nebraskans playing a critical role in the implementation of NextGen 911 paused to celebrate their achievements and tell about their progress.

One of the leaders in the NextGen 911 push, Buffalo County Sheriff Neil Miller, said the states largest advances are happening in whats called the South-Central/Panhandle Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Region.

This is an exciting day for 911 in Nebraska, Miller said. Those dispatchers are going to see livestreaming video from the scene. These are the kinds of things were going to be doing.

Miller chairs Nebraskas 911 Service System Advisory Committee. We have transitioned our first region of PSAPs from the current legacy 911 system of copper wire to the new NextGen 911 Emergency Services Network or ESInet.

What this means, Miller said, is that by connecting the PSAPs of the South Central/Panhandle region to the ESI network the state has put the foundation of NextGen 911 in place.

The technology enhances dispatchers ability to receive 911 calls from mobile phones and devices, as well as receive text messages and faster, more accurate caller location information.

Once NextGen 911 is implemented, emergency service providers will reap more benefits from FirstNet. NextGen 911 allows the public to send important data to call centers and enables EMS professionals to make mission critical decisions because they have access to such rich data.

NextGen 911 already is being upgraded in many communities.

Implementation of NextGen 911 varies nationwide. Some states havent begun planning, but others, including Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and Indiana, have completed the initial transition to NextGen 911.

Twenty of the 22 PSAPs of the South Central/Panhandle region now are receiving calls via a secure IP network  the backbone of NextGen 911 services.

The last two PSAPs in our region will join us in the coming weeks, Miller said. As we continue with the implementation process, we will add additional NextGen 911 services to geospatial call routing, pictures and video. These services are not yet available, but will be integrated into the system as we continue to build out the network across the state.

Miller said the plan is to have all the PSAP regions connected to the ESInet by the end of 2022.

We are excited about this first big step and look forward to sharing additional information with you as we bring more of Nebraskas PSAPs online and add additional NextGen 911 services, he said.
A bill sparked by a religious discrimination lawsuit against the University of Nebraska drew divided reactions at a legislative committee hearing Monday after opponents expressed concerns about the bills potential wide-ranging impacts.

Introduced by Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, LB1050 would prohibit the states public postsecondary institutions from denying any political, religious or ideological student organizations benefits that are available to other student organizations. The bill applies to the NU campuses, state college campuses and community colleges.

The bill comes after Ratio Christi, a Christian student organization with a chapter at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, filed a lawsuit in late October alleging that the university, via the University Program Council, discriminated against Ratio Christi by denying its request for money to bring a Christian philosopher to campus. The money would have come from student fees.

Flood, a Republican who is running to replace Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in Nebraskas 1st Congressional District, told the Legislatures Education Committee the bill would help avoid costly lawsuits that have occurred in other states. Flood said 16 states have passed similar laws.

Several people, including Logan Spena, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedoms Center for Academic Freedom, spoke in support of Floods bill. ADF is representing Ratio Christi in the lawsuit.

A bill like this will prevent any administrative discretion giving rise to unnecessary liability, Spena said.

However, committee members Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, who is running as a Democrat to replace Fortenberry, and Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha expressed concern that the bill would require public institutions to consider funding groups with extremist or discriminatory views.

Most Nebraskans would be shocked to think that public dollars could go to groups that support satanism," Pansing Brooks said as an example. The bill could also require public institutions to consider funding requests from white supremacists or groups hostile to the LGBTQ community, she said.

While Spena said the bill would prohibit the states postsecondary institutions from denying funding specifically because of ideology, he said the schools could still punish any bad actions taken by such groups.

It doesnt prohibit the university from enforcing any of its own conduct rules against individuals who engage in, say, racial harassment, Spena said. In the event that there was an extremist group that was requiring leaders to engage in extremist activity, that activity could still be punished.

McKinney, who is Black, voiced concern about peoples view of Nebraska if the bill passes.

We have to draw the line on what is and is not acceptable in our communities, he said. This would make our state less attractive, especially to people who look like me.
Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha argued Tuesday that the Legislature needs to create a new Department of Housing and Urban Development in state government to focus on housing needs that are regarded as one of Nebraska's greatest challenges and an ongoing impediment to the state's growth and economic development.

"If this is a No. 1 issue, we have nobody at the state level directing and coordinating this effort now," Wayne told the Legislature's Urban Affairs Committee.

Without a single state agency directing a program to meet housing needs, Wayne said, "the state lacks a coordinated response to the challenge."

Wayne has introduced a bill (LB1073) that would create the new department in state government, with a director to be appointed by the governor and a mission of meeting both housing and homeless needs.

One-time startup costs are estimated at $38,600, Wayne said, with ongoing new costs estimated at $350,000.

Wayne Mortensen, CEO of NeighborWorks Lincoln, said the new department could focus attention on "the scarcity and exclusion of low-income housing" while addressing the economic consequences of a housing deficit that spreads across the state.

Carol Bodeen, director of policy and outreach for the Nebraska Housing Developers Association, suggested that the committee could consider the possibility of creating a separate new division in the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to address the housing challenge rather than creating a new department.

Shannon Harner, executive director of the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, said coordinating housing policy is "a laudable effort," but it might be accomplished without adding a new agency.

"It's not working now," Wayne told the committee in closing remarks, not in terms of accountability or coordination.

"It's not making a dent now," he said.

Creation of a new state department would require the votes of at least 30 senators in the 49-member Legislature.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon
Vernon County meetings

Legal Affairs Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. on February 17, 2022, in the County Board Room in the Courthouse Annex and by Zoom. Approve minutes and vouchers; Committee Reports/Questions; Discuss/Action ItemsIN-REM Tax Foreclosure Properties  A. Review and Accept/Reject Bids for IN-REM Properties posted on 1/26/22, 2/2/22, and 2/9/22; Discuss/Action-Board Rules & Organization- A. Revision of Vernon County Rules of the Board, B. Committee Structures, Roles, & Responsibilities, C. Board Orientation Discussion  Refining County Board Purpose; Loss Control and Workers Compensation report; Loss Control and Workers Compensation report; Set next meeting date.

NOTICE OF COUNTY MEETING VERNON COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTION CANVASS: Pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes, Section 7.60, the Vernon County Board of Election Canvass will meet at 9:00 A.M. on Friday morning February 18, 2022 in the County Board Room in the Courthouse Annex in Viroqua, Wisconsin to conduct the official canvass of the February 15, 2022 Spring Primary Results.

Emergency Management Committee meets at 1:00P.M. February 23rd, County Board room of the Courthouse Annex Room and via Zoom; Discussion/ Approval of Statewide Memorandum of Understanding- ACTION ITEM; Discussion/ Approval on Special On-Call Staffing payroll- ACTION ITEM; Discussion/ Approval of Chapter 18 County Ordinance revisions; Directors Report (Emergency Operations Center Updates, Trainings/ exercises, Disaster Recovery Update, DJI Drone Update); Responses Made; Approval of vouchers; Items for consideration for next meeting; confirm next meeting date.

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On Feb. 21  23, 1922 one of the most severe storms took place in Wisconsin, southeastern Iowa and northeastern Minnesota. In southwestern Wisconsin, during the afternoon of Feb. 21, it began to rain and by evening the temperature was 32 degrees. The storm, which continued into Wednesday, produced thunder, lightning, rain, wind, sleet and ice. Two inches-plus of ice blanketed this area and brought down trees, power lines, telephone lines and telegraph service. As the storm progressed, trees could be heard splitting apart and crashing to the ground. The far eastern portion of Vernon County, including Hillsboro, reported 4 inches of ice accumulation.

Everywhere, ice-laden trees and utility poles blocked streets and fell on homes and buildings. Hundreds of other trees were damaged. Broken utility poles caused wires to drape across the ground. Communication between neighboring communities was non-existent. Only 40 telephone poles out of 200 between Viroqua and Bud remained standing. Trains all over the area were forced off their tracks due to the accumulation of ice which stopped service for several days. It took up to 15 days for some areas to have electricity restored but the local utility was able to restore some power to downtown Viroqua by Thursday, Feb. 23.

Due to slightly higher temperatures, many valleys did not have the ice damage like higher elevations, however flooding occurred. The Kickapoo River came within 6 inches of the flood of 1907 and Soldiers Grove and Gays Mills had water in the first floor of their homes and businesses. Fortunately, frozen ground caused the water to flow away quickly without picking up too much debris.

Cleanup everywhere was hindered by very cold temperatures, sometimes at the below zero mark.

In La Crosse, some valley farms and basements were flooded. The city also was paralyzed by hundreds of miles of telephone and electrical lines down, with linemen using horses to reach main lines needing repair. Sparta was also hard hit. The St. Patricks Catholic Church steeple was struck by lightning but fortunately the ensuing fire was extinguished. Northern Wisconsin experienced sleet, heavy snow and blizzards as well as sub-zero temperatures. All over Wisconsin, 15,000-20,000 power, telegraph and telephone poles were brought down. Up to three feet of snow fell from Eau Claire to Green Bay. Fortunately, only two deaths were attributed to the storm.

On the lighter side, two local women, Lora (Mrs. George) Minshall and Rose (Mrs. George) Pennell, went on with their already scheduled Feb. 23rd bridge party at the newly completed Pennell residence on South Rusk Ave, Viroqua. Mrs. Minshall carefully carried the food she prepared to the Pennell home and the guests were accompanied by their husbands to the party. The card playing and serving of food was done by candlelight.

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Japanese musician and composer Shibuya Keiichiro of Android Opera will present a world premiere of his new Android Opera Mirror at Expo 2020 Dubai at 18:30 on March 2 at the Jubilee Stage.



Presented by Japan Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai, Alter 3, the android performer, will be surrounded by Shibuya Keiichiro piano and computer, monks led by Eizen Fujiwara, a performer of the 1200-year-old Buddhist music called Shomyo, as well as a 45-member NSO Symphony Orchestra (UAE).



Mirror is a culmination of Shibuya's work, which explores a new model of artistic harmony by combining a diversity of peoples and cultures, latest technology and oldest traditional Buddhist music. Complementing Shibuya's piano, electronic sounds and NSO Symphony Orchestra, Alter 3 will sing AI-generated texts accompanied by Nanzan Shinryu Shomyo, the voices of Koyasans Buddhist music.



French visual artist Justine Emard, who has collaborated with Shibuya Keiichiro for many years, will oversee visual projections focused on real-time facial expressions of the android. The visual effect is maximized with diffuse lighting effects projected throughout the venue and onto the android.



Mixed with 3D images of temples and shrines in Koyasan, the impressive filmic lighting on Alter 3, complimented with extraordinary digitally composed electronic sounds is an experiential model of harmony that never existed before.  TradeArabia News Service
This February the Viroqua Area Rotary Club encourages you to Show Your Love to Our Community.

The Viroqua Area Rotary Club is announcing the availability of 12 $500 mini-grants for Vernon County organizations to show their love to the area community. Established non-profits, and other community organizations are eligible to apply using this simple application at

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsllWpYfkJbXL-J4hKjVpYIQPm5RDxnDD87Yiua8rtVAurpA/viewform or by requesting an alternate form by emailing kdahl@mwt.net

Applications will be accepted through March 31. Funded projects will be required to attend a future Rotary Club meeting to share about their organization, and the project they are completing using the funds from this Mini-Grant.

Projects funded through these mini-grants should benefit the Vernon County community at-large rather than a single family or individual. Funds may be used to fund a project in its entirety, or as seed money or fundraising support for a project requiring more than $500. Rotarians will score the applications and select those fitting best with the priorities of the club and community needs.

Rotary is dedicated to causes that build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world to support our peace efforts and end polio forever.

Projects should do at least one of the following:

Support education;

Grow local economies;

Protect the environment;

Promote peace;

Fight disease;

Provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene;

Save mothers and children.

To learn more about Rotarys causes, visit: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes

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Richard John Schmidt

EAU CLAIRERichard John Schmidt, 75, of Eau Claire, WI, died from complications of Covid-19 on February 6, 2022, leaving behind grieving family and friends who will forever remember him as a supportive brother, a loving father, a doting grandfather, and a caring friend.

Richard (or Dick as he preferred to be called) was born in La Crosse, WI in 1946 to Leo Schmidt and Virginia (Riley) Schmidt, who died of leukemia when he was nine. He attended Blessed Sacrament Elementary School and Aquinas High School. After high school, Dick went into the Army Reserves where he served as a records clerk. When he left the military, he enrolled at the Western Wisconsin Technical College and graduated with a degree in business and marketing. He joined K-Marts management training program, which lead to a variety of positions across the Midwest.

In 1970, Dick was called back to Lake City, MN to go into the car business with his father. This is where he met his future wife, LuAnn Reetz, when she brought her car in for service. After a whirlwind, one-year courtship, they married in 1972 in the middle of a blizzard and went on to start a family in Viroqua, WI, where his father Leo had bought a Chevrolet dealership.

When Leo died in 1983, Dick took over the family business, Schmidt Motors, and grew to be a successful CEO. He had a mind for advertising and billed himself as The Small-Town Dealer with the Big Heart, he Lee Iacocca of Viroqua, and, after a series of cardiac troubles in the 1980s, The Small Town Dealer with the NEW Heart. When not at work, he loved fishing in Lake Michigan, playing poker, attending his daughters sports, art and music events, and going on family trips.

After retiring, Dick and LuAnn enjoyed yearly trips to Door County, WI and Branson, MO, as well as trips to Florida with the grandkids. He loved being a reading buddy to students from Viroqua Elementary, as well as being a mediator in the small claims court for Vernon County. He and LuAnn were active in their respective churches, and they loved volunteering. After LuAnn was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018, Dick cared for her until she passed in 2021, one year shy of their 50th anniversary. Later that year, Dick moved to a condo in Eau Claire, WI to be nearer to family. Despite the difficulties he had experienced, he never lost his optimism or his faith.

Dick was preceded in death by his mother, Virginia (Riley) Schmidt; father, Leo Schmidt; and wife, LuAnn (Reetz) Schmidt.

He is survived by his brother, Robert Schmidt of Bradenton FL; his sister, Peggy (Kevin) Dubois of Lacrosse, WI; daughters: Tricia (Michael Bauch) Schmidt of St. Paul, MN and Heidi (Jerim) DesJarlais of Chippewa Falls, WI. Dick has five grandchildren: Oliver (15), Isaiah (15), Riley (9), Vaughn (9) and Emily (3) and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

No immediate service is planned; instead, there will be a service and a burial ceremony in Viroqua in late spring. Donations made in Dicks name will be issued to Aquinas High School, Western Wisconsin Technical College, and Paulas Purse.

Pederson-Volker Funeral Chapel & Cremation Services, Chippewa Falls is serving the family.

Please share your memories and condolences online at pedersonvolker.com.
Here are some reaction statements sent to the Tribune by legislators and organizations after Gov. Tony Evers State of the State address:

Rep, Loren Oldenburg, R-Viroqua:

The Governor highlighted the States work with farmers through the farm support program. The farm support program was a good use of federal COVID-19 relief funds, and we saw the benefit of that program in the 96th district. I was happy advocate for this program with my fellow Southwestern-Wisconsin legislators.

Access to high-speed, reliable and affordable internet is important for the State of Wisconsin, especially in rural areas. I commend Governor Evers for allocating more than $100 million in federal relief funds for broadband expansion in Wisconsin. This adds to what Legislative Republicans allocated in the biennial budget; an investment of nearly $125 million.

Governor Evers mentioned that he would like to spend the states projected $3.8 billion dollar surplus on $150 dollar checks to Wisconsin residents, with the remaining amount going toward childcare, and $750 million in additional funding for education. I support allocating Wisconsins projected surplus in the next budget cycle, this allows every Wisconsinite to weigh-in on how these funds are distributed.

Wisconsin is back to pre-pandemic unemployment rates, and is actually at a lower unemployment rate than in 2019, with an unemployment rate of 2.8%. This is a great figure for the workforce of Wisconsin. I truly believe that if it wasnt for the action of the State Legislature, challenging Governor Evers Safer at Home order, the states workforce would not be in the place it is today, with better than pre-pandemic levels.

The 2021-2023 Wisconsin State Budget, crafted by Legislative Republicans, included a historic $3 billion tax cut for Wisconsins families and businesses. These tax cuts are great for the success of our state, I am glad Legislative Republicans were able to present a fiscally responsible budget that passed with bipartisan support, and signed by the Governor.

Rep. Jill Billings, D-La Crosse:

Governor Evers has been a calm, steady hand steering Wisconsin during the COVID-19 pandemic. His State of the State highlighted the successes and ongoing challenges we have faced over the last year and will continue to work on throughout 2022. Over the last year, the states budget, bolstered by federal funding has remained strong as the Governor has invested in local governments, local businesses, and local organizations as they continue to face the challenge of the impacts of COVID-19.

The Governor kept his promises in his budget, keeping road projects on track, investing in broadband, cutting taxes and helping to achieve the lowest unemployment rate in Wisconsin history. Governor Evers directed federal dollars to help increase funding to bolster our schools and our healthcare providers across the State of Wisconsin.

The State of Wisconsin is facing a $3.8 billion budget surplus going into the next Biennial Budget. The Governor has put forward a strong plan, which invests some of this funding back into local schools, our universities and back into the hands of taxpayers through a $150 tax rebate. I am proud to co-sponsor the Governors plan which creates a long sought caregiver tax credit for individuals caring for their loved ones, and a childcare tax credit to help families afford quality care for their children. ...

State Sen. Brad Pfaff, DOnalaska:

I was pleased that tonight Governor Evers recognized the importance of returning our surplus to the hard-working people of our state. Tax relief of $150 per person, and $600 for a family of four is real money and will enable families in Wisconsin make ends meet.

Wisconsin is back to work. This session, I was proud to work with Governor Evers to cut taxes by $2 billion for middle-class families. We worked together to provide record funding for reliable, affordable, high-speed internet across Wisconsin. I voted to protect federal funding so investments could be made to support small businesses, farmers and Main Streets in communities throughout western Wisconsin.

Now with a record budget surplus, we have another opportunity to provide tax relief to hard-working families, and bolster our workforce by helping families with the cost of childcare and caregiving. The people of Wisconsin created this record budget surplus and we should reward them by helping to defray rising costs and send them a rebate. ...

UW System President Tommy Thompson and UW Regent President Edmund Manydeeds III::

We appreciate Gov. Evers commitment to public higher education and his recognition of the vital role the University of Wisconsin System plays in improving lives and communities across our state. This funding will help us keep our universities affordable and will allow us to better address the pressing behavioral health needs of our students. It will make a difference for the students and families we serve.

Jodi Emerson, D-Eau Claire:

Governor Evers has led our state through some of its most challenging times. His steadfast, empathetic leadership has helped provide relief for working families, small businesses, and schools across Wisconsin.

Governor Evers major accomplishments in 2021 include one of the largest tax cuts in state history, the largest ever rainy-day fund allotment, and significant investments in workforce training. These investments will put extra money directly into working families pockets and into their communities. Additionally, under Governor Evers leadership we have the lowest unemployment rate and number of people unemployed in our states history.

Governor Evers has delivered for Wisconsin, and our state is thriving under his progressive, thoughtful leadership.

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A man implicated in the largest methamphetamine bust in La Crosse County history is now in a St. Croix County Jail.

Emmanuel Flores Sauceda, 39, Hudson, is being held on $25,000 cash bond after his Feb. 7 arrest for possession of methamphetamine with intent to delivery and maintaining a drug trafficking place. Both are felonies.

Flores Sauceda was arrested Jan. 20 in La Crosse, along with Armando Lara Nieto, 49, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, and Juventino Lara Plancarte, 53, Los Angeles, after La Crosse police reportedly found nearly 11 pounds of methamphetamine in their possession.

Flores Sauceda, who listed a West St. Paul, Minnesota, address at the time of his arrest, was released from the La Crosse County Jail after posting $25,000 cash bail with conditions that he reside in Hudson and limit out-of-state visits to Minnesota. He was also ordered to turn in his passport.

Flores Sauceda was arrested in Hudson Feb. 7. He is being held on a $25,000 cash bond and has a preliminary hearing in St. Croix County set for Feb. 24.

All three defendants in the La Crosse County case had calendar calls Tuesday before La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge Todd Bjerke. He scheduled Feb. 25 preliminary hearings for Flores Sauceda and Lara Plancarte and a calendar call the same day for Lara Nieto, who is still attempting to retain legal counsel.

Lara Plancartes is being held on a $150,000 cash bond.

Lara Nieto asked Bjerke to reduce his $50,000 cash bail. He said a relative has the ability to post $12,000.

Im going to be present at all the hearings, Lara Nieto said through an interpreter. I just want to go out to hire my own lawyer.

Assistant District Attorney Danielle Kranz objected to the bail request and described Lara Nieto as a potential flight risk. She said Lara Nieto still retains Mexican citizenship and has the clear ability to travel easily.

Kranz linked Lara Nieto to Flores Saucedas Hudson address, which she described as a stash house. She said police obtained a search warrant and seized $72,000 in cash and a significant amount of methamphetamine and drug packaging materials.

Bjerke declined to reduce Lara Nietos bail.

I actually think bond was set at too low a level, Bjerke said.

The amount of methamphetamine allegedly seized from the three defendants in La Crosse was described by police as the largest in the citys history. Prior to the Jan. 20 bust arrests, La Crosse police had never seized more than two pounds during a single arrest.

La Crosse Tribune reporter Steve Rundio can be reached at steve.rundio@lee.net.

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Nobody was injured during a Wednesday morning fire that caused minor damage to a residence in La Crosse.

According to the city Fire Department, crews were dispatched shortly after 5 a.m. to 5601 Mormon Coulee Road, where all seven occupants had exited the building safely by the time firefighters arrived.

Firefighters entered the structure and discovered bedding and a box containing clothing that had caught on fire. The blaze was contained to a single room, and the building sustained only minor smoke and fire damage.

Four pets inside the home were reported unharmed.

The cause of the fire was combustible materials stored too close to an electric heating appliance.

Fourteen fire department members responded the scene. They were assisted by Tri-State Ambulance and the La Crosse Police Department.

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FORT McCOY  As of 8 a.m. today, the last Afghan evacuee guests, who started arriving here almost six months ago, departed for resettlement in the U.S.

Their departure marked the end of Fort McCoys participation in the ongoing humanitarian mission, Operation Allies Welcome, to provide a safe haven for and relocate Afghans who assisted the United States interests in Afghanistan.

Over the course of the months, the Fort McCoy community supported the overall military effort and its federal partners in enabling the resettlement of about 12,600 Afghan personnel into their new communities  an historic mission.

Among other things, Fort McCoy provided temporary housing, sustainment, and support for its Afghan guests.

I would like to thank to our Fort McCoy workforce for what they do every day, and their dedication with this and all missions, Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Michael D. Poss said. Also a tremendous thank you to the local communities for their continued unwavering support of Fort McCoy.

While Fort McCoy sustained its training mission during Operation Allies Welcome, it is now returning to a post-OAW setting in ensuring the nations warfighters remain ready.

Of note, Fort McCoy is currently running its cold-weather training course and preparing for a big spring and summer training season.

Additionally, Fort McCoy staff is moving forward with plans for its Armed Forces Day Open House May 21.

For more information on Operation Allies Welcome, contact DHS Public Affairs at mediainquiry@hq.dhs.gov.

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Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman has withdrawn his subpoena seeking emails and other communications from an immigration rights group as part of the GOP-ordered review of Wisconsins 2020 election.

Gableman, who was hired by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, last summer at a cost of $676,000 to taxpayers to look into how the 2020 election was conducted, sent a letter Wednesday to attorneys for the organization indicating the subpoenas should be considered as moot.

We will take no action to compel or enforce those subpoenas for documents or in person testimony, Gablemans attorney Clinton Lancaster wrote in the letter, which was provided to the Wisconsin State Journal. We do not intend to issue any further subpoenas to these organizations or people at this time.

Voces de la Frontera Action went to court last month seeking to block Gablemans subpoena, which sought emails and other communications related to the 2020 election, as well as information about the groups finances and contacts with government officials and other nonprofits.

The organization issued a statement Wednesday celebrating Gablemans unconditional surrender.

These arbitrary subpoenas are a baseless partisan effort from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and the far-right to spread lies about the 2020 election to undermine the will of Wisconsin voters and attack the freedom to vote for people of color in future elections, said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director for Voces de la Frontera Action. The subpoenas were part of Vos sham review that has been marked by lies, incompetence, buffoonery and secrecy.

Gableman has previously demanded documents and/or interviews with the mayors of Wisconsins five largest cities, the states top elections official, the chair of the state Elections Commission and members of Gov. Tony Evers administration, as well as two companies that make vote-counting systems, Election Systems & Software and Dominion Voting Systems.

Attorneys for Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software told Gableman last month the organization would not comply with the subpoena, which they called a quintessential fishing expedition.

The growing list of subpoenas has led to a plethora of legal battles over the one-party review.

Gableman made a baseless claim at a pro-Donald Trump rally in 2020 that the election in Wisconsin had been stolen by bureaucrats, and he has met with and hired people for his investigation who formerly worked for Trump and espoused conspiracy theories about the election.

Biden defeated Trump by about 21,000 votes in Wisconsin. A recount, multiple court challenges and an in-depth review of election processes have revealed no evidence of widespread fraud.

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The Assembly on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment to make it harder for violent criminal defendants to get out on bail, while the Senate approved measures protecting unvaccinated workers, blocking foreign influence at UW and allowing concealed guns in school parking lots.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is expected to veto several of the most contentious bills from the Republican-controlled Legislature, though he does not have the ability to block a constitutional amendment, which must pass two consecutive sessions of the Legislature and then be approved by voters.

Hoping to capitalize on anger over the killing of six people by a driver who authorities say plowed into a Christmas parade near Milwaukee, the Assembly approved the amendment 70-21 with some Democrats in support. It goes next to the state Senate.

The man charged in that case, Darrell Brooks Jr., had posted $1,000 bail on an earlier case two days before the Nov. 21 parade in downtown Waukesha. He pleaded not guilty on Friday to 77 charges, including six counts of homicide. He remains jailed on a $5 million bail.

The amendments supporters have been working since 2017 to get it passed. They say their effort is not in reaction to the parade deaths. But that has given the amendment momentum its not seen before. Assembly Republicans on the chamber floor took turns before the vote speaking about the horrors of the parade incident and how crime has increased in Wisconsin since the pandemic started.

The number of shootings in Milwaukee has increased from 542 in 2019 to 1,052 last year, according to the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission. The number of homicides by firearm more than doubled in the last three years, from 80 in 2019 to 181 in 2021.

Statewide, the number of homicides grew from 185 in 2019 to 304 in 2020, according to the latest data collected from Wisconsin law enforcement agencies by the state Justice Department.

Speaker Robin Vos called the parade incident a wake-up call for lawmakers to do something to ensure violent criminals remain in jail. A constitutional amendment gives voters the chance to have their say, he said.

The system is falling apart, Vos said. Were passing this (amendment) on to the public, so voters have an option to have their voice heard.

Evan Goyke of Milwaukee was the only Democrat to speak against the amendment. He advocated for simply keeping defendants deemed to be safety or flight risks locked up and removing cash bail from the equation completely.

If you post the money, youre out, dangerous or not, Goyke said. This isnt an equal or fair or transparent system. Release isnt about risk. It isnt about danger. Its about money.

Protections for unvaccinated

The Senate passed a package of bills Tuesday that push back against COVID-19 vaccine requirements and aim to shield workers who do not want to protect themselves from the virus by being inoculated.

Senators approved the bills in the wake of protests in Canada over vaccine requirements. Those protests blocked the busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing. Wisconsin has no statewide vaccine or mask mandates.

There have been moves in other states and cities to require vaccinations for workers.

All four of the Wisconsin bills are almost certain to be vetoed by Evers, who is a strong supporter of vaccinations as one of the best ways to curb the spread of the virus that has killed more than 11,000 people in Wisconsin over the past two years.

An Evers spokesperson did not return a message seeking comment.

Republicans who introduced the proposals say they are responding to voters who have contacted them, fearful of losing their jobs if they dont get the vaccine.

One measure would require employers to count a prior coronavirus infection as an alternative to vaccination and testing. Another would ban so-called vaccine passports and prohibit businesses, colleges and universities, governments, and anyone else in the state from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Opponents, including leaders of the states medical community, say vaccine requirements at hospitals and other health care facilities help ensure that patients and workers in health care settings do not get sick.

According to data from the Wisconsin health department, unvaccinated people are hospitalized at a rate nearly 10 times higher than fully vaccinated people and are 14 times more likely to die.

The Republican-controlled Assembly previously passed both of those bills. Senate approval sends them to Evers. Last year, Evers vetoed a GOP bill that would have barred public health officials from requiring people get vaccinated.

The Senate also passed a pair or other Republican-introduced measures that have yet to get a vote in the Assembly.

One says that people who quit or are fired from a job after refusing to get vaccinated can still qualify for state unemployment benefits. Under current law, employees who quit generally arent eligible for unemployment payments. The bill also says that refusing to be vaccinated does not constitute misconduct or substantial fault, which are both reasons that a person could be refused unemployment benefits.

The other bill says that anyone who is injured due to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine required by an employer would be eligible for workers compensation.

All four of the bills passed on party-line votes, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed.

Concealed guns at school lots

The Senate sent Evers a pair of bills that would make it easier to carry concealed firearms in Wisconsin, including in vehicles on school property.

Evers is expected to veto the bills, which the Assembly passed last month.

One proposal would allow people with concealed carry licenses to have a weapon in their vehicle on school property. Republican proponents argue that gun owners who forget their weapons in their cars shouldnt risk being charged with a felony if they drive onto school grounds to drop off or pick up their children.

The Senate passed it 20-11, with all Republicans in support and Democrats against.

Another bill would allow anyone with a concealed carry license from any state to go armed in Wisconsin. Currently, only people with licenses from states that conduct background checks on applicants can carry concealed guns in Wisconsin.

It passed on a voice vote without debate.

Foreign influence at UW

The Senate also passed three Republican-backed bills aimed at preventing Chinese spies from infiltrating University of Wisconsin campuses, moves that opponents called racist and targeting a nonexistent problem.

Republican lawmakers countered the measures were needed to provide another layer of protection from spies from China infiltrating universities in the state.

Were not doing this because we hate Chinese people, said bill sponsor Sen. Alberta Darling, D-River Hills. Were doing this to take on the Chinese Liberation Army.

Bill sponsor Sen. Roger Roth, R-Appleton, said that universities are a soft target for China as it seeks to exploit openness on campuses to steal intellectual property and research and advance their own objectives.

Democratic opponents argued the bills were xenophobic, attempting to have the university do screening that is the job of federal authorities and wouldnt stop Chinese spies from entering the country.

This is a waste of time, said Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-West Point. He said the bills were playing on the darkest of fears out there.

UW System official Jeff Buhrandt said in testimony provided to a Senate committee that the university already takes steps to curb foreign influence on campuses. He argued that the proposals add burdensome regulations on UW and that any additional regulations should come from the federal government.

All three bills passed on party-line votes.

One bill would prevent UW System schools from admitting or employing any members of Chinas armed forces known as the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army.

Another proposal would prohibit any foreign mission of China be established or recognized at a UW school. It would also block the UW System from being part of any Communist Chinese recruitment or propaganda programs and require the system to report any funding it received from foreign missions of China.

A third bill would create new disclosure requirements for UW institutions and employees related to research, contracts and gifts involving foreign governments, companies and individuals.

The bills now head to the Assembly.

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Fabulous food is the headliner at a series of Soul Food Thursday lunches at Crispus Attucks Community Center this Black History Month, but the plates are filled in service of a greater goal establishing connections that foster mental, physical and financial health while celebrating Black culture.

Sometimes as people of African American heritage, we dont have a place for us and thats where Crispus Attucks comes in and we want to keep it going, said chef Lorionna Thomas.

Thomas, a frequent volunteer at the center and owner of Soulfully Famous in East Petersburg that specializes in catering of Southern comfort food, last Thursday was at the center serving up corn bread, cabbage and jambalaya, an American, Creole and Cajun rice dish of French, African and Spanish influence that consists of rice, vegetables, chicken, sausage and shrimp.

She sees being involved as a matter of representation. Its important that people that look like me and come from backgrounds like myself see that theres people out here still willing to do things for the community, she said.

Building those connections is among the centers goals.

It operates under the umbrella of Community Action Partnership, a Lancaster-based nonprofit devoted to disrupting inter-generational poverty. In service of that goal, Crispus Attucks Community Center works to improve the quality of life for youth and families by providing services, programs and events that promote physical and mental health and preserve and celebrate African American heritage. The Soul Food Thursday series serves that mission as the community gathers over grace and fellowship to eat soul food, listen to live music, learn about resources and celebrate Black History Month and Black culture.

The food is good, said Thomas, but to gather and to fellowship, thats what its about. To know that theres a place for you and you dont have to feel alone.

That was the spirit last Thursday as community members gathered to enjoy the food, which was accompanied by live music. And, thanks to Costco, the center was able to make available free grocery items like bread, canned goods and vegetables, as it does every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon.

Food security has been a growing concern as the price of meat, poultry, fish and eggs have gone up by 10.5%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor consumer price index of January 2022.

The price hikes have presented challenges for the center, said assistant director Vincent Smith, explaining that the organization offers free hot meals from 11 a.m. to noon every Tuesday and Thursday of each month for those in need.

The organization has managed its budget carefully and worked with vendors on pricing and supply chain disruptions, another fallout from the pandemic, he said.

What we do is we try to ensure that were providing a full meal and we stay away from like cold sandwiches, he said. We want to make sure were feeding the soul.

I think our goal was always to get people in the doors, to have some conversations, but also its a little bit more than food, said center director Josh Hunter.

We always connect through food. The food is just as vibrant as we are, just as colorful and just as good as we are as Black and brown folks, and we want to make sure that we celebrate that .... If we know anything through these years of COVID is, we cant take time for granted. So, to be able to see folks and connect with folks over food is just an amazing opportunity.
Early Edition is a guide to help you jumpstart your morning, get the news you need to know and catch up on what you missed.

Its published Monday through Friday, between 6 and 7 a.m.

Heres the Early Edition for Wednesday, February 16, 2022.

Warmer, windy weather on tap today for Lancaster County

Today will be mostly sunny with a high near 51.

High wind gusts are expected for the county today, with some gusts capable of reaching 26 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures will drop into the 40s tonight before climbing into the low-60s on Thursday, which is expected to be windy with a 30% chance of rain.

Click here for the seven day forecast.

DA will not use civil forfeiture funds to help pay Drug Task Force

The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office will no longer use civil forfeiture funds to help pay the salaries of members of the county's drug task force.

DA announces charges against 16-year-old Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams announced more than five dozen charges against 16-year-old Jeremiahs Josiah-Alberto Sanchez o

The decision was announced following a legal dispute in 2019 between the county commissioners and former district attorney Craig Stedman.

Current district attorney Heather Adams said in an email that the funding shift allows the task force "to operate without the negative perception that they are 'seizing' their salary."

Click here to read the full story.

1 person rescued in Lancaster city fire late Tuesday night

Lancaster city firefighters rescued one person from a fire in the 400 block of East Clay Street late Tuesday night.

The fire started around midnight and crews reported heavy smoke and fire damage on the first floor kitchen and living room areas, Lancaster city fire chief Todd Hutchinson said.

Firefighters had the blaze under control within 15 minutes. The person who was rescued was taken to the hospital to be treated for burns and smoke inhalation.

Click here to read the full story.

Hempfield rolls to first bowling team title

Hempfield secured its first Lancaster-Lebanon League team bowing title on Tuesday night, dethroning defending champion Penn Manor.

Hempfield split the first two games, 962-926 and 820-952, before winning the final game, 881-872.

Senior Caleb Mertz helped secure the title with a big 10th frame.

"It was good to get those two strikes and help my team out," he said. "Winning by only nine, it was really important."

Click here to read the full story.

The history and facts on fasnachts

Fasnacht Day is around the corner.

The doughnut-related holiday is on March 1 and is traditionally a Christian observation to celebrate Shrove Tuesday -- or Fat Tuesday.

But it's spread to become celebrated by all people who love sugar and lard-laden doughnuts.

Click here to read more.

Today's obituaries

Click here to read today's obituaries.

Here's what other people are reading this morning on LancasterOnline:

- Brothers, ages 4 and 5, die after falling in frozen pond in Schuylkill County

- A Cedar Crest fan shouted a name at a McCaskey boys basketball player. The McCaskey team's response was powerful. [editorial]

- Salisbury Township man charged with fondling, assaulting young girl: police
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the ultra-low-fare national airline of the UAE, is offering travellers a flash promotion of 25 percent off on 50,000 seats booked on February 16 for travel until March 31.



Travellers can capitalise on a 25 percent discount for all destinations across the Wizz Air Abu Dhabi network with unique travel opportunities and experiences awaiting adventurous travellers. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi currently offers customers affordable, hassle-free travel and incredible value for money.



The exciting promotion allows adventurous travellers to book reduced ultra-low-fare tickets on all flights from/to the UAE including the recently launched routes to Amman (Jordan), Aqaba (Jordan), Krasnodar (Russia), Yerevan (Armenia) and Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan).



Strategically located within the UAE, the Wizz Air Abu Dhabi network also provides ultra-low fare, hassle-free and efficient travel options to Alexandria (Egypt), Amman (Jordan), Aqaba (Jordan), Athens (Greece), Baku (Azerbaijan), Bahrain, Belgrade (Serbia), Kutaisi (Georgia), Krasnodar (Russia), Kyiv (Ukraine), Manama (Bahrain), Moscow (Russia), Muscat (Oman), Sarajevo (Bosnia), Sohag (Egypt), Tel-Aviv (Israel), Tirana (Albania) and Yerevan (Armenia) among others. Tickets are on sale on wizzair.com and the airlines mobile app.



Michael Berlouis, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said: We welcome the easing of travel restrictions around the world and our exciting promotion allows travellers to explore their favourite destinations at fantastic ultra-low-fare prices. Our expanding network, with recent additions Amman and Aqaba, offers attractive destinations with incredible historic and cultural experiences for all. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is ideally positioned to offer safe, efficient, hassle-free, ultra-low fare travel options and we look forward to welcoming our customers onboard.



The airline has a young fleet composed of four brand new state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, offering the lowest fuel burn, emissions and noise footprint. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has the lowest environmental footprint among its competitors in the region, supporting the airlines long-term commitment to sustainability.



For ultimate peace of mind during this uncertain time, passengers can book tickets with confidence, thanks to Wizz Flex. With Wizz Flex, passengers can cancel their flight up to three hours before departure without any fee and receive 100 percent of the fare immediately reimbursed in airline credit.  TradeArabia News Service
A Salisbury Township man has been charged with fondling a young girl several years ago, according to state police.

Michael David King, 22, touched the girl inappropriately underneath her clothes in the basement of a Salisbury Township address on two separate occasions about two weeks apart from each other sometime between 2012 and 2020, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

An exact date for when the offenses took place was not stated in the affidavit.

The girl, who was younger than 13 at the time, told police in May that King had fondled her.

King admitted to investigators in October that he had fondled the girl twice, police said, but it was not immediately clear when it occurred.

King was charged Tuesday with indecent assault, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor  all felony offenses. He had not been arrested as of Tuesday afternoon, court records show.

An attorney was not listed for King in court documents.

A preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.
Staff and volunteers prepared a noon meal at Crispus Attucks Community Center to celebrate Black History Month on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. The center makes meals every Thursday in February for Soul Food Thursdays.

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We are school board members from across the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Our school districts range from small to large, rural to urban, well-resourced to underfunded. Despite our varied contexts, we each earnestly believe that full and fair funding for education is a prudent and fruitful investment in our commonwealth, and that the state Legislature should lead the way in ensuring that every student in the state has the educational resources they need and deserve.

In our roles as both school directors and, for some of us, as parents, we have each been able to observe the effect that educational investment has on the day-to-day realities of our students. We see, repeatedly, that access to educational resources makes the difference in whether students can flourish or whether their potential goes unrealized.

For example, those of us in better-funded districts see that our students benefit from access to a wide range of Advanced Placement courses. This results in a head start on post-secondary credits and increased college preparedness. However, some of us see the opposite for our students  a pittance of available AP courses due to a lack of resources supporting those programs. Students without those courses are missing out on a critical opportunity due to conditions well outside their control.

As we talk about the conditions in our various districts, the wide-ranging effects of underinvesting in schools become clear. We observe that while some students have ready access to school counselors, others have to share overstretched counselors with 500 or more students.

Weve seen students thrive with an array of programming, yet we also see the demoralizing effects of severe cuts to already modestly funded art, music and foreign language programs. We observe that students in well-funded districts enjoy the blessing of safe and suitable facilities, the latest technology and up-to-date curricular materials. In contrast, students in poorly funded districts make do with toxic and unsafe buildings and inadequate supplies.

Given all of our experience on the ground in our districts, it is unsurprising that years of research back up the economic and social value of high-quality education. For example, studies confirm that consistent investment in education results in increased graduation rates and college enrollment. These improved outcomes lead to higher-paying jobs, greater economic stability and less reliance on government assistance for graduating students. They also encourage economic growth and tax revenue for our local communities and the commonwealth.

Improvements in outcomes like these are particularly notable for students from low-income families, who count on our public schools to provide access to opportunities and upward mobility and help break cycles of generational poverty. In this way, high-quality education is essential and foundational to the very concept of the American dream.

We find that the individual and the statewide benefits of investing in full and fair funding for public schools and all children across the commonwealth are indisputable.

We call on the Pennsylvania Legislature to exercise wise stewardship of taxpayer dollars in the 2022-2023 budget by investing to ensure a high-quality education for every student.

This op-ed was written by members of Pennsylvanians for Fair Funding, a coalition of parents, students, school board members, teachers, school administrators and voters working toward fair and equitable education funding for all students. It was co-signed by more than 50 elected school board members from across Pennsylvania, including Lauren VonStetten of Columbia Borough School District, Kareena Rios of the School District of Lancaster and Nikki Rivera of Manheim Township School District.
The newest fracas with Russia regarding Ukraine should have the United States considering its military strength compared with Russia and its now frequent ally China. Even though the United States had an edge in computer technology two decades ago, I believe we have wasted that on games and social media.

The U.S. has been unable to counter destructive Russian-sponsored cyberattacks and seems to be unable to recognize information warfare. We have been unable to stop China from stealing billions of dollars of intellectual property and trading secrets.

Russia has been prioritizing the modernization of its military  in cyberspace, ground, air and sea. China and Russia are now conducting joint military exercises.

The military budget of the United States is enormous, but rife with waste, fraud and a lack of oversight in the contracting system. We have weapons that are ridiculously expensive and almost useless, such as the money-sink Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

Our former president was a Vladimir Putin sycophant, while the current one bungled Afghanistan and considered allowing Russia a minor incursion into Ukraine.

Unless we stop domestic political warfare and get serious about education that prepares our students to be able to evaluate domestic and global events, I believe that we will get the presidents we deserve and continue to watch Russia and China outmaneuver us.

Disengagement from matters of national and global concern does not prepare young people to become the informed leaders we need. Blindly following one political extreme or the other is antithetical to the critical thinking needed to evaluate both the United States and our adversaries.

Carol Wolford

Elizabethtown
As Mandates End, State, Counties Unmask With Caution

On Tuesday, Feb. 15, the statewide indoor mask mandate for vaccinated Californians expired.

As COVID-19 cases decline, public health officials say the state is easing restrictions in an effort to return the state to pre-pandemic normalcy.

Omicron has loosened its hold on California, vaccines for children under 5 are around the corner, and access to COVID-19 treatments is improving, said Dr. Tomas J. Aragon, Director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). With things moving in the right direction, we are making responsible modifications to COVID-19 prevention measures, while also continuing to develop a longer-term action plan for the state.

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According to the CDPH, COVID cases are down 65% after a sudden spike late last year due to the Omicron variant.

Vaccination rates are also increasing, both at the state and national levels. As of Feb. 11, 64.3% of the US population and 73.3% of Californias eligible population have been fully vaccinated, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and California state health officials.

Unvaccinated people will still need to wear masks indoors, tweeted Gov. Gavin Newsom last week.

However, not all Californias counties will be following Newsoms lead.

During a press conference on Feb. 9, Santa Clara County Health Officer and Public Health Director Dr. Sara Cody announced that the county will not be lifting mandates until officials there determine case rates, vaccinations, and hospitalizations are low enough to reopen.

Our case rates are 40% of what they were but we still have very high levels of community transmission, still higher than at any other point in the pandemic pre-omicron, said Cody. The risk of being exposed to someone with COVID in our community is still high.

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The other eight Bay Area counties have announced that they will follow the states lead.

Los Angeles County will keep mask mandates indoors for vaccinated and unvaccinated people alike but could raise some outdoor event mask mandates as early as Wednesday, as long as hospitalization rates stay at their current level.

Los Angeles County has the highest COVID case rate in the state, followed by San Diego and Riverside counties, according to state health officials.

Both San Diego and Riverside counties plan on ending their indoor mask mandates along with the state on Tuesday.

Last week, Newsoms administration implemented measures to make sure statewide COVID case rates continue to decline.

On Feb. 9, Newsom signed SB 113 and SB 114, extending paid COVID-19 sick leave until Sept. 30 of this year, and providing $6.1 billion in relief for California businesses, respectively.

As California continues to lead the nations economic recovery, todays action deepens our commitment to supporting the workers and businesses that have sustained us all during this unprecedented pandemic and are driving our economy, said Newsom.

Were ensuring that workers have the time they need to take care of themselves and their loved ones, expanding our nation-leading small business relief grant program and supporting the businesses whose innovation and entrepreneurial spirit help make California the fifth largest economy in the world, he continued.

Many private establishments across the state may continue mask requirements in their places of business but a majority of Californias counties have announced that they will be lifting mask mandates for vaccinated people, following the lead of the state.

On Feb. 10, Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 115, authorizing a $1.9 billion COVID-19 relief package to bolster the states ongoing emergency response.

California has led the nations fight against COVID-19 with a comprehensive response that has saved countless lives. As we emerge from the Omicron surge, were not letting our guard down, said Newsom.

The COVID Emergency Response Package will ensure the state has the resources to continue tackling this challenge head-on, with funding to enhance our testing and vaccination efforts, support frontline workers, strengthen our health care systems and battle dangerous misinformation. I thank our legislative leaders for their continued commitment to protecting the health of our families and communities as we navigate the evolving pandemic, the governor continued.

California Black Medias coverage of COVID-19 is supported by the California Health Care Foundation.
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure Makes History Among the Most Diverse White House Administration

A White House photo featuring dozens of African American members of the Biden-Harris administration circulated the internet during the opening days of Black History Month, and one would be hard-pressed to find anyone as proud as Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

The first Black woman to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Brooks-LaSure offered the brightest smile when mentioning the historic photo that featured Vice President Kamala Harris and a host of Black staffers who help push the administrations work forward.

Im so proud and really moved, the Philadelphia-born Brooks-LaSure asserted. When I got nominated, I heard from women across the country, and I didnt realize how meaningful it would be for so many people for me to sit in this chair, she continued.

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I have older women and younger women come up to me and say how proud they are. That really fuels me to want to use this role in a way to change peoples lives, and I feel so grateful for that opportunity.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) resolutely salutes and congratulates Chiquita Brooks-LaSure for her outstanding leadership at Health and Human Services (HHS) CMS. We look forward to expanding the partnership between CMS and the NNPA. Medicare and Medicaid are vital to the present and future of African Americans and other communities of color, affirmed Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr, NNPA President and CEO.

A former policy official who played a crucial role in guiding the Affordable Care Act  or Obamacare  through passage and implementation, Brooks-LaSure enjoys decades of experience working in government and the private sector.

As deputy director for policy at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, and earlier at the Department of Health & Human Services as director of coverage policy, Brooks-LaSure led the agencys implementation of Obamacare coverage and insurance policy provisions.

She assisted the House of Representatives leaders in passing several healthcare laws, including the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, as part of the Democratic staff for the Houses Ways and Means Committee. As administrator for CMS, Brooks-LaSure oversees programs that include Medicare, Medicaid, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and the HealthCare.gov health insurance marketplace.

I was born in Philadelphia, raised in New Jersey, and have been living in Virginia for a big chunk of my life, said LaSure, whos married with a young daughter.

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I was always interested in policy from a young age, she explained. When I was in graduate school, I had a friend who I took health policy and social policy, and she really got me on the healthcare policy track. I always said, once you start on health, you never look back because theres no policy area that has the ability to touch so many lives, especially in the federal government.

The COVID-19 pandemic has upped the pressure on CMS and other agencies, but Brooks-LaSure recalled similarities to when the ACA became law.

The ACA was born out of a difficult time, she recalled. Before we passed the law, not everyone thought we should focus on health policy. We had the Great Recession, and one of the pieces of peoples financial security was healthcare because one out of every three bankruptcies resulted from medical costs.

So, it became imperative to pass the ACA, and I think were at the same moment today. The pandemic has made it more difficult in terms of wanting to do so many things with healthcare policy.

Brooks-LaSure asserted that Americans now have a greater appreciation of why healthcare is vital and why the uninsured and those not having access to vaccines and drug treatments affect everyone.

I think people have seen health disparities at a different level, she stated. I think we now have an opportunity to address those [disparities] if we seize this moment.

To that end, Brooks-LaSure noted the six strategic pillars by which CMS would achieve its mission and measure success:

Advance health equity by addressing the health disparities that underlie Americas health system

Build on the Affordable Care Act and expand access to quality, affordable health coverage, and care

Engage partners and the communities CMS serve throughout the policymaking and implementation process

Drive innovation to tackle the health system challenges and promote value-based, person-centered care

Protect CMS programs sustainability for future generations by serving as a responsible steward of public funds

Foster a positive and inclusive workplace and workforce, and promote excellence in all aspects of CMSs operations

Brooks-LaSure said CMS has already made significant progress on those pillars, focusing efforts on improving health equity and access to coverage by working across all federal agencies.

She told NNPA Newswire that a record 14.5 million signed up for 2022 health care coverage during the enrollment period.

Investing in financial assistance and outreach allows more people to have access to the care that they need, Brooks-LaSure stated.

As part of Vice President Kamala Harriss Call to Action to Reduce Maternal Mortality and Morbidity, HHS, through CMS, has taken steps to improve maternal health and support the delivery of equitable, high-quality care for pregnancy and postpartum care.

CMS has proposed a Birthing-Friendly designation to drive perinatal health outcomes and maternal health equity improvements.

According to a release, the designation would initially identify hospitals that provide perinatal care, participate in a maternity care quality improvement collaborative, and implement recommended patient safety practices.

CMS has also encouraged states to take advantage of the American Rescue Plans option to provide 12 months of postpartum coverage to pregnant individuals enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP.

Brooks-LaSure said history would ultimately smile upon the unprecedented diversity.

I think that representation matters so much, and we will have changed this country because so many of us are in these roles with our diverse perspectives strengthen policymaking, Brooks-LaSure said.

The more you have people who come from different experiences, you make stronger and better policies and making sure the next generation see they can sit in these roles.
Herb Wesson Appointed Councilmember for 10th District

The communitys ardent request for a voting representative for Council District 10 has been addressed by Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, who introduced a motion to appoint former Councilmember Herb J. Wesson, Jr. to represent Los Angeles 10th Council District.

Responding to the announcement, community members expressed relief and appreciation to have Wesson as the interim councilmember, and Wesson reciprocated those feelings.

The 10th district is my home, said Wesson. Ive been fortunate in my life to have served this community for over 30 years. Ive truly been blessed, and most of my blessings come from people in this district. My neighbors have once again called on me to serve and it is my responsibility to answer that call.

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Gina Fields, chair of Empowerment Congress West Neighborhood Council, had long been lobbying for either the reinstatement of the elected representative, Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, or the appointment of a voting representative. In her opinion, Wessons appointment is a good interim selection.

We think Herb Wesson is the perfect guy for this position. Hes well respected in the community, he knows the community and can really hit the ground running, and we know he would really stand up for the community. We think hes the right man to step in during this challenging time, said Fields.

Echoing that viewpoint, Rashad Rucker added, I think its a good idea. Herb, being the past representative, already knows a lot of the issues in the district and Im in full support of his appointment. A CD 10 resident for nearly a decade, Rucker previously served on the board of his neighborhood council and represents the Reimagining L.A. Foundation, an organization based in CD 10.

Wesson represented the 10th District as Councilmember from 2005 until December 2020. Before that, he started his career in public service serving as chief of staff to former L.A. City Councilmember for the 10th District Nate Holden in 1987. From 1998 to 2004, he served as the 47th California State Assemblymember and the 65th Speaker of the California State Assembly.

Wesson would fill the vacant seat left by Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, who 10 months into his new term was suspended from office in October by the Council after a 20-count indictment was filed in Los Angeles federal court for federal bribery and conspiracy charges stemming from his time serving on the county Board of Supervisors. Ridley-Thomas has pled not guilty and is awaiting a trial date.

With over 30 years in public service representing the residents of Council District 10, there is no better choice at this time than former Councilmember Herb Wesson, said Martinez.

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Mr. Wesson cares deeply about the communities he represents and knows the district better than anyone. The constituents of Council District 10 need a voting member who understands their community and their needs to represent them within council chambers.

The motion states that Mr. Ridley-Thomas would be eligible to resume his elected duties before the remainder of his unexpired term following his acquittal or when the charges against him are dropped.

According to the Los Angeles City Charter, pending trial, the City Council may suspend any elected officer who has been charged with a criminal felony. The Council may fill a vacancy by appointing a person to hold the office for the portion of the unexpired term.

Currently, the district is being overseen by Karly Katona, Ridley-Thomas chief of staff, as the Caretaker. Katona was informed she would serve as Caretaker through the end of 2021 and Martinez would reassess at the start of 2022.

Initially, Ridley-Thomass trial date was tentatively set for December 2021, less than two months after his suspension. According to the motion, given the imminent trial date, the City Council delayed calling for an appointment to fill the seat for the office of Council District 10. However, after a joint request of Ridley-Thomas and the U.S. Attorneys Office, the U.S. District judge handling the case ordered the trial date moved to August 9, 2022.

The motion states that the City Council should appoint someone to hold the office of Council District 10 as a voting member to directly represent the constituents of Council District 10 for such period as is likely sufficient for Mr. Ridley-Thomass trial to be resolved.

Martinez met with residents and community leaders before announcing her appointment, many of whom suggested Wesson for the appointment. Melina Abdullah, who has lived in the district for a number of years, was among those voicing support for the former Councilmember.

As a resident of the 10th Council District, I am confident and excited about the appointment of Herb Wesson to the City Council, Abdullah said. Herb knows this district and will give us back our voice on the City Council, she added.

Grace Song, president of the 3.1 Womens Association in USA, noted, Herb Wesson has been a long time friend to the Korean American community and I believe he is the best candidate to serve as a voting member to the constituents of the 10th Council District.
The First Collection, a lifestyle brand comprising of The First Groups portfolio of hotels, dining and leisure venues, has announced that it is already plastic bottle free in an initiative that will reduce the waste of over 1.25 million plastic bottles per year.

This follows on from the announcement of the 'Dubai Can' initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai on February 15.

The move towards sustainable hospitality was introduced in 2019 when TRYP by Wyndham Dubai launched its LUVE (Love Ur Vibrant Earth) sustainability policy. Collaborating with the local company No More Bottles, TRYP successfully replaced plastic bottled water with glass bottles, which are cleaned, refilled and labelled on site.

Using WaterLogic technology, the filtration dispensers remove contaminants and chlorine from water, making it safe to drink. The award-winning initiative eliminated an estimated 306,000 plastic water bottles of waste in the first year alone and has now been implemented across all operational hotels under the group.

In September 2021, The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle, the first branded hotel under the group opened their doors to guests as a plastic bottle free hotel. While other hotels under the group successfully made the switch to guilt-free glass bottles by the end of 2021, with Citadines Metro Central Dubai, Grand Heights Hotel Apartments and Wyndham Dubai Marina all welcoming the initiative with open arms.

Based on consumption figures in 2020, Citadines Metro Central Dubai will prevent 115,000 plastic bottles from going into landfills and a further 100,000 bottles of waste will be removed from the operations of Grand Heights Hotel Apartments. While Wyndham Dubai Marina and The First Collection at Jumeirah Village Circle are expected to reduce the waste of 365,000 bottles per year respectively.

David Thomson, VP of Hotels at The First Collection commented: "Dubai Can is a remarkable initiative that will have a hugely beneficial impact on the environment and will make people reconsider their water consumption habits. The First Collection recognises the effect the hotels operations can have on the environment and weve made great strides to make eco-friendly accommodation more viable. All our properties are now PET plastic bottle free, which will save a massive 1.25 million plastic bottles ending up in waste every year.

Aligned with our vision of Enhancing Communities, were using TRYP by Wyndham Dubais sustainability success as an example to reduce the carbon footprint across all our hotels under the group. Wed like to encourage other hotels to follow suit and we would be happy support them by showing them how they can implement similar initiatives.

Following the industry-leading sustainability programme, LUVE, The First Collection aims to set benchmarks for sustainability in the hospitality sector across the region, something that will remain a core focus of the group as they fulfil their ambitious growth plans over the next few years, it said. -TradeArabia News Service
A shelter in Mexico near the United States border is housing not only migrants and asylum seekers but also chickens, pigs, and possibly fish.

Asylum seekers are forced to wait out their U.S. immigration cases in Mexico. They often spend months at the San Matias shelter run by Rev. Hector Trejo. The shelter is in the large industrial city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. It is across the border from El Paso, Texas.

The wait is stressful for people who in some cases are fleeing painful situations in their home countries. And the costs of feeding them have also been growing. Raising their own food appears to help with both difficulties.

Trejo said, On one side you have a space with the possibility of producing food; on the other, you have a safe and decent space for the families so they can go through their process in the most harmonious way possible.

The shelter keeps pigs in an area where migrants can stop by to rub their big noses. It also has vegetables in a greenhouse to protect them from the cold winter temperatures. Trejo is planning a fish farm that could produce more than 6 metric tons of a kind of fish called tilapia each year.

It is relaxing just going to the chicken coops to feed them, said Jose Maria Guerrero. He fled his home in the central state of Michoacan, Mexico to avoid violence. He is now seeking asylum in the U.S.

Guerero told The Associated Press, Of course, it helps you. It makes you forget for a moment your problems and additionally, you have something to do here.

Benjamin Navarretes Biological Innovations company designed the farm operation. He believes such an operation could be built for other areas experiencing similar crises.

It is a great model, especially in the case of shelters where most of the expenses are for food and all this is an organic production, Navarrete said.

American immigrant policy

The asylum seekers are forced to wait under a U.S. policy known as Remain in Mexico.

The policy started under the administration of former President Donald Trump. It aimed at persuading asylum seekers to not travel to the U.S. border.

Under the policy, migrants without legal documentation to enter the U.S. were returned to Mexico to wait for their immigration case. President Joe Biden ended the policy when he took office. But a court order forced his administration to return to it last December.

The number of asylum seekers returned to Mexico under Biden has so far been fairly small. But American officials have also expelled migrants more than 1.5 million times without a chance to claim asylum since March 2020. It is happening under the pandemic restrictions of the public health law used by both administrations.

The policies have increased pressure on Mexican border cities. And they have increased pressure on the limited spaces available in the shelter.

Im Jill Robbins.

Alicia Fernandez reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

decent  adj. good enough but not the best: adequate or acceptable

harmonious  adj. not experiencing disagreement or fighting

coop  n. a cage or small building in which chickens or other small animals are kept

moment  n. a very short period of time

expense  n. an amount of money that must be spent especially regularly to pay for something

organic  adj. grown or made without the use of artificial chemicals

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SpaceX recently announced that a solar storm has disabled at least 40 of the 49 communication satellites that it recently launched.

The company said the satellites were launched on February 3 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Around the same time, there was a geomagnetic storm watch listed by the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center. The center warned that a large burst of solar plasma gas and electromagnetic radiation from the sun's surface would likely reach Earths atmosphere.

SpaceX said the storm greatly increased atmospheric density around the satellites low orbit. This created friction that disabled at least 40 of them.

Jonathan McDowell is a Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist. He said that the incident is believed to be the largest collective loss of satellites from a single geomagnetic event.

The threat of solar storms

Scientists are warning that these destructive solar storms could affect life on Earth at any time. These outbursts from the sun, which eject energy in the form of magnetic fields and plasma gas are unpredictable and difficult to prepare for.

Research shows that Earth is hit by a very destructive solar storm every century or two. In the past, these were mainly colorful light shows on the sky with limited effects on humanity. Modern technology, however, can be severely affected by these solar storms.

When an intense geomagnetic storm hit the Earth in September 1859, telegraph systems across North America and Europe failed. Some operators reported receiving electrical shocks. A solar storm in March 1989 caused power failures in Quebec, Canada.

The Halloween Storms of 2003 affected more than half of the orbiting satellites and disrupted aviation. Electrical service was also knocked out in parts of Europe for several hours, and transformers in South Africa were destroyed.

Raimund Muscheler is a geology professor at Lund University in Sweden. In a new study of ice samples, he concluded that a previously unknown, huge solar storm about 9,200 years ago would have destroyed communication systems if it had hit Earth in modern times.

Daniel Baker is an expert in planetary and space physics from the University of Colorado. When talking about solar storms, he said,  it's something that really needs to be dealt with by policymakers." He added that  in the longer term, it's not a question of if but when."

Possible damage

The sun outbursts could first disrupt the ionosphere  where the Earth's atmosphere meets space  and radio communications. They also create additional friction on some satellites, which is what happened to SpaceX satellites. The storm with its highly charged particles could also be radioactive and presented a danger to astronauts in orbit.

The gas and magnetic field explosions on the surface of the sun, known as coronal mass ejection, could overload Earths electrical power systems and speed corrosion of pipelines.

"The geomagnetic storm can actually cause transformers to burn through if they are not adequately protected," said Muscheler of Lund University.

Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi is an assistant professor in the computer sciences at the University of California, Irvine. She warned that solar storms could also damage long-distance communication lines between North America and Europe.

Any major solar storm could threaten Global Positioning System (or GPS) satellites which are critical to modern life from driving cars to flying planes. And a big storm can cause a reduction in the ozone to affect the climate on Earth.

Solar cycles

McDowell of Harvard-Smithsonian expects geomagnetic storm activity to increase as the sun nears its 11-year cycle of magnetic field activity known as sunspots.

The cycle is predicted to be at its worst in July 2025. Solar scientists say the good news is that it will be less intense than the most active cycles of past centuries. However, some governments seem unprepared for possible damage likely to be caused by future major storms.

Baker, the University of Colorado expert said a concerned woman in France contacted officials there for advice on how to prepare for a major geomagnetic storm.

They told her, "We suggest you buy a chocolate cake, eat it and wait for the end of the world.

Im Jill Robbins. And Im Dan Friedell.

Steve Herman reported this story for VOA News. Gregory Stachel adapted the story for VOA Learning English with additional reporting from Reuters.

Threat of Solar Storms Seen with Recent Satellite Loss Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

geomagnetic  n. the magnetism of the earth

astrophysics  n. the scientific study of the physical and chemical properties and structures of stars, planets, and other objects in outer space

friction  n. the force that causes a moving object to slow down when it is touching another object

aviation  n. the business or practice of flying airplanes or helicopters

sample  n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from

corrode  v. to gradually destroy or weaken (something)

adequately  adj. enough for some need or requirement

cycle  n. a set of events or actions that happen again and again in the same order: a repeating series of events or actions

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To discuss whether the hijab is essential or not, whether all Muslims wear the hijab or not, whether those who wear it do it out of choice or not: these questions are meant to divert the focus away from the real issue plaguing India: Hindu majoritarianism.

Irena Akbar | TwoCircles.net

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No woman in my family has ever observed the purdah.

No one in my family wears the hijab or the burqa.

Do these lines sound familiar? Most likely, youve read them in liberal Muslims declarations of support on social media for the right of Muslim girls in Karnataka to wear the hijab to school/college. After explaining their own familys relationship with the hijab/purdah, they write but I support the right of Muslim girls to wear the hijab.

What motivates Muslim liberals to publicly distance their individual selves from the hijab or burqa or other Islamic symbols of modesty? And why should this public distancing precede their support for the right to wear hijab? Does this qualified support have a larger, societal purpose, or is it confined to maintaining/reinforcing individual images of Muslim liberals?

The hallmark of Muslim liberals has been to stand apart from the more visibly religious, common mass of Muslims. By publicly detaching themselves from symbols that evoke the Islamic faith or identity like the hijab or the topi, the Muslim liberal welcomes plaudits like progressive Muslim, forward-thinking Muslim and you are unlike other Muslims from the liberal Hindu elite. For the liberal Muslim, such Islamophobic comments count as personal compliments.

Hence, no woman in my family wears the hijab but I support the right to wear it. In other words, I am with you but not of you. I am standing with you, but at a distance.

If the Muslim liberal is a public figure, it wouldnt be unfair to infer that he/she is irresponsible at best and selfish at worst, his/her concern for personal image preceding concern for the community. A public figure should be conscious that his/her statements can influence the narrative at play, and hence should weigh his/her words before saying/writing them. This cant be emphasized enough when systemic Islamophobia runs large. Author and journalist Ghazala Wahab wrote a Twitter thread that dismissed the agency of the Karnataka girls in choosing to wear the hijab and questioned whether Muslim men/boys are required to sport Muslim identity. Muslim teenager Junaid was lynched on a train in Delhi-NCR because he wore a skullcap in 2017. Mohsin Sheikh was killed by Hindutva goons in Pune in 2014 because his beard made him look too Muslim. One just has to Google for other examples. Former AMU vice-chancellor Zameeruddin Shah said in a TV interview that no woman in his family wears the hijab and that there is no injunction for the burqa in the Quran  incorrect, because, in Quran 33:59, Muslim women are instructed to draw an outer garment when they step outside. A chador, or shrug, or burqa is an outer garment.

Muslim liberals who are ordinary citizens, however, may not be aware that they are playing into Islamophobia. They are probably operating out of fear of losing their Hindu friends if they vocalize uncomfortable truths. Hence they offer an unnecessary, personal apology for the hijab by clarifying that they or their family doesnt wear it.

Such apologetic riders are not only unnecessary, but they are also counter-productive to the cause of the hijab-wearing Muslim girls. Instead of adding value or strength to the cause, they weaken it. The Muslim girls of Karnataka are fighting to wear the hijab as an intrinsic/integral/essential part of their Islamic faith. The Muslim liberal, by publicly stating her (or his familys) choice in not wearing it, is strengthening the misplaced public perception that the hijab is an optional aspect of Islam. One has to read the first, 30th and 31st verses of Surah Al-Nur chapter of the Quran to know that the hijab is a mandatory aspect of Islam. A liberal Muslim might not adhere to this aspect out of choice or ignorance, but for her/him to make a big deal out of it publicly will affect how the public, the media, and the Karnataka High Court view the Muslim girls right to wear the hijab. Each one of us has a responsibility to ensure that we dont play our part in denying access to education to Muslim girls. Just for approval by the Hindu majority, should Muslim liberals throw their sisters in Karnataka under the bus?

Finally, and most importantly, the anti-hijab movement in Karnataka is not about hijab per se, but a part of the larger Hindutva agenda. Like beef and love jihad, CAA and Covid, the hijab is the latest excuse by the state to corner and demonise Muslims, and this time, to intimidate them into giving up their rights and identity. We saw it in the viral video where a Muslim teacher had to take off her abaya and hijab at the gate of her institution in full public view, even though the hijab ban doesnt apply to teachers.

To discuss whether the hijab is essential or not, whether all Muslims wear the hijab or not, whether those who wear it do it out of choice or not: these questions are meant to divert the focus away from the real issue plaguing India: Hindu majoritarianism. The media is predictably toeing the states agenda. The least the Muslim liberals should do is not aggravate it with their unnecessary stand on the hijab.

Irene Akbar is an entrepreneur and a freelance writer. She tweets at @irenaakbar
The Lompoc Public Library has issued a call for artists who would like to be considered featured exhibitors at the librarys Grossman Gallery 
PCPA is set to perform the Shakespearean musical "As You Like It" at Santa Maria's Marian Theatre stage from Feb. 17 through March 6.
Joseph Margulies (Cornell University), John H. Blume (Cornell Law School), & Sheri Lynn Johnson (Cornell Law School) have posted Dead Right: A Cautionary Capital Punishment Tale (Columbia Human Rights Law Review, Vol. 53, No. 1, 2021) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:

At least 228 people executed in the modern eraor more than one in every sevenwere right too soon. That is, they had claims in their case that today would render their execution unconstitutional, but were killed because of a legal regime that arrived too late. Roughly 30% of our total include the children and persons with intellectual disability who were executed prior to Roper v. Simmons and Atkins v. Virginia, respectively. But the great majority of the people identified in our study raised claims based on doctrine that had already been clearly established by the Supreme Court. If the lower courts had applied Supreme Court caselaw correctly, these people would have gotten relief. Yet the lower courts resisted the doctrine and for years the Supreme Court did nothing to correct them. This resistance was particularly egregious in Texas and Florida. In Texas, at least 108 people were executed after the Supreme Court had already established the relevant basis for relief, and in Florida, the total is at least 36. At least when it comes to the death penalty, the lower courts seem especially unwilling to follow Supreme Court doctrine that would save a person from execution. The result is a system that routinely kills people even when they are right.
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City working on new tax abatement agreement with Jefferson

Gee

Jefferson Enterprise Energy LLC needs more room to grow, but Lufkin City Council experienced some related growing pains Tuesday due to a misunderstanding regarding tax abatements for the company.

The city canceled its original tax abatement agreement with Jefferson and approved a new one during Tuesday nights meeting. This, however, is not exactly what Jefferson was looking to do.

Jefferson purchased the old Aspen Power plant with plans to invest $150 million and construct an agro-pulp mill; the city approved an agreement with Jefferson in March 2021. The project has since expanded and the company needs additional land to build facilities capable of handling the work, said Mark Viator, public government affairs consultant with Jefferson.

The council on Tuesday agreed to cancel the tax abatement on the power plant property and establish a new abatement on more than 70 additional acres the company purchased along the old Sawmill Road.

There was a little bit of a misunderstanding, Viator said. We want both abatements for the Aspen Power plant  because were going to invest assets there  and then about $250 million on the new property.

The city will consider the abatements again in a future city council meeting, city manager Kevin Gee told Viator before the council left for an executive session.

The company owns more than 100 acres in Lufkin and has plans to invest in it all, said Ed Germann, project lead with Jefferson.

The project is growing, were adding more jobs, etc. Germann said. So were still investing in the power plant; were just adding an additional investment on additional property.

Construction of the facility will take 24 months after all the permits have been approved, but the company is still working through the permitting process, Viator said.

Jefferson is working on an air permit through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality with hopes to receive the permit in the spring.

It also is pushing for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to permit the plant to access the Texas grid with Oncor, Germann said.

The permit to construct the fiber processing plant is in the very beginning stages, and the company is hopeful to have an answer by January 2023, Germann said.

The council also permitted, on first reading, the city to use $475,000 to purchase the Thrash Building downtown. The council must twice approve a budget amendment to permit the city to move the money to the appropriate fund to be used on expenditures. The purchase will be considered again at the March 1 city council meeting.

Even though this funding has been approved on first reading, this doesnt mean all the agreements have been made, city manager Kevin Gee said. The city is still negotiating with property owners, and the final purchase has not been approved by the council.

Gee did confirm the $475,000 is expected to be used to purchase the building, not on expenses related to the construction of the parking lot the city has planned.

The council also entered an executive session to consider purchasing property in Morris Frank Park, but it did not announce any decisions after the session.

In other business, the city council: accepted a donation to the Parks & Recreation Department; accepted a $15,000 donation to the Kurth Memorial Animal Shelter Vetting Fund; approved the abandonment, vacation, closure or sale of an unimproved alley near East Kerr Avenue; and appointed council member Rocky Thigpen as the new member of the 4B Economic Development Board of Directors in place of council member Lynn Torres.
Madison-area business executives are donating $1 million toward the planned $38 million Center for Black Excellence and Culture, which is slated to open on the citys South Side in 2023.

The contribution is the latest in a string of high-dollar donations for the Black-led and -designed project that will provide a wide range of opportunities to celebrate and learn about the Black community, hold performances, socialize and promote wellness.

In a statement announcing the donation, the centers CEO and founder, the Rev. Alex Gee, said the project organizers are enormously appreciative of the gift, which is being provided from the personal resources of the leaders of some of the areas largest companies.

The speed and scale at which the broader community has rallied behind The Center demonstrates the monumental impact it will have in the South Side and across southern Wisconsin, and their gifts will be felt by generations to come, Gee, who is also pastor at Fountain of Life and founder and CEO of the Nehemiah Center, said in the Tuesday statement.

The former and current business leaders  part of a group dubbed Executives for Black Excellence Initiative  represented J.H. Findorff & Sons Inc., Exact Sciences Corp., Summit Credit Union, TMG Inc., Custer Financial Services, M3 Insurance, HealthX Ventures, Frank Productions and TASC. The groups goal is to raise $3 million in total from business executives.

Additionally, the centers organizers said they are applying for $6 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits to help with the project.

The 65,000-square-foot, three-level Center for Black Excellence and Culture will be built on 6 acres at 655 W. Badger Road. The building will include space dedicated for youth, students and seniors, lounges, multiple studios, co-working space, offices, and two performance spaces, along with a professional lounge for members of the Black community to use for weddings, conferences and after-work gatherings.

Organizers hope to break ground on the center near the end of the year.

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A deft cultural history about a frequently mocked, ignored or misunderstood decade.

"The Nineties: A Book" by Chuck Klosterman; The Penguin Press (384 pages, $28)



In Richard Linklater's movie "Dazed and Confused," a character defines their "Every Other Decade Theory": "The Fifties were boring. The Sixties rocked. The Seventies, my God, they obviously suck. So maybe the Eighties will be, like, radical." When that movie opened in 1993, the twenty-something audiences it targeted laughed knowingly: Obviously the Seventies had been cooler than the Eighties. None could conceive of thinking seriously about the decade they were living through, much less writing a book about it.

Chuck Klosterman's "The Nineties" wrestles in an entertaining and fitfully insightful way with a decade few of us feel like we understand. As the writer of an incisively snarky string of books and articles on our tangled, often-baffling connection to the American pop culture zeitgeist, Klosterman seems ideally suited to the task. Who better than the guy who wrote an entire essay on a character from echt-Nineties series "Saved by the Bell" ("Being Zack Morris") and names some of his chapters for iconic indie-rock anthems of slack ("Fighting the Battle of Who Could Care Less")?

From the start, Klosterman tries to look past the "grunge cartoon" take on the decade. This is welcome, given how often cultural chroniclers reduce periods to worn cliches. He knows that just muddling together Kurt Cobain, the O.J. Simpson trial, Biosphere 2, Boris Yeltsin, Bush v. Gore, Timothy McVeigh, "Friends," and the "Clear Craze" (Crystal Pepsi, Zima) produces no greater understanding. This is partially due to Klosterman's somewhat self-satirizing Gen-X suspicion of certainties. He is most discerning when parsing the tortured relationship his generation had in the Nineties to authenticity and popularity: Alanis Morissette "was successful because of her honesty, but anyone that successful had to be lying."

In riffing chapters whose mood toggles between jaundiced, jaunty and mournful, Klosterman tries less to uncover the true significance of the decade than to communicate how it was to experience. In turn, that leads to explaining how different moments were viewed through or even created by the period's increasingly media-saturated environment. His passage on the Columbine massacre is devastating in showing how a false narrative of misfits-versus-popular kids derived from cheap fictional high school tropes seemed more soothing than the killings' true lack of meaning: "Television had become the way to understand everything."

Though waggish, smart, and packed with ephemera on everything from Baudrillard's influence on "The Matrix" to the "calculated redness" of Billy Ray Cyrus' neck, "The Nineties" keeps turning in a downbeat direction. That cartoonishly banal period between the fall of the Soviet Union and the fall of the World Trade Center can look to some today like the calm before the storm.

Klosterman isn't trading in nostalgia for the days of "Yo! MTV Raps" and dial-up modems but he appreciates the momentousness of what the new millennium wrought: "The illusion that got shattered was the possibility of living an autonomous life, separate from the lives of others."



Chris Barsanti is the author of several books, a member of the National Book Critics Circle and frequent contributor on comics for Publishers Weekly. He lives in St. Paul.
All lanes of Highway 19 near Sun Prairie were closed Tuesday night because of a "law enforcement incident," the Wisconsin Department of Transportation said.

It's unclear what the nature of the incident was. Dane County dispatch said the 911 call initially came in as a "check welfare."

The closure started around 6:40 p.m. and was cleared later in the evening, the transportation department said. The portion of Highway 19 that was shut down stretched from Highway VV to Highway TT.

The Dane County Sheriff's Office is handling the investigation.

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